Harry Potter is way too long. Individually, and overall. Should have been a trilogy, as I will demonstrate.
Book 1-Needed, fine just as long as it should be.
Book 2-What happened? Well we found out that Harry Potter's not Slytherin's heir...which is a problem we didn't have before this book. So basically, just some foreshadowing, which could easily have been worked in elsewhere.
Book 3-Sirius Black escapes from jail, which happens at the beginning...and we find out he's not evil and who really betrayed Harry's parents to their death. But at the cost of some 500 pages, I can't help but think it's pretty drawn out.
Book 4-Some bullcrap contest which has no importance to the overall plot, and Voldemort comes back. Finally, something important happens! Things are really gonna heat up next time right?
Book 5-Wrong, nothing happens. at all. Okay, Sirius dies, but come on, that's literally the only important thing.
Book 6-Once again, not much happens until the end. Books 2-6 could easily have been combined.
Book 7-Never read it, haven't seen movie, can't say, but I'm gonna say it could have easily been book 3.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Heroes: Yeah I failed.
Well here we are, its November 10th and we're at the final part of this Heroes thing and wait...Oh yea, I totally didn't do this at all.
I think I set some unreasonable goals, see I forgot how convoluted and complicated Heroes was, especially in season 1. This could take a while, I'm not promising anything, but probably by the end of 2010, I am working on it...sort of.
In the meantime I'll do other posts, and you can look forward to the Heroes thing, well, later.
I think I set some unreasonable goals, see I forgot how convoluted and complicated Heroes was, especially in season 1. This could take a while, I'm not promising anything, but probably by the end of 2010, I am working on it...sort of.
In the meantime I'll do other posts, and you can look forward to the Heroes thing, well, later.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Heroes: A look Back-Prologue
This idea has been brewing ever since I started to blog. That's right, I'm going to look back at all four seasons of NBC's Heroes, the good the bad the ugly and the just plain dumb.
I will try to do this as fast as possible, hopefully one part a day, here's how I plan to do it.
Nov 4-Season 1 Part 1
Nov 5-Season 1 Part 2
Nov 6-Season 2
Nov 7-Season 3 Part 1
Nov 8-Season 3 Part 2
Nov 9-Season 4
Nov 10-Epilogue
I'll be getting to work as soon as possible on this epic task, of recapping all 79 episodes of this show, as well as tackling the behind the scenes stuff, and the show's ultimate cancellation. Stay tuned.
I will try to do this as fast as possible, hopefully one part a day, here's how I plan to do it.
Nov 4-Season 1 Part 1
Nov 5-Season 1 Part 2
Nov 6-Season 2
Nov 7-Season 3 Part 1
Nov 8-Season 3 Part 2
Nov 9-Season 4
Nov 10-Epilogue
I'll be getting to work as soon as possible on this epic task, of recapping all 79 episodes of this show, as well as tackling the behind the scenes stuff, and the show's ultimate cancellation. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Ludo-Prepare the Preparations (Screw you Lushbeat!)
I know it's been two months, but I'm ready to review, Ludo's latest CD, Prepare the Preparations.
First off, I want to say that the critics are dead wrong on this one. Dead, wrong.
So I haven't done this before, but I'll go through song by song and explain why this is awesome, and why Brian from Lushbeat can suck it.
1. Too Tired to Wink
The album gets going with a jaunty and diverse tune. You never quite know where it's going, and frankly I still don't know what it's about. It's a good song to start the album, but probably not the best choice. It doesn't stand out a lot at first, but will get stuck in your head at some point gauranteed.
2. Cyborgs vs. Robots
The song that probably inspired the cover art, and the one I would pick for the first track. The album is intense, somewhat angry and has enough electronic influence to accomidate the subject matter. This is definitely a work-out song, it will inspire you to pump iron, and burn that spare tire into oblivion. "Your tyranny burs my circuitry I won't stand by, I know my rights and I will fight fight fight, yeah!"
3. Whipped Cream.
Where to begin. This is the single from the album, and the most mainstream sounding of the songs. DO NOT, repeat NOT take seriously. The lyrics are goofy, the music upbeat, and well, it's just fun. "Think I'm entitled to your body/got a little problem with personal space and i've been/pounding the yaeger/my breath and behavior/have been driving the patrons away." And then there's that darn video...
4. Anything for You
Sounding something like a Plain White T's song, if the Plain White T's had, you know, talent, but with a twist. "Never have you ever seen/so many perfect evergreens/but I would chop them all down just for you". It'll make you say, "aww, he's a psychopath". "My scar is from a polar bear my curse is from a witch/I've caught a giant squid in all the seven seas." However, it doesn't stand well to the test of time, and despite the creative lyrics is one of the more dispensable songs on the album.
5. Manta Rays
At first I didn't really like this song, but I've come to appreciate it greatly since I bought the album. It's quite, understated and atmospheric, and it adds up to freaking epicosity. It's now one of my favorites on the album, but I would have placed it in a different spot, due to some subject similarity to "Anything for You". Also, they kind of rip off Chris Rice. "You've haunted me in colors I've never seen/I feel strange and unprotected/but I'm weightless like I'm falling on the moon/I'm falling slow for you"
6. Skeletons on Parade
Oh yeah. From traveling minstrel, to smooth jazz, to goth rock and back, this song is EPIC! Arguably belongs on "Nightmare Before Christmas" and if it was, it would be the stand-out track, made up words withstanding. "Yock de hay dee, yockety hum/the devil is happy to say/heaven is having a hell of a time/skeletons on parade". I have but one complaint, and I'll have to explain it later, but for now, epic, the best track on the album (although I would have placed it at the end of the record). Perfect for Halloween. "shred your shroud/slip your fingertips through the ground/get those catacombs open/I'm hopin/you'll join us/everybody come on out". And later, "What a lovely lovely night/for a drink and a parade/we'll dance until the morning light/this town should be afraid". And cuz I have to, "I move without any muscles/my skull's a cavernous hall." "Flee the mausolea/fly sarcophagi/pandemone the plaza/tibia-fibia-fie!"
7. I'll Never be Lonely Again
Queue the transition! Maybe too much of a transition, as we revert to 50's R&B complete with crackling record effects. A fine ballad on its own, but on this album it has a whole new level of awesome. Lyrically it's really nothing special, but musically it's as good as anything of its kind. "If that star keeps consoling/I'll never be lonely again"
8. All the stars in Texas
Not a personal favorite, but I appreciate the subject matter. This song is a bit too guitar driven, and hard to really get into. It's about Bonnie & Clyde, which it took me too long to figure out, and it's not a bad song, just not a stand-out by any means. "All these people understand/is a gun in their face, or the cash in their hand/I wanna take you home and start a family/but all the stars in texas ain't got nothing on your eyes when you say/'Let's hit 'em baby one more time'"
9. Rotten Town
An early favorite that's faded with age, Rotten Town is a lot of fun. It's sort of a great drunk song I guess, about pirates marooned in a rotten town somewhere. "I scowl at the angry moon/I am sick on myself I'm a bum/What have I become/a drunken maroon/run aground/in this rotten town". Musically I can only describe it as Irish Pirate Rock. You just have to hear it to really get it, but definitely a solid track.
10. Overdone
At first I really didn't like this song, but as time has gone by it's become one of my favorites. A very depressing departure from Rotten Town, but amazing none the less. Harder than most of the songs, and a bit emo, it nonetheless has amazing lyrics. "I'm a snake/on a shelf/just a pile/of myself/while the mice/in the walls/find joy in it all/but I'm bad/bred to suffer/in the dark/in this room/I'll escape/I'll explode/get me out/make it soon" However, fair warning, it deserves its title as it feels a bit overdone. "It's just a chemical/I'm not a snake/I'm just falling apart again/look at me/I'm sobbing like a child"
11. Battle Cry
Overdone proves to be a dramatic mood swing, and now we're back where we were with track 9. Battle Cry is based on Queen's "We are the Champions" written from the perspective of the losers, as they get their ultimate revenge. It's a lot of fun the first few times, but it gets old, so don't expect to add it to any major playlists. Still, it's really fun, especially when it goes a bit too far. "And we'll eat their dreams/until they die inside/We'll raise their kids/and commandeer their wives/we'll curse their gods/and drink up all their wine/we will defeat the other guys!"
12. Safe in the Dark
And back to emo-land, in a song that I did like initially and still do. It has a nice base driven verse, with guitar serving as background. The chorus is explosive, and oddly enough it's the easiest song to take seriously. The entire song takes place in a phone-call between two friends and it really only amounts to small-talk, save for the chorus which I guess is some sort of omnicient narrator. "Well where are you guys then/we're up north just trying to beat the heat/When are you coming home?/Not sure I can make it back for weeks/So how are all your shows?/Kelly called and said your not all right/You take care of you/There's something bigger going on this time"
Hidden Track-Skeletons Lullaby
This is the ending too Skeletons on Parade, so why is it at the end of the album? Good question. They should have put the whole thing at the end, rather than having Skeletons at track 6. Is it a nitpick? Kind-of, but still they were that close.
The iTunes version has two bonus tracks, but they're not really worth talking about, just acoustic versions of "Whipped Cream" and "Rotten Town". They aren't bad, they just aren't much different than the originals, and certainly not better.
Final Rating: 3/4
While every song is listenable a few times, some of them get old, and their order is rather weird. Still, there are a few greats that I'll still be listening to in years, and Whipped Cream only has a matter of time before its one of my most played. A really good album, just shy of great.
Coming Soon:
Heroes: A Look Back
First off, I want to say that the critics are dead wrong on this one. Dead, wrong.
So I haven't done this before, but I'll go through song by song and explain why this is awesome, and why Brian from Lushbeat can suck it.
1. Too Tired to Wink
The album gets going with a jaunty and diverse tune. You never quite know where it's going, and frankly I still don't know what it's about. It's a good song to start the album, but probably not the best choice. It doesn't stand out a lot at first, but will get stuck in your head at some point gauranteed.
2. Cyborgs vs. Robots
The song that probably inspired the cover art, and the one I would pick for the first track. The album is intense, somewhat angry and has enough electronic influence to accomidate the subject matter. This is definitely a work-out song, it will inspire you to pump iron, and burn that spare tire into oblivion. "Your tyranny burs my circuitry I won't stand by, I know my rights and I will fight fight fight, yeah!"
3. Whipped Cream.
Where to begin. This is the single from the album, and the most mainstream sounding of the songs. DO NOT, repeat NOT take seriously. The lyrics are goofy, the music upbeat, and well, it's just fun. "Think I'm entitled to your body/got a little problem with personal space and i've been/pounding the yaeger/my breath and behavior/have been driving the patrons away." And then there's that darn video...
4. Anything for You
Sounding something like a Plain White T's song, if the Plain White T's had, you know, talent, but with a twist. "Never have you ever seen/so many perfect evergreens/but I would chop them all down just for you". It'll make you say, "aww, he's a psychopath". "My scar is from a polar bear my curse is from a witch/I've caught a giant squid in all the seven seas." However, it doesn't stand well to the test of time, and despite the creative lyrics is one of the more dispensable songs on the album.
5. Manta Rays
At first I didn't really like this song, but I've come to appreciate it greatly since I bought the album. It's quite, understated and atmospheric, and it adds up to freaking epicosity. It's now one of my favorites on the album, but I would have placed it in a different spot, due to some subject similarity to "Anything for You". Also, they kind of rip off Chris Rice. "You've haunted me in colors I've never seen/I feel strange and unprotected/but I'm weightless like I'm falling on the moon/I'm falling slow for you"
6. Skeletons on Parade
Oh yeah. From traveling minstrel, to smooth jazz, to goth rock and back, this song is EPIC! Arguably belongs on "Nightmare Before Christmas" and if it was, it would be the stand-out track, made up words withstanding. "Yock de hay dee, yockety hum/the devil is happy to say/heaven is having a hell of a time/skeletons on parade". I have but one complaint, and I'll have to explain it later, but for now, epic, the best track on the album (although I would have placed it at the end of the record). Perfect for Halloween. "shred your shroud/slip your fingertips through the ground/get those catacombs open/I'm hopin/you'll join us/everybody come on out". And later, "What a lovely lovely night/for a drink and a parade/we'll dance until the morning light/this town should be afraid". And cuz I have to, "I move without any muscles/my skull's a cavernous hall." "Flee the mausolea/fly sarcophagi/pandemone the plaza/tibia-fibia-fie!"
7. I'll Never be Lonely Again
Queue the transition! Maybe too much of a transition, as we revert to 50's R&B complete with crackling record effects. A fine ballad on its own, but on this album it has a whole new level of awesome. Lyrically it's really nothing special, but musically it's as good as anything of its kind. "If that star keeps consoling/I'll never be lonely again"
8. All the stars in Texas
Not a personal favorite, but I appreciate the subject matter. This song is a bit too guitar driven, and hard to really get into. It's about Bonnie & Clyde, which it took me too long to figure out, and it's not a bad song, just not a stand-out by any means. "All these people understand/is a gun in their face, or the cash in their hand/I wanna take you home and start a family/but all the stars in texas ain't got nothing on your eyes when you say/'Let's hit 'em baby one more time'"
9. Rotten Town
An early favorite that's faded with age, Rotten Town is a lot of fun. It's sort of a great drunk song I guess, about pirates marooned in a rotten town somewhere. "I scowl at the angry moon/I am sick on myself I'm a bum/What have I become/a drunken maroon/run aground/in this rotten town". Musically I can only describe it as Irish Pirate Rock. You just have to hear it to really get it, but definitely a solid track.
10. Overdone
At first I really didn't like this song, but as time has gone by it's become one of my favorites. A very depressing departure from Rotten Town, but amazing none the less. Harder than most of the songs, and a bit emo, it nonetheless has amazing lyrics. "I'm a snake/on a shelf/just a pile/of myself/while the mice/in the walls/find joy in it all/but I'm bad/bred to suffer/in the dark/in this room/I'll escape/I'll explode/get me out/make it soon" However, fair warning, it deserves its title as it feels a bit overdone. "It's just a chemical/I'm not a snake/I'm just falling apart again/look at me/I'm sobbing like a child"
11. Battle Cry
Overdone proves to be a dramatic mood swing, and now we're back where we were with track 9. Battle Cry is based on Queen's "We are the Champions" written from the perspective of the losers, as they get their ultimate revenge. It's a lot of fun the first few times, but it gets old, so don't expect to add it to any major playlists. Still, it's really fun, especially when it goes a bit too far. "And we'll eat their dreams/until they die inside/We'll raise their kids/and commandeer their wives/we'll curse their gods/and drink up all their wine/we will defeat the other guys!"
12. Safe in the Dark
And back to emo-land, in a song that I did like initially and still do. It has a nice base driven verse, with guitar serving as background. The chorus is explosive, and oddly enough it's the easiest song to take seriously. The entire song takes place in a phone-call between two friends and it really only amounts to small-talk, save for the chorus which I guess is some sort of omnicient narrator. "Well where are you guys then/we're up north just trying to beat the heat/When are you coming home?/Not sure I can make it back for weeks/So how are all your shows?/Kelly called and said your not all right/You take care of you/There's something bigger going on this time"
Hidden Track-Skeletons Lullaby
This is the ending too Skeletons on Parade, so why is it at the end of the album? Good question. They should have put the whole thing at the end, rather than having Skeletons at track 6. Is it a nitpick? Kind-of, but still they were that close.
The iTunes version has two bonus tracks, but they're not really worth talking about, just acoustic versions of "Whipped Cream" and "Rotten Town". They aren't bad, they just aren't much different than the originals, and certainly not better.
Final Rating: 3/4
While every song is listenable a few times, some of them get old, and their order is rather weird. Still, there are a few greats that I'll still be listening to in years, and Whipped Cream only has a matter of time before its one of my most played. A really good album, just shy of great.
Coming Soon:
Heroes: A Look Back
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