MTV - Censored Videos

Sometimes it's good to push the establishment and break down the walls - sometimes doing just that can be offensive. But whatever walls exist that bars the voice of a generation from being heard, will only serve to bring that wall crashing down. This analogy is so definitive in music. For this post I am looking specifically at music video - the artist who pushes the boundaries - to dare to be different or controversial - for the sake of freedom of expression!


1. The Rise of MTV

MTV launched on New Year's Eve 1980 and ushered in the 80's, a new pop culture, a media where bands who were not played on radio can be seen, heard and made famous.

We all know of the MTV generation - stars like Michael Jackson; Madonna; Duran Duran (to name a few) became big superstars thanks to MTV. But along the way there were some videos that proved too risque even for the "edgy at that time" MTV - and Madonna seems to have the lead on censored or banned videos.

2. Censored/Banned Videos - Random Blurbs


Billy Idol - Hot In the City
The first video I remembered being censored or even banned from MTV was probably Billy Idol's "Hot In The City".  Looking back - I can't see why - but check out the you tube link above.


Queen - Body Language (Banned)


According to Wiki, the first video to be banned on MTV was Queen's "Body Language". Here's the quote:


The video was banned "Due to thinly veiled homoerotic undertones plus lots of skin and lots of sweat (but apparently not enough clothing, save that worn by the fully clothed members of Queen themselves), it was deemed unsuitable for a television audience at the time".


3. The Star-Boys of MTV sings about "Girls on Film" 


I also remembered "Girls On Film" by Duran Duran being banned in the UK - the video had some hot model babes mud wrestling in the nude - bare breasts being shown.  I 1st saw on MTV back in the 80's and my cousin said - that the unedited version had girls naked mud wrestling - at that stage in my life - I was sold -  I had to see it (but we did not have you tube back then).


See the video link below - trust me - it's over 6 minutes long but it is unedited and was too long for MTV.

Duran Duran - Girls on Film.

Also some 26 years later the boys repeat the female nudity in their videos with Falling Down which was off "Red Carpet Massacre". 

4. Frankie - Gay-Erotica hits video-waves & Russia vs USA 80's style 


Another video was "Relax" by "Frankie Goes to Hollywood" which featured Holly Johnson entering a gay leather bar - this video was way ahead of it's time - both for MTV and for the industry as a whole. 


The version that eventually aired on MTV was one which showed live concert footage.

Extract from the video

Frankie Goes to Hollywood_Relax (Banned)


Their follow up video "Two Tribes" was also banned as it features a mud fight between Ronald Reagan and Gobarchov - talk about taking a political agenda to height.

5. The "B" word gets Prodigy into trouble 

One of my fave videos that was banned is Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up" - initially I heard that MTV would only air this video after midnight and then I heard that it was banned altogether. The video has full female nudity (hence why it was banned on MTV and also the BBC) and some steamy sex scenes.


Check out this video here - talk about debauchery - and there's a nice surprise at the end.


Prodigy - Smack My Bitch Up.

6. The Queen of Banned/Censored videos - Madonna


And for the grand daddy of banned videos - the video that seemed to break every sexual taboo - Madonna's "Justify My Love" - this video had nudity and Madonna's then boyfriend being tied up in leather; cross dressing in leather and looking all gar-erotic. It also had Madonna tongue kissing a hot Italian model. This video depicted a blonde Monroeisque Madonna trapped in a hotel and each room having a different fetish.

Madonna - (Extract only - Justify)

7. Other banned videos included:


"18 and Life" - Skidrow - I can't understand why this video was banned - but I did see it on Headbanger' Ball a few times;


"45" - Shinedown - Good song - but the lyrics might have been too much. Shinedown actually requested that their video be pulled;


"Erotica" - Madonna (need we say more). Madonna is no stranger to banned or censored video on MTV - there was "Justify My Love" mentioned above, and also the original version of "American Life" was banned. Also "What It Feels Like For A Girl". And don't forget the Pepsi controversy with "Like A Prayer".


"Girls Girls Girls" -  Motley Crue - with a name like that and a band like the Crue singing it - is it any wonder that the original video got pulled.


"Jesus Christ Pose" - Soundgarden - in the early to mid 90's Soundgarden (led by Chris Cornell) was everywhere. This band was unstoppable in the underground. I saw this video on a show called "Noize Bizzaire" which was aired from some station in Kenosha Wisconsin (I know - obscure but they played all of these cool underground bands which could not be seen on MTV).

8.0 Other Nudes


I also remembered quite a few videos with nudity in it -


- "Don't Cry" - Guns N' Roses - showed Axl Rose's behind;
- "Hello Again" - the Cars - had a toy car rolling its wheels over a bare chested woman;
- "Allentown" - Billy Joel - ummmm - I remembered this video showed some nice steelworker's buns;
- "China Girl" - David Bowie - showed David's butt;
- "Closer" - Nine Inch Nails - naked female model;


- but there are loads more.

Anyway peeps - if you need to look at any of these on You Tube - remember to take a look at the uncensored ones.

Kreative Blogger Nominations

My good friend at "Soundtrack to My Day" has nominated me for a "Kreative Blogger Award" - I am honored and happy for the nomination - and again - thank you my friend for such.

In response to the Award, I have the following meme to complete - so here goes:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.

- Howard my friend - thanks a mil!

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.

3.  Link to the person who nominated you for this award.

Here's Howard's Blog - It's called "Soundtrack to My Day" and here's the link Soundtrack to My Day - it is nominated for a 2010 Weblog Award Nominee for "Best Weblong for Music".

4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.

Ummmm - this one's got me stomped, but here goes:

(i) I have an underwear fetish - at present I like jock straps (especially my new Andrew Christians);

(ii) Despite having many friends I consider myself an anti-social more often than not

(iii) I only recently (as in three years ago) had my first relationship with someone - the others were one-nighters and I guess do not qualify as a relationship, unless you consider a "F*** buddy" one :)

(iv) I can remember what a person wore and on what occasion from years' ago but I can't remember names very well;

(v)  I've been through a Category 4 Hurricane about 5 years ago (Hurricane Ivan); had my car and condo totally flooded out; my roof caved in and survived reasonably well in the aftermath. My apartment for some reason had a working phone which must have been God's will, because my neighbors were able to use it and my work place used my place as base to organise flights for almost everyone.

(vi) My waist in high school was 28 and then expanded to 36 - I fasted for about 3 months with only vegetables and for religious purposes and lost about 30 lbs.

(vii) I met Iggy Pop on a flight and got his autograph.

5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers and post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.

I don't have much followers but I do have links to a number of blogs which I try to catch up on daily on Reader or on my Black Berry. I might not leave comments but this is more a limitation due to my BlackBerry not being able to log on the comments form.

(i) Kelly @ Rambling along in life.......

I love Kelly's Blog! It was actually the first blog I saw and that got me into the whole blogosphere thing.

ramblingalong.com (Kelly's blog)

(ii) Michael @ Michael Rivers - the Blog

A blog name which is simple and to the point. Michael shares with us his resolutions and keeps us updated of progress - I love the reviews on the restaurants, and his meetings with Joan Rivers (as I am a huge fan of hers too!).

Michael's Blog

(iii) Larry @ Patently Queer

Larry has become quite the writer in recent months and his stories and comments are both genius and witty!

Larry's "Patently Queer"

(iv) Wonder Man @ Maybe It's Just Me...

Or is it? Wonder Man can blog on anything from politics to comic books to horror movies. He is a true advocate for our cause....

Wonder Man's blog - "Maybe It's Just Me".

(v) Kyle from "Out Left"

Kyle's quite the current affairs guru with everything from CNN updates on breaking news; to the LGBT cause to technology - also he gives really good reviews on movies which I do take heed to.

Kyle's "Out Left"

(vi) Mikey at (This Is) A Blog for the Lonely

I can totally relate to the title and sometimes we all feel that "loneliness". Mikey has a love for Alanis (one of my faves as well); blogs about his life and family and of course the loneliness. Take a hop across and check out his blog.

Mikey's Blog - A blog for the Lonely

(vii) JP at "This and That"

JP's got a mixed bag of goodies - from some hot porn; reviews on books and music to just how his day is going.

JP's "This and That"

6. I don't think there is a #6 - ah well!

7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated. 

Being done!

Well folks - congrats! There are many blogs I follow and if I did not mention you forgive me - still love ya!

Play on Obama opens in Germany

Obama's popularity in Germany has been soaring since 2008 and is still on a high - so much so, that a musical showcasing the rise of Obama to Presidency premiered in Frankfurt on January 17th this year. Despite waning popularity in the US, he is viewed as a larger than life persona in Europe.

The musical entitled "Hope - The Obama Musical Story" has a singing Sarah Palin and John McCain, and looks at the life of Obama over the last 20 years or so - from his life in a middle-class suburban family in Chicago; to his first date with Michelle (Obama) to the build up to the 2008 elections.

Obama - Musical Trailer

Check out some pics of the musical.

Obama is played by American actor Jimmie Wilson

Energy looks great

Hillary Clinton

Michelle Obama

Anyways peeps - TTYL

Morrissey Baby

Whether Morrissey is young or old - geek or suave - he is still an amazing performer, songwriter and musician. 

The older, sexy as ever Morrissey - the former frontman of the legendary "The Smiths"

I was in San Francisco in September 2007 to visit some clients and friends and of course take the city in! I've been there before on business so did not get much time to feel the city out at that time.

Whilst there I read that "Morrissey" would be performing for 4 nights at the Fillmore. Of course I could not get through to buy tickets and could not buy on-line for some reason. I just showed up at the box office - and said "One ticket please".

The girl at the window just looked up and said "Sorry - all sold out."

I said - "Wow - didn't tickets go on sale like 2 days ago?"

Girl said - "Yeah - it's Morrissey baby!"

And to me - that summed it all up.

I did however get get a ticket after haggling the price with some guy who had extra. I showed up two minutes later at the box office, showed her my tix - "It was meant to be" was all I could have said.

As sexy as ever in his younger days - that body looks scrumptious!

Morrissey live in concert is something to see - the ex-frontman of "The Smiths" still has an amazing voice that is recognisable some 20+ years later and he looked great. His band members were all younger and they gave an amazing show - especially the drummer whom I thought was cute and lucky at the same time (to be with Morrissey).

Morrissey talked about the injustice to gays in Iran and being in San Fran there were quite a bit of gay couples - support was shown by all to Morrissey's statements - from both gay and straight.

Also one last thing I remember thinking - there were so many gay couples in the crowd - and they were openly affectionate with each other. I was thinking - "wow - isn't it nice to go out on to a concert with your partner and not have to "hide" affection?"  Maybe it was because of Morrissey!

That concert was the last I had seen for some time and quite ironically the next concert I saw was supposed to be Morrissey at HRC in Orlando, some 16 months later - but the show got cancelled :(.

I leave you with some pics and music from the man himself:

Morrissey_Suedehead

 Morrissey_Every Day Is Like Sunday

Taking it all off

Ummm - sexy!

Ummm - geek chic!

Anyway cuties - TTYL

Haiti

I can't stop thinking about Haiti. The images on TV and the despair I see is so depressing and sad. I can't seem to blog about anything. Tonight I looked at BBC and the images and suffering I am seeing is really making me thankful for everyt small necessity I have - water; food; and good infrastructure.

Also - thank God for Obama - his response to his catastropie has been swift and heartfelt and is really making me hopeful - the American people should be so proud to have such a great leader.

Please remember the people in Haiti in your prayers.

TTYL Peeps

27 Club

So maybe one of those urban legends is the death of so many rock stars at the ripe old age of 27....I already did a post on Robert Johnson (1911-1938) who has been rumoured to start the 27 Club - see my previous post.

I read a comment on a blog that I thought was interesting as it relates to the 27 Club - it said that:

"2+7 = 9. Nine is a number of completion. These artists accomplished all they were meant to in life".

Which ever way you take it - it is mysterious.

Following from there, some of the other famous musicians whom have died included:
- Robert Johnson (see above);
- Kurt Cobain;
- Janis Joplin;
- Jim Morrison;
- Brian Jones;
- Jimi Hendrix;
- Pete DeFreitas

Kurt Cobain (from Nirvana) - died 1994 - suicide by shooting a hole in his head

Nirvanna was the band who changed everything in rock music in the 90's and ushered us out officially from the 80's. It was all due to the landmark album "Nevermind".

I have read the published diary of Kurt Cobain and he is an interesting person, especially when it comes to his view on music and women (he adored the inner beauty of the woman), but on the flip side he seemed to also be troubled and moody.

Here's an extract from Wiki that relates to Kurt's death:

"On April 8, 1994, Cobain's body was discovered at his Lake Washington home by an electrician who had arrived to install a security system. Apart from a minor amount of blood coming out of Cobain's ear, the electrician reported seeing no visible signs of trauma, and initially believed that Cobain was asleep until he saw the shotgun pointing at his chin. A suicide note was found that said, in part, "I haven't felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music, along with really writing . . . for too many years now". A high concentration of heroin and traces of Valium were also found in his body. Cobain's body had been lying there for days; the coroner's report estimated Cobain to have died on April 5, 1994"

His contribution to rock will not be forgotten!

Janis Joplin - died 1970 - heroin o/d

That sultry songstress with that soulful voice that seems to be bigger than her universe. Any list of the most inflential artists in rock and to the world of music includes Janis - whether it be her influence as a female rock artist or simply her contribution to the world of rock.

Here's a pic I quite like of Janis and Grace (Slick):

Jim Morrison - died 1971 - heart failure

This was the frontman of "The Doors".

The Doors made a significant contribution to rock history and are known for classic tracks like "Light My Fire"; "Break on Through"; and "Riders of the Storm" to name but a few. Their music is still heard today on rock radio; movies and TV shows.

Jim was quite the frontman - he was known for his "sexual" aura; prowess and style and was largely regarded as the prototype for today's rockstar - Jim invented the term rockstar baby - rock music; sex; drugs and death - all part of the rock star cycle.

Jim died in Paris in 1971 and was found in a bathtub in a hotel. No autopsy was performed. Some have suggested foul play in his death, some - a drug o/d; but officially it is "heart-attack". Jim is buried in Paris.

Brian Jones - died 1969 - drowning in a swimming pool

- Brian Jones was regarded as the founder of the "Rolling Stones" and gave the band it's name back in 1962. Brian had put an add in the newspapers to form a new R&B band, for which Mick Jagger and Mick's childhood friend Keith Richards had replied - well the rest is history!

Brian and Jimi

Of interest  Jimi Hendrix dedicated a song to him on US television, and Jim Morrison of The Doors wrote a published poem entitled "Ode to L.A. While Thinking of Brian Jones, Deceased". Both Jimi and Jim also died at age 27 and are part of the club.


In August 2009, the case was re-open for Brian Jones, where evidence has come to light that apparantly there was new evidence suggesting that the death might be "murder".


Of interest - Mick and Keith did not attend Brian's funeral - despite Brian being the reason why the Stones existed (sounds a bit odd to me)!


Jimmy Hendrix - died 1970 - asphyxiation on vomit / overdose 

Jimi was an amazing guitarist - that we all should know. He had a short career which lasted only 7 years, starting in 1963. He gained fame in Europe prior to his success in the US and really creamed it off at Woodstock - the historic festival in 1969. He is regarded as the best guitarist of all time by musicians.

Samarkand Hotel in Ladbroke Grove, England - where Jimi was found

Jimi died in London, and to date the circumstances surrounding his death have not been fully explained.


See a post I wrote regarding the Greatest Rock Guitarists - Jimi was #1 (Greatest Rock Guitarists (Part 2). 


Peter DeFreitas - died 1989 - motor cycle accident.


Well this might not be a name you are familiar with but Pete was the drummer of one of my favorite bands - Echo and the Bunnymen. I wrote about the band and Pete in one of my posts (see link here).

Pete died in a motor cycle accient in 1989. I think he was so handsome.


Anyway peeps - hope you enjoy!

Robert Johnson - Devil Legend

I am a huge fan of the WB series "Supernatural" - I have Seasons 1 - 4 on DVD and the show is in it's final Season (5). I have not seen any of Season 5 as yet so I might just grab the box set when it's out.

Anyways - "Crossroad Blues" was an episode on Season 2 which is based in part of the old Robert Johnson legend.

It started in 1938 Mississippi (tastefully done in black and white) with a young 20-something black man (assuming to be "Robert Johnson") who was playing some amazing blues guitar to a crowd and all of a sudden heard some growling dogs roaming outside. The sound of the growls can only be heard by Robert, and all of a sudden, it seems that there is a realisation as to why only he can hear the sounds of these "hell hounds".

The above is based on folklore, legend or even suggested by Robert Johnson himself in songs  ("Hell Hound on My Trail; Crossroad Blues) that he sold his soul to become one of the best and most influential guitarists of all time (in fact Rolling Stone listed Robert at Number 5 in their list of the Top 100 Greatest Guitarists of all time - not bad at all). .

You may ask, and quite rightly so, who is Robert Johnson....well he was an amazing and one of the most influential blues guitarists of all time. He was born in 1911 and died in 1938 at age 27 (I am going to do a post called the "27 Club") and some rumoured that the devil had come to claim Robert's soul as payment for his fame.

Robert has influenced some of rock history's biggest artists - Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin to name a few.

I have not heard any of Robert's recordings mainly because I am afraid? but from what I have read they were some of the most astounding guitar works in blues music and might have set the prototype for American blues - yes - he was that big!

I find this legend intriguing!

Anyways folks TTYL!

Yoga

Nude yoga - thinking about it - if I get the nerve

So I used to do power yoga on a regular basis and then stopped about 2 years ago when my instructor/friend left for San Fran. I visited her and did one yoga class called Rockit Yoga which is a unique style that was invented by the instructor for the Grateful Dead (wow!)!

Recently, there's a new yoga studio that opened and I got my first class in some time on Christmas day....loved it...I think I sweated a gallon of water - you should see my shirt, pants and body were soaking wet. Anyways there were some cuties there. The guy in front of me had an amazingly hot body - he had on a short pair of brown swim trunks and nothing else - it was great to see him bending and having such a great ass in close proximity to me.

Last week there was this older guy - hot - and lots of hair over that scrumptious body - well I had to see him all nice and sweaty and boy was he turning me on seeing that cute face and gorgeous hairy legs all sweaty - ummmmm! What a hottie.

Also on my right there was another hottie (literally with sweat all over him) with his shirt off and gorgeous hairy chest just glistening....

I know I am supposed to be concentrating and keeping my mind focus, but please tell me how I was supposed to do that when there were so many major hotties all around with beautiful hairy bodies just glistening with sweat......ummmm......so manly!

Speaking of HAWT - here's a song which came to mind:

Donna Summer (Hot Stuff)

Anyway - I have told my partner about Nude Yoga - so that is my next step (If I ever get the nerve to do it)!

Anyway cuties - TTYL!

Sexy Rocker of the Day

Hi there - if you have taken notice of "Kings of Leon" then you must have noticed the hotness of their frontman - Caleb Followill. The band consists of three brothers - Caleb; Nathan and Jared and their cousin Matthew.

Ummm - hot!

Although they hail from the USA they are much much bigger in the UK, where they have 9 Top 40 hits compared to 1 in the USA. There are a couple of guys in my gym who hail from the UK and I alwys heard them talking about Kings of Leon - but at that time I was not really into their music until their latest album "Only By The Night".

When "Sex On Fire" was released it got the attention of rock radio and the song is now a staple there. In the UK the song made it to #1.

Kings of Leon_Sex On Fire (Remix)

There there's "Use Somebody" which is the band's only Top 40/10 in the US which has been nominated for a number of Grammy's this year including the two prestigious awards - Song of the Year and Record of the Year. They have my vote!

Kings of Leon - Use Somebody (Remix)

Anyway peeps - TTYL

Top Albums of the Decade - According to SteveA

OK - So I am continuing with my trend with "the last decade", here is my Top 20 albums from the last decade (according to SteveA of course):

20. Love/Hate/Tragedy - Papa Roach

This album rocked, and included the tracks 'She Loves Me (Not)'. Papa was part of the NuMetal scene, but with this second album they kicked the rap back a bit and upped the noise level on the hard rock side. They still continued to be some angry white boys on this album, showing that angst can be a driving force to create an album memorable of the time.

Papa Roach - She Loves Me Not

19. Get Born - Jet

Alot of people did not like this album, saying that the band were an AC/DC sound alike. But I loved their return to basic rock and roll -  great riffs; lyrics about sex; drinking and women. Their music is simplistic and just plain fun.

Key tracks - "Are You Gonna Be My Girl"; "Cold Hard Bitch"

18. Sing The Sorrow - A.F.I.

The return of a hard core punk sound to pop? Yeah, it sounds weird, but the sound of AFI gave a refreshing look and sound to the tired sound of nu metal on MTV and TRL. This band made goth main stream. The album, had a unapologetic rock sound showcasing the scorching screaming voice of Davey Havoc without actually reaching boiling point.

17. Z - My Morning Jacket

This was voted as one of the Top albums of the year by SPIN. It was a mellow sounding album that reminded me of the 70's dream sound as if everyone was spaced out on some kind of wonderful. The album has some great dreamy guitar works which is perfectly overlaid by the soft, soothing vocals of Jim James.

16. American Idiot - Green Day

This was a landmark album by the band, though in my opinion it is not as strong as Dookie. The album was a concept album - a rock opera telling a tale of youth in the State of the Union. This was an ambitious project that Green Day pulled off with much praise and success.

The changes in the music is quite intricate on this album, moving from fast, puck-rock guitars to a more melodic sound and then back to the band's hard rock/punk sound, with each change blending in nicely with the story told of the "Jesus of Suburbia".

15. In Rainbows - Radiohead

Radiohead has three featured albums in my Top 20. This album continues to show the consistency of this band in having their albums nominated by the Grammys.

Again Radiohead returns with a nice blend of electronics and the soft, eerie, other-worldly voice of Thom Yorke and the beautiful guitar stylings of Johnny Greenwood (I voted Johnny in my Top 10 Guitarists of the Modern Rock Era - see link (Top Modern Guitarists) )

Radiohead - Videotape

14. Kid A - Radiohead

Another Radiohead album that was also nominated for a Grammy for best album. This album I heard one critic say was "OK Computer" all grown up.

Download - Kid A - Radiohead


13. Absolution - Muse

When I heard "Sing for Absolution" I knew this band had a sincerity in rock that I had not heard for some time. The album is dynamic, ranging from soft melodies (like on Sing for Absolution) to a harder edgier arena-rock sound on Hysteria and Time Is Running Out.

Even with suttlety in their sound they do have some great riffs on this album - check out on You Tube the video for "Hysteria".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7la0SndoCI

The band's lead singer is Matthew Bellamy whom I had on my list of the Top 10 sexiest guys in rock today (Sexiest Men In Rock) - he was #6.

12. Transform - PowerMan 5000

I saw this band at a rock festival and the first couple of bands were "OK" and the crowd was asleep. Then Powerman 5000 came on and rocked the house. The style on this album I would describe as avant garde hard rock. The tracks are strong, clean and to the point.

On "Free", the band says "Living so free is a tragedy, when you can't be who you want to be"....so true for peeps like us - so remember cuties to be strong and love the freedoms that we have - whilst at the same time remembering those that don't have the same liberties.

Powerman 5000 - Free


11. In Your Honour - Foo Fighters

A double album, with one CD being the harder edgier rock side and the second CD being a laid back; lighter acoustic sound. There is some amazing drumming on this album and that's what keeps drawing me back to this album. On "No Way Out" the rough voice of David Grohl blends nicely with the drumming of Taylor Hawkins.

The rock on this album shows that the band is having fun whilst playing music, and it shows in the music produced on the album.

10. Come Away With Me - Norah Jones

There have not been much jazz artists who in recent times have made it to major pop success. The only other in recent times I recall is Sade and then there is Herbie Hancock, who won best album a few years ago with his comeback album. And of course - Amy Whinehouse!

Norah Jones was one of the more recent ones and that album was a breath of fresh air to the dancey, poppy sound that infiltrated the airways back then. The album's melodic and almost serene sound provided a calming atmosphere that one can just sit back and enjoy the beautiful voice of Norah.

9. Turn On The Bright Lights - Interpol

The New York sound was coming back in the early part of the decade with bands like Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Bravery and the Strokes (all but one are in my Top 20 list).

Interpol as a band had a definitive sound and look that is reminiscent of the early 80's new wave with bands like Echo and the Bunnymen and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Maybe that's why I am drawn to this album - Obstacle 1 has a great intro which says "hello - I'm here". The album is also quite a catchy piece of pop/modern rock that provided a break from the harder alternative that was being played on rock radio at the time.

Interpol - Obstacle 1

8. Amnesiac - Radiohead

This is the 3rd album by Radiohead to be on my Top 20 list so at this time, I guess you can tell I am a huge fan. Kid A and In Rainbows are actually more critically acclaimed albums, but I like Amnesiac because it is simple and does not have the high ratio of electronics that the two aforementioned albums have. In other words - it's Radiohead but with a more "alternativey" sound that is more characteristic of 90's rock radio.

7. Sea Change - Beck

The key word with this album name is "Change" and Beck seems to produce albums which are distinctly different from each other. With this album, Beck has a simple, acoustic, unplugged sound to each track, and has taken away the scratching turntable; drum beats and rap lines to give us a really clever, catchy piece of pop.

6. Back to Black - Amy Whinehouse

Speaking of jazz albums at # 10 with Norah Jones, we have another artist who gave pop music a refreshing break from all the overplayed dancey/poppy music on radio at that time.

This album introduced us to the controversial and extremely talented Mrs Whinehouse. Her voice seems bigger than her body, but the darkness in there echos a part of her life and also a part of her weakness - "Rehab" is a perfect example which really is about Rehab for Amy.

This album was nominated for quite a few awards and each one was well deserving.

I say welcome back to the blusey; soulful sound to pop music - Amy's style is rock; R&;B; jazz and pure talent!

5. Hybrid Theory -  Linkin Park

I absolutely could not get enough of this album - I played it over and over and over and every track is of high merit. Linkin Park broke big on TV and on this became huge on MTV's TRL where fans could not get enough. This album is a real prototype of the Nu-Metal movement.

The band's sound and look is something that many teens and youths can relate to and appreciate and at the same time they also appealed to the 20-30 something crowd as their music was part hard rock/metal.
The voice of Chester Bennington for such a small guy is huge and he seems to scream; reach boiling point and then overflow.

4. Fever to Tell - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

I mentioned the New York sound with Interpol above, and now we have the trio from New York - Yeah Yeah Yeahs. This band looks and sounds like New York City and all the sophistication that the greatest city in the world has to offer. The YYY's serves it up with class on their debut and introduced us to the eccentric style of the band's frontwoman - Karen O.

This album was strong, it has a diverse sound and vocal range for Karen O that makes each track interesting and dynamic.

Yeah Yeah Yeah - Maps

3. Rush of Blood to the Head - Coldplay

I think this album is a modern classic. Each song is cleverly crafted; yet simple and melodic so that we can all simply hum along to it. "Clocks" was an unusual track blending the voice of Chris Martin with the beautiful sound of the piano.

This album also confirmed and sealed Coldplay as a force to be reckoned with in rock music. Since then all of their albums have been nominated at the Grammys.

2. Is This It - The Strokes

The New York sound strikes again - this time with the Strokes. This band really had a buzz building about them before the album was released and critics were wondering if the "buzz" was worth it - and the result - YES.

The band is led by the sexy Julian Casablancas - and despite having a great and memorable name; he (and the entire band) are quite talented - they seemed to bring the fun back in rock n' roll and reminded us of what it was all about.

1. Elephant - The White Stripes

Jack White and Meg White - this band seems to get it right each time with critical acclaim on each album. This album was recorded with only two instruments - guitar and drums, and done on 8-track, showing the band's love for music; perfection and creativity.

Each track on this album is great and the range is from hard-rock; country; pop and blues. Jack is an amazing guitar player and Meg equally as a drummer - that's probably why this album sounds so great. In my opinion, I don't think the 90's has produced an album with such energy and verve as this one.

The White Stripes - 7 Nation Army

Anyways peeps - hope you enjoyed!

2000 - 2009

Wow! - we are into another decade - 2000 to 2009 has gone, and 2010 is here.

Back in the 80's I remember seeing the movie "2010 - A Space Oddesy" and thinking - "jeez! that' so far away" - and now it's here. It seems that years in between are just a touch away. I can remember them vividly - well for the most part.

The years within the last decade have seen so much. Many of us have become familiar with the "T" word (for terrorism); and the changes in how we travel.

Mother nature reared it's ugly head with deadly hurricanes such as Ivan and Katrina;

Earthquakes in China and of course the deadly tsunami in 2004 that left 270k dead.

War continues in the Middle East.

The financial markets have collapsed and there is a new US President. There is also the H1N1 pandemics and also SARS!

Y2K
The decade started off with the controversial Y2K bug - yes - the bug that would bring all computer systems down because the codes could not recognise the "double zero ("00") digits", that would abbreviate year 2000 as "00". Some said this would spark the end of the world as has been predicted by Christ some 2000 years after his birth.

Others saw this as armageddon, where we would go back to a time where there would be no credit cards; no internet; no technology - because of Y2K, all computer systems would come crashing down and throw the world into chaos.

Well, despite the big hype - companies made whatever fixes they needed and we all survived the IT meltdown that was predicted.

2001 and 9/11
Having surpassed Year 2000, and the Y2K bug we moved into 2001. I think of the last decade as two periods -

1) the time before 9/11, when air travel was easy; moving across borders was not a hassle and the west had not known that disgusting "T" word; and

2) the time after 9/11 when the whole world changed.

In remember this day well - I was home and the news came on and I could not hold back the tears. We all know what happened next and we have all blogged about it, so I would not get into it here.

But 9/11 changed everything. It lead to the US and UK combining intelligence and forces along with other G 7 countries to invade and occupy Afghanistan and Iraq, and sparked a war on terror which continues.

The years in between had seen much....

- 2002 saw the introduction of the Euro;

- remember SARS - that was 2003. I remember the pandemic that SARS had created. 2003 also led to the capture and ultimate demise of Saadam - that wretched despot (finally some justice!).

2004 was a devastating year - Mother Nature reared it's ugly head and lead to Hurricane Ivan which devastated my home; car and caused total disruption in my life. Ivan passed through Grenada; Jamaica; Cayman and Florida. 2004 was an active hurricane season, and we have not seen so many hurricanes in 1 year since then.

Also, don't forget the Tsunami that hit on boxing day in 2004, killing over 200,000 in Indonesia. This tsunami threw the world off it's axis for a fraction of a second, showing the destructive power of this force of nature.

2005 continued with an intense hurricane season with Katrina literally destroying New Orleans and causing major death; havoc and destruction. Many people's lives were suddenly changed and upturned for the worst. There was also some controversies surrounding the events that followed - some people said that FEMA was not responsive; that George Bush did not do enough and Kanye West saying that President Bush did not like black people.

Terrorism seems to have become more rampant - there was another attempted terrorist attack - this time in the London transit system, which killed about 50 people. 

Also in 2005, Pope John Paul II (one of the most beloved popes in history) passed away.

In 2006, some nations of the world seemed to be more adamant about testing of nuclear weapons - a trend which seems to be spreading up till today. Also - Sadaam is executed.

2007 personally was good for me - I met the love of my life :)

2008 is well remembered in the financial industry - the collapse of the credit market; the Madoff scandal and the demise of some of the world's biggest financial institutions (such as Lehman and AIG) lead to the US Government having to expend over $700 billion into institutions like AIG; and Citi to prevent the US and world economy from collapsing into total failure and recession. Other countries like the UK and France also had similar measures.

This lead us to another Sept 11, where we saw Lehman - one of America's oldest and most reputable financial institutions failing without a US bailout. See link (Lehman Link)

Also - don't forget 2008 - OBAMA had won the US presidential election. Obama (for me) symbolises the beauty of America - someone who has such a diverse background becoming the President - you gotta love it! Also for me - OBAMA symbolises hope not only for America but also for the world - to me - he just has that "X Factor" about him whereby most of the people of the world seems to like him.

2008 also continued with terror attacks in Mumbai where about 200 people were killed. 2008 also saw the invasion of Georgia by Russia. I remember these two events and seeing all that destruction to people's lives made me sick and also feared for the world at large.

Mother nature continued to rear it's ugly head as well - the earthquakes in China created death and destruction with a toll of about 70k.

And finally 2009 - just a few days ago we were saying goodbye to the 1st decade of the 3rd Millenium. This year there was a major focus on the world's global climate - the conference held in December 2009 in Copenhagen saw all the nations gather to talk about "global climate change" - hope that another Ice Age is not near!

Also, Obama is inaugarated - and who can forget H1N1 - Swine Flu. Panademic is predicted and all nations continue to take precautions.

Also - MJ is dead. One of the world's greatest entertainers dies just prior to his farewell tour in the UK. Michael was loved by all and through many generations! I miss him and I like his music. See link to a post I wrote (MJ)

And some recent bits here - the snow storms in the US leading to closures of airports and causing delays and disruptions for many travelers over the holiday season. And again terrorism strikes as some idiot plans to blow up a flight from Amsterdam to Detriot.

Ah yes - the world is sometimes crazy and sometimes hopeful - but the beauty of the human spirit must triumph and we must all strive to understand each other and make this world a better place.

Anyways peeps - TTYL and again Happy New Year!!!