Paul Potts' Nessun Dorma

I was driving My Love to work a few days ago and out of the blue, she asked me if I've already heard Paul Potts rendition of Nessun Dorma.

Its a bit of a shock, but a good news all the same, because I have never known My Love to have an inclination in liking classical music. I love the classics and it will be a good way for My Love and I to bond by talking about the classical music that we like to listen to.

I told her that what I have heard was the version of Luciano Pavarotti and I have a cassette tape if she wants to hear it.

She was adamant in wanting to hear Paul Potts version because she was told that it was a very emotional, involving rendition. I promised her that I will try to get a copy of the song.

Our little talk had rekindled in me one of the things that I love doing... listening to the classics. I love everything about the classics, from classical guitars to operas, from Beethoven, to Tchaikovsky, to Puccini, to Mozart, to Bach, to Chopin.

I started listening to them on a radio station, 98.7 DZFE. Its the only station I know that plays classical music. Check out their site at http://dzfe.febc.ph/.

My favorite has always been Tchaikovsky, because of the intensity of personal emotions flowing through his music. Whenever I listen to his Violin Concerto in D, I always get teary-eyed.


Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

There's much to say about my liking classical music, but what I would like to tell you is to try listening to it. Yes, it can get a bit boring sometimes, but what you have to do is to try to nurture the emotions being evoked by the music.

As for Paul Potts, I haven't had the chance to listen to him sing Nessun Dorma yet. You are lucky because you will be able to listen to him first, here's a youtube video of him singing the aria. The computer that I am using right now does not have the sound drivers installed so don't worry:

Astrud Gilberto

I was rummaging thru my cassette tape collections and came across a tape that I do not remember buying or have divested from some unfortunate soul, The Astrud Gilberto Album.

I was tempted to toss it back to my cassette box but curiosity got the better of me and I brought it out, together with my Foo Fighter, Pantera, and Cold Play tapes.

Its been a few days that the tapes have been sitting on the cassette holder in the car but I still did not have the urge to listen to Astrud Gilberto. I seem to remember that Astrud Gilberto's music is instrumental-orchestral similar to the music of Montavani Orchestra.

But time came that I did not have a choice but to listen to Astrud and first time I heard her (yes, she's  a gurl  ) I thought I was hearing the English and Spanish version of the Philippines very famous Cinderella, you remember her?

Astrud's successful exploit into the music world is a sort of a very fortunate accident. Credit was given to her husband, Joao Gilberto and composer Antonio Carlos Jobim, for her discovery.

Here's he story:

During a recording, a producer felt that one song, Jobim's "The Girl From Ipanema," (you heard this song? I've heard this song as covered by Frank Sinatra, not really one of my favorite song as interpreted by him, but, its a hit. What can I say?) was a potential hit, but needed some English lyrics in addition to Joao's Portuguese. Fortuitously present at the session was Joao's wife Astrud (born in Bahia, Brazil, 1940), who knew a little English, but had no professional singing experience.

She was given a shot at "Ipanema" and the result was so charming that a 7" single version (with Joao's vocal edited out) became a smash hit in America in the summer of 1964.

And, as they say, the rest is history.

No training, whatsoever, as a singer, Astrud's appeal was her childlike, wistful, unaffected voice. There are times that she sings off-key, but her voice is always tinged with sadness that you will always feel the melancholy being imparted by the songs.

I am still having a hard time in trying to appreciate Astrud's music, as I am not really a jazz aficionado. But I am getting there. I've put the cassette on the player a few times and Astrud is sounding better every time.

Dream Theater - Octavarium

I am back to listening to Dream Theater, one of my favorite progressive metal bands.

This time its Octavarium.

Have not yet finished listening to it and it has already becoming a favorite.

To try comparing Octavarium with other Dream Theater works would mean spending a lot of time listening to each and every one of their album. But I neither don't have that time and have only a few of their albums.

I also don't want to try to decipher any deeper meanings on their songs and on the artworks on their album, although I am now fast becoming a fan that I might just do that soon.

Suffice it to say that listening to Octavarium is both a pleasure and a learning experience. I like the guitar riffs of John Petrucci, although on this album, he is a bit modest in showing off his virtuosity. The keyboards of Jordan Rudress are much visible here and Mike Portnoy, as always, can cast a spell with his drums. The vocals of James LaBrie is the best that I have heard so far.

Some of the songs are involving, like "Sacrificed Sons" a song about the 9/11 attack. I got the theme of the listening while listening to the intro, which are actual news clips about the attack. I almost cried listening to the main song.

"I Walk Beside You" is almost religious and very inspirational. Listening to the song reminded me of the "Footprints in the Sand" poem that I see almost anywhere.

I still haven't heard the main song of the album, Octavarium, which is a whooping 24 minute big one, divided into six sub songs (is there such a thing, sub songs?). I will listen to it later, while commuting home but I know I will love it.

Interpol

The very first Interpol music video that I saw was "Evil" and it blew me away. Its gloomy, pensive, bleak.

I like the way Paul Banks sings, cool and relax (I am not seeing any veins standing out on his neck), detached and unemotional, which is effective to convey the anguish he feels and wants to present.

Listening to Interpol is like being transported to the 80's, their sound is reminiscent of The Smiths and a little like The Cure.

The 80's was really the start of my falling in love to music, and it was a good start.

I started collecting tapes of A-ha, Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran, Tears For Fears, Guns 'n  Roses, The Cure, and others.

Sadly, only recently am I able to listen to The Smiths' Morrissey and I haven't heard any songs from Joy Division or Jesus and Mary Chains, which are some of the influences of Interpol. I will try to catch up by looking for some mp3's of their songs.

I love some of their songs that I have already heard, like Evil and The Heinrich Maneuver and next project will be to find their albums and buy them.





Evil

Interpol

Rosemary, Heaven restores you in life
You're coming with me
Through the aging, the fearing, the strife

It's the smiling on the package
It's the faces in the sand
It's the thought that moves you upwards
Embracing me with two hands

Right will take you places
Yeah maybe to the beach
When your friends they do come crying
Tell them how your pleasure's set upon slow-release

Hey wait
Great smile
Sensitive to fate, not denial
But hey who's on trial?

It took a lifespan
With no cellmate
The long way back
Sandy, wait why can't we look the other way?

We speaks about travel
Yeah we think about the land
We smart like all peoples
Feeling real tan

I could take you places
Do you need a new man?
Wipe the pollen from the faces
Make revision to a dream while you wait in the van

Hey wait
Great smile
Sensitive to fate, not denial
But hey who's on trial?

It took a lifespan
With no cellmate
the long way back
Sandy, wait why can't we look the other way?

You're weightless; you are exotic
You need something for which to care
Sandy, why can't we look the other way?

Leave some shards under the belly
Lay some grease inside my hand
It's a sentimental jury
And the makings of a good plan

You've come to love me lightly
Yeah you've come to hold me tight
Is this motion everlasting
Or do shudders pass in the night?

Rosemary, Heaven restores you in life
I spent a lifespan with no cellmate
The long way back
Sandy, why can't we look the other way?

You're weightless, semi-erotic
You need someone to take you there
Sandy,wait why can't we look the other way?

Why can't we just play the other game?
Why can't we just look the other way?

Lily Allen

Getting sick and tired of seeing the faces of Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, sama mo na si Paris Hilton, kahit ala siyang talent, and hearing them on the news all time?

I know I am.

I am not ashamed to admit that I liked Britney during her "Hit me, baby, one more time" days. She has telent and I like the way she interprets her songs and the way she dress. But not to the point of buying her album.

But this last few years, everything about here was going downhill. Her marriage is probably a mistake, but I don't to judge.

I think she will no longer be able to bring back her former glory, its very hard to rebuild her image and her charisma to her fans, especially since now that she is married and lost her innocence.

With the current state of the female pop scene, who is left to that I can spend my listening time with. I have not heard anything new from Hillary Duff, but I still listen to her old songs, Mandy Moore too, I like some of her old songs, Christina Aguilera, I like her although got turned off with the "Dirty" video, and Tina Arena, I like her too, but where is she, I don't know.

So who is left, is there no hope in sight?

I have not heard about Lily Allen, but I have heard her song "Smile" somewhere and somewhen. I just came across her name on a page showcasing the "Bad Girls of Rock" or something like that, and included on the list is Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen.



"Smile" is a catchy tune that combines pop, ska, hip-hip (hip-hop?!?) I don't even listen to hip-hop, but I like the song a lot.

Lily's success story is like that of Hale from the Philippines, overnight. She just posted demos of her songs on her Myspace site and the support has been overwhelming. She had recently release and album "Alright, Still..." and we can probably call her a superstar.

So now what?

Will Lily follow the footsteps of Britney or Lindsay as being a bad girl of rock?

Probably, if she will become overwhelmed with her superstar status.

I don't want to judge her, but I hope Lily stay as sweet and as true as she is now.

Rivermaya

Currently have these guys on my mp3 player.

I have been a Rivermaya fan, together with True Faith, Eraserheads and Yano, from the time that Bamboo was their frontman. I was able to buy some of their tapes like the Rivermaya, Trip and Atomic Bomb and a few CDs like Live and Acoustic, Between the Stars and Waves, and the Rivermaya: Greatest Hits 2006.

They're great, they're songs have catchy beats and I like them a lot.

Try to check them out, if you are not a Rivermaya fan. You might like them.

1997

ATOMIC BOMB 01: Mabuhay 02: Elesi 03: Spike The Mayo 04: Sunny Days 05: Hangman (I Shot The Walrus) 06: Saturday (Bakit Ako?) 07: The Chase 08: If 09: Wild Angel Candy 10: Hinahanap-hanap Kita 11: Luha 12: Tea For Two 13: Ballroom Dancing 14: Ground Control to Maj. Tom 15: Fever 16: Kung Ayaw Mo Huwag Mo

1996

TRIP 01: The Princess Of Disguise 02: Hilo 03: Monopoly 04: Himala 05: Flowers 06: Sunog 07: Is It Sunny Where You Are 08: Kundiman 09: Lost 10: Kisapmata 11: Nerd Kills Goliath 12: Out Of Reach 13 : Panahaon Na Naman

1994	RIVERMAYA 01: Revolution 02: Bring Me Down 03: Ground 04: 20 Million 05: Ulan 06: Halik Sa Araw 07: Gravity 08: 214 09: Hate 10: Awit Ng Kabataan

 

2006	GREATEST HITS 2006 01:Posible 02:Umaaraw, Umuulan 03:Liwanag sa Dilim 04:Balisong 05: Wag Na Init Ulo Baby 06: Sunday Driving A 07:Love to Share 08:241 09: Makaaasa Ka 10: Atat 11: Basketbol 12: Ipo Ipo 13: Faithless 14: Ambulansya 15: Alab ng Puso (Tagumpay)