Happy Hump Day everyone! Today has been a perfect one for me, as I am finally well rested, basking in the afterglow of a memorable concert, and getting lots of writing done in the process. After being so heavily occupied the past few days, it’s nice to be able to have time to sit down and be productive. The weather’s been crappy all day, and my allergies are acting up, so I don’t mind staying inside anyway…

Kylie

Well, last night was the Kylie Minogue concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC and it was incredible! I went with Ivan, who treated me to front row seats in the mezzanine. Though I hadn’t written about it before, the last (and first!) time I saw her was in the same venue and my friend and I had floor ‘seats’ to, which really meant that we had to stand. Therefore it was difficult to get a good view of the show, although it was a good time anyway.

This time, however, I had an unobstructed view of the entire show. They were probably the best seats I ever had for any concert and so the show was highly enjoyable. What made it more enjoyable was the company. I’ve told you before that Ivan is a huge Kylie fan, by far the biggest I know personally. He is somewhat young and has not been to many concerts before last night, and he’s never seen his “muse” live and in person.

Ivan prepared for the event choosing carefully the clothes he would wear and since we had front row seats, he had a special poster made for the occasion in the hopes the star might just see it. As the show started, his eyes filled with wonder and enthusiasm as he watched his diva do her thing on the stage. It was just as much fun to watch him enjoy the show as anything else. Unfortunately the one time he tried to hold up his poster, he was told by security staff not to do so. Other than that, though, I know he had an awesome time, as did I.

I put up a review of the show this morning on Y!CN. Check it out:

Kylie Minogue at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom

I’m thinking of doing another piece on Examiner under my “Gay Issues” title, as it was a very gay show! Stay tuned for that, and in the meantime, here are some photos I took with my iPhone. They didn’t come out as nice as I would have liked, but some of them are decent:


'Aphrodite' the opening of the show!

Work it!

Cupid Boys!

Mmmmm...gladiators!


Kylie and her crew

Looking for an Angel

Finale

A genuine and inspiring young manIvan

I’d like to take a little time here to talk about Ivan. I first met him a couple of Saturdays ago at my favorite hangout, Splash, and he and I hit it off, so to speak, right away. We’ve gotten together a couple of times since and had fun together. He’s a genuine and inspiring young man who aspires to great things eventually. In a lot of ways he reminds me of me in that way.

Though I vaguely mentioned it earlier, I never said specifically that it was he who I inspired to start writing in his own blog, which he calls “Bruises Fade.” I am linking it here because he’s shared it on Facebook and I think he’s definitely got a good start to what promises to be the very enlightening story of his young life. So please check it out if you’d like to get to know this young man as he lives and grows.

The proverbial shoe on the other foot

Anyway, today is kind of sad when it comes to Ivan. Ever since we went out on last Saturday night (see Weekend Ups n Downs), I’ve been feeling that maybe I’ve led him into thinking that things might go along faster than I really would like them to. I’ve always had a difficult time not responding to kindness and affection with the same, and unintentionally I may have given him the wrong impression. The truth is, I’m still hurting right now and as I said in the not too distant past I don’t think I could be in another relationship with someone for awhile. I had this on my mind all last night and I couldn’t let it end without telling him so. In the process I’m afraid I’ve hurt his feelings, maybe even just a bit.

Since I know how it feels to be on the receiving end of such news, I can understand what he must be feeling and I wish it weren’t so. The very last thing I would ever want to do would be to hurt someone, and I only hope that we’ve known each other too short a time for him to hurt too much. Truth be told, I like Ivan a lot. He’s kind and innocent, hard working and bright eyed, very sweet, and I hope that he continues to be in my life from here on out, especially since he’s a Kylie fan, too, lol!

So in honor of last night’s show and as a big thank you to Ivan for taking me, here’s a clip of the Aussie diva covering the Eurythmics’ classic ‘There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart),’ live from the Hammerstein Ballroom. Check it out:


Pick up Aphrodite here:



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My goal for Saturday, since it was the first day of my 10-day break, was to write two posts. I had already done “E is for Express Yourself” earlier and as I went about the day’s errands I tried thinking of an “F” word. Hmm, what words begin with the letter “F”? Of course, that “F-word”! But nah, I think I’m going to save that one for Y!CN, but another one came to mind when I was in the mall earlier…actually it was two.

Well I never got around to finishing that post and now I’m two days further behind. So I’m gonna start where I left off:

Nowadays whenever I go shopping I always bring my iPod with me. I figure it’s always better to hear music I like than some of the inane conversations going on around me. I went into my local mall today to do a little shopping for a new frock for the night and I brought my iPod with me. There I was, walking from Express Men to American Eagle when it hit me. I was listening to Britney Spears’ “Femme Fatale” and suddenly realized I had my “F-word(s).” Since Y!CN doesn’t pay for reviews of albums after they’ve come out, I just figured I’d take this opportunity to talk about it here.



F is for Femme Fatale

I said the other day that I wasn’t the biggest Britney fan and I’m not. I don’t think she’s got that good of a voice and she’s probably the least talented of the bunch of pop divas out there today. But she is talented. Britney’s got a knack for creating made-for-the-dance-floor tunes that really rock, and “Femme Fatale” is a dance party all unto itself. Here’s my scoop on the album:

The album starts off with Britney’s second single, ‘Till the World Ends.’ I read somewhere that this was her favorite track on the album and so far it’s mine, too! It has a great “whoah, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh” hook and the beat is Euro club at its best. ‘Hold it Against Me’ was the first single and I think it did as good as it did only because it was the lead single and Britney fans were anticipating it like mad. Not that it’s a bad song, but to me there are a lot better ones on “Femme Fatale.”

The rest of the album is Britney doing what she does best, playing the part of sultry vixen set to some eye-popping beats. I’ve got several favorites on the album, including ‘I Wanna Go,’ with its catchy whistling hook, the ultra-clubby ‘Trouble for Me,’ ‘Gasoline,’ and ‘Up n’ Down,’ and the fast and funky ‘Don’t Keep Me Waiting.’ ‘How I Roll’ is another catchy, call and back tune, with electronic reverbs echoing throughout, though this it’s got some seriously silly lyrics:

I wanna go downtown where my posse’s at
Cause I got nine lives like a kitty cat

‘Big Fat Bass,’ Brit’s collaboration with Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am, disappoints me a bit. As the title would suggest, there’s a lot of bass to the song, but it’s the lyrics that I think are a bit simplistic and well, just plain stupid:

I can be your treble baby
You could be my bass

I don’t hate the song, but it’s not my favorite either.

The rest of the album is a great listen. There are two mid-tempo tunes, both of which are very good. ‘Criminal’ is a song about a physical relationship with someone who’s on the wrong side of the law and its melodic and memorable. ‘He About to Lose Me’ is one of my personal favorites on “Femme Fatale.” The strumming music and the tender lyrics make this one kind of sad, and it’s a nice listen.

‘(Drop Dead) Beautiful’ is Britney at her best, with a vixenish hook that makes you wanna move. The funky ‘Trouble for Me’ is a nice pop tune and the chorus of ‘Trip to Your Heart’ reminds me a lot of Shakira’s ‘She-Wolf.’ The choruses have virtually the same melody. ‘Selfish’ rounds out the Euro-club songs and is another good one. My least favorite songs on the album include ‘Inside Out’ and ‘Seal it With a Kiss,’ though they’re not terrible.

All in all, Britney’s got a winner with “Femme Fatale.” If you already like her, it’s easy to get past all of the electronic modifications to her voice and just appreciate it for what it is: one long, electronic dance party. If you’re not a fan, then you probably won’t. For a Britney Spears album, this one gets five stars! Here's 'Till the World Ends':





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I’ve been trying all day to think of “B” words for my second entry into the A-Z Blogging Challenge, and I’ve come up with quite a few. Rather than choose just one, I’m going to use several and spin them in my own unique way. I’m already way behind and I may never get caught up with this thing, so here goes nothing…

B is for Britney…

Britney Spears, that is. I want to say upfront here that I am not the world’s biggest Britney fan. I dated that guy a couple of years ago and he only worked to scar my image of her anyway. I admittedly like a lot of her music, though, especially her new “Femme Fatale” CD. In my Pop Music Weekly Edition from March 29 (see it here), I mentioned the rave reviews it got upon its release and I have to say that I agree. The album is probably one of the best she’s ever done, despite obvious flaws. I’m contemplating a review of the album, as I’ve got a lot of things to say about it. Stay tuned.




B is for Blogging

I originally started this blog as a way to promote my work on what was then called Associated Content. All I had ever done on it before was place links to my pieces there in the hopes that they would get more hits, and my posts were irregular at best. Then, at the beginning of the year I was going through a personal crisis and the true blogging had begun. For the first few weeks of the year and even now once and again I pour my soul into this blog and in the meantime it has morphed into something I had hoped for when I first created it. Where AC/Y!CN had once been the place for me to write my personal stuff, this has become the new place for that and a whole lot more. I love writing this blog and I hope you enjoy reading it. Keep watching as it moves along and grows…



B is for the Billboard Magazine Music Award Nominations

In this week’s edition of Pop Music News, I reported on the upcoming Billboard Music Awards (read it here). The show is being telecast on May 22nd and its already got a lot of hot performers booked. This morning, the magazine announced its nominees for the show and a whole slew of hot favorites are in the running, including Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Eminem and a whole lot more. To see the entire list of nominees, click here.



B is for Barbra Streisand Duck Sauce

Yesterday’s “Song of the Day” was a recent club/dance hit named after the famous singer/actress/diva/all-around entertainer who just happens to be THE diva of my good friend Rich. Ever since posting the song, I’ve played it a lot and it’s infectious, crazy beats, coupled with the intermittent spoken words “Barbra Streisand” are simply stuck in my head for the foreseeable future. Oh well, there could be worse things in life. Check out the post here.




B is for the Beatles, Barry White, Bob Marley, Bananarama, Belinda Carlisle, Blondie, Bette Midler, the Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce and all of the other “B” named artists in my iTunes library

Just a quick look at the artists listed here tells you the wide variety of music that I’ve had the privilege to enjoy in my life, from the time I was a little boy right up until today. There’s a little bit of reggae, some disco, the British Invasion, new wave, pop and of course dance music thrown into the mix. These are but a few of the many artists with “B” names that I still take a listen to every now and then to relive fond memories or just to enjoy again and again.



Of course, I’ll end this one as I normally do, only this time with a theme. B is for the Black Eyed Peas ‘Boom, Boom, Pow.’ Take a listen:




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Happy Monday evening all! I say happy because as you already know, I think that once Monday’s over at least the week is one more day towards the weekend and that always brings just a little bit o happiness to my attitude. Today was a good Monday…it went by fast, thank goodness and now the rest of the week’ll be a piece of cake. Riiiiggghhhhtttt!!!!??? LOL! Anyhoo, on with the day’s topic…

GaGa and Madonna



As I told you in this morning’s post, I finally wrote my piece yesterday on Lady GaGa and Madonna and I’m still waiting for word back on it. I really worked hard on the piece and I have a good feeling about it, so we shall see!

In the meantime, I posed the question to Facebook and Twitter friends yesterday about whether or not Lady GaGa had the potential to be the next Madonna and I got answers from both sides of the fence. Here’s a sampling:

On the no side:

Kayla: Absolutely not! Madonna came and shocked the music scene with controversy but she pulled it off by appearing to not give a damn. It didnt seem intentional, it was a this is who i am and i just dont care thing. For gaga the shock value doesnt apply. Not only are we all pretty jaded, but theres no conviction behind gaga. Shes simply doing it for the attention and that kindof thing just doesnt last. I like her music at times but she will never be a madonna.

Karen: Personally I think she's a freak. To put her name in the same sentence as Madonna is almost sacrilegious. I don't think she'll ever have the charisma, longevity or reach she had and still has. In 20 years people will ask, "Who?" upon hearing her name if they hear it at all. I just realized I never typed her name either. Lol

Rose: I agree with the others. Madonna was being Madonna. Gaga is doing what she does strictly for the attention. Madonna was not acting or seeking attention. She was simply being who she is. Gaga is trying to be Madonna. I believe that within the next 5 years, Gaga will simply be gone from the spotlight with another Madonna wannabe in her place. Madonna will live on forever, but Gaga will fall out of stardom.

Reet: No. I think L G is a trendy fad that will fade out like bell bottoms did in the 70's. She's a Madonna- wanna- be.

On the positive side:

Chrissy: i think she has the capability of being the next madonna. she is an intelligent, and witty business woman. i think if she has the longevity to be around in say 20 years, she will graciously name madonna as one of the musicians that paved the way for her. i think right now in 2011, we cant compare the two. madonna is a legend. (in my book:-]) i hope gaga will have her staying power.

Sherri: Lady Gaga has something Madonna never had, a legitimate singing voice. Yes, I think she will continue to reinvent herself (ala Madonna) and stay relevant for years to come. She may be a strane bird, but she is super talented and here to stay!

And then there’s the politically correct:

Jordan: a quick thought... in this fast day and age of music with new one hit wonders daily and the lack of dollars flowing to the artists... I highly doubt that anyone can financially become iconic to continue to put out hits after hits... The music industry is evolving and until it gets a foothold on making money she is highly unlikely to make it...But in this great county anything is possible

First of all, I want to say that I appreciate all of your comments. They’re across the board just like I would’ve expected. In the piece, I played it objectively and concluded pretty much the same thing that Jordan says.

It’s funny, but there are two people in my life, my mom and my good friend Rich, who both actually guessed my topic before I could even tell them. There’s probably a couple more out there who would’ve done the same. I guess the people in my life know me pretty well, huh? LOL.

Seriously, my mom reminded me of the time way back in 1983 when I raved about this new singer who was the absolute bomb. The whole family took a day trip to Action Park in my dad’s van and I played the CD over and over again. Ever since those days, I can associate so many memories from my life with Madonna. I remember all of the controversies of her time:

-Rolling around on the floor in a wedding dress at the MTV Music Awards
-The “Like a Prayer” / Pepsi commercial ruckus
-The “Sex” book
-Flashing her boobies on “Truth or Dare”
-Faux masturbation to “Like a Virgin” on the “Blond Ambition” tour
-The steamy “Justify My Love” video

The list goes on and on. Some of the things my friends have said here about GaGa people were saying about Madonna back in the day. Madonna persevered, though, and she did it through her bread and butter: her music. GaGa’s music is the bottom line with her, too, and with that she’s on the right track, for sure.

I am a music aficionado of the biggest kind, and I try my best to keep up with the ever-changing music landscape. Lady GaGa is awesome! I’ve got her double set “Fame/Fame Monster” and I absolutely love the music! Her hits “Bad Romance”, “Poker Face” and “Just Dance”, to name a few are genuinely good, and so are some of the songs that weren’t hits. “Boys, Boys, Boys” and “Summer Boys” absolutely rock and “Teeth” is simply da’ bomb!

I do believe that of anyone out there who’s come after Mo, she’s the one with the most potential to go far, much further than Britney or Christina or any of those other Madonna wannabes. No, in all honesty I don’t think she’ll ever quite match the sphere of influence that Madonna’s had in her time, but she’ll definitely be around for a long, long time to come.


Hmm, can you spot any similarities here?

A final birthday wish for GaGa

As I also mentioned this morning, today is Lady GaGa’s 25th birthday, and so I’d like to present another video from her catalog. This is one of my favorites, and ironically it was also compared to Madonna’s “La Isla Bonita” at the time it came out. Eh, who cares, right? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and it’s not so bad to be a fan of both singers.. Enjoy “Alejandro” and for one last time, Happy Birthday GaGa!

PS – Check out a piece I did last year on GaGa. It was just after I’d downloaded her album and it’s a pretty good review of the songs if I say so myself! Here’s the link:

Goo Goo Over GaGa

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Happy Friday everyone! Well, I’ve just written a piece that I hope is newsworthy, at least in the music world. “Songs for Japan” Digital Album Released on ITunes Today spreads the word on a new album put together for Japan earthquake relief and I hope that being early on in the reporting of it will score me some good page views. The project is definitely worthy of attention and surprisingly there are a lot of songs on it that I don’t already own, so I may just pick myself up a copy and help out in my own way. You can, too, right here.



More writing stuff

I also published my monthly piece on new music coming in April today. Y!CN published it quickly after I submitted it and for that I’m thankful. For this one, I used a variety of sources that helped me get the most complete monthly listing I’ve published so far. Check it out right here.

I finally hit 300,000 page views on Thursday! As of this morning, I’m at 300,770 hits. I’m pretty proud of that!



I’ve still got that test article to write for the Y!CN Featured Music Contributor position. I’m still toying with the idea of comparing GaGa and Madonna at the same stages of their respective careers. A good friend of mine suggested also the changes in how we listen to music over the years, which is another worthy topic. Any other suggestions? I’d love to hear em’. The piece is due by Sunday and I’ve got to make this one good! I have a feeling I’ll be in my sleepwear most of the day tomorrow. I hope it’s not too nice out there!

All is quiet on the stalker front

Thankfully, I haven’t had any more incidences with the stalker since Monday. I hope that the phone call from the police officer finally gave him the message to leave me alone.

Odds and Ends

I’m really starting to love Twitter. After being on it for months and months I think I’m finally starting to get the hang of it. I’ve now got 130 followers and I can see from at least my stats here that I’m getting hits from it, and making friends, too. If you have a Twitter account, you can follow me right here. I will reciprocate!

I’m actually toying with the idea of going to the Bunkhouse tonight. I stopped going there way back in September, when I began frequenting Splash. I used to go on Saturday nights, and it was always a crapshoot whether or not there was any type of a crowd, but their “DaBunk Fridays” is always crowded, albeit with a mostly younger crowd. Money’s a little tight this week and I’m gonna just save Splash for tomorrow.

This morning I put an En Vogue song as today’s “Song of the Day.” I LOVED this group back when they were together in the early 1990’s and I was saddened when they first went down to 3 members and then disappeared altogether. I always felt that they had super talent…their harmonies were awesome! To me, they were a much better girl group than the more successful Destiny’s Child,, but what do I know?



After posting “Free Your Mind” this morning, I decided to play my En Vogue folder on my iPod on the way to work and it was a real waker upper for my ride to work. They had so many great songs back then. Of course, “My Lovin’ (Never Gonna Get It) was the bomb, and so was their joint effort with Salt N’ Pepa (another favorite!), “Whatta Man.” I wanted to share another song or two here, and I had trouble choosing, so I’m putting two of them here. The first is one of my favorites, though it was never a single or a video. This first clip is just an audio of the group’s song, “It Ain’t Over (Till the Fat Lady Sings)”. Check it out:



The next one was the girls' first single, "Hold On." Of course it was the song that got me to like them in the first place and the intro is taken from the classic tune "Who's Lovin You." Perfect harmonies, sultry and sexy. Enjoy!



Well, that's all for today. I'm sure I'll be back on here before the weekend is out, so until them, have a good one and thanks for reading!

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Good Friday evening folks! Well, once again I’ve been drawn to my pc to write a piece for Y!CN. It’s the newest in my seasonal series, “What Are You Listening To? Winter 2010/11, and it’s a lot like my entries for “Song of the Day,” with reviews of stuff I listen to regularly. There’s some great stuff in there like Adele, Rihanna, Black Eyed Peas and more. You can check out the piece right here.

Writing, as always, has taken up much more time than I would have liked, and I have a lot to do before I go out tonight. Yup, it’s been a long week and I need to get my boogie on! So that’s all I have to say for now. I’ll catch up with everything else tomorrow! As usual, thanks for checking me out!

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Welcome to my world, Wednesday night, March 2nd, 2011. Well, today is hump day and now we’re on the downhill slide towards the weekend, thank goodness. Tomorrow’s a short day for me, but not for a good reason. Once again, I’ve got a date with the dentist for a periodontal cleaning…not gonna be pretty! Anyway, my former student/current buddy Max is on his way over, so I’m going to try and keep this one short. Here goes:

A nice reaction



After writing yesterday’s post, I knew I had a winner. After some good feedback from friends and readers I decided to rework the piece for YCN. You can check it out here. Already it’s gotten several comments and I’ve gotten a couple of texts, which I’m going to share two here:

John, If you are going to write these kinds of articles, can you please put a disclaimer on the very top that says, "WARNING: Grab the tissues!" OMG, tear running down my cheeks, I can't even hardly see the screen to type this. I love that Diana song, way too many memories....if Joe reads this and doesn't call you...he may have to deal with me :) Hugs!

Michele Starkey commenting on YCN

I love comments like that! And here’s a text from my buddy Laura Kim:

Your piece, “Remember Me” actually made me cry. My birds thought I was having a breakdown. Dale (her boyfriend) just rolled his eyes and smacked me in the head, lol.

I love writing these types of pieces, where I interweave musical lyrics with my personal experiences (Like I did in Soundtrack of a Relationship, which is still getting decent hits!). I got another great complement today from an old friend, Caroline. For whatever reason, the link I put to the blog piece on Facebook got her attention and she read it. Here’s what she said:

JOHN!! I am ashamed to admit that "Remember Me" is the very first blog written by you that I have ever read!!!! I am not sure what YCN stands for but it is certainly worthy of ANY publication!!
Of course I did not stop at "Remember Me". I also read your Father’s Tribute: I and II. I intend to go back and read more of your blogs (when time allows). Thank you for that. I am now a “John Myers GROUPIE!!! LOL!!

That’s exactly why I write! I know I have a gift for it and I only hope that someday I’ll touch enough people in that way. I’ve just got to keep on keeping on…

I think these types of pieces are definitely my niche and I hope to do some more like them in the future.

Here are links to the other pieces I’ve published on Y!CN:

Diana Ross’ Top Twenty Songs

Pop Music News Weekly, March 1, 2011

And for Examiner:

Photo exhibits, pro wrestling and more around Long Island this weekend

Well not much else is going on this boring Wednesday night. I’m going to leave you with one of my newest favorite songs. It’s called “Own It” by the Black Eyed Peas off of their latest album, “The Beginning.” The song is about living for your dreams and owning the chance to get them:

“This is your chance to own it
This is your chance, your moment
This is your chance, don't blow it
Go out and own it”

Enjoy the song, it’s very inspirational, and thanks!

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I just finished up a piece on YCN about George Michael's 1987 album "Faith" (check it out here). I had learned recently that the album was just re-released in a remastered version and I figured I'd add a review to my "Essential Albums of the 80's" series.

Admittedly I've never been a big George Michael fan for probably the most unusual of reasons, to say the least. First of all, when Wham! first came out, I think I was the only person in the world who thought that Andrew Ridgely was the cute one. Also, I met my ex right around the time this album was gaining popularity and he was just gaga over Mr. Michael. Every time we'd hear a George Michael song, I'd have to hear over and over again saying how hot he was and so I guess my jealousy turned me off to him.

Of course the "Faith" album was great. It was full of pop/dance songs that I loved to dance to in the clubs and even some of the ballads were good, though I would never have admitted it to Joe. I absolutely loved "Father Figure" and "Monkey" was always fun to dance to, but actually my all time favorite George Michael song was not from the "Faith" album at all. In fact, my favorite song of his was from his subsequent album, "Listen Without Prejudice."

The song is called "Freedom 90" and for some reason it was the video that was responsible for me liking the song. I remember it was a montage of various scenes, with some then famous models, both male and female, lip-synching to the song. The video was cool and the song infectuous, and so I will share it here. If you'd like to see any of the videos for the songs of "Faith", click on the article link above because there are video links throughout the piece. Enjoy!

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Mary J Blige never ceases to amaze me. What's always made her special is that from the very beginning she's always sang her truth, bared her soul in good times and in bad. Around the time of the new century, the singer had finally come to a good place in her life and the new truths she had uncovered through her own experiences were lessons she'd learned along the way. She shared those lessons with us on her 2001 song, "No More Drama", and the trend continued on with such songs as "Just Fine" and "Work That", just to name a couple.

Whereas in the past Mary's fans connected with her through her heartbreak and sorrow, today they can be inspired by all that she has learned. There's a song off of her latest CD, "With Each Tear", that is another one of those life lessons Mary chooses to share with us. Aside from her powerful and heavenly voice, it is another one of those great gifts she shares with us. Take a look and a listen...

Each Tear

There's something that I want to say,
But I feel I don't know how.
Until I just can't hold it one more day,
So I think I let it out.

You're on my mind more than I may show
You're in my heart more than you may know
And the last thing that I want,
Is for you to fall apart.
Your future will be clearer,
I want you to remember.

In each tear
there's a lesson, (there's a lesson)
Makes you wiser than before (wiser)
Makes you stronger than you know (stronger)
In each tear (each tear)
Brings you closer to your dreams
No mistake, no heartbreak
Can take away what you're ment to be...

We can't change the things,
That we done, that's in our past.
But fighting won't get us anywhere,
So if you want, then here's my hand...

Every night there is one thing I do
I bow my head and I pray for you (pray for you)
And the last thing that I want (that I want)
Is for you to fall apart
Your future will be clearer
I want you to remember

In each tear
there's a lesson, (there's a lesson)
Makes you wiser than before (wiser)
Makes you stronger than you know (stronger)
In each tear (each tear)
Brings you closer to your dreams
No mistake, no heartbreak
Can take away what you're meant to be

You're much more than a struggle that you go through
You're not defined by your pain, so let it go...
You're not a victim, you're more like a winner
And you're not in defeat, you're more like a queen

In each tear
there's a lesson, (there's a lesson)...

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Here's a link to a piece I just published on Adele and her new album, "21." Check it out here.

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Recently a good friend of mine turned me on to British songstress Adele. Before I took a listen to her, I had noticed several of my Facebook friends mentioning her the past several weeks. I'd heard of her before, but never really took a listen until now.

All I can say is "what a voice!" This song is the first of her songs that I listened to and I loved it immediately. Both her voice and the sounds in this song remind me of something the great Dusty Springfield would've done. Take a listen as you read the strong, heartrending lyrics, and enjoy! Stay tuned for more to come...



Rolling in the Deep

There’s a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch, it’s bringing me out the dark
Finally I can see you crystal clear
Go head and sell me out and I’ll lay your shit bare

See how I leave with every piece of you
Don’t underestimate the things that I will do

There’s a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch
And its bring me out the dark

The scars of your love remind me of us
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love they leave me breathless
I can’t help feeling
We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
You had my heart and soul
And you played it
To the beat

Baby I have no story to be told
But I’ve heard one of you
And I’m gonna make your head burn
Think of me in the depths of your despair
Making a home down there
It Reminds you of the home we shared

The scars of your love remind me of us
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love they leave me breathless
I can’t help feeling
We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
You had my heart and soul
And you played it
To the beat

Throw your soul through every open door
Count your blessings to find what you look for
Turned my sorrow into treasured gold
You pay me back in kind and reap just what you sow

We could have had it all
We could have had it all
It all, it all it all,
We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
You had my heart and soul
And you played it
To the beat

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Culture Club was one of the most iconic new wave bands of the 80’s. Led by androgynous lead singer Boy George, the group spent a good portion of the decade at the top of the charts. After finding successes with such songs as “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” and “Time”, off of their 1982 debut album, “Kissing to Be Clever”, the band really made waves with their sophomore effort, 1983’s “Colour by Numbers.”

Producing such memorable 80’s hits as “Church of the Poison Mind” and Karma Chameleon,” “Colour by Numbers” was an international success and earned a spot as one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s “100 Best Albums of the 80’s.” The album is full of great tunes that’ll still get people up and moving. Here’s a track by track look at Culture Club’s “Colour by Numbers”:

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Classic 90's Music Reviews: Madonna's Erotica
The uproar against the latest in Madonna's ever-pressing efforts to spark controversy for attention overshadowed what was in reality a great collection of tracks showcasing her latest metamorphosis in musical style.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1635668/classic_90s_music_reviews_madonnas.html


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Even with all her success, Mary J. Blige is one of the most underrated music artists of all time. Since the release of her breakout hit album, “What’s the 411?” in
1991, the “Queen of Hip Hop Soul” has taken us along on her journey of self discovery, sharpening her talents to unmatched heights, and providing us with great entertainment and inspiration along the way.

Mary J. Blige, or MJB, has always created infectious songs, mixing heart pounding, feet thumping grooves with irresistibly catchy lyrics that beckon listeners to sing along, matching Mary’s inflections with enthusiastic abandon. Mary has created many classic tunes, from heartfelt ballads, to infectious hip hop funk beats, to feet thumping dance grooves. Throughout, fans have come to learn from Mary’s stories as lessons in life. It’s a difficult task to choose ten out of so many, but here are my top ten Mary J. Blige songs:

#1 – No More Drama

The familiar piano of TV’s, “The Young and the Restless” theme provides an appropriate background to Mary’s now classic tune proclaiming liberation from the unnecessary turmoil that comes with the drama that exists in many relationships. She’s clearly experienced the games and commotion and tells us that she’s had enough. The song has become an anthem life. Anyone who’s been in unfortunate situation in life can heed Mary’s words:

“I don’t know.
Only God knows where the story ends for me,
but I know where the story begins.
It’s up to us to choose whether we win or lose
And I choose to win.”

Mary’s learned a lot from her involvement with relationship drama. Her words inspire taking responsibility for the choices we make. We determine our own destiny. It’s some of the best advice ever given in song.

(NOTE - The Thunderpuss remix of the song adds an equally powerful, danceable, and inspirational feel to the classic.)

#2 - Be Without You

Mary’s #1 song from her 2006 album “The Breakthrough” represents a newer, happier phase in the chaotic life of the singer. Both the studio and the remix versions of this ode to love and devotion were major hits on the Billboard charts. Mary’s singing still inspires clubbers to “put [their] hands up” on dance floors across the nation.

#3 - Family Affair

Let's get it crunk upon
have fun upon up In this dancery
We got ya'll open, now ya floatin'
So you gots to dance for me
Don't need no hateration, holleration
In this dancery
Let's get it perculatin' while you're waiting
So just dance for me

What exactly is hateration? Or holleration? I really don’t know, but the catchy lyrics and infectious beats make this an irresistible groove that just beckons us to “get a crunk upon” and “have fun”.

#4 - We Ride (I See the Future)

The song comes off of Mary’s 2006 greatest hits album, “Reflections – A Retrospective”. It was originally intended for her previous effort, “The Breakthrough”, but was instead saved for inclusion on this compilation. The song continues on the same vein as the songs on the preceding CD, characterizing Mary’s exhilaration at her current space in being, happy with a husband she loves and pleased with the new direction her life has taken. The lyrics once again inspire the listener to sing along to every nuance of Mary’s vocal range and are a powerful testament to her newfound joy.

#5 - Reflections (I Remember)

“Reflections (I Remember)” is the opening salvo to the previously mentioned retrospective CD. In this song, Mary takes us back to her beginnings, revisiting particular moments of change in her life through her long and tumultuous career. The song is sentimental and comforting. Mary puts her past to rest through contemplation, without regret, and embraces the Mary she’s become. It’s a feel-good trip down memory lane for MJB fans.

#6 - I’m Goin Down

For Mary’s fans, this one is a classic. The tune first appeared on her sophomore effort, “My Life”. It is a cover of a 1976 song by Rose Royce and this rendition convincingly portrays the vulnerability of a naïve and desperate young woman. Mary’s pleads with her man, “If I ever lose you…I’ll be goin’ down…Please forgive me, baby… and come on home”. The haunting, hypnotic melody blends perfectly with the authentic desperation of Mary’s vocals.

#7 - Just Fine

“Just Fine” is Mary’s latest hit. It’s a lively and danceable tune that’s a celebration of the elation in Mary’s life today. Fans are invited to share in the party, singing and dancing along to the catchy and rapid fire lyrics:

“So I like what I see
when I’m looking at me
when I’m walking past the mirror.
No stress through the night,
at a time in my life
ain’t worried about if you feel it.
Got my head on straight,
I got my mind right
I aint gonna let you kill it
You see I wouldn't change my life, my life's just fine, fine, fine…”

It’s simply a fun song!

#8 - Sweet Thang

Mary’s 1991 cover of the Chaka Khan classic puts a contemporary spin on the original. Mary’s sultry voice stays close to the originator, but is authentic on its own. For an album full of great hip-hop songs, it serves as a nice segue into Mary’s soulful side. Both incarnations of the song have earned their own entry into the classic R&B songbook.

#9 - I Love You

Another hypnotic ballad off the “My Life” album, this song is a lamentation to lost love. “I Love You” is a bittersweet reflection on a failed relationship coupled with a longing for what might have been. The melody is haunting and the lyrics, like so many other MJB tunes, make for an irresistible sing-along!

#10 - Let No Man Put Asunder

The closing track of MJB’s 1999 CD, “Mary”, this cover brings new life to a 70’s disco-funk hit with a hands-in-the-air, gospel, funk feel. Unlike the rest of the songs in this top ten, “Let No Man Put Asunder” was never a notable hit, but the continuous gospel-infused hook, “It’s not over…” is a powerful centerpiece to this catchy remake.

Clearly, Mary J. Blige has amassed a large catalog of great music in her stellar, yet still underrated seventeen-year career. History will surely recognize Mary as a legend in her time, and we’re all lucky to benefit from her gift. Choosing a top ten song list was a difficult task, and I’m sure many fans might choose an entirely different set of worthy classics from the “Queen of Hip Hop Soul”. If you’re not familiar with Mary J. Blige tunes, take a listen. You may find yourself inspired to by her words, stirred to sing along, or even motivated to dance!

Check out MJB's artist page on iTunes:

Mary J. Blige

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