Is this Lady going "Gaga"?

Happy Sunday everyone!

You know, last night I timer-recorded on my DVD, as I usually do at weekends, Jay Leno's Show on NBC, which I've seen this morning with my kids, and LGG was Jay's special guest on St Valentine's Day. You know I'm not that fond of the Gagas and the Biebers but I can honestly say she's becoming a total freak, both physically as much as a person, kind of the self-destructive transformation M. Jackson went through in his prime. Let me explain why I've got this weird theory. This is, courtesy of DailyMotion, the same interview I recorded last night, featured barely a week ago, the day after her much-hyped recent appearance inside an egg (actually a vessel, according to herself) at the Grammies, where she scooped 3 awards:

Then, this is her again, but 14 months earlier, talking to the same host on the occasion of launching Bad Romance from the Fame Monster album:

I don't know what you guys think, but at the time she looked to me like a "fresher rose", so to speak, a healthier-looking person, you know. The look in her eyes, her physical presence, the way she sings ... nothing to do with her somewhat ghoulish, I daresay, image today. I mean, I really couldn't care less how she goes about her business or what she does to herself, but I just wonder ... if this is the price to pay for worldwide fame, I take pity on these showbiz celebs, I really do.

OK folks, sorry to bore you with my reflections on the glitz and glam of music mega-stars but at the end of the day, believe me, it's all for the sake of English! And Jay and Gaga speak the language, don't they? Will you post your comments anyway?

Now, as far as Gaga's work is concerned, what's all this controversy that she's ripped off Madonna's 1990s hit "Express yourself" in her latest single, Born this way (which Teresa duly emailed me a couple of days ago)? Mm, interesting lyrics the song contains ... I don't like the music, though. Fancy listening to the stuff? No worries ...

Actually, now you can watch the long-awaited, much hyped videoclip of the song, which was premiered only yesterday on YouTube (where else!?). "This is the manifesto of Mother Monster", Lady Gaga recites ... "As the wombs numbered and the mitosis of the future began, it was perceived that this infamous moment in life is not temporal, it is eternal. and thus began the the beginning of the new race, a race within the race of humanity, a race which bears no prejudice, no judgment, but boundless freedom", she explains in a voiceover with dramatic scenes of a child birth in space. "But on that same day, as the eternal mother hovered in the multiverse, another more terrifying birth took place: the birth of evil." Wow, I guess this lady might one day soon become the master of the ... multiverse? But enough of this speech. Just watch, a scary sight to behold, this latest Gaga videoclip!

This video I've just found on the BBC claims that Lady Gaga is also a savvy business woman. With an army of more than 8 million Twitter followers, she seems to understand the digital media better than most artists today and has arguably taken product placement and marketing tie-ups to a new level. Her latest venture is to promote a range of cosmetics which helps fund AIDS research. This woman (lady, more like!) will stop at nothing to eventually become the first woman President of the USA, mark my words!

The song of a generation: Don McLean's American Pie

A day like today, 52 years ago, "the music died". That's how Don McLean put it in 1971, as he wrote one of the most famous songs in rock history, remembering the death, 12 years before, when he was only a teenage paper boy, of one of his musical heroes, the great Buddy Holly. He tragically was killed in a plane crash together with fellow musicians Ritchie Valens and Jiles Richardson. It was indeed an untimely death, at the tender age of 22, and the news had a big impact on McLean.

To understand the importance of American Pie in US culture, suffice it to say that it was included by the American government within an educational project called "Songs of the Century" and listed at #5 no less.

Legend has it that the song summarizes the history of R'n'R from 1959 to 1970 as it seemingly contains numerous references to rock stars, from Bob Dylan to the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Mick Jagger, Janis Joplin ... the list is endless, as well as to landmarks in American history, like the Vietnam War, the hippy movement, the space race ... You know, Don has been asked constantly about the meaning of the song's lyrics, but he's always refused to do it by simply saying (quote): "You will find many interpretations of my lyrics but none of them by me ... sorry to leave you all on your own like this but long ago I realized that songwriters should make their statements and move on, maintaining a dignified silence." Which has only added more legend to the song, I guess.

Well, judge by yourselves by watching the clip below. I'm sure you've heard the tune many times, but probably not paid much attention to the lyrics, except maybe the famous chorus. I dare you try to find all the references I mentioned above ...

An 8-minute jewel that I never get tired of listening to. Enjoy!

A great song: David Gray's Babylon

Six years after commencing his music career in 1993, Manchester-born, Welsh-raised singer songwriter David Gray released his fourth studio album called White Ladder, the work that would earn him worldwide recognition as a top act. Not surprisingly the album contains some of David's most famous songs to date, as well as being, arguably, his best recording so far. To me at least it is, definitely.

Gray's musical beginnings could be placed within folk-rock, as he would perform his songs on his acoustic guitar and, rather occasionally, on piano. But gradually he started to introduce computer-generated arrangements and orchestrations, a technique that made him sort of different from many of his contemporary fellow folk artists.

I have fond memories of the songs in that 1999 album, White Ladder: "Sail Away", "Please forgive me", This year of Love", to name a few. But no doubt my fave one was and still is Babylon, the album's second single and his biggest hit to date internationally. The story of a guy whose girl has left him but decided to return over the weekend (dumps him on Friday but is back on Sunday). You know, it's hard to say where the song's title comes from. I think I read some years ago a biblical interpretation, like Babylon was a symbol of "exile" or something, but I'm not too sure. Anyway, I couldn't care less. I just love the heartfelt lyrics, the sweet melody and, above all, David's intimate voice, which reminds me of the great Van Morrison.

I played the song to my C1 students only this morning as a "pick-me-up" and I'd like to share it with all of you. This is a fantastic live cover which includes the lyrics scroller so that you can, as usual, read David's inspirational words. Hope you enjoy it!

Review: Lady Gaga's gig in Madrid (Dec 12, 2010)

Virginia (NA):

Almost a month ago, I had the fortune of being one of the 15.000 people that could see Lady Gaga live in Madrid, and not one of the cheated fans that couldn’t see her show.

When I went out of the subway, I could see the Palacio de Deportes but what surprised me was the queue, the longest I’ve ever seen. I’m not exaggerating if I say that there was 1 km of people queuing: no further comment. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait in an extremely long queue because I was able to enter through one of the sideway doors.

Still, I had to wait like 2 and half hours because when I went into the venue it was 6:30 and the show started at 9, but I didn’t care: I was incredibly excited and suddenly I felt really anxious, infected by the atmosphere. So I stayed in my seat, just in front of the stage, taking notes for this review, ha ha!

The opening band, Semi-Precious Weapons, left a lot to be desired. Sometimes, the main singer was really annoying, without taking into account that he was wearing the highest heels I’ve ever seen, I don’t know how he could walk and even run with them. When they eventually finished there was still 30 minutes more to wait till we could enjoy a spectacular concert. I was constantly looking at my watch, as if that could make time go by faster.

Suddenly, the lights went off. The crowd started to scream, and on the curtain that covered the huge stage a video was showed. The video was accompanied by a remix of “Dance in the dark”. At the end of the video there were some numbers, like the ones you can see in the old movies when they used to start with a countdown.

At that moment, the crowd went completely mad. A light turned on behind the curtain. Lady Gaga’s silhouette appeared. At long last the show started.

The concert’s plot is the story of Gaga and her friends attempting to get to the Monster Ball. Firstly, their car broke down. When Gaga opened the hood to see what the engine inside is like, we were surprised: the car was actually a piano. Have you ever seen someone playing the piano with their feet? (doing it well, of course). Then you haven’t seen anything.

After the car crash, they decided to take the subway, which dropped them in a mysterious location. Then a twister picked them up and dropped them in a dark forest, which could be perfectly the setting for Tim Burton’s next movie, where finally Gaga faced and destroyed the Fame Monster. In each location (which involved, of course, a complete change of the scenery), she sang 3 or 4 songs. The performances were heavily choreographed with at least ten dancers accompanying Gaga.

Concerning the playlist, all her hits were included. The first one was the catchy “Just Dance”, at the beginning of the concert (maybe the third song she sang). About halfway through the show, she sang “Telephone” in her underwear and just after that, the dancers and band left Gaga alone, with the Spanish flag and her piano, and she gave a breathtaking performance of “Speechless”, while the piano was burning. And the epic final, “Alejandro”.

My favourite songs? “Poker Face”, “Paparazzi” and the astonishing performance of “Bad Romance”, when everyone in the audience did the famous dance from the music video. The encore was again Bad Romance. She really aimed her performance at the true fans who know all the songs.

The public was great, singing all the songs, jumping and dancing enthusiastically. I could even feel the floor shaking below my feet! However, if the audience gave their 100%, Lady Gaga gave her 200%! What maybe some people could find boring or tedious was that between some songs she gave speeches: there was a lot of “live your life and love yourself”. In my opinion, there were some amusing anecdotes she told, like for example that in her first concert there were just 12 spectators or how people dismissed her when she started her music career, telling that she would never make it. Anyway, she talked about how you feel when you are different, when the rest of people don’t accept you because of any particular reason: you’re gay or a freak or simply different. Just someone that has lived that situation knows how important it is to hear that you’re important. In a few words, she empowered us to follow our own dreams. That’s Lady Gaga’s main goal in a concert: make people comfortable with themselves. However, I may be wrong; perhaps it is better to hear the typical “You guys are having a good time tonight?” and in that way, people won’t get bored (although I really doubt someone may get bored at those moments, except the journalist from “El País”).

In conclusion, if I were told to describe her concert with one word, I would say: superb. Whether you like her music or not, you have to admit Gaga is one of the most unique artists and performers in the history of music.

By the way, yes, she’s a genius at getting people to talk about her, and yes, she wears absurd clothes but if someone believes that she lip-synchs, I can tell you that this girl does sing and she has got a hell of a voice.

Great work, Virginia! The long wait has been well worth it. Actually, I daresay you should apply for the post the guy from El Pais is taking right now, ha ha!

David Antigüedad: My son's coming of age.

I guess it's one of my proudest moments as a father, seeing my son turn 18 and accordingly come of age. But then it's also mixed feelings and makes me realize how fast time flies. I mean, I know it sounds corny, a trite cliché, but it does seem like yesterday that he was born.
Anyway, I don't want to look presumptuous when I talk about his musical talent. Being a frustrated musician myself, I literally drool whenever I see David play the guitar. I often wish I could have learned to play an instrument, any! Last night I was watching this soothing jazz gig performed at El Savor by a local band and I couldn't help thinking what a great feeling it must be to play your stuff in front of an audience. And when I see David during his auditions and small recitals, I truly feel some healthy ENVY of him!
I didn't mean to actually do this, but early this morning I heard the news on the BBC that today (just one day after my son's) is Jimmi Page's 67 birthday. For those of you who may have not heard of him, Jimmi is the legendary guitarist of one of the greatest rock bands in history, British giants Led Zepellin, who I've always idolized since my teenage years. And I was wondering if I could pay a small tribute on this blog to good old Jimmi, undoubtedly one of the most influential rock guitarists, and indeed one of my son's many guitar heroes, when suddenly I sort of plucked up the courage to also post a video my son recently uploaded on YouTube and I had stored in the drafts file of this blog some four/five days ago. Especially when in it he's playing a cover version of two songs from possibly my favourite album ever, Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon. Please, don't think me excessively vain, it's just a proud father displaying his son's moment of glory in cyberspace, ha ha!
All I can say is that David's done "the full monty", so to speak: certainly the guitar playing on top of the band's backing tracks, but also the video recording on his mobile, as well as the painstaking editing, the audio-video synch in his PC ... May I say he's a genius in the making? Of course, I'm his proud dad! And believe me, he's got no idea I'm doing this. I'm not even sure he would like to know ...

Then, in case you've never listened to Jimmi Page in action, here's the clip I had originally intended to embed. I'm sorry that I won't write at length about Jimmi, his enormous talent and groundbreaking technique, which has been so influential to so many guitarists after him, so the mix down below speaks for itself. Just for today, however much I admire the old rocker, the young apprentice has stolen the show. But happy birthday wherever you are, maestro!

New Year's resolutions: Jamie Cullum's "Next Year Baby"

Come the last few days of the aging year, we all start making resolutions for the new one: gonna do more exercise, start a diet, take up a new hobby, even quit smoking, blah, blah, blah. Then, one way or another, most of our good-will intentions gradually fall on stony ground, don't they? But it's always nice to kind of try and "mend our ways", isn't it?

That's why I thought I could sort of say a musical goodbye to 2010 on our blog and, at the same time, wish you all the best for 2011. And there's a delightful song by a fantastic artist who you know I was privileged enough to see live recently, Jamie Cullum. It's called "Next year baby" and I think it suits today perfectly. My favourite part is when Jamie sings: "But if there's one thing I must do / Despite my greatest fears / I'm gonna say to you / how I've felt all of these years!

I've chosen the longer live version because at the beginning of the rendition, before the actual song, you can watch Jamie deliver one of his renowned, physically-charged impromptus on stage. A great entertainer, he really is!

Anyway, my dear students, I do hope you all have well-meant resolutions for the new year, many of which, despite your greatest doubts, will be fulfilled to make you feel better, nicer, healthier people.

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE EVERYONE AND A BLISSFUL 2011!

Film review: Walk the Line

Maria Iglesias (C1):

As you know, sometimes we need a kind of impulse to encourage us to do things even if they are no big deal, like what I'm doing right now, writing to you about the last film I borrowed from José Luis, Walk the Line. The thing is last Monday we were having in class a little chat about this movie and there was an interesting comment by one of my classmates so I decided to write a film review. So here is my humble tribute to the rebellious country singer Johnny Cash and the gorgeous and ravishing film based on his life, Walk the line, a musical biopic set in the Great Depression.

While growing up with his family in the Arkansas countryside, Johnny becomes interested in the blues and country music he daily listens to on the radio. However, not until Johnny joins the Air Force in Germany at the age of 19 or so, does he start composing his own musical stuff. Once he leaves the Air Force, he marries Vivian and decides to live in Memphis in order to push ahead with his career as a musician, which launches as soon as Johnny and his band cut a record. Now, mix and match tours all over the country, loving affairs, family issues, amphetamines and tranquilizers with tons of great music and you are getting a sight of both the movie and Johnny’s essence.

Regarding the film’s title, named after a song by Cash, the movie is all about “walking the line”, that is to say following the rules and behaving in a balanced way. The point is Johny Cash wrote “Walk the line” at the time he got married to Vivian so it can be understood that he is going to walk the line - by not doing what he really enjoys but his wife doesn't - just because of his love for her, which, as the human beings we are, we know is not always fair. As another song goes, “sometimes you walk the line and sometimes it walks you”.

To sum up, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and I am sure so would you, not only because of the captivating plot or the fantastic music but also the great cast the film has. Joaquin Phoenix nails Johnny Cash (the way he walks and holds his guitar, as well as his recreation of Johnny’s singing style, humming and talking out of the corner of his mouth) and so does Reese Witherspoon as June Carter, which indeed won her the Oscar for Best Actress.

So what can I say? Give it a try! I mean, watch the film or listen to Johnny Cash, a pioneer of rockabilly and rock and roll, a star of the 50s along with Carl Perkinks, Jerry Lee Lewis or Elvis Presley; and also a living legend of the 90s. Besides, according to a comment on Youtube (wise people!) Johnny Cash's music “would move Chuck Norris to tears”. Hey, that is pretty much!

By the way, have you seen another musical biopic you would like to write about? Ray? The Doors? Control? Sid & Nancy? Dreamgirls? La Bamba? The list is endless!

The Music Spot: Jimi Hendrix

Elena Plaza (2º NA):

Famous columnists, when they run out of ideas, write about what just happens to themselves right at the time. Likewise, I´ll try to imitate them.
I've got to admit I'd had an awful night, because of the damn gale force winds and irritating rain beating the tiles. So, in desperation, I switched on the radio and stayed in that way for hours. Everything seemed to be getting worse and worse, and the more hours passed, the worse my mood was. Then, suddenly, the presenter said "Up, it's 6 in the morning, and this is a "guitar non camastron" solo for you all, my friends!!"
Well, to be honest, I couldn't catch the name of the group or singer, but it would have been something like this:

I promise, mates, after a horrible night, this is a real good way to wake yourself up (I mean, both your body and your mood). Jimmy Hendrix versioned Bob Dylan (awesome!) and this is probably the song's very best cover of the song. It can be heard in "Forrest Gump", "Watchmen" and "Battlestar Galactica", and (surprise!) you even can find it on "Guitar hero 5"!

Jimmy Hendrix ( Seattle 1942- London 1970) is considered the greatest guitarist in rock history. His biography is incredible: poor, self-taught, rebellious, he eventually had a tragic, dark death.
From the very beginning, Jimi showed a striking ability to mine, as if it was a precious metal, a stunning, new guitar sound. His dexterity was so powerful that he could play his guitar for more than two hours, even recreating the USA anthem, as it happened at Woodstock in 1969.

Fortunately, his legacy lingers to this day with extraordinary power, energy, and, I can assure you, it's a magical formula to straighten out a bad beginning!

The music spot: Ambience music in video games

Javi (2º NA):

Hello everyone!

As I said in class, I will introduce you to the - unknown by many - world of music in videogames!

Now, you must be thinking, I do not fancy right now listening to some speedy, computerized music from Mario Bros. or whichever strange game this guy is playing.

Actually, there is some pretty good music in more “serious games”, more centred on the adult world. It is like most fields in art, there are games for kids, and games for older people, maybe more violent, maybe with very interesting or remarkable plots, or even non-stop action. Most of these games have in fact very intense and deep music. I think of it as kind of ambience music, like in movies for example.

My favourite soundtrack of a video game would be from Painkiller, developed by People Can Fly. The author of this soundtrack, Marcin “Cedyn” Czartynski, is actually extremely gifted for music and knows how to create the atmosphere for each level of the game perfectly. My favourite one is Train Station:

At this level, you have to deal with the demonic lost souls in an abandoned train station; the developers worked really well on recreating the atmosphere of Zurich's train station. Surrounded by darkness, alone, and full of fear, you attempt to start the level, and then the music plays.

It is funny, because I like to listen to this music when I want to relax, to rest. And while you’re playing the game, you are not precisely doing this! ☺ As user Grigorij117 perfectly puts it in a Youtube commentary:

“Try and play this music when you realize that you're alone - and nobody else is home. Try it only when it´s dark - the best moment is when you can see the moon, preferably midnight. Listen to it, and then ask yourself: do I have the courage to go outside?

Do you have the nerve to listen to this music on an MP3 player in the middle of a forsaken part of the city? Or an abandoned railway station?

I’ve tried that. And believe it or not, after few moments I had to run. I did not care where to, just far away from that place.

This is what good music means to me, music that makes you feel every kind of emotion.

Here are a few more examples of great music in video games. I really recommend every one of them. By the way, if you are interested and you actually see the videos, I do not recommend listening to the music of battles, which is pretty horrible and repetitive XD. User ultddave in Youtube has all the videos!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM2X4wdNtwU

(You are alone in a small island resembling Venetia, and you have to deal with the frightening creatures)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaDk98a7KwQ&feature=related

(A boss fights in a claustrophobic level)

Other great games with striking background music are:

Resident Evil 4:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71heHLDXmKo

(You can feel the tension in the air ☺)

Resident Evil 5:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nQSfyYmoHo&feature=related

(Trust me, it is not nice to be chased by a guy with a chainsaw ;) )

Half-Life 2: The main theme for Half Life (Best game ever!!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Nw8zKOX858&feature=related

The Music Spot: Nightwish Review

Virginia (NA):

Hi everyone!!
This is my first time contributing to a blog so it’s a new experience for me! :D
I would like to start talking about a genre of music that many people avoid because of stereotypes, and it’s metal music. When someone says “Oh, I love metal”, what the majority of people think about immediately is: noise, people screaming, insults, obscene lyrics, and even violence. Well, I’m here to try to change your mind. ;D
It’s true that some bands meet these requirements (and are famous because of that … maybe it has to do with marketing too) such as Slipknot, Rammstein, etc. But not all the bands are like that, in particular, I’m going to talk about my favourite band: Nightwish
Nightwish is a Finnish band founded by Toumas Holopainen and Tarja Turunen. Its style is “symphonic metal”. Why do I think they’re different? Because they have achieved something that, at first sight, may be unimaginable to everybody: mixing metal music and opera. Tarja Turunen is a lyrical soprano and, obviously, has an amazing voice (last year I had the opportunity of listening to her in Madrid and it was one of the greatest experiences in my whole life), and Toumas is a fantastic composer and musician (he plays the keyboards). Some time later, Emppu (guitar), Julius (drums) and Marco (vocals and bass) joined the band, and so, the group was completed.
Sadly, 5 years ago, Nightwish and Tarja went separate ways. Now Nightwish has a new singer, who isn’t so good as Tarja. Don’t misunderstand me: I am not criticizing her, but I consider that Anette (the new singer) shouldn’t sing Tarja’s songs cause her voice is not so powerful as Tarja’s. Anyway, although I prefer Nightwish with Tarja, I have to admit that I like Nightwish with Anette too, but it’s not the same.
The last tour Nightwish and Tarja did ended in Helsinki with a concert in the Hartwall Arena. The whole concert was filmed to be sold on DVD (I have my own ! :D). Another reason why Nightwish is my fave band is because I even like them more in concert than listening to them on a CD.
Well, the song I've chosen was sung during this concert and it’s a cover version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera”. Sorry if I have bored you with such a long text, but metal music (and Nightwish in particular) really fascinate me and I just wanted to share them with all of you. Hope you enjoy it!!

P.S.: My fave part is from 3:35-4:14. No words to describe it, AMAZING!