IPod

The Muppets (movie – 2011)/The Muppets (CD) [Light Spoilers]

November 30, 2011 by rurugby Leave a Comment

Spoilers are mainly just some of the titles of songs in the movie.

I have been a big muppets fan since I was a little kid.

From Sesame Street to The Muppet Show to …

I love the Muppet Movie and “Being Green”, “Mahna Mahna” and “The Rainbow Connection” are some of my favorite songs of all time.

I love “The Muppet Movie” ****, like “Muppets Take Manhattan” ***, like “Muppets in Space” *** (my wife loves that one), and my expectations for “The Muppets” was good not great.

————

“The Muppets” exceeded my expectations.

It’s just joyous.

And it all works, and I feel like so much of it shouldn’t quite work. There is lots of playing with cliches, and interacting with humans and puppets isn’t always easy.

I also love the perspective of the outsider muppet Walter.

The music is wonderful, as is the spirit. If you like the Muppets you will love it.

****

——————-

I liked the movie to buy the soundtrack the next day.

It’s fun. And as a whole more consistent then my favorite Muppets CD: “The Muppet Show: Music, Mayhem and More! The 25th Anniversary Collection” which has many of my favorite Muppet songs of all time, but is weaker on the 2nd half with some of the tracks from the movie. **** (for Muppets 25)

There is a lot of fun on this CD and some wonderful tracks. If you liked the movie you are likely to love it. The tracks are similar from the movie, avoiding the soundtrack trap of using alternate singers from the movie on the CD. Some of my favorites are “Forget You” by Camilla and the Chickens; “The Whistling Caruso”; “Mahna Mahna”, “A Man or a Muppet” by Jason Segal and Walter; “Life’s a Happy Song” by the small town …

My favorite track is easily “Forget You” which is so much more fun then Cee-lo’s song to me. And of course I love “Mahna Mahna” but this version is on the Muppet 25th Anniversary CD already.

It’s a lot of fun and almost guaranteed to give smiles.

Good times. *** 1/2

Muppet on!

— edmund

First ten songs on IPod – Or make it 13

January 26, 2010 by rurugby Leave a Comment

So still have all my songs from my ITunes but lost all the ratings when I got the new Gateway.

So I thought I would try the first 10 songs on my IPod after hearing a Dead Air Podcast with 3 songs from his IPod

So here goes:

1) “Lover Come Back” by Ella Fitzgerald – off 25 Jazz Greats, Disc 2 — quick jazz number by Ella — not my favorite from her — very uptempo ***

2) “I Feel Fine” by the Beatles off “1” album — **** Good early Beatles

3) “The Stripper” by Joe Loss & His Orchestra — off “Full Monty” soundtrack — great silly fun song … makes me want to dance and be silly and stuff

4) “Tryin’ to Throw Your Arms Around the World” by U2 – off “Achtung Baby” album — **** — great line “Because a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle”

5) “Why Add A Worship Service” by the Unitarian Universalist Association – off “Lay leader drive time essays 1” — Very interesting 4 minute post about why 2 services is a good or bad idea for growing congregations. Has worked well as Allen Avenue UU in Portland and happy that we are a growing congregation. Good piece. ***

6) “Guess Things Happen That Way” by Johnny Cash from the absolutely excellent “2005-The Legend of Johnny Cash” album that was engineered by Rick Rubin and also includes “Hurt” — ****

7) “99 Ways to Die” by Megadeth from The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience album — for me its just OK — *** — for Beavis and Butthead it would be “heh heh — cool”

8) “There It Is” by Barry White from the “Icon is Love” album — one man with a voice deeper then mine — just a little bit different — pure make out song — ****

9) “I’m Sticking With You” by the Velvet Underground from the “Juno” soundtrack — *** – not my favorite Velvet song — next

10 “Favorite Thing” by Shift Music from album “Get In” — pretty awful — probably from a grab bag CD at Bull Moose – **

11) Bonus track since one of my songs wasn’t a song at all “Prelude and Maine Title March” by the London Symphony Orchestra — From the “Superman: The Movie:” soundtrack — this is just some John Williams awesomeness — *****

12) “Glass Onion” the Beatles – Love album — has a remix-y quality — kinda fun ***

13) “Luke and Leia” by John Williams off the “Star Wars Trilogy” album — **** — pretty John Williams tastic ****

14) “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2 off “The Joshua Tree” album — arguably the best U2 song, off without question U2’s best album *****

I personally really enjoy time-wasters like this — interesting the the Beatles, U2 and John Williams showed up twice — Edmund

Another IPod Challenge .. whee!/There Goes My Baby

February 9, 2009 by rurugby Leave a Comment

I love these silly challenges .. trying to decide if want to leave the house and get coffee or keep watching stuff on DVR and burn CDs (got 5 CD grab bags @ Bull Moose (10 CDs each) for .99c/each) .. Yay!

Good stuff … Guns N Roses-Appetite for Destruction, Sinead O’Connor – I do not want what I haven’t got; U2-October; Tina Turner-Greatest Hits ..

Heres the facebook thing (from Kayt Sukel – super mom and writer) …

Welcome to this week’s viral tagging notes madness! But kinda fun if you have an iPod and eclectic taste in the music. (Out of 5569 songs shuffled on IPod/ Is actually a total of 11,882 songs on ITunes (and I want to figure out to get my vinyl digitized too)… Yep I’m a freak

RULES:
1. put your music player on shuffle
2. for each question press the ‘next’ button to get your answer
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.

1. If someone says ‘is that ok’ you say?
New River Train – The Monroe Brothers — **** .. nice song by the bluegrass pioneers (only had album for 2 weeks) from Bluegrass Vintage Vaults (4 CD set @ Wal-Mart) .. good stuff .. love compliation CDs that are cheap (was $14.99 I think) – finished song

2. What would best describe your personality?
Silly Game – Prince … title is way, way too appropriate for my silly self who l oves games (Magic, Fluxx, Simpsons Uno, Trivial Pursuit, etc.) .. ***

3. What do you like in a guy or girl?
(This Song’s Just) Six Words Long — Weird Al Yankovic — *** — I guess the ability to make a song out of nothing — do this all the time .. probably should get more into filking at cons

4. How do you feel today?
Dead Puppies – Ogden Edsi … **** (from 3) … The lyrics are so hilarious that the delivery doesn’t matter … Because “Dead Puppies aren’t much fun” — Dr. Demento album was a really great gift for the wife. One of the reasons I love her. I am in a time-wasting mood on this day off. A truly ridiculous song.

5. What’s your purpose in life?
Solitude – Duke Ellington .. **** .. One needs to be comfortable with himself no matter what (had a church service on topic recently of Solitude) and of course Duke Ellington is the greatest American composer of the 20th century.

6. What’s your motto?
Sewing Machine – Manhattan Projects — **** – A “Cannonball” Adderly cover — swings a lot .. fun son ..

7. What do your friends think of you?
Hung Up On You- Fountains of Wayne – *** .. weird to hear them do a country-ish song .. no idea what this mean …

8. What do you think of often?
Sleep in Heavenly Peace (Silent Night) – Barbara Streisand – **** – lovely song — Barbara Streisand was an amazing young perfomer … Still is a force of nature. Adore “Silent Night” probably my favorite Christmas hymn.

9. What do you think of your best friend?
House upon the Hill .. The Secret Garden soundtrack (Musical) .. *** .. not a great musical …

10. What do you think of the person you like?
Echoes of the Jungle – Duke Elllington .. **** .. love Duke Ellington ..nice to get some time with my music …

11. What is your life story?
Can’t Cry Anymore – Sheryl Crow – *** .. Songs aren’t playing with questions today

12. What do you want to be when you grow up?
Surf Beat – Dick Dale & His Del-Tones — **** .. love the king of the surf guitar .. that would be a cool skill to master …

13. What do you think when you see the person you like?
All the Girls Love Alice – Elton John … *** (was not rated – got from previous group of CD grabbag) ..

14. What do(es) your parent(s) think of you?
Ebony & Ivory – Steve Wonder – *** – IPod definitely on random today

15. How will you feel at your funeral?
“Quimby” Campaign Commercial – The Simpsons — **** — Love “The Simpsons” although it isn’t what it was..

16. What will they play at your wedding?
I Don’t Wanna (With Black Thought) – Carol Riddick – *** – Soulful song but the wedding was all about Ella.

17. What is your hobby or interest?
Crying Just For Show – French Kicks ** – Would have changed to alternate playlist by now. – that might belong on the deletion list.

18. What is your biggest fear?
Steve Berman (Skit) – Eminem — *** – I don’t take criticism well.

19. What is your biggest secret?
Isfahan – Joe Henderson – **** – That I love jazz and a great beat isn’t a great secret..

20. What do you think of your friends?
Cyclone (Extended Version) – Wizard of Oz soundtrack — **** – Amazingly great soundtrack .. just a blast from the Munchkin Suite to “Over the Rainbow” ….

21. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Beautiful – Marie Christine Soundtrack – *** – Another meh soundtrack — This is one of the better tracks on it.

22. WHAT IS 2 + 2?
Boom Selection – Genius Cru — *** — I guess 2 + 2 is a beat ..

23. What will you repost this as?
There Goes My Baby – 50 Soul Hits — Don’t know artist — But definitely classic 50s-60s early rock (probably 50s) .. ***

Didn’t get as cool a group of songs this time … Best one is Silly Game .. think going to do some gaming.

Edmund

p.s Really looking forward to Boskone this week in Boston. Yay!