Blogcritics

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Daryl's Pop Music Hall of Fame: Alanis Morisette - "You Oughta Know"

Daryl D — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 12:04:29 EDT

In the early and mid 1990s, the music world was fed up with Madonna and desperately sought for another angst driven female musical act to taker her place. The woman who took the crown, in 1995, was Alanis Morissette. She just happened to belong to Madonna’s then rising music label, Maverick. Isn’t that ironic?“You Oughta Know,” from Alanis Morissette’s mega platinum album, Jagged Little Pill, became everybody’s favorite breakup song, with lyrics that included: “And I'm not gonna fade as soon as you close your eyes and you know it/And every time I scratch my nails down someone else's back I hope you feel it... well can you feel it.” The song was sung with vengeful feeling, sharply produced, and was hummed in supermarkets, churches, hospitals, etc. during the Summer of 1995. Further than being an outstanding song, “You Oughta Know” was downright addicting. Jagged Little Pill would go on to produce several other hit singles, including “Hand In My Pocket,” “All I Really Want,” “Right Through You,” and “Ironic.” Unfortunately, Alanis Morissette suffered the well-known Grammy curse: like Lauren Hill and countless others, her career crashed faster than a head-on collision after winning multiple Grammy awards in one night. While the success of Alanis Morissette prompted a multitude of jokes against Madonna in the mid-nineties, it was Madonna who would get her crown back in 1998 after releasing the mega-successful Ray of Light. During the same year, Alanis Morissette’s sophomore effort, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, debuted high and then fell off faster than President Clinton’s moral reputation at the same time. It’s quite unfortunate that Alanis Morissette is often viewed as the woman who completely ruined alternative music. She is a talented singer, a great songwriter, and an electrifying performer. She’s the type of artist who will still be performing even if her latest album sells just two copies. Regardless of what became of her popularity, when somebody thinks of the mid 1990s, Alanis Morrisette’s face will always pop up with a vengeance.

Daryl, who thinks that both Democrats and Republicans are ruining our country, is a freelance writer who writes articles on politics, technology, and entertainment. If you want to send him feedback on any of his articles (good or bad) don't hesitate to email him at report345@yahoo.com.

Daryl's Pop Music Hall Of Fame: Bon Jovi - "Livin' on a Prayer"

Daryl D — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 09:34:02 EDT

Towards the end of 1986, the thought of a long haired "metal" band taking over the music world was completely unheard of until Bon Jovi released their multiplatinum album, Slippery When Wet. Bon Jovi, who were never really a heavy metal band despite originally being given the title, was widely condemned by music critics but loved by true music listeners. Unfortunately, they were accused of trying to copy Bruce Springsteen, who's career, unlike Bon Jovi's, hasn't thrived recently.The second single from Slippery When Wet, "Livin' On A Prayer," became an instant classic in early 1987 and remains a favorite from the '80s. The song has a killer beat, excellent vocals, and is a true working class hero anthem that contains some of the following lyrics: "She says we've got to hold on to what we've got/cause it doesn't make a difference If we make it or not/ We've got each other and thats a lot/For love - well give it a shot." After those lyrics, the song explodes into one of the most memorable choruses of all time. Bon Jovi is unique in a way that no artist or group from the 1980s is: they've actually had a multi-format hit single in the past year ("Who Says You Can't Go Home"). They've also played several stadium sell-out shows recently while most other acts, recent or older, can't even fill regular arenas. It is also important to note that Bon Jovi has not sunk to the level of insulting police officers, changing their group name to a symbol, shoving their panties in David Letterman's face on national television, or calling themselves the "Kings of Pop" like other fellow '80s performers. Bon Jovi has remained relevant by the sheer force of something that is very lacking in the music industry, talent.

Daryl's Pop Music Hall of Fame: Jewel -"Foolish Games" (1997)

Daryl D — Thu, 1 Feb 2007 07:30:30 EST

In late Summer 1997, the world was mourning the death of Princess Diana while still laughing over Eddie Murphy’s sexual fling with a transvestite. The Spice Girls were still hot on the music scene and My Best Friend’s Wedding, starring Julia Roberts, was at the top of the box office. Jewel had released “Foolish Games,” her third radio release off her album Pieces of You. This track was actually redone for the soundtrack of the film Batman & Robin to make it sound more commercial, but most radio stations stuck to playing the original recording. “Foolish Games” was actually never released as a commercial single: record companies started doing this in order to promote album sales. It did appear as a B-side to “You Were Meant for Me,” which climbed to number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Had “Foolish Games” been released as an actual single, it surely would have hit number one since the song was the most played song in the country for several weeks during September and October of 1997.“Foolish Games,” a mournful ballad about a relationship going sour, includes some of the following lyrics: Well in case you failed to notice, in case you failed to see This is my heart bleeding before you, this is me down on my knees These foolish games are tearing me apart Your thoughtless words are breaking my heartMany listeners were intrigued that a “breakup” song could actually be somewhat intelligent. Others thought Jewel’s lyrics were nothing but “psycho-babble.” The “Foolish Games” video itself did nothing to clarify the lyrics, and instead resembled a cliché of Madonna’s more innocent videos from the '80s. There was also a little bit of Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know” in there too.Jewel never needed to resemble any act - she’s an amazing talent all by herself: her songwriting is meaningful (even if a little bit overdone); her voice is angelic; and unlike most other pop stars, she actually knows how to play an instrument. It’s a shame her recent efforts have failed, both artistically and commercially, to rival her '90s output. Still, songs like “Foolish Games” are rare and timeless.

Daryl's Pop Music Hall Of Fame: Journey - "Don't Stop Believing" (1981)

Daryl D — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 07:49:49 EST

In the early fall of 1981, MTV was just getting off the ground, Sandra Day O'Connor was about to take her seat as the first female justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Atari 2600 was the hottest video game system on the planet. It was also the year Journey released their album Escape, which included three top ten singles. “Don’t Stop Believing,” the second single, might have only reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, but this single has far outlasted almost any other song released during this time. It is about different people escaping in order to pursue their dreams and has recently been brought back to prominence as the unofficial theme song of the 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox. Some of the lyrics include: Working hard to get my fill, everybody wants a thrill Payin' anything to roll the dice, just one more time Some will win, some will lose Some were born to sing the blues Oh, the movie never ends It goes on and on and on and on…“Don’t Stop Believing,” which includes the best keyboard intro ever to a pop song, also contains one of the best pop vocal performances of our time. Steve Perry may not have an incredible voice technically, but his singing is enhanced by the emotion he puts into his efforts. When other singers try to redo Journey’s songs, the results are usually disastrous since hardly any singer has Perry’s vocal personality.Journey followed “Don’t Stop Believing” with other hits that charted even higher. After the mid eighties, their relevance seemed to have faded in the fast changing pop music world. Still, whenever anybody mentions the early eighties, Journey’s name comes up with a vengeance.

Daryl's Pop Music Hall Of Fame: TLC - "Waterfalls" (1995)

Daryl D — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 03:26:14 EST

In July of 1995, an incredible heat wave had hit the Midwestern United States, causing a number of deaths. Croatian forces launched Operation Storm against Serbian forces in Krajina, with the cooperation of the ARBiH, and forced them to withdraw to central Bosnia. TLC (T-Boz, Left Eye and Chilli) had scored the second number one hit from their hit album CrazySexyCool, "Waterfalls." The song was produced by the Organized Noize team and written by Marqueze Etheridge, TLC member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Organized Noize. It would stay at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks."Waterfalls" is the best, if not one of the best, R&B tracks ever released. The funky instruments, addicting melody, stylish vocals, and incredible message brought TLC to the height of their fame. The song asks the listener not to overstep what they are capable of or he/she might be in for a disaster: "Don't go chasing waterfalls, please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to / I know that you're gonna have it your way or nothing at all, but I think you're moving too fast..."The video for "Waterfalls" is just as impressive as the song. We see the TLC threesome dancing in a magical ocean while the camera rapidly shifts between two different scenerios: A mother who tries to stop the fate of her son, who dies in a drug deal, and a man whose obsession with sex leads to his death. The scene where the man brings out a condom that his female partner throws away is extremely powerful. The cinematography in this video is beautiful and it definitely deserved the several MTV Video Music Awards it won late in the Summer of 1995.TLC would release another successful album, FanMail (1999) that spawned two more number one singles ("No Scrubs" and "Unpretty"). After member Left Eye died in a 2002 car crash while on holiday in La Ceiba, Honduras, the magic was gone. TLC released their 3D album in 2002 without much interest. Their greatest hits package in 2005 was a huge flop, selling only 500,000 copies worldwide. No matter what happens to TLC in the future, they will always have the brilliance of "Waterfalls" on their resume.

Daryl's Pop Music Hall Of Fame: Pat Benatar - "Love Is A Battlefield"

Daryl D — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 17:04:40 EST

"Love is a Battlefield,” produced with husband Neil Giraldo and written by Mike Chapman and Holly Knight, was released from Pat Benatar’s album Live From Earth, which was a chart topper in the Fall of 1983. The single has been certified gold and is her best selling single in America. “Love Is A Battlefield” topped Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart and made the top five of the Billboard Hot 100. While Michael Jackson remained the biggest superstar on the planet and America was still talking about the possibility of nuclear war, Pat Benatar released this moving, beautifully crafted song. She sings: You're beggin me to go, you're makin me stay Why do you hurt me so bad? It would help me to know Do I stand in your way, or am I the best thing you've had? Believe me, believe me, I can’t tell you why But I'm trapped by your love, and I'm chained to your side...The song shows an independent woman, but one who also feels like a victim. She demands respect and sympathy from her lover. As a metaphor, she compares love to a war, one which neither side wins. The video for “Love Is a Battlefield” certainly helped the single’s chart status. In this classic video, often considered one of the early pioneers of this recently faded art form, the battle is between a teenage girl and her parents. Pat Benatar’s character runs away from home. She joins a group of female friends who look like prostitutes, but end up standing up for themselves when men try to go past their boundaries. Pat’s dancing is pretty flimsy in this video, but that doesn’t take away from the video’s general excellence. The image of women who look like prostitutes but think like pimps is very standard now. In 1983, however, this was controversial, postmodern, and most importantly, brave. We were only used to seeing women “prostituted” in music videos just for men’s pleasure and nothing else. Soon after this video was released, we saw a wild looking Cyndi Lauper declaring “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” despite her parent’s disapproval. Then came videos from Madonna, Janet Jackson, and others which followed this theme. Perhaps Pat Benatar should be credited more for creating the “postmodern” woman in music video. Pat Benatar had a couple more hits after “Love Is A Battlefield,” but has not had the lasting affect she and her talents deserve to have. She has acknowledged that the music industry often looks down at ageing female stars. Recent concert performances have shown, however, that Pat can still bring down the house and won’t need to record an album featuring Jermaine Dupri and Timbaland anytime soon just to fit in with the current music scene.