This Is My Rock & Roll Love Letter After It’s Gone
Head over feet, I was deeply in love and would have worked through anything to have the relationship I believed we had. She was confused, always one foot just far enough out to find her escape whenever she needed. She could never commit proclaiming there was something missing, yet always staying. I always welcomed her back.
We had not seen each other in over 8 months. The most recent breakup before where we are now, I made a decision to move myself back to Isla Mujeres. I secured myself an apartment, booked a flight and was ready to move on. Except… the now ex partner wavered and we resumed our COVID 19 forced long distance relationship.
Fast forward… She was meeting me on Isla to figure it out once and for all. This time it felt different. This time we really were going to go our separate ways. Our journey together was ending. We would spend the month of October saying good bye, caught in the stalemate of wanting different things. This went back and forth, including a trip together to Toronto, before finally ending early April!
This top 5 list kicks off in a place where I know both of us lived. What Tara and I had was definitely love. From that first touch until the very last. It must have been the most incredible love of my life, that is for sure. The type of love I feel deep in my bones. However when one person is not fully there, you have to let go and journey down a different road. While it is most difficult to accept, for you Tara, it was time for you to …
Ironic that a Fleetwood Mac song would be on this list. But the song, appropriately enough describes the situation. We have to go our own ways. The journey has come to a stalemate and finally, a place where there is no other choice but to be apart. This was one of the most painful breakups I have ever experienced. It was so profoundly sad. Tara was my best friend, the person who lifted me up constantly and made me a better person. A muse who encouraged me to pursue my artistic side, to feel confidence in being me. Too bad she did not connect with who I truly was.. despite that time and again I said…
You build my hopes so high then baby you let me down so low
This is the crux of the relationship for me. I just cannot seem to find a way to quit you Tara. Every single time you leave, it cuts so deep, and every time you come back, well it builds my hopes up so damn high! You and I we were a happy home. Each others person. But I am going to let go! I am grateful beyond words for the time we shared together, for the gifts she gave me, her understanding, compassion and most importantly for showing me how much I could be loved. Sometimes I guess in love you need to….
…every time Im falling down, all alone I fall to pieces!
It was this song or Paul Young’s Every Time You Go Away! This song found the spot because of the dark pain experienced within the song. The best way to represents the pain in my heart. As though my chest has been ripped open time and again, sewn shut each time with empty words. The rusty old blade and needle that is trying to mend a wound so deep. It depicts the fragility of healing, a heart pretending to be not really be broken, merely on hiatus! Then you are alone in the quiet of the day, you crave a bottle of Don Julio to numb the pain all over again. Because the truth is I cannot seem to live right now…
Through the storm, we reach the shore, You give it all but I want more
Two together has become one, SoloSam! Alone now for the first time in almost 6 years. It feels almost deafeningly quiet here in my room, the empty bed beside me a reminder that I wake up alone now. Not wanting to be with someone who could leave, giving them self away with every touch, every kiss and every moment we shared together. Unable to see, I know I am unable to continue to be with you… Except… I cannot seem to live right now without you. Stuck! Stuck in a moment of wonderful years spent together with you! Shared memories I cannot erase, a future where I still wish could see you there!
So, there is the dream right, living somewhere more adventurous, more historical, more like Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Whatever your great escape dream is… how can you actually make the change and continue to live life comfortably with a stable source of income.
Most people have heard the term “Digital Nomad” by this point. I mean we are everywhere, working online in the digital space while traveling to places we love without having to save to go on vacation. Where ever we roam that is where rent is paid. Its a pretty great deal if you ask me. One I have been searching for since I was just 16years old going to high school in Toronto Canada. In fact I was laughed at, has sand literally kicked in the face of my dreams. Good friends whose opinions I valued and respected questioning why I wanted to uproot myself and move to California. I would not be legal to work, how would I live.
Fast forward 20 years later and I was moving to California after working remotely for 6 months on a new contract. Suddenly I had a huge “Ahh Hahh” moment. I coulD move there, live and work because I had my own business and well… The dreams of a young rock and roll kid who wanted to surf and see where the bands they loved came from! The picture below is the 16 yr old rocker. I never smoked really, I just thought it was cool!
That same 16 year old rocker who finally ended up in California also had a dream to one day live in a small house on a beach in Mexico. Well, its not a beach house, but I have designed a life that places me in close proximity to a turquoise blue incredible beach on a tropical island off of the coast of Cancun Mexico. It’s simple. That digital nomadic lifestyle I discussed earlier.
I have designed my business so that no matter where I am I am able to work remotely. The start of this is having my own business. I began back in 2002. My ex wife and I started an online agency creating email campaigns and designing websites for companies in Canada and the US.
My company is ShiverMedia, we are an agency that builds websites and designs campaigns and content that produces results for our clients. I have served clients from David Tutera to Sunrise Records. I specialize in entertainment and small business marketing. Hit me up if you want to implement some campaigns.
If you are looking for small business or creator content coaching, I can help. I have experience building and developing traffic for all levels of business. But enough about me. Watch the video see what I do and get inspired to do something you can work on where ever you decide home base is.
One fo My Favourite Bowie classics, Starman, 1972.
David Bowie is a highly influential musician leaving his mark on many top artists throughout the years, whether they realized it at the time or not. David Bowie had a career in music that was influential in shaping the world of modern rock and pop!
He was never one to fit in with the status quo or do what was expected. No, it was entirely opposite. He never cared about how he looked to others. David Bowie came onto the music scene with an outlandish style and unique voices that soon paved the way for more incredible talent!
My truth is this. I was never much of a Bowie fan when I first caught a flame for rock ‘n roll. No, my first influences were country through my parents and self discovered artists such as Billy Joel, Genesis, the Bee Gees (yes, and I still love them!) and of course, the Beatles!
There is always going to be great debate about how much influence artists had on future artists. Probably best to just let the artists speak for themselves on how much they were influenced by any one artist. I discovered David Bowie in 1983 after the release of his the debut solo album, “Let’s Dance”. There was this girl, she loved David Bowie, so of course I immersed myself in that album and actually found joy in discovering more of his earlier stuff.
Ok so as the title of this post reads, here are 5 artists whose work was influenced by David Bowie’s work.
Top 5 Artists Influenced by David Bowie
5. The Smiths, Morrissey
In 2012 in a radio interview Morrissey sites David Bowie as one of the artists that he is indebted to. The two would go on to become old friends until Bowies passing in January 2016.
In a 2017 Rolling Stone magazine Morrissey, ever himself as outrageous as David Bowie had been, told contributing editor Rob Sheffield“He must surely be happy now. Music is eternity, and there he is, now, very much in it. I don’t imagine he wanted anything else from life”
Though relations between the two men were not always good, in fact there was a scathing call out of Bowie by Morrissey, who suggested in an interview that Bowie was no longer the artist he once was. He went on saying “he gives people what he thinks will make them happy, and they’re yawning their heads off.” It ended with him proclaiming that Bowie was not relevant and had only become relevant by accident.
“David [Bowie] quietly tells me, ‘You know, I’ve had so much sex and drugs that I can’t believe I’m still alive,’ and I loudly tell him, ‘You know, I’ve had SO LITTLE sex and drugs that I can’t believe I’m still alive.”
— Morrissey, Autobiography
The Smiths, How Soon is Now
4. The Cure, Robert Smith
The Cure’s Robert Smith was hugely influenced by David Bowie and will often speak to this during interviews. As a child he discovered David Bowie and described the experience of discovering Bowie like this “David Bowie was probably the first artist that I felt was mine. He was singing to me.” The first vinyl purchase Smith made was Bowie’s 1972 release, Ziggy Stardust.
The post-punk icon, Smith, describes being drawn into Bowies music, like so many others, by the multitude of characters that became apart the ever evolving career made of of different characters and changes which helped him rise to the top of music charts across several decades.
Robet Smith’s dream came true in New York City when he was asked to sing with Bowie at his 50th birthday party! From a young fan in the 70’s and an album that changed his life. Bowie’s sound patented the Cure’s doom and gloom sound of the 80’s
“I listened to music before Bowie, obviously. I have an older brother and he played me Hendrix, Cream and Captain Beefheart… all that type of stuff from the 1960s but David Bowie was probably the first artist that I felt was mine. He was singing to me.”
— Robert Smith, the Cure
The Cure, Just Like Heaven
3. Madonna
Madonna gave a speech inducting David Bowie into the music Hall of Fame in 1996, where she credited him with changing her life, proclaiming he taught her everything. The woman who in the 80’s and 90s can be credited with single handedly changing the way modern rock concerts are performed, gave the nod to her greatest influence, David Bowie
As the story goes, her and a friend snuck out of the house when she was 15 years old to see her first concert. A David Bowie concert her father already said there was “no way in hell” she would be going. Her father’s refusal encouraged her all the more to take the risk and go. Of course she got caught and spent that summer grounded. In her own words “it was worth every minute that I suffered in my house that summer”.
Madonna patterned her chameleonic stage personas after Bowie. She immediately saw that he created and used his personas as part of the art. “I found him so inspiring and innovative. Unique and provocative. A real genius.” Many artists like Madonna have credited David Bowie with being very provocative for the time, embracing and toying with the ideologies of gender. The realms in between and around masculine and feminine.
This man right here hugely influenced and shaped the types of music I enjoyed when I was a 16 year old in Weston, Toronto. I fell hard for the music that is Motley Crue is famous for now. Nikki Sixx has long credited David Bowie with being a huge influence in his music. Yeah, it seems hard to make the leap from David Bowie to Motley Crue, but as Nikki describes above, it is there.
When looking to make a great band, Nikki described such a band that would be like David Bowie and the Sex Pistols thrown into a blender with Black Sabbath. What a mix right? Truthfully, if I am listening to a song like “Live Wire” I feel that is exactly what I am getting. The song is early raw and hard Crue. It tastes heavily of metal and punk. An homage almost to Sabbath and the Sex Pistols. Especially in that messy energy that drives straight through the song.
The words used by Nikki Sixx after learning of Bowie’s passing, just 2 days after his 69th birthday. “Bowie not only inspired me as a songwriter but inspired me to add layers to my creativity as an artist” aptly describes Nikki’s fondness for David Bowie.
As for the musical influence in Motley Crue and other hair bands, well… Look at a number of the early 80’s hair bands. Present in most of the videos was a strong androgynous teased hair, tights as pants and makeup. The best evidence, Poison’s 1986 “Look What the Cat Dragged In”! Those four boys were looking pretty feminine and masculine all at one. I mean Brett Micheals used to be so pretty! My own gender confused heart was in full crush mode.
“Bowie showed us that it’s not only important to evolve as artists but mandatory… Bowie was my hero and always will be”
— Nikki Sixx, Motley Crue
Home Sweet Home – Motley Crue
1. Nirvana, Kurt Cobain
By the time Kurt and Nirvana found themselves rising on the charts with hits like “Teen Spirit” and the release of Nevermind in 1991, there were many incredible bands that could influence a group of 90’s musicians. Here is an NPR article that describes 50 Artists who Inspired Kurt Cobain.
Nirvana recorded a cover of David Bowie’s “the Man Who Sold the World”, an electrifying version that was released on November 19, 1993 just about 5 months before Cobain’s sudden and unexpected death at age 27. If you think about it the song, a story of a man who no longer recognizes himself as he looks at his reflection in the mirror. Somehow fittingly poignant if you consider the timing and what Kurt was experiencing personally before his death.
Bowie himself had described the version by Nirvana as “heartfelt” noting that “until the cover, it had not occurred to me that I was part of America’s musical landscape.”
“I was simply blown away when I found that Kurt Cobain liked my work, and have always wanted to talk to him about his reasons for covering ‘The Man Who Sold the World’” and that “it was a good straight forward rendition and sounded somehow very honest. It would have been nice to have worked with him, but just talking with him would have been real cool.”
— David Bowie
The Man Who Sold the World – Nirvana, MTV unplugged
What are your favourite Bowie Songs? Do you have a favourite artist influenced by David Bowie?
Several weeks ago I ventured across to Cancun to take my first official surf lesson!!! Yes!!! The great Bucketlist adventure is underway. I left the house feeling excited, a little nervous and most importantly like I was finally doing something I had always wanted to do.
Yea it’s true, I have ridden several waves in my day. From the tiny fresh water breaks at Wasaga Beach in Canada to the shark riddled Daytona Beach waves on boogie boards and finally body surfing Huntington Beach and Waimea Bays shore breaks. All when I was much younger and much more fit!!! Things are much different now.
Walking from the ferry to the meeting spot, the heat, my knee, my excess weight all contributed to my having a more difficult time than I even imagined. The nervousness I experienced gave way to despair as I wondered if I would make it to the lesson!
Inside was the 10 year old Sam. Brazen, fearless but not reckless, ready for any challenge. This was step number one on the road to my best life ever exploring Sam sized beach breaks! While my inner child was alive with adrenaline, my 54 year old self was mustering up every ounce of energy to push through. There were great feelings of failure, embarrassment, and hopelessness. What was I thinking?
We arrived at the meeting spot and shortly the lessons were underway. First we learned the cardinal rules of surfing. 3 basic rules that covered respecting the ocean and others in the water, falling away from the board so it does not hit you and always watching where are going. Of course there are more rules a beginner surfer should know. There are plenty of lists online. View Surf Rules for Beginners
After stretching we practiced pop ups and then got in the water. Wow. first I realized my front foot was my left and not my right as on a skateboard. It’s like playing hockey all over again. I shot left!! I struggled getting my knees to move fluidly, this was on shore. In the water I did not try to get up. Instead it was like riding giant boogie boards. I did not even try and every walk out was taking the last of the little energy I had left. Remember it is important to respect the ocean and the waves.
The two waves I rode boogie board style filled me with a familiar feeling. The rush of catching a wave and letting it propel you through the water towards shore. Suddenly I forgot how much pain I was in, how the trek back to Isla Mujeres would feel after. At the end of that second ride I stopped the lesson and let them help my ex who was having more success then I. She of course was in much leaner healthier shape!
Will there be a second lesson? Of course there will. In fact the intention is to take 5 more there in Cancun. However, first there is some training to do! Some that has begun, but more that starts immediately. Through a series of rabbit hole researching I have isolated the muscle groups and exercises required to perform the motions required to pop up and ride the wave. More on this in a future post.
For now know this, as difficult as that first lesson proved to be, it was a learning experience. There is an abundance of gratitude that I feel for the opportunity. My desire for better health and my Bucketlist adventure got me to try and appetite the company who came along!!! The experience.
Patience outshined the pain by a long shot. In fact am now even more inspired to be healthier!!! Thank you so much to the team at Highlife Mexico and watch for 5 lessons next.
I for one am grateful for the lessons, experiences and time spent with loved ones during 2021, however it is time to wish that year so long in more ways then one.
Confident there are others who feel the same, 2021 was a year of loss and loneliness. For me, the loss was first acknowledging the sheer number of lives that were taken from around the globe because of a virus seemingly out of control. Then there was the personal loss. A change in a 5 year long relationship, and my brother, passing at a young 48 years old. Incredibly appreciative he reached out and told me, though wishing I had more time, made different choices. Hind sight and that 20/20 thing.
By the time 2021 started winding down, I had moved back to Isla Mujeres, the little island off the coast of Cancun, to live a simpler, easier life. I wanted to determine what I wanted next. I started to feel a little healthier, dropped some excess weight and in general, felt my head beginning to clear. This past week, the fog really started to clear and there was a pang of excitement that was building inside.
As a child growing up in rural southern Ontario, I somehow managed to fall in love with the gitchy surf jingles of the Beachboys, and the equally gitchy Frankie and Annette surf movies from the early 60s. Believe me when I say I have watched almost every surf movie since then. My little world became filled with dreams of long boards riding the waves in Malibu in boardshorts, with a sweet betty on the beach waiting to ride tandem with me. Yes it was all about the Sun the Sand and the Surf. That magical warm water A Frame beach break!
I cannot say when I first watched the Bruce Brown movie “The Endless Summer”, I only know that I could probably recite the monologue by heart. The number of times watching the original or Endless Summer 2 is almost as often as I have told someone one day I would create my own endless summer. That always kind of looked like following the world tour. Now it’s more about actually chasing an endless summer of adventure, not unlike the fellas in the Bruce Brown films did.
At almost 54 years old the idea of an endless summer surf tour is a lot different. However, it is something I am going to complete starting this year. Remember, there was a reason I chose Isla Mujeres as my home. First, you can easily get out on a paddle board anytime of the year. The water is a little cooler this time of the year, but it’s still warm ocean water. The second is I wanted to travel and see more of the world, Cancun is an international hub for tourism. That is when it came together for me. The Endless Summer Bucket List Adventure.
The plan is to start chasing my dreams. Just really chase the things that have resonated with me my whole life. From childhood aspirations to adult dreams that I am confident can now become a reality. A step ahead of my time I was creating Wake/Surf and Jetski content back in the early 2000’s. Admittedly, the quality was not the greatest and there was no monetization, yet I am so proud of what I accomplished with SlidingGlass. Now I am inspired by role models who have made creating content a lifestyle. They are younger creators living life according to their own compass, forging a career from it and making their dreams a reality.
2022 is going to be a very different year. Even if the COVID continues to rage, there is a path to my dreams regardless of the adversity. This year I am embracing a new mantra to live my best life ever and that means making my dreams reality. This year I am embarking on a sun sand and surf adventure to ride warm water beach breaks around the world.
ENDLESS SUMMER BUCKET LIST ADVENTURE
Today is January 1st 2022. The journey begins today! Everything in my life will be focused on working towards my dreams. Reconciling childhood dreams with what is possible in a world where anyone can be a creator as long as you have a story to tell. I know what my story is, I know what my passions are, I can see it all clearly and it is fantastic. Join me on this journey if you are interested to see how it goes. All of it will be documented. The ups, the downs, the bureaucracy, every last thing so you can see what it takes to live your best life ever and start chasing your dreams. It does not matter how old you are, as long as you have the desire.
Where Does the Adventure Begin?
Before I can start moving freely around the world, the first item on my endless summer list is to get healthy. Surf Fit!. That means losing some weight and getting fitter. This morning I was up and headed out to the beach to do some stretches and swim.
Watch for the full list coming in a few weeks. If you happen to follow me on Patreon, you can find the list of items on my Endless Summer Bucket List Adventure tomorrow.
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Alright, what happens when you look at a “Boomer” playlist and put it next to a “Millennial’s” playlist. I reached out to friends Susan (boomer) and Jade (millennial ) to get their favourite songs from when they were 16 years and their current (to the time of survey) favourites. Hearing the musical favourites of others can not only provide great insight to who they are but what was happening in the world at the time they were 16. This pairing could not be anymore different as night and day. It is also highly reflective of both generations and the people
LET ME KNOW WHAT YOUR FAVOURITE SONGS WERE WHEN YOU WERE 16!
Jade Ewing – Millennial – 16 Yrs Old – 2002
1. A Moment Like This – Kelly Clarkson It is hard not to love Kelly Clarkson. There is a reason she won American Idol and is the most successful artist of the franchise. Her powerful voice and dynamic range just pull you in. Despite the fact that she clearly was marketed to the teeny bop generation of the early millennium, Kelly Clarkson has gone on to build an incredible career. She has had many 10 rated albums, been a winning guest coach on The Voice as well as started her own daytime talk show.
“There is a reason she won American Idol and is the most successful artist of the Franchise.”
— Sam Martin
2. WORK IT – Missy Elliot Ok why did I not get how dirty parts of this song could be. Jeez!!! Missy you get your groove on. Regardless, I was always up on the dance floor when this song played at the clubs when it was popular. It is raw, dirty and fun!
3. Hot in Herre – Nelly The fantastic sounds of the dirty south. Funky mixes with a little bit of …. I really dig the deep base accented by the high almost cowbell like drum beat. I’m not ashamed to say I’m hot and want all our clothes off!
4. The Middle – Jimmy Eat World Yes! Yes! What a great song and fantastic band. Highly underrated Band. Heavy of the rock chords with a driving rockabilly riff. Listening to this song sent me into a few other of my favs. Jimmy Eat World throws down a solid rock song repertoire and this is a great example.
This song in the playlist also goes to show how unpredictable Jade is in her musical loves. That is something I admire in a person and their music, lots of diversity.
The music on both of Susan’s playlists speaks to my my inner rock and roll soul in so many ways. This is where a 16 year olds then collides with this future rockers budding interest in classic rock. Some of this music shaped the music I listened to when I was 16. (That playlist is coming soon, don’t worry!)
Only Queen and Freddie Mercury could “Sing It” — And rock us they did! The intro of the guitar in this song just really helps it stand out. A classic riff with an abrupt ending. I was slow to completely appreciate Queen. Maybe I could say I was a closet Queen fan. Though they use a great deal of piano in their music . Fact, I love a rock song with solid use of the twinkle keys!
I remember this song when I was young and really finding the chorus fun, rhyming the actions to the names of a man in order to escape. original or a cover? This is overall a fun song about getting out of that unwanted relationship. Paul Simon is another srtist I have a limited interest in. But then I will hear a song or realize it is Paul Simon and I am a little caught up in the free and easy jazzy upbeat sounds. The bridge instrumental in this song is really bright and fun!
Jackson Brown has always been a favourite of mine from the 70s folky rock scene. This upbeat tune about getting away, leaving with nothing, and just leaving it all behind is also a solid rock tune with a piano in the rhythm of the song. The lyrics really strike a chord with me. Of course in ‘69 I was only 1 not 21 and I had no clue how much every now and then you would need to run into the sun and leave things behind.
One of my all time favourite David Bowie tunes. The harmonies of his voice, the acoustic guitar and ethereal plea to that starman he would be. Oh, man. When I heard of his passing, it was this song I played on repeat. The fact that it is a song about music itself “some cat was laying down some get it on rock and roll” The song is raw and catchy.
Elton John is a rock/pop god. An artist who plays piano in almost every song while his musical style changed with the changing decades. Literally from his 70s rock and roll roots to 80s pop to love songs galore. The song is great. The long solo in this video version is overdone, however it would not be Elton John if it was not a little overdone, right!?
Jade Ewing – Millennial – 34 Yrs Old – Current
You are going to hear me say the following or a paraphrase of this throughout the remainder of Jades playlist. Her taste in music spans quite a broad spectrum of genres and eras. I would hasten to say that Jade’s is the most eclectic playlist I received when I did the survey. It is also exactly why I chose to include Jade as the lone millennial in the survey. Below are the songs as of the taking of the survey.
One of my all time favourite Aerosmith songs!! While I do think Aerosmith is a fantastic band they were never one of my top bands. As a front man, Steven Tyler is alright, there are definitely better. This song does represent the best of Aerosmith. Like when Steven screams ‘Last Child!’ Good solid pick. I’m off to listen again.
Honestly I could not listen to this song. I dont have much to offer! It truly goes to show that we all truly have different tastes. The Missy Elliot meets L’il Kim is totally a jam, and I love Missy. On this, I just cant!
3. Sunday Kind of Love – Etta James
YES! Now here is a song I am so totally “vibing” with. No matter who we are in our process of loving music, there are always songs that define the different types of genres we gravitate towards. Etta tells it like it is with her soft vocals with sharp smooth follow through. I mean come on.., A Sunday Kind of Love… Does it now sound just right as she sings it to us. No troubles no worries just an easy Sunday kind of vibe!
4. Living Dead Girl – Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie and his band before he branched out solo, were making “zombie” style hits before the whole Zombie culture on television and movies took off. Living Dead Girl is the quintessential zombie based love song. Also a classic electronic rock song. The chorus talks of the living dead girl and how he feels. I almost hear a resonance of .Mr Skin, by Acid Test in this song. Rob Zombie is a little Rough harder sounding. What I really love about this song being on the playlist, it reminded me there are songs / bands that I enjoy but forget to listen to.. Thank you for that Jade!
5. Bang – AJR
Well this song completely took me by surprise. Surprisingly I knew it despite feeling clueless, feeling like it was another song that would just be a HUGE no for me. As I said surprisingly, NOT. It has a catch and is one of those songs that you could get the hook in your head and roll with it annoyingly or not all day.
Susan Pacek – Late Boomer – 57 Yrs Old
Hanging out with Susan, she will want to 70’s R&B, she will want the music up and loud and will sing it out. Which is why I find her current top 5 to be so great! I said it before Susan’s was one of the easiest playlists to listen to front to back both now and then. Let’s take a look at the songs she currently (at the time of survey) what her favourite songs are.
1. Wild World – Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens and his song Wild World are new to me. Well, I guess the Cat Stevens version really. I have always loved the Peter Frampton cover of this song. Then later in life the remake by Maxi Priest. Which really turned me on to the song. I think this is my favourite. Am I allowed to like a cover more than the original? As the lead song on Susan’s list I can see the bridge from her 16 year old self. A little mellower, but a fan of the good solid classics. There is also a great message in this song. Something I have always taken from it. The world is wild and it’s a grand place that is expansive and diverse as all our individual tastes. Also, it is “hard to get by just from a smile”. Though don’t we all want to try!!
2. You Can’t Always Get What You Want – The Rolling Stones
There is nothing more truer than the title of Susan’s second pic for her current top 5. As much as we all want specific things in life, Mick and the band had it right, With added hope, that if we “try sometimes, we just might find, we get what we need!”. So far this appears to be truth. I love that there is a Rolling Stones song on the larger list of the Generations Playlist. While I know 100% my choice is going to be the Beatles, the age old question is, the Beatles or the Rolling Stones? (as asked by the band Metric) I notice there are no Beatles songs on Susan’s playlist
I am a not a play all the time fan of The Who! They are one of the bands easiest forgotten by myself. They are a good solid band with a large number of fans. They just never resonated with me. Roger Daltry’s voice is so uniquely his own and what he brings to the sound of the songs from the raspy belting in this song to the soft touch in Blue Eyes. Overall this lends itself to what I am going to refer to as quintessentially Susan and a playlist for the generation. A late boomer generation that along with the young fellows in my father’s pipe and drum band introduced this GenX’er to the coming generation of rock and roll in the 80’s. When I think of the who I think of the song “Behind Blue Eyes”. Oh those British bands, they do invade our musical charts often!
You don’t know how happy seeing Ol Blue Eyes on a list leaves me feeling. That man could certainly croon and I am so happy he is on the list. I have always felt drawn to the swagger of “the Rat Pack”. The way Frank, Dean and Sammie would croon. Is there anything like that in today’s music? Summer wind is a fantastic example of the swoon in the croon. A song filled with that jazzy blues feeling is always a favorite. The song is easy and Frank was a success because fo great songs just like this one.
What list of favorite bands would not include a song from The Grateful Dead. Honestly, I know they have a cult following and people just love them, I have never gotten the dead fever. I think it was a little before my time and a little too folky for my liking. However I apparently do know their music because I knew this song already. I will admit that this song does sound fun. The happy move along guitar picking and the snazzy little drum beats.
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If I thought I had been unkind to myself and my body in the past, well the last 18 months of COVID are the worst. My body has been through its second highest ever weight and at 53 years old is struggling to keep up. On fact there are days I feel the unhealthy habits, the lazing around in a desk chair or bed are going to put me there permanently.
How bad is it you ask? Well, at the highest I was 325lbs. As recently as 5 years ago I was 247lbs. Today I am about 300lbs. (currently do not have a scale until end of September) This is actually down from 315lbs in March when I lost 17lbs poking my nose under 300lbs and going back up to 310lbs in July. All of this has shot my blood pressure way up, my stomach does not react well to many foods and I barely move. Boo Whooo, right!
NO! I need to kick myself in the ass and remind myself just how strong my body is and how well it recovers when I treat it with kindness. In May and June I lost almost 20lbs. It was not difficult, the opposite in fact. So why did I fall off the wagon again? Simple really! Wanting what I want in that moment, not thinking about the ramifications. Take out food and television is a slippery slope for me. It provides a sense of comfort, though I am not sure why. Therapy is supposed to help root out what it is that I am doing when I make these choices. Protection? Fear? Something…
YES! It Is Time For A Change
Change, it seems is never easy, specifically change to the diet while implementing a good exercise program. Changing from that of a junk food addict to healthy fresh ingredients that bring forth the things a body wants to thrive and live in health. In my condition, the weight, activity level right now, there is no chance of being the authentic me. Maybe that is the negative dialogue that also needs to change. However, there is also the realists voice. My body is strong, but it is time I stop abusing it so we can heal together.
Back in late April I started 2 minutes of walking every hour and by May that ramped up to 3 minutes. After a few weeks the time increased to 5 minutes and every so often I would add knee strengthening interval work or some body weight exercises. Soon the step count was up to about 7.5k. That did not last. Now I am at about 1.2k daily if that some days.
CHANGE #1 – Start moving 3 minutes every hour 6x a day. (5 minutes by September 30th)
Movement will be focused on improving the mobility in my knees. There are a few knee strengthening exercises that help keep basic mobility day to day. The goal is to be able to walk a couple of kilometres a day without feeling like an old grump through the night. This is in addition to regular daily activity.
CHANGE #2 – Drink more smoothies and eat more vegetables. 60% of daily food intake Aug 23 – Sep 30th 2021
YES! Adopting this will help me immensely. Well, Tara will help with that as well. At this point there is little trust that the best decisions are being made while I am alone. Nothing worse for inner dialogue than broken promises to yourself, repeatedly!
So, hello change, nice to meet you. So looking forward to the wonderful things you will bring.
Accountability
I own the mistakes I have made in the past and feel ready to give a little control to others. My partner, Tara. Anyone reading this who wants to offer constructive suggestions and most importantly, to myself. The truth is to live a life true to myself, these changes need to be made. Accountable to myself first and foremost.
Somedays it is difficult to look at myself in the mirror and not feel remorse for my weakness. Being more in the moment, more aware of myself and how I am feeling, understanding the triggers that send me to eat the junk.
Welcome to Sam’s journey! Choose to follow me, to praise me, to chastise me, I am prepared for it all. I am prepared to come out of lockdown changed
Saturday mornings are great for waking up to music. It’s always different because well, every Saturday is different. On this particular Saturday I started out with Counting Crows, “Mr Jones” and well the energy just kind of took me to The Strokes, “Machu Picchu”. Listening to the guitaring in that song, I realized that there were songs I enjoyed purely for the way the guitar was featured in the song,
Below are my top 5 all time favourite songs featuring the guitar. Give them a listen and LMK what you think.
“But he could play a guitar just like a-ringin’ a bell”
— Chuck Berry, Johnny B. Goode
#5 – Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry To start this list right, I have to start with a song that probably is the quintessential guitar riff song. The fast real blast of a classic rock and roll song with a swaggering guitar riff is the sound of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode. Taking it way back here to 1958. From the first chord played of the riff you can hear the energy. Right from the start the energy captures exactly what the song is about. A poor country boy who had one thing that he loved to do well, his ability to wail on the guitar and attract a crowd.
The energy carries you through the classic format for a great rock song, which is a firecracker, even by todays standards. Just imagine being in your home back in 1958 and hearing this song over the old radio. Chuck Berry was one of the first artists to tackle the writing a song that speaks so rawly about how much money a person could make playing guitar. Songs that came after like The Byrds “So You Want to be a Rock and Roll Star” and Joe Walsh’s , “Life’s Been Good”, did not have that same charging riff.
Chuck Berry wrote the song and it landed on the Billboard top R&B songs for 1958, it was also 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs.
As a huge old school rock and roll fan, the list would not be right without starting out right here. Take is away Chuck!
#4 – Celebrity Skin – Hole
Right, 1998 Sam would have never expected to be putting this song on a list of guitar riffs that moved me, but… It is EdgeFest and Hole are playing the main stage in late afternoon. Most of the friends I took this journey with were in fact going to see Hole. Yes! I was curious. However, I was still mourning losing Kurt Cobain and well… I was upset with Courtney for not saving him from himself.
Never the less I went to the show because there were all sorts of others artist I was interested in beyond Hole.
“Oh, make me over, I’m all I wanna be, a walking study in demonology”
— Celebrity Skin, Hole
So there I was on that hot Canada Day weekend in July, hungover from Pride and ready to get drunk again on bands like Moist, Big Wreck and Treble Charger. Of course I follow my friends over to listen to Hole. Who am I kidding, I was also incredibly curious. Everyone was claiming she was fluff and everything had been written for her. Reportedly it was Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins who was to have written the riff. Either way, when Hole took the stage and Courtney lifted her leg up onto her amp, raised up her arm to hit that first chord, my entire opinion changed. WOW.
“What turns “Celebrity Skin” into an enduring artifact, though, is it’s aggressive undertone. Beneath the saccharine harmonies, there is a hint of darkness, placing the song in a lineage that proceeds from melancholy pop bards like the Beach Boys all the way to contemporary divas like Ariana Grande, who tends to mix her sweetener with a dash of poison. We can hear this right from the start, when the song begins in medias res, with a riff that becomes unforgettable after only a couple of listens, up until its end, when it abruptly cuts off, almost before you can catch your breath.”
#3 – Machu Picchu – The Strokes
The Strokes IMHO are a highly underrated band. I mean have you given them a listen lately. Their quiver of great tunes is loaded. However my all time favourite is this ditty that inspired this entire list. Machu Picchu.
The lead track from the Strokes 4th studio album, Angles, released March 18 2011 has a riff that carries through Julian Casablancas signature mumbled voice. Upbeat and melodic the song appears to be about finding things to accomplish. Climbing Machu Picchu would be a huge things to do and accomplishment. It also speaks to the humans need to wear dead animal meat on them as well as the burdens of a growing civilization.
On Billboard’s Hot 100 the song peaked at #26, 2 months after being released.
“Waves turn to grey, Life in the shade, A violent crime… And that’s the USA”
— Machu Picchu, the Strokes
#2 – Crazy On You – Heart
From the acoustic intro through the change into the electric intro, the guitar grabs you. Crazy On You is a hard driving song that really lets the guitar shine. Crazy On You, the debut Heart song from sister Anne and Nancy Wilson reveals a take on love and heart break, a wondering tale of feelings poured into a powerful song. From Anne’s powerful screams to the drive of the guitar howling right back, pulls you into the emotion.
Released in March 1976, Crazy On You is a fast and fiery guitar rhythm that just moved you into a beautiful and yet brooding momentum. The best part, the lyrics bring you along. Anne tells the story and you can feel it carry you through as her mood shifts and she feels completely at a loss.
The riff itself was created in the studio during the initial recording session. The band had been there in the studio listening to some Moody Blues and band member Roger Fisher just put it out there.
“With bombs and the devil, little kids keep coming. No way to breathe easy, no time to be young”
— Anne Wilson, Crazy On You – Heart
Peaking at number 35 in 1976 on the Billboard’s Hot 100, Crazy On You, is one of Heart’s best contributions to rock and roll and considered and evergreen classic rock song. Heart has had many fantastic songs spanning from the mid 70’s though to the 2000’s.
#1 – Rock and Roll – Led Zeppelin
While some may claim it is in songs like The Immigrant Song or Whole Lotta Love that the true talent of Led Zeppelin’s quitar riffs lie. Both songs really let out a strong driving energy from their initial get go. However, for me, the best driving guitar rock song ever has to be Led Zeppelin’s Rock and Roll.
First released on their 4th album in 1971, the song included a guest appearance by Rolling Stone pianist, Ian Stewart. In 1972, music journalist Robert Christgau called it
“simply the most dynamic hard-rock song in the music.”
Like its title suggests it should, the song is based on the 3 chord traditional rock and roll structure for a song. With a steady tempo of 170 beats per minute you can understand when you listen why its called a driving rock song. Jimmy page holds nothing back in his playing. Developed from a spontaneous jam when trying to finish “Four Sticks”, Bonham began the drum intro from the Little Richard song “Keep a Knockin” and with the tapes rolling, page added a Chuck Berry style riff and Rock and Roll was created!
“It’s been a long time since I rock and rolled. It’s been a long time since I did the stroll”
— Led Zeppelin – Rock and Roll
Incidentally, the song was released on my fourth birthday, February 21st, 1972. Unfortunately, I was not yet appreciating the awesomeness that was Led Zeppelin. It would not be long though. Since I was in high school Led Zeppelin have been in my top 5 all time bands! List coming soon!
Like these picks? Think you have better picks? Comment in the section below, even post the video link, to your favourite rock and roll guitar riff songs!
PREFACE: When first pondering about this idea, my thoughts were more about how a parents musical interest influences their children. I have been endlessly watching old footage my cousin had shared. Music, playing intrusments, dancing and singing were quite alive within the family. With this in mind a response to a video post on my timeline prompted a light bulb to fire. How do our own musical favourites at 16 compare to our choices now. Then I realized I could span from “boomers” to “GenZ”
I can recall being 16 years old and really feeling music. I became head over feet all about rock and roll. Songs on cassette played on repeat connected to my ears through the headphones from the Sony Walkman in the backpack. Songs that evoked feelings or allowed me to live vicariously. Actually, one of the contributors, Renee, proclaimed that music at that age “ is about longing”. I agree. The music said the words, expressed the feelings, allowed me to find me amongst all the teenage chaos.
Part 1 – GenZ, Progeny of GenX
Hayden Clipsham – Genz – 16 yrs old
Of all the top 5 playlists, this one has become my most favourite to listen to as a stand alone. What a fantastic mix of terrific new music to learn about! I completely had no idea what to expect when asking a 16 year old what her favourite music was. I am completely out of touch with current trends. Hayden was the first of the panel to submit the songs. When I sat down to watch and listen, it was just wow!
I hope you appreciate the playlist as much as I have. Keeping it in the order Hayden sent it, I suggest you crank it up and let it play out start to finish. Even better put on some headphones and crank it up. Who says you cannot meditate to loud music?
“I find the vocals so interesting and unique in this song.””
— Hayden Clipsham
Agreed, the vocalist does have a unique sound. There is pleading in the high tones and This band reminded me a lot like the Raconteurs or Jack White. Perhaps a little more “You don’t know what love is” from Icky Thump. Cant place it. However, the way the guitars are arranged, I am hooked. When the guitar solo comes in there is that old blues twang of a fifties riff long forgotten but a favourite. Then the backdrop, that heavy scratching charge of the 70s metal riff. I can really hear that old blues sound that is classic rock and roll. Everyone Check out Big Thief!!
Totally ashamed to admit that the only band I knew on this list was Vampyre Weekend. Not for this song though, for “Cousins”. Another great song from Hayden. What I really liked about this one was the way the drum beat “bam bam bam” (which is carried throughout the song) brings in the chirpy little baseline of this overall upbeat song. Yes! There are parts that definitely make your feet move!
3. Kilby Girl – the Backseat Lovers
“Who doesn’t love some British guy singing about a hot girl he met?”
— Hayden Clipsham
Exactly! Who does not love a song with a British guy, who has a vocal that reminds me of “Foster the People” or in some arrangements, like The Strokes. The high strings of the guitar during the chorus really lend to the urgency. The guitar is raw and edgy. What makes a great song? For me it is almost always about the guitar and the melodies, this one has both. Plus that big heavy stadium build up into the solo. I find the multiple layers of guitar tracks through the solo really give it depth. After all the loud rock sounds in comes a nice little flowing acoustical fade out. Check out this video and tune by The Backseat Lovers
4. Motion Sickness – Phoebe Bridgers
“Her lyrics are so deep and dark. Fun fact: her songs use an Elliott Smith chord which makes her music so emotional.”
— Hayden Clipsham
This song and the voice is very ethereal. You can totally hear the Elliot Smith influence. Her song writing is brilliant. As for the music. I can hear influences of Sara McLachlan, the intro and chorus arrangements reminds me a little of that Wallflowers song “One Headlight”. The deep bass start is what really gets that sound. My favourite lyric is “Why do you sing with an english accent?” At first I thought this was one of my least favourite songs from Hayden’s list, however I am wrong. The more I listen, the more I am liking it. Have you listened to Pheobe Bridgers
Want to see more of these great top 5’s in music. Like Share Comment on this post!
A City Rich in Culture, Picasso, Dali and Cronuts!
Barcelona is a city rich in so much history, in art and architecture. From the works of Pablo Picasso to Antoni Gaudi, to the incredible food in the markets and on the streets. Any visit to Barcelona is sure to delight the biggest connoisseurs of cultured big city travel.
Barcelona was a spontaneous trip planned in the name of love. Travelling since early Christmas Day from Isla Mujeres, Mexico, exploration began Boxing Day 2016. I awoke early, excited to get out and explore the area that would be home for the next month. The apartment rented from AirBnB was located a few short blocks from Las Ramblas, called El Raval. What made it perfect was we were so close to everything we needed.
Right below us was our staple, a little bakery that had the best samosas and pakoras. Plus beautiful baguettes for only 0.33 Euros each. Every few mornings one of us would go downstairs for some bread and produce we could find on the street. If we could not find something on the street, a grocery store and the Mercat del la Boqueria was only a few blocks away. Like most major cities there was always something great within walking distance.
The Mercat de la Boqueria was one of the first places we walked to check out. The closest thing I have ever seen to anything like this was St Lawrence Market in Toronto. A park sized covered farmers market filled with everything from Jambon to pescado, baked goods, produce and so much more. At first it is a little overwhelming, so many of the merchants offering the same thing, eventually you just have to decide and buy or move on. I think my favourite thing was the stacks fo fresh made fruit and vegetable juices. There were just so many to choose from.
The same is true of olives. There were so many. Tara said she liked the saltier ones, you know the black wrinkly olives. I chose a simply plain traditional olive. Branching out into new things is part of the journey right? Either way, we returned often to this market area, often not to shop there but for what became one of our two biggest food obsessions in Barcelona. burgers (I will get into that later) and CHOC. OMG, this place was a little piece of pastry heaven. Seriously…
Assorted Choc CronutsLatte love!All the Cronuts!
“You’d have a hard time finding anything better than Barcelona for food, as far as being a hub.”
— Anthony Bourdain
The Streets of Barcelona are Rich in History
Once you have filled your belly with all the fine food Barcelona has on offer, well next up is the art and architecture. Barcelona is well known for some pretty famous artists. I mean it is after all the home of Pablo Picasso, as well as the two artists known as the “mad artists”, Salvador Dali (also my favorite artist) and Antoni Gaudi.
We spent several hours on multiple days exploring the works of Antoni Gaudi. The first was a walk from the neighbourhood where we were staying through the streets of Barcelona to the Sagrada Família. A fantastical looking Roman Catholic Church that reaches up high into the sky. The Basilica de la Sagrada Familia designed by Antoni Gaudi has been under construction since March 1882. It was 2018 and we were barely able to see much as it was covered by scaffolding and construction materials. We never went in for this reason. Apparently we missed out.
Another day we were off to Park Güell, a wonderful homage to the works fo Antoni Guadi. This was by far one of my favourite days out exploring. We wondered through the park for hours exploring all the different installations and pieces. In one section a band played, while a man danced. We stopped and watched for a time and then moved on, still listening to the music until we were out of earshot.
“There no reason to regre that I cannot finnish the church. I will grow old but others will come after me. What must always be conserved is the spirit of the work, but its life has to depend on the generations it is handed down to and with whom it lives and is incarnated.”
— Antoni Gaudi
I discovered there was not just music in Parc Guell, music seemed to stream from all around Barcelona. Live intoxicating music from the streets, creeping in as you walked around your feet shuffling to the beats. Especially in parks on sunny Saturday afternoons. The day we wondered over to the area Pablo Picasso hung out in. In fact a friend sent me on a hunt for a store that was known for its cats in the exact area. Unfortunately the owner of the cat place was gone at the time.
I could feel the history coursing through the streets as we walked the same cobble stones, took in similar old building (not as old then) and talked about the beauty in the architecture. The courses I took in college on art history were nothing compared to being there, following the same roads greats like Picasso and Dali. First of all, the documented rivalry between the two that spanned decades and created some fo the most incredible pieces on the art we have. There are few artists who could complete with their influence on modern art. Well, maybe Van Gogh.
In a small art shop close to the area I purchased 2 SalvidoreDali prints and 2 Pablo Picasso prints. They were small so I could get them in my carryon. They were also pieces I was not overly familiar with. One currently hangs in the hall on the way to the bathroom.
LGBTQ Positive in Barcelona!
There is a thriving very liberal community in Barcelona. As a very queer looking person I totally felt comfortable. Not once did I get that feeling I am sure we all experience one and a while, of course this is not the mid West USA, this is Barcelona Spain where they even held a March against the US electing 45!
One thing I will say about Barcelona… We went to go to a club for NYE and well, we discovered that clubs don’t open until after the midnight hour. We missed out on that part. The evening ended with drinks in the apartment. Through the night we heard celebration until the early morning light. Next time I will be more prepared and have an afternoon nap!
The other thing I absolutely loved about Barcelona was the doors. I found myself taking so many pictures of architecturally beautiful doors, or secret tiny doors, or painted garage style doors. Eventually I had enough pictures for a whole gallery!
