Pressure

Come, friends- let us travel back in time to the year 1982, when a delightful little fellow named Billy Joel proved that playing the piano was incredibly cool.  For today's song, though,  he traded the piano in for a synthesizer (so cutting edge in 1982!) and managed to come up with a very cool keyboard riff in the process.

This is "Pressure" from Joel's album THE NYLON CURTAIN.  It's the 3rd track from the album.  It's a good one.  Please listen:

This song in particular was inspired by Joel's early days as a songwriter and the pressure he felt to have to produce material, and earn a living as a starving artist.  But lyrically he manages to prove that life in general is full of all kinds of pressure. 

I'll be honest.  Adulthood not been what I had hoped or expected it would be.  In fact, I have been really disappointed by it. 

Not to be a drag, but the other day I called my Dad, exhausted by what life expects of me:  four kids, a wife, mortgage, car payments and other debts, taking care of the yard/house, callings in church, demands at the job, dieting and trying to stay in shape, trying to write a good blog post etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. 

You get the point.  It's life- it's what I signed up for, and I called my dad hoping that he could tell me that it gets better.  He was honest:  it's always tough but it's important to try and enjoy the journey. 

Holy crap though, am I tired! 

But I'm going to try harder.  The pressure will always be there and it's important to keep trying and enjoy it the best you can.  I have it pretty good:  A nice job, beautiful wife and kid and 5 bazillion reasons to be happy. 

Them's my thoughts friends. 

Have a good week. 

Super Winner

My simple posts (this week and last week's) have less to do with my lack of dedication to this blog, and more to do with a lack of time.

Here's "Super Winner" by The Mother Hips, the final track on their 1996 album "Shootout"

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you liked the song stuck in my head today as much as I like you.

 

-Brady

A Shot In the Arm

Good News!  Today's song is one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite Wilco albums.

Bad News :(  It's about drugs.  (Or maybe, it isn't depending on how you look at it.  But does it matter?  The song just sounds great)

Here's "A Shot in the Arm" from Wilco's 1999 album SUMMERTEETH:

This is  quite possibly the most exhausting week I've had in my life, so I'll just leave this at that.  Hugs.

Brady

There! I've Said It Again

While most of the time these songs I write about here are totally random, often times they have relevance.  Such was the case today.

Tragically, a well-loved great Aunt of mine died yesterday.  Cheryl Stone was her name.  She was a respected vocal teacher in my hometown, and she died unexpectedly of complications from pneumonia yesterday morning.

I've been thinking about her all day and the influence she had on my family.  We loved her and her husband Roi, who were the best kind of people there are: kind, loyal, honest, and good.  Roi died last year.  He had been sick for some time so when we lost him it was expected.  Cheryl's death yesterday came as a complete surprise.

At Roi's funeral, my wife and I got to sing this lovely song, "There! I've Said It Again."  It was a love song that Cheryl and Roi shared.  It was in my head this morning as I thought about this great lady who was not only an aunt, but a voice teacher and friend for me in my youth.  I will miss her very much.

I love you Aunt Cheryl.  This one is for you.  I hope you and Roi are dancing to this song as I'm listening to it.  

Octonauts Theme Song/ Paradise City

Hey my blog-reading friends!  I sure hope you're day is going neat!  MINE IS!

You're in luck too, because today is special.  It's "two for one Sundee Fundee"

(Thanks to Lucy for the fantastic drawing!)

If you grew up in Idaho in the 50's and 60's like my dad did, you pronounce Sunday "Sundee" and that is one of the reasons why we celebrate 2 FOR 1 SUNDEE FUNDEE, but mostly we celebrate it because I share TWO songs that were stuck in my head this morning.  Huzzah!



So, look at this face and don't be deceived:

You may think to yourself, "my, that is a cute little kid!"  I think it often, but a lot of times I am reminded at what a monster this adorable little child is.  Today was such a day when he wandered into my room at 5:30 this morning insisting that we watch his favorite show- The Octonauts. 

Immediately, the theme song to this show wedged its way into my brain.  Here is what the song sounds like:

 

 

 

 

In case you've never heard of this show, I'm warning you-  DON'T ALLOW YOUR 3 YEAR OLD TO EVER WATCH THIS SHOW.  He will never stop watching it.  It will be on your television all. the. time.  And then when it isn't on, he will pester you again and again until you turn it on for him.  And then, even when he's settled for not watching it, he will be humming the melody from it while he plays with his toys. 

 

(I tried to capture a video of him singing this song, it didn't work.  Seriously, he hums, or sings this melody all the time.) 

 

So, 5:45, I turned on the Octonauts for the cute little monster and went back in bed.  Luckily I fell back asleep.  Normally I can't do that. 

 

Which takes us to song#2..... the song stuck in my head when I woke up a second time...

 

...this one comes from Guns n' Roses.  You're likely familiar with the song "Paradise City"

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

I'll bet you 100$ that this is the only blog post in existence that talks about both The Octonauts and Guns n' Roses. 

Two For One Sundee Fundee is magical.  And so are you!