Phil’s Faves: Songs, March 4, 2012

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best songs that I listened to the previous week. Most songs will be current, but there are no boundaries. I’ve already stated on this web site that I am obsessed with music. I am constantly hunting it down whether it’s online, on CD, from my personal collection, from a library (Yes, I think the library is a great source of music–especially for music that you aren’t sure about.), TV, or radio. Since most of these sources mostly emphasize new music, the odds are pretty good that most of the songs on this list will be new. But in my search, I don’t use any boundaries for the other sources. I am just looking for good music that I haven’t heard, or happened to forget about. Everyone, including myself, has forgotten way more great music than they can ever remember-even if they are also music fanatics.
Also, there will be no rules concerning songs on this list. A song can show up or drop off a number of times. This will be the most volatile of my lists. It all depends on how much music I am exposed to during the week and what I find interesting. On really obscure stuff, I will try to include the source, if I know it.
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
Rich Ridenour lands on top this week! But it might be difficult to stay there with so much competition. Let’s see what happens next……………………….
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Top Ten Songs for the Week of March 4, 2012

1. Brazil—Rich Ridenour
2. Scientists in Japan—Sara Groves
3. Somebody That I Used to Know—Gotye with Kimbra
4. In My Arms—Glen Campbell with Brian Setzer, Chris Isaak, & Dick Dale
5. Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)—The Monkees
6. My Heart Is The Eastern Horizon—Clemency
7. Best Love—Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers with Paul McCartney
8. We Are Young—Fun with Janelle Monae
9. Lights—Ellie Goulding
10. Girl Scout Cookies—Ted Nugent

1) “Brazil”—Such a happy version of a song that’s so bright and so full of emotion!
2) “Scientists in Japan”—It slipped a notch this week, but I’m not sure if I’m done with it yet………
3) “Somebody That I Used to Know”—I’ve been subjected to saturation bombing of this song…and it’s working! Very hypnotic and very good!
4) “In My Arms”—I wish someone else would play this song so it would catch on and move it back up….
5) “Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)”—One of my favorite songs by The Monkees from their second album, “More of The Monkees!” It’s sad to see Davy Jones leave this world but at least he left plenty of memories………………
6) “My Love Is the Eastern Horizon”—I stumbled upon this one by Clemency after downloading it free from Amazon. It’s a really good indie song! Kind of haunting—in a good way, of course!
7) “Best Love”—Who knows. This one may show up again sometime in the future, but for now, as hard as it is to believe, I’m growing tired of it.It needs to go away and refresh itself…
8) “We Are Young”—This one is just so catchy! I actually like the song better than the video…………
9) “Lights”—Another addictive tune! I like the video and the song about the same!
10) “Girl Scout Cookies”—I haven’t found anything to like by Ted Nugent in a long time. This one caught my interest because after all, who wants a “fat” mint?!
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Posted in Paul McCartney, Phil's Faves: Songs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Phil’s Faves: Videos, March 4, 2012

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best videos currently available on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus mostly on current or recent videos. For this category, I am also going to include any live performances on talk or variety shows that I see during the week.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
I’m not particularly pleased with this week’s list. Gotye reclaims the top spot for a second time, but outside of that one and “Cough Syrup,” I don’t think the rest of them combined equal the interest I have for the first two………………
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Top 10 Videos and Performances for the week of March 4, 2012

1. Somebody That I Used to Know—Gotye with Kimbra
2. Cough Syrup—Young the Giant
3. We Are Young—Fun with Janelle Monae
4. I Won’t Give Up—Jason Mraz
5. Beekeeper’s Daughter—The All-American Rejects
6. Am I Forgiven?—Rumer on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”
7. Give Me All Your Luvin’—Madonna with Nicki Minaj and M.I.A.
8. Dancin’ Away With My Heart—Lady Antebellum
9. We Owned the Night—Lady Antebellum
10. Ours—Taylor Swift

1) “Somebody That I Used to Know”—I guess weirdness wins out over unexplainable this week. (I’m referring to “Cough Syrup.”) I find the strange images to be compelling…
2) “Cough Syrup”—I don’t know if this one’s going away yet. I still watch it when it comes on………………
3) “We Are Young”—I don’t think the slow motion necessarily helps this video. But I currently like it a lot! Think this one is going to be a “bear” video…………………..
4) “I Won’t Give Up”—Even though the sincerity appears to be real in this video, this one may be peaking for me…………
5) “Beekeeper’s Daughter”—Good video, but it’s on its way down……
6) “Am I Forgiven?”—This was the pleasant surprise for the week! The song was good, Rumer seemed in total control for her network debut, and the band sounded tight! What else could you want?!!
7) “Give Me All Your Luvin’—Dropping fast………………..
8) “Dancin’ Away With My Heart”—I don’t know yet if I think this is a really good video, but I like the comments in the beginning and the black & white photography!
9)“We Owned the Night”—But probably not much longer………….
10) “Ours”—Might be Taylor’s last stand for a while, but considering she’s doing well in “The Lorax,” this may turn out to be a “smaller” interest………………
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Posted in Phil's Faves: Videos | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Q” Bombs: March 4, 2012

A “Q” Bomb, like an “H” bomb, will be my term for a music video that I consider to be subpar in music, video, or both. This will be a recurring weekly list that will focus on the worst videos that are currently on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus on solely on current or recent videos.
I hate to be so negative about music, but when an artist takes a “bad” song and then brings more attention to it by creating a “bad” video to support it, it will appear on this list. I honestly hope, and it could happen, that this list will be less than 10 items, but I have serious doubts that that possibility will happen. We are, after all, talking about an industry that uses art for huge profits. The companies can’t help themselves.
However, at this point, I will not do a 10 worst music list. I see absolutely no reason to waste time reemphasizing bad music. Once is enough.
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
Six weeks for Gavin at the top and still going strong………………………
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Worst Videos for the week of March 4, 2012

1. Not Over You—Gavin DeGraw
2. I Don’t Want This Night to End—Luke Bryan
3. Remind Me—Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood
4. Just a Dream/Dream On—Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood
5. God Gave Me You—Blake Shelton
6. Safe and Sound—Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars
7. It Will Rain—Bruno Mars
8. Alone With You—Jake Owen
9. Don’t Stop (Colors on the Wall)—Foster the People
10. Set Fire to the Rain—Adele

1) “Not Over You”—It’s stuck at number 13 again on VH1’s Top 20 Video Countdown like it was the last time it made their countdown before it fell off. SEXTUPLE ODWITS!!!!!! (Wait! That almost sounds like a compliment.)
2) “I Don’t Want This Night to End”—It actually says “To be continued” at the end of this video. I am too stunned to comment now…………..
3) “Remind Me” —This one continues to defy the law of gravity, so I moved it up again on my list…………….
4) “Just a Dream/Dream On”—I have never liked Aerosmith’s “Dream On,” and putting it together with Carrie Underwood only made it worse for me—if that’s even possible…………………….
5) “God Gave Me You”—Where’s “an eye for an eye” when you really need it………..
6) “Safe and Sound”—The thin melody cannot pull this video through. If this song does well, it’s only on the strength of Taylor Swift. This one smells—and looks like a “bear” song………………………………
7) “It Will Rain”—Hey! It rained in Texas! Maybe Bruno Mars does have other talents………
8] “Alone With You”—This one really isn’t that bad. It’s just not very exciting—or interesting. Except maybe for the ladies………………..
9) “Don’t Stop (Colors on the Wall)”—This video reappears on this list, and that isn’t good. I am sooooooooooo tired of this wimpy song…………………
10) “Set Fire to the Rain”—This song is the weakest single off of “21” so far and this weak video doesn’t help it……………
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Posted in "Q"bombs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Phil’s Faves: Songs, February 26, 2012

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best songs that I listened to the previous week. Most songs will be current, but there are no boundaries. I’ve already stated on this web site that I am obsessed with music. I am constantly hunting it down whether it’s online, on CD, from my personal collection, from a library (Yes, I think the library is a great source of music–especially for music that you aren’t sure about.), TV, or radio. Since most of these sources mostly emphasize new music, the odds are pretty good that most of the songs on this list will be new. But in my search, I don’t use any boundaries for the other sources. I am just looking for good music that I haven’t heard, or happened to forget about. Everyone, including myself, has forgotten way more great music than they can ever remember-even if they are also music fanatics.
Also, there will be no rules concerning songs on this list. A song can show up or drop off a number of times. This will be the most volatile of my lists. It all depends on how much music I am exposed to during the week and what I find interesting. On really obscure stuff, I will try to include the source, if I know it.
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
Those futuristic scientists described by Sara Groves hold on for a second week! Rich Ridenour keeps pushing Brazil towards to the top. And Gotye enters with a very strong contender. It sounds like there could be a confrontation next week…………….
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Top Ten Songs for the Week of February 26, 2012

1. Scientists in Japan—Sara Groves
2. Brazil—Rich Ridenour
3. In My Arms—Glen Campbell with Brian Setzer, Chris Isaak, & Dick Dale
4. Best Love—Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers with Paul McCartney
5. Somebody That I Used to Know—Gotye with Kimbra
6. Older—Band of Horses
7. Way Down in the Hole—The Blind Boys of Alabama
8. Broken Hearted Melody—Sarah Vaughan
9. Danse Caribe—Beausoleil
10. My Valentine—Paul McCartney

1) “Scientists in Japan”—The tempo of this song is so soothing! It must be set at the same pace of breathing because that’s what it feels like for me to listen to it!
2) “Brazil”—On the other hand, this Rich Ridenour song performed with The Grand Rapids Symphony—found on a CD called “Piano Pops,” causes me to either lose or catch my breath—often at the same time!
3) “In My Arms”—A solid song that sounds the way music used to sound when almost every record was—at the least a good one…………………………
4) “Best Love”—I think this one is coming to the end of its run………………..
5) “Somebody That I Used to Know”—I’ve been singing the praises of this video for several weeks and then I realized that I literally was singing it, so it needed a spot on this list!
6) “Older”—I really like this song by Band of Horses! It’s mellow pace and superb harmony vocals make me think that it was an overlooked Grateful Dead song from the 70’s!
7) “Way Down in the Hole”—This smoldering blues song that was featured as the intro song for HBO’s first season of “The Wire” was, for me, the best part of the show!
8) “Broken Hearted Melody”—This long forgotten pre-Beatles gem features the beautiful voice of Sarah Vaughan sounding like she just went through the nicest break up imaginable!
9) “Danse Caribe”—This one surprised even me as it hangs on for a second week!
10) “My Valentine”Sir Paul McCartney decided to put this song out around Valentine’s Day. What a marketing genius! (Ha! Ha!)
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Posted in Paul McCartney, Phil's Faves: Songs, The Beatles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Phil’s Faves: Videos, February 26, 2012

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best videos currently available on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus mostly on current or recent videos. For this category, I am also going to include any live performances on talk or variety shows that I see during the week.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
Maybe it’s because it’s the cold and flu season, or maybe it’s because they have one of the best videos and songs out there right now that keeps Young the Giant at the top of this list for another week! Pass the “cough syrup” please…………………..
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Top 10 Videos and Performances for the week of February 26, 2012

1. Cough Syrup—Young the Giant
2. Somebody That I Used to Know—Gotye with Kimbra
3. Beekeeper’s Daughter—The All-American Rejects
4. Give Me All Your Luvin’—Madonna with Nicki Minaj and M.I.A.
5. I Won’t Give Up—Jason Mraz
6. We Are Young—Fun with Janelle Monae
7. Ours—Taylor Swift
8. Paris—Jay Z and Kanye West
9. We Owned the Night—Lady Antebellum
10. You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You’re Gone-Miley Cyrus on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”

1) “Cough Syrup”—I’m still trying to decipher what I see in this video. Some of the images of the colors in the water look like Rorschach tests. And then later on the guys in the band are hitting paint balloons with raquetball raquets. Later some paint is sprayed into scenes. I guess it’s just an existential video and it doesn’t need to be understood.
2) “Somebody That I Used to Know”—Another video that I keep trying to make sense of. I guess at the end as the paint disappears off of Kimbra is her breaking free leaving Gotye with the remnants of the relationship.
3) “Beekeeper’s Daughter”—I think this video by The All-American Rejects had great timing. It showed up around Mardi Gras time and just happened to feature a parade when one was needed!
4) “Give Me All Your Luvin’—Yeah, Madonna in a video with football players. I buy it. (Check the how that registers on a sarcasm scale.)
5) “I Won’t Give Up”—Maybe I also like this video because Jason Mraz isn’t wearing a stupid hat………………
6) “We Are Young”—Wow. Another strange unconventional video that takes place as the band plays a gig at one of the worst behaved audiences that you can play for.
7) “Ours”—Still hot at CMT but it’s getting kind of boring for me. The song isn’t as good as some of Taylor’s others…………….
8) “Paris”—This one moves up on the strength of Will Ferrell’s cameo that explains everything you need to know about the video!
9)“We Owned the Night”— Still catchy. Still good!
10) “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You’re Gone”—The video for this song, taken from a massive 4 CD tribute compilation of Bob Dylan songs for Amnesty International on their 50th anniversary called “Chimes of Freedom,” has been getting some attention on CMT. It’s so-so. What floored me was this live acoustic version of Miley and a guitarist on Jimmy Kimmel. Without any other support, that meant that she had to actually sing. None of that “Party in the USA” stuff. And boy did she sing! Like a young Tanya Tucker! I think I’d like to hear more……………………………………
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Posted in Phil's Faves: Videos | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Q” Bombs: February 26, 2012

A “Q” Bomb, like an “H” bomb, will be my term for a music video that I consider to be subpar in music, video, or both. This will be a recurring weekly list that will focus on the worst videos that are currently on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus on solely on current or recent videos.
I hate to be so negative about music, but when an artist takes a “bad” song and then brings more attention to it by creating a “bad” video to support it, it will appear on this list. I honestly hope, and it could happen, that this list will be less than 10 items, but I have serious doubts that that possibility will happen. We are, after all, talking about an industry that uses art for huge profits. The companies can’t help themselves.
However, at this point, I will not do a 10 worst music list. I see absolutely no reason to waste time reemphasizing bad music. Once is enough.
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
Gavin DeGraw stays on top for a fifth week. Surprise, surprise! But actually, the biggest surprise is that there are three new entries this week, and one of them is named Taylor Swift……..
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Worst Videos for the week of February 26, 2012

1. Not Over You—Gavin DeGraw
2. I Don’t Want This Night to End—Luke Bryan
3. It Will Rain—Bruno Mars
4. Remind Me—Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood
5. God Gave Me You—Blake Shelton
6. Alone With You—Jake Owen
7. Safe and Sound—Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars
8. Tonight Is the Night—Outasight
9. The Dream Medley—Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood
10. Hayes Carll on Austin City Limits

1) “Not Over You”—It dropped down one notch this week on VH1’s Top 20 Video Countdown, but it’s still Top Ten. QUINTUPLE ODWITS!!!!!
2) “I Don’t Want This Night to End”—Just what I like in music videos: Cheesy dialogue……
3) “It Will Rain”—Let’s send this one to Texas where maybe it can help somebody…….
4) “Remind Me” —This one continues to defy the law of gravity, so I moved it up again on my list…………….
5) “God Gave Me You”—I wonder if there’s a deposit on this gift………………………
6) “Alone With You”—Not if I can help it……………….
7) “Safe and Sound”Taylor Swift allows The Civil Wars to drag her through a graveyard on this new song from “The Hunger Games.” I guess they all can’t win Grammys………………..
8] “Tonight is the Night”—This one put a smile on my face this week. It dropped quite a bit…………
9) “The Dream Medley”—I hope this awful collaboration of Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood does not become a staple on CMT. Right now it’s just a bonus video. I hope that’s as far as it gets…………………………
10) “Hayes Carll on Austin City Limits”—OK. This guy is kind of handsome so I can understand why the ladies like him. As for myself, I can pretty much sift through a lot of unmelodic singers to get to a good song, but you have to be able to somewhat carry a tune. This can be a long list for me that includes Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and Jerry Jeff Walker, a fellow Texan. But as for Hayes Carll: Dude. You can’t sing! My ears hurt afterwards………………
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Posted in "Q"bombs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Phil’s Faves: Songs, February 19, 2012

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best songs that I listened to the previous week. Most songs will be current, but there are no boundaries. I’ve already stated on this web site that I am obsessed with music. I am constantly hunting it down whether it’s online, on CD, from my personal collection, from a library (Yes, I think the library is a great source of music–especially for music that you aren’t sure about.), TV, or radio. Since most of these sources mostly emphasize new music, the odds are pretty good that most of the songs on this list will be new. But in my search, I don’t use any boundaries for the other sources. I am just looking for good music that I haven’t heard, or happened to forget about. Everyone, including myself, has forgotten way more great music than they can ever remember-even if they are also music fanatics.
Also, there will be no rules concerning songs on this list. A song can show up or drop off a number of times. This will be the most volatile of my lists. It all depends on how much music I am exposed to during the week and what I find interesting. On really obscure stuff, I will try to include the source, if I know it.
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
The top ten list gets a little more scientific this week as Sara Groves reaches the top! Let’s see if any of her newfound gimmickry can keep her there…………….
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Top Ten Songs for the Week of February 19, 2012

1. Scientists in Japan—Sara Groves
2. In My Arms—Glen Campbell with Brian Setzer, Chris Isaak, & Dick Dale
3. Best Love—Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers with Paul McCartney
4. Brazil—Rich Ridenour
5. Heart on Fire—Scars on 45
6. Danse Caribe—Beausoleil
7. Zydeco Taco—Queen Ida
8. I’m in Love Again/All By Myself—Bonnie Raitt and Jon Cleary
9. Mambo. No.5—Mambo Boys
10. My Valentine—Paul McCartney

1) “Scientists in Japan”—I can’t keep it from the top any longer! It has taken over my brain! Maybe scientists in Japan can help me…..
2) “In My Arms”—Knocked from the top by a worthy opponent. There is nothing to be ashamed of here because this song is excellent pop music!
3) “Best Love”—I haven’t grown tired of this song yet………………..
4) “Brazil”—I read that this song is one of the twenty most covered songs of all time. As far as I’m concerned, this Rich Ridenour version is the best one!
5) “Heart on Fire”—I like the contrasting vocal styles of the male and female leads in this song! It almost sounds like early Fleetwood Mac!
6) “Danse Caribe”—This rhythmic instrumental starts out with a wicked island beat and then kicks in to a double time half way through. It was a simbie for me most of the week!
7) “Zydeco Taco”Queen Ida uses King Curtis’ “Memphis Soul Stew” as a guide to make this incredibly addictive and happy rhythmic entrée! This simbie was a close second for the week!
8) “I’m in Love Again/All By Myself”Bonnie Raitt lays down a sultry slide guitar cover of a couple of Fats Domino classics as only she can do! Jon Cleary is there to add to the fun! This is from a post Hurricane Katrina charity album for Fats called “Goin’ Home,” that includes many special musical collaborations. It is a great one-of-a kind covers album!
9) “Mambo No. 5”—This is an instrumental version of a very cool Perez Prado classic! What I really like about it is the second line backbeat from the drums!
10) “My Valentine”—I think I heard this song more in commercials for “Kisses on the Bottom,” Paul McCartney’s new CD, than anywhere else!
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Posted in Paul McCartney, Phil's Faves: Songs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Phil’s Faves: Videos, February 19, 2012

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best videos currently available on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus mostly on current or recent videos. For this category, I am also going to include any live performances on talk or variety shows that I see during the week.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
Four new entries this week! Wow! That’s unusual. Young the Giant leap to the top! Cool! I also feel that the artistry of videos this year, is continuing at a higher than normal level…….
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Top 10 Videos and Performances for the week of February 19, 2012

1. Cough Syrup—Young the Giant
2. Somebody That I Used to Know—Gotye with Kimbra
3. Ours—Taylor Swift
4. Beekeeper’s Daughter—The All-American Rejects
5. Give Me All Your Luvin’—Madonna with Nicki Minaj and M.I.A.
6. I Won’t Give Up—Jason Mraz
7. Keep Me in Mind—Zac Brown Band
8. We Owned the Night—Lady Antebellum
9. Paris—Jay Z and Kanye West
10. Red Solo Cup—Toby Keith

1) “Cough Syrup”—I like all of the visual images in this video—especially the water vibrating on a speaker, or whatever it is. The video plus a good song moves this to the top!
2) “Somebody That I Used to Know”—I like the way Kimbra just gets in the face of Gotye!
3) “Ours”Taylor moves back up a notch, but I’m losing interest in this one….
4) “Beekeeper’s Daughter”—This is a video that I’ve wanted to put on the list for a couple of weeks. I like the way it’s so fluid from one scene to the next. This is probably the best video The All-American Rejects have ever done!
5) “Give Me All Your Luvin’—Couldn’t Madonna find a bigger cross to wear? It’s a good thing the song pulls the video through!
6) “I Won’t Give Up”Jason Mraz has matured, and in a big way. I don’t think I’ve deciphered everything in this video or song. Very moving!
7) “Keep Me in Mind”—This above average concert video has been around for a long time. It deserves some recognition.
8) “We Owned the Night”—Ah, an old favorite returns because they keep showing it and I have an open slot!
9) “Paris”—I like watching this kaleidoscopic video! I guess I can be easily distracted by shiny objects….
10) “Red Solo Cup”—Never underestimate the power of the cup to hang on!
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Posted in Phil's Faves: Videos | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Q” Bombs: February 19, 2012

A “Q” Bomb, like an “H” bomb, will be my term for a music video that I consider to be subpar in music, video, or both. This will be a recurring weekly list that will focus on the worst videos that are currently on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus on solely on current or recent videos.
I hate to be so negative about music, but when an artist takes a “bad” song and then brings more attention to it by creating a “bad” video to support it, it will appear on this list. I honestly hope, and it could happen, that this list will be less than 10 items, but I have serious doubts that that possibility will happen. We are, after all, talking about an industry that uses art for huge profits. The companies can’t help themselves.
However, at this point, I will not do a 10 worst music list. I see absolutely no reason to waste time reemphasizing bad music. Once is enough.
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
Four weeks in a row at the top of the trash heap for Gavin DeGraw! How will it ever get knocked off?
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Worst Videos for the week of February 19, 2012

1. Not Over You—Gavin DeGraw
2. I Don’t Want This Night to End—Luke Bryan
3. It Will Rain—Bruno Mars
4. Tonight Is the Night—Outasight
5. Remind Me—Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood
6. Set Fire to the Rain—Adele Live at The Royal Albert Hall
7. God Gave Me You—Blake Shelton
8. Alone With You—Jake Owen
9. Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls)—Foster the People
10. Tattoos on This Town—Jason Aldean

1) “Not Over You”—It moved up again! Look, I don’t mind when a video or song like Cee-Lo Green’s “Forget You” returned for a long run, but a lousy forgettable song? QUADRUPLE ODWITS!!!!
2) “I Don’t Want This Night to End”—If only the video and song could live up to the title……
3) “It Will Rain”Bruno Mars compares the end of a relationship to a weather report. Whatever……………………
4) “Tonight is the Night”—Oh, yeah. Sharing lousy looking food with each other. What a night…………………………
5) “Remind Me” —If only there was something there to remember……………….
6) “Set Fire to the Rain”—I’m sorry, but six Grammys will not change my mind about this video………..
7) “God Gave Me You”—Such a gift…………………………………
8] “Alone With You”—Another pedestrian country ballad video……………….
9) “Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls)”—This one would have made my faves list if it wasn’t for the weird ending………………………….
10) “Tattoos on This Town”—I think this one will still be around for a long time………..
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Posted in "Q"bombs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Phil’s Faves:Videos, February 12, 2012

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best videos currently available on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus mostly on current or recent videos. For this category, I am also going to include any live performances on talk or variety shows that I see during the week.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
An unbelievable live performance knocked Gotye out of the top spot this week. There are other one time entries, too, making this a great viewing list!
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Top 10 Videos and Performances for the week of February 12, 2012

1. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End—Paul McCartney with Bruce Springsteen, Joe Walsh, Dave Grohl, Brian Ray, and Rusty Anderson on The Grammys
2. Somebody That I Used to Know—Gotye with Kimbra
3. We Take Care of Our Own—Bruce Springsteen on The Grammys
4. Ours—Taylor Swift
5. Cough Syrup—Young the Giant
6. Give Me All Your Luvin’—Madonna with Nicki Minaj and M.I.A.
7. Super Bowl Opening—Faith Hill
8. Subway—Ladysmith Snack Mombazo featuring Jimmy Fallon and The Roots from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
9. Lonely Boy—The Black Keys
10. Red Solo Cup—Toby Keith

1) “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End”—This was one of those moments that people tune in to The Grammys for! Paul McCartney’s amazing performance of this Beatles’ Medley from Abbey Road drove me crazy! And you can tell by the smiles on the faces of Bruce Springsteen, Joe Walsh, and Dave Grohl that they could cross off an item on their bucket list that they were having the times of their lives! And the image of Paul just pointing at any of the guitarists onstage for their solo was unbelievable as if he was teaching a guitar class and the pupils were expected to show what they could do while the master took turns himself! It was only in front of a billion people or so! And he looked so cool walking from behind the piano to strap on his guitar while Abe Laboriel, Jr. recreated and improved on Ringo Starr’s drum solo! What a jam!!!!!!!
2) “Somebody That I Used to Know”—It only took one of the greatest ever live performances to knock this one from the top spot. Don’t count out a return to the top…..
3) “We Take Care of Our Own”—The first single from Bruce Springteen’s new “Wrecking Ball” CD opened the Grammys as Bruce provided a blistering performance as only he can do!
4) “Ours”Taylor Swift slips a couple of notches because of such amazing live performances…………
5) “Cough Syrup”—Steadily moving up for another week……………
6) “Give Me All Your Luvin’Madonna, looking pretty, but a kind of older pretty along the lines of old-timey Broadway dancers like Ann Margaret or Anne “Legs” Miller as Mickey Rooney liked to refer to her, delivers an entertaining video. The song is above average, too!
7) “Super Bowl Opening”—I have neglected to mention how hot Faith Hill has looked doing the intro to NBC’s Sunday Night Football all season long! Then, for the Super Bowl, they go and make her look even hotter in a new video! Wow!
8) “Subway”—This fake group that is a spot on parody of the South African singing troupe, occasionally shows up on Jimmy Fallon’s show. For the Super Bowl, that did a hilarious Subway song: “Everybody likes a footlong/(Hand to the side of the face)That’s what she said!”
9) “Lonely Boy” —I have a feeling this song is going to be a lot lonelier next week………..
10) “Red Solo Cup”—This one may be saying goodbye, too. I’m way past the infatuation stage with it…………….
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Posted in Hall of Fame, Paul McCartney, Phil's Faves: Videos, The Beatles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment