LONG HAIRED BOY

9/11 - Ten Years Later

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 14:25:00 +0000

We all have our stories about this day ten years ago.....most of us began that morning like any other...including the thousands heading to work or to the airport that day.....but at the end of it we all felt the same thing...shock, sadness, sympathy and heart felt love for the heroes who died.

I still feel in my soul up to today, an amazing sense of hope, and love for all who gave up so much to save the lifes of so many....

Ten years on...I feel the same way....

God bless us all....

Laters friends..

Beauty of A Child

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:29:00 +0000

Something resonated with me in a yoga workshop I had recently...despite the teacher being a complete nuthead :), he said something that got me thinking...

"Kids are free spirits and people and society puts up blocks, which makes them become less free, and more introspective"....I think this is quite true.

Take care of these young ones please - don't limit their potential

I was at my friend's place on Saturday for a quick gathering of food, drink and friendly chat. There were kids there as well, and one of my friends' son (age 4, and cute as hell) was having quite a happy banter with Victoria....somehow the conversation came up about if he liked girls....he said "Yes, and I like boys too"....

The reaction of some people was as if they were in complete disbelief....and they showed their shock at this 4 year-old comment. Of course it was innocent and it's the thing a kid would say....society is not equipped I think to handle anything outside of the "norm"....we give our children their complexes.

Sad....

Anywho's folks - TTYL!

A Must See - The Rise of the Planet of the Apes

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 06:31:00 +0000

If you haven't yet seen "The Rise of the Planet of the Apes", then you're missing one of the most "unexpecting" movies of this summer.

This movie was surprisingly awesome and not what you would expect. Going into the movie, I had no idea what the story line was, but the movie had me on the edge of my seat, as well as for the fellow movie-goers as well.

The story is solid, and there are some amazing scenes in this movie - especially with the end when the apes take over the Golden Gate bridge and have their battle with the armed forces.

To be honest - I was really surprise as to how good it was, and everyone I have spoken to said the same.

What intrigued me was the amazing facial expressions by Andy Serkis who played Ceasar (Andy played Gollum in the Lord of the Rings).

The Director of the movie pays homage to Avatar for the technology developed and used in this movie - take a look at the attached clip. Before seeing this clip I had no idea of what was involved in the acting...I thought the apes were human actors covered in make-up....but it's human actors and their emotions, and the technology provides the make-up....pretty awesome.

Anywho's peeps - TTYL and give this movie a shot!

Top 100 Rock Songs from the 90's....According to SteveA

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 04:04:00 +0000

The 90's was a time when alternative rock ruled the airways of post modern and college radio and brought us to a new breed of rock. There was the yuppie sound of Pavement, which appealed to working Generation X. Hard rock got re-defined into something less fun, but dark and isolated with the likes of Korn, Smashing Pumpkins, and Bush. And there was the merger of heavy metal and rap into the genre of nu-metal (Linkin Park, Rage Against the Machine and Korn).

The 80's was over :( and the 90's ushered in some desperation with the sign of the times....the music spoke for itself, and very few acts still survive out of that decade with a great sound.

So here's my best shot of the Top Rock Songs of the 90's....

100.Just A Girl - No Doubt
99. Seether - Veruca Salt
98. I Alone - Live
97. Semi Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind
96. Everlong - Foo Fighters
95. Sweet Dreams - Marilyn Manson
94. Inside Out - Eve 6
93. Elderly Woman Behind A Counter - Pearl Jam
92. Until I Fall Away - Gin Blossoms
91. Shimmer - Fuel

Veruca Salt - # 99 and 74

90. Laid - James
89. Run Around - Blues Traveller
88. Tomorrow - Silverchair
87. Flagpole Sitta - Harvey Danger
86. Would - Alice in Chains
85. All the Small Things - Blink 182
84. Special - Garbage
83. When I Come Around - Greenday
82. No Excuses - Alice in Chains
81. Violet - Hole

Harvey Danger - #87

80. Wicked Garden - Stone Temple Pilots
79. Bound for the Floor - Local H
78. Found Out About You - Gin Blossoms
77. Spiderwebs - No Doubt
76. Hardly Wait - PJ Harvey
75. Tonight Tonight Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins
74. Volcano Girls - Veruca Salt
73. Hurt - Nine Inch Nails
72. Allison Road - Gin Blossoms
71. Sex and Candy - Marcy's Playground

Gin Blossoms - #92, 78, 72 and 50

70. Burden In My Hand - Soundgarden
69. Freak on a Leash - KORN
68. Don't Speak - No Doubt
67. Sex Type Thing - Stone Temple Pilots
66. Learn to Fly - Foo Fighters
65. Rooster - Alice in Chains
64. Dreams - The Cranberries
63. Karma Police - Radiohead
62. Fell On Black Days - Soundgarden
61. Operation Spirit - Live

Alice in Chains - #86,82, 65 and 13

60. The Beautiful People - Marilyn Manson
59. Teen Angst - Cracker
58. Black - Pearl Jam
57. Paranoid Android - Radiohead
56. Song 2 - Blur
55. Torn - Creed
54. Creep - Stone Temple Pilots
53. My Own Prison - Creed
52. Stop - Jane's Addiction
51. Basketcase - Greenday

An older wiser Cracker - #56

50. Hey Jealousy - Gin Blossoms
49. Machinehead - Bush
48. Dissident - Pearl Jam
47. Come Out and Play - The Offshpring
46. Here and Now - Letters to Cleo
45. Come Down - Bush
44. Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana
43. Doll Parts - Hole
42. Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots
41. Bullet with Butterfly Wings - Smashing Pumpkins

My how they have matured - Letters to Cleo (#46)

40. What's this Life For - Creed
39. Three Days - Jane's Addiction
38. Zombie - The Cranberries
37. Cherub Rock - Smashing Pumpkins
36. Lithium - Nirvana
35. Wonderwall - Oasis
34. Loser - Beck
33. The Other Side - Red Hot Chilli Peppers
32. Disarm - Smashing Pumpkins
31. In Bloom - Nirvana

Beck #34 - the anthem for a new breed where being a loser was cool and just A-OK!

30. Self Esteem - The Offspring
29. Alive - Pearl Jam
28. Fly - Sugar Ray
27. Stupid Girl - Garbage
26. What I Got - Sublime
25. Even Flow - Pearl Jam
24. Come As You Are - Nirvana
23. Mr. Jones - Counting Crows
22. Killing in the Name Of - Rage Against the Machine
21. Shine - Collective Soul

So 90's - Sugar Ray - #28

20. You Oughta Know - Alanis Morrissette
19. Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chilli Peppers
18. Longview - Greenday
17. Bulls on Parade - Rage Against the Machine
16. Ironic - Alanis Morrissette
15. Today - Smashing Pumpkins
14. Runaway Train - Soul Asylum
13. Man in the Box - Alice in Chains
12. Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden
11. Plush - Stone Temple Pilots

Alanis Morrisette - #20 and #16 - not afraid to express her venom towards men!

10. Everything Zen - Bush
9. Give It Away - Red Hot Chilli Peppers
8. Lightening Crashes - Live
7. Linger - The Cranberries
6. Closer - Nine Inch Nails
5. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvanna
4. Glycerine - Bush
3. No Rain - Blind Melon
2. Creep - Radiohead

This song and it's message is relevant to America today as it was 20 years ago - the story of a boy who was ridiculed in school by his peers turns to violence to solve the problem!

1. Jeremy - Pearl Jam

Anywho's folks - hope you enjoy - TTYL!

Amy Joins the 27 Club

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 03:58:00 +0000

Rock stars can probably breath a sigh of relief once they get pass the age of 27.

Amy is the latest to join the infamous 27 Club (see a post I wrote here), which has as its most famous:

- Jimi Hendrix
- Janis Joplin
- Brian Jones (Rolling Stones)
- Jim Morrison (The Doors)
- Kurt Cobain (Nirvana)
- Pete DeFreitas (Echo & the Bunnymen), and now
- Amy Whinehouse.

It all started in 1938 when one of greatest blues man ever, Robert Johnson died at 27....mystery still surrounds his death....some say it was the devil claiming his soul, which he sold in turn for the devil tuning his guitar and to make him the greatest blues player that ever lived.

It might be co-incidence, and it might be a rite of passage for some of our greatest musicians that ever lived in modern times.

Amy's music provided that jazz, soul and power that only few musicians have today....I always remember seeing this tiny, tattooeed woman of small frame, big hair and a heavy Greek or Italian look, and thinking who can she be.....and once she opened her mouth and I heard that voice....she left me intrigued and speechless. She was the new generation of talent.

RIP Amy - Back to Black is truly an amazing album!

TTYL peeps!

Kyle Chandler Nominated for FNL

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 02:43:00 +0000

Awesome news - after seeing Kyle Chandler in Super 8, I quickly became a fan....Kyle is one of the most under-rated stars in Hollywood, and now that he's nominated (again) for Best Actor in a Drama Series for Friday Night Lights, I'm rooting for him.

Also - Friday Night Lights is also nominated for Best Drama Series (an uncommon feat for a show in it's 5th (and final) season!).

See the full list of nominations here.

Peeps - chat laters!

My New Crush - Kyle Chandler

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:28:00 +0000

This is my new crush - after seeing Kyle Chandler in Super 8, I'm awestruck by his handsomeness, green eyes and cool disposition. Sorry Alec!

I first saw Kyle Chandler in Kong Kong where he played Bruce Baxster - I thought at that point that he was so handsome - really classic, movie star looks.

But after seeing Kyle as Jackson Lamb in Super 8, it made me realise that he is one of the most under-rated actors in Hollywood.

In recent times, I've not seen an actor evoke such emotion by simply the movement of his eyes and the expression in his face.

There's a scene in Super 8, where Jack has an argument with his son, and you can sense that he wants to hug him, but he can't, simply because he doesn't know how to be a father - and all this from the intensity in his voice, the movement in his eyes and his facial expression. Now - that's good acting!

Anyways peeps - TTYL!

Happy 235th America

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 04:54:00 +0000

HAPPY JULY 4TH!

Here's a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson called "A Nation's Strength" that gives creedence to the Nation's forefathers in the fight for democracy and freedom.....

What makes a nation's pillars high
And its foundations strong?
What makes it might to defy
The foes that round it throng?

It is not gold. Its kingdoms grand
Go down in battle shock;
Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,
Not on abiding rock.

Not gold but only men can make
A people great and strong;
Men who for truth and honor's sake
Stand fast and suffer long.

Have a great one guys and gals!

Happy Canada Day.....

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 05:45:00 +0000

I'm a bit late on this.....
"To all my Canadian/Cannuck readers and my super good friends, family and cousins - Kingsley; Darquise; Janelle; Stacy; Darren, and all my co-workers who hail from VanCouver; Montreal; Winnipeg; PEI; Calgary and Toronto (yes - I do know alot of Canadians and they hail from everywhere in Canada).....and especially to the the love of my life who grew up in Winnipeg:.....HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Last year, I did a countdown on my Top 10 Favourite Canadian Artists....this year I'm posting some pics of my fellow Canadians friends! These are just a few, but trust me - I have loads more!

Our trip in Peru

Stacy and Kim

Wade (Alanis Morrissette's twin brother), Stacy and Darquis

80's Party Babes

Tammy and Janelle!

Anyways peeps - thanks for sharing!

Transformers 3 and Bad Teacher

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 05:00:00 +0000

I was on a roll today with the movies - I saw "Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon" and "Bad Teacher".

The 3-D in Transformers was awesome - one of the best. The story line was OK, not great - just OK - at least I did not get lost in the story as I did in Transformers 2. If this is not your type of movie, then skip it, but it might be worth seeing for the visual effects only - there's so much happening at the same time and the Transformers are larger than life on screen.

One of the annoying things about the movie was the love relationship between Sam and Carly - I mean this girl is smoking hot, but I just wasn't getting the vibe that they were madly in love with each other!

Also the acting was pretty basic - nothing and no-one really stands out, except for maybe John Turturro.

Bad Teacher was a bit of a surprise - it's a bit ditzy, but it was entertaining and it did crack me up! The movie is pretty krast with the jokes, and seems to follow the trend of Bridesmaids, The Hangover and Forty Year Old Virgin! But for the purpose of entertainment - that it surely is!

I still think "Super 8" is the best I've seen this year - it's a nice break from all those summer blockbusters with comic book super heroes (Thor, Green Lantern and Captain America), with big leading actors.

Super 8 takes it simple, with no big lead actors and a rare feat in movies today - connection with the characters where you feel for the and even root for them to win! See a post I did on Super 8 here.

Anyways peeps - TTYL!

Mr. Scottish

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 14:05:00 +0000

Gay Guy wanted me to elaborate a bit more about my relationship with Mr. Scottish (that I mentioned in my post called "Must Love Dogs").

It sort of plays out like another Diane Lane movie - In "Nights in Rodanthe" (which starred Diane Lane and Richard Gere) there is a scene where there's a hurricane outside and Gere and Lane with the intensity of the storm, fall into each other's arms and get more intimate with each other.

Well my story with Mr. Scottish is not far off, except that it follows a hurricane a few weeks earlier - here's the story....

Back in 2004, we were hit with a Cat 5 hurricane called "Ivan" (see link to post called 9/11) - Ivan the Terrible (which hit on 9/11 in 2004) left my home, car and almost all of my personal belongings (along with an entire community) devastated and bare - despair and hopelessness were the feelings for many.

This is the closest pic I have to what Mr. Scottish looks like!

Mr. Scottish had lost his apartment...so did I, but I still had a livable and not drowned out top floor, but the second floor was flooded and the ceiling had collapsed. Mr. Scottish stayed with me and over the weeks of living together we got closer.

He always maintained that he was totally hetero - but one Thursday night we were out at an art show, we had a few to drink, but we still had our senses - the alcohol only made our feelings come out uninhibited. We were home, chatting......

I said...."I really care for you"

He said....."Show me"......and looked down at his cock....

We slept together that night.....but as I mentioned it did not last too long (a couple of months).

In retrospect, I'm so glad it ended.

I always fantasized about him - wondering what it would be like to be with him in bed - I got my wish. It was a wish I was happy with....but only for a short time. Time moves on, and I'm glad we did.

Now I'm seeing Mr. Scottish 2 and I am so much more in love and happier. I've been lucky with Scottish men, because right after Mr. Scottish, I was with another guy....so the Scots have my heart!

Here's a bonus pic of a Scottish guy - sexy!

Anyways peeps - TTYL!

Must Love Dogs

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:38:00 +0000

Back in 2005 I was in pretty bad form - I was with my 1st man ever and I had fallen deep for him. I was on a job back in 2002 at a client and I saw him and just was infatuated with his blonde hair, light green eyes and thick Scottish accent....so thick I could barely understand him.

I fantasized about being with him....my fantasy became reality. By a strange turn of events (which I won't get into here) we fell for each other - but I fell faster than he did. We lasted for a little while, but during that period of me coming to grips with the events, I saw a movie which really helped me and I watch it on DVD every now and then....

"Must Love Dogs" was so magical - it starred Diane Lane and John Cusack, as two enstranged people just out of divorce and their search for love again with the push of friends, family, the internet and an absolutely cute, adorable St. Bernard (actually it's a Newfoundland) called - Mother Theresa.

The movie has a gay couple in it and Diane Lane comments that they are her model for a good relationship - gays rule!

I watched the movie tonight and the thoughts just came back with this guy. I'm over it now, but what I did learn from that relationship is that love is hard, and you can learn about your weaknesses....

Anyways peeps - take a look at this movie and TTYL!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 14:34:00 +0000

A father is a beacon of strength, love , guidance and a leader by example. On this special day, let's pay tribute and honor to our dear father's everywhere. may God bless them!

My Dad has always been there to support me...he might not have said many "I love you's" but I felt it and I know he says it in many different ways. Whenever I speak to him I always say..."love you Dad"....it makes a difference.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL!

Def Leppard and Heart in Tampa

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 05:54:00 +0000

I'm off to Tampa tomorrow for a quick vacation time with myself - and oh yeah - I'm so excited - I'm going to see HEART and DEF LEPPARD in concert - yep - at the same concert. I can't wait.

A child of the 80's I am, and let's start with Heart. I did a post on this band called "More Popular in the 80's"....it looked at bands in the classic rock 70's era who got a second (and well deserved) wind in the 80's - and became more popular by doing so, thus opening up their music to a new generation.

Here's the link to the post on Heart. I also covered Foreigner, Jefferson Starship, Van Halen and Aerosmith.

Heart is one of those bands that I grew up with....me, my brother and sister were fans and we all knew "Magic Man" and "Crazy on You". I always thought that as front women in rock they rocked just as hard as their male counterparts, and can sing with the same sexual confidence than the male rockers could.

I've had several posts which included Heart. Here's a few - I voted Ann and Nancy Wilson as the 5th Best Female Rock Artists.... and 4th in Top Female Singers According to SteveA.

And that brings us to Def Leppard - who doesn't rock out to "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and have a guilty pleasure head singing to "Photograph". Def Leppard were part of the hard rock invasion in the 70's and 80's and iI still remember me and my sister buying the album "Pyromania" back in 1983.

The song "Photograph" introduced me to a new sound in metal/hard rock. I grew up to the likes of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Queen, Grand Funk Railroad, Boston, Kansas, Kiss - just to name a few, and the sound of Def Leppard made rock danceable, fun and not so serious - I can shake a leg and hum a simple tune with the likes of Def Leppard.

Anyways peeps - I already did my Top 5 on Heart, but here's my Top 5 Leppard songs:

5. Too Late (Pyromania)
4. Foolin' (Pyromania)
3. Rock of Ages (Pyromania)
2. Photograph (Pyromania)
1. Animal (Hysteria).

I'll post some pics...TTYL!

Three Gays and A Straight

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 04:48:00 +0000

Last night was a bit of a odd one - my friend Darquise (whom I never came out to) said that I should come over and meet her gay bff Kevin, whom was visiting from Toronto, and that I had to come over as there were two gay guys there.

I'm thinking - "Why is she telling me this? - She must know I'm gay. Do I really want to go over?"

But out of respect and her wanting me to meet Kevin, I decided to stop in for 10 minutes.

Well that 10 minutes, turned out to be a couple of hours and I had my Ass, Balls and C*ck all felt up by Kevin and Francesco....it felt good, but yet I was uncomfortable.

Now Kevin is a dentist and he has his own practise in Toronto - and he fits the gay professional gay persona to a tee- professional, hot, handsome, great smile (after all he's a dentist), great tight body and loads of muscles everywhere. When I arrived he was shirtless, in a cap, and had on a pair of tight track pants that made his butt look so fine and bubbly!

Also there was Francesco - Italian, great bright blue eyes, dark wavy hair and a sexy, thick Italian accent. Last to arrive was Fabio - a fellow Italian and boy was he HAWT - he had these rugged good looks, great smile, unshaven and hairy chest - ummmmm! I was in paradise....I was trying to figure out if he was gay or straight but it turned out he's straight.

Porn Star Rocky Lebarre looks like Fabio

But it was interesting to see how Fabio (straight guy) interacted with the three gay guys. Francesco was getting intoxicated as the night went by, and was dancing (or trying to dance at least) with Fabio. Fabio actually knows Francesco (fellow Italians from the motherland) and he showed his moves to Francesco with class, showing his acceptance of the gay culture and his openess to it (Europeans are so open).

During the night, Francesco was trying to get Fabio's shirt off and I was hoping he had succeeded since I was hoping to see that glorious rugged, hairy torso in all it's glory.....ummmm - but no such luck.

In the end I had Kevin sitting on my lap and we shared a nice hug and a sumptious kiss on the lips - it felt good, but I'm in love and I did not want any tongue to pass - and I feared it would. It was good to hold back, and I'm so happy I did!

Francesco was also trying to get in bed with Kevin, but at the end of the night - he passed out.

Also, Francesco suggested that we do a threesome - something that was thought provoking at the time, but it made my mind up to get out of there ASAP before things got more complicated.

All in all - I was tame, Kevin was hot, Francesco was a cute Italian and I fell for the straight guy.

Any ways peeps - TTYL!

Super 8 and Nostalgia

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 13:54:00 +0000

I saw Steven Spielberg's latest offering last night - Super 8, and seeing it reminded me of those days back in the 80's when I was a huge fan of Mr Spielberg, and the magic of adventure, friendship, and the feeling of innonence that movies brought back then.

The movie reminded me of flicks like The Goonies, ET, The Explorers, Indiana Jones, Stand By Me - just to name a few - the movies where as a child you wish you and your friends can share the same adventure, where you can be the hero and where you can get the girl!

I remember my mom and sister taking me to see many of these movies and how I just fell in love with the pure magic of Hollywood! Yep - times have changed.......I really enjoyed Super 8 because it had that classic formula that Spielberg had in his 80's movies - a great story, a great bunch of friends, innonence, and a great adventure, and just pure entertainment that can bring a smile or a tear!

If you get a chance to see it - please do - it is fun, the story really keeps you on the edge and in one or two scenes I almost teared up - the acting was not overdone in this movie - the emotion and expressions by all of the actors were enough to have you feel the movie.

PS: And part of the reason why I loved this movie - was Kyle Chandler - ah - he was just so handsome to look at - ummmm hmmmmm!

Anyways peeps - TTYL!

Sleaze Metal Days

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 23:45:00 +0000

Back in 1987, heavy metal was at it's prime, with the likes of bands like Kix, Faster Pussycat, Poison, Europe, Whitesnake, White Lion, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue - and so the list goes...

The emergence of a little album called "Appetite For Destruction" was out and seemed to be bubbling under on the Top 200 album charts and seemed to be going nowhere. I found the album name and the name of the band "Guns N' Roses" quite cool and I had no idea what this album was about....but I wanted it - it was as if the urge to get this was part of my inner rock n' roll faith calling.

My cousin was visiting from Canada and I asked her to get this album for me.....not even knowing what this band sounded like. Well, it came in classic LP Vinyl format (now vintage these days), and once the needle hit the groove to the album's 1st track "Welcome to the Jungle" I was sold at the sound.

I also heard "Sweet Child O' Mine" which was the 3rd track of Side 2 of the album and I did think that that was the best song....and boy did it break records. It spent 3 weeks at #1 on the Hot 100 in 1988, and the album became the biggest selling album in the US by a debut artist - 18 times platinum....and whom was the previous holder ? my boys from Boston - BOSTON in 1976 (I'm sad to this fact since Boston's album is one of my faves and "More Than a Feeling" is my fave rock song of all time)

I knew they were Heavy Metal, and later on with the likes of MTV and magazines like Hit Parader and Rolling Stone (when RS was a proper music magazine) I read it was part of the "Sleaze Metal" regime. I immediately loved that genre....Sleaze Metal.....I mean I was young and rocking and I dressed the hard rock scene, even though I had a military crew cut look....I was a rocker inside.

Some of the Sleaze Metal Kings - Aerosmith and Kiss - classic rockers!

To me the Kings of Sleaze Metal is really the band "Aerosmith" when they re-emerged in 1986 with their comeback album "Permanant Vacation", with definitive sleaze metal tracks like "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)", "Angel" and "Rag Doll".

Other memorable 80's bands whom fit the Sleaze Metal genre (a.k.a. Glam Rock) were Enuff Z'Nuff, LA Guns, and some classic bands like The New York Dolls and Kiss.

Well, folks that's a memory from the past...and to leave you, here are my Top 5 sleaze metal songs of the 80's -:

5. Fly High Michelle - Enuff Z'Nuff (1989)

4. Paradise City - Guns N' Roses (1987) (Download)

3. Love Removal Machine - The Cult (1987) (Download)

2. Dude (Looks Like A Lady) - Aerosmith (1987)

1. Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N' Roses (1987) (download)

Anyways peeps - TTYL!

Orange Crush

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 04:59:00 +0000

1989 - I first heard "Orange Crush" by REM on WDRE 92.7 Garden State radio and immediately was drawn to it's driving guitars, the haunting vocals of Michael Stipe and the darkness and mystery of the song. I had it on cassette (I did not replace my tape deck and turntable until early 90's - I know a bit behind the times) and played it over and over till I knew it by heart.

It was the haunting feeling, the feeling of despair that I got from the lyrics that drew me inward to it. Later that year I saw a glimpse of the video where REM won the 1st ever "Post Modern Video" VMA at the MTV Awards..... and it stuck in my head - an image of a child in a white tee and jeans running behind what seemed to be a moving truck....the video added more mystery to the song for me...

Well - I recently got to see the video only last night, and then I got intrigued about what the song was about....according to Michael Stipe it's about Vietnam....a young American footballer leaving the comforts of home for Vietnam.

The song's title is a reference to Agent Orange - a chemical defoliant used in the Vietnam war.

The song was not huge in the US but was much bigger in the UK. It was however, an underground hit and it spent 8 weeks at #1 on the Modern Rock Charts. This song actually remains my fave REM song.

I might be mistaken but I believe that the song was also played on 21 Jump Street (remember that TV cop show that starred Johnny Depp before he was a huge movie star?)

Anyways peeps I do hope you enjoy the video.

TTYL!

Top 100 New Wave Songs of All Time

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Wed, 25 May 2011 12:21:00 +0000

Here it is - for all you 80's lovers and lovers of new wave music - The Top 100 New Wave tracks of all time according to SteveA:
__________________________________________________________

100.Love Plus One - Haircut 100
99. Two Tribes - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
98. When Love Breaks Down - Prefab Sprout
97. 99 Luftballons - Nena
96. Reap the Wild Wind - Ultravox
95. Kids in America - Kim Wilde
94. Dance Hall Days - Wang Chung
93. How Soon Is Now - The Smiths
92. I'd Like To Get To Know You Well - Howard Jones
91. I Got You - Split Enz

90. Obsession - Animotion
89. The Ghost In You - Psychedelic Furs
88. Promises Promises - Naked Eyes
87. Forever Young - Alphaville
86. Der Kommisar - After the Fire
85. Cruel Summer - Bananarama
84. Love Comes Quickly - Pet Shop Boys
83. Alive and Kicking - Simple Minds
82. Love My Way - Psychedelic Furs
81. If You Leave - O.M.D.

80. Life In A Northern Town - Dream Academy
79. Wouldn't It Be Good - Nik Kershaw
78. In A Big Country - Big Country
77. Our House - Madness
76. Come Back and Stay - Paul Young
75. Please Please Tell Me Now - Duran Duran
74. You Spin Me Round - Dead or Alive
73. Here Comes the Rain Again - The Eurythmics
72. Talking In Your Sleep - The Romantics
71. Be Near Me - ABC

70. Rio - Duran Duran
69. Always Something There To Remind Me - Naked Eyes
68. Destination Unknown - Missing Persons
67. Voices Carry - Til' Tuesday
66. Hold Me Now - Thompson Twins
65. Something About You - Level 42
64. Just Like Heaven - The Cure
63. Poison Arrow - ABC
62. West End Girls - Pet Shop Boys
61. Tenderness - General Public

60. Need You Tonight - Inxs
59. Look of Love - ABC
58. Blue Monday - New Order
57. Mexican Radio - Wall of Voodoo
56. Pale Shelter - Tears for Fears
55. Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles
54. Rock the Casbah - The Clash
53. Too Shy - Kajagoogoo
52. Back on the Chain Gang - The Pretenders
51. Heart of Glass - Blondie

50. My Sharona - The Knack
49. Major Tom - Peter Schilling
48. Girls on Film - Duran Duran
47. What I Like About You - The Romantics
46. Situation - Yaz
45. Blasphemous Rumours - Depeche Mode
44. Pretty in Pink - Psychedelic Furs
43. Small Town Boy - Bronksi Beat
42. Save It For Later - The English Beat
41. Talk Talk - Talk Talk

40. Tempted - Squeeze
39. Things Can Only Get Better - Howard Jones
38. Mad World - Tears for Fears
37. A Little Respect - Erasure
36. Lips Like Sugar - Echo and the Bunnymen
35. The Reflex - Duran Duran
34. Stand and Deliver - Adam and the Ants
33. Big in Japan - Alphaville
32. Words - Missing Persons
31. Original Sin - Inxs

30. The Metro - Berlin
29. Turning Japanese - The Vapours
28. Brass In Pocket - The Pretenders
27. Down Under - Men at Work
26. One Way or Another - Blondie
25. New Song - Howard Jones
24. One Thing Leads to Another - The Fixx
23. I Melt With You - Modern English
22. Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears
21. Cars - Gary Numan

20. Message In A Bottle - The Police
19. Take On Me - A-ha
18. Pop Muzik - M
17. True - Spandau Ballet
16. Do You Really Want to Hurt Me - Culture Club
15. Burning Down the House - Talking Heads
14. Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode
13. Tainted Love - Soft Cell
12. Relax - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
11. Rock Lobster - The B-52's

10.Whip It - Devo
9. Sweet Dreams - The Eurythmics
8. Everything Counts - Depeche Mode
7. Hungry Like A Wolf - Duran Duran
6. I Ran - A Flock of Seagulls
5. Don't You Want Me - The Human League
4. Safety Dance - Men Without Hats
3. Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds
2. Once In A Lifetime - Talking Heads
1. People Are People - Depeche Mode

Bob Turns 70 Today

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Wed, 25 May 2011 02:36:00 +0000

Today is Bob Dylan's 70th....Happy Birthday Bob and thanks for all the great poetic lyrics that have inspired so many.....from rock stars to common man.....and across the generations!

Here's one for your listening pleasure - "Blowin' In The Wind"

TTYL cuties!

Top Female Singers According to SteveA

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Sat, 21 May 2011 20:58:00 +0000

The 1st installment looked at the most memorable male singers, influenced mainly by the music I grew up with. Here now is my attempt at the most memorable female singers - like I mentioned in my 1st post, the list is not meant to be a list of merit (in which case the likes of Etta James, and Amy Lou Harris, would be in here), but really serves as a list for what is memorable during my youth and growing up!

Whilst I was preparing this list, I realised how much I was influenced by the mellow sounds of the 70's, as opposed to any other era.

I also did a post some time ago on SteveA' s picks of the "Top Ten Female Artists of Rock According to SteveA", and coincidentally most of the same artists appears on the both lists.

Here's my list!

10. Tracy Chapman

Tracy singing live "Baby Can I Hold You"

Tracy's voice is raw, but it evokes such depth and vunerability.

I first saw and heard Tracy at Nelson Mandela's 70th Birthday Concert which was aired live on TV. I remember hearing "Fast Car" and thinking "wow" - it was just Tracy, her acoustic guitar and a song that told a story in the simplest of ways....singing!

9. Carly Simon

Classic - "You're So Vain" - many have speculated about whom Carly was singing about in this song - most expected her ex- James Taylor. But I believe it turned out to be about "Warren Beatty".

I was just still single digits in age when I started singing to the tunes of Carly, like "You're So Vain", "Anticipation", and "Haven't Got Time for the Pain". Her voice reminds me of the era of classic 70's easy listening music.

8. Karen Carpenter

I love the simplicity and childlikeness in her voice.

Karen can evoke sadness (Rainy Days and Mondays) and happiness (Top of the World) as easy as the other in her music.

"Rainy Days and Mondays". Karen was a great singer and she was also a good drummer as well !

7. Pat Benatar

My fave from Pat - "Heartbreaker" - this is a more recent live performance - she looks great and sounds awesome, and her husband Neil Geraldo also looks good as well.

We referred to Linda Rondstadt as the original "Queen of Rock" and if their is another lady to take the throne it would have to be "Pat Benatar". Pat was not apologetic as a rock songstress - she rocked just as hard as her male counterparts with tracks like "Heart Breaker"; "You Better Run", and "Treat Me Right".

Pat has won 4 Grammies and "Treat Me Right" was the 2nd (yes - that's correct), the 2nd video aired on MTV back in August 1981!

See here for a post I did on Pat Benatar. In my post on the "Top 10 Female Artists of Rock" Pat was #1 (see link here).

6. Whitney Houston

With some of the most memorable songs from the 80's, Whitney had a dynamic voice which was destined to make her a star. I just fell in love with "Saving All My Love For You", and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" - such classic 80's tracks.

Whitney live on Joan Rivers back in the 80's baby! Singing "Saving All My Love for You". This song is my all-time favourite love song (see Valentine's Day Post here).

5. Linda Rondstadt

I loved Linda's greatest hits - "Blue Bayou" was a staple for me and my siblings and I can almost sound as melancholy as Linda did - such heartfelt emotion. Linda was regarded at one point as the "Queen of Rock" and also had the title as "The First Lady of Rock" - quite auspicious titles, even though her genres span country, classical and even mariarchi.

Linda has also won ten (10) Grammies, two (2) Academy of Country Music Awards, and an Emmy - wow! Her version of "Tracks of My Tears" (originally done by "Smokey Robinson") is awesome.

Linda ranked # 7 in the "Top 10 Female Artists of Rock".

Linda on "The Muppet Show" singing "Blue Bayou" - love the 70's baby!

4. Ann/Nancy Wilson (Heart)

Now these sisters rocked just as hard as classic 70's bands like Boston, Kansas, Blue Oyster Cult and the likes of any all-male 70's rock band. Hearing "Crazy On You" and "Magic Man" from their debut in 1976 "Dreamboat Annie", reveals the power, and strength of the female in hard rock. Whilst the male counter-parts sung about their dominance in relationships, Heart provided the equalising power for female power and showed that it was OK for women to sing about the same things that the men did!

The sisters were the original Seattle rockers before the likes of Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains.

Heart was #5 in my post on the Top Female Artists of Rock.

Heart performing live on "The Midnight Special" - 1977. Nancy Wilson is also an amazing guitarist - check out this performance.

3. Barbara Streisand

Live performance with Barry Gibb on "What Kind of Fool" - the 25th Anniversary Edition of the classic album "Guilty"

Songstress, Actress, Director, Cultural Icon, Activist....what more can be added to the repertoire of this amazing woman? "Woman In Love", "Suddenly" and "Guilty" are my faves from her!

2. Tina Turner

"Proud Mary" - Awesome!

Tina has the hottest, and probably most famous pair of legs in rock, and those lips - ummmmm! Tina is a beautiful woman, and her voice possesses great power and awesomeness.

One of the classic all-time performances is Tina's performance of "Proud Mary"....a raw, energetic, performance that showcases Tina's amazing soulful voice - and boy can she dance.

Tina ranked #6 in my Top Female Artists of Rock.

1. Aretha Franklin

Was there any doubt about whom would be #1? Aretha' s voice is unmatched, and undoubtedly her signature. "Respect" is an anthem for women but the meaning and power of the song can run to anyone wanting recognition, and just "respect".

Well folks - I hope you enjoyed - Cheers!

Top Male Singers According to SteveA

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Mon, 16 May 2011 04:29:00 +0000

I'm influenced by so many genres of music - from rock, reggae, classic blues, country, soul and sometimes even pop....from the classic rock voice of Robert Plant, to Jimmy Cliff, to Muddy Waters, to Johnny Cash, to Etta James, to even Madonnna.

Over the years I've grown to love the voice of some great musicians and just go simply back to them for pure listening pleasure, and also to bring back a memory or two from my youth, teen years and even adulthood.

I'm going to look at two posts, that counts down my Top Ten male and female singers that have evoked such thougt, emotion and pure talent.

Here's my Top 10 Male Singers of According to SteveA:

10. Morrissey (The Smiths; solo)

The clear, unmistakable voice of melancholy, matches a face of sweetness, innocence and sincerity. When Morrissey sings, it makes the happiest song seen dark and gloomy.

9. Willie Nelson

Willie - oh boy....My mom is a huge fan. The way he sings can evoke emotion and also pure country attitude!

8. Jeff Buckley

The voice of an angel - Jeff Buckley died way too long at the ripe age of 30 when his career was just getting kicked off, but he did leave one of the most highly acclaimed albums in the last 30 years with the album "Grace".

Jeff is the youngest artist here and he is the only one not alive - RIP Jeff!

7. Ian Gillian (Deep Purple)

Listening to Ian belt out on "Sweet Child In Time" was enough for this 7 year old to get sold. Ian has an amazing voice that still gives me goose bumps.

6. Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Solo)

When I heard the album "Louder than Love" in late 1989, I was deeply amazed by Chris' voice and the music Soundgarden played (welcome to 90's grunge). Henry Rollins said it best when he said "When Chris sings he can peel the paint off walls".... Chris has a classic rock feel to his voice which reminds me of the classic rock voices from the 70's.

5. Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode; Solo)

Dave's voice was one of the biggest and best voices of new wave in the 80's. I grew up admiring the clarity, and deep, dark emotion with which Dave sang...listening to Dave today I find he's not lost that lustre and he sounds good today as he did 30 years ago.

4. Paul Rodgers (Bad Company; Free; Queen)

Now this man can sing a love song with ease, comfort and energy, even if that rock song drives a rockin' beat like "Feel Like Makin' Love". Paul has got one of the sexiest voices in hard rock and he looks quite hot too!

3. Steve Perry (Journey; Solo)

That raspy voice has added fire and depth to some of rock's greatest and most memorable rock ballads...."Faithfully" is such a heart felt rock anthem about life on the road, and of course "Open Arms" can melt your lover's heart.

2. Robert Plant (Led Zepplin; The Honeydrippers; Solo)

Listening to Robert's voice today on Zeppelin, I realised how greatly influenced the band was by classic, old school American blues and even country music (see ***). When I was growing up, I wasn't yet into the blues and the impact it had on rock (see a post I did on Hard Rock and the Blues here), but now I really appreciate how great this band was.

Listening to Zep on their earliest of albums (Led Zeppelin I and II), from the late 60's, I am amazed as to how these songs still stand the test of time - they don't sound dated at all - and isn't that the essence of a great band and their music?

*** On Plant's latest solo effort he did a cover of a Townes Van Zandt track called "Harm's Swift Way". Townes is one of my fave country singers and I did a post on him as "One of the Great American Songwriters" - see link http://longhairedboy.blogspot.com/2011/02/townes-van-zandt-one-of-great-american.html.

You can buy this song on iTunes here.

1. Freddie Mercury (Queen; Solo)

Doesn't this picture say it all - VICTORY!

Listening to Bohemian Rhapsody was the song that made Freddie #1 on my list. Besides the song being one of the most creative, amazing rock songs of all time, it combines two opposing genres - opera with classic hard rock (something that only someone with Freddie's confidence can deliver).

You can feel the range of Freddie's voice as it moves between fields of opera, and rock - making Freddie the perfect narrator as the story unfolds!

When I look at the concert footage of Queen (live Wembley and Live Aid) I have to say that he was probably one of the most talented and greatest entertainers in rock - no artist I've seen live have come close to touching the magic Freddie has as a front man of Queen.

If there's one track that proves my point look at the video (# 10) for "Under Pressure" per a post called "Queen - Larry's Fantasy and Ex-Lover" (see link here).

Well folks - I hope you enjoyed. There were some other artists whom I would like to mention like Bob Dylan, George Michael, Ray Charles and Sam Cooke - these guys have great voices, but one of the primary criteria for my selection was really the impact they had on me, whilst I was growing up.

Peeps - chat later! and Look out for the Top 10 Female Greatest Singers in a later post!

Super Mom

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Sun, 08 May 2011 14:29:00 +0000

Today is that day that the world (well most of it anyways) pays tribute and recognition to the most important person to all of us - MOTHER.

For me - I remember the meekness and simplicity of mother - of the sacrifice and love. I can honestly say that God has blessed me with an Earthly Angel to keep me grounded in my everyday life and being.

Bless all mothers today and everyday O' God!

Anyways peeps - treat/honor you special lady with some awesomeness today!

The Mystery of Water

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Sun, 08 May 2011 01:42:00 +0000

Over the last couple of days I've been in a yoga workshop with Kreel!

To begin with - I've never seen anyone in yoga so defined. Someone this ripped is usually seen in body builders or gym rats, but for someone in yoga it's not the usual body norm. I'm guessing he must work out.

Secondly, he is so hot to look at - I mean - look at this guy - he's completely dreamy!

Thirdly - we learned alot about "WATER" - yes "WATER".

It's quite interesting - people in Japan generally live longer, look younger and are more healthy than people in most parts of the world ..... and one of the reasons is the water they drink - ionised water. Most hospitals in Japan are equipped to produce ionised water - it's the norm and it increases the amount of anti-oxidants in your blood stream.

Kreel did some tests which showed how bad some off-the shelf brands like Dasani, soda and even carbonated water (like Perrier) increase the acidity and free radicals in your system making you for example become...more dehydrated, wrinkled and more prone to sickness.

In not going to go into specifics but basically from the tests he did in front of us - soda and club soda (especially Perrier) were bad for your system....its takes roughly 32 times the amount of ionised water to neutralise the acidity in these products. Tap water was even better than some brands of bottled water.

In a nutshell, ionised water can heal us - make our bodies more adaptive to change, stronger and also be more efficient in removing free radicals.

The link to the "Great Mystery of Water http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLB--i5YAqY has been removed from YouTube - so if you can download from another site (like Torrent Bit) then please do - it would be worth your while!

TTYL peeps!

A Wedding, A Saint and Justice Served

noreply@blogger.com (SteveA) — Tue, 03 May 2011 05:23:00 +0000

Wow - this weekend past was just so crazy - Friday saw the Royal wedding, and Sunday was a day of two important events, depending on how you look at it!

First there was the beatification of Blessed Pope John Paul II - this Sunday marked Divine Mercy Sunday - an important day in the Church which comes 1 week after Easter Sunday. Divine Mercy Sunday was close to Pope John's heart as it was a teaching he greatly endorsed and it might have been deliberate that he was beatified on this day.

The beatification marks the recognition of someone's entry into Heaven. Which brings us to another important happening on this Sunday - the death of Osama Bin Laden (not a martyr in most people's eyes and it won't (possibly) mark his entry into Heaven.

I would not have guessed that I can blog about a wedding, a saint and a terrorist all in the same post....but such is the world today.

This weekend with all it's happenings is truly historic for the monarchy on earth, the monarchy in Heaven and well......."the other guy". I can say for the latter that sweet justice has been served.

Anyways peeps - TTYL!