Bloody Sunday

Sunday Bloody Sunday is a song from the music group U2, it’s an Irish group who was formed in 1976. This song went of the 11 March of 1983 and tells the story of The Troubles and escpecially the Bloody Sunday. Here is the lyrics of the song:

Yeah
Hmm hmm

I can’t believe the news today
Oh, I can’t close my eyes
And make it go away
How long
How long must we sing this song?
How long? How long

’cause tonight we can be as one
Tonight

Broken bottles under children’s feet
Bodies strewn across the dead end street
But I won’t heed the battle call
It puts my back up
Puts my back up against the wall

Sunday, bloody Sunday
Sunday, bloody Sunday
Sunday, bloody Sunday

And the battle’s just begun
There’s many lost, but tell me who has won?
The trench is dug within our hearts
And mothers, children, brothers, sisters torn apart

Sunday, bloody Sunday
Sunday, bloody Sunday

How long
How long must we sing this song?
How long? How long

’cause tonight we can be as one
Tonight tonight

Sunday, bloody Sunday
Sunday, bloody Sunday

Wipe the tears from your eyes
Wipe your tears away
Oh, wipe your tears away
I wipe your tears away
(Sunday, bloody Sunday)
I wipe your blood shot eyes
(Sunday, bloody Sunday)

Sunday, bloody Sunday (Sunday, bloody Sunday)
Sunday, bloody Sunday (Sunday, bloody Sunday)

And it’s true we are immune
When fact is fiction and TV reality
And today the millions cry
We eat and drink while tomorrow they die

The real battle just begun
To claim the victory Jesus won
On

Sunday, bloody Sunday
Sunday, bloody Sunday

Now we have to replace the historic context to understand the song. The Troubles is a ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland between 1968 and 1998, at the beginning the conflict was political and nationalist (but it had also an ethnic dimension although it wasn’t religious). On the one hand, loyalist who are mostly protestants and considered themselves British, wanted Northern Ireland remain within the United Kingdom. On the other hand, Irish nationalists/republicans who are mostly catholics, considered themselves Irish and wanted to leave the United Kingdom. It was a complex conflict with numerous armed and political actors.

The song tells the story of the Bloody Sunday wich took place the 30 January of 1972. It was a shooting Attack in wich British soldiers shot 26 anonymus civilians during a paceful protest march against internment without trial. 14 people died: 13 were killed instantatly and an another man four months later by his injuries.

Analysis of the song:

The first stanza: The singer, Bono, can’t believe his eyes. He saids that he can’t rest insensitive and powerless : « I can’t believe the news today, I can’t close my eyes and make it go away ». He calls up the gathering of Irish people.

The second stanza: the tone is darker and the anger present « Puts my backup against the wall ». Bono describes a battlefield full of dead people  » Broken bottles under children’s field »

The musical bridge: The singer asks stop crying « Wipe the tears from your eyes », we have to keep hope.

Chorus: The singer repeats « Sunday, bloody Sunday », it’s a mark of insistence.

Third stanza: It’s a criticism of the media wich trivialize the violence to the point that it doesn’t shock anymore  » And it’s true we are imune when fact is fiction and TV reality ». However some poeple are still crying into indifference  » And today the millions cry ».

But the battle continues, not the one who will see the Victory of catholics or protestants but the one who will see the victory of Jesus « to claim the victory Jesus won ».

FUNKADELIC – MAGGOT BRAIN

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOKn33-q4Ao[/youtube]
Listen to the music while reading this article ! 🙂

THE BAND

Funkadelic is an american funk band founded in 1964. Initially known as The Parliaments, it began music in the hair salon of George Clinton, the leader of the band and change its name for Funkadelic in 1970. It is active from 1964 to 1981, and during this time, 13 album are released, the members of the group go through drugs problem, they change their band name twice… The group evolved but one of their musical piece is timelessness : Maggot Brain.

MAGGOT BRAIN

Maggot Brain is derived of the album also called Maggot Brain, realeased in 1971. The story behind the song is as legendary as mysterious. It lasts ten minutes, essentially composed of an electric guitar and a drum in the background. Eddie Hazel, guitarist of the band perfom Maggot Brain from beginning to end. Only George Clinton’s voice is heard as an introduction and shortly before the end.

Here are the lyrics :

Mother Earth is pregnant for the third time 
For y’all have knocked her up. 
I have tasted the maggots in the mind of the universe 
I was not offended 
For I knew I had to rise above it all 
Or drown in my own shit. 

Come on Maggot Brain 
Go on Maggot Brain

If we refer us to the legend, the musical piece was created on drugs (LSD more precisely) and George Clinton asked Eddie Hazel to play as if his mother had just passed away. There is an another version of the story : Maggot Brain was composed to accompany Jimi Hendrix’s soul who died a year ago.

Eddie Hazel recorded that song in one shot with a Wah-Wah pedal and a delay pedal if I’m not mistaken.

This piece of music represent a cosmic travel and the culmination to a state-of-mind which transcends all that human can imagine.

Maggot Brain was also played during the funeral of Eddie Hazel on 22, December, 1992.

Classified 60^th on the 100 greatest guitar songs of all times by Rolling Stone magazine, Maggot Brain is one of the guitar solo the most crushing and masterful in the world.

In my view, this song is bewitching, captivating and aerial. It makes me feel a lot of thing that I couldn’t describe. I love listen to this musical piece, it is one of my favourite. I feel the same thing when I listen to Before The Beginning of John Frusciante. Besides, he said he was inspired by Maggot Brain to record his song. It is featured on his 2009 album called The Empyrean.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-hre6wfvig[/youtube]

There is also a recent song of Childish Gambino present on his new album Awaken ! My Love called The Night Me And Your Mama Met which reminds me of Maggot Brain. By the way, I think all his new album was inspired by Maggot Brain album.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT4MgAtBbJA[/youtube]

Through my research about this beautiful song, I stumble upon a cover of Maggot Brain with a violin. According to me, it is wonderful.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APP6-4i_pR4[/youtube]

If you have 10 minutes to lose, please, listen to Maggot Brain. And if you have 30 minutes to lose, listen to the other music I have introduced in this article. All are amazing.

« Sister Rosa »

This song is from the rap group The Neville Bothers. The song tells the story of a famous african-american woman Rosa Parks.

In the 50’s racial segregation was present in all the America, this segregation imposed specificts rules for black and white people such as drinking in a water fountain, using public toilets and even riding on a bus. Blacks and Whites were separated in society.

In December, 1^st of 1955 a woman will change that discrimination, she refused to gave up her seat in the section reserved for « white people » to a white passenger. The bus driver odered her but she resisted and she was arrested by the police. This woman was Rosa Parks. She become the symbol of a social protest against the racial segregation because after this event, all black people decided to boycott Montgomery bus.

But let’s see the song:

December 1, 1955
Our freedom movement came alive
And because of Sister Rosa you know
We don’t ride on the back of the bus no more

This song is a committed song dating from 1989 and it remember all what happened,  it’s a kind of tribute for the strength and the courage of this woman who rose against the racial segregation and discrimination. The group has particulary insisted on the fact that this protesting has created a real change on the mind shift in this era and I realy like the anagram between the word « sparks » and the last name « Parks ».

Rock’n’Roll during the sixties

Hello everyone. For the first article of the month. I want to make an article in relation with our theme at school, The history of United states and particularly Segregation during the sixties. So we’re going to talk about Little Richards.

Little Richard or we can also called him by his real name, Richard Wayne Pennieman. He is an American author, pianist, artist and actor. Born the 5th 1932 december. Little Richards is both a legend of the rock’n’roll during the fifties and one of the first musical artist to recognize favor of white public. In 2008, the prestigious magazine Rolling stones considered him like one the best singer of the world. He makes incredible songs like Good Golly, Miss Molly, Rit It Up, Lucille or Tutti Frutti. One of his famous song was Long tall Sally and she was used (reprise) by many artist or band like The Beatles. I give you the clip video of Long Tall Sally with the lyrics of the music.

« Gonna tell Aunt Mary ’bout Uncle John,
He claim he has the misery but he’s havin’ a lot of fun,
Oh baby, yeah baby, woo, baby
Havin’ me some fun tonight yeah

Well long, tall Sally
She’s built for speed, she got
Everything that Uncle John need, oh baby,
Yeah baby, woo baby,
Havin’ me some fun tonight yeah

Well, I saw Uncle John with long tall Sally
He saw Aunt Mary comin’ and he ducked back in the alley oh baby,
Yeah baby, woo baby,
Havin’ me some fun tonight, yeah ow

Well, long, tall Sally
She’s built for speed, she got
Everything that Uncle John need oh baby,
Yeah baby, woo baby,
Havin’ me some fun tonight yeah

Well, I saw Uncle John with bald head Sally
He saw Aunt Mary comin’ and he ducked back in the alley oh baby,
Yeah baby, woo baby,
Havin’ me some fun tonight, yeah

We gonna have some fun tonight,
We gonna have some fun tonight, woo
Have some fun tonight, everything’s all right,
Have some fun, have me some fun tonight »

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVIttmFAzek[/youtube]

It was important for me to make an article about this man. Not only because he is a legend but also Litlle Richard inspired The beatles, Elton John, David bowie or a an amazing singer in 1980 Prince. He influenced his era with his rebel and personalty moreover with his clothes style

I like him, especially his musics, Long Tall Sally is for myself the best. I appreciate this kind of music. It was a time where music still cool and fun. Of course, this is just my subjectif point of view. That’s all for me, see you for the next article. It could probably about a movie, Bye and take care yourself.

Brian Hugh Warner, also known as Marilyn Manson come from the United States of America, and grew up in the state of Ohio. Solitary, the boy lived in an almost alarming indifference. In addition, Bryan crossing a succession of events that led him to withdraw into himself : studies in a strict Catholic institution and inadapted to his personality, victim of racket and violence on the part of his comrades, etc… In the end, the teenager he was, turned to rock culture, a passion he shared with his father. Then, out of pure rebellion, he committed thefts and other petty offenses, and was introduced to drugs. At the end of his studies he became a journalist, specifically music critic for several magazines. The fact to interview many celebrities decides him to turn to music. And this is where the real fun begins ! Bryan invents an avatar, a character symbolizing everything he hates in the right-thinking American. It is a kind of fusion of all the fears they have lived during his youth. Marilyn Manson is the combination of two distinct facets of U.S.A. On the one hand we have glamor, superficial aesthetics, richness with Marilyn Monroe. On the other we have violence, death, unhealthy, madness with Charles Manson.

Today, i’m going to talk about the album Antichrist Superstar released by Marilyn Manson in 1996. At the time, nobody expected such a shock because Marilyn Manson was a band as others, which was especially marked by his cover of Sweet Dreams (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUvVdTlA23w) and a certain aesthetic research. But with this album, the band made its debut in the rock’nroll circus.

In this album, the band delivers a vicious music that makes feel the chaos and confusion through aggressive music, sound rather dirty and full, sometimes sticky. Manson, weak and strong contrasts with the music Beautiful People and violently rejects religion as the source of weakness with The Reflecting God. Brian Hugh Warner, with this disc want rise and reach the summits and it’s why he decided to go as far as possible in the destruction to get out more stronger. Sleep deprivation and food, drug and sexual wanderings, everything has met to put us in an extreme emotional state. His singing is affected, especially skinned and threatening, like his words, especially collection of twisted metaphors in Tourniquet.
Manson uses the rebellion. Fallen angel, Luciferian, he won with strength as the new nightmare of America who is a victim of religious fundamentalism, handling, commercial and moral perversion, hypocrisy and fear that must be abandoned. Man must regain confidence in him, but for this cause shall a positive Apocalypse. Destroy to rebuild in a better shape. He opened the lid of his suggestion box for a furiously filthy and nasty result degenerated witness of his time. The album nevertheless reached with almost minimalist Man That You Fear, strange lament that the image of the clip finally offer a human and fragile face to the group.

To conclude, Antichrist Superstar retains the venom that made his reputation, and remains for many the best album of Marilyn Manson. Real shout of victory over oneself and call to transcendence, it is also the opportunity to measure how much more a Marilyn Manson album goes beyond just music. By his aggressiveness, aesthetic care of his videos, concerts violence that accompany. He imposed as the new rock sensation metal and the public enemy Number 1 in the US.

If you want discover the album, you can clik here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMV6M2Vnqpc 🙂

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end

Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
I’ll never look into your eyes…again

Can you picture what will be
So limitless and free
Desperately in need…of some…stranger’s hand
In a…desperate land

Lost in a Roman…wilderness of pain
And all the children are insane
All the children are insane
Waiting for the summer rain, yeah

There’s danger on the edge of town
Ride the King’s highway, baby
Weird scenes inside the gold mine
Ride the highway west, baby

Ride the snake, ride the snake
To the lake, the ancient lake, baby
The snake is long, seven miles
Ride the snake…he’s old, and his skin is cold

The west is the best
The west is the best
Get here, and we’ll do the rest

The blue bus is callin’ us
The blue bus is callin’ us
Driver, where you taken’ us

The killer awoke before dawn, he put his boots on
He took a face from the ancient gallery
And he walked on down the hall
He went into the room where his sister lived, and…then he
Paid a visit to his brother, and then he
He walked on down the hall, and
And he came to a door…and he looked inside
Father, yes son, I want to kill you
Mother…I want to…fuck you

C’mon baby, take a chance with us
C’mon baby, take a chance with us
C’mon baby, take a chance with us
And meet me at the back of the blue bus
Doin’ a blue rock
On a blue bus
Doin’ a blue rock
C’mon, yeah

Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end

It hurts to set you free
But you’ll never follow me
The end of laughter and soft lies
The end of nights we tried to die

This is the end

This song named « the end », it’s an extract of the first Doors’ album intitled « the Doors ». It was writing in 1967 by Jim Morrisson and his musicians.

This band born in L.A Californie, in 1665, and during the 7 following years, they going down in music history. Now The Doors are considerated as one of the biggest 70’s rock band.

But Jim Morrisson who was a drug addict, died at the age of 27 years old, and the band fell 2 years after.

This song, is really psycheledic. He’s long, 12 minutes, and we have some long instrumental passages (an electric guitar solo, an electric piano solo, …)

In the text, we don’t know if Jim talks about a girl, about him, about his parents …

Firstly we can thing he sing about his last girlfriend, but fastly, we can’t follow him. He talks about a « blue bus » and a killer. (Jim was fascinated by the dead.)

He mentionned his parents, but we can interpreted this as a reference to Sophocle, more precisly, to « Oedipe Roi ». He say « father, I want to kill you, Mother, I want to f*** you ».

In the drama « Oedipe Roi », Oedipe killed his father and married his mother.

To conclued, I love this song, because we really enter in the strange world of Jim Morrisson, with lot of contradictory feelings, pain and joy, calm and stressful at the same time.

Blessed With A Curse is a song by Bring Me The Horizon. Bring Me The Horizon (or BMTH) is a band from Sheffield, in England. This (hard rock) band has done 6 albums since 2004. It is my favourite band, the singer is Oliver Sykes. I have been listening them for 4 years. I started listening to them with the album Suicide Season, a powerful album (like the others…)

Blessed With A Curse is a music from the album There is the hell believe me I’ve seen it, There is a heaven let’s keep it a secret (haha, yes, so long) it was of my favourite songs, I really love listening to it because it is…POWERFUL! (I will explain what I mean, after…)

SOME LYRICS (MY FAVOURITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) :

« Ever since this began,
I was blessed with a curse.
And for better or for worse,
I was born into a hearse.
I know I said my heart beats for you.
I was lying girl,
It beats for two.
Cause I’ve got your love
And I’ve got these voices.

Take back!
Every word I’ve said ever said to you.
Take back!
Every word I’ve said ever said to you.

(…)

Everything I touch turns to stone, turns to stone.
So wrap your arms around me,
And leave me on my own. (x2) »

In this song, Oliver explains that he doesn’t know how to fix things, because he breaks everything, he is powerless, he lies, and « Everything I touch turns to stone », he needs to take things out of him.

I think it is a powerful song because, when I am angry, I need to put my earphones and to listen it several times until I am better… Sometimes, I watch this video, it frees me, because we can see Oliver shouting, he takes out all the pain and the hate which he has inside of him, and when I listen to this music, it’s as if I was in his place, as if I also take my pain out of me, like him.  

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-MPCg3vr5U[/youtube][/youtube]

I saw BMTH in Paris yesterday, the April 14th 2016. It was the best moment of my life and it still the best moment of my life, they played this song, I was like « OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! » haha, it was so powerful, more than the song on Deezer or on this video. I can’t wait to see them again, I enjoyed this moment, every song was…wow.

Today, I want to talk about the song Dark Paradise by Lana Del Rey (her real name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant), an amazing and talented American singer, she writes all the songs she sings. Lana Del Rey makes of her songs something beautiful, something full of softness.

The first song that people knew by her is Video Games (« it’s you, it’s you, it’s all for you… ») and that’s why I have started listening to her songs, and I fell in love with Dark Paradise (and other songs like Radio, National Anthem, Sad Girl…you have to listen to these songs, really!!!)

« All my friends tell me I should move on
I’m lying in the ocean, singing your song
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ahh
That’s how you sang it
Loving you forever, can’t be wrong
Even though you’re not here, won’t move on
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ahh
That’s how we played it
And there’s no remedy
For memory
Your face is like a melody,
It won’t leave my head
Your soul is haunting me
And telling me
That everything is fine
But I wish I was dead 
(dead like you)
Every time I close my eyes
It’s like a dark paradise
No one compares to you
I’m scared that you
Won’t be waiting on the other side
Every time I close my eyes
It’s like a dark paradise
No one compares to you
I’m scared that you
Won’t be waiting on the other side
All my friends ask me why I stay strong
Tell ’em when you find true love it lives on
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ahh
That’s why I stay here« 

In these lyrics, she talks about her lover lost, someone who’s dead now, and she can’t stop thinking or dreaming about this person, she miss this person. There are some metaphors, like « your face’s like a melody, it won’t leave my head » she references the person at a song, a melody that stays in mind, and we can’t do anything to stop that. Or « it’s like a dark paradise » she calls her life without her lover « dark paradise », two opposite words, dark reminds us the death, the sadness, the loneliness, and paradise reminds us a beautiful place where everybody is happy. So I think she loves thinking or dreaming about her lover, about her moments she spent with her lover, but when she realizes that her lover is dead, she feels empty and she is scared « I’m scared that you, won’t be waiting on the other side »

I really really really love this song because I love sad songs, emotional songs, songs that make thrillings, songs that sum up my different states of mind, and that song reminds me something that happened to me in the past, so this song does mean so much to me, and there is one of the only songs that I can listen again and again, without stop, I could do this all the days (and that’s what I do!!!)

I hope that one day I can see her, I can hear her singing Dark Paradise, I really hope, I think she will make me cry during this song : I am fragile, yes (hahahah) but, look! In this videos, she sings Dark Paradise, and she seems very sad and affected, a lot of emotions 🙁

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNFS0qTYYfY[/youtube]

Raised Against the Machine is a american punk band of the 90’s in their song they fight against the racism and the capitalism. The song that I want to present is KILLIG ON THE NAME she spoke about the event with the Ku Klux Klan ( a group of Neo-Nazis)

Killing in the name of!
Some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses
(4 )

Killing in the name of!
Killing in the name of

And now you do what they told ya
(10)
Well now you do what they told ya

Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, they’re the chosen whites
You justify those that died by wearing the badge, they’re the chosen whites
Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, they’re the chosen whites
You justify those that died by wearing the badge, they’re the chosen whites

Some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses
(3)
Uggh!

Killing in the name of!
Killing in the name of

And now you do what they told ya
(3)
And now you do what they told ya, now you’re under control
(6)
And now you do what they told ya!

Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, they’re the chosen whites
You justify those that died by wearing the badge, they’re the chosen whites
Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, they’re the chosen whites
You justify those that died by wearing the badge, they’re the chosen whites
Come on!

Yeah! Come on!

Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me
(15)
Motherfucker!
Uggh!

This song is very catchy,the tempo is very good and above all she forward a strong message. This band is one of the greatest group of Punk music .

LONG LIVE PUNK!

Colin

Read more: Rage Against The Machine – Killing In The Name Lyrics | MetroLyrics

Hey everybody !

Today I decided to speak about something else than a book. Yes it’s great to change sometimes!
First I wanted to tell you about another novel, but I read it a long time ago therefore I don’t really remember the details. That’s why I will read it again soon and the next article will be about it.

So I have chosen a song that I like to listen while I’m in the bus to go back home. This song is called “Escape from the city” and because I do not live in the city, it’s pretty appropriate for me ! It was composed by Jun Senoue and performed by Ted Poley and Tony Harnell.

(If you want to listen to it while reading, it’s under the text at the end !)

It was played in Sonic’s Adventure 2, but it’s not the main theme, just a stage music of the game.
We always say that Sonic has not the best games, but sure the best musics ! That’s pretty true because it’s a little chaotic when you play… However most of the music are freaking awesome.

If you don’t know Sonic the Hedgehog who is as famous as Mario it’s not a problem, but checks it out on Google 😉
In a nutshell he’s an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who can run faster than the sound (which is a pretty useful and cool ability, isn’t it ?). He has to save his world from a crazy genius named Dr Eggman who wants to control it with giants and terrifying robots (huh not really freaky anyway…).

You know this song is really energetic and it refers really well to Sonic who “can’t stick around, have to keep moving on”.  Moreover I’m a bit like that too, I’d rather move fast (or not !) instead of staying seated in a bus… And yet it’s impossible, of course. So that’s quite opposed.

As a result I only have that kind of music to escape the daily routine, to feel better after a bad day (when you got bad marks for instance !) or to go in my “bubble” to not hear the crazy and childish guys in my bus.

Indeed this music takes me in another world and I feel free to do what I want because it’s entertaining. Unfortunately every great thing has a problem, here it has a very irritating default : it’s too short ! Even not 3 minutes though it’s not really significant.

Otherwise I think this music’s genre can be loved by –almost- everybody since it’s not too classical or not a metal song. To me it’s the perfect middle. And the way he is singing is not too slow or too fast. The music behind is pretty cool and we don’t have huge basses which mess it up.

So here you can listen to this song and tell me what you think about it, if it’s the kind of music you like to listen to or if you like more another genre 😉

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5tzmkoesXY&index=7&list=RD9whhQrVnAtA
->The original-one : the best !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa2TCaE4MGk
-> Modern version

Comment what you think : it does no matter if you like or not, just share your opinion with us/me ! 🙂 See you soon !

As we are studying the writers of the Beat Generation, I’ve thought to this band.
Road Trippin’ is a song on their famous album « Californication » (in 1999). It deals with adventure, friendship, sadness, freedom…A lot of topics beloved by these authors. There’s a great feeling of melancholy in this album in general but this song represents very well this state-of-mind.
I find this song very poetical, the text as the music.

This is the text:
« Road trippin’ with my two favourite allies(friends)
Fully loaded we got snacks and supplies (food and drugs)
It’s time to leave the town
It’s time to steal away (turn away)
Let’s go get lost
Anywhere in the USA
Let’s go get lost

Blue you sit so pretty
West of the one
Sparkles(shining) light with yellow icing
Just a mirror for the sun
Just a mirror for the sun
Just a mirror for the sun
These Smiling eyes are just a mirror for

So much as come before those battles lost and
won
This life is shining more forever in the sun
Now let us check our heads
And let us check the surf
Staying high and dry’s
More trouble than it’s worth
In the sun

Just a mirror for the sun

These Smiling eyes are just a mirror for

In Big Sur we take some time to linger on ( to stay here)
We three hunky dory’s got our snakefinger on
Now let us drink the stars
It’s time to steal away
Let’s go get lost
Right here in the U.S.A

These smiling eyes are just a mirror for »

Leonard Bernstein (19918-1990) is an american composer, conductor, pianist and pedagogue. One of his most famous master was Aaron Copland and he studied in Harvard University. He began as an assistant for Serge Koussevitzky and then for the Philharmornic Orchestra of New York. He was known in 1954 thanks to the TV when he conducted the Symphony of the Air Orchestra. After this event he presented the Young’s People Concert, a TV program, where he taught playfully for children classical music.

He got an international recognition for his work with the Philharmonic Orchestra of New York where he worked as conductor from 1958 to 1969. He was and is always very famous for his composition of West Side Story, a musical comedy. He conducted most famous formations of the world like the Philharmonic Orchestra of Vienna, the Philharmonic Orchestra of London, the National Orchestra of France,… He was very talented because of his ease in all repertory, even if he had a predilection for Gustav Mahler (he said: « Mahler, it’s me »).

He wrote three ballets (Fancy Free, Facsimile, Dybbuk), three opera (Trouble in Tahiti, Candide, A Quiet Place), three simphony,… many other things like musical comedy or music for films and for choral or chamber music. I really advice you to listen to Bernstein’s work. It is amazing how he can change of repertory jazz or classical a kind of thing wich is very difivult for musicians, moreover for a conductor! But if you don’t like classical music, at least you must see West Side Story by Robert Wise (1961) with Jerome Robbins as choreographer for our culture!

Last week I went to the Jazz Festival in Nevers. There are several concerts with different artists ! I find that interesting because there are many great musicians, it’s quiet a chance for us!
I saw Bigre!, Quatuor Béla and Jean Louis, ONJ, Bill Frisell, Jacques Schwarz-Bart, Omar sosa, etc but I will study on Kenny Garrett that I saw Saturday, 15 November. I love it !

Kenny Garrett was born on the 9th of october 1960 and is a saxophonist. He has become the preeminent alto saxophonist of his generation. His career begin in 1978 in Duke Ellington Orchestra. In 1984 he made her first album as leader. Now there are 11 albums which have been nominated in Grammy Awards ! He is also a composer and in his music there is maybe Asian influences. His personality and his musical  improvisation are surprising !

« Happy People », 2002, was played to the Jazz Festival in concert. It was amazing ! People was dancing in the concert room, I haven’t see this before. This music make me happy. Moreover, Kenny Garrett loves contact with the public ! At the end of this version (on Youtube) we can hear people who dancing and singing ! Music can be during 5 or 20min, there isn’t end. He is brilliant !

Our teacher told us that the song Resistance by Muse was a reference to the film 1984, and as I love this band I decided to write an article about this song.

I never really paid attention to the lyrics before but indeed we can notice that it seems to be the story of Winston Smith and Julia who have an « illicit romance ». The song shows that they are afraid to be discovered by the Party because their relationship is illegal, they must be in a « hiding place » because they have no privacy, they are always watched by Big Brother which is called the « thought police » because they want to control everything and they want people to stop thinking. That’s why their love must stay secret and it’s their « resistance ».

I hope you will listen this song and enjoy it !

Playing for Change is a musical project which puts in scene musicians of the whole world to diffuse a message of peace. The Foundation Playing for Change is an organization intended for the development of music schools throughout the world. In 2008, a first music school is created in the suburbs of Cape Town, in South Africa. In 2010 two built and opened music schools: The Music school and of Dance Bizung in Ghana, The Music school in Mali. The Foundation Playing for Change develops also educational programs in Nepal and Rwanda in collaboration with other organizations.
I particularly like this foundation, you can only smile by seeing their videos. I really hope that you will have time to go to see them! And that you will like!! They have an official site, don’t hesitate to go to see!! Their songs are always very original mixing the origins of each one, of the instruments which we don’t have the practice to hear in France.

I leave you with a recovery of Bob Marley “One love” Good listening! and especially leave a comment to say to us what think you 🙂

PS : Sometimes, of the known musicians unite with them, then look at the vidéos well!!!

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xjPODksI08&list=PLC0A6F2B5A9E6A80D&index=2[/youtube]

I am going to speak to you in this article of one of my favorite artists: Aretha Franklin ! 

This talented American singer of Gospel, Soul-funk, Rhythm and blues and Jazz, nicknamed  » The Queen of Soul  » or still « Lady Soul » was born on March 25th, 1942.

We all heard already doubtless the magnificent version of  » Oh happy day  » (link) and we necessarily tried to dance on its resumption  » Think  » ( link) of the Blues Brothers! 

She sold 75 million records and stays the feminine artist today having sold most of all times vinyl records.
The magazine Rolling Stone places her first in the classification of the best singers of all times.

In 2009, she interprets My Country ‘ Tis of Thee, during the ceremony of the new president of the USA Barack Obama.

In 1968, Aretha Franklin is classified in second position of the Afro-American personalities the most known about the world, just behind Martin Luther King.

I think that I am going to stop there because we could write pages and pages on her.

In class we talked about protests songs during the 60’s-70’s. So I think it’s important to mention the famous singer: Bob Marley. This personality written many protests songs to denounce racism. During his life he was commited to defend civils rights and also to deliver a message of peace.

The most popular protest song is « Get up, Stand up » written in 1973. This is a song against discrimination and oppression of black people. Through this lycris we unterstand that Bob Marley wanted that people « stand up for their rights ».

Moreover this singer remained in our memory as a talented musician who influenced the reggae’s world.

Our first lesson in literature in English this year was about protests songs. And I almost immediately thought about Tracy Chapman’s first album which came out in 1988 because this album contains mostly protests songs except maybe for 3 or 4 singles on the album. Tracy Chapman is a black singer, musician AND song writer born in 1964 Cleveland (Ohio).
I believe she is mostly a folk singer althought she might have come to another genre by now but I’m not really sure because to be honest I only know her two first albums (which are amazing). It’s really different from what we usually hear (but not necessarily listen to) because her voice seems to take over the instruments and it can be disturbing at first if you’re not used to it but it really moves you once you let it surrounds you.
Back to our topic, which is as I recall her first album and its songs that can be qualified as protest songs. I believe her songs are the abstract kind of ones, as they touch multiple subjects like inequalities between rich and poor people in « Talkin’ bout A Revolution », or the discrimation of black people among the american society back then in « Across the line », or domestic abuse (with the case of battered women) in « Behind the Wall » or consumer society in « Mountains O’ Things » or even the place of women in the society in « She’s got her Ticket » and finally a mix of all those subjects in « Why ? ».
I know I only stated the subject of each songs but they are so complete and in the same time simple on their own that I truly can’t see how I could explain them without ruining a bit of the magic. The only thing I can advise you is to listen to this album because it’s definiely worth the shot.
I hesitated when I choose the song that I would share with you but to me the most moving one is « Behind the Wall » so here is a little preview of her talent.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iUoqTaowaI[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwZNL7QVJjE[/youtube]

Here is one of my favorite song. It is performed by Ben E. King, composed and written in 1961 by Ben E. King with Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller.

Lyrics and music are inspired by one gospel written by the pastor Charles Tindley.

This song made ??a lot of recovery by singers or group well-known such as John Lennon, Elvis Presley, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Hallyday and others.

I hope you enjoy this music as much as me.

Since we’ve talked about the great Bob Dylan in class, i thought it would be appropriate to evoke some of his greatest songs. I choose three well-known songs of him that inspire me a lot.

• « Blowin’ in the Wind », and what a song! it’s probably the most popular song of Dylan. Written  » in 10 minutes » (according to the famous songwriter), it became quickly a true Anthem for a whole generation, supporting many ideas about peace and freedom.
• « all along the watchtower » is also a famous song in its accoustic version, but its most known version is definitly the one made by Jimi Hendrix, slower but also more rock.
• « Masters of war » is my favorite song of Bob Dylan and also one of my favorite songs ever. The power of this song is so strong and unifying that it still resonates through our world today.

I would like to share with you my favorite cover of « Masters of War » made by an Irish singer that I love for a few years already and who begin to be known in France : Ed Sheeran.

I hope you’ll enjoy this cover ( whether you like the original or not). And what about you? do you like Bob dylan? what is you favorite songs of him?

Blowin’ in the Wind is a song written by Bob Dylan, it’s the most famous protest song ever.

« How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they’re forever banned?
The answer my friend is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.

Yes, how many years can a mountain exist
Before it’s washed to the sea?
Yes, how many years can some people exist
Before they’re allowed to be free?
Yes, how many times can a man turn his head
Pretending he just doesn’t see?
The answer my friend is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.

Yes, how many times must a man look up
Before he can really see the sky?
Yes, how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer my friend is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind. »

In fact, there is no allusion of an event, so this song is timeless. However, Dylan wrote it in 1962 during the Vietnam War and movements for civil rights.

Each verse is a question and « the answer is blowin in the wind » in each chorus.

Here, my cover of this song with Nicolas :

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQcq6gQgviU[/youtube]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQZLPV6xcHI[/youtube]

Like the Cranberries, U2 is an Irish rock band who is formed in 1976.

Sunday Bloody Sunday is a song on their album entitled War released in 1983. This song is about the conflict of the North of Ireland. It’s a tribute of Derry’s event in 1972 called « Bloody Sunday » : peaceful demonstrators are killed by the British army during a walk organized by Ivan Cooper to protest for the civic rights’s respect of Catholics of Ulster and to protest against locals powers’s discrimination, which inspires the band to write this song.

It’s a commited song and the band are conscious of it. In fact, they have been criticized about this song but they have been a great success too.

The lyrics are about violence, anger, it describes scene of battle and it criticizes media which trivialize the scenes of violence.

Many people appreciate this song because it raises an universal subject : injustice and violence by the power on the people, the discrimination, the war, the useless deaths,…

And you, what do you think of commited song?

Danny Elfman is an american composer who was born in 1953 in Texas. He was a leader of a group of rock and  new wave called Oingo Boingo. He is more famous for  his composition of musique of film like for films by Tim Burton (Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow,…) or by Sam Raimi (Darkman, Oz: The great and powerful,…). He wrote also the musical themes of famous TV serial’s credit like the credits of The Simpson or Desperate Housewives. He participe too to creat the musique of a videogame, Fable.

I find his musique very interesting. It permits really to create an atmosphere in films. I remember when I listen the soundtrack of Sleepy Hollow I was scared! In Alice Wonderland, It complate the wonder of the story and his non-sence with sound who we don’t understand, mysterious sound. In this film we aren’t scared but intrigued.

For me, the musique by Danny Elfma completes really films. We are absorbed by an universe. If we don’t have it, films will become very boring. Don’t you think?

   Jon Cozart, is a 20 years old american student, also known as Paint, who makes songs on Youtube. He get famous with a song about Harry Potter : he makes a summary of the famous movies by singing on the original musical theme. It’s a funny way to discover the saga if you didn’t see it (I think everyone had seen at least one of the Harry Potter‘s movies !) In this video he sum up the seven movies in 99 seconds!

If you are a music lover, you probably know the adaptations of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the popular song. Serge Gainsbourg was the first artist to talk about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in a song  in 1966. Two years later The Who wrote a song inspired by the novel. Since 1968, many artists have composed  songs inspired by the novel as Renaud or the BB Brunes. To conclude, we can say that this novel is well known, even in the music industry …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUFgqKbu2Fo

This song is performed by the famous group The Who! and appears on the album Magic bus : The Who on Tour (1968). This music speaks about the transformation of Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde. Personally, I like it and I hope that you will like it as much as me!

Good listening !