Janine

Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA


Joined August 14th 2006

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Oops She Did It Again...

November 15th 2009 02:26
There’s been a lot of talk this week about Britney and her Miming…Circus World Tour. She touched down in Perth to controversy when fans starting walking out of her show because she mimed.



Personally, I don’t see what the big fuss is. Britney Spears has never made an effort to hide the fact she mimes. It’s something she has done for years and is well known for doing so. Did fans seriously believe that she would touch down in Australia and think ‘You know what ya’ll I think I’ll start actually singing my tunes live’?



Now if it was AC/DC miming or even P!nk miming her whole show- then I’d be scratching my head and asking wtf? But this is Britney- Queen of the Mimes. From what I’ve heard, her miming live is not a bad thing and you’ve got to give her kudos for not bothering to try and hide it. And, trust me hiding it ain’t easy when you’re not singing or shall I dare say miming in time to the vocal backtrack.



Brit’s Management of course tried their best to work all the overexposure of her concerts to their advantage, stating that it was only Journalists walking out. Honey, I don’t think that many Journalists went to Brit’s shows.



This was all said on Twitter- incidentally Britney also doesn’t write her own twitter posts. No big surprise there right?



They need to suck it up and accept the fact that fans walked out. Yes, there were some stupid enough to believe she would sing but there are others that walked out for another reason. They could deal with the miming- what they couldn’t deal with was the crappy performance. Her stage show was described by one fan as lacklustre.



This is where I do have an issue with Britney.



Now if you’re going to mime throughout the whole show- which even includes your small talk with the audience, at least put on one hell of a show. Don’t keep your back to the audience for most of the show (You do realise that this will only make you a brilliant bulleye for anything they want to throw at you?) and do try to act like you want to be there. Either that or pretend to. (Although after seeing crossroads many would know her acting is just as appalling)



And please, just please try and acknowledge your fans are even there- maybe by spending a little more time on the stage. Or better yet, make them feel like that you actually give a damn about being there instead of acting like you are a badly programmed robot and to you this is just another nameless crowd and another tour date completed.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Britney fan. I own all her CD’s and will gladly admit it. But am I going to spend hundreds of dollars to see her mime badly live and put on an equally bad show? Nope, not this gal.



Call me old fashioned but I like my music live and when I mean live, I mean exactly that – live. I want to see a band actually singing the words (however off-key it may sometimes be). I like a band to play their own instruments, to interact with a crowd and show fans their appreciation by wanting to be there rather than acting like a marionette on a string.



That’s just my five cents worth people…
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U2- Rattle and Hum

November 2nd 2009 08:27
U2-Rattle and Hum

Year: 1988
Record Label: Island Records
Track listing:
01. Helter Skelter
02. Van Diemen’s land
03. Desire
04. Hawkmoon 269
05. All along the watchtower
06. I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
07. Freedom for my people
08. Silver and gold
09. Pride (in the name of love)
10. Angel of Harlem
11. Love rescue me
12. When love comes to town
13. Heartland
14. God part II
15. The Star Spangled Banner
16. Bullet the blue sky
17. All I want is you



This is probably one of my favourite U2 albums. Always has been, always will be. It’s the one I tend to pull out whenever I feel the urge to listen to Bono and the boys.
So what is it about this album that keeps me coming back for more, you may ask.
While it was greeted with much disdain when it first came out, due to the feature film that accompanied it, it does pay tribute to the likes of Bob Dylan, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix.
The duet with BB King also suggests that the mockumentary that accompanied it was exactly that, a mockumentary.
A mixture of live tracks and studio tracks, the album does have an American feel to it, and as mentioned earlier does pay tribute to many different artists. But while fans dismissed the album, it is an album worthy of it’s predessors with the blistering track of “Desire”, the heartwrenching, “All I want is you” and the very bluesy “When loves come to town”, which BB King does justice to.

One of the things I love about this CD is that it allows other members to be in the spotlight, instead of just Bono. The Edge gives us a sample of his own eccletic vocals in “Van Diemen’s land”, that shows a promise of the folksinger within.

Despite it’s slamming by it’s fans and the critics, this album still out to me, and was influential in my falling in love with U2 all over again. It shows that Bono and the boys know how to rock with the best of them, and aren’t afraid of mixing it up and experimenting with different sounds, as they did with hawkmoon 269.

I also love their version of All Along the watchtower. Granted Jimi will never be beaten, but this example exudes the sweat and passion that omits from Bono, as he throatily sings this song. As mentioned, Jimi can’t be beaten, but Bono is definitely a worthy adversary.

Lyrically, this album really shows U2 as master songwriters. All I want is you is an example of that. Still considered one of their most famous songs, it is brilliantly writing, and Edge is at his best with an intriculate guitar solo, with amps turned up loud. They can be heard over Bono’s final cry of “all I want is your love…your love”.

One thing that many forget about this album is that it did spawn many different hits, including All I want is you, Angel of Harlem, and when love comes to town.

The brilliance of the Harlem Choir accompanies “I still haven’t found what I am looking for”, and gives the song a new makeover, that I think definitely highlights the song’s strength. While the original is worthy, this new version is much better, and the choir really does do the song justice.


I think one of the ideas of the U2 mockumentary and this album, was for U2 to make a connection with America. Bono once said that “American both fascinates and frightens me”, and I think that is evident on this album.
Heartland is a perfect allegory of a woman, and the United States. There is no doubt that U2 are passionate about some of their idols, and do them justice on this album.

The band do experiment with a lot of American style music- blues, choirs, and of course touch on the American Star Spangled Banner, with Edge using his magic touch on it.


One last thing that should be pointed out about this album, is that it is a live album and shows what U2 do very best-performing live. Every member knows how to put on a performance, whether it be Larry with his drum solos, Edge and his blistering guitars or Bono camping it up. This album captures all of this, and captures the passion that is U2.
There is no denying that they love their jobs, and love preaching to the people, as they do with “silver and gold”. That should never be taken from them.

Standout songs on the album? Helter Skelter, desire, I still haven’t found what I’m looking for, silver and gold, angel of harlem, when loves comes to town, all I want is you.

I give this 5/5
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Dolly Parton-New Harvest

September 15th 2009 22:46
Dolly Parton-New Harvest, First Gathering

Record Label: RCA
Year: 1977
Track Listing:
01. Light Of A Clear Blue Morning
02. Applejack
03. My Girl (My Love)
04. Holdin On To You
05. You Are
06. How Does It Feel?
07. Where Beauty Lives In Memory
08. (Your Love Lifts Me Up) Higher and Higher
09. Getting In My Way
10. There

New Harvest, First Gathering was released in 1977 and was a milestone of sorts for Dolly Parton. Firstly it was her first effort to stray into the pop charts and secondly, and perhaps most importantly it was Parton’s first self-produced album and thus the beginning of her emergence as a heavyweight in the Country music industry.

While many may turn their nose up at this album in disdain for the fact it is much more pop than country, I am not one of those. If you ignore the fact that Parton is known as the Queen of Country, this is actually an enjoyable album.
It’s not easy to forget this about Parton, and in honesty she does not stray that far away from her country roots as some would make you think.

In fact tracks such as ‘Applejack’ are rollicking country at it’s best. Parton also convinced some of Country’s biggest legends to appear on the album, which included Chet Atkins, Minnie Pearl and Kitty Wells.

One of the biggest hits that came off this album is the first track ‘Light Of A Clear Morning’, which Parton reportedly wrote about the bitter breakup with her duet partner Portner Wagoner, when she opted to go solo. Providing a top twenty hit on the country charts for Parton, it is the perfect way to start the album and Parton re-recorded it for a later album ‘Straight Talk’ and has a slightly gospel tinge to it.

While her first foray into pop was a failure of sorts, the album stalling on the pop charts, it still achieved critical acclaim and there’s a reason. While it’s more pop than country in some parts, there’s still an underlying of Parton right throughout. The songs are contemplative, masterfully arranged and poignant and uplifting (‘You Are’ and ‘Where Beauty Lives In Memory’)

I’m not a huge fan of Parton covering other artists, although her last cover album ‘Those Were The Days’ was definitely one of her better ones. Having said that her version of ‘My Girl’, which is classic Motown and one of my all-time favourite songs, is weak at its best.
While she destroys one motown song she takes another, with her cover of the Jackie Wilson classic 'Higher and Higher’ and makes it her own. It’s simply brilliant, and a shining example of what a talent Parton is.

‘Applejack’ and ‘Where Beauty Lives In Memory’ are examples of Parton’s gift for lyrics and storytelling.

This is one of Dolly’s most underrated albums, and one that I would consider her best from the 70’s.

I give it 4/5
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Michael Jackson's Top Ten songs

August 15th 2009 09:34
Michael Jackson....

Love him or hate him, there is no getting past the fact that Michael Jackson has had a lasting
effect on the music industry. While he may have stepped away from the limelight during the last years of his life, the 80's and early 90's saw Jackson in his prime. His talent not just as a musician, but also as a chorographer and songwriter are well documented (If you don't believe us, go search youtube for Thriller, Bad, Billy Jean, and Remember the Times to name a few


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Dolly Parton- The Great Pretender

July 26th 2009 04:24
Dolly Parton- The Great Pretender

Record Label: RCA


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Dolly Parton- White Limozeen

July 3rd 2009 08:20
Dolly Parton-White Limozeen

Record Label: Columbia


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U2: Rattle and Hum

June 16th 2009 07:56
U2-Rattle and Hum

Year: 1988


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Flogging Molly-The Complete Control Sessions

Record Label: SideOneDummy Records


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Heidi Newfield- What Am I Waiting For?

Record Label: Curb Records


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48
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Paramore- Riot

April 27th 2009 08:54
Paramore-Riot

Record Label


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44
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on Feedback on your blog

October 9th 2006 08:29
definitely any feedback would be welcome for http://www.xwiredonline.com.au