Sorry, World...Canada is closed today; there has been a death in the family

The title for this post comes from comments I've seen around Facebook this morning as the death of Canadian legend Gord Downie was announced. We've known since his cancer diagnosis this was going to happen, and yet, we hoped to hell it wouldn't. I'm the first to admit I was never a huge fan of Gord, or The Tragically Hip up until his diagnosis....and yet, then I took the time to listen, to truly listen to his words, and read more about his advocacy and his causes.

 It wasn't really until last year, when my oldest did a project on Downie's Secret Path that I truly got into the band, and the man..it was never my cup of tea..BUT... As my boy sat there explaining reconciliation  with tears streaming down his face,  I truly got what a master this man was with his lyrics.

 When my then 11-year old son said "“nobody wants to live in a grey world … Culture’s the roots of everything.” it was because Gord Downie spoke words he understood, now my kid's smart....and an old soul, but it was truly this project that made him understand life, and how unfair life was for certain people in the world.

One of our local radio personalities said this morning, Gord always spoke with a purpose, he never wasted words and they meant something. I think I understood that more myself, when I heard The Hip's song Wheat Kings.  A song written about David Milgaard who spent 20 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit. "Twenty years for nothing, well, that's nothing new.Besides, no one's interested in something you didn't do" How true are those words?   He's right, and it has happened so many times........but he spoke out about so many atrocities that maybe, just maybe people would ignore or not know about but he wouldn't allow that to happen.  There are so many more songs I wish I could discuss but, it's hard to type through the tears.


We will miss his quiet grace, his talent.....but mostly we'll just miss Gord, who was so much a part of Canada even the Prime Minister was in tears (and the first person to turn this into a political bashing post will be deeply sorry)  but as his words stated "we are less of a country without Gord Downie in it"

Another Legend Gone..

I have struggled to find the words to say about Tom Petty and I know I can't do him justice. All I can say is it sucks that another music legend is gone. I am starting to feel like I never post here unless someone has died. He was another one I've loved since I was a little girl,  and the Alice In Wonderland style video for Don't Come Around Here No More gave me nightmares especially the scene where Alice turns into cake and he, as the Mad Hatter cuts a piece of her out.....but it was the beginning of my exposure to his musical genius, that existed before I was born.  I have used I Won't Back Down as my theme song.  I used to pretend that Don't Do Me Like That was sung to me, by someone I cared deeply for was sung to me and that maybe when he saw me with someone else he realized what he lost.  Seeing a young Johnny Depp in Into The Great Wide Open.  Listening to Free Fallin' and You Don't Know How It Feels with friends...it's just, hard to wrap my brain around......another one on my bucket list.......another one gone with no chance of it happening....my heart keeps breaking more and more

Covers: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

I was discussing different cover songs earlier and thought it would make an interesting blog topic;  I'm a bit of a cover snob, I either love it or hate it, rarely is there an in between.  First, we'll start with the good, well in my opinion anyway

• Landslide originally performed by Fleetwood Mac is a wonderful song, lyrically beautiful however  there are two wonderful covers that spring to mind.  The first is definitely Dixie Chicks off their album Home.  Natalie Maines has a voice that was made for this song.   I would be lying if I didn't say I love it more than the original. There is a pureness to her voice in this song that just...out does the raspy quality of Stevie Nicks (with that said, Stevie Nicks is a goddess) the second cover of this song that I love is by Bush it was a bonus track on their Sea of Memories deluxe album. In all fairness, there are very few songs by them that I don't love, but this one sends chills right down my spine. 

• Nothing Compares 2 U  written by Prince, and originally performed by Sinéad O'Connor was an okay song a bit overplayed back in 1990 but, that happens.  Sadly, I didn't know of the Chris Cornell cover until after his death.  The rawness in his voice just....works for this song. You can hear the pain, and the loneliness  The versions I've heard of his are all acoustic, just him and a guitar and for that to sound good takes talent.

• Sound of Silence originally performed by Simon & Garfunkel and by Disturbed. This song never fails to bring on the tears. In this case, I much prefer the cover. David Draiman hit a home run with this one. The emotion he brings to this fits the song so much more than the softer sound of the original.

• Hard to Handle  originally by Otis Redding covered by The Black Crowes. For years, I didn't even know it was a cover, and not to diminish anything Otis has done, as Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay is an amazing song but Chris Robinson made it his own or maybe, it's my attachment to it from sitting at the bar in my early 20s hearing friends perform it every weekend. 

• Speaking of making songs their own... I have to mention Johnny Cash's cover of Hurt originally performed by Nine Inch Nails.  There are just no words for how absolutely stunning this rendition is. 

• I'm sure I'm going to be deemed crazy with this one, but Behind Blue Eyes, covered by Limp Bizkit is not a bad cover. It drives me crazy to see it on so many bad covers list. Fred Durst's voice is solid on this cover. It fits the song better than the original by The Who.

I could go on and on in regards to good covers, there's so, so many but I still have the bad, and the ugly to cover (see what I did there? )

•  Don't Dream It's Over was originally performed by Crowded House. I recently came across a version by Bush  from one of their concerts......now I adore  this band I think I've made that clear but Gavin Rossdale's voice does not work for this song.

• Boys of Summer, covered by Ataris, originally by Don Henley no, dudes,  just no. This was awful. It could be worse of course, but I don't see how

• Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) originally by The Eurythmics, covered by Marilyn  Manson.  I seriously don't know what he was thinking but this is just bad, so bad.

• I Love Rock N Roll originally by Joan Jett, covered by Britney Spears. All I can say is what in the auto-tuned hell was she thinking??  I don't mind some Britney songs but this was just awful!!

• Land of Confusion originally by Genesis  and covered by Disturbed. It's a decent song don't ge me wrong but I think my childhood love for it just won't allow me to like it 

• Bad Company, originally by Bad Company and covered by Five Finger Death Punch. There's so, so much wrong this I just can't even begin.

• Bringin' on the Heartbreak, originally by Def Leppard,  covered by Mariah Carey.  Just typing that made me shudder. I remember hearing it and all I could  say was "what the actual hell was that?"

Now to the two ugly that I can think of....

•  Purple Rain, originally by Prince and covered by LeAnn Rimes.  I don't know what possessed her to do that song. She has a beautiful voice and I do actually like her, but that cover was the most hideous thing I have heard come out of her mouth.

•  Every  Rose Has Its Thorn originally by Poison,  covered by Miley Cyrus.  Again, I like Miley's voice, while not a fan I can admit the girl can sing.....but all I could say when I heard her sing it was  "oh honey....no, just no" 

Now, to be completely fair I in general can not imagine anyone covering those two songs and doing it justice. They are two awesome songs and should be left to the respective singers and never be touched. 

 At any rate, my opinions are my own and I know not everyone will agree with me.

Music Speaks, Music Heals

It's been ten days since the world lost Chester Bennington, yes I'm still talking about it because I'm still thinking about it. I can't seem to get it off my mind.   That man saved me, his music saved me. I still feel like I'm in a tunnel or underwater, but...I'm getting there, because I have to.  I have to believe  his loss will save someone, will keep them fighting because he lost his battle with depression... as the band said in their statement, they always knew his demons were part of the deal and so many of us deal with those, don't we?


I have tried listening to Linkin Park since this tragedy, and some songs I can handle, and some I can't...I had already had a hard time listening to One More Light  I don't know if I ever can again, which, in a way it reminds me of when Prince died just over a year ago....I still can't handle hearing Little Red Corvette the first song I ever loved by him when I was just a tiny, little girl.


A few songs are getting me through this, most notably Bush's songs Sound of Winter and The Only Way Out Is Through. There is something absolutely calming about Gavin Rossdale  maybe it's just his genuineness  or the positivity he shows in his interactions with fans.

 That song then lead to listening to Shinedown and their song How Did You Love.  That song gives me goosebumps, but it's also a reminder that we have to love people for who and what they are. At least that's what I get out of it. At the end of your life, how did you love? Did you love people for their scars and their battles or were we judge and jury for people's mistakes?

 This then lead me to True Colors by Cyndi Lauper  which is always a reminder to be YOU. Be the person you're meant to be and it's okay.  I remember playing this song over and over when my son was being bullied...reminding him that who he was, was okay, and that if people couldn't see his true colors, it was their loss......I can't say it's getting easier, but music heals, and it will get better....tomorrow is a new day, and I want to live my life and see what the future brings.

Words Fail....

Never in a million years, did I believe I'd write this post...and certainly not as my first "real" one. Yesterday my world  shattered, my musical world that is.  Yesterday morning, Chester Bennington  died. Those words destroy a piece of me to type.  The worst is that it was by his own hand.


Honestly....   I had an entirely different post planned about the band, that I was working on when the news came down.  One day I will be ready to get back to that post. Instead,  let me take you on a little trip through the years since my introduction to them:


My husband fell in love with Linkin Park, long before I did....but when I did, I fell hard. This band has been saying the words I couldn't in so many situations. They were there with "One Step Closer" when I was angry....in a way "Leave Out All The Rest" was a love song in a sense between my husband and I after a dream he had about me when he first heard it ..they were there with "Shadow of the Day" when I suffered a pregnancy loss I didn't know if I could come back from.


Their most recent album, "One More Light" has been a constant, since it's release because I've been fighting depression and anxiety, tones of which are prevalent on the album....It boils down to, when I need to feel, I turn to Linkin Park.....many of us fans did.


 The one sentiment I have seen over and over again the last 24-hours is how we wish we could have saved him...the way his music speaking saved us.

Why does music speak when words fail?

One of my first memories as a young child relates to music. I can't sing, or play an instrument, but music has been my life for literally as far back as I can remember.  I'm the girl that remembers most songs from the first note, and who relates more songs to memories  than I can count. I'm the mother that played music for my babies before they were born.  From Louis Armstrong to Linkin Park, there is not a day that music is not part of my life.

The word "music" conjures up different ideas to different people.  From being sung at birthdays, to Christmas music, to the chills you get when that song comes on.  Music is passion, and regret, anger, and fear all rolled into one.  It can be your friend when you're lonely. It can be your enemy when that lyric comes on that makes your heart feel like it has shattered into a million pieces When you need to express how you feel, and can't find your own words, there are songs in droves that can say exactly what you want others to know. 

In short, this blog sets out to share my love of music, the songs that speak to me, and for me.  You'll find music reviews, music rants, and maybe you'll find some song you haven't heard of, that you will fall in love with the way I have.