What I learnt from Rock, and Roll.

Stairway to heaven taught me that even the best can be ruined by a repeated nagging glitch.

A tout le monde taught me French.

Symphony of destruction taught me world politics.

The painkiller taught me that music isn’t necessarily the best cure for a headache.

Heaven and hell taught me that no matter what, Black Sabbath is God.

No one like you taught me that a song which is on-your-face romantic needn’t necessarily be so.

Never walk alone taught me that a song which isn't apparently romantic could be perceived so.

Give it away now taught me the importance of charity.

Nothing else matters taught me how to open up about the way I feel.

Bleed it out gave me the song which I want people to play in my funeral.

Fear of the dark kept me awake for nights on end.

She-wolf (almost) gave me a new purpose in life.

Laid to rest asked me to find out who gives a darn afterall.

And Seize the day taught me to how to very effectively bullshit.

"We are the music makers , we are the dreamer of dreams."

When you close your eyes , what do you see? The person you love? The person you wish would love you back? That precious, infantile goal which the world would probably laugh at?
When I close my eyes, I get dizzy. There are just too many things which flash through my mind , some fond memories , most irrational cravings. I have been known as the quintessential day-dreamer. I live my life as a dream , I see things the way I wish to see them. I construct my own images of what people around me are like , I imagine what they would say and when...it's tiring and yes , it makes me so detached from reality. So when I open my eyes and find myself bruised and see people around me in a new light, it is a rude shock , but yes , strangely relieving too. One less dream to chase , one step closer to reality.
One of my most cherished memories is the first time I was part of a jamming session. Two years back , my brother introduced me to metal and it was like something clicked , like I had found my voice. Most people dismiss heavy metal music , it's noise , they say , too much growling , too much violence , too intense and if I may dare say , dangerous. I disagree. What's music and what's noise and who decides the difference between the two? I might find Carnatic music intolerable , I could find Opera music akin to yowling cats.How can you decide that *this* is music , and *that* is not? I find that extremely shallow and disturbing.
To me , metal symbolises freedom , the ability to deviate from 'normal' music. Metal has a cause , it has a voice of its own , it represents something as anyone who listens to thrash/white/death metal would know. It's not junk music , I would go as far as to say it's 'real' music , music which stands on its own right, a genre with so much variety contained in it (thirty four subgenres , according to Wiki). It's music which makes you feel like you're part of a crowd , yet so alone , as anyone who's been to a rock concert would know. There's screaming yes , there's awesome guitars , hysterical fans , maddening music....yet amidst that chaos is a sense of quietitude , sense of being overwhelmed...overpowered and empowered at the same time. It's an exhilarating feeling , I remember headbanging to Symphony of Destruction at Vivum two years back. That moment , there was no good music or bad music (although , in hindsight , they just didn't do Megadeth justice), it was just a bunch of us with our own individual experiences , preferences , backgrounds , brought together by the creators of music. And nothing else mattered.
I can't create music per se , I can't play the guitar or any musical instrument for that matter and my singing is strictly functional. Yet , when I'm part of a jamming session , I feel like I *create* music too , it's not just them playing out there , it's that girl sitting in the corner , away from the world who does too. That girl may not know the difference between a riff and a chord , but in her own quiet way , in her dreams , in her hopes , in her reality , she is quietly creating her own tunes , dancing to her own music. And to her , nothing else matters.

Refrains , vocalists and dogs whining.

Sometimes , the refrain in a song really does matter.

I was listening to Stairway to Heaven sometime back for possibly the millionth(?) time. I love that song. At first , the quiet vocals and the apparent lack of energy would put me off  and thus  I gave up on it , for maybe I expected a little more gusto after being subjected to Metallica , Children of Bodom , Slayer and the like. Not subjected , exactly. Subjected would mean...submission or involuntary involvement. More like...I don't know. And I'm digressing.

Anyway , it's a lovely song. I love the way it begins , I love the guitar , the matter-of-fact tone , the voice...Robert Plant has the second best voice in heavy metal music. The first is Dave Mustaine. Never walk alone! A tout le monde! :D

But then the refrain spoilt it all.

I understand that the lyrics aren't meant to make any sense for it is a '60s song and thus provides a good enough reason for it to not mean anything.

But the refrain and the way it is sung...reminded me of Hey there Delilah and that is very bad , for a classic song is being equated to a trashy loser song which at best can be laughed at! "ooo...it makes me wonder.."...it sounds pompous and a mockery at best. And it is repeated around three to four times in the song , so I can't resist a smirk everytime Plant goes "...and it makes me wonder" which I find truly distressing. So much for a classic song and it's imperfections. So much for me. ^ ^

Hey there Delilah is a trashy song at best. Some argue that it portrays true love , it's touching...but I think it's crap. But I shall not post more in this vein so as to not affect certain sentiments. I'll only say that the refrain ('oooo , it's what you do to meeee') sounds incredibly like a dog whining. o_O

A song in which I really like the refrain is Black Night (Deep Purple). 'The black (k)night is..far away from home"...it introduces the possibility of 'Night' being interpreted as 'Knight' too. I love that song. It's really catchy and short which makes it intensely likeable. One reason I do not like Smoke on the water is that it's too long. It's got a good beat and all , but it's plain and repetitive. Black Night is crisper and better. I love old songs , especially You've got another thing coming (Judas Priest). That's another long song , but more ruing for another day. :P

PS - 'Classic' need not necessarily be interpreted in a strictly technical sense. It could mean , superior , excellent , or vintage , depending upon the context. :P

Satriani , names that roll and big words.

I'm listening to Satch boogie , by Joe Satriani.

I love the way it begins - jazzy and full of energy , if I may say so. Spirited and lovable. But after a while , it seems like a disorganised array of many tunes , so I move on to Always with me , Always with you.

This is a classic song. I love the way it begins , the way , it moves up , from low to high , the cheerfulness of it all. It's a very cheerful song , tune rather. And with amazing guitar. I love Joe Satriani. I think he's an amazing guitarist. Even better than Steve Vai , who's kind of my namesake. I like how all Satriani's songs are so...joyous. 'Summer song' couldn't have a better name.

Is it just me , or does the beginning of 'No One Like You' (Scorpions)  sound like a Joe Satriani/Steve Vai piece (I wouldnt know whether it is Yngwie Malmsteen's , for I haven't heard any of his songs. And even if I have , I wouldn't remember) to you too? Probably , it's just my imagination. Or maybe , a guitar riff/chord is the same. I wouldn't know. I don't play the guitar. 

I admire people who play the guitar. Or any instrument for that matter. I think it's an achievement to create music. Pluck the right chords. Not sound awful. And concentrate and keep in tune.

I love the names of the classic guitarists - Joe Satriani , Steve Vai , Yngwie Malmsteen , Lynyrd Skynyrd. I love the way it rolls out of your tongue! It makes for a very satisfactory pronounciation. That's another word I like. Pro-nun-see-ay-shun. And dee-nun-see-ay-shun. I love that word too. I think it is pul-chri-tu-di-nous. There , I said it!

I like using big words. Sometimes I don't know what they mean , but I still like using them. Which is not a very good thing to do. It is viperous (Thank you , Thesaurus!). And can make you look foolish. Not to mention , a Rodomontade. Gasconade! Fanfaronade! Gatorade! Lemonade! 

Not the last two. I'm just bored. And jobless. :D .Which is why I created this blog. Welcome to my blog!