It's good to be home after being away so long, even if away meant O‘ahu, Hawaii.
And it's good to have my computer, iPhone, and other technology items working.
Thankfully, I made it out of technology hell in time for me to co-host
the Insecure Writer's Support Group on the first Wednesday of April.
I struggle with time management, and I know one of the main reasons why.
I can't resist a good rabbit hole,
one that immerses me in an engrossing and time-consuming topic.
Every first Wednesday of the month, I plunge into a number of enticing rabbit holes
dug by the talented and creative members of the IWSG.
Consequently, it takes me a long time to visit around with fellow IWSG members.
One IWSG member's post in particular dropped me into a rabbit warren of tunnels.
I've been stuck underground since April 6th,
racing around and exploring all sorts of topics
as a result of visiting PJ Colando's (aka Talk Lady)
interesting and funny post on exclamation points.
Me being me, I somehow found myself in a previous post of hers Somebody vs. Someone and falling into that damn rabbit warren.
Now you might think that exclamation points and the subtleties of
using somebody vs. someone would not make for interesting and funny posts,
let alone inspire rabbit holes, but you would be wrong.
PJ can make just about any topic she tackles in a post worth your time reading.
The exclamation point is one of her favorite punctuation marks,
and she describes herself as a walking exclamation point
on the home page of her author's website.
At the upper right of my blog, I state that I live my life in exclamation marks!
Points? Marks? Just American and Canadian subtleties.
Talk Lady and I are simpatico!!!
Author Lewis Carroll's Alice
She fell into the original rabbit hole in his children' novel Alice in Wonderland
PJ chose to illustrate her Somebody vs. Someone post with videos
of Queen's Somebody to Love and the Beatles' If I Needed Someone.
I have listened to this Beatles' song hundreds of times during my life,
but I had never heard or seen this video version of Queen's song.
I was spellbound!!!
Freddie Mercury's video of Somebody to Love, recorded at the Montreal Forum
in 1985, instantly became one of my favorite live performances ever,
and I was tumbling down a rabbit hole, a branching warren filled with everything Queen.
(If you'd like to hear the song, click here: Somebody to Love.)
The Rock Group Queen
(with Brian May, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, and Roger Taylor)
I don't know how many times I've watched this video in the days since IWSG Wednesday.
Mercury is a strutting exclamation mark,
a powerful and intense performer, musician, and singer.
I've been mesmerized watching Queen in multiple videos,
in documentaries, in the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, and in the 1985 Live Aid concert.
Queen's performance at this concert is considered among the greatest in rock history.
Terry and I were among the estimated 40% of the world's population
that tuned in to watch Live Aid on television on July 13, 1985.
Not yet a year into our marriage, Terry and I had spent the day working on our yard,
mowing grass, trimming bushes, weeding the garden, and dividing irises
that had run amok along a fence that bordered one side of our property.
We had collapsed, exhausted and hot, to tune into the show
that I described in my diary as an "incredible concert
and an incredible concept" (raising money for famine relief in Ethiopia).
Sadly, imho, Somebody to Love was not included in the Live Aid setlist.
But, what are you gonna do when you only have 20 minutes to perform,
and the most beautiful song Freddie Mercury ever wrote is seven minutes long?
And you have so many rousing hits to rock Wembley with?
I won't take you down all the tunnels I've wandered through since I last posted:
~ Freddie Mercury's extra incisors and the fossil hunters seeking
the origins of the human lineage in the Afar region of Ethiopia...
~ The bottle of Heineken beer on Freddie Mercury's piano,
and how a bottle of Heineken changed my life forever...
~ Brian May's earned PhD in Astrophysics from Imperial College London
in 2007, Philip Goff's book Galileo's Error, and metaphysics...
~ And, of course, listening to other intense performances
that never fail to lift my spirits... Okay, maybe I'll go here...
I have also been listening to these seven songs over and over all week:
1. Radiohead, 15 Step - live with the USC Trojan Marching Band
at the 2009 Grammys...
This never fails to give me the shivers.
Thom York's moves are as intense and iconic as Jagger's and Mercury's.
I can lose myself in this song for a long time.
(You may have to turn up the volume in the lower right of the video.)
2. Lady Gaga, Edge of Glory - live on American Idol, May 25, 2011...
Literally an over-the-top performance by Lady Gaga.
This was saxophonist Clarence Clemons' last public performance
before his death a few weeks later.
3. Bruce Springsteen, Dancing in the Dark - official video, 1984...
Springsteen looks impossibly young and cute now and so does Clarence Clemons.
4. Rolling Stones, Gimme Shelter - live with Lisa Fischer...
Who outdoes whom, Fischer or Jagger?
"I tell you love, sister. It's just a kiss away. It's just a kiss away."
5. K.D. Lang, Hallelujah - live at the 2005 Juno Awards in Winnipeg...
How can you not get shivers listening to the incomparable K.D.
singing Leonard Cohen's classic song?
6. Van Morrison & The Band, Caravan - live in 1976 - The Last Waltz...
I always smile when I see Morrison cutting loose.
"Turn it up! Turn it up! Little bit higher! Radio!"
7. Some people might be offended by this next video, so be forewarned
(sexually suggestive moves, cross-dressing, semi-nudity).
But its exuberant, over-the-top performance by Steven Tyler never fails
to make me laugh and buoys me up when I'm down.
Aerosmith, Dude Looks Like a Lady - official music video, 1987.
Needless to say, I didn't get much of what I should have been doing done recently.
Good thing Terry is in Vegas with his buds.
It's all good, though.
Somebody to Love and other songs can take me right out of
our troubled world and all my Gotta Dos,
and plunk me into an immediate and timeless present where I can lose myself.
Where would I be without music?
Can you resist rabbit holes, or do you tumble into them a lot?
Are you a longtime Queen fan like me?
Are there songs that compel you to listen to them over and over again?
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
See you next week! Stay happy and safe!
Till next time ~
Fundy Blue
On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Welcome home.
ReplyDeleteI spend a LOT of time wandering down rabbit holes and don't begrudge it. The house and the garden might.
And yes, while I am not musical, I do love a lot of Queen's work.
Thanks, EC! Humankind, the world, and the universe have an almost infinite number of rabbit holes to explore. I'm thankful to be at a point in my life when I can indulge in them much more. Have a great weekend, my friend!
DeleteGoing down the rabbit hole is way more fun. You learn more things that way, even if sometimes it is useless information. Making fun of anything is a good skill too!!!!!!!!!! We're all for that!!!!!!! We get the point or the mark too. lol
ReplyDeleteDude looks like a lady always reminds me of Mrs. Doubtfire now. All good ones indeed. Mine are a bit more out there recently, I can blame the kids, right? lol I got them singing Let's Call the Whole Thing Off with me. JaJa Ding Dong is another they go for(thankfully they have no idea what it really means lol) Then I got them wiggling their little butts, and maybe mine too lol, to Baby Likes To Rock It, Right Back Where We Started From, and Little Bitty Pretty One. I memorized Goodnight my Friend too to sing to them if they can't get to sleep when here. So had that on a bunch. And I guess Stuck Like Glue, Shook Me All Night Long, I Don't Like Half The Folks I Love, It Aint My Fault, The Worst Country Song of All Time, and American Pie are what play a plenty in the car as the pups and I go exploring. Which also turns into a rabbit hole as we go off the beaten path and see what's down there. Thankfully no coyotes or bears yet haha just a snake and the tail end of a skunk that ran away. No crummy ticks yet either. I've looked!!!
Was that good enough? Did that hit the mark? Was I on point? I hope so!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And welcome home too. Even though my welcome is from far far away, so does it really count? Hmmm probably not really, but we can pretend!!!
Yes, your welcome home counts, Pat! We're likely all entangled at the quantum level anyway. I can see that you are going to expand my music education ~ lol! I'm going to listen to all of these.
DeleteAs for the twins, you are a wonderful, consistent presence in their lives. You give them lots of time and unconditional love. You take them out to experience nature which helps develop a sense of wonder. You talk with them, read with them, and sing with them. All kiddos should be so lucky! If you and the boys stick your butts out and wiggle them to music, so what? You're having fun! If your conversations and choice of music are out there, so what? You're teaching them to be broad-minded and to question. There are far worse things you could warp their minds with. Hopefully, they'll grow up strong and confident and ready to tackle whatever life throws at them.
Glad to hear you're not picking ticks off yet! I hate them. I just googled to see if they had any redeeming purpose, and it seems they have. 😱 They're food for many birds, reptiles, and amphibians. They feed on the blood of mammals, often transmitting disease to sick or weak animals who die as a result. This helps ensure the survival of the fittest, and it keeps population numbers of deer, rabbits, and mice down. Oops ~ another rabbit hole!!!!!
Have a happy weekend, my friend!
I never knew that about his teeth! I had a friend who loved him. He holds a special place in my heart because of that.
ReplyDeleteHi, Sandi. I have a special place in my heart for Freddie Mercury too.
DeleteThe first few times I watched the "Somebody to Love" video, something was subconsciously bugging me. I couldn't figure out what it was, and then I suddenly realized it was Mercury's unusual teeth. Rather ironic for someone who has spent a lot of time working with fossil teeth ~ lol!
So, I googled the subject and found out that Freddie had four extra incisors crowded into his mouth. He never had them fixed, because he believed the extra teeth helped him sing with his amazing four-octave range. His range may actually be enhanced because he used parts of his larynx that most people don't. This is just one fascinating subject in Mercury's improbable life story.
I hope you are having a fulfilling and meaningful weekend, Sandi, as we enter into Holy Week. Hugs to you!
Music rabbit holes are easy to get lost in. Sometimes we pull up YouTube on the television and scroll through the suggested videos (based on what we watch). Occasionally we'll find something new and good.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes they are, Alex! We're fortunate to be born into a time where we can experience music from cultures around the world, both present ant past. You introduced me to Ayreon which is an amazing group. I can get lost in their music for hours. Have a fulfilling and meaningful weekend!
Deletewhat a pleasure to have you back dear Louise :)
ReplyDeletei am glad your all technology remained helpful during visit ,this is relief indeed prior to last trip to Islamabad my laptop went down and was unable to pick up any window ,hubby and my younger son both were taking long rides and reaching to different part of the city in the heat of July .then my pc accepted window eight finally which went down few days ago and it took only one visit and two days to get my pc back with window ten will you believe it ?
wow your love for music is amazing i share this with you ,despite we have different somgs to love music is knock on the soul door for me and yes i had songs that i could listen whole day repeatedly :)
i heard and loved some english music too ,but it was recent like Elton Jones ,backstreet boys ,spice girls and some others ,after marriage when i had mtv my likening for english music grew gradually .
i thnk music has magical power to transform within seconds :)
thank you for taking precious time and commenting ,this is kindness indeed and i admire it from the bottom of my heart !
hugs and blessinsg!
Hugs and blessings to you, my special friend!
DeleteMusic is transformative, and I am inspired by almost any kind of music in the world. In my post I touched on a few songs which have resonated with me during this past week or so. The energy and intensity of the songs I shared can pull me back if I start falling into depression or rev me up if I need to absorb some energy and intensity myself.
Yesterday I did something I never imagined doing in my whole life. And it's your fault!!! I stopped by a nearby bookstore for a coffee break in the middle of running errands. I like to browse through books and magazines while enjoying my coffee and a small pastry. I picked up a magazine called "Philosophy Now." It's the second issue of a new magazine, and this issue is dedicated entirely to metaphysics. It contains almost three dozen long articles of many of the topics "Galileo's Error" tackled. And I, who thought my brain was too dense to dig into philosophy, can't wait to read it. There is even an article about C.S. Lewis (My favorite Christian writer), God, and the problem of evil. René Descartes and other philosophers featured in Goff's book are in the magazine, as well as Einstein, quantum reality, and my favorite Schrödinger's cat. I realized I'm more interested in philosophy than I thought I was. You have created a monster, Baili ~ lol!
Have a wonderful weekend! Love and hugs to you and your family!
What a great post, Louise! Oh yes, I tumble into rabbit holes all the time, LOL! I love Freddie Mercury too, but I'm also a huge fan of Adam Lambert who now performs on tour with Queen as its lead singer, in addition to his own stellar individual career. Here's a link to him singing "Somebody to Love" --
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/cHTalNt_TAw
Thanks, Debra! I also love Adam Lambert, and I am delighted that he's now Queen's front man. Some amazing singers have come from American Idol, and he is the best male contestant to make it as a result of that show. Thanks for the link, which I am going to when I finish this comment.
DeleteYou were the one who introduced me to the Winnipeg video of K.D. Lang. While I haven't explored all of K.D.'s music, this is my favorite performance of hers so far. I remember you commenting in a post some years ago about how many gay women fell in love with K.D. You might have used the word "melted." I'm not gay, but I can feel her attraction. She has this magnetic quality that draws people in, and her voice is inspiring. I admire her discipline and her focus on living a healthy lifestyle.
Thanks for that link, Debra! I haven't watched the "X-Factor," so the video wasn't on my radar. It gave me goosebumps and chills! Lambert's diction is so clear. I remember Adam Lambert and Kris Allen singing with Queen during the finale of Season 8 on American Idol. Lambert should have won!!! But Kris was so American wholesome and Adam was edgy and gay. Hands down, Lambert should have won!!! But, Lambert ended up touring with Queen instead. Kind of like Jennifer Hudson's rise to fame after she was unexpectedly voted off American Idol and Barry Manilow championed her. Great consolation prizes for Lambert and Hudson! True talent ultimately soars, if the individuals get a break. Have a great weekend! Hugs to you, my friend!
DeleteI'm glad you made it safely home
ReplyDeleteThanks, Adam. Traveling is a lot of fun, but it's always good to come home ~ especially safely! Have a happy weekend, my friend!
DeleteQueen was a favorite in college. You're reflections on "Somebody" and "Someone" reminds me of an essay at the end of Mark Jarman's book, "Dilliness" titled "Something". After reading it, I wrote a Palm Sunday poem.
ReplyDeleteI am so behind in things, Jeff! I intend to watch you Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday sermons, is I'll catch your poem for sure. Another book to look into ~ lol. I hope you had a deeply meaningful Easter season. Take care!
DeleteIt's nice to be home, isn't it? Although I could spend most of the year traveling if I could! HAHA Ah, rabbit holes... I practically live in them, Louise! LOL Listening to Queen always takes me back to my high school years.
ReplyDeleteMusic is great at taking you back to different times in your life, Martha. Queen, for me, was post university and marriage. First university, that is. I went on to get an English degree in the late '70s, just for the fun of it, and Queen was one of my soundtracks for that time too. They were and remain brilliant. Ahh! Rabbit holes ~ gotta love them. Have a great weekend, my friend!
DeleteI used to get lost in rabbit holes whenever I was doing research for a particular part of story I was writing. Now I occasionally do it for fun, but not too much. Latest rabbit hole was trying to find info on the defunct book publishing arm of Time-Life.
ReplyDeleteI like Queen, I only have one LP of them that except for two songs, rarely gets played on the radio, unless it's college radio. If you're into Queen/Freddie Mercury, a very good bio of him came out about a decade or so ago which I highly recommend. Covers just about every aspect of his life, from birth to death and even his birth certificate.
I loved this post Louise!!! Oh and Live Aid! I tuned in too! Watching Queen live was so memorable! I loved Freddy's voice and his stage presence!!! I've been using far too many exclamation point!!! ☺☺☺
ReplyDelete