Steve Irwin is one of the few people I call one of my heroes.
Has anyone else noticed that Santa Claus is Comin' to Town has a bunch of ferrets/polecats/weasels in it?
Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree (1995)
Everybody has that one Christmas special they watched over and over as a kid that hardly anybody else remembers... this one's ours.
We've still got a VHS of the original airing, and it's great that we don't have wear it out anymore than it probably already is. The only problem with the copy on YouTube is that parts of the opening and end credits are missing- one of these days I'll have to get our tape transferred to digital!
And yes, that is Robert Downey Jr. chewing the scenery.
More Wombles.
I listen to this even when it's not Christmastime.
You might have missed Spongebob's Christmas album when it came out last year to tie in with the new TV special, and I wouldn't blame you since it's exclusive to iTunes and Amazon MP3.
But if this doesn't convince you that it ought to be considered a new classic, then what's wrong with you.
I'm sure Frozen will be a fine addition to the Disney canon, but if you're like me, you're wishing that they were doing a more faithful adaptation of The Snow Queen rather than "Tangled with snow". This should help.
Here's something not for everyone (especially not the faint of heart)- Christian black metal.
In my pursuit of understanding the various subgenres of heavy metal, I listened to various Christian metal bands, so as to avoid evil or violent lyrics while still learning about the style. So I moved on to black metal... When I first listened to this particular band, Horde, I was absolutely stunned, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Could this be right? Was I REALLY listening to a CHRISTIAN band? I had to check the lyrics to be sure. But the words made it clear that the man behind the chaos was NOT pro-Satanist.
Horde is the most "evil-sounding" music I've ever heard, like the screech of a lamenting fallen angel in the bleakest, darkest forest, in the middle of abandoned church graveyard, bats flying overhead, blood pouring from terrible wounds. And yet this fallen angel seeks forgiveness, and becomes a force against evil. It's really intense. And scary.
This is a concept that's important to me: Just because the music sounds "evil", doesn't mean it really is evil. The chords and intervals that would shock Medieval nuns and monks aren't actually inherently harmful. The song could be as dissonant and creepy as Dracula, but it could be about flowers and birds for all I care.
Unfortunately, black metal is often associated with very evil people, and typically the genre is chock full of evil messages. Christian black metal, sometimes known as "white metal" or "unblack metal", is an act of defiance against those who think any kind of music belongs to the devil. It does not.
In fact, I've concluded that Satan is a terrible singer.
I find this song oddly relaxing and meditative.
In all it's 17-minute glory, this is probably one of the greatest psychedelic rock jams ever recorded. It's got everything: Fuzz and wah guitar, heavy drums and bass, swirling organ; extended solos for guitar, drums, organ, AND bass; dissonant power chords bordering on heavy metal, cluster chords, random noise, and obvious influences from blues, jazz, Bach, African polyrhythm, and exotic Asian music. All wrapped up in an epic melody with a crescendo that borders on the operatic.
It's this recipe that I think defines the heavy rock music of the late Sixties. That eclecticism and experimentation in rock and pop music from about 1966 to 1976 is my favorite era of music. 1966 saw the invention and/or codification of garage rock, psychedelic, and hard rock, and planted the seeds for heavy metal and progressive rock. 1976 saw the birth of a new era of heavy metal, as well as the birth of punk, new wave, and psychobilly.
Speaking of twisted versions of Red Riding Hood, if you're an animation fan of any sort, you need to see Disney's rare Redux Riding Hood from 1997. Despite being nominated for Best Animated Short, it's never been released to the general public. It's a shame, really, 'cause it's amazing.
Witness the genius of Neil Innes, one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century- his melodies and arrangements are always brilliant and original, yet strangely familiar, all with a dry, ironic British humor.
Here, in one of his most famous songs, he somehow perfectly expresses the innocence of mental retardation, tongue planted firmly in cheek.
One of my favorite things about this song is that it sounds like every ragtime song ever squashed into one.
Speaking of charming British things...
Poor Willy Weasel.
I forget exactly how I discovered the Wombles, but it was this song that convinced me to check 'em out.
Highly recommended if you like charming British things and/or '70s sunshine pop.
For those times when my Norwegian and Swedish blood boils into a Viking adrenaline rush, and I feel the lust for adventure, my spirit soars with the triumph of humanity, and I crave to fight for the freedom of the world...
...There's always Power metal.
(nevermind that rhapsody of fire is italian, it's friggin' awesome anyway)
This is still one of our best blog posts.