Top 10 QUEEN songs

Hi guys sorry about not posting. I’ve been encountering technical difficulties but don’t worry it’s all sorted now. Anyway I was looking through my previous posts for inspiration and came across my top 10 ABBA songs. This immediately got me thinking about another group I like. A rock group called QUEEN and what a wide variety of songs they had. So today I decided to count down my top 10 QUEEN songs.

10.

These are the days of our lives is a really emotional song because it was the last one Freddie Mercury ever recorded and the music video is so sad as it is Freddie’s final performance before he died. This song and video was Freddie Mercury’s final farewell to his life, his family, his friends and his fans.

9.

Another one bites the dust is a funky little number that interestingly would never have been released if Michael Jackson hadn’t told QUEEN to. I like this song because it has a great beat.

8.

Love of my life is a beautiful song because it’s is about losing someone you loved with all your heart and to get the audience to sing along to this song is hauntingly beautiful

7.

Radio gaga is a brilliant song we can all clap along too. I had to use the live aid performance of this song because every member of that audience was clapping at the right time during the chorus and it sends chills down my spine every time I see it. QUEEN’s live aid performance has been named the greatest live rock gig in musical history

6.

A kind of magic is a catchy song and the music video is just great. I think when you go see a magic show this song should be playing

5.

No one but you (only the good die young) is a beautiful song recorded as a tribute not only to Freddie Mercury but to all those who died well before their time. When I think about someone who died too young this song always comes to mind

4.

Don’t stop me now is a real party rock anthem when this song is played at a party everyone will dance and sing along. Plus it’s also one of two songs on this chart that you have to air guitar to

3.

And here’s the other song you have to air guitar too. We will rock you is a clever little song because the musical instruments don’t come in until the end. The music is mainly stamping and clapping and you can perform it in an empty hall.

2.

We are the champions is a classic sporting anthem you just can’t help but sing along when you hear this song.

1.

Yes it had to be Bohemian Rhapsody. This song has 4 different musical styles and genres. Accapella, ballad, operatic and of course pure rock. This song is legendary there hasn’t been a song like this before or since. And also bear in mind only 3 men sing in the entire song. That is why this song is my number 1 QUEEN song

Until next time, ROCK ON!

Top 5 Robin Williams movies

Hi everyone. Today I was going to do my top 10 worst movies I’ve ever seen but I’m putting that off to a later date. When I woke up this morning I found out that Robin Williams had died. He is one of my all time favourite actors. Whenever I would watch a movie with Robin Williams in it I knew I was going to have a great time. His passing has reminded me of this so today as a loving tribute to Robin Williams I am counting down my top 5 Robin Williams movies.

5. Bicentennial man

The tale of a robot who dreams of becoming an ordinary human being. This is a truly incredible movie. From beginning to end you end up really wanting the robot to have his dream come true. Robin Williams performance in this is incredible to make you laugh and cry in the same scene is truly incredible.

4. Happy Feet

The story of a penguin who can’t sing but can dance is brilliant. Robin Williams doesn’t have a main role in this film but he steals the show every time his character is on screen such as in this scene where you have Robin Williams sing My Way in Spanish. It’s pure genius.

3. Hook

 What if Peter Pan grew up? That’s the premise of this film. Robin Williams does a fantastic job as Peter Pan and in my mind this film is an underrated classic.

2. Jumanji

Jumanji the board game that’s somehow alive. All of the actors are great in this. Robin Williams is incredible and I can’t think of anything else to say apart from see this movie. It’s a thrill ride of a movie and Robin Williams is your guide

1. Mrs Doubtfire

The tale of a divorced dad who’d do anything to see his children is a story you don’t really see that much of. But this is a really funny movie. Robin Williams voices are just incredible and of course only he could have played this part and make it not creepy. Think about it a dad who’s willing to dress up as a woman and con his wife into paying him into looking after his children at her house. Just so he can see his children. That’s a very creepy person but somehow thanks to Robin Williams you end up loving this person, think he’s a great dad and really want him to have joint custody of his children. That’s why this is my number 1 favourite Robin Williams movie ever and that’s why I’ll miss him. May he rest in peace.

 

 

 

The Darwin Awards

Hello everyone. It’s been a while but I’m back. So today I have a new Darwin Award story for you. This story takes place in Calgary, Canada and happened in June 1997.

A suspected burglar fell to his death from a twelfth story balcony early yesterday after being surprised by the Calgary apartment’s occupants. Residents of the suite are shaken from the incident, and baffled as to how the intruder managed to access their top floor balcony.

 

The occupants, a husband and wife, were home at 12:30 am when they heard a noise outside. “We were surprised, but not nearly as surprised as he was” said the husband, whose yell startled the intruder into falling while scrambling to flee. the body of the burglar was found on the ground floor directly below the balcony. The unidentified “cat burglar” lost all nine lives when he failed to land safely on his feet.

 

I hope you enjoyed that story. I certainly did. because it been so long since I’ve posted a Darwin Award story I will give you an extra gift and tell you a dumb criminal story which is unbelievable but true.

If you ever decided you were going to rob a bank. Make sure you choose the right weapon as that is what give the bank clerk fear. A man in Utica New York attempted to rob 3 banks in the same day with a toilet plunger. Yes one of those things used for unblocking the toilet. That’s the equivalent of just using a stick or if you work at the BBC a Dalek’s nose.

Don’t believe me here’s the story (you may have to copy and paste it)

http://www.wktv.com/news/crime-reports/UPD-Man-attempted-to-rob-three-banks-with-a-toilet-plunger-147253265.html

Well that’s all for today Until next time

40 years of ABBAmania

On 6th April 1974 ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest with a song called Waterloo. 40 years later ABBAmania is still going strong. Their songs have become so popular that a musical was created around the songs called Mamma Mia!

The musical is still going strong with shows now open all over the world and a smash hit movie with Meryl Streep, Julie Walters, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan under it’s belt. The song writing team of Benny Andersson  and Bjorn Ulvaeus should be celebrated. Which is precisely what this post is about as today I count down my top 10 ABBA songs of all time.

10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX79VxZ5j4g I have a dream is a nice song to sing along to. What I like about this song is the melody and how it’s almost like you are sing a lullaby. It just flows  smoothly.

9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4QqMKe3rwY Chiquitita or Chicken Tikka as some people hear is a song about someone trying to cheer their friend up. I think this is a beautiful song. The harmonizing is brilliant.

8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsk5Qz5oEWo Slipping through my fingers is a beautiful yet sad song about a mother having to let her daughter go now she’s all grown up and how hard it is for her. Just look at the lyrics if you are a parent this will really get you thinking.

7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92cwKCU8Z5c The winner takes it all is another sad song. About how someone feels after divorcing from someone they thought they would spend the rest of their life with. The lyrics really hit home and really makes you think things through.

6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_GCO2-gnbo I do I do I do I do I do is a nice catchy little song. It’s like a proposal song or just declaring your love for someone and hoping they love you back. This songs says what you want to say when declaring your love for someone.

5.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XxV8w9jR6Q It has to be on here. Waterloo is a classic song mixing falling in love with someone with the battle of waterloo. This clever little song started it all for ABBA and we’ll never forget it.

4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dcbw4IEY5w Thank you for the music is interesting because it was originally the finale to a mini musical called The girl with the golden hair. Abba performed this musical in their tour and this song became so popular that they released it as a single and the rest is history. It’s such a great song that you just have to sing along to the chorus like in all these songs.

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-crgQGdpZR0 Take a chance on me. I think everyone knows the take a chance take a chance take a take a chance chance bit. This is a flirty song that is incredibly catchy

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unfzfe8f9NI Mamma Mia is a clever song because the lyrics are actually sad but the song sounds so happy. It’s just a great song to listen to.

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFrGuyw1V8s Dancing Queen is played at all the parties because it’s just a great song to dance to. It’s just a sure fire way to make you happy. As soon as it starts playing you’re up on the dance floor enjoying yourself.

I hope you enjoyed my top 10 ABBA songs and heres to the next 40 years of ABBAmania

 

Which is better the film or the book?

Hi Everyone. So sorry about not posting since January. I completely forgot about this blog and I wanted to return with something big which is why I have decided to start a new series combining two interests of mine. Movies and books. I will watch a movie based on a book or series of books and read the book or series of books. After looking at both forms of media art I will decide which I think is better. So to start this new series and a new age of more frequent blog posts it’s the Harry Potter series.

We’ll start with the philosophers stone. The first of seven stories. This sets the premise and theme for the entire series. Love, loss, death and equality. The last one might confuse you so I will explain that one later.  In The philosophers stone ( known as the sorcerer’s stone in USA) we find out that Harry has somehow survived the killing curse  Avada Kedavra set by Lord Voldemort and is now called the boy who lived. His parents have been killed so Harry has to live with the Dursleys who hate him because he’s a freak and yet they are the only family he has left. When Harry turns 11 years old he learns he is a wizard and will be taken to Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry to learn how to control his magic. Harry learns he is famous because he is the boy who lived.

I am not going to review each story just wanted to set it up for those who haven’t read or watched Harry Potter before. This story I liked because Harry finds a place where he belongs and encounters love and friendship for the first time in his life. J.K Rowling also keeps the mystery alive planting clues in the first six novels before revealing all in the last one. Now in the second book we learn about muggle born witches and wizards being called mudbloods. And about how many purebloods think that muggle borns and muggles are a lower class to them. This is where the equality theme comes in. Let me explain, all this hatred of muggle born wizards and muggle and half bloods is a form of racism (or bloodism if you will) and as the stories progress an all out war is fought to decide the future of the muggles and anyone who isn’t pure blood. What J.K Rowling has done cleverly is use these stories to show how stupid people are for being prejudiced towards others. People are people no matter how they look, act, what they believe in, or even if they are disabled. Some of you may say I have read too deeply into it but that’s what I got from the stories.

On all eight movies J.K Rowling was on set at all times and in every film they set every scene up with immaculate detail like in the goblet of fire at the quidditch world cup the scenery people even made programmes for extras to hold there was never a close up to them but they didn’t want extras holding blank pieces of paper so they made up FA cup style programmes with player statistics and so forth. Anyway the films went into a lot of details but also let a lot of stuff out which is natural really as they only had a couple of hours to tell the story. Minor changes are also made but they are still very enjoyable. However I found myself enjoying the books much more than watching the film so in this case the books are better than the films.

Sorry about not reviewing every story individually but I wanted to get this post done and I don’t want to put any spoilers on here in case someone who hasn’t read the books or seen the movies yet decides to watch or read the series. I don’t know what I’m doing next as this won’t be a regular series.

Until next time I leave you with this…

Roger Lloyd Pack: A tribute

 

Hi Everyone. Long time no see. Today was going to be another Darwin Award day. But as an only fools and horses fan I received some sad news today. Roger Lloyd Pack has died at the age of 69. He will be remembered for many roles but mainly and perhaps most fondly as Trigger in Only Fools and Horses. So today as a tribute to Roger Lloyd Pack. I will count down my top 5 Trigger Moments.

5.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63rcdLeXiU8 A classic moment made funnier by Trigger’s 360 spin looking for Del boy

4.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7Q0AEwBVYs At the school reunion of Del Boy’s class Trigger comes in with this killer gag. It’s just so funny it has to be watched till the end

3.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylgV8OyTIFg Why does Trigger call Rodney Dave? That’s something Rodney confronts him about in this clip. It just goes to show what a great character trigger is and what a great actor Roger Lloyd Pack is.

2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O8SgaDOock When you’re writing a scene in Only Fools and Horses and you need a joke in your scene you can always rely on Trigger. The Mahatma Ghandi moment is iconic proof of that.

1.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1VNNbSYdt0 Trigger’s broom. What a funny moment that was. This is how you make your broom last 20 years. Sorry about the video it was the only one of this moment I could find.

And that’s it I hope you enjoyed this post and this tribute. Roger Lloyd Pack was an incredibly talented actor. To make insane characters like Trigger and Owen from The Vicar of Dibley believable takes a lot of hard work. Not a lot of people could manage it. This is why he will sorely missed. Roger Lloyd Pack all I can say is Look after your broom. R.I.P

 

Scrooge the musical

Hi everyone. This week was going to be another top 10 Christmas countdown, but seeing as how I have just got back from the theatre seeing Scrooge the musical I thought I would do a review of this show instead.

Now everyone knows the tale of A Christmas Carol. Scrooge is a miserable old miser who on Christmas eve gets visited by 3 ghosts who convince him to change his ways. But this show tells this story in a rather different way. Scrooge played by the great Tommy Steele (Yes him from “Half a sixpence”) is even more miserly as we get shown what a cheapskate he is. He even resorts to taking money from a charity box. All this happens during the song Miser Christmas. This song is very good as it’s really an exposition song but the way it is performed you couldn’t tell. Scrooge then returns home where Jacob Marley appears and tells him he will be visited to 3 Ghosts to help him change his ways.

The Ghost of Christmas Past shows him moments from his childhood and adulthood including losing his true love. The Ghost of Christmas Present shows him how good the milk of human kindness is in the songs I like life and the milk of human kindness. These are the last and first songs of Act 1 and Act 2. These are also good songs because it just makes you fell good listening to it. After Scrooge meets Bob Cratchit’s family (FYI the boy who plays Tiny Tim is brilliant captures the essence of the part well) he then encounters the Ghost of Christmas yet to come. We then see a bunch of people outside Scrooge’s office saying how much they love what he’s done for them.

Then the most memorable, catchy and well known song starts. Thank you very much. My God what a song it’s so catch I’ll be singing it in my sleep tonight. It’s not enough for me to tell you about it have a listen.

Isn’t it good. During the song we find out they’re celebrating Scrooge’s death. Scrooge doesn’t notice this and sings with them. Afterwards we return to the Cratchit’s house to see that Tiny Tim has died. Scrooge then finds his own grave and vows to change his ways. He then wakes up in his own room again and alive. He’s so happy he starts giving presents and being nice to everyone including his nephew. And the show ends. Overall I really enjoyed this production  and Tommy Steele has incredible comedic timing. Brilliantly done if you ever get the chance to see it do you won’t regret it.

Until next week “Thank you very much, Thank you very much that’s the nicest thing that anyone’s ever done for me da da da…“

Top 12 christmas songs

Hello everyone sorry about the long gap with no posts but I will try to make it up. For the time being I will post once a week and then when I’m ready I will post more than once a week. So just bear with me. Anyway todays is the 5th December which means there is just 20 sleeps till Christmas. So to help get you all into the festive spirit here are my top 12 Christmas songs. This list will include pop songs and carols so get your Santa hats on and away we go.

12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4NlR5KQLQ A rather different version of the 12 days of Christmas, the 12 pains of Christmas is a delightfully funny song because it shows how manic and annoying Christmas can be.

11.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAH0qm6OWKk What Christmas would be complete without this beautiful tune. The lyrics remind us of the religious part of Christmas and the tune is so beautiful you just need a choir to hum it and it would move me

10.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP0TGh6c-Ss O holy night is another beautiful song but only when Mariah Carey sings it. You just have to listen to her sing to know why. The notes she can hit are extraordinary and melt my heart every time.

9.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXQViqx6GMY Sticking with Mariah Carey this classic Christmas single is a must hear every year. The video is good, the song is catchy as hell and yet still likeable.

8.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDBMzGq1vhs The only Christmas carol with a challenge. Try and sing On the Twelfth day of Christmas through to a partridge in a pear tree in one breath. It is hard but possible. A challenging song is good in my books. But I always wonder where you would put everything afterwards.

7.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsEY5IYsEc4 Yes the song that gets children excited for Christmas. Santa’s coming so you better be good or you won’t get presents. But did we ever listen as kids? No we just liked the song

6.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qa6Eyfx0mE I had to put this one on. A classic for many people this song really does get you into the festive spirit. Memorable tune, memorable lyrics. Everyone sing along.

5.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR-bMjO0P6A This song from the Muppet Christmas Carol is really what Christmas is all about, Love.  You may think it’s a silly song but to me it’s a song that is sung beautifully and written with care

4.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2DHvCc7MoY The carol that actually wishes you a merry Christmas. I love this one because it’s easy to remember and everyone can sing along.

3.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoxQ4Ul_DME Yes a true staple of Christmas. This song is a pure classic for one reason. At some point we’ve all wished it could be Christmas everyday. So this song takes us back to our childhoods and brings out the magic of Christmas

2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9jbdgZidu8 Oh I love this song. It’s the complete opposite of all the other Christmas songs because it’s about a couple arguing at Christmas after having emigrated to America from Ireland and it not turning out how they were hoping it would.

AT NUMBER ONE IS…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YkSIzqkgI8

Yes the song we all know and either we’re annoyed to hell with it or we love it. No matter what though you can’t help but bet into the Christmas spirit when this song is played on the radio. It’s been played so much it’s even got banned at airports because it annoys a lot of people. That is why this song will always be my Christmas number one. Sing along everyone.

Well there you have it I hope you enjoyed my list and I know it’s early but I was going to do it sooner or later. Until next week enjoy.

The Darwin Awards

Hello everyone sorry about lack of posting will try to update more regularly in future. Now it’s Thursday which must mean it’s time for another Darwin Awards story. This week’s story takes place in Zimbabwe on 31st December 2004.

“The one hundred year old Victoria Falls Bridge, linking Zimbabwe and Zambia, offers a spectacular view of the eighty meter chasm. Continuous spray from the massive waterfall makes the rocks and vegetation along the lip as slippery as a slide at a water park, but far less tolerant of error. While taking pictures at the falls with his girlfriend on New Years Eve, Michael, fifty, dropped his spectacles over the rim. He would hardly be able to enjoy the view without them, so he decided to retrieve them. He was intelligent enough to be aware of the risk. Headmaster at Summit College in Johannesburg and a highly regarded lecturer at geography conferences, he knew how to assess the physical world. Edging out onto the slick rim, reaching toward his glasses, he slipped and fell forty meters to his death. His body was recovered by helicopter”

 

Joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat

Hello everyone. Sorry about not blogging for a while. Things kept popping up. Now I love musicals and I was thinking about doing a post about musicals.  Which got me thinking about when I was a little boy ( say about 5 – 7 years old) and I first heard the soundtrack to a musical called “Joseph and the amazing Technicolor dreamcoat” It struck a chord with me and I started listening to the soundtrack over and over again (at least once a day – I bet it drove the rest of my family up the wall) and I thought “What a beautiful thing this is”. I had fallen in love with musicals. To this day I can still remember most of the lyrics of the entire musical of Joseph and the amazing Technicolor dreamcoat. I have also discovered and liked other musicals like Les Miserables, Avenue Q, Jesus Christ Superstar and many more. I will always love musicals there is just something about shows and movies like this that will always make me feel like there is nothing to fear or worry about. For me music is like a pillow for my heart.