Dec 252006
 

Origin/Composer: John Williams / Leroy Anderson
Year: 1985

I actually first heard this song when I was at Disney World Orlando during the holidays many years ago. It played almost non-stop and the tune was extremely catchy. I didn’t know the name, but I discovered it a few years later. This is my favorite version, played by the incomparable Boston Pops under the conduction of John Williams in an arrangement he wrote. To top it all off, when I was visiting Chicago and went ice skating at Millennium Park with Jessica, this song came on over the loudspeakers as the Zambonis came and we took a long walk around the park.

Dec 182006
 

Year: 2005

The first time I heard of Mae, it was when Alex and Munika mentioned that they wanted to go to a Mae concert. Alex said he was surprised that Munika liked Mae, so I thought Mae was some classic rock group that had a punk-ish sound, since Alex was into classic rock, and Munika into punk and indie stuff. So going off my assumptions, I didn’t really ask who Mae was. (Random thought…I’m not sure if they actually went to that concert or not.) It wasn’t until this school year that I’m rooming with Alex that one day I hear a few songs in a row that I really like, and I’m wondering who the artist is, that I lean over and look at the artist on iTunes, and it was Mae’s album Destination: Beautiful. I was shocked at first, because it was so different from what I assumed them to be, but the shock was quickly overtaken by delight as I downloaded Destination: Beautiful. A few days later, I discovered they had a newer album, The Everglow and downloaded that too. Both albums are incredible. I would urge everyone to listen to them. The first is more Death Cab like commiseration and guitar-oriented. The second album is very heavy on piano (always brilliant), and much more uplifting and happy. Don’t study with them, though, I guarantee you’ll get too distracted.

Dec 112006
 

Year: 1998

For awhile I remember, I loved this song, but it was back in the days where I didn’t have my own laptop and couldn’t buy or download a song I liked. Hence, this great song soon faded into that place that memories go until they’re found again and nostalgia sets in. I heard it once either at a bar night or when Alex played it. Either way, I couldn’t remember what the name of the song was called until Jessica started singing it. I slowly started remembering words and remembered that it was “Save Tonight” by Eagle Eye Cherry, and that I own their album, Desireless. So I listened to their album, and voilà! The song was right there. The rediscovery of the song also coincided with finals week, which would be the last week at Stanford before winter break, so the timing was quite perfect.

Dec 042006
 

Year: 2002

First time I heard it, it was when Colin Callander played it during the EPHS Variety Show senior year. I’m not sure whether it was because the playing and singing was a little sloppy (sorry Colin), or whether it was because my musical tastes were radically different back then, but I didn’t like the song enough to even Google “Ben Folds” when I got back home, even though I like piano-based rock and pop. Today, Ben Folds is one of my favorite artists, and this is my favorite song from his collection. I think most or all of his songs are better live simply because he improvises constantly and tries daring feats and adds some intense solos. If you have the album version from “Naked Baby Photos,” listen to that, then listen to this. You’ll be amazed at the difference and the amount of energy in this version.

Also, listen to the lyrics in this song. I can completely see myself reflected in these lyrics. I’ve toned down my…let’s call it brashness…in the last year or two, but I’m still the same person in that I get frustrated when people don’t try to achieve something when they obviously can, or don’t understand something and instead just let people passively feed information to them. “I see that there is evil / And I know that there is good / And the inbetweens I never understood / Won’t you look at me / I’m crazy / But I get the job done / Yeah I’m crazy / But I get the job done.” That’s me in a nutshell.

Nov 272006
 

Origin/Composer: John Williams
Year: 1996

This song is the theme that John Williams composed for the 1996 Olympics, especially commemorating the centennial of the Modern Olympic Games. The sections have titles reflecting what each section is supposed to represent: Fanfare, Prologue, Flags, Contest, and Parade. Our high school band played this my senior year. Though it sounded nowhere near the power and the harmony that the Boston Pops under John’s Williams’ conducting managed to produce. This song was my ringtone for nearly two months, ever since I got my new phone after my old phone went for a swim with me. Go. Listen. Let the victorious fanfare ring in your ears.

Nov 202006
 

Origin/Composer: Frédéric Chopin
Year: 1834

It’s been a while since the last classical SOTW, so this week, I present the glorious Fantaisie-Impromptu by Chopin, his 66th opus. I first learned about this piece when I was in 11th grade Advanced English: Classics when we read Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening.” In the book, she describes a piano impromptu by Chopin that was extremely emotional stirring. I did some research on the piece and compared it to all four of Chopin’s impromptus and decided it most closely resembles this one. It is one of my favorite piano pieces currently. The four on three rhythm in the beginning to the amazing prestissimo tempo to the beautiful middle section will blow you away.

Nov 132006
 

Year: 2003

Stanford has some amazing a cappella groups, but Talisman is undoubtedly the best a cappella group I have ever heard or witnessed. Their album “Watch Me Fly,” from which this title song comes, was the first, and still is, the only album rated a full 10.0 by the RARB (Recorded A Cappella Review Board). Their songs are based on folk songs from around the world, especially Africa, and listening to one of their albums will lift you up. Going to one of their live shows is like being stabbed by a cold blade of sounds. Yeah. Seriously.

Nov 062006
 

Year: 2003

The first MC Solaar song I’ve heard and still my favorite. If you don’t know French, this will just sound intensely amazing. If you do understand this French, though, this will be one of the most emotional songs you have ever heard. The lyrics are extremely fast and has a lot of argot, so follow along the lyrics here. The song is strongly anti-war and raps from the perspective of a civilian in the “Axis of Evil,” a cruise missile, and an American bomber pilot.

Lyrics

Seul dans ma chambre, un jour normal
J’apprends dans les journaux que j’suis dans l’Axe du Mal
Je lis entre les lignes et j’comprends qu’on veut me “kill”
Donc j’ferme la serrure pour être un peu plus tranquille
Dehors c’est la guerre et j’crois qu’elle vient vers moi
Malgré les manifs qui vivra la verra
Je mets des sacs de sable dans mon salon
Des salauds veulent me shooter comme au foot le stoppeur peut shooter l’ballon
A la télé j’entends qu’j’suis lépire des mecs
Non violent, violent la propagande est impec
J’flippe des troupes spéciales, des B52’s
Regrette ce que j’ai fait j’crois que j’aurais pu faire mieux
Mais l’erreur est humaine, j’avoue j’ai fait des erreurs
Prendre position c’est prendre une pluie de terreur
Au nom du père, du fils, et du Saint Esprit
Du l’Imam et du Rabbin, plus jamais ceci.

Comme un oiseau sans ailes
J’vole vers le ciel mais j’sais qu’la vie est belle
Comme un oiseau sans ailes
J’vole vers le ciel mais j’sais qu’la vie est belle

Moi j’suis un missile, j’suis pas coupable
On me guide par satellite pour faire un travail impeccable
Toutes les technologies sont mises à mon service
Dans le but de chasser le mal et que jaillisse un monde peace
Puis dans un porte-avion je fais ce qu’on me demande
Ce soir je dois frapper un type qui est tout seul dans sa chambre
J’suis un oiseau sans ailes, suppositoire de fer
Cinq cents kilom’tres ‘ faire et puis pour lui c’est l’enfer
Ca y est, j’suis parti j’vole vers son domicile
Et j’veux préserver la paix en commettant des homicides
Je perce les nuages vers l’abscisse et l’ordonnée
Objectif mémorisé, j’connais les coordonnées
J’suis de fer, lui de chair, arrive à l’improviste
Vol au – dessus des manifs de ces millions de pacifistes
Au nom du père, du fils, et du Saint Esprit
Du l’Imam et du Rabin, plus jamais ceci.

Comme un oiseau sans ailes
J’vole vers le ciel mais j’sais qu’la vie est belle
Comme un oiseau sans ailes
J’vole vers le ciel mais j’sais qu’la vie est belle

Et sur la chaïne info j’apprends qu’un missile arrive
Il s’invite chez moi pourtant c’est pas mon convive
On bombarde ma ville, mon quartier, mon b’timent
Ce soir tu vas mourir tel est mon ressentiment
Tranquille, je range ma chambre et puis je vois les photos
De moi – même, de mon ex, vacances au Colorado
Des bivouacs en montagne avec nos deux sacs à dos
L’ – haut de nos discours avec tous ces ados
J’vois mon père et puis ma mère sur des clichés noir et blanc
Moi qui les trouvais durs, j’fais la même ‘ mes enfants
Ils dorment tranquillement, ils doivent compter les moutons
Ou bien faisaient des rèves quand il y a eu l’explosion
On a tué ma famille sans même la connaïtre
Moi, ma femme et mes enfants sommes ajoutés aux pertes
Les missiles kill tant de civils, kill des enfants dociles
Le monde est hostile
Je n’ai rien fait, ils n’ont rien fait, vous n’avez rien fait
Vous parlez de bienfaits mais je n’vois que des méfaits
Non ce n’est pas du rap, c’est crever l’abc’s
S’ils sont absents c’est grâce à vos excés
J’appelle les synagogues, les mosquées et les temples
Eglises et chapelles, militants, militantes
Au nom du père, du fils, et du Saint Esprit
D’l’Imam et du Rabin, plus jamais ceci.

J’vole vers le ciel mais j’sais qu’la vie est belle
J’vole vers le ciel mais j’sais qu’la vie est belle

Au nom du père, du fils, et du Saint Esprit
D’l’Imam et du Rabin, plus jamais ceci.

Oct 232006
 

Year: 1998

Using the beat from Tupac’s “Changes,” this song captures the plight of the Asian in an angry rant… Right… I have a lot of mixed feelings about this song. Tupac’s “Changes” is one of my favorite songs, and as much as I like the wit and humor in this song, bastardizing “Changes” and the messages contained inside it seems almost morally reprehensible. I guess if you’re not familiar with “Changes” or Bruce Hornsby’s “The Way It Is,” it’ll just be good clean (or not so clean) fun.