Week One Hundred and Forty-Nine: Portishead - "Glory Box" - Dummy

After I posted last week's song, "Rock Star (Olympia)", I remembered that there was a scene from the film, Stealing Beauty, where Liv Tyler's character, Lucy, sings that song at the top of her lungs after she gets pissed off at some of the other characters in the film. I considered going back into the post and mentioning that tid bit of information, but then I also remembered that Portishead's tune "Glory Box" was used in the trailer for the film. So, instead, I decided to make a post about "Glory Box" this week and mention both of the songs' appearances in the film.

I'm not sure why, but I never really got into Portishead's music much more than "Glory Box" and "Sour Times", which I will also include for you today. In addition, I will include the trailer for Stealing Beauty, a film that you should definitely watch if you've never seen it. It is set in a Tuscan villa with breathtakingly beautiful landscapes.

Additionally, here's some info from Wikipedia about the "Glory Box" video:

"The music video is set in the 1950s, featuring lead singer Beth Gibbons as a jazz singer at a club while various office workers watch her perform. Sexual tension begins to rise between certain characters, as eventually, all of the workers, as separate couples, attend the club where Beth is performing. Apart from the band members, the entire cast of the video appear in drag."

I'm so tired of playing
Playing with this bow and arrow
Gonna give my heart away
Leave it to the other girls to play
For I've been a temptress too long

Just...

Give me a reason to love you
Give me a reason to be a woman
I just wanna be a woman

From this time, unchained
We're all looking at a different picture
Through this new frame of mind
A thousand flowers could bloom
Move over and give us some room

Give me a reason to love you
Give me a reason to be a woman
I just wanna be a woman

[INSTRUMENTAL]

So don't you stop being a man
Just take a little look from outside when you can
Show a little tenderness
No matter if you cry

Give me a reason to love you
Give me a reason to be a woman
It's all I wanna be is all woman

For this is the beginning of forever and ever

It's time to move over... 

 

Week One Hundred and Forty-Eight: Hole - "Rock Star (Olympia)" - Live Through This

So Dallas, Texas, has been plagued with Winter weather, and I have been cooped up indoors for quite some time now. Nothing makes me feel like an angst-ridden teenage girl more than cooping me up inside!!!

Although Hole was not my "go-to" band during my angst-ridden teenage girl days (that would have been Siouxsie & the Banshees, whom I have covered extensively on this blog), Courtney Love does cite Siouxsie as an early influence. In fact, many years ago, I picked up a Courtney Love biography written by Poppy Z. Brite. Siouxsie is mentioned almost immediately in the foreword. Notice that Michael Stipe (from last week's band, R.E.M.) is also mentioned:

At least I have my music to help me through these suffocating feelings of being trapped indoors, but since I knew that I could not possibly bombard you with anymore Siouxsie for at least another few months (especially since I just slipped in some Creatures a few weeks back), I figured that I would cover some Hole for you today.

**Be forewarned, however, that today's selection drops the F*bomb quite a few times, but it is definitely one that I would blast out of my car stereo when I needed to let out some aggression back in '94.**

In addition to "Rock Star (Olympia)", I am including another from the Live Through This album called "Violet" which would get me equally riled up back in my younger years. Furthermore, I also have to include a few faves from their later album because I personally prefer listening to songs from their '98 release, Celebrity Skin, these days. Therefore, I will also include "Heaven Tonight" and "Boys On The Radio", and I also have to include the video for "Celebrity Skin" because the color scheme for the video is so lovely! Enjoy!!

 
When I went to school...oh
Well, I went to school...haha!
Well, I went to school, in Olympia
And everyone's the same.
What do you do with a revolution?

Well I went to school, in Olympia-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
And everyone's the same
We look the same,
We talk the same, yeah
Don't you, please, make me real, fuck you!
Make me sick, fuck you!
Make me real, fuck you!

Well, I went to school in Olympia
And everyone's the same
And so are you, in Olympia-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
And everyone's the same
We look the same
We talk the same, yeah, yeah
We even fuck the same
Well, I went to school, in Olympia-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Don't you please, make me real, come on!
Make me sick, come on,
Make me real, yeah, yeah, yeah

(Do it for the kids)
Do it for the kids
Do it for the kids, yeah
Do it for the kids, yeah
(Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it for the kids)
Do it for the kids, yeah
(Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it for the kids)
Do it for the kids, yeah
Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it for the kids.

No...we're not done...

Well, I went to school... in Olympia
(Facist bastard pigs are sweet, are we?)
Bye, bye
Good bye
Good bye
Bye, bye
Good bye.

Week One Hundred and Forty-Seven - R.E.M. - "Fall On Me" - Lifes Rich Pageant

As hopeful as I was that 2015 was going to bring nothing but goodness to me, I have to admit that, here recently, life has been kicking me in the arse pretty hardcore.

So the year started out with a situation involving my sister, and it had potentially severe consequences for her, including me having to assume the role of raising my nephew. Although the situation has appeared to resolve itself, for the most part, there were still some sleepless nights and episodes of intense stress concerning the entire debacle.

Shortly after that, I lost my beloved little dog, Budgie, whom I had for 13 years, to heart failure. Only those who have ever grown close to a pet can understand the heart-wrenching pain that comes along with having to make the decision to end the suffering of such pet, but I will tell you that it hurts like hell!!!

All of this was followed by my dad's mini-stroke that occurred this past Monday. I found myself driving to the hospital in Waco early Tuesday morning with no real indication as to the after-effects of the mini-stroke and what exactly my family and I would have to face as a result. However, my dad seemed to pull through it like a champ with no severe damage to his faculties or systems.

So where most people turn to alcohol or medications or food or sex or whatever to help them through situations such as these, I choose not to indulge in such escapes. My answer to life's challenges these days is to lace up my running shoes, grab my mp3 player, and walk around White Rock Lake, which is exactly what I did yesterday.

While taking in the fresh air, sunshine, and beauty of the outdoors, "Fall On Me" came on. Although I've heard it a million times, for some reason, I seemed to really hear it yesterday. I guess I've just finally come to the realization that, no matter how much I wish it wasn't like this, life is really hard. You've got to take pleasure in the little moments when you feel alive... and as long as the sky hasn't fallen in on you, you have to do your best to keep on keepin' on and to draw from your own inner strength because others don't always have the ability, time, or even the desire to be there for you.

I found a silly little article on R.E.M. in a Spin anniversary edition that I will include for you today. Interestingly enough, the photographer is Anton Corbijn, whom I've mentioned numerous times on this blog, in connection with his work on photographs and videos involving many of my other favorite artists. I will also include a few of my other favorite tunes by R.E.M. called "Strange Currencies" and "Bittersweet Me"... but once again, you owe it to yourself to check out their other stuff if you've never really gotten into R.E.M. on your own because they're simply amazing!!!

There's the problem, feathers, iron
Bargain buildings, weights and pulleys
Feathers hit the ground before the weight can leave the air
Buy the sky and sell the sky and tell the sky and tell the sky
Don't fall on me
(What is it up in the air for)
(It's gonna fall)
Fall on me
(If it's there for long)
(It's gonna fall)
Fall on me
(It's over it's over me)
There's the progress we have found
(When the rain)
A way to talk around the problem
(When the children reign)
Building towered foresight, isn't anything at all
(Keep your conscience in the dark)
(Melt the statues in the park)
Buy the sky and sell the sky and bleed the sky and tell the sky
Don't fall on me
(What is it up in the air for)
(It's gonna fall)
Fall on me
(If it's there for long)
(It's gonna fall)
Fall on me
(It's over it's over me)
Fall on me
Well I could keep it above
But then it wouldn't be sky anymore
So if I send it to you
You've got to promise to keep it whole
Buy the sky and sell the sky
And lift your arms up to the sky
And ask the sky and ask the sky
Don't fall on me
(What is it up in the air for)
(It's gonna fall)
Fall on me
(If it's there for long)
(It's gonna fall)
Fall on me
(It's over it's over me)
Don't fall on me
(What is it up in the air for)
(It's gonna fall)
Fall on me
(If it's there for long)
(It's gonna fall)
Fall on me
(It's over it's over me)
Fall on me
Don't fall on me
(What is it up in the air for)
(It's gonna fall)
Fall on me
(If it's there for long)
(It's gonna fall)
Fall on me
(It's over it's over me)