The crockpot brought about internet dialogue, which begat personal wonderment, which became dazzling entertainment before my very eyes. Those with computers who read what I'd posted by means of computer used the interwebs to make my day many, many, many times over. Many times. The gift I received led me to use the internet to find even more related, magical knowledge, which only furthered the extent to which the original piece - it made my dreams come true (keep this reference in mind for later). One double click and suddenly I was unraveling the Da Vinci code of 80s music.
Kyrie Eleison down the road that I must travel, indeed!
Yesterday I mentioned how much I love the song "Electric Blue" by the Australian band Icehouse (turns out that is one word). A friend, unfamiliar with the song, let me know that it creeped her out. Loving the song as I do, and unaware of any lyrical content that would be weird like as if I'd said I love the song "Lola" by the Kinks (which I do), I asked if she had the right version. Then I received this:
"this is the creepy one I went to. dont freak me out and tell me that
you love this."
Um, love is an inadequate word to encapsulate what I feel for that video. I described the experience to others by saying "It's as if someone has found my happy place on the internet and sent it to me. I cannot stop watching this."
Suddenly I was back at Pizza Hut asking my parents for jukebox quarters to play this song. (It must not have been Lent that day[Day 1 callback!]). We did NOT have MTV growing up. I had never seen this video.
I quickly made up for lost time by watching the video/listening to the song today no less than 9 times.
Here's some timestamped commentary for those of you who may want to watch this video at home, oh, a baker's dozen times or so:
0:02 - Hey there Roxette, Look Sharp! There's a saxophonist lurking nearby!
0:03 - Fade into keytar!??!?? We're only 3 seconds in!!! Can this get better??? IT CAN.
Then wham!(my bar) to the roof! And to our first glimpse of the world's happiest drummer.
0:20 - Another glimpse of a girl who may be on-site, may be in a warehouse scene for Flashdance 2, we're not sure about her relationship to what's going on upstairs. Or the guy in the lawn chair.
0:22 - Our first shot of the lead singer looking a bit like David Bowie if he had a permed a dark (crystal) mullet, which leads into a confusing series of close-ups where he reminds me of Jaime Lee Curtis (0:29), Bowie (0:31), and the lead singer from Simple Minds (0:38) within less than ten seconds time! (Again, remember this later!)
0:46 - Is that the guy from Soul Man with
0:47 - Corey Haim?
0:50 - Phew, the world's happiest drummer will ease our minds with that golden smile and the locks to match
0:52 - My first catch of what are many instrument action close-ups for things that are technically unimpressive such as strumming a chord on a guitar (at least that's my understanding from those I know with musical talent and every Guns N' Roses video I've ever seen).
0:56 - The foreshadowing casually perfectly framed "keytar in windowless window frame" shot
0:57 - I just now am thinking maybe this girl is responding to the keytar's delight and not to an invisible joke we can't hear but that's really crackin' up the audience at the abandoned warehouse
0:59 - And it took me until my 7th viewing to think that maybe they were trying to have a storyline here of the intrepid saxophonist, wandering roofs with his (s)ax slung across his back, and nothing to guide him onward toward his destiny as a soloist but the dulcet tones of the same keytar that may or may not be singing its siren song to the siren of this warehouse-however many floors or realms below she may be
1:07ish - Are they on the same roof that U2 used for the "Where the Streets Have No Name" video? Did they get a 2-for-1 deal on one day of production? Or are they fighting for air space, police coverage, fanbase on the same day?
1:13 - instrument close up #2 - yep, that drum keeps the beat!
1:26 - the stealth saxophonist and/or pedophile likes what he hears!
1:29 - it just got hot in here! wait is she in an apartment now? there are some art prints on the wall.
1:33 - Bowie face!
1:58 - Get ready to have your ass smoldered for you! He's got smolder and then some.
2:00 - the keytar of destiny, call upon your liege!!!
2:04 - silhouetted sax!!! the keytar warmed your altar now SING! Sing against a cartoon sunset with such power and endurance that your song shall outlive the sun's rays!
2:11 - back UP! no one can handle that much sax in one go.
2:20 - darkness is fallen!!! that is how long the sax roared. (or U2 needed the best daylight and icehouse had to come back later)
2:24 - that sax is smokin!
2:34- "well guys, my work here is done"
2:41 - "i have a headache, migraine? migra-?? no, just enjoying the soft, full luster of my hair in my new blue plastic shirt, possibly becoming sexually aroused by my own split ends"
2:45 - "the happy drummer is right, this IS fun!"
2:49 - "yep, definitely hot for my dry, damaged ends. V05 Hot oil anyone?"
2:56 - close up on casual "one-note" sax droppin' in to say hello
3:13 - !?!?!?!!??!?!!!! Why not put on your hottest cocktail dress and bounce off the walls of a dank, seemingly abandoned tunnel in what appears to be a state of sexual confusion? Hey, it's Friday! Go crazy girlfriend!
3:19 - "Ahhh...yeah, I'll probably get killed here"
3:26 - the drummer's smile does not STOP! MVP for attitude sir!
3:41 - "we are running out of backup singer cache, let's literally act out the lyrics here."
3:50 - "we just rocked"
3:56 - drumstick spin - WE AIN'T DONE YET! No biggie!
3:58 - "yeah. even in this increasingly smoky/foggy night air, my mullet holds its curl. A little thing called V05 hot oil. Ever heard of it, Bono?
4:04 - "better call the freight elevator so i can maybe get up/down from this warehouse. i have to get back to that dark alley. after Fame 2 got canceled i did the V05 commercial and was going to stick to hair parts, but then i got a bit part as a mutilated corpse in a law & order. Oh yeah. It's SVU. Did you even see my reaction to that keytar (or possibly something else that was not explained to the viewer)? So sexual."
I L.O.V.E. LOVE this video. And this song.
I cannot imagine anyone is still reading but here's the payoff (in addition to that amazing 4+ minutes of music!) - Wikipedia factoids came home to roost in one big interconnected web of musical genius and personal connection!!!
No wonder this guy looks like Bowie and Simple Minds, he's far less than 6 degrees from both! (Jaime Lee Curtis still confuses):
- The band built up a strong following as a live act around the pub circuit, providing distinctive cover versions of songs by Roxy Music, David Bowie, Lou Reed, T-Rex, Ultravox and Brian Eno.
- In January 1982 Davies (lead singer) recorded Primitive Man essentially as a solo project, it was co-produced with Keith Forsey who had worked with Giorgio Moroder and later worked with Simple Minds.
- [Icehouse] supported David Bowie on the European section of his Serious Moonlight tour.
- Their [Icehouse] 1986 release Measure for Measure featured Brian Eno as an additional performer.
- While recording the song as a band, however, they ran into difficulty. The song's frequent chord and time changes caused problems in playing the song correctly; the difficulty was so great that producer Brian Eno attempted to erase the track
"Where the Streets Have no Name." U2.
Both "Electric Blue" and "Where the Streets Have no Name" came out in 1987, with Eno producing the March release of U2, and Icehouse releasing their stuff in November. Do I think it's possible Eno was pulling sabotage for the sake of the better rooftop video filming for his old band pals (how likable is that drummer???)? It's one conspiracy theory I'm going to posit as fact.
And the biggest crockpot surprise of all? Maybe why there's so much crazy sax and every time I get near this song I'm breakin' in two - ELECTRIC BLUE:
- Their best-selling album is 1987's Man of Colours, contained the Australian hit single "Electric Blue", co-written by Davies and John Oates of U.S. band Hall and Oates -peaked at #1 in October
OATES CO-WROTE ELECTRIC BLUE!!!!!!!!!!
NO WONDER IT'S SO GOOD I CAN LISTEN TO IT ALL DAY!!!!
This officially isolates the formula for creating something I enjoy!!!
2 parts Bowie, 5 parts 80s pop, 3/4 cup oates - and plenty o' keytar and smiles.
Turn on the crockpot for 12 hours and enjoy all week long!!!
references:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icehouse_(band)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_the_Streets_Have_No_Name
It thrills me to no end that this blog has been created. I myself partook of a veggie pizza last night, and have begun a long, hard slog down a Lenten road with nothing but milk and water and white tea to wet my whistle on the journey. (No alcohol, black tea, coffee, soda, etc.) In retrospect, I'm not quite sure what I was thinking. But I am glad I will have this blog to read throughout the 40 days. It'll help keep me honest. AND ENTERTAINED.
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