Month: July 2009

It’s the words, it’s always the words

Posted by seighinger – July 29, 2009

To me, words are the lyrics of life, and that’s why they are so important in a song.

All of the Eric Clapton or Jimi Hendrix guitar riffs are meaningless if no lyrics back them up. And I fully realize that’s what separates me from being any sort of musician — well, that and not being able to play an instrument. But the bottom line for me has always been the lyrics to any song.

There have been two songs in my life that have separated themselves from the rest, simply because of the lyrics. Of course, the music was great, too, but it’s the words I always remember first and foremost.

One is “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay, which is less than 2 years old, and the other is “Maggie May” by Rod Stewart, a rock classic celebrating its 38th birthday this summer. Anyone who knows me or is a friend of one my blogs realizes my longstanding love affair with Rod Stewart songs, so that should not be a surprise.

“VIVA LA VIDA,” Coldplay

No song in decades hooked me as quickly — or as deeply — as “Viva La Vida.” From the first time I heard it to just minutes before writing this entry, it has managed to stir emotions and thoughts that normally are dormant.

The lyrics to the song are filled with both historical and religious references. One of its most endearing pulls is the strong percussion background, coupled with a repeating string section. For someone who says he deals primarily in the words of a song, I have to admit those drums and strings are mighty appealing.

Lead singer Chris Martin is marvelous on the song, and in its many accompanying videos. Will Champion, the drummer and backup vocalist, is overpowering (in a good way) at times.

The song was released in May 2008 and was immediately a worldwide phenomenon, and has remained so ever since. Check out the number of hits the umpteen “Viva La Lida” sites receive on YouTube. It is staggering.

The song’s Spanish title, “Viva la Vida,” is taken from a painting by 20th century Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. It translates into English as “long live life.”

Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh, who would ever want to be king

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman calvary choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

Here’s how one reviewer/listener explained the incredible attraction to this song:

“Viva La Vida soars in with a grandiose instrumental arrangement and sweeping lyrics detailing the pain of being deposed from a lofty position. The big sound of the song constantly verges on becoming overblown, but Coldplay know how to walk the tightrope perfectly. Bells and chimes and orchestral swells are all there on the chorus, but Chris Martin’s voice still pierces through like a clarion call. Lyrically, the pain of the protagonist is clear, but the sweep of words about Jerusalem bells, Roman cavalry, and Saint Peter give Viva La Vida an air of intelligence rare in today’s most popular pop songs.” — Bill Lamb, About.com

An “air of intelligence.” That is perfect. For if nothing else, this song will keep you thinking, especially about the words.

Forever.

“MAGGIE MAY,” Rod Stewart

To this day, the song defines a time of life and personal experience for many, which I think, has always been part of its enduring appeal. Even those who are not a fan of Rod Stewart to the degree I am will normally praise this effort.

The autobiographical lyrics depict his “coming of age” as a 17-year-old with an older woman, sort of a cross between the “Summer of ’42″ and an encounter with a lady of the night.

Stewart’s incredibly unique voice and the words he penned have combined to provide the song with a certain timelessness. If released today for the first time, I’m confident its popularity would be equal to what it was in 1971, probably more so.

The song runs 5 minutes, 15 seconds, which was exceptionally long for the period when it was released. The early 1970s were still at the height of the three-minute pop song that was the staple of AM radio, but “Maggie May” always had a certain magic about it. The song broke a lot of barriers, from playing time to subject matter.

In October 1971 Stewart became the first artist in history to hold all four No. 1 positions in the British and American singles and albums charts. While “Maggie May” topped the singles tally in both territories, the album it came from, “Every Picture Tells A Story,” achieved the same feat on the album charts. Five years ago Rolling Stone magazine listed both the single and album as among the best in rock history.

I suppose I could collect my books and get on back to school
Or steal my daddy’s cue and make a living out of playing pool
Or find myself a rock and roll band that needs a helping hand
Oh Maggie I wish I’d never seen your face

“I still can’t see how the single is such a big hit,” Stewart once said. “It has no melody. Plenty of character and nice chords, but no melody.”

It’s the words, Rod. The words.

Ironically, seven years after the release of “Maggie May,” Stewart references her by name in the song “Ain’t Love A Bitch,” noting:

Oh I didn’t realize she made a first class fool out of me
Oh Maggie if you’re still out there the rest is history

Yes, it is. It most certainly is.

Seinfeld worth every penny, but not some of the others

Posted by seighinger – July 17, 2009

A couple of months ago we examined the salaries of some of the top celebrities and singers and made a decision on whether they were overpaid or not.

This time, we’re examining the top 10 paid comedians and deciding the same thing, based on their 2008 paychecks:

1. JERRY SEINFELD, 2008 income: $85 million: Are you kidding? Jerry is worth every cent. If anything, he’s probably underpaid. Generations from now, those classic “Seinfeld” episodes will still be hilarious. Jerry also pocketed some nice change last year by touring.chrisrock1

2. CHRIS ROCK, 2008 income: $42 million: He’s overpaid, but only slightly. When Richard Pryor’s drug addictions and other health problems eventually sidelined him, along came Eddie Murphy. And now that Eddie Murphy is no longer funny, there is Chris Rock. My only complaint with Chris Rock is his vocabulary. Just like Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock would be funny without all of the vulgarity.

3. JEFF DUNHAM, 2008 salary: $30 million: Who, you ask? He’s a ventriloquist who has developed legions of followers, largely due to his frequent Comedy Central appearances. But is he a $30 million man? Uhh … no, neither he or the dummies are that funny.

4. DANE COOK, 2008 salary: $20 million: Maybe it’s just me, but this guy might be more overrated than Conan O’Brien, and possibly even more annoying. I would at least buy a ticket to see No. 3 Jeff Dunham. I wouldn’t walk across the living room to turn on the TV to watch Dane Cook.

5. GEORGE LOPEZ, 2008 salary: $20 million: Who, for the love of Jerry Seinfeld, would pay someone as un-funny as George Lopez this kind of money? His ABC “comedy” show was canceled for a reason.

6. HOWIE MANDEL, 2008 salary: $15 million: OK, Dane Cook is annoying, George Lopez is not funny in the least … and then there is Howie Mandel. He is so irritating I would simply like to punch him. And if the need actually came to throw down, I’m sure I could take him. He’s kind of a runt. Howie Mandel was not funny when he had hair, and he is certainly not funny with that Mr. Clean look.

7. LARRY THE CABLE GUY, 2008 salary: $13 million: Now here’s an underrated and underpaid comedian. Cut-off shirts, flatulence jokes … just git ‘errrr done!!

8. JEFF FOXWORTHY, 2008 salary: $11 million: He’s worth every royalty check, as long as he’s telling those redneck jokes. Anything else and he can go sit with George and Howie.

9. TERRY FATOR, 2008 salary: $10 million: Another ventriloquist. I’ve never heard of him, so even if he is funny he can’t be worth $10 million. (My blogging buddy Kelly Wilson says he’s fantastic. But what does she know?)

10. RUSSELL PETERS, 2008 salary: $10 million: He’s Canadian. Really, how many funny Canadians do you know? Gordie Howe? Guy LaFleur? Jacques Lemaire? They’re all great hockey players, but comedians? No.

Ten jobs Sarah Palin could hold while waiting for 2012

Posted by seighinger – July 8, 2009

sarah_palin_I remember very well the first thoughts that popped into my mind last week when I heard Sarah Palin had resigned as governor of Alaska and was leaving the door open for a 2012 run to the White House.

I believe that initial thought was some combination of “All right! Woo-hoo! Hooray!” and maybe even a “Yippee!!”

For those of you who are regular visitors to this blog, you fully realize I love Sarah Palin. For those of you who didn’t know, well … I love Sarah Palin.

Not that I necessarily agree with all or any of her political stands or selection of magazines, and neither do I condone her geographical inabilities. I simply love what she brought to last year’s political campaign and how she took great pleasure in dismantling some of the stuffed shirts who tried to ruin her career on the big stage before it even got started.

Sarah Palin was a breath of fresh air in what would have been — for the most part — an otherwise dull and boring campaign. Anyone who had a mild clue knew John McCain had absolutely no chance to upset Barack Obama, but what made the campaign interesting was what Sarah Palin did.

And now she’s back. (Woo-hoo! Yippee!)

Until she officially declares herself a candidate for the presidency, she’s going to need income. Here are a few ideas I thought she might want to try:

1. TALKING HEAD: Sarah would make an excellent political contributor to Fox News (what, were you expecting left-wing MSNBC?), possibly paired with Sean Hannity. I don’t think she and Mike Huckabee would work well together, since the Huck has eyes on the White House, too.

2. FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Go ahead, admit it. She looks like a flight attendant. Political correctness be damned.

3. FAMILY COUNSELOR: If anyone should be an expert on intra-family problems, it’s our Alaskan princess.

4. LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW HOST: This would work for two reasons. First, she would have to be better than Conan O’Brien (my dog, Ashes, who is hardly a canine Rhodes scholar, is much more entertaining than Jay Leno’s successor). Secondly, it would allow her an outlet to go after David Letterman.

5. POTATO FARMER: She was born in Idaho. She has to know something about spuds.

6. SURF INSTRUCTOR: One of the many colleges she attended was in Hawaii. Seems like a natural fit.

7. SPORTS REPORTER: She has a bachelor’s degree in communication journalism and at one time eyed a career on ESPN. Chris Berman is nearing retirement age, so maybe if the presidential thing doesn’t work out, she can succeed Boomer on the Bristol campus.

8. TOUR GUIDE: For crying out loud, she’s lived in Alaska most of her life. That should count for something. And I’m sure she can fly one of those bush planes.

9. BASKETBALL COACH: Did you know Ms. Palin was the starting point guard on the Wasilla basketball team that won a state championship?

10. MISS AMERICA EMCEE: She could be the new Bert Parks. After all, she has the credentials. She finished third in the 1984 Miss Alaska contest.

THIS JUST IN: Roger Simon, the chief political columnist for Politico, writes if the GOP was nominating a candidate for the presidency today it would be … Sarah Palin.

Friends, the fun has just begun.

It’s lunchtime for me and a few friends

Posted by seighinger – July 3, 2009

It’s time for lunch — again!

Here are the 10 individuals (or groups) I would like to sit across the table from, and if you count 11, here your eyes are correct. I’m from Big Ten country, where “10″ actually means “11.” And if you are not a football fan, you probably have no clue what I just said.

sanford-headshot1. MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: Outside of the litle creep that runs North Korea, is there a more despised man in the world right now than the Iranian leader? I guess George W. had it right when he lumped Iran and North Korea into that axis of evil thing. First question I would have for Mahmoud is, “Really, who do you think you are fooling?” Lunch at: Kutter’s on the riverfront. Hopefully, Mahmoud would cause some sort of fracas so owner Paul Holtschlag could toss him out the front door — and into the Mississippi River.

2. MARK SANFORD (right): Life is about choices, and the South Carolina governor has not been doing too well in that department. I would advise him to resign, cut his losses … and since America is such a forgiving nation, he would probably have the opportunity to resurrect his political — or another related — career down the road. Lunch at: O’Griff’s, because there are quite a few law offices nearby. I think the guv will be needing some of that kind of advice real soon.

3. CONAN O’BRIEN: I would beg him to quit The Tonight Show immediately so NBC can actually put someone on in that time slot who is funny. Lunch at: Red Lobster in St. Louis, where afterward we could go see a real comedian at one of the comedy clubs. Conan needs to learn how a joke should be designed to make people laugh, not encourage them to change channels and watch David Letterman.

320_ffawcettroneal_061109_kwinter_19131364. WILL FERRELL: I would probably invite Will to join Conan and myself, since it’s obvious he no longer has a clue about what is funny. That “Land of the Lost” debacle is going to haunt his career for a long, long time. Lunch at: If not Red Lobster in St. Louis with Conan, then at the snackstand at Showplace 6 in Quincy where I went to see “Land of the Lost.” I still regret not walking out on that horrible, horrible movie.

5. RYAN O’NEAL (left): How can you not admire this guy for the way he handled himself during the months leading up to the death of his longtime partner, Farrah Fawcett? I would like to thank him for the courage he probably gave others in the same situation. Lunch at: Jorge the Crook’s would provide the perfect atmosphere to hear how much he loved her for so many years.

6. QUINCY SCHOOL BOARD: Oh boy, where does a guy start? All of the bizarre scenarios surrounding this elected body could never be made into a movie because no one would believe it. Lunch, however, could be mighty interesting. Lunch at: Golden Corral in Hannibal, because I will definitely need some seconds (and thirds) listening to what I would hear during this kind of roundtable.

brian-williams7. JON AND KATE GOSSELIN: These two give reality TV an even worse reputation. Lunch at: McDonald’s, because I’m sure they would be bringing those eight kids along, too. Get the Happy Meals ready.

8. BRIAN WILLIAMS (right): I thoroughly love hearing Brian Williams tell me what is happening in the world each night. He is the best, by far, of any the network anchors. I wonder if he would order his food in the same voice he delivers the news? Lunch at: El Rancherito. I’m betting Brian is a taco or fajita kind of guy.

9. REGIS PHILBIN: Does anyone enjoy life more than Regis? The man is 77 and still going strong. I want to know his secret. Is it one of those five-hour energy drinks or what? Lunch at: Starbucks. Just what he would need — a little more caffeine.

albert-pujols-wallpaper-110. ALBERT PUJOLS (left): I would love to break bread with the finest baseball hitter of this generation. Someday I will tell my great-grandkids I was able to watch the great Prince Albert play, and explain how he was one of the beacons of integrity during baseball’s dirty steroid era. Lunch at: My house. The Little Woman could make some of her famous meatballs, and then we could watch the MLB Network together. I would also apologize to him for trading him off my fantasy baseball team a few years ago.

11. SARAH PALIN: I always have a standing invitation for the dysfunctional Alaskan princess. Lunch at: Panera, so we can both bring our laptops and take advantage of the wireless Internet.