Alive

"Son, she said. Have I got a little story for you... " I heard it on the radio. The song must be over 30 years old now. Eddie Vedder's voice though, I don't think I would forget. My husband and I were watching ALIEN Earth and at the end of the season finale, they played Animal. I started complaining about how they kept playing all this "noisy stuff" in the show and that the scoring was atypical. Then I realized, wait a second... is that Animal by Pearl Jam? I grew up on grunge and Pearl Jam was the one artist that even my less grunge-loving friends agreed was cool. I don't actually like Animal much, but Alive is dramatic. It has quiet moments. I kind of wondered if I could sing it. I found some chords that seemed easy enough but what is this song even about? I feel like I should just record songs to find out what they sound like in my voice. Hmmm... I'd probably ruin a good thing forever. I also know the words to Enter Sandman... that's a terrible idea. 

Does the name Gregg Alexander mean anything to you? He's credited with writing a couple of pieces that I would really love to sing. Someday We'll Know was on his New Radicals record. I saw a video of a pair of Japanese kids doing an acoustic cover of the Mandy Moore and Jonathan Foreman version. That was so impressive! This little girl banging away on her guitar and big bro on mic. I wish I could find out what chords they used. They made it look so easy. Then there's Game of Love. I would sing this to any adult that came into the music classroom at school when I was in, but I was surprised that nobody knew the song. I can't do the Santana bits but the song is still engaging and recognizable with just chords. I had to ask myself, do they not recognize it because I suck? No, I realize, it's probably because I'm old. I mean, the song is old!

I read a really interesting story about The Game of Love, probably on Wiki. If I had a chance to interview Gregg Alexander, I would ask him which parts of it he knew to be true. Supposedly, they had Tina Turner record the vocals for it for Santana's Shaman album. But Tina didn't want to shoot a music video so the label fielded in Macy Gray. That version was rejected and the project finally ended up on the lap of a young Michelle Branch. She also appeared on the video for the version that was eventually released for mass airplay... and got the Grammy too. Not too hard to find different versions online and now I'm mulling over recording mine. 

It's Saturday and I'm just rambling about music stuff now. I would really like to be able to write something here everyday. A snapshot of my thoughts at the moment. I think it would be great to look back on the year that way. 

I tried picking up my guitar last night. Even with the injured finger, I could practice a few barre chords and hit F and Bm over and over. Was F always this tricky? Why does it sound like that? Back in the day, I think all I played was C, D, G and Am. Don't forget Em! Full disclosure: I think I still mainly only play those chords. I also have a new favorite: Cadd9! 

Oooh, some new "gear" arrived over the week. I present to you, a brand new stool! It's even thicker and more padded than I expected! Never underestimate the power of a proper chair in making you less miserable about your day.  I'm going to use this for a few days and let you know how it goes.

Playlist Recommendation: Alive, Pearl Jam