Spilling of the Heavens: Part 2

Note: I realized that part 2 wasn't all that long. I actually like these two little sections better than I remember.

Dawn greeted them with purple and orange streaks in the skye to the east and with the peak looming ever closer. They climbed the crumbling stone stairway built by some unknown craftsman in an age before such things were recorded. In his former life, Cassar had snuck up here often among the clouds, and where even the air feared to linger, in search of clues on the mystery stairway. He feared no clues remained from that long ago time.  Even if they did, he no longer cared to find them. He promised himself that this would be his last trip to the peak of Kekur. His days of adventure were over after this.

Cassar was wrong on both accounts, his return to Kekur would come, and so would one more adventure, but not for a very long time.

Of the hundred that had left Metahischoo, the palace of Marek, as escort to the king, only ten remained. The traitors had followed up the path, picking off wounded and slower moving members of the party. Some of the traitors had left the stairway, choosing to brave the rugged, sharp-inclined terrain of the mountain. Those pitiful few labored behind using axes and swords to dig into the solid rock. That way was treacherous, and many fell, their screams echoing for minutes before reaching the heavens, or if the poor soul was truly unfortunate, his wails plummeted all the way down to the underworld.

Ahead, Tarek plodded up the stairway, taking in loud, raspy breaths. It had been much the same the first time the two friends had scaled the stairs together. No matter the strength of the man, the altitude, the thin air and the cold beat down like the hooves of a thousand horses. Cassar handled it better with more experience, but Tarek appeared near exhaustion. Yet the king pressed on, sometimes mumbling and other times belting out rhymes suited for taverns and brothels.

Cassar thought back to the first journey; it was not even that long ago really. Tarek had been quiet, even scared. They had approached at night, a terrible idea, but the prophecy demanded such a risk. In the crisp, cold air, it had been Cassar’s voice that rumbled an ancient gargolian hymn. One that his ancestors had sang while chained and enslaved by the dwarves ages earlier in the darkest depths of the old mines. An old hymn that was full of sorrow with lyrics expressing hope.  That night, Tarek had clutched Cassar’s hand with tears clear in his eyes.

“Thank you, Cassar,” Tarek said. “Thank you.”

In a world cast in a deep shadow, that had been a moment of beauty and peace, a moment Cassar had lost until then as Tarek belted out lewd lyrics ahead of him.

In that instant, Cassar truly hated Tarek Grandar.

* * *

While neither the king’s escort nor the traitors raised a white flag, the fighting, at some point, stopped and the two groups mixed. Cassar noticed this only when he looked back to see his cousin, Smyth, limping directly behind him. An arrow stuck crudely through Smyth’s leg, and he had a large purple bruise over his eye. Growing up together, Smyth had been considered a prodigy of language. He was fluent in every current tongue used in the seven kingdoms, and two dozen, at least, ancient languages.

After the war, Smyth had been one of the first to abandon the troubled king. Along with knowing languages, Smyth knew how to use words better than anyone than Cassar knew. His speeches in the square gained attention and won over followers. When the king’s guard came for his arrest, the rebellion started first with fists and shouting then with blades and dying.

“I’ve no fight left, cousin,” said Smyth, who carried no club. “The mountain is beating all of us.”

“If not for you, we’d not be challenging the mountain or each other,” Cassar fired back. Smyth’s betrayal still cut at Cassar’s heart.

“Not each other perhaps,” Smyth spoke again, this time gasping for air, “but, do you truly believe that you’d not be here climbing this mountain with him, rebellion or not?” Smyth pointed toward the king.

Cassar did not answer knowing the truth in Smyth’s question. The trip to the peak of Kekur had nothing to do with the rebellion or the traitors. The king seemed not to care about them. His concern for the kingdom and the crown had dissipated in the months preceding. Tarek’s actions were wild and dark. He brooded and cursed. He once said the swords at his hip were like an itch on the middle of his back, constantly nagging, but impossible to satiate. There was something waiting at the peak again, something that would change the course of the world forever.

“What’s going to happen?” Smyth gasped out the question.

“I dread to know.” Cassar answered.            

A Look Back at The Legacy of Kip Winger: Part 3

Note:  I need to correct some story points from Part 2.  'Songs Like This' was not the breakup of Kip and his woman.  It was more of a fight that causes them to think things differently.  Thus 'New Pony' becomes Kip's woman taking her own leisure since she sees Kip doing the same thing.   'Scumbag Blues' is still remorse but not about a breakup, but other issues in their relationship.  This came to me as I looked over what happens in this section of the story.

'Lotion' - The Greenskeepers from Polo Club

This song is somewhat of a guilty pleasure.  The groove is hypnotic and the lyrics are eerie pulling from a classic scary movie character.  You know the song is about messed up stuff, yet the rhythm makes you nod your head in time. I always struggled with how this song would fit into the story for me given its lyrical content.  Pulling back from literal interpretation, the song is more about Kip's obsession of his woman and his potential toxic effects on their relationship.

'Don't Let Me Stop You' - Kelly Clarkson from All I Ever Wanted

Kelly really belts out this song.  You can feel every bit of effort she gives and hear the fed up attitude in her voice.  This was the first full album of hers that I had bought and wasn't disappointed with the edge she brings to her music.  This is Kip's woman finally taking a stand in their relationship.  She is seeing his disrespect and knows she could do better.

'You Don't Understand Me' - The Raconteurs from Consolers of the Lonely

I wish The Raconteurs could of stayed together.  They were making some great music and I love the harmonies they put together, especially on this song.  The piano alone could break your heart, but mix in those backing vocals in the verses and the song oozes sadness.  The song fits perfectly in the story here.  This is Kip's retort in their argument.  There is a mixed message in the lyrics for Kip.  There are words thrown out similar to the previous song about go ahead and go, I can do better.  But the tone of the song suggests there is true sadness within Kip that he doesn't want to lose her.

'Undo It' - Carrie Underwood from Play On

This is our second and final entry from Carrie in his album.  On my first listen to Play On, this song stuck out for her vocal performance.  I believe since I had put it on the album, it was released as a single and thus would have violated my unwritten rule about songs.  So instead I take pride in my ability to pick out the good songs on an album without being force feed them on the radio. If you remember back a post ago and from my note above, I labeled 'Songs Like This' as Kip and his woman's breakup song.  That is what a few years removed from the story can do.  Red was correct in his observation that it didn't need to be a breakup and it wasn't supposed to be in my original thoughts.  I had forgotten what came later in the story and two angry Carrie Underwood songs didn't make remembering any easier.  This is truly the breakup.  Kip's woman wishes she had never gone where she did with Kip and wants out now.  

'Caroline' - Wolfmother from Cosmic Egg 

I had to look back and see if I had included Wolfmother's first album in my previous compilation 'Get A Haircut And Get a Real Job'.  I had not.  This song is different from anything else I had heard from Wolfmother as they usually rock out in that sex, drugs and Rock 'n Roll style of yesteryear.  This song is slow, brooding and gut wrenching at times.  You could say this song officially names my female lead as Caroline.  In the story, this is Kip's heartache post Caroline telling him to get lost.  He begs her to come back with him and run away to whatever place with make her happy.  The line that always sticks out with me, "Caroline, why you wanna live this way?", tells me Kip does love her but he just doesn't know how to love.  This has been built up to us through all his actions thus far.

Stay tuned for the next section that will finish up the first album of this double album compilation set.

My reading list for 2012

I thought I'd share books that I've read this year, and whether or not they are worth checking out. I think I read a couple more, but I find my memory is not what it used to be. I generally read fast, but sometimes my job pulls me away from it for weeks at a time. 

A Clash of Kings (Book 2 of A Game of Thrones) - George R.R. Martin 

A Storm of Swords (Book 3 of A Game of Thrones)  - George R.R. Martin

As indicated these are both part of the Game of Throne series – which has been made popular by the HBO series. As an aside, the HBO series (at least the first season) is very well done, although I think I'd have trouble following everything if I hadn't read the books. 

With that being said, I had read the first book awhile back, and actually hadn't been that inclined to keep going. But, at some point, it caught my attention again, and I consumed these two 1,000 page books in a couple weeks time. 

Obviously, the length will deter many from picking it up, but once you get into the story, it goes fast. I've never read a fantasy story that develops so many characters and really delves into the politics of the feudal system so well. There's plenty of action to keep the narrative flowing and the chapters aren't very long. Plus, Tyrion Lannister is one of the best characters you'll run into in this genre. 

Martin does an excellent job of developing every character, and peels back depth in even the most repulsive of personalities. The only thing that catches me is that I find the book titles to be drab. 

My recommendation: If you like this genre, you'll love this series. 

The Shining - Stephen King

I felt compelled to read this since I had read so many other books by King, and this was supposed to  be one of his best. I don't rank it all that high, but it's fine and a classic due in part Stanley Kubrick's film version. I watched the film after reading the book, and they are almost two different stories with similar structure. Nothing wrong with either, they are just different. 

On an aside, I bought this used and I think it was part of the first release. I found a ton of typos. That's unusual for a published work. 

My recommendation: I think it's required reading for people that like King. 

Are You Afraid of the Dark - Sydney Sheldon

This is the third Sheldon book I've read, and it confirmed what I suspected after reading the first two. This guy has a very basic plot formula that he plugs his characters into and then runs them through, no matter the setting and the specifics. If you've never read a Sheldon book, he writes the basic suspense, spy-type thriller. After a couple reads, you come to expect a twist at the end, so you spend most of the book just looking for the likely twist. 

The afterwords are actually my favorite part. He feeds in conspiracy theories with his plots, so you get details from the "real world" on things reflected in the book. For example, this book had to do with weather control. His afterword cites public documents where the U.S. government and Russian governments have applied for patents concerning weather control. He also cites examples of it being used. I just find those interesting. 

My recommendation: Eh. It's a good transition book between longer, more demanding reads. 

The Posionwood Bible - Barbara Kingslover

This is Kingslover's most acclaimed work, but I had a hard time getting into it. The first few chapters just drag. I have read a couple of her other books, and they usually pull you in quick. This is a more cognitive work involving a family of Baptist missionaries that go to the Congo during the 1960s (I think was the 60s, might have been 50s). The middle of this book gets solid as things fall apart for the family. Cause guess what, a bunch of starving Africans need food before they get preached too. I also felt the book went on about 100 pages too long. It would probably be good to read in a group to discuss symbolism, but I think it still could have stopped sooner or been cut down. 

My recommendation: Give other works by Kingslover like the "The Bean Trees" a try before jumping into this. You'll likely keep going after falling for the charm she brings to her work. 

Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton 

I wasn't sure I'd get past the movie when I borrowed this from my brother. I was surprised how wrong I was. Much like The Shining, the two are very different tales. The book attacks the situation more scientifically without bogging the reader down in too much data. It read quick, which also surprised me since I tried to read Crichton book once before and got tired of all the legal jargon. 

My recommendation: If you find it cheap, give it a go. 

Americana - Hampton Sides

This is a collection of articles that Sides wrote for various magazines that stretch over about a 15-year period from the early 1990s to the mid-2000s. It makes me feel old to see how dated some of the early 1990s stuff is. The topics vary from Tuperware saleswomen to Steve Nash with overarching hope to provide a mosaic of the country. The post 9-11 article was the most brutally touching as he walked the steps of several people that were in the towers when the planes hit. 

My recommendation: If stumble across it, give it a chance. The nice thing is that you can read an article one day and not pick up again for 3 weeks and not have to worry about remembering plot. 

Spilling of the Heavens: Part 1, Section 2

The flames faded as the traitors fell back a few steps. Cassar formed a fresh line before the king. Even Kekur would not keep the traitors away long.

“Mighty Cassar!” The king’s voiced boomed. “To me, Mighty Cassar!”

The king had taken to calling him mighty since returning from the war with the dark king of Rion. The hairs on the back of Cassar’s neck rose each time it was said. He was not mighty. He was the son of a librarian, and if the fighting ever stops, he’d be a librarian himself. He belonged better among a stack books than forming a line. Yet, he obeyed.

The king was the only man that Cassar had ever met whose height nearly matched a gargolas. Tarek Grandar was but a head shorter than Cassar. The difference between the two was in the head, neck and limbs. Cassar’s head was huge with flat features. His neck was as round as a man’s waist and his limbs bulged out grotesquely. It didn’t stop there. Cassar’s forearms were twice the size of his biceps, and his legs below his knees were larger than they were above.

Tarek Grander, in contrast, had sharp features – a pointed nose and chin. He had a slender waist, but a thick chest. His arms and legs were strong, but clearly inferior to a gargola. Yet, no gargola with sense mistook Tarek Grandar for a lesser being.  Tarek Grandar was a god among men, dwarves and gargolas. It was more than just the powerful swords he carried. Tarek Grandar was myth given breath.

“Mighty Cassar, we must reach the peak by dawn,” Tarek’s voice cracked, the very thin grasp of sanity evident. In his better days, Tarek’s voice had stirred things in the heart of Cassar that he did not think possible. Power mixed with limitless kindness had won over Cassar and all that bowed before him in Marek. Those days were gone.

“Why my king, why?” Cassar wiped sweat and blood away from his forehead. “I’ve led you this far with no question, but we are under attack and undermanned. What business waits there? I deserve that much, if not as your subject than as your old friend!”

Tarek smiled. Behind his shoulder, Old Moon’s face frowned. Cassar thought at that moment the man may just pull the moon down and slay it when they reached the peak. What then, he thought, what would you do if he does just that?

“Old friend,” Tarek puzzled over the words. “Yes, old friend. You warrant that much.”

“Well, what is it then,” Cassar pleaded?  Behind them the traitors had retreated, but he knew that the battle would wage up the narrow staircase leading to the peak.

“I have business with the heavens. I seek payment for services rendered.” 

My Take on Bond's Best

Sure holidays like Thanksgiving provide great family time, lots of food and the biggest shopping time of the year, but for me I am always looking forward to TV marathons that the plethora of cable channels put on to fill programming time.  As is the case with most holidays, I was able to find several different channels running James Bond marathons.  After sharing the joy of hours upon hours of James Bond with my wife and kids, I decided to make a list of my Top 5 James Bond movies.

#5  Live And Let Die

Obviously the movie with the best Bond theme has to make my list.  As with most Bond films, it drips with popular culture and is dated with themes of the day.  This Bond uses the blaxplotation style that was prevalent in the 70's sending Bond through Harlem and into New Orleans chasing a voodoo man and a heroin dealer named Mr. Big.  I always found it interesting to know Jane Seymour was a Bond girl.  This was Roger Moore's first outing as Bond proving he had the chops to take over the franchise from Sean Connery.  In the end, redneck lawman, Sheriff Pepper steals the show leading to the recurrence of the character in later movies.


#4  From Russia With Love

This one may be more of a sentimental choice.  The juxtaposition of trained assassin Grant with Bond makes the film very interesting.  Grant spends the first half of the movie protecting Bond from danger just to ensure he makes it to the train so he can kill him.  There is a subtle distractedness to the Bond story here.  We know from the beginning what the plot is a trap, who the bad guys are and where they are going.  Those are usually secrets revealed throughout the Bond films.  It makes the movie more about the journey as symbolized by the long train ride on the Orient Express and Bond's meandering around Instanbul.  There is something special about that for a Bond flick. 


#3   Casino Royale

Daniel Craig's first effort as Bond takes us back to the emergence of 007.  The story is gritty, Bond is far from a perfect Double O agent and the action sequences seem fresh.  Plot is unfolded masterfully with several twists along the way.  A good love interest gave the movie an additional layer that leads us to the path of 007 becoming a cold killer and carefree lover.


#2   Goldeneye

Pierce Brosnan's first Bond film was a return to the Sean Connery form for 007 after Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton had taken the character in different directions.  The plot features a good story and a nice twist.  The gadgets and goofiness were scaled back for a more sauve Bond with amazing action sequences.  Also, this movie brought Judi Dench as the new M creating a new dimension and depth to the character previously reserved to just scold Bond and tell him to get on his way.  Dench's M is demanding and becomes almost as central of a character in the movies as Bond himself.


#1  Goldfinger

This one finally perfected the mold of a Bond movie that many tried to recreate over and over again.  Auric Goldfinger is a fantastic villian.  Oddjob is the perfect henchman.  Pussy Galore is the great Bond girl name.  There are a few unique dynamics in this entry that continue to set it apart.   Bond has many run ins with Goldfinger as he tries to get the villian off his game, yet Goldfinger never seems to feel all that threatened by him.  The ultimate sequence in the movie is when Goldfinger has Bond captured and tied to a table with the laser slowly approaching the helpless 007.  In retort to Bond's efforts, Goldfinger coolly responds, "No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die."  This trap more than any other should have been killed if not for his ability to manipulate other investors in Goldfinger's scheme to keep him alive.  Also, there is the way Bond ends up foiling the plan altogether, not by his skill as a Double O agent, but his charisma with Pussy Galore.  The entire movie is well done with a superb villian and Connery's Bond as cool as a cucumber.

Honorable Mentions:

A View to a Kill - Christopher Walken as a Bond villian. 

Thunderball - Domino is the best Bond girl ever.

Dr. No - The one that started it all.

A Look Back at 'The Legacy of Kip Winger' - Part 2

 Let's continue the look back over the story of the man known as Kip Winger.  We are going to look at songs 6 thru 10.

'Evil Man' - The Answer from Everyday Demons

I love the name of this band.  It is total bad ass rock 'n roll, because it doesn't matter the question these guys are The Answer.   This is a great hard rock song for the modern area.  The Answer pound through 'Evil Man' as if they were AC/DC gone back in time.  The song flows right from the female perspective of Kip being a monster to his own self awareness as to his intentions.  This just continues to keep the loud, heavy sound of the beginning of this collection going strong.

'Songs Like This' - Carrie Underwood from Play On

Even though I absolutely love this song, I struggled with where it would fit in this collection.  Carrie is probably the angriest, most spiteful we have ever heard her.  This may end up being Tony Romo's greatest contribution to society.  The song toes that line many do these days between country and pop.  If we are looking in the aspect of time, there would likely be a little flash forward between previous two songs and this sort of break-up between Kip and his woman.  It almost becomes a self fulfilling prophecy after the earlier message that something would that happen in their relationship.


'New Pony' - The Dead Weather from Horehound

It wasn't until later doing research for my thoughts on this compilation that I found out this song is actually a Bob Dylan cover.  Like many before them, The Dead Weather take a toned down folky Dylan tune and kick it up a few notches.  That's Jack White singing backup and pounding on the drums.   The song feels like an assault on the senses with a beat so thick you can taste it and an aura of being right in middle of the action so you can feel the singer's hot breath on your face.  As for the story, I'll leave it slightly up to your interpretation as to who found the new pony.  Obviously post breakup, someone has to move on.

'Dull Life' - Yeah Yeah Yeahs from It's Blitz!

The riff to this song just sucks me in.  There is something mesmerizing about her voice and the music.  The song represents a matured sound for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs than previous albums.  There is a fuller sound and more layers to the composition.  The line that sticks out is: "We see the nightmare of the lies that you speak."  I am not sure who would be saying it, but they are definitely saying it to Kip.  It may be a parent or figure of authority almost in a retort of saying what Kip would find as the dull life ain't so bad.

'Scumbag Blues' - Them Crooked Vultures from Them Crooked Vultures

Them Crooked Vultures is a modern power trio with old school roots.  That may be easier to achieve when one of your trio is John Paul Jones.  His keyboard chops a la Physical Graffiti are on full display.  The song has a very early hard rock feel to it with Dave Grohl doing his best John Bonham impersonation.   Homage or not, it sounds awesome.  I think the title more than anything states how the song progresses the story.  Kip is on a downturn here in his life.  He is likely feeling some remorse over losing his girl and getting plenty of grief from other people in his life.

Short Story: Spilling of Heavens. Part 1, Section 1

Note: I figured if Snake was back contributing, I better get back involved. As the title suggests, this is a short story. While overall, it's not all that long, I thought I'd post it in smaller pieces, just to make it easier to take in. This contains characters from the last CD project. I sort of developed this as a break when I was trying to go back and rewrite the whole project. I don't really have any long term goals for this, just thought I tell a little story that builds history for the project.

Spilling of the Heavens

The traitors attacked in the night, as Old Moon’s broken face slid behind the outer tendrils of a thick, white cloud burst. Cassar had been staring up at the wounded moon, remembering how smooth it had once been. On clear winter nights, Old Moon had glowed flawless, filling up the entire sky. What a sight! It had broken his papa’s heart to see the giant pale orb tarnished. For three hundred years, his papa had chronicled Old Moon’s orbit while other historians and stargazers worshipped the sharp, curved blue blade that had appeared in the sky near Old Moon at the dawn of this age. New Moon captivated the half-minded, his papa said. Old Moon, his father’s huge flat face would brim with joy as he spoke, has and will see it all from our birth to death. Little wonder that his papa fell to slumber only days after Old Moon’s scarring.

His papa’s slumber broke Cassar’s heart even more than the death of his wife and son, for he had led the king to the top of the great peak of Kekur where the king claimed his wicked prize, the sword ripped from Old Moon’s face. A shame, but a necessary shame, Cassar’s gigantic head told his weeping heart as the moon approached the cloud.

They were camped upon Cane’s Landing, the stone deck where the old god, Cane, meditated ages ago among the heavens and less than a morning’s hike below Kekur. Yes, Cassar was leading the king to the peak again. This time a hundred dwarves, men and gargolas accompanied them. Cassar was a gargola, a race crossed between the giants of the ancient world and the men of the blue dawn. Behind them, the traitors gave chase, waiting to ambush them either on the way up or way down. If there was a journey back down, he thought. He had no idea why they had left Metahischoo, the palace of Marek, under siege by a host of traitors.  Once he had trusted his king, but Tarek Grandar had changed. The battle with the dark king of Rion on the sands of the Sorna had changed him. So had the two swords, Kekur – the sword of Marek and one of the seven great blades – and Lunar – the wicked sword that had scarred Old Moon.

Then Old Moon disappeared behind the cloud, and the glow it gave off the snow-capped ground died. In the pure dark, the feet crunching in the snow came from every direction. Cassar lifted his head, grasping for his massive club. A gargola never fought with a sword, for no smith had ever forged one big enough to fit his massive hands. Instead, they used clubs that were trunks of young trees rounded at the end. Some cruel gargolas fastened spikes to their clubs, but Cassar preferred his smooth. A short figure with ax drawn came at Cassar, as he worked to lift his huge body from the ground. He made it only to his knees, before swinging his club to send the figure, a dwarf no doubt, flying off the side of Cane’s Landing and down the side of the mountain. Cassar prayed that he had not known the dwarf before all this had started, even though relations between gargolas and dwarves had always been tenuous.

On his feet, the sound of battle surrounded him. Dark figures danced with swords, axes and clubs. Feet tapped off the stone deck, and wails sounded out. Cassar fought to the front of the king’s tent, for the king had not yet joined the battle. The man had an uncanny knack to sleep through everything. The loyal ones left formed a circle around the tent, fending of wave after wave of traitors, losing many in their own ranks each time. Old Moon escaped its temporary prison, lighting the world enough to show the bodies stacking up and the blood running off the deck. “Oh,” Cassar moaned. A place once known for serenity would forever be stained by violence. A man came at him. Cassar fended off a thrust from a sword and then caught the man’s head in his hand. Cassar squeezed, feeling his fingernails dig in right before the man’s skull collapsed on each side.

Behind Cassar, the tent exploded in flame. He held his ground as others ducked for cover. The gargola turned in time to see a man run through the ranks of defense toward the flame at the middle of the tent. Inside the flame was the king, his brown beard with flakes of gray and cold blue eyes were clear. Thank heavens, thought Cassar, he drew Kekur instead of the other. He had seen the other drawn once, and he hoped he would not live long enough to see that blade in battle again.

“Traitor!” Tarek Grandar’s voice boomed as he drove the blade into the man’s middle. The man’s body went limp before it exploded, showering every one including the king with blood and sizzling pieces of flesh.

“Pure rage,” Cassar whispered. “Only rage remains. “ 

A Look Back at 'The Legacy of Kip Winger'

It had become an annual tradition for a buddy and me to make compilation albums each year highlighting to the other new music we had purchased.  Whether we had any set rules or not, I always tried to keep it to two songs max from a single album and always tried to pick the 'hidden gems' from the album.  I didn't want to just throw out all the singles that people might have already heard on the radio or TV.  The overall point was to highlight the album and introduce music that the other person hadn't heard and might otherwise not listen to.  I believe this album would reference back to my musical year of 2009.  I spent much more time on this compilation than I had in the past mulling over the song sequence trying to find a good flow knowing that is part of the recipe to make new songs appealing.  Eventually I noticed a theme I was creating and came up with the concept of trying to put my disparate songs together into some kind of mosaic portraying a life story of my fictional character, Kip Winger.  I've wanted to get back to posting an overview of why I picked the songs while trying to explain my thoughts on how they form the story.  So here I go.  Sit back and enjoy this look back at The Legacy of Kip Winger.

'Do You Do You Dig Destruction' - Turbonegro from Retox

I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it.  When thinking of what to put together on my album, I knew I had to put this in somewhere.  I think it may have been part of a Jackass or Viva La Bam soundtrack which is partly how I came to possess it.  I have since picked up a couple other albums from this Norwegian punk band.  The song's loud, upbeat tempo makes it a good starter song and the lyrical content really painted the formation a story in my head.  It gave me the beginning to build off of.  The song is stereotypical punk in its anti establishment message.  This gave me an image of the youth gone wild of Kip almost in the same light of Alex from A Clockwork Orange.  He's a misfit, a trouble maker that is living life for the kicks without a care in the world.  A good interpretation on my part since later I did research for this and read how the band made the video to look like a James Dean type rebellion gang.  That was kind of the feel I was looking for.

'Teenagers' - My Chemical Romance from The Black Parade

It took me a few listens before I truly understood The Black Parade even though looking back the message overall kind of slaps you in the face.  This song always stood out for me and fitting perfectly to continue the feel of rebellion.  Although this song kind of becomes the other side of the point that the adults in Kip's life are looking to shape the kids into what they want them to be.  The chorus sticks with me as I love the sound of the lyrics, "Teenagers scare the living shit outta me."  Plus I've always been a sucker for upbeat sounding songs that have darker under tones (look for this later).  Here I am still trying to set the character ground work of what Kip's life is.

'It's The Little Things We Do' - The Zutons from Tired of Hanging Around

This was my second album purchase of the Zutons having highlighted Who Killed... in previous compilations.  This is their sophomore effort and seems to fulfill the second effort letdown.  The songs just aren't as special and imaginative as their first release.  I enjoyed this song as a standout on the Zuton's album.  The lyrics crack me up and I like the perspective they put on the issues with partying hard on the morning after.  I keep the pace upbeat but try to put a little extra spin on Kip's situation.  He may have these inklings that he may need to change his lifestyle, but only really in the pain of a hangover of regret.  Still, I think the point of this song in the story is still to showcase how hard he is currently living. 

'Day Tripper' - The Jimi Hendrix Experience from BBC Sessions

I thought this was a great cover by a guy that has the easy ability to make anything sound his own.  I enjoying hearing people take Beatles' songs and put more juice into them.  Plus, it was about the only thing from the BBC Sessions album that I knew I could highlight that most people hadn't heard before.  It keeps the pace fast if not quickens it even more.  In the idea of the story, I believe it just rounds out more of the partying aspect and issues that Kip runs into with his lifestyle.  I especially like the nuance you could create when considering the old rumors on what the Beatles meant when they said daytripper. 

'Monster' - Lady Gaga from The Fame Monster

This is Lady Gaga's second album.  I think this is a good representation of Gaga's edge before it became so painfully obvious to everyone.  Like most of her songs, the groove is tight and makes you want to move.  I really liked the narrative Gaga works on in the song and I think shows her depth over other 'dance' artists.  Here it where I attempt to introduce the female lead of Kip's story.  I don't think I ever thought of a name for her.  This could even not necessarily be my lead female yet, just one of the women Kip hooks up with in his party lifestyle.  I thought it fit well to keep the pace up looking more into Kip's life and maybe how the other sex would see him.  Probably doesn't get more obvious than saying 'the boy is a monster.'

This concludes this first section of five songs on The Legacy of Kip Winger compilation album.  Their are 40 songs in all so my remedial math skills say that means 8 posts in all if I don't do a final sum up.  Be sure to check back in a couple days for the next part.