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I have so much respect for artists who simply follow their muse without any concern for record sales or the latest hot trends in the music industry. I consider singer/songwriter Sam Phillips to be one such artist. Her most recent release titled Don’t Do Anything is like a breath of fresh air among all the cookie-cutter, pro-tooled recordings that clutter the current marketplace. This self-produced effort foregoes the modern, ultra-sheen sound and opts for a more earthy, organic approach. In general, the arrangements are sparse and open which brings the focus more toward Phillips’ vocals and the songs themselves. This approach wouldn’t work unless the songwriting is up to the task and fortunately in this case, Phillips delivers the goods. The album starts out strong with Phillips singing “I thought if he understood, he wouldn’t treat me this way. No explanations..” accompanied by a distorted guitar and a tribal bass drum. It sets the tone for the rest of the album. One may also notice a lack of bass guitar in a number of the songs here. It’s a pretty bold choice especially during sections with full-on drums but again that’s just typical Sam Phillips going against the grain. The standout track for me is the title track, “Don’t Do Anything”. Phillips wrote the track with her ex-husband T-Bone Burnett in mind with lines like “I love you when you don’t do anything…When you’re useless I love you more…” She’s pretty economical in her choice of words but the way she uses them are pretty profound. The only thing that holds the album back is the limited scope of the sonic palette especially as the album winds down. But other than that, a wonderful record and a great addition to Phillips’ splendid catalog of albums.
highlights include: “Don’t Do Anything”, “My Career In Chemistry”, “Sister Rosetta Goes Before US” and “Watching Out for This World”

retroGrade : B+

Don’t Do Anything by Sam Phillips
label: Nonesuch
released: June 2008
Produced by Sam Phillips

1 No Explanations (3:07)
2 Can’t Come Down (1:58)
3 Another Song (2:14)
4 Don’t Do Anything (3:28)
5 Little Plastic Life (2:16)
6 My Career in Chemistry (2:20)
7 Flowers Up (2:28)
8 Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us (2:43)
9 Shake It Down (3:52)
10 Under the Night (3:06)
11 Signal (4:36)
12 Watching Out of This World (3:03)
All songs written by Sam Phillips

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Hot on the heels of Asia’s successful comeback album Phoenix, keyboardist Geoff Downes and bassist/vocalist John Wetton are gearing up for the launch of their third Wetton/Downes studio album. But first, they’re planning on some live dates in Japan to debut some of the new material. In addition to those dates, they are also scheduled to record a special show in the UK for an upcoming DVD release. I’m personally surprised Wetton and Downes (as well as Asia/Yes guitarist Steve Howe) continue to dilute their audience base like this. If it were up to me, I’d capitalize on the success of Phoenix and extend the tour under the Asia moniker or use the time to record a followup album. That way, the momentum isn’t lost. Instead, we have Howe touring as “Yes” without Jon Anderson and Wetton/Downes releasing material that most likely could have been material for another Asia album. But knowing the convoluted history of two bands, I guess it’s just more of the same.

The Wetton/Downes touring band includes – John Wetton, Geoff Downes, Dave Kilminster and Pete Riley.

upcoming dates:
February 7, 2009 Fukuoka
February 9, 2009 Osaka
February 11, 2009 Tokyo
February 12, 2009 Tokyo
February 21, 2009 St. Mary-Le-Bow Church, London

Time and time again, I find myself wondering if there’s an easier way to get my reviews posted here on RetroBlog. I’ve got a slew of album reviews lined up but it takes me a good while get my thoughts from my head and onto the screen. Well, I’m constantly hearing great things about Dragon NaturallySpeaking and how the speech recognition software can convert words into text quickly and easily. Check out the following video and press release about the revolutionary product. It’s definitely something that I would consider purchasing in the near future to help me blog in a more efficient manner.

Type at $150 Words Per Minute for $99!

Press Release:
Here is another great video review by Lisa, who coincidently writes the blog Lisa Reviews. She writes about how she can write at 150 words per minute with Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

I think one of the key takeaways from her video, the key insight that is, is that she is able to write a lot more in those spare moments of time that she has while she’s doing other things. Sometimes it’s great to multitask, but it’s even more important to be able to accomplish useful goals in those spare two or three or four minute pockets of time that we all experience throughout the day.

With Dragon NaturallySpeaking a four minute pocket of time can translate into 600 words! That could be three or four e-mails or one or two long blog articles if you’re a blogger like Lisa.
Slick

For just $99 you can get started with Dragon NaturallySpeaking and have it trained in running in about seven minutes. The software with version 10 is simply amazing.

I have been writing about Dragon NaturallySpeaking for almost 2 years now. I have been able to type at rates of up to 167 words per minute with Dragon NaturallySpeaking. That speed was clocked while I was taking a typing test, but even in practical situations when I factor in not only the time it takes to type, but the time that it also takes to edit the words I typed, the end result is that I can still achieve about 100 words a minute, INCLUDING editing time!

That is extremely fast, and the inclusion of editing time, speaks to the advances that you can see in version 10 as compared to older versions such as version 8 or version 9. It’s a lot easier to edit on the fly with Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10.

So if you’re looking for a practical tool for your home office, for your writing or blog work, or even just to keep up with e-mail in your spare time, Dragon NaturallySpeaking can give you the power to write at 150 words a minute for a price that starts at $99. Heck, I think I paid that much almost for my last keyboard so that I wouldn’t pound my fingers to death.

Sincerely,
Brett Bumeter
Softduit Media
www.softduit.com
PS this article includes about 376 words that I wrote with Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10. It took me about 3 1/2 minutes to write and edit this article, which is just a little bit better than 100 words per minute and that includes editing time.

Ancient Skies by the Michael Gungor Band has an interesting history. The bulk of the album was initially released last year under the title “All I Need Is Here” but apparently ran into some distribution issues. I’m not totally sure what happened but my guess is that the independent label that was handling the album failed to make the CD widely available. I was fortunate enough to get ahold of a copy last year and was very pleased with what Michael Gungor and company had put together. Thankfully the folks over at Brash Music recognized the quality of the album and have rescued it from obscurity. To add value to the re-release, two songs (“Spotless” and “Heaven’s Song”) have been replaced with three new tracks – “You are the Light”, “Say So” and “White Man”. With a new album cover and title, Gungor’s album is now ready for mass consumption!! Ancient Skies definitely deserves some attention. The songs and the performances are top-notched, full of big choruses and intricate arrangements. Be sure to listen to these songs with some high-end headphones to catch all the subtle instrumental details Gungor slips into these songs. If I do have to nitpick though, I’d have to call attention to the recording quality of the record. Michael Gungor’s previous solo album, Bigger Than My Imagination was recorded beautifully with Israel Houghton at a real recording studio. Sonically Ancient Skies is a step down with it’s overly processed Pro-Tool-ed sound. And with the drums sounding like muffled cardboard boxes, my guess is that the recordings took place at a project studio or maybe even Gungor’s garage. Whatever the case may be, the overall sound quality is the limiting factor on this album. The songs are great but everytime I listen to them, I keep on wishing that they were recorded with Houghton in a nice sounding, high-end studio. But I suppose in this day and age, big recording budgets are becoming quite rare especially in the P&W genre. I would give this album an “A” but I have to take points off for how heavily Pro-tool-ed it sounds. And don’t get me started on Gungor’s use of auto-tune here. The tell-tale signs are evident at various places on the album and it just gets on my nerves. But fortunately, the songs overshadow those technical flaws and are still worth seeking out. My personal favorites include: “Ancient Skies”, “Glory is Here”, “Say So”, “Grace for Me” and “Fly”.

retroGrade: B

Listen to an excerpt of “Ancient Skies”:

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Ancient Skies
artist: The Michael Gungor Band
label: Brash Music
released: September 2008
official website: MichaelGungorBand.com

track list:
1. Say So
2. Be Praised
3. Giving It All
4. Never Stop
5. Ancient Skies
6. Prodigal
7. You Are the Light
8. Grace for Me
9. Fly
10. You Alone
11. White Man
12. Glory Is Here
13. Song for My Family

The Michael Gungor Band is: Michael Gungor, Lisa Gungor, Brad Nyght and Brad Waller.

Since my friends know that I’ve been blogging for as long as they can remember, they tend to come to me whenever they have questions about web hosting and other blog-related issues. And I’m fine with that since I’m always willing to help my friends no matter what the situation. But in all honesty, I’m far from an expert in web hosting matters. I’ve personally used a handful of different hosting providers and have dealt with a variety of problems related to keeping websites up and running but my personal experience only covers a small percentage of what can actually be done on the internet. Because of the differences in people’s interests, what may work for some in terms of web hosting may not be an exact fit for others. There are so many factors to consider when searching for a web hosting company including reliability, monthly fees, bandwidth limits and even security features. So, in other words, the provider that I personally like may not be the best choice for someone else. The best thing one can do is to get informed and figure out what you exactly need from a web hosting provider. One good place to start is the webhosting blog over at Web Hosting Geeks. The blog features informative posts on getting the most out of a web hosting plan. One recent article focuses on the pros and cons between Ensim and cPanel control panels. I’ve personally used both in the past and prefer cPanel and found Ensim a bit too limiting for me. But as I stated earlier, some may prefer Ensim depending on their own needs. And that’s why doing the research beforehand will save you from a bunch of problems later. Simply going with the lowest priced provider isn’t always the best choice. Take the time and read the articles on sites like Web Hosting Geeks so that you can make the best informed decision for your own website.

Now, I’m not one to judge but it’s hard not to wonder about the phenomenon that is Joel and Victoria Osteen. They’re currently making their way through the various media outlets to promote Victoria’s new book, Love Your Life: Living Happy, Healthy, and Whole. After the success of Joel Osteen’s first two books, it seems that Victoria couldn’t help herself but to get in on the action. The Osteens have amassed a huge empire that includes their 40,000 member mega-church in Houston, best selling books, worship albums and of course their weekly TV show. Christian supporters would be quick to point out that God is the reason for the Osteens’ popularity and that’s all fine and dandy. But I think there’s a bit more to it than that. Somehow the Osteens have tapped into our society’s need for success and prosperity. Most would agree that Joel Osteen is a great motivational speaker but you can’t really call him a preacher. Yes, he mentions a couple of bible verses every once in a while but he’s basically there on stage to share some cute stories and speak of a God that will grant you wealth and happiness that’s strangely on the verge of sounding like Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret. Essentially the all important message seems to be – if you believe that you’ll be rich and happy, then it will come to pass. Now, I’m no expert on theology but aren’t Christians suppose to strive to be “Christ-like”? I don’t remember Jesus wanting to be rich or living in a mansion and wearing designer clothing. He lived among the poor, the weak and the downtrodden. His concern was not to become wealthy but to help the lost, the sick, the sinners. It seems that the message has been lost along the way. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying all Christians need to be poor and live in a shack but I think Osteen’s teachings are too skewed toward being wealthy and having nice things.

As for Victoria’s new book – in this week’s Newsweek, writer Lisa Miller wonders “What’s God got to do with it?” The book apparently focuses more on achieving one’s own happiness than having concern for others. Victoria also goes on to tell her readers that it’s OK to manipulate others to get your way. According to the Newsweek article, Osteen writes, “I know if I just wait long enough, eventually my idea will become Joel’s idea, and it will come to pass.” So in other words, plant a seed in your husband’s mind, get him to think it’s his idea and encourage him to follow through with the idea and voila, you get your way. sort of subversive, don’t you think? and as for the title of the book, give me a break. Of course it’s easy to “love your life” when you’re rich, pretty and have an arena full of followers!!

Ringo Starr recently announced that he will no longer be responding to any fan mail after October 20th. I’m not sure if this is some sort of elaborate PR scheme to get some buzz going but I’ve got a feeling that Starr won’t be getting any sort of positive buzz from all this. According the AP news story, the 68 year old former Beatle posted an angry video clip on his website saying that he will not autograph any fan-sent items nor respond to any letter addressed to him. He goes on to say “I’m warning you with peace and love, I have too much to do. So no more fan mail. Thank you, thank you. And no objects to be signed. Nothing. Anyway, peace and love, peace and love.” This comes as a bit of a shock to me. I mean, who knew an actual rock icon sorted through, read and responded to all of his fan mail???? I’ve always assumed celeb fan mail went directly into the dumpster. or at least sorted and then tossed by a lowly personal assistant. And why did he feel the need to even announce this to the world? Didn’t his handlers warn him about all the bad press he’d receive for dissing his fans? And it seems he’s only referring to physical mail. What about email? Will Ringo respond to email?

For further information, read the original news article from the Associated Press.

It’s tough trying to attain the perfect lawn. There are so many factors going against the average homeowner – long dry summers, fungus, persistent mushrooms and neighborhood dogs doing their business on them. Trying to keep my fescue healthy, luscious and green feels like a full time job at times. I’ve personally had a hell of a time this year trying to keep my lawn full and green especially since we’ve been under water restrictions for most of the year. Since I didn’t fare so well this year, I’m currently prepping the lawn for next season in hopes that things will turn out better next year. So, I spent a day earlier this week overseeding the lawn. There were a couple of bare spots that needed special care as well. Well, this morning I noticed some birds as well as some squirrels enjoying some of the seeds I laid down on those bare spots. I really got pissed seeing that happen. especially since I purchased the expensive name brand seeds this time around. I wonder if they even noticed that they were eating “gourmet” seeds. man, I can never catch a break!! …I guess I’ll head back out to spread some more seeds…

Night, field of stars above us
You pick one, we frame it with our fingers intertwined
Seeds of every generation between our hands
And the promise to teach you the little I have learned so far

Night, field of stars above us
I pick one and name it for you and all who are to come…

Seeds by Brooke Fraser

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from the album Albertine
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My wife and I watched a long time favorite of ours on cable last night, The Princess Bride. We enjoy viewing the film every now and again to remind us that true love is to be cherished. My wife and I have known each other for sixteen years and married for thirteen of them. I can’t imagine a life without her now and truly know in my heart of hearts that she is THE ONE for me. I’m pretty sure she had her doubts when we first met since I was going through a rough period in my life. I was full of bitterness and anger after a breakup of a long term relationship at the time. I was pretty disillusioned with love and thought I’d never be capable of such a thing. Thankfully my wife saw through the mess I was in and pulled me out of it. I realize now that she saved me from years of bitterness, self-loathing and depression that one can easily sink deeply into after a bad breakup. But how we met only reaffirms the old notion that true love comes when you least expect it. But that doesn’t mean that one should just sit alone in the apartment and wait for true love to knock on the door. Singles still searching for that someone special should still get themselves out there and allow for that opportunity to come. It has become pretty common nowadays to find that special someone online. As a matter of fact, Online websites like True.com are successfully matching people with their true love. There’s no cost in signing up and you can search for free just to get a feel of what’s out there. And don’t worry, True.com conducts background checks on all their clients so that you can feel more secure about forming relationships with others on the site. Another nice feature is the videochat option so that both parties can get a better sense of each other before meeting them in person. The dating scene has definitely come a long way over the years. But one thing that hasn’t changed is true love. Finding it is the hard part but thankfully sites like True.com are here to help.

For today’s selection from deep within Retroblog’s music vault, I present to you – the Heat of the Moment by Asia! Yes, that’s right, the band that ended up as a punch line to the 40 Year Old Virgin joke that reaffirms to people that you are indeed gay. har, har. But no matter what Judd Apatow thinks, the song written by John Wetton and Geoff Downes *IS* a classic in my book. To celebrate the song, I thought I’d post some of the many versions of the song that have been released over the years.

1) Heat of the Moment by Asia (Fantasia – Live in Tokyo) : The original lineup sounding a bit fatigued in this live version recorded in 2007. I could imagine the band in deep conversation over whether to play this song or not:
Carl: Do we have to play this darn song again for the umpteenth time?
Steve: I’m sick of playing that opening riff. It makes me sound like a hack!
John: I know what you mean, Steve. I wrote those lyrics in 5 minutes while I was taking a crap back in 1981.
Geoff: Don’t make me call up John Payne, you guys. He’ll be willing to sing it, no problem.
The concert promoter: Need I remind you all that your contract clearly states that this song WILL BE played at every concert! Or do you not need this big check that I have right here in my hands?
ALL: oh, right.
John: I guess we’ll get right back on stage and play the darn thing.

2) Heat of the Moment by Asia with John Payne (Archives – Best of Asia 1988-1997) : Here’s a studio remake featuring John Payne on vocals. Wetton’s original vocals played such an integral part in the song that without Wetton, it just doesn’t sound right in my opinion. What do you think?

3) Heat of the Moment by Wetton/Downes (bonus track from Wetton/Downes – Icon) : Another studio remake of HoTM but this time by the original songwriters, Wetton and Downes. Again, the remakes lack the spark that the original recording captured. Also the lack of Steve Howe’s trademark guitar leads don’t help matters here either.

4) Heat of the Moment by Asia (Live in Moscow) : This was recorded during the 3/4 reunion of the band back in 1990. Filling in for Steve Howe was Pat Thrall. I never thought Thrall’s over-processed metal sound was that complimentary to Asia’s style of music. and as it so happened, Thrall never came back after the 1990 tour.

5) Heat of the Moment by John Wetton (Chasing the Dragon) : Probably one of my favorite live renditions of this song. Wetton stripes the song down to the basics here. lovely.

NOTE: all files are hosted on savefile for a limited time. enjoy.

Purchase albums by Asia via Amazon:

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