Songs For the Lonely Road

The following contains a list of songs for the solo drive, when it's just you, the open road, and the thoughts inside your own head. There has always been a big difference between listening to music alone and with other people. When no one else is around, all that exists is the music you love, whether you prefer singing along or just getting lost in the melody. Here is a list of some songs I have been experiencing recently....

Phoenix - Love for Granted


Of Montreal - 1st Time High (acoustic version of "An Eluardian Instance".


Billy Joel - You're My Home


Vampire Weekend - I Think UR a Contra


Boz Scaggs - Georgia


Eric Clapton - Reptile - also check out "Modern Girl"


Kings of Convenience - Misread


Phoenix - Alphabetical


Thin Lizzy - Fight or Fall


Bruce Springsteen - New York City Serenade


Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now


All of these songs are some of my favorites. I recommend not only feeling the mood of the music, but also paying attention to the beautiful lyrics that weave in and out of the melodies. Just today I listened to both "alphabetical" and "love for granted" by Phoenix on the way to school and will surely listen to a couple more by the end of the day.

At least these songs will come in handy until you go somewhere where "we don't need roads."

Anyway, hope you enjoy and see you next post. Maybe.

Andy Irons: 1978 - 2010

Two days ago, I heard the sad news that Andy Irons, legendary surfer and father-to-be, had been found dead in his hotel room. Irons was a three-time world champion surfer and only 32 years old. A very sad day for the surfing community.

Andy grew up on the fabled North Shore, Hawaii's famous surfing mecca. Him and his brother Bruce grew up in the water, learning the excitement of danger of ocean's reef while competing with each other.





This zeal for competition would shape the boys into two of the world's finest surfers. Andy would go on to win three surfing world titles, forging a stiff rivalry with Kelly Slater, the famous nine-time world champion. Bruce also competes on the tour and is a rising star, despite flirting with quitting and becoming solely a free surfer.

The loss of Andy Irons is heartbreaking news for everyone. Though he may have started surfing because it was the "party", he continued his passion not for the fame, but because he had to. Andy once said that surfing was the only thing that kept him from going over the edge; that kept him sane. Maybe he lost his love somewhere and finally toppled over. I'd like to think that he was on his way back to another spectacular world title, but it was not meant to be. My love goes out to his widowed bride and his unborn child. I wish them the best in this tough time.

Surfing has lost a pioneer and a champion.

Andy, you will be missed.

Aloha

Don't be square, mon cher! Movies is magic!

Since the advent of the talking picture, movies and music have been synonymous. From happy-go-lucky musicals to soaring epics backed by massive orchestras, music has been a crucial influence on the power of motion pictures. Just think about it, would that decisive final battle or that perfect kiss be the same without the right music in the background? I don't think so.

So in remembrance of all those great movie moments, here is a list of some of the best pairings of music and film in history. Enjoy, and don't be afraid to cry. It's okay.

Best Movie Theme:

Star Wars (Main Theme) - John Williams



Well, I went with the obvious choice. But let's be real, this is probably one of the most memorable and classic movie theme of all time. When those horns hit for the first time as you stare into the vacuum of space on your TV screen, you know you are in for an epic adventure. And what a strange and wonderful trip it really was.

Runner Up: Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story - Randy Edelman

Decent movie, great soundtrack.





Best musical:

Little Shop of Horrors



Runner up: Singin' In the Rain

The Golden Age of Cinema. Just singin' and laughin'... try to get that one out of your head.



Best Compilation Soundtrack:

The Blues Brothers



Fun, fast, and of course, Bluesy. Everybody needs somebody who listens to this soundtrack.

Runner Up: The Graduate

Oh Mrs. Robinson.




Best Movie + Music moment:

The Elevator Scene - Vanilla Sky



The whole sequence in the movie leading up to the roof scene is absolutely genius. It begins with "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys as David realizes he's living in a dream. As he yells for tech support, an elevator opens. The scene in the elevator was mesmerizing to me. As David hears the heartbreaking truth about his life, we here "Doot Doot" by Freur and then "Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating in Space" by Spiritualized. I'll never forget hearing the lyrics of the "Floating in Space" as I learned of David's actual death: "All I want in life's a little bit of love to take the pain away." It is then that Edmund says: "Consequences, David. It's the little things." All in all a heart-wrenching scene.

Runner Up: Squints kisses Wendy - The Sandlot



Nothing makes me miss those carefree days as a kid more than The Sandlot. The movie captures the essence of those days filled with baseball, fun, and adventure perfectly. And there's no moment better than when Squints kisses the bombshell Wendy Peffercorn, the lifeguard while "This Magic Moment" plays in the background. Ahhh... Wendy, how I loved you.

Well, that wraps up the review of the magic union of movies and music.

Til' next week!

Eric

Lowe, Legends, and Kings

Last night while doing homework I was randomly inspired to research the wily and wild life of the late Alex Lowe, a climber and mountaineer I had heard about over the years. He was brought to my recent attention during a lecture by Conrad Anker, his long-time friend and fellow climber. Anker, who is now married to Lowe's widow, did not mention his fallen friend while he was painting the pictures of his mountain adventures to the packed audience. Lowe is definitely a man worth mentioning. As fascinating as he is spirited, he propelled himself up dangerous peaks and memorable climbs, never losing his desire for the inhospitable climate of the mountains.

Alex Lowe lost his life in October, 1999, on the mountain of Shishapangma in Tibet. He was buried under an avalanche along with high-altitude cameraman David Bridges. The other member of the trio, the aforementioned Conrad Anker, miraculously survived the barrage, but was unable to locate the bodies of his friends buried underneath the snow. Interestingly, Anker would go on to marry Lowe's widow. My initial reaction is that the situation is very strange and uneasy. How could Anker marry his friend's widow? But maybe Lowe would have wanted it that way.



Due to the events on Shishapangma and dozens of other tragedies, many people are of the opinion that climbers and mountaineers are reckless and stupid, attempting feats that are better left undone. "Why be a miserable on a mountain when you are comfortable in your own bed?" They might say. But that is the essence of the human spirit, I would argue. To achieve the impossible, to push farther and higher than ever before, to discover the unknown and discover the meaning that lies beneath it all. The human race climbs because there will always be a man who sees a mountain, steps forward and says: "I can do that." Is that the only reason? Maybe.



Lowe was the epitomy of this ideal, striving not to be the "world's best climber" but to climb because he couldn't stay away. "The best climber is the one having the most fun!" He would say. His life was filled with colorful adventure, from a famous rescue on Denali to an ice-climbing accident in Montana that left him looking like "a mangled victim in a Wes Craven movie." His philosophy may have been best shown by his favorite quote from Helen Keller:

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all."

Alex Lowe 1958-1999


A quick word about music.

One of my favorites, Kings of Convenience, with some beautiful songs.






Next Post:

Music is back! The much-awaited next entry will be of the most awesome nature and will concern itself with the wild world of movie music!

A Weekend Outdoors

This past weekend, I had the chance to travel to North Carolina with some friends and camp. There wasn't much of a plan, but we wanted it that way. Whatever caught our fancy we would pursue, whether it was hiking, climbing, swimming or eating.

We ended up doing a little bit of everything. Our main destination ended up being the beautiful Linville Gorge, a wilderness area not a far cry from the little town of Marion, NC. After a quick stop for grub in Asheville and getting lost many times, we finally found a campsite deep in the woods at around midnight and went to sleep.

The next day was epic. We explored the climbing areas around Table Rock and Linville Gorge, mostly composed of gigantic multi-pitch climbs, not exactly my forte. We met some crazy people from around the Southeast, and I was quite surprised to find Santa Claus roping up on some of the bigger climbs that day. I hope he thought I was nice.



The rest of the day included a gorgeous ridge hike in the gorge and some meager rations for dinner. Basically we ate ramen, soup, and beans. The planning for the trip was sub-par. The night ended with a humongous fire that burnt some holes in my pants and some great stories.

On Sunday we finished the trip with a vigorous hike up Mt. Mitchell (even though you can drive to the top) and a quest to find an asian buffet where we could stuff our faces. We found it in Asian Grand Buffet, emphasis on the "grand". I filled up on ridiculous amounts of sushi, lo-mein, and soft-serve. I'm not the biggest buffet fan, but on that day I was happy. And very, very full.

And if I haven't bored you to death, here's some music...

Pigeon John: Before We're Gone



Sondre Lerche: Heartbeat Radio

Climbing to the Stars

This past weekend I went on a climbing trip with some friends. We traveled on friday to the crags of Obed located in Wartburg, Tenn., about an hour and a half away from Knoxville. After climbing all day Friday and Saturday, I was exhausted. To be honest, I have a love/hate relationship with climbing. Sometimes it feels great to be on the rock, even on the sharp end. Other times, though, I hate it. At that point all I want below my feet is solid ground, often trying to climb a route while suffering from "elvis leg" (uncontrollable shaking). At least I got some practice on my dance moves.

Climbing is something that fascinates me, though. The inner desire of people to climb up rocks, sometimes thousands of feet tall and ridiculously dangerous, is extremely interesting. What kind of passion inspires these kinds of people to put themselves through hell and back just to accomplish the seemingly impossible, defying logic and gravity? Why do they climb? John Long, a prolific climber and author, offers up some of the best explanations I have read. He explains that climbing can fill you with the most intimate feelings of fear and exhilaration, giving you moments that you will never forget. And times where you find out the person you really are. Nothing is fake on the side of sheer rock. It's just you.



Here's some music:

Great remix of the Bee Gees. It's okay, you can admit that you like them.

A Heart Full of Holes

That picture reminds me of something that I started back in my sophomore year of college. It was called "Mark Knopfler Mondays", and consisted of dressing like Mark Knopfler on every monday, no matter where you went. This usually consisted of wearing something 80's like a tank top and jeans. The key item, though, was the sweatband that he consistently rocked during his concerts. I got some friends into this, and we definitely got some weird looks while we were wearing our head bands around campus.

I recently acquired one of Knopfler's solo albums, Kill to Get Crimson.
My favorites are:
True Love Will Never Fade
Heart Full of Holes
Secondary Waltz



Another classic song from Bobby Womack:
Across 110th Street





Also check out the new band Highlife and album Best Bless (album cover above)

Next post will focus on some outdoor adventures, with a guest appearance by Mitch

Yikes!