Under a Red Roof

Don’t Change

January 30, 2009 in Listening, Remembering, Spotlighting by Colleen | 1 comment

Isn’t this a beautiful cover? When I first saw it, mind you, this was on a cassette tape, so the image wasn’t terribly large, I thought it was a photograph of an exquisite sculpture. Only upon further inspection did I learn man and canine were made of flesh and bone. I find it both incredibly sexy and tender at the same time. The man has beautiful shoulders and arms, and the dog – a Greyhound or Whippet? is awfully sweet and poised, paws balanced just so. Definitely on my top ten list for album covers. Yes, definitely.

In keeping with yesterday’s post, I thought I would give a full blown Spotlight on this, my favorite INXS album. I first heard “The One Thing” and “To Look at You” when I watched Reckless with Aidan Quinn and Darryl Hannah way back in 1984. Save these two songs, and especially “The One Thing,” I have no recollection of the film, but the music is enough for me.

I know that taste in music is highly subjective, but I really feel like this is a timeless classic. While it does bring back many memories, the music never seems dated to me. INXS never went over the top with gimmicks or synthesizers, so there are no Flock of Seagull moments while listening to it. Not that the FOS were bad, but when you listen to them now, you know they are an 80’s band.

One of the finest and exceedingly rare occurrences in music is to have an album where every song is a gem. Shabooh Shoobah is one such example. It starts with “The One Thing” and keeps up the pace with clever lyrics, Michael’s very sexy, sometimes tender, and powerful voice, and ends with the crescendo “Don’t Change.” It is really difficult for me to choose favorites because I have a really hard time hearing the end of one song without longing for the next, so I will tell you my favorite lines from each song:

“The One Thing” – The way you move soft and slippery, cut the night just like a razor, rarely talk and that’s the danger.

“To Look at You” – I understand, I sympathize for a day dream, fairy tales and I love you

“Spy of Love” – Standing above this moment, listening to all I say, the spy of love will track me, will catch me.

“Soul Mistake” – Promises are carved out of lust, with a fire in the heart, that burns without regret, I vow to play the part.

“Here Comes” – Here comes my kamikaze, here comes God’s top ten.

“Black and White” – Got a need inside and I don’t know why, it’s a strong feeling that grows and grows.

“Golden Playpen” – Night club, ice cubes crackin’

“Jan’s Song” – Friends won’t argue, friends don’t care, now is the moment to get out of here.

“Old World New World” -Natives wearing turquoise and silver, dirty dogs barking in the distance, ooh people of a thousand tongues, I’m learning the primitive rites.

“Don’t Change” – Don’t change for you, don’t change a thing for me.

Oh my goodness, twenty-five years later and I still love it!

Tags: Music

Inspired by Annie

January 23, 2009 in Loving, Reading, Spotlighting by Colleen | 3 comments

I read Annie Liebovitz book At Work a few weeks ago. Though I am not a professional, just happy to capture our everyday moments, I really enjoyed learning about how she came to be a photographer and the work itself – using strobe lighting, the various cameras, lenses, digital tricks, etc. Mostly, I liked the pictures.

As I was reading, I lamented a little on the fact that I would never likely be able to afford to have her photograph my family, but, then, as I thought about it, I decided that I could try to do something for us, Annie style.

Something I admire about her work is the quality of her not actually being there. I love the intimate photographs of people, those almost private moments. This is what I was going for in this photo. I like that we’ve just woken up and were both a bit disheveled. I like the light of the lamp and the way that Milo is itching to get away because that is really how it is at our house. We have these moments of great closeness, and then they are gone.

Triple Delight

January 16, 2009 in Reading, Spotlighting by Colleen | 1 comment

Did you know that if you want your kid to be some sort of sports superstar that you should make sure his or her birthday is on the day or just after the deadline for youth sports groups? Well, and that the kid is talented and dedicated and all that, too. But the birthday really helps and in a big way.

I learned this and many other gems from Malcolm Gladwell, one of my favorite writers. This in itself is a bit of a revelation for me, as I didn’t really think that I had any favorites. I don’t tend to read more than one or two works from a single writer before moving on to different, sometimes more verdant, sometimes just vacant, pastures. Him, I like. I’ve got all three of his books: The Tipping Point, blink, and Outliers.

Each explores small details of life in a somewhat loose but rather engaging fashion. I like that the books aren’t terribly academic, either. Don’t get me wrong, I think he is very intelligent, but he isn’t out to prove it in his books. He’s exploring what makes people successful, what makes a certain type of shoe sell, and why our first instincts really do matter, among other topics. The fact that he does it in a way that is often humorous and always interesting is what makes me like him so much.

I won’t give any more away because that would spoil the fun of the books, but I will say, if you are curious about patterns and some of the reasons why things happen to be the way they are, I highly recommend his work. They come from a charming man who is really interested in life, people, and asking questions that get answers.

Tags: Books

Dog Day Afternoon

January 9, 2009 in Spotlighting, Watching by Colleen | 2 comments

Do you ever have those moments when you believe you are far greater than you really are? Well, imagine that on one of those days you actually decide to take action, and say, rob a bank. The 1975 film, Dog Day Afternoon, starring Al Pacino is the nerve wracking, hilarious, and sad version of actual events that occurred in 1972.

I had heard great things about the film, but once we started watching it, I got a little worried. The bank robbery is going awry about five minutes in, and the film’s got another two hours to go. Thankfully, I was quickly put at ease, for there were so many twists and surprises that kept me on the edge of my seat.

I’ll reveal a couple and then leave it there. First, and in my opinion, most odd. Sonny, the main character, is married and has two kids, but the whole purpose of the hold-up is to pay for a sex change operation for the man he has most recently married. A man who just attempted suicide to get away from Sonny. The reason I found this odd is the love that he shows for each of his “wives.” He doesn’t seem the least bit conflicted about it – he’s just going through life.

Second – the robbers, Sonny and Sal (John Cazale from the Godfather), are pretty nice guys. So nice, that the hostages they take end up having a great time. It’s like a surreal party with pizza, guns, and ammo! This is one of my favorite quotations from the film: “I had to tell him Wyoming isn’t a country. I’m with a guy who don’t know where Wyoming is, and you think you’ve got problems!”

So, if you’ve got a hankering for something vintage, and of course, a little off beat, give it a try. You’ll be chanting “Attica!” for the rest of the week.

Tags: Movies

Beyond Description

January 2, 2009 in Reading, Spotlighting by Colleen | 1 comment

Sometimes I am not terribly good at expressing myself, like right now. I really want you to know about this fabulous book I put on my holiday wish list and got (!) from my brother, Chris, yet I can’t think of a description that does it justice, but I will try.

The Art of Looking Sideways is a collection of information about the world, ideas, people, our perceptions, creations, history, and much, much more. What makes it special is the immensity and the sheer joy with which I am certain the creator, Alan Fletcher, experienced while putting it together.

There are seventy-two chapters with titles like “Noise,” “Problems,” “Dreaming,” “Handedness,” and “Pictograms.” Rather than describe each in an academic fashion, Mr. Fletcher cleverly writes about the subjects, infusing humor and involving the reader in the process of learning by using a variety of fonts, excerpts from scholarly and not so scholarly texts, hand written excerpts, photographs, pictures, and quotations. There is, too, as the title suggests, that sideways view, causing this reader to crane her neck or turn the book.

It is a magical and oftentimes funny look at our universe. One that embraces it, shakes it silly, and then takes a photograph of it lying on the floor. If, like me, you love experiencing other people’s genius, interesting facts, art, whimsy, and challenging your mind to appreciate a different view, pick this book up, but maybe use both hands because it is kind of heavy.