Amazing Songs By The Monkees

Many many many rounds I've let The Monkees roll during last week. This happens through a big collection "The Works" including 68 tunes, which becomes a great part of everything from their nine main albums, from 1966-70.

How peculiar this is my first real meeting with The Monkees! Reminds me of every psychedelic bubblegum band I've ever had extremely easy to appreciate. The most tasteful band of them all seems to be the one I'm discovering last. (But feels like I've listened to Monkees in my past life...?)

Most songs are composed by Tommy Boyce + Bobby Hart, many by Michael Nesmith, yet alot by Gerry Goffin + Carole King,  and two gems by Neil Diamond. Only a few were penned by the monkey Micky Dolenz himself.

Now the 6 x 4 songs I like most, gets their recent place in this list:



1. Through The Looking Glass

2. Mary Mary

3. I'm a Believer

4. Randy Scouse Git

5. Words

6. Never Tell a Woman Yes



7. Daydream Believer

8. What Am I Doing Hangin' Round?

9. Writings Wrongs

10. (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone

11. I'll Be Back Upon My Feet

12. Daily Nightly



13. Look Out! (Here Comes Tomorrow)

14. Pleasant Valley Sunday

15. Valleri

16. Saturday's Child

17. Star Collector

18. Porpoise Song (Theme From Head)



19. Take a Giant Step (Outside Your Mind)

20. Listen to The Band

21. Don't Listen to Linda

22. Me Without You (You Without Me)

23. (Come Out of Your) Dream World

24. The Door into Summer







wWw

High Flying Films, my 4:th Tower of 2014

Another Fourteen Films Recently Seen





Crown chakra


1
DONGGAM [DITTO]

by Jeong-kwon Kim
South Korea 2000


2
THE LITTLE PRINCESS
["Without Lying Down"]
silent movie
by Marshall Neilan, USA 1917
earliest version of Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel





Brow /third EYE chakra


3
DJÄVULENS ÖGA = THE DEVIL'S EYE
by Ingmar Bergman 1960


4
LA COLLECTIONNEUSE
by Eric Rohmer
France 1967





Throat chakra


5
I DUR OCH SKUR
by Stig Olin

with Povel Ramel and Alice Babs
Sweden 1953


6
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP
by Powell & Pressburger
UK 1943





Heart chakra


7
DOCTOR SNUGGLES : THE SENSATIONAL BALLOON RACE
only episode I had never seen before

by Joop Visch via Jeffrey O'Kelly
UK and Netherlands 1979


8
PLANES
[from above the world of Cars]
another big animation
by Klay Hall 2013





Solar Plexus chakra


9
WADJDA ["THE GREEN BICYCLE"]
by Haifaa Al-Mansour

Saudi Arabia 2012


10
THE GREAT BEAUTY [LA GRANDE BELLEZZA]
by Paolo Sorrentino

Italy 2013





Sex chakra /Sacred chakra


11
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
by Woody Allen 2008

seen again


12
MITT LIV SOM HUND = MY LIFE AS A DOG
by Lasse Hallström
based on Reidar Jönsson
Sweden 1985

strangely enough first time for me




Root chakra


13
DET STORA ÄVENTYRET = THE GREAT ADVENTURE
with wild swedish animals

by Arne Sucksdorff 1953


14
[NÄRKONTAKT :] THE FOURTH KIND
kind of UFO-documentary

"There are four kinds of alien encounters. The fourth kind is abduction."
by Olatunde Osunsanmi 2009







the numbers are not for comparing value here


wWw

Third Music Chakra Horse Race of 2014

14 Songs which Rode Closer and Closer to my Heart
or just made most rounds
during late Mars through early April

Here's my most important "Horses"
two for each chakra




Crown chakra


1
RETURN TO FOREVER

driven by Chick Corea
featuring Flora Purim
from Return to Forever 1972


2
THE ENDLESS ENIGMA part 1 + part 2

driven by Emerson, Lake & Palmer
from Trilogy 1972




Brow /third EYE chakra


3
FLY BOY BLUE /LUNETTE

driven by Elbow
from The Take Off and Landing of Everything 2014


4
FLYGPRINSESSAN ["THE FLIGHT PRINCESS"]

driven by swedish Pontus & Amerikanerna
from Kasino 1998




Throat chakra


5
DEN GAMLA VAKTPARADEN ["THE OLD PARADE MARCH"]

driven by Povel Ramel, Oscar Rundqvist & Bibi Johns 1951
from "Karameller, Det Bästa med Povel Ramel"


6
16 SHELLS FROM A THIRTY-OUGHT-SIX

driven by Tom Waits
from Swordfishtrombones 1983




Heart chakra


7
HANG ON TO A DREAM

driven by The Nice [including Keith Emerson,
via Tim Hardy]
from Nice 1969


8
EUFORIA
[= cover of SUMMER HIGHLAND FALLS]

driven by Helen Sjöholm
from Euforia [covers of Billy Joel] 2010




Solar Plexus chakra


9
SPIRIT

driven by Future Islands
from Singles 2014


10
MILES RUNS THE VOODOO DOWN

driven by Miles Davis and many more electric jazz musicians
from Bitches Brew 1970




Sex chakra /Sacred chakra


11
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

driven by The Monkees
from Instant Replay 1969


12
MOST EXCLUSIVE RESIDENCE FOR SALE

driven The Kinks
from Face to Face 1966




Root chakra


13
ETERNITY'S BREATH part 1 + part 2

driven by Mahavishnu Orchestra
from Visions of The Emerald Beyond 1975


14
I'LL BE HERE IN THE MORNING

driven by Don Williams [via Van Zandt]
from Reflections 2014






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Swedish Vintage Boutique FILIPINIANA filled with Animals and BookCases, Angels and Candy

seVen seen : A Broken Candelabra

my most Recent discoveries
among movies and series

3:rd tower of 2014
consists of quite contemporary material






Crown chakra


LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS : THE OWLS OF GA'HOOLE
by Zack Snyder 2010
based on novels by Kathryn Lasky


Roles I Remember most

Mars : KLUDD the "wrong" brother owl
Venus : EGLANTINE the small sister owl
Mercury : DIGGER the clownish owl (companion to TWILIGHT)

Neptune : SOREN the "right" brother owl
Uranus : MRS. P the snake
Saturn : NYRA the noble bad madame owl
Jupiter : EZYLRYB the old warrior owl







Brow /third EYE chakra


FRANKENWEENIE
by Tim Burton 2012


Roles I Remember most

Mars : MAYOR BURGERMEISTER the garden protector
Venus : VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN the keeper of dog SPARKY
Mercury : EDGAR "E" GORE the grinning boy

Neptune : WEIRD GIRL the keeper of cat MR. WHISKERS
Uranus : MR. RZYKRUSKI the science teacher
Saturn : NASSOR the skeptic competitor
Jupiter : BOB the balloonish companion







Throat chakra


GLEE, Season 4
first episodes : THE NEW RACHEL + BRITNEY 2.0

by Ryan Murphy 2012


Roles I Remember most = four new ones

Mars : CASSANDRA JULY (Kate Hudson)
Venus : BRODY WESTON (Dean Geyer)
Mercury : JAKE PUCKERMAN (Jacob Artist)

Neptune : MARLEY ROSE (Melissa Benoist)
Uranus : BRITANNY PIERCE (Heather Morris)
Saturn : CARMEN TIBIDEAUX (Whoopi Goldberg)
Jupiter : RACHEL BERRY (Lea Michele)







Heart chakra


BROKEN
by Rufus Norris
UK 2012


Roles I Remember most

Mars : MR. OSWALD (Rory Kinnear)
Venus : DILLON (George Sargeant)
Mercury : MIKE (Cillian Murphy)

Neptune : RICK (Robert Emms)
Uranus : ARCHIE (Tim Roth)
Saturn : SUSAN (Rosalie Kosky) and her OSWALD sisters
Jupiter : SKUNK (Eloise Laurence)







Solar Plexus chakra


THE HUNGER GAMES : CATCHING FIRE
part 2
by Francis Lawrence 2013
based on novel by Suzanne Collins


Roles I Remember most

Mars : KATNISS EVERDEEN (Jennifer Lawrence)
Venus : UNNAMED MORPHLING (Megan Hayes)
Mercury : HAYMITCH ABERNATHY (Woody Harrelson)

Neptune : EFFIE TRINKET (Elisabeth Banks)
Uranus : BEETEE (Jeffrey Wright)
Saturn : PRESIDENT SNOW (Donald Sutherland)
Jupiter : PLUTARCH HEAVENSBEE (Philip Seymour Hoffman)







Sex chakra /Sacred chakra


BEHIND THE CANDELABRA
by Steven Soderbergh 2013


Roles I Remember most

Mars : LIBERACE (Michael Douglas)
Venus : LIBERACE (Michael Douglas)
Mercury : LIBERACE (Michael Douglas)

Neptune : LIBERACE (Michael Douglas)
Uranus : LIBERACE (Michael Douglas)
Saturn : LIBERACE (Michael Douglas)
Jupiter : LIBERACE (Michael Douglas)







Root chakra


BREAKING BAD, season 1
first episodes : Pilot + Cat's in The Bag... And The Bag's in The River

by Vince Gilligan 2008


Roles I Remember most

Mars : JESSE PINKMAN (Aaron Paul)
Venus : CARMEN MOLINA (Carmen Serano)
Mercury : SKYLER WHITE (Anna Gunn)

Neptune : KRAZY-8 (Max Arciniega)
Uranus : WALTER WHITE (Bryan Cranston)
Saturn : MARIE SCHRADER (Betsy Brandt)
Jupiter : HANK SCHRADER (Dean Norris)







wWw

LOUDER with LEA Michele

I don't want to say like allmusic and some else, but don't want to lie either. I miss the musical numbers of her Rachel Berry character!

Lea's voice, one of the world's best, would've deserved a more rich debut album. Whole package seems boring, and most songs feels "less music" than in Glee. Even though this pop is still uplifting! My appreciation of the tunes rises and falls like elevators, never on the same floor from round to round.



most Amusing song: CUE THE RAIN

most Beautiful song: EMPTY HANDED

most Sexy song: YOU'RE MINE

most Soulful song: BATTLEFIELD

most Tedious song: CANNONBALL

most Mysterious song: THOUSAND NEEDLES

most Growing Strong song: ON MY WAY



as my Spring Record 14 :59


3 sound

4 melodies

3 accompaniment

3 rythms

6 singin' feeling

4 playin' dynamics

1 concept

3 variation

3 lyrics

1 titles

2 order of tracks

2 cover picture

3 historical importance

= 38


I now give 1 to 7 in thirteen cathegories
where 3 is good
and total possible 7 X 13 = 91 never exist(?)






wWw

7 + 7 + 7 very favourite songs by Billy Joel

as I experience them nowadays
while listening through every tune again

half I never grasped before
but half are same darlings as ever




1
SUMMER, HIGHLAND FALLS

from Turnstiles -76

in live version much later



2
THE BALLAD OF BILLY THE KID

from Piano Man -73


3
YOU CAN MAKE ME FREE

from Cold Spring Harbor -71


4
SHE'S RIGHT ON TIME

from The Nylon Curtain -82


5
UPTOWN GIRL

from An Innocent Man -83


6
MOVIN' OUT (ANTHONY'S SONG)

from The Stranger -77


7
STOP IN NEVADA

from Piano Man -73







8
THE GREAT SUBURBAN SHOWDOWN

from Streetlife Serenade -74


9
DON'T ASK ME WHY

from Glass Houses -80


10
HONESTY

from 52nd Street -78


11
I'VE LOVED THESE DAYS

from Turnstiles -76


12
VIENNA

from The Stranger -77


13
WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE

from Storm Front -89


14
FALLING OF THE RAIN

from Cold Spring Harbor -71







15
ALL FOR LEYNA

from Glass Houses -80


16
LAURA

from The Nylon Curtain -82


17
CAPTAIN JACK

from Piano Man -73


18
AN INNOCENT MAN

from An Innocent Man -83


19
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

from Turnstiles -76

Cover version from GLEE


20
GOT TO BEGIN AGAIN

from Cold Spring Harbor -71


21
C'ETAIT TOI (YOU WERE THE ONE)

from Glass Houses -80









wWw

Another 14 Films and Series seen during 2014

1. most Memorable

SANS SOLEIL
by Chris Marker and many more
locations from TOKYO and other places
France 1983



2. most Mysterious

SIWORAE
by Hyun-seung Lee
South Korea 2000



3. most Personal

BEFORE MIDNIGHT
third part with Hawke & Delpy

by Richard Linklater 2013



4. most Wise

BAKOM STÄNGDA DÖRRAR ["Behind Closed Doors"] = DANS LA MAISON
by Francois Ozon
France 2012



5. most Spiritual

SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT
[SOMMARNATTENS LEENDE]

by Ingmar Bergman 1955



6. most Provocative

GIRLS
soon every episode of Third Season

by Lena Dunham 2013-14



7. most Powerful

MAD MEN
first episodes of Fourth Season

by Matthew Weiner 2010



8. most Painful

PLATOON
by Oliver Stone 1986



9. most Beautiful

ARTHUR AND THE INVISIBLES
[ARTHUR ET LES MINIMOYS]

by Luc Besson 2006



10. most Comic

"THE 100-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT THE WINDOW AND DISAPPEARED"
by Felix Herngren 2013

based on Jonas Jonasson
HUNDRAÅRINGEN SOM KLEV UT GENOM FÖNSTRET OCH FÖRSVANN



11. most Thrilling

BREAKING BAD
first episodes of First Season

by Vince Gilligan 2008



12. most Loving

MONICA Z
about Zetterlund
by Per Fly 2013



13. most Serious

THE WHITE SISTER
silent by Henry King 1923



14. most Sexy

STUDENTFESTEN ["THE STUDENT PARTY"]
by Simon Sandquist
Sweden 2013







wWw

Second Music Chakra Horse Race of 2014

14 Songs which Rode Closer and Closer to my Heart

or just made most rounds, during February

Here's my most important "Horses"
two for each chakra




Root chakra


14
FOUR LITTLE DIAMONDS

driven by Jeff Lynne & his Electric Light Orchestra
from Secret Messages 1983


13
I GOT STRIPES (I GOT CHAINS)

driven by Johnny Cash
from Old Golden Throat 1968





Sex chakra /Sacred chakra


12
DUMB BLONDE

driven by Dolly Parton
from Hello, I'm Dolly 1967


11
RIP THIS JOINT

driven by Rolling Stones
from Exile on Main Street 1972





Solar Plexus chakra


10
TUMBLING DICE

cover of Stones
driven by Jill Johnson with help from Kim Carnes
from Music Row 2007


9
THIS MUST BE DONE

driven by The Obits
from Bed & Bugs 2013





Heart chakra


8
ON MY WAY TO WORK

driven by Paul McCartney
from NEW 2013


7
I'LL BE THE ONE

driven by Badfinger
from Straight Up 1971





Throat chakra


6
BLUE MOON

driven by Flamingo-kvintetten
from their sixth album 1975


5
LONG DISTANCE RUNAROUND

driven by Yes = Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, Bill Bruford
from Fragile 1972





Brow /third EYE chakra


4
(Gotta Do it Again) ON THE RUN

driven by Jeff Lynne & his Electric Light Orchestra
from Discovery 1979


3
MERLIN THE MAGICIAN

driven by Rick Wakeman
from The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and The Knights of The Round Table 1975





Crown chakra


2
JESUS WAS A CAPRICORN

driven by Kris Kristofferson
from Jesus Was a Capricorn 1972


1
LAVENDER ('s Blue, Dilly Dilly)

driven by Marillion
from Misplaced Childhood 1985








Above All and Under Everyone


0
ANTON BRUCKNER'S SEVENTH SYMPHONY
First Movement : Allegro Moderato

driven by Giuseppe Sinopoli & Staatkapelle Dresden
performed 1993
composed 1883




wWw

Sweetie Turning Winter into Spring

Secret Messages with Electric Light Orchestra

Next after Time (-81) one of ELO's very most well-produced records still I feel is Secret Mesages (-83). And I even think it captures the nerve of that very electronical time better than Out of The Blue or Discovery captured the late 70's.

Resembling rather 10cc and Alan Parsons' Project in it's soundscape, the preceding decade is of course more than present. But for being so old-fashioned this album feels surprisingly full of fresh 80's.

At the same time Jeff Lynne succeeds to bring his diamonds of pure early rock & roll. And ELO's beatlesque signum gravitates more here around A Hard Day's Night than Magical Mystery Tour. I'm almost inspired to notice that Lynne travelled backwards...?

Maybe no one will get the idea of putting Secret Messages on a best albums' list of 1983. While I surely would've done, next to Animation by Jon Anderson, yes!




most Amusing song: ROCK 'N' ROLL IS KING

most Beautiful song: BLUEBIRD

most Sexy song: DANGER AHEAD (The Endless Summer is Dead)

most Loving song: (Looking Through The Eyes of A) STRANGER

most Growing Strong song: FOUR LITTLE DIAMONDS

most Melancholic song: LETTER FROM SPAIN

most Smart song: SECRET MESSAGES (Calling On You Endlessly)

most Mysterious song: AFTER ALL (Bonus track)




as my Spring Record 14 : 58


7 sound

5 melodies

7 accompaniment

5 rythms

3 singin' feeling

5 playin' dynamics

4 concept

6 variation

2 lyrics

2 titles

3 order of tracks

6 cover picture

7 historical importance

= 62


I now give 1 to 7 in thirteen cathegories
where 3 is good
and total possible 7 X 13 = 91 never exist(?)






wWw

Creatures Drawn when I was Fourteen

with coloured ink pencils simply
from a series of imaginary portraits (first part)