R.E.M. Tribute

Shortly after Amy Winehouse tragically died last month her two albums peaked the UK Albums Chart. I wonder if sales of R.E.M. cd's will soar in the next few weeks following their recent decision to call it a day. I am not trying to compare Winehouse's death with R.E.M.'s split, that would be disrespectful to the former, but I was interested in the publics reaction, both commercial and personal. Certainly on YouTube and an MSN forum there was a huge outpouring of feelings, mostly of sadness and appreciation. It is evident that they were still a very popular and much loved band right up to the end. As a lasped R.E.M. fan I have spent some time watching clips of them on YouTube and it has renewed my interest in their music. I have a soft spot for them because they were the first band that I was really into, like a first love in a musical sense. I will always associate R.E.M. with my adolscence. They were also the first band that I saw play live, at Murrayfield Stadium during their Monster tour. I was miles away from the stage but it was a memorable experience. They opened with 'What's The Frequency Kenneth?', which got the crowd bouncing. Thousands of lighters accompanied 'Everybody Hurts' and one guy nearby beagn jumping up and down shouting 'YES! YES!' when the opening chords of 'Losing My Religion' started up. The highlight was 'It's The End Of The World As We Know It', the climax of the show. A big screen behind the band projected images coming at great speed towards the auidence. Although it was a great experience this concert was the beginning of the end with regards to my fanship of R.E.M. I think they peaked with 'Out Of Time' and 'Automatic For The People' and they were never to retain the same creative heights. Their output since the mid 1990's was patchy, starting with the disappointing 'Monster', but it's better to remember R.E.M. at their best in the early 90's. 'Out Of Time' and 'Automatic For The People' are two classic rock/pop albums, and it has always amazed me that none of the singles from these two albums ever reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart. Nevertheless these two albums catapultated them to international stardom, and, without demeaning the contribution of Mike Mills and Bill Berry, I think the secret of their success lies mainly with Michael Stipe and Peter Buck. Michael Stipe was a charismatic and talented frontman, possibly under-rated as a vocalist. He had a very interesting way of singing that made R.E.M. songs distinctive and appealing. The same can be said of guitarist Peter Buck. He was not a flashy guitarist but he was very important in creating the sound of the band. It will be interesting to see in what direction the band members will go. Maybe they need a fresh start and working with other musicians will renew their creative juices. So, to paraphrase one of their songs, it's the end of R.E.M. as we know them. Thanks for the great songs.

Away We Go

This film was recommended to me by a female friend, so I was in a cautious and sceptical frame of mind when I slotted the Away We Go dvd into my television set, the complete Steven Seagal dvd collection at my side to rescue me from what I thought would be another tedious, predictable chick flick. How wrong I was, and how much I will have to grovel in apology to my friend Sana for constantly berating her movie tastes. Away We Go is a whimiscal road trip, following Burt and his pregnant girlfriend Verona as they visit different parts of North America in search of the ideal home in which to bring up their baby. Thanks to the many zany and colourful characters they meet along the way their road trip turns into a series of misadventures and this in turn makes them question what they want for themselves and their unborn child. What I loved most about his film is the relationship between the two central characters, Burt and Verona. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph deserve so much praise for their performances. They have a great chemistry together, which only those with a heart of stone would fail to be moved and delighted at. Burt and Verona express their love and affection and faithfulness for each other in a completely natural and realistic way, a far cry from the false and chessy way that Hollywood often portrays romance and relationships. There are many other great things about this film. The script is both sharp and poignant, the acting is fantastic, and the cinematography and music set the perfect tone for the type of love and relationship that the director is trying to convey and the crossroads that Burt and Verona are at. Judging from the comments that I've read on YouTube the relationship that Burt and Verona have is what many people yearn for, so in a sense the film is quite inspirational. Many thanks to Sana for nagging me into watching this very sweet, funny, moving film. 8/10

'Come to me all you who labour, and I shall give you rest'

The Return Of The Prodigal Son by Rembrandt

A friend sent me this story.

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: 'I don't believe that God exists.'

'Why do you say that?' asked the customer.

'Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.'

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barbershop again and he said to the barber:

'You know what? Barbers do not exist.'

'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber. 'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!'

'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.'

'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me.'

'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'