Music Meme (or, B7 degrees of separation)
Right, then. From altariel:
1. Reply to this post and I'll assign you a letter.
2. List (and upload, if you feel like it) 5 songs that start with that letter.
3. Post them to your journal with these instructions.
[Note: all the links go to YouTube.]
So, altariel gave me "A for Avon." Not for apples, or amethyst, or adamantium, but A for Avon. Of course, that sent my mind wandering where it would go. What could I do but start with:
1. Anna (the Beatles)
Because it's really rather appropriate, innit? Doomed love, Anna belongs to another, betrayal, angst, heartache, oh. Can't you just hear Avon sulking, "Every girl I've ever had breaks my heart and leaves me sad. What am I, what am I supposed to do? Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh." No? I can. Only in the privacy of his own mind, of course, but still... :)
That's not much of a video, BTW, just still pics of the Fab Four, but at least you can hear the song if you like. And logical next is:
2. Avalon (Roxy Music)
I hate to think what B7's guest rebel, Avalon, would make of this piece. She might enjoy the spacy music, but the video is just... corny, and awkward-looking by today's standards (rather like a certain show I might mention). If you click this link with your eyes open, do try to remember that this was made in the 80's, and music videos were newish, experimental, and cheap. Not a particular favorite of mine, but I'm working to a theme here, whaddya want? From Roxy Music I prefer "More Than This," or their cover of Lennon's "Jealous Guy," but neither of those start with an A, or is related to B7 (unless the Federation alphabet is significantly different from ours).
3. Abacab (Genesis)
Oh yes, there's a B7 connection here, all right, and it's not just the fact that every time I look at Vila I'm reminded of Phil Collins, and vice versa. Not to mention their shared charming, everyman appeal, they also look similar; and our oh-so-sensate Vila would certainly choose the drums as his instrument. (The physical resemblance between the two isn't as strong in this video as it can be; it's much more pronounced when Phil smiles--check out this video of No Reply At All if you need more evidence.) But no, there's also the fact that guitarist Mike Rutherford has appeared in a music video with Roy Kinnear (B7's Keillor).
"Abacab" is the title cut from the album where Genesis transitioned from prog-rock to pop-rock. The album is anathema to some old-school Genesis fans, but others consider it their best work, finely balanced between the two styles. I tend toward this latter camp. One of the things I enjoy about this song is the variety of musical textures within it. I've pointed to the longer live version on YouTube, so you can hear the jam at the end, which is cut from the original video.
4. All I Need Is a Miracle (Mike and the Mechanics)
Oh, say, did somebody mention that Roy Kinnear of B7 appeared in a music video with Mike Rutherford? Why, look, here it is! And none of Roy's part is cut out of this version. Lovely. Fun song, fun video. And can't you hear Avon saying to Blake, "And I know you were never right; I'll admit I was never wrong"? Yeah, I knew you could! ;-)
5. All This Time, straight-ahead original version, or mellower jazzy version (Sting)
By now, you're expecting me to draw some connection between Sting's song about his father and Blakes 7. A line through infinity, as it were. So what is it, you might ask? Well, there isn't one! Bwah-ha-ha!! Please, you didn't expect me to draw up a list of songs and not include one by Sting, did you? I include this song because it contains one of my favorite bits of lyric: "Men go crazy in congregations; they only get better one by one." And I like the comparison of the black-frocked priests to a murder of crows. There's no B7 connection here at all. None.
Unless you consider that the "crazy in congregations" quote sounds remarkably like Avon's stated opinion of the Auronar in "Children of Auron." Or that he'd probably agree with Sting's dad about the relative value of the poor inheriting a used-up world. Or that the first version linked above shows us a youngish, rather sharp-featured but not entirely unattractive man dressed all in black and mugging for the audience, while the second link shows the same man, older and still dressed in black, still mugging and flirting, rather like, oh... the second and fourth series of some show I'm not going to mention...
Oh. Rats.
Aieee! Not only is everything connected, it's connected to Blakes 7!!!
There is, apparently, no escaping your first fandom. ::sigh::
Anyway. Leaving you now with a bonus track:
6. After the Rain Has Fallen live version, video version (Sting). The live version is lovely, but typical Sting. The video version... must be experienced to be understood. Just once, mind you. bibliohippo and I giggled all the way through it. I think they may have been giggles of horror. Anyway, if you find a B7 connection here... I don't think I wanna know.
Let me know if you'd like a letter for your own list of songs.
Pax out.