It's Been Awhile

   Well, it's been a few weeks since I have written here. School has been taking up a lot of my time, which kind of sucks. But hey, it's life. Summer is about two weeks away and soon, I'll be able to write in here more and think of more stuff to write about. Right now, my mind is here in school.
   So it turns out Coldplay is going to be one of the headliners at Lollapalooza, along with Eminem, Foo Fighters, Muse, and many many other bands! I'm really excited for it and I hope I can go, it looks sooo awesome!!
   Well, in the past few weeks I really only had time to sit down and listen to one album full out, and that is A Rush Of Blood To The Head by Coldplay.

   Like Bruce Springsteen's The Rising, some of the lyrics have been affected by the September 11th attacks, as the band started recording in London a week before the attacks. Did this effect the album in the same way, lyrically, as The Rising? Well, yes and no. I think you can see a bit more urgency in this album than it's predecessor, but at the same time I think Springsteen's is a bit more blunt to see, lyrically.
    This album is a bit heavier musically, then the first one. There is a bit more guitar and piano heavy, though there is still acoustic guitar present.
    My favorite songs on this album: "In My Place", "The Scientist", "Clocks", "Green Eyes", and "A Whisper".
   "Clocks" was, I believe, also one of the first Coldplay songs I ever heard, though I didn't know who did the song at the time. But the piano riff, I think everyone knows now (I can also play it on the piano!). Originally, it was not suppose to be on the album, as Coldplay thought it was too late to add it at the time, and put it aside for a bit. But when, after they decided to rework the album a little, was told by their manager Phil Harvey that they would be crazy to NOT do this song, as it felt like it fit with the theme of the album and that it fit with how they were feeling personally at the time.  Alas, it was included on the album.
   "Green Eyes" is such an amazing love song, a serenade to someone who completes you. Yes, I'm a romantic. I just think it's really a good, light, upbeat, and truthful. It's really a beautiful song. The guitar in the beginning until when the band comes in is just very light and personal. When the band comes in, it really brings it to a climax. Great song!
   "A Whisper" is one of Coldplay's lesser known songs but I think it's very underrated. It's one of the more urgent and fast songs on the album, but it really has something to say. To me, it feels like a panic attack, trying to figure out where to go from there. The singer is singing about how he can "hear the sound of the ticking of clocks" and it's like he is being somewhat disturbed by them. One of my favorite parts of the song. I think we all feel the urgency in our lives.


tour poster

    "The Scientist" is pretty well known, but I think it's very blunt in it's message about wanting "to go back to the start". It's life, when it comes down to it. "Nobody said it was easy". This is a very true song, and I really like it. Musically, it is very beautiful as well. But at the same time, it still makes you want to keep going.
   "In My Place" has one of my favorite guitar parts. This is honestly a song I really took for granted before I really listened to it, it is really good. Another song about waiting and time. You can't change what is, and however you must wait for that good thing, it's worth it. This seems like the waiting aspect. The singer is looking at his past and memories and where he is now (very true to how the band felt at the time, just stuck and wondering what to do now).
    Something interesting I just read now on wikipedia: Chris Martin stated that the title track, "A Rush Of Blood To The Head" is a homage to Johnny Cash. Martin considers Cash one of the "greatest men...with just guitars". Can't deny that Cash is amazing.
    Well, lyrically, Coldplay had a new perspective because of the attacks on 9/11. Martin stated "The new songs are reflective of new attitudes. [They tell listeners] not to be frightened. Anybody can achieve whatever they want to". This was pretty important for the listeners at the time, especially to those here in USA who went through the time period of 9/11. We needed all the hope we could get.
   The theme here is urgency, and I think it's portrayed very well in the album. It really is a good listen, so check it out!
    Well, that's all I got for now. Time to get back to life. Peace out for now.
   
  -The AR


Coldplay Interview on MTV about the album in 2002:


"The Scientist":

9/11 Memories

    What's up everyone?
    Well, yesterday I talked about the Bruce Springsteen album The Rising and how it was Springsteen's response to 9/11. This album brought hope to a country that needed it.
    Well, I have my own little story to tell about 9/11:
     I grew up about ten miles from NYC across the river in New Jersey, and you could see the city from many parts of my hometown.
    September 11th, 2001: I remember being in 6th grade at that time. It was second period and I had my math class. I remember going to my locker and getting my stuff and then going to the classroom and sitting down with my fellow classmates. One of my classmates informed me that something was going on. I wondered what and when the teacher got into the room, we asked her but she said "Don't worry about it", though she seemed a bit distraught. It was weird. So we went on with the class as usual, though everyone seemed distracted.
    After the class, I proceeded to go to the next class I had, which I believe was gym and on the way to the gym I passed the office and a bunch of people were peering into the tv. Something wasn't right here, I could tell. Something was going on.
     The day went on as usual, and during my last class, the teachers told us to go straight home. It was a very unusual thing for our teachers to say. So I walked to the bus, passing a lot of parents who came to pick their children up early from school. So I got on the bus and went home. When I got there, my dad was home! Now this wasn't right, because my dad was never home when I got home from school, as he didn't get out from work until later. Usually it was only my grandma. They greeted me at the door and I remember being excited my dad was home but at the same time wondered why he was home, so I asked him. I'm a child so of course I'm curious. We went to the living room, flipped on the tv, and were greeted with the news that the World Trade Center had been attacked by passenger jets and the buildings have collapsed and that also the Pentagon in Washington DC was attacked and another plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

     My eyes were glued to the tv for the rest of the day.
     Not too long ago I had been on top of those towers, looking out at the city below. They were amazing memories with my parents and I. We always passed the World Trade Center when we were in NYC, they always dazzled me. Let me tell you, those buildings were some of the coolest buildings I have ever seen.
     When I went to visit dad at his office, I would always see them. My dad worked in Jersey City in a building on the river, right across from where you could see the World Trade Center. It was really beautiful.
    I had all these memories of the place and, at that time, I was just confused about how all this could happen. As I grew up, I matured and, though still confused by it, I understood everything around that day, at least as best I could.
     My dad told me his boss saw the second plane hit. Everyone in his building left, because, I believe, NYC needed to clear the surrounding area to use for bases, bodies, equipment, and for people to go as Lower Manhattan was evacuated. Everything was a mess
    NYC shut down, and I had never seen more national chaos so close to home before. I was both curious and a bit frightened. I was young.
    I remember on the anniversary of it a year later, they had those huge two lights shine in the sky, and it was a sight to see. It was a memorial to the World Trade Center, and you could see it from my hometown.
    It's still slightly eerie to go to the lookout in my town and see the NYC skyline withouth the towers. I grew up around them, it's so crazy to know they are gone and to know I was up there once on top of the towers.
    There is a memorial at the lookout in my town for the 9/11 victims. It's a really nice memorial. I go there every time I visit, for that and the view.
    I remember, later, Dad mentioning he used to work in the World Trade Center before I was born, but left. I still sometimes tell myself how lucky I am that he wasn't working there when all this happened. I am lucky.
   It sucks that this happened, and it sucks that it did. I have visited ground zero a bunch of times, and it always does something to you, and makes you realize that you should never forget what happened. Looking back on it all, it's still so hard to believe it happened. I had never seen so many people hurt around me.
   Listening to The Rising now, it brings back memories of it all and it also makes me realize how important this album was in history and how it tells a story that I lived through, that I witnessed. It all still brings some tears. I've been tearing up a little writing this, no lie.
   I don't think I can ever forget what happened to me, this country, and the world around me that day, and I look back and I realize how far we have come since. Sure, the country has it's problems, but we have come a long way. And I still try to search for the beauty. Springsteen definitely had the right idea with this album, as it is hopeful and tragic at the same time, this album paints the country and it's people's response to the attacks very beautifully and caring. For me, this album is part of my history.
   Thanks for taking the time to read this and letting me share my memory, and I would be interested in hearing any stories you have of that day. I could go on and on and on, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask me.
   Anyway, that's all I have for tonight, time to sleep and get back to classes tomorrow. I bid everyone a good night.
   And remember...never forget.

-The AR

~this post is dedicated to the victims and rescuers who died in the 9/11 attacks. RIP and may you find a peaceful light~

Come On, Rise Up!/Spring Break '11: Complete

Mt Baldy, photo taken by me!

    What's up, everyone? Well, another week has begun and spring break '11 has officially ended! What a spring break it has been! I hope everyone enjoyed their spring break if you so happen to also have been off on your own Spring Break adventures. My dad left earlier today, and it was a really good visit with him. We ended up going to the Indiana Sand Dunes yesterday, which was in this book I had recently bought called 501 Must Visit Wild Places. Well, now only 500 to go! It was really cool though. The dunes are on Lake Michigan and when you look out on the lake from the beach, you can see Chicago far off in the distance. It's really beautiful and definitely would love to go back again! I learned a cheap train goes right to the national lakeshore, so it won't be too hard to go back! Anyway, we drove out there and first went to an area of the park called Lake View, which is this stunning beach/dunes. It was a really beautiful lookout and the dunes covered quite a bit, even getting on the roads in some areas. Some sand covered benches too. It was pretty sick! There were also some big ass birds in the air stationary in the wind, looking around. It was a pretty cool sight to see, and also bird watching is very popular there. There are over 350 species of birds there, so you're bound to see a bunch of interesting birds, even though it was pretty damn cold and windy when we went, but still, even we saw a few cool birds. It's famous for the great blue heron, as it has a nesting ground in the park, and there wing span is about 6.5 feet. Unfortunatly, we never got around to going to the nesting ground but it's on my to-do list! I still need to wander around there and adventure, as our time was limited there, though I had a GREAT time there. We also got to climb to the summit of Mt. Baldy, which is this 126 foot sand dune (the biggest one in the park) and it was really awesome up there (despite the nuclear power plant next door, but just try to ignore it!...err...)! It was a really cool place, so I can't wait to go back!

     We also went on the Chicago Ghost Tour at night (the black bus you see around Chicago that says Ghost Tours). I was always fascinated with paranormal stuff, ever since I was really young. It still all fascinates me, and throughout my childhood and growing up until now, my dad and I would always go on different ghost tours when we were traveling, most of them being major cities.historical places in the US, such as San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York, Gettysburg and we also went on a London one back when I was in high school and I went on a Prague one when I was there last summer. And, of course, now I have also gone on the Chicago Ghost Tour (or at least one of the main ones) and it was really well done! We stopped at a lot of cool places that I knew of but didn't know how to find, such as the spot where the famous St. Valentine's Day Massacre happened, where the SS Eastland tipped over on July 24th, 1915 and killed 844 people in the Chicago River. It's the largest loss of life shipwreck disaster on all of the Great Lakes. It's really a sad story. There is a historical marker there now on the river walk on E. Wacker, so that's pretty cool. So anyway, yeah the tour was really awesome and our tour guide was really funny and really nice so yeah, a good tour to check out here in the Windy City!

      This morning, we went to the Jane Addams Hull House (which was also on the ghost tour!), which was pretty sweet! Jane Addams, of course, was the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize and was a political and social activist and was very important and influencial in the Progressive Era and VERY important for Chicago. I could go on about her, but you should definitely check out the museum if you are in Chicago. It's actually only a house, which is all that remains of the whole settlement besides one other building next door and the small courtyard. So it's not that big but it's really interesting about hearing about life in the settlement and how Jane Addams helped all these children and lower class and working class kids and adults have a meaningful life where they did what they loved to do and how she was nice to immigrants who came to Chicago and much more! So check it out, it's right on the UIC campus, and you can get there by the Blue Line and getting off the UIC/Halsted stop. There should be directions if you look up the website! So enjoy!
     Also had lunch with my good friend Nick which is always a treat and then my father drove me back to my apartment and went to the airport to fly back to NJ!
      A good trip had by all! And now, if you didn't know before and probably now know, I am a bit of a history buff and I love love LOVE the outdoors! : )

      Well, today, I also got to listen to The Rising by Bruce Springsteen, released in 2002. Now, this is a GREAT album. It is Springsteen's response to the September 11th attacks and the effects it had on the nation. But, it is also a message of hope when the country seemed to be losing it. I read an interesting story today that I didn't know about the album. Supposively how Springsteen got inspired to make the album was when he was driving somewhere a few days after the attacks on 9/11 and a car stopped next to him. The person in the car rolled down his window and said to Springsteen "we need you now". This was said to be confirmed by Bruce, so I thought that was really cool! That's a cool way to get inspiration, and that person who said that was right, we needed some hope at that time, and that album certainly brought it to many people. So thank you, Bruce and the E-Street Band! Speaking of which, this is his first album with the E Street Band in 15 years (or 18 if you don't count Tunnel of Love) so that's really cool! And they do an AMAZING job on this album! This is also the album that I heard my first Bruce Springsteen song off of, "Further On (Up The Road)". My dad used to play it a lot in one of his mix cds and I always loved everything about it! So that song holds a special place in my heart. Anyway, this album is filled with amazing songs and has a very hopeful, upbeat vibe to it, but still has the struggle within it, especially when the theme is the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. And, of course, it also has the classic Bruce sound! So this is a great album to check out, and it is an important album for the folks like us that went though the 9/11 attacks. Though I didn't listen to the whole album until later in my life, I did know quite a few of the songs from that album as I grew up, either from my dad or from the radio. And as I listened to the album tonight, it made me go back to those times and the times of the September 11th attacks. I live ten miles from NYC and you can see it from my town, and I the day like it was yesterday. It had a very big impact on the area around me, and in my town. It also had it's own impact on me, and have my own story to tell about it. Alas, it is 4:42 in the morning and I should really get some rest, so I will save that story for my next post.
     Anyway, my favorite songs from the album: "Lonesome Day" (a video for it listed below), "Into The Fire", "Waitin' On A Sunny Day", "Empty Sky", "World's Apart", "Let's Be Friends (Skin To Skin)", "Further On (Up The Road)", "Mary's Place", "You're Missing", "The Rising", and "My City Of Ruins". So yeah, this album is one to check out for sure!
    Well, that's all for tonight! My next post will feature: My 9/11 Story and probably a review or two.
     You all have a good night! : )

  -The AR

Lonesome Day: