Walking the road alone

So I'm giving listing another batch of songs, although I'll try to do a real post later if time is on my side. But here I decided to go with a theme for the songs. That feeling of wandering. I've felt it most of my life, ill at ease everywhere, never at home, never part of any group, constantly pushed onwards without a chance to really settle down. I suppose it's my ambition, I suppose it's my anxiety, I suppose it's lots of things, but that's how I am. I suppose I can change, maybe. People change when they find two parts of them conflict, and one of those parts must give way. If I find a good enough reason to settle down, to find some sort of home, to shed my outsider status and my loneliness, it can happen. But I haven't found one yet in my life, and so I wander on.

On a more technical note I've decided to only link video in the post itself, since embedding videos makes the post obscenely long, and I try to not be obscene when I can avoid it.

1. Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd - From the album (pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd) (Pronounced) - The sadness, resignation, but powerful energy that fills this song captures the feeling of being driven endlessly, forever forward, but never allowed to stop.

Lyrics

Lynyrd Skynyrd's concert video

Free Bird AMV - TV show - Transformers - I can say this is an excellently made AMV, I can say that the emotions match the song without being too obvious, I could say a number of compliments for this video, but the main reason I'm including it is because it's Transformers, and that show rocks.


2. Ramble On by Led Zeppelin - From the album Led Zeppelin II - Awesome song, powerful force to it, and it gives Tolkien his props, how could I not love it?

Lyrics

Ramble On concert video by Classic Albums Live - I would have loved to include an actual Led Zeppelin concert video here, but I couldn't find one on youTube and apparently, according to Wikipedia, that is, they never performed it live in concert. Still these guys are pretty good.

Ramble On AMV - Movie - The Hobbit Animated Movie - I'd rather would have used a different AMV than this, since matching Ramble On with something it references prominently (if you don't know this check out the lyrics) is a bit too dead on, but there are surprisingly few Ramble On AMVs.


3. Turn the Page by Bob Seager (news to me, I've mainly heard the Metallica cover) - From the album Back in '72 (Bob Seager) and Garage Inc. (Metallica) - When you're ambitious, the rock stars who tour endlessly, you always feel a need to press on in work endlessly, because the work is never enough, it's never perfect.

Lyrics

Bob Seager's Video

Metallica's Video - This is a great example of an excellently executed story video, I usually object when story videos interrupt for spoken bits, but here the spoken bits are placed right and serve the story perfectly.

Turn the Page AMV - AMV - anime - Outlaw Star and Cowboy Bebop - An interesting experiment here, alternating between Seager and Outlaw Star and Metallica and Cowboy Bebop. It works pretty well, although I think some more thought should have been put into the Outlaw Star segments, the last one seemed a little misplaced.


4. Somewhere I belong by Linkin Park - From the album Meteora - Even those who accept a life of wandering, even those who are used to the loneliness and even those who know that this is the best way for them to live their life the way they want to, everyone who wanders, stops to think sometime and wishes they had somewhere they belonged, even if they have no idea how to get there.

Lyrics

Linkin Park's video - Excellent video, the images are rarely directly from the lyrics, but in emotion they match right with the song, plus it gives Salvador Dali his props.

Somewhere I belong AMV - TV show - Avatar: the Last Airbender - A nice combo of Avatar and song, and it's especially impressive that while it rotates through many characters it touches upon the emotions of the song with most of them.

5. I'm like a Bird by Nelly Furtado - From the album Whoa, Nelly (I know, it's not a very good name, and yet it's my favorite of her albums, go figure, I mean, go figure out why this is, GO!) - Starting with a bird, ending with a bird. I have to say I've often felt that feeling that even though I might love someone, in the end I wouldn't be able to manage a relationship. Of course, given that I've never really gone out on a real date and all my crushes have been unreciprocated and given that my emotional problems are very different than the ones she's singing about and given... well, basically my life and this song are not parallels even in the loosest of senses, but it still touches upon an emotion that I feel, and it explicates that emotion well.

Nelly Furtado's video

I'm Like a Bird AMV - anime - Air - I've never actually seen this anime, and from what I see in this video it may be too spot on, but still this video is beautiful and it manages to add another layer of sadness to the song. Maybe if I watch the anime I'd change my mind, but I did like this video a good deal.

Anyways, that's all for now, so take it to your head, take it to your heart and remember Rand rocks. Goodnight Folks!

Zebras eat fruit too

So my first pick of 5 awesome songs to share with you oh so unworthy people, but who I love so much, it makes my heart ache, it really does, or does not, either way here's so songs and song-related stuff-a-ma-gigs.

Awesome songs (not my favorites, in no particular order but still completely awesome):

1. Unforgiven by Metallica - From the Black Album - Metallica's ode to resigned and complete rage and desperation
Lyrics

Metallica's video

Unforgiven AMV- anime : Record of Lodoss War- I chose to embed this one because this is one of the first AMV (anime music video)'s I saw, and it still is one of my favorites. Perfectly captures the song and the anime.


2.Electrical Storm by U2 - From The Best of 1990-2000 - Excellent, undervalued song. It's from the a best of album but it is actually only found there which is probably why it's undervalued. Beautiful line - "You're in my mind all of the time, I know it's not enough."
Lyrics

U2's video- I love how this video projects such immense atmosphere that captures romance but also a sadness and struggle.


Electrical Storm AMV- anime : Serial Experiments Lain - I like this video though I'm unsure (and by unsure I mean I'm unsure) how well it works with Serial Experiments Lain. Still I haven't seen that many videos with Serial Experiments Lain before, and it is a great anime.

3. Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance - From The Black Parade - Odd song, perhaps that's it's charm. Complex, lyrically interesting, deep and it's got enough quality to pull the whole thing off. Also I thought I should include something new for you emo-heads.
Lyrics

My Chemical Romance's video


Welcome to the Black Parade AMV - anime: Fullmetal Alchemist - Anime is perhaps a little too spot on for very specific lyrics, the protagonist has serious father issues, but it does go with the dual tones of the song, and it overall provides some nice visuals.

4. Still Waiting by Sum41 - From Does This Look Infected? Album - The song that showed Sum41 had a lot more depth than the average punk-pop band and a hell of a lot more anger than their earlier singles. Perfect undirected, everywhere directed anger.
Lyrics

Sum41's video

Still Waiting AMV - anime : Samurai Champloo - Given that both characters are mad at the world so this anime has a nice fit. I think I'm not alone in that assessment since a lot of people seem to have made AMV's with this video. This AMV in particular focuses mostly on the fighting motions, beautiful in this anime, than the more atmospheric pieces of it, which perhaps is good since that allows it to be pissed as hell without being melodramatic.


5. I'm Going to Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers - From Sunshine on the Leith Album - Let's end on a sweet and happy note. Beautiful, cute, lovely song full of energy and feeling and just great. It really captures that overpowering, often stupid, desire to do anything you can for the one you love.
Lyrics

The Proclaimer's video

I'm Going to Be (500 Miles) AMV - anime : Ranma 1/2 - Another old video from my youth. But given Ryoga's feelings, it goes perfectly with him. I always wished Ryoga ended up with Akane instead of Ranma, but I always knew that couldn't happen. Still Ryoga's overwhelming feelings, just like the songs, just marvelous.


That's all for now. It actually took me a lot longer than I thought, but I doubt I'll have any time for any more given my busy moving schedule today. So take it to your head, take it to your heart and remember Rand rocks. Goodnight Folks!