I’m a big Monty Python fan, but as you might guess, being a good contrarian, I don’t really go for the standard classics like “Pet Shop” or “Ministry of Silly Walks” (good as they both are). I like the more obscure stuff. Below is my favorite album they ever did, which is almost entirely music or ditties. It’s brilliant, and I hope you like it.
Slope of Hope Blog Posts
Slope initially began as a blog, so this is where most of the website’s content resides. Here we have tens of thousands of posts dating back over a decade. These are listed in reverse chronological order. Click on any category icon below to see posts tagged with that particular subject, or click on a word in the category cloud on the right side of the screen for more specific choices.
Marvelously Depressing
I’m sure pretty much all of you have seen a-ha’s “Take On Me” video, which enjoys half a billion views on YouTube alone. That was the golden age of music videos (which I was lucky enough to live through).
I stumbled upon the video below, in which lead singer Morten Harket does the same song “unplugged”. First off, the guy’s voice has held up amazingly well. I remember watching a video of Crash Test Dummies a few years after they were big, and holy Lord, Brad Roberts’ voice has gone downhill so bad it just broke my heart. Anyway, check this out:
I’m stuck by several things:
- How good the lyrics are; it’s easy to lose that with the original recording;
- What a different feel the song has when sung at this pace and with these emotions;
- How depressing it is to see a young icon from the 80s as a man approaching 60. But I’m eventually going to grasp the concept that time indeed does march on – – slowly learning that life is OK.
Handle With Care
With Tom Petty now gone (R.I.P.), the Traveling Wilburys are shrinking quickly, with both George and Roy already departed. Here’s a favorite of mine:
All Life in a Single Song
Tom Petty – Rest in Peace
The above is one of my favorite songs from The Traveling Wilburys, a supergroup in which Petty was a part. Tom Petty’s line – – “Sit around and wonder what tomorrow will bring – maybe a diamond ring” has special meaning for me, because after I got engaged, my fiance and I were driving along, and I played this song, squeezing her hand when Petty sang that line.
