Steve's iPod Playlist (Vol.2.2 --Destress Music continued)

Today I will continue my look at my Destress Playlist. This list is a list of songs that help me when I get stressed out (which NEVER happens) I will try to explain what tunes I use for different situations, and how they help me, although the power of music is sometimes hard to explain.

11.) Hold Me, Jesus-- Rich Mullins: The late Rich Mullins is the only artist with multiple entries on this list, because he had a way of touching your heart and making the spiritual real in your everyday life. This song is a cry for Jesus to hold you through the hard times. My favorite line, "I'd rather fight You for something I don't really want than take what You give that I need". Ain't that the truth.

12.) Let the Waters Rise-- Mikeschair: A new song by a relatively new group. This song passed the goose bump test the first time I heard it. It basically says that there will be troubles in life, life isn't easy, but with God on your side, bring it on, "Let the Waters Rise".

13.) I Still Believe (The Great Design)-- The Call: This song was huge when I was in college. A version was featured in Lost Boys. It was covered by Russ Taff, Tony Vincent, and several others. But it is the original by The Call with the powerful voice of the late Michael Been that still gives me goose bumps and makes me sing along "I'll march this road, I'll climb this hill, upon my knees if I have to. I'll take my place upon this stage, I'll wait till the end of time for You, like everybody elses."

14.) No Place Closer to Heaven-- Charlie Peacock: My all time favorite singer/songwriter gives us a beautiful love song. Is it man to woman, friend to friend or creation to creator. I think this song covers all three. It is truly a haunting song I can hear again and again with out it ever growing old.

15.) Sanctuary-- Daniel Amos: Terry Taylor, front man of the enigmatic Daniel Amos (and several other groups) is annoying at his worst, but an utter genius at his best. Here you see the later as he describes Jesus as his Sanctuary...that place of strength and security you can run to when you don't have the strength to go on.

16.) Hold On-- Kansas: from the first of three albums from Kansas' Christian period (The time after Kerry Livgren and Dave Hope found Christianity, but before they left the band to form AD). This is the only album from this period to feature the trademark Steve Walsh vocals. And the vocals lift the listener to new heights. "Outside your door He is waiting, waiting for you. Sooner or later you know He's got to come through. No hesitation and no holding back. Just let it all go, and you'll know you're on the right track."

17.) Answers Don't Come Easy-- Leslie Phillips: From her final project for the Christian market Leslie (Sam) Phillips here does something that mainstream Christin music of the mid 80's rarely did. She deals with struggles of faith, and admits that answers don't come easy. This song really rips at my heart because a friend of mine from college, who really was not into Christian music told me how much this album touched him because of her openness and honesty. Shortly after this, he ended his own life. Obviously answers didn't come easy in this situation.

18.) Dare You to Move-- Switchfoot: Late one evening when I was feeling very depressed, I flipped on VH1 and the video for this song was on. I cried my eyes out, and fell instantly in love with this band. Jon foreman is SO amazing at expressing the frailty of life, and the importance of living every moment for God. A real life saving song.

19.) Somewhere-- Rich Mullins: Rich's fervent cry to be taken away "Somewhere beyond these reasons and feelings. Somewhere beyond the passion and fatigue" This song will lift me up when I feel the most spiritually and emotionally drained.

20.) Magnificent-- U2: From their latest album, No Line on the Horizon, Bono and the boys deliver the praise anthem with the most killer bass line. You can't help but get chills as you listen...full volume is best so you can feel the power pulsing in the bass.

21.) Hallelujah-- K.D. Lang: I have at least 10 versions of this song on my iPod. I think K.D.'s is probably the one that soothes me most. Her voice is so pure, and the arrangment just lifts me up.

THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ THIS. Hope you can find a song or two here to relieve your stress as well.

Steve's Top 5 Top 5's-- #4 Top Five Performances of 2009

Today I present to you my top performances of 2009. These are live performances of some kind. On Stage or on TV. Basically to qualify for this you had to be in front of some kind of a crowd. Let me know if you saw any performances I may have missed.

5) Adam Lambert and Kris Allen perform with Queen on American idol Season Finale:
Okay, Kris Allen was there, but all eyes were on Lambert, his showmanship and flare fit in perfect with the flash and style of Queen. Lambert practically channeled Freddie Mercury. Look back at this performance and ask yourself, "What was America thinking by picking Kris as the winner?"

4) Paul McCartney playing at Citi Field in New York: When the Beatles played Shea stadium in the 60's, crowds went crazy, girls screamed, and great music was heard throughout the stadium. When Paul McCartney played the inaugural concert at the stadium that replaced Shea stadium some 45 years later, things didn't change much. A few more older people in the crowd, mixed with their children and grandchildren, but the music was still great. Own the CD/DVD combo now to relive the night over and over.

3) Taylor Swift's SNL monologue: In the midst of an amazing year fro the country superstar, she lands a job not just as the musical guest, but also the host of the late night comedy mega-show. Her monologue was a cute little song that poked fun at her ex-boyfriends (Like a certain Jonas Brother), confirmed rumors of her relationship with Taylor Lautner, and of course got in a jab at Kanye West. Find the video on YouTube if you want a good laugh.

2) The 25th Anniversary Concert for the Rock-n-Roll hall of fame: Bruce Springsteen, U2, Billy Joel, Simon & Garfunkel, John Fogerty, Aretha Franklin and about a zillion other stars jammed for two nights, and HBO managed to cram it into two or three hours. I'm only hoping they put out a DVD with the complete shows.

1) My Birthday Party AKA U2 live at the Rose Bowl: Yes, I was in the crowd for this amazing concert that also featured Black Eyed Peas as the opening act. This concert was broadcast live on YouTube, and was watched by millions around the world. Totally the most amazing night EVER!

Steve's Top 5 Top 5's-- #2 Top Five Songs of 2009

Happy Christmas Eve!!

Tonight Top 5 is for the best songs of 2009. There is some over lap from last nights Top 5 CDs, but also a couple tracks from other places. these are songs that have impressed me, or touched my heart in some way. Again, feel free to give me your responses.

5) Adam Lambert-- Whaddya Want From Me: The American Idol runner up has been every where the last few months. His debut album is pretty good, and I like this song in particular. To me it is kind of Lambert's cry out to the world. Everyone has been looking to see how wild or strange his next performance will be, and this song just asks everyone, "Whaddya Want from Me"..Okay, maybe I'm reading too much into it. Who knows.

4) Susan Boyle-- Wild Horses: Yesterday I mentioned that Susan Boyle performed a Rolling Stones Cover on her CD. this is it, Wild Horses. I first heard Susan sing this on the season finale of America's Got Talent, and it was just amazing. You have got to hear it.

3) Taylor Swift-- You Belong With Me: Country teen queen Taylor had quite a year this year, and this adorable love song was a big part of it. The story of a girl in love with a friend, trying to convince him that she is better for him than his cheerleader girlfriend. So infectiously contagious once you hear it, you'll be singing it for weeks.

2) Orianthi-- Highly Strung: I can't tell you how much I love this young guitarist from Australia. This is an instrumental cut from her Believe CD. It is a duet featuring guitar god Steve Vai. You have to hear it to believe it.


1) U2-- Magnificent: The second single off of No Line On The Horizon is an absolute masterpice that will have you singing along as the bass causes your car windows to tremble. This verse says it all,
"I was born, I was born to sing for you
I didn't have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice from the womb
My first cry, it was a joyful noise, oh, oh" I love this band and this album and this song SO much. Go buy it!!

Steve's Top 5 Top 5's-- #1 Top 5 Albums of 2009

Today's Top 5 list is the top 5 CDs released in 2009. Their style varies, as I have a broad range of musical tastes. Let me say there has been a lot of good music released this year, but these albums stand out to me for a variety of reasons. Please feel free to comment back with your own choices.

5)Susan Boyle--I Dreamed a Dream: Yes this is the woman who broke into the spotlight on Britain's Got Talent. A frumpy woman from Wales with a voice that won't quit. Millions saw her perform on YouTube and she delivers with the same amazing voice on this CD. A blend of Hymns, show tunes, standards, and even a Rolling Stones cover. She may have come in second on the show, but she provs she has what it takes to be #1.

4) Carrie Underwood-- Play On: The third album from American Idol winner Underwood is a touch edgier in places, but is still filled with the signature ballads as well. Her voice is beautiful and strong in most places, although on a few of the up tempo numbers it does tend to just be loud. The debut single, Cowboy Casanova is not my favorite, but I'm sure there will be many more number one singles from this one.

3) Orianthi-- Believe: The United States debut album by this amazing guitar sensation from Australia will blow you away if you are a fan of guitar music. I've heard her voacls compared to Kelly Clarkson and Avril Lavigne, and I guess I can sort of see that. But the voice, rocky but still pleasant to listen to, is not the reason to listen. Orianthi has been playing the guitar since she was a child, and her skill is amazing. If you haven't heard of her or can't place her, she played with Carrie Underwood on the 2009 Grammy Awards and was set to tour with Michael Jackson before his sudden death this summer. Do yourself a favor and check out this CD.

2) Jars of Clay-- Long Fall Back to Earth: Jars of Clay has been one of my favorite bands since their debut single flood hit the airwaves back in my KLoRD days (1995 to be exact). One of the things I love about them is that they reinvent themselves with each album. On this, their 10th studio album (according to wikipedia), their sound is almost a throwback to late 70's or early 80's in several spots. It is much more up beat than 2006's Good Monsters. With most of Jars' CDs I latch on to one or two songs immediately, and the rest have to kind of grow on me. With this disc I loved the whole thing almost immediately. If you have not yet become a Jars of Clay fan, this disc is a great place to start.

1) U2-- No Line On the Horizon: For over 25 years now the Boys from Dublin have been delivering top notch Rock with a social conscience and a strong spiritual undertone. I have been waiting since 1987 for them to match the power and feel of Joshua Tree, and for me this is that album. I played it nearly non-stop for the first two weeks I had it. If you haven't heard it yet, go get it, I can't tell you how good it is, you have to hear it for yourself

Bucket List (courtesy of 2012)

Never before have I really thought about making a bucket list. You know, like in the movie, a list of things you want to do before you kick the bucket. I kind of thought it was morbid, and possibly just egging on fate to end your life before you can finish the list. But as I listen right now to Adam Lambert singing the theme to 2012 and I realize that the world will be ending in three short years, it seems an appropriate time to make a list of things I'd like to accomplish in tghe next three years, before the earth turms itself upside down and swallows us whole. So I will post my top ten items, and then keep you all updated as I accomplih them. A lot of these involve celebrities, but I'm sure, once they realize that the world is ending, they'll be willing to help me out....although if any of you have contact with any of them, you might ask them to check out this blog. These are in no particular order.

Steve's Bucket List:

1} Finish writing my novel and get it published. This is a long-time goal, and now the end of the world is just giving me motivation to work faster.

2}Take a guitar lesson from Orianthi. She is the amazing guitarist from the Michael Jackson THIS IS IT movie, and to just spend an hour learning from her would be amazing.

3} Spend a month traveling in England and Ireland. I figure it would take at least a month to find all the historical, but not touristy spots.

4} Star in, or direct a movie with Zooey Deshanel. Maybe my friend Beau could produce it. She is one of my favorite actresses, and I'd love to work with her.

5} Spend a day at the park with just my kids and my parents. Sounds easy enough, but if you understood my family situation, you'd know this is probably the wildest thing on my list.

6} Write a song with Taylor Swift. I'd let her sing it, since my voice would make people pray for the end of the world. plus with her singing it would be a sure hit.

7} Get together and hang out for at least part of a day catching up with as many of my Facebook friends as I can. Since my Toyota friends I can see any time, I won't count those, sorry. So far my total is 1, and another coming next month.

8} Have lunch or dinner with Ashley Greene (from Twilight). Her character is so sweet, and from what I hear, she is too.

9} Spend a month on tour with U2. Maybe get invited up onstage by Bono.

10} Take a dance lesson from one of my favorite Dancing with the Stars pros, either Lacey Schwimmer, Chelsie Hightower, or Julianne Hough.

OOPS I have a #11 too} To see a sunrise and sunset on every continent. Well, could probably skip Antarctica. I'm all set on North America. Lets work on the rest.

So there's the list. Keep watching this sight for updates.

Not Easily impresed, and bulding customer Loyalty

Today I give you two posts in one, because somehow they run together, and my brain is producing blog post faster than I can post. I want to start by saying that in general, I'm not easily impressed anymore. Blame it on a cynical nature that I have gained as I age.

Now last Sunday the U2 show impressed me, but I expected to be impressed. The band paid big bucks to build a huge stage designed to impress, and it did its job. And the music impressed me, but I have always loved their music, so no surprise there. That is why I'm not going to talk about the U2 show anymore in this post (read my last two posts if you want more on the U2 show.

Instead I'm going to start by talking about 6 things that impressed me this past Friday. Six things is a lot to be impressed by, but here goes. 1) I went and saw THIS IS IT on Friday. If you are not in tune to media outlets at all, let me tell you what THIS IS IT is-- it is a film that documents the rehearsal process for what was supposed to be Michael Jackson's England tour. I was very impressed by Michal in this film. I have never been a huge MJ fan, but this film really brought me around...sadly a bit late. He was such a professional and such an amazing performer. Even in rehearsals he gave 110%. 2) The second thing that impressed my on Friday was also in the movie. It was the young woman MJ chose as his lead guitar player for the tour, her name is Orianthi (yes that's her in the picture). All I can say is AMAZING!!

Moving on from the movie, (sort of) traveling briefly back in time to last Wednesday evening at around 9:30. I went to Amazon.com and ordered Orianthi's CD. I am an amazon prime customer, so I got two day shipping. They told me it would arrive Monday (today). Back now to last Friday, I got a call a little after noon from the Postal Connection where I have a box for getting packages. They said I had a package from UPS. This of course had to be the Orianthi CD. 3) I was very impressed by how quickly Amazon had gotten my order out. 4) I was impressed that UPS had delivered in less than the 2 day time frame and 5) I was impressed that Postal connection took the time to notify that I had a package...this is an example of building customer loyalty, which will be discussed in the last part of this post.

Before I move on to customer loyalty let me tell you the last thing that impressed me. 6) Orianthi again. The same guitarist who rocked the Michael Jackson movie delivered again on her CD BELIEVE. Edgy rock music, not super heavy on profound lyrics, but fun music and great guitar work that comes to a head with the instrumental number Highly Strung, a duet with Steve Vai. a truly great album..get it.

Now on to customer loyalty. Besides my great experience with postal connection, today I wen into a vacuum shop in San Bernardino where my father-in-law had called in a payment on some vacuum bags that I was to pick up. I picked them up, but realized they were for our old vacuum, not our new one. I went back in and the right bags were three dollars more than the ones that had been paid for. I offered to pay the owner the difference, he told not to worry about it, just take the bags I needed. That builds customer loyalty. That is also how I try to work at Domino's when I answer the phone. I will give customers deals even if they don't have coupons. This drive my manager nuts, but I don't care because I know a happy customer is more likely to a) tip and b) become a return customer. Tell me I'm wrong, I dare you.

U2 concert: celebrating the Light

In my last post I told about the 5% of my U2 concert experience that was negative. Now it is time to celebrate the remarkable, amazing day/evening I had. I got to Pasadena relatively early, park in old town, and went out for a walk around. I was hoping to meet up with my friend Beau from my Wheaton College days. We had reconnected on facebook, and decided in the crowd of 96,000 U2 fans, to try and find each other. Beau had sent me a text that he was eating in Old Town before getting on the shuttle to the concert. I looked around Old Town a bit, but didn't find him, so I headed back over to the shuttle loading area and figured I'd see him getting on the shuttle if I just waited there. After waiting a while, I decided I was going to shuttle over, just to see what was going on at the Rose Bowl. I was literally 3 people away from getting on the shuttle when my hip started singing. It was a text from Beau that he and his friend had finished eating, and they were on their way to the shuttle. So I went back to my waiting spot, and waited for them to shuttle over together. We got to the Rose Bowl and found some more friends of Beau who had a spot on the golf course parking and were picnicing before the show. We hung out there for a while and relaxed. It was great hanging out with an old friend I had not seen in over 20 years.

After a bit, we headed in to the stadium. We tried to stick together once inside, but the general flow of the crowd and the pull of the concession stand separated us. So I found my way to my seat and settled in for the show (full story on seating in last post). Black eyed Peas opened up. They are not really my style, but I have to admit, they put on quite a show. The highlight of this part of the show for me was when Slash (not from one of my favorite bands) joined the Peas for a performance of "Sweet Child of Mine" (a very good song, which I like).

Then was an intermission, and close to nine o'clock the show was starting again. It opened to the strains of David Bowie's Space Oddity (another Song I Love) then the band came out on stage I don't have the song list in front of me now, but It was amazing. My previous experience seeing U2 in concert was spent mostly watching the heads of the 35 rows of people in front of me. This time was so much better for 2 reasons. First, I was in an arena, and part way up the side, the people closer than me were also lower than me, and not in the way. But beside that the large screen above center stage brought all the performance highlight into your lap. It was a really amazing show. Bono is so charged, so on fire. I have never before seen a perform who I feel so passionately embraces what he believes in (and that is saying a lot since I worked for several years in the Christian Music industry, where you would expect the performers to passionately embrace there beliefs). Bono spoke about the attrocities during the Irian election, the need for more money to deal with AIDS in Africa, and the plight of an imprisoned Burmese democracy leader. Each of these causes were close to his heart. The power of the music and message was undeniable. The high tech effects made for a great show, but the lyrics, and the power with which Bono delivered them ae what madethis a night I'll never forget. I'm sure there will be more on Bono and U2 in future post, I find them an amazing group, who move me every time I listen.

U2 concert: a brief exploration of the dark side.

Let me start this post by saying that the U2 concert Sunday was fantastic, and a 95% positive experience. Today's post is about the 5% that was not positive. It will be the last I speak of these things (with the possible exception of repeating them in a letter to Rose Bowl events staff). After venting here I will wipe these negatives from my mind and remember only the great music, and message that was presented. So here comes the venting...

Whoever designed the seating sections at the Rose bowl obviously expected the people acting as ushers to have an IQ. Those at Sunday's concert failed this test. When I came in to my section (section 21), I approached the Yellow Shirt dude who was the usher for that section. He looked at the ticket and pointed me up and to my right, which actually coincided with what the sign on the wall of the section said. I found the proper row, and after the girl in the row behind me showed me where to look for a seat number, I found seat 15. I sat there as the black-eyed Peas sang. As the black eyed peas finished, I was tapped by one of the other Yellow Shirt dudes. He told me I was in a another man's seat. I tried to explain that I was in the right seat, and the other Yellow shirt Dude had showed me how to find it. he insisted I was in the wrong seat and had to follow him out, and he would show me to the right seat. When we got to the aisle he started to point me to section 20. I showed him my ticket and said I was in section 21. At this point he said, "well I don't know where your seat is, but you can sit here if you want, pointing to the front row of the section. After a quick look I realized these seats were represented by the people in te row of wheel chairs at the rail, and if I were to sit there, the wheel chaired fans would be blocking my view.

At this point I proceeded to find another Yellow shirt Dude, who looked at my ticket, and pointed my to the left, I said "Why did the first guy send me right then?" He responded with , "I don't have time to help you find your seat, I need to help the other people." I was not sure what other people he meant. Probably it was the crowds of people who knew where there seats were who were going to the restroom like I should have been during the intermission. I wanted to scream, "Don't you know it's My Birthday!!" I wanted to volunteer to go stand in the (red) Zone if they couldn't find my seat. I finally gave up on the Yellow Shirt dudes, and found a blue jacket guy who had on a radio with a headset (usually a sign of leadership, if not intelligence). I should him my ticket, and he began to show me to my seat. Amazingly enough he took me straight back to where I had been and removed the other gentleman from the seat, explaining to him that seat 15 (my seat was the end of section 21 and seat 115( the seat next to me) was the beginning of section 20. It is beyond me why the two section merge in one row, and how 115 can ever follow 15. this goes back to those great minds who designed the seating...(i am going to try to post a seating chart wit this blog). So after wasting 25 minutes of the intermission (prime bathroom time) I found myself enjoying the concert in the seat I started in. Was this whole fiasco warranted? No! Could it have been avoided with a little more training/intelligence on the part of the Yellow Shirt dudes ? Probably.

Okay, enough on that. One final negative on the concert. The parking/unparking was a nightmare. I parked in remote parking and shuttled in. Nice and relaxing, no nightmare of getting near the arena. Trouble was, everyone who parked there and shuttled in throughout the day all wanted to go back at the same time. So after the concert got out around 11:20, it took till 12:35 to get on the shuttle, then till 12:55 to get to remote parking past all the pedestrian traffic. Then another 20 to 25 minutes to get out of parking garage... I have no solution for this problem, but there must be a better way.

But enough GOM (Grumpy Old Man) talk In my next post I'll tell you everything I Loved about the concert. Thanks for letting me vent!!

Maturing Musically

Three things in life I cannot live without. First and foremost is my faith in God. Second is my family. And the third thing is music. As far back as I can remember my house was filled with music, often from several different rooms at once. When headphones became the rage in the 70's I believe our family kept KOSS in business. From my mother I learned to love Johnny Mathis, Lou Rawls and many jazz artists. My sister Gloria introduced my to Neil Diamond's music, ABBA, and later Phil Keaggy (still my hero), John Michael Talbot and the world of Christian music. My sister Sharon is where I learned to enjoy the Carpenters. Brother John introduced me to the world of opea, and a lot of musical theatre (didn't admit I liked it at the time). Brother Dave was into Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens and Peter Paul & Mary. Later Dave was also responsible for introducing me to the British Punk movement of the late 70's and Early 80's which I'm sure is what eventually lead me to be a U2 fan. Dad used to listen to country in the morning before work...I liked a few songs, but mostly resisted it.

As for me personally I started, as most kids do with Disney music. The Mary Poppins soundtrack was a favorite as I remember. I remember very well my very first "grown up" album. Olivia Newton-John's Have You Never Been Mellow. I was soon a huge Oliiva fan, and I believe I had all her albums up to Physical. Another grown up star I got into at a young age was thanks to Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari. The theme song for their show Busom Buddies was Billy Joel's My Life, and begged my mother to buy me the 52nd Street album. I have been a huge fan of Billy's music ever since, and now also enjoy his daughter Alexa Ray's music.

But I think the moment my musical taste was blown wide open was in 6th grade (?) music class when our music teacher asked students to bring in one of their favorite songs and present it to the class. Jenn Treisenberg (sp) brought in the movie soundtrack to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and played Aerosmith's cover of Come Together. My first exposure to the music of the Beatles. Two years later when our class had an 8th grade graduation party Jenn brought in the actual Sgt. Pepper album by the Beatles, and I was officially obsessed...still am, just picked up the Magical Mystery Tour CD when they re-issued last week.

Through high school my favorite bands besides The Beatles were Kansas and Styx. But this is also when I was getting into punk and NewWave like Ian Dury, Nick Lowe, the Clash, The Pretenders, etc. I always said, "I like all kinds of music, except classical, country and really heavy metal"

When I was in college I discovered U2, and have loved them ever since (although their mid to late 90's was not my favorite era). I also was exposed to a huge variety of Christian rock. Favorites during this time were Petra, RezBand and 77's. Also I discovered the musical genius of Charlie Peacock, and the Christian New Age sounds of Jeff Johnson (Can you use Christian and new age in the same sentance? Just did). And thanks to a music appreciation class I hated, I grew to love classical music, especially Mozart and Beethoven. So my credo became, "I like all music except, Country, Heavy Metal and Rap"

As I grew beyond the college years I have kept many of the same favorites, but in my late twenties I did add country to my list of music I like, although I'm still picky about what country music I listen to, And even as I've matured and added more styles, I still don't enjoy much Heavy Metal and Rap.

No I must admit, when I was dating Bekkee (my wife) I tried to enjoy rap and hip hop because she enjoyed that kind of music. It never quite caught on with me, although I don't mind some of the mellower R&B music she introduced me too. Nowadays my wife enjoys country, which is much better for me. My wife however only enjoys current music, while I still love stuff from all period, both the stuff I grew up on, and even music from before I was born. She likes to make fun of my music, especially my 80's stuff, but I can't help it, I like it. We change, we grow, but forever music will be part of my life.