HIM - "Join Me (In Death)"

It's halloween. What can I say? I just saw Ted Leo rip through an hour and a half of material that sounded a lot faster than the studio versions and a Misfits cover. Yeah, he started the set by playing "Twist of Cain" and that was amazing, but really, when it comes to ridiculous halloween fodder, there is nothing better than HIM (His Infernal Majesty) aka Bam Margera's favorite band. They're from Finland and have been around for like 20 years or something ridiculous like that (it's more than 15... I know that for sure).

If I didn't get that dirty, manufactured feeling from their music, I might find it somewhat enjoyable, but the way everything is recorded just begs to be played in grocery stores. The synths are thin, the guitars too polished and the drums don't really sound real. I say I might find it enjoyable, but I don't really mean that. Well, I can't decide. I guess, like most other shiny, lab-tested pop, I can safely say I "appreciate it for what it is." I enjoy the craft that goes into making something like this song, "Join Me." Who really thinks about this crap? It can't be the ever-so-dark frontman Ville (or whatever his name is). Just like all mindless MTV pop, I assume it comes from some sad bastard in his late 40s that just reads the My Chemical Romance message board all day, looking for someplace to start... either that or there's literally a music factory run by a mysterious "C+C."

Anyway, the story goes that this song was a huge hit in the UK; so much so that it eventually ended up on one of those creepy kids compilations where the kids sing the songs. That is what makes this song actually cool. Unfortunately, I couldn't dig up the audio to prove its existence, but just listen to the damn song. You can imagine just how creepy that would actually get if you want to have a super scary halloween.

Something I forgot: the definition.

I assume that I'm the only one reading this, but I feel like I need to at least define the title of the blog. This is for my own gratification, as well as my own betterment. If I have to constantly define and redefine what it means to me, I will gain a greater understanding in the long run.

The word "gravitas" is a Latin word without a literal translation in English. It is usually used in reference to politicians. It refers to that "x-factor" that's so hard to describe in a person. It means "dignified" and "serious," but it means so much more than just what the dictionary tells you. It means that someone is "an unseen force," which is where the word "gravity" comes from. Gravitas is about the way a person carries him/herself; they command respect without being condescending. When one has gravitas, it means they have what it takes to be a truly great leader.

This is what I strive for in all aspects of my life. The last few years have been a quest to find a purpose and this is it. It's so easy to slip into the annals of mediocrity, especially where I am, both in actual location and in life, but this is what really matters. Those who know me might say otherwise about me; know that I am not perfect and I am actively working towards bettering myself. There is no "winning" this one; the pursuit of gravitas is all there is, since it is like perfection, never really to be attained, except by gods among men.

This blog is mainly devoted to my obsession with pop music, but is also a point of refection on that music. Pop music can often be the most mindless, by-the-numbers genre, but every once in a while, you stumble upon some great life truth in its simplicity.

The English Beat - "Save it for Later"

I've been putting this off for too long, so forget having some amazing first entry that has a mission or real purpose or anything like that.

I've been thinking a lot about the future in the last few months. It's totally intimidating and I'd rather put it off. Considering how much time to myself I really have these days, the time seems right, so here's step one: I'm looking for artists. The project I intend to start is a lifelong venture and I am looking for people who want to get a piece of the action; I am truly looking for someone who is willing to invest their time and efforts, as well as their talents. Please please please email me if you fit the description and/or know of someone who does.

As for the attached video, I haven't got a lot to say, other than how much I love Special Beat Service. I was given the album on 12" some years ago by an aunt who was way into Elvis Costello and stuff like that in the late 70s. The album was buried beneath Born in the USA and some Barry Manilow album. The cover is nondescript enough, and since I knew nothing about two-tone, the album was overlooked for almost a year before I pulled it out and listened to all it had to offer. I know the naysayers out there will ask, "But what about the Specials?" "What about Madness?" "The English Beat is second rate crap compared to anything Lynval's ever done," even though Lynval was in the English Beat for a short time (I think they called themselves the Special Beat, which is kind of endearing, in a sad, dumb tribute act way). Everyone that has listened to two-tone at one point or another has heard The Beat's Smokey Robinson cover, but most people don't go too much further into their catalogue, which is a shame. "Save it for Later" is just one example of how great pop was in the two-tone era.

Do yourself a favor by finding a copy of Special Beat Service and taking a little time out of your day for expanding. A lot of it is going to seem cheesy and forced, but the hooks are good and really, what pop in the 80s wasn't cheesy?