Ever have "one of those days"? Well, I've been having one of those weeks.
First, my parents are visiting, which is usually cool, I like my folks, but they have two Pomeranians now. I'm allergic to dogs, and these two are as poofy as they get. They want to do all sorts of shopping while up here in Oregon so they don't have to pay taxes. They've already bought an electric grill, a toaster, some tools, a cargo attachment for their RV, and a laptop for my little sister. That's some major money! I hate shopping, just ain't my thing, but my hubby's working, so I have to show them around. And my parents takes the dogs everywhere they go. And dogs love me! They like to get up right into my face, and one, Kissmo, gives me licks, sending me into sneeze fits. If I touch them to push them aside, my hands start itching madly. But I'm not going to complain when my mother has spent over $200 already on blouses and some very nice dresses that I would never have bothered buying on my own. So, shopping isn't my thing, and the dogs bug me, but okay, I'll deal!
But then, as I was walking around with my dad, I hit a pothole or something, started to fall toward a truck (not cool). Luckily, I caught myself on a street sign before getting run over, but I sprained my ankle and reinjured my knee (which has never really healed), plus in the process of catching myself I sprained my wrist and broke my finger. So now I'm limping and I have a metal splint on my right index finger, and I'm right handed, so my life just got 60% harder to do simple tasks. Working on the computer in general is now tough. Try working a mouse some day with your index finger bulked up and sticking straight out, clicking with your middle and ring fingers. Not fun.
Today, my hubby and I had the day off with my folks staying in the RV enjoying the rain. We decided to try a new Asian restaurant called Hot Plate. The food was good, but while I was eating the sweet'n'sour soup (soup of all things) my tooth that has been needing fixed for ... well, too long (hush now, I have a reason to hate dentists, I'm deathly allergic to all numbing stuff, so dental work is unpleasant, to say the least) ... anyway, the tooth broke, right there at the table. I sudden felt a crack, reached back with my tongue, and it's wobbly like a six-year-old. Just broke off, all I had to do was pull it out and put a napkin up there for a couple seconds, hardly bled at all. Now my mouth hurts, and the front part of my tooth feels like it wants to break too ... and the pain is shooting up my nose, which makes me sneeze ... and I'm on my period, so all you women know how sneezing on your period is just not fun.
So I'm limping, toting a broken finger around in a metal splint, my mouth swollen, my gut bloated, cramping up a storm, and riding around town with my folks, shopping which I hate doing, with their dogs which I'm allergic to, and my dad keeps forgetting to take his happy pills so he's acting like a grumpy old man arguing with my mom about everything until they really do sound like an old couple.
Oh, and did I mention my cat is having a kitty crisis? He's fallen in love with our neighbor's cute little Persian - who, by the way, hates his feline guts - so now he mopes around, hates us, scratches and bites a lot more, and he jets toward the door if he even thinks he hears it opening. He's not allowed outside, especially not with Fluffy out there giving him disdainful looks, so when he does sneak out I have to chase him down before the neighbor's dogs scare him up a tree... limping... cramping... with a broken finger... and sneezing from dog danger and broken tooth pain.
It's just not my week!
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
It Ain't Enya
There are many songs out there claiming to be Enya... but aren't. Maybe it's a synth lover who thinks the only way they'll get exposure is to claim to be someone famous. Maybe it's a 12-year-old screwing around on mommy's computer and doesn't know the name of the song they just downloaded. Or maybe it's some idiot college kid who hears something and says "oo, oo, I know, that's New Age, so it's gotta be that chick, wutzername, Enya!"
Who knows how it really starts, but at some point someone puts the wrong artist on there. Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond are often mixed too, so it's not just New Age artists. Suddenly, Enya fans see a song they've never heard before, pay their 10 cents or whatever, only to find... it ain't Enya.
My friends know I love Celtic music, so I often get random "have you ever heard of [insert artist]?" which, of course, I've probably never heard of them, and it sends me rummaging through Amazon or Download.com for samples of this newly discovered person. I like that. I discovered Anahata that way.
Other times, I get "I have a song I bet you don't have" and low and behold, I don't have it. Nor did the artist ever make it! Many do that claiming an Enya song I don't own. (I have all of her albums, but she releases some songs only on singles. I don't have all those, but I WANT THEM!) Their claim often turns out to be Loreena McKennitt or Lisa Gerrard or Enya's older siblings in Clannad, all of whom I love.
A year ago when Enya's new album Amarantine came out, someone asked if I had the "Amarantine Promo." I was like, "Sure, you mean Comb of the Winds..." No, no, not the single, I mean the Promo. Like Monsoon Chariot. Monsoon what? Never heard of it. Where can I buy it? Oh, it's not in stores, it's bootlegged, internet only, mysterious 13th track, only in Russia or something.
So I risk the wrath of the RIAA and (hush now) I downloaded these "Enya promos." Sure enough, I've never heard of them. One is titled Amarantine, but it's a fast, heavily percussive song that builds intensity upon one word, "Angelica," even more intense than Enya's other driving song, The River Sings, certainly nothing like the happy, sleepy, optimist "Amarantine, Amarantine" of the album song. In fact, some of these aren't Enya-ish at all. Some plain out aren't Enya. One's a man! I did not download them all, only a few, but I had a problem. Here were some apocryphal songs, maybe-but-most-likely-not by Enya, and I had no clue who really did them.
And I was growing to really like them!
Now, when it comes to my music, I'm a perfectionist. I want all the info inputted properly. If it's off my own collections, no problem, but it's harder if it's from a friend who made a CD of songs they thought I'd like (which is not pirating; it's the same thing we did back in the '80s with tapes and it was legal!) That music doesn't always have the info to transfer over. I'll spend hours searching for the right album, what year, what track number, who wrote the song, a picture of the front of the album. Yes, I obsess a little!
So now I have songs I like, don't want to get rid of them, and they're not the right artist, possibly not even the right name of the song. So off I go, digging into the arcana of Enya forums, hunting for "songs not by Enya." There are plenty of gripers ranting about the difference between Loreena, Lisa, Moire, and Enya, complaining about a new generation of Celtic and New Age musicians masking their songs as Enya, but not much for who actually did these songs. Mostly, they have guesses. It might be him, it's possibly her, admitting many of these are not unknown artists trying to break out, but famous artists people just ignorantly mistook for being Enya. While I'm racking up demerits from the RIAA, I checked these possible songs against the promo songs. Nothing like it at all!
My friends know I love Celtic music, so I often get random "have you ever heard of [insert artist]?" which, of course, I've probably never heard of them, and it sends me rummaging through Amazon or Download.com for samples of this newly discovered person. I like that. I discovered Anahata that way.
Other times, I get "I have a song I bet you don't have" and low and behold, I don't have it. Nor did the artist ever make it! Many do that claiming an Enya song I don't own. (I have all of her albums, but she releases some songs only on singles. I don't have all those, but I WANT THEM!) Their claim often turns out to be Loreena McKennitt or Lisa Gerrard or Enya's older siblings in Clannad, all of whom I love.
A year ago when Enya's new album Amarantine came out, someone asked if I had the "Amarantine Promo." I was like, "Sure, you mean Comb of the Winds..." No, no, not the single, I mean the Promo. Like Monsoon Chariot. Monsoon what? Never heard of it. Where can I buy it? Oh, it's not in stores, it's bootlegged, internet only, mysterious 13th track, only in Russia or something.
So I risk the wrath of the RIAA and (hush now) I downloaded these "Enya promos." Sure enough, I've never heard of them. One is titled Amarantine, but it's a fast, heavily percussive song that builds intensity upon one word, "Angelica," even more intense than Enya's other driving song, The River Sings, certainly nothing like the happy, sleepy, optimist "Amarantine, Amarantine" of the album song. In fact, some of these aren't Enya-ish at all. Some plain out aren't Enya. One's a man! I did not download them all, only a few, but I had a problem. Here were some apocryphal songs, maybe-but-most-likely-not by Enya, and I had no clue who really did them.
And I was growing to really like them!
Now, when it comes to my music, I'm a perfectionist. I want all the info inputted properly. If it's off my own collections, no problem, but it's harder if it's from a friend who made a CD of songs they thought I'd like (which is not pirating; it's the same thing we did back in the '80s with tapes and it was legal!) That music doesn't always have the info to transfer over. I'll spend hours searching for the right album, what year, what track number, who wrote the song, a picture of the front of the album. Yes, I obsess a little!
So now I have songs I like, don't want to get rid of them, and they're not the right artist, possibly not even the right name of the song. So off I go, digging into the arcana of Enya forums, hunting for "songs not by Enya." There are plenty of gripers ranting about the difference between Loreena, Lisa, Moire, and Enya, complaining about a new generation of Celtic and New Age musicians masking their songs as Enya, but not much for who actually did these songs. Mostly, they have guesses. It might be him, it's possibly her, admitting many of these are not unknown artists trying to break out, but famous artists people just ignorantly mistook for being Enya. While I'm racking up demerits from the RIAA, I checked these possible songs against the promo songs. Nothing like it at all!
This is a list of the false-Enya songs on the "Amaratine Promo," who did
them, and I added links so you can check out the album on Amazon.
Support the artists! Or at least spread the word about them.
[UPDATE - Feb. 2014]
I've updated the original list, thanks to a bunch of people jumping in and filling in the blanks. You guys are awesome!
[UPDATE - Feb. 2014]
I've updated the original list, thanks to a bunch of people jumping in and filling in the blanks. You guys are awesome!
01 Amarantine = Angelica, by Seay, 1 Voice (2005)
02 Remember Now, by 2002, The Emerald Way (2006)
03 World of Wonders, by F.R.E.U.D., Time Passangers (1998)
04 Fading Hues = Longing for Ashira, by Enam, M'anchelii (2001)
05 Caeli et Terra = Sanctus, by Anael, Unconditional (1998)
06 Dragonfly = In the Hollows of Trees, by Gary Stadler & Singh Kaur, Fairy NightSongs
07 Mor Rioghain = Siren Song, by Seay, 1 Voice (2005)
08 Along Meadow Streams = Marcomé, by Librarsi, Seven Seas (1996)
09 Arcadia, by Miriam Stockley, Miriam (1999)
10 Cagaran Gaolach = Musa-Mare Lullaby, by Wendy Stark, Child of Transference (1999)
11 In the Arms of Eternity = In The Arms Of Morpheus, by Emoke, Swimming in Dark Water (2003)
12 Iapetus = Mystery, by Lorellei, Spiritus - Breath of Life (1996)
13 Monsoon Chariot = Still, by Seay, 1 Voice (2005)
Okay, so that's the list, a bit more detailed than anything in the Enya forums, if I may brag. Thanks for all the input!
If you downloaded these songs, do everyone a favor and rename them. Please give credit where it's due. And if you realize, "hey, I have that song and I LIKE IT," please check out the artist who really did it. You just might want to buy the album.
Friday, June 08, 2007
Bill Guffey - Requiescat in pace
I happened to do a Google search for an old friend of mine, Mr. Bill Guffey, only to find he passed away two months ago. This is truly heartbreaking to me, mostly because I didn't have a chance to say goodbye.
William "BG" Guffey was the original keyboardist in the band Shooting Star, which was the first American band to sign onto Virgin Records. I met him online around 2001 while playing the MMORPG called Utopia. He went by the name Nicolai, and I happened to guess that his reference was to Nicolai Hel of the novel Shibumi. He guessed my online name, Rhov, was a shortened version of Rhovanion of Tolkein's Middle Earth. We were both literature nerds!
That began many years of witty conversations, enjoying his vast knowledge (he was a member of Mensa and truly brilliant). He liked that I understood obscure cultural references and I actually read Tom Robbins... and enjoyed it! We were leaders in our Utopia game, both of us serving as Monarch for a time, both always the lead magical characters in our kingdom, planning elaborate attacks in the middle of the night. The "Nic and Rhov combo t/m strike" could not be beat! We made lots of friends in those years. I learned about his musical past, which intrigued me, being a musician too. He told me about his family and the son he loved more than anything in the world. He sent me photos of family gatherings, and after a few years it was like I knew them all. He told me much about his personal life, which I could write novels on! The man really lived it up! Weird how online friendships can be so close!
We both stopped playing Utopia at about the same time, but we still kept in touch. Then, about two years ago, shortly after I got married, BG caught me on AIM and told me he was moving away and might not be able to chat anymore. He was going to Europe to pursue a dream. I was proud of him. He had been quite sick over the years, and I felt he deserved rest and happiness. I emailed him a few more times after that, heard some news, but then he never replied. I was busy with being a wife, so our friendship just drifted. Little did I know his trouble with his liver was getting the better of him.
Now, this morning, I caught his obituary on Dan Martin's site. I'm simply stunned. I'm listening to Shooting Star's ballad "Sweet Elatia," my personal favorite. BG never did figure out what Elatia was a reference to, if it was just based from the word "elate" or if it had a deeper meaning; it was something he never thought about until I asked him. It's such a beautiful song. Shooting Star fans notoriously ignore the group's ballads, but for me they are highlights of the albums. I like "Elatia" for the sailing references (I love sailing) and that it's just so peaceful. I honestly could "lay back, let go, close my eyes, and just sail on." I'm also listening to BG's wild keyboard pounding in "Last Chance." He would tell me stories about his days as "the King," getting crazy with the band guys, wooing the women, but how he was so shy to go on stage, the band had to get him totally drunk. It was a rule, there must be a beer sitting on Mr. Guffey's keyboard, that way he could stay buzzed through a concert and be able to face the crowds.
I think back to stories he had, of missing Woodstock to chase after a girl, of seeing the Beatles in concert, of meeting Elton John and many other great performers, of playing with bands all over the Midwest, and many escapades of his that I can't mention for legal reasons. Mostly he talked about his son. Little Billy was his life, and he was so proud of him, bragged about him so much that I ended up knowing this boy as if we had grown up together.
That was Bill Guffey, a devoted father, a lover of music and fine literature, a brilliant man hiding behind that shaggy head of hair. Although our friendship was internet-based, he eventually became one of my best friends. He even inspire one of my characters in the Shadowstrider series. BG thought it a laugh that the character K.J. is a "long-haired man from the Midwest."
BG... you will be deeply missed by friends, by family, and by fans.
William "BG" Guffey, "The King" - 1952-2007
No, I'm not a born saint,
Can't change the course of time,
Can't perform magic,
Can't step into your walk of life.
...
We're just people, people in life.
Together, together we survive.
Give your hand, I'll give you mine.
Don't be scared to take it.
We're here for such a short, short time.
I wanted to show you, I want you to know
That I really care about the hardships you've known.
I want to say believe me, you're not alone.
You're not alone!
Cause we're all in this together.
We're all in this together.
Reach out for a friend
Cause in the end
We're just people,
Just friends.
Just people...
Just friends!
William "BG" Guffey was the original keyboardist in the band Shooting Star, which was the first American band to sign onto Virgin Records. I met him online around 2001 while playing the MMORPG called Utopia. He went by the name Nicolai, and I happened to guess that his reference was to Nicolai Hel of the novel Shibumi. He guessed my online name, Rhov, was a shortened version of Rhovanion of Tolkein's Middle Earth. We were both literature nerds!
That began many years of witty conversations, enjoying his vast knowledge (he was a member of Mensa and truly brilliant). He liked that I understood obscure cultural references and I actually read Tom Robbins... and enjoyed it! We were leaders in our Utopia game, both of us serving as Monarch for a time, both always the lead magical characters in our kingdom, planning elaborate attacks in the middle of the night. The "Nic and Rhov combo t/m strike" could not be beat! We made lots of friends in those years. I learned about his musical past, which intrigued me, being a musician too. He told me about his family and the son he loved more than anything in the world. He sent me photos of family gatherings, and after a few years it was like I knew them all. He told me much about his personal life, which I could write novels on! The man really lived it up! Weird how online friendships can be so close!
We both stopped playing Utopia at about the same time, but we still kept in touch. Then, about two years ago, shortly after I got married, BG caught me on AIM and told me he was moving away and might not be able to chat anymore. He was going to Europe to pursue a dream. I was proud of him. He had been quite sick over the years, and I felt he deserved rest and happiness. I emailed him a few more times after that, heard some news, but then he never replied. I was busy with being a wife, so our friendship just drifted. Little did I know his trouble with his liver was getting the better of him.
Now, this morning, I caught his obituary on Dan Martin's site. I'm simply stunned. I'm listening to Shooting Star's ballad "Sweet Elatia," my personal favorite. BG never did figure out what Elatia was a reference to, if it was just based from the word "elate" or if it had a deeper meaning; it was something he never thought about until I asked him. It's such a beautiful song. Shooting Star fans notoriously ignore the group's ballads, but for me they are highlights of the albums. I like "Elatia" for the sailing references (I love sailing) and that it's just so peaceful. I honestly could "lay back, let go, close my eyes, and just sail on." I'm also listening to BG's wild keyboard pounding in "Last Chance." He would tell me stories about his days as "the King," getting crazy with the band guys, wooing the women, but how he was so shy to go on stage, the band had to get him totally drunk. It was a rule, there must be a beer sitting on Mr. Guffey's keyboard, that way he could stay buzzed through a concert and be able to face the crowds.
I think back to stories he had, of missing Woodstock to chase after a girl, of seeing the Beatles in concert, of meeting Elton John and many other great performers, of playing with bands all over the Midwest, and many escapades of his that I can't mention for legal reasons. Mostly he talked about his son. Little Billy was his life, and he was so proud of him, bragged about him so much that I ended up knowing this boy as if we had grown up together.
That was Bill Guffey, a devoted father, a lover of music and fine literature, a brilliant man hiding behind that shaggy head of hair. Although our friendship was internet-based, he eventually became one of my best friends. He even inspire one of my characters in the Shadowstrider series. BG thought it a laugh that the character K.J. is a "long-haired man from the Midwest."
BG... you will be deeply missed by friends, by family, and by fans.
William "BG" Guffey, "The King" - 1952-2007
No, I'm not a born saint,
Can't change the course of time,
Can't perform magic,
Can't step into your walk of life.
...
We're just people, people in life.
Together, together we survive.
Give your hand, I'll give you mine.
Don't be scared to take it.
We're here for such a short, short time.
I wanted to show you, I want you to know
That I really care about the hardships you've known.
I want to say believe me, you're not alone.
You're not alone!
Cause we're all in this together.
We're all in this together.
Reach out for a friend
Cause in the end
We're just people,
Just friends.
Just people...
Just friends!
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