LostControl

I think I have a new favorite song. Who would have thought it would replace "It Hurts Too much"? I've never been a big fan of the Geffin album, but I got it out the other day to listen to "You took me all the way" - another great song for something Eric isn't happy with - and discovered this one. I have to admit, it was fun driving on the highway singing "Ammm mmm mmmm erican as Apple pie" on the 4th of July. Despite the rain, it brightened my day.

I've always loved Paul - I discovered him when I was 11 and there was a "Best OF Simon and Garfunkel" album being hocked on TV. It was well past the time they'd broken up, but I didn't care. I went out, got all the S&G albums, and learned them all. Their lyrics certainly added a lot to my English essays! No one else at 12 was using words like Disdain. I've never been as thrilled with his music since he started stealing music from other cultures. His folk days are my favorite, although I do love a lot of his solo stuff too. Another singer who's lasted decades.

Holy Cow! Imagine my surprise when, as I was leaving work today, that I realized it was only July 3rd! I really DID party too hard over the weekend!

There's nothing saying just because you were a star 20 or 30 years ago that you can't still be making albums. There are those that have been doing it all along - Paul Simon, Rolling Stones, etc... They were writing songs long before I was born (and let's just say I'm no spring chicken). Hell - even Donnie Osmond is still around - anyone seen Weird Al's "White and Nerdy"? That's Donnie dancing around in the background. Hell - even Weird Al's been around since about 1981 - when I was still in elementary school. He's got a huge tour this summer - I just got tickets yesterday (YIKES $$$) Hey, if Weird Al can play in Ottawa, why can't I get the Berries to play here????

Usually us Canadians like to make things difficult for ourselves and add extra letters to words. Colour Neighbour Cheque (the thing from the bank) It keeps grade 1 from getting too boring.

30 years ago? Holy Cow. Well... as I was only a little kid, I didn't buy the album when it was newly released, but I did eventually buy a copy (in 1989) and wore totally wore it out. Looks like I'll have to get the CD, so I can wear it out too. Great idea to have the Blog Bernie! I'm looking forward to it.

Just now waking up from the wild partying we did here on July 1st (Canada Day). Here's wishing all our neighbours to the south a great 4th of July! (or should I say "neighbors?")

Picturing Tony in a garter belt and stockings vacuuming my carpet, slaving over a hot stove..... mmmm TASTY! Now I'm going to have to go wash my brain out with soap. (It's been a few years - what did we call ourselves again Tony? Eric's sexbunnies? I know you had a name for Darlene, me and ???? ) Wow - the mind really is the first thing to go.... Now that I'm turning 29 (again) this month!

You don't see any resemblance at all? Really? Not the short 2 line intro that leads right into the chorus? The perkiness? The subject matter? The similar background vocals? I guess we all hear very different things!

Craig, Don't tell Eric, but I like "You took me.." better than "She remembered" too! Anyone but me think that "I wanna be with you" from Fresh sounded like GATW? The first time I heard "I wanna be with you" - with it's short first verse (2 lines in the case of each song) to get right into the chorus - I automatically thought of GATW. It was on the follow-up album to GATW, so to me it was easy to see the connection between the two. With "You took me all the way", it was ??? years later, Eric had his solo career well underway - so it wasn't as obvious that it was similar to GATW. At least that's how I heard it.

Oddly, listening to "You took me all the way" reminded me much more of "Every time I make love to you" from the Winter Dreams album. It's the lyrics - a guy still in love with his significant other years after they first get together. If I had to say one was written based on another, it would be those two. Interesting how we all hear different things in a song. I guess so many different things come into play with music - no two people have the same listening experience. (And on that very deep philosophical note, I'm going to bed).

Well look at that - I DO own the song! Shows how much I've listened to the Geffen album I guess! (Ha!) Now that I actually LISTENED to "You Took me all the way", I stand by what I wrote in the opening post - I'm sure even Eric's worst attempts are better than a lot of stuff that gets radio airplay these days.. The song is great! Yes, it definitely has a lot in common with GATW - but there was a decade or so between the release of the songs - so it's not like it was on the next album as a blatant attempt to ride out the popularity of GATW. It really is a good song!

Tony, honey, this is the reason you have all that free time to spend here at EC.com - you're certainly not getting a whole lot of lovin' from the wife with that attitude.Of course, I do remember some talk awhile back of you, me, a German shepherd, a family-size jar of vaseline, and a rope & pulley ......ah,memories.....

A question for Eric.... There's a live recording of you singing "Let's Pretend" which then goes into "Starting Over" - and it's sung as a slow ballad sort of thing. (You can see I'm a whiz with descriptors) I'd only ever heard the live version, until recently when I heard the original 'Berries version of "Let's Pretend" What a difference! When you wrote "Let's pretend", did you see it as a slow ballad type of song, or more what you recorded on the album? I've come to really like the faster album version, but it's a shame more fans never heard it in the style of the "Let's Pretend/Starting Over" version.

Reading through my copy of Bernie's book, (yet again - you'd think I'd have it memorized by now), I read that Eric wrote a song called "You took me all the way" (or something like that - I don't have the book with me at the moment) In the book, Eric refers to it as "A freakin' embarrassment" It was supposed to be a re-do of "Go all the way" Was the song ever recorded? I'd love to hear it - I'm sure even Eric's worst attempts are better than a lot of stuff that gets radio airplay these days. If there was a copy ever made - can someone please send me a copy?

Tony and I have had this chat a lot of times - personally, my absolute favorite song ever - "It Hurts Too Much". I have no idea why this song was never in the top 10.

Heyyyyy. I resemble that remark!!!You can't ban us - you'd lose the wit and wisdom of a country with at least 10 people - who are all thawed out at this time of year. Don't make me take the trek to Wisconsin and start lookin' for ya!

Ha! I can't believe you remember my son! Yes, "It hurts too much" was BIG here - he LOVED it. "Go all the way" was his favorite to have his diapers changed to. He's now 5, and it's hard to believe! To be really brief - he's reading at a Grade 4 level, and the teachers really don't have any idea how to keep him interested. They're teaching "A B C" and he's reading words like "thoughtful" and "equal". So, it's up to us to keep him stimulated. A minimum 20 books from the library every weekend (chapter books - al la "Little House on the Prairie") and he's done before Wednesday. Oh yeah, just to make sure I never get bored... on top of my 1/2 time day job, I'm also teaching a college course. And yes, I still have the big blood clot (the one that they said I'd never be able to work again). I love the TV show "House" - he's got almost the same problem with his leg that I have with mine. So - I'm a little busy. (edited because I'm a perfectionist about spelling)

My husband gets most annoyed at funerals (usually of young people who died in tragic accidents) where the family plays Sarah McLaughlin's "Arms of an Angel" song. I guess they don't realize it's about IV drug use.

Hey Darlene Yup - it's me! I just couldn't stay away from you guys! Like some powerful drug or something - I need my EC.com or I start going into withdrawal. Did ya miss me?

This morning on the way to work I heard "Go all the way" on the radio. I was really impressed - it's not too often that you hear that one! Afterwards the DJs got on and started talking about how they want the Senators to "Go all the Way". That's our hockey team - we're in the playoffs to the Stanley Cup (hockey) right now, for those who don't follow that kind of stuff (like me). Much as I was happy to hear the song, I've been annoyed ever since that they used the song in totally the wrong context. Anyone else ever get mad about songs being played at the wrong time or place, because no one bothered to listen to the lyrics? Another that really makes me angry is people playing "I will always love you" at weddings. It's about a relationship breaking up!

I hope that things have changed a bit since the 70s. Now with the Internet, Kelly might get a following by posting her music and videos to places where people can access them. I certainly hope so. Just because Clive won't put a big wad of cash up to promote it doesn't mean she won't sell. She's got a huge following, and as she's already sold albums, people will get it just to compare to her prior work. At least I hope that's what will happen for Kelly's sake. Clive shouldn't be allowed to be such a major class ass and always be right.

I'm pretty sure that perfectionism is a genetic trait. My son drives me absolutely crazy with his perfectionism, and he's only 5. He makes himself sick with worry over things that are coming up. So much so that I've stopped telling him about things in advance (like I have a dinner to go to in a few weeks and won't be home to put him to bed). He decided this year not to join soccer because he doesn't like anyone see him ever make a mistake. That's pretty much the worst thing in the world for him - no punishment could be greater. I'm certainly not perfect by any stretch, but my husband is, and I can see how the two of them are so much alike. I sometimes wish I had a much more carefree child - he has been distraught about so much in the last few years. It really is consuming - Eric certainly got it right when he wrote that line.

I know what Eric means ... no one likes to spend time writing out something thoughtful (and sometimes even witty!) to hit the 'send' button, and have the whole thing disappear. It's happened too many times to count! Better to keep the posts short, so that when the inevitable loss occurs, you're not seriously considering tossing your monitor through the closest window. The posts were all amazing insight into the 'biz'. I see why lawyers are important in LA.

I'm so thrilled to be able to say that I've been here a part of those 10 years. Wow! 10 years. Hard to believe all that's happened in that time. And the amazing part is that there's always something to talk about!