Summer of 80's Movies

If you were tuned into this blog last summer, you may remember our exploration of the world of classic rock in "Summer School of Rock." This summer, I'd like to do something a little different.

That's why I'm declaring this the "Summer of 80's Movies." The goal is simple: pop some popcorn, watch as many 80's movies as possible in the next month, blog about them, and hear your comments. And of course movies are more fun with friends, so you are more than welcome to pull up a chair and watch them with me if you're so inclined.

I was born in 1982, so I only vaguely remember a handful of 80's movies from my childhood. That means that I need your help in choosing a movie list. I will do my best to get through them all this summer, but I'm sure there will always be more movies than time. They don't all have to be "classics" either, just reminiscent of that era.

Here's the list so far:
1. Back to the Future (trilogy)
2. Goonies
3. Summer School
4. Stand by Me
5. The Karate Kid (trilogy)
6. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
7. Ghostbusters, Part I
8. Big
9. The Money Pit
10. Wargames (which I saw is making a 25-year anniversary appearance in theaters soon, parenthetically)

Just post your suggestions and I'll get started this weekend.
First up: Karate Kid, parts 1, 2, & 3.

"Running to Stand Still" : "I Am Still Running"

There have been times as a songwriter when I have inadvertently "written" a song that's already been written. It may be a song I heard months ago, one time, forgot about, and then watched it subconsciously re-surface through my own pen. I innocently call the song my own, but really it's someone else's idea regurgitated.

But there have been other occasions when I've purposefully modeled my writing after a song I admire, or even written a creative "response" to that song. This is common practice among contemporary poets- reflecting and reacting to each others work in writing, and to a lesser extent this is true of music as well, but the majority of mainstream musicians are too self-centered to notice other artists' words, much less learn from them or pose an intelligent response.

In both cases above, I take a great song, chew on it, and spit it back out with my own pen. In one case accidentally; in the other, on purpose.

I have a theory that I need your help testing. In order to do so, you'll need to download "I Am Still Running" by Jon Foreman (it's well worth it, I give you my personal money-back guarantee). You'll also need "Running to Stand Still" from U2's Joshua Tree, but I assume you already have at least one copy of that on your shelf.

Whether accidentally or purposefully, subconsciously or artistically, Jon Foreman has re-written U2's classic "Running to Stand Still." The idea first struck me on the way to lunch this afternoon, listening to Jon Foreman's song from his new "Winter" EP. Testing my hypothesis, I repeatedly swapped CD's from Jon Foreman to Joshua Tree; Joshua Tree to Jon Foreman, back and forth and back and forth. What caught my ear? Well, below are the reasons why I believe Jon Foreman has purposefully (not accidentally) written a contrapuntal response to U2's "Running to Stand Still."

Beginning with the surface issues, then digging deeper as we go:
1. The title. "Running to Stand Still" and "I Am Still Running." A play on words? Still (motion)/still (time)? There's a striking similarity in the title, and even more striking counterpoint; to me, the titles suggest the same truth in harmonic perspectives: sinful addiction raging for escape on a "steam train" of deliverance (running from sin, but standing still), and addiction still hoping in a deliverer (still running from sin, or perhaps, standing still in "open arms"). Remember that musical term "counterpoint" (two or more melodies harmonically intended to be played at the same time)- it will be important again later...

2. Jon Foreman, as you know, is the lead singer and principle songwriter for Switchfoot. Bono has already been popularly referenced in their song "Gone" ("Hey Bono, I'm glad you asked- life is still worth living...") and Jon names U2 as one of his top two influences (second only to Elliot Smith). We know that Jon Foreman has been influenced by the Joshua Tree album, so it's not hard to believe that he may have admired and modeled his song after "Running to Stand Still."

(Digging deeper into musical analysis):

3. Both are in the key of D major.

4. Both employ a slow, driving train feel.

5. Not only are both in the key of D, both follow an almost identical chord pattern: I - IV in the verse and chorus; I - IV - bVII in the bridge (which is not common in pop music). U2 adds a V chord, which is mysteriously missing from "I Am Still Running" until the end of the bridge. Also, Jon Foreman adds a ii chord, which is not found anywhere in "Running to Stand Still." Nonetheless, the principle chords are identical.

6. Both are track 5 on their respective albums. Coincidence? I remember reading an article a long time ago about artists who purposefully place important (or favorite) songs on a certain track number with every CD they release. I'm not suggesting importance in this case as much as the intentionality and care artists and producers take in selecting a track order. While I'm willing to consider that the Jon Foreman/U2/track 5 case is a coincidence, it's not possible that these songs just landed in this order accidentally. It's a carefully considered process. Oh, and by the way, Jon Foreman was also the producer of his album (which means he got the final say on track order).

7. Both use a Dobro (a kind of steel guitar played with a slide). Not significant proof at first consideration, but when you listen you'll understand how they're played in a similar way. Melancholy, longing, cold, rain... these are images evoked by the Dobro. Lots of songs out there have slide guitars in the mix, but in this case the technique was so similar to Joshua Tree that it was the first trigger of this whole theory (the first thing that made me pause the CD and say, "hey, I've heard that before...").

(Digging deeper: this is where it gets a little scary, honestly):

8. Conducting both songs in a slow 4/4 pattern, you'll notice something fascinating in measures 7 and 8:
"Maybe run from the darkness in the night" (U2)
"I am still running" (Jon Foreman)
What this means: if you were able to play these songs at the same tempo simultaneously, they would match textually (remembering, of course, that they would also match in key and chord structure). In other words, if I were to run these two songs through ProTools, equalize their tempos and play them together, they would (in theory, and as their titles further suggest) be contrapuntal (two songs in perfect "counterpoint" designed to be played together).

There are other less reliable observations related to the EP as a whole that make me believe it has a strong Joshua Tree influence, but I'll let you decide based on the evidence above. Am I hyper-analyzing this? Or is it possible that Jon Foreman wanted to make a subtle but profound statement: In 1987, Bono said we are running to stand still; I remember how I was running then, at "17 years young," and "I am still running" today.

Amazingly, I have an opportunity to meet (and possibly sit down and chat with) Jon Foreman in a few weeks at my annual songwriter's conference in Colorado. If I can work up the gall, I want to ask him for the truth on this. To me, the design is just too intelligent to have been an accident.

"I Am Still Running"

You remember me before I learned to run
At the kissing tree before I learned my guns
We were 17, 17 years young
I am still running, I am still running

I had no idea the pain would be this strong
I had no idea the fight would last this long
In my darkest fears the rights become the wrongs
I am still running, I am still running
I am still running I am still running

Build me a home inside your scars
Build me a home inside your song
Build me a home inside your open arms
The only place I ever will belong

I am still running, I am still running
I am still running, I am still running


"Running to Stand Still"

And so she woke up, woke up from where she was lying still
Said I got to do something about where we're goin'
Step on a steam train, step out of the driving rain
Maybe run from the darkness in the night

Singing ha la la la de day
Singing ha la la la de day

Sweet the sin, But the bitter taste in my mouth
I see seven towers but I only see one way out
You got to cry without weeping, talk without speaking
Scream without raising your voice,

You know I took the poison, from the poison stream
Then I floated out of here

Singing ha la la la de day
Singing ha la la la de day

She runs through the streets with eyes painted red
Under a black belly of cloud in the rain
In through a doorway she brings me
White gold and pearls stolen from the sea
She is raging
She is raging and a storm blows up in her eyes
She will suffer the needle chill
She's running to stand still

Disney Vacation 2008

Julie and I just got back from six days in Disney- a quick but refreshing vacation. Every summer we make it a point to get away to "the happiest place on earth," and this year may have topped them all.

We spent the whole day Wednesday at Epcot and never once felt tired. In fact, after the fireworks we were disappointed to leave. Normally standing in 100 degrees with 4 million other people is enough to knock us out cold after only 5 hours; in the past, we've always left after lunch and come back later for the fireworks. So it's sort of amazing that this is the first year when we were there from 9:00am to 9:30pm, riding all the rides, seeing all the countries, shopping in all the stores, eating like pigs (I speak for myself)... and still wanted more when the day was over.

Epcot wasn't all we did in Orlando; one of our favorite hang-outs is Downtown Disney. It's a way we can get more Disney "magic" (as Julie would put it) without the price tag of park admission. If you've never been, you should check it out next time you're in Orlando. There's a huge Virgin Records store I look forward to visiting every summer. Most years I'm lucky to escape with less than $80 in new music, but this time I only bought Jon Foreman's Fall and WinterEP's and a gift for my brother's birthday (P.S. You must get Jon Foreman's EP's... more on that another time). There's also an AMC movie theater, which we visited three times during our short trip: Wall-E (Excellent), Hancock (Very Fun), and Wanted (not suitable for you kids, but adults who liked the twists of Fight Club and the special effects of The Matrix will probably enjoy this one too).

Another of our favorite haunts is Jellyrolls on the Boardwalk at Disney's Beach & Yacht Club Resort. Jellyrolls is a dueling pianos hall that has become a hot spot of annual tradition. Mellencamp's "Jack & Diane" is always our one and only request. (See video clip here)


(We weren't allowed to use video cameras, so I was only able to sneak a few seconds, but you kinda' get the idea)

I could go on and on (there was also pool-side tanning, movies in bed, lots of sleeping in,
shopping, eating out, fireworks every night, the hotel arcade, and other sites and attractions like City Walk and Celebration).

I had to at least give a brief report of the trip and upload a couple pictures before I felt like I could sleep tonight. If you happen to be interested in more photos from our trip, I've added a new album on facebook titled "Disney Vacation 2008."

See you real soon,
Ryan

Observations of a Convertible Life, Pt. 2

I smelled something funny driving home yesterday.
The smell of something burning under the hood...











































Follow this logic with me:

Ryan drives his in-law's convertible for one week

+

Convertible overheats and smokes like Vesuvius

+

Ryan has a nightmare that the car burst into flames Clark Griswald-style

=

Ryan returns convertible to in-laws driveway, pouring water into the radiator every 2 miles

And now... we wait...

Observations of a Convertible Life

Follow this logic with me:

Ryan's in-laws own a Sebring Convertible

+

Ryan owns a... not a convertible

+

Ryan's in-laws left the country (and their convertible in their driveway) for 2 weeks

=

(Scroll Down)

Don't worry, I learned a sweet odometer trick from Ferris Bueller... they'll never know.

So I boosted the car on Wednesday night and have been driving it everywhere since. Already I've observed much that is new and different about the convertible life. And the first of those observations was just that- that driving a convertible is a lifestyle, not just a car. It doesn't matter if it's an old man Sebring or a chick-magnet Corvette; what matters is the top is down and the scope of the world around you is suddenly larger than life. With that, I give you my observations of what life is like behind the wheel of a convertible:

1. I am suddenly self-conscious about everything from the volume of my music to how long I linger when I examine my nose in the rear-view. I'm like a fish in a fishbowl.

2. I am, accordingly, growing a sizable ego as I irrationally imagine myself to be on everyone's mind at all times.

3. It's louder than a rock concert when you're driving 70 mph next to a semi-truck hauling metal trusses on I-95.

4. Consequently, the max volume of your radio must be capable of shattering the windows of nearby buildings.

5. South Florida is hotter than it looked from the air conditioned cab of my Saturn.

6. "The wind in your hair" really is a credible expression of elation. I find myself frequently laying my head back on the headrest and taking deep, contented sighs.

7. When taking said deep, contented sighs, breathe through your mouth. The smell of exhaust will eventually make you throw up.

8. In my typical closed-in, selfish hurry, I forget that there's a sky with massive and glorious clouds above me that remind me how small I am and how big God is. It's no longer stressful sitting at a red light; it's devotional time with the Lord. Makes me wish I had looked up from the red lights more often in life, but that's another (more brooding) blog topic for another time...

9. Those little pebbles of rock that big trucks kick up hurt when they miss the windshield and hit you in the side of the face.

10. Somehow the open air makes me want to drive even faster than I normally do. It's probably because 40 mph feels like 70. 70 feels like 100...

11. 100 feels like 130. 130 feels like 150. 150 feels like...

12. Now you can kill two birds with one stone: commute to work, work on your tan.

13. You can listen in on everyone else's order at the Starbuck's drive thru (which doesn't sound all that amusing, but trust me, it is).

14. To reach the little transport tube at the bank drive thru, I've found it's far easier to lean over the door of a convertible than to squeeze through the window of an ordinary car. Some say pull up closer; I say get a convertible.

15. When the top is down, you can't talk to a friend on your cell phone but you can talk with every bum, newspaper guy, and flower salesman who approaches your car. You have no choice in this matter.

11 more days until I have to return the car... See you on the road.

A New Critique

I wrote my first critique of "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends," Coldplay's new album, far too soon. Now that I've had two weeks to live with the CD, I'd like to try again.

The CD opens with "Life in Technicolor," beginning with an ethereal sample reminiscent of U2's opening track of Joshua Tree, "Where the Streets Have No Name": Fade in, organ, electric guitar with delay effects, and then gradually layering other instruments and sounds. This first track acts as an epic instrumental introduction to the second track, "Cemeteries of London." This same sample will be repeated at the end of the final track, so if you happen to have the CD on repeat, it will play from end to beginning almost seamlessly.

Something else I found interesting: you may notice more U2 influence than ever before in Coldplay's new songs. There are at least a dozen moments in this CD that are patently U2. As it turns out, when Coldplay set out to make a new record with a new sound, the legendary producer Brian Eno answered the call. Rolling Stone reports that Eno, whom we know as the co-producer behind Joshua Tree, wouldn't allow Coldplay to revert back to their old tricks in the production of this record (tricks like singing in falsetto on every song, for example). His influence makes this the most unique Coldplay CD to-date.

The second track, "Cemeteries of London," lays a sort of Middle-Eastern/Jewish riff over an Irish rhythm for an interesting sound. Eclectic as it may seem, it's all tied together with Coldplay's signature guitar tone and Martin's vocals. You may also notice a heartbeat at the beginning of the track (perhaps to signify life and death, the grand theme of the album). I have yet to find its counterpoint later in the album, but I'm sure it's in there somewhere. I love the piano tag at the end.

Track 3, "Lost!" is reminiscent of X&Y, even using the same organ patch as heard in "Fix You." Nevertheless, it's catchy and easy to nod your head to. I applaud the producer, or writer or whoever said, "no, no, don't use that chord, use this one" in this song. They substitute less common chords for what would have otherwise been a very conventional vi-IV-I-V pattern. Instead of returning to I, they use a iii chord in its place, building tension through the verse which finally resolves to I in the chorus. Their choice of chords and leading tones is just outside the box enough to make a simple idea new and interesting.

Track 4, "42" begins as an eerie, drug-hazed, Beatles-reminiscent ballad only to break out in a wicked drum beat around 1:35 (4/4, accents on 2 and the & of 4), and then transition to a happy pop song around 2:45, only to return to the same, somber place in which it began. It may still grow on me, but for now I stand by my first impression: "weird" and "schizophrenic." I understand why they did it (to portray the dead/living message of the song), but it's my least favorite song on the album.

Track 5, on the other hand, is one of my favorites (second only to "Violet Hill"). In counterpoint to "Lost!", "Lovers in Japan" does employ the conventional vi-IV-I-V pattern in the chorus, but it's worked for millions of hits before- why not now? A hammered dulcimer and pulsing kick drum provide the rhythmic backbone for the more fluid ambiance typical of Coldplay (and Brian Eno, for that matter). At 3:57 a whole new idea begins, which to me adds to the duel nature of the album. They really have fifteen tracks on this CD not ten because several tracks introduce multiple ideas that could have been stand-alone songs. I suppose this schizophrenia is meant to subconsciously present the listener with a choice between living the life (vida la vida) and "death and all his friends," as the title prompts.

Track 6, "Yes," is moody and driving. It was on this track when I first thought, "this CD might have been a little over-produced," but it's such a cool song I can hardly complain. The strings that had been lying low to this point on the album take a more central focus on this track, again employing some Middle-Eastern modes. "Yes" also breaks off to a whole new idea at 4:05, which again struck me as strange and unnecessary.

Track 7, "Viva la Vida" is the title track and first hit single. It's a great representation of the whole album, really; the strings are in full force, it's got the kick-drum drive (heartbeat) prominent throughout the record, and some "oo's and ahh's" over ethereal samples that is both typical Coldplay and representative of a reformed approach in production.

Track 8, "Violet Hill." I may get some flack for this from some of you avid Coldplay fans, but I have decided that "Violet Hill" is Coldplay's best song to-date. And that's all I have to say about that for now.

Track 9, "Strawberry Swing" is like its title suggests, lilting and fun. To me, it's like The Beatles meets Phil Collins somehow. Still, you can't help but wish you were in a convertible singing this song back to a sunny blue sky. I make a beach mix every couple years... Strawberry Swing will definitely be on the next one. The song ends with an Edge-esque guitar riff.

Track 10, "Death and All His Friends" can be broken down to three sections: 1. A quiet piano ballad, "so come over, just be patient and don't worry," 2. a borderline cheesy pop instrumental break followed by a great line, "I don't want a cycle of recycled revenge; I don't want to follow death and all of his friends," and 3. the repeated sample from track one, this time with the impressive addition of vocals. 3:30 to the end is what the whole CD seems to have been gesturing towards; it is the defining moment of the whole album. "In the end, we'll lie awake and we'll dream of making our escape."

Schizophrenic as it may seem, I am greatly impressed by the various colors and contrasts Coldplay employs to create a CD that's more than just a collection of songs, but one narration of an epic story. It starts and ends in the same minimalistic sample/cycle, revealing the circle of "recycled revenge" that is clearly at the heart of the record (the history of war and mistakes we are bound to repeat if we don't learn). Death's voice is in the sorrowful, tension-filled chords of songs like "42" and "Yes"; Life's voice is in the heartbeat-pulse of kickdrums like in "Lovers in Japan" and "Strawberry Swing." Somehow the clash of these two forces reverberates in the sympathetic strings of violins, cellos, and electric guitars.

The album is a goldmine of artistic expression with many layers yet to be discovered, I'm sure. I give it an A-, counting only the cheesy drum beat from 1:50-2:15 of track 10 and the album's generally-meandering ideas against it.

P.S. I love the album cover, a French painting from the Romantic era by Eugene Delacroix.

Cults

I'm taking a class this summer called "Theology of the Cults." Our primary text is published by the Nicene Counsel
(http://www.nicenecounsel.com/)
titled Confronting the Cults by Gordon R. Lewis.

There are many "secular" definitions of what classifies a cult, unfortunately many are so broad that they would include (by definition) loyalists to political figures, fans of the Braves, followers of any philosophical thought, and Christians. Lewis defines the term "cult" as "a religious group which claims authorization by Christ and the Bible but neglects or distorts the gospel, the central message of the Savior and the Scripture."

In order to bring further clarity to the issue of classification, another publication of the Nicene Counsel, a DVD entitled "The Marks of a Cult," says to simply remember the four basic symbols of arithmetic: A group may be classified as a cult if it: (+ - x /)

+ Adds to the 66 books of the Bible by words or personal interpretations.
- Subtracts from the deity or the Persons of the godhead.
x Multiplies works to the already-finished works of the Lord Jesus for salvation.
/ (couldn't find a division symbol) Divides the loyalty of their followers between God and their organization.

The cults specifically addressed in the book are theological cults (as opposed to mind-control cults): Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism (Latter-day Saints), Christian Science, Seventh-day Adventists, Students of Unity, and Spiritualists. Each of these have committed one or more of the above heresies and yet claim to be "Christian" (which is why Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, are not classified as a world religion but a cult of Christianity). The New Testament warns against false prophets and teachers rising up from within the church (Acts 20:28-30; Matthew 7:15-16; 2 Peter 2:1) who will "secretly bring in destructive heresies." Maintaining the appearance of godliness, these groups are successful in leading many people astray.

How many times has a Jehovah's Witness or a Mormon knocked on your door? What are we called to do in that situation? I used to open the door and engage them in discussion. But, quite frankly, now I just ignore them. But what does the Bible tells us to do?

For one thing, we should keep in mind 2 John 1:10, "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him a greeting." This does not mean "ignore them"; it simply means, "don't invite them in." On the other hand, we should also bear in mind that the primary call of Jesus on every Chrisitian follower is to be a witness and to make disciples.

As much as I want to ignore the inevitable argument that stands knocking at my door (on my day off, usually), my responsibility is to "be ready" to share the love of Christ with "whoever demands a reason for the hope that is within [me]." Let's face it, they've come to tell me what to beleive, not to hear what I have to say. But still, I never know how the Holy Spirit may have prepared that person to hear the Gospel message before they were led to my doorstep. It's not my mission to judge who will hear and be saved, just to be a witness.

I recommend the book and other materials by the Nicene Counsel, if you're looking for good information on the cults. They also have some very worthwhile documentary DVD's on the topic.