This is my entry for Week #13 of therealljidol.

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Sharks in the Dating Pool

Sujin was dead and Amanda knew it. Amanda and I broke up three months before but she still called me the night Sujin died. Amanda said "I know more about death and depression than anyone you know why didn't you call me. You need me."

Forest Gump had just beaten Pulp Fiction ( Read more... )

This is my entry for the 12th Week of therealljidol

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Sentimental Powers Might Help You NowWe were going to get married. We'd talked about it daily for over a year. We'd discussed names for children. And then one night out of the blue, she told me I needed to move out and she'd arranged for somewhere for me to move. I cried both about the end of our ( Read more... )

This is my entry for Week #11 of Therealljidol

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This is a true story about how I, a devout atheist, almost became a committed Christian because of a song.

Twenty years ago, business took me to Namdrik Atoll in the Marshall Islands. We flew over to Namdrik from Majuro on a twin propeller plane. We landed on the beach. There was no landing strip. We ( Read more... )

This is my entry for week #10 of therealljidol

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Dreams Come TrueCliff Edwards - the man who voiced Jiminy Cricket - died in poverty in 1971 and his body was donated to the UCLA medical school. Disney learned about this and offered to buy back his body. They ultimately paid for his headstone. It was the least they could do for the man who sang their ( Read more... )

This is my entry for Week #9 of therealljidol.

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Industry rule #4080Liz Phair brought her version of her self-titled 2003 album to her label, Capital Records, but they balked at releasing it unless she created some songs with hit-making team The Matrix. Phair recorded four songs with them, had her biggest hit to date, and pretty much ruined her reputation ( Read more... )

This is my entry for week #8 of therealljidol.

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We're Nothing, and Nothing Will Help UsIts a famous story now - perhaps the most famous story about any of Bowie's songs. Bowie saw a couple kissing in front of the Berlin wall and this contrast of a simple act of love against a hateful cold war backdrop inspired him to write one of his most famous lyrics. ( Read more... )

This is my entry for week #7 of therealljidol.. The topic is
"All lies and jest still, a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest."Over the last few weeks, I've shared with you some of the best music I know. Today, I'm going to share one of the worst pieces I know. Seriously, don't feel like you need to listen to more than about thirty ( Read more... )

This is my entry for week #6 of therealljidol.

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I'm Coming To The Best Part Of My LifeThe final straw for Cass Elliot was when fellow The Mamas and The Papas member John Phillips insulted her in front of her hero, Mick Jagger. She quit the band that night and only returned to record their contractually obligated final album under duress ( Read more... )

This is my entry for Week #5 of therealljidol.

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Blow by BlowMusical styles naturally evolve as tastes and societies change. Up until the end of World War 2, for example, big band jazz music was where it was at, cat. By the mid-1950's, that constrained sound - constrained because you needed sheet music so all those musicians could play together - was out ( Read more... )

Here's a few songs for each suggestion this week that might spur some ideas.

Organic

1. Please Let Me Be Your Third World Country by The Bobs
2. All Her Favorite Fruit by Camper Van Beethoven
3. Harvest Festival by XTC

Void

1. Into The Void by Black Sabbath
2. Into The Void by Nine Inch Nails
3. Never Say Never by Romeo Void
4. Big Empty ( Read more... )