My Europe Playlist

"if there was a better way to go then it would find me. i can't help it,
the road just rolls out behind me." – fiona apple

Again, falling in line with my desire to match music to my memories, I have taken up the task of compiling a playlist for my excursion. I'll post periodic updates to it and am open to any and all suggestions anyone has for amazing music to match an amazing trip. Here's where I stand thus far:

1. The Pretender - Foo Fighters
2. Extraordinary Machine - Fiona Apple
3. When You Were Young - The Killers
4. Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
5. You Can't Always Get What You Want - The Rolling Stones
6. Holiday in Spain - Counting Crows
7. All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
8. Come Together - The Beatles
9. Woodstock - Crosby Stills Nash and Young
10. When the Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin
11. America - Simon and Garfunkel
12. Let the Drummer Kick - Citizen Cope
13. Waitin' on a Sunny Day - Bruce Springsteen
14. Andy, You're a Star - The Killers
15. You're So Beautiful - Pat McGuire Band


That is all for now...again feel free to leave suggestions.

Yes We Can

I was in conversation with a friend recently about the upcoming elections and we were hesitant to say we fell one way or the other but I am intrigued by the recent release of this video. It really struck me as interesting and a bit reminiscent of the early speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Kennedy's. I think the text of the speech is even more powerful than the actual video clip that was produced but it is fitting that in today's society of celebrity involvement that numerous high profile figures would feel it necessary to speak to the generation of youth looking to get out and vote. Regardless of your personal politics, it's a positive message for hope and change in the future.

Below is the text of Barack Obama's "Yes, We Can" speech it is edited in the video:

"It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation: Yes, we can. It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail towards freedom through the darkest of nights: Yes, we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness: Yes, we can. It was the call of workers who organized, women who reached for the ballot, a president who chose the moon as our new frontier, and a king who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the promised land: Yes, we can, to justice and equality. Yes, we can, to opportunity and prosperity. Yes, we can heal this nation. Yes, we can repair this world. Yes, we can.

We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can with stand the power of millions of voices calling for change.
We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will only grow louder and more dissonant in the weeks to come. We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. For when we have faced down impossible odds; when we've been told that we're not ready, or that we shouldn't try, or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people. Yes we can.

That the hopes of the little girl who goes to the crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of L.A., we will remember that there is something happening in America, that we are not as divided as our politics suggest, that we are one people, we are one nation. And, together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story, with three words that will ring from coast to coast, from sea to shining sea: Yes, we can."

The British Invasion

"liverpool i left you, said goodbye to madryn street, i always followed my heart, and i never missed a beat, destiny was calling, i just couldn't stick around, liverpool i left you, but i never let you down." - ringo starr

Music is a huge part of my life. I believe completely in a quote from Tennessee Williams that states, “in memory everything seems to happen to music” and so it is completely necessary that my postings on various European cities outline the musical connections I hope to discover as well. And what better place to start than the hallowed round of Great Britain. This British empire of music mania brought us the proclamations of London’s Calling courtesy of the mighty Clash. They begged us to understand that sometimes you can’t get no satisfaction according to the Rolling Stones. And most importantly they produced four young lads from Liverpool, mop tops and all, who irrevocably changed the entire face of music as we know it. The Beatles caused that cosmic shift from their first step into America, ushering in what would eventually be known as the “British Invasion” in 1964. But before the catapult to fame and the subsequent life-changing career, they started their journey in a small metropolis in North West England called Liverpool and that is where I hope to begin my European excursion.

Liverpool is considered one of England’s core cities and holds the title of third most populous. It sits on the eastern side of the River Mersey and recently celebrated its 800th anniversary. To say it is rich in culture and history would be a grave understatement. Obviously, I want to get a taste of the historical scene including Albert Dock, which was officially closed to shipping in 1972 and after a period of economic turmoil was eventually re-opened as a center filled with shops, bars and museums. Liverpool also holds the largest Anglican Cathedral in the world and Saint George’s Hall, which was reopened by Prince Charles in 2007 after a refurbishment.

Apparently, the tourism industry in Liverpool capitalizes as much as possible on the fact that the Beatles came from here because there is no shortage in Beatles related sights and museums. They have the “Beatles Magical Mystery Tour” in which you board a yellow submarine-looking bus and take a two-hour tour around the city visiting all the important places in Beatles history including their childhood homes, schools, and the sites they made famous in their songs including Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields. The Albert Dock also houses “The Beatles’ Story” museum, which features exhibits chronicling their career from the early days at the Cavern Club right up until their acrimonious split in 1970. Another attraction is the Eleanor Rigby park bench on Stanley Street, which holds a bronze statue of the fictional Eleanor and is dedicated “to all the lonely people”. Obviously another necessary stop for my mini tour of Beatles history will have to be Abbey Road but that will be saved for the next entry seeing as it is in Westminster which is a part of Central London.

I’ll leave off with a little musical accompaniment to the entry. Enjoy.

I Want to Hold Your Hand
Let It Be
All You Need is Love