John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #166: Rock Out

After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music."

-Aldous Huxley

Weekend Assignment #166: Name the three songs you listen to when you totally want to rock out. Note that they don't have to be rock songs - they can be in any genre whatsoever, and from any era. They just have to be the songs that get you pumped up and ready to go.

Extra credit: And name one song to cool you back down.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Only three? I could name many more than that, I love rock music, from every decade from the 50's up until now. :) Only three... hmmm... where shall I start?
I know, let's start with the Ramones...

1. Sheena Is A Punk Rocker. By Ramones.

Well the kids are all hopped up and ready to go now

They're ready to go now

They've got their surfboards

And they're going to the discotheque a go-go

But she just couldn't stay, she had to break away

Well New York really has it all, oh yeah, oh yeah

Sheena is a punk rocker, Sheena is a punk rocker, Sheena is a punk rocker now.

2. Rag Doll. By Aerosmith

"Every life has a measure of sorrow, and sometimes this is what awakens us."

-Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)

3. Jazzman. By Carole King

Lift me won't you lift me, above the old routines, make it nice, play it clean

Jazzman

When the Jazzman's testifyin' a faithless man believes

He can sing you into paradise, or bring you to your knees

It's a gospel kind of feeling, a touch of Georgia slide

A song of pure revival, and a style that's sanctified

Jazzman, take my blues away

Make my pain the same as yours, with every change you play

Jazzman, oh Jazzman...

And that is just three examples of different types of rock that I enjoy. I also love the Beatles, Rolling Stones, REM, B 52's. It's really difficult to name just three songs that get me going. :)

Extra Credit: Now when it comes down to something nice and relaxing, again I find myself with a long list of songs and music that bring me a little peace. I think I probably listen to Sting most often for something mellow, one of my favorite songs is, "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You," but I also have some favorite New Age music, by Dan Alvarez and Dennis Hysom, that I listen to when I do my meditation. One especially beautiful song by Alvarez/Hysom is, "Memory of Snow" from their "Ancient Voices" CD.

"It's not that you have a huge canvas to paint on, or a novel length to fill. You've got to tell the story in two verses a chorus and a coda and that takes some skill."

-Sting

-OndineMonet
"Music Store"
Santa Cruz, California
October 14th, 2006
Afternoon