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Tales from Earthsea - and my awful summary of the movie.

Tales from Earthsea - theatrical poster

The movie poster. In JAPANESE!!

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This is the most uneven blog post I have ever written. It is probably more complicated than the movie. I understand if you get really confused by this blog post.

About two weeks ago, my friend showed me a Studio Ghibli film called Tales from Earthsea, a movie directed by Goro Miyazaki (the famed Hayao Miyazaki's son) - based on the Earthsea book series written by Ursula K. Le Guin.

Now, I'm a Studio Ghibli fan and I've seen many of their films, like Castle in the Sky, Princess Mononoke, Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind, Porco Rosso, Whisper of the Heart, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Ponyo, and part of Kiki's Delivery Service and The Cat Returns. I really want to see The Secret World of Arriety.

I must note that I have never read the Earthsea series and so I've no real knowledge on how the plot really goes in the books, but I kind of have a good understanding of the confusing and convoluted plot. I saw Tales from Earthsea with three friends: one of whom has read the whole series, one of whom has already seen the movie, and the other one hasn't seen the movie or read the books - like me.

I'll refer to the guy that read the book as Guy, and the one who has already seen the movie as Buddy, and the one who never saw the movie at all as Brudda (And if you're wondering where I came up with Brudda, it's from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Gorons refer to other Gorons as "bruddas" - sounds like "brother", right? I thought so.)

Now then...

SPOILER ALERT

Now that we've gotten that out of the way... The movie opens up with some sailors just chillin' on a ship in the middle of a storm. It begins pouring rain and one of the crew members rant about how crappy the weather is but then, all of a sudden two random dragons come out of nowhere and begin fighting each other. One dragon loses the battle and well... dies.

Then that scene ends. Afterwards a king inside a castle begins talking about how unusual it is to see dragons in their land (since they're not usually there) and how the kingdom is in a state of peril. He rambles on about how terrible the conditions are there and all of a sudden, without any explanation, some kid runs up and kills him with a sword in the scene after that. Oh wait. Actually, it was the scabbard of the sword (you know, where you put the sword in some kind of long tube-like thing) that he used to kill the king with. Apparently it is revealed that the kid was his son. Then the son steals his sword.

It's never really clear on why he killed the king. And by the way, the kid's name is Arren. Arren is kind of like a wanderer - akin to the main character from Princess Mononoke - except Arren's got really bad character development. His personality and his background are never really explained, and when attempts are made to justify his character traits, they fall flat on their face.

At several points in the beginning of the story, Arren's personality changes from a carefree boy to like a cold-hearted jerk. In one scene he sees this girl that is about to become a slave, and when Arren comes to "rescue" her (he sees her inside a wagon full of other imprisoned female to-be slaves earlier in the movie), a man who threatens to kill her says he will if Arren doesn't back off.

And Arren's like, "Go ahead"- with a menacing-looking face with really weird distorted eyes complete with a creepy smile. This is quite unlike him when he's in the middle of a desert in the scene right after he kills his father, the king - and he's almost nearly defenseless when encountered by savage wolves (well, he's got his sword, but for some reason the movie doesn't explain on why he can't draw it until the end, right when the movie is just barely beginning to make sense). Then some dude wearing a hood saves him, named Sparrowhawk, who is a magician. And Sparrowhawk saves the day!

Problem is, Sparrowhawk doesn't have good character development either. In fact, he's almost worse than Arren. You never get to know why he cares for Arren in the first place and he just doesn't seem to be very appealing at all. The character development is just so bad that you barely feel anything for the characters. It just makes you not want to care about the characters at all until the final stretch of the movie.

About the girl that Arren was going to save, he does save her from the slave traders. However she shows a lot of hostility towards him since he made that "Go ahead" line. After saying that he beats up all of the men instead of the main slave trader and so lets the girl go. Arren later learns that her name is Therru. Therru works on a farm with Sparrowhawk's friend, Tenar - she manages the farm.

After singing a song that is not even memorable and has almost no effect on the storyline, she magically, suddenly puts her trust in Arren after he cries after hearing her song. This scene builds the awkward foundation for their affections for each other. It really gives you a bitter feeling of how this just doesn't work out.

"Therru's the only good character in this movie and is the only character that actually has any good character development." - Brudda

Yeah, this is really true. Therru's the only character that you get to even care about, since she's the only character that isn't dull (next to the main slave trader, who appears several times in the film and provides comic relief).

Then there's the real bad guy.

"Wait... that's a GUY?!" - Me

This is the absolute weirdest bad guy I've ever seen in a Studio Ghibli film. Especially on how he - or it - looks like a female, but is a male. He's got long hair, pale skin, femenistic eyes, and wears what seems to be lipstick or something. I don't have a picture of him, but his name is Lord Cob. And he makes the lamest attempts of being an antagonist.

Apparently Lord Cob wants to know the secret to eternal life. Problem is, he never really does anything to try to get it. Later in the movie, he captures Arren and like Yubaba from Spirited Away, controls people by knowing their first name.

"Does knowing Arren's name even help Lord Cob get eternal life?!" - Buddy

No, it doesn't. Not at all. That's what makes that part in the movie so pointless.

Anyways, after that part, Sparrowhawk realizes that Lord Cob has sent the leader of the slave traders to attack the farm where Tenar and Therru work at to lure him into coming to his pitiful castle. Once Sparrowhawk learns that Arren and Tenar has been taken to the castle, he goes there and frees Therru. He tells her to stay there and goes to save Arren by himself.

Therru follows shortly after Sparrowhawk leaves and tries to save Arren and Tenar as well. It all ends up with Sparrowhawk getting beaten by Lord Cob's unimpressive magical powers and him getting rescued by Therru and Arren.

And it's only now that Arren draws his sword and kills Lord Cob's guards. Still no explanation for it. And have you realized that the role of the dragons in the beginning of the film haven't any effect on the story until now - like thirty minutes before the end?

"Was that even in the book?" - Guy

Um... I don't know. Anyways, Lord Cob is stopped eventually by the good guys and Arren realizes that Therru turns into a dragon to save everyone. Pretty confusing, but it probably is confusing since my summary of the whole movie is just garbage. And yeah, Lord Cob dies after Therru turns into a dragon and kills him.

To put it short, don't see the movie - I wouldn't recommend it. You can watch it if you want, but it is the worst Studio Ghibli film in my opinion. In fact, it's pretty much the only bad Studio Ghibli film I've seen.

The movie doesn't explain anything on why Therru turns into a dragon, why Sparrowhawk saved Arren in the first place, and why Arren and Therru's relationship is so awkward.

I don't even know if this was supposed to be a review or a summary of a movie. But this is what I tend to do when writing blogs - I just seem to go on and on and ramble about stuff. But hey - what's a blog for, to have fun, right?

Anyways, NightFox313 signing off. Peace.

Blood and Gore - Is it Necessary or Not?

Well, is it?

Let's look deeper into this controversial subject. First off, there are some video game developers who like fast-paced action games that allow the player to perform devastating moves on unfortunate foes and enemies. Maybe even their own friendly units. Sometimes there would be the occasional spray of blood or some harsh bumps and bruises. Sometimes they'd be minimal and barely noticable. And sometimes they'd be kind of excessive - to the point where the ridiculous amounts of violence is really - well, ridiculous.

Truth is, there are many gamers out there that prefer games where they can do what they can't normally do in real life - like playing as a box and eating other boxes, or shooting the heads off of zombies and chainsawing their guts out - possibly even repeatedly shooting an already dead person to see how much blood's left by the time you blow him/her up. If there are any gamers out there that prefer this kind of gameplay, well - that's perfectly fine with me. Go ahead; play what you want.

But sometimes there's that feeling in your gut when you're playing a video game you see such inhumane acts of violence performed on another human being or an animal that just makes you want to throw up. Thing is, some of these acts have even been duplicated in real life. Some people have killed other people by copying a fatality move they saw in Mortal Kombat.

I'm not saying, "Don't play Mortal Kombat," - but I'm really saying, "Monitor the types of games you play." I know, video games aren't the only thing influencing violent behaviour that eventually results in real-life murders; there's also music and television that fuel this burning desire to do something crazy. I'm not insulting anyone here, though - no way - that's not what I'm getting at at all. It's just that excessively violent games could have a bad influence on your life.

Could you imagine if you were a parent of a probably five or six year-old child and they saw you...

- - -

[spoiler] ...brutally stabbing the Greek god Zeus in the stomach with blood spurting out in every single possible direction in a God of War game? That's brutal! Could you even imagine what horror would pool up in their eyes? [/spoiler]

- - -

There are people who consider violent video games as a sort of way to vent out rage - a stress reliever. In some cases these have even stopped crimes - there are some cases where these kinds of games have actually prevented people from filling themselves up with rage and setting off several crime sprees. Or killing sprees, if that's applicable.

Everyone's gotten extremely angry at one point in their life. Sometimes the fury is vented out and sometimes the rage is taken out on something or someone, at some place. Everyone's gone through this. Consider Dark Souls. I haven't played it, but from what I've heard it's a brutally challenging game. It might cause you to throw your controller(s) at the screen or smash your fist through a wall and scare the neighbors. Maybe it'll cause you to kick your pet or something.

We've all been there.

Then again, probably most of us have played or seen at least one ridiculously violent video game before. Maybe Doom, Manhunt, Madworld, or something of the like. I'm not saying "don't play them", or "don't buy their games", but is all of that excess blood and gore really necessary? Think about it: Has any video game you've played contained blood and/or gore that positively affects the gameplay?

Not the character's ability to do something, but the gameplay.

I guess you could say The Darkness - if you're into that kind of thing where eating someone's heart makes it more fun if you're that kind of gamer. Which is, you know - perfectly fine with me. There's probably several users here on GameSpot that know a game where violence leads to fun.

But what keeps gamers coming back for more brutal action? Is it satisfying? I guess so. Maybe there's an antagonist in the game which makes you despise him/her so much, and when you finally kill him/her, with all of the blood and gore flying around, makes you feel kinda satisfied, huh? Sometimes blood and gore can positively affect us and the way we play games. Maybe it makes us feel powerful - like if you're someone bullied a lot at school and you play a game of [PROTOTYPE] and you smash the living crap out of people with your giant fists, it kinda makes you feel like you can do anything, right?

I guess playing violent video games can give you a feeling of accomplishment. Well, as long as you keep it within the game. If you were chucked into the scenario I mentioned with you being bullied and you playing [PROTOTYPE], you wouldn't actually think you'd beat the living daylights out of them, would you? But if playing violent video games cools you off and shuts off your anger, then by all means do so.

As long as you keep it in the game. And to answer the question, I guess you could say that blood and gore in video games has its merits and de-merits, depending on the way you look at it. The human population is well over seven billion - that means there's going to be a lot of opinions. So go ahead - share them however you like.

Now all non-violent gamers and violent gamers alike, game on.

Doo-Wop

I've really been getting into doo-wop music lately. You know, that awesome harmonic style used in music throughout the early-to-mid 20th century. I don't know, but doo-wop - definitely one of my favorite styles of music.

There's been doo-wop revivals and attempts to bring it back into popularity, but I'll always love the old 50s-60s style of doo-wop.

Some great doo-wop artists are the ones like Dion and the Belmonts, Danny and the Juniors, The Shadows, The Cleftones, Robert and Johnny, and a lot more - there's way too many to mention, but these are some of my favorites.

There's some great doo-wop music out there. Some ought to kick back, relax, and listen to some good old classics once in a while! However, I know there are many who have different musical tastes, which is just fine - but for those of you that are curious of the 50s and 60s lifestyle, doo-wop is one of the great ways to know how it was like.

Two of my favorites are Dion and the Belmonts' "I Wonder Why" and The Shadows' "Tonight".

If you want you can listen to them - they're great songs to get you into this unique genre of music!

Forgive My Guilt

Just recently I read a very emotional poem - about two days ago. I just wanted to share this with GameSpot; it evokes true feelings everyone has with nature, themselves, and other people.

Forgive My Guilt

Robert P. Tristram Coffin

Not always sure what things called sins may be,

I am sure of one sin I have done.

It was years ago, and I was a boy,

I lay in the frostflowers with a gun,

The air ran blue as the flowers, I held my breath,

Two birds on golden legs slim as dream things

Ran like quicksilver on the golden sand,

My gun went off, they ran with broken wings

Into the sea, I ran to fetch them in,

But they swam with their heads high out to sea,

They cried like two sorrowful high flutes,

With jagged ivory bones where wings should be.


For days I heard them when I walked that headland

Crying out to their kind in the blue,

The other plovers were going over south

On silver wings leaving these broken two.

The cries went out one day; but I still hear them

Over all the sounds of sorrow in war or peace

I ever have heard, time cannot drown them,

Those slender flutes of sorrow never cease.

Two airy things forever denied the air!

I never knew how their lives at last were spilt,

But I have hoped for years all that is wild,

Airy, and beautiful will forgive my guilt.

Spread the Word

Hey all.

I've recently submitted my idea on what could make User Reviews here on GameSpot better - with more features and functions to make the reviews more flexible and fashionable, and thus - more awesome.

There have been other blog entries about the same topic (like one by user michaelP4), but I'm urging you all to spread the word - the User Reviews section needs improvement, but the only way it'll improve is if you guys post your own ideas.

It doesn't matter how big or how small your idea is. The admins and mods read every single one and if you want your voice to be heard here on GameSpot, then click this link: User Review Requests Archive Discussion!

Ray Charles once said: "I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great." See how far GameSpot's come? It was all from users like us. You can help it more by clicking on the link.

Please post on the aforementioned board - it'll help greatly to make GameSpot a better place for everyone. Please spread the word however and whenever you can.

It's important to send your idea in. Each and every one counts!

My Idea for Assassin's Creed III

There's been a lot of talk on the streets up GameSpot Avenue that a new Assassin's Creed game is coming up. Not much information has been released about it but rumors are swelling up and the hype's getting tense. Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed is a critically acclaimed franchise - primarily on the Sony PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, however there have been releases on other platforms as well. But many gamers have been chatting on GameSpot articles on what it'll be like - the engine, graphics, characters, storyline, music, and others.

I was recently sharing my ideas with another user on an Assassin's Creed III article here on GameSpot and I thought that it would be a good idea to flesh it out here on this blog entry. I've never played any of the AC games but I do know a lot about how they work. I don't look up spoilers though.

There's been a lot of speculation on what console it'll land on. PS3? 360? Maybe even a handheld (or two) - or dare I say - the PS4 and 720..? I'm guessing it'll land smack-dab in the middle of the Sony PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 library. I've no idea if any information has been announced regarding the platforms it will be on, but from what I've observed so far, it'll probably be on the PS3 and 360. Both consoles still have a long life ahead of them.

Anyways, it's time I got to the point.

If you haven't seen my recent comments on Assassin's Creed III articles, I recently stated on how I'd like to see the game turn out - my opinion of it, of course. You can't say it'll be fact - but here's hoping.

I've no idea if it'll still be Desmond using the Animus but then again I haven't played the games. It'll probably be different this time around.

For the story, I can see a female protagonist in World War II as a member of the French Resistance. The French Resistance was an French organization to repel the Nazi invaders during WWII after France surrendered to Germany. They were pretty successful - they were able to foil the Nazis' plans, along with some of the Gestapo forces.

The way I see it, you play as the female protagonist - she's a French Resistance member and she's out to assassinate some bad crooks. I'm guessing she'll control a lot like Altair and Ezio, but more realistically. She'll probably have some gadgets and weapons made by the Resistance to help her out - fancy some hidden blades, anyone? Maybe the hidden blades and the hidden pistol hidden in her sleeve (like what Ezio had) can be - I don't know - combined if they aren't already. Like - stabbing a guy then immediately shooting him afterwards for a sort of a combo.

She will probably be able to do arial takedowns and fancy fatality-like moves like Altair and Ezio - but she will also most likely have to use guns (this is war, after all) too. I'm not sure if Ubisoft will or won't make the shooting a core mechanic if they do use this idea, but from my point of view - they shouldn't. I think they should keep the guns, but not make it a core mechanic and turn the whole game into a third-person shooter.

If the guns do have a finisher attack it shouldn't be like a clunky quick-time event like in the video game The Bourne Conspiracy. I don't even think guns should even have a finisher at all - they could - but I'm not sure how that'll work. Or Ubisoft can just strip the weapons from her arsenal altogether - the Nazis/Gestapo, etc. will have them - but the protagonist won't - just to keep the core mechanic of assassinating flowing.

Ever seen the movie Army of Shadows (or arme des ombres in French)? It's a French movie about the French Resistance foiling the Nazis' plans during WWII - it's a great movie and I think one of the scenes could tie in perfectly with the WWII French Resistance vibe. Spoilers of the movie are ahead.

SPOILER ALERT FOR ARMY OF SHADOWS:

I haven't seen this movie in a long time but there's a scene in the movie that takes place during a very foggy night (I don't use that term lightly - in this part of the movie it's ridiculously hard to see what's going on) where the main character has to land somewhere in Germany to meet up with his fellow Resistance members. The thing is - he has to get there by plane and he has to parachute all the way down to get to the hideout.

He waits in the plane once it's up in the air and by the time he reaches the destination he must jump from the plane before the Nazi anti-aircraft guns shoot them down (to put it short, he must jump before the Nazis notice the plane. If performed successfully, the plane can turn back without being seen). So there's a lot of pressure on this guy - kinda like how there will be a lot of pressure on the player because he/she - like the main character in arme des ombres - has absolutely no experience in parachuting. That's pretty much it - a scene where the player must jump from a plane and parachute down to the ground on a foggy, dark morning just when the sun is about to rise.

END OF SPOILERS

If you read the details I gave on arme des ombres I guess you've got a good idea on how one of the gameplay scenes will be like. But I've got some kind of "story" made up for this Assassin's Creed III.

It could probably be like the revenge kind of story in ACII. When she was younger, she witnesses the horrors of war as she sees her country get attacked by Nazis - her parents are taken away from her and such. As the French Resistance member the player's main objective is to track down and assassinate a head Gestapo leader or something like that (I know it's like a generic storyline but hey - the game needs a plot right?).

She probably will use a variation of the whole get-up similar to what Altair and Ezio used. You know - the white hood and the totally awesome wicked clothing. I mean - it make sense - it's Assassin's Creed.

It'll probably stop here. I've so much information running in my head but I'd like to hear your thoughts on what Assassin's Creed III can be like. I hope I don't sound like a total dork because I don't really know jack about the franchise - so forgive me if I messed up somewhere.

Common Sense

When someone says, "Use your common sense", what comes to mind? Is it logical reasoning, your opinion, or is it just something they just want to hear?

Allow me to explain.

In my opinion, "common sense" isn't exactly what it looks like. Common sense isn't always the way to go, nor is it always the wrong answer. The way I see it, common sense is only what people want you to think. Think about it.

If someone told you that you weren't using your "common sense", what would you do then? Would you then change your opinion to suit their "common sense" - or would you follow your own instinct and logical reasoning?

From my point of view, common sense is nothing but a distorted view of popular opinion. Common sense is only what everyone thinks and believes is right, but if someone told you to not to eat that particular fruit because it was common sense not to do so, would you not eat it according to your views or theirs?

There are two ways of reasoning in this world. There's the method of going by common sense - and then there's your own logical, thought-out reasoning - or you could just call it your instincts. Look - common sense is only popular opinion - what everyone thinks is right. Instinct is different - it's your view on a subject, opinion, and/or matter. Just because people claim an action or a thought as "common sense" doesn't mean its instantly the right thing to do.


If someone said, "go with the flow", would you do it? To go with the flow is to simply do what everyone else is doing - probably because they think it's "common sense" to do so. Like jumping on the bandwagon. Back in the '60s, The Beatles popularized the mop-top hair-do - and eventually there were thousands of people that mimiced the hair-do because they liked it - or for whatever reason.

For example, let's say you were a Beatles cover band - you covered their songs because your band liked that kind of music. One of your bandmates want to be just like The Beatles - but if only you didn't use the mop-top hair-do, you wouldn't look like any of The Beatles anymore, would you? Then, your other bandmates say, "dude - aren't you going to use your common sense? The Beatles had mop-top hair-dos, why aren't you using it?"

It eventually narrows down to peer pressure and the fear of popular opinion. Common sense is essentially all of these things - popular opinion, going with the flow, peer pressure, and backing away from your opinion and siding by theirs. But if you use your natural human instinct, you can have your own free will instead of being enslaved by theirs.

If more people used their instinct and if they didn't rely on common sense, there would be less people using illegal drugs, less riots and chaos, and other human-made calamities could be prevented.

In my opinion, common sense is NOTHING - in every shape, size, form, and meaning of the word.

And I'm saying this with my own free will.

Not because saying it is common sense, either.

How far?

It's acually a very simple question if you look into it. But the question I will ask you right now may be one that you might not be able to answer. Or comprehend.

The question is:

"How far would you go to save someone you love?"

At first, you may find this quite an easy question to answer - but if you think about it there are dozens upon dozens of possible answers. What would yours be?

Well, if you look into the question through the eyes of a gamer, it could be different - or as a moviegoer - or as a reader. As a gamer, you'd probably know about the tried-and-true formula of how there's some normal guy destined to be a legendary hero to save some princess or whatever. And he doesn't even know that there's some kind of special power that was hidden inside him - or her. And - of course - there's a wicked antagonist that's there to cause you trouble and to stop you from saving this person. Sound familiar? It probably is.

Think about it. It's games like Zelda and Shadow of the Colossus - along with ICO and countless others, that make you think hard about this. Or movies like Robin Hood, Only the Lonely, or even Trolls 2. Maybe even books like The Hunger Games, V for Vendetta, and Romeo and Juliet (which was originally a Shakespeare play). You'd probably ask this yourself if you were in Link's, Wander's, and/or Ico's shoes - or boots.

"Is it really worth it?"

It probably is. But then again, it probably isn't.

How far would you really go? Until you felt tired? When you felt that there was no chance you would save this person? Or if you decided to give up? Would you risk death? Think critical here. Sure, you'd play any old video game with such a situation for several hours until you beat it, but how about real life? Would you do the same?

It's a lot harder in the real world - you'd have no continues. Only one life (unless you're James Bond, then you only live twice). No spells, magic, and no "FUS RO DAH". No cheat codes. No enchanting abilities or super-human strength. Did I forget something? Ah well - it doesn't matter - I think I've proved my point.

If a video game became reality - let's say The Legend of Zelda, for example. Would you travel miles and face your worst nightmares to save someone you love? Even someone you might have never even seen - or even know about? Would you fufill your destiny? Or in Shadow of the Colossus - would you risk everything to bring a girl to life? How about Resident Evil, where you'd have to take down hordes of zombies and mutated humans, along with Umbrella Corporation experiments gone-wrong to survive?

If you die, you know what happens. The girl probably dies. Or the guy if its the case. The antagonist overcomes all good in the world, and it's game over. No continue screen or any high score that you managed to get. It's just over with. You'd never to get to see your love grow with that other person. You'd never see him or her again. I don't mean to make anyone's situation worse but - that's a lot of pressure.

But seriously think this over.

How far would you go?

The 20 Greatest Songs of All Time (#1)

"If you don't know the guy on the other side of the world, love him anyway because he's just like you. He has the same dreams, the same hopes and fears. It's one world, pal. We're all neighbors." ~ Frank Sinatra, in a Playboy interview [1963]

The moment [most] of you have been waiting for... Yes, you have finally arrived at my choice for the greatest song written in the 20th-21st century. This song in my opinion is both inspirational, uplifting, epic, and moving - which is why I have named it my all-time favorite song of all time. Drumroll, please!

[Please do not spoil the #1 song for others, please!]

#1: [Click Here]

The one and only. This song - for me - has always had a special place inside. Just listen to it - the music is flawless! The lyrics are inspirational, the tune and voice are powerful, and it is simply an unforgettable song. After I first heard this song, I listened to it about seven more times, inspecting it and marveling at its sheer beauty. His voice is just so powerful and moving, and it was pretty sad when he sang this song live near the end of his life - due to dementia he forgot some of the lyrics. But his music lives on. And it will continue to do so as long as people listen to it and appreciate it. This is my #1 Greatest Song of All Time.

Honorable Mentions:

These are songs that I was about to put on the list, but didn't make the cut. The honorable mentions of this list are as follows:

- November Rain (Guns n' Roses)

- Singin' in the Rain (Gene Kelly)

- Over the Rainbow (Judy Garland)

- Dream a Little Dream (Louis Armstrong)

- Me and Mrs. Jones (Billy Paul)

- Imagine (John Lennon)

- New York, New York (Frank Sinatra)

- Send Me an Angel (Scorpions)

- Fly by Night (Rush)

- Golden Slumbers/Carry that Weight/The End/Her Majesty (The Beatles)

- Bus Stop (The Hollies)

- There's a Kind of Hush (Herman's Hermits)

- Carrie Anne (The Hollies)

- Blackbird (The Beatles)

- Dream #9 (John Lennon)

- Too Much Heaven (Bee Gees)

- Copacobana (Barry Manilow)

- Young Turks (Rod Stewart)

- Don't Stop Me Now (Queen)

- Princes of the Unviverse (Queen)

- Woman (John Lennon)

- Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Bobby Darin)

Various others

Thank you for reading this blog series and listening to the music selections! I hope you had fun as much as I did. I wish you, the reader/listener, all the best - and continue to venture into the unknown depths of great music! This is NightFox313 signing off!

;)

The 20 Greatest Songs of All Time (#5-2)

"Boy, you're gonna carry that weight,

Carry that weight,

Carry that weight a long time..."

~ Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr in Carry That Weight (1969)

The end is near. The second-to-last list - this will contain my #5-2 greatest songs of all time. Of all time!! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this one. A lot of great songs here!

#5: The Show Must Go On (Queen)

In my opinion, the one of the most powerful songs by Queen. Even though most of their songs are already legendary, Queen begins this song with an epic orchestra that plays through the whole song. Which - of course - increases the already-epic scale of this song. Freddie Mercury - the lead vocalist of this song, was barely able to walk during the recording of this song, as the horrible disease AIDS was catching up to him. It killed Mercury in November of 1991, a very sad day for everyone that was a huge fan of Queen. But I think he still lives on in this song - even though he was terribly sick, he was able to pull of such an outstanding vocal performance as he neared the end of his life. Forever rest in eternal peace, Freddy Mercury.

#4: Spread Your Wings (Queen)

Unforgettable. Freddie Mercury once again delivers a flawless performance along with his fellow bandmates. One of the most inspirational songs out there - kinda like a song you'd listen to while training for a tense football game. It kinda sounds like The Beatles' "Rocky Racoon", however. Which is completely fine by me. Anyways, I think this song is pretty underrated amongst Queen fans. Sure, you've got songs like "Under Pressure", "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Don't Stop Me Now", "Bicycle Race", and "Radio Ga Ga", but I think this song tops them all. It's just so moving and powerful and I think it deserves some more recognition. So here it is - smack dab at #3 on this list.

#3: The Times They are a-Changin' (Bob Dylan)

The title explains it all. The times are changing. So true. So true it almost hurts. A legendary song by Bob Dylan in his primed youth. A song you want to pass down to your children - or will want to if the time hasn't come yet. This song is stunning - it literally defines the times - past and present. Possibly even the future. This song has been commonly used as an anthem for anti-war movements and protests - I can see that, because this song shows how much war can negatively effect the world. It gives you that good feeling inside of being a human being - whether you're the male or female, homosexual, lesbian, or bisexual. It hasn't aged a bit in my opinion. Not at all.


#2: A Day in the Life (The Beatles)

The Beatles in their prime. I would've picked "Blackbird" from the White Album, but there's something about this song that is so legendary - and it was such a turning point for music at the time. Brilliant lyrics, a haunting yet mystical tune, and a full-scale orchestra throughout the song is just beautious. Even though it's on the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, I still think Abbey Road is the best Beatles album. Featuring John Lennon and Paul McCartney as the vocalists, they do a pretty good job singing this song. And McCartney's and manager George Martin's idea to include an orchestra was probably one of the greatest decisions they ever made for a Beatles song. Watch out for that creepy reversed ending though after that sustained piano chord if you don't want to get creeped out.

#1 is right around the corner. The journey's almost over - and so is the wait.