Why not leave a comment and let me know?

For some reason, I’ve been listening to Lily Allen’s “It’s Not Me, It’s You” tonight. This could easily have been called “The Lighter Side of Lily”, as – aside from the mandatory (yet very good) scathing social commentary – a sense of hope and even romance emerges, especially after several runs though. Favourite track is “Chinese”, it almost oozes cuddliness, and emphasises her honest voice talent. Nice one, Lily.

And then there’s Hazel O’Connor’s “Will You?” from the movie “Breaking Glass”. More specifically: Wesley McGoogan’s penetrating, haunting sax solo that perfectly matches the mood and lyrics of the music. Strong stuff indeed.

And on a TOTALLY different tack, there’s P!nk’s “Funhouse”. I only really discovered P!nk earlier this year, although I vaguely recall listening to “Family Portrait” while walking to and from work during winter many years ago. “Funhouse” is an entirely different animal. If anything, there is even more raw energy here, but it seems more controlled. There’s also a lot more fun (although it is not entirely devoid of sad angst), and I have a lot of appreciation for artists who not only don’t take themselves seriously, but actively poke fun at the whole idea. I have to wonder what would happen if P!nk and Lily got together…. all that power, talent and attitude… hmmm, could be fun! Anyway, favourite track here is “Glitter in the Air”, a slightly sad but oddly optimistic ballad.

So what catches your ear at the moment?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Nothing to criticise so far, everything just worked.

Kudos, Amazon!

With single tracks at 59p and entire albums from just three quid, this must have Steve Jobs wondering how to react. Now to be honest, I’ve enjoyed the iTunes experience. The seamless no-brainer integration of thier music library, my account, my PC and my iPod is very attractive, and I doubt Amazon will ever compete at that level. But saving 20p per song is quite attractive too, and I’ll certainly give it a try.

And no, it’s not just crap music at those prices. Take a look at these:

I have to admit, I’m impressed. £3 for a play-anywhere album of high-quality MP3s is cool, and represents great savings. Mamma Mia!, for example, sells fot £8.87 on CD. Ordinarily I’m very careful about what I buy from iTunes because (unless I pay extra) I can basically only listen to that stuff on my iPod. Songs downloaded from Amazon are not limited to a single device, MP3s will work just about anywhere. Amazon also offers thier own downloader application, which automatically adds your music downloads to iTunes or Windows Media Player. I don’t have time to play today, but will let you know as soon as I’ve looked.

In the meantime, if you’ve actually been through the Amazon experience, why not leave a comment and let me know how it went?

UPDATE 10th Jan 2009 – finally got around to using the service. Details are over here.

One of those songs that just gets under your skin. Well, gets under my skin, at any rate.

By the way, if anybody knows where I can get a copy of this (preferably on CD, but I’ll take LP or cassette), I’d be really pleased to hear. It seems to be out of print, and the only copy I had on tape got mangled a while back.

Stand before me on the Sign of Infinity all you of the Earth.
With the granting of the “Law of Probenation”
comes the application of change.
I will give you the key.
And with this knowledge, please realize,
comes the responsibility of sharing it.
I will show you the way.

It’s very simple.

Throughout the Universe there is order.
In the movement of the planets…in nature…
and in the functioning of the human mind.
A mind that is in its natural state of order
is in harmony with the Universe,
and such a mind is timeless.

Your life is an expression of your mind.
You are a creator of your own Universe,
for as a human being you are free to will
whatever state of being you desire
through the use of your thoughts and words.

There is great power there.
It can be a blessing or a curse.
It’s entirely up to you.

For the quality of your life is brought about
by the quality of your thinking.

Think about that.

Thoughts produce actions.
See the pettiness and the envy and the greed and the fear
and all the other attitudes that cause you pain and discomfort.
Realize that the one thing you have absolute control over is your attitude.
See the effect that it has on those around you.
For each life is linked to all Life.
And your words carry with them chain reactions,
like a stone that has been thrown into a pond.
If your thinking is in order,
your words will flow directly from the heart,
creating ripples of love.

If you truly want to change your world, my friends,
you must change your thinking.
Reason is your greatest tool.
It creates an atmosphere of understanding
which leads to caring
which is Love.

Choose your words with care.

Go forth….with Love.

“Mama always told me not to look into the eyes of the Sun. But Mama, that’s where the fun is.”