Having the opportunity to review a new Terry Pratchett book is akin to getting up close to a terminally endangered species; there is that moment of awe and then sadness that this may be the last time you see one in the flesh.

Terry does what in most cases is considered impossible; not only does he persevere through his illness but he consistently produces works that challenge the reader. This is doubly true for his most recent young adult novel, I Shall Wear Midnight.

Bec Says

Following on from Belinda’s last musical post, I thought I’d talk…well…words. I don’t know if anyone caught Frances Whiting’s ‘Hit Me With Your Lyric Stick’ piece in the Courier-Mail on Aug 22, but it was about the worst lyrics ever written. One of the examples she used was this rather memorable verse from Richard Harris’s Macarthur Park:

Tragedy

Someone left the cake out in the rain

I don’t think that I can take it

Cause it took so long to bake it

And I’ll never have that recipe again.

Then there’s that ‘I’ve Never Been To Me’ offering from Charlene (whatever happened to Charlene? Perhaps she finally went there & found  it was too good to leave…). Frances Whiting cites one particular verse that makes her scratch her head, but the whole thing creeps me out, frankly. Check it out here and see what you think.

She also talks about The Black Eyed Peas’ My Humps lyrics… Oh, you know… ‘I’m a get get get you drunk, get you love drunk off my hump, My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump…’ (etc..you get the picture). Small wonder Fergie wet her pants. It was probably over having to sing those words. Remember when Alanis Morissette converted My Humps into a ballad, highlighting the absurdity of the lyrics?

Is Anyone Really Listening?

Then there’s Shakira, bless her. So many confounding lyrics I hardly know  where to start (not that anyone’s listening to what she’s saying, anyway)… ‘lucky that my breasts are small and humble, so you don’t confuse them with mountains’ (because that would be most unfortunate. See: Early Mountaineering Misadventures, Vol. II, 1975. Penguin for further details).  Mo Collins from Mad TV did a spoof of Shakira baby here.

Other notable mentions include Taio Cruz’s Dynamite (‘I hit the floor coz that’s my plans, plans, plans, I’m wearing all my favourite brands, brands, brands, Give me space for both my hands, hands, hands, you, you, coz it goes on and on and on’ (does it ever)… Black Lace’s Aga Doo (‘push pineapple..grind coffee’…oh, and they later released a song entitled ‘Gang Bang’, for those interested)… Toto Coelo’s I Eat Cannibals (‘your love is so edible to me…I eat cannibals’)… the romantic stylings of Nickelback and that touching, touching tune Figured You Out (‘while you’re passed out on the deck…I love my hands around your neck’..*sigh*)… and the lyrical genius that is Kesha’s Blah Blah Blah (she likes to dance with no pants on…but you’re not getting in the back of her car if you keep talking that blah blah blah…got it?).

Pantless Dancing Aficionado

What are your favourite bad lyrics?

Music: Missing Persons – Words

Hi there, just thought I’d pop in and say that things are still on track for a March release for Burn Bright. When I have the cover we’ll be redesigning to site to have the appropriate gothicy, dark fantasy look.

IMT plans are afoot for more goodies for you. Belinda Hamilton will be coming on board as a regular columnist/blogger. Bel has a lovely light, humorous touch. If you haven’t read her blogs already then you’re in for a treat. Stand by for her blog on Steampunk fashion.

Bec has some outstanding ‘live’ (f-t-f) interview transcripts that she did at World Con with D.M Cornish and Alison Croggan. And Jamie and Amy have plenty of reviews in the pipeline, including Scott Westerfeld and Terry Pratchett.

If you’d like a particular YA book reviewed feel free to drop us a line with a request. We’ll do our best, and are always interested in getting our hands on some of the less well known material being published. Remember though, if we don’t like it, we don’t review it.

TTYS

MDP x

Sophia continues her accounts of life in the FitzOsborne family. Her writing has matured somewhat and no longer is she the meek little mouse she was in book One, A brief History of Montmaray. She’s not so much jaded, as having become wise to the ways of successful manipulation. She is learning to read people for who they are, and is becoming a calculating young lady indeed.
The family made it safely to England, and are met with a culture shock like they’d never expected. Victoria and Sophia debut their first ‘season’ in high society. Henry hates her governess, and Toby makes some important life choices. The running story line is the struggle to have the English forces free Montmaray from the Germans.
I was thrilled to see a little progression with equality between the sexes. Though it wasn’t up to modern standards, at times I found myself cheering and laughing for Victoria. I thought the reactions to her refusal to accept the inequality quite amusing. Her sharp as a blade intelligence cut those foolish enough to go against her quite deeply.
With a big finish, book Two certainly stands up to the whimsical nature of Book One.
I look forward to devouring Book Three.

The FitzOsbornes in Exile – Michelle Cooper

August 1st 2010 by Random House Australia

Paperback, 456 pages

ISBN

9781741664447

By the Bel:

Remember that TV show ‘Third Rock from the Sun’?

Remember the cute young kid, Joseph Gordon-Levitt?

No?

Okay so I’m old. But you’ll see the re-runs eventually.

Anyway, he’s covered Lady Ga Ga’s song ‘Bad Romance‘. The clip can be found here… *contains a few swear words*

It got me thinking, mathematically speaking there can only be a certain number of songs ever made. After they’ve all been written, sung, and made us all either love them or loath them, the following generations will just have to do covers.

And boy oh boy there are some shockingly bad ones out there. Some pretty good ones too thankfully.

As an ex cover band singer, I think there is nothing quite so amazing as getting that song to sound the same yet different. Spiced with your own brand of panache. I did, however, kill quite a few songs within the 3 gig span of my singing career. And not in a good way. Girls are just not designed to sing Pearl Jam songs.

Studio magic can help some covers become an epic success for the second or perhaps third time around, and at the same time it can totally ruin the memories you may have made with the song as you heard it originally.

Adding on catchy little call and response adlibs in covers has become a fad. ‘Do ya think I’m sexy,’ Just doesn’t sound the same for me without the ‘Do ya? Do ya?, Do ya?’ that the band T-Shirt added in 19 something or other.

Then there’s the mess of combining songs to make them different enough to be able to throw in some new lyrics. Kid Rock should be ashamed of himself for mixing ‘Werewolves in London’ and ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ to make that irritating thing that got him on the charts this year.

Occasionally there’s a weird mix that catches you unawares. We called them club remixes when I wasn’t yet old enough to go to clubs. They’re now called mash up’s. The most stand out one for me was the McSleazy remix of Marilyn Manson’s cover of ‘Tainted Love’ and Darren Hayes’ song ‘Insatiable’

That one, I think, just has some history behind it for me. I can remember sitting in grade 10 maths having a huge argument with the hot guy I had a crush on, about which musical act would be more enduring Savage Garden or Marilyn Manson. This argument lasted almost all year. He told me my Savage Garden memorabilia would end up sitting in the back of a cupboard come the year 2000, and Manson would still be touring. I told him this was a load of rubbish, Savage Garden would last forever and be touring like the Rolling Stones (or as I like to call them, the strolling bones)

But as we now know he was right. I was seriously wrong. I still think it’s hilarious Savage Garden may be dead and buried, but the lead singer can still mix it up with the king of freaky himself.

As for Gordon-Levitt’s cover of Ga Ga… I’ll let you decide.

What’s the best and worst cover songs you’ve ever heard?