Tag: Music

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July 1, 2021: Where have the half-year gone?

It is about halfway into year 2021 and it still feels like March 2020. Having said that, a lot of things happened in the first half of 2021. Unfortunately due to many contributing factors, I haven’t been making any journal entries for almost the whole six months.

I would like to focus on one thing this time, and that is Music.

Two newly released records that I bought in June are:

  • Mammoth WVH – Debut album from Wolfgang Van Halen
  • Helloween – The self-titled album from Helloween

Mammoth WVH is Wolfgang Van Halen’s debut album, which is written and perform by himself. It is a solid offering from this one man band who happened to share the famous last name with the legendary Edward Van Halen. Wolfgang Van Halen was previously known as the bass player from the last incarnation of Van Halen, the band. He is also the son of Edward Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli; talk about pressure to be more than ordinary. For some reasons I expected Wolfgang Van Halen to name his project “Mammoth Wolf”, a nod to his father’s legacy and his nickname. Mammoth WVH will be opening for Guns N’ Roses this Summer 2021 and playing a few headline shows.

On to Helloween self-titled album which features both Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske for the first time in decades, alongside the latest stable line-up of the band: Andi Deris, Sascha Gerstner, Dani Löble, Markus Grosskopf, and Michael Weikath. Seven band members in the seventh incarnation of Helloween. I call it Helloween mark VII. The record of this reunited and expanded Helloween is as exciting and nostalgic for the fans. It is not a remake of Keeper of the Seven Keys records. It is a representation of what the band is today. Setting aside the egos, Helloween is one of the best example of band reunion. I’m really wanting to hear their next record already.

What else? Oh, Anthrax will be celebrating their 40th Anniversary this July 16 with a streaming event. I’ve got my “ticket” for the event already.

Okay, I’ll save whatever I want to write for tomorrow.

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March 2021 is almost done.

COVID-19 Vaccination Card

Captain’s log, Star-date… oh wait a second there. This is not Star Trek.

Where have the month go? Today is March 31, 2021 where I type this entry. In most part of the world, it is already April 1, 2021.

April 1 as in April Fools Day?

“NO WE’RE NOT PLAYING WITH THAT THIS YEAR, JUST LIKE THE YEAR BEFORE.”

Caps Lock is now off.

March 2021 marks 1 year of COVID-19 era, as most of the world shut down in March 2020. There are lights at the end of this tunnel, we think. More and more people I know have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccines. Even my Mom got hers first dose in March 2021 and scheduled to get the second dose 4 weeks after that.

Where I am, most people are eligible for vaccination starting April 15, 2021. I have an appointment for vaccination on that day.

Which vaccine am I getting?

It doesn’t matter to me if I get the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine. I believe that vaccination will help us getting back to some sense of the days before COVID-19 era.

Anyway, what else is going on?

Congratulation to my good friends Jill-Michele Meleán and Carlos Alazraqui on the release of their movie: Witness Infection. I’ve downloaded it via iTunes Store. Jilly and Carlos wrote the script and with the help from friends such as Tara Strong and Maurice LaMarche, the movie is now available for our viewing pleasure. Don’t ask me how the movie is because I’m definitely have personal bias. Support independent film makers.

OK, I’m kinda distracted right now, so I might add something here later. For now I’m going to press “Publish” button.

P.S. New Helloween song “Skyfall” is coming on April 2, 2021.

New self-titled Halloween album drops on June 18, 2021. I’ve preordered the single and the album.

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Where’s the High-E String?

One thing that often happens while playing guitar is to break the high-E string.

What should I do?

  • Keep playing. Who needs high-E string if you can play only power chords?
  • Stop playing and get dinner.
  • Complain to my roadie, which I certainly do not have.
  • Make appointment with my usual guitar technician and wait 4 weeks. Yeah, he is that busy.
  • Make a post about it. Oh, wait… this post is the post.
  • Have a friend restring the guitar.
  • Put the guitar in the case and play some mobile games.
  • Restring the guitar. That’s a lot of non-slacking time.
  • and the list goes on and on and on and on…

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You’ve gotta be kidding me, Ozzy’s Boneyard!

Now, that is some serious time travel, to have the song “Creeping Death” as a part of “Kill ‘Em All” record.

I’ve seen tons of gaffe on “Ozzy’s Boneyard”, a channel on SiriusXM. This one really make me want to meow loudly.

All well-read cats know that “Creeping Death” is one of the songs in Metallica’s sophomore album “Ride The Lightning”, which follows “Kill ‘Em All”.

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Ruin an Album Title: Dream Theater – Images and Swords

Dream Theater - Images and Swords

Add one letter to “ruin” an album title.

Dream Theater – Images and Swords

Dream Theater - Images and Swords

Images and Words was released on July 7, 1992. It is the second album by Dream Theater and the first to feature James LaBrie on vocals.

The song “Pull Me Under” was the first single off the album and became a surprise hit, garnering airplay on radios and MTV.

ATCO, the band’s label at that time sent out two-track CD Promo for “Take the Time” with a note: “Play the unabridged version!”
(Editor’s note: we have that package somewhere, finding it is a different matter.)