Up All Night

I managed seven hours of sleep last night. I'm still yawning but feeling better than I did yesterday when I was running on only two hours of sleep and a migraine headache. The two days before I was running on six and two hours of sleep.

Lionel Richie-"All Night Long"

So I was on YouTube this morning when it recommended "I Need Your Loving" by the Human League. I made the mistake of clicking on the link. Two minutes into it reminded me why I have only played Crash once when it put it on my phone. I mean, it really doesn't get any worse than this. It was funny in a sick sort of way, like watching a car crash. Let me just say it was so bad I don't want to contaminate my blog.

Seriously, it reminded me of why the band pulled out of the sessions leaving the producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to finish the album without them. I mean, they had to finish it with session musicians because the band walked out. 

Need I Say More? 

The Human League-"Circus of Death"

Today I am able to fight my headache. I have knots on both sides of the base of my skull. The pain is radiating to the top of my head on both sides. That's why I haven't been online much of the last few days. I should have known I was sicker than I had thought when people on Twitter noticed my absence and were concerned.

Simple Minds-"All The Things She Said"

I don't know what caused this migraine but its an extremely vicious one that just keeps coming back. I finally talked to my psychiatrist about it last night and he called in some medication (I don't have a primary care doctor yet). It was after pharmacy hours so I can't pick it up until tomorrow as all the ones around here are closed on Sunday. At least I know an end is in sight.

Today's Double Feature, the late great Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston - "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"

I'm still in shock over Whitney Houston's death. Although not a big fan of her music, I always liked her voice. I share many memories of her with my sister who loved Whitney. I bought my sister the first two albums by Whitney when she was a kid.

Whitney Houston-"I Will Always Love You"

My sister had this 45. One day she came home and proceeded to play it over and over again. I finally snapped and tore it off the family stereo, proceeded to stomp on it and then snap it in both directions. I've never seen vinyl shards like that day. As a big brother I then felt bad so two days later I bought her the entire "The Bodyguard" soundtrack. All was forgiven and I no longer heard this one song over and over again (I had stopped counting at 20 the day of the record destruction)

Although I have a lot of musical respect for Whitney, I still much prefer Dolly Parton's original recording of this gem. 

Dolly Parton-"I Will Always Love You"

"Mine is only one of the millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston, I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, 'Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.'"  Dolly Parton

I've been reading near constantly. Its the only activity that is helping pass through the pain, and it helps me to escape. When I'm able I have been playing Depeche Mode or Human League. 

Depeche Mode-"Master and Servant"

My choices have been eclectic at best. My choices by Depeche have been very down the middle of their catalogue while my choices of Human League are the exact opposite. I've been playing music from the earliest and most recent CDs while ignoring their more famous albums altogether. Its rather odd.

The Human League-"Night People"

Credo is more trance than anything, and lately I've really been enjoying this style of music.

Paul Oakenfold-"Delerium Silence"

Oakenfold has always been my favourite trance artist & DJ.The man is brilliant. Also I don't feel so old when I listen to his music. He's six years older than me and rocks the house, so I see hope for me yet.

Berlin-"The Metro (extended)"

My ear today has been on bands that are fronted by women. From Berlin and The Motels to Bananarama and The Go-Gos. There were quite a few women in bands back then. Add in others in duos like Allison Moyet and Annie Lennox to really round out a good afternoon of musical choices. 

The Motels-"Suddenly Last Summer"

This song by The Motels always brings back strong memories of my last carefree summer. It was released right before I went completely into SynthPop and was listening to a lot of American pop music. In fact, I can list all the British musicians I enjoyed on one hand. 

U2-"The Refugee"

I did not get a true appreciation for U2 until I was an adult. Looking back, their early music was too heavy for me to understand. Same way with Depeche Mode. I liked their first album Speak and Spell, the rest of their music had to wait until I matured.Now I will travel half way across America to see either of these bands live. Like Peter Gabriel, they know how to rock the house down. 

On that note, I'm going to close with a live version from each of these folks. Put your headphones on, turn the volume up high. These artists are going to take you to places you thought you'd never go to. 

Enjoy.

Peter Gabriel from the This Way Up Tour 1987

"Lay Your Hands on Me"

Depeche Mode on Touring The Angel 2006

"Enjoy The Silence"

U2 on The Joshua Tree tour

"Trip Through Your Wires"

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Feeling Under Pressure

Good Afternoon Boys and Girls,


The clock just hit twelve noon as I sat down to type my first few letters here. Its good to have a new, fresh start after yesterday.


Did I sound whiney or what? I probably did because I was so tired of being sick and tired. One thing many people don't understand is that since Huntington's Disease affects the brain it also affects our thinking processes. We know its busted, that's the frustration. Yet we still want it to work right, as we often know what right is. So we fight it inside our brains.


Like me. Yesterday. I knew it isn't right to be so upset about walking three blocks and being inside a shop for 15 minutes. Yet I was petrified to go. Petrified as being on the upside down loop on a roller-coaster. I knew that the fear wasn't in proportion to the action, but that didn't help at all. It simply adds to the frustration.

You know that stupid feeling you get when you leave the house and forgot to check the coffee pot? You know you unplugged it, yet... that little voice is saying "Did you check it? Are you sure its unplugged?" Magnify that by 15 and you get an idea where I was yesterday every time I got up to leave the house.


This went on for nine hours! It took that long for me to throw Sparks on and get outside the house. Then one foot in front of the other and twenty-five minutes later I'm done and I'm home safe. Exhausted but safe.


Then comes the next day. Here I am. I want to go out one block. Yet again the fear is taking over, I can feel it in the back of my kneecaps. My legs are already pulled up in a protective angle. WTH?


All over what? The fact I need to go outside to smoke? You got it! So here we go all over again.

Joni Mitchell - "Circle Game"

Its days like yesterday and today when it doesn't seem so bad to know that some day I'm going to be 6 feet under. I'm not suicidal. don't get me wrong. I only mean that it will be nice not fighting myself.

Stop the Merry-Go-'Round. I want to get off!

The Eagles-Hotel California

So now I'm back home, and do I feel better? Hell no. Now I need to get out of the bedroom to the kitchen and that's now too much. So I'm going to relax, try to make the bed around the sleeping cat and really try to find something cheerful.


Frankie Goes to Hollywood will be our Triple feature today with three cover tunes from their brilliant album Welcome to the Pleasuredome. There isn't one bad tune on this album.


And before you ask - The answer is Yes, I did have a "Relax" T-Shirt and Yes, I knew what it meant. As long as the folks didn't know I was safe.  ;-)

Frankie Goes To Hollywood-"San Jose"

Frankie takes on Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run"

"Ferry Cross The Mersey" with brilliant visuals

Every time the music stops my head starts whirring and I feel the empty walls. Strange. 

Paul Oakenfold feat. Matt Goss - "Firefly"

Sophie Ellis Bextor-"Murder on the Dancefloor"
This is just a "fun" song.

I was reading on my Facebook earlier a friend talk about Queen  (Queen, Cash and Cooke) and it got me thinking about what musical geniuses they were. 

Queen-"Flash"

Queen-"Under Pressure" feat. David Bowie
Gotta love those visuals
R.I.P. Freddie Mercury

I'm throwing on one more by Frankie simply because I can't get it out of my head today. Although a heavy Christmas release, I first heard this as the last cut on the Pleasuredome CD (or was it on Peel). Either way, it is one of the most beautiful love songs I've heard in my 40 plus years on the face of this earth. 

Frankie Goes to Hollywood-"Power of Love"
Sit back, relax and forget about the camels for a few minutes.
Just listen to the lyrics.

On that note I'm going to leave you. The cat finally stopped making me pay for waking her up after making the bed, in other words after an hour of demanding payment in petting she fell asleep. 

This leaves me with several chores around the home to finish before I go out to a friend's house later tonight. So off to do the dishes and jump in the shower, while I can.

Now, if I only owned the BBC... ;)

G'Evening.

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