The big news of this week was that Radiohead put their new album online for download. You could pay any price you wanted, including 0. Of course, this elicited a huge response the first day, as rabid fans crashed the site trying to get the music first. I finally got through last evening, and downloaded the CD. Here are my thoughts. They are tied into my son, because I was holding/entertaining him at the same time I listened to the album for the first time.
I sat down on the couch last night, and popped in the CD, with Noah on my lap. I can't envision many circumstances making me as happy as I was at that moment. It has been 4 years since Radiohead's last album, and one of my favorite things to do these days is to sit on the couch and hold Noah. Imagine getting to do both of these wonderful things at once! Anyway, the CD is beautiful. That is the best word I can use to describe it. I really love the songs, and they are mixed brilliantly. The instrumentation really comes out on this disc, and they seem to use each band member's strengths perfectly. I closed my eyes, leaned back, and let the music wash over me. Aaahhhhh. Of course, Noah started crying, and I had to kind of play and pause the music between comforting him, but such is life. Which leads me to that topic.
I just couldn't imagine loving my son any more, and yet I love him more and more every day. I really have started to realize what a blessing children really are...it's cliched to say, but you really have no idea until you have kids of your own. I know Lacey is wanting to wait a while if we can, but I'm ready to have another one - tomorrow. But it really does change your whole perception of having kids, how many you want, what they are like, etc. Parenthood has absolutely changed me, in a very very good way. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
So, I left my wife and baby on Saturday.
Can you believe it? There I was, going to rent a movie Saturday afternoon, looking forward to watching Purdue-Ohio State (a blow out) and LSU-Florida, and I call my brother, and the next thing I know, I'm being offered a free ticket to X-Fest 2007, a concert put on by a radio station in Indy. Anyway, I cleared it with my wife, and headed out. Why, do you ask, would I leave my family at home, when I only get so many weekend days to hang out with them? Simple. It was the first (and perhaps only) time the Smashing Pumpkins were playing in Indy in the last 12 years. There were several bands performing, but I got there for the last four. First up was Hurt, who I don't really care for on the radio, but who were outstanding live! Next up was Altar Bridge, who is basically Creed without Scott Stapp. They were fine, kind of ho-hum. Third was Fuel, but without their original lead singer. They were pretty good, very loud, but at least they played Hemhorrage (in my hand), which is a GREAT song. And finally, one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE BANDS, THE SMASHING PUMPKINS. They were awesome. They played a good bit of their new CD, which turned some people off I think, but they also played several classics. Tonight, Tonight, Zero (probably my favorite of the night), Ava Adore, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, among others. Aside from Zero, the main highlight for me was when Billy Corgan (who sounded GREAT and played guitar incredibly all concert) got out his acoustic and did 1979 by himself. It sounds a little skeptical, but believe me, it was freaking rad. Anyway, it was a great concert, and I had been wanting to go for months, so I'm thankful that the wife didn't mind, and that there was someone to go with. I had a great time, and now I can say that I've seen the Pumpkins live.
Lacey and I have watched 3 movies on 3 consecutive nights. That has to be some sort of record for us in the past year or so. Normally we've got baby stuff, or pregnancy stuff, or school stuff, or tiredness, or TV shows (either live or on DVD), or events, or some combination of those things. But it has been nice to play a little catch-up with some of the movies we've missed lately. We rented 2 sucky ones (although for different reasons) and 1 pretty good flick. I'll go in order from least to greatest.
1.The Ex - I rented this because it has Zach Braff and we love him. Also, I like Jason Bateman, and think he's hilarious, although Lacey disagrees. Anyway, this movie totally blew. It was funny in like 2 places, but mostly just maddening and frustrating. There was a satisfying ending, but that didn't make up for the crap they put you through. Braff was fine, but sheesh, this movie was TERRIBLE. I would have shut it off, but I was in so deep, I HAD to see the "villain" get his due. What a horrible reason to keep watching a crappy movie.
2.Blades of Glory - If it isn't obvious why I got this, then you obviously don't know me, or have no clue who is in this movie. And I will say that I enjoyed it, and laughed a good deal, but it was mostly because I was shocked, and because Will Ferrell is perhaps the funniest person on the planet. Lacey hated this one, and I don't blame her - it was "terrible". But not terrible in the same way The Ex is terrible. This is a movie that I found myself saying over and over "Oh, that's just terrible" - meaning "wrong". The Sports Illustrated cover with John Heder and Ferrell on it about halfway through the movie described everything perfectly. It read "WHAT THE HELL?"
3.Fracture - Easily the best of the bunch, not that it's hard with this bunch. I definitely liked this movie, and it was very well done, for the most part. It looked great, was very stylish, and got excellent performances from the leads: Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling. It did a good job of making you as frustrated as Gosling's character, and then resolved itself well. The only section of this I had a problem with was Gosling's love interest at the swanky law firm he got a job at. It is not explained, is extremely forced, and, if anything, holds the plot BACK, rather than advancing it. There was no reason for it, and it was retarded. So, bottom line, good not great. This year seems to have that theme (with a couple of exceptions, Transformers being a notable one), as opposed to last year when SO MANY outstanding movies were released. I've been underwhelmed in 2007, to say the least.