The Police!

At the 49th Grammy Awards. They did Roxanne. More songs would have been nice, but I’ll take what I can get.

So, new album? Please?

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Mask of the Phantasm

It is no exaggeration to say Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is, so far, the best rendition of Batman on the silver screen. Unlike the live action films, it manages to capture the very essence of the Dark Knight; the loneliness, the guilt and the tragedy, giving the character an almost mythic quality.

The main theme by Shirley Walker is, likewise, the most powerful. Based on Danny Elfman’s theme for Batman: The Animated Series, it surpasses the wonderful original. A brass fanfare is followed by a dark, heroic and epic gothic choir. Magnificence.

[mp3]/blogs/theclub/uploads/mask_of_the_phantasm_-_main_title.mp3[/mp3]

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Sting – Wild Wild Sea

The Soul Cages is a very personal album for me. It helped me cope with a very painful part of my life, and today I still find it the most emotionally intense album I have ever had the pleasure to experience. If you read this, Mr Sumner, thank you.

Wild Wild Sea in particular resonates powerfully, as if it is a scene I have seen in my own dreams. Here is a fantastic performance of it, recorded for MTV Unplugged.

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Reunited Police to Open Grammys

Oh my God…

World Tour!

Excuse me while I hyperventilate and do a happy dance.

Titans will stride the Earth once more.

Please consider making a new album.

And oh, we are not worthy.

Here’s a little something from the little 2003 reunion for their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.

The Police - R'n'R Hall of Fame 2003 - Message in a bottle

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White as Milk for CS 2.1

Yet another adaptation of a minimalist WordPress theme, “White as Milk” by Azeem Azeez.

I did the variant with the dark background by request. Not quite happy with it, but I think its usable.

White As Milk for CS2.1 v1.1

Please comment if you are planning to use it, together with the URL of your blog, as Azeem requested to see it in action.

The CSS, XHTML and design is released under GPL.

The Bloody 19th Century

Duh Magnet
http://www.houstonpress.com/Issues/2007-01-04/news/feature_full.html
“..only places CDs actually sold well were stores like Target, Best Buy and Wal-Mart.”

I’m sure the conclusion escapes the RIAA.

Loser-X
“In the 19th century, music was seen as a highly valued treasure with fundamental and near-mystical powers of human communication,” North told the BBC. No more: “The degree of accessibility and choice has arguably led to a rather passive attitude towards music heard in everyday life.

“The accessibility of music has meant that it is taken for granted and does not require a deep emotional commitment once associated with music appreciation.”

I know i’m old fashioned, but I didn’t know I was a throwback to the bloody 19th century.

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The Beatles – Hate

Mashups featuring the Beatles have come fast and thick since the unveiling of “The Grey Album” by DJ Danger Mouse, who has since gone on to achieve great fame as one half of Gnarls Barkley.

Hate” was apparently released in December 2006 though I have just found out about it, and it is a both homage and parody of so far the only official Beatles mashup album “Love” (which is brilliant by the way). Downloads of MP3 files still available from the website now, but given how touchy EMI was over previous Beatles mashups, I will not be surprised to find them gone very soon.

There are of course purists who have expressed outrage over it, but turn off your mind, relax and you will find that it is quite good.

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Uproar In Heaven

Otherwise known as 大闹天宫 (Da Nao Tian Gong). This was shown on television just about every year during the Lunar New Year when I was a child, and was a favourite of mine.

Found out there was a DVD release in 2004 but did not manage to find a copy of the 40th anniversary edition for sale on eCommerce sites. The cover of the standard edition is just… butt ugly.

Finally managed to snag a new copy on eBay, for only S$25. Just look at that beautiful packaging. The character art sheets are a very nice touch. The video quality is a disappointment though. Scratches, dust, even some pen marks are visible. Obviously there was no effort made to clean up the source.

That said, this is probably the best that is available at this point of time, and I am very happy with this purchase.