Actor musicians and musician actors, part 3: Shane West and David Bowie

Posted on October 28, 2009 Written by ripitup

You might find it odd that I am writing about Shane West and David Bowie in the same post. Their fame levels and target audience might seem different but they fit the criteria of the post and I guess there can be people who know and like them both, since I’m one of them.

DAVID BOWIE

David Bowie is a cult musician. His songs are featured in over 200 films. His first album was released in 1967 so it is safe to say he has been around for over 4 decades now. His music is influential and his songs have been sung by other artists, such as Nirvana. Given Nirvana is probably the most popular grunge band and Bowie’s unique rock/pop sound has influenced them also, it becomes quite clear he is a universal idol. Do I like all his songs? No. They are all so different from each other. But there is a Bowie song to be found to suit all your moods and a Bowie picture to fit any kind of fashion statement; from contemporary to glam and flamboyant. But Bowie’s artistic talent is not limited to singing and song writing. He has also appeared in many films. I last saw him in the 2006 movie The Prestige, playing the role of Nikola Tesla. He has also appeared in The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), The Hunger (1983), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and Basquiat (1996); in addition to many other film and TV appearances. He has even played Andy Warhol, the leading man of the pop art movement. Sure, his acting might be critically praised but his name will probably never be mentioned as one of the most influential actors. But to this day, he remains as a musical icon. Below is The Hunger movie poster.

SHANE WEST

Shane West is a young and promising actor. He is singing and playing the guitar for the band Jonny Was. Now, Shane isn’t insanely famous neither as a musician nor an actor, but he is building a strong movie resume bit by bit. He is only 31, and he has a bit of a baby face that gives him the advantage to play younger parts if he wants to. He totally passed for a high schooler in A Walk to Remember, at the age of 24. He has gotten to play Tom Sawyer alongside Sean Connery in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and he has scored one of the major roles in the long-running hospital drama ER. He has played in Echelon Conspiracy – an action movie that has quite a clever script, which is not so easy to find nowadays. This year he has starred in The Lodger, a high-paced thriller. So he has proved that he can undertake many different characters, and not just a romantic sweetheart, like he did in A Walk to Remember. Shane has a long way to go as an actor but things have been promising so far.

As for his band, I am not sure how many of his fans are just from the music scene only. I really enjoyed A Walk to Remember, an adaption of the best-selling Nicholas Sparks novel. The movie’s soundtrack was quite good, despite some of the songs were sung by Mandy Moore. Which reminds me she does act and sing, but her music is too standard pop for my taste. This soundtrack, however also contains a song by Shane’s band, known as Average Jo back then. It is modern rock with some punk energy in it and it is fun. Nothing you haven’t heard of before but it is the stuff I’d like to hear when I’m out with my friends and just want to dance and have a good time. And Shane’s movies are good for pure entertainment.

Shane is right in the middle, posing with his band Jommy Was — Shane is right in the middle, posing with his band Jonny Was

Actor musicians and musician actors, part 2

Inspiration to get your ass in gear part 2 feat. Bon Jovi’s It’s My Life, Keep The Faith and Have a Nice Day

Posted on October 27, 2009 Written by ripitup

Well, my previous post is about how songs can actually get you in the mood not to give in your dreams and it gives Poison’s Cry Tough as an example. The song is fast, hopeful and it just tells you not to give up. The fact that the band came from nowhere and went to the top of the charts through persistence and hard work makes the lyrics credible.

You may not know Poison. But I’m pretty sure you have heard of Bon Jovi. Don’t dismiss them because rock isn’t your thing or because their sound is just too “soft” for you. They have songs in a lot of genres (hard rock, classic rock, pop-rock, country rock, glam rock…), and they have written songs about almost all aspects of life. Don’t think about the ballads. Please, we are not going to talk about “Always” here. But, if you are thinking of the chorus from their hit song “It’s my life”, great! You are exactly where I need you to be. The whole song is about not giving up and standing your ground. In fact, this song is only one example from the band. They are huge on songs that encourage you to work on your dreams.

Here is a part of “It’s my life“:

It’s my life – And it’s now or never
I ain’t gonna live forever , I just want to live while I’m alive
(It’s my life)
My heart is like an open highway – Like Frankie said
I did it my way, I just want to live while I’m alive ,’Cause it’s my life

Better stand tall when they’re calling you out
Don’t bend, don’t break, baby, don’t back down

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOfaYFIHt1g&feature=fvst this is for the song’s video.

They might have sold over 100,000,000 records (yes, it is the official number) but it’s not like success fell on their laps. Frontman Jon Bon Jovi worked at odd jobs, he even sold shoes. (I am saying “even” – if you remember the old sitcom Married with Children, the shoe selling thing might put a smile on your face.) He cleaned the floors on a record studio and didn’t get paid for it. Instead he just recorded his demos. One of the demos got him a record deal and a band. But what made Bon Jovi huge is actually another song that tells you to keep hanging on no matter what: Living on a Prayer. This is the video of the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUSDS9pkA2Y&feature=fvst

Oh and the chorus goes something like this:

Whooah, were half way there
Livin on a prayer
Take my hand and well make it – I swear
Livin on a prayer

Not to mention, they have written Keep The Faith (it tells you to “keep the faith: you know youre gonna live thru the rain” ) and Have a Nice Day , whose chorus goes:

Ohhh, if there’s one thing I hang onto,
That gets me through the night.
I ain’t gonna do what I don’t want to,
I’m gonna live my life.
Shining like a diamond, rolling with the dice,
Standing on the ledge, I show the wind how to fly.
When the world gets in my face,
I say, Have A Nice Day.
Have A Nice Day

link to Keep the Faith: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6U5gJZh5u2Y&feature=fvst

link to Have a Nice Day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UheKmPY1mNw&feature=fvst

ENJOY!

Roxette: Swedish Pop-Rock

Posted on July 7, 2009 Written by ripitup

I have always liked Roxette. But the funny thing is I didn’t find out that they were Swedish until 4 years ago. I was in Norway and was chatting with the guy from the record store and that’s how I learned. I had always thought they were American. It is a sound thing, I guess. But I consider Norway to be my second home and Sweden is a close 3rd. So I like the fact that this popular band of the 80s and 90s (I am not too big a fan of their new songs) is Swedish.

Roxette

Roxette consists of Per Gessle (I had been suspicious of his name to be honest-I had never heard of such a name-but than again I haven’t met anyone named Per in Scandinavia either…) and Marie Fredriksson. They share the vocals and Per also acts as the lead guitarist. Other instruments are played by others who are not officially a part of the band.

They have done so many songs that I loved. I am not a fan of their romantic songs in particular- but I just love the lively,rock n’roll songs. To name a few Dressed for Success, Joyride, The Look, Sleeping in my car…

Then Roxette did what most bands do as they get older: they turned more and more into pop, combined more electronic elements into it- which is shame because Per’s voice has that husky & fun rock n’roll vibe to it.It’s of course not just Roxette. Bon Jovi added too much pop into some later albums, so did Def Leppard. But I guess the difference is those bands started with hard-rock and/or glam rock so even when they soften the sound, it is still rock-mostly.

Oh well…I’ll just keep listening to that lovely old songs and dance to them. They have written wonderful stuff about love, dreams, sex and relationships. They are also great motivators. I can’t help but singing Dressed for Success:

I’m gonna get dressed for success- shaping me up for the big time, baby-get dressed for success- shaping me up for your love…for your love-yeah yeah yeah!!!

For more articles on music:

You Can’t Stop Rock N’ Roll: 34 Articles on Rock Music

Why Jon Bon Jovi, Edward Burns and Timothy Ferris Ruined Us

Posted on June 30, 2009 Written by ripitup

They totally ruined it. They proved that indeed nothing is impossible if you have the soul, drive and guts.

They are self-made and they all started from scratch. Read on to see how they got to where they are (I also explain who they are, so keep reading even if you don’t know these guys or if you don’t know how they started).
Some people lead glamorous lives and live to talk about it. These are talented and driven people who have had the guts to try again and again until they’ve made it. These are the people who actually risked poverty (no,I am not being dramatic…OK-maybe a tad…), faced constant rejection and came back on top. My list has a lot of names,whose jobs I wanna have. Why do I feel they screwed me over? Because I know that there are people out there who made it,so I am tempted to try. Because I know am never gonna be satisfied with a simple paycheck and two days free in a week-and this is if you are lucky-in a city where there is so much traffic that you spend half your life on vehicles…Would I be considered such a dreamer had these people not existed? I don’t know…All I know is, life would be so much more boring.

So let’s start with the criteria: people like Gwyneth Paltrow don’t count. Born to parents in movie business??? So she is pretty and can act, but she has had the connections first!!!

So let’s go over Jon, Ed and Timothy.

1) Edward Burns: actor/director/writer/producer

You may not know him. I am a movie nut and he is one of my fav. guys in Hollywood. Does he make masterpieces? No, not really. Why do I like him so much? Because he is so multi-talented. He writes, directs, produces his movies and stars in them. Sometimes he does take part in other people’s projects but mostly he is this multi-functional movie maker. He writes heartfelt and down-to-earth stories. He writes the kind of stuff I write. And he has the job I dream about. I don’t have to direct, but I write screenplays. I would love to have the chance to make it into a movie,play the character of my choice.I don’t have to produce it. But I would love to get involved in choosing the songs for the soundtrack and give some ideas for the clothes. No, I am not a control freak. I am just fairly emotional. Because I wrote the story, I lived it in my head, I carried it around with me…It is my baby and I want Ed’s job!!!

2) Jon Bon Jovi: singer, song writer, guitar-player, actor

So he did have this cousin or something who worked in a record studio but that didn’t really help Jon gain anything apart from observing rockers, cleaning the floors and recording at night when the place was empty. He worked at crappy jobs and worked his ass off to get noticed by the music industry. He started from 0, made all his dreams come true…Hell, the guy went beyond his dreams. He is the singer of my favorite band ever, he writes most of the songs and when he’s not touring or recording with the band, he is acting. He started acting from scratch too. He has played in a number of movies, got both big and small roles. He even co-stars in one of Edward Burns’ movies. Gotta respect this guy…

Love Jon Bon Jovi? The Band? Both?:

Bon Jovi Trivia: 52 More Facts About The Rock Band Bon Jovi

6 Rock Songs on Cheating: 1 Bryan Adams, 4 Bon Jovi and 1 KISS

7 Interesting Facts About Jon and Bon Jovi

3) Timothy Ferris: entrepreneur,writer,wrestler,tango dancer,actor…

Up until April 2009, I had a regular office job. I didn’t like it, I just needed it to save money. Time lost in traffic and lonely lunches ( my co-workers weren’t really outgoing) gave me a lot time to read…I decided it was research time. I was buying anything I could get my hands on about writing, getting published and freelancing. And this guy had written the marketing book with the most appealing title ever: The 4-Hour Work Week. The cover included a hammock…The more I read, the more hooked I got. He had started out as a guy who worked in an office. Then he realized he wanted more to his life. Are you wondering how he managed to pull more titles than Jon and Ed combined? He founded his own business. Became his own boss. Of course the process that led to this is complicated and I’ll be covering his book in a post dedicated to it alone. But let me just say, he now has enough money and time go and dance the Tango in Argentina, learn languages,star in TV shows in Asia and become a professional wrestler. He talks about how we can market our ideas and turn it into cash, how we don’t need to be millionaires to live like them and well…isn’t it enough?

But the guy with the most imitable strategies is not doubt Ferriss. Edward was lucky enough to be born in New York. Jon had the relative’s studio to wipe the floors of. Tim is a businessman. He is self-made. He has trained himself in so many areas and he has been having the time of his life ever since he set up his business. I don’t have Jon’s voice or musical talent. I don’t have the 25.000 $ Ed used to shoot his first movie “The Brothers McMullen” . Don’t get me wrong, he accomplished a major thing. However, 25.000 $ is a huge sum to me and to a lot of people but in Hollywood terms,it is nothing. He managed to scrape it together. Do you know his modest movie earned? 10,000,000 $ !!!! You can calculate the profits,right? His second movie had Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Anniston. But I don’t have any resources to get that first 25.000. If I do find 25 grand, it will be spent on one of the film schools I’ve been dying to go to. So I will combine everything I’ve learned from Tim, plus the drive and the relentlessness of Ed and Jon and fingers crossed, I will make my own dreams come true. What are they? Apart from becoming the female Ed Burns of my generation? To become a best-seller novelist, a freelance non-fiction writer for all my favorite magazines, a great dancer, speaker of 4 different languages, a really good-guitar player….Oh I have more. If you think I am wasting time writing this blog, you are wrong. The thing is, I have already gotten to work. Blogging is a part of the plan.

Now tell me, what are you waiting for?