The latest AMV of the Day comes courtesy of AMV creator Rider4Z. Outside of Chiikaboom, his amv creations have become some of the best I’ve seen and have earned a place on my favorite list.
This time around his latest anime music video takes a song from one of my favorite metal bands and uses it to score a well-edited selection of scenes from the romance-fantasy anime series, Romeo x Juliet. While some fans of the video has nitpicked and pointed out that it spoils the ending to the anime I just laugh at such fools. Fools I say! I mean how can an anime series adapting Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet be spoiling anything.
I like the song choice of Within Temptation’s track “Faster” from their 2011 concept album, The Unforgiving. This is not the first time Rider4Z has used this band’s symphonic metal sound to score one of his videos. Each and everytime he uses this band’s music it just makes those videos very epic in tone and scope. This video has already won some early year accolades. It recently won Best Drama in the Katsucon 2012 AMV contest. I have a feeling this video will be making the rounds at this year’s anime conventions and should pick up a few more awards.
Time of a new “AMV of the Day” post and this time around it involves an anime which I thought was one of the best I’ve seen in the last ten years. This particular anime music video is called “Calling”.
The anime film SummerWars (released in 2009) was quite a surprise for me. I haven’t really gotten into anime films unless it’s made by Hayao Miyazaki and Satoshi Kon, but this particular one by Mamoru Hosada became quite a favorite. During Anime Expo 2011 an amv by creator NekoKitKat25hug ended up winning AX2011’s Best In Show during it’s AMV Competition. While I wasn’t able to attend AX2011 I was still intrigued to check out the amv which ended up winning the con’s top AMV trophy.
“Calling” pretty much condenses Summer Warsinto a four minute video to the tune of Shiny Toy Gun’s “Major Tom“. This wasn’t just a straight-up quick re-telling of the anime, but one that doesn’t really give away too much of the story like other amv’s who follow the same editing style. My favorite section of the video has to be final minute which still manages to make the film’s best scenes come off exciting and new.
Well, finally reach Valentine’s Day and to the finish line of the romance-themed choices for “Song of the Day”. We’ve had quite a list of songs which looks at romance and love from many differing angles. In the end, all of the previous songs were just foreplay and led up to the choices made for today. I couldn’t decide which song from Marvin Gaye to pick so I went with both.
What better way to close out Valentine’s Day and Night but with the two songs which probably led to some exceptional endings to couples’ Valentine’s Day for decades since their release. So, here’s Marvin Gaye with “Let’s Get It On” and “Sexual Healing” and I hope everyone have a safe, exceptional and epic Valentine’s Day.
Let’s Get It On
I’ve been really tryin baby Tryin to hold back this feeling for so long And if you feel like I feel baby Come on, oh come on, ooh
Let’s get it on, ow baby Let’s get it on, let’s love baby Let’s get it on, sugar Let’s get it on, woo
We’re all sensitive people with so much to give Understand me sugar Since we got to be, let’s live, I love you There’s nothin’ wrong with me lovin’ you, baby no no And givin’ yourself to me can never be wrong If the love is true, oh baby ooh
Don’t you know how sweet and wonderful life can be, ooh ooh I’m askin’ you baby to get it on with me, ooh ooh ooh I ain’t goin’ to worry, I ain’t goin’ to push, won’t push you baby So come on come on come on come on come on baby Stop beatin’ round the bush, hey
Let’s get it on, ooh ooh Let’s get it on, you know what I’m talkin’ about Come on baby, hey hey, let your love come out If you believe in love let’s get it on, ooh Let’s get it on baby, this minute, oh yeah Let’s get it on, eeeeeeeeee Please get it on, hey hey
Come on come on come on come on come on darlin’ Stop beatin’ round the bush, oh, gonna get it on Beggin’ you baby I want to get it on You don’t have to worry that it’s wrong If the spirit moves you, let me groove you Good, let your love come down, oh
Get it on, come on baby, do you know I mean it I’ve been sanctified, hey hey Girl you give me good feelings, so good Somethin’ like summertime
Sexual Healing
Ooh baby, now let’s get down tonight
Baby I’m hot just like an oven I need some lovin’ And baby, I can’t hold it much longer It’s getting stronger and stronger
And when I get that feeling I want Sexual Healing Sexual Healing, oh baby Makes me feel so fine Helps to relieve my mind Sexual Healing baby, is good for me Sexual Healing is something that’s good for me
Whenever blue tear drops are falling And my emotional stability is leaving me There is something I can do I can get on the telephone and call you up baby, and Honey I know you’ll be there to heal me The love you give to me will free me If you don’t know the thing you’re dealing Oh I can tell you, darling, that it’s Sexual Healing
Get up, Get up, Get up, Get up – let’s make love tonight Wake up, Wake up, Wake up, Wake up – ‘cos you do it right
Baby I got sick this morning A sea was storming inside of me Baby I think I’m capsizing The waves are rising and rising
And when I get that feeling I want Sexual Healing Sexual Healing is good for me Makes me feel so fine, it’s such a rush Helps to relieve the mind, and it’s good for us Sexual Healing, baby, it’s good for me Sexual Healing is something that’s good for me And it’s good for me and it’s so good to me My baby ohhh
Come take control, just grab a hold Of my body and mind soon we’ll be making it Honey, oh we’re feeling fine You’re my medicine open up and let me in Darling, you’re so great I can’t wait for you to operate
(Heal me my darling) I can’t wait for you to operate
When I get this feeling, I need sexual healing oh when I get this feeling, I need Sexual Healing, I gotta have sexual healing, Darling ‘cos I’m all alone sexual healing, darling, ’till you come back home
We’re now at the penultimate choice leading up to Valentine’s Day. With the previous “Song of the Day” speaking of just how difficult staying in love can be it’s only natural that this pick for the latest song deals with a much more hopeful version of “Love Is”.
“Let’s Stay Together” is one of the most iconic soul tracks one can ever be introduced to. It comes from the same named album by soul artist Rev. Al Green and has been a staple in the playlist for pretty much every fan of R&B, soul and gospel music. Even President Obama has been seen and heard belting out a verse or two from the song of recent. It’s the quintessential song about taking a chance and becoming a couple no matter circumstance.
This is definitely a song which would be on my Valentine’s playlist for the night which would lead up to the song which would end the night. A song I shall save for tomorrow which also happens to be Valentine’s Day and the final song in this week-long romance-themed list.
Let’s Stay Together
I, I’m so in love with you Whatever you want to do Is all right with me ‘Cause you make me feel so brand new And I want to spend my life with you
Since, since we’ve been together Loving you forever Is what I need Let me be the one you come running to I’ll never be untrue
Let’s, let’s stay together Lovin’ you whether, whether Times are good or bad, happy or sad
Whether times are good or bad, happy or sad
Why, why some people break up Then turn around and make up I just can’t see You’d never do that to me (would you, baby) Staying around you is all I see (Here’s what I want us to do)
[Repeat to fade:] Let’s, we oughta stay together Loving you whether, whether Times are good or bad, happy or sad
The latest song as we get closer to Valentine’s Day has Vanessa Williams returning once again with some back-up in the form of R&B star Brian McKnight.
This one song surprised me when I first heard of it all the way back in 1993 when it was first released. What was surprising to me wasn’t how good it was, but that it was part of the Beverly Hills, 90201 soundtrack which came out the same year. That show was like the guilty pleasure for many people and the fact that they brought the show back with new pretty people for a new generation speaks volume toward it’s place in pop-culture history. But I’m not here to talk about that show. Instead I’m here to talk about “Love Is” sung as a duet by Vanessa Williams and Brian McKnight.
“Love Is” is not your typical ballad in that it doesn’t just try to push love and romance as something that’s great and something one cannot live without. On the contrary, this song speaks about love as being something that is hard to keep let alone struggle through. While love is something that’s both beautiful and easy to fall int. That’s the easy part. True love requires constant struggle to keep it from turning into something stale and destructive.
I think everyone who has ever truly fallen in love can understand what this song is talking about.
Love Is
[Vanessa Williams]
They say it’s a river, that circles the earth A beam of light shining to the edge of the universe it conquers all, it changes everything
They say it’s a blessing, they say it’s a gift they say it’s a miracle and I believe that it is it conquers all, but it’s a mystery
Love breaks your heart Love takes no less than everything Love makes it hard and it fades away so easily
[Brian McKnight]
In this world we’ve created in this place that we live in the blink of an eye the darkness slips in love lights the world unites the lovers for eternity
Love breaks the chains Love aches for everyone of us Love takes the tears and the pain, and it turns it in- to the beauty that remains
[Vanessa Williams]
Look at this place it was paradise, but now it’s dying I’ll pray forlove
[Brian McKnight]
I’ll take my chances that it’s not too late
[piano solo bridge]
[Vanessa Williams/Brian McKnight]
Love breaks your heart Love takes no less than everything Love makes it hard and fades away so easily
Oh oh oh
Love breaks the chains Love aches for everyone of us Love takes the tears and the pain, and it turns it in- to the beauty that remains
The latest “Song of the Day” continues my romance-theme leading up to Valentine’s Day and this one holds a special place in my heart and memories.
“Save The Best For Last” was part of Vanessa Williams’ debut album, The Comfort Zone, and was released around 1992. This was one of those songs which just resonated with many listeners. It’s a song about how we’re so intent on trying to find that special someone to be with in our lives that we never realize that they’re right in front of us. I think many young people and adults gravitate to this song because it’s speaks to how we make finding love difficult through our own need to find it. The thing about this song is how it speaks of missed opportunities but it also talks about how such things will balance out in the end and we finally realize who’s in front of us throughout all the searching and struggling.
I like to think that this was the song which finally put Vanessa Williams on the path to stardom. The fact that it was a song that many other singers passed over only to have Williams take it on proves just prescient the lyrics of the song were in the end. What others saw as something that didn’t deserve their time was finally taken on by someone who has turned it into their signature song.
Save The Best For Last
Sometimes the snow comes down in June Sometimes the sun goes ’round the moon I see the passion in your eyes Sometimes it’s all a big surprise ‘Cause there was a time when all I did was wish You’d tell me this was love It’s not the way I hoped or how I planned But somehow it’s enough
And now we’re standing face to face Isn’t this world a crazy place Just when I thought our chance had passed You go and save the best for last
All of the nights you came to me When some silly girl had set you free You wondered how you’d make it through I wondered what was wrong with you
‘Cause how could you give your love to someone else And share your dreams with me Sometimes the very thing you’re looking for Is the one thing you can’t see
And now we’re standing face to face Isn’t this world a crazy place Just when I thought our chance had passed You go and save the best for last
Sometimes the very thing you’re looking for Is the one thing you can’t see
Sometimes the snow comes down in June Sometimes the sun goes ’round the moon Just when I thought our chance had passed You go and save the best for last
Some sad news has hit the music industry and it’s fans as one of the iconic singers of the 1980’s and 90’s passed away today at the age of 48.
Whitney Houston was one of the major voices of the music scene from the time she came into it with her self-titled debut album in 1985. Her sound was a combination of the R&B, soul and Gospel sound which Motown had popularized during it’s hey day during the 60’s and 70’s, but she also injected a major dose of pop to her singing which allowed her to cross genre boundaries to become a mainstream pop star.
Her success with the mainstream scene would cause her some problems with those who were R&B fans first and foremost. This personal struggle to both acknowledge her R&B roots and also maintain her foot within the mainstream would plague Whitney Houston throughout her career.
In the end, one doesn’t need to be in the camp of either side to acknowledge her vocal talent of which it was staggering. She dominated the Billboard during her reign as pop music’s female answer to Michael Jackson during the 80’s and early 90’s. Sadly, a contentious marriage to another pop star in Bobby Brown during the early 90’s would lead to drug use and subsequently a degradation of the very voice which brought her fame and success.
For me, two songs which would forever cement her star in the constellation of greatest singers of any era would be her cover of the song “The Greatest Love of All” and her powerful rendition of the national anthem, “Star-Spangled Banner”, during Super Bowl XXV. These two songs proves that she was a talent that arrived on the music scene once a generation and who would influence uncounted singers following in her footsteps.
The next song for the current romance-themed “Song of the Day” column comes direct from 1996 and from one of the most underrated and under-appreciated R&B bands of the past 20 years.
“What Kind of Man Would I Be” by the band Mint Condition remains one of those songs that people always say they love, but never knowing just who sang it. It’s been a long and hard road for Mint Condition, but the fact that even now the band remains together, strong and still putting out albums. Not many R&B groups from the 80’s and 90’s ever last beyond a few releases. One of the secrets which makes Mint Condition always relevant in the music and R&B scene is the fact that these are musicians. Their sound is not overdubbed, auto-tuned and they sing with an honest passion about subject matters without bragging about themselves.
This song, at first listen, sounds like a very depressing track. Some have mistaken it as a story sung about one man’s infidelity when in fact it’s a song about staying true and loyal to that one special person in their life. It’s a song that tells that age’s long story about the temptation to stray and cheat on one’s partner.
“What Kind of Man Would I Be” is a celebration of how true love will always win out over temptation. It also tries to dispel the notion that all men cheat no matter who they are. At least, for one song, it makes a point that not all men are dogs and will cheat at a moment’s notice. This is a song that I try to live my life by and hopefully others would find inspiration to do the same.
What Kind of Man Would I Be
[Intro]
You know
We can’t do this
We just can’t
listen
[Verse 1:]
You say u feel disintented
Cause latley he takes you for granted
Still faithful and true you remained and to hurt so have I
You pore out your heart and I listen
And we catch a vibe reminiscing
Temptations so strong not to mention
The urging inside
[Chorus:]
But what kind of man would i be
If i lived unfaithfuly
And what kind of girl would you be
If you did the same
Cause I dont wanna see her cry
And you dont need a reason to lie
Cause if we laid down tonight
It wont justify on the lovers side
[Verse 2:]
This feeling is strong and we know it
But we gotta see past the moment
Theres too much to lose if we blow it
This is no lie
Still here we are both together
With promises made that we never
Yet feeling it now more than ever
I cant denie
[Chorus x1]
[Bridge]
Here we are all alone
But some how we’ve got to stay strong
[Chorus: until song fades out]
(Makes me wanna say ohhhhhhhhhhhhh)
(Just gotta say ohhhhhhhhhh)
(She makes me wanna say ohhhhhhhhh)
(Just gotta say ohhhhhhhhh)
But what kind of man would I be ohhhh can’t be unfaithful
sorry baby
With promises made that we never
Yet feeling it now more than ever
I cant denie
[Course x1]
[Bridge]
Here we are all alone
But some how we’ve got to stay strong
[Course: until song fades out]
(Makes me wanna say ohhhhhhhhhhhhh)
(Just gotta say ohhhhhhhhhh)
(She makes me wanna say ohhhhhhhhh)
(Just gotta say ohhhhhhhhh)
But what kind of man would I be ohhhh can’t be unfaithful
sorry baby
Like I tend to do with a special holiday coming around the corner I do a themed series of posts. This time it will be a new ballad for “Song of the Day” until Valentine’s Day arrives on the 14th. What better way to begin this romance-themed of songs than choosing a classic ballad from my high school days: “Ready or Not” by After 7.
This song comes from the R&B group After 7 and their self-titled debut album from 1989. “Ready or Not” was released as a single in 1990 and quickly became a staple of most R&B and urban contemporary radio stations. It also became a favorite ballad to be played during high school dances especially winter balls and proms (at least in the Bay Area). It was difficult not to like this ballad once one heard it. The late 80’s was a major era for the rebirth of Motown-infused R&B groups and After 7 was one of the better ones to make themselves known during this era.
“Ready or Not” was a very earnest sounding ballad and spoke to the romantic heart of those who listened to it both old and young. I think one reason why high school teens and young adults liked this song (and continue to do even as these same people are now in their 30’s and 40’s) is now it vocalized just exactly what their thoughts were when it came to their significant others. It didn’t just vocalize it, but did so in the most heartfelt way that some people today might call too sugary.
I, for one, still cling to the thought that this song represents romance in it’s most honest form. There’s barely a hint of cynicism in the lyrics and one could believe that Keith Mitchell and Kevon Edmonds (the two out of the trio in the group who sing solos in the song) also believed what they were singing about. They believed in the lyrics not as a way to manipulate their audience the way R&B singers of this current era do now.
“Ready or Not” will continue to be one of those songs which remains a favorite to this day and also one that helps me think back to the good days of my high school days.
Ready or Not
I’ll give the sun The Rain The Moon The Stars and The Mountains I’ll give you the world And all that you wish for And even more Girl I love you more than you could know And that’s for sure I’d climb the highest hill Cross the widest sea Nothin could discourage me And I pray that you will be Always there for me Forever more
Ready or not** I’ll give you everything and more All that I’ve got–it’s yours I’ll give you everything All that you’re looking for
I’ll give you my heart My soul my time My love is a fountain I will be your earth And all that you need for and even more Cause girl I love you more than words can show
My love is pure I’ll walk a thousand miles Sail a thousand seas Nothin will discourage me And I pray that you will be Always there for me Forever more
My time during Anime Expo 2010 was some of the best times I’ve ever had on vacation. It’s why I plan on getting back to Anime Expo for 2012 after missing out on 2011. One of the things which I liked about Anime Expo 2010 was some of the AMV’s I was able to watch. One of them ended up winning Best Drama and also ended up my favorite AMV for the convention. It also happens to be one of my favorite AMVs of all-time. This AMV is the latest “AMV of the Day” and simply titled “Alchanum”.
This AMV was created by Rider4ZMusicVideos and he chose the very popular anime series Fullmetal Alchemist and the song “See Who I Am” by the symphonic metal group Within Temptation. The epic, dramatic sound of the song paired with some very emotional scenes from the series shows just why this particular AMV was such a bih hit at Anime Expo 2010 and why it won the Best Drama category.
For those who have never watched Fullmetal Alchemist can get a basic idea of why this series has remained so popular with anime fans everywhere. Even if one didn’t understand what was going on in the video the emotions conveyed within should tempt these neophytes into checking out the series. The video also highlights just how well Within Temptation’s songs fit well with AMVs especially those of the dramatic stripe. For those who have seen the series this video should just reiterate just why they ended up fans of the series in the first place.
Through the Shattered Lens 