Please Don't Take Him Just Because You Can

Dare I do it? Dare I be so bold as to put a post on this totally insignificant spec of the Interwebs about the ultimate goddess (at least this week) of Crazy? Oh heck, why not. Miley Cyrus. I'm going there.

So, like many of us middle aged folks with actual musical taste, I can safely say that I didn't know a thing about Miley until the infamous twerking incident on last month's VMAs. I don't even need to link the video. We've all seen it. But what's even more amazing is that apparently it was even worse than we thought. MTV had to edit almost everything she did, so what we did see was apparently considered tame. Oy vey. Anyway, I didn't grow up watching her and Billy Ray on whatever ridiculous show that was and I don't think I'd ever heard her sing anything before and if I did I wouldn't have known it was her anyway and if someone had told me I would have said "who?" or "stop talking" or "turn this awful shit down!" All that being said, the girl can actually sing. Too bad she spends so much time with her tongue hanging out of her mouth. As my voice teacher used to always say "you'll never be able to get into your head voice if you're straddling a wrecking ball in the buff with your tongue dangling around your ankles. Also, use your diaphragm."

Anyway, thanks to spending way too much time trolling Facebook on a regular basis, I was introduced to Miley in a whole new light. And, by Jehovah, she's wearing clothes! The "Backyard Sessions" took place in the summer of 2012 and feature Miley and her band playing some covers of her favorite songs. It's well done, the band sounds good (and they're cute!), the setting is lovely, and most importantly I discovered that Miley Cyrus is a singer. Who knew? There are several songs featured here that got great reviews, but the one that's sticking out for me is her cover of Jolene. It's hard to outdo the original by the fantabulous Dolly Parton (who, fun Friday factoid, just so happens to be Miss Miley's godmother!) but I think her raspy/crisp vocals do it justice. As my voice teacher used to always say "no one will care about you belting covers in your backyard unless you used to be Hannah Montana. Also, wrinkling your forehead won't help you hit the high notes."

Enough Of The Jealousy And Intoleration

That's kind of an odd lyric, isn't it? You don't hear the word "intoleration" in pop songs all that often, do you? Ah, they just don't write the hits like they used to back in 1978...

So this morning I was awakened from a dream involving speedboats (don't ask) to a crying Bug demanding to sleep in our bed, (accompanied by Piglet and blankie, as per ushe) and also REO Speedwagon blasting in my ear. Not literally, of course. Bug was not rocking out at 5:00 a.m. or anything (we take away, a.k.a. reclaim, all of his iShit at night-night time.) But you know, inside my head. Yep, Kevin Cronin's very distinctive voice was saying "RISE AND SHINE!" at this ungodly hour, and even though I briefly fell back asleep, he just would not be deterred. Amazingly enough that voice still sounds pretty much the same as you can tell from this video. Side bar: Is it weird that he seems to play the majority of the song solely with his left thumb? No? Are you sure? Because it looks pretty weird...ok, just asking.

Anyway, it's quite possible the best thing about Time For Me to Fly is the title of the album from whence it came. You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish. Was this pun funny in 1978? I don't remember. I was one. But I can tell you that the album cover that goes with the title is definitely chuckle-worthy in 2013. Agreed?

Fun factoid for today: Dolly Parton covered this track on her 1989 album White Limozeen, which is also a pretty badass album cover. Go girl.

(It might also have been one of the first times someone purposely mispelled a word to make it cooler. Let's face it, the letter Z is so much more in your face than the letter S. Even Bug knows that. Thanks Sesame Street...er, Zesame Ztreet.)

And thanks Burt Sugarman and The Midnight Special. If I'd been alive I probably would have watched this too.

He's Real Smart With A Real Big Heart

The whole gosh-darned family has been sick for over a week. We're all sick and tired of being sick and tired. And what I'm most over at the moment is the 2:00 a.m. eyes-popping-open-for-no-reason-other-than-I'm-hopped-up-on-cold-medicine routine that I've gotten into. And every danged morning last week, the same danged song was on a very fast and loud repeat in my looped out brain. I think this one got stuck when I stumbled upon the tail end of the movie Sweet Home Alabama (more than once, I might add) while home on the couch trying not to cough up both lungs. I'm a total Dolly fan (she's made an appearance here before,) but this song at that time of morning...it's just not working for me. Please for the love of all that is good and holy, make it stop! I just fell asleep while typing that.

Waitin' For the Day Your Ship'll Come In

Back from the beach, and back to work. Ugh. Why am I not independently wealthy and living on a yacht on the Mediterranean?!? WHY? I would do really well with a personal cabana boy, I believe. I mean, Hubby was pretty good about making sure our umbrella provided adequate beach shade, and he did in fact ride his three-wheeler bike back to the house for mimosa supplies to refill my beverage, but I don't recall being fanned with palm fronds or even being exempt from changing soggy salt-water soaked diapers for Bug. Ah well, there is room for improvement in all things. But I digress...

So, back to the grind and Nine to Five is going through my head non-stop. Love you Dolly! This movie was one of my faves when I was little. Especially the part where Lilly Tomlin imagines she's Snow White killing off the boss man. Classic. This was also a great film for Dolly's hair. I swear that blonde helmet never moves a single strand during all of their shinanigans. Impressive, to say the very least. Also, I covet the dress she's wearing in this performance. Thanks 1983!