I am a huge music fan. Not just as background music but as a soundtrack to my life. My favourite music is that in which pulls me into the song. The composition, how each instrument or loop is brought together at just the right time, the words which tell a story… I always wished for so long I had been born with the talent to play and compose music. A lot of people when I say this say it’s just practice, but really I think they are just being modest. Composing and playing music is an art form. A special talent blessed to a person.

I do find it difficult not to be jealous. I mean, some music is JUST SO TASTY. Wally de Backer aka Gotye is one whose music is just super special, another aussie band I really dig is Black Cab; their album Altamont Diary is just extra tasty ear candy. I love the old school stuff like Alice Cooper and Meatloaf also for their ability to tell stories with their music – to write truly unique musical pieces that stand the test of time. There isn’t a huge number of individuals and groups who fall in my SUPER DUPER YUMMY EAR CANDY group. I’m fairly choosy I admit. Those mentioned so far make the cut, others would be Queen, DJ Shadow and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

I’m talking about not just musical talents, sheesh there are hundreds to add to that list who put out a great album, lets see… like Tex Perkins, Johnny Cash, Newton Faulkner etc but I mean an album with songs that have more than just a catchy tune and some clever lyrics.

I was lamenting one day on my lack of musical ability and clear as anything I really felt God telling me that my blessing was the gift of appreciation. That is, the gift to recognise and really embrace and celebrate the work and talents of these mentioned people. Afterall if we are all musicians, who would come to listen?

Music has the power to change moods and minds, uplift and push down people. It holds extraordinary power – I think we underestimate this some times…

I still harbour a strong desire for the ability to be as creative as these exceptional folks, but I am also proud of the fact I am a true music fan who can enter the world of a song and get lost in it.

- RHCP

Song: Minds Eye
Band: Wolfmother
Bit annoyed I can’t embed this one, but that’s their decision I guess.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2bA5JuKpQM

Song: Majesty
Band: Madrugada
Bit annoyed I can’t embed this one either, but that’s their decision I guess.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJCdfZk2eVo

When the thorn bush turns white that’s when I’ll come home
I am going out to see what I can sow
And I don’t know where I’ll go
And I don’t know what I’ll see
But I’ll try not to bring it back home with me

Like the morning sun your eyes will follow me
As you watch me wander, curse the powers that be
Cause all I want is here and now but its already been and gone
Our intentions always last that bit too long

Far far away, no voices sounding, no one around me and
you’re still there
Far far away, no choices passing, no time confounds me and you’re still there

In the full moons light I listen to the stream
And in between the silence hear you calling me
But I don’t know where I am and I don’t trust who I’ve been
And If I come home how will I ever leave

ANYHOO it’s done and dusted but it still leaves with the problem that some of my stuff is on my iPod, so how to get it back to my computer??

I found a groovy tutorial which tells me how.

BUT my geeky hubby is out at the moment, soooo that leaves me all alone to navigate the wonderful world of Terminal on my own… so for the benefit of us noobs who have never ventured into these things, I have provided some additional steps. I’m sure there are better ways but this did the job for me :)

Step 1:
Go to http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/copying-music-from-ipod-to-computer/P0/ and follow the instructions on page 2 towards the bottom

Step 2.
OK so you’ve copied the iPod_Control folder (or the Music folder within it) now copy it to somewhere on your computer. Then follow the instructions to show hidden files in your mac. Once you’ve done that you’ll need to open your Terminal window to do some bits so iTunes will be able to read the folders within it… so

Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal

Step 3.
And type in

chflags nohidden /pathname/Music/

(where pathname is put the full path to where you put the Folder, to find this in Finder go to View > Show Path Bar )

That will then unhide the Music folder, but then you also need to unhide all the folders within it so you might need to do this a few times

Step 4.
type in

chflags nohidden /pathname/Music/F00

then press the up key and delete the letter 1 and put a 2 and so on…

chflags nohidden /pathname/Music/F01
chflags nohidden /pathname/Music/F02

Step 5.
Then you can go to iTunes and go to File > Add to Library (but read the rest of the instructions on the link above as you can get iTunes to sort it all again for you).

So yeah, I am happy I got some of my music back anyway!

Car Stereo Wars
Broken

Soft fading light
And on the street below
the people come and go
and the traffic rushes by and then the lights turn red

Cold now and it is getting late
And people look at their watches
As they wait for the bus
And there’s a man with no gloves and he blows on his fingers

And it gets dark so fast for such a long day
And the room is quiet and starts to fade away
Just the smell of cigarettes
And only one broken glass
And you would never guess

I have climbed up to the top of the tallest tree
And no one knows I’m here
And I could hide for hours and hours

And I can see for miles
And I have never fallen
And I will not come down
And the sun is shining

Downstairs someone is getting home
And the door slams
And running footsteps on the floor
And a stereo starts up
And they are laughing

And I can hear them talking
But I can’t quite make it out
And I wonder what their saying and
What they can find to talk about
And I wonder why he stays
And why he hasn’t walked out

I have climbed up to the top of the tallest tree
And no one knows I’m here
And I could hide for hours and hours
And I can see for miles
And I have never fallen
And I will not come down
And the sun is shining

The city streets are wet with rain tonight
Taxi drivers swerve from lane to lane
A lonely guitar man playin’ down the hall
Midnight blues comin’ through the walls

I tried to call you on the telephone
I left it off the hook
Just to hear it ring
You told me you were better off alone
I never knew that tears could stain

I’m on the roof and I’m starin’ at the stars
Lookin’ down at all the cars
I can see you
In the window of your favorite corner bar
But to reach you is just too far
And I might as well be on mars

The city seems so old and grey and beat
It closes in and makes me wanna suffocate
And you just live across the street
But that’s a billion miles away

You’ve turned my world into a dark and lonely place
Like a planet lost in space, my light is fadin’
I’d cross the universe to be right where you are
But I’m right in your backyard
And I might as well be on mars

Chorus
I might as well be on mars
You can’t see me
I might as well be the man on the moon
You can’t hear me
Oh, can you feel me so close
And yet so far
Baby, I might as well be on mars

Baby, I can’t fly
If I could I’d come down to ya
Maybe I should try

I’m on the roof and I’m starin’ at the stars
Lookin’ down at all lthe cars
I can see you
In the window of your favorite corner bar
But to reach is just too far
And I might as well be on mars

Alice Cooper

i’m a lot like my dad i would have to say
he’s been wearing a beard ever since mom passed away
she would have hated it…inspiring,
he likes to go to church to hear the choir sing

roses and bluejays, winter comes, game over
he’s in the driveway removing snow with a flame thrower
drives a hard bargain, knows how to get the deals
spring fever hits he needs a new set of wheels
every year it never fails…

roaming around it his hometown, beachcombing
roses and bluejays, i’m a lot like my father
he knows he should go to work but sometimes he doesn’t bother
reads books of every sort
and gets all the news he needs from the weather report
the door stays open a few days and closes
what’s more important than bluejays and roses?

son of a gun, the old man is something else
in addition to being a bullfighter and magician
he’s a lazy river, slow moving train
future hall of famer, playing through the pain
he’s a grizzly bear…
and do you know one time he even saw a ufo?
my dad’s favorite things are roses and bluejays
i would say we are the same in more than a few ways

full of beans and big ideas
’cause i can’t sleep i’m not sure why he is
wide awake and off to the races
out of gas and lost in space