Bidding You Adieu!


For three years, I’ve been sharing music with anyone reading. I’ve also shared my own personal opinions. I’ve made some people happy through the former, and angered many with the latter. Music is funny, that way. I sought relevance through music to bring light to topics. Many misinterpret writings online of mine as fueled by anger. I argue intently that it’s passion. When I have a topic in my head, I can listen to a certain song and feel a sense of clarity. The disconnect comes through the writing, as perhaps that clarity simply cannot be expressed in words.

With that said, I have one last song to share with people. It actually helps express the sort of inner peace I’ve found as of late. I’m not a religious person, at all, but it’s hard to not find the beauty in Moby’s “Stella Maris”. People know of Moby’s turn to Christianity, and the title of this track in English is translated to “Star of the Sea”, and used to represent the Virgin Mary.

I honestly don’t have many words to describe this one. It calms my nerves, and considering the events in my own personal life in just the last year or two, it also reminds me to be more calm and clear headed in darker times. While I certainly could have used that knowledge when saying and doing things I maybe should not have, I learned long ago to not regret your actions, but to make light of them and learn. Make peace with yourself, because others will, also, if they see the genuine nature within.

Thank you all for reading through my diatribes over the last three years. I do hope that music holds as much meaning for those reading as it does for me. It helps express yourself as well as force you to take a step back and view yourself critically in a positive manner. It defines who we are, and mirrors our differences physically and mentally, but also can be used to bridge those gaps that we essentially create, to begin with. Peace can be found not just within yourself through song, but can be created among people around the world with it, too.

Click to Play Moby – Stella Maris

Bringing Back Memories


I had this urge to go find a song the other day. When I start looking? I get the damn song. I mean it. Well, this is not the most exciting post. I give you that much. It is a great song, and at least there’s a story behind it. You see, I think some folks here know I DJed. And I don’t mean this half-assed way where guys look at a computer screen and “DJ”. No. Vinyl. And it took a long while for me to even become any good at it. Granted, I was playing around at home for probably an average of five to six hours a day for the first six months, but it didn’t come easy. It’s something to say I’m proud I learned how to do.

Well, this song is actually one of the first I picked up on vinyl. Now, when I bought my turntables back in early 2001 – which I still have, by the way – the kid I bought them from also gave me about 20-30 pieces of wax. Some of it I never touched. This one, I used to practice with all the time. And for some reason, it gave me fits. So I would stop. Start. Try mixing again. And fuck up again. It’s not a difficult track to play, in retrospect. Who knows why I had so much difficulty with it. Perhaps the other ambient sounds in the track confused me. Perhaps my sound system to use as a monitor speaker were crap – and they were. Bottom line is, I learned how to do it.

And I have to say, I don’t think I ever played this song out at a gig, which is a shame, because I love it so much. I looked for this version for a couple of days. The dub version just isn’t the same. Yet it was all I could find. I did find the vocal mix, and I give it to you here. The track? “South Side” by Moby, and this is the Pete Heller Park Lane Vocal mix. I don’t know what it is about this mix I love so much, but maybe that’s a good thing. I simply love it. Now I pass it along to you guys!

Click to Play Moby – South Side (Pete Heller Park Lane Vocal Mix)

Mmmmmmoby


So another new year has come into our lives. And with it? Well, another year of my pointless banter about music. And what better way to start it all off than by posting some good ambient tunes by one Richard Melville Hall. You guys probably know him by another name – Moby.

The first track here is something I thought of the other night not really knowing why I thought of it. However, this one is one I said flat out to all my buddies on Facebook that I would want played at my funeral. That’s a pretty morbid statement, yes, but it’s 100% true. This is just a hauntingly beautiful song, and hell, it was even used in the Sopranos. So check out “When It’s Cold, I’d Like To Die” off of the mid-’90’s electronica breakthrough album Everything Is Wrong.

Click to Play Moby – When It’s Cold I’d Like To Die

The next one is off of his critically acclaimed album Play. You know, I had sort of skipped past a lot of this album. Not even sure why. This is one I had to be reminded was a great tune. After posting this one online, as well, I got one comment from the following video accompaniment to it.

This song makes me *sob.*. Love it.

So yeah. Go check this one out.

Click to Play Moby – My Weakness

The last one is a lengthy tune that doesn’t really seem to be long enough, if you could believe it. This as well as Panda Bear’s “Bros” and the Mad Professor dub of Massive Attack’s “Protection” are all in select company, there. It’s “Alone”, off of the failed Animal Rights album. The album was one I anticipated, but definitely had the same reaction as many – confusion. It was a very different sound from what I was used to, but there was plenty on it to like. This, to me, is the standout track. Just gorgeous.

Click to Play Moby – Alone

Okay, go buy stuff. I told you to, so you’re obliged.