Sustain

At various points in life, there are good people, beliefs, music and other things which get you through troubled waters. These become the foci around which you pin yourself, so that when time (and escape velocity) are attained, you can let go and continue on a path tangential to the curve :P Here I attempt to chronicle some songs which reflected the times of yours truly at different phases.

Sometimes they nourished seeds on barren lands, sometimes they got boats across choppy waters, sometimes they became the tree in an oasis for the eagle to rest and regroup, sometimes they lent credence to a fledgling thought and sometimes they pumped sound into my ears, so that all other thoughts could just stay boxed in. Most of all, they sustained.

If - Bread

Album   : Manna
Year      : 1971
Line-up : David Gates - vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, James Griffin - vocals, guitar, keyboards, Robb Royer - guitar, bass, keyboards, Mike Botts - drums

Bread was a soft-rock band from the U.S. This song is the melting pot of melancholy, all hues of blue, yearning, longing, remembrance, and everything else that connects these things. The lyrics are very poetic and romantic, although with a dark edge to them .The darkness is complimented by the hauntingly beautiful voice of David Gates, and I am left trying to figure out what I feel when to this timeless song. The words transport you to another place and time. The reverb adds the extra dreamy effect to this soothing song. There are some sights, sounds and experiences which move you to bits when you go through them. This is one such.

Thank you - Led Zeppelin

Album    : Led Zeppelin 2
Year       : 1969
Lineup    : John Bonham – drums, John Paul Jones – bass guitar, Jimmy Page – electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals, Robert Plant – lead vocals, harmonica.

One of the sweetest songs by Led Zeppelin. I used to go on a cornucopia of listening to this over and over again. I recall a day when I had listened to this for more than fifty times, back to back!! A simple and soulful intro leads us to the calming vocals of Robert Plant. The lyrics are truly beautiful and very poetic. It reminds us of the golden age of true music with feelings and deep lyrics which made so much sense! The mellow notes of the piano creates a truly magical atmosphere when listening to this song :)

Son Of Alerik - Deep Purple

Album  : Perfect Strangers
Year     : 1984
Line-up : Ritchie Blackmore – guitar, Jon Lord – organ, keyboards, Ian Paice – drums, Ian Gillan – vocals, Roger Glover – bass.

I do not recall when I heard this song first, it must have been at around the same time when I discovered the deepest hues of purple. Mention Deep Purple, and they are known for smoke on the water. They do have many more amazing songs, this one being one of them. An instrumental, it lends meaning to my thought - the solo of a song is that part which cannot be expressed in words. Some of the purest things cannot be uttered. They may only be expressed through music. This song stirs the deepest corners of your heart and brings some indescribable feelings to the surface! Do not miss Jon Lord's magic at 01:15. Flawless sorcery, as he takes us through light years of an intense trip in a few seconds :)  At one time, I had this song on loop for days and days together, such was its pull. I've tried to understand why this song is called so, all I've come to know is that Alerik was a Visgoth king. Classic rock at its best!

“I think nostalgia is great, as long as you don’t start earning too much money off of it”
- Glover ,1985

Nostalgia 1 - Thaikkudam Bridge

Album   : - - (single)
Year      : 2013
Line-up : Siddarth Menon - vocals, Govind Menon - vocals, violin, Vipin Lal - vocals, Christin Jose - vocals, Mithun Raj - lead guitar, Anish - drums, Vian Fernandez - bass guitar, Ruthin Thej - keyboard

Thaikkudam Bridge is a band from Kerala. Consisting of musicians from throughout the country, they sing in Malayalam. Nostalgia 1 is a collection of old Malayalam songs, covered by this band. The production quality here is excellent, and we see them performing live on a show called Music Mojo, on Kappa TV. The song begins slow, with the soulful vocals of Siddarth , Govind , Vipin  and Christin before launching into an explosive crescendo with the violin and lead guitar. Vian and Ruthin are a treat to watch as they launch into synchronized headbanging, and you can't help but join them! The hand off from violin to lead guitars is the high point of this beautiful arrangement! It simply doesn't matter if you don't understand a word of Malayalam. This song is really tight!!

The pursuit of vikings - Amon Amarth

Album   : Fate of Norns (Norns are female beings who rule the destiny of Gods and men)
Year      : 2004
Line-up : Johan Hegg – vocals, Olavi Mikkonen – Lead Guitar, Johan Söderberg – Rhythm guitar, Ted Lundström – bass guitar, Fredrik Andersson – drums

Amon Amarth is a melodic death metal band from Sweden. I had listened to the opening of one of their songs at a function at work. I had no clue what song that was, until I stumbled on it on youtube - and I was hooked!! This song really makes you want to grow a big beard, long hair, raise a deep, guttural war cry and head bang really heavily. Their synchronized windmill headbanging in this song is crazy!! I'm not really a fan of really heavy music, but this band and song are something special. You can feel the relentless, overpowering lava thunder down the slopes, engulfing everything in its wake and incinerating everything. The drumming is simply unforgiving and just obliterates everything else. You'll be left gasping for air at the end of the song!! If nothing gets you going, just listen to this song, and you'll be screaming for more!!

*I do not own any of these images. All pictures courtesy their respective owners*

Blue Ruin

Dwight isn't a psycho killer, nor does he look like one. There is nothing in his outlook which suggests so. But, he has undergone tremendous loss, which has turned his world upside-down, and revenge with a capital R is the only way for him to express his rage and seek peace. One can see it in his eyes. A lost - kind of look, not judging anything, concealing the unfathomable rage. On the path to avenge the wrong doers, he will overcome anything. He has absolutely nothing to lose. This is a movie about Dwight's transformation and his path towards unforgiving retribution.

He has become a vagrant, on the fringes of society, waiting for 'the' moment to unleash tremendous pain in a calculated way, without batting an eyelid. When news arrives, he calmly prepares to wreck havoc.There are quite a few scenes which will make you think why the director has included. They contribute nothing to the story line but make the movie so much more real, and less movie-like. You feel there are many black swans, but there aren't :) There are scenes where you expect to be alarmed, but you won't be :) Watch closely and you'll see what I mean. There are long periods of silence in the movie, but we are taken very close to Dwight's thoughts, and to the anarchy that has consumed him. The beauty of the movie is that it may be unlike anything you've seen before - it keeps you guessing.

There are many moments where you will grit your teeth to digest what you're watching. Many sequences are stark, cold and gruesome. This is a tremendous movie with a very menacing slow pace which will keep you glued to your seats. Very fine cinema! Macon Blair has delivered a stunning performance and carries the whole movie on his shoulders.

Don't watch it if you expect a full- blown action movie with all guns blazing. Watch it if you can appreciate the pauses, the silence, and the moments that weigh heavily during them. Watch it if you're willing to be taken on a mind ride and can stomach a lot of thrill! This is a really great movie.

*I do not own any of these images. All pictures courtesy their respective owners*

Living is easy with eyes closed

"Go, wanderer. You won't have arrived until you've lost it all"

An English teacher in Spain uses the Beatles lyrics to teach English to his students, apart from imparting the deep meaning of their songs :) He listens to the radio in an effort to write the song lyrics in his notebook. He cannot understand/ listen to some words well. On hearing that John Lennon is in Almeria to shoot a movie, the Beatles - obsessed teacher makes a pilgrimage  to meet him :) He wants to show John his notebook. On the way, he picks up two hitch hikers - one pregnant girl and a rebellious teen. Against all odds, he meets John. John playfully fills in the blanks 'with crayons matching words (Like Yellow submarine in yellow colour) :) Word has it that the Beatles began to include lyrics in their albums after this incident.

The fab four

Inspired by true incidents, this movie chronicles a phase during September and October of 1966, when John Lennon was in Spain to act in a movie - How I won the war. He stayed in a house called Santa Isabel where he is supposed to have gotten inspired to write 'Strawberry fields forever'.  The movie's name is derived from a line in this song (doh!).

The movie is a visual delight. Almeria and its sun-kissed surroundings are captured beautifully. The camera slides ever so gently giving us very relaxing shots of the characters and of town. Javier Cámara is very convincing as Antonio, the effusive teacher. He is the selfless man with a very generous heart. Natalia de Molina is extremely enchanting as Belén, the pregnant hitch hiker, although the trouble in her life may not be apparent in her face. Her radiance overcomes all else in the movie :)

Baby you can drive my car

For the Beatles fan who worships every bit of history behind each of their songs, this will no doubt be gold class. It adds the extra dimension in the Beatles universe in your mind. Watch this while in the throes of Beatlemania for added excitement :) The last sequence is enough to melt one's heart for some reason. The wind in your hair and the sun in hers, as we amble down on a snaking road by the ocean, with 'Strawberry fields forever' playing on an old cassette player. What more does one need?

*I do not own any of these images. All pictures courtesy their respective owners*

Bolshoi booze

There are things you watch , there are things you observe and there are characters who you become, unconsciously. So overpowering are their traits that you cannot help but do what they do, speak what they speak and behave like they do. To strive and to emulate them becomes your way of tribute. It does not matter if you fall face first while doing so. After all, what are we, but the product of our influences?

True story

The hours spent in this irresistible pass time come to mind. The meaning of addiction is realized. It simply did not matter what official work or personal plans you had the next day. All that mattered was that you had to cave in to the temptation of watching the next episode, as they were experts in ending one with you hanging on the edge :) I remember sitting through the first two seasons in a single weekend once!

To this day, I try to walk like Michael Scofield did, in Prison Break. A cool, steady walk, hands in pockets or in overalls as the snowflake soaks his environment into his photographic memory. 

The cool and calm calculus of reason

Attention to detail is life. No stone is left unturned. He is the strategist immaculate. I also began looking at time in this way!:

Time

The moment of reckoning was the unveiling and purpose of the tattoos. The myriad and elaborate schemes to achieve the objective were planned to the dot. Cute poison, Bolshoi booze, English, Fitz or Percy were words which me and blue fish invoked everywhere at will, many times to others irritation :P . Above all, the bond between the bros and the lengths they would go to for each other were at the delicate core of this saga.

Link played his part to perfection, the  furrows of injustice manifesting in his tough look. Dr. Sara Tancredi lent her grace always, balancing the tense moments with her poise, calm and serene eyes :) Mahone and Kellerman were suits in their own right, claiming the boundaries of right and wrong within their limitations of mind, family, and country. T Bag exemplified menace and cunning. It was a great cast!

The planning phases evoked ideas from Chemistry, structures, electricity, geology and history and soothed my trivia- seeking mind. The reconnaissance was worthy of the highest levels of spying and I also scan boards like Scofield does here, so entrenched was the series' influence on me :P

The subsequent seasons seem like discordant notes in an otherwise brilliant, dazzling and captivating sonata. But that will never diminish the wonderful memories of experiencing the first two seasons of this wonderful series.

*I do not own any of these images. All pictures courtesy their respective owners*