What's The Big Fuzz?

The Lighthouse

2007-10-04T01:40:00.000+08:00

- It's been awhile, thus this rambling.

- Facebook is eating away my time on this, but the old friends found there were extremely gratifying. I've never been a good manager of friends, because I'd much like to do things alone (eating, sleeping, shopping, reading). No one can be called my best friend, while I can't be to anyone. But after finding, and being accepted by, about 80 friends, I don't think I can be called a loner. That's good.

- It's hard to lead a double life. Will I be an above-average sports columnist/newpaper designer, or will I be a so-so guitarist with the (very) occasional inventiveness?

- Interpol remain haunting, but they seem in a rut. The icy, film-noir guitar lines are getting tiresome in some tracks. That said, when they hit form, it's way above the trash that comes out of music these days. Jaded? You bet I am.

- My heart swings, a lot.

- Harry Potter's over. Nice. I'm most like Hermione, according to a Facebook survey. That seemed to get onto many people's nerves.

Ich Will

2007-07-14T20:24:00.000+08:00

The comedy of subtitling.

Time

2007-07-12T08:09:00.000+08:00

Jaded with rock music, like I am right now? Go listen to Tom Waits, like I did.

One online reviewer said there are only two rock musicians whose lyrics are as beautiful on paper as they are when sung - Bob Dylan and Tom Waits. So here are the lyrics to the song above.

Time - Tom Waits

Well the smart money's on Harlow and the moon is in the street
And the shadow boys are breaking all the laws
And you're east of East St Louis and the wind is making speeches
And the rain sounds like a round of applause
And Napoleon is weeping in a carnival saloon
His invisible fiancee's in the mirror
And the band is going home, it's raining hammers, it's raining nails
And it's true there's nothing left for him down here

And it's time, time, time
And it's time, time, time
And it's time, time, time that you love
And it's time, time, time

And they all pretend they're orphans and their memory's like a train
You can see it getting smaller as it pulls away
And the things you can't remember tell the things you can't forget
That history puts a saint in every dream
Well she said she'd stick around until the bandages came off
But these mama's boys just don't know when to quit
And Mathilda asks the sailors, "Are those dreams or are those prayers?"
So close your eyes, son, and this won't hurt a bit

Oh it's time, time, time
And it's time, time, time
And it's time, time, time that you love
And it's time, time, time

Well things are pretty lousy for a calendar girl
The boys just dive right off the cars and splash into the street
And when they're on a roll she pulls a razor from her boot
And a thousand pigeons fall around her feet
So put a candle in the window and a kiss upon his lips
As the dish outside the window fills with rain
Just like a stranger with the weeds in your heart
And pay the fiddler off 'til I come back again

Oh it's time, time, time
And it's time, time, time
And it's time, time, time that you love
And it's time, time, time

There She Goes

2007-06-25T23:04:00.000+08:00

Another spate of mp3 downloads. Realised that most musicians I like are male.

There must be some women singers I like, I thought. Scrolled through my library, it became obvious who my fave woman musician is.

Sarah McLachlan.

Actually, I like only her two major albums. But what beauties those are. Spellbinding is the only word I can think of to describe Sarah's voice. Listen to it wrap around your ears. You'll forget the world.

Here are my top 10 Sarah McLachlan songs

10 Blackbird (Afterglow live)
If you want to cover the Beatles, you better match their high standards. Wisely, she picks this gentle ditty from The White Album. Stellar guitars.

9 Possession (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy)
Lead-off track of an extraordinarily beautiful album, but the treasure lies at the end, as she tucks a piano-only version as the hidden track. A tale of a stalker? Feel the eerie power as she sings amid the gorgeous piano: "I will be the one to hold you down, kiss you so hard."

8 Adia (Surfacing)
'Cause we are born innocent.....

7 Do What You Have To Do (Surfacing)
If just for how she sings the opening phrase: "What ravages of spirit conjured this temptuous rage?/Created you a monster, broken by the rule of love?"

6 Elsewhere (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy)
"I believe this is heaven to no one else but me/And I'll defend it as long as I can be left here to linger in silence/If I choose to, would you try to understand?" Yes I do.

5 Fear (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy)
Bone-chilling vocal acrobatics.

4. Hold On (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy)
Only she can make a song about an impending death seem so warm, tender and devoid of schmaltz.

3. Good Enough (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy)
The perfectly-emoted soft-rock song for a woman to sing.

2. Wait (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy)
Overlooked gem. A weird beat over a simple piano riff. Then her ethereal voice drifts in, singing about...whatever she's singing. Obtuse, yet so haunting like you know every word she says.

1. Angel (Surfacing)
The most beautiful song ever. Pure at heart, crystalline voice, gorgeous musical accompaniment. Just incredibly moving. During a strange drinking session back in my uni days, with some of my closer female friends around, I said if some woman ever sings this song for me, I would fall immediately for her, no questions asked. None of those friends did =p But the offer still stands. Serious.

Ultraviolet (Light My Way)

2007-06-19T11:10:00.000+08:00

Something to make us a little less cynical.

So in the semi-finals....

And in the final....

Now if you had noticed the small girl in the above video, here's her performance. Warning to females: it WILL reduce you into blabbering "SO CUTE!" for hours.

Survivalism

2007-05-01T02:47:00.000+08:00

- Just bought "Year Zero" by one of my favourite musicians, Nine Inch Nails. Extremely noisy, extremely bleak, extremely good. Dunno if it's a healthy thing.

- "Hurt" gets me more and more emotional as I get older. Dunno if it's a good thing.

- These days, I get worked up over the smallest things. And it's not about work. It's about my own hobby. This is hardly a good thing.

- Hey man, slow down, slow down. Idiot, slow down, slow down.

- I eat too fast.

- Start all over? Dare I?

- My favourite NIN songs:

5. Terrible Lie (Pretty Hate Machine): God owes me a great big apology? Gulp.

4. Closer (The Downward Spiral): I wanna *bleep* you like an animal. Sex in electronica.

3. Something I Can Never Have (PHM): The most depressing piano ballad. Ever.

2. March Of The Pigs (TDS): Now doesn't it make you feel better?

1. Hurt. But of course.

- I'm alright. I really am. It's the people around me that are falling apart, and it's affecting me.

Wasn't Born To Follow

2007-03-16T00:08:00.000+08:00

- I've always wanted to be a Jack of all trades.

I figured, why exclude? Why this and not that? Why can't a person be a master of none?

Do I need to pigeon-hole myself, when the world is already busy trying to categorise me?

I'm whoever I want to be. And I'm good in everything I want to be. I count my blessings for it.

But no, it's not enough for the world, isn't it? It's not enough to just dabble, one must be obsessive to be considered an expert, a master of one.

Everyone pushes himself over the edge for his own ego, that he may call himself dedicated to his field of expertise.

They scoff, they jeer, they blame those who are laid-back, those who have a short attention span, those who are easily bored.

I've always been able to jump off the wagon before it gets derailed.

People view it as a curse. I view it as keeping my sanity.

- I'm burning out real fast. Gotta recharge. Thailand here I come.

Feelings, nothing more than......

2007-02-28T01:32:00.000+08:00

ROFL. God I miss the Muppets.

Mee mee, mee mee mee mee mee mee
mee mee mee mee mee mee
mee mee mee mee

Mee mee, mee mee mee mee mee mee mee mee mee
mee mee mee mee mee mee mee mee mee mee
mee mee mee mee

MEEE MEEE!!!! Mee mee mee mee mee MEE MEE!!!!
Meeee..... mememememememe.....
MEEE MEEE!!! Mee mee mee mee mee MEE MEE!!!
Meee.... mememememememe.....

Yellow

2007-02-06T09:59:00.000+08:00

If the movie is as good as these two trailers, I'm gonna die laughing in the cinema.

Wolf Like Me

2007-01-29T18:55:00.000+08:00

My current fave. What a beautiful sound/noise TV On The Radio create.

Letterman seems to like this band, that old fart. Awesome performance.

Say say my playmate
Won't you lay hands on me
Mirror my melody
Transfer my tragedy

Got a curse i cannot lift
Shines when the sunset shifts
When the moon is round and full
Gotta bust that box, gotta gut that fish

We could jet in a stolen car
But i bet we wouldn't get too far
Before the transformation takes
And bloodlust tanks and crave gets slaked

My mind has changed my body's frame
But God i like it
My heart's aflame, my body's strained
But God i like it
My mind has changed my body's frame
But God i like it
My heart's aflame, my body's strained
But God i like it

Charge me your day rate
I'll turn you out in kind
When the moon is round and full
Gonna teach you tricks that'll blow your mind

Baby doll I recognise
You're a hideous thing inside
If ever there were a lucky kind
It's you you you you

I know it's strange, another way
To get to know you
You'll never know unless we go
So let me show you
I know it's strange, another way
To get to know you
We've got till noon, here comes the moon
So let it show you, show you now

Dream me, oh dreamer
Down to the floor
Open my hands and let them weave onto yours
Feel me, completer
Down to my core
Open my heart and let it bleed onto yours
Feeding on fever
Down on all fours
I'll show you what all that howl is for

Hey hey my playmate
Let me lay waste to thee
Burned down their hanging trees
It's hot here hot here hot here hot here

Got a curse we cannot lift
Shines when the sunshine shifts
There's a curse comes with a kiss
The bite that binds, the gift that gives

Now that we got gone for good
Writhing under your riding hood
Tell your grandma and your mama too
It's true true true true

We're howling forever....

1,000 Oceans

2007-01-12T02:34:00.000+08:00

While the rest of the world go ga-ga over the iPhone (click on the links to my friends' blogs), I'm still plugged to my oversized, battered Creative Zen original.

Plowing through some alternative music. Then one song stopped me in the tracks, as it has done always.

Tori Amos released this song when I was in university. A young man still with enough naivete to believe in falling gloriously in love with someone.

That song drove me to tears the first time I heard it. The second, the third, the fourth.....

And, when I revisited it about two hours ago, I'm still affected by its purity. The young man's tears, however, have dried.

Such a simple declaration. Like when the accountant told Schindler that his list is "absolute good", so is this song.

These tears I cried
I've cried a thousand oceans
And if it seems I'm floating in the darkness
Well, I can't believe
That I would keep, keep you from flying
And I would cry a thousand more
If that's what it takes to sail you home
Sail you home, sail you home

I'm aware what the rules are
But you know that I would run
You know that I will follow you
Over Silbury Hills
Through the solar fields
You know that I will follow you

And if I find you
Will you still remember
Playing at the trains
Or does this little blue ball just fade away

Over Silbury Hills
Through the solar fields
You know that I will follow you
I'm aware what the rules are
But you know that I would run
You know that I will follow you

These tears I cried
I've cried a thousand oceans
And if it seems I'm floating in the darkness
Well, I can't believe
That I would keep, keep you from flying
So I would cry a thousand more
If that's what it takes to sail you home
Sail you home, sail you home

Incinerate

2007-01-10T13:58:00.000+08:00

Oh wow. This is bloody awesome. My favourite song of 2006, and I heard it about a month too late for the year....=) Hail Kim, Thurston, Lee and Steve.

Next Year

2006-12-30T03:19:00.000+08:00

- Can't sleep. Thought about the ending year. Some reflections (10 of them).

10. Sustaining my sports column throughout this year. Miraculous.

9. Still jamming. But I wish it could go somewhere fast.

8. Hitting the 3-0. I'm glad I still feel like 29.

7. KTV sleaze in Beijing. Dragged into it by my important acquaintance. Let's just say ladies from every Chinese province were lined up in front of me. Sigh.

6. Oasis concert. Power of rock still resonates. Almost passed out in the heat of the crowd.

5. Bob Dylan's "Modern Times". Lyrical aches.

4. Sydney Harbour. A$1 million for a house overlooking this beauty.

3. Great Wall during Beijing trip. 2nd time on the Wall, walked further than the first time. Cheered on by an old lady as I struggled with my weight.

2. Finally being comfortable and competent with my job. I have the skills to pay the bills.

1. Willing my team to FA Cup victory. Just before Stevie G hit his last-minute screamer from 35m out, I shouted "SHOOOOOOOT!!!!!" in front of all my colleagues. Apparently, Stevie heard me. I feel so important.

I wish next year will have a memorable moment with someone. I. care.

After The Flood

2006-12-25T23:44:00.000+08:00

- Wash away the loose ground.

- Late night drink sessions are always candid. With my old JC friends, it gets really funny. Miss them much, especially as more and more of them go strike it out overseas, or get married, or both.

- New year dawning. Can't wait for it. I always feel ready to start anew. Of course, six months down the road, I'll be back where I'm used to be. Whatever.

- A quick Top 10 list before I go. Paul Simon has a way of with words unlike any other songwriters. No one writes songs as poignant, in as literate a manner, as he does. Beneath his wealth of words, lies an attention to emotional detail no one else comes close to.

10 You Can Call Me Al
At his most fun, he can be as nonsensical as John Lennon on LSD. This is his "I Am The Walrus". Check out one of the most beautiful bass breaks in pop history late in this song.

9 Slip Slidin' Away
What a downer of a song. Of course, he had to marry to one of the beautiful folk melodies for the poignancy to hit home. The spine-tingling line: "We're working our jobs/Collect our pay/Believe we're gliding down the highway/When in fact we're slip slidin' away".

8 The Cool, Cool River
Late-era Simon songs are embellished by world music. This one marries South American percussion to a powerful lament on man's powerlessness against the forces of nature. It's a stunning, surging epic, ending with one of his best couplets: "My life's so common, it disappears/And sometimes even music/Cannot substitute for the tears."

7 Homeward Bound
Best song about a songster's homesickness. "All my words come back to me/In shades of mediocrity/Like emptiness in harmony/I need someone to comfort me."

6 Mrs Robinson
Bouyant and whimsical, Simon paints the 1960s with humourous flair. And here's to you, Mrs Robinson.

5 The Sound Of Silence
His first hit, with Garfunkel. Try listen to this song live, and not have a tear in your eyes when they sing, in their perfect harmony: "And the sign said, the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls/And tenement halls/And whispered in the sound of silence."

4 Hearts And Bones
Written during his marriage breakdown, it is naturally heartbreaking. An underrated classic. "Tell me why/Why won't you love me/For who I am/Where I am?"

3 Bridge Over Troubled Water
What an apt metaphor for friendship, sung in Garfunkel's beautiful tenor. The irony is that this song was made when his and Garfunkel's relationship was at their worst. Absolutely a hymn. "I'll take your part/Oh, when darkness comes/And pain is all around/Like a bridge over troubled water/I will lay me down."

2 The Boxer
Awesome tale of everyman's fight to survive. When the "Li-la-li" refrain begins, you're swept away by the cinematic grandeur and tragedy. "In the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by his trade/And he carries the reminders of every glove that laid him down/Or cut him till he cried out in his anger and his shame/I am leaving, I am leaving/But the fighter still remains."

1 Graceland
The one song where his music matches the poignancy and richness of his lyrics. Credit the South African backing band that created the looping, uplifting rhythms and exquisite guitar fills. But the lyrics are all Simon, and I think it's about his recovery from his failed marriage. Such a beautiful metaphor, comparing the recovery to a trip to Graceland, surely every American musician's Mecca. And therein lies his greatest and truest line: "And I see losing love is like a window in your heart/Everybody sees you're blown apart/Everybody feels the wind blow."

Live Through This

2006-12-07T02:35:00.000+08:00

- It's always better to move on.

- Responsibilities. You live with those that you choose to put on your shoulders. Those that others put on, well, it's human nature to unburden them at the first opportunity. Problem is, we desire to take every of them on, to let them twist and turn around you, until our shoulders sag, and our mind grows tired.

- Someone asked me whether I'm a responsible guy, given I've few relationships with women, and am still single. How dare he. As if I will not choose to commit if I have the chance to. Don't forget, I'm an "eldest son". I have damn well been drilled into my head what responsibility to a family is.

- Is it a sin not to be a perfectionist in this island? Lately I'm beginning to hallucinate that this is true. If I pay attention to the big picture, as opposed to the minutest-detail-which-nobody-will- care-about-except-the-overzealous-prick, does it mean I'm sloppy, careless and worthless?

- But, like I said, it's always better to move on, burn out and not fade away.

- It's been some depressing posts, I know. But it's catharsis for me, so that I'm happy when I'm with you, my friends. Brighter posts coming up.

Twenty-Four Hours

2006-12-04T19:09:00.000+08:00

- Another stressed-out, mind-numbing period. Hope there's someone.

Dead Skin Mask

2006-11-24T13:58:00.000+08:00

Marilyn Burns is the original Scream Queen, IMO. Here's the dinner scene of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, where she screams her lungs out. Warning: Distressing and disturbing.

Don't fret: she survived the ordeal.

Just Like Honey

2006-11-21T22:55:00.000+08:00

- Lately, I've been preoccupied with the Jesus And Mary Chain. The first band to marry feedback with melody. Here's their first song from their first/best album, Psychocandy.

Wonderful noise. Here's another classic, Never Understand.

Devil-may-care at its best.

All In The Family

2006-11-20T01:48:00.000+08:00

And I thought The Simpsons were the best. I was wrong. (Just testing out putting youtube clips here.)

Dreams

2006-11-12T02:07:00.000+08:00

- I feel better. Thank you.

- You give and you give. and it's a lie that you don't expect something in return. It wears me out. It's worn me out.

- I may not look like one, but I don't get to where I am now without being tenacious. I could have given up on journalism after my former boss rubbished my reports. I could have been resigned to my fate to become an engineer, after getting a C5 in my GP the first time round.

So if you want to bring me down, I say: "Bring it on, punk."

- Nice dream.

It's Been Awhile

2006-11-11T00:21:00.000+08:00

- Since I've felt so talentless. So f**k you all.

- Either you sink, or you swim. And I've always swam. So f**k you all.

- Don't over-analyse. Just try, try, and try again until it's right. So f**k you all.

- I feel numb. Too much is not enough.

The Saints Are Coming

2006-11-09T00:44:00.000+08:00

- Go download this song. By U2 and Green Day, IMO the only two bands that matter now.

- Just had a long drive around the island, with Bruce Springsteen blasting in the car stereo. I realised I had to do a top 10 on a musician I'm still in awe of. So here goes.

10. Streets Of Philadelphia
Perhaps the most restrained song of his. Yet one of his most moving, a stark portrayal of an Aids victim for the film "Philadelphia".

9. Atlantic City
With a guitar and a four-track, he recorded this sad gambling tale. No need for refinement.

8. My Hometown
There are more famous songs from his "Born In The USA" album, but none as poignant.

7. Brilliant Disguise
The best song about a relationship falling apart.

6. Born To Run
His first hit, and he piles on the grandiosity. Beneath it, however, is a desperate tale that we can relate to - to leave our small neighbourhood and make it big.

5. I'm On Fire
A short interlude, but somehow, I find it extraordinarily moving.

4. Born In The USA
No it's not a patriotic song.

3. The River
Jobs can kill relationships. The heartbreaking line: "Is a dream a lie if it don't come true/Or is it something worse?"

2. Darkness On The Edge Of Town
His bleakest song, yet perhaps his truest.

1. Thunder Road
No other song encapsulates as much joy, pain, anger and happiness into four unforgettable minutes of rock and roll.

This Modern Love

2006-10-30T22:43:00.000+08:00

- I wish I could post nasty pictures, or write something as vitriolic as Wee Shu Min's controversial masterpiece. Then more people would come visit my blog.

Stupid, the above sentence, right?

See, people want privacy to their thoughts, yet crave to be heard and appreciated. Ta-da! Here's the blog to the rescue.

I admit I was appalled by her article. But not surprised. Very few things surprise me these days. I always believe the youth of today are so totally cocooned, pampered and primmed by their parents that they will suffer once they get in touch with the real world.

Or rather, we will suffer once they get into our real world.

Wake up and smell the dung, I say.

- I am a private guy, but I speak my mind. I aim to please, but I like to be left alone. I love Chinese, but I edit grammar for an English newspaper. I have a rock band, but I don't have any groupies. I feel I'm creative, but I work the most conservative media company. I love sports, but I'm way too fat. I look young, but feel so old-fashioned.

I feel normal, but I'm full of paradoxes. This, modern, love?

- "When a man loves a woman/Can't keep his mind on nothing else/He'd trade the world/for a good thing he's found."

I wonder how many men nowadays can still fulfil this.

I wish I could be. But sometimes I can't make it on my own.

- Here comes your man.

Top 15 "Good Ol' Rock & Roll" Songs

2006-10-10T01:37:00.000+08:00

Finally, another music list. Lazy lazy bones I have.

Rock And Roll music originated when the melodies of country music were married to the stomping beats of blues. Here are 15 of my favourite "old-school" songs. Okay, oldies.

Since I've already done Beatles, Rolling Stones and Dylan lists, they are naturally not here.

15. Miserlou - Dick Dale
Unmistakeable surf instrumental, revived in the 1990s by "Pulp Fiction". Full of hedonistic energy, incomparably cool. Spine-tingling moment: The opening guitar pulse sets you up nicely.

14. Daydream Believer - The Monkees
The first boyband? Likely, as the band were formed for a TV series about....a band. But wait, don't puke yet, this song is whimsical rock at its most supreme. Spine-tingling moment: The opening riff is cool and, of course, the chorus is so catchy it's criminal.

13 Piece Of My Heart - Big Brother And The Holding Company
Big who? Doesn't matter, hear the vocals, and there can only be one vocalist that powerful and haunting: Janis Joplin. It's a voice that can lift the most mundane lyrics to chilling heights. Spine-tingling moment: Near the end, when she finishes the line "Take another piece of my heart", she lets out a spontaneous "WOOOAAAAHHHHH!!!" that simply breaks a piece of your heart.

12 Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley
Dum-a-dum-a-dum-a-dum-dum. The riff, at its most basic, most primal. Plus point: The man has ultra-cool looking guitars. Spine-tingling moment: That insistent riff sounds at once stomping, and at once ethereal.

11 Hey Hey My My (Into The Black) - Neil Young
A rip-roaring declaration of everything good about rock and roll. Young penned the song as a riposte to punk's revolutionary antics in the 1970s. "The King is gone but he's not forgotten/This is the story of Johnny Rotten." The spirit of rock passes on from Elvis to Sex Pistols. Spine-tingling moment: The chilling line, often misquoted, misinterpreted: "It's better to burn out than to fade away." Kurt Cobain's last words on his suicide note, but Young meant it as an urge to live life to the fullest.

10 Baba O'Riley - The Who
Awesome band, capable of writing incredibly powerful songs like this. Three repeated chords are all they need to pummel you senseless. In lyricist Pete Townshend, emotional conflicts are transformed into epic rock. Spine-tingling moment: "Don't cry/Don't raise your eyes/It's only teenage wasteland." Then Keith Moon comes in with a tremendous drum fill.

9. Imagine - John Lennon
Deathless meditation on peace. Lennon has never been afraid of being outspoken, stinging and strident in his protest songs, but this is him at his most restrained. And most revolutionary -- no religion, no heaven, no countries, no possession. Spine-tingling moment: "You may say I'm a dreamer/but I'm not the only one."

8. Louie Louie - The Kingsmen
"Ah Louie, Louie/Oh baby/we gotta go." That's the only discernable lyric in the classic garage rock. Yet, it's enough. No matter how much the singer slurs through his drunkedness. Spine-tingling moment: Then in pops a frantic guitar solo. Ah, glorious sloppiness.

7. Mystery Train - Elvis Presley
A sad tale - Presley started out as an exciting showman and top-notch singer, but degenerated into a bloated pop star. This song was recorded in his first session at the famed Sun Studios, and his utter conviction in his vocal delivery is already evident. Spine-tingling moment: His voice, full of bluesy emotion. What a waste.

6. Waterloo Sunset - The Kinks
This exquisite, painfully beautiful ballad marks the turning point where The Kinks transformed from a kick-ass rock band (which I like) to a milder, more multi-faceted one (which I don't like). You would think, from the lyrics, that watching a sunset from Waterloo in London would be one of the most beautiful things. Wrong, it's downright unpretty. Which makes the song even more poignant. Spine-tingling moment: When Ray Davies leaps in falsetto: "But I don't need no friends."

5 Rockin' In The Free World - Neil Young
The newbie among all the oldies, this powerful 1988 song still embodies everything about rock and roll - a mighty riff, simple chords and a whole lot of attitude. The title is meant as pure sarcasm, as Young paints a bleak "Free World" that we continue to live in. Spine-tingling moment: Every line in the song's three verses is brutally sobering.

4 Maybelline - Chuck Berry
The most important star in rock and roll's early years. Berry wrotes timeless rockers, played indelible riffs and, most overlooked of all, expressed emotions that rockers continued to write about today. All his songs are brilliant, but I prefer the energy in this rollicking number. Spine-tingling moment: "Maybelline/Why can't you be true?" The classic teenage boy's frustration.

3 Jealous Guy - John Lennon
I've written that Lennon has the magical gift of expressing the most complicated feelings with the simplest words. So when he sings about him being a jealous guy, you know exactly how he feels. Spine-tingling moment: Such a glorious melody too, plaintive and utterly heartbreaking.

2 The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - The Band
The only group that is good enough to be known simply as "The Band". They have four incredible vocalists, and one incredible guitarist/songwriter. Robbie Robertson may not be singing, but he pens this moving tale about the American Civil War with such authority and emotion, you would he lived through it. Even more surprisingly, he's Canadian. Spine-tingling moment: Sample the lyrics first: "You take what you need and you leave the rest/but they should never have taken the very best." Then be swept away by the haunting chorus.

1. Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who
Supreme rock and roll. Unmatched, unparalleled, and unbridled brilliance from one of the best bands ever. Pete Townshend pens his anxiety that all the revolutionary spirit in the 1960s might not have changed much after all. A unique perspective, matched by some truly unbelievable music. The stuttering synthesisers, Keith Moon's frantic drumming, John Enwistles's throbbing bass, Roger Daltrey's stellar vocals and of course, Townshend's thunderous guitar work. Spine-tingling moment: The one and only rock scream, courtesy of Daltrey: "YEAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

Battle Of Evermore

2006-10-07T10:23:00.000+08:00

Wow. This is bloody brilliant. For music geeks and Monty Python fans.

Album Covers Battle.

Marker In The Sand

2006-09-12T10:07:00.000+08:00

A sobering thought. Miniature Earth.

Something I subscribe to. One.org

Go have a look. And feel lucky.

Pretty Hate Machine

2006-09-09T00:44:00.000+08:00

Sinking feeling #547921: That next year's Transformers movie is going to suck big time.

It pains me. I was, and still is, a massive Transformers fan.

Why am I so certain the movie will suck?

Let's get this straight. The original cartoon series was conceived so that kids like me in the 1980s can have a storyline to play with those KICKASS toys.

I mean, c'mon, there has never been a toy as cool as a robot that can change into some other object. And the manufacturers knew it, so they created a cartoon series so that kids like me can re-enact the scenes with the toys obsessively.

Notice the big difference -- the cartoon came after the toys. It's not like Star Wars, Toy Story or The Incredibles, where the toys came as spin-offs from the films.

Therein lies what will surely fail the Transformers movie, despite Michael Bay's laughable "updates" of the robots.

Think about the ridiculous premise. Highly-sophisticated robot factions battling from Cybertron to Earth......by changing into unsophisticated, low-tech vehicles/guns/planes??

Yes, this was the same plot as the cartoon series we so loved. But we didn't care then, because WE HAD THOSE COOL TOYS TO PLAY WITH. Who cares about plot? We were busy fiddling with all the transformations.

Where are the cool toys now? Sadly, and probably, they will come as tie-ins with the movie.

The plot will be savaged by pretentious film critics. The movie will be passed off as mindless entertainment. The toys will be treated as commercial projects.

The joy of playing a transformer toy was to immerse in the possibilty that these toys have a background.

The sad fact about the movie is that, without the toys, the standalone story will fail, no matter how much CGI effects it has.

10,000 Days

2006-08-26T00:52:00.000+08:00

- ...or so it seems, since I last blogged.

- In the midst of a two-week break from work. But I haven't been wasting away. Next Wednesday I'm heading to Kuala Lumpur for three days. And the past five days, I've been revisiting places in Singapore which I've long forgotten.

- Monday: Drove from home to town, then to East Coast Park -- the entire length. Eventually reached Changi Village. The famous nasi lemak stall is still there, and is still mouth-watering good. A lazy town, perfect for a lazy on-leave day.

- Tuesday: Went to the Jurong Bird Park. Haven't been there since my Primary School days. It's like a whole new world again to me. Some impressive new exhibits, plus the good ol' waterfall is still there. Still, nearing the end of a 2.5-hour stay there, it gets quite boring. After all, there's only so many bird-talk you can take.

- Wednesday: Break. went swimming.

- Thursday: Almost died making my way to the MacRitchie Treetop Trail, deeeeeeeeeeeeeep inside the Central Catchment Area of Singapore. It was already a energy-sapping walk (upslopes generally) to reach the Trail. The suspension bridge lifted my mood a great deal, it was a heart-pounding 250m as I walked across it, with only a sturdy plank between me and a 27m drop into the jungles below. Be still my beating heart.

Here's the part that left me a bit disgruntled. There could have at least been a warning sign that, after crossing the one-way bridge, I would have to negotiate nearly 300 STEPS to ascend, then descend the terrain. As if I wasn't spent enough, I was literally crawling by the time I reached the bottom of the knoll. Couldn't someone just let us know beforehand that reaching the bridge is not the toughest part?

- Yesterday: Nursing my aching legs, I let my car do the travelling. It went to Lim Chu Kang. I visited the Hay Goat Farm. Saw plenty of goats lazing about just like me. Thought of buying the goat milk, but felt a bit queasy after seeing the goats.

Had lunch at the Poison Ivy Bistro. Was hoping not to bump into Ivy Singh Lim, the owner, whom I had acquainted while covering netball a few years ago. A rambunctious lady, she would have chatted non-stop had she recognised me.

I was having the chicken curry when, out of the kitchen, the matriarch appeared.

She said hi to the diners, including me. Then walked away.

Nope, she didn't recognise me. Dunno if I should feel happy or sad.

Mute Part II

2006-07-31T01:03:00.000+08:00

- Can't believe it, suffering from the same bad sore throat, two weeks after the first. And right now, Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" is blasting out of my PC.

- Got my man Neil Humphreys' book about his 10th year living in Singapore. A great friend he is, gonna miss him when he relocates to Australia soon. His book, recounting his final journeys around the island, reminds me of the lazy days when I would drive my car around the "ulu" parts of S'pore. Little pleasures.

- Football withdrawal is in full fledge. Please, gimme some Liverpool matches quick.

- Need to get away from this island for a while. Maybe up north to Dr M's land for a week or two.

Mute

2006-07-18T22:57:00.000+08:00

- Can't swallow without pain, can't speak clearly, basically going nuts. Down with severe sore throat.

- Hope there's someone.

Life Wasted

2006-06-07T01:07:00.000+08:00

Two albums to recommend

- "Pearl Jam", Pearl Jam.
For bringing urgency back into their music. Screw all the moping around, lazy experiementation, and just bash and rant. Worked wonders.

Check out "Life Wasted", "Marker In The Sand" and "Unemployable". Raging beauties.

This is what a rock band should be, not those whiny poseurs on the Channel U band contest.

- "10,000 Days", Tool.
This band fascinate me. Some may be turned off by their weird rhythms, loooooong songs and super-doom-laden atmosphere.

To which I say: "Where's your sense of wonder?"

Allow me to rant a bit. Ever since the 1990s, when grunge and alternative music took over with their "less is more", minimalistic aesthetics, rebellious youths suddenly had a good excuse to be lazy.

To hell with improvement, we're gonna stay in our own shell because this is what we are. You cannot change us, we won't be changed. Complicated music is just fake. If you can play difficult riffs, you're a show-off, a phony.

Hell, ain't that lazy. All of a sudden, music became the run-of-the-mill, three-chords and some needly doodling on the guitars -- and they dare call it honest music. Honestly, it smacks of immense bullshitting.

I confess, I was sucked into it at first, then I realised: "Hey, we're not moving forward with our so-called music rebellion. We're stagnating, we're shooting ourselves in the foot."

Minimalism can only take you this far. Having an open mind, with an open heart to learn and improve yourself, now that's rebellion.

Now look what the Nineties have done. All of youths then, are now half-baked, left far behind.

Back to Tool, the band. They came into prominence in the Nineties too. Their first album was very alternative rock. Then they evolved as musicians, came up with music that keeps you awake at night thinking: "How the hell did they come up with this idea?"

Their music is very bleak, but their adventurous spirit and superior musicianship remains. That's why they continue to inspire me to dream up better music.

Don't be intimidated by expertise, that's all I'm pleading.

Top 10 Bob Dylan Songs

2006-05-12T01:40:00.000+08:00

Just listened to an hour of him, got inspired, so here's the long-awaited list....

Many say: "Great lyrics, pity about that voice."

I would say: "Try singing the songs. There's no other way to sing it than like he does."

Why not just say: "He's bloody awesome. Period."

1o Absolutely Sweet Marie (Blonde On Blonde)
Bob at his lightest. A love-hate relationship with sweet Marie, delivered resignedly amid some joyous organ music. Where are you tonight, sweet Marie? Spine-tingling moment: The sly chorus: "Well anybody can be just like me obviously, but then not too many can be like you, fortunately."

9 I Want You (Blonde On Blonde)
This time, the affection is real. Bob sings about the imaginary obstacles to his love, and that his desire is unchanged. Once, his backing band is top notch, serving up a rare melodic treat. Spine-tingling moment: When his harmonica introduces the song, and Mike Bloomfield complements with a great guitar line.

8 Masters Of War (The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan)
Harrowing anti-war protest. While other may paint pictures of suffering, Bob is articulate enough to scream out his spite at the protagonists. Eight angry verses, each condemning the warmongers to their graves. Hell yeah. Spine-tingling moment: The final verse: "And I hope that you die, and your death'll come soon/I will follow your casket in the pale afternoon/And I'll watch while you're lowered down to your deathbed/And I'll stand o'er your grave till I'm sure that you're dead."

7 Sad-Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands (Blonde On Blonde)
Being the gifted lyricist, Dylan wrote long poems to the cadence of music. The results are hypnotic. This 11-minute ballad to his then-wife, Sara Lowndes, is languid, almost hallucinatory. Extraordinary imagery, tremendously moving. Spine-tingling moment: "My warehouse eyes, my arabian drums/Should I leave them by the gate?/Or, sad-eyed lady, should I wait?" Inscrutable, yet utterly romantic.

6 A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan)
In under seven minutes, Dylan encapsulated the bleak world we live in. An unforgettable chorus makes this an unforgettable masterpiece. Spine-tingling moment: "It's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall." You gotta hear it, after all the imagery, to get the chills.

5 Just Like A Woman (Blonde On Blonde)
No other lyricst has the balls to put down a woman like Dylan. This is him at his most unkind, but I know a woman who calls this her favourite Dylan song. The trick is that guy isn't enjoying this put-down. Superb melody though. Spine-tingling moment: "You fake just like a woman, you make love just like a woman, you ache just like a woman, but you break just like a little girl." I'll bet no one, especially in this politically-correct age, dares to write similar lyrics anymore.

4 The Times They Are A-Changin' (The Times They Are A-Changin')
Shut up and change. Dylan's inspirational protest anthem still rings out like a clarion call to arms. Writers, critics, senators, congressmen, mothers, fathers - better listen up. Spine-tingling moment: "The line it is drawn, the curse it is cast/The slow one now will later be fast/As the present now will later be past/The order is rapidly fading/And the first one now will later be last/For the times they are a-changin' "

3 Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan)
I've always liked this song, but I don't really know why. Maybe it's Dylan's tone, his "shrug and move on" attitude. Maybe this song, unlike many of his others, is easy to comprehend. Whatever, don't think twice... Spine-tingling moment: "I ain't saying you treated me unkind/You could have done better but I don't mind/You just kinda wasted my precious time/But don't think twice, it's all right." Also, check out Eric Clapton's blistering version at the Dylan's 30th anniversary concery.

2 Not Dark Yet (Time Out Of Mind)
Haunting and heartbreaking. Dylan ponders mortality, and if anything is still worth living for here. So it's chilling to hear him croak in his tortured voice: "I just don't see why I should even care/It's not dark yet, but it's getting there." Spine-tingling moment: Possibly the most beautiful music that accompanies Dylan's lyrics.

1 Like A Rolling Stone (Highway 61 Revisited)
From the first drum crack, this song enthralls. Indignance at the world fuels Dylan, and no better than this sneering anthem. Hearing him whine at every unfairness, every injustice, it just riles you up to take a pen or guitar and just pour out. Inspiring stuff that cannot be duplicated. Spine-tingling moment: "How does it feel? How does it feel? To be on your own, with no direction home, like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone." No other lyric sounds so angry, so sad, so bleak, so uplifting, so gut-wrenching.

Give It Away

2006-05-06T10:34:00.000+08:00

Saw this by Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea. Makes me glad to have made the decision not to download the latest albums from Pearl Jam, RHCP, Tool, Jewel. These are albums I will fork out money and buy.

when i woke up this morning -- i was was confronted with the news that our record has been leaked to -- the internet -- it does not come out til may 9 but now it has leaked -- and not that i know alot about this kind of thing -- but i guess now it is possible to down load it for free if you want -- well -- that's not very nice -- if you down load it now off one of these file sharing sites -- you will be getting a pale imitation of the record -- it will be of the poor sound quality of the technique they used to -- get it on there -- and that will break my heart -- it will break john frusciante's heart -- it will break anthony kiedis's heart -- and it will break the heart of chad smith -- yes, we worked for a year and a half to make the epic record of our -- lives -- and it is sad to me for the business reasons of course -- i think we are selling something really cool and we put all we had -- into it, 28 songs, 2 hours of the best that we can offer -- and i think it is a fair deal for everyone -- and for people to just steal a poor sound quality version of it for free -- because some asshole stole it and put it on the internet -- is sad to me -- but, equitable business reasons aside -- the thing that really bums me out is -- we worked so hard, and so thoughtfully, all of us, for so long -- to make this record sound as warm and full from top to bottom -- as was possible -- we spent day and night for a year making sure every little sound was -- just right -- that they were all put together in the most beautiful way we could -- we did not leave a stone unturned in doing that work -- i can not put in words how much this record, stadium arcadium, means -- to us -- how sacred the sound of it is to us -- and how many sleepless nights and hardworking days we all had -- thinking about how to make it be the best sounding thing we could and now, for someone to take it and put it out there with this poor -- sound quality -- it is a painful pill for us to swallow -- let me tell you -- this bums all of us out -- and i know that, as sensitive as john frusciante is about sound -- the idea of anyone getting and hearing this thing that way -- will devastate him -- for people to not hear the work the way we meant it to be -- will really hurt him deep inside -- and all of us will hurt -- yes, it is stealing from us, and that is lame -- everyone has to live with their own conscience on that one -- let it be your guide -- but to take a version that has been defiled sound wise -- a version in which some idiot has taken our year and a half of soul-baring work and pissed all over it -- that will break our hearts -- sincerely, flea

Ignoreland

2006-05-06T01:22:00.000+08:00

- Nothing gets me worked up like politics.

- Yet, the election fever has left me, at best, bemused. Everyone has shot themselves in the feet.

PAP: When will it take our dear ruling party to realise that running down an opposition candidate DOES NOT WORK ANYMORE?? It's great to hear our Prime Minister suddenly changing tack 2 days before the polling day, after about a week of bombardment on a harmless James Gomez. Oops, we kinda forgotten about our plans for you common people. One shot in the foot. One more shot for that faux pas...."fix the opposition, buy back the voters"......well said, PM......hmmmmmmmmmmmm

WP: For the common people. Well said. And top marks for not falling for PAP's bait in the James Gomez hoo-ha. Except Gomez really shouldn't have made such a fuss. One shot in the foot, even before they hit the ground running. But really, their so-called solutions are flimsy at best. But they've played the emotional button pretty well.

SDP: Many shots in both feets. They should call for amputation, or a lobotomy.

SDA: Yawn.

My guess is the PAP will be driven really close by WP in the polls. A surprise may be coming.

- It's easy to lambast the media on the various blogs and websites for these elections, under the guise of anonymity. Is it really criminal for our national papers to be pro-ruling party? Is it really necessary for them to be neutral? For what? So that opposition can dominate headlines with their raucuous but ultimately airy statements? I think the opposition would rather like to keep it by the word of mouth -- the mystery is there. If everything's on paper, they would surely look under-strength. Besides, what is reported about PAP is nothing like we've never known. One read at the headlines, and I yawn.

Besides, the excessive reporting on the James Gomez saga, I think, has already a negative effect on the PAP. Never underestimate the media's ability to overplay.

Like Fox Mulder once said: "The truth is out there." Go to the rallies, make your own choice, lazy bastards. Why bother about the media, when you can see first-hand?

Bone Machine

2006-04-23T03:13:00.000+08:00

- Been trying hard to think of something new to write here. Still trying.

- You know you're getting old when one of your JC classmates has her second child, and another is going to give birth in June, also her second. And I'm still single, unattached, uninterested and having a "no-life" job.

- At least I still have my jamming mates.

- Now that the elections are coming, I'm feeling distinctively that it's going to be an anti-climax.

- Maybe I'll do a list again.

Computer Love

2006-03-29T22:08:00.000+08:00

- Fifth day without my personal computer, the miserably buggy thingy which has finally been put to rest. I'm about to die of boredom. Two more days before new PC arrives. I'm not gonna make it.

- Hot days are bad days. I kinda miss London's chill.

- My sis, who doesn't follow politics, shouted "PAP forever" when she received the letter from govt giving her some cool cash. Ah, how money talks. Which is why I think Thaksin will still win.

- Back to the mundane life, wishing I got some more cash to go for another tour.

Hummer

2006-03-18T22:45:00.000+08:00

- I got a killer melody. Very Oasis, almost Beatles-y.

Problem is, I got no words for it. It's slowly driving me crazy.

Parallel Universe

2006-03-10T02:16:00.000+08:00

Shy Kangaroo

Hey Phantom
Dude and the "Three Sisters"

Go tell it to the trees.

Sydney. Great harbour, expensive city, little surprises everywhere.

Crumbs From Your Table

2006-03-08T01:36:00.000+08:00

- Saw "Munich". Best film this year? Hell yes. Haunting and riveting. Spielberg at his "Saving Private Ryan" best.

- Drove home after the film, car blasting U2's "Achtung Baby". Listening to "One", after watching "Munich", is an emotional low. We're one, but we're not the same.

I Can't Quit You Baby

2006-03-07T02:13:00.000+08:00

- Brokeback Mountain in 30 seconds.

- Personally, I think it's a well-crafted, well-acted film, and Lee Ang deserves the Best Director Oscar. But, to me, it's just not a powerful enough film. I guess the gay community can better emphathise with the tragedy than I can. That said, I haven't seen "Crash" yet, so I won't say that BM was robbed of the best film Oscar.

N.W.A.

2006-03-06T11:53:00.000+08:00

- The classic Chris Rock "anti-nigga" standup.

My Name Is...

2006-03-06T01:20:00.000+08:00

- Queen Amidala raps, gangsta style. Utterly insane stuff from Saturday Night Live.

Tourette's

2006-03-04T13:45:00.000+08:00

- Those who know cool, know Al Pacino's "Scarface".

- It's violent, it's nihilistic, it's bad-ass, none more so than Al himself.

- So here's a 1:42 clip of the best moments in the 183 min film.

Cast No Shadow

2006-02-25T00:27:00.000+08:00

- Legs are still aching after standing for a freaking two hours straight at the Oasis concert. I'm getting too old for the free standing seats maaaaaaaaaan......

- That said, Oasis were magical. They got zero showmanship, hardly moved throughout the gig, looked distinctively uninterested -- yet blew me away. Just the songs, man. Don't need nothing more. When they launched into "Champagne Supernova" right after the goosebumps-inducing "Wonderwall", it was bliss.

- "Live Forever" was great too, as was the traditional closer "Don't Look Back In Anger". I feel back in the uni days. These songs are deathless.

- Biggest surprise was Noel singing "The Masterplan". It's obvious he loves this song.

- Low moments were Liam's songs - "Songbird" and "Guess God Thinks I'm Abel". Too languid for a rock show. Better for an acoustic gig, if they ever do one.

- Never a big fan of "The Importance of Being Idle", but kinda like it live.

- "Rock N' Roll Star" and "My Generation". Fiercest moments. I almost passed out in the bloody heat of the crowd.

- "Mucky Fingers" should be released as a single. C'mon Gallaghers.

- Missing in the set were "Supersonic", "Stand By Me", "Stop Cryin' Your Heart Out" and my current fave "Let There Be Love".

- Only two more bands that I want to see before I get old: Green Day and of course, U2.

This Is A Low

2006-02-09T21:04:00.000+08:00

- But it won't hurt you.

- Why do my colleagues sound so surprised when I go on holiday alone? Excuse me, the whole reason of going on holiday is to GET AWAY from y'all.

- Nothing soothes me more than walking alone in another city. Hope Sydney will surprise me next week.

- Is there any more good music coming up?

Video Killed The Radio Star

2006-01-28T01:00:00.000+08:00

Top 50 music videos of 2005. You know you're getting old when you can't recognise half the bands. =p

Gang Of Four

2006-01-24T20:46:00.000+08:00

4 Jobs You’ve Had In Your Life
Hewlett Packard junk disposal man
Despatch driver
TV Producer
Journalist

4 Movies You Could Watch Over And Over Again
The Godfather
The Empire Strikes Back
Seven
Memento

4 TV Shows You Love(d) To Watch
Seinfeld
VH1 Behind the Music
Frasier
Late Night with David Letterman

4 Places You’ve Lived
Ang Mo Kio
Pulau Tekong
Bukit Gombak
NTU Hall 9

4 Places You’ve Been On Vacation To
USA West Coast
Hanoi
Bangkok
London

4 Places You Would Rather Be At Now
At a U2 concert
On a mountain top
In a jamming studio
In a porn movie set

4 Of Your Favourite Foods
Fried carrot cake
Bak Kut Teh
Mum's home-cooked food
Minced pork noodles

4 Websites You Visit Daily
Soccernet.com
NBA basketball on ESPN.com
allmusic.com
dumpalink.com

Am not going to tag this to any of the bloggers who frequent this site. If you want to, just do it.

Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

2006-01-10T21:56:00.000+08:00

- Bought Green Day's "American Idiot". I'm not always a fan of their music, but this album has finally won me over. Not because of "Wake Me Up When September Ends", which is probably the best single released last year. It's the nine-minute gem "Jesus Of Suburbia" that did the trick. It's the type of "WTF?" moments that is so lacking in music today. Five mini-songs sewn into one long suite, plus some pissed-off lyrics, plus some great guitars.... we need some adventures like this song in our musical experiences.

- Q Magazine's album of the year...."X & Y" ??? Sheeesh.....it's got one, just one, classic song in "Fix You". That magazine is going down the shites....

- Dunno why, but I have a strange hatred for poodles.

- Where shall I go for my holidays? Esp when I receive my fat bonus...mwahahahaa...? I don't like the beaches, I wanna go to the mountains.

Original Of The Species

2006-01-08T10:17:00.000+08:00

U2 - band of the year by The Guardian.

Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)

2005-12-30T00:28:00.000+08:00

- Top 10 moments of my life in 2005:

10. In the outskirts of Hanoi, there lies a river that passes through some breathtaking scenery. I rowed a boat with Josh along it. Would rank higher had we not been conned into buying dumb souvenirs from the boatwoman.

9. Flying business class on Qatar Airways to Doha. Ahhhhhh, the luxurious life. And it's free of charge. *pumps fist*

8. Writing my own fortnightly sports column on our country's national newspaper. I keep thinking I'm getting away with something.

7. Back to Hanoi, in a canoe this time, as me and Josh paddled into an enclave in the middle of Halong Bay, accessible only via a narrow channel. After amusing ourselves with the echoes, we quietened down and felt complete, utter silence. Makes the tough paddling worthwhile.

6. Summoning all my courage, I entered a strip club in London all by myself, much to the amusement of the bouncers at the counter. "What's this fat Asian doing here?" they must be thinking. Priceless moment: my busty hostess cooing "That's so sweet", when I said thank you after her topless act. Don't know when I'll be so brave again.

5. Leading my band into a flawless jam on Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends". Pretty cool.

4. Among a few thousand Arsenal supporters during my sponsored (free) trip to Highbury, watching the Gunners beat my team Liverpool - not a good moment, except when Liverpool scored their consolation goal. Instinctively I shouted "YEAH!!!!!", and saw hundred pairs of eyes staring at me from all directions. Gulp.

3. Writing this blog.

2. The misty beauty of the isles on Halong Bay is one scenery that will forever be etched in my mind. As is the bustle of London Underground, and the dusty reinvention of Doha. I'm privileged to have seen these in my overseas trips this year.

1. Long after I screamed myself hoarse as Liverpool overcame a 0-3 deficit to win the European Cup for the fifth time, as I walked back to the underground car park at United Square, hundreds of Liverpool fans are singing You Never Walk Alone. At 5.30am in the morning. I sang along, on a giddy high after seeing one of the most unforgettable football matches. Everyone's face was filled with happiness, and incredulity at what transpired. It's times like these you learn to live again.

Back In The Saddle

2005-12-21T20:04:00.000+08:00

- Resuming operations.....

- Am I the only one on this planet who feels that King Kong is not long enough? Why are people complaining about a three-hour thrill-a-thon, when they would gladly pay to watch a 90-min drivel like Chicken Little?? I just don't get it. 70 minutes of building-up is too long, when the whole film is 187 minutes long? If you don't have the time, then don't watch.

- No desert sight in Doha, only depressingly rich sheiks roaming around with their mummies, er, wives. Oops, a racial comment there?

- Oasis finally coming to my island. Can't wait till Feb.

Carry On Wayward Son

2005-11-14T23:56:00.000+08:00

- Some wise old man once told me: "I don't believe in no religion. It's too much of a gamble. But I am a spiritual man."

Amen, Keith Richards. It's the tenet that has guided me through most of my adult life.

Some colleagues, friends and strangers have asked me why I don't have a religion. I ask them, how do you know I need one?

Not a single preacher has convinced me.

I do believe, however, in the power of human creation. The songs, buildings, inventions and movies that are in this world, they are the ones that needed our reverence.

My mother, who is not a staunch Buddhist, says don't place your faith in something you cannot see and feel. It's better to trust yourself. Amen.

My father, who is not a staunch Christian, says it's up to me. Amen.

I believe in the biblical stories and mores, and I think that will suffice.

- I always love the deserts. Just the desolation of it. Hope I get to feel it in my next few days in Doha.

Right To Be Wrong

2005-10-29T00:13:00.000+08:00

- Day one of freedom: Driving around without aim. Stop for lunch, dinner, supper, Borders. Hmmm, like it.

- Boring news, boring newspaper.....until the perfect female specimen appears in Page 7 of Life! Goddess Alba, I bow before you.....slurp....

- Sigh, my time is never your time.

Ramble On

2005-10-09T20:37:00.000+08:00

- Die spammers die!! Now I gotta turn on the comment verification thingy, you happy now??? @!#!#$%@^$%^.

- Seems like a lot of natural disasters this year, and epidemics spread by animals too. I tell you, nature's had enough of human shenanigans and is striking back......

- Those racist bloggers are sad sacks, aren't they? Not only do they have to serve time, they gotta write those insincere apologies. My take? Stupidity rules among bloggers who equate "write what you feel" with "writing as controversially as possible so that more people will read their pathetic blogs."

- For good clean fun, go here: Milk and Cookies.

- Coldplay's "Fix You" never fails to well me up. Gorgeous weepie. Another song to stash into the "Songs I'll serenade to my future girlfriend/wife" category.

- Cry baby cry, make your mother sigh, she's old enough to know better, so cry baby cry.

Top 25 Rolling Stones songs

2005-10-07T01:22:00.000+08:00

The cliche is that The Beatles represent the clean-cut, positive image of rock and roll, while The Rolling Stones are the seedy, dark underbelly.

If that is so, then give me the gritty swagger of the dark side, anytime.

The best Stones songs are no less memorable than the greatest Beatles classics. Even more awesome: while the Fab Four tore through every musical genre, the Stones stuck true to the basic, blues-based, country-tinged rock and roll. They are still churning out songs, by the way, 35 years after the Beatles split.

It was the privilege of my lifetime that I got to see the Stones live, two years ago. They were amazing, considering the energy exuded when all members are already 60 years old. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards define what it means to be the frontman and sidekick of a rock band. Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts are the bemused sidemen to the whole hoopla. It was an unforgettable gig.

So am I a Stones guy, or a Beatles guy? Dunno, depends on my mood. Lately, I would give the edge to the Fab Four. But, more often than not, it has been the Stones.

25 Shine A Light (Exile On Main Street)
Tagged as the penultimate track on their greatest album, the overlooked gem takes flight on Jagger's soulful, gospel voice. His vocal prowess is seldom noticed amid all his posturing, but for a white band to plunder black music as successfully as the Stones had, his voice has to stand up against all the bluesmen. This track shows how. Spine-tingling moment: Middle of first verse, after the line "With a smile on your face and a tear right in your eye", Jagger lets go a mournful "Oh......." that made the song.

24 I'm Free (Out Of Our Heads)
You've heard in the TV ads, you've heard Soup Dragons' updated version, you think it's a bouncy pop song written in the 1990s. Wrong, the Stones cut it in 1965. As ebullient as any Beatles track. Spine-tingling moment: "Love me, hold me, love me, hold me" The chorus release is wondrous.

23 Angie (Goats Head Soup)
Either you're fan of Jagger's slurry vocals, or you're not. Anyway, you can't hope to imitate him. The way he wraps his voice around "Angie, Angie, you can't say we never tried" is soul. Spine-tingling moment: Richards complements with inspiring acoustic guitars along the way.

22 Mixed Emotions (Steel Wheels)
After a bitter bicker, the Toxic Twins put aside their differences in the 1980s and come up with this instant classic. Just listening to that groove pounded out by the band, not many rock bands can outdo them, not even the Fab Four. Spine-tingling moment: The sinewy, driving riff that propels the song from word go.

21 Don't Stop (40 Licks)
Even at their advanced age, count the Stones to come up with such a kick-ass track effortlessly. It's all about the groove again, Watts picks up a steady beat to let Wood and Richards spin off duelling riffs with aplomb. Jagger has the easiest job here, telling another lascivous tale with another woman. Spine-tingling moment: The two guitar stabs that echo Jagger's confident yelp: "Don't stop!"

20 Under My Thumb (Aftermath)
Misogynism aside, the Stones sway through a confident swath of marimbas (courtesy of the late Brian Jones), swinging drums and gleeful bass. That Jagger came up with a list of how he has tamed his women, well, blame it on the boogie. Spine-tingling moment: It's a sexy stomp, full of innuendoes and sinister sexual intent. Not for kids.

19 Rocks Off (Exile On Main Street)
Richards is the only guitarist where you can recognise his riffs instantly. No other guitarist pounds out such exciting, invigorating licks with his regularity. This opener on the Exile album soars on word go, on the wings of a superb Richards riff. Spine-tingling moment: An appreciative Jagger swoons: "Awwwwww yeaaaaaah!" after the first riff.

18 Beast Of Burden (Some Girls)
Not only is Richards a riff-maker par excellence, but he has also perfected the art of "weaving" with Ronnie Wood, and this song shows how. The duo trade off guitar licks and fills while sticking to the main chord sequence, creating a rich, jazz-like vibe to the music. There're nuggets of tasteful guitar work littered throughout the song. Spine-tingling moment: Incredible, spontaneous sparring from Richards and Wood. Hands down, the best rhythm guitar duo.

17 Losing My Touch (40 Licks)
Awwww, the ragged voice of Richards singing about losing his touch with women. His is my ideal way of growing old - still clutching the guitar and singing in his raspy voice about women. Spine-tingling moment: On many moments in the song, it seems like his voice cannot reach the note. It's the straining of his vocals that makes this song so soulful.

16 Waiting On A Friend (Tattoo You)
Jagger has always postured himself as a swaggering, sneering playboy, so it's a departure to hear him on this song, where he is almost yearning to be among friends' company. As he sings: "Don't need no whore, don't need no booze." Spine-tingling moment: Then he declares: "I'm not looking for a lady, I'm just waiting on a friend." as Richards spins out a comforting lick.

15 Before They Make Me Run (Some Girls)
The outlaw in Keith Richards personified. During the Stones' Singapore gig, he introduced this song as about his most troubled time, when he was caught for drug possession. Which makes the line "I'm gonna walk before they make me run" all the more defiant and poignant. Spine-tingling moment: A superb, harmonised solo before Keith returns, all cocksure and sneers.

14 Ruby Tuesday (Flowers)
The Stones' best pop song, with an instantly catchy melody and chorus. Once again, it's about a woman whom Jagger and/or Richards cannot touch, but this time the imagery is less sexual than most of their other songs. Spine-tingling moment: A show-stopping chorus: "Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday, who could hang a name on you?/When you change with every new day, still I'm gonna miss you."

13 Paint It, Black (Aftermath)
While the Beatles used the sitar to create a mystical side to their songs, the Stones stuck it into a pounding rocker. This is a vicious trip into the dark human soul, rejecting the sunny vibes of the mid-1960s and retreating into a lonely shell. Exactly what made the Stones so cynical, they wisely kept quiet on it. Spine-tingling moment: The spidery sitar riff. Brilliantly droning.

12 Moonlight Mile (Sticky Fingers)
Haunting, aching ballad, quite unlike any that the band has ever done. First, Richards sents up a strange guitar riff, more folksy than bluesy. Jagger then sings about the weariness of being on the road. Then comes a weird Japanese-tinged orchestration that somehow makes this song even sadder. Spine-tingling moment: A stunning chorus: "I am just living to be dying by your side, but I'm just about a moonlight mile on down the road."

11 Ventilator Blues (Exile On Main Street)
A pretty obscure track, but it's a personal fave. A memorable riff is hooked onto chilling lyrics about the daily struggles in life. Jagger sounds as possessed as any bluesmen, spitting the lyrics with venom and desperation. No satisfaction, indeed. Spine-tingling moment: "Don't matter where you are, everybody's gonna need some kind of ventilator." Amen, Mick.

10 Honky Tonk Women (Hot Rocks)
From now onwards, all the top 10 songs are certifiable "School of Rock" classics: any respectable rock fan must listen to them. This one may be the usual Jagger lament on women who mess with him, but Richards sprinkles some of the finest rock licks, lining them one after another to spark up the song. A lascivious treat. Spine-tingling moment: The opening pulse of guitar notes, amid the unforgettable cowbell.

9 Street Fighting Man (Beggars Banquet)
Can outlaws turn to politics? Nah, that's why they sing in rock and roll bands. Jagger captures perfectly the desperation that London boys faced during the turbulent 1960s. Richards, meanwhile, strums his acoustic guitar extra hard for the forceful punch. Spine-tingling moment: "But what can a poor boy do, except to sing for a rock and roll band?/Cuz in sleepy London town there's just no place for a street fighting man."

8 Start Me Up (Tattoo You)
One of the two greatest opening tracks to start off an album. First you hear Richards' indelible riff, then Charlie Watts crashes in with a pulsating beat, then Ronnie Wood adds flourishes to the brilliant riff, then Jagger screams with glee: "If you start me up, I'll never stop!" Glorious rock. Spine-tingling moment: Slam dunk! Richards' opening riff is masterful.

7 Brown Sugar (Sticky Fingers)
The other greatest opening track. Similar to the "Start Me Up" structure, only this song was written nine years earlier. This time, Richards' riff is even better, Watts' drum crash is even more dramatic, and Mick Taylor's flourishes are more memorable. Jagger is also far more leery here. Head rush, bro. Spine-tingling moment: If Richards' riff doesn't get rocking, you're kicked out of the School of Rock.

6 Sympathy For The Devil (Beggars Banquet)
Perhaps the song synonymous to the allure of the Stones. Either you are appalled by the lurid, unsavoury imagery, or you marvel at the lyrical depth and musical dexterity of the band. Jagger assumes the Lucifer character and mocks at every event that changed the world and, probably, our own psyche. It's a dark journey that remains Jagger's high point as lyricist. "Pleased to meet you, hoped you guessed my name." Spine-tingling moment: The band ably complements Jagger with samba drums and sinister piano. Richards almost steals the show with his best guitar solo - icy and sneery.

5 Wild Horses (Sticky Fingers)
Undoubtedly the best Stones ballad. It's difficult to explain the immaculate beauty of the song, since it runs through every gut-wrenching emotion in a difficult relationship. Yet the stirring 12-string and pedal-steel guitars simply coat the immense hurt with intense soothing. Utterly magnificent. Spine-tingling moment: Another incredible line for a chorus: "Wild horses couldn't drag me away."

4 (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (Aftermath)
Ah, their great hit, the song that personifies the rebel in rock and roll. In fact, the song title sets the agenda for every Stones song to come. Trying to attain satisfaction remains the glorious theme of all Jagger/Richards compositions. Spine-tingling moment: You can't go wrong with the three shattering notes that make up Richards' greatest riff.

3 Jumpin' Jack Flash (Hot Rocks)
Quite possibly my favourite riff of all time (maybe a tie with "Sweet Child O' Mine.") DUH! DUH! Dum-duh-duh, Dum-duh-duh, Dum-duh-duh, DUH! DUH! Spine-tingling moment: Whenever Richards plays that riff.

2 Gimme Shelter (Let It Bleed)
A chilling masterpiece, as the Stones warn of impending apocalypse as the 1960s came to an end. Jagger's sinister intent is matched by the band, who come up with a stunning piece of music. Every member contributes masterfully - Richards with his scared intro, Taylor adding subtle guitar moans, Bill Wyman piling the dread with ominous bass thumps and Watts with his inimitable drum fills. Spine-tingling moment: The intro summons dread like nothing else the Stones have done.

1 Happy (Exile On Main Street)
Satisfaction and release - the Stones' greatest themes. This song typifies the profound joy that rock and roll brings. Sung appropriately by Keith Richards, the greatest rock outlaw, it spits out all the rebellious streaks and then asks: "I need a love to keep me happy, baby won't you keep me happy?" A simple but deathless riff, a driving beat and tons, tons, tons of attitude. No one touches the spirit of rock better than the Stones. Spine-tingling moment: A short but wondrous guitar solo to lift the song into stratosphere. Richards bends his strings with such bouyant glee, it's all about being happy. Peace.

Time After Time

2005-10-06T10:44:00.000+08:00

I always have time for:

- Anyone who play their music loud. That includes those ah cheks who play Hokkien songs. Those who insist on lowering the volume are either new-age wimps or old-age prudes.

- Old hawkers who sit beside you and chat with you while you're eating. They are always endearing.

- Cruising for nothing. Just driving my car with my stereo on.

- Women talk. I'm not gay, but I have little patience for macho talk. On the other hand, I find mundane women's chatter fascinating, cuz they're so trivial. It seems like they need to talk, not have to. Those who know me know that I only talk when I have to. The empty vessel theory.

- My friends. The closer ones, that is.

- Food. Unfortunately.

- Guitar geek talk. Personal weakness.

- Photographers and cameramen. Thankless job, long preparations for that one moment, then get scolded for not getting the right moment. Sigh, thank goodness I can write.

So, after the top 25 Beatles songs, naturally I have to do a top 25....Rolling Stones songs. Check back soon. Peace the f**k out.

Top 25 Beatles songs

2005-10-05T10:16:00.000+08:00

The greatest rock band. Why? Not only did they leave behind a collection of timeless, undisputed, universal classics, but they also expanded rock's musical palette with every album released.

They are a band where the sum is far, far, far greater than its parts. The secret is that they have not one, not two, but three superb songwriters. There's some great songs for every taste, every genre.

I started liking John Lennon's strident songs first, then got into George Harrison's intricate, spiritual musings. Lately, however, it's been Paul McCartney. Think about it: he wrote the best ballads in the band, as well as the toughest rockers like "Helter Skelter". Yeah, some of his songs make me cringe, but others are downright brilliant.

25 The End (Abbey Road)
The final goodbye in their last recorded album. And what a great send-off too. George, Paul and John trade off guitar solos for about a minute, and then comes the final epitaph.... Spine-tingling moment: "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." Sung in their perfect harmonious voices.

24 Yellow Submarine (Revolver)
Wholesome, harmless fun tune? Apparently, some censors believed that a Yellow Submarine is LSD. Wow, what imagination. Spine-tingling moment: Near the end of the third verse, you can hear a gleeful John echoing Ringo Starr in the background: "Sky of blue! Sea of green! In our yellow submarine, AAAHAAA!!!"

23 All My Loving (With The Beatles)
Early Beatles were all about excelling at the traditional form of rock and roll. With their exuberance and energy, it was hard not to fall for their pop star charm. This ditty is mostly Paul, and he wisely keeps the bittersweet quality intact. Spine-tingling moment: George steals the show with his triplet strumming and rockabilly solo.

22 Don't Let Me Down (Let It Be...Naked)
When a throwaway B-side is as good as any of their top hits. John hits a soulful groove as he declares his unbridled love for Yoko Ono. The magical melody, so obvious, captures his fervour. Spine-tingling moment: John tears up the chorus with his inimitable voice, something that is vastly underrated.

21 I Will (The White Album)
The White Album, my favourite Beatles LP. One of its delights is little nuggets such as this jaunty yet incredibly powerful song by Paul. At under two minutes, he weaves his melodic magic into the consciousness so simply and easily. Spine-tingling moment: A simple declaration of love for a simple song: "Who knows how long I've loved you?"

20 Two Of Us (Let It Be)
Dunno why, but this folksy song always reminds me of younger days, hanging out with close friends. Maybe it's the jolly, bouncy beat. Maybe it's the friendship-bonding lyrics. Or maybe it's just hearing Paul and John, who were then becoming more distant from each other, still harmonising as beautifully as ever. Spine-tingling moment: The bittersweet bridge: "You and me have memories/longer than the road that leads us out from here."

19 I Am The Walrus (Magical Mystery Tour)
Quite possibly the strangest pop song. John piles up the nonsensical imagery amid layers of symphonic noise, and somehow it all sticks in your head. Inspired craziness, no doubt after taking loads of LSD. Spine-tingling moment: After the second chorus, in comes radio static, then a Monty Python moment - something completely different. "Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun." Huh?

18 A Day In The Life (Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)
Another first-class mind bender. The Fab Four have the ability to alter the traditional song structures, yet still craft memorable melodies. This experimental take on the mundane, druggy life in Britain builds on John's nonchalant lyrics, Paul's sudden verse which takes a dramatic left turn.... Spine tingling moment: and the sensational orchestra work, first creating a disconcerting din, then ending with a single crashing note to end the song. Trippy indeed.

17 Norwegian Wood (Rubber Soul)
"I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me." Whereby love songs grew up, no longer confined by traditional declarations of love lost and won. Kudos, John. Spine tingling moment: From the east comes George's fascination with the sitar. I would like to learn how to play it too.

16 Hey Jude (1966-1970)
Monumental, all-encompassing ballad. Probably where most music fans now take their first steps into the world of the Beatles. I did, because I heard my dad singing this. So obvious and poignant are the lyrics and melody, everything bad about Paul is instantly forgotten. Spine tingling moment: I kinda dislike the overlong "Na na na" coda, I prefer the hysterical Paul screaming: "Better, better, better, better, YEAHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

15 Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)
Just for thumping opening riff, probably the heaviest guitar part served up by the band. Bonus points: my favourite band U2 jamming this song with Paul during the Live8 concerts. Spine tingling moment: Like I said, that riff.

14 Tomorrow Never Knows (Revolver)
The band's wildest experimental track, with backwards guitars, weird noises and druggy psychedelic vibe. Head rush alert as John intones teachings from the Tibetian Book of the Dead. Insane. Spine tingling moment: That strange seagull sound, absolutely a "WTF????" moment.

13 All You Need Is Love (Magical Mystery Tour)
"All you need is love, love is all you need" John has a wondrous way of saying the most glorious things in the simplest way. This song is all about that. Spine tingling moment: My friends who heard this song keep telling me there's something weird about the beat. Of course, pals, the verses are in 7/4 time. That's what's so wacky about this song.

12 Across The Universe (Let It Be)
Where John lays bare his soul and sets his agenda for his solo career. Tremendously moving existential ballad. Spine tingling moment: "Nothing's gonna change my world." Another simple yet shattering declaration.

11 With A Little Help From My Friends (Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)
Mid-era Beatles can still churn out charming ditties with ease. This is by far their best friendship song. Ringo adds a bit of moroseness with his vocals, but it's a great singalong ride with pals: "What would you do if I sang out of tune?" Spine tingling moment: Paul is a vastly underrated bassist. Listen to his flourishes to this song. Simple, yet memorable.

10 Here Comes The Sun (Abbey Road)
Long under the shadow of John and Paul, George finally came into his own as a songwriter in the final recorded album. This is easily the album's best track, a pastoral declaration of peacefulness. Amid the band's constant bickering, it's a comforting track to say the least. Spine tingling moment: The guitar turnaround that links the chorus back to the verses. Genius at work.

9 Revolution (1966-1970)
The Beatles' most political single, and one of their most stirring. John, of course, wrote the lyrics, which preaches change but not through force. Uplifting. Spine tingling moment: The fiery guitars spew out Chuck Berry riffs with aplomb as John sneers: "But if you are talking about destruction/Don't you know that you can count me out?" Peace.

8 Penny Lane (Magical Mystery Tour)
Supreme whimsical journey through Paul's hometown of Liverpool. The characters are probably fictitious, but he paints them with such vivid strokes and compelling melodies that they become our figments of imagination. It's like an aural Alice In Wonderland. Spine tingling moment: The very English phrase "Very strange!" seems so appropriate here.

7 Help! (Help!)
A dark, depressing song - but you'll never know from the exuberant arrangement. Chiming guitars, excellent harmonies and bouncy beat, until you listen carefully to the lyrics. Genius John at work here, do not disturb, just admire and try to copy. Spine tingling moment: John leaps into falsetto: "Won't you please please help me?"

6 Let It Be (Let It Be)
Gorgeous, haunting ballad that signals the imminent end of the band. Paul's hymnal melody urges all his mates to lay their arguments to rest, and his poignant vocals pleads of understanding. His bandmates ably support him - John lends an understated vocal counterpoint and wordless harmonies, Ringo remains steady with his beat... Spine tingling moment: and George comes up with a heck of a soulful guitar solo. Vastly overlooked.

5 Happiness Is A Warm Gun (The White Album)
My perverse mind's favourite. This sums up their adventurous rock spirit - marrying three weird song snippets into one unforgettably trippy song. On their own, the snippets are mediocre. Together, they sound totally mind-bending. Is the song about masturbation? Or the delights of holding a gun? Either way, it's gloriously weird. Spine tingling moment: When John's gleeful vocals sing the song title. Why is happiness a warm gun? We'll never know, but the Scouser sure sounds happy.

4 Ticket To Ride (Help!)
Riff alert, vocal harmonies alert and kick-ass drums alert. This is their best pure rock song. Not augmented by anything studio trickery, just simple guitars, bass and drums. Not surprisingly, it's far ahead of any songs churned out by their peers. Spine tingling moment: John gives another set of morose lyrics added to unforgettable melodies. "I think I'm gonna be sad, I think it's today.....YEAH!!!"

3 Yesterday (Help!)
The transcendent classic. Covered endlessly, heard all over the world, and it still sounds heartbreaking. It could have been a simple ditty, tagged at the end of the album. But Paul lets producer George Martin add the most appropriate, heart-tugging orchestral work. The result is there for all to hear. Spine tingling moment: How many songs can you memorise the lyrics on first listen?

2 In My Life (Rubber Soul)
Perhaps no other band writes more poignant, bittersweet songs than the Fab Four. This song works as both a love song and a kiss-off of all the hangers-on that are plaguing John. Add that lovely guitar riff at the beginning, and it's my favourite Beatles ballad. Spine tingling moment: "Though I know I'll never lose affection/of people and things that went before/I know I'll often stop and think about them/In my life, I love you more."

1 Strawberry Fields Forever (Magical Mystery Tour)
A ballad, a rocker, a psychedelic experiment, a first-class weird trip -- all rolled into one. The song that is Beatles through and through. I remember thinking: "What the heck is this?" on first listen. Then it reveals its heart with repeated listening. John's yearning for his hometown messes with his mind, and he transforms his ballad to a druggy masterpiece gradually. Its like listening to a slight mental breakdown, surprisingly soothing though. Spine tingling moment: So many - there's John's nonsensical "That is, you can't, you know, tune in but it's all wrong", George's clarion-like guitar that announces the coda, and the fade-out, fade-in mind-bender at the end.

Welcome To The Jungle

2005-09-25T22:55:00.000+08:00

- One week spent in Hotel, er, Camp Pasir Laba. Great! Fourth year with the same ICT gang, and we're all wayang kings already. It was a lazy five days in the army.

- Never thought the army will recharge my batteries, but I'm bursting with new guitar ideas now. Sad but true.

- I guess The Beatles' "Lovely Rita" will be banned in the USA soon.

- Excellent interview on Paul McCartney, the remaining relevant member of the abovementioned band. The part where he talked about John and George was especially poignant. Let it be...

- September is always dormant. Nothing dramatic.

- Sorting through (and deleting a major junk of) my email inbox, came across this fine photolog of an old friend. She takes magical, poignant photos. How I wish I had picked up photography when younger. Ah well... (strums guitar)

- Keep fishing...

Get In The Ring

2005-09-17T01:29:00.000+08:00

Super vulgar, super rude, super funny phone call, Singapore style. You've been warned.

Have You Ever Seen The Rain?

2005-09-14T01:18:00.000+08:00

"We've got a lot of rebuilding to do ... The good news is — and it's hard for some to see it now — that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house — he's lost his entire house — there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch." (Laughter) —President George W. Bush, touring hurricane damage, Mobile, Ala., Sept. 2, 2005

24 more mind-numbingly stupid quotes.....

Jon Stewart's take on The Daily Show.

Walking On Sunshine

2005-09-12T19:32:00.000+08:00

- Untrue news of the day:

"Eighties new wave band Katrina and the Waves have been officially banned in the USA. According to their agent, they had refused to change their name so that it won't remind grieving New Orleans residents of the recent hurricane. Inside sources, however, say that it's probably the bumbling officials who do not need the reminder."

- Heard news of two S'pore bloggers being charged in court for racist comments in their blogs. Damn, this means I can't make fun of Chinese anymore. Same goes with stupid white men.

- New Orleans song of the day, courtesy of Josh: "When The Levee Breaks" - Led Zeppelin

- Oh boy, this news really gives me the fits. Singapore's planning more cubicles in the women toilets so as to reduce the length of queue inside the toilets. When the simpler solution is to train women to use toilet urinals just like all the men do. Go ahead, sue me for being sexist.

Another Brick In The Wall

2005-09-10T10:27:00.000+08:00

Something those of us who've been through the S'pore education tortur..... system will be familiar with.

The students' sketchbook.

Don't Panic

2005-09-07T11:42:00.000+08:00

Everything sounds like Coldplay now.

Top 20 Rap songs

2005-09-03T14:01:00.000+08:00

Perhaps rap is music at its most minimalistic - thumping bass, percolating beats and spoken lyrics.

Perhaps rap is the easy way out of learning all the music notes.

Either way, it's the most popular genre nowadays, especially in the Dubya nation. Here are some of the best.

20 The Message - Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five
Where hardcore rap got its, erm, message. Probably the first rap song to move away from the party-happy vibes of early rap, and present the grim ghetto street life. So original was this rant, that the biggest hacker of them all, Puff Daddy, stole its synth almost 15 years after. Spine-tingling moment: Through gritted teeth, Grandmaster intones: "Don't push me 'cuz I'm close to the edge."

19 Crossroads - Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
This quartet from Cleveland spin the fastest and most melodic raps that propel to the top of their game in the mid-1990s. Too bad, their gangster lifestyle caught up. One of them is in jail I think. See you at the crossroads. Spine-tingling moment: Their light-as-breeze-yet-swift-as-wind rapping is pretty unique, even now.

18 California Love - 2Pac
The G-Funk anthem, so ubiquitous in its funky beats and catchy music. Kudos to Dr Dre for setting the standard in rap background music. Everybody now..... Spine-tingling moment: Shake it, shake it, shake it......

17 Gimme Some More - Busta Rhymes
Surely, one of the most insane rappers. And the most colourful. God, his music videos made me laugh so hard. Spine-tingling moment: You people had enough? GIMME SOME MORE!

16 It's Tricky - Run-D.M.C.
Oh yes, primitive rap, sampled music, scratched beats. The first rap superstars stick to their roots and churn out this classic about how hard it is to rap. But they can. Spine-tingling moment: Besides the "My Sharona" sample, it's hard not to shout along to the chorus: "It's tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time, it's tricky!"

15 (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party) - Beastie Boys
The coolest white rappers ever. Credit to them for sticking to their old-school rapping all these years, yet retain their adventurous musical spirit. Sounds paradoxical isn't it? Listen to this then - rap with metal riffs, about 10 years before rap-metal became trendy. Spine-tingling moment: "Your momma threw away your best porno mag." Oh nooooooooooooo.....

14 Rebel Without A Pause - Public Enemy
The most vital rap group, period. This song shows how - Chuck D's strident protests, Flavour Flav's jokester counterpoints and, most overlooked of all, Terminator X's unbelievable samples and beats. Spine-tingling moment: The thumping drum and bass alone makes this song a classic.

13 Hey Ya - Outkast
Damn, if this song ain't catchy. Andre 3000 flows through this luminous ditty with bouyant glee, and every one, young and old, caught on. Spine-tingling moment: "Shake it, shake it, shake it like a polaroid picture."

12 You Got Me - The Roots feat. Erykah Badu
Possibly the best rap love song ever. Over a folksy arrangement, two lovers pledge not to let their love die. Compare this with the other sex-minded rappers' testosterone-filled outputs, and you sigh. Spine-tingling moment: Badu's almost-weeping voice in the chorus: "If you are worried 'bout where I been or who I saw, or what club I went to with my homies, baby don't worry you know that you got me."

11 Get Ur Freak On - Missy Elliott
Wow, the perfect rump-shaking anthem. She and Timbaaland make the most oddball rap music sound absolutely catchy, like this eastern-drenched stomp. Spine-tingling moment: Out of nowhere, an Arabic chant floats in. A "wtf??" moment.

10 Fuck Tha Police - N.W.A.
The most notorious rap song is also its angriest. Hearing Ice Cube, MC Ren and Easy-E pour out their frustration with the police is scary, but also sobering. Dr Dre adds gunshot sounds and police sirens in the background, and it adds up to a brutal sonic treat. Spine-tingling moment: Near the end, Ice Cube screams: "That's a lie! That's a goddamn lie! I want justice! I want justice!"

9 Stan - Eminem
Beneath the never-ending controversies, Eminem is a razor-sharp lyricist. Perhaps that's why he gets so much flak. This haunting song about a crazed fan is biting because Eminem hits home with every line. Of course, nobody gives him credit, preferring to focus on his misogynism. Whatever. Spine-tingling moment: "It was you. Damn."

8 Slow Jamz - Twista feat. Kanye West
Rip-roaring humour from rap's newest talents. While Twista is mind-bogglingly fast, West writes classic lines like... Spine-tingling moment: "She got a dark-skinned friend that looks like Michael Jackson/She got a light-skinned friend that looks like Michael Jackson."

7 O.P.P. - Naughty By Nature
Purely for that thumping beat and the Jackson Five sample. Absolutely killer, lascivous lyrics aside. Spine-tingling moment: "You down wit' OPP! Yeah you know me!"

6 Bombs Over Bagdad - Outkast
Before they hit mainstream, Big Boi and Andre 3000 are the most flamboyant rappers around. Listening to them trying to keep up with the frenetic beats on this song is a rush. Spine-tingling moment: A sly political dig: "Don't even bang unless you plan to hit something/Bombs over Bagdad!"

5 Triumph - Wu-Tang Clan
Ten rappers and one microphone. It's like verbal jamming, as the best from Staten Island let loose their barrage of thuggish imagery. Super-charged with minimal musical intervention. Pure. Spine-tingling moment: Listen to them tag-team, with all different rapping styles, is a unique rush.

4 99 Problems - Jay-Z
Probably the best rapper in the business, Jay-Z's final hit (if he keeps to his retirement promise) is a hard-hitting anthem, filled with metallic guitar flourishes courtesy of guest producer Rick Rubin. With lyrics so crystal-clear, he details the lives in the ghetto with so much swagger. Spine-tingling moment: Definition of swagger: "If you're having girl problems, I feel bad for you son/I got 99 problems but the bitch ain't one."

3 Lose Yourself - Eminem
Rap is a way out of poverty for most rappers, and this song details why. Eminem's fiercest lyrics paints a determination to get out of the slums, unlike most gangsta rap which revels in it. He also finds the dilemma of being called a sell-out for getting out of the 'hood. Bloody brilliant. Spine-tingling moment: A sombre piano intro gives way to a grinding guitar riff as Eminem builds his anger.

2 Sabotage - Beastie Boys
The white boys return to their punk roots and whip out this spit-fire rap amid a tremendous guitar riff. Incredibly catchy, frenetic and funny, this is the only rap song you can mosh to. That'll do. Spine-tingling moment: When the immortal riff returns after a pause.

1 Fight The Power - Public Enemy
Like punk, rap has the power to incite. None have been more effective than this diatribe from the most political rap group ever. Chuck D rails against racial oppression and preaches all black people to do what his song title says. It's a fiery statement that still burns true today. Spine-tingling moment: The dense squalor of lyrical brilliance from Chuck D. No other rapper sounds as immediate as him.

Stay (Faraway, So Close!)

2005-09-03T00:37:00.000+08:00

- Goodness, the Jessica Alba pic in my last post sure looks steamier every time I see it. I think it means I'm desperate.

- Miami, New Orleans, London, Belfast and Berlin -- U2, New Orleans is Sinking -- The Tragically Hip.

- Josh, I think it means the New Orleans trip isn't gonna happen soon, init?

- Strange that when CNN cut to the lootings and whinings at NO, it's almost always on black people. Either they are biased, or they are prejudiced =p

- Uneventful week, both at work and off work. God I'm so boring....

- Will fly by with a list tomorrow, prob on rap, not my favourite music genre.

Drag The Waters

2005-08-26T02:22:00.000+08:00

- Gratuitous sexual content appears for the first time on my blog. And who better to do so than the utterly hot Goddess Alba.

- I'm never gonna be able to vote, so long as I live in PM Lee land (AMK), and the damn social police rains scorn on every presidential candidate whom the govt doesn't endorse. Hey, who needs the garmen to step in, when these thought police act first? Kudos, JTC, Hyflux, that committee from that condominium. I feel sooooooooooooooooo safe. And stupid.

- Could you be successful in your work, like the job you're doing, and still hate the company you work in? I tell you, if I should go through another nine-day stretch without a day off, just because I have to cover someone's arse, I would reach the abovementioned karma state.

- Can I not be broke, for just once? Maybe for a year-long stretch? I'm such a spendthrift.

- I feel like going to Las Vegas again, I dunno why.

- Since I started this entry with a babe, gonna end with a babe too. Shaking with Sharapova. Yeah baby.

Acrobat

2005-08-08T00:50:00.000+08:00

- How hard it is to find the discipline to blog regularly. I'll try.

- So how do I feel on the eve of a week that will define how good I am at my job? Hmmmm, I feel trippy.

- Haven't read so much in a while, finished J K Rowling's latest book and, get this, half of the Sandman series. All deal with extraordinary worlds, most of them malevolent.

- Sigh, twisting turning through the never.

South Park

2005-07-28T22:40:00.000+08:00

This is me. This is fun. Thanks Billy.

Top 20 R&B songs

2005-07-26T16:23:00.000+08:00

Can't think of much to write about, so back to doing lists. =p

R&B, or soul music. It draws from the joyous singing of gospel, and delivers some of the most passionate songs on record. Needless to say, it has produced some excellent vocalists and, through its offshoot genres like funk and reggae, some seriously groovy rhythms.

20 If You Don't Know Me By Now - Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes
Yeah, I heard the Simply Red version first but, listening to the original, it didn't need much improvement. A distressing tale of crumbling love, the song draws out the drama slowly, as if unwilling to let this relationship end. Spine-tingling moment: "What good is a love affair, when we can't see eye to eye?" An obvious heartbreaking question.

19 I Want To Take You Higher - Sly And The Family Stone
Party time! Bring out the horns, slap on the funky groove, and scream the chorus. Don't think. Here, some booze may help. Spine-tingling moment: I'm seldom as keen on joyous trumpets as this one.

18 No Ordinary Love - Sade
One of my pet peeves is divas who think that screaming at the top of their voices means soul. (Don't look away, Mariah, Whitney.) Want soul? Check this smouldering, seven-minute slow burn from my favourite chanteuse. Not a single vocal leap, yet you can hear every desperation. Spine-tingling moment: The subtlety is also in the groove - jazzy, yet insistent.

17 Right To Be Wrong - Joss Stone
God, 17 years old only?? It's a magical voice she's blessed with and, thankfully, she lends it to lift stately songs like this. Spine-tingling moment: When her voice enters amid tasteful guitar lines - all shivery and luminous.

16 Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing - Marvin Gaye
R&B duets are often tacky, but trust the top soul man IMHO to spill the passion with his regular partner, Tammi Terrell. At just over two minutes, the song's not drawn out like most other duets, but Gaye and Terrell makes it urgent enough to make us feel the love between. Spine-tingling moment: When Gaye "oooohs" to start the rush of love.

15 One Nation Under A Groove - Funkadelic
Groove is a peculiar thing. You either have it inbred, or you have to work hard at it. Funkadelic, for sure, have it inbred. This invitation to dance is so elastic, so rubbery, sitting down is a crime. Spine-tingling moment: "One nation under a groove/Gettin' down just for the funk of it/One nation and we're on the move/Nothin' can stop us now."

14 People Get Ready - Curtis Mayfield And The Impressions
Gently, this hymn works its charms. So many artistes have covered this song, yet when I heard this original version it still tingles with its pure gospel soul. Spine-tingling moment: When everything drops away, leaving only the exquisite harmony: "You just thank the Lord."

13 Dancing In The Streets - Martha And The Vandellas
Driving Motown classic, with booming beats and infectious vibe. As soon as the horns blare out, you're caught in the Motown magic. Spine-tingling moment: Gorgeous horns after the opening drum roll.

12 Lately - Stevie Wonder
With a double bass and piano as his only accompaniment, Wonder wrenches a world of hurt with his emotive vocals. The sparse arrangement only adds to the loneliness. Spine-tingling moment: The exqusite piano riff draws the listener away from the pain.

11 Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine - James Brown
A-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum. Whereby the Godfather of Soul whoops, shouts, grunts his way to funk heaven. Spine-tingling moment: Get up! (Get on up!)

10 No Woman No Cry - Bob Marley
The only reggae artiste that matters. The classic reggae beat is married to an impossibly soulful love song that soars to moving heights in the live version. Contrary to the song title, just listening to Pete Tosh's liquid guitar is enough to make one weep in joy. Spine-tingling moment: Wait for Tosh's solo. It's worth it.

9 Under The Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
The most un-categorisable band ever. Rock? Rap? Funk? Since I grouped funk with R&B, here's the salacious foursome with their biggest hit. And it's an ode to a tragic city so beautiful, you wonder if Anthony Kiedis drew his strength from all the R&B soul men. Spine-tingling moment: The song takes flight on the warm guitar intro, and lands on the chilling guitar outro, both courtesy of the underrated John Frusciante.

8 Let's Stay Together - Al Green
The Reverend exudes joy in every song, a rarity in most singers, who are usually tortured souls at best. =p So smooth and silky is his delivery, one would guess he entered reverend-hood to evade the hordes of women taken in. Spine-tingling moment: When he leaps into falsetto heaven: "Let's..........Let's stay together......"

7 Try A Little Tenderness - Otis Redding
A force of nature, Redding erupts like a volcanic soul on this momentous track. What a thrill listening him build from a stately ballad to near hysteria in the end. Spine-tingling moment: When he holds nothing back in the end: "You gotta hold her/don't squeeze her/never leave her/you gotta hold her/and never/so try a little tenderness" Insane lyrics, huh?

6 Little Red Corvette - Prince
The Purple One's eccentricities hide a singular talent that can flit through every genre with apparent ease. This is his best R&B song, modernised with synth and filled with double-entredres that only his dirty mind can come up with. Yet the pop sensibilities are evident, as soon as you hit the chorus. Spine-tingling moment: The wondrous three guitar notes after Prince sings the song title.

5 The Tracks Of My Tears - Smokey Robinson
The best R&B lyricist, even Bob Dylan praises him. Robinson's imagery is so stunning, it takes a while to marvel at the poetry. This song is catchy and soulful enough, and then you listen to the lyrics. Spine-tingling moment: "So take a good look at face/You'll see my smile looks out of place/If you look closer, it's easy to trace/The tracks of my tears."

4 You Are The Sunshine Of My Life - Stevie Wonder
Gorgeous singing + a deathless melody = undisputed classic. It is deceptively simple, but Wonder piles in the subtle minor-key flourishes and jazzy grooves, and then makes the song stick in your head forever. Wow. Spine-tingling moment: "You are the sunshine of my life/Forever you'll stay in my heart." So shatteringly simple.

3 Georgia On My Mind - Ray Charles
The ballad that defines stately, and not because it's the state song of Georgia. The weepy strings, the awesome soul of Ray Charles, and the timelessness of the lyrics, it all adds to a top-notch soul classic. Spine-tingling moment: The languid pace sets up Charles' exquisite phrasing: "Georgia......Georgia.....no peace I find.....just an old sweet song.....keeps Georgia on my mind."

2 A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke
Soul music as protest song. Cooke's visionary 1962 standard sets the agenda for every hip-hop and rap protest 30 years on. Every line is sang with gut-wrenching soul, so much so the overwrought orchestra arrangement pales in power. Speaks a lot about Cooke's majestic talent. Spine-tingling moment: The most important two lines in soul music history: "It's been a long, long time coming but I know/A change is gonna come, oh yes it will."

1 What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
In which Gaye emulates his hero Sam Cooke in writing a social-conscious song, but ends up with something far more transcendent than anything R&B has ever produced. Gaye's genius is his subtlety in sending his message across. Never strident, the song builds upon a smooth jazzy groove as Gaye's silky vocals tracks the turbulent age that was affecting his family. The "Mother mother" and "Brother brother" refrain works wonders, as he rages quietly at the destruction of his family. The tone remains calm as he urges all to see what's going on. A impeccable classic that crosses all boundaries. Spine-tingling moment: The chilling pre-chorus: "Picket lines and picket signs/Don't punish me with brutality/Come on talk to me, so you can see/What's going on."

Times Like These

2005-07-15T02:21:00.000+08:00

One final word on the NKF saga, on a personal note: It's times like these when I am proud of my profession.

Journalists have been accused of sensationalising, of plagiarising, of slandering, of self-censorship in case of offending the government, of unprofessional behavior.

But when they hit paydirt and bring a deceiving liar like T.T.Durai down, I feel pretty good. We live for times like these.

To think the fool shot himself straight in the foot just makes me wanna laugh out loud.

Anyways. Where the Singaporeans talk. 1 2

Gimme Some Truth

2005-07-14T17:57:00.001+08:00

The original Susan Long piece that started it all. It's a long but good read.

The NKF: Controversially ahead of its time?

Controversy stalks the National Kidney Foundation, with critics lambasting its fund-raising methods, brazen self-promotion and work practices. Is the NKF just a cutting-edge charity ahead of its time, or is there more to those rumblings?

A RETIRED contractor who wants to be known only as Mr Tan used to be a National Kidney Foundation (NKF) donor until he was hired to install some bathroom fittings for its new headquarters at Kim Keat Road in 1995.

Inside chief executive T.T. Durai's office suite on the 12th floor of the $21 million building, he says he 'lost it' when he had to install, among other things, a glass-panelled shower, a pricey German toilet bowl and a gold-plated tap.

'I started screaming my head off. The gold-plated tap alone cost at least $1,000. It was crazy. If you're Bill Gates and own your own multinational, whatever you want, fine. But you're a charity, using donors' money,' he huffs.

After his outburst, he was told to 'just do' his job. The shower stall remained, but the taps he eventually installed were 'scaled down' to an upmarket chrome-plated model.

To this day, the 54-year-old belongs to NKF's die-hard detractor camp, unmoved by its shining success in social entrepreneurship and its track record in saving lives.

As he puts it: 'After that day, not a cent from me. I'm not going to pay for gold-plated taps.'

Asked for its response to the contractor's story, the NKF's public relations arm sidestepped the details and said yesterday: 'Since you can't give us details of the contractor ... it is difficult for us to give an answer to enlighten your readers.'

In the past fortnight, the NKF has hogged the headlines. Propitiously, the news of its amazing $189 million in reserves broke the very day it celebrated its 35th anniversary on April 7.

Since then, a stream of more than 130 people - former employees, former donors and disgruntled members of the public - have e-mailed or called this newspaper to let off steam about its hard-sell tactics, thick carpets and controversial chieftain.

At the same time, about 30 others, individuals and organisations, have sent in letters of support for the organisation, praising its dialysis programmes and pledging continued donations. So far, the NKF kitty appears none the worse for wear despite all the caterwauling.

On April 11, its 11th NKF Charity show raised $6.7 million, just a fraction short of last year's $6.8 million. Last night, it netted another $6.4 million.

These serious sums of money - how the NKF gets it, spends it and accounts for it - have been a well-gnawed bone of contention among its naysayers. Way before details of its $5 million tie-up with insurance giant Aviva unleashed a ferocious debate on donor privacy issues, charges of 'invasive' fund-raising have dogged the outfit.

But the NKF has made no bones about gunning for the charity dollar - the more the merrier, just like any other profit-and-loss business. Relentless innovation over the years has brought new ways of fund-raising: greeting cards, live charity shows, donations via SMS, consultancy services, even selling its spare telemarketing capacity to private companies.

In the social service sector, the NKF is the unparalleled paragon of the art of 'heart sell'. Most impressive of all, notes Mrs Tan Chee Koon, executive director of the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, is its ability to tap on the health screening it conducts for heartlanders to ensure a 'sustained pool of regular givers'.

Unlike many charities which rely on large, one-off infusions from wealthy foundations, NKF's bread and butter is the $3 to $5 monthly Giro donations from about one million ordinary Singaporeans. With such a big base of small heartland givers - its website says nearly two out of every three Singaporeans are donors - the pennies add up.

Every day, seven days a week, some 100 'prevention evangelists' and nurses fan out to companies, army camps, condominiums and churches islandwide to test the blood, body fat and urine of at least 1,600 people daily. Since 1997, more than one million Singaporeans have undergone these free health screenings, which are followed typically by an impassioned pitch: 'This is something we're doing for you; is there something you'd like to do for us?'

A voluntary sector consultant notes: 'Even old grannies are not spared the spiel. Most are pressured to do a Giro contribution for a minimum of six months. Nothing they do is illegal, but it's all very aggressive. Nothing wrong with that, but when they push the fund-raising envelope, they tend to be insensitive to the larger consequences for the charity sector.'

But the NKF's head of what it calls 'prevention marketing', Ms Shirley Tan, makes no apologies for the 'heartfelt pleas' it delivers along with its basic health checks, which she notes would cost at least $60 in private clinics. She says these are 'free-will offerings' and the 'evangelists' have no financial targets to meet at each venue.

PAINFUL LESSONS

NKF chairman Richard Yong, 63, a former private banker who has been on the NKF board for 18 years, makes clear that lucre is the necessary lifeblood of the organisation.

Every cent literally buys time for each patient. And the NKF's mission to save the lives of those with kidney failure is undeniably daunting, which explains why there are no other self-funded, non-profit dialysis providers in the world.

Each patient is admitted for life - or until they are lucky enough to get a kidney transplant. The average life expectancy of those on dialysis is 10 to 15 years, at a cost of $150,000 upwards a head to the foundation.

Mr Yong says patients themselves pay from nothing to $800 each month for three-times-a-week dialysis which would cost at least $3,000 each month outside.

The incidence of kidney failure here - increasingly a lifestyle disease closely associated with diabetes and hypertension - is now the third highest in the world, trailing only affluent countries like the United States and Japan.

This, coupled with a fast growing grey-haired population, means that the NKF has plenty of costly work cut out for it. Its money-minting machinery, however, was not always so hard-nosed or well-oiled. Starting out in an unprepossessing Singapore General Hospital attic with just two beds and one metal tray in 1969, Mr Yong says, it battled the same growing pains that less publicised, cash-strapped charities face today.

When it set up its first dialysis programme in 1982 in Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, it dispensed free treatment with little regard for outcomes and costs.

In 1986, it ran out of money, so he and other board members had to make the heart-wrenching decision of who among their 32 patients should continue with dialysis, and who would have to be sent home with morphine to die.

'I couldn't sleep; I couldn't eat. Who were we to play God?' he recalls. It hit home then: It was important to have 'healthy reserves that can withstand even the most dire economic times', and self-generated income 'so that we can be independent, instead of on our knees, poor and begging for life'.

So the irony is that, despite being one of the oldest, the NKF is yet one of the most progressive charities here. As a mature 35-year-old, it is looking at sustainability and continuity issues for the next 100 years, even as most other voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) grapple with day-to-day survival issues.

In the international arena, it is such a trail-blazing model of social entrepreneurship that American universities like Harvard, Johns Hopkins and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have done case studies on it.

Locally, however, it is so far ahead of its time that society has yet to keep pace. Unlike in the West - where charities aggressively campaign for the charity dollar, professional fund-raising is a bona fide industry and tie-ups with commercial entities are old news - the social sector here unfortunately is still in its infancy.

According to Mr Terry Farris, head of charity management for Asia at European private bank Mees Pierson, the fact that it costs money to raise money- the accepted norm, he says, is now 15 to 20 cents out of every dollar - may not have sunk in here yet.

Many VWO chiefs note there still exists an arcane expectation that non-profits should survive on the 'goodwill and sacrifice' of volunteers, even though it is recognised worldwide that the public good is much better served by hiring professional managers at market rates.

TOUGH LOVE

THE NKF has tried to break away from the 'third-tier' image charities suffer from, by sourcing for talent worldwide and paying them fair market value.

According to NKF's honorary treasurer Loo Say San: 'Many Singaporeans prefer not to work for charitable organisations, so we go overseas to hire.'

It does its recruitment drives at top institutions like the Indian Institutes of Management and Beijing University, competing with the likes of General Electric and Morgan Stanley for the best brains money can buy. Since 2001, it has also tapped the skills of a steady stream of MBA interns from top business schools like Harvard and Stanford.

Its staff strength is 947, a figure that NKF defends as necessary to man the three shifts of dialysis sessions, each lasting four hours, which its 22 centres around the island run daily.

Pressed for details on staff composition, Mr Yong said 'more than half are medical personnel'. The rest are spread among the administrative, marketing, fund-raising and communications departments.

The taboo it seeks to break is that charity is synonymous with poor quality. As Dr Gerard Chuah, an eye surgeon and chairman of the NKF Children's Medical Fund, says: 'What bothers me is when people say, why can't you continue to function out of containers? Hello, just because we're a charity doesn't mean we have to operate in a hovel out in the rain.

'Would you ask a family member of yours who has an honours degree to work in a container? We want to get the best people we can find who will run good programmes to save more lives.'

Even when administering its dialysis and patient rehabilitation programmes, the NKF approach is controversial. You might call it 'tough love'. According to Mr Job Loei, a dialysis patient who also helps counsel new admissions at NKF, those wallowing in self-pity are set straight.

NKF demands that patients co-pay for dialysis, hold down jobs and stick to their diet - or pay more. Patients' fees, for example, are reduced by $50 to $100 as an incentive, if they find a job, get promoted, tie the knot, give birth, or even when their school-going children score As.

It helps patients find jobs, provides courses to upgrade their qualifications and holds personal grooming classes to help them remain attractive to their spouses. If their children's grades slide, it even helps engage, and provides subsidies of up to 80 per cent for, tuition teachers to coach them.

As Mr Yong says: 'We don't dialyse them to go home and sleep. We want them to have jobs, bring home the bacon, contribute to the economy, have normal relations with their spouses and their children to do well in school. We say openly to them: If you want to die, go and die by yourself; don't come to us'.'

As a result, 93 per cent of NKF dialysis patients work, support their families and lead productive lives, compared to less than 60 per cent worldwide. The general philosophy is: No free rides.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

LIKEWISE for employees, adds Mr Loo. They are constantly reminded that their wages come from donor dollars. To prevent wastage, there is an extensive list of fines, from $5 for getting to work five minutes late, to $30 for forgetting to switch off the lights. All staff functions are held in the in-house auditorium 'for fear of being labelled spend-thrift' if they venture outside.

For the record, Mr Yong says, there is no such thing as 'first-class travel'. Senior executives, from directors up, including CEO Mr Durai, fly business class. The rest fly economy.

Little is known of Mr Durai, 56, apart from the fact that his name T.T. (Thambirajah Tharmadurai) means a charitable man in Tamil. A former presidentof the then University of Singapore Students' Union, he graduated with a law degree and worked in the government legal service for six years until 1977.

The elegant and eloquent man eschews publicity and, despite 3 1/2 hours spent with top officials at the NKF last week, this reporter received only a handshake from him. No quotes.

His staff know him as a 'visionary' who cares deeply for NKF patients and knows each one by name. He is also a 'tough taskmaster' who works from 6am to10pm, and eats and showers in his office.

He is said to run a tight, results-oriented ship, with a labyrinth of departments within departments and units within units. But even the most embittered acknowledge it is a 'dynamic' workplace and training ground.

Its staff turnover is high; employees are so often poached that managers now have to sign three-year contracts. One downside cited by former employees is a corporate culture described as 'cagey', in which staff are discouraged from discussing finances. Despite much public prodding and the Finance Ministry's encouragement to charities to reveal the salaries and benefits of their top employees, NKF top guns are sticking to their guns not to allow more public disclosure.

What they keep reiterating is: 'Although the NKF is a non-profit organisation, the people who have chosen to work in the NKF are private individuals, who are entitled to their privacy.'

But therein lies the chink in an otherwise spiffy armour: NKF's forward-looking business model lacks the financial transparency that would enable it to stand tall and get out of its controversy-laden shell.

After all, if it is governed by the creed of the marketplace, it should also apply rigorous standards of disclosure and accountability.

As a VWO analyst notes: 'You can find out how much any CEO of a public company makes, so why not them? How can it be that when they feel like it, they can be private, but when raising funds, they are non-profit and public? If any member of the public asks, why shouldn't the information be made available to them?'

As society matures, says Mr Farris, people will have higher expectations of non-profit governance.

'Like it or not, if you turn over as much as $67.5 million a year, you're a business, though it be the business of doing good,' he says. 'As a charity, you have to always remember: You are spending other people's money.'

On the NKF's part, so often has it been bad-mouthed - which it attributes to 'professional jealousy' - that it seems to have developed a persecution complex of sorts.

'Why is it us, always us?' is a plaintive cry its board members often utter.It has also gone beyond plaintive cries, to being the plaintiff in defamation suits - at least three times. In 1999, for instance, it sued Madam Tan Kiat Noi for sending out an e-mail message accusing it of paying ridiculously high bonuses to its staff. An estimated 100,000 people received it. The case was settled after she apologised publicly, and paid $50,000 in damages, as well as NKF's legal costs.

Whither the NKF from here? Although it continues to bid the public judge it by its works and its effectiveness, detractors will continue to be fixated by the shroud over its numbers. Like it or not, rumblings are likely to persist until there is more publicly-transparent accounting.

Regular People (Conceit)

2005-07-14T12:40:00.000+08:00

- No.1 Lesson learnt by NKF: Don't ever, ever, ever, ever mess with my frigging company.

- Which newspaper has the balls to shoot down Mrs Goh's "$600,000 is peanuts" comments??? Sadly, not mine.

- Some people are saying we should still support and donate to charity. But I'm on the side of the over 4000 dudes and dudettes who cancelled their donations. I figure, since the NKF has OVER 30 YEARS' RESERVES, maybe sucking those reserves dry can make them feel more humble about their main objective.

- Don't mean to gloat, but I began doubting NKF the moment they made more TV shows to plead for our hard-earned cash. To invite the foreign artistes to sing for charity means to pay for their appearances. That is a lot of money to spend on bringing them in. Damn right I was suspicious.

- Why do Singaporeans always go overboard? What started off as a noble cause is ruined by one person who went overboard with his greed. Does he need to show off that he is rich enough to own a golden tap and eight Mercs? It's totally unnecessary.

One

2005-07-14T10:04:00.000+08:00

Come see the entire Live 8 concerts, on quicktime.

A Time To Be So Small

2005-07-11T01:06:00.000+08:00

Deep breath, here goes.....

- Just emerged from a mind-sapping six days of intense work. Trying to design newspaper pages without knowing what stories would come in, 2 freaking hours before deadline, is no joke. I'm a time-conscious guy, I like to be punctual, and I was basically trying hard not to freak out when my boss said: "Drop this story, wait for another one, which may or may not come because we don't what the VVIP's gonna say."

- I stll think the IOC Session is an over-important AGM, and the media circus was over-orgasmic over some banal issues. The bid of 2012 Games is the only exciting event, thankfully not anti-climactic. I would have hated it if snobbish Paris had won.

- Of all the sports stars that gathered, I wanted only one autograph. However, the man was too frail to do so, and his minders were, well, mindful. Still The Greatest to me, Muhammad Ali.

- The London blast felt unnerving, cuz I had stayed near the Edgeware Station during my trip in May. I had also transferred trains at King's Cross Station. The Piccadilly line? I took it to reach Arsenal's stadium. It's strange when you know a foreign city so well.

- Best headline for both London's winning the 2012 bid and being terrorised? "WHAT A BLAST!"

- Took the two Interpol LPs and listened to them on my car for the whole week. They're starting to become the soundtracks to my current life. Bleak, noctural, yet strangely romantic and utterly uplifting. Hope they drop by.

- It was a mixed bag of emotions, as I met my old JC friends for dinner. Some of them are pregnant, some of them plan to get married, some of them got new partners. JM remarked: "You're still the same guy." Certainly, she meant it as a compliment, that she finds comfort in that. I can't say the same for them. It's a tad disconcerting to find them talking about settling down, getting a house, preparing for a baby. I guess, after 12 years of knowing one another, change is inevitable. But I'm happy for them and, deep inside, I long to be like them. Changing to a different stage in my life. What's keeping me from doing so? I suppose, being schooled in the punk philosophy, part of me likes to keep that freewheeling spirit and not be bogged down by commitments. I dunno, but the biological clock is starting to tick a bit louder.

"I will surprise you sometimes, I'll come around when you're down....."

Turn On The Bright Lights

2005-07-05T02:53:00.000+08:00

- Cuz I'm scared of the huge rats scampering at the void deck of my flat. Fuck the upgrading work, give me a dust-free, mud-free, rat-free place to live pleeeeease......

- Latest gaffe from my 160-year-old newspaper: "Oasis bassist Andy Bell, former lead singer of Erasure."

- Although, I must say, it's a pretty cool idea to find the people in those old memorable photos.

- IOC Session = overblown AGM

- Where is she?

Take Me Out

2005-07-01T14:10:00.000+08:00

I've just found my next favourite stand-up comedian. Totally un-PC, filled with vulgarities, and side-splittingly funny.

Ladies and gentlemen, George Carlin.

Top 20 Radiohead songs

2005-06-22T20:29:00.000+08:00

Obtuse, wilful, depressing - yet no other band captures the spirit and anxiety of the information (overload) age like Radiohead.

Some may think them as pretentious - and they do have a point - but I think they're bloody brilliant. Not many bands can consistently surprise me with every album release. The exhilarating, intoxicating heights they reached with "OK Computer" has not been surpassed.

Thom Yorke and gang spur me on to dream, to muse and to create through music. Here's 20 songs that still do.

20 I Will (Hail To The Thief)
A two-minute prayer tucked deep inside their latest album. Thom Yorke overdubs himself into a choir, and sings a lullaby with what he deems his "angriest lyrics". Yeah, right. Spine-tingling moment: Thom Yorke baritone whispers "Little babies' eyes/Eyes, eyes, eyes" while Thom Yorke ghostly voice floats behind.

19 Subterranean Homesick Alien (OK Computer)
If one were to write an account of his alien abduction, it should be as shimmering and dreamy as this. No one will believe you, though. They'll finally think that you've lost it completely. Spine-tingling moment: Exquisite opening guitar from the incomparable Johnny Greenwood.

18 Motion Picture Soundtrack (Kid A)
After the maddening experiments of a difficult album, this track drifts in finally like a comforting shoulder. Or maybe not. Over an organ progression, Thom sings about going crazy, maybe. Spine-tingling moment: The sad last line, sung in Yorke's inimitable falsetto: "I will see you in the next life."

17 Planet Telex (The Bends)
The first signs of avant-garde tendencies from the britpop band. As the song begins, strange, wobbly piano riffs tumble with tremolo guitars. Then, an extraordinarily powerful chorus to ram home Thom's manifest fears: "Everything is broken/everyone is broken." Spine-tingling moment: Johnny creeps in with a chilling guitar line right at the end. Worth the wait.

16 I Might Be Wrong (Amnesiac)
It is hard to love Radiohead in their experimental phase, but it is not because their music is unlistenable. It's just....they've become incredibly hard to understand. Oh well, whatever, nevermind. This riff rocks anyway. Spine-tingling moment: The sudden appearance of the dreamy coda is joltingly good.

15 Sail To The Moon (Hail To The Thief)
Lucky kid, Thom Yorke's son. To have his father write a lullaby so achingly beautiful like this. Spine-tingling moment: To have his father's sidekick compose guitar lines that outdo the beauty of the song. Oh what I would do to get Johnny's guitar tone, with my Les Paul. (Nice dream).

14 Idioteque (Kid A)
Their best electronica experiment. The striking drum track, the swooping synth and the utterly indecipherable lyrics somehow conjure a sense of icy dread. Radiohead depress us with strange music ingredients. Spine-tingling moment: Thom mumbles "The first of the children" with such vehemence as if it means something so urgent. Who knows?

13 Let Down (OK Computer)
It's a wonder how the most beautiful Radiohead music are always married to the most depressing lyrics. Perhaps that's their calling card. This excellent dream pop could be paired with equally dreamy lyrics. But, no, Thom has to mess with our heads with anxious phrases like "disappointed people clinging on to bottles", "It always ends up in drivel", "hysterical and useless" and, of course, "let down and hanging around". Spine-tingling moment: Buried in the mix are the familiar sounds of game arcades. Neat.

12 My Iron Lung (The Bends)
A total waste of time, as Thom labels this song in the superb lyrics. Not quite. Spine-tingling moment: Not with the best opening riff Johnny Greenwood came up with - morose but as chimingly good as any of The Edge's riffs.

11 Optimistic (Kid A)
Strange tribal-like rock that somehow cuts deep. Phil Selway uses timpani sticks to muffle his propulsive drums, so that it sounds like a deep throb. Add a spidery guitar line, and Thom's crazed lyrics, and it's instantly memorable. Spine-tingling moment: Radiohead rival U2 in majestic choruses, so when Thom sings: "You can try the best you can/The best you can is good enough", it's enough.

10 There There (Hail To The Thief)
Glorious riff alert, that intricate Bm7 riff. (Ok ok, stop rolling your eyes. I'm a music nerd.) But this song is great because the band sound rejuvenated after their post-postmodern experiments. And when they want to, Radiohead can produce the most beautiful rock music without sounding wimpy. Spine-tingling moment: The monstrous drum fill right at the end brings the song to an apt conclusion.

9 Everything In Its Right Place (Kid A)
The best song ever written about the numbness of depression. Thom repeats one-line observations over a hypnotic piano riff, ad nauseum. Somehow, he had thousands of fans singing with him during their sell-out concerts. Spine-tingling moment: When Thom's voice gets eaten up literally at the end of this weird song.

8 Lucky (OK Computer)
Did I mention that Radiohead write great choruses? This one sends goosebumps up my neck whenever Thom sings "Pull me out of the air crash" and Johnny takes over with tasteful guitar lines after the second chorus. Spine-tingling moment: A splendid vocal leap in the second verse: "It's gonna be a glorious day."

7 High And Dry (The Bends)
Here's where they got compared to U2 and all the arena rock greats. Here's also where they found their feet, writing moody songs set to impossibly beautiful music. Here's also where Thom's falsetto sends shivers whenever he uses it. Here's also where Johnny's ringing guitars lift a somewhat so-so song, as he will do whenever he has to. Spine-tingling moment: The memorable solo, something which I can pick up on first listen.

6 Pyramid Song (Amnesiac)
Goodness, has there ever been a sadder, weirder ballad? The jerky rhythms, the funereal piano, the death-march lyrics - all meld together for a singular experience. It's like being thrown into a space walk - right after you've lost your parents. Spine-tingling moment: Eerie moans from Thom just before he starts his verses.

5 Airbag (OK Computer)
Fantastic opening to one of the greatest rock albums. Angular guitar riffs fly past, as does weird sound effects, electronic drums and a striking bass riff by Colin Greenwood. Thom intones anxious scenarios, then sounds relieved as he sings: "An airbag saved my life." Evocative, like seeing your life flash by in an instant. Spine-tingling moment: Johnny refuses to be outdone by his brother, coming up with a stunning solo.

4 Street Spirit (Fade Out) (The Bends)
Ed O'Brien's greatest moment. The second guitarist's masterful riff brings to life this most depressing song on Radiohead's impressive list. Fade out again? Not when the beauty lingers. Spine-tingling moment: Like I said, it's Ed's greatest moment.

3 Creep (Pablo Honey)
Ah, their great hit/fluke. It's still a thrill to listen and play this 12-year-old song, because it's so simple and raw. Yet, it's so typical of Radiohead's music - intense mood and weirdly beautiful music. Spine-tingling moment: If Johnny had not hated the song and tried to sabotage it with THAT two famous guitar scrapes, perhaps the band will never become great. Even my sister, who's not a rock fan, can HUM those scrapes.

2 Paranoid Android (OK Computer)
What utter madness it is, to mix three totally different songs into one. Yet, Radiohead turn this adventurous experiment into perhaps their definitive statement. Complex, bold and startling - the song starts out delicately with acoustic guitars and Thom's falsetto, then turns sharply into a weird time signature and louder guitars. Then it switches to dream pop mode and an exquisite vocal performance. Then it's roaring guitars again. Confusing? Take a few more spins, and then marvel. Spine-tingling moment: That spellbinding third stanza, when Thom overdubs some chilling vocals to complement his amazingly sad lyrics. Like angels singing to a dead man.

1 Fake Plastic Trees (The Bends)
From the opening strum until the synth fades out, Radiohead craft an exquisite masterpiece of weariness and dread in the concrete jungle. Thom's chilling lyrics portray people who are blinded by artificial objects, thinking that they are real. Such sad words, but he sings in such a wondrous voice that he draws you in, before launching into a snarling third verse. Then, the incredible heartbreak at the end: "If I could be who you wanted/All the time." Spine-tingling moment: I can't think of a specific moment, the whole song is such a head rush. Just listen.

Don't Look Back In Anger

2005-06-19T10:15:00.000+08:00

- Read this great interview by The Observer with Noel Gallagher. He never fails to crack me up. Why can't other musicians be like him, instead of spouting self-promotion drivel?

- Noel is 38. 38!!! I feel like an old fart, still listening to them geezers right now.

Rage Against The Machine II

2005-06-17T00:21:00.000+08:00

Surprisingly cathartic. (Yeah, I'm a sicko).

Whack the boss. (Fight-Club style)

Rage Against The Machine

2005-06-14T00:27:00.000+08:00

Letting off steam ahead of a tough week.

- One more story by techie reporters about how the 3G handphones are gonna change the world we live in, and I'll shove the latest Nokia phones up their asses.

- On a (now) rare CD plundering, I bought Oasis, Coldplay, Doves, Interpol (Antics) and Manic Street Preachers (Holy Bible). The last two are for posterity, I think they work better as complete albums rather than on random mp3 playlists. Didn't really like Doves, but I'll give it a bit more time to sink in. Coldplay started off brilliant - chills through the first seven songs. Then, it sags terribly before the hidden track. Surprisingly, the best album so far came from a band whom I thought: "I've supported them for so long, I know they're nowhere as good as before, but heck I'll still buy their record." Tops, Oasis, for an album of surprises. Here's a tip, Chris Martin and gang - put two of your best songs at the end of the record, not the start.

- Thank goodness for the NBA Finals, otherwise I have to call ESPN Star Sports to rant about the utter crap they've been churning out these days. Watching rednecks racing their trashy cars around a dirt track for 60 minutes is enough to depress me for the day. Then they show golf after golf after golf, with no Tiger Woods in sight, thereby boring me to tears.

- For fuck's sake, enough on the stupid "LKY admits he was stupid to say no to Formula One" news follow-ups. For once, I agree with Ol' Harry's decision, and he says he's stupid. Goodness, I am beginning to hate all motor racing. The cars are so advanced that they determine the best driver. Look at Schumacher - his Ferrari is crap this year, so he's struggling. C'mon, that's not sport, that's just some overblown test driving. Formula One racing is like the pretentious geeks of sports. Give me the EPL anytime.

- I still shit too much. But this is it's diarrhoea.

Just The Two Of Us

2005-06-09T01:57:00.000+08:00

Like father, like son. ROFL

Can't get enough? Here's the motherload.

Country Feedback

2005-06-06T11:43:00.000+08:00

Thoughts that drifted in:

- Heard from Billy that Interpol may be heading here, so I re-spinned "Turn On The Bright Lights". Hit me like the cold blasts of wind I experienced in London. It's the track listing that did the trick. Listen to "Obstacle 1", "NYC" and "PDA" flow like liquid tar into your heart. I didn't realise, but now I do. It's the best album I bought last year.

- Re-read my friend Neil's first book, his humourous observations of Singapore. Surprisingly, it made me sad. Sometimes, Singaporeans make me sick.

- I'm still trying to convince myself that dieting is enjoyable. I've lost 4kg though.

- She puts the weights in my heart. Well said, Paul Banks. But sometimes, she also lifts it away for a fleeting second, and I live for it.

- I feel we music lovers are sometimes too harsh on new bands. Bloc Party will never be like Franz Ferdinand, Kasabian don't kick as much as Oasis, blah blah blah....... hey, what's the rush to come up with your magnum opus? Not all can hit the mark on their first attempt. Bloody Singaporean mentality again.

- Soccer withdrawal symptoms about to kick in..... now that French Open tennis is over.

- I shit too much.

Whatever

2005-06-04T00:42:00.000+08:00

Yep, it's the catchphrase of the year, hands down. Kudos to George Lucas. (Be patient, padawan, let it load)

United States of...........

Top 25 U2 Songs

2005-06-01T00:22:00.000+08:00

Finally, I got about doing another list. This is the toughest to do, mainly because I had to brutally cull some great songs.

U2 are my favourite band. Period. No other band had a bigger influence on me liking music, creating music and playing music.

Bono's impassioned lyrics, The Edge's extraordinary fretwork and the pulsating rhythm of Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. U2 are far greater than the sum of its parts.

This list is my thank-you letter to them.

25 Mofo (Pop)
Where Adam and Larry get to hog the spotlight. An inventive bassline is propelled onto the dance floor by incessant drumming. The Edge lends some strange noodlings, and Bono sings about asking his deceased mother for redemption. U2 usually opened the Pop Tour with this song, and it's a summation of the mood of that album - cheesy, yet with a heart of darkness. Spine-tingling moment: The bassline appears for the first time, and Larry stops wisely to allow Adam's moment of glory.

24 Drowning Man (War)
An overlooked gem from their early days. Evokes a wintry atmosphere unlike any of their subsequent songs. A stellar Bono vocal performance, and an even better performance by The Edge. He forgoes his trademark ringing guitars and adds acoustic flourishes instead. Never done again after this unique song. Spine-tingling moment: Midway through the song, Bono shouts "You run! You run!" and Larry adds a booming timpani.

23 I Will Follow (Boy)
Ah, the first single from their first album. And surprisingly, it still sounds fresh, totally unlike anything done before or since. Awesome Edge riff, simple yet cutting. Bono contemplates about his mother, not for the only time. Spine-tingling moment: Their calling card - an unforgettable chorus: "If you walk away, walk away/I'll walk away, walk away/I will follow."

22 Miracle Drug (How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb)
Since The Beatles, only U2 have come close to voicing a genuine humanistic view successfully in their songs. Bono alludes to finding a cure for Aids, but extends his lyrical scope so that it encompasses the "Nothing is Impossible" ideal. All too rare in modern rock landscape today. Spine-tingling moment: The Edge steals the show, with a forceful solo that cuts like a knife.

21 Zooropa (Zooropa)
The band's post-modern experiments taken to their logical end. A pastiche of white noise, voice snatches, underwater guitar sounds and... a show-stopping piano riff? No doubt, it drifts in amid the subconscious din like a guiding light through all the mysteries of the 1990s. Bono lists advertisement catchphrases numbly, too immersed in TV-speak, before declaring his willingness to take the plunge into the unknown. Adventurous freak. Spine-tingling moment: That desolate piano riff, so good that The Edge will appropriate it again on the latest album.

20 Silver And Gold (Rattle And Hum)
Bono's infamous rant about Apartheid (I don't mean to bug ya =p) While his spoken-word diatribe in the middle of the live version of this song is too messianic, self-righteous for my liking, it overshadows a terrific protest song, the fiercest U2 have done since "Sunday Bloody Sunday". The genius of this song is that it never points the finger at the oppressors, but paints the determination of the protagonist to be set free. "Outside all the prisoners/Inside the free." Spine-tingling moment: "Ok Edge, play the blues," Bono says. And so Edge plays something as far away from the blues as possible.

19 Kite (All That You Can't Leave Behind)
I didn't take to this song at first, then I saw Bono perform this as a tribute to his dead dad. And it's the most moving tribute to a dad I've ever heard. Sometimes, Bono's lyrics need a concrete context to make sense of it all. Spine-tingling moment: You have to check the live version in Boston, as Bono sings the second verse again as the song ends.

18 Gone (Pop)
Stardom gone haywire. Over a funky bass riff, Bono and The Edge wring surprising emotion from a so-so tale of a star refusing to come down after his 15 minutes are up. Is Bono singing about himself? Spine-tingling moment: The Edge's looping riff that gives this song the kick.

17 Until The End Of The World (Achtung Baby)
Bono takes on the role of Judas, taunting Jesus and his big ideals. Set to the most rocking performance by the band. None of that ethereal chiming guitars and spacey drums. Bone-crunching brilliance. Spine-tingling moment: Hints of regret from Judas, as Bono launches the surreal final verse: "In my dream, I was drowning in sorrows/But my sorrows, they learnt to swim."

16 Running To Stand Still (The Joshua Tree)
The rare ballad that manages to be earthy, yet hypnotic. The Edge lays in simple piano and slide guitar, Bono keeps his vocals restrained, Adam's hardly in the song, and Larry comes in at only the last verse. Yet it remains their most haunting song, a heartbreaking depiction of heroin abuse. Bono sketches poignant distress effectively: "You gotta cry without weeping/Talk without speaking/Scream without raising your voice." Spine-tingling moment: The sad ending with Bono blowing his harmonica as the song fades.

15 Pride (The Unforgettable Fire)
For the Reverend Martin Luther King, sing. The first classic riff by The Edge, and it drives the song to intense heights. A killer chorus aside, Bono wisely keeps the lyrics simple and allow us to enjoy the army of guitars that engulf the song. Spine-tingling moment: There is one section omitted by The Edge in the Rattle And Hum version, and to me it's the best. It sounds like a gospel section taking flight.

14 Crumbs From Your Table (How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb)
The Edge's guitar work always transports me to the desert, where sound is untainted by noise. His opening notes of this song are so pristine, you feel the swoop of the desert landscape right before you. Bono writes one of the best bridges as the song turns dark: "Where you live should not decide/Whether you live or whether you die/'Three to a bed,' Sister Ann she said/Dignity passes by." Spine-tingling moment: The band's best opening riff in ages, on par with "Where The Streets Have No Name".

13 Love Is Blindness (Achtung Baby)
U2 have always cited Joy Division as one of their influences. However, they never travelled as close to the heart of darkness as the Manchester band, except on this final song on their most accomplished album. A weary desperation permeates straight from the opening funereal organ riff. Bono sounds bitter, cynical about love, and offers no way out of the heartbreak. It's telling that they usually end their post-modernistic Zoo TV Tour on this lament of love lost. Spine-tingling moment: The Edge sounded like tearing into a bluesy solo, bending his opening notes with fury. Then it stops abruptly as if he realises his mistake, and tickles the remaining notes of a most original solo.

12 I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (The Joshua Tree)
Blues done the U2 way. Bono's lyrics sound like it's is written for a blues lament, the chord progression is classic blues, but the band never plays it straight. From the opening tambourine count, to Larry's strange beat, to Adam's walking bass riff, to The Edge's unforgettable chime, the song typifies U2 and the utter pleasure of listening to them. Spine-tingling moment: Larry's opening drum crack kick-starts the whole band, and Bono lands in with a great opening verse: "I have climbed the highest mountains/I have run through the fields/Only to be with you."

11 Miss Sarajevo (Passengers Soundtrack)
A paean to a beauty pageant held right in the middle of the Bosnia War, this is U2's most restrained protest song. Yet, just when you think it's a mediocre, throwaway B-side song... Spine-tingling moment: ...in comes Luciano Pavarotti's gigantic voice singing a spellbinding aria. It's an astonishing touch that made the song. I searched for translation to the Italian lyrics and it goes something like: "It is said that the river finds its way to the sea/And like the river you shall come to me/.....and I cannot hope in love anymore/and I cannot wait for love anymore." Tearjerking.

10 Stay (Faraway, So Close!) (Zooropa)
A breath of humanity in U2's most mechanical album. It's also one of the saddest songs by the band, a tale of lovelorn souls who cannot reach out to each other. Bono pens one of his best lyrics, oddly charming and shatteringly wounded all at once: "If I could stay, then the night will be enough." Spine-tingling moment: As Bono finishes his verse in the coda, the song ends abruptly with Larry's snare. Appropriate for the lyrics: "Just the bang and the clatter as an angel hits the ground."

9 Bad (The Unforgettable Fire)
Superb inpromptu jam, which evolved in one of the high points during their concerts. The whole song banks on two chords, and one of The Edge's best riffs. Bono offers stream-of-consciousness words that lend an air of mystery. Is it about heroin abuse? Or of prisoners shackled? Who cares, when the music is so beautiful. Spine-tingling moment: One of the finest choruses by any rock group, as Bono leaps into his highest register: "Wide awake!/I'm not sleeping."

8 Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of (All That You Can't Leave Behind)
Probably the best pop song they have written, as soulful and uplifting as the old Motown records. What strikes me most is there are no scene-stealers in this - no Bono histronics, or chiming riffs from The Edge. Just a plain joy at their crafting of a beautiful song. Subtle flourishes abound. Spine-tingling moment: The falsetto coda: "And when the night runs over/And if the day won't last/And if our way should falter/Along that stony path." Then the horns come in with great effect.

7 The Fly (Achtung Baby)
The sneering side of U2. From The Edge's opening guitar snarl is matched by Larry's deadly thump and Adam's ominous bass. Bono intones advices from the dark side, and revels in the loss of humanity in the chorus: "Love, we shine like a burning star/We're falling from the skies tonight." Quite unlike anything before or after, but certainly a chilling presence in the Achtung Baby album. Spine-tingling moment: Rarely does The Edge play a long solo. When he does, as on this song, it simply takes your breath away.

6 Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own (How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb)
Amazingly moving tribute to Bono's dad, who passed away before the song was finished. Yet, this back story is not really necessary, because Bono's lyrics can mean different things to different people, while evoking the same teary response. That is perhaps his one incomparable gift that endears the band to so many fans. Spine-tingling moment: It's a tremendous song from word go, but the chorus often chokes me up with emotion: "As it's you when I look in the mirror/And it's you when I pick up the phone/Sometimes you can't make it on your own."

5 All I Want Is You (Rattle And Hum)
Written just so the song can be played as the Rattle And Hum film credits roll, it is nonetheless a soaring ballad that captures the complexities of the heart. Once again, The Edge transforms the aching lyrics into an uplifting hymn with his tremendous guitar arrangement. A softly-strummed opening takes off with a classic turnaround riff. Then some simple chimes before the songs climaxes to a maelstrom of guitars. Spine-tingling moment: When the guitars ebb away, and the strings take over.

4 Where The Streets Have No Name (The Joshua Tree)
The Edge's calling-card riff. Echoed to create a massive sound, his riff propels the song into the stratosphere, perhaps where Bono paints his utopia to be. He has said that whenever they play this song live, their set is saved, because God just dropped in. It's indeed a majestic thrill to hear the headlong rush through the song. Spine-tingling moment: Take your pick, but my choice is when the lyrics end, and the riff reappears to end the song. Yet at that moment, you will never want the riff to end.

3 Sunday Bloody Sunday (War)
The song that defined U2. Wide-eyed they may be when they cut this track in 1983, but this song is charged with visceral power that grabs you from the opening martial drum beats. Bono's finest moment as a protest lyricist, he depicts the stupidities of war with indignation and compassion for those who suffered. How long must we sing this song? Indeed, with wars still prevalent, the question remains unanswered. An unbelievably brave effort to set them apart from all the post-punk bands. Spine-tingling moment: On the War album, The Edge's riff sounds small but, when played live, it's a chilling counterpoint to Bono's impassioned wail. Check out The Edge's solo rendition of this song on the Pop Tour. Incredibly powerful.

2 With Or Without You (The Joshua Tree)
When I was 10, I was torn between two choices when I was buying my first cassette. The Joshua Tree, or Michael Jackson's Bad? I chose the latter. Yes, I came to my senses later. But even at that young age, I could tell that this song is brilliant. A catchy melody, with mysterious high-pitched sounds in the opening stanza, then the drums became more frenetic and a bell-like guitar sweeps in as the singer leaps up one octave. A stirring lament on the joys and pains of a relationship, it's a transcendent song - unique enough to maintain U2's integrity, yet catchy enough to become a No 1 hit. Spine-tingling moment: When Larry's drum break announces the titanic riff about to crash in. Also, the hypnotic coda where The Edge piles on overdubbed guitars for an unbearably beautiful sign-off.

1 One (Achtung Baby)
The only song that made me want to be a better man. So humanistic, so compassionate in its theme, so soulful in its performance, so classy in its arrangements. Bono sings "one life but we're not the same, we get to carry each other" with such urgency that it seems like a startling revelation. The song is the peaceful balm to heal all misunderstandings, all resentments of human relationships. The band never sounded so assured, and their music cuts across all borders. Utterly inspirational, utterly emotional, utterly transcendental piece of work. Spine-tingling moment: Listen once, think of the lyrics. Listen again, think of the music. Listen once more and be moved.

Float On

2005-05-27T00:49:00.000+08:00

ALRIGHT ALREADY WE ALL FLOAT ON ALRIGHT ALREADY WE ALL FLOAT ON ALRIGHT DON'T WORRY EVEN IF IT GETS A LITTLE TOO HEAVY WE ALL FLOAT ON ALRIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Champions of Europe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Omigod!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Liverpool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You'll Never Walk Alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was in tears at 5am on Thursday morning. I have supported my football club since the 1986 FA Cup final. I've seen them win the English league, the FA Cup, the League Cup, the Uefa Cup and the Euro Super Cup.

I have never seen them lift the European Cup with my own eyes yet. Until 5am on Thursday morning.

I had made my way to the Liverpool Fan Clubhouse at UE Square, to see Liverpool go 0-3 down at half-time.

Miserable, suicidal, dying for gallons of beer to drown my sorrows.

Then they scored three goals in six second-half minutes. Intense pandemonium broke out at the clubhouse.

Then it's nailbiting time. If AC Milan score again, we'll be dead.

They didn't. So didn't Liverpool. Penalties. Damn, lottery time.

Yet, my team made it. It is as massive a release of joy as I've ever seen. I hugged strangers. Strangers hugged me. Gallons of tears erupted. Songs bellowed out from desperate fans who said at half-time to stay until the bitter end. In the end, it was the sweetest of all victories.

Football. Bloody Hell, eh?

I drove home in my Chevrolet. And just so appropriately, Modest Mouse's unbearably optimistic song blares out of my car hi-fi.

It's nominally the greatest day of my life....until the day I marry my wife.

Baton Rouge

2005-05-25T00:44:00.000+08:00

Been hit by Pinkerman with the musical baton. Here's what I have

Total volume of music in my PC
3,202 songs - 13GB

The last CD I bought
U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

Song playing right now
Dave Matthews Band - Satellite

Five songs I listened to a lot recently
My Chemical Romance - Helena
Modest Mouse - Float On
Radiohead - Subterranean Homesick Blues
Television - Marquee Moon
Joy Division - Atmosphere

The baton is now passed to the following people:
Rob

Them Bones

2005-05-25T00:35:00.000+08:00

Them lazy bones. Hit by a bout of laziness on my return from three days in London. Must be the British weather.....

Anyways, I can always count on me friend Pinkerman to come up with great Star Wars links. Like these hysterical ones...

Darth Vader's Blog!!!!
Yoda's Blog!!!
Chewbacca's Blog!!!!

Who woulda thunk it? The best line in the new trilogy......

Top 25 Alternative songs

2005-05-01T22:15:00.000+08:00

Where integrity and innovation exist. The alternative world of music opens a kaleidoscope of emotions and styles to me, and it's an endless treasure of top-notch songs that push the boundaries of mass acceptance.

I would say this is the genre that inspire me most these days. Two of my favourite bands, U2 and Radiohead, have transcended this genre and crafted deeply moving music that electrify me to no end. I shall leave them out of this, they deserve their own best-of lists....=p

Here now is the best of the rest.

25 Weezer - Buddy Holly
Geeks made good. Ok, it's a bit harsh, because beneath that horn-rimmed glasses, Rivers Cuomo is an excellent songwriter, capably painting dead-accurate portraits of....geeks. This is supremely catchy, effortless rock. As breezy as the "woo hoo" as Cuomo sings the pre-chorus. Spine-tingling moment: The rhythm section stops suddenly, as Cuomo breaks out the final notes of his screaming solo.

24 My Bloody Valentine - Soon
Better as a whole than the sum of its parts. "Loveless", MBV's masterpiece, demands to be listened as a whole album. Only then will the feedback-drenched songs create that hypnotic beauty that no other band can ape. But this final song lifts the whole experience to ecstatic heights. You can dance, mumble like Belinda Butcher and hold you guitar close to the amp for that feedback rush. Spine-tingling moment: Butcher's vocals are so saccharine, you'll gladly take in the indecipherable lyrics as part of the overall sonic assault.

23 Matthew Sweet - Sick Of Myself
Where power-pop meets alternative sentiments. The sunny facade hides the intense, self-loathing lyrics, and Sweet's delicate delivery speaks of untold heartaches. A wonderful rush. Spine-tingling moment: The three false endings. It's like he wants to play some more to numb the pain.

22 REM - Fall On Me
The unassuming giants. I used to try figure out Michael Stipe's mumble (yes I'm a geek), and on this one, he at least enounciates. The trick: the more political the song, the clearer Stipe sings. This is about the environmental problems, and in the band's inimitable melodicism, Stipe leaps from mournfulness in the verses to sarcasm in the chorus. Mike Mills' able harmonies are also a treat. Spine-tingling moment: The chorus is a exhilarating rush of melody, harmonies and pissed-off lyrics.

21 The White Stripes - Fell In Love With A Girl
Personally, I think the duo are overrated. So what if they are minimalistic? Some songs are just so-so. Occasionally, they do come up with inventive gems like this. The roar of guitars and steady drumming are all they need to pummel you senseless. Spine-tingling moment: Pretty catchy melody too. The basic thrills from a basic band.

20 Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Into My Arms
A top-notch gothic songwriter, Cave embodies his songs with gut-wrenching emotions. I was most moved by this languid ballad, a tremendously affecting ode to devotion. Just simple piano, and Cave's baritone. All it takes to move you almost to tears. Spine-tingling moment: The powerful opening lyrics: "I don't believe in an interventionist god/But I know, darling, that you do/But if I did I would kneel down and ask him/Not to intervene when it came to you."

19 Pixies - Gigantic
What would alternative music be without this quirky band? A lot less interesting, definitely. Pioneers of the "soft verses, loud chorus" dynamic, they muse about weird stuff amid some wondrous melodies. Kim Deal takes charge on this one, and it's pretty clear what she's cooing about when she declares: "Gigantic, a big big love." Dirty girl. Spine-tingling moment: She also whips up a kick-ass bassline to start the song.

18 Sleater-Kinney - You're No Rock And Roll Fun
The all-girl band always seem to have boundless energy. Tune after tune of bouncy brilliance that solidify their status as indie rock goddesses. (They look good too.) This put-down on alternative posers is an insane pogo rush. It's all good. Spine-tingling moment: Memorable riff alert when the girls finish their chorus.

17 Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
A singular talent that died too soon. Buckley's ambition is to soar - his music, his lyrics, his vocals were hell-bent on taking the listener up, up and away. That alone puts him apart from the morose alternative rockers of his generation. Even on this hymnal version of a Leonard Cohen song, he builds up to goosebump-inducing heights with little instrumental additions. Spine-tingling moment: His voice is simply awesome, compared to Cohen. What a difference it makes to the song.

16 They Might Be Giants - Ana Ng
Weezer's forefathers - less noisy, but more geeky. Masters at subverting the pop structure, these college darlings whip up a storm with, get this, accordions. Of course the guitars are present, but the accordion bits make this catchy song subliminally catchier. Add a humourous touch to their lyrics, and it's hard not to fall for these giants. Spine-tingling moment: I can't argue that: "Everything sticks like a broken record."

15 The Replacements - Bastards Of Young
Where honest and naked lyrics became a requisite for alternative rock. The Minneapolis quartet may sound like basic heartland rockers, but Paul Westerberg pens lyrics so cutting, it's like listening to your closest friend baring his fears. This one contains three chilling verses, and that famous chorus: "We are the sons of no one, bastards of young." Spine-tingling moment: Nothing is more heartbreakingly accurate than the third verse: "The ones who love us best, are the ones we'll lay to rest/And visit their graves on holidays at best/The ones who love us least, are the ones we'll die to please/If it's any consolation, I don't begin to understand them."

14 The Breeders - Cannonball
This song is like every memorable alt-rock riff stitched into one exhilarating sequence. Kim Deal's post-Pixies band whip up a collage of quirky hooks, goofy lyrics and freewheeling spirit into four euphoric minutes of fun. Bloody brilliant, every second of it. Spine-tingling moment: I would pick the rapid muted strumming in the chorus, like a man chortling in delight.

13 Live - I Alone
Explosive rocker from one of the most (self-) righteous bands since U2. Ed Kowalczyk pens quasi-spiritual lyrics that inspire occasionally, but none are as urgent as this seething song. "It's easier not to be wise," he mumurs. But his able band proves otherwise, with thoughtful flourishes throughout. Spine-tingling moment: The line before the extraordinarily powerful chorus: "Leave you there by yourself, chained to fate."

12 REM - So. Central Rain
Early REM are all about the jangling melody - timeless and timely, amid the robotic electronica music that was taking hold of mainstream music in the 1980s. This is expertly crafted, and unexpectedly emotional, a tale of failure to communicate due to the weather. Hear Michael Stipe's plaintive cry "I'm sorry!" in the chorus, and the irresistable jangle of Peter Buck's Rickenbacker guitar, and REM's magic is apparent. Simplicity moves. Spine-tingling moment: The opening minor-key notes set the tone for a glum, introspective song.

11 Dinosaur Jr - Freak Scene
Guitar solos were also frowned upon by alternative rockers, many of whom are inspired by punk. Not J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr, who assaults all his songs with inspired moments of feedback-drenched noodlings. This is the band's most melodic work, but Mascis keeps the jagged edge with noisy, fitful attacks. Appropriate, because the song depicts a painful breakup. Spine-tingling moment: Anytime Mascis tumbles headlong into his "guitar god" mode.

10 Velvet Underground - Pale Blue Eyes
So naked is Lou Reed's depiction of a romantic relationship that his guitarist Sterling Morrison objected to playing the song. Too personal, he protested. But that's Reed's gift - capable of writing a brilliant song about anything. When love songs in the 1960s were still about puppy love, he pens this quiet masterpiece of a failed romance with such clarity, it's easy to imagine even the lovers' conversations. Linger on..... Spine-tingling moment: As much as Morrison objected, he contributed the delicate guitar fills that complement Reed's sweetest vocals.

9 Smashing Pumpkins - Hummer
The one Nineties alternative rock band who are not ashamed of the excesses of classic rock. Billy Corgan stands apart from all other songwriters of this genre, creating awesome music that sound gargantuan on record. "Siamese Dreams" is one of my favourite albums, with pummelling guitars and dreamy interludes co-existing side by side, as this song proves. Without sacrificing the alternative credo, Corgan whips up titanic riffs, whines about writer's block and finishes the song in a hazy of dreamy guitars. A wondrous aural experience. Spine-tingling moment: The echo-drenched solo in the dreamy coda. Exquisite.

8 Modest Mouse - Float On
Is there another song last year as addictive as this? Wow, I couldn't stop bouncing and singing to the insanely catchy chorus. And if you bothered to listen, the music is actually pretty far out. The lyrics are extraordinarily optimistic too. Perfect for a spin just before you go for work. Kudos to Isaac Brock, the slightly-mad frontman who finally made it after a 10-year slog. Spine-tingling moment: Plenty, but the chorus still gets you everytime: "Alright! Already, we all float on, alright!"

7 Beck - Where It's At
The reigning mad scientist of alternative rock. Beck flits through every genre, sometimes in a single song. He stitches songs from old spare parts, and brings them to life with his evocative wordplay. This Frankenstein of a song is so groovy, people will stare at you bouncing like a madman in your car. Bottles and cans and just clap your hands! Spine-tingling moment: Two turntables and a microphone. All you need to be cool.

6 Interpol - Slow Hands
It sounds like Interpol took in 20 years of alternative guitars and gave it another twist. Jaw-droppingly innovative, they evoke the atmospheric post-punk gloom better than any current band. Pete Banks' lyrics speak of unhealthy romantic obsessions, and the chiming guitars seem to celebrate that. Spine-tingling moment: The guitars drop out a bit, as Banks declares: "Can't you see what you've done to my heart and my soul/This is a wasteland now."

5 Pixies - Wave Of Mutilation
In just over two minutes, Frank Black and Co. won me over. From the opening drum thud, the thundering guitars chiming in and the headbanging chorus, it's a whirlwind of weirdness that grabs you and never lets go. Who cares what a wave of mutilation is? All that matters is that it rocks like crazy. Spine-tingling moment: The strum of guitars entering is fantastically uplifting, although I'm not sure why.

4 REM - Everybody Hurts
The culmination of a decade's journey in subverting roots rock, REM's true gift to the musical world is this song, not "Losing My Religion". When I think of a comforting song amid great pain and tragedy, this always springs first in my mind. Like an arm wrapped around a tortured soul, Michael Stipe confides that he understands the pain, but urges gently to hold on and move on. Tremendously affecting, a rare balm that sets the band apart from all alt-rockers. Even u2 are never so compassionate. Spine-tingling moment: Peter Buck's exquisite waltz in the verses is equally comforting.

3 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps
The heartbreak amid the din. Karen O and gang may pass off as pretentious, arty punk posers, but they redeem themselves completely with this beautifully noisy love song. The shards of fractured guitar ring as Karen dips into her most wounded heart and sings the pay-off line "They don't love you like I love you" almost on the verge of tears. Spine-tingling moment: When the guitars and drums detonate after her heartbreaking declaration.

2 Velvet Underground - Heroin
The forefathers of alternative rock. But amid VU uncompromising music, Reed's outstanding songs are what draws the fans in. This is their most controversial masterpiece, a sordid depiction of heroin addiction. Not many can stand John Cale's screeching viola apeing the adrenalin rush of heroin, but that's the point. And Reed paints the harrowing thoughts of an addict so clearly, you may think this song is autobiographical. With just two chords, VU can take you into the unknown. Geniuses. Spine-tingling moment: Cale's atonal viola still disturbs, and this is coming from someone who tolerated death metal.

1 Sonic Youth - Teenage Riot
A shot of wonder. For almost seven minutes, Sonic Youth bashed down the barriers of good music with a mighty swing of their collective axes. Check out what this song has encompassed: a dreamy interlude, a majestic riff, a noisy interlude, two cool vocals, strong lyrics and buckets of attitude. It's a head rush just listing the superlatives. This super-charged song is unlikely to be topped by any band, Sonic Youth included. The freewheeling spirit of alternative rock is never so apparent. Spine-tingling moment: Before Franz Ferdinand did the neat trick of switching genres in a song, Sonic Youth did it, 16 years ago.

Top 5 Country, Top 5 Blues

2005-04-25T19:20:00.000+08:00

Old-fashioned country and too-simple blues. Yet, rock would not have been born without these two parent genre. So, if you consider yourself a music fan, do yourself a favour, and listen to these picks. Consider this your rock history 101. =p

Blues

5 Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put A Spell On You
Wild, drunken fit of inspired madness. Hawkins complements one of the best blues vocal performances recorded with - no other way to put this - grunts, howls and maniacal laughter. The result? He was mentioned in the same breath back in the 1950s as we do to Marilyn Manson. But it's a total gas - I've seldom laughed so hard at a song. Spine-tingling moment: The guttural additions will give you giggling fits.

4 Muddy Waters - Rollin' Stone
Another great blues vocalist, Waters projects an image of a mighty man who refuses to wallow in blues. His sly boasts lay the foundation of gangsta rap, and transcend the blues genre in their proud simplicity. Listen to him complement his lyrics with sweet guitar licks. He will get his mojo working on you. Spine-tingling moment: The lurching, swaggering beat of this classic.

3 Albert King - Born Under A Bad Sign
Possibly the most groovy blues riff I've heard. Swinging, yet with an addictive thump. King is massively influential to some of the best guitarists ever, like Clapton, Beck and Vaughan. His solo here is simple, but so cutting, it will leave shards in your memory. Spine-tingling moment: The immortal riff. Raw and unnerving.

2 Robert Johnson - Hellhound On My Trail
Blues can be divided as pre-Johnson blues and post-Johnson blues. Prior to this wildly-gifted bluesman, the genre is rote and unimaginative, using the basic tools and singing familiar laments. After he appeared, all rules are broken. Blues guitar became improvisational, and lyrical topics became more ominous. This is his most famous track, a desperate call for help amid crushing despair. A shattering listen for the power of blues. Spine-tingling moment: The opening lines: "I gotta keep on moving, gotta keep on moving/The blues keep falling down like hail."

1 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood
The culmination of modern blues can be heard through this excellent cut from this unparalleled blues guitarist. He tears off solo after solo with aplomb, and sings as if he is forever cut off by the flood. Best of all, the whole song sounds relevant to modern times, a quality hard to find in this most traditional genre. Spine-tingling moment: Rip away, Steve Ray. His solos are flights of wonder.

Country

5 The Eagles - New Kid In Town
"Hotel California" is more classic rock than country, but this song from the same album is an exquisite country ballad. The tale about a stranger in a small town is rendered unbearably beautiful by the vocal harmonies of Glenn Frey and Don Henley. Add some tasteful guitar licks, and voila, it's a standard that no other country ballad that came after this has managed to top. Spine-tingling moment: The sly change in key at the bridge lifts the song to memorable heights.

4 Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman
So languid, so rural is this enchanting song. Campbell paints a portrait of the loneliness amid the beauty of the countryside with such assuredness, you'll be transported to another world with the first listen. Spine-tingling moment: Campbell soars at the last line of the chorus, and you will too.

3 Hank Williams - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
The quinessential track from the father of modern country music. Four mournful verses of simple grace, Williams wisely keeps his emotions in check and sings the shattering lyrics with matter-of-fact tone. It's a powerful song, proof that under the right hands, country music can be as chilling as the best punk music. Spine-tingling moment: The final weepy verse: "The silence of a falling star, lights up a purple sky/And as I wonder where you are, I'm so lonesome I could cry."

2 The Eagles - Desperado
This holds a special place in my heart. Reason 1: It reminded me of a good relationship with a girl. (I won't say more.) Reason 2: It's the bonding song of my army platoon. I remember singing this in the middle of the Brunei forest. Awesome. Back story aside, this ballad is so stately, so beautiful, so aching, it deserves to be sung till eternity, at any lounge or karaoke bar. Spine-tingling moment: The opening piano line announces four minutes of unparalleled beauty.

1 Johnny Cash - Hurt
The Man in Black's final statement. Nine Inch Nails' most self-loathing song is transformed into a bitter, weary reflection on a life of rebellion. In Cash's inimitable voice, the haunting song sums up his wondrous career - full of deathless songs, sung with attitude and authority. My favourite artiste in a genre which I dislike. Spine-tingling moment: The thudding piano stabs almost overpower a tired Cash in the chorus. Yet he manages to pull through.

Star Sign

2005-04-23T00:27:00.000+08:00

Look, I like Star Wars. I think the last two films are enjoyable, but a bit redundant. And make no mistake, I'll be watching the next sequel when it premieres next month.

But some fans (i.e. nerds) just take the cake. Triumph the Insult Dog investigates the phenomenon.

Top 25 Punk songs

2005-04-19T23:51:00.000+08:00

Here's the swift kick in the arse that every musician needs. Keep it simple, stupid. Punk killed the bloated rock bands, twice. Once in the 1970s and then, via grunge, again in the 1990s. One can never underestimate this genre's inherent power to rebel and revolutionise.

Punk also spawned a myriad of sub-genres which latched onto the free-spirited, do-it-yourself ethics to produce great music. For better or worse, style and attitude is a prerequisite to rock now, not musicianship.

Punk does not exactly run in my blood, but it is always a source of inspiration whenever I'm stuck in a rut. Here's 25 punk songs that captured my imagination.

25 Minor Threat - Straight Edge
Blitzkrieg hardcore punk. The title eventually became a lifestyle for punks - no drugs, no alcohol, anti-politics, self-aware. Ian MacKaye barks out the no-nos of life and screams: "I've got straight edge!" Quite a lot of punks followed his orders. Spine-tingling moment: No time to lose, just a freaking 45 seconds of raging guitars and drums.

24 Bad Religion - Suffer
Another awesome quickie. This SoCal band are much more melodic than other hardcore punk units and, on songs such as this, mow their messages across at hyper-speed. You can't help but mosh. Spine-tingling moment: The final lyric, spat out by Greg Graffin: "The masses of humanity will always, always have to suffer!"

23 Dead Boys - Sonic Reducer
Young, loud and snotty. Dead Boys rant about everything, even if you can't understand half of what Stiv Bators is screeching about. Who knows what a sonic reducer is, but hell, let's mosh. Spine-tingling moment: The middle, flanged section. A galloping rush.

22 Mission Of Burma - That's When I Reach For My Revolver
Classy, simmering vitriol from this relatively obscure but very influential band. They differ from other punk bands in scaling down the musical aggression, while delving into darker lyrics. On this, their best cut, the rumbling bass and chiming guitars make for a chilling portrait of intense alienation to the point of breakdown. Spine-tingling moment: Try watching "Taxi Driver" now, then listen to this chorus: "That's when I reach for my revolver/That's when it all gets blown away."

21 The Only Ones - Another Girl, Another Planet
Who says punks can't pen love songs? This one is so achingly romantic, so raw. When frontman Peter Perrett sings "I'm in another planet with you", and guitarist John Perry flies in with something rare in punk - a guitar solo - it's a perfect three minutes of unabashed love. Spine-tingling moment: The guitar solo remains a thing of joy, be it punk or not.

20 Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
Massively influential in shaping British music after punk, this Mancunian band is also the first and last word in shaping songs of crushing despair. Ian Curtis penned torment with possessed urgency, and although this is their biggest hit, the melodies do not hide his brutal examination of love disintegrating. Heart of darkness, indeed. RIP Ian. Spine-tingling moment: Curtis utters the weary lyrics with little emotion, to devastating effect.

19 The Stooges - Search And Destroy
Iggy Pop typifies the devil-may-care rebel without a cause. This is his bruising statement of intent. Mixed at ear-splitting levels, The Stooges appropriate apocalypse and Iggy proceeds to dance all over it. Consider this punk's fiery root. Spine-tingling moment: The opening declaration: "I'm a street-walking cheetah with a heart full of napalm."

18 Wire - 12XU
The strangest punk band are also one of the genre's finest. They take punk's "less is more" stance to its extreme with short bursts of rage - one verse, one chorus, one riff, then trot on to the next song. This is their catchiest, with a tick-tock riff to bob your head insanely to. Weird lyrics though. Spine-tingling moment: The metronomic riff returns near the end. Cue crazed headbanging.

17 The Undertones - Teenage Kicks
Sweet one-hit wonder. Punk belongs to the teenager in everyone, and The Undertones understand this perfectly as they paint an aching picture of adolescent love blossoming. Another punk song with more heart? I can't think of one. Spine-tingling moment: Fergal Sharkey tumbling in with the classic line: "Teenage dreams, so hard to be."

16 Blink 182 - Dammit (Growing Up)
Beneath their childish demeanour, Blink 182 are a muscular, dextrous punk band. This is where they found their style and their calling. No one comes close in capturing teenage anxiety with as much regularity as this trio. Spine-tingling moment: The opening notes sound monstrous and mosh-friendly.

15 Black Flag - Rise Above
Punk's militant extreme. Henry Rollins and gang rage through this incendiary call to arms with rabid, breakneck speed. Greg Ginn supplies the potent riffs, as Rollins spits out all his manifest anger. "We are tired of your abuse", indeed. Spine-tingling moment: Perhaps the best shouter in the punk business, Rollins will get in your face.

14 The Clash - Train In Vain
Breaking every rule in punk, The Clash were adroit enough to flit through so many genres, yet retain the fervour of their roots. Just compare their first album with this, the last cut on "London Calling". Rawness is complemented by competent arrangement, and Mick Jones sings with such enthusiasm that it hides the hurt of the broken relationship. Anything is possible for punks after this. Spine-tingling moment: The descending chords that run through the song is possibly the catchiest punk riff I've heard.

13 Elvis Costello - (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
Punk at heart, style be damned. Costello may look like a geek, yet he proves that as long as the fervour is there, any song can be invigorated. This was originally a folk protest song, and the bespectacled one transforms it into an excellent, fiery rocker. So pulsating is the drive of this song, it is impossible to sit still while Costello tumbles through his lyrics. Spine-tingling moment: When the chorus hits you like a sledgehammer.

12 The Jam - Going Underground
The most British of all British punks, The Jam create strident anthems that harken back to a less-gloomy time in the UK. Paul Weller is a gifted lyricist who paints vivid pictures with brash authority. This is an instant favourite, with its stop-start rhythms in the verses and an unforgettable chorus which gives an adrenaline rush every time you spin this record. Spine-tingling moment: The lyrics to lead into the chorus: "The public gets what the public wants, but I want nothing this society's got, I'm going underground." Rebellion personified.

11 Dead Kennedys - Holiday In Cambodia
Perhaps hardcore punk's most political band, Jello Biafra spews out his left-wing diatribes with acidic spite. Tremendously affecting stuff, especially on this wicked spat at kiss-ass rich boys. Hey, I've seen these idiots suffer in the army and, wicked as it seemed, I enjoyed every minute of it. Spine-tingling moment: A gleeful Biafra intoning "Pol Pot, Pol Pot" before launching into the final chorus.

10 Joy Division - Atmosphere
Elegaic, atmospheric and tragic. Joy Division's most optimistic song, a soaring "walk in silence". Ian Curtis' aching vocals is married to the most beautiful post-punk music ever. The rolling tom-toms and the melancholic bass rumble through murmuring keyboards. Then... Spine-tingling moment: ...in comes the strings from heaven after Curtis finishes each verse. A celestial rush.

9 Green Day - American Idiot
Who would've expected it? After a fluke success in the 1990s, Green Day look ready to wind down their one-trick-pony career. Then ZAP!!! They hit us with this electrifying diatribe against George W Bush's USA. The rest of the world cheered madly and, like all their greatest hits, get inspired to pick up the guitar and bash away at this anthem. Spine-tingling moment: "Well maybe I'm the faggot America/I'm not part of the redneck agenda!" Finally, a sensible post 9/11 American band.

8 The Ramones - I Wanna Be Sedated
The punk revolutionaries, rock's greatest one-trick ponies. With their proverbial "three minutes, three chords and next song" antics, The Ramones booted the bloated classic rock monster into oblivion. They also set the agenda for rock's future - attitude first, melody second, lyrics next and proficiency last. For better or worse. Spine-tingling moment: All their songs are catchy, but this cut's the most fun, what with its immortal couplet: "Put me in a wheelchair, get me to the show/Hurry hurry hurry, before I go loco."

7 The Strokes - The Modern Age
Punk gets modernised, thanks to this New York quintet, who swaggered into rock's consciousness with this stunning, instant classic. Riffs fly in from all directions, drums propel at different rhythms and then a delicious guitar solo drops by. The Strokes make the hype all worthwhile. Spine-tingling moment: Julian Casablancas' utterly infectious stutter at the word "go".

6 Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The UK
Ah, what would punk be without this anarchic anthem from the foremost shockers of this genre. Johnny Rotten's nihilism sounds live-in and nasty, and his bile has not diminished even after 29 years. But it would be nothing without his underrated band, whom many think are sloppy. Quite the opposite, as Steve Jones detonates this track with explosive power chords. Spine-tingling moment: The final, drunken roar of rebellion: "Fucking destroy!!!!!!!"

5 The Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love?
The paradox of punk is that regardless of the revolutionary anti-commercial ambitions, punk's very simplistic style is a direct homage to good ol' pop music. Thankfully, the Buzzcocks realised that and duly married the intense energy of punk to the pop ethos. Their best result is this irresistable track, an infectious romp about the pains of love. Spine-tingling moment: It's a singalong joyride, from intro to end.

4 The Clash - London Calling
With militaristic fervour, The Clash's urgent drive to change their world come to fruition with this powerful masterpiece. Mick Jones' staccato guitars complement the nervous energy that Joe Strummer imbues in his apocalyptic lyrics. The call-and-response verses are jagged and ragged, and the chorus speaks of no way out. A desperate call for change then. Spine-tingling moment: When the bass kicks in like a mule.

3 Bad Brains - Pay To Cum
A hurricane. There's no other way to describe the most intense 84 seconds of music recorded. Guitars rage uncontrollably, drums clatter in a mad rush and lyrics tumble out in a blur. An intoxicating battering of the senses from the craziest punk band. Spine-tingling moment: The insane speed of it all.

2 Joy Division - Twenty-Four Hours
I remember the few months when I was intoxicated by the gloomy brilliance of this band, and how I fell into a deep depression whenever I played this song. It's no fun - no other song can suck the optimism out of me like this one. The claustrophobic feeling that everything is lost is captured with dreadful vividness by Ian Curtis. Every line in the lyrics depicts a desolate and desperate hellhole. Curtis took us to the murky depths of our souls. Unfortunately, he didn't make it back. Spine-tingling moment: Once again, his band come up with an awesome surge of despondent riffing.

1 Television - Marquee Moon
Here's the exhilaration of punk, embodied in 10 epic minutes of roller-coaster thrills. Dim-wit punks may talk about do-it-yourself, free-spiritedness - yet they conform their musical and lyrical styles to basically three chords and a yell. You want to change the world? Listen to Tom Verlaine and his band rip. The angular riffing influenced bands as recent as The Strokes. The impressionistic lyrics are singular to Verlaine's artistic instincts. Then there's the guitar solo - so wildly different from blues-based jams and so jaw-dropping in the improvisations. Punk never came close to being a guitar inspiration for me after this beauty. Spine-tingling moment: At about 4:44 into the song, Verlaine begins his solo - and does not end until almost the 8:30 mark. Every second of it is a thing of subliminal beauty.

Top 25 Classic Rock songs

2005-04-17T17:00:00.000+08:00

If you dig hard rock, you have to dig late 1960s to the early 1980s. That was when guitar solos were not a crime yet, and jaw-dropping passages are the norm in this classic rock era.

And since I'm on it, let me say that it's a crying shame that grunge and everything after seem to advocate guitarists not to solo. Where's the inventiveness if you frown at expertise? Look, I appreciate the "three chords and the truth" tenet, but there's only so many ways you can play three chords. Sometimes, a guitar solo speaks more than nonsensical fretboard noodlings. Not everyone can be The Edge or Johnny Greenwood.

In fact, I can argue convincingly that guitar music is so dead now simply because youngsters these days don't know how far they can take this instrument to.

So anyway, here are 25 classic rock songs that may inspire you to pick up a guitar.

25 Jimi Hendrix - The Wind Cries Mary
I've heard jazz pianist Jamie Callum cover this and, while I appreciate his novel attempt, it just pales in comparison to the guitar god. Hendrix scales back on this mellow rocker, and lands a solo so restrained and refined, you swear it's another guitarist. Spine-tingling moment: The sweetest outro I've ever heard.

24 Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit
Hippy rock supremos come up with a counter-culture anthem to being stoned. Builds from a spidery guitar solo and menacing bass into a swirl of guitar frenzy. Groovy. Spine-tingling moment: When Grace Slick describes the weird images after taking the 'shrooms. Peace, dudette.

23 Elton John - Your Song
The odd man out, because he inspires with his piano instead. No-one appreciates his lyrical piano playing beneath all the wigs and costumes he wore in the 1970s, but truth is he wrote music to all his great songs. This is a beautiful ballad, with John's touching lyrics and understated piano sweeping it into the stratosphere. Spine-tingling moment: The amazing power of the chorus.

22 Led Zeppelin - The Rain Song
What inspired Jimmy Page to re-tune his guitar into a weird tuning, and come up with an otherworldly epic like this, we'll never know. This paints a pastoral landscape for Robert Plant to add his medieval paean. Almost Classical. Spine-tingling moment: The sweeping acoustic intro is like a painter's starting strokes to a masterpiece.

21 David Bowie - Rebel Rebel
The riff is back, and it sounds like a clarion call to rebellion on this oft-overlooked Bowie classic. The Chameleon has never sounded this fun before, and since. Spine-tingling moment: When the drums augment the riff to poundingly-great effect.

20 The Doors - Riders On The Storm
One-of-a-kind bands are few and far between. The Doors are one of them; no one even attempts to replicate their dark brilliance. This one is from their later days, and it's their spookiest, yet most moving. Jim Morrison may seem like rock's greatest poser, but he's suitably subdued and brooding here. It's Ray Manzarek's organ that steals the show - plaintive yet seductive. Spine-tingling moment: The almost-funky organ riff that starts the journey through the rain.

19 - The Allman Brothers Band - In Memory Of Elisabeth Reed
Most people frown on jamming on stage nowadays, because of stoned, lacklustre bands ruining shows with boring noodlings in the 1970s. (Uriah Heep, anyone?) But this band just blows away all competition when it comes to thrilling jams. This one takes the cake, as Duane Allman and Dicky Betts soar on almost-jazzy solos that ebb and flow along with tremendous power. Chugging along for 13 minutes, yet not a note is wasted. Spine-tingling moment: Every time the guitarists take off.

18 Queen - Somebody To Love
How could anyone deride this lovable band? My jaws dropped when I read that Queen were often trashed by critics. Sure they are bombastic, but with Freddie Mercury, how can they not be? This one could have been a run-of-the-mill love song under other bands, but Queen add harmonies, stunning arrangements and Brian May's singing solo and, voila! Stadium anthem par excellence. Spine-tingling moment: The vocals fading in as the drums crescendoed.

17 Tom Petty - Free Fallin'
How I wish I could be like Petty, crafting indelible songs with the simplest ideas. This song has just one chord progression, miminal lyrics and not a guitar solo in sight. And guess what? It's unforgettable. Spine-tingling moment: The chorus, another wonder in simplicity.

16 Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Listening to Pink Floyd is like travelling to outer space and back, none more so than on this moving odyssey, a tribute to mad former member Syd Barrett. Over 16 hypnotic minutes, they evoke a languid mood, as every note pays gentle affection to their friend. Dave Gilmour's extraordinary guitar lines are a guilty pleasure, taken at your own pace. Spine-tingling moment: For six opening minutes, guitars mourn, keyboards murmur, then in comes the first verse at last - it's like a human finally joining in your space walk.

15 Led Zeppelin - Black Dog
If only my bands have the dexterity and versatility of Led Zep. This is a wild, raunchy ride that encapsulates the hammering power of the four excellent musicians. John Bonham manages to swing even amid his thunderous drumming, and John Paul Jones' ably supports with phat basslines. Robert Plant's wail is affecting, and then Jimmy Page tears away with a killer solo that leaves other rockers in the dust. Spine-tingling moment: That outro solo. Sheer magic.

14 Grateful Dead - Dark Star
The epitome of spacy soloing. Jerry Garcia's liquid guitar sound guides hippies alike through 23 minutes of ecstacy during their live concerts. An effort that's unlikely to be topped - the joy of journeying into the unknown, with a grizzled Garcia smiling his way through it all. Peace. Spine-tingling moment: The longest solo I've ever heard.

13 Creedence Clearwater Revival - Proud Mary
Here's another band that strives to keep it simple and powerful. This is a loving tribute to either the ships along Mississippi or, if you're imaginative enough, to marijuana. But hearing the chugging guitars and a carefree vibe, I would guess it's the river they're chasing after. Spine-tingling moment: The simple yet effective guitar solo.

12 Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town
Good time rock song made thrilling by the harmonised guitars. Hear it, and be awed by the telepathic interplay between Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson. Spine-tingling moment: When the final chorus fades and the guitars revs up, up and then soars away in harmony. Is your hair standing yet?

11 The Doors - Light My Fire
Indisputable classic. It's like plugging into the celestial the moment this song begins. With a melody that is as fresh now as before, Jim Morrison wisely cuts back on his rambling lyrics and lets Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger loose. And in the instrumental passages, they manage to whip up a hypnotic groove like no other band. Spine-tingling moment: Yet when Morrison sings the chorus, it's like everything in the world falling into place and lighting your fire.

10 Free - All Right Now
Archetypical classic rock. Every ingredient is here: the shattering opening riff, the swaggering verses, the singalong chorus and the longer-than-necessary-but-still-thrilling solo. Air guitar time! Spine-tingling moment: Insane rush alert, when the opening chords rip through you.

9 David Bowie - Starman
Charming muse on aliens. Bowie changes style more often than others in the 1970s, but he never let go of his innate melodism. This classic features a wondrous chorus that sweeps the song from the mundane to the memorable. Spine-tingling moment: Like said before, the chorus is a treat for any rock fans.

8 Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing
The genius of Hendrix, and the reason why he will never be topped, is that besides his solos, his subtle guitar phrases whenever he sings are mind-bending as well. This nugget is the prime example. Under any other guitarist, the opening run-through of chords will be boring. But Hendrix pulls out all the stops, with hammers-on and trills to craft a memorable intro that still excites to this day. Wispy, understated brilliance. Spine-tingling moment: The opening note. That's how good Hendrix was.

7 Deep Purple - Smoke On The Water
Simple. Catchy. Monstrous. They can only describe one thing on this song. Spine-tingling moment: Duh duh duh, duh duh duh duh, duh duh duh, duh duh...........No explanation needed if you're a music fan.

6 Cream - Sunshine Of Your Love
If you had thought Eric Clapton is just an old fart who could noodle the guitar a bit, then check out this titanic stomp to have a different opinion. He whips up a timeless riff and, as if it's not enough, tears through a solo as if his life depended on it. The rest of the trio is equally fiery, spewing forth nasty basslines and drumming. Sunshine? Hardly. Spine-tingling moment: Again, it's the opening riff that is forever etched in memory.

5 Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
Out of their minds Queen must be, to incorporate whimsical opera into their songs. Miraculously, that did not diminish the majestic power of this unforgettable classic. In fact, they did the opposite. Nowadays, whenever you hear people talk about this song, they would inevitably quote from the operatic passage: "Oh mama mia, mama mia, mama mia let me go!" Spine-tingling moment: Brian May's guitar from heaven churns out riff, solos and harmonised phrases with orgasmic delight.

4 Derek And The Dominoes - Layla
Eric Clapton gets outdone here on guitars - a rarity that only Duane Allman can manage. His tingling slide guitar leaps into the upper registers of the guitar that only a slide can reach. It sounds like cries of anguish, which Clapton then tops with his raging vocals to plead his love to a married woman. Oh, don't forget the shattering seven notes that announce this song, and the piano coda from the pits of despair. Spine-tingling moment: The coda still raises goosebumps whenever I hear it. So resigned and weary of an unreachable love, it's like a beautiful woman breaking every male heart in the world.

3 Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
One of my friends, who is not a classic rock fan, says the Scissors Sisters remake is better. Sacrilege!!!! Which just shows how much modern pop fans are missing if they don't appreciate the old-time rock. This song has not one, but two perfect guitar solos, courtesy of the incomparable David Gilmour. The first takes off on one of the most spine-tingling notes ever, and the second darkens the mood as the protagonist slips into near-madness. The words, painting an absolute weariness of the pressures of life and wishing back to childhood, are moving to the point of tears. Look, my friend, there's a difference between novelty and transcendence. Big difference. Spine-tingling moment: You can hum to every note of the two solos.

2 Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven
Ah, the litmus test to whether you like classic rock or not. If you hate this song, there's not much I can help you. (Go to hell then =p) This encapsulates the joys of guitar-based music. From the pastoral beauty of the acoustic intro, to the folksy ramblings of the clean guitars and finally to the raging beauty of the electrified section, this classic will sweep you off your feet. Led Zep know what's good for us. Spine-tingling moment: As good as the solo is, I find the fanfare-like prelude to the solo even more thrilling.

1 Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Most classic rock songs sound rehearsed and carefully-planned. This one is a one-take wonder. Most classic rock songs have mundane lyrics. This one has words that speak of mighty confidence. Most classic rock songs have one good section at most, this one rips all competition to shreds right from the fade-in. Raw, feral and intense, Hendrix's tour de force is also his swansong - it's the last song on his final studio album. "If I don't meet you no more in this world, I'll meet you in the next one, don't be late." Spine-tingling moment: The wah-wah drenched intro is appropriated by every decent rock guitarist. Jaw-dropping.

Being Boring

2005-04-15T23:08:00.000+08:00

Sorry for not posting as regularly this week, was busying learning the tools of my professional trade.

Also, I'm dieting. Yes friends, I'm serious this time. It's about time. So some of my free time is devoted to working out.

Anyway, have started work on a few more lists. Man these are really fun to do.

Check these sites which I visit for a laugh. (Warning: may contain things which even I find offensive. When in doubt, don't click.)

Entensity, Attu, b0g, coolio's, kontraband

Miracle Drug

2005-04-13T01:10:00.000+08:00

Golf is not my sport of choice, but I know a great shot when I see one.

This one made me jump out of my couch and punch the air. At 6.30am in the morning.

When it gotta go in, it gotta go in.

Top 15 Electronica songs

2005-04-12T23:26:00.000+08:00

What's a mat rocker doing, listening to crappy synthesizer music? Hey, if you want to remain close-minded, be my guest.

15 Gary Numan - Cars
Enduring new wave. Numan tries to incorporate the ground-breaking synth work of Kraftwerk with conventional songs. The result is a haunting ode to driving. Sexy. Spine-tingling moment: The unforgettable synth line that drives the song. Hypnotising.

14 Prodigy - Firestarter
Yayyy! Finally, a techno band that has a face. It is a scary one at that, Keith Flint's menacing leer peering at you. This song is so punkish, you can almost air-guitar to it. Unrelenting. Spine-tingling moment: Flint channels all his bile into the third verse: "I'm the self-inflicted!"

13 Tricky - Black Steel
Otherworldly remake of, get this, Public Enemy's rabble-rousing anthem. Tricky scales away the rap as his frequent collaborator Mary Torpley-Bird drawls at the most incendiary lyrics. Somehow it works. A daring transformation, from one of electronica's most inventive artiste. Spine-tingling moment: A strange, wheezy synth line, sounding like a choked-up guitar, slides through the song.

12 Portishead - Sour Times
Deliciously brooding, Portishead define the cinematic potential of electronica. Every subtle shade of black is available on their sonic palette. This song is awash with twangy guitar sounds, and singer Beth Gibbons sounds as if she's weeping out the words. Devastating. Spine-tingling moment: The tragic chorus: "Nobody loves me, it's true/Not like you do."

11 Daft Punk - Around The World
Enigmatic French duo who come up with the genre's catchiest songs, bar none. This one chugs along for seven minutes on just one riff, and you'll be left wishing it was longer. Not an easy feat. Spine-tingling moment: The robots chanting the title.

10 Pet Shop Boys - Being Boring
Perhaps the most human of all synth bands. PSB arch for emotions; sometimes they fail, and sometimes, like this song, they shatter hearts. A paean to a friend lost to Aids, it's a triumph of understatement as Neil Tennant murmurs mournfully to tasteful synth from Chris Lowe. Spine-tingling moment: The third verse: "I never I thought I'll ever get to be the creature that I'm always meant to be/But I thought, in spite of these, you will still be standing here with me."

9 Moby - Natural Blues
Why hadn't anyone thought of it? Moby ransacked the blues catalogue for samples, and came up with this sad gem. If only people would look harder. Spine-tingling moment: "Ooh lord, my troubles so hard." Proof that blues sound blue in any context.

8 The Chemical Brothers - Setting Sun
Pile up the beats, noodle up some synth noise, and invade the arena. Chemical Brothers' monstrous sound is suitable for caverns, and this frenetic track jacks up the thrill factor of electronica forever. No wimpy synth lines from this on. Spine-tingling moment: After Noel Gallagher finishes his chorus, Godzilla stomps in on a wicked synth screech.

7 Aphex Twin - Come To Daddy
The aural equivalent of thrash metal, Richard E James rewrites the extremes of electronic sonic terrorism on this brutal track. Buzzsaw noises rip through the song, and when James exhorts "I want your soul", you better give in. Otherwise, your ears will hurt. Spine-tingling moment: Actually, it's the ground-breaking, absolutely mind-bending music video that will scare you witless.

6 Basement Jaxx - Where's Your Head At?
If Aphex Twin is the one-man hellraiser, then Basement Jaxx are his more well-adjusted cousins. Manic, endlessly inventive, always infectious, the duo's party anthems like this stormer define everything good about electronica. Best listened to when you're drunk and able to blabber the song title like a mindless slob. Spine-tingling moment: Everybody now: "WHERE'S? YOUR? HEAD? AT??????"

5 Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down Again
Ah, the definitive synth band. No other group crafted more albums using synthesisers as their primary musical tool. And they lasted this long on the sole merit of crafting indelible songs. This is a personal favourite because it sounds so massive while meaning so little. But who cares about the lyrics, when the melodies crash on you like a tidal wave. Spine-tingling moment: The main synth line reminds me of an endless desert, I don't know why.

4 Nine Inch Nails - Closer
I'm putting this "band" here because, really, industrial is electronica with guitars. And Trent Reznor is the only worthwhile industrial artiste. His rage may get a little tiresome after a while, but when he turns it on and produces a masterpiece like this, you forgive him. Amid in sub-human electronic landscape, NIN whispers, whimpers, whines and finally wallops you into submission. The Ghost in the shell, no doubt. Spine-tingling moment: "I wanna fuck you like an animal." The ballsiest chorus, ever.

3 Kraftwerk - The Robots
The grand-daddies of electronica, unsurprisingly, are German scientists. "Ve hav vays to make you twitch!" they must have thought. And so they proceeded to hynotise us with bleeps and wheezes repeated ad nauseum. Geniuses. Spine-tingling moment: The robotised vocals are a nice, dehumanised touch.

2 New Order - True Faith
People devalue this band because they arose from Joy Division. Stupid, because even without Ian Curtis, the musical trio that soldiered on are surely one of the most inventive of any genre. Every moment this spell-binding song drips brilliance. The opening drum synth, the bass melody to introduce the song, the supportive synth notes in the chorus, Bernard Sumner's plaintive yet desperate lyrics and the squiggly guitar solo. Perfect. Spine-tingling moment: It really is a thrill-a-second ride.

1 Massive Attack - Protection
This song made me stop my car by the kerbside. It requires absolute quietude and solitude to reveal its devastating heart. The whole song is an exercise in subtlety. Tracey Thorn speaks of utter devotion to protect her lover with her tremendous understatedness. No vocal leaps needed. Then, the music - patiently rolling out its emotions for eight minutes, gently supporting Thorn with echoed guitar stabs, stop-start rhythms and an unforgettable piano line - will tug your heartstrings the way no other electronica song can. I was misty-eyed after the first spin. Pure love. Spine-tingling moment: For a guy, nothing chills like Thorn singing: "Stand in front you, take the force of the blow, protection" again and again and again.

Top 25 Metal songs

2005-04-10T13:30:00.000+08:00

Where do you go after the mindless fun of hard rock? For me, I went deeper into the seriously gloomy side of heavy metal. Here's where the guitars get more malevolent, the singers get more menacing, and the lyrics get more heavy-handed. Not suitable for would-be serial killers.

Yet, it is the best ground to learn your guitar chops. If you can play the Metallica songs, master the Dream Theater epics, and keep up with Slayer's high-speed riffs, you can play anything else.

I've outgrown the era of buzzsaw guitars and double-pump drums, but here's 25 metal songs that I still like.

25 Kittie - What I Always Wanted
An all-girl thrash metal band? Sounds good! I would love an MTV segment where the members of Kittie would throttle every girl band in the world. Or force them to listen to this brutal dirge. Morgan Lander's guttural howl is something new, but certainly not pretty to the ears. Spine-tingling moment: When Lander alternates between a sweet voice and THAT growl in the verses.

24 Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills
I like their zombie mascot, Eddie, better than the band, but this track is tremendous fun. The twin guitars' furious gallop is a thrill, and Bruce Dickinson's vocals capture the quintessential era of NWOBM (New Wave of British Metal). Spine-tingling moment: The classic chorus: "Run to the hills! Run for your lives!"

23 Motorhead - Ace Of Spades
Lemmy sounds like the bike rider from hell, and he sums up the devil-may-care attitude of heavy metal in this anthem. Filthy good. Spine-tingling moment: Check the first verse: "The pleasure is to play, it makes no difference what you say, I don't share your greed, the only card I need is the Ace Of Spades!" Amen.

22 Tool - Sober
The weirdest metal band and, by far, the most haunting. Tool evoke a sense of imminent dread on this song with the barest of tools (pardon the pun). Two chords are enough to evoke a suicidal mood. Spine-tingling moment: The song's chilling by itself, but if you see the music video, featuring a tortured meat puppet, it will depress you like nothing else.

21 Slipknot - Left Behind
A brutal band, a brutal sound. Slipknot's relentless barrage is intimidating for many, so it's a welcomed respite when this "softer" song kicks in. Note that "soft" is relative: it's still an intense, crushing song. But at least Joey Taylor sings on this - not exactly a good thing, given the suicidal lyrics. Spine-tingling moment: The tense opening riff. Unpleasant, but in a good way.

20 Korn - Blind
Metal innovators, with their rumbling, seven-string guitar heroics. Korn ushered metal into the modern age with their intense, always interesting records. This is the first song on their debut, and what an evocative, striking sound they create. Spine-tingling moment: Jonathan Davis asks: "Are you ready?" Cue the heaviest guitar sound ever heard.

19 Metallica - Enter Sandman
The best metal band, hands down. Even in their later days, when they simplified their thunderous attack, their songs still hit with bone-crushing effect. This is their biggest hit, and features a detonating riff summoning all the bad things in your nightmares. Crunchy. Spine-tingling moment: The hushed prayer after the solo is a chilling touch.

18 Dream Theater - Erotomania
Dream Theater's gift is to make progressive metal accessible for all, without sacrificing the bold, intricate touches. My only gripe about this top-notch band is the soulless singer, so this lengthy instrumental is adequate. The way the band flies through the toughest riffs and rhythms is simply jaw-dropping. Spine-tingling moment: John Petrucci's solos are things of wonder, and you'll be lifting your jaws from the floor when he finishes his final solo.

17 Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train
All aboard! Demented rant from metal's biggest daddy, made spectacular by Randy Rhoads' elegant six-string heroics. Rhoads was often compared to Eddie Van Halen in terms of innovation and dexterity but, in terms of heaviness, he was tops. Just when you think the opening riff cannot be bettered, in comes another, and another, and another. Spine-tingling moment: The verse riff feels like sitting in a race car. Adrenaline rush alert.

16 Danzig - Mother
This one stands out because of its sheer minimalistic pleasure. Metal songs are prone to over-elaboration, but this song is tight, lean and sinewy. Not to mention insanely catchy, although I wouldn't like to sing this song on Mother's Day. Spine-tingling moment: Glenn Danzig puts all the hatred into his voice when he screams "Mother!" in the verses.

15 Tool - Ticks And Leeches
Eight minutes of unbridled fury, as Tool pour out their bile at their record company execs and lawyers for a protracted battle of their songs rights. This thunderous epic slashes through extreme mood changes - the quiet middle section seethes with rage before exploding in an orgy of tribal drumming and buzzsaw guitars. Spine-tingling moment: Maynard James Keenan screams "SUUUUUUUUUUUCK MEEEEEEE DRYYYY!" as if he is up to his neck with the creepy-crawlies in the song title.

14 Pantera - Regular People (Conceit)
Thumping headbanger that's buried deep inside the excellent "Vulgar Display Of Power" album. Pantera ratchet up the thrill factor in thrash metal by several notches during their heydays. Dimebag Darrell's gift was conjuring crushing riffs effortlessly, and this one features a few. Add Phil Anselmo's drill sergeant rants, and you'll want to bash anything near your path when listening to this song. Spine-tingling moment: Anselmo gets under your skin when he growls: "Most regular people will say it's hard, but any streetwise son of a bitch knows, don't fuck with this!" Grrrrrrrrrr.......

13 Slayer - Angel Of Death
The most extreme metal band that walked the earth. For a long time, I was scared to listen to their songs, for fear I would turn evil and murderous. That's how nasty their lyrics were. The music was also terrifying with its sheer velocity and brutality. This one, off their masterpiece "Reign In Blood", takes the cake for the horror the band are capable of. As Tom Araya describes in graphic detail how Nazi doctor Josef Mengeles conducted deadly experiments on Jews, the guitars screech in mimicking the victims' cries. Sickening. Spine-tingling moment: The guitar solo, tag-teamed by Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman. Terrifying.

12 Metallica - Master Of Puppets
Awesome diatribe on powerlessness by metal's most influential band. Before Metallica were mainstream monsters, they were breaking boundaries for metal. Elaborate song structures and bone-rattling riffs are the norm, and this one pulls out all the tricks in the bag. Spine-tingling moment: There are two. The harmonised guitars at the middle section is Metallica at their majestic heights, and the maniacal laughter that ends the song is a nice touch.

11 Faith No More - Land Of Sunshine
Chris Patton is metal's clown prince, and his band complements his hair-pin mood swings ably in this sardonic anthem. And Jim Martin is an underrated guitarist because he's so economical. Yet, FNM are never the same when he left. Spine-tingling moment: For a moment, you think the lyrics are optimistic. Then Patton lets loose a barrage of manical laughs. Oh.

10 Dream Theater - Under A Glass Moon
Progressive metal are notorious for their over-elaboration. Thankfully, Dream Theater know how much excessive musicianship is good for us. This is a whirlwind of rattling double-pump drums, wicked time signature changes and excellent riffs. It makes the castrato singing almost bearable. Spine-tingling moment: The stop-start rhythm that announces the instrumental bridge will mess with your mind. Where's one?

9 Sepultura - Roots Bloody Roots
This Brazilian band toil gamely under the music radar and produced some outstanding thrash metal albums, full of fiery guitars and monstrous solos. This one does away with soloing, and adds tribal drums into the potent mix of raging growls and rumbling guitars. Magnifico. Spine-tingling moment: When Andreas Kisser howls "Roots! Bloody roots!", as if his tribe is meeting its bloody end.

8 Metallica - Wherever I May Roam
In terms of song arrangement, Metallica are second to none. They know when to hold back, and when to pummel you senseless. The shifts in dynamics propel this song to awesome heights. A eastern-tinged sitar roars into a mighty riff, then speeds up to drive the song into the verse, and this is just the intro. James Hetfield knows what's good for us. Spine-tingling moment: Lars Ulrich comes in with the mightiest snare drum ever heard.

7 Korn - Freak On A Leash
Metal's mad scientists throw in dissonant noises, strange noodlings and odd rhythms into a potent brew, and concoct a seriously-addictive sound. On songs like these, they offer a path for metal's future, although not many have the inventiveness to continue on their trailblazing path. Spine-tingling moment: Singer Jonathan Davis suddenly breaks into an utterly insane bridge, where he whines, growls and grunts his way through the cacophony.

6 Pantera - Mouth For War
The redneck guardians of good-time thrash metal, Pantera refuse to budge from their calling - brutal, unpredictable songs that advocate non-violence and straight-edge living. Paradoxic it may be, but the intricate riffs and devil-may-care attitude influenced practically every 1990s metal band to go heavier and with less morbidness. RIP Dimebag Darrell, metal guitar god. Spine-tingling moment: Nothing beats the opening torrent of riffs.

5 Tool - Schism
Unique among all metalheads, Tool bring their exceptional musicianship into the murks of gloom, and craft intriguing masterpieces that bear countless revisits. This song twist and turns through a myriad of moods and Maynard James Keenan's obtuse lyrics. The result is a haunting epic that eats at your conscience slowly. Spine-tingling moment: The weird bassline propels the song into otherwordly depths.

4 Megadeth - Holy Wars...The Punishment Due
It's hard to make metal songs swing, given their unrelenting pace. But somehow Megadeth succeeds to creating masterful epics full of swagger and sway. Even on bleak songs like this, there is a sense of groove that most gloom merchants ignore. Dave Mustaine and Marty Friedman perfect the art of guitar duelling, and they spit first-class riffs and solos like few others here. Spine-tingling moment: Mustaine conjures a brain-rattling opening riff as Friedman adds exquisite lines. Beauty amid the beast.

3 Slayer - Hell Awaits
Like the scariest horror movies you've seen, Slayer at their extreme best (worst?) fill the mind with fearful thoughts and unshakeable dread. "Reign In Blood" may be their best album, but this is their trademark song. The topic of choice? Why, of devils and demons taking over the earth, of course. Be prepared to be dragged, still screaming, into the pits of hell. Spine-tingling moment: The eeriest opening I've heard - ungodly growls with backward chanting. Then the band marches in with demonic force - literally sounding like an army of darkness closing in on you.

2 Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
The birth of heavy metal. Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward create the biggest, sludgiest, most ominous sound in 1970, and thousands of youths were drawn in, like rats to the pied piper. The genius is to make their songs sound like a thrill instead of a dirge, and Osbourne's gleeful take on the bleak lyrics is a total gas. Makes you want to laugh evilly, like Dr Evil. Spine-tingling moment: Ozzy's tragi-comic wail at the end of each verse: "Oh no, please God help me!"

1 Metallica - Fade To Black
There is nothing this band cannot excel in. James Hetfield creates brilliant riffs with his eyes closed, but on this one, he reaches for geniune, gut-wrenching emotions. A bleak lament in imminent suicide, I was struck by the real pain Hetfield draws from two simple verses. The music is flawless, starting with morose acoustic guitars and a sorrowful Kirk Hammett solo. The acoustic guitars continue with some flourishes before the crunching distortion summons the wordless chorus. The sudden charge into gloom midway speaks of no way out, and Hammett's elegant final solo sounds like the last thoughts before a life is taken. Shattering. Spine-tingling moment: The glum synth that opens the song. No love ballad here.

Top 25 Hard Rock songs

2005-04-05T00:41:00.000+08:00

Ahh, the good old days of 1980s big-haired hard rock. I will cheerfully admit that it was the songs from this genre that inspired me to pick up a guitar. Mat rock it may be, and there are some truly god-awful bands, but the guitar solos, wailing vocals and chicks in their music videos left an indelible impression on me when I was 13.

So here are 25 headbanging anthems to play air guitar to =)

25 Joe Satriani - Always With Me, Always With You
The guitar teacher who rocked. His early stuff are filled with mind-bending solos, and I can hardly play any of them - except this one, a more ballady instrumental. Satch's genius is in composing memorable guitar phrasings, and this song is full of classy, never showy, passages. Spine-tingling moment: The liquid-like finger-tapping solo.

24 Van Halen - Eruption
One minute, 42 seconds of sheer guitar acrobatics from the most innovative guitarist ever, Eddie Van Halen. Jaw-dropping. Spine-tingling moment: A third into the frenzied shredding, EVH strums really quickly and his guitar sounds like it's flying away.

23 White Lion - When The Children Cry
Ah, the requisite acoustic-based ballad hit for every hard rock act. All are sappy, but at least this one deals with a noble cause - helping children (not in the Michael Jackson way =p). Spine-tingling moment: Vito Bratta's carefully-constructed intro fading in. Listen once, and you know it's not a love song.

22 Motley Crue - Dr Feelgood
The ultimate hard rock bad boys, this galloping monster was cut when they sobered up. Wise move, as the anti-drug sentiments hit home with sheer malevolence. Spine-tingling moment: The murderous intro, like a bulldozer ripping through a path, returning midway through the song.

21 Aerosmith - Livin' On The Edge
Longevity usually leads to tedium for rock bands, save for a few outstanding ones. Aerosmith's second wind in the late 1980s is decidedly tamer than their wild incarnation in the 1970s, but they have occasional gems like this one. Joe Perry's eastern-tinged riff is married to Steven Tyler's manic delivery. Weirdly evocative. Spine-tingling moment: Any time Perry's riff comes in.

20 Guns N' Roses - Civil War
Go ahead, name me another big-haired hard rock band that dares to write such strident anti-war songs. GN'R had the biggest balls during their peak years, and this song is proof of their audacity. Tempo changes, mood swings, highly-charged lyrics and, of course, Axl Rose's unforgettable wail. Chilling. Spine-tingling moment: When Axl Rose launches into the stratosphere: "My hands are tied!"

19 Jeff Healey - Angel Eyes
The soulful guitar grabs you on first listen and never lets go, turning a so-so love song into a tender, teary heart-tugger. Then you find out that Healey is blind. Awesome. Spine-tingling moment: The tasteful outro solo. Restrained, yet utterly passionate.

18 Bon Jovi - Bed Of Roses
I once had a big argument with my platoon mate, who said Bon Jovi was better than Guns N' Roses. What a wimp. Still, Jon and Richie and gang did come up with some good tunes. This one stands out because the band never sounded more restrained and touching. Spine-tingling moment: Ironically, their restraint makes Jon Bon Jovi's final leap up the vocal ladder much more stunning as he screams: "For tonight I'll sleep on a bed of nails."

17 Kiss - God Of Thunder
Cartoonish menace is never done better than these four dudes in copious make-up. The stomping riff is added to Gene Simmons' wicked lyrics. Thoroughly infectious. Spine-tingling moment: Kiss never wrote a nastier riff than on this song.

16 AC/DC - Back In Black
Where did that vocal come from? Brian Johnson's screech is one-of-a-kind, as are the Young brothers' clobbering riffs. This classic builds on an unforgettable opening line, and never lets up. Intensely fun. Spine-tingling moment: Dun, dun-dun-dun, dun-dun-dun. Riff language at its best =)

15 Velvet Revolver - Fall To Pieces
Slash was the first rocker to inspire me to play guitar. His guitar lines are always thrilling, and I practically aped his guitar tone when I started out. This song does not belong to the hard rock era, being released only last year. Yet, his nuanced riffs still manages to lift and excite. Spine-tingling moment: Scott Weiland may sing "Fall to pieces, I'm falling", but Slash never lets him, with soaring phrases throughout.

14 Guns N' Roses - November Rain
Generally, I dislike overblown, bombastic, orchestra-tinged epics. Those songs always sounded fake. This is the exception. What makes this song memorable is the way the multiple instruments are given space to breathe. The orchestra take centrestage first in the intro, then Axl Rose sings behind some soft guitars and piano, then Slash cuts two exquisite solos before the coda hurtles into hard rock territory. The results, ironically, is GN'R's most tender ballad. Spine-tingling moment: The first guitar solo. Romantic hard rock at its best.

13 Lenny Kravitz - Again
The odd man out of the bunch of big-hair, small-brain rockers, Kravitz almost threw this gem away, only to include it in his "Best of" compilation. Lucky for us, because this is first-class yearning, complemented by Lenny's best guitar solo. Spine-tingling moment: The chorus is simple, but utterly aching.

12 Gary Moore - Still Got The Blues
Ahhh, vintage mat rock territory here. You just have to cut your teeth in guitar soloing with this epic lament. Every moment of this ballad swells with Moore's gut-wrenching guitar. Riffs are for weaklings here, every line is sheer improvisational brilliance. Spine-tingling moment: The opening four notes. Sadness personified.

11 The Darkness - I Believe In A Thing Called Love
Insanely funny homage to hard rock, done remarkably over-the-top in this cynical decade. Trust a British band to come up with a killer riff, a crazed frontman and a much-needed humour as we look back fondly to the hair-metal era. I believe in a thing called love, indeed. Spine-tingling moment: Justin Hawkins' wild falsetto reaches insanely-high pitch before the final chorus.

10 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird
Impossibly beautiful ballad is grafted onto some epic jamming. Meaning: a masturbatory delight for any aspiring rock guitarist. Check out the live version, which is even wilder than the nine-minute jam-a-thon of the studio version. Spine-tingling moment: I prefer the most subtle part - the slide guitar that permeates the verses.

9 The Black Crowes - She Talks To Angels
Top-notch acoustic-based ballad, this one puts all the other sappy acoustic love ballads to shame. A dreamy mood permeates, as Chris Robinson draws out a soulful vocal performance that eclipses most other screamers of the 1980s. Spine-tingling moment: The opening riff is the best lick the Rolling Stones never had.

8 Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion
Many prefer "Walk This Way" as the definitive early Aerosmith classic, but I prefer this, a far-heavier rocker. The otherworldly, talk-box intro never prepares one enough for the brutal stomp afterwards. Yet, Aerosmith manages to swing amid the assault, and that's what makes them tick for so long. Spine-tingling moment: The band combine for one hell of a pummelling riff after each verse.

7 Guns N' Roses - Paradise City
Is there anything this band cannot do? They arrived without much warning, and mowed down every hair harmer with a sneer and a middle-finger salute. I love this band; this song is their frenetic, ferocious best. A great intro leads into a dirty verse riff, leads into a majestic chorus, leads into a murderous solo, leads into a chilling bridge and, finally, ending in cacophonic chaos. Add Axl Rose's mad-as-hell lyrics, and headbanging action is necessary to let off the steam. Spine-tingling moment: When Axl screams "So far away!" at the bridge, and you know all redemption is lost in the urban squalor. Paradise City, indeed.

6 Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song
Grunge? Don't think so. How about a superb hard rock band? STP came out at the wrong time, endured ridiculous bad press and wrote stunners like this. The perfect song for a long drive in your car, this one evokes long journeys in solitude as the band strips away all the hard-rock flab for this sinewy classic. Spine-tingling moment: The intro sounds like it's played in a ghost town. Desolate, yet alluring.

5 Def Leppard - Love Bites
The perfect hair-metal rocker, it is hard to not like this song. Poppy, yet never sappy, Def Leppard craft their songs like mini-symphonies, and this one ebbs and flows with tremendous power. Seething in menace, then exploding in swirls of vocal harmonies, it has a way of grabbing you and never letting go. Spine-tingling moment: Steve Clark's shattering solo. Simple, yet powerful.

4 AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long
Lascivious fun. Killer grooves. Stirring solos. Irrepressible catchiness. Angus Young and gang should make this genre their copyright. No one defines hard rock better. Spine-tingling moment: The singalong chorus personifies simple, sexy fun.

3 Tesla - Love Song
This is the rare song that is not instantly likeable, yet grows increasingly more beautiful with age. There is a wondrous acoustic intro, so meticulously constructed that you never realise its complexity. The same can be said for the other parts of the song. Marvellously straight-forward, yet staggeringly intricate. It's a joy picking out the nuances. Spine-tingling moment: The intro still gets me after all these years.

2 Van Halen - Jump
It was audacious, to say the least. Eddie Van Halen, playing a keyboard riff??? Hell, why not, so long as it is the most recognisable, most infectious, most joyful riff I have ever heard. It is impossible to stay seated once the riff starts. And when the song fades out, you are left with only a gleeful smile. Of course, Eddie pumps out a scorching solo, just to make us guitar freaks happy. Spine-tingling moment: Like I said, the riff does just one thing: capture the sheer magic that is 1980s hard rock.

1 Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine
This song is a switch. The instant I listened to it, I started embracing rock and roll, and never looked back on pop fluff anymore. It's that shattering. By itself, it is already a tremendous classic. No other song introduced itself better than the thrilling, celestial riff Slash concocted for this. (An aside: This intro gets the loudest cheers whenever played in sports events, even after all these years. Magical.) The sweet lyrics epitomised romantic yearning; Axl Rose never sounded so emotional. Add Slash's angsty solo, and the less-than-optimistic outro, and I was as if struck by lightning at my first listen. The wonderful world of rock beckoned. I never regretted. Thanks, GN'R, for this transcendent piece of magic. Spine-tingling moment: The whole song. Duh.

Fade To Black

2005-04-04T17:34:00.000+08:00

RIP Karol Wojtyla and Terri Schiavio.

Just a thought that entered my mind when the Pope was slipping in and out of unconsciousness: If he should ever stay in a coma, I can bet my whole life that no one will dare to unplug his life support machine, a la Mr Schiavio.

Top 25 Brit Pop songs

2005-04-02T10:49:00.000+08:00

I love this list, cuz it reminds me of my university life which, frankly, is the best time of my life. This is when modern British bands created magical music - full of wit and utterly hummable.

It was the era in which the British started to like themselves again, and produced some of the most powerful music heard around the world, even in the US. Although the second British Invasion never happened (bands self-destructed again), the songs are far better than the hip-hop crap in the States.

Here's 25 of my favourites.

25 The La's - There She Goes
No, Sixpence None The Richer are not the original artistes of this bittersweet pop gem. It belongs to this one-hit wonder band, and what a timeless song this is. Cut in 1990, it still sounds appealing in 2005. Spine-tingling moment: When singer Lee Mavers leaps into the falsetto as he sings "There she goes, there she goes again." Cue goosebumps.

24 Elastica - Connection
Damon Albarn's ex-girlfriend, Justine Frischmann, proves she is quite capable of a sneering kiss-off like this song, albeit her band's sole hit. She hits all the right notes in this one - sarcastic in the verses, then nonchalantly utters "Somehow a vital connection is made" in the chorus. Dripping with attitude. Spine-tingling moment: The ringing guitar line that comes after the chorus.

23 Embrace - Wonder
What a majestic ballad this is. Without dripping into saccharine, Embrace crafted a beautiful, aching song that grabbed me from the first guitar strum. Spine-tingling moment: Subtle guitar fill after the first line of the first verse. Genius.

22 Doves - There Goes The Fear
Seven minutes of galloping brilliance from Manchester's finest band of the moment. Doves evoke a rarity in pop music: patience. Their winding songs take their time to reveal their treasures, and this song is a treat for any britpop fans. Spine-tingling moment: The opening chime of guitars.

21 The Libertines - Time For Heroes
This band win the prize for the fastest self-destruction by a britpop band, lead singer Pete Doherty burning out in drugs as this is written. Yet, they offer a wondrous respite to the drudge of wimpy songs churned out of Britain this decade. This is a swift kick in the arse, as Doherty sneers at his fellow countrymen for apeing America. Spine-tingling moment: Out of nowhere, a raw guitar solo pops in.

20 Oasis - Stop Cryin' Your Heart Out
The definitive britpop band, one of my favourites. This song managed to ruin the entire "Heathen Chemistry" album for me - I didn't bother to listen the songs that come after this tearjerker. The one moment of magic left in Noel Gallagher, although I hope not. Spine-tingling moment: If you don't sing along to the chorus, you must be dead.

19 The Streets - Dry Your Eyes
Uniquely British. Mike Skinner's light rap fails to hide the heavy heart of an imminent break-up with a girlfriend. "There's plenty more fish in the sea," so he comforts himself. But, one guesses, it is always heartbreaking. Spine-tingling moment: When the strings glide in to announce that it's over.

18 Pulp - Disco 2000
Lest you think britpop is all moping about, in came this deliciously addictive song. Like a rush of adrenaline, Jarvis Cocker steers us through a strangely platonic relationship with a giggle. Spine-tingling moment: The pay-off line: "You can even bring your baby." Nothing else to say, but "Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh."

17 Blur - No Distance Left To Run
Blur always sounded cold to me. Damon Albarn drips sarcasm, but he seems so detached in every song - except on this one. Back story: he just broke up with Justine Frischmann (see above). End product: Suitably morose dirge as you hear Albarn's heart break slowly. Spine-tingling moment: Graham Coxon's genius never shone brighter than his guitar lines here.

16 Keane - Somewhere Only We Know
A mighty sound with just pianos and drums. Tom Chaplin's boyish voice then cuts through with choir-like clarity. Who cares if they look like nice and proper boys? Spine-tingling moment: When the piano hits the higher notes, and Chaplin wails "If you have a minute, why don't we go?"

15 Coldplay - The Scientist
Coldplay score with their sincerity, and nowhere is this clearer than on this heartrending ballad. Chris Martin's soaring voice tugs at every heart strings, while the band wisely stay out of the spotlight. Spine-tingling moment: Goosebump alert as Martin leaps into the wordless coda.

14 Snow Patrol - Run
One of the best stories of belated success, Snow Patrol released two previous albums that bombed, and decided last year to call it a day after releasing their third, aptly titled "Final Straw". Then radio picked up this exquisite ballad, and they finally made it big. The "lighter-waving", weepie type of song which is actually brilliant. Spine-tingling moment: Bravery in gloom as Gary Lightbody sings: "Lighten up, lighten up, as if you have a choice."

13 The Smiths - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
I got into The Smiths late and, as a result, didn't really appreciate their ground-breaking music when it came out in the mid 1980s. Probably the first britpop band, this is their most prototypical single. Morrissey's woe-is-me lyrics is countered by Johnny Marr's magical guitars. No wonder every band caught on. Spine-tingling moment: Any time Morrissey drops out and Marr's guitars come to the forefront. Jangly brilliance.

12 Manic Street Preachers - Motorcycle Emptiness
Not exactly britpop, but the genre will be nothing without the confrontational attitude of their early years. "The Holy Bible" may be the bleakest album of this genre, and this song from their debut album "Generation Terrorists" hints at the desperation to come. Spine-tingling moment: The looping guitar riff, courtesy of the vanished Richey Edwards. (Edit: Oops, me friend Pinkerman says it's actually James Dean Bradfield. Richey just holds the guitar.)

11 Travis - Turn
Travis fall just short of greatness, because their super-lightweight songs simply could not be hard-hitting. That's not to say they are bad, because on songs like this, they create a palpable and palatable optimism rare in the other sneering bands. Hey, don't blame them for being nice people. Spine-tingling moment: Fran Healy never sang with more conviction than on this wondrous chorus.

10 Oasis - Wonderwall
The most famous song of this genre. One of the best love songs too, as Noel Gallagher lays his heart bare - not exactly with his cryptic lyrics (really, what's a wonderwall anyway), but with his understated arrangement. The song could be destroyed at any moment that Noel pumps up the bombast, but he never spoils it. The strings murmur, brother Liam's vocals remain calm, and the guitars chime of utter devotion. Spine-tingling moment: The simple piano riff at the end. Sheer class.

9 Suede - The Wild Ones
Suede exude an simple honesty amid a world of decadence, and Brett Anderson can pull it off only with Bernard Butler. On this luminous ballad, two lovers pledge devotion in a dirty world, as Butler intertwines with Anderson's unique vocals for a singular sound. Spine-tingling moment: Another falsetto-leaping moment, as Anderson croons "We'll be the wild ones running with the dogs today" and Butler noodles up an exqusite guitar line.

8 Teenage Fanclub - Star Sign
The "Smells Like Teen Spirit" of britpop. Sheer lunatic catchiness, complete with crushing guitars and nonchalant lyrics. If you don't start singing to the chorus on first listen, something's wrong with you. Spine-tingling moment: The vocal melody, effortlessly catchy.

7 The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony
Superb piece of bile, rendered beautiful by a stunning string section. You can never tell Richard Ashcroft's angry lyrics from the sweeping music, but as he intones "Try to make ends meet, you're slave to the money, then you die", it is nihilism at its best. Spine-tingling moment: What else? The violins are the most unique voice of the britpop generation. So what if it's stolen from the Rolling Stones?

6 Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
This one caught me totally off-guard. I had thought I've heard it all, then in crashes this masterpiece in innovation. You want a complete rhythm change? Check. You want double-entredre lyrics? Got it. You want all of this angular music, and still remain catchy? Why not? Franz Ferdinand pull off what must surely be the most invigorating song last year. Spine-tingling moment: So many of them, none as dramatic as when rock turns into disco, about one minute into this gem.

5 Coldplay - Yellow
The one moment of transcendence in britpop. This powerful love song cuts through all races, all countries and all music tastes to be certified a bona-fide classic. It's an insane rush of honest love and devotion, as Chris Martin and gang nail every second of this wondrous rocker. Spine-tingling moment: When Martin opens his mouth for the first time: "Look at the stars..."

4 Pulp - Common People
Witty sarcasm from britpop's most evocative band. Not only does Jarvis Cocker take the piss out of middle-class snobs, but he also paints a dead accurate picture of the urban squall where the common people live. That's what my friend Neil from Dagenham tells me. Add the wonderfully supportive music, and no wonder the Americans don't get it. Spine-tingling moment: "I took her to the supermarket, I don't know why but I had to start somewhere, so it started.....there." Cheeky bastard.

3 The Cure - Pictures Of You
The odd band, out of step with every musical direction, yet influential beyond its years. Britpop is known for bittersweet romantic yearnings, and Robert Smith is the prime architect of such affecting music. This song is his masterpiece, a moving paean to a lost love handled with complete grace. The instrumentation is icy, soaring and memorable, Smith's vocals never sounded so aching, and the result is sheer beauty. Spine-tingling moment: The lengthy intro builds up to such momentum that Smith can only tumble blindly in.

2 The Stone Roses - I Am The Resurrection
In the three-year apex of this seminal band, the Stone Roses changed the sonic landscape of British music. Equally embracing rock and dance, they swaggered into the limelight with deathless songs which bear repeated listening to discern the dense layers of beauty. This song is the moment where the band realised how far they can take their style. The thumping drums, the bouncy bass, Ian Brown's thuggish vocals, and John Squire's glorious guitar collide for eight minutes of bliss. No more synth-based indie music from this song onwards. Spine-tingling moment: When Squire's guitar finally enters at the first chorus.

1 Oasis - Live Forever
When British music became relevant to the world again. The spark that ignited the world of britpop, the launch of the (now-aborted) British Invasion, etc etc etc. Whatever. To me, it marks the point where I abandoned heavy metal. It's such a perfect song. It rocks, but the guitars hide a tender love song. It is insanely catchy, but not mawkish. It swaggers, yet one can embrace the arrogance. Yeah, I jumped on the bandwagon, but it's a mighty fine bandwagon to jump onto. Spine-tingling moment: Every time Liam Gallagher sings "Maybe......"

Top 10 Grunge songs

2005-04-02T00:25:00.000+08:00

Before I go in my next list, just wanna qualify what I would deem as worthy of my list. The song has to make me perk up (not an easy thing =D), listen through and at least make me ponder at the lyrics or marvel at the music. The best songs usually feels like an electric jolt - either you want to twitch your body to the music, or just stare into space in "shock".

Anyway, I'm starting with genres that have a specific time frame, like the top 15 modern rock list where most songs come from the late 1990s to this decade. These are easier to compile.

So we have grunge, which specifically belongs to the early 1990s. This is the era when alternative rock met mainstream rock, when punk met metal. The result is a superb collection of songs culled from some top-notch rock bands. Most grunge songs are gloomy, but they portray an honest view of life that was sorely lacking in the mainstream at that time.

Since the actual time-span of grunge lasted about five years, there are not much songs to choose from. So there's only 10 in this list.

10 Days Of The New - Touch, Peel And Stand
A very quaint band, led by a young, depressed man called Travis Meeks. After their debut album, containing this song, was released, he sacked the whole band, and produced two more albums all by himself. All three albums are eponymous. Weird guy. This song stands out because amid all the electric guitar murk of grunge, this is completely acoustic. Not to say it's not heavy - in fact, this tale of seething anger is more chilling with the acoustic guitars banging away. Spine-tingling moment: The beautiful guitar solo, a rarity in grunge.

9 Mudhoney - Overblown
The prime jokesters of grunge, Mudhoney's sarcasm knows no boundaries. This one, on the Singles OST, gives the finger to all the posers who hopped onto the grunge bandwagon. It's hilarious, and scathing in its attack. Spine-tingling moment: The final verse: "Everybody loves us, everybody's getting kind of old, couldn't hold a regular job, long live rock and roll!"

8 Temple Of The Dog - Hunger Strike
A supergroup before the members became famous. This one-off project brought together members from Soundgarden and Pearl Jam to cut a tribute to Mother Love Bone's lead singer Andrew Wood, who OD'ed. The treat is listening to Eddie Vedder and Chris Cornell, two of the best rock vocalists of all time, trade lines and pushing each other. Spine-tingling moment: Vedder's baritone intoning "I'm not hungry" in the chorus, then Cornell's lung-bursting scream to repeat the phrase.

7 Alice In Chains - Would?
Alice In Chains leaned towards metal more than any grunge bands, but their economical riffs and utterly depressing songs never sat well in the hair metal bands. This one is their triumph in their desperate and desolate "Dirt" album, surely the most abject grunge record. A simple riff, coupled with thundering drums, sets the pace for the only optimistic song written by the band. Spine-tingling moment: The coda, where the guitars become more brutal, as Layne Staley asks: "Am I wrong, have I gone too far to get home?" Sad. RIP Layne.

6 Pearl Jam - Love Boat Captain
Ironically, the band who were treated as sell-outs became the genre's longest-lasting band, still churning out top-notch albums. A load of rubbish really, the sell-out claims - Pearl Jam are the flagbearers of honest, emotional grunge. This song, coming 10 years after their first album, is so naked, so assured, that it is still a treat for a long-time fan like me. Spine-tingling moment: When Eddie Vedder whispers: "I know it's already been sung, can't be sang enough. Love is all you need, all you need is love." Simple, yet devastating.

5 Hole - Violet
I never liked Courtney Love, and she's long worn out her welcome on the celebrity stage. But this song, made when her band meant something, is a spellbinding piece of fury. Grunge is noted for its acceptance of women rock vocalists, and Love is positively snarling throughout. Spine-tingling moment: Top-notch bile as Love spits: "Go on, take everything, take everything, I want you to!!!"

4 Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Yeah, it's the song that changed the music scene forever. But in truth, it's not the best song on earth. Just happened to be released at the right time. Yes, it's insanely catchy, but that's it. The lyrics don't cut it for me, no matter how many times I headbanged to it. Spine-tingling moment: Plenty, but the clean intro still aptly sets up the thrills to come.

3 Soundgarden - Jesus Christ Pose
Armed with far more musical chops than any grunge band, Soundgarden created albums of wondrously noisy rock. This is one brutal track - feedback-drenched, killer riffing, murderous drumming, and of course, Chris Cornell's majestic wail. It hits you upon first listen, and never lets go, as the dense layers of music form a pummelling sheen for Cornell to spit out his sneering lyrics. A smack in the face, no less. Spine-tingling moment: From the opening feedback, it's a hellacious ride in primal, feral guitar rock.

2 Pearl Jam - Corduroy
Pearl Jam have made better singles, but this is their hidden jewel in the crown. Tucked deep in their "Vitalogy" album, it's the most disarming statement of intent of staying true to one's roots. Guitars intertwine as Vedder screams his list of declarations - "I don't wanna take what you can give, I would rather starve than eat your bread", "I don't wanna be held in your debt, I'll pay it off in blood", "I'll figure I'll be damned, all alone like I began". Tremendous, affecting stuff. Spine-tingling moment: The instrumental coda, no solos needed to ram home Vedder's point.

1 Nirvana - All Apologies
The last song on Nirvana's final studio album, this is the closure to grunge, a monumentally sad song that becomes even more unbearable following Kurt Cobain's demise. Pained resignation emits throughout the gentle song, as Cobain sounds weary of all the pitfalls of fame. Add a spidery guitar line, and it sounds like a goodbye to a wonderful era of music. Spine-tingling moment: "What else should I be, all apologies/What else should I say, everyone is gay" The heartbreaking opening lines.