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gregoryjdillerblr · 4 years

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Ranking all 15 Genesis studio albums, from worst to best.

Genesis was, no doubt, one of the prime leaders in the 70s progressive rock world, particularly when Peter Gabriel led the band, before departing from the band to pursue a solo career, leaving drummer Phil Collins to replace as lead vocals (and serving as the band’s drummer the same time). Two albums after Gabriel left, original guitarist Steve Hackett decided to also pursue a solo career, leaving just three members of Genesis to push. As New Wave began to top the charts in the early 80s, it only made sense for the trio to head in a New Wave, 80s Pop Rock direction rather than try to be complicated with their sounds, as they did with the decade before. Nevertheless, Phil Collins led Genesis a much radio friendly territory, thus making Genesis a household name. Just as many older Genesis listeners (the ones who grew up with Peter Gabriel’s era) turn away from this Pop Rock, New Wave sound, Phil Collins’ era was just finding new fans as well.

While I do prefer Genesis’ more progressive rock side, I do like their 80s New Wave, Pop Rock albums as well. I am ranking what I feel is their worst to best albums in their 15 studio albums category. Looking back, Genesis had a solid line up of albums. There’s really one I stay away from (their worst), while others do provide some solid tracks. This is my opinion. This is based on which albums I turned to most when I listen to Genesis, so no list is right or wrong.

15. Calling All Stations, 1997. This album I often stay away from. In 1975, after their brilliant double album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Peter Gabriel left the band due to creative differences, wanting to do his own thing, and thus pursue a rather successful solo career. It wasn’t long that Phil Collins took lead, proving that Genesis could survive without Gabriel. The real question was, can the band survive without Collins? The answer was a definitely no. After Collins left, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks scrambled around to find a replacing vocalist. They soon hire Ray Wilson as their new vocalist. What we get with Calling All Stations is a mixbag of Alternative Rock trying to sound like Progressive Rock, with a much harder rock approach that isn’t very appealing. Ray sounds nothing like Collins or Gabriel. I’m not saying he’s a bad vocalist, but he just didn’t fit in compare to Collins and Gabriel. The songs themselves are very forgettable and rather boring compare to what Genesis had to offer. While there just a couple of songs that are okay, they are far and between. Also, it was made in 1997, and this kind of music was already dying, sad to say.

14. From Genesis to Revelation, 1969. Genesis’ debut. Most of this album was made when they were just teenagers in high school. Phil Collins wasn’t in the band during this time. The original drummer was John Silver (who didn’t do drums on the track “Silent Sun,” which was done by Chris Stewart). From Genesis to Revelation, compare what’s to come from the band, doesn’t live up to be a good debut of the band. While the band does show a bit of complicated musicianship, it’s never up on par compare to their later albums. The production isn’t that great, as it seems the mix of drums and percussion were very low, and the drum fills don’t hit as they should. While there are some decent tracks, they are nevertheless forgettable. However, they do show greatness to come, overshadowing this album.

13. Trespass, 1970. While Trespass is a much more solid album compared to their debut, the songs are nevertheless forgettable. However, giving them credit, this was the album that really shows a much more Progressive Rock sound that the band will pursue. It is the last album to feature Anthony Philips on guitars. The drums were done by John Mayhew. Trespass really showcases a much more complicated musicianship than their debut, with songs being a lot longer and the track listing so much shorter compare to From Genesis to Revelation. With Hackett and Collins just coming in rather shortly, replacing Philips and Mayhew, Genesis would be one of the pioneers of the Progressive Rock world, leaving their first two albums, moreorless, in the dust.

12. We Can’t Dance, 1991. The last album to feature Phil Collins, We Can’t Dance was an 80s album stuck in the early 90s, where grunge and alternative were topping the charts during this time. While this album show cases the band began to explore some of the Progressive Rock from their heyday, it just doesn’t level up to the potential they once had. Not saying this is a bad album, but it’s the weakest in the Collins’ era, at least in my opinion. The album does have Genesis classics like “No Son of Mine” and “I Can’t Dance,” which will be one of Genesis more recognizable songs in their category. However, the band doesn’t explore new territory, playing it safe rather than explore new sounds to fit in the new decade.

11. Genesis, 1983. With no album title in mind, and an album that was actually done by the collaboration of all three band members, it only seemed, at the time, to have a self-title album. The band had finally a recording facility in which they call it The Farm, Genesis, the album, really showcases a much more grand Pop Rock sound. From the bluey piano ballad of “That’s All” to the slower synth heavy build up of “Mama,” Genesis really push Pop Rock to the forefront. Songs like “Taking It All Too Hard” and “Just a Job to Do” showcases a blend of pop and rock, while “Illegal Alien” and “Silver Rainbow” explores a much grander pop sound.

10. Invisible Touch, 1986. Three years later after their self-titled album, Genesis returned a far better executed Pop Rock album with Invisible Touch. The opening, title track really showcases what the sound of the album is, with choppy guitar shops by Rutherford, bringing in a much more dance vibe. “Tonight, Tonight, Tonight” is a slow build up song, heavy with electronic drums and synth undertones. “Land of confusion” is a heavier Pop Rock track that was provided with a cheesy but freaky music video. “Domino (Pt. 1 & 2)” showcases a much more Prog Rock sound, with the true song coming in after four minutes.

9. …And There Were Three…, 1977. With Steve Hackett leaving the band, there was only the classic trio to push forward. While this album was recorded during their Prog Rock era, it nevertheless shows a much more Pop Rock sound that will become mainstream for the band. This album is stuck right in the middle between Genesis Prog Rock and Pop Rock that will dominate their sound in the coming years. While not a classic compare to earlier Genesis albums or the two that will come after this one, …And There Were Three… does provide some highlights and underrated tracks that perhaps only true fans of both eras find enjoyment. “Undertow” is such an underrated track, while other highlights include “Ballad of Big,” “Snowbound,” “Deep in the Motherlode,” and “Follow You Follow Me.”

8. Abacab, 1981. With a much more focused Pop Rock sound, Genesis found their much more radio friendly album with Abacab. The title track and “No Reply at All” remain radio stables. While the album does get a bit lost here and there, it’s nevertheless forward compared to …And There Were Three…, with the band don’t have to worry about exploring their more Prog side. Underrated tracks include “Keep It Dark,” “Dodo/Lurker,” “Like It or Not,” and “Another Record.”

7. Duke, 1980. Perhaps one of the most recognizable Genesis’ albums, Duke is one of the better Collins’ era albums. Coming straight from …And There Were Three…, Duke sees the band exploring a bit more of their Pop Rock, New Wave sound, while retaining some of their earlier Prog Rock sound from the decade prior. There are still some experimentations, however, not so much compare to their previous album. Duke is nevertheless the best Genesis album when it comes to their new sound the 80s that will make Genesis one of the more mainstream artists to hit the radio stations in this new decade. While “Misunderstanding” and “Turn It on Again” receive a lot of radio play, it is songs like “Duchess,” “Man of Our Times,” “Alone Tonight,” and “Duke’s Travels” are underrated highlights of the album.

6. Wind & Wuthering, 1976. Following their success of their brilliant A Trick of the Tail album, Genesis quickly recorded their follow up shortly after the tour. It is the last Genesis album to feature Steve Hackett, who left because it was becoming apparent that the Tony Banks’ keyboards playing were in favor more than Steve’s guitar playing. While it may not be strong of an album compare to A Trick of the Tail, Wind & Wuthering does provide some underrated tunes, from the haunting and beautiful balled “Your Own Special Way,” the grand opening track “Eleventh Earl of Mar,” “All in a Mouse’s Night,” “Blood on the Rooftops,” “Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers…/…In That Quiet Earth,” and the very underrated closer, “Afterglow.”

5. Nursery Cryme, 1971. Genesis’ third album, the first to have the classic lineup that would last until 1975. This is the album that introduces both Phil Collins and Steve Hackett, and one that pushes Genesis into Progressive Rock territory. From the epic ten-minute opening of “The Musical Box,” Nursery Cryme shows where the band was heading with their sound. Songs like “The Return of the Giant Hogweed,” and the closer “The Fountain of Salmacis” are eight-minute epics that show cases greatness to come. With Gabriel’s writing much more fairy tale lyrics, Nursery Cryme is just a tip of the iceberg in Genesis’s great category.

4. Foxtrot, 1972. If Nursery Cryme showcases Genesis’ moving in the right direction, it’s Foxtrot that puts them in the forefront of being one of the true Prog Rock bands ever formed in the 70s. With the buildup and groovy opening of “Watcher of the Skies,” to the 23-minute epic closer “Supper’s Ready,” Foxtrot is indeed one of the best Genesis albums, and one of the best early Progressive Rock albums that push forward the genre. It is here that Gabriel began to dress in customs on stages. Even the album cover’s fox head woman in a red dress is based off one of his customs.

3. Selling England by the Pound, 1973. Arguably their best album among Genesis’ fans (particularly those that like Gabriel’s era), Selling England by the Pound is indeed a classic album. From the epic opening “Dancing with the Moonlit Knight,” Selling England by the Pound showcases pretty much Genesis at the top of their game. “I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)” shows both Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins dueling in vocals, while Gabriel narrates the tale in the song. “Firth of Fifth” showcases Tony Bank’s great keyboard playing, opening with piano riffs before the actual song kicks in. The eleven-minute epic “The Battle of Epping Forest” really demonstrates Gabriel’s fantasy song writing, as forest animals battle for land in the song. The ten-minute epic “The Cinema Show” is another forgotten classic on one of best Prog Rock albums to be made.

2. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, 1974. The last album to feature Peter Gabriel as the leading vocalist, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, in my opinion, is the best Gabriel era album Genesis had put out. A double album, the first and last for Genesis; like many great Prog Rock artists, Genesis wanted to create a concept album. Gabriel wanted to tell a story. He knew that writing fantasy elements was becoming obsolete very rapidly. He presented the group a surreal story about Rael, a Puerto Rican youth in New York City, as he descends into another dimension and discovers himself through bizarre scenarios and characters. The title track opens the album, showing the band had moved into a different direction with their sound. Some songs are darker and heavier in tone compared to the songs from their previous album. Though the album had mixed reception at the time of its release, it nevertheless grew, growing a cult following, and many are now considering to be one of the best Genesis albums. Being a double album, there are times where it does it boring, but it’s nevertheless a classic album, showing that the band were on top of their game. Gabriel had left the group on a high note as he pursued a solo career.

1. A Trick of the Tail, 1976. The first Genesis album without Gabriel, and the first to have Phil Collins as leading vocals, A Trick of the Tail was really a make or break it album. It came to much surprise that the band can survive without Gabriel, as Phil fits in perfectly as the new lead vocalist. While the bad has returned to writing fantasy like songs, it became apparent the band could write strong material, both lyrically and musically. Phil took the leading role as vocalists as they band were unsuccessful in finding the right vocalist, after listening to audition tapes. It was the heavy hitter “Squonk” that showed the band that Phil Collins ought to be the next lead vocalist. For the following tour, Phil hired Yes’ former drummer Bill Bruford on drums as Phil takes the lead in sing, though he would play drums on stage as well. Nevertheless, the album itself is the best Collins’ era album, as the band still had Hackett as their main guitar player. “Dancing on a Volcano,” “Entangled,” “Squonk,” “Ripples,” and “Los Endos” are my favorites from the album.

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gregoryjdillerblr · 4 years

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Ranking all 9 Led Zeppelin albums, from worst to best

Led Zeppelin is without a doubt my second favorite band, following Pink Floyd. There is no doubt that these two bands really defined the 70s, with Pink Floyd pushing progressive rock into mainstream, influencing bands like Rush, Yes, Genesis, while Led Zeppelin was pushing harder rock, influencing bands like AC/DC, Rush (whose first album was pretty much a Zeppelin ripoff until they began exploring their more creative, progressive rock side), Van Halen, and even Black Sabbath. Led Zeppelin helped pioneered the 70s. They are one of the very few popular bands that didn’t won a single Grammy award.

Led Zeppelin is also one of the very few rock bands that not only helped push rock and roll as it is today, but they are one of the very few bands that explored all subgenres of rock: from blues to folk, to metal to progressive rock, Led Zeppelin became one of the most popular artists of all time, often competing in the third spot with Michael Jackson and The Beatles.

The Who’s original drummer, Keith Moon, heard the band (at the time was the New Yardbirds and with different band members) and jokingly said, “you guys are going to fall like a lead balloon.” Jimmy Page changed the name from The New Yardbirds to Led Zeppelin, dropping the A out to of lead to make it cooler. Pete Townshend, however, would quickly grow hatred for Led Zeppelin, while mocking his own band just the same. Black Sabbath often went to their gigs, and two members of Zeppelin, Bonham and Plant, often visited Black Sabbath, with Bonham asking Bill Ward to play his drum set, of which Ward would decline, fearing Bonham would damage his set.

Many would argue who started the metal movement: Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath. While Led did come out a year before Sabbath, there’s no question that Sabbath’s descent into more darker, harder rock in their later years really defined the metal movement, while Zeppelin moved from blues to folk and progressive rock in their later albums. Nevertheless, Led Zeppelin helped shape hard rock and rock and roll in general, and their influence can be heard decades to come. With just only 8 studio albums and a rarities album, Led Zeppelin is still a popular, influential band. Here’s my list of their albums, ranked from what I think is their worst to best albums. This my personal ranking, and I know I may piss a few people off, but this is a matter of my taste.

9. Coda, 1982. With the shocking death of John Bonham, Page, Plant, and Jones quickly departed, ending Led Zeppelin. The band was on the edge of splitting up, with their previous and last studio album was recorded on separate occasions because two members couldn’t deal seeing each other, but more on that within a couple of minutes. Coda was released as a tribute to the late Bonham, with the band releasing tracks from their previous albums. What we get with Coda is a forgotten mess of songs that were clearly cut for obvious reasons. Not to say Coda is a bad album, it’s just mediocre at its best. “Wearing and Tearing,” the album’s closer, is the one that often stands out for me, while I feel that the other tracks really don’t highlight Zeppelin’s greater works.

8. Presence, 1976. The only Led Zeppelin album without a keyboard, Presence sees Led Zeppelin turning to their roots in favor of more blues driven rock of the first two albums. While I think Presence is a good album, I find that without the lack of keyboards from Jones really drags this album down. While many think the ten minute opener “Achilles Last Stand” is an epic, underrated Zeppelin track, I do find the song drags by the midway point as the band doesn’t offer much interchangeability in the track, often repeating itself for ten long minutes. “Tea For One” is the album’s nine minute closer, which is a boring mock off to the great track from Led Zeppelin III, “Since I’ve Been Loving You,” without Jones’ great keyboard works. However, I do enjoy “For Your Life,” “Nobody’s Fault but Mine” and “Candy Store Rock” the most off this album.

7. In Through the Out Door, 1979. Their last studio album, and perhaps their most controversial, In Through the Out Door sees the band bringing back the keyboards that were lacking from Presence, but more in the forefront than their previous albums combined. On the verge of breaking up, Plant and Jones went into the studio together and began recording, leaving Page and Bonham to come in much later when the other two weren’t present, and began working on what Plant and Jones recorded. Though this album may be a tad messier than Presence, the band nevertheless took a much great risk, one I think is a better result. I do like the ten minute track “Carouselambra.” It show cases Jones’ keyboards while Page does a beautifully haunting guitar riffs in the middle of the song, before ending the song on a much funky tune. “In the Evening” is a great opener, one of the very few Zeppelin tracks that was played with a Stratocaster, a guitar Page was rare to see playing with. While “Fool in the Rain” and “All My Love” receive more radio play, my favorite track on the album, the closer “I’m Gonna Crawl.” Plant pays tribute to his dead son with “All My Love,” which is an okay song but one I find often overplayed in Zeppelin’s catalogue. At this time, Page and Bonham were struggling addicts, with alcohol eventually leading to Bonham’s death the following year, ending the classic rock band’s incredible career.

6. Led Zeppelin II, 1969. Zeppelin’s sophomore effort, coming out just months after their first album, Led Zeppelin II further explores their blues driven rock. The most well known song on the album, which the album opens with, “Whole Lotta Love” showcases that Page was began to explore a bit further, providing some soundscapes in the song’s middle, with scraping guitar techniques and even a Theremin. “What Is and What Should Never Be,” “Thank You,” “Ramble On,” and “Bring It On Home” are the highlights for me. Led Zeppelin II is a good classic album on its own right, no doubt about it, but I do feel this album is a bit more jejune compared to what’s to come the following few years.

5. Led Zeppelin, 1969. Their epic debut, Led Zeppelin quickly exploded. This debut album is surely one of the best debuts ever to put out in rock’s history, defining the band what they were and the sound they were after. Led Zeppelin push hard rock and blues rock into mainstream, while other bands around them were exploring progressive and psychedelic rock. What makes this album stand out for me compared to II is the underrated tracks that don’t often get much airplay. Most of these tracks seem to be forgotten about, ones that the radio don’t play compared to other more well known Zeppelin tracks. My favorite track is “How Many More Times,” an eight minute closer epic with a killer, catchy guitar riff that the song begins and ends with, while the middle is an exploration to different territories within the song. “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” is another standout, with Page providing haunting acoustic before kicking it into high gear during the chorus. “You Shook Me” is another one that showcases Page’s talent with guitar shrieks and Plant delivering blues with a harmonica. “Black Mountain Side” is another great track showcasing Page’s skills on an acoustic guitar. While some Zeppelin fans may find this album a bit dull compared to the their other classic albums, this album for me still stands out as among on of their best efforts, and an underrated one at that.

4. Led Zeppelin III, 1970. A bit more of an uneven album, Led Zeppelin III really showcases the greatness to come. It is here where the band began to explore other than blues driven rock. While the album does have the kickass opener” Immigrant Song,” the albums also provides some harder classics like “Celebration Day” and “Out on the Tiles.” “Since I’ve Been Loving You” is one of my personal favorite Zeppelin tracks, with Jones providing a haunting organ soundscape as Page plays the blues on his guitar, while Plant delivers emotion on vocals. The second half of the album shows the band playing with more folk rock, with the song “Gallows Pole” showcasing the start of this trend (Jimmy even plays a banjo in this track). “Tangerine” and “That’s the Way” are slower songs with a beautiful and haunting lap steel guitar work by Page.

3. Houses of the Holy, 1973. Houses of the Holy really shows the band to explore in much more progressive rock territory all the while without losing their sound. While “D’yer Mak’er” is the weakest track for me (I’m not really a reggae kind of guy, sorry, though I think that genre is very good at live gigs and concerts), the other ones no doubt make up on this classic album. “The Song Remains the Same” is an underrated, kickass opener, with the combination of six and twelve string electric guitars. “The Rain Song” is another classic, a bit more Pink Floydish song with beautiful and haunting acoustic and electric guitar works by Page. If there is one song the band ever came close to sounding a little bit like Pink Floyd, “No Quarter” sees Jones playing a haunting keyboard while Page’s guitar is tuned half step, with piano overdubs playing in the middle when Page is delivering a solo. While I do think “The Ocean” is a bit overplayed, it’s nevertheless a classic closer to an amazing and still somehow underrated album.

2. Physical Graffiti, 1975. Their double album and one that provided their second biggest track, “Kashmir,” Physical Graffiti is the Zeppelin album that really covers their catalogue, from folk to blues to progressive rock, it no doubt this album is simply a classic, and one that perhaps made them bigger than they already were. The album started five years before, with Jimmy Page producing songs and kept them in a vault where when they were working on new material, Page has unleased these tracks that never found their way to their previous three albums. “The Rover” is one of my all time favorite tracks so Page uses the Phaser effect and delivers a catchy and killer guitar riff. “In my Time of Dying” is Led Zeppelin’s best long song, with a lot of guitar overdubs, from heavy blues to distorted slide, and Plant blasting on vocals about a man being on his death bed, while Bonham hammers with catchy drum fills when the band kicks it up a notch. “In the Light” is another progressive rock track that’s very underrated, often overshadowed by its famous sister, “Kashmir.” “Ten Years Gone” seems to be forgotten with some of the most poetic lyrics written by Plant as he reflects on life. “Down by the Seaside” is their take on a surf song but it becomes heavy in the middle. “Black Country Woman” is another take on folk rock, with the band actually recording outside and a plane can be overheard in the very beginning, with the members asking Jimmy to cut it out before Robert joining in, “nah, leave it, yeah.” “The Wanton Song” is a catchy bluesy, hard rock that seems to be forgotten. “Trampled Under Foot” is a bluesy and funky tune that’s also very underrated and obscured by other tracks on the album.

1. Led Zeppelin IV, 1971. There is no doubt Led Zeppelin exploded with their fourth album. It’s an amazing feat that only with eight songs, this album became an instant classic, and majority of the album, to this very day, still gets played. Though I would argue that these songs do often get overplayed, there’s something about them that somehow they never get too annoying to listen to, and that’s quite rare for songs that are repeated on radio stations. The kickass opener, “Black Dog” is catchy, blues song that was untitled until a black dog came in and bit Bonham during a recording, or so they say. “Rock and Roll” is another well known track, with catchy guitar overdubs and Plant hammering on the vocals, with Bonham ending the song with one of the best drum solos in rock history. “The Battle of Evermore” is a return to the folk rock the band experimented with their previous album. Here, Robert sings with Sandy Denny, as Page plays a mandolin. This track is simply underrated as Plant really delivers near the end with a delay effect. “Stairway to Heaven” is of course a classic progressive rock tune that mixes both folk and blues rock, with Plant sings poetic lyrics that many, to this day (and Plant himself) still don’t quite know the song’s true meaning. “Misty Mountain Hop” is another catchy, near funk tune that gets a slight overlook compared to other tracks, with Plant questing for better society. “Four Sticks” was another untitled track, with Bonham playing his drums with four drumsticks instead of the standard two. The song is in an odd timing, giving the track a bit more progressive rock feel. “Going to California” is another folk tune about one’s quest looking for love and settlement. “When the Levee Breaks” is simply one of the best Zeppelin tunes, and perhaps their best closer on an album they’ve ever done. It’s a bluesy, hard rock song with slides and overdriven guitar while Plants blows it out of water with harmonicas. The lyrics about going to Chico before the local dam breaks and floods the area. Without this album, Led Zeppelin probably wouldn’t have become a staple in all of rock and roll.

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gregoryjdillerblr · 4 years

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Ranking all 15 Pink Floyd studio albums, from worst to best.

Those that know me well know Pink Floyd is my all time favorite band. I grew up listening to classic rock, thanks to my parents. My childhood band was Van Halen, and my mother pretty much bought me the entire Van Halen collection, both Roth and Hagar eras. I then went through phases when I was around 12 years old, and I began to listen to a lot Metallica more. And at 15, I began to listen a lot of of more of 80s New Wave, particularly A Flock of Seagulls, which most people in my personal life always picked on me for it, asking “How the hell did you go from Metallica to A Flock of Seagulls?” I’ve always heard Pink Floyd songs, but because my parents were huge fans, that meant I wasn’t a huge fan. I grew up that way: whatever your parents don’t like you don’t like.

But of course, you find your identity while growing up, naturally liking art that you actually once hated because of your influence. I didn’t really listened to Pink Floyd until I was around 17ish, liking the songs from the Whale (a radio station based in Binghamton, NY) that played classic rock songs. It was here that I’ve heard songs like “Run Like Hell,” “Mother,” “Time,” “Comfortably Numb,” “Learning to Fly,” and the more obscured, underrated PF track “One Slip.” It wasn’t until I was 18 (I was still in high school) when I got home from school that my mother had bought The Wall for me, a more surprised gift. From then, I was really hooked from Pink Floyd, asking my mother to get me The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and The Division Bell, all on that order. By that time I got The Division Bell, I knew Pink Floyd was becoming my new favorite band. Though I explored bands like Led Zeppelin and The Church and Rush afterwards, Pink Floyd, to this very day, 11 years later, are still my favorite.

They opened the sub rock genre Progressive Rock for me. I explored bands like Yes, Rush and Genesis, despite I’ve heard their songs on the radio and seen some of their videos on VH1 Classic, but never bothered to dig into their catalogue till a few years later after listening to Pink Floyd.

I’ve listened to all their 15 studio albums, and this list is about the albums that I keep going back to. Please keep in mind this is my personal taste. There is no right or wrong answers to ranking albums. It’s all about opinions and what you like in the end. I know I might piss off other PF fans with my ranking, but, guys, we all have our favorites, don’t we? Every PF fan has their own album rankings, of course. Here is mine.

15. Ummagumma, 1969. Ummagumma is perhaps Pink Floyd’s most experimental album, and one I truly distaste. It’s a double album, with the first disc is a set of live tracks (which, honestly, I barely listen to because of the sound quality) while the second disc is the actual studio album. PF was lost without Syd Barrett, the true original founder of the band. Each band member then produced their own songs without the influence from the other members. What we get is a mess, and some songs are either boring to listen to or just God awful. Most of it is instrumental, but the ones I like are Roger Water’s “Grantchester Meadows” and David Gilmour’s “The Narrow Way, Pt.3,” which happened to be the only two songs on the entire album that have lyrics. Roger’s other track, “Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict” is a bizarre tune that is only done by sound effects by Water’s voice, making chipmunk like noises, and tapping on the microphone at various speeds, with Roger speaking in an exaggerated Scottish burr near the end of the song. The tune is more amusing because it’s rather a funny track to listen to, while Richard Wright’s tracks “Sysyphus (parts 1--4)” and Nick Mason’s “ The Grand Vizier's Garden Party (parts 1--3)” aren’t a joy, just a mess of sounds that I find skipping over and never listen to.

14. A Saucerful of Secrets, 1968. Pink Floyd’s second album, one that introduced David Gilmour after Syd Barrett was beginning to take too much LSD and became very unpredictable. What we get with this second album are lost musicians without a leader, and the sound often jumps around, from forgettable piano driven tracks to the more washed out, space like organ sounds that really isn’t a joy to listen to, to a very bizarre track full of jazz instruments that Syd Barrett sings his only track at the very end of the album. Roger’s track “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” (this song is the only one that has all five members playing, according to Gilmour) and “Corporal Clegg” are the two standouts for me, with the latter hinting of what’s to come with Roger’s anti war lyrics, and Gilmour’s choppy, wah guitar effects hints of what’s to come.

13. More, 1969. Yes, Pink Floyd’s 1968 and ‘69 albums don’t really do anything for me. More is a soundtrack to the French film of the same title. However, More hints of a more calibrated work of the group, and despite that some tracks are more over the place than others, what we get with More is a much more standard album than a band trying to experiment. Songs like “The Nile Song” and “Ibiza Bar” are two heavy hitting PF songs while “The Crying Song” and “Green is the Colour” are softer ballads. Perhaps the best known track from this album is “Cymbaline.” “More Blues” and “Dramatic Theme” just scratch the surface of Gilmour’s incredible, Blues inspired guitar playing style. The album can do without the seven minute track “Quicksilver,” which is nothing but Rick Wright coming up with eerie organ soundscapes that are rather boring than they are affective.

12. The Final Cut, 1983. The post Wall album, The Final Cut sees Roger Waters in complete control, who has become a very egocentric, over baring bastard that this album was PF’s most difficult album to record. Roger has kicked Rick Wright out, since he felt Rick wasn’t contributing anything to the band. What we get with The Final Cut is the only PF album without Richard Wright, and a mess of an album that is trying to find its identity after the success of The Wall. In fact, most of these tracks were based of cut out tracks from the previous album, with David Gilmour arguing Roger that these songs weren’t any good at the time, why should they be good now. Gilmour himself only sung one track, the epic, hard hitting “Not Now John” that has the most f-bombs in any PF song, though Roger does take over in certain spots here and there. For me, the best songs on this album are “Your Possible Pasts,” “The Final Cut,” “Not Now John,” and the album closer “Two Suns in the Sunset” (this song was difficult for Nick for its odd timing, and Roger brought in a session drummer to fill in the spot) while the other tracks don’t do anything for me. Roger felt this was the last PF album, but I honestly glad it wasn’t.

11. The Endless River, 2014. For twenty years, The Division Bell was truly the last PF studio album. However, David and Nick went through their secret vault of recorded but unleashed tracks from The Division Bell. Their focused was to bring Richard Wright’s playing more in the forefront, wanting their audience to hear how important his sound was for the band. David and Nick rerecorded and modernized some parts on these songs, including David adding more guitar and lyrics to their farewell, goodbye song “Louder Than Words,” which I honestly still feel it’s a very underrated track. 99% of this album is instrumental. Majority of this album makes up from one plus minute tracks, which seem more filler than anything. Nevertheless, another song that shines is “It’s What We Do,” which is the most “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” inspired track PF has done in years, and one that brings Wright’s sound to the forefront as Gilmour and Mason intended.

10. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, 1967. Pink Floyd’s first album, and the one that only has Syd Barrett as a lead singer and without David Gilmour. This album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, where The Beatles was recording Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band next door, which Pink Floyd visited, and the two bands influenced each other. Syd Barrett was a much more character driven lyricist, and his songs were more based of fairy tales, hence the title of the album. The album itself is a bit unbalanced, as the later half becomes a folky, acoustic guitar driven album as the first half was a psychedelic rock trip. Most of the songs here was sung by Barrett, while Wright provides some second lead vocals in certain songs. This album showcases that the band is indeed experimenting, playing walls of sounds, but a bit more focused compared to their three follow ups. My favorite tracks are “Astronomy Domine,” “Lucifer Sam,” “Matlida Mother,” “Pow R. Toc H.,” and “Chapter 24.”

9. Atom Heart Mother, 1970. It is here, in this spot, where it’s difficult for me to rank, as these albums are my personal favorites from the Floyd. However, I feel this album is right for it’s spot, since I find myself drawn to the other top 8 more in the recent years. I still believe this album is underrated and underappreciated. Even the band themselves have stated that they hate this album. Atom Heart Mother’s concept is soundtrack to a film that doesn’t exist. The epic, 23 minute title track sounds exactly like a movie, with full on brass sections and choirs that were composed by Ron Geesin. “If” is a Roger Waters’ ballad with a beautifully haunting slide guitar from Gilmour and slowly becomes a rock driven tune near the end. Richard Wright takes turns to lead in “Summer ‘68,” which is about a one night stand Rick had with a groupie, perhaps haunted by the very act he’s done. The song starts with a piano ballad structure that goes on full horn and funky acoustic chops by Gilmour. Gilmour than leads “Fat Old Sun,” which every instrument was done by Gilmour, including the drums. It’s another acoustic ballad that slowly becomes a rock oriented track, with Gilmour reflecting on summer. The album ends with “Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast,” which the whole concept centers around Pink Floyd’s roadie, Alan Styles, making breakfast. The middle song of this three part based track, in itself calls “Sunny Side Up,” is my personal favorite part of the entire song, with David overdubbing two beautiful acoustic guitars as well as a another haunting slide guitar work. The whole song was inspired by water dripping out of a faucet.

8. Obscured By Clouds, 1972. Another soundtrack for a film, Obscured By Clouds is the often forgotten, underrated album that is stuck between ‘71′s Meddle and the most successful PF album, The Dark Side of the Moon. By Meddle, Pink Floyd has found its sound after the downfall of Syd Barrett. Obscured By Clouds showcases Gilmour’s guitar in the forefront. Both Gilmour and Waters become the two leads for the band, though Rick Wright does offer the wah driven, piano balled, “Stay.” “Burning Bridges” is sung by both Gilmour and Wright, who duet in “Echoes” on their previous album but now take turns for the lead, hinting the song “Time” on DSOFTM. “The Gold It’s in the...” is one of the very few PF tracks that doesn’t have Rick Wright playing, as it is a funk, harder driven track sung by Roger. Gilmour offers “Childhood’s End,” which is loosely based off a 1953 science fiction novel of the same name by Arthur C. Clarke. “Free Four” is a “Spirt in the Sky” inspired track with dark undertones. Part of it is an antiwar song, where Roger sings about the death of his father for the first time, an reoccurring theme that will play out in future albums like The Wall and The Final Cut. “Mudmen” is an instrumental track that is very similar to “Burning Bridges,” but here David provides some haunting guitar riffs and slide effects. The album closes with “Absolutely Curtains,” which Roger provides an incoherent shout as the song slowly builds and fades into one of Wright’s most beautiful organ textured sounds.

7. A Momentary Lapse of Reason, 1987. Some fans will put this as their worst PF album, but it’s honestly one of my absolutely favorites. It was originally going to be David’s third solo album, but with the disappointed sales of his first two, EMI wanted to be a Pink Floyd album. Most of the tracks were pre recorded by the time Gilmour called Mason in. It marks the return of Richard Wright, who Gilmour had to fight for because of the contract that Roger had written he shouldn’t return in the band. Gilmour was also battling Roger Waters, who was fighting to have the name Pink Floyd remove, thinking the band was done for good. Obviously, Roger had lost, and David had the right to use Richard as a “guest” musician and kept the Pink Floyd name. Like I’ve said, most of these songs were already developed. Nick and Richard provide their sounds in rerecordings. David has had admitted he isn’t a lyricist, and though he might not be as good as Waters, he nevertheless provided a couple of radio classics, such as “Learning to Fly” and “On the Turning Away.” “Dogs of War” and “One Slip” are underrated gems, and “Sorrow” became a live favorite for Gilmour’s heavy fuzz guitar riffs in the beginning of the track. While I do agree the overall sound is a bit outdated and heavily influenced by the current 80s music, AMLOR is nevertheless an album, for me at least, that showcases that Gilmour kept the band going full speed ahead.

6. The Division Bell, 1994. Originally titled as “The Big Spliff,” which was thought to be a near full instrumental double album, Gilmour, Mason and Wright find themselves doing old school ways of how they used to do songs back in the early 70s: by working together. Though other musicians did help the Floyd, the three find themselves coming up riffs that they soon realized it was just too good to be just instrumentals. Polly Samson, a novelist who would become David Gilmour’s wife, provides a lot of lyrics for the album. What we get with The Division bell instead is a reflection of looking back. Not only lyrically but musically, as the Division Bell is full of sounds that PF has done in the past. “Marooned” is a Bluesy guitar driven track that haunts after a listen. “A Great Day of Freedom” is indeed about the collapse of the Berlin Wall, however, one can view that it’s also about David moving on from Roger, suggesting the opening line “On the day the wall came down” may be David singing he feels free from Roger’s toxin influence. “What Do You Want From Me” is the heaviest, Blues inspired track on the album that is about no matter how hard you try to please a certain person, you really can’t, and you have to wonder if Polly wrote this for David on his history with Roger. “Poles Apart” is a beautifully written, DADGAD ballad with slide guitar and a killer solo at the end. Though the song may have a carnival like music in the middle that may drag the song, it’s still nevertheless a brilliant, underrated track. “Take It Back,” “Coming Back to Life” and “Keep Talking” are perhaps the three highlights, back to back, while “Lost For Words” is a “Wish You Were Here” inspired ballad that reflects past relationships. Of course, the album epic closer “High Hopes” is really about looking into the past and try moving forward, without the consequences of your past haunting you in the near future. Till this day, I still feel this album is underappreciated, as for twenty years it was PF’s last studio effort.

5. The Wall, 1979. My first Pink Floyd album, and one that really got me into the band. To be honest, I have a love and hate relationship with The Wall. It’s a classic album, nonetheless, but I cannot help but feel that without the key classic tracks, The Wall is actually a poor album with a lot of filler. Of course, with classic songs like “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt.2″ “In the Flesh?,” “Mother” “Goodbye Blue Sky,” “Young Lust,” “Hey You,” “Comfortably Numb,” “Run Like Hell” and “Waiting for the Worms” really save this album for me, as I tend to think most of these tracks are filler, practically the under two minute tracks. Nevertheless, I did grow into liking a couple of songs. “The Show Must Go On” is a very underrated track that should have been longer than it is. “The Trial” was a difficult track to listen to for the first time, but over the years I grow to like, somewhat. The Wall isn’t a bad album, but I do agree that the first half is stronger than the second half. Now knowing it tells a story (rather a strange one), it tells the story of Roger Water’s father’s death in WWII, and how the main character, Pink Floyd, becomes a drug addict whose behavior becomes unpredictable, which was based off seeing Syd Barrett’s downfall. The album is full of history, one that is inspired of Roger spitting on a fan after the fan threw beer on him. Roger than wanted to isolate the band from the audience, and the idea of The Wall was born. However, Richard Wright didn’t like the idea of having a wall being built between the band and the audience, Roger grew hatred for Wright, accusing him not to come up with any material, eventually firing him from the band. The Wall is indeed a classic, though I do find certain tracks bring it down while the radio classics really help the Floyd to be one of the biggest bands they are today.

4. The Dark Side of the Moon, 1973. The most well known and successful Pink Floyd album. Dark Side of the Moon was influenced when the band finally found their sound from 1971′s success, Meddle, particularly the 23 minute track “Echoes.” The band then wanted to further explore, with Roger coming up the band’s fully first concept album. The concept itself is about life, with the album starting out with Nick Mason mimicking a heartbeat with the bass drum. “Breathe (In the Air)” is a brief track about existence, while the heavily synth driven “On the Run” deals with fear, often about a man running away from an airplane. “Time” reflects how live itself is short, and you should use your limited time on Earth wisely. “The Great Gig in the Sky” is about death, as Clare Torry sings her finest, wordless roar as a grieving woman. “Money” is about greed and how corporations and governments are always thirsty for money while those that work hard are often struggling to make end’s meet. “Us and Them,” one of my all time favorite Floyd tracks, is another antiwar song that is sung by David in a haunting and beautiful delay effect that makes his voice echo. “Any Colour You Like” is another instrumental that is about existence while Roger takes turns to lead in the closing tracks, “Brain Damage” and “Eclipse,” with the former song about Barrett’s descent into madness and the latter about everything you see, touch, taste, smell, and feel is what you make of life and what life has to offer. This album is a classic, yet I still feel, like The Wall, a bit overrated in PF’s amazing catalogue.

3. Wish You Were Here, 1975. With the success of The Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd found themselves overwhelmed to come up with a follow up. Originally titled as “Household Objects,” Roger Waters thought it’d a be a good idea to find household objects to make music noises with. However, the idea soon became too time consuming, and Pink Floyd find themselves back at square one. It was the idea of Gilmour’s now famous guitar riff that spark. Roger recorded Gilmour in a giant empty studio, with Gilmour playing the well known riff in what soon became the classic “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.” It became apparent that, because of the success of DSOTM, Pink Floyd should pay tribute to their original founder, Syd Barrett. Roger also reflected lyrics on the music business as a whole, how their company is forcing them to come up with a successful follow up. “Welcome to the Machine” and “Have A Cigar” reflect on those themes. “Shine You Crazy Diamond” is a tribute to Syd, who, one day, came in the studio, overweight, his hair and eyebrows completely shaven off, and barely unrecognizable. It was David who then saw this stranger was indeed Syd Barrett, and the man quickly left soon afterward, shocking the band. Wish You Were Here met some criticism when it was released, stating that the band didn’t find any new ground. However, it soon gain an occult following. David has stated this is his personal favorite PF album.

2. Animals, 1977. Another concept album. By this time, it became apparent that Roger was the leading lyricist, and this album shows that Roger was beginning to take over the sound of PF as well, as he leads most of the songs instead of David. Roger saw the punk rock movement, their hatred in Progressive Rock sound, and knew the band should get heavier and grittier. He took this idea and based it off the George Orwell’s classic novel Animal Farm, giving certain types individuals and classes animalistic metaphors. We got the backstabbing businessmen as “Dogs,” a seventeen minute track which Gilmour receives the only other song writer in a Roger Waters driven album. Gilmour in fact sings the first half of the song, providing his only sung lyrics of the entire album. “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” is about the rich men and their greed, an eleven minute Bluesy track with Wright’s eerie keyboard tunes and Gilmour’s haunting guitar-scape sounds, as well as cattle bells from Mason. The most heaviest is the ten minute epic “Sheep,” about the followers who don’t want to lead, how they are mocked by the dogs. Here, Roger gives it all in his delivery while Gilmour provides funk like, edgy guitar chops that explode in the end. The album begins and end with the two parts “Pigs on the Wing,” which Roger strums an acoustic guitar and talking to listeners that we know that both we and him should care about each other, waiting for influencers to arrive, the pigs on the wing. Besides The Wall, Animals is perhaps Pink Floyd at their most “street” sounding album. It is a gritty album compared to the DSOTM and WYWH, hinting of what’s to come. Yet I am more drawn to this album because it is one of the very few PF albums that doesn’t sound like any other Floyd album. Despite I choose Gilmour over Waters, it is in Waters emotions and delivery that are highlights for me for this album, as well as the darker, grittier sound PF has ever put out.

1. Meddle, 1971. Because of their hatred of the previous albums, Pink Floyd find themselves to look for influences around them. What we got is Pink Floyd’s most folky album they ever put out. Meddle is my personal favorite Floyd album for that very reason, yet there are some harder rock stuff in songs like the opening “One of These Days” and in certain sections of “Echoes.” “A Pillow of Winds” is my all time personal favorite Floyd track. A slow acoustic ballad with slide guitar and beautifully textured organ sounds, there’s something about this song that strike it as my all time favorite from the Floyd. It’s a beautiful and a bit eerie track, which is a rare love song for the Floyd. “Fearless” is another great obscured track that is much more folk rock driven with Gilmour’s delivery on guitar riffs near the end that is a highlight for me. “San Tropez” is a Roger Waters driven track that sounds perfect in a California setting. It has that surf vibe for sure. “One of These Days” is one of the best instrumentals the Floyd has put out, with double basses done by both Gilmour and Waters, with Gilmour then kicking it overdrive with the lap steel. “Echoes” is an epic twenty three minute track that put Floyd on the map. An eerie yet beautiful track, “Echoes” is the song that the Floyd found their sound in, and got inspired by, and the rest is history. “Echoes” provides some funky moments, as well as some hard rock, and an some ambient soundscapes. The real highlight for me is when, within the 18:14 mark, is Gilmour’s most beautifully haunted arpeggio riff. I love it every time it kicks in. While Meddle was the album in which the Floyd found their sound, it is my personal favorite Floyd album, one I still think it’s very underrated in their entire catalogue.

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gregoryjdillerblr · 4 years

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2020: Pandemic, Murder Hornets, Riots and Protests, Monoliths, and the Rise of TikTok and OnlyFans.

2020 sure has been a strange and difficult year. Like everybody else, I was really looking forward to enter the new decade, the 2020s. My goal was to get on my own two feet and seek out a publisher to publish my books, something I have been wanting to do for many years now but kept pushing off because I was taking a hiatus and stuck in daydreaming of it happening instead of actually trying. Of course I’m doing it now, re-editing my novels while writing a new project, as well as seeking publishers to publish short stories with. But I’m here talking about 2020, since it’s near the end of an odd year

I remember back in December, riding the bus to the mall, where one crazy passenger was telling the bus driver that there was a virus wiping out China, that they were dropping like flies, and that Bill Gates was behind it all. My first thought was that this guy was fucking crazy; even the bus driver seemed to be annoyed by him. The man kept repeating himself all throughout the bus ride, and I couldn’t tell you how many times he said that this was Bill Gates doing, and that China was being wiped out.

A few months went by, and the Coronavirus found its way to the Untitled States. I am a movie goer, and I remember watching The Hunt in theaters just when the virus was hitting the US, me posting my movie ticket on my social media accounts that I wasn’t going to let the virus stop me watching the movie. Little did I know The Hunt was going to be the last movie I ever saw in theaters, and that Regal Cinemas would be closing theaters for good in the following months. I live near downtown Ithaca, NY, and the movie theater that was nearby in the Commons was Cinemapolis, who play a lot of more independent films than mainstream films. It was in this theater I watched films like Climax, Color Out of Space, The Lighthouse. Of course, the theater was forced to shut down. It’s still in the air whether the place has closed down for good or wait to reopen. Now I pass it and see the inside of it (the entire front is glass), noticing they had torn floorboards up and remodeling the place.

I streamed films, paying the rent from as low as $6 to $20. I like to review, to talk about the films (and books I’ve read) I’ve watched recently. It’s the nerd in me that wants to talk about art and storytelling. It was cool seeing the films that were supposed to be in theaters at home. But knowing that these films were supposed to be in theaters, I couldn’t help but feel that I was missing that experience, to go to a theater, to pick out a seat (it’s usually in the middle for me), hoping to see new movie trailers I haven’t seen before, and experience the film in surround sound and on the big screen (I’m not a popcorn guy, I don’t buy it).

Some films have been pushed back while others were streamed. I’m still waiting films like the wendigo horror flick Antlers, Godzilla Vs. Kong, The Conjuring 3, Tenet. HBO Max has announced it will stream three of the four films. Antlers was my biggest anticipated horror film of the year, and I still hope to God they would eventually stream the film rather than push it back.

I work in retail. I was a department manager until about half way into the year, and when the whole pandemic started, there was a high demand to keep up with the flow of the almost endless flow of customers. When businesses were forced to shut down, people began to shop out of boredom. The store I work at saw an increase flow of customers. One of my good buddies and coworker told me that he helped a college girl who told him this was her very first time shopping, and she didn’t know how prices of meat work. Our store then laid down stickers to try to control customer flow, which aisle they are allowed to enter and which aisle they didn’t. Half the customers listened to the signs, and the other half didn’t. For those that didn’t, I pinpointed the signs out, and the main response I got was, “Oh, I didn’t see that there.” Eventually it got so common I stopped trying to pinpoint it out. I was a department manager, but I couldn’t enforce it like the upper management, but even they stopped trying, because there wasn’t really anything we could do to enforce it.

Some customers got mad at other customers who weren’t wearing masks. Some of them argued. Some of them shouted at employees when customer hosts ask if they could give them a mask if they came in without one. It got so bad to the point that the store had to hire a third party security to help enforce the mask rules. But as of right now, there really isn’t much anybody to do to enforce it unless it’s enforced by state law.

Because customers fear of going inside, online shopping saw a huge increase in sales. It got to the point that we department managers were called to help the online pickup crew. The lead manager over online pickup approved overtime, and a few of us were allowed to go in two hours ahead of our shift and help them out, just trying to fulfill orders the best we can.

Toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning wipes, hand soap and sanitizers, rubbing alcohol, and Clorox and Lysol cleaners were wiped out. We saw many shelves emptied, naked to their metal frames where product was supposed to be. The company limited to a certain number of selected items so it was fare for all customers to buy, but the getting the supplies became difficult. Warehouses were getting low, and some even ran out of products that till this very day they are still out of. I was in charge of the frozen food section in my store, and I began to see a trend of what items were being wiped clean. Can fruits and vegetables were hit hard in the grocery department. The frozen fruits and vegetables were next. Everyday I had pull and breakdown a lot of emptied display boxes, and praying that the products would be coming soon.

Things have slowed down, when businesses were up and running again, but to this day we are still having difficulties in getting some supplies in, or keep on the shelves. Toilet paper and paper towels slowed down, as well as hand sanitizers and soap, but good luck trying to get cleaning wipes and air sprays. Those are still gold.

With a pandemic comes the consequences of unease. When George Floyd was killed while a police officer was kneeing on him, suffocating him, the United States blew up with riots and protests. Major cities saw riots, businesses burning down. Police were shooting rubber bullets into crowds, including journalists. We saw much more police brutality in the videos that have gone viral. Police pushing elderly folks, cracking one’s head open in Buffalo, a city that’s just about three hours away where I live. In Rochester, a city that’s two hours away from me, saw some riot damage but nothing compared to those in other cities. In Ithaca, we only saw protests, nothing breaking out into riots, however, police did arrest a few protesters one night, after some of them blocked their way when the police were trying to rush to a crime scene.

Some rioters took advantaged. They targeted business owners and killed them on the spot. Some injured police officers, and some protesters managed to block them before rioters got the chance to kill them. A retired police chief was killed while responding to a jewelry and pawn shop being robbed. Young 17 year old Kyle Rittenhouse killed two people and injured a third while trying to act as a mercenary for the police.

Coronavirus cases spiked from large gathering of crowds, as America seemed to be on the heels of an apocalypse, torn apart by civil unrest. Protests were not only happening in the United States but in other countries as well, each trying trying to fight what is right. Videos have gone viral showing how police use their power in position, though some of them prove that some officers do what is right. I won’t go into much details about the riots and the protests. I do believe some police officers shouldn’t be police officers. I do know a few in my personal life, some of them more strict than others, but they are nevertheless good people; we just need a better system to separate the bad from the good.

Before George Floyd was killed, Asian Murder Hornets found their way across the ocean. In Washington State, a beekeeper noticed his hive was killed, their heads chopped off. He then collected the predator. It was confirmed to be an Asian Giant Hornet. There was then the fear that I saw online that these hornets were already their way across America, and a couple of my Facebook friends have had claimed they saw them in New York State. Because of George Floyd being killed wrongfully, the murder hornets became old school news. However, in October, there was the first confirmed case of a murder nest in Washington. It is believed the hornets have arrived on ships, since they cannot cross the ocean just by simply flying.

During all of this, the US Government have confirmed that UFOs exist, providing us declassified footage. But we became forgotten about it, haven’t we? Because deep down we already knew UFOs existed.

As if 2020 couldn’t get weirder by the end of it, a silver monolith was found in Utah. It became instant news, as many people claim it was aliens that have planted the monolith there. Once it was all over the media, the monolith disappeared, but soon after there was one that had suddenly “popped” up in Europe. When that got viral, that monolith disappeared and another one came up in California. I figured it was a group of underground people on the internet discussing their plans to make 2020 weirder than it already was, and recently an Instagram post confirmed this, as the artist of the monolith in Utah is now trying to sell it. Sorry, guys, not really an X-File case.

There were also the California wildfires that burned 4,359,517 acres of land, from 9,279 fires. California seemed to be suffocating with black smoke as fires rage. The smoke eventually reached across the nation. New York City was seen in a fog like state. Viral videos showed mountains of fire, as many forests were perished. Many were forced to evocate their homes, which many were left to burn. Homes and lives destroyed. As if things weren’t apocalyptic enough in 2020.

TikTok saw an increase. People began to make viral videos and challenges on the popular app. We see people making comedy videos. We see people make music videos. We see stupid challenge videos, trying to make a challenge go viral. We see people try to get though the day, no matter how difficult it was for them. Social media is a powerful tool these days, and the TikTok app seems to be one of the more recent ones that can make you instant internet famous, despite that countries are trying to ban it because the app was created by the Chinese. I do plan on getting TikTok shortly, if they don’t ban it (which I honestly think they won’t, but we’ll see).

Another increase in popularity is the much more controversial website OnlyFans. Since many were forced to go jobless when businesses were shut down, many turned towards online to make money. OnlyFans was growing, but 2020 bloomed the website. Popular celebrities began to turn toward it, rather to release behind the scenes of photoshoots, songs, exercise tips, etc. Of course, OnlyFans is known for its popularity in the ever increasing of nudes or pornographic like content. Famous adult entertainers to maybe the girl next door use OnlyFans to earn money as they sell sexual content on the site. Because this is being 2020, and people are stuck in homes or single and the difficulties of dating someone, OnlyFans is a way to release that sexual tension, and those that are releasing content to make money. However you want to view it, OnlyFans is popping up everywhere on social media, and it’s a site that isn’t going away anytime soon.

Looking back at 2020 now, it has been a fast and surreal year. Liker everybody, I hope this pandemic goes away soon, despite that it’s looking like it may end next summer, the way they are predicting. I hope whoever is having difficulty that 2021 would be much more positive, that things will work out together. My message overall is this: please be kind to one another. Times are tough right now. Be positive, smile under your mask, and things will work out in the end. Cheers.

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gregoryjdillerblr · 4 years

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Sex in Horror: why horror and sex go hand in hand

In a lot of horror fiction (particularly in the slasher subgenre, though there are other plenty of other horror subgenres that have sexual content), there’s sex. Sex isn’t just in horror, of course, as it’s in all genres: from comedy to crime to westerns to even war dramas. Comedies often use sex as a main plot point, or at least references sexual material in a joking matter. Crime dramas don’t focus on sex unless it’s a revenge story about rape (which I will get to later for the horror genre), but the sex scenes or at least some dialogue about sex is present. Yet the horror genre seem to be filed with sexual nature.

Sex is very primal. It is in our nature to lust for sex. The cliché saying about sex in horror is this: whoever has sex, dies. The film Scream touches this trope, as in many slashers before the characters in those films that have sex are often killed off, rather the murderer was in the same room (being a creep, of course) or the murderer just happens to kill them later on in the film. Though there are some horror flicks where the main characters do have sex and don’t get killed off, majority in the horror genre characters are killed off, either during the intercourse or almost immediately after. Yet in more modern times, writers and filmmakers like to play around this. In the film It Follows, the main protagonist has sex and is pursued by a shape shifting entity, and unless she has sex with another person, the entity is bound to kill her. The film is obviously about the dangers of sex, such as getting STDs and STIs, yet the protagonist lives in the end, though she is still being stalked by the very same entity after having sex with a guy that has a crush on her.

There are horror films that play around the fears of sex, such as sexual abuse or rape. In films like The Last House on the Left, I Spit on Your Grave, and Revenge, the sex is used as a tragic event: rape. And the survivors of such horror ordeal take revenge of their perpetrators, and we get the enjoyment of seeing these sickos get what they deserve, getting brutally tortured and killed off, the survivor winning in the end (unless you’re watching the original Last House on the Left).

Sex boomed in horror ever since the success of the original Halloween (there were sex in horror films before, yes, but Halloween pushed the slasher genre in the mainstream, thus many horror films followed, and sex was pretty much everywhere in 80s horror). In the very beginning, it is implied that Michael’s older sister had sex with the boyfriend. We see in Michael’s point of view of the boyfriend (in only a minute or so after seeing them rushing up the steps and the light in the bedroom window turning off; boy, matey, that’s the real definition of a quickie) rushing down the steps, buttoning up his shirt. We then see Michael creep up the steps and into his sister’s room, where she is topless and brushing her hair, Michael then stabs her to death soon afterwards. In the same flick, it becomes apparent that Michael is killing teens that have sex. Despite these teens are supposedly in their late teens, almost adults, they are craving for lust. The house across the street almost becomes a brothel, once the very young Lindsey goes across the street to be watched by Laurie. Annie teases her boyfriend on the phone, wanting him to come so they can have sex. After she is killed off, Lyndia and Bob show up and have sex in one of the bedrooms, and the two are killed off soon afterwards. Laurie and the two kids survive, and the formula of sex in horror thus was born.

Friday the 13th was heavily influenced by this. The very opening scene, we see the point of view of Mrs. Voorhees killing off a couple of teens that are having sex in the barn, and the film follows the same formula throughout: the teens that have sex die.

It seems as if the sex itself is a sinful act, and that these sex craving teens deserve to die. For decades after, this formula was followed, but it began to be played with in the late 90s, thanks to the film Scream. In Scream, there is implied sex, though it is off screen, and the survivor Sidney kills the very person that she has sex with, who is portraying slasher flicks in real life. In films like Cherry Falls, there’s a scene where a group of teens are in a massive orgy, as the killer actually kills teens that are virgins rather than teens caught in the act.

And here’s the other trope in horror: the virgin. Ah, yes, the virgin. The one person who doesn’t have sex in the film, nor have she (it’s usually a she) had sex off screen before the film starts. It’s usually the virgin that lives, or it’s usually the blood of the virgin awakens some kind of ancient evil. Why is this? Well, I think it comes down to two points: virgins are still “innocent,” and virgins are often celebrated, often in a strange religious, symbolic figure. The idea behind virgins is that they are pure, their innocence isn’t lost, stripped away from a sinful act. You’re forced to feel sympathy for the virgin, the outcast out of the group, hoping she would survive so she could at least experience sex. The idea of dying before losing your virginity is an odd but terrifying one, isn’t it? You want to experience sex before getting hacked to death, to feel the ultimate pleasure of what life has to give. Virgins, of course, when it comes to religion, are often symbolic figures. Perhaps this idea comes from the Virgin Mary, where a young virgin has given birth to Jesus Christ. However you want to view it, virgins are indeed innocent enough before losing themselves to sex. There’s something about the idea of a virgin breaking virginity makes them lose all of their innocence, as if acting in a sexual encounter has put a curse on them.

Of course, we can’t talk about sex without nudity. Sex and nudity really go in hand in hand, but you can show nudity without sex and sex without nudity (unless you’re watching porn). Nudity is seen across multiple genres, yet horror really pushes it the most. In most classic horror films, girls often take their tops and bras off and reveal their breasts. Sometimes we see their butts, and there are times, though rarely compared to today (which I will touch upon in a minute), the full frontal. We only get to see the dude’s butt and a naked chest, but never really a penis. Now, in more recent times, we get to see the full frontal of both female and male actors, baring it all for our entertainment. The one that comes popping in my head instantly is Midsommar, where a cheated boyfriend has sex with a virgin (again, with that virgin trope), full frontal naked ladies in a circle, rubbing their breasts and chanting in a foreign language. We get to see the dude’s dick, and we get to see him running around, covering it up as he looks for a way to escape. Nudity in films are becoming graphic. Not so much as porn graphic (unless you’re Lars Von Trier and use sex doubles to engage real sexual acts before the camera), per say, but we’re getting some edgy fully frontal scenes in more modern times. Why is this? I believe it comes down to we’re in the golden age of the internet, where it’s so goddamn easy to access porn, and we have already seen a lot of nudity and sex in films to begin with, and so modern filmmakers are pushing the limits.

There’s something about sex that makes you feel vulnerable. You are showing off your naked body, your birthday suit after all, to another person, and then you engage each other, taste each other, feel each other, and both of you give off pleasure for one another. How do you feel while getting aroused, in the heat of the moment right before jumping into sex? You’re excited and nervous at the same time. Your heart is racing. Your breathing increases. You may even break a sweat. What does this sound like? Fear. Fear makes you break a sweat, increases your breathing and your heartrate. It is our primal nature to lust for sex. And it is primal to fear.

Before engaging in a sexual encounter, you ask your partner, rather nervously, to talk about sex. It’s nerve wrecking, to ask somebody else about sex. You’re afraid to push boundaries, to take them out of their comfort zone, when you’re just trying to make sure you’re not pushing any buttons.

The horror genre helps us to face our fears, to imagine ourselves in characters’ shoes, to try to imagine what we would do in that situation. Sex is basic human nature. Fear is basic human nature. The horror genre is there to remind us that we are just as vulnerable when it comes to sex, the cravings that we have, and how it can be used against us.

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