Steely Dan

Members: (X = deceased)

Donald Fagen (above right)
Walter Becker (above left)

Notable Songs:

"Do It Again"
"Reelin' In The Years"
"Peg"
"Rikki Don't Lose That Number"

Steely Dan was a rock duo formed in the early 1970's, and by the end of the decade they had reached critical, albeit underappreciated, success. They're generally considered a "soft rock" or "pop rock" band, using more piano and soft drumming than hard, driving guitar and drumming (a notable exception being Reelin' In the Years, my personal favorite). With Donald Fagen's piano and singing accompanied by Walter Becker's instrumental virtuosity, they made many incredible albums and songs, and continued to perform and work together into the early 1980's. It was then that they took a much needed break to sober up and "find themselves". In the early 1990's they came back in full swing, and to this day they still play some of their hits at live shows.

One thing about the band was their incredible obsession with details and perfection. They would spend up to a year's worth of time perfecting everything they could, from the lyrics to the music to the overall production (in one instance they even used over 40 session musicians for one album). It may be because of this that the band is well respected among the musical community, particularly among rock and roll critics.

Uriah Heep

Members: (X=deceased)
David Byron (X)
Mick Box
Ken Hensley
Lee Kerslake
Gary Thain (X)

Notable Songs:
"Stealin' "
"Gypsy"
"Easy Livin' "
"Look At Yourself"

Uriah Heep is an English rock band who first came to fame in the early 1970s. They're known for having a driving, fast-paced beat in many songs, as well as for band member changes (most of the members listed above weren't original members, nor are they current ones). The band's name comes from a character in a Charles Dickinson book, "David Copperfield", and their first album (Very 'eavy, Very 'umble) was a nod to one of the character's lines.

The band focused on faster tempos, heavy synthesizer use, and impressive harmony when making their music, and it really shows just in those 4 songs I mentioned earlier. My personal favorite is Stealin', off their 1973 album 'Sweet Freedom'. This was about the last successful album they put out, and after the death of Gary Thain and frontman David Byron's leaving of the group, they fell in popularity. They still continue to tour and release albums, with only a couple of the original members or major members for that matter.

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In other news, I've been on a bit of a spending spree. I recently purchased FF Origins for the PS (been doing some FFI lately). I've also obtained a couple of Eagles CDs: Eagles, and Hotel California. I've come to appreciate their older, more country/western oriented music, with songs such as Take it Easy and Peaceful Easy Feeling.

And lastly, I'm going to be getting the MGS Essential Collection for the PS2. I've been checking out the first MGS game and it looks pretty kewl, and with all the talk about how great the series is, I figured I'd give it a shot. We'll see soon...

Helluva name huh?

Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich

Members: (X = deceased)

Dave "Dee" Harman (X)

Trevor "Dozy" Ward-Davies

John "Beaky" Diamond

Michael "Mick" Wilson

Ian "Tich" Amey

Notable Songs:

"Hold Tight!"

"Bend It!"

"The Legend of Xanadu"

"Don Juan"

DDDBMT (as I shall refer to them from here on out) were a pop/rock band fresh outta Britain during the 1960's. They were much like the British Invasion bands The Beatles and The Kinks in their musical styIe though they gravitated towards a slightly more rock sound. First discovered in 1964 after the massive international success of The Beatles, most likely an attempt to capitalize on their similar music, they quickly became a success in the UK, with several chart topping hits. They never quite had as much success in the US, making them less known stateside, and therefore (in the Shiggums book) they're underrated.
The thing I like most about DDDBMT is the guitar (as is the case with most bands I'm fond of). The way they use it in songs like Hold Tight and Bend It really made them stand out among their BI counterparts. While more "unconventional", they made it work. They were softer rock than the others, often incorporating more acoustic guitar into their music than electric (as seen in Don Juan or The Legend of Xanadu).
Another significant feature of their music is the often unusual or erratic beat, usually led by the drums (as in Bend It).
As with many bands from the 1960's, upon the end of the hippie era their music faded out, and the band disbanded in 1972. They've made a few attempts to return to their former glory, with different band members, but never fully gained back their fan base or musical praise.

Overall, while not the best band out there, I definitely feel they don't get much attention among the 60's musical scene, and are too overshadowed by the Beatles. Several great songs make them a much over-looked band.

Sometime this week I'll start an "underrated rock band" list, which will be a new blog series. I've been inspired to do this after getting more into the band The Guess Who (as you can now no doubt guess, will be one of the bands in the list), who I feel don't get much of their well-deserved praise.

Coming soon to a blog near you!

Just a quick update to let all know that I've dropped 3 unions:

Gurunion (quite frankly, nothing is going on there, and by the looks of it, nothing will be going on there any time soon)

Final Fantasy Experience (I just don't feel like discussing FF anymore, pretty burnt out on that)

RPGs reign... (Something of a combination of the first two, pretty much dead and uneventful, and I'm tired of talking about the same RPGs over and over again)

That is all

"Jesus, what the hell happened to you? You got kicked out of here for being a head-strong rebel, and now you're a whiny little b****"

Fantastic quote, that one, fresh from South Park. Anyway, I didn't do a monthly blog for August, since nothing really happened for me that month. I just kinda...fell into a groove, and for a month did pretty much nothing, just work, sleep, and every now and then, video games. Just felt "blah" lately I guess.

I'm thinking of getting a new video game, and so far Arkham Asylum looks awesome, so I'm thinking of going for it. The only thing really holding me back is the possibility of getting a PS3. If I did so, I'd rather have the PS3 version of AA, since it has everything from the 360 version, plus an extra Joker mode.

That PS3 Slim deal is really tempting me, I mean, a 120GB PS3 for only $299? ****! And with all the upcoming PS3 releases (namely MAG), plus some multiplats (namely AC2) it could be a sound investment. I figure with AC2 being a game I'd be spending my time playing solo, I wouldn't need the extensive online community like that of XBL, so the PS3 version would be preferable. As for things like Modern Warfare 2 (which I'd play a lot more online), I'd rather get them on the 360. I'll have to give this more thought though. I'd really like to see a future bundle released with some great game or something.

Speaking of Assassin's Creed 2: My. ****ing. Gehd. It's looking even more badass than the first AC game! Why must I wait 2 more months?! It comes out just one week after Modern Warfare 2, so I'm sure I'll be very busy come November and December.

On GS, I've been pretty lazy with my union activity. I pretty much limit myself to UVFU, GEI, and the OT board atm. GS just doesn't appeal to me that much. I've found myself spending a lot of time on Giant Bomb, where I've racked up a lot of points making contributions. Up over 5k at this point Anyway...

Remember kids, don't smoke!

A little early, I know, but since I've rarely been visiting this site, I figured now's as good a time as ever. This past month has been a doozy, certainly moreso in my regular life. I haven't done hardly any gaming really, mostly World at War (as usual) and, more recently, a new file of Final Fantasy Tactics and Star Ocean: The Second Story.

Video Games:

• Conker's Bad Fur Day (N64)

• Star Ocean: The Second Story (PS)

• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

Music:

N/A

Film:

N/A

Events:

As mentioned before, I've been spending most of my gaming time on FFT (which I've been borrowing from a friend in exchange for him borrowing FFIX) and SO2. So far, I'm not too keen on FFT, can't really get too into it. I literally just started SO2 today, so I can't judge it yet. I finished FFIX yet again this month, this time with a different lineup than usual (Freya and Eiko in exchange for Steiner and Garnet).

In Tactics, I'm only on my way to some port city, like the 3rd location in the game. I like the idea of using strategy, but with all the gameplay being centered on battle, and nothing into free roaming, it leaves me wanting. Perhaps if I stick with it longer, I can get more into the story and get some free roaming in.

In FFIX, I decided to go in a different direction, opting for Eiko as my White Mage (which she is better at) and using Freya as my muscle. Freya is much worse in the "damage dealer" role than Steiner, but things like Jump and Dragon's Breath help to compensate for her weaker physical attack. I decided instead of focusing on the best equipment I could get, I would focus on raising certain attributes of the characters, depending on what role they played in my party. This meant things like raising Zidane's speed and strength, Freya's strength, and Vivi and Eiko's magic skills.

And lastly, SO2. I just started up a file today, and haven't done too much yet. I'm not very familiar with the battle system, it already caused me a Game Over (and 20+ minutes of lost gameplay), so I think I'll need to bone up on the controls before I start it up again.

Speaking of SO2, I've been on something of a retro video game hunt this past month. As you no doubt noticed, I got 2 N64 titles and a PS1 title, nothing newer than them. I loved playing Conker's on multiplayer, especially the Teddiz vs. Squirrels mode (Teddiz mounted up on weapons trying to slow or stop the progression of Squirrels to freedom), and I've been doing a little bit of SO2. I haven't done any OoT yet, since I only got it yesterday and my N64 is currently tucked away.

The last thing I feel I should mention is the Modern Warfare 2 Prestige Edition bundle. I'm mostly interested in the night-vision goggles that come with it. The amount of fun I could have with that item is almost endless

Sorry for being so inactive. Like I said, I'm busy in my personal life, spending more time with friends than normal. I'll be sure to check some missed blogs and visit the unions after I post this

I wasn't really planning on making this blog, but I'm bored and I figured "Ah, what the hell?". And here we are. I guess this is a basic update on the last month of my life. Not a whole hell of a lot happened this past month, save the weather pissing me off to no end

Video Games:

Left 4 Dead

Music:

N/A

Film:

Tropic Thunder
Pineapple Express
South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
Team America: World Police

Events:

As you can no doubt tell, this past month was mostly a film month. I'm big on comedies, and I first got Tropic Thunder and Pineapple Express. Tropic Thunder is fantastic, namely for the role of Les Grossman, played by Tom Cruise. If you don't know, it was the most hilarious role in the entire film, where Tom played the foul-mouthed, power-hungry exec Les Grossman. Many a lulz, let me assure you. And of course, Pineapple Express being the best "stoner movie" since Half Baked. As of today, I got the South Park movie and Team America, and I must profess my fondness of the genius that is Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They truly are comedic masterminds in their own right, and such praise for them shant be limited to South Park. Team America is just plain awesome, and the song "America, **** Yeah" is one of the best comedy songs out there.

I haven't found myself too interested in video games lately. It's been a lot of World at War online (Nazi Zombies has gotten old), and more recently, Halo 3 online. I'm not quite as good in Halo 3 as I used to be. But I've improved dramatically in WaW. A shame I don't have many XBL friends who play it, or it'd be more fun (hint, hint, wink, wink).

I guess I should also say a few things regarding the week of celebrity death. First, Ed McMahon. I don't really care about that one (no offense). Then, Farrah Fawcett. That sucks purely because Farrah was damn hot back in the day. Beautiful women like that shouldn't die such a painful death. Then, Michael Jackson's death. This one affects me the most, not because I'm upset over his death (what a shock, an opioid addict dying? ) but because of the general public's reactions. The very same people who were all gung-ho in calling him a child molester, and a freak, are now the ones who say "RIP MJ" or "He was the best we'll miss him". People are so fickle, and it's little things like that that irritate me. Oh, and lastly, Billy Mays' death. That was a shocker to me, considering it happened a few days after his appearance on Conan O'Brien's talkshow (which as it happens is the only episode I've watched of said show). I liked Billy Mays, he made me laugh with his showmanship and salesman antics. RIP, Billy, RIP.

And...that would be all. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an entire website to ignore. It's GS btw...

I didn't really do much gaming this month, except for some of that oh-so-epic Nazi Zombie stuff in Call of Duty: World at War (and more recently, Final Fantasy IX). Lots of online with strangers (many of which aren't team players, something critical to lasting into the higher levels) and with my good friend on the PS3. We managed to reach Level 16 twice, being our highest level achieved yet. I've since passed that with a group of online people, reaching Level 22 (my current best). Turns out it's a lot smarter to go for the random box and try for a Ray Gun than to hunker down upstairs with a Trench Gun. Who knew? >_>

Video Games:

N/A

Music:

"The Essential Electric Light Orchestra" – Electric Light Orchestra

"Greatest Hits: 1974-1978" – Steve Miller Band

"Greatest Hits" – ZZ Top

Film:

"Role Models" – DVD

Events:

Like I said in my opening paragraph, I've been doing nearly all of my gaming on World at War's game mode, Nazi Zombies (affectionately called "Nacht der untoten", which is probably German for "Nazi Zombies"). It is probably one of the best things to have come out in the last year, just this little game mode in and of itself. There's nothing more exciting than a swarm of Zombies charging you full speed with arms flailing while you fire madly with whatever weapon you're so lucky to have ammunition for. Ray Gun is basically required if you want to get up into the teen levels (even with 2 of them it's ridiculously difficult).

I've really been more into music than anything this month. I got the ELO greatest hits CD in the beginning of this month, and I was obsessed with them for a good couple of weeks, not including the week or two before I got the CD which is where my interest in them first arose. Recently I got a couple of other greatest hits discs (ZZ Top and Steve Miller Band), both because of their epicness (naturally). Steve Miller Band had some great hits back in the day, and no doubt you all know at least one of them. "Fly Like an Eagle", "The Joker", and "Rock'n Me" should ring a bell.

I've also taken a great(er) interest in South Park's older seasons, namely its 2nd season. I think my favorite episodes are "Clubhouses" (purely for Fat Abbot) and "Not Without My Anus". Thank God for free online streaming

I've been doing some introspective thinking about video games in my life. I've been in something of a gaming crisis for about the last 2 years now. It's been a lot of ups and downs, most notably is my inability to get into RPGs. Normally, no big deal. But for me, being the RPG junkie that I am, it's a catastrophe! It seems as though this new generation of video games isn't able to live up to my RPG expectations. I'm really, really, really hoping that Final Fantasy XIII will change that. Until then, I plan on going bat**** crazy on Nazi Zombies and maybe play FFIX with different characters. Eiko, Freya, and Vivi sounds good. That reminds me that FFIX is a game that has also occupied my thoughts on video games. It's one of my favorite games ever, and I often wonder whether or not I like it more than FFVII, which, as many of you know, I consider my favorite game of all time. When I think about it, I always can rely on FFIX for a good gaming fix. I must have finished it enough times to know each and every part of it, sometimes down to the lines the characters say. After my next play-through, I will determine it's placement (officially) on my Top 10 Video Games list. We'll see…

And lastly, I got the DVD for the film "Role Models". I can honestly say it is one of my favorite movies of all time. It's a great comedy and I fully recommend that you watch it. If you have seen it already, then…watch it again!

Time to catch up on another month, though I'll tell you right now this past month was a real downer compared to March. I only bought one game, and made little to no other major purchases. My social life has been the main reason for this; this past month I've been more busy with friends than usual. Hell, I'm going to a wedding reception tomorrow, and I only found out the other day! Things like that have been keeping me at bay for the most part. Anyway, I'll just get to it:

Video Games:

- Call of Duty: World at War (360)

Music:

- N/A

Events:

As I said previously, my April was one of more time with friends instead of computer. I think it was because the weather has gotten so much better this past month. A few days the temps were reaching into the lower 80's (Farenheit), which is astounding given my location, up in the boonies of Michigan. Anyway, I've been more preoccupied with PS3 gaming than 360, again due to my social life (my good pal has a PS3 which we play often). Tons of CoD: WaW on both consoles, and me and my friend go nuts in the Nazi Zombie level in it. I'm not one to brag, but we do kick a lot of ass for only 2 players (our best is currently level 13, though we usually make it into the 9-12 range before dying). On my own, I can get to 6 at best I've discovered 2 weapons in WaW that I just love: Flamethrower and Trench Gun.

I guess most of my solo gaming has been WaW. I've done the story already, and now I'm working on Hardened. So far, so good, though I'm not exactly speeding through. I do maybe 1 or 2 levels a day, if that But I'm on some level on Okinawa (Shuri Castle?) now, I expect to complete the game in the next few days.

GS-wise, I'm less active than usual, but I'm making some headway towards 20k posts. Expect a grand post party next month on OT. I'm also still beating Zeromus1337 in our posting battle

Welcome, one and all, to...well, just my blog. It's just about the end of March, so I might as well sum up the month:

Purchases:

Video Game Related:
X-Box Live Gold Subscription (12 months + 1 month)
Bond 007: Quantum of Solace (360)

Music Related:
"Houses of the Holy" - Led Zeppelin
"Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd
"Nevermind" - Nirvana
"Boston" - Boston

Events:

This past month was pretty big for me. After I got XBL, I found myself mostly doing Matchmaking in Halo 3. It's had it's ups and downs, my best games being 22 kills to 9 deaths, and 21 kills to 8 deaths. These sprees don't come around often enough I've also spent a lot of time at my friend's house playing his new PS3 (80GB). That meant a lot of CoD4: Modern Warfare, CoD: World at War, and Killzone 2 (which, as of last night, I finally helped them beat the game. That's right, I beat the final boss Radec with a KNIFE. Took like a million tries, that guy was RIDICULOUS!!!) I gotta admit, the PS3 is pretty badass. My friend also has MGS4, which he didn't much like (mostly for the cutscenes). I might give that one a whirl, see what I think. Who knows? Maybe I'll buy a PS3 in the future

Also, Quantum of Solace has become my 70th video game! It also puts my 360 collection to 11, with quite a few more to go. I'm unsure what I want to get next, only time will tell I suppose...til then, it's more Halo 3 online and Quantum of Solace. Might even do some more in BioShock, if I feel up for it.

I should also note this month is the month where the ****in' snow finally melted! We had another inch the other day, but it melted by the time I left work (thank god). Soon Spring will be in full bloom, and life will be grand and full of fun!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get into the shower, and then get a haircut (hint hint wink wink Zeromus...)

I can. And I haz. I'm breaking my monthly blog cycle to let you all know I have XBL. I'm ShigStain for those who wish to add me. Thanks

I've decided to limit myself to monthly blogs (if that) just to keep up to date on things.

I've been mostly consumed with playing BioShock and Call of Duty 4, and I've finally put my Gamerscore over 3000. Yay...? Anyway, soon will be time to get another game, and it's still a toss-up between Call of Duty: World at War or Star Ocean: The Last Hope. I haven't been too into RPGs for the last few months, so I'm probably going to rent The Last Hope before I make a decision.

Also, I had my birthday this past month. Hooray for 19!

If anyone gets the chance, I'd recommend checking out the show Lie To Me. I'm a big fan of Tim Roth, so I may be a bit biased, but it's really a fascinating science that gets thrown into the show. I just hope Fox holds on to it.

My biggest purchase this month was probably the one I made a couple of days ago. I'm expecting 3 CDs to come in the mail soon, Led Zeppelin's "Houses of the Holy", Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here", and Nirvana's "Nevermind" (since some bastard stole that one from me ). I'm really looking forward to Houses of the Holy, I haven't listened to any of that album in a long time. And I really do miss Nevermind, too

Also, Zeromus shall be defeated in the great posting battle!

BioShock came in today. I got the chance to start up a file after work, and I've played a good hour or two. It was a slow start (I was pretty much clueless) but I've begun to get the hang of how it all works.

Sorry to disappoint but there isn't anything about ABBA in this blog. Except this.

Also, I found out a few days ago that I had built up vacation time at my job. I have 29 hours with which I can relax, do what I want, and still get paid for it I'm not sure when I should use it though...probably sometime in the summer. Which reminds me, I still hate winter. At least the insane amounts of snow we were getting stopped. For now...

It seems I'm being more and more absorbed into the Xbox 360. I am constantly checking for already released 360 titles, as well as upcoming games. Soon I will have Star Ocean 4, which may hopefully revive my lack of interest in RPGs lately. I noticed it with Mass Effect, which simply was not something I could do. I'm beginning to wonder why I'm not into them as much...like a complete turnaround

I know that a couple of blogs back I was talking of how I was getting really into Fleetwood Mac. Well now it's Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). Songs like Livin' Thing, Telephone Lines, and Sweet Talkin' Woman all are really great songs. The band itself has at times like a million members (hence orchestra), but the main noted group was only comprised of 7 people. Perhaps some of you know or have heard of Jeff Lynne. He was the lead singer in the group, plus a successful career with other acts. Evil Woman anyone? Twere on GTAIV if you noticed.

I wonder if anyone notices what I just did thar.

EDIT:

I finally finished up Assassin's Creed. You'll find my review here. Please read (and recommend )

Also, I have decided to get BioShock next. I have already ordered it, and from the videos I've seen on it, it looks great. We shall see...

Line from "Tha Crossroads" by Bone Thugs N Harmony. Really beautiful song, which is rare for me to say about a hip hop song.

So my time lately has been to myself, so I've taken to going 360 crazy. Well, mostly just Assassin's Creed. I've been playing it constantly, and I'm already 4 assassinations in on the list. I probably spend more time searching for the flags than for investigations All this playing has also finally raised my Gamerscore to above 1000 That's so low compared to so many of you lol.

I'm planning on getting another 360 game soon as well. After I finish up AC, it's Mass Effect, and then whatever game I buy next. Any suggestions? Here's what I already have

It's about time! 4 day waits feel like forever

Call of Duty 4 (GotY edition), Mass Effect, and Assassin's Creed (platinum hits). Technically, Mass Effect is the only new game for me, the other two are just replacements. I plan on getting into CoD4 tonight after work.

I know that a couple of blogs back I was talking of how I was getting really into Queen. Well now it's Fleetwood Mac. Songs like Rhiannon, Tusk, and Don't Stop all are really great songs. The band itself has had like a million incarnations, but the best was their 1975-1987 lineup. Perhaps some of you know or have heard of Stevie Nicks (South Park, she looks like a "goat" ). She was one of the lead singers in the group, plus a successful solo career. Edge of Seventeen anyone? Twere on GTAIV if you noticed.

Anyway, it's time for mah breakfast, and then work. Then I can begin more gaming!!!

Lately I've taken some initiative in getting games. I just ordered Call of Duty 4 a few days ago, and today I ordered both Assassin's Creed and Mass Effect. I should have all 3 games by Saturday.

GTAIV is going well, except I'm stuck at a couple of missions. One, for Brucie, is a street race, and I'm terrible at handling vehicles at high speeds The second is for Manny. I have to take out a bunch of gangsters, but whenever I try, I get killed by cops

Also, if you ever get the chance, watch the film Airplane. You'll be glad you did.

That's a line from Bicycle Race, by Queen. Great, upbeat song.

Anyway, I've been playing GTA4 lately. It's good, but I don't see how it could be a 10/10 game. I like the story and characters (and killing for fun ), but the controls are sensitive and the gameplay is generally no different than the last few GTA games.

I also plan on buying a better copy of CoD4 soon. I would like to get back to that game, but I can't go anywhere in the damaged copy I have. I'm surprised it still goes as high as $50, since it's sequel is already out.

I've become obsessed with Queen songs (namely Bicycle Race, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, and Don't Stop Me Now) as well as the cIassic Stooges song, I Wanna Be Your Dog.

I was introduced to the last song there thanks to The Lonely Island, a comedy group that has Andy Samberg. Check them out on youtube, they're ridiculous

I also changed my banner. Just an image of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Bonham from Led Zeppelin, with my name on the side.