Canadian singer/songwriter Jeffery Straker has a new video on YouTube, and it is really quite good. He offers up a cover of "Landslide", the beautiful song written by Stevie Nicks and first recorded by Fleetwood Mac in 1975 for their self-titled album. There was also the recent cover by The Dixie Chicks that stormed up the charts and played everywhere. While both were gorgeous, I have to say I just love Jeffrey's take on it, a beautiful piano-driven version that allows Jeffrey's vocals to connect to the song, and to take wing and soar.
You can find my review of Jeffery's album 'Vagabond' here. If you are pressed for time, I can give you a quick overview - I loved it! You can purchase 'Vagabond' from iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp. To learn more about Jeffery Straker, visit his official website. You can also 'follow' him on Twitter, and 'like' him on Facebook.
Is all hell breaking loose on GLEE? Terri Schuester and Sue have a clandestine meeting at the mall coffee shop, and Sue announces the return of The Muckraker, the school newspaper devoted to anything but the facts. Sue continually changes her costume to stay secretive. The first edition is out, and it creates some struggles in the choir room, as Santana isn't pleased Brittany mentioned 'she plays for the other team.' And a blind item about a blond cheerleader slipping out with a big-lipped blond sets Finn off. He assumes Quinn is cheating with Sam.
April Rhodes returns to town, following the failure of her all-white production of The Wiz. She is broke, and needs to make some money. Mr. Schue talks to her about her new show, and also shares about the kids fighting. April reminds him about Fleetwood Mac and the Rumours album, written to stave off internal struggle. Mr. Schue knows he needs to devote the lesson to the album! He and April sing Dreams, the great song written by Stevie Nicks.
Brittany is chatting wit Artie, who is slowly losing his cool. She tells him she isn't cheating with Santana, cause it can't be cheating with another girl. Artie's disappointment turns to anger, and he calls her stupid. She leaves crying so Artie can sing Lindsey Buckingham's Never Going Back Again.
Finn and Rachel plan a stake out to catch Quinn. He is worried since Quinn cheated so often previously. As he and Rachel talk about loyalty and Karma, he sees Sam come out of a hotel room, and he isn't alone. Kurt follows him out.
The kids sit around the lunch table, discussing whether Sam might be gay, or if Kurt would cheat on Blaine. All based on rumour, started by Sue's newspaper. Soon we are in the choir room with Brittany and Santana, and Santana does a beautiful job with Christine McVie's Songbird.
Brittany and Santana discuss going public with their relationship, and Santana is unsure. Brittany hopes to help her out of the closet. Rachel goes to Kurt to talk about his affair, and Kurt tells her it's not true, and all the gossip is taking time away from preparing for Nationals. He's having none of it. Later, Rachel is with Finn on another stake out, and Finn still worried about Quinn. As tensions grow, we hear Fleetwood Mac's The Chain in the background.
Brittany joins the staff of the Muckraker and is interviewing Mr. Schue for the paper, asking provocative and inappropriate questions. He knows Sue is behind it. He goes to call Sue on her treachery, and she turns it on him. Finn and Quinn meet in the hallway, calling one another on reports in the paper. They start to disagree, and soon they are singing a duet of the Stevie Nicks song, I Don't Want To Know.
April and Mr. Schue sing an original song for April's return to Broadway. Miss Pillsbury watches as April asks Mr. Schue to go with her to Broadway, although Schue says no. He wants to stay around for the kids in the Glee club. Later in the faculty room, and Miss Pillsbury is eating unwashed grapes, and Mr. Schue takes notice. She is taking her medication and her therapy seriously now. She tells him it was him who inspired her, and she wants to do the same, and see him go to Broadway with April. He says no, he fears losing the kids and her, and they saved his life a year ago. Back in the Glee room, Rachel steps up to sing the amazing Lindsey Buckingham song, Go Your Own Way.
The kids cheer it on, but Quinn isn't happy Rachel sang that song to her boyfriend, Finn. Rachel isn't pleased, and she tries to call Quinn out about her cheating with Sam. All of a sudden, all the kids are involved, and Sam has to stand up and tell them he isn't cheating with Quinn nor Kurt. He was just getting some help, since his father lost his job. Kurt was lending him clothes, and Quinn helped with babysitting. They were at the hotel, cause that is where his family is living now. He storms out of the room, and the kids sit there sheepishly.
Terri and Sue have a drink with April, and they tell her about the plan to lie about Mr. Schue in the next Muckraker. Rachel and Finn go to see Sam, and hear about how his family has lost everything. He is there with his sister and brother, who look like two little Sams. They give him back his guitar, which he had sold to a pawn shop. He cries, for the first time. So do I. The next day, we see Santana in the hallway, denying Brittany's love. The kids are asking Mr. Schue about his plans for Broadway, and he says he wants to stay with them. Sam comes in with his brother and sister, and asks to do a song, Don't Stop, written by Christine McVie.
Don't forget to tune in to the Prom Queen episode next Tuesday, May 10.
Clockwise, from Top: Stevie Nicks, Joan Jett, Prince, Starland Vocal Band, Neon Trees, and Gary Glitter.
Once again I am recapping the latest episode of Glee, only using the videos of the original songs rather than the made-for-TV covers. Hope you enjoy.
The show starts off quickly, with a discussion of sex ed, and a startlingly uncomfortable discussion of the abstinence club with Ms. Pillsbury, Rachel and Quinn. Emma P. offers up the Abstinence Charm, a heart with no key. Soon she is discussion her disappointment about the charm being used as a nipple clip with Mr Shu, when in walks Holly Holiday, filling in the sex ed teacher. She charms Mr. Shu, and disarms Ms. P.
We also learn that Brittney is pregnant, and hasn't told Artie. Well, we find it out because she refuses a chance at Lady-loving cause, well, she isn't feeling sexy. He learns, however, moments after she sills the beans to Santana. We later learn she knows she is with child because a stork has made a nest outside her bedroom window, ready to drop off the kid. Mr. Shu understands some education is in order. After a rather unsexy jazzercise class lead by Miss Holiday, he invites Holly to help teach the kids a thing or two, and she does so singing a song written by convicted sex offender Gary Glitter and sung by the delicious Joan Jett. It is Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah).
Needless to say, Ms. Pillsbury is not comfy with the message delivered. Well, to be honest, she is also not comfy with the messenger. Sue has approached Blaine & Kurt in an espionage mission, broadcasting the need for the New Directions to sex up their image, but the boys tell her they aren't in co-hoots with her. Butthey do figure out they need to sex up the Warblers' show, and soon they break out with the Neon Trees' song Animal.
Blaine mentions that Kurt's sexy face is more like passing gas than anything else, which doesn't help Kurt's self-confidence. Miss Holiday has a chat with Santana and Brittney, asking if there might be any lesbianic feelings bouncing around. There is a bit of discussion when we discover more than many might like to know about Miss Holiday's sex life, and soon she tells them to come up with a song for Glee. She is giddy when they ask her to join them, making it a threesome.
Soon we find ourselves back with Kurt and Blaine, and Kurt practicing his sexy-face. It doesn't go well, and he is embarrassed and frustrated. He sends cutie Blaine away. Miss Holiday goes to practice a song with Mr. Shu, and discovered he is rearranging Prince's Kiss as a tango, which she thinks is brilliant and insane, all rolled in one. Now, once it starts, I have to say, I didn't notice a new arrangement, and suddenly have to give Prince kudos for writing a tango!
Mr. Shu makes a pass, which Miss Holiday deflects, fearful she could hurt the simple man. She has a point. Blaine shows up at the garage to talk to Burt about Kurt. While Burt is uncomfortable, he listens, and knows he needs to find information on his own to have a conversation with Kurt neither will enjoy, but, most likely, both will benefit from.
Miss Holiday, Santana and Brittany sing a country version of the Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac song Landslide. There are several erstwhile glances, and by the end, Santana is in tears, and goes over to hug Brittany. The song, by the way, was hijacked by Miss Holiday.
Ms. Pillsbury calls a meeting of the abstinence club to order, with members Quinn and Rachel. And new member, Noah Puckerman, still trying to recover from his bizarre relationship with Lauren Zizes.They are happy to include Puck in their upcoming performance for the Glee club, extolling the joys of celibacy. Ms. P plans to enlist the aid of her husband, Carl. We are suspecting their marriage has yet to be consummated, if you catch my drift. Cut to them on stage, making a lovely cover of Starland Vocal Band's song Afternoon Delight.
Ms. Holiday points out that afternoon delight is the implication of mid-day sex, a nooner, as it were. Ms. Pillsbury is astonished, thinking it was a dessert. Carl asks Miss Holiday for a counseling session.
Burt and Kurt have a sex talk. It is sweet, and a little sterile. Next scene. Santana talks to Brittany, and explains she is angry all the time, because she is in love with Brittney. She doesn't want Sam or Finn or Puck. She is afraid of what people will say, but she loves Brittany. Brittany, on the other hand, loves Santana, but is will Artie, and will stay with him.
Ms. Pillsbury and Carl meet with Miss Holiday, and Emma admits she is still unsure of her feelings for Mr. Shu. There is a divorce in process. The meeting of the Celibacy Club is called to order by Rachel, and the attentions of all is immediately pointed to Quinn, who sports a hickey, fresh from Finn, who has been remarkably absent from the episode. Quinn, of course, refutes all. Miss Holiday approaches Mr. Shu, and wants to talk relationships on the heels of her Nicks-inspired sapphic threesome with Brittany and Santana. She is moving to another substitute teaching job, but wants a little more of that hottie, Mr. Shu. It became clear to her, once she saw another woman lusting for him...
To catch any episodes you might have missed, you can find them online for FREE at Fox On Demand here or on Hulu here.
The album was released in 1987, and had some of the biggest performers of the day contributing their talents to raise money for the Special Olympics. There were 15 cuts on the album, and few had an official video produced. However, I managed to find a video of each one, from 'official' to to live to fan-made, and will share them all with you tonight. I would imagine this post is going to be way too long, but I just couldn't really leave anyone out. So here are all 15 tracks from the album, in order.
The Pointer Sisters - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
The Eurythmics - Winter Wonderland
Whitney Houston - Do You Hear What I Hear?
Bruce Springsteen - Merry Christmas Baby
The Pretenders Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
John Cougar Mellencamp I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Sting - Gabriel's Message
Run-DMC - Christmas In Hollis
U2 - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Madonna - Santa Baby
Bob Seeger & the Silver Bullet Band The Little Drummer Boy
From the 1975 self-titled album, which was actually the bands tenth studio effort, Monday Morning is a song written by Lindsey Buckingham about the tumultuous relationship between Stevie Nicks and himself, the basis for many of the greatest songs performed by the band. It was written pre-band, when Lindsey and Stevie were performing as Buckingham-Nicks. The clip is a fan video of the band, set to a 1977 live recording and Keith Robert Wessel's pictures from a 1978 concert. Enjoy.
Oh, what sexy, sexy man. With his good looks, self-deprecating sense of humor, and a voice that is as smooth as silk, Chris Isaak makes me a happy man. Since I first heard Wicked Game, and then saw the video, I knew I was hooked. That was 1990, and I still can't help but buy whatever this man puts out. That includes the 2004 album, Christmas. Here are some of the songs you can find on that album.
Christmas Medley
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Hey Santa!
You can find more on Chris Isaak at his official website here.
