Journey

Journey has been one of my favorite bands since the late 1970s. I bought seven of their albums in a row, from Infinity (1978) through Raised on Radio (1986).

I couldn't begin to rank my favorite Journey songs, so I won't even try. What I will do is list ten that I would recommend to anyone asking about their classic work (the Steve Perry days).

"Lights"
"Feeling That Way"
"Anytime"
"Opened the Door"
"Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'"
"Good Morning Girl"
"Stay Awhile"
"Faithfully"
"Be Good to Yourself"
"Why Can't This Night Go On Forever"

I've heard some of their newer songs, and they're good. Someday I'll get around to checking them out more closely.

"I" Songs

I started thinking about song titles that begin with "I." For this post, "I" songs are songs with titles beginning with the word (not just the letter) "I." Here are just a few of the ones I like, listed in alphabetical order:

"I Don't Care" - Finnish cello rockers Apocalyptica are brilliant, and this is a great song with a great video. It features Three Days Grace frontman Adam Gontier on vocals.

"I Don't Want to Be" - Gavin DeGraw's theme from One Tree Hill was eventually dropped from the opening credits, but fans of the show will never forget it. The best line? "All I have to do is think of me and I have peace of mind."

"I Drove All Night" - Cyndi Lauper was the first recording artist to release this hit, which was actually written for Roy Orbison. Although it's been covered a few times, this is the version I always think of.

"I Just Can't Help Believing" - B.J. Thomas sang a sweet song about a belief in a future with the woman of his dreams.

"I Love You" - I was surprised to learn that the Climax Blues Band released this hit in 1980; if I'd had to guess, I would have said it was a year or two earlier.

"I Never Cry" - This is a fantastic power ballad by Alice Cooper.

"I Ran (So Far Away)" - I always liked this song by A Flock of Seagulls, but the video is priceless.

"I Want to Know What Love Is" - Foreigner had a mega hit with this one. Besides the fact that the lyrics could reduce people to tears, the inclusion of the choir was a major plus.

"I Want You to Want Me" - I think this was the first Cheap Trick song I noticed. I ended up buying the Live at Budokan 8-track tape. Yes, 8-track.

"I Wish It Would Rain Down" - This hauntingly beautiful ballad is easily my favorite Phil Collins song.

House of Anubis

When a friend first mentioned an interest in Nickelodeon's House of Anubis, I was skeptical. I decided to look it up anyway, and what I saw persuaded me to watch the first episode. After that, I was hooked.

As a kids' show, it's appropriate for anyone. There's no graphic violence or sexual content. There are 60 episodes, but they're paired up with two per half-hour.

House of Anubis is a mystery, and it's a doozy. It's set at a boarding school in England, and Anubis House is one of the "dorms" where several of the kids live. There's also quite a bit of comedy in this show.

The first five episodes aired together, as a movie, although they were edited to fit the timeslot. When they aired later as individual episodes, there were no edits. I decided to write summaries of the first five episodes, and I didn't hold back on the details. Whenever a show is very short, it tends to have a lot of information and action packed into it. This show is no exception.

Episode 1 is "House of Secrets," episode 2 is "House of Attitude," episode 3 is "House of the Black Bird," episode 4 is "House of Dares," and episode 5 is "House of Lies."

I also wrote character guides for the teens and the adults.

This show has been renewed for a second season.

Exciting News for One Life to Live Fans!

For quite some time, fans of One Life to Live have been hoping for the return of Roger Howarth to the show. Well, now it's finally happening. Roger Howarth, the original Todd Manning, is coming back!

What does this exciting news mean for the the show, for Todd, and for the two actors who have played the role? There's a lot of speculation out there, and as someone who has watched the show for many years, I can speculate with the best of them. I pay attention to little details and always ask questions about what I see--and what I don't see. If you're interested in my thoughts, check out my article.

I'm looking forward to seeing Roger Howarth back on my TV screen. That doesn't mean I want Trevor St. John to go anywhere, though. Both are good actors who have brought something unique to their portrayals of Todd Manning.

The Borgias

This morning, I noticed that my friend Kenzy England had written a new article about The Borgias. She had mentioned this upcoming series to me a while back, but with everything else going on--including all my shows and their various premieres and hiatuses--I forgot all about it.

In anticipation of this new Showtime series, Kenzy wrote a cool character guide about Rodrigo Borgia. It's definitely worth reading, whether you plan to watch the series or not.

I'm going to have to pretend I have enough room in my schedule and add The Borgias. The way I see it, a few shows are ending for the season anyway, so I can probably handle it. It premieres tomorrow, April 3, at 10:00pm Eastern Daylight Time on Showtime. Check the official website for more information.

Arthurian Shows: Merlin and Camelot

If you're into Arthuriana, you've undoubtedly come across plenty of different versions of the legend of King Arthur and Camelot. Two current television series explore the legend, and each has its own take.

Merlin has been on Syfy for the past two seasons after completing its first season on NBC. As season three is about to wrap up, there's a new player ready to get our attention. Camelot is an original series from Starz that is scheduled to debut April 1 (today), although the network did offer a sneak peak earlier this year by airing the first episode.

As an unapologetic fan of Merlin, I wanted to see what Camelot would be like. I was curious to see how it would differ from the show I've already been watching for three seasons. Would it be worth my time?

After watching the sneak peak, I thought about different aspects of each series and wrote an article contrasting the two.

The verdict? I'll be watching both series, but they're quite different. Camelot officially premieres tonight at 10:00pm Eastern Daylight Time on Starz. It's a 2-hour premiere, so I'm guessing the sneak peak was the first half. Check the official website to see when the encore presentations will air.

Blogging From A to Z April Challenge

After having to neglect all my blogs for several months, I've joined the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2011.

On Mondays through Saturdays in April, I'll be posting on anywhere from one blog to all five of them.

I'm hoping this will help me get back in the swing of things.

Wizards and Earworms

A funny thing happened recently. I realized that the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Wizards in Winter" was playing in my head, complete with the music video. I didn't mind, since I like both the song and the video. I had it for several days and didn't realize how much I was getting into it until my husband pointed it out. He'd caught me with my head going back and forth in time to some song he couldn't hear, and as he watched, I got more and more into it, doing a hilarious lip synch to the instrumental music. Suddenly, I noticed he was watching me with a combination of amusement and utter disbelief.

As a musician and music lover, I always have a song in my head. The problem is that it isn't necessarily one I want in there. When I can't take it anymore, I have a couple different ways of dealing with the unwanted tune. You can read about them here.

If you're not familiar with the "Wizards in Winter" video, I encourage you to check it out by following the link given above. Just don't blame me if it won't get out of your head.