1989

Let me start off this review of Taylor Swift's 1989 by stating that I haven't always been a Taylor Swift fan. I'm not a country fan at all to be honest so it took time for her to grow on me.  Luckily, my best friend is a huge Swfitie and her enthusiasm got me to fall in love with Swift's ability to make any song into a story.


Now that we got that out of the way, I can start talking about the new album.  I know many of Swift's fans were shocked when "Shake It Off" was released as the lead single off the album with its catchy tune and marching band sound that imitates The Jonas Brothers, "Pom Poms".  I, being the pop junkie that I am, loved it pretty instantly and sing along every time (50 times a day) that it come on the radio but I didn't know what to expect from the album that Taylor herself was calling pop.  Today the album came out and I listened to it in its entirety.  I can honestly say I love it, not as much as Red but it's definitely my second favorite Swift album.

The best songs on the album in my opinion are "Blank Space," "This Love," and "I Know Places."  Those three for me really hold up as pop but not too far from what we love about Taylor Swift.   If you're her fan and you don't want the whole album those three songs are worth the download.  Other tracks come in a close second like "Clean" and "Wildest Dream."  The only two songs on the album that I just don't really like at all are "I wish you Would" and "Bad Blood."  To me, there's just a little too much chaos on the the first one and the second was way too repetitive which makes listeners miss out on the story telling aspect that makes Swift albums so great.

Overall, I'd give 1989 an A- but I'm by no means a music critic so take this with a grain of salt.  I hope everyone gives it a chance, new fans and old.  Let me know what y'all think of the new Taylor Swift like favorite and least favorite songs?

The Blacklist Season 2

We've had three episodes of the new season so far and I think it's time to discuss what we've seen, what we may see and how good is it?  

The second season so far has brought us a tougher Liz, played very well by Megan Boone, but also a Liz who doesn't see things as black and white anymore.  In the last episode she made some decisions that were on the brink of criminal activity to get the job done.  The only complaint I currently have about Liz so far this season is her relationship with Red.  I like the father/daughter (even if he's not the dad its still that type of caring) they displayed last season and I'm not sure I like how she now treats him as an adversary.  But in her defense, her whole life did just come crashing down so she may be dealing with some trust issues.  

The new season has also given us more information about Red and almost it would seem a deeper look into his personality and character.  I've really enjoyed that aspect of these last episodes.  We've met an ex wife, who clearly does not love him anymore, and seen how he handles things when the pieces start to crumble around him.  We've seen Red on the edge though we still don't know what he wants with Lizzie.  Though it would seem his ex wife, Naomi has these answers.  

The first two episodes seemed a little too chaotic for me.  It was like there was too much story or too many things they wanted to throw at us and it was beginning to make me worry about where the show was going.  I mean, I pay attention each week but I was getting lost in all the plots.  This past Monday, I was pleasantly surprised to get the normal two story lines, if there were more I missed it completely, and was able to focus and enjoy the show much more.  I still have a million questions:  who's the guy at the hotel, where has Berlin gone off to, is Tom alive, who is Liz to Red, and what secret does Naomi hold that she resents Red for?  

Y'all tell me what you've thought so far of the new season and any theories you may have on the show.  One thing this show is very good at is starting conversations.  Be back soon.  

Red Returns

Red, Lizzie, Ressler and crew returned last night on the season 2 premiere of The Blacklist.  It would appear we're going a bit deeper this season into Red's past but also, the show itself is going darker.  The episode begins with regular Reddington fun mixed with some Hellfire missiles then goes on to reveal the Blacklister for the week, Lord Baltimore.  Originally, I had thought the show wasn't going to continue the Berlin plot until later on but we learn quickly that Berlin has hired Lord Baltimore to track down Red....or is it Red that he's initially after?  

During the episode, we get a glance into Reddington's past and a bit of a reveal which I won't spoil with this post.  One of the guest stars for the episode is played by Krysten Ritter which Breaking Bad fans will remember as Jesse's girlfriend and she plays quite the character with a personality disorder I hadn't even heard of until last nights episode.  Another treat during the thrilling hour was Elizabeth Keen.  She isn't with Tom anymore and the character is better for it.  She was tougher last night and Megan Boone really got a chance to shine as a focused FBI agent not having to worry about Tom Bond.  This episode did not disappoint and it gave me just enough to keep me wanting more without letting too many secrets out.  I can't wait for next week to see where the road to Berlin takes us next because this week it brought us down a dark twisty road that didn't end well for some.  

Let me know what y'all thought of the season premiere :)

I am Mariah?

Today, I listened to the deluxe edition of Mariah Carey's latest album and took notes while I took in each track.  It's been six years since we got an album from Miss Carey and I have to admit I feel a little let down by this newest effort.  This album does have high points where it feels like a great Mariah album but other songs are just kinda confusing let downs.  One of the things I have always enjoyed about Mariah Carey, beside her obvious talent, is the lyrics in her songs.  They always speak to me but on "I am Mariah" there's just some songs that don't make a lot of sense. 
What tracks would I recommend off the album?  "Beautiful" is an obvious favorite and a great summer song.  "You Don't Know What To Do" begins as just another power ballad but then turns into a fun catchy song that will get you dancing along with a catchy hook.  "Make It Look Good" is one of the tracks that I enjoy because it just feels like classic Mariah to me.  "Meteorite" is nothing special but it is definitely a fun song that gives the listener a break from the slow ballads, which are plentiful.  My favorite of the ballad songs include "You're Mine" and the one I enjoyed most, "Camouflage."  Out of 17 songs, I found 6 that really stood out but also make me glad I listened on Spotify and the I didn't download the whole album. 
I am not a music critic by any means but I enjoy evaluating the artists that I enjoy when they give us new material.  So, y'all let me know...Do you agree? 

Michael Jackson Xscape

It's been five years since Michael Jackson passed away and the only album we've been given thus far was "Michael" which wasn't the best.  Today, "Xscape" premiered and I had preordered in on Itunes already so I got to listening pretty early on today.  My overall reaction is that I like it and that this is a really great album to add to Jackson's legacy.  Some may ask, is the pricier deluxe edition worth it?  My answer is yes.  The original demos of these songs are so pure and so good that it's work the extra couple of dollars. 
What tracks do I recommend?  I love "Love Never Felt So Good" which actually has three versions on the album:  a duet with Justin Timberlake, a remastered version with just Michael and the original demo featuring just Michael and a piano which is pretty fantastic.  The original tracks are all very raw and filled with emotion.  I also enjoy "Loving You" which is a sweet ballad, "Xscape" which starts kinda slow bu then picks up with some of Jackson's more angry vocal work.  There's a fun track called "A Place with no Name" which is a remake of "A Horse with no Name" and at first I was a little skeptical but it's a fun song to just jam to.  "Chicago" speaks of a woman cheating on her husband with Jackson and lying to them both which to my was a different lyrical message from Jackson but a good song.  I also really enjoy "Blue Gangsta" it reminds me a lot of his Invincible album.  These are my thought on the new CD.  What did y'all think of the King of Pop's newest (older) songs?

Who is Tom Keen? Blacklist 1x19

Last night's episode of "The Blacklist" raised the stakes with Lizzie and Tom.  Our criminal was a repeat offender from the pilot episode but that wasn't the part of the show that I'm concerned with.  The show spends the entire beginning showing us just how "bad" Tom Keen is but then at the end we get yet another twist in the Tom Bond Saga.
Reddington has fed Lizzie with the information that her husband was dangerous and for the longest time she wouldn't listen but in the last few episodes she's realized he's up to something.  Two weeks ago, she investigated him but this week, Tom caught on to the fact that she knew and immediately requested to be pulled out.  Reddington used the bad guys of the week to pull Tom back out and give him to Lizzie, which brought the tensest scene of the night.  Liz interrogated Tom, even breaking his thumb, but got nothing.  With the broken thumb, he escaped and they fought.  He made her handcuff herself to the stair rail.  This is when the twist came about, he told Liz that he was never going to hurt her, that he was one of the good guys, and the Red was the danger.  Tom then instructed her to take the key she had found in the previous episode and use it to open a safety deposit box, then he left.  We don't know what's inside the box yet.
My question is, who's bad?  Is Reddington really the threat?  It's obvious he cares for Liz but maybe he has a hidden agenda.  Do we believe Tom?  Tom's lied multiple times but it's hard not the think that he also cares for Liz.  The new craze last night was Team Red or Team Tom.  I don't know which team to be on yet but I do know that I was ready to hate Tom and now I'm not so sure what I should think.  What did y'all think of last night's twist? 

Men In Black Franchise

I am a huge fan of the "Men in Black" series and would love to see a 4th film.  I think we can all agree that we want to see Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith return.  Also, Will Smith needs to perform the song for the movie, not that I dislike the Pitbull one but it's just not the same.  Another thing I'd love to see in another film would be a strong female character a real Buffy style bad ass.  I also don't want this one to be about time travel, though Josh Brolin did a fantastic job as a young Tommy Lee Jones, I'd rather see more Tommy and Will.  This is a short one but let me know what y'all think...do we want more "Men In Black" fun?

The World of Twitter and Role Play

Since "The Blacklist" first aired, I've been infatuated with it to the point of live tweeting every episode.  One night a twitter account @TheReddington favorited one of my tweets so I followed the account.    I began having regular chats with Red and have no idea  who it really is other than a very convincing Raymond Reddington.  From there, I began to search other characters that I love and stumbled up a very well done Rupert Giles, from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", @watcherreturns.  I began having fun conversations with Giles as well but ours went to a different level than my tweets with Red because we have begun actually playing out scenarios.  So, now I have two characters from "Suits" that have begun tweeting with me.  So, I pose the question...when did this world begin and how many of us live out of TV given dreams with these fictional characters?  I imagine there's one for all of us out there.

Jurassic World

I touched on this film before we knew any details in a previous blog but now it's really time to start the discussion.  Let's get started with the confirmed cast members and work our way through.  We have Chris Pratt, Jake Johnson, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D'Onofrio and B D Wong.  I'm really only familiar with Jake Johnson from 'New Girl' and Vincent D'Onforio from his work in 'Men In Black' and 'Law in Order: Criminal Intent'.  I'm assuming Jake Johnson will provide our comic relief while Pratt will be our hero and Howard is our leading lady.  D'Onofrio may be a bad guy but we don't know much of anything yet.  B D Wong was a scientist in the original picture and will be the only returning cast member. 

My first question for my audience is "Don't we all want to see at least one of our leading men back with the dinosaurs?"  I'd prefer Sam Neill as Alan Grant but Jeff Goldblum could be our link also.  The makers of the newer Star Trek film franchise chose wisely in using Leonard Nimoy as Spock Prime to bridge the gap between original fans and people would become fans.  Fandom's need something to tie things together so they can accept the new story and characters.  Obviously, no one wants something cheap where our hero returns just to be killed off or a quick cameo but Alan Grant or Ian Malcom would go back on the island to help these new kids, I believe they both have an eternal fascination with the live dinosaurs.  Neill himself has said that Grant has a "ghastly fascination" and a "love-hate relationship" with the island.  Thanks to @JP4needsSamNeill for that info.  But the director Colin Trevorrow has said it's not going to happen and was quoted saying, ""I know a lot of fans want to see the original characters back." Trevorrow said. "They're iconic. But I respect those actors too much to shoehorn them into this story for my own sentimental reasons. Jurassic Park isn't about the bad luck of three people who keep getting thrown into the same situation. The only reason they'd go back to that island is if the screenwriters contrived a reason for them to go."  What do we say to that Jurassic Park fans?

We don't know much about the plot for the new film but we do know they will be shooting in the same locations as the original film and that B D Wong will have a much larger role genetically engineering the dinosaurs.  I don't think it'll be a remake but from what I've learned it seems like a reinvention of the original film.  Thoughts?

Blacklist 1x11 Reaction (Spoilers)

May I start by saying how happy I am that "The Blacklist" is back?  The break felt like an eternity which is amazing for a show that is so new but not surprising because it's so captivating. 

After watching Monday night's brand new episode, I have some thoughts that I want to share and maybe even discuss with fellow fans.  First, James Spader owned this episode as he brought us a new side to Red.  I really wish the Golden Globe folks had seen this episode before voting because he gave the term 'Breaking Bad' new meaning.  He killed everyone he came into contact to and later stated, "My house is clean."  Red had some very classic moments over the course of his killing spree but I could tell later in the episode it seemed to wear on him.  His moment with Janice is still my favorite scene from the episode, by far. 

Let's touch back on the line about Red's clean house. Red stated this when he finally reunited with Lizzie at the very end of the episode.  "My house is clean.  Yours is not," is the full line Red said to Lizzie.  I don't know if he's referencing her team because he mentions that some of the information Garrick had was too in depth to come from Grey, the mole Red killed, or if he was literally referring to her house and making reference to Tom.  The Tom situation is recurring through the show and it's not something I give much thought to until it's brought up but I just can't put my finger on exactly what Red means.  Another moment in that final scene is when Lizzie asks if he's back.  His answer is that they're back where they started and that he will only speak with her.  She gives a small smile in response and says, "Welcome back," but he does not seem to look as warm and happy as she does.  I think, based on things I've read, that he is stepping back and they're no longer a team but she hasn't gotten that message and feels like everything's back as it was and special in some way.  Only time will tell and surely next week will help us feel out what is on Red's mind but not really because we never know. 

My final thought are on the show in general and the fan base.  I do not understand the Lizzington shippers.  I see that Red and Lizzie have great chemistry but it's not that of a romantic relationship but more of a protective fatherly/guardian relationship.  He could still be her father but if not he's definitely someone who promised to protect her, maybe he promised Lizzie's father or maybe he's an uncle.  The way she walked in and asked him if he brought her anything was just like a someone who's dad just came back from a business trip.  Obviously, people can ship anything they want but for the record it kinda grosses me out because of the way that I see them. 
Until next week...