skippy got a list with topics and a handful instructions how to fill them with music tracks to create your own, unique soundtrack for your life. It was fun to create my own soundtrack and I believe it is also a good chance to think about your life while you listen to your soundtrack.

Enough said, time to show you my soundtrack list:

• Opening Credits: Twilight And Shadow – Howard Shore & Renée Fleming – The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
• Waking up: Easy – Seeed
• Falling in love: Ritual Dance – Michael Hedges
• Fight song: Gra’tua Cuun (Our Vengeance) – Jesse Harlin – Star wars: Republic Commando
• Break up song: The Dreaming of the Bones – Davy Spillane
• Making Up: I have the Touch – Peter Gabriel
• Life’s Okay: Everybody wants to rule the world – Tears for Fears
• Mental Breakdow: Mad World – Michael Andrews
• Driving: Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits
• Flashbacks: Heart of Gold – Neil Young
• Happy Dance: T.N.T – AC-DC
• Regret: In your Eyes – Peter Gabriel
• Final Battle: Battle Of The Heroes – John Williams – Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
• Death Scene: The Funeral of Qui-Gon – John Williams – Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
• Final Credits: Up in Arms – Foo Fighters

Feel free to post your soundtrack as comment

Since then I’m some kind of a fan of Peter Gabriel. I’m owning some music from him, but I didn’t attend a concert or so.
Anyway, I don’t know if you ever heard about him. So let me give you some information about him.

Who is Peter Gabriel?

I could try to write an own description, but I think Wikipedia has a very good article about Peter Gabriel:

Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950, in Chobham, Surrey, England) is an English musician. He first came to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career. More recently he has focused on producing and promoting world music and pioneering digital distribution methods for music. He has also been involved in various humanitarian efforts.

After I saw the recorded concert on TV, I did some research about Peter Gabriel and found a lot more songs I really like.
One of my favorite Genesis songs is “You can’t hurry love“. The deep meaning of this song is amazing and I listen to it whenever I’m somehow sad about the fact that I’m still a single…

There are some more Genesis songs I like, but this review is about Peter Gabriel and not Genesis, so I will concentrate on his music

My personal top 5 of Peter Gabriel’s songs are:

1. Sledgehammer
2. Solsbury Hill
3. The Barry Williams Show
4. Burn you up, burn you down
5. Shock the monkey

Sense behind the songs

Note: with “sense” I mean the message I see behind the song. If I see none, I try to provide additional information about the song.

Sledgehammer

The song was influenced by 1960s soul music, as evident by the use of horns and a general Stax sound. The distinctive Horn section was provided by the Memphis Horns – who were house musicians for Stax records. The song was also known for its use of a synthesized shakuhachi flute.

It contains somewhat subtle sexual innuendo, which was common in soul music from the time. The lyrics include phallic references such as a steam train, bumper cars, and a big dipper (roller coaster). It also includes references to the sexual reproduction of plants, mentioning pollination, fruit and bees.

When I heard this song, my mother told me that the video to the song is the most amazing she ever saw. After some research I was able to watch the video on YouTube and I have to agree.
I can imagine that back when this video was broadcast it influenced the music film industry. The use of stop motion aside other rather unusual video effects make this song the most unique and most amazing one I ever saw. Wikipedia wrote that Peter Gabriel laid under a sheet of glass for 16 hours while filming the stills for the video! That’s just another reason to like that video.

Solsbury Hill

Solsbury Hill was Peter Gabriel’s first solo song and in the song he dealt with his departure from Genesis.

Gabriel explains the reasons behind his departure in this song. These reasons where the difficult pregnancy of Gabriel’s wife, Jill, and birth of their first child, Anna. When he opted to stay with his sick daughter and wife rather than go record and tour, the resentment from the rest of the band led Gabriel to conclude that he had to leave the band.

The Barry Williams Show
The title and the lyrics are telling you everything: Peter Gabriel is criticizing the talk shows. I can only agree with him, because I don’t like those shows either. Are you really interested in the (senseless) problems of other people? Those people are only on TV because they want to become famous by all means, even if it means that they have to put themselves down. The talk shows are not only “famous” because of the people shown, but also because of their talk masters.

Burn you up, burn you down
As I understand the song, Peter Gabriel is talking about a relationship which is not running well at the moment. It seems to me as if he points out that there is a need of dialog between both partys. However, one party carries his or her intentions through the wind, meaning that the persons just does his or her own thing ignoring the other one. The other person sees that and tries to tell how to solve this because the person never thought [they] had so much time to lose.

Shock the monkey
There are many opinions about the meaning of this song:

• The song is about the consuming of cocaine because around 1985 “Shock the monkey” meant that someone who took cocaine shows paranoia and other symptoms. This rumor is not confirmed by Peter Gabriel, but people keep on assuming this.
• The song is about the mistreatment and abuse of monkey in the industry and at other places. Again, this is not confirmed by Peter Gabriel and if you watched the video you can be sure that this meaning is just a wrong assumption.
• The confirmed meaning says that the song is about jealousy. However, many people are skeptic, especially after watching the video.

I‘m undecided on what the meaning of the song is for me. I prefer to say it is just another great song from Peter Gabriel.

Wrap up

Peter Gabriel wrote and still writes many great songs. I always enjoy listening to his music especially because of the touching lyrics which usually have a deep meaning which can be difficult to discover. Also, I have to admit that I like his voice (no pun intended) which is just awesome for his music.
Of course I’m also wondering what would be if Peter Gabriel stayed with Genesis… Either way, it would have been a great success, I’m sure.

I‘m giving Peter Gabriel 5 points, which is the maximum of points I can give and equals to very good.
He has an amazing voice and combined it with touching lyrics in his songs, I’m looking forward to more songs from him!

Further Reading

• petergabriel.com
• Wikipedia about Peter Gabriel

Update: I’m sorry, but I made a mistake in my review. Don’t hurry love is not a song by Genesis. I don’t know how I messed it up, but the song is from Phil Collins. I’m really sorry for any confusion caused

Computer Configuration

If you are evaluating a game or any other kind of software, you need to know the hardware specifications and the environment of the computer.
So before I explain how I evaluate software let me give you some details about my computer.

Hardware Specification

• Processor: Intel® Pentium® D 3.40GHz
• Memory: 3070MB RAM
• Video Card: ATI® Radeon X1950 Pro
• Monitor: Yakumo® TFT 19 WJT XFast
• Sound Card: Realtek HD Audio Terratec Aureon5.1 PCI
• Speakers/Headphones: Sharkoon X-Tactic 5.1
• Keyboard: Logitech Easy Internet Keyboard
• Mouse: Logitech G5 Laser Mouse
• Mouse Surface: Revoltec Lightpad

Software Environment

• Operating System: Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2
• Firewall: ZoneAlarm (the free version)
• Antivirus: AVG (the free version)
• and some other software…

Evaluating Software

#1 Note: There are slight differences when it comes to Games. These differences are indicated by italic text.

I’m giving points from 0 to 5, with 5 points being the best.
At the end, all points are summed up and divided to giving an overall point ranging from 0 (worst) to 5 (best).

When I’m evaluating a software or game I have the following rating categories with a few elements.
For the elements and category point calculation I also use the sum up/divide method. I have an example at the end of the categories list

#2 Note: If a software is for free, I will leave a few elements out. The excluded elements will be mentioned in the review article.

The Look

• First Look – What kind of impression makes the case of the software?
• Installation – Neat design or something you can’t call a design?
• First Time – The impression you get when you run the software for the first time.
• Requirements and Look – Comparison between the look and the minimum requirements as stated by the game description.

Installation Process

• Time – How long does it take?
• Complexity – Difficult or easy to install?
• Other – Autostart? Reboot required?

Usage and Performance

• Requirements, Look and actual performance – Does the Software run as expected? (Games: Frame-Lag or is it running smooth?)
• Complexity – Easy to use/play?
• Learning Curve – Is it easy to get into the software/game or does it take a lot of time?
• Games: Multiplayer – Easy to get into the online part of the game and do you have fun online?
• Games: Singleplayer – Is the “SP” short or extensive? Can you reach the level goal easily or not?
• Bugs – I don’t like these nasty little things…

Personal Impression
Although the above categories are already influenced by my personal impressions, I add this one to express my final opinion.

So, how do I calculate the points software X? Let me show you an example, which is not a game:

The Look
First Look – 4 points of 5 (4/5)
Installation – (5/5)
First Time – (3/5)
Requirements and Look (3/5)
–> 3.75 of 5 points for The Look

Installation Process
Time – (1/5)
Complexity – (4/5)
Other – insert explanation… (3/5)
–> 2.66 of 5

Usage and Performance
Requirements, Look and actual performance – (4/5)
Complexity – (3/5)
Learning Curve – (3/5)
Bugs – (0/5)
–> 2.5 of 5

now we sum each category up:
3.75
2.66
2.5
–> 2.97 points of 5, so the software is moderate, not really good but not bad either

Easy to understand, I hope.

Evaluating Music

Since the taste for music differs I will only provide a personal review of the music, mentioning how much the music costs, how it looks like and so on.
Depending on the music I extend my review on demand while I will stick to my 0 to 5 points evaluation system. Basically I can say that at the end of the music review I will give points. You can tell that this is really influenced by my taste, so don’t take the review too serious

Fortunately I stumbled upon a website called chocolaterain.org after watching that song I decided to have a closer look at the guy on YouTube.

I got my favorites of his YouTube videos right after the jump. So if you are too lazy to visit YouTube direct….


I won’t be surprised if he would become famous in the near feature. That voice is just awesome. Really cool.

Maybe I better bookmark his website….

The 1500+ inmates of Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center in Cebu City, Philippines, do a lot more than just languish in a cell. They have livelihood programs and personal savings accounts, allowing them to earn and save money for legal fees or the families they left behind. Perhaps even more impressive is what they do with the rest of their time: rehearse and perform elaborate parades and dance numbers, like the recreation of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” seen here.

The choreography, the coordination, and the precision are insane. The Rockettes have nothing on these guys.
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I like the concept behind it. The inmates are kept busy and they actually see a positive result while working on the whole coordination. Would be interesting if other prisons would copy the concept. I’m wondering how the fall back rate of the inmates is after they are set free again.

We all love the Star Wars movies…let’s assume there was a musical of it. Would you visit it? I would, that’s for sure.

After I saw a post at thereeltodd.com I had a closer look at it. So I visited the homepage of the Star Wars musical and what I saw…well, I downloaded all the MP3s there so I can enjoy the musical whenever I want to

There is a video on YouTube based on the musical which was made by some fans.
In my opinion it is worth watching it.

If you want a different video, you can download a QuickTime movie. It is using actual footage from the movie Star Wars: A New Hope. Special thanks to infauxmedia.com who created the video.

See the video right after the jump

It isn’t something special and actually it is easy, but give it a try. I really enjoyed the music by The Polyphonic Spree.

A Dallas symphonic pop group, the Polyphonic Spree are more of a happening (in the 1960′s sense of the word) than a band.

When the group takes to the stage for a live performance, its two dozen members are costumed in flowing robes of snowy white, an appropriate backdrop for their happy and uplifting musical message that’s catchy pop minimally laced by gospel. Fans have compared them to both the The Flaming Lips and the The Beach Boys, with a smidgen of lively Godspeed-like attitude thrown into the mix.

The Polyphonic Spree was founded by Tim DeLaughter, who led Tripping Daisy until 1999, when a drug overdose killed his bandmate, guitar player Wes Berggren, and the band folded.

DeLaughter and the other surviving members of Tripping Daisy regrouped as the Polyphonic Spree, adding about 20 more members. They put together a demo titled The Beginning Stages of…The Polyphonic Spree and distributed it to fans during a holiday performance. This was picked up and released by Dallas indie label, Good Records.

The group boasts a ten-member choir, a pair of keyboard players, as well as a percussionist, bassist, guitarist, flautist, trumpeter, trombonist, violinist, a French horn player, a theremin player, and an electronic effects wizard. DeLaughter holds the post of musical director and contributes lead vocals.

Tours require more than a dozen full-sized vans, but the band’s spectacular shows in intimate clubs and gigs as big as 2003′s Reading Festival generate the feeling of a gospel revival meeting. Single “Light and Day” was featured in Volkswagen commercials, an episode of Scrubs and on the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind soundtrack, earning the Polyphonic Spree even more exposure. Their proper first album Together We’re Heavy was released jointly by Good Records and Hollywood Records in summer 2004.

In the autumn of 2006, The Polyphonic Spree released the Wait EP, which features covers of Nirvana’s “Lithium” and “Sonic Bloom” by DeLaughter’s former band, Tripping Daisy. The band is working on a new album tentatively titled, The Fragile Army, for which the entire band has swapped their trademark robes for dark colored military-style outfits.

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Although they are nice, I discovered a media which will beat them all. It is based on the same engine used by Firefox and Thunderbird.

The player is called Songbird and you can download it at the official website Songbirdnest.com

I really like this media player and can’t wait for the next updates