I'd Rather See The World From Another Angle

Pieces Of You
Jewel (1995)
The debut album of singer/songwriter Jewel was released thirty years ago today.  I picked it up when I was 15 years old after seeing the music video for Who Will Save Your Soul on 120 Minutes and fell in love with her and her voice on the spot.  I couldn't even begin to count the number of times I've listened to this CD from front to back over the past three decades, but my favorite song on this or any one of her other albums is still that first one that I heard on MTV in the summer of '95.

Who Will Save Your Soul
Jewel (1995)

People livin' their lives for you on TV

They say they're better than you and you agree

He says, "Hold my calls" from behind those cold brick walls

Says, "Come here boys, there ain't nothing for free"

Another doctor's bill, a lawyer's bill, another cute cheap thrill

You know you love him if you put him in your will, but

Who will save your souls when it comes to the flowers now?

Who, who will save your souls after those lies that you told, boy?

And who will save your souls if you won't save your own?

We try to hustle them, try to bustle them, try to cuss 'em

And the cops want someone to bust down on Orleans Avenue

Another day, another dollar, another war

Another tower went up where the homeless had their homes

So we pray to as many different gods as there are flowers

But we call religion our friend

We're so worried about saving our souls

Afraid that god will take his toll that we forget to begin, but

Who will save your soul when it comes to the babies now?

Who, who will save your soul after all those lies that you told, boy?

And who will save your soul if you won't save your own?

Some are walking, some are talking, some are stalking their kill

Got social security but it doesn't pay your bills

There are addictions to feed and there are mouths to pay

So you bargain with the devil, but you're okay for today, say

That you love them, take their money and run

Say it's been swell, sweetheart, but it was just one of those things

Those flings, those strings you've got to cut

So get out on the streets, girls, and bust your butts

Who will save your soul when it comes to the babies?

Oh, who will save your souls after those lies that you told, boy?

And who will save your souls if you won't save your own?

She Made Us Believe

Michelle Trachtenberg
1985 - 2025

A talented young actress who has been working in front of the camera since she was three years old has passed away.  Michelle Trachtenberg got her start working in commercials before landing her first credited role on Nickelodeon in the mid 90's as Nona in The Adventures Of Pete & Pete.  Soon afterward, she landed her first starring role in a motion picture as the title character in Harrier The Spy.  She's also had starring roles in EuroTrip and Ice Princess, and has appeared in many other films and television shows, but I'll always remember her best for her role as Dawn Summers in the horror drama series Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

Thirty-nine years is not enough time to experience this world.

Turn The Key And See What Happens

The Monkey
Neon (2025)
It seems as if the horror comedy genre has overtaken horror films over the past few years.  I like a good horror comedy as much as the next person, but the movies that successfully blend the two genres like Ghostbusters or Shaun Of The Dead seem to me to be outnumbered by far less memorable efforts like Y2K or Heart Eyes.  I didn't dislike either of the latter, but I found them to be not scary enough to be a great horror film and not funny enough to be a great comedy.  Ask me in two years if I have ever seen Y2K or Heart Eyes and there's a pretty good chance that I won't remember.

I'm not sure if I'd put The Monkey on the same pedestal as Ghostbusters or Shaun Of The Dead, but it's one of the better horror comedies that I've seen in recent years.  It does a good job balancing terror with a dark, absurdist style of comedy that reminded me a little bit of the Coen brothers.  If you're a horror fan, this one is worth checking out on the big screen.  

This Is My Four Leaf Clover

Songs From The Big Chair
Tears For Fears (1985)
Before I talk about this album, please indulge me for a few sentences while I unpack some of the baggage in my head.  I don't know if there's a name for this or if it's just the particular blend of ADHD herbs and spices that my brain was cooked in, but I have a pretty wide range when it comes to things that I find interesting.  This is especially true when it comes to movies, music, and food.  The reason I bring this up is because I realize that when I write about an artist or an album, I'm prone to saying things like "one of my all time favorites".  I don't think that I'm exaggerating when I say that about something, but when the list of things that you consider your favorites is as long as mine, the things that you absolutely love best tend to get lost in the shuffle.

My definition of an incredible album is one that I could listen to from start to finish without wanting to skip any songs and without ever getting sick of hearing it and needing to take a break from it.  The list of contenders for my favorite album of all time is ridiculously long.  The ones that come to mind as I write this are The Doors, Sgt. Pepper, The White Album, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Pearl, You Don't Mess Around With Jim, Ziggy Stardust, Dark Side Of The Moon, The Cars, The Wall, Unknown Pleasures, The Hurting, Rio, She's So Unusual, Hunting High and Low, Dead Man's Party, The Joshua Tree, Music For The Masses, Disintegration, Violator, Ten, Core, Siamese Dream, August and Everything After, Purple, Unplugged In New York, Sixteen Stone, The Crow Soundtrack, Jagged Little Pill, Garbage, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Recovering The Satellites, Ok Computer, and Version 2.0.  If I include artist compilations, Legend, Once Upon A Time, and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Greatest Hits would also be in the mix, and there are probably dozens other albums of the standard and greatest hits variety that are slipping my mind at the moment, but I'm getting way off track here.

The point that I'm dragging out here is that as much as I love all of these albums, there is one record that stands in my heart above all others.  It's the second album from Tears For Fears and it was released forty years ago today.  It's called Songs From The Big Chair.

The video above is a playlist of the entire album which flows perfectly from start to finish.  Six of the eight songs on the record were released as singles, including two that hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (Everybody Wants To Rule The World and Shout) and another that peaked at #3 (Head Over Heels).

I'd recommend this record to anyone who likes rock, or pop, or new wave, or who just enjoys music in general.  Since I'm certain that just about everyone has heard the hit singles that it produced, I want to take this opportunity to highlight a track that didn't get as much attention.  It's called The Working Hour and it's the second song on the album.  For some reason, this song evokes a very specific visual in my mind.  When I listen to it, it makes me think of driving through a city at night after a thunderstorm, with the headlights and street lights reflecting in the puddles on the road.

The Working Hour

Tears For Fears (1985)

These things that I've been told

Can rearrange my world

My doubt

In time, but inside out

This is the working hour

We are paid by those who learn by our mistakes

This is the working hour

We are paid by those who learn by our mistakes

This day and age for all

And not for one

All lies and secrets

Put on, put on and on

This is the working hour

We are paid by those who learn by our mistakes

This is the working hour

We are paid by those who learn by our mistakes

Fear is such a vicious thing

It wraps me up in chains

Find out, find out

What this fear is about

Just Drinking My Pancakes, Livin' The Dream

Pancake Latte
Cracker Barrel (2025)
My country is being torn to shreds before our eyes, but at least I can knock a few days off of the old lifespan with this bad boy.  This is maple flavored espresso and steamed milk topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.

Divination Of Brotherly Love

The Philly Tarot Deck - Second Edition
James Boyle and Gina Tomaine (2023)
I've severely cut back on buying things in the new year for two reasons:  we are paying off a new roof on our house, and we've pretty much run out of room for things to keep underneath that roof.  Still, these were too cool to resist.

They were on the counter at the Reads & Company Bookshop in Phoenixville, and this was the last deck that they had in stock.

Full disclaimer: I'm not at all a religious or spiritual person, but I'm also not disrespectful of anyone's beliefs as long as those beliefs don't infringe on the rights of others.  I'm interested in learning about different beliefs and understanding where other people are coming from, but it would take a pretty profound personal experience for me to cross the line into becoming a believer.  I don't say this out of stubbornness or spite... I simply just don't have faith of any kind in anything, and I have enough respect for those who do have that faith not to fake it or to belittle them for having something that I do not.

I bought this deck purely because I love the city of Philadelphia and I thought that it was neat.  It's not something I ever plan to pursue any further than that, but hey, if that ever changes, I guess I've already got one of the tools of the trade... even if it does come with more pictures of cheesesteaks than the average tarot deck.

Here are some of my favorite cards from the deck, along with their description from the little booklet that came with them.

Any of The Cups cheesesteak cards would be a tempting idea for a tattoo.

If you want a deck of your own, check out phillytarotdeck.com.  They've also got t-shirts, stickers, and other merchandise featuring James Boyle's artwork from the cards.