Friday and the Random 10 (Disney Soundtrack Edition)

Welcome to a new and improved, simplified and stripped down Random 10! 

Here's a picture.

Fantasia is so underrated.

Friday and the Random 10 (Barbecued Iguana Edition)

Hey! Two weeks in a row! Welcome to a new and improved, simplified and stripped down Random 10!

Friday and the Random 10 (Knights Templar Edition)

I hope someone gets that reference.

You know what we do around here on Friday the 13th right?!? 

Friday and the Random 10 (NFL Draft Edition)

You know, I just don't get it. I know I am a big Bama homer, but one guy drafted in the first round? And not even a defensive player? Am I the only one that actually watched football this past season? I saw team after team "reaching" for player after player, including the Ole Mess players with drug/assault problems. Hey guys, there's a reason your team was 3-13 last year and you have a new head coach every other season. #Idiots #ICanDraftBetterThanThat

I suppose there's always Round 2 today. Ugh...

Friday and the Random 10 (Batman vs. Superman Edition)

Superman. End of discussion.

Now onto some music:

Friday and the Random 10 (Christmas Edition)

Merry Christmas!

Special edition just for today obviously. Mostly Trans-Siberian Orchestra but not much I can do about that since they specialize in this sorta thing.

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1) Appalachian Snowfall/TSO (The Christmas Attic)

2) Blue Christmas/Elvis Presley (Elvis' Christmas Album) - Classic. Always makes me think of my Nanny and Pawpaw. I made sure I had this in my collection just because of them.

3) Christmas Concerto/TSO (The Lost Christmas Eve)

4) First Snow/TSO (Christmas Eve and Other Stories)

5) A Mad Russian's Christmas/TSO (Christmas Eve and Other Stories)

6) A Christmas Sighting/R2D2 & C3PO (Christmas in the Stars) - Okay, I am not sure where I found this album, but it is so horrendously bad that it was an instant classic in my family.

7) Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me/Elvis Presley (Elvis' Christmas Album)

8) Merry, Merry Christmas/R2D2 & C3PO (Christmas in the Stars)

9) The Meaning of Christmas/R2D2 & C3PO (Christmas in the Stars)

10) Christmas in the Air/TSO (The Christmas Attic)

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I am glad some Elvis made it in there. Incredible voice that brings back fond memories. And that Christmas in the Stars thing is just so awesomely bad that you must pick it up if you ever see it anywhere. Check back next week for a New Years Day Edition.

STCS and the only thing playing us out.

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The Music Box

For some of us, Christmas is a time of loneliness, emptiness and regret. We look back on the happy times and wonder how we got here from there, and we want things to be like that again. We wonder how things have changed to be where we are now. Sometimes we miss someone who may not be missing us. Sometimes we smile but don't mean it, and laugh but don't feel it. Sometimes our hearts are numb, our spirits dampened, and our hopefulness of a bright future are at an all time low. We want to correct past mistakes, if only we could go back in time to that critical moment and make a different choice. Sometimes we hang on to that moment for years.

Sometimes we give someone a music box that keeps playing years after the love, happiness, and promises have faded.

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Friday and the Random 10 (Florida Sucks Edition)

Well last week was the Halloween edition with a song for every day in October. Now it is time to turn the calendar over to November and start worrying about the holidays to come. Yeah, it's all out there in front of us. The Magic Kingdom is all decked out for Christmas already with decorations and the big tree going up. I walked through Town Square today with "Winter Wonderland" playing at a nice chilly 88 degrees. Florida sucks y'all.

Music, please take me away from this madness...

Friday and the Random Ten (Teenage Wasteland Edition)

Well another Friday is upon us. No rambling this time, just straight to the music.

Friday and the Random Ten (Crazy on You Edition)

Last week I honored Yes's bass player who passed away by doing a Chris Squire edition of the Random Ten. This week things return to normal around here, and Yes gets placed on Exile Island (they were banned the week before). No word on the Tarkus yet...

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Friday and the Random 10 (Bracket Buster Edition)

Spring training is in full bloom down here in central Florida, but the main thing going on is March Madness. Yes, the tournament is in full swing as of yesterday. My bracket is, well, worthless now. As most years I hardly make it past round one. At least I have opening day to look forward to in a few weeks.

Maybe the Random 10 will be full of Final Four teams and possibly a Cinderella or two. But first, as a quick review of last week, you can follow this link, or try and figure out the artists from the cool picture below: 

As always the rules and whatnot are up there ↑ at the top next to the Home tab.

Friday and the Random 10 (Arresting Elsa Edition)

So here with are with March coming in like a lamb? Lion? Giant magnifying lens between the sun and Florida? Yeah that one. It was 87 degrees here yesterday. 87 m'effin' 87! Y'all that ain't right. I know you think we are all lucky down here, but we dread the heat like you dread the winter. Let's just say it's a nice place to vacation, but you wouldn't want to live here. By the way, those states that "arrested" Elsa from Frozen because of the cold and snow, please keep her locked up. All of us at Disney would appreciate that for non-weather related reasons. K thanks.

Now on to the reason we are here: random music! So I am setting my media player on random and letting it play, then listing the first ten songs that pop up. That's how it works. As always the rules and whatnot are up there ↑ at the top next to the Home tab.

As a quick review of last week, you can follow this link, or try and figure out the artists from the cool picture below: 

Friday and the Random 10 (Ghosts of Christmas Edition)

So another week has "flown" by. Really (not really). I just realized that by next week's countdown, Christmas will be over so what I am going to do this week is only do the holiday music I have in my inventory. It's cheating a little bit, but at least it will still be random.

So that means The Moody Blues, who were exiled in last week's countdown, get a free get-out-of-jail card which will release them to the wild. Also, just because it is Christmas, no one gets exiled this week (and because most of my holiday music is the same artists anyway). No idea what is going on here? Check out the rules and whatnot up there ↑ at the top.

Friday and the Random 10 (Black Friday Edition)

As you can tell around these parts I have barely had any time at all to update the blog any. It's a holiday week at Disney and that means one thing: long days with long hours. Nothing like a 73 hour work week to get you all excited for a holiday you can't even spend with your family. #CastMemberLife

However, I just could not let Friday come and go without doing a Random 10. It may be brief and concise, but it is getting done.

Looking back at last week, Exile Island has a lone occupant. Take a big guess who. Yep:

As usual, the rules and whatnot are up there ↑ at the top.

My Top 10 Favorite Instrumentals

When I first got the idea for this post I just listed a bunch of songs down the page. I noticed a lot of music acts had done several that I like. So what I did was to limit everyone to just one appearance. Get it? Got it? Good.

I'm sure I missed some obvious ones too, but here are my top ten favorite instrumentals:

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10) King Crimson/Red

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9) Kansas/Musicatto

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8) The Alan Parsons Project/I Robot

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7) Vangelis/Chariots of Fire

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6) Rick Wakeman/Catherine of Aragon

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5) Journey/Kohoutek

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4) Trans-Siberian Orchestra/Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24

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3) Rush/La Villa Strangiato

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2) Emerson Lake & Palmer/Canario

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1) Yes (Steve Howe)/Mood For a Day

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Others considered:

Yes (Steve Howe)/Masquerade

Emerson Lake & Palmer/Changing States, Fanfare for the Common Man, Hoedown

The Nice/Ars Longa Vita Brevis (4th Movt.)

Def Leppard/Switch 625

Rush/YYZ

Trans-Siberian Orchestra/Moonlight and Madness

Journey/Topaz

Friday and the Random 10 (Refurbishment Edition)

So another week has gone by and I finally get to my new days off. I switched from Tues/Wed to Fri/Sat. I also went to all morning shifts in an effort to be able to do as much blogging as I can. 

The bad news though is that when I get back on Sunday it is the last day of steam trains for six weeks. Yeah, it's the refurbishment time of the year. Instead, I will be hanging with Mickey and Tinkerbell in the Town Square Theater (TST), while trying to save the whole park from that villain Hades over at Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom (SOMK). Yeah, I'll be using a lot of vacation time in the next six weeks...

But for now, I have a Random 10 to do. Looking back at last week I see that Chicago joined RW on Exile Island. Yeah it's a new thing, inspired obviously by Survivor.

As usual the rules and whatnot are up there ↑ at the top.

Here we go...

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1) Faith No More/Crack Hitler - I have no idea. I'm not really familiar with any of their stuff past their first album.

2) Styx/Witch Wolf - Bet you've never heard of this one. Be thankful. Very early stuff (before Tommy Shaw) from an album that made completely no sense to me. I do plan to cover all their albums on Music Monday when I am done with all the Yes.

3) Dream Theater/Trial of Tears - Like I said before it's a little heavier than I like my prog, but I could get into them I think if I took more time to listen.

4) Styx/I Am the Walrus - Well, my boys go and get themselves banned. Beatles remake obviously, but I think they did a good job of it. Enjoy the video:

5) Camel/Arubaluba - Album cover winner because, hey a train:

6) Michael Jackson/Leave Me Alone - Wow, that's two weeks in a row. Enjoy another messed up video:

Okay I just watched that whole thing.

7) The Moody Blues/The Voyage - Old school, eerie sounding stuff from them. Moody is right. Most of their stuff sounds like a soundtrack from a dream. Ooh, I like the way that sounds.

8) Chicago/An Hour in the Shower

8) Trans-Siberian Orchestra/Christmas Dreams - Well it is officially fall right?

9) Utada Hikaru/Sanctuary - Wow, yeah. You gamers will know this one. Love this song from Kingdom Hearts II.

10) Ratt/Dangerous But Worth the Risk - Exactly.

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And there we have it. Chicago tried to sneak back in but the Tarkus took care of them. Banned for another week, but they have some company in Styx (who was originally based in Chicago BTW). RW is now free to join his tribe. The STCS for this week is Tom Petty/Here Comes My Girl. Good ole southern boy there.

As always, stay cool and dry wherever you are, and Roll Tide!

Play us out!

Friday and the Random 10 (Tragic Kingdom Edition)

August is finally in full bloom and I'm not sure what I am most excited about: Doctor Who in 16 days(!) or Alabama football in 23(!!). At least they won't be on at the same time so I won't be faced with a difficult dilemma like the whole Capt Jack/Tony Stark debate (still time to vote...just saying...).

Anywayz, let's focus on the here and now and get down to the random 10. Last week shows us how persistent some bands can be, with The Moody Blues still trying to sneak past the Tarkus to no avail. Hopefully they can stay away for just one week and make themselves eligible again. Here's hoping.

Time to spin the wheel of fate...

1) Dream Theater/Only a Matter of Time - My brother Scott has been on me for a long time to listen to these guys. I finally relented and they show up right away. You know what that gets:

2) No Doubt/Happy Now? - Gwen Stefani. Yes please. Album cover winner:

3) Def Leppard/Stagefright - Oh yeah we're rocking now.

4) Dennis DeYoung/Pilate's Dream - DDY did a Broadway album with this song from Jesus Christ Superstar. I give him a lot of crap but he has an amazing voice.

5) Van Halen/Little Guitars (intro) - Eddie plays a mean acoustic guitar too.

6) Nektar/You're Alone - Thanks for pointing that out guys. Oh and Viggle has no clue what song this is.

7) The Nice/Rondo (69) - This is Keith Emerson's band before he was in Emerson Lake & Palmer. Great experimental stuff.

8) Return to Forever/Celebration Suite Pt.1 - Here's more of that late 60's/early 70's jazz fusion rock stuff.

9) Bronz/Harder Than Diamond - Viggle has no idea from this one hit wonder. Once again, this wasn't the hit. You know what, time to bring the Cybermen Award back:

10) Jon Anderson/Hurry Home (Song for the Pleiades) - This was JonJon's solo album (with members of Toto) that he did right before the ABWH album. I see some elements here that he used later.

And there we have it. I'm thinking of making a "Viggle rule" that if it cannot be identified then it gets deleted. I'm not sure about that though. I'll have to think on that some more.

The STCS song for this week is Trans-Siberian Orchestra/The Safest Way into Tomorrow. Let us rejoice for The Moody Blues have finally been set free! Also, no one got banned this week either. Awesome.

As always stay cool and dry central Florida, and Roll Tide!

I'm gonna let Jon play us out.

Friday and the Random 10 (Too Moody Edition)

So here we go again. Last week was a mess of sorts I suppose. We have The Beatles, Jimmy Buffett and Jimi Hendrix all unavailable for this week's countdown. That's the most I can ever recall at the same time. Don't know what I'm talking about? Check the rules and whatnot up there ↑ at the top.

Moving on. Some of you may wonder how I name each "edition". Well I really have to wait until the end to see how things actually played out. That is how randomness works. Anyway, let's fire up Viggle (yeah I'm still playing with that) and the music and see what we get.

Here we go!

1) The Human League/The Lebanon - Never heard this one before. A whole 80's edition would be awesome though.

2) Trans-Siberian Orchestra/Tracers - One of their non-Christmas CD's. This one was called Night Castle and parts of it are just plain wicked. In a good way.

3) The Moody Blues/Evening:The Sunset:Twilight Time - Awesome album with an orchestra. Album cover winner:

4) The Moody Blues/Running Out of Love - Ugh they can never show up just once it seems. Banned.

5) Joan Jett & The Blackhearts/You Don't Know What You've Got - Keep on rocking you sexy thang!

6) Van Halen/(Oh) Pretty Woman - They got to a point where they did a lot of other people's songs. I don't know why.

7) Jon Anderson/Good Day Morning - Even Viggle couldn't figure out what the Hell Jon was singing about.

8) Asia/The Last to Know - Great, great song from Alpha.

9) The Mahavishnu Orchestra/Sister Andrea - Cool. Haven't heard from these guys in awhile.

10) Enigma/Callas Went Away - Wow, Viggle couldn't sort out the Jon Anderson song, but gets this right away from birds chirping? Dang.

Well there we go for another week. None of the three got Tarkus'd, but The Moody Blues did get banned. Both Jimmy's get set free, but The Beatles still have to wait until the month is over. That's how the rules work.

The STCS this week is Yes/Something's Coming, which is a song I never knew about until I got the YesYears box set. It's from the West Side Story. Yeah, back when they would take popular songs and "Yesify" them. Good, creative stuff.

And there we have it. 

As always stay cool and dry central Florida, and Roll Tide!

Play us out solemnly boys...

Friday and the Random 10 (Pi Day Edition)

Happy Pi Day! Say what? You don't know what that is? It's March 14th! You know 3/14...3.14...get it? It's a nerd thing. Before we get to the music here's my favorite pie chart:

Looking back at last week, I see that The Beatles are not an option this time around. Whatever will Yoko do? As usual the rules and whatnot are up there ↑ on the top of the page.

And now for your non-repeating, non-terminating countdown...

Friday (Night) and the Random 10

I almost forgot today was Friday! I guess I was so excited on finally having a day off tomorrow that I just focused on getting through work as soon as I could. Never fear though, I won't leave everyone hanging...