Pacific States

[Gera11]

see also
VOLUME I: PACIFIC BLUES

 

[ShoeFlo]

Re: Pacific States ☂ WV77 - Someone truely iconic

I puzzled a lot over who might be your next artist but when I read that one crucial hint "up there with Bowie" I knew it can be only one person.

Why isn't there a gif of her?

 

[RainyWoods]

Re: Pacific States ☂ WV77 - Someone truely iconic

I puzzled a lot over who might be your next artist but when I read that one crucial hint "up there with Bowie" I knew it can be only one person.

Why isn't there a gif of her?

Tonight all your The Space Lady dreams come true.

Actually......... The Space Lady does... a lot of covers. Maybe, just maybe... she has covered songs by the person that i'm sending?

 

[lavieenrose]

Re: Pacific States ☂ WV77 - Someone truely iconic

Ahoy hoy. I come bearing foul news. I think your baseball husband Brandon "B-Craw" Crawford is CHEATING ON YOU with fellow Hot Sportsman (TM) Joe Panik. I caught this gif of the two of them last night.

 

[RainyWoods]

Re: Pacific States ☂ WV77 - Someone truely iconic

[MENTION=14007]lavieenrose[/MENTION] Oh no.... how... unfortunate.

 

[RainyWoods]

Re: Pacific States ☂ WV77 - John Lennon - Imagine

Perhaps no introduction for most needed here, but this edition i'm sharing with WorldVision a legendary artist with just maybe one of the most recognizable pieces of music in pop culture. Originally in my head I had this down as my next Christmas entry, but i've been thinking about the song a lot lately, and this very moment in time feels right to share it.

"Imagine" is a peace ballad written by the former Beatle, John Lennon, released in 1971 on his album of the same name. The song was to become Lennon's signature tune, his anthem for fellow dreamers who want a world where we can be as one without all the things that are holding us back and are causing conflict. It was a heavily controversial song at the time, and still is today. John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono arrived in America in 1971. Their art and protesting made them a target for the current president at the time, Richard Nixon, who wanted to remove them from the country. The FBI were even breathing down their necks. In 1972, the pair went into hiding, choosing California's Ojai as their retreat, a place throughout the years they would escape to whenever life became too much for them.

Much like Bowie, John Lennon is just someone who has always been there in my life. My parents are Beatles fans and so I grew up with these tunes. For a long while i've been interested in Yoko's music, and more recently i've started to explore John's discography on my own (bought a boxset of his music with an Amazon voucher I got for Christmas actually) and i'm starting to remember old tunes, and am unearthing new gems. I've always loved "Imagine" though. It's one of those songs, much like "Hallelujah", that suffers from being over played and over covered, but then it's something that still after 40 years is more poignant than ever. It feels like we're no closer to achieving this world John sings about, which makes me incredibly sad. But his and Yoko's message always was if you all dream it then you can have it. It seems impossible, and certainly not achievable in our lifetime, but if everyone wanted peace, we could have it. I wish we could all live in this world as free spirits, loving each other and the earth in all it's beauty. Life is too precious for killing, and for being restrained by chains we needn't be.

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today... Aha-ah...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace... You...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world... You...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

A fact that not many people know about this song is that the majority of the lyrics were written by Yoko Ono. John confessed in later interviews that he should have put his wife's name on the record. "Imagine" was inspired by Yoko's conceptual art book, "Grapefruit". I purchased the book recently and I must say it's one of the strangest and charming things i've ever read. It calls itself "A book of instruction and drawings", and it's just that, but the things it tells you to do are often shocking. Some would even result in getting you arrested.

Some of my favourite pieces from the book:

CLOUD PIECE

Imagine the clouds dripping.
Dig a hole in your garden to
put them in.

1963 Spring


PAINTING FOR THE WIND

Cut a whole in a bag filled with seeds
of any kind and place the bag where
there is wind.

1961 Summer​

As you may remember, I previously sent John's wife Yoko Ono to WorldVision, along with Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons. Both have recorded their own versions of "Imagine". Antony's is very sweet and soulful. Yoko's absolutely epic! Check them out below..

Yoko Ono
Antony and the Johnsons




Live Versions

​

John himself didn't have many years on this planet, his life being tragically cut short when it need not have been. Just to think though what he achieved in those 40 years. Playing a crucial role in one of the most important, influential bands, recording 11 albums outside of the Beatles, and tirelessly campaigning for peace with Yoko. He lived a roller coaster of a life, and he was taken from the world in such a cruel, disturbing way. His music still lives on today though, and his message continues reaching people, making new dreamers and comforting those who need it.

Yoko Ono - IMAGINE PEACE: Think PEACE, Act PEACE, Spread PEACE. ​

 

[RainyWoods]

Re: Pacific States ☂ WV77 - John Lennon - Imagine

Bless you all. I hope future Pacific States entrant NoBunny brought you a lot of egg of the chocolate kind oxoxoxo

 

[RainyWoods]

Re: Pacific States ☂ WV77 - John Lennon - Imagine

John Lennon - Imagine

1st in the Final with 229 points
1st in Semi 2 with 120 points / Reju 2nd with 103 points​

::kh


::ctln (OP juror )








Wow, it actually happened. Thank you so much to everyone in the final and the semis who supported John Lennon. I already wrote a giant, over the top thank you post in the main topic, so i'll try and keep it short and snappy here (key word being "try"). It's such an honour to win this contest I love so much, and that has brought me a humongous amount of joy over the past couple of years. It's an amazing feeling when you know 70+ people enjoyed your song most. I never thought it would be something i'd likely experience during my time here playing this game, despite my near misses in the past. It just feels great to win it and with such a song like this, that's in my style (prehistoric emotional piano ballad realness) and is something that means so much to me. Thank you from my heart You've made my month and really lifted my spirits.

I hope you look forward to my hosting edition where I will spend about 52 seconds on the banners and rest of the time this next week deciding on my PQ entry Gosh, how will I do this? Judee Sill, John Cale, Todd Rundgren, Elliott Smith, Ariel Pink, Shannon And The Clams, Mac DeMarco, Lennon (again!), Part Time, Chet Baker, Sadistik, Linda Perhacs, the million garage rock bands I love........... or Mikal Cronin...................................... Mikal Cronin..... irresistible, precious, succulent Cronut king.

 

[RainyWoods]

Re: Pacific States ☂ WV77 - John Lennon - Imagine

So my PQ is super dooper ridiculous levels of indulgence. You're gonna be like "...... really?" as soon as you see the name at the LL, but dammit, i've earned this indulgence, and I want to send what at the very least will equal my two favourite entries i've sent to this game, "I've Been Loved" and "The Kiss", and besides moving to Austria or back to Mid-Atlantic, this is the only way I can do it. You're going to have to prepare your bodies for something so overwhelmingly emotional. Will you know the artist.... hmmmm........ maybe. I have to send this song before I stop playing WorldVision and this might be the one and only chance I get. I always imagined this being my very last entry though, it's that dear to me. Feels strange how i'm finally letting this one go.

 

[RainyWoods]

Re: Pacific States ☂ WV78 - Mikal Cronin - v) Different

Yes, is Mikal. Who else was I going to send to be honest? I only had about 60 potential artists to choose from and hundreds of songs, from risky genres that would have made perfect choices for a pre-qualified entry....... but no. Mikal was there, and this song was there, and this was always going to happen no matter how much I told myself it wouldn't.

"v) Different" is taken from Mikal's "MCIII", one of my favourite albums ever, and it's the penultimate track there. It's on what Mikal considers his "mini concept album" side of the record, 6 tracks that form a song suite. The garage rock Mikal is known for is stripped away completely, leaving behind only his candid voice and strings, with later a cry of horn as the song fades out. Mikal's vocal delivery is raw and sincere, as he sings about a different kind of lonesome. It heavies my heart even writing about this song. It's meant so much to me since it came into my life a couple of years ago. To me the song feels like an end of a journey that one day we'll reach. It overwhelms me with each listen. Like Judee Sill's "The Kiss", I consider it one of those "POW right in the stomach" kind of songs that punches you really hard, but whereas with "The Kiss" it's like you've freaking just died, I think "v) Different" is hopeful in it's melancholy. It's like it's been a ridiculously long and hard journey, but it's moving you on to better things. It's deep maaan! And there's only one guy I know who can rock so hard, and then come up with pieces like this.

v) Different

I've been through this before
And I saw it through it's ending
That something isn't right
There's a different kind of lonesome
There's a different kind of lonesome
When surrounded by a way
But can you keep your head down
Well, it's kind of hard to say
Well, I be here waiting
Yeah, I'll be here waiting
We're crashing through the top
And we'll see it through it's ending
Yeah, I’ll be here waiting

Mikal Cronin's 2015 release, "MCIII"​

I actually always imagined this being the final song I would send to WorldVision, before floating off into the sunset, so it feels very strange to be sharing it this edition, but realistically speaking I would never have had the balls anymore to have sent this without a PQ. Mikal has done well for me at WV in the past, but having this song automatically in the final is the greatest feeling and reward. I hope you enjoy round four with Mr. Cronin, and boy, i've got an all time new favourite song i've sent to WorldVision!! I don't think i'll ever be able to top this one... so maybe it's the perfect time to rage quit after this edition finishes? Nah, i'll stick around.

Live performances

Click here for organ version of the song

☂

 

[lavieenrose]

Re: Pacific States ☂ WV78 - Mikal Cronin - v) Different

 

[RainyWoods]

Re: Pacific States ☂ WV78 - Mikal Cronin - v) Different

8th in the Final with 154 thousand points
PQ Entry
​

Oh man, another top 10 for Mikal. Crazy! I had a quiet feeling this could follow on from his other songs and do quite well, but I think it would have always been a big risk to send this through the semis. The way WorldVision currently is, it's just so draw dependent, and I feel less and less like braving stuff like this. The PQ although indulgent, was probably the right choice. Thank you for all those scrumptious points. 8th (my lucky number) with a song I hold so dear by my favourite man alive making music! Tis destiny, a perfect match!



::kh
::ctln
::eang

xwhistle

::midt
xwhistle

Thanks to all 22 of you for the points It means a lot. Fun fact: Mikal got completely snubbed by OP voters, the only entry actually to not pick up a point there, which makes him extra cool Rebellious Mikal offending people with his two minute spoken word baroque balladry. Hardcore.

​

I will be playing next edition (despite my constant break threats). I can't explain why quite yet... for ermm... reasons, but i'll be playing it low key, and won't try and think about the contest too much as there are things I really need to sort out this summer. The song will be internal and I have two choices in mind: 1. a cool, slightly hip piece of synth pop. It's super infectious and groovy 2. rock from a subgenre i'm unsure has even been sent to the contest before. The genre derives from metal actually but when you hear it you'll probably think it's something very much me. Number 2 actually has a sad story behind it, which is making me question the choice sending it at this current moment, but it had been in my mind for a long while, and now would be the most poignant time to give people this track from my childhood/fail skater years. The track i'd send is deceivingly beautiful, with some dark and sinister undercurrents. It's a classic of it's genre, and my region is where this music originated.

 

[RainyWoods]

Re: Pacific States ☂ WV79 - Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun

This edition Pacific States are sending a subgenre of rock that originated from one of our states, Seattle, Washington to be more precise. If you were born during the early 90s or further back, you will probably remember the grunge invasion. An unlikely surge in popularity for bands that hailed from Washington, bringing forward a very particular sound and image, that would go on to define a big chunk of the 90s. Grunge was more than just a genre of music at the time, it was a philosophy and way of life for the young people who found solace in it's message and values.

Grunge's beginnings started around the mid 1980s, and a very strong underground following would form. By the start of the early 90s, major labels had grabbed a hold of some of it's most popular bands, and so the grunge invasion began. In grunge there was a big 4, so to speak, who were pivotal in popularizing the genre: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden. Nirvana of course were the household name, with Kurt Cobain becoming the tortured poster boy for the very dark and moody subgenre of rock.

My favourite grunge track, and the one I remember most fondly from the 90s has always been Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun". The band formed in 1984 but it wasn't until ten years later in 1994 that they broke through into the wider public eye with the surprise hit of the summer. "Black Hole Sun" hypnotized the airwaves, charting high in many countries across the world. I remember the track getting a tonne of airplay over here, and the twisted music video being a favourite with music channels. The song creates such an atmosphere. The verses are so deceivingly pretty, but you can sense something is very off. You're then hit with that absolute eargasm of a chorus, in true grunge style, sludgy and sung in a droning tone. "Black Hole Sun" is unique for a piece in it's genre since it takes from psychedelic music as much as it takes from grunge's main inspirations of metal and punk.

In my eyes, indisposed
In disguises no one knows
Hides the face, lies the snake
The sun in my disgrace
Boiling heat, summer stench
'Neath the black the sky looks dead
Call my name through the cream
And I'll hear you scream again

Black hole sun
Won't you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Won't you come
Won't you come (won't you come)

Stuttering, cold and damp
Steal the warm wind tired friend
Times are gone for honest men
And sometimes far too long for snakes
In my shoes, a walking sleep
And my youth I pray to keep
Heaven sent hell away
No one sings like you anymore

Black hole sun
Won't you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Won't you come
Won't you come

Black hole sun
Won't you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Won't you come
Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun)

Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun)

Hang my head, drown my fear
Till you all just disappear

Black hole sun
Won't you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Won't you come
Won't you come

Black hole sun
Won't you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Won't you come
Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come
Won't you come

Live Performances​

​

​

Unfortunately this is being sent as a tribute entry, as Soundgarden's lead singer, Chris Cornell, recently passed away. I regret not sharing this song with WorldVision a few months ago when it was heavily on my mind to do so. These are not happy circumstances in which to be sending it now, but feels poignant. Rock lost a great musician. There's not many of the grunge legends left now.

 

[Lupus]

Re: Pacific States ☂ WV77 - John Lennon - Imagine

A fact that not many people know about this song is that the majority of the lyrics were written by Yoko Ono. John confessed in later interviews that he should have put his wife's name on the record. "Imagine" was inspired by Yoko's conceptual art book, "Grapefruit"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40286790
It finally happened!

 

[RainyWoods]

Re: Pacific States ☂ WV77 - John Lennon - Imagine

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40286790
It finally happened!

Oh my gosh, that's so lovely. Thanks for letting me know about this Robert "Imagine" picked up the song of the century award as well It's great to see Yoko finally getting the recognition she deserves for playing a big part in the creation of one of the most iconic songs ever.

Patti Smith even performed the song at the award ceremony!

I'd really like to share Yoko Ono with WorldVision again, and try and get justice for the voting error that stopped her reaching the final with "I'm Going Away Smiling". At the moment Yoko is remastering every album she ever made (most now long out of print and incredibly rare to find) and is releasing them in chronological order. I've always wanted to own her album "Fly" but it's been too expensive. Now I can buy a hot new copy of it next month.

 

[RainyWoods]

Good gosh, the state of that main post *flicks holy water*. I'm going to have to clean that up as soon as I get control of this topic again. I can't be dealing with those retro, pixlr made squares. It's all about picfont today. Someone set fire to the top of this greenroom please.

Anyway, i'm back here on impulse. I wanted to send a song spontaneously for this edition, and i've found just the entry which happens to lead me to this corner once again. You could say I had a perfect circle with my Mid-Atlantic stay, and so I guess it was time to return to this lovely region of Pacific States. The song i've planned is not exactly my usual kind of entry. It comes under rock but it's different to anything i've sent prior. It's a supergroup comprised of people from various bands. The genre here is hard to pinpoint. I haven't sent a rock song before with this kind of feel. It's dark and with an unusual structure. Hard to explain, so i'll keep it's secrets a surprise. I will say though that the music video is absolutely awesome. I got goosebumps the first time I experienced it. Excited to reveal this entry to you soon ♥

 

[esc87fan]

So good to see you back where you belong, Kai

 

[RainyWoods]

For the 91st edition of WorldVision, I return to Pacific States, and i'm sharing with you something a tad different from my usual entries. A Perfect Circle are a Los Angeles rock supergroup currently comprised of Tool‘s Maynard James Keenan, Smashing Pumpkins‘ James Iha, Ashes Divide’s Billy Howerdel, Eagles Of Death Metal's Matt McJunkins, and drummer Jeff Friedl. The band formed in 1999 and this song is taken from their upcoming album, Eat the Elephant, which is their first release in fourteen years.

Disillusioned is a dark rock track with quite an unusual structure that I guess could take it into progressive rock territory. There's a stark contrast between the verses and the chorus. The song packs a twist with the chorus gradually stripping away the noise that came before it rather than adding as that part of a song typically would. Instead Maynard James Keenan's dreamy voice encourages you to put your silicone obsessions down and take a look at all that is around you. It's a surreal and beautiful moment in time. It soothes and cleanses, before the song goes back into rock mode, harder and louder than before.

The message of Disillusioned I think is quite easy to understand, thanks to the lyrics and rather haunting Another Brick In The Wall-esque music video. Set almost entirely in black and white, it follows a young girl who's trapped inside a chilling and dark place, where everyone around her is entranced by their portable screens. She manages to escape the cult and outside encounters a group of people standing in a circle. Someone flashes a lighter in front of our protagonists face, seemingly granting her a new level of consciousness. The world around her turns to colour for a brief moment, before she heads back into the digital prison with the lighter to rescue those trapped there and bring them outside. A poignant scene closes the video with them all standing outside side by side, experiencing the beauty of nature together.

(Dopamine, on dopamine...)

We have been overrun by our animal desire
Addicts of the immediate keep us obedient and unaware
Feeding this mutation, this Pavlovian despair

We've become disillusioned
So we run towards anything glimmering

Time to put the silicon obsession down
Take a look around, find a way in the silence
Lie supine away with your back to the ground
Dis- and re-connect to the resonance now
You were never an island

Unique voice among the many in this choir
Tuning into each other, lift all higher

(Dopamine, on dopamine...)

Willingly been re-wired by clever agents within
Looping our reflections, our obsessions draw us in
Fix and fixation, no sentience beyond

We've become disillusioned
So we dive like crows towards anything glittering

Time to put the silicon obsession down
Take a look around, find a way in the silence
Lie supine away with your back to the ground
Dis- and re-connect to the resonance now
You were never an island

Unique voice among the many in this choir
Tuning into each other, lift all higher

☂​

 

[RainyWoods]

16th in the Final with 118 Points
10th in Semi 2 with 70 Points / 2nd REJU with 53 Points​

Thank you for the very sweet result you gave A Perfect Circle and their song, Disillusioned. Maynard James Keenan (who you can see pictured above) may have had beautiful shoulder length hair, but his style of rock was something different to the stuff i'd usually send, so I didn't really have much of an idea how well this would be received. I think it's a touching and haunting song. I'm glad some of you seemed to appreciate it. I've been exploring A Perfect Circle's discography this past month, and i'm looking forward to their upcoming new album release. I'm going to check out Maynard's band Tool next and see how I get on. A special thank you to Kris, Wes and Alex for the 12 points I'm so happy you liked the song that much.


xwhistle






sb




I think I know what i'm going to be sending next edition, a super infectious and catchy band i've wanted to share since last year, but i've got a few other urges as well. Whatever I go with though, i'm going to try and make sure it something fun, or upbeat at the very least. My entries have all been dark or melancholic recently, so I need to change my mood. *Tammy Brown voice* "Change your mood Rainy. Change your mood, change it aroooound". *twirls*

 

[RainyWoods]

For WV92 my childhood queen is coming to the WorldVision party for the first time. I was listening to this song the other day and I thought to myself "gosh darn it, just send it already". I've had this on my list to send since the dawn of time, and if I don't do it now, I might not ever. Have to force myself whilst i'm in the right mood. The song is a mid 00s pop rock anthem and I must have spammed the album the track was from a million times back in the day. I still adore the song as much as I ever did. It's ferociously fabulous. The singer has such a distinct voice and was (true story) my childhood idol. I wanted to be like her Looking forward to revealing who she is. Maybe I should have said nothing to make this entry more of a shock but i'm too excited to finally be competing with this artist to say nothing.

I'll send the band I originally had in mind for this edition to WV93. A couple of fun entries in a row is what I need right now

 

[Leydan]

Omg.