The music video for "Gotta Be Somebody" by Nickelback came out this week. When I first watched it, I was confused and didn't really like it. But after multiple watchings, I'm beginning to like it.
One of the reasons I, at first, did not like the video is because of the fake movie quality thing going on. After a while, I began to think that it actually adds to the video. It may look like a bad home video but it makes it realistic in another way.
I think this song has a deeper meaning than most listeners suspect. The video seems to suggest this song is not about looking for somebody to fall in love with, but to know somebody is there such as God. The video shows planets at the beginning so the line "there's gotta be somebody for me out there" may actually be a way of showing that the song is about God. Also, the way Chad and the rest of the band keep looking up seem to confirm my suspicions. My thoughts may not be right, but it's my take on the song.
Showing posts with label nickelback. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nickelback. Show all posts
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
NICKELBACK HATERS
So as I'm (sort of) studying for my finals, I happen to make my way onto youtube and iTunes and begin to read the comments about the new Nickelback CD. I try to avoid doing this because there are usually only 2 kinds of reviews- the people who hate Nickelback for all the same reasons or the people that love them but nothing in between. I respect some of the reviews that don't like it, I don't like some bands although I usually don't write hateful reviews. The ones that really bother me though, are the ones that don't give any reasons or just use the same reasons that've been used over and over. Usually when I wear my Nickelback shirt from the fabulous concert I went to, people feel the need to come up to me and lecture me on why Nickelback is a terrible band and they are ruining music. I don't know why people do this, obviously the only people who can make me believe that are the band itself, plus it's incredibly rude. So I'm going to try and disprove the repetivitive reasons that people use to justify their hating of my band. It's not going to make anyone change their minds probably, but it will make me feel better.
1. The number one reason everyone uses is..........all their songs sound the same. I have no idea how many times I've heard or seen this but it's used a lot. First off, it's not a good reason. If Nickelback suddenly changed their sound and sounded different, I probably wouldn't like them. It's true with all bands, you like them because of the particular way they sound and you don't want them to change. If you listen to almost any band out there, there songs will probably sound similar, although not the same. But that's why people listen to them.
The people who say this have also obviously not listened to all their songs, or even one of their albums. There are 3 distinct categories that their songs fall into, which is more than most bands have. The rock songs are usually not played on the radio which is why people dismiss Nickelback as sounding all the same, because they don't bother doing a little research before insulting. About half their album is always rock songs though while the other half is either upbeat but not hard rock songs or the ballads. These are played more on the radio although I can't figure out why people think they sound the same. Especially on this new CD, there is a distinct difference in the types of music they play.
2. Another reason that is frequently used is actually by previous Nickelback fans that "were there from the beginning" but now can't stand the band because all their songs have become "radio friendly". True, Chad's voice isn't as rough as it was in the beginning but since I'm not a huge rock fan, I like them better now. There are lots of people complaining that "they need to restore the balance from hard rock and the ballads". If I look at the list of songs correctly, there are 6 rock songs out of the 11. That seems like balance to me, although maybe I can't do hard math like that since learning trig. But I really don't like when people insult my band with something that isn't true.
And the "radio friendliness"? Because getting your songs played on the radio is terrible. Everyone would rather be in an obsure band with a weird name that is only played on select random websites. No one wants to be a multi platinum award winning band that has millions of fans and currently has the number one album on iTunes beating out Beyonce's. But seriously, a lot of their songs are not exactly something you would hear on the radio. Sure the songs on the radio become big hits but that is because people actually like them. A lot of people say nobody likes Nickelback, "you can't call that crap, music or art". There must be people who like them though because there songs and CDs become popular. But wait, nobody likes bands that everybody likes.
1. The number one reason everyone uses is..........all their songs sound the same. I have no idea how many times I've heard or seen this but it's used a lot. First off, it's not a good reason. If Nickelback suddenly changed their sound and sounded different, I probably wouldn't like them. It's true with all bands, you like them because of the particular way they sound and you don't want them to change. If you listen to almost any band out there, there songs will probably sound similar, although not the same. But that's why people listen to them.
The people who say this have also obviously not listened to all their songs, or even one of their albums. There are 3 distinct categories that their songs fall into, which is more than most bands have. The rock songs are usually not played on the radio which is why people dismiss Nickelback as sounding all the same, because they don't bother doing a little research before insulting. About half their album is always rock songs though while the other half is either upbeat but not hard rock songs or the ballads. These are played more on the radio although I can't figure out why people think they sound the same. Especially on this new CD, there is a distinct difference in the types of music they play.
2. Another reason that is frequently used is actually by previous Nickelback fans that "were there from the beginning" but now can't stand the band because all their songs have become "radio friendly". True, Chad's voice isn't as rough as it was in the beginning but since I'm not a huge rock fan, I like them better now. There are lots of people complaining that "they need to restore the balance from hard rock and the ballads". If I look at the list of songs correctly, there are 6 rock songs out of the 11. That seems like balance to me, although maybe I can't do hard math like that since learning trig. But I really don't like when people insult my band with something that isn't true.
And the "radio friendliness"? Because getting your songs played on the radio is terrible. Everyone would rather be in an obsure band with a weird name that is only played on select random websites. No one wants to be a multi platinum award winning band that has millions of fans and currently has the number one album on iTunes beating out Beyonce's. But seriously, a lot of their songs are not exactly something you would hear on the radio. Sure the songs on the radio become big hits but that is because people actually like them. A lot of people say nobody likes Nickelback, "you can't call that crap, music or art". There must be people who like them though because there songs and CDs become popular. But wait, nobody likes bands that everybody likes.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
DARK HORSE
To be a true fan of a certain band or singer, I think that you have to like two consecutive albums. The true test of my Nickelback fanness happened on November 18. Because it's finally here. After the two long years since I became a fan when the single "Far Away" came out, the new Nickelback CD I've been waiting for is finally out. I haven't bought it yet, although it's been a day since November 18. I'm planning on giving it to myself this weekend as an early Thanksgiving gift. I can't wait until Christmas to get it. So even though I haven't bought it, I'm going to go ahead and review it based on iTunes samples and Youtube.
1. Something In Your Mouth: This song is disgusting. But it's okay if you don't listen to the words and ignore the chorus. The rest of the song is actually okay as long as you kind of tune the words out. Other than that it's incredibly gross but not terrible.
2. Burn it to the Ground: This is my favorite rock song on the album. It's awesome. I really like the guitar beat in the background and the chorus is contagious.
3. Gotta Be Somebody: Love this song, it definately makes the top 3. It is a great first single and from the beginning to the end it's great. The lyrics are awesome, they will appeal to a lot of people, and I think it is going to be a hit. Even the haters sometimes admit this song is okay. It will also make a good running song.
4. I'd Come for You: This is a great song. Second best on this album in my opinion. Good lyrics, good music, it has everything. It starts off great without the drums in a more acoustic feel. It's another one of those power ballads that Nickelback rocks at so I think this will also be a hit.
5. Next Go Round: So basically the entire song is terrible except the chorus which is still not the best. It gets slightly better towards the end, but this song is really bad. I expected better.
6. Just to Get High: I like most of this song especially the guitar solo except for when Chad does this weird voice thing. It's just too weird and doesn't sound good. The rest of the song is pretty good.
7. Never Gonna Be Alone: I absolutely love this song. It's one of the greatest songs ever. I loved it in the first two seconds, the beginning is perfect. I have listened to this song over and over and I still love every part, even though it's stuck in my head. It's so fitting that the greatest song of this album is number seven. It's like the "Far Away" (my favorite song ever) of this album. If this is not a huge hit, than I don't know what will be. Somebody mentioned this would be a good song for weddings and I've decided that at my wedding this song will play because it's beautiful. This song is Nickelback.
8. Shakin' Hands: This song is terrible. There's no good part of this song. The lyrics are immature and gross, the music isn't that great, they are bringing up Disney princesses in this terrible song, it's not good. This might be the first and last time I listen to this song.
9. S.E.X.: It's not as bad as the one before it, but it's not good. Once again with the lyrics, they are a little bit graphic but beyond that, it's not a bad song. It has a nice beat but the lyrics have that shallow teenage boy thing going on again. I think Nickelback is having trouble growing up.
10. If Today Was Your Last Day: I like this song, it's pretty good. I like the lyrics, they're inspirational, and it sounds cool. It's one of their power ballads, which I love so this is one of my favorites.
11. This Afternoon: It's a little too country but it's not bad. The chorus is my favorite part but I don't particulary like the beginning. I like more of a rock sound, but I think it's okay as an ending to the album. The people talking in the background gets annoying too.
Overall, I think this CD was better than "All the Right Reasons". Although Dark Horse has more bad songs than the last one, it also has more fantastic songs. People who were fans of beginning Nickelback may be a little disappointed, because there are more ballads on this CD and the Nickelback haters will still not be happy. I am happy with this album though and I think most people will be.
1. Something In Your Mouth: This song is disgusting. But it's okay if you don't listen to the words and ignore the chorus. The rest of the song is actually okay as long as you kind of tune the words out. Other than that it's incredibly gross but not terrible.
2. Burn it to the Ground: This is my favorite rock song on the album. It's awesome. I really like the guitar beat in the background and the chorus is contagious.
3. Gotta Be Somebody: Love this song, it definately makes the top 3. It is a great first single and from the beginning to the end it's great. The lyrics are awesome, they will appeal to a lot of people, and I think it is going to be a hit. Even the haters sometimes admit this song is okay. It will also make a good running song.
4. I'd Come for You: This is a great song. Second best on this album in my opinion. Good lyrics, good music, it has everything. It starts off great without the drums in a more acoustic feel. It's another one of those power ballads that Nickelback rocks at so I think this will also be a hit.
5. Next Go Round: So basically the entire song is terrible except the chorus which is still not the best. It gets slightly better towards the end, but this song is really bad. I expected better.
6. Just to Get High: I like most of this song especially the guitar solo except for when Chad does this weird voice thing. It's just too weird and doesn't sound good. The rest of the song is pretty good.
7. Never Gonna Be Alone: I absolutely love this song. It's one of the greatest songs ever. I loved it in the first two seconds, the beginning is perfect. I have listened to this song over and over and I still love every part, even though it's stuck in my head. It's so fitting that the greatest song of this album is number seven. It's like the "Far Away" (my favorite song ever) of this album. If this is not a huge hit, than I don't know what will be. Somebody mentioned this would be a good song for weddings and I've decided that at my wedding this song will play because it's beautiful. This song is Nickelback.
8. Shakin' Hands: This song is terrible. There's no good part of this song. The lyrics are immature and gross, the music isn't that great, they are bringing up Disney princesses in this terrible song, it's not good. This might be the first and last time I listen to this song.
9. S.E.X.: It's not as bad as the one before it, but it's not good. Once again with the lyrics, they are a little bit graphic but beyond that, it's not a bad song. It has a nice beat but the lyrics have that shallow teenage boy thing going on again. I think Nickelback is having trouble growing up.
10. If Today Was Your Last Day: I like this song, it's pretty good. I like the lyrics, they're inspirational, and it sounds cool. It's one of their power ballads, which I love so this is one of my favorites.
11. This Afternoon: It's a little too country but it's not bad. The chorus is my favorite part but I don't particulary like the beginning. I like more of a rock sound, but I think it's okay as an ending to the album. The people talking in the background gets annoying too.
Overall, I think this CD was better than "All the Right Reasons". Although Dark Horse has more bad songs than the last one, it also has more fantastic songs. People who were fans of beginning Nickelback may be a little disappointed, because there are more ballads on this CD and the Nickelback haters will still not be happy. I am happy with this album though and I think most people will be.
Friday, October 24, 2008
I DID MY BEST
Well, my miracle didn't happen. We didn't make it to state, we got 6th out of 9 teams. I'm not that disappointed but I still am a little. You always have this hope at the back of your mind that you will do whatever you set out to do. What I'm most upset about is that xc is over. Sure, I hate it sometimes but I really love it. I can barely walk right now, my right hamstring hurts so bad, but I'd give almost anything to go to state and continue practice. Right now my life seems empty. A week without running is basically empty. So to make it seem like xc hasn't ended yet, I must do my race report.
First off, it was a good day for a race. Only 42 degrees, pretty windy (although the wind was mostly gone by the time we had our race), and it was misty with only a little rain as I made my way to the starting line. It had raining before though so the ditch we usually run through twice was now a stream. They had to change the course so we went over another little bridge instead of through the ditch, which adds around 20 seconds to your time. I would rather have run through the ditch, we could have just jumped over the stream. They should let the runner's make these choices, it would have been around 3/4 of a mile with wet spikes which I would willingly go through to get a better time.
We actually warmed up as a team for the first time this year and we had 9 people warming up because, also for the first time this year, we were running a full varsity team (with 2 alternates). We warmed up 50 minutes instead of an hour before, which is what I usually do, because it gives me more time to stretch and do all my stuff. My right ankle was hurting a little bit but my hamstring felt pretty good. I was wearing all my under armour so I wouldn't freeze although I liked the weather. As I walked over to the finish line, it was beginning to rain. But around 3 minutes later it stopped. We did the usual strides but we didn't do a cheer or have a pep talk like the other teams.
So we take the sweats off at the last minute of course and right away the gun goes off. I was going to try to keep track of my teammates so I could try to keep up with them. I was actually trying to pace myself this time, but at the beginning you don't pace yourself. You run with everyone else who has to sprint the first 800m. My first 800m was in 3:07 before I settled into the pace I wanted. I was going to try and run 6:30's throughout which on a normal course would get me around 16:15 but around 16:35 on this course. Before we went over the bridge to get to the other side of the course, we always go through this huge crowd of people. When the race started it seemed like no one was there, and although the crowd was a little smaller it seemed a little louder. After we cross the bridge, we go up a slight hill and there is usually people lining the sides. I kind of like this part, because even though it's a hill, it makes me feel like I'm in the Tour de France riding up a mountain. As I went up that hill, I kept repeating to myself that this might be the most important race I have ever run, so I must run fast now and breathe at the end. It also helped that another coach was screaming at his runners that they weren't going fast enough. Our coach is more supportive during the meets, although he's not always the greatest at practices. My first mile was in 6:30, right on the mark.
I really don't like the middle part of the course. It seems long and it's pretty hilly although it doesn't really look that way. There's a bunch of trees too where people tend to bunch up around. The second mile, my hamstring started to hurt. I had put some Bio Freeze stuff on it so I tried to make it feel better. What really helped me during the second mile was the fact that the guy's team cheered for my by name. They've cheered before but this time they called me by my name which mattered more than the other people cheering for me (we also had more people cheering for us this time). I also passed this girl who I really wanted to beat, we kind of have this friendly rivalry thing going on, so I told myself to beat her. I also kept telling myself that I could rest later. At the 2 mile mark, I didn't look at my watch but a coach yelled out 13:30. I started sprinted around this point.
Around 500m to the finish, I started slowing down a little. This girl I had been running with (from a different team) told me that I could do this, that I could keep up with her. Besides wondering why she would tell an opposing runner this when we are all trying to beat each other so we can go to state, it really inspired me. I immediately sprinted and I tried to keep up with her as long as possible. At about the 400m mark there was a lot of people yelling and cheering. On the left side I could see the finish line and people cheering. I knew that I had to make these last 400m good. Then there was almost nobody and everyone was sprinting. I sprinted the straightaway, but the last 100m I was exhausted. I was running myself into the ground, I wasn't standing tall. It was a weird feeling. Around 10m from the line, me and the girl who talked to me caught a member of the team that runs together. My coach had told me to try and catch these girls and now 3 of us were sprinting for the line. I accidently (and it truly was an accident) elbowed the other girl. The fact that I was sprinting and I was tired was making my form get sloppy. All of a sudden the other girls elbow each other and we all started elbowing each other. The other girls beat me across the line, but I really gave it all. My time was 16:46 which was only 2 seconds faster than last week but they had made the course around 20 seconds longer. I think I could have dealt with wet shoes though to maybe get a new PR. My coach was happy with me and another girl and even though we didn't make it to state I still am proud of my team. I beat the girl I wanted to win against and it helped the fact that I got caught at the finish line. I think I improved a lot mentally and physically in this race though. I'm going to miss xc. I tried my hardest and I did pretty good.
On the plus side, after my race when I got into the car one of my new favorite songs, "Gotta be Somebody" by Nickelback comes on. They always make you feel better.
First off, it was a good day for a race. Only 42 degrees, pretty windy (although the wind was mostly gone by the time we had our race), and it was misty with only a little rain as I made my way to the starting line. It had raining before though so the ditch we usually run through twice was now a stream. They had to change the course so we went over another little bridge instead of through the ditch, which adds around 20 seconds to your time. I would rather have run through the ditch, we could have just jumped over the stream. They should let the runner's make these choices, it would have been around 3/4 of a mile with wet spikes which I would willingly go through to get a better time.
We actually warmed up as a team for the first time this year and we had 9 people warming up because, also for the first time this year, we were running a full varsity team (with 2 alternates). We warmed up 50 minutes instead of an hour before, which is what I usually do, because it gives me more time to stretch and do all my stuff. My right ankle was hurting a little bit but my hamstring felt pretty good. I was wearing all my under armour so I wouldn't freeze although I liked the weather. As I walked over to the finish line, it was beginning to rain. But around 3 minutes later it stopped. We did the usual strides but we didn't do a cheer or have a pep talk like the other teams.
So we take the sweats off at the last minute of course and right away the gun goes off. I was going to try to keep track of my teammates so I could try to keep up with them. I was actually trying to pace myself this time, but at the beginning you don't pace yourself. You run with everyone else who has to sprint the first 800m. My first 800m was in 3:07 before I settled into the pace I wanted. I was going to try and run 6:30's throughout which on a normal course would get me around 16:15 but around 16:35 on this course. Before we went over the bridge to get to the other side of the course, we always go through this huge crowd of people. When the race started it seemed like no one was there, and although the crowd was a little smaller it seemed a little louder. After we cross the bridge, we go up a slight hill and there is usually people lining the sides. I kind of like this part, because even though it's a hill, it makes me feel like I'm in the Tour de France riding up a mountain. As I went up that hill, I kept repeating to myself that this might be the most important race I have ever run, so I must run fast now and breathe at the end. It also helped that another coach was screaming at his runners that they weren't going fast enough. Our coach is more supportive during the meets, although he's not always the greatest at practices. My first mile was in 6:30, right on the mark.
I really don't like the middle part of the course. It seems long and it's pretty hilly although it doesn't really look that way. There's a bunch of trees too where people tend to bunch up around. The second mile, my hamstring started to hurt. I had put some Bio Freeze stuff on it so I tried to make it feel better. What really helped me during the second mile was the fact that the guy's team cheered for my by name. They've cheered before but this time they called me by my name which mattered more than the other people cheering for me (we also had more people cheering for us this time). I also passed this girl who I really wanted to beat, we kind of have this friendly rivalry thing going on, so I told myself to beat her. I also kept telling myself that I could rest later. At the 2 mile mark, I didn't look at my watch but a coach yelled out 13:30. I started sprinted around this point.
Around 500m to the finish, I started slowing down a little. This girl I had been running with (from a different team) told me that I could do this, that I could keep up with her. Besides wondering why she would tell an opposing runner this when we are all trying to beat each other so we can go to state, it really inspired me. I immediately sprinted and I tried to keep up with her as long as possible. At about the 400m mark there was a lot of people yelling and cheering. On the left side I could see the finish line and people cheering. I knew that I had to make these last 400m good. Then there was almost nobody and everyone was sprinting. I sprinted the straightaway, but the last 100m I was exhausted. I was running myself into the ground, I wasn't standing tall. It was a weird feeling. Around 10m from the line, me and the girl who talked to me caught a member of the team that runs together. My coach had told me to try and catch these girls and now 3 of us were sprinting for the line. I accidently (and it truly was an accident) elbowed the other girl. The fact that I was sprinting and I was tired was making my form get sloppy. All of a sudden the other girls elbow each other and we all started elbowing each other. The other girls beat me across the line, but I really gave it all. My time was 16:46 which was only 2 seconds faster than last week but they had made the course around 20 seconds longer. I think I could have dealt with wet shoes though to maybe get a new PR. My coach was happy with me and another girl and even though we didn't make it to state I still am proud of my team. I beat the girl I wanted to win against and it helped the fact that I got caught at the finish line. I think I improved a lot mentally and physically in this race though. I'm going to miss xc. I tried my hardest and I did pretty good.
On the plus side, after my race when I got into the car one of my new favorite songs, "Gotta be Somebody" by Nickelback comes on. They always make you feel better.
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