Key

It's unfortunate to say that there aren't a lot of Nick Drake albums to choose from to be included in a list like this, however I will say that this one in particular is easily the one I like the most. Not saying the others are bad in any way, i'd include them all on this list, but this one in particular has a special place for whatever reason. One of those reason being that it was the first full album of Nick Drake that I listened to and enjoyed, as is with other albums from other artists. I was a bit skeptical at first because I wasn't too keen on his voice, I actually found it sort of annoying, but with time, it became obvious that this was a person I really wanted to enjoy, and with the help of reading lyrics for the songs he sang, it just dawned on me that I really do enjoy this artist. Of course, i'm one of the many who was disappointed to hear of his lack of attention and short lived life while making the music that he did. I really can't explain in detail why I find this album so enjoyable, I just do. It has the flow, and it grasps my attention fully from front to back. It really is one of his best, and it's held in such high regard for that reason.

Key

The Solo Work of Robert Plant



I talk a bit about Led Zeppelin here and there, but I never mention Robert Plant. It's not that I never wanted to, I just never had the time. I'll try to hit on as many albums I can of his, though it's very hit and miss. I'll get right into it though.


The Principle of Moments

Starting off with the second of his solo albums, but the first of which I actually heard. I found a whole different type of enjoyment out of this, but in a very positive way. Don't get me wrong, I love Robert Plant in whatever he does, but hearing him by himself made me realize that he really does have a voice and can use it to it's fullest extent. This album in particular has a very...laid back 80's feel to it. It's pretty much what you would expect an album released in the 80's to feel like, just add Robert Plant. I do love it though, as it gives me a new side of the singer that I wasn't too familiar with. I find that his voice in his solo work exceeds his work with Zeppelin bar none, however. I could be wrong, it just seems like he's actually singing in his solo work, whereas with Zeppelin, it was more about the looks. Of course, I do like his griddy, grungy type voice with Zeppelin, so there's that. As for personal favorite tracks, i've got a few, but i'll only post one. The first track on the album...



It is simply just fantastic and a very good album to listen to if you feel like lighting up some incense and just chillin and having a good time. It just has that relaxed feel to it, and continues to feel that way throughout the album.

Key

Regular programming will resume January 1st, 2014. See you all in the new year.

Key

We interrupt this stand by for an important message...


lots of changes to be made, all for the good of this journal

While this interruption is sudden, i'll leave this for now:

Unknown Soldier

I've constantly tried to get into Robert Plant's solo career but I never could, the only album that I ever liked was Fate of Nations.

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Metal Wars

Power Metal

Pounding Decibels- A Hard and Heavy History

Key

I know I know, I said i'd be back in the new year, but this idea of a new and improved journal has been flowing in my head for the last week or so, and I think getting it started sooner is better. So...without further ado...


You're probably asking yourself, "Ki, why the change?", well there's a few reasons, and I will focus on the reasons individually as well as state the changes that will be made.

First off, organization. To me, when I restarted a journal on this website, I was more focused on music, and talking about music, but I never kept it organized, and although a lot of the themes were clear as day and you can find what you're looking for with the pretty banners, the content wasn't good enough for the pretty banners, so instead of going so far as to make post look good, I will be starting each post with a certain icon to give a basic idea what to expect. They will always be in the top left corner. They will be as follows:

: If a post in this journal starts with this icon, it means the post is about music, and will contain either my opinions about a band, or music video, or live show, basically anything about music will be labeled with this.

: If a post is marked with this specific icon, the post will contain some random ramblings rather it be about music or not. Think of it as a place for me to just write about my thoughts, music related, or not. It could be anything to do with talking about where I live, or just talking about what I did today, and to keep a theme, I may post a video to represent the day with song, since this is in fact a music journal. The post won't always be just about music.

: If a post begins with this icon, it means the post is specifically game related. I'm no stranger to talking about video games at this forum, but I want to incorporate it into my journal. It can be anything from talking about video game soundtracks, to video games in general that I enjoy.

And that about wraps it up. This will be the layout for my journal come 2014, but I wanted to release this early so you can all give it some thought and know what to expect. I wanted to keep it simple and organized, and that's just how this is going to work. I won't be making banners for my posts, they will include one of three icons posted about.

Anyway, I hope everyone has had a great Christmas, and I wish everyone a Happy New Year. I will see you all in a few days with some new posts with the new format.

Cheers.

Trollheart

Nice one Ki! Like the idea for the new format, though I'd venture to say you're already the one who has put the most work and thought into their journal on a consistent basis certainly over the last few months. As I said in the Update Thread, you've become the beating heart of the section. So looking forward to your new updates.

Happy Christmas man, and a Happy New Year! And to your lady also, obviously.

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Key

It's the New Year, finally. Time to do some more posting in this journal. I've got a fun idea that will be a great way to introduce this new format. I want to start by talking about the one hit wonders we either love or hate that roamed through the internet in 2013. There's probably quite a few worth mentioning and vice versa, but i'll just mention the ones that I did actually come to enjoy after a little while.

Starting off, what would a one hit wonder list of 2013 be without mention Psy's hit "Gangnam Style". Certainly all of us have heard it by now, and if not, what rock have you been living under. Seriously, this song made it everywhere, and for it to have gotten so big in America of all places was both a shock and a pleasant surprise to anyone who learned of it.



Not going to lie, it ranking close to 2 billion views on Youtube really came to no surprise as the song itself appeals to a number of audiences, especially those with a short attention span like myself. It keeps the beat, and it makes it fun.

With that of course came live performances etc etc, but I really do have to mention his performance for the 2013 New Year. Honestly, it was pretty cool seeing someone like Psy dancing alongside someone as big as MC Hammer (although, not so hot these days).



Seeing everybody dancing along and singing along to a song that isn't even in English is pretty damn cool, especially for an internet phenomenon. Like most people obviously, I haven't checked out any of his other work, but he did however get spotted again with another "hit" titled Gentleman:



Although people seemed to enjoy it, I feel like it was made more for the publicity. I feel he was thinking perhaps he can use the fandom he has created to release some more catchy tunes to hopefully match up to Gangnam Style, however in all honesty, I don't think we'll get another Gangnam Style out of Psy for as long as he sticks around. Gangnam Style definitely made 2013 a very cool year, and a fun one at that, but to hope for another from the same artist is a bit of a stretch.

Key

Continuing on from the one hit wonders of 2013, it would be shameful if I didn't mention yet another well known hit from the year, we all know it, but perhaps not as many people love it as much as others. It's not so much that it's catchy more for the fact that it is just straight up stupid but in the way that it's stupidly enjoyable. I'm speaking of course of...



Of course, it does appeal to anybody who listens to the radio during the day, as it's just full of the same bull**** autotune that many artists seem to be clinging onto, however this one does add a bit of originality for the out of sorts chorus, not saying it helps it in any way, but it's different.

What would a one hit wonder be without a live performance? As I mentioned with Gangnam Style, these guys also performed live, and I won't say it's bad because I actually think they carry it through a live performance very well:



Some people who have never heard this are probably thinking to themselves..."this is a joke, right?", and me personally, I have to say that I do think it's just meant as a joke. We all know that when something gets noticed on the internet, it blows up, but this honestly cannot be more than a joke that just got big. This'll definitely always remain as a one hit wonder, but nothing wrong with the band enjoying their 5 minutes in fame for making something that isn't meant to be taken seriously.

Key

As much as I've been wanting to play games more, time just doesn't allow for it. However, there are two that I am definitely enjoying at the moment.

#1 being Pokemon X. I got it as a Christmas gift, and I cannot freaking believe how long it took me to finally be able to play it. This is such an amazing game, and everything about it just allows for a beautiful gameplay experience. It's funny how the company who makes the games can continue to shock us when the experience is basically the same throughout the series, but hey, if something works, there's no reason to change it.

When I heard they were going to incorporate mega evolution into the game, I thought it was a weird and unnecessary concept, but then I played the game and got to experience it for myself, and I noticed it actually does help a lot especially in a tricky situation where you just need that little added boost. I also like how they incorporate it into the story as something they are attempting to further research, very well done in that respect.

Haven't beat the elite four yet, but my team is nothing too spectacular, so I won't really bother going into much detail about it. I tend to just stick with pokemon that I get from the beginning and carry them with me until the end.

Anyway, the other game I've been playing a lot more again is Minecraft. 1.7 was released a little bit ago and this has got to be one of my all time favorite updates so far, for one reason...new music!



I know I know, the music isn't the main thing about the game, but you can agree that when you started playing the game, the music did help set the atmosphere of the game, and just made it that much more enjoyable to play. A friend and I yesterday have just been reeking havoc in creative mode every now and then, last night we actually found a village: