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Top Ten Most Annoying Songs

In Multifarious, Music, Top Tens on April 25, 2011 at 7:05 pm

Music can be sublime, beautiful, inspiring and memorable

It can also be dreadful, horrific and drive you up the wall.

This, unfortunately, is the latter.

We all know the songs, the ones which make you think “What in God’s name was that?” before it stays in your head driving you bonkers for the rest of the day.

These are my selections, if you don’t agree please comment below with your own suggestions.

10. Barbie Girl – Aqua

This was Number One in the charts for far too long at some points in the late 1990s.

This was a godawful piece of Europop from a group called Aqua, who were surprisingly successful and even down the line made a “serious” record.

Serious this aint, documenting what it’s like to be a doll in a serious relationship.

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9.mmmbop - Hanson

Yeah,  we all remember this.

Three brothers who looked like girls with high voices put out this ridiculously annoying song called “mmmbop”.

“What’s an mmmbop?” I hear you ask.

I don’t know, but it’s something clearly very annoying.

This reminds me of a friend of mine who walked in the room while this vid was playing, saw the lead singer and went “Cor, she’s fit” before realising he had made a fatal, never-to-be-forgotten error.

8. Agadoo-Black Lace

This piece of 1984 garbage by Black Lace never made it to Number One, which is merciful, but is still always played at hotels full  of Scottish holidaymakers armed with hilarious fake plastic bottoms in Torremelinos.

“Push pineapple shake the tree” – inspired.

Q Magazine, where people know way more than me about these things, declared it the worst song ever made.

EDIT: It appears WordPress hates it too, as it won’t let me up load the video. It’s here.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=agadoo&aq=f

7. Beautiful South

If there was an award for most annoying band, this lot would cruise to it.

I’ve always loathed their bland, pointless music.

Then, as I got older I heard their meaningless, stupid lyrics, and they became an instant “station changer” in the car.

There’s a wide range of their rubbish available on youtube this is one chosen at random, they’re all equally terrible.

6. Saturday Night-Whigfield

A Danish singer called Whigfield made this hateful bit of Eurodancepop nonsense when I was a kid at school.

Like most terrible songs it came with an accompanying dance which all the girls did at school discos while the boys sat and tried to be cool.

 

5. King of Rock and Roll- Prefab Sprout

This is regarded as an 80s classic, but I loathe it.

It’s the stupid  chorus “hot dog, jumping frog, Al-ber-querque that particularly gets me.

What does it mean?

Bog all that’s what

It’s irritating from start to finish and a real sticker in your head.

4. Blue – Eiffel 65

Those Europeans have a lot to answer for.

First Aqua, then Whigfield, then this.

Blue, the tale of a little blue man living in a little blue world is a mind-meltingly repetitive piece of non-music.

Rubbish.

 

3.  Rockstar-Nickelback

To a man, people who know about music all hate Nickelback.

They sold huge amounts of records in America, which suggests their brand of super-commercial rock music is rubbish.

Then, they annoyed music snobs even more by producing this cheesy attempt at irony saying people want live a rock star life rather than do it for the music like man.

The irony being that this is a super-annoying attempt at producing a catchy bestseller.

Yah, this is like way too commercial man.

2. birdie Song

Don’t really need to say much about this, still heard a lot in wedding discos.

There’s no proper vid, but lots of annoying things available instead.

1.Achy Breaky Heart

Miley Cyrus senior had a tremendous mullet, and did something no-one should ever do and brought country and western to the mainstream British public.

It did well in the charts and again sold loads in America, where they like that sort of thing, like they like guns, big portions and preachers.

Top Ten Worst Ever Music Videos.

In Multifarious, Music, Top Tens on January 16, 2011 at 3:09 pm

 

Music videos should always be good, the technology and the cash was always there to create something special, and often to cover up terrible songs.
But yet, so many people fail on this front.

Westlife, for example, only make black and white videos of them standing signing together.

And a lot fall into the trap of trying to be too clever with videos, making them confusing and pointless.

I’ve conducted a thorough search, I’ve DEFINITELY watched every single music video ever made from start to finish to come up with the ultimate top ten.

 

There’s quite a range of music and video styles here, I’ve gone for sheer rubbish, stupid concepts and epic videos with very silly plots.

 

 

 

 

10.

Peter Andre

Mysterious Girl
 
 
 

 

My old school chums will remember when Pete came to perform in the school hall, prompting a near riot by over-excited teenage girls.

With hair like worms, a massive schnoz and that famous six-pack, the super-greasy Aussie was pin up material back in the 1990s.

He also came up with rubbish like this, what a shocking haircut, strutting along the beach in the Caribbean blissfully unaware of how cheesy he looks.

Why’s he in the sea wearing jeans?

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

9.

The Bee Gees

Stayin’ Alive
 
 
 

 

Just for the hair, the clothes, the fact they seem to be wandering around in a post-apocalyptic wasteland and the fact they keep using the same shot of them popping out from behind the blown-out windows of a house.

Great song, not such a great vid.

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

8.

 

Lionel Ritchie

Hello
 
 
 

 

This is one of those “story” videos, but the concept is so ridiculous it had to feature.

Lionel is a lecturer at a college who falls in love with one of students (that’s him sacked).
It turns out she’s blind.

So the line “is it me you’re looking for?” takes a new meaning, clearly it’s not himshe’s looking for because because she’s blind.

The two highlights are him singing down the phone and the ridiculous bit at the end where she’s perfectly sculpted his mighty afro in clay, despite being blind and not knowing what he looks like.

Lionel is one of the most successful ever, I hope he looks back on this and feels just a tad embarrassed.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.

 

The Weather Girls

It’s Raining Men
 
 
 

 

It’s a dance floor classic, but certainly not a video classic.

Done on a budget of about 37p, it shows men and women flying around with umbrellas.

It’s stupid and looks terrible.

The mighty Weather Girls didn’t make any other records.

 

 

6.

Guns N Roses

November Rain
 
 
 

 

This is a classic epic rock video, nine minutes of self-indulgent nonsense.

It’s a shame because it’s a brilliant song, but it’s a hugely expensive, ultimately rubbish video.

So we’re at a concert, then we’re in a bar, then we’re at a wedding, then the wedding stops so the guitarist can go outside the church in a desert to do a solo (ignoring the fact there‘s nowhere to plug his guitar in), then we’re back at the concert, everyone’s changed their clothes, then we’re back at the wedding and everyone’s dancing, oh, we’re back at the concert, oh, no wait, we’re at the wedding, and now it’s raining and someone’s spilt a bottle of red wine, then we’re back at a funeral, who’s died? God only knows.

Then Axl wakes up and, lo and behold, it’s all a dream.

  

 

 

5.

Michael Jackson and Sir Paul McCartney

Say Say Say

 

These two made a terrible record called “The Girl is Mine”, and while this is a better song, this barmy wild west video is very irritating.

Watch it and notice just how much more talented Jacko is in every way compared to the miserly scouser.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.

 

Meatloaf

Anything for Love (But I won’t do that)
 
 
 

 

So, the contradictory title of the song clearly states you won’t do anything for love, will you loaf?

Meatloaf is notorious for writing ridiculous songs (Life is a Lemon and I want my money back, anyone?) but this near eight minute saga is ridiculous on a whole new level.

He plays the beast out of beauty and the beast, looking on as he lusts after a gorgeous girl, who of course lives in a castle in the middle of nowhere and has baths wearing clothes.

Then the cops turn up for no real reason, she sings a bit and he becomes a normal person and gets the girl. Hurrah.

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

3.

Backstreet Boys

I’ll Never Break Your Heart.

 

This is summed up simply by Christmas jumpers, ski-wear, curtains.

Why everyone laughs at boy bands.

They all look like school boys.

  

 

2.

New Order

True Faith

 

There’s a prize for anyone who can explain to me what on earth is happening in this bizarre, nonsensical video by the same band who made the brilliant World in Motion 1990 World Cup song.

It was choreographed by Frenchman Philippe Decouflé, who convinced the band having people leaping backwards in ludicrous outfits was a good way to represent the song.

It wasn’t, it made everyone think “what the hell is this?”

Utterly pretentious, meaningless and downright stupid.

Of course, I could be being thick and missed the point of the greatest piece video-making in the history of music.

How people in weird puffy outfits represent a song which seems to be about a bloke who’s a bit down about his relationship ending is beyond me.

 

 

 

1.

David Hasslehoff

Hooked on a Feeling

 

Thanks to the internet, and the weird trend of people deciding things that were rubbish in their youth are suddenly now cool, The Hoff is has made a most unwelcome return to the public eye.

The former Knightrider and Baywatch star has sold stacks of records in Germany, which tells you all you need to know.

What I don’t understand is that The Hoff is clearly fabulously rich, so why does this terrible video for an even worse song look so terrible?

It’s just unbelievably awful. I can’t get to the end of it.

 

 

Top Ten Kids TV Themes

In Comment, Television, Top Tens on December 5, 2010 at 3:37 pm

 

People my age (cough, 29), spend a lot of time talking about the good old days of kids TV.

The 80s and 90s were where it was at for TV, where it seemed good music was just as important as a good show.

Here’s the Top Ten Kids TV Themes.

There are two things to point out here.

One, this is the best music, not the best show, there may well be some stinkers below.

Two, I am a man, therefore as a child I didn’t watch girl’s programmes, therefore, the music I have selcted is distinctly boy-ee.

If any ladies out there want to do a more girly top ten, or make some suggestions, I’ll happily put it up.

10.

Chipmunks Go to the Movies

This was a little-remembered spin-off from Alvin and the Chipmunks cartoon.

In it, Alvin and his chums re-create scenes from famous films.

It wasn’t classic but the music is ace.

9. Dogtanian and the Three Muskerhounds

A take on the clasic story of the Three Musketeers, but with dogs.

I like the bit in the intro where Dogtanian defies the laws of physics to cut up a floating apple.

8.

Darkwing Duck

This is a bit more modern, mid 90s I reckon.

Can’t remember much about the show to be honest, apart from that it was about a mysterious crime-fighting duck.

Great music though, including the genius “whenever you’re in trouble you call DW” line.

Lets Get Dangerous.

7.  Danger Mouse

A very funny cartoon starring the vocal talents of David Jason, who was also Count Duckula in a later show.

Danger Mouse and his timid sidekick Penfold were secret agents battling the evil Baron Greenback and his weird furry mate called Stiletto.

 

 

6.

Bucky O’Hare

I remember getting very excited as a nine-year-old when this came on.

It’s about a speccy kid who somehow finds himself embroiled in a space war between mammals and toads.

The mammals were led by the brilliantly named Bucky O’Hare, who flew around in the even more brilliantly named ship “The Righteous Indignation”.

5.

Thundercats

We all remember this one, alien planet of cat-people battling scary baddie Mumm-ra.

Check out Liono’s bouff, and Panthro had the best voice ever.

Snarf was a right dork though.

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

This caused a stir back in  1989, where every boy in the country got very excited and started playing ninja in the playground.

Happily, this was before the days of health and safety so we were able to kick and punch each other (for a bit anyway).

Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo spent their time living in the sewer eating pizza and beating up The Shredder and his foot soldiers.

 

 3. Defenders of the Earth

Flash Gordon was the leader of defenders of the earth (which sounds rather like an environment group), who fought endlessly against the Ming the Merciless.

Lothar was an absolute badass.

2.

The A-Team

Interestingly, back in 1972 a crack commando unit was wrongly imprisoned for a crime they claimed they did not commit, however, these men escaped, promptly, in to the Los Angeles underground where they continued to survive, but as soldiers of fortune.

They are a little tricky to track down, but if you are in trouble, and if you can find them, maybe you could hire, for a reasonable price and a guaranteed no win, no fee…..The A-Team.

In the show, Hannibal Smith, BA Baracus, Howlin’ mad Murdoch and Faceman Templeton Peck (played by the equally stupid named Dirk Benedict), were hunted by useless bad guy Colonel Decker.

It was famous for the same thing happening in every episode, they’d find themselves locked in a barn with a lot of welding equipment and an old tractor, which they’d then turn into a home-made tank.

Then they’d have a huge gun fight where no-one got shot and a car would go flying through the air before landing on its open top roof with all the occupants then crawling out unhurt.

Good choon though.

To number one and some excellent music to a show everyone remembers but no-one can remember much about.

In the Mysterious Cities of Gold, a group of children flew about in a giant golden condor trying to find El Dorado, the lost city of gold.

I can’t remember anything about it, did they find it or were they all killed in  a tragic condor crash?

Also, how did someone manage to build a flying metal bird in the 16th century?

Answers below…..

Film Review: Machete

In Comment, Film, Multifarious, Review on November 28, 2010 at 4:50 pm

www.kimfrancis.co.uk

She knows lots about films.

If you saw Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror, released in the US as a double feature with Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof and entitled Grindhouse in homage to the genre to which it belongs, you might remember the ‘trailers’ that appeared between the two features. One of those ‘trailers’ was for a film called Machete.

Well, that ‘trailer’ in particular stuck in people’s minds – not least Rodriguez’s – and now the maverick director has turned his germ of an idea into a full length feature film in its own right.

Starring the swarthy, craggy-faced, instantly recognisable Danny Trejo in his first lead role as the eponymous Mexican ex-cop who flees to the US after he is betrayed, Machete soon finds himself on the run again. When he is crossed for a second time by the boss of an organisation that hires him to assassinate racist Senator John McLaughlin (Robert De Niro), the tough renegade (named after his weapon of choice for dispatching bad guys) vows revenge. Getting himself mixed up with a militant group headed up by tough Mexican cookie Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), as well as glamorous immigration investigator Sartana Rivera (Jessica Alba), he secures the assistance of his religious brother Padre Cortez (Cheech Marin) and uncovers some nefarious dealings, shining a light on socio-political issues and marking himself out as a proper ladies man and kick-ass tough guy along the way.

Co-directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis, Machete is stuffed with subtle dark humour played out with typical Rodriguez relish. And though in part Machete is a send-up of the 1970s Exploitation flick – it’s largely tongue-in-cheek – it’s also endlessly affectionate. Robert Rodriguez clearly has a nostalgic passion for the genre.

The Texas-born director revels in gore and there’s plenty of it here – most notably in the inventive scene where Machete uses a man’s entrails to swing from a window after disembowelling the guy in a never-before-seen treat for fellow gore fans. Much of the rest of the violence and bloodletting in the film, however, is far less graphic. Scenes are cut carefully so as not to show too much, with the camera frequently cutting away at the key moment, despite its 18-certificate. This helps to keep the humorous tone that runs throughout intact and gives violent scenes a stylised, comic book feel.

One of the most impressive – and perhaps surprising – aspects of the film is its astonishing cast. With meaty roles for Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Steven Seagal, Jeff Fahey, Lindsay Lohan and Don Johnson (yes, Don Johnson), it’s a cinematic wonder. All make compelling viewing, especially Seagal who plays the wickedly delicious bad guy like no other.

A grossly uninspired script and too much emphasis on the political message leaves the film sagging in the middle – it cries out for some sparkling Tarantino-esque dialogue to really set it alight. Nevertheless, Machete is an intriguing and worthwhile piece of cinema.

There aren’t many auteurs working in Hollywood today and it’s great to see a filmmaker like Rodriguez given free rein to break free and do his own thing. This alone makes Machete worth the admission.

Film Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1

In Film, Multifarious, Review on November 28, 2010 at 4:15 pm

The first of two reviews from the lovely Kim this evening.  www. kimfrancis.co.uk

This is the latest installment of the adventures of the geeky wizard, now battling puberty as well as evil.

Here’s her review. She HATES it. Ha ha ha.

The penultimate film in the wizarding saga hit cinema screens at the weekend – seemingly without an almighty fanfare. And despite taking a whopping $61 million on its opening day in the US, the cinema I was in on opening night in Reading was nigh on deserted: a stark contrast to the crowds that queued round the block for previous instalments. Presumably they’re saving the big noise for the very last one – out next year – confident that fans will inevitably flock before it finishes its run to lap up this (frankly low-key) opener.

This one sees Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) head off on a treacherous journey to recover the remaining horcruxes – objects that contain pieces of the soul of evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) – which they must destroy if they are to prevent Voldemort coming to power and have any chance of defeating his Dark Lordness. It’s a hazardous task but with their strong bond of friendship, a large dose of determination and a little bit of magic, they resolve to do what they have to, evading Death Eaters, dastardly traps, evil henchmen and the Dark Lord himself along the way.

At two and a half hours long and with ultimately little to say, the seventh film in the Harry Potter franchise is a bum-numbing bore-fest with lazily-shot, disorientating action sequences and some laughably bad dialogue, spoken by a trio of young actors whose skills have improved only slightly across the series.

Although this instalment is dark – and therefore potentially unsettling for some children – it still suffers like its predecessors from being not very good. While the series is clearly extremely popular, there is much about all seven films to date that really let them down and the same elements that disappoint in the previous movies are all magnified here.

One of which is the feeling you can’t shake that plagiarism abounds. There is plenty reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings, such as the characters of Dobby the house elf and his elf friend, both of whom are a lot like Gollum. There’s even a locket horcrux with Ring-like powers. There are also times when you are left scratching your head because of the film’s curious logic and its inability to explain certain actions and consequences; we are frequently left to ponder why A equals B.

Reduced screen time for the cast of talented British thespians also has a damaging impact on the film – fleeting appearances from the likes of Alan Rickman and Julie Walters serve only to highlight their side-lined roles and make you yearn for a greater focus on the adult characters. Bill Nighy here in particular is funny and engaging and brings so much quality to the film, as does Helena Bonham Carter with her delicious pantomime-esque performance as the evil Bellatrix Lestrange. “If only they were in it more,” you’ll probably find yourself saying.

Its setting outside of Hogwarts, however, makes a refreshing change and the scenes set in the Ministry of Magic, as well as a wonderful non-diegetic animated sequence are enjoyable, well-crafted highlights.

Despite its failings, Harry Potter is essentially critic-proof and kids in particular will no doubt adore this precursor to the grand finale, regardless of what critics write. But whether you love or loathe Harry Potter, you’d have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by the film’s denouement…

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