TPN promoting “An Inconvenient Truth”

I just saw Al Gore’s film “An Inconvenient Truth” at my local cinema and it had a huge impact on me. I started asking myself what we could do at TPN to help promote the film. We’ve got ~300,000 listeners and I want to do what I can to help spread the word. The obvious way is to place an ad for it on each of our shows. I’m going to start doing it and I’ve invited my TPN co-hosts to join me.

Other things each of you can do:

GDAY WORLD!!! #155 – On Energy, String Theory and Free Will

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Yesterday my mate Shane Williamson in Sydney skyped me (long time listeners might remember him from G’Day World #3) and then he conferenced in our mate Brenton Perry (who was on G’Day World #132) at home in Texas. Shane, Brenton and I all used to work in the same team at Microsoft back in ’98. The conversation quickly centered around the definition of “energy” and string theory and then morphed into a debate about free will. As I had Skylook running it automatically got recorded and I thought the conversation was interesting and you might all enjoy it. The sound quality isn’t the best (due to the fact that I was sitting on my $25 USB headset on the desktop (which has a fan which sounds like a Boeing engine) but it’s okay if you can ignore the background buzz and occasional echo. I bring you into the conversation about 20 minutes in.

The G’Day World Theme Song: “Save Me” by The Napoleon Blown Aparts, America’s baddest rock n’ roll band!

Tell Cam Where To Go

Okay, I know this is kind of sad, but…. I’m batching it this weekend and I’m looking for something to do in Melbourne on a Friday and Saturday night. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to entertain myself. What should I do? Here’s what I like:

  • weird shit
  • good jazz
  • good rock
  • arty shit
  • watching weird ass people

Suggestions? Anyone up for a poker night at my house?

Bat Out Of Hell III

Listening this morning to "Bat Out Of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose", Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf’s new third installment of the story of … of… what the hell is this the story of? I have no idea. I’ve been listening to the original Bat Out Of Hell for 30 years and I’m completely clueless as to what it’s about. Something about a guy and a motorbike. And chicks. Fuck it, what more do you need to know?

Highlights of this new album…

  • Brian May’s cameo in the opening bars and solo of the new version of "Bad For Good" (yeah Tony Goodson – we finally get to hear Meat singing it). When this came on and I heard that guitar I was like "holy crap! that’s gotta be Brian May!" and so I looked it up. Oh yeah.
  • Steve "I used to play for David Lee Roth but then I quit and his career disappeared" Vai does the solo on "The Land Of The Pigs (The Butcher Is King)".

Ermmm… that’s about it. The album doesn’t grab me as a new classic, in some ways it kind of reminds me of any one of Alice Cooper’s post-Constrictor albums, a little bit too much gothic theatre and attempted metal. I think the catchiest track is perhaps "What About Love" a piano-driven duet with Patti Russo penned by Desmond Child. That should be the first single off the album. That or "Bad For Good" but I prefer Jim’s original version of that off his own album when Meat was resting his voice. Love to know what you think Goodson.

UPDATE: I’ve listened to the new and old versions of "Bad For Good" back to back several times now this morning and I’m pretty sure that, while the new version has Meat’s voice, May’s guitar and a massive arrangement going for it, the original version is definitely the superior. It’s faster, the arrangement is lighter, and Jim’s voice has a sense of urgency and desperation about it which really make it a plea on behalf of all of us who feel like we didn’t really turn out like the world would like us to be. What a chorus. I’ve been belting this out at the top of my voice all morning (sorry Dave next door):

And I know that I’m gonna be like this forever
I’m never gonna be what I should
And you think that I’ll be bad for just a little while
But I know that I’ll be bad for good