Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Someday I'll tell you all about it

Listening to: Mer de Noms: A Perfect Circle

But not today.

I reserve the right to be completely cryptic at times.

Feeling somewhat temporally dislocated at the moment. My body clock is convinced it is Thursday. Which leads us neatly to KiwiLauren, who arrives in a couple of days, since from her perspective, I am in the future anyway.

I thought I would steal a good idea that Morgue had and ask for suggestions from You, yes you, on interesting and illuminating things to see and do during the four months our canadian is here.

I have a few ideas, but I want to know what I haven't thought of.

***

Pearl Jam album by album

A random question from Jono on Saturday Night prompted some thought.

"What is your favourite Pearl Jam song?"
Note/disclaimer. A lot of people don't like Pearl Jam, and thats fine. I do however, so deal with it, and don't leave trollish comments about how much you think they suck.

The answer that immediately came to mind was 'Sleight of Hand' from 2000's 'Binaural'. I like the sparse echoy sound of the verse compared to the full noise chorus, and I can relate to the lyrics, about how your life can pass you by if you're not watching, and few of us end up where we plan to be.

I began thinking about a top five, and quickly realised that most of my favourites were not album tracks (eg 'State of Love and Trust', 'Wash', 'I got Id', 'Alone', 'Footsteps'), or even singles.

So instead of being obscure, I thought I'd relate my favourite tracks from each album.

Ten
'Porch'. I just like the intensity of the track. It has all the energy of a young band with things to say. I prefer early U2 for the same reason. There is an energy there that gets refocused as bands mature.

Vs
'Rearview mirror'. This album is totally summer of '93 for me, the first summer I was able to drive, so it got lots of play in my Mum's mini. Long warm summer evenings. 'RVM' is just a cool song about the benefit of hindsight. Hard to pick a single track off such a good album.

Vitalogy
'Corduroy', although closely vying with 'Not for you'.

No Code
'Present Tense'. Bit of an epic, but I like how it starts and builds, and the end instrumental is pretty nice too.

Yield
'Low light'. Another hot summer night aimlessly driving around song.

Live on two Legs
'F*ckin up'. I think its a Neil Young cover, but it rocks, so is eligible for inclusion.

Binaural
The previously mentioned 'Sleight of Hand'.

Riot Act
'You Are'. I like its fuzzed out chuggy messiness.

Pearl Jam
'Unemployable'. Again hard to choose off a good album.

***

Three days off from the world due to the new shift system at work. I spent most of today asleep in some form or another.

5 comments:

Andrew said...

See and do: a good bit of native forest, for something genuinely local.

Anonymous said...

Do you want suggestions of things to do in Wellington, or NZ more generally? How much travelling is she going to do while she's here?

If Wellington, you can't go past any tourist attraction that involves going up to the top of something and looking down on other things e.g. wind turbine, cable car, Mt Vic, Hawkins Hill, etc.

Off-Black said...

Lower north island ish

2treesandahorse said...

dude

1. hire bikes from mud cycles and head up makara bike track. hard slog but great to come down. Good views from the top as well.

2 day trip to somes island.

3. in line skating round water front.

4 Theatre.

5 mount taranaki.

6 fly by wire (is it still there)

7 Paintballing.

8 breakfat and day in greytown and surrounds. (very popular with the middle class I hear)

9 Te papa (goes without saying though the building is shite)

10 Historcial walk round welly. Look it up your self and beguile her with you knowledge of buildings and places.

11 Gun implacements.

12 See the seals.


how is that i will try and figure out more.

Anonymous said...

Only just managed to get back to this - our work interweb is stuffed, and your site is one of the ones that doesn't work - I agree with Andy on the native forest - Wilton's bush or Kaitoke are good. I reckon Karori Sanctuary at either dawn or dusk would probably be good for visitors too.

In the lower north island I would recommend white water rafting.

Canoeing down the Whanganui river, might be a bit full on, but would be a fun trip.

Maybe also thermal-type stuff around lake Taupo if that's not too far north? I don't know how thermal Canada is, or whether she would be interested in mud pools...

Kapiti Island could be cool too - I've never been there, but people say it's good, and an international visitor is as good an excuse to go as any...