RIP Sally Ride

Her partner of 27 years will not get her social security survivor's benefits.  Shameful.

Brian May talks about performing with Adam

Brian May doesn't like folks to copy from his blog, so I won't clip anything.  But go here to read Brian's glowing comments about the band switching into a higher gear in their performances with Adam.  I'm a little verklempt.

Wherein Adam sings the bejeebers out of I Want To Break Free . . .

Inspired by the lyrics, his tuchus makes the same declaration and his pants comply:



Gorgeous up-close video by riddle601b.

This was at the Hammersmith Apollo theater in London, July 12, 2012 in their fifth concert together.  Queen and Adam have only one more scheduled concert on Saturday.  My fingers remain crossed that they will do shows in the U.S. though nothing has been announced yet.  Reviews have been stellar; Brian, Roger and Adam all seem to be having a blast; Queen fans seem satisfied; and Adam's fans are thrilled.

And here's how they've been doing Bohemian Rhapsody, including a non-holographic contribution from Freddie:



If your leather laced-crotch pants give out mid-show, what do you wear?  Sparkly zebra pants, of course.

But I think my favorite song of these shows has been consistently Who Wants To Live Forever.



Video from Suz526.

And my second favorite is the opening medley, including The Seven Seas of Rhye and Keep Yourself Alive.  Skip ahead to 1:45 in this video:

Queen with Adam

Adam is in the midst of a handful of shows with Queen.  Here's Who Wants to Live Forever from their first show in Kiev from a few days ago.

Kiev was the first of six scheduled shows.  Still hoping that they decide to add a U.S. show to the schedule.

Pop history is made - Trespassing debuts at #1

Adam's album, Trespassing, will debut on the charts at Number 1 for pop albums this week, according to Hits Daily Double.  This is the first time that an openly gay musician has achieved this feat.  History is made.

Update 10:58 pm:  Screenshot from Hits Daily Double.  This is a prediction of what Billboard charts will show tomorrow.

Adam's new album Trespassing is here!

It's outstanding. I love every song except the title track, but if I had to pick favorites, they'd be:

• Shady, featuring Nile Rodgers (bass player for Chic, back in the day) and Sam Sparro - disco funk you might not realize you are craving, but you are;
• Broken English - haunting, unusual slow groove with electro touches;
• Chokehold;
• Pop That Lock - 2:32-2:39 might be my favorite seven seconds of the album;
• Underneath - ballad beyond;
• Naked Love - if summer were music, it would sound like this.

The three bonus tracks (Runnin', Take Back, and Nirvana) on the deluxe version of the album have a different, darker, more rock-ish flavor, and I'm madly in love with them.

Buy it at Amazon (physical CD) or iTunes or on Adam's web site (where you can get it on vinyl).

Update 5/16/12:

Tweet from Adam's proud dad (who was a DJ during his college days):

Awwwwwww.

And the Rolling Stone 4-star review:  

So here's the great pop album everybody was hoping Adam Lambert would make, ever since he ran wild on "American Idol" three years ago. 

It wasn't just Glambert's dynamite-with-a-laser-beam voice that got him into our national knickers: It was his warmth, his humor, his burlesque bravado.

His 2010 debut, "For Your Entertainment," was a typical "Idol" quickie -- decent, but it needed more personality.

"Trespassing" delivers, with a mix of tinsel disco-club sleaze and leather-boy love ballads. While he excels in a radio cheddar bomb like "Naked Love," he gets deeper in slow jams like "Underneath" and "Outlaws of Love." But all over "Trespassing," Glambert sings everything like Zeus in a thong.

Update 5/18/12:  Let's enjoy some more reviews, shall we?

John Kearns for CityBeat in the UK:

The album is artistic dynamite, oozes decadent charm and sheer talent from every pore . . . [The] celebratory songs such as Cuckoo and Pop That Lock are the aural equivalent of being kissed by a thousand cherry lip-glossed supermodels all at once. . . Broken English is a track that boasts a soaring death-defying vocal and beautifully evocative and plaintive lyric. 

Joey Guerra for the Houston Chronicle:

This is fierce, fun dance music, lifted high into the heavens by Lambert's supernatural range . . . The album's first half is a beat-per-minute celebration, all sex and clubs and smoky disco haze. 

Gawker:

Adam Lambert's consistently electrifying second album, Tresspassing (out this week), is that freedom [to be at peace with queerness] set to music. It's freer than anything I've heard since the drag queen Sylvester disguised himself all over again in baritone at the conclusion of his "Dance (Disco Heat)."  . . .  Lambert is one to mix it up, too, as he often unleashes a hair-metal yowl that harkens back to yet a different era of masculine/feminine fluidity. . . There's almost nothing here that a straight dude could get away with singing. On Tresspassing, Lambert is here, queer and it sure sounds like he's used to it. It's a boon to his art.

Adam performed at the New Next Now Awards

Adam closed the show at the New Next Now Awards that aired on Logo last night. This is the title song on the new album, Trespassing, that will be out May 15, 2012. It's MJ crossed with Prince crossed with Queen, with a decidedly funky groove. It might be the second single off the album, but it hasn't been announced yet.

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This is my least favorite song of the ones I've heard snippets of from the new album, but I love it, so I'm looking forward to the album.

The band is: Tommy Joe Ratliff on guitar; Ashley Dzerigian on bass; Byron Cooke Brian London on organ-sounding keys and musical director; Isaac Carpenter on drums (I think); Octavia Latrice and Keisha Renee singing backup vocals. I'm excited that there is no canned backing anything.

Adam will perform on Idol in May sometime. And then, for extra credit, he's fronting Queen for at least four shows this summer: one in Moscow, one in Kiev (with Elton John), and two in London. (The whole Sonisphere festival has been canceled.) I have my fingers crossed for at least one U.S. Queen+Adam gig.

Animated wind map

Nifty visualization of winds across the country using date updated hourly. Click to zoom in. This is a "personal art project" of an anonymous person.

ccprose on youtube

Pretty great stuff for readers.

Better Than I Know Myself

Adam's video for the lead single, Better Than I Know Myself, from the new album, Trespassing, premiered yesterday. Floofy Cuddly Sweater Adam Who Reads Books, Drinks Tea and Sweeps lives side-by-side with Angry Destructive Leather Adam Who Plays With Fire, Slugs Alcohol and Disrespects Books. You have to watch to the end for the reveal about where the two Adams really reside -- or maybe you'll know right off the bat.



In the end, Angry Adam's medges save Sweater Adam. The message of the video is that a man cannot live by sweaters alone; he must have medges too.

Both Floofy Adam and Angry Adam have perfect noses. And they both sing like crazy.

Enjoy. Buy the single on Itunes. The album will be out March 20.

The Queen rumors--that Adam is the new frontman for Queen--are greatly exaggerated. They are planning to do something(s) together, but Adam isn't giving up his day job--pop star in his own right--for it.

Happy Birthday, Scooter!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SCOOTER

New song from Adam: Better Than I Know Myself

Adam's new single, Better Than I Know Myself, is streaming here, legally and officially. This is the first single off his new, second album, Trespassing. The single will be available for purchase from iTunes, Amazon, etc on Dec. 20; the album will be released in March.

The song has a bit of a modern R&B flavor. It'll work on Top 40 radio and that should mean new fans.

Update:  My favorite thing are the counter-melodies and harmony embellishments in the final chorus.  Stunning.  

Minnesotans United for All Families

This is why later, eventually, someday, when-a-huge-majority-favors-it, is not good enough for legalizing same sex marriage.  Today is already too late.  Together 40 years, but denied the right to marry.  In this season of giving, please consider giving to marriage equality organizations, particularly those battling state constitutional amendments to ban gay marriage.  Example:  Minnesotans United for All Families.

Biking down some stairs

K and I took up mountain biking in July.  It is the most fun thing that humans can do.  I'm particularly fond of biking down steep, bumpy, tree-rooted downhills.  I think I'm now addicted to the adrenaline rush from the danger.  This has been an awakening for me; before July, I was afraid to ride my bike off a curb.

One of the "features" in my favorite trail is a curved, concrete staircase, with a steep drop off on the outside of the curve.  The first couple times we rode this trail, I was too scared to bike down it.

Here's K trying to bike down these stairs for the first time today:

I like the bike flying down the hill at about 00:48.  He's afraid of heights, so he has avoided riding down these stairs for months.

This video shows my first ride down the stairs a couple months ago:

The whooping and hollering is embarrassing, but it was a personal victory.  It's not technically difficult to bike down these stairs; you just have to conquer the fear.

Legal Writing

To fulfill Continuing Legal Education requirements, I recently attended a seminar on legal writing. The speaker was Ross Guberman. I highly recommend his seminar for all writers.  Take it if you get a chance. He has written a book, Point Made, that I intend to read.

He mentioned a book by a graphic designer/lawyer, Typography for Lawyers, by Matthew Butterick. He didn't really recommend it, but I pass it on because I know at least one of my blog brothers is interested in fonts.  It discusses fonts at length; it also covers document layout and other graphic design topics.

Adam sang with Queen at the MTV EMAs yesterday

It went like this:

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Queen is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. MTV European Music Awards gave Queen a Global Icon award yesterday.

I love Adam with Queen. He's not trying to copy Freddie, and his voice is big enough and he's theatrical enough to pull off Queen's music.

Update 11/8: I should note that Freddie did not have a chance to sing this song live before he passed, though he recorded it. Also, after The Show Must Go On, Adam and Queen performed We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions. MTV hasn't posted video of that part yet.