studio's greatest hits - volume I

To keep one's sanity in studio, sometimes a random song was needed. It boosted morale, livened the spirit, and kept everyone working hard.

Well, at least for Dan Typaldos and me. Others in our 5th year studio might have been irritated as we trumpeted a song loudly in studio for seemingly no reason at all.

So, now, a walk down memory lane, to look at the tunes that we held near and dear to our heart. (With related BONUS videos -- man, I love this embed function. Also, I love that You Tube has all these cool videos from a long time ago. It's just neat to watch some of them.)

1. Cherish by The Association



If Dan and I had gotten married, this is the song we would have danced to. Alas, it wasn't to be, but we managed to still have a special moment.

The place: somewhere in Tokyo. More specifically, a karaoke bar.
The song: of course, the above mentioned.
The review: I'll be damned if it wasn't the best I had ever sung. Correction, that WE had ever sung. Our voices were one that night. You want proof? Oh, there were witnesses. Even better, one of the bar owners rang the "wind chimes of approval" after we completed Cherish. That, in the end, is all the proof you need.


2. This Diamond Ring by Gary Lewis and the Playboys



Our tribute to lost love, Dan and I would sing this when were just a bit down in the dumps about a schematic design. This very "diamond ring" sung about by Gary was in fact a symbolic offer by us as we cast out another idea that was shat upon by Robert Arens. But it was even more than that. "Who wants to buy-uy-uy this diamond ring?" asked Gary Lewis. More like "who wants to buy this Cleveland Steamer of an excuse for a building design?" Good song, though -- good song.


3. No Time by The Guess Who



This song needs little to no explanation. Five design sketches due by morning? And it's 4 AM? Play it. Day before the projects due? With no model begun? Play it. Five minutes til the Cat's Den closed? (is that what it was called? -- it seems so long ago, I don't even remember) Hell, yes, play that song. Catchy as hell. And I'm sure there was some social justice issue they were singing about, but that's beside the point.


4. 1-2-3 by Len Barry



This little ditty was just a shot-in-the-arm type of song. Only around 2 minutes in length, it got your spirits up real quick when you needed to get some work done. And Mr. Barry makes it all seem so EASY, "like taking candy, FROM A BABY!"


5. The Mollusk by Ween (with accompanying badass Lego "brick-mation" video)



A bit different than the flavor of the previous four songs, we sometimes switched gears from 60's oldies to 90's (very) alternative rock. Ween just does it a little bit differently than other bands. Maybe that's why I love their music so much. This song in particular is one of the most accessible, though still very different, songs to date. What makes it especially great is when a fan went and put together a corresponding "brick-mation" video to the song. (brick-mation is pretty self-explanatory once you see the vid.) And, for just a moment, you are THERE. Your are the "little boy" with the "mollusk you've found." It sucked us in and made everything seem alright -- even if it was only for three minutes of your day (or night, more often than not). And then there you were, back at your desk, with your stalled high-rise design staring you back in the face. But, it was OK. Because The Mollusk told you that everything was gonna be alright.



There were many other songs that we used to escape. Perhaps a volume II shall soon be authored. Until then, savor these aural nuggets, whenever you need a little psychological pat on the rump.