One word: UPlifting! ‘Feel’ is undoubtedly a feel-good song. Released as the lead single on his 5th album ‘[Escapology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escapology_(album))’ (2002), ‘Feel’ became Robbie’s biggest international hit and his best-ever-selling song in Europe. Let’s take a closer look at this pop-rock masterpiece from previous Take That member and renowned ‘cheeky chappy’ Robbie Williams. ### Behind The Song The album ‘Escapology’ came very shortly after Robbie had signed a record-breaking £80m (approximately $96m) contract with EMI, a multi-national record label owned by Universal Music Group, covering his next six album releases. This put a lot of pressure on him to perform well, and especially to try and finally gain some popularity in the US. The song was co-written by Robbie’s producer Guy Chambers, and much like the rest of the album it lets us hear about Robbie’s experiences as a pop star and his personal hopes, dreams, and fears. The majority of the vocals are actually from a demo recorded in 1999. Robbie wasn’t impressed with his re-recording attempt and felt the original had a more authentic and passionate performance. Session musicians on the track include Andy Wallace with the foundational piano chords, Jeremy Stacey on drums and beautiful strings from the famed London Philharmonic Orchestra. The song also came with a music video filmed in Alberta, Canada. It shows Robbie living a cowboy lifestyle – riding a horse around in the wilderness, bathing in a steel tub outside, etc. The video is shot in black and white, trying to emulate the vibe of an old Classic Western movie to hopefully attract some American fans. It also features American actress Daryl Hannah as Robbie’s love interest, and they engage in a steamy romance after catching each other’s eye while riding around on those horses in the mountains. The US version of the album is a little different from the UK version – ‘Feel’ takes the place of ‘How Peculiar’ as the first song of the album, the songs ‘Hot Fudge’, ‘Song 3’ and ‘Cursed’ have been removed (these are some of the more rocky-heavy songs) and a couple of new ones have been added. This seems like a shame as it takes some of the personality out of the album. ### How Did It Do? ‘Feel’ aimed to become the Christmas number one in the UK, and just about made it by peaking at number 2. It was a clear winner in other parts of the world though, especially in Europe. The song topped the charts in Argentina, Hungary, Italy, India, Latvia, Croatia, Portugal, Mexico, and the Netherlands, and achieved top 5 positions in Austria, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, France, and Switzerland. It also spent 54 weeks in the charts in Canada, but despite the heavily-American music video it, unfortunately, didn’t make it into Billboard’s Hot 100. This song is surprisingly vulnerable and shares some of Robbie’s personal fears and emotions. Around the same time, he was working with friend and music journalist Chris Heath to produce his biography ‘Feel’, which was released in September 2004. It was an instant bestseller, providing the most sincere and intimate view of Robbie’s life up until that point. It covers intimate thoughts on his battle against rumors in the media, his issues with Take That, and insight into his life as a pop/rock star. ### Song Breakdown The song starts out with a powerful and slightly melancholic piano rhythm, plus a little light percussion. [Verse 1] Come and hold my hand I wanna contact the living People usually hold hands during spiritual rituals to contact the dead: séances, ouija boards and so on. Maybe Robbie feels disconnected from the rest of the world, as though he is the one on the other side of veil between life and death and needs to get back to the living. Not sure I understand This role I’ve been given I sit and talk to God And He just laughs at my plans We’ve all been there – a little lost and questioning what our role here on earth is. He’s on a quest for reassurance and for meaning. My head speaks a language I don’t understand He is also struggling to understand his own emotions and interpret what he really needs. [Chorus] I just wanna feel real love Feel the home that I live in ‘Cause I got too much life Running through my veins Going to waste The rise up into this chorus and the introduction of the strings in the background is incredibly uplifting. You can really hear the emotion behind his vocals. There is some confusion on whether the correct lyrics are “feel the home” or “fill the home”. Either way, I think “fill” paints a really beautiful mental image – filling the home with real, conditional love is a dream which all human beings have. I do. The chorus brings the song to life and makes me feel alive, just as Robbie sings about having so much life in his veins – so much so that he doesn’t know what to do with it and worries that it is wasted. This part, when I heard the song the first time, hit right up there. [Verse 2] I don’t wanna die But I ain’t keen on living either Before I fall in love I’m preparing to leave her Scare myself to death That’s why I keep on running Before I’ve arrived I can see myself coming He is feeling a lot of inner conflicts here. He is admitting that his fears stop him from living life to the fullest, stop him from committing to a romantic partner, and he is too scared to stop ‘running’ from the fear. This verse is accompanied by a groovy drum beat and some decorative guitar licks around the edges. This enhances the overall atmosphere while also bringing more energy and vibrancy which was missing in the previous verse. [Chorus] I just wanna feel real love Feel the home that I live in ‘Cause I got too much life Running through my veins Going to waste And I need to feel real love And a life ever after I cannot get enough Once again, those orchestral strings are really soaring in this chorus. The coarseness in Robbie’s voice in “I need to feel real love and a life ever after” makes this line particularly memorable, it really touches your heart. It’s easy to picture why Robbie may have chosen these demo vocals over any re-recorded attempt. After that, we have an instrumental bridge with a quick piano break to soften the tension built up in the chorus. The bass and guitar then take the spotlight with a super catchy groove. This simple yet catchy guitar melody shows just how effectively this song has made use of the formula for a perfect pop ballad (with a touch of rock). The pause after “I cannot get enough” – wonderful! [Chorus] I just wanna feel real love Feel the home that I live in I got too much love Running through my veins To go to waste In this chorus, I feel like the message has started to become more positive and empowering. Robbie realizes that he has ‘too much love’ and that it shouldn’t be wasted. Up! [Bridge] I just wanna feel real love And a life ever after There’s a hole in my soul You can see it in my face It’s a real big place This final chorus and the bridge after it makes up the most euphoric part of the song. It’s impossible to resist shouting out and joining in the singing. There’s a lot of contrast here between Robbie feeling filled with ‘too much love’ and at the same time feeling empty inside. [Outro] (Figure it out, Feel) Come and hold my hand I wanna contact the living Not sure I understand This role I’ve been given Not sure I understand Not sure I understand Not sure I understand Not sure I understand The ending of the song mirrors the beginning and makes me feel as though we have gone back around in a circle. Robbie never reaches a conclusion in his internal conflict, and he repeats ‘not sure I understand’ as the song fades out, as though he is lost in spiraling thoughts. ### Final Thoughts This song is elegant, vibrant, uplifting, and full of energy. Despite parts of its somewhat depressing lyrics, it’s an easy one to sing along to, whether you’re just humming along or screaming it out with all the force and passion you can summon. It has a sense of rawness and vulnerability to it, but also reinforces Robbie’s charming showmanship and shows off his ability to expertly combine the catchiness of a pop ballad with an effortlessly cool and grungy rockstar sound. All in all, an entry into my ALL-time top 10 is certainly warranted…

Walk of Life by Dire Straits – this rock ’n’ roll-style 80s tune was oddly not intended to make it onto the fifth studio album ‘Brothers in Arms’ from British rock band Dire Straits, but instead was meant to be a B-side for their lead single ‘So Far Away’. Manager Ed Bicknell knew better though, and after happening to hear it while it was being mixed, he convinced lead singer Mark Knopfler to include it on the album last minute. What a stroke of luck that was! The song was their biggest hit in the UK, peaking at no. 2 in the charts and no. 7 in the US Billboard Hot 100. The song has a familiar and comforting 50s rock ’n’ roll rhythm plus an iconic bluesy organ riff in the introduction – you’d recognize this riff anywhere. Over a cheesy IV – V – I chord progression, Knopfler tells the story of musician “Johnny”, a sort of autobiographical tale about a busker on the streets of London. ### Story Behind the Song The song was of course inspired by street buskers, as Knopfler explained to Uncle Joe Benson on the [Ultimate Classic Rock Nights](https://ultimateclassicrock.com/dire-straits-walk-of-life-influence/) radio show: “I saw a photograph of a kid playing the guitar in a subway, turning his face to the wall to get a good reverb. When I started playing the guitar, because I didn’t have an amplifier, I’d put the head of the guitar on the arm of a chair and put my head on the guitar to try and get into a loud noise. It kinda reminded me of that, I suppose.” He was also interested in Cajun music at the time and used it as inspiration. “Really, all I was trying to imitate with that Farfisa (organ) riff, it’s really like an accordion. If you substitute accordion, it’s really a Cajun-style riff.” A fantastic cover by [Louisiana swamp artist Charles Mann](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZOvIga4aLY) proves just how at-home this riff is in Cajun music. Mark Knopfler started the band in 1977 along with younger brother David on guitar, John Illsley on bass, and Pick Withers on drums. They were an overnight success, rising from the London pub-rock scene to some of the biggest stages in the world over the course of their 15 years. Growing up, the brothers were both fans of Elvis, Chuck Berry, and The Shadows, admiring popular guitarists like Hank Marvin as well as great names in the blues like Muddy Waters and John Lee. Mark got his first guitar at age 15, a copy of Marvin’s red Stratocaster, and started out playing in school bands and around the city. Over the years there was much falling out between band members, and by the end of 1984, Knopfler had assembled a new group of musicians to create the next record ‘Brothers in Arms’ including keyboardist Guy Fletcher and guitarist Jack Sonni. Knopfler was incredibly detail-oriented when making this album and the group rehearsed rigorously before flying over to Air Studios on the Caribbean Island of Montserrat to record. As you can imagine, the chilled island lifestyle over in Montserrat brought a sense of ease and effortlessness to the recording of the album. ### What Happened After the Release? ‘Brothers in Arms’ was generally described as a mid-tier album by reviewers, but that didn’t stop its success. The music station MTV was about to launch in the UK, and they chose the single ‘Money for Nothing’ as the first video to be shown on the channel. Selling more than a million copies on CD, the album took them on an 18-month-long world tour in 100 cities. ‘Walk of Life’ came with two music videos: a British version showing the character “Johnny” described in the song as he plays 50s songs in the subway, and an American version which shows clips of the band playing live intermixed with clips of American sports bloopers to hopefully catch the attention of American fans. The band went on to make one more album in 1991: ‘On Every Street’. After one last two-year-long tour, Knopfler sadly felt completely worn out by the fame and the stress of the spotlight and so decided to lay the band to rest. “Mark and I agreed that was enough,” recalls John Illsey on Louder Sound. “Personal relationships were in trouble and it put a terrible strain on everybody emotionally and physically. We were changed by it. Neither of us wants to go back to those days. Mark described it to me just the other day as being too much ‘white light’ – too much in the spotlight, and he was never very comfortable with that.” The band seemed very content with coming to an end. Illsley went on to get into painting and set up an exhibition of his work in London, as well as recording with his own band ‘Cunla’. Mark Knopfler got into composing soundtrack albums like ‘Altamira’ (2016) with Evelyn Glennie and solo albums like ‘Down the Road Wherever’ (2018). ### Song Breakdown The iconic long intro with the bluesy riff is the ultimate manifestation of 80s feel-good sentimentality, and it’s easy to see why this song was so popular. It feels like it’s infused with that Caribbean sunshine from Air Studios. [Verse 1] Here come Johnny singin’ oldies, goldies Be-Bop-A-Lula, baby what I say Here comes Johnny singing “I got a woman” Our character Johnny is singing ‘oldies’, meaning classic nostalgic songs from the 50s, including rockabilly song ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’ by Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps and ‘What I’d Say’ by Ray Charles. Down in the tunnels, tryna make it pay He got the action, he got the motion Oh, yeah, the boy can play Dedication, devotion Turnin’ all the night time into the day Johnny is “down in the tunnels” i.e. down in the London Underground trying to earn some money from busking, and he sure is talented at it. He’s turning the nighttime into day with his sunny performance. [Chorus] He do the song about the sweet lovin’ woman He do the song about the knife Then he do the walk, do the walk of life Yeah, he do the walk of life Woo-hoo Knopfler is talking about more 50s tunes here: ‘My Sweet Lovin’ Woman’ by Robert Nighthawk and ‘Mack the Knife’ by Kurt Weill. Although, Dire Straits also have a song about knives: ‘Six Blade Knife’. Knopfler would sometimes switch out the lyrics in live performances to mention this song instead. What exactly is the “walk of life”? I would imagine it’s a description of the “sense of life” as I know it, that “journey” we talk about. [Verse 2] Here come Johnny gonna tell you the story Hand me down my walkin’ shoes Here come Johnny with the power and the glory Backbeat, the talkin’ blues He got the action, he got the motion Oh, yeah, the boy can play Dedication, devotion Turnin’ all the night time into the day This verse is all about the role and the skill of the musician – he can tell you a story and perform all sorts of different styles! [Chorus] He do the song about the sweet lovin’ woman He do the song about the knife And he do the walk, he do the walk of life Yeah, he do the walk of life Woo-ho-ho [Verse 3] Here comes Johnny singin’ oldies, goldies Be-Bop-A-Lula, baby what I say Here comes Johnny singin’ “I gotta woman” Down in the tunnels, tryna make it pay He got the action, he got the motion Oh, yeah, the boy can play The dedication, devotion Turnin’ all the night time into the day [Chorus] And after all the violence and double talk There’s just a song in all the trouble and the strife You do the walk, yeah, you do the walk of life Mmm, they do the walk of life The lyrics themselves are kind of unremarkable in this song. In fact, I imagine most listeners like myself aren’t paying much attention to the individual words. While they do tell a nice story about our performer Johnny, they definitely aren’t the centerpiece of the song. The rhythm is. You want to get up and dance! Knopfler’s vocal delivery is super smooth and laid-back, along with the jolly blues-style chord progression, catchy main melody, and seamless guitar licks to fill in gaps between, the overall performance is bright and sunny – “turning all the nighttime into the day”. You might find the cheesy melody a tad annoying if you’re in a bad mood, but otherwise, this infusion of Cajun imitation, love of 50s rock ’n’ roll rhythm, bluesy feels, Caribbean lifestyle, and laid-back delivery make this song a good dose of sunshine to add to your day.

Sometimes a movie becomes so ingrained in popular culture that everyone just automatically says it’s good. Even if you’ve never seen it, there’s an understanding that people hold it in high regard. Then, when you actually go to watch it, whether for the first time or as a rewatch, it just doesn’t live up to the expectations. There’s nothing more disappointing than realizing you don’t like a “classic” movie. It’s almost like you feel left out of the conversation from then on. I was quite apprehensive that this would be the case after 25 years – and for the 7th time around – with Good Will Hunting. It’s got 97% on Rotten Tomatoes (as if I care), but it’s also 25 years old. Could people be looking at it through colored glasses? Fortunately, I had nothing to worry about. It still holds up as a great movie, even many years after its original release. If there’s any complaint, it’s that it does have a pretty standard plot structure, but I think it’s elevated by strong writing and charismatic performances from the entire cast. I love college-based movies, and this one takes place smack dab in the colleges of Massachusetts, in a way my backyard, too. If you’re looking for a well-done, feel-good movie just before autumn ends, Good Will Hunting is perfect – even the poster showcases the red and gold foliage of Boston. But there’s more to it than just how it looks of course. Let’s get into the story! ### The Plot… Matt Damon plays twenty-year-old Will Hunting, who is a rough-and-tumble janitor at MIT. He likes to hang out with his friends, get drunk, and fight in the streets. He also happens to be a genius who suffered an abusive childhood and doesn’t trust many people. He draws the attention of a professor after he solves two incredibly difficult mathematical proofs on a public chalkboard. After Will lands in jail after a street fight, Professor Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård) gets his sentence dropped on two conditions: Will must work with him on mathematical equations and see a therapist once a week. The lessons go well, but Will scorns several therapists before Lambeau reaches out to an old college friend, Dr. Sean Maguire (Robin Williams). Due to Maguire’s tenacity and his honesty about his emotional struggles regarding the death of his wife, Will connects with him. Maguire discovers that Will is afraid of taking chances on people and himself due to his abuse in foster care as a child; he even pushes away a serious romantic relationship with a woman named Skylar (Minnie Driver) to avoid being hurt. Maguire encourages Will to stop using the possible negative outcomes of opening up to people as an excuse to not do anything with his life. After many struggles, Will becomes more open to using his intellect to start a real career, but ultimately decides to pursue his earlier relationship and follow Skylar to California. ### The Result… A simple, timeless script can still be impressive if it’s executed well, and that’s the case with Good Will Hunting. It’s one of those movies that is just solidly made, even if there aren’t many surprises in it. Remember the old bromide: sometimes it’s the journey rather than the destination! And I had a good time following the movie’s well-crafted trail. I think having a good script creates a solid foundation upon which the rest of your movie can be built. Matt Damon wrote the first draft of Good Will Hunting for a class at Harvard. Then he recruited Ben Affleck to help him develop it further. Wow. Although the script changed pretty significantly from when it was first written based on feedback the two got from other filmmakers, the script is still solidly the work of Damon and Affleck, and they paced it well. There aren’t many dull spots in the movie, and almost every moment feels necessary to building the characters and the world they live in. The one exception is the scene in which Ben Affleck’s character goes to a job interview in place of Will. It’s meant to be light-hearted and funny, but it goes on just a little too long and doesn’t contribute anything to the story. It’s the one moment I thought was truly superfluous in the whole movie. Will and his friends are otherwise fun to watch. They’re characters who are rough around the edges but decent people at heart, just like the well-educated Professor Lambeau is a little condescending but not really a bad person. There’s a clear naturality to the dialogue between Will’s friends, presumably because Damon and Affleck both grew up in Massachusetts and were drawing from their own experiences. Even outside of the casual banter between the friends, the dialogue still feels mostly real. Some of it is because Robin Williams was given freedom to ad-lib, which is almost always going to give great results. Even though he’s mostly remembered for his comedy, Williams is great at delivering dramatic monologues with the right level of believability. Occasionally the monologues in this movie can get a little play-like, I’ll admit. But again, that’s not anything you wouldn’t expect from this kind of character-driven movie, and it is the characters (and their actors) that make them work anyway. ### Speaking of the actors… The combination of natural-sounding dialogue and the charm of the actors really sells the movie. You want to watch Matt Damon’s journey, even though it’s pretty clear where it’s headed, because his character and his performance are so charming. And clean. Really, there’s not a bad performance in the whole bunch. Robin Williams once again proves that he can handle drama as well as he can comedy, and even Ben Affleck shows some great acting chops as Will’s best friend, Chuckie. Even when the lines sometimes feel a little forced, the actors deliver them with aplomb. I also really appreciate that the director, Gus Van Sant, was smart enough to let Stellan Skarsgård and Minnie Driver use their natural accents instead of forcing them to be American. It can really drag down a performance if the actor is struggling to maintain an accent that’s not their own. Luckily, both of them could use their own voices, and they both gave memorable performances. Driver was especially moving in her final moments on screen with Matt Damon. She’s a likeable character to begin with, thanks to the good script, but Minnie Driver’s devastation at the thought of losing Will is incredible. Good Will Hunting is a great-looking movie, too. College settings always give me a warm, cozy feeling for some reason, and this one is no different. Even the crowded office at the community college where Robin William’s character works made me want to go back to school. There’s also the fact that a lot of it was filmed on location in Boston. This gives it a realistic, lived-in look that I really appreciate. The cinematography and editing aren’t especially flashy, but they don’t need to be. Instead, everything is just neatly done, again letting the craftsmanship carry the movie instead of being all style and no substance. That doesn’t mean that there’s nothing special about the look of the film or how it was filmed. The juxtaposition of the clean and proper halls of MIT and the almost junkyard-like appearance of Will’s neighborhood is really effective. The ending shot of the movie is really nice, too. Instead of ending with the actual reuniting of Skylar and Will, we just see Will’s car driving along a highway on its way to California. The screen doesn’t fade to black like most movies; instead, the credits begin rolling overtop of the view of the car. It’s a smooth ending, not abrupt, one that lets you sit with what you just watched in a way I thought was really interesting. And satisfying. ### Final Thoughts Movies don’t have to be huge spectacles to be good. They don’t have to be overly artsy or obtuse either. Good Will Hunting strikes a near-perfect balance of craft and entertainment. It’s not pretentious in its attempt at meaning, but it’s not overly simplified. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck took a simple story structure and executed it to a T, which is an impressive beginning to their careers. Then it kept its polish by a no-nonsense approach to the mechanics of the film. The directing, the cinematography, the editing, are all on an even keel and expertly handled. And finally, it was further elevated by a terrific cast. It’s not just the names of the cast that matter either; even great actors can have some real stinker performances. But I think every single person in this movie was giving their A-game, and it really helped sell the whole package. It’s not necessarily a movie you need to watch over and over again. There are more exciting things to watch, in all likelihood, some more original stories to give a chance, sure. But I was pleasantly surprised at how low-key excellent Good Will Hunting still is. In fact, I think it will probably still be great in another twenty-five years. A simple story told really well is sometimes all it takes to stand the test of time. And it is like déjà vu, when parts of your own life resonate with a movie character. Will Hunting reminded me of me when I watched it 25 years ago and today it reminds me of Neil – a life come full circle?

Prog-rock heroes Pink Floyd are a symbol of creativity, ingenuity and 70s/80s nostalgia for fans all across the globe. Today I’ll be reviewing their song ‘Learning to Fly’, the 2nd track of their fantastic 1987 comeback album ‘A Momentary Lapse of Reason’. ### Story Behind the Song ‘Learning to Fly’ was the promotional single behind the first Pink Floyd album after member Roger Waters left the band. The song was mainly written by guitarist David Gilmour who had a very strained relationship with Waters, and so this song marks the band’s transition to a new era of creative freedom. Gilmour collaborated with a few other musicians and songwriters for this one, including keyboardist Jon Carin who provided the chord progression and producer Bob Ezrin who helped consolidate it into a finished song. Gilmour tried working with a few different songwriters including Eric Stewart and Roger McGough, but eventually chose Anthony Moore of the band Slapp Happy to co-write both ‘Learning to Fly’ and ‘On the Turning Away’. Gilmour later admitted that he found songwriting difficult without the help of Waters, which is possibly why this song (and the album overall) has quite a strong change of style compared to the previous Pink Floyd sound and was now more similar to their original founding style. It is not a concept album, but rather one that follows a collection of themes. This album also saw the return of keyboardist and founding member Richard Wright who was asked by Waters to leave the band a few years prior while they were recording ‘The Wall’ (1979). Wright provided some small contributions with background performances on a Hammond organ and Rhodes piano. Around 1985, Gilmour and drummer Nick Mason both began taking flying lessons, and they bought a de Havilland Dove airplane together. ‘Learning to Fly’ humorously includes actual flying instructions in the lyrics, as well as a recording of Mason as the over-dubbed pilot’s announcements halfway through the song. Though they were both enthusiastic pilots, both Gilmour and Mason were supposedly quite scared of flying. Maybe this song was their way of overcoming that fear, while also facing the fear of ‘flying’ as a band without Roger Waters? ### How Did It Do? Released first as a single, ‘Learning to Fly’ reached number 70 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (and number one on Billboard Album Rock Tracks). This was one of very few Pink Floyd songs to make it into the Hot 100, though unfortunately, it didn’t make it into the U.K. top 40 singles charts in the band’s home country. Critics were quite impressed by the production and instrumentation of the album overall, though some criticized Gilmour’s songwriting. Either way, it outsold their previous album ‘The Final Cut’ and proved very popular on their world tour in the two years following. The song also came with a strange but oddly inspiring music video. It was directed by Storm Thorgerson who also designed many of their album covers. Filmed on a mountain near Calgary, Alberta, it shows a young man working in a field cutting wheat with a scythe while a red airplane (a Beech Model 17 Staggerwing) flies overhead. The man (inspired by the plane?) then straps feathers to his arm, jumps off a cliff, and turns into a flying hawk. The music video went to No. 9 on MTV’s Video Countdown and won the band’s only MTV Video Music Award for ‘Best Concept Video’. The song DID go and still IS among MY TOP 5! ### Song Breakdown ‘Learning to Fly’ starts with a strongly inspirational and upbeat intro. It is classical 80s with a gritty guitar melody and satisfyingly stompy percussion sample. The intro repeats twice, alternating between two familiar-feeling chords with Wright’s keyboard contribution heard subtly in the background. [Verse 1] Into the distance, a ribbon of black A black ribbon is most often a symbol of death and mourning (like the loss of Waters?) though in this context the ‘ribbon of black’ could also be a runway stretching into the distance before the pilot. Stretched to the point of no turning back Gilmour and Waters’ relationship definitely has been stretched to the point of no turning back, and they have no choice but to go their separate ways. This is a really great yet simple line to represent the state of the band when this song was written. And it’s like a precursor to something that I fell in love with… A flight of fancy on a windswept field A ‘flight of fancy’ is usually a metaphor for an unrealistic dream. Is it an unrealistic dream for Pink Floyd to take off minus one band member? I sure hope not! This lyric also, of course, sticks with the flying theme, plus matches the field in the music video. Standing alone, my senses reel Gilmour is now ‘alone’, feeling overwhelmed with a lot more responsibility. Will he be able to handle it? A fatal attraction is holding me fast How can I escape this irresistible grasp? This lyric is a little more confusing. Maybe the ‘fatal’ attraction is towards flying? I was definitely enamored by it. Gilmour’s vocals are smooth and full of power. Though the lyrics may be more ‘basic’ and not appealing to hardcore fans who enjoyed Waters’ pessimistic post-punk poetry, they definitely hold their own. A simple, motivational song with simple, motivational lyrics is a brilliant thing. [Chorus] Can’t keep my eyes from the circling sky Tongue-tied and twisted Just an earthbound misfit, I The pilot is fascinated with the sky! He finds it inviting and wants to aim higher into it. But he is ‘earthbound’. Humans are not naturally designed for flying, so they don’t quite fit in with the sky…and he wants to. Breaking free from boredom, routine and…gravity! Gilmour is feeling tongue-tied as he struggles to write new songs – lyrics aren’t his strong point. The alliteration on ’T’ here is very satisfying. On paper, this chorus looks confusingly short. It is, however, lifted up by a large backing choir and followed by a glistening guitar solo which gives Gilmour a chance to shine on what he does best. It leaves you wanting to hear more of this guitar. [Verse 2] Ice is forming on the tips of my wings Back to the airplane theme, ice forming on the wings is a potential danger for pilots as it creates instability. Gilmour is putting those flight lessons to good use! The average non-pilot likely doesn’t know this, but it still paints a picture of danger as we move into cold, unfamiliar territory. Unheeded warnings, I thought, I thought of everything No navigator to find my way home The pilot thought he was prepared for this journey, but perhaps he wasn’t. Something could go wrong at any moment, and he has no navigator, no GPS, no air traffic control (the songwriting help of Waters) to assist him. Unladen, empty and turned to stone This line actually continues an older metaphor about stone from the Pink Floyd song ‘Dogs’, both in reference to getting old and reaching the end of a journey. [Pre-Chorus 1] A soul in tension that’s learning to fly Condition grounded but determined to try To me, apart from Like a Rock, by Bob Seger, the two most beautiful, uplifting lines heard when I was that 20-year-old – fresh out of college – broke, and “learning to fly” …metaphorically, ready to take on my future; determined to succeed! Alone, at that age, with the paths that you see unfolding before you, and determining which one to take – you’re kind of grounded – yet, with that crystal clarity of thought and a sense of purpose. Just as Gilmour is learning to fly, so is the soul in this song, and so is the new Pink Floyd. The ‘condition grounded’ line is yet more plane terminology too. The song is beginning to lift in hope again after the pilot’s “stress and despair” of the second verse. We move towards a second chorus. [Chorus 2, as above] [Pilot Sample] Throttle friction lock – set Mixtures – rich Propellers – fully forward Flaps – set – ten degrees Engine gauges and suction – check Radios – set Transponder – set, recheck Flight instruments… Altimeters – check both Navigation lights – on Pitot heater – on Strobes – on Golf romeo-echo ready for departure Romeo-echo listen out 129 decimal 4 129 4 listening out Romeo-echo is cleared takeoff, the wind’s north at ten knots Romeo-echo So, on the brake. Just be ready, it’s gonna roll this time Just feel the power gradually, and it… We have an instrumental break in the song here including Mason’s parroting of phrases he’s heard and used during flying lessons. It’s nice to take a break from the more aggressive guitar and drum sounds used before this point. As an average non-pilot listener at the age of 20, I was very unfamiliar with a lot of the terms used here, so it took away from the relatability of the previous two verses and turned me instead into an observer, watching the experienced pilot at work. There are some lovely washed-out sounds, synthesizers and pieces of guitar melody which give the instrumental section a kind of futuristic, spacey vibe. [Verse 3] Above the planet on a wing and a prayer My grubby halo, a vapor trail in the empty air Across the clouds I see my shadow fly Out of the corner of my watering eye A dream unthreatened by the morning light Could blow this soul right through the roof of the night [Pre-Chorus 2] There’s no sensation to compare with this Suspended animation, a state of bliss The last 4 lines…beautiful, serene almost! This verse has an almost euphoric feeling to it, I feel as though we are soaring high in the sky without a care in the world. It includes plenty of airplane references like seeing your shadow on the clouds and eyes watering from the intense winds. The vocals have some spacey electronic effects on them which fit the mood but also seem a bit out of place when compared to the standard macho rock sound we had in the previous two verses. This may just be a trend of music production in the 80s, though. We finish with one final epic chorus and guitar solo which successfully integrates the whole song together and fades out slowly. ### Final Thoughts While overall this album is probably not considered by many as Pink Floyd’s best work, it doesn’t need to be the “best”. The instrumentation is very impressive, definitely helped by and including the work of guest musicians like Jon Carin. The lyrics of most of the songs are lacking in depth. This one, though, lifts me up. It taught me about “flight”. The simplicity and strong photographic focus on the theme of flying and freedom create an uplifting and easy-to-listen-to result with Learning to Fly. For me, then and now, it is sort of an anthem – an expression of my joy and freedom – through the happiness achieved by flight and the learning and effort that goes into it! Unparalleled. Unconquered.

**A Startup CEO Secrets Revealed:** From the start of everyone’s career, one dreams of owning and running one’s own business someday. It takes a while to discover what industry and type of company you would invest your life’s work in. Usually you work the corporate ladder on somebody else’s payroll for years and hate it! In my case, for instance, I envisioned and planned for the right moment to take my skills and passion into the world with my own capital, and to strike out on my own as a startup CEO at a pretty young age. I imagined then that after the initial work of rolling up my sleeves to get my company up and running, my CEO life would assure me plenty of time kicked back in an executive chair with my feet up and my years of brunt work behind me. Most of us whose imaginations wander into the world of self-employment probably have only a faint notion of the work and commitment it requires to become a successful startup CEO. Some of us may not know how big we want to expand our businesses, while others know exactly what we want to achieve. Whether we want to keep our business small or shoot for the moon to grow a large corporation, we realize that the main ingredients to success are passion and hard work. When we feel the timing is right, we strike out on our own with fervor, persistence and patience. We know that if we want our venture to be a success, we must psych ourselves up with confidence and resilience to mentally prepare ourselves for the toughest and most progressive phase of our lives. **A Startup CEO’s Checklist**  The first step in any venture is devising a plan, so I had a lot of research to do and many decisions to make. The to-do list of a startup CEO is indeed long, but it can be managed well if you have the confidence and determination that it will all get done in due time. Here is a list of some major ingredients I would need to be an effective startup CEO: 1. Knowledge and skills about my products, services and the industry in which they fall; 2. A corporate attorney or business consultant to devise a flexible business plan for me and assist me in writing contracts; 3. Proposal of how much venture capital I need and the sources from where I would get the funds; 4. Strong verbal and written communication skills to convey my ideas clearly; 5. Bookkeeping skills or a trusted accountant; and 6. Help during the startup phase from people I know well and who share my excitement. There were many more projects I completed and skills I had to possess as a startup CEO that I consider tools to that would transfer over to other careers, should my venture not work out. According to Wade Fulton of Forbes.com, contracts are highly regarded as a means to confirm business agreements and services. I learned this lesson the hard way when I bypassed the contract with a client who was a friend of a friend. The client insisted we bartered services, so I took him to court to sue for my fees. I had proof of the quotes I drew up for him and easily won my case. Protect yourself legally by documenting everything! **Ride Out A Recession In The Startup Phase** As a startup CEO, I had to learn not only how to grow my business but also how to save it from the trenches of a tough economy when initial expenses were draining my operating budget. I discovered that starting up a new business as its CEO requires the ability to work long hours for little or no pay. I learned that new startups often take three to five years to show their first profit, so I adjusted to living on a very conservative budget. I knew that if I made some temporary sacrifices, I had a better chance of being rewarded with long-term prosperity. Unless I was lucky enough to have access to a bottomless trust fund, I would have to keep my expenditures down to only necessities for a while. **Keep Your Eyes On The Prize** In the beginning, it was easy to become overwhelmed with all the industry data and project details coming at me. To keep my sanity in check, I kept friends and consultants nearby with whom I could discuss my ideas. That is just good sound advice for us all to follow when our careers get stressful and our company goals and objectives are on shaky ground. I kept a positive outlook and stayed focused on my goals, faithful that months and even years of hard work would turn my scarcity into prosperity. No matter how tough entrepreneurship has been at times, it has shown me the rewards of having relentless belief in myself that I could follow my life’s purpose. It has given this startup CEO a sense of validity and purpose.

Definition: a type of attachment to values that does not waver in the face of new information and new evaluations. I take loyalty to be a devotion to someone or something – a ready willingness to work for its benefit, with a firm emphasis on “ready”. Loyalty to a friend would mean giving the benefit of the doubt. Suppose you had a very close friend whose judgment, values, and philosophy you have found to be unwaveringly wise and upstanding. One day, you see a person getting angry with him and then getting violent. A loyal friend will not jump in and say, “What was the argument about? Were you right, or is he justified in breaking your nose?” He will readily defend his friend, without asking questions. This is an example of rational, un-blind loyalty. It is an act of volition, adherence to reality, commitment to what one knows to be right, commitment toward one’s own life and one’s own chosen values… I think this is where loyalty comes in. When you are loyal to a person you are not swayed by the changing tides of opinion with regard to them. You will stick up for them in both word and deed, even when it may be disadvantageous to you to do so, because you know that the value of this person is greater and not to be sold out to the lesser achievement of safety from the displeasure of the mob. I think another important aspect of loyalty, ironically enough, is not to shrink from judgment. If you hear someone saying something damning but false about a friend and then someone asks you what you think, it’s disloyal for you to say, “Er, hmm, I dunno, it’s tough to say either way.” Instead you ought to say “No, that’s complete nonsense, it never happened, and I understand if you thought it was true but now that you know it’s a lie you should stop telling people this.” Do you run the risk of being wrong? Sure, but it’s better to take a stand and be wrong then never take one at all. Loyalty towards someone or something means: “I will not sell out this enduring value (that something or someone) for any fleeting temptation that may appear advantageous in the moment.” Simple.

“Perfection” means absolute adherence or correspondence to a standard of value. Perfection is possible, and it’s a contextual issue. If you take a 10-word spelling test, and you spell all ten words correctly, then you have executed the test flawlessly; perfectly. If a person is declared to be in “perfect health,” it means that every part of his body is working as it should. It does not mean that he is invincible to disease, or that he might not occasionally battle a rhinovirus, and certainly not that he’s automatically going to live forever without a single speck of effort. (It also doesn’t mean that he can’t raise his level of fitness still higher if he does put in the effort.) If one claims that a thing is perfect – or imperfect – one needs to know the standard against which it’s being evaluated. You cannot claim something is “imperfect” by reference to an irrational or impossible standard. One often hears the charge of imperfection raised against the human mind: Because our minds aren’t omniscient or infallible, our perception is “imperfect” and thus cannot be trusted. Such charges disregard the mind’s specific identity, and hold it to a mystical standard. In order to determine the standard of perfection for a given thing, one must look at its nature and its specific identity. Take the Atlas Shrugged definition of moral perfection – i.e., perfection as it applies to a human being – as unbreached rationality. “Not the degree of your intelligence, but the full and relentless use of your mind, not the extent of your knowledge, but the acceptance of reason as an absolute.” (Atlas Shrugged) Is perfection of this kind possible? Not only possible, but necessary – if life is one’s standard of value. For many people, “imperfection” is an avoidance mechanism. A kind of rationalization for inaction. Ultimately, it’s not really about having standards, but expectations.  THIS is my idea of perfection: All my life, I have heard myself denounced; not for my faults, but for my greatest virtues. I have been hated, not for my mistakes, but for my achievements. I have been called selfish for the courage of acting on my own judgment and bearing sole responsibility for my own life. I have been called arrogant for my independent mind. I have been called cruel for my unyielding integrity. I have been called anti-social for the vision that made me venture upon undiscovered roads. I have been called ruthless for the strength and self-discipline of my drive to my purpose. i have been called greedy for the magnificence of my power to create wealth. My pride and my power of vision were all that I owned when I started – and whatever I achieved, was achieved by means of them. Both are greater now. Now I have the knowledge of the superlative value I had missed: of my right to be proud of my vision. The rest is mine to reach.

So, after I had an argument with someone near to me about “fashion sense”, I was left pretty astounded by the opinions people carry about their own and that of others. Clothing, accessories IS in part one’s measure of self-esteem. If the main purpose of fashion is to impress people – whom you do not even know, the entire purpose is lost. The best builder of self-esteem is one’s productivity and sense of accomplishment; in that sense AND context, people who do not attempt to look their “best” are kind of unproductive people, and in extension, it would apply to personal hygiene, character, clothing and personal appearance, all together. Also remembering that simple, clean, comfortable, well-fitting clothes with color, variety, carried the right way, amounts to the same – it may not be “fashionable” but offer utility and doesn’t imply low self-esteem. I went online to look for well-dressed people and went through a lot of hype and tripe for a while. Didn’t find much to take home, though. Eventually I knew I could always fall back on characters in fiction. In men, it was Hank Rearden, and in women, it was a tie between Dagny Taggart and Dominique Francon. But, of course! Hank Reardon carried his clothes with assurance no matter what he wore – be it a business suit for a business meeting or overalls in his factory, simply standing the bromide “clothes maketh the man” on its head in reverse. So did Dagny Taggart and Dominique Francon. Subtlety was queen! Always, the more exquisitely understated something was, the more interesting.  Most men, as do most women dress terribly of course! It’s not as if there are no better choices available; simply that society today places no value in dressing well. Most men do not know what to wear for what occasion, much less co-ordinate pattern, color and cloth between four to five different articles of clothing. This is not to put down clothing design and selection because there are many values to be found in well-designed and well-chosen clothing. Example: I feel I cannot breathe in linen, and prefer the clean, comfort feel of cotton. I go for a better brand simply because of the quality of the fabric, the feeling of comfort and the ease of activity post wear. At the same time, I do have a keen sense of “dressing for the occasion”; yet, folks like me on several occasions have to forsake fashion for comfort. Since I have diabetes, I have to give up a Ferragamo for a pair of Nike, Levis and Emporio cotton polos against a business suit, for the weather that I work in currently. I like to see a woman dress elegantly. It’s a rare sight, truly. You mostly end up thinking: WHAT IS THAT? Implying both the clothing and the person wrapped up in it. And the make-up! When I was a kid I used to think it as horrible stuff, unnecessary, time-wasting and a nuisance. Does it make a woman’s face appear smoother or prettier? It’s just a poor substitute though for the real thing which in most cases is being young, maintaining yourself well or simply good genes. And why don’t men wear make-up; so it’s actually okay for their faces to show age, but not for women? “Great Fashion is an art” – similar quotes abound from all those that make money from it. Wrong. Yes, clothes, accessories and utilities are about context and functionality. But clothing et al viz fashion is NOT an end in itself, unlike sex or painting or writing or dancing. Designing clothing and accessories, material and other selections etc. is a selective process; this is the characteristic it shares with art. We can say then that it’s artistic though not art as it’s not experienced as an end in itself.

If ART is inspiring, then it appeals to that within me that is the most important of all things to me: my values. The various types of art viz. literature, music, painting, sculpture, dance, architecture, etc. are concrete expressions of abstract epistemological and metaphysical values. A work of art is limited by the nature of man’s senses and unlimited by his sense of life. If ever there could be a school of art that I would happily subscribe to it would be “romantic realism”; where at the outset one would have embraced a benevolent universe premise to live one’s life. To begin, art then would perceptually be the exact same thing (the style, the theme, the plot, the characterization) though its interpretation would be conceptually different. Why romantic realism? What does it mean? Well, if one values reason, self-esteem, capitalism, ambition, pride, integrity, productivity one would believe that reality is knowable, objective, very concrete and benevolent. To such a man splashes of various colors on a canvas is not art, his rational mind would dump it instantly. It would say to him: most “abstract paintings”, for instance are NOT art; that such artists arbitrarily paint whatever they “feel” and THEN interpret it to the rest of the world; a good case in point, partially, would be Pablo Picasso. Or the grotesque monstrosities that hit your everyday skyline – they’re still called buildings; or the “Bollywood dance” which is an eclectic, distorted fusion variant of several classical and modern dance art forms; or the “DJ Music” that copies and distorts the sheer melody and rhythm of the most enchanting music. These are examples not even of bad art; they are monstrosities – twisted and warped beyond the realm or rationality and reality. Or most of the movies that we come across today! An artist who would be a romantic realist would not want to portray human suffering as the theme of his work; it would be his endeavor to depict man’s life as it could be or ought to be; something to be admired, something that inspires him and his audience to achieve the best within himself and themselves. A work of art must be whole, and must be judged as a whole. Abstract art pre-supposes that man is incapable to grasp or know reality directly, that he’s ignorant because he uses his faculty of reason, that he’s blind because he sees it with his eyes or hears it with his ears; and it pre-supposes that the true character of that work of abstract art is not accessible to him through his sensory perception; which assumes that reality has to be distorted for him in order for him to grasp it, and his eyes blinded and ears cut off for him to see or hear it! There are very few works of art that can be classified as fitting within romantic realism, and yet there are some that are getting somewhere there or struggling to be there. It doesn’t matter; I like some of them, too. The reason: at least there is an attempt to break out of inane drivel and embrace the freedom of expression of one’s blurred, unclear belief in the benevolence of life; then even a Rihanna or David Guetta’s attempts at this – albeit few – are worth my while. And I’ll take the rare sheer power of a Christian Bale’s performance as Batman to Nolan’s whimsical direction, too. It wouldn’t compare to the breathtaking power of an Atlas Shrugged or the sheer poetry of a good Van Gogh, but… Yep, I’ll take it!