Monthly Archives: September 2006

“Really good karaoke”

I was angry this morning.

Most mornings, I am too busy not sleeping to entertain real emotions; I try to save those for later in the day. But this morning presented a significant exception.

As usual, the radio was playing in the background as I was eating and preparing for work; this morning, it was tuned to WMUZ, and they were playing their usual assortment of songs. And then I heard a new one.

Well, at first I thought I was actually hearing an old one, but I knew that couldn’t be the case. I thought I was hearing Jeff Buckley‘s Hallelujah, a song written by Leonard Cohen, but I knew there was no chance WMUZ would ever play Hallelujah. Upon a closer listen, I discovered I was hearing Hallelujah … but I wasn’t. I was hearing Lincoln Brewster‘s rewrite of the song, called Another Hallelujah.

As I listened to the song and discovered that he had almost completely rewritten the song — retaining only one or two lines and the chorus of a repeated “hallelujah” — I became angry. I was angry because he had blatantly taken a beautiful, haunting, compelling song and turned it into a sanitized church-ready song.

If there were to be anything positive in Brewster’s song, it would be his efforts to make the song sound like Buckley’s performance; for most of the song, he continued those efforts. But my anger increased toward the end of the song, when he abandoned the quiet, haunting sound of Buckley’s Hallelujah in favor of a full rock band conclusion. It was not just that he failed to stay faithful to the song he hijacked; it was also that the high-energy conclusion failed to fit the mood of the rest of the song. Following the song, the WMUZ morning hosts confirmed that I was not the only one to feel that way, saying a caller complimented the song but expressed dismay at the mismatched ending.

For the most part, my anger has subsided, but I continue to consider Brewster’s rewrite to be utterly outrageous and ill-conceived. Religious music already has its critics, and Brewster carelessly handed a substantial grenade to those critics. Cover the existing song as it is written or write an entirely new song, but please, don’t rewrite an existing song to make the lyrics work for religious radio. To do so is a sad display of some of the biggest faults of — and restrictions on — the creative culture within the Christian community.

Lincoln Brewster, and others: instead of redecorating other songwriters’ houses, please, build your own musical houses.

This and that

1)Lucky Strike Makes Fine Tobacco
Today is the first day of school in Detroit; the teachers are still on strike. The schools are being staffed by a minimal crew of adminstrators and volunteer parents. Yes indeed, it’s all about educating the kids … for the people who are in the classroom right now.

2)The University of Michigan announces change of school colors; the new scheme will be pink and white
No, that’s not a real announcement. But at Saturday’s game vs. Vanderbilt, I saw a woman wearing a pink and white Michigan shirt. What is the problem with wearing actual school colors? If you’re going to go to a Michigan game wearing a Michigan shirt, make it blue and yellow. Otherwise, just wear a blank pink shirt.

Related question: do any women’s professional sports teams have pink as a color? I’m curious.

Also eye-catching on Saturday at the stadium was the man wearing an original Buffalo Sabres jersey. Throwback out-of-town hockey jerseys are an uncommon sight at a Michigan football game.

3)The stress makes the day more memorable, right?
Weddings are exhausting, and they can be so even for those who are not deeply involved in them.

And that, as they say, is that.

In every game, be this our aim, V-I-C-T-O-R-Y: Week 2 vs. Bedford

Chelsea High School Football record through week 2: 4-2 (2-1 week 2; 2-1 SEC).

On Thursday, the freshmen lost at home against Bedford. In a stark contrast to the Novi game, they were tied at halftime, and the final score was 20-12. A late drive was thwarted by penalties, and by the end of the game. Still, an improvement over the previous week.

In another exciting game, the JV went back and forth with Bedford, trailing by 14 before returning a kick for a touchdown to gain momentum. They found themselves down midway through the fourth quarter, and with just over a minute left in the game, they found themselves facing a fourth and 7 inside the Bedford 20. The pass was deflected at the goal line, but the alert receiver managed to grab the ball just before it hit the ground, giving Chelsea the lead for good. (Those with a better view of the play than I told me it was not controversial, and that it seemed pretty clear that he caught the ball.) Final score: 36-33.

The varsity faced a bit of a struggle early with a strong Bedford quarterback, but as time went on they found their rhythm, and they left with a strong 31-7 victory. The offense again showed serious ability to gain yards and score points.

Eye-catching: varsity running back Nick Hill, a freshman, continues to be one of the most eye-catching elements this year; he started with a 45-yard run against Novi, and he did not slow down against Bedford. On an offense loaded with talent, he is carving out a place for himself among the upperclassmen. He is one to watch.

Also eye-catching was the JV receiver’s winning touchdown catch. Excellent awareness on a deflected pass, and a good catch.