"Country Roads" in Minor Key

So, I don't know the "science" behind it, but songs in "major key" are happy and upbeat, and songs in "minor key" are more somber.  Sometimes, you can find listings online of songs where the key has been switched.  This one is my favorite of those.

If "Country Roads" is meant to be a positive, happy song about going back home, this is a sort of sad, serious version.  It's hauntingly beautiful.  I like to think that this is what would be playing in the background when the hero in a movie has to flee his home, for whatever reason, knowing that he could never come back.

And on an unrelated note, it's snowing.  Last week, I didn't even need a coat, but right now, there's snow on the driveway.  I don't even know anymore.

31 Days of Halloween #19

There are a lot of great actors in the classic horror genre.  Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney (both Jr. and Sr.), John Carradine, Claude Rains, Lionel Atwill, George Zucco....and perhaps my favorite: Dwight Frye.

Day 19: Dwight Frye

Without a doubt, Dwight Frye is one of my all-time favorite actors.  You might know him best as Renfield from the original Bela Lugosi Dracula, or perhaps even as Fritz, the hunchback from the original Boris Karloff Frankenstein.  There is something about Dwight that always sends shivers down my spine.  And yet, at the same time, he creates a very sympathetic character (especially in Renfield; not so much in Fritz).  He's truly a wonderful actor.  If you want to read a bit about his life, I highly recommend this wonderful book.

And now for some free stuff!  I'm going to start things off with perhaps the most famous Dwight Frye song out there: "The Ballad of Dwight Fry" by Alice Cooper.  Yes, I know I left the "e" off in "Frye", but that's how its spelled in the song.

While you're listening to that, why not check out a few of these interesting biographies of Dwight?  They can be found here and here.

Also, here is a wonderful remix song about Renfield from Dracula, called "Now, Now, Renfield".  The link will take you to a page where you can download the song.  And if you wanted a video of the song instead, I'm including that below.

Want more?  Check out some of Dwight's films.  In addition to Frankenstein and Dracula, you can find him in The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein, The Vampire Bat, and Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man--just to name a few!

 

31 Days of Halloween #9

I love some good music.  As you've seen in two of my Halloween posts so far this year, I am always on the lookout for good Halloween music.  Of course, I have my classics: "Werewolves of London," "Thriller," "Monster Mash," and anything by Alice Cooper (especially, in these cases "Under the Bed," "Feed My Frankenstein," and "Lullaby").

I don't generally look for lists, however, because they generally just include a songs I've already heard a million times before.

Day 9: Halloween Music

 

So, when I found this list from Gruemonkey on Facebook, I got really excited.  What's better than a handful of Halloween songs?  Try 60!  I've only heard a few of these, so I'm thrilled to have found a whole collection of titles that I'll have to check out :)

Click on the link above to access the page.  Also, below, I'm including a few of my favorites that haven't made it onto the list (but just a few!)

For this first one, you'll have to wait about a minute and a half for the song to kick in, but I wanted to include the video with original animation.  Besides, most of the versions I was seeing on YouTube were remixes.

And this second one in particular always gives me the chills.  I'm not sure if it's actually meant to be creepy, but I have always thought so.  I first heard it played as background music for the game Alice is Dead.

Well, that's all for today!  Do you have a favorite Halloween song that didn't make it on to the list?  Please let me know in the comments!

31 Days of Halloween #2

What's your favorite Halloween song?  There are a lot of great titles out here, including "Werewolves of London" and "Thriller," but my favorite is "The Monster Mash".  I always get such a kick out of that song.  As a kid, it made monsters seem a lot more fun.

So, of course, today's "trick or treat" is going to be a dedication to one of my favorite tunes:)

Day 2: The Monster Mash

The first video below features the song of course, with pictures from various horror films, including Frankenstein, and The Invisible Ray.  What I liked best, though, was that it started off with pictures and promotional posters of Bobby "Boris" Pickett, the lead singer.

 

Now, in case you weren't aware, there is a reason why the Monster Mash consists only of classic monsters.  What would it be like with today's freaks: Jason Voorhees, Jigsaw, or Freddy Krueger?  Well, Key of Awesome thought about that, too, and they have a more updated version of the Monster Mash for you here!  While it's still funny, it's certainly more adult, so I guess this is just a warning if you're looking for the same wholesome fun of the original.

And if you enjoyed that, here's the behind the scenes video!

Enjoy :)