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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Who Is Hector Rashbaum?

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I surf the net.

A lot.

Way too much.

Sometimes I get lost on tangents that later on make me ask the eternal question “what the fuck was I thinking?!” and other times I know exactly what I was thinking and why I’m glad I continue to surf.

I stumbled across this site and got sucked into a deep dark hole. When a writer is so witty that you find yourself sitting at the ‘puter grinning like an idiot, you know you’ve hit the jackpot.

This particular writer chose to review Bon Jovi songs. Unfortunately, she got side-tracked by school and life and hasn’t written anymore for quite a while, but please don’t miss the ones she’s done.

I’ve found songs I didn’t know existed by reading her blog and appreciated songs I knew by heart more after I saw what she had to say about them. I laughed out loud at some of her comments, while vehemently disagreeing with her about much of what she has to say about Richie. Y’all know I love Richie too, so don’t diss the man!

Hector Rashbaum (her screen alter) is also not the biggest fan of Jon’s, but when she tells you about his voice transporting her, ya better listen cause she’s dead on.

She writes what she loves, what she hates, and what makes her be a Jovi fan. If you weren’t a big fan before you hit her blog, you will be when you leave.

One of the many things I particularly like is that she does not gush about a particular guy. I’ve already mentioned that she’s not overly fond of Richie, and Jon is not a “god” to her. She talks about David and Tico in such a way that I found myself listening again to songs to hear what she meant and she was right! How many times it is Tico’s drumming that drives a song and how intricate is David’s keyboarding, sometimes low, sometimes leading the way.

What follows are some excerpts from her “reviews”:

Wanted Dead or Alive

…Other people run for cover when I'm listening to this song. This is my favorite of the big hits, the songs that are synonymous with Bon Jovi. I love the instrumentation, I love the lyrics, I love it when Richie shouts "I STILL DIE YI YI", I just plain freaking love everything about this song.

And vocally...for the love of God. It's just gorgeous. Jon's voice has so much power, even without him yelling it, you can just feel him pouring everything into those vocals. And Richie's backing is perfect. Absolutely perfect. Richie and Jon have very different voices but there's similarities to the "style"(for lack of a better word) to them that makes them blend very well…

Stick To Your Guns

…Jon has a motherfucking set of pipes on him. Boy can belt shit hardcore.

This is one of the best examples of how powerful Jon's voice was at its peak. It says a lot about where he started from that his voice has deteriorated pretty significantly and he can still belt it out better than guys half his age.

I like this song as a song, but what always really stands out for me is just how intense his voice is. Even during the verses, which are more subdued, it's just amazing…

Crazy (sung by Tico)

…Then the song started and I fell out of my chair (true story - they're designed to tilt back without falling over, but I was already tilting back and Tico distracted me so much I forgot and leaned back more). It's just gorgeous.

His voice is an acquired taste, but when you look at him, you realize it's exactly how the badass mafia-looking guy with the big cigar should sing. Growly. And if you know more about Tico, then he sings just like the way you'd expect the owner of a baby clothing line who's also an artist to sing. Passionate. Which, once you get used to the mix, it works…

Memphis Lives In Me (sung by David)

…The lyrics to "Memphis" are gorgeous. It's one of David's strong points, moreso even than the band's as a whole, that he can take you on this emotional journey of his choosing. "The blues sing softly in the air / like a Sunday morning prayer /one more drink and you'll see God everywhere" and "like a sad old melody / that tears you up but sets you free" are my favorite lyrics of all time. It's imagery and poetry and it's just beautiful…


Now, go get lost in her words for a few weeks. You won’t be asking WTF if you do.

Her Site: Bon Jovi Song of the Day

Now ya know who Hector Rashbaum is.

2 comments:

The Goddess Hathor said...

As an FYI, she's also a writer. She's quite prolific on RockFic, and has even beta'd for some of the girls around here.

I do love her insights, though, and her writing is great.

~ Hath

Sunstreaked said...

Thanks, Hath, she for sure is also a writer! Not my favorite genre so I thought I'd let those who wanted to discover that on their own.

Amazing talent for her age. Sure wish she'd continue these. I also read her entire online journal. Really neat person. Probably way cool to know in real life.

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