Jumpin'Journal - pages of a diary (IV)

It's been a long time since my last Jumpin'Journal post. Today I'll dive straight into some music, movie and book recommendations while "jumping" in pictures from different locations. Let's start.

Sinaia - Cota 2000(1,3) , West Park Ploiesti(2)

How much I love music biography documentaries: the combination of hard work, struggle and talent is hypnotizing. My favourites are:
3. Amy - the life of Amy Winehouse struggling between drug problems, love triangles and childhood problems, a talent that we lost too soon.
2. Get On Up - the life of James Brown overcoming his poor childhood, a dismembered family and later drug and alchool addiction - a strict and driven man with a very clear vision, talent and passion.
1. La Môme(La Vie en Rose) - the life of the incredible Edith Piaf, a movie that makes me cry every time I watch it; Marion Cotillard is beyond amazing in this character - love, lost, tragedy, talent - a must see.

When it comes to music I am all the time searching for something new while the playlist on my phone slightly changes - I'm still listening to most of the same songs as I use to hear years ago.
Meanwhile I'm becoming a fan of the british singer Nao whose mix of electro and soul relaxes me - find more in my album review HERE!
Bruno Mars stole again the limelight with his latest hits collection intitled "24K MAGIC". While the first single with the same name reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, the second one, "That's what I like", surpassed it and reaches number 3 on this week's chart. Bruno has it all in my opinion: the voice, the swag, the moves. Check out his Grammy performance below.



If you are a fan of TV series well then maybe we have some in common or I can recommend you couple of them. Lately I was absorbed by "Taboo" and "Vikings".
I absolutely adored the "Night Manager" mini serie with one of my favourite actors, Hugh Laurie (did you know he is also a singer?! - check out his blues album HERE!).

"The Night Manager" was nominated for 31 awards and has won twelve, including two Emmy Awards for director Susanne Bier and music composer Victor Reyes and three Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actor for Tom Hiddleston, Best Performance for an Actress in a Supporting Role for Olivia Colman, and Best Performance for a Supporting Actor for Hugh Laurie.

Ploiesti(1), Suceava(2), Alexandru Ioan Cuza Park Bucharest(3)

When it comes to books I have to admit I read more in the past 3 months than I did in the last year. If you're in the mood for an easy yet interesting reading I recommend you "La disparition de Richard Taylor" by Arnaud Cathrine: On May 16, 1998 Richard Taylor disappears without a trace and without apparent reason. The book is a serie of testimonies of women in the life of Richard or of those that he meets in the years that follow his getaway. In the game of shadows and lights, we discover fragments of an existence of a man who grew up by the book, doing all that it was expected from him and that suddenly wakes up not knowing who he truly is or what he really wants.

Another book that got me hooked from the first page is "The Magus" by John Fowles.
"This daring literary thriller, rich with eroticism and suspense, is one of John Fowles's best-loved and bestselling novels and has contributed significantly to his international reputation as a writer of the first rank. At the center of The Magus is Nicholas Urfe, a young Englishman who accepts a teaching position on a remote Greek island, where he befriends a local millionaire. The friendship soon evolves into a deadly game in which reality and fantasy are deliberately manipulated, and Nicholas finds that he must fight not only for his sanity but for his very survival."(Goodreads) 

Cantacuzino Castle Busteni(1,2), Mt. Ainos Kefalonia Greece(3)

Right now I just started reading "The Road less traveled" by M. Scott Peck. This book is by now a classic in the field of psychology. Yet, it's written for a mainstream audience and goes through some of the basic tenets of psychological theory (e.g. attachment, individuation, boundaries, delayed gratification) but does so through the lense of spiritual growth. Peck is an excellent writer and fine therapist who is sensitive to the issues of spirituality.

Here is how the book starts:
"Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult--once we truly understand and accept it--then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters."

Which are your favourite TV shows right now? What are you listening to lately and what you plan reading? Leave your comments below.

Untill next time check out some more Jumpin'Journal:

Jumpin'Journal - pages of a diary (I)
Jumpin'Journal - pages of a diary (II)
Jumpin'Journal - pages of a diary (III)


Beldi

Poate asculti si tu: Bruno Mars - Unorthodox Jukebox

Bruno Mars este extrem de talentat. Stim asta din momentul in care a aparut pe neasteptate cantand refrenul cantecului "Nothing on you" (B.o.B.) si am inteles cat de versatil poate fi, dovada sta albumul sau de debut "Doo-Wops & Hooligans" (2010). De asemenea stim si unele lucruri caruia lui Mars ii plac: palariile (fedora), maimutele, muzica lui Sting si onomatopeele aruncate ocazional, pentru a numi doar cateva. Dar oare stim cu adevarat cine este Bruno Mars, ca performer,compozitor si persoana? In pofida accesibilitatii muzicii sale, Mars nu s-a impus ca o forta muzicala si o personalitate puternica care sa se vada prin muzica sa precum au facut-o artisti ca Rihanna, Eminem si Lady Gaga. Mars fredoneaza cantece de dragoste si balade nostalgice, de multe ori in mod spectaculos, dar este asta de ajuns ca sa-l faca o dulce si de durata prezenta pe scena muzicii pop?

Cantaretul in varsta de 27 de ani, nascut in exoticul Hawaii incearca sa raspunda la aceasta intrebare pe "Unorthodox Jukebox", cel de-al doilea album asteptat cu entuziasm de fani si critici deopotriva. Pe noul material discografic reuseste sa amestece alegerile stilistice mai sigure cu ideile relativ indraznete. Primul single "Locked Out of Heaven" a atins pozitia fruntasa a celebrului Billboard Hot 100. Sa vedem ce alte surprize ascunde albumul.

 1. Young Girls - Bruno deschide cel de-al doilea album cu un aranjament elegant si versuri despre recunoasterea pacatului in timp ce se complace in el. Modul in care versurile sunt scrise si vibe-ul dat de backing vocals ne duc cu gandul la albumul de debut, insa Mars si The Smeezingtons exploreaza in continuare seriozitatea umbrita din "It Will Rain".
Mai jos puteti urmari interpretarea live a piesei din cadrul show-ului Victoria's Secret. Pentru mine se potrivesc per-fect!



 2. Locked Out Of Heaven - Unii spun ca "maimutareste" stilul formatiei The Police insa nu asta conteaza. "Locked Out Of Heaven" este cel mai bun single al lui Mars pana in prezent, cantautorul geme despre desfranare pe o linie melodica asezonata cu sunete stridente de chitara si exclamatii ce intaresc interpretarea sa . Uneori, single-ul de debut al unui album este greu de gasit, alteori apare exact in fata ta si-ti ofera o imbratisare mare si confortabila.



 3. Gorilla - O piesa ambitioasa si care inunda timpanele ascultatorilor cu gemete si versuri ce starnesc fantezii sexuale. Versuri presum "You and me, baby, making love like gorillas!" n-au cum sa nu-ti ramana in cap. Ritmul tobelor si pianul pe refren te coplesesc frumos. Personal o consider o piesa pasionala numai buna de dat pe spate persoana dorita.

 

 4. Treasure - Folosind un ritm care ne aminteste de visatorul single "If I Ever Feel Better" (Phoenix) Mars & co. sunt toti un zambet in timp ce livreaza un vartej de disco-pop. Unii poate vor simti ca "Treasure" , cu armoniile sale extraordinare, refrenul clasic ce te prinde din prima si nuantele sexuale viclene , descrie starea muzicala care-l face pe Mars sa fie cel mai fericit.

 

 5. Moonshine - Cu o haina retro clara si decorat cu sunete sintetizate "Moonshine" ne ofera versuri simple precum "Take us to that special place/That place we went the last time, the last time". Chiar si atunci cand Mars, The Smeezingtons si compozitorii invitati - Mark Ronson si Andrew Wyatt - nu mai au asari de scos din maneca in materie de versuri, productia este bine pusa la punct incat ascultatorul nu-si poate dori decat inca o portie de "lumina a lunii".

 

 6. When I Was Your Man - In aceasta balada sensibila Mars are inima sfaramata. Vocea este acompaniata doar de pian iar versurile descriu o relatie ce a avut loc inainte ca Bruno sa cunoasca succesul. Este genul de cantec care in cadrul unui concert va face audienta sa-si legene brichetele aprinse in aer. Desi nu este o balada puternica precum cele ale Aliciei Keys, "When I Was Your Man" ii permite intr-un mod istet lui Mars sa-si dea palaria jos si sa-si deschida sufletul indurerat in fata ascultatorilor.



7. Natalie - Batai din palme, percutie si murmur, din astea e alcatuit inceputul melodiei total opuse precedentei. Descoperim un Bruno Mars razvratit si iritat din cauza unei "gold-digging bitch". Detaliile agile de productie - diferite sunete par sa apara instantaneu la fiecare semn de punctuatie - se acumuleaza culminand in eliminarea sigura a partenerei.



8. Show Me - E timpul sa ne indreptam catre insula nativa a artistului. O briza hawaiana pluteste prin acest cantec distractiv. Ramane la latitudinea fiecaruia daca e mai bun decat "Show me" al lui Usher insa piesa este buna pentru relaxare si visare. "It's gettin' freaky in this room, room, room!"



9. Money Make Her Smile - Mars si The Smeezingtons isi expun pe deplin calitatile lor de artisti pop in acest cantec, un amestec cremos de shimbari rapide de ritm, percutie care iti ia respiratia si sunete electronice care l-ar face gelos chiar si pe Will.I.Am. Dupa ce in cea mai mare parte a albumului a fost dusa o lupta grea de indepartare de la stilul albumului de debut, Mars & co. se aventureaza intr-un teritoriu necunoscut, isi asuma riscuri noi si...reusesc sa surprinda mai mult decat placut.

Funny fact: Intrebat despre inspiratia din spatele acestui cantec Mars a afirmat ca la un moment dat se afla intr-un club de striptease in Paris, cei de acolo l-au recunoscut si au pus melodia "Just the way you are" care este un cantec bun dar nu este unul tocmai potrivit pentru un astfel de club asa ca a scris cantecul de fata si a adaugat ca ar fi foarte mandru daca l-ar auzi pe acesta in cluburile de gen.

 

 10. If I Knew - "I wouldn't have done all the things that I have done/If I knew one day you'd come", Mars canta aceste versuri ca un dulce sarut de la revedere. Textura albumului de debut poate fi inca o data sesizata, de ce sa te uiti in urma dupa ce ai atins un nou varf cu melodia anterioara?



 11. Old & Crazy (feat Esperanza Spalding) - Aceasta piesa este un bonus track pe editia deluxe a albumului. Este o piesa cu influente jazz cantata de Mars impreuna cu Esperanza Spalding. Aceasta este prima cantareata de jazz care a castigat premiul Grammy pentru cel mai bun artist nou in 2011 la varsta de 27 de ani. O piesa jucausa , dupa parerea mea, de umplutura.



Per total este un album care mie personal imi place. Melodii precum "Young Girls", "Money Make Her Smile", "Natalie" si "Gorilla" le am pe repeat de ceva timp incoace. Baladele cu aer dramatic, pasiunea din spatele unor versuri si chiar a unor onomatopee sfasietoare, sound-ul inovator si imaginea creata in jurul numelui lui Bruno Mars ma determina sa afirm ca directia spre care se indreapta este una promitatoare, plina de surprize cu adevarat placute. Ii acord un 8/10.

Tu ce parere ai?

Poate te-ar interesa si Frank Ocean - channel Orange sau No Doubt - Push and Shove.