2025 n 2025: Day 184

The Way It Feels - Heather Nova

Look, it is fine and all, but all very unmemorable and generic. And I kind of understand. But I am also allowed to be disappointed, because I am fairly certain this was one of her crowdfunded albums that has my name in the credits.

Highlights: This Humanness, Girl on the Mountain, Serengeti

6/10

Wayne's World: Music from the Motion Picture - Various Artists

This is only Dream Weaver by Gary Wright. It is a pretty great song. I really should get the full album at some point so I at least have the full Wayne's World Theme to party on with.

8/10

WCW Slam Jam 1 - Various Artists

The greatest wrestling album ever! Big screaming, big synth, ridiculous lyrics about the wrestlers in question - the best being "He's soooo pretty/It's making me upsetty!". Also, Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat is a family man who loves his wife and son. Seriously, that is all his theme goes on and on about. Just what I want in my wrestling themes.

Highlights: Ravishing Rick Rude (Simply Ravishing), Ron Simmons (Don't Step to Ron), Sting (Man Called Sting!), Steiner Brothers (Steinerized)

8/10

We Are Drugs - Third Eye Blind

I have to admit, I have enjoyed revisiting 3EB. In fact, I had almost forgotten about this EP. It is a bit more of an exploration of whatever was popular in 2016, so there are a couple of really terrible attempts at drum and bass or something? But like most 3EB, it is bookended by absolute brilliance.

Highlights: Cop vs. Phone Girl, Weightless, Company of Strangers, Sherri is a Stoner

7.5/10

We Started Nothing - The Ting Tings

The real punk we learned along the way was the poppiest indie grooves...

Highlights: That's Not My Name, Keep Your Head, Shut Up and Let Me Go, Be The One

8/10

We Too Are One - Eurythmics

There is something about this album I find awfully generic - what is it with that happening a lot lately?!? - yet I find this album quite beautiful lyrically. Annie Lennox always has brilliant lyrics. 

Highlights: The King and Queen of America, You Hurt Me (And I Hate You), How Long?, Angel

7/10

We Will Rock You - Queen + Five

Legitimately the most embarrassing moment in Queen's 50 year career.

MINUS FIVE STARS

Weezer - Weezer

Look, Rivers Cuomo is a gross creepo and Weezer are absolute dogshit. But I will be damned if this is not a super fun album. 

Highlights: Holiday, Buddy Holly, In The Garage, My Name is Jonas

8.5/10

Weird Tales of the Ramones - Ramones

I need to get out one day and jam some acoustic Ramones songs for busking one more time before I get too old and too useless. Or maybe being old and useless will make the experience more awesome? One day I will ditch this set and get all the individual albums, but that will probably also be when I am old and useless. The first two discs are just absolute killer, and the third is... actually pretty cool; I have generally had a less than positive impression of the group once Dee Dee left, but when I actually listen to this I change my mind. Ramones were awesome from beginning to end!

Highlights: Howling at the Moon (Sha-La-La), Daytime Dilemma (Dangers of Love), Sheena is a Punk Rocker, Rockaway Beach, Don't Come Close, Glad to See You Go, Slug [Demo], I Wanna Be Sedated

8/10

Welcome 2 America - Prince

I am not sure why Prince decided to bury this album, yet still go on tour in support of it. Prince did a lot of things I did not understand. It is all pretty soulful, with a dash of dirty funk.

Highlights: 1000 Light Years From Here, Stand Up and B Strong, One Day We Will All B Free, Welcome 2 America

7/10

Whammy! - The B-52's

This may well be the most new wave silliness of all the new wave I own. Quirky lyrics, repetitive guitar licks, spooky keyboard sounds, Fred being Fred. 

Highlights: Trism, Queen of Las Vegas, Whammy Kiss

6/10

What a Waster - The Libertines

Just a quick couple of trashy punk songs.

Highlights: I Get Along

8/10

What About Now - Bon Jovi

Really, from the first attempt at a guitar solo, it becomes glaringly obvious Richie Sambora was not in the studio for this bland nothingness. His tone and style is unmistakable. As is Jon Bon Jovi's everyman schtick - which really grows old on this.

Highlights: Every Road Leads Home to You - Richie Sambora, every other moment where Sambora graced the recording sessions

5.5/10

What The Sea Wants The Sea Will Have - Sarah Blasko

Somewhat ethereal and always interesting. A little bit more going on here than her debut - possibly a little more adventurous, but still very much moody indie folk pop rock kind of thing?

Highlights: Hammer, Always on This Line, [explain], Planet New Year

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1829

FREE PALESTINE

2025 in 2025: Day 21

Best of Van Halen, Vol. 1 - Van Halen

Man, the David Lee Roth era flies by so quick on this compilation. I've never considered myself a huge fan of Van Halen, but when I listen to this I just dig it so much. Except for Dance The Night Away and And the Cradle - they're just kind of okay. The rest are absolute killer. The Sammy Hagar era is not represented entirely well, IMO; I feel like there were better songs that could have made the cut. However, Dreams is awesome and the guitar solo is one of my absolute fav Eddie Van Halen moments. And Right Now always gets me air-drumming. The return of David Lee Roth at the end is pretty awesome, too. Pretty sure we've been singing "Trampoline" in Me Wise Magic for 28 years now. This makes me regret not picking up the Van Halen box sets when I saw them cheap a while back, because clearly I need more Van Halen in my life. Or maybe this is the perfect amount, and that's why I like this CD so much?

Highlights: Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Runnin' with the Devil, Unchained, Jump, Panama, Dreams, Right Now, Me Wise Magic

9/10

The Best of WCW Vol. 1: Nitro - World Championship Wrestling

Well, I guess this makes up for me not watching WCW for the past few months. Oh you want to watch Bret Hart stick fools in the Sharpshooter? How about 90 minutes of playing 'guess the pro-wrestler's entrance music' instead? The Total Package theme almost sounds like a Chariots of Fire ripoff. And it's been 30 years and I still can't tell the difference between Rey Misterio and Dean Malenko's themes when I first hear them. Pro-wrestling themes with lyrics are always way funnier - especially when they talk about doing all the wrestling moves and what not. The Four Horsemen theme is legit badass. And after watching so much WCW and no Pearl Jam, I'm now convinced this Chris Jericho theme is how Even Flow actually sounds. La Parka's theme is so funk-rock it's awesome and makes me want to play air-guitar on a steel chair. Wait - The Four Horsemen have a second theme song? American Made is no Real American, but it still rocks hard. Luckily we save the best for last with Bret Hart's second WCW theme.

Highlights: Four Horsemen, Satan's Sister (Hollywood Blondes Theme), Parental Advisory Explicit Acts (La Parka Theme), Hart Attack Comeback (Bret Hart Theme)

7/10

The Best of WCW Vol. 2: Thunder - World Championship Wrestling

Oh, I still haven't learned my lesson? Voodoo Child would have been good right now, but those nWo quotes in it are mixed way too loud. At least I get some more disco music with Disco Inferno's theme song? I mean, I'd prefer Disco Inferno from The Trammps again, but sure. Buff Bagwell doesn't even seem to know what's going on with his theme song. 3 Count is just laughable - and purposely so, given their gimmick. Hitman in the House has grown on me, but still stands as his third best theme song. the nWo Midcard theme is super funky. Oh cool - Badstreet U.S.A. is on here! I will never tire of A Man Called Sting. Wolfpac in the house! Wait - almost three hours and no appearance of Brad Armstrong's theme song? I feel cheated.

Highlights: Disco Fever (Disco Inferno Theme), Hitman in the House (Bret Hart Theme), Tear It Up (nWo Midcard Theme), A Man Called Sting (Sting Theme), Billy Kidman (Kidman Theme)

6/10

Best Shots - Pat Benatar

I think we must be almost done with Best ofs! This is some serious 80s power ballad stuff. Hit Me with Your Best Shot really is so weak - needs to be rocked up a notch or two. 

Highlights: Love is a Battlefield, All Fired Up, Hell is for Children, We Belong

6.5/10

BEST★SCANDAL - SCANDAL

No, this is not a best of. This is SCANDAL's debut album. Maybe they called it BEST★SCANDAL because they think they are the best? They might not be, but they can come close some times. These days, anyway. Their early work is more in the vein of pop-punk idol music. Which is totally cool with me! In fact, some of this seriously great.

Highlights: DOLL, ひとつだけ, SAKURA グッバイ

7/10

Between the Black and Gray - MONOEYES

Ugh American spelling. Anyways, more 細美さん means more good times, even if this album is more of a darker vibe. Likely a product of the times, as this was released at the end of 2020, so in the midst of the pandemic and lockdowns and awesome stuff. This is overall probably the weakest MONOEYES album, but the highlights are SUPER highlights. And a weak MONOEYES album is still better than a lot of band's stronger efforts.

Highlights: Fall Out, Interstate 46, Outer Rim, 彼は誰の夢

8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 174

WrestleMania March Madness, Day Thirty-One: WrestleMania XXXI

29 March 2015
Levi's Stadium
Santa Clara, California - USA

Attendance: 76,976

Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry 'the King' Lawler & JBL

My thoughts before this viewing:
I have not seen this show before. It took place yesterday and I've been busy watching 30 other WrestleManias to fit it in. Plus it would have been weird to watch it out of order. I haven't been paying too much attention the past few month to WWE because I have lost a lot of interest in it - and considering I didn't have the greatest interest in the first place, the bar is now very low. So I don't expect much from this show. But Sting will make his WrestleMania debut so that should be fun. I like Sting. As usual, my BFF decided to spoil a few things for me because he is a swell guy. I must remember to punch him in the balls next time I see him.

America the Beautiful
Aloe Blacc is our singer? I'm showing my age by not being familiar with this guy. He's all accapella and awesome.
9/10

Opening Video Package
LL Cool J talks to us about how the world has changed and technology and so on... it somehow relates to WrestleMania.
9/10

Opening Match

Ladder Match
Intercontinental Championship
Daniel Bryan vs Dolph Ziggler vs R-Truth vs Dean Ambrose vs Luke Harper vs Stardust vs Bad News Barrett (c)
Hey, Daniel Bryan, how does it feel to be the most popular man in WWE and ending last year winning the WWE World Heavyweight championship and realising a lifelong dream... and then the following year being relegated to the opening match for a meaningless title?
This match is nuts. Absolute nuts. And then Dean Ambrose is murderised.

Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler make me laugh out loud by having a headbutt war.
Winner = Daniel Bryan via climbing a ladder before other men
8/10

Roman Reigns is strong because he wears Tapout.

Video Package
Randy Orton has done everything in WWE. Including getting people fired, failing the wellness policy multiple times and being slapped with sexual harassment lawsuits. But they don't cover those in this video
8/10

Randy Orton vs Seth Rollins
Randy Orton DDT's Seth Rollins' little bodyguards and they sell it like death for the entire match. Until the end when they get involved and Rollins and Orton are kicking out of each other's finishers. And then Rollins doesn't.
Winner = Randy Orton via pinfall following RKO outta nowhere
6/10

Buy WWE Toys!

Video Package
Triple H loves WWE more than anyone. Definitely more than me. Especially when he's involved. Sting is here for reasons? At least his coat looks awesome.
7/10

Sting vs Triple H
Sting gets some weird Japanese entrance and is wearing a coat not nearly as cool as the one he had in the video. Of course, the H bomb gets an even bigger and crazier entrance that involves terminators.

How much do they spend on his entrances every year???
The commentators bury Sting and WCW as much as they can. Because WCW has only been out of business for 14 years and WWE still can't move on. The match gets nostalgic as D-Generation X come out and get beaten up by Sting. Then the NWO come out and beat up D-Generation X. This would have been really cool in 1997 when these guys weren't all dinosaurs and make me cringe. Then Shawn Michaels kicks Sting in the face. Sting fights back but is no match for the H bombs ego.
Winner = Triple H via pinfall following a sledgehammer to the face
1/10

Because this company is just bullshit and incredibly insecure. To make it worse, they shake hands. Because Triple H really needed Sting to put him over.

Fuck. You.

Advertisement for the WWE network. If you pay for that shit I have no sympathy for you when the Diva Search sucks all kinds of suckiness.

Backstage
Maria Menounos interviews Daniel Bryan. But not really - it's just a lot of Hall of Famers telling him how proud they are. Should you guys have been more proud when he won the WWE World Heavyweight championship? You're proud of him for winning a title for nobodies? WWE really want to make sure we accept this is his spot now.
-1/10

Maria even fucked up the Ron Simmons "Damn!" part. Shut your mouth, stupid bitch.

Musical Performance
I'm pretty sure this is the the third time Skylar Grey is performing at WrestleMania. She sucks as much as Travis Barker is awesome.
1/10

Diva Tag Match
AJ Lee & Paige vs The Bella Twins
AJ gets punched once and sells it like death. The Bella twins are actually two of the worst wrestlers I have ever seen.
Winners = AJ Lee & Paige via submission from AJ's octopus thing they call the Black Widow which makes no sense because she is not a widow. Unless her husband become the first person to die in a UFC fight
1/10

Hall of Fame highlights.
Lots of people that suck - if I had a hall of fame, these dudes would not make the cut. And I sure wouldn't have Kevin Nash/Diesel as the headlining name. Worst WWF Champion ever.

Video Package
Rusev is an evil Russian, so American hero John Cena must stop him.
4/10

US Championship
John Cena vs Rusev (c) (w/Lana)
Rusev rolls in with a tank.

John Cena comes out to speeches from George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, so Rusev is the winner in my books. Crowd seems to agree with me and sings "John Cena sucks!" to his theme song. I think the only person they like in this match is Lana.
Winner = John Cena via pinfall following attitude adjustment
New Champion!
5/10

Some chit-chat between the 'Kickoff panel'. Booker T has a new book that he plugs every chance he gets. That would probably be a good read.

In The Ring
Stephanie McMahon and Triple H announce the attendance and brag about how successful WrestleMania is. Makes me glad I illegally download all your shows when I can bothered watching them. Thank Prime - The Rock is here to help me not hate this show any more. And he brings in Ronda Rousey to help him lay the smack down on these two. Kinda exciting but that took half an hour - and I am not exaggerating.
8/10

The Undertaker vs Bray Wyatt
The commentators are surprised The Undertaker has returned. Really? WWE advertised this match - you should have known he was going to appear.
Winner = The Undertaker via usual
6/10

Chris Jericho has a podcast on the WWE network. I am sure he thinks it is the greatest.

Video Package
Roman Reigns is a guy trying to live up to his family's legacy and provide for his children. Brock Lesnar gives no fucks about that because he murderises everyone.
8/10

WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar (c) (w/Paul Heyman)
Lesnar beats the shit out of Reigns and welcomes him to "Suplex City, bitch!" - much to the approval of the crowd. Roman Reigns is the new John Cena; booked as the underdog, overcomes all the odds, loved by women and children everywhere. And hated passionately by everyone else.
Seth Rollins? What the?
With both men down, he cashes in his Money in the Bank briefcase to make this match a triple threat.

Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins vs Brock Lesnar (c) (w/Paul Heyman)
Reigns takes out Lesnar with a spear so Rollins gives Reigns a curb stomp and steals the title!
What the FUCK?!?!?
Winner = Seth Rollins via pinfall following a total what the fuck
New Champion!
8/10

Unbelievable! I was ready to write this off because I figured Reigns was going to just 'John Cena' this shit, but that was incredible. Rollins swings the belt around like a boss and gives a big fuck yeah to send us out!

WrestleMania XXXI: The Awards

1. Best Match
   Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns (and vs Seth Rollins)
   It was hilariously entertaining. And then the surprise cash-in made it even better.
2. Worst Match
   Sting vs Triple H
   I hope they paid Sting a lot of money to come in and lose his first match in WWE after all these years. Fuck you, WWE.
3. Highlight of the Show
   The Rock and Ronda Rousey standing in the ring together. The actual segment was way too long but those two are awesome.
4. Lowlight of the Show
   Sting losing his first match with WWE. I can not express just how ridiculous it is to have him finally come to the company after all these years just so he can lose to Triple H. Fuck you, WWE.
5. Star of the Show
   Seth Rollins. Dude is awesome and he managed to save WWE from an angry crowd at the end of the show.
6. Best Celebrity Appearance
   Ronda Rousey. I wish the segment had been a bit better but she is awesome and a total superstar. The UFC better hope she never loses.
   
7. Worst Celebrity Appearance
   Maria Menounos. She couldn't even keep her mouth shut for 20 seconds to let Ron Simmons do his thing.
   
8. Tonight's Meal
   Tonight I decided to celebrate the end of the marathon with my favourite meal - corn chip casserole. And then put it in a wrap, because this whole marathon has been wraps and I don't mess with the rules. It was delicious. Pepsi Next was as good as always, as were the Chips Ahoy! with Reese's peanut butter cups.
9. T-Shirt Cleanliness
   No changes today. But guess what? It looks gross anyway.
10. Overall Score
    I was ready to write this off after Sting lost, because that was bullshit and there is no other way to put it. Luckily the main event was exciting. Well, the end of it was. It was otherwise an enjoyable show, I guess. Great ending. But fuck you, WWE.
    5 out of 10