Where Are They Now? - One Hit Wonders

Compiling a list can be really a hard job. It can be subjective. Who do you include and who do u leave out? Who really gets to decide that? Anyway, I thought I would do my best to create a list of some bands and their songs that I used to listen to back in the 90's. It was just one single song that caught my attention and my wait for another hit from these bands proved to be futile. Will they ever be able to produce another hit like the one before? Are they even a band now?

Blind Melon - No Rain
Their first album received no success when it was released. When the first video was released for "No Rain" it became a raging success and soon this song was heard on the radio and the video was regular on MTV. The album went platinum x 3. The little girl who played the bee girl became a common figure that would be associated with Blind Melon for a long time. Constant cocaine problems with the singer Shannon Hoon was a roadblock in creating more hits for the band. Hoon soon died while on tour with the band and that was the end of Blind Melon. They did release two more albums after their first, but it mostly went unnoticed and during its very short lifespan, the band rode on the success of "No Rain" and for some of us, that's all we know about Blind Melon.

4 Non Blondes - what's Up?
Four girls who choose the name "4 Non Blondes" because none of them had blonde hair in the band. Not very creative. With only one released album to their name in 1993, they managed a big hit with "what's Up?" which received huge airplay on radio and MTV. The band was well accepted because they were probably the first all girl band to emerge out of the alternative music scene with some success. Hanging on to the success of what's Up, they went on to record their second album which for some unknown reason was not released. The band broke up and they all went their different ways. We may never hear from them again, but we do have what's Up to remind us that such a band did exist.

Crash Test Dummies - Mmm Mmm Mmm
How can we forget the deep voice that sang about the girl who wouldn't change with others in the change room because she had birth marks all over her body and about the kid who got into an accident and could not come to school. Their album titled God Shuffled his Feet had gone platinum and earned the band three grammy nominations, based on the power of their single titled Mmm Mmm Mmm. It was this single that made the world take notice of this band, even though they did have an album before this. They released many more albums, even as recent as 2004. They even had a Christmas album titled Jingle All The Way but none of these came close to Mmm Mmm Mmm and as a result this is till date probably the only song by Crash Test Dummies that most people have heard.

Soul Asylum - Runaway Train

Its hard to believe that they were formed as early as 1983 and had 5 albums released before they saw some success. Their 1992 album Grave Dancers Union went platinum x 2 due to the strength of their single Runaway Train. This was the first big hit for the band and this song received huge airplay both on radio and MTV. The video of this song featured pictures of missing children and a contact number. In different parts of the world, this video featured missing children from that particular region. This video was also responsible for reuniting many lost children with their parents. Few more years down the line and three more albums later, people still associate Soul Asylum with Runaway Train. Can we expect another hit from them?

I really wish that all the above bands would spawn a few more hits and keep going. Some of them still play and release albums but go unnoticed. Some of them have broken up due to many reasons. Then there are some bands in whose case we should be so thankful that common sense prevailed and they stopped with just one hit. These would be bands like:

Chumbawumba - Tubthumper
Hanson - MMMBop
Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby
right Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy

There are plenty more to write about and as always the list can go on and on. Your inputs welcome.

Justice for All....Right here, Right Now.

How much justice is there in the world today? Obviously not a lot. But why today? How much justice ever existed? I might be called crazy or even evil, but there are some instances where i just cannot turn my other three cheeks. Everybody deserves a shot at justice and i am not going to say that it is up to every individual to get his/her own justice. If that was the case then just imagine the state of the world today. It sucks anyway, and always has. But right now its all about me. Its about what i want and not what the world should want. I deserve justice and i am going to get it. I am going to do it my way because if i do it someone elses way, its not going to be enough. Its funny how i feel so strongly about this and yet find it so hard to explain. I might let some things pass because they are not really worth fighting for. Try stealing from me, something material ofcourse. Take my wallet, steal my home theater system, make my money disappear and i probably wont come after you. You can have all four cheeks of mine. When you turn them red, try to keep the color even. Now try taking an arm of mine. I promise i wont take both your arms, but one of them already belongs to me and i will take it at any cost. If i let the law take its course, whats the worse that can happen to you? You will rot in jail for a few months and then you are a free man again. If you call that justice, then i dont think it exists in my dictionary. Gandhi said that if we took an eye for an eye, then we would leave the whole world blind. I guess we could do with a few blind people, we see too much crap anyway. I dont believe that justice will be served in heaven. Its got to happen right here and right now for me. So, as i was saying, take my material stuff and you can get away with it. Try taking away the life of someone who is close to me. Take my wife or take my kids. If it does happen, then your soul better belong to God, because your ass belongs to me. And Oh.. did i mention that i was so pro capital punishment? You take a life, you deserve to loose yours. If the law dosent do it, then i will. Be very afraid. I was always a peace loving person. I dont think i am even capable of raising my hand against you. But do i personally have to have you beaten up or killed? I could always get that done. Its easier. Works fine for guys like me.

People change everyday. Our thoughts and beliefs change more rapidly that we can keep track of. I admit that i never felt this way always. So dont be surprised if tomorrow i post something that totally contradicts what i just wrote. This is how i feel this very moment. Who knows, i might just decide to spare your life tomorrow.

Its Only Words

Yes, its true. Its only a few simple words. Few letters thrown together to form a word that fits into a dictionary. Do we realize that some of these words can be so powerful? It could make someones day if it has been used at the right time. It could also destroy someones day if not used at all. Why do these words have so much power? Why do they affect us so much? Why do some of these words bring a smile on our face in instant? Aahh.. dont we wish we had all the answers? Oh well, these words are powerful. Period.
I Love You.
I would rate this as probably the most powerful set of words. Just hearing it makes me weak on my knees. It awakens those sleepy butterfiles in my tummy. My heart beats faster. Is this the ultimate expression of ones liking for someone? Is there anything more powerful? I bet that we all agree that we love to hear these three words from our loved one. But aahhh..its not all milk and honey. if not maintained properly, these three words have the tendency to loose its charm. Its more like running out of fuel. The first time you hear it from your partner is probably the best. The more you go along, sometimes we need a little more than just saying it. I used to believe that these words were reserved exclusively for lovers. Not anymore. Why did i take so long to realize that? A mother can tell her son "I Love You". A Friend can tell another friend the same. Almost any human being who has any sort of relationship with another being, can say this. Its guaranteed to work its magic each time. Some of us love to hear it often, but how often do we give it out? Either way, say it out to every single person you love and care for.

Im Sorry.
This falls into the category of the hardest thing to say to someone and at the same time, it is the easiest thing to tell someone. Its sometimes hard to say it because we as human beings dont like to accept that we make mistakes. We always like to be correct. We view saying sorry as a sign of defeat and giving in. It takes a lot of courage for someone to say that he/she is sorry because in saying so, we are accepting our mistake and we are making a submission to our partner/friend/parent. Sure its hard to say it. Now on the other hand, its so easy for some of us to say sorry. Thats because we believe that these two words can wipe out the harm we have done. We sometimes say sorry just so that we can be done with what mistakes we have done. Some people are very forgiving and with them its so easy for some of us to say sorry and get away. Ofcourse we surely dont mean it when we say it, but i am sure that we all can admit that there have been times when we have used those words with someone and not meant it. So, my advice is, say it, and mean it. Saying sorry dosent mean you are weak or a looser. It takes courage and in saying sorry, you are becoming a more stronger individual.

Thank You.
This can be used in so many different places. It does wonder. The beauty of this is that you dont have to love the person you say it to and you dont even have to know the person. I believe that the lesser you know the person, the more powerful it becomes. Sure we can say thank you to our loved ones when they do something for us. Now for a change try saying thankyou to a stranger when he/she opens the door for you. Say thank you to the cab driver. Say thank you at a restaurant after you have eaten. Say it when someone compliments you. Use it at every chance possible. Each time we say it, try to make eye contact with the person you are saying it to, for atleast one single second. You may never realize it, but it makes a world of difference to the receiver. They feel appreciated for what small thing they have done, and they do deserve every bit of that. So, next time, dont forget to thank the stranger who did the most unimportant thing for you.

You're Welcome.
This should always follow a "Thank You". We realize that no matter how many times we say thank you, we dont hear "you're welcome". So what? Say it anyway. Its another form of communication and a way of showing that the persons gratefulness has been accepted. It will make both of you feel better and it could just light up your dull day.

Hello/Hi.
Yes we all do say hello to our friends. But why only friends? Why not say hi to someone you sit next to in a bus or train? Why cant we try saying hello to the strangers that pass by us each day, or to the lady at the store who we see each day but dont know? You have nothing to loose. Just two words. Thats all. And what do you gain? The satisfaction of having made someones day brighter? It makes the receiver feel special and noticed. No one wants to be invisible and by saying hello to a stranger, we are acknowledging their presence. Suddenly they are aware that they exist and who knows, they may realize that there is a purpose in living afterall. So, please, say hello to as many people as you can every day. It does not matter if you know them or not. Say it and you can see the difference in their face, and ohh, please, say it with a smile.

These may not be the most important words in the world, but we must remember that at sometimes these words could mean the world to someone. For that brief moment, it may be the only word in their world. Few words that could change their day for the better.