Hey asshole, you can have your nickel back!

Here's an article found in the Edmonton Sun about Hanna's own Nickelback...
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I was betrayed, says drummer
MIKE ROSS, EDMONTON SUN

Former Nickelback drummer Ryan Vikedal would like to set the record straight: His departure from the band was no "departure." He was fired. "I still don't know the reason," he says during a phone call to the Sun yesterday.

"We met with producer Bob Rock before Christmas holidays and everything seemed fine, but when I got back from the holidays, I was told I was fired."

Vikedal says he was taken completely by surprise and had been ready to start work on the next album when he got the news.

He says he wasn't impressed by how singer Chad Kroeger and the other musicians handled it - summoning him to the tour manager's house for a meeting on Jan. 3 only to be told "my heart wasn't in it," the 29-year-old drummer says.

"And then they went on to say that I'm not quite the rock drummer that they were looking for - and this after three albums and 17 million records sold.

"I had to direct the meeting because they kept blabbing about my playing and that I wasn't happy with the band. It was just a bunch of lame excuses because no one could tell me the deal.

"I had to tell them to cut the s--- and get to the point. And even then they couldn't bring themselves to tell me I was done."

Vikedal says his replacement will be Three Doors Down drummer Daniel Adair, who is from Vancouver.

Nickelback and Three Doors Down toured together last year and Vikedal says he figures the change was in the works even back then.

On the prospect of Three Doors Down now needing a drummer, he shoots back, "No, thanks. I'm done with them."

Now, he says, "I feel like there's a weight off my shoulders but I'd like the honest truth to come out.

"I feel pretty betrayed by what was once called a family."

Vikedal says he's going to take a year off to study music in Boston, with teachers from the Berklee College of Music.

Nickelback, meanwhile, will not be working with Bob Rock after all, according to Vikedal, as Kroeger will again produce the band himself for the followup to the multi-platinum selling album, The Long Road.

Following the hit single How You Remind Me in 2001, the former Hanna group became one of the biggest modern rock bands in the world.

Of the snippets of new Nickelback material Vikedal has been privy to hear, he offers a one-word description: "Ballad-y."

A spokesman at Nickelback's Los Angeles management company denied that Vikedel has been replaced, saying he and the band have just "parted ways." The band itself was not available for comment.
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Now my comments:

Typical.

I predicted after their last album, which was pretty shitty, that it would spell the end of Theory of a Nickelfault. This style of sound was dying before it peaked as there are only so many 4 chord drop D tunes one can do, especially the ballad part.

But the real nail in the coffin is Kroeger not having Bob Rock produce the album. By not having one of the greatest hard rock producers take a band with obvious limited proportions in skill and advance them to the next level (as what happened to Metallica and Tonic), will most certainly spell the end of Nickelback and further Kroeger’s career as a control-freak egotistical asshole (i.e. government politician).

If the next album is ballady, it’ll likely get bought by hairspray 30 something rock chicks, vehemently found in rural Alberta, and sales will be their worst as no sane man who appreciates music will buy it, and it’ll doomed by critics as Kroeger’s ballad voice is about as appealing as Freddy Kruger’s face.

Ryan Vikedal should count his blessings. It's likely he won’t be back. Not even for a nickel.

Snak's Intermittent Movie Review - "The Forgotten"

Starring Julianne Moore, this movie has a freaky x-files feel to it, but in a cool more clever, what-the-fuck-just-happened sense. Imagine having a son for nine years who then dies in a plane crash after you send him on his way to summer camp. Everyone around you thinks you're crazy for imagining this delusion, but you refuse to believe them, and try to prove them wrong, always on the run.

In fact, this was the only movie that caused me to do my rarely heard male scream/yell, not once, but twice, and really loudly. It gave me the chills. After I watched the whole thing, I had to rewind to several scenes and re-live the excitement.

The cinematography was excellent. A little shaky at times, but this was necessary to create realism. Julianne, the main character, sure can run. Good thing she's fit, 'cause she's always running and out running government agents, but she can't seem to keep with her son. Odd.

The movie has the regular ending and an alternate ending. The former makes more sense and flows better and the latter is cheezy and insulting.

The background music is haunting, but I heard the usual quick random bassy piano, which made me chuckle internally.

I normally don't get shocked that badly and the movie is always moving forward non-stop, but I was always one step ahead of the plot. However, because of the several times I was broadsided, this movie moves up a whole notch.

Snak gives The Forgotten: 4.17 fists out of 5.

The Look of Twig

Hope y'all like ta new look, mon. Gyotta chyange tyngs up ya know.

And if you think Mischa Barton from "The OC" is hot, you're an idiot. She's about as fat as a praying mantis. Gawd! So skinny. Hugging her must feel like hugging a rake. So why do the tabloids and celebrity mages keep showing her off like a piece of ... er ... lemon grass!? Her eyes make her image look like two blue goldfish bowls held up by a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Talk about disproportionate.

So now Lindsay Lohan is losing a tonne of weight as well. Frankly, she was cuter and more real when she had more lovin' to go 'round.

Hey, wasn't Twiggy that robot that carried Dr. Theopolis on his chest on the show "Buck Rogers"? Man Erin Gray was hot back then eh? I heard they're bringing back the show on Space! Sweet.

Ranking U2 Albums

1. The Unforgettable Fire (1984) - A personal favourite. This album was created as a dedication to Martin Luther King Jr. and for it's time, was light years ahead of anything else produced at the peak of poppy crap in the 80's. Songs like Bad, Unforgettable Fire, Wire, Indian Summer Sky really take you to unforgettable places of melancholy, dreamy happiness and for me, memories of junior high house parties. The album title is a theme for me, reminding me of the passion I had for music then and how it impacted me on the rest of my life. This is the album that made U2, U2. Without the experimentation and learning done on this album, The Joshua Tree wouldn't have been as good as it is. I absolutely love The Edge's mega reverbed sound that Brian Eno skillfully produced.

2. The Joshua Tree (1987) - Like The Boss killed disco, with this epic album, U2 put the nail in the coffin for the upcoming death of hair metal and literally eliminated all the potential head bangers from my high school - save a few hardcores. Every song is excellent, memorable, and well produced - once again by Lanois and Eno. The song writing is simple yet the melodies are second to none. This is not only one of the best U2 albums, but one of the best albums of all time. It's a true "driving through the mountains" compilation of tunes as it talks about God quite a bit. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is Shlab's theme song as his journey in search for Godliness. "Running To Stand Still" steadies along so eloquently and passionately - I love the harmonica riff. But I actually prefer the second side of the album (back when there were 'sides'). "In God's Country" is a fantastic song with trademark "chunk-a-chunk" strumming from the Edge. Lots of harmonica from Bono gives it that real earthy feel. It's a dark album full of hope. "One Tree Hill" is one of my faves. The last songs of the album beautifully take you off into the sunset and into a starry night.

3. Achtung Baby (1991) - The band took a hard right turn with this awesome album. I still can't believe it's 14 years old! Absolutely cutting edge when it was made - the Edge got edgier, and Larry's drumming got funkier, while remnants of their old style with "One", "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" remain, "Even Better Than The Real Thing" - an in your face song echoed by their recent release "Vertigo".

4. Rattle and Hum (1989) - Followed up by a movie, this album reminds us of where and how rock n roll all started. It took us back to the roots. The re-made live songs were very well done and every one of the new songs weren't fillers by any means. A very dynamic album - it flows along and ends with one of the greatest songs and videos they've ever done - "All I Want Is You". (Boobie, you gotta give this album more credit.)

5. All That You Can't Leave Behind (2002) - Whew. We thought we lost 'em. But they're back. Although a few songs could have been left behind, the rest remind us what makes U2 so great, and the album title refers to that.

6. War (1983) - A rightful cynical album. It opens with "Sunday Bloody Sunday" - the modern theme song for the Irish conflict. "New Year's Day" has a brilliant piano riff with knife cut guitar, reminding us that in other parts of the world, war is war, and resolutions don't really change us. "Two Hearts Beat As One" has pumping bass and a pounding chorus exemplifying a heart beat.

7. Zooropa (1993) - Obviously an experimental album with hints of genius. I love the song they did with Johnny Cash. Sort of a retro-country tune. "Lemon" is sure a strange song, but catchy. Because I listened to it so much in the summer of 1993, it stuck with me. I sometimes play it again to relive the memories of that year.

8. Pop (1997) - Fun fun fun. I really like this non-U2 U2 album. Riding the mini disco comeback with "Discotheque", their Villiage People antics gave us some nostalgia there. U2's Popmart tour to Edmonton is something I'll never forget. "Mofo" is just a trippy electronica zinger obviously brought forth by producer Flood. Bono said, "We like it up here", and they did for a while, took their fans to new places, but forgot who they were.

9. How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (1994). Starts off great with Vertigo, but then it's too much Bono lamenting. This album is a repeat of All You Can't.. but not as good. It may grow on me yet, as a lot of U2 albums do.

10. Boy (1980) - "I Will Follow", a great song, one that will always be played, marks the start of a "musical journey" for the band. The rest of the album is very early 80's kind of stuff.

11. October (1981) - U2's follow-up album, while not quite as good as 'Boy', thankfully wasn't so bad that it killed them.

Overall, U2's peak period was between 4 albums, "Unforgettable Fire", "Joshua Tree", "Rattle and Hum", and "Achtung Baby". The next two albums experimental. And the last two try to match the magic of their peak period. Bono seems tired at times. "All You Can't" is a dynamic album, but sappy at times. They have a bad tendency to write too many two chord ballad filler tunes. They need a cause to write - to bring the rebelliousness back - to rock again. "Vertigo" certainly does that for me - but I want MORE!

Snak's Intermittent Movie Review - "De Lovely"

"De Lovely" starring Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd is a wonderful movie about the life of the irrefutable jazz composer, Cole Porter.

As Cole Porter never met a piano he didn't like, he never met person he didn't like sexually. He was bi-sexual playboy. Sometimes he would swing one way for many weeks, then come back to his wife, played beautifully by Ashley Judd. She knew about his exploits and tolerated it. They got married on that condition. But eventually, it would take its toll on her. They loved each other dearly.

But Cole's pursuit for "what is this thing called love" is emphasized in this story. He loved being loved ... by anyone. The underground gay scene is aptly shown, thankfully without taking things too far.

The story is uniquely told from the point of view where Cole as an old man is dying and his life is flashing before his eyes. He sits in a theatre where another man, indirectly referred to as Gabriel the Archangel, takes Cole through his life after college through to the end. They both sit and watch how wonderful his life really was.

Cole Porter's music is fun, romantic, and sexy. Throughout the movie, his songs are portrayed at all the shows he produced in his career, and it's topped off by guest vocal appearances from Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Natalie Cole, and many other familiar faces. (Sheryl's singing was by far the best).

The movie drags on near the end, but you get pulled into the lifeless state Cole's life became in his old age. There's a lot of cigarette smoking, which although probably accurate, got annoying to watch. Cole and his wife probably had fits of rage in argument, but this wasn't shown, and really would have made the movie spectacular. Just when you thought it would finally end, the last scene goes out with a bang number "Blow, Gabriel, Blow". And as they say, "Never open a show with a ballad. Never close a show with a ballad."

The makeup on the actor's faces to make them look old is so very well done as time moves forward, it's seemless.

I recommend this movie if you like Cole Porter's music, which I do, thoroughly. The acting is excellent, direction from Irwin Winkler second to none, and the era clothing, so perfectly done by Georgio Armani himself tops it off.

Snak gives "De Lovely" 3.91 fists out of 5.

December 2004 - What a month!

Call it God's Month due to their annual celebrations from Christians, Jews, and Muslims, it was also a month replete with anquish, victory, and hope.

Ukraine
The Ukrainian presidential election 2nd time-'round run off vote (which I've commented on several times in this blog) saw a big victory for western friendly liberal democrat Viktor Yushchenko, who was diagnosed as being poisoned by dioxin. Defeated candidate Yanukovych wouldn't concede claiming fraud (hypocrite?). Yushchenko called on his protestors to block the government building to prevent a meeting between Yanukovych (outgoing Prime Minister) and his outgoing cabinet. Brilliant. Finally, after several days, Yanukovych resigned. YAY!

Iraq

19 American soldiers were ambushed and killed. Iraqi security forces are being captured and executed by terrorist insurgents. For anyone who thought Al Queda wasn't in Iraq before the war had better think again. Bin Laden acknowledged Zarqawi as his lieutenant in Iraq.

Tsunami
The worst disaster of our generation has devistated the lives of millions. The outpouring of support from around the world is showing that although we have over 6 billion people now (2 billion more than in the 70's) that the world is getting smaller. Private donations are almost matching governmental aid and that is really good to hear. The survival stories are truly incredible and make any further Survivor TV shows look like a drop in a sandbox. There is hope.

We're pretty lucky. The weather is really shitty. People suffer from seasonal distress disorder (SAD) around this time. Let's think about what we do have here and appreciate the people around us.