Fishing Guide to the Stars starting 2.24.2011

“He is a very serpent in my way.”
Shakespeare’s King John [III.ii.71]

With the advent of Pisces, I just thought this might be good. All based on a single song for each sign. A peek inside the astrofish.net’s iPod.

Pisces: “For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)…” AC/DC, with its distinctive lead vocals. Perfect tune to kick off Pisces time. Part of the reason this is the most perfect tune for my little Pisces friends is the odd nature of that lead signer’s vocal delivery, screaming, screeching, and yet tightly controlled. Not exactly the most melodic of overtures to make, but I needed a rock anthem to get you going. While the taxonomy of the band varies between Heavy Metal and Rock’n’Roll, the basic beat to that song puts it plainly in the “rock” camp. Basic 4/4 beat, driving, loud guitars and so forth. All good. The 21-gun salute? I’d be a little bit careful, as Mars is in your sign. It’s okay if you’re saluted, but if you’re handling the firearms? Extra caution, as Mars makes you a little trigger happy. You’re about to rock, and I salute you, Pisces.

Aries: 80’s Disco made a comeback, and thankfully, most of it is gone again. That New-Wave music came at the intersection of crass commercial appeal, and the new medium, TV (MTV). The B-52’s were (are?) a band from that era, pop with tight vocals, the song I kept thinking about, hearing in my head as I was looking at your chart? “Song for a Future Generation.” The obvious hook, for me, and why I was thinking about this, various characters introduce themselves int he song, “Hi, I’m Cindy and I am a Pisces. I like Hot Tamales and Chinese Noodles.”

While I’d like to think about their song, “Love Shack,” the title and the inherent theme with the first song is more appropriate for Aries. Keep looking at possibilities. Last time I listened, without looking at the lyrics, I counted four different characters. The one I always like? “Hi, I’m Keith, and I’m a Scorpio from Athens, GA. I like to find the essence from within.” I counted, the last time I looped that song, about four or five options that were musically presented. Think. Aries, you got options. Why settle for just one? Shop. Think. Test and try. (Personally, I think Aries should stay away from the Scorpio, but that’s just me.)

Taurus: I’ve got one song in mind for Taurus, some Ska, or reggae, or even, one cut in my iTunes calls it “alternative.” Since the machine can’t figure out what it is, I’ll leave the definition up to you and your extra-fine Taurus sensibilities. “Ghost Town,” by The Specials. I suppose, with it’s lingering instrumental licks, it really is Ska, from a certain era, in the UK. But that’s merely a guess, on my part. The song itself is kind of sad, with, at times, a dirge-like atmosphere. The elegiac quality, sort of sets a somber tone. Scorpio Moon sets just the same kind of tone. However, the Moon’s phase shifts and things begin to lighten up, even if we can’t seem to decide what kind of music this is. “Ghost Town,” with its lanky guitar riffs, a lonely horn section, and spartan lyrics, leaves an empty feeling. Although, is it really that bad? Are things so dire in Taurus? Not really. There’s been a little lift, only, it’s not where you expected it to originate from. This town is sort of like a ghost town. Yes? No. Well, starts out that way, but changes.

Gemini: “Ace of Spades.” Motörhead. Two minutes. Forty-seven seconds. Perfect Gemini song for what’s going on, astrologically. Crank it up. Loud and proud. Louder. Screaming guitar, banging drum. Not much artistry. Who cares? While the music itself is solid, the way it is oft-repeated, sometimes, you know, you could never tell if they were in tune, in sync — or not — the band makes noise. Gemini, just like the band, make noise. As it stand now, rock music historians claim that this was THE band that revitalized metal, fusing punk and heavy metal into a more traditional format. Listening to the music now? Just raucous rock and roll, the louder, the better.

Cancer: “Sugar Magnolia,” written and performed by the Grateful Dead. Perhaps, long before musical genres got so bifurcated and divided to the point that there are more genres than bands, maybe, the Grateful Dead crossed a few boundaries, in a good way. At least one Cancer girl I know will read, “Grateful Dead,” and then, all credibility is shot. She’ll stop at the band’s name without any further reading, assuming it’s all about some hippie jam band. I’ve heard that one song on the various “americana” radio stations, so it’s getting some late notice and a little attention. It’s soft, gentle, and sounds a little like it might be old-school country. Just in places, which really has more to do with the band’s original roots than anything else.

Leo: “Echo” by Pink Floyd. The old Pink Floyd. “Echos” is a space-fusion piece that’s more a medley of post-modern jazz with a sprinkling of rock opera, layered with some obvious psychedelic trappings. Well over twenty minutes in length, this isn’t a tune to plug into the iPod for a quick workout. However, as the tune lazily drifts back and forth, a strong bass thump and strange rhythms washing back and forth, the tune is meandering. Perhaps, if you, as The Leo would meander a bit in the coming days. I know, you’ve got a destination and goal, I’m just saying, follow that tune a little sort of wander about a bit. Aimless, but not aimless. I’ll swear, there’s whale songs in that piece.

Virgo: The band’s name is Generation X. The song? “Dancing With Myself.” Later, it was made famous by Billy Idol, who was, at one time, the lead singer in Generation X. However, it wasn’t until his career took off that the song got recognition. Did the band’s name, Generation X come before the media seized that as a handle for a generation that didn’t make any sense at the time? Or was the band named after the demographic moniker? Chicken, egg? Pop music history isn’t my strength. However, that song was a club hit and an early MTV hit, in its era. However, what happened to the rest of the band? I don’t know. It’s an infused, rebellious tune that shouts in the face of conformity. There’s an underlying metaphor, a subtext, and I’m not willing to discuss that one.

Libra: “I Walk The Line,” by Johnny Cash. The Man in Black. The coolest singer I know. He was cool before cool was cool. Pisces, too, not that it matters. He was working on music up until his death. Pretty amazing. That one song, I could almost repeat the entire lyrics in the span of this scope, but that’s not what I was aiming for, this is about walking a thin line. “because you’re mine, I walk the line.” That single lick captures what I was seeing in the Libra chart. A simple message, it’s about negotiating a precipitous line.

Scorpio: “We Are The Night,” as performed by the Chemical Brothers. A good Scorpio gets this completely. The rest? Never mind. If I have to explain it, then….

Sagittarius: “Come Fly With Me,” Frank Sinatra. What’s fun I can match a song and sign that should be well-suited for each other. Old Blue Eyes, he was Sagittarius. We stick to our kind. It was the old jet-set Rat Pack. There’s a soft drum-set brush, makes for a gentle rhythm.

Capricorn: Couple of years ago, I did a weblog/journal entry that was based on the song by Jimmy Buffett (Capricorn), “Making Music for Money,” and make my music for me. Which, in the grand scheme of that particular artist’s life, the music has made money. Not a lot of radio airplay, and squarely someplace between county and rock, the most famous song is about a drink. Became a franchise of near-global proportions. The Capricorn planets are highlighted by Jupiter in Aires making a tight tension angle to Pluto in Capricorn. And Venus, Venus exeunt. Part of the process. It’s about nipping at the hand that feeds you, in the example, it’s Buffett’s long-standing lack of traditional hits while he became a sensation through incessant touring. Not selling out, or maybe, just maybe, he’s singing a little about about the problems he’s had along the way. Still, it’s about nibbling at the hand that feeds you, as Capricorn, can you keep from biting that hand? Playful nips are fine. No teeth.

Aquarius: “Dream On” (by Aerosmith). Straight-up, old school rock music. Venus slips into your sign, beginning next week. Lunar phase, “Live and learn, from fools and from sages,” as sung by Stephen Tyler (Aries). There’s a slow progression with the lyrics of the song, as I was listening to a clean rip of the band’s Greatest Hits album, the vocals were quite clean. “Dream on, dream until your dreams come true…” that lyric launches it. The song is a little over four minutes long, and the trademark, shredding guitar doesn’t really start until after the three minute mark. Dream on Aquarius, this about the build-up, to get to that point where the dreams happen. Dreams come true, this week, on into the next. Takes at least three quarters of the song to get to the robust guitar solo. Takes three quarters of the time to get to the one moment of blazing (Aquarius) glory.