TTBlue is obsessed with Loi Cua Giong Song.

HmL is obsessed with “Lady Sings the Dead.”

Ms. Nguyen is obsessed with Bang Kieu, but drops some critical POV on Ha Tran’s Communication 06. Ha Tran’s obsessors ain’t gonna like reading that.

As for me, I am still obsessed with Thien Phuong’s Tro Ve Mai Nha Xua.

Tuan Ngoc sings Tu Cong Phung songbook is a real treasure. It’s the best twelve dollars I had spent on an album. Beside the top-notch quality, such as singer’s vocals, musician’s arrangements, and writer’s lyrics, this rare gem could help you win a woman’s heart. Try to play this CD on a date. You don’t even have to say a word. Let the romantic voice of the charming man does all the talking for you. Really, who could resist Tuan Ngoc’s singing? He could reach beyond octaves and soar like a man who gives all his heart and soul to his lover. Take the title track, “Giot Le Cho Ngan Sau,” for example. At 4:40 minutes into the song, he takes off on the bridge, “Mot doi toi te tai…,” and just when you expect him to let his vocals evaporate into the air, he persists into the next passage, “Lang nghe muon cung sau hat xuong doi…,” without catching a breath. Even I could feel that shit, and I ain’t gay. Well, maybe not everyone could feel that shit, but if she (and her mom) hate “The master of closing his eyes and sings blindingly,” you don’t want her anyway. Drop her off, bye!

TTBlue’s response to my “Thanh Lam’s Memory Lane.” Sorry dude, no comments back on this site yet, but do keep your dream running wild.

This thick chick is not in my wild dream, but not so bad to look at.

A blog on book covers. Very nice!

Meant to post MOBA (The Museum Of Bad Art), but keep forgetting. It’s quite an interesting collection of arts that are “too bad to be ignored.”

Em, lai day voi anh
Ngoi day voi anh
Trong cuoc doi nay
Nghe thoi gian luot qua
Mua xuan khe sang
Chung nhu khong gian dang suoi am nhung giot tinh nong.

This song goes out to the one who reminds me to buckle up when I drive, shows me direction when I got lost, pulls me back when I stepped over the line, showers me with plenty of music, puts up with all my jazz and rap, dares to criticize my music taste, above all, gives me this space to say whatever I like, and never judges me for whatever I write. I am grateful for that.

Who is she? Again, just my very own imagination. In reality, who would want to be with this foul-mouthed motherfucker? I should learn a thing or two from my man Tuan Ngoc. Maybe when I get to his age, but not right now. Still appreciate how he could take Tu Cong Phung’s simple lyrics and fly with them. Of course, Duy Cuong’s skillful arrangement plays no small role in Tuan Ngoc’s performance.

I sure appreciate this. Got something for ya. Coleman Hawkin’s stunning live rendition of “Lady Be Good.” Gotta love his guttural tone on the tenor, and that fast, sleek vibrato too. I am still an old school when it comes to jazz.

Big shout out to Joseph, too. Thanks to you, I am still listening to Christmas classics (with a bit of spice in them).

Not sure if the rumor is true that the respected Pham Duy had married a hot chick who is young enough to be his granddaughter, but his song, “Thien Duyen Tinh Mong,” is mad juicy: “Em cuon chan anh, anh gac chan em, ta khoa nhau tren giuong tinh / Anh uon lung cong, em uon lung ong, cho set am duong… no tung.” Fuck Justin Timberlake, PD’s bringing sexy back.

Hong Nhung is looking real fine.
Damn, what an ass on her!

Ella Fitzgerald was not an eye candy, but her voice was beyond sexy. It’s great to see Ella being honored with a stamp.

My man HmL disagrees with my view on Nguyen Khang’s rendition of Elton John’s “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word.” He writes:

So far as I am concerned, no one in the current crop of Viet male singers is capable of doing Elton John’s, without misinterpreting his intention. (For that matter, no one I’ve heard–Viet or otherwise–can do John’s music justice. I love my man Ray Charles, but even he shouldn’t have gone anywhere near this song; in his gravelly voice, he sounds plain exhausted vs. lovelorn.) John’s love songs are meant to be soft, wistful, emotional, and are written specifically for his tenor/falsetto voice (and his peculiar phrasing). Without these elements, they are no longer his songs.

Obviously, no one can interpret his song better than the writer himself. If you cover a song, however, reinterpreting the writer’s intention is not such a good idea. You have to take the song into your own hand, which I gave Nguyen Khang the credit for it. He took John’s “soft, wistful, emotional” and makes it rough, raw, yet still emotional. When Jimi Hendrix covered Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” he made it into his own and gave a much better performance than the writer himself. Even Dylan himself recognized it and made a tribute to Hendrix when he sang his own song, which was odd.

Even though this is where you and I split, your view makes it fun to discuss. I agree that Ray Charles dragged the soul out of the tune, and he’s my main man too. Thanks bro!

My bro’s take on Ngoc Ha’s Nuoc Mat Mua Thu before I shut down the comments. I like it. You should post your response to my pieces on your site from now on. Thanks for the Thanh Thuy’s tracks too. I know why you like her. It’s the raspiness, isn’t it?

Jeff Chang’s “Moving On Up” on Jay-Z. The piece has nothing new. Jay is no longer interesting because he’s no longer a crack rapper.

Dairy of a whore (the content is in Vietnamese and extremely explicit. Don’t say that I didn’t warn ya).

I have been making indecisive choices regarding to public comments. If I shut them down, I’ll sure miss the voices of those who come here for fun and real discussions. If I keep them running, I have to deal with those who are just here to challenge my nerve. Anonymity brings the worse out in people, and it is getting to the point where even the folks I once respected are commenting under anonymous just to get under my skin. So for now, I’ll turn off the comments until I could feel that it won’t be so bad to have open communication again. I write for the sake of writing, and I write for myself, but you are welcome to read my thoughts, muses, and criticisms. I apologize to those who are here to share your views with me, and you know who you are. Those who are here to work my tension, however, fuck off.