The Boundless Artistry Of Gwen Stefani

Gwen Stefani — wife, mother, singer, songwriter, fashion trend setter, fashion designer, actress!

Gwen is abundantly talented. The cool thing - or one of the cool things - is that she arrived in her creative career so naturally. Her parents introduced her to music and her older brother expanded her musical taste. She first performs on stage in high school and then is invited to sing for her brother’s band, No Doubt, and then she begins her solo career.

Another cool fact about Stefani (and No Doubt) is that they don’t follow trends. Some have labeled No Doubt’s music as punk ska (I hate labels for original artists like Gwen and her band mates). Well, at the time grunge was the ‘in’ music with one of the most desirable demographics. However, real artists follow their creative passions. They don’t consult record company research to get in on the most commercial music of the moment.

Gwen Stefani’s artistry is on full display in both of her solo albums, Love, Angel, Music, Baby (L.A.M.B.) and The Sweet Escape.

Wikipedia reports:
Stefani’s debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. was released in November 2004. L.A.M.B.’s third single “Hollaback Girl” became Stefani’s first U.S. number-one single. The song was the first U.S. digital download to sell more than one million copies legally.

I like most of the songs on these albums but I’ll just single out Early Winter for this post. This song is passionate and moving. Gwen sets the mood (the song seems, to me, to be about a difficult relationship) with finesse and conviction. Gwen adds some humor with these lines:
Why?
Why do you act so stupid?
Why?
You know that I’m always right

This is a link to the song, Early Winter, on iTunes:

The Early Winter video is a true work of art.

Gwen Stefani’s Fashion

Gwen came to fashion just as naturally as she came to music. Her mom evidently made much of Gwen’s clothing in her childhood and, no doubt : ), Gwen picked up this talent, as well. She first performed on stage in high school in a self-made dress.

Wikipedia says: “Stefani made most of the clothing that she wore on stage with No Doubt, resulting in increasingly eclectic combinations.”

In 2004, Gwen launched her fashion line, L.A.M.B. and in 2005 added her Harajuku Lovers line.

Both fashion lines include perfumes. You can learn more about those perfumes at MyLuxeStyle.com.

More links:
More about Harajuku Lovers perfumes.
GwenStefani.com.
Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers Perfumes posted on FragranceWebLog.com.
Gwen’s Wikipedia Page.

Note on the photo license from GwenStefani.com for the Gwen and Zuma photo above: [(c) Mrs. Me, Inc., 2008.] This photo is licensed under aCreative Commons BY-NC-ND license. In addition to the permissions granted to the public under this license, this photograph may also be used in its original and unaltered form for commercial purposes by publishers in connection with the distribution of news or human interest stories, such as magazines, blogs, and newspapers. All other rights, including without limitation use of this photo in whole or in part or in connection with commercial posters, calendars, and other commercial products and services, are reserved exclusively by the copyright holder.

-Thomas

Review: Chronicles Volume One by Bob Dylan

I was 14 years old when I first heard of Bob Dylan. I was buying My first record album. I had bought 45 rpm singles before. That was all I was allowed to buy with my allowance but now that I had turned 14 my parents granted me greater freedom. They were in the record store in the Country Music section but I had brought a friend with me. His name was Terry and he preferred Rock & Roll, so I followed him around listening to his suggestions.

My parents said no to the Beetles and the Rolling Stones. Then I came across Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Volume 2. The double album contained 21 great songs I had never heard of and neither had my parents. They allowed the purchase and I was on my way to becoming a life-long Dylan fan.

I soon began looking for more Dylan music. Some record store employees and patrons were helpful. I heard many fascinating legends that made Dylan seem like a prophet. Now, some claimed, he was a recluse who had no use for anybody.

One story that came up was the legendary motorcycle wreck that almost killed Dylan. ‘He changed after that wreck,’ they said. ‘He got religion and his music changed.’ Over the years I’ve heard many stories, tall tales, myths about Dylan. For this reason I was especially pleased when Dylan released the first volume of his autobiography.

Chronicles - Volume One is the title of Bob Dylan’s autobiography. It is divided into five sections that are not connected like regular chapters in your typical biography, but why would anyone expect Bob Dylan to do anything in an ordinary fashion. The sections overlap going back and forth to his childhood or to his early playing days and then moving forward to his family life. He writes about myriad influences from classic poets and philosophers to beat poets, contemporary folk artists, and the people in his life, to his childhood home and upbringing, and the historical figures of the twentieth century.

“Hitler, Churchill, Mussolini, Stalin, Roosevelt — towering figures that the world would never see the likes of again, men who relied on their own resolve, for better or worse, every one of them prepared to act alone, indifferent to approval–indifferent to wealth or love, all presiding over the destiny of mankind and reducing the world to rubble.” — Section two, The Lost Land

One of the most striking passages is in the third section, New Morning. Here Dylan describes in detail the down side of fame; to the point that if his account were widely read, sensible people would never want to be famous.

“I found myself stuck in Woodstock, vulnerable and with a family to protect. If you looked in the press, though, you saw me being portrayed as anything but that. It was surprising how thick the smoke had become. It seems like the world has always needed a scapegoat–someone to lead the charge against the Roman empire. But America wasn’t the Roman empire and someone else would have to step up and volunteer. I really was never any more than what I was–a folk musician who gazed into the gray mist with tear-blinded eyes and made up songs that floated in a luminous haze. Now it had blown up in my face and was hanging over me. I wasn’t a preacher performing miracles. It would have driven anybody mad.”

Chronicles is full of rich passages of reminiscences and ruminations about Dylan’s experiences and contemporary events of the time and great and/or popular musical artists he knew and played with. Some of his writing is so full and rich a single paragraph could have become an entire chapter or even an entire book — but Bob Dylan had much on his mind and much to say.

I highly recommend Chronicles - Volume One by Bob Dylan.

Get Chronicles: Volume One by Bob Dylanat Amazon.com.

Better yet, click this link for your Amazon Prime free trial:

 

(Here is an explanation of the Amazon Prime membership benefits.)

Click this link to order Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Volume 2 on iTunes:

Click this link to order Bob Dylan’s latest album on iTunes:

Enjoy!

-Thomas