Sounds from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy

I am sure that a lot of you must by now be familiar with All Things (Just Keep Getting Better) by Widelife, the tune that invites dancing on the streets of New York instead of cursing the traffic. If Moon River is for getting all-sentimental, All Things is for strutting in the city. Why so? Because it is the song that brings to mind the TV show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. It is on the etc. channel on cable on Monday evenings. If you have not seen that, then I suppose you must have seen the video which is every bit as bright and trendy as the show.

I like watching Queer Eye which is reality TV with lots of wit and style although I object to the use of queer in the title. The word means odd or strange or weird and was used to refer to homosexuals several generations ago. We now call them gay which is more suitable because even when they are sad inside, they still liven up the space around them. Liven, improve, make life better with the little things that matter is what the talented "queers" do. We are not as fortunate as those they treat to total make-over but televiewers can benefit from the many tips they dish out.

The five guys who provide the guide to looking better, dressing better, behaving better and generally living better are: Ted Allen, the food and wine connoisseur, Kyan Douglas, the grooming guru, Thom Felicia, the design doctor, Carson Kressley, the fashion savant and Jai Rodriguez, the culture vulture. They go on a make-over mission with one style-challenged guy every week. They do his apartment, help him with his wardrobe, improve his grooming, teach him about food, wine, how to cook or how to dance. The results are fantastic although I am curious to know if their clients will be able to maintain the standards of style set by the "queer eyes."

As is usually the case these days, TV shows also spin-off into soundtrack albums and the Queer Eye CD is now locally available. Setting the pace is of course All Things. This is followed by what I consider a very well-thought out line-up that captures the mood of the show without sacrificing pop appeal. Some of the other tunes are Good Luck by Basement Jaxx; Slow by Kylie Minogue; Move Your Feet by Junior Senior; Sunrise by Duran Duran; Never Coming Home by Sting; Extraordinary by Liz Phair and Are You Ready for Love by Elton John.

The contents of this album can very well stand on its own but if you are a fan of the show it also helps to put you in that frame of mind where you want yourself and your surroundings to be just a little better.

New albums for the Olympics

These past years have also seen the release of soundtrack albums to other major events like the World Cup or the Olympics. Some have been lackluster compilations of old recordings. Some have produced hits like Whitney Houston’s One Moment in Time and Ricky Martin’s La Copa de Vida. But no matter what happens after the release, I value these albums because they introduce us to artists we might never have heard of if not for those soundtracks. Take note. I first heard Andrea Bocelli in an Olympics soundtrack.

Because it is the season, here are two new albums for the Olympics. And just as the Games bring together the best athletes from all over the world, these CDs feature some of the best musicians from also various parts of the world. One is Harmony The Official Athens 2004 Olympic Games Classical Album. This one has pianist Maksim with the theme of the Games, Olympic Dream plus Sarah Brightman with Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro) Placido Domingo with a medley of Maria Elena Corazon Corazon, and Fina Estampa, Maria Callas with Qui Radames Verra and O Patria Mia, Vangelis and Chariots of Fire, Kiri Te Kanawa with Po Karekare Ana,The Celtic Tenors with Mull of Kyntyre Charlotte Church and Pie Jesu and others.

For those who prefer pop sounds, there is Unity The Official Athens 2004 Olympic Games Album which has very interesting collaborations by artists from different countries. Avril Lavigne gets the action going with Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door. Then there are Destiny’s Child and will.i.am with I Know, Sting and Mariza in A Thousand Years, Earth, Wind & Fire and Roots Manuva in Love Together, Lenny Kravitz and Kadim Al Sahir in We Want Peace Macy Gray and Keziah Jones in Oh Yeah! Moby and Public Enemy, Alice Cooper and Xzibit with Stand, Brian Eno, Skin and Richard Taha with Still Standing and others.

Embrace the Olympic values of peace and unity and celebrate life with these new albums.