The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

I remember getting a big kick out of hearing someone tell me a couple years ago that all of Muse's songs sounded the same. Right then and there, I wanted to play for him the hard-rocking "Stockholm Syndrome" followed by the three-piece symphony, "Exogenesis". If, after hearing those songs, the guy still claimed that all of the band's songs sounded alike, I'd kindly suggest that he get his hearing checked. It's one reason I love the band's music so much - each album and each song within the album is/are its/their own adventure. Perhaps this is why some critics have liked to place labels next to Muse that they are like Radiohead or Queen or even U2. Singer Matt Bellamy even recently told Rolling Stone magazine, "We are defined by the fact that we can't be defined by anybody." I think he's right and this is both exciting, yet frustrating for die-hard Muse fans, critics and music fans in general. Let's face it - most peopl...

Against All Odds Laying in a hospital bed, Fighting to stay alive, Friends and family preparing for the worst, Odds against me to survive, My eyes close, Images then appear, A multitude of memories, As I hear my mother in tears, Obstacles presented everyday, One hurdle after another, Tripping and falling to the ground, Scraped, bloodied, but refusing to lie down, From complications at birth, To epilepsy at 4, A man stealing my innocence, A grand mal and brain tumor, Surgery to fix the seizures, An unknown illness of two years, Deceived into a nightmare, Desensitized to fear, I open my eyes, A smile comes across my face, Strength re-instilled, From my mouth, laughter emanates, The odds have always been against me, From birth until now, I know I’ll get through this, Scraped, bloodied, and never lying down.