Stream of Consciousness Nuggets From Heaven

The music scene has served up many enticing ways to get to heaven. Belinda Carlisle radiated charm with "Heaven Is a Place On Earth". Of course there's the Jimi Hendrix classic "Stairway to Heaven" and the bombastic riff to top all guitar riffs. Eric Clapton touching "Tears In Heaven" was a gallant salute to his son who died after a fall from the window of a balcony. Then for you alternative rockers out there you can't help but name drop The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" which barely scraped into Billboard's Top 40 peaking at the absolute bottom rung (#40). If you want to get all dazzle me with your raw poetry you could do a lot worse than "Heaven In Your Eyes" from Canada's Loverboy. This was plucked from Top Gun the other movie that put Tom Cruise on the megawatt star map. If you like your celestial vistas spanning generations you could always drop a needle or dial in the IPod for "You'll Never Get To Heaven" from that classy diva Dionne Warwick who should be remembered as an artist and not for her dalliances with Psychic Friends Network. Ah yes, the '90s. Crazy social strata wasn't it? Dionne's out there trip ought to be nosed right up there with OJ and the storied car chase which sounded the death knell for soap opera viewership. I'm completely serious. Used to be you couldn't walk ten paces in either direction without bumping into one. Now it's General Hospital plus three (Bold &  The Beautiful, Days of Our Lives, and Young & The Restless).Returning skyward what about The Psychedelic Furs "Heaven"? Their vid featured lead singer Richard Butler and lots of rain. Poor lad could've had caught his death in that downpour. Maybe you're the sort who pines for The Beatles. That's an easy one to understand but some love needs be spared for Julian Lennon who to my way of  thinking never got the credit he deserved for his mid-80s hits simply because his stylings weren't quite in the deeply contemplative vein of dear old Dad. "Now You're In Heaven" didn't set Billboard on fire but this vid paired John's progeny by wife Cynthia with a ventriloquist dummy. Yes, I said a ventriloquist dummy. Jetting back to Canada who could possibly leave out Bryan Adam's #1 smash "Heaven". Oh misty-eyed reflection on those wild, free younger years. What blending of keyboards, a slightly hard-edged rock sound, and Bryan ushering no small shortage of his masculine wiles. Only fair to hearken back to summer 1985 since we're still amid summer 2013. Remember the beginning of "Heaven Helps The Man (I'm Free)?" Kenny Loggins injected that into the Footloose soundtrack. For me it sort of had that stealthily scaling a rooftop in the dead of night, a budding cat burglar perhaps. Very much middle of the road adult contemporary as if he hadn't left a prime imprint already with the titular song. Nobody really needed a remake except those in the audience who contracted a severe case of pop culture amnesia. What is it about the entertainment industry that sees fit to insult people's intelligence by serving up rehashes of things that were more than spiffy enough the first time? Should I assume there's that corner of the population that had an anvil dropped on them prior to having their tickets taken, their wallets fleeced? Okay thank you. Done with that 3-Minute Brand Oat rant. If you still groove to the laid back vibes of the '70s surely "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" by Tavares is enough to get a smile to break out on your faces. Three to five seconds in and you can already smell the pure air overhead. Light and devoid of earthly cares. That decade's prime hits all seemed possessed of a seriously driven orchestra section. But them's the '70s for you. Can't just hustle the hits out. Has to be this larger than life shot of camp value. It worked for me I tells ya'. That was roll the top down and cruise fare to be sure. So there you have it dudes and dudettes. I've always sensed music has the power to transport people to a higher plain. You've just been schooled on the many ways over the years that the land of harps and purity has gotten top billing in song form. May you all float softly as one of those heavenly clouds in blissful slumber as you reflect back on this list. If you're either nodding or smiling then that's a bonus for me and I appreciate you all for the visual implied. This earthbound oddity bids you farewell for tonight!!