As something of a canon nazi, I have an inbuilt phobia of fandom. I've never understood militant shippers, who disregard whole events to better fit their version of canon. Instead, I work my ideas around what's been given. I don't understand the people who say "X was a bad doctor because he was too wet/loud/creepy/nuts"; instead, I try and figure out what's lead to theat state.
On some level, this is the same as rejecting religion because you hate religious extremism. And I can't deny that I write fanfic, albeit very strict small ones; I can't deny that I ship, as sanely as one can. And I've this huge love-hate relationship with the humble fanmix. For the uninitiated, a Fanmix is basically a mix tape with fandom thrown in for good measure: it's a collection of songs reflecting a character, a book, a film or whatever.
Fiction isn't a topic I have a sense of humour about - it's literally one of the only areas of life on which I will not back down. One of the reasons I'm actively unwilling to roleplay again, because I take it so darn seriously I'd worry about losing friends. Thus like every other bit of fandom, I don't see fanmixes as something that should be done lightly.
There's a basic human flaw that comes into play: no one knows enough songs. Of course you're only ever going to choose songs you like. Of course the most romantic song in the world will represent the most romantic ship in the world. Unfortunately, this leads to five hundred fandoms all claiming "The Scientist" as ZOMG the perfect Jack/Kate song eva !1!!!1!! Now actually, I found a Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead mix once featuring that song, and after rolling my eyes found it fitted them very well indeed. Even I can't dodge it entirely: mine are always awfully, awfully 80s, and that's just down to what I listen to.
Like all fannish activities, I try to avoid them because they make me (as you may have already noticed) way too scornful of others, and way way too perfectionist. When it does happen, I do try obsessively hard to make these things the best I can, and was suprised to find half another Master fanmix suddenly popping into existance this afternoon.
I've done one before: http://malcassairo.blogspot.com/2008/12/im-still-working-on-my-master-comic.html
I'm terribly proud of it, but it's more of a mood album, for when I'm writing that epic Doctor Who story I keep trying to justify to myself as "not really fanfiction" for abstract reasons like the fact it's good, and the fact it's canon really honest. They're not songs about his state of mind - the pop is things the most recent version would listen to, and it's interspersed with soundtracks which reminds me of him. Fanmixes require introspection, and with the exception of "Clockwork Creep", lamely hanging on at the end there, there's none on that album.
The Return of the Master Tape will be the mix promised on the Malcassairo post, when I complained: "Finally - this is a one Master playlist. Even though "Why So Serious" is universally Mastery, and the Clangers an obvious tribute, it's obviously dedicated to John Simm's brand. Aside from a snippet of King Crimson, it's hard to find any evidence. But I'd love to do one which encompasses all six"
I'm anticipating completion will take absolutely ages, what with six incarnations to cover. I tend to hang around and wait for songs to find me (I found something and thought "Oooh, Rorschach" - but I suspect that's going to be something of a dead end in the long run). I've just finished my Lord M. double CD, some 25 tracks of goodness, and I've been working on that actively for a year, and subconsciously for maybe 5 years.
But I'm pleased with what I have so far:
Almost Sorry, the Scissor Sisters (For any Master I feel like at the time)
Yes, the famous one is I Can't Decide, but this one works as well for my purposes. I also have a small grudge, because I Can't Decide was the one and only song which ever got onto my Sam and Scarlett playlist, so I feel like it's been taken away.
Clockwork Creep, 10CC (For the Master as played by John Simm)
Nuts song this is. Very irritating, but also very scary when you pay attention to the lyrics: it's sung from the perspective of a bomb hidden on a plane, waiting to go off. It reminds me of his off-kilter, frenetic, tastelessly cheerful behavior.
Tomorrow Never Dies, Sheryl Crowe (oh, Planet of Fire much?)
Bond songs are a double edged swords. The lyrics are frequently fantastic for adapting to mixes (Thunderball opens up my epic Lord M mix, which I'll post here sometime), yet they have this intrinsic "Bondness", especially when they deliberately quote the theme. Having the film title in the song isn't great either, yet I was singing it this afternoon, when it smacked me around the head and I ceased being comfortable with the words. When I reread them now, I was overreacting, but there is something intangibly "right" about it, so it makes the cut. Also, this turns the slash factor up to 11. I'm not denying it's there. It is there. How you handle that is up to you, and I tend to change my mind on a daily basis.
The magnum opus continues!
If you've put up with my pretension thus far, then here's a reward for you. I stumbled across it this afternoon, and it's genius:http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2217444/1/A_Mary_Sue_Alphabet
On some level, this is the same as rejecting religion because you hate religious extremism. And I can't deny that I write fanfic, albeit very strict small ones; I can't deny that I ship, as sanely as one can. And I've this huge love-hate relationship with the humble fanmix. For the uninitiated, a Fanmix is basically a mix tape with fandom thrown in for good measure: it's a collection of songs reflecting a character, a book, a film or whatever.
Fiction isn't a topic I have a sense of humour about - it's literally one of the only areas of life on which I will not back down. One of the reasons I'm actively unwilling to roleplay again, because I take it so darn seriously I'd worry about losing friends. Thus like every other bit of fandom, I don't see fanmixes as something that should be done lightly.
There's a basic human flaw that comes into play: no one knows enough songs. Of course you're only ever going to choose songs you like. Of course the most romantic song in the world will represent the most romantic ship in the world. Unfortunately, this leads to five hundred fandoms all claiming "The Scientist" as ZOMG the perfect Jack/Kate song eva !1!!!1!! Now actually, I found a Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead mix once featuring that song, and after rolling my eyes found it fitted them very well indeed. Even I can't dodge it entirely: mine are always awfully, awfully 80s, and that's just down to what I listen to.
Like all fannish activities, I try to avoid them because they make me (as you may have already noticed) way too scornful of others, and way way too perfectionist. When it does happen, I do try obsessively hard to make these things the best I can, and was suprised to find half another Master fanmix suddenly popping into existance this afternoon.
I've done one before: http://malcassairo.blogspot.com/2008/12/im-still-working-on-my-master-comic.html
I'm terribly proud of it, but it's more of a mood album, for when I'm writing that epic Doctor Who story I keep trying to justify to myself as "not really fanfiction" for abstract reasons like the fact it's good, and the fact it's canon really honest. They're not songs about his state of mind - the pop is things the most recent version would listen to, and it's interspersed with soundtracks which reminds me of him. Fanmixes require introspection, and with the exception of "Clockwork Creep", lamely hanging on at the end there, there's none on that album.
The Return of the Master Tape will be the mix promised on the Malcassairo post, when I complained: "Finally - this is a one Master playlist. Even though "Why So Serious" is universally Mastery, and the Clangers an obvious tribute, it's obviously dedicated to John Simm's brand. Aside from a snippet of King Crimson, it's hard to find any evidence. But I'd love to do one which encompasses all six"
I'm anticipating completion will take absolutely ages, what with six incarnations to cover. I tend to hang around and wait for songs to find me (I found something and thought "Oooh, Rorschach" - but I suspect that's going to be something of a dead end in the long run). I've just finished my Lord M. double CD, some 25 tracks of goodness, and I've been working on that actively for a year, and subconsciously for maybe 5 years.
But I'm pleased with what I have so far:
Almost Sorry, the Scissor Sisters (For any Master I feel like at the time)
Yes, the famous one is I Can't Decide, but this one works as well for my purposes. I also have a small grudge, because I Can't Decide was the one and only song which ever got onto my Sam and Scarlett playlist, so I feel like it's been taken away.
Clockwork Creep, 10CC (For the Master as played by John Simm)
Nuts song this is. Very irritating, but also very scary when you pay attention to the lyrics: it's sung from the perspective of a bomb hidden on a plane, waiting to go off. It reminds me of his off-kilter, frenetic, tastelessly cheerful behavior.
Tomorrow Never Dies, Sheryl Crowe (oh, Planet of Fire much?)
Bond songs are a double edged swords. The lyrics are frequently fantastic for adapting to mixes (Thunderball opens up my epic Lord M mix, which I'll post here sometime), yet they have this intrinsic "Bondness", especially when they deliberately quote the theme. Having the film title in the song isn't great either, yet I was singing it this afternoon, when it smacked me around the head and I ceased being comfortable with the words. When I reread them now, I was overreacting, but there is something intangibly "right" about it, so it makes the cut. Also, this turns the slash factor up to 11. I'm not denying it's there. It is there. How you handle that is up to you, and I tend to change my mind on a daily basis.
The magnum opus continues!
If you've put up with my pretension thus far, then here's a reward for you. I stumbled across it this afternoon, and it's genius:http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2217444/1/A_Mary_Sue_Alphabet
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