Top 5: Firefly inspired music

Jason
Wednesday
9:22 pm

Something isn't quite right here and I can't put my finger on it.

My head goes various places and most of the time I am not in the drivers seat. So as it meandered through various news and sports, it decided to settle on Firefly.

I think it was because I saw that I had the episode “Serenity” queued up in Hulu. I tend to give the series a complete watch at least once a summer. And along with when Marian Call visited our neck of the woods recently, it left music on the brain.

Put the two together and it had me thinking about Firefly fan music. Whether you call it filk or whatever, these original compositions which pull from the ‘Verse always serve to put a smile on my face. I probably have a bit too much Firefly music, whether it be original soundtracks or snippets ripped from episodes or a Browncoat’s celebration of the show we all loved so much.

And since we can never let Firefly drift off into the black abyss to never be heard from again, I will take the opportunity to give you yet another of my top fives, Firefly style.

5) “Ballad of Mosquito”
If you have never heard of Mosquito, can you call yourself a true Browncoat? This Firefly spoof by Nathan Town and company gets to the twisted heart of why we pine minute after minute, hour after hour, about the loss of our beloved Firefly and our vigilance in believing it will be back one day. The “Ballad of Mosquito” happens to be the theme song to the show and takes that dagger, still is dripping our brown blood, and twists it a bit more. But it is ooooh so good. Want to get right to the music? Skip to the 8:40 mark of the video. But I recommend watching the whole mockumentary.

4) “Done the Impossible (Ballad of Serenity)“
When the guys over at Done The Impossible produced their very own documentary about the rise and fall of Firefly and Serenity, they put together one heck of soundtrack. Some old, some rifts and some original material. One song that stands out is Rob Kuhlman’s “Done the Impossible (Ballad of Serenity)”. And let me tell you, one of the most powerful uses of the sound was not necessarily in the documentary, but when I was sitting in last year’s Can’t Stop the Serenity event and the song was used for the opening sequence for the Big Damn Movie itself. Talk about goose bumps and standing hairs. You can hear Kuhlman’s composition in its entirety on his Myspace page.

3) “Mal’s Song”
I don’t enjoy fan fiction. Can’t stand slash. And before Michelle Dockery’s “Mal’s Song” I could not bear to listen to fan inspired music. It was just so indulgent. And so bad. No musicality, bad lyrics. I took the extra long road around it so I would not have to listen it it. But that all changed with “Mal’s Song.” The original lyrics mixed with the loved “Ballad of Serenity” made it the perfect gateway drug into fan inspired music. However I am happy to report I am addicted to only Firefly inspired music. And only the good stuff of that.

2) “Big Damn Trilogy“
Hawke and Cedric are some down to earth people. And they are some raving mad Browncoats as well. At any high powerered Browncoat event you expect this duo, better known as the Bedlam Bards, to be present. And their anthem in “Big Damn Trilogy” unites Browncoats across the globe in demanding what we all want. More Firefly. More Serenity. Viva Browncoats! You can be inspired yourself to take up the banner by hearing the song on their Myspace page.

1) “Hero of Canton”
I do not think there is a bigger Browncoat out there than Jayne Cobb. Or rather the man who played the part, Adam Baldwin. To this day he still stands as the torch bearer to keep Firefly alive. Whether it be through con panels or donations of swag from the set, Baldwin is true through and through. So when he sat down to belt out a full acapella version of “Hero of Canton,” it was a sight and a treat for all. And so what if this isn’t necessarily Firefly inspired but actual Firefly music. My top five and I can do what I want to. Plus it has spun off like 34,785 different versions of the song.

And through all this, I have to thank Marian, not only for her great performance, but making me cry all that much more by making me think of Firefly over and over and over again.

And now that you have seen mine, you have to show me yours.