Martin's View

Shalamar - Friends

2012-01-28T04:04:00.000-05:00

The next few days bring a number of celebrations for American singer, songwriter, and producer Jody Watley. Watley was part of the trio that made up the classic line-up of Shalamar (along with Jeffrey Daniel and Howard Hewett). On Monday January 30th she celebrates her fifty-third birthday.

And Sunday January 29th is the 30th anniversary of Shalamar's release of their sixth studio album Friends. This certified Platinum album went to number 6 in the UK charts, number 35 on the US Billboard Hot 200, and number 1 on the US R&B charts. The album featured the musical talents of a number of family members of the R&B group the Sylvers (Leon, Foster, Ricky and Patricia) as well as James Ingram.

Side one opens with "A Night to Remember". As the first single from the album, it went to number 5 in the UK, number 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 15 on the US Dance and number 8 on the US R&B singles charts. This preparation for an amazing date-to-be has a funky dance groove that is totally irresistible.

The beats continue with "Don't Try to Change Me", a dance track about accepting someone for the way they are and for how they do things.

Things slow to a mid-tempo with "Help Me". This smooth seductive number has a rich backing orchestration in the tradition of classic R&B/disco of the late 70’s.

"On Top of the World" brings together grooving guitars with sweet synthesized keyboards for a melodic mix. This anthem of positive thinking is very tightly produced.

"I Don't Wanna Be the Last to Know" brings things back down with a ballad featuring Watley on lead vocals.

Side two kicks off with the title track "Friends", the fourth and final single from the album; it charted in the UK and reached number 12. It has a light, bouncy beat to it that would have been right at home in any disco. I’m surprised this one didn’t do better on any of the US charts.

There‘s no time to take a break. "Playing to Win" is another strong dance song. This whole album makes for a great party soundtrack or motivation for an aerobic workout.

"I Just Stopped By Because I Had To" is another smooth ballad about the irresistible urge to be with that special someone.

"There It Is", the third single, charted in the UK and reached number 5. The rhythms on this one are very reminiscent of Nile Rodgers and Chic, which is always a great thing.

The album closes with the track that was released as the second single. "I Can Make You Feel Good" fell short of the top 100 on the US main charts (stalled at 102) but did reach number 33 on the US R&B charts and number 7 on the UK charts. I actually remember this song from back in the day; either I heard it on the radio at the time it came out or possibly out at dance clubs I frequented in college a few years later.

While I was very familiar with Shalamar from their Top 40 hits from the early 80’s, I have to admit that Friends slipped past my radar back when I was in high school in 1982. And that’s a shame as the songs on this album are all right at home with the R&B dance hits I was into during my clubbing days in college. The good thing about music is there are always gems from the past to be uncovered if you’re willing to look for them. This album falls into that category for me. I’ve got some iTunes money leftover from Christmas that just might have to go to picking up this record.

The B-52's - Mesopotamia

2012-01-27T04:30:00.006-05:00

Today (January 27th) marks the 30th anniversary of the release of the B-52's EP Mesopotamia.

Mesopotamia was produced by David Byrne of the Talking Heads and was intended to be the B-52’s third studio album. However, things did not work out so only the six songs were produced. Released as an extended play instead, it served as a bridge between the groups first two full length albums The B-52's and Wild Planet (click here and here respectively for my reviews of each of those records) and their 1983 release Whammy!. The EP went to number 35 on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 18 in the UK and number 21 in Sweden. All six songs could be found across three single releases as well.

Side one begins with "Loveland" and a driving drum beat from Keith Strickland. The organs and synthesizers then join in followed by Cindy Wilson on vocals. You can also hear Charles Rocket on the accordion on this track. This dance jam about a night of love-making bounces along at an even, mid-tempo pace.

The lead vocals shift on "Deep Sleep" with Kate Pierson singing this one in a lower range and almost non-emotional style. The music has an exotic, nocturnal mood to it; it is an interesting composition with a lot of things going on.

The tempo moves back into dance mode with the title track "Mesopotamia". Kate shares vocals with Fred Schneider on this funky ode to ancient times.

Side two kicks off with "Cake". Cindy and Kate are baking up some sexy sweets on this multi-layered musical treat.

Fred kicks off the lead vocals on "Throw That Beat In the Garbage Can", joined by the girls on the chorus. The saxophones, provided by Ralph Carney and Roberto Arron, are featured quite prominently on this one.

"Nip It In the Bud", with Cindy on sole vocal duties, closes out the record. The guitars and drums are as tight on this track as they have been for the entire album. Kudos to Ricky Wilson, Strickland and Kate (with a little help too by David Byrne).

I was not as familiar with Mesopotamia back in 1982 when it was released as I was with the first two albums from the B-52’s. My older brother had both of those on vinyl. In recent years, I’ve back filled my music library to include these six tracks which I like a lot. They continue to build upon the reputation of a party/dance band that the B-52’s had been cultivating since they started in Athens, Georgia. There are a number of wonderful dance tracks on this record, perfect for that 80’s dance party you are throwing (especially if you want to mix in some less familiar and thus less over-exposed tracks into the mix).

Van Halen - Van Halen II

2012-01-26T04:30:00.005-05:00

Happy fifty-seventh birthday today (January 26th) to guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer Eddie Van Halen.

Following up their hit debut album the year before (click here for my review of that one), Van Halen released Van Halen II in March of 1979. The record charted even better than their first, reaching number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 15 in Canada and number 23 in the UK. Since then, it has gone multi-Platinum in sales and become a main-staple of album-oriented rock stations everywhere.

Side one begins with "You're No Good", a cover of the Clint Ballard Jr. song that was first recorded by Dee Dee Warwick in 1963 and was a number 1 hit for Linda Ronstadt in 1975. Van Halen’s version opens with ominous sounding guitars by Eddie and Michael Anthony and the stalking drums of Alex Van Halen. This is by far the most sinister version of the song I‘ve ever heard, with a touch of sassy - thanks to David Lee Roth on lead vocals. The guys definitely leave their mark on this one.

As the first single from the album, "Dance the Night Away" went to number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 28 in Canada. The song came to life while the band was in the recording studio. I like the combination of drums and guitars on the opening of this one too, but definitely more up-tempo and positive. The harmonies of Eddie and Michael on the backing vocals really add a solid layer to the mix.

"Somebody Get Me a Doctor" has an explosive urgency to it as if the band caused an eighteen car pile-up on the way to the show. This is just one of many examples of how tight the band was in these early years.

"Bottoms Up!" tricks you with a stripped down opening riff, but don’t fall for it. This song is an all-out celebration of drinking and having a good time.

"Outta Love Again" was used for the B-side of the first single. This one is rapid-fire romp, showcasing Dave’s vocal gymnastics (which were equally matched by his on-stage gymnastics). Alex sets the pace with his powerful drumming that the others have to keep up to.

Side two ignites with "Light Up the Sky", another pedal-to-the-metal track. If you didn’t have the volume already cranked after listening to side one, you needed to kick it in by this point.

Next up is a one minute long instrumental "Spanish Fly". Eddie plays this one beautifully on a nylon string acoustic guitar using a pick. It certainly shows his prowess with guitar, removing any doubt that he is worthy of the title of one of the top guitarists in rock and roll.

Any relaxed interlude set by the last track ends right here. The hard-rocking "D.O.A", standing for “dead or alive”, served as the B-side to the second single.

"Women in Love..." actually takes the tempo down a bit, to allow the listeners a little time to catch their breath. That’s not to say this song doesn’t jam; it certainly does.

The final track opens with a now-classic guitar riff before settling into a bopping rhythm. "Beautiful Girls" (originally titled "Bring on the Girls") was the second single from the album; it only got as far as number 84 on the US Billboard Hot 100. This one is actually one of my favorite tracks on the album, one that I often find myself singing along to on the chorus (like I could keep up with Dave on those verses).

For an album that clocks in at just thirty-two minutes, Van Halen II packs a lot into a short amount of time. It is a full-blown rock and roll blowout. I was still in eighth grade when this album was released, but even back then I was already starting to see that familiar VH logo adorning classmate’s notebooks and such. We heard these songs all over the rock stations coming out of Buffalo; Van Halen was definitely making sure the final year of the decade was going out on a loud, high note.

Fine Young Cannibals - Fine Young Cannibals

2012-01-25T04:30:00.002-05:00

Happy fifty-sixth birthday today (January 25th) to Andy Cox, guitarist and one of the founding members of the Beat.

In 1985, Cox joined fellow Beat member David Steele (bassist and keyboardist) and singer Roland Gift to form Fine Young Cannibals. In December of that year, they released their first studio album, the self-titled Fine Young Cannibals. The record reached number 11 in the UK and number 49 on the US Billboard Hot 200.

Side one opens with “Johnny Come Home”; as the first single the song went to number 8 in the UK, number 76 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number 9 on the US Dance charts. With its mix of ska and rock, it tells the tale of a young runaway alone in the big city and the pleas of his family for him to return to them. The rhythm between Cox’s guitar and Steele’s bass on this one is very hypnotic and the saxophone solos very smooth.

“Couldn’t Care More” has a haunting sound as Gift’s voice plays beautifully off the organ played by Cox. Jenny Jones assists on this track with drums and backing vocals. The lyrics present the picture of a person indifferent of all the senseless deaths and violence in the world; it is a sad commentary on those who don‘t care what is happening outside of their own backyard.

Next up is “Don’t Ask Me to Choose” with its guitar riff. The lyrics tell of a man whose girlfriend does not agree with something he must do. He pleads with her, telling her to not ask him to choose between her and what he must do.

The final single “Funny How Love Is” was the worst performer, barely making it to number 58 on the UK charts. The song is about a couple who has broken up, and how the man is moving on with his life after being left. I like that the track has a bit of a 60’s jazz sound to it, in part thanks to Saxa, another former member of the Beat, as guest saxophonist.

Elvis Presley first had a hit with “Suspicious Minds” in 1969. As the third single, this cover went to number 8 in the UK and number 23 on the US Dance charts. Jimmy Sommerville of Bronski Beat assists on the backing vocals here. This is a favorite of mine as I think the guys capture the spirit of the original and yet make it their own; I love Gift’s vocal inflections (which I often mirror when I am singing along to this one).

Side two begins with “Blue”, the second single which topped out at number 41 in the UK. The song is about a young man so angry and so depressed. The lyrics are countered though with a rather peppy mid-tempo rhythm, creating an interesting contrast. It is almost as if the guy is so fed up that he has to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

“Move to Work” is next. This song about having to relocate for employment, even though it means having to leave someone he cares about, has a swinging tempo to it.

“On a Promise” is about committing to make a fresh start tomorrow; you can feel the sincerity and earnestness in Gift‘s assertions. I like the guitar rifts on this one; Cox and Steele are in fine form here.

Graeme Hamilton assists with piano on “Time Isn’t Kind”.

Gift is backed up by Beverly, Gloria and Maxine Brown on “Like a Stranger”, an up-tempo track to close out the record. The song has some elements in common with 70’s disco which I enjoy.

They may have only put out two full length studio albums but a little bit of Fine Young Cannibals goes a long, long way. The combination of talent in this trio is like lightning in a bottle. I am very much a fan of the group and like this album.

Neil Diamond - On The Way To The Sky

2012-01-24T04:30:00.002-05:00

Happy seventy-first birthday today (January 24th) to American singer-songwriter and 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Neil Diamond (a long deserved honor, in my opinion).

Continuing off the successful momentum of 1980’s The Jazz Singer soundtrack (click here for my review of that album), Neil Diamond followed it with his sixteenth album On The Way To The Sky in November of 1981. The album reached number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 39 on the UK album charts, number 12 on the Australian charts, and number 11 on the New Zealand charts.

Side one begins with “Yesterday’s Songs”, the first single from the album. Released a few weeks before the album, it climbed all the way up to number 11 on the US Billboard Top 40 and achieved the number 1 spot on the US Adult Contemporary charts. This mid-tempo tune is one of those I heard so often on the Top 40 radio back in the early 80’s, so much so that I could sing along to it. I like the sentiment of the lyrics, a reminder of the music of the past and how they still have their place in our hearts.

The title track “On the Way to the Sky” served as the second single; it was released in February of 1982 and peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Top 40 and number 4 on the US Adult Contemporary charts. It has a subdued, subtle accompaniment so that the touching lyrics take center stage.

“Right By You”, the B-side to the third single, has almost a country twang to it thanks to the guitar riffs. It has a sensual side too with its pillow-talk lyrics.

“Only You” features a suave, sassy dance rhythm to it with a backing of strings and horns. The song reminds me of lighter, late 70’s disco.

“Save Me”, the B-side to the second single, is a lushly orchestrated plea for help from falling hopelessly in love. I like the gentle bongo drums of this one and how the verses build to the powerful chorus.

“Be Mine Tonight” was the third single from the album. It was released in May of 1982, peaking at number 35 on the Billboard Top 40 and reaching number 2 on the US Adult Contemporary charts. The up-beat guitar on this one reminds me of Diamond’s earlier work in the 60’s that helped establish him as a songwriter and an artist. It is definitely my favorite of the three singles from this album.

Side two opens with the gentle ballad of “The Drifter”, a man who wanders the countryside alone. I think the song is very beautiful.

“Fear of the Marketplace” opens with a moody piano that is soon replaced with an ominous rocking beat. The lyrics tell of conquering that fear, turning the music into a more uplifting sound.

“Rainy Day Song”, the fourth and final single from the album, failed to make any chart noise. The stings and the keyboards on this one simulate the pitter-pattering of those cloudy days, while the lyrics tell of a heartbroken man whose days are now full of sadness.

“Guitar Heaven” was the B-side of the first single. The rhythm on this one jangles along at a quick-step pace on the verses. It celebrates the power of music.

The album closes with the ballad “Love Burns”. Diamond’s powerful voice shines in this song about the heat and fire of one of the most powerful emotions known.

I was in my sophomore year of high school when On The Way To The Sky was released. Listening to Neil Diamond was not considered cool among a majority of folks but that was okay by me. I never was part of that cool crowd any way. What I’ve always enjoyed about Diamond’s music is he created such a rich musical tapestry over the years. This album is a part of that rich history.

TV: Pan Am (episode 12)

2012-01-24T04:29:00.001-05:00

This week was the airing of the twelth episode of ABC's Pan Am. As regular readers recall, I had high hopes for this show at the start but it seemed to be spiraling into a cliched soap opera as week's progressed. Would this week be any different?

This week's episode is entitled "New Frontiers". Some of the crew is slated for a flight to Rome while Ted and Laura are still in New York dealing with some personal issues.

Let's take a look at the details...

Our spy Kate has a new assignment at the conference in Rome, but first she has to learn how to become a pickpocket. Yes, this leads to some of the more laughable scenes of the episode. First she fails miserably with her CIA handlers. Next, she tries to pick Maggie's purse to which Maggie takes her interest as further proof she's giving off the "girl signal" (remember, last week Ted's fiancee Amanda kissed her). She then tries to pick Dean's pocket, which she does okay but he's so caught up in his own drama to notice. When it comes time to do the deed in Rome, her first attempt scores a lighter, her second attempt a pen and a coat-check slip, but the third time she manages to pocket the small tube with mircofiche plans. Ah, the glamorous life of a Pan Am stewardess-turned-spy. LOL

I mentioned Maggie being put off by Amanda's forwardness. Amanda comes to her apartment to apologize. Maggie accepts it, they hug but Amanda holds on just a little bit too long. The unshakable Maggie is shaken. She feels guilty and tells Ted. He is shocked that Maggie would imply Amanda is more interested in women than men, so she plays it off like she was joking.

This however puts a seed in Ted's mind. He stays home from the Rome flight to help Amanda pick out china and such. When he questions her a bit, she throws him off by kissing him passionately. Yes, Ted is easily distracted by a beautiful woman. We'll get back to him in a second.

Laura has her own problem. Turns out someone recognizes her in the park. She thinks it is because of her photos in Time Magazine. No, it turns out the nudes she took with a photographer a year prior has sold them to a gallery owner in the Village. She rushes there, sees herself in all her glory in huge, blown up posters. She wants them taken down. The owner who bought them feels sorry for her and offers to sell them to her for his cost - $500. Laura doesn't have that kind of money, but she knows who does. She goes to see Ted and instead talks with Amanda. She offers to give her the money not as a loan but as an investment in friendship. Laura takes the check. Amanda gets another of-so-long-and-inappropriate hug. Ted sees it and starts to wonder again.

After Laura leaves, Ted wants to know more about Amanda's past. He wonders if he needs to worry about old boyfriends. When he questions her about her talk with Laura and being so comfortable with her, Amanda goes for the buttons on her sweater. Poor Ted - easily guided by his "dumb-stick" - has sex with his fiancee though it doesn't appear to have been very good. Gee, why do we think?

The next day, the two talk. Amanda is confident the sex will get better. Ted would settle for honesty. So, Amanda gives it to him. Yes, she is attracted to women but she "loves" Ted and wants to have the picture perfect marriage with him. However, she'll be free to see who she wants and he who he wants, even Laura. Talk about bombshell! Before he can respond, something big happens - more on that in a bit.

Laura takes the money to the gallery and talks to some patrons, one of which is an art critic who thinks she is a symbol of liberated women. Turns out someone wants to buy the pictures as well - Andy Warhol. The gallery owner is about to introduce Laura to the famed artist when something big happens - you have to wait a bit more.

On the flight to Rome, a mysterious yet charming man named Omar takes a fancy to Collette. This of course bothers Dean. Who is this man who has no luggage, was wandering around the tarmac and now is hitting on his former girlfriend? Oh, and Captain Broyles who we met last episode is on the flight and wants to meet with Maggie in Rome to discuss something.

When the flight lands in Italy, Dean learns that there are a ton of smuggled cigarettes in his cargo hull. He suspects Omar, but I instantly knew that was a red-herring. After Collette spends the day with Omar, Dean questions him. Collette does not take kindly to that and invites Omar to the dinner that evening as her date.

Maggie meets with Broyles and learns he has been snooping in her files. He knows she has problems with the airline administrators and that she ratted out Dean's affair with Ginny. Broyles thinks she's the perfect person to help him with the "transport operations" he uses the airlines for. Remember last week how he brought vodka to Moscow? Maggie has to think about it.

At the party, Dean brings the police to arrest Omar. They do admit he is a wanted man, but not for crimes. Omar turns out to be a missing royal Prince who has taken off abroad to escape the prison of diplomatic meet-and-greets. Before he leaves, he invites Collette to join him at a White House dinner in two weeks.

Confused for a moment, Dean then realizes who the smuggler might be. Maggie has just told Broyles that she won't stoop to his level and join him in his criminal activities. Dean then walks up and punches the airline captain.

When they return to the US, Dean tries to apologize to Collette. She appears to be done with him and ready to move on. Just then, lots of chaos as that something big happens.

President John F. Kennedy is assassinated. That throws everyone into shock, including Maggie who idolizes JFK.

So, two episodes left to go in the scheduled run. The next one isn't until February 12th and it is the seventh shot episode "Romance Languages" that got skipped over initially. So, nothing like confusing viewers with one shown way out of order.

Then on February 19th, the final episode of the season entitled "1964". Will it wrap things up in a tight bow in case the show is not picked up for next year, or will they just go along like they have been? Given how bottom-basement the ratings have been since they have steadily fell since the pilot, I would say go with the wrap-up. It's time this show got permanently grounded.

Jimmy Buffett - Somewhere Over China

2012-01-23T04:30:00.004-05:00

In January of 1982, American singer-songwriter and entrepreneur Jimmy Buffett released his twelfth studio album. Somewhere Over China, the last album Buffett did with producer Norbert Putnam, went to number 31 on the US Billboard Hot 200 chart and number 43 on the Canadian album charts. This month it celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Side one opens with the track that would be the second single from the record. “Where’s the Party” was co-written by Buffett and American folk singer Steve Goodman along with Bill LaBounty. The song opens with a slow, wistful tempo and a haunting harmonica by Greg “Fingers” Taylor. The lyrics tell the tale of a lonely guy with no one in his life and no place to go.

The first single, also co-written with Goodman, was “It’s Midnight and I’m Not Famous Yet”. The more up-tempo track reached number 32 on the US Billboard Rock Tracks chart. The electric guitars by Josh Leo and Barry Chance give this story of the night of a high-roller a more rocking groove. The Reeferettes (Florence “Bambi” Warner, Christian Bachellier, and Deborah McColl) provide the showgirl backing vocals.

Buffett collaborated with his keyboardist Michael Utley on “I Heard I Was In Town”, a somber song about a homecoming. The lyrics are full of introspection and a touch of sadness.

“Somewhere Over China” has a very fitting oriental sound to it. The lyrics continue the pensive theme of the record as a world-traveling man puts his life in perspective.

Side two starts with “When Salome Plays the Drum”, a track with a slight samba rhythm to it. This track falls into the tropical atmosphere that Buffett is known for as the music brings up images of a steamy island night of romance.

Buffett and Utley collaborate again on “Lip Service”, a bouncy little number with a bit of a throwback sound to it. It really spotlights Utley’s magic fingers on the piano.

“If I Could Just Get It on Paper” takes on a more traditional country sound with the inclusion of Hank De Vito on the Pedal Steel guitar and more of Taylor on harmonica. Buffett laments on events of the past and wrestles with getting them written down. I especially like the line “life and ink they run out at the same time or so said my old friend the squid”.

Country song-writer John Scott Sherrill penned “Steamer”, a sweet, slower ballad about the remembrance of past love.

The album closes out with a cover of the 1940’s standard “On a Slow Boat to China” which was written by Broadway composer and lyricist Frank Loesser. Over the decades it has been recorded by such artists as Rosemary Clooney, Ella Fitzgerald, Liza Minnelli, and as a duet by Bette Midler and Barry Manilow. Buffett and his Coral Reefers dance along on this classic with nimbleness and sophistication.

For me, Somewhere Over China is definitely a transition record for Jimmy Buffett. Having been in the business for over a decade at this point and seeing the changing face of the popular music scene (thanks to the advent of the concept of music videos and such), these songs seem to suggest someone at a crossroads, caught between a past and an uncertain future. It makes for a very mellow, very thoughtful album, and perhaps one that many folks could relate to if facing a similar time in their own lives. The high school me of 1982 when this was released most likely wouldn’t have appreciated it; the middle-aged family man me now certainly can though.

TV: Once Upon A Time (ep. 10)

2012-01-23T04:29:00.032-05:00

This week's episode of Once Upon A Time was entitled "7:15 A.M." and picks up where last week's episode left off. Both Emma and Regina are a little suspicious of the stranger that showed up on his motorcycle. Meanwhile, David and Mary Margaret try to figure out where their forbidden love is leading them. In the land of Fairytales, Prince Charming is facing his upcoming wedding to King Midas' daughter while Snow White tries to ease her brokenheart.

Let's get to the episode breakdown, shall we?

In the land of Fairytales, Snow has exiled herself to forget Charming. Red Riding Hood brings her monthly food drops and also news - that he is to wed Abigail soon. Since Snow helped Red when no one else would (yes, we will get that story at some point in the series), Red tells her of someone who can help Snow get over the pain. Three guesses? Yup, Rumpelstiltskin. He makes up Snow a potion to forget and gives it to her in exchange for keeping a lock of her hair (you know he has plans for that - again, another tale for another time).

The King meanwhile tells James/Charming to forget about the girl and focus on making Abigail happy. The King needs Midas' money and James must accept the role he has chosen to play. But James cannot and sends Snow a message via carrier dove to meet him.

She comes to the castle, slips in but is caught before she can talk to James. Thrown in the dungeon, she meets Grumpy who too knows heartbreak. A dwarf named Stealthy shows up to free him and he, in turn, frees her because she was kind to him. Stealthy, you ask. Who is he? That's what I thought too. Turns out, he's cannon fodder and is slain by an arrow during the escape. Snow gets them to let Grumpy leave or she'll burn down the castle. (what is with arson on this show? Last week Rumpelstiltskin did it, now this week Snow threatens to?)

The King interrogates Snow and tells her that love is a disease. The only options are curing or death. He tells her either she breaks James' heart and walks away or he'll make James' death look like an accident. Either way, he will get Midas' endowment. Snow tells James that they cannot be, leaves the castle and is found by the dwarves. Grumpy offers their protection and tells her not to drink the potion.

Some time later, James is off looking for Snow. He encounters Red who learns that James has left Abigail. She runs to tell the dwarves and Snow. But Snow has drunk the potion and completely forgotten her love. (we all could see that coming - why introduce a potion in act one if you don't intend to put it to use in act four)

On the Storybrooke side, Regina is concerned when Henry is talking to the stranger. She convinces Emma to go find out what the guy is up to. Emma eventually meets up with him at the diner and asks questions. He says he will show her what is in his box if she agrees to have a drink with him sometime. She agrees. He opens the box. It's a typewriter. He says he comes to Storybrooke to be inspired. Is he the author of the book Henry has? Mystery here.

Mary-Margaret has been going to the diner each morning at 7:15 to see David, who comes for coffee. One minute of smiles and chit-chat. She later runs into his wife Katherine at the market and sees a birth-control test.

We get some bit with her finding a dove that is lost from its flock, a type of dove that mates for life. All contrived to get her to the animal shelter for her to David. Oh, and a storm is brewing so he follows her as she tries to find the flock. Mary-Margaret almost falls down a poorly blue-screened ravine until David saves her. The storm hits, they find shelter. They almost kiss but she breaks the mood by mentioning the birth-control test. The storm passes, they get the dove to the flock. David tries to make a move to hold her hand but she pushes him away. He says he has feelings for both Mary-Margaret and Katherine, both seem real. But Mary-Margaret tells him he can't have both.

The next morning at 7:10, David and Katherine talk. The test came out negative and she thinks that is a good thing. She says they need to fix them before they can consider a family. He agrees to go to Dr. Hopper with her for counseling. He suggests that they stay home for breakfast today.

Mary-Margaret stays home too, trying to break the cycle. But later that morning she runs into David, accidentally, at the diner. Accident or fate? The show would imply fate. He tells her that Katherine is not pregnant. They kiss passionately out in the street. But this does not go unnoticed. Regina sees it, and Regina is not happy! That is because, as we all know, she knows the truth and who they are. Things could get awful ugly now in Storybrooke.

All in all, a decent episode. We get to see Red Riding Hood and we learn how Snow came to be with the dwarves. We also have the mystery of the stranger to continue for another episode.

Journey - Departure

2012-01-22T04:30:00.003-05:00

Happy sixty-third birthday today (January 22nd) to Steve Perry.

In March of 1980, the American rock band Journey released their sixth studio album, the final full studio album for the band to include founding member and keyboardist Gregg Rolie. Departure has gone multi-Platinum in sales and ranked number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 48 on the Canadian charts, and number 61 on the Japanese charts.

Side one opens with the hit single “Any Way You Want It”, which peaked at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 5 in Canada. The song features a give and take exchange between guitar and vocals, creating its catchy rhythm and hook. The song has gone on to infuse itself into the pop-culture tapestry over the years. It has been used in a number of commercials from Heinz ketchup to McDonald’s, Ford to Samsung; it also was featured in a scene in the 1980 film Caddyshack. I’ve always enjoyed this song; the up-beat sound really gets the blood pumping.

“Walks Like a Lady”, the second single, went to number 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 15 in Canada. I like Rolie’s opening keyboards on this one. Combined with Ross Valory‘s bass and Neal Schon‘s guitar, the track has a cool jazzy feel to it.

The tempo slows a bit with “Someday Soon”, a song full of hope and promise for better days to come. Rolie takes over the lead vocal duties from Perry on this one.

“People and Places” was the B-side to the second single. Schon assumes the lead vocal duties for this track while the rest of the guys provide the echoing vocals in the background. This one dips back into the group’s progressive-rock sound of the mid-70’s.

With Rolie on harmonica and Schon‘s repeated guitar riff, “Precious Time” summons up the images of a train roaring down the tracks in the predawn hours. The tempo picks up considerably when Steve Smith’s drums join in for the second verse (they even sound like a train clacking over the rails during the chorus). All together, it gives this deep-cut a very memorable sound.

I can remember hearing “Where Were You” on the album-oriented station’s rock block weekends growing up, when they would play two, three or four Journey songs back to back. This one has a great instrumental solos and a rollicking chorus.

On “I’m Cryin’”, Schon really rings out the emotion in his guitar to match Perry’s equally heart-felt vocals.

“Line of Fire” explodes with a burst of energy right out of the gate that doesn’t subside for three minutes.

The title track “Departure” is a very brief, under forty seconds, instrumental interlude written by Schon. It sort of acts a break before the final act of the album.

The third and final single “Good Morning Girl” went to number 55 in the US. The song is a beautiful ballad the spotlights Perry’s vocals. The song clocks in at just a minute and three quarters.

“Stay Awhile”, the B-side to the previous track’s single, was also popular and received a good bit of airplay. It works well as an extension of the previous track as it carries on the romantic mood and atmosphere of the previous track.

“Homemade Love” picks up the tempo one more time to close things out. For me, this last song is not as much of a standout. It rocks along just fine but there are no hooks or such to make it jump out. I might have left it off the record and ended things on the slower note made up from tracks ten and eleven.

The 2006 reissue of the CD included two more tracks. The first is “Natural Thing” which was actually the B-Side to the single for “Don’t Stop Believin’” from 1981’s Escape (click here for my review of that album).

The second is “Little Girl” which appeared on the Japanese film Dream, After Dream which was released in late 1980. The band performed all nine songs on this soundtrack which took the group back to their early, progressive-rock sound.

When Departure was released, I was a freshman in high school. I can recall that Journey was a big thing, very popular on the album oriented-rock stations and with many of the teenagers in our school (particularly the female population). This album definitely was the transition of the band from their 70’s style to the hit machine that they would become over the early part of the 80’s. Indeed, the record was a bit of a departure from what had come before.

Billy Ocean - Billy Ocean

2012-01-21T04:21:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

Happy sixty-second birthday today (January 21st) to the Trinidad-born English singer Billy Ocean. In 1976, he released his self-titled debut album Billy Ocean. This now hard-to-find record, whose songs are a mix of R&B/soul and disco, generated a trio of Top 20 hit singles in the UK.

Side one opens with “Tell Him to Move Over”, a song that pleads to the girl to get rid of her current boyfriend so that he can take his place. It has an urgent dance beat that moves the song along at a steady pace.

“Stop Me (If You’ve Heard It All Before)” was the third single and reached number 12 on both the UK and the New Zealand charts. With its rich orchestration, the song has a disco feel yet there are also touches of classic doo-wop elements thrown in as well. With Ocean’s smooth vocals, the whole package comes together pleasantly.

Things slow down a bit with “Let’s Put Our Emotions in Motion”, a love song about taking the next step. Call me old fashioned but what I like about classic songs like this one is that they can convey the passion without moving out of a G-rated range (unlike so many explicitly graphic songs that fill today’s airwaves).

Next up is the ballad “Let’s Do It All Again”. It provides Ocean a chance to sweetly croon along to lush melodies. This one reminds me of classics from groups like the Chi-Lites.

His first single “Love Really Hurts Without You” went all the way to number 2 on the UK charts; it also went to number three in Ireland, number 7 in Belgium, number 9 in Sweden and number 8 on the US Billboard Dance charts. The song has a very catchy, swinging piano hook that I like a lot (it gets into my head and I can‘t help but smile when I hear it).

Side two opens with the musical question “Whose Little Girl Are You”. Ocean once more shows the strength of his falsetto.

The side continues with the tracks “Soul Rock” and “One Kiss Away”, two which I was not able to download or find online to listen to.

“Hungry For Love”, another slower tempo ballad is next up. Ocean delivers the emotional message of love on this one.

“Eye of a Storm” incorporates some rainy sound effects through out to set the mood for this one. The lyrics tell of trouble ahead in a relationship as a young woman is misled by a deceptive man. For me, this one too has a classic soul sound to it.

“L.O.D. (Love on Delivery)”, the album’s final track, was the second single released. It went to number 12 in Ireland, number 17 in Sweden and number 19 in the UK. This song has a classic soul sound to it, with a strong piano accompaniment and the group with backing vocals. This track and so many others on this record very much reminds me of sixties southern beach music.

I was very familiar with the hit “Love Really Hurts Without You” as it often appears on Ocean’s greatest hits collections. In listening to the entire Billy Ocean album, I found it very much to my liking and musical tastes. The music felt comfortingly familiar and pleasant. If you enjoy his big hits of the 80’s, you might want to give some tracks from this album a try. They are very danceable numbers and fit very much into that category of mid-70’s soul and R&B music.

KISS - Dynasty

2012-01-20T04:30:00.003-05:00

Happy sixtieth birthday today (January 20th) to Paul Stanley.

Since they recorded on Casablanca Records, a label known in the late 1970’s as one of the homes of many disco acts, it is no surprising that the hard-rocking band KISS would end up putting out a record with dance overtures. Of course, this being KISS the result was going to be big, loud and theatric. The end result was 1979’s Dynasty, the seventh studio album for the group.

Despite the change in musical styles, Dynasty sold well. The Platinum selling record went to number 9 on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 6 in Canada, number 8 in Germany and number 2 in Australia.

Side one opens with the first single. “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” reached number 11 on the US Billboard Top 40, number 2 in France, Germany and Switzerland, and number 1 in Canada, Norway and Holland. Stanley penned the song in part just to prove how easy it was to write a dance song, and he definitely achieved it while keeping enough rock elements in it as well. Lyrically, it tells of a hot steamy night of romance. The guitars have a driving rhythm to them that goes right to your core. The falsetto vocals by Stanley and the backing vocal harmonies also add to the whole disco elements.

“2000 Man” is up next. Ace Frehley takes the lead vocals on this cover of a classic Rolling Stones song; it is fitting for the “space man” to sing lead this rocking number with sci-fi overtones.

“Sure Know Something” was the second single from the album; it went to number 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 48 in Canada, number 5 in Australia and number 3 in the Netherlands. By playing down the ferocity of their guitars and playing up the drums, KISS finds the right sound to appeal to the dance crowds on this mid-tempo number.

“Dirty Livin’” is the only track on the album where Peter Criss played the drums; the rest of the tracks were done by guest drummer Anton Fig. Criss sings the lead on this one track too. I like how the dance sound continues on this one too with the pounding bass.

Side two starts with “Charisma”, a song written by and featuring Gene Simmons on lead. It opens with a solid guitar riff. Simmons plays off his outgoing personality on his delivery of this song that drips with vanity. I find it all rather fitting.

“Magic Touch” slides the scale a bit back to the rock side but maintains a wicked beat.

Next, Frehley is back to sing lead on a song he also penned. “Hard Times”, which talks about those years of struggling to make it, too sticks more to the rock side of things.

“X-Ray Eyes” is another Simmons composition. I like the combination of guitars and piano on this one; it gives the song a bit of a different sound from the others.

The album closes with another Frehley penned track on which he sings lead. “Save Your Love” is a good song but the one part that doesn’t fit for me is the backing vocals by Stanley and Simmons (they seem like they could have been a bit better to me for some reasons).

I have to thank one of my Twitter friends (Derrick) for recommending that I review this album.

I had a few of the songs from this one already in my music library but I was not familiar with the whole thing. In 1979 when it first came out, I was into the whole disco scene so I knew the lead track from radio airplay. My older brother was a fan of the earlier KISS albums but I don’t believe he had this one in his vinyl collection (disco was certainly never his thing). Had I heard this entire record back then, I definitely would have had it in my collection. I love the grooves that KISS lays down on this album.

Dolly Parton - 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs

2012-01-19T04:30:00.002-05:00

Happy sixty-sixth birthday today (January 19th) to American country singer-songwriter and actress Dolly Parton.

In late December of 1980, Dolly starred along side Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman in the office-comedy film 9 To 5. The film had a big opening weekend at the time and has since gone on to make the list of the 20 Highest Grossing Comedy Films.

That same month, Dolly released the album 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs, a concept album with songs focused on working. With a mix of pop and country arrangement, the record earned positive comments. The album reached number 1 on the US Country charts, number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 36 on the Canadian Country charts, and number 15 on the general Canadian music charts.

Side one opens with the female-empowered theme song from the film. “9 to 5” was a number 1 smash hit, topping the US Country and Adult Contemporary charts as well as the Canadian charts. It also spent two non-consecutive weeks at the number 1 spot on the US Billboard charts in February of 1981. It also won Dolly the Grammy awards for Best Country Song and Best Country Vocal Performance Female. I had the 45 for this song back in 1980; I’ve always enjoyed the infectious rhythm that comes from, in part, the clacking of the electric typewriter.

For the next track, “Hush-A-Bye Hard Times”, Dolly goes back to her Tennessee country roots. The song has an up-tempo beat even though the lyrics paint the portrait of a family facing hard economic times.

“House of the Rising Sun” was a traditional US folk song about making a living in sinful ways in New Orleans. The Animals had the most successful recording of this song in 1964. Dolly’s cover of this classic tweaks the lyrics a bit and delivers it with a rocking, dance beat. Her touches seemed to work for the song which went to number 14 on the US Country singles chart, number 77 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 30 on the US Adult Contemporary charts. I like her take on the song; it has steam-heat, funky guitars and a driving beat.

Woody Guthrie wrote “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)” as a protest song about a plane crash near Los Gatos Canyon in January 1948 where thirty-two people were killed (four Americans and twenty-eight migrant farm workers from Mexico). Dolly’s cover is one of many versions done over the decades; as a single it went to number 14 on the US Country charts and number 77 on the US Billboard Hot 100. I like the simple piano accompaniment on this one, setting a somber tone for the tragic tale.

“Sing for the Common Man” is a mid-tempo ode to the hard working people who are the backbone of the country.

Side two begins with “Working Girl”, a rocking track with that celebrates women who balance career and family. This Dolly penned track brings to focus that change in the work force. Remember this was the beginning of the 80’s when more women were taking prominent positions in business.

“Detroit City” was a song originally recorded in 1963 by country musician Bobby Bare. Once again, Dolly puts her own touches on this classic.

The gentle ballad “But You Know I Love You” was first recorded by the First Edition in 1969, the group that included Mike Settle and Kenny Rogers. Dolly’s version of the song reached the number 1 spot on the US Country charts, number 14 on the US Adult Contemporary charts, and number 41 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Dolly does another cover next, this time “Dark as a Dungeon” which was written by Merle Travis. The lyrics tell of the back-breaking work of a coal miner.

“Poor Folks’ Town”, a Dolly written track, closes out the record. It is a song about living on love even when the family barely is getting by.

Although the songs share a common theme, 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs is not repetitive. The music is varied with a mix of original songs and covers. Dolly Parton handles them all with the seasoned skills of a veteran in the business.

Happy Birthday, Tom Bailey

2012-01-18T04:30:00.006-05:00

Happy fifty-eighth birthday today (January 18) to British musician and composer Tom Bailey.

Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, started out as a music teacher. In 1977, he formed the Thompson Twins which eventually settled in as a trio with Bailey (on vocals, guitar, bass and keyboards), his then girlfriend Alannah Currie (on percussion, saxophone and vocals) and Joe Leeway (percussion and vocals). Bailey and Currie eventually married.

After the Thompson Twins broke up in 1991, Baiely and Currie formed the techno-oriented duo Babble. Bailey has also produced a New Zealand band by the name of Stellar*, and he won a Record Producer of the Year award for their debut album. He was also involved in a dub project called International Observer.

For my review of the Thompson Twin's 1983 album Side Kicks, click here.

For my review of their 1984 album Into the Gap, click here.

For my review of their 1985 album Here's to Future Days, click here.

The Bangles - Different Light

2012-01-17T04:30:00.002-05:00

Happy fifty-third birthday today (January 17th) to Susanna Hoffs.

After their 1984 debut album All Over the Place (click here for my review of that one), the Bangles followed it up in January of 1986 with their second album Different Light. The record was the group’s best selling to date, having gone multi-Platinum a number of times over. It reached the number 2 spot on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 2 in Australia, number 3 in the UK, number 5 in Norway and number 19 in Canada.

Side one opens with “Manic Monday”, the first single from the album. Penned under the pseudonym of “Christopher“, Prince originally wrote it for Apollonia 6 in 1984; two years later, he offered it to the Bangles to record. The song about that first workday of the week doldrums went to number 2 in the US, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Canada. Additional keyboards and a harp were provided to give this one its rich, 60‘s carefree sound.

The bands typical three guitars/one drums rock sound is more evident on “In a Different Light”. The lyrics are about appreciating things in someone that others just do not see.

The fourth single from the album “Walking Down Your Street” went to number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 16 in the UK. The music on this one is bouncy and up-beat; the lyrics are about being completely hung up on someone. I get the sentiment of this one; I can remember my own teenaged years when I’d ride my bike past the house of a girl I liked in hopes that she might come out at just the right time so we could talk.

“Walk Like an Egyptian” was the third single from the album; it hit number 1 in Australia, the Netherlands, Germany and the United States. I remember well how this song heated up the dance floors in the winter of 1986; it is such a fun, infectious tune that it makes you want to do the dance.

“Standing in the Hallway”, an up-beat song about realizing a relationship is falling apart, has funky rhythms as well as a steady beat by Debbie Peterson. This is one of those tunes that grow on me the more I listen to it.

“Return Post” features another style change, this one a bluesy riff with subdued guitar chords and brushed drumming. The lyrics are about writing letters in a long distance relationship.

Side two starts with “If She Knew What She Wants”, a song written by Jules Shear for his 1985 album The Eternal Return. The Bangles rewrote the lyrics to change it from first person to third person and released it as a single; it hit number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 31 on the UK charts.

“Let It Go” is up next, a track jointly written by all four ladies in the band.

Penned by Alex Chilton, “September Gurls” first appeared on the 1974 album Radio City by Big Star. Michael Steele took over the lead vocal duties from Hoffs on their cover of this classic slower ballad.

The Bangles kick the tempo back up with the rapid-fire “Angels Don’t Fall in Love”. I like how they do a number of rhythm changes up on this one as well as the ending.

The fifth single “Following” was only released in Europe; it went to number 22 in Ireland and number 55 in the UK. Steele sang the lead vocals on this track as well as played acoustic guitar on this folk ballad. The lyrics focus on the themes of jealousy and obsession after a couple has broken up. The whole song has a moody atmosphere to it.

The album closes with “Not Like You”, a swaying mid-tempo rocker.

I was in college for my junior year at the time Different Light was released; I picked up a copy of it on cassette at the campus bookstore, having already become a fan of the Bangles from their first album. What I like about this record is that it showed the musical range of the band with a variety of styles and sounds. Yes, there is the pop-rock sound of the hit singles but the deeper cuts offer a number of interesting gems as well.

TV: Pan Am (episode 11)

2012-01-17T04:28:00.001-05:00

This week was the airing of the eleventh episode of ABC's Pan Am. Last week I was bemoaning about all the soap opera elements and wanted to see more of some of the earlier elements (the plane, travel, foreign countries).

This week's episode is entitled "Diplomatic Relations". The crew is chosen for a trip to Moscow, to help with diplomatic ties with the Soviet Union. Ah, can't have the 60's without those Cold War elements. Needless to say, it got a little unbelievable.

Let's take a look at the details...

So, Dean is not so happy the morning after in London with Bridgette. Seems the romp is bed was a mistake for him, and he wants to move on to Colette. Bridgette says she's fine with it, but we soon learn she's far from that.

As noted, the crew is being sent to Moscow. Captain Broyles is brought in, a noted "Sky God" who the airline loves and lets fly wherever/whenever. Convenient he speaks Russian too. Yes, he's a huge plot device. And, of course, Richard sends Kate on a mission since she'll be there anyway - to check on whether a woman named Anastasia is still at an address. Plot device number two. Both come into play later.

Since Bridgette is back on the crew, one less stewardess is needed. So Maggie gets to stay in New York and go to a cocktail party with Congressman Rawlings. He wants to show her off. Maggie is trying to keep low though as Mike from the Village Voice published the article but did not name her as the source. Mike, it also turns out, used to sleep with Maggie. Awkward. And since Broyles is on the flight, Ted gets bumped too but that's okay as he wants to propose to Amanda.

Convenient that Ted and Maggie end up at the same party. In a discussion, the spitfire stewardess voices her opinion, tipping of Rawlings that she might be the inside source. She admits to it, they fight, she cries. Ted meanwhile proposes and gets a yes from Amanda. Amanda then sees Maggie crying, consoles her and out of the blue kisses her. Yes, Amanda it would appear is a closeted lesbian. Awkward again. This so plays into next week, based on the previews.

But enough of them, let's go back to the USSR. While the crew is to be shown around and go to dinners, they are under tight watch. Kate tries to slip out of the hotel only to get caught. Broyles saves her tail, and she learns that he brought lots of American contraband to sell to the Soviet blackmarket.

While out on a tour, Kate sees Anastasia's window, and Laura and Bridgette get taken in for questioning just because Laura took some pictures of Soviet buildings. The Russians decide the two blondes might be spies. Sorry, Ivan, wrong sister.

Dean has Colette and Kate pack the bags, in part to make sure the Soviets don't plant anything in Laura and Bridgette's stuff. That's when Colette finds Dean's missing cufflink in B's bag. Uh oh.

Kate slips out again, goes to Anastasia and insists she help to get her sister and friend set free. Turns out Anastasia has high connections in the KGB. She gives Kate a name. Kate then turns to Broyles to use the cash he's gotten to free the girls, threatening to expose him otherwise. See, plot devices at work.

Dean defies the Soviets at gunpoint about taking off without his two missing crew members. Luckily they are brought in time, and the Pan Am crew is happy to be leaving Soviet airspace. Well, not everyone is happy. Colette shows Dean the cufflink, forcing him to explain. From her face, she is done with him. And Bridgette wins out.

Curtain.

I'm kind of getting tired of the contrived plots here. The real, honest moments are few and far between. The shocker kiss between Amanda and Maggie screams "ratings grab". I'm just feeling the charm the show had from the pilot is slowly getting lost each week. According to sources, the first season has only been given 14 episodes so I will likely stick around at this point for the final three.

Happy Birthday, Andy Rourke

2012-01-17T04:25:00.000-05:00

Happy forty-eighth birthday today (January 17) to bass guitarist Andy Rourke.

Born in Manchester, England, Rourke received his first guitar at age 7. At age 11, he made friends with a young John Maher (who would later use the studio name Johnny Marr). At age 15, Rourke dropped out of school to work and play in music; one of the first bands he belonged to was a funk group called Freak Party.

In 1982, Marr and Morrissey decided to put together a band. Marr brought in Rourke and the Smiths were born. The group was together until 1987; Rourke was with the band for most of that time except for a brief period where he was sacked from the group.

After the Smiths, Rourke has recorded with artists like the Pretenders, Killing Joke, and FreeBass.

For my review of the 1985 album Meat Is Murder, click here.

For my review of the 1986 album The Queen Is Dead, click here.

For my review of the 1987 album Strangeways, Here We Come, click here.

TV: Once Upon A Time (ep. 9)

2012-01-16T04:31:00.002-05:00

Taking a look at the show's ratings, last week's episode "Desperate Souls" saw a jump of the ratings (10.35 million viewers). This is more in line with the first month of the show as opposed to the sligh slide it had taken in December.

This week's episode was entitled "True North" and features the guest star Emma Caufield (known as Anya on Buffy the Vampire Slayer). In this episode, the new sheriff tries to aid runaway children Nicholas and Ava in locating their birth father before they are torn apart in foster care. On the Fairytale side, we learn the tale of Hansel and Gretel and the Blind Witch (Caufield).

Let's get to the episode breakdown, shall we?

We'll start with Fairytale world as we meet Hansel, Gretel and their father. He's busy chopping wood and sends the kids off to get some kindling. He gives them his compass so they can find their way if they get lost. When they return, the man is missing and they instead run into the Evil Queen and her guards. The kids try to flee, but her magic stops them. She says they are foolish yet brave, just what she needs to help her. She offers to reunite the children with their father if they do an errand for them first. There is a Blind Witch who has stolen something from her that she needs back, but magic prevents the Queen from entering the candy house. Only children are immune to the blocking spell. The only rule is this: they are to not eat anything no matter how tempted.

Hansel and Gretel wait until night fall to enter. The Blind Witch is asleep and Gretel is about to retrieve the satchel as instructed when Hansel bites a cupcake. The Witch awakens, traps the children in the house and locks them up. She is about to prepare one to cook for her dinner when the kids overpower her. They throw the witch into the oven, grab the satchel and run. Watching from her magic mirror, the Evil Queen sends a fireball to cook the Blind Witch (because, you know, this is a family show and we can't have the innocent children commit such a murderous deed - the Evil Queen has already killed a lot so far).

Returning to her castle, we find that the satchel contained a poison apple (one the Queen intends to use on Snow White who is now living with the dwarves). The Queen offers the children to stay with her at the castle as they were the only ones she enlisted that succeeded (the bones in the Blind Witch's fire were those that failed in the task). Gretel defies the Queen, insisting they want their father. Angered, the Queen uses magic to send the children to the furthest point in the forest of the kingdom. She then has the guards bring the father whom she had captured. She demands to know why they turned down his offer. He tells them that a family is a strong bond. She releases him.

In Storybrooke, Henry is reading Hulk vs. Wolverine (a Marvel comic, and Marvel is now owned by Disney that owns ABC so nice cross-pollination there) when he meets Nicholas and Ava in the store. They stuff items in his book bag and the shopkeeper is upset when they try to leave. Sheriff Emma is called in as is Regina. She takes Henry home. Emma offers to take the kids home. They give her a false address. Turns out they are alone with no parents. Emma follows them and wants to help them find their father (since their mother has died). She would rather do that than turn them over to the foster system that will seperate them. However, Emma has no choice as Regina has already intervened. She called Social Services and they expect the children to be brought to Boston. Clearly Regina wants to make them suffer (as she knows who they are and what they did to her back in Fairytale world).

Henry tells Emma that he suspects the kids are Hansel and Gretel. He then asks about his own father. Emma says he was a firefighter who died saving a family from an apartment fire (which she later tells Mary-Margaret was a lie to protect Henry from the truth). Emma then shows the kids her baby blanket, the one thing she had from her parents. She asks if the kids have anything. Ava gives her the compass that she has. Emma takes the compass to Mr. Gold to see if he might know where someone would have purchased such a thing. He says he knows the piece and that he did sell it to someone. He pulls a card and asks Emma for forgiveness (for lying to her for the election). Emma offers tolerance. Gold is okay with that and tells her the name is Michael Tillman. As Emma leaves, we see that the card Gold pulled is blank (so clearly he knows all about who is who in this town too).

Emma goes to the garage where Tillman works, gives him an impassioned speech about kids growing up not knowing their parents. He says he cannot help her take the kids. This leaves Emma with no choice. She has to take the children to Boston and Regina shows up to make sure. Henry warns Emma not to try to leave town with them as bad things will happen (the curse). She drives off but as she approaches the town limits her engine dies. She calls for assistance and Tillman shows up with his tow truck. He sees the kids and realizes he should take them after all. Another happy ending thanks to Emma.

Later, Emma returns home and talks to Mary-Margaret. She reveals Henry's theory that her mother is Snow White, thus Mary-Margaret. M-M sees Emma's blanket and sniffs it. Henry finds Emma and she almost tells him the truth about his father but stops. Just then a mystery biker with a wooden box strapped to the back of his motorcycle rolls up into town. They talk with him briefly before he drives off. Emma says to Henry "I thought you said strangers don't come to Storybrooke". Henry says "they don't".

So, we get one happy ending (yay), one brutal ending for the Blind Witch (boo - I wanted Emma Caulfield to be around in present day), more of Regina and Gold moving the pawns about for their own reasons, and one very big mystery (the stranger) who will play into the next episode. Not bad for an hour of TV.

Romeo Void - Never Say Never

2012-01-16T04:30:00.003-05:00

Hailing from San Francisco, California, the American rock band Romeo Void combined post-punk and new wave styles to create their sound. Following their debut album It’s a Condition in 1981, the group (consisting of Peter Woods, Benjamin Bossi, Frank Zincavage, Larry Carter and Debora Iyall) followed it up in January of 1982 with a four song EP entitled Never Say Never. Ric Ocasek of the Cars was one of the producers on the record.

The first side opens with a six minute version of the title track. Never Say Never has a pounding bass line by Zincavage and searing guitars by Woods. Carter keeps the beat going strong while Iyall delivers the vocals with plenty of attitude and just the right touch of sarcasm. And, of course, I just adore Bossi’s saxophone solo. This song was a huge favorite on the local college radio station I was listening to in 1982 during my junior and senior years of high school; MTV played the video for it a lot too. To this day, I still love the vibe this one gives off. It is a wonderful early 80’s alternative dance song.

Next up is “In the Dark” which opens with another Bossi sax solo. It sets the mood perfectly for this smoldering track about clandestine encounters in the night that don’t always turn out well.

Side two begins with “Present Tense”, a quick-step rocker that showcases the guitar work of the band. Once more, the lyrics deal with the struggles of relationships, this one emphasizing the tension.

“Not Safe” spotlights Carter on the drums at the start. And, again, Bossi’s sax plays a big part in the number (that is one of the reason I really like this band a lot). Together they create a hypnotic sound. The lyrics paint the image of a failed relationship between someone who holds down a steady job and another who is a student and barely has enough money for lunch.

This EP was a nice sampler to the sounds of Romeo Void. Never Say Never was a good way to broaden the audience for the group between their first and second full-length albums, with “Never Say Never” being the hook to pull the listeners in.

Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam - Spanish Fly

2012-01-15T04:30:00.002-05:00

Happy forty-sixth birthday today (January 15th) to Lisa Lisa (born Lisa Velez).

Following their platinum selling debut album Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force (click here for my review of that album) in 1985, the freestyle R&B group from New York City went to work on their second album. Once again, the R&B group Full Force stepped into the role as producers on this album (why mess with a formula that worked the first time?). 1987‘s Spanish Fly was the group’s best charting album to date, reaching number 7 on the US Billboard Hot 200 and number 7 on the US R&B charts. It also generated a number of hit singles including two number 1 records.

Side one opens with “Everything Will B-Fine”. As the fourth and final single from the album, it went to number 9 on the US R&B singles chart. No surprise that the song did well on the Dance charts (reaching number 22) as it opens with an irresistible freestyle beat thanks to Michael Hughes on the drums and Spanador (aka Alex Moseley) on the keyboards. Lisa Lisa’s vocals blend well with the groove, creating a sizzling dance jam. Whenever I hear this one, I am instantly back in the clubs with the lights spinning overhead and the big speakers thumping from the bass.

The first single from the album was “Head to Toe”. The song went to number 82 on the UK charts. In the US, it was a triple-threat number 1 single (it held that top spot on the Dance, R&B and Billboard Top 40 charts). The song is a mix of the classic 60’s Motown harmonies with the freestyle rhythms that Cult Jam was known for laying down. This is my favorite song on the album (and since I love the entire record so that is saying a lot) and it has a lot of great memories tied to it from my final year of college.

The dance party does not let up just yet. “A Face in the Crowd” features another infectious beat and a guest appearance by Full Force as well. Lisa Lisa meets a performer at a concert and makes a connection, yet the guy does not remember her upon the next meeting. The sound on this song is pure mid-to-late 80’s club coolness.

As the side nears its end, it is time to slow things down a bit. “Someone to Love Me for Me”, the third single from the album, went to number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 7 on the R&B charts. The ballad, a beautiful song about being appreciated for all that you are, is a duet between Full Force’s Bowlegged Lou and Lisa Lisa.

The side closes with “Talking Nonsense”, a minute or so long track with Lisa Lisa and Michael Hughes having a conversation that quickly devolves into baby talk.

Side two starts with “I Promise You”, an incredibly funky jam. Hughes’ drums are in the spotlight here, driving the number relentlessly. Spanador has a great keyboard solo too. I cannot listen to this one without my feet starting to move and my spine starting to sway in time.

“A Fool Is Born Everyday” continues the mood set from the last track. Once more, the guys deliver another amazing groove while Lisa Lisa’s vocals dance effortlessly on it.

“Lost in Emotion” was the second single from the album and the second number 1 for the group. It topped both the Billboard Top 40 and the R&B charts; it also reached number 8 on the Dance charts, number 27 on the US Adult Contemporary charts, and number 58 on the UK charts. I remember this one being heard all over the radio in the fall of 1987, my final months of college. It was a fantastic track, a celebration of falling in love with someone special and experiencing that feeling that is so difficult to put into words (but you know it when you’re in it). I can remember dancing and singing along to this one on many a night out at the local dance spots in Rochester, New York.

The tempo kicks back up one more time for a final groove “Playing With Fire”. Spanador gets a chance to hit the spotlight with his guitar playing on this one. Lisa Lisa has a confident attitude on the vocals, pointing out that she’s not one who you should underestimate.

Spanish Fly is another one of my favorite albums from the 80’s. Along with Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam’s debut album, this is one of those records I have listened to countless times in the past and never, ever tire of. I had a copy of it on cassette which I played constantly until the tape finally wore out. I picked up a copy of it on CD in the late 90’s and burned it digitally a number of years back for my mp3 library. It is on my iPods, my iPhone, my iPad; I never leave home without it. It is always guaranteed to put me in a great mood, no matter how tense or stressed things get. When I hear these amazing rhythms and angelic vocals, all my cares just melt way as they can’t possibly keep up to the groove. And since my dance club days are long behind me, the songs on this one also are perfect for a cardio work out.

If you’ve never heard this album and you love old school freestyle dance grooves, you owe it to yourself to have a little Spanish Fly.

Three Dog Night - It Ain't Easy

2012-01-14T04:30:00.003-05:00

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

As the new decade was starting, Three Dog Night was finishing up their third studio album. The original working title was The Wizards of Orange and had planned to have a cover with the band wearing orange make-up and body stockings to appear as if they were posing nude. The record label rejected the title and cover art.

On March 31, 1970, they released It Ain’t Easy on vinyl and 8-track tape. The album did quite well, reaching number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 200 and number 5 on the Canadian album charts.

Side one opens with Mike Allsup and Joe Schermie‘s grinding guitars on “Woman”, a hard-rocking serenade to that special lady. The song takes it down to the bear minimum for the bridge before exploding again for the final minute and a half.

The next track “Cowboy” was written by Randy Newman. Where the first track was energetic and raucous, this one is very sedate and restrained. The music gives the impression of the wide-open plains of the American mid-west where there might not have been another person around for miles. The vocals convey a very lonely feel.

The next song was written by Ron Davies and appeared on his 1970 album. It was also recorded by both John Baldry and Mitch Ryder in 1971 and by both David Bowie and Dave Edmunds in 1972. The Three Dog Night version of “It Ain’t Easy” has a more country sound to it with its sauntering, laid-back guitar accompaniment and harmonica solo.

“Out in the Country” was the second single from the album. It went to number 15 on the US Billboard Top 40, number 11 on the US Adult Contemporary chart, and number 9 in Canada. The song has a pleasant soft rock sound similar to that of America, another early 70’s band. Often partnered collaborators Roger Nichols and Paul Williams penned this song.

“Good Feeling 1957” has a positive vibe thanks to its up-tempo rhythm. The song has an early 60’s soul sound to it with both the music and vocals. It brings to mind a sunny day at the beach, fun and carefree.

Side two starts with “Rock & Roll Widow”, an original composition credited to all seven members of the band. This jam tells of the hardships of being the wife to a member of a constantly working rock band.

Another Randy Newman track appears next as the album‘s first single. “Mama Told Me (Not To Come)” went to number 2 in Canada and number 3 in the UK; in the US it spent two weeks at the number 1 spot (bumping the Jackson 5’s “The Love You Say” and then being bumped by the Carpenters’ “(They Long to Be) Close to You”). Singer Cory Wells delivers the vocals in a very distinctive vocal style as he pretends to be a straight-laced guy who has encountered a wild party. This is one of those songs I’ve heard so many times over the decades that I quickly find myself singing along to it.

The next song is an Elton John/Bernie Taupin composition. Three Dog Night actually recorded and released “Your Song” the same month that Elton John did. Both versions have sweet and innocent touches to them, this version is actually a little more rocking musically. I enjoy this version almost as much as I like John’s.

I like the percussion and keyboard combination on “Good Time Living”; it is a very distinctive characteristic of the music of Three Dog Night. And don’t let that fade out fool you - there is still another thirty seconds left to go.

I like It Ain’t Easy; the album has a nice combination of hits from Three Dog Night as well as some very sold deep tracks.

Limahl - 1983 (EP)

2012-01-13T04:31:00.003-05:00

This week saw the single and EP release of 1983 by Kajagoogoo lead singer Limahl. Working with Tommy Olsen and writer/producer team Rune Maurtvedt and Stig Erik Antonsen, he has crafted a highly danceable track that has both a modern sound and a touch of nostalgia too. It can easily appeal to a new audience of youth today and those forty-something folks like myself who are parents of said teens and young adults. It is a song that can bring generations together.

The EP contains six versions of the song “1983“: the Clouds & Coffee Radio version and Extended versions, the Tom Moroca Remix Radio and Extended versions, the original radio version and an acapella version. That gives fans of the song various ways to experience this ode to a most awesome year.

For me, 1983 is a key year.

In February of that year, I turned eighteen years old. That meant I was an adult, could legally drink (back then New York State hadn’t yet bumped up the drinking age to twenty-one and, when they did, most of us were grandfathered any way), etc. So it was about a little more freedom and responsibility too.

In June of that year, I graduated high school. It was a time of endings and saying goodbye, until I occasionally was back home for visits, to old friends I had known for many years (some as far back as Kindergarten when I was four years old).

In September of that year, I went off to college in Rochester NY to begin studying computer science. It was also a time of new beginnings, to meet new people and broaden my experiences along side all those people on campus. It was the start of a fantastic four and a half year chapter of my life.

In my iTunes library today, the year 1983 is represented by over seven hundred and ninety tracks. It has only a slight lead on the predecessor year as 1982 has about ten tracks less. So, I definitely love the music from this time period.

Clearly 1983 was a key year for Limahl too. It was the year that Kajagoogoo released “Too Shy”, the song that made the band known around the world; Limahl co-wrote that track. The band’s video for that song aired in heavy rotation on MTV, very popular with teens like me due to its catchy synth hooks and rhythm.

I think the song “1983” has those same elements.

The opening will call everyone to the floor like a siren-song and the drumbeats will keep them there. And forget about having a hot-tub time machine; this song can take you back with the help of a lighted dance floor and spinning strobe lights.

Lyrically, Limahl brings back all the images of the days of new-wave: androgynous identities and the new romantic styles, the hey-day of MTV when videos were played all day and night by Alan, JJ, Mark, Nina, and Martha. I love the shout-outs to bands like Soft Cell, Duran Duran, Human League and Visage (all groups whom I enjoy).

If you’re a fan of classic new wave and early alternative music from the 80’s and you also love a song with a kicking dance beat, you definitely want to get your hands on “1983”. The single and EP are available everywhere for download (iTunes, Amazon.com, emusic.com and more).

Gang of Four - Another Day, Another Dollar

2012-01-13T04:30:00.006-05:00

The Gang of Four consists of four musicians from England: Dave Allen on bass guitar, Hugo Burnham on drums, Andy Gill on guitar, and Jon King on vocals. The group was known for their raw mix of punk rock, funk and reggae styles with lyrics focused on problems in society and politics.

In January of 1982, Gang of Four released a five song EP in between their second and third full length studio albums. Another Day, Another Dollar went to number 192 on the US Billboard Hot 200 charts.

Side one consisted a three new tracks.

First up is “To Hell With Poverty!” which went to number 38 on the US Billboard Dance Club singles chart. The song charted again eight years later in 1990, this time going to number 100 on the UK singles chart. The track opens with Gill’s guitar generating a lot of feedback. Burnham’s drums cut in though and temper the squeal with a decent beat. The lyrics, what little there are, take a defiant stance against economic hardship. I can definitely see why this one did well in the dance clubs as it moves quite well.

The economic theme continues with “Capital (It Fails Us Now)”, a tune about spending beyond one’s means and ending up in dire financial straits. Again, we have another solid beat with very funky guitar riffs.

The musical tone shifts a bit on “History’s Bunk!”, moving to a more industrial rock sound. That makes the song a bit more cold and distant for me. Lyrically, I don’t connect to it either.

The second side of the album features two live tracks from the group’s second album Solid Gold. Both songs were released the year prior as singles.

“Cheeseburger” is a commentary on economic times, the challenges of making a living and getting by. The driving rock sound is supplemented with audios that would be heard in a fast food restaurant. The final minute or so is heavy drum beats and wailing guitars, pounding out the passing time.

“What We All Want” opens with a guitar solo quickly joined by the drums and bass. The effect is a hypnotic chant. The lyrics tell of a person lost and aimless, looking for meaning and purpose in his life.

When I previously reviewed a Gang of Four album (click here for my review their 1979 debut Entertainment!) I mentioned that I wasn’t a huge fan. This band is a bit more alternative than I typically prefer. I like some of the songs on their records but not really complete albums. However, Another Day, Another Dollar does work for me though for the most part, most likely because the EP only has five songs (a bearable number for me) and they all tie together in a tight narrative theme.

Village People - Village People

2012-01-12T04:30:00.002-05:00

Happy fifty-eighth birthday today (January 12th) to Felipe Rose, a founding member of the disco group Village People. While part Puerto Rican on his mother’s side, the Indian attire he wears while performing is in honor of his Native American heritage on his father‘s side.

Village People was the creation of Jacques Morali, a French composer. Having penned a few dance tunes in the late 1970’s, he approached singer/actor Victor Willis to record them. The songs did very well, particularly in the gay disco scene.

From there, they put together a group for live appearances in clubs and on shows like American Bandstand. The idea was to dress them all in macho occupational costumes that were often worn by the gay men of Greenwich Village; the group got its name from that New York City neighborhood as well. First to join was Felipe Rose who already dressed the part while bartending. Willis (dressing as a cop) recruited his friend Alex Briley (who would be the soldier). Soon Mark Mussler (their first construction worker), Dave Forrest (their first cowboy) and Lee Mouton (their first leather man) completed the initial line-up. Over the decades, the line-up has changed a bit with a few of the founders being permanent mainstays.

The group’s self-titled 1977 debut album Village People went to number 54 on the US Billboard Hot 200 and number 36 on the US Billboard R&B charts.

Side one opens with the five-plus-minute “San Francisco (You’ve Got Me)”. This first single from the group went to number 102 on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 15 in Australia, and number 45 in the UK. The dance track, a celebration of the free-spirited and open-minded attitudes of the residents of the California city by the bay, has a classic disco sound with pulsating beats and blaring horn sections.

Also clocking in at five-and-a-half minutes is “In Hollywood (Everybody is a Star)”, another ode to a west coast locale where people often get caught up in the glam and the glitz. The chorus hook on this disco groove is very catchy and fun.

Side two begins with the nearly six-minute “Fire Island”. With this side of the album, the group is back in New York at the outer barrier islands near Long Island. The song celebrates a place where many people from the city would go for a quick getaway. The lyrics name-drop a number of nightspots on the island like the Ice Palace, the Sandpiper, the Blue Whale and the Monster; they also warn about going in the bushes (where you might get grabbed or might get stabbed).

The final track is the mid-tempo “Village People”, the second single from the group and another nearly six-minute dance groove. This song calls to arms all the village people out there, to stand as one for the freedom to be who they want to be. It can be interpreted very much as a gay-pride anthem, probably one of the first in pop music.

My love of disco music is no secret. My first dance was a disco themed one in the gym after school while I was in seventh grade in 1977, just about the time Village People came out. I can recall learning the Bus Stop that day as well as doing the Hustle and more. It was all a lot of fun and a great workout.

Thirty five years later, I feel the same way when I listen to records such as this one. The dance beats are hypnotic and transport me to a place where people are dancing their cares away and just having a good time.

The Waitresses - Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?

2012-01-11T04:30:00.006-05:00

Hailing from Akron, Ohio, the Waitresses was a new-wave rock band that performed from 1978 to 1984. Initially the group was Patty Donahue on lead vocals, Tracy Wormworth on bass and Ariel Warner on backing vocals. Chris Butler on guitar, Billy Ficca (formerly of Television) on drums, Dan Klayman on keyboards, and Mars Williams on saxophone and reed instruments rounded out the group.

The band put out their first single “Slide” in 1978 and then “I Know What Boys Like” in 1980. In 1981, their song “Christmas Wrapping” appeared on the album A Christmas Record, a compilation of seasonal songs by various artists on the ZE Records label.

The Waitresses were then signed to Polydor Records and on January 11th, 1982 (exactly thirty years ago today), they released their first studio album Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful. The record went to number 41 on the US Billboard Hot 200 charts.

Side one begins with “No Guilt”, a bouncy little number with a stream-of-conscious set of lyrics dealing with life post-breakup. How often do you hear a song that mentions Walter Conkrite and John Belushi as well as three-pronged outlets?

“Wise Up”, the first track featuring Williams’ sax, is a musical version of group therapy. Donahue acts as the clinical moderator, and Butler delivers a searing guitar solo.

Klayman‘s keyboards set the pace for “Quit”, a song about fighting against those feelings to throw one’s hands in the air and just give up when things get complicated.

“It’s My Car” is about one of those road-trips with friends that turns chaotic. I love how the backseat drivers pop up in the single audio channels of one speaker, giving a cool distant feel to the backing vocals.

“Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful?” is another up-beat track with a perky piano and driving drums. The lyrics are a positive affirmation mantra, reminding us to pick our chin up and stand tall rather than let life get us down.

Side two opens with “I Know What Boys Like” which was re-released as a single in 1982 and reached number 63 on the Billboard Hot 100. Donahue’s flirty tease goes perfectly with the catchy guitar hooks on this one. This is definitely one of those less played new-wave tracks from the early 80’s, often relegated to the land of lost hits. Luckily folks from my generation, like director Ryan Murphy, enjoy it; the song appeared on a season 2 episode of Glee.

The hard-rocking “Heat Night” opens with another searing sax solo. The tempo builds to a fevered pitch and then a final guitar strum.

“Redland” is a sarcastic commentary on the spread of communism.

“Pussy Strut” takes a geometric and scientific analysis to the way women walk to best attract the attention of possible suitors. I love how the band plays with these lines to deliver smart sexual innuendo.

“Go On” is all about relationships that never work out despite all the warning signs. Clearly, the singer has had a rough time of it in the dating world.

“Jimmy Tomorrow” opens with some sci-fi sounding tones and chords that then evolve into an up-tempo rocker. The lyrical structure is non-typical, sticking to a general non-repeating narrative and only introducing a kind of chorus nearly three quarters of the way through the song.

The CD release of the album included two versions of “Christmas Wrapping” (the original, longer version and a short single release) and the single’s B-side “Hangover 1/1/83”, an instrumental number.

I mentioned previously how I had the Waitresses’ 1982 follow up EP (click here for the review of I Could Rule the World If I Only Had the Parts) and loved it. A friend of my brother owned a copy of Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful on vinyl and let me record a copy on cassette in the early 80‘s. I savored that tape quite a lot during my high school and college years. This was new-wave very much targeted at the smart and geeky subculture of which I was a card carrying member.

A number of years back, I was able to combine the tracks from their greatest hits CD with downloads in order to have a complete digital copy of the album again. Thirty years later, I still enjoy this record a lot.

TV: Pan Am (episode 10)

2012-01-10T04:31:00.000-05:00

After a month long hiatus, this week was the airing of the tenth episode of ABC's Pan Am. If you recall, episode nine ended with a cliffhanger: Kate had shot and killed Bolger in order to save Anderson, her FBI ally. Dean and Colette slept together, Maggie had gotten involved with Congressman Chris Rawlings, and Laura was starting to realize she has feelings for Ted.

This week's episode is entitled "Secrets and Lies". Conflict arises between Maggie and Rawlings while fate intervenes between Colette and Dean. And just who has Ted believe is the love of his life? Oh, how the soap opera elements are swirling now.

Let's take a look at the details...

Things pick right up where we left off. Kate is in shock having killed for the first time. Anderson says they need to make her an alibi and she needs to run. A week later, Kate learns she will have her chance to end her assignments, but she will have to take a polygraph test first. Anderson teaches her that the way to get past the hard question ("did you kill Bolger?") is to just think of a question that she would answer clearly "no" to. When she is interogated, she outwits the test. After she tells Anderson the question she used was "will I ever forgive myself?". So, you'd think she would be ready to turn her back forever on this, right? Anderson compliments her and she decides to stay after all.

Sister Laura is trying her hand at photography for a class, taking portraits of both Maggie and Ted. But as Laura is realizing that she has feelings for Ted, he's trying to spend the night with Amanda. He's ready to throw in the towel when Amanda adeptly puts Ted's hard-ass father in his place over lunch. That convinces Ted that maybe she's the girl for him after all. He brings Laura a new, expensive camera as a gift as a thank you for the good advice and to help him shop for an engagement ring for Amanda. As Laura closes her apartment door, you can see how heartbroken she is over this news.

Even though Maggie has feelings for Rawlings, she can't handle his politics. She writes a scathing article but Mike at the paper tells her it needs a ton of work. She later meets Rawlings for lunch, learns more about him as a person, and starts to feel maybe she was wrong. Mike calls her later to tell her that he is running her article (the paper needed to fill space). Rawlings shows up later at her apartment to wine and dine her; she forgoes telling him about the article and sleeps with him. Big mistake.

Meanwhile, Bridgette, Dean's former fiancee, is back to get both her old job and her old guy. Uh oh. That throws a huge monkey-wrench in Dean and Colette's budding romance. Colette convinces him to talk to her, to put the past truly behind them so they can move forward. Dean meets with Bridgette and questions her lies (all the men they encountered while dating, her sudden "illness" and disappearance, then sudden recovery). Dean goes to Colette, tells her that she is the one he wants to be with, but the French woman can see that he still has feelings for his former fiancee. She sends him away. Bridgette finds Dean and lays it all out, explaining that she was an MI6 spy for the English government. When Dean asks what he's supposed to do now - just accept that - she tells him that she will walk away if he says he no longer loves her. Spineless Captain can't do it; he succumbs to passion and the two spend the night.

So, final tally: Dean ends up with Bridgette in bed, Maggie ends up with Rawlings in bed, Ted is content to end the date with Amanda without going to bed, and Colette, Laura and Kate are alone.

Clearly the writers are hoping heavy soap opera elements are going to save this show from cancellation. The problem is this: they abandoned the elements that made the show unique to do it. We spend little time in uniforms this episode and little time in flight. Yes, we have 1960's touches like the Beatles performing in London, but that's about it. All the touches that made the show a draw are starting to fizzle. I think they went too far to the other extreme with these last couple episodes and need to find a happy medium.

Happy Birthday, Pat Benatar

2012-01-10T04:30:00.030-05:00

Happy fifty-ninth birthday today (January 10) to Pat Benatar.

Patricia Mae Andrzejewski was born in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY, and later moved to Lindenhurst, NY. She had plans to train in classical opera at Juilliard School of Music but then ended up at SUNY at Stony Brook. After one year, she left school and married her high school boyfriend Dennis Benatar.

In the 1970's she began to sing professionally, in local nightclubs and in competitions. As her career began to build, her first marriage came to an end. As the decade ended, Pat signed with Chrysalis Records and launched a prominent recording career. She won the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Performance for four consecutive years (1980 to 1983).

She married guitarist Neil Giraldo in 1982 and has been happily married to him since. The couple has two daughters: Haley and Hana. She continues to record and tour into the 21st Century.

- For my review of her 1979 debut album In the Heat of the Night please click here.

- For my review of her 1980 second album Crimes of Passion please click here.

TV: Once Upon A Time (ep. 8)

2012-01-09T06:19:00.001-05:00

It is week eight for ABC's Once Upon a Time. A month ago we were left with a heart-wrenching (quite literally) final minutes of episode seven. I don't know about you but this one definitely had me amped up to see where the show would go in 2012.

This week's episode was entitled "Desperate Souls", an episode written by Jane Espenson. With the void left by last episode's shocking death, Emma finds herself at odds against Regina to fill that position, with Mr. Gold acting as a wild card in the whole thing. Also, one of the most anticipated tales from Fairytale land is revealed.

Let's get to the episode breakdown, shall we?

How does someone like Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold get to the position of power he has and maintain it? That is what this episode is all about.

Let's start first in the land of Fairytales. We learn that there has been an ongoing ware with orges, waging for decades at least. Since this is the first we've heard of this on the show, we have to assume it takes place long before the other tales we've seen so far of Snow White, Cinderella, etc. At age 15 children after taken from their homes to fight and dies as soldiers for the Duke. Anyone who protests is dealt with by the Dark One, a mystical, mysterious entity.

Rumpelstiltskin's son is due to turn 15 in three days. He takes his son and flees, something we soon learn when they are cornered by troops is what he has done before. Turns out this wool spinner was once in the army and cowardly ran away. This caused his wife to leave him. All he has left is his son and will do anything to protect him. However, kissing the boots of the head officer will do nothing to buy him that time; he is only further ridiculed.

An old man comes to father and son's aid and tells Rumple that the Dark One is in fact a slave to the Duke. Whoever holds the dagger with the Dark One's true name can control him, or that person can slay the Dark One with the dagger to take his powers. Rumple finally finds courage to act in order to save his son.

Using fire to create chaos in the castle, he slips in and steals the dagger. He summons Zoso, the Dark One, and shows he has the dagger. Zoso taunts him by saying he needs to use the power wisely. The conversation turns, Rumple reacts in haste and kills Zoso with the dagger. As the once powerful entity reverts to normal, Rumple realizes it is the old man. With his dying breath, Zoso laughs that he has found a truly desperate soul to relieve him of his burden. Now the powers and the burden belong to Rumplestiltskin. It is his name now locked on the magical dagger.

The next day, the army comes for the son but Rumple arrives. He flaunts his power, makes the leader kiss his boot, and then slays the army squad. He tells his son he did it to save the children, all children. His son is still afraid but Rumple says he fears no one.

In Storybrooke, we see what years (maybe centuries? how long does a dark one live?) of experience have done for Mr. Gold. He calls Emma to his shop to offer condolences for the death of Sheriff Graham but he really wants to set the pieces in motion for Emma to be the new sheriff. He does show his softer side when he offers her walkie-talkies for her to share with Henry (he indicates how children are so precious).

Emma finds, however, that she just can't say she is sheriff. Regina plans to appoint Sydney Glass, editor of the local paper and someone she already controls. Mr. Gold won't have that and offers to be Emma's benefactor. His first gesture is showing her the town charter that reveals that Regina can only appoint a candidate. There must be an election.

Regina is ready to fight back. First she has Glass publish Emma's hidden past for all the town to see. Then she plans to use a debate to further slander Emma. When Emma goes to see her about all this, a fire breaks out at Regina's office and traps them both. Only through Emma's resourcefulness are they both saved. Emma is a hero in the town's eyes. But Emma suspects foul play.

She confronts Gold about his possible involvement in the arson. Gold is sly and makes no claim. He has learned how to dance around things.

The debate arrives but Emma decides she must show Henry that good does not have to stoop to evil's ways. She tells the town folk that she suspects the fire was no accident and that Mr. Gold might be involved. This shocks all except Regina who smirks with confidence. Gold leaves without a word.

A few hours later, Regina has to eat crow and deliver the badge which indicates that Emma has won the election. The town folk have more faith in her now that she is willing to stand up to Mr. Gold, someone they all fear as much as they do the Mayor. Regina is at least content that Emma has made a bigger enemy, expecting that Gold will take care of Emma for her now.

But, Regina is wrong. Gold is waiting for Emma the next day. She is worried that he is there for revenge. Turns out, he orchestrated the whole thing - realizing she needed more than just being a hero to push her over the top. He arranged it all so she could appear to be standing up to him in order to win. Emma is confused. Why do that? Gold realizes that she'll be in a better position to repay him the favor she owes him some day if she's in a better position of power in Storybrook.

So, this week we firmly learned that Rumplestiltskin/Gold now enjoys the absolute power and all that comes from it and will let no one be the better of him. It will be very interesting to see what comes next. And just where is the dagger with his name on it? Hidden, I am sure, but no doubt it will come into play down the road.

Next week: the story of Hansel and Gretel and guest star Emma Caulfield (best known for playing Anya on Buffy the Vampire Slayer for a number of seasons). I can't wait.

Shy Blakeman - Long Distance Man

2012-01-09T04:31:00.007-05:00

One of the things I enjoy about doing a blog and being on Twitter is having the chance to interact with musicians whose creative output might be something I would enjoy. I tend to not listen to a lot of current radio, so this is the perfect way for me to be exposed to new music that might not otherwise hit my radar.

This past weekend, one such opportunity came my way. I was pleased to be followed by a Texas artist by the name of Shy Blakeman (he can found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/ShyBlakeman and his website http://www.shyblakeman.com). He describes himself as “an old soul” who “melds together all the rural sounds from below the Mason-Dixon Line in order to create unique music that is hard to define by one genre”.

Shy is doing something a bit radical with his third studio album Long Distance Man. He is giving away it away for free as a download on his website. Anyone who wants a copy can have it. His view is that music is meant to be shared, and he wants to share his compositions with anyone who will appreciate them.

Now, I’m not one to look some gift free-music in the mouth. I went to Shy’s website, heard a sample of his songs and really liked them enough to do the download. This is some solid music - compositions with great melodies and relatable lyrics.

The album opens with the title track. “Long Distance Man” has a classic 70’s rock sound to it, with guitars that have a funk groove to them. I love the keyboards too. I like how the phrase “long distance” is interpreted in a number of ways, both in the travel sense and as a sexual innuendo as well.

“So Many Honky Tonks” has a great beat to it too. I can see this being a popular tune to get the crowd on their feet to sing along.

The next track, “Don’t It Make You Wanna Dance”, actually does make me want to dance too. It definitely gets my toes-a-tappin‘.

Things slow down a bit with “Dragon Fly”, a song that brings to mind sitting on a back porch on a warm summer night. You can hear the crickets in the background as Shy fills the evening with sweet strumming. Very laid back and relaxing.

From those evening hours to sunrise, it is time to go with “Late Night Early Morning”. It too has gentle rhythms as the lyrics reflect on the night’s activities.

I can honestly say I‘ve never had “Swamp Water Whiskey” but I bet it goes down as smooth as this song.

“A Quarter To Three” is another track that smolders with steady heat. I love the piano on this one and the horns too. Shy has got a tight, rocking band to back him up.

The guitars on “Cannon Ball” transport me a place where moss grows heavy on the trees; the music is beautiful and entrancing.

I love the touch of New Orleans in the sound of “Old Folks Blues” thanks to the horns.

Next up is “Easy Goin’ Woman”, a song about taking life as it comes and wherever it leads. Shy makes it sound mighty tempting; there are days I wish I could live life in a similar way.

“Livin’ Proof” can very much be seen as a biographical song. It celebrates life on the road and sharing music with those who come out to hear it. I found myself singing along with the chorus by the time the song was coming to an end. Very catchy.

The rhythm on “Satin Sheets” has a slinky, sexy style to its strut, and a searing guitar solo to boot.

The album closes with “Save A Little Room”, a song about looking forward to those homecomings even if they are few and far between. It has a warm, sentimental feel to it and sounds like it would make for a great show closer.

I mentioned at the opening that Shy Blakeman describes himself as “an old soul”. After listening to Long Distance Man, I interpret his description as someone who has an appreciation of older musical styles and tries to incorporate those elements into his own work. And, as someone who loves music from many decades including the 70’s and 80’s, I think he accomplishes this very well indeed. These thirteen songs have a familiar feel, like an old friend you look forward to catching up with after being away too long.

Do yourself a favor and visits Shy’s site. If you like what you hear, give the songs a download. I am certain he’ll appreciate it that you are enjoying his music.

Crystal Gayle - Miss the Mississippi

2012-01-09T04:30:00.002-05:00

Happy sixty-first birthday today (January 9th) to country singer Crystal Gayle, younger sister to Loretta Lynn and known for her famous nearly floor-length hair.

In the fall of 1979, Crystal Gayle released her seventh studio album. Miss the Mississippi reached number 3 on the US Country charts and number 6 on the Canadian country charts; it also crossed over and made it to number 36 on the US Billboard Hot 200 album charts.

Side one opens with the huge hit “Half the Way”, an up-tempo song with a soft-rock sound to it. She delivers her plea for a more complete, fulfilling relationship with such emotion and conviction. The single reached number 2 on the US Hot Country charts, number 9 on the Adult Contemporary charts and number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. I’m a fan of this song having heard it a lot on the radio in 1979 and often find myself singing along with the chorus.

“The Other Side of Me” is a pop song originally written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield in 1973. Her rendition of the tune has a simple piano accompaniment for most of nearly four minutes, letting Crystal’s vocals carry its message.

With the next track “Room for One More”, Crystal moves back to more of her country roots. The melody is more relaxed and carefree, with a sound as inviting as the lyrics.

The slower tempo continues with “Don’t Go My Love”, another plea by the singer to the man in her life. While the sentiment might be similar to earlier songs, Crystal’s beautiful vocals keep things refreshing and interesting.

The opening notes of “Dancing the Night Away” remind me a bit of an old Elvis song. It then spins off into a gentle two-step dancing number. I get the image of couples swaying across a wooden floor in a honky-tonk club.

Side two begins with the single “It’s Like We Never Said Goodbye” which is a bit more soft-rock with its swaying, mid-tempo rhythm. The song went to number 63 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 on the Adult Contemporary Charts. For the week in April 1980 that it reached number 1 on the US Hot Country chart, all five songs in the top 5 were by female artists (a historic moment).

“The Blue Side” reached number 8 on the US Hot Country charts, number 16 on the Adult Contemporary charts, and number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100. This one has a bit of a jazz/blues feel to it thanks to the gentle piano and subtle but supportive horns.

The tempo picks up again with the bouncy “A Little Bit of the Rain”. This one gets my heel tapping with its sassy swing.

Dave Loggins penned “Danger Zone”, an up-tempo track with a very danceable beat. You can almost feel the heat of passion as the tempo builds. This song rocks and is definitely my favorite of the non-single tracks.

The side and album ends with the pleasant tones of the ballad “Miss the Mississippi and You”. The song is full of longing and loneliness.

I can remember fondly the late 70’s and Crystal Gayle appearing on a number of variety shows as a guest. I also can recall hearing her songs played on the Top 40 radio stations that I listened to at the time. I think the very nature of crossover music that was so prevalent on 70’s radio is part of the reason why I listen to and enjoy so many different genres of music today. Even within the ten tracks on Miss the Mississippi the listener gets a variety of sounds. While Crystal is known as a country artist she manages to cover a lot of musical geography on this album.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

2012-01-08T04:31:00.001-05:00

Last month, the latest installment in director Guy Ritchie's franchise based upon the classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle character made its debut.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows once again stars Robert Downey Jr. in the title role, Jude Law (as Dr. John Watson), Rachel McAdams (as Irene Adler), and Kelly Reilly (as Mary, fiancee to Watson). Added to the cast this time are Jared Harris (as Professor Moriarty), Noomi Rapace (as the gypsy Simza) and Stephen Fry (as Mycroft Holmes).

As fans of the 2009 film, my wife, teenaged son and I were all eager to see this sequel. We were looking for another round of stylized action, witty dialogue, engaging plot twists and wonderful period sets and costumes. On all accounts, the film delivered.

I certainly will not go into too much detail of the plot, so as to avoid spoiling the film for those that still plan to see it. I can tell you that Holmes goes head-to-head with his most challenging opponent Moriarity in a mystery whose outcome has international implications. This leads to a lot of globe trotting for the heroes.

While I enjoyed the grand level of action, some of which I am sure will require repeated viewings to catch all the various details and the layerings, the best parts for me involved the interplay between characters.

I enjoyed the scenes between Holmes and Watson, Holmes and Moriarty, Holmes and Simza - okay, Robert Downey Jr. works well with everyone here. His portrayal of Holmes dances along the line of sanity and brillance perfectly. In a lot of ways, this character at times seems to mirror Downey's own personality well, making this sheer genius in casting. While this might not be the classic portrayal of Holmes, I'm more than willing to go with it in order to create entertaining cinema.

Another scene that just had my wife and I laughing was between Mycroft and Mary (you'll know which one I am referring to when you see the film). Stephen Fry plays Holmes' elder brother in perfect concert with Downey's portrayal of the Baker Street detective. If there is a third film in the series (and given the box office pull so far, I have little concern that things won't continue for at least one more), I do hope Fry has a role in that one as well.

If you're looking for a film that gives a good mix of action, mystery, and humor, I would suggest to you Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. But this isn't a mindless blockbuster; you do need to pay attention. Like any good mystery, the pieces and clues are there through out - it is just a matter of time as to how they'll resurface later on.

David Bowie - Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

2012-01-08T04:30:00.004-05:00

Happy sixty-fifth birthday today (January 8th) to English musician, actor and producer David Bowie.

In September of 1980, David Bowie released his fourteenth studio album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), his final album on the RCA label which he had been with since 1971. After trio of artistic releases, this album was developed with a more commercial approach which paid off quite well. The album went to number 1 in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, number 3 in Sweden, and number 4 in Switzerland. In the US, it reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 200.

Side one begins with “It’s No Game (No. 1)”, a hard-rocking song with lyrics spoken in Japanese by Michi Hirota and Bowie screaming the translations in English. The combination makes for a rather harsh, jarring composition.

The fourth single from the album “Up the Hill Backwards” reached number 32 on the UK charts in 1981. The song has been interpreted as a commentary on Bowie’s divorce from wife Angela. The drumbeats are in the form of a march, mirroring the lyrical message that life goes on as it always has despite huge changes (like a divorce).

“Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)”, the third single, went to number 20 on the UK charts in 1981. Robert Fripp’s guitar sets an erratic mood that is reflective of the song’s tale of a woman descending into madness.

The first single from the album was “Ashes to Ashes”, which went to number 1 in the UK. The music is quirky with its plucking sounds from the synthesizers, make it a perfect song for the new wave movement that was building at the time of its release. The melancholy lyrics revisit the character of Major Tom from Bowie’s 1969 track “Space Oddity”; the former spaceman has fallen on hard times and heavy drugs.

The side closes with the second single “Fashion”; it went to number 5 in the UK and number 70 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The track is the most danceable one on the record, featuring a funky guitar groove and disco drum beat. The lyrics mix the worlds of politics with runway models, creating an almost sterile, unemotional viewpoint. This is certainly my favorite track from the album.

Side two starts with “Teenage Wildlife”, the longest track on the album. Clocking in at nearly seven minutes, the song is a statement on the music scene post-punk and in particular English singer Gary Numan. I like the more laid back melodies on this one.

“Scream Like a Baby” is the tale of Sam, a political prisoner. The music is stark and cold, like the walls that keep Sam confined.

The only track on the album not penned by Bowie was “Kingdom Come”, which was written by Tom Verlaine who was the front man for the band Television. The lyrics of this 1979 song too are about a man in prison, breaking rocks daily in the yard and praying for the judgment day to come to free him from the toil. I like Verlaine’s straight-forward approach to the subject.

Next up is “Because You’re Young” which features guest guitarist Pete Townshend.

While the album closes with a bookend to the opening track, “It’s No Game (No. 2)” is less intense and a bit more resolved to the world situation (even though the situation really has not changed).

When Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) was released, I was just starting my sophomore year of high school. By 1980, Bowie had been in the music business for quite awhile and was known for his more artistic, thought-provoking work. This was a time when I was still listening to Top 40 radio and had not yet transitioned over to the alternative sounds of college radio. As such, most of this album passed outside of my scope of listening. Besides a handful of tracks, I really did not have too much of this album in my music library either. For me, it is a bit hit-and-miss as a majority of the record has a stance of doom, gloom and futility with little light of salvation and redemption.

Grass Roots - More Golden Grass

2012-01-07T04:31:00.002-05:00

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

The Grass Roots were an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, that started out in 1966 and charted songs for about a decade. P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri of Dunhill Records wrote their hit songs; the duo initially used studio musicians to record the songs but later filled a line-up for touring, promotion and additional recording.

As the new decade was starting, the Grass Roots released their second compilation album that was a mix of tracks from two albums the previous year (Lovin’ Things and Leavin’ It All Behind) as well as some new songs. The line-up of the band at this point consisted of Rick Coonce, Warren Entner, Rob Grill, Terry Furlong, Brian Naughton and Dennis Provisor.

Side one starts with “Come On and Say It”, the third single for the band in 1970; it went to number 61 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The mid-tempo track, with its steady beat, is a plea by the singer to a woman to make up her mind about their relationship.

“I Can Turn Off the Rain” is a gentle ballad about finding a place of solitude and happiness.

“Heaven Knows”, from Leavin’ It All Behind, went to number 24 on the Billboard Top 40 in early 1970. The song celebrates the joys of being in love and wanting to proclaim it out all who will listen.

“The River Is Wide”, from Lovin’ Things, went to number 31 as a single on the US Billboard Top 40. I like the thunder effect at the start, which precedes the rain in the lyrics; the rising water from the storms is a symbol of the couple’s growing love, a force of nature that cannot be held back.

“Let It Go” mixes soul and blues together in a slow, simmering song.

Also from Leavin‘ It All Behind comes “Wait a Million Years”. As a single, the song went to number 15 on the Billboard Top 40 in the summer of 1969. This one has a definite 60’s sound, with the keyboards and the guitar riffs.

Side two opens with “Temptation Eyes” was the final single from the album, reaching number 15 on the US Billboard Top 40 in 1971. This is my favorite song from this collection; I like the harmonies on it and the sweeping movements of the music.

“Walking Through the Country” also first appeared on Leavin’ It All Behind, however it was released as the second single from this album in 1970. It reached number 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The opening movement makes it appear that the song will be big and sweeping, but the first verse slides into a slow, casual groove.

“Lovin’ Things”, of course, first came out on the 1969 album of the same name; as a single it went to number 49 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song has a simple, pop pacing and sentiment.

The next track, “Get It Together”, was the B-side of the single “Baby Hold On”.

“Baby Hold On” was the first new single from the album in 1970; it reached number 35 on the Billboard Top 40.

“Keepin’ Me Down” was the B-side of the single “Temptation Eyes”.

The Grass Roots is one of those groups from the late 60’s and early 70’s that you often heard on the radio yet they were not as big as many of the acts of the day. In that respect, that puts them in a category of unsung heroes of music. Listening to these songs takes me back to some of my earliest memories as a kid growing up. Back then, a kid of age five or so could hear these songs on the radio without his parents having to fear what he was being exposed to. It was definitely a simpler time with straightforward, well-constructed, melodic music.

Happy Birthday, Kathy Valentine

2012-01-07T04:30:00.006-05:00

Today, January 7th, is the fifty-third birthday of rock guitarist Kathy Valentine.

Valentine first began playing the guitar at age sixteen in Austin, Texas, where she grew up. In her teens, she played with bands like Girlschool (a British heavy metal band) and the Textones. She helped out the Go-Go's for a New Year's Eve show in 1980 and decided to stay with the band as their bassist on a more permanent basis. She has also played guitar in the World's Cutest Killers, the BlueBonnets, and the Delphines.

In 2005, Valentine released a solo album Light Years that she wrote, arranged, co-produced, as well as providing guitar and vocal tracks. She is married with one daughter and resides in her hometown of Austin. You can find her regular on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Kathy_Valentine.

Here are a few of the albums I have reviewed previously that feature Valentine and the Go-Go's:

- for the band's 1981 debut album Beauty and the Beat, click here

- the band also appeared on the 1981 soundtrack for the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High which I reviewed here

- for the band's 1982 second album Vacation, click here

Sister Sledge - The Sisters

2012-01-06T04:30:00.005-05:00

Happy fifty-third birthday today (January 6th) to Kathy Sledge, the youngest and lead singer of the R&B group.

In January of 1982, the quartet of female siblings from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, released their sixth studio album The Sisters. The record reached number 69 on the US Billboard Hot 200 chart and number 17 on the US Billboard R&B chart. It also generated a pair of singles.

Side one starts with “Super Bad Sisters”, a four and a half minute funky dance groove. It showcases the sweet vocal harmonies of the group and also includes some decent rapping by the gals as well as Kenneth and James Williams.

Next up is the first single from the album, a cover of the 1964 Mary Wells’ hit “My Guy”. Sister Sledge took their version to number 23 on the Billboard Top 40 (the last of their singles to reach the Top 40) and number 14 on the R&B charts. The track has a good mid-tempo beat to dance to.

“Lightfootin’” continues the dance part with a song about the unpredictability that comes from a night of dancing.

Things slow down with a swaying love song called “My Special Way”. Joni’s beautiful vocals are spotlighted on this track.

As expected, “Grandma” is a song in tribute to the family’s matriarch who taught the girls life lessons and provided them an example a strong woman. Their grandmother even makes an appearance on the track.

Side two begins with “Get You in Our Love”, a mid-tempo dance track. It features multi-layered percussion found in many late 70’s disco offerings.

“Il Maquillage Lady” is a dance tune about a woman who uses make-up to create a mask behind which she hides. The song features some sexy saxophone and, as the title suggests, a little bit of French.

Things slow down with “Everybody’s Friend”, a lilting, jazzy ballad. Eldest sister Debbie leads this song about someone who is the life of the party and loved by all, but is in fact a truly lonely soul. For a group known for dance songs, it was definitely a more mature and sophisticated track.

“All the Man I Need” was the second single from the album; it went to number 45 on the R&B charts. This slow and sensual ballad features a piano accompaniment and guest vocals by David Simmons. Whitney Houston later recorded a version of the song in 1990, under the title “All the Man That I Need“, that went to number 1.

The album closes out with another disco dance song. “Jackie’s Theme: There’s No Stopping Us” is full of positive affirmations and empowerment.

I was very much aware of Sister Sledge’s big dance hits from the late 70’s and enjoyed them. For someone who loves disco music, their sweet, soulful sound fit right in. If I had come across this album in 1982, I surely would have enjoyed it. Even today, as this album celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2011 I still find The Sisters to be a pleasant listening experience.

Updated 1/9/12: thanks to an anonymous "Sledgefan", I've updated a few things above. Comments always appreciated.

Blondie - Plastic Letters

2012-01-05T04:30:00.001-05:00

Happy sixty-second birthday today (January 5th) to American guitarist Chris Stein.

Between Blondie’s self-titled debut album in 1977 and their third album Parallel Lines in the fall of 1978 (click here and here for each of those two reviews respectively) came their February 1978 sophomore release Plastic Letters. This album went to number 72 on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 9 in Germany and number 10 in the UK (the later country it had reached Platinum status).

Side one kicks off with “Fan Mail”, a new wave number with strong synthesizer part performed by the song’s writer James Destri. Debbie Harry growls out the vocals near the end.

Next up is “Denis”, a cover of the 1963 song by Randy and the Rainbows. This single was a big hit in Europe (it reached number 2 on the UK charts) and in Australia (where it went to number 19). Harry improvised one of the verses in French with a few grammatical errors. This is my favorite track from the record.

Stein penned “Bermuda Triangle Blues (Flight 45)” which opens with a rich guitar solo. Harry’s vocals are haunting on this tale of a fateful flight over the Atlantic. Destri’s organ equally adds to the mood.

Stein also wrote the next track “Youth Nabbed as Sniper”. The song, with a bit of a 60’s surf sound, is driven by Clement Burke’s thundering drums.

“Contact in Red Square” is an energetic tale of cold-war espionage. Destri wrote himself a fun keyboard part on this one, including a bit of a Cossack dance theme added in.

The other single from the album was “(I’m Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear”; it went to number 10 on the UK charts. The song was written by former bass player Gary Valentine, who left the band just before the album was recorded, for his then girlfriend Lisa Jane Persky. I like the melody on this one.

The side closes with “I’m on E”, a rapid-fire new-wave dance track Stein co-penned with Harry.

Side two opens with “I Didn’t Have the Nerve to Say No”. The song has an erratic rhythm, changing tempos numerous times in less than three minutes. However, it works well to make an interesting song you really have to focus your attention on.

“Love at the Pier” has a classic rock groove to it, very up-tempo and fun, yet also includes some great backing sound effects by the guys. It paints the picture of a wild, romantic night at the Jersey boardwalk.

Destri‘s keyboards on “No Imagination” have a classic twist to them with the rest of the guys providing a full wall of sound. Harry’s vocals carry an air of sophistication.

Another musical genre shows up with “Kidnapper”. This Destri penned track has a blues-swing to it. Dale Powers contributes backing vocals on the song.

The band kicks it back into overdrive with “Detroit 442”, an ode to the American automotive capital.

The side and the album close out with “Cautious Lip”, the longest track on the record. It has a tribal beat and a sci-fi synthesizer line that makes for a curious mix. I love how the tempo gets into an urgent pace about three minutes in, working everyone into a frenzy.

At the time Plastic Letters came out, I was still in junior high school and thus my disco/pop phase. As such, most of this album passed beyond my musical radar. Later that year I would get into Blondie thanks to Parallel Lines but it take a couple decades to pass before I would actually seek out the rest of the record. Along with their first album, this one helps fill in the back story of one of the founders of the American new-wave movement.

R.E.M. - Reckoning

2012-01-04T04:30:00.002-05:00

Happy fifty-second birthday today (January 4th) to Michael Stipe.

One year after the release of their debut album Murmur (click here for that review), the Georgia-based rock band R.E.M. was back in the studios in Charlotte, NC, to record their sophomore release. In April of 1984, Reckoning hit the airwaves and record stores. The album reached number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 23 in New Zealand and number 91 in the UK.

Side one opens with “Harborcoat”, a song I hear at least once every couple weeks on Sirius XM 1st Wave. It has an enjoyable, bouncy tempo to it though, as par with me and R.E.M., I don’t have a clue what the song is actually about.

“7 Chinese Bros.” is interesting as a lyrical construct; it consists of two choruses that alternate. Only during the third delivery of the second chorus is one of the lines changed. The subject matter appears to be about communism in China. I really like the musical composition on this one - very upbeat.

“So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)” was the first single from the album; it reached number 85 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The lyrics tell of two people living a couple time zones apart, their relationship ending abruptly. One party feels the need to apologize for how it all turned out.

I like the tempo on “Pretty Persuasion”, very peppy and energetic. The lyrics seem, to me, to be focusing on advertising that convinces one to purchase things they don’t need or that are just wrong for them. The seller is attractive and persuasive though and you forget about everything and just buy the product.

“Time After Time (AnnElise)” opens with an exotic sounding rhythm that sets the tone for the track. The repetition of the phrase “time after time”, delivered in Stipe’s somber tone, gives it an almost hypnotic mantra. I like how it fades out without delivering the final “time”.

Side two starts with “Second Guessing”, an up-tempo number. The lyrics are simple with a verse repeated twice, followed by an instrumental bridge and then the verse once more with the final line changed. What’s the song about? When it comes to R.E.M., I’d be second guessing myself if I knew.

“Letter Never Sent” seems to be, to me, about unresolved issues from a relationship that has ended. Things have been left unsaid, as in a letter that has been left unsent. Again, I enjoy the two part guitar/percussion music of the band.

The lyrics of “Camera” reflect upon the death of a friend of the band’s who died in an automobile accident. The verses are delivered in a somber tone, musically and lyrically. The tempo picks up only ever slightly on the chorus. The symbolism of the camera as a vehicle for memories is a good one.

“(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville” was the second single but it failed to make much noise on the charts. The lyrics were Mike Mills’ plea to his then girlfriend not to go back home to her parents’ home in Rockville, Maryland. Musically, the sound on this one has a county-rock flavor. It is definitely my favorite track from this album.

“Little America” closes out the album with a rapid rhythm number that ponders the future. It is full of interesting images like green shellbacks and tar-black sap.

I was in the later half of my freshman year of college when Reckoning was released. R.E.M. still had a strong following among the college radio station crowds at the time, so I am sure I heard many of these tracks on WITR, the station at RIT which I listened to quite often while in school, and on WCVF, the station at SUNY Fredonia when I was home on semester breaks and during the summer. I have part of this album already in my music library today and most likely will fill in the rest of the tracks over time just for completeness sake.

Kimberley Locke - One Love

2012-01-03T04:30:00.005-05:00

In 2003, American Idol was starting its second season, which happened to be the first full season of the show I actually watched. There was a lot of talent in that years top 12 including a singer from Hartsville, Tennessee, by the name of Kimberley Locke (who just happens to be celebrating her thirty-fourth birthday today - January 3rd).

Locke managed to beat out all the other female contestants that season and made it to third place along with Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard. Following the show she was signed to Curb Records and in 2004 released her first studio album One Love. The record debuted at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 200 with sales of over 56,500 copies. It also generated a number of singles. Locke was listed as co-producer on the release along with Bryan Stewart.

The album opens with the first single “8th World Wonder” which went to number 19 on the US Billboard Top 40, number 16 in Canada and number 49 in the UK. The song spent a total of 20 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100. The song opens with a synth-pop chord and builds to a powerful chorus; the lyrics rank the joys of a new, budding week-old love affair to the great wonders of the world.

“Have You Ever Been in Love” continues with the mid-tempo pace and focus on that most powerful emotion. It has a surprisingly hard rocking guitar riff to it on the chorus.

“Wrong”, the album’s second single, went to number 39 on the US Billboard Top 40. This one is my favorite of the tracks on this record. It has a funky, R&B dance groove and plenty of assertive attitude in the vocals. If you’re looking for an anthem of female empowerment, this one will do just fine.

“I Could”, the final single from the CD, went to number 8 on the US Adult Contemporary and number 18 on the Canadian Adult Contemporary charts. This one is a bit softer and sensitive as the singer decries living a life as a lie just to make a relationship work.

“Without You” is a duet that features Clay Aiken. The two had become close friends and briefly roommates because of the show; their voices compliment one another well on this track.

“It’s Alright” kicks things back up-tempo with a funky tale about life choices and moving on despite what others might think. I love the effects of the backing vocals on this one a lot.

Though released world-wide, “Coulda Been” only reached number 90 on the UK charts. The track has an urban, trip-hop rhythm to it. The lyrics talk of how a relationship could have been the right one had the guy not missed the opportunity.

The tempo slows down again with “Before”, a sweet, reflective song about how the singer’s life changed when that right person came into her life. Locke’s gentle vocals really sell the song well.

The one song on the record that Locke shares co-writing credits on is “You’ve Changed”. This one has a 70’s soul vibe to it, from the rhythm guitar and drumbeats to the backing vocals and horns.

Next is “Now I Can Fly”, another smooth, R&B groove.

“I Can’t Make You Love Me” was a 1991 hit for Bonnie Raitt. Locke performed the song on week 10 of the Idol competition that year as part of country/rock week. The rendition on the album has a bit more of an urban feel to it with short percussive beats and soulful keyboards.

The final track on the album is “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, the 1939 signature song of Judy Garland. Locke performed it as part of her auditions for American Idol so it is a fitting track to close out her first release. Again, the song gets a more contemporary rhythm and arrangement, making this classic fresh and funky.

Having been a fan of Kimberley Locke during her season run, it was a no-brainer for me to pick up her One Love CD the week it came out in May 2004. I found it to be an enjoyable collection of songs with strong melodies and pleasant vocals.

Irene Cara - Anyone Can See

2012-01-02T04:30:00.002-05:00

Irene Cara began her career at a very young age. During the 1970’s she was a regular on the PBS education series The Electric Company. She also appeared in a number of on-and-off Broadway shows and musicals. In 1980, she hit the big screen in the movie Fame for which she performed a number of songs including two that were nominated for Academy Awards (click here for my review of that motion picture‘s soundtrack).

In January of 1982, Cara released her first full length album entitled Anyone Can See. The record had a strong showing on the R&B charts and a number of singles.

Side one begins with a cover of the Four Tops’ number 1 smash hit from 1966 “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)”. Cara’s version has a disco dance beat to it with a prominent piano line.

“My Baby (He’s Something Else)” is next with its bouncy pop rhythm thanks to Gordon Grody’s synthesizer arrangement. Grody co-wrote the song with Cara and Carlotta McKee. The video for this song has a variety show vibe to it with four orange suited dancers supporting Cara in the number.

“Anyone Can See” is a beautiful and powerful piano ballad which peaked at number 42 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Cara co-wrote this one with Bruce Roberts; her voice has that sweet and emotional delivery to convey the sentiment of the lyrics.

Cara also co-wrote “Don’t Throw Your Love Away”, this time with Gail Boggs. The track has a bit of an old fashioned doo-wop beat, slow and soulful.

“Slow Down” closes the side with a track penned by Cara alone. Again, we have another wonderful R&B song with a strong piano accompaniment. This allows her strong vocals to take center stage and shine through.

Side two opens with “Whad’ya Want”, another mid-tempo song with a bubbly beat. This one is a little weaker than the side one offerings. I don’t feel Cara’s tough attitude on this one; she just doesn’t sell the angry woman on the lyrics.

Things pick up a bit with “You Hurt Me Once”, a little more up-tempo and more believable. I can feel Cara’s aching and vulnerability here.

The dance beats continue with “Thunder In My Heart”. I like the horn sections on the opening; it gives the song a big disco sound. Leo Sayer and Tom Snow wrote the song originally, and it is the title track of Sayer’s 1977 album.

“Why” is the first song to feature a more rocking sound thanks to the heavy guitar. Cara pulls this one off well, showing her versatility. It has a bit of a Pat Benatar feel to it.

“True Love” closes out the album with another danceable track. This one has a strong beat and supportive guitars.

I became a fan of Irene Cara’s singing from my very first viewing of Fame. This debut album is a pleasant listening experience with a number of decent tracks. The disco and R&B sounds work well for me, even though in 1982 the main charts were changing thanks to the coming of new wave, alternative music and the advent of MTV. It is a shame this record did not get as much airplay and notice as it should have. Cara certainly had the chops to deliver the goods.

You can find the tracks from this album to listen to on YouTube, and the album is available for download on iTunes as well. There are definitely a few tracks from this one that I want to add to my music library in the future. Copies of the album on CD are a little harder to come by (you’ll have to pay a high price for an import of this one).

Hanoi Rocks - Oriental Beat

2012-01-01T00:41:00.000-05:00

In late 1979, the Finnish rock band Hanoi Rocks was formed by Michael Monroe and Andy McCoy. They did some early recordings at the end of 1980 with their first album released in 1981.

In January of 1982, Hanoi Rocks released their second studio album Oriental Beat which they recorded in London. The album helped to expand their audience in markets like the UK and Japan. Early music videos on MTV also helped expose them to a new audience in the United States.

Most of the tracks on the record were written by McCoy, with the assist by Monroe on a pair of them. The album was produced by Pete Wooliscroft who has worked previously with Frank Zappa, among others.

Side one opens with “Motorvatin’”, a tune co-written by McCoy and Monroe. Gyp Casino starts with a driving beat followed by the guitars by McCoy and Nasty Suicide. Casino was fired from the band shortly after the album release and tour due to increased heroin addiction and being personally critical of his own playing. The song has a lot of energy with lyrics about finding a focus and purpose in life.

On “Don’t Follow Me”, vocalist Monroe tells the tale of a young woman who grew up to be an outlaw and living life on the edge. She advises that she is not one to be followed as she is lost too. The song has a sweet sax solo by Monroe as well.

Sam Yaffa lays down a solid bass line on “Visitor”, mirroring the near hypnotic chorus that repeats the song title over and over again.

The other McCoy/Monroe collaboration is “Teenangels Outsiders”. The song uses the classic rock theme of teenaged rebellion and has a bit of 70’s sound to it to boot.

“Sweet Home Suburbia” has a wonderful, tribal rhythm to it thanks to Casino’s drums. The guitars fill the song with funky rock riffs too. The lyrics tell of life in the hard, cold city where sex and drugs are a way of life.

Side two starts with “M.C. Baby”, a pedal-to-the-metal ode to a sixteen year old biker babe who knows how to handle her motorcycle and rock her leathers.

“No Law or Order” is a rebellious rock song about breaking the law. The song sounds a bit like a tribute to the Clash in its musical style and subject matter.

The title track “Oriental Beat” is about taking a getaway trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, to unwind and party. I like the rapid-fire rhythm of this one; it helps the song to rank as my favorite from this album.

Opening with Monroe on harmonica, “Devil Woman” has a rocking-blues vibe to it. The lyrics are all about a woman who is just no good for the singer. The guitar riffs are reminiscent of the theme from “Peter Gunn”.

Next up is a cover a tune written by American country musician Hoyt Axton who has a prominent career in the 1960‘s and 1970‘s. Hanoi Rocks version of “Lightnin’ Bar Blues” has a solid rock sound to it.

“Fallen Star” is a bit of a different ending note. A single piano accompaniment is used on this one and the lyrics consist of only nine lines, telling the sad story of a fallen star.

While Oriental Beat is ranked as a Hanoi-classic by fans, a number of the band members have gone on record with negative comments about it. While Monroe thought the album was good, he blames Wooliscroft for ruining the sound with bad production and mixing. Yaffa actually called the album “a piece of shit” in a 1985 interview.

While I was only marginally aware of the band in the 80’s, I really got into Hanoi Rocks back in 2009. I found the band’s albums on emusic.com and spent a few credits on each to give them a shot. And I am glad I did as Oriental Beat is a rocking good-time.

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-01T00:05:00.032-05:00

Happy New Year and welcome to 2012.

2011 was an amazing year for my blog and I owe a lot of that you all, my readers. I went from having barely a couple hundred hits of month at the end of 2010 to over a hundred hits a day (leading to thousands of hits a month). The final three months of the year have been record breakers with each month greatly exceeding the previous one. The fact that December's number of hits nearly reached 5,600 is more than I ever could have imagined! I would love to see the traffic levels to sustain and/or continue to grow as word of mouth spreads. If you like what you are reading, please share the links with others (repost, retweet, etc.).

So, you're probably wondering what to expect here at Martin's View for the new year. I actually did a little bit of thinking about that as December 2011 was coming to a close.

I thought first about the direction the blog took last year - thanks to seeing someone on Twitter doing a blog about "the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". I thought about how much I love music and my iPod, and how that could translate into daily album reviews. Clearly, my readers enjoy music a lot as well (based on your comments here, on Twitter and on Facebook). So, it is pretty much a no-brainer for me to continue with the music posts in 2012.

Besides using the birthdays of artists to help me pick records to present, I am going with another sub-theme for 2012. 2012 marks the 30th anniversary of albums released in 1982 (which was the later half of my junior year and first half of my senior year of high school). What better way to celebrate that then to pepper in my blog posts with albums that were released in 1982 and would be celebrating three decades in the music collective. Some will be well-known; some will be obscure. It should be interesting.

Seventies Saturday will still continue as well. I enjoy taking a jump back to that decade when I was a kid and starting to form my musical tastes. Soundtrack Sunday will also be back, but not quite every week (in part because my list of film soundtracks is shrinking a bit). For those off weeks I may consider a second dose of Seventies or perhaps even dip back into the Sixties. And, of course, we'll see posts about new album releases as well.

Switching gears, TV programs I watch will continue to be reviewed as well. It seems a lot of people love Survivor which comes back in February. And Once Upon a Time has definitely been a hit new series this year. Focus on both of those will continue as well as other shows too.

Book reviews, film reviews and DVD reviews will also continue to be presented from time to time. I love being able to share new finds with you all.

So, I hope you plan to stick around and continue to offer me feedback. I am definitely listening to what my readers have to say.

John Denver - Back Home Again

2011-12-31T04:30:00.002-05:00

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday. Today (December 31st) would have been John Denver’s sixty-eighth birthday had he not died in an aircraft accident in 1997.

In 1974, at the height of his growing popularity, John Denver released his seventh studio album Back Home Again. This was his first album to reach number 1 on both the US Billboard Hot 200 chart and the US Billboard Country chart; it also went to number 1 in Canada and number 3 in the UK.

Side one begins with the title track “Back Home Again”. As the second single, it reached number 5 on the US Billboard Top 40 chart, number 10 on the Canadian chart, and number 1 on the US Country, US Adult Contemporary, Canadian Country and Canadian Adult Contemporary charts. The song won the Country Music Award for “Song of the Year” in 1975, the same year that Denver was named “Entertainer of the Year” during the same awards ceremony. The lyrics tell of the joy of returning home after a long time away, to love and comfort that only home can truly bring.

From there, it is time to go “On the Road” with a gentle guitar melody. The music wanders along in a way to mirror the lyrical tale.

One of my favorite memories of “Grandma’s Feather Bed” is when John Denver performed it on the Muppet Show in the late 70’s. It is a fun, bouncy song made even more entertaining by Henson’s chickens, dogs, and pigs and such. The song is very much about joyful memories from childhood and visiting family. The song’s writer Jim Connor provides the banjo on this one.

“Matthew” is a story of a Kansas born man, an uncle to the singer, who tells the lad about his life. Matthew was a farmer who worked hard and enjoyed life. The song, a celebration of the American heartland, paints a very vivid picture for the listener.

“Thank God I’m a Country Boy” was released as a single but not from this album. That version came from 1975’s concert album An Evening With John Denver and reached number 1 on the Top 40 and country charts in the US and number 1 on the Canadian pop, adult contemporary and country charts. The song was written by John Martin Sommers in a 2/4 time that is often used in country two-step music. Listening to this one always puts me in a good mood; how can you not smile and sing along?

Denver gets additional vocal help from Julie Connor on “The Music Is You”, parts of it sung in a round-style.

Side two opens with “Annie’s Song”, the album’s first single. It went to number 9 on the US Country chart, number 1 on the US Billboard Top 40 chart (where it spent two weeks), and number 1 on the US Adult Contemporary chart. In Canada, it also reached number 1 on the regular and adult contemporary charts, and number 3 on the country chart. This love ballad was written about his college sweetheart Annie Martell who he married in 1967, and it very quickly became a wedding standard in the 70’s.

“It’s Up to You” is a song about following your heart, taking control of your life and not letting others dictate how you live it. The song’s composer Steve Weisberg assists on guitar on this one.

“Cool an’ Green an’ Shady” has a very laid-back musical composition that brings to mind lazing on a sunny day along side a babbling brook. It is all about taking time to just relax and chill. I like the clarinet solo by Buddy Collette on this one.

“Eclipse” is very much a song about those hard days when it seems like the day will never end. But, as this gentle song implies, eventually the sun will set and a new day will be presented to us again.

“Sweet Surrender” was released as a single not from this album but from his concert album the following year. That version reached number 13 on the Billboard Top 40. The lyrics focus on self-exploration as well as nature and the environment. I like how the song starts gentle and soft before slowly building to the sweeping chorus.

The album closes with “This Old Guitar”, an ode to Denver’s musical instrument that has been with him through out his life, in the good times and the difficult times.

When Back Home Again was released in 1974, I was just nine years old and in elementary school. Back then, country music crossed over a lot as evidenced by how well some of the songs from this record did on the pop charts. And you could see performers like Denver on TV variety shows and specials all the time. Listening to this album today reminds me of those times, when things weren’t so musically segregated. Sometimes that variety is good to make you appreciate all different kinds of music.

Happy Birthday, Jeff Lynne

2011-12-30T04:30:00.003-05:00

Happy sixty-fourth birthday today (December 30th) to English singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Jeff Lynne.

Jeff started out by playing music locally in the early 1960's. In 1970, he formed the Electric Light Orchestra (known by many as ELO) with Roy Wood and Bev Bevan. The group were together for sixteen years and made some amazing, innovative records that were a fusion of rock and classical music.

In the late 80's, after working with George Harrison and Tom Petty, he collaborated on a super-group known as the Traveling Wilburys. In the 90's he worked with the surviving Beatles, Joe Cocker, Aerosmith, Tom Jones, Bonnie Tyler and more.

Here are a few of the ELO albums I have previously reviewed on the blog (in case you missed them):

- For 1977's double-disk odyssey Out of the Blue, click here

- For 1979's Discovery, click here

- For the 1980 smash soundtrack to the film Xanadu, click here

Pat Benatar - Crimes of Passion

2011-12-29T04:30:00.002-05:00

Happy fifty-sixth birthday today (December 29th) to guitarist Neil “Spyder” Giraldo and husband to rocker Pat Benatar (the two have been married since 1982).

After a strong debut album In the Heat of the Night in 1979 (click here for my review of that one), Pat Benatar followed it up in 1980 with her second album Crimes of Passion. The album did very well, reaching number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 200 charts, and has been certified multi-platinum.

Side one opens with “Treat Me Right”, the album’s third single which went to number 18 on the US Billboard charts and number 12 in Canada. Giraldo’s urgent, opening guitar chords instantly pull me into the song. Benatar’s vocals are stunning yet so forceful. Who would dare disobey her? Not me.

“You Better Run” was the first single from the album; it reached number 42 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The video for the song has the distinct honor of being the second music video ever aired on MTV in 1981. This one has a steady, driving rhythm from the guitars and from Myron Grombacher’s drums.

The future husband and wife collaborated on composing “Never Wanna Leave You”. This one has a bouncy beat with the vocals delivered in a similar pitter-patter pattern. Benatar sustains some amazing notes over multiple syllables on the chorus.

“Hit Me with Your Best Shot” was the second single; in the US it went to number 9 and in Canada it went to number 10. This was a big dance hit back in the day at high school dances, even years later after it was a hit. It has a high energy level and plenty of attitude. Definitely a favorite.

“Hell Is for Children” takes on the very serious subject matter of child abuse. The slow tempo of the opening verses set the tone of secrecy, and then the tempo builds to a forceful, aggressive finale. This one really moves me, even to this day. It was a big hit on the album-oriented rock stations even though it was not released as an A-side single.

Side two begins with “Little Paradise”, one of Giraldo’s tunes. Again, another amazing guitar opening. I really like how Giraldo, Scott St. Clair and Roger Capps really change things up from one song to the next.

“I’m Gonna Follow You” slows things down a bit with a slinky, stalker tempo. The song was originally written by Billy Steinberg and appeared on the 1979 debut EP of his band Billy Thermal.

“Wuthering Heights” was originally written by Kate Bush, released as her debut single from her 1978 debut album The Kick Inside. The song was inspired by the 1970 film version of the 1847 novel by Emily Bronte, the tragic love story between Catherine and Heathcliff. I remember reading this one in high school and having Benatar’s hauntingly beautiful version of the song at the same time was very cool. I always like when two of my favorite things (reading and music) come together in such a way.

“Prisoner of Love” was the B-side of the second single. I like the hooks on this one’s chorus and the vulnerability of Benatar’s vocals on the verses. It is definitely an underrated track.

The album closes with “Out-A-Touch”, a song about a person who has let fame get the best of them.

I had Crimes of Passion on vinyl back in 1980 and played it a lot during my high school and college years. Between this album and Pat Benatar’s debut the year prior, I was a huge fan. I still enjoy this record thirty-one years later; it is one of those albums I like having available on my many devices (iPod, iPhone, iPad) so I can listen to it whenever the whim strikes me. I never tire of it.

Happy Birthday, Terry Bozzio

2011-12-28T04:29:00.000-05:00

Happy sixty-first birthday yesterday (December 27th) to drummer Terry Bozzio.

The San Francisco born Bozzio was inspired to become a drummer after seeing the Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show. After high school, he went to the College of Marin on a music scholarship. After school, he played in a number of local jazz groups.

In 1975, Bozzio recorded and toured with Frank Zappa. During that time he met guitarist Warren Cuccurullo and the two, along with Terry’s then wife vocalist Dale, founded the band Missing Persons.

After that band broke up, Bozzio worked in the solo band of Andy Taylor from Duran Duran. He has also worked with Robbie Robertson, Don Dokken, Herbie Hancock, Dweezil Zappa and Richard Marx.

Previously I have reviewed a few of the Missing Persons albums:

- For the band’s self-titled 1980 EP Missing Persons click here

- For the band’s 1982 smash full-length debut Spring Session M click here

Foreigner - Agent Provocateur

2011-12-27T04:31:00.000-05:00

Happy sixty-seventh birthday today (December 27th) to English guitarist, songwriter and producer Mick Jones of Foreigner.

After their hugely successful album 4 in 1981 and before their appearance on the 1985 Vision Quest soundtrack (click here and here for my reviews of each of those), Foreigner put out their fifth studio album Agent Provocateur in December of 1984. This concept album, which tells the story of a spy who sees life from many sides, went to number 1 in the UK, Germany and Switzerland; in the US it reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 200 album charts. Sales-wise, the record achieved multi-platinum status.

Side one opens with the grinding rhythm of “Tooth and Nail”. The story starts out with the lead spy character that has been riled up and forced to take action. The song points out that this isn’t someone who takes things lying down; he’ll fight to the end.

“That Was Yesterday”, the album’s second single, went to number 12 on the US Billboard charts and number 28 in the UK. This mid-tempo track has a strong piano and keyboard line that supports the musical structure of the piece. The spy has encountered something unexpected as things are not going the way that had been just days before.

Most of the songs on the album were collaborative efforts between Jones and Lou Gramm. “I Want to Know What Love Is”, however, was one of two written solely by Jones. This first single from the album reached the number 1 spot in the US in February of 1985 after dethroning Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” and held that place for two weeks before being knocked off by Wham! and “Careless Whisper”. It also went to number 1 in the UK in mid-January of 1985. The song is a powerful ballad, featuring the New Jersey Mass Choir and Jennifer Holliday on backing vocals. I remember how this was a big slow-dance favorite in late 1984 and most of 1985; it has a perfect, slow sway to its rhythm.

“Growing Up the Hard Way” was released as the fourth single of the album but only in Europe. The opening gives the song an exotic feel which builds with the guitars and drums at a tense pace. The lyrics give background information on the lead character of the album, of how he grew up running in and out of trouble.

“Reaction to Action” was released as the third single from the album but only in the US where it reached number 54. I think this is definitely one of those lost-hits of the 80’s; a strong song that just didn’t catch on enough to break into the Top 40. It is a solid rocker.

Side two starts with “Stranger in My House”, the other Jones only written track. I really like the clipped rhythm between the guitars and drums on this one; it is a down-and-dirty rock groove.

“A Love in Vain” features some trippy synthesizers and a solid drumbeat. It continues lyrically from the last song as the spy realized his woman is someone he no longer knows. However, he is not yet ready to turn his back on their love as she means so much to him.

Time for another slower ballad with “Down on Love”. The lyrics tell of one who has turned their back on the possibility of love either due to heartbreak or just loneliness. However, the message is that love is still out there if you’re open to it.

Gramm wrote “Two Different Worlds”, the B-side to the second single. Gramm delivers a heartfelt vocal performance on this ballad; lyrically the spy realizes that despite everything that has happened that he still loves his woman and wants to try and make it work.

The album closes with “She’s Too Tough”, an up-tempo rocker with plenty of power and energy. The spy comes to a realization that his woman might be even more than he can handle yet he loves her any way.

Agent Provocateur came out during the first half of my sophomore year of college. I can remember well hearing these songs all over the radio, at parties on campus, out in the bars and, of course, playing on MTV. I have half of this album currently in my music library, thanks to a greatest hits collection; the rest I had not heard in a few decades. Overall, the album is a solid one and is definitely worth a revisit now and again. I’m thinking I’ll pick up the remaining tracks for download later in the week.

Daughtry - Daughtry

2011-12-26T04:30:00.002-05:00

Happy thirty-second birthday today (December 26th) to American rocker Chris Daughtry.

The native North Carolinian came to national fame as a fifth season contestant on American Idol. A strong contender in a season packed with talent, he placed fourth that season and was able to move on to work on his debut album for RCA records. The self-titled Daughtry was released in 2006 and became the fastest selling debut rock album in Soundscan history. Within five weeks of its release it had sold over one million copies and by its ninth week on the charts it reached number 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It stayed on that chart for a total of one hundred and thirty six weeks. The album also won the American Music Award in 2007 for Favorite Pop-Rock Album.

The CD opens with “It’s Not Over”, the album’s first single and a song that was nominated for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group for the 50th annual Grammy awards. The single reached number 4 on the US Billboard Top 40 chart. It is about a relationship in trouble has a mid-tempo on the verses and then explodes at the chorus.

“Used To”, a track whose lyrics reflect upon a relationship’s history, is next. Like the previous track, this one is very much in a salvaging mode to try and repair things before it is too late.

The second single, “Home”, reached number 5 on the US Billboard Top 40 chart and also number 5 on the Canadian chart. This is one of my favorite tracks from the record. The lyrics are about going back to a safe place, to regroup and recharge. It has a country-rock sound to it.

“Over You”, as the fourth single, went to number 18 on the US Billboard charts and number 16 in Canada. This break-up song talks about how hard it is to get over someone until, finally, that one day you eventually do. I have come to really like this song too, mostly from hearing it quite a bit on the radio at the time it was on the charts.

The third single “Crashed” went to number 24 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

As a single, “Feels Like Tonight” made it to number 24 on the US Billboard charts and number 30 in Canada. The song has a similar structure to the first track, slower verses and slightly faster choruses. This is one of two tracks that Daughtry, however, did not have any hand in writing (the other is the album’s final track).

“What I Want” features a guest appearance by Guns ‘N Roses guitarist Slash. The song has a lot of energy and a great edge to it. It peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and number 89 in Canada.

“Breakdown” was a track that Daughtry rewrote as a combination of two tracks that he performed with his former band Absent Element.

“Gone” does not do a lot for me personally. It suffers from a sounds-the-same and what was known in the old vinyl days as back-side-filler-track syndromes. It is not a bad song; it just does not stand out much for me.

Thankfully we get a nice change-up with the next track. “There and Back Again” with its urgent rhythm and harder edge features Brent Smith of the band Shinetown on rhythm guitar.

The ballad “All These Lives” has a pleasant acoustic guitar opening to it but quickly slides into the full-throttle chorus. I would have liked it if this one had stayed with a stripped down approach all the way through.

The final track on the album was also the final single. “What About Now” went to number 18 on the US Billboard chart, number 17 in Canada, and number 11 in the UK. The song was covered in 2009 by the Irish boy band Westlife. This one does what I was hoping the previous track would do - hold back a bit. That helps to make it one of my favorite tracks on the record too.

In 2006, I was very much an avid watcher of American Idol and this was a season I had a number of favorites. As a North Carolinian resident, I was seeing the local pull for not only Daughtry (who my wife was a fan of) but also Bucky Covington (another favorite of my wife’s that season) and Kellie Pickler. And though I was a fan also of Elliott Yamin’s cool jazzy style, I was very much in the camp of that season’s winner Taylor Hicks from the start.

There is no denying that Daughtry brought a rock-flavor to the show that had been lacking in the finalists for the seasons prior to it. Also, as evidenced by this debut record in which he had his hand writing most of the tracks, he was clearly ready to break and the show helped him reach a wider audience. He definitely showed that one did not have to win American Idol in order to be a huge success. If anything, I think, not being hampered with the crown was probably the best thing for his career. Too often the winners had many hands involved in their debut records, and that often lead to a product that was not true to the artist’s own nature. Daughtry is very much a debut record that Chris Daughtry wanted to make, his way.

Rubik's Cube

2011-12-25T10:20:00.000-05:00

Guess what I got for Christmas this year from my sixteen year old son?

Yup, all of you 80's lovers know what that is. It's a Rubik's Cube, the colorful and often frustrating puzzle toy invented by Erno Rubik, a Hungarian engineer, back in 1974.

I previously talked about the Rubik's Cube on my blog way back in 2007 (click here for that original post).

So, the other day we're over at Kohl's, looking for my wife's Christmas present. My son and I pass by a little toy display that had Rubik's Cubes. Instintively, the motor-memory of all those years of cubing back in the 80's kick in. My hands start to do the moves even though I don't have a cube in my hand. Phantom stuff. Really weird. I tell my son I am sure I could still solve one to this day because of that. "Buy one" he insists. I say no, not today.

Jump to this morning at 1:45am when we get home from Midnight Mass and begin to open our presents. There, in my stocking, is a Rubik's Cube from my son. What a surprise!

So, I open it up and give it a few twists. Nice and loose. Not like my old cube that was so long ago gone (back in the day you could by Cube Lube to loosen them up so you could fly while solving it and get better times).

I hand the cube to my wife and she gives it a nice scrambling. She hands it back to me.

Well, it wasn't my best time showing by any means but I was able to get it solved in about ten minutes. It took a few minutes for the old algorithms to come back to me. What's the one to shift the lower corners again? How do I get the those last four side-middle pieces to shift again? But, yes, it all camee back to me and I proudly showed it solved to them both.

My son was ready to scramble it again.

I told them no, not tonight. See back in the day my ADD would have kicked in and not allowed me to leave my Cube unsolved before I went to bed. It was just one of those things. That seemed to return too.

So, it will be good to keep my old mind sharp by doing the Cube a few times a week. And maybe it'll keep the arthritis that I am sure I'll eventually get (my mother's side of the family has a history of it) at bay.

A Very Special Christmas

2011-12-25T01:00:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to all of you, my blog readers. Today (December 25th) also happens to be the fifty-seventh birthday of Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics.

In 1987, the first of what has turned into a sporadic series of A Very Special Christmas albums was released. The series, created by music producer Jimmy Iovine, takes popular music artists of the time and has them sing holiday favorites. The album sales go to benefit the Special Olympics charity. Each cover has been designed by artist Keith Haring.

This year we’ll go back to that very first one that started the series, and we‘ll take a look at the original vinyl presentation of the record which has sold over four million copies in the United States alone.

Side one starts with “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” by the Pointer Sisters. Ruth, Anita and June had been on fire in the early part of the 1980’s with upbeat, danceable songs. Their version of the 1934 classic is equally full of high energy and fun.

The Eurythmics take us to a “Winter Wonderland” with their rendition of the 1934 classic. Lennox’s vocal range, from deep growls to soaring high notes, is incredible, and Dave Stewart’s synth arrangement has so many great layers.

Next, Whitney Houston asks “Do You Hear What I Hear?” The original track written in 1962 was a song written by a married couple as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis; it became a smash hit holiday song in 1963 after Bing Crosby recorded it. Houston’s version is backed by a powerful choir, harkening back to her days growing up and singing in church.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band put a little rock into the 1947 R&B “Merry Christmas, Baby”. I like that this one was recorded live because the Boss and his pals are excellent in concert. I also love Clarence Clemmons’ saxophone solos that add the blues to the number.

Pretenders are next up with a sincere wish for the listener to “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”.

“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” was initially done in 1952 by thirteen year old Jimmy Boyd in a cute, innocent style. This version by John Mellencamp has a rocking edge with a hint of naughtiness to it. I too like the down-home touches with a little Zydeco spice thrown into the mix.

Sting closes the side with a haunting version of the carol “Gabriel’s Message”. The stripped down orchestration is supplemented by an echoing, chant take on the vocals (done in a round of sorts).

Side two kicks off with a little old-school rap courtesy of Run-D.M.C. with the original tune “Christmas in Hollis”. It was released as a single in 1987 and again in 2000, the later time hitting number 78 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song samples such holiday tunes as “Frosty the Snowman”, “Jingle Bells” and “Joy to the World”. I can’t tell you how easily the verse that goes “it’s Christmas time in Hollis, Queens, Mom’s cooking chicken and collard greens…” trips off my tongue when I hear this one.

U2 is next with “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”, a cover of the 1963 Darlene Love song. The guitar work gives it a retro rock sound.

Madonna sings along to a playful piano on “Santa Baby”, which was first immortalized in 1953 by Eartha Kitt. Some consider this version pale in comparison to the original. I think the Material Girl gives a teasing performance here that plays well to her image at the time.

Bob Seger lends his voice to “The Little Drummer Boy”, a song first recorded in 1955. The arrangement sticks close to the standard until the electric guitar and saxophone are brought in.

Canadian rocker Bryan Adams belts out with “Run Rudolph Run”, very much in the tradition of Chuck Berry’s original from 1958 - at a high energy, unyielding tempo.

The original vinyl album had Bon Jovi doing “Back Door Santa”, a song first recorded in 1968 by Clarence Carter. As with a number of Carter’s tunes, this one is a bit sexually suggestive in nature. The boys from Jersey get down and dirty with their rocking rendition.

The record closes out with a pair of spiritual Christmas songs by two powerful female voices. Alison Moyet lends her voice to the “The Coventry Carol” which dates back to the 16th Century. This is followed by Stevie Nicks with the classic “Silent Night”.

In November of 1987 when this record was released I was finishing up my final classes of my final semester of college. I picked up a copy of this first A Very Special Christmas on vinyl just before the holidays that year; it quickly became a favorite of mine for many years after. I like the mix of performers and songs, a solid representation of the biggest selling artists at the time. And, the record is just plain fun.

The Beach Boys' Christmas Album

2011-12-24T04:30:00.002-05:00

Welcome to another edition of Sixties Saturday, a very special Christmas Eve edition to boot.

In 1963, the California based rock band the Beach Boys released a holiday track. The song did so well that the following year they put out a full album of Christmas tunes. The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album reached number 6 on the US Billboard Christmas album charts in 1964 and eventually became a gold seller. The record contained a mix of original songs and holiday standards.

Side one featured five original compositions by Brian Wilson, with some help on three of them by Mike Love. It starts off with the aforementioned 1963 hit “Little Saint Nick”, a song which reached number 3 on the Billboard Christmas charts that year and number 69 on the regular Billboard chart the same week. Musically, the song borrows its rhythm and general composition from the band’s hit “Little Deuce Coupe” which came earlier that year. Lyrically, the song describes Santa’s sleigh as if it were a souped-up sports car.

“The Man with All the Toys” is a story about someone coming upon Santa’s home where he works on all those presents for the children of the world. It has a cute “hiccup-like” refrain on the chorus. It was released as a single in 1964 and reached number 6 on the Billboard Christmas charts; over the decades it has garnered enough sales for it to make it to Billboards’ Top 100 Best Selling Christmas songs.

“Santa’s Beard” is a bouncy number about a guy taking his little brother to see Santa at a local department store. The child questions if that is really “the Santa” and ends up exposing the store worker as a fraud. The older brother explains how this is one of Santa’s helpers.

Another upbeat track is the original “Merry Christmas, Baby”. It has a pleasant swing to it in a style that the Beach Boys had mastered by this point in their career.

“Christmas Day” stands out as being the first Beach Boys song to feature lead vocals by guitarist Al Jardine. This one has a very tropical sound at the start thanks to the guitar which reminds me of a ukulele.

The side closes with a cover of “Frosty the Snowman”, first made famous by Gene Autry in 1950. This was very likely a song the guys grew up on kids of the 1950’s.

Side two begins with “We Three Kings of Orient Are”, the only song on the album with a religious connotation to it. The group is supported by a full orchestra on this one, giving it a more revered, rather than pure pop, sound. It is also the longest track on the album.

The Beach Boys‘ take on “Blue Christmas” slows things down from the typical Elvis version, adding horns and orchestration that give it a sort of Disney animated, fairy-tale sound.

The guys‘ cover of “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” mixes a number of elements including some big band, a bit of circus, big top take to its chorus, and a little bit of “Pop Goes the Weasel” thrown in for good measure. For me, it is a little bit too all-over-the-place.

The band provides a sweet take on Irving Berlin‘s classic “White Christmas”. They keep their interpretation simple without adding too much to it beyond their pleasing vocal harmonies.

The same can be said for their take on the Bing Crosby classic “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”; it is really the harmonies that make this version so enjoyable.

The album closes out with the New Year’s standard “Auld Lang Syne”. The guys do an a cappella version along with a special message delivered by Dennis Wilson on behalf of all the band.

While I knew songs like “Little Saint Nick”, the rest of The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album was relatively new to me until I married my wife in 1990. She has always been a fan of the group and picked up the CD within the first couple years of our marriage. Since then, these songs have found their way into our annual holiday music mix.

Robbie Dupree - Robbie Dupree

2011-12-23T04:30:00.000-05:00

Happy sixty-fifth birthday today (December 23) to singer-songwriter Robbie Dupree.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, Robert Dupuis took the stage name of Robbie Dupree when he performed. He started out singing on street corners in the 60’s and performed in Greenwich Village night clubs in the early 70’s with Nile Rodgers in a group called New World Rising.

In 1980, he released his self-titled debut album Robbie Dupree on Elektra records. The album did well and generated two hit singles. It also earned Dupree a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist that year.

Side one starts with the smash hit “Steal Away”. The song spent fifteen weeks on the US Billboard charts and made it all the way to the number 6 spot. The lyrics tell of a wrong but irresistible romantic liaison between two lovers. This is one of those songs I had on a 45 record back in 1980; this one probably spun on my turntable dozens of times that year. It is a solid pop record with a catchy rhythm.

The B-side of that first single was the second track on the album “I’m No Stranger”. It has a smooth saxophone opening and a steady percussion beat. The song tells of experience with loneliness and heartache. The jazzy horn solo mirrors the lyrical theme quite well.

The next track “Thin Line” continues the theme of failed relationships.

“It’s a Feeling” is a slower-tempo piano ballad that celebrates the electricity of attraction. I like the harmonica on this one.

Side two begins with the other hit single “Hot Rod Hearts”. This song spent twelve weeks on the charts and reached number 15. I had this one on a 45 too and have it rated as a four-star song in my iTunes library. Whenever I hear it, I am instantly taken back to the summer of 1980 when I was fifteen years old and I find myself singing along to it. I am sure it played constantly on the radio back then. The lyrics just remind me of young, innocent love finding each other for the first time.

Things change up a bit with “Nobody Else” and its disco-dance rhythm to it. Again, I like the saxophone solo.

“We Both Tried” is another ballad with a strong piano foundation and sweeping strings. The melancholy lyrics tell of a relationship that has reached a point of finality, where goodbye is really the only option left.

“Love Is a Mystery” has a jazzy swing to it

The album closes with “Lonely Runner”, a song about taking the easy way out rather than sticking around to try to make things work out.

Robbie Dupree is a decent soft rock record about love and loss. The songs are very well composed, melodic and tell stories. I was very much into this lighter kind of music during my freshman year of high school when the record came out. It falls into the same category as music by Rupert Holmes (another singer-songwriter from that period) and Michael McDonald (who Dupree’s voice has some similarities to).

Cheap Trick - Dream Police

2011-12-22T04:30:00.002-05:00

Happy sixty-fifth birthday today (December 22nd) to guitarist and songwriter Rick Nielsen.

In late September of 1979, Nielsen and his band-mates of Cheap Trick released their fourth and best selling studio album Dream Police. The record went to number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 200 chart, number 7 in Australia and number 4 in Japan; it was certified platinum by the time the decade ended a few months later.

With this album, Cheap Trick began to compose longer and more complex songs. They also added orchestral elements to their standard three-guitar/one-drum foundation.

Side one opens with the title track. “Dream Police”, the first single, spent five weeks in the US Billboard Top 40 and reached number 26. The single went to number 4 in Canada. I’ve always enjoyed this song. I like how the verses are done in a slower tempo which explodes with hook-laden chorus. The music sets an urgent, paranoid mood to go with the quirky lyrics about a governing force that can see into one’s sleeping mind. You can’t help but turn it up and sing along at the top of your lungs.

Don‘t let the slow opening fool you; “Way of the World” keeps up the rapid-fire rocking tempo. Lead singer Robin Zander really has a powerful voice and can sustain those notes for a good long while.

“The House Is Rockin’ (With Domestic Problems)” opens with a great guitar duet by Nielsen and Tom Petersson, the co-writers of the track. Bun E. Carlos delivers another driving drum beat that keeps pace with the wailing axes. The song is a hard-rocking look at a troubled couple who raise the roof with their fighting.

Carlos sets the stage at the opening of “Gonna Raise Hell” with a steady beat. The guitars sizzle on this one like a white hot burning flame. As the song builds to the full nine minutes, the orchestration comes in as well; it almost takes on a hard rocking/disco taste to it. I am sure this one really got the crowd chanting and thrusting fists into the air when they played it live.

Side two starts with “I’ll Be With You Tonight”, the one track on the album that all four guys contributed to the composition.

As the second single, “Voices” spent three weeks on the charts and went to number 32 on the Billboard Top 40; in Canada the song went to number 12. The song has a much slower tempo from those tracks that come before it. The way the vocals are layered reminds me a little bit of the Electric Light Orchestra.

The respite doesn‘t last long though. “Writing on the Wall” kicks things back into high-gear with another quick-step rocker. The lyrics do a shout out to many cities around the world.

“I Know What You Want” has a punk attitude to it, both lyrically and musically (even though the tempo is more restrained in sections and thus making it more of a punk-lite in sound).

For the final track, “Need Your Love”, the band went back to the hard rock style of their earlier songs. The seven-and-a-half minute song takes its time to work into a heavy groove before Zander’s both sweet and stern vocals kick in.

The 2006 CD release of the album included four bonus tracks: live versions of “The House Is Rockin’ (With Domestic Problems)”, “Way of the World” and “I Know What I Want”, and a version of “Dream Police” without the string section parts.

When Dream Police came out, I was in eighth grade and my older brother was a senior in high school. This one hit his turntable a lot back in those days. It was definitely a favorite on the album-rock station we listened to at the time; Cheap Trick had found that mix of musical styles that appealed to a wide audience. Thirty-two years later, this album holds up pretty well in my view.

Happy Birthday, Robin Gibb

2011-12-21T04:30:00.004-05:00

Happy sixty-second birthday tomorrow (December 22) to Robin Gibb, a third of the talented super-group the Bee Gees.

Robin and his identical twin brother brother Maurice, who passed away in 2003, were born on the Isle of Man. While the family was living in Australia, they along with older brother Barry began their musical careers in the 1960's.

Robin recorded not only as part of the Bee Gees but also as a solo performer. He has had solo releases in 1970, 1983 to 1985, 2002 and 2006.

In November 2011 it was revealed that he has been battling liver cancer. Robin is determined to beat it.

The Bee Gees have had songs on a number of soundtrack albums that I have reviewed previous on my blog.

For my review of 1977's Saturday Night Fever, click here.

For my review of its 1983 sequel Staying Alive, click here.

For my review of the 1978 film that also starred Robin and his brothers - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, click here.

Alan Parsons Project - The Turn of a Friendly Card

2011-12-20T04:30:00.003-05:00

Happy sixty-third birthday today (December 20th) to British musician and producer Alan Parsons.

In November of 1980, the Alan Parsons Project released its fifth studio album The Turn of a Friendly Card. The progressive rock album, which told the story of a middle-aged man who gambles it all and loses, reached number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 200 charts, number 38 in the UK and number 16 in Canada. It also generated two Top-20 hit singles.

I have to first remark on the album cover itself. I like the whole stained-glass window take on the King of Diamonds with the album name in the arch at the top. The way the light shines down through it and cuts the blackness of the edges is a very nice effect. This is one of those album covers that would look awesome framed.

Side one opens with “May Be a Price to Pay” which features Elmer Gantry on lead vocals. I like the strong combination of keyboards, guitars and strings on this one; they give the song a big, booming sound

“Games People Play” went to number 16 on the US Billboard pop charts. I remember hearing this one a lot on the radio, and I would often sing along with lead singer Lenny Zakatek on it. I’ve always liked the synthesizer hooks and the driving rhythm from the drums and piano. It gets you caught up right from the get-go and takes you on an amazing journey.

“Time”, the album’s second single, was sung by Eric Woolfson and reached number 15 on the US Billboard charts. This haunting ballad also features Parsons on backing vocal. This one was cool to listen to with your headphone on and the volume cranked while lying in a darkened bedroom. It all made for a great mellow mood.

Zakatek takes the lead again on “I Don’t Wanna Go Home”, a song with an edgy, paranoid feel to it at the beginning and the end. The middle features a funky guitar groove.

The side closes with the instrumental track “The Gold Bug”, with its finger-snapping swing.

Side two of the original vinyl release ran together as a single, sixteen and a half minute track called “The Turn of a Friendly Card Suite”. In subsequent CD releases, the track was broken down into its five components.

Things start off with “The Turn of a Friendly Card (Part One)”, featuring Chris Rainbow on lead. The music has almost a folk-song lilt to it as the lyrics tell of the arrival at the big gambling oasis amidst the desert (Vegas).

Rainbow continues lead on “Snake Eyes”, a track that has a sleazy slide to it. The sounds of paying out slot machines and clacking poker chips bring to mind the imagery of a bustling casino.

The next movement is the instrumental “The Ace of Swords”, again bringing up that folk-song lilt at the start. It then moves into a tenser, addictive pace as the competition builds and the stakes get higher with each progressive hand.

“Nothing Left to Lose”, with a gentle, country-rock feel created by a simple guitar rhythm, features Woolfson.

Rainbow closes with the vocals on “The Turn of a Friendly Card (Part Two)”, a reprise of the movement that started the side.

Admittedly, I was not a huge Alan Parsons Project fan back when this album came out, during my early high school years. I liked the hit singles well enough but I passed on the progressive rock movement at the time. Today, as an adult, I can appreciate more the complexities of the compositions and Parson’s skill at creating something that is greater (a concept album) than the sum of its individual parts.

Survivor South Pacific (ep. 16 - Reunion)

2011-12-19T17:31:00.000-05:00

So earlier today I blogged about the final episode of Survivor South Pacific (click here for that post). It has been an interesting season to see how it would all play out.

Now, we move on the live reunion show where, among other things, we get to see how well folks clean up.

Let's look at the details...

As I noted in the finale post, the final tribal went down and Sophie managed to pull out a victory. As the reunion show started, we see the votes go back and forth (one for Coach, one for her) until the three-three tie. Then it is Sophie, Sophie and, most likely, Sophie for a 6-3 win. Poor Albert didn't get a vote but I never expected him to.

It is always important for Jeff to focus first on the winner because, after all, they did win. And Sophie came across very well.

And, of course, Jeff touches on Coach's decision on who to take to the end. I like when Jeff strong polled the jury to show that Coach might have won if he kept Rick at five and voted Sophie out. But, of course, that probably would have put Ozzy as winner of the final immunity and, clearly, the jury would have given it to Ozzy over anyone else had he made it there. So, either way, Coach loses the money. Glad he learned to find joy in the game as a consolation prize.

Albert gets very little air time, no surprise. He really did coat-tail ride in my opinion.

Ozzy, of course, gets a lion's share of the air time and boy did he go on and on and on. I get where is love of nature and being on the adventure was coming from; it was obvious from the show. And his words to kids about learning to get up after failing and try again is a nice one. He definitely deserved the fan-favorite award.

I was in the camp of liking Cochran. I get what he tried to do and get how the social game really freaked him out. I am sure if I were on the show I'd be in the same boat (trust me, roughing it like that would so have me freaked out). I wouldn't mind seeing him back someday.

I really felt for Brandon. The fact that most of his family disapproved of his game play was sad. Even sadder is we had to watch Uncle Russell, the most hated Survivor villain ever (Jeff's words - twice) berate him on live TV. You could tell he made impressions on folks like Dawn, Jim, Rick and even Coach. These folks clearly felt the young man's pain. I know Jeff proposed a Hantz vs. Hantz game but I'd hate to see Brandon subjected to that. I wouldn't mind seeing him return, but I for one have had enough of Russell. Please go away.

Nice to see Edna expecting. Not so thrilled about Whitney and Keith, given the fact that she basically cheated on her marriage while on the island. But what can you do. Always nice to hear from Dawn. Jim might be fun to see back again too, just because I think he's got potential. And, as always, the back row gets mostly ignored (I half forgot most of them by this point anyway).

I did like the teaser for next season - Survivor One World, coming in February. I think it has potential for some new interactions having two tribes on one island. No mention of Redemption Island - I would like to see that gone for awhile. No mention of any returning players either - I wouldn't mind taking a break from that too this time around.

Thanks for reading my blog posts each week. See you all in another month or so for another season!

Survivor South Pacific (ep. 15 - Finale)

2011-12-19T06:14:00.001-05:00

Here we are, the finale episode of Survivor South Pacific. This one is called "Loyalties Will Be Broken" and boy is that an understatement. We go into this episode with Ozzy and Brandon on Redemption Island, the winner of the duel getting back in the game to play against Rick, Albert, Coach and Sophie. From there, two more Immunity Challenges and one winner. Let the fun begin!

Let's look at the details...

No sooner is the last tribal over that we see the cracks getting wider in the Upolu alliance. Coach wastes no time ripping into Albert for what Coach sees as his efforts to pander to the jury at the Tribal Council. Coach says he won't stand for that kind of BS. Uh huh.

At Redemption Island, the four get to witness the final duel between Ozzy and Brandon. The challenge is a simple one - hang on! They are up on poles with very narrow toe-holds. Last one up gets back in the game. Now, Brandon seems to be holding on like a trooper. The boy has got some serious will power. But he is going against Ozzy, the challenge master. Ozzy moves, shifts, repositions many times during the 40 minute ordeal. In the end, Brandon just can't handle it, sweat forming and body shaking and he falls. Still, Ozzy gives him a hug as a well-played warrior before sending him off. But Brandon seems at peace with everything. Yeah, that's going to change quick when he gets to jury house I am sure.

So, Ozzy returns to the Te Tuna camp with the others. The four seem strong against him, but Coach goes to talk to Ozzy where he is reminded of their deal talk to go to the final two. Coach of course says it is still good, but his next testimonial shows the word of this Christian man isn't as good as it appears.

At the first Immunity Challenge, the five have a tough one. Balance the arm of your building platform with one hand while you create a house-of-cards with tiles with your other hand. Man, talk about tough. Sophie seems to have an edge, having once studied a book on card house building. But she fails to take into account a fixed number of tiles. She's not the only one. Ozzy has to start again too. Things get a bit tense. Sophie orders Albert to drop his arm and come help pick up her tiles. Jeff tells her that there is no helping here - it is every person for themself. In the end, Ozzy pulls off a strategy that wins him safety.

Back at camp, he's like the cat that swallowed the canary. He is all ready to stir up trouble among the four. He talks to Coach who feels Rick is too well like and could be a jury threat. Ozzy meanwhile suggests to Sophie to vote out Albert. He then goes to Albert and suggests Ozzy. Rick meanwhile tells Coach he is thinking Sophie, but Coach won't commit his thoughts to Rick on where he is leaning. Rick starts to see Coach's deception.

At Tribal Council, Coach is openly wearing the Hidden Immunity idol about his neck. It is the last time he can play it and he wants all to know he will. Ozzy meanwhile takes this as a chance to out Coach's promise to him to take him to the Final Three in front of all and the jury, basically exposing Coach's over-extension of promises to everyone. Ozzy then argued with Sophie, calling her again a brat. That lead the only woman standing to have a bit of an emotional meltdown, the toll of the game pressure getting to her. Sophie composes herself though and they go to the vote. Jeff asks if anyone wants to play a Hidden Immunity idol - Coach confidently stays quiet (how cool would have that blindside been? Ah well - he gets a souvenier.). The votes are read with 2 for Sophie (done by Ozzy and Rick) and 3 for Rick. Coach stands to attempt to hug Rick; the cowboy firmly tells him to sit down. Rick clearly has had enough of the lies and deception and plans to vote for Ozzy in the finals if given the chance.

Back at camp, Coach is mad at Ozzy for spilling something he told them should be between the two of them as a secret. Coach takes that as disrespect. Ozzy defends his action as he had been burned earlier in the game by people he trusted and was not sure he could trust Coach. By putting it out there, everyone knows what is going on.

Time for the last Immunity Challenge of the game. The four will race through five parts of an obstacle course to retrieve bags of puzzle pieces. First one to solve the puzzle wins. Ozzy is like a wild monkey working the course with ease. Albert follows Sophie a number of times on the course, nearly messing up her progress. Ozzy gets back with his pieces first but struggles. The others all get back and start working their puzzles, but it is Sophie that gets on a roll. Two, three, four...pieces fall into place with ease. She wins the Immunity and a guaranteed spot in the final three.

Ozzy knows that his loss means he is likely to be going home. He makes one more pitch to Coach - tie up the vote and let Ozzy and Albert duke it out in a fire starting challenge. Coach seems to like the idea of that - warriors until the end. At Tribal, Ozzy again makes sure the jury knows the score of things. Ozzy votes for Albert as planned, but Coach sticks to his original three and sends Ozzy packing. You can tell Ozzy is disappointed but his work is not done yet.

After a celebratory breakfast and a destruction of the camp, the trio face the jury. Albert tries to play the "I made the best social connections with you all" card. Coach sticks with honor, loyalty, integrity. Sophie pleads that she was a strong competitor, siting her individual immunity wins.

The jury rips into them though. Ozzy is up first, with his corny looking pig-tails and ultra-loud beach shirt. He digs mostly into Coach for his promises to all while digging into Sophie and Albert too. He then unleashes the hounds.

Jim wants Albert to tell him why he should get his vote but says he can't start the answer with a compliment to any of the other two (instead Albert compliments Jim and, I think, loses that vote). Rick considers all three liars and wonders how he can vote for any of them. Dawn stays the diplomatic Mom, giving Sophie an easy question to ask (and as we soon see her vote). Brandon is still hurting from the betrayal, but mostly he is mad at Albert for not giving the necklace back when he said he would (and for Albert using religion against Brandon who it clearly means so much). Cochran is stinging too from Coach's betrayal but, as his vote shows, he wants to believe some of what Coach said to him during the game. Whitney is clearly bitter too, especially towards Albert and then Coach for trumping the Christianity card. Edna points out that part of Survivor is duping others and that they all were duped, but is anyone to blame that the three were the best at it? Finally, a voice of reason. Keith asks Coach if he ever planned to use the Hidden Immunity idol - Coach says at the 6-6 merge it was possible but Cocharn's flip prevented the need to do that.

Sophie takes this opening to tell the truth about finding the Idol. She tells how Albert had the clue and found it with the help of her and Coach. Then she tells how Coach concocted the story of the group search, and how Brandon was searching frantically for an idol already found. Man, you can see Brandon's head about to explode! Any chance he was considering a vote to Coach was just rocked. Well played, Sophie.

The votes are cast, the numbers tallied. Jeff takes them to the Reunion Show where we get the results. In the end, Albert gets no votes, Coach gets three votes and Sophie gets six, making her the winner.

I am not at all surprised by the vote results. I knew it was going to be a run between Sophie and Coach. Albert clearly didn't do enough to sway the jury and he never pulled off any big moves (he talked a game but actions speak louder than words). Coach burned too many bridges and his final crossing of Ozzy was enough to allow Ozzy to finish poisoning the jury house that was already likely leading anti-Coach to begin with (Rick certainly didn't hurt to that effort either). Had Ozzy been in the final three, no question in my mind that he would have won. He easily played the best game of the final four with the best position (he only beat people in a final one-on-one situation, you can't blame him for that).

My thoughts on the Reunion Show will come later when I get a chance to watch it (can't stay up that late on a work night, especially given the late start thanks to football running late).

Stay tuned.

Kajagoogoo - White Feathers

2011-12-19T04:30:00.002-05:00

Happy fifty-third birthday today (December 19th) to Christopher Hammill, better known to all of us 80’s music lovers as Limahl, the lead singer for Kajagoogoo.

In 1979 in Bedfordshire, England, a four-piece instrumental group was formed by Nick Beggs (bass), Steve Askew (lead guitar), Stuart Croxford Neale (keyboards) and Jez Strode (drums). In 1981, they advertised for a lead singer and ended up choosing Limahl to round out the group. The group then settled on a new name of Kajagoogoo.

In 1982, the band was signed to the EMI record label and, with some production help from Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes, in 1983 released their first full length album White Feathers. The record went to number 5 in the UK and number 7 in Germany and Sweden; in the US the record climbed as high as number 38 on the Billboard Hot 200.

Side one begins with the title track “White Feathers”, a synth-pop dance track with a funky groove. The song has a very catchy chorus as well as the repeated “one more shot and then down I go…” lyrical hook.

Next up is the band’s smash hit “Too Shy”, the first single from the album. The song went to number 1 on the charts in the UK (for two weeks) and Germany (for five weeks), number 2 in New Zealand and Switzerland, and number 4 in Austria and Sweden. The song reached number 5 on the US Billboard Top 40 thanks to a heavy rotation of the music video on the growingly popular MTV.

“Lies and Promises” is next. The lyrics tell of a relationship where one of the parties is being less than honest and failing to follow through on their word. The song has a great new-wave dance beat to it as well.

“Magician Man” brings to mind an image of a street carnival or a side-show where a con man is ready to use slight of hand to take advantage of unsuspecting patrons. The chorus even has the carnival barker quality to it with how the lines are presented.

The instrumental track “Kajagoogoo” closes out the first side (the only words are a chanting spelling of the title/band‘s name). The song, with its infectious rhythm, was used during the opening title of the 1984 John Hughes film Sixteen Candles.

Side two opens with “Ooh to Be Ah”, the album’s second single. This one went to number 7 in the UK and number 20 in Germany. The lyrics paint a picture of an upscale boutique selling the latest of fashions, but warning that clothes are not enough to completely change one’s image. This very much could be a commentary of the trends of the early 80’s where at times the lines between fashion and talent were blurring.

“Ergonomics” is an interesting title for a song. I never really got to know the term until the 90’s when working and the company was concerned about comfortable environments for us to work.

The third and final single was “Hang on Now”, which went to number 13 in the UK and number 78 on the US Billboard Hot 100. This mid-tempo track has a nice swaying way about it as the lyrics tell of the early days of a relationship when things are a little confusing and unsure.

I like the up-tempo of “This Car Is Fast”; it gives a sense of a sporty, racing vehicle. The lyrics though are delivered as if from an advertising agency, convincing the viewer that this is something a person needs for a satisfying life.

The original vinyl album closes with “Frayo”, a song with a quirky, urgent tempo to it. The words too are delivered in short, curt clips, further adding to the song’s mood.

The 2004 CD re-release of the album included eight additional tracks, including remixes of the three hit singles as well as non-album track B-Sides.

Back in the 80’s, I mostly knew Kajagoogoo from “Too Shy”, both from heavy radio airplay in the US and from the MTV video. It came out during my senior year of high school and I recall it being popular at dances and in the bars I frequented that summer and during the Fall of my first year of college in 1983. Because US radio failed to pick up on any of the later singles, the rest of this album sort of fell off my radar until about a year or so ago.

I was able to download White Feathers and add it to my digital music library. Since then, it has been on a solid rotation with other music from that decade. I find it to be a great dance record, fitting well into the same category as Duran Duran, the Human League and the like.

DVD: Rolling Stones - Some Girls: Live in Texas ‘78

2011-12-19T04:29:00.001-05:00

Last month, just in time for a holiday gift idea for that classic rock lover on your list, Eagle Rock released Some Girls Live in Texas ‘78, a concert DVD of the Rolling Stones from their huge 1978 tour. This performance was filmed on July 18th, 1978, at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Forth Worth, Texas; it was right about the time that their Some Girls album was peaking at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 charts.

The original concert was shot on 16mm film; the footage in this release has been painstakingly restored and the sound has been remixed and remastered from the original tapes. The end result is a great looking show that mixes tracks from the new album with classic earlier hits from their career. I was extremely impressed with the production value achieved on this show from over thirty three years ago.

For me, these are the Stones’ songs I grew up on (thanks to my brother who is a huge fan of the group). Favorites of mine like “Honky Tonk Women”, “When the Whip Comes Down”, “Beast of Burden”, “Miss You”, “Tumbling Dice”, “Brown Sugar” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” are all part of the seventeen songs presented.

My sixteen year old son watched the concert footage with me, appreciating the amazing music. He also got to understand the context of “moves like Jagger” (no one was a more energetic, wired front man on stage). There is no doubt why Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman and Ron Wood are considered rock legends; one look at this concert when the guys were in their 30’s shows they knew how to entertain an audience.

Also included on the DVD are some very cool extras.

First, there is a 20/20 piece with the guys, featuring a very young Geraldo Rivera, from June 1978. It is interesting to contrast Rivera’s youthful enthusiasm with the more stoic stance of the show’s anchor Hugh Downs.

Also, there is the Stones’ appearance on Saturday Night Live from October 1978 including their performances of “Shattered”, “Respectable” and “Beast of Burden”. Also included is a sketch that features Mick Jagger and Dan Aykroyd.

The final bonus feature is a 2011 interview with Mick Jagger with questions focused on the 1978 tour and the Some Girls album. What strikes me is the contrast of Mick in his 30’s in with the man today. It is hard to see your musical icons age. Though he still has it, you can see the signs, to use one of their lyrics, that time isn’t fully on his side these days.

The booklet that comes with the DVD gives great details about the concert and tour itself. My favorite thing is the last two pages which lists the concert dates and cities for the tour. Also included are pictures of all the ticket stubs.

Why is this so cool?

July 4th, fourteen days prior to the recording of the show on this DVD, the Stones played at Rich Stadium in Buffalo, NY (just an hour from where I grew up). My older brother who was seventeen at the time attended that show.

The cost of the ticket? $12.50.

Wow.

Brian Setzer Orchestra - Boogie Woogie Christmas

2011-12-18T04:30:00.001-05:00

Brian Setzer got his musical start as part of the Stray Cats, a rockabilly band in the early 1980’s. Having grown up playing the baritone horn in his school band, he always had a love for the big band orchestra styles. When the Cats split, he created a new group in 1990 filled with trumpets, trombones, saxophones as well as a rhythm section and dubbed it the Brian Setzer Orchestra. Playing a mix of swing, jump blues, and jazz, they were part of the swing revival of the mid-1990’s.

In 2002, the Brian Setzer Orchestra put out their fifth album, the holiday tune filled Boogie Woogie Christmas. They applied their unique musical style to holiday standards and some original tracks, resulting in a swinging, fun Christmas record.

The record opens with rollicking rendition of “Jingle Bells”. This one totally gets my toes-tapping, and I like the tweak of the lyrics to traveling in a ‘57 Chevrolet.

“Boogie Woogie Santa Claus” was originally written in 1948 and recorded by Mabel Scott. Setzer’s version equally swings with booming horns and a plunking bass beat.

The up-tempo party continues with their rendition of “Winter Wonderland”. Setzer drops in a nice guitar solo, something you don’t hear in every holiday song.

The music of Elvis Presley was very likely an inspiration to Setzer as he developed his own musical styles. So it is only fitting that he and the band take on “Blue Christmas”. The band holds back on the reins, going for a more rockabilly approach to it which works well.

“Santa Claus Is Back in Town” is another track Elvis originally performed. Setzer rings the blues out of this one nicely with his wailing guitar.

Next up is “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with Setzer singing a duet with 1960’s sex kitten Ann Margret. I remember having a huge crush on her growing up, from her starring role in Bye Bye, Birdie to her animated take on an episode of the Flintstones, both from 1963. This version has a smooth, seductive musical score to it. And with an eighteen year age difference between Setzer and Margaret, it also has a bit May/December romance to it.

The band provides an interesting take on the familiar musical movements of “The Nutcracker Suite”. I had honestly never heard anything like this before until I heard this instrumental track. I like the big band approach to this classic ballet.

“(Everybody’s Waitin’ For) The Man with the Bag” was originally recorded in 1950 by pop and jazz singer Kay Starr.

“Sleigh Ride” is very horn heavy, which of course I enjoy. It gives it a 60’s jazz flavor.

“So They Say It’s Christmas” is an original holiday song composed by Setzer. It has a slow, smooth tempo in the classic style of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra or Mel Torme.

On “O Holy Night”, it sounds like Setzer is channeling the King as his vocals take on some of Elvis’ inflections. It certainly works for me.

The album closes out with “The Amens”, a one minute solemn a cappella number that closes with a single bell toll.

I actually discovered Boogie Woogie Christmas back in 2008 shortly after I started my membership at emusic.com. I was already a fan of the Brian Setzer Orchestra from their 1990’s albums and, of course, of the Stray Cats back in the 1980’s. The songs on this record have become some of my favorite holiday tunes as I really enjoy the swing/jazz/blues approach they bring to them. If you’re looking for something a little different for that holiday party, I would very much recommend this album.

Film: The Muppets (2011)

2011-12-18T04:29:00.000-05:00

This weekend I was finally able to set aside some time to go to the movies to see the Muppets, the first Muppets theatrical film to be released in twelve years. Yes, I know, the film has been in theatres since Thanksgiving week. Things have been a little busy.

I won't give too much away from the plot. Basically, it is the story of Walter who is the world's biggest Muppet fan. He and his brother Gary (Jason Segel) and Gary's girlfriend of ten years Mary (Amy Adams) plan to visit Muppet Theatre while on a vacation in Hollywood. However, they learn that the theatre is in trouble and only Kermit and the gang can save it. Problem is that the gang has long since parted ways. So, in the most classic of film traditions, the trio has to help Kermit get the gang back together and to put on a show.

Like Walter, the newest Muppet character, I was a huge fan of the Muppet Show back in the late 1970's. I watched it faithfully each week all through out my junior high school years and into my high school years until it finished its run in 1981. I was part of the generation that grew up on Jim Henson's creations, going back to my childhood and watching Sesame Street. They have always been something that spoke to the kid in me.

And the new film tries to capture that same magic and to show that the Muppets can still be appealing and relevant to a whole new generation. Like the show and the previous theatrical films from the 80's and 90's, there are guest stars here too like Jack Black and a number of celebrity cameos in the film (I won't spoil any of those - some are playing themselves, others are random people that the cast encounters - that's part of the fun and charm of the film to see who you recognize).

Clearly there was a lot of passion for the franchise put into this new film. Segel, a huge fan himself, was the one to convince Disney executives to revive the franchise, and he co-wrote the film as well. There are a lot of little touches (audio, visual, staging, etc.) that are love-notes to all us fans. Heck, I even think I had a little something in my eye when the crew came together to reprise a certain song (again, no spoiler from me).

I was happy that my sixteen year old son decided to humor his old man and go to the film with me. We've watched some of the early season episodes on DVD together, though I think he did it more to humor me than for a real love of the characters. Still, we enjoyed it as did the other families with their kids in the small theatre showing we went to. I am sure many of the parents were of my age group and wanted to provide some wholesome entertainment for their kids. And, maybe, spark a new generation of fans.

I know the film has been doing well so far. My hope is that Disney decides to capitalize on the new-found interest and moves forward with future Muppet projects. While other films would be good, I would really like to see them back on TV with a regular weekly show. It has been too long since the short-live Muppets Tonight revival from 1996 to 1998. For me, the thirty minute show format really works the best - allowing for a variety of different sketches, musical numbers, and the like. That format can best tailor things too to the week's guest star. The old show spoofed emergency room medical dramas with "Vetinerarian's Hospital" and sci-fi shows with "Pigs In Space". I can easily see those revived along side some kind of on-going spoofs of reality shows or other things.

Time will tell. I just hope we see something else before another decade goes by.

Carpenters - Christmas Portrait

2011-12-17T04:30:00.004-05:00

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

Back when I was a kid growing up in the 1970’s, we only had three network channels on television. When the holiday seasons rolled around in December each year, it was always magical to enjoy the various specials that came on each night. Yes, we had the many animated classics that still survive today but we also got to enjoy brand new variety show specials that were headlined by popular musical acts. One of those acts that did just that was the Carpenters.

Spinning out of specials from 1976 and 1977, siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter decided to put out an album of holiday songs. The result was 1978’s Christmas Portrait which led to another special that December. The record, a mix of popular and secular holiday songs, sold over one million copies.

Side one opens with an a cappella “O Come, O Come, Immanuel” by Richard.

Next is an instrumental “Overture” made up of a number of standards including “Deck the Halls”, “I Saw Three Ships”, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen“, “Away in a Manger” and more.

Karen‘s first vocals of the album appear with “The Christmas Waltz”, a song originally composed by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne. It brings to my mind grand ballroom dancing.

“Sleigh Ride”, also sung by both sister and brother, starts with a slow verse before picking up the pace to a jaunty tempo. They definitely put their own stamp on this classic.

Richard‘s piano playing abilities are prominent at the beginning of the medley “It’s Christmas Time / Sleep Well, Little Children”. I’m not a big fan of the choir used on this one; when it comes to the Carpenters I am a purist and would rather just hear Karen and Richard singing.

I do like their rendition of the Judy Garland classic “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. Karen’s voice is sweet and sentimental while the choir is used very sparingly.

Next is a short (just over a minute), very quick-tempo take on “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”.

That leads directly into a rendition of Mel Torme‘s classic “Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)”.

The side closes with an angelic rendition of “Silent Night”; Karen’s voice shines like a beacon star in the night.

Side two begins with very animated version of “Jingle Bells”. The music brings to mind childhood joy of snowy weather and toys.

“First Snowfall / Let It Snow” is a different medley as the first of the two tracks is probably a lesser known composition. That sort of makes it fresh like a new layer of winter snow, bright and untouched.

“Carol of the Bells” is a short instrumental interlude that spotlights on Richard’s piano mastery.

“Merry Christmas Darling” is an original holiday song written by Frank Pooler and Richard Carpenter in 1970; it went to number 1 on the US Billboard Christmas singles chart in 1970, 1971 and 1973. Since then it has been covered by many artists, making it too a holiday standard. This song is my favorite from the album specifically Karen was the first to perform it. It is very much her Christmas song.

“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” was originally written in 1943 by Kim Gannon, Walter Kent and Buck Ram, recorded by Bing Crosby. This version sticks to a slower tempo with a whisk-brush percussion and soft string orchestration. This allows Karen’s voice to shine.

“Christ Is Born” is a composition by Ray Charles and Dominico Bartolucci. This is not one I am overly familiar which in turn makes it rather new even though the recording is decades old.

The Carpenters present one final medley with “Winter Wonderland / Silver Bells / White Christmas”. This one opens in a big way with pomp and flash. The middle section has a unique flavor to it, mixing a number of musical instruments and styles. The final section sticks to a standard presentation (sometimes you don’t have to do much to a classic like that) with Richard closing it out on the piano.

The record closes with Charles Gounod’s and Johann Sebastian Bach‘s “Ave Maria”. I like that Karen sings it in the original Latin.

Over the decades, many of the songs from Christmas Portrait have become pop radio standards during the holiday times when some local radio stations switch over to this format from late November through December 25th. I think a lot of that is due to Karen Carpenter’s pleasing vocal style, so warm and welcoming. I know that when I am required to listen to those channels (or the XM holiday channels in my van on those long trips to visit family in late December), I always smile a bit when one of the Carpenters’ tracks comes on.

ZZ Top - Afterburner

2011-12-16T04:30:00.000-05:00

Happy sixty-second birthday today to singer and guitarist Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. Besides four decades of hard rocking blues, Gibbons also has a recurring role on the FOX TV series Bones, playing a fictionalized version of himself as the highly protective father of Angela Montenegro. He also started a successful line of hot sauces and other products under the BFG Brand in 2011.

Back in the 1980’s, ZZ Top was working hard to follow up their hugely successful eighth studio album Eliminator (click here for that review). Their ninth album, 1985’s Afterburner, was a worthy follow up. It went to number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 3 in Sweden, number 2 in the UK and Switzerland, and number 1 in New Zealand.

Side one starts off with driving drums of Frank Beard and the synth keyboards of Dusty Hill on “Sleeping Bag”, the first single from the album. The song spent thirteen weeks on the US Billboard charts, topping out at number 8; it was also a number 1 Mainstream Rock Tracks hit for two weeks (the first for the band). I really like Gibbons’ guitar solo on this one. I recall that the video for the song was in heavy rotation on MTV back in the day, when videos ruled that channel.

“Stages”, the second single from the album, went to number 21 on the US Billboard charts and too spent two weeks at the number 1 spot on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. This one too has an up-beat tempo, this time at a bit more urgent clip. The lyrics talk of the stages of a relationship that a couple sometimes goes through.

The magic did not strike three times in a row though; “Woke Up With Wood” only reached number 18 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Still, this song rocks hard and is full of sexual innuendo, typical for the band.

“Rough Boy”, the slower ballad third single, reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 5 on the Mainstream Rock charts. Gibbons’ guitar takes center stage on this one, wringing with emotion to mirror the lyrics.

The next track kicks things back into high gear with a pedal to the metal rocker with Hill on lead vocals. “Can’t Stop Rockin’” reached number 8 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart; it was also featured in the film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III in 1993.

Side two begins with “Planet of Women”, a high energy celebration of the fairer sex.

“I Got the Message” has a stronger synthesizer focus to its opening, simulating the sound of radio waves. It is a pretty cool effect.

The fourth single “Velcro Fly” went to number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and number 15 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. I really like its beat, very tribal in nature; that makes it an irresistible dance song. You just start bopping your head from side to side and let yourself totally go. It is definitely my favorite track from the album.

“Dipping Low (In the Lap of Luxury)” is next. The track sounds a lot like the previous album’s track “Gimmie All Your Lovin’”.

“Delirious” went to number 16 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Again, Hill takes the lead with the backing vocals of the title coming in a synthesized manner. This one has some very cool guitar solos to it.

Afterburner was released during the Fall of my sophomore year of college. I remember that it was a popular album to hear blasting from dorm windows, especially down on Fraternity Row. ZZ Top found a partying groove in the 80’s and worked it out well with this album and its predecessor. After twenty six years, this one holds up pretty well.

The Clash - Give 'Em Enough Rope

2011-12-15T04:30:00.001-05:00

Happy fifty-sixth birthday today (December 15th) to bassist Paul Gustave Simonon of the Clash.

Sandwiched between their self-titled, well-received 1977 debut record the Clash and their landmark 1979 album London Calling (click here and here for each of those respective reviews) came 1978’s Give ‘Em Enough Rope. In the UK it went to number 2; in the US it was the first of the band’s albums to be released and reached number 128 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Rolling Stone and Time magazines both voted Give ‘Em Enough Rope album of the year in 1978.

Side one starts with “Safe European Home” Simonon’s, Mick Jones’ and Joe Strummer’s raging guitars. The lyrics speak of the reluctance of traveling abroad, to avoid robbery and violence.

“English Civil War”, the album’s second single, went to number 25 in the UK. The song is an updated take on the American Civil War song “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” with the lyrics reflecting on the state of politics in the UK at the time. The trashing guitars and driving tempo serve the song well.

“Tommy Gun”, the first single from the album, reached number 19 on the UK charts. Drummer Topper Headon does a great job recreating shooting sounds with quick snare drum beats. The lyrics very much condemn terrorist acts in the Middle East and the hi-jacking of aircraft.

“Julie’s Been Working for the Drug Squad” is the Clash’s thoughts on “Operation Julie”, a UK police crackdown on the production of LSD in the mid-70’s. I like the lyrical reference to the Beatles’ song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and the carefree, rocking beat with the playful piano.

The lyrics of “Last Gang in Town” speak to the violence in the streets of London at the time, including racial unrest between various groups of youth.

Side two opens with “Guns on the Roof”, another commentary on global terrorism, war and corruption. Its main guitar riff is similar to the Who’s “I Can’t Explain” from 1965.

“Drug-Stabbing Time” has a quick-step rhythm that is mirror by short lyrical bursts, with the title repeated various times through out the song. I like that it doesn’t follow a typical verse-chorus structure; that further adds to the chaotic mood of the song.

Jones takes the lead vocals on “Stay Free”, giving the song a different sound from the others. It has a more pop sensibility to it versus the hard rocking punk flavor of the others. That pleasant sound contrasts the nature of the troubled youth in the lyrics.

“Cheapskates” is full of Strummer’s brusque and bitter lyrical delivery, and it talks about the fact that the band still has to watch their money even though they‘re now selling records.

“All the Young Punks (New Boots and Contracts)” tells of how the band worked hard to get their music heard and that they are still the same young punks they were before.

Give ‘Em Enough Rope is another of those albums I heard a lot of during my high school years via my older brother, who is a huge fan of the Clash. The record holds up well thirty three years later.

Survivor South Pacific (episode 14)

2011-12-15T04:29:00.018-05:00

Episode 14 of Survivor South Pacific is called "Then There Were Five" as things get tough now that the day-one alliance has to turn on one another. Oh, and we have a Redemption Island duel between Ozzy and Edna.

Let's look at the details...

Wow, this was an interesting episode. Seeing the alliance of five start out with a common goal - cheering on Edna as she faces Ozzy (boy, did they so want her to upset him in that challenge and she almost did it too) - only to then have to get back to camp and find the daggers coming out.

I have no respect for Albert at all. He has gone on to promise each of the four others to go to the final three. Therefore, they were right to call him on his lies. And boy did they. Tempers flared, voices raised. But, notice, Coach stayed completely out of it. Smart man.

We then get to the challenge, a combination of physical with that slide to retrieve bags and mental with the matching. Never would I have bet that Brandon could have pulled out the win. Yes, he could do the physical but I woefully underestimated him on doing puzzles. That win by him was amazing, and needed at just the right time. Before the challenge, we saw Coach planning to jetison Bradon as a loose cannon. The win left the tribe to scramble.

But, just when you think things will go down easy, Brandon again shows how he plays with his heart and not his head. He feels, he trusts, and he decides in a moment that he'll give Albert his immunity necklace. Do we think he'll go through it?

We get to Tribal Council and bam! - right out of the gate he gives up the necklace to Albert. Say what you will but Brandon is a man of his word, something you rarely see on Survivor. He gives it up freely even though you know he worries he made the wrong move. When he tells about his time with gangs when he was younger, we get the picture of a young man who trusted too much and was betrayed too often. History is about to repeat itself.

Albert tries to appear noble, saying he will give the necklace back to Brandon if he feels Brandon is in danger. Clearly, Albert is a huge liar or too stupid to read the rest of his tribe. With Albert safe and Coach holding tightly to that Immunity Idol, the votes can only go to three. Surprisingly, Rick manages to go unscathed. Sophie gets two votes (Brandon's and Albert's). Sophie and Rick vote for Brandon, for giving up immunity was truly a dumb move.

That leaves the final vote as Coach's. He said he prayed about it. We see him praying about it before Tribal. And he realizes he must do what he must do. Brandon has to go. And, amazingly, Brandon appears to be okay with it. That's the shocker.

So, on Sunday night, Ozzy versus Brandon to get back in the game. If anyone has a chance to beat Ozzy, it is Brandon. Does he have enough to pull it off? And then how will the final Tribals throw down? I predict Coach playing his Idol just to be safe, if he doesn't get Immunity.

This one definitely not over yet. The competition could go any possible way. That makes for a must-see finale.

Bananarama - Deep Sea Skiving

2011-12-14T04:30:00.002-05:00

Happy fiftieth birthday this week (December 17th) to Sara Dallin, co-founder of the 80’s pop/new-wave group Bananarama.

Formed in 1979 by Dallin, Keren Woodward and Siobhan Fahley, the group was big followers of the punk rock and post-punk scenes in the UK. They released a single in 1981 that was an underground favorite. In 1982, they appeared on the track “It Ain’t What You Do…” on the Fun Boy Three debut album. Finally, in 1983 they released their debut album Deep Sea Skiving which went to number 7 on the UK album charts and number 63 on the US Billboard Hot 200.

Side one starts with “Shy Boy (Don’t It Make You Feel Good)”, the second single from the album. It reached number 4 on the UK singles charts, number 83 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 14 on the US Hot Dance Club Play charts. The song is rumored to be a tribute to teenaged London pirate radio comedian Mark Gould. The song has a bouncy beat to it that always puts me in a positive mood when I hear it. I remember the first place I saw the music video for the song: Fredonia State University was having a music video mixer at their student union in 1983 and a couple of my high school buddies and I went, mostly to check out the videos and perhaps eye a few cute college co-eds.

“Doctor Love”, an up-beat dance track, was written by Paul Weller of the Jam and the Style Council. I like the synthesizer hooks on this one, played by Fahey, and the funky bass line by Dallin and Woodward.

“What a Shambles”, one a number of tracks written by the trio of ladies, has a melancholy tone to it as the lyrics reflect on the wreck a person has made of their life. The song often puts me in a reflective mood.

The first single from the album “Really Saying Something” is a cover of the 1964 Motown classic by the Velvelettes. This version went to number 5 on the UK charts and number 16 on the US Hot Dance Club Play charts. Fun Boy Three returned the favor by providing percussion and singing backup on this track. This is one of my favorites from the album, a four-star ranked track in my music library. The beat is so entrancing.

“Cheers Then”, the third single, went to number 45 on the UK Singles chart. The music video was a re-enactment of the musical film the Sound of Music. I really like the vocal harmonies on this one, very sweet and sentimental with just a pinch of sadness thrown in.

Side two of the UK vinyl release begins with “Aie a Mwana”, their 1981 underground hit. The original version of the song was recorded in 1971 under the title “Aieaoa” and again in 1975 by a group called Black Blood. Even though the track reached number 66 on the Hot Dance Club Play list in the US, the US vinyl release of the album only had ten songs and did not include this track. The song has a nice disco beat to it.

“Young at Heart” was also written by the gals along with Roger Hodgens, who was dating Fahey at the time. The song was later covered in 1984 by Hodgens’ Scottish group the Bluebells. I like the bouncy piano line on this one.

“Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)” is a cover of the 1969 number 1 hit song by Steam. As the fourth and final single from the album, this version went to number 5 in the UK, number 101 on the US Billboard Hot 200, and number 14 on the US Hot Dance Club Play charts. I am a big fan of this version by Bananarama; I like the distant backing vocals the bounce from speaker to speaker and the synthesizer supported dance beat.

The driving rhythms of “Hey Young London” provide a callout to the youth of the UK at the time. This is one that sounds amazing with the bass turned up to bring out the reverberating percussion.

Another composition by the trio “Boy Trouble” is a reflection upon a failing relationship. Clearly the singer is ready to wash her hands of the whole thing even though the guy doesn’t quite get it.

The album closes with “Wish You Were Here”, also written by the group. The song harkens back to the girl group songs of the 60’s.

I had a copy of Deep Sea Skiving on vinyl back in 1983, bought during my senior year of high school. The songs were very popular on the nearby college radio station that I listened to as well. I spun this record a lot on my stereo turntable during my college years of the 80’s, enjoying the wonderful harmonies of the three ladies and the catchy beats. To this day it remains a favorite album of mine as it is a fond reminder of my young adult years.

In recent years, I picked up the 2007 CD re-issue of the album to replace the long gone vinyl copy I owned. Besides the original eleven songs it also includes five additional tracks: “Give Us Back Our Cheap Fares” (the B-side to the “Really Saying Something“ single), “Girl About Town” (the B-side to the single of “Cheers Then“), “He’s Got Tact” (a song written in 1982 as a jingle for the Honda Tact motor scooter and released in the Japanese market only), “Tell Tale Signs” (the B-side to the single “Na Na Hey Hey…”) and “No Feelings” (a cover of a song by the Sex Pistols).

Morris Day - Color of Success

2011-12-13T04:30:00.000-05:00

Happy fifty-fourth birthday today (December 13th) to R&B singer and actor Morris Day.

After their third album Ice Cream Castle (click here for that review) in 1984, the Minneapolis based R&B/funk band the Time split up (for the first time).

Morris Day naturally moved from the role of the group's lead singer to a solo recording career. In 1985, he produced and released his debut solo effort Color of Success where he provided vocals, drums and percussion, and some of synthesizer parts as well. The album charted well, reaching number 37 on the US Billboard Hot 200 and number 7 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart.

Side one starts with the title track and first single from the album. "Color of Success" begins with a brief music box version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" before moving into a synthesizer supported, funky, strutting dance groove. A female news reporter interjects periodically, providing a narrative of Day's move to a solo career. The lyrics mirror his outlook towards a lucrative solo career.

"The Character" continues the same synth style and tempo as the first track. With the lyrics, Day reflects upon how the media sees him as a character, the playboy role that he portrayed as part of the leader of the Time. In fact, he states he's much different than that and is in fact a bit scared of love.

Next is my favorite track from the record, a dance-move song called "The Oak Tree". The song is a nearly seven-minute down and dirty groove that is very reminiscent of "The Bird" from the last Time album. I recall that this one was a popular track in the dance clubs during my later college years thanks to its catchy hooks and upbeat rhythm.

Side two keeps the dance party going with "Love Sign", a song about letting a lady know that the night is right for a romantic hook-up. The six-plus minute track would mix very well with the last track from the first side as they have similar musical structures and tempos.

Next up is the much expected slow jam track. Clocking in at seven-plus minutes, "Don't Wait For Me" has seductive overtures which Day delivers with smooth ease. There are very sensual, grinding guitar solos around the five minute and the six-and-a-quarter mark that drives the point home.

The record closed with the bouncy "Love / Addiction", a cautionary tale about falling for an irresistible woman.

I owned a copy of Color of Success on vinyl, purchased in the late 80's along with Day's follow up solo album. In recent years, I purchased the tracks in digital format for my iTunes music library as well. I like the record because it really is a continuation in a lot of ways of what the Time was producing in their albums of the mid-80's.

TV: Once Upon A Time (ep. 7)

2011-12-13T04:29:00.003-05:00

It is week seven for ABC's Once Upon a Time, and the last episode of 2011. What a way to end up before the break! This one made me wanting more - now!

This week's episode was entitled "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter", which focuses on Sheriff Graham who suddenly starts remembering that he was the Huntsman in another lifetime.

Let's get to the episode breakdown, shall we?

Starting over on Fairytale side, we begin with a scene with Snow White and the Evil Queen. Turns out her father is dead and the Queen consoles Snow, her step-daughter. However, when she (looking truly the fairest of them all) talks to her Magic Mirror, we later learn that the King's death was just part one of the Queen's wicked plans. Part two is to get rid of the beloved Princess Snow, and to do that she needs someone who can kill without remorse. She needs a huntsman.

We meet the Huntsman as he kills a deer. Though he is remorseful for doing so, he does it to feed himself and a wolf (one with a unique look - one red eye, one black eye). This Huntsman is not liked by his kind for they seek him as too weak and compassionate. He has a heart. We also learn that the wolf is not a pet - he is family. He was raised by wolves when his birth parents abandoned him. When the Queen hires him to do a deed for her, his only payment is that she declare wolves a protected species.

Later, Snow is walking with him and realizes he is not a knight. She can tell he has been assigned to her to kill him. But she shows her resourceful side and escapes him. When the Huntsman finds her, she is writng a note to give to the Queen. Upon reading the note, he spares her life and gives her a special whistle to use in times of distress.

The Huntsman brings the Queen a deer's heart instead. When she uses it, thinking it is Snow's, to open a secret passage it fails. She realizes she has been duped. So she takes the Huntsman's heart instead and stores it in a box. Now he will be hers to control forever. That was a very nice twist.

That's a lot of story, but we're not half done. Time for the Storybrooke side of things.

Graham has been drinking a lot since Emma caught him sneaking out of Regina's window (last episode). He tells Emma he feels nothing for Regina, that he feels nothing at all. Then, he kisses Emma - and suddenly images from his past life as the Huntsman come rushing back. That's a great touch. In fairy tales, kisses often break spells and here Emma's kiss can cut through the curse. Nice.

When Emma reject him, Graham rushes back to Regina. After sex, he falls asleep and dreams of events of his life as the Huntsman. He tells Regina it felt more like a memory and leaves her to wander the streets. There he sees the wolf from his dream, the one with the red and black eyes.

Emma, meanwhile, mistakes flowers on the counter to be from Graham. Turns out that they were in fact for Mary-Margaret, a gift from Dr. Whale after a one-night stand with him. Whoa! Sweet Mary-Margaret slept with Dr. Whale? That's a shocker. Mary-Margaret tells Emma that perhaps she puts up walls to not allow anyone to get close, and that maybe Emma needs to let Graham in.

Graham searches the woods around town for the wolf. He runs into Mr. Gold instead, who is dressed in a suit and some leather apron and boots, carrying a shovel. What is Gold up to? He says "gardening" We never learn what he really is up to though. Gold suggests that dreams are memories. After that, Graham does find the wolf, pets it and suddenly more memories.

Graham goes to see Mary-Margaret, suggesting he knew her in another life. He asks her when they first met in Storybrooke. She cannot recall exactly. The curse in effect. She mentions Henry's storybook so Graham goes to see the boy. "Am I in your book?" he asks. Henry determines that he is the Huntsman and that the Evil Queen has his heart. When Graham points to building shown in the book, Henry says that is the vault where his heart is kept, according to the story.

Graham runs into Emma while searching for the Storybrook place to match the vault. They both see the wolf who leads them to the Mills family crypt. Once inside, they find nothing but urns. Regina catches them and demands an explanation. Graham refuses to go with her. She blames Emma. Emma suggest that maybe Regina is the reason that everyone in her life (Henry, now Graham) want to get away from her. Regina punches Emma. Emma fights back. Punches thrown until Graham breaks them up. He and Emma leave.

Graham tends to Emma's cuts while Regina enters the crypt. Regina moves her father's casket aside to reveal a hidden set of stairs. She goes to a wall of boxes similar to that the Evil Queen had and takes one. She opens it to reveal a heart. Graham kisses Emma once more and remembers it all, his entire past life. He starts to tell her "I remember...". That is when Regina pulls his heart out of the box and squeezes. Graham falls to a heart attack. Is he dead? We have to wait until the new year to find out.

But, this is a major revelation. Clearly there is no doubt that Regina remembers the Fairy Tale land. She knows about the captive hearts. She knows their power. She knows that Graham was her Huntsman. That means she has to know other things too. The only thing she does not know is how Emma fits into all of this (for those pages were missing from the book when she looked at it in episode 1).

This was by far the most key episode to date. I will miss Graham if he is truly gone but I understand that when you make a beautiful omelette you have to break a few eggs. His death was very key though to the unfolding of the tale, and for that I applaud the writers.

Happy Birthday, Sheila E.

2011-12-12T04:30:00.001-05:00

Happy fifty-fourth birthday today (December 12th) to percussionist extraordinaire Sheila Escovedo.

Born in California, Sheila grew up in a family of music. Her father is the famous Mexican-American jazz percussionist Pete Escovedo, and her uncle Alejandro Escovedo has worked with groups like the Nuns, and Rank and File. Jazz/salsa musician Tito Puente is her godfather.

She made her first recording debut in the Alphonso Johnson record "Yesterday's Dream" in 1976. Before that decade ended, she already had played with the likes of George Duke, Marvin Gaye, Herbie Hancock, Lionel Richie and Diana Ross.

Sheila first met Prince in 1978 after a concert where she was performing with her father. That fateful meeting lead to their working together on Prince's Purple Rain recording sessions which then led to his assisting her with her solo recording career in the 1980's. She continued to serve as a drummer and musical director for a number of his touring bands in the past three decades.

Sheila continues to balance a strong solo career with her many collaborative efforts with other artists around the world.

I discovered Sheila E.'s music through her initial connections with Prince. From that first album, I have been a huge fan. I love that she translates her passion for life into music, and every time I see her perform (either in concerts or on television) I know I am in for a treat. I am very much a fan for life.

For my review of her 1984 debut The Glamorous Life, click here

For my review of her 1985 album Romance 1600, click here

For my review of her work on the soundtrack for the 1986 film Krush Groove, click here

For my review of her recent 2011 album with her father and the rest of the E Family Now and Forever, click here

DVD: God Bless Ozzy Osbourne

2011-12-12T04:29:00.000-05:00

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Ozzy Osbourne has lived a very infamous rock and roll lifestyle. From the days of Black Sabbath in the 70’s to his solo career in the 80’s to the Osbournes reality show on MTV in the 2000’s, his life has always been one of public display with over-the-top moments.

In 2011, his son Jack Osbourne and film directors Mike Fleiss and Mike Piscitelli put together a documentary film entitled God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, a very intimate and honest look at the rock legend’s life. Starting with growing up as one of six children of a factory worker in war-torn Birmingham, England, it chronicles the events of Ozzy’s career and personal struggles, ending with the over-60 rocker still touring to sold-out arena stadiums all over the world.

For someone not fully versed on Ozzy’s life, outside of the few stories I remember hearing over the years, this was an enlightening documentary for me. I found it well-paced and informative.

I never knew that Ozzy tried his hand at crime (and did time for robbery) as a teenager. Nor did I know that it was the success of the Beatles that inspired him to get into music. The classic footage of Sabbath performances looked and sounded amazing. I found it touching that the original cross that the Black Sabbath members all wore onstage were in fact made by Ozzy’s father in the factory for them.

Moving into the 80’s and his solo career, his deep friendship for Randy Rhoads presents another key point, only to be cut short by Randy’s tragic death in 1982. It was perhaps this loss, followed so soon after the death of his father in the late 70’s that pushed Ozzy into a complete downward spiral that only the love a good woman (Sharon) and the actions of his own son (Jack) could eventually snap him out of.

The film was not made to glorify the rock star’s image.

More to the point, it tells the tale of how excessive use of drugs and alcohol not only cost Ozzy a lot with his career but also with those he loved. We see honest moments with his children, both those from his first marriage to Thelma and those from his second marriage with Sharon. The general consensus from all five is that while Ozzy provided for them, which he felt as a father that was his job, he simply was not there for them as a father needs to be. At age sixty, he eventually realizes that being a parent is about so much more than putting a roof over their heads and food on the table; a father needs to be there for his children emotionally and interactively. Ozzy’s excessive substance abuse denied his children of that.

It is interesting to see the contrast of those abuse days with how Ozzy is today. Five years sober and counting, he has a pre-concert regime of exercise (physical and vocal) as well as spiritual thanks to God for giving him another day to do what he loves - perform. Unlike the days of the 80’s when it was nearly impossible to separate his onstage persona from who he really was, the Ozzy of today appreciates what he has and can find quiet moments of peace in simple things like art or just taking himself out for a drive.

The message that God Bless Ozzy Osbourne is trying to deliver is this: that everything we do in life effects the outcome. Some can lead to great things. Some can lead to real low-points. In the end, we have to own up to our actions, push past those bad choices and try to put as much on the positive column as we can.

The DVD includes the original feature film (rated R for language (the British do seem to like to drop the F-bomb a lot), drug references, nudity) along with a number of bonus features like a Q&A with Ozzy and son Jack, a number of deleted scenes, and footage from the Tribeca Film Festival. All told, the running time on the complete DVD package is 135 minutes.

Twisted Sister - A Twisted Christmas

2011-12-11T04:30:00.001-05:00

I decided to take a break from Soundtrack Sunday for a few weeks so that I could present some more holiday albums for the season.

In 2006, Dee Snider and his fellow band mates of Twisted Sister decided to put out a CD of holiday songs entitled A Twisted Christmas. Given the band's musical slant, the album, of course, delivers holiday standards in a heavy metal style. The album sold very well commercially, reaching number 147 on the US Billboard Hot 200 and number 27 on the Billboard Holiday charts.

It opens with "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", the Judy Garland classic. I like how they start out slow and traditional and then stop to do it the proper, Twisted Sister way with searing guitars and pounding drums.

"Oh Come All Ye Faithful" gets its tune from the English hymn "Adeste Fideles" by John Francis Wade, written in 1751. The rocking version of the song here also incorporates the tune of the Twisted Sister classic "We're Not Gonna Take It" from 1984, a song whose melody was in fact inspired originally by the Christmas carol. So, this is Snider's way of bringing it all back around full circle. This version also closes with a rendition of "Hava Nagila", a popular Hebrew folk song composed in the early 1900's.

"White Christmas", as I noted yesterday, was a Bing Crosby classic. This version is as far from Crosby as you can get. Part of the guitar riff is based on the band's 1984 hit "I Wanna Rock". It also features Doro Persch, a Germany heavy metal rocker formerly of the band Warlock, on backing vocals.

The next track "I'll Be Home for Christmas" was also a Bing Crosby classic, this time from 1943. Lita Ford joins the guys here to provide very distinctive backing vocals. I really like the guitar solo on this one - definitely not what you’ll hear on your everyday Christmas carols.

"Silver Bells" was first recorded by Bing Crosby and Carol Richards in 1950. Clearly Snider and the guys have strong connections to those Crosby holiday classics, most likely having heard them growing up in the 60's and 70's on their parents' turntables. This version has a driving beat and a catch guitar riff on the verses.

"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" was first recorded in 1952 by Jimmy Boyd. The Twisted Sister take continues the driving beat from the previous track to kick the cutesy innocence out of this classic.

"Let It Snow" was first record in 1946 and was made popular in the 1950's by the likes of Crosby and Frank Sinatra. On this track, the band brings on a blaring blizzard bass and beats. Why does it bring to my mind extreme snowmobiling?

"Deck the Halls" dates back to the late 1700's and was originally performed on the harp. Twisted Sister brings the song into the 21st Century with fa-la-la-la-la fury. The ominous bells in the middle of the song are a great touch.

Next, the Mel Torme classic "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" undergoes its own toasting. Snider’s whiskey growl is a far cry from Torme’s velvet-fog crooning.

"Heavy Metal Christmas (the Twelve Days of Christmas)" is a very modern take on the English Christmas carol from 1780. There are no birds or pear trees here. This one is all tattoos, spandex, leather and studded belts.

The album closes out with a thirty-six second "We Wish You A Twisted Christmas" message.

Admittedly, A Twisted Christmas is not going to appeal to everyone. These certainly aren't your parents' Christmas songs, unless, of course, your parents happen to be of my generation who proudly fist-pumped and head-bobbed to Twisted Sister back in the 80's. If you are looking for something a little bit nontraditional for your holiday party, these songs just might be a way to go.