Missing Persons - Spring Session M

The Los Angeles based new-wave/rock band Missing Persons was founded in 1980. They put together a four-song, self-titled EP to help promote their band while on tour. Before they signed a deal with Capital Records, the EP was re-released in 1982 with a change in songs.

Their first major label release was the October 1982 Spring Session M. For those wordsmiths among you, you will notice that the title of the record is in fact an anagram for the band‘s name.

AC/DC - Back In Black

As the 80’s began, the Australian rockers AC/DC released their sixth world-wide studio album Back In Black. It went to number 1 in their native homeland and also in Canada, France and the UK. Here in the US it peaked at number 4 ; however it also sold the most copies here to date (over 22 million of the total 49 million copies world-wide).

Critically, the album is a favorite. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it number 26 on its list of 100 Greatest Albums of the 80’s and number 73 on its list of 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time.

MYNX - Out of Sight Out of Mind

The musical duo known as MYNX are Ara Thorose and Holly Lovecat, two Los Angeles performers who’ve known each other since 2002 and became good friends after working similar venues. It was only natural for the two to collaborate. Each brings elements of their personal background to the mix, creating a sound that skillfully draws from electronic, pop, rock and dance.

I first became aware of MYNX last week while checking out the newly re-launched Catalyst magazine. The issue featured a profile on the band and also came with a download sampler that included one of their songs. After one spin, I was instantly hooked - so much so that I sought out the rest of the tracks of their 2009 EP Out of Sight Out of Mind to download.

The Social Network (2010)

Last night, my wife and I were rummaging through the movies On-Demand and came across Starz offering 2010 film The Social Network as one of the free films. Since the price was right and we had some time on our hands, we decided to give it a watch.

Now, my impression of the first five minutes based on the scene with Mark Zuckerberg (played by Jesse Eisenberg) and Erica Albright (played by Rooney Mara) was that this might be too much of a talky-film and not very interesting. Boy, did that change when the date ended and Zuckerberg went into uber-geek programmer mode. That got my interest going!

The Muppet Movie (soundtrack)

Welcome to another edition of Soundtrack Sunday.

With the new Muppet movie coming out later this summer, I thought I’d revisit an old favorite of mine from back in 1979, the soundtrack of the first Muppet Movie.

The Clash - The Clash

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

The quartet of English rockers who made up the Clash released their self-titled debut album in their home country in 1977. The record, with its mix of musical styles, did very well and peaked on the charts at number 12. As an import, it was very popular in the United States, especially among the college radio stations. Two years later, the Clash was re-released in the US with some changes to the content (four tracks were dropped and five others were added), going to number 126 on the Billboard charts. It achieved Gold sales status in both countries.

Buckner & Garcia - Pac-Man Fever

In the early 80’s, the musical duo of Jerry Buckner and Gary Garcia started out with a novelty Christmas song about the NFL. But their biggest claim to fame came in 1982 with Pac-Man Fever, the song and album that celebrated the biggest arcade video games at the time. The album was certified Gold and sold over 900,000 copies by the end of that year.

Now, it is no secret that I am a huge geek. And back in early 1982 when I was halfway through my junior year of high school, I was a very much the same way. I often spent my weekend nights down at the Central Avenue arcade, feeding allowance money into the token machine so I could get the right tender to play all of my favorite games. My best friend John and I would spend the entire evening there among the neon glows, blips and bleeps, and then cap things off with some pizza and Pepsi at the snack place next door.

Of course, when Pac-Man Fever hit the record stores that March, I immediately snapped that album up on vinyl. I was in game-geek heaven! Was this record considered cool? Only among us nerds. Was it groundbreaking music? Not so much but it was well composed and performed. Was it fun? I certainly thought so. And did I listen to it a ton? You better believe it!