The Dawn of a New Age

Hey gang, how goes it? I hope everyone had spectacularly kick ass holidays, I know I did. I didn't have as much time off as I would have liked, but that comes with having a new job where you don't have the necessary time off accrued.

So far 2013 has been pretty kick ass. I can't help feeling that there is a different vibe in the air in terms of how people are feeling and doing. It's hard to pinpoint when it started...maybe after the election? But anyway, it's something not only I have noticed but others too. The Canadian Belle works as a cashier at a big box supercenter-type store and she observed that people were being nicer to each other over the holiday season. My mom had a similar observation herself when she was out shopping...people were being more polite to each other than normal.

Maybe these are isolated incidents but I don't know...my mom's theory is that everyone was so happy the world didn't end on December 21 that they're now acting like better people. This theory may have some merit. The Canadian Belle informed me of some astrological info, saying that this is now another Age of Aquarius, and could account for changing attitudes. Maybe. All I know is something is going on, and good things have been happening to me for the last few months. As you know, I recently got a new job with higher pay (I was hired on election night). When my car broke down for good a few weeks later, a friend informed me he was getting a new car and I could buy his. The timing worked out great! Since I'm making more money, I'm paying off more debt, which is of course awesome. More money means more potential to do awesome stuff, and buy sweet collectibles (although I have kept that under control...for now).

And one more thing...some of you may not know this, but I have an 11 year old son from a previous relationship. He lives with his mom in Tennessee so I don't get to see him as often as I would like. Well, after years of not being able to stand being in the presence of each other, his mom and I formally buried the hatchet a week ago and have opened up all lines of communication (instead of using the little guy as the go-between). Now, you could say, "Well, JEP, maybe things are just going your way for once. It doesn't mean there has been a paradigm shift for how society acts." To this I would have to say, "If my ex can extend an olive branch, I KNOW something is up with the world!"

                                           Take it away, cast of "The 40 Year Old Virgin!" 

                                                     Harmony and understanding
                                                   Sympathy and trust abounding
                                                  No more falsehoods or derisions
                                                   Golden living dreams of visions
                                                        Mystic crystal revelation
                                                   And the mind's true liberation
                                                          Aquarius! Aquarius!

Anyway, things are just ducky in my world. I hope you all are feeling the same...and now, what you've been waiting for...RANDOM RAMBLINGS!

RANDOM RAMBLING!
In my last post I mentioned buying a handful of cassettes. I have been busy listening to them, and one thing that has sucked is the quality of some of them has been lacking. I know it's a crap shoot when you buy stuff from thirft stores, and it's not like I'm out a lot of money, but it is disappointing when you wanna rock to something and it doesn't work. The Bryan Adams tape I bought was very hissy sounding, so I had to toss it. I kept the little liner notes though and hung them up in my basement cavern, so it wasn't a total loss. The Al Corley tape had a problem when I tried rewinding it...it would not rewind past a certain point on the tape. Weird. I kept that one though, for it's pop culture schlock value. 

So far, the tape I have enjoyed the most was Winger's debut album. First off, I love this album cover. It might as well say in neon, "This came out in 1988!"

My friend John would describe this as "artwork you would expect to see in an '80s dentist office."

Most people would disregard this as pop-metal drivel, but these guys were talented. Allmusic gave this album 4.5/5, and they're a record reviewing web site that usually knows what they're talking about. They had this to say about them:

"Since Winger was marketed largely on the looks of lead singer Kip Winger, and since their sleazy rockers and lovelorn ballads cover the same old pop-metal territory, the band's high-quality musicianship tended to get overlooked. Guitarist Reb Beach earned wide praise from other musicians, and he, ex-Dixie Dregs drummer Rod Morgensten, and keyboardist Paul Taylor, bring a distinct progressive metal influence to many of the tunes on Winger. Even if the lyrics are standard issue, the album is impeccably composed, crafted, and played, with melodies, riffs, and guitar solos taking off in unexpected directions and keeping the listener slightly off balance -- no easy task in the cookie-cutter hair metal genre."

Little known fact: Reb Beach formed a band with King's X front-man Doug Pinnick called the Mob. They had only had one album, which was released in 2005.

Looks like Stewart was ahead of his time.

RANDOM RAMBLING!
Staying with the topic of music, one of the awesome gifts the Canadian Belle bestowed upon me for Christmas was the autobiography of Gregg Allman which came out this past year, titled "My Cross to Bear." I'm about 1/4 of the way through it and it is a good read so far. I love Gregg's writing style; like Ozzy's autobiography, he writes the way he speaks. A lot of sentences end with words like "man,"or "brother." It almost creates the illusion that he is having a conversation with you. I have read some great stories in this book so far, one of which is when Gregg met the Doors. My favorite part of the book though was the story of how he shot himself in the foot to get out of the draft. Now that shit is hardcore!

I'm looking forward to reading about his short-lived marriage to Cher. I'm sure there were some fireworks involved in that relationship!

RANDOM RAMBLINGS!
You know what old school character actor I like? George Kennedy. He's been appearing in season 12 episodes of "Dallas" I have been watching lately as Carter McKay, and I enjoyed his airline trouble-shooter character Joe Patroni in the "Airport" series of movies from the '70s. You may also remember him from "Creepshow 2" and "The Naked Gun" movies. He carried a certain gravitas, and his presence dominated any scene he was in. His booming voice commanded repsect. And he had bad breath.

I first recall seeing him in the '90s doing commercials for "Breath Assure." He never went anywhere without it!

RANDOM RAMBLING!
On Friday I saw "Texas Chainsaw 3D" with my buddy Shane from high school. We're big horror buffs, and spent many hours watching the various '80s slasher franchises and cult classics of the '70s back in the day. It was a pretty decent flick overall. The best thing about it was how it picks up right at the ending of the original one from 1973, after a montage of clips from that film...I felt myself smiling a Jack Nicholson-size grin when that part came on! Bill Moseley (who played "Chop Top" in 1986's "Texas Chansaw Massacre 2") returns to the franchise as Drayton Sawyer, a part originally played by the late Jim Siedow. He may not look exactly like Jim, but he sure has the voice down!

Once it flashes forward to the present it becomes your generic hack-up-slut-fest, and it has a wonky timeline, but it did have some sweet gory parts. It looks like the 2003 reboot will only consist of the two movies that came out in that franchise, as it appears they're going back to the beginning and negating the other sequels in the original franchise (part 2, "Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3," and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation"- the less said about the last one, the better). If horror is your thing, it's worth checking out. It had some sweet 3D effects too (I flinched when Leatherface threw a chainsaw in my direction)!

RANDOM RAMBLING!
My favorite song (this week). "Twilight World" by Swing Out Sister

I remember this song from when I was a kid, but never knew the name of the artist. I recall one of their other big hits, "Break Out," but I thought that was their only hit. They had one more big success in the early '90s with a cover of the Dusty Springfield track "Am I the Same Girl?"

No, I'm not gay, but I do enjoy '80s sophisti-pop music, a genre of music that includes such bands as Level 42 and ABC. I really like singer Corinne Drewery's voice...she has a certain Annie Lenox quality at times. Plus she's hot. I know it sounds like something you might hear in a dentist's office, but like I said before, my taste in music goes against the grain.

And speaking of dentist's offices, remember earlier when I mentioned how some album artwork from the '80s looks like it belongs in a dentist office? Here's another classic example:

This album by Rush came out in 1989. I remember seeing it at a record store 4 years later and thinking how dated looking it was. Talk about a short shelf life!

Well, that's all I have for this week. You all be sure to come back to hang real soon alright?

Cuz when you get your friends together, there's never a dull moment in the basement.

At last...the long awaited return of greatness

So maybe you noticed I haven't had a blog post in...oh...6 months. Sorry about that. I kind of developed writer's block back around that time, and then got distracted by my new TV. It's not like I was lacking for free time either in the past half year...I ended up losing my job in late July and I was unemployed for 3.5 months.

And how was unemployment you ask? Actually, it was pretty awesome. I received my unemployment compensation as part of the 47% of scum bags Gov. Romney said were in this country and enjoyed myself. I visited family, read comics, watched horror movies, stayed up all hours of the night listening to Coast to Coast Am, and immersed myself into the world of "Dallas." My Canadian Belle and I were in the middle of season 3 when I lost my job and just last night we started season 12. What a wild ride it has been!

At any rate, I got a new, even better job in mid November, and things have been looking up for this basement dweller. At a work meeting this past week I became inspired to blog again and began jotting down ideas. I plan on tinkering with the format a little bit, and abandoning some of my former semi-regular features. You can expect at least a weekly post full of what I like to call "Random Ramblings." They're basically little bite-sized, easily digestible pellets of info about whatever I'm into that week, along with whatever happens to be on my mind at that time. I hope you all enjoy.

 

Random Rambling!
One cool thing I did on my hiatus from blogging was get together with a bunch of old college buddies to see the Beach Boys reunion tour for their 50th anniversary show at DTE Energy Theater in Clarkston, MI in late June. They put on one hell of a show, full of deep cuts and songs you never imagined you would hear live.
They're voices and harmonies shimmered with beauty, and their back up band and singers were top notch.

Here's a picture of the motley crew assembled for this historic occasion...all of us hadn't been together in the same space at the same time for 9 years. (That's me in the middle wearing the orange t-shirt. It's probably too hard to tell, but it says "Beacon Town Beavers 1985 District Champs." And what movie could that refer to?) You might recognize two of the guys (plaid shirt and bearded bro), they were featured in my blog post about my trip to the Motor City Comic Con back in May. Also, two very good friends drove up from Atlanta...the bald fellow on the left and his beautiful girlfriend. This bald gentleman has a blog I know I have mentioned before which you should check out (especially if you're a metal head). It's called  The Vintage Warrior

Drunkards Assemble!

Here's another picture from before the show of my lovely Canadian Belle wearing a vintage (from 1987) Beach Boys t shirt I found for her on Ebay!

Don't mess with her...she's on the Surf Patrol (with requisite aviator sunglasses).

Random Rambling!
I had an awesome Halloween. I went as Mike Nesmith from the Monkees and I got a lot of compliments on the costume...everyone said I looked just like him. The only thing I bought was the hat. Here's a pic:

Mike played drums instead of guitar that night!

The party was in Kalamazoo at the home of the bass player in my old band Fretbusters, Jesse. The Fretbusters had their second annual Halloween reunion that night. Sadly I have no video of us performing. Here's a pic of Jesse's sister Gail and myself on vocals as we did our best Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks impressions:

"You can go your own way!!!!!" (The cat-like Canadian Belle is behind us, and Gail's husband Herman Munster is on the left).

Random Rambling!
This next bit is not exactly retro related, but I thought it was interesting. On the day I was let go from my previous position, I also let my cell phone carrier contract expire. I had been with the same company for almost 10 years and decided enough was enough. I felt I was spending way more money than I should be. I signed up with Metro PCS and got a generic looking Blackberry phone that has unlimited talk and text for a whopping $25 a month. Yes, this means I don't have internet on my phone, but I haven't really missed it. If anything, I found having the internet on my phone to be just another distraction. The internet is more fun on a bigger screen anyway. I don't even have the ability to send and receives pics...just talk and text. This is fine...you know me, I try and keep it as low-fi/low-tech/old school as possible.

Random Rambling!
On a related note, I have been off Facebook a lot more lately. It's just not fun anymore. Whenever I log on I find myself grinding my teeth at all of the worthless noise and information on it. It's just another distraction in my life that I don't need...I'd rather read some old comics and watch "Family Ties." That's not to say there isn't good stuff on there by some of my friends (I'm looking at you Vintage Warrior!). The thing is, whenever I wanna leave a comment on a cool status, I have to contend with 20 other dudes whose comments I don't care about. So eff it.

Random Rambling!
I've been reading old Superman comics from the late '80s lately. These things are amazing...the characterization, the plots, the sub-plots, the earthy, realistic art work....for me, this is the golden age of comics. The creators involved included Jerry Ordway, Roger Stern, Kerry Gammil, Dan Jurgens, and George Perez. Not too shabby. Here's the cover to the latest issue I just read.

Random Rambling!
Has anyone been reading the Amazing Spider-Man lately? Shit is effed up! I can't wait to see what happens in the 700th (and final) issue. And then, in January, "Superior Spider-Man" debuts. I'm looking forward to seeing what all goes down.

It all started in issue #698, with a dying Dr. Octopus repeating the name of Peter Parker over and over...with a twist ending that came out of left field.

Random Rambling!
So I watched most of that Superstorm Sandy benefit concert the other night. The Stones didn't sound too bad, it was pretty cool to see them playing live again. The Canadian Belle said Jagger was still doable...whaaaaaaaaaaaat!???

You would do this guy? I guess if rubbing up against dry leather is your thing, go for it ;)

I thought the Who's set was another highlight, particularly their performances of "Who Are You," "Bellboy" (featuring archival video of Keith Moon singing!), and "Baba O'Reilly."

Speaking of that concert, if you had told me 10 years ago they would have a reunion of the remaining members of Nirvana with Paul McCartney of all people I would have cried "bullshit." But there they were. Cool song too.

Random Rambling!
This is my new favorite song..."Driver's Seat" by Sniff 'n the Tears. I've heard this song over the years but never knew what it was called or who did it. (I always thought they were saying "Driver's Suit"). It was featured in a season two episode of "The Walking Dead" and has been used as bumper music on "the Coast to Coast AM" radio show. It was played on a morning radio show I was listening to the other dayand they actually said the name of the song and artist. I love the vibe this song has...it's about driving at night, and it does sound like it would provide the perfect soundtrack for doing that. It's kind of eerie and creepy. Dig it.

Random Rambling!
R.I.P. Larry Hagman. What more can I say...you made the character of J.R. Ewing a legend of TV and icon of pop culture. This clip is of J.R.'s best one liners. Even if you're not a fan of the show or have never seen it I guarantee you're gonna laugh at some point during this. Larry Hagman OWNED this character. 'Nuff said.

And to play us out, someone else we recently lost...Ravi Shankar. From the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh.

I hope you enjoyed this legendary return to my blog, fellow basement dwellers. I'll be seeing you soon.

Happy 70th Macca!

In honor of Paul McCartney's 70th birthday today, I'm going to post the video for his song "Arrow Through Me," from 1979's Back to the Egg album by Wings. I always love hidden gems in the vast discographies of some of my favorite acts, and had never heard this particular song until a few years ago. This is an example of an overly blow-dried Macca mixing some disco-flavored funk up (in the style of his buddy Stevie Wonder, as evidenced by the keyboards).

 Paul would have only been 37 when this song came out...just 6 months before I was born. Happy birthday Sir Paul.

What's happening?! (with a pinch of "Tonight's Slab" and a dash of "Lovely Ladies of the '70s")

I apologize for the scarcity of posts lately, I've found that as the days grow longer the list of things that compete for my spare time increases. I recently bought a new TV and blu-ray player (with wireless internet capabilities), and have had fun playing with those new toys. Don't worry fellow old-schoolers, I still have love for VHS, and my basement man-cave will always exclusively feature video tapes viewed on an old tube tv/vcr combo (over the weekend I watched "The Legend of Boggy Creek," "Dazed and Confused," and a bootleg copy of the Beatles "Let It Be"). I do have to admit though, this new technology is pretty fun (it's cool being able to watch Youtube clips of my favorite old bands on a 47" screen)!

Speaking of old bands, the Beach Boys first new album of original material in 20 years was released today, and is called That's Why God Made the Radio. I went to the record store to pick up a copy but discovered only the cd version is available and the vinyl version (which I wanted) should be out within the next week or two. The trip wasn't a total loss though, as I picked up a copy of The Beach Boys Today! on vinyl in very decent shape for only $5. Released in 1965, the production and lyrics (particularly on side 2) hinted at what Brian and the Boys would be doing the following year on their landmark Pet Sounds album.

Here's a pic of the album and a clip of my favorite tune from it...it's funny, this song has been stuck in my head for the past day or so, and then I came across a copy of the record it appeared on!

And tonight begins...Lovely Ladies of the '70s
Lastly, while watching reruns of "Dallas" lately, I have developed yet another celebrity crush. The crushee is actress Victoria Principal, who portrayed Pamela Ewing on that show. I think she is simply GORGEOUS. Tonight's post will debut a new semi-regular feature for famous pretty ladies of the '70s that will be slightly different than my "Is This Your Mom" feature. Whereas the pics I post under that heading feature nude, anonymous models, this new feature will showcase celebs (A-list and under) from back then. I decided to start off with a series of pics I found of Victoria, and I will feature a different one each night this week. Enjoy!

Now this is what dreams are made of. Where's my time machine?

Essential VHS Viewing #1

Today I'm going to start a new semi-regular theme for reviews of old VHS tapes I have recently purchased and viewed. My love for the medium of VHS is no secret to regular readers of this blog and I feel like it is ESSENTIAL for watching '80s horror and action flicks. The tinny music, the wavy lines, the graininess of the footage, and the cheap production values of the video company logos at the beginning all add to the viewing experience. Here's a clip featuring some of the more well-known home video companies...

VHS also transports me back to my childhood, when renting a movie meant going to a dusty part of the grocery store (past the machine that sold Freddy Krueger stickers and 6 packs of Tab) and checking out the artwork on the boxes for the movie that looked coolest. Back then nothing beat the thrill of holding that clamshell case in your lap on the ride home, anticipating a Friday night of thrills.

In the past few months I've been seeking out and purchasing only the finest of old videos. A while back I posted a pic of a large pile of videos I found at an area Goodwill. Just two weeks ago I found some cool cheap vids at one of my local record stores; look for a post reviewing those as soon as I watch them. Today I plan on talking about three worthy additions to my growing collection I recently found on Amazon Marketplace and watched over the weekend. The titles? "The Stoned Age." "Teen Wolf." And "Squirm."

1)

1

"The Stoned Age" is a comedy that came out in 1994 about two stoners in the late '70s looking for booze and broads. As for whether it's better than "Dazed and Confused?" Well, that's a matter of taste. I do prefer "Dazed" but this movie has a certain charm for it. It is at times cheesy, cartoonish, sophomoric, and thinly plotted, BUT it's also a lot of fun. Plus, there are some fine chicks in it to look at and an ass kicking soundtrack featuring Blue Oyster Cult, Foghat, and Black Sabbath.

The movie also creates it's own language with all of the slang the characters use, most of which has probably never been heard elsewhere. Here's some examples:

                                                      Worm = Back-Stabber

                                                      Lumbo = Good Weed

                                                        Talls = 16 oz. beers

                                                     Skankweed = Bad Weed  

  

Here's a clip where we meet our two main protagonists, Joe and Hubbs:

This movie also features Grace Slick and Paul Kantner's daughter China and has cameos by Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma from B.O.C. "The Stoned Age" is so bad it's good, and worth checking out. Just make sure you have plenty of talls to consume while watching it. 

2)

My love for this movie is well-known, and I talked about it in my review of it's horribly unworthy sequel which I posted back in March. Not only is this flick one of my favorite '80s movies, but it's also one of my favorite movies of all time. It just hits all the right notes. I can watch this movie over and over and never tire of it. I watched it just this past Sunday and still got chills at the end where Michael J. Fox brushes past the sex goddess Pamela for the girl next door, Boof.

*Sigh* Boof. As soon as time travel technology is perfected, I'm going back to 1985 to win your love.

Another highlight of this flick? Jerry Levine as Stiles. He's the typical '80s flick teen bad influence. This movie is where I first got a look at what high school life was like. Here's a clip of him trying to buy a keg. The party store brings back memories of similar establishments I used to go to with my dad back in the day.

3)

I first saw this '70s b-horror movie as a 13 year old in a heavily edited version that aired on the "Thriller Double Feature." Every Saturday afternoon on Detroit's Ch. 20 they would show two horror flicks, typically from the '70s and '80s. Here's a clip of the intro for that program...you gotta love those old school low budget production values!

Anyway, I later saw "Squirm" in its' unedited glory years later when I found it on Netflix. This movie tells the story of three teens in a small Georgia town who have to face the wrath of carnivorous worms. The worms become frenzied killers after a freak lightning storms sends hundreds of thousands of volts of electricity into the wet soil. I totally love the red-headed main character, Geri, played by the beguiling Patricia Pearcy. Here's a link to pics and a clip of her brief topless scene in the film, showing a side view of her small but pert breasts. http://ancensored.com/nude-appearance/squirm-geri-sanders

I just can't get enough of those '70s gals!

"Squrim" is a total low-budget, drive-in movie theater style movie. The way it's filmed gives it an almost documentary feel, and I would compare it in that way to the legendary "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Here's a clip of the trailer:

Well gang, that's all for this first entry in my series of "Essential VHS Viewing." Next on the docket? Three movies that didn't come out during the Carter or Reagan administrations but were still worthwhile: "Halloween: H20," "Halloween: Resurrection," and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie."

Tonight's Slabs 5/23/12

It's been a while since I wrote a post about what I was currently listening to, so I thought it was high time I did. I have listened to a decent amount of records (by Steely Dan and the Allman Brothers, just to name a few)  since the last column, so I thought I would showcase tonight's selections.


RUSH

Now that cover is cosmic

I was lucky enough to find their first album in excellent condition for only $4 at my favorite local store. Now this album ROCKS! It does have some mellow moments, but most of it is ass-kicking blues-based rock similar to Zeppelin or Blue Cheer (both bands that they used to cover in their early days). The lyrics are quite different on this album as well as their main lyricist, drummer Neil Peart, did not join until their second album.

This clip features the lead-off track "Finding My Way." Right from the get-go, these guys brought the jams!

This next clip features their more well-known track from this LP, "Working Man." This song was another staple on my favorite hard rock station as a kid. I love the Zeppelin-esque breakdown in the middle. This was a song that my old band Fretbusters used to jam. It was a fun one to play!

Jeff Beck Blow By Blow

I first heard about this album on a radio request show that airs every Saturday night on Lansing's classic rock station 94.9 WMMQ, which purports to be the first classic rock station in the nation. "Larry Allen's All Reqest Saturday Night" airs from 7PM to midnight and is know for playing eclectic rock and deep cuts. During one show I heard an instrumental tune by Jeff Beck called "Freeway Jam" and loved it.

Jeff really creates the atmosphere and feel of leisurely driving down the freeway on that song. Blow by Blow is the seventh album by Jeff but the first one to consist of all instrumentals. He had some help from some fellow legends on this one, including Stevie Wonder (who wrote and played on two tracks) and the legendary Beatles producer George Martin, who turned the knobs in the control room. For $1, I got more than my money's worth. I heard Jeff Beck backed-up Mick Jagger on the recent season finale of SNL. I was unable to see it as I recently got rid of cable (plus I'm usually busy being social Saturday nights). I will have to see if it's on Hulu or NBC's web site.

Jefferson Starship Red Octopus

 
Released in 1975, this was the second official release by Jefferson Starship (the first being 1974's Dragon Fly). You may remember a while back I reviewed the proto-Jefferson Starship album Blows Against the Empire, which was more of a solo album by Paul Kantner than a true new band.

Two bands formed out of the ashes of Jefferson Airplane, who ceased existence in 1974. One featured members Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, and was called Hot Tuna. Jefferson Starship was the other, and featured previous Airplane members  Paul Kantner (guitar), co-singers Grace Slick and Marty Balin, and a host of new faces. One of the new members, an African-American fiddle player named Papa John Creach, had jammed with the last Airplane line-up. The band also featured guitar wunderkind Craig Chaquiso, bassist David Freiberg (ex-Quicksilver Messenger Service), drummer John Barbata (formerly of the Turtles), and keyboardist Pete Sears. Here's a group photo from the back cover:

This album is solid if not spectacular, and features one very well-known track, "Miracles." Here's a clip. This song can best be described as dreamy and MELLOW. Marty and Grace's vocals are soft yet powerful...it's a tune to make love to for sure.

I hope you enjoyed this sampler of tunes I've been digging on as of late. As always, drop that needle and keep rockin'.

Tube Time - DALLAS

I haven't had too many posts about old TV shows, so I thought it was high time I wrote something up. So starting today I will have a semi-regular feature called "Tube Time."

On my streaming Netflix I have been slowly watching every episode of the A-Team. Just last night I completed season 3, which means I have 2 seasons left. Expect a posting once I finish the show, which will be kind of a retrospective on the series. Today I'm going to write about a show that is  from the same time period but a little more...dramatic. That show is "Dallas." One word to describe it? Epic.

The first (and I think greatest) of the legendary '70s-'80s primetime soap operas (Dynasty, Falcon Crest, etc.) told the story of a Texas oil company run by gruff old-timer John Ross "Jock" Ewing and his 2 sons: the manipulative John  Ross Jr., or J.R. (played by "I Dream of Jeannie" star Larry Hagman) and Bobby, the  honorable son (played by Patrick Duffy, later of "Step by Step"). The show was ubiquitous when I was growing up, and the theme song and opening credits were indelibly burned into my mind. Here's a clip to refresh your memories...

                                     

My personal memories of the show date back to 1984 or so, watching it with my parents. I'm certain that I didn't know a lot about what was going on in any given episode, but I remember the characters being compelling. I even remember the episode where Bobby Ewing dies!

Don't worry, he gets better in a controversial retcon the end of the next season which said it was "it was all a dream" (and I thought comics had shitty explanations for returning dead characters!)

The show ran for a staggering 13 seasons (and also had spin-off called "Knots Landing," featuring the black sheep of the family, middle son Gary Ewing). I remember it being a big deal when it went off the air, ending on a cliff-hanger where it looked like J.R. killed himself after a supernatural encounter:

Don't worry, he survived to star in two reunion films that came out in the late '90s and will also be part of a new "Dallas" series to air this summer on TNT featuring the next generation of Ewings. A little over a year ago I watched part of a marathon of episodes and found them to be well-done and highly entertaining, so I put disc one of season one on Netflix (it's not streaming unfortunately). It came in the mail earlier this week and I watched it this past Wednesday evening while I laid on the couch sick as a dog.

Holy crap did I enjoy the heck out of those first 3 episodes! They had great acting, great writing, and interesting characters and stories. THIS is how primetime TV used to be, back when there were only 3 networks and millions of people all watched the same shows which were of the highest quality possible. With cable and other media diluting everything these days, primetime has turned into a wasteland of by-the-numbers procedural cop shows and *shudder* glorified talent shows. Plus, being the retrologist I am, I love all of the '70s fashions, including the suits and ties. I need an entire wardrobe of clothes like this I can wear to work.

The crux of the show was that the good son Bobby eloped with Pamela, the daughter of Jock's old business partner, Diggar Barnes. Jock kind of screwed over ol' Diggar back in the day (and also stole his woman, Miss Ellie), so there's a lot of enmity there, leading Diggar to be a broken down old drunk. To add to the drama, Diggar's son and Pamela's brother, Cliff, Barnes, acts as legal counsel to a government investigation of the Ewing's business doings. The chess game is set! Other drama includes Jock's granddaughter and Gary's daughter Lucy having an affair with the foreman of the Ewing's ranch, Ray Krebbs (who used to date Pamela). J.R. was also having an affair with his secretary, played by Tina Louise (better known as Ginger from "Gilligan's Island"), who in turn was feeding information to Cliff. Oh what a tangled web they weaved...

Anyway, I'm going to keep watching, and follow the show through the many seasons. It's going to take some time, but I think it will be worth it. And since I don't have cable anymore, I won't have any other shows competing for my attention. They probably wouldn't be as good anyway. Before I wrap this post up, here's a clip of J.R. being his lovable, slimy self towards his new sister-in-law:

Is This Your Mom? 5/12/12

It's Mother's Day weekend...I figured I would put a pic on featuring as many hot '70s moms as possible!

Happy b-day to an ANIMAL

I just learned that Eric Burdon (singer for the Animals and War) turned 71 today. Holy crap I didn't realize he was that old, but if you do the math I guess it all adds up. I dig all of his stuff with the Animals but I think this is my favorite performance of his...enjoy.

Guilty Pleasures - The Carpenters

Ok, I warned you all this one was coming...in this edition of "Guilty Pleasures" I'm letting the whole world know: I like the Carpenters.

The legendary light rock duo's career spanned 14 years, from 1969-1983. The act consisted of brother Richard and sister Karen Carpenters, with Richard playing the piano and providing back-up vocals while Karen sang lead.

Which one's the sister?

Karen's voice is nothing short of incredible...rich, deep, and considered by many to be one of the best in popular music. Not only was she an amazing singer, but she was also an accomplished drummer.

Richard was the backbone of the group, and his piano playing was integral to their sound, as were his low-key backing vocals. I don't remember when I first heard this band...it's like they've been there, in the background, my whole life. One distinct early memory I do have of one of their songs is Rick Moranis's off-key but touching rendition  of "(They Long to Be) Close to You," written by Burt Bacharach, one of my favorite song writers of the '60s (now there's another idea for a blog post!).

This video pretty much sums of the Carpenters for me. It's a live performance that features their trademark vocals, shows off their lighthearted interaction with each other, and even has some country twang thrown in for good measure.

Call them cheesy, call them gay, call them lame as hell, but don't call them untalented or uninteresting. I dig these two a lot, and it's a shame that Karen isn't around to show some of these auto-tuned pop stars how to really sing.

So if I lived in the '70s...

...this would be my office:

This would be my bachelor pad:

And life would be smooth as the top shelf scotch and menthol cigarette I would be holding in my hands...

Today's Slabs - Aerosmith and Alan Parsons Project

Aerosmith
I recently picked up copies of Toys In the Attic and Rocks, released in 1975 and 1976 respectively. Many regard these albums as the apex of the early part of their career, and I would have to agree with them. I haven't heard their first two albums (Aerosmith and Get Your Wings) in full, but from what I have heard it seemed like they were still "getting their sea legs" in terms of finding their sound. By the time Toys and Rocks came out, they were in full form.

Toys In the Attic features such classics as the title track, "Walk This Way," "Big 10 Inch Record," "Sweet Emotion," and "No More No More." Most of these songs were staples on 101 WRIF, a hard rock station out of Detroit I listened to during my formative years as a music lover. They never get old to me, and hearing them transports me back to my basement hang-out in middle school, when I played video games and listened to my dad's ancient 1970s stereo, with the broken turntable and cassette player. "Sweet Emotion" also has the added attraction of reminding me of the intro to one of my all-time favorite flicks, "Dazed and Confused." Rocks is another rockin' record, and features the tunes "Back In the Saddle" and "Last Child," two more songs I used to love when they were played on the WRIF. This album has been a big influence on many people in the hard rock and metal community, with bands like Guns N' Roses and Metallica citing it as influential.

Allmusic, a music review website I find to be an invaluable resource when deciding on albums to buy, gives each of these records 5 stars. Unfortunately their next two albums would not be as well-received, and would be the last ones to feature the original line-up until their mid '80s comeback. 


Alan Parsons Project
The Alan Parsons Project, a duo consisting of Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson (along with various musicians and vocalists) are a band I've liked for a while but had yet to really get into. Until recently I was only familiar with the handful of hit singles they had in the '80s ("Eye In the Sky," "Don't Answer Me," "Time"). On the recommendation of my old co-worker/friend Greg from Kalamazoo, I picked up the I Robot album and liked it a lot. It has a lot of different sounds going on...early electronic, prog, disco, soul, and funk, which keeps definitely keeps it interesting.

The album cover photo features the band members using the escalator tubes in the circular Terminal 1 building of  de Gaulle Airport outside Paris.

A concept album loosely built around the idea of robots, the following was written on the cover inlay. It sets the mood for the album:

"I ROBOT...THE STORY OF THE RISE OF THE MACHINE AND THE DECLINE OF MAN, WHICH PARADOXICALLY COINCIDED WITH HIS DISCOVERY OF THE WHEEL...AND A WARNING THAT HIS BRIEF DOMINANCE OF THIS PLANET WILL PROBABLY END, BECAUSE MAN TRIED TO CREATE ROBOT IN HIS OWN IMAGE."
  
Heavy stuff right?

Here's a few of my fave songs:

                                                     "I Wouldn't Wanna Be Like You"

                         "Breakdown" (feat. Allan Clarke, lead singer of the Hollies, on vocals)

My pal Greg has this to say about the album when he recommended it recently:

Coming up on the 35th anniversary of the release of this masterpiece. If you have never given this album a listen, I seriously urge you to. Especially, on a night when you have a good view of the stars and sky. Those should be your only distractions, and then all will be known. I am not accountable for any pleasant out-of-body experiences you most likely will have, nor the frequent U.F.O. flybys that will occur...

 

Thanks again Greg, I think I may have to try that next time I listen...

Guilty Pleasures - Bread and Judy Blue Eyes

Gulity Pleasure #1 - Bread
Ever since I was in 12th grade I have been a fan of Bread, a soft rock/folk rock band known for their syrupy sweet ballads and other pop confections. Formed in 1969 by a quartet of former session musicians, their reign as masters of the make-out song only lasted 4 years as the band broke up in 1973. Two reunions followed in the late '70s and late '90s, and their total catalog consists of 6 albums (5 of which were released every year from 1969-1972). 

Here's a ballad that was in my head today...beautiful stuff. Sweet guitar playing too. Whenever I hear it I'm reminded of the grocery store I worked at in high school. This was classic "music for old ladies to shop to:"

Bread could also rock though. Their lead singer/songwriter/guitarist David Gates was know for the light stuff, while co-singer/guitarist Jimmy Griffin was know for the rockers. Here's an example:

I first heard Bread on one of those commercials from the early '90s that advertised soft rock compilations.  The song was called "If," and it featured a cool tremolo/wah-wah effect on the guitar part in the intro. I also remember the character Wayne from the tv show "The Wonder Years" singing it to his girlfriend (fast forward to the 3:50 mark of the video):

I remember my chemistry teacher in 12th grade playing "The Anthology of Bread" album in class one day. That album was their 20 (!) song best-of compilation, and I got to hear for the first time all of their hits on one disc together. I also was able to experience the variety of different songs they played. I remember hearing this next one and thinking that it sounded like it could have been sung by Greg Brady:

Guilty Pleasure #2 - Judy Collins
While not familiar with most of her catalog, pop/folk singer Judy Collins has one song that I just love. I first heard  it (surprise surprise) on an episode of "The Wonder Years." The song is called "Both Sides Now," and the lyrics, combined with her lovely voice, just KILL me. Not a good song to play if I'm hammered...I may start blubbering like a newborn.

Another song of hers I dig  is a cover of the Beatles song "In My Life." Guess where I first heard it? Yes, once again it was on "The Wonder Years." Most of the time I don't care for covers of Beatles songs. It's hard to top perfection right? There have been a few exceptions to this over the years, like Joe Cocker's covers of "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" and "With a Little Help From My Friends" (which was the theme song to...never mind). Her version of "In My Life" comes darn close to topping the original version. My thanks go out to my doll, the Canadian Belle, for finding this clip the other day and reminding me of how good it is:

Judy is a pretty amazing gal. I guess she would have to be to inspire Stephen Stills to write this amazing song, about their break-up:

Next on Guilty Pleasures: The Carpenters. For real.