Bookended by Cats was named after Milo and Otis. They are the short, orange, and furry brothers who, upon entering our lives in 2003, often bookended us on our couch. And who are we? We're a geek couple living in PA. We love music, movies, TV, comics, books, and comic cons. And, from time to time, we'll share our thoughts on these nerdy things.
Not quite a grail book, but Plastic Man #1 (Dec 1966, DC Comics) is a comic I've wanted for a while. One of my first comics was a coverless copy of #11 from this series, which I have since re-acquired, with an attached cover. After snagging #1 and #19 during SDCC, I now have 10 out of the 20 issues of this run.
Where does this land in Plastic Man history? Well, Plas first appeared in Police Comics #1 (Aug 1941). He didn't get his own series till later, and there have been multiple series named for him. The CLZ app refers to this run as Plastic Man Vol. 1 while Comic Book Realm considers it Vol. 2. The earlier run by Vital Comics / Quality Comics Group (1943-1956) is Plastic Man Vol. 1 at the Realm, while CLZ files the series under the moniker of Plastic Man (Quality Comics). I'll probably never own any of those QCC books, or Police Comics for that matter. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Anyway, this issue has the 1st appearance of the Silver Age Plastic Man (Eel O'Brian Jr), considered the son of the Golden Age Plastic Man (Eel O'Brien). After 1977, the son is all but forgotten, and DC Comics focuses on Eel O'Brien.
Well, that's not entirely correct. The "Jr." version of Plastic Man's son is gone, but he got a son called Offspring in The Kingdom: Offspring #1 (1999), and JLA #65 (June 2002) gave Offspring the civilian name of Luke Ernie "Loogie" McDunnagh O'Brian (Luke O'Brian for short).
[The Devil's Flashback] -- In my experience of being a music fan for several decades, I have found that there are albums that are seared into one's memory, almost imprinted onto the DNA. There are albums that flash furiously and brightly into one's life, but that flash is of limited duration, and even more limited in terms of recollection. And, of course, there are releases that span the gap between. This week's flashback album is of the furious albeit brief variety. In fact, I did not even consciously recall this record until I started listening to its playlist on YouTube.
Electronic and avant-garde composer Nicolas Collins is known as a pioneer in the use of microcomputers and kit-bashed instruments in live performance. His homemade instruments would combine circuitry, simple computers, and traditional instruments. His third album, 1985's Devil's Music, features a performer DJ-ing with snippets of a live scanning radio, for example.
According to Collins himself, "Devil’s Music is a performance piece about global media, local culture and individual interference. It developed in 1985 out of the confluence of my fascination with early Hip Hop DJs, a Cagean love of the splendor of radio, the introduction of the first affordable, portable samplers [nicolascollins.com, June 2009]. Devil's Music is a music collage in which radio transmissions are "digitally sampled, looped, retriggered, reversed, and de-tuned" through a "cheap sampling system (consisting of two Electro Harmonix Super Replays and one 16 second Delay) to develop the quirky rhythmic interplay that characteristizes the piece" [Collins].
Had I not been involved with the Penn State Electronic Music Lab, I probably would never had heard of Collins or this album. It seems I promptly forgot about his work shortly thereafter. But in listening to this album anew, I am pleasantly reminded of my own late hours in the studio, and discussions with the other students attempting to compose pieces from an assortment of loops, Moog recordings, and live instruments.
Your mileage may vary, particularly if you have not noodled around with electronic music, but this record is still an interesting snapshot of everyday sounds turned into fodder for a compositional tapestry. Was it ahead of its time? Well, it was unsuccessful upon release 40 years ago. And I cannot find any commercial information regarding the album's 2009 reissue. At least it hasn't been completely abandoned to the dustbin of history.
Flashback: Devil's Music (July 1985)
And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.
[Heart Zooming] -- I'm here with another 1980s two-fer for your weekend. With both albums this week, we see artists well into their careers, but making a shift. And both of these albums feature outstanding female vocalists.
Heart – With a self-titled album released in 1985, somewhere between mid-June and July 6, Heart not only revitalized their career with their eighth studio album, but also glammed up their look. They embraced corsets, fluffy shirts, and a few other pirate/glam touches. Just look at their album cover. While I'm not sure who influenced Heart's wardrobe change, I do know they had outside influences for the music. Heart saw the band working with several well-known songwriters such as Jim Vallance, Holly Knight, Mark Mueller, and Bernie Taupin. Heart's first three singles from this album – "What About Love", "Never", and "These Dreams" – were all top 40 hits in the US, and they also charted globally. Also, the music video for "Never" featured the band in their very best pirate glam finery. Heart peaked at the #1 slot on the Billboard 200, and was in the top 100 or better in several other countries. Heart was now a pop band, playing powerful hooks supported by polished songwriting, and the Wilson sisters' wore their tight corsets all the way to the most popular album they ever released.
Who's Zoomin' Who? – On July 9, 1985, Aretha Franklin released, Who's Zoomin' Who?, her 30th studio album. This marked a shift away from the adult contemporary sounds of her prior records and toward 1980s themes such as dance-pop, synths, and the then contemporary R&B styles. She got rave reviews and the lead single, "Freeway of Love", was a commercial success which not only peaked at #1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, but also earned Ms. Franklin a Grammy Award [see notes on TV80s.com]. This album also features "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves", a fantastic collab with Eurythmics. Who's Zoomin' Who? is considered Franklin's comeback album, and it even established her as a music video star. The album peaked at #13 on the US Billboard 200, #3 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and #49 on the UK Albums chart, as well as zooming into the top 40 of charts around the world.
What's on your turntable this weekend?
Flashback #1: Heart (July 6, 1985)
Flashback #2: Who's Zoomin' Who? (July 9, 1985)
And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.
[Damned Progaganda] -- I wasn't certain what to highlight for this fourth of July weekend. Well, not until after the middle of the week and its deflating news. Still, I was able to select two albums that, depending on the source, were both released on July 1, 1985, and are, therefore, 40 years old as of this weekend! We have one artist from the UK, and another from Germany. So, if you were looking for patriotic tunes this week, you'll have to click elsewhere. But, if you want another glimpse into my musical tastes, read on!
Phantasmagoria – 40 years ago this week, depending on the source, The Damned released this album in either June or July of 1985. I'm splitting the difference, and following at least two sites that point to July 1, 1985, as the release date for The Damned's sixth studio album, Phantasmagoria. This was the band's first release without original member Captain Sensible, and it also marked a shift from punk to a more gothic rock sound. Of the three singles, only "Grimly Fiendish" charted, peaking at #21 on the UK charts. And it joins "The Eighth Day" and "There'll Come A Day" as my fave tracks on the album.
A Secret Wish – German synthpop band Propaganda released their debut album, A Secret Wish, on July 1, 1985. Do you remember it? Probably not, as that is the way of some propaganda, heh. Anyway, Trevor Horn, David Sylvian, and other 80s music luminaries were involved in the creation of this record which reached the top 25 of multiple countries' charts. Two of the singles – "Duel" and "The Nine Lives of Dr. Mabuse" (often referenced simply as "Dr. Mabuse") – both peaked within the Top 30 of UK's charts. I'm a little surprised that "Duel" didn't do well on MTV in the US. I mean, that chessboard stage set and other visuals should have launched the video into steady rotation! As far as non-singles, I'm partial to "The Murder of Love".
What are you spinning this weekend?
Flashback #1: Phantasmagoria (July 1, 1985, or so)
Flashback #2: A Secret Wish (July 1, 1985)
And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.
[Misplaced Invading Immigrant Lizard] -- As I previously mentioned, there are a whole bunch of great, or fondly remembered, albums that came out in June 1985. And, as we are close to closing out the month of June, I've decided to offer a double twofer. Yes, I'm featuring a total of four albums on this Friday, and all of them turned 40 years old this month. Each record in this Flashback represents a different genre, so I might be betraying more of my brain's musical DNA with this post. I love all these records and have owned them in vinyl or CD.
Misplaced Childhood – Marillion, a (neo-)prog band operating out of the UK, released Misplaced Childhood as their third studio album on June 17, 1985. It was also their first concept album, kinda based on the lead singer's own childhood. Misplaced Childhood turned out to be Marillion's most commercially successful album, making the band one of the biggest prog-rock acts of the 1980s. "Kayleigh" was their most successful single, peaking at #2 in the UK and #74 on the US Billboard Hot 100 while also charting around the world. While "Lavender" did not chart in the US, it is the track that I most recall from this record (maybe because it's the one I learned for an audition back in college).
Big Lizard in My Backyard – Here is the punk rock entry for this Flashback. And, in case the title of this album, or the band's name, didn't tip you off, this also qualifies as comedy rock. Big Lizard (June 16, 1985) was the Dead Milkmen's debut album. No singles were released, but some tracks have achieved notoriety, or infamy, in their own way. "Bitchin' Camaro" is in this vein, and it is possibly the band's most well known track due to regular airplay on college radio. The actual song is just under a minute long, but the recording includes a nearly two-minute, rambling intro in which two characters are having a conversation about going to the shore, seeing a cover band, and the one character's new car. Philly's own WXPN was apparently an early champion of the Dead Milkmen, and they frequently played a demo version of "Bitchin' Camero."
Immigrant – In the mid 1980s, Gene Loves Jezebel was a post-punk band by way of the UK's goth scene. Their second studio album, Immigrant, didn't chart. I guess you could say it was sort of a holding pattern between their successful debut album (1983) and the top 40 success they would achieve in 1986. Still, they did have two singles here that performed moderately well: "Shame" reached #14 and "Cow" peaked at #8 on the UK Indies chart. "Worth Waiting For" is a standout track if only for the humorous spoken word break that occurs midway through the track. Also, don't snooze on the closer, "Coal Porter," which has a lovely arrangement and sentimental lyrics.
Invasion of Your Privacy – On June 13, 1985, US metal band Ratt released their sophomore album, Invasion of Your Privacy. It continued the commercial success of their debut and peaked at #7 on the Billboard 200, eventually going double platinum. And it's the 8th best metal album of 1985, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. The two singles – "Lay It Down" and "You're in Love" – charted in the Billboard Hot 100, with the former even squeaking into the top 40. A third single, "What You Give Is What You Get", was released to popular effect in Japan.
That's enough words. Let's get to the music. 🎶
Flashback #1: Misplaced Childhood (June 17, 1985)
Flashback #2: Big Lizard in My Backyard (June 16, 1985)
Flashback #3: Immigrant (June 22, 1985)
Flashback #4: Invasion of Your Privacy (June 13, 1985)
And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.
[Jazz in a Half Shell] -- In early 1984, The Police called it quits. Breaking up a popular rock band at the height of their commercial success, and shortly after a colossal tour, probably didn't seem all that logical. I'm guessing that trading rock'n'roll stardom for a jazzier sound was even less logical. However, forty years ago this week – June 17, 1985 – Police bassist and vocalist, Sting, did just that when he released his debut solo studio album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles. Perhaps those surprised fans did not realize, or recall, that all three members of The Police had jazz backgrounds. In fact, Stewart Copeland has explained that he first saw Sting when the latter was performing with a jazz fusion outfit in Newcastle.
But Sting didn't want to necessarily make a jazz record as his first big solo outing. No, his "intention was to use musicians who had the finesse of playing jazz, but to make music without that label" (UCR, June 2015). And so, he recruited a brilliant set of musicians -- Branford Marsalis (saxophone), Kenny Kirkland (keyboards), Omar Hakim (drums) and Darryl Jones (bass) -- to create an album that was not stifled by what he viewed as the restrictive format of pop or rock. If the multiple singles, handful of Grammy nominations (Album of the Year, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, and Best Engineered Recording), and being a top 10 album around the world (including peaking at #3 in the UK and #2 on the US Billboard 200) are any indication, Sting succeeded. So, let's revisit this record and celebrated its 40th anniversary.
Track order in the embedded playlist (* indicates a single):
Side one
1."If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" *
2."Love Is the Seventh Wave" *
3."Russians" *
4."Children's Crusade"
5."Shadows in the Rain"
Side two
6."We Work the Black Seam" *
7."Consider Me Gone"
8."The Dream of the Blue Turtles"
9."Moon over Bourbon Street" *
10."Fortress Around Your Heart" *
Flashback: The Dream of the Blue Turtles (June 1985)
And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.
