Friday 80s Flashback for October 22, 2021

[Goodbye Mom - Redux] -- By Friday, October 20, 2017, I was more than two thirds of the way through writing a Flashback post, but I no longer wanted to use it. My sister had called me around 5pm the prior day and told me that our mother was gone, that she had unexpectedly died overnight. Sis had gone over to Mom's house to check on her, as per usual, but instead found ... well, she found that Mom never made it out of bed that day. Her memorial service was the following Wednesday, 10/25/2017. 

So, my one and only flashback song for that -- and this -- weekend is in memory of our mother, gone too soon at age 71. I'm cribbing both the tune and the write-up from a previous Flashback post, but so be it. 

It is probably no surprise that I could reliably turn to Disney for a song that honors the very heart of motherhood. Well, I sort of turned to Disney. I turned to Hal Willner, an American music producer with several tribute albums and live events listed among his many credits. In 1988, Willner released his fourth tribute album, Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films. Stay Awake featured new recordings of Disney tunes by a whole range of performing artists, from Sun Ra to Michael Stipe, and from Buster Poindexter to Ringo Starr. This is still one of my favorite CDs from the 80s. At the time, I loved it because it made a somewhat adult soundtrack out of songs originally created for kids. Over 30 years later, I still love it for the milestone in my life that it represents. The second track on Stay Awake pairs Bonnie Raitt with Was (Not Was) on "Baby Mine" from the 1941 film Dumbo. And it never fails to make me think of my own mother. 

R.I.P. Mom (August 1946 - October 2017).

"You're so precious to me | Cute as can be | Baby, you're mine." 

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Once again, I remind you that the rule of three applies when doing Flashbacks. As I've made my three offerings, 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.

I'll see you in seven!

Friday 80s Flashback for 10/15/2021

[October at 40] -- 40 years ago this week, on 10/12/1981, U2 released their sophomore album, October. Much of the album's lyrical content is spiritual in nature as three of the four bandmates were in a Christian group, called the "Shalom Fellowship," although the three were not necessarily similar in devotion. In fact, Bono (vocals) and Edge (guitar) were unsure whether rock and roll was at all compatible with a professing Christian lifestyle, and they both exited the band, albeit temporarily. Perhaps their return indicated a cessation of doubt, hence the album's references to exultant rejoicing ... and the Latin liturgical chorus on the lone hit, "Gloria." And while "Gloria" is not the only standout track, the album's lack of cohesion makes it suffer and seem more like a stumble after their much more confident debut, Boy (1980). October received mixed reviews, although Dave McCullough of Sounds gave it high praise, concluding his review with, "This October will last forever." And, perhaps, this album is best appreciated in retrospect, as tiny glimpses of what was yet to come from the Dublin Ireland quartet. Even Bono said during this time, “I don’t really feel U2 has been born yet." They were still learning, and still developing. What a journey it has been. 

Flashback: October (10/12/1981)

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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.

I'll see you in seven!

Friday 80s Flashback for October 8, 2021

 

[Scoundrel Years] -- 35 years ago this week, Norwegian new wavers A-ha released their sophomore record, Scoundrel Days. This studio album featured the huge hit ... well ... um ... if you were part of the casual US record buying market in 1986, you probably don't recall any hits from this album. Of course, you might not recall any A-ha songs beyond "Take On Me" and "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." from their 1985 debut, Hunting High and Low. And maybe you've heard their 1987 Bond theme, "The Living Daylights." But you probably gave a pass to Scoundrel Days which peaked at a mere #74 on the US Billboard 200 and had one top 50 track in the states. 

Let's back up. You see, after the success of A-ha's debut album, their record company was hungry for a cookie-cutter follow up. But the band was ready to move on, and they basically responded with, "No, we don't want to record another 'Take on Me,' we're doing our own thing" (Rolling Stone, 2010). And that was a good decision. While the US largely ignored Scoundrel Days, it turned out to be an international hit. The record racked up Platinum sales as it hit #2 in the UK and #4 in Belgium, Germany, and New Zealand; it even broke into the top 10 in Austria, the Netherlands, France, Japan, and Switzerland. Three of the singles -- "I’ve Been Losing You," "Cry Wolf," and "Manhattan Skyline" -- were top 40 hits in the UK and many other countries. "Cry Wolf" was the only single released in the US and it performed admirably (if still disappointing for record execs) on several US charts; it peaked at #14 on US Dance Club Songs, #30 on US Dance Singles Sales, #51 on US Cash Box Top 100 Singles, and #50 on the US Billboard Hot 100. 

It's a solid record, and you owe it to your 1980s-loving heart to give it a listen. And, uh, let me know what you think of "We're Looking For The Whales" and "The Weight of the Wind," would ya? You'll find them as tracks #7 and #8 on the CD (or the YouTube playlist), or the second and third tracks on side B of the vinyl or cassette. 

   

Flashback: Scoundrel Days (1986)

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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.

I'll see you in seven!

Friday 80 Flashback for October 1, 2021

 

[Ghost in the Month] -- I'm kicking off October 2021 with an album that was released 40 years ago on Saturday. I'm talking about Ghost in the Machine, the fourth studio album by The Police, which was released on October 2, 1981. After their first three records, The Police were legit stars. And while they had already been rather clever in their lyrics as well as their hooks, Ghost in the Machine found the trio going to another level as both visionary and, if truth be told, pretentious songsmiths. For starters, the album title was based on Arthur Koestler's 1967 philosophical book, The Ghost in the Machine, about the mind-body relationship. Second, bassist/vocalist -- and primary songwriter -- Sting worked many of the book's theories (such as the notion that humans should not be too machine-like) into his latest songs. "Spirits in the Material World," the album opener, is pretty much a three-minute musical summation of Koestler's work (according to Ultimate Classic Rock). Musically, this album found the band making heavy use of keyboards and horns for the first time. Andy Summers (guitarist) is on record as not being a fan of this change in the band's musical direction:

"I have to say I was getting disappointed with the musical direction around the time of 'Ghost In The Machine'. With the horns and synth coming in, the fantastic raw-trio feel - all the really creative and dynamic stuff - was being lost. We were ending up backing a singer doing his pop songs. But there were still great moments when Sting was able to loosen up enough, where we could really go for it in concert." ~Andy Summers: Guitar Player, 1/94 

Still, accusations of pretension and Summers' complaints aside, the shift was successful. Ghost in the Machine peaked at #1 and #2 on the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200 respectively. And all three US singles ("Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," "Spirits in the Material World," and "Secret Journey") charted on the US Billboard Hot 100. The first UK single, "Invisible Sun," peaked at #2 on that nation's chart. 

Ghost in the Machine is a darker outing for The Police, both in terms of theme and band dynamics, but it's also a masterpiece. And it was possibly a bit ahead of its time. 

Flashback: Ghost in the Machine (1981)

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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.

I'll see you in seven!

Maleficent - Mistress of Evil

 Dangrdafne review

Beautiful to watch. Absolute full on eye candy for everything. Incredible costuming, amazing scenery and Angelina Jolie was glorious. Simply beautiful. 

That said, I preferred the first movie over this one. The story was just too harsh for me. Perhaps if I saw this before the pandemic I would feel differently but it just didn’t hit me right. Too much carnage when real life has too much right now. 

It was a traditional fairy tale though and I won’t deny them that. Traditional fairy tales are not pretty and this story certainly wasn’t. 

But again I could look at the costuming all day every day. 

2 paws overall 

4 paws for costumes and scenery 

Friday 80s Flashback for September 24, 2021

[Something Kool] -- 40 years ago today, Kool & the Gang released their 13th studio album, Something Special. Although lead singer James “J.T.” Taylor and co-founder Ronald Bell performed the main writing duties on this record, the whole group contributed as composers. That kind of teamwork would continue, particularly as the band took more control of their recordings. But for Something Special and its follow-up, Brazilian jazz-dance producer, and artist in his own right, Eumir Deodato helmed the production duties just as he had for the prior two releases, Ladies Night (1979) and Celebrate! (1980). Kool & the Gang were definitely responsible for carrying disco's torch into the early 1980s! 

Something Kool  became the band's third Platinum album, following in the footsteps of the two prior Deodato-helmed records, and it was their first top ten record in the UK. In the US, the album peaked at #12 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart and #1 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart. As far as singles went, "Take My Heart" was a #1 hit on the R&B chart while peaking at #17 on the Pop chart, and the infectious "Get Down On It" reached #4 on the R&B chart and #10 on the Pop chart. "Stepping Out," the first single, reached #12 (R&B) and #89 (Pop). Additionally, "Stand Up and Sing" found its way onto the soundtrack for The Pirate Movie (1982).

I've embedded KoolandthegangShow's video playlist. They compiled the album's original eight tracks plus a bonus track ("Stop!") from the 1998 CD reissue. Enjoy!

Flashback: Something Special (Kool & the Gang, 1981)

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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.

I'll see you in seven!

Friday 80s Flashback for September 17, 2021

 

[A-B-A-C-A-B] -- Genesis has been in the news lately, primarily because they have a reunion tour in the works. But drummer/frontman Phil Collins' recent comments have also drawn attention: This tour is likely his swan song due to his ongoing health problems. 

So, this might be a good time to revisit a record from when he was in his prime. And, in September 1981, 40 years ago this week, Genesis released their 11th studio album, Abacab. The title track took its name from how an early version of the song was structured (i.e., the order of sections assigned a letter of the alphabet). According to guitarist Mike Ruthorford, however, the final version was more like ACACACUCUBUBUGA than ABACAB (see Genesis In the Studio, YouTube, 2006). 

Abacab marked a shift from Genesis' progressive roots into a more pop-oriented sound, but those roots are still somewhat evident. And it was a big success; it was the band's second #1 album on the UK Albums Chart as well as their first to peak in the top ten of the US Billboard 200. Of the four singles, "Abacab" and "No Reply At All" were the most successful. "Abacab" peaked at #26 while "No Reply At All" peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100. "No Reply At All" also reached the #2 position on the U.S. Top Rock Tracks chart. Back in the day, my favorite track was probably the fourth single, "Man on the Corner," but these days I gravitate more to an unreleased track, "Dodo/Lurker." Though I still have quite a bit of love for "No Reply At All." Feel free to share your favorite Genesis track in the comments!

Flashback: Abacab (September 18, 1981)

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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.

I'll see you in seven!