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It's just another step in this end of an era for DC Comics, who announced the shuttering of the once iconic imprint last June.
Friday, January 17, 2020
Vertigo's Final Tweet
It's just another step in this end of an era for DC Comics, who announced the shuttering of the once iconic imprint last June.
Friday 80s Flashback for January 17, 2020
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| A 1980s photo of David Bowie (1947 - 2016) |
[Farewell Thin White Duke - REDUX] -- This Flashback was originally posted on Prophet or Madman on 1/15/2016.
David Bowie, who started performing music in 1962 and released his final album on 1/8/2016, died on Sunday, 1/10/2016 at the age of 69. I learned of his passing via a news alert early on the following Monday. In what must be the most impressive act of keeping a story under wraps, no one knew just how sick Bowie was until after his death. As this week has progressed, many people with greater verbal facility or better familiarity with Bowie's career have waxed poetic in their tributes. As I have neither, but have been a fan, I would like to mark this giant of an artist's passing. So I'll offer up a trio of selections from Bowie's 80s catalog. Read and hear more after the break!
David Bowie, who started performing music in 1962 and released his final album on 1/8/2016, died on Sunday, 1/10/2016 at the age of 69. I learned of his passing via a news alert early on the following Monday. In what must be the most impressive act of keeping a story under wraps, no one knew just how sick Bowie was until after his death. As this week has progressed, many people with greater verbal facility or better familiarity with Bowie's career have waxed poetic in their tributes. As I have neither, but have been a fan, I would like to mark this giant of an artist's passing. So I'll offer up a trio of selections from Bowie's 80s catalog. Read and hear more after the break!
Friday, January 10, 2020
Friday 80s Flashback for January 10, 2020
[Remembering Neil Peart] -- I learned today that drummer extraordinaire Neil Peart passed away. The announcement came today, but he passed on 1/7/2020, after battling brain cancer for the last three years. Neil provided the beat for the Canadian power trio, Rush, perhaps the greatest progressive rock band in music history. His bandmates were the phenomenal bassist, and nasally vocalist, Geddy Lee, and power-chording guitarist Alex Lifeson (who, though not as vaunted as his bandmates, did rank in Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time). Neil was also Rush's primary lyricist, crafting songs inspired from philosophy and science fiction.
Neil was bit by the drumming bug in his pre-teens. But before his parents would let him have a drum set, they gave him "a pair of sticks, a practice pad, and lessons" and told him he had to stick with the lessons for a year. And, wow, did his drum kit evolve over time. Rather than go through the details here, I'll direct you to Drum Magazine for their stellar rundown of the man and his drums ("Mean Mean Stride: The Drums Of Neil Peart;" September 12, 2013).
Rush debuted in 1974, but they had a strong 80s presence, releasing six albums between 1980 and 1989. Wikipedia refers to the bulk of this time as the band's "Synthesizer-oriented era." And it's probably the era I know and remember best as it covered my high school and college years. So, for this memorial Flashback, I'll pick two tracks from those years and ... a third track showcasing another side of Peart's skills. To find out what tracks I chose, read and hear more after the jump.
Neil was bit by the drumming bug in his pre-teens. But before his parents would let him have a drum set, they gave him "a pair of sticks, a practice pad, and lessons" and told him he had to stick with the lessons for a year. And, wow, did his drum kit evolve over time. Rather than go through the details here, I'll direct you to Drum Magazine for their stellar rundown of the man and his drums ("Mean Mean Stride: The Drums Of Neil Peart;" September 12, 2013).
Rush debuted in 1974, but they had a strong 80s presence, releasing six albums between 1980 and 1989. Wikipedia refers to the bulk of this time as the band's "Synthesizer-oriented era." And it's probably the era I know and remember best as it covered my high school and college years. So, for this memorial Flashback, I'll pick two tracks from those years and ... a third track showcasing another side of Peart's skills. To find out what tracks I chose, read and hear more after the jump.
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
RIP Otis: 1/1/2003 to 1/1/2020
Some sad news from the folks at Bookended by Cats. A week ago, we had to make the difficult and heart-rending, but ultimately correct, decision to let one of our beloved fur babies go.
Friday, January 3, 2020
Friday 80s Flashback for January 3, 2020
[New Year!] -- My last Flashback post was 11/22/2019. Seems my studies, travels, and other tasks got in the way of my blogging. But at least I'm starting out the new year right, with a brand new post for the very first Friday of 2020. For this first Flashback post of the year, we'll revisit the top three songs from this week in 1986. Do you recall what you were doing 34 years ago this week? I was probably just getting back to classes for the final semester of my high school career. Beyond that, I have no idea. But I do remember all 10 songs that were in the Billboard Hot 100 for the week. Counting down songs 10 through 4, we had:
10. Election Day - ArcadiaAnd the top three tracks? You'll find them after the jump. I mean, read and hear more after the jump.
9. Tonight She Comes - The Cars
8. Separate Lives - Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin
7. Broken Wings - Mr. Mister
6. Small Town - John Mellencamp
5. I Miss You - Klymaxx
4. That's What Friends Are For - Dionne & Friends
Friday, November 22, 2019
Friday 80s Flashback for 11/22/2019
[Phil to the World] -- Just this week, a church in Mexico debuted their new statue of baby Jesus. It's nearly 22 feet tall, weighs 2,000 pounds, and is the spitting image (no, not that Spitting Image) of 1980s-era hitmaker and former Genesis frontman, Phil Collins. Seems like a good time to break out "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven," the third single off Collins' fourth solo studio album, ...But Seriously (1989). This tune hit the charts just before my 22nd birthday, and it featured a music video with an extended intro of ... a dog dreaming of being an old silent movie hero. But seriously (see what I did there?), this tune was a hit, peaking at #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100, #1 on US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay, and #2 on US Adult Contemporary (Billboard). It was also all over the top 100, and sometimes the top 40, of music charts around the world. This Flashback is for you, Baby Phil Jesus!
Flashback: "They say you can't take it with you when you go | And I believe it."
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, November 15, 2019
Friday 80s Flashback for November 15, 2019
[Farewell to the Felt] -- Felt started in 1979. According to AllMusic.com, Lawrence Hayward (Felt's founder) had a plan to run the band for 10 years and then break it up. Those ten years were up with this 10th and final album, Me and a Monkey on the Moon, released 30 years ago this week. Felt rode the alternative/indie rock scene, usually a bit under the radar. But they were equal to, if not superior, many of the jangly rockers who got more traction in the college radio scene. At least they went out on a hight note. Me and a Monkey on the Moon is widely regarded as the band's finest record. For this week's Flashback post, I'm sharing my favorite track from the record, "Cartoon Sky." If you dig it, you can also check out the rest of the album. Felt didn't release any music videos for this record, so you'll just see the record cover for all ten tracks. And that's not a bad thing at all; just close your eyes and groove.
Flashback: "You were light in a tunnel | You were my plane up to the sky | You were round like a bubble | You were strung slightly too high."
That's all till next week (or whenever I have time for the next post). 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!
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