Encanto

 Dangrdafne review

What a glorious movie!

So lush, beautiful, happy, celebratory, deep, true to life and wonderful. 

I have recently admitted I’m not a huge animated Disney movie fan. This one bucks that trend. I bopped along with every song. I laugh, I cried, I cheered, I identified waaaay too much with these characters. 

Luisa’s song, Surface Pressure, may be one of my favorite Disney songs now. Just perfect! And a touch too true to life and on the nose for so many women and people overall. 

I highly recommend this movie to have a little Disney therapy and to dance and hum along for some great fun. 

4 paws 

Friday 80s Flashback for August 26, 2022

[What Time Is It?] -- The Time, or Morris Day and the Time, was probably the most successful of the artists associated with Prince. And by "associated with," I'm referring to an agreement Prince had with Warner Bros. This agreement was specified by a contractual clause giving Prince a unique arrangement whereby he could bring other artists under his purple wings, so to speak. After recruiting the artists, Prince mentored them, recording and producing them for WB. 

And on 8/25/1982, forty years ago this week, The Time released What Time Is It?, their second studio album under Prince's tutelage. On the record, members of The Time were given writing and performing credits. However, all the tracks were written by Prince, and he most likely also played all the instruments. The Time's own front man, Morris Day, did record lead vocals. I guess songwriting and studio work were part of Prince's mentorship. (And, really, at the time, who wouldn't have wanted Prince to write and record for them?)

The album's title was something Morris Day often exclaimed during stage shows, so much so that it was something of his trademark. This record was brief, having only six tracks and totaling a little over half an hour of music, but it reached #26 and #2 on the US Billboard 200 and the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts respectively. The album's three singles -- "777-9311," "The Walk," and "Gigolos Get Lonely Too" --  all charted on the R&B charts as well as the US Disco Top 80 chart. 

Flashback: What Time Is It? (August 25, 1982)

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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 August 19, 2022

[Still Upstairs] -- Yazoo (or simply Yaz in North America) formed in 1981 when electronic musician Vince Clarke, fresh off the success of Depeche Mode's debut album, teamed with soul singer Alison Moyet. And on 8/20/1982, 40 years ago tomorrow, this duo released their debut album, Upstairs At Eric's. By the time their album hit the charts, Yazoo had already released two singles in the UK: "Only You" (3/15/1982) and "Don't Go" (7/5/1982). "Only You" peaked at #2 on the UK Singles Chart, and it also reached the top 10 in Ireland and Australia. "Don't Go" peaked at #3 on the UK Singles Chart.

In the US, the band was known as Yaz to avoid issues with Yazoo Records, a specialist blues record label. In addition to that name change, the order of single releases differed between the UK and the US. "Situation" was the lead off single for the states, and it peaked at #73 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Don't Go," however, scored big on the American dance chart as the band's second US single, peaking at #1 on the Hot Dance/Disco (Billboard) chart in October 1982. That high energy, infectious dance track was also a top 40 hit around the globe, often reaching the top 10. It's still one of my favorite songs from the first half of the 1980s. Hel, Upstairs At Eric's is still one of my prize vinyl acquisitions from that decade.

In addition to the embedded playlist, you might be interested in this five-track playlist featuring Yazoo live on The Tube. 

Flashback: Upstairs At Eric's (August 20, 1982)

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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!

The Sandman - Netflix

 Dangrdafne review:

I am again in love.

This time with Tom Sturridge as Sandman, Dream, Morpheus ... by any other name, he would be just as amazing in this role! Wow!

I have never read The Sandman but I know a lot about it from Brainwise and other friends who love the story and Neil Gaiman. I had no idea what to expect or if I would even like it. And I didn't like it.

I LOVED it! Although I will say having no background at all, I think there are some things that I missed and didn't understand. I am hopeful it is just a long game in the storytelling and it will all shake out in the end. But I am a little frustrated that we have watched the whole season and I still have questions. I guess I am more used to closed ended seasons, I will just have to let go and play along.

Death. 

What a glorious actress and performance for Death, sister to Dream. Their moments on screen together are some of the best acting and story I have seen, and I have watched a lot of amazing shows lately. I am completely taken with Kirby Howell-Baptiste in this role. It would sound a little funny to say that I think she was born to play this role :) I know she is completely different than the original but both are perfection and both can live in this story without any issue from me.

Vivienne Acheamong as Lucienne is another favorite of mine. I just love watching and listening to her. She is the perfect companion to Dream and I am completely jealous of her :)

I also adore Vanesu Samunyai as Rose Walker. She is brilliant in the role and although her story seemed to flip the storytelling around from the opening of the series, it ended up fitting right in and led to an incredible conclusion.

The music, the cinematography, the characters and the actors who portray them, the costuming, the everything is done to perfection. Including the end credits art that you definitely should not skip. 

Fair warning that there is lots of gore, violence and extremely difficult scenes but honestly they fit right in with our current times. I have to say that the show really affected me. I slept terribly each night we watched and I am not sure if was just The Sandman messing with my dreams or if the story lines had my mind working overtime. Worth every lost moment of sleep, mind you.

4 paws

Friday 80s Flashback for April 12, 2022

[Vacation] -- The Go-Go's were the first all-female band that wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts. Their second studio album, Vacation, was one of those hit records, peaking at #8 on the Billboard 200. Released in 1982 at some point between July 20 and August 11 (depends on the source), Vacation is 40 years old this week! Although the title track is about a relationship rather than, um, going someplace fun, "Vacation" still became an anthem for travel, beaches, and road trips. So, now that we're nearly halfway through August and the new school year is practically around the corner, this is as good a time as any to feature a Vacation Flashback! 

Along with "Vacation," there were two more singles from this album: "Get Up and Go" and "This Old Feeling." "Vacation" was the most successful single, hitting a peak of #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Get Up and Go" almost reached the top 40, peaking at #50. "Get Up and Go" appeared in the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High, as well as on the film's soundtrack. "This Old Feeling," however, failed to chart. Still, a top 10 album with two songs in the Billboard Hot 100? That's pop music success no matter how you look at it. 

This week's embedded playlist includes the official music videos for "Vacation" and "Get up and Go," but if you want to see The Go-Go's performing an early version of "Vacation," check out this video.

Flashback: Vacation (1982)

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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 August 5, 2022

[Shangó] -- Our first Flashback for the month of August acknowledges the 40th anniversary of Santana's 13th studio album, Shangó. Very few fans would rank Shangó – released early in August 1982 – as their favorite Santana album. And there are those who consider it the very worst in the Santana catalog. But I find this disc to be highly listenable, and it even features a few highlights. After all, it did peak at #22 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart. And it's first single, "Hold On" (a remake of the song “Hold On,” by Canadian singer-songwriter Ian Thomas), charted well: It peaked at #15 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #17 on Billboard's Top Tracks charts. "Nowhere to Run," the album's second single, peaked at #66 and #13 on the Hot 100 and Mainstream Rock charts respectively. There's good guitar playing throughout, though if you like your Santana a bit more on the prog side, you might be disappointed. And tracks like "Nueva York," "Shango," and "Oxun (Oshun)" feature the kind of percussive grooves other bands try vainly to copy. The instrumental "Nueva York" in particular shines with percussion and organ riffs that harken back to Santana's earlier efforts. 

Give it a try. It's not a great album, but it does hold up very well in retrospect. 

Flashback: Shangó (August 1982)

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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!

Ms. Marvel

 Dangrdafne review

What a wonderful show! Diversity, culture, family, friendships, finding yourself, power, lessons to learn, history, healthy relationships, strong women, laughter, tears, and a comic book bought to life.

Excellent music and a great cast. Interesting story with lots of history and culture at the heart of it.

I do feel that they threw too much into 6 episodes and if you are new to the world, as I am, there are many things you don't understand and miss in each episode. Brainwise seemed to get a bit more from it as he has read the comics this is based on. Overall I think I followed along just fine and I don't think I missed anything crucial but I would say this show could have used 8 to 10 episodes and then they could have put in more detail and connections for those not in the know.

4 paws