Friday 80s Flashback for April 26, 2024

 

[38 Years Ago This Week and Five Years Ago Today] -- I'm graduating from graduate school this weekend. Yup, 56-year-old me is getting a Masters degree. Five years ago, in April 2019, I was accepted into the Interreligious Chaplaincy program at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. Five years ago today, April 26, 2019, was a Friday, just like April 26, 2024. So, to save time while I'm packing and preparing for graduation weekend, I'm repurposing that prior 80s Flashback post, which looked at songs and events from April 26, 1986. On or around that day, Marshall Holman won the Firestone World Bowling Tournament of Champions, France performed a nuclear test, the Chernobyl nuclear power station in USSR exploded, and these five songs topped the Billboard Hot 100. 

Time for a flashback countdown, from #5 to #1!

Flashback #5: "So tell me why can't this be love?"

"Why Can't This Be Love" was the first single off Van Halen's seventh studio album, 5150 (1986). It was also the first single with the band's new lead singer, Sammy Hagar, and it would peak at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also helped drive 5150 to a #1 position on the US Billboard 200, Van Halen's first album to reach that position. But as of today, April 26, "Why Can't This Be Love" was sitting at the #5 slot.

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Flashback #4: "These are the days | When you wish your bed was already made."

The Bangles released "Manic Monday" as the first single off their second studio album, Different Light (1986). It hit the charts on January 27, 1986, and climbed to its peak position of #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 19, 1986. It kept the #2 slot for April 26, 1986, before beginning its drop. 

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Flashback #3: "If when why what how much have you got."

British synth duo Pet Shop Boys originally released a version of "West End Girls" in April of 1984. But their first single with major label BMI, "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" in 1985, didn't get much attention. So the duo decided to re-record "West End Girls" and release it as a new single. The new version hit charts in October 1985, and it climbed to its peak position of #3 on April 26, 1986. 

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Flashback #2: "You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to love."

The week of April 26, 1986, what would become Robert Palmer's signature song hit its peak position as #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Addicted to Love" was Palmer's second single off his eighth solo studio album, Riptide (1985). While not exactly critically acclaimed back in the day, Riptide is now considered a perfect packaging of 80s commercial sensibilities with Palmer's persuasive R&B stylings. And "Addicted to Love" with its distinctive music video was part of the driving force behind the record buying public's love of that packaging.

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Flashback #1: "I just want your extra time and your ... Kiss."

We lost him three years ago this week, but Prince's music lives on. "Kiss" was the lead single from Prince and The Revolution's eighth studio album, Parade (1986). "Kiss" hit the charts in February 1986, and climbed to the top position on 4/19/1986 where it remained for this week in 1986. All told, "Kiss" was on the Billboard Hot 100 for a total of 10 weeks. More than enough time for it to have a lasting impression in pop music history. Age of Chance and The Art of Noise have covered it (the latter with Tom Jones).  And "Kiss" appears on both Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and NME's 150 Greatest Singles of All Time.

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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 April 19, 2024

[Reckoned 40 Years Ago] -- Forty years ago this month, R.E.M. released their second studio album, Reckoning, on I.R.S. Records. In the UK, the record came out on April 9, 1984; the US release date was the following week, on April 17. Now, even though I did not discover R.E.M. until the first semester of my freshman year at Penn State, at which time I devoured their first four studio albums. The band was a huge part of my college experience as well as my first several post-college years. So, yes, as I've previously confessed, I'm probably one of the reasons R.E.M. is considered a vanguard of "college radio."

Only two singles were released: "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" and "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville." I guess parentheses can be counted among the band's favored punctuation marks, along with periods and ellipses. "So. Central Rain" peaked at #85 on the US Billboard Hot 100, but "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" failed to chart in either the US or the UK. The album reached #1 on several college charts wile peaking at #27 and #91 on the US Billboard 200 and the UK Album Charts respectively. 

I love both singles, and "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" was part of R.E.M.'s US television debut a year earlier, but they are only two out of the album's ten tracks. So, let's highlight a few of the other tracks. First up, and coming right after "So. Central Rain" on side one of LP, is "Pretty Persuasion." This one has a nice jangle and drive to it, both of which are carried by harmonized vocals. Next is the album's intro track, "Harborcoat," which probably doesn't make too many other fave lists. For me, it is similar to "Pretty Persuasion" in that it has a good driving beat with some cooking guitar by Peter Buck, but "Harborcoat" veers away because it is, lyrically, inscrutable to me (while I believe I do understand "Pretty Persuasion"). I just go along for the ride. Finally, I have to single out one of the album's more introspective songs, "Time After Time (Annelise)." This one captures me because of the haunting, droning guitar and the equally haunting, or is that hypnotic, supporting vocals. 

What are your favorite tracks or memories from this album?

Flashback: Reckoning (April 9, 1984)

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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.

I'll see you in seven!

Friday 80s Flashback for April 12, 2024

[Grace Under Pressure] -- Forty years ago today, Rush released their 10th studio album, Grace Under Pressure. Like many bands who came to popularity in the 1970s, Rush began augmenting their three-piece sound with synths in the early 1980s. Unlike they synths that adorn some recordings in the early half of the decade, their presence on Grace Under Pressure doesn't feel forced or overly gimmicky. 

Fans liked it, too. I mean, sure, there were complaints. But the album reached reached #4 in Rush's native Canada, #5 in the UK, and #10 on the U.S. Billboard 200. And it earned a spot on Guitar World magazine's list of "50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1984." The singles – "Distant Early Warning," "The Body Electric," and "Red Sector A" – all reached the top 40 in the US, with "Distant Early Warning" actually reaching the #3 position. "Afterimage" was one of my favorite tracks, and it was released as a single in Japan (though I seem to recall it did get some radio play in the US as well). My next favorite track has to be "The Enemy Within," which is the first part of the band's "Fear Series" of songs (the other parts appeared on later albums).

Considering four decades have passed since this record was first released, many of its themes still feel rather contemporary. Musically, that's fine. But more than a few songs here were informed by cold war paranoia, so that's not exactly a positive statement on the world, is it?

Flashback: Grace Under Pressure (April 12, 1984)

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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.

I'll see you in seven!

Friday 80s Flashback for April 5, 2024

[Still Lamenting] -- A bunch of albums were released early in April 1984, so why did I choose Lament, the seventh studio album from Ultravox, for this week's Flashback post? Well, in addition to me finding many of this album's tracks still relevant today, there's also the sad fact that Ultravox bassist Chris Cross recently died at the age of 71. Cross, who co-wrote the hit "Vienna," passed away on March 25, but the announcement didn't come out until earlier this week. So, this post serves as both a Flashback and a tribute. 

Lament was released 40 years ago this week, on April 6, 1984. The album peaked at #8 in the UK, #25 in Germany, and #115 in the US. This album's peak positions in other countries generally ranges between that of the UK and the US. The three singles – "One Small Day" (which they performed at the 1985 Live Aid concert), "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes," and the title track "Lament" – were all relative hits in the UK, but failed to chart in the US. I tend to think the US missed out. 

"Dancing with Tears in My Eyes" feels rather similar to the band's 1982 single, "We Came to Dance." And both songs echo something of a sorrowful attitude within the energy of dancing. But, this week, the lyrics hit a bit differently considering all those lost to violence or even indifference: "Dancing with tears in my eyes | Weeping for the memory of a life gone by." 

"Lament" is perhaps the most sobering track on this album. Midge Ure hauntingly sings: 

And just as my eyes start seeing

After all the pain

The twist in my life starts healing

Just to twist again

In stillness, in sorrow

Returns that softly sighing lament

"One Small Day" is still a favorite of mine. It is much more guitar-driven that any song Ultravox had released up to that point. If Ultravox had recorded this with their standard synth treatment, I doubt it would have quite the same punch. Even today, four decades after its original release, this song can revive me from my doldrums. Its message: All you need is that one day, one day where you can "feel the strength of love at hand," and you can "live a life the way it's meant to be." And, sometimes, that day may be closer than you think. 

Flashback: Lament (April 6, 1984)

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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.

I'll see you in seven! 

Green Lantern: War Journal

Wow. The latest John Stewart GL series, Green Lantern: War Journal, just continues to impress. It has horror, cosmic threats, political intrigue, and heartbreaking family illness. Phillip Kennedy Johnson (script) is really dialed into John Stewart as a character, while Montos (pencils), Adriano Lucas (colors), and Dave Sharpe (lettering) are delivering epic visuals. 

The first arc just ended, but the storyline carries over into the start of a new arc with issue #7. Jump in!

Image: part of a splash page from Green Lantern: War Journal #7. This shows John Stewart in seriously uncharted cosmic territory. 

Friday 80s Flashback for March 29, 2024

[(The) Icicle Works] -- Turning 40 years old last weekend, it's the eponymous debut album by UK new wave band, The Icicle Works. It was released on March 23, 1984, and it charted at #24 and #40 on the UK and US album charts respectively. The UK, US, and Canadian releases each had different artwork and track listings. Here are the covers for the UK, US, and Canada (note that the US release nixes the definite article, titling the album simply Icicle Works):

The best known single from this album is probably "Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)," which had the reversed title, "Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)," in several markets, including the US. Also in the US, this song was the album's lead-off track rather than the penultimate track of the album's B-side. Despite being well-known, and it did reach #2 on the UK independent charts, it peaked at a lowly #89 on the UK singles chart, while a reworked version barely made it inside the top 40 of the US Billboard Hot 100. "Love Is A Wonderful Colour" is actually The Icicle Works' biggest hit to date, peaking at #15 on the UK Singles Chart in late 1983 (a pre-release for the album). 

A sampling of the lyrics on this Good Friday:

Love is a beacon, on the horizon,

Watch when you touch down,

Reality finds you fumbling for reasons,

when the chance comes 'round

The Icicle Works never really flirted with US charts again after this album, but the UK embraced the rest of their 1980s records. The band broke up in 1991, but reunited in 2006 and still performs together, though they have not released any new material since 1990. 

Flashback: The Icicle Works (March 23, 1984)

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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.

I'll see you in seven!

Friday 80s Flashback for March 22, 2024

[Good Talk] -- The Go-Go's were the first all-female band to top the Billboard album charts by writing their own songs and playing their own instruments. Yes, folks, there were several "girl groups" with writing and playing chops before The Go-Gos, but none of them cranked out hits quite like these ladies. And 40 years ago this week, they released their third studio album, Talk Show (1984), which peaked at #18 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Although the album was critically well-received, it was a commercial disappointment. Maybe it was the slight change in style, or it could have been the clutter of half-realized songs (as AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine claims). Whatever caused its lack of sales, Talk Show still has its gems.

Well, "Head Over Heels," the first single from this studio album, definitely qualifies as a pop gem. This track peaked at #11 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the best showing of the three singles. But it wasn't enough to help this album keep pace with their prior two efforts, even with its boost from MTV where the music video peaked at #3. I have a special fondness for this music video because I love the 60s aesthetic they're pulling with the band performing on that multi-color set. (And, aside from the instruments, no audio equipment is shown! No amps, cords, mics, etc.)

The second single, "Turn to You," had a solid hook. And the band performed it on that bastion of 80s popular music, the Solid Gold TV show. However, the song barely cracked the top 40, peaking at a mere #32 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. But don't let that lackluster charting performance fool you: This is a great song! (Also, I'm all but certain that I saw that episode of Solid Gold; did you?)

There was a third single, and it was titled "Yes or No." But I don't recall ever hearing it let alone thinking much of it. So, if I had to select a third gem from Talk Show, I would go with "I'm the Only One." It's the lead off track for Side B of the album, and it honestly should have been a single! In my opinion, it's at least on par with "Head Over Heels." It's a fully realized song with hook, attitude, and tremendous energy. You can check out a direct recording (which is also in the embedded playlist below), or view this live footage from Greek Theatre (August, 1984), but I'm kind of obsessed with this rehearsal footage from a 1984 cable TV special.

Sadly, Talk Show marked the last time the original Go-Go's lineup would record an album together ... until 2001. 

So, cue up the embedded playlist below, and let me know your fave tracks!

Flashback: Talk Show (March 19, 1984)

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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.

I'll see you in seven!

Friday 80s Flashback for March 15, 2024

[Hello Again] -- The Cars released five albums, one album per year, from 1978 to 1982. Then, following their 1982 tour, the band took a break to pursue solo projects. But they reunited in the middle of 1983, moved to London, and spent six months in the studio with Jeff "Mutt" Lange. Those six months turned out to be time well spent; they resulted in The Cars's most successful album: Heartbeat City, released 40 years ago this week (on March 13, 1984). 

Heartbeat City yielded five Top 40 singles, two of which peaked in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. The album itself peaked at #3 on the US Billboard 200 and #1 on the US Rock Albums (Billboard) charts. Not only that, its 1984 year-end chart performance placed it at #12 on the Billboard 200. 

The two top ten tracks were the energetic "You Might Think" and the ballad "Drive." The rather magical "Magic" peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and its music video, shot at the Hilton family house in Beverly Hills, features a number of outlandish characters and seemingly "magical" feats. One of those feats was Ric Ocasik walking on water (er, across the swimming pool). "Hello Again," which peaked at #20, was notable for its music video exploring the topics of sex and violence ... and for cameos by the co-director, Andy Warhol. The moody yet quirky "Why Can't I Have You" was this album's lowest charting single, but that might have been due more to the strength of other songs released around the same time: Madonna, Chicago, Foreigner and others were kind of ruling the charts for the bulk of January 1985, so much so that it took a few weeks for "Why Can't I Have You" to finally break into the the top 100 at #79.

Even the non-single tracks are great. For example, check out "It's Not the Night," "I Refuse," and "Stranger Eyes" (and probably in that order). Actually, it might be best if you just listen to the whole album and enjoy it for the pop masterpiece it is. 

Flashback: Heartbeat City (March 13, 1984)

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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.

I'll see you in seven!

Friday 80s Flashback for March 8, 2024

[Does the Fire Still Burn?] -- In November 1983, Sammy Hagar (in the midst of a solo career) and Neal Schon (of Journey and Santana fame) played a series of live dates with veteran bassist Kenny Aaronson and drummer Michael Shrieve (who had previously played in Santana with Schon). Two of the gigs were recorded for a one-time MTV broadcast, but there was no official videocassette or DVD release of the concerts.

However, the concert audio was used for an album. 

During the mixing process, the studio reduced the crowd noise, and might have added guitar overdubs (depends on where you read about it), but largely left the concerts as recorded. And a few months later, in March 1984 – or maybe in May 1984 (again, depends on the source) – Geffen released the one and only album by "supergroup" HSAS (named for Hagar, Schon, Aaronson, and Shrieve): Through the Fire. That album turned 40 years old this week. Or, it will turn 40 at some point between now and the end of May 2024. But the point is, this one-off album by a one-off (er, one tour) band turns 40 in 2024. 

I had a cassette copy of this album back in the day. I don't recall how I found out about it. Maybe I just happened to see it and recognized Hagar and Schon. Maybe it was hyped in CIRCUS or some other magazine at the time. But I'm pretty sure I was the only one in my entire hometown who bought a copy of Through the Fire. I might also be one of the few people who remembers, let alone enjoyed, this record. It received pretty lousy reviews, even retroactively. AllMusic rated it 2 1/2 stars. Robert Christgau gave it a D+ grade. Classic Rock & Culture, however, calls it "one of the best 'one and done' albums you’ll ever encounter." 

There are some clunkers on the record. But it is largely a solid rock record, particularly for fans of hard rock guitar. And in my re-listen, I find that I still enjoy the record. Highlights include "Top of the Rock," "Missing You," "He Will Understand," and "My Home Town." Even their cover of Procol Harum's "Whiter Shade of Pale" is worth a listen, and it's the only track that found a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

The links above are live performances saved on YouTube. The embedded playlist below is all audio. 

Flashback: Through The Fire (March 1984)

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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.

I'll see you in seven!

Friday 80s Flashback for March 1, 2024

[Can Dead Still Dance?] -- An important moment in the history of post-punk and goth rock occurred forty years ago this week: Dead Can Dance released their eponymous debut album (stylized as ΔΞΛΔ CΛΝ ΔΛΝCΞ). This record was not my first introduction to Dead Can Dance. No, that did not come until 1987 with the release of Lonely Is an Eyesore, a compilation from 4AD. Dead Can Dance made two contributions to that record, one of which was the demo version of "Frontier," a track that does appear on 1984's Dead Can Dance. So, I may not have been with them from the start, but I did my due diligence and backtracked my way to this week's featured Flashback. 

On their debut, Dead Can Dance really wear their influences on their collective sleeves. You can hear aspects of Joy Division, Cocteau Twins, and the Cure, among others, in these tracks. I don't know if this record is a mish mash of those influences, but don't think Dead Can Dance is straight up copying them. If anything, they are aiming for the same atmosphere, and getting pretty close. Dead Can Dance, the album, is the band's only truly goth rock release. And while their later, more developed sound does differ from this opening salvo, it was an organic development rather than a true departure, at least in my opinion. 

This record had no singles, and, as far as I can tell, it did not chart. Also, there are no music videos per se, so the embedded playlist below is just the audio from the original release's ten tracks. But I tracked down two visuals for you. First, there is a 1984 soundcheck of Dead Can Dance playing "The Trial." And there was a video for "Frontier" from the aforementioned Lonely is an Eyesore compilation. 

In their 2014 book, Pop Pagans: Paganism and Popular Music, Donna Weston and Andy Bennett quote Dead Can Dance's website regarding the reason for the band's name and this album:

To understand why we chose the name, think of the transformation of inanimacy to animacy. Think of the processes concerning life from death and death into life. So many people missed the inherent symbolic intention of the work, and assumed that we must be "morbid gothic types".

Let's listen for "the inherent symbolic intention" of ΔΞΛΔ CΛΝ ΔΛΝCΞ, shall we?

Flashback: Dead Can Dance (February 27, 1984)

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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.

I'll see you in seven!

Friday 80s Flashback for February 23, 2024

[Holding that 40-Year-Old Gap] -- Here's another record that turned 40 years old this month: the fourth studio album by Thompson Twins, Into the Gap. Released on February 17, 1984, Into the Gap peaked at #1 in the UK and #10 on the US Billboard 200. It also peaked in the top 40, or higher, of several other countries. It is the band's most commercially successful album with their biggest selling single, "Hold Me Now." 

"Hold Me Now" hit the UK charts in November 1983, but it was not released in the US until February 1984, with the release of the album. That delay did not seem to hurt the single's success. It peaked at #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also hit the top 10 in three other Billboard charts as well as global charts. The next two singles, "Doctor! Doctor!" and "You Take Me Up," peaked at #11 and #44 on the US Billboard Hot 100 respectively. 

Critics were mixed in their assessments of Into the Gap. My favorite slag might be the one in Smash Hits magazine that accused the band of representing "the usual triumph of naked ambition over talent." And the best backhanded compliment came, of course, from J. D. Considine in Musician who wrote that the band's gimmicks and synthesizer settings "make the album seem dazzling even when it isn't." 

Thing is, Into the Gap is kind of dazzling. And it's not just the singles, though they do the heavy lifting, particularly "Hold Me Now." Each track has its own personality, and listening to the album as a whole is a journey of shifting styles. But if you want to pick and choose, I would say other highlights on this album include "Sister of Mercy," "Day after Day," and the album's closer, "Who Can Stop the Rain."

Flashback: Into the Gap (February 17, 1984)

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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.

I'll see you in seven!

The Marvels - Disney +

 

Three incredible actresses portraying three incredible characters. I absolutely loved all the scenes between the three leads. I hope they had as much fun together as it looked like in the film.

I loved how the movie fit into the timeline and it was good to see enough exposition to know what was going on for each character. 

I definitely loved the fangirling Ms. Marvel did over Captain Marvel. It was so real and true to her character and also felt like she was us in the movie. What a joy Iman Vellani is in the movie and from her own series. 

I was also thrilled to see Goose again  I loved how integral the cat was to this story 😉 Quite the clever storyline and use of the adorable cat.

There was really only one major part of the movie I didn’t like and it definitely didn’t seem to fit but overall I enjoyed the story. I’d love to see more of The Marvels working together in future movies. The three women were just amazing together. 

3 paws

Friday 80s Flashback for February 16, 2024

[Who's Watching?] -- I know we are midway through February, but I just had to reach back to the end of January for this week's Flashback. Rockwell's debut album, Somebody's Watching Me, turned 40 years old on January 30, 1984. The title track had been released about a month earlier, and thanks to its catchy hook, and those guest vocals by Michael Jackson and Jermaine Jackson, it rocketed up several charts. In the US alone, "Somebody's Watching Me" peaked at #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the US Hot Black Singles (Billboard), #2 on the US Cash Box Top 100, #3 on US Dance/Disco Top 80 (Billboard), and #31 on US Top Tracks (Billboard). The song also reached the top 40 on charts around the world, if not the top 20. The follow-up single, "Obscene Phone Caller," also reached the top 40 in the US. The third single, a rather forgettable cover of the Beatles' "Taxman," did not chart very well. 

The rest of the album fits somewhere between rock and pop, very much of the times. In fact, I'm surprised unreleased tracks like "Runaway" or "Foreign Country" never got tapped for TV or film. They might not have worked lyrically, but if you take away Rockwell's singing, the remaining instrumentals would be tailor made for cinema ... or maybe video games. There's some really good keyboard and studio work here!

Flashback: Somebody's Watching Me (January 30, 1984)

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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.

I'll see you in seven!

Locke and Key - Netflix

 

I have had this on our list probably since the first season (2020). I only know the title and that it was a popular comic book series. We finally started it the other week and we flew threw the 3 seasons as fast as we could. What an incredibly unique story and show.

I adored Jackson Robert Scott as Bode, he was perfection and we already came in to the show with a love for Connor Jessup (Tyler) from seeing him in Falling Skies and even getting to meet him at SDCC during a signing. But the definite showstopper was Emilia Jones as Kinsey. Holy Moly did that girl have a lot to do and she was spectacular. I LOVED how the 3 siblings stuck together and the love between them was easily felt. 

Darby Stanchfield as the mom Nina was incredible. She had quite the roller coaster of story line and she played it beautifully and realistically. 

We were also pleased to see Aaron Ashmore as Duncan. The Ashmore brothers are two of our favorite actors and I would say we have always loved the shows we have seen them in throughout the years. This was no exception and it may even be one of our most favorite roles yet.

Petrice Jones as Scot was a joy. His voice and accent were just wonderful and he was an excellent anchor for many parts of the story. Coby Bird as Rufus was also just a lovely character and portrayed so well by Coby. 

As I scroll through IMDB to get the correct actor names, I realize I could write something great about each actor/character. This was a well rounded show for acting and story telling. I had a friend say they just couldn't get into the 2nd season but I can't see how. We LOVED the second season. We just rolled through it all in one day.

I definitely don't see any loss of interest or story by having not read the source material... and neither has Brainwise (shocking that we have a second show that Brainwise didn't know). Of course that almost makes it more fun to watch because he has to guess too as we go along.

I will state that season 3 is not 100% the same as the first two seasons and now after reading the differences between the show and the comics, we know why. It doesn't mean it is bad by any means, it is just different and there is a reason. I don't like to give anything away if possible, so I will not say any more :)

I just love how unique this show is and how great the actors portray their characters. I would actually watch this whole series again and as you know this is usually my meter on how good something is. 

4 paws

Friday 80s Flashback for February 9, 2024

[Industrialized Emotions] -- On February 7, 1984, The Alan Parsons Project released their seventh studio album. Ammonia Avenue is forty years old this week, but its themes are probably still just as timely, even if the album itself shows some of its age. Per Mike DeGagne of AllMusic, this album is all about "how the lines of communication between people are diminishing, and how we as a society grow more spiritually isolated and antisocial." These ideas are strongly borne out in the lyrics of "Prime Time," "Don't Answer Me," and "You Don't Believe," all of which were released as singles. 

Notably, for an album dedicated to the depersonalization of technology and industry, there isn't actually much synthesized music. In fact, for a progressive pop album, there are surprisingly moving guitar riffs and saxophone lines, at least I think so. Of course, the studio itself is the primary instrument for this particular artist, and so the recording might, at times, seem far too clean to be emotional, even on vinyl. 

Ammonia Avenue is often regarded as a failure, particular when compared to some earlier recordings by The Alan Parsons Project. Rolling Stone trashed it. Still, the album peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200, as well as within the top 20, and even the top 10, of other countries. "Don't Answer Me" reached #15 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and within the top 20 of several other US charts. "Prime Time" reached #34 and "You Don't Believe" fell short of the top 40, peaking at #54. Wikipedia indicates "Since the Last Goodbye" was a minor hit. It is a nice ballad, so some stations might have put it into rotation, but I have not found chart info for it.  

Are you an Alan Parsons fan, and do you have an opinion on this record? 

Flashback: Ammonia Avenue (February 7, 1984)

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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.

I'll see you in seven!

Old Guard - Netflix

 

I had no idea what this movie was about, of course it’s been about 3 years since this was released. I didn’t even remember it was based on a comic book until Brainwise started saying how different scenes looked like the book. 

The number one thing I will say about this movie is that it is ULTRA violent. I mean ULTRA violent. There was quite a lot that I didn’t watch because it was just too much. 

Charlize Theron looked incredible and was superb in this role. The story was very interesting and we found out that a second movie may be coming. I look forward to the story but maybe not the violence. 

Again it was good to see a female main character and a bad a$$ one at that. Kiki Layne was awesome and also very bad a$$ too. I also adored the scene between two of the male characters expressing their love for each other while in quite a bind with the bad guys. 

Such a very different story and incredibly interesting.

3 paws

Friday 80s Flashback for February 2, 2024

[Love is Still Saying: Let the Music Play] -- Forty years ago this week – on February 1, 1994 – American dance and freestyle singer Shannon released her debut studio album: Let The Music Play. The album peaked at #32 on the Billboard 200, while the title track peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as #1 on the Billboard dance chart. Not only that, "Let The Music Play" snagged Shannon her first Grammy Award nomination, which was for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (she lost to Chaka Khan's "I Feel for You" during the 27th Annual Grammy Awards, on February 26, 1985). 

Perhaps you recall "Let The Music Play" from Shannon's appearance on the TV show, Solid Gold (Season 4, Episode 23, Feb 25, 1984). Or you might remember the Breakdance Sensation '84 promo video. You might not know that she didn't see royalties from that tune for decades (I know I wasn't aware)! 

There were four singles in total released from this album. The next two singles after "Let The Music Play" – "Give Me Tonight" and "My Heart's Divided" – also enjoyed some chart success. "Give Me Tonight" charted on both the Billboard Hot 100 and dance charts, while "My Heart's Divided" charted only on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play, but it peaked at #3. The only clunker on this record, in my opinion, is the sixth track, "It's You." But the album bounces back fiercely with "One Man," which could have been a soundtrack or TV theme contender, and then closes out strong with a remix of "Let The Music Play."

Let me know if you remember this record. And if you agree with my assessments. 

Flashback: Let The Music Play (February 1, 1984)

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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.

I'll see you in seven! 

Paper Girls - Amazon Prime

 

I know this is based on an excellent comic book but I have not read it nor do I know anything about it. But the main characters are girls and I know it is a popular story so I added it to our watch list last year. 

I am so glad I did. What an excellent series!! The girls were fantastic and the story was extra wild but really good. I didn’t have any issue trying to follow along with the story and while I may have missed some tie ins from the comic book series I don’t think it was anything critical. 

It’s good that I felt satisfaction with the ending since it will not have a second season. Not that I wouldn’t watch more if they had gone on but I felt closure with the story as told. 

The casting was incredible. I easily believed the versions we were shown and I wonder how the actors felt looking at versions of themselves. 

The music in this series was awesome too! Lots of "oldies but goodies" :) 

4 paws

Friday 80s Flashback for January 26, 2024

[Runaway] -- Bon Jovi was released 40 years ago this week, on January 21, 1984. This was the debut album by the band Bon Jovi led by vocalist Jon Bon Jovi. Confused between album, band, or person? Let me explain a bit more.

Between 1980 and 1984, Jon Bon Jovi (born John Bongiovi) worked at Power Station, a recording studio in Manhattan. The studio had been co-founded by Bon Jovi's cousin, Tony Bongiovi, who probably provided the younger man's entry to the facility. Most stories I heard, as I recall, note that Jon Bon Jovi was mainly a janitor, or held some kind of all-around errands runner position, for the studio. But he had after-hours access, and he recorded several of his own demos there. 

A demo for "Runaway" got included on a local radio station's compilation album. After that song got more airplay in the NYC area, Jon Bon Jovi was able to snag a record deal. The label wanted a band name for the contract, and the label's own artists and repertoire department came up with ... Bon Jovi. 

Jon Bon Jovi put together the fledgling band lineup with the help of keyboardist David Bryan (who was David Rashbaum at that time). It was Bryan who brought in bassis Alec John Such and drummer Tico Torres. Bon Jovi's (the band, not the person) first lead guitarist was Dave Sabo, but he was replaced by Richie Sambora. This band played on all but one track of the debut album -- yep, "Runaway." The eponymous debut album used a 1982 recording of "Runaway" done with Power Station's studio musicians, The All Star Review.

"Runaway" was a top 40 hit in the US. The follow-up single, "She Don't Know," peaked at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is also the only song in Bon Jovi's catalog that was not written by a member of the band. Mark Avsec (of Donnie Iris & The Cruisers penned it. Bon Jovi, the album, peaked at #43 on the US Billboard 200. But a solid debut with some commercial success is only part of the popularity formula. The band also had to earn respect on the road. And that wasn't easy with this first record: I recall letters submitted to publications like CIRCUS Magazine that all but asked Bon Jovi to "please run away" -- apparently, some rock fans did not want Bon Jovi opening for their favorite acts.

Still, despite some vocal critics, Bon Jovi was a serviceable and energetic debut. Sure, it wears its lyrical and musical tropes on its sleeve. And just about every song here is about heartache or chasing after someone who caused heartache. But that's part of the charm of early 1980s rock music! So, if you're only familiar with "Runaway," here are a few very subjective notes for you. 

The albums three low points are "Love Lies," "Burning for Love," and "Come Back." I don't recall disliking them in 1984, and they're not truly terrible, but I'm pretty sure I didn't wear out the cassette over them -- except to fast forward to the next song. 

And here are my high points on the record, ranked with the highest first: 

1. "Runaway" (of course)
2. "Get Ready" (almost, but not quite, an anthem with its jump-up-and-down chorus exhorting the crowd, repeatedly, to "come on, come on, get ready"
3. "Shot Through The Heart" (but surprisingly not about giving love a bad name)
4. "Roulette" (a great, driving song)
5. "Breakout" (seemed tailor made for an 80s movie) 
6. "She Don't Know" (a standard song of "she don't even know my name" teen angst, but it's done well)

Flashback: Bon Jovi (January 21, 1984)

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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.

I'll see you in seven!

Arcane - Netflix series

We came to see Toks Olagundoye as Mel and we were treated to one of the most incredible shows all around. Seriously, I have nothing negative to say … except I want more. And luckily, while we watched season one, we found out season two is coming this year. 

I have zero knowledge about the League of Legends game this is based on but I had no issue following along and easily being in the story. In fact, I was so into the story that when we had to stop watching the first night I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened and what was to come. I was impatiently waiting to get back to the series. 

One of the main things I loved about the series was the music. Both the score and the soundtrack were other characters in the episodes and were integral to the storytelling. 

The animation is like nothing I’ve seen before but then I don’t play any video games. But then I also don’t know if the animation in this series is the same as the game either. 

I think the voice actors for the characters were perfectly matched and I adored Toks as Mel. Her character was so layered and grew during the season, it was a joy to watch and listen. 

4 paws and a tail

Friday 80s Flashback for January 19, 2024

[Strange Funk] -- 40 years ago this week, Cameo released their 10th album, She's Strange. This one topped the Billboard R&B Albums chart (#1), and it peaked at #27 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, on its way to a Gold certification for netting over 500,000 sales. How did this veteran funk band generate so much success with this record? By retaining their core funk ethos while not being afraid to experiment. Per AllMusic critic Alex Henderson, young audiences in particular were ignoring horn-powered funk in favor of hip-hop and music that employed modern technology. That is, they wanted electro-, but not necessarily eclectic, funk. 

Now, Cameo did not completely abandon those funky horns, but they did embrace new tech and rap, using the changing marketplace to fuel their creativity. The end result is a funk record that is laced with rock, slings raps, and even delivers cooldown segues over some lite jazz. Cameo leader Larry Blackmon's fearlessness in the face of change certainly contributed to his band's durability. 

Top moments for me: "Talkin' Out The Side Of Your Neck," "Tribute to Bob Marley," and "Leve Toi." But don't sleep on the title track and first single. There's a reason it peaked within the top 50 of the UK Singles and US Billboard Hot 100 charts, as well as reaching the #1 slot at the top of Billboard's US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, where it dominated for four weeks. 

Flashback: She's Strange (January 16, 1984)

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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.

I'll see you in seven!

Friday 80s Flashback for January 12, 2024

[Might As Well Jump] -- Van Halen stormed onto charts, radio, and record stores with their 1978 self-titled debut album. By the end of 1983, about a year and a half after they released their fifth studio album, Diver Down, Van Halen was one of the biggest rock bands in the world. Their brand of hard rock – dubbed "high velocity folk music" by vocalist David Lee Roth – was easily recognized. 

And that changed on January 9, 1984, with the release of Van Halen's sixth studio LP, 1984.

Well, I guess the change actually came in December 1983. That's when the album's first single, "Jump," was released. Sure, the song became the band's most successful single, as well as their first to reach the #1 spot on the US Billboard Hot 100. But more important was what that single heralded, which was a change Van Halen's sound, and specifically a change in how guitarist extraordinaire, Eddie Van Halen, would compose and record music. Yes, guitar hero Eddie was playing keyboards and synths. 

Now, "Panama" and "Hot For Teacher," the third and fourth singles respectively, were pretty much in the vein of classic Van Halen. But the second single, "I'll Wait," was a synth-laden love song. And the album's title track was a short instrumental that prominently featured synthesizers. 

1984 peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200, but just couldn't muscle itself out from behind Michael Jackson's Thriller. And although 1984 was successful, even muscling itself into the hearts, and wallets, of the most diehard Van Halen fans, it marked the end of an era. 

There had been mounting tensions in the band before 1984, particularly between Eddie and Dave. For years, both singer David Lee Roth and Warner Bros. producer Ted Templeman had routinely discouraged Eddie from dabbling too much into keyboards when it came to the band and their sound. 1984, in both process and sound, was apparently not a direction Roth wanted to continue down, and he quit the band. LoudWire compiled some of the potential reasons for the split [September 2003]. American Songwriter points directly at "Jump" as being the starting point for the drama that ended in a rift [June 2023]. But so much of these "Why did the band break up?" stories are looking backwards and trying to pull threads together, and even when dealing directly with the people involved, memories are not perfect. 

But you know what is perfect, at least in my opinion? 1984. It came out around the middle of my high school years, and I was swept up in this force of nature masquerading as an album. I wore out both the cassette and an LP. The pop sheen of the more radio-friendly hits rests in a comfortably shaky balance with the glam metal elements. Van Halen wold make more records, with other vocalists and with Dave. And some of those later records rival 1984's success. But they cannot rival 1984, or even approach, its status as a milestone. 

 

Flashback: 1984 (January 9, 1984)

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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.

I'll see you in seven!