Friday 80s Flashback for June 29, 2018

[Telephone Calls] -- I heard Tommy Tutone's 1981 hit, “867-5309/Jenny,” in the cafeteria yesterday. Every time I hear a song about using the phone, I think about the fact that kids these days don't share an anxiety that was familiar to me and my classmates: The fear of calling someone, but accidentally reaching their parent or guardian instead. Of course, these days, kids use their phones -- cell phones -- to text, Tweet, email, and do just about anything other than making phone calls. Still, I got to thinking of all the great 70s and 80s songs about calling, or trying to call, someone on the phone. The aforementioned “867-5309/Jenny" and Blondie's "Call Me" are too obvious to make this week's playlist. But I did find three fine examples for you. So, if you want to know what three 80s tracks are worth calling home about this week, you can read and hear more after the jump. 

BARRIER by Brian K. Vaughan, Marcos Martin, and Muntsa Vicente

Well, damn. I just read BARRIER by Brian K. Vaughan (script), Marcos Martin (art), and Muntsa Vicente (colors). All five issues.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it damn sure wasn't this.

That's not a complaint, mind you. I'm actually quite impressed. But if you ask me to explain this story, I'd have to say it's a dash of the movie Arrival (2016) blended with several helpings of current politicos about the US southern border, and then celestially colored with hints of awe and irony (tip of the hat to Muntsa Vicente).

This series gets an enthusiastic recommendation from me, especially if you're bilingual; the book is in English and Spanish (and alien, but I don't think you need to know that third language).

Still Alice - the movie

Dangrdafne review

Where to start.

I think it holds up to the book. Of course, you are always going to miss the details and some of the nuances from the book in a movie but I think you could watch this movie and get all the horribleness there is in regards to Alzheimer’s and how it affects Alice and her whole family.

I think because I read the book first, I felt that the movie was rushed but again that is because the details have to be reduced in order to not have a 4 hour movie and trust me I could not watch 4 hours of Julianne Moore descending into Alzheimer’s. NOT that she wasn’t incredible and that this movie didn’t do this horrible disease justice, it did. I just could not watch it, it was hard enough in less than 2 hours.

Julianne Moore was stupendous as Alice. She portrayed the losing of her mind with perfection. After seeing Alzheimer’s in real life, I could see how she understood it all and knew how to portray it. It was devastating and truly hard to watch, which is a good thing in this case. Watching her not recognize her daughter after a play was heart wrenching.

Kristen Stewart was perfect as the daughter Lydia. I always find it interesting to watch actresses play actresses in shows. She was the perfect amount of anger, sadness, fear, and love that Alice needed and the movie needed. Kate Bosworth was ok as oldest daughter Anna. I was distracted by her harsh edges but then that is what they needed from her but I thought it was too over the top.

Alec Baldwin was good as the husband. He was cold and detached when needed and loving and soft when things got bad. He was definitely believable as Alice’s husband and caretaker.

The movie was beautifully filmed. You get the chance to be Alice a few times and kind of see what she is seeing/feeling. It is disorienting and works well.

I give the movie 3 paws and I say if you have to choose about book or movie first, I say read the book first and then also watch the movie. Seeing the book in front of you and seeing Alzheimer’s in front of you is quite a different experience than just reading about it. And I think they support each other to get their point across.

Friday 80s Flashback for June 22, 2018

[STARLITE] -- A friend recently posted a link to The Story Behind Joe Jackson's "Steppin' Out" (WSJ). Depending on the source, "Steppin' Out" was released in either June or August of 1982. It spent a total of 27 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #6 on December 11, 1982. It also peaked at #5 in Cash Box magazine, #4 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, and #7 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks. In short, it was Jackson's biggest US hit. Now, I'm sure I heard "Steppin' Out" on the radio in 1982. However, my clearest memory of the song is as the lead track off STARLITE, a 1983 compilation record from K-Tel. If you watched TV in the 70s and 80s, you probably remember commercials for K-Tel's records and other products. A vinyl copy of STARLITE boasts a retail value of about $2.00 these days, and it features a track list of 14 songs:

1) Steppin’ Out – Joe Jackson 2) Eye In The Sky – Alan Parsons Project 3) Personally – Karla Bonoff 4) Nobody – Sylvia 5) Goin’ Down – Greg Guidry 6) Love Or Let Me Be Lonely – Paul Davis 7) Blue Eyes – Elton John 8) Wasted On The Way – Crosby, Stills & Nash 9) Only The Lonely – The Motels 10) On The Wings of Love – Jeffrey Osborne 11) A Penny For Your Thoughts – Tavares 12) You Can Do Magic – America 13) Who’s Crying Now – Journey 14) Love’s Been A Little Bit Hard On Me – Juice Newton

All the songs were top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and half of them reached top 10 status. Yeah, there are a few oddballs on there, like "On The Wings of Love" or "A Penny For your Thoughts," but it's a pretty solid lineup. And while STARLITE harbors no true, straight-ahead rockers, it is kind of a diverse collection of music (as far as 80s top 40 music goes). So, rather than choose my usual trinity of tracks, this week's Flashback is featuring the entire compilation. Enjoy!

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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.

And if you are on Twitter, and feel so inclined, please +K my influence in Music on @klout.

I'll see you in seven!

UPDATE (6/3/2022): The video I originally shared in this post is no longer available in the US. So, I've replaced it with an embedded playlist video. Let's see how long this one lasts. It is already missing one track (Only The Lonely – The Motels).

Let the games begin

So we received emails from SDCC yesterday that our badges were on their way!

We arrived home and it must have been a worm hole because our badges were already here!

What is everyone looking forward to?

Dangrdafne is looking forward to seeing her friends and getting away from work for a long break.

Brainwise is looking forward to the overall experience of SDCC even for our eighth visit.

Friday 80s Flashback for June 15, 2018

[Clutching at the 80s] -- This week in 1987, 80s prog rockers and cult darlings, Marillion, released their fourth studio album, Clutching at Straws. Marillion got their start in Aylesbury, England, in 1979, and took their name from J.R.R. Tolkien's novel, The Silmarillion. A favorite among the D&D playing teens in the early 80s, Marillion reached the peak of their success with Clutching at Straws' predecessor, the concept album Misplaced Childhood (1985). While not as commercially successful as Childhood, Straws did reach #2 on the UK Albums Chart and it received many positive reviews. In fact, AllMusic.com considers this album to be their "most unheralded masterpiece." It was certainly a transitional record -- it was the last record with singer-songwriter, Fish, and it heralded guitarist Steve Rothery's ascension to being the band's new musical instigator later recordings.

Like Childhood, Straws is a concept album. However, rather than delving into the vagaries of youth, this record looks the downward spiral of a young adult. In these songs, we see Torch, who is 29 years old and out-of-work. His life is a mess and he seeks solace mainly in alcohol. It is not a happy story, as Torch ends up a raging drunk beyond all hope of redemption.

CD Booklet for UK release of Clutching at Straws

The three singles released from Clutching at Straws were "Incommunicado," "Sugar Mice," and "Warm Wet Circles." However, since we're dealing with a concept album, I thought it might be best to provide a full playlist rather than just pick my usual three selections. Enjoy!

Flashback(s): "I'm a citizen of Legoland travellin' incommunicado  |  And I don't give a damn for the Fleet Street aficionados." (lyrics from the first single, Incommunicado).

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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.

And if you are on Twitter, and feel so inclined, please +K my influence in Music on @klout.

I'll see you in seven!

Preacher

Dangrdafne review

Simply put, I should NOT like this show at all. It is uber violent, horrifying and dark, soooo dark.

But

I LOVE this show!

I mean I really love this show. Every episode blows me away with its creativity, acting, filming and crazy. It is the best over the top there can be. I love how everything ties together. You have to watch, though, there is no multi-tasking while Preacher is on.

I adore the family that is created between the three main characters and how they do anything for each other. It is the best kind of family there is, a chosen one.

And speaking of chosen one, Dominic Cooper is spectacular as Jesse aka Preacher. Watching him grapple with his role with Genesis is a thing of beauty. And that hair?? Woah, his hair is perfection.

Ruth Negga is spectacular as Tulip. She is strong, vulnerable, powerful, tough, in love and just a perfect match for Jesse. I want to be Tulip, minus all the violence around her.

Then there is Joseph Gilgun as Cassidy. I used to hate vampires when I was a child but in my adult years I have come to love so many. Cassidy is on that list. He is such a good human... who isn't human. His caring and his loyalty is better than most people.

One of my current fascinations is in season 2: how they wrote Hitler as a sympathetic character. We meet Hitler in Hell and we get to see the cause of his insanity. It is not what you think it is and it makes you question many things. Is he inherently a good person gone bad? Or is he just bad to the bone? These are the questions that come up in Preacher and they leave them for you to work through on your own.

We are two seasons in and the third starts on June 24th. I highly. highly recommend catching up before the 3rd season starts if you aren't watching. I will add that this is a highly violent and gory show. If you are easily queasy, I recommend watching with a friend who is not so they can tell you when to look away and when to watch again. The opening to season 2 is quite horrid but worth it, so worth it.

The search for God is one many of us feel and the way the show weaves everything together is some of the best storytelling there is on TV.

I easily give Preacher 4 paws and a tail !!