Songs of the Day: More 80's Soundtracks

Those of us who grew up watching the glory days of MTV (approximately 1981-1990) undoubtedly recall some of the soundtrack videos that were a staple of the channel.  These usually had scenes from the movie intercut with a performance by the artist, but not always.  Here are three that I remember watching back in the day.

The first is "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins.  The film was a loose remake of the Robert Mitchum classic, "Out of the Past".  I have a hunch that Kris Kristofferson would have been the favorite to play the football player/detective, but the "Heaven's Gate" debacle probably sunk his chances.  Ironically, Jeff Bridges was also in "Heaven's Gate", but largely escaped the flak that movie created.



The next clip is "Man in Motion" by John Parr, from the movie "St. Elmo's Fire".  One of the great "Brat Pack" movies with Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, and Ally Sheedy.




The last clip is "Change" by John Waite from the film "Vision Quest", that great amateur wrestling epic starring Matthew Modine.  The only video released for this song was made when John Waite released the single from his album "Ignition".  That video showed Waite and his band trying to talk a young lady out of jumping off a ledge.  Twenty five years later, along comes YouTube.  A "Vision Quest" fan makes a video for the song with clips from the film and does a damn good job of recreating that 80's soundtrack video look.  Behold:



Bonus:

The music video that never was.  While there was a video for "I've Had The Time Of My Life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, almost no one remembers it.  It showed grainy black and white footage of Medley and Warnes singing, with scenes of anonymous dancers and clips from "Dirty Dancing".  However, when people think of that song, they picture the final scene: "Johnny" (Patrick Swayze" strides into the year end show, goes to the Houseman's table and says, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner".  Then they walk onstage together and perform the final dance.


Johnny and Baby dance the final dance together.

And the other video everyone remembers from that movie: "Hungry Eyes" by Eric Carmen.

Tasty Bite: Tasty Food

As a vegetarian, and someone who has renewed his efforts to watch his diet, I love Tasty Bite.  Ready made Indian and Thai food using traditional grains, beans and spices.  Just heat and eat, the bachelor's credo.  I usually get mine at Meijer.  Mix it with some rice and you're good to go.  Their website has more menu ideas: WWW.TASTYBITE.COM 

 

 

Rip Torn: Actor...bank robber?

I am still trying to get my mind wrapped around the story of Rip Torn holding up a bank.

Actor Rip Torn charged with breaking into Conn. bank while drunk and carrying a loaded gun

I am not sure what the whole story is, or where this will end up, but I always think of Rip Torn as the defense attorney for Albert Brooks in "Defending Your Life".
 


It would be an ironic twist if Torn ends up defending his own life as his own attorney.  Stay tuned.

My Review of Manpower (DVD)

Originally submitted at WB Shop

Iconic screen tough guys Edward G. Robinson and George Raft square off for hard-hitting drama, portraying utility company workers tough enough to defy death and each other while working power lines more treacherous than snakes. It will take some kind of woman to stand up to that much manpower. Luck...

Manpower (DVD)

Sparks Fly!

By Dustin Blythe from Mishawaka, IN on 1/31/2010

 

4out of 5

Pros: Engaging Characters, Entertaining, High Production Value

Describe Yourself: Movie Buff

This is a great example of Warner's knack for telling stories about blue collar, working class people that blue collar, working class people could identify with. Gritty, realistic movies with dynamic stars. In this case, the stars were so dynamic that Raft and Robinson actually got into a fistfight on the set! Talk about Method Acting, their animosity went beyond the script!

Robinson and Raft on the set

Tags: George Raft, Edward G Robinson

(legalese)

This Says It All

Songs of the Day: Gordon Lightfoot

I was watching my dvd of "Wonderland", starring Val Kilmer, the other day and when the end credits rolled, "If You Could Read My Mind" by Gordon Lightfoot played.  The final scene is of Val Kilmer and Kate Bosworth riding into a desert sunset as this song plays.  After the darkness and violence of the previous two hours, the beauty of the scenery and Lightfoot's voice jumped out at me.  It was such a departure that I found myself reappreciating the song, it's lyrics and his vocals. 

Along with "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", "If You Could Read My Mind" and "Sundown" are probably Lightfoot's two biggest and most recognizable hits.  Here he is, circa 1974, performing two of those songs...live, and with only two other musicians, on "The Midnight Special".  This was not a taped or mimed performance, which goes to show you what a seasoned performer he was at this point in his career. 

"If You Could Read My Mind"



"Sundown"


"Sundown" must have just been released, because the crowd does not immediately recognize the song.  I like how they get into it about halfway through.  You can tell that Lightfoot draws from the crowd's energy when they do. 

By the way, love the denim!  This was when Gordon Lightfoot looked like the twin of the guy in the Camel ads:

 

And just before he released his iconic 70's album, "Gord's Gold".

Oh Snap! Obama Takes On House Republicans

There was none of the tradition of Prime Minister's Questions nor the artificial structure of a televised debate, but Friday President Obama faced some of his Republican critics at the House Republican Conference's retreat in Baltimore.  By most accounts, even some Republican ones, the President did very well.  Some said that he came out on top.  Here are a few viewpoints:

Mike Madden at Salon.com

His comments are followed by ones by Joan Walsh and Alex Koppelman.

Daniela Perdomo at Alternet.org

Susie Madrak at Crooks and Liars

Heather at Crooks and Liars

I tend to agree with Joan Walsh: this is the guy we voted for in 2008.  We need more of this type of take-it-to-em leadership.  If only this would invigorate Obama and the Democrats to go back and demand a true public option.

The Return of Mel Gibson

I read this line in a story about Mel Gibson's comeback and loved it:

"As a Jew, I have to say Mel Gibson's my favorite anti-Semite," says veteran film reporter Lewis Beale. "He's an incredibly talented guy both behind and in front of the camera."

Regarding Gibson's comeback vehicle, "Edge of Darkness": How is this not "Payback" or "Ransom"?  Perhaps that is the point, as is mentioned in the article.  Gibson wanted a familiar vehicle to use to re-establish himself in the public arena.

After 7 1/2 years, Gibson returns to the screen

Hope, Optimism and Overcoming Cynicism

I had lunch with a lovely lady today and we talked about current politics and how so many people tend to be dismissive and cynical. It is easy to generalize and expect the worst of people, sometimes too easy, but while the harder path may be learning to trust it is more rewarding and fulfilling in the end.

I love "The Rifleman" and someday I will devote a post strictly to that great TV western. My aim today, however, is to use an episode of "The Rifleman" to illustrate my point.

This episode is called "End of a Young Gun" and the guest star is a young Michael Landon, before "Bonanza". Landon plays a gunslinger, a young man with a chip on his shoulder, mainly because he has fallen in with bad companions and also because he wants to impress his older brother. Landon, though, has a kind heart under that gruff exterior and gradually realizes that if he is to be happy, he needs to take a chance on the kindness of others. He needs to learn to trust.

At one point, Lucas tells Landon, "So they stole your place.  That's tough, but it doesn't mean the whole world is bad.  Only a fool or a child would reason that way."

"The Rifleman" was a great western with a lot of valuable lessons woven into it's storylines. This is one example.

Songs of the Day: the 70's

Here are three songs that just happened to play sequentially on my iPod today, three of my faves from the 70's:

"Feelin' Stronger Everyday" by Chicago. 



"We're All Alone" by Rita Coolidge



"Fooled Around And Fell In Love" by Elvin Bishop. Vocals by Mickey Thomas, later lead singer of Starship. I could not find a good performance clip, but I did run across this one with Jason and Sam from "General Hospital". Good stuff.

Soothing Overnight Music

I'm up late (later than I should be) so here is something soothing for late night listening.



When this was popular in the early 60's, no one really knew what it meant (or cared), but the hypnotic melody caught on.  It still sounds good almost fifty (!) years later.

More Edwards Pain/Drama

The neverending story, part two.

John and Elizabeth Edwards Separate (and more)

Queen: Another Look At "Hot Space"

In 1980, Queen was coming out of a wildly successful decade.  True to their eclectic tastes, their album "The Game" not only featured a throwback rockabilly song, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", but a R&B/funk song, "Another One Bites The Dust", which ended up being an even bigger hit.

In an attempt to continue in that vein and exploring their own interests in that field, their next album, 1982's "Hot Space" featured more dance beats, new wave sounds and utilized more synthesizers than ever before.  Critical and popular reception was cool and, in some respects, resulted in long term damage.  A band which was wildly popular in England, Europe, Asia and South America, Queen had always worked and strived to "make it" in the United States.  Just as quickly as "Crazy Little Thing" and "Another One Bites The Dust" vaulted them toward that next level, the reaction to "Hot Space" slowed their momentum.

Although "Hot Space" did produce the hit, "Under Pressure", in my opinion there are a number of very good tracks that have been overlooked.  Here are two:

"Calling All Girls"




"Back Chat" (live in 1982)




Bonus:

Here is the karaoke version of "Under Pressure".

R.I.P. Pernell Roberts

We learned today that Pernell Roberts died at the age of 81.

While Roberts was not my favorite Cartwright brother, he was still a vital part of the show for it's first five years.  I can understand why he felt the need to leave the show, but I think he always regretted it.  He came close to admitting as much in later years.

You have to admire Roberts, though, for embracing his baldness.  I think he was relieved to leave "Bonanza" and finally be able to ditch the hairpiece.  Here is an interesting picture I found online:

The interviewers seem to be asking him what happened to his hair since he made that record.

Did Somebody Call A Plumber?

Where have we heard this before?


Four charged in wiretap break in

According to reports, the four men (including the mastermind of the pimp-prostitute ACORN "sting") claimed to be telephone repairmen.  When they attempted to tamper with the phones in Senator Mary Landrieu's office, police and the FBI got involved. 

"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it"

On a lighter note.

"24"-the day after

I am still recovering from last night's episode of "24".  Can Anne Wersching be any more hypnotic?  Her eyes, incredible, especially when she told Vladimir how desperately she wanted this "deal" to go on. 

There was a great interview in USAToday, which you can read here, where Wersching talks about how much she relishes playing such a juicy acting role.  Nice picture, too.

I have read elsewhere that other fans of "24" are already tired of the creepy ex-boyfriend storyline involving Dana Walsh from CTU.  We learned a few more tantalizing details from him last night (not only has she changed her name, she spent a stint in jail as an accessory to murder).  However, this storyline is going to have to get a hell of a lot more tantalizing, and quick.  Otherwise it is going to drag the show down.  Can't have that.

At this point, seasoned "24" veterans can anticipate where the show is heading, but like all great shows, it is not so much what they do, it's how they do it.  Just when you get a little complacent, "24" throws you a complete curve.  I cannot wait to see where this season takes us.

Songs of the Day

Here are three great songs from the late 60's/early 70's.


"Expressway To Your Heart" by the Soul Survivors

The Ides of March started as a group of neighborhood kids from Berwyn Illinois.  They worked their way up through Chicago and the region before hitting it big.  After the Ides broke up in the early 70's, lead singer/songwriter Jim Peterik wrote and played in the Chicago area before forming his next group, Survivor.  Even while writing songs for Survivor ("Eye of the Tiger", "I Can't Hold Back", "The Search Is Over", "Burning Heart", "Is This Love") he wrote hits for .38 Special ("Hold On Loosely", "Caught Up In You", "Fantasy Girl").  Like the Blues Brothers, he "got the band back together" and now plays with the original Ides of March.  Here they are performing "Vehicle".




Finally we have the Phil Spector song that isn't.  After Phil Spector's run of hits ("Da Doo Run Run", "Be My Baby", "Then He Kissed Me", "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'") in the early/mid 60's, a spate of "Wall of Sound" imitators cropped up.  Some learned at the hand of the master (Bill Medley, of The Righteous Brothers, produced their soundalike hit "Soul and Inspiration"), others succeeded by trial and error.  So many tried, in fact, that a series of cds was later released that consisted only of Phil Spector soundalikes (called "Phil's Spectre" One, Two, and Three).  The most famous Spector soundalike, however, does not appear on any of those compilations.  It is The Walker Brothers hit, "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore".

 

Songs of the Day: 80's Soundtracks

Here are two often overlooked songs from two 80's soundtracks: "Porky's III" and "Hard to Hold".

The first is "High School nights" by Dave Edmunds from the "Porky's III: Porky's Revenge" soundtrack.  For some reason, the third film in the "Porky's" trilogy had the best soundtrack of them all.  It is almost as if they diverted the money they would have paid screenwriters to the soundtrack fund.  The "Porky's III" soundtrack featured: Jeff Beck, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Carl Perkins, Clarence Clemons, and Willie Nelson! However, what I remember best is "High School Nights" playing over the end credits.




Next is "Love Somebody" from what was to be Rick Springfield's springboard to superstardom, "Hard To Hold".  It did not quite work out that way. Springfield was on a roll, coming off of a few years as "Dr. Noah Drake" on "General Hospital.  He writes in the liner notes in his career anthology "Written in Rock": "I'm sorry, but that movie sucked.  It's one of those situations where you think 'the script isn't very good, but I can overcome it'.  Sorry, you can't."  At any rate, the soundtrack did have some good Springfield originals: "Don't Walk Away", "Bop 'Til You Drop" and this one, "Love Somebody".



Rick went on to have more hits in the late 80's, but he never quite got back to the level of stardom he almost had. 

Your Moment Of Zen

With apologies to the old "Daily Show" segment:

Really?

Jean Simmons: Dead at 80

I woke this morning to the news that actress Jean Simmons died yesterday.   She was 80.

Jean Simmons was a favorite of mine.  Not only was she a gifted actress, she was one of the most beautiful and alluring women in Hollywood.

Few actresses could have portrayed a slave woman with such grace, dignity and seductiveness as she did in "Spartacus".




Her greatest role, in prestige and as a leading actress, was "Elmer Gantry".  As "Sister Sharon Falconer", Simmons played a magnetic evangelist who held audiences, and men, spellbound.  Burt Lancaster won the Oscar as the title character, but Simmons held her own as a woman who was pious, smitten, vulnerable, hurt and, finally, saintlike.



Farewell to a great and glamourous lady.

R.I.P. Triumph

A victim of the messy divorce of NBC and Conan O'Brien, collateral damage if you will, seems to be Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Apparently O'Brien's contract with NBC (at least the part they are willing to honor) would require him to surrender all characters and skits developed during his run at NBC. Bastards.

Here  is a great tribute to Triumph and some of his greatest moments.  I laughed, I cried...

Songs of the Day: the 60's

Here is a song I heard today on Radio IO's 60's pop channel, a song I never get tired of: "Cherry Hill Park" by Billy Joe Royal.



"Cherry Hill Park" was written by members of Classics IV and produced by Buddy Buie; this combination resulted in a number of 60's hits: "Spooky", "Stormy" and, my fave, "Traces". 

John Edwards: Somebody Wake Me From This Nightmare

My God, the story that will not die!!!!

Just when I thought that the alleged revelations about Elizabeth Edwards in the new book "Game Change" were bad enough, John Edwards comes out and tops them. 

The latest bombshell, which really is not a bombshell as much as it is a confirmation of everyone's hunch, has given a hellish story new life. 

I told a friend of mine that when this subject comes up, I sometimes wish I had been an Obama or Clinton supporter.  If I were, I could read this stuff, shake my head and move on.  Instead, revelations like this rip the stitches out of an old wound. 

All politicians are taught, or should be, to get out in front of a negative story or allegation.  Do not let it go unanswered or linger to the point where it consumes your campaign for three or four days.  This ordeal has been going on since July...of 2008.  Will it ever be over? 

However, let me say this about John Edwards.  Whatever his failings, personal or professional, no one before or since has spoken out on behalf of the poor in this country like John Edwards.  He made fighting poverty a cornerstone of his campaign and no matter what he has done or said, there are millions of people in this country that are barely getting by.  I was, and still am, proud to have been associated with his war on poverty, a war which should continue.

Fave Films: "Heaven's Gate"

A few years ago I was watching TNT overnight and I caught "Heaven's Gate", the notorious 1980 western directed by Michael Cimino and starring Kris Kristofferson.  Being vaguely familiar with the film's reputation as a legendary bomb, I watched it with morbid curiosity.  Being partial to westerns, I did not expect an excruciating experience like "Howard the Duck" or "Ishtar", but I knew the film had a bad reputation for some reason.  Three hours later, I was a fan.

"Heaven's Gate" is the story of James Averill (Kris Kristofferson), an 1870 Harvard graduate from a wealthy family who turns his back on a life of privilege to seek his fortune in the wild west.  In 1892, after a stint as a cattleman, Averill becomes a peace officer in the town of Heaven's Gate, Wyoming.  There he watches over an ever increasing melting pot populated by immigrants from myriad countries and ethnicities, mostly eastern European.  Most of these immigrants have come to America, and the west, with little to start with and some resort to rustling a head or two of cattle to get by.

Averill lives a complicated life, romancing the town "madam" Ella (Isabella Huppert) who is also being courted, and paid, by the Cattlemen's Association enforcer Nate Champion (Christopher Walken) who happens to be a friend of Averill's. 

The Cattlemen's Association, led by cattle baron Frank Canton (Sam Waterston), is growing increasingly resentful of the intrusion of the immigrants and their rustling.  The local courts, sympathetic to the immigrants' plight, has recently set a number of rustlers free, further aggrivating the Cattlemen.  Canton devises a plan to label the immigrants as anarchists, playing on the fears and prejudices of the locals.  The Cattlemen compile a list of local immigrants who they feel need to be punished for their thievery; punished with a death sentence.  To achieve this, they hire an army of gunslingers paid to kill.

Averill learns of the plot, and Ella's inclusion on the list for accepting Association cattle for "services rendered".  Averill accuses Champion of knowing of this while he has seduced Ella.  Champion pleads ignorance of the plot and seeks out Canton to learn the truth.  Seeing the plan in action, Champion quits the Association.  Canton and his army simply add Champion to the death list.

En route to Heaven's Gate Canton's army encounters Champion at his cabin.  After a valiant fight, Champion is riddled with bullets when a fire forces him out of his cabin.

 

Canton's army moves ahead for Heaven's Gate.  Meanwhile the citizens of the town have also learned of the vigilantes on their way to kill them.  After a heated town hall meeting, the people vote to ride out and confront the invaders.  Anticipating slaughter, Averill resigns as Sheriff.  However, on his way out of town, he reconsiders and rides out to help.

On the way he encounters Champion's bloody body and stops to bury his friend.  He rides on to find that the citizens are attempting to encircle the invading army, but are being picked apart by the vigilantes.  Using his knowledge of history, Averill directs the immigrants to build movable fortifications which they use to slowly move in upon the entrenched invaders.  Just as victory seems imminent, against great odds, the U.S. Cavalry rides in to save Canton's vigilantes and to put down an "anarchist uprising".

Seeing that their lives would never be the same, Averill and Ella pack to leave.  However, Ella is cut down by Cattlemen assassins as they leave their cabin.  Thoroughly disillusioned and disheartened, Averill resigns to his fate and moves back east, where he enters a comfortable yet ultimately unsatisfying marriage with his sweetheart from Harvard.  The last scenes show an older James Averill silently wandering the deck of his yacht in Newport harbor in the early 1900's.

This film, while it has it's flaws, moved and intrigued me.  Most interesting is how this film was based on actual events, the Johnson County War of 1892.  I was also interested in how this movie became the most infamous bomb until "Waterworld".

The director, Michael Cimino, was seen as a young genius fresh from his Academy Award win for "The Deer Hunter".  As such, he was given carte blanche to make the film of his choice.  Having long desired to tell the story of the Johnson County War, Cimino made that his next project.  However, Cimino soon began running over budget and into conflict with the studio.  After a long and tumultuous shoot, Cimino delivered a five hour director's cut.  This was dismissed out of hand by the studio.  Cimino went back to the editing room, along with a team of editors, and cut the film to three and a half hours.

This was shown to an audience of film critics in New York City and greeted with silence...until they got to their typewriters.  Most critics seemed to gleefully try to outdo each other by writing more and more scathing reviews.  Cimino asked that the film be pulled from release and, amazingly, was granted this wish.  The film was cut again to two and a half hours, but the incredibly bad publicity doomed the film to failure.

A few years later the film found an appreciative cult audience on cable, but by then the damage was done.  Kris Kristofferson saw a promising film career derailed.  He played small roles for years until he played an acclaimed part in "Lone Star".  Cimino directed films sporadically over the next fifteen years, but none came close to achieving the promise of his pre-"Heaven's Gate" work.  Cimino became more reclusive and surfaced in later years in Europe appearing to have undergone plastic surgery which radically changed his appearance, making it almost androgynous.

Cimino in 1980

Cimino in 2000

The only principal actors to have escaped with their careers seemingly unharmed were Jeff Bridges and Christopher Walken.

"Heaven's Gate" has had something of a critical reappraisal recently, with critics noting it's striking cinematography and sweeping vision.  The soundtrack is a fantastic mix of acoustic Americana, with hints of European ethnic songs.  To be sure, there are hints of greatness within "Heaven's Gate".  Here are a few:

A scene where the townspeople come together to enjoy a new pasttime, rollerskating:



A montage of scenes, set to "Sweet Water" from the film's soundtrack:

Massachusetts (not the Bee Gees song)

Like a lot of other Democrats, I am still trying to make sense of what happened yesterday in Massachusetts.  Here's my take.

Welcome to the Democratic Party, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.  I cannot believe it was a tidal wave of Republican anger/energy.  After all, Coakley was up thirty points not that long ago.  Then she took that ill timed vacation.  Hey, when you are Barack Obama you can do that.  Coakley is no Barack Obama.

 

Coakley is being thrown under the bus as we speak.  Is it totally deserved?  Maybe not, but Democrats are doing it anyway to avoid the acknowledging that this may truly be a sign of things to come.  This along with the losses in New Jersey, Virginia and the loss of the Olympic bid for Chicago.  Can you believe that we may have reached a point, one year removed from Inauguration Day, that Democrats may say, "No, thanks" to a Presidential visit during their campaign?  Particularly from a President once so popular and magnetic? 

 

There may be another factor at work here: the Obama voter.  2008 was a special election, maybe once in a lifetime.  A perfect storm where Republicans were apathetic while independents and Democrats were electrified.  Fast forward to 2010.  Republicans are energized and smell blood in the water.  Independents are apathetic at best and may be pissed at Obama.  Democrats are disappointed over what has been done (bank bailout, auto bailout, Afghanistan) and what has not (real health care reform, public option, strong leadership from the White House, etc...). 

 

Those voters who came together in 2008, particularly in New Jersey, Virginia and Massachusetts, may be saying, "Before we vote for who you want us to vote for, how about doing what we want: help the economy, not Wall Street.  Rethink Afghanistan.  Fight for the public option, dammit.  We put you in office, and you are going to need us to stay there."

Don't Stop Me Now

Here's a first: two versions of the same song (because it's that damn good): "Don't Stop Me Now by Queen. 

First the official video, with the studio backing track:




Now the karaoke version, with the real Queen backing track.  This version allows you to hear Freddie Mercury's great piano playing.  Feel free to sing along.



Freddie Mercury, while not a formally trained musician (or vocalist, for that matter) was still an impressive piano player.  Roger Taylor, Queen's drummer, has said that it pisses him off when people call Freddie an "entertainer" because he was not just a guy who ran around on stage, he was a damn good musician.  This track bears that out. 

Classic Films: "Laura"

"Laura" was one of the first classic films that I came to know and love.  It is truly a classic from top to bottom, with great film noir touches, atmosphere and witty dialogue.  Gene Tierney plays "Laura", the beautiful young lady who takes everyone by storm.  Her competing love interests are Waldo Lydecker, a famous society columnist played with sarcastic glee by Clifton Webb and Shelby Carpenter, a shady southern playboy played by a young Vincent Price (!) before he became the horror king of later years.  Dana Andrews plays MacPherson, the detective who investigates Laura's life and finds himself falling in love with her memory.



There are so many good lines in this movie, it is hard to describe them all.  Here are a few:

• Waldo Lydecker, "I don't use a pen.  I write with a goose quill dipped in venom."
• Shelby Carpenter, "I don't know a lot about anything, but I know something about practically everything."
• Laura (on Shelby), "Shelby's a natural suspect because he's not the conventional type."
• Waldo (on some mysterious financial transactions), "Maybe they were shooting crap!"
• Waldo, "I alternated between moods of over-optimism and over-pessimism.  When the phone rang I had a foreboding of disaster."

"Laura".  If you like it, get it here.

Songs of the Day: Great Torch Songs

I was eating lunch today when I heard one of these songs; "torch songs", truly great love songs usually about someone who has gone, is leaving or is soon to return.  I have chosen two great performances to share.

The first is "To Each His Own", performed by Al Martino.  While this video is not the most scintillating, the vocal is flawless and the sound quality superb.  This was probably recorded when Al Martino had that great comeback role as Johnny Fontane in "The Godfather".  You will sometimes hear an upbeat version of this song, but for me the "torchy" ballad cannot be beaten.




The next song is "My One and Only Love", performed by Paula Cole.  While I think the definitive version of this ballad was done by the great jazz balladeer Johnny Hartman on his album with John Coltrane, Paula Cole's rendition is right up there.  This performance is from jazz trumpeter Chris Botti's PBS special which featured a host of guest vocalists.  Paula Cole had a couple of hits ("I Don't Wanna Wait", "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone") after performing as a backing vocalist with Peter Gabriel but I had no idea she had such range, tone or control.  She absolutely nails this song, live no less, and looks damn good in that black suit to boot.




Bonus:

Simply because it is too good to leave out, and because it was the next song she performed, here are Paula Cole, Chris Botti and Burt Bachrach performing, "The Look of Love", a torch song in it's own way.

"24": Renee Walker-Born Again Hard!

Wow.  I think Renee Walker (played by Anne Wersching) has taken what she learned from Jack Bauer and kicked it up a notch.  This sets up an interesting premise for this season: Jack Bauer gets to work with, and deal with, someone who acts just like he used to and also someone who was where he once was: lost, angry, hurt and acting without regard for his/her self. 

This is going to be real interesting.

Songs of the Weekend

Here are a couple of songs that have been with me all weekend.

Our first is "Magnet and Steel" by Walter Egan, a minor hit in the late 70's notable for the involvement of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac.  Buckingham and Nicks were hot off the success of "Rumors" when they helped with this song: Buckingham playing guitar and producing and both Buckingham and Nicks providing the backing vocals.



Try to disregard the similarity in appearance between Walter Egan and Sam Kinison in "Back to School":

Our next song is "Too Hot to Stop" by Benjamin Orr from his solo album, "The Lace".  Orr was the bass player for The Cars and the lead singer on some of their biggest hits: "Just What I Needed", "Let's Go" and "Drive".  While his solo album had some hits of note, namely "Stay the Night", I always felt that "Too Hot to Stop" was overlooked and underappreciated.  Like many musicians who have spent their entire career with an instrument, Orr seems uncomfortable without a bass guitar, but it's a good 80's video.  No plot, no story, an odd futuristic set and an audience full of space babes.  By the way, that is Cars keyboard player Greg Hawkes in the band.
 

"24": Thrilling, Gritty...Slow?

In Friday's USA Today I read a preview of the new season of "24" which the writer characterized as "old" and "slow".  That's not the show I watched last night, and will watch tonight, as the premiere continues.

I am a "24" fan, and have been since the second season (we are now in season eight), so that colors my opinion of the show.  However, I will say that with the possible exception of a show here and there on cable no show continues to keep you guessing and keep you on the edge of your seat like "24".  If the plot seems familiar, the premise recycled, the actors mere role players, the writing is what keeps the show fresh.  What would be a season ending cliffhanger for any other show is just another week's episode for "24".  All this is propelled by the intense Kiefer Sutherland.  The HD cameras may show his age (wrinkles and all, but hasn't Jack Bauer experienced some things that would tend to prematurely age someone?), but Sutherland still keeps the show going with the strength of his portrayal and the believeability of his emotions during each scene.

Yes, I will be there at 8pm tonight.  Oh, did I mention that Agent Renee Walker (Anne Wersching) from season seven is returning tonight?  That does not hurt, either.

 

For Your Viewing Pleasure

You may have noticed that I have changed the font.  I did so after viewing my blog on a PC.  What I was using looked great on my Apple, but a little hard to read on a PC.

Hear, hear

Great article about Peru Indiana (the hometown of yours truly) and the old high school gym, Tig-Arena, home of the Peru Tigers.

A look back at Tig-Arena

I went to Peru High School from 1988-1992, just as the new gym was being built.  New and shiny as it was, it was little more than a cube made of concrete block.  The old Tig-Arena has character. 

It now hosts weekly bingo games.

John and Elizabeth Edwards: The Nightmare I Cannot Escape

I was a John Edwards supporter.  I preferred him in 2004, but backed Kerry because I thought he was more electable (?!?).  When Kerry chose Edwards as his running mate, for me it was like chocolate and peanut butter: good on their own but great together.

Then came election day.

How could they have lost?  We had it all on George Bush, beat his ass in the debates, you name it.  Who believed that Swiftboat shit?

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

So then came 2006.  Everyone is jockeying for position as the Presidential campaigns get rolling.  Then came the news that John Edwards was getting into the race again and that he would make an announcement tour with stops in New Orleans Louisiana and Des Moines Iowa.  That was it, I was all in for Edwards!

A friend and I hit the road and went to his Des Moines event at the Iowa Historical Society building, just down the street from the state capitol.  I had two old "Kerry/Edwards" buttons.  I took a blue marker and colored in the "Kerry" so it just read "Edwards".  We walked in and found ourselves behind the velvet rope with the media.  Evidently people thought our buttons were credentials.  Where else could we have gone with those?

We went back to Iowa twice: once for a town hall meeting in Davenport where we got to not only experience an election year town hall in person (Edwards was an hour late, ouch!), but we got to meet him afterward one on one.  (No security, it was just him and us.  Good thing we were not nuts.)

In January 2008 we went back to help the Edwards campaign before the caucus.  I saw on the Edwards website that John and Elizabeth would be at a New Year's Party at their headquarters in Mason City. 

(Short aside here.  I chose Mason City for three reasons:

1. John and Elizabeth would be there.
2. Mason City is the hometown of Meredith Willson, creator of "The Music Man"
3. I had just re-read "The Dillinger Days" by John Toland, a great book about the gangsters that criss-crossed the midwest in the twenties and thirties.  Dillinger and his gang hit Mason City and got caught in a big gunfight were a few members of the gang were wounded.)

We drove there on New Year's eve, got caught in a bad snowstorm about halfway through Illinois, made it to the Quad Cities by the skin of our teeth and soldiered on to Mason City.  We got to Mason City about 11:30pm and passed the Edwards for President headquarters twice before I realized the small storefront with cardboard signs written in marker was the place.  (I kid you not, they were pizza boxes turned inside out!).  Once there we found out that John and Elizabeth had already left for another town.  We slunked back to our hotel and went back in the morning to do some good.  The temperature was -5 with a wind chill of -20.  They asked us if we wanted to make phone calls or go out door to door.  We chose door to door like the hearty Midwesterners we were.  We were sent to Northwood Iowa, just south of the Iowa-Minnesota border.  The roads were drifting over and when we got to Northwood, it was a ghost town.  We knocked on doors of peoople our lists told us were in their 70's and 80's and got no answer.  Where were these people?  Dead?

I got back to Indiana, where I was involved in the local Edwards for President effort.  At the time, no one imagined that Indiana would actually be in play, so we were regarded with curiosity.  With eternal thanks to Shaw Friedman and Vidya Kora, I was able to attend an Edwards fundraiser in Michigan City.

John Edwards and I in Michigan City

Then the bottom fell out.

Edwards came in second in Iowa, respectable but disappointing.  He was definitely banking on a win in Iowa to propel him forward.  More disappointing finishes in New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, where he hoped the proximity to his home state of North Carolina would win him a few points.

Edwards dropped out and I resigned myself to choosing a new candidate to support.  I backed Obama and went on with my life.

Then the stories started to emerge about Edwards and a secret affair.  That summer someone asked me what I thought about the story in the Enquirer.  I laughed it off as a story wedged between "The Amazing Bat Boy" and "Richard Nixon's Secret Cheeseball Recipe".

Little did I know it was all true.

Fast forward to 2010.  Just when you thought it was safe to put the Edwards debacle behind you, more revelations from the new book "Game Change" by Mark Halperin and John Heileman, including stories about Elizabeth Edwards.

The hits just keep on comin', but I still have my rally sign from the Davenport town hall.  I just cannot throw it away.  That sign represents two years of my life and something I really believed in.  The worst part is, everyone who said John Edwards was nothing more than a slick lawyer, a southern smooth talker, a pretty boy, a hypocrite who preached on poverty but lived in a mansion used that story to justify everything they felt.

The Edwards' rose fast and fell faster.  And they may not have hit bottom yet.

It's Hard To Screw Up A Movie With Denzel Washington

Yet, it has been done.

Entertainment Weekly's review: The Book of Eli

Honestly, how many times can the post-apocalyptic Earth story be told?  One movie the reviewer could have mentioned was "Zardoz" with Sean Connery, which seems similar to that genre.

When you are attempting to breathe new life into a hoary old premise, like the man wandering a desolate landscape post-nuclear war, you have to turn it on it's ear, you have to do something different.  Otherwise, it just gets filed away with all the others.  Especially coming so soon after a similar movie (The Road).

There was a similar situation back in 1993 when there were competeing Wyatt Earp movies in production: "Tombstone" starring Kurt Russell and "Wyatt Earp" starring Kevin Costner.  While the Kevin Costner production would win points from most people for historical accuracy, it was "Tombstone" that became the bigger hit, both box office-wise and cult classic-wise.  

Great Film Noir Dialogue

I love to sit down to a good, gritty 30's or 40's film noir movie and "Double Indemnity" is one of the best.  Great acting, story and dialogue filled with sarcasm, double entendres and read-between-the-lines looks.  The story of an insurance salesman, a bored housewife, both with wandering eyes and big ideas, and the insurance company detective that breaks the case.

Here is an example:

Songs of the Day

I do not know what your set up is, but I am listening to these songs via my computer's Bose Companion 5 speaker system and I am jammin' to the 80's!

Our first song is "Edge of a Broken Heart" by Richard Marx.  Those of you who remember the late 80's/early 90's may remember the all girl band Vixen.  This was originally a hit for them, but it was written by Richard Marx.  Try not to be distracted by the hairstyles, which have since been outlawed.




Our next song is "Desert Moon" by Dennis DeYoung, his first solo hit after leaving Styx.  This song really captures that "Whatever happened to..." or "What if..." I think we all feel about our younger days, especially high school.  This was a common theme in Dennis DeYoung's solo material.



Finally we have what is, quite possibly, the most embarassing video released by a major artist in the 80's: "Rock Me Tonite" by Billy Squier.  All the more embarassing because it is a great song.  I think Jon Bon Jovi put it best when he said, "The video where Billy Squier danced in his pajamas and killed his career".



My God, what was he thinking?  Where was his management when this was filmed?  Can anyone see me dancing like that right now?

A Minor Rant

Or, to acknowledge the Bill Hicks album, a "Rant in A Minor".

I read a Voice of the People letter in today's South Bend Tribune bashing Rep. Joe Donnelly's vote for health care reform (I guess they're calling it insurance reform now).  The writer called it "a vote for a government takeover of our healthcare system". 

Where is the government takeover?  Progressives wanted single payer, settled for a public option and got neither.  What we are dickering over now is a bill which will help people but amounts to a watered down version of a watered down public option compromise.  The only government role will be some modified regulatory power that they had to begin with. 

Another argument is the money being spent.  People, we stopped counting our money about seven Presidents ago.  It's all theoretical at this point, just paper passing from one hand to another if it's even seen at all.  Do you think that when you hear about a professional athlete's salary, a big business merger or a government's budget that there are people transporting wheelbarrows full of cash from one account to another?  If our debt were "real", it could be called in by Saudi Arabia or China at any time.  There is a fictional movie called "Rollover" which supposes what would happen if Saudi Arabia did call on our marker.  It's not pretty.

I guess what I am trying to say is this: relax.  Too much thinking will just give you a headache.

Songs of the Day

Our first song is "One" by the Bee Gees, their "comeback" record after years in the wilderness of the 80's.  In ten years they went from the biggest stars in the world to having their records burned in public to a return to respectability.




Our next song is "Somewhere Down the Crazy River" by Robbie Robertson.  Despite the breakup of The Band in the late 70's, it took another ten years for Robertson to record a solo album.  The idea for the song came from producer Daniel Lanois who used to listen to Robertson tell these strange stories about the backwoods in his deep voice.  The video has a great film noir/Tennessee Williams feel to it, like "Streetcar Named Desire" or "Baby Doll".

If We Have To Explain, They Would Not Understand

All I seem to hear is how Republicans feel there is a double standard.  After all, a Republican Senate Leader (Trent Lott) made some racially insensitive remarks and he had to resign.  Harry Reid, a Democrat Senate Leader, made some racially insensitive remarks and where is the outrage?  No Democrat is calling for his head and, more troubling, the general public seems not to care all that much.

I think I can explain the difference.  Guess which Party's supporters have been seen with these:

And they wonder why their Party has no credibility and less sympathy when they cry "Racism".

Behind Closed Doors?

Do you really want to post those old High School pics on your profile?

Facebook and the end of privacy

Example: I know a grandmother who is on Facebook.  She has befriended her grandson, of course, and her grandson's girlfriend.  How nice.  However, do you think the grandson and girlfriend realize that grandma is looking at their Facebook profiles everyday, especially the pictures?  Pictures that are all taken in good fun with their High School friends, stuff they'll laugh about in twenty years, but explain that to a 60-something grandmother today. 

I'm just sayin'...

More Brilliance From Tom Tomorrow

The new "This Modern World"

Also, check out his blog, This Modern World, for more wry observations from Tom and his friends.

Tom has also written an acclaimed children's book, available here at Amazon.com.

Songs of the Day

Here's a new feature that I will be bringing to you, constant readers, as inspiration dictates: Song of the Day.  A song (or songs) that strike me as particularly brilliant or deserving of another listen.

Today's songs:

"24 Hours from Tulsa" by Gene Pitney

 "Kicks" by Paul Revere and the Raiders

"Hard To Say" by Dan Fogelberg

I have to say, I like Dan Fogelberg but I always think of what Dennis Leary said years ago.  Shortly after two teenage boys killed themselves after listening to Judas Priest music, something the parents claimed hidden messages in the songs drove them to do, Dennis Leary said, "So two teenage Judas Priest fans killed themselves, what's the problem?  And the parents are suing Judas Priest?  Does this mean I can sue James Taylor and Dan Fogelberg for turning me into a pussy in the 70's?"

Teen Tragedy

I was listening to 60's pop on RadioIO today and it reminded me: If there is one sub-genre I like, it is the teen tragedy song.  You know the type: girl falls for boy (or vice versa), girl or boy dies tragically and the story is told by the survivor.  The late 50's and early 60's were the golden years of the teen tragedy song, although you can find them in almost every decade, arguably even back to the days of Stephen Foster ("Beautiful Dreamer"). 

For the record, here are some of my favorite teen tragedy songs:

• Patches by Dickie Lee 
• Honey by Bobby Goldsboro 
• Jody and the Kid by Roy Drusky (written by Kris Kristofferson) 
• Last Kiss by Pearl Jam (cover of the J.Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers song) 

and my favorite parody of the genre:

• I Want My Baby Back by Jimmy Cross 

Leader of the pack...now he's gone.

80's Pop Flashback

About two years ago a friend and I went to Star Plaza in Merrillville Indiana to see Rick Springfield (aka Dr. Noah Drake on "General Hospital").

At the time, he was promoting his new album, but of course there was a generous helping of oldies but goodies: "Jessie's Girl", "Don't Talk To Strangers", "Love Somebody", "Human Touch" and this often overlooked and underrated single, "Kristina".  I think it was written about a crush he had on a GH co-star, Kristina Wagner, wife of Jack Wagner who also had an 80's hit, "All I Need".

The Other "N" Word

Poor Harry Reid.  The guy sounds like a henpecked husband, yet he is supposed to herd cats lead the Senate.  As if that was not enough, he had a tough re-election campaign staring him in the face, many are still not over the demise of the public option, and now we have the revelations from the new book by Mark Halperin and John Heileman, "Game Change".

Here is the bottom line: remember when Joe Biden referred to Barack Obama as "clean and articulate"?  Obama not only forgave Biden, he made him his running mate.  Now we have the comments from Harry Reid.  If anyone could hold a grudge and be justified, it would be Barack Obama, yet he has forgiven Reid.  The way I see it, if Obama can turn the other cheek, who are we to complain? 

Now, our Republican friends think they have sensed blood in the water, but it was pointed out on the NBC Nightly News tonight that the difference between Harry Reid and Trent Lott is that Reid was complimenting Obama, albeit in a backhanded sort of way ("Gee, thanks!  I think...)  Trent Lott was verily pining for the good 'ol days of Dixie, when water fountains were sacred. 

Sunday Will Never Be The Same

It appears that an announcement naming Ted Koppel as the new host of "This Week" is imminent, replacing George Stephanopolous.  What this will do to ABC's Sunday morning news show, and it's audience, is still up in the air.  Will the older, familiar Koppel not only hold the current audience but continue the gains "This Week" has made in the ratings against "Meet the Press"?

Here is an interesting article on the state of Sunday morning talk from Politico:

Sunday morning talk

I used to watch the Sunday morning shows religiously, to the point where I used to watch "This Week" from 9-10, "Face the Nation" from 10:30-11 and "Meet the Press" from 11-12, right up to the NFL pregame show.  About a year ago I realized that these shows have devolved from bona fide interview shows to infomercials.  The Republicans have their talking points, the Democrats have theirs and ne'er the twain shall meet.  You will seldom, if ever, get an unscripted honest moment from any of the guests regardless of political stripe.  Everyone is afraid of conceding anything to the other side, particularly the Republicans.  Not only do they have to worry about the Democrats taking them to task for doing so, now the Tea Partiers are on the prod for waffling Republicans.  To be sure, the guests know what they are going to say before the cameras roll and you could not get them off point with a bayonet. 

This is probably another example of how the internet has changed media, for better or worse.  Where the Sunday morning talk shows would have been must see tv even ten years ago, now they are a throwback.  In my opinion, a thinking person can get much more reliable and nuanced information from the internet. 

So, are the networks conceding the Sunday morning show to the over 45 audience?  Is that the reason for Koppel instead of a younger host like Terry Moran or Jake Tapper?  I thought Terry Moran brought up a great point when he asked Counterterror Advisor John Brennan why Facebook and Google can make thousands of connections between bits of data in seconds but our national security computers could not do the same with the attempted Christmas Day bombing.  Would an older host have made the same comparision? 

Totally Rad Radio

As we get older, I guess we all tend to look back on the music of our youth as the best music ever made.  I am not sure I would go that far with all of the music of the 80's, but I would take 90% of it to a desert island. 

Let me introduce you to the soundtrack of my youth and (currently) my nights on the internet:  

RadioIo Pop

RadioIo is one of the better internet radio sites out there: not a lot of ads, no listener limits, no membership fee, great variety and they take requests!  If the 80's are not your thing, they have channels for almost every genre. 

Praise God! "24" is back!

I watch one, one tv show: "24".  For me, nothing else on network tv rivals the writing, the suspense, the drama and the innovation of "24".  Well, the wait has almost ended.  Starting on Sunday, January 17th, the two night premiere of "24" will take us where no other show since "The Shield" has dared to go. 

On a personal note, this season includes the return of what was, for me, one of the brightest spots of season seven, Anne Wersching as "Agent Renee Walker".  Beautiful, sexy, tough. 

Renee and Jack

Official "24" website

Welcome To My World

Many of you have probably asked yourself, at one time or another, "What is going on in his head?" or, "What is that boy thinking?".  Now's your chance to find out.

I decided to start a blog because I found that Facebook was not to my liking and I had thoughts, opinions, likes and dislikes that I wanted to share with the world. 

Each day, or every other day, or multiple times daily, I will share a theory, a rant, a fave video or song from back in the day, or just a random idea that pops into my head.  I cannot promise you Pulitzer material or stuff that would make "The Daily Show" or "The Colbert Report", but there are worse ways for you to spend time. 

Read, and enjoy!

D.B.