Will to Power - Baby I Love Your Way/Freebird

 

"If I leave here tomorrow

Would you still remember me

For I must be traveling on now

There's so many places I gotta see"

Merry Holidays and Happy New Year! I hope most of you are enjoying some downtime after another "interesting" 12 months. Wanted to treat everyone to one more post before we head off to the unexpected (and hopefully less germy) 2022. 

Did you ever think to yourself, I really wish some band would mash up Peter Frampton and Lynyrd Skynyrd?  I too felt the same way and lucky for me and the universe, Will to Power made this dream come true back in August of 1988. I always assumed Will to Power were African American till one fateful day a few months back when this delicious meal of sound and vision popped up on my beloved 80's music video channel on Pluto TV. I suppose it's the time of year for lists and discoveries and I'll say my favorite vocal discovery in 2021 is the male backup singer in Will to Power..aka Bob Rosenberg. Bob has passion, sweet locks, a fantastic mustache and digs sunsets. Just watch for yourself.

I also have a special memory from my high school days with the OG version of Freebird. After graduation, people around my town would head south to Myrtle Beach, SC to participate in Beach Week. I suppose a right of passage before going away to school and seeing what it's like to exist without parental supervision. Well guess what? Bad decision are a plenty! One night after a few beers (most likely Milwaukee's' Best Red aka The Beast) I visited one of my friends rental houses who decided it was a good idea to split a bottle of Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum on their roof. The only other companion was a boombox with a CD player (fancy) and Lynyrd Skynyrd's greatest hits. For some reason he thought it was a good idea to hit repeat on Freebird and let it roll. Once the rum disappeared I found myself back to my house (dismissing drinking Captain Morgan's Spiced rum to this day) while my friend fell asleep on the roof, waking up to a CD skipping version of Freebird  hours later. Happy to say we're all still alive and well.

Oh as far as other favorite's for the year...my favorite record I purchased was a reissue of the John Coltrane Quartet called Ballads.(pictured above) A perfect soundtrack to help get through those dark winter nights. My favorite book , Nothin' But A Good Time: The Uncensored History of the 80's Hard Rock Explosion by Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour. If you wanted to know what the Sunset Strip was like in Hollywood in the 80's, this one's for you. I didn't see many 2021 movies but I have to give it up for ole Nick Cage again. I loved his performance and the movie Pig...a bit of a tearjerker.

Thanks for reading again this year. Cheers, Prost, Slainte, Salute. Happy New year!

Will to Power - Baby I Love Your Way

Pig Trailer #1 (2021) | Movieclips Trailers

Skid Row - I Remember You

 "We spent the summer with the top rolled down

Wished ever after would be like this

You said I love you babe, without a sound

I said I'd give my life for just one kiss

I'd live for your smile and die for your kiss"

Sadly the above words were not our wedding vows. These beauties were composed by Dave "The Snake" Sabo and Rachel Bolan and of course sung by Sebastian Bach.

Didn't mean to miss the rest of October but after a bit of traveling and work "stuff" I just lost track of time. Although we've moved on from the wedding month, I wanted to make sure to post once more about that amazing day that took place a decade ago!

Skid Row was not featured in our wedding program (the final song not mentioned in earlier posts was Attics of My Life (written by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia) As for the first dance, we went with "That's How Strong My Love Is" by Otis Redding. Although we didn't take formal dance lessons, we did practice a few steps at home so we didn't look like total amateurs. My introduction to dance mostly came from 80's movies like Breakin' 2:Electric Boogaloo, Footloose, and Teen Wolf (yes, Teen Wolf had a prom scene) none of which seemed appropriate for shimmying to Mr. Redding so I needed a little practice.

I was tasked to come up with various playlists to give the DJ for the reception (A direction that I loved doing..and yes, I'm available for hire) I had instrumentals for the cocktail hour, laid back tunes for dinner and a few gems for the dance party. Most of the dance party stuff was left to the DJ, but per our request the last two songs were Don't Stop Believin' by Journey and Every Rose Has it's Thorn by Poison. Yes, the remaining guests got in a circle, arm and arm and swayed back and forth reciting every word to Mr. Michael's heartbreak classic. Did I mention we had an open bar?

Back to Skid Row. This was the "rallying cry" song. I knew when the DJ put this one on it was time to stop mingling and time to start the speeches, cake cutting, dancing, etc. I vividly remember standing on the porch of The Old Wide Awake in Hollywood, South Carolina, this song in the air and having a 360 degree view of all the smiling family and friends in attendance. Some I still see frequently, some I haven't seen since, and some are no longer with us. I loved for that one time only, having all those special people in one place.....listening to Skid Row.

Since I meant to post this in October, I figured I'd post one more horror recommendation. I didn't intend to recommend all witch moves but mine as well make it four for four. 

Today's post is Rob Zombies 2013 flick, Lords of Salem. Rob's movies aren't for the squeamish, but out of his filmography this one is the most approachable. It pays homage to some of the quirky 60's and 70's horror movies with a bit of a giallo feel. As far as the plot goes, a radio station gets a mysterious record in the mail and after playing it on the air, the witches that were executed in town years ago are summoned and all the women in town that hear the song are put under a spell. Good stuff.

  

Skid Row - I Remember You (Official Music Video)

Lords of Salem Official Trailer #2 (2013) - Rob Zombie Movie HD

Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Official Video)

Willie Nelson - Rainbow Connection

"Who said that every wish

Would be heard and answered

When wished on the morning star

Somebody thought of that

And someone believed it

Look what it's done so far"

For todays post I wanted to go over a few more songs featured in our wedding ceremony. In fact, these two were the beginning and ending tunes. First off is Rainbow Connection, better known as Kermit the Frog's song, but I wanted to share a different version today from one of my favorites. 

I was fortunate to be friends with an excellent guitar player (who was also my guitar teacher for a few years) that agreed as a wedding gift to play during the ceremony. This was perfect as we were getting married outside. We gave him the list of songs we wanted and off we went. Rainbow was played as the flower girls came down the isle and I approached the alter. If you're curious, the song my wife walked out to was "Morning Has Broken" and we lit our unity candle to the hymn, "Just As I Am" (which we ended up not being able to light. Advice to other's that wish to do this..light the candle a few times before the big day!) Luckily, this event hasn't had an impact on our happiness. Finally, after the vows we walked back down the aisle as Husband and Wife to "Pure Imagination" from a different Willie, Willy Wonka aka Gene Wilder.

Oh yeah, posted above is the front cover of our wedding program I discussed in the last post. Aren't we cute? Feel free to borrow our idea if you decide to create your own programs. Speaking of borrowing, I have to admit we borrowed something in our ceremony from the Dog The Bounty Hunter wedding special. Like Beth, my wife's father passed away before our wedding so she wasn't sure how the "walk down the isle tradition" was going to go. Well, Dog and Beth came to the rescue. Beth walked down the aisle half way and then Dog went and met her and finished walking her the rest of the way. Perfect! In fact, I even had this inspirational couple's big day memorialized on a coffee mug a few years back (RIP Beth)

Ok so for todays horror pick I'm going with 1982's, Halloween III: Season of the Witch. Figured it was a good one to highlight as the "new" Halloween movie was just released. Over the years I've gained more appreciation for this one.(Tom Atkins is amazing as the lead) This flick confused the fans when released because Micheal Myers isn't featured. In fact, it's a whole unrelated story.  Apparently, John Carpenter was hoping to get away from Mr. Myers and release a new scary Halloween story each year under the Halloween moniker. I'm sure his bank account is happy part 4 and beyond went back to Micheal. This one's a bit of a twisted tale about an evil Halloween mask maker who is determined to sell as many masks to kids as possible and once his commercial plays on Halloween night their faces will melt off. Yeah, it's a good one. Till next time.

rainbow connection ~ willie nelson

Gene Wilder - Pure Imagination

Halloween III 1982 - Trailer

Bob Dylan - Boots of Spanish Leather

 "Oh, but if I had the stars from the darkest night

And the diamonds from the deepest ocean

I'd forsake them all for your sweet kiss

For that's all I'm wishin' to be ownin'"

For our wedding my wife and I decided to make our own programs. In the program we listed the order of procession and introduced the various members of the bridal party, parents, etc. We also sprinkled in some song lyrics. One of those lyrics is posted above from the great Bob Dylan. 

If you're familiar with the tune, things don't end well for the lovers in Bob's world. In under five minutes Bob brilliantly recounts the passionate beginning and "take each other for granted" ending of a love affair. During the honeymoon phase all they want is to spend time together and material things have no value. As time moves along, the couple starts to drift apart and instead of passing on stars and diamonds, it's time for a nice expensive gift. 

Fortunately in my situation I'm still living in the first half of Bob's story. The above words were true back in October 2011 and ten years later they remain the same. I'll try to post about the other songs from the program as well as the tunes we picked to use during the ceremony. Surprised it took so long for Bob to show up on this version of the blog but I'm sure he'll be back in the near future. 

The picture above features our wedding cake toppers. Happy to say the ghoulish bride and groom return to our dining room table every October when the other Halloween decorations appear. Our wedding date was close enough to Halloween so it felt nice to pay homage to the Samhain season. 

Todays horror movie is one I just watched this past summer. It features my favorite horror actor, Vincent Price. Price plays the role of Matthew Hopkins who was a "witch hunter" in the 1600's. While some of the story isn't historically accurate, Hopkins and his associates are thought to have been responsible for the execution of over 100 people.The townspeople would pay him and his crew to rid out the folks who were accused of associating with the devil. Thank goodness 400 years later people aren't still getting paid by the government to oppress women...whoops, forgot about Texas.  Till next time.

Bob Dylan - Boots of Spanish Leather (Official Audio)

Witchfinder General Trailer

Sugarloaf - Green Eyed Lady

                                                 "Green eyed lady feels like I never see

                                                    Setting suns and lonely lovers free"

Happy October everyone!  Octobers' always been my favorite month. The weather, the colors, Halloween and also my wedding anniversary. Speaking of which, hard to believe later this month will be ten years!. Blows my mind that the time between Tuesday and Friday afternoon sometimes seems like an eternity but the past 10 years have gone by in a flash. 

Had the pleasure of skipping town for a bit a few weeks back. Drove up to The Berkshire Mountains and stayed in Great Barrington and North Adams, Massachusetts. Also cruised over to eastern New York and Southern Vermont for day trips. The pic above is from the parking lot of Mass Mocha in North Adams.  Speaking of time gone by, this was our first visit back in over a decade. First explored this museum for the Solid Sound Festival back in 2010. The story about that weekend can be found in the first edition of my blog here. 

While in North Adams we stayed in a hotel called Tourists. One of the fun things about the motel was it had it's own radio station called...Tourists Radio. While the station mostly featured newer indy acts, a few classics were thrown in to mix things up. One of those songs was Crystal Blue Persuasion which just sounds like a tune you'd throw on while on vacation. After hearing this song it made me think of another record recorded a couple years later by Sugarloaf. Thought this song would be a good way to kick off the season as the lyrics are a bit witchy. Plus it has an organ solo which always gets a thumbs up from me. Also for some reason I feel like the theme to Night Court was influenced by this track? What do you think? I'll be posting some tunes that were part of our wedding as the month goes on, but will also continue the tradition of sharing some of my favorite horror flicks.

The first one this year is Don't Look Now from 1973. It's a story about love, grief and being a stranger in a strange land. As a bonus you get the obligatory Donald Sutherland nude butt scene. Happy Halloween!

Sugarloaf - Green-Eyed Lady (Original Song HQ) 1970

Night Court intro

Tommy James & The Shondells - Crystal Blue Persuasion Roulette (HQ)

Don't Look Now (1973) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers

Miss You - The Rolling Stones

"Hey, what's the matter, man?

We're gonna come around at twelve

With some Puerto Rican girls that's been just dyin' to meet you

We're gonna bring a case of wine

Hey, let's go mess and fool around

You know, like we used to"

 I started to write an entry about the first "big" concert I'd been too since Covid (Wilco/Sleater Kinney last week in Richmond) but I couldn't get a cohesive post together. I'll get back to that one shortly but for obvious reasons it seemed like a good time to write about the Stones after the passing of Charlie Watts. 

When my wife and I first starting dating we had lists of bands or artists that we wanted to see before..well you know, they weren't around anymore. She had Paul McCartney and Paul Simon. My list was Black Sabbath and The Rolling Stones. Happy to report that in the past decade plus we've been able to cross off all these names. Caught McCartney in San Francisco, Paul Simon in Atlanta, Black Sabbath in DC and The Rolling Stones in Kansas City.

The Stones show was labeled the Zip Code Tour of 2015. This was a big year in our household as we were getting ready to move from Charleston, SC to Richmond, VA. Having a house on the market and getting ready to change our lives was a bit stressful at times. When the Stones tour was announced we went through the schedule and tried to find a Saturday night date and a city we hadn't been too. I think it was between Nashville and Kansas City. Tickets and hotels were cheaper in KC so let's goooooo! It was a perfect time to skip town and forgot about new jobs, packing, leaving friends and family, etc. 

We had a chill Friday in the city, visiting the nearby Power and Light district and grabbing dinner at a German Restaurant. Saturday we hopped over to the Westport neighborhood to check out the funky shops and restaurants. Loved going into the Mills Record Company where the owner welcomed me back (I've never been to Kansan City, always wild when that happens. Suppose we all have a doppleganger or two out there?) was able to snag two of my musical heroes in the used bin section (see below picture) Also enjoyed a couple pints at the KC Bier Co. 

After running around it was time to head back to our hotel. (A beautiful 1920's building taken over by Hilton -Hilton President Downtown Kansas City) We grabbed a couple cocktails at the speakeasy-ish bar where apparently Frank Sinatra used to hang while in town. At the bar we met a couple from Nebraska who were also in town for the show. After chatting for a bit we found out they had a driver taking them out to Arrowhead and said they had room if we wanted a free ride. Why not? Unfortunately a ride home wasn't part of the deal so we ended up waiting over an hour for a Uber at the Denny's across the street from Arrowhead Stadium..and yes I had mozzarella sticks)After we made it to the stadium we bought the couple a round of drinks as a thank you and headed down to our seats. I figured this may be my first and only Stones show so we went all out and made our way to our floor seats. I was so excited I even bought the token $10,000 dollar concert t-shirt. Ed Sheeran opened the show and then the lights came up and the riff to Start Me Up came out of  Keith's amp. The band sounded amazing and Mick strutted and danced his way around the stage for over two hours. He even had a few costume changes wearing a red sequined jacket during Sympathy For the Devil and a vest with bedazzled horses for, you guessed it, Wild Horses. So glad we got to go when we did and see the full band in action.

Hard to pick a song for today's post but I'm going with the opening track off the Some Girls album.  Love the sound of this record with it's disco/punk/new wave/country songs. Mick said his writing was influenced from living in New York at the time and this album has that 70's New York sleaze all over it. Another reason for this tune is that I was at a cousin's wedding when this song came on and one of my uncle's starting shimmying a la Mick, repeated the line typed above and then disappeared (I guess to hit the dance floor?) my wife and I still smile about that moment and picture it every time we hear this tune. RIP Charlie. Cheers.

Miss You (Remastered)

Bobby Jean - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

 

"Now we went walking in the rain

Talking about the pain from the world we hid

Now there ain't nobody, nowhere, nohow

Gonna ever understand me the way you did"

The first time I saw Springsteen live was back in October of 2005 at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, VA. This was the Devils and Dust tour so it was solo Bruce. He went from pump organ, to acoustic guitar, to ukulele, to piano jumping through the then 30 plus year catalogue all by himself. It was amazing. Cool thing was that I got to treat my dad for his birthday with tickets. 

I can't remember the first time I heard his music but it's been in the air in my household since before my existence.. My dad was/is a huge fan. Every family road trip featured whatever tape the Boss had released. Four year old me would ask for The River Album to be thrown on the turntable while I jumped on my hobby horse and went wild. This would of course be after I demanded everyone left the room. Hey, us introverts don't like to show all our hand in front of a group of people. Hungry Heart was my favorite. I've always felt like an old soul, so rockin and rollin to songs of infidelity and divorce sounded good to me at the ripe old age of 4.  

Next time I saw Bruce, it was with the full enchilada. My dad and I drove up to Charlotte from Charleston and caught the 2008 tour which I believe was still the Magic tour? Glad I saw this because I got to witness the late, great Clarence Clemons in action. He wasn't well at the time, but he was able to keep his big presence alive despite illness. Clarence had a huge throne on  stage where he sat while the band played and when it was time for his solo's he'd stand up and nail it everytime. You couldn't sense any weakness once he began to blow.

The next time I caught the band was with my wife in Munich, Germany at Olympic Stadium in 2013. My wife and I had the pleasure of bopping around Austria and Germany and as pure luck had it the last night we were in town Springsteen was playing. The first half of the trip supplied beautiful weather and then after a fateful hail storm everything went dark. Heavy rain was the name of the game and that was no exception for our last night in town. Was the show going to be cancelled? My wife and I showed up in the pouring rain. I remember taking refuge under a tent and sipping on a Paulaner before the show. We then found out the performance was on and we had GA pit seats so it was time to bite the bullet. We went out to into the pouring rain and accepted our situation. Bruce came out and played the CCR classic, "Who'll Stop The Rain" solo acoustic (the answer was NO ONE!) From that point on the band came out and despite rain and occasionally hail, Bruce and the band rolled through a 29 song set. This particular night in the middle of the set they played the Born in the USA album front to back. It was quite a surreal moment pumping our fists and singing Born in the USA with our new Munich freundins. Shows how great a leader Bruce is. He said he'll stand out in the rain the whole time with us (while the rest of the band hovered under cover, I don't blame them) but if the rain was alright with the Boss, it was alright with us.

The last time I saw the Boss is from the picture above. I was able to win the Ticketmaster lottery for the rights to buy seats..and got them!! to see Bruce on Broadway back in October of 2017. A little over 900 people in the theater so from where we sat we could've played catch with the Boss. A few minutes before the show there was some commotion below us and in came Oprah and Gail (hey, how did they get better seats than us?) 

What a great 24 hours. We had a one night stand with NYC that trip. We arrived midday after a 45 minute flight with just a backpack that had stuff for my wife and I for the day. From the airport, pizza was a priority so since we were traveling light we got dropped of at John's of Bleeker Street. After a delicious pizza we walked across the street to grab a brew at the Blind Tiger. Been fortunate to visit the city many times after this trip and we still make a point to grab a pint at this fantastic craft beer bar. After that we checked into the hotel, got closer to Broadway and made a pit stop at one more watering hole (can't recall the name) and then it was onto the show. Afterwards we jumped in a cab for late dinner at Momouku Ssam Bar. Got up early, grabbed some coffee and a bagel sandwich and was home by lunch. It was a perfect 24 hours (being in NYC in October wasn't such a bad deal either.) And yes, the show was fantastic. Suppose you can also catch it on Netflix.

So tons of songs to choose from to highlight but I'm going with one from the Born in The USA album. Bruce has always done a fantastic job of presenting the youthful desire to break out of town and experience different worlds. Such a romantic look at what possibilities exist out there somewhere. This song is another example of that mentality. Plus one of my favorite horror movies is Evil Dead 2 and it has a character named Bobby Joe that makes me think of this song. She unfortunately meets her demise (spoiler alert) from a killer tree.

If you're fortunate, you meet certain people in stages of your life to enrich you in that particular moment. Not all these people stay with you, but their assistance at the time is quite beneficial. Whether it's high school friends, past girlfriends/boyfriends, college friends or coworkers, people will weave in in out of your life. If you're lucky, one or two from each stage will still be with you while others may become funeral and wedding friends. That's okay too, because when you see them it's always great, but in an unsaid way you both know it may be awhile before crossing paths again. That's what this song says to me. Whoa a bit wordy today, thanks for reading!!

Bobby Jean (London Calling: Live In Hyde Park, 2009)

Evil Dead 2 Extended scene - Bobby Joe's Death

On My Own (Official Music Video) - Patti LaBelle ft. Michael McDonald

"Now I know what loving you cost

Now we're up to talking divorce and we weren't even 

married..."

ear*worm

noun

1. a catchy song or tune that runs continually through a person's mind

I'm sure we've all gone through this. How does a song just roll around in your head as you try to sleep at night and it's still there in the morning while the coffee's brewing? Is it masterful musicians, brilliant lyrics...some type of black magic? I'm leaning towards the later. I believe Satan himself has immersed himself into the recording and demands that this Patti LaBelle/Michael McDonald tune gets absorbed into my mind! 

(Before this 80's jewel was spinning around in my noggin, I couldn't get rid of the 90's hit How Bizarre by O.M.C..."Buy the Rights, How Bizarre. How Bizarre, How Bizarre")

About a week ago I was watching the 80's video channel on Pluto TV and up came this worlds apart breakup "classic". I'd heard the tune before but I wasn't familiar with the visual. Cut to the weekend and I'm listening to the top 40 countdown from July, 1986..(as one does) and here comes the cursed track from the Mr. ex Doobie Brother and the lady that now sells sweet potato pies at Walmart. 

If the song doesn't get stuck in your head perhaps Miss Labelle's fur coat or Mr. McDonald's luscious locks will be burned into your retinas. Don't blame me, blame the Dark Lord. 

OMC - How Bizarre (Official Music Video)

I'm Leavin' - Elvis Preley

 "Feelin' fast vibrations and I just can't take it

Living from day to day, chasing the dream

I'm, I'm leavin'"

Happy record store day everyone. I tend to stay away from the crowds, but once things get quiet you may find me creepin around flipping through things others may have missed or not wanted. One gem I came across back on Record Store Day 2016 was the I'm Leavin' compilation from Elvis. These songs were taken from recording sessions in Nashville from 1966-1973. These fall into the folk/country period of Elvis. I'm fairly fascinated by this stage and what came after. I know he wasn't in the best shape, but some of those 70's records are down right funky. Plus who's not entertained by a grown man in a sequined jumpsuit doing karate? ( A fashion trend that a few of The Golden Girls would incorporate into their wardrobes years later. I'm looking at you Dorothy!)

The thing that drew me too this particular album was that I hadn't really heard these recordings before. Amazing how many hits the man had but sometimes one can get a little burnt out from the same old same old (not a bad problem to have as a musician I suppose) This particular record has The King covering Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Danny O'Keefe and the title track by Michael Jarrett (and many others). If you can't find the album, I'm sure it's on youtube. I highly recommend dropping the needle or pushing play and just mellowing out with Kid Creole for an hour or two.

Speaking of The Golden Girls....., Happy Pride Month! In honor of this event I thought it would be appropriate to give a shout out to the Metal God himself, Mr. Rob Halford! Brave man to come out to the metal world  back in 1998 (The song, Hell Bent For Leather may have been an early clue) but to the credit of the scene Judas Priest was and still remain legendary. Crank it up!!!!!!

I'm Leavin'

Judas Priest - Breaking The Law (Official Music Video)

Sonny & Cher | The Golden Girls | TV Land

Mandolin Wind - Rod Stewart

 

 

"Through the coldest winter, in almost fourteen years

I couldn't believe you kept your smile

Now I can rest assured , knowing that we've seen the worst

And I know I love ya'

As a kid the Rod Stewart era I was most familiar with was his big hair, tight white jeans, flashy 80's period. Thanks to MTV I was introduced to Some Guys Have All The Luck, Young Turks, and Infatuation....a little bit of the late 70's Rod was also in the air with Do Ya Think I'm Sexy and Hot Legs. I feel lately he's gone the crooner route and has released endless standards albums. Those aren't necessarily my bag but I still dig some of the 80's tunes. 

After college I went though a period where I was consuming mass amounts of acoustic records. I remember picking up a Guitar World magazine that listed the best acoustic albums you need to hear. The list included records from Cat Stevens (Mona Bone Jakon) to the Rolling Stones (Beggars Banquet) to Rod Stewart. I was of course familiar with Maggie May and Reason to Believe but I hadn't done a deep dive into the earlier catalogue. I instantly fell in love with his early 70's releases.(All of which featured Ron Wood on guitar before he jumped into The Rolling Stones) Gasoline Alley, Never a Dull Moment, and Every Picture Tells A Story are my favorites.

Back in 2017 over Memorial Day weekend my wife and I had the pleasure to take a vacation to Scotland. We started off in Edinburgh, then drove to Oban and took the ferry to the Isle of Mull. After a few days we then headed to Fort Augustus where our temporary home was on Loch Ness in a former Abby built in the 1800's. The cemetery in the back filled with former monks with wild rabbits and grouse's protecting the dead was a nice touch. To say it was magical would be an understatement. From hanging with thousands of puffins on the Treshnish Isles to watching sheep parade around the hills living amongst prayer stones worshipped by early settlers thousands of years ago to sipping on scotch after dinner watching the sunset..... life was good. Almost too many experiences to share in one post. 

We ended up beginning and ending our trip in Edinburgh so for our picturesque drive from Fort Augustus back to the city, we felt it would be appropriate to fill the airwaves with an artist with Scottish roots. We threw on Every Picture Tells A Story and marveled at the hills (always full of grazing sheep) and stone ruins till will made it back to the beautiful medieval city with the castle on the hill. I loved this album before but now when I have a listen so many wonderful memories come flooding back to my mind. Happy Memorial Day everyone. Welcome back summer!

  

 

Rod Stewart - Mandolin Wind

Rod Stewart - Infatuation (Official Video) Remastered Audio HD

Dancing in Heaven (Orbital B-Bop)- Q Feel

"Hey, Here I am

I hear the Universe Sing

The Celestial Scream

I am not alone

Are you receiving me clear"

Slow-Slow-Quick Quick Slow! Happy Saturday everyone! Since it's the weekend and things seem to be heading in a positive direction, I figured some celebratory booty shakin' music was in order. You may recognize this tune from the dance off scene in 1985's Girls Just Want To Have Fun, with SJP strutting her stuff. If you have a hankering for keyboard licks this one's got a Super Big Gulp's worth to quench your thirst. While I prefer the extended album cut, the visual in this video was too good not to share. 

A few years after this track a couple of the boys from Q Feel went on to assist Mr. Ray Parker Jr. to come up with the guitar and synth parts for the classic theme to Ghostbusters. You get a sense of it from the video version but once you hear the full album cut (also below) it all comes together. You're welcome!!!! Till next time.....

Dancing in Heaven (Orbital Be-Bop)

Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters

Somewhat Damaged - Nine Inch Nails

 

"How could I ever think it's funny how?

Everything that swore it wouldn't change, is different now

Just like you would always say, "We'll make it through"

Then my head fell apart and where were you?"

Greetings everyone! Somehow I missed the month of April. Hope all is well in your worlds. Going to cheat a bit and adjust the flex capacitor and rewind the clock a few days to April so we can acknowledge halfway to Halloween. As a disclaimer It's been less than 24 hours since my second vaccine dose so if something doesn't make sense, most of you can relate. 

I had intentions of posting something from Nine Inch Nails back in October. The above picture was taken by your's truly back on October 10. 2018. This was sold out show number two of the bands two night run at the Anthem in Washington DC. As a teenager I had just missed opportunities to see the band live in the 90's, but 24 years after the release of The Downward Spiral I finally got my chance.

I have vivid memories of first getting my drivers license playing this tape in my parent's 1992 Plymouth Voyager. That's right, before I got my own wheels you could find me cruising around Fredericksburg, VA in a blue mini van. Perhaps I would blast this tape to assert some type of machismo to balance out the fact that my ride was the 90's version of a station wagon. From the opening track of Mr. Self Destruct to the stripped down vulnerability of Hurt it was quite a ride.  Through the discovery of this album, copies of older records like Pretty Hate Machine, Broken , and Fixed (picked up from the mall at Musicland and/or Camelot of course) found their way into my collection. By this point I had upgraded my listening experience and turned in the tapes for compact discs..oh yeah!

Much like my compensating for driving a family truckster, Reznor built this aggressive sound of evil sounding synthesizers, pulsating drums and bad ass guitar licks perhaps to cover up his lyrics expressing self doubt, rejection and confusion. As a teenager these songs were a perfect soundtrack as I could relate to these themes and admired how he was able to take those feelings and create a stronger alter ego. I suppose that's what I admire most about artists is their ability in finding a way to handle the most difficult events in life and creating something beautiful out of the pain.

I realize I've been posting lots of tunes from the 80's so let's get a bit more current and listen to a track from....1999! This song is off The Fragile album. At the show the band came out with all the house lights on and played the song Home from 2005's With Teeth record....once the song was over the lights went down and the opening notes of this tune came on and oh man...here came the goosebumps! Reznor stalked the stage in all black disappearing in and out of the fog like a monster from a 1970's Hammer Horror flick. The show was amazing and the setlist hit on all the band's discography. The night we went they played Closer (which although played to death I never get sick of this one) and the encore ended with Hurt. 

For todays pick someone let Trent down once again. Faith? Parents? A lover? Addiction? Could be all the above. If you thought T. Swift was hard on exes in her songs, T. Reznor takes things to a whole other level!

Oh yeah since we went back in time two days ago to April and sticking with the Halfway to Halloween theme I wanted to share another one my my favorite thrillers. This one is a mix of film noir/horror/voodoo co-staring Denise from the Cosby Show. In fact due to the graphic sex scenes I believe she got into trouble with Mr Cosby for being "inappropriate." What an ironic world we live in! Until next time......

Since it's been a bit let's also revisit one of the most powerful covers/videos I know of it. Here's the great Johnny Cash covering Hurt by Nine Inch Nails.

Bye for now...

Somewhat Damaged

ANGEL HEART - Official Trailer - 4K Restoration starring Mickey Rourke a...

Johnny Cash - Hurt (Official Music Video)

Be Good To Yourself - Journey

"Up against a no win situation

Shoulder to shoulder, push and shove

I'm hanging up my boxin' gloves

I'm ready for a long vacation"

Hard to believe it's the year anniversary of kicking this blog off again. If you're still reading thank you and congrats, you made it through the year! Global pandemic, social uprising, elections, Meghan and Harry! It's been a lot to process in a little amount of time. Also if you've stumbled across this blog while searching for Cobra Kai season 4 spoilers, my apologies. When I named this blog in my room back in 2006 I could've imagined a hit Karate Kid TV show would be in existence a decade later. For the record I love the show and only wish I would've come up with the idea first! 

Hoping everyone is healthy not only physically but also mentally. I realize it's been a challenging time for some feeling isolated and helpless. When I was a kid one of my favorite books was Rip Van Winkle. I was fascinated with the idea of someone falling asleep for 20 years and then waking up to see how the world changed around him. I've had some great memories over the past year but if i could've pulled a Rip Van Winkle and slept from 2020 to 2022 maybe that wouldn't have been so bad? Actually if I could pick a year I would've slept through sixth grade. What an awkward time of life!

I felt like this song would be a good reminder as we slowly start doing things that we've missed out on the past year. Hard to be in a bad mood if Journey is coming out of your speakers. One of my favorite parts of the live video is the trench coat wearing (which looks like he borrowed from Corey Haim's character's closet in The Lost Boys) keyboard player walking out to do a keyboard solo. Is it a keytar solo or a walking keyboard solo? Either way it's amazing and  you don't see shit like that no mo! Also had to give a shoutout for this song being used in the 1987 Kevin Bacon classic, White Water Summer (not to be confused with Kevin Bacon's 1994's The River Wild) Enjoy the tune, be good to yourself, and thanks for reading.

...And if you're still a little down in the dumps as a bonus I've included the below video. I don't know this for sure but I hypothesize in lieu of cash Mick and David were paid in copious amounts of cocaine...just watch. Cheers! 

Journey - Be Good to Yourself (Official Video - 1986)

David Bowie & Mick Jagger - Dancing In The Street (Official Video)

Send Me An Angel - Real Life

 

"Empty dreams can only disappoint

In a room behind your smile

But don't give up,

Don't give up

You can be lucky in love"

We're all well aware of the tragedy and heartbreak that Covid has caused in the past year. Despite this sadness i'm hopeful that most of us have seen some silver linings in this oh so bizarre trip around the sun. Less pollution, more time with loved ones, sharpened cooking skills, Vinegar Syndrome's 4k release of RAD, etc, etc.

Yes believe it or not it was June of 2020 when Rad finally officially became available on DVD. Once I heard the announcement I immediately placed my pre order and counted down the days to revisit Cru and his small town gang go up against the evil Team Mongoose in stunning 4K. I didn't realize this cinema classic would become available on streaming a few days after the disc came out but hey, I also got a free poster! 

If you're unfamiliar with the plot, our local paperboy hero Cru (who looks like a bizarro Luke Skywalker) must decide to take the SAT's or qualify for the BMX race coming to town, Helltrack. The movie also costars Aunt Becky from Full House, Adrian from the Rocky Franchise, Mr. Hand from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, US Men's gymnast, Bart Conner, and Mr, Kellerman from Dirty Dancing. Speaking of dancing, one of the most iconic scenes from the movie happens at the community dance put on to celebrate Helltrack. I never had formal dance training as a kid so everything I learned came from TV or movies. Chances are if you've ever seen me "on the floor" I may have mimicked moves from Team Mongoose (Bart "The Man" Taylor and The Reynolds twins Rod and Rex) I've posted that video as well....you're welcome. That leads us into a little "bicycle boogie" featuring today's 80's classic cut. Happy Sunday everyone. I can't believe the one year anniversary of the re launch of this blog is upon us. I'll be sure to post again on that day. 

As a bonus video please enjoy a performance from Menudo on Silver Spoons. Somehow the phrase "Get on Moving" came up with my wife this past week and this song and clip appeared in my brain. I even remember the end of song "rowing dance move" which is supposed to display the act of moving? What is wrong with me? Thanks for reading.

Send Me an Angel by Real Life - or - BMX Boogie Scene from RAD

RAD - Taylor/Reynolds twins dance/prom scene

Menudo: (Gotta Get On Moving) Silver Spoons - USA 1983

Meet Me Halfway - Kenny Loggins

 

"We are stronger when we are given love

When we put emotions on the line

Know that we are the timeless ones"

Valentine's Day may be over but the love train continues here on Cobra Kai!

Flowers, chocolate, nice bottle of wine, fancy dinner, arm wrestling movies..all of us celebrate love in different ways. Kenny Loggins was the king of 80's soundtracks. Caddyshack, Footloose, Top Gun and one of my favs, Over the Top. Ironically the song Over the Top was sung by Sammy Hagar but Meet My Halfway is the main theme or mantra of the film (in fact if you watch the below trailer this line is mentioned twice. They really wanted to hammer that message in!) As with most 80's movies, the main theme echoes throughout the film usually instrumental at first, perhaps a bit slowed down version and then when the movie is about to take off.... bring it all together and kick in those vocals! Such a powerful trick that movies of this time constantly pulled out of their hat's...and I loved it. 

Stallone was on a red hot streak at this time and I watched whatever he starred in (Much love for Cobra!) Even to this day when I'm on the highway and see truck drivers I kind of hope they're making their way cross-country, having arm wrestling matches in the back of truck stops on the way to Las Vegas for the championship. Could be true? 

If you're unfamiliar with the plot, a mom is dying of cancer so has her estranged truck driver husband (Stallone) pick up their son at military school so they can drive cross country to see her and get to know each other on the way. Not only does Stallone want to be a better father, but he also wants to win an arm wrestling championship so he can start his own trucking company. Oh yeah the son has a wealthy grandfather who despises Stallone and tries to kidnap him throughout the film. Sounds amazing right? I re-watched this early on in the pandemic and I have to say it holds up really well. It's got a big budget, killer soundtrack, and a great final villain. I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's the best arm wrestling movie ever made.   The film made such an impression on me that in a college public speaking course when we had to read any dialogue that emitted emotion I recited a few lines from Lincoln Hawk (Stallone's character) ..and yes I ended up getting an A. Don't let the arm wrestling deter you from watching, this one's got heart and I think you'll enjoy it. 

On a sad note I'd like to say RIP to Prince Markie Dee formally of The Fat Boys. Going to have to watch 1987's classic flick Disorderlies again soon out of respect. Remember that time the Fat Boys and The Beach Boys (not the Brian Wilson version) teamed up to sing Wipeout? No? Well check it out below. Cheers everyone! 

Kenny Loggins - Meet Me Half Way

Over the Top (1987) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers

Fat Boys & The Beach Boys - Wipeout (HQ)

Let The Music Play - Barry White

"I think I'm gonna be alright, ha ha ha

If I can make it through the night, oh lord

I'll just pretend she's here with me 

I'll close my eyes, her face I'll see (won't somebody help

me?)

My love of 70's soul music and fascination of Blaxploitation movies began after seeing the Wayans' Brother's 1988 classic, "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka." The movie spoofed 70's blaxploitation movies much like they spoofed the horror genre years later with the Scary Movie franchise. I found this movie hilarious as a kid and watched it repeatedly. Skip ahead a few years and you'd find my buddy and I combing the video stores looking for the original movies that were spoofed by the Wayans. 

I'm sure most of you had the mom and pop video stores growing up (you know the ones that had the back rooms where people kept their heads down while walking out?) Anyway, the great thing about these stores were the deep cuts they had on display. I suppose some of these movies were cheap to buy so they figured they'd load up and if they got rented once or twice they were making money. Well my buddy and I would go to the action section and be amazed by the covers. Three the Hard Way, Across 110th Street, Superfly, Shaft we watched them all. One standout for us was the day we rented Dolemite 2: The Human Tornado. At this point we hadn't seen part 1 (I don't think Video World had that one) but we were able to pick up on the plot fairly quickly. I posted the trailer below and I'll say if you're easily offended these are not for you. While I was working at Best Buy in high school the Rudy Ray Moore VHS boxset came out and I had to have it. The set featured Dolemite, The Human Tornado, Petey Wheat Straw : The Devil's Son in Law, and Disco Godfather. All had their merits and have a special place in my heart.  I was fascinated that movies like these were able to get made. I loved the clothes, the all out pandemonium, the shaky camera work and most of all, the music. 

Through these movies I discovered the amazing music of Curtis Mayfield and Isaac Hayes but the movie soundtrack that made me go further down the soul rabbit hole was 1995's Dead Presidents. I remember liking the movie when it came out but it was the music that really made an impression on me. Much like my Milli Vanilli tape, I was able to acquire Volume's 1 and 2 of the soundtrack through the BMG Music club. These albums featured Al Green , The O'Jays, Sly & The Family Stone, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, James Brown and many more. One of my favs though was this man, Barry White. Never Never Gonna Give You Up was the tune featured, but I picked a different song for this week's post. 

I realize Valentine's Day isn't a joyous occasion for everyone so we'll split between songs of love and songs of loss. I came across this video while searching for this song and it's pretty fantastic. Not sure what this footage is from as Barry doesn't seem to be singing to this particular song but his collar game is out of control (in a good way) If you've been unlucky in love or just have the rainy day blues this one's for you. 

The Human Tornado - Trailer

Into My Arms - Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds

 

" And I don't believe in the existence of angels

But looking at you I wonder if that's true"

What's Love Got to do With it? What About Love? Love is a Battlefield, You Give Love a Bad Name...In my unscientific estimation 99% of songs are about love while the remaining 1% of songwriters really want us to dance. In fact they don't just ask, they demand it! For example The Bee Gee's commanded "You Should Be Dancing" ,J Lo  forcefully summoned us to "Get on the Floor" and Billy Idol sneered his proclamation that he was "Dancing With Myself" ...whoops, that one actually is in the 99% category under "self love" songs. 

My saga seeing Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds for the first time involved 14 hours in Toronto, border crossing issues, Vermont, fantastic seafood, minimal sleep and Ric Flair. 

My wife purchased tickets to see Nick and the boys for my birthday. At the time Nick only had a handful of North American tour dates. He had a show in DC but we were going to be in Burlington, Vermont for vacation. Well the vacation ended on a Sunday and that's when the Toronto concert was taking place....so we jumped in the car and drove from Burlington to Montreal to get on a flight to Toronto. Little room for delays or error's on this trip. If all went well we'd land in Canada after lunch and head to the Scotia Bank Arena by 7 to catch the opening band (Cigarettes After Sex) Luckily everything was on time and we checked into our hotel mid afternoon, immediately  jumped in an uber and headed out to Birreria Volo  for some pre-show brews. After some delicious mid west suds and snacks we headed out to make our way towards dinner. On the car ride over we stopped a few blocks away from the restaurant and walked through some type of Fall street festival (this trip was in October) I miss the feeling of getting lost and blending into a new city or town. After the festival we headed to dinner and while sitting at the bar overlooking the open kitchen we enjoyed one of the best seafood meals we've ever had (shout out to Grey Gardens )

After dinner we headed back to the hotel and walked over to the Scotia Bank Arena. I grabbed a Molson and some popcorn and away we went. What a fantastic show. Nick crawled around the arena like a deranged spider weaving in and out of out piano ballads and distorted rock and roll opuses. It almost felt like we were all some type of experiment to Nick while he tested his powers over the audience commanding us to touch him so he could steal our energy and at one point bringing people on stage and having them stand and sit at his command like a deranged cult leaded with a great voice. Anyway if you're into passionate performances mixed in with great song-writing and a little bit of madness I recommend heading to this show when we can again. I saw Nick months later solo in Washington DC which focused on songs like this one.  Figured I'd also share one of the wild tunes so you could get an idea of his range.

So Ric Flair. The picture above is from the early 2000's when I met Ric at a Verizon opening in Summerville, South Carolina. I don't remember what I said to him but he reciprocated with that million dollar smile. The only other celebrity I've seen "out in the wild" is Flavor Flav. That's a story for a different time. After the concert my wife and I crashed around midnight, got up around 4 to catch a 6am flight from Toronto to NYC and then back to Richmond. I was at my desk for work around 10:30 am thinking to myself "was that a dream? When we got off the plane at JFK I looked to my right and in a sleep deprived quiet voice I said to my wife "There's Ric Flair." I think she thought I was pointing to someone who resembled Ric but it was indeed Ric himself! Professional wrestlers don't exactly "blend in." He was standing behind some rope gate with a few security personnel around him looking tan as ever. Apparently there was a pay per view in Brooklyn the night before so I suppose he was heading home. I walked by and just offered a head nod to pay my respects. Anyone else miss traveling?

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Into my arms

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - From Her To Eternity - Live in Copenhagen

Girl I'm Gonna Miss You - Milli Vanilli

"Like a honey bee

You took the best of me

Now I can't erase those memories

Like a fairy tale

You were so unreal

You left a scar that's so hard to heal"

Happy Sunday everyone! Well we made it through another month. January definitely had it's ups and downs and unfortunately the stink of 2020 lingered for a few more weeks. Hopefully February will be a quieter month as we get closer and closer to some type of normalcy. Wanted to cool the temperature a bit for this week's post. On the eve of February with Valentine's Day and Black history month I've got lots of fun tunes to choose from. Why don't we kick off things by killing two birds with one stone. 

I vividly remember getting my copy of Milli Vanilli's 1989 record , Girl you Know it's True. Actually I had the tape thanks too the Columbia House music club. Remember where you could get a 1000 tapes for $2...but much like a time share you felt like you were in the club for life? Also when you forgot to send in the monthly card you'd end up getting Yanni's Greatest hits AND THERE WAS NOTHING YOU COULD DO ABOUT IT! I'm guessing my first exposure to the band was the video for Girl You Know it's True....then came Baby Don't Lose my Number, Blame it on the Rain, All or Nothing and this track (I think my fav of the bunch. Definitely a great video. This one has the best storyline but the dance moves in Girl you Know it's True are legendary) I wasn't alone in my admiration for Rob and Fab as the album was 6 times platinum and won a Grammy for best new artist. Well most of us know what happened after that.  Once the lip synching controversy surfaced the record became out of print, the grammy was stripped, and shame fell upon the Vanilli's. I remember once the news broke, Arista records put out an ad that you could get your money back for the tape if you sent it back to the record company. No thanks, I kept my copy.

Rob and Fab were a bit before their time. Nowadays pop musicians use auto tune, backing tracks and lip synch during live performances. As long as they're good performers who cares? I'm not expecting Yo Yo Ma precision in my pop songs. Unfortunately Rob passed away from a drug and alcohol overdose back in 1998 . I highly recommend checking out their VH1 Behind the Music if you get a chance. Just want to clarify that I'm not being ironic about my Milli Vanilli fandom. If you ask my wife she could verify that 1 of 5 songs  have made most of my playlists throughout the years. Also I'm keeping the possibility of being one of the boys for Halloween in my back pocket. If you live in the central VA area and one Halloween you spot Rob and or Fab it may be me...and if it's not please let me know who they are because I'd like to be friends with them. See you soon with songs of love, heartbreak and soul. Cheers.

Milli Vanilli - Girl You Know It's True