Sunday Morning Tuneage & Weekly TV (9/29/13)

Just a random blog this morning.  It was a devil of a week on the personal front.  We are happy to put the end to a week - that finished with my Rendevous literally falling apart on the highway and spending most of yesterday getting a new car.  Today, Christian and I will head out to a reception for High School Seniors interested in Texas Tech.  I'm trying to get motivated to head to the gym first.  And wondering where all my t-shirts have gone while I listen to some tuneage . . .

SUNDAY MORNING TUNEAGE

YELLO - JUNGLE BILL.  I don't remember much about the Yello album "Baby" from about 1992 or so - just before I left California.  Much of the album was used on the soundtrack for ADVENTURES OF FORD FAIRLANE.  A nice typical Yello tune.  It's the best off this album and fun to hear again today.

SOMETHING RANDOM . . . next time.

DEADLIGHTS OF 2013. . .  Pat Fear was a relatively major member of the punkish band White Flag . . . Luciano Vincenzoni was the script writer for GOOD, BAD & THE UGLY and FOR A FEW DOLARS MORE among other Spaghetti Westerns.  A trip down his filmography would be a worthy project . . .  Carolyn Cassady was born in Lansing and lived in East Lansing for her childhood.  She was married to famous Beat poet Neal Cassady . . .  

QUICK LIST (a random, uninformed list off the top of Shawn's head)

BEST SHOWTIME SHOWS OF ALL-TIME

10.  QUEER AS FOLK.  Showtime has made a "thing" of adapting UK shows.    I feel like this is as realistic portrayal of the gay lifestyle as I'll ever get.

9.  NURSE JACKIE.  I'm hit and miss on the show - I should go back and watch it in order.  Funny but seems to have lost its momentum after the first season.

8.  SHELLEY DUVALL'S FAERIE TALE THEATRE.  I discovered this series on VHS - not knowing it was a Showtime show, so I wondered if it qualified here.  There was such style in these episodes - I fell in love with it.

7.  IT'S GARRY SHANDLING SHOW.  I'd like to go back an take a closer look at this again.  But it was one of the first Showtime shows that made it worth getting the channel back in the late 80s.

6.  RAY DONOVAN.  It's still early on - Liev Schrieber is amazing and this might have the opportunity to be a Top Three show on this list by the time it's through.  I'm loving it.

5.  DEAD LIKE ME.  It took me years to catch up with this show. But now that I've seen a good measure of it - brilliance!!

4.  SHAMELESS.  I was reluctant for a remake of the really fun UK series.  The first series was a direct copy.  By the second season, it had gone off in some really wrong directions that I loved.  The kids are what make this series go.  I think there's even hope for it to last another season or two.

3.  WEEDS.  A typical story for a Showtime show - starts off as a series on fire - it was incredible the first few seasons.  And ends with a thud as everyone had dropped off the bus.

2.  CALIFORNICATION.  My crush, David Duchovny.  And it's a hilarious show about a writer.  Why wouldn't I love it?  I have fallen off the past seasons but those first few are incredible.

1.  DEXTER.  I'm only a season into this and I understand that this is the best thing that's been on Showtime.  It may not have ended like people wanted, but it's as good as the network has ever done.

I think I did this list a couple years ago.  The little sister to the big brother of HBO continues to try to live in the shadow.  Not on the list because I haven't watched it yet - HOMELAND.and BROTHERHOOD.  The worst shows on there?  I know that lots of people like it but the couple times I've watched WEB THERAPY with Lisa Kudrow it wasn't as good as I was led to believe.  Also not as good as advertised when I watched it once - the Matt LeBlanc show EPISODES.

NETFLIX PLAY NOW OF THE WEEK . . . I was wondering when I could catch up - HAVEN is an interesting SyFy show that's made it's way to Instant Watch . . . LOVE ACTUALLY is available and vying to be a generation's favorite Christmas film . . . and Netflix guesses that ALONG CAME POLLY would be a 3 star film for me and I'd guess it'd be a 1/2 star film. . . 

Shawn's fave movies according to FLICKCHART

#117 - Lawrence of Arabia

#349 - Fargo
#855 - Of Mice and Men (1992)

RANDOM PROJECT UPDATE -   No project time this week.

SHAWN'S TOP ALBUMS OF ALL-TIME (a tribute to the art of the album)

#24 - TBD

Previous Rankings

#25 - Aretha Franklin - Lady Soul (1968)

#26 - Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks (1975)

#27 - Paul Simon - Graceland (1986)

#28 - The Clash - London Calling (1979)

#29 - Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988)

THIS WEEK IN TELEVISION

MONDAY
SLEEPY HOLLOW (FOX)  My excitement for this show's debut has diminished with every trailer.  I'm not sure I even know what is going on here - are they solving historical mysteries from the Revolutionary War??

DON'T STOP BELIEVIN'" AN EVERYMAN'S JOURNEY (PBS)  The interesting story of Arnel Pineda from the Philippines who was discovered on YouTube as a Steve Perry soundalike and eventually became the Journey lead singer.

TUESDAY
THE MINDY PROJECT (FOX)  As my interest in "New Girl" wanes - my interest in this show is on the rise.  It pushes some limits of language for Network TV.  And it will be better now that James Franco has departed - he was distracting even if funny.  This week - the National are on as guests at a Music Festival.

MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC) I was entertained by the first episode.  But it's easy to be entertained when Joss is doing all the heavy lifting as a director.  Now we'll see if they can keep up the momentum.  I'd love to see it go more in an "X-Files" cases direction.

WEDNESDAY
A YOUNG DOCTOR'S NOTEBOOK (OVATION)  Good thing I read deeper into the listings - Daniel Radcliffe and Jon Hamm star in this four-part dramedy.  And it takes place during the Russian Revolution.  And they play the same character?  Who knows - it's Harry!!

THE LEAGUE (FXX)  I've grown to love this show.  Taco and Ruxin are my favorites.  Just finishing catching up on Netflix and then time to watch the new episodes on the channel no one knows where to find.

THURSDAY
PARKS AND RECREATION (NBC)  Kristen Bell guest stars as Leslie's doplleganger in Eagleton!

ELEMENTARY (CBS)  I guess I liked this show more than I knew.  I was so excited for it to come back last week.  This week a mathematician is killed while trying to solve a math equation.  That actually excites me.

FRIDAY
MASTER CHEF JUNIOR (FOX)  Still amazed that this is an idea.    Little chefs work on creating the perfect hamburger.  Very interested in the crazy toppings.

HAWAII FIVE-O (CBS)  Wow.  I thought CBS liked this show.  Didn't it get good ratings?  They moved it to Friday night?  Sucks to be a fan of this show - not long for the air.

SATURDAY
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS (PBS)  Jesse & Joy kick off the crazy 39th season of this live music show.

HOUSE OF VERSACE (LIFE)  The biopic is probably as terrible as you'd think.  But Gina Gershon - is that really you?  That's some serious blonde hair and big lips.  Not a big supporter.

SUNDAY

THE SIMPSONS (FOX)  The 24th annual "Treehouse of Horror" arrives earlier than ever - it's almost 4 weeks away.  But I'll Tivo it for a later time.  This year a take on Dr. Seuss.

BOB'S BURGERS (FOX)  In what seems like a weird scheduling snafu - this show also shows a Halloween special.  What is the deal?  And why is everyone trying to tell me to finally watch this show?

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR . . .  new commercials coming out for football season - I'm compiling the best now.

 Stay hard.

sb

Sunday Morning Tuneage & Weekly TV (9/22/13)

Relatively uneventful week.  The last one for a couple months.  Christian had a bye week in football.  Caleb had two baseball games - but had one rained out.  His other game was a loss with a couple walks only.  The weeks ahead bring lots of football, more baseball, more dance, longer weekends of work for me.  We will go get some burgers later after I get in a workout.  Just trying to decide where we haven't been this year and listening to some tuneage . . . 


SUNDAY MORNING TUNEAGE

KOOL & THE GANG - WHITING H & G.  This 1974 era of Kool & the Gang is one of the funkiest.  And I can't get enough of the "Light of Worlds" album.  This is the first track on the second side.The mixture of the funky synthesizer with a jazz sound makes this so interesting.  This same side of the album contains "Higher Plane" and "Summer Madness" - one of their strongest album sides.

SOMETHING RANDOM . . . I don't usually fall for trailers for these lower budget horror films because they don't "get it".  But this one for Murder University looks like some of the fun 80s direct to video films I loved . . .

This take on DIAL M FOR MURDER by Martin Scorsese expresses what's always made me defend the film. . . 

DEADLIGHTS OF 2013. . .   Forrest was born in Galveston, TX but went to Europe to become a big artist - "Feel The Need In Me" and a cover of "Rock The Boat" and they became early 80s classic in dance clubs . . . I had never heard of Cal Worthington until I moved to California - his ads seemed made up but he was the innovator of the crazy car commercials with animals . . . Ray Dolby invented that switch that I always turned on in my tape player and never really noticed that it made the music better . . . Ken Norton was a heavyweight boxer I feared as a kid.  His fights with Ali were legendary.  The man was brutal. . . Jerry G. Bishop was better known as Svengoolie for anyone with spent time with Chicago television.  Living in California - I knew him as the quirky owner of the two Chicago themed restaurants in Seaport Village in San Diego. . . 

QUICK LIST (a random, uninformed list off the top of Shawn's head)

BEST TALKING HEADS SONGS OF ALL-TIME

10. AND SHE WAS (1985)  I was starting to lose touch with the band by the time I reached college but this song is still one that I will crank when it comes on the radio.  Good memories of Ann Arbor parties with this tune.

9.  FOUND A JOB (1978)  One of the earliest Talking Head songs that I remember hearing.  It was probably about 1981 when I finally caught up with their early albums.  It was the perfect time for me to learn how great they were.  This is the stand out tune from those first couple albums.

8.  BORN UNDER PUNCHES (1980)  The first song on the "Remain In The Light" album is the very moment I know that I would love that album.  Great guitar work.

7.  BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE (1983)  Perfect illustration of what makes a great Talking Heads song - great music with lyrics that you think you can decipher but not really explain.  And yet you can't stop listening.

6.  THE GREAT CURVE (1980)  And then Talking Heads show you how to combine funk and disco and add some creative lyrics to provide you with something you've never heard before.  And at its heart - I feel like it's one of their best Punk songs.  "Sometimes the world has a load of questions / Seems like the world knows nothing at all."

5.  TAKE ME TO THE RIVER (1978)  I'm partial to the Al Green version but then you hear this and you realize how close it is - just with David Byrne's unique voice.  It's about as catchy a tune as Talking Heads have done.

4.  GIRLFRIEND IS BETTER (1983)  I love the live version from "Stop Making Sense" but I've been revisiting the original album version.  It's got a more developed sound than the early basic Punk tunes.  It's a fun tune with a bevy of horns and awesome percussion.

3.  PSYCHO KILLER (1977) This is such a great song - so good that I enjoy every version I've heard of it by the band.  It translates to many great interpretations.  The live version from "Stop Making Sense" is slightly better than the album version.  Lyrically it's one that has always captured my imagination.

2.  THIS MUST BE THE PLACE (NAIVE MELODY) (1983)  Who knew that one of my favorite TH tunes would be a "love" song.  But for me, it's more about the comfort of finding someone that feels like "home".  It's about that moment when you realize how comfortable you are around someone.

1.  LIFE DURING WARTIME (1979)  This illustrates all that I love about the band - you've got a punk sound mixed with New Wave and lyrics that are catchy and yet thoughtful - "this ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no foolin' around."

The Talking Heads are right in the middle of my music adolescence.  The band appealed to me because of their variety and unique sound.  They have such a great catalog.  I had to leave off some great songs like "Love / Building On Fire", "Road To Nowhere" and even "(Nothing But) Flowers".  The worst songs?  Easily most of the rest of the "Naked" album like "Blind" and "Mrs Jones".  I'm finding myself on quite the Talking Heads kick lately and it's making me very happy.

NETFLIX PLAY NOW OF THE WEEK . . . for background noise, there are new episodes of UNDERCOVER BOSS . . . and if there's the need for some movies - THERE WILL BE BLOOD is an intense fun film and MISS REPRESENTATION is a doc about some strong women (my favorites). . . 

Shawn's fave movies according to FLICKCHART

#1020 - Superman (1948)
#1108 - Blue Streak

#1273 - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

RANDOM PROJECT UPDATE -   The HARRY POTTER project.  Just a simple, easy update.  I'm still dragging out finishing the last book.  Meaning that it sits on my night table and I read a chapter every month or so.  I'm done with the spot that the first film leaves off.  It still makes me wonder if they paced the two films correctly.  As part of the project I'm also going back and reviewing most of the extras in the Blu-ray.  On the 2nd film and that's going to take awhile.

SHAWN'S TOP ALBUMS OF ALL-TIME (a tribute to the art of the album)

#25 Aretha Franklin - Lady Soul (1968)

I knew that I needed an Aretha Franklin album in this spot.  With all the collections, it was hard to find just the right album.  I was going to go for either album before or after this - "Aretha Arrives" or "Aretha Now".  But this one is the best from top to bottom.  There are only 10 songs and it clocks in at barely 30 minutes.  It has her best songs - "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" and "Chain of Fools" and her cover of the Curtis Mayfield great "People Get Ready".  Aretha is at her best here when she's mixing Jazz and Pop and Gospel.  Listen to her take on the James Brown tune - "Money Won't Change You" and you get the idea of how she's capturing all the music of the time.  I didn't get onboard with this album until the early 90s - I was stuck with just the Greatest Hits.  Since them I've taken great pleasure in discovering the tunes that don't make the radio play.  You can cover this in less than a half an hour - listen please.

Money Won't Change You

People Get Ready

Good To Me As I Am To You

Previous Rankings

#26 - Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks (1975)

#27 - Paul Simon - Graceland (1986)

#28 - The Clash - London Calling (1979)

#29 - Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988)

#30 - New Order - Power, Corruption, Lies (1983)

THIS WEEK IN TELEVISION

MONDAY

FIRST COUSIN ONCE REMOVED (HBO)  One of a couple awesome docs on tonight.  Forget the new shows - this doc is about a filmmaker sitting in interviews with his cousin, poet who suffers from Alzheimer's.

POV: BEST KEPT SECRET (PBS)  A study of the autistic students of a special school in New Jersey after they leave the school.

TUESDAY

MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC)  Durr.  Of course I'm watching this and you can pretty much guarantee a three season run at least.  About time they brought these characters to Primetime and Tuesday is a good night for the show.

WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? (CW)Ryan Stiles, Colin and Wayne Brady are joined by Shawn Johnson - cute Olympic gymnast.  It's the end of the season just as the other CW shows are starting up.

WEDNESDAY

SURVIVOR: BLOOD VS WATER (CBS)  It's of to an interesting start.  Instead of repeating previous formulas - they aren't afraid to try something new.  This family business thing is working for me initially.  Not willing to pick a winner yet - don't underestimate Hayden from Big Brother - he can compete.  Colton definitely has to go.

THE UNEXPLAINED FILES (SCI)  Red rain falling down.  This episode explains the phenomenon of red colored rain that falls all over the world.  Algae?  Chemicals?  Interesting.

THURSDAY
PARENTHOOD (NBC)  So glad they brought this show back.  But I'm not so happy about the Thursday time slot for continued success.  It's a Wednesday night show feel.  Also, Jasmine and Crosby have a baby - that's always a good thing for a show in the 5th season, right???

THE CRAZY ONES (CBS)  It's on CBS -so it'll have great ratings.  Normally I'd look and see Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar and I'd add it to my Tivo list right away.  I'm older and more mature and now I just don't see a season's worth  of entertainment in this show.

FRIDAY
MASTER CHEF JUNIOR (FOX)  Leaving Gordon Ramsay with kids from 8 to 13 is going to go really well.  No problems.

ROMAN POLANSKI: ODD MAN OUT (SHOW)  The director of the 2008 Polanski doc revisits the topic - updating the 2009 arrest and time since.

SATURDAY
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (NBC)  Tina Fey is back!!!  With Arcade Fire.

THE CHEATING PACT (LIFE)  Smart girl agrees to take college entrance exams for three classmates who end up killing her.  This is what you get on Saturdays if you don't watch college football.  Change your mind yet?

SUNDAY
BREAKING BAD (AMC)  It's over.  Complete.  And while I'm just starting Season Three - I've avoided spoilers from this season and after Monday or Tuesday I'll be able to settle in and watch it at my own pace because no one with care when I finish.

EASTBOUND & DOWN (HBO)  Kenny Powers is back!!!  New season after the season that was supposed to be the last season.  What else is there left to cover?  I'm watching.

MASTERS OF SEX (SHOW)  If the reviews are even half correct - this might be the best new show of the Fall.  Seems like the type of show that I'll watch in batches of 2-3 episodes at a time.

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR . . .  kitty cat djs!!!

This Barclay's  Bank ad is more like a mini-movie.  And a great soundtrack cover of the Leo Sayer song that Phil Collins covered brilliantly.  It's about a love for your team no matter what.

This booking.com ad may have the funniest looking kids since THE GOONIES . . . 

"Now one of these days, baby
And it won't be long, yeah
You gonna look for me child you know
And I'll be gone."  - Aretha Franklin

Let's talk it over one more time.  Stay hard.

sb

Sunday Morning Tuneage & Weekly TV (9/8/13)

A better week than last for sure.  I didn't work as many hours and I'm getting a "real" weekend.  Caleb started his baseball season on Saturday with a loss in the heat.  Also, Thursday was Christian's 2nd start at QB for Little Elm. Not only did they get the first win of the season - 38-21, but Christian scored his first TD of the season on a run too.  Very proud Dad.  Good night of Michigan football over Notre Dame last night to top it off.  Anxious to have a "lazy" Sunday and watch some NFL today - including a Sunday night Cowboys game.  I'll head to the gym in a minute but until then, I'm reading up on the Fall TV season and listening to some tuneage . . .

SUNDAY MORNING TUNEAGE

SIMPLE MINDS - PROMISED YOU A MIRACLE.  That 1982 album "New Gold Dream" has some gems on it.  But none better than this tune.  While they'd have lots of singles over the decade - this is probably their best Dance song.  And the remix is one that needs to be played at bars all over the country.  Great memories of that Spring of 1983 when it played on MTV constantly.

"Slipping back on golden times

Breathing with sweet memories."

STRAY CATS - I WON'T STAND IN WAY.  This 1983 single is one of my favorite Stray Cats songs because it isn't Rockabilly as much as a straight up traditional early 1960s DoWop type of song that could easily have been lifted directly from the DINER or AMERICAN GRAFFITI soundtrack.  And it's about finally letting the "one" girl go.  Excellent stuff that most people don't recognize as Stray Cats.

SPLIT ENZ - STRANGER THAN FICTION.  This song is the title of their biography and it's the song that they build their concerts around.  It isn't a huge hit but it's pretty illustrative of the peak years when they were the hottest export from New Zealand.  The lyrics are literary and the sound is New Wave mixed with the Art Rock of classic Genesis.  I'm so glad to hear it again this morning.  More Split Enz, iTunes, please.

SOMETHING RANDOM . . . 

DEADLIGHTS OF 2013. . .   Tommy "The Duke" Morrison was a decent fighter in his day but most of you reading this only know him from his role in ROCKY V.  He did beat George Foreman and one point to get the title but was forced to retire with HIV. . . Sir David Frost was one of the last of the true TV journalists - quite an intellectual doing interviews.  He's best know for the Frost - Nixon  interviews but check out anything he's done in the 70s and 80s. . . William Froug produced some classic shows like "Gilligan's Island", "Bewitched" and "The Twilight Zone" but I'd recommend his screenwriting books - "Zen and the Art of Screenwriting I and II" . . . 

QUICK LIST (a random, uninformed list off the top of Shawn's head)

BEST UNFILMED STEPHEN KING STORIES AND NOVELS

10.  BLOCKADE BILLY.  Not sure how this short baseball story would play best - probably a made for HBO film.  It's a bit hokey but with the right director it could be a good supernatural film.

9.  INSOMNIA.  I think that even non-DARK TOWER fans could deal with this if done correctly.  It's more than just a movie - but less than series.  A multi-part mini-series maybe by the BBC would work.

8.  RAGE.  This book under the Richard Bachman pseudonym will probably never make it to film. It's essentially a school shooting story that hits very close to home with the headlines.  There might be a brave director that would try to pry it from him.

7.  THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON.  Long short story or short novel. Not sure how to classify it but it could make a really creepy film in the tradition of BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, etc.  

6.  GERALDS GAME.  Not one of my favorite books.  It was much lesser than the other "strong women" novels.  It has a kinky angle that might make an interesting film.  If casted correctly - it could be a breakout role for a late 20s actress.

5.  THE TALISMAN.  It's such a great novel that I had to quickly look to make sure it hadn't been adapted already.  It's too long for a single film and would probably have the best tone for a miniseries.  You definitely need to read it first.

4.  THE EYES OF THE DRAGON.  I love this Science Fiction work.  It's the least Stephen King of the Stephen King novels.  I don't know how easy it would be to adapt.  I'm willing to go out on a limb and wonder if it wouldn't make a nice animated feature.

3.  CELL.  It's like a mashup of about 5 other King works.  But I'm a huge fan of the sheer fun of the zombies meet "The Stand" premise of the film.  Done right - this could be a film that resets the zombie craze back to movie levels.

2.  11/22/63.  I feel like this could work on many levels.  It's a huge book but it could be adapted down to a 2 hour film or maybe best as a two-part film the way that the last Harry Potter was handled.  I know it's only a matter of time on this one . . .

1.  THE DARK TOWER.  We'll see this in our lifetimes - I mean, we did see "Watchmen" - but how we see it is the key.  It cries out for a "Game of Thrones" type of multi-season adaptation.  Casting will be a non-winner.  Everyone has ideas in their heads - I can't see any known actor pulling it off.  The text of the novels would be a pretty easy adaptation as is.

He's the "pop storyteller" of our generation.  His works are accessible and pleasantly scary.  More often than not, they make good films and sometimes they make tremendous films - SHAWSHANK, STAND BY ME, CARRIE, etc.  The likelihood of 7-8 of these being made is pretty high.  What am I not waiting to see?  "Breathing Method" was a good shocking story but wouldn't work well in any format over 30 minutes.  "The Regulators" is a good story but I've yet to imagine that it would be a good mini-series.  Some of the other Bachman works just don't seem like they'll make good films like "The Long Walk".  Maybe soon we need a list of the ones that are most crying for a remake (it wouldn't include "Carrie").

NETFLIX PLAY NOW OF THE WEEK . . .OUR IDIOT BROTHER might not be award winning but you get Paul Rudd and Elizabeth Banks . . . the uplifting film THE ROAD is now available . . . The 4400 was one of those shows over 4 seasons that seemed to start as a copy of "Lost" but was one that took on a life of its own and I always wanted to indulge in.

Shawn's fave movies according to FLICKCHART

#105 - No Country For Old Men

#729 - Mr. Holland's Opus

#1045 - Frost/Nixon

RANDOM PROJECT UPDATE -   The BREAKING BAD project.  Yep, I'm not caught up.  I kinda tried over the Summer.  But it's nice to kinda keep going at it with a few episodes at a time and then a bit of a break to let it sink in.  I'm finished with the 2nd season.  It was quite a run that started with Tuco's death and greatly expanded the business plan.  I was growing tired of Jesse and Jane and I'm interested to see the fallout from that.  It's really good - I never said it would be anything but.  Now I'm at the point where the show took almost a 10 month break - I won't let it go so long before delving into Season 3.

SHAWN'S TOP ALBUMS OF ALL-TIME (a tribute to the art of the album)

#26  Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks (1975)

It's hard to narrow down my favorite Bob Dylan albums.  The issue is that most of his albums are only about 80% complete for me.  There's a run of 7-8 great songs and a few duds.  But this 1975 album is one of the few that's a home run from beginning to end.  This isn't the political and folky Dylan - these are songs of love and heartbreak.  This is an exploration of growing old and being angry and lonely.  These songs still hit on an emotional level that he doesn't always reach.  Even today - this album is timeless.  There are ten extraordinary songs that stand the test of time.  Songs like "Shelter From The Storm" tell the kind of story that I just long for from today's artists.

Shelter From The Storm

You're Going To Make Me Lonesome When You Go

You're A Big Girl Now

Previous Rankings

#27 - Paul Simon - Graceland (1986)

#28 - The Clash - London Calling (1979)

#29 - Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988)

#30 - New Order - Power, Corruption, Lies (1983)

#31 - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

THIS WEEK IN TELEVISION

MONDAY
UNDER THE DOME (CBS)  The 1st season is winding down and you fair weather Stephen King fans abandoned this show a bit early.  It's still trying to find an identity, but as the supernatural takes more of a central stage - I've enjoyed the past few episodes a bit more.  Dean Norris as Big Jim has actually done a good job of escaping his "Breaking Bad" character.

POV: PING PONG (PBS)  This documentary covers the incredibly cool Over 80 Year Olds in their own World Table Tennis Championships.

TUESDAY
SONS OF ANARCHY (FX)  The 5th Season starts tonight.  I knew from the very beginning that I'd like this show.  Still sure that I'll love it when I finally get started.  Donal Logue won me over on "Copper" and he looks like a similar character here.

AMERICAN MASTERS: BILLIE JEAN KING (PBS)  I don't know if anybody younger than my generation even understands what she meant not just to women's tennis - but women's sports and the feminist movement in general.  A nice long look at her life tonight.

WEDNESDAY
THE HEART, SHE HOLLER (TOON)  Weird soap opera airing with short episodes every weeknight for 3 weeks - stars Patton Oswalt and Amy Sedaris - that should sell you.

BRAINS ON TRAIL w/ALAN ALDA (PBS)  Interesting look at what Science might do for our Justice System.  It's scary what kind of inner thoughts that Science might be able to discover.

THURSDAY
DEREK (NETFLIX)  It's been a dozen years since "The Office".  Then there's the excellent follow-ups like "Extras" and "Life's Too Short".  Ricky Gervais is back on Netflix this time and I'm anxious to see Karl Pilkington in the role of Dougie.

IMPRACTICAL JOKERS (TRU)  I was late to this show - finding it this Summer.  The practical joke show is hilarious and Rosie O'Donnell is along for the jokes tonight.

FRIDAY
HAVEN (SYFY)  This show is still around and I remember watching the initial episodes and thinking it seemed like a mini-series.  And years later it's still rolling along.  Any body watch?

SOYLENT GREEN (TCM)  There's probably no way that you don't know the secret of this film, right?  Don't let that stop you from enjoying an excellently written film starring Charlton Heston and Edward G. Robinson.

SATURDAY
LIFEBOAT (TCM)  I haven't seen this 1944 Hitchcock in years.  Wonderful story that plays out like a stage play.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL:  OHIO ST AT CALIFORNIA (ABC)  Do I need to say more than "Go Cal!!"

SUNDAY
BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)  So, so excited for the return of this show.  It covers one of my favorite times in history and last season ended so spectacularly.

THE NEWSROOM (HBO)  An uneven 2nd season comes to an end.  The writing has been less than satisfactory.  But I still enjoy the characters and I'll be back for another season.

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR . . .  It's the time of year when we'll get a slew of Messin With Sasquatch ads.  The flaming bag is a good classic . . . 

Queen my dishes . . . 

The Puppy Brother ad is still on of the best of the year . . .

"We always did feel the same
We just saw it from a different point of view."  - Bob Dylan

Tangled up.  Stay hard.

sb

Sunday Morning Tuneage & Weekly TV (9/1/13)

There will be no weeks of work more intense than the one that just passed for another year.  It was first week of classes and the first football game of the season all wrapped into seven killer days.  Worked out in the 106 heat for most of yesterday - from 11am to 10pm.  The week brought some pride in that Christian started his Senior year of Varsity football with his first start at QB.  The game didn't turn out to be a victory - but he's put in so much effort to this, that I'm the super proud Dad to see this pay off for him.  Today is a bit of recovery.  I still have to work again later in the afternoon - but I'll go workout, watch a bit of TV and after work I'll have my Fantasy Football draft.  And I'll go complete Couch Potato tomorrow.  Right now, I'm looking over the comics I can read while on the treadmill and listening to some tuneage . . . 

SUNDAY MORNING TUNEAGE

TEARS FOR FEARS - SOWING THE SEEDS OF LOVE.  The 1989 Tears for Fears couldn't really hold my attention the way the 1983 TFF did.  The song was their Beatles' tribute and it does as good a job capturing the feel of those late 60s Beatles' tunes as any other.  This was a huge hit and I've grown to appreciate it.  But it's also a last gasp from a group that was one that knocked me off my feet in their early days.

STEVE MILLER BAND - FLY LIKE AN EAGLE.  Listening to this tune the way it was meant to be heard off the album (not the truncated radio version) - you need the 2 minutes of "Harmony" and "Space: Intro" before the awesome bassline starts.  Don't know if I could be playing this at louder volumes right now.  Always had this as a SMB favorite.  "Time keeps on slippin' into the future."  Just a bit sad that this new generation mainly knows it from the Seal cover in SPACE JAM. . . 

RAINBOW - STREET OF DREAMS.  This came in right at the end of 1983 and the beginning of 1984.  I was already a Rainbow and Ritchie Blackmore fan before this tune.  But this gave them a little life late in their career.  It's a nice antidote to the light rock that Night Ranger and Bryan Adams were putting out.  But the sound wasn't too far out in the Hard Rock genre to not have a more mainstream following.  The video was banned by MTV and I'm still not sure I've seen it.  Have to go do a little YouTube research today . . .

SOMETHING RANDOM . . . GOING UNDERGROUND is a documentary about the Beatles and the 60s UK Underground scene that looks informative . . . 

and to get your comedy fix in - here's the Top 12 Mitch Hedberg jokes

DEADLIGHTS OF 2013. . .  Gilbert Taylor was a cinematographer of note - work on HARD DAY'S NIGHT, DR STRANGELOVE, THE OMEN and of course, STAR WARS were noted.  I think is underrated one is 1980's FLASH GORDON . . .  Sid Bernstein was a great music promoter and producer working with The Kinks, The Moody Blues, The Rolling Stones and he's credited with bring the Beatles to America . . . 

QUICK LIST (a random, uninformed list off the top of Shawn's head)
BEST BEN AFFLECK FILMS OF ALL-TIME

10.  ARMAGEDDON (1998)  Not a great film.  And Ben overacts the whole thing.  But when you examine the film again - it's an ode to the disaster films I loved in the 1970s.  Coming around on this film finally.

9.  CHANGING LANES (2002)  Not sure I remember much about this film except than Ben and Sam Jackson were pretty good.

8.  JERSEY GIRL (2004)  Kevin Smith wants to have a Ben Affleck thing.  It kinda works.  But there are acting scenes in this film that are almost unwatchable.  Overall I enjoy Ben in a majority of it though.

7.  COMPANY MEN (2011)  Not terrible at all.  Not as good as I wanted it to be after the reviews.  But maybe the man can act in more adult stories in the future . . . 

6.  SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (1998)  This one defies logic because he does have to act a little and period pieces would not seem to fit him.  The cast around him helps.

5.  DOGMA (1999)  I thought this would be one of his worst casting films.  But Damon and Affleck pull it off.  I think this film is growing on me more over the years.

4.  STATE OF PLAY (2009)  Once again, surprisingly good role for Ben in a great film.  Buoyed by a great cast again.

3.  DAZED AND CONFUSED (1993)  Small role but one of the most memorable.  So believable as a Texas teenager just looking to beat some kid's butt.

2.  CHASING AMY (1997)  Who knew that Kevin Smith would bring out one of the best roles for Mr Affleck.  Quite the stretch to play a hipster and slacker with low morals.  But he's genuinely charming in a-hole way.  And his best best beard in all his films.

1.  GOOD WILL HUNTING (1997)  He doesn't have to carry the movie.  He's best as a supporting actor and this is a great role.  He gets to be himself - where he's best - and he's actually really good as the friend who has to be left behind.

Everyone wants him to be something he isn't, I think.  He's our genuinely middle of the pack actor - not a superstar but not terrible either.  He's himself and when you let him just riff through a film and not have to overact - he's good.  But he can be terrible too if much emotion is required.  I kinda like the guy in general.  Not on the list because I haven't seen it - ARGO and THE TOWN (and I realize those might both be his best).  The worst?  The bottom list is big too.  But I really hate - PEARL HARBOR, DAREDEVIL and REINDEER GAMES are the bottom of the stinky barrel.

NETFLIX PLAY NOW OF THE WEEK . . . you've got the first couple seasons of BOB'S BURGERS are available now.  I've misjudged the show and need to go back to catch up . . . THE DICTATOR with Sacha Baron Cohen is probably not nearly as funny but it's watchable now . . . BURN NOTICE appears to be a decent show from scenes I've encountered - it's all available - can anyone back me up on the quality of this show . . . 

Shawn's fave movies according to FLICKCHART

#490 - 48 Hrs
#560  - Patton (should be better than that)
#728 - Bad Santa

RANDOM PROJECT UPDATE -   The STAR TREK project.  I'm still making my way through the 1st season of the Original series for at least the 3rd or 4th time.  Just finished "The Squire of Gothos" was probably the most "Twilight Zone" influenced to the 1st season episodes yet.  I really enjoyed the twist ending - even knowing what was coming.  Also recently had the Theodore Sturgeon episode "Shore Leave" with the fun Alice In Wonderland references.  Next up - "Arena".

SHAWN'S TOP ALBUMS OF ALL-TIME (a tribute to the art of the album)

#27  Paul Simon - Graceland (1986)

It had been three years since his "Hearts and Bones" album and I'd kinda forgot about his solo career.  This album didn't come out to lots of fanfare that Fall.  But by the time Christmas had hit and we had all seen the "You Can Call Me Al" video - it was on lots of turntables at Michigan.  The various styles of music on this album blew me away.  It's like the ultimate resume of what Paul could do and what he was interested in.  It's aged even better - the variety alone makes it always worth a listen.  The UNDER AFRICAN SKIES documentary from a few years ago helps bring out the ultimate talents that went into each song.  I am partial to Linda Ronstadt on "Under African Skies" and Los Lobos on "All Around the World".  This is one of my favorites of all-time but has to settle for being just outside of the Top 25.

Boy In The Bubble

Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes

Under African Skies

Previous Rankings

#28 - The Clash - London Calling (1979)

#29 - Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988)

#30 - New Order - Power, Corruption, Lies (1983)

#31 - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

#32 - Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)

THIS WEEK IN TELEVISION

MONDAY

CALL OF THE WILDMAN: VIVA LIVE ACTION! (ANIMAL)  Great title for Turtleman and Neal rescuing a big creature in Mexico.

COMEDY CENTRAL ROAST OF JAMES FRANCO (COMEDY)  Always turn into the later airings to get them uncensored.  This one is hosted by Seth Rogen - interesting that they are skewing younger with this Roast.  Franco is ripe for humor.

AN EDISON ALBUM / LUMIERE'S FIRST PICTURE SHOWS / 1895-1918: THE WORLD DISCOVERS A NEW ART FORM (TCM)  A night of great features on Silent Films.  An obsession of mine (hint:  more to come in the near future on this).

TUESDAY

LUTHER (BBC)  Idris Elba is back in a show that I know I'll love when I get around to watching.

HEROES OF COSPLAY (SYFY)  This show looks pretty cool.  Tonight they are at a Texas Anime convention (A-Kon?) and a couple costumers get a specail effects job with Guillermo del Toro.

WEDNESDAY

FUTURAMA (COMEDY)  It's the Series finale.  Again.  For the 4th time - the show is ending.  This time I feel like it's finally the end.  I've actually enjoyed most of this season's episodes.  I'll miss the Planet Express gang.

ITS ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA (FXX)  Who knew the Paddy gang would make it nine seasons?  Ratings are going to be difficult on this new network.  I wish it luck - it's an underrated comedy with incredible staying power.  Tonight - is the story of Dee's rise and fall as a stand-up comedian.

THURSDAY
RAGIN' CAJUN REDNECK GATORS (SYFY)  I thought this might be a reality show on History channel.  It's a made-for-SyFy film about poisoned moonshine and the alligator that drink it up.

ELEMENTARY (CBS)  We're almost to the Season Finale again - this episode breaks down all you need to know about Moriarty and the secrets about Irene.

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (NBC)  Yeah, that's what they call it.  On a Thursday night.  The NFL season starts with Baltimore Ravens going to Denver Broncos.  Put your money on Manning starting off the season with a victory.

FRIDAY
TEACH (CBS)  Good use of Friday nights on CBS - it's a season long documentary that follows teachers in three cities through the school year.

SHAUN OF THE DEAD (MOREMAX)  Time to revisit.

METROPOLIS (TCM)  This is a heavily restored version of the Fritz Lang's silent classic.  There are some awesome visuals and the story is very prescient.

SATURDAY
DAVID TUTERA: UNVEILED (WETV)  This show used to be "My Fair Wedding: Unveiled".  His shows are usually a hoot - even if you aren't planning a wedding in your future.  New season starts tonight.

NOTRE DAME VS. MICHIGAN (ESPN)  Night football at the Big House.  Don't distract me between 8pm and 11pm.

WEST VIRGINIA VS. OKLAHOMA (FOX)  If the Michigan game doesn't do anything for you - and I just can't fathom that - this is the Big 12 opener for West Virginia.  Welcome to the big time, boys.

SUNDAY
BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)  It's back!!!  And all is good on Sunday nights again.  Either the first or second best show on television.

LAST TANGO IN HALIFAX (PBS)  A BBC import that looks like a feel good and probably tear jerker.  Friends from childhood see each other after 60 years and fall in love.  It's been getting great reviews.

NEW YORK GIANTS VS. DALLAS COWBOYS (NBC)  The real Sunday Night Football and over the past few years I've made the mistake of going out to watch this game at a bar.  And they've lost all of them.  Staying home.

SABOTEUR / FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT / NORTH BY NORTHWEST (TCM)  Hitchcock marathon with some cool choices.  Alternative in case the football game goes poorly.

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR . . .  still catching up in this area.

"She looked me over
And I guess she thought
I was all right
All right in a sort of a limited way
For an off-night."  - Paul Simon

 I know what I know.  Stay hard.

sb