Sunday Morning Tuneage & Weekly TV(6/30/13)

Another strange week.  Going to be awhile before I get into some kind of pattern.  It was an ending and another beginning.  I'm done with Follett at UNT and I'm started as a B&N employee at UNT.  Getting to know my new cohorts and trying to keep up with everything else.  So, once again, this week the blog is pretty lackluster.  Not up to my relatively low standards.  I'll get better, promise.  The kids are all in a break of activities for a few weeks - so you are spared those updates.  Today, I'm headed out to the Rangers game for a hot afternoon at the Stadium.  Excited to see the boys.  So, I have to go get my workout in quickly and then off to the game.  Until then, catching up on the last of the 1st of the month bills and listening to some cool tuneage . . . 

SUNDAY MORNING TUNEAGE

WHAM! - THE EDGE OF HEAVEN.  The final Wham! single isn't their best.  But it was a good transition to the solo work of George Michael.  I've grown to like the song - just not completely familiar with it like the earlier hits.  The most remarkable thing that I take from this is the piano of Elton John on the song - kinda makes you wish they would have done more work together.

BRIA VALENTE - HERE EYE COME.  This is one of the better tracks off her debut album, "Elixer" that was part of the triple album set Lotusflower from Prince.  It's got a Janet Jackson meets funky Prince sound.  Really pretty mild R&B - not terrible, nothing I seek out.  I don't know what became of her - I'm pretty sure she isn't associated with Prince anymore.  In fact, until I see the name on iTunes, I'd be hard pressed to come up with her name. 

PAUL SIMON - ALLERGIES.  This single off of Paul's late 1983 release "Hearts and Bones" was probably the first single.  I remember it being pretty big around that Christmas.  It's a largely not remembered album that didn't produce a hit.  This song got airplay but you never hear it on the radio anymore.  Even as a deep cut.  The album has really grown on me - it has some interesting features in that Garfunkel works on some of the songs with him (this after their hugely successful concert in Central Park) and many of the songs are influenced by his ongoing relationship with Carrie Fisher at the time.  Fun little tune that brings back some good memories.

SOMETHING RANDOM . . . I hate PepsiMax but I love Dynamo - so, here's Dynamo . . . and is Instagram with video the end of Vine? Likely.

DEADLIGHTS OF 2013. . .  catching up for a couple weeks . . . Bobby Bland, the Hall of Fame, blues singer passed last week . . . the great writer Richard Matheson is known best for "Twilight Zone" episodes "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" and HELL HOUSE and the screenwriter of the Spielberg debut, DUEL . . . lots has been written about James Gandolfini - I'll mention to of my most favorites - TRUE ROMANCE and WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE . . . Kim Thompson was the underrated contributor to the world of comics as the publisher of the incredible Fantagraphics . . . that falsetto of Slim Whitman was a staple on my Grandpa Miller's record player, his death put some very vivid memories in my head. I can still hear "Indian Love Call" . . .  

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

BEST SUPERMAN STORIES OF ALL-TIME

10.  BRAINIAC (2009)  (Action Comics)  This Geoff Johns and Gary Frank story is one of the few "newer" stories that I've read and I love what they've done with Superman and one of my favorite villains.

9.  ON OUR SPECIAL DAY (2006)  (Superman)  It's part of a larger storyline but it stands alone and is written by the great Kurt Busiek.  It's a rare tender moment between Clark and Lois that isn't too cheesy romantic.

8.  THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN (1992) I think you had to be there when it happened.  Even when you knew what was happening - it was a week to week build up through all the books. Few stories in comics, in my lifetime had that kind of weekly must read tension.  A little hard to imagine for more ADD readers these days.  But great at the time.

7.  SUPERMAN: SPEEDING BULLETS (1993)  One of the best Elseworlds stories to come out of that line.  DeMatteis' story has Kal-El landing in Gotham City and being raised by the Wayne family instead of them having a son.  Until the Wayne family is murdered and young Kal-El develops amazing powers.  Fun, fun story.

6.  MAN OF STEEL (1986).  John Byrne told a good fun origin story that become the origin story that all other writers followed for decades afterwards.  Simple by todays standards but it hits all the high points that you know about Superman.

5.  WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE MAN OF TOMORROW? (1986)   Alan Moore writes essentially the Series Finale to the first decades of Superman right before the John Byrne revolution.  Curt Swan adds amazing art to a story that hits right to the bone as we find out Superman's last stand through the eyes of an older Lois.

4.  SUPERMAN: SECRET IDENTITY (2004)  Another Kurt Busiek take on superheroes - where they only exist in books.  But this ends up being a heartfelt love story about superheroes.  It's about a boy named Clark Kent who discovers he has powers that no one else believes exist.  The Stuart Immonen art is a perfect compliment.

3.  ALL-STAR SUPERMAN ( 2008)  Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely capture just about everything I love about Superman.  It's disjointed in places but I'm along for the ride like a little kid.

2.  KINGDOM COME (1996)  Mark Waid and Alex Ross rocked my world.  To the comic core.  This Elseworlds story isn't all about Superman but he's enough of the focus for me to include it here.  This darker tale of an older Justice League being brought together by Superman is a gift that still keeps on giving.  Read it for the first time.  Read it again.  Today.  

1.  SUPERMAN FOR ALL SEASONS (1992) Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale came right off "Batman: Long Halloween" and did this tribute to Big Blue.  It's like the Art Film take on Superman and it works perfectly.  A little too abstract and symbolic for some readers but mature readers will be rewarded for paying attention.  In my lifetime, there will be a worthy adaptation of this story and it will be the most wonderful thing ever.

Bunch of great stories left off this list.  Feel free to call me out - there are at least 10 other stories that could have been added.  But I don't see anything I'd take off the list.  I'm sure I could come up with some terrible Superman stories for the bottom ten but all that comes to mind right now is a terrible alternate history story about Hitler kidnapping Bruce Wayne.  I think it's "Superman: At Earth's End".

NETFLIX PLAY NOW OF THE WEEK . . . the best addition is THE AVENGERS, either if you've seen it or need to watch it again . . . did I mention earlier that ROB DELANEY: LIVE AT THE BOWERY BALLROOM is now on Instant - not for all ages!!! . . . KNUCKLEBALL is a great companion to the 60 Minutes story - this longer doc further examines the most baffling pitch in baseball.  It's a Physics nightmare to explain.

Shawn's fave movies according to FLICKCHART

#168  Mullholland Dr.

#702   Fast Times at Ridgemont High

#707  Spaceballs

RANDOM PROJECT UPDATE -   Next week I'll do some project.

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

#31  Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV  (more on this awesome album next week)

Previous Rankings

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

#33 - Parliament - Mothership Connection (1975)

#34 - Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (1989

#35 - U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987)

#36 - Elton John - Captain Fantastic and Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975)

THIS WEEK IN TELEVISION

MONDAY
BIZARRE FOODS AMERICA (TRAVEL)  Hanging in LA with some yellow pig-head tamales.  I'd probably eat that.

GIDEON'S ARMY (HBO)  Always tune into HBO on Monday night's in the Summer for their docs.  This is the story of three young public defenders in the South - trying to balance good cases with paying off student loans.

TUESDAY
TABOO USA (NAT GEO)  Woman that collects zombie dolls to the extreme.  And the fact that she'll never find love???

EXTREME WEIGHT LOSS (ABC)  Married couple with twins.  He's 362lb and she's 290lb.  They start the weight loss journey together.

WEDNESDAY
THE SOUP (E!)  I forget to watch this but then when I come across it I remember how much it cracks me up.  Joel McHale is a funny, different personality on this show.

THROUGH THE WORMHOLE w/MORGAN FREEMAN (SCI)  Scientists are actually working on a way to hack into people's brains to read thoughts and memories.  I knew it.

THURSDAY
NATHAN'S FAMOUS 4th OF JULY INTL HOT DOG EATING CONTEST (ESPN)  My Joey fixation continues.  I'm predicting 68 dogs to tie the record.

ELEMENTARY (CBS)  A repeat but one of the better mysteries of the season.  The suspect in the murder has an alibi - she's in a coma.

FRIDAY
OUTRAGEOUS ACTS OF SCIENCE (SCI)  A marathon of the cool science for everyman show.

THE 400 BLOWS (TCM)  This Truffaut film belongs on your Movie Lover list.  And it's on tonight w/out commercials.

SATURDAY
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS (PBS)  Steve Miller Band plays the Blues.

KEY LARGO (TCM)  One of the best Bogart films - John Houston directs a pretty gritty drama.

SUNDAY
COPPER (BBC)  Haven't watched this season yet, but I'm so glad to see it there on Tivo.

PICNIC (TCM)  This is a Labor Day film on just after 4th of July.  But it's also one of my Top 200 Films.  A perfect way to chill on a Saturday night.

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR . . .  happier than a camel on Wednesday.  This guy is brilliant . . .

"I wanna wake you from your dream
I wanna know just who you're talking to
When you're singing in your sleep."  - Guster

Find out what it means.  Stay hard.

sb

Sunday Morning Tuneage & Weekly TV (6/16/13)

Happy Father's Day to the dads out there that find time to read this.  I'll be leaving for Waco just after lunch to go have dinner with my Dad and the family.  Caleb gets to go back home with Grandma and Grandpa for a week of "camp" and hanging out.  It's my last week as a Follett employee at the UNT Bookstore and it will be slightly bittersweet.  That means, lots of goodbye parties and getting out to watch the NBA Finals and some Stanley Cup games.  Christian has been hitting a few football camps and he has a couple more coming up this week.  Still need to get in my workout and get some laundry folded.  Until then, I'm making my schedule for the rest of the week and listening to some tuneage . . .

SUNDAY MORNING TUNEAGE

PAUL SIMON - A MOST PECULIAR MAN.  This is from the 1966 album "Sounds Of Silence".  It's part of a duo of underplayed and awesome songs by Simon & Garfunkel - "Richard Cory" and this song.  This version comes off "The Paul Simon Songbook" - technically his first solo album released the year before.  But I didn't know this version apart from the "Sounds Of Silence" version before getting his box set a decade or so ago.  It's not the happiest of songs - this one, like a couple others, about suicide.  A very interesting song that fits the day.

PRINCE - RAINBOW CHILDREN.  Clocking in at over 10 minutes - this title track off the 2001 album of the same name wasn't one that caught me at the time of release.  But after 10 years or so, I finally got back into the album and it's brilliant.  It's typical later Prince concept album with a heavy jazz influence.  But it's more than that - this song has an early Funkadelic feel mixed with early 70s Miles Davis.  I'm sticking through the whole song and may have to go back through the whole album later today.

HUMAN LEAGUE - MIRROR MAN.  This is a fun 1983 song.  It's always been an interesting addition to Human League's song list.  It's quite different than the other synthpop they were releasing in this period.  It's very vocal heavy - the harmonies are Motown like at least in influence.  The confusing video has mainly Phillip Oakey staring into a mirror - I think he's dead but the band can see him??  Silly stuff.  And I don't really get the later rumors that this is about Adam Ant - I think that's wishful thinking.

SOMETHING RANDOM . . . Like I'm not going to read when I see that Loch Ness Monster is trending this week . . . and I'm a little weirded out by "eyeball licking trend" in Japan.

DEADLIGHTS OF 2013. . . unless I missed something in my news headline reading, there wasn't any death of note this week.  Could that be right?

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

BEST EGGS OF ALL-TIME

10.  EGG SALAD.  A very underrated sandwich item.  Great on two thick slices of bread.

9.  QUICHE.  It either reminds me of "Bone" or the B-52s song but it's actually quite tasty from time to time.

8.  SUNNY SIDE UP.  I think that only my Nana made these and they are great with just a piece of toast or with a side of fried potatoes.

7.  HARD BOILED EGGS.  Not really a big fan of them by themselves.  But make a salad and I'm going to start looking for some hard boiled eggs.  My other obsession with them?  Watching the way some people meticulously prepare them before eating.

6.  DEVILED EGGS.  Is this the only egg that uses curry powder?  It reminds me of the best parts of holidays.

5.  EGG DROP SOUP.  I didn't discover this egg soup until college.  Wonderful way to make an egg tasty.

4.  POACHED EGGS.  A great way to fix an egg but rarely done to perfection.  When done correctly on an English Muffin or with veggies or Hollandaise sauce, it can be a beautiful thing.

3.  SCRAMBLED EGGS.  The easiest way is usually the best.  But I need some bacon with them - preferably - or at least some bacon bits.  And pepper.  Always with the pepper, please.  Best use - the breakfast burrito.

2.  FRIED EGGS.  The most unhealthy of the eggs taste better the more fat you fry them in.  And throw in some bacon or sausage and it's almost perfect.  I don't make them very well and don't trust many others to make them like I like them so I rarely seem to have any.

1.  OMELET.  Fold up some eggs with some mushrooms and some salty meat.  Perfect.  With cheese or without.  It's perfect for a nice breakfast and it's perfect for a Sunday morning hangover.  

I don't eat them as much as I'd like.  I'm still stuck back in the days when they were terrible for your diet.  We ignored the protein and amino acid benefits.  But when I do - I love to see them prepared in interesting ways.  The worst preparations?  Boiled has never been a great method for me.  I know it's not much different than poaching or even in a soup, but there's something about boiled that leaves me cold.  Pickled eggs never seems safe or tasty.  I'm sure I'm leaving off something awesome but it's morning and I can smell the bacon just even talking about eggs.

NETFLIX PLAY NOW OF THE WEEK . . . TONIGHT YOU'RE MINE is a cleverly filmed and written film about a couple that are handcuffed together over five days at a music festival . . . HITLER'S CHILDREN is an interesting doc about the descendants of the most evil of the Nazis as they deal with their family history . . . THE GLADES is one of those shows that always tempted me and is available now.  It seemed like it's based on characters by Hiassen or Elmore Leonard.  Reminds me to keep begging Netflix to put JUSTIFIED up here to watch.

Shawn's fave movies according to FLICKCHART

#549 - Payback

#857 - Gattaca

#1389 - Pink Floyd The Wall

RANDOM PROJECT UPDATE -  The BATMAN project.  It seems like we abandoned this project for a long time.  But when most of our shows are over - it's been a good time to get back into the 1966 series.  We finished off a couple more Season One stories including the oft forgotten role by the beautiful Anne Baxter as Zelda the Great.  Then it was another solid Frank Gorshin run as the Riddler.  The 2nd episode includes the hilarious appearance of a fat, fake Batman in costume meeting up with Bruce Wayne.  And I heard the phrase "Holy atomic piles."   We're just starting up a rare Mad Hatter appearance next.

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

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

This double album is in the sweet spot of 1972-1974 for most of my favorite artists.  The double album has song after song that belongs on his greatest hits even if they never got the airplay.  In total over the two albums, there are 17 tracks that all shine in their own way.  It's like hanging with a friend who's playing just for you - showing off their talents on different styles.  There are ballads and straight up rock songs.  The lyrics are about love and death and just plain silly at times.  The album was written in record time over a few weeks and I wonder if that fun doesn't just shine through.  It starts with the touching "Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding" and continues through to the heartfelt "Harmony" that ends it.  Most overlooked songs - "Sweet Painted Lady", "This Song Has No Title" and "Your Sister Can't Twist".

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Sweet Painted Lady

I've Seen That Movie Too

Previous Rankings

#33 - Parliament - Mothership Connection (1975)

#34 - Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (1989

#35 - U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987)

#36 - Elton John - Captain Fantastic and Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975)

#37 - Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)

THIS WEEK IN TELEVISION

MONDAY

LOVE, MARILYN (HBO)  Summer means more documentaries on TV.  I have had an extra crush on her lately.  Famous current actors read from her diaries.

PUSH GIRLS (SUNDANCE)  This reality series about four women in wheelchairs seemed like a good idea last Summer.  It took off way more than I thought it would.  And now I'm even almost curious about it at the start of Season Two.  

TUESDAY

SEX: HOW IT WORKS (NAT GEO)  Seriously.  How.  More science and computer graphics than probably most people are looking for on the subject.  But curiosity knows no bounds.

BLOOD AND OIL (DISC)  Will there be milkshake drinking?   Also there's something very BREAKING AWAY about the family being named Cutters.

NBA FINALS: GAME SIX (ABC)  If there is any justice, this will be the crowning of the Spurs as champions.  I hope to be on whiskey number four by the time this game winds down.

WEDNESDAY
GHOST HUNTERS (SYFY)  A family in LIttle Rock thinks their bungalow might be haunted.  There are so many things wrong with that statement.  But generally, yes, your bungalow is haunted.

FUTURAMA (COMEDY)  The final season starts and even if last season was a little off - I'm onboard for one last ride.

THURSDAY
NBA FINALS: GAME SEVEN (ABC)  If things didn't work out on Tuesday, then I'll be somewhere for this tonight.  Maybe to the scene of the last victory.

UNTAMED YOUTH and THE BEAT GENERATION (TCM)  They aren't the best movies you've ever seen but these two starring Mamie Van Doren are as kitschy as come for 1957 and 1959.

FRIDAY
DINERS, DRIVE-INSAND DIVES (FOOD)  I love the Friday night marathons.  Tonight includes Duck pastrami and fresh Dungeness crab.

NETWORK (SUNDANCE)  Not enough people know about this film anymore.  Faye Dunaway is a revelation.  And of course, Peter Finch.  You owe it to yourself to watch it someday.

SATURDAY
STANLEY CUP FINALS: GAME FOUR (NBC)  Generally I think I'm for the Bruins.  But I don't have a dog in this fight.  After that 1st game - I'm hoping for seven overtime games.  

THE SEARCHERS (TCM)  John Ford was pretty prolific.  But you forget how beautiful his pictures are until you see this one after a few years away from it.  Awesome story.  One of Wayne's best performances.  But I like to just look at it now.

SUNDAY
COPPER (BBC)  So excited to see the return of this show.  It was pretty terrific last season.  But less interested in Donal Logue joining the cast.  Not that he's bad but this show was awesome with unknown actors.

TRUE BLOOD (HBO)  The new season starts and I have to confess that I'm still a few episodes behind of last season.  Oops.

MAD MEN (AMC)  The season comes to an end - rumors of a death abound.  This show just didn't seem to have the Sunday night juice of "Game Of Thrones" or "Walking Dead" and it doesn't seem to get the Twitter love afterwards as "Breaking Bad".  Anyone care still?

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR . . .  Burger King word association.  I have this type of relationship with a few people myself . . .

I kept waiting for the fake logos to pop up on this Hands Free Whopper commercial.  But is it really produced by Burger King?  Do they actually have a sense of humor about themselves?

I know they are taking hell for it.  But I wouldn't mind eating some Carls Jr. with Kate's Uptons.

"You're a bluebird on the telegraph line

I hope you're happy now

Well if the wind of change comes down your way, girl

You'll make it back somehow."  - Elton John

Love lies bleeding.  Stay hard.

sb