Sunday Morning Tuneage & Weekly TV (4/21/13)

With other stressful news happening in the world - it was a typical Spring week for us.  Christian had a couple baseball games (I never seem to get to see him play) - both losses but he is fielding very well.  Caleb had one game rained out and played another baseball game - he started at pitcher, only gave up a couple runs and did a great job at catcher and at bat for another victory - our team is 3-1 on the season now.  Saturday was relatively light with just a soccer game - another victory.  But that just means we got a crazy couple of weeks ahead through the end of May.  Hope I can keep up with everything.  You might see me go a little off the rails keeping up with it.  Today I've got a rare break - time to get a nice lunch, workout here soon and maybe even consider a nap to make it through the day.  Until then, I'm playing some Candy Crush Saga, getting ready to write and listening to some tuneage . . . 

SUNDAY MORNING TUNEAGE

NEIL DIAMOND  - PORCUPINE PIE.  This 1972 album and the "Hot August Nights" album are the first two Neil Diamond albums that made me love his music.  This "Moods" album had the great "Song Sung Blue" song to lead it off.  This song is one that never gets played on the radio but it's a favorite of all Diamond fans that I know.  No real insight as to the name of the song from me . . . "Vanilla soup, a double scoop please."

PLUMP DJ's - CREEPSHOW.  A very catchy dance tune from 2003 by this DJ duo from their "Eargasm" album.  I love this Kool & the Gang interpolation / sample.  I wish I knew more about the group - but this is the only album I appear to have on my iTunes and it looks like I haven't got nearly enough plays out of this song.

ELVIS COSTELLO - EVERYDAY I WRITE THE BOOK.  Too, too often I forget how much I love Elvis Costello.  And this album in particular, from 1983, gives me lots of pleasure.  That "Punch The Clock" album has a number of great songs but this one was the biggest hit.  A song that compares falling in love to writing a book is a great comparison.  "Chapter Two, I think I fell in love with you."   Going to go sing along for another go through . . . 

SOMETHING RANDOM . . .  Reading reviews of Twitter Music makes me anxious for it to come to Android . . . and Cat and Sloth have forbidden love.

DEADLIGHTS OF 2013. . . the same man wrote "Old Time Rock and Roll" that Bob Seger made famous and "One Bad Apple" by the Osmonds.  His name was George Jackson and he passed away this week . . .Frank Bank was "Lumpy" on "Leave It To Beaver" . . . Chi Cheng was bassist for the underrated Deftones . . . John Galaradi founded the original Der Wiernerschnitzel (logo designed by Saul Bass) in California.  I didn't know them until I got to California and there aren't too many left in this area of Texas. . . Michael France was a good screenwriter that isn't really a known name among many film fans - GOLDENEYE, HULK (2003), CLIFFHANGER and FANTASTIC FOUR. . . Storm Thorgerson is best known for his album covers - especially that of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon".  I'd also nominate his covers of Led Zeppelin's "Houses of the Holy" and Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here". . .Pat Summerall is one of my favorite announcers of all-time.  He was the perfect compliment with John Madden but I also will miss him and his work on tennis and The Masters. . . Richard LeParmentier had a small but memorable role in the STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE as Admiral Motti who was choked to death by Darth Vader.  He was confusingly (to my young brain) also on an episode of "Space 1999".  He was British but died on a trip here to Austin, TX . . .

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

BEST WHISTLING IN SONGS OF ALL-TIME

10. JOHN LENNON - JEALOUS GUY.  He has a line here "I was swallowing my pain" and the whistling here seems to cover that emotion.  Just like he lyrics have eluded him.

9.  BONES MCKINNEY - SWEET GEORGIA BROWN.  The Harlem Globetrotters theme is still really catchy and I can't think of it in any other situation than people passing basketballs around.

8.  SEVEN DWARVES - WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK.  Seems like a natural - I was just figuring out where to put it on the list.  Best little note on the song is that it's at the end of the Smith's "How Soon Is Now?".

7.  PETER GABRIEL - GAMES WITHOUT FRONTIERS.  A song based on a Hunger Games-ish TV show in Europe.  Kate Bush on backing vocals and some catchy whistling that makes me feel like we're about to go on a march.

6.  OTIS REDDING - DOCK OF THE BAY.  Not enough Soul songs with whistling.  And the whistling here is at the end as if he couldn't remember the last verse and was whistling to waste the time until the song was over.

5.  SUPERTRAMP - GOODBYE STRANGER.  Awesome piano through the song and then throw in some subtle but cool whistling that doesn't seem forced or out of place.

4.  BLACK KEYS - TIGHTEN UP.  There seems to be something about love songs and pain that make whistling work well in the song.  This whistling under the music is perfectly catchy.  Hard not to whistle the whole song once you get started.

3.  GUNS N ROSES - PATIENCE.  "Shed a tear cause I'm missing you."  Axl's little dance and whistle are infectious.  Still one of my favorite slow rock jams of all-time.  And unlike many of the songs here - the whistling makes important solo appearances throughout the song.  It takes "patience" sometimes to get through them but this is one of the band's high points - heartbreak be damned.

2.  MONTY PYTHON - ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE.  Eric Idle's song from LIFE OF BRIAN is one of my favorite Python songs.  Really clever lyrics and whistling that fits perfectly as a happy refrain against the bad of the world.  "Some things in life are bad / They can really make you mad."  This is a great singalong for almost any occasion.  

1.  ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW - THE FISHING HOLE.  Not sure that more songs make me feel happier than this song.  A great show but the full song is just happy.  They should have included the song with lyrics on the show.  Can't stop moving when it plays.

The whistle can be very annoying in songs.  And yet when done correctly - it's irresistible and you just have to whistle along.  I was surprised that it was actually very easy to come up with ten great whistle songs.  But the list of annoying ones seems just as easy.  The most annoying?  Start with Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and that new Flo Rida song.  But the worst ear worm of the bunch has to be the Colonel Bogey March from THE BRIDGE OVER The RivER KWAI.  That one sits in my brain for days at a time after hearing it.

NETFLIX PLAY NOW OF THE WEEK . . .  there's something enjoying about seeing the early work of two actors that ended up on NBC Thursday night sitcoms - BAD INFLUENCE (1980) stars Rob Lowe and James Spader in one of the better thrillers of the decade that few people seem to remember . . . I said I'd watch HATFIELDS & MCCOYS when it came to Netflix - here it is and I've kinda lost momentum on this show - might add it to the queue anyways . . . BULLY seems like a documentary that they would show my kids at school but it also seems like something big folk should watch too . . . 

Shawn's fave movies according to FLICKCHART

#46  -  Mary Poppins

#325 - Frankenstein (1931)

#557 - 300

RANDOM PROJECT UPDATE -  The BREAKING BAD project.  I'm getting along a little further on this project.  I'm not sure I'll be caught up by the time the new season starts.  I just never seem to be able to knock out a substantial number of episodes of a show.  The exception being my lunchtime "Castle" run last Summer.  I'm making a good run into Season Two - just finished with "Down" means that I'm a third of the way into the 2nd season and enjoying the way the Jesse and Walt relationship is developing.  The Tucco story was creepy and made a good connection with the viewer.  I"m as impressed as I thought I would be - I'll try to keep it going.

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

#39  Michael Jackson - Thriller (1982)

This isn't a list based on sales or this would certainly be #1.  This is a list based on what these albums as a whole meant to me.  When this hit in 1982 - it would be with me all through 1983 (one of the most important years of my life).  It was the soundtrack to that year for everyone that lived through it.  The whole album is widely known - it's not like there's a track on here that you haven't heard on the radio.  There's not a clunker on this album.  I can't complain about even one song.  It was a perfect soundtrack for the days but having an album of all good songs isn't like having an album with two to three really great songs and a few mediocre ones.  The legacy of this album is deserved and while I don't listen to it as much - it has won over my kids and they love it like I did 30 years ago.

PYT - 

Wanna Be Startin' Something - 

Human Nature  - 

Previous Rankings

#40 - Peter Gabriel - So (1986)
#41 - Beatles - Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
#42 - Prince - 1999 (1982)
#43 - James Brown - The Payback (1973)

#44 - Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)

THIS WEEK IN TELEVISION

MONDAY

RECTIFY (SUNDANCE)  Man wrongly convicted of rape and murder at age 18 and finally having his sentence overturned at age 37, returns home in this drama.  It looks like a nice slow burn drama.  It's just a few hours - a mini-series in effect.  Been getting really good reviews, perfect to add to the Tivo queue until after Sweeps.

CASTLE (ABC)  I have almost caught back up.  And I'll be fair and say that the past few episodes are almost redeeming the whole season .  The REAR WINDOW episode was derivative but cool, as was the Irish Mafia episode.  

TUESDAY
AWKWARD (MTV)  My daughter caught up on "Pretty Little Liars" and has started this show now.  As a truly irresponsible father, I haven't checked out either series.  I should probably be more wary of this one, right?    Although it does have a woman from "iCarly" . . . 

TEEN TITANS GO! (TOON)  I've been waiting for a new Teen Titans for years.  This is the fun side of Young Justice and I gotta believe it's going to be my favorite new show of the Spring.

WEDNESDAY
DUCK DYNASTY (A&E)  Is the show over the shark?  They go to Hawaii this week.  You tell me.

ARROW (CW)  Dang.  I keep thinking I don't like this show.  Don't want to like it.  But when it's not on, I miss it.  And when an episode airs, I don't go a day without watching it.  More Deadshot, more murder investigations and even more of the boring flashbacks.

THURSDAY
COMMUNITY, THE OFFICE, PARKS & REC (NBC)  Three of four shows filling the two hours are new.  But not for long.  I'm not sure what Thursday nights will look like in the Fall but I have a feeling that this will be the last gasp of the comedy run of the past 25 years.  Enjoy.  There are still laughs to be had.

THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES (TCM)  This 1965 film is one that I recommend to many.  It can be a bit slow, I know.  But the story of the 1910 air race is quaint and makes me long for better days.

FRIDAY
HAPPY ENDINGS (ABC)  I don't watch this show - Season Finale tonight - but it did catch my eye to see Megan Mullally and Michael McKean as guest stars.  Yes.  Any good?

THE EXORCIST (BBC)  It's a slow night across the dial.  If you don't want NBA Playoffs, the NFL Draft or a musical chairs show - this is by far the best thing waiting for you.

SATURDAY
DOCTOR WHO (BBC)  The strongest group of shows since Matt Smith came on board?  I'll say it.

GIANT (TCM)  Before I head out to Marfa, need to watch this excellent Texas film - Rock Hudson, James Dean, Dennis Hopper and Elizabeth Taylor at her most gorgeous.

SUNDAY
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)  This season has lived up to all my expectations.  Very impressed with Diana Rigg as Queen of Thorns.  I've been down on the Lannisters going into this season but Jaime is becoming much more interesting and I can see that you never should doubt a Lannister.

VEEP (HBO)  Haven't watched an episode this season yet - anyone have a review?

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR . . .  This ad has been dominating my week.  I shipped my drawers . . . 

And that reminds me of this "cut the cheese" ad . . . 

And that reminds me too of "where do you take a sheet?"

"I don't need no dreams when I'm by your side
Every moment takes me to paradise
Darlin' let me hold you
Warm you in my arms and melt your fears away."  - Michael Jackson


 Be mine.  Stay hard.

sb

Sunday Morning Tuneage & Weekly TV (4/14/13)

The sports are piling up on us.  Christian had a couple games this week but he missed them both because of a lower back injury.  Best to not push it with Spring Football less than a month away.  Caleb had a couple games this week - both victories and he's been doing a great job at catcher this season.  It's a crazy week of games and activities and work next week.  So, today should be relaxing.  But it might not be - have to get in my workout, grab a lunch and take Dee to Dallas for a study group for her AP History.  Oh, Sundays.  See you next week if I'm able to make it.  Sitting here now, looking over some bills that aren't paying themselves and listening to some tuneage . . . 

SUNDAY MORNING TUNEAGE

PUBLIC ENEMY - WAR AT 33 1/3.   I've come to realize this is one of the more intense PE raps.  The song flows at and incredible speed - even for PE - and the lyrics are very important.  Another song off "Fear Of A Black Planet" about Black Power and Pride.  I don't hear this song nearly enough - great to have it back on my radar again.

MOODY BLUES - SITTING AT THE WHEEL.  This was never a favorite Moody Blues song of mine.  It was actually in the time that I was listening to lots of Moody Blues tunes but when this was a hit at the end of 1983 - I just wasn't into it.  And today I'm reminded that it's a pretty middle of the road song - surprised it was even as big as it was.  A big Moody meh from me today.

BASEMENT JAXX - DO YOUR THING.  From the awesome 2001 "Rooty" album - this is currently my Basement Jaxx jam.  I've had many of their songs be my "jam" but this one seems to have come up on my playlists lots recently.  It's the song that's getting me fired up for my workout this morning.  Need to break this out more mornings and even more nights.

SOMETHING RANDOM . . .  I predicted these articles a few years ago - is Facebook destined to become the next MySpace?

DEADLIGHTS OF 2013. . . the beautiful Annette Funicello was one of my first crushes on the reruns of "The Mickey Mouse Club".  And don't discount the entertainment value of the Beach Party films . . . I always respected Margaret Thatcher through the 80s.  I didn't know too much about her politics and I didn't really like them much in the late 80s when I knew more about them.  But I've become a huge supporter of her as a tough, strong willed woman.  The world needs more of them . . .few people do I describe as "comedic geniuses" - Jonathan Winters was definitely one.  I first knew of him through his Maude Frickert and then through his awesome role in IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD.  He was later in "Mork & Mindy" but he also had some great serious roles in shows like "The Twilight Zone".  His quick wit and characters will be missed. . .

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

TOP TEN BEST SONGS OF 1973

11.  THE STOOGES - DEATH TRIP.  There's no way I would have appreciated this album in 1973.  I didn't even appreciate it enough in 1990.  It's only been in the past decade or so that I've learned to respect what Iggy was doing here.  It's Punk Rock before we even had any idea what to call it.

10.  GEORGE HARRISON - GIVE ME LOVE.  I had to have something from "Living In The Material World" - also an album I've appreciated more in the past four years than any album I can recall.  A genius.  "Give me hope, help me cope with this heavy load."

9.  FRED WESLEY & THE J.B.'S - DOING IT TO DEATH.  What a great year for funky good times.  And this ten minute song is a party starter.  This song may have Fred's name and James Brown's name on it but it's the Maceo sax that makes it go.  Still one of the very best.

8.  WINGS - LIVE AND LET DIE.  This is one of the songs on this list that I would have loved even in 1973 - it was my first Bond film in the theaters.  And this song stuck in my memory as much as the tarot cards.

7.  STEVIE WONDER - LIVING FOR THE CITY.  A story song that has a real "story" - something important.  Still love that bass line.
6.  JOHN LENNON - MIND GAMES.  Fell in love with this song in the mid-80s.  Still one that I fall back on after Midnight.  "Love is the flower, you got to let it, you got to let it grow."

5.  DAVID ESSEX - ROCK ON.  Few songs make rock n roll seem so cool.  I still listen to this classic - at top volumes only.  Not a song to play in quite moments.
4. BOBBY WOMACK - ACROSS 100th STREET.  It was the year after the best Blaxploitation films debuted.  But in 1973, there were some awesome soundtracks to these films.  This is still one of the classic funk and soul pieces to come out of that era that isn't from Curtis Mayfield and James Brown.  
3.  MARVIN GAYE - LET'S GET IT ON.  Find me a better funk, sexy, romantic song.  No one comes close - even Prince comes in second.
2.  ELTON JOHN - DANIEL. "I can see Daniel waving goodbye"   On the Greatest Hits album - this was the one song I started with every single time.  And only a few years ago did I realize the Texas tie to the song.  This might still be in my favorite songs to sing in the car.

1.  PAUL SIMON - LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK.  It was this or "Kodachrome".  And I kinda link them together.  Paul was on a run, much like Elton during these years.  And it was this music that turned me on to more pop music than just the Beatles.  The songs are illustrative of the awesome singles that came down the pike in that key year.  And I love them all.

I've maintained that 1972 was the pinnacle year for albums and movies in the 1970s.  I've defended both of those categories before.  But I've noticed over the last decade or so that I've leaned heavily on songs - more than albums - from 1973 also.  I think I could put together a Top 50 easily. I've narrowed it down to 11 here.  That leaves off quite a few great songs.  Also, this list is made with my musical tastes of 2013 in mind.  I'd hate to see my list if I was doing my Best Of lists when I was six years old.  It all would have come from K-Tel albums and the Sesame Street soundtrack.  The worst?  Well, the worst of the songs that were popular starts with - Tony Orlando and Dawn - Tie A Yellow Ribbon (that has been so overused in the decades after that it's a joke song now).  And sadly, I've become very tired of Jim Croce's "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown".  Just off the list . . . Ohio Players "Funky Worm", Rolling Stones "Angie" and Roberta Flack "Killing Me Softly".

NETFLIX PLAY NOW OF THE WEEK . . .   a few movies for you to chew on this week . . . KING KONG (1976) was always a favorite of mine when it aired over two nights on TV - Jessica Lange and Jeff Bridges . . .  and I still have more of those Cartoon Network shows to recommend - such a wealth of fun - ADVENTURE TIME and JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED are both great choices if you aren't already up on them.

Shawn's fave movies according to FLICKCHART

#183 - Some Like It Hot
#196 - The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe
#827 - My Geisha

RANDOM PROJECT UPDATE -  The STAR TREK project.  In anticipation of the new movie - I've been slowly making my way through the Original Series (more so as I've had such little sleep these past few nights).  I've watched the series at least 3-4 times but I still get new items out of it.  I finished "The Menagerie Pt. 1 and 2" - a nice retelling of "The Cage" episode with Capt. Pike.  An interesting way to try to pull in continuity that many series wouldn't make the effort to do.  And then it's followed with the truly terrible "The Conscience of the King".  This is one of the random episodes that seem to drop in the Original Series and even the Next Generation that come out with an uninspired plot of Shakespearean actors (in this case) and terrible dialog.  This follows up with the equally highly amusing "Balance of Terror" and the White Rabbit.

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

#40  Peter Gabriel - So (1986)

In the middle of a run of very eclectic soundtracks to BRIDY and the songs of "Passion", Peter Gabriel released his breakthrough album.  After hearing his first few albums, Peter is the least likely person I would have picked in 1986 to become a pop star.    And the minute I heard "Sledgehammer" and saw the video - I knew this was a whole different thing.  The album played a huge part in my college years.  I would play this album for naps, studying and parties.  For years, this was an album that all the roommates could agree upon.  I still love all the songs - but the duets really stand out - "Don't Give Up" with Kate Bush and "This Is The Picture" with Laurie Anderson are still amazing pieces.  Nine tracks and they all are a great balance of Gabriel's weird artsy side mixed with easily accessible music that plays well on the radio.  Don't believe me - look beyond the catchy music to the interesting lyrics of "Red Rain".  Out of nowhere this album is easily a Top Forty album.

Previous Rankings

#41 - Beatles - Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
#42 - Prince - 1999 (1982)
#43 - James Brown - The Payback (1973)

#44 - Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)
#45 - The B-52's - The B-52's (1979)

THIS WEEK IN TELEVISION

MONDAY

INDEPENDENT LENS (PBS)  Always a good show, but this week is the history of Wonder Woman.  Great documentary subject.

OH SIT! (THE CW)  Only on the CW does a musical chairs show get a second season.  But then again, only on the CW does Jamie Kennedy get work.

TUESDAY

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE (PBS)  A good week for documentaries!  Ken Burns made this doc on wrongly convicted teens in a 1989 New York City rape case.

STORAGE WARS (A&E)  Another show with a new season.  There are a few changes coming along - but why does the description include the name Jeff Dunham?  Is he bringing his dummies?

WEDNESDAY

LOCKED UP ABROAD (NAT GEO)  For some reason, Netflix is really fixated on me watching this show.  The new season premieres here with the Sen. John McCain story from Vietnam.  That might actually be interesting.

DUCK DYNASTY (A&E)  I can't stop watching but this show has really run off the rails - not that it was ever "reality" but it seems so scripted this season that it's become predictable.  At least make it well scripted.  There is a "handcuffed together" episode this week???

THURSDAY
PARKS & RECREATION (NBC)  What's better than another new episode of this great show?  Two new episodes!!!  Jerry's retirement is imminent.  I will miss him lots.

COMMUNITY (NBC)  We're up to the Christmas episodes.  More Malcolm McDowell and a party at Jeff's apartment.  I'm overcoming some of my fears about this season.  But it does feel like the end is near.

FRIDAY
HEMLOCK GROVE (NETFLIX)  The best show debuting this week is probably this cool looking werewolf show - all 13 episodes are on today.  I'm loving the creative shows debuting on this outlet lately.  And even if it's bad - it's got Famke Janssen and Bill Skarsgard.

HIS GIRL FRIDAY (TCM)  This is by far one of the most underrated movies of all-time.  Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell have the type of chemistry that doesn't just come from acting.  It's wonderful

SATURDAY
DOCTOR WHO (BBC)  A haunted mansion, blah, blah, blah.  I  don't really care about the new plots - they seem relatively redundant but I'm enjoying the chemistry with the new companion.  She's becoming a favorite of mine quickly.  Much like I had with Rose.

FREAKS (TCM)  This 1932 classic by Tod Browning used to never ever show on TV.  It seems like I looked for it on VHS for a decade before finding it in the mid 1980s.  But it does air occasionally on TCM - enjoy this rare non-Halloween airing.  It's still shocking over 80 years later.

SUNDAY
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)  And it picked up and rocked my world just exactly how I hoped it would.  Most exciting hour of television on the television right now?  I feel like I barely know what is happening and I love every minute of it.

PLANET EARTH (BBC)  This is an awesome series.  If you have HD and haven't watched it yet - it might be the best demo show for how great your TV can be.  If you're tired of the usual Sunday fare - there's a long marathon of episodes tonight.

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR . . .  a few classics this week.  Let's start with my favorite 7-Up ad that gave us the line - "crisp and clean with no caffeine" . . . 

Or the line that we used all the time as kids - "Don't take the car, you'll kill yourself" . . .  

Or the fun phrase of "Have it your way" at Burger King . . . 

"Rest your head
You worry too much
It's going to be alright
When times get rough
You can fall back on us."  - Peter Gabriel


 Don't give up. Stay hard.

sb

Sunday Morning Tuneage & Weekly TV (4/7/13)

A good Sunday morning.  The Michigan victory last night put a bright spot on the Spring of 2013.  ON to Monday and one chance to be Champions.  A more traditional Spring week - baseball practices, Christian had two games (losses) and Caleb had soccer (win) and baseball (our first game finally with a loss).  Dee is staying after school for a project so there are late nights for her too.  The week ahead is even more of those types of activities.  Today is relatively free with some cleaning, napping and writing to get done.  Until then, just planning the menu for Monday night.  And listening to some smokey tuneage . . . 

SUNDAY MORNING TUNEAGE

PJ HARVEY - THE DESPERATE KINGDOM OF LOVE.  Off the 2004 album, "Uh Huh Her" - this is the rare PJ Harvey album and especially this song that shows off a relatively tender side of Miss Harvey. This album might not have the anger and energy of her first albums.  But I think it's some of the best songwriting she's ever done.  And it's a very underrated album.  This song perfectly describes that out of love feeling - "there's another who looks from behind your eyes."

DORIS DAY - TOYLAND.  It's a little early for Christmas music.  But we're almost halfway to the point.  Not sure yet if this year will be one that I'll be into Christmas music as early as usual.  We'll see when it gets here.  But it's nice to hear Doris Day's voice this morning and this 1964 tune is a reasonable song that is almost not even too Christmas-y despite being about toys.  Happy that this one came up this morning.

SOS BAND - JUST BE GOOD TO ME.  This 1983 single is one of the first times I remember hearing about Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis producing a song.  This is the 12" version that does have nine good minutes of dance funk.  Fun song that hints at some of the Janet Jackson dance tunes.  I don't know why this doesn't get played much anymore.

SOMETHING RANDOM . . . Something a little light with exercise ball falls . . .  and the trailer for a Korean film - PIETA

DEADLIGHTS OF 2013. . . Jack Pardee was one of the Junction Boys for Texas A&M (although I didn't know that until the movie) but I remember him in my youth as the head coach of the Chicago Bears and then for years with the Houston Oilers . . . Roger  Ebert was in my Top Ten film reviewers of all-time.  I worry that almost everyone knows him only from TV reviews.  But in his writing he really bloomed and told me more about films in his reviews than most - including Miss Kael . . . I mainly think of Carmine Infantino as a Batman artist and I think of his work on the Flash as what my default vision of the Flash still is from childhood to today . . . Chuck Fairbanks from Detroit, played for the Spartans but I remember him mainly as a mid-70s coach of the New England Patriots and then as a coach for the USFL, New Jersey Generals . . .Jess Franco was a key director for Gen X - never a huge success, he made great looking underground films and you can find many of them on Netflix.  I'd say to choose THE AWFUL DR ORLOFF, COUNT DRACULA (w/Christopher Lee) and VAMPYROS LESBOS . . . Jane Henson was the wife of Jim Henson and a key player in the creation of The Muppets, they were a true team . . . 

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

BEST DOCUMENTARIES OF THE 1990'S

10.  MADONNA: TRUTH OR DARE (1991)  Not the best music doc that you'll see.  But I've grown to like this film as quite the time piece for the early 90s.  
9.  HOOP DREAMS (1994)  Following two inner-city Chicago youths trying to follow their dreams was one of my favorite films at the time.  Over the years, there's a manipulation to the emotions of the stories that tires me out.  And knowing the lack of future success for the two kind of tempers the excitement of the story. Still, it's another great story of pursuing your dreams.
8.  HEART OF DARKNESS: A FILMMAKER'S APOCALYPSE (1991)  What would usually be an extra on a DVD or Blu-ray turns into a movie that reveals more about Francis Ford Coppola and the heart of an artist trying to make a movie more than a film about making a film.  There feels like raw emotion from the director here that you don't see in other docs.
7.  PARIS IS BURNING (1990)  The decade got off to a strong doc start with a film that's about the drag and transexual scene in New York City in the late 70s and through the 80s.  It's fun and educational and feels like it sets the tone for TV shows and channels to come the next twenty years.

6.  WHEN WE WERE KINGS (1996)  The story of the Ali-Foreman fight in 1974 is the story of two men at crossroads in their lives, it's the story of a country trying to get out from under oppression, it's the story of celebration of African culture when the eyes of the world were on it.  You probably need to at least half enjoying boxing to get this but it's still a fascinating story.
5.  MR. DEATH: THE RISE & FALL OF FRED A LEUCHTER, JR. (1999)  Errol Morris has a knack for picking interesting subjects.  Fred Leuchter is the perfect example because he's a character the lead an interesting life on the fringes of civilization.  Fascinating story of a man involved in execution technology and the as a reluctant supporter of Holocaust Denial.
4.  AMERICAN MOVIE (1999)  As the decade came to an end - the genre had come a long way in ten years.  This film showed the future of combining interesting subjects and crazy topics.  A movie like this seems to border on fictional.  But you might not see a better movie on the pursuit of the "American Dream".

3.  FAST, CHEAP AND OUT OF CONTROL (1997)  Another Errol Morris film that takes a slightly different look at the world.  Instead of just one subject for the film - he tells the stories of four different odd, interesting folks - a topiary gardner, robot designer, naked mole rat specialist and wild animal trainer.  As he tells these stories, he also uses lots of fun extraneous footage.  It's a fun new way to tell these stories, which is what the 90s seemed to be about.
2.  CRUMB (1994)  If you love comics, then this is a must see.  If you like interesting people, then this is a must see.  There's so much more than just a movie about a comic artist here.  It's about family and it's about art.  I've watched this film over a dozen times and I still come away with something new each time.

1.  PARADISE LOST: THE CHILD MURDERS AT ROBIN HOOD HILLS (1996)  Still a chilling film.  The best documentaries seem to present the subject and let the viewers make their own conclusions.  This film may not be completely fair and balanced but there's plenty of room for discussion when it's over.  The power of this film?  There's at least two sequels and we really still don't seem to be at the end of the story.

The sheer number of documentaries this decade made it list worthy.  There was an explosion in the genre that coincided with the extra attention being paid to American Independent films.  And it was aided by the expansion of cable outlets and video stores (like Gen X).  There are lots of good films that didn't make this list like 4 LITTLE GIRLS, HANDS ON A HARD BODY, KURT & COURTNEY and MICROCOSMOS.  What a great decade for documentaries.  Left off the list are some of the great TV documentaries of all-time - BASEBALL, CIVIL WAR and BEATLES ANTHOLOGY.  The most over-rated?  BROTHER'S KEEPER isn't as interesting as people will tell you.  And the Hughe's Brothers' AMERICAN PIMP should have been much, much better.

NETFLIX PLAY NOW OF THE WEEK . . .  you can never go wrong with an Audrey Hepburn rainy day movie but it's been forever since ROMAN HOLIDAY was on Instant Watch . . . if you want creepy, PET SEMETARY and CARRIE will make a good double feature . . . and with all the Cartoon Network shows now on Netflix - my starting suggestions would be to go through DEXTER'S LABORATORY and POWERPUFF GIRLS . . . 

Shawn's fave movies according to FLICKCHART

#25  - Frosty The Snowman
#310 - Almost Famous
#422 - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

RANDOM PROJECT UPDATE -  The SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE project.  For the first time this year, I got back on this project for a little bit this last week.  And I still love these old episodes (still on the 2nd season) because there is a combination of actors and musical artists that were huge risks for the network at the time.  Just finished an episode with a very young Candice Bergen - she has the most flaws of any host up to this point and then the musical intrigue of Frank Zappa doing "The Purple Lagoon" and "I'm The Slime".  I can't imagine the current SNL putting on such a counterculture artist or taking a chance on such an unproven actress.  Next up - the first appearance of Bill Murray.

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

#41 Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

A year after "Revolver", the Beatle's pushed music forward another huge step - this was like five years of steps all at once.  I know that there will be some questioning putting this album at #41 since it ranks so high on so many other lists by professionals.  I think it's here because, while I recognize the greatness, I came to this group of songs rather late in my Beatles' fandom.  I was first introduced to the first half of their albums and then spent lots of time with Abbey Road.   The evolution of the band was more than I can remember for any band.  Most of it came from the progression that each member made on their own before coming back together - George making a huge impact with his trip to India, John with his work on film, Paul working with George Martin and Ringo maturing as a husband and father. And yet the strongest songs for me are the ones that come from their childhood memories - "Penny Lane", "When I'm Sixty-Four" and "Strawberry Fields Forever".  This is an album I could write a whole blog on but for the benefit of Mr. Kite, I'll just leave it that the musical brilliance of this album is unquestioned, it's just what it meant to me that keeps it down.

"Within You, Without You" - George Harrison rules here . . .

"She's Leaving Home"

"When I'm Sixty-Four"

Previous Rankings

#42 - Prince - 1999 (1982)
#43 - James Brown - The Payback (1973)

#44 - Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)
#45 - The B-52's - The B-52's (1979)

#46 - Pink Floyd - The Wall (1979)

THIS WEEK IN TELEVISION

MONDAY
BATES MOTEL (A&E)  Still haven't watched but after examining the commercials a few times - finally dawned on me that Norman is the lead from CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.  And it turns out he was a good friend of Daniel Radcliffe before they both started acting.

NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP (CBS)  Just sayin'.  Go Blue!!!

TUESDAY
THE MINDY PROJECT (FOX)  I think the show has found a good pace towards the end of this season.  It's got some momentum towards a second season.  I particularly like Morgan Tookers (Ike Barinholtz) - his run as the rival pitcher on "Eastbound & Down" was equally awesome.

COUGAR TOWN (TBS)  This show was on for a whole season?  Talk about under the radar.  And it seems that it's coming back for another season.

WEDNESDAY
SPIES OF WARSAW (BBC)  Haven't watched the first episode yet but I'm excited to see the Tenth Doctor in pictures of the 50th Doctor Who Anniversary script read and in ads for "Broadchurch" coming later this year.

SURVIVOR: CARAMOAN (CBS)  You just can't have so many returning "favorites" in a season - the advantage is too huge.  That said - how has Phillip lasted this long???  The man is ridiculous - don't they all see it?

THURSDAY
ARCHER (FX)  Another fine season of this animation comes to an end with another crossover into "Sealab 2021" territory as ISIS battles Captain Murphy again.

THE OFFICE (NBC)  I keep thinking that the season and series has ended. It constantly has that beat at the end of episodes like we've already said goodbyes but it's still getting it's coat on and waiting for the car to be warm enough to leave.  Roseanne Barr stops in tonight - that seems like a good ending note.

FRIDAY
SO PROUDLY WE HAIL! (TCM)  A fun story of army nurses in the Philippines in WWII.  Starring the beautiful ladies of the mid-1940s - Claudette Colbert and Veronica Lake.

SPARTACUS: WAR OF THE DAMNED (STARZ)  This saga ends tonight without me watching even one episode.  But after sitting in a panel at last year's Comic Con - I admire the loyalty of the fans of this show.

SATURDAY
LOUIS C.K.: OH MY GOD (HBO)  New material!!!

DOCTOR WHO (BBC)  Quite a few important developments last episode.  I won't ruin it but I think this half of the season is off to a great start and tonight there is trouble with a nuclear sub.

SUNDAY
GAME OF THRONES and VEEP (HBO)  How is this channel not worth the monthly fee?  So glad to have GOT back last week - it felt like home again.  And the return of Veep is equally exciting.

THE '80s (NAT GEO)  A six part documentary on the decade that made me who I am today.  Not just VH-1 type "I Love The 80s" show but a little more, like you'd expect from Nat Geo.

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR . . .  long a fan of all Jack In The Box ads.  What's better than Meat Riot doing Hot Mess . . . 

This Jack In Th eBox ad for their breakfast is awesome because of the squirrel flipping the guy off . . . 

And a close 2nd to Jack In the Box for fast food ads are Sonic ads.  Last Summer they reinvented the hot dog with the wholly guacamole dog and the chili cheese fritos dog.  What will they think of this summer???

"What do I do when my love is away
Does it worry you to be alone?
How do I feel by the end of the day
Are you sad because you're on your own?"
With a little help from your friends.  Stay hard.

sb