Happy New Year! - the end of 2007

In a few hours, 2007 will be history and the new year will kick off. My wife and celebrated with a trip to our celebration place - Todai all you can eat Japanese food. It was particularly grubbin' tonight because they did some things special for this evening. They added a lot of food and for the first time in over a year they got fried rice done right (until tonight, they kept adding tons of lima beans. Nasty!).

To end the year will be my last list of '07, the best of the rest, Tv and Movies and any other random thing I can throw in. Neither medium made a particular impact on me this year so I combo'ed them. Here it goes...

10. Knocked Up - It seemed like a sad year for movies, though I still have to watch the Bourne Ultimatum. This tv sitcom turned movie did bring the funny and was the most enjoyable movie I saw this year.

9. American Idol - Probably the dullest season in Idol history, if it wasn't for the truly horrible Sanjaya it would have been a snoozefest.

8. Kaze No Haruka - A Japanese soap opera whose title translates to some girl's wind. Sappy and innoctuous yet completely watchable.

7. WWE Raw - Wrasslin's premier show continued to deliver what watchable moments the WWE could generate including the return of Chris Jericho.

6. Live Earth - Global charity concerts have become a dime a dozen lately, but this was the best one as far as the actual event went. Musicians from all genres performed on a stage that seemed to be designed by Target. Any sense of political message was muddled and lost but the coverage of the event was miles ahead of Live 8 - a boon for any music fan!

5. Ninja Warrior - G4 imported the best obstacle course show I've ever seen. A show that emphasizes sportsmanship and integrity when facing some of the most fanciful barriers conceivable. There's a rumor American TV is trying to make their own version of Ninja Warrior, but I seriously doubt they can copy the heart of this program.

4. Flight of the Conchords - quirky music comedy on HBO about two struggling comedy folk singers from New Zealand trying to make it in the Big Apple. They have a delusional manager, a blind innocence and exactly one fan. Great stuff.

3. Chuck - The comedy spy show is the rare show to have its cake and eat it too -humor is mixed with character development and a knowing wink at it's media savvy audience.

2. Best Week Ever - The snarkiest show on Tv, pop culture condensed into soundbytes by professional comedians. The year end show was an instant classic, seeing that NBC reporter send up his "To Catch A Predator" was spectacular.

1. Family Guy - The comeback kids turned in another season of ruthlessly harsh and scatological humor. Intentionally offensive, Family Guy was once again freakin' sweet.

That's it for '07, in fifteen minutes it will be 2008. See you next year!

Behind the times and lovin' it

At the end of my last post, I wrote that I would list my Top 5 favorite TV shows from '07. But, in a The Spy Who Loved Me move (at the end of Spy Who Loved Me the movie promised James Bond would return in For Your Eyes Only but instead Moonraker came next) I've decided to write about the song stuck in my head.

It's not the normal type of song that I listen to, it's a modern pop kinda hip hop song. It was arguably the biggest pop hit of the Summer, it's Rihanna's "Umbrella". I didn't think much of it all Summer and it went away until the year end countdown shows kicked in. Now my thoughts often end in ela ela ay ay ay.

Speaking of Bond, the video features the singer in what looks like silver body paint. A little like Goldfinger! -finger -finger -ay -ay -ay. It actually has a bit of that Bond movie sound too. Maybe the song will lead to world peace as well? Geez, I really feel like I have to justify liking a song brought to you by Covergirl. I guess I really can't other than to say I like the song. So, six months after it was a hit, my song of the moment is "Umbrella".

Rihanna - "Umbrella"

Top 10 Cds of the Year for me

To follow up my Top 10 favorite songs of 2007 comes the favorite CDs of 2007. Before going on, I just want to mention one other song came close to making the Top 10 list and that was Rihanna's "Umbrella" ela ela hey hey. It was one of those songs that seemed stupid the first time I heard it but 20 listens later thought it was pure genius. Anywho, on with the countdown:

Number 10: Dream Theater Systematic Chaos

Dream Theater is one of my favorite bands as they are one of the few current groups that make old school prog metal. They wear their influences on their sleeve and are the better for it. On Chaos, DT tried for a dark angry album and succeeded. It's kind of overdone, there's dark and there's morosely over the top which is where Chaos ended up. Still, even with the overstated aggressiveness DT still shines with winning songs and blazing solos.

Number 9: The Donnas Bitchin'

Who'd have thought the 80's hair metal album of the year came from a band that was probably in diapers when Bret Michaels and Jani Lane were in their hey day. The Donnas ditched the punk element and revelled in hammer on guitar solos and overdubbed background vocals a mile wide. Alright Vixen! I mean, Donnas!

Number 8: John Fogerty Revival

Although I like Creedence Clearwater Revival and John Fogerty, I would never classify myself as the biggest fan of swamp rock. There's nothing wrong with it, I just usually gravitate towards cleaner sounding songs. Having said that, only a fool wouldn't recognize the greatness packed in John Fogerty's Revival. Fogerty sounds reborn returning to the classic CCR sound that law suits kept him away from for decades. And you gotta love that "Gunslinger" song.

Number 7: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings 100 Days, 100 Nights

Old fashioned soul made a comeback this year and Sharon Jones was there to capitalize. She's not a household name, but she made a record worthy of reckoning with Stax/Motown Soul that's authentic and retro without being campy or gimmicky. Impressive.

Number 6: Radiohead In Rainbows

The CD made more headlines for how it was sold than what the music actually was. Rainbows finds Radiohead making their most accessable album in years with guitars, song structure and a bit of warmth. Kid A this is not.

Number 5: Rush Snakes & Arrows

The legendary Canadian prog trio returned with one of their most focused albums both musically and lyrically. Rush takes its shots at a segregated society living below it's ideals while the band is as tight and muscular as ever.

Number 4: White Stripes Icky Thump

The Stripes made a surprising return to guitar rock and laid emphasis on 70's hard rock on their recent release. An absolutely thunderous album. Love that bull fighting song "Conquest".

Number 3: Bruce Springsteen Magic

The Boss brought in the E Street Band for a disc that's both a look back and a step ahead. Springsteen revels in comforting memories of the past while taking shots at the current state of American life.

Number 2: Spoon Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

A sleeper disc, I originally thought this was just OK until I played it a few times. The songs sneak up on you and soon I found my head bopping to "Don't You Evah" or tense over "The Ghost in You Lingers".

Number 1: Arcade Fire Neon Bible

Arcade Fire made a fan out of me with their dense, almost orchestral sound and lyrics of spiritual discontentment. A near classic album that holds together in individual songs or as a whole.

Well, that's it for the music. Next up will be by Top 5 favorite TV shows.

Christmas and the Top 10 songs of the year

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season and is having a great day with friends and family. Christmas is usually a busy day for me and particularly my wife, who cooks Christmas dinner every year and makes tasty food. I am really looking forward to some green beans and bacon! It's gonna be Oh E She E (that's a fancy Japanese word for tasty).

With the end of the year comes the inevitable Top whatever lists of things from the year-and I love those lists. So, to kick off my series of lists is my Top 10 songs from the year. I'm going to include links to songs not featured previously here so hopefully it will all make sense.

Number 10: Spoon "Don't Make Me A Target"

The first song on their recent album wasn't a single, but still was my favorite song on that disc. It holds to Spoon's "less is more" aesthetic and has an edgy tension reminiscent of classic Police. I also liked how it was included in NBC's Chuck as it fits in well with the spy motif. Spiky riffs and choppy beats marked with a laconic vocal makes for a great song.

Number 9: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings "100 Days, 100 Nights"

Old school R&B made a slight comeback in 2007, mostly thanks to tabloid queen Amy Winehouse. But it was Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings who delivered the goods with a great classic Soul record. The title track, "100 Days, 100 Nights" starts like Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and then shifts gears into an heavier groove midway. Sharon Jones may go by the nickname "Queen of Funk" but she can definitely give the Queen of Soul a run for her money.

Number 8: White Stripes "Icky Thump"

Just when Jack and Meg White seemed like they were going to get lost in the ether of their artistry (Get Behind Me Satan), they returned to guitar rock with a vengence. Not just any guitar rock, but 70's stadium rock a la Led Zep or Bad Company. The lead single, "Icky Thump", was Led Zep 101 with cutting guitar riffs, high pitched vocals and hammering drums. And also like Led Zep, I have no idea what the song is about.

Number 7: Arcade Fire "Keep The Car Running"

Arcade Fire won comparisons to Bruce Springsteen with their Neon Bible album and on this track deservedly so. But this isn't a regurgitation of Springsteen, the song has its own distinct style with the quavery vocals and stilted sense of melody. The song received the Boss's official stamp of approval by performing the song live with the Fire and Foo Fighters covered it as well.

Number 6: Bruce Springsteen "Radio Nowhere"

The Boss returned to clean house armed with a Tommy TuTone riff and the truth. Easily his hardest rocking song since the Human Touch album, Springsteen's lament of radio and the bygone era of personal connection it represents charges through the speakers like a bull in a china shop. Plus, Clarence Clemons gets an actual solo to boot! When I saw him perform this year, they started the show with this song. The image of Springsteen spitting the lyrics into the microphone, his head swinging like a dog knawing a bone, is burned in my brain.

Number 5: Weird Al Yankovic "White and Nerdy"

Weird Al hit the bullseye on parodying a rap song by adding lyrics about the cool of geekdom. My Space, Star Wars, Star Trek and anything else geeky gets a shot in his best parody record in ages. Both fun and funny.

Number 4: Corrine Bailey Rae "Like A Star"

Bailey Rae's second single was this luxurious, languid ballad. A wonderful song filled with aching longing, "Star" was one of the few new songs I liked during the dearth of good music in the first of the year. A real thing of beauty, this one is.

Number 3: Peter Bjorn and John "Young Folks"

Whistling folks had something to rejoice about with Peter Bjorn and John's tune about young folks. The song has been featured in commercials and shopping malls, a song that brings happiness and comfort to anyone in range. The best video of the year also helps Folks make its case for greatness. If I could whistle, I would whistle this song.

Number 2: Rilo Kiley "Silver Lining"

Jenny Lewis and Co. sold out to the mainstream, lost indie fans, garnered rave reviews and ended up with buzz that lasted for about six weeks. But during those six weeks, "Silver Lining" came out and provided the trump card to ensure people remembered Rilo Kiley put out a CD this year. "Lining" moved to a handclap beat and a George Harrison lick to go with Lewis' resigned vocals. It was the one track on the Under The Blacklight disc I put on repeat and outshone anything on the otherwise superior previous disc.

Number 1: Foo Fighters "Long Road To Ruin"

After 2002's One By One album, I was ready to write off the Foo Fighters as a band past its prime. Then the Foos returned with the one-two punch of "The Pretender" and "Long Road To Ruin". "Ruin" had a spectacular video to support a sturdy piece of almost Tom Pettyish pop rock. My favorite song of the year proves you just can't keep Dave Grohl down.

Catching Up With the 90's

During the 90's, I viewed fewer movies than the previous decade as I was usually working. Looking back, there were many movies of cultural or artistic signifigance that I skipped so I thought I would take a look at some of those movies to see what I missed. So here it is, a trifecta of films from the Clinton era.

Natural Born Killers (1994)

This Oliver Stone directed movie from a Quintan Tarantino story explores the glamorization of serial killers in the media. Stone pushes the political buttons like usual, portraying the killers as free spirits, the media as sleaze buckets and authority as corrupt in every way. Robert Downey Jr stands out as a Geraldo Rivera style reporter. But ultimately, Killers stumbles as satire because it ultimately is too far over the top in trying to get its point across. Indian Shaman, a ridiculous Tommy Lee Jones and the lack of any character to represent a moral compass leaves the film a frenzied mess by the end. I can see how the multimedia approach was influential yet this movie was skippable.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

Following Fargo, the Coen brothers came up an oddball comedy of David Lynch proportions. The story of a slacker named "The Dude" and his loser bowling friends getting caught up in kidnapping, ransom and sex. A movie that finds its humor in odd moments and character interaction, Lebowski was the funniest movie I've seen in some time. And just when you think you have a fix on the plot, a surrealist dream sequence kicks in to ensure you get lost. Great stuff and John Goodman kicks ass as the comical code of honor war veteran.

Fight Club (1999)

The first rule of Fight Club is that Fight Club is overrated. Club takes its shots at society by purporting that male aggression has been neutered by a materialistic society of homogenous consumers. It's an interesting message and the story is facinating on paper, but on film it's pretentious and unrealistic. Edward Norton delivers a fine performance while director David Fincher makes everything look murky and wet like he always does. It did have some influence in that many movies seemed to pop up afterwards about characters having fragmented bits of consciousness strewn throughout a story.

Catching up with the '90's was fun but I was thinking these movies would be better than they were. Of the three, I'll probably only pick up The Big Lebowski. I'll have to see if there are any other movies I missed from the Starbucks decade, but first I think I'll catch up with summer 2007 soon.

High School Record Collection - LRB Playing To Win

I think it's instinctual to hate the guy in the suit with the cigarette-was this a great idea for an album cover?

It's been awhile since I've done a Mr Mike's High School Record Collection, so here's another lost title in the AOR highway of life- Little River Band's Playing To Win (1984).

When John Farnham originally joined Little River Band, all signs pointed to the group continuing with their established soft country rock sound. They had always been the poor man's Eagles and had racked up hits like "Lonesome Loser" and "Reminiscing" following in Don Henley's footsteps. Even when Farnham took over from rough voiced Glenn Shorrock, hits like "The Other Guy" and "We Two" continued their well worn sound.

So it was a shock when I was watching the California Music Channel in 1984 and saw a new band with a powerful AOR anthem. The vocals were strong, the keyboards were hyperactive and the beat was bombastic. I quickly bought the record of the group LRB to find out it was none other than the Little River Band in disguise (like Transformers, only not robots).

The first word that came to mind when thinking about this album was EPIC. Playing To Win is overblown cheesy Album Oriented Rock at its best. The title track was like Foreigner in overkill mode, the scampering synthesizers, crashing cymbals and Farnham howling "This time I'm playing to wwwiinnnn!!!!!" was the stuff of greatness.

But there was more. The stop/start beat of "Reappear" hit hard. "One Shot In The Dark" was an edgy rocker. But what took the cake were the ballads. "Blind Eyes" was a ballad that took a whithering stare at people who witness crime and say nothing. I'll never forget those lyrics, "Blind Eyes are weak / Blind Eyes are cruel / Don't be a Blind Eeeyyeee". And you couldn't get more epic than "When Cathedrals Were White". I never knew what that song was going on about, but it was churchy and built to a huge vocal finish that would make Simon Cowell nod in approval.

And who wouldn't love that album cover? It looked like a Miami Vice coke dealer playing chess with people's lives. Too cool! Surprisingly (or not), there wasn't a lot of this album out there but You Tube did have LRB performing the second single "Don't Blame Me" from the Live Aid show. "Don't Blame Me" was a little more rhythmic like classic Little River Band but with a vampy synth line. I don't know if I'll ever see this album again, but if I do I won't turn a Blind Eeeyyeee!

LRB - "Don't Blame Me"

Another Passing-Dan Fogelberg

Just found out that singer/songwriter Dan Fogelberg has passed away due to prostate cancer. Fogelberg was someone who dominated MOR radioplay in the late 70s with quiet yearning on hits like "Longer" and "Same Old Lang Syne". His music was like a warm blanket in cold weather-soft and comforting. Fogelberg was a respected artist and excellent storyteller, even his more moderate hits like "Make Love Stay" showed taste and a fine sense of restraint. But my favorite song of his was an upbeat song, "The Language Of Love" from the early 80's.

Dan Fogelberg - "The Language Of Love"

Armageddon It

I've always wanted to try one of those blog entries where you write your impressions of a live event as it happens. While I won't post this until after it's finished, I'm going to try this approach with WWE Armageddon.

MVP vs Rey Mysterio for the US championship

Rey always seems a little bit of a challenge for other wrestlers to work with because of the amount of selling they have to do for his moves to work. Having said that, MVP is doing a reasonably good job. Rey dominates the first half of the match with hurricuranas and corkscrew jumps both in and out of the ring. Rey hurts his leg and that allows MVP to work a hard hittng ground game. The match ends with MVP intentionally taking a ten count outside of the ring. Rey wins the match but not the belt and delivers a 619 for revenge.

Kane and CM Punk vs Big Daddy V and Mark Henry

I missed some of this match, but predictably with this many big guys in the ring it's filled with hard hitting combat. CM Punk impresses with his agility and keeps the match moving so the fight doesn't become a big Sherman tank battle. Big Daddy V catches CM Punk in mid air for a Samoan drop and the win. Wow, Big Daddy V needs a bra! And no, I would never say that to his face.

Vicki Guerrero is in a wheel chair talking to her boyfriend Edge. The room is filled with balloons in anticipation of his victory.

Mr Kennedy vs Shawn Michaels

One of the best of the new breed of superstars, Mr Kennedy comes to the ring. Love this guy's entrance, he can definitely talk. Kennedy....Kennedy. HBK comes out now to a huge pop from the crowd.

Kennedy dominates the early going but Michaels is starting to chop away at Kennedy's chest. Ate some dinner during this match, it became a very physical match. Kennedy works Michaels' back while Michaels works Kennedy's left hand. Michaels scores Sweet Chin Music with a great sell by Kennedy. Michaels wins the match but Kennedy gains the momentum careerwise. Both men sell like crazy to get this match over.

Jeff Hardy talks about going to the next level in his career. He still isn't great on the mic.

Triple HHH vs Jeff Hardy

Boring match as Triple HHH dominates the entire match. Some great character moments particularly for HHH showing his intelligence during the match in scouting Hardy's moves. Hardy wins with a surprise pin. Hardy wins a Championship match at Royal Rumble!

Great Khali cuts a promo. He has a translator which helps. As I was commenting to my wife, Khali's nipples are as big as his translator's head. He's huge!

The Great Khali vs Finley

Fightin for the honor of Hornswoggle, it's pretty much a squash match while Bradshaw works as many Irish metaphors as he can think of. Hornswoggle and Finley sneak a couple of shots to Khali's presumably massive balls with a shalaleigh to get the win. (I bet Khali's balls are so big that hitting them was like batting a pinata). The second "against the odds" victory in a row. Boorriing. Yawn. Oh Jeez, they're Irish square dancing now.

Randy Orton vs Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship

Break the code Jerky! One of my favorite wrestlers has returned and gets a title shot. And Lillian Garcia looks great in her robe...I mean dress. This match has the potential to be great, both performers are young and uninjured.

Pretty solid match, both did a good job of working the emotion as it's clear the audience wants Jericho to win after his comeback. During the match, Orton throws Jericho into the announce table and JBL. Later, Jericho has Orton in the Walls of Jericho when JBL attacks Y2J. Orton wins by DQ and Orton delivers a RKO to add insult to injury.

This brings back some of the energy to this event overall, but it still needs more to catch up with the opening matches.

Beth Phoenix vs Mickie James for the Womens Championship

Jillian Hall interrupts to plug her "music". Her awful singing follows until Mickie James skips out. Now Phoenix comes out, easily the most muscular woman since Chyna in the WWE. The match goes back and forth, James demonstrating almost Mysterio like agility. But in the end, Phoenix powers out a victory. Pretty good match, keeping the energy of the event at a low simmer.

Edge vs Batista vs Undertaker for the World Heavyweight Championship

After the third or fourth rerunning of the clips telling the story of what's led to this match, Batista comes running out. Tazz has replaced Bradshaw at the Smackdown table to announce. Now the Rated R superstar makes his entrance with added Kurt Angle style fireworks. Undertaker makes his classic entrance.

This match brings the energy back as Undertaker and Batista duke it out with each other for the Championship and the right to bash Edge. Edge utilizes several tricks including decoy Edges to score the victory. A strong match filled with good moments as the opponents go back and forth in momentum. Clean story telling with Edge playing the fearful opportunist as Batista and Undertaker chase each other like meatheads. Edge is World Champion!

This wraps up Armageddon. Overall, I'd rate this PPV as decent with some high points. The opening match of Rey Mysterio vs MVP was the best match, both wrestlers got to show off their strengths and the match moved quickly. Shawn Michaels vs Mr Kennedy ran a close second, a surprisingly brutal match. Chris Jericho entered with the most momentum and leaves with it intact. A fun PPV though when I think of past Armaggedons like the six man Hell in a Cell, it seems a little on the low budget side.

I'm a Legend in my own Mind!

Rock Guitar for Dummies - I love this game!

For my birthday, my parents bought me Guitar Hero 3 for the Playstation 2 game system. Now I can see what the big deal has been about. The game takes the template from the Dance Dance Revolution games and has you use your fingers instead of your feet. With this game, now you can play "Mississippi Queen" or "Barracuda" with your guitar and rock out. Best of all, no actual musical talent is required!

I tried for a while to learn to play an actual guitar and only got as far as picking notes. I found I lacked the ability to form chords or hold down precise fingerings on the fret board. But I can press big plastic buttons real well, so with Guitar Hero 3 I can finally excel at playing. And now I know why rock stars sweat so much, it takes a lot of energy to rock out. All these years, I thought it was just the hot lights that caused the flood of perspiration.

So thank you Mom and Dad for the great gift. Although it's not on the game, I thought the most fitting song to place at the end of this post is Nickelback's "Rockstar"

Nickelback - "Rockstar"

No Speed No!!!!

Sometimes something can look really right on paper and then turn out really wrong. Such may be the case with Speed Racer, the long gestating movie based on the famous Japanese cartoon. One of my favorite tv series growing up, I've been looking forward to this movie after seeing the accurate mock up of the Mach 5 race car and hearing the guys who made The Matrix would be adapting this film.

Well, those hopes have been crushed under the weight of a god awful trailer for Speed Racer. This movie is looking so bad that the Thunderbirds movie from a few years ago might look better in comparison. The car racing looks unbelievably phony, the actors dramatic tone doesn't match the superficiality of the visual style and there seems to be a lot of karate. Instead of adding any kitsch factor for adults who remember the series, it seems to be intended for a five year old audience.

I can't believe I'm alone in this opinion because it really looks bad. Expect the usual "it's not done yet" excuses and watch for reshoots, but unless they change a lot I'm planning on skipping Speed Racer. When a trailer's best moment is the first 3 seconds when you hear the Mach 5 engine rev, that's something so bad even Racer X can't fix it.

Speed Racer Trailer

Van Halen's Glory Daze

The original Van Halen: more hair, more spandex and a Mike Anthony to boot!

For my birthday, my mom bought me the book Van Halen: A Visual History 1978 - 1984. The book features fantastic photographs of the band from their hey day starting from the beginning of their recording career. If you would like a nice visual accompanyment to their classic albums, this book will definitely do the trick. The pictures are large and display the youthful power of the original VH. It tells the band's story through a variety of quotes mixing photographers, journalists and other musicians, adding new insight to a well worn saga. My favorite picture is the recreation of the Flag Raising at Iwo Jima they did for the US Festival. Thanks Mom!

To experiment more with this new fangled internet technology, I've added a Van Halen news section as well as CNN and VH1 headline news. I'm trying to increase my laziness by making the sites I go to come to me!

To close this post out, I'm including my wife's favorite Van Halen song "D.O.A." (it's just the song with the VH2 logo visually) along with a recent video of "Unchained". The "Unchained" video may be the best fan audience shot video I've ever seen, this person seemed to be really close to the stage as they performed at the Staples Center this year.

Van Halen - "D.O.A."

Van Halen - "Unchained" live at the Staples Center in LA

All The Things Radiohead Can't Leave Behind

You mean this thing has a cover? Radiohead makes their new album free with all the fixins.

One of the most respected bands of the modern era has to be Radiohead. They represent an intelligent, emotional, brooding and swooning approach to rock modeled after the other most respected band in modern times, U2. The group's U2 fixation has shown in their sound and they have taken a similar career path. Radiohead came in with a wave of new rock bands and ended up releasing one of those albums that help define a decade. The response to this fame was to delve into electronica to avoid repeating themselves. As time passes, the electronica becomes part of the sonic tapestry to the overall sound to create a sort of hybrid. For U2, this hybrid was called All That You Can't Leave Behind. For Radiohead, it's called In Rainbows.

In Rainbows finds the band delivering a strong album with some of their strongest melodies and even a slight sense of warmth in their usually chilly deliveries. The songs come to life after multiple plays as tracks like the scaly "Weird Fishes / Appregi" or the slathery driftiness of "Nude" become addictive. They even pick up the pace a little and pour on the guitars on "Bodysnatchers." "All I Need" plays well as it runs on an electronically enhanced bass line.

A lot of controversy has been stirred up with the release of this album as a "pick your price" download. All I can say is-get it. This is an excellent album that creates the mood of pensive wailing they're known for with enough new ideas to keep it interesting.

Birthday

It's the end of my birthday, what a great day it's been. My mother and grandmother in law stopped by for a visit and I went to Todai with my wife and my mom. We later went shopping at that outstanding mecca of upscale media, Borders. I'm still stuffed from all you can eat Japanese food! Big "thank you" to my family for making this day great.

In other media news, Journey has announced that Arnel Pineda is now an official member of the band and have begun recording new material. Pineda is easily the strongest voice in terms of power to join the band since Steve Perry's departure and brings some much needed soulfulness to the songs. I'm looking forward to hearing brand new songs with Pineda and am happy Journey did not back down from racist pressure from some fans to not hire him. Of course, I still think Kevin Chalfant would have been great or they could have gone a different direction by trying to nab Michael Bolton but Pineda sounds great as well.

Well, my birthday is almost over. It's been fun!

Just Getting Started

Today's my birthday, I'm at one of those "life begins at..." ages. My wife has made a great breakfast and is going out of her way to make the day special. I'm going to our traditional place for birthday meals, Todai, an all you can eat Japanese restaurant where you get your birthday meal free. I look forward to having a fantastic day with my lovely wife.

I was going to review the new Radiohead, but felt a different CD would be more suitable (Radiohead tends to be a little mopey sometimes). Who better than one of my highschool faves, Loverboy?

Now to be accurate, they should be Lovermen or Lovergeezers because these guys stopped being boys a long time ago. I think one of them has white hair now while onetime teen idol Mike Reno has gotten beefier. Still, that's not slowing down the Canadian quintet who have released a new disc, Just Getting Started.

Like many veteran bands, they are at the stage where they no longer want to sound exactly like they did 20 years ago but still retain enough of their original flavor to hold on to their longtime fans. It's a difficult balancing act and most bands err on change to the point you don't recognize who's playing. Loverboy gets close to that point but wisely keeps from teetering over the edge. Fortunately, their focused performance and the fact that Reno's voice has aged better than any other arena rock singer helps amp up the power.

Just Getting Started takes the classic Loverboy sound of tight playing, party atmosphere and fired up enthusiasm and layers on a sheen of modern pop rock. Some of the grooves and particularly the choruses are reminiscent of what you would hear on a Kelly Clarkson or Rascal Flatts (in their less twangy moments) CDs. It sounds like it shouldn't work, but once Loverboy passed Get Lucky (1981) their music wasn't terribly individualistic anyway. What easily could have been stiff and forced comes across as a natural progression in their music.

In one aspect, Started is reminiscent of Get Lucky in the crisp, fresh approach to their material. The band sounds energized and excited on their first album in a decade. Half the album is rock, the other half ballads. On the rock side, the title truck burns with modern guitars and a vintage 80's Loverboy melody. "One Of Them Days" is a bluesy swaggering rocker like Aerosmith while "As Good As It Gets" stomps like Hysteria era Def Leppard.

For ballads, the band comes up with a range of midtempo tunes like "Fade To Black" and "I Would Die For You" which are pleasant and effective. But it's the towering power ballad "The One That Got Away" that kills. Done in the classic power ballad format with an almost Modern Country chorus, this is easily the best song on the album.

This late in the game, the band can't be relying on album sales to drive their career so this is music they really wanted to put out there. It could have been a sad joke, but instead Loverboy sounds as vital as ever. It makes for the perfect CD to put on Mr Mike, because like them I'm Just Getting Started.

Loverboy - "The One That Got Away"

The Soul of the '70's - Right Here, Right Now

Is it live or is it Memorex? Sharon Jones and the Dap King bring back the beat of the 60's and 70's

.

Many artists have played retro-cool over the years, waiting until a forgotten musical style goes out of fashion so it could be adapted to modern use. Earlier this year, Amy Winehouse played the retro-cool card to strong effect with her hit "Rehab". Her rehash of classic Soul spun with a modern 'tude won fans before she pulled a Michael Jackson and lost her mind. But beyond retro-cool lies traditionalism and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are that to a T.

The song "100 Days, 100 Nights" has been stuck in my mind for weeks now so I decided to get the album titled after the song. And what a treat it is, an old school Soul record with a heavy Stax and Motown influence. Live instruments play, the background vocals are of the call-and-response variety, horns sway and charge while Jones holds down the middle with her commanding rasp.

It's hard to pick out highlights because every song sounds like a classic hit that could easily stand beside Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin on the radio. Regardless of what 70's subgenre of Soul they're mining they deliver an honest appreciation for this style of music. What could easily be contrived comes across as effortless and exciting. 100 Days, 100 Nights is a great record worth a listen.

Number 41

Supposedly in one of the windows is a silhouette of a man. Some think the person is....Satan! Because nothing says devil worship like a mildly rocking Country band.

Continuing my favorite CD countdown is this masterpiece of So Cal rock from 1976...

Number 41 - The Eagles Hotel California (1976)

To me, there are sort of two bands that call themselves the Eagles. There were the really mellow Country rockers that released Greatest Hits 1971-1975 and then there are the sort of mellow Country rockers that released Hotel California. Both versions of the band were led by drummer/vocalist Don Henley and guitarist / vocalist Glenn Frey, so what was the difference? One guy, guitarist/vocalist Joe Walsh.

The Eagles were known for easygoing Country rock like "Take It Easy" or "Peaceful Easy Feeling". Country boy harmonies, lyrics about desperados and tequila sunrises, slowly strummed acoustic guitars and a laid back rock beat characterized their lucrative sound. But by 1976, The Eagles decided to toughen up so they added ex-James Gang member Joe Walsh to a lineup that included guitarist Don Felder and bassist Randy Meisner. The result was a rock classic.

On Hotel California, the Eagles went for a loosely themed concept album about the decline of western civilization. The songs carried a feeling of isolation and loneliness masked by a superficial jadedness. Frey's country flavored "New Kid in Town" and Henley's epic ballad "Wasted Time" brought the emotional core into focus. My favorite song on the album, "Life in the Fast Lane", spun tales of hard partying, drugs and car crashes about people who lead otherwise empty lives.

But it's the immortal title track that most people know. From the mysterious opening acoustic guitar to the dark tale of stabbing beasts and never being able to leave to the phenomenal twin guitar lines at the end the song has sunk into public consciousness.

Hotel California is the Eagles that I like, a band that can offset the Country harmonies with slamming guitar riffs like on the surging "Victim of Love". Unfortunately, the success of Hotel California eventually led to the undoing of the band as they broke up a few years later because they could not live up to Hotel afterwards (well, most say mainly Henley pressured the band to maintain the degree of quality established here). It created a standard that many modern bands still aim for in musical approach and theme.

Break the Walls Down!!!

One of my favorite wrestlers, Chris Jericho, has returned to WWE on Raw. Jericho was one of the most entertaining wrestlers of the Attitude era. Armed with the ability to be either face or heel and talk a great game either way, Jericho acted like a hair metal rock star and could talk almost as well as the Rock. Last time around, Jericho's career seemed to be sabotaged when they changed him from face to heel for his main event push. As a face (good guy), Jericho had built up a huge following that dissipated when he turned heel (bad guy). After a two year break, Jericho has returned and looks like he will get a shot at the World Title as a face. And you will never. Eevaar. Be the same Agaihn!!!

Chris Jericho returns to WWE Raw

Another passing...Evel Knievel

In media, the first sign of aging is when movies you paid good money for to see in the theatres begin showing up on tv for free. The second sign is when people who were famous in your youth die. Sadly, the ultimate daredevil - Evel Knievel - has reportedly passed at age 69.

Evel embodied a type of reckless behavior that could only exist in the 70's. In doing this he became a rock star in popular culture, an icon of American machismo and rebel spirit. Probably more famous for the crashes he survived than the landings he sticked, Evel's no fear attitude and willingness to lay everything on the line carried weight because, well, he jumped things people shouldn't jump to earn a living.

In searching Evel Knievel online I came across some toy commercials I hadn't seen since the Carter presidency. My friend had the Evel Knievel stunt bike with the ramp bus and I've seen the actual toy in action. The rare toy that could live up to the reputation of it's character. I'd see that toy Evel Knievel fly off the toy motorbike on the landing and think "Just like the real thing!"

Evel seemed to take a low profile after a failed attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon. As a tribute, here's two videos: the toy commercial from Ideal and his most famous bike crash. Rest In Peace Evel Knievel, you were crazy to do the things you did and amazing for pulling it off.

Evel Knievel-Ideal toy commercial and Ceasar's Palace jump