Buggin!

Old catchphrases get revived all the time so I'm putting my vote in for Buggin'. As in "Why you buggin'?" I just always liked that phrase.

Movie Of The Year

Navy Seals. Charlie Sheen. Fighting Terrorism. A movie 21 years ahead of its time. In 1990, who knew?

Go Rangers

Haven't written anything in awhile, so to put something up I decided to post a show from my childhood. I saw this program twice in the 70s and thought it was the greatest thing ever, so bummed when it inexplicably stopped airing. The Go Rangers were the predecessors to what would become Power Rangers (ugh) twenty years later, five people in baggy costumes who could grab a specialized weapon when they held their hands to their face mask. And then kung fu, jump around and explode! Despite seeing the show only twice, due to my proximity to San Francisco's Japan Town (plus having Japanese relatives) I had a plastic doll of damn near all them. Something we've lost in the modern age of DVRs, VCRs and You Tube is the thrill of turning an aerial antenna, putting tin foil on the extension rods and waiting for your program to appear. Then again, with the modern age we've also lost the disappointment of your favorite show disappearing. Catch 22!

Cannonball!

Even a caveman can do it

Just a quick post because I haven't put up anything in a while. A nice little Flashback to a time...well, a time that still exists - Supertramp without Roger Hodgson. Or Hogson. Or some other derivative. Anywho, minus the high voiced guy. "Cannonball" was their first single minus high voiced guy and in terms of repeat spins on the 'ol turntable is my most played Supertramp song evah. I loved that 45, with the people walking around sleeve and what not. "Cannonball" was a band song and I love band songs, every member gets their two cents in on this peace even the xylophone dude. And you ever notice how the xylo at the end kinda sounds like the James Bond theme?

Without Hogton the group was no longer Super leaving them...well, I think you know where I'm going with this. This one takes me back to sitting on the bean bag chair of my teenage room, looking at my wall of glorious REO Speedwagon posters while figuring out how to play Marvel SuperHeroes Role Playing Game and ignoring my homework due the next day.

For Mr A...

My parent's neighbor passed away a few days ago. I'll refer to him in this post as Mr. A. Mr. A was a very nice man, a big guy who was gregarious and fun. I got to know him a little bit over the years, growing up I saw him when I would visit his son Mike to play sports or trade cassette tapes. I'd see him here or there around town in my adult life too, even as he aged he didn't lose that positive attitude. He was a great guy.

Mr A. had a love of sports and he really loved the local teams from San Francisco. Of my assorted memories of Mr. A., my strongest memory is a collection of moments where I didn't even see him. When baseball or football season came around, every warm Sunday you could hear Mr A. listening to a sports game on the radio as he relaxed on his back porch. I could hear him talking and the radio playing over the fence from my own back yard. There was something very pure about his passion for sports and listening to him luxuriate to a game had an infectious sort of contentment to it.

The best media tribute I can think of for the man is the moment that every 49ers fan in the 80s cherished. "The Catch". Goodbye Mr. A., you will be missed.

The Balcony Is Closed

With the cancellation of At The Movies tv series and Roger Ebert's illness that has claimed his distinctive voice, many posts have hit the internet mourning the end of an era. And this post will be no different. I once aspired to be a movie critic after watching Siskel and Ebert for years, that is until I found out you had to become an actual journalist to do it.

The show that really made me a fan of Siskel and Ebert was Sneak Previews, the PBS tv series that popularized the thumb happy duo and their heated arguements. Like watching NASCAR racing, I watched Sneak Previews because of the wrecks. Viewing Siskel and Ebert intellectually evicerate the movies and each other actually gave me hope. It showed me there was a place in the world where intellectualism could have a place that's accepted in general society.

And the viciousness they would go after each other with in the early days was as intense as a hard hitting boxing match. Unfortunately, I couldn't locate one of their battles online from the Sneak Preview days but did find some from the At The Movies era. (a note, the second clip shows the two mocking each other and Protestants-just fyi to anyone who clicks on it that may be easily offended).

The end of the At The Movies tv show finalized the protracted finale to the Siskel and Ebert legacy. These two guys had a vast influence on modern media, they made it popular to criticize not just entertainment, but anything really. They didn't invent criticism, just made it seem cool. Is it telling that the best critical thought of Western civilization for the past 30 years has been directed at films and not national or international political policy? Maybe, but either way I'll see you...at the movies.

I Wanna Go Back

"I Wanna Go Back" is an oldie but goodie hit from the Money man in 1986, a song that Blender magazine rated one of the Top 500 songs of the past 25 years. For decades, I thought Eddie Money was the only guy to release a recording of this sentimental slice of pop rock. But in the past month I've found out that there are two versions that pre date Edward Mahoney's smash take. The original version is by a band called Billy Satellite who managed to make the Hot 100 in 1984 with it (a song co-written by guitarist Danny Chauncey, latter of the revamped Thirty Eight Special). Their take was a little softer and after watching the video online I realized I had seen/heard their clip before way back when and didn't realize it was the same tune two years later. Then, when buying a Gregg Rolie cd for $1 last week I found yet another version of "I Wanna Go Back" on it (released in 1985). So the song had a longer and interesting history than I ever knew, though of course Money's punchy version with the swanky sax will always be the best known.

To tie it together with another sudden recovery of memory, on New Years Eve of 1985 I saw a concert that included both Eddie Money and Gregg Rolie. I wonder if Rolie played that song that night (I can't recall that vividly)? I wanna go back and find out, but I can't go back I know.

For some bonus fun, here's a memorable clip of Beavis & Butthead carping on E. Money's "Shakin" video.

Star Trek: The Non Motion Picture

Damn, I missed the date I wanted to do this post by 3 minutes. Well, pretend this post was made on Monday December 7 because that was the date I was aiming for. Why the special date? Because it was 30 years ago today, December 7, 1979, that Star Trek: The Motion Picture opened.

A date I remember well. I became a fan of Star Trek in the 70's while the show was in syndication, viewing it religiously every week day at 5pm. When the news came out that Star Trek was returning it was the end all and be all of my existence. I talked my parents into taking me to see the film on opening night even though it was playing out of town. We drove through heavy rain to sit in a packed domed theatre filled with other Trekkers anxious to see the rebirth of Star Trek. It was warm and musty with the standing room only crowd. Then the lights went down. And the music started. And we saw Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

And it...was...BORING!

The film started off majestically enough, Jerry Goldsmith's graceful, exhilarating score backing expensive visuals of the Klingon warships being destroyed by a big blue swirlly thing. Then we caught up with the Enterprise and Admiral Kirk as they regroup to face the intruder. Some excitement for a second when a transporter malfunction kills science officer Sonak. Then, like Sonak, the excitement is gone. They try to go to warp speed but hey-it's a wormhole! More temporary thrills that ends with a confusing bang. Spock arrives and they go to warp and meet the big blue thingy.

This begins the INCREDIBLY BORING PART, where they spend what seems like light years (this is where someone should tell me a light year is a measurement of distance, not time) flying into the cloud. The bridge crew (and us) watches the viewscreen as we go over the hill and through the woods to V'Ger's house we go. Then the bald navigator gets zapped, but because she was a new cast member who cared? She comes back as a robot, so what? Spock goes on a 2001 A Space Odyssey trip into V'Ger which was OK...then that part ends. Finally the voyage ends with a bunch of pretty lights and that was about it.

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It was probably just as boring to read me recap it than to see it. There was some applause at the end of the film but mostly there was weary silence.

Yet the Star Trek phenomenon could not be stopped and the film earned big box office (even though production costs that included the aborted tv series Star Trek Phase II made it one of the most expensive movies to make up to that point. And like Star Wars there were all kinds of toys that were released (I had this Enterprise that made warp engine noises that were louder or softer depending on how high you held it in the air) to make some bank.

And though it is dull, as a true fan that means I've only seen it about twenty times since 1979 (most recent time was two weeks ago). There were some cool things about ST:TMP, in addition to Goldsmith's outstanding score the USS Enterprise never looked better (or gotten as much attention thanks to a lengthy fly by of the ship while in drydock). Some of the shots of the ship are reminiscent of the flying sequences from Superman (which was released the year before). Starfleet Command gets a bigger presence including shots of San Francisco and director Robert Wise gives a futuristic 2001: A Space Odyssey feel to the movie. There is a feeling of the large vacuum of space and man's small place in it. The Shat is in full effect ("It is MY intention...to be ON THAT SHIP...following that meeting", "Would you puhleeeze...sit down", "Damn it Bones I need you. I - NEED - YOU"). Plus that cover art! Freakin love that cover art with the three multicolored faces (which I had once heard Deforest Kelley felt slighted by not being featured on it).

ST: TMP was meant to be the pilot episode to Star Trek: Phase II and so it seemed like no mistake when I sat down with friends years later and saw this remade into the debut episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation (episode Encounter At Farpoint). Many of the ideas from ST: TMP were moved to that show, such as the two bridge personnel with a romantic past, a giant nemesis that turns out to be a lifeform seeking ascension, and skin tight uniforms (which is really funny in ST: TMP because even as a kid I saw there would be scenes with Stephen Collins interacting with the late Persis Khambatta where he was blatantly bulgy right there on the big screen. I know she's Deltan but I think he was method acting if you know what I mean).

In the DVD age Robert Wise was able to go back and redo ST: TMP into a directors cut with new special effects and to be honest, it is a vast improvement. Even though little of the dialogue scenes that were reinserted into the tv movie version (something the movie lacked was the actors doing anything except react to what V'Ger was doing, these scenes broadened their relationships to each other) made it into the directors cut, the film seems to move better and the revised effects particularly at the end of the film makes a huge difference. Best of all, that distorted matte painting of the Enterprise hull when they walk on the outside of the ship is gone. I remember seeing that and thinking "what the hell is that?".

The first Star Trek movie is still kind of blah even with the recut, as a fan though I can dig it. Like Spock trying to reach Kohlinar, ST: TMP is a noble attempt at bringing the high minded themes of Star Trek to the silver screen minus chaotic human emotions that falls flat because of their absence. Even with that, it is a memorable piece of my childhood and one of those "bad movies" I will go back to seeing time and again. And its proof of a mass worldwide audience allowed for Trek to continue for decades to come. It was 30 years ago that the human adventure continued for a short lived low rated tv series.

Playing With Madness

Wolverine pops a claw for Ashley Judd in Someone Like You

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While channel surfing I stumbled across one of those dime a dozen Ashley Judd rom coms in this case called Someone Like You. First I stayed on the channel because I thought I saw Wolverine in this movie (turned out I did,'ol muttonchops himself Hugh Jackman) and then I began hearing really good music. I forget what was happening on screen (because what I saw of this movie was not just bad but absolutely wretched) but the music was great. A montage or something took place while this song "It Must Be Love" played loudly. We weren't sure who did this song so I looked it up, turned out to be the British ska band Madness. Also in the movie was an Annie Lennox cover of The Clash's "Train In Vain" that sounded pretty good too. A Van Morrison song appears in it as well. "It Must Be Love" has been stuck in my head since hearing it in this flick. Who said you can't learn something from an Ashley Judd movie?

Sho You

On with the Sho, time for some old school hack n' slash

A quick post to break up the music blogging, last weekend I watched a couple of old fashioned Sho Kosugi movies for fun. When I was in high school, I would go to my buddy's house to watch movies from his Dad's extensive VHS library which included Kosugi's ninja classics. Those chop-socky moments! The threadbare plots! That icy glare! Sho spent the mid-80s being the ultimate cinema ninja, Shoing people how ninjaing is dun. After watching Pray For Death and Rage Of Honor, I had to blog about the master Sho man one more time and Sho you some of his best moves. Here's a clip from Revenge Of The Ninja. And remember, he's not in full ninja costume during this clip so he's holding back. It's Sho Time!!!

Billie Don't You Lose My Number

One of my favorite shows in the mid 80's was Night Court, I was a fan of Harry Anderson's flim flam man appearances on Cheers and looked forward to seeing what wacky things he would do on a weekly basis. A staple of the show was for Judge Harry to have some sexual tension with the defense attorney (3 in all, Karen Austen, Markie Post and the person featured today). Although Markie Post was a better fit for the show, I thought the one 'ol Judge generated the most heat with was Ellen Foley. Foley only appeared for one season on Night Court and she played her character Billie with a fast talking toughness that the other attorney's lacked. Until last week I thought she was simply an actress who had one shot at a network series for a season before disappearing.

Then I came across some trivia that the vocals on Meat Loaf's "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" was performed by an Ellen Foley. While I knew that the girl who was featured in the video didn't sing it originally, I didn't know that the actual voice was someone I had heard of before. So I snooped around on the 'net and found that the actress and the singer were in fact the very same person.

Not just that, she had recorded solo albums that featured her powerhouse voice. From what I've read, she later turned punk after dating a member of The Clash but what really grabbed me was this video from 1979. This Meat Loaf'y track is pretty good and her voice is of the strength that could level a mountain. So here's to adding to my Night Court memories with a video of Billie, er, Ellen Foley in action with "We Belong To The Night".

Puttin' Around

A haven in my teen and college years, the good 'ol video arcade. Back when you had to be out among other people and pay a quarter to get some good graphics in your game.

I was looking for lost 70's AOR classics because I was thinking of making some 70's CDs to continue my Arena Rock set for the car. In looking I ended up finding more forgotten 80's hits than 70's and now they're stuck in my head. The only way to get them out is to give them some air, so here we go!

The video arcade was a place where my friends and I would go to have fun on the weekend where I lived. In the neighboring town there was a Scandia family fun center which had mini golf, video games, go-kart racing and batting cages. We would go play some games and then practice in the batting cages for hours. I spent a good chunk of time and money at that place in my high school and college days. These memories were brought on by the first song on this Flashback.

This first song is called "Salt Of My Tears" by Martin Briley. It's one of those songs I heard a lot for a little while but never knew who did it. While fishing around for tunes I came across this and when I hit the hook - Blam! I was blown away. Brings back memories of going to the nearby miniature golf place to play arcade games and golf with friends. So many quarters spent playing Xevious, Star Wars (the one with the stick figure graphics while you attack the Death Star) and other shoot 'em ups (I can't remember the game, I also liked the one where it's a Police training simulator and a mix of innocent and criminal targets pop up for you to shoot). Cool ass stuff.

The second song was a big hit at that time and has become forgotten since then. Does the name Astrid Plane mean anything to you? If it does, then you were one of maybe five other people like me who grooved out to the mechanized New Wave meets mainstream rock of Animotion. "Obsession" was about as overtly sexual as you could get away with in mainstream music (and dated now considering what people get away with today) at the time. Loved to hear songs like these blast on the arcade speakers while playing games like Terminator 2 pinball ("Load the Kha-non") and the Addam's Family pinball ("Grreeeed"). So '80's it hurts. OK, T2 and Addam's Family were 90's but it still lumped together in my mind. Totally rad.

Nice to think about those hot summer nights at the batting cages or playing mini golf with friends. When I took my future wife to the miniature golf arcade when we were dating, this kid referred to her as my wife. Psychic, that kid was.

I Can't Believe I Missed This Band!

I was watching VH1 Classic when a late 80's headbanging rock song came on that I had never heard before. My wife knew it and sang along with it a little. I was really impressed with the overblown video and the excellent singer they had so I'm posting it so I remember to play it more and learn about this group. Warlock. What a great band name. Still can't believe I missed out on a group with a video like this.

Feeling Lucky

Admitted Grammy whore that I am, I thought I would dedicate this week to the dynamic duo of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. So I am going to take what may be the shortest Flashback (in terms of years) ever and look back fondly at...2001. We had lived in our home for about two years, closely following WWF (not WWE, WWF pal) wrestling and our little dog (she was little once) Dixie had loads of energy to spare. I roamed around the Bay Area in my 1988 Honda CRX while sporting a mildly groomed beard. Also I recall playing a lot of Tomb Raider. And the only music channel we had was CMT, which led to me discovering my favorite Country artist and Country song. One of my all time favorite songs, really. "The Lucky One" by Alison Krauss. A real pleasant song with a nice melody, expert musicianship and a sweet vocal by Ms. Krauss. 2001, so far away yet so close.

Alison Krauss and Union Station "The Lucky One"

Anniversary Day Flashback

Friday March 6th is the 15th anniversary of my marriage to my wonderful wife. To commemorate this day, I will flashback to 1994. We were driving through the mountains to go to our wedding and there were two songs that came on the radio that always remind me of that day.

The first is "Amazing" by Aerosmith. The song was part of some countdown on the radio and the dj told the story of Steven Tyler. Tyler was described on the radio as a shy person who changed after high school into the extrovert he is now. My wife (fiancee' at that moment) pointed out that I could make changes too, like Steven Tyler. While I am no where near the extrovert that Steven Tyler is today, I have made some changes along those lines to be more outgoing. Anyway, when I hear this song I often think of the support I received and the time spent with the person who would become my wife.

The second song is "The Calling" by Yes. I am a big Yes fan and was unaware at the time that the prog rockers were recording a new album. The surprise and thrill of hearing a new song from a favorite band I took to be a good omen (though I am generally not superstitious).

I was hoping to get this post up during my anniversary but fell short of finishing it off in time. It's been a wonderful 15 years and many more to come! I love you Bunny!

The Midnight Special

When the MTV boom hit in the early 80's, non cable channels started to scramble for music programming that wasn't exclusive to the big M. One of the programs to benefit from that was The Midnight Special, a music program from the 70's and early 80's that had stopped just before MTV happened. The program had great performances by Hall & Oates, Journey, The Doobie Brothers and many others. I spent many hours watching these episodes over and over, particularly the Journey ones. It was an awesome awesome show.

This came to mind because I've been hooked on an oldie by the group 707, the song is called "I Could Be Good For You". The best video I could find online was from The Midnight Special. Check out the guitarist in this video, he goes all out on the rock guitar posturing in a way you just don't see anymore. So kick back, drink a beer and get ready to party. It's Mullet Time!

707 "I Could Be Good For You"

In The Zone

Imagine if you will...two posts- a Flashback and a Song of the Moment, having nothing to do with each other except the fact that they were thought of at the same time. One is sad, the other gross. Both will find a home here...at the Twilight Zone.

There once was a band, one of the first to be signed to Geffen records. We'll call this band Quarterflash. Supposedly named after a Shakespeare quote that says man is one quarter flash and three quarters fool (so speaketh the soothsayer Casey Kasem). Before that title the Portand, Oregon band went by Seafood Mama (which probably went over well at seafood restaurants. Have the Silver Platter special for $5.00 along with some Seafood Mama!). Led by the husband and wife team of Marv and Rindy Ross, Quarterflash were able to play mainstream soft rock as well as any Firefall or Ambrosia. They hit it big right out of the gate on their debut single, the Pat Benatarish "Harden My Heart". Quarterflash got decent album sales out of their smash and gained a reputation for playing their big hit early in their live sets to separate the pop fans from their true followers. Unfortunately, Quarterflash couldn't come up with another "Harden My Heart" despite their best efforts and by 1986 they were playing the County Fair circuit.

That's when I saw them perform live at the local County Fair. It was the Summer after High School Graduation and with my city not being a big Rock town, I was able to stand in the front row. In the front row I ran into a classmate who I knew casually but had never hung out with. We hadn't talked to each other much in High School but weren't on bad terms (it was that sort of we're-just-out-of-high-school-and-you're-someone-I-recognize-so-we're-cool-now kind of thing) and he left right after "Harden My Heart" played about the fourth song into the set. Before he left I remember shaking hands with him as we probably wouldn't see each other around much afterwards.

A few months later I read in the paper this guy had died in an accident returning from a camping trip. He was the first person I knew of from my class to pass away. Since then, when I hear Quarterflash's "Harden My Heart" I think of the last time I saw this guy, full of life, standing in the front row before Rindy Ross yelling "You can swallow my tear baby!" as she warbled her ticket to one hit wonderdom. If you told me that guy would no longer be alive a few months later I would not have believed it. Quarterflash seemed to end shortly after that, leaving their music tied to that moment of this guy's youthful exuberance as a permanent record in my memory.

Quarterflash "Harden My Heart"

The Song of the Moment is inspired by tonight. Warning - this one is a little gross. My wife cooked up some delicious chili with cornbread for dinner. I ate it along with two glasses of milk, a dangerous thing for a lactose intolerant person like me to do. The hours that followed were tough for my wife as she sat through...we'll say a carpet bomb attack of chili powered explosives. As the night wore on, a song that fit the occasion for me popped into my head (obviously something that happens to me often...songs in my head, that is). So I'll say sorry Bunny, here's a song so we'll always remember tonight.

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John Parr was a British rocker in love with American AOR. He even played with a guitar painted as the American flag and had a minor hit in 1984 with the excellent Naughty Naughty. He then teamed up with Producer David Foster for the title track to the film St. Elmo's Fire which became a #1 hit. How does this relate to tonight? Because I can feel St. Elmo's Fire burnin', burnin inside of me (big rock howl while the music plays on at this point). Take me to where the future's lying - St Elmo's Fire! Oogada Boogada Ah Ha Ha.

John Parr "St. Elmo's Fire"

Lost in the Shadows

When I first saw this disc, I thought "Another band that I never heard of that didn't make it so I won't buy it." Not realizing that pictured in front of me is singer extraordinaire Lou Gramm and guitarist Vivian Campbell. A few copies in the cheap bin later, I saw a sticker on this CD that would change the course of my life forever. Not really, but I bought the disc.

While shopping through the cheap used CD bin earlier this year, I came across a CD called Shadow King. I didn't think anything of it based on the title on the spine of the CD, in the $3.00 used bin there are a lot of acts I've never heard of in abundance. But a big sticker on it drew my attention. It said "Lou Gramm, Vivian Campbell, Bruce Turgon and Kevin Valentine." It was dated 1991.

For years I've been a fan of Foreigner and thought I knew just about every piece of pertinent information about the Arena Rockers. So how did I miss an entire album, an entire band even, led by one of the greatest Stadium rock vocalists of all time? I have no idea. I'll have to claim temporary insanity.

I bought the CD (of course) and have been playing it the past few weeks. It's a strong hard rock disc with muscular rhythms and masterful singing, naturally. Gramm is the best in his genre at pacing his words during a song to make the vocal stand out more. Shadow King seems so strange to me, when Gramm split with Foreigner I thought one of the complaints he had was they did too many ballads. Then Gramm turned around and had a hit solo ballad shortly after, Just Between You and Me while Foreigner emphasized their rock side with new singer Johnny "The future of Foreigner" Edwards (I didn't mind Edwards, I liked Unusual Heat). If I had known about Shadow King, Gramm's complaint would have held more weight with me.

Shadow King only lasted for this one album, Gramm rejoined Foreigner with Turgon in tow shortly after while Vivian Campbell joined Def Leppard. And yes, I'm now throwing out details to compensate for the fact that this band got past me. Well, better late than never I guess, I found a video on You Tube for the song "I Want You" that is pretty racy in that old style USA Network Up All Night kinda way. Wait, a video exists too? That's strike two for me. If they toured, I'll have to turn in my 80's rock geek card to the local authorities.

Lou Gramm, I'll have to give it up to you. You got one past me. You Hot Blooded Head Gaming Juke Box Hero. You trumped me in a game of trivia about your life that you didn't even know you were playing. Wow, that sounds twisted. I mean, uh,...forget it. I'm not a stalker, I'm not! You sir, are the ultimate winner. Or as Gramm says at the end of Dirty White Boy, "Yyeeaaahhhh!!!"

Shadow King "I Want You"

Dancing With The Stars

I thought this album cover was a better fit for bookshelf board games or role playing games than a rock band. I'm surprised this record didn't come with a twelve sided die.

A song I got into early on when I started listening to a lot of music is "So You Ran" by Orion the Hunter. The band was sold as a continuation of Boston (which at that point I hadn't consciously heard them) and I was hooked on this jam of big harmony vocals and slick guitar playing. I ran out to the Mall and bought the record so I can enjoy 40 minutes of this stuff. It led to me eventually buying Boston tapes and becoming a huge fan.

A side note about my early fandom of Boston, before buying the record I saw one of the song titles was "Foreplay / Long Time". I was convinced that it would be a song about sex and that I would be busted by my parents for buying a tape with this song. That didn't stop me from getting the record though it was with a bit of relief and disappointment that I found out the songs had absolutely nothing to do with sex after I played it. Just seemed more Rock & Roll if it had been. At least the song "Smokin" was prominently featured in an anti drug movie I had to watch in high school. That's dangerous. Right?

Another aside, if curent statistics are to be believed the popularity of the Mall is declining. Growing up, the Mall was a central place for teenage life. The ultimate expression of consumerism and hanging out plus they usually had an arcade so it was the happening place to be. I wonder where the kids go now?

Looking back, Orion the Hunter was an interesting mix of people. Barry Goudreau was definitely the selling point as the former guitarist from Boston doing a cut rate version of Tom Scholz sound. On drums was Michael Derosier the former drummer of Heart. And on vocals was Fran Cosmo, a guy with a pimped out name and higher voice than Boston's Brad Delp. Cosmo would eventually join Boston for that band's fourth album, Walk On.

"So You Ran" was not a large hit and I couldn't explain to a lot of people who this band was back then. For my part of the world, it was a song that didn't seem to exist except for my record player. I was OK with that though, at least it meant I couldn't get sick of hearing it.

I would play the record often and think "What a great record, what a lame band name". Orion the Hunter? I'd say Goudreau couldn't come up with a lamer name, but then he named a later band RTZ (it stands for Return To Zero). Goudreau can do a lot of things, but please keep him away from naming bands in the future. Anyway, here's Goudreau and Co. performing their lone minor hit, "So You Ran".

Orion the Hunter "So You Ran"

Pretty Fly for a Dork Guy

The Partridge Family of the 80's hit the runway ready for take off. Now I'm out of Jets metaphors, doesn't this picture remind you of the opening credits to Family Ties? Mallory!

For no apparent reason, this song has been stuck in my head for the past few days. Maybe it's the time of year, I still live in the city I grew up in and around now I suppose is the time of high school dances. The weather is right, it's dark and a bit cold at night. Perfect temperature to walk into an overheated gymnasium and wobble about in a way that mimics dancing. And this song along with their other dance single "Curiosity" was played often at the dances I went to.

I haven't heard The Jet's "Crush on You" recently, so I can't figure out why I keep humming it. The song was a stone cold 80's dance classic, well, not at the time but since then. A fantastic pop song, endlessly hooky with its busy body keyboards and whooshing beat. Shortly after graduation I saw The Jets as part of a package tour that included New Edition and Morris Day and they put on a good show. A few years later, their career had disintegrated leaving a dwindling supply of Jets (there were about four people left out of what seemed like an original eight people and only two of them came from their popular phase) to play the local county fair. Even family loyalty couldn't keep them together (the original unit were said to be all related).

So here's the latest trip to the past, when girls wore bright colored clothes, leg warmers and big hair. What would we do baby, without us? Sha la la la. Sit Ubu sit. Good dog.

The Jets "Crush on You"