Mr Mike AOR Project 1987

I had this poster up on my wall back in the day, right next to James Bond.

1987, the year that will live in infamy. It lives in infamy because it was the year that Arena Rock's most infamous incarnation took hold of the mainstream. Hair Bands! Spandex, hairspray, makeup, party hearty anthems to work up a sweat and mushy ballads to make mascara run, went for middle America's jugular and took first blood. So flick your bic and hold it high because we're rocking like Amadeus into 1987 (and yes, "Rock Me Amadeus" was 1986).

Disc 1:

Sammy Hagar - Give to Live

The Red Rocker was feeling very "peace on earth and goodwill to men" on his contractually obligated solo album a year after joining Van Halen.

Whitesnake - Here I Go Again

Remember back when Tawny Kitaen wasn't all jacked up? Doing cartwheels on fancy cars seemed so simple then. She gave David Coverdale a reason to twirl his mic stand.

Guns N Roses - Welcome to the Jungle

One of the definitive rock anthems of the decade, Axl Rose's screeching over Slash's rampaging riff is 80's rock magic. It's still often used as a story telling device when a show or movie wants to introduce urban blight. As for me, I thought of this song often when I worked at a Marine animal theme park a year later.

Survivor - Is This Love

The last Top 10 hit for the AOR legends was this spiffy pop rocker with a Steve Perry style vocal hook. Love the cascading keyboards on this one.

Yes - Rhythm of Love

Guitarist Trevor Rabin thought it would be funny to make a Yes song about sex. And in that context, it is pretty funny.

Genesis - Tonight Tonight Tonight

What started as an eight minute prog album track turned into a 30 second beer commercial phenomenon which led to a three minute pop hit. They don't call Progressive Rock "Math Rock" for nothing!

Bonfire - Sleeping All Alone

Cutout bin classics Bonfire generate some heat.

Europe - Carrie

Swedish meatballs Europe wipe away the tears with sheer power balladry.

Bob Seger - Shakedown

What was supposed to be Glenn Frey turned into Bob Seger's monster hit to the Beverly Hills Cop 2 soundtrack. Shakedown...take down...you're busted!

Heart - Alone

One of the best remembered of all the power ballads, Heart's dramatic take on I Ten's song raised the bar on glossy theatrics. That's why it gets sung every year on American Idol.

Patty Smyth - Downtown Train

Before an, er, trainload of people got the idea to cover this Tom Waits song the ex Scandal singer had her take on it.

Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive

Ok, there's such a thing as too much ego and Jon Bon Jovi's comparisons of this song to "Stairway to Heaven" back in the day is a clear example. It's a great song, who doesn't want to be a cowboy on a steel horse or see a million faces and rock them all ?

Motley Crue - Girls Girls Girls

Some magazine had a caption for this song I can't beat. It said something like "L.A. Rockers ode to the titty bars they love." That's downright poetic.

Bryan Adams - Heat of the Night

A guaranteed hit song as the first single of a new album following Reckless, Adams hits a heavy groove that he would never touch again in the years of movie soundtrack love songs that would come later.

Aerosmith - (Dude) Looks Like A Lady

And with one fell swoop, Aerosmith replaced the Dallas Cowboys as "America's Team" with a fired up declaration to transgender issues.

Cutting Crew - (I Just) Died in Your Arms

A big year for (parenthesis), I was watching VH1's one hit wonders of the 80's and everyone came to the conclusion that this song is about sexual climax. Huh huh, I said "came". I still think that guitar lick was pilfered from "Der Kommisar".

Andy Taylor - Take it Easy

Barney, Opie and the gang get together for one last song on the porch before Otis stumbles in and eats Aunt Bea's Apple Pie. Ex-Duran Duran guitarist took his shot at Arena Rock glory and came up with this decent nugget for Mitch Gaylord's American Anthem movie.

Disc 2:

Dokken - Dream Warriors

One, two Dokken's after you. Guitarist George Lynch tries to outshred Freddy Kruger and wins.

The Outfield - Since You've Been Gone

I saw the band perform this live before the second album dropped, I was so sure this was going to be a big hit. Little did I know the public had enough Outfield from the first record.

Tesla - Little Suzi

It was practically Sacramento, CA's theme song in the late 80's as the local boys made good. Last year during MTV's celebration of their channels launch I found out this was originally a new wave song by a different band. Had no idea!

Cinderella - Nobody's Fool

You know, that girl's tilted clock hat fad never really took off. Cinderella started with flash and glam before bloozing things up a few years later.

Night Ranger - The Secret of My Success

Nothing says Flashback like a theme song to a Michael J Fox movie co-written and produced by David Foster. Throw in the synth horns and this is like Chicago on steroids.

Bon Jovi - Livin On A Prayer

Jon Bon Jovi delivers his masterpiece, a brilliant mix of talk box effects and escalating chorus vocals. I watched this interview with Desmond Child one time, he said he gave this song a Latin flair. Another one of those things I would have never guessed.

Georgia Satellites - Keep Your Hands To Yourself

The Satellites gave Southern Rock a good name and for a second seemed to have a strong future.

Ace Frehley - Into The Night

Space Ace took his leave of KISS to record some decent songs including this sly rocker. Last night the video came on VH1 Classics, it's powerful stuff.

Great White - Rock Me

Maybe one of the best song titles in Arena Rock, this long cut stealthily sneaks up on you and then shifts into overdrive. So sad what happened at that club years later.

Boston - We're Ready

A sort of forgotten hit even though it made the Top 10, it is almost never included in Boston's greatest hits comps. I have no idea why, it's wicked awesome.

Jet Boy - Feel The Shake

A great 80's rock band name if there ever was one, Jet Boy hit the afterburners on this anthemic tune.

REO Speedwagon - That Ain't Love

It threw everyone for a loop, Kevin Cronin grew a mustache! He looked all old and goofy with that thing on, made it hard to take him seriously. Ironically, with a bitter song like "That Ain't Love" Cronin was asking to be taken seriously. He looked like a snake oil salesman.

Pink Floyd - Learning To Fly

This was all over the radio back then, it was the first Pink Floyd song to be listenable since The Wall in 1980. Tongue tied and twisted just an Earth bound misfit, I.

Foreigner - Say You Will

No more head games, Foreigner made one of their patented midtempo pop rock jams the first single. A game of wordplay reigns supreme, say you will, say you won't, say you do, say you don't...damn, they've got a lot to say.

Rick Springfield - Rock of Life

It was rough not being able to squeeze more Genius into these CDs, but fortunately '87 was a weak year for AOR. Springfield takes a Sting like quality in the verses before slamming into the shifting chorus.

Fleetwood Mac - Big Love

I was so convinced it was Stevie Nicks making those little gasps countering Lindsey Buckingham's. Turned out both gasp noises were Buckingham, he just sped up his voice on the second set.

Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now

You may think being in love with a Mannequin is wrong, but who are you to judge? You can't put limits on love! The heart wants what it wants.

Looks like we're heading towards the end, just two more years to go in this magnificent decade. Don't hate '88, it's almost here.

Top 10 Favorite Albums of 2008

Coldplay had my 11th favorite CD of the year, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. Coldplay had my 11th favorite CD of the year, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. Hey, stop copying me Chris Martin!

2008 was the year that everything least likely to happen, happened. As I read what I wrote in this post, I see the words "unlikely" or "least likely" pop up everywhere. I have even named a former life long nemesis to this list. It was the year of "Go Figure", it was 2008:

10. Lindsey Buckingham - Gift of Screws

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As his career has progressed, Buckingham's artful refinement of his unique distillation of roots rock, Brian Wilson and 70's melodicism has become increasingly studied though no less sharp. This makes Gift of Screws a pleasant surprise as Buckingham cuts loose a smidgen with a greater focus on energy and Fleetwood Mac-isms than much of his recent work (including Fleetwood Mac albums). Fleetwood Mac white album and Rumours era rock abounds with a cluster of acoustic and electric guitars and multitracked chorus vocals (with Buckingham seemingly raising the EQ on some of his singing to mimic the Buckingham/Nicks sound). Did You Miss Me embraces his softer, swoonier side while "Love Runs Deeper" and "The Right Place to Fade" had me reliving his "Go Your Own Way" glory days.

9. Rick Springfield - Venus in Overdrive

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One of the unlikely candidates for a comeback, Springfield once again displays his Genius of adapting personal experiences to the Pop / Rock sound of the day. As he has done throughout his career, Springfield takes the modern style of commercial rock and personalizes it with his distinct brand of angst and weariness (of the many people to once hold Teen Idol status, Springfield stood out in writing downbeat lyrics to his happy sounding songs). The lead single "What's Victoria's Secret" recalled "Jessie's Girl" in parts and Springfield worked the promo circuit including his old stomping grounds of General Hospital to push it. The rest of the album is just as good as "Secret", referencing the Stones and the Beatles in between the slick sonics worthy of a Disney star. The Genius strikes again!

8. R.E.M. - Accelerate

The least likely of the bunch to ride the retro train, R.E.M. cut out the arty crap and got back to the jangly fast beat riddles that made them College Rock darlings. Like the album title says, it was time for R.E.M. to speed up a bit and tracks like Living Well is the Best Revenge and Supernatural Superserious give a caffeinated kick in the pants. There are still some slower numbers for R.E.M. to get their more ambitious ya-yas out, but what sticks are moments like the silly album closer I'm Gonna DJ. I haven't played this much R.E.M. since Automatic for The People (1992).

7. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black

The real success story for Winehouse is that she made it out of 2008 alive, I really didn't think she would make it. Forgetting that she is a violent mess of a junkie, the album Back to Black ties Classic Soul and Motown to engaging songwriting and a unique performer. Tears dry on Their Own recalls the rush of early Diana Ross while her hit Rehab was attention grabbing fun. Given her self destructive behavior, it's not likely Winehouse will make an album this good ever again. Winehouse is the beautiful sound of damaged goods, intent on proving that You Know I'm No Good was no idle boast.

6. Whitesnake - Good to Be Bad

Of all the 80's rockers to pull their spandex out of mothballs, David Coverdale was one of the least likely to succeed. Whitesnake had come to symbolize hair band excess almost as much as Winger and with little output from Coverdale since the 80's he seemed ripe for a limp pale performance. But Coverdale is a crafty one, bringing in guitarist Doug Aldrich to peel out simpatico Led Zep riffage to Coverdale's Plantish howl. Good to Be Bad is like a cross of the two best 'Snake albums, it has the down and dirty blues rock of Slide it In (1984) and the commercial hooks of Whitesnake (1987). With Good to Be Bad you get the best Whitesnake has to offer, the Led Zep lite of the title track, the power balladry of All I Want All I Need and the fired up go for broke rawk of Got What You Need. Coverdale proves he still has some hair spray left in his can yet.

5. John Mellencamp - Life, Death, Love and Freedom

Is this really my list? I've hated John Mellencamp for years so saying his name positively takes a bit of getting used to. This year I decided to cut Mellencamp a little slack and give him a fair shot at impressing me. His disc Life, Death, Love and Freedom was good but I didn't think it was great. So imagine my surprise when I made this list this week and found I liked this album to the point I would rank it my 5th favorite of the year. Like Springsteen's classic Nebraska (1982), Mellencamp takes a good hard look at the disillusionment with the American dream as it is taken away "Without A Shot" in this Troubled Land. Staring in the face of social and economic ills or maybe just a plain loss of values, Mellencamp paints a stark picture that mirrors the feeling of what's happening now like no other. Looks like all those people who recommended this CD to me was right: it is great and it's one of the best of the year. Hard to believe this all started with me liking the rockabilly My Sweet Love.

4. Asia - Phoenix

It only took a quarter of a century to get Steve Howe, John Wetton, Carl Palmer and Geoff Downes to record a new album, record time in the world of Progressive rock where band lineups change with the weather. Inspired by Wetton's recent health problems, Phoenix comes alive with feel good emotion and tricky band interplay. Surprising in its maturity, Wetton's smooth delivery backed by angular guitars, swirling synths and rapid fire drums bring back the Heat. I even got to live the dream and see these guys in concert this year. Easily the band's most optimistic record, Asia proves it's An Extraordinary Life. "Never Again" had the drama and poppy action expected from the First Supergroup of the 80's while at the same time delving into their storied Prog history like never before on tracks like Parallel Worlds/Vortex/Deya. Carl Palmer rules!

3. Sheryl Crow - Detours

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Crow had become a bit of a media joke as her commercial power has faded, written off as a left wing nut job who survived cancer but failed in a high profile relationship with bicyclist Lance Armstrong. Detours shows Crow can have the last laugh, reteaming with Tuesday Night Music Club producer Bill Bottrell returns her to a more natural, lively sound than her recent outings. And with Bottrell, Crow finds her songwriting muse and writes an album of all killer and no filler (the first time I can say that about one of her discs). Serving as a self portrait, Detours gives insight into her openly lefty politics and wounded romantic heart. Cuts like God Bless This Mess, Love is Free and Now That You're Gone illustrate the power of her songwriting. My favorite of all the Sheryl Crow albums, one of those rare moments where talent, feeling and performance hit their peak at the same time.

2. Journey - Revelation

In what was one of the most controversial Lead Singer swaps in recent history, Journey picked a Filipino singer from You Tube to be the latest substitute for AOR legend Steve Perry. While predecessors Steve Augeri and Jeff Scott Soto fared well, Arnel Pineda turned out to be the best replacement yet for "The Voice". Able to mimic not just Perry's range but recapture some of the soulfulness, Pineda added clear enunciation, an egoless approach and a high flying stage presence to the mix. Surprisingly, Pineda was also able to inject an upbeat personality and genuine feeling into the group's sound to bring Journey back from the brink. Meanwhile, Jon Cain and Neal Schon wrote material strong enough to be the best Journey album since Raised on Radio (1986). Rockers like Change for the Better and Never Walk Away soared like the Journey of old. The band that practically invented the power ballad serve up more misty eyed sentimentality on After All These Years in grand fashion. An album worthy of Tony Soprano's respect.

1. Metallica - Death Magnetic

The Bay Area Bashers rolled back the clock to the speed metal sound that made their name. Unruly song lengths, multisection arrangements, blazing fast guitar solos and growling vocals tear up the landscape. That Was Just Your Life and My Apocalypse could have just as easily come from ...And Justice For All (1988) with its total commitment to heaviocity (a word I made up just now). Some of their later, catchier style works its way in on All Nightmare Long or Cyanide but not to the point of weakening their edge. It's Metallica the way I've wanted to hear them for years: brutal, fast and uncompromising. Most of all, other than the Black Album and Garage Inc. it's the first Metallica album in twenty years to sound more like fun than work.

And there it is, my Ten favorite discs of the past year. Next up, my Five favorite movies and TV shows of '08.

20 Favorite Songs of 2008

2008 - brought to you exclusively by Wal Mart

It's almost the end of the year so it's time to join the pack and bust out the "Best of the Year" lists. It could have been Guitar Hero, could have been Rock Band or just plain nostalgia but 2008 was a watershed year for Classic Rock. A slew of artists who I spent my high school years jamming to decided to reunite or reconfigure in some way to create new music. I normally pick just Ten favorite songs but this year I have enough for Twenty (I even had more than Twenty)! Most years I struggle just to find four songs to list so this just goes to show what a banner year it was for aging rock stars. Even Chinese Democracy came out (not that I care about the actual disc). So on with the countdown!

20. Lenny Kravitz - It Is Time For A Love Revolution

A brief marching blast of hippie Peace and Love with the reach to call for a cultural shift in values and sell department store clothing at the same time.

19. Chicago - Let's Take A Lifetime

The famed balladeers dial down the bombast and let the gooey syrup flow like Mrs. Butterworth colliding into Aunt Jemima in slow motion.

18. Def Leppard - Hallucinate

Sometimes self reverence pays as the Lep go full on "Photograph" mode with the hooky excess of multitracked vocals and revved up guitars that made them great.

17. The Bridges - Pieces

Matthew Sweet's protege's revive wholesome family oriented 70's AM Gold under a pillow of harmony vocals.

16. Flight of the Conchords - The Most Beautiful Girl In The Room

Pure love poetry: "You're so beautiful...you could be a part time model. Or a high class prostitute."

15. Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me Again

Like a great lost Prince song, Alicia Keys pumps up the melodrama amid circling keyboards and a slow stepping groove.

14. Metallica - The Day That Never Comes

Time to stop guessing which other Metallica song this sounds like and just enjoy the ride. This I Swear!

13. The Lonely Island - Jizz In My Pants

Saturday Night Live wraps up their funniest year since I-can't-remember-when with the novelty tune of '08.

12. Rick Springfield - What's Victoria's Secret

Catchy ad campaign baiting pop rock awesomeness from The Genius.

11. Sheryl Crow - Gasoline

The theme song for a year that at its peak saw fuel prices skyrocket to the point people couldn't afford to drive to the next town while oil companies recorded record profits.

10. Death Cab For Cutie - Your New Twin Sized Bed

For anyone who at some point in their life wondered if there was another person out there for them, this song captures that feeling perfectly (fortunately I no longer have moments like these :)

9. Van Morrison - Soul

There's no way for me to describe Van the Man's butter smooth soulfulness in a way that hasn't been done before. But I'll try anyway. Van Morrison's voice is as smooth as C3P0's bronze ass. How's that? Oh, and this is a great song about how soul comes from within you, not what's outside of you.

8. The Ting Tings - Shut Up And Let Me Go

The New Wave revival has died off a bit though that hasn't stopped this duo from pushing this bit of IPOD worthy froth. The beat sticks in my head for days on end after I hear it.

7. Asia - Never Again

The Fab Four of my generation (not really, I just like saying that) regrouped and recaptured some Pomp Rock glory. Steve Howe shines with his most aggressive playing in ages. Never Again did I think I would hear these four guys play together, but here they are kicking ass like it's 1985.

6. Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction

I'm not big on rap music and not really a fan of Snoop Dogg so it was a shock to me that I like a song of his now. This jam is reminiscent of those old Zapp songs with the mechanized voices. Is it too late for me to learn the Running Man? Yes, yes it is. But not too late for me to like this song.

5. AC / DC - Big Jack

Barrelling down the freeway at 100 mph, AC/DC cranks up their trademark rumble and screech into a frenzy of Hard Rock ecstasy. I don't know who Big Jack is, but like most AC/DC songs it makes me want to drink till I fall down and yell loudly in the face of the nearest person available. Yeah!

4. Bruce Springsteen - Girls In Their Summer Clothes

Technically a 2007 song though it was released as a single this year so I'm including it. A touch of Brian Wilson enhances the reverie of this melodic masterpiece. The feeling of being too young to settle down yet too old to run with the kids paints a sharp picture of middle age. And it has Springsteen doing one of his best Orbison style dark crooning.

3. Journey - Never Walk Away

The 80's Arena Rockers put their new frontman Arnel Pineda straight in the line of fire by opening up with this soaring anthem. Energized by the new blood, Journey takes flight again with the power and grace that made them Platinum selling rock stars.

2. Coldplay - Viva La Vida

A song so good that everyone and their mother are convinced they wrote it, Coldplay brings in a sweeping orchestral sound I haven't heard since the hey day of the Moody Blues. Cold hearted orb that rules the night, steals the Sun from our sight...oops, wrong song. It may have just as well been the lyrics to "Viva la Vida" because I don't know what Chris Martin is going on about, something regarding bells ringing and St Peter or ruling the world. None of the words really matter, it's all about the symphonic groove struck here.

1. Dragonforce - Heroes Of Our Time

Well, let's get the disclaimers out of the way first. Yes, their recordings are said to be faked and sped up. Yes, every song they write sounds exactly the same as the song before it. Yes, their claim to fame is being a difficult level on a video game. So why can't I get enough of this cheese fest? Because I love me some cheese, especially with a little ham. And Dragonforce has got all that, Viking vocals, shred on top of shred guitar and ridiculous drum beats. I played this song more than any other song this year, so it deserves being named my favorite song of 2008. On the few occasions where I exercise, I love working out to this.

That's my Top 20 songs of the year, feel free to share your favorite songs of this year if you like because I enjoy reading about other people's faves. Oh yeah, I later realized Flight of the Conchords came from 2007 but I'm too lazy to redo this. I probably would have ranked Matthew Sweet's "Feel Fear" if I knew that. Next up, my Top 10 Favorite Albums of '08.

Genius in Overdrive

The Genius points the way to a comeback on his new disc Venus in Overdrive

A few weeks ago I downloaded two new albums by two 80's artists that I followed closely in the Reagan era: Night Ranger and Rick Springfield. While I liked the Night Ranger album I'm finding that its wearing out its welcome almost as fast as Toto's Falling in Between disc which is a disappointment because I'm a huge fan of both California bands. Meanwhile, I'm finding the Genius' latest opus to be a little more addictive to listen to. Why is that?

It's because on his new disc Venus in Overdrive, Springfield does what he does best - meld personal songwriting to contemporary mainstream pop rock. Teaming up with Matt Bissonette on songwriting, they focus on the themes of aging with the wisdom gained and fear of loss that comes from the passage of time. Musically, The Genius manages to sound as urgent and modern as a Tween act, streamlined driving rockers with airy choruses and hooks that drop like a ten ton thesis statement. The arrangements are made super tight until it is a polished sheen of pop rock goodness.

Venus can be divided into halves, the first half is an overt attempt to get attention with some strong results. The lead single "What's Victoria's Secret?" has a touch of 80's rock flair to it and makes for fun listening. "Oblivious" is one of the best songs on the album, a midtempo piece with a tortured mood and memorable vocal twist. But the first half also has the albums weaker songs, such as the Maroon 5ish title track and the decent but over simplified "One Passenger". The songs aren't bad though, just a little less than I expect from the Genius. Yet the catchy "I'll Miss That Someday" with its tricky word play helps to keep the first half's momentum flowing.

The second half is where Springfield cuts loose a little more like on the dark vitrol of "3 Warning Shots" where he spits his rage at Mark David Chapman. He also pays homage to some of his influences with the Stonesy swagger of "God Blinked (Swing it Sister)" and the Beatlesque melody to "Nothing is Ever Lost". "Saint Sahara" borrows a bit from the Paul Simon songbook as well but not to distraction. On this half of Venus the Genius sounds more relaxed and adds depth to the disc as a whole.

In the middle of the album is "Time Stand Still", the centerpiece both thematically and in song order. Backed by a rushing arrangment and plaintive "Wait for Me" hook, the song catalogs how Springfield sees the markers of time going by ("MTV and shopping malls / Tell me that I'm growing old") while delivering a youthful vocal.

Genius that he is, the two sides of Springfield play together perfectly as the poppy first half draws you in to the more personable second half. But Springfield downplays any stray thoughts with an energetic and at times really upbeat performance. For some reason the marketing made comparisions to Working Class Dog (1981) album to which I see only a slight likeness to in that they both have clean, smooth arrangements and production. Springfield's comeback bid is well made and is paying off (he just had his highest debut in years on the album chart). It helps that he's made a strong album to go with it, it's not a classic and has some weak moments, but overall is a fine addition to his underrated musical career.

Rick Springfield "What's Victoria's Secret?" on General Hospital

Midnight Madness-No Scrubs Edition

All these years I never saw this show, now I'm somewhat hooked in a lazy sort of way. Like if it's on, I'll watch it now. I wouldn't record it or go out of my way for it though, it's not like it's the best show ever made. It did let me know what happened to the second girl to play Becky on Roseanne. Roseanne was a good show until the last two seasons, they really went off the deep end at that point with winning the lottery and being millionaires and what not. You ever see that movie Garden State with the Scrubs guy? That was pretty good, I thought it was Natalie Portman's best performance, much better than V for Vendetta. The soundtrack wasn't bad, you know, it was famous for getting people like me to listen to The Shins. Newwww Slaanngg...ba ba da ba da. Is this going on too long? Yeah, it's going on too long. Time to end this. Finito. Fin. El endo. cerrado. sayonara. arrivedechi.

Thank you Bunny! - I somehow managed to delete my ITunes library from the hard drive this week. My wonderful wife got a program so I could move songs from my IPod back to the hard drive. Yay!

All Because of You - U2 is rumored to have a new album ready for a possible November release with the potential title No Line on the Horizon. One of the greatest active bands in Rock returns! And the album title is shorter than How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb by one word. Yes!

Hold on Buck-O! - Is what Richie Cunningham would say if he found out Lindsey Buckingham planned to release a new CD just two years after Under the Skin. Buckingham hasn't been this prolific since 1982. I watched a lot of Happy Days growing up. Does it show?

The Word of Genius - Recent interviews with Rick Springfield to promote his new disc Venus in Overdrive have popped up at some of my favorite sites, Melodicrock and Popdose . Awesome!

Up in Smoke - The legendary comedy duo Cheech and Chong are reuniting to do a comedy tour. I like Cheech and Chong, but will their stoner humor still strike a chord with fans twenty years later? I just remembered Tommy Chong was doing the stoner schtick on That 70's Show - OK, it should still be funny. In other news, rapper Snoop Dogg's tour bus was checked by Police resulting in two arrests for possession of Marajuana. Harsh buzz!

I Saw it on TV - Tv commercials is the new radio and a recent ad has gotten me hooked again on the recent Lenny Kravitz album by including the stomping title track in a commercial. Peace and buy stuff!

Like You'll Never See Me Again - R&B songstress Alicia Keys has teamed up with White Stripes leader Jack White to record the theme song to the upcoming Bond film Quantum of Solace. It's hard to imagine these two voices together, but Keys is pretty adaptable. Awkward!

But will you respect me in the morning? - Katy Perry has been on top of the charts with her vampy hit I Kissed A Girl for about six weeks now. It's shaping up to be the hit of the Summer, like this year's "Umbrella". I wonder if sales of Cherry Chapstick have gone up as well?

Thunderstruck - AC/DC have announced an 18 month tour in support of their upcoming album. Angus!

Mini TV Reviews - Just a few capsule reviews about TV shows I've seen in the past week.

• Gene Simmon's Family Jewels - Sort of the Hogan Knows Best of Rock music before the Hogan's imploded. Gene does his sleazy thing while ex Playmate Shannon Tweed looks on amused and their kids do normal teenage rich kid stuff. It's OK.


• Swingtown - The swingin' 70's are brought out with multiple couples looking to do key parties with each other. This was done before and much better by Ang Lee in The Ice Storm (1997). Swingtown always stays Uptown when it should be going Downtown if you know what I'm saying and I think you do.
  
• Scrubs - This show was on for years and I never watched it. The other night we saw it on TV and it had this great part where Colin Hay (Men at Work) sings "Overkill". I've seen a second episode now, it's not too bad. I guess it is better than Wings, which is the show I used to equate it to because I never felt the need to watch it.


• South Park - used to be really funny, I watched two episodes and Imaginationland this weekend and was mostly bored. My brother loves this show and I'm sure will disagree with me, but I say it's time to kill Kenny once and for all. You bastard! (bastard being me, not you)

To close, here's Colin Hay's appearance on Scrubs. Great stuff.

Colin Hay "Overkill"