Lookin' Good, Shellhead!

"I-am-Iron Man-La La La La La La La Iron Man" is what I remember of the lyrics to Black Sabbath's song

Like many young boys from the pre-internet days, I read comic books to pass the time between baseball games and Battlestar Galactica. Back then, comic book adaptations to tv or movies were a dicey affair. The first two Superman movies, the Wonder Woman and Batman tv shows were all successful adaptations (even if the Batman show redefined the character as campy). But in spite of these successes, dreary stuff like The Amazing Spider Man starring Nicholas Hammond or the Captain America tv movie became the norm. The Batman movie series re-established the darkness of the character and was financially successful until Joel Schumaker drove it back to it's campy style.

Marvel comics had the most difficult time to adapt because the edgier storylines and more complex "super powers" made it tougher to fit into any companies budget. The special effects weren't up to the level needed to make the characters abilities seem real. And plotlines that have to do with self doubt or racism wasn't going to sell any tickets.

Until The Matrix. The Matrix made it possible for comic books, particularly Marvel Comic books, to successfully adapt. That landmark film pulled in a huge audience with a superpowered hero filled with self doubt battling both himself and the universe with innovative special effects. It opened the door and great versions of Spider Man and The X Men hit the silver screen and became successful films in their own right.

But after those successes came an endless stream of crappy movies, some of which were just as profitable financially as Spider Man. Sad versions of The Punisher, Daredevil, Elektra, Hulk and The Fantastic Four popped up and mostly made money. So when I heard that Iron Man was going to be made into a movie, I was expecting the worst.

Which is why the trailer is such a surprise. In the two and a half minutes featured here, you can see the serious tone and special effects really come through. Plus, Robert Downey Jr's bit as Tony Stark shows he has a good fix on the alcoholic billionaire arms contractor the way Michael Keaton did Bruce Wayne in Batman. Best of all, the special effects don't look like the wholesale bargin bin stuff they've been using for most comic adaptations lately.

Iron Man won't come out until 2008, but I'm looking forward to it already. Repulsors at maximum!



Iron Man trailer

The Asian Invasion

The smile is back in the eyes of the first Supergroup of the '80's

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Way back when I first started to by Lps and Cassettes one of the first band's I listed to was Asia. My mom had bought the cassette from Columbia House in 1982 and since I was listening to new music I tried it out. Asia quickly became a favorite of mine, the band's pairing of pop hooks and instrumental dexterity proved irresistible. In 1983, the group released a second album and announced a world tour.

Then they cancelled the tour. The tour called Asian Invasion '83 had bitten the dust. News of bassist / lead singer John Wetton getting sacked followed. Greg Lake of ELP replaced Wetton for the important Asia in Asia concert that December. Following that show, Asia would become a revolving door of performers for the next 23 years.

So I was shocked to see the original lineup of Asia - John Wetton, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer and Geoff Downes- touring lasts year under the Asia moniker. As great as that simple fact was, they skipped Northern California on the tour meaning I still could not see them play.

Until now. Asia has released a live DVD, Fantasia live in Tokyo (2007), to give fans like me a break. Finally I get to see the amazing supergroup in live action...on video that is. What Fantasia showed was a group of aging musicians who still can get their groove on. The musicians have become pudgy and bloated except for guitarist Steve Howe, who as my wife puts it "Looks like a mad scientist". And while they have each lost a step since their 80's prime, there's no denying Asia still has chemestry and spectacular chops.

The music pulled mostly from their triple platinum self titled album. In fact, the entire album is played live during this show in all of their glory. A handful of tracks from the second album Alpha is featured, particularly in a stripped down sort of "unplugged" section. To top it off, four songs from the group members past in The Buggles, Yes, ELP and King Crimson all receive air time. One of the major highlights of the DVD is the band trading solos on Aaron Copeland's "Fanfare for the Common Man" made famous by ELP. "Heat of the Moment", "Only Time Will Tell" and "Sole Survivor" also fared well.

But it comes down to if the musicians still have it. John Wetton has gained considerable weight but is still a rock solid bass player with a heroic voice. Guitarist Steve Howe shows more energy than he has in the past 3 Yes concerts I've seen recently. Keyboardist Geoff Downes still shows off unnecssarily but highlights his fluid playing style with a bank of synthesizers. Lastly, drummer extrodinaire Carl Palmer is still blindingly fast with his sticks.

By the end of the DVD, I had felt like I had watched a concert I've been waiting half my life for. Fantasia shows the group of elderly prog rockers still had the ability to create some excitement. If you're a fan of early 80's power rock, this DVD is well worth getting.

The Return of Soul

It's no secret that the 1980's brought a shift in how music was being made as the industry focused more on image and performers projecting an attitude than making anything revealing human feeling. There's nothing wrong with artifice for the sake of itself (see The Donnas below) but it can get old after a while. Certain musical styles suffered from this shift, such as folk music and rhythm and blues. Both Rock and Hip Hop music became primarily technological mediums as producers became bigger stars than the performers by auto tuning, looping, song doctoring and sampling the radio to death.

So it's refreshing to see a recent trend of retro soul going around. It started with the demented but soulful Amy Winehouse who scored a big hit earlier this year with "Rehab" and then spent the months after proving why she needs it. But even with Winehouse temporarily out of the picture, her success has brought attention to the Dap Kings who helped with her album.

I never heard of them until EMusic started pushing their album mercilessly on their website. I checked into them and was impressed with what I found: a group of musicians playing real instruments in an analog studio fronted by a singer old enough to remember what 60's and 70's soul sounded like (not an insult to her age). They're authentically retro-sort of like how the Black Crowes are authentically retro but without the fistfighting. I downloaded one song and have been listening to it this week and really like it. And now they have an even more retro video, shot in black and white with 60's tv staging, hand cranked zooms, bad focus and everything. And a singer with a fantastic voice. That's why Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings have the Song of the Moment.



Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - "100 Days, 100 Nights"