Top Fifty Films of the 50s — Number Seventeen
#17 — The Searchers (John Ford, 1956) Westerns, long a staple of Hollywood filmaking, were absolutely huge in the post-War years. According to Glenn Frankel’s book on the making of The Searchers, by the time John Ford’s iconic film was … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 50s — Number Seventeen
College Countdown: Rockpool’s Top 20 College Radio Albums, November 1988, 17
17. The Primitives, Lovely Certain as I am that the following statement can be refuted many times over by countless music fans with their own predilections, I’m still going to put it out there: No debut album begins in better … Continue reading College Countdown: Rockpool’s Top 20 College Radio Albums, November 1988, 17
From the Archive: The Addams Family
When we were producing The Reel Thing on WWSP-90FM, we were able to get on the list with a couple of studios and promotional houses, receiving electronic press kits for their releases, especially the biggest ones. There were few bigger … Continue reading From the Archive: The Addams Family
One for Friday: Sarge, “The First Morning”
I can no longer dependably relate how I first heard about the band Sarge. I could have sworn I was told about the Illinois indie band by one of my friends after they’d seen them as an opening act at a Madison, Wisconsin concert. Over the years, though, I’ve specifically attributed it to the individuals who were the most likely candidates and over and over again I’ve been told, “No, I’ve never heard of them.” Their single “Dear Josie, Love Robyn” was briefly a small sensation among the cool kid set, although I think it was a song I longed … Continue reading One for Friday: Sarge, “The First Morning”
My Writers: Douglas Adams
Throughout middle school, I swear I always had a copy of a Douglas Adams book with me. That’s almost certainly not true, since he was only two books into his five-volume trilogy launched in 1979 with The Hitchhiker’s Guide to … Continue reading My Writers: Douglas Adams
My Misspent Youth: Marvel Two-in-One Annual #5 by Alan Kupperberg and Pablo Marcos
I read a lot of comic books as a kid. This series of posts is about the comics I read, and, occasionally, the comics that I should have read. As I believe I’ve noted before, I know exactly which Marvel … Continue reading My Misspent Youth: Marvel Two-in-One Annual #5 by Alan Kupperberg and Pablo Marcos
Top Fifty Films of the 50s — Number Eighteen
#18 — Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958) One of my favorite moviegoing experiences occurred in the fall of 1996, when I saw the restoration of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo in Chicago. Handled by the team that previously provided similar touch-ups to Spartacus … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 50s — Number Eighteen
Top 40 Smash Taps: “1999”
These posts are about the songs that can accurately claim to crossed the key line of chart success, becoming Top 40 hits on Billboard, but just barely. Every song featured in this series peaked at number 40. “1999” was the … Continue reading Top 40 Smash Taps: “1999”
College Countdown: Rockpool’s Top 20 College Radio Albums, November 1988, 18
18. The Smiths, Rank Here is the sound of contractual obligation in the college rock world. By the fall of 1988, the Smiths were over as a going concern, the longtime fractious relationship between lead singer and Morrissey and guitarist … Continue reading College Countdown: Rockpool’s Top 20 College Radio Albums, November 1988, 18
From the Archive: Phantom Power
This another of my contributions to the central Florida publication The Independent. I’ve had such a difficult time lately finding the time and energy to write full-length record reviews (despite very different ambitions, I’ve only managed two reviews in the past three months) that I may need to employ some variation on this hit-and-run kind of take. Just over 200 words, and I really did say everything I felt obligated to say about the album. Super Furry Animals is one of those bands that tries to do a little bit of everything and winds up doing nothing particularly well. There’s … Continue reading From the Archive: Phantom Power
Coffee for Two 