Beers I Have Known: 21st Amendment Bitter American
This series of posts is dedicated to the many, many six packs, pony kegs and pints that have sauntered into my life at one point or another. Years ago, a friend of ours who, believe me, knows winetold us that … Continue reading Beers I Have Known: 21st Amendment Bitter American
College Countdown: KROQ-FM’s Top 40 Songs of 1987, 38 and 37
38. “Heartbreak Beat” by the Psychedelic Furs In a stunning example of hubristic hyperbole, Columbia Records saw fit to promote the fifth album from the Psychedelic Furs, Midnight to Midnight, as the band’s “masterstroke.” It had been around two-and-a-half years since the group’s previous album, and their profile had risen significantly thanks to one of their songs lending a title to a high profile John Hughes movie. They even rerecorded the song for the flick, drawing ire from many longtime fans who found the new version to overly slick and commercial. Turns out that was a mere precursor to a … Continue reading College Countdown: KROQ-FM’s Top 40 Songs of 1987, 38 and 37
Spectrum Check
I had another fairly typical week at Spectrum Culture with one full contribution apiece on the film and music sides. For the former, I reviewed a new documentary focused on the heated immigration issue in the United States. Unfortunately, it falls into one of the pitfalls common to modern documentaries: straining to do far too much. As for music, I reviewed a new compilation of classic, obscure soul music from the generally excellent Now-Again label. As usual, the crate-digger depths of discovery are impressive in the tracks selected, but the intensive focus on ballad-driven, so-called “sweet soul” winds up giving … Continue reading Spectrum Check
One for Friday: The Bolshoi, “Swings and Roundabouts”
I’ve long been fascinated by other people’s record collections. This was especially the case back in college, when my radio station pals and I almost couldn’t help but use musical taste as a barometer. Even beyond that, I was deeply interested in discovering new stuff that my friends and acquaintances might have in their respective stashes of well-loved vinyl. (It wasn’t nearly as much fun to go through cassettes or CDs as it was to sit around and listen to records.) Back before one could possess practically any song they liked on little more than a whim and ninety-nine cents … Continue reading One for Friday: The Bolshoi, “Swings and Roundabouts”
The Unwatchables: Cowboys & Aliens
I’m now mortified that I once defended Jon Favreau’s credibility as a director. More precisely, when Marvel Studios was dithering over whether or not they’d invite him back for the inevitable sequel after he presided over the surprising success of … Continue reading The Unwatchables: Cowboys & Aliens
Oh, you’re drivin’ me out of my mind
I greatly admire the construction of Rian Johnson’s screenplay for Looper. It’s not that he took on the daunting task of building a story around time travel and emerged with something that doesn’t collapse under unsolvable conundrums of logic, an … Continue reading Oh, you’re drivin’ me out of my mind
My Misspent Youth: Bone by Jeff Smith
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. Let me begin by openly acknowledging that while “youth” may remain … Continue reading My Misspent Youth: Bone by Jeff Smith
Top Fifty Films of the 70s — Number Thirteen
#13 — Dog Day Afternoon (Sidney Lumet, 1975) Occasionally in the nineteen-nineties, I had to explain to friends that Al Pacino was once indeed a great actor, capability of shrewdness and subtlety in his performances. Presumably this shouldn’t have been … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 70s — Number Thirteen
College Countdown: KROQ-FM’s Top 40 Songs of 1987, 40 and 39
40. “4th of July” by X Releases in 1987, See How We Are was the sixth album by the Los Angeles band X. Notably, it was also their first without founding guitarist Billy Zoom, who reportedly left because he was frustrated by the band’s lack of commercial success (he had delivered an ultimatum regarding the need for a hit ahead of the band’s prior album, Ain’t Love Grand!, in 1985). To replace Zoom, X recruited Dave Alvin shortly after he left the Blasters. “4th of July” was the only song on the album not written by John Doe and Exene … Continue reading College Countdown: KROQ-FM’s Top 40 Songs of 1987, 40 and 39
Spectrum Check
So I had a busy week at Spectrum Culture. Almost too busy. I’m not sure anyone needs that many of my words. It started with my latest contribution to the Revisit series over on the film side, a consideration of Wayne Wang’s Smoke. I recently confessed to the site’s editor-in-chief that this is the toughest feature for me to crack, trying to find something freshly pertinent to write about films that I know well. And I want to write about something that’s a somewhat unique selection, not simply celebrate films that have no shortage of advocates. I think I did … Continue reading Spectrum Check
