Baby Yoda Rocks The Mando - SPOILERS

I have joined the millions in becoming a big fan of the Disney+ Star Wars spinoff, The Mandalorian. And yes, today I'm gonna get my geek on and rave about this best thing from the Star Wars universe in decades (that's my feeling, anyway). Beware, though: there are show spoilers ahead, so if you still haven't watched The Mandalorian, better get to it before reading this post.

Awwww...

I've watched the first season twice through, loving just about every minute of it (the Bill Burr episode was probably the weakest link, but still good enough). And every scene with Baby Yoda  makes me laugh in delight... whether he's purring and squealing cutely, or using "the magic hand thing" (The Force, duh), he is undeniably cute. 

But the cuteness factor of the Child (he is never actually called Baby Yoda; that name was coined by fans of the show) aside, the show is serious and violent. Not for little kids. Which is curious given the cute baby thing, which will definitely be a hit with young fans. But I don't know if youngsters would enjoy the sort of slow, quiet pacing of the show, and they might even be frightened by some of the fights and kills. The tone of The Mandalorian tells me the show is aimed at older kids and adults.

The Mandalorian, the character, is frequently referred to as Mando, for short. Though he is a bounty hunter, he belongs to a creed of armoured warriors who live by a strict code of honour. Our Mando of the show seems to have a very real human side that emerges when he first lays eyes on the Child. And he has so far demonstrated a belief in good, and that killing innocents isn't part of his way. I am not aware of everything in the extended Star Wars universe (the books and the many animated spin-off shows), so my knowledge of the Mandalorian people is limited to what I've seen in this new show. But I did get the jist of things here at starwars.fandom.com.

And isn't Mando the coolest Star Wars character we've seen in a long time? He truly rules every scene he is in, and even when he gets thrown around in combat, he remains composed and unleashes one of his many battle gadgets or responds with his superior hand-to-hand and non-firearm fighting skills. Besides his standard-issue blaster pistol at his side, Mando carries and wears some snazzy weaponry. That two-pronged zapper/disintegrator (like Boba Fett's) is a wonder to watch in action, and his armed gauntlets can raze opponents with a flamethrower or knock 'em flat with small guided missiles called "whistling birds". And when all else fails, Mando's got a fancy blade or two tucked away for close-quarters combat.

In addition, Mando wears a helmet/visor that is wired with tactical displays... we get to see through his eyes sometimes, and then we understand just how prepared this guy is for battle. And we can't forget the jetpack, which our man must earn toward the end of season one. 

It is true that the Mandalorian outfit was based on ol' Boba Fett's gear... remember bounty hunter Boba from the original trilogy? Fett was perhaps the most popular character from the old movies, mainly because of his weapons, gadgets, jetpack, and ultra-cool helmet and armour. Mando borrows from that look, but of course, their is lore behind the reason for his appearance. Once the young Mando swore to the creed, he was required to never remove his helmet-visor and reveal his face before any human. And as we have seen in season one, he even gets a spiffy upgrade to his physical shielding. His imposing appearance commands respect from most onlookers.

I'd like to show more images from The Mandalorian, but since Disney is such a stickler for copyright, I don't want to take risks. So just do a Google image search if you want to look up anything I'm talking about here.

The show has already spawned some catch-phrases that'll be resounding around the world for a while. "This is the way" is the Mandalorian credo, stating their core believe. We hear this more than a few times in season one. The likable if gruff character Kuiil (pronounced Queel) has a habit of getting in the final word by saying "I have spoken". A bit pompous for such an otherwise humble guy. But it's endearing.

There are so many great characters in The Mandalorian, both villains and friends to our hero - or anti-hero. I won't get into all the actors' names here, so I'll stick with a handful of main characters, like Greef, the leader of the bounty hunter guild; the Client, with a contingent of stormtrooper guards, who hires Mando; Kuiil, the moisture farmer who befriends Mando; Cara Dune, an ex-Rebel trooper-turned-mercenary who signs on with Mando; and bounty-hunter droid IG-11, who joins the cause after some friendly reprogramming. And there's the big baddy Moff Guideon, ex-Imperial Secret Police, who makes life difficult for our protagonists.

I'm glad the show isn't drenched in cuteness, otherwise it would grow tiresome very quickly. Too much of anything is a turn-off, as we can attest with the Star Wars prequels. Use restraint and keep the cute bits to a minimum, and we can appreciate the world of The Mandalorian in its entirety. So far, so good. The spagettin-western gunslinger approach, blended with the Seven Samurai influence, makes for an intriguing character and story.

C'mon, Season Two!

2019 in Movies

2019 didn't feel like a very big year in movies for me. For one thing, I avoided the cinemas - completely - yet again. It is very rare that I ever set foot in those money-grabbing auditoriums full of yapping, seat-kicking, cell-phone-tapping numbskulls. And this year's film offerings were so slight that nothing warranted a trip to the multiplex.

The Wandering Earth, the Chinese sci-fi blockbuster that nobody knows about

As I examined my fleshed-out list of 2019 movies viewed, I noted that I saw pretty much everything on internet streaming services. The way of the future, right? At home viewings, I can move around as much as I want, sit in my chair, lie on the floor, stand, exercise, stretch, eat and drink with frequent breaks, pause for bathroom duties, and so on. But to be bound to a cinema chair for two to three hours... well, the thought doesn't sound one bit appealing to me. 

This was the year of Netflix, and to a lesser extent, Amazon Prime, for my viewing needs. I occasionally rented a new release on Youtube, and a friend or two loaned me things now and then. Netflix in particular put out a lot of stuff worth watching over the past year, some of the content produced by Netflix, some of it picked up for presentation on the service

When I first considered how many 2019 movies I'd seen, I figured it wasn't very many, but after examining my activity on Letterboxd (a social network for film fans), I realized I'd actually viewed 27 movies that were released in 2019, out of a total of 220 movies for the year (which isn't over quite yet, but I don't see things changing by much). Both numbers are down from the previous year, and yet I'm still a bit surprised with the results. Like I said, there weren't many outstanding flicks to check out this year, so instead I found myself falling into the streaming binge-watch trap more often than not. Netflix and others seemed to have more to offer in the way of shows (both new and old) than in movies.

Having said all that, there were some nice surprises, some of the best seen earlier in the year. Stuff like John Wick: Chapter 3, Yesterday, The Dirt, The Highwaymen, and I Am Mother. Along with compelling films like The Wandering Earth and In The Shadow of the Moon, there were fun - if second-rate - movies like Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Rocketman, and Triple Frontier.

The fun and wacky Dolemite is My Name, starring

a rejuvenated Eddie Murphy

Some odd, and sometimes flawed, documentaries that were still engaging and/or entertaining were: Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks (a colourful and comprehensive history of kung fu cinema), Hail Satan? (a look at the Satanic Temple and its fight for justice and equality), and Tell Me Who I Am (a young man lost his memory in an accident, and is brought up to speed by his brother).

More sophisticated fare included Marriage Story (emotionally charged performances by  Adam and Scarlett) and Midsommar (a low-key horror along the lines of the classic The Wicker Man). Not at all high-brow, The Breaking Bad Movie exceeded my hopes, feeling like a very natural continuation of the gritty TV series. 

But not everything was a winner. The highly regarded Us failed to impress me, though that might have just been a case of too much hype and too-high expectations. The Beach Bum was a big let-down, too, looking like yet another tired vehicle for McConaughey to act outrageous and grow a beard.

Once the year is officially over and done with, I will compile a Top Ten or Twenty. But for now, here is my list of 2019 movies I've seen, not in any particular order:


Brittany Runs a Marathon
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Marriage Story
Midsommar
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
Hail Satan?
Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks
Tell Me Who I Am
In The Shadow of The Moon
Dolemite is My Name
The Red Sea Diving Resort
Deadwood: The Movie
Rocketman
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum
Yesterday
The Dirt
The Highwaymen
Us
The Beach Bum
Triple Frontier
Triple Threat
Beneath the Leaves
The Wandering Earth
I Am Mother
Polar
IO
Only Mine

More 2019 movies added January 4, 2020:

Crawl
Long Shot

Cue the Jingle Music, Mr. DJ

It's that festive time of year again, and along with the egg nog and gifting there must be some appropriate seasonal music. I'm not a fan of pop and rock artists dashing off original songs that barely sound Christmas-y at all. These often limp tunes sound like everything else the artists do, but with a passing reference to Christmas. If the music doesn't sound holly jolly and the lyrics don't reflect the holiday season, then I don't want it.

While I'm not a major fan of Christmas music, there are some traditional carols and songs that translate quite nicely with the right treatment. For instance, I can listen to Elvis singing anything along these lines. His voice and his delivery suit the season perfectly... tasteful and soulful. I've got his 1957 Christmas Album around here somewhere, and it'll come out soon for some spins on the CD player. There are plenty of standards, like White Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and I'll Be home for Christmas. And there are some of the religious-oriented tunes, too, which the King approaches with his soothing baritone: O Little Town of Bethlehem, Silent Night, and (There'll Be) Peace in the Valley. You've got the rockin' and the chillin' all in one package. Perfecto!

I also dig the martini-soaked sounds of Christmas With Dino... that's Dean Martin, in case you're too young to know who Dino was. On opening track Let it Snow, it sounds like Dean was already into the sauce... yet he's got such a friendly and expressive voice that you can't help but love it. There's a nice light touch to his renditions of White Christmas, Silver Bells, Winter Wonderland, and Jingle Bells... and more. Fun and nostalgic, even if you were born decades after this music was recorded.

If I could only pick one Christmas album to play, that would be the soundtrack to the 1965 TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas. Performed by the Vince Guaraldi Trio, this light and jazzy music is instantly recognizable to almost everyone on the planet, even if they don't know who did it or where it's from. There are traditional songs as well as originals by pianist Guaraldi, all rendered with reverence and some with a sense of whimsy. The best known are Linus and Lucy, and Skating... and I've always loved Linus' version of Beethoven's famous piano piece Für Elise - not exactly a Christmas tune, but sophisticated and melodic enough to fit the mood.

When I was at a fall record show, I found an LP of Liona Boyd's classical guitar album A Guitar For Christmas. Boyd's mastery of the instrument works amazingly well with the accompaniment on this all-instrumental recording of traditional pieces like Silent Night, Little Drummer Boy, and Away in a Manger. I played that for the first time just the other night, my first taste of Christmas on vinyl. 

Since I get an earful of the brash and brassy renditions of Christmas music all day long at my workplace, it's nice to come home to something more pleasing and definitely more my taste.

December "New" Used Additions to the Record Shelf

What a week for music... I got some stuff in the mail that I had ordered as sort of early Christmas gifts to myself, and today I traded in some old videos for records. I've yet to get to all of the albums but I have nothing but praise for what I have heard so far.

Some of the far-out artwork by Voivod drummer Away

on The Outer Limits album

First up, I decided to dig deeper into the Voivod back catalogue and got a Japanese import copy of The Outer Limits at a very reasonable price. I had test-listened this one for the first time several months ago on Youtube, and was suitably impressed with the Quebec band's 1993 prog-thrash release. The sci-fi theme throughout was weird and fun, and the music itself just floored me. The opening track, Fix My Heart, is very uncharacteristically catchy - almost poppy - and quickly ear-wormed its way into my brain for several days. I just couldn't get it out of my head... day and night, that simple riff drilled away long after I'd turned off the CD player. Yeah, I resorted to the CD format for this one. This almost completely unavailable vinyl record commands hundreds of dollars on Discogs, and even the CD on Amazon.ca goes for over fifty bucks! What the...? But I found it from a third party seller operating through Walmart, of all places. Anyway, so many strong tracks on here, including Le Pont Noir, The Nile Song (a Pink Floyd cover), The Lost Machine, and the epic Jack Luminous (which runs over 17 minutes, not a moment of it boring). Yet again, I was dazzled by Piggy's incredibly unique guitar pyrotechnics (his last appearance before his passing, RIP), Away's hot drum rhythms, and even the stand-in session bassist's work (sadly, original 4-stringer Blacky left the band before recording the album).

So I wailed away on The Outer Limits for much of the week, not having found such a musical gem in a long, long time. Then late-week, another CD came in the mail. Again I opted for a compact disc, since the vinyl version of Rammstein's 2001 album Mutter was priced well into the stratosphere. Damn! I would really much rather add to my record collection than my already busting-at-the-seams CD shelves. Oh well, at least after just one listen, I can safely say that I really enjoy this heavy electro-industrial metal album. And I don't mind one bit that it is all (is it all?) in German. The CD was playing in the background while I did some computing, so my attention wasn't 100% on the music. But still... very cool stuff.

Then today I finally decided to take a pile of my old and unwanted DVDs to a used media shop. Thank the gods that these places still exist, since the big chain music/movie stores have pretty much vanished (only Sunrise Records remains here). So I give the little independent places my business, buying and trading semi-regularly. In exchange for my old crap, I walked away with the Thievery Corporation 2002 double-album, The Richest Man in Babylon. This record set looks like brand new, and though I haven't spun it yet, I can't wait to hear it. I have a few Thievery albums on CD buried away here somewhere, but just haven't been in an electronic music mood in years. I am pretty sure I have Richest Man on CD, probably a ripped copy, but when I saw the vinyl today, I figured if I got it, I'd easily re-vitalize my interest in both Thievery Corp. and electronic music in general. These guys (and gals) were favourites of mine back in the 90's, when I was obsessed with their atmospheric Sounds From the Thievery Hi-Fi album. Their music can best be described as an exotic blend of dub, acid jazz, reggae, electronic dance, Indian, Middle Eastern, hip hop, and Brazilian. Great for chillin' at a cocktail party for the modern crowd. 

At that same store, I found an inexpensive copy of Canadian progressive rock band FM's 1977 album Black Noise. This is an upgrade to my very shabby existing record - the outer sleeve, that is. I'll test listen this new disc to see how the sound compares, but my goal was to simply replace the heavily worn cardboard jacket with this very clean one. I don't always do this sort of thing, but this FM album is among my absolute favourites, so I felt it would be worth the few bucks to make my play copy look much nicer. If you're in the mood for jazzy space-prog without guitars, this could be for you... in lieu of rock's usual six-strings, Nash the Slash incorporates the eerie, otherwordly sounds of electric violin and mandolin, plus a myriad of other synthesized effects. Black Noise is pretty common in the used shops, and I recommend it for any vinyl enthusiast.

Multi-instrumentalist Nash the Slash... here he sports his

now-trademark mummy bandages, which actually came about

in the late 70's, after he left FM

A quick visit to another used record store yielded a purchase that I'm still scratching my head over. As the counter staff looked through the remainder of my old videos to trade, I flipped through the new record arrivals. All that caught my eye was a pristine LP of Rush's 1985 release, Power Windows. Now back in the day, I was an avid fan of that album - on cassette tape, that is. In fact, I'd say this was, and still is, my favourite Rush offering from the 80's. And these days, I prefer it to the played-to-death Moving Pictures album. I love the big lush, textural instrumentation on Territories, Middletown Dreams, Emotion Detector and Mystic Rhythms. And unlike so many haters of that period of the band's synth-experimentation, I have always enjoyed that hard rock-pop punch of the hit tune Big Money. At least the guitar has a large, fat presence, whether thick bright power chords or jangly arpeggios. Oh, and the reason I have mixed feelings about buying this is that I made the decision long ago not to re-buy more than one or two key Rush records. I mean... I owned everything to date on tape up until the CD revolution, when I re-bought everything (which is a lot of Rush)... and do I really want to accumulate these same albums yet again on vinyl? I very rarely hanker for Rush's music now anyway, so my trusty A Farewell to Kings and even Fly By Night would have done me just fine in a pinch. But the price was right, and Power Windows just looked so inviting at the store today. So I guess this was a bit of an impulse buy. Maybe once I crank it up later, all my reservations will disappear.

All in all, a productive shopping trip, and overall, a very satisfying week in "new" old music. Which is the way to go when you're my age and re-discovering the magic of vinyl. And occasionally slumming it with CDs. 

Cheers!

Music on Home Video

My love of music and movies found a meeting place in concert films and documentaries, which I have been very selectively collecting over the years. There's nothing quite like a behind-the-scenes look at your favourite musical artists. And it's extra cool to have concert footage of those musicians, whether as the only way to experience their live show or as a nostalgic souvenir of a gig or tour that you actually attended.

Over the years, I have only very slowly picked up key videos of my favourite artists.

The first music-related home video I ever owned was a groovy set of episodes from The Monkees TV show of the 60's... courtesy of the Columbia House Club. Columbia House, in case you're too young to know it, was for many years a mail-order service through which you could get monthly shipments of music and movies. Way, way back I participated in the music side of the Club, then when I got into movie collecting, this was how I got started. Anyway, I transferred that VHS videotape to DVD in more recent years, and still enjoy the silly antics and musical interludes of The Monkees.

Still on the topic of The Monkees, I long ago  (2000) recorded off TV their biopic called Daydream Believers. It's a fun story of the origins of the band (who weren't really even a band at first), with liberal use of fiction for the sake of drama... and comedy. And the musical bits are cool, too, if that's your thing. That old tape got the DVD transfer treatment before the picture and sound quality began to degrade.

A massive Rush fan for many years, I got my hands on a VHS tape-to-tape dub of drummer Neil Peart's A Work in Progress. This is a breakdown of how he created and played the drum parts on the Test for Echo album of 1996. It is both a drummer's dream and a Rush fanatic's dream to watch this up-close and personal look at the masterful Neil at the kit, meticulously going through the finest of details of both the creative and technical side of his craft. I highly recommend it! I transferred that two-tape set to DVD for future use, though it's not the sort of thing I'll revisit much anymore.

Also within the Rush realm, I somehow found a VHS copy of The Body Electric, an animated made-for-TV short film based on the song of the same title from the band's Grace Under Pressure album. Interesting use of Rush's music within the sci-fi story, but neither the tale nor the animation impressed me much. Regardless, it's in my collection as evidence of my earlier fandom.

Again with Rush, I was extremely pleased with myself for buying - on the day of its release in stores - Beyond the Lighted Stage, an excellent, thorough, and revealing documentary about the band. I loaned this DVD, in limited edition steelcase format, to several friends and was happy to see that everyone loved it, even the non-Rush fans. I think I even brought a couple of people onboard the Rush train with that gesture.

And lastly in the Rush department, I bought just one of their several live concert videos, Exit... Stage Left. There was a time - decades ago - when TV and radio stations collaborated on simulcasts, where the audio from your sound system's radio receiver matched up with the TV broadcast of a pre-recorded concert. I guess modern home theatre has made this practice obsolete. Anyway, that Exit... Stage Left show was originally simulcast back in 1981, and when it was re-aired in later years, I captured it on videotape. I watched that thing endlessly, wearing it down to a fuzzy mess. When after many years it was finally re-issued on DVD, I snapped it up. This concert footage is a time capsule of the glory years of Rush and their greatest songs.

Another favourite progressive rock band, Yes, found a place on my video shelf with their exhaustive and impressive documentary Yessyears: A Retrospective. I have watched it at least a few times and look forward to my next viewing. The facts of the legendary group's career aside, it is entertaining and often funny. I originally bought that on VHS and have since transferred it to DVD. It's still hanging in there.

I made a point of getting both of the Beatles' first two big-screen features, A Hard Day's Night and Help!, first on VHS tape and later on Blu-ray. A Hard Day's Night, released in 1964, qualifies as a pioneering and influential piece of work that led to the "artform" of the music video. The movie has little in the way of story, with just interludes here and there for banter and comedy, but its linear "story" leads the Beatles through the streets, to and from their hotel, and finally to their evening performance. I leaped on the Criterion edition of A Hard Day's Night... lots of extra features and info on top of the pristine film presentation.

Help!, on the other hand, is a full-fledged movie, with a comical spin on the James Bond sort of adventure. Since I'm a fan of both Beatles and Bond, this is a magical combination that won me over as a kid and is still a pant-load of fun of watch. Great music and irreverent humour make this a treat. And it's better than ever now that its picture and sound have been fully restored (cleaned up and re-mastered) for the Blu-ray edition I have.

A few years back, director Ron Howard put out Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years. Oh yeah, it's The Beatles! This documentary, unlike all the others, focuses on the band's touring in their early years. I've only seen this once and it did blow me away. There is material here (interviews, concert footage, etc) that I've never seen before. This is revealing stuff even after all these years of behind-the-scenes Beatle-docs. In fact, I'm due to revisit Eight Days a Week. Excellent.

The one true video souvenir of a concert tour I attended is my copy of Heaven and Hell: Live at Radio City Music Hall. Heaven and Hell, in case you don't know, are better known as Black Sabbath... with Ronnie James Dio at the microphone. Back in 2007, I saw this legendary metal band play here in my city. I still get goosebumps just thinking about it. The gothic stage set and restrained use of backdrop visuals complemented the ferocious classic heavy metal standards that assaulted my ears that night. Dio sang like a man on fire, though it was only a few years later that he passed away. And that's what makes the memory of that concert experience so special to me. With Dio, Sabbath recorded two genre-topping albums in the 80's, and one in the 90's. I never had the chance to see them then, so it was a huge deal to see them on their final go-round. And the concert video shows me exactly what I saw onstage back in '07. I feel almost as awe-struck watching the Radio City show as I did seeing them in person. Whew.

A couple of great heavy metal documentaries by Canada's own Sam Dunn are Metal: A Headbanger's Journey and its follow-up Global Metal. The first doc was director Dunn's debut, and it placed him on the map as a solid contributor to the archiving of metal history. It's highly informative, fun and funny. Dunn's second metal doc was Global Metal, which took him around the world to explore the international scene, with band interviews and footage from shows. Not quite as textbook as A Headbanger's Journey, this is more of a roadtrip (well, plane trip, in most cases) to gigs and meet-ups. Essential viewing for metal fans everywhere. Both are on my music documentary shelf. 

There's also a smattering of other stuff in my collection:

The Kids Are Alright, the pioneering 1979 documentary of the infamous career of The Who. What more can I say? If you haven't seen it, you should. Experience the madness of Keith Moon and the recklessness of Pete Townshend. The sheer spectacle and volume of their concerts. 

Stop Making Sense, a unique concert experience of The Talking Heads, directed by none other than reknowned film-maker Jonathan Demme. It's quirky and fun and packed with terrific performances of the band's timeless hit songs.

There's also The Story of Anvil... about the Canadian metal band Anvil, who enjoyed some small success back in the 80's. But this documentary delves into the personal lives of the bandmates, and their frustrations and career-halting issues. It's kind of sad but also inspirational. A doc with heart, about a band with heart. Sort of.

I couldn't neglect one of my teen years' fave bands, Cheap Trick, so I grabbed their exciting Live In Australia concert on DVD. This was a 1988 show that featured all their biggest songs to date, which of course were mostly their 70's material. Not essential but a very rockin' set. 

Included in Cheap Trick's Budokan! CD set was a DVD of the other night's performance. The now-famous At Budokan album was recorded on April 30, 1978; this newer (2008) release is the result of digging back and assembling the film footage of the April 28th show, the first of the two Japanese shows on Cheap Trick's first tour of the country. So this is vintage Trick, live and unbridled, wacky and rocking the house down. Got it.

Cheap Trick's "Silver" is the DVD release of the band's 25th anniversary homecoming concert. It's a cool look at the group knocking out the hits from their lengthy career. Not quite as cool as seeing the old shows, but it's a feel-good occasion... you can feel the pride of the Rockford, Illinois fans young and old.

I've long been into the music of The Doors, and when the documentary When You're Strange was aired on TV several years ago, I recorded it straight to DVD. It's been a long time since I've watched it so I can't recall what all was in it, but I know I liked it. I'll give it another whirl sometime soon.

The Doors: Soundstage Performances is a real keeper. Shot in three different locations, Toronto, Denmark and New York City, this contains material that is rare and never seen before. There is a wrenching 1967 Toronto Soundstage performance; something from their only European tour in '68; and a 1969 soundstage set along with Morrison's only on-camera interview ever. This is The Doors as you've never seen them... without an audience. They still had the magic and intensity... it's riveting. 

Then there's the Electric Eye DVD by Judas Priest. I had hoped to get a show from the Screaming For Vengeance tour, but that was a no-go; Electric Eye, filmed during the following tour (Defenders of the Faith), received glowing reviews, to I went with that. It is indeed an exciting concert to watch, big and loud and visually stunning. While there are great songs in the setlist, it is very disappointing that there are virtually no early Priest tunes here. Still, a fun and heavy concert film.

And to finish things off, I'll just say I've got a handful of DVDs and one Blu-ray of Kylie Minogue and Melanie C concert videos. Yes, it's dance-pop for the most part, so the average reader here may have zero interest in that. So that's all I'll say about that.

A Few Great Live Albums

Total disclosure here.... I am not a fan of live albums. Not anymore, anyway. There was a time back in the 70's and 80's when I was snapping up every album, studio and live, that my favourite bands released. And I gave those live recordings a lot of listening time, at least the good ones. I saw those as nice compact "greatest hits" packages, and they were often exciting snapshots of the artists in their element - playing live onstage.

I think the first live album I ever bought was Cheap Trick's At Budokan. At the time I was in the midst of a tiny 8-track tape frenzy (remember, this was around the late 70's/early 80's), so that was my format of choice for that one. Despite the unusual breaks partway through a couple of songs for a program change (a weird thing that was part of the 8-track experience), I fell totally in love with At Budokan. Sure, the sound wasn't as crisp and clear as on Trick's studio records, and there was an awful lot of crowd noise at times, but that was sort of part of the trip... you felt like you were there in the audience. And the live performances in some cases far exceeded those on the studio versions. The intro Hello There was grittier and heavier, and songs like I Want You To Want Me and Surrender benefited from a more rockin' approach... I Want You in particular sounded rather tame on the Heaven Tonight album, but on Budokan, it roared, especially with that added blistering guitar solo. At Budokan is still considered a classic and vital live rock recording.

The next live album to enter my early music collecting days was Exit... Stage Left, by Rush. I'd say that this was and still is the best of all the Rush live albums (and there were many), if not in slick production and pristine sound, then in sheer energy and a great setlist. All gold, from The Spirit of Radio to Xanadu to closer La Villa Strangiato.

Around this same time, I grabbed a couple more live offerings by fave artists. There was Live Magnetic Air, by Max Webster. A cool little memento of the times I'd seen both Max and solo frontman Kim Mitchell rampaging Canadian stages in my neck of the woods. The handful of tunes are representative of Max's wonky prog-rock, plus the live one-off Sarniatown Reggae is a fun diversion.

From across the Atlantic came the British metal invasion, led by Iron Maiden. I got their live EP called Maiden Japan, which bore just four songs, but they were early gems that included Running Free and Killers, all sung by the first Maiden vocalist, Paul Di'Anno. A rougher, punkier vibe which I still enjoy a lot more than some of the later, super-polished metal the boys produced.

Triumph, another favourite Canadian band of mine way back, also knocked out a fine live set on their Stages album (1985). I wasn't crazy about every song on there, but overall, it was a cool overview of their career thus far. Hold On and Lay It On The Line were among my preferred tracks.

Another fiery live release in '85 was World Wide Live, by Scorpions. For quite a while there, I played that album (on cassette tape) far more than any of the German band's studio recordings. The wild metallic blitzkrieg of a Scorps show was captured nicely on that release, and for me, that became a commemorative souvenir of the '84 concert that I attended. Blackout and Rock You Like a Hurricane are highlights of that set. 

During those same years, I grabbed up live albums by the likes of Talking Heads ('84's Stop Making Sense, which made for a solid "hits" package) and U2's Under A Blood Red Sky (with early hits I Will Follow and Sunday Bloody Sunday). Yep, their lighter sounds were on my radar at the time, too, along with the heavy rock that was the main part of my musical diet. You just couldn't avoid it then, with the waves of brand new sounds from both America and the UK hitting the radio.

Oh, and I can't forget to mention my fave prog-rockers (alongside Rush, at the time) Yes, who have put out many a live recording. Yessongs, a double-album set, was the one that I picked up on cassette tape back in the day, and though it was a fine collection of their 70's material, it felt rather unnecessary since it was pretty much note-for-note renditions of album tracks. As a result, I rarely listened to it, and finally let it go when I moved on to CDs... and never replaced that one. Oh well, Yes is best served in high-fidelity studio recording format.

As time went on, I enjoyed live recordings less and less. Very rarely did I ever hear something worth adding to my CD collection. One notable was Live at Winterland by the late great Jimi Hendrix. I've said this before and I'll say it again: I've never been much of a Hendrix fan, only liking a handful of his songs. BUT... his live versions on the Winterland album take them to another level. The electricity and excitement of his performance are captured perfectly here, highlights being Fire and Sunshine of Your Love (a Cream cover, of course). In fact, I'm due to revisit this disc. A re-listen now might prompt me to search out some Hendrix on vinyl LP. Maybe.

A very late addition to my Kiss collection (back in the 2000's, I think) was their famous Kiss Alive! album. I had never even heard the record in its entirety until I finally bought it decades later. Though I've read all the stories about how that recording was patched together and cleaned up in the studio, I still understand its importance as a live document of a prominent hard rock act of the 70's. Kiss made their mark on the world and this was the album that really put them on the map, tearing it up with a revitalized Rock and Roll All Nite, not to mention now-classic gems like Deuce, Strutter, and Black Diamond.

A long-time fan of Doors music, I had never even heard of, let alone considered, their Absolutely Live album. But in a fit of Doors mania, I forced myself to snap that up on CD not that many years ago. And boy, am I glad I did... this disc is packed with great Doors tunes, some in medley form (just fine with me), plus lesser known songs which include Morrison's Celebration of the Lizard suite. One of the few live albums I'm still interested in.

My Animated Movie (and Shows) Collection... In A Nutshell

It's that time again to talk a bit about one of the genres in my personal home video collection. Today it's going to be the world of animation. Since I don't have very many animated films, I will bend my own rule here and include animated TV shows, of which I have a fair number (though still not a lot).

The Disney classic, Pinocchio (all rights belong to Disney... so don't sue me!)

My interest in the art of animation goes way back. I mean, like every other kid, I was glued to Saturday morning television... everything from Mighty Mouse (the original show) to Scooby Doo, then as a young man working in the animation industry I watched Inspector Gadget and crap like the Star Wars: Droids show, then later came Rocko's Modern Life, Animaniacs, and on and on. When I grew up... way up... and began collecting home video first through Columbia House Club, I grabbed the obvious stuff like The Flintstones (which is actually long gone now - a VHS tape I didn't want to upgrade). But I was pretty discerning about what I wanted in my little collection in the early days, so such purchases were few and far between. Still...

I wouldn't describe myself as an animation fanatic, but I would say I really enjoy great animation, and will buy my favourites for my personal collection. I'm no completist in this category, but when something really knocks my socks off, I'll do my best to fill in the gaps. For instance, when I learned that the Samurai Jack TV series was available on DVD, it became my mission to locate all the seasons. And I am complete on that front. Same with Ren and Stimpy... I loved watching that back in the 90's, going so far as to record nearly every single episode onto videotape. When those tapes aged and failed me, it was time to upgrade. It took years to find proper, uncut episodes, but not long ago, I found the complete series for a song (no, I didn't sing for it, but the price couldn't have been better).

My appreciation for the artform includes all forms of animation, including traditional (hand-drawn and painted), stop-motion (physical figures that are moved bit by bit, and photographed frame by frame), and computer animation.

There are a lot of real gems out there, and though I have enjoyed many of them, it just never seemed necessary to add very many of them to my shelves. The obvious ones would be the Toy Story movies, Monsters Inc., Despicable Me, The Shaun the Sheep movie, and so on. All great, but they're also readily available online should I ever want to re-watch them. But in my list below, you'll see some representation of what I like the best.

The kings of stop-motion, Aardman Animations, created the 

lovable and amusing British characters Wallace and Gromit

So here we go... my small animation home video collection, a mix of DVDs and Blu-rays:

Avatar (continues to blow my mind... visuals from out of this world)
Bambi (one of the first Disney movies I ever saw as a child... still amazing to watch today)
Hugo (super impressive tour-de-force of story and artform, and by master director Scorsese)
The Incredibles (a personal fave of the genre - more fun than any friggin' Marvel movie, I say)
Pinocchio (original Disney film... a classic... need I say more?)
Rio (a very fun modern computer animated comedy... beautiful technique and art)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (original Disney film... one of the best, of course)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (TV episodes spliced together for a feature-length film... not great)
TinTin (a rollicking adventure tale that features seamless and hilarious animation)
Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (as stop-motion goes, this duo is my fave of all)
Wall-E (among my favourite movies of all time, regardless of genre... such warm, clever humour)


And the shows and animated shorts I've got are:

Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin, Volume One (only because I actually worked on this silly show)
A Charlie Brown Christmas (duh... a holiday classic for generations)
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Looney Tunes Gold Collection, Volume Two (loads of legendary cartoon characters)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection, Volume One (even more Bugs, Daffy, and Sylvester)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection, Volumes One, Two, and Three
The Original Christmas Classics (the Rankin Bass TV specials: Rudolph, Frosty, & Santa... you know 'em)
Ren and Stimpy, all five seasons (absurd fantastical art and ideas... one of my faves of all time)
Samurai Jack, all five seasons (excellent cinematic treatment, the music, the art... love it all)
Star Wars: Clone Wars TV micro-series of shorts (SamJack creator Tartakovsky worked his magic here)
Wallace and Gromit: The Complete Collection (all of the short films of this hilarious pair, ingeniously stop-motion animated... one of my prized possessions)

The Best of the James Bond Actors

Seeing as the James Bond franchise has been alternately cloaked in secrecy and the subject of entertainment industry speculation and sensationalism, I have been a bit put off by 007 news... and have been avoiding it altogether. After all, I don't want to hate this last bastion of manly adventure movies because of all the ridiculous hype and criticism.

I've been a Bond fan since my tender teenage years, first seeing the Connery and early Moore films on the ABC Sunday Night Movie during the 1970's. While it was weird at first watching Roger Moore in the 007 role, I came to understand and accept that he replaced the aging Sean Connery. But ol' Sean will always be the best Bond to me. His 60's-style charisma made him the first, best, and most unforgettable James Bond.

It was during the 80's and onward that my main exposure to Bond movies was seeing them upon their theatrical release. That's how I first caught Timothy Dalton onscreen as Moore's successor, and then Pierce Brosnan as Dalton's. Along the way, I'd rent the occasional 007 flick on VHS at a video store and sometimes see a heavily edited version on TV. I think it was around mid-90's (maybe earlier) when I discovered that TBS, the U.S. station, would annually run a "12 Days of Bond" (the number of days varied from year to year) marathon. In those early days, I would just catch whatever was convenient to watch at the time. But then it dawned on me that I could just record to VHS tape ALL of the Bond movies. Then I never had to worry about missing anything on TV, and could skip through the commercials. 

Once I became a more serious movie collector, I bought all of the Bond movies on VHS... then later on DVD... and now on Blu-Ray. All those home-made VHS tapes went into the trash. I'm sure I've done my part in putting the children of MGM executives through college through all of my home video upgrades.

Anyway, when you've watched all those movies as many times as I have, you develop a sense of what the best and worst pictures were - both overall, and for each Bond actor. I'm not going to do an overall franchise analysis today... maybe down the road, but I will point out what my favourite films are for each of the famed 007 portrayers.

In the beginning, there was Sean Connery. He was Bond. For many years and even today, I have felt that From Russia With Love, Thunderball, and You Only Live Twice are the better Connery entries in the series. From Russia is definitely my favourite, and the other two, if not of quite the same caliber story-wise, are certainly quintessential Bond. All the elements are there, the memorable music themes, the outlandish set-pieces, the grand adventure and exotic locales, the far-out spy gadgetry and cars, the diabolical villains bent on world domination, and of course, all the beautiful Bond girls.

From Russia With Love perfectly captured the essence of early Bond... quiet and calculated spy-craft scenes, big but not ridiculous action sequences, and the romantic story thread. And it was carried off with a serious tone mostly, 007's dark quips aside, unlike the rather dated and corny Dr. No (which I like, but not nearly as much as From Russia). The charged bombing of Kerim's office scene, the edge-of-your-seat tension of Bond re-capturing the Lektor decoder, and the thrilling train fight scene... just to mention a few highlights.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service was the odd film out, a one-off for Australian actor-model George Lazenby. I really like his take on Bond, scrappy and efficient, yet capable with the ladies and with a weapon in his fist. The movie sports the best overall musical score of the entire Bond series. All of the greatest and most famous 007 music themes and motifs are here, if not invented for OHMSS, then refined and re-orchestrated for maximum effect. The action scenes are choppy and realistic, the grandeur of the Alps setting is untouchable, and the cast is pretty cool, too. We get a good look into James' personal life here, his good times and his dark times. OHMSS and From Russia With Love are my fave Bond films of all. Lazenby makes a cool Bond, and I wonder where the series might have gone had he remained in the role. He seemed to be a successful blend of the best of Connery and Moore (who would come later). Hats off to George.

Roger Moore took over the James Bond role with a different approach, at first a bit tough, but his style was lighter, with eyebrow cocked and always a jokey line at the ready. I like the tone of Live and Let Die, but the story, characterizations, and music have not aged well. The Man With the Golden Gun was an improvement. Not perfect, this second of the Moore movies has grown on me more and more over the years. It's a lean plot with an excellent villain in the menacing yet sophisticated Christopher Lee, and the rest is easy to absorb without wincing. Mostly.

But it is the third Moore entry, The Spy Who Loved Me, that clinched its spot as my favourite of the appearances by ol' Rog. Yes, the Frankenstein-ish henchman Jaws is a bit cartoonish, but not as silly as his character would become in the follow-up movie. That aside, The Spy Who Loved Me manages to embrace and yet transcend the era. Sure, the disco-ish soundtrack music is a little distracting, but I have come to enjoy that aspect of the movie. And of course, that theme song, Nobody Does It Better... the best of all the Bonds, in my mind. The exotic Barbara Bach (wife to ex-Beatle Ringo Starr) co-starred as Bond's Russian counterpart, definitely one of my fave Bond "girls"... okay, women. 

The locations and action and story take things to another level, especially the massive soundstage built for the supertanker that transports nuclear-armed submarines. The gadgets are fresh, unique and fun, not to mention the Bond car du jour - the Lotus Esprit, re-fitted to convert to an underwater mini-sub. Even more bells and whistles are added to the vehicle, adding dazzle to every scene it's in. A VERY fun movie, fast-paced and brimming with entrancing locations.

After Mr. Moore stepped away from the Bond role mid-80's (finally, for he looked old and tired in his last appearances), Timothy Dalton took over with less flair but a harder-edged persona. Closer to Connery's portrayal, and even to the Bond of the original novel. Dalton only did two 007 pictures and I like them about equally, though they are very different beasts. The Living Daylights, his first foray, was a big-budget production in the vein of the best Connery and Moore pics, very colourful and action-based, with Bond roving the world, wooing the women, beating on the bad guys. Dalton's second go-round, Licence to Kill, is a darker, gritter tale about our famed agent - this time gone rogue. It's a more intimate, smaller, tighter story... at times more likable (we see 007 with his buddy, CIA cohort Leiter), also delving a bit more into Bond's personal turmoil. Good stuff.

Then in the mid-90's, Pierce Brosnan assumed the mantle of the cinematic master-spy. His first Bond film, Goldeneye, for me, remains his best. The setting in Russia, near the end of the Cold War, sets the stage. Heartless - and colourful - villains aim to create a world financial crisis... to gain supreme power. Of course. The opening scene, the dazzling bungee jump off the dam, may very well be the most spectacular of the entire Bond series. Whew!

As far as I'm concerned, the Brosnan movies went downhill after Goldeneye. Tomorrow Never Dies is fine, loads of action, but lacking the Bond flavour. The World is Not Enough has its good points, but ultimately falls a bit flat, and don't even get me started on Die Another Day... well, it begins quite good, then becomes far too outlandish and cartoonish. Anyway...

It took some years to "reboot" the Bond franchise, but they did it with style. Daniel Craig filled Bond's shoes decently, though I have never been much of a fan of him as the character. He is a solid actor who can deliver the goods, but I still don't think he looks like a Bond... not the Bond I see in all of the other actors. Regardless, he played the role in his own way and made his debut Casino Royale a mighty success.

I'd say this is not only Craig's best Bond movie, it's simply an excellent film - period. This kickstart to the series goes back to 007's origin story and does so without the witticisms, the gadgets, or the breathless jetting around the globe. It's serious business... a direct punch to the solar plexus... a rather small story at its core, based very much on the novel of the same name, dark, violent, brooding, and even downright nasty. A sign of the times - 2006, that is, Casino Royale not only stepped Bond into the modern era but took 007 into the realm of today's film-making standards, even surpassing them. It's a classy, polished, gripping, and taut tale. And it's the best of the Craig Bond films.

After Casino Royale, the Bond pictures could only pale in comparison. The next offering, Quantum of Solace, was a marked disappointment. Not terrible, but not very good either. Skyfall and Spectre are both remarkable returns to form, Skyfall in particular a wonderful homage to all that was great about the classic Bond films. Spectre isn't quite as engaging as Skyfall, but it works doggedly to recapture the feel of the 007 oldies. All that said, none of the movies after Casino Royale could match its perfection.

And what next? The upcoming Bond instalment in 2020 promises a major shake-up, but I'd rather not dwell on the "rumours" or so-called facts I've heard floating around. I seriously doubt it could come close to Daniel Craig's previous work as 007. Fingers crossed that it's at least a watchable and fun finale to the actor's body of work as Bond.

My Favourite Songs- Part II

Today I'd like to continue chatting a bit about my favourite songs. It's been a while since I posted Part I of this discussion, so it's about time I did some more reminiscing and analysis. Once again, I will delve into my personal history with a few songs, including anecdotes and details about what these tunes do for me.

Getting right down to it, I'll begin with the song Lay It Down by the 80's glam-metal sensation Ratt. I first learned about Ratt through MuchMusic TV, where the band amped up their presence in the biz, thereby pumping up popularity and album sales. And these guys really were big for a while there in the 1980's, rivaling and sometimes eclipsing heavy-hitters like the Hagar version of Van Halen (the original Roth-fronted Halen line-up obviously the inspiration and an influence on the rodent rockers), the older but still kickin' KISS, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, and Alice Cooper.

Warren DeMartini of Ratt, laying it down heavy

Ratt came out of the L.A. Sunset Strip music scene, alongside artists like Motley Crue, Quiet Riot, New York's Twisted Sister, Warrant, Cinderella, Poison, and Skid Row. Out of that lot, Ratt was the only band that appealed to me at that time. Guitarist Warren DeMartini made an impression on me, as I was woodshedding on my own axe back then. I never reached anywhere near his ability, but hey, it never hurts to dream. Though I've never been a huge Ratt fan, I'd still rank DeMartini among my favourite guitarists. His creative style and technique and sound just do it for me.

Anyway, I was into Ratt pretty much from the beginning... I snapped up their debut album Out of the Cellar in '84, playing that tape endlessly for its hard rockin' hit single Round and Round, plus Wanted Man and Back For More. The whole album was pretty palatable to me, and I admired the guitar technique and flash.

It was Ratt's second album, Invasion of Your Privacy, from 1985, that bore the song Lay It Down. This track rattled my bones to the core and even to this day, I would say this is in my Top 5 guitar songs of the 80's - perhaps of all time. I still get a chill down my spine when I listen to it... DeMartini's incredibly crunchy and catchy guitar intro riff... and that tear-it-up solo that expertly blends blazing shred with memorable melody. That strange kids' birthday party music video for the song kind of bugged me but hey, there was also the band doing their metal shtick, and... that smokin' blonde. Great guitar hooks and a chorus just begging for a sing-along round out this perfect embodiment of great metal of the era.

And now for something completely different... Nobody Does It Better, by Carly Simon, which appeared as the theme song for the 1977 James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me. I saw the film upon its release in theatres, and was so taken with the song that I bought the single on 7-inch vinyl record. Still got it. I played that thing endlessly back then as a young teen. The tune is still my favourite Bond theme and it's even among my all-time faves.

Nobody Does It Better was written by accomplished composer Marvin Hamlisch, and scored a Grammy Award for Simon's performance. Carly's smooth yet strong vocals are striking as they blend with and soar over the soft rock-symphonic backing instrumental. Slow and quiet piano and vocal guide us into the track, the orchestra gradually swelling over the verse, then after gently entering the chorus, it builds to a powerful yet elegant crescendo. The Bond-isms aren't in your face here, but it's a classy treatment that's a perfect fit for what I consider the best Roger Moore-era Bond movie.

Nobody sings it better than Carly Simon... a hit song for a James Bond movie

And now for something very different again... Turn of the Century, by British progressive rock giants Yes. I've long been a fan of the band, since the early 80's I think, and as I explored their music, every one of their many albums presented yet another adventure in discovery. Yes was known for experimenting with, and blending, genres such as jazz, classical, rock, folk, and country. Though I love many Yes songs, Turn of the Century is a beautiful and far less bombastic composition that truly resonates with me. From its quiet acoustic guitar and vocal intro to its atmospheric keyboard washes, and the intriguing and emotional lyrical story, the track increases in intensity with splashy, chiming percussion, evocative electric guitar melodies, and a grander synthesizer symphony.

I consider Yes' guitarist Steve Howe among the greatest musicians of all time. His always tasteful, unique, and creative style displays his virtuosity but also his ability to rein things in for a moody complement to the other instruments. Always serving the song, not just a showy player, Howe plays a big role in Turn of the Century. His nimble fingers turn the guitar into an expressive voice to counter Jon Anderson's softly alto-tenor vocals. This is an all-around winner of a song, and I'd class this among Yes' best pieces, and it's certainly the one I'd take to a desert island, if it came to that.

To wrap things up, I'd like to now move on to Veteran of the Psychic Wars, by none other than Blue Oyster Cult. I've always enjoyed BOC's brand of weirdness. They could appear ponderous at times, but then they could also tear off amazing rockers, not to mention some classic progressive tunes (need I mention Don't Fear the Reaper?).

I first heard the song when it appeared in the 1981 animated sci-fi/fantasy movie Heavy Metal. Winner! So I bought the movie soundtrack to relive that tune - and the many other great ones from the film. In fact, over time, I liked the movie less and less, yet the musical soundtrack remained durable and memorable. Veteran of the Psychic Wars was co-written by BOC lead singer Eric Bloom and sci-fi/fantasy author Michael Moorcock (one of my fave writers of the genre). Its lyrics are at once cool and sad and disturbing. The story truly is about a veteran soldier who suffers physically and mentally. Not a happy song.

Veteran of the Psychic Wars kicks off with an ominous, slow thundering drum beat and tension-and-atmosphere-building synthesizers. The brooding, menacing mood pervades... even as a military-style drum part is introduced. Then there's the piercing, chilling guitar solo by Buck Dharma... one of the most evocative solos by BOC. Speaking of guitar, the instrument is absent from much of the song, only offering a riff or two at key points. This strategy works amazingly well in this context, allowing an almost uncomfortable amount of space for the bleak drum and synth foundation. Then the heavy guitar joins in for contrast and emphasis. Crafted with precision and restraint, this melancholy song gets under my skin and it really hasn't lost its appeal after all these years. It's still on my playlist... maybe not every day, but I can appreciate it often.