This entry is dedicated to the greatest substance....ever :)
green ooey gooey nickelodeon slime, which has been pouring over people's heads almost 3 decades now. Where did this stuff come from you may ask, well i shall tell you :)
To start off, slime was born in CANADA :) In 1979 a small tv station in Canada launched a show called You Can't Do That On Television (basically a kid's SNL). One episode in the show's first season called for a disgusting green substance to be dropped on a kid when he pulled on a chain in a dungeon. The crew reportedly created a disgusting concoction from lunch leftovers, this first batch of slime was ultimately not used, but they ended up making another batch which they did use. After the success of the first sliming they began incorporating slime more into the show. At the time many of the local kids shows in Canada were very education oriented and featured kids who were big know-it-alls. The producers of YCDTOTV decided to poke fun at this by punishing the kids on YCDTOTV who "didn't know", so every time a kid on the show would say " I Don't Know" a cascade of green slime would pour down upon them.
YCDTOTV Sliming
YCDTOTV's infamous multi-colored sliming, and it also includes a recipe !@#
YCDTOTV caught on and became a huge hit in Canada, and green slime became a staple of the show. In 1982 YCDTOTV would become even more popular when a small American network called Nickelodeon picked up the show and started airing it. The show's popularity was huge in the 80's and helped turn Nickelodeon into what it is today. This show also popularized slime in the U.S. and clever Nickelodeon took slime and started incorporating into some of their shows such as Double Dare, Wild & Crazy Kids, their KCA awards, and various commercials.
Double Dare
Slime Controversy Commercial
Slime's popularity couldn't be stopped even after YCDTOTV's cancellation in the early 90's. Nickelodeon transformed it pretty much into their logo, continuing using it in more shows, and special events the channel organized, such as the "nickelodeon takes over your school sweepstakes". It also became a badge of honor for celebrities to be slimed at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. The most popular shows to use slime in later part of the 90's were most likely Figure Out (where contestants would be slimed if they performed the "secret slime action") and Slime Time Live, which would air between popular Nick shows.
Figure It Out
Slime Time Live
Well slime has survived well into 21st century, and is becoming even more popular with Nickelodeon launching its Slime Across America campaign, sending a bus across America sliming kids. Also Nickelodeon has built the Nick Hotel, which regularly slimes guests.
Nick Hotel Slime
Well now what does slime mean to me? well growing up i was a nickelodeon junkie. Rocko's Modern Life, Double Dare, Catdog, Hey Arnold, What Would You Do, Doug, Are You Afraid Of The Dark, and mannnny others, were and still are to me AMAZING shows. Being the classic Nickelodeon junkie I am, I did AND still want to be slimed :P who knows if that will ever happen, but i shall continue to be hopeful. Who knows why myself and thousands of kids love slime. I really don't know...shouldn't have said that :P For me i guess its so tied to my childhood, and...well it just looked fun :)
over and out
Friday, January 30, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
OH SNAPS
The Real Ghostbusters cartoon series is getting a dvd release!!!!!!. the set is going to contain the first 30 episodes plus 3 hours of bonus material :D $27 HELL YES
In my younger years i was (and still am) and ghostbusters fanatic. It took a real effort to catch an episode of this. Blockbuster had two episodes on tape to rent, and it ran on some local channel at 5 in the morning so i rarely got to see it. The show was extremely popular in the 80's eventhough it did attract a little controversy for its depiction of the supernatural. I guess with the release of the new Ghostbusters game they want to promote it as much possible. (by the way Atari, if you mess up that game, your gonna be dealing with one mushroom cloud laying motherf****r, motherf****r) but enough fanboy fanaticism :P
In my younger years i was (and still am) and ghostbusters fanatic. It took a real effort to catch an episode of this. Blockbuster had two episodes on tape to rent, and it ran on some local channel at 5 in the morning so i rarely got to see it. The show was extremely popular in the 80's eventhough it did attract a little controversy for its depiction of the supernatural. I guess with the release of the new Ghostbusters game they want to promote it as much possible. (by the way Atari, if you mess up that game, your gonna be dealing with one mushroom cloud laying motherf****r, motherf****r) but enough fanboy fanaticism :P
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Repossession Blues---My tribute to Bob Dylan's 1978 World Tour
Well why not begin my posting here with who has been my musical obsession for the past 5 years. Last year was the 30th anniversary of Street Legal, and the 1978 World Tour that produced the live album, At Budokan. Since nothing was released to commerorate the anniversary (and to write the wrongs of Budokan), I decided I'd talk about it here, put up some videos, and look at the tour's highs and lows.
1978, its a year most Dylan fans skip over (some very eager to). It's sandwiched between two famous portions of Dylan's career, The 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue, and Dylan's conversion to Christianity in 1979. It was a very hectic and productive year that saw Dylan completely reinvent himself and his sound by putting together a "big band". Many complained that the sound was too slick and the radical reinvention of Dylan's classic songs destroyed their emotional weight. While i do agree some arrangements simply don't work, I feel there are many that do. Also I've always felt that Street Legal is one of Dylan's most underrated albums, and it holds the power to divide Dylan's fans more than any other.
Dylan was goin through a rough patch at the beginning of 1978. His movie Renaldo & Clara, which he had spent a million of his own money on, had bombed. His marriage to Sara had come to a very unpleasent end. Bob was eager to get back on the road, and recoup the money he had lost to his wife and film. He signed with promoter Jerry Weintraub, who managed Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. Many suspect the big band sound of the 78 tour was inspired by Jerry's clients, but other evidence suggests otherwise. Dylan began experimenting with saxophones and backing girls singers during the recording of his album Desire in 1975. Ultimately though Bob was unsatisfied and dropped the idea. The big band sound was most likely just the result of Bob wanting to experiment more.
In the later half of 1977, Bob gave Rolling Thunder bassist Rob Stoner a call, telling him that a new tour was in the works and he wanted him to bring some good musicians with him to California to rehearse. While Rob rounded up musicians, Bob rented an old factory and converted it into a studio, dubbing it Rundown Studios. When rehearsals finally began there was a flood of different musicians at the studio including Denny Siewell on drums, Jesse Ed Davis on guitar. None of these musicians made it very far in the rehearsals, as Bob reportly was not very happy with how things were going. This tour was being approached very differently from previous and following tours. Dylan is known for the spontanayity (sp?) of his live performances and playing a song differently every time he performs it. With this tour however, there would be a limit on how much improvizing the band cound do, due to its size.
As the rehearsals wore on a band finally formed, until the final lineup consisted of Billy Cross (Lead Guitar), Rob Stoner (Bass), David Mansfield (Mandolin, Violin, Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar), Steven Soles (Acoustic Rythm Guitar, Backing Vocals), Alan Pasqua (Keyboards), Steve Douglass (Saxophone, Flute), Bobbye Hall (konga drums and percussion), Ian Wallace (Drums), and Carolyn Dennis, Jo Ann Harris, and Helena Springs on backing vocals.
One interesting thing to note about these rehearsals is that they were recorded and now circulate as a 4-Disc compilation called Rundown Rehearsal Tapes. They offer an interesting look into how the arrangements evolved and there are some songs that didn't make it to the tour at all. Here are a few songs from the rehearsals for ya to listen too :)
The Times They Are A Changin
As you can tell Bob was trying out some very different things with his songs, and even throwing in some bluesy cover tunes. Unfortunately just as the band was starting to gel, the first date of the 115-show world tour approached and the band headed off to Japan.
The first leg of the tour consisted of shows in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. The first show began at the Budokan on Feb 20th
Interview & Lonesome Bedroom from opening night.
A live album was recorded from two nights at the Budokan. It was initially only supposed to be released in Japan, but prodding from Columbia forced him to release it world-wide. When it was released it was widely panned. Many critics saying it sounded too slick and reminded them of a Las Vegas lounge band. The album is not a very good representation of the tour, but it does have several good songs (Love Minus Zero, Oh Sister, and One More Cup Of Coffee). The band still sounds like they are finding their way into the songs, which Bob would later agree with in an interview.
After the first leg wrapped up Bob and the band headed back to Rundown Studios to fine tune their set list (by the end of the tour the band would know around 80 songs). They also began recording Bob’s next album, Street Legal. Bob unfortunately grew impatient during the recording of the album, and rushed to get it done. The sound of the album suffered because of this. Many people commented that it “sounded like it had been recorded under wet cardboard” I can agree with that too. Thankfully the album was remastered in 2003 and now sounds great.
As the rehearsals and recording continued, anticipation for the upcoming European leg of the world tour was building, especially in England where Bob hadn’t toured since his famous 1966 tour (He did appear at the isle of wight festival in hmm…69 or 70 I believe). Bob’s new album was also being released on the eve of the first concert. Tickets for Bob’s six shows at Earl’s Court in London sold out immediately. On the night of the first concert a carnivalesque atmosphere swept over the huge indoor arena. Reportedly circus performers performed outside the venue. Finally on June 15 at 8:00 pm the lights dimmed and the show began…
Like A Rolling Stone (ok it wasn't the first song of the set, but i found it appropriate)
One newspaper headline the next day screamed "the best concert I've ever seen"
The raves continued over the next 5 nights at Earl's Court.
Love Minus Zero/No Limit
All Along The Watchtower
Forever Young/Times They Are A Changin
After six nights in London, the tour rolled on through Europe, playing in the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Scandinavia.
Baby Stop Crying---Dortmund, Germany
These shows along with Bob's new album received great acclaim in Europe. There was an energy to the European shows missing from the earlier leg of the tour. It's a shame Columbia didn't wait and release a live album from this leg of the tour. Also during this leg Bob took the time to visit many important European landmarks and absorb the culture. The band even traveled on a former Nazi train through Germany. The tour concluded with a return to England and playing to one of the largest crowds of his career at an old airfield. It's usually estimated between 200-250 thousand people attended the show.
Bob and the band then took a 3 month break before the America tour was scheduled to begin in September. They reworked some of the arrangements and learned new material, including some new songs that Bob had written with his new girlfriend in the band, Helena Springs.
Something was different when the tour hit America though. While the band was now top notch, Bob seemed to be growing more and more detached from the songs, (exceptions being the street legal material). The tour finally seemed to be wearing Bob down. There are several reasons that this might have happened. Firstly this tour was 3 times as long as the first two legs, at 65 shows. Bob was playing almost every night of the week for 3 months, and the shows lasted 3 hours. Also while the band had been playing at various, interesting historical venues in Europe, it was just sports arenas in America. The band has said that "grey dull sports arena after grey dull sports arena" started to get to them. Yet another problem was that the whole band got the flu and had to play shows anyway. and finally it was most likely because Bob wanted to simply try something different. American audiences weren't as accepting of Bob's latest incarnation as Europe had been. While Street Legal was critically acclaimed in Europe, it was attacked in America, and his shows were being compared to acts in Las Vegas.
Like A Rolling Stone
At a show in Arizona, someone threw a cross up on the stage. Bob picked it up as the show ended and back in his dressing room Bob found Jesus. Not long after guitarist Billy Cross said that on the tour bus he spied Bob writing the song that would become Slow Train Coming. After this religious experience Bob gained a new energy in the final month in a half of the tour. Bob began telling wild stories before many of his songs, including a bizarre story about a man who could eat a chicken whole. His vocals became fiery, and almost demented sounding. Bob's new enthusiasm eventually reached its zenith at the Charlotte, NC show, which is often sited as the best show of the entire tour.
Changing Of The Guards---Nashville, TN
Finally after a year of frantic activity the tour finally closed ended in Miami, where unveiled the song Do Right To Me Baby, which would be on his next and first Christian album. Band members said after the show talked how he was going to book more shows for the following the year, but they never heard from him again, as he packed up and headed for Sheffield, AL to record his new album Slow Train Coming, and embark on his next tour with a new band.
Gotta Serve Somebody
To this day there is still plenty of debate as to if it was a good tour or not. I will say some arrangements just didn't work, but in the end I think it was a worthwhile experiment and a lot of the big band arrangements still hold up. I guess the reason that the tour has always held my interest is because its so different from every other tour Bob has embarked on. I have a tendency as well to become interested in part's of musicians careers that most people ignore.
And thats all i have to say about that :)
1978, its a year most Dylan fans skip over (some very eager to). It's sandwiched between two famous portions of Dylan's career, The 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue, and Dylan's conversion to Christianity in 1979. It was a very hectic and productive year that saw Dylan completely reinvent himself and his sound by putting together a "big band". Many complained that the sound was too slick and the radical reinvention of Dylan's classic songs destroyed their emotional weight. While i do agree some arrangements simply don't work, I feel there are many that do. Also I've always felt that Street Legal is one of Dylan's most underrated albums, and it holds the power to divide Dylan's fans more than any other.
Dylan was goin through a rough patch at the beginning of 1978. His movie Renaldo & Clara, which he had spent a million of his own money on, had bombed. His marriage to Sara had come to a very unpleasent end. Bob was eager to get back on the road, and recoup the money he had lost to his wife and film. He signed with promoter Jerry Weintraub, who managed Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. Many suspect the big band sound of the 78 tour was inspired by Jerry's clients, but other evidence suggests otherwise. Dylan began experimenting with saxophones and backing girls singers during the recording of his album Desire in 1975. Ultimately though Bob was unsatisfied and dropped the idea. The big band sound was most likely just the result of Bob wanting to experiment more.
In the later half of 1977, Bob gave Rolling Thunder bassist Rob Stoner a call, telling him that a new tour was in the works and he wanted him to bring some good musicians with him to California to rehearse. While Rob rounded up musicians, Bob rented an old factory and converted it into a studio, dubbing it Rundown Studios. When rehearsals finally began there was a flood of different musicians at the studio including Denny Siewell on drums, Jesse Ed Davis on guitar. None of these musicians made it very far in the rehearsals, as Bob reportly was not very happy with how things were going. This tour was being approached very differently from previous and following tours. Dylan is known for the spontanayity (sp?) of his live performances and playing a song differently every time he performs it. With this tour however, there would be a limit on how much improvizing the band cound do, due to its size.
As the rehearsals wore on a band finally formed, until the final lineup consisted of Billy Cross (Lead Guitar), Rob Stoner (Bass), David Mansfield (Mandolin, Violin, Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar), Steven Soles (Acoustic Rythm Guitar, Backing Vocals), Alan Pasqua (Keyboards), Steve Douglass (Saxophone, Flute), Bobbye Hall (konga drums and percussion), Ian Wallace (Drums), and Carolyn Dennis, Jo Ann Harris, and Helena Springs on backing vocals.
One interesting thing to note about these rehearsals is that they were recorded and now circulate as a 4-Disc compilation called Rundown Rehearsal Tapes. They offer an interesting look into how the arrangements evolved and there are some songs that didn't make it to the tour at all. Here are a few songs from the rehearsals for ya to listen too :)
Repossession Blues
The Times They Are A Changin
As you can tell Bob was trying out some very different things with his songs, and even throwing in some bluesy cover tunes. Unfortunately just as the band was starting to gel, the first date of the 115-show world tour approached and the band headed off to Japan.
The first leg of the tour consisted of shows in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. The first show began at the Budokan on Feb 20th
Interview & Lonesome Bedroom from opening night.
A live album was recorded from two nights at the Budokan. It was initially only supposed to be released in Japan, but prodding from Columbia forced him to release it world-wide. When it was released it was widely panned. Many critics saying it sounded too slick and reminded them of a Las Vegas lounge band. The album is not a very good representation of the tour, but it does have several good songs (Love Minus Zero, Oh Sister, and One More Cup Of Coffee). The band still sounds like they are finding their way into the songs, which Bob would later agree with in an interview.
After the first leg wrapped up Bob and the band headed back to Rundown Studios to fine tune their set list (by the end of the tour the band would know around 80 songs). They also began recording Bob’s next album, Street Legal. Bob unfortunately grew impatient during the recording of the album, and rushed to get it done. The sound of the album suffered because of this. Many people commented that it “sounded like it had been recorded under wet cardboard” I can agree with that too. Thankfully the album was remastered in 2003 and now sounds great.
As the rehearsals and recording continued, anticipation for the upcoming European leg of the world tour was building, especially in England where Bob hadn’t toured since his famous 1966 tour (He did appear at the isle of wight festival in hmm…69 or 70 I believe). Bob’s new album was also being released on the eve of the first concert. Tickets for Bob’s six shows at Earl’s Court in London sold out immediately. On the night of the first concert a carnivalesque atmosphere swept over the huge indoor arena. Reportedly circus performers performed outside the venue. Finally on June 15 at 8:00 pm the lights dimmed and the show began…
Like A Rolling Stone (ok it wasn't the first song of the set, but i found it appropriate)
One newspaper headline the next day screamed "the best concert I've ever seen"
The raves continued over the next 5 nights at Earl's Court.
Love Minus Zero/No Limit
All Along The Watchtower
Forever Young/Times They Are A Changin
After six nights in London, the tour rolled on through Europe, playing in the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Scandinavia.
Baby Stop Crying---Dortmund, Germany
These shows along with Bob's new album received great acclaim in Europe. There was an energy to the European shows missing from the earlier leg of the tour. It's a shame Columbia didn't wait and release a live album from this leg of the tour. Also during this leg Bob took the time to visit many important European landmarks and absorb the culture. The band even traveled on a former Nazi train through Germany. The tour concluded with a return to England and playing to one of the largest crowds of his career at an old airfield. It's usually estimated between 200-250 thousand people attended the show.
Bob and the band then took a 3 month break before the America tour was scheduled to begin in September. They reworked some of the arrangements and learned new material, including some new songs that Bob had written with his new girlfriend in the band, Helena Springs.
Something was different when the tour hit America though. While the band was now top notch, Bob seemed to be growing more and more detached from the songs, (exceptions being the street legal material). The tour finally seemed to be wearing Bob down. There are several reasons that this might have happened. Firstly this tour was 3 times as long as the first two legs, at 65 shows. Bob was playing almost every night of the week for 3 months, and the shows lasted 3 hours. Also while the band had been playing at various, interesting historical venues in Europe, it was just sports arenas in America. The band has said that "grey dull sports arena after grey dull sports arena" started to get to them. Yet another problem was that the whole band got the flu and had to play shows anyway. and finally it was most likely because Bob wanted to simply try something different. American audiences weren't as accepting of Bob's latest incarnation as Europe had been. While Street Legal was critically acclaimed in Europe, it was attacked in America, and his shows were being compared to acts in Las Vegas.
Like A Rolling Stone
At a show in Arizona, someone threw a cross up on the stage. Bob picked it up as the show ended and back in his dressing room Bob found Jesus. Not long after guitarist Billy Cross said that on the tour bus he spied Bob writing the song that would become Slow Train Coming. After this religious experience Bob gained a new energy in the final month in a half of the tour. Bob began telling wild stories before many of his songs, including a bizarre story about a man who could eat a chicken whole. His vocals became fiery, and almost demented sounding. Bob's new enthusiasm eventually reached its zenith at the Charlotte, NC show, which is often sited as the best show of the entire tour.
Changing Of The Guards---Nashville, TN
Finally after a year of frantic activity the tour finally closed ended in Miami, where unveiled the song Do Right To Me Baby, which would be on his next and first Christian album. Band members said after the show talked how he was going to book more shows for the following the year, but they never heard from him again, as he packed up and headed for Sheffield, AL to record his new album Slow Train Coming, and embark on his next tour with a new band.
Gotta Serve Somebody
To this day there is still plenty of debate as to if it was a good tour or not. I will say some arrangements just didn't work, but in the end I think it was a worthwhile experiment and a lot of the big band arrangements still hold up. I guess the reason that the tour has always held my interest is because its so different from every other tour Bob has embarked on. I have a tendency as well to become interested in part's of musicians careers that most people ignore.
And thats all i have to say about that :)
Kwansu Everyone
Well I've finally gone and got one of THESE (sorry i wont say the b word, it annoys me)
hmm I'll come up with something to talk about soon :)
hmm I'll come up with something to talk about soon :)
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