One of the things I miss most about Nickelodeon and children's channels in general is the lack of crazy wacky messy gameshows. The days of Double Dare, What Would You Do, Global GUTS, Wild & Crazy Kids, Legends Of The Hidden Temple, among many others, have come to close :( greatly saddening me.
From what I've heard though kids gameshows are still popular in the UK (once again the UK wins) and I recently found out about one in the UK that greatly amused me called Scratch & Sniff's Den Of Doom.
Now my friends all know that I'm a fan of morbid humor and combining that with a gameshow, especially with a show aimed for kids, i would find particularly hilarous.
Ok the premise of the show seems simple enough at first. You have five kids on walkways leading out over a pit. They are asked trivia questions by 2 puppet heyenas, and if you miss a question you must step forward a step, until after you miss three questions you are dropped into a bubbling cauldron of green slime below. It's fairly simple as I said, but the slightly morbid side of the show is that the hyenas are trying to EAT the kids. The cauldron of slime the kids fall into is called the Cooking Pot Of Peril, and it is implied after the kid splashed down into it that they are cooked in the bubbling slime and eaten by the hyenas. Now of course you don't actually see the eating, but still the idea is very definately implied. Also sometimes after a kid is dropped into the stuff they will briefly re-emerge and offer a brief funny line about their plight before they sink back into the stuff again. In the end only one kid has a chance to leave the den of doom alive, and if they answer the final question correctly they get an award along with the gift of life haha.
Ok i find this premise hilarous I'm not gonna lie. It's handled very carefully so as not to completly terrify kids, but its still got a dark element that you would expect to find in like Grimm's fairy tales or some other cautionary tale for kids haha.
Now the show unfortunately didnt last very long. (Only 5 episodes were broadcast i believe), so you don't see a whole lot of experimenting going on in the format of the show. It's a shame too cause I think it might have had potential. Now i haven't seen a whole episode yet (i've had to reply on brief youtube clips, and descriptions from other people), but i hope someday to see all of them. Who knows maybe it will develop a cult following and more episodes will be made.
Oh another thing ive noticed about the show, is that parts of it are obviously staged. Now i'm sure the question answering part wasn't staged, but making it look like the kid falls hundreds of feet through the pit would probably have to done seperately from the main show. So yeah thats something else i found kinda unique about it.
Well I just thought i would speak randomly about this as I loved kids gameshows on nickelodeon growing up, and thought I would share this unique take on them, and here are some clips from the show. oh and if anyone ever on the show reads this, let me know what the experience was like haha.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Lonewolf Bodyart/Horror Festival 2009
For the past three years now I have attended the lonewolf bodyart/horror festival in nashville, TN and once again this year plenty of grand memories were once again made as i met three very nice actors :)
ok so who did i meet?
First was Chris Sarandon who played one of my favorite screen vampires, Jerry Dandridge, in Fright Night. He also voiced Jack Skelington in The Nightmare Before Christmas. He was verrrry friendly and seemed only too eager to discuss Fright Night. I asked him about if he was ever offered to return as Jerry Dandridge in Fight Night 2, working with Roddy McDowall, and what exactly was the guy who lived with him in the first Fright Night. I then got a cool picture of him in full vampire mode signed and got my picture made with him :)
Next up was C.J. Graham, who I found out was gonna be there at the last minute. C.J. Graham played Jason Vorhees in my favorite film in the series Friday the 13th part 6: Jason Lives. I had met Kane Hodder the previous year and was all to eager to meet my second fav Jason. I got a picture of him signed from pt. 6 where he tears of a guys arm. My friend matt bought a machete from him and got it signed. we then both got our pictures made with him.
After that I circled the festival room buying a Blacula lobbycard, Satan's Black Wedding on dvd, a couple of Tomb Of Dracula comics, and the complete Are You Afraid Of The Dark tv series on dvd. Then went and said hi to my friend Brooke who was spending the day hanging with his pal, a certain Mr. Ken Foree :P who by the way apparently loves peanut m&ms. I also took a look at Jason Mewes table (of Jay and Silent Bob fame) then to close out my day at the festivl I had one person left to meet.
I had brought my copy of Once Upon A Time In America (one of my fav movies) for actor William Forsythe to sign. I've enjoyed him in many different films including Raising Arizona, Thing To Do In Denver When You're Dead, Out For Justice, and of course The Devil's Rejects, but Once Upon A Time In America has always held a special place in my heart, and i was determined to have it signed. Throughout the festival i passed by his table, but I won't lie, he was intimiating, just like many of the characters he's played. Finally at the end of the festival though, I worked up enough courage to approach him. "mr forsythe, i was wondering if you would sign my copy of Once Upon A Time In America", all of the sudden that intense look on his face disappeared and he seemed absoutely thrilled to see that dvd. he took it from me and was looking over, then turned around and showed the back of the dvd to this woman (wife?) behind him exclaiming "look its me lying dead in the streets of Montreal" "You bet I'll sign this" he then went into how that was his first big movie and how much he credits that movie to really getting his career going, and how much it meant to him. We discussed the movie some, asking him what it was like to work with Sergio Leone and stuff, got my dvd signed, and my picture made with him. Definately a perfect way to end the day :D I left the festival a verrrrry happy man
oh! and I wish you all a very happy Walpurgis Night tomorrow :)
ok so who did i meet?
First was Chris Sarandon who played one of my favorite screen vampires, Jerry Dandridge, in Fright Night. He also voiced Jack Skelington in The Nightmare Before Christmas. He was verrrry friendly and seemed only too eager to discuss Fright Night. I asked him about if he was ever offered to return as Jerry Dandridge in Fight Night 2, working with Roddy McDowall, and what exactly was the guy who lived with him in the first Fright Night. I then got a cool picture of him in full vampire mode signed and got my picture made with him :)
Next up was C.J. Graham, who I found out was gonna be there at the last minute. C.J. Graham played Jason Vorhees in my favorite film in the series Friday the 13th part 6: Jason Lives. I had met Kane Hodder the previous year and was all to eager to meet my second fav Jason. I got a picture of him signed from pt. 6 where he tears of a guys arm. My friend matt bought a machete from him and got it signed. we then both got our pictures made with him.
After that I circled the festival room buying a Blacula lobbycard, Satan's Black Wedding on dvd, a couple of Tomb Of Dracula comics, and the complete Are You Afraid Of The Dark tv series on dvd. Then went and said hi to my friend Brooke who was spending the day hanging with his pal, a certain Mr. Ken Foree :P who by the way apparently loves peanut m&ms. I also took a look at Jason Mewes table (of Jay and Silent Bob fame) then to close out my day at the festivl I had one person left to meet.
I had brought my copy of Once Upon A Time In America (one of my fav movies) for actor William Forsythe to sign. I've enjoyed him in many different films including Raising Arizona, Thing To Do In Denver When You're Dead, Out For Justice, and of course The Devil's Rejects, but Once Upon A Time In America has always held a special place in my heart, and i was determined to have it signed. Throughout the festival i passed by his table, but I won't lie, he was intimiating, just like many of the characters he's played. Finally at the end of the festival though, I worked up enough courage to approach him. "mr forsythe, i was wondering if you would sign my copy of Once Upon A Time In America", all of the sudden that intense look on his face disappeared and he seemed absoutely thrilled to see that dvd. he took it from me and was looking over, then turned around and showed the back of the dvd to this woman (wife?) behind him exclaiming "look its me lying dead in the streets of Montreal" "You bet I'll sign this" he then went into how that was his first big movie and how much he credits that movie to really getting his career going, and how much it meant to him. We discussed the movie some, asking him what it was like to work with Sergio Leone and stuff, got my dvd signed, and my picture made with him. Definately a perfect way to end the day :D I left the festival a verrrrry happy man
oh! and I wish you all a very happy Walpurgis Night tomorrow :)
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Is There Anybody Out There?
...where we came in
There's nothing I love more than a good value deal on a CD/DVD and my local Sam's just supplied me with a great one. Thhe special editon of Pink Floyd's Is There Anybody Out There?, The Wall Live 1980-1981. Comes with two cd's and a very nice booklet with interviews with the band members and staff about the live shows. This lovely set usually costs $50, but Sam's had it for $20, so how could I refuse. I'm a live music fanatic, and a huge Pink Floyd fan.
Well first the booklet. It has a bunch of really cool pictures from the live shows showing the building of the wall during the show up to its destruction at the end. Candid photos from backstage, and diagrams of the stage design are also thrown in. The interviews give a lot of really good insight into creating the show and the hardships of it.
Now onto the music. Now let me first say I'm a big fan of when artists will improvize and change things up from the way they sound on the album. There is some improvizing on this, but don't expect it to be radically different. Due to all the visual effects, pre-recorded parts, and epicness of the show, improvizing was very limited for The Wall. The major differences mainly consist of slightly extended guitar and keyboard solos. Who knows, had the wall been performed more than only 29 times they would have tried experimenting more. This being said, this album is probably best for hardcore Floyd fans. As I said, I'm a live music addict, and The Wall was one of rock's most important and epic tours, so I had to have it, even if it isnt radically different from the album. That doesn't make it bad though, I had always imagained The Wall being perfect for a live setting, which it is.
Well what are the standout songs from the show you ask. Well my favorite at the moment has to be Run Like Hell. It's a bit longer than the album version (7.22 min to 4.25 min) and has the band really cutting loose. Roger's spoken intro to the song alone makes it worth listening too. If you're a Pink Floyd fan who doesn't really want to buy the whole set, I definately recommend you at least get this song off Itunes or someone who has it.
Other stand-outs for me include In The Flesh? (which should open every concert by anyone), What Shall We Do Now (a song which was cut from the original album), Comfortably Numb (the one song where David Gilmour would get to improvize during final solo), and Outside The Wall (you couldn't hear roger's vocals very well on the original album)
Ok there is one key flaw with this release, and it has been pointed out by numerous other Floyd fans. The Wall live show was as much a visual experience as it was a musical one. The band members in the booklet reflect this sentiment as well. So why was a dvd of one of the shows not included? The last few shows at Earl's Court were filmed for use in The Wall movie, and occasionally bootlegs of these filmed scenes appear on youtube. It would have only made sense to include a dvd of a show with this set. Oh well, it will probably show up on a dvd sometime in the future, but ultimately I think it not being included prevents us listeners from fully experiences the performances (well to be honest I think you would have had to have been there to fully experience it, but yet get my point) A key example, The audience erupts when David Gilmour kicks off his first verse in Comfortably Numb, but what leads to this is the fact David is singing and playing his solos from on top of the wall on a crane. This image of David on top of The Wall is famous, and ever since I saw a video of it on youtube, it automatically comes to mind when listening to the live version of the song. Now I am glad that they chose to release a complete Wall live show on cd, but I do think that a dvd should have been included to complete the experience.
Ok final verdict. Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live is for hardcore floyd fans, live music junkies wanting a piece of live music history, and for huge fans of The Wall in general who want more of it. Now if you don't fall into one those categories, never fear. Itunes offers 30 second samples of each song, and youtube is filled with videos from the live shows, so you will able to judge whether or not its worth buying the whole album. Oh and also there is a cheaper regular cd version of the live show that doesn't come with the booklet and nice package, so be careful and make sure you are getting the version you want. I strongly recommend the special edition package although I had obstained from spending $50 on it for a long time till I found the $20 version.
Also let me make it clear that Is There Anybody Out There? is NO replacement for the regular Wall album. You should def listen to it first, as it captures the spirit of most of the songs best (in the flesh and run like hell being exceptions)
hmm thinking about it now, this year is the 30th anniversary of the original The Wall album. Hmmmmm do i smell a possible live show dvd/and or remaster of the oringal album?
One can hope :)
hey isn't this...
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Happy St. Patrick's Dayyy!!!!/ and or GREEEEEN DAY
I still haven't decided how i should celebrate this lovely St. Patrick's Day, but I thought I'd post some videos that would be appropriate :D
This first video never gets old. still one of the funniest things ever
and of course what would GREEN Day be without some slime :P
I wish you all a very Happy St. Patty's Day
This first video never gets old. still one of the funniest things ever
and of course what would GREEN Day be without some slime :P
I wish you all a very Happy St. Patty's Day
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Watchmen
I have been debating on whether or not to see Watchmen, since well before it came out last week. I'll admit I have not read the graphic novel yet, but i do plan to in the near future if i have time. I did consider reading it before the movie came out, but I knew if I did that I would probably just end up complaining about how it wasn't like the book, so I opted not to. Ultimately I saw this trailer for Watchmen last week while at the theatre seeing the new Friday The 13th and I was sold. I'm a sucker for a great movie trailer, no lie.
Well I went to see Watchmen last night and I have to say I verrrrrry much enjoyed it. Now I'm not gonna go into a full length review of it, since the story has sooo many layers and what not, it would take me too long, and I'm much to lazy on sundays to do that. I will say though that it had a fresh and interesting story, that kept me completely engaged. Now since I don't want to write a normal review, I'm just gonna write some random thoughts about the movie.
1. Zack Snyder gets called a "hack" very often, especially on the imdb message boards. I will say though that the guy deserves credit for actually getting the thing made. They've been trying to turn the graphic novel into a film for the past 20years, with most claiming it was "unfilmable". Also the guy did an enjoyable remake of Dawn Of The Dead, which I never thought could done.
2. This movie has one of the best (if not the best) opening credits sequence ever. It shows the evolution of super heros in America and the influence they have in the Watchmen universe on important historical events in the 20th century. It's also accompanyed by Bob Dylan's Times They Are A Changin.
3. They used the wrong version of Hallejuah in my opinion during the movie's main sex scene. Jeff Buckley's and John Cale's versions of the song contain alternate, more sexually suggestive lyrics. Plus they used the least sexually suggestive verses of Leonard Cohen's original version in the movie. Oh well, its a small annoyance that doesnt really affect my overall opinion of the movie.
4. Another comment about the music, My Chemical Romance's cover of Desolation Row is awful.
5. Something unique that struck me after I left the theatre was that not one actor in the film was familiar to me, except for the midget, sorry little person, from Seinfeld. None of the major characters were played by well known actors, which was a pleasent surprise for me. Usually studios want well known actors for a big budget movie such as this. This helps though in ignoring the fact these are actors and focus more on the characters they are playing. That said, the actors cast were perfect for their roles, and I can't imagine anyone else in these roles. My favorites were Jackie Haley as Rorschach and Jeffrey Morgan as The Comedian.
6. Some guy brought his 10 year old kids to see this. WTF, i bet he was regretting that one later.
7. This is not a very upbeat movie. It is incredibly dark and nihilistic in tone, not what you would expect from the average super hero movie. If you thought Christian Bale's Batman had problems, then you better get ready for The Comedian, who is described as "practically a nazi" by his comrades. A pretty accurate description. I actually really like the tone of the movie, and I'm finally glad studios are moving away from the campyier super hero movies, and shooting for something much more real.
hmm I might come back and update this with more thoughts in the future, as the movie has been on my mind a lot today. Can't wait for the dvd.
Well I went to see Watchmen last night and I have to say I verrrrrry much enjoyed it. Now I'm not gonna go into a full length review of it, since the story has sooo many layers and what not, it would take me too long, and I'm much to lazy on sundays to do that. I will say though that it had a fresh and interesting story, that kept me completely engaged. Now since I don't want to write a normal review, I'm just gonna write some random thoughts about the movie.
1. Zack Snyder gets called a "hack" very often, especially on the imdb message boards. I will say though that the guy deserves credit for actually getting the thing made. They've been trying to turn the graphic novel into a film for the past 20years, with most claiming it was "unfilmable". Also the guy did an enjoyable remake of Dawn Of The Dead, which I never thought could done.
2. This movie has one of the best (if not the best) opening credits sequence ever. It shows the evolution of super heros in America and the influence they have in the Watchmen universe on important historical events in the 20th century. It's also accompanyed by Bob Dylan's Times They Are A Changin.
3. They used the wrong version of Hallejuah in my opinion during the movie's main sex scene. Jeff Buckley's and John Cale's versions of the song contain alternate, more sexually suggestive lyrics. Plus they used the least sexually suggestive verses of Leonard Cohen's original version in the movie. Oh well, its a small annoyance that doesnt really affect my overall opinion of the movie.
4. Another comment about the music, My Chemical Romance's cover of Desolation Row is awful.
5. Something unique that struck me after I left the theatre was that not one actor in the film was familiar to me, except for the midget, sorry little person, from Seinfeld. None of the major characters were played by well known actors, which was a pleasent surprise for me. Usually studios want well known actors for a big budget movie such as this. This helps though in ignoring the fact these are actors and focus more on the characters they are playing. That said, the actors cast were perfect for their roles, and I can't imagine anyone else in these roles. My favorites were Jackie Haley as Rorschach and Jeffrey Morgan as The Comedian.
6. Some guy brought his 10 year old kids to see this. WTF, i bet he was regretting that one later.
7. This is not a very upbeat movie. It is incredibly dark and nihilistic in tone, not what you would expect from the average super hero movie. If you thought Christian Bale's Batman had problems, then you better get ready for The Comedian, who is described as "practically a nazi" by his comrades. A pretty accurate description. I actually really like the tone of the movie, and I'm finally glad studios are moving away from the campyier super hero movies, and shooting for something much more real.
hmm I might come back and update this with more thoughts in the future, as the movie has been on my mind a lot today. Can't wait for the dvd.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Galoshhhhhes :)
One constant in my life I'm happy to say has always been a trusty pair of Rain Boots, or as I like to say Galoshes, or to our friends on the other side of the pond Wellies. I have always had a pair to turn to whenever rain poured, mud puddles formed, snow fell, the urge to be pretend to a fireman struck, or just whenever i dang well felt like it or the outdoors needed to be explored. And yes I still have a pair today :)
My very first pair was a small red pair that i loved and would put on allll the time, including when i would watch my fav sesame street song Wet Paint! (refer to one of my earlier blog entries to watch it and see why)
Unfortunatley this pair was thrown away at some point, and the only picture i had of me wearing them disappeared! I shall def put it on here though whenever i find it.
After my classic red ones i went through several black pairs, which served me faithfully :)
When I was in about 6th or 7th grade i remember i wanted to move on from plain black and get some ballin colorful or animal ones, but i soon discovered my feet had since got too big for those galoshes. At the time i guess it was assumed nobody other than little kids would want bright, colorful rain boots. The idea struck me that they should start making them older kids, teenagers, adults, everyone!!! Ultimately though i decided that it probably wouldn't work and I moved on, settling for my plain black ones for Walmart.
Then about 3 or 4 years later I was in Target, just minding my own business, loitering, and as I passed by the shoe section I spied some verrry bright looking shoes. Upon further inspection I discovered that there was an aisle of brightly colored ADULT rain boots!!!! I quickly snatched up a yellow pair and was out on the door, completely elated :D Overnight almost, and leading up to this very moment Adult Rain Boots Popularity has exploded. Online now you can literally find hundreds, yes literally hundreds, of different designs, colors, patterns, anything you want! Now everytime it rains on my college campus I try and count how many different kinds I see. Usually I see more than 10 people wearing them, depending on the level of precipiation for that day, and it always make me smile :) The absolute awesomeness of them plus the fact the idea I had yearrrs ago turned out to be right all add to it.
I've been happy with my yellow ones for the past couple of years now, but I now feel the need to move on to a new pair(s) I hope someday to go to the UK and while I'm there get an authentic pair of wellies, which are the best made rain boots you can buy (wayyy too expensive for me to be ordering at the moment though)
the pair i decided on were these.
They actually had these for awhile in both adult men & women sizes, but they've had to drop the adult male sizes for now though, due to the recession. Hopefully though they will return in the near future though and I can get them.
If anyone has any suggestions for a new pair that I'd might like feel free to suggest some :) and I recommend everyone else go out and get them some of their own! and spread the good word and practical usefulness of Galoshhhhes. and then we shall coordinate an epic puddle splashing expedition, if i actually know you haha.
here's are two sites worth checking for cool ones.
http://www.dllrainwear.com/servlet/StoreFront
www.target.com
goodnight :)
My very first pair was a small red pair that i loved and would put on allll the time, including when i would watch my fav sesame street song Wet Paint! (refer to one of my earlier blog entries to watch it and see why)
Unfortunatley this pair was thrown away at some point, and the only picture i had of me wearing them disappeared! I shall def put it on here though whenever i find it.
After my classic red ones i went through several black pairs, which served me faithfully :)
When I was in about 6th or 7th grade i remember i wanted to move on from plain black and get some ballin colorful or animal ones, but i soon discovered my feet had since got too big for those galoshes. At the time i guess it was assumed nobody other than little kids would want bright, colorful rain boots. The idea struck me that they should start making them older kids, teenagers, adults, everyone!!! Ultimately though i decided that it probably wouldn't work and I moved on, settling for my plain black ones for Walmart.
Then about 3 or 4 years later I was in Target, just minding my own business, loitering, and as I passed by the shoe section I spied some verrry bright looking shoes. Upon further inspection I discovered that there was an aisle of brightly colored ADULT rain boots!!!! I quickly snatched up a yellow pair and was out on the door, completely elated :D Overnight almost, and leading up to this very moment Adult Rain Boots Popularity has exploded. Online now you can literally find hundreds, yes literally hundreds, of different designs, colors, patterns, anything you want! Now everytime it rains on my college campus I try and count how many different kinds I see. Usually I see more than 10 people wearing them, depending on the level of precipiation for that day, and it always make me smile :) The absolute awesomeness of them plus the fact the idea I had yearrrs ago turned out to be right all add to it.
I've been happy with my yellow ones for the past couple of years now, but I now feel the need to move on to a new pair(s) I hope someday to go to the UK and while I'm there get an authentic pair of wellies, which are the best made rain boots you can buy (wayyy too expensive for me to be ordering at the moment though)
the pair i decided on were these.
They actually had these for awhile in both adult men & women sizes, but they've had to drop the adult male sizes for now though, due to the recession. Hopefully though they will return in the near future though and I can get them.
If anyone has any suggestions for a new pair that I'd might like feel free to suggest some :) and I recommend everyone else go out and get them some of their own! and spread the good word and practical usefulness of Galoshhhhes. and then we shall coordinate an epic puddle splashing expedition, if i actually know you haha.
here's are two sites worth checking for cool ones.
http://www.dllrainwear.com/servlet/StoreFront
www.target.com
goodnight :)
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Podcast Shoutout
Over the past year I have become quite caught up in the world of Podcasts and I thought I would do a brief entry here and promote 3 of my fav podcasts.
For fans of cult/horror/random cinema I strongly recommend Mondo Movie and Cinemaslave. Both feature great hosts who have an intense love for film as I have and they always pick out great movies to discuss. So yes, if you are reading this and have a love of film check these out, oh and if you want good discussion about film you should join the forums on both podcasts websites.
(I know cinemaslave joe googles his podcast to see where its being discussed so let me know if you ever find this haha)
http://www.mondomovie.com/
http://www.cinemaslave.com/
On the music front check out NPR: Live Concerts From All Songs Considered. They offer free concerts and who knows, they might offer something you like. For me there was Tom Wait's AMAZING 2 & half hour performance in Atlanta, Georgia last summer. A concert which I was very luck to attend. Other good ones I've recently downloaded from the podcast include The Ting Tings, and Leonard Cohen.
http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=15842121
So yeah those are three I really enjoy. I'm currently seeking out more to listen to at the moment, so I'll be sure and update this if i find some more I really like.
I'm also toying with the idea of starting my own podcast, so give me some feedback if you think its worth pursuing.
For fans of cult/horror/random cinema I strongly recommend Mondo Movie and Cinemaslave. Both feature great hosts who have an intense love for film as I have and they always pick out great movies to discuss. So yes, if you are reading this and have a love of film check these out, oh and if you want good discussion about film you should join the forums on both podcasts websites.
(I know cinemaslave joe googles his podcast to see where its being discussed so let me know if you ever find this haha)
http://www.mondomovie.com/
http://www.cinemaslave.com/
On the music front check out NPR: Live Concerts From All Songs Considered. They offer free concerts and who knows, they might offer something you like. For me there was Tom Wait's AMAZING 2 & half hour performance in Atlanta, Georgia last summer. A concert which I was very luck to attend. Other good ones I've recently downloaded from the podcast include The Ting Tings, and Leonard Cohen.
http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=15842121
So yeah those are three I really enjoy. I'm currently seeking out more to listen to at the moment, so I'll be sure and update this if i find some more I really like.
I'm also toying with the idea of starting my own podcast, so give me some feedback if you think its worth pursuing.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Alabama Miracle, The Opening Of The Stephen Colbert Museum & Giftshop
When my kids ask me someday what do i remember most about my highschool years, 2 things will immediatley come to mind. First will be the making of my movie Choopy, The Forlorn Bastard. The other is the arrival of The Stephen Colbert Museum & Giftshop here in Colbert County, specifically in Tuscumbia.
I still remember to this day anxiously awaiting the school bell to ring, so i could hurry on over to the museum and join the throng of anxious spectators. It was supposed to begin at 2:30 so i was naturally worried that i would miss part of it, thankfully the parade and the grand opening of the museum didn't happen till after i got there. After the parade, tad cut the ribbon and people literally swarmed the museum, rushing through the front door. what we didn't know was that they werent ready for us to actually go in yet haha, so we quickly had to be ejected from the museum (not before i grabbed up 3 entrance passes to the museum). Then everyone was lined up and tad greeted each person entering by handing them a pass as we went through the front door. Me and my friends michael and dylan were the first three in the door. Unfortunately they didn't use footage of us in the actual broadcast. We circled the museum looking at paintings, drawings, stephen colbert's epic novel (upon inspection i discovered that behind the cover lied a cd review guide), among mannnny other amazing artifacts from stephen's life. My friend Russell ended up having a line in the show when they filmed him looking at a picture of Stephen and President Bush. Then we were presented with a pre-taped message from Stephen, and then we were asked to leave so they could film some extra bits of an old woman taking a tour of the museum. Overall I think we were in the museum for a least an hour or more. There are several other stories from that day i can tell, and i'll probably get around to it eventually, but for now just enjoy the video.
oh and i can be spotted briefly at 3.58, and 4.24 :)
and Stephen, pleasssssse come back at some point, Colbert County needs you.
I still remember to this day anxiously awaiting the school bell to ring, so i could hurry on over to the museum and join the throng of anxious spectators. It was supposed to begin at 2:30 so i was naturally worried that i would miss part of it, thankfully the parade and the grand opening of the museum didn't happen till after i got there. After the parade, tad cut the ribbon and people literally swarmed the museum, rushing through the front door. what we didn't know was that they werent ready for us to actually go in yet haha, so we quickly had to be ejected from the museum (not before i grabbed up 3 entrance passes to the museum). Then everyone was lined up and tad greeted each person entering by handing them a pass as we went through the front door. Me and my friends michael and dylan were the first three in the door. Unfortunately they didn't use footage of us in the actual broadcast. We circled the museum looking at paintings, drawings, stephen colbert's epic novel (upon inspection i discovered that behind the cover lied a cd review guide), among mannnny other amazing artifacts from stephen's life. My friend Russell ended up having a line in the show when they filmed him looking at a picture of Stephen and President Bush. Then we were presented with a pre-taped message from Stephen, and then we were asked to leave so they could film some extra bits of an old woman taking a tour of the museum. Overall I think we were in the museum for a least an hour or more. There are several other stories from that day i can tell, and i'll probably get around to it eventually, but for now just enjoy the video.
oh and i can be spotted briefly at 3.58, and 4.24 :)
and Stephen, pleasssssse come back at some point, Colbert County needs you.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Oscar Update & RIP Robert Quarry
Well not too many surprises with the oscars this year. The only surprise for me came when they gave Sean Penn the oscar for best actor instead of Mickey Rourke.
oh and did anyone else think that Bill Maher was acting like a complete douche?
Any other news actor Robert Quarry has passed away :(
Robert Quarry played one my fav movie vampires, Count Yorga, in the films Count Yorga, Vampire, and The Return Of Count Yorga, and starred alongside Vincent Price in the classic Dr. Phibes Rises Again.
oh and did anyone else think that Bill Maher was acting like a complete douche?
Any other news actor Robert Quarry has passed away :(
Robert Quarry played one my fav movie vampires, Count Yorga, in the films Count Yorga, Vampire, and The Return Of Count Yorga, and starred alongside Vincent Price in the classic Dr. Phibes Rises Again.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Phantoms Of My Youth
I still love kids songs, I'm not gonna lie. Even at my age where I'm now listening to Dylan, Waits, Cohen, Prine, Zevon, among many others, the genius of sesame street, the muppets, and other fine young-un music is not lost on me. Well I shouldn't call it kids music, its for all ages :)
So yeah here are some memories.
Let's start with absolute fav song as a young-un. WET PAINT. I watched this to death when i was little, and i even had a pair of red boots like how now brown had in the video and i would put them on whenever i watched it. It probably is the reason why i like paint, rain boots, and general messyness to this day.
so here's how now brown and the moo wave with Wet Paint
Following up with something else about rain boots, this one is a new favorite that i saw for the first time on noggin not too long ago. This is Boots by the Laurie Berkner Band :)
B-O-O-T-S
Umm one of the best bands ever, and a realllllly good movie. (oh and check out the Robot Chicken episode that does the Behind The Music on them, its hysterical)
ok this next one was shown to me numerous times in 2nd grade to encourage our class to our wash our hands and it always stuck with me. I mean how often do you see rapping germs!
This is the Germ Rap
These next 2 numbers are from one of the best animated movies of all time, The Brave Little Toaster. This is Worthless, and B Movie Show. I still sing along with the first one :), and the second one i always loved since it involves the love of horror movies ive had since...forever
I was determined to fit my second fav animated movie on here, so here's a little number from The Great Mouse Detective.
It's the oogie boogie man!!!
and we shall close with a few more classic numbers i loved on Sesame Street :)
Nah, they don't make em like they used to.
So yeah here are some memories.
Let's start with absolute fav song as a young-un. WET PAINT. I watched this to death when i was little, and i even had a pair of red boots like how now brown had in the video and i would put them on whenever i watched it. It probably is the reason why i like paint, rain boots, and general messyness to this day.
so here's how now brown and the moo wave with Wet Paint
Following up with something else about rain boots, this one is a new favorite that i saw for the first time on noggin not too long ago. This is Boots by the Laurie Berkner Band :)
B-O-O-T-S
Umm one of the best bands ever, and a realllllly good movie. (oh and check out the Robot Chicken episode that does the Behind The Music on them, its hysterical)
ok this next one was shown to me numerous times in 2nd grade to encourage our class to our wash our hands and it always stuck with me. I mean how often do you see rapping germs!
This is the Germ Rap
These next 2 numbers are from one of the best animated movies of all time, The Brave Little Toaster. This is Worthless, and B Movie Show. I still sing along with the first one :), and the second one i always loved since it involves the love of horror movies ive had since...forever
I was determined to fit my second fav animated movie on here, so here's a little number from The Great Mouse Detective.
It's the oogie boogie man!!!
and we shall close with a few more classic numbers i loved on Sesame Street :)
Nah, they don't make em like they used to.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Oscar Predictionssss
While I was somewhat upset by The Dark Knight being ignored for Best Picture, its not really that surprising. Every decade you have a couple of "big event" movies. Movies that wow audiences and critics, but ultimately don't win cause the Academy thinks they know better than everyone else. The best examples of this include Raiders Of The Lost Ark and Star Wars, which didn't win, BUT were nominated for best picture. I wish TDK had been at least nominated, but oh well at least its been nominated for a bunch of technical oscars, all of which it deserves. If you don't believe me watch the special features on dvd and look and how they accomplished a lot of the effects. Many movies like TDK overuse computer effects, when the film makers could've put in a little extra effort and really created the effect. Most movies would have just used computer effects to flip a big rig truck, or to blow up a whole hospital, but not TDK, and this little extra effort makes the film look even more remarkable. The hospital explosion i still think is one of the best explosions ive seen a movie in a lonnnng time. A big grin came across my face when i saw it on the big screen :) So yeah i think it richly deserves its technical oscars. Oh and I'm pretty sure Heath Ledger is gonna get him an oscar. I don't think theres anybody else in the category (except Robert Downey Jr.) who really deserves it.
I'll be honest I haven't seen any of the big oscar contenders this year, but I'll probably get around to watching a few of them eventually (I'm mainly looking forward to Frost/Nixon and Slumdog Millionaire). I have been reading up on them though, and listening to what friends have to say so here are my predictions.
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire (its gonna be a toss up between this and benjamin button, but i think all the good word of mouth about Slumdog is gonna push it to victory)
Best Actor: I can't be definite on this one, but I personally want Frank Langella to win, The guy's a phenominal actor, but movies dealing with either race relations or gay rights tend to win over the academy so they'll probably give it to Sean Penn.
Best Actress: Kate Winslet
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz
Best Director: Danny Boyle: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Original Script: Most likely Milk, but I would prefer In Bruge to win
Best Adapted Script: Most likely Benjamin Button since it expands greatly on the original short story, but I would prefer Frost/Nixon.
Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Art Direction, Sound, Sound Editing, Visual Effects: The Dark Knight (yeah i know it's wishful thinking :p)
Best Costume: Benjamin Button
Best Makeup: Hellboy II (WHAT you mean I didn't pick TDK to win this one!, why yes. Let me explain, Del Toro is a visual genius and the creations he comes up with are amazing. The Dark Knight does have some good makeup, but really the only thing that stands out is Heath's makeup while in Hellboy, it has tons of cool looking creatures) To be honest though, they'll probably give to Benjamin Button.
Best Original Score: Benjamin Button
Best Original Song: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Animated Film: Wall-E
Best Foreign: Vals Im Bashir
Best Feature Length Documetary: Man On Wire (I'm really wanting to see this)
Best Short Documentary: The Conscience Of Nhem En
Best Animated Short Film: Ubornaya istoriya
Best Short Live Action Film: Grisen
well lets see how my predictions go on Feb 22 :)
I'll be honest I haven't seen any of the big oscar contenders this year, but I'll probably get around to watching a few of them eventually (I'm mainly looking forward to Frost/Nixon and Slumdog Millionaire). I have been reading up on them though, and listening to what friends have to say so here are my predictions.
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire (its gonna be a toss up between this and benjamin button, but i think all the good word of mouth about Slumdog is gonna push it to victory)
Best Actor: I can't be definite on this one, but I personally want Frank Langella to win, The guy's a phenominal actor, but movies dealing with either race relations or gay rights tend to win over the academy so they'll probably give it to Sean Penn.
Best Actress: Kate Winslet
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz
Best Director: Danny Boyle: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Original Script: Most likely Milk, but I would prefer In Bruge to win
Best Adapted Script: Most likely Benjamin Button since it expands greatly on the original short story, but I would prefer Frost/Nixon.
Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Art Direction, Sound, Sound Editing, Visual Effects: The Dark Knight (yeah i know it's wishful thinking :p)
Best Costume: Benjamin Button
Best Makeup: Hellboy II (WHAT you mean I didn't pick TDK to win this one!, why yes. Let me explain, Del Toro is a visual genius and the creations he comes up with are amazing. The Dark Knight does have some good makeup, but really the only thing that stands out is Heath's makeup while in Hellboy, it has tons of cool looking creatures) To be honest though, they'll probably give to Benjamin Button.
Best Original Score: Benjamin Button
Best Original Song: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Animated Film: Wall-E
Best Foreign: Vals Im Bashir
Best Feature Length Documetary: Man On Wire (I'm really wanting to see this)
Best Short Documentary: The Conscience Of Nhem En
Best Animated Short Film: Ubornaya istoriya
Best Short Live Action Film: Grisen
well lets see how my predictions go on Feb 22 :)
Friday, January 30, 2009
SLIME SLIME SLIME :)
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
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 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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