Okay

My grandmother passed away earlier this week, which I mention just to explain my absence to all my millions... and millions of fictional readers, funeral will be this Monday which is also the date of my niece's sixth birthday, I plan to be back on here soon writing crappy album reviews, pilot stuff and the other things I do.

How

Another day, another dollar (or pound). Have I actually what my online business is? If I have sorry for repeating it, if not here goes...

DVDs and entertainment memorabilia (like toys/autographs) via mostly eBay. I am not going to pretend for a second I am rolling in money because of this but it keeps me from having to sign on... while I understand there is probably similar in other countries in the world, here in the UK, "signing on" tends to be looked down upon which is a shame, many, many people have to do this for a lot of different reasons and I was was of them until mid-last year, you see I was lucky I had built up a huge stockpile of DVDs and just like this (from times of work and that), I decided maybe start selling off this collection I had grown, so that was my initial reasoning for starting up the business...

Cut to like 17 months later (maths was never my strong suit) and am doing it, it's not even me selling my own DVD collection anymore but I actually buy in now - job lots and the like - which is fun.

I thought this would be relevant post to show you a part of who I am - you know creating a picture -

Filmz

It's been rare the last few weeks (X-Men Days Of Future Past a couple of weeks ago aside), that I watch a film, now I love films but I just haven't sat down to watch anything and have gone with a TV show instead, so it was a bit out of blue for me the other day to lay in bed and watch two films back to back (courtesey of Netflix).

Firstly, I watched The Big Year, which starred Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Steve Martin, I have to give it credit for not once making birdwatching (or birding) a joke, I found it a likable comedy but not gut-bustlingly funny, there was a decent supporting cast too including the lovely Rashida Jones.

I followed it up with The Way Way Back, which is a film I actually knew very little about before watching it to be honest, I know it had a bunch of actors I liked in it and was co-written and co-directed by Jim Rash (whose in Community). This was the better overall film of the pair and was cool to see Steve Carell play somebody who is a douche, he's the main character's mother new boyfriend, the mother is played by Toni Collette who played Carell's sister in Little Miss Sunshine. Sam Rockwell shines in this movie. The movie also excelled at not once making a friendship in this film between a teenager lad and a grown man not.

I am going to try and get into watching films again more regularly.

What I've Watched This Week

Working from home - I basically have TV or music on all day except when I'm out or asleep (though I'm guilty of falling asleep with the TV on), so I end up watching all bunch of stuff, at the moment I'm going through ER from start to finish - I am on season 13 so have come along way, but I'll talk about all this in a later post - 

Other random highlights for me for stuff I haven't mentioned before (the pilots etc) have included Steve Austin interviewing Vince McMahon on the WWE Network, for me the closest we will likely get to a shoot interview from Vince, so it was pretty compelling with mentions of CM Punk, Randy Savage and some other events.

I watched a good episode of the late 80's film show - The Incredibly Strange Film Show - shown on Channel 4 and presented by Jonathan Ross, these are available on Youtube (most of them are and worth a watch), this episode was about Fred Olen Ray and Doris Wishman, the Wishman segment I particularly enjoyed who gives a really good interview, seems like she would have been somebody that was cool to meet, they talk about most of her films including the more infamous ones.

I did start watching a repeat of 2 Broke Girls yesterday - a show despite it's flaws I can't help but like, it's helped by the two leads - but didn't watch it all because it's from the Deke era but his character just grates on me.

Randomly watching bits and bobs of some episodes - some old, some new - of the soon to be over, Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson - watched a number of Rashida Jones interviews (love her).

This is all that stood out for me this week.

Pilot Zone - Leave It To Beaver

Serious question - when did beaver became known slang for a woman's private are? I mean it's the elephant in the room, so I might as well bring it up straight away, what I am asking innocently mind you, was that did the makers have some sort of cheeky idea at the time.

Leave It To Beaver (surprisingly) was shown on British TV at one point in the early 90's, mind you it was on Sky TV (satellite) on the short-lived Comedy Channel (which had nothing to do with the later Paramount Comedy Channel that later morphed into Comedy Central), which showed on all whole bunch of classic US sit-coms including Green Acres and Petticoat Junction, and since I was about 9 or 10 when this was happening I could innocently not know what else Beaver could mean.

The biggest question I have watching this is WHERE IN THE HELL IS THE FAMILY'S TOILET? - actually I know the answer to this and this actually did end up being the first show to have a toilet in it's bathroom (crazy I know) it's just not here in the pilot

I digress, let's start with the well... start, titled "It's A Small World",  Beaver's teacher - who is hot... but I'm sure she's dead or very old by now so I'm barking up the wrong tree - gives Beaver a note to take home, but it just causes him panic and he ends up not giving it to his parents even getting advice from his brother, it all seems rather quaint... I imagine even then.

It's enjoyable Beaver and Wally just digging a hole for themselves with them coming up with excuses of not getting the letter including pretending there's a fire, a ill dead and a letter full of inaccuracies.

For a show I haven't seen in so long I enjoyed it... it was nice and as some funny little moments, not up there for in The Phil Silvers Show and The Addams Family but I certainly would be willing to watch more episodes, I liked the characters dynamics from the parents Ward and June (who I am told can speak jive) to Beaver and Wally.

Among the cast for this episode is a then child actor - Harry Shearer - I knew he was at one point he was a child actor (most likely when he was a child) but this is the first time I've seen him in out from back then, so we got in this episode 2 people would future be in 2 of the most awesome-ist comedy movies (Billingsley in Airplane and Shearer in Spinal Tap just for spelling it out circumstances).

So there you have it, sometimes shows don't need to be groundbreaking, safe and gentle is sometimes good because you can just turn your brain off while you watch it.

The Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request

The rule I had to give myself was I had to follow up The Spice Girls with something from a band I like, I argued amongst myself settling on something 60's - it came down to the Stones or the Kinks - the Stones after much deliberation got chosen.

I've got to say I've always been more of Beatles fan myself (more of a Kinks fan even among others) but there is plenty of their songs I've loved, but along these bands and many 60's band (for the purpose of this, those whose career started in that decade) I've never heard a full Stones album from top to bottom (bad I know). This is their 6th album and is from 1967 and came out not long after Sgt. Pepper's, which I only mention because the cover is somewhat worth comparing to that.

Sing This All Together (track 1) is a catchy opener that I imagine if I had heard this earlier in my lifetime it would have had plenty of play before now, it's the sort of Stones song I prefer to Citadel (track 2), which is them being more blues, I did like it just not too strongly. In Another Land (track 3) the opening almost lost me with the muffled sound and this is song is awesome in the none muffled moments, I think that sentence made sense if not nobody reads this so it doesn't matter.

2000 Man (track 4) is again another song that gets better after it's opening, their is good music in the first bit just not sure what there going for, and the second half is actually pretty awesome this is a 4* track, Sing This All Together (See What Happens) (Track 5) is the album's longest track, I was waiting to get awesome after the intro because that was the rule of the previous few songs about and 2 minutes in it almost did, it turns out it was loads of music to be fair wasn't so bad on their own but is not what I wanted at this point in the album.

She's A Rainbow (Track 6) is F**KING AWESOME, I adore this song, this had an intro I haven't actually heard before it's always gone straight into the piano, this should be a theme TV for a female led TV show in my opinion. With great bias this is a 5* song and the best track of the album so far (this could potentially be my favourite of theirs full stop). The Lantern (track 7) for me as a tough act to follow and does an admirable job what for me the biggest problem is that it's almost about to build up to something then it doesn't (like a tease).

The very least with Gomper (track 8) I know going in was we at least get an interesting title is something that could have been half the length, possibly the weakest track so far for me. 2000 Light Years From Home (track 9) - 2000 is used twice on this album - is a cool song, doesn't quite match some of the musical heights as the rest of the album but it almost does, the final track, On With The Show (track 10) is a great ending to the album, one of them goofy sort the rock bands only in the 60's could get away with.

Overall, a solid album for me, that every song as at least something good to great going on musically, there are plenty of solid tracks and a bonafide classic (in my opinion) in here, it's well worth a recommendation for fans of 60's music particularly with the psychedelic bent.

Spice Girls - Spice

I am old enough to remember back in the distant past of 1996 - Spicemania - I don't actually think it was called that... was there a name for it? I don't actually remember, well previous generations got Beatlemania, I got fucking Spicemania - it could be worse I could be the generation of One Direction (I'll stop with ending everything in Mania now - and yes it arguable if it would be a better or worse trade off).

Spice Girls seem to become very popular out of nowhere like a lot of pop bands do, it's like we are told that these are the next big thing and we just accept it, so anyway I'm sure like me and anybody around a similar age to me and was a teenager at school during this time, it was like a rule to have a favourite Spice Girl or what you really mean't you found the most attractive - A lot went for Ginger, not quite as many went for Baby but she was still popular I remember, Posh or Scary would normally would normally trade for next place and bottom place went to Sporty - nobody said Sporty.

I was in the Baby group, she was more my type of woman then Ginger was, but here is my secret confession, something I've kept to myself for 18 years, I liked Sporty best... phew feels good to get off of my chest, despite her speaking voice there was always something about her for me, and even now Mel C I would still say it's true.

But musically I was never a fan of the Spice Girls, there is no big confession to come after this, quite simply there type of music was just not for me, so for the first time I'm actually going to give their debut album a listen, who knows maybe I might like it.

Wannabe (1) was their first single and potentially still their most famous song, what was true then, still even now, you have to admit it's catchy, it's quite clear though not much auto-tune has been going on because some of the vocals are less then er...good. For what it there are more less catchy pop songs out there.

Say You'll Be There (2), I think was another single, this hasn't got anything close to catchy like Wannabe, and time hasn't let me grow any appreciation for it, will 2 Become 1 (track 3), another single, I guess you could say is memorable, it's too soppy sounding for my tastes though.

Love Thing (track 4) I think was never a single and includes the line "I'm not afraid of your love thing" was this intentional to be so filthy sounding as a disc like this was aimed at teen/pre-teen girls, I'll just it's no surprise it was never a single, the bit that is almost veering into rap (I don't know how else to describe) is probably the song's most memorable. Last Time Lover (track 5) was a chore to get through with the music overpowering (go easy on the drums, and that bass on the soundboard mate) the vocals (which if you hear the Spice Girls sing may be a positive).

Mama (track 5) a single again, and very, very soppy ode to their Mother's, I think The Waterboy missed a trick not having Bobby sing a cover of this. This is something I would feel embarrassed to have on if somebody walked in right now while I listening to it for the purpose of this write up, Who Do You Think You Are (track 6) is another single (they managed to get a fair few out of this album) is probably the catchiest song on the album besides Wannabe, I'm not sure if that's a compliment but I guess If had to a poster quote for it that would be it.

Something Kinda Funny (track 8) for me kind of proves that anything that wasn't a single is filler to get the album to a decent length, nothing memorable here really. Naked (track 9) is another song like Last Time Lover where the music feels louder then the vocals, this is even worse then that as far as listening to go that I give up even trying to concentrate on what the lyrics said. If U Can't Dance (track 10), the final track of the album is at least better then the 2 songs that came previously, saying that it's not really that good.

Overall the general rule of the album is if it was a single it stands out, if it wasn't you'll have forgot it by tomorrow, and now speaking in 2014 I can't say this album made me a convert to Spicemania, to be fair it really solidified my opinion on them and was right all along (capable of a catchy song, can't sing for shit etc.)

Mel C. Forever

WWF Survivor Series 1993

Thoughts while watching this...

• Lex Luger opens the show in a sweater with his family wishing us all a Happy Thanksgiving.
• Bobby Heenan and Vince McMahon are tonight's commentators, I believe this was Heenan's last PPV for the company (not counting WM17 Gimmick Battle Royale).
• first up is IRS, Rick Martel, Diesel and Adam Bomb vs Razor Ramon, The 123 Kid, Marty Jannetty and Mr. Perfect Randy Savage.
• Mr. Perfect is not here but luckily the disappointment is short lived when his replacement is announced as Randy Savage who was in the middle of being a commentator/feuding with Crush.
• This always bothered me as a kid about IRS - why would you wear a tie if you are wrestling.
• The 123 Kid's selling to the bigger guys is awesome.
• wait, Diesel is the first eliminated - at least Randy Savage gets to be the one doing this.
• Crush causes Randy Savage to get eliminated while IRS gets Razor eliminated after he himself is eliminated by hitting him with his briefcase.
• All 8 competitors would go onto compete in wCw in the next five years with varying degrees of success.
• The 123 Kid and Marty Jannetty (who was probably released by the time he got ot back) are your survivors.
• Next up is Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Bruce Hart and Keith Hart vs Jerry Lawler Shawn Michaels, The Red Knight, The Blue Knight and The Black Knight.
• The Knights are Barry Horowitz, Greg Valentine and Jeff Gaylord.
• Jerry Lawler was supposed to captain but a rape allegation against a 13 year old girl came up (she later she said had made it up), Shawn Michaels who had walked out a month earlier was reinstated to take his place.
• Family Feud host Ray Combs is on commentary making lots of corny and/or unfunny jokes, McMahon laughs his fake laugh every time.
• Owen Hart does a good showing but is the only Hart eliminated due to a miscommunication.
• Bret and his 2 bland brothers end up as the survivors, Owen comes out while they are celebrating and is pissed, this was the seeds started of the great feud between Bret and Owen.
• The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs The Rock N Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) up next for the SMW Titles.
• Smokey Mountain Wrestling where a regional company ran by the WWE manager James E. Cornette who got some exposure in the WWF.
• Jim Ross and Gorilla Monsoon get to call this one for some reason (maybe because it's more old school), the pair where doing Radio WWF that night and the swap roles.
• The Rock N Roll Express' look as literally never changed whenever I have seen them be it the 80's, watching it now or when they showed back up in the company in 1997/98.
• Crowd chants boring through parts mostly because they don't give a crap about any of the competitors, but the match is better then the crowd are suggesting..
• Ricky Morton does a dive outside the ring through the ropes, so very rare in this time in the company.
• The Heavenly Bodies win and pick up the titles.
• Up next the treat of the four Doinks vs Bam Bam Bigelow, Bastion Booger, Samu and Fatu.
• It turns out we don't get the actual Doink wrestling as it's the Bushwhackers and Men On A Mission dressed as Doink.
• Luke bites Bastion Booger on the arse, now there's a vision I will have trouble getting out of my mind.
• Samu seriously gets eliminated after a water balloon goes off in his face!
• Some neat dancing by Bastion Booger but rather then pin the Bushwacker he decides to eat a banana, the sequence ends with him getting pinned.
• Fatu years before Make A Difference/Dancing Rikishi/Bad Man/brings some turkey in on a pole (more food), Mo then is seriously on a scooter in the middle of the ring while Fatu is fighting a Bushwacker, Bam Bam knocks him off the scooter and throws it out the ring, best moment of the match.
• Some banana skin in the ring, Fatu seriously slips on it after the Bushwhacker does the old fake bucket trick.
• Bam Bam is the only one left now, he doesn't deserve the indignity of this match, he at least gets a couple of decent moves including on the bigger Mabel.
• All four end up pinning him at the same time to thankfully end this so called "comedy" match.
• The real Doink makes absolutely no appearence during this match... well I know what I mean. He does appear on the screen afterwards taunting Bam Bam, he actually comes more across as an annoying dick more then anything, he's mean't to be the face.
• Main event time - The All Americans (Lex Luger, Rick and Scott Steiner and Tatanka The Undertaker) vs The Foreign Fanatics (Yokozuna, Ludvig Borga, Jacques and Pierre Crush).
• Tatanka got took out the match in the lead up, losing to the then undefeated Borga ending us own nearly 2 year streak, Pierre of the Quebecers himself also got took out.
• There replacements are for the All Americans The Undertaker because being an undead zombie doesn't stop you from having pride in your company, the Foreign Fanatics got Crush, because Hawaii is foreign enough I suppose.
• Always weird seeing Johnny Polo there knowing he became Raven.
• I don't think Borga was around the that long, his character was that he hated America's polluting ways. I think he went into politics in his native Finland later and was a bit of a homophobe.
• Jacques who is not The Mountie according to his song, I just find the guy so damn entertaining.
• Crush gets Yokozuna's theme music which I think confuses even the commentators.
• Before the music starts again to give us then WWF Champion Yokozuna (accompanied by Mr. Fuji and Cornette).
• Conan O'Brien mention of Yokozuna being interviewed on that show - that show would have been in it's infancy at the time.
• Sad to think 3 of the 4 are now dead.
• Undertaker out first with Paul Bearer dressed like Uncle Sam... well not really but that would have been cool.
• The Steiner Brothers out next, who I always thought had cool music, I don't think they really stayed around that long did they, and if he didn't keep the same name it would be hard to believe that was the same Big Poppa Pump years later.
• Lex Luger out who let's just saying is going all overkill on the all American stuff, can't you tell they had just lost Hulk Hogan earlier in the year.
• Great start with Undertaker and Yokzouna doing a face-off, followed by the expected chants of USA, The Steiner Brothers are also in American Flag singlets which makes Taker the odd man out.
• Good little sequence with Rick and Yokozuna.
• Ludvig captures in Rick in a botched away it looks like and turns it into a pin, Rick is gone fairly quickly.
• Vince tells us that Randy Savage as been spotted in the building, gee wonder if he will show up to cost Crush is elimination somehow.
• Officials and The Smoking Gunns are trying to hold Savage back, Pat Patterson looks like one of the guys holding him back.
• To be honest Crush and Scott Steiner is doing nothing for me...
• Savage makes a second attempt to get in the ring at Crush, he ends going after Savage and gets himself counted out, silly boy, he then attempt to nonchalantly come back in the ring like he wasn't eliminated.
• McMahon keeps referring to Jacques as the Quebecer, is that because he as forgot which one is still in?
• Heenan points out Luger and Undertaker haven't in the ring yet which was a bit douchey of them.
• Luger then gets tagged in, and unfairly uses his arm with that steel plate on a elbow drop to pin him.
• Bobby Heenan says Borga is the wrestler of the 90s... not the best prediciton there Brain.
• Yokozuna takes out Scott who at least gets to last a while in this match, as Yokozuna faces off in the ring against Luger, maybe the crowd are tired by this point but the reaction is more lukewarm then ecstatic.
• Vince mentions that Luger thinks he will be champion someday, somehow... wrong there Luger.
• Bobby Heenan mentions Undertaker is going to start a basketball team for six feet and under, I have to admit that was kind of funny.
• Luger plays the man in peril aginst Borga and Yokozuna and finally gets the tag on Undertaker after Zuna misses the splash.
• Undertaker is finally in after what seems like 2 hours and is clearly getting the better of Zuna, actually this is a decent set up for for their soon Rumble match, there's also a cools equence where Taker keeps sitting up after Zuna gets him down.
• The two end fighting to a count out, like I set a decent little set up for Royal Rumble.
• Luger and Borga are the last two with Borga as expected initially having the advantage before a double clotheline brings them both down, Luger then ends up kicking out after a bucket shot to the head, Borga then ends up hitting him with the elbow with a steel plate (what a cheat).
• Luger ends up winning for America and pollution, does this mean Borga is no longer undefeated.
• It begins to snow and we get good old Santa Claus who Luger helpfully lets him into the ring, if this was Stone Cold Steve Austin he would have stunned him by now!
• and so the show ends up Luger and Santa standing tall...

Overall, it's an event of multiple wrestlers getting replaced, a SMW match none of the fans clearly care about, 2 Hart Brothers who never wrestled in the company, 3 masked men and a lame comedy match, it's only enjoyable for the most part in a nostalgia sort of way, for me the shows coolest moments really where the seeds of the Owen turn and sometimes the odd little sequences involving wrestling.

Bon Jovi - Bon Jovi

I was a huge fan of Bon Jovi as a kid, alongside the likes of Aerosmith and Guns 'N' Roses, unlike those two and some other bands come to think of, I grew 100% out of love with Bon Jovi (which happened with a couple of other bands come to think of it) and while I'll still play more then one Aerosmith or GNR song I never ever shove on Livin' On A Prayer or You Give Love A Bad Name. It's not that I suddenly decided when I was younger to start disliking them one day, I think my musical tastes just changed over time.

Bon Jovi is the band's self titled debut album, which is clear from track 1 - Runaway - that this was made in the 80's (1984 to be exact), from owning this album when I was a kid this was one of the songs I most remembered, I don't know if it had anything to with it's been the opening track or if it was because it was one of the album's singles (it was wasn't it), . 

I remember Roulette (track 2) an whole lot less, it's maybe because it's nothing special, unlike Runaway though there is something here clearly more resembling Bon Jovi's later sound. She Don't Know Me (track 3) is the other song I most remember, rehearing it again after so long I think I love this in all it's 80's serious cheesy rock ballad-ness.

Shot Through The Heart (track 4) as me wondering if anybody ever brought this album thinking this track would be You Give Love A Bad Name (given that tracks opening line), I'm beginning to think I may have only played 2 of the tracks from this album because this track as no memory, there is elements that where already in Runaway here so nothing even the most original on this album. Love Lies (track 5) is too much of a soft rock ballad for my tastes but it's okay I suppose, and you can't really fault the guitar solo.

Breakout (track 6) continues in this very 80's experience, this is about as good as Roulette in that it's just not memorable enough on it's own merits, Burning For Love (track 7) is better, it's maybe because I can picture part of it in a cheesy 80's movie montage.

Come Back (track 8), I kind of liked in spite of myself, I mean it's nothing extraordinary. The final song is Get Ready (track 9), man there's not a lot of tracks on this album, which is a pretty decent song with a decent hook and music.

Overall, a very 80's album, but there is good songs here among the stuff I would probably never revisit, this HASN'T rekindled any need to get back into Bon Jovi, but it wouldn't be fair on the band if I completely dismiss this.

Pilot Zone - Freddy's Nightmares

I might change the title from Pilot Zone but that's what I'm going to call it for now, this is where I talk about the pilots - the good, the bad and the ugly... some of these will be unaired or for shows that never took off, some for successful shows and some that flamed out quickly. Some will be for shows I've seen a dozen times over while overs maybe successful I just never have seen any of it's run.

The first pilot up is from when the genre anthology show seem to come back in fashion for a while in the mid 80's, which also included the revivals of The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, as well as Amazing Stories, as well as Tales From The Crypt towards the end of it's decade...

None of these to the best of my knowledge however where hosted by a child killer - even by the premier of Freddy's Nightmares in 1988 just four short years since the first appearence of Freddy Krueger and he had already turned into that loveable, wise-cracking child killer with an whole bunch of tie-in merchandise to his name, it's no surprise that he would become the host of his own show.

With the exception of this pilot episode - No More Mr. Nice Guy - Freddy Krueger was not the focus of any other episode, I mean he would occasionally help the plot along and dreams would often play a part in some fashion - but he he was strictly like Rod or Hitch and just remained doing the introducing.

No More Mr. Nice Guy is a prequel to the Elm Street movies, the story of a real world Freddy Krueger (of course played by the immortal and iconic Robert Englund) on trial and getting off on a technicality - the arresting officer whose daughters Freddy was going to kill - didn't read him his rights, a bunch of parents (which was referenced in the first movie) get together and set alight Freddy which ends up being led by that arresting officer, the rest of the plot involves him having nightmares.

The weakest element of this episode is actually it's production values, it just all feels so cheap, the plot really isn't half bad and there is particularly memorable scene towards the end of the cop being on the gas at the dentist and him slipping into the dream state. I am not going to pretend this is something of Freddy at it's best, but for what it is

I actually watched some of the other episodes what was on the disc - It's A Miserable Life was particularly enjoyable - I kind of want to see some more of this series offering since it's been so long since I had seen any.

Sometimes

So hi again, I have done a few blog posts now, majority of them are album reviews, it's fun to listen to these classics/shit while doing over stuff, while I'd argue I've yet to discover a new song to fall in love with, I actually don't think it's too far around the corner.

So anyway a little about me, currently I am self employed... so yes I do have time to listen to music because I set my own hours, I run my own online store blah blah blah - it's not that's it boring it's just a spiel I've done a million times before and I will get to it again on here with time I imagine.

Anyway I guess I will be doing some regular blog entries that are about certain stuff, I want to do something about TV pilots, similar things like that, I will do sort of film reviews even if it's a bunch of lines that is just my opinion.

(C)rapstic Album Double Bill

Two albums that prove not everybody can rap... no studio in the right mind though would pick the two treats here if there where released from people coming straight out of obscurity, these are rap albums from people that where already well known, one in the music field and the other in the wrestling field (and I'm not talking about John Cena, hell not even M.O.M, PG-13 or PN News, yes I am a wrestling geek) but he does have one of the most memorable voices in the all of wrestling...

Neither of these albums are considered classic, but both genuinely feature songs that are happily on my iTunes playlist, so it might say more about me then the quality.

Dee Dee King - Standing In The Spotlight

Dee Dee King, you will know better as Dee Dee Ramone - member of the influential Ramones, who since I am a big fan of are fully aware where never a rap band, hey but he decided this was a good idea.

Mashed Potato Time (track 1), I couldn't hate, it's got it's charm in a bad way it's clear Dee Dee can't rap for shit despite the claim "he's the master of hip hop", while 2 Much 2 Drink (track 2), really shows the lack of rap skills if they weren't quite proved in Mashed Potato Time, I mean that in the way there is no hook and it's selling point is Dee Dee's rapping skills - so yeah .

Baby Doll (track 3), is a song I can't help but love, Dee Dee sings rather then raps this one, which I guess makes it vocally better just for the fact he's not trying to rap, the chorus is memorable and I think somebody should come along and sample it, Poor Little Rich Girl (track 4) sounds like it could be on a Ramones album, not as a stand out track mind you but it wouldn't totally be objectionable.

Commotion In The Ocean (track 5) is the album's "welcome" return to rap, whose best part is (surprise) the sung chorus, one of the better "rap" songs so far on the album (yes I feel the need for a lot of commas), German Kid (track 6), his awesome for the very fact that Dee Dee raps some of the song in German (I bet you didn't know he was half German! - which he tells you and the chorus spends most of the time telling you)

Brooklyn Babe (track 7), along with Baby Doll probably has the songs best chorus, Dee Dee seems to be unsure that he wants to go full rap when doing this song, this is another song that I think another artist should attempt to do something with, seriously. Emergency (track 8) is another song with it's own charm is probably the closest the album gets to Dee Dee rapping over something Ramones-y sounding.

Actually take that Ramones-y sounding thing back because The Crusher (track 9) actually did get re-done later by the Ramones and using pretty much the same style of music, so that's technically most true, this is wrestling related (and fits in with the next album) so it's awesome to me, the albums final track I Want What I When I Want It (track 10) is I'm sad to say not the album going out with a bang, but again it has something of it's own charm.

Overall, I'm going to be honest and say musically, structurally you can't deny Dee Dee knew what to do, but he can't rap for shit but that doesn't stop the album from being an enjoyable curio with a couple of genuinely decent sounding moments.

Macho Man Randy Savage - Be A Man

Wrestlers going into mediums is nothing new - acting, sports, rock bands - some do it successful, others not so much, but the fact one of the greatest wrestlers of all time Macho Man Randy Savage released a rap album is still unbelievable to me even 10 years later.

Intro (track 1) isn't really a song so won't really talk about it much it's voice overs talking about Savage, which goes straight into I'm Back (track 2), which features Savage saying a couple of times "you can't believe Randy Savage is rapping" which even while listening too I still can't believe, the song proves you are probably not going to get an album of awesome rhymes. R U Ready (track 3) continues the angry sounding rap (I don't think Savage can do anything else to be fair) with a similar tune, it makes the song somewhat indistinguishable to what just came before it (seriously the chorus is the only thing that could really set them apart).

Hit The Floor (track 4), most memorable thing is the chorus but honestly it's not really saying much, while Let's Get It On (track 5) is the probably representative of the album's entire problem so far, it all sounds so samey, it's hard to write something where the easiest thing it to say see above.

Remember Me (track 6) is the least pleasing on the ears so far, the music choice just did nothing for me, while I've got to be honest Tear It Up (track 7) is the first song I enjoyed, it's maybe because it's a bit of hip-hop/rock infusion in the sound. Macho Man still can't rap for shit though.

Macho Thang (track 8) I want to dislike just because of the title... seriously Thang... I kind of liked it int's stupid own way, Be A Man (track 9) is the albums best track, aimed entirely at Hulk Hogan, who was his best friend/worst enemy legitimately depending on the day of the week, that stayed as hate for probably the last 10 years of Savage's life, I really love this song with references to Mr. Nanny, Spider-Man (Bonesaw McGraw) and even Rodney Dangerfield for some reason, I adore this song.

Get Back (track 10) sadly doesn't quite continue the run of me getting into it, it's better then some of the stuff on the album (not saying much) I suppose. Feel The Madness (track 11) is again more of the same except for a cool chorus, What's That All About (track 12) feels like it could have been different but Macho couldn't really rap any different then in the gravelly tone so it gives this song a creepy vibe when it probably wasn't the intention.

Gonna Be Trouble (track 13) is again another similar track to what's already been heard on this album, the album's final track Perfect Friend (track 14) is at least a notable attempt to pay tribute to the late Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig, sadly because he's not rapping angrily this is the song where is rapping clearly sounds the worst, I sort of like it though in it's own way.

Overall the beginning portion of the album blurred together for me, but for some reason I responded better to the middle section (maybe some sort of Stockholm Syndrome), but a lot of the messages and even beats seem to be the same on so many songs it can't help but partially merge together.

The Human Beinz - Nobody But Me

It honestly happens a lot with me, I can really, really fall in love with a song hard... but for some strange reason I never follow up on the band or singer and give their other stuff a try, I'm not sure why but if I fall in love with a song what's to say at the very least I might really enjoy something else by them.

Nobody But Me by The Human Beinz is a song I love a lot, but if you seriously asked me to name another song of theirs I would come up with absolutely nothing. The Human Beinz where a 60's garage rock band who only released two albums in the late 60's - Nobody But Me and Evolutions (which I've heard is the better album), so it was a toss up do I go for the album with the song I know or the supposed higher quality release... I'll go with the debut album because at least hey I get Nobody But Me.

Which I don't have to wait long to hear because the title track is the opening track - I fell in love with this song the first time I ever heard it, which was listening to that compilation album (Artifacts of Garage and Psychedlic Rock it was called something like that - which mean't I ended up hearing an all bunch of great 60's songs unfamiliar to me, such as those from The Sonics and Count Five among others). I didn't realize to much later though it was a cover of an Isley Brothers song, I think this version is much better though.

Foxy Lady, the second track, yes is a cover of the more well known version and maybe with time I'll get used to it just feels musically a bit off, it is because the original is imprinted in my mind after so many years, the vocals are decent though.

The Sharman (track 3) builds up hope for me that this album is going to have potentially, love the guitar on this track, Flower Grave (track 4) again features a cool guitar hook and the song does have enough moments for me to rate it as pretty good.

Dance On Through (track 5) I could easily see the opening being used in a film, this instantly became my second favourite track of theirs (behind NBM of course), Turn On Your Love Light (track 6), invokes possibly intentionally The Rolling Stones of that era, and I just looked it up to avoid looking like an idiot to see if was a Stones song but it's originally a Bobby Bland song (loads of people have covered it not including the Stones)

It's Fun To Be Clean (track 7) sounds like those fun 60's songs I can't help but love, nothing original but enjoyable, Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair (Track 8) is a traditional song that is downbeat and threatens to surprise you second act change to set the song to the next level which never comes... this is the first track so far on the album I can't see my rushing too any time soon, it's not awful by any means just not for me (and is the albums longest track I think).

This Lonely Town (track 9) is another cool little song, perhaps it's worth saying there is something of a Bob Dylan vibe mixed in here, which with me comparing to other bands was something intentional The Human Beinz where going for across the full album, Sueno (track 10) is not bad but nothing too special, while Serenade To Sarah (track 11) is a song I ended up liking more then I thought given it's beginning.

Overall, coming in at under half an hour, the album flies by - musically and vocally these boys where gifted and the album overall is mostly a joy to listen to.

Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman

One of the things I'm going to do on this blog is listen to full albums (some I've heard before, others only songs or nothing at all from it) and tell you my opinion on it, I am not going to call them reviews though I've called them album review in the labels, I'm just going to say they are my opinion.

It's probably not cool to say you are a fan of Cat Stevens (or Yusuf Islam), but he's probably a very good example of what my varied music tastes are that you will find out (seriously the album by a different performer was miles apart from the work of Stevens). Stevens was one of them artists I remember my parents playing as a kid that I didn't find objectionable, as 99% of what you remember them listening too does tend to be offensive to your ears.

Tea For The Tillerman, originally recorded and released in 1970 is an album I have listened to many, many times, easily more then anything else from Cat Stevens, and it happens with a lot of albums you suddenly realized years have passed without you 

Listening to the first track my memory instantly came back of Where Do The Children Play a song I haven't listened too in so long, and it's probably a song that should be on my iTunes shuffle - it falls into the category of songs I can say I like but not in love with if that makes sense.

The second track Hard Headed Woman is arguably my favourite song of his full stop (Sitting, is the song it would mainly be in competition with for me). The third track, Wild World come to think of it would place 3rd in my all time favourite Cat Stevens tracks. As far as I'm concerned with the three opening tracks it's a great beginning.

track number four - Sad Lisa - is not bad it's just too downbeat really after having Stevens unique energy for the first three songs, it's not necessarily a bad thing it slows the album down and the piano tune is good it's just I think I kind of wish it kept going, which I think Wild World should have gone straight into Miles To Nowhere (which is track number 5), I think it compliments the first 3 songs much better.

But I Might Die Tonight (track 6) is short and doesn't make too much impact on your ears in the long run, and while I like Longer Boats (track 7), it feels like other songs I can't place (if that makes sense - I'm trying to say it sounds like I've heard it before multiple times from different artists) but it's still overall a nice song. While Into The White (track 8) doesn't overall do much for me, so there is not much I can say about that and On The Road To Find Out (Track 9) ends up being the albums longest track and doesn't really deserve it in the long run but it's a good song.

Track 10, is arguably Stevens' most famous song Father and Son (I know some smart-arses will disagree) and there's really nothing of him to be ashamed about of the fame, adding different inflections to the voices of the Father and Son is brilliantly done, which makes the Boyzone cover from the 90's kind of ironic - there was five of them and they all made it all one bland tone (the Boyzone fans will be out attacking me with pitchforks).

The final track (11) is the short title track, popularized as the end credits song for Extras, the song was familiar to me well before then, the major criticism of this is seriously at coming in at just over a minute it's too short even just another minute would have been welcome.

Overall, it's a good place as any to start if you wanted to delve into world of Cat Stevens album, it's fair to say in my opinion, the strongest few songs are at the beginning and the middle of the album, leaving the middle portion not as strong but still musically pleasant on the ears. Recommended. 

First Time

Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my Father. Prepare to die...

In all my years of writing on blogs or has being a film fan I have sadly never ever had this the first thing I have ever wrote, I'm sure many, many other people have in he past but no I've never that clever.

My name really isn't Inigo Montoya, it's something rather more common and boring - Rob - short for Robadib (not really), I am at the time of writing, the grand old age of 32 and wait one second... no still 32, no surprise as my birthday is in October.

I like all sorts of things - movies, television, music - what particularly I'll talk about in blog entries to come, I will say my tastes are quite varied, you can actually guess one of my favourite films I suppose can't you (or maybe I'm trying to throw you off the scent).

I can't promise this blog will be exciting for somebody reading it, but hey it's my blog I can be as uninteresting as I want!