R.I.P. TO (OUR YEARLY SUBSCRIPTON OF) ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

     My Father and I were really excited about this new magazine called Entertainment Weekly that was launching in early 1990.  My old man had a subscription (is this now an obsolete term?) to Sports Illustrated that advertised this new mag and we both thought it sounded fantastic.  Well, now it's 2017 and the fascination is definitely over.  When it started, I thought the reviews of TV, Film, Music and Books were very insightful and the in-depth articles about behind-the-scenes information about artists and various looks at how these forms of art are made were wonderful.  The editors (I'm guessing) also made a somewhat controversial decision to publish an end-of-the year issue with not only the "Best Of" articles but also had several pages devoted to the people in front of and behind the scenes in all entertainment fields who had succumbed to the (then) death sentence of AIDS during the previous year.
     My college years, which lasted from 1990 to 1995,  would have been so more much more boring without these issues arriving in the mailbox every week or so.  The writers turned me on to TV, music, film and books that I had no idea even existed.
     Over the years, the writers changed and the articles become shorter while the pictures and increasingly worthless "Best Of" lists become even larger, eventually edging out real entertainment news content in favor of a more exploitative 'who's maybe doing this movie' or even 'who's sleeping with what' types of stories that I'm guessing the kids today go ga-ga about.
     Of course, online sources of true entertainment news are so numerous now that I just won't count them for you (It's 3267).  So, yes, after 27 years, your Father and I believe it's time that you leave the nest and start being read (or looked at) by other people.  You'll thank us later.

MY TWO SHITS WORTH: EPISODE TWO

     I hoped the one viewer who read my last post enjoys this one just as well.  In this post,  I'm talking about overlooked albums and this one is a bit of a head scratcher.  In 1997 Marcy Playground had one the most played (er, overplayed) songs of the year that wasn't about The Titanic.  "Sex And Candy"  was a laid back and mostly acoustic ode to underage women that caught fire on radio.  What was interesting is that the self titled album that spawned the monster was originally released through the EMI main label but just weeks after its release the label went tits up and most of the releases on the label were 'set free.'  However,  the label re-released the album on the Capitol imprint and kept promoting the song and came out a winner.  The bands' 2nd release for the label is a different story.
     In 1999, the band released "Shapeshifter" and not without a bit of controversy.  The cover art by Mark Ryden was also selected to be the cover art on the then upcoming release by Butthole Surfers.  There was a bit of bitching between the two camps but MP won out and the painting went on their release.....which was totally ignored by everyone everywhere.  Why?  Maybe it was the "Sex And Candy" burnout or the fact that it was a totally different and superior album.  Leader John Wozniak wasn't too pleased with the outside production on the 1st release and most of the songs were in the same laid back vein.  So for "Shapeshifter" Wozniak took control of the production and amped up everything.  The songs themselves sound raw and direct.  They have an almost demo-like sound to them that is very alive.  "It's Saturday" ,which was the 1st single, set the tone with the tongue-in-cheek lyrics about a STD caused by a 'girl with New Jersey hair.'  "All The Lights Went Out" is a beautiful and feedback laden love ballad.  "Wave Motion Gun" is a bizarre but great anti-drug tune supposedly based on Wozniak's former addiction issues.  "Rebel Sodville" pays homage to some of the louder Neil Young and Crazy Horse workouts.  My favorite song "Pigeon Farm" is so gleefully weird that I've probably played it a few thousand times.  Whereas the self-titled effort was good but uneven, every tune on this record is a winner.
     Sadly, this album is out-of-print but easily found on this 'series of tubes.'  If you like loud guitars and truly original lyrics, buy this one.

MY TWO SHITS WORTH: EPISODE ONE

     Okay, so I promised I would start this intermittent blog post about albums that are, in my treasured opinion, severely underrated.  I've decided to start with a relatively new effort that did not even get an US release.  This would be Guy Garvey's debut solo album "Courting The Squall" from 2015.  Mr.  Garvey is the lead singer of the British band Elbow whose entire catalogue has been available in the states and have become somewhat of a cult favorite here in the States but are a big deal across the pond.  In fact, their last album went to #1 in the UK(#83 in the US) and "Courting The Squall" reached UK#3.  Garvey's voice is a bit reminiscent of Peter Gabriel although he doesn't have quite the range.
     His solo debut is a departure from the mostly hushed tones of recent Elbow releases and has more of a electronic bent with a minimalist production style.  The songs have more of a kick and a groove than a typical Elbow song which is a compliment.  "Angela's Eyes" starts things off with a wild beat and Garvey proclaiming he's been 'looking for the truth since God was a boy' and some bizarre keyboard sounds.  The title track sounds more like an Elbow tune but more experimental musically and lyrically.
     You can buy this album for a very reasonable rate as an import and you really should, especially if you are an Elbow fan or even if you'd just like to spin something new to dance to that isn't your run of the mill EDM. 

THE FUTURE.

     I haven't talked about my almost incestuous love of music lately so starting soon I will be writing an occasional column called "My Two Shits Worth!" where I talk ad nauseam about an album or other things that I believe to be severely underrated.  I hope you'll enjoy it. 

MY CHRISTMAS WISH.

     I hope everyone has the happiest of holidays.  I also hope I'll be able to get the Buzzr network really soon!  More random verbiage to come.

ANOTHER RANDOM THOUGHT

     Can a reasonably good shampoo cost only 44 cents a bottle?  Let's drink some and find out!

WARNING LABELS ON PILL BOTTLES.

     No, this is not Andy Rooney rising from the dead to complain about something.  It's me this time.
I like it when one of the warnings say : 'May cause dizziness.'  MAY cause dizziness?  For what I pay, I demand not only dizziness but mind-altering hallucinations and delusions of grandeur as well.