The Toy Box

Retro Spins: Chicago - Chicago 19

As I come to today's post, and my final destination in the Chicago transit, I can't help but feel glad that I'm finally crossing this group off my list. It's not been the most exciting series of Retro Spins I've gone through, but I suppose I didn't really expect it to be. They're a band rooted, for me, in their hits, with not much more beyond that.

Whereas their previous album saw the departure of longtime member, Peter Cetera, Chicago 19 would see the producer of their previous two albums, David Foster also exiting. This was not only from the producer feeling the remaining members were difficult to work with, but because they in turn felt he was removing the sound that had built the band. Specifically, the horn sections, which he frequently pushed to the background, or removed completely, in lieu of a more synthesizer accompanied sound. There's no doubt that the changes made by Foster pushed Chicago to the peak of their popularity, so it's disappointing that the guys adamantly pushed back.

Nineteen would end up peaking at thirty-seven on the Billboard 200 and become their last studio album to reach platinum status. It also featured some of the bands most recognizable hits, and pretty much their last batch of them; Look Away, I Don't Want To Live Without Your Love, What Kind Of Man Would I Be, and You're Not Alone.

The aforementioned hits are pretty much where the sweet spot of 19 lies. I suppose four out of ten isn't a terrible ratio for an album, but I don't know. It just continues to be disappointing that Chicago, as a whole, doesn't deliver much in the department of hidden gems. Their songs are either massive hits or falling flat duds. For me, there's just no middle ground.

I suppose in terms of studio albums, it's decent way to end the era. There's certainly been albums from 1988 / 1989 that I've listened to from legacy artists that were massive missteps, and in that regard, Chicago doesn't go out on a bad note. It's just no more impressive, nay, it's less impressive than what came before it. I suppose I go back to what I said above. It's disappointing that they didn't embrace the sound that saw them at their peak in 1985, and to that regard, I'm happier that I'm finally done listening to their music, which should never be the takeaway.

I would always prefer to end wanting more. To be so invested that I consider listening to something from an artist's 90's and beyond catalog. For those of you who know me, you know that's quite an honor on my part because I adamantly don't like 90's and beyond music. But again, that's not a problem here. For Chicago, I'm just ready to be done.

Of course, I'm not the end all be all opinion on these types of things. Chicago would finish out the decade with Greatest Hits 1982–1989, a massively successful compilation which went five times platinum in the USA alone. It's second only to Chicago 17, in terms of peak sales performance. It would also be their last platinum album until 2002's The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning, which to date is their final platinum album.

Though sales would slow down, their overall momentum doesn't seem to have. Sure, lineup changes occurred. Notable were the firing of original drummer, Danny Seraphine, for reasons undisclosed, and Dawayne Bailey for voicing his concerns over their label shelving the album, Stone Of Sisyphus when it was initially recorded. However, the band remains very much active, having released twenty albums, consisting of a variety of studio albums, compilations, and live recordings between 1990 and 2024. They also continue to tour, with a summer schedule in 2026, which will see them headlining with Styx.

While the world loves a reunion story, as for Peter Cetera, he's having no parts of it. To date he's not returned to the group and even declined to perform with them at their 2016 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. So, don't expect to see him on stage with the boys any time soon.

As for me, my next stop on the Retro Spin train is another legacy band which I need to wrap up. I'll see you tomorrow to get started on that.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 287

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 287
Release Date: April 1987

Highlights

First Erik Larsen pencils on The Amazing Spider-Man, and his first published work for Marvel Comics

Thor 385 was technically his first work, but that issue was published after The Amazing Spider-Man

Spider-Man searches the city for Daredevil, angry that he previously went to see him at his request, only for the Man Without Fear to not show up
Reference is made to Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 100, and Daredevil 233
Spidey busts up a teenage drug den
Alfred Morelli walks with Richard Fisk through the park, and when a bum asks for a quarter, he gives him a Rolex watch

Alfred deduces that the bum will sell it for drugs and overdose, meanwhile, the people he fences it to will kill each other for it, and the end result is removing more vagrant from the city for the price of a watch

While Peter is having lunch with Aunt May at her home, Matt Murdock shows up unannounced

He and Peter leave in a cab, and the lawyer explains his call to Peter was a ruse to get him out of the way, that Spider-Man is causing a bigger mess of the gang war by involving himself

Peter kicks the door off the cab when the driver won't stop to let him out, and it results in him and Matt fighting in the street

The cabbie breaks it up, and tells Peter he'll be getting the bill for his door

After bugging the Kingpin's building, Alfredo is picked up, literally, by Hobgoblin

We learn that Hobgoblin has parted ways with the Rose

After he gets the information he wants from Alfredo, Hobgoblin drops him to the river below, intent on killing him, but the snitch survives

Ned Leeds tells Peter that Kingpin is returning to New York that night, and that he's coming with a lot of police protection
Mary Jane enters the Kingsley building as Lance Bannon is exiting

Though she tries to engage with him, he tells her to do them both a favor, and forget she saw him there, and never tell anyone

Matt Murdock, Falcon, Sgt. Tork, Karen Paige, and Melvin Potter are all working together to ensure Kingpin safely returns to New York
Spider-Man stands before Kingpin's motorcade, calling the man out
Kingpin obliges, and fires gas grenades at him, knocking out his spidey sense

After beating him down, it's revealed that Daredevil was wearing a Kingpin disguise, including a fat suit

Despite the two continuing to fight in the streets, when a sniper takes a shot at Spider-Man, Daredevil deflects it with his club
The two go to talk, and Daredevil says that this ruse, which Spider-Man was an unwilling participant, actually helped get Kingpin back into the city safely, and that it needed to be that way

Daredevil believes the only real way to bring Kingpin down is through legal justic

Hobgoblin exchanges information with Kingpin, to the goblin goes information on Soviet spy operatives during the cold war, and to Kingpin goes the identity of the Rose

Kingpin tells the Arranger to destroy the envelope unopened, because he already knows the crime lord's real identity

Low Points

None

Oddities

While making short order of the teens running drugs, Spider-Man says they should be home watching Bill Cosby...Ooph...Hindsight is a heck of a thing
Editor's Day Off: As Sgt. Tork hands Matt Murdock a gun, he asks, "You really thing this is going to stop Spider-Man?"

Daredevil in a Kingpin disguise, including fat suit

Editor's Continued Day Off: When Kingpin tells the Arranger to destroy the envelope, he says, "The the information is useless to me."

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Chicago - Chicago 18

By 1985, Chicago was riding the waves from their previous year opus, Chicago 17. The six-time platinum album catapulted the band into mainstream success, solidifying their names in the minds of a new generation. To help in this, the band would embrace MTV and start releasing music videos. They'd also contribute the song, Good For Nothing, to USA For Africa's We Are The World.

It was also around this point in time that Peter Cetera wanted to focus on a solo career. He proposed to the band to mimic the schedule of Genesis and Phil Collins, though probably not in those words, taking a hiatus after tours to allow him to do this. The members declined, prompting him to leave. This decision would pretty much bite the band on the backside. Cetera would go on to have massive solo chart hits with Glory Of Love for The Karate Kid Part II, One Good Woman, and the Amy Grant duet, The Next Time I Fall. Chicago on the other hand, well, not so much. Jason Scheff would be brought in to replace him.

Prior to the release of 1986's Chicago 18, the band would win Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group for the second time at the 13th Annual American Music Awards. However, this would be the last time they'd receive such an award. Upon its release, 18 would drastically underperform. In comparison to the six-time platinum status of the previous album, reaching gold, which it did, was simply unacceptable.

With the potential I saw on the tail end of my Chicago 16 Retro Spin quickly dissipating, I guess I'll pause there, and jump in.

Chicago 18 isn't devoid of hits. It does, after all, contain Will You Still Love Me?, If She Would Have Been Faithfull..., and the updated 25 Or 6 To 4, which was an MTV stapple at the time. But that loss of Cetera is definitely noticeable.

Niagra Falls opens the album with a decent start. It's got a catchy hook to the chorus and captures the synthpop sound of 17. I daresay Scheff and Bill Champlin are trying to channel their own inner Peter Cetera vocal sound. However, this quickly does a 180, and suddenly we're back to post pop Chicago, blaring horns and all. It's not my favorite sound of the band, and as a result, doesn't resonate well.

I think, and don't get mad if you're a Chicago fan, but I think they forgot what made them popular in the 80's, and instead reverted back to a style which saw them steadily decline in popularity as the 70's progressed into the 80's. If you'll recall from my previous post, that sound didn't work well for them at all with their 1980 released XIV, and actually resulted in them being dropped from their label. With all that said, Will You Still Love Me remains a beast of a song, and despite the other hits from the album, it's definitely the superior standout.

Eighteen would be the last album produced for the band by David Foster, who cited growing creative tensions and strained relationships with the members. Ironically, the sound Foster produced, which put the band at the peak of their popularity was also what they held him in contempt for, feeling he had ruined their jazz sound in lieu of power ballads and pop hits. Talk about biting the hand that feeds.

Chicago themselves would close out the 80's with 1988's Chicago 19, and 1989's Greatest Hits 1982–1989. Both would serve as a last hoorah for the band's overall popularity, and from there a return to form of declining sales would occur. More on that tomorrow.

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Comics Corner: Web Of Spider-Man 25

Title: Web Of Spider-Man
Issue Number: 25
Release Date: April 1987

Highlights

First appearance of Vaalu, Harry Gibbs, Xanja, Arnie Stunk, Joe, and Charlie
The story begins on the planet Cygnorion, where a deal between species is being made that Xanja will receive the Cosmultigizer, a weapon that will allow him to defeat worlds

In return he will give the unspecified alien creature a third of all the wealth that those worlds yield

As the Cosmultigizer is beamed across the universe to Cygnorion, it's intercepted by a signal from Earth, which draws it to the planet
Xanja makes plans to retrieve the weapon himself, and conversely, when Vaalu learns of this, he plans to stop him
Two bit criminal, Arnie Stunk, is almost hit by the weapon as it crashes to the Earth's surface
Harry Gibbs arrives at the Manhattan police station, and is told about a call from the observatory, and when Gibbs returns the call, learns about an unidentified object which has fallen from space near Jackson Heights
As Peter drops his Aunt off at home, Arnie grabs her brooch, and flees the scene

Peter gives chase, tagging him with a spider tracer before going back to check on her

Spider-Man easily catches up, and retrieves the brooch
Spider-Man's spidey sense kicks in as he gets near the alien device, and as he retrieves it, Gibbs shows up informing him he's with the police, and wants to talk to him

Not interested in talking to the cop, Spider-Man webs away

As Gibbs gives chase in his car, a drunk driver runs him off the highway, ending his pursuit
Spider-Man returns home, and calls his Aunt to tell her he's retrieved her brooch, he of course weaves a ruse so as to not inform her of his secret identity
As Peter probes the alien device, it suddenly activates, showing him images of a galaxy at war before sucking him through the portal

Being a smart scientist, Peter deduces that everything is just images, he's not really there, but rather witnessing a future to come

He also sees how the alien devices are used to feed weapon systems

Spider-Man attempts to give the device to the cops, and he's pointed to Harry Gibb
While Arnie Stunk sits at home brooding about losing the brooch, Xanja materializes before him

Arnie informs him that Spider-Man has the device

Xanja takes the form of Arnie

Spider-Man attempts to find Harry, but can't - He's still in a ditch with his car

It finally dawns on him there are others who could help; the Avengers, and Fantastic Four

The possessed Arnie Stunk confronts Spider-Man for the devive

Spider-Man deduces that Arnie's body has been taken over by an alien when he sees the way he can fight

Not wanting to hurt him, Spider-Man retreats, and Xanja leaves the body, pursuing directly

After being helped by some officers, Gibbs is back on the road, and spots Spider-Man webbing across the sky, and he follows him
Gibb catches up as Spider-Man and Xanja fight, and at that point, Gibb reveals his true form of Vaalu
After a brief battle, Vaalu is able to stun Xanja, cuff him, and after being given the weapon by Spider-Man, the aliens depart Earth, but not before Valuu explains that as a time traveler, he came to Earth twenty years ago, took control of a dead body, and joined the police as Harry Gibb so that he could await the arrival of Xanja, and track him

That's convoluted

The next day, Peter returns the brooch to Aunt May

Low Points

Boring - I didn't enjoy reading this one at all
Just a villain of the week story

Oddities

None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Chicago - Chicago 16

Having sold over one hundred million records worldwide, Chicago remains one of the most successful and longest running bands of all time. Their success is second only to The Beach Boys in terms of sales, and Billboard hits.

Let's rewind a moment.

Chicago Transit Authority came out of the gate swinging with their 1969 self-titled debut, reaching platinum certification. From there, they shortened their name to Chicago, and this sales success followed for the subsequent eleven albums, through 1978's Hot Streets, a rare album in the band's catalog to not have a number in the title, though technically number twelve.

However, things weren't jiving for the band at this point in time. While the band was still living paycheck to paycheck, producer, James William Guercio, was buying places like Caribou Ranch, a historic, private 1,600-acre mountain property near Nederland, Colorado. It was at this point that the band realized he was taking advantage of them financially. They realized his contract allowed for him to take fifty-one percent of profits and accused him of keeping their royalties. The 1977 dissolvement of their partnership was far from amicable.

The following year, guitarist Terry Kath was found dead from an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound. At his funeral, it would be Doc Severinsen, band leader of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, who would encourage the remaining members to continue on. After thirty (plus) auditions, Donnie Dacus, would land the job.

Phil Ramone would step in to take over the role of producer, releasing the aforementioned Hot Streets, and 1979's Chicago 13. However, when it came time for 1980's Chicago XIV, new producer Tom Dowd was brought in. Through him, the sound of the band started to change. Specifically, he relegated the once prominent horns to the background of numerous tracks. I already talked about the spectacular failure that was this album, and ultimately how Columbia bought out the band's contract, and dropped them after its release.

Full Moon / Warner Bros. would sign them, and release Chicago 16 in 1982. New producer, David Foster would step in to guide the band, and at the risk of getting too far ahead, continued to work with them through Chicago 18. Lineup changes also occurred, with the departure of Laudir de Oliveira and Marty Grebb, and the addition of Bill Champlin.

Much like the previous Phil Ramone produced albums, less emphasis was placed on the horns, replacing them instead with synthesizers and power ballads. Additionally, Foster would bring in outsiders to assist with writing, and session musicians to record the music, which included several members of Toto.

This more mainstream sounding Chicago resulted in a return to the charts, led by the number one Peter Cetera penned hit, Hard to Say I'm Sorry / Get Away. The tune would also garner them a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The album, as a whole, shot up to platinum status, and peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200. Chicago was back, and ready for the 80's, or in my case, ready to be discovered by a new generation.

Sixteen definitely showcases the potential of things to come with the next Chicago album. However, without that retrospective history, it's relatively weak. Hard To Say I'm Sorry / Get Away and Love Me Tomorrow are definitely solid hits and are the reason I bought it. A nice hidden gem emerged in, Rescue You.

Mind you, at this point, it was the second to last track, which would be followed by Love Me Tomorrow. So, basically, by this point I'd given up completely on hearing anything else that stood out. It was a pleasant surprise, for sure.

Was it enough to make me a fan of the band? No, not necessarily. I mean, I like their hits, and that's pretty much enough for me. May that will change as I go through their remaining 80's albums, and I'd be all for it if that did happen. I definitely prefer their more mainstream synth sound to that of their earlier horn driven stuff, so there's potential.

Chicago catapulted into mainstream success with their follow-up album, 1984's Chicago 17, an album I've already talked about in a previous Retro Spin. Led by hit singles, Hard Habit To Break, Stay The Night, Along Comes A Woman, and You're The Inspiration, the album would reach six times platinum certification, becoming their biggest selling album of all time. While they wouldn't win, they would receive two Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

They were at the peak of their popularity, and unfortunately, the only way to go from there was down. The decline was swift, relatively overnight. 1986's Chicago 18 would drastically underperform, and from there, things only further declined. But that's where we pick up tomorrow.

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Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 123

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 123
Release Date: February 1987

Highlights

First appearance, and death of Blaze, AKA Kirk Donaghue
First appearance of the 1400 Club
Spider-Man sees and hears an explosion from the apartment of Black Cat, and rescues her from the wreckage
She makes a play at him, telling him to give her mouth to mouth, which he declines
Spider-Man ponders to himself why his spidey sense always goes off when Keating is near
In a flashback, which shows the reader why Spider-Man was near Felicia's apartment, she calls Peter on the phone, and tells him about a letter slipped under her door that says that since she's Spider-Man girlfriend, she's the first to die, the note then burns up
Mary Jane heads to Peter's apartment, determined to sort out their relationship once and for all, not knowing that he and Felicia are there

She's stopped by Alfredo who says to call her if she ever wants to work out their relationship

Seeing Felicia at Peter's apartment results in words between the two girls, and despite Peter asking what Mary Jane wanted to talk about she clams up with him
As Spider-Man and Black Cat head out, Mary Jane calls Alfredo
J.D. meets Kirk Donaghue, and gives him his contract to kill Spider-Man and Black Cat
Black Cat and Spider-Man go to see Foreigner
Foreigner sets up a meeting with Blaze, but he doesn't tell him Black Cat and Spider-Man will be attending
J.D. enters the room, bringing Foreigner a drink on a tray, showing that Foreigner is in on everything
When confronted by Black Cat and Spider-Man, Blaze informs them he knows he can't win a fight, so he offers to let them buy his contract out for $30,000.00, and also free the hostage he has as insurance
After punching Blaze, and webbing him up, Spider-Man notices that Black Cat's fingernails have instantly grown long
When the two finally find the hostage, they discover she's already dead
The two return to Blaze to find he's not only free, but has several men

Spider-Man goes into a rage at the death of the woman, and he's brutal on the bad guys

Just as Spider-Man gets his hands on Blaze, Keating and his officers arrive on scene, and tell the hero to back off
As Spider-Man sits on a roof confiding in Black Cat, the two embrace, and kiss
Keating goes to see Blaze in his cell, and proceeds to inform the villain that he knows all about J.D., the Foreigner, and how all the events occurred

He then breaks Blaze's neck killing him
In a surprise ending, Keating has super strength, and uses it to rip a hole in the prison wall, and lies down next to it before calling for help

As other officer's arrive, Keating pins everything on Spider-Man, saying he kicked in the wall, and killed Blaze

Low Points

No, not Spider-Man and Black Cat in a relationship again

Oddities

None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Chicago - Chicago XIV

By the time I caught up with Chicago in 1984 with their massive hit, Stay The Night, the band had already been around for almost two decades. Of course, in my young mind, I could have never fathomed that. Instead, much like Genesis and Fleetwood Mac, I'd swear up and down they were a product of the 80's. Further, much like Genesis vs. Phil Collins, I also wouldn't be able to differentiate between Chicago and Peter Cetera.

In fact, I don't think I even knew who Chicago were until after Cetera's hit, Glory Of Love for the 1986 blockbuster, The Karate Kid, Part II. Truthfully, even with how much I loved that movie and song as a kid, most of the tunes from the band were kind of sissy love songs. Massive hits, for sure, but sissy none the less.

Their storied history begins with the formation of Big Thing in 1967, formed by saxophonist Walter Parazaider, guitarist Terry Kath, drummer Danny Seraphine, trombonist James Pankow, trumpet player Lee Loughnane, and keyboardist / singer Robert Lamm. They focused on playing the top forty hits around Chicago around the local nightclubs. Soon thereafter, Cetera was invited to join.

Manager, James William Guercio, recommended the group move to Los Angelos, which they did, and began working on their own material. Columbia Records would sign them relatively quickly, and in doing so, the group changed their name to Chicago Transit Authority, releasing their 1969 debut under this name. This would be shortened to Chicago for their 1970 sophomore album and also begin a trend of titling albums with subsequent numbers, regardless of whether it was a studio, live, compilation, or box set. In the rare event that they'd go with a formal title, such as Chicago At Carnegie Hall, released after Chicago III, they'd immediately pick up with the numbering, such as Chicago V, which followed Carnegie Hall.

By the time 1980 hit, the band had reached their fourteen albums, releasing XIV that same year. They also had twelve platinum albums, and one gold leading up to this point. As such, it was a bit of a surprise that they entered the new decade failing to receive any sales certifications. XIV was considered a failure by Columbia as the album bombed. It was so bad that Columbia would buy out their contract for two million dollars and release them from the label. The agreement called for one final release, and to fulfill this obligation, Columbia released Greatest Hits, Volume II, AKA, Chicago 15.

Frankly, when I bought the Chicago albums on my want list, XIV was not among them. Rather, it was 16, 17, 18, and 19. Among them, 17 is the only one I've previously done a Retro Spin on. XIV would only make its way to my collection recently, when I decided it was time to finish up my listening sessions of the band.

It's an album I'd looked at multiple times in the past, simply to check a box, but often shied away from. Of the Chicago albums from the 80's, it's definitely a little rarer, and as such, also a bit pricier than most. I came across a seller on Discogs who also had another album that I wanted and decided to go ahead and grab it when I saw it was considerably cheaper than most sellers were offering it for.

Playing through it, I felt it was going to be a complete and total bust. Nothing was resonating. Then out of nowhere, the track, Hold On, fired up, and it totally blew me away. More like this would have definitely made the album far superior, and candidly, I'm surprised nobody saw it as single worthy back in 1980. It's literally an album saver. Granted, it is only one track out of ten, which means it's one expensive song.

Without a label, things certainly looked bleak for the band. However, fortune would smile upon them in the form of Full Moon Records / Warner Bros. This new era of the band would bring about a change in sound, a return to platinum certifications, mainstream success, and massive top forty hits, not to mention a slew of music videos for MTV. Skipping over the aforementioned Greatest Hits, Volume II, I'll pick up tomorrow with 1982's Chicago 16.

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Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 286

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 286
Release Date: March 1987

Highlights

First appearance of Richard Fisk's girlfriend, Dina
The issue picks up immediately after the events of the prior, with Spider-Man coming to from the gas that The Punisher blasted him with
Spider-Man acknowledges that stopping The Punisher from blowing up all the crime bosses with his bazooka may have been the wrong decision
Spider-Man returns home after sleeping in an ally, still impacted by the gas, to find Mary Jane is still there

He thinks to himself, "Doesn't she ever go home?"

Lance Bannon meets Sergeant Tork at the police station, and the two head out together

Tork meets up with "Honest" Vinnie, and gets a lead on a high profile meeting happening that evening

We also learn that Tork is the one tipping off Bannon to his photo opportunities

Dina meets Richard Fisk for the first time during a bike ride, and goes home with him

At his home, she finds the mask of The Rose

The readers are finally let in on who the man behind the mask is

Lance Bannon knocks on Peter's apartment door, and Mary Jane answers because he's still sleeping off the gas

Lance tells him that he wants to tip Peter off to the gang meeting that evening, and that he can't go because he has other plans

While she is talking to Lance, Peter's phone rings, and it's Matt Murdock telling him to meet him at midnight, alone

Mary Jane doesn't tell Peter about Lance's tip

Richard goes back to see his mother, and tells her about the girl he met

Vanessa Fisk recognizes her son

Vanessa's doctor overhears their conversation, and tells Richard that her memory comes and goes, and asks the boy to leave so that he can capitalize on this moment of clarity with treatement

When Richard leaves, the doctor tells Vanessa what she did was bad, and now he'll have to administer more medication

Richard tells Dina about his visit with his mother, than dawns his mask, and heads for the meeting
Tork and his fellow officers stake out the meeting, and instigate shooting by announcing the cops are there
Matt Murdock doesn't show for the meeting, and when Peter calls Mary Jane asking if anyone has called for him, she tells him about the explosions which have occurred downtown, and the meeting she didn't initially tell him about
The Rose is shot during all the gunfire, and calls for Hobgoblin
Hobgoblin sees Spider-Man, and tells Jack O'Lantern that this is their chance to kill him, but Jack bails
Hobgoblin does engage Spider-Man, but then opts to cut out too, leaving the wounded Rose to fend for himself
As he tries to sneak away, The Rose is held at gunpoint by a rookie officer, leaving the gangster no choice but to make his first kill
Spider-Man returns home, feeling he did good helping people get away from the gang fight, thinking nobody was killed for once, but then the news report come in about the dead officer
The Rose returns home, and seeing Dina there, who is also watching the news, says he didn't want to kill the man - He only wanted to wound him so he could get away

Dina doesn't answer him

Low Points

None

Oddities

None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Danger Danger - Danger Danger

It's always exciting for me to come across 80's albums from artists I've never heard of. It's like finding money in the couch cushions.

Danger Danger's self-titled debut not only checked the box of being a new 80's album but also featured a really cool cover. As an added bonus, being released in 1989, it's their only album from the era, making it even easier for me because there's nothing else to track down.

The band was in formed in 1986 by Mike Pont, Bruno Ravel, and Steve West, who brought in Al Pitrelli, and Kasey Smith. Pont would leave shortly thereafter and be replaced by Ted Poley. Though they tried, they would fail at creating a demo together. However, a retry would lead to Epic Records taking notice, and signing them. Pitrelli would also leave around this timeframe.

Tony Rey would briefly join, providing some guitar work for their self-titled debut album. He'd be replaced by Andy Timmons, who along with core members, Poley, Smith, Ravel, and West, completed the recordings. Hits, Naughty Naughty, and Bang Bang would emerge, with the former seeing steady rotation on MTV's Headbanger's Ball.

They'd support the album by embarking as a supporting act for the likes of Kiss, Alice Cooper, Extreme, and Warrant. Though they would remain unknown to me, the album would end up peaking at number eighty-eight on the Billboard 200. Bang Bang would also reach eighty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100, while Naughty Naughty wouldn't chart.

Playing through it, it has a sound familiar to that of Warrant, Poison, and Firehouse, though perhaps not as catchy. Tracks, Naughty Naughty, Under The Gun, Bang Bang, Feels Like Love are serviceable enough to keep you listening. As a whole, it's not a bad album.

What it lacks is anything that feels memorable. By the time the songs end, they've all but left my head already. Further, if they did have any other albums from the era, I don't think I'd need them in my life.

Danger Danger would, however, continue on through the 90's, and early 2000's, releasing six more albums between 1991 and 2009, though it was far from smooth sailing. Poley would be fired in 2003, shortly after recording their third album, Cockroach. The band not only sighted internal tensions with him, but that they wanted to change musical styles, and go a different direction amidst the declining hair metal scene. Unfortunately, firing him also put them in litigation when Poley sued, blocking the album from being released.

Cockroach would eventually be released in 2001, and it's a unique album, to say the least. The two disc set features the original album with lead singer Poley on disc one, while disc two contains the album as sung by Paul Laine, who replaced Poley.

Further lineup changes saw the departure of Kasey Smith, and Andy Timmons. It's cited that Timmons left to follow a solo career back in Dallas. Smith, on the other hand, quit the band after the support tour for 1991's Screw It!, forming the group Shock. The two would rejoin the band briefly before departing again, and even Ted Poley would rejoin in 2004, remaining the lead singer to date.

The band continues to tour with Poley, Bruno Ravel, Steve West, and new(er) members, Rob Marcello, and Steve Brown. However, there has been no word on any new albums since 2009's Revolve.

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Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 285

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 285
Release Date: February 1987

Highlights

Hammerhead calls a meeting with The Rose, and says if he comes and works for him that he'll make him second in command when the city is his
The Rose's casino is attacked by The Blue Boys, and he dispatches Hobgoblin to teach them the error of their ways
Spider-Man comes across a video arcade being robbed, which is actually a front for The Rose's casino
As he battles with the goons, two of The Blue Boys are shot from behind by a sniper

Upon investigating, Spider-Man sees the shooter was The Punisher

Reference is made to The Punisher mini series
As Spider-Man chases The Punisher, the vigilante tells him that while he's pursuing him, the men he shot back at the arcade are dying

Realizing this, Spider-Man retreats back to help the men

Hobgoblin sees The Punisher down below, and immediately breaks off his path of travel, not wanting to fight the "madman"
Jack O'Lantern attacks a junkyard used for stolen cars, and retreats when he sees Hammerhead is among the men
Richard Fisk goes to see his mother, who remains bedridden, but she doesn't recognize who he is
At the Bugle, Betty Leeds has called in sick, but Ann, who's covering for her, doesn't believe she's actually ill
Meanwhile, in the office of Robbie Robertson, Ned is being spoken to about his lack of productivity, and lies to Betty about being on assignments assigned by Robertson
Ned admits he is working on a story, but that he can't provide information yet because he doesn't have all the facts
Word on the street, per Ben Urich, is that Hammerhead has put a hit out on The Arranger
The Arranger has called a large meeting that night, and The Punisher is there to dispense some justice
The Punisher has a clear shot with a bazooka on the many crime bosses gathered, but just as he fires, Spider-Man web's him from behind, causing his shot to launch into the sky
The Rose and The Arranger agree to join forces
The Punisher disables Spider-Man with gas, and leaves him to sleep it off

Low Points

None

Oddities

None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Jane Wiedlin - Fur

Following the lukewarm reception of her self-titled debut, Jane Wiedlin would spend two years carefully crafting the tracks which would become 1988's Fur. The album would fare slightly better than its predacessor, peaking at one hundred five on the Billboard 200, and produce two singles, Inside A Dream, and Rush Hour. They'd peak at fifty-seven and nine on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.

Fur would feature a more contemporary production to her previous debut album, leaning on programmed instrumentation supplemented with electric guitar and horns. This statement is the perfect segue for my listening session.

Overall, I just felt the album was far superior to her debut. It feels more polished, and it hits that sweet spot in my 80's sounding ears. Side one kicks off with the two noted hits, before jumping into One Heart One Dream, which kind of has a Madonna vibe to me. This then goes into Homeboy, which reminds my ears of Paula Abdul. I'm not saying that Wiedlin was channeling these artists, nor would I fault her if she was. These are all good tracks.

Side one, or rather, what would be side one if I wasn't listening to it on a CD, closes with the slower paced, The End Of Love. It's serviceable, but at the same time also slows down the momentum that was being built. Fortunately, the tempo quickly picks up with side two's opener, Lover's Night, and stays there with Give!

Ironically, the title track is the weakest among the bunch. It serves no purpose other than to preach that one shouldn't wear fur. I mean, that's a fine opinion to have, but at the same time, who cares?

Wiedlin would continue her solo career, releasing 1990's Tangled, and 2000's Kissproof World. She'd also reunite with the Go-Go's in a series of reunions throughout the 90's, and the band would release 2000's God Bless The Go-Go's, an album conceived by Wiedlin.

The Go-Go's announced a farewell tour in 2010, but this would be cancelled when Jane would suffer an accident while climbing. They'd try again in 2020, only to be halted again by the worldwide house arrest (AKA the "pandemic").

In 2021 the Go-Go's were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and formally announced their breakup in 2022. They would reunite a final time, or rather, their most recent, in 2024 for a one-off performance when inducted into the California Hall Of Fame. Wiedlin would return to her solo career, with her most recent tour concluding in 2025.

On a side note, ever since my Dirty Dozens posts of records for consideration of a spot on the wall, and subsequent tour of the room, I couldn't get something out of my head. That something was the itch to own all of "Weird Al" Yankovic's 80's albums on vinyl. Specifically, to own them and put them on the wall.

I would browse for them here and there, but then seeing that they were about $100.00 each, with exception of the UHF soundtrack, which was about four times that (for some reason), I simply passed on them. I wasn't going to pull the trigger if I wasn't going to feasibly afford the soundtrack.

Well, as fate would have it, I came across three very nice "buy it now" sales on ebay. The first was for his 1986 released Polka Party!, 1988's Even Worse, and 1989's UHF. The latter was slightly higher than I wanted to pay...well, all of them were higher than I "wanted" to pay, so I put an offer out for it. I was surprised that the seller took it, but ecstatic that he did. Even better was that not only did they all arrive in the mail the exact same day, but so too did my order of frames from Michaels. Everything just lined up from start to finish!

I decided that if I was going to make the purchase that I'd have to in turn make them all work on the wall without removing anything else. I mean, every record up there was so for a reason. So, off we went to the inevitable third row.

I also moved some things around. First and foremost, to allow all six of his albums to be next to each other. Secondly, to line up Bad with Even Worse.

I don't know why I couldn't let this one go, but itch officially scratched. Now, I mean it this time! No more records for the wall!

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Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 284

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 284
Release Date: January 1987

Highlights

First appearance of the Blue Boys
The five issue story arc, Gang War, officially kicks off
Reference is made to Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 197 -110, 122, Web Of Spider-Man 11, and 18
A mysterious figure hides in the rafters of a warehouse, taking photographs of the criminals below, when suddenly the blue hoods bust in, and a battle starts

Spider-Man shows up, knocking in heads, but then Hobgoblin arrives too

Hobgoblin informs Spider-Man a gang war has started, and he's there to teach everyone a lesson to stay in line
Peter takes his photos from the warehouse fight to the Bugle, and finds several staff members there with Jonah discussing the gang war which has erupted in the city

The war appears to have started in the waked of Kingpin disappearing, as Silvermane, The Arranger, The Rose, Hammerhead, and The Blue Boys all jockeying for the proverbial crown

Peter's spidey sense keeps going off when he's around Ned Leeds
We learn that it was Lance Bannon who was in the rafters taking photos, and as a result, the Bugle doesn't want Peter's photos
Roderick Kingsley meets Kris Keating secretly, and Spider-Man just so happens to run into it
Spider-Man says he's not going to get involved, but then runs into another gang fight

As he begins to interject, he stops himself, and decides it's not his problem, and heads for home

Hammerhead takes a couple girls out for a ritzy dinner, but just as he's giving a toast, the place explodes, all set up by The Arranger
Richard Fisk, Kingpin's son, goes to meet The Arranger
The Arranger sends Jack O'Lantern to deal with Silvermane, and he does just that
Mary Jane is waiting for Peter in his apartment for their at home dinner date

Peter thinks to himself that he doesn't want to be there, that he doesn't actually feel at home in his own place since Mary Jane repaired and decorated it

Seeing the news, and hearing about Hammerhead, Peter determines with his great power he has great responsibility, and swings into action
As Betty Leeds returns home, she's met by a hiding Flash Thompson

He professes that he's not going to hide anymore, that from now on its him and her against the world

Low Points

As Spider-Man heads back out in the wake of the restaurant bombing, he doesn't tell Mary Jane he's leaving - That's rude
Flash Thompson is still trying to steal Ned's wife

Oddities