The Toy Box: 2026

Retro Spins: Mick Jagger - Primitive Cool

After the release of the Rolling Stone's 1986 album, Dirty Work, the relationship with Keith Richards and Mick Jagger soured when the singer declined to tour with the band in support of the album. Instead, he returned to the studio to being working on the tracks that would become his second studio album, 1987's Primitive Cool. Among them, purportedly, where the songs, Kow Tow, and Shoot Off Your Mouth, Jagger's response to Richard's very public feud with him.

Though a slew of musicians would once again be called in to assist with production, wanting more uniformity between songs, he would exclusively rely on Jeff Beck as lead guitarist. Unfortunately, this wouldn't be enough to produce a magnum opus for the singer.

Primitive Cool would not only perform less favorably than expected, but worse than its predecessor, peaking at number forty-one on the Billboard 200. With it would come the Billboard Hot 100 singles, Let's Work, and Throwaway, which would land at number thirty-nine and sixty-seven, respectively. This would lead to Jagger pulling back his anticipated tour, staying out of the UK and USA, and instead focusing on Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

Things kick off with the single, Throway, and it's a pretty decent song. I think what ultimately ends up saving it is actually the guitar work of Beck. However, from there, things quickly shift into generic. Jagger just doesn't feel like he's bringing his A-game to the record.

Again, and as I said yesterday, he's never been an artist that I consider perfection. Not by a longshot. But with that said, I did expect better.

It's not until the title track that I finally heard something that got my head bobbing and foot tapping again. Unfortunately, this was the only other gem I found on the album, and overall, it was pretty drab. Overall, it just felt like minimal effort.

It's worth noting that leading up to his work on the album, Mick actually did a one-off, recording the theme to the 1986 comedy, Ruthless People, starring Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Judge Reinhold, and Helen Slater. Fast forwarding past Primitive Cool to 1988, Richards and Jagger would reconcile, somewhat, deciding that keeping their legacy band going was more important to them than publicly feuding (*cough*....money).

The Stones returned to the studio for their comeback album, Steel Wheels (1989), and then set off on a massive world tour. As for Mick, he eventually dabbled back in the world of solo albums with 1993's Wandering Spirit, and 2001's Goddess In The Doorway. However, his primary focus remains with Keith on the Rolling Stones, who since 1989 have released six more studio albums, with the latest being 2026's Foreign Tongues.

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Retro Spins: Mick Jagger - She's The Boss

Today I'm returning to the Mick Jagger camp, but this time it's to peruse his 80's solo albums.

When the Rolling Stones were penning their deal with Columbia Records in 1983, unbeknownst to the remaining members, Jagger was piggybacking a clause within it that would grant him a three-album solo deal. It would ultimately be the rub that drove a giant wedge between friend and collaborator, Keith Richards, who felt the singer's priorities should have been to their band.

Though his 1985 debut, She's The Boss, would be well received, peaking at number thirty-three on the Billboard 200, Richards would not personally see it as a good album. He'd later go on to compare it to Adolph Hitler's Mein Kampf, stating, "Everybody had a copy, but nobody listened to it.

Yeah, um...I don't know anyone who owned Mein Kampf. Just saying.

With its release came the Billboard Hot 100 hits, Just Another Night, peaking at number twelve, and Lucky In Love, which reached number thirty-eight. Just Another Night would also become a smash on the rock charts, where it ultimately took the number one spot. So, basically, for Keith's opinion, maybe take it with a grain of salt.

Right from the get-go, I have to admit that I prefer Jagger's solo efforts, as compared to his work with the Rolling Stones. Whereas the Stones deliver a flair of rhythm and blues, when working alone, Mick brings a solid pop rock sound. This is a more favorable sound for my ears, what with growing up in an era of new wave synth pop.

While I came across his solo work because of the track, Just Another Night, opening tracks, Lonely At The Top, and 1/2 A Loaf, immediately hooked me. Candidly, I may like them more than the hit, which is no slouch by any means.

One does need to point out that the instrumentation on this record is a notch above the average, and that's because of the massive pool of talent which was called in for the project. On keyboards and synthesizers, you have Guy Fletcher (Dire Straits), Herbie Hancock, Jan "Miami Vice" Hammer, John Bundrick (The Who), and Chuck Leavell (Allman Brothers). Meanwhile, on guitars you have Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Nile Rodgers, and G.E. Smith (Hall & Oates). Mind you, that's not all of the musicians for those instruments, and doesn't even touch on the bass and drum players.

Overall, it's not a bad album. It's not perfection by any means, but then again, Mick Jagger, in my opinion, never was. The definite standouts were the two above noted opening tracks, along with Just Another Night, and Secrets. As for the rest, they're relatively skippable.

As July 1985 rolled around, Mick and pal, David Bowie were scheduled to sing a duet performance at Live Aid. Bowie would perform from Wembley Stadium in London, while Jagger sang from the stage at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, as practice was underway, they found that the one-second delay caused by the satellite broadcast kept them out of sync with each other. With neither artist willing to lip sync, they devised an alternate plan. Record a "new" song and film a music video.

The 1964 Martha and the Vandellas Motown classic would ultimately be selected because of its opening line, "Calling out around the world", which matched the theme of Live Aid. For a true deep dive, look no further than recording engineer, Mark Saunders, who posted on his own website the story of being there in person for the recording session.

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Retro Spins: Wendy & Lisa - Fruit At The Bottom

Today I'm jumping into the second studio album from Wendy & Lisa, following their unceremonious dismissal from The Revolution. Admittedly, their self-titled 1987 debut (as featured in yesterday's Retro Spin) wasn't as impactful as I had hoped, and this left me a little unexcited about playing through their 1989 follow-up, Fruit At The Bottom.

While it would land on the Billboard 200, peaking at number one hundred and seven, and despite having two singles released, Are You My Baby, and Lolly Lolly neither would chart in the USA. They did, however, fair better in the UK where they peaked at seventy, and sixty-four, respectively.

Three music videos were also produced to support the album. These included the two aforementioned singles, as well as Satisfaction. Which is a perfect segue into today's Retro Spin.

Though there are no credits, and Google denies it left and right, I swear that's Prince singing backing vocals on Satisfaction. I would bet money on it. Despite this, the album credits swear his only involvement was with remixing Lolly Lolly.

Overall, what ultimately hurts Fruit At The Bottom is the same thing that hindered their debut. It just doesn't have anything going for it that makes it a must hear album. The hits are decent, but forgettable, and beyond that, there's nothing that makes you say, "Let me hear that again!"

It's actually quite a downer. I was really hoping that playing through their two 80's due contributions would have led to a slew of unheard gems. Instead, it just left me wishing there was still a Prince And The Revolution. With that said, if I had to pick a standout track, I suppose that would be Someday I, or Satisfaction. I'm not really sold on either of these and I doubt I'll ever come back to them.

Failing to be a commercial success, Columbia Records dropped Wendy and Lisa from their label. Undeterred, they promptly signed with Virgin Records, who was already distributing their music in Europe.

Following the release of 1992's Erotic, the two disappeared from the pop rock scene, and instead focused on other projects, such as music for films and television. It wouldn't be until 1998 that they self-released their fourth studio album, Girl Bros. A decade later, their fifth self-released album, White Flags Of Winter Chimneys (2008) was released.

Though they tried multiple times, the two could never coordinate schedules with Prince to reunite The Revolution. However, the two did appear occasionally, but typically not together with him, such as when Wendy made an appearance with him in 2004 on the Tavis Smiley Show to perform Reflection. They are both also credits on his 2007 album, Planet Earth. But if you want a truly amazing sight, you have to check out the 2006 Brit Awards, where he performed multiple songs alongside Wendy, Lisa, and Sheil E., including Purple Rain, and Let's Go Crazy.

As for Wendy and Lisa, the remain active, but not really releasing any new music. They did reunite themselves with The Revolution, but unfortunately, this was in honor of Prince following his death in 2016. These days, I mainly see them on camera simply talking about the past alongside other members of Prince's once great backing band.

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Retro Spins: Wendy & Lisa - Wendy And Lisa

When Prince unceremonious announced he was disbanding The Revolution in October of 1986, Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman were sad but not surprised. The two had noted multiple times since that the writing was relatively on the wall at that point. Mounting tensions and artistic frustrations between everyone, coupled with Prince's desire for direct control meant something would inevitably have to give.

With the forthcoming Dream Factory completed, their dismissal led Prince to rework and remove all of their contributions, culminating in his 1987 opus, Sign "☮" the Times. However, that wouldn't mean that Wendy and Lisa would just disappear as forgotten backing musicians. Instead, they took it as an opportunity to sign with Columbia Records, performing as a duo.

Though they would write the majority of the tracks that would become their self-titled 1987 debut, Revolution alum, Bobby Z. would be called upon and contribute to five of the songs. However, he would not perform on the album itself. Instead, for this, they would turn mostly to family, including Lisa's father, Gary, who provided conga, and brother David who performed percussion. From the Melvoin camp was sisters Susannah, and Cole (Ynda) who provided backing vocals, and brother Jonathan on drums. Other musicians included Tom Scott (of L.A. Express), and Carla Azar (of Autolux).

Wendy And Lisa, the album, would peak on the Billboard 200, and with it come their only Billboard Hot 100 single, Waterfall, which landed at number fifty-six. As part of the promotion, the two filmed and released three music videos; Waterfall, Honeymoon Express, and Sideshow.

Things sound very much like Prince B-sides. There's no doubt that the duo influenced and inspired the artist, so it's unsurprising to hear the similarities. It's these tracks that initially intrigued on the first half of the album. However, for me, the ultimate standout was Everything But You. I think this one definitely should have been a single.

Regrettably, the album as a whole is just okay, and actually kind of boring at times. While I don't want to say it's because the two can't stand on their own, the very obvious elephant in the room is that you can feel Prince's fingertips on the album, despite him not being involved at all with it. You keep waiting for him to take over the microphone, and at times you wish he would. But that never happens.

Candidly, the singles, and subsequent music videos that the two released aren't all that amazing. They're kind of just throw away pop songs. Forgettable ones at that. Ultimately, I guess I just expected more, or perhaps more accurately stated, better. Instead, what I got was a relatively dismissible album.

I am hoping that their 1989 released Fruit At The Bottom fairs better. However, considering it performed worse on the Billboard, and produced no hit singles, I'm not holding my breath.

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Retro Spins: L.A. Guns - Cocked & Loaded

After releasing their self-titled debut in January 1988, L.A. Guns turned around relatively quickly, returning to the studio in April of 1989 to begin work on the tracks that would become their sophomore released Cocked & Loaded. Recording would wrap up in June, and by August of that same year, the album was on store shelves.

Cocked & Loaded would peak on the Billboard 200 at number thirty-eight, performing better overall than its predecessor which peaked at number fifty. Much like their debut, the album would also be RIAA certified gold for selling over 500,000 units in the USA. With it would also come their first (of two) Billboard Hot 100 hit singles, The Ballad Of Jayne, which landed at number thirty-three on the charts.

Ironically, though it was their most successful song, it was actually the third (of five) from the album to receive a music video in 1990. The first two videos were for the tunes, Rip And Tear, and Never Enough.

Jayne's music video was followed by ones for I Wanna Be Your Man, and Malaria. More on these two below.

L.A. Guns undoubtedly embraced the MTV generation, utilizing the channel to its fullest potential for aided promotion.

The album kicks off with the minute and a half long Letting Go. It almost serves as an intro to the whole thing, and candidly, just as I was getting into it, it ended. From there, the Guns deliver a solid rock / metal experience, once again showing that if nothing else, they know how to play their instruments.

This time around, they even manage to crank out a few noteworthy tracks, such as Never Enough, Malaria, Magdalaine, and 17 Crash which are pretty decent songs. Unfortunately, while notable, I don't think these are songs I'll necessarily come back around to.

As a whole, L.A. Guns has been kind of boring to get through. I think what it ultimately comes down to is that I expected more from the band the ultimately birthed Guns N' Roses. There's not a whole lot of hits, and the memorable tracks are non-existent, even those noted above.

While I don't personally see the longevity in the band, it's just my opinion, and clearly not one which impacted the band. Their career spans seventeen studio albums between 1988 and 2025, among a combined slew of EP's, live albums, compilations and video albums. So, someone out there must like them. They remain active to this day, though the lineup has changed since the 80's core members, and apparently, at one point there were even two different bands running around as the L.A. Guns.

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Retro Spins: L.A. Guns - L.A. Guns

Lead guitarist Tracii Gun and drummer Rob Gardner formed the first iteration of L.A. Guns with singer Mike Jagosz, and bassist Ole Beich in 1983. This same year, Gardner would introduce Chris Weber to Izzy Stradlin, and along with childhood friend Bill "Axl" Rose, would form the band AXL, which Rose would adopt as his first name. That trio would ultimately go on to become Hollywood Rose, after a brief stint of just going by Rose. Hollywood Rose would ultimately break up in 1984.

Meanwhile, the lineup of L.A. Guns would record their debut EP, Collector's Edition No. 1, releasing it in 1985. Shortly after, Jagosz would be replaced by Axl Rose as lead singer for the band. However, this would be short lived, as Hollywood Rose would briefly reunite with Rose, Stradlin, Weber and Steve Darrow. At this time, Gardner would also join them. Following this, Weber would leave and be replaced by Gun. Guns N' Roses would formally come to fruition, taking and combining the names of Axl Rose and Tracii Gun. This first iteration would feature Rose, Gun, Stradlin, Beich, and Gardner.

Beich would leave the band, replaced by Duff McKagan, and Gun would have a falling out with Axl that caused him to depart as well. Slash would replace Gun, and following Gardner's departure, Steven Adler would join, completing the classic lineup of Guns N' Roses.

Gun would form Faster Pussycat with Mick Cripps, Paul Black, Nickey Alexander and Robert Stoddard would join gun for this new iteration and eventually readopt the name of L.A. Guns. Faster Pussycat, of course, would also continue on, but with a completely different lineup releasing their debut album. They would sign to Polygram, but prior to recording their debut, Black would be replaced by Phil Lewis, and additionally, Killy Nickels would be added to the lineup.

Tracii Gun, Phil Lewis, Mick Cripps, Kelly Nickels, and Nickey Alexander would enter the studio in June of 1987, and by August, hammered out what would become their January 1988 self-titled debut. However, after its recording, Alexander would be replaced by former W.A.S.P. drummer, Steve Riley. Though Alexander would be credited with drum work in the liner notes of the album, it would be Riley who was noted as the band's actual drummer.

Their debut would perform fairly well, peaking at number fifty on the Billboard 200, though it would not produce any Billboard Hot 100 hits. In fact, the band wouldn't produce any hit singles until 1990's The Ballad Of Jayne, which peaked on both the rock and Billboard charts, at number twenty-five and thirty-three, respectively. However, now I'm in their follow-up album's territory. So, for now, leave us pause, and jump into today's Retro Spin.

It's interesting how Guns N' Roses can come from the roots of L.A. Guns and yet be far superior to them in every aspect. Everything that Axl, Izzy, Slash, Duff, and Steven delivered on their debut, 1987's Appetite For Destruction, is absent from what Tracii, Phil, Mick, Kelly, and Nickey bring to the table. In fact, I'll go so far as to say I ended this one still hungry for something good to hear.

Effort wise, everyone's bringing their "A" game. Quality wise, it just doesn't hit. There are no standout tracks, nothing memorable, and nothing that would lead me to need to hear this album again. Candidly, I'm not even all that interested in jumping into their 1989 follow-up, Cocked & Loaded. I mean, I will, tomorrow, but I'm not necessarily excited about it.

That's really all I have to say about it, and since the band headed right back into the studio to record said follow-up, there's not a lot to say about what happen in between their debut and second album. So, I guess we call it a day on this one.

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Retro Spins: Morris Day - Daydreaming

After successfully launching his solo career with 1985's Color Of Success, Morris Day hit the road for a support tour which wrapped up in September 1986. From there, he returned to the studio to record and release his follow-up album, 1987's Daydreaming.

With it would come his greatest hit single, Fishnet, which shot up to the number one spot on the R&B charts that same year. It would also land at number twenty-three on the Billboard Hot 100. As a whole, the album would mirror the success of its predecessor, reaching number seven on the R&B charts, but falter a bit on the Billboard 200, where it would fall a couple steps behind, reaching number forty-one (in comparison to Color Of Success clocking in at number thirty-seven).

Despite its success, Spin Magazine would provide a harsh critique of the album, calling it "musical Chinese food without the fortune cookie. As soon as they're finished, you don't remember if you heard 'em or not." Ouchie! That's mean! But is it accurate?

Kind of. It's a decent album. I wouldn't say I heard anything bad, and I did manage to hear two standout, Are You Ready, and Standing On The Line. However, the remainder was relatively forgettable. Truthfully, I wasn't even all that intrigued with the number one single, Fishnets. In fact, as I type this, I couldn't even tell you how that song goes.

As I said above, it's decent, but forgettable. Beyond that, there's not much to say about it. Truthfully, I doubt I'll remember the two standouts noted above past today.

While Morris hoped to launch a consecutive film career alongside his musical one, this didn't translate to well for him. He would appear in small roles, such as for Richard Prior's Moving (1988), as well as Andrew Dice Clay's The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990), the latter which will always invoke Booty Time in my head!

Um...where was I? Oh, right, Morris Day's acting career.

He would later reprise his role in Prince's Graffiti Bridge and show up with The Time in Kevin Smith's Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. Mind you, these are just the noteworthy ones for me. In total, he's appeared in nine movies, including Purple Rain. He's also played roles in half a dozen television shows, which included main casting for 1990's New Attitude, and 2004's Da Boom Crew.

Day also reunited with the time several times and continued to perform with them as Morris Day And The Time until the 2022 dispute from Prince's estate. Purportedly, upon his death, Prince's estate issued notice to Day that if he wished to continue using the name that he would be required to pay them a fee for said use. There's no record that shows he agreed to do so, but as of this writing, they do have shows scheduled throughout the year.

On a totally unrelated note, my 80's movie collection has filled out quite nicely.

Watching John Carpenter's The Thing for the first time.
Great movie!

A few years ago, I gave up streaming and went back to physical media. But in doing so, I made sure that I stuck closely to a strict criteria. For the most part, I stick to movies from the 80's. These consist of either ones which meant a lot to me growing up, or which I never got the chance to see but are considered iconic to the era.

Admittedly, this has been a mixed bag of movies I have and have not enjoyed. However, when a disc costs you between a dollar or two, it's not tragic when it doesn't pan out for the better.

While I will buy movies from prior to or after the 80's, these are very specific and have to be films I have not only seen and enjoyed, but which I would watch again. These don't get incorporated into my 80's collection, unless they're part of a multi-disc or box set, where separating them isn't a feasible option. A good example of this is the Die Hard box set below.

That said, if a film series includes predecessors or sequels that came before or fell after the 80's, but were in their own package, they don't get to be on the shelf. Such as the case with Star Trek.

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Christmas Catalogs - Montgomery Ward 1976

Hey! You want to spend the next two years looking at the fantastic Christmas catalogs produced by Sears, JCPenny, and Montgomery Ward? Cause I do! Yeah, I said two years, cause that's a lot of catalogs! Join me on most Monday's each month as I post up one of those fabulous books starting with 1970, and ending with 1989.

Look through every page, feeling every bit of nostalgia. Chuckle at the look and style of the wardrobes those zanny past decade people wore. Gawk at the toys you used to have, but long since parted ways with. Bring back all those memories of hours spent laying on the floor, combing every inch as your young mind pined over everything you wanted. Reminisce over the Christmas that followed as you unwrapped those lucky few that you got.

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