Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 86

   

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 86
Release Date: January 1984

Highlights

• Assistant Editor's Month
• First appearance of Bob DeNatlale, Fred Hembeck, and Danny Fingeroth
• Despite its comedic approach, the story is 100% Spider-Man cannon
• The Fly takes over a garbage scow, and begins feasting
• The Fly realizes he's turning more and more into a fly every day, losing his humanity, and he determines himself to get revenge on J. Jonah Jameson and Spider-Man
• Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man Annual 10
• Spider-Man decides to let Black Cat stay by his side, and says he'll show her everything about him, starting with where he, Peter Parker, works
• Black Cat tells Spider-Man that she doesn't understand why he would want to be anyone other than Spider-Man twenty-four hours a day - She doesn't grasp his concept of needing to work for a living
• Spider-Man tells Black Cat the origin of the Fly
• J. Jonah Jameson learns that Black Cat and Spider-Man are together as a couple
• The story ends with Spider-Man taking Black Cat to Peter's home
• Because this issue immediately leads into the pages of Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 87, it would technically make this the beginning of the symbiote saga, but...

Low Points

• ...The continuity for Spider-Man's chronological reading order is about to get all wonky over the next several issues of the multiple books, and the timeline of events are not going to occur sequentially
• Further, some of those timelines aren't chronologically possible based on the events unfolding from issue to issue

Oddities

• None

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

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Retro Spins: Laura Branigan - Touch

Alright, Laura Braniga. You have one more shot at making me a super fan. Make it happen...Or don't. Admittedly, the first thing I read about her 1987 entry, Touch, didn't set high expectations. It basically said that the album offered, "more ballads than usual." Ugh...

Basically, Touch is touted as Branigan's unsuccessful attempt to enter the adult contemporary world, leaving behind her previous pop roots. Though critics praised her vocals, and stated she had the range to certainly make the transition, overall, the album just wasn't the vehicle that was going to drive it.

Okay, so with expectations set way low, and a grueling sense of the ballads to come, let's get this one over and done with.

Despite being a ballad, and I say again, who opens an album with that kind of tune, Over Love isn't terrible. However, it's follow up, Shadow Of Love, didn't work for me. It was so slow, and way too long. I actually ended up skipping it midway.

Branigan flexes her sticky fingers to once again produce a cover heavy album, borrowing liberally from other artists. These include Jennifer Rush's Power Of Love, Ellie Warren's Shattered Glass, Hazell Dean's Whatever I Do, and Shirley Ellis's The Name Game. Most of these covers are done little to no justice in her hands. While Power Of Love is serviceable, in retrospect, Celine Dion's version is far superior. Whatever I Do was also okay in sections. I'm not a fan of the chorus, particularly how it sounds, but the rest of it was okay.

I'm not going to deny that Laura doesn't have a good voice. I just wish she had the songs to emphasize this. For example, Spirit Of Love, gives her the opportunity to provide a poppy track, which flexes her range from whispers to screaming, and everything in between. It's cut midway with a crunchy guitar solo, rounding out a great tune. She needs more like this.

At the end of the day, my goal was to complete my journey through Laura Branigan's 80's albums, and I've accomplished that. Did I come away a fan? No more than I was before. I like a handful of her songs, and I'm good with that. It is disappointing to find out that she was nothing more than a glorified cover artist, but I suppose if that's what it is, there's nothing more to be done about it.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
November 7, 1981

 

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
November 7, 1987

Comics Corner: Marvel Fanfare 47

   

Title: Marvel Fanfare
Issue Number: 47
Release Date: November 1989

Highlights

• Despite being from 1989, this issue takes place in the timeline of Spider-Man from January 1984
• First appearance of Quartermast Waldo, Captain Loffler, and Councilman Wade
• Bruce Banner undertakes a space mission for S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Note: At this point in time, Bruce can turn into the Hulk at will, controlling him, and retaining his own mind
• While inspecting a satellite, a pink substance begins eating through his suit
• The substance turns Hulk into a rampaging monster, and S.H.I.E.L.D jettisons him from their helicarrier, sending him dropping to Earth from the upper atmosphere
• A group of wood be muggers attempt to rob Peter Parker, and are stopped by the explosion of the Hulk hitting the ground near them - Ironically, Spider-Man saves them from the falling debris

Low Points

• The story is a chaotic mess of non-stop action that doesn't give the reader a moment to breath
• It was so obvious from the beginning that the story was going the route of War Of The World, with a common Earth illness defeating the alien

Oddities

• Peter tells J. Jonah Jameson at the beginning of the story that he's go a flu bug, and then at the end tells him that he must have caught Spider-Man's bug while taking photos

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

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Retro Spins: Laura Branigan - Hold Me

Here we go again, continuing the journey through the Queen of Liberal Borrowing of Other People's Material. I'm talking about Laura Branigan, the industry mouthpiece for other people's hard work, or cover artist. It appears that the rest of the world caught on at this point, and as a result, her sales quickly dipped out. The once platinum selling (clearing throat) "artist", was now not even selling enough albums to be certified at all.

I'm kind of annoyed that I have all of Branigan's albums from the 80's. Mainly because this expensive adventure hasn't paid off. I'm kind of annoyed that I'm subjecting myself to her music. Maybe this is because I'm just overly worked up about it, or maybe it's valid, and the juice just hasn't been worth the squeeze. Whatever the reason, I'm begrudgingly jumping into her 1985 released, Hold Me.

While out of the gate I wasn't impressed, my self contained rage slowly dissipated by track two, Maybe Tonight. It was a solid toe tapper. Ironic because of the first side of the album, it's the only one that wasn't released as a single.

Taking a leapfrog over the bland, and aptly titled, Foolish Lullaby, we then come to the tune which I bought the album for, Spanish Eddie. It's unfortunately after this great tune that we come to her cover of Alphaville's Forever Young. She does her best, I suppose, but it's just inferior to the original vocals of Marian Gold.

Branigan returns to the Michael Bolton well to record I Found Someone. Much like his prior song, How Am I Supposed To Live Without You, she does a serviceable job. However, the definitive rendition award goes to Cher for her self titled 1987 comeback album.

Overall, it was an okay album, but nothing to write home about, nor get excited for. I've got one more album from her to listen to, and candidly, I'm not necessarily chomping at the bit to do so. I'll definitely get to it though.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
November 6, 1982

 

Comics Corner: Marvel Team-Up 137

   

Title: Marvel Team-Up
Issue Number: 137
Release Date: January 1984

Highlights

• Assistant Editor's Month
• First appearance several multiverse Earth 8417 characters; Aunt May (as Golden Oldie), Franklin Richards, Spider-Man, Mary Jan Watson, Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing, Dough Boy The Creator, Galactus, Nova, Nathan Lubensky, and Arthur Checkov
• First appearance of the Tumbla, and Tumbla V Andromeda galaxies
• Appearances from Jim Shooter, Stan Lee, and Danny Fingeroth
• Garfield appears as a toy
• Death of Nova
• Peter takes his Aunt May to the circus, and she brings Mary Jane along
• The Fantastic Four are also at the circus
• Aunt May offers to babysit Franklin when Reed informs the others they are needed in San Diego immediately
• Franklin offers Galactus a package of Twinkies for his hunger
• Twinkies become Galactus's new desire, and he sends Golden Oldie out to obtain all she can find
• Golden Oldie flies out into space to find more sustenance for Galactus, and finds Dough Boy, who makes cream filled sponge cake planets
• Dough Boy says he would be honored to be Galactus's new herald, and provide him with all the cake planets he wants
• Aunt May is released as Galactus's hearld, and told she can keep her powers, doing with them as she pleases for her loyal services
• Franklin absorbs all of Golden Oldies cosmic powers, returning Aunt May back to normal
• Reference is made to Fantastic Four 256, and Dazzler 30
• Despite its goofy nature, the story isn't intended to be a hoax or What If, rather, it's truly part of the continuity of Marvel

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• None

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

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Retro Spins: Laura Branigan - Branigan 2

Today I'm returning to yet another one of those common stories in my album collecting history. It's the classic tale of one day getting a bug up my butt, and needing to have an entire 80's discography from an artist who I knew, but didn't necessarily know beyond the hits. Such is the case with Laura Branigan, an adventure that was quite pricy, and so far hasn't paid off. I initially listened to her debut in 2019, and being a bit disappointed beyond the smash Gloria, I went on to listen to Self Control in 2022. It fared better.

Then I took a long hiatus from her, which if you're putting the pieces together, is where I pick up today, finally getting around to her 1983 Branigan 2. I admittedly didn't have many expectations.

Everything starts off  fine with Solitaire, which is the tune I bought the album for. However, from there, it goes into an absolutely horrible rendition of Der Kommisar, and I use "rendition" lightly. Branigan's team has taken the music, changed all the words, and crafted an absolutely ridiculous song out of it. It's awful!

A couple songs later, we come to yet another awful cover of Squeeze Box. Branigan's taken a classic Who track, and put a country twang to it. This not only doesn't work for the track, but feels out of place in the otherwise pop record.

Branigan then tries her hand at the Michael Bolton and Doug James penned, How Am I Supposed To Live Without You. To her credit, she was the first to record it, and it's serviceable. However, in retrospect, Bolton's 1989 version is far superior.

Herein lies my biggest problem with the performer. She doesn't have anything noteworthy in her catalog that isn't someone else's material. She literally wrote nothing, and just served as a mouthpiece, either having music written directly for her, or taking someone else's songs, and producing cover versions. It's kind of lazy.

With that said, there were a couple songs which stood out on the whole thing. I'm Not The Only One was a somewhat funky disco hit. Again, out of place for a pop album, but at least this time, okay. Mama was also a pretty good cut. The final track, Don't Show Your Love was okay, but kind of only in a better than the worst way.

Overall, Laura Branigan is kind of a take it or leave it artist for me, and I use the term artist with hesitance in light of the fact that she doesn't actually do anything other than sing other people's material. Maybe I'm being harsh, overly critical, and just a jerk, but I don't feel like she really earned or deserved her fame.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
November 5, 1983

 

Comics Corner: Marvel Team-Up 136

   

Title: Marvel Team-Up
Issue Number: 136
Release Date: December 1983

Highlights

• First appearance of Merrill, Alf, and Manny
• First appearance and death of Daniel Steyr
• First appearance of Steyr Security Systems
• Steyr sends his team to get a sample of Spider-Man's webbing, but by the time they get it back to his lab, it's dissolved
• Steyr's reasoning for wanting the webbing, to create a better bullet proof vest for the police, as a cop took a bullet for him during an attempted mugging, is noble, but he goes about it the wrong way
• Reference is made to Iron Man 156
• Steyr uses Wonder Man as a pawn to draw out Spider-Man, and sic Mauler on him
• Steyrs tries to torture Spider-Man for his web formula, but Wonder Man saves him
• Styers takes a bullet trying to save a cop, bringing his life full circle
• Both Spider-Man and Wonder Man are broke, and on the verge of losing their place to stay

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• None

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

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Retro Spins: Eurythmics - We Too Are One

 

With little expectation, and even less desire to actually listen to it, I finally come to the last Eurythmics album for the decade. We Too Are One was a return for the duo back to a more rock oriented sound, and upon its release spawned multiple singles. It would also go on to reach number one in the UK.

So, with that said, I'm at least hopeful that there may be something here. Rather than beat around the bush, let's prevail forward.

I'm not going to lie, things started off a little questionable with the intro to the title track, We Too Are One, but then came the guitar, and the actual singing. It totally changed my mind. Things kept up with The King And Queen Of America, and at this point, the bar was set high. I had expectations that this might be the best Eurythmics album I'd ever heard.

Unfortunately, it was around track three or four that my attention was taken away from my listening session, and when I was able to return to it a day later, the moment had passed. The mood that was originally captured from the first two songs had passed, and from here on out, the remainder of We Too Are One never seemed to grab me again. Of the remaining tracks, Sylvia was really the only one which stood out to me. It certainly wasn't the grand finale I had hoped for.

After years of extensive touring a rift had grown between Lennox and Stewart, and the two decided to call it quits. However, they wouldn't do so by announcing it to the world. Instead, they just casually went their own ways. While Stewart would focus on writing and recording for soundtracks, Lennox would pursue a solo career.

Their biggest selling album to date would come in 1991, with the release of a greatest hits compilation, and this would be followed by a live album in 1993, which captured the period of 1983 to 1989. The two would reunite in the late 90's, and produce their final studio album, Peace, released in 1999. This was followed by a highly successful world tour, and since then, the two sporadically reunite to do one off events. Eurythmics were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2022, putting the final stamp on their storied history.

Because this was the final album from Eurythmics for ten years, it wasn't necessarily the big send off that would have been expected.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
November 4, 1989

 

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man Annual 17

   

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man Annual
Issue Number: 17
Release Date: December 1983

Highlights

• First appearance of C.J. Vogel, Mr. Gilbert, Louie Minelli, Barry Hapgood, Stanley Stackmeyer, Ernie, and Charlie
• First appearance and death of Milton Farr
• First appearance of Milton Farr Publishing
• Kingpin's thugs break into Farr Publishing, and rough up the man, and kidnap him
• Kingpin tells Mr. Gilbert that because of his two failures, he will be framed for a crime, and arrested - However, When Gilbert pushes back, Kingpin breaks both of his legs
• Tonight is the night of the Mid-Town High School pre-union party, with Peter reluctantly attends
• Reference is made to Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 85
• Farr has dirt on Kingpin, and the crime lord wants the files
• C.J. was once a ghost writer for Farr, and his new career as a children's television show hangs in the balance of blackmail from an old classmate, Louie Minelli
• Peter says he owes C.J. a debt for his comedy during high school, which got Peter out of a lot of beatings from bullies
• Spider-Man vows to pay Peter's debt to C.J. by helping him in the mess he's mixed up in with Farr
• In a desperate attempt to bury his past, C.J. burns the contents of the safe, which include the documents about Kingpin
• The Mid-Town High reunion commences
• C.J.'s jokes fall flat as he does nothing but insult his old classmates
• Peter realizes that C.J. thought him wanting to help was to get a story, and tells C.J. he's a loser now

Low Points

• Very long and boring

Oddities

• TBD

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

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Living Vicariously Through My Brother - Star Wars Galaxy In Shibuya Japan

My brother took a trip to Japan during the late spring, and while there, sent a ton of photos. Not being one who flies, this gave me a rare opportunity to see the sites of abroad, while staying comfortably on the ground.

One of his stops was through an exhibit through Star Wars Galaxy In Shibuya.

Looked like a pretty small place, but still fun.

There was apparently also a wall dedicated for people to write on. My brother's kid added my name to it.

He also offered to pick me up a shirt, which I politely declined.

On the way out, there were some really sweet looking banners.

I have to say, it was really nice of my brother to take the time to walk through this exhibit, and send photos. He hates Star Wars, so for him to sacrifice his limited time in the country to take photos of stuff he knew I would enjoy was really cool of him. 

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Retro Spins: Eurythmics - Savage

After a quick detour yesterday, it's time to once again continue on with my trip through the 80's discography of Eurythmics. I pick up today with 1987's Savage.

The album is a departure from the previous two more mainstream sounding recordings, seeing Lennox and Stewart returning to a more experimental sound. However, this change came with a lack of hits. While it remained a commercial success, sales wise, it was relatively ignored among US radios.

The duo would also further embrace the MTV era by releasing an accompanying video which featured a music video for every song from the record. Conceived more so as a concept piece, the videos portrayed Lennox in multiple character roles, specifically one of a frustrated housewife turned vamp.

Playing through the first few tracks, I felt Savage sounded more so like unfinished demos. Mind you, not bad, but also not necessarily mind blowing. Nothing felt polished or complete.

Things picked up a bit with You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart, and the following tune, Shame. While neither is the best Eurythmics have offered to date, they at least made me a bit hopeful that there were some hidden gems. This, unfortunately, didn't end up being the case.

By the back half of Savage, I was pretty bored with its mediocrity. So much to the point that I considered just cutting my lose, and turning it off. Still, I stuck through it to the end. It wasn't a total bust. Put The Blame On Me turned out to be okay, but overall, it wasn't worth the time spent.

This doesn't excite me to finish their 80's discography, and candidly, makes me feel like I'm going to have to force myself to do so. That, as I'm sure you can understand, doesn't start 1989's We Too Are One on a very favorable note. Hopefully, the music speaks for itself, and becomes a worthwhile experience, but I'm skeptical for sure.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
November 3, 1984

 

Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 85

   

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 85
Release Date: December 1983

Highlights

• Hobgoblin perfects Norman Osborn's goblin formula, removing the explosive side effect
• Harry Osborn and his wife Liz are having a baby
• Flash Thompson seems unhappy about their announcement, and won't talk to Peter about it
• Peter and Mary Jane finally have a brief, but civil conversation, leaving Peter wondering if she still loves him - He shrugs it off remembering Black Cat
• Black Cat reminds Spider-Man that he was going to take off his mask and reveal himself to her, but when essentially asked again, Spider-Man says he's not ready for that
• Black Cat admits that she's in love with Spider-Man, and not the man under the mask
• Black Cat tells Spider-Man that her "power of bad luck" which she originally showcased in her first appearances wasn't a power at all, rather her rigging rooms with traps
• Hearing that she has no super powers, Spider-Man insists on taking her home, but they're impeded by an attacking Hobgoblin
• Black Cat springs into the fight, eager to show Spider-Man she can handle her own
• Black Cat continuously gets in the way during the fight, and the end result is Hobgoblin getting away

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• Editor's Day Off: Peter says to Flash Thompson, "So much much for my Dear Abby routine."

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

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Retro Spins: Milli Vanilli - All Or Nothing

I have to step away from the Eurythmics a moment for a necessary detour.

Having recently watched the biopic, Girl You Know It's True, I once again turned my sights to an album I had been looking at here and there, but never pulled the trigger on. If it wasn't obvious, that would be a Milli Vanilli album. Specifically, their 1988 debut, All Or Nothing.

At this point, I'd like to think we all know the story of Fab Morvan, and Rob Pilatus. Their rise to fame in 1989 came out of nowhere, skyrocketing the duo into popularity and wealth, only for it to all come crashing down in a scandalous fabrication. However, as I essentially said in my Retro Spin on their 1989 released, Girl You Know It's True, I'm not mad about it.

Quite the opposite.

To me, it's all about the music, and it's music he world most likely wouldn't have gotten if not for the hiring of the two to play as the models. In fact, I'll go a step further, and say that I'm going to go ahead and live in fantasy land on this one, and not even acknowledge in my own world that the lip syncing even occurred.

In fact, while the world would have you thinking that the lives of Rob and Fab came crashing down, with the two being swept into obscurity, and perhaps even poverty, this too isn't the full truth. While it is true that they never saw the fame or money in volumes that their 1989 album produced, Rob & Fab would go on to form the duo of the same name, and release their self titled album in 1993. The shocking part of this is that the two can definitely hold their own behind a microphone, so it makes it all the more odd that they weren't simply given the chance to sing the tracks that ultimately catapulted them to success. In 1998, the two even had a follow-up album in the works which was shelved prior to its release only because of the untimely death of Pilatus.

The real singers behind Milli Vanilli would go on to release the album, The Moment Of Truth, in 1991. Meanwhile, Fab Morvan has continued a somewhat successful solo career, releasing Love Revolution in 2003, See The Light with Fabulous Addiction in 2012, and One Of Those Nights with NightAir in 2014.

While the aforementioned biopic doesn't fill in a lot of these gaps, and instead would have you believing that the scandal that saw them returning their Grammy Awards was the last the two ever performed, and followed shortly thereafter Rob's death, it's still a decent flick. One I definitely recommend checking out.

But, I digress. This post hasn't even gotten to the point yet. Today's Retro Spin is all about the 1988 debut. So, let's get into that.

Things start off awesome. You get a great beat, solid dance music, and then those familiar voices from Rob and Fab (I told you above, I'm living in my own truth). With it comes a great reunion with familiarity, a welcome friend stopping by for the first time in decades. It was a great reunion, and sadly only left me longing for more time.

There's a lot of hidden gems among the thirteen tracks, consisting of twelve originally from the album, and one CD bonus track. Though I didn't hear anything I didn't like, standouts for me were Can't You Feel My Love, Too Much Monkey Business, Money, the title track All Or Nothing, the original versions of I'm Gonna Miss You, and Don't Forget My Number, and the super club mix of Girl You Know It's True.

This is one definitely worth checking out, and I'm so glad to have finally added it to my collection. In fact, in a rarity from me, I'd also encourage you to check out their 1993 follow-up album. It's great to hear their real voices, and it includes some great tracks. Unfortunately, it's not necessarily readily available, and can be pricy. Top pick would be, Do I...you know what, just click below, and check out the song.

If that tune doesn't make you happy, there's something wrong with you.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
November 2, 1985