The Toy Box

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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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 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