Retro Spins: Rod Stewart - Every Beat Of My Heart (AKA Rod Stewart)

   

By 1986, Rod Stewart was enjoying MTV popularity, and a resurgence among a new generation of fans. Meanwhile, critics took his music with a hit or miss approach. While some embraced his evolving musical styles, others found the shift to synth pop to be dismal.

Despite sales still taking a downward trajectory with Every Beat Of My Heart, AKA Rod Stewart, the charts continued to rank the album favorably. Once again, Stewart enjoyed top twenty success across multiple countries, and spawned a couple Billboard Hot 100 hits. These included Love Touch, which peaked at number six, and Another Heartache, which landed at number 52, and Every Beat Of My Heart which stalled at number eighty-three.

Firing it up, I was once again treated to solid back-to-back tracks with Here To Eternity, Another Heartache, and A Night Like This. However, things then quickly tapered off for me.

While I purchased the album for the tune, Love Touch, which also served as the theme to the 1986 film Legal Eagles, admittedly, it was never one of my favorites. I was though pleased to come across Every Beat Of My Heart, which was actually a forgotten Stewart hit for me.

As for everything else in between, and on the tail end, it was relatively passable. I dig Rod Stewart's voice and think this helps even a mediocre track to be bearable, but at the end of the day, it's still mediocre, and to an extent forgettable. I stand by what I said yesterday, in that I would consider myself a fan at this point, but I won't profess to say he's perfect.

Rod finished out the decade with 1988's Out Of Order. It would be a massive success, seeing sales akin to those not had by him since 1978's Blondes Have More Fun. All of that unfolds tomorrow.

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And now, 31 Days Of Halloween!

Around the time I started picking up A Nightmare On Elm Street on VHS, I was concurrently picking up Friday The 13th, often rotating back and forth between which series I opted to grab. This was during the years of Blockbuster, Tower Video, and Suncoast Video, making it relatively easy to find titles.

Jason Vorhees had his charm, so to speak, but for my money, couldn't really hold a candle to Freddy Krueger. Still, I enjoyed a good slasher flick, and the machete wielding maniac certainly scratched that itch.

The series was always over the top excessive, so it's ironic really to say that it actually had a point where it jumped the shark. For me, that was Jason X. That's not only where the acting took a deep nosedive, but the premise just got corny.

For me, the series wraps up naturally with Freddy Vs. Jason. It was the battle of the century that fans had begged to get for decades. Spoiler alert, Jason wins the physical fight, but Freddy wins the psychological battle. It's respectful to both characters.

Comics Corner: Web Of Spider-Man Annual 5

   

Title: Web Of Spider-Man Annual
Issue Number: 5
Release Date: November 1989

Highlights

• Story I: War Zone: New York
• First appearance of Megasaur, Trish Fox, and Todd Tremaine
• First appearance and death of General Epititus
• Trish Fox stands in Battery Park, reporting on what is soon to be the first war on American soil since 1812
• On hand for protection with the military are Spider-Man, and the Fantastic Four, which includes a fifth member, Ms. Marvel, AKA She-Thing
• The Atlantean army attacks
• Reference is made to Avengers Annual 18
• The Atlantean army are pushed back by the heroes, and just as they appear to be in full retreat, but a second wave appears, riding a giant Megasaur
• General Epititus tries to warn Attuma that they cannot win the battle, and that he is being deceived by Ghaur and Lady Llyra
• Attuma shoots him dead for daring to suggest any of this
• Turns out Epititus was right, and Lemurian troops are attacking Atlantis at the same time
• The Atlantean army also makes its way through Washington, and as they bare down on some American soldiers, are stopped by a mysterious figure intervenes, ripping a chunk out of the wall, and blocking the enemies attacks
• After the smoke clears, he's vanished
• Back in Manhattan, the Fantastic Four all go down to the Megasaur, leaving Spider-Man standing ground on his own
• Ghaur claims one more bride for Set in Susan Storm
• The third wave of the attack comes from Attuma and his men storming the streets
• Spider-Man lures the large creature to an electric billboard, jumping out of the way as it attacks
• The electricity from within shocks the creature, going all the way to the Atlantean driver atop, knocking him out, but not affecting the Megasaur
• Without a driver, the creature instinctively returns to the sea
• NASA picks up on the nuclear explosion in Atlantis from the Lemurian surprise attack
• Attuma receives word of the attack, the destruction of Atlantis, and no signs of life
• As all the Atlantean troops retreat, Attuma stays behind, and surrenders, realizing he's been a fool
• Reed Richards holds a press conference, where he confirms his wife is missing
• The reporter asks if Spider-Man will assist, and he responds that he will if Reed wants him to
• The story is continued in West Coast Avengers Annual 4
• Story II: A Random Miracle
• Story by Gerry Conway, with art by Steve Ditko, inked by Al Milgrom
• First appearance of Quantum Mechanic
• Story III: Petey
• Fred Hembeck takes you into the life of young Petey Parker
• Story IV: Spider-Man's Most Dubious
• Another fun Fred Hembeck drawn gallery of Spidey's accessories, friends, foes, and situations
• Story V: A Mute Player For Deaf Ears
• First appearance of Jannsens, Bettermanh, Zahl, Madeline, and Frau Kuryova
• First appearance and death of Kuryova
• A solo story featuring Silver Sable
• Sable attends the funeral of one of her Wildpack operatives, Kuryova, where she is approached by his wife, Frau Kuryova
• The widow asks how she will feed her children with her husband gone
• Sable coldly answers that she prays, and then elaborates by saying to pray that the Pack Board doesn't find her husband as grossly incompetent as she does
• Again, the guy is dead
• As anger fills Sable upon her return home, we're taken to a flashback mission with her, Kuryova, and other Wild Pack soldiers
• The flashback is interrupted by her accidentally breaking a crystal cat statue in her home, which takes her to another flashback of her father training her
• It serves as an origin story, I suppose
• Silver Sable remembers another mission with Kuryova, calling him a coward and incompetent for abandoning his post, allowing good men to be killed
• The story then flashes to her and her uncle, explaining how she came up with her name
• We learn now how Kuryova died on the mission
• In a cowardice attempt to retreat, he leaves injured men behind, but as he climbs the ladder to a rising helicopter he's hit by enemy fire
• The Pack Board determines him a coward, insubordinate, and derelict of his duties, denying all benefits his wife would have received upon his dead
• Silver Sable coldly instructs her to be told all of this
• Story VI: Saga Of The Serpent Crown Part XI
• Art by Mark Bagley, inked by Keith Williams
• First appearance of the Serpent Cartel, and members Gergory Gideon, Justin Hammer, Leland Owlsley, Sebastian Shaw, Obadiah Stane, and Cornelius van Lunt

Low Points

• Story I: War Zone: New York
• It's unfortunate the story continues in an Annual I won't be reading
• Story II: A Random Miracle
• The story is all about Captain Universe, and doesn't feature Spider-Man at all
• Get your own book!
• Story V: A Mute Player For Deaf Ears
• Another story that doesn't feature Spider-Man, but at least Silver Sable is a character who got her start in the pages of his books, and occasionally reappears
• Story VI: Saga Of The Serpent Crown Part XI
• I didn't read the other nine parts, so I didn't read this one either

Oddities

• None

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

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Retro Spins: Rod Stewart - Body Wishes

   

When you've had a decades long career, you're bound to have some hits and misses. For Rod Stewart, that was his 1983 released Body Wishes. Though it produced the singles, Baby Jane, which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at number fourteen, What Am I Gonna Do (I'm So in Love with You), landing at number thirty-five, and Sweet Surrender, which did not chart.

Despite the critical response, the album still kicked out gold and platinum certifications across multiple countries and landed in the top twenty across the world. Which just goes to show, even a bad album can result in a good day for a legacy artist.

The cover serves as a homage to 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong: Elvis' Gold Records, Volume 2, released in 1959.

Opening track, Dancin' Alone has an almost bluesy Rolling Stones vibe to it, and I dig it. It this is what Body Wishes was going to shape up to be, then I was prepared to endorse it. This was followed by the hit, Baby Jane, and I thought, "What was the critic's problem with this album?"

My head instinctively started bobbing with track three, Move Me, which picked up where Dancin' left off with that classic rock sound of the Stones. It was at this point that I formally submitted and confirmed for myself that I was a Rod Stewart fan. I had been missing out for a long time on some really great music.

Of course, after saying all of the above, my attention then got diverted, and the back half kind of fell off for me. When I did tune back in, things suddenly weren't resonating the same way. In fact, I found tracks to be relatively boring.

At the end of it all, I found myself still sitting on the fence. I certainly enjoyed what was side A of the album, and I'll take that as a win. But ultimately side B kind of failed. It doesn't deter me from wanting to hear more, and I'll certainly be continuing my Rod Stewart journey. Albeit, I'll be skipping over 1984's Camouflage, as I've already played through that one. As such, my next stop is 1986's Every Beat Of My Heart.

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And now, 31 Days Of Halloween!

I saw the first Exorcist once, and that was enough for me. I don't make it a habit to mess with films that openly blasphemy God. There are just some lines that I don't feel should be crossed. Candidly, the subject matter also just makes me squirmy because demonic possession has happened and been documented to quite an extent in the bible.

In regard to horror films, it's a little more difficult to enjoy when something can or has happened in reality. So, for me, The Exorcist film series is a hard pass, but maybe for you, you like that sort of thing, and if so, there are plenty of films to choose from in the series for Halloween.

Comics Corner: Daredevil Annual 5

   

Title: Daredevil Annual
Issue Number: 5
Release Date: December 1989

Highlights

• Story I: A Friend In Need
• A story featuring the writing of Gerry Conway, the art of Mark Bagley, and inks by Sam de la Rosa
• First appearance of Leo Baxter, Serpent God, Wally Jordan, and Clarisse Jordan
• Leo Baxter is inside a local cafe and market complaining to the waitress about Dr. Tyrone's clinic
• Specifically, how they have his pal of twenty years, Wally, and won't let the two of them see each other
• Daredevil catches the story as he enters, pretending he's not paying attention
• As Leo heads outside, Daredevil picks up on the heartbeats of multiple people
• Outside, Leo is surrounded by serpent men and women
• As Leo is attacked, Daredevil intervenes
• Leo goes for a shotgun in his jeep, but Daredevil knocks it away with his club as the man aims and fires at one of the reptiles
• As the serpents retreat, Leo begs Daredevil to help get his pal back
• We get the origin of Wally and Leo's youthful friendship
• Turns out that the two were alcoholics, and eventually Wally got married to Clarisse, much to Leo's dismay
• Wally continued to drink, was also abusive, and ended up in the hospital, after getting out, he sought out Dr. Tyrone to get help
• Daredevil turns him down
• As Leo leaves, Dr. Strange appears, and makes the same request of the man without fear
• Reference is made to The Punisher Annual 2, and The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 9
• Viper goes to Dr. Tyrone, and explains how her facility has been destroyed by The Punisher and Moon Knight
• Dr. Tyrone invites her to stay
• In her head, she seethes over accepting a man's help, and vows to kill him so she won't be indebted to him
• Dr. Tyrone reveals to Viper that he's really Tyrannus, and shows her his pet, the captive Spider-Man
• Tyrannus intends on using Viper as a vessel to resurrect Set
• Outside, Leo infiltrates the compound
• Tyrannus is informed of his presence, and sends Spider-Man to retrieve his head
• We see through Spider-Man's eyes that the spell he's under reflects Leo as a monster instead of his human self, causing Spidey to attack
• Daredevil intervenes, and as Leo runs for safety, he comes face to face with Wally, now a serpent
• Meanwhile, Spider-Man and Daredevil's battle destroys the damn controls, sending a flood of water towards the compound
• Dr. Strange saves Leo by trapping the other lizards in the crimson bands of cyttorak
• During all of this, Tyrannus begins the summoning resurrection of Set
• Strange intervenes, but the incantation is done
• Except it's not Set, it's a demon from the dimension of Dormammu
• Tyrannus doesn't care, as long as the being is bound to his control
• Tyrannus's mind control over Viper slips loose, and she flings him into the pentagram on the floor, causing him to also loose control of the demon that swallows him whole
• Strange sends the demon back to its domain
• With Tyrannus gone, Spider-Man is once again himself
• In one last act, Dr. Strange returns all the lizard folks back to their human forms
• Leo tells Wally that he can now go back to his wife and kids, but Wally tells him they don't want him around, and further, he doesn't want to be there
• Leo gets angry when Wally also tells him they were never friends, just drinking buddies, and tries to shoot him
• Daredevil once again stops him
• Story II: Role Reversal
• Art by Jim Lee
• Story III: Super Senses Comparison
• Art by Mark Bagley
• Story IV: The Rescue
• John Romita Jr., inked by Klaus Janson
• Story IV: The Redeemed And The Condemned
• Art by Wilce Portacio, inked by Al Milgrom
• Story V: Saga Of The Serpent Crown Chapter VII
• Art by Mark Bagley, inked by Keith Williams

Low Points

• Story I: A Friend In Need
• Odd ending
• The remainder of the annual has nothing to do with Spider-Man, and I didn't feel like reading another twenty-nine pages

Oddities

• None

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

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Retro Spins: Rod Stewart - Tonight I'm Yours

   

Rod Stewart had always been an artist that was adaptable to the times, reinventing himself as the years passed to stay relevant. As a result, it's not surprising that with the dawn of new age and synth pop that he'd immediately take to this new style with his 1981 released, Tonight I'm Yours. The album not only featured a more radio friendly sound but shifted drastically in musical style to fit in with the shifting landscape, while also offering fans a bit of old with the new.

Further, Stewart would immediately embrace the age of MTV by filming four music videos in support of the album. All would quickly be put into rotation on the infant channel.

As the for the album, it performed better than its predecessor, going multi-platinum in Australia, Canada, and the USA, while also reaching gold in the UK. With it came the hit single, Young Turks, which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at number five, as well as the title track itself, which landed at number twenty. As 1981 switched to 1982, How Long would join then on the Billboard at number forty--nine.

Rod Stewart did indeed embrace the synth pop and new wave era. Very clearly evident by the opening title track, and Young Turks. These are peppy, catchy, and fast paced, easily drawing me in.

With that said he doesn't fully transition his music to this style. The majority of the album is filled with his familiar soft rock sound. This, I suppose, would help fans of his traditional style to transition with him gradually, versus suffering system shock from a full 180.

It's a decent album, and it's great to hear Stewart in general. Like sitting down to chat with an old friend from the past. It's just easy to get into the conversation, or in this case, the music. The familiarity makes you comfortable.

Typically, Stewart returned to the studio, producing a new album annually. However, this time he turned his attention to a massive world tour, and in the process, a live project, releasing Absolutely Live in 1982. It was also during this time that he left long time label, Riva Records, signing with Warner Bros.

During this time, his backing band would also shift, with long time drummer, Carmine Appice opting to leave. Additionally, he found himself needing a new keyboardist right before his tour commenced. These sudden shifts resulted in a bit of a musical shift for Stewart, resulting in his follow-up album, Body Wishes (1983) being heavily synthesized.

That's where I pick up tomorrow.

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And now, 31 Days Of Halloween!

When I saw the trailer for Army Of Darkness in 1992, I immediately wanted to see the film. But having a mom who was quite adherent to the rating system of films, I wasn't allowed to. Still, it remained in the back of my mind, and eventually, I got my own copy on VHS. What I didn't know at the time was the film's tie into Evil Dead. How could I? There was no regular use of the internet at this point. No search engines or Wiki's to cross reference. Honestly, at this point, I can't even recall when or how I figured it out, but ultimately, I did end up getting the first two films and finally watching the trilogy in order.

What's not to love about the character Ash? He's cocky, confident, and yet at the same time his arrogance gets him into more trouble than a more reserved person would find themselves in. Somehow, all of this serves as additions to his strengths as he goes toe to toe with the demonic undead. Did it cost him his hand? Absolutely. Did he get a really cool chainsaw to put in its place? Heck yeah, he did!

Comics Corner: The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 9

   

Title: The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual
Issue Number: 9
Release Date: September 1989

Highlights

• Story I: The Serpent In The Shadow
• First appearance of Brother Elton
• Many folks are flocking to the West Side Armory to get Dr. Tyrone's miracle cure for drugs and alcohol addiction, which Spider-Man is taking photos of in hopes of selling to the Bugle
• Dr. Tyrone administers the injection to a man on the stage, and he professes that his shakes and chills have gone away instantly
• Spidey spots Cloak, and when he attempts to get answers as to why he's there, Cloak vanishes
• Dagger intervenes, but it's only a distraction for Cloak to fold Spider-Man inside of him, and both of them vanish
• From a monitor, Ghaur watches Dagger, and proclaims she'll make a good bride for Set, and to mark her
• In a conversation between Cloak and Dagger, we learn that Cloak was there to seek out the cure from Dr. Tyrone for himself
• Dr. Tyrone turns out to be Tyrannus, and he takes Dagger captive
• Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man Annual 23, Captain America 344, and Marvel Team-Up 111
• As Peter develops his film, he notices a serpent tattoo on Brother Elton's wrist, and heads to the Armory for answers
• Spider-Man intercepts Cloak on the way, and learns of Dagger being taken
• Spider-Man sneaks inside the Armory, and unknown to him, Cloak phases through the walls and floors, following Dagger's light directly to her
• Dr. Tyrone tells Cloak to get him a certain book in a museum, or else he won't release Dagger from her comatose state
• Meanwhile, Spider-Man comes across junkies strapped to gurneys, and wonders why they are being restrained
• Within mere moments, Cloak returns with the book, and Tyrone orders him to be killed
• Lizard creatures attack, and we learn that these are the junkies, who have been transformed with a lizard serum created by Viper
• An explosion knocks Dagger out of her trance, and gives Cloak the needed opportunity to engulf her, and vanish to safety
• Back at the ambulances, Spider-Man witnesses a man transform into a lizard
• In a cliffhanger ending, Spider-Man is captured by Dr. Tryone
• Story II: Free Fall
• First appearance of Charles Weiser, and Nattie
• First appearance and death of Neal Mulligan
• This story evolves around Hobie Brown and his persona, the Prowler
• Working at a construction site, Hobie sees Neal Mulligan falling from the rafters, and though he attempts to save him, he fails
• Hobie returns home for a night out with his wife, but instead finds a note on the fridge stating that class is running late
• Hobie heads to his drawing table, and continues work on the safety devices he was designing, but just as he gets started, he falls asleep
• When Mindy returns home, she wakes him, and he shows her the designs for the compact glider
• Mindy tells Hobie he needs to sell the design to someone who can execute them
• He tells her they aren't ready due to some design flaws
• Thinking she's helping, Mindy takes the plans when Hobie falls back asleep, and the next morning delivers them to Hammer Industries
• Hobie freaks out when he finds out
• Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 305
• That night, Hobie suits up as the Prowler, but as he heads to Hammer Industries to steal his designs back, he sees someone stealing classified microfilms from one of Hammer's competitors
• The thief is using the glider design he created
• Prowler easily defeats him, and after unmasking him, learns he's an employee of Hammer named Charles Weiser, and the only reason he committed the crime was because Hammer promised him a promotion
• Story III: The 25 Most Important Women In My Life
• The fun art of Fred Hembeck returns for another gallery, this time on the women Peter and Spider-Man are fond of in their lives
• Story IV: Sweet Revenge
• Mary Jane's first solo story
• Mary Jane sneaks out at night, and makes her way to the state prison
• She subdues a guard, and steals his keys, making her way to Jonathan Caesar's cell
• After a cheeky encounter with him, she tell him she wants her life back
• Mary Jane pulls out a revolver and shoots him dead
• She awakens at a modeling interview to her name being called
• Inside the office, she's once again turned down for the job
• As she leaves, the man makes a call, and informs the individual on the other line that Caesar owes him one
• Mary Jane returns to Aunt May's home to a surprise birthday party
• Two days later, Jonathan Caesar receives a photograph from Mary Jane of her and Peter embraced in a kiss
• Story V: Saga Of The Serpent Crown Part VI
• First appearance of Regina

Low Points

• These Atlantis Attacks annuals are too long, and extremely difficult to get through
• Story I: The Serpent In The Shadow
• Having not read all the various annuals across Marvel Comics, I've no clue what happened to She-Hulk from The Amazing Spider-Man Annual 23
• This story is continued in Daredevil Annual 9
• This in and of itself is a problem, see oddities
• Story V: Saga Of The Serpent Crown Part VI
• It has nothing to do with Spider-Man, and since I'm not reading the other chapters, I skipped this one

Oddities

• Story I: The Serpent In The Shadow
• Editor's Day Off: After meeting a group of homeless people, Spider-Man thinks about his living situation with Aunt May, and concludes, "At least we have place a live."
• Editor's Continued Day Off: In the same panel of a typo, Spider-Man's eye lenses are colored red

• Is The Editor Coming Back: As Spider-Man spies on some ambulances, he thinks, "I have a read bad feeling about this."

• Editor Is Fired! The end of the story references that it continues in Daredevil Annual 9
• The problem is that Daredevil was only up to Annual 4 at this point
• Further the cliffhanger ending of Story VI references Daredevil Annual 4 as the continuation point
• Story II: Free Fall
• Odd cliffhanger ending where Hobie learns that Mulligan was dead before hitting the ground, having gotten his skull bashed in while walking the rafters

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

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