The Toy Box

Retro Spins: The Flirts - Blondes Brunettes & Redheads

At this point in time, I'm growing a bit bored with The Flirts. What started out as something "new", and a novelty has kind of run its course. Still, I have two more albums to get through, todays Blondes Brunettes & Redheads, and tomorrow's Questions Of The Heart. So, let's dig in, and get there.

Though there's not much to say about the group itself, the album is noteworthy for the track, You & Me. It went all the way to number one on the Billboard Dance Charts, making it their biggest hit of all time. This was followed by New Toy, which peaked at number five.

Great, so what you're telling me is that this album's going to be the greatest of the bunch, and well worth the journey to get to it!

Yeah, not so much. I don't profess to be a big fan of the Billboard Dance Charts, so I'm not sure what exactly was going on at the time that You & Me went to the number one spot, but I definitely feel like there should have been something better. Hold please...

Okay, I'm back. I checked the Billboard Dance Charts, and I'm admittedly confused. You & Me was up against the likes of Stevie Wonder's Part Time Lover, Diana Ross's Eatin' Alive, Aretha Franklin's Who's Zoomin' Who?, Sheila E's A Love Bizarre, and Scritti Politti's Perfect Way. Mind you, that's just five of the top ten for that week. Well, six if you include You & Me. The point being, no way that The Flirt's track is better than any of those. Sorry, it's just not. It must have been a fluke.

Much like yesterday's play session of Made In America, I'm seeing familiarity between their songs with each other. The chorus to Just Another Heartache could easily be replaced with their debut album's Jukebox (Don't Put Another Dime). At this point, it feels like a lot of self-plagiarism is occurring, or Bobby Orlando's signature style is so finely tuned, that everything sounds the same. Either way, it feels lazy, and detracts from the much better songs that are being copied.

Surprisingly, there was a standout track that seemingly came out of know where. As Island Boy came around, I found my head bobbing to the beat, and my ears really digging the rotating vocals of the girls. It was a nice hidden gem, and really unexpected.

The Flirts finished off the 80's with their aforementioned 1986 album, Questions Of The Heart. It would serve to be their final studio release until 1992's Take A Chance On Me. But leave us not get that far ahead. Let's first get through 1986 tomorrow.

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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 290

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 290
Release Date: July 1987

Highlights

First appearance of Preserver, Max, Kevin and Billy
Spider-Man sits on a rooftop, trying to convince himself he's happy

Though he is finally over the flip flop of if he will or won't be Spider-Man, after being told by Flash Thompson to never give up

Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 289
Preserver is taking hostages in an attempt to get the city to stop tearing down what he considers historic architecture

After being stopped by Spider-Man, he learns they were just reinforcing the buildings, not tearing anything down

The mayor insists that J. Jonah Jameson, who is present, will write a glowing story about Spider-Man saving the day
Peter goes to see Mary Jane, unsure why he still feels out of sorts, to which she tells him that maybe it's a Peter Parker issue, and not a Spider-Man one
Mary Jane suggests he goes to see his Aunt, but mentally feels jealous that it's not her who can help him work through his problem, but acknowledges she wants him to talk to the best person

She then acknowledges that her putting Aunt May before her was a growing up aspect in her own life

Peter goes up to his old room, and discovers his microscope is gone

May explains that she said the church could take some old toys as donations, and they must have taken it

Though Peter tells her it's not a big deal, as he leaves, it becomes clear that it is

It's the microscope Uncle Ben and Aunt May gave him

Peter goes to the church, but when he learns his microscope has been selected as a higher value auction item for the orphanage, he doesn't ask any further questions

While there, he meets Max, an ex-gang member who was hired, along with his other ex-gang members to guard the Judah scepter, a staff that was loaned to the church for their exhibit

Meanwhile, Mary Jane calls Aunt May's house looking for Peter, but learns he's already left
Peter heads to the auction to attempt to win the bid, but gets side tracked by some thieves which he feels obligated to chase after least history repeat itself and a murder occur

As Spider-Man chases the thieves, his spider sense goes off, leading him to a window where he see's Max holding security guards at gunpoint, telling them that he and his gang never went straight, and they're taking the scepter for a massive payout

Max escapes as the security guards open fire, and takes a kid as a hostage

Spider-Man stops him with a well aimed pair of paint cans flung at him, followed by a solid fist to the face

Peter makes it back to the auction, and wins his microscope back

As he dwells on the object, he realizes that his problem has been that he's been so focused on being Spider-Man that he's forgotten to be Peter Parker

Peter returns to Mary Jane's apartment with a bag of M&M's, but notices she has luggage packed

She informs him she needs to leave immediately to go out of town

Peter asks if they can talk first, but Mary Jane says she's in a rush

Peter just blurts it out...

In a cliffhanger ending, Peter Parker proposes (again) to Mary Jane Watson

Peter first proposed way back in The Amazing Spider-Man 183

Low Points

None

Oddities

None

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

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Retro Spins: The Flirts - Made In America

Bobby Orlando is often credited as one of the founding fathers of Hi-NRG music. As a multi-instrumentalist, he's single handedly crafted the music for entire albums, playing electronic keyboards, guitars, bass, synthesizers, drums, piano, assorted percussion, trumpet and saxophone.

As a solo artist, he composed the hits, She Has a Way, How to Pick Up Girls, Suspicious Minds, and I'm So Hot for You. However, by 1982, he was on to his next project, the formation and delivery of The Flirts. While he himself would provide all instrumentation and occasional backing vocals for their albums, for the lead singing, he brought in a rotating lineup of all female session musicians. For the face, AKA the on-stage performers, he hired models.

The Flirts released five albums throughout the 80's, and today, I'm at the halfway point with 1984's Made In America. The album itself is most notable for being the second to produce Billboard Dance Charts hits, this time being Helpless (You Took My Love) (peaking at number twelve), and Dancing Madly Backwards (peaking at forty-seven). However, much like previous hits, this didn't necessarily make the group a household name, and they continued to be more popular in European countries.

Helpless (You Took My Love) kicks things off for the record and quickly sets that 80's new wave tone. While I don't necessarily think it needs to be an eight-minute song, it's the track which actually first intrigued me about the group. Despite its length, it's definitely the standout track among the bunch.

As track three, Temptation, starts up, it sounds incredibly familiar. This is because it has the exact same beat and riff as that of Helpless. It's not until the lyrics kick in that it starts to show any differences, but still, it's kind of lazy song writing. The same thing happened with Physical Attraction, which too sounds familiar of the hit.

Despite that, The Flirts deliver an overall satisfying 80's album. Is it wearing a bit thin at this point? Yeah, maybe. I think the novelty of something "new" has worn off, and while the tracks aren't bad by any stretch of the imagination, their consistent genericness is starting to take its toll. I say this knowing I still have two albums to make my way through, and candidly, I'm not as excited for this as I was with previous ones.

The same month Made In America was released, The Flirts would also have their collaborate with Jan and Dean for the Karate Kid soundtrack, (Bop Bop) On The Beach, featured in the film. It's the song which plays during the beach scene, where Daniel first gets the idea to stalk Ali, and become Johnny's bully.

Though I would usually end my posts with some kind of segue into the next, there's honestly not much to say pertaining to the group. Instead, we'll all just have to meet up tomorrow for their 1985 follow-up, Blondes Brunettes & Redheads, the album which would feature their biggest career spanning hit. Is it the end all be all Flirts song? I guess we'll find out.

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Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 129

Title: Peter Parker, The Spider-Man
Issue Number: 129
Release Date: August 1987

Highlights

The issue picks up where the last ended, with Peter coming home and overhearing Black Cat on the phone talking about their plan to set Spider-Man up for the murder of Blaze
Black Cat throws a decoy bomb at Peter's darkroom, and as he goes to save his camera equipment, she escapes

He gives chase, but as he runs to the exit of his building, comes face to face with Flash Thompson

Flash, still weak, passes out in his arms, ruining his plan to chase Black Cat

Detective Tork thinks back on his previous meeting with Stan Carter

During that meeting, Carter tries to convince him that Spider-Man didn't kill Blaze, and instead of wasting his time investigating the hero, he should be investigating Lt. Keating

Tork thinks it through, and redirects his investigation on Keating

Peter and Flash go to Betty Leed's home, Peter unconvinced that anything is wrong

That is until she greets them and tells them Ned will be home soon

Flash grabs Betty, and after shaking her and telling her that Ned is dead, she finally snaps out of it, and cries for help
Peter goes to the station to meet with Keating, and while at his desk waiting for him to return, his phone rings

It's Black Cat on the other end, and Peter takes the message to have Keating meet her later at a specified address

As J. Jonah Jameson grumbles about Silver Sable not finishing the job yet of capturing Spider-Man, he quips, "Women, can't live with 'em, can't live with 'em."

That's not a typo

Silver Sable returns Jameson's deposit, and tell him he's not worthy of being the man who brings Spider-Man down
As Black Cat and Foreigner finish up in bed, Spider-Man bursts in through the window

Black Cat finds the nearest phone and calls the police

Spider-Man and Foreigner fight, but the villain has incredible speed that catches Spidey off guard

Spider-Man figures out that it's hypnosis, and that the key to winning is closing his eyes

Despite setting him up, Felicia tosses Tork an envelope with photos and the negatives of Keating breaking the cell wall of Blaze, proving it wasn't Spider-Man
Black Cat sends Peter a letter explaining it all, how she was angry at him for dumping her, angrier when he helped her defeat Sabretooth

Though her intensions were to make him hate her, she fell in love with him again, which is why she's leaving

After reading the letter, Peter tells Mary Jane he'd like to be alone, but as soon as she leaves, he chases after her, just to find she's still standing at the door
In the epilogue of the story, we find that Foreigner and Silver Sable not only know each other very well, but used to be married (maybe we already knew that, and I just forgot - it sounds familiar)

We also learn that Keating was actually Foreigner and his men in disguise, and that Foreigner killed the lieutenant years ago

Low Points

None

Oddities

None

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

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Retro Spins: The Flirts - Born To Flirt

Yesterday, I began a journey through the obscure 80's group, The Flirts. Today, though I'm continuing on through the second of their five 80's albums, there's relatively nothing I can say leading into it. Information on the band is pretty limited, and there's nothing noted specifically pertaining to this album. As such, I just have to dive in to 1983's Born To Flirt, and see where things land.

It kicks off with Oriental Boy, a song which seems to want to tape into Aneka's 1981 hit, Japanese Boy, though a bit more upbeat in tempo. It's an okay tune, and kind of fun with all its new wave gooiness of cheese.

That's relatively where the whole album stays rooted. Not in oriental tone, but rather retro new wave guilty pleasures. It's just fun but certainly lacking in hits at the same time. You're definitely not going to turn on the radio today and hear this stuff. Which is a shame when you think about it.

Other standout tracks included Teenage Werewolf (I Was A), Dream Boy, and Danger. Mind you, none of this is earth shattering top forty material. Nor do I see myself going back to them in the future. Rather, they just contributed to an enjoyable thirty-minute listening session of obscure 80's. Sometimes, it's just nice to hear something "new", even if it's not a long lasting impression.

Probably the most noteworthy portion of 1983 for Bobby Orlando, would be the meeting between he and Neil Tennant. Tennant, and fellow Pet Shop Boys album, Chris Lowe, admired the music of Orlando, and specifically noted the previous Flirts album hit, Passion, as the most important song of their lives. They'd work with Orlando, producing twelve tracks, which included the original mixes of West End Girls, One More Chance, It's a Sin, Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money), and I Get Excited.

However, by the following year, Orlando and his gaggle of girls were back to The Flirts, recording and producing 1984's Made In America. With it would come another dance chart hit, but sadly, no further explosion in popularity. That's where I'm headed tomorrow. Hope to see you there.

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Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 128

Title: Peter Parker, The Spider-Man
Issue Number: 128
Release Date: July 1987

Highlights

Black Cat once again gets a new costume, and its somehow worse then her previous new one
Black Cat learns that Foreigner was playing her for a fool, using her to get to Spider-Man
Silver Sable let's J. Jonah Jameson hire her for one million dollars to take care of Spider-Man
Barry and Ashley, the original creators of the Blaze persona and costume are studying in the library when Spider-Man enters the scene and demands who they sold the costume to

They deny the allegation, and state they set fire to the suit, and took his last warning to heart

As Spider-Man leaves, they return to their work - plans to steal the Mona Lisa

Detective Tork is met at the station by Stan Carter, the officer who killed Captain Jean DeWolff

Stan tells him Spider-Man wasn't involved in Blaze's death

Daredevil catches up with Spider-Man and tries to convince him he needs legal help for the allegations that he killed Blaze
Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 287, 289, and Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 118
Flash Thompson calls Betty Leeds from the hospital, and when she answers, she's clearly loosing her mind, talking about Ned being home soon, and that Flash and Sha Shan should come over some night
Silver Sable's men find Spider-Man, and attack
At Peter's apartment, Black Cat is on the phone with Lt. Keating, plotting on Spider-Man
Spider-Man comes face to face with the now fired S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who killed the kid, Alex Woolcot

Spider-Man strips him down, and webs him head to toe

It sounds odd, but he took all his clothes off because he knew the guy would be too impatient to wait for the webbing to dissolve, and how much it would hurt ripping it off

Which it does hurt, because he was impatient

Peter returns home, and overhears a call between Black Cat and Foreigner, and how she's playing Spider-Man for a fool

Low Points

None

Oddities

Editor's Day Off: Several panels where the character's teeth are the color of their flesh
Why is Silver Sable accepting money to capture Spider-Man?

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

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Retro Spins: The Flirts - 10¢ a Dance

Hey, who remembers The Flirts? Hello? Anyone? No surprise.

Before he penned West End Girls for Pet Shop Boys, Bobby Orlando was the mastermind behind Hi-NRG, new wave group, The Flirts. Between 1982 and 1992, they released six albums, featuring Orlando himself with a rotating female lineup consisting of Andrea Del Conte, Rebecca Sullivan, Holly Kerr, Linda Jo Rizzo, Pamela Moore, Christy Angelica, Debby Gaynor, Tricia Wygal, Geri, and Jodie Rocco.

Orlando would often call in female session musicians to record the tracks, but then hire others to be the faces performing, often with backgrounds as dancers. Basically, talent in the studio, looks on the stage. You know, Milli Vanilli.

Though they didn't have many, there were some hits which came from the efforts. However, despite being a US group, most of their success would be found overseas in European countries. In fact, their final 1992 album, Take A Chance On Me, would only be released in Switzerland.

Their debut, 10¢ A Dance, was released in 1982, and music videos for Jukebox (Don't Put Another Dime), and Passion would become mainstays on the channel's during MTV's infant years. The two songs would also hit the Billboard Dance Charts, peaking at twenty-eight, and twenty-one, respectively. Additionally, the single, Calling All Boys would chart, and also peak at number twenty-one.

The album is fun, in that cheesy 80's new wave type of way. It almost has a B-52's vibe, wherein the music feels like it's intended to be a long party that everyone's invited to. During its thirty-minute runtime, the tempo never slows down.

The Flirts take a stab at the Dusty Springfield hit, I Only Want To Be With You. It's a serviceable cover, maybe not as good as the Samantha Fox rendition, but still okay.

Passion is a pretty decent track, but I find that I have to like Jukebox, (Don't Put Another Dime). It's the first song I ever heard from the group. Mind you, that wasn't until recently when I randomly came across it on Youtube. In fact, I wouldn't even own their entire 80's discography if not for that chance listening session and finding a seller on ebay who just so happened to have them all for around ten dollars each. Everything just clicked into place on this one.

Again, it's a fun album. It's not Michael Jackson's Thriller by any means, and there's probably nothing on here that I'll find myself saying, "let's hear that again." If nothing else, it's just cool to have found something obscure, that at the same time was enjoyable to hear. Will that hold up for four more albums? I don't know, but I'll find out.

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Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 127

Title: Peter Parker, The Spider-Man
Issue Number: 127
Release Date: June 1987

Highlights

First appearance of Edward Fasolino, Harry Niceza, Teddy Vinchenzo, and the henchmen, Willy and Vinnie
On a stormy night, Edward Fasolino runs from a creature who attacks him

Spider-Man hears the scream, and investigates, finding the man bleeding, barely alive, and rambling about a lizard man

Spidey fears the Lizard is back

Spider-Man calls Doctor Curt Connors, and is relieved to speak to him, and get confirmation that he's not reverted back to the Lizard

Dr. Connors hangs up, and says to himself that he must handle this himself, and not involve Spider-Man

Harry Niceza, and Teddy Vinchenzo are at a local pizza joint reminding the owner he owes their boss money, and will be back for it tomorrow

It won't matter, the Lizard confronts them both, and tells them that if they don't give him the information he wants he will hurt them

They don't have the answers he seeks

Peter sits at home watching the news, and hears a story about a lizard man victimizing people

Determined to get answers, Spider-Man heads to Curt Connor's home

At his home Spider-Man finds a note informing Connors to come to a certain spot at a certain time, and bring the formula

Spider-Man also finds the Lizard, but the reptile says he doesn't want to fight, and then transforms back to Curt Connors

Connors explains that after returning home from Battle World, and in tattered clothing, that his wife said she needed time to think, and taking their son, left

He then explains that since returning he's realized and accepted that he and the Lizard are one and the same, and since then, has been able to control his transformation

He also explains that the note was from the Owl, who wants his formula, and has taken his wife and kid as ransom

Spider-Man says he'll help, but the Lizard tells him he must do it alone to prove to his wife that despite his ability to transform that Curt Connors is still there

Despite this, Spider-Man still follows, and attempts to stop the Lizard

Lizard gets to the rendezvous point, and demands answers of where his family is from the thugs Willy, and Vinnie, which he gets

Lizard infiltrates the Owls penthouse suite, but is stopped by a blast of cold, which neutralizes his reptilian body

Spider-Man also enters the fray, grabbing Curt's wife and kid, and attempting to get them to safety

As he's held at the mercy of the Lizard, the Owl explains he needs the serum that Connor's created to fix his shattered spine
Lizard wants to kill the Owl, but Connors fights his rage off, and turns back to his human form
Despite saving them, his wife still leaves with their son, saying she still needs time

Low Points

None

Oddities

None

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

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Retro Spins: Indigo Girls - Indigo Girls

Looking to capitalize on the popularity of 10,000 Maniacs, Tracy Chapman, and Suzanne Vega, Epic Records found, and signed, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, AKA Indigo Girls in 1988. While the duo had released music prior to this under their own self-publishing label, their venture with Epic would prove to be far more successful. Their self-titled "debut" would quickly garner attention, going 2x platinum. Striking while the iron was hot, Epic would remix, edit, and re-release the girl's previous album, Strange Fire. But now we're going backwards to previously covered territory.

Based on its success, the girls were nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards, ironically losing to Milli Vanilli. While that award slipped away, until faux Vanilli gave up the award, they did win one for Best Contemporary Folk Recording.

It's pretty much more of the same from what I talked about yesterday. Minimal instrumentation. While Strange Fire stayed confined to acoustic guitars and harmonicas, this album does build on that a bit, and very sparsely, with drums, and bass. Still, it's not enough to make me a fan of the folk country style of music.

I will give Kid Fears an honorable mention for it being a duo with R.E.M. alum, Michael Stipe. As I heard his voice come through, it was immediately recognizable, making the track something that piqued my interest, but also not something I necessarily need to ever hear again.

Overall, I'm not walking away from this a fan of Indigo Girls, and frankly, I didn't expect to. As I noted yesterday, I only ended up with their two 80's albums because they were constantly crammed into the dollar bins of the various used CD shops I went to. I'd never heard anything off them leading up to yesterday and today, nor did I necessarily want or need them. Just more 80's fodder for the ever expanding shelfs of music from that decade.

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Comics Corner: Web Of Spider-Man 30

Title: Web Of Spider-Man
Issue Number: 30
Release Date: September 1987

Highlights

Final appearance of Dina
The events of this story continue from the last issue, which occur concurrently with The Amazing Spider-Man 289
Reference is made to Spider-Man Versus Wolverine, The Amazing Spider-Man 238, 276, and 289
Richard Fisk has been missing for days

Alfredo tries to calm Dina down

Richard Fisk heads to church, and makes a confession

In it, we get the origin of the Rose and Hobgoblin

Ned Leeds initially approaches Richard Fisk, questioning him about his father
When turned down, he takes to following Richard and Alfredo around the globe
It's true that Richard and Alfredo want to bring the Kingpin down, and soon decide that their best bet is to work with Ned
Ned reveals to them that he's Hobgoblin, and provides Fisk with the identity of the Rose
The two feel like even though they're waging a gang war that they're still the good guys in it
While things start off well, Ned soon becomes obsessed with Green Goblin's old journals, which puts him in conflict with Spider-Man
The identity of Hobgoblin soon takes over his mind, and he begins missing meetings with the Rose, and following his own agenda, and Spider-Man
In all of this, Ned and his wife drifted apart, but he didn't see it, which is why he was so enraged with Flash Thompson, and framed him
All of this drew a line between the Rose and Hobgoblin, and the two began plotting to kill each other

Richard goes to his father, and tells him he'll work for him
The story summarizes, and wraps up all the events of the long Hobgoblin saga, while providing a cliffhanger ending to the future of the Rose

It's very satisfying to see how all the pieces fell into place

Low Points

One could easily skip the last forty issues from the various titles, and essentially get the same story from this issue, granted with far less details, but certainly a whole lot less filler

Oddities

None

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

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Retro Spins: Indigo Girls - Strange Fire

You can only walk past the same ninety-nine cent CD so many times before you finally, out of desperation to pick something up, grab it. That's how I ultimately ended up with not only the 1987 debut of Indigo Girls, but their second, and self-titled (1989) final album of the decade. I don't know any songs from the girl duo, nor did I honestly suspect I was going to like any when it was all said and done, but here we are.

Amy Ray and Emily Saliers met as young-ins back in Georgia, while attending Laurel Ridge Elementary School. Being in different grades, it wouldn't be until high school that they got better acquainted, and formed the band, B-Girls, before changing the name to Sailers And Ray. Upon graduating, again, a year apart, the two went to different colleges, but soon found themselves homesick. Returning home, they would both attend Emory University.

By 1985, they began performing again, adopting the name, Indigo Girls. At first, they self-published, which included their single, Crazy Game, with the B-side, Everybody's Waiting (for Someone to Come Home). This was followed by a six-track extended play in 1987. This was followed by Strange Fire, their first full studio album.

Around this time, female led folk acts were garnering attention on airwaves, typically college radio stations, but quickly transitioning to mainstream. Acts such as 10,000 Maniacs, Tracy Chapman, and Suzanne Vega, and prompted Epic Records to not only take a chance on the genre but found them actively seeking out new talent. Thus, the Indigo Girls were signed. Upon the release of their self-titled album in 1988, which became quite successful by 1989, Epic re-released their '87 album, but not before re-arranging the order, removing two tracks, and adding a cover of the Youngblood hit, Get Together. Overall, the album would not perform as well as their '89 record, but still reached a gold sales certification, while peaking at 159 on the Billboard 200.

With the opening strum of the acoustic guitar, I was already in the mindset that this album wasn't going to be for me. I'm not what one would call a connoisseur of folk, nor country music.

As a whole, the album stays well rooted in that aspect, using minimal instruments to craft each song. Don't expect to hear drums, bass guitars, or synthesizers. Rather, the girls keep it simple, acoustic guitars, and occasionally harmonicas. It's comparable to the earliest Bob Dylan stuff, pre-Highway 61 Revisited. Great if you like that kind of music, rather boring and bland if you don't. Obviously, I fall into the latter.

While I let it play, by track five I pretty much reached my limit, and ended up skipping past tracks to see if anything intrigued my ears. As expected, it did not.

Though tomorrow I'll jump into their 1989 self-titled release, I don't suspect it's going to be any type of opus for me. I'll give it a chance, but...well, we'll see. That's all I can say.

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Comics Corner: Web Of Spider-Man 29

Title: Web Of Spider-Man
Issue Number: 29
Release Date: August 1987

Highlights

The story opens at Ned Leed's funeral, and we're told it takes place during the events of The Amazing Spider-Man 289
Death of Mr. Varley, and Mr. Johnston
Reference is made to Spider-Man Versus Wolverine, and The Amazing Spider-Man 284 - 288
After everyone leaves the funeral, Richard Fisk approaches the casket, and leaves a rose on it

He's interrupted by Joy Mercado and Lance Bannon

As Joy grills him with questions, Bannon snaps photographs

Richard tells his girlfriend Dina about Ned being Hobgoblin, and their combined plan to take over the city
In his office, Roderick Kinglsey and Lt. Keating argue over the death of Hobgoblin

Kinglsey says he'll do 15 to 20 years for his involvement with the villain, but that if he goes down, he's taking Keating with him

Though he may not have broken any laws, Keating is reminded that he turned a blinds eye to Hobgoblin's activities in exchange for tips on the mob

Mr. Varley and Mr. Johnston burst in, stating that Foreigner has no more use for them, and they attempt to kill both men

Spider-Man returns home, needing someone to talk to, and self volunteering Black Cat, but she's stepped out for the night, leaving a note that he shouldn't wait up
The events from The Amazing Spider-Man 289, where Hobgoblin comes to Rose's home, kills Varley, and Johnston, but then learns Kingpin has a file on him, once again unfold

However, after them, the Rose states he's going to burn his mask, and be done with the alter ego

Alfredo infiltrates an old Hobgoblin stronghold, checking for anything that could lead to Richard Fisk
Wolverine finds a moping Peter Parker sitting on the docks, and attempts to talk to him

He's approached by a thug who pulls a knife, and demands his wallet

Wolverine responds in kind by showing the thug his blades

The thug calls in reinforcements

Hobgoblin finds Alfredo at the stronghold, and the two battle

They take their fight to the streets as Alfredo speeds away in his car, and Hobgoblin gives chase

Their fight takes them past Spider-Man and Wolverine, enjoying round two with the thugs from earlier

The Arranger see's Spider-Man, and deliver's the message that Kingpin wishes to see him
Alfredo crashes into the river, but is saved by Spider-Man

Hobgoblin retreats

Thinking his friend is dead, Richard Fisk questions what he's become

Wolverine tells Spider-Man he can't keep carrying the burden of people's deaths, that he has too much to live for

Low Points

Peter is once again moping around talking about quitting being Spider-Man - I thought we'd all moved past that
It's a lot of retreading on The Amazing Spider-Man issue 289

Oddities

Editor's Day Off: As Hobgoblin chases Alfredo, he says, "Let there be and end to this game!"

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

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Retro Spins - Huey Lewis And The News - Small World

By 1988, Huey Lewis And The News was in a steady decline of sales and popularity. Despite their previous album, Fore! (1986), reaching number one on the Billboard 200, sales wise, if far under performed in comparison to 1983's Sports. This drop continued with 1988's Small World, which stalled out at number eleven on the Billboard 200, and would "only" go platinum in the USA, and gold in Canada. As a whole, it was considered, "noticeably weaker" by critics and label Chrysalis.

Single, Perfect World would also fail to impress much, stalling out at forty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100. As it would turn out, the only noteworthy highlight would appear to be the instrumental track at the end of the album, which was written solely to be used for highlight reels for the San Francisco 49ers, which the NFL team did indeed incorporate into their games.

Small World (Part 1), and Perfect World are pretty okay tracks, and as a whole, you can definitely hear that the band's writing styles have matured over the years.

However, as a whole, it's not a very noteworthy album. It's pretty mediocre at best. Candidly, there's not much more I can say beyond that. I mean, there's simply no hits here, and it was a pretty poor way to end the decade.

Overall, pretty boring. Specifically pointing out the song Slammin', it's a relatively unnecessary song, and frankly doesn't showcase any catchy riffs or hooks often associated with instrumental tunes.

The band's contract with Chrysalis came up for renewal after Small World, and the boys opted to depart, instead singing with EMI USA. However, they wouldn't release anything new until 1991's Hard At Play. It would be their last album to receive any form of sales certification, but not their last to chart on the Billboard 200.

Though they continued to tour, things were brought to an abrupt halt in 2018, when Lewis reported he had been diagnosed with Ménière's disease. Things worsened to the point where he essentially went deaf by 2025. The band would release one final album, 2020's Weather, before officially retiring. Through the aid of cochlear implant, Lewis has recently stated that he can once again hear talking, but doubts he'll ever be able to hear music, and thus perform ever again. That's kind of a downer.

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