The Toy Box

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man - Spirits Of The Earth

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man - Spirits Of The Earth
Marvel Graphic Novel: 63
Release Date: January 1990

Highlights

First appearance of Dark Mairi Of The Shore, Alan Sinclair, Hugh Monro Jr., Duncan Munro, and the robber Louis
First appearance and death of Sir Hugh Munro, and Angus Munro
First appearance of Castle Duncraig
Beautiful artwork by Charles Vess fills each page from cover to cover - worth reading just for that alone (but see low points and oddities)
After breaking up a petty robbery as Spider-Man, Peter high tails it to a restaurant to meet Aunt May for dinner

Peter inform her that a Mrs. McLeod has passed away, and left her home in Scotland to Mary Jane, and that the two are taking a second honeymoon of sorts to head out there

The letter from Mrs. McLeod explains that she hopes Mary Jane will love the property, and not give in to the developers who are trying to purchase all the surrounding land

In Scotland, as Mary Jane plays pool against Angus Munro, Peter is regaled with a tale by Sir Hugh Munro of the faeiries and a kidnapping his grandsonson, Hugh Munro Jr.

As Mary Jane returns to Peter's side, she mocks the ghost story of the townsmen

Mairi enters the tavern, and informs them all that their fears of the faeries have made them all fools
Spider-Man heads to the castle to investigate everything, and while there hears howling, which alerts him to some ghosts wandering about outside

A ghost with a sword spots him, and floats upwards towards him, attacking

The ghost then gets larger, and literally blows Spider-Man and the castle tower wall down

Mary Jane is accosted by Angus in the kitchen while making tea

Fortunately, Sir Hugh breaks it up

The next morning, Peter heads out to visit Mairi, who tells him she will answer all of his questions

She explains about the magic still feeding the land, despite developers trying to cover it with concrete and steel

That night, everyone is meeting about selling their land to the developers

Mary Jane apparently gave Sir Hugh some city spunk to speak out against the sale, but he bites his tongue at the last minute

Despite this, Alan Sinclair speaks out about it, stating that this is his and their home, and has been for a long time

He questions where they will all go if they sell their land

The ghosts reappear, but disappear again in a firework explosion, drawing attention to Spider-Man on the rooftops

The people think he's a demon, and give chase

Mairi is able to calm the mob, and tells them she will do away with all the ghosts that evening

When they disperse tells Spider-Man she knows who he really is, and tells both him and Mary Jane they will be needed this night

She directs Spider-Man to the castle, and takes Mary Jane with her, stating her youthful energy will be needed to bring him back safely

In the castle, Spider-Man tracks down a running generator, and in doing so, deduces the ghosts are just holograms that can't hurt him

His theory is tested and proven almost instantly by a ghost which appears

Spider-Man follows his spidey senses down a drain inside the castle, and comes across a hidden base

He overhears some Hellfire Knights talking about how command has gotten tired of waiting for the people to willingly sell, so they'll be making a physical move against the people

Spider-Man is spotted on camera trying to infiltrate the place, and the whole station goes on alert

He's subdued by a sound magnification device which renders him unconscious, and when he awakens, he's imprisoned with Sir Hugh

The prison is surrounded by an energy wall, which Spider-Man says they better not touch, only to learn that Sir Hugh already has, and his hand is all mutilated from doing so

Angus Munro is behind it all, having learned that an ancestor, Duncan Munro was part of the Hellfire Club, and disowned by the people

Angus found a powerful crystal buried deep in the land, and thus orchestrates everyone giving it up to take ownership of it with the Hellfire Club

Angus informs Hugh that they have grown tired of waiting on everyone to leave of their own accord, and will kill everyone tomorrow

Angus is also who kidnapped Hugh Munro Jr., and brings the boy out to die in front of his grandfather, but doesn't get the chance to carry his deed out

Above ground, Mairi embraces Mary Jane, and begins to chant, awakening the Earth, which begins to crumble, sending giant rocks down on the cavernous base below

The destruction kills the power to the cell holding Spider-Man and Hugh

While battling the Hellfire Knights, Spider-Man dodges gunfire which strikes Hugh, as he lies dying, he gives Spider-Man his ring, telling him to give it to his grandson
After being defeated by Spider-Man, Angus deems himself weak, and commits suicide by jumping off a cliff
Mary Jane tells young Hugh he can live in her cottage until his castle is rebuilt

Low Points

Ghosts and land developers? This reads like an episode of Scooby-Doo
The (mostly) great artwork can't save this story (see oddities) - It's incredibly long (over 80 pages), and boring

Why are the long ones always the boring ones?

The mystical elements of Mairi seem out of place and unnecessary

With tighter editing, this story could have still gone from point A to B without the supernatural element, and been shorter too

If not for the (mostly) great artwork, I would have given this book zero Stans
After initially seeing the artwork, I was sad that I didn't get this book signed by Charles Vess

After reading it, I no longer have that desire

Vess also wrote the story

I stayed up way past my bedtime to read this one because I knew if I put it down that I wouldn't want to come back to it

Oddities

Mary Jane has been left a property in Scotland, but when they arrive they stay in a room they've rented from someone else in a tavern?
Editor's Day Off: Spider-Man says to himself, "Hope there aren't any side passages off this tunnel. A guy could get lost in this place and spen the rest of his life looking for..."

While most of the art is wonderful, some of it is off, such as this weird drawing of young Hugh Munro Jr., who is just a kid...or is he?

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

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Retro Spins: Robert Plant - Now And Zen

When Robert Plant released his previous album, 1985's Shaken 'N' Stirred, it was met with critical backlash for its changed musical style, which Plant himself admitted was because of his fondness for Talking Heads. The singer had convinced himself he would be opening for the new wave band, though this would never come to fruition.

After a botched Led Zeppelin reunion performance at Live Aid that same year, he headed out on a solo tour. However, this wouldn't be a full-blown series of shows. Rather, select dates throughout the years. It wouldn't be until three years later that he'd return to the studio to record the tracks that would become Now And Zen.

Returning to form, Plant focused on a more direct rock and roll album, and with it came his biggest selling solo album of his career. Now And Zen would go triple platinum in the USA, and gold in the UK, peaking in the top fifteen, and in most cases top ten, across six countries. Singles, Tall Cool One, Heaven Knows, and Ship Of Fools would become major hits on the mainstream rock charts, with the first two taking the number one spot, and Fools peaking at number three. Tall Cool One and Ship Of Fools would also hit the Billboard Hot 100, but not fare quite as well, landing at twenty-five and eighty-four, respectively.

Personally, I bought this album for the hits, but I was glad to see this wasn't all it had to offer. I really dug The Way I Feel, Helen Of Troy, and Why. Overall, it's a solid rock album, and it's great to see that Robbie has gotten back to his A-game.

A fun aspect of Tall Cool One is the influence that the Beastie Boys had on it. With their 1986 breakthrough debut, Licensed To Ill, the trio sampled Led Zeppelin songs across three tracks. Taking inspiration from this, Plant would in turn do the same thing, sampling multiple Zeppelin hits on the song.

The fun doesn't stop there. If you owned the original CD or vinyl release of the album, you could have scored yourself a boss red satin flag packaged inside. This was included as Plant's own tribute to his favorite association football team, the Wolverhampton Wanderers.

These days, the flag isn't too common of an item, and as such, has become a forgotten piece of memorabilia.

At this point, I would normally close with my, "Where are they now" information, but I mean, come on. We're talking about Robert Plant. If you think he faded into obscurity after the 80's, dig yourself out from under the rock you've been living under. He's a legacy act, an icon, and a major influence on the world of music. He kept going, and he's still going. Probably the only thing that surprises me at this point is that he's only seventy-seven years old. I really expected him to be in his eighties by now.

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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: Web Of Spider-Man 50

Title: Web Of Spider-Man
Issue Number: 50
Release Date: May 1989

Highlights

First appearance of Ernie, Maggia member Winston Walker III, and Daily Bugle employee Nick Katzenberg
Also the first appearance of The Outlaws: Silver Sable, Sandman, Prowler, Puma, Rocket Racer, and Will O' The Wisp
First appearance of the West Side Marina, and Greenpoint locations
Nick Katzenberg brings photos of Spider-Man appearing to be a thief to J. Jonah Jameson showing him to be a menace, and is hired as staff to the Bugle (after negotiating hard with Jameson for the position)
A comedic moment occurs when Jameson returns home, and greets the door man by the name of Sam, and asks how his wife is

The man responds that his name is Ernie, and that he's not married

Jameson simply continues on, telling Bert he's sorry to hear that because every man needs love

As Jameson steps off the elevator at his building, a mysterious figure gases him, rendering him unconscious
The photos are front page the next day, and those who would become The Outlaws see it, reacting in their own way to it, either believing it, or wanting to prove it wrong
Winston Walker yells at his security team, furious that he was allegedly robbed by Spider-Man, and he only finds out about it by the paper which has led to the police calling him for a report

Spider-Man has gotten away with stealing millions in negotiable bonds from the Maggia criminal

A mysterious figure takes photos of the home from across the street

As Aunt May's home bustles with breakfast time, and Peter leaves for class, Mary Jane sees the headline
As Robbie reads the headline from prison, his visiting son Randy is pleading for him to take a potential guilty verdict series, as this could put him in prison for a long time

As Randy's wife scolds him in the hallway, there's a familiar looking character being escorted by police

The dialog from The Joker is actually taken from The Killing Joke, which hit store shelves prior to this issue

Reference is made to recent issues of The Spectacular Spider-Man, Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 104, Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 7, and The Amazing Spider-Man 235
The Arranger arrives on scene of another slew of murders of the Kingpin's men, and another note scrawled in blood, "wolves take revenge"

As the detective questions him, the Arranger is told he has a call on his car phone

The call is from Carlos Lobo, who informs him that he and his brother are town, and that the Kingpin not only disapproving of their drug running, but thinking they were after part of his city will cost them both their lives

Carlos asks his brother, Eduardo about Gloria Grant, and he responds that she is not only his, but will do everything he tells her to
Peter is awoken by Dr. Swann at school, and finds out he was asleep for three hours

Peter also apparently has a beeper, and it goes off, causing him to bolt from the room

As Peter heads out on the roof, he's attacked by Puma

Peter states that he thought they were pals now, and that Puma owed him a debt

Puma informs him the debt was paid when Peter declined his offer to come work for him

Puma further explains his reason for attacking is because his honor was shamed when he learned Spider-Man was a common thief

In an unexpected turn of events, Spider-Man admits he did actually rob Winston's house

Spider-Man drops his beeper while escaping the fight, which Puma retrieves

Prowler arrives at Winston's home intent on finding evidence that Spider-Man isn't a thief

He's met by Rocket Racer who too is there for the same reason, but mistakes Prowler as the thief returning to the scene of the crime

Naturally, they fight, but it's broken up by the cops who think they're both the thieves

The two finally come to their senses and escape together

They spot the mysterious figure, and after grabbing him find out Silver Sable hired him to keep tabs on the house, and inform her when Winston leaves
Spider-Man heads across the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, finding Winston's car, and informing the readers that the beeper he had was provided by Silver Sable, and the device went off to inform him when the Maggia had left his home

He follows the vehicle via a spider tracer he planted on it at a time not shown in the story

The vehicle stops in a secluded area, and Winston unearths a cylinder of documents from a hidden safe underneath a fake rock

Spider-Man makes his presence known, and the fight begins

Spider-Man is able to get the cylinder, but the fight is interrupted by Will O' The Wisp who is there to confront Spidey on the report of him being a thief

Spider-Man is able to break lose by tricking Wisp into running into some power lines

Spider-Man meets up with Silver Sable and gives her the cylinder, but the meeting is interrupted by Rocket Racer and Prowler who seeing this are now convinced Spider-Man is a thief

Though they try to attack, Sandman hits them from behind

Spidey tries to intervene, and stop everyone from fighting

Silver Sable, intent on her mission leaves them all there to duke it out, only to be attacked by Puma who has tracked her through the beeper he picked up

As Spider-Man attacks Puma to get him away from Sable, Will O' The Wisp joins the fray, exploding Sandman into particles of sand, but he soon recovers
Frustrated with nobody listening, Spider-Man pulls the dock down around everyone, giving him a moment to toss the cylinder to Puma, and telling him to read the documents for himself, which he does
After everyone finally learns that Winston is part of the Maggia, and that Sable and Spider-Man were working together to uncover this, cooler heads prevail

Silver Sable gives them all her card, and tells them to call her if they ever want freelance work

Spider-Man set up his camera during the fight (apparently), and Peter now has photos that prove him innocent

Peter takes the photos to Jameson, who is mysteriously at work, and no mention of the gas incident, but something isn't right - Peter's spidey sense keeps going off

Jameson says he won't publish the photos because he needs the public to believe Spider-Man is a criminal

As Peter and Mary Jane get interment, Aunt May bursts into the room with hot cocoa, only to be told the two are already warming each other up

Embarrassed, she races out of the room

Jameson returns home, talking to himself about his plans to overthrow the US government, and that phase one is already complete by taking over the Bugle

As he enters the home, we find the real J. Jonah Jameson tied up, and the fake Jameson morphs into the Chameleon

Fantastic issue!

Low Points

None

Oddities

Happy with his photos, Jameson leaves the Bugle on cloud nine, kissing Gloria Grant on the cheek on his way out - I know times were different, but could you still do that in 1989?

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

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Retro Spins: Robert Plant - Shaken 'N' Stirred

By 1985, Robert Plant was looking towards a different musical direction. In his mind, he was bound and determined to become the opening act for Talking Heads, and as a result of this started crafting more oblique pieces of music. The stylistic pivot, particularly on tracks like the single Too Loud, was largely rejected and ridiculed by his mainstream audiences at the time, and he never actually secured the opening slot he sought.

Regardless, his third solo effort, Shaken 'N' Stirred garnered him another gold record, and the Mainstream Rock chart number one hit, Little By Little. It would further reach number thirty-six on the Billboard Hot 100. Sixes And Sevens would also make its way to the mainstream charts, peaking at number eighteen.

On thing is for sure. This album is different from his previous work. It starts off with the strangely intriguing Hip To Hoo and only goes deeper down the rabbit hole from there.

Too Loud reminds me of the experimental shifting sounds that Prince dove into between 1986 with his Camille persona. It almost has that quirky charm that you would get from something like Housequake.

I think its overall uniqueness is what makes it stand out, and mind you, that's in a good way. I actually kind of dug it. Mainly because it was so different. With that said, I honestly only grabbed one more track for the shuffle list, that being Easily Lead.

You definitely have to come into this one with a clear mindset. If you're expecting a traditional rock and roll album, you're not going to get that. Though you will get moments of it, such as on the track, Trouble Your Money. However, if you're interested in hearing an experimental Robert Plant trying on different hats, then you'll be in for a treat.

Personally, I'd like more from him like this. While I'd love that to be what happened on future albums, sadly, I'm already aware that by 1988's Now And Zen, he had retracted back to his rock roots.

Following its release, Led Zeppelin reunited for an appearance at Live Aid. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones, joined by guest drummers Phil Collins and Tony Thompson, alongside bassist Paul Martinez performed Rock And Roll, Whole Lotta Love, and Stairway To Heaven.

The performance would be widely panned by critics, and Plant himself would later call it horrendous. Throughout it, the dual drumming of Collins and Thompson was out of sync, Page's guitar out of tune, and Plant's voice strained. It was considered so bad that the band have blocked its release from subsequent home video releases, including the 2004 four-disc DVD release.

In the band's defense, Plant's appearance at Live Aid was initially planned to be with his side project, The Honey Dippers. However, this quickly spiraled into a full-blown reunion, putting the members on stage, but having not played together since 1980. Essentially, little practice and rehearsal time garnered the end results.

With that said, this wouldn't be the last time Robert Plant would be part of a massive concert, only to perform so poorly that he's block future releases. Such was the case at the 1991 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, where he absolutely butchered his cover of Innuendo. So, you know, say what you want, but I think at the end of the day, this is a Robert Plant issue. Either from not being prepared or not having the talent his legacy professes. Regardless of which it is, it's unprofessional.

As noted above, Plant would go on to release 1988's Now And Zen, a return to form album for him. It would become his biggest selling solo album of all time, and his final release in the decade. It's where I pick up tomorrow and wrap things up.

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Comics Corner: The Spectacular Spider-Man 149

Title: The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 149
Release Date: April 1989

Highlights

First appearance of Carrion, AKA Malcom McBride
First appearance and death of Lou
Edwardo Lobo in his wolf form comes across Kingpin's men packing up over a million dollars in cash as part of the crime lord's take

He slaughters them all

He leaves a message in blood on the wall, "Kingpin, the wolves are coming for you!"

Peter has a new college rival, Malcom McBride, who he verbally one-ups in front of some girls who laugh at the kid

Peter acknowledges he shouldn't have done that, and further notes that Malcom only hates him for beating him out of a research grant

Peter remains curious about learning that the clone of Gwen Stacy wasn't actually a clone, and sets to work on researching the matter further in Professor Warren's old lab
Reference is made to The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 7, The Spectacular Spider-Man 139, and The Amazing Spider-Man 149
Peter uncovers a hidden journal of Professor Warren in the lab, but misses a green vial, which he leaves behind

Malcom is hiding in the shadows, and finds the vial when Peter leaves

Tombstone sits on the witness stand, testifying against Robbie Robertson, and things aren't looking good for the editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle

Joy Mercado sits in the pews, taking notes for the paper, which she reports to Kate Cushing

Gloria Grant tells Kate about her love for Eduardo Lobo, and though her boss tries to get her to sit down and listen, she says she can't because she's off to lunch with him
Back in a lab, Malcom studies the contents of the vial under a microscope, learning its a virus, but in the process, it attacks him like a symbiote, entering in through his eyes
Peter reads Warren's journal, learning that the man became obsessed with Gwen Stacy, hated the fact that she liked Peter, and that he will possess her at all cost

The journal continues that the professor witnessed Peter changing into his Spider-Man costume, and then outlines how Warren's assistant, Anthony Serba served as the clone of Peter Parker, and that Joyce Delaney became Gwen

With the clones being altered people, and not clones per se, Peter becomes determined to find out who was Carrion if Professor Warren was already dead
Spider-Man returns to Warren's lab to investigate further, and is attacked by Carrion, who refers to him as Peter Parker throughout the fight
Though Carrion insists he is the clone of Professor Warren, Spider-Man tells him he's a virus that has infected someone else
Carrion first intends to kill Spider-Man, and knocks him out with gas, but then decides he wants Spider-Man to explain what he meant that he was a virus

Spider-Man does, but Carrion decides he still wants to kill him, and report his victory to his creator

Spider-Man directs the battle to Warren's grave, where Carrion sees it, distracting the villain long enough for Spidey to get the upper hand

Unsure who is behind Carrion, Peter vows to get help from Reed Richards to cure him

Peter see's Gwen Stacy's grave, and decides it's time to let her go for good

Low Points

Professor Warren's journal is narrated in the panels, but is scribbled in cursive, which is difficult to read

Oddities

None

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

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Retro Spins: Robert Plant - The Principle Of Moments

It always makes me scratch my head when I see an album that performs worse than its predecessor in both sales and overall charting, only to then see that it spawned singles that were more popular and peaked relatively high. That math just never adds up for me, but that's exactly the case for Robert Plant's second solo studio album, 1983's The Principle Of Pleasures.

As I noted in closing of yesterday's post, this album was one I actively tracked down for a few songs I wanted. Those would be the two Billboard Hot 100 singles, Big Log (which peaked at number twenty), and In The Mood (with peaked at thirty-nine). However, the most popular tune from the album would turn out to be, Other Arms, which would peak at number on the mainstream rock charts.

While I can't remember when I first heard Robert Plant as a kid, be it his solo work or opus career with Led Zeppelin, I do remember vividly when I re-heard In The Mood. I was driving down the toll road from work to home in the early 2000's when it came on the radio. My mind immediately woke up, shouting, "Hey, I remember that song!" Since then, it stayed tucked in my brain nice and neatly among the thousands of other 80's tunes rattling around.

Once again, Phil Collins joins Plant in the studio to provide drumming. It's interesting to me how Collins is able to produce a signature sound that is easily recognizable, at least to me. Despite his own successful career, both with Genesis and as a solo artist, he would stay with the band for their North American leg of the tour that followed.

The challenge in writing this post at this point is that I wrote the above but then didn't get back to it for several days. Time has not been kind, and I've forgotten the majority of it.

I do recall that it was a solid rock album, but that the above noted hits were the only standouts. Still, with that said, I wasn't a bad album by any means, but still, this didn't stop the remaining tracks from falling into obscurity. I mean, at this point I couldn't even tell you anything from The Principal Of Moments beyond Big Log and In The Mood.

Unfortunately, and mainly because of my memory lapse, there's not much more I can say at this point.

Plant went on to release his third solo album, Shaken 'N' Stirred in 1985, and by then, things were changing mentally for him. Not in a bad way, kind of interesting actually, but more on that tomorrow. For now, let's just put a pin in this very poorly written post.

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Retro Spins: Robert Plant - Pictures At Eleven

With the unexpected, and accidental death of founding member, John Bonham, who died on September 25, 1980, Led Zeppelin made a decision most probably didn't expect. The already legacy band disbanded, stating it was out of respect for their former drummer. Vocalist, Robert Plant would eventually launch a successful and probably expected solo career. This was kicked off in 1982 with his debut, Pictures At Eleven.

Upon its release, it would perform moderately well, but probably not as good as expected. The two singles, Burning Down One Side, and Pledge Pin would only prove to be minor hits, peaking at sixty-four and seventy-four, respectively. It was also cool to hear Phil Collins on skins, and cool to learn that Cozy Powell also provided drums on the album.

Admittedly, my exposure to Plant as a youngster was relatively limited. In fact, I couldn't honestly say when or how I first heard anything from him, be it his solo work or catalog with Led Zeppelin. Regardless, I somehow came to own all of the band's discography, and all of Plant's 80's discography. Mind you, I've listened to none of them, well, with exception of today's album.

To approach this from a positive perspective, it's a solidly crafted rock and roll album. This is by far his first rodeo, and Robert knows what he's doing in the studio. In that regard, you're going to get something worth listening to backed by top notch vocals. Further, the two noted singles are pretty okay, with Pledge Pin being the more favorable among them to me. I'll also give an honorable mention to Like I've Never Been Gone.

However, what you won't get is really anything memorable. There are no iconic riffs or classic choruses to really keep this at the forefront of your mind. Perhaps this was a result of the three-to-four-year hiatus between Zeppelin's 1979 album, In Through The Out Door, and Plant's solo debut. There may just have been some cobwebs that needed to be shaken off.

With all of that stated, I'm down with diving into his 1983 The Principal Of Moments. This is actually one I do know a few songs from, and an album I actively sought out to add to my collection when I started putting it together. So, basically, I'm also a bit excited to get into it.

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Retro Spins: Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever

Today's a day for a little bit of Retro Spins cleanup. Back in May, I ran through the albums of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, but in doing so, I skipped right over Petty's 1989 solo debut effort, Full Moon Fever. That's pretty ironic, considering that it touts some of his greatest hits of all time, including the overplayed, very tried and true...and boring, Free Falling. Admittedly, I'm diving in today more so out of necessity to check a box than an actual desire to hear this one.

The album was spawned from a desire to do something without his backing band, a decision which didn't sit well with most of the members. However, this would be odd unto itself, as all but Stan Lynch would contribute to the album. It was more so an opportunity for Petty to work with his friends, such as members of the Travelling Wilbury's; Roy Orbison, George Harrison, and Jeff Lynne, the latter who would write most of the songs with Petty, as well as play multiple instruments, and provide backing vocals on the record.

Full Moon Fever would become his biggest selling album in his career, including among those with the Heartbreakers. As a whole, it would peak at number three in the USA, as well as rank in the top ten in four other countries, while also charting in three others. With it came the 1989 Billboard Hot 100 hit single, Free Falling (of course), which peaked at number three, and was followed by I Won't Back Down, which stalled out at number forty-one. A final single, A Face In The Crowd would chart in 1990, and finish out at number forty-six.

If you picked up the CD version of the album, you'd get a little hidden treat not provided on the original vinyl and cassette releases. That would be the hidden track, Feel A Whole Lot Better, tucked in between songs six and seven. Not a song per se, but rather a monologue from Petty, laid over animal sounds. The liner notes for the disc refer to it as, "Attention CD Listeners"., and the monologue itself states:

"Hello, CD listeners. We've come to the point in this album where those listening on cassette, or records, will have to stand up, or sit down, and turn over the record, or tape. In fairness to those listeners, we'll now take a few seconds before we begin Side Two. Thank you. Here's Side Two."

Free Falling kicks the album off, and admittedly, I had zero interest in hearing this. It's a song which made my Dirty Dozen's list of most overplayed songs of all time, and is one I really don't enjoy at this point as a result of its overexposure. This was followed by; I Won't Back Down, another hit which has relatively run its course with me at this point in my life.

Finally, with track three, I was into new territory. You can hear the sound shift with Love Is A Long Road, and this is most likely because of Lynne not being involved with it. Instead, it's penned by Petty, and longtime Heartbreakers member, Mike Campbell. It was here that things started to get into better territory for me, albeit because it was relatively all new to me.

I won't shun the hits, the two aforementioned, along with Runnin' Down A Dream are definitely solid. I just find them to have run their course at this point. Resulting from that were other standout tracks for me, such as the above noted Love Is A Long Road, A Face In The Crowd, and Yer So Bad.

As a whole, it's a decent album, but more importantly, I'm just kind of glad to be done with Tom Petty in my CD collection. Unfortunately, there's not much more to say. While I'd normally go into further history, I pretty much covered all of that ground in my post on the album, Let Me Up (I've Had Enough). So, instead, I'm off to find something "new" for tomorrow.

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Retro Spins: Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse Of Reason

By 1987, one wouldn't have expected Pink Floyd to return with another studio album. Roger Waters had departed in 1985, launching a solo career. In turn, David Gilmour returned to his own solo career, while Nick Mason joined up with Rick Fenn of 10cc to work as a duo. Everyone, except Richard Wright seemed to have moved on at this point.

Unfortunately, for David Gilmour, this was not panning out as expected. His 1985 released About Face was not making the impact needed, and the results were shows that weren't selling well, prompting several dates to be cancelled. During this time, he'd been actively writing new material, considering it for a third studio album. However, CBS representative Stephen Ralbovsky wanted a Pink Floyd record, and when he was presented with the demos in November of 1986, bluntly informed Gilmour that the music, "doesn't sound a *bleeping* thing like Pink Floyd." By the end of the year, he opted to rework the material the label found objectional.

However, when Waters started hearing about Gilmour and Mason collaborating on new material under the name of Pink Floyd, he promptly sprang into action, filing a class action lawsuit in 1986 over the band's name and music rights. This would not turn out to be financially sound for the ex-bandmate, and he'd eventually settle with the remaining members. This not only allowed them to continue on as Pink Floyd but granted Waters to retain full conceptual rights to The Wall, exclusive rights to the original inflatable pig, and he continues to own his individual songwriting and publishing rights.

Returning to the studio, the pressure was on for Gilmour and Mason. They needed a hit record. Not only to launch their comeback, but because they knew their ex-bandmate was watching. Waters felt he was the creative driving force behind the band, and there was no way that the remaining two could pull off a successful album worthy of the Pink Floyd Banner.

Upon its release, A Momentary Lapse Of Reason would outsell its predecessor and final Waters album, The Final Cut. While as a whole, it wouldn't chart as well as the previous record, it would manage to peak higher in the USA, reaching number three (versus number six of the prior).

Gilmour would tout the album as a return to Pink Floyd's earlier work, focusing on a balance between music and lyrics. This was in contrast to the concept (and more popular) era of the band, where Waters crafted poetic lyrics which often overshadowed every other aspect. Ironically, critics took notice of this, and while they gave it favorable reviews, panned the lyrics as a step backwards. Roger too took shots, calling the lyrics poor and third-rate. He labeled the album as a whole a clever forgery.

With opinions all over the place, what's one more?

For me, it was okay. It definitely lacks the conceptual structure of previous albums, and with Water's obvious absence, also the traditional voice behind it. It's not a bad album. If anything, it achieves what previous Pink Floyd albums didn't, that being standout singles. Whereas previous albums almost necessitated hearing the record from start to finish, here, you can pick out specific songs to play without worry.

For me, that included Learning To Fly, One Slip, and the amazing, On The Turning Away. The downside to this is that since the remaining tracks don't feel like required listening, they're fairly skippable and forgettable. While I won't say it with the vicious intent of Roger Waters, at the end of the day, A Momentary Lapse Of Reason doesn't feel like a Pink Floyd album. I appreciate the hits, but it's missing key elements. Specifically, the concept aspects, and structure that flows with that.

At the end of the day, it's great that Gilmour, Mason and Wright were able to pick up the pieces and keep the band afloat. It's also commendable that in 2013 Waters admitted that he was wrong in suing them. But, more so greater than all of that, it's just better when the four are working together. Such as the highly touted 2005 reunion at Live 8.

While fans soaked up this once in a lifetime event, behind the scenes, Gilmour and Waters continued to squabble, right down to what songs they would perform. That battle never really seemed to end, and the feud remains in full effect to this day. Despite this, the two have managed to work together a couple more times. Specifically, Waters appeared at a 2010 benefit concert at the request of Gilmour, and in turn, Gilmour promised to, and appeared at a 2011 concert with Waters. However, these appear to be nothing more than favors they did for each other, a mutual transaction so to speak.

The three-man lineup would release two additional albums, 1994's The Division Bell, and 2014's The Endless River. Sadly, the latter would only feature Wright posthumously, having passed away in 2008 from lung cancer.

Though Pink Floyd never officially retired, they haven't been active since their 2022 single, Hey Hey, Rise Up!, in support of Ukraine. Waters concluded his This Is Not A Drill farewell tour in 2023, and he too seems to have stepped away from the stage. With all three members in their 80's, perhaps its best to spend the rest of their years enjoying the fruits of their labors. One certainly can't say it's been for nothing. They remain legends of the music industry, with songs that will live on long past all of us.

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Christmas Catalogs - Montgomery Ward 1975

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

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

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