The Toy Box: 2025

Baltmore Comic Con 2024 Part 5: Al Milgrom

It kind of sucks when you focus on bringing a bunch of books with you to get signed by someone, and yet when you do, you miss the most important one. That's exactly what happened to me when I stepped up to Al Milgrom's table.

I completely lunched on the fact that he worked on Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 4, a symbiote story arc book. I didn't have it with me, didn't check the list, and completely missed out as a result. Dang it, oops, and oh well. Maybe there will be a future opportunity, maybe not. Don't know, can't dwell on it at this point.

Rather, the series of books I did get signed by him were ones which I had initially brought with me to Baltimore Comic Con 2023, but gave up on when the day dragged on, lines got tiring, and in general, I was exhausted, hungry, and dehydrated. Admittedly, I would have traded all of the signatures I got to have it on the one book I actually really wanted. Okay, so I guess I am going to dwell on it.

Okay, rant time.

I try to stay positive at conventions, and be happy for the people in front of me who are taking the time to meet their "icons", ask questions, and have a conversation. For them, it's not a transaction, it's an experience. I also realize everything is on a first come, first serve basis.

However, I wanted to grab this woman by the head in front of me, and toss her across the room. She was not there to get books signed. She was not there to meet the artists. She was there to drum up business for an upcoming show, and get people to attend. She talked, and talked, and talked, and talked to Mr. Milgrom, and in turn this caused him to turn Mr. Saviak next to him, and start hammering out details. All of this while the line grew with actual fans and customers. People had places to go. Other people to see, and this clown, the woman, was wasting those people's time. Those conversations should be had before or after shows, when attendees have had as much opportunity as possible to get face time. This woman seriously ticked me off, and I honestly almost protested by walking away.

Rant over.

When Chatty Kathy finally f*%ed off, and the now massive line which had been created as a result were able to get back down to brass tax, the signing commenced. This whole event did, however, necessitate that I move as quickly as possible, resulting in me forgetting to grab a photo of Mr. Milgrom in the process.

Short of tracking Mr. Milgrom down in the future to get the above noted missed book signed, I think I'm done with him. Not because of the incident with the woman. That happened, it can't be undone.

Rather, I'm done because I am quite literally grasping at straws for things to get him to sign. These books weren't important enough the last time I saw him to get autographed: they frankly weren't that important this time.

To compound this, Mr. Milgrom's price also increased from $10.00 per signature to $15.00. I really wish these artists would post their fee on the convention websites so that people could plan accordingly. This type of transparency would allow people to make informed decisions, cut fat, and honestly, skip a lot of people when factoring the true amount into their budget. It would also help people not have to lug things with them that they ultimately pass on as a result.

While you may think the overall tone of this post meant at this point I was having a bad time, this actually wasn't the case. Frankly, things were about to get worse too.

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Retro Spins: Benjamin Orr - The Lace

Benny 11 Letters, or Benny Orzechowski was big time in the 80's. Many of you probably remember him as Benjamin Orr from The Cars.

Leading up to the formation of the group, a young Orr performed in the house band, The Grasshoppers, who provided the music for WEWS-TV Cleveland Television's, Big 5 Show. The band would ultimately dissolve in 1966, as members got drafted to the US Army. Among them was Orr.

He would meet Ric Ocasek in the 60's, and after returning from the army, the two moved to Columbus, Ohio, and worked together in several musical ventures, including the 1970's group, Milkwood with guitarist James Goodkind. Their single album, 1973's How's The Weather? failed to chart, and the trio disbanded.

Ocasek and Orr would then form Richard and the Rabbits with keyboardist Greg Hawkes, which led to the formation of another group, Cap'n Swing, which included guitarist Elliot Easton. While this group too would break up, the four members would stay together, adding drummer David Robinson to the lineup, forming The Cars.

The Cars would go on to great success, officially disbanding in 1988 after six studio albums. They would later reunite for 2011's Move Like This, and be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2018. However, these would both be without Orr, who sadly passed away in 2000.

After their highly successful 1984 album, Heartbeat City, and the subsequent superstardom that followed, the group took a hiatus. It was during this period that Orr would release his first, and only, studio album, The Lace.

The album features his top ten solo hit, Stay The Night, which is the song I in turn purchased the album for. While The Lace may have not have been riddled with top forty hits, as a whole, it's hardly bad. In fact, I found myself saying, "Why couldn't The Cars albums have been this good?

It was interesting to note that Elliot Easton, of The Cars, provided guitar work for the album, and could very well have contributed to its overall familiar sound. And with that, I think I hit home with why this album was so enjoyable. It definitely sounds like it easily could have been an album from the group.

Of the ten tracks, I grabbed about eight of them. I honestly lost track. It kind of made me wish that Orr had released more solo work. I suppose, at least I still have a ton of albums from The Cars to work through in my collection. For now though, I'm off to another artist and album.

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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.

Retro Spins: Blue Angel - Blue Angel

Short lived, Blue Angel came and went in the blink of an eye in 1980, and most people probably to this day don't even know who they are. Their sound was reminiscent of 60's malt shops, with a hint of new wave pop, and for fans of both styles, it's a match made in heaven.

The five member group formed in 1978, and featured John Turi on keyboards / saxophone, Johnny "Bullet" Morelli on drums, Lee Brovitz on bass, Arthur "Rockin' A" Neilson on guitar, and an at the time unknown, Cyndi Lauper on vocals. Together, they recorded a demo, which caught the attention of Steve Massarsky, manager of The Allman Brothers band, who would buy their contract for $5,000.00.

While Lauper was offered solo recording contracts, she continued to hold out, hoping to secure one for the band. This eventually came from Polydor Records, and with it, their self titled debut in 1980. Despite its critical success, the album sold poorly, and led to the group eventually disbanding.

However, before this would happen, the group would record a second album, which would be cancelled by Polydor, which was now under new management. This also led to them being dropped by the label.

Blue Angel also fired Massarsky, who in turn sued them for $80,000.00, forcing Lauper into bankruptcy. She would ultimately end up working in retail stores, an IHOP restaurant, and singing in clubs to earn a living. For her, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as her solo career soared with her debut album in 1983.

As for the rest of the group, their moment of time remains locked in a brief moment of history in 1980, packed in a single album which many people don't even know exists. It's a shame, because it's actually pretty good.

I thoroughly enjoyed hearing this. It was the best of both worlds. It was a great album on one hand that had strong roots in a classic Americana sytle of malt shop memories, blended smoothly with an up and coming new wave scene. On the other hand, it had familiarity thanks to Lauper leading the charge.

What's all the more intriguing about this album is its inclusion of songs that Lauper would later re-record and use on her solo albums. The most notable of the bunch being Maybe He'll Know, which is quite frankly better than the 1986 version from True Colors. Originals usually are.

Blue Angel, the album, was great to hear. It was fun, not only because of the music, but because of that special feeling of being in an exclusive club of people who knew about its existence. Which now all the tens of ~~thousands of~~ people reading this post do as well.

The album, as a whole, is relatively hard to find in abundance. It's also interesting to note that vinyl versions are far more expensive than CD copies. That's unusual.

After disbanding, Blue Angel remained relatively quite until reforming in 1987 as Boppin' The Blues, sans Cyndi Lauper. She did, however, join them on stage in 1987 for a single appearance. They don't appear to have released any albums.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 2, 1980

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 2, 1985

Comics Corner: Fantastic Four 218

Title: Fantastic Four
Issue Number: 218
Release Date: May 1980

Highlights

Trapster disguises himself as Spider-Man to trick the Fantastic Four
Reference is made to Fantastic Four Annual 15

Low Points

Reading titles you don't have any interest in just to get the whole story

Oddities

Sandman gets defeated by a vacuum cleaner

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

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Retro Spins: Device - 22B3

Device was an interesting find amongst the fodder of forgotten 80's. It featured acclaimed writer, Holly Knight on co-vocals and multiple instruments alongside lead vocalist Paul Engemann, and guitarist Gene Black. Their work was short lived, providing music alongside Tina Turner for the Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome soundtrack, and their one and only studio album release, 22B3 in 1986.

With a history that starts and stops right there, it's easy to jump in to today's Retro Spin, giving a listen to their single record.

For me, I wanted to pick this relatively obscure album for its top forty single, Hanging On A Heart Attack. It's one of those tunes that you've probably forgotten, but if you heard it, you'd remember it. Well, if your era of music is the 80's that is.

What I was incredibly pleased to find was that the opening track, which just so happens to be the single, wasn't the only treasure to be found. As a whole, 22B3 delivers in a big way. Are they top forty hits? No, not at all. But, they are catchy tracks that leave you tapping your toes.

If anything, I wish this wasn't the only album from Device, because I definitely would have checked out more from them. Fortunately, this is helped out by the other projects they worked on.

Holly Knight, beyond her stint in the 80's group, Spider, was always best known for her work as a writer, and she continued to do so. She would also go on to release her own self titled solo album in 1988, which included her own version of Love Is A Battlefield, the tune she originally wrote for Pat Benatar.

Paul Engemann would replace Bill Wadham as the lead singer for Animotion, and together they would release the hit, Room To Move, which was included on the soundtrack for My Stepmother Is An Alien, and later on the band's album of the same name. An interesting cross reference is that Holly Knight actually wrote, and recorded herself the first hit for the band, Obsession back in the early 80's.

Gene Black ultimately went back to session work, and would also continue to write top ten hits with Knight. Most notably were Heart's Never, and Rod Stewart's Love Touch. Imagine how big the band would have been if they brought all those hits under there own name.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
Februray 1, 1986

Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 42

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 42
Release Date: May 1980

Highlights

Debra Whitman takes an interest in Peter Parker
First appearance of Earl and Roy, a pair of night watchmen
Electro disguises himself as Human Torch, yup, that's him on the cover
Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1, and Fantastic Four 178

Low Points

Issue has a cliff hanger that continues in Fantastic Four 218 - Readers shouldn't have to read titles they're not interested in just to get the whole story

Oddities

Editor's Day Off - Electro says, "I don't need to be reminded to my duties, Trapster."
Editor's Continued Day Off - Spider-Man's web shooter is colored flesh tone, as if it were part of his arm.

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

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Retro Spins: Cyndi Lauper - True Colors

She was so different from most of the female artists of the 80's. Unusual, if you will.

Cyndi Lauper's debut album, She's So Unusual, made her the first female artist to have four top five hits on the Billboard charts. Not bad for a singer who was told by a doctor in 1977 that she would never sing again, after damaging her vocal chords.

Lauper spent her early years singing in cover bands, but by 1978 met John Turi, and formed the band, Blue Angel. They released a single album in 1980 which was not very successful. However,even then, the offers were forthcoming for a solo recording contract. Offers, which she didn't take. Instead, she was more interested with the band getting a contract.

Unfortunately, Blue Angel broke up shortly thereafter, and a financially troubled Lauper took to working in retail stores and restaurants. Meanwhile, she continued to perform in clubs, eventually signing with Portrait Records, a subsidiary of Epic in 1981, mostly due to her new manager, David Wolff.

She's So Unusual was released on October 14, 1983, and was an instant smash, eventually peaking at number four on the charts.It went on to reach the top five in multiple countries, and to date, remains her most successful album of all time, selling an estimated sixteen million copies worldwide.

Between 1983 and 1984, Lauper embarked on the Fun Tour in support of her first album, and in 1985 contributed to both USA For Africa's We Are The World, and the soundtrack for The Goonies. All the while, fans eagerly awaited her second album.

True Colors was released on September 18, 1986. While ultimately not as successful, this didn't stop accolades from being given, and pennies from rolling in. That tends to happen with an estimated seven hundred million sales worldwide. Especially the latter.

The album kicks off with the Bangles backed Change Of Heart, and sets a somewhat more mature tone for the once quirky artist. She's all grown up, and she wants the world to know it. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it also catches you off guard a bit. This is when I realized that I was more so familiar with the image of Lauper, and her affiliation with Pee-Wee Herman, than her actual music.

While there's no denying that True Colors, the song, is a massive hit, what the album itself stumbles a bit under is the sheer weight of her debut. It just doesn't pack the punch. While this is typically how it goes, it also doesn't stop it from being a bit disappointing. The hype is there, and the audience wants so badly for the artist to bottle lightening twice.

It would only be fair for me to admit that I did end up grabbing five tracks in total, of the ten, for my shuffle list. But, these are essentially two hits, and three mediocre (at best) tunes. Whereas with She's So Unusual, which I also took five from, these were big chart toppers.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I wanted, and expected more.

Waiting three years in between albums is typically not a good thing, and yet, this seemed to be a trend for Lauper in the 80's. She didn't release her third album until 1989. This gives people too much time to forget about you, and in such an iconic era as the 80's this may have contributed greatly to the continued plummeting sales since her debut. A Night To Remember was the last of her prime, selling one hundred twenty thousand albums, a considerable drop from 1986.

Things fared far worse as the 90's came into play. The once platinum selling artist was now only selling gold records for her 1993 and 1996 releases, and then, despite continuing to release albums, fell completely off the sales charts until 2010's Memphis Blue, which went silver. Since then, she has only released one additional record, 2016's detour.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
January 31, 1981

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
January 31, 1987

Retro Spins: Brenda Russell - Get Here

If yesterday's album was a diamond in the rough, today's is a turd in the punch bowl.

Brenda Russell began her career as a teenager, singing in various local bands, and though she spent time contributing as a back up vocalist to the likes of Rufus, Neil Sedaka, and Elton John, she would eventually emerge as a solo artist, releasing her self titled debut in 1979. The album was mildly successful, cracking the top 100 charts.

Though she would Love Life in 1981, and Two Eyes in 1983, Russell wouldn't have her biggest selling single until 1988's Get Here, which featured Piano In The Dark. The song would ultimately reach number three on the billboard charts.

It's this tune which led me to invest in the album, and with the exception of the title track, was really the only thing the record had going for it. At least for me.

The smooth jazz / easy listening vibe, just wasn't working for me. Especially on the heals of yesterday's album from Black. I actually listened to these two back to back, and after the first, I said out loud, "Well, where do we go from here?" I could say this in and of itself didn't poise Russell for a fair shake on my end, but that would be me just making excuses to not call it out for the poor album it was.

Overall, I just didn't care for it. I'm glad to have the two tracks from Get Here on my shuffle, but this is by no means a must own album for me.

There's honestly not much more to say about it.

Russell, herself, stayed fairly active throughout the 1990's, but hasn't released an album since 2004's Between The Sun And The Moon.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
January 30, 1982

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
January 30, 1988

Retro Spins: Black - Wonderful Life

A diamond in the rough! That's what we've found today!

Colin Vearncombe, or Black, as he was known on his albums, emerged in the UK as part of the punk scene. This is ironic, because his 1987 debut, Wonderful Life, is anything but that.

Since this is the album I personally grabbed for today's post, let's just dive right in. It starts with the title track, the tune I wanted for my collection, and sets the tone for a wonderful album, no pun intended. This jazzy pop album not only delivers blow after blow with great instrumentation, but this is all brought to a peak with Vearncombe's haunting vocals. They remind me of Chris Isaak in a way.

Song after song kept pounding me with fantastic music. I was grabbed hook, line, and sinker, and off on a wonderful forty-five minute journey.

Though the title track remains my favorite, there were heavy contenders that tried their best, and almost succeeded in dethroning it. I don't use this word often when it comes to albums, but Wonderful Life, in its entirety is perfect! Not one track is terrible among the ten of them. I actually ended up grabbing every single one for my shuffle list.

This also made me immediately track down Black's follow up album, 1988's Comedy. Which in and of itself was difficult to find. Let's just say when you do a search for Black Comedy CD, you get a lot of results.

Black has also released five additional albums between 1991 and 2015, plus an additional four under his birth name. If his second album is as good as his first, this may very well be something I look into. That unto itself is a bold statement of how much I liked Wonderful Life, because I don't make it a habit to step over the 1990 line.

Sadly, Vearncombe was killed in a 2016 car crash. But, his legacy lives on as people enjoy his great music, and others, like me, discover it.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
January 29, 1983

Retro Spins: The Stranglers - La Folie

I enjoy discovering "new" music from the 80's. It's always a treat to hear something different that pleases the ears.

Part punk, part new wave, The Stranglers formed in 1974 by Jet Black, AKA, Brian Duffy. At the time, Duffy was a successful business man, but wanted to return to music from his early mild success in the fifties and sixties. The original line-up consisted of bass player/vocalist Jean-Jacques Burnel, guitarist/vocalist Hugh Cornwell and keyboardist/guitarist Hans Wärmling, who was replaced by keyboardist Dave Greenfield within a year.

At first, the group became a part of the London punk underground scene, releasing albums as of 1977 for United Artists. With albums staying consecutively in the top five through 1979, the band was given artistic freedom to control their fifth album, The Gospel According To The Meninblack. However, this would be for new label, Liberty.

Meninblack would be their lowest charting album to date, stumbling the band, who was at the time the most successful mainstream punk and new wave band in Britain. Their follow up, La Folie in 1981 was a conscious effort to deliver a more commercial sound.

This is where I tune into the group. I came across them while listening to an 80's compilation featuring various artists. I was on a mission to find new music, and this plan was panning out well. It was here that I found the song, Golden Brown. It was an interesting track. Somewhat jazzy, somewhat new wave. Blended perfectly into a unique hit.

Turns out that this song was also the saving grace for the album itself. Until it was released as a single, La Folie was poised to be the bands most unsuccessful record to date. Just the opposite happened when Golden Brown hit the scene. To date, it's their highest charting hit.

When I listened to La Folie, I expected to hear more of the sound I had been intrigued by with Golden Brown. However. this was not the case. As I made my way through it, I actually felt like I was listening to two different records. The punk tunes were falling flat for me, while the new wave ones were resonating. This back and fourth aspect made it difficult to really get invested.

It was okay, but at the end of it, I was somewhat disappointed. I really had high hopes and expectations, and they were not met. I'm not interested enough in what I heard to really care to seek out anything further from The Stranglers.

Though they have continued to release albums through 2021, and had notable singles, for me, I'm content with jumping off The Stranglers train. I suppose if the opportunity was presented, and relatively cheap, I might pick up additional albums released by them in the 80'. However, this would definitely be an impulse buy. It would have to be really cheap though.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
January 28, 1984

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
January 28, 1989

Baltmore Comic Con 2024 Part 4: Klaus Janson

A trend I found myself in during Baltimore Comic Con 2024 was bouncing from one side of the show to the other repeatedly. This was a result of long lines, and trying to maximize every minute at the show. With my buddy, Dave Braun, standing in one line or another, this gave me the ability to do just that.

Getting things signed by Klaus Janson, or rather, more things signed by him, as I have done so many times now, weren't a high priority. My main focus from him was symbiote story arc stuff, which I covered in full between Baltimore Comic Con 2023, and Awesome Con 2024. But twist my arm, and I can come up with something, and do so, I did.

Klaus Janson after signing my issue of Daredevil 184

Of all the Bloggers I know, Big Tone of 2 Minute Toy Break (shout out) would probably appreciate this first batch more than anyone.

Though published way before that, this batch of Daredevil books hit my radar back when I was in high school. It was actually my Junior or Senior year English teacher who sold the first two to me. Issues 181 - 184 feature the death of Elektra, which at the time was a big deal in comics. Of course, she would later be ressurrected, and the prices on these books would tank as a result. Still, these are still classic stories from Frank Miller, inked by Janson.

Also signed by Jim Shooter at
Big Lick NOVA 2023

Next up is more Miller / Janson goodness with the classic mini-series, The Dark Knight Returns. Truthfully, I don't like this story as much as the rest of the comic community appears to. I just don't find it to be that deep or interesting. Of course, I'm also not a Batman fan. My knowledge of the character is limited to the iconic legend regurgitated ad nausea, as well as the 90's animated series. To me, this is just another story, and the impact of the drastic shift in history for the Dark Knight is lost on me as a result.

This last issue was an after though. I mean, again, the whole lot of these books were brought on by an "if I have to" attitude. I didn't necessarily "need" any of these signed.

Also signed by Jim Shooter at
Big Lick NOVA 2023

Don't get me wrong. I'm happy to have these books signed. I hope one day I run into Frank Miller at a convention to also sign the majority of these. However, in general, I have this OCD tendency to say, "I have to get something signed if the person is there." This in turn is really inflating my budget, which in truth could have been a very small fraction of what I ended up spending throughout the day. My primary focus is on the symbiote story arc of Spider-Man, and far too often I branch off of this, spending money I frankly don't need to spend. I'm not saying I'm sorry I did it. I just also realize I could have a lot more money than I do if I wasn't so impulsive.

Mr. Janson's price has remained consistent at $10.00 per signature these last few shows I've seen him at.

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Retro Spins: Spanga - Dedicated To The Moon

Get you some Spanga, and have a taste of Italy!

Ivana Spanga began her career in the early 80's, writing and providing vocals as part of the the Italo disco group, Fun Fun. The group released two albums, 1984's Have Fun!, and 1987's, Double Fun, but never really made an impact. Spanga would not be part of the second album, opting instead to pursue a solo career, which led to her debut, Dedicated To The Moon.

In terms of her solo career, it's the most commercially successful album in her discography of nineteen albums, comprising of studio and compilation releases. It spawned the mildly successful, "Call Me," and would ultimately sell 500,000 copies. If you haven't heard of her, that would be understandable. Her success has mainly been contained to Europe and the UK.

Dedicated To The Moon is not an album readily available in the USA, and it's because of this, I was actually surprised to find someone as close as Canada who had a CD version for sale. I was further surprised to see that the seller only wanted ten bucks for it. While this is the average price for it if you buy it, those copies typically come from the likes of Norway, Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium. Basically, I expected an up-charge for the "convenience", as is often the case.

I'd be lying if I said Spanga was up there with the level of what I have been hearing as of late in recent Retro Spins. Sadly, it's just not. It definitely has a decent synthpop sound, and it's on par with the year it's from. However, in terms of grabbing my overall attention, it does not. With ten songs, and a running time of forty-six minutes, I really expected more than two songs for my shuffle. For the record, those were, Call Me, and Easy Lady.

I'm equally surprised that Spanga has gone on to release so many albums, as noted above, through 2019. That's pretty impressive. However, much like her debut, you're not going to find these floating around the USA. In fact, as of 1995, they haven't even been in English. It's clear that despite her lack of impact on my home turf that she is nothing short of a superstar in her own home, Italy.

I may have expected more, but I suppose I still got a relatively rare album for a good price. If nothing else, it serves as that in my collection. At the end of the day, I'll take that.

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Retro Spins: Kon Kan - Move To Move

Inspired by Pet Shop Boys, Canadian group, Kon Kan, wasn't quite able to reach the notoriety as their muse.

The benefit of being a DJ in a club is that you can sometimes slip in your own tunes. Especially if said tunes are well received. This was the case for Barry Harris, founder of Kon Kan. While playing his recently recorded track, "I Beg Your Pardon (I Never Promised You A Rose Garden)", he got the attention of Atlantic Records employee, Marc Nathan. The track was a synthpop remake of the 1967 song from Joe South, originally recorded as Rose Garden, and later made popular by Lynn Anderson (1970), which is sampled in the 1989 version.

Nathan bought several copies of the single from a record shop around the corner from where Harris was DJ'ing, and took them back to the United States where he sent out a handful to various radio stations. Kon Kan were signed to a record deal with Atlantic, and the track ultimately went on to become a top five hit in several countries.

Kon Kan were initially marketed as a duo, featuring Barry Harris, and singer, Kevin Wynne. Though truth be told, there are ten individuals credited with their debut album, Move To Move. Interesting enough, Harris's name is not among them.

Playing the album, I was hooked on the opening track, Arts In D Minor / Harry Houdini. The first three minutes of the almost seven minute song are nothing but delicious synthpop instrumental goodness, and quite frankly, I wish it would have stayed that way. It wasn't that the singing detracted from it. Rather, at that point, it simply wasn't needed. The song could have easily stood on its own without vocals.

This set a high bar, and I was happy to find that this was going to continuously be met. Track after track delivered on great tunes. The sampling, the mixing, and the occasional rapping all melded together with Wynne's vocals, making for a pretty solid listening experience. So solid, I grabbed seven of the nine tracks for my shuffle.

From there, Kon Kan entered the 90's, and I personally check out. For those of you unfamiliar with my listening tastes, that is typically an invisible line I don't cross. It's purely a mental thing. Apparently Wynne had no interest in the new decade either. He left the group after touring in 1989. Though Harris was technically a solo act at this point, he kept the group's name, and released two additional albums, 1990's Syntonic, and 1993's Vida!... The two reunited in 2014. However, to date, there have been no new albums released.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
January 26, 1980

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
January 26, 1985