The Toy Box: 2025

Alf: The Complete Series - Deluxe Edition

I love finding me some 80's cartoons. Especially when I don't know about them being available on DVD. When I came across this Deluxe Edition of The Complete Series of Alf, I thought to myself, "What makes it deluxe? Does it have the entire cartoon series?" I was being sarcastic in my mind, and then got slapped in the mouth when I flipped it over to reveal the disc cases.

Looking at the third set (blue), I immediately took a step back and said, "Wait...Does it really?" A quick search on my phone, and I came across the original listing on Shout Factory. Turns out, this thing came out in 2023, and does indeed include the entire animated original series (1987 - 1989), and its counterpart, Alf Tales (1988 - 1989), both released for the first time in this set.

I used to really have a problem with supporting Shout Factory. Mainly because back in the day, they wouldn't have released a full set like this. Instead, they'd do it as seasons, or parts. More times than not, this method would end up with one of two things happening.

1) Low sales meant that the entire series was never released because future sets were cancelled. The irony of this was that the poor sales were often a result of people waiting to see if Shout would release the entire thing before investing in a partial set.

2) The rest of the series in future volumes was released in such limited quantities that it quickly sold out, went out of print, and costs hundreds of dollars on secondary markets because of how scarce they became.

As such, I'm glad to see more sets like this from Shout, where everything is included in one fell swoop. I can't help but think in general this is what more people want versus multiple volumes over time. I do, however, feel sorry for the people who already own the multiple seasons of Alf on DVD. It's kind of a slap in the face to them if they want the cartoons to have to buy the entire series again.

Shout absolutely should have just released the cartoons on their own set. But, I suppose doing so would have equated to lower sales. I mean, I know I wouldn't have bought the whole thing if there was an option to just buy the cartoons.

The set comes with a nice booklet...

...Which if you flip to the back last few pages, you'll find some fun artwork from the animated series, along with episode lists...

...and some fun screenshots.

The covers of each individual "volume" are pretty nice. They mimic the opening to the animated series, which is also showcased on the third set.

But again, this third one is where my money was spent. Honestly, I don't really have an interest in the live action series.

Because this has never been released in full, and since I didn't watch it regularly as a kid, I haven't had a chance to see all of these episodes until now. I'm totally looking forward to that over the next several weeks.

I was also surprised to see how many discs were inside the case. I expected Shout would pack each DVD to the fullest capacity, resulting in reduced picture quality for the sake of cutting cost corners. Surprisingly, there are eight discs inside, seven of which contain the cartoons, with the last being reserved for bonus features.

Now, if this is something that interests you, I highly recommend you avoid going directly to the source at the link above. Shout sells this for regular retail price of $69.98. While it is currently on sale for $55.99, if you instead go to Walmart, you can grab it for $39.99 (regular price).

Is that a bit much if you're just wanting the cartoons? Yeah, probably. However, if the entire package interests you, then that's where the true value will come.

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Retro Spins: Def Leppard - On Through The Night

Joe Elliott, Steve Clark, Pete Willis, Rick Savage, and Rick Allen. The British boys who encompassed the original lineup of Def Leppard formed in 1977. Together, they released the debut album, On Through The Night, which is where we immediately jump into today's Retro Spin.

The album has a very different sound to it than fans of Def Leppard's future work encompassed. While you can hear hints of the harmonies that would shape classics like Bringing On The Heartbreak, Photograph, Hysteria, and more, this is more so a straight forward hard rock album. It feels more so like a 70's classic rock album in retrospect. Considering the tracks that encompass the album were written and recorded in the latter part of that decade, this is also no surprise.

Where this ultimately falters for me is that I'm not particularly a fan of classic rock. It's because of this that overall, On Through The Night is relatively hit or miss for me. I want to like it because it's the foundation of what Def Leppard would become. However, the style, and overall sound, conflicts with my ears. It's just now what I want from this group.

Mind you, it's not a total bust. I did end up grabbing a select few tracks for my shuffle list. However, this decision was more so for the guitar work than anything lyrical. Overall, there's really nothing particularly catchy about the album. Nothing that I would consider commercial, in any sense of the word. As such, it's no surprise that it was a relatively overlooked record when it first came out.

Fortunately, Def Leppard would soon partner with producer, Mutt Lang, who would help formulate their sound, bringing forth all that goodness that the band has gone on to be known for. This was only amplified when Phil Collen joined the group with 1983's Pyromania on lead guitars. However, his joining was only a result of Pete Willis being fired from the group for continued issues with drinking, which often resulted in him being unable to play for sessions.

I'm sure it hardly needs mention the accident which occurred in late December 1984, which resulted in drummer, Rick Allen, losing his arm, but this led to a hiatus for the band. They wouldn't return until Monsters of Rock in 1986, where the six members came back stronger than ever for their first live show since the incident, paving the way for their biggest selling album to date, 1987's Hysteria.

After embarking on a massive tour, the group quickly returned to the studio to record a follow up album. However, tribulations continued to strike. This time in the form of ongoing alcoholism from Steve Clark. The guitarist would eventually enter into rehab, but substance abuse continued, and he passed away in 1991.

Determined to bottle lightning twice, Def Leppard pressed forward with 1992's Adrenalize, and while it's not a bad album, many consider it to be the beginning of the end of the band's best days. Following its release, Vivian Campbell, formerly of Dio, stepped in to fill the roll left by Clark.

Def Leppard joined several other bands on stage on April 20, 1992 for the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, an event held at Wembley Stadium, and broadcast around the world on MTV. It's been considered one of the greatest live events since 1985's Live Aid.

The lineup of Elliot, Savage, Allen, Collen, and Campbell have remained in place as of 1992, going on to release albums from 1996 to 2022. However, sales have steadily declined, at least for physical album sales. This, of course, could just be a product of our time, and not necessarily a result of their overall popularity.

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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.

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 9, 1980

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 9, 1985

Retro Spins: Smokey Robinson - One Heartbeat

The Motown sound was alive and well in the 80's, and one of the players leading the charge was also the voice that started it all.

1961's, Hi... We're The Miracles, was the first album released by Motown, then known as Tamla. Featuring the harmonizing vocals of Smokey Robinson, Ronnie White, Claudette Robinson, Warren "Pete" Moore, Bobby Rogers, and Marv Tarplin, The Miracles paved the way for future acts to come. They didn't just project the Motown sound, they were the foundation in which it was created.

Smokey left the group in 1972 with the intentions of retiring. However, after a year, he announced a solo career, releasing his eponymous album, Smokey. Unfortunately, success was not easily found as other Motown solo artists of the time, as Robinson struggled to produce hit singles.

As the critics began to talk, the singer came back with 1975's Quiet Storm, which produced three hits, including the number one chart topper, Baby That's Backatcha. The return was short lived, as Robinson found himself taking a back seat at Motown, with his follow up albums receiving minimal promotion from the label.

Robinson's solo career remained on somewhat of a roller coaster ride, with albums which either produced solid hits, or none at all. It's because of this, that the success he once saw with The Miracles never seemed to repeat. Of his nineteen solo albums released under the Tamla and Motown labels, only 1981's Being With You, and 1987's One Heartbeat received any form of certification, those both being Gold.

It's here where we pause for today's Retro Spin, firing up One Heartbeat.

When I first started listening to this record, I had no clue of the above history, which I researched while listening to it. In my mind, Smokey Robinson was a hit maker. "THE" voice of Motown. I quickly found out that this was not the case at all.

One Heartbeat started out strong with, Just To See Her, and the title track of the album, but from there tanks pretty hard. It's over saturated with ballads, and other tunes that simply fall flat. This was not what I expected at all, and it was incredibly disappointing.

Even my girl, who essentially grew up listening to Motown, agreed that the album as a whole wasn't any good. In fact, she too was surprised by this.

Robinson left the Motown label in 1999, and continued to release albums under various recording contracts, but overall, his albums continued to perform minimally, at best. His last album released to date was the Christmas themed, Christmas Everyday (2017).

This was a disappointing one. I really expected more from the original voice of The Miracles.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 8, 1986

Retro Spins: Teena Marie - Starchild

Do any of you remember the time Teena Marie had a roll in the original Beverly Hillbillies show? Do any of you even know who Teena Marie is?

Mary Christine Brockert, was born to your average working class family, who would send the young girl out for auditions in hopes of some form of acting work spawning from the efforts. While she did land the roll noted above, Brockett soon turned her attention to music, teaching herself multiple instruments in her youth.

After high school, she formed the band, Truvair, with a few high school friends, and while auditioning for various record companies caught the attention of Motown. At first, she was hired to work on a film which ultimately got shelved. However, Barry Gordy was impressed enough with her voice that he signed her as a solo act. It was here that she caught the attention of Motown artist, Rick James, who opted to produce her first album.

It was with her 1979 debut, Wild And Peaceful, that she officially dawned the stage name, Teena Marie. The album produced her first top ten hit, and Marie would continue to release albums through the Gordy label through 1981. However, heated arguments soon ensued, as Maries pushed for her new material to be released, but was denied by the label. This led to a lawsuit, resulting in The Brockert Initiative.

The Brockert Initiative made it illegal for a record company to keep an artist under contract without releasing their new material. This in tern allowed her, and other future artists, to be released from a record label, and sign with another, if their music was being denied release by their current label.

Marie left Motown, and signed with Epic Records, releasing the concept album, Robbery, which garnered three top one hundred hits. This was followed up with 1984's Starchild, which is the album that landed her on my radar.

Starchild features her top ten hit, Lovergirl, which is an amazing tune! Everything about it encompasses the 80's in a sheer perfection capsule. Sadly, the rest of the album does not deliver this same experience. Rather, it's quite bland, encumbered by ballads, and other forgettable tracks.

As for Marie, she released further albums through Epic up until 1990's Ivory. However, from then on, while continuing to release albums from 2004 through 2010, she hopped from label to label, never quite bottling that success she once had. Tragically, she was found dead in her home in 2010, with natural causes being ruled. A posthumous album was released in 2013.

I'm not going to lie, for as disappointed as I was with Starchild, Lovergirl was worth the price of admission, and I'm not mad. The four times I've played it since buying it have more than paid for the album.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 7, 1981

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 7, 1987

Retro Spins: Alisha - Alisha

Forget your Tiffany's and Debbie Gibsons. Don't even worry about your Shana's. Today, we're talking about Alisha.

At the age of eight, Alisha was coaxed, or as they would call it, forced, into taking singing lessons, and recording sessions. She would join the group, The Babysitters in Brooklyn at the age of fourteen, and recorded a demo which made its way to producer Mark S. Berry.

Berry was looking for someone to sing the song, All Night Passion, and selected the young girl. With his help she would also secure a recording contract with Vanguard Records, which Berry would go on to produce.

Personally, I had never heard of Alisha until perusing my usual haunts, and it was here that I was pointed to a handful of her tracks. They were pretty good, actually, and this led me to track down her 1985 self titled debut.

Wow, what a hidden gem this one turned out to be.

If you're a fan of synthpop dance tracks, then this is definitely one for you to check out. Song after song got a thumbs up of approval, and was transferred to my shuffle list. Overall, it was just fun, peppy, and catchy.

The album spawned numerous top ten chart hits, which include, All Night Passion, Too Turned On, and Baby Talk. Mild hits, which hit the top 100, were, Stargazing, and Boys Will Be Boys. Her debut remains Alisha's most successful record to date.

Unfortunately, what it also has going for it is a poor CD transfer. Clicks, and pops plague this release, and the disappointment is compounded by the scarcity and high price tag that comes with it. I dare say, had I not ripped this to MP3 when I did that this CD would have eventually become unplayable with time. It's that defective, barely salvageable in its current state.

Alisha signed a new record deal with RCA Records, and released her follow up album, Nightwalkin' in 1987. It only produced one hit, and a second single was featured in the film, Mannequin. The singer attempted a comeback album in 1990 with MCA Records, releasing Bounce Back. While the title track was a top ten hit, as a whole, the record did not garner the critical reception wanted or needed. It remains her last album to date.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 6, 1982

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 6, 1988

Retro Spins: Mike + The Mechanics - Mike + The Mechanics

Mike Rutherford was no stranger to the music scene. Prior to releasing solo albums in 1980 and 1982, he had already established himself as one of the founding members and bassist of Genesis, releasing nine albums with the group before venturing out on his own for the first time. Despite releasing two albums, Rutherford never felt fulfilled as a solo artist. Rather, that artistically, the end result was better when having collaboration with other artists. He just didn't want it to strictly be with remaining members of Genesis, Phil Collins and Tony Banks.

This would ultimately lead to Rutherford forming Mike + The Mechanics, which featured notable artists, Paul Carrack, Paul Young, Adrian Lee, and Peter Van Hooke. Despite being "his" band, Mike stuck to lead and bass guitar, contributing backing vocals, leaving shared lead vocals to both Paul's.

Their 1985 debut self titled album garnered three top forty hits, Silent Running, All I Need Is A Miracle, and Taken In. Overall, and for me personally, the rest of the tracks leave a lot to be desired. It's just not satisfying as a whole. There was nothing beyond the hits that I really felt like I needed to hear again. Mind you, I tend to feel the same way about Genesis, so this wasn't really surprising to discover.

Beyond that, there's not much more to say from my own perspective because I actually ended up tapping out on this one around the half way point. It just wasn't resonating with me. I'll take the hits, and call it a day.

Critically, the album was a major success, and while Rutherford would return to Genesis for their highly popular Invisible Touch in 1986 and onward through their final album, 1997's Calling All Stations, he would return to Mike + The Mechanics periodically. The most popular being the 1988 follow up, Living Years. Since then, the band has released seven additional albums through 2019.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 5, 1983

Retro Spins: Kool & The Gang - Emergency

A whopping twenty-three members have come and gone throughout the various iterations of Kool & The Gang, with only three members staying consistently from its inception to present formation. Those three are, Robert "Kool" Bell, George Brown, and Dennis Thomas . Ronald Bell most likely would have joined that roster, but sadly passed away in 2020.

The group was formed in 1964, working in these early days as part of jazz scene in a local theater every Sunday. They underwent several name and style changes, becoming notable for their Motown covers. However, by 1967, the decision was made to form their own identity under the name, Kool & The Flames. At the suggestion of their manager, who thought they would be confused with James Brown's The Famous Flames, the name was changed a final time to Kool & The Gang.

A recording contract was secured with De-Lite Records, under which the group would release sixteen albums between 1969 and 1984. PolyGram purchased the company in 1977and in 1985 transferred Kool and the Gang to their sub-label Mercury Records.

It was with the coming of disco, and the band's embrace of it, that they scored their first success with 1973's Wild And Peaceful. This success continued with 1974's Light Of Worlds. Unfortunately, this was followed by a decline in popularity and sales through 1978. Their only brief return to popularity was for the 1977 Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

1979 brought with it two distinct changes to Kool & The Gang. The first was to bring in a dedicated lead singer. Enter James "J.T." Taylor, who would consecutively front the band through 1988. The second was Brazilian musician, songwriter, and arranger Eumir Deodato, who was added as their producer. Deodato helped them move towards mainstream pop and dance-oriented music with greater emphasis on catchy hooks and chorus lines. The changes led to the commercial success they wanted and needed.

Ladies Night, released in 1979 was the groups first of many to come platinum albums. On its heels were 1980's Celebrate!, 1981's Something Special, 1982's As One, 1983's In The Heart, and 1984's Emergency. The latter of which is where we kick off today's Retro Spins.

Emergency kicks off with the title track, and from there keeps things in high energy with Fresh, and Misled, before coming down a bit to deliver the coup de grace with Cherish. The album stays mellow from there, and quite honestly doesn't deliver as hard as the first half.

It's interesting to note in reviewing the history of this album that I am apparently not the only person to feel this way. All of the above noted track were top forty hits for Kool & The Gang, while the last three seem to have been relatively forgotten, garnering no attention.

Their follow up album, 1986's Forever saw the group's sales once again start to decline, and in 1988 Taylor left to focus on a solo career. Kool & The Gang wouldn't release another album until 1992's Unite, and upon Taylor's return in 1996, they released State Of Affairs. However, at this point they had long since been overtaken by the traditional sounds filling 90's airwaves, and little attention was paid to their reunion.

Kool & The Gang would once again return in 2001, and have continued to release albums through 2021. With exception of 2007's Still Kool, which went platinum, most of the albums released during this period have been commercial failures.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 4, 1984

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 4, 1989

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 to 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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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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