The Toy Box: May 2025

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man Annual 14

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man Annual
Issue Number: 14
Release Date: October 1980

Highlights

First appearance of Lucius Dilby, Dean Jastrow, and the real life punk band, Shrapnel
I really like the panels of Spider-Man himself - Denny O'Neil and Frank Miller really make him look cool with various colors, shadows, etc.

Low Points

It's an Annual for The Amazing Spider-Man, but he doesn't even show up until the last panel of page 13 of 36, and even then it's as Peter Parker
Spider-Man finally makes an appearance on page fifteen

Oddities

There's this massive scene of people being put under some form of hypnotic spell, following Shrapnel down the road as they chant, but no reason is given as to why, and it's never again revisited once it happens

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

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Retro Spins: Eric Johnson - Tones

Eric Johnson hit my radar in the mid to late 90's when a buddy in my circle bought his 1990 released Ah Via Musicom. The instrumental track Cliffs of Dover quickly became our group's favorite, and we would blare it in his car as we trekked down the road to nowhere, as most late teen early twenty year old young adults did.

The album was one I added to my collection soon thereafter, and kept with me for the longest time. While I don't remember if I eventually parted ways with it, and had to repurchase it when building my CD collection, as of this writing, I know its among the collection.

However, despite my favoring of the album, I never really looked in to Johnson as an artist, branching out past Musicom. This would only change during a trip to one of my favorite used CD's shop hot spots, McKay's. It was during a visit that I came across the album Tones while thumbing through the fodder of stuff I already had, or simply didn't want.

If I recall correctly, I was a little shocked to see that it was from 1986, mainly because I equated the guitarist to a 90's act. Despite the higher price sticker on the album than the usual around the store, I decided I would grab it.

As many times in the past, Tones was ripped to my digital library immediately, but them physically sat on the shelf untouched, and not played until now. One of the things that I really dug about his aforementioned 90's album was Johnson's mixture of instrumental tracks, as well as tracks that he sings on. He's not shy of letting the guitar work be the star of the album, and this is definitely a pro in my book.

Tones starts out in the same fashion I was accustomed to with his later work, wherein an instrumental track takes center stage to start the show. Soulful Train has a good lick and riff to it, but had a high bar previously set by Cliffs of Dover that it had to reach. It was okay, but honestly not as memorable as I hoped.

The tracks Emerald Eyes and Zap are re-recorded versions from the guitarist's prior unreleased initial debut from 1978. These songs were initially recorded between 1976 and 1978, after Eric's prior band, Electromagnets, disbanded. The original versions would later be re-released on his 1998 album, Seven Worlds, which featured several of the original tracks recording during these latter 70's years.

What I like the most about Tones is the familiarity of it. You know how when you hear an artist, and you immediately know who they are just from the sound of the music? That's Eric Johnson. He has a specific style to his guitar that you can immediately spot when it's him.

Overall, while I won't say I walked away with anything that necessarily stood out as a hit single from Tones, as a whole, it was a fantastic forty-five minutes spent listening to it. A hidden gem, if you will. It's solid through and through, and one that would definitely intrigue me enough to hear more from the artist, if I hadn't already done so.

Despite the album bringing recognition to the artist, and even a Grammy nomination, Tones didn't sell well. As a result, Warner Bros. let his contract expire. He would later sign with Capitol, and follow up with his already mentioned 1990 album, and 1996's Venus Isle. That's a long gap between studio albums, which were brought about from Johnson touring for three years straight in support of Ah Via Musicom, and then hindered by perfectionism, continuously scrapped and re-recorded tracks for Venus Isle, delaying its release. The lackluster sales of Venus resulted in Capital dropping him.

Though he did rebound, and continued to release studio albums through 2022, there is a noticeable sporadic gap between them. Fortunately, Johnson would no longer be hindered by labels, as he would release his albums from this point on via his own studio, Vortexan. Though in his 70's now, he remains very active, continuing to tour. His most recent was G3 2024 with Steve Vai and Joe Satriani.

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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
May 31, 1980

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 31, 1986

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 209

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 209
Release Date: October 1980

Highlights

First appearance of Calypso
Reference is made to Marvel Team-Up 67, and Spider-Woman 31
Special cameo appearance by Spider-Woman
Spider-Man and Kraven duke it out again, with Kraven once again losing - His consistent defeats are building and building to a certain upcoming event

Low Points

None

Oddities

None

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

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Retro Spins: Air Supply - Hearts In Motion

Air Supply was in a steady decline by the time the band returned to the studio for their 1986 album, Hearts In Motion. Their prior album would be their last gold release, and from there sales, as well as charts, would fair worse. Also by this point, the two founders, Russell Hitchcock, and Graham Russell were the only credited remaining members.

Hearts In Motion wouldn't track well with critics and fans, having only one minor hit, Lonely Is The Night, which piqued at 76. As for me, I only picked up the album because it seemed silly that it was the only one from them in the 80's that I didn't have. Did I want it? No. Not at all. But, it was cheap, in comparison to the others, so I grabbed it to essentially fill a hole.

Historically, I find a way somehow of really liking the albums from artists that did the worst in their careers. Maybe this is because the material is relatively fresh, having not been subjected to steady radio rotation, or possibly being true diamonds in the rough. However, that has typically also been with artists I like a lot, such as Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, etc. Air Supply is not among that honor, but I'll be optimistic as I dive in.

First impression, it's much louder, volume wise. Someone cranked microphones up for this, and it sounds like a lot of the drumming was achieved via a generic drum machine. Overall though, Hearts In Motion has an up tempo sound to it, well, at least for the first three tracks, It's Not Too Late, Lonely Is The Night, and Put Love In Your Life. It's a refreshing change of pace for the band, and I wish there was more like this in prior albums.

The inevitable ballad does come, and yes, for me, they're skippable. On the whole, there are no hits to be found on Hearts In Motion. However, it's not a bad album. What stood out the most was how the mediocre nature of it still resonated better than the lackluster impressions of previous albums.

Air Supply would have one final entry in the decade, 1987's The Christmas Album. This, while technically a studio release, is one I'm going to skip for now. I own it, it's just not the time of year that I want to fire it up. Career wise, it was their last obligation to label Arista. They would return in 1993 with their twelfth studio release, The Vanishing Race, and while they would frequently change labels from there, released period new material through 2010's Mumbo Jumbo.

Despite my personal opinions, there's no doubt this "sissy rock" group made a major impact over the many decades they were active. They have their ensemble of hits, good ones, nay, great ones, and I appreciate and respect that. Though every song in their massive catalog may not be for me, I'm still glad to own their complete studio run for the 80's. They're a must have on my shelf.

For now, our journey with Air Supply ends.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 30, 1981

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 30, 1987

Comics Corner: Marvel Team-Up 98

Title: Marvel Team-Up
Issue Number: 98
Release Date: October 1980

Highlights

We skip over Marvel Team-Up 97, which doesn't feature Spider-Man, nor is it part of his chronological story
First appearance of "Loose-Lips" Lonigan
Reference is made to Marvel Team-Up 73
The Owl is back, but confined to a hovering mobility chair

Low Points

Story just abruptly ends

Oddities

Editor's Day Off: Spider-Man's lenses are red in some panels
Spider-Man refers the what Black Widow is swinging on as "her web-line" - Um...Does she shoot webbing now?

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

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Retro Spins: Air Supply - Air Supply

By 1982, Air Supply's studio albums were declining in sales, yet oddly, all their prior releases were eclipsed by their 1983 Greatest Hits, which to date has gone 5X platinum. To say the band had piqued and were on a downward slope would have been a fair statement. A noteworthy detour before jumping in was their 1984 I Can Wait Forever, which was featured on the soundtrack to Ghostbusters. Though it may not have charted, I find it to be a goodin'

Also around this time, several members had left, and a new lineup was once again put together. When the band finally return in 1985 for their eighth and second self titled album, the only remaining consistents were founding members, Russell Hitchcock, and Graham Russell.

I was concerned, well, maybe that's not the right word. I was hesitant to want to continue on with Air Supply based on yesterday's post where I noted their '83 compilation was the last to feature a top ten hit. With the bulk of their songs not really resonating, I was less than enthusiastic to keep hedging through studio albums, but I bought them, so onward I went.

Well, slap me in the face because that's what track number one did! How was Just As I Am not a top ten hit? I mean, I know by this point in the Billboard Charts it was a bloodbath for number one contenders. The tune did manage to make it to the number nineteen spot.

Additionally, though not very noteworthy for me personally, was the cover of Jennifer Rush's 1984 released Power Of Love. Supply's rendition would chart, but only peak at 68. For me, it's not very good. Jennifer Rush's version was decent for its time, but the person who really smashed a version of this out of the park was Celine Dion in 1993.

Make It Right got my attention as it played. It wasn't amazing, but it stood out among the rest as more enjoyable, probably from its more upbeat tempo than most. Beyond that, there's not much to say.

Tomorrow's post will wrap up my journey through Air Supply, and I'm just going to say it now, I don't suspect it's going to end on a high note. Don't get me wrong, this hasn't been as bad as I may have made it sound. Air Supply won't contend for the number one spot as my favorite band, but they're far from what I would call the worst. They have hits, really good ones, and hey, sometimes that's good enough.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 29, 1982

Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 48

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 48
Release Date: November 1980

Highlights

Reference is made to Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 43, 46, and The Amazing Spider-Man 186
We not only get the origin of Belladonna, but her true identity, Narda Ravanna

Low Points

None

Oddities

The police take Prowler to the hospital, and not only do they not handcuff him to the bed, but leave his gauntlets right next to him - Naturally, he uses them to escape
Editor's Day Off - Manny, Belladonna's goon exclaims, "What have here?"

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

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Retro Spins: Air Supply - Now And Forever

Air Supply sure has a knack for changing lineups. By 1982, several members had come and gone, with the lineup for their next studio album consisting of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Graham Russell, additional lead vocalist, Russell Hitchcock, keyboardist Frank Esler-Smith, drummer Ralph Cooper, lead guitarist Rex Goh, and bassist David Green. Together, they would produce Now And Forever that year, which continued the trend of the group's popularity. The album would become their last platinum status to date.

There's not much more to tell on the history of Air Supply at this point, having covered most of it in yesterday's post. So, what say we just jump right in? Admittedly, this one's not going to be as long as the prior two.

Now And Forever has hits, for sure. It starts out strong with the title track, continues well with Even The Nights Are Better, and then kind of tapers off with remaining singles / hits (subjective), Young Love, and Two Less Lonely People In The World. However, from there, things nose dive into boring and bland ballads.

While I'd love to say that at this point it was just Air Supply fatigue, having listened to three of their albums in a row, the fact of the matter is that this was the first of the bunch I played. Basically, this was my starting point for the band, and it wasn't shaping up to be all that amazing.

Truthfully, of the four songs noted above, I only grabbed the first two for my shuffle list. Thus the notation of the other two being "subjective hits". The charts may have been kind to Now And Forever, me, I'm not as forgiving. Like I said above, it's bland and boring for the most part.

Air Supply would take a break from the studio after its release not returning until their 1985 (second) self titled album. However, noteworthy in between this was their 1983 Greatest Hits, which featured the Jim Steinman penned and produced Making Love Out Of Nothing At All. This would be the band's last top ten hit. It was also never featured on any studio albums, having been released as a single prior to being featured on the compilation.

My interest in Air Supply is waning, and my level of excitement only dips further based on the above notation of there being no further hits to look forward to. But is this true? Could it be possible that Air Supply had nothing left to offer? Well, I guess we'll find out tomorrow.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 28, 1983

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 28, 1988

Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 47

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 47
Release Date: October 1980

Highlights

First appearance of Nathan Lubensky, Melba Tolliver, Liam, Steve Daugherty, and the NYPD cops, Detective Donovan, and Sergeant Lou Snyder
Death of Charlie McGuire
The Cat Burglar, first seen in The Amazing Spider-Man 30, returns, this time as the new Prowler
Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 30, 93, and 200, Defenders 64m and Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 43
Belladonna is pulling the puppet strings of Prowler

Low Points

None

Oddities

None

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

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Retro Spins: Air Supply - The One That You Love

The journey of ballads continues with Air Supply's sixth studio release, 1981's The One That You Love. Expectations are low, but spirits high.

Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell met while performing in the chorus lineup for the show Jesus Christ Superstar in Australia. Along with fellow cast member, Chrissie Hammond, they would form Air Supply with Hitchcock and Hammond on vocals, and Russell on guitar. However, Hammond would leave in 1976 to form Cheetah with her sister.

To replace her, the two would once again turn to their Superstar alum, bringing in Jeremy Paul on backing vocals and bass. Their first single, Love And Bruises would be released that same year, and reach number six in Australia. Because they were still performing in their show, contractually, they were unable to promote the single. However, once this ended, they would release their self titled debut in 1976.

Led by the single, it would go on to reach number seven in Australia. Joining the band during this time were keyboardist Adrian Scott, drummer Jeff Browne, and guitarist Mark McEntee. Oddly, McEntee would leave the band before the end of the year to become a session musician. Though this wouldn't be the end of his story. McEntee and Jeremy Paul would go on to form the group Divinyls with singer, Chrissy Amphlett in 1980 (awesome musical connection). Browne would also depart around this time frame, with both he and McEntee being replaced by Nigel Macara on drums, and Brenton White on guitar.

After a tour, which White oddly rehearsed for, but did not perform on, the band would return to the studio for their follow up album, 1977's The Whole Thing's Started. The lineup for the recording would consist of Hitchcock, Russell, Scott, Paul, Macara, and new guitarist, Rex Goh. Despite their debut becoming gold, sales for their sophomore album didn't meet these expectations.

A lineup change would occur again, and Air Supply would release their third album, Love & Bruises in 1978. In its entirety, it was comprised of re-recorded material from their past two albums, with the sole purposes of it to be as an introduction to American audiences. Unfortunately, it too failed to chart.

As noted yesterday when we went through Lost In Love, this song would initially be released on the band's 1979 album, Life Support, and later remixed by Clive Davis of Arista Records for a US release as a single. This opened the door for international recognition, and led to the 1980 titled album, Lost In Love.

The success of the single, and subsequent album, would pave the way for 1981's The One That You Love. At this point, Air Supply would frequently appear on the show, Solid Gold, and even fill in as hosts when resident co-host Andy Gibb wasn't available. This exposure helped to keep the band in the forefront, aiding in album sales.

The One That You Love kicks off with a peppy, Don't Turn Me Away, but then quickly shift back into a series of ballads, the staple formula for the group. It was a disappointing shift, but expected.

Air Supply would cross yet another international border with the aid of I'll Never Get Enough Of You, which became popular for its use as the main theme in a Japanese TV novel. However, for me, the biggest hit from the batch is easily, and hands down, Sweet Dreams. As I noted in my prior post, All Out Of Love was a contender as my favorite. Sweet Dreams gets that coveted title.

Also among the bunch of "goodens" was the title track, The One That You Love, and This Heart Belongs To Me. I don't admit to liking ballads often, but this one definitely earned its spot on my shuffle list.

As for the rest of the album, not so much. More ballads, and more mediocrity. Mind you, I didn't expect anything short of this. I knew what I was getting into, realized that the hits were what would probably stand out to me, and for the most part, that's exactly what's happening. Do I still hope there will be more diamonds in the rough? Absolutely. For now, I'm content with what I'm getting out of this.

Let's see if that continues with tomorrow's post, 1982's Now And Forever!

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 27, 1989

The Dirty Dozen - My Top Twelve Albums Of 1985

Jump in your DeLorean, and head on back to 1985 to take a look at my top twelve favorite albums from the year. For those of you just tuning in, the purpose of going through the 80's, identifying my favorite from each year, is to come up with a list of albums to curate down to the select few that will gain a spot on my wall.

We start off with the honorable mentions, which didn't make the top twelve.

Kicking that list off is Mr. Mister's Welcome To The Real World, followed by Simple Minds' Once Upon A Time, Sting's The Dream Of The Blue Turtles, and The Cure's The Head On The Door. All of these feature some amazing songs, but just couldn't contend with the twelve which beat them out in the long run.

Though it comes in at number twelve, We Are The World could still very well be one I consider for the wall. Though it really only has one song on it that I like, obviously the title track, it's such an iconic event. Not only that, but look at all the artists on that cover! That's a conversation piece.

Can you have a conversation about 80's music without someone bringing up a-ha's massive hit, Take On Me? Everything about the song, down to its groundbreaking music video is iconic.

Heart's return to popularity all starts here. New members, new looks, new sound, and massive hits all spawned from this self titled album. Plus, that cover screams the 80's.

Though it wasn't the critical hit everyone expected on the heels of Purple Rain, Prince's Around The World In A Day still has one of my favorite songs. I love me some Raspberry Beret. I also dig that colorful Beatles type cover. Why is Prince's hair blonde on the cover, you ask? Fun fact, he initially was dyeing his hair blonde during this time period, but something went awry with the hair coloring process, and he had to wash it out.

I didn't really appreciate Dire Straits in the 80's. While I dug the look of their music video to Money For Nothing, the music itself didn't really resonate with me. However, in my older years, and a revisiting of their work, I definitely started to understand the appeal. Brothers In Arms is a solid album with deep lyrics, and fantastic guitar work.

Phil Collins punched the 80's in the face with No Jacket Required, solidifying himself as a solo artist. What I don't think I want is this creepy cover on my wall. I mean...It's creepy...

A fantastic soundtrack to a fantastic movie with an iconic cover. Wouldn't the Back To The Future soundtrack look amazing in a frame?

Baltimora's Living In The Background is a hidden gem from the 80's. Sure, it features the love it or hate it hit, Tarzan Boy, love it by the way, but also so many other wonderful pop tunes. While I like the album, man that cover is goofy. I suppose it would be a conversation piece for sure, but I don't know. For as much as I dig the songs, I don't know that I would want that cover on my wall.

It's funny. Everything that makes Phil Collin's No Jacket Required cover creepy makes "Weird Al" Yankovic's Dare To Be Stupid awesome. Plus its back up with a slew of awesome tunes. Honestly, I could easily pick up every 80's Al album and throw them up on the wall, and be happy. Hmm...Thinking...

Rocky IV is the first movie in the franchise I ever saw as a kid, and one of the biggest things that stood out for me was the soundtrack. It has some amazing tracks you're just not going to find anywhere else...Well, with exception of Survivor's Eye Of The Tiger. This was an album I listened to a lot on cassette back in the day.

Falco 3 may be the first cassette my brother ever owned, but it was one I quickly garnered an appreciation for. When he first got it, we were confused by the alternate versions of Rock Me Amadeus and Vienna Calling, and I would later find out these were alternate versions included specifically for the USA release. These days, they're my go to versions. Falco 3 was underrated, and Falco deserved better.

Oingo Boing's Dead Man's Party was the first Boingo album I ever heard from start to finish, and I loved it. It was introduced to me by a long time buddy of mine, and from there, I became a massive fan of the band. This is one I can tell you without even thinking further about it that it will end up on the wall. I even bid on a copy recently, only to be outbid in the end. I'll get one though.

That wraps up 1985. Despite the order of the top twelve, I'm all over the place in terms of albums I'd consider for framing and hanging. Obviously, Oingo Boingo is on that list. The others are, We Are The World, Prince And The Revolution's Around The World In A Day, Falco 3, and "Weird Al" Yankovic's Dare To Be Stupid.

Adding to that pile are Queen's The Game, and Rush's Permanent Waves from 1980, The Smurfs All-Star Show from 1981, Prince's 1999, and Michael Jackson's Thriller from 1982. Only one from 1983 in the form of Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual. A slew join the pile from 1984 with the Ghostbuster's soundtrack, The Cars' Heartbeat City, The Jackson's Victory, "Weird Al" Yankovic's In 3-D, and Prince And The Revolution's Purple Rain.

The list keeps growing, but space is limited, so we'll see who gets the coveted spots. First, we have to get through 1986 - 1989.

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Retro Spins: Air Supply - Lost In Love

Oh, boy. This next series of albums may get a little rough. I like Air Supply's hits, but I don't know how the rest of their material will fare. I guess we'll find out together...Breath...Here we go...

Air Supply is what I candidly call sissy rock. Now, replace the word sissy with a female body part that starts with a "p", and you see what I really call it. This label serves as two purposes in my mind. 1) The music itself is so, well, sissy. All about feelings and emotions, uncool to its roots. 2) I'm sure in singing these songs, these two got a lot of "sissy" from women who all but threw their panties at them. They're the band your sister and mom liked, but that young boys didn't start to notice until the birds and the bees came a-knockin'.

I won't deny Air Supply their overall popularity, and I'll even acknowledge that in their multi-decade career, they've had many a hit. Thirteen Billboard chart toppers, eight of which went to the top ten, is no small feat for any artist. With that said, of their seventeen studio albums between 1976 and 2010, only three have gotten platinum status, and two gold. That's a pretty bad average, all things considered.

Anyway, now that I've given my subjective opinion of the band, today marks the start of my run through their many 80's albums. Because as much as I like to frown upon Air Supply, I clearly contradicted this by opening my wallet, owning all six of their 80's releases, plus Greatest Hits.

The first thing I will say as I went on that journey was how shocking it was to see the prices. On average, albums were costing me fifteen to twenty-five dollars, used. Now, with that, I have to say that the pressings I was after were the first made in Japan. Those do tend to be more costly in comparison to re-issues and remasters, as these were typically made in the early to mid-eighties when CD's were not made in as mass quantities as they were by 1989 (and beyond). However, this didn't make me feel any better about it. This aspect alone is what kept the albums on my want list much longer than initially intended. I definitely had to mentally psych myself up to make these purchases, and then dive in headlong when the moment finally hit me.

After sitting on the shelf for several years, we finally reach today when I had to once again mentally prepare myself for Air Supply. Despite liking the hits, I knew what I was getting myself into, and needless to say, I had to be in the right headspace.

As I turned on their 1980 release, and fifth studio album, Lost In Love, I was at least content, for the moment, to be greeted by the title track. I was even happier with track two, All Out Of Love, which if I had to confess, I'd say was a contender as my favorite from the band. This was followed by Every Woman In The World, or what we'll call, the third single from the album.

Unfortunately, this eleven and a half power house of a start left me with an additional twenty-five minutes of uncharted territory. I was both surprised and happy to find two new songs in this fold that piqued my interest, American Hearts, and I Can't Get Excited.

I was also caught off guard as I continued to dig through the rich history of the band, discovering that the version of Lost In Love from the album was actually a remixed second recording. The first, which had an additional two minute runtime was featured on their prior album, 1979's Life Support. It was Arista Records boss, Clive Davis, who would take an interest in the tune, have it remixed, and released in the US in the early 80's. This would also lead to the group signing a deal with the label, who they would stay with through 1987. The album would also become their best seller of all time, being certified 2X platinum.

See, this is what makes these Retro Spins fun. Really learning about the history, finding out where things came from, how they came to be, and so on. While overall, Lost In Love was mediocre at best for me, I really enjoyed the knowledge of Air Supply that came with it.

We'll dig in more to that history next time, when we jump into their 1981 released The One That You Love.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 26, 1984

Comics Corner: Marvel Team-Up 96

Title: Marvel Team-Up
Issue Number: 96
Release Date: August 1980

Highlights

First appearance of Status Quo
We get the origin of Status Quo, but not his name - Mysterious
Reference is made to Howard The Duck 1
Status Quo wants to rid the world of all fads, and convinces everyone around him to fight for him
It's one kooky story, but what did you expect with Howard The Duck in tow?

Low Points

Is this trip really necessary in the Spider-Man chronology?

Oddities

It's so quirky, it's kind of unbelievable - Like a fever dream

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

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Retro Spins: Aerosmith - Rock In A Hard Place

After a long period of time with the Finn brothers of Split Enz and Crowded House, I needed something different, and nothing seemed more contrast to zany and quirkiness to the vocals of Steven Tyler. Diving headlong into the band's first 1980's entry, I was blasted in the face with Tyler screaming and howling, which as odd as it may seem, was a refreshing change of pace.

Rock In A Hard Place has a favorable variances going for it in 2024 as I listen to it, that it most likely didn't have in 1982 when it was first released. For starters, in retrospect, it doesn't come with all the drama and burnout that Aerosmith were experiencing in the early 80's. This isn't Aerosmith struggling for relevancy. Rather, it's just "new" material to my ears from a band that's already established themselves as the classic rockers they are.

Further, I'm not impacted by the absence of guitarist Brad Whitford, and lead guitarist Joe Perry, who had both left the band at this point (Whitford in 1981, and Perry in 1979), and were replaced by Rick Dufay and Jimmy Crespo, respectively.

Steven Tyler, who was struggling with increased substance abuses, along with other band members who had their own vices, toiled with completing the album for two years. In a 2008 interview, Dufay would tell the story of how Tyler was really in a bad place. Along with producer Jack Douglas isolated him, and nursed him back to health, breaking him of his addictions over three months

When Rock In A Hard Place was released, critics weren't kind. They called the band irrelevant, past their prime, and in comparison to the groups 70's material, stated the magical chemistry was gone. In short, Aerosmith was checked off the list, and labeled as done.

Was this a fair assessment? Well, I don't think so. Again, I reiterate that my impression of the album isn't tainted by the time of its initial inception. To me, it's just another Aerosmith album in a long running catalog. As I played through it, I heard good material, on par with past and future music which I have also come to know over time.

In fact, it may even be because of its overall lackluster reception and lack of spotlight that it makes it all the more enjoyable for me. I have long since been a bigger fan of the songs Aerosmith hasn't overplayed these past fifty plus years. The hits are great, but the hidden gems are the ones that truly shine, and that's what I get when listening to the album.

With that said, I will also be honest. Hearing it, there is definitely a struggle in Tyler's vocals, which are often off key. Whether this is intentional, or a product of the time, it's both unique and detracting. Despite this, the overall "package" is enjoyable.

Call me crazy, but I actually ended up adding the whole thing to my shuffle list. I dug it, and I dug it a lot. It was both fresh to me, but familiar at the same time, and I think this worked to its advantage. I could easily sit down and play this one again.

At this point, I probably don't need to finish this post off in the same fashion I normally would. I don't really think I need to tell any of you about where Aerosmith went from there, and get into the finite details. There's also not much to say about their remaining 80's albums, as I've covered all their other studio releases from this era already.

I guess we'll just call this one a day.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 25, 1985

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 208

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 208
Release Date: September 1980

Highlights

First appearance of Lance Bannon, and the identical twins, Hubert and Pinky Fusser, AKA Fusion
We get the origin of Fusion
Rupert Dockery of the Los Angeles Courier (as seen in the pages of Spider-Woman) becomes the Globe's new Circulation Manager
Aunt May tells Aunt Anna (Watson) that Spider-Man isn't so bad
Spider-Man makes reference to "the comic book guy with the cape"...Superman?

Low Points

There's really no explanation given as to why Fusion suddenly turns evil, or rather, Hubert's half of Fusion

Oddities

Editor's Day Off - Spider-Man says, "You'll be be your own Christmas tree.

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

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Retro Spins: Crowded House - Temple Of Low Men

With the success of their debut, lead writer, Neil Finn was tasked with the difficult duty of crafting an equally powerful follow up album. However, this would be no small feat. Knowing this, the band even opted for the title, "Mediocre Follow Up", just so expectations wouldn't be set so high. Ultimately, they would land on Temple Of Low Men.

At least this time, the lack of backing from their label wouldn't be a factor, and heavy promotion would occur. Sadly, the end result was that critically, and sales wise, lightning wasn't destined to strike twice for Crowded House. While Temple would be successful in New Zealand and Australia, it didn't garner the international success of its predecessor. Singles from the album didn't fare any better beyond their native borders.

A short tour would follow across Australia and Canada, and joining on keyboards would be Split Enz alum Eddie Rayner. He would be replaced after the tour by Mark Hart, who would go on to become a full member of the band. Arguments would also ensue between founding members Neil Finn and Mark Seymour, which would result in the latter being fired, but returning after a month.

As for my time with Temple Of The Low Men, sadly, I can keep this one relatively short, and to the point. It's not very noteworthy or memorable. By song five of the ten track album, I still hadn't heard anything worth writing home about. Certainly, nothing was getting added to my shuffle list. Much like their debut, the word "mediocre" resonates in my head. It's not good. It's not bad. It's just, meh.

Then, out of nowhere, the brakes get slammed on. Track eight, Sister Madly, comes out of nowhere, and kicks me in the teeth. Grabs my attention. Gets my toes tapping, and my head bopping.

This momentum carries over into the following song, In The Lowlands. While a good thing, it's also disappointing at the same time. Where was this charisma and charm on the prior songs? More of this, please! In hindsight, this is very much the Split Enz sound, and I like it very much.

Overall, I wish Temple were more like track eight and nine, and less like...Well, what it was. It tells me the potential for this album could have and should have been more than what it ended up being.

I defer to my own personal opinions because they clearly don't dictate the success the band has achieved. While the group would disband in 1996 after a farewell tour, since their 1986 debut, they would have four consecutive platinum albums. Split Enz founder, and brother, Tim Finn, would even join the band briefly, and be part of their 1991 album, Woodface.

Tragedy struck in 2005 when founding member, Paul Hester, would take his own life by suicide. Following this, Nick Seymour would reunite with the Finn brothers for a tribute concert to their friend. This would lead to the reformation of Crowded House, and the 2007 platinum album, Time On Earth.

Nick Seymour and Neil Finn have continued the legacy of band since then, and remain among the few 80's artists to continue strong through present day. Their latest album, Gravity Stairs, was released in 2024 with Finn's sons Liam and Elroy on multiple instruments, along with Mitchell Froom on keyboards. Something so strong, indeed!

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 24, 1980

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 24, 1986