Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 74

   

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 74
Release Date: January 1983

Highlights

  • First appearance of Mark Whitman
  • Peter tells Dr. Kuklin that he'll help Debbie Whitman in his own way, not by putting on a party store Spider-Man costume
  • As Spider-Man swings away from Dr. Kuklin's office, a mysterious figure watches him - A figure that looks like Black Cat, returned from the dead
  • The Owl and Doctor Octopus's gangs are in a full fledge war with each other
  • The truth about Debbie Whitman's past comes out, and it's one about an abused wife at the hands of her husband
  • Sweet two page Spider-Man comic ad for the Spider-Man Atari cartridge
  • Debbie Whitman returns home to the Midwest to finalize her divorce
  • Black Cat reveals to Spider-Man that she's still alive
Low Points
  • Peter reveals his identity to Debbie, but all she does is laugh, and thank him for putting on a fake costume, and shock her back to her senses
Oddities
  • None
Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)



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Retro Spins: Barbra Streisand - Emotion


Hot on the heels of yesterday's post, and before I even finished writing it, I was well on my way through Barbra Streisand's 1984 album, Emotion. She's an artist who's albums I mostly ended up with because they were a dollar each. What can I say? I'm a sucker for cheap music.

As I continue my trek through actually listening to my massive collection, the journey has brought me to her albums. I made my way through 1980's Guilty yesterday, which admittedly was better than I expected. So, without further delay, let's keep going.

Emotion starts out with the title track. It was a weird listening experience for me because the music itself wasn't all that exciting, my Streisand's vocals kept me invested. This was something which continued to resonate through the following song, Make No Mistake, He's Mine (with Kim Carnes), and Time Machine (with Earth, Wind & Fire).

Additionally, unlike her prior album, Guilty, which had a very distinct Bee Gee's soft rock sound, for obvious reasons, Emotion is very synthesizer heavy. It's definitely a product of 1984, which hits a personal sweet spot for me. In fact it may have driven me to like this album more than I normally would.

The irony of this is that when Streisand steps out of what I'll call her "comfort zone", and actually decides to "rock", she does pretty good. The heavy, and heaviest track on the album, the John Mellencamp co-written, You're A Step In The Right Direction, is actually a solid tune. You can actually imagine, and hear Mellencamp singing it himself.

I also want to take a step and revisit a prior song, Left In The Dark. As I played through it, I was like, "Why is this song seven minutes long? It's too much!" The answer came when I looked into it further, and found that it was written by Jim Steinman. There's no doubt he's an excellent songwriter, but he seems to have issues with editing himself. His songs are often bloated in length.

As for the other's, I had to be cautious, and edit myself. Being impulsive to hearing "okay" music often leads to bloat of my shuffle list, and tunes I ultimately skip when they come back around. I can definitely see this happening with a lot of the songs from Emotion. As such, I'm going to limit myself to just the one noted above.

What I will say is that the album isn't bad. It's definitely more ballad heavy than I would prefer, but this was also something I expected from Babs. I don't correlate her to fast tempos or upbeat music. She's definitely a female crooner, and a contemporary artist through and through.

Barbra, herself, would go on to say in her memoir that Emotion was hodgepodge, and vowed to never record another pop album. Admittedly, this leaves me concerned for her last two releases of the 80's. Granted, I don't expect much from her 1985 follow-up, The Broadway Album, well, beyond a series of covers anyway. But it does leave me worried that her final album of the era, 1988's Till I Loved You, will be nothing short of boring. I guess we'll find out as I continue my journey.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 21, 1985


Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 237

   

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 237
Release Date: February 1983

Highlights

  • First appearance of Stark International employee, Demming, and Cordco employee, Blake
  • The return of the original Stilt-Man
  • Reference is made to Daredevil 8, 27, 186, and Thor 269
  • Spider-Man takes a blast that would have killed Stilt-Man, and in return, Stilt-Man spares his life while he's unconcious
Low Points
  • None
Oddities
  • None
Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)



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Retro Spins: Barbra Streisand - Guilty


Here I am, back in unfamiliar territory. This time in the very unlikely neighborhood of Barbra Streisand. Babs to her friends, Barbara Joan Streisand to her family, and Mechastreisand to Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

My personal interest in her as a singer was simply for the Gibb brother's penned tune, Woman In Love, a song I'm not ashamed to admit I think is fantastic. It's what ultimately led me to buying her 1980 album, Guilty. As for her remaining 80's albums, Emotion (1984), The Broadway Album (1985), and Till I Loved You (1988), those ended up in my collection for being found in the bins for a dollar each while digging in the used CD section of McKays.

She's among one of the more common artists to find a plethora from when diving into most used bins, be it at shops, conventions, or yard sales. You'll typically find her among the fodder of Celine Dion, Jewel, Cheryl Crowe, Reba McEntire, and every throw away country artist of the 90's and beyond. Point being, there's a reason her albums are a buck a piece, and that's why I bought the ones from the 80's.

As for her personally, I don't know much. She's has a storied career which began at the Bon Soir nightclub in 1960. She then made her first television premiere on The Jack Paar Show (1961), which continued into her first Broadway appearance in 1962's I Can Get It For You Wholesale. She kicked off her solo recording career with 1963's The Barbra Streisand Album, and appeared in her first feature film, Funny Girl in 1968. She's even stepped behind the camera to produce and direct, with her first time being for 1991's Prince Of Tides. In between all of that, and ever since, she's worked hard to become a legacy singer / actress across the 20th and 21st centuries. That in a nutshell summarizes her lifetime career.

Keeping in tow with my ambition to push through listening to all the albums I own, which grows increasingly difficult as more get added to the fold, I finally come to Barbra. I'll admit, I have mixed feelings about this. I'm not foreseeing walking away from this as a fan. Further, I'm anticipating a lot of songs I simply don't like. I expect I'll hear a lot of ballads, love songs, and other such styles I'm not a big fan of. However, I'm also hopeful that among these I will hear a few here and there that I can get onboard with.

If there was one thing I'd say excited me for 1980's Guilty, it would be that all songs were written by Barry Gibb, and sporadically with the aid of his brother's Robin and Maurice. Yeah, I dig the Bee Gees. I'm not gonna lie. They're amazing song writers, and performers.

With hopes a little raised, I fired the album up, and admittedly heard what I expected. The overall pace of the tracks are slow. However, there's a definite Bee Gee's vibe to them, both in style and sound. With that said, I don't think that most of these would work if sung by the guys. These definitely need a woman's vocal, and Barbra absolutely nails every note.

I did end up pulling a few for my shuffle list, but don't know if I would necessarily actually listen to most of them again if they came around on my IPOD...Yes, I still listen to music on an IPOD. These songs included, Guilty, Promises, Life Story, Make It Like A Memory, and of course, Woman In Love.

Before even finishing this post, I was already a couple tracks into her follow-up album, 1984's Emotion. So without further ado, I jump over to that post, which you'll be able to pick up yourself tomorrow.

As for Barbra herself, there's not much more I can add to her personal history. I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who didn't know her name, even if they've never seen one of her movies, or heard any of her music...Now that I think of it, I don't think I've ever seen one of her movies. Well, that's a problem for another day. I still have three albums to get through.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 20, 1980
 
THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 20, 1986


Comics Corner: Marvel Team-Up 125

   

Title: Marvel Team-Up
Issue Number: 125
Release Date: January 1983

Highlights

  • First appearance of Carl Kronsky, Leo, and Mr. Bickey
  • Spider-Man and Tigra are hired to be the face of Kwikkee Burger, but Spider-Man backs out at the last minute
  • Reference is made to Claws Of The Cat 1
  • Zabo returns, and is after Tigra again
  • A brief retelling of Tigra's origin
  • Tigra keeps telling Spider-Man to go away, but he insists on involving himself in her fight with Zabo
  • Extra story at the end featuring Dr. Strange and Scarlet Witch
Low Points
  • Extra story doesn't involve Spider-Man
Oddities
  • Spider-Man hits on Tigra, which is kind of gross considering she's...well, not exactly human
  • Spider-Man act very out of character in this issue
  • Editor's Day Off: Those ever present panels with Spider-Man's lenses colored red
Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)



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Retro Spins: Styx - Kilroy Was Here

 

When you hate something, but it makes a lot of money, it makes it difficult to balk at. Such was the case with members of Styx agreeing to continue following DeYoung's lead of concept albums for their next project, Kilroy Was Here. The band had reached superstardom status from their prior album, Paradise Theatre, with its subsequent massive tour conceptualizing and implementing Broadway and film style theatrics into the show.

Tommy Shaw would go on to voice his concerns about this in a later interview, stating the band would be on stage for thirty minutes before they even started playing. But again, despite this, the money and popularity were there, so the members acquiesced to DeYoung's vision.

Take everything I liked about Paradise Theatre, and crush it under the weight of the bloated, overzealous Kilroy Was Here. About the only thing that really resonated was Mr. Roboto, and Don't Let It End. Neither are particularly strong songs, with Roboto being nothing more than 80's campiness.

The biggest disappointment here is that I really wanted to like this album. Like, a lot. I was so looking forward to hearing it.

In retrospectively reading about the band's history, it appears my opinion falls in line with the general consensus. Fans of the band hated the concept approach, and subsequent tour, all but booing the band off stage at Texxas Jam in 1983. It was so bad that when the tour concluded, Tommy Shaw quit Styx for a solo career.

While a reunion was planned for the late 80's, Dennis DeYoung needed to halt the plans because he was on the cusp of releasing a solo album. When it was later revisited in 1990, Shaw was committed to Damn Yankees, and unable to join. Edge Of The World would be released in that year, with Glen Burtnik taking over guitars in Shaw's place.

Shaw would return in 1995 to re-record Lady for the forthcoming compilation album. However, at this time, drummer John Panozzo was incredibly ill from liver disease caused by years of alcohol abuse. He would sadly pass away in July of 1996. The remaining member would eventually return to the studio to record 1999's Brave New World with new drummer, Todd Sucherman.

As the tour kicked off, bassist, and brother, Chuck Panozzo, was sidelined from his diagnosis of HIV / Aids. While he continues to survive the illness, this has limited his ability to fully participate with the band.

Further DeYoung would leave the band in 1999, citing health issues, an overall decline in his role, and issues with bandmates Shaw, and James Young. Depending on who you ask, it was either DeYoung who opted to leave, or was replaced when he asked for a postponement of continued tour dates due to his health. The general consensus was that he was fired, and, Lawrence Gowan was brought in to replace him.

Glen Burtnik would come back to Styx to be part of their 2003 album, Cyclorama, but then depart shortly thereafter to spend time with his family. Since then, the lineup has stayed consistent with Tommy Shaw, James Young, Chuck Panozzo (in limited capacity, aided on bass by Ricky Phillips), Todd Sucherman, and Lawrence Gowan.

While there have been rumors that Dennis DeYoung was going to rejoin the group, the band have stated otherwise. Shaw has been quoted as saying, "While the hard feelings between them have subsided, they don't see a future for DeYoung in Styx." Meanwhile, James Young has stated that he has forgiven him but has, "No desire to work with him again."

The fans seem split down the middle in this aspect, with some saying they'd like to see it, and others have said the current lineup is amazing.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 19, 1981
 
THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 19, 1987


Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 73

   

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 73
Release Date: December 1982

Highlights

  • Dr. Bailey Kuklin, Debbie Whitman's psychiatrist, tells Peter she is schizophrenic, and thinks he's Spider-Man
  • Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 233, and Marvel Team-Up 98
  • Boomerang shows how dangerous he is, even without his suit
Low Points
  • None
Oddities
  • Dr. Kuklin ask's Peter to dress up as Spider-Man, but frankly, it doesn't make sense as to why - Peter declines at first
Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)



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Retro Spins: Styx - Paradise Theatre

 

I don't know the in depth history of the band Styx. In fact, I'd be lying if I said I knew many songs from them at all. What I do know is that they were a massively successful 70's group who took their popularity, and flushed it straight down the toilet in the early 80's with a series of concept rock opera albums, and outlandish theatrical shows.

Right, so let's see if we can abridge this.

Though they formed in 1961, it wouldn't be until 1972 that Styx would release their self-titled debut, comprising of original line-up, Dennis DeYoung, James "J.Y." Young, John "J.C." Curulewski and brothers Chuck and John Panozzo. From there, they released albums annually all the way through 1979. During this time, they often had top ten hits, most notably, Lady (from 1973's Styx II), Lorelei (from 1975's Equinox), Come Sail Away (from 1977's The Grand Illusion), both Renegade and Blue Color Man (Long Nights) (from 1978's Pieces Of Eight), and Babe (from 1979's Cornerstone).

Just before embarking on their 1975 tour, John Curulewski suddenly left the band, leaving them scrambling to find a replacement. They found this in Tommy Shaw, who would not only take on the role as guitarist, and co-vocals, but also serve as one of the major contributors to the writing of material from that point.

Things would pick up for Styx when they scored their first number one hit, Babe, as noted as being from the album, Cornerstone. The album itself would reach number two on the Billboard 200, and help the band win a People's Choice Award for Best New Song in 1980. Though they would be nominated for the 22nd Grammy Awards in multiple categories, they wouldn't win any. However, they would be voted Most Popular Rock Band in the USA on the 1980 year end Gallup Poll.

Turmoil began to brew in the band at this point. Enjoying the success of his penned single, DeYoung pushed Styx to release more mainstream music, while Shaw and Young favored a more rock oriented approach. Things came to a head when objection's rose against releasing First Time as the group's next single, resulting in the brief firing of DeYoung. The irony is that the single became a huge hit in the Philippines, where it was actually released.

Despite the cracks that would begin to show, and ultimately lead to their demise, there's no doubt that DeYoung's vision of concept albums was a good idea at the time. Their 1981 follow-up, Paradise Theatre, would go on to become the band's best album of all time, spawning multiple top ten hits. The band embarked on a massive tour in support of the album, making it one of the top grossing tours of the year.

This would also be the start of the over the top theatrics which Styx incorporated into their shows. Each one would showcase numerous Broadway and movie infused elements, including a dramatic opening featuring a theatre sweep and DeYoung by himself next to a player piano and the show ending with traditional movie credits. Though it paid off (literally) in a big way, other members of the band would soon begin to hate the theatrics of it all, leading to Styx imploding.

But stop. Before we can get to the end, we first have to go back, and actually have a listen to Paradise Theatre.

There may be something to Styx that I've been missing out on. As I played through the album, I was treated to song after song that resonated on the "good" chart.

What stood out as the pros for me was the fine tuned instrumentation. I'll use Toto IV as an example. That album was so acutely produced, making every note sound just right, balancing out all the instruments. Professional in every sense of the word. That's what I got from Paradise Theatre.

As for the biggest con that stood out to me, I didn't particularly care for the harmonization of the members when they sang. It came off as screechy, almost obnoxious. It's like when Queen does it, but not as good. Additionally, the album features a gratuitous use of the word "paradise" from song to song, as if to really drive home the record's title and / or theme. Maybe the latter is nitpicking.

With that said, I did enjoy several songs, and added them all to my shuffle list. These included, A.D. 1928, Rockin' The Paradise, Too Much Time On My Hands, The Best Of Times, Half Penny Two Penny, and since it led into it, A.D. 1958.

Overall, I'm a bit excited to jump into their 1983 follow-up, Kilroy Was Here. I'm digging what I'm hearing, and I definitely want some more. Like I said, I feel like I may have missed out on Styx, and I'm down with rectifying that. I may even have to dust off the several 70's albums I have from them, and check those out too.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 18, 1982

 

Comics Corner: Marvel Team-Up Annual 5

   

Title: Marvel Team-Up Annual
Issue Number: 5
Release Date: November 1982

Highlights

  • First appearance of Scully, Hassl, Melvin, and Atra
  • Reference is made to Marvel Two-In-One 66, 67, and Marvel Team-Up 111
  • Wanda and Vision are at a movie theater watching Raiders Of The Lost Ark
  • A movie theater poster says Conan is coming soon
Low Points
  • Kind of boring
Oddities
  • Spider-Man, Thing and Scarlet Witch are all holding the cosmic cube, but only Spider-Man's clothing gets torn up when it lets out a giant blast
Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)



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Retro Spins: Stray Cats - Blast Off!


Unlike their previous album, 1986's Rock Therapy, recorded solely to fulfill their contractual obligation with EMI, Blast Off! was a true reunion effort for Stray Cats. They wanted to recapture that spark and moment in time where they were relevant, and further revive the rockability scene. Sadly, that ship had long sailed, and the album was met with minimal fanfare.

It's the last album on my journey with them through the 80's, and I suppose there's no reason to really delay getting into it. So, let's go!

I think I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder when firing this one up. A sense of, "Why do I have to listen to this?" Like as if somehow it was the band's fault.

I got over this relatively quickly as I was kicked in the face with a hard guitar riff and the band shouting, "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, blast off!" The title track was in full delivery mode, and this was followed by the equally good, Gina.

From there, the momentum stayed high, but the songs fell into mediocre familiar sounds of the band. I will say that the track, Gene And Eddie was rather creative for its mix of various classic hits, combined to create the Stray Cats own tribute song.

What seemed odd, almost annoying, was the lyrics to many of the songs needing to shoehorn the word "rockability" into them. It's as  is the band wanted to make the point that their music was a tribute to the style of the 50's, but then even when this was obvious, and you got it, they needed to then repeatedly hammer you over the head with it, as if you'd forget the moment they stopped reminding you.

Overall, it was just okay at the end of the day. Nothing to really write home about, but nothing the pan and complain about either. Am I a fan of Stray Cats at the end of my journey? Nah, not really.

The band released a handful of albums in the 90's, Let's Go Faster (1990), Choo Choo Hot Fish (1992), and Original Cool (1993), but then went on hiatus again. They'd reunite again in 2013 for their last studio album to date, 40. They do remain active to this day, periodically putting on shows.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 17, 1983
 
THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 17, 1988


Comics Corner: Ka-Zar The Savage 21

   

Title: Ka-Zar The Savage
Issue Number: 21
Release Date: December 1982

Highlights

  • Finally, Spider-Man
  • First appearance of Dr. Tuttle
  • First appearance of the Riverside Memorial Hospital location
  • Despite being wounded, Ka-Zar grabs Kraven as he falls off a building - Unfortunately, in his weakened state, he can't hold him, despite Shanna grabbing hold of him
  • Spider-Man saves Ka-Zar, Kraven, and Shanna from their fall off of a building
  • Shanna tells Peter about how her and Ka-Zar hooked up
  • Ka-Zar takes a turn for the worse on the operating table, eluding to him being dead
Low Points
  • None
Oddities
  • None
Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)



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Retro Spins: Stray Cats - Rock Therapy


Stray Cats disbanded in 1983, something which founding member Brian Setzer tried repeatedly to justify, but would come back together in 1986 to record their fourth (overall) studio album, Rock Therapy. Despite receiving relatively good reviews, the album wouldn't be very successful outside of the USA, nor would i push enough units to obtain any sales certifications. Additionally, neither single, I'm A Rocker, and Reckless, would chart.

It's not uncommon for bands to break up, reunite, break up again, reunite, and so on. So, while it wasn't that odd that the Stray Cats would do it, before you get excited and say, "They missed each other," know that the only reason Rock Therapy was recorded was to fulfill the band's record contract with EMI. Perhaps this explains the album being overloaded with cover tracks, vs. original material from the boys. Minimal effort. Get in, get out, get back to our solo efforts.

Well...this is a bit of a downer note to start on. It certainly doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies. Thank goodness it's only around thirty-five minutes long.

Honestly, this can be a relatively short and sweet one. Rock Therapy offered me nothing. The whole effort felt phoned in. It was obvious the band didn't care, so frankly, why should I?

I didn't.

By track five I found myself saying in my head, "Why is this thing still on?" Candidly, it was boring. Beyond that, I don't have anything else to say about this one.

Upon the release of Rock Therapy, the band would once again take a hiatus, not reuniting again until 1989's Blast Off! Though it would be their last album of the decade, it would also set the stage for three (fairly) consecutive albums in the 90s, Let's Go Faster (1990), Choo Choo Hot Fish (1992), and Original Cool (1993). It would be another twenty-six years before they would reform, and release 2013's 40.

We're way ahead of the game at this point though. First and foremost (tomorrow), we need to get through 1989's Blast Off! See you then.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 16, 1989

 

Comics Corner: Ka-Zar The Savage 20

   

Title: Ka-Zar The Savage
Issue Number: 20
Release Date: November 1982

Highlights

  • First appearance of Ron Frenz, and Bruce Jones
  • Ka-Zar and Kraven battle there way into a comic convention, damaging books to the horror of the people around
  • Reference is made to Astonishing Tales 2
Low Points
  • Still no Spider-Man
Oddities
  • Ka-Zar's got a bullet in his brain, but no visible wound when he takes the gauze bandage off his head
  • Said wound is also not hindering him with exception of making it so he can't talk, and giving him a headach
Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)



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Revisiting The A-Team


What comes to your mind when you hear someone say, "I pity the fool?" If you said Mr. T, you'd be right. However, if I asked you where that came from, and you said, "The A-Team," you would be incorrect. If you said, "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure," I'd say, yeah okay, but what else?

While most people associate the catchphrase with The A-Team, T's character never once said the iconic line on the show. Instead, it was spoken by Clubber Lang in Rocky III.

Growing up, The A-Team was a show that we would catch whenever possible. I say it this way because my brother and I were limited to what came through over the airways while living overseas. We were further hindered by whether or not our older sister would let us come into her room to huddle around her small black and white television.

While this built a fondness for the series, I really didn't remember much about the show as I grew older. Well, beyond the basics, such as Mr. T, the characters as a whole, and the formulaic hiring of the A-Team to get out of a bad situation.

In an era of DVD, it was a blessing to 80's fans to see the return of the series in its entirety. This began in 2004 with season one, and continued in 2005 with season two. Production was then sped up with seasons three, four, and five released in 2006.




The DVD's were re-released in 2013, again as individual seasons, but with different covers.




Additionally, these re-released versions got slapped together in a cardboard box, designed to look like the classic A-Team van, and were sold as the complete series.


A complete series DVD was also released in 2019, this time housing all the seasons inside one plasic DVD case.


Its this latter release which I added to my collection, and gave me the opportunity to watch the series from start to finish over the next several weeks.

As the pilot started up, something was off. There was George Peppard as Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith, Dwight Schultz as Captain H. M. Murdock, Mr. T as Sergeant First Class Bosco Albert "B. A." (Bad Attitude) Baracus, and Melinda Culea as Amy Amanda "Triple A" Allen. However, who the heck was Tim Dunigan, and why was he playing First Lieutenant Templeton Arthur "Faceman" Peck?


As I soon learned, Dunigan was the first choice for the character. However, when the series was picked up the studio didn't feel that the actor was old enough to represent a character who served in Vietnam. This led to the hiring of the true Faceman, Dirk Benedict, who took over starting with episode two.

The first season quickly fell into the format and formula which would dictate the flow of the majority of the series. Someone is in trouble, typically being pushed off their land for some reason or another, they hire The A-Team, who come in strong, only to be captured in the second act, build some form of device, and finally defeat the villain of the week. The Team either rides off into the sunset from there, or gets chased off by William Lucking as Colonel Francis Lynch, who appeared in the show through season three.

What I found I missed as a kid was that Murdock was never proven to be a full member of The A-Team by the government. Though they suspected him, and he was involved with their mission that put them on the run, they could never catch him in the act.


Season two kept up with the formulaic run of the show. However, one major turn of events would occur starting with episode twelve, where Melinda Culea was unceremoniously written out of the show. Deemed to be a problem for producers, as well as not getting along with George Peppard, who wanted to rid the set of all female lead characters, her character got a brief narrative that she took an assignment overseas.

Beginning with episode fifteen, Marla Heasley joined the cast as journalist / reporter Tawnia Baker. However, she too was written out of the show in a two part storyline in season three. It's believed the only reason was because George Peppard continued to insist to the producers that the show didn't need a female co-star.

Additionally, Lance LeGaut joined the series as new army villain, Colonel Roderick Decker. He continued to make appearances on the show through the final season.


If you would have asked me as a kid who my favorite character was, and who the star of the show was, I'd have told you, Mr. T, and B.A. However, as an adult, my perspective has shifted. Howling Mad Murdock had definitely become the focal point for who I was tuning in for. His character was hysterical. In fact, I even likened his personas to how Jim Carey portrays a lot of (if not all) of his characters.

I'd also say that the stigma that haunted Peppard throughout the show, that Mr. T was becoming the leading star, may have been true at the time. However, I was definitely seeing him as the show runner from episode to episode.

That's not to say I didn't like the other characters. Far from it. The suaveness of Faceman, and his ability to con often served a critical point in each story, while when it was needed, B.A.'s muscles reduced any fight to a mere squabble.

Season three also remained formulaic to the show, and candidly, this is where things started to get a little boring for me. The show was becoming quite stagnant, and it definitely needed a change. However, the one that would come with season four wasn't what I would call the right move.


Celebrity guest stars became the name of the game with the fourth season. Among them were the likes of Hulk Hogan, who appeared in a couple episodes, Rick James, Isaac Hayes, and Culture Club. These episodes often felt hokey, serving no purpose other than capitalizing on the fame of their guests. This would be the point where the show jumped the shark for me. Mind you, as a child I probably would have lost my mind to see Hulk Hogan and Boy George fighting alongside the A-Team.

Jack Lee Ging also joined the series as General Harlan 'Bull' Fulbright, the final army villain added to the series. He remained through the final season. Fullbright would also be the only character in the entire series to die, being killed in the episode, The Sound Of Thunder. Another interesting fact about the character is that his on-screen daughter, seen in that same episode, was played by a very young Tia Carrera.


As fatigue set in, The A-Team threw in a last ditch effort. A trope often used in 80's sitcoms. They added a child.

Okay, not necessarily a child. Rather, Eddie Velez as Frankie "Dishpan Man" Santana, a new member of the team. With this came the biggest change to the show. No longer were the A-Team a group of mercenaries for hire. Instead, after a three part arc where they were captured, put on trial, and sentenced to death, after escaping, they joined up with Hunt Stockwell, a (former United States Army General) played by Robert Vaughn.

Stockwell essentially put the team to work as his own elite command group, promising them a full pardon upon completing a set number of missions. While this continued to include Murdock, he was formally discharged from the VA hospital, and worked on the side at a restaurant.

Probably the most intriguing episode for me in this entire season was Family Reunion. In this, we meet A.J. Bancroft, and his estranged daughter Leslie Becktall. As the episode progresses, we learn that Bancroft wants to rekindle his lost relationship with his children because he's dying. Mind you I said, children, and as the episode unfolds, we learn that his son is Face, which makes Becktall his sister. Unfortunately, while he confides this information in Murdock, Bancroft dies before he can tell Face. Murdock eventually breaks the news, leading to a rather emotional conclusion to the episode.

Perhaps the biggest change, and the one that I really disliked was the retooling of the theme song. Gone was that classic original intro with awesome guitars. In its place a synth pop, drum machine blah-fest. It took everything that made the original theme so iconic, and threw it straight off of a roof. It's horrible. Still, I get why they did it. They wanted people to know right from the start of each episode that this was a newer, fresher A-Team.

If you like, you can check out all five seasons openings in sequential order below.


Season five ends with no significance after just thirteen episodes. There's no resolution of threads, conclusion to the overall story, and definitely no pardon with The A-Team finally being free men. Instead, it's just another formulaic episode. Interestingly enough, there was an intended ending for the show, and this would have been episode twelve's The Grey Team. However, due to being aired accidentally out of sequence, this ruined the intended finale. With that said, even if it had aired in the correct order, it still wouldn't have resolved much of the storyline. Though in hindsight, it certainly would have been better than what was aired as the final episode.

Had The Grey Team been the final episode, the closing dialog would have hinted at the team returning to their roots, serving as helpers of the public, taking on tasks akin to those from prior seasons. Additionally, there was a visual queue from Murdock's character, who is last seen wearing a shirt which says, "Fini."

Several facets led to the show's eventual cancellation. While most of this is mainly based on the overall ratings, this dials in to multiple contributing factors. These included audience fatigue from the formulaic episode structures, retooling the series with new characters that weren't well received, and the rise of action stars who led violent films, casting a shadow on the lighthearted action of The A-Team. This was further not helped by issues behind the scenes, such as the continued fighting between Peppard and Mr. T.

Though formulaic, and generic by nature as a result, overall, the series had a good run. Ninety-eight episodes between 1983 and 1987 in no small feat, especially in the world of here today, gone tomorrow television.

The A-Team remains a classic piece of American television, and a fine staple of the 80's. To an extent, the episodes even hold up today. Sure, the overall premise is hokey, and unbelievable at times. However, the iconic characters keep you invested. You know they're going to get out of it in the end, but the journey of how they do it easily keeps you tuned in. Getting the chance to revisit this series as an adult was awesome.


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Retro Spins: Stray Cats - Rant N' Rave With The Stray Cats


Things were on a rapid uphill climb for those kooky 50's crooners known as Stray Cats. Though their first and second albums were limited to where they were released, based on their sales, the compilation Built For Speed was put together, creating their first official US release.

Built For Speed went multi platinum, boosting the Cats popularity across the globe, and launching them into stardom. Looking to capitalize, the boys returned to the studio to record and release their third studio album, but only second in the US, Rant N' Rave With The Stray Cats (1983).

Despite going platinum, Rant failed to perform to the level expected, underperforming Built For Speed. It did, however, spawn the top ten hit, (She's) Sexy + 17, and the top forty hit, I Won't Stand In Your Way.

The problem with playing back to back albums from a band is that fatigue starts to set in. The ears can only take so much. It's because of this that my review of the album may be a bit biased.

Overall, it's just more of the same. There doesn't appear to be any "growth" from the band in their three years of working together. Though, I may not be the only one to feel this way. 

Upon hearing it, Robert Christgau  of The Village Voice stated that despite his improved guitar playing, Brian Setzer was a poor songwriter and "A preening panderer, mythologizing his rockin' '50s with all the ignorant cynicism of a punk poser". Well, that's not very friendly.

Overall, I take (She's) Sexy + 17 with a grain of salt. It's not among my favorites, but rather falls more so in the category of, "Yeah, I know that song." As for the rest of it, it's passable for me. In fact, at this point, I'm also going to take a bit of a break before diving into the groups remaining albums from the 80's. Of course, for you, the reader, that means nothing. Despite the time I take away from them, tomorrow will still see me diving into the next album.

As for Stray Cats, success started to take its toll on the band, resulting in conflict amongst the individual members. Slim Jim Phantom would get married around this time, while Brian Setzer went on to work with other notable acts, such as Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, and Robert Plant. They'd come back together in 1984, adding new member, Tommy Byrnes on guitar and harmony vocals.

However, after completing a tour of the US and Europe, Setzer would make the decision to disband the group, resulting in animosity from the other members. Setzer would frequently attempt to justify his decision in the interviews which followed, stating that while he had enjoyed the five years with the Cats, he, "Got bored with it. In the last year I stopped getting that feeling, that great kick that twisted in my gut."

Setzer would embark on a solo career, forming a new band, Brian Setzer & the Radiation Ranch. Meanwhile, Phantom and Lee Rocker would join up with David Bowie Guitarist, Earl Slick to form Phantom, Rocker & Slick. Despite this, things weren't done and over for Stray Cats. They would reunite in 1986 to record the album, Rock Therapy, which as noted above, we'll talk about tomorrow, despite my taking my own hiatus from the band.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 15, 1984

 

Comics Corner: Ka-Zar The Savage 19

   

Title: Ka-Zar The Savage
Issue Number: 19
Release Date: October 1982

Highlights

  • Kraven the Hunter makes a cliffhanger ending appearance
Low Points
  • Still no Spider-Man appearance in the story arc
Oddities
  • When Norm radios from the plane, he informs the person on the other end that they have, "a sick man onboard", except he's not sick, he was shot in the head - Maybe instead say, "critically injured"?
  • In issue 18, they're referred to as Ramona and Dr. Cortland. In issue 19, it's now Courtland
Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)



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Retro Spins: Stray Cats - Gonna Ball


Hot on the heels of their 1981 self-titled debut, the Stray Cats released their follow up, Gonna Ball. Whereas their debut saw massive success, and spawned multiple chart singles in the UK, their second album didn't fare as well. While the single, You Don't Believe Me would chart in the UK, it would peak at fifty-seven, a far cry from the top ten hits their debut spawned.

Playing through it, Gonna Ball essentially offers a carbon copy of their self-titled debut. In fact, it could have easily been a double LP album released as part of it. This, however, is not necessarily a bad thing.

Amongst the various songs, I found some new tunes to tap my toes to, and ultimately add to my shuffle list. These included, Baby Blue Eyes, Wasn't That Good, Cryin' Shame, You Don't Believe Me, Gonna Ball, and the awesome instrumental, Wicked Whisky.

The same "problem" I had with their debut is what I found myself experiencing here. While the songs are good, they start to all mesh together, sounding the same from track to track. It was so bad that at one point I didn't even know what song I was listening to.

But again, I did enjoy listening to the album. It was another nice entry into the rockability 50's style. Additionally, unlike their prior release, it also avoided the pitfalls of combining elements of punk. Basically, it was straight up malt shop rock and roll.

Despite its lackluster release, combined sales of both their first and second album were sufficient for EMI America to compile a selection of tracks from both, six from their debut, and five from Gonna Ball, to create the compilation, Built For Speed. This would serve as the band's debut album in the USA.

This was followed up in 1983 with their third album, second in the US, Rant N' Rave With The Stray Cats. You'll catch me there next time...you know, tomorrow. So far, so good.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 14, 1985


Comics Corner: Ka-Zar The Savage 18

   

Title: Ka-Zar The Savage
Issue Number: 18
Release Date: September 1982

Highlights

  • First appearance of Ramona Coutland, Dr. "Doc" Cortland, and Norm
  • First appearance and death of Charles, Tyrannosaurus rex, and Dimetrodon
  • First appearance of Ka-Zar's treehouse, and the Cortland's seaplane
  • Ka-Zar takes a gunshot to the head, and must be transported to Manhattan from the Savage Land
  • The artwork is actually really good
Low Points
  • No Spider-Man, but the beginning of a story arc that will eventually lead to him showing up
Oddities
  • Editor's Day Off: Shanna says, "You think all have to do...
  • How exactly does one survive a gunshot head to the head, let alone a flight from the Savage Land to Manhattan?

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



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