The Toy Box

Retro Spins: Johnny Cash - Johnny Cash With His Hot And Blue Guitar!

The Man In Black, Johnny Cash. He's the only artist I know of, to date, who released studio albums spanning six consecutive decades from 1957 to 2002. Yet forty-five years later I still only know one song, Ring Of Fire.

Today, I thought it would be fun to go back to Cash's studio debut album,Johnny Cash With His Hot And Blue Guitar! It felt appropriate to start there, considering my knowledge of the guy is limited.

When cash first auditioned for Sun Records in 1955 as a gospel singer, he was told to come back with a more commercial sound. That he did, returning with the songs, Hey Porter, and Cry, Cry, Cry. The latter would become his first major success, entering the country charts at number fourteen. His second single, Folsom Prison Blues, would reach the top five in 1956. The final single, Walk The Line, would become his first number one hit, but not his last.

As I played the album, a couple things happened. The first, I noticed that the songs were incredibly short. The longest track is a mere two minutes fifty one seconds, with the shortest being a minute and forty-four seconds. In total, the entire album is under thirty minutes. The second thing I noticed was that a lot of the songs sounded the same. I repeatedly found myself saying, "Didn't I just hear that song?" I hadn't.

Historically, and nostalgic wise, it was good to hear this album. However, it by no means makes me a fan of Johnny Cash, nor do I see myself wanting to hear anything more from him. If you're a music aficionado, or someone who simply appreciates the history of music, then this one is definitely worth checking out.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

Retro Spins: MC Hammer: Let's Get It Started

All of us children of the 80's know the tragic story of MC Hammer. Millionaire rapper turned pauper by excessive spending habits and overextending his assets far beyond what his albums were selling. But, what about the story leading up to this? Where did Stanley Kirk Burrell start his rise to the top?

Rewind to 1986. MC Hammer releases his debut album, Feel My Power on his own label, Busin' Track. Without a major label behind him, the young Burrell hits the pavement, selling copies out of the trunk of his car and basement. He catches the attention of labels when word spreads that an independent artist sells 60,000 copies of their own album without the aid of any major advertisements or promotions.

The bidding begins to start for the young artists, and though there were some rocky roads ahead, he eventually signs a deal with EMI / Capitol records and releases his second album, Let's Get It Started. In truth, the album is nothing more than a re-recording of his debut with the addition of two tracks.

Rap purists, who don't particularly like MC Hammer, may find this album to their tastes as it's geared more so to the traditional rap styles of the 80's vs. his later more dance oriented music. I guess what I'm saying is, don't knock it until you've tried it.

My favorites included, Intro: Turn This Mother Out, Let's Get It Started, Ring 'Em and They Put Me In The Mix. Coincidentally, most of these are also the tracks which pushed the album to multi-platinum status with over two million copies sold.

One of the aspects of MC Hammer I've always respected is his spiritual beliefs. He not only lets this flow into his music without fear of being shunned or persecuted for it, but also contributes to the "clean" nature of his albums. Rap doesn't have to be about violence, sex and drugs. It can just be good music and he proves it. At least in his early career - Until he ruined his image with Pumps And A Bump in 1994, and beginning the downfall of his career.

Overall, I dug the beats on Let's Get It Started, and while it wasn't his top selling album of all time, I can see why it paved the way for who MC Hammer would become in 1990 with his diamond released follow up. Like I said above, don't knock it until you've tried it.

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Couch Potato, Sweet Couch Potato and Small Fry Couch Potato (Coleco)

Couch Potato
Coleco
1987

Fan of watching television? Do you like to snuggle up on the couch in front of the tube with a plush toy? Then maybe you need the Couch Potato family. Meet Mr. Couch Potato, Mrs. Sweet Couch Potato and their two children, the Small Fry Couch Potatoes.

In 1987, Coleco introduced these four plush toys to the world, and then unceremoniously discontinued them shortly thereafter. Sure, they're not a big name license, nor did they have their own cartoon series to help sell them. But, for what it's worth, they're pretty cool.

Couch Potato*Sweet Couch Potato

The two adult Couch Potato plush toys came in cardboard style lounge chairs, while the babies came in boxes that resembled highchairs. The downside to these designs was that they had several thin areas which are susceptible to bending and creasing.

Small Fry Couch Potato Boy*Small Fry Couch Potato Girl

Though I'm not personally a collector of plush toys, I do appreciate unique ones such as these. They're not your average, every day stuffed toy, and that makes them pretty awesome in my book.

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Retro Spins: Journey - Journey

Journey had a bit of a rough start when the band first came on the scene. Lead singer Greg Rollie, lead guitarist Neal Schon, rhythm guitarist George Tickner, bassist Ross Valory and drummer Prairie Prince recorded all the tracks that would eventually become their 1975 self titled debut album. However, by the time it was released, Aynsley Dunbar replaced Prince as the drummer. Despite this change, their debut was met with lackluster enthusiasm.

Their follow up album, 1976's Look Into The Future, would see the departure of rhythm guitars Tickner, who was not replaced by anyone. This album too failed to garner much attention. This same mild reception occurred with their 1977 album, Next.

With sales not improving on their albums, CBS Records requested the band change their musical style, and bring in a front man. It was while on tour in '77 that the group was introduced to Steve Perry, who made his live debut with the band that same year upon being hired by the band. From there, the band's earlier jamming sounds of the 70's turned into garbage, and nobody cared.

HA! Take that, Journey fans!

Seriously though. As we all know, under the lead of Steve Perry, Journey went on to become one of the hottest rock bands of the 70's and 80's, churning out hit after hit. Band members would continue to depart and be replaced, including Perry himself after their 1986 album, Raised On Radio, but he returned briefly in 1996 for the album Trial By Fire. The period in which Perry fronted the group remain the band's highest selling albums to date.

With not much love in my heart for Journey, I reluctantly fired up their debut album. I was immediately greeted by an edgy guitar hook, which was quickly taken over by a manic drum beat. I was kicked to the back of my seat with a, "Whoa! Who is this?" This was straight up classic rock.

As I listened on, I thought to myself, "What were the record execs thinking?" This was awesome! Everyone brought their "A" game, exploding with instrumental talent. It felt more like a jam session, but one that had been honed and crafted to perfection. Hearing this made me want to dive straight in to the other two albums pre-Perry (which I suppose we can just call the PP years - Is that childish?).

Hearing this album makes me understand what the guitarist for the band meant when they were talking about all the ballads, and he said something to the tune of, "What exactly is my part in this song?" Journey knows how to play their instruments, and they do this well. This is something that gets buried in the sappiness that is their PP :) years. Seriously though. It's like listening to a completely different band.

More Journey like this, please.

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Retro Spins: Bryan Adams - Reckless

Looking at the cover for Bryan Adam's Reckless, I have to say he doesn't look at all like I thought I remembered him to look. Couldn't pick this guy out of a line-up if I had to. He kind of looks like Roger from American Dad.

Mr. Adams is another one of those artists I remember dominating the radio in the 80's, but yet I never really sought out any of his albums back in the day. In fact, I pretty much forgot about him until I was in a co-worker's car one day and she was playing the cassette, So Far So Good, his compilation album.

As I was building up my collection, I know I say that a lot, Bryan Adams was someone on my list from the very beginning. So much so that I actually picked up a greatest hits So Far So Good before getting any of his studio albums. Turned out this was a good buy because it also contained the exclusive track, Please Forgive Me. However, I eventually built up my collection of 80's studio albums, which brings me to today's album, if you haven't already guessed, Reckless.

Okay, let me first say I used to hate the song Run To You is. I'm not a fan of cheaters, so when you sing a song about running around on someone, that doesn't make you a decent person in my book. Fortunately, this is saved for my by the music video where Adams portrays his guitar as his object of desire.

All time favorite, hands down, is the Tina Turner duet, It's Only Love. Bryan Adams not only shows his strength as a writer, but also his ability to shred a guitar - Or should that credit go to Keith Scott? I don't know. Either way, the song rocks.

Overall, I don't foresee myself becoming a "big" fan of Bryan Adams. Reckless was okay, but the only tracks which really stood out for me was the hits; One Night Love Affair, Run To You, Heaven, It's Only Love and Summer Of '69. The rest of the songs are kind of forgettable. That kind of stunk, considering there were five more tracks on the album.

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Homemade Chicken Nuggest And McDonald's Sweet 'N Sour Sauce

Apparently this blog is turning into a cooking show.

Back in my day of frequenting McDonald's, one of my all time favorite things to get was a double cheeseburger, which I would top with some fries, a four piece nugget and tons of sweet 'n sour sauce. Those days of eating like that, fast food in particular, are behind me.

Don't get me wrong, I like fast food. However, for me, it's more so a snob thing at this point. At my age, my pallet should be more refined than a greasy bag. Plus, I just prefer to make things from home with my God given cooking skills.

Lunch today was a simple one. I wanted some chicken nuggets. Well, more so, I wanted some McDonald's style sweet 'n sour sauce. In hindsight, I suppose I could have just made some fries in the oven and called it a day, but hey, that's not homemade.

Making McDonald's sweet 'n sour sauce is by no means complicated. Or better stated, making a copycat recipe of it that will do as a flavorful substituent is by no means complicated. The particular recipe I use has been floating around the internet for so long that I have no clue where it originated. This is made all the more difficult by the various websites out there who all claim, "MY" recipe. Bottom line, I lay no claim to this recipe. I only utilize it because it works.

1/4 Cup Apricot Preserves
1/4 Cup Peach Preserves
2 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
5 Teaspoons White Vinegar
1 1/2 Teaspoons Corn Starch
1/2 Teaspoons Soy Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon Yellow Mustard
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
2 Tablespoons Water

Taking all but the water, put the remaining ingredients in a food processor and let it spin for two to four minutes, getting liquefied. Put the two tablespoons of water into a saucepan or pot large enough to hold all the liquids and pour the food processor mixture in as well.

Whisk over medium heat, letting it come to a boil. As it starts boiling, whisk less frequently, allowing the sauce to thicken to your desired consistency. For me, it's when you dip a spoon in, and it runs off, but coats the spoon.

Allow the sauce to cool, and transfer it to a container for the fridge. Again, I like to use washable condiment bottles that I found at the grocery store.

As a disclaimer, eating this warm is delicious, but if you do, you won't think it tastes like McDonald's sauce. It's when it's cooled down that it does. Cold is okay, but room temp is where it really comes through. However, you do need to store this in a fridge. Speaking of which, let it sit for at least an hour in the fridge before serving to let all the flavors incorporate.

This also makes a pretty good sauce for sweet and sour chicken / pork and assorted Chinese fried appetizers - wontons, spring rolls, crab rangoon, etc. Maybe next time I'll make some homemade Chinese dishes with some spicy hot mustard.

Anyway, on to the nuggets.

Good nuggets start with good breading, which is so simple to make. It starts with flavorful bread, and a food processor.

I had a sesame seed bun left over from my Big Mac making, so I'm not going to let that go to waste. You don't honestly need a lot of bread to make a lot of bread crumbs, so if you're following this and use a hamburger roll, one should be sufficient. Otherwise, you can use slices of bread, a hot dog bun, french bread, etc. Whatever you like.

One thing to keep in mind is that I was being frugal, not wanting to waste bread in my preparation stage. This turned out to be a bad thing for me which I regretted when I goofed up. Bottom line, make sufficient crumbs the first time, or have a canister of them on hand as backup. Or just use canned breadcrumbs if you don't want the hassle.

Grind that up in your food processor, and let it hang out on a baking sheet for an hour or two, sitting out in the open. You essentially want the air to suck out some of that moisture. You can even let it sit out overnight if you want.

Depending on how long you let them sit out, and your own personal preference, this next step is optional. After two hours, I like to pop my crumbs into a three hundred fifty degree oven, and give them a bit of a toasting. This removes all the remaining moisture, as well as gives them a nice toasted flavor.

I thought I took a photo of the toasted crumbs, but I guess not. Anyway, let them go for a few minutes in the oven, getting to your desired toasted level. If you let the crumbs sit out overnight, they should be plenty dry, and toasting them at this point would only be for the flavor.

Next up is the actual chicken of a chicken nugget. I hate ground chicken. I certainly am not a fan of deconstructed and pasted back together pink blends either. For me, I like real chicken.

Ultimately, you want two chicken breasts, but you can take a shortcut, and get those cut chunked chicken breast packages, which is what I did. Same thing, just pre-cubed. Otherwise, slice your chicken breast into squares.

Using a meat tenderizer, smash those bad boys down to about a quarter inch thick. Be gentle though. The goal here is flattened, not mangled.

You have some choices for how to cook these, and now is the time to make that decision. Sure, you could fry these up to a golden brown, and they would be rather delicious. Or, if you're like me, and you're trying to enjoy a treat while not breaking the calorie bank, you can opt to bake them. If you're frying them, start heating up your oil in a pan or deep fryer. If baking, heat your oven to four hundred twenty-five degrees.

In a large seal-able bag, combine the following:

2/3 Cup Flour
1/2 Tablespoon Salt
1/2 Tablespoon Pepper
1/2 Tablespoon Paprika
1/2 Tablespoon Onion Powder

Seal the bag, and shake it like a child you hate to incorporate it all together. Get you this nice ca-caine looking mixture right here for initially coating your chicken pieces.

Which you'll want to do by adding a few pieces of chicken to the bag at a time and giving it vigorous shake. You don't want to add all of your chicken at once because you could end up with a sticky mess of unevenly coated pieces. When you have all of the pieces coated, but still in the bag, grab yourself a colander and a large trash can.

Carefully dump the bag into the colander over the trash can, gently shaking the colander to remove as much excess flour as possible.

Not wasting that initial bag you used, shake this out too over the trash can, and put it aside for your next step.

In a bowl, I used the same one my chicken pieces were in to save on dishes, whisk the following ingredients together:

2 Eggs (large or extra large)
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Paprika
1/4 Teaspoon Onion Poweder

Yes, it's essentially the same ingredients as what you used before. However, now is also the time to kick up the flavor a bit. If you like your chicken nuggets spicy, ad 1/4 (or more) teaspoons of cayenne pepper and / or a tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce. Your hotness is your preference.

Put the chicken pieces back into the bag you floured them in, and as quickly as possible, dump the egg mixture on top, seal it, and get to shaking again. You want to ensure that every piece gets coated, and becomes somewhat sticky across every inch.

Dump this into your colander when done to let any excess egg drip off. However, there shouldn't be much, if any.

Now you're going to need a new bag, which you're going to pour your breadcrumbs into. DON'T USE THE OLD BAG. Also, remember that thing I mentioned above about turning into a sticky mess if you throw all the chicken in at once? Yeah, don't do that either...Like I did for some reason. You will suck up all your breadcrumbs fast, and not everything will get coated.

This is also why I said above that having extra is a great plan, because I ended up having to make more. I had no canister of crumbs, nor anymore bread, and had to throw together a quickly grinded up bag of Ritz crackers. DOH!

To do it correctly, toss one or two pieces of chicken into the bag, give it a light shake to coat everything, and repeat until all the chicken is evenly coated. Just leave it all in the bag until you're done shaking it up.

If frying, throw them in the oil, and let them go on their own for five to six minutes on each side, keeping your oil around three hundred fifty degrees. If you're baking them, place a piece of parchment paper down on a baking sheet and spray it evenly with cooking spray. Then play your chicken on the pan and spray the top.

Bake these for eight minutes, and flip them over, baking for an additional eight minutes.

Plate them up, sauce them up, and get to eating!

In hindsight, I don't hate that half and half mixture of breadcrumbs and Ritz crumbs. That's a pretty good combo. Maybe try that too.

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Stan Lee Presents Marvel Pocket Books (Pocket)

Stan Lee Presents Marvel Pocket Books
Pocket
1977 - 1980

If you're in to classic comics, but don't find the earlier issues in some of the most iconic Marvel Comic universe to be affordable, that's understandable. However, this doesn't mean you don't want to, or better stated, shouldn't be able to read the origin stories of your favorite super heroes.

Supposing that is the case, you might want to check out the 1977 to 1980 Stan Lee Presents from Pocket. These tales are not only affordable, but contain a whole lot of issues in each book.

Tucked into each 6 3/4 x 4 1/4 inch book were pages upon pages of what would essentially equate to the first trade paperbacks in the comic book industry. Take for example The Amazing Spider-Man, as shown below. This book not only kicked off the series, but contained a full reprint of Amazing Fantasy #15, as well as, The Amazing Spider-Man issues one through six. At a secondary market of $5.00 to $10.00 (today) that's a steal! For that price, in comic form, you'd only get a reprint of Amazing Fantasy 15.

Each book was printed in full color, and for many of them, even include the original comic covers reprinted before each story. To add an extra layer of awesomeness, each book also includes words from Stan Lee himself.

The Amazing Spider-Man (reprints Amazing Fantasy 15 and The Amazing Spider-Man 1 - 6)

Fantastic Four (reprints Fantastic four 1 - 6)

One of the more noticeable differences between the original Hulk stories and this book, was that his color was changed from grey to green, to keep in line with the current continuity of the character.

The Amazing Spider-Man #2 (reprints The Amazing Spider-Man 7 - 13)

The Incredible Hulk (reprints the entire six issue original series)

Doctor Strange (reprints select stories from Strange Tales 110 - 129)

The Amazing Spider-Man #3 (reprints The Amazing Spider-Man 14 - 20)

The Incredible Hulk (reprints select stories from Tales To Astonish 85 - 99)

Captain America (reprints The Avengers 4 and select stories from Tales Of Suspense 59 - 71)

Spider-Woman (reprints Marvel Spotlight 32 and Spider-Woman 1 - 8)

Doctor Strange #2 (reprints select stories from Strange Tales 130 - 144)

Like I said above, these books are incredibly affordable, and offer a great way to read some of the more classic, and expensive, story lines for some of today's icnoic super heroes. Definitely a series worth checking out if you like reading your comics in printed form, but don't have the expendable cash to drop on bajillion dollar comic.

In terms of reprinted books in this manner, there are several others from varying publishers which have come over the past few decades. I'm looking into these a bit more, and hope to have future posts on the subject, so stay tuned if this is something that interests you.

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Homemade Peruvian Chicken Dinner

Mmm. Nothing says loving like a roasted chicken on a spit, rotating over an open charcoal flame. Peruvian chicken is one of my all time favorites. Their moist birds, chalk full of delicious flavor inside and out.

Unfortunately, not many of us common folk have the ability, space and cash wise, to have a true rotisserie roaster. I don't think I'd want to either. The upkeep on them would be a beast.

However, not having the appropriate methods to truly cook a bird doesn't stop me for a moment. There are ways around it, and today, I'm gonna tell you how!

Now, silly me, I didn't think to snap any photos of things as I was prepping them, so for that, I do apologize. What I do have though are some nice mouth watering finished photos to entice you into plunging headlong into trying this yourself anyway.

First and foremost, you gotta prep the bird. This is going to be an overnight process, so make sure you allow yourself at least one full day of marinading, starting in the morning to allow for maximum flavor.

In a large bowl, big enough to house an entire uncooked chicken, add the following ingredients together:

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Cumin
2 Teaspoons Paprika
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano

Give it all a good stir to incorporate everything, and let that sit for about five to ten minutes to allow all the spices to hydrate.

Rinse off your chicken, removing any innards that are hidden inside, and place it in the bowl. Use your hands to toss the bird around a few times, coating both sides. Most of the marinade will stay at the bottom of the bowl, and that's okay.

Leave the bird breast down in the bowl, and cover it with foil or wrap, and place it in the fridge. Let this sit in the fridge overnight. Come morning, the first thing you're going to want to do when you wake up is flip the bird over, recover it, and let it sit until cooking time.

Next up, you're going to want to prep yourself some sauce. After all, Peruvian chicken is great, but even better as the vehicle for that amazing yellow and green Aji sauces. I believe they're called Aji Verde and Aji Amarillo. Now, if you wanted to make these traditionally, you'd want to seek out a bit more in depth recipe than what I'm going to share. My recipes are simple, but achieve the same flavor palate.

For the green sauce you're going to need a blender or food processor, so that's going to be your first step. It's also helpful if you buy some bottles, such as the ones I have in the photo to store your sauces in. You can find these at most grocery stores, though they are a bit more pricey than they should be. I think these cost around four dollars each.

So, with food processor in hand, or rather, plugged in and sitting on the counter, you're going to want to toss the following ingredients into it:

1 Cup Mayonnaise
2 - 1 Ounce (Prepackaged) Cilantro - Remove as much of the stems as possible
4 Green Chili Peppers (or 4 Jalapeno Peppers)
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
2/3 Cup Cotija Cheese
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Turn on your food processor, and let it go for three to five minutes, liquefying everything.

The yellow sauce is not as labor inducing. You'll only need a large bowl and the following:

1 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Yellow Mustard
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

Stir it all together until it's incorporated.

Much like that tasty Big Mac sauce, you're going to want to let this stuff sit in the fridge for at least and hour, but the longer the better.

Based on how big your chicken is, and how long it will take to cook, you're going to plan accordingly to do so. At 350 degrees, your average chicken takes about fifteen minutes per pound. So when it's time to start, first you're going to need a shallow pan, such as a casserole dish or cake pan. Place a wire rack on top of this.

Next, put your bird on it, ensuring that it fits without hanging over the sides. You can use cooking string to secure the wings and legs to the side to ensure this is the case. Just be mindful that this may cause the bird to take a bit longer to cook in the thigh area.

During the last half hour of cooking, I made some street corn and fried yucca. I chose these sides for a couple reasons. One, they're delicious. Two, you can complete the first stage of cooking for them together.

Step one was to shuck the corn, cleaning off all the silk, and throwing it in a large pot of water. While the water is heating up on the stove, I peeled the wax skin off of the yucca, and chopped off the ends. Then I threw these in the pot as well.

Once it starts boiling, let it go for twenty minutes. By now, your chicken should also be done, so pull it out of the oven and let it sit for fifteen minutes.

After twenty minutes of boiling, and with your chicken resting, remove the yucca first, and finish prepping it by slicing it in half width wise, and then down the middle of each half length wise. Cut these halves again in half length wise, and set them aside for a moment to somewhat dry off.

There are a couple options here for frying. One, you can pour enough oil into a large pot to deep fry (or a deep fryer if you have it) or two, use a skillet and fill it up enough to submerge at least half of the yucca slices, flipping them after about ten minutes, and repeating until golden brown. I personally use an electric skillet which allows me to choose to do either. Regardless of your method, keep your oil around 350 degrees so that the yucca gets crispy on the outside and soft(ish) in the middle. Should take about twenty to thirty minutes if flipping, and around twenty minutes if deep frying.

I pull my yucca out of the oil, and place it in a wire strainer to shake off the excess, and hit it with a little fresh ground sea salt before serving it with some sliced lime wedges.

While the oil is heating, and as you begin frying, remove your corn, and set it on a plate to somewhat dry off too. In a large bowl combine the following:

1 Cup Sour Cream
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1/2 Cup Finely Crumbled Cotija Cheese

Now fire up your charcoal or gas grill, and let it get hot.

Slather up one side of the corn with your sour cream mixture, and place it "sauce" side down on your grill. While it sizzles, spread this mixture on top.

While it grills, place your fully cooked chicken on the grill, and let it sit and sizzle, locking in all that grilled flavor too.

Flip your corn over when it starts to get golden, and reapply your sour cream topping. Flip your chicken too. You're looking for not only that charcoal looking crispness, but even some grill lines.

When things are too your liking, remove everything from the grill. For your corn, reapply the sour cream mixture to both sides, and let the heat from the vegetable melt everything a bit on its own. As for your chicken, let it rest another ten minutes to seal in those juices. For serving purposes, you can either hack it into sections, like they do at the restaurants, or even get fancy and carve it.

Whatever your preference, get yourself a plate, get some of that sauce action going, and dig in!

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Retro Spins: The Police - Outlandos d'Amour

People often forget that The Police didn't get their start in the 80's. In fact, their hit, Message In A Bottle, often played on 80's stations, was released in 1979.

The Police formed in 1977, consisting of lead singer and bassist, Gordon Matthew Thomas Summer, AKA Sting, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland. They released their first album, Outlandos d'Amour, translated from French to love outlandos, but loosely translated for the album as Outlaws of Love. The album reached number six on the charts, and with the aid of their hits, Roxanne and Can't Stand Losing You, contributed greatly to their following four albums reaching number one.

Hit after hit was churned out by the band, and by 1983 they were at the height of their popularity with their 8X platinum (in the USA alone) album, Synchronicity. I imagine many that year asked where The Police could possibly go from there. Shockingly, they disbanded.

Upon completing their tour for the album in 1984, the group took a hiatus. This was mainly a result of lead singer, Sting, wanting to focus on a solo career, releasing his first album, The Dream Of The Blue Turtles. As he toured throughout 1985 and parts of 1986. Though the band intended on recording a new album, it was apparent to the remaining two members that their lead singer really didn't have any interest in the project. Coupled with drummer, Copeland, breaking his collar bone the night before they were scheduled to return to the studio, the band called it quits.

It's a bit selfish if you think about it. How many bands survive when the lead singer leaves? Sure, it happens, but not often. For Sting to be so self centered that he preferred to focus on a solo career only serves to show how greedy he is as a human being.

However, him being a douche bad didn't stop me from buying all of the band's studio albums, so today, I'm jumping into Outlandos d'Amour to give it a spin.

It's interesting hearing the album, because it sounds like grunge, before grunge was a thing. Wikipedia classifies the album as punk, and I can totally hear that in it, which is odd, because I never thought of The Police as a punk band. They really don't look the part.

Outlandos is a decent album, but it by no means blew me away. The two hits from it are fantastic even to this day, but beyond that, I didn't hear anything else that stood out. It does intrigue me to keep moving through their library of records, but it doesn't necessarily make me a fan.

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Retro Spins: Genesis - Invisible Touch

So many things I didn't know in 1986. Take for example, Genesis. To me, they didn't exist until their 1986 album, Invisible Touch. I knew nothing about their history. Nothing about drummer Phil Collins who emerged to the front lines in 1975 as the new lead singer, Peter Gabriel who held the position prior to that, nor none of the other albums dating back to 1969. Heck, I didn't even know Mike + The Mechanics was related to the band via guitarist Mike Rutherford. In short, I was a noob.

Like many, my exposure began on Rick Dee's Weekly Top 40, where the song Invisible Touch began hitting the charts in May. After two months of hearing it each week, it finally reached number one on July 19th, then continued to remain on the charts through August as it slowly dropped off. It was joined by Throwing It All Away and Land of Confusion, which also bounced around the charts throughout the year.

However, this was also a period of confusion for me as I didn't understand or differentiate between Phil Collin's the solo artist or Genesis the band. It was all just one umbrella, and I don't know at this point in time which one I thought it was as a child.

Part of this was probably a result of me never owning a Phil Collins or Genesis album until recently, when beginning my CD collection. Even then, I recall it being quite a bit of research between his solo, soundtrack, duet and band related works to piece together just exactly which albums I "needed" to get to encompass the music I was looking for. One of, if not the, first albums I picked up was today's Retro Spins, Invisible Touch.

As I pretty much stated at the beginning of this post, the hits from this album were iconic staples of the 80's, and ones which lead the soundtrack of life to many a young Gen Xer's (or Xennials). Rightly so, as it's a fairly solid album.

The unfortunate side to it was, for me, the only solid tracks which I really enjoyed are the ones which not only dominated the charts, but are also available on the numerous compilation albums from the group. Invisible Touch, Tonight, Tonight, Tonight, Land Of Confusion, In Too Deep and Throwing It All Away are so solid that the remaining three songs on the album don't even merit a nod of approval.

If I had to point a finger at the track which falters the album the most, it would have to be Domino. At almost eleven minutes long, it's too lengthy for what it is. Songs of this nature typically have jam sessions in between witch catchy riffs, wailing guitars, drum interludes, etc. Domino has none of this. It's just not interesting enough to warrant being this long. It could have easily been condensed to four to five minutes, and perhaps even been better as a result. I know this line of thinking doesn't necessarily jive with the critics or Genesis aficionados, but I am neither.

Still, I don't regret my purchase of this album. To come away with so many great tracks under one jacket isn't too common when album hopping. At least not for me. I appreciate greatly what Invisible Touch contributed to the 80's, and will enjoy the tracks I pulled from it for years to come.

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Homemade Big Mac

You like Big Macs? You want to make one a hundred times better than the one you'll get at McDonald's? Okay, let''s do it!

So let's start with what everyone probably already knows. What is a Big Mac?

Based on the picture to the right, McDonald's serves up two beef patties, separated between one and a half sesame seed buns, with special sauce, American cheese, lettuce, pickles and onions. Okay, nothing too fancy, but definitely one key ingredient that you're not going to find in stores.

First and foremost, we gotta make that sauce. Now, if you look on the inter-web, you'll find several copycat recipes to play with. Some are close. Some try to zhuzh it up. Some miss the mark completely. Some don't even try to be similar. Alternatively, you can go to your local McDonald's, and ask for just an order of special sauce. Many locations now sell it in bottles. However, for the purpose of this cooking session, that's not falling in line with being homemade. So, let's make the sauce.

My recipe is pretty similar to others out there.

1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Sweet Pickle Relish
1 1/2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard
1 1/2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Paprika
2 Teaspoons Sugar (Optional)

Now, there's a couple things to keep in mind with this sauce. First and foremost, the sugar will make it taste closer to that of McDonald's recipe, but it's definitely not needed if you simply don't want more sugar in your food. I don't use it myself. Second, you want to make this in advance, because you want this sauce to sit in the fridge for as long as possible before use. I make mine one day to one week in advance. Trust me, it only gets better as it sits, and if stored in a container or plastic bag, it will last a while. I recommend using a cleaned out condiment squirt bottle. Any will work.

Okay, so you have your sauce, and you've let it sit for a few days to get happy in the fridge. Now it's time to make those Macs.

When it comes to your beef, you have options. You like grass fed? Use it. You like Wagyu? Use it. You like pre-made store bought patties? Use them. For my burgers, I'm using The Emperor brand pre-packaged Wagyu beef patties.

They're not as fancy as they sound. A package of four can be grabbed from your local Safeway (or other grocery stores) for $9.99, and they're usually on sale for $6.99. If I really wanted to go fancy, I would have gotten my local grocer butcher to grind me up a half and half blend of brisket and short rib. But, these will work just fine.

For the remaining ingredients, you'll want some iceberg lettuce, onions, dill pickles and sesame seed buns, For the onions and lettuce, I'm taking a shortcut. I grabbed a container of pre-diced onions from the produce section of my local store, as well as a pre-shredded bag of iceberg lettuce from the salad bag section. The only thing buying whole vegetables will do is add a step of slicing and dicing.

The pickles and buns are dealer's choice. I went with Pepperidge Farm sesame buns, and a jar of Open Nature pickle chips. You don't even have to use sesame seed buns if you don't want them. But, for the purposes of mimicking a Big Mac, I'm doing just that.

Alright, let's get to cooking.

I seasoned my burger patties with a one part pepper to two parts salt mixture, sprinkling it on both sides before slapping it down on a hot grill. It doesn't take much, but season to taste.

Look at that fire kiss those burgers so sweetly. Mmm. Fire plus meat equals good. Depending on the temperature you want your burgers, and their thickness, let them go and flip appropriately.

When they're just about to the desired temp, I slapped each one with a slice of Kraft singles American cheese. That's the traditional cheese of choice at McDonald's, but you can use whatever kind you want. I also put my one and a half buns on the grill to give them a little toasting.

Let the cheese melt, and the buns get happy on that heat. Toast them, burn them, whatever you like. You can even butter the bottoms before putting them on the heat, or don't toast them at all.

When you're done, take everything off the grill. It's time to assemble.

Put one of your bottom buns down, and put a delicious spoonful of that special sauce down, spreading it across the entire surface. Top it with a sprinkle of onions and some lettuce.

Put your first burger on top of that, and give it a little press down to ensure it doesn't slip off, and top it with another spoonful of special sauce.

Top it with your second bottom half bun, and repeat a layer of more special sauce, onions and lettuce. I gave my middle bun a bit of a pressing between my hands before putting it down. This gave it a much more compressed and sturdy feel for that weight it was going to need to hold.

Put your last burger on top of this, giving it another gentle press down to ensure stability, and put a couple pickles on top.

Finish it off by spreading a little more special sauce on your top bun, and crown that bad boy.

Then dig in!

This burger was amazing! Think of everything you love about a Big Mac, then multiply it by a hundred (or more). Freshly grilled burgers, toasted buns, tangy sauce, and crunchy vegetables (don't forget those pickles) come together to make a masterpiece of a burger.

Not only is it delicious, but it's filling. I had nothing to eat all day, made this around 3:00 PM, and after eating just the one shown, I've been satisfied all day, even leading up to this post being written as I get ready to call it a night. It really was more than enough for an entire day, and probably has the calorie count to back it up. I don't think you want to eat two of these. Well, you do...But you shouldn't.

See what you missed, George?

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Star Wars Coloring Books (Kenner)

Star Wars Coloring Books
Kenner
1977 - 1984

As a kid, there were many days I spent sprawled out across the carpet with a box of Crayola Crayons, most of which were well used or broken, and a coloring book in front of me. I think this is an experience many children of the digital age simply don't get to have, which is kind of a shame. Coloring is a wonderful and fun creative outlet.

Back in those days, my mind was just as much ablaze with an adventure as I filled in each page with multiple colors. The story unfolding in my head as I made sound effects of Luke's lightsaber igniting while a blue crayon filled in the blade. My imagination ran wild with my own adventures and everything was an opportunity for it.

For me, Kenner's coloring books were just as large a part of my playtime as were my figures. I had a slew of these things. In fact, in looking through these great books today, I may very well have had them all.

It all began in 1977, when Kenner released the first four books. Each one featured a fantastic still from the film on the cover, only serving to draw kids in more. Inside, the pages were filled with fantastic hand drawn coloring pages, some of which were based on concept art from the film, while others even included the artists own conceptions.

In 1980, Kenner released four more books. This time, based on The Empire Strikes Back. Once again, fabulous images from the film adorned each cover.

In 1982, Kenner released two new books based on the film.

With the final film in the Trilogy released, Kenner produced two new books in 1983 to coincide with it.

The "set" of books was wrapped up in 1984 with one final volume.

Even today I enjoy a good coloring page. However, these days, I am far more detail oriented with them. Some would say I tend to go a bit overboard. I'll break out a full set of colored pencils, and fill in every bit of detail on the page. Hey, it's good, clean, harmless fun. So why not?

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Retro Spins: Rush - Rush

Before the classic lineup of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart, there was another iteration of Rush.

Front man and bassist Jeff Jones, lead guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer John Rutsey were the initial incarnation of the band in the summer of 1968. However, by fall of that same year, Geddy Lee would replace Jones, and this line up of Lee, Lifeson and Rutsey would record and release the debut self titled album in 1974.

Though Rutsey was credited with the overall success of Rush creating its first album, being the man who often pushed Lee and Lifeson to practice and stay focused, he would end up leaving the band shortly after their first album. This was a decision based on concerns with his health, due to his diabetes, a difference in musical direction, and an overall dislike of touring. His absence was filled by drummer Neil Peart, and with that, the classic lineup of Rush which would go on for forty years was in place.

Peart would not only provide a unique percussion sound to the band, but also be credited as the main writer of lyrics. His lover for science fiction would often result in rock opera style albums, which would remain a recurring theme through the 70's, intertwining many of their records with a continuous story.

It's long been disputed as to whether or not Rush was better in the 70's versus the 80's. To this, I can only say that I suppose it varies based on your own personal tastes. If nothing else, Rush certainly continued to evolve in their music, starting with a hard rock style, which eventually moved into prog rock for the majority of the 70's, before transitioning to synth led tracks, and even a little commercial mainstream. The band never really seemed to stay still long enough to really label them as any one particular style. I think this is what not only led them to such a successful career, but also one that helped keep them relevant in an ever changing industry over the decades.

With that said, I can also understand that Rush is one of those groups that people tend to love or hate. I've heard it many times from people when I ask them, "Do you like Rush?" They either say, "I love them," or "I can't stand them." The usual answer for why people don't like them typically goes like this, "The music sounds great, but I hate the singer's voice." I totally get that. Geddy Lee's vocals can be cringe worth to people not expecting such a shrill noise. It's an acquired taste.

For me, my journey with the band began in the early 90's, when I heard a song on the radio, but had no clue what it was. Being young and naive, I thought that going down to my local Waxie Maxie, telling the clerk I had heard a song recently from them, and briefly trying to explain what it was would lead me to getting the album. Not so much. The clerk handed me the 1980 released Permanent Waves, and said, "It's probably on here. This is the album most people ask for." For the record, that song was Nobody's Hero from the 1993 released Counterparts. However, this wasn't a bad thing. Getting my hands on Permanent Waves introduced me to The Spirit Of Radio, Freewill, Jacob's Ladder, and Natural Science, which in turn led me to wanting to here more from the group. As my collection of Rush albums grew, I eventually stumbled across Counterparts, and got the song I was initially after.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, today's Retro Spin takes us back the bands 1974 self titled debut, where we hear the origins featuring the (somewhat) original lineup. Sadly, my overall impression of the album can be summed up much quicker than the above.

Things spring into high gear with Finding My Way, a classic staple of the groups many greatest hits albums. However, from there, the remaining tracks kind of fall into obscurity as noise. That is until things wrap up with Working Man, another iconic song often found on their various hits albums.

Overall, it's okay as an album, but it certainly doesn't scream forty year veteran band, which I suppose isn't uncommon. It's just unfortunate, considering who the are. Most of the times when someone gains an appreciation for a group, they can go back to their earlier works and view it through stain glassed eyes, finding more joy out of it than your casual listener. With Rush, I don't get that. The album's decent, but it's not rave worthy.

Most of the songs just don't make the cut. For me, I'd rather just pull the two off of it I like, add them to my shuffle, and move on. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is admittedly a little disappointing.

Do I still like Rush? Absolutely. I think they're a great bad. They never necessarily went mainstream, but at the same, they have a distinct sound to them, that when you hear it, you can immediately say, "That's a Rush song." I think that's one of the things I like most about them. They're familiar, which in and of itself is a good thing.