The Kids in the Hall are currently involved in what I guess you'd call a reunion tour. In fact, they were in Austin, yesterday. Apparently they've come up with a brand new skit for the show, called "Rape Kevin." Here they perform it, looking older and fatter:
Back to the Egg is the final studio album by Wings and was released in 1979. It is also notable for being leader Paul McCartney's first album for Columbia Records after leaving long-time US distributor Capitol Records in 1978.
By the end of June 1978, this last incarnation of Wings settled into Spirit of Ranachan Studios on McCartney's farm in Scotland, then moved onto Lympne Castle near Hythe in Kent (not far from McCartney's new home in Peasmarsh, near Rye, Sussex) in September and Abbey Road Studios in October, where McCartney organized a special one-off session. On 3 October, Wings recorded two tracks, "Rockestra Theme" and "So Glad To See You Here" with many celebrity guests under the heading of Rockestra. Hank Marvin of The Shadows, The Who's Pete Townshend, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones and John Bonham (in one of his last performances) all took part.
Eager to release new material, Wings issued a non-album dance single "Goodnight Tonight" b/w "Daytime Nighttime Suffering" in late March 1979. It became a worldwide Top 5 hit and set the stage for Back to the Egg's release that June (the song would later appear as a bonus track on the CD reissue of McCartney II). With the title a McCartney-ism for getting back to basics, the band considered Back to the Egg the beginning of a new era in their career. It was certainly not intended as their swan song.
Unfortunately, the critical reaction was not warm upon the album's release. Considered uninspired and directionless by many of its reviewers at the time - and to this day, Back to the Egg also sold beneath expectations, reaching #6 in the UK and #8 in the US with relatively short chart stays, although it went platinum. Its single releases "Old Siam, Sir," "Arrow Through Me," and "Getting Closer" were also small hits. Although many McCartney fans are devotees of Back to the Eg, it is still generally considered one of his least popular albums. Wings thus began and ended their studio career with their least successful projects. Yet again, on Back to the Egg, McCartney found himself competing against Beatle Paul. No doubt many of the critics, who at the time felt it was "uninspired and directionless," had anticipated work comparable to his Beatles-era output, which obviously (in hindsite) was impossible. But it isn't bad, in fact, it's among my favorites of what Paul has done post-Beatles. I can remember walking into record stores, seeing entire walls covered with nothing but copies of Back to the Egg. Promotional videos were made for nearly every song. Here are those videos, with a 1-5 egg rating of the song (not the video), and some brief commentary/critique:
"Getting Closer" - Proving Macca could still rock. This is one of his great vocals. Empty lyrics with a great melody (a post-Beatles McCartney trademark).
"Spin It On" - Oh, okay - I understand "uninspired and directionless" now. A better song than I could ever write, but still. Ugh. It's like a Sex Pistols song fed through an extremely thick McCartney filter.
"Baby's Request" - An appealing, harmless little ditty. A period piece. Very much in the "Honey Pie"/"When I'm 64" vein. I like it, I like it a lot.
"Again and Again and Again" - Three words: Denny Laine composition
"Old Siam, Sir" - Sometimes it seemed as if McCartney was trying to be annoying, although I'm fairly certain he wasn't. Still, the melody is memorable...
"Arrow Through Me" - I love this song. Great melody, good lyrics. A McCartney solo classic! His voice is so great on this one, that if I could sing like anyone in the history of recorded Western popular singing (including Sinatra), I'd want my voice to sound like Paul's on "Arrow Through Me." Also, I like that "hawk in a canyon" sound, whatever it is.
"Rockestra Theme" - won the 1980 Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Tedious, perhaps, but classic McCartney.
Here are two great examples of the otherElvis' mid-80s, pop-style songwriting prowess and blue-eyed, soulful singing I've always loved. Who'd have believed a guy who looks like he does would have a voice like that??
"No One Is to Blame" was written by Howard Jones, and it first appeared on his second album, 1985's Dream into Action. It was his biggest American hit, reaching #4 on the charts. The song also appeared on the Action Replay EP in 1986. The single version (with Phil Collins on drums) was on Jones' 1986 album, One to One. I heard this a lot during that distant summer of '86.
The last time I went to Palestine (November 2006), gas was $1.98 a gallon. Today it was $3.34 as I returned for a second look. I found a couple of things that really excited me, and I had somehow overlooked during my previous visit. I'll do a post about this visit sometime very soon.
I do wonder about the FDR on that mural - it looks as if the muralist was originally planning Clinton, and realized he/she hadn't included Roosevelt.
I just finished watching the mediocre Into the Wild. I can tell I'm getting old, because I kept having to fight the idea while watching it that he's one broken bone, twisted ankle, etc., from a serious problem. Also, he wears glasses, so I'm thinking the way things go, he'll eventually break those. Finally, although I admire McCandless' idealism, I've experienced enough to know it was simply that - idealism. Unfortunately, his experience sort of proves me right.
McCandless grew up in Annandale, Virginia, located in affluent Fairfax County. From early childhood, teachers noticed McCandless was unusually strong-willed. As he grew older, he coupled this with an intense idealism and physical endurance. In high school, he served as captain of the cross-country team, urging teammates to treat running as a spiritual exercise in which they were "running against the forces of darkness....all the evil in the world, all the hatred."
He graduated from W.T. Woodson High School in 1986 and from Emory University in 1990, majoring in history and anthropology. His upper middle-class background and academic success masked growing contempt for what he saw as the empty materialism of American society. In his junior year, he declined membership in Phi Beta Kappa, on the basis honors and titles were irrelevant. McCandless was strongly influenced by Jack London, Leo Tolstoy and Henry David Thoreau, and he dreamed about leaving society for a Thoreau-like period of solitary contemplation. With little food and little equipment, hiked into the Alaskan wilderness to live a life of solitude.
Yet again, on Back to the Egg, McCartney found himself competing against Beatle Paul. No doubt many of the critics, who at the time felt it was "uninspired and directionless," had anticipated work comparable to his Beatles-era output, which obviously (in hindsite) was impossible. But it isn't bad, in fact, it's among my favorites of what Paul has done post-Beatles. I can remember walking into record stores, seeing entire walls covered with nothing but copies of Back to the Egg. Promotional videos were made for nearly every song. Here are those videos, with a 1-5 egg rating of the song (not the video), and some brief commentary/critique:
Here are two great examples of the other Elvis' mid-80s, pop-style songwriting prowess and blue-eyed, soulful singing I've always loved. Who'd have believed a guy who looks like he does would have a voice like that?? 
"No One Is to Blame" was written by Howard Jones, and it first appeared on his second album, 1985's Dream into Action. It was his biggest American hit, reaching #4 on the charts. The song also appeared on the Action Replay EP in 1986. The single version (with Phil Collins on drums) was on Jones' 1986 album, One to One. I heard this a lot during that distant summer of '86.
This awesome video is being described as a "collaboration" between Rockstar Games and GameStop. It's titled "Give Me Liberty: Tourist Guide to Liberty City":
From the Wikipedia entry:
