A Tribute to Fallen Soldiers

The best tribute to those who have fallen in service to this country is quite possibly the poem "Letter to Saint Peter" which was written by Elma Dean in 1942 and later adapted into a song by John Gorka ("Let Them In" from his 2001 release, The Company You Keep).

This video has John Gorka's song set to a collection of moving images. Very appropriate for Memorial Day.

Friday 80s Flashback for May 27, 2011

Picture of a Poppy by Ian Britton (freefoto.com)

We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies.

~ Moina Michael (who wore the first Memorial Day poppy)

[Remember the Heroes] -- We have arrived at the "official" kick-off for shorts season: a 3-day weekend that culminates in the observance of Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day (check the history). Now, you might recall the 80s as being rife with anti-conflict, protest songs, so you may find it hard to believe I could find some tunes appropriate for the occasion of honoring this nation's war dead. But the 80s were as patriotic or reflective as other decades. So my only real problem was in narrowing the selections down to my usual three. So, are you wondering what gems I have chosen in tribute to those who have died while serving the United States of America? Wonder no more. Read and hear more after the jump.

Friday 80s Flashback for May 20, 2011

Power house mechanic working on steam pump 

by Lewis Hine, 1920. (Wikipedia)

[It's a Livin'!] -- This could be my very last Friday 80s Flashback given that Judgement Day is on the agenda for Saturday, May 21, 2011 (tomorrow!). You know it's official when there is a website and everything (http://judgementday2011.com/), right?

Now, with the Rapture scheduled to begin tomorrow evening, you're probably expecting songs about the end of the world (and that I feel fine). I understand those expectations. However, with the last week or so I've at at my day job, I have been thinking about songs focusing a spotlight on that all-too-frustrating aspect of modern life known as work. And, believe me, Ragnarök or its equivalent is looking preferable to my current slate of projects. Plus, there is a tie-in with all this rapping about the rapture: What are the two events that can bring an end to the drudgery of working day to day? Well, one is winning the lottery, and the other is ... the end of the world, of course. 

You 80s-philes will have to judge whether this week's selections are winners. Are you ready for this job? Read and hear more after the jump.

Friday 80s Flashback (for May 13, 2011) on Saturday

Toy Car Bracelet from ThisNext.com

[Return of The Cars] -- Friday Flashback on a Saturday evening? Yeah, well, Blogger was a bit off on Thursday night, and then I was in an all-day business meeting on Friday followed by a class today. So, Saturday, May 14, is my first chance to post the Flashback for May 13. I hope all my fellow 80s-philes weren't too lost without their Friday fix. 

Let's get right down to business.

In case you haven't heard, The Cars released a new studio album this week, their first since 1987! It's getting some good press (Consequence of Sound, Salt Lake Tribune), while other reviewers are disappointed with how reminiscent it is of their earlier work. Sounds like this might be an opportune time to go back and revisit The Cars' 80s catalog. With four studio releases between 1980 and 1987, there are plenty of flashback options. So what three Cars' classics have I revved up for you this week? Read and hear more after the jump.

May 9: Hail Guthroth!

May 9 is a Day of Remembrance for Guthroth. Please refer to my 2007 post for details and helpful links.

Friday 80s Flashback for May 6, 2011

[Busted!] -- This week we're taking a look at Sting, Stewart Copeland, and Andy Summers in the 80s. Of course, from 1977 to 1986 they were collectively known as The Police.

In 1976 the ascent of the Sex Pistols, and all they represented for the punk movement, had all but destroyed the career prospects for bassist Sting's jazz-rock combo (Last Exit) and drummer Stewart Copeland's progressive rock band (Curved Air). After Curved Air's last performance as a unit (in December 1976), Stewart saw a Last Exit gig. He was immediately taken with Sting and arranged for an introduction. Shortly thereafter, Copeland formed the first version of The Police in 1977 with himself, Sting, and guitarist ... Henri Padovani. This trio recorded one single, "Fallout," on a very tight budget and landed a poorly-paying gig (£15 a night) as "pretend punks" that took them all of 20 minutes to blaze through a 13-song set. A brief flirtation with the project band, Strontium 90, introduced Sting and Copeland to guitarist Andy Summers. The Police continued briefly as a four-piece before officially dumping Padovani. Sting, Copeland, and Summers spent the latter part of the 70s scrounging for work, asking Copeland's brother for financial help, and releasing two albums -- Outlandos d'Amour (1978) and Reggatta de Blanc (1979) -- that set the stage for their eventual superstardom, powered by their unique combination of reggae, rock, and jazz influences.

Between 1980 and 1986, The Police released four albums and around 12 singles. What have I selected for your 80s pleasure this week? Read and hear more after the jump.

Friday 80s Flashback for April 29, 2011

[College Rock] -- I turn 43 this week. Now, how do I work my birthday into one of my weekly 80s post? By looking at the years that, in my opinion, most defined me. I'm a believer in the saying that home is where you find out who you are. For me, that would be college ("We are! Penn State!"). And my college years coincided with the heyday of the musical genre known as College Rock, so named because this "alternative" to pop mainstream found a home on many a college radio station. Although known for many independent artists and giving the world "Alternative Rock" (right after its biggest acts went mainstream), College Radio gave rise to such (now) well-known bands as U2 and R.E.M. So, for my birthday, you 80s-philes get quite a gift with this flashback. You know, of course, I won't go the "easy" route with my selections. But can you guess what gems we'll unwrap this week? Read and hear more after the jump.

Friday 80s Flashback for April 22, 2011

[A Very Good Earth (Fri)day] -- This week our Flashback Friday falls upon a date of intersection. Today is Earth Day, a time to reflect on our use and abuse of our home planet, as well as Good Friday, the day Christians the world over solemnly observe the murder of their religion's central figure. Also of note this week, we observed the one year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and subsequent oil spill. So, today, we have something of a combo theme: 80s songs that reflect a concern for our planet and environment, as well as 80s songs that somehow -- even if only in my mind -- reflect some aspect of Easter. That's quite a tall task, so I'll bet you're wondering what songs made the cut this week. As usual, you can read and hear more after the jump.

Friday 80s Flashback for April 15, 2011

Today's Flashback is brought to you by Montgomery Theater's 

production of Tom Dudzick's "Hail Mary!"

---

[Hail Mary!] -- First off, I'm kidding about the "brought to you by" message that introduces this post. The Friday 80s Flashback does not have a corporate sponsor ... at least not yet (c'mon, HP, Google, someone ... call me). But this morning, I heard Morgan Spurlock in a radio interview as he talked about his latest "docbuster" (i.e., documentary blockbuster), The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. Spurlock's new film explores corporate sponsorship and the future of branding. I find this interesting because corporate sponsorship started with the media boom, which helped grow commercial radio and television, but the practice pretty much exploded in the 80s and 90s (college bowl games and stadium naming rights coming into play). All of which led many of us in the 80s to ponder the question that Spurlock pointedly asks in his film: What if we lived in a world where everything was "brought to you by" some corporate sponsor? And, trust me, the irony of it all is not lost on him.

Anyway, back to the business at hand.

Regular visitors to Prophet or Madman know that I love my 80s music. What you might not know, however, is my love of live theater -- it is such a fantastic and powerful medium for storytelling. Now, I have been involved with a small professional theater in Souderton, PA, for the last several years. And this is opening weekend for our production of Tom Dudzick's "Hail Mary!" As with the previous Dudzick plays I have worked on ("Greetings!" and "Over the Tavern"), I am quite taken with the message in the script: Shine your light in this weary world, because that's just what the world needs. To be a little more specific, without giving up the full plot, "Hail Mary!" is also about sponsorship of sorts (see what I did there?). The play could just as easily be asking, "Who do you want to be sponsoring God?" or "Does God really need a sponsor at all?" or "Sure, that's what [insert institution's name] taught you, but how is it really working for you?" You see, your worldview is "brought to you by" someone or something. And, much like our downtown view has been hijacked by billboards and other signage touting various corporate messages, our opportunity for a peaceful world has been hijacked by the sponsors of competing worldviews. It might be time to cleanup the public space of our hearts and minds. For folks engaged, or even interested, in interfaith dialogue (another passion of mine), the core themes of this play will truly strike a chord that resonates long after the final bow.

For more information about the production, please visit Montgomery Theater's page, Hail Mary Opens This Weekend. To learn what selections this play has inspired for this week, read and hear more after the jump.

Friday 80s Flashback for April 8, 2011

"Playing with the Rain" from http://dryicons.com

[Rain Over Me] -- I've been terribly busy this week and my good friend, Debbie, had to remind me via a Facebook post that another Flashback was expected. Due to my work load at the dayjob and pre-production tasks at the theater, I had not even thought up a theme. Fortunately, another good friend, Cameron, was at the ready with a suggestion: Rain. 

I thought that was a good idea.

We are in the midst of a fairly cold and wet Spring, colder than we've had in a good long while. And rain has been our frequent companion here in southeast PA. Heck, a good chunk of the country was slapped silly with flood conditions over the last week. After Monday teased the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys with a high of 71 degrees, Tuesday came in and bludgeoned us with precipitation. I must have driven through three or four different weather systems on my morning commute that day! And, guess what, more rain is on the docket for this weekend. 

So, I accepted Cam's challenge, and selected a few rainy day tunes. What is in this soggy playlist? Read and hear more after the jump.