Friday, February 22, 2013

Friday 80s Flashback for February 22, 2013




[Stay Awake] -- I have visited Walt Disney World five times in my life. But I had never been to Disneyland ... until this week. On Monday, February 18, we capped off our recent trip to L.A. with a tour of Disneyland. Well, maybe not a tour exactly, but we did have a Disney Cast Member as our guide and she could get us into special places and bypass lines. It was pretty much a V.I.P. day all the way, and it was arranged by a California couple (who are Club 33 members) we befriended over Twitter and a previous San Diego Comic-Con (Thank you, Andrew and Lisa!). During our visit to the park, we took a break in the 1901 Lounge. While in the Lounge, our guide told us about the music that was playing -- all jazz versions of Disney movie tunes arranged and performed by Bill Cantos. (Yes, I bought the CD, and it is wonderful). In response, I told her about Hall Willner's Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films (1988). Willner is an American music producer with several tribute albums and live events listed among his many credits, Stay Awake being his fourth tribute album. I was in college when it was first released, and I loved it because it made a somewhat adult soundtrack out of songs originally created for kids. More than 20 years later, I still love it for the milestone in my life that it represents. Turns out, our guide didn't know about Stay Awake, and I reckon the same can be said of many of my fellow 80s-philes. So, I figure this CD makes for a great Flashback. I've chosen three tunes from the 20+ songs represented on the album. You know the drill: Read and hear more after the break.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Friday 80s Flashback for February 15, 2013


An 80s sci-fi image from OMNI Magazine (via Flyer Goodness)

[Sci-Fri] -- I am attending the Grand Slam Star Trek and Sci-Fi Summit in Burbank, CA, this weekend. Now, with the notable exception of Star Trek: The Next Generation, which premiered in 1987, most of the shows represented at this summit aired more recently. Still, I have it on good authority that science fiction ruled the 1980s. Sci-fi inspired tunes, therefore, seem to be a perfect choice for this week's Flashback. There are many options, from movies to TV shows to straight-up concept albums. If you would like to know what I selected, you can read and hear more after the break.

Friday, February 01, 2013

Friday 80s Flashback for February 1, 2013



[What's in a Name (Redux)?] -- A little over a year ago, the Friday 80s Flashback looked at a trio of 80s artists who displayed an excess of creativity in branding their work. And by "excess of creativity," I mean they showed, perhaps, poor judgement in choosing a name. That 1/27/2012 flashback honored a few of these appellation-challenged acts. Whether confusing, silly, or just plain stupid-sounding, these bands ruled the charts -- or at least left an impression -- for a short time. So, if you're ready for a flashback to a Flashback, you can see what acts I singled out for their interesting monikers. Just read and hear more after the break.