“They’re too commercial to be real Dutch. I don’t trust them.”
-There’s nothing quite like Friday’s on The Knot. Hmm…that might make a good Style Network show.
-I really miss the art of the saxophone solo. Back in the ’80s, every hit song had a saxophone solo. I’m gonna give you a short list of some of the best:
(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life – Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
True – Spandau Ballet
You Belong to the City – Glenn Frey
Hungry Eyes – Eric Carmen
Caribbean Queen – Billy Ocean
Who Can It Be Now? – Men at Work
The Glamourous Life – Sheila E.
Careless Whisper – Wham
Never Surrender – Corey Hart
Back in Time – Huey Lewis & The News
Livin’ in America – James Brown
If You Leave – Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark
Hands to Heaven – Breathe
-Where are all the great comedians of the ’80s? OK, I’m stretching the definition of “great”, but I really hope there’s some stage show in Branson, Missouri comprised of Gilbert Gottfried, Yakov Smirnoff, Joe Isuzu (David Leisure), and Sinbad. It could be like the “Has-beens of Comedy Tour”. You think I’m being snarky, but I would pay good money to see that show. What a country!
– My new favorite show is It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. How did I not know about this show? It’s been on for 3 seasons! It’s great because it’s like Seinfeld starring assholes. A show about nothing, starring a bunch of people who…really aren’t good people. That was my problem with Seinfeld, where they always kind of straddled this ethical line, but I never saw them as bad people. When the finale came along, and they go on trial for all of the asshole things they’d done over 9 years, it just seemed kind of heavy-handed. Sure, they were self-serving and whatnot, but a lot of their stuff was madcap. I’d never seen them as “bad”, per se. I think that’s why the finale left a bad taste in my mouth. Not so on It’s Always Sunny… These guys are assholes. And it’s hilarious.
-Can someone shed some light on Reverend Run for me? Is he really ordained? I mean, in this day and age, anyone with an internet connection can become an ordained minister. I just wonder if he’s for real. Like, maybe with a congregation somewhere. ‘Cause I’ve been watching Run’s House for a few years, and he’s the most secular minister since Reverend Camden. It’s not a knock or anything, as I understand that’s not what the show’s about. Still make me curious, though.
– Another music post callback, there’s a track on BSB’s new album that’s produced by JC Chasez. Yes, an ‘NSYNC’er produced a BSB track. This is a pretty major development. You see, ‘NSYNC & BSB are *not* friends. Or at least, they weren’t originally. I think that, over time, they bonded over the fact that they were both cheated by Lou Pearlman. In the beginning, though, BSB were upset because they felt that Lou was just trying to capitalize on their fame so soon after they hit it big with “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)”. Then, the shit really hit the fan when ‘NSYNC’s No Strings Attached album set the U.S. record for album sales in one week (2.4 million). If you look back, you’d say that ‘NSYNC came out on top, via a door opened by BSB. Everyone likes to go back to the NKOTB/New Edition era, but love ’em or hate ’em, BSB begat the 21st century wave of boyband pop.
Here’s where it gets tricky, though. People never realize that Lou simply recruited guys. He didn’t recruit groups. There were all these young guys, working at theme parks in Orlando, and he’d snatch them up. So, he’d have a stable of guys, and he’d just shuffle the arrangement to see what worked best. We almost had BSB with Chris Kirkpatrick, Nick Carter, Howie D. & AJ. Phoenix Stone was in BSB, and then spun off as a solo guy (who went on to do nothing major but a Jenny Jones performance). And those are the major successes; people sometimes forget Take 5 (“Shake It Off”), Lyte Funky Ones AKA L.F.O. (“Summer Girls”), O-Town (Making the Band 1), Natural (provided Bart & Milhouse’s singing voices on the boyband ep of the Simpsons), C-Note…With this is mind, they’re all the same guys, doing the same thing. Some just came out sooner than others. Once again, though, ‘NSYNC come out on top. Not only were they able to diversify their sound with the times, but they also had more “after-group” success, with JT becoming Pop Jesus, saving pop music, and vowing to return one day to take us all to pop heaven, where he’ll rock our bodies to the break of day…
The horn solo list is perfect. Impressed.