A Meloncoly Happy Trails to Prince

For people my age, Prince was always there. 1999 and Little Red Corvette were radio staples when we started to listen to the radio. Sure it was not until college when I realized that Little Red Corvette was not actually about cars, but anyway. Then came Purple Rain. Since it was R rated and I was still in my single digits, I was not allowed to watch it, but after a lot of begging my parents did rend it, watched it one night, marked the music parts and I could watch them, turn it off, then flash forward to the next performance. Presumably Darling Nikki was the one performance from the film I could not watch as it has the distinction as being the song that prompted Tipper Gore to start her crusade to slap Parental Advisory stickers on albums. It was not until recent years when the film got played ad nausea by VH1 Classic did I finally get to see the non-music bits, and okay, maybe my parents did me a favor because that movie (along with pretty much every movie from that decade) does not really hold up aside from when Prince told Apollonia she needed to purify herself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka.

Sure it was hard to be a Prince fan at times, his Symbol era was marred by a flood of mediocre albums as a way as the Artist Formally Known as Prince to get out of his record contract. And I cannot count how many times I went to YouTube to watch Batdance only to remember, oh yeah, Prince hates the internet. But both MTV and VH1 started playing Prince music videos again Thursday and I actually got to see Batdance in its entirety for the first time in maybe twenty-five year and it was glorious. His VMA performance also got heavy play and it is just as shocking today that it got play as it did back then. And watching these video blocks and it is just shocking just how much great Prince music there is. The Morning Papers came on and I completely forgot about, that is just how many great Prince songs there is. The Morning Papers is a great song but I am not sure if it is even one of his fifty best songs.

Like I mentioned above, Prince hates the internet so it is hard to find any of his video, and if you do, they are probably gone by the time you go back. Thankfully he does not own the rights to While My Guitar Gently Weeps which he performed with Tom Petty Jeff Lynn, Steve Winwood (Traffic was inducted that year) and Dhani Harrison (his father George was also inducted as a solo artist) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame put on their YouTube channel from the year he was inducted. Prince is barely seen almost completely off stage, but then he comes front and center and gives one of the most epic guitar solos ever. Seriously, you do not even need all the fingers on one hand to count the number of people who could do the Eric Clapton solo justice and Prince did it. And then when he was done he threw the guitar over his head and struts off the stage. Forget dropping the mic, that is how you end a performance.


Prince could have gone down as the greatest guitarist if he wanted to. He could have been the King of Pop if he wanted to. He was Hendrix, James Brown, and Michael Jackson rolled into one and I would argue better than all of them. Instead of one genre he just did everything great: rock, pop, RnB, funk, gospel, jazz, dance, Purple Rain was number two on my 100 Greatest Power Ballads of all time. The guy even ghostwrote a song for Kenny Rogers. He even created genres, seriously, how do you even classify When Doves Cry? Sign O’ the Times?

As I mentioned, being a Prince fan could be rough, particularly the Symbol years featured a lot of mediocre music, but once he got out of his Warner Brothers contract and returned to being known as just Prince, no silly symbols needed (wait, did Prince invent the emoticon?) the music was good again starting with Musicology and he kept popping up on my end year lists all the way to to 2013’s Breakfast Can Wait (I never got to listen to his most recent album because it was a Tidal exclusive and I have no desire to mess with Tidal; hopefully the Prince estate is a bit more relaxed on the internet). Sure nothing was Purple Rain great again, but it did not have to be, good Prince was still better than most acts in the past decade. Plus this was the guy that gave us the greatest soundtrack of all time (which featured the greatest album closing track of all time), the greatest Super Bowl Half Time show of all time, the greatest Chappelle’s Show skit of all time, and was the best part of the greatest Rock and Roll Hall of Fame all-star jam of all time. As he told us, there is something else after this, a world of never-ending happiness, and I am sure will be putting on massive concerts every night. I would say rest in peace, but Prince seemed happiest when entertaining people, so rock on Prince and thank you for some of the greatest music ever made.

Spring 2016 Music Preview

Before I get into the upcoming releases, let m first acknowledge the passing of Phife Dawg. A Tribe Called quest have always been my favorite rap group and of course Phife was a large part of that. Back in the early days of the 9th Green, when I still made mixtapes, I released a Best of A Tribe Called Quest list which you can check out by following the link. But really, if you have not done so already, definitely head over to Spotify or your favorite streaming site to listen to their whole catalouge, especially their first three album which were all five mic albums.

Since my last music preview, two high profile albums finally dropped, both kind of disastrously. Rihanna's ANTI was released prematurely on Tidal before it was rushed released. Kanye West's The Life of Pablo also had some glitches with the streaming site and then Kanye bizarrely decided to not make it available anywhere else and declared physical releases dead. But hey, supossedly there is another Knye album or two coming this year, no word if those will be Tidal exclusives too. Here are the other albums you can get this spring on more than jussts Tidal. Click on the album title to pre-order on Amazon and click the artist's name to be taken to iTunes.

Tomorrow
Beautiful Lies - Birdy
What I'm Feelin' - Anthony Hamilton
Radius - Allen Stone

April 1
Weezer (White Album) - Weezer
Super - Pet Shop Boys
Are You Serious - Andrew Bird
Hurt & The Merciless - The Heavy
Changes - Charles Bradley
The Wilderness - Explosions In the Sky
Bang, Zoom, Crazy...Hello - Cheap Trick

April 8
Cleopatra - The Lumineers
Man About Town - Mayer Hawthorne
Painting Of A Panic Attack - Frightened Rabbit
Call It What It Is - Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
Distortland - The Dandy Warhols
Crazy Eyes - Filter
A Cure For Loneliness - Peter Wolf

April 15
The Diary - J Dilla
PersonA - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Santana IV - Santana
This Path Tonight - Graham Nash
Live - That Hot Pink Blues Album - Keb' Mo'

April 22
Hope - The Strumbellas

April 29
Paging Mr. Proust - The Jayhawks

May 6
Detour - Cyndi Lauper
Divides - The Virginmarys

May 20
Dangerous Woman - Ariana Grande
I Still Do - Eric Clapton
Fallen Angels - Bob Dylan
Por Favor - Brett Dennen

June 3
Love You to Death - Tegan and Sara
Hero - Maren Morris

June 10
Strange Little Birds - Garbage
Breakin' Point. - Peter Bjorn and John
Good Times! - The Monkees
Big Day in a Small Town - Brandy Clark

June 17
On My One - Jake Bugg

June 24
True Sadness - The Avett Brothers

July 1
The Bride - Bat for Lashes

TBD
Turbo Grafx 16 - Kanye West
Moving Day -Meiko
Golden State - KT Tunstall
Stanger tto Stanger - Paul Simon
G.O.A.T. 2 - LL Cool J
Down in a Hole - Kiefer Sutherland
Delta Rae
Green Day
Linkin Park
Paramore
Pearl Jam

And this could be the quarter when Dr. Dre releases Detox.

Best of the Week: 2/8/13

Quote of the Week: (Expletive deleted) Obamacare, what kind of a system do we live in that you have to cripple yourself to keep you alive? (Frank Gallagher, Shameless)

Song of the Week: Kyrie – Mr. Mister (The Goldbergs)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Happy Trails to Philip Seymour Hoffman: Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of the guys who you tend to forget because someones he may be fifth or lower on the marquee of the movies he is in but when you look back he is usually first or second in memorable performances from the film. But it is a shame that he will be mostly known for how he went out. So it has to be said to the kids out there do not do drugs.

Preview Picture of the Week:

"Kill the Messanger" Justified, Tuesday at 10:00 on FX

Free Download of the Week: Bloodshot Records Sampler 2014 (NoiseTrade)

Deal of the Week: 100 Albums for $5: This month’s $5 albums include U2, The Avett Brothers, The Steve Miller Band, and Beck.


New Album Release of the Week: Acoustic at the Ryman - Band of Horses

New DVD Release of the Week: The Americans: Season One

Video of the Week: Super Bowl advertising has always seemed silly to me, there has to be better ways to spend four million dollars in advertising even if this is the one time of year that people actually sit through the ads. Movie trailers seemed even sillier, spending that many dimes in January / February for a movie that does not even debut until sometime between May and July. A lot of studios wisely have pulled out of the Super Bowl recently and the few that did air this year come on during the cheaper pre-game show. One trailer we got to see was The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Quickly after the trailer aired, an extended version hit the internets which pretty much spoils Jamie Foxx’s Electro origin story in its entirety. You have been warned.


Next Week Pick of the Week: The Walking Dead, Sunday at 9:00 on AMC: Where all the other channels cower in fear of the Olympics, the most watched show on cable is actually returning on second day of competition. Of course now that the prison has fallen, now what? It is interesting that Carol show up at the cast interview on Conan earlier this week. Ever since Rick drove away from her, I never thought that was the end of her and I thought she would run into The Governor. Now that he is (presumably) dead, I think she is the leading candidate to have rescued the baby from the prison attack, either that or the sister who then run into Carol first.

Best of the Week: 4/6/13

Quote of the Week: USE THE LADIES ROOM! (Jack Crawford, Hannibal)

Song of the Week: You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive – Brad Paisley (Justified)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Happy Trails to Roger Ebert: Every critic of every medium, amateur of pro, holds Roger Ebert in high regard. For people of my generation, there was a good chance that he, along with his partner Gene Siskel, were the first critics we ever saw growing up. And they made it look so easy, when it came to it, a movie was given a thumbs up or a thumbs down, no shades of grey (well the thumbs would go way up or down occasionally) or extremely specific grades like Pitchfork’s decimal system. But his actual reviews were anything but simple, it was clear he really loved watching movies and never got tired of it, giving critiques right up to the end.

Preview Picture of the Week:

Archer "Sea Tunt Part 2" featuring Jon Hamm, Thursday at 10:00 on FX

Free Download of the Week: Hurricane – Charles Bradley (iTunes)

Deal of the Week: Great Albums On Sale for $3.99 or Less: Get albums on the cheap from A Tribe Called Quest, Ray Lamontange, Rage Against the Machine covers, and Bill Withers Greatest Hits.


New Album Release of the Week: Paramore - Paramore

New DVD Release of the Week: Boss: Season 2

Video of the Week: Ever want to see Ryan Gosling pull somebody on the floor by their teeth? Get you tickets for Only God Forgives now. Or just watch the red band trailer.


Next Week Pick of the Week: Mad Men, Sunday (Tomorrow) at 9:00 on AMC: When we last saw Don Draper, a young lady asked him if he was alone before the season faded to black with Don looking into the camera. We did not get to see the answer which meant Don managed to make it through an entire season without committing adultery (unless the fever dream where he killed his former conquest was not actually a dream like I theorized). Elsewhere Peggy left Sterling Cooper Draper Price, as well as Lane who left in a completely different circumstance. But he did get to punch Pete Campbell, who got a love shack in the city, before leaving this mortal coil. And Roger Sterling discovered LSD. In true Mad Men fashion, we know absolutely nothing going into season because creator Matthew Weiner like secrecy as much as forcing his son into his show.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 7/28/12

Quote of the Week: Wait, why am I asking you? You wear forks for earrings. (Ella; Pretty Little Liars)

Song of the Week: Istanbul – They Might Be Giants (Bunheads)

Scene of the Week:



Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Trails to Sherman Hemsley: It is hard to think my childhood would have been as funny without Sherman Hensley who passed away earlier this week. The Jeffersons was one of my early television memories. As soon as that show ended, Sherman quickly to Amen. Really only Hemsley could star in a sitcom about a church and make it funny. After that he was resigned to cameos and a stint on The Surreal Life, but in his prime, there were fewer funnier people on television.

Preview Picture of the Week:



Falling Skies: Poor creepy teacher from The Killing, you keep on getting tortured in new and violent ways. I was surprised they killed Lourdes’s boyfriend so violently in from of her so early in their relationship. Hopefully she snaps out of it because her emo sulking got annoying real soon. But then again Hal did not take very long to move on for Karen so maybe there is hope. But I am still unclear why the unharnessed Karen turned on her race. That needed to be better explained.
You can download Falling Skies on iTunes.

Bunheads: It am trying to figure out if Mindy Riggins is the best part of the show or the worst. But what was up with the creepy non sequitur dance sequence at the end. It seemed like they got done with th editing before realizing all the fast dialogue left them with three extra minutes to fill so someone suggested they fill it up with random dancing to They Might Be Giants.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Bunheads on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: The very first theory I ever had about the show was that Allison was alive. Then they went and found her body. But after three seasons I have steadfastly held onto the outside hope that maybe it was an Elvis situation where an evil twin was buried in the grave. Or would that be a good twin in the case of Allison? Seeing her outside Hannah’s window is the first time they alluded that I may actually be right which also helps my theory that Allison is the head of the “A” Team. Or maybe it was the new CeCe girl all along. But God bless Hannah. Last week her big plan to catch “A” in the act backfired miserably, so bad she became the lead suspect in Ally’s murder. Then the weakest link in the dumbest braintrust on television decided she was going to break into a mental institution. Awesome. How that came off without a hitch is befuddling though.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Dallas: In a very little shocking plot twist, Rebecca’s brother is not really her brother, putting the paternity of the twin in question. Sure the DNA test says Christopher, but this is a soap opera, so that could be easily changed.
You can download Dallas on iTunes.

Free Download of the Week: Bottom of the River - Delta Rae (deltarae.com; email required): I may just have a new favorite new band, give this band a try, it is as if The Civil Wars joined Mumford & Sons.

Deal of the Week: For Those About to Rock for only $2.99: Get some great rock albums for a low price including those from Metallica, Pantera, Social Distortyion and ZZ Top:



New Album Release of the Week: The Soul Sessions, Vol. 2 - Joss Stone

New DVD Release of the Week: LOL

Video of the Week: In a story I broke earlier this week, the Man of Steel trailer hit the internets and it is, um, rugged.



Next Week Pick of the Week: Olympics, All Week, NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, and NBC Sports: Seriously, this is all I am going to watch all week.

Best of the Week - 5/5/12

Quote of the Week: You can’t escape it, Don. Soon your little girl will spread her legs and fly. (Megan’s dad, Mad Men)

Song of the Week: You Oughta Know – Alanis Morrissette (as sung by June, Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23)

Scene of the Week:



Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Happy Trails to Adam Yauch: I grew up with the Beastie Boys. Quite literally. I was a childish elementary school student when the sophomoric License to Ill came out. I was going through my alternative phase as they got weird on Check Your Head. I was heading out to the club when the released their most danceable Hello, Nasty. And I was getting political when they released their pro-New York, anti-Bush To the the 5 Boroughs. Where most groups have a standout performer, no one have a favorite Beastie Boy, they were all equally great and at their best when they were trading lines. I can count the number of artist whose whole catalogue I own on one hand and the Beastie Boys were one of them. MCA’s diagnosis of cancer pushed back the release of Hot Sauce Committee, part 1 in 2009 which did not get released until a year later (renamed part 2) but his illness kept him from promoting the album and recently had to miss his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last month (which will be premiering on HBO tonight).

Free Download of the Week: China Girl – David Bowie (Google Play)

Deal of the Week: 100 Album for $5 on Amazon MP3: This month’s $5 albums include Norah Jones, Amos Lee, Dawes, and Rosie Thomas.



New Album Release of the Week: Strangeland - Keane

New DVD Release of the Week: Chuck: The Complete Fifth Season

Video of the Week: I have been worshiping at the altar of Apatow for about a decade now, but something is just not working with the first trailer to his four movie that he wrote and directed This Is Forty, a sequel of sorts to Knocked Up (which was probably done so he didn’t have to work with Katharine Heigl again which is understandable). At one point Leslie Mann tells Paul Rudd his eyes are glazing over an that is actually what he looks like throughout the whole trailer when he is fully clothed. And the only part I actually laughed was the “No technology” line. Hopefully this is just a case of a bad trailer and movie ends up being much better.



Next Week Pick of the Week: 2 Broke Girls, Monday at 8:00 on CBS: Sure the show ranks number one on my list of the most disappointing show of the season but Kat Dennings still carries the show fairly well even if all the other characters are one dimensional and the second lead has an annoying voice. But Caroline is less annoying than The Voices of other people that will be airing during the same timeslot on Monday.