Show #88 October 13, 2012

To Leilani... and the great 007!  

Leilani- Hoodoo Gurus Stoneage Romeos
Days- Television Adventure 
Sweet 16- Green Day Uno! 
Bitten By A Lovebug- The Revillos Attack of the Giant Revillos
I'll Get By- Swag Catchall
Is It Really Necessary- Radio Stars Songs For Swinging Lovers 
Round And Round- The Greenberry Woods Big Money Item 
Down To Love- Throwback Suburbia Shot Glass Souvenir 
^Manic Monday- The Bangles Manic Monday
Self-improvement?- Happiness Factor Self Improvement? 
Dream On- Shake Culture Shock 10" EP 
Head vs Heart- Shoes Ignition
Tell Me Now- The Keepers By The Same Name
Catholic Boy- The Jim Carroll Band Catholic Boy
*Sunday Afternoon- Numbers Add Up
*Monday- The Jam Direction, Reaction, Creation
*Waiting For Tuesday- Hundred Million Martians Marsbars 
*Wednesday Week- The Undertones Hypnotised
*This Thursday- The Scruffs Wanna Meet The Scruffs 
*Friday Night- The Krinkles 3 - The Mordorlorff Collection
*Saturday Sunrise- The Flys See For Miles (1978-1980) 
Into The Light- Soul Asylum Delayed Reaction
Runaway- Panic Squad Panic Squad 12" EP 
Shoot You Down- Birdland The Brit Box: UK Indie, Shoegaze and Brit-Pop Gems Of The Last Millennium 
>Sunday Morning- The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground and Nico
Cynical Girl- Marshall Crenshaw Marshall Crenshaw
It Doesn't Matter- Boys When You're Lonely 7" 
Remember (Falling Off the Sky)- The dB's Falling off The Sky 
Never Should Have Told You- Slugs Problem Child 7" 
Melody Love- The Laughing Dogs Meet Their Makers
Leilani Pt 2- Hoodoo Gurus Stoneage Romeos 

^Power Pop Peak:  #2 Billboard Hot 100 4/19/86 

*SacroSet:  Daysongs

>Power Pop Prototype:  1967

When I was nine years old my father took me to see Live And Let Die.  It blew my young mind and started a life long love of James Bond movies.  A week or so after seeing the film I was shopping with my parents at the Westgate Mall in Brockton, Mass and passed by a record store window prominently displaying the Live And Let Die soundtrack.  In those days the record companies would pay people to go out to stores and create eye-catching window displays.  I dated one such person right after college, but I digress.  Back in 1973 as I stood looking at the display in the front of the Westgate Mall record store, I had a big decision to make. They had the single "Live And Let Die" by Paul McCartney and Wings which I already knew I loved.  Yet, should I commit five whole dollars and buy the LP?  I didn't have a lot of money- only what I'd managed to save from the $5 bills I got from my grandparents for my birthday and Christmas. Even so, I decided to go for it and spring for the LP. Turns out it this was a mistake music-wise. Today's soundtracks are greatest hits collections, but back then they were one or two songs and a bunch of score music. That said, I listened to the song "Live And Let Die" over and over and it was cool to own Monty Norman's James Bond theme, especially when playing that I was Mr. Bond himself.  (The 70's bongos and "whucka-whucka" guitar on the Live And Let Die version of the Bond theme are priceless.)

That's 7-Up guy Geoffrey Holder lower left!

While it wasn't a home run musically, I was still happy I bought the album because it has an awesome gatefold with cool pictures from the movie (I found half of the sleeve so you can see what I'm talking about).  I was probably born this way, but the Live And Let Die album is one of my earliest recollections of being completely enthralled with a certain aspect of the female anatomy. The actress in question in the amazing blue outfit standing in front of Roger Moore is named Madeline Smith.

Dangerous Weapon(s)

Here's a better picture in case you don't get what I'm talking about when I say "anatomy."  My word!  The funny thing is in this photo she is holding a Walther PPK (James Bond's weapon of choice) while he himself is holding a revolver in another photo from the sleeve (see below). That's one of many things that really bugs me about Live And Let Die today. Viewed as an adult, it plays more like a slapstick Pink Panther movie than a James Bond film- the redneck sheriff is especially annoying. The movie has also understandably been labeled racist- not surprising since it is essentially a bunch of white British guys trying to make a blaxploitation movie. My father hated Roger Moore's portrayal of James Bond.  Dad found Moore effete and prissy,

A REVOLVER!?!?!

often looking as if he'd just smelled some bad cheese.  After he took me to see Sean Connery in Diamonds Are Forever, which we saw at a theater in Ontario while on vacation that summer, I came to share my father's opinion of Roger Moore.  In fact, Live And Let Die wouldn't even be in my Top 10 Bond films today and I'd probably rate Moore last in the role, behind Connery, Craig, Lazenby, Brosnan and maybe even Dalton.

Back in my middle school years I remember telling Dad that my "perfect Saturday night" was a big bowl of popcorn and a James Bond movie on TV.  ABC network had owned the rights to the franchise since 1972 so it seems like I got my wish a lot.  Whenever my parents would take the backyard path over to our neighbors The Thomases to play cards on these movie nights, I'd tag along with my bowl of popcorn.  Dr. No, Thunderball (my all-time favorite), Goldfinger, From Russia With Love, You Only Live Twice (my favorite back in those days), I first saw them on ABC TV.  In retrospect I'm so glad

Daniel Craig and Fred Armisen on SNL

I've never had to watch Sean Connery, "my" James Bond, mug his way through a lame Saturday Night Live sketch with the latest annoying recurring character Lorne and his lazy-ass writers have decided to shove down our throat.  Nothing against Daniel Craig, he's my #2 Bond after all and my son loves him  (though Jack's favorite for years was George Lazenby in On Her Majesty's Secret Service- how cool is that!)  Jack saved up his own money to buy the Casino Royale DVD the day it came out and the movie soundtrack was his first ever purchase on iTunes.  The two of us will no doubt be queued up for Skyfall this weekend.  Nonetheless, Daniel Craig's recent SNL appearance got me thinking that whoever plays James Bond should have to sign some kind of "character integrity clause" legally preventing him from doing shoddy work elsewhere.  When you think about it, that's a small price to pay for playing one of the greatest characters in history.

Wow.... Sean Connery in Zardoz

On the other hand, it was only luck that prevented me from seeing Sean Connery's craptastic 1975 sci-fi film Zardoz until I was 20.  It would have been pretty devastating if I'd seen it when I was 12.  Seriously- what was he thinking!  His Zardoz costume makes the terry-cloth "playsuit" from Goldfinger look positively chic in comparison.  This baby blue monstrosity is one of the few widely acknowledged fashion missteps in the Connery Bond films- the color, the high waist, the wedgie-inducing design- it's pretty much a disaster, though I'd take it over the Zardoz ponytail, thigh-boots and red "suspendiaper" ("suspendepends?") look any day!

The Dreaded "Playsuit"

Here's hoping Skyfall rocks this weekend- LONG LIVE JAMES BOND!

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Hour 1
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