Released in 1974.

You may know the song ‘Strawberry Letter 23′ (used by Quentin Tarantino in ‘Jackie Brown’) as sung by the Brothers Johnson. Well, here’s the original, by the composer, as part of one the great 70s soul records.

Check out the first two tracks of the LP, ‘Inspiration Information’ and ‘Island Letter’:

Müller/van Lennep Porsche 911 Carrera RSR.

Photo credit: John Millar

- Gyro

This blog will cover the ongoing quest for justice by the family of Councillor Patsy Kelly who was abducted and brutually murdered by British security forces in 1974.

After several non-investigations by the then RUC and subsequently by the PSNI, the Historical Enquiries Team are due to publish the findings of their investigation within this next few weeks.

This blog will keep everyone up-to-date on the progress of the case from the Kelly family’s point of view with an honest and forthright provision of content.

Jake “J.J.” Gittes (Jack Nicholson):  È ricco e troppo rispettabile per volere il suo nome nei giornali.

Noah Cross (John Huston): Certo che sono rispettabile. Sono vecchio. I politici, gli edifici brutti e le puttane diventano rispettabili se durano abbastanza.

Well, tomorrow morning, like millions of others here in the U.S., the Texas Gal and I – joined by my mother – will head off for Thanksgiving. In our case, we’ll be going to my sister’s home in the Twin Cities suburb of Maple Grove for turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Our contribution will be a plate of deviled eggs, a dish that’s become a holiday tradition for us since the Texas Gal first brought them along in 2000.

We missed Thanksgiving at my sister’s last year due to some health issues. And the plan to return there got me thinking about the various places I’ve celebrated Thanksgiving over the years.

For years – until I was out of  college, I think – we gathered at my grandparents’ home, first on their farm outside the small town of Lamberton, Minnesota, and then at their home in Lamberton itself. Sometime in the mid-1970s, after Grandma passed on, the Thanksgiving celebration shifted to my parents’ home here in St. Cloud. And after about twenty years there, the annual feast shifted venues again, and my sister and brother-in-law have hosted Thanksgiving since then.

Besides last year’s celebration, I can recall two other Thanksgivings that have found me in different places. In 1980, I think it was, the woman who was then my wife had the idea of hosting Thanksgiving in a restored 1860s cabin owned by friends of hers. We prepared the food in our own home and then moved the entire feast about two miles to the cabin. The food was fine, but the cabin was uncomfortably cold despite the presence of a fireplace. It was an interesting experiment, but I’d rather flip it: I’d be interested in using Nineteenth Century recipes and work from a modern kitchen.

The other Thanksgiving that found me in another place was during the time I spent in Denmark. The Danes don’t celebrate the holiday, of course, but my ladyfriend – another American – and I decided to cook a traditional American Thanksgiving meal for my Danish family and a few other students, both American and Danish.

There was no turkey for sale in Fredericia, so we made do with a couple of chickens. Potatoes were easy enough, as was flour for the gravy. Green beans amandine went well enough after a tussle with the Danish language. Not knowing where the nutcracker was, I looked up the word in my Danish/English dictionary and called my Danish mother at her office. Danish uses some sounds that are, well, foreign to English, so it took some time before she understood that I was trying to say nøddeknækker.

Beyond the linguistic difficulties, the main challenge of the day was the pumpkin pie. We could find neither canned pumpkin nor a fresh pumpkin in Fredericia. Luckily, my ladyfriend had made pumpkin pie from scratch with her mother, and she assured me that an orange winter squash would meet our needs. We cleaned it, cut it up and cooked it with the appropriate seasonings and then baked it in a homemade shell. As dinner came to a close that evening, our Danish guests were a bit puzzled by the pie, but our American guests marveled at how close we’d come to the Thanksgiving dessert they’d all had for years.

That may have been my most memorable Thanksgiving ever. Does that mean it was the best? Well, no. As the fourth Thursday of November comes along year after year, each Thanksgiving somehow seems better than the one before it . . . as long as I share that table with my loved ones, especially the Texas Gal.

A Six-Pack of Thanks
“Now Be Thankful” by Fairport Convention, Island WIP 6089 [1970]
“Thank You” by Led Zeppelin from Led Zeppelin II [1969]
“I Thank You” by Mongo Santamaria from All Strung Out [1969]
“Thank You For The Promises” by Gordon Lightfoot from Shadows [1982]
“Thanks to You” by Jesse Winchester from Humour Me [1988]
“Be Thankful for What You Got (Pt. 1)” by William DeVaughn, Roxbury 0236 [1974]

Of these six, only the Fairport Convention tune really seems to fully address the sentiments of the holiday. The others generally work with only their titles; their content has at best only a glancing connection to the day. But that’s good enough for me.

The Texas Gal and I wish you a joyful Thanksgiving. May you all have many reasons to be thankful.

spotlinks.wordpress.com

IMDB link  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070948/

IMDB ratings   5.6/10   6,835 votes

Release Date : 6 February 1974 (USA)

Genre : Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Plot : In the distant future Earth is divided into two camps, the barely civilized group and the overly civilized one with mental powers. A plague is attacking the second group, after which its members cease to have any interest in life and become nearly catatonic. When Zed, one of the barbarians, crosses over, the tenuous balance in their world is threatened.

Direct Download Links

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http://www.2shared.com/file/6381983/1861b42a/Zardoz1974WSDVDRipXViDiNT-EwDp-MyVideoLinksGieseckeTk.html

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Poucas vezes o horror foi tão bem explorado como no clássico O Massacre da Serra Elétrica, de Tobe Hooper. Um clássico do terror norte-americano, de baixíssimo orçamento e de uma técnica cinematográfica sensacional, ao abordar com uma linguagem documental toda o clima doentio e pesado que a obra carrega. O incrível é pensar que esta obra-prima foi realizada por um orçamento de apenas cento e quarenta mil dólares, e mesmo assim continua impressionando a todos com sua coragem em tentar expor o bizarro sem que isso se torne algo cômico. Pelo contrário, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre é como a morte; perturbador e sombrio, mostrando como nenhum outro que o terror é, sempre, muito mais psicológico do que visual. O ápice do terror e o ápice do mainstream, num embuste sobre medo e suas inferências na mente humana.

Já que neste mês de novembro se lembra o aniversário dos 20 anos da queda do Muro de Berlim, o blog resolveu falar sobre a Copa de 1974, disputada em terras alemãs. Mais precisamente sobre a partida entre Alemanha Ocidental (Bundesrepublik Deutschland – BRD) e Alemanha Oriental (Deutsche Demokratische Republik – DDR).

Foi a única participação da DDR em Copas. Os três títulos germânicos (1954, 1974 e 1990) foram conquistados pela BRD antes da reunificação, consolidada em outubro de 1990. Mais tarde, a FIFA decidiu juntar também as taças, consideradas da Seleção Alemã.

O curioso é que as duas equipes caíram no mesmo grupo da primeira fase. Na estreia, ambas as equipes venceram. A BRD bateu o Chile por 1×0, enquanto a DDR superou a Austrália por 2×0. Na segunda rodada, a Alemanha Ocidental fez 3×0 na Austrália, enquanto a Oriental ficou no 1×1 com o Chile.

Veio então o esperado confronto, no dia 22 de junho, em Hamburgo. Reza a lenda que os já classificados ocidentais não se esforçaram muito na partida contra os vizinhos de muro, pois queriam evitar um confronto contra o Brasil na fase subsequente.

Mas o que ficou pra história foi o triunfo da DDR, que jogava de azul. Jürgen Sparwasser marcou o gol da vitória de 1×0, aos 32 do segundo tempo. A Alemanha Oriental caiu num grupo com Argentina Brasil e Holanda, que chegaria à final.

Já a BRD, guiada por Franz Beckenbauer, enfrentou Polônia, Suécia e Iugoslávia no caminho para a decisão, na qual bateu a Laranja Mecânica, sensação daquela Copa.

Os capitães Franz Beckenbauer e Bernd Bransch se cumprimentam antes do confronto histórico

Ficha do Jogo

Alemanha Oriental: Croy; Kurbjuweit, Bransch, Weise, Kreische; Wätzlich, Kische, Lauck; Irmscher (Hamann), Sparwasser, Hoffmann. Técnico: Georg Buschner.

Alemanha Ocidental: Maier; Vogts, Schwarzenbeck (Hoettges), Beckenbauer, Breitner; Cullmann, Overath (Netzer), Hoeness; Grabowski, Gerd Müller, Flohe. Técnico: Helmut Schön.

Local: Volksparkstadion, em Hamburgo
Árbitro: Ramon Barreto (URU)
Auxiliares: Luis Pestarino (ARG) e Armando Marques (BRA)
Cartões Amarelos: Kreische, Sparwasser e Croy (DDR)
Público: 60.350
Gol: Jürgen Sparwasser (DDR) 32min do 2º tempo

Where the Sidewalk Ends, originally uploaded by BooRad0859.

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we’ll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we’ll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.

Por Rafael

Desde que meu amigo Maurício conseguiu esses dois clássicos, não canso de assistir. Já vi os 2 duas vezes na seqüência, com grupos de amigos diferentes. Os dois são clássicos, cheios de efeitos especiais, muito bons para a época.

A terra que o tempo esqueceu
(The land that time forgot – 1974)

O filme é baseado no livro de mesmo nome de Edgar Rice Burroughs, mesmo criador de Tarzan, e marca o cinema como sendo um dos primeiros filmes envolvendo dinossauros, filmado da maneira tradicional e não em stop-motion.

A história começa com um velho marujo encontrando uns manuscritos numa garrafa que boiava no mar. Ele começa a ler e o filme mostra a história  escrita, contando que em 1916, durante a 1ª Guerra Mundial, um navio inglês é afundado por um submarino alemão. Parte da tripulação (americanos e ingleses) se salva em um bote e, quando o submarino alemão emerge, eles o invadem com pistolas e pedaços de pau e rendem a tripulação – afinal, que alemão seria páreo para americanos com pedaços de pau na mão?

Eles resolvem direcionar o submarino pra Inglaterra, mas os safados dos alemães sabotam a bússola e eles vão parar nas misteriosas águas da América do Sul. Uma reviravolta acontece até que eles se perdem… mais ainda.

Em meio a icebergs, eles encontram uma grande massa de terra e concluem que é o lendário continente de Caprona! Dirigindo o submarino rio (sim, rio) adentro, a tripulação percebe que Caprona é um continente tropical cheio de animais pré-históricos e homens da caverna!

Enfim, vou parar de tirar o tempo o filme… A história é cheia de frias, mas os efeitos são bons pra um filme de 74. Os dinossauros são tão bons quanto os monstros dos filmes do Jaspion. Vê-se as cordas que puxam eles apenas algumas poucas vezes.

Mas o interessante nisso tudo é a clara visão de superioridade americana, que não é levemente oculta, como nos filmes de hoje, mas escrachada de forma mais explícita possível. Eles resolvem tudo dando uns tiros pra cima,  afugentando dinossauros e homens pré-históricos.

O povo que a terra esqueceu
(The people earth forgot – 1975)

Nessa continuação, uma expedição é montada para resgatar um amigo que ficou pra tras no filme anterior. Eles vão com um navio até próximo a Caprona e seguem a viagem num hidroaéreo. A equipe é composta do piloto do hidroaéreo, o mocinho do filme, um historiador e paleontólogo gordo e almofadinha e uma repórter pra fazer par romântico com o mocinho (ou vocês acharam que só em Transformer tinha esse tipo de engembramento?)

O “teco-teco”, logo ao entrar na misteriosa ilha já é atacada por um pterodátilo! Provavelmente um pterodátilo do tipo que não gosta de aviões. O piloto dá umas 23 ou 75 rajadas com uma metralhadora giratória e nada de acertar o travesso bichano. Vai quase 15 minutos do filme nessa “perseguição”. Lembra Kubrik, no 2001, quando o cara tá no espaço, sozinho e só se ouve o batimento cardíaco dele, sabem?

O avião aterrissa, mas avariado. Aí vem uma cena incrível, onde eles querem puxar o avião pra mais adiante, amarram-no no rabo de um dinossauro que está pastando e dão uns tiros pra cima!!! É demais! Aliás, eles resolvem várias situações dando uns tiros pra cima! Uma terra inóspita, apenas uma pistola e tiro e tiro!

Enfim, eles encontram uma mulher pre-histórica capa da Playneandertal, encontram um chefe do mal gordo e careca, encontram “cavaleiros mongóis”, dinossauros que depois foram usados nos episódios do Jaspion e o tal amigo perdido. Mas quem ficou muito de cara no Resgate do Soldado Rian, ao ver a cara do Tom Hanks quando o Rian diz que não quer ir, nem veja esse filme…

No mais, brincadeiras à parte, recomendo os dois, na seqüência. É muito bom fazer um comparativo da “propaganda americana” da época e a de hoje. Os efeitos são interessantes pra época e os atores… bem, são ruins, mas é só um detalhe.

On an otherwise dull day at work, this sweet little item came across the wire: Bob Seger is coming out with a new CD chock full of some of his earliest songs.

That’s great news for those of us who have long preferred the young, spirited, in-your-face Seger of the late ’60s and early ’70s to the more familiar, more mainstream latter-day Seger.

Brian McCollum, writing in the Detroit Free Press, says it’s “a lineup of hard-to-find album cuts.” For most folks, probably. But not for those of us who are crate diggers, nor for those of us who grew up in the upper Midwest and heard Seger on the radio in those early days. He was well known regionally but hadn’t made it big nationally.

I have two of the three “long unavailable” LPs from which the new “Early Seger, Vol. 1″ is drawn. I’ve seen both at Amazing Records, my local vinyl record shop, in the last month.

The 10 cuts on the CD are a mix of tunes from “Smokin’ O.P.’s,” “Back In ‘72″ and “Seven,” all fine Detroit rockers released from 1972 to 1974. “Smokin’ O.P.’s” is mostly covers, the others mostly original material. There also are four unreleased tunes, one from 1977 and the others from 1985.

Seger also is apparently reviving a vintage Detroit label. “Early Seger, Vol. 1″ is being released on Hideout Records, once the home of crunchy Detroit rock, some it put out by Seger.

Seger remains loyal to his roots. At first, “Early Seger, Vol. 1″ will be sold only at Meijer’s stores starting Nov. 24. (Meijer’s is a big grocer and retailer in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.) Then it’ll be available at Seger’s Web site on Nov. 30. There might be a wider release early next year. But know this, too: Seger sells nothing digitally.

So here’s a sampler of early Seger … but not from the new CD. Perhaps from future volumes of “Early Seger,” which certainly seem possible.

“Vol. 1″ has a re-recorded version of this tune: “Long Song Comin’,” Bob Seger, from “Seven,” 1974. It’s out of print.

“Vol. 1″ also has Seger’s ever-so-slightly superior original version of this tune: “Get Out of Denver,” Dave Edmunds, from “Get It,” 1977.

But “Vol. 1″ doesn’t have this tune: “Love The One You’re With,” Bob Seger, from “Smokin’ O.P.’s,” 1972. On which Seger steps aside and leaves the lead vocals to Pam Todd and Crystal Jenkins.

Blondie was the most commercially successful band to emerge from the much vaunted punk/new wave movement of the late ’70s. The group was formed in New York City in August 1974 by singer Deborah Harry (b. July 1, 1945, Miami), formerly of Wind in the Willows, and guitarist Chris Stein (b. Jan. 5, 1950, Brooklyn) out of the remnants of Harry’s previous group, the Stilettos. The lineup fluctuated over the next year. Drummer Clement Burke (b. Nov. 24, 1955, New York) joined in May 1975. Bassist Gary Valentine joined in August. In October, keyboard player James Destri (b. Apr. 13, 1954) joined, to complete the initial permanent lineup. They released their first album, Blondie, on Private Stock Records in December 1976. In July 1977, Valentine was replaced by Frank Infante.

In August, Chrysalis Records bought their contract from Private Stock and in October reissued Blondie and released the second album, Plastic Letters. Blondie expanded to a sextet in November with the addition of bassist Nigel Harrison (born Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, England), as Infante switched to guitar. Blondie broke commercially in the U.K. in March 1978, when their cover of Randy and the Rainbows’ 1963 hit “Denise,” renamed “Denis,” became a Top Ten hit, as did Plastic Letters, followed by a second U.K. Top Ten, “(I’m Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear.” Blondie turned to U.K. producer/songwriter Mike Chapman for their third album, Parallel Lines, which was released in September 1978 and eventually broke them worldwide. “Picture This” became a U.K. Top 40 hit, and “Hanging on the Telephone” made the U.K. Top Ten, but it was the album’s third single, the disco-influenced “Heart of Glass,” that took Blondie to #1 in both the U.K. and the U.S. “Sunday Girl” hit #1 in the U.K. in May, and “One Way or Another” hit the U.S. Top 40 in August. Blondie followed with their fourth album, Eat to the Beat, in October. Its first single, “Dreaming,” went Top Ten in the U.K., Top 40 in the U.S. The second U.K. single, “Union City Blue,” went Top 40. In March 1980, the third U.K. single from Eat to the Beat, “Atomic,” became the group’s third British #1. (It later made the U.S. Top 40.)

Meanwhile, Harry was collaborating with German disco producer Giorgio Moroder on “Call Me,” the theme from the movie American Gigolo. It became Blondie’s second transatlantic chart topper. Blondie’s fifth album, Autoamerican, was released in November 1980, and its first single was the reggaeish tune “The Tide Is High,” which went to #1 in the U.S. and U.K. The second single was the rap-oriented “Rapture,” which topped the U.S. pop charts and went Top Ten in the U.K. But the band’s eclectic style reflected a diminished participation by its members – Infante sued, charging that he wasn’t being used on the records, though he settled and stayed in the lineup. But in 1981, the members of Blondie worked on individual projects, notably Harry’s gold-selling solo album, KooKoo. The Best of Blondie was released in the fall of the year. The Hunter, Blondie’s sixth and last new album, was released in July 1982, preceded by the single “Island of Lost Souls,” a Top 40 hit in the U.S. and U.K. “War Child” also became a Top 40 hit in the U.K., but The Hunter was a commercial disappointment. At the same time, Stein became seriously ill with the genetic disease pemphigus. As a result, Blondie broke up in October 1982, with Deborah Harry launching a part-time solo career while caring for Stein, who eventually recovered. In 1998, the original line-up of Harry, Stein, Destri and Burke reunited to tour Europe, their first series of dates in 16 years; a new LP, No Exit, followed early the next year.

Blondie All Music Guide Biography

Blondie was the most commercially successful band to emerge from the much-vaunted punk/new wave movement of the late ’70s. The group was formed in New York City in August 1974 by singer Deborah Harry (b. July 1, 1945, Miami), formerly of Wind in the Willows, and guitarist Chris Stein (b. January 5, 1950, Brooklyn) out of the remnants of Harry’s previous group, the Stilettos. The lineup fluctuated over the next year. Drummer Clement Burke (b. November 24, 1955, New York) joined in May 1975. Bassist Gary Valentine joined in August. In October, keyboard player James Destri (b. April 13, 1954) joined, to complete the initial permanent lineup. They released their first album, Blondie, on Private Stock Records in December 1976. In July 1977, Valentine was replaced by Frank Infante.

In August, Chrysalis Records bought their contract from Private Stock and in October reissued Blondie and released the second album, Plastic Letters. Blondie expanded to a sextet in November with the addition of bassist Nigel Harrison (born in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, England), as Infante switched to guitar. Blondie broke commercially in the U.K. in March 1978, when their cover of Randy and the Rainbows’ 1963 hit “Denise,” renamed “Denis,” became a Top Ten hit, as did Plastic Letters, followed by a second U.K. Top Ten, “(I’m Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear.” Blondie turned to U.K. producer/songwriter Mike Chapman for their third album, Parallel Lines, which was released in September 1978 and eventually broke them worldwide. “Picture This” became a U.K. Top 40 hit, and “Hanging on the Telephone” made the U.K. Top Ten, but it was the album’s third single, the disco-influenced “Heart of Glass,” that took Blondie to number one in both the U.K. and the U.S. “Sunday Girl” hit number one in the U.K. in May, and “One Way or Another” hit the U.S. Top 40 in August. Blondie followed with their fourth album, Eat to the Beat, in October. Its first single, “Dreaming,” went Top Ten in the U.K., Top 40 in the U.S. The second U.K. single, “Union City Blue,” went Top 40. In March 1980, the third U.K. single from Eat to the Beat, “Atomic,” became the group’s third British number one. (It later made the U.S. Top 40.)

Meanwhile, Harry was collaborating with German disco producer Giorgio Moroder on “Call Me,” the theme from the movie American Gigolo. It became Blondie’s second transatlantic chart-topper. Blondie’s fifth album, Autoamerican, was released in November 1980, and its first single was the reggae-ish tune “The Tide Is High,” which went to number one in the U.S. and U.K. The second single was the rap-oriented “Rapture,” which topped the U.S. pop charts and went Top Ten in the U.K. But the band’s eclectic style reflected a diminished participation by its members — Infante sued, charging that he wasn’t being used on the records, though he settled and stayed in the lineup. But in 1981, the members of Blondie worked on individual projects, notably Harry’s gold-selling solo album, KooKoo. The Best of Blondie was released in the fall of the year. The Hunter, Blondie’s sixth album, was released in May 1982, preceded by the single “Island of Lost Souls,” a Top 40 hit in the U.S. and U.K. “War Child” also became a Top 40 hit in the U.K., but The Hunter was a commercial disappointment.

At the same time, Stein became seriously ill with the genetic disease pemphigus. As a result, Blondie broke up in October 1982, with Deborah Harry launching a part-time solo career while caring for Stein, who eventually recovered. In 1998, the original lineup of Harry, Stein, Destri, and Burke reunited to tour Europe, their first series of dates in 16 years; a new LP, No Exit, followed early the next year. After more touring, this was followed by another studio set, The Curse of Blondie, in 2003, and a DVD of the Live by Request program from A&E was released in 2004. In 2006, Blondie celebrated their 30th anniversary with induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the release of Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision, a best-of collection that contained all their classic videos as well.

Αν ρωτήσετε 100 Έλληνες, ακόμη και αυτούς που ζούσαν τότε, σχεδόν κανείς δεν θα σας πει ότι τον Νοέμβριο του 1973, ήδη είχε ορκιστεί η Κυβέρνησις Μαρκεζίνη και ότι ετοιμάζονταν εκλογές για τον Μάρτιο του 1974. Όλοι θα σας πουν ότι λόγω του Πολυτεχνείου έπεσε η Χούντα. Όμως από τα γεγονότα του Πολυτεχνείου βρήκε την ευκαιρία ο Ιωαννίδης -μέγας βλαξ- να ρίξη τον Παπαδόπουλο και να σταματήση η διαδικασία παραδόσεως της εξουσίας στους πολιτικούς. Ο δε Ιωαννίδης έπεσε λόγω των γεγονότων στην Κύπρο, ουδεμία σχέσι με το Πολυτεχνείο. Άντε τώρα ναγίνει σοβαρή ιστορική συζήτησι στην Ελλάδα. Η προπαγάνδα της Αριστεράς σε όλο της το μεγαλείο.

Secret Treaties

Blue Öyster Cult

1974

CBS Records

 Classic rock band Blue Öyster Cult’s third album, Secret Treaties, is one that I would love to say is an album, lost in obscurity.  However, that’s not entirely true.  Released in 1974, it spent weeks in the US charts, peaking at #53, and, in the early ’90’s, went Gold.  So, no, it’s not really an obscure album.  However, whenever people think B.Ö.C., they normally think: “Don’t Fear the Reaper”, “Godzilla”, “Burnin’ for You” – never “Career of Evil”, “Dominance and Submission”, or even “Flaming Telepaths.” 

With only eight songs, Secret Treaties is a quick album, although for the standards of the early ’70’s, probably not.  Even though none of the songs were huge hits, the album contains three well-known songs: “ME 262″, the aforementioned “Flaming Telepaths”, and “Astronomy”.  And with such a short play time (the album lasts about 38 minutes, and some current bands could use a lesson in such brevity.  Hint: Flaming Lips, maybe?), the band keeps any ramblings to a minimum resulting in a solid, though not amazing, album.

“Career of Evil” starts off the album.  Co-written by keyboardist and guitarist Allen Lanier’s then-girlfriend Patti Smith (the Patti Smith), the lyrics can be a little meandering, and the topic seems a little cliché, but it’s a fun song, and it’s not claiming to be anything else.  The verses are based around a cool guitar riff, with keyboards accentuating it.  The bridge shows a nice arrangement as the band drops out (besides drums) and Eric Bloom cries out “I will not, apologi-hize!”  The chorus, which is nothing more than “I’m making a career of evil” repeated, will get stuck in your head, making you question yourself throughout the day (and maybe others to question you, if you’re prone to singing out loud).  One problem, as on most of the album, is that the lead guitar is mixed too softly in the background.  However, I have the original and not the remastered version, so for all I know, this problem could’ve been solved already.  Oh, and one of the coolest lyrics by B.Ö.C. ever: “I’d like to do it to your daughter on a dirt road.”

Next is “Subhuman” a mid-tempo rocker.  The guitars and vocals follow simple lines, but the main focus is the pounding, steady bass line by Joe Bouchard.  The song doesn’t really have any distinguishable chorus, and the extended guitar solo is alright, but it’s, again, buried in the mix.  While the song isn’t really boring, it just won’t hold the audience’s interest for numerous listens.

This is not so for the next song, the unhonored “Dominance and Submission.”  This song is one of the coolest songs by the band, and one of the most unknown as well.  The guitar may just be six or so power chords during the entire song (I learned it on guitar a while ago, but don’t remember the exact number), but it’s an interesting riff, and the chord changes are valuable to the song’s mood (which is to say half dark, half jocular).  Albert Bouchard sounds like he’s having fun with the vocals, going from screeching “Oh yeah!” at certain parts, to going as deep as possible.  The song doesn’t follow the norm for what’s acceptable by a classic rock band (one reason I like it so much), with deep voices interspersed: “Too much revolution”.  Again, the solo is buried, but it’s still cool, for a pentatonic scale that doesn’t do much.  The entire last half of the song afterwards grows even more strange (and probably is a precursor to the end of “Godzilla”) as the lyrics repeat, and grow more aggressive, “Dominance, Submission, Radios Appear.”  It’s an awesome song, that deserves more recognition that it has gotten.

“ME 262″ is one of the more well-known songs, and for good reason.  It shows Blue Öyster Cult doing what they do best, turning a blues-based rock into their own type of song.  While it’s not as strange as others, the background vocals and the interrupting guitar riff at least create the B.Ö.C. sound that we know so well.  And hell, if those don’t throw you off, the sound effects that come in out of nowhere halfway through will.

“Cagey Cretins” is probably the weakest song on the album.  It’s riff is again a blues-based guitar, but it just doesn’t work this time, being too repetitive.  The background falsetto vocals are horrendous, and the lyrics should never have been written (“Got an awful tummy, Oh no, It’s inflamed” could be up there with the worst I’ve ever heard.  Right next to everything on Kiss’ Dressed to Kill album).  The singing sounds enthused, at least, and almost makes up for the horrible lyrics because you can barely understand them.

The sixth song is “Harvester of Eyes”, and it follows the pattern set by “Me 262.”  Another blues-based romp, the band sounds much tighter than on the last song.  For it’s creepy title, the song refrains ironically from heading down that path, instead being an almost straight-forward rocker devoid of too many intricate complexities and strangeness.  This surprisingly is the song that has the best guitar sound, which shows off an awesomely raw solo.

Next is the best two songs, “Flaming Telepaths” and “Astronomy.”  The first comes in with a segue from the last song with a toy piano.  This accentuates the hard rocking, sharp drum fill that starts off the song.  This is the heaviest song on the album, with a great guitar riff, and great piano.  The lyrics are relatively dark as well (“Poison’s in my blood stream, Poison’s in my pride”).  Also, the next lyrics come in close for coolest lyrics, too: “I’m after rebellion, I’ll settle for lies.”  The chorus is really catchy, with the “The joke’s on you” line coming back throughout the song.  The background vocals are great also, set apart only from the lead guitar lines.  However, this song shows Albert Bouchard going wild on the drums, finally.  After a synth solo, a piano solo, a guitar solo, and one more verse, the end of the song comes in.  The repetition of “And the joke’s on you” is done amazingly, and the cutting out randomly (“And the joke’s on-”) throws the listener off, really making this line performed so perfectly.

As soon as “Flaming Telepaths” ends, “Astronomy” starts, a strange pairing.  Whereas the former was a hard-rocking song, the latter starts slowly, focusing mainly on piano and refined drums.  The vocals during the verse sound alluringly rapturous, before the song jumps.  The listener becomes so accustomed to the soothing piano sounds, that the heavier guitar line that comes in, again throws one off, making you really pay attention to the music.  With the abrupt changes, the song is meticulously constructed (really, the last two songs are), and it is one of the best in Blue Öyster Cult’s entire songbook.  With these two songs last, the band has chosen the perfect ending for an already decent album.

In effect, Blue Öyster Cult have always been a band turning rock and roll into a strange fantasy.  They’ve sung songs about Godzilla, have had the band name “Soft White Underbelly”, and have had the lyrics “Joan Crawford is risen from the grave.”  Secret Treaties brings them even further into their strangeness, while still creating a really good classic rock (well at the time it wasn’t classic now was it?  Should I keep calling it that?  Does it really matter now that the review is over?) album.  It’s a solid piece of their history, that, succinctly, is a great listen.

Buy This Album

Official Site

Last.fm Page

Here are the top-30 movies from the 70’s. This decade is the best one. I always said that the best movies were made in the 70’s. Take a look for yourself and hit that video store on the way home. Ladies and gentlemen, the best movies from 1970-1979…

1. The Godfather part II (1974) Director: Francis Ford Coppola
2. A Clockwork Orange (1971) Director: Stanley Kubrick
3. The Godfather (1972) Director: Francis Ford Coppola
4. Jaws (1975) Director: Steven Spielberg
5. Barry Lyndon (1975) Director: Stanley Kubrick
6. Annie Hall (1977) Director: Woody Allen
7. Chinatown (1974) Director: Roman Polanski
8. The Deer Hunter (1978) Director: Michael Cimino
9. The Exorcist (1973) Director: William Friedkin
10. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) Director: Milos Forman
11. Apocalypse Now (1979) Director: Francis Ford Coppola
12. Marathon Man (1976) Director: John Schlesinger
13. Manhattan (1979) Director: Woody Allen
14. National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978) Director: John Landis
15. Papillon (1973) Franklin J. Schaffner
16. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) Director: Steven Spielberg
17. The Tenant (1976) Director: Roman Polanski
18. Deliverance (1972) Director: John Boorman
19. The French Connection (1971) Director: William Friedkin
20. Taxi Driver (1976) Director: Martin Scorsese
21. Love and Death (1975) Director: Woody Allen
22. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) Director: Sydney Lumet
23. Five Easy Pieces (1970) Director: Bob Rafelson
24. Serpico (1973) Director: Sydney Lumet
25. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) Director: Robert Benton
26. All the President’s Men (1976) Director: Alan J. Pakula
27. The Last Detail (1973) Director: Hal Ashby
28. Midnight Express (1978) Director: Alan Parker
29. Three Days of the Condor (1975) Director: Sydney Pollack
30. Play It Again, Sam (1972) Director: Woody Allen

THE TRAILERS FOR THE TOP 3 BEST MOVIES OF 1970-1979

Last September I was able to meet “The Hammer” in Valley Forge.  He really enjoys talking with his fans.  When it was my turn to get my puck signed, he wanted to know where I came from and which teams I watch.  Right before I left the table, he said that when Crosby comes to Philadelphia, they like to make him cry

The Conversation has remained the overlooked classic of Francis Ford Coppola’s plethora of triumphs. Henceforth it remains largely forgotten among the mainstream. Like the film’s status, it carries on quietly throughout maintaining a certain level of suspense and mystery which keeps on building up towards an abrupt and in many ways, a shocking ending.

Coppola is able to craft his way through another one of his great classics here. The Conversation is just perfectly edited together and is extensively gripping and encompassing throughout. His directing and creativity takes the audience to another world that most and almost all of us do not know and are not aware about. This being the world of security, surveillance and spies. The Conversation though is not an ordinary spy movie, it is a very realistic psychological portrayal and displays the effects of knowing and pursuing the truth. Instead of this movie becoming a complete let down it becomes better and better as it carries on. Along with the cinematography and music Coppola makes the audience feel how remote and controlled our society is and yet how wide open and chaotic it can be. Coppola did not just show it, but was able to actually give the feeling of it.

As well as his directing, once again Coppola uses his writing to keep the audience very much engaged into the movie. The writing in this movie ranks up their with his other screenplays such as The Godfather series, Apocalypse Now and Patton. The dialogue is brief but yet it is consuming enough to leave a certain mystery and openness to the film that is necessary in perpetuating the film forward.

The acting was a bit of surprise and better than expected. The Conversation displays how and why Gene Hackman is and considered a prime talent. He is not just an actor who plays the emotional passionate fellow, rather he is a quite versatile actor who has at certain times appeared to really limited himself instead of his abilities limiting him. He was perfect for this film. The supporting cast was great as well. Robert Duvall who always likes to give a good cameo was good and developed a bit of a role towards the end. Harrison Ford who I wish actually had some more screen time was very convincing as a manipulative high-ranking executive.

The ending of The Conversation was a fine way to finish the film. It shows how our fears can consume us and alter our lives. It displays how if our fears consume us we lose the feeling of life itself. As a result of this, The conversation remains Coppola’s hidden yet wonderful masterpiece that should be seen by any wanting to watch a good and well done American film.

1968

1969

1970

1974

1975

1976

]]> http://ostrichfeathers.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/amityville-haunting/ Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:56:08 +0000 Dan http://ostrichfeathers.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/amityville-haunting/

I don’t know what people think about the story of the Amityville haunting, whether it’s true or not, but check out this picture that was taken during an investigation of the house. It appears to clearly show the face of a small boy peering out of a doorway. The investigators at the time had set up a camera and tripod to photograph the same area every so often and that is what they caught on film. When the image showed up the investigators said that no children were present during the investigation. It is thought that it could be the spirit of John DeFeo, who was 9 when he was killed in 1974 (see pic below right), along with his parents and most of his siblings, by older brother Ronald DeFeo Jr. He now sits in prison serving 6 life sentences and the current owners have stated repeatedly they have no problems with the house. Personally I don’t believe the stories of it being haunted, but the picture below still gives me the chills. Thanks for reading.