Spunky Onions, Boy!

Spunky Onions - Bill Davis (& the Legends)

RedBoy XXXII

Currently Watching...

HEAD -1968

"In this 1968 film, the Monkees valiantly attempted to deflate their own myth. The plot is, essentially, about demystification. Mickey Dolenz, Davy Jones, Peter Tork, and Mike Nesmith - with the aid of writer Jack Nicholson (the only credited author due to legalities)- tackle such topics as filmmaking, the media treatment and madness of the Vietnam War, Davy Jones' "way with the ladies", and, most importantly, commercialization. Each group member is presented in a unique light - in every case shattering the image that had been produced by the "media machine". The Monkees went out on a limb with this film by creating an almost surreal work with a loosely bound "plot". Their younger fans, unfortunately, simply missed the point. Because of the poor publicity of the film at the time of its release, older teenagers had no clue what "Head" was trying to say. As a result, its box office showing was disastrous. "Head" is more for the film enthusiast than the casual Monkees fan in some respects. The soundtrack does, however, feature some of the finest and most sophisticated music of the group's career. And yes, they DO play their own instruments on the tunes, but receive assistance in composing and performing from the likes of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, and Carole King."

Marcus Antonios on Healthcare Reform...

Gaius Cassius Longinus: You might wish as you will. We yet have the Senate behind us and all the men of quality.

Marcus Antonius: And I… have an angry mob… that will roast and eat your men of quality in the ashes of the Senate house!

"Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc."

Word.

Happy Birthday to You. Happy Birthday to You. Happy Birthday Mr. Thomas Edison's Frankenstein...

Guess who turned 100 years young today?

"Frankenstein is a 1910 film made by Edison Studios that was written and directed by J. Searle Dawley. It was the first motion picture adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The unbilled cast included Augustus Phillips as Dr. Frankenstein, Charles Ogle as the Monster, and Mary Fuller as the doctor's fiancée.

Shot in three days, it was filmed at the Edison Studios in the Bronx, New York City. Although some sources credit Thomas Edison as the producer, he in fact played no direct part in the activities of the motion picture company that bore his name.

For many years, this film was believed to be a lost film. In 1963, a plot description (reprinted above) and stills were discovered published in the March 15, 1910 issue of an old Edison film catalog, The Edison Kinetogram.

In the 1950s, a print of this film was purchased by a Wisconsin film collector, Alois F. Dettlaff, who did not realize its rarity until many years later. Its existence was first revealed in the mid-1970s. Although somewhat deteriorated, the film was in viewable condition, complete with titles and tints as seen in 1910. Dettlaff had a 35 mm preservation copy made by the George Eastman House in the late 1970s."

"Won't You Tell Your Dad Get Off My Back?"

"Tell him what we said bout' 'Paint it Black'. Rock & Roll is here to stay, come inside where it's okay...and I'll shake you..."

R.I.P. Alex Chilton

"Doctor Said I Smell Like I's Been Baptized in Silver-Satin Wine."

I buy a lot of novelty records. It's a sickness, not unlike collecting every record w/ the word "bongo" in the title, or every song that has a "pt. 2". I'd be the first to admit that most novelty records are only good for a listen or two before the novelty wears off (clever), and you can only take so much of the Dickie Goodman break-in shtick (Insert 50's era top-forty sound-clip taken out of context)before suffering a psychotic break.

One of my favorite novelty discs eschews the predictable flying saucer invasion for a little Amos & Andy esque Tate ET Tate; where the shiftless 'Cornbread' is always getting the better of straight-man, 'Biscuits', all set to twelve bars of some sweet-back rhythm and blues.

First things first, I'll go for the obvious - this thing has Thunderbird product placement all over it (See: Two Birds, One Stone & and What's the Word), a fact which I find both socially irresponsible and totally awesome (Don't judge me)! Plus, Big Time Spender and the requisite Pt 2 (See, told ya!) gets extra points for not only 'weed' references, but the infinitely rarer 'heroin' acknowledgment tossed off so casually. Some copies of 'Spender' supposedly come w/ a sticker over the 'E' in Maske (Printing error)though I aint ever seen one (Can someone confirm?)

There's a sequel to this which I have yet to pick-up, mostly out of laziness. As it is my copy of 'spender' could use an upgrade, but to be honest, this kinda low-brow shit sounds better behind a bacon sizzle and a styrene fizzle, plus , you really don't have a choice...I'm just sayin'.

Big Time Spender pt 1 - Cornbread & Biscuits

Big Time Spender pt 2 - Cornbread & Biscuits

Mo' Taters, Momma

Woke up to my brain trying to escape through my right eye the other day (See: Chronic Migraines), yet the weather was such that after weeks of snow-bound dementia I’d be damned if I didn’t make it out into the sun to photosynthesis even a little (Gotta get that Serotonin flowin’). After and large coffee and self administer injection of Sumatriptan I made it down to a local record store, passing the time before it opened (Run by teenage punks- one can never truly count on it opening on time, and on a Saturday morning no less!) in an adjacent antique-shop. Pouring over the records there, it occurred to me that I had shuffled through all this crap before, several times in point of fact, and was just about to abandon ship when the familiar feeling came over me; every time I pass on a stack of records somebody dives in and come up w/ doubloons, so I grabbed a random stack and shuffled through…the result: Mo’ Taters.

Popularized by Crypt comp series Las Vegas Grind, this kinda late-in-the-game R&B is now generally referred to as a ‘Titty-Shaker’, though desperate attempts to quantify and categorize such a broad stroke of music seems woefully inadequate (Gothabilly and Surfabilly are two ridiculous subgenre’s that spring to mind). Unbeknownst to many, the Earthworms (Great name!) are actually Oliver Sain (of ‘Bus Stop’ fame) and his little protégé, Little Milton though one doubts he stayed very ‘little’ for very long, what w/ all that starchy intake of his (If his proclivity for Potatoes were to bear-out as the song suggests)

Be it Titty-Shaker or just plain old R&B; call it what you like, just don’t call Tater’s later for dinner, or else run the risk of a side-dish mutiny; the streets flowing w/ the chicken-gravy of the non-believers.

Look for the aptly named flip ‘Fish Tale’ on an upcoming BFTRB soul mix. Until then, pass the taters…

Mo' Taters - Earthworms

The Passing of a "Legend".

Charles Pierce, writer/director of the 'Legend of Boggy Creek'and the 'Town That Dreaded Sundown' died of natural causes. He was 71.

Charles Peirce is perhaps best known as the originator of the 'Documentary Style' horror film, 'Boggy Creek' in particular setting the stage (For better or worse)for modern films such as the Blair Witch Project', as wll as the recent sucess, 'Paranormal Activity'

Hey Chuck, when you make you way to the great unknown, tell Sasquatch me and Paulie K. says wazzup!

R.I.P. Charles Peirce

RedBoy XXXI