Time Capsule: Football program - Colts vs. Falcons, Dec. 1, 1968


Coming Up: Jon Savage's 1968 - The Year The World Burned


Out Dec. 7. Order from Amazon now.

Available on double CD, this is the fourth volume in Jon Savage’s in-depth look at the effect the fiery social and political landscape had on the music of the late 60s.

50 years ago, America was in turmoil. An ever-increasing public awareness of both the vast brutality and absolute futility of the Vietnam War stretched itself like a cinematic backdrop across all that was happening on home soil, with peace protests turning to riots, and riots to assassinations. In Europe, France was forever changed by nationwide general strikes and the May Paris student riots. The UK was in social conflict, playing uncomfortable host to Enoch Powell’s Rivers of Blood speech whilst younger generations campaigned for greater moral enlightenment. The bubble of hope had been burst worldwide and change was coming at a disturbing cost.

Jon Savage’s choices for 1968 include reactions to the rise of feminism: we see Martha Reeves singing “One day I’m gonna get stronger/ And I won’t need you no longer” on ‘Honey Chile’ and Janis Joplin positively screaming ‘I’m gonna show you baby that a woman can be tough” on ‘Piece Of My Heart’ whilst the 5th Dimension are worrying that “she walks all over you” on ‘Carpet Man’. We also see nods to the spectre of Otis Redding’s death in December of 1967, a source of worldwide grief over the following months as well as many posthumous singles, and Eddie Floyd’s ‘Big Bird’, written at the airport on his way to pay tribute at the funeral. We have the deceptively simple, upbeat rock steady smash of Desmond Dekker’s ‘Israelites’ entering the mainstream US Top 10 with its singsong nursery rhyme feel masking the bittersweet lyrics about extreme poverty and dissatisfaction. 

This was also the year of James Brown’s civil rights anthem, ‘Say It Loud! – I’m Black And I’m Proud’ and Sly & the Family Stone’s call for harmony with ‘Everyday People’ - coiner of the phrase “different strokes for different folks”. It’s hard to imagine the Crazy World of Arthur Brown’s ‘Fire!’ in any other year – as Jon puts it, “the madness and the glory of 1968”.

The year, and the album, finishes with the MC5’s ‘Kick Out The Jams’ – possibly the best version of it I’ve ever heard, and I only heard it when putting together this album with Jon. Given away as a free 7-inch at a gig in December 1968, it’s never been compiled before, and will leave you feeling fully ready for social change in 2019.

Disc: 1

  1. Honey Chile - Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
  2. Sunshine Help Me - Spooky Tooth
  3. How Does It Feel to Feel? - the Creation
  4. Just Dropped in (To See What Condition My Condition Was in) - the First Edition
  5. Dear Delilah - Grapefruit
  6. Carpet Man - the 5th Dimension
  7. Big Bird- Eddie Floyd
  8. Tighten Up - Archie Bell & the Drells
  9. Changes (Tygstl) - the Ceyleib People
  10. Everydays - the Buffalo Springfield
  11. Talkin' About the Good Times - the Pretty Things
  12. Just for You - Dave Mason
  13. Danse a la Musique - the French Fries
  14. Israelites - Desmond Dekker & the Aces
  15. Why Does It Feel So Right (Doing Wrong) - the Shades of Jade
  16. Wonderboy - the Kinks
  17. Gotta See Jane - R Dean Taylor
  18. Do You Know the Way to San Jose - Dionne Warwick
  19. Classical Gas - Mason Williams
  20. Your Mind and We Belong Together - Love
  21. Dino's Song - Quicksilver Messenger Service
  22. World in a Jug - Canned Heat
  23. Lift Me - the Beau Brummels
  24. The Snake - Al Wilson

Disc: 2

  1. Fire - the Crazy World of Arthur Brown
  2. Hard to Handle - Otis Redding
  3. Eastern Organ - Brother Dan All Stars
  4. People Got to Be Free - the Rascals
  5. I Say a Little Prayer - Aretha Franklin
  6. Piece of My Heart - Big Brother & the Holding Company
  7. Lord of the Manor - the Everly Brothers
  8. Lincoln County - Dave Davies
  9. Omnibus - the Move
  10. I'm in a Different World - Four Tops
  11. Say It Loud! - I'm Black and I'm Proud (PT 1) - James Brown
  12. Rain - Kak
  13. A Song for Jeffrey - Jethro Tull
  14. Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf
  15. Freedom Train - James Carr
  16. Smell of Incense - the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band
  17. Cloud Nine - the Temptations
  18. Train to Nowhere - Savoy Brown
  19. Everyday People - Sly & the Family Stone
  20. I Got a Line on You - Spirit
  21. Throwaway Street Puzzle - Fairport Convention
  22. Crimson and Clover - Tommy James & the Shondells
  23. Machines - Lothar & the Hand People
  24. Kick Out the Jams (Preview Pressing) - MC5

Comic Book Art: Captain America and Thor sketches by the great John Buscema


Vintage Jane Fonda pics

Comic Book Art: Gene Colan and Tom Palmer art from Doctor Strange #180


Entertainment Weekly publishes special Stan Lee tribute magazine

Out today.

Stan Lee: A Life of Marvel tells the story of “Stan the Man” from multiple perspectives — including classic interviews with him detailing how he and the Marvel braintrust of artists and writers created Spider-Man, The Hulk, Fantastic Four, and other heroes and villains.

This collector’s issue spans the Silver Age of comic books, which Lee helped define, and explores how that Big Bang is still expanding into television and movies today.

Accompanied by galleries of photos and illustrations, A Life of Marvel includes:

• Exclusive interviews with other comic book and movie greats about Stan Lee’s influence (and influences).
• A breakdown of his most famous characters — as well as a rundown of Lee’s own many pop culture cameos and appearances.
• Tributes and remembrances of fans as well as the actors that brought his characters to life, including a first-person account from Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige about the last time he met with Lee.

New Music Friday: Bryan Ferry; Jeff Tweedy; The Fall; Neil Young; Elvis; Peter Cook

Bryan Ferry and His Orchestra - Bitter-Sweet

Jeff Tweedy - Warm

The Fall - 58 Golden Greats
 
 
Neil Young - Songs for Judy

Elvis Presley - '68 Comeback Special 50th Anniversary
 
Peter Cook - The Misty Mr. Wisty


Pop Culture Roundup: BBC's Dracula; the politics of Doctor Who; Roald Dahl on Netflix, more!

Danish actor Claes Bang will star as Dracula in a new BBC mini-series from "Sherlock" co-creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat.

Following the Sherlock formula of three feature-length episodes, the new take on Bram Stoker’s blood-sucking anti-hero promises to “re-introduce the world to Dracula, the vampire who made evil sexy.”

The synopsis continues, “in Transylvania in 1897, the blood-drinking Count is drawing his plans against Victorian London. And be warned: the dead travel fast.”

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Social consciousness and politics on "Doctor Who" is nothing new.

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More "Doctor Who": Fourth Doctor Tom Baker has penned a novel featuring his version of the character.


Called Scratchman, the book began life in the 1970s during Baker’s tenure as the beloved Fourth Doctor, when between scenes he kicked around ideas for a new story for the series alongside Ian Marter (who played Harry Sullivan in Doctor Who), later writing them up into a script.


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Netflix is rolling out animated adaptations of several Roald Dahl books, including "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Matilda" and "The BFG."

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Longtime comic book writer/editor Dennny O'Neill will be honored for his “lifetime of achievements in pursuing causes of peace and justice” during an appearance at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library in Atlanta next week.

O'Neill is known for bringing social and political themes to superhero comics in the early 1970s, mainly during his legendary run on the Green Lantern title with artist Neal Adams.

“I have people come up to me and tell me that sometimes reading those stories did influence them,” O’Neil told Newsarama. “That’s good news, because I never intended to change people’s minds about things. I don’t think you can do that. But one thing I did want to do was get young people thinking about these things. Maybe if people start thinking about it young enough and grow up with the problems, they will have a better shot at coming up with answers.”


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Dick Van Dyke says he paid Walt Disney in order to play a second role in the original "Mary Poppins."


He said: “I had to go to Walt and ask him for the part. He wouldn’t give it to me. I said, ‘I’ll do it for nothing’.

“Actually, I had to give him $4,000 — I paid him to do the part.”