"Fool in the Rain" or GTFO

The book Pictures at a Revolution documents the huge change in Hollywood in 1967. Good read.

Here in the NYC suburbs if you're moving pipes (kitchen or bath), etc generally an architect plans are required to get a permit. Plus endless inspections (9 for a bathroom reno) that suck the soul out of you.

Toto? They've had a gaggle of lead vocalists.

yeah, it's interesting how The Voice can't break an act, which AI, for all its faults, has done repeatedly. Among the reasons: a) different time in music business/technology (how many late-season AI stars were made?), b) overall strength of Music Biz promotion/support then vs. now, c) Voice has 2 "seasons/year vs…

Love the production and arrangement all their songs, perfect illustration is "Don't Get Me Wrong". On the 3rd verse (?), the bass and guitar part is mostly muted for that killer beat, then the guitar screams in. tasteful, bright and perfect.

Foreigner - Urgent. Perfect use of the saxomophone.
Steely Dan - My Old School. Perfect use of full horn section. Carefully deployed, expertly arranged.

Loss leader is right. They got in the CD/packaged media game around the mid-90s, along with Walmart, Kmart, Circuit City, etc. Just to get people in the store (how often do you need to shop for a fridge)? If they're still in business they've drastically shrunk their floorspace (WM has like one endcap and 4' of…

He comes from a family of music arrangers, so he learned young how to put together an evocative chart. I can listen to his arrangements all day long - just stunning; even his early songs (Sail Away) have a cinematic, epic sweep.

that's the thing. invariably the couple/family are too lazy to organize, so they'd prefer to live in squalor until Mary Poppins/Hillary shows up to whisk away their shit.

AGREED.I don't understand where they find these clueless idiots for this show. Also don't understand there they get their money, as invariably one of the couple is an "artist" of some sort that would barely make minimum wage.

90% of the people on that show are clearly too lazy/motivated to hire a designer/architect to meet their home needs, or live in an alternate universe about pricing/expectations. They'd rather live/outgrow their squalor than DO something about it. My girls (9 and 10) are always yelling at the TV.

I have a shit-eating grin every time I hear Neil speed up/slow down the snare in that outro. One of the best album opening tracks EVER.

You read my mind. I used to be a Sting fanatic, but each release got lamer, and more a/c with less hooks. He sanded off the edges of his sound completely.

I was also saw that tour. Vinx was on Sting's ill-fated vanity label, Pangea Records. Also remember he played a LOT of Soul Cages cuts live, and a lot of them, ahem, don't translate well for an arena tour.

"Middle of the 3-pak" is still how my friends and I refer to something disappointing or overall weak.

I worked for K-tel right after college in the 90s. Those comps made a TON of money, it just took forever for the major labels to realize they could make their own and keep the $$ (see also: Kidz Bop from Razor & Tie). Majors thought it was "below them, not artistic, and hated the way they were marketed (via TV) and…

He said something similar when I saw it in November as well.

Agreed -and don't underestimate the marketing power of a national-ish theatrical release. 99% of docs can't get screens beyond a couple on each coast (and those are the "bigger" ones), and go right to home video/streaming. Note that Act of Killing (and Look of Silence, AND The Overnighters) are from Drafthouse…

Not sure. No mention of if they sold their publishing rights along with it, which is the sweetest plum. But prepared to hear a ton of Offspring songs on commercials in the near future to recoup that $35MM.