I think it was Alan Sepinwall in his TV book that said that once they decided to not make Leslie the female version of Michael Scott and actually wrote her as a likable, if still kind of insane character, that the show really took off. The shift in tone from Season 1 to 2 is pretty sharp and it became a really good…

I’ll see your Spotlight Kid and raise you Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller). That was the album that sucked me into the Beefheart orbit.

Third by Big Star for me. I loved #1 Record and Radio City but, beyond Thank You Friends, I just couldn’t get into Alex’s dive into bleakness. I kept trying with it and, one day, it just clicked. I think it was O Dana that finally hit the mark for me. Now it’s right up there with the other two records for me.

Forgot about Reckoning being from 84. Yeah, that’s another all-timer.

Really great piece, Kyle. I’ve been kicking myself all day for not catching Hart the last couple times he came through. That chance has passed but he left us with a hell of a lot of great music.

1984 was an insanely good year for music. Those two records, Let It Be, Meat Puppets II, Smiths debut, Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall. Even the mainstream stuff was a cut above. Purple Rain, Born In The USA, She’s So Unusual.

I thought Television was the Grateful Dead of punk?

Well, this sucks. Husker Du is one of my favorite bands of all-time and Grant’s songs are a big reason why. I know what I’ll be listening to for the rest of the day. RIP.

Somehow this transition has been even worse than I anticipated. Can’t seem to get to my Disqus account and I’m not holding out hope that my AV Club legacy one will make it across at any point.