retro-the-best....: Mar 12, 2011

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Retro: Kimmer

YOU MAKE IT SO HARD TO SAY NO : BOZ SCAGGS
ANY WORLD THAT I AM WELCOME TO: STEELY DAN
RETRO KIMMER: CAN WE STILL BE FRIENDS?

YOU MAKE IT SO HARD TO SAY NO : BOZ SCAGGS

Posted: 12 Mar 2011 08:20 PM PST

Boz Scaggs

Oh I loved this guy in like 1975... What a voice and what songs Boz had. Here are a few of my favorites... Read More about Boz HERE

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ANY WORLD THAT I AM WELCOME TO: STEELY DAN

Posted: 12 Mar 2011 08:10 PM PST

My favorite of Steely Dan's bazillion hits is "Any World That I Am Welcome To" We all felt alien when we were teen aged and this song made me feel more connected to othe like minded "not normal" folk. I also felt that I was from another planet and this song confirmed it...

Another of my favorites all from the "Katie Lied" album is "Everyone's Gone to the Movies"

My third favorite is "Chained Lightning" Just love the guitar solo on this song so much...

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RETRO KIMMER: CAN WE STILL BE FRIENDS?

Posted: 12 Mar 2011 07:26 PM PST

Robert Palmer

I first heard this classic song covered by Robert Palmer and it remains my favorite version of "Can We Still Be Friends" written by Todd Rundgren. The lyric is so on the money when it comes to relationships that just aren't working on a romantic level yet you still care so much for the other person....

Darryl Hall of Hall and Oates

Really one of my very favorite singers of the 70's and 80's. Still have a huge crush on Darryl and his voice is to die for. What a talented guy. I discovered this video tonight of Todd Rundgren and Darryl doing "Can We Still Be Friends?". It is so great with Darryl's voice on this tune.

Definitely in a Todd Rundgren mood tonight and this is one of his classics. Todd's lyrics are so honest and open.

Todd Rundgren

It was radically different for a guy to come out with such honest lyrics at the time in the early 70's. Girls loved Todd's "Something/Anything" Album.

So many great classic tunes on there. I used to dance around with Teri Gagnon in her room when I was in high school. Teri and I were both in love with Todd, Darryl and Robert.... Of course all three were hunky guys. My favorite was Darryl Hall.

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[New post] Doctor Who Big Finish- Colditz

Doctor Who Big Finish- Colditz

dailypop | March 12, 2011 at 6:44 am | Tags: big finish doctor who, sylvester mccoy sophie aldred doctor who | Categories: Doctor Who- 7th Doctor | URL: http://wp.me/p4kUt-2oL

For many Doctor Who fans, the cancellation of the program in 1989 was especially difficult as after several years of soul searching, it felt like the series had finally found its footing.

In 1987, Doctor Who was a program ripe for the chop by BBC Controller Michael Grade. After an eighteen-month hiatus, the series returned as a lighter shade of its darker, more violent self. It got lighter still when a new lead actor was cast. Stage performer Sylvester McCoy became the 7th Doctor and starred in a motley array of adventures that seemed to be from an entirely different program. In 1988, script editor Andrew Cartmell got a handle on where he wished to take the program. With new companion, the street-wise pyromaniac Ace along for the ride, the Doctor grew into a many-faceted character that was far more complicated than anyone had thought.

A combination of Andrew Cartmell's work along with a spectacular and sophisticated run of adventures along with a unique chemistry of lead actors Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred gave new life to Doctor Who in its last years. So strong was the influence that it reverberated through the comic books, original novels and audio projects that followed.

Released in 2001 from Big Finish, Colditz takes up the mantle that was cast by the work started in series 25 and 26, further developing the darkly mysterious Doctor and the ever maturing Ace. The Doctor and Ace arrive in what appears to be WWI era Germany, but this is realized too late, causing the pair to be captured by Nazi forces. While the Nazi prison guards are very interested in the Doctor's secrets, Ace proves to be a most meddlesome prisoner and flatly refuses to accept that she cannot escape from Colditz Castle. After all, she'd played the table top board game!

Simply setting this story in WWII Germany would frankly be brilliant enough, but writer Steve Lyons (the same creator of Doctor Who New Adventures - Conundrum and others) brings forth some new concepts in the shape of SS Officer Klein. while Ace attempts to fraternize with the British POWs and openly defy Officer Kurtz who takes a special and sadistic interest in breaking her will, the Doctor is scrutinized by Klein who is far more than she appears to be.

The production value of Colditz is in keeping with many other Big Finish productions. I'm still a novice at these audio adventures and thought that listening to Doctor Who would be a chore, but the ambient sound and musical score (hearkening back to 1989) brought it all into focus. The beginning was a bit jarring (I'm still not used to audio adventures even after the outstanding Blake's 7 releases), it really felt like I was experiencing a 'lost' Doctor Who story and that is incredibly exciting.

The vocal cast is likewise excellent with the exception of David Tennant who seems to stray from his German accent from time to time. While Tennant is far better at character roles such as Kurtz, he seems to have the same trouble that he encountered in his portrayal of the Doctor... he cannot seem to find the ceiling of his range and so caterwauls all over the place. To be fair, the script has nowhere for him to go either, perhaps he was just excited to be in a Doctor Who production and wanted to give it his all?

The plot starts off rather simple but as soon as a second TARDIS is brought into the story, all Hell breaks loose. Colditz has the feel and mood of a New Adventures book, very angst-ridden and intense. I won't spoil the plot twist, but I will say that it opens the realm of possibility to many other stories, which of course come to follow.

If, like me, you have been holding off on Big Finish Adventures, you may wish to take the plunge and explore. With over 200 releases featuring Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann and several supporting actors from the TV adventures along with many names that are bound to be familiar, there is a wealth of enjoyment in their vaults.

Doctor Who - Colditz can be purchased at the Big Finish site.

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