June 25, 2009; The Day the 1980’s Died

For those who are in my age bracket, you should remember it well. Whether you were a middle school or high school student Thriller defined much of the 1980’s music. It is well known that Thriller is the best selling album of all time. When one considers who was vying for the spot at the time this feat is only more amazing. During this time Purple Rain, She’s So Unusual, Can’t Slow Down, Born in the USA, Footloose, 1984, Make it Big, Synchronicity, and Like a Virgin were released. All of these albums were monster hits of course. In fact, it was a really great time to listen to music. However, Michael’s music always managed to top artists like Cyndi Lauper, Lionel Richie, Prince, The Police, Van Halen, Huey Lewis and the News, Bruce Springsteen, and many other greats. This is not surprising when you consider the following;

· Beat it made use of the guitar talents of Eddie Van Halen and paved the way for other heavy metal acts to score chart-topping songs.

· Thriller paid homage to the classic monster films and bought true added value to the music video.

· Billie Jean introduced us to the Moonwalk.

· Three words- “red leather jacket”

After Thriller, Michael Jackson released several follow up albums all of which were commercial successes. However, none of them would sell as well. This as well as other circumstances personally hurt Jackson. I remember that Michael would keep trying to outdo Thriller and would be frustrated by his inability to do so. This phenomenon is not uncommon as it affected many of his contemporaries. Madonna and Bruce are masters at reinventing themselves while other artists like Lionel Richie, Cyndi Lauper, and Huey Lewis and the News have faded into obscurity.

Having said that, I think its important to understand that life can be an unpredictable roller coaster. One never knows when the “ups and down” will occur. Remember the “ups” are a gift to be appreciated; not to be taken for granted. When the “downs” occur, keep in mind it could have been worse. For example, a few months ago I caught a nasty virus and as a result went to several doctors. I am thankful it was nothing fatal. I am thankful that my family and boss were very supportive during this uncertain time. I am thankful that this happened a month before the swine flu epidemic hit. I am thankful that I started an exercise regimen almost 3 years ago as this certainly helped my recovery.

So… like many others I am playing the music, watching the videos, and remembering to appreciate the good even during the tough times.

May the Father’s Day Be With You

During the late 1970s and early 1980s the Star Wars trilogy was watched and beloved by many children all over the world. Over the years I have watched and re-watched the trilogy well… too many times to count. I am not embarrassed to say that I own both the original and special edition of the trilogy, dragged my wife to the theater to see both the special edition of the trilogy as well as all of the prequels.

One of my earliest childhood memories naturally involves Star Wars during which we left the theater, as my younger brother was afraid of Darth Vader. I do not remember much more from this experience, which can be attributed to me being 5 years old at the time. A few years later, The Empire Strikes Back was released. I remember my father took my brother and I into the city to see the movie. If my memory is correct we started the day joining my father at his workplace during which we played with some kind of computer outfitted with tape disks. Around lunchtime (or perhaps later in the day) we saw “The Empire Strikes Back.” I remember the snow battle scene, the fight with Darth Vader, and Yoda of course. I also remember that we were blown away by this movie. Soon enough, my brothers and I became avid collectors of the Star Wars action figures. In fact, every Shabbos (Saturday) we would play with the action figures and either reenact part of the film or create our own Star Wars adventures.

A few years later, Return of the Jedi came to the theaters. Once again, we were mesmerized by the trilogy. From the special effects, to the action, to the characters, to the heart, this movie had it all. Sixteen years later… The Phantom Menace came out. OK, Jar Jar haters get it out of your system. Kidding aside, while Episode I was not as good as any of the original trilogy films; it was fun. I enjoyed the duel between Darth Maul and Obi Wan and thought Palpatine the politician was very clever.

In the coming years Episode 2 and 3 were released and received mixed reviews. Despite it all, I enjoyed both films. I also realize why the prequels were doomed to be a let down on some level. The original series is a part of my childhood where as the prequel is not. I recall fondly enjoying this movie with my father and brothers. I also remember how my father would dispense his fatherly advice ala Yoda; “Do or Do not. There is no try.” On the surface it sounds silly. However, on a deeper level there is nothing silly about instilling a work ethic in your children. In fact, while my brothers and I have all taken very different career paths (two rabbis, a lawyer, and an educational administrator) we all share the same work ethic because there is no try; only do or do not. With that, I say Happy Fathers Day and “May the Father’s Day be with You.”

 

Grooving with the Black Eyed Peas

Once again I find myself sitting in front of the computer checking my e-mail, Face Book updates, a variety of blogs and web sites, and of course the iTunes Store. On the iTunes store I noticed a small advertisement proclaiming that a new album from the Black Eyed Peas is available. Naturally, I clicked on the link and previewed a few of the tracks. Initially, my first thought was, “this does not sound like the Black Eyed Peas”. However, as I previewed a few additional tracks, I became more curious as the music samples were very catchy. So… I downloaded the album, synced my iPod, and took it along for my morning jog.

As I started to listen to the first song, I thought to myself, “this does not sound like the Black Eyed Peas, yet I find this music very enjoyable.” As I continued my jog I heard a few more of their tracks I noticed a few interesting trends. On the surface, their new sound relies on the electronica and a Hip/Hop sound.  However, a closer listen reveals that this music draws from a variety of sounds including disco, Prince, James Brown, classic rock, 1980s, and other genres. Most of the songs include great bass and guitar riffs as well as vocalizations that are very pleasant. My favorites are “Rockin to the Beat”, “One Tribe”, “Alive”, “Out of My Head”, and “Missing You.” ”Alive” took me back to the 1980s with its piano- bass combo along with the duet counterpoint setup. “Out of my Head” reminded me of “Funky Town”, a couple of Prince songs, and the energy of James Brown. “One Tribe” provides a positive message and the tune is fairly catchy. “Rockin to the Beat” reminds me of Michael Jackson’s “PYT” song (sort of). “Missing You” has a very 1970’s feel to it.

All in all, I found the music to be positive, fun, nostalgic, and great for the morning jog. Having said that, please be forewarned that the music does include a few expletives and that for the most part it is a “Pop” album. Fortunately, the expletives are not mean spirited and as mentioned above the music is fun. On a final note, I shared the music with my wife. She had the same reaction and said, “ this does not sound like the Black Eyed Peas but I do like it.”