More early Halloween greetings. This time from The Cramps … from their 1980 album “Songs the Lord Taught Us.” I will say that if the Lord you’re listening to is suggesting the actions in this song, you should probably seek out another Lord. Key lyrics: “I could give you a million hugs / You look so good all covered up in bugs” Produced by the legendary Alex Chilton.
Happy Early Halloween! Courtesy of Robert Blake as the “mystery man” in David Lynch’s “Lost Highway.”
Eddie Murphy was one of the best stand-up comedians in history. Unfortunately, a lot of his older material (specifically his material on gays) doesn’t carry over quite as well in these more enlightened times.
However, Murphy’s monologue about his drunken dad during a 4th of July cookout is still a classic and still one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard. Even when I first saw this when I was 13-years old, this was the bit that had me laughing the hardest. Though nowadays, I find myself laughing less and understanding his father’s laments. Seriously, I pay the bills in the motherf–ker and hey, kiss my a– if you don’t like it!!!! ‘Cos it’s my house!!!
Needless to say, not safe for work.
If this seems like a really bad attempt at avant-garde humor/entertainment, you’d be correct. Why am I posting it here? Because it’s an extremely rare debacle that involved a lot of famous people doing a favor for someone named David Jove. Jove was the producer of the infamous (and truly great) early 1980s hardcore punk cable TV show “New Wave Theater.” When that show’s host Peter Ivers was murdered in 1983, some of Ivers’ friends tried to help Jove get a new show started.
“The Top” is similar to “New Wave Theater” in tone, but with a lot more money thrown at it and a lot less balls and heart. Originally Chevy Chase was hired to host, but when he got stuck in the middle of a spontaneous slam-dancing session which he had no knowledge of, he fled the studio and the producers hired Andy Kaufman instead. This was Kaufman’s last live appearance and sadly, it’s not particularly good. Still, it’s a good example of what sometimes happens when the avant-garde tries to go mainstream.
I’m not quite sure when this aired, but professional comedians were often hired as ringers for the infamous daytime game show of the 1960s / 1970s “The Dating Game.” Here Kaufman does a version of Latka as a contestant who seems clearly puzzled by what’s expected of him. Very funny stuff. Especially the bachelorette who seems like a parody of a 1970s porn star, even though that may not be her intent.
You know how certain songs bring you back to certain times in your life. “True Faith” evokes vivid memories of the fall of 1988: the smell of stale beer, cigarettes, turtlenecks pulling on a 10:00 pm shadow, and hair that’s not quite hip enough to be a mullet. How could a young lass with an Elanie Benes haircut and acid-washed jeans resist? Surprisingly, they did … but that’s beside the point …
One of Newman’s best … from 1977’s “Little Criminals.” A beautiful, but despairing look at a city in crisis, very similar in tone to Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City.” Also highly recommended (thought I can’t find it on YouTube) is Mink Stole’s recent cover from her album “Do Re Mink”.
Here’s an almost 10-minute compilation of some of the funniest verbal abuse in TV history. It’s an anthology of Susie Green (wonderfully played by Susie Essman) dressing down Larry David’s character on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” from multiple episodes/seasons. Susie may seem unnecessarily harsh, but to be fair, Larry is an insufferably neurotic maniac who doesn’t always make the best choices. Not safe for work by any stretch of the imagination. But no one can sling an f-bomb like Susie Green.
The original version of “(I Know) I’m Losing You” by the Temptations is one of the legendary Motown group’s best songs. But Stewart’s explosive cover from his 1970 masterpiece “Every Picture Tells a Story” is one of those rare covers (like Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” and Johnny Cash’s “Hurt”) that blows the original out of the water. I feel bad for saying that because the original Temptations song is strong stuff. But I would argue that Stewart here, already one of the greatest vocalists of all time, invests so much of himself into this song that this is a peak which Stewart has yet to duplicate … even 43 years later. Not only does Stewart shred on this song, but that freakin’ drum sound by Mickey Waller will rattle your fillings. Greil Marcus once said that Waller deserved the Noble Prize for Physics for his drumming on this album and I do not disagree one bit.
Recognize this one? A cover of this was the theme of the UK version of the seminal comedy TV show “The Office.” However, the song was originally written by Manfred Mann’s Mike D’Abo. This version by Rod Stewart from his first solo album in 1969 (called “An Old Raincoat Won’t Ever Let You Down” in the UK, but was released as “The Rod Stewart Album” in America). Makes you almost forget about “Tonight’s the Night” or “D’Ya Think I’m Sexy?”
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