Yeah. Still alive. Plugging through life a day at a time. Blah, blah, blah

I bought four of those cool Bacardi red skull glasses we drank out of in Charleston last year. Alas, the eBay seller didn’t pack them the greatest. Bah! At least two of them survived the trip. Half busted seems to be a theme for life right now.

But, I did manage to find a copy of the way out of print Deluxe Expanded Edition (3 CD/1 DVD) of Prince’s Purple Rain. Yeah. I have been a bit Prince obsessed as of late.

I do still need to post about that hiking trip … but I might be lazy.

Well … we are now half way through what is arguably the worst year ever. And there looks to be no end in site. Ugh.

Some things that have happened recently:
– Sat around in a really black depression for several days.
– Saw A&A for takeout pizza and fire pitting.
– Saw a few friends (less than 10) for a short, socially distanced July 4th cookout.
– Sat around the house a lot.

The biggest news of the past week is that I formally submitted my resignation letter to the local theater. The entire staff got laid off at the end of March because of the COVID-19 induced shutdown. So, I have technically not been an employee since then. Last week I made it official that I won’t be returning as their graphic designer when they re-open (God knows when that will be). Today I went and turned in my keys and handed over all the art files. This has been a decision that’s been a long time coming (nearly five years). I have been feeling burnt out with the work and pissed off with the lack of appreciation from the higher ups. That being said, it’s been a depressing few weeks working up the nerve to actually go through with it considering I have been doing art for them for almost 30 years.

But, in fun “I spend too much money on shit considering I have officially quit my second job” news, I managed to find a copy of the 5 CD/1 DVD Super Deluxe Edition of Prince’s 1999 album for retail out of Canada. This is the second time that Sonic Boom Records in Toronto has come through. This set came out last November, went immediately out of print, and is already selling for $200+ on the secondary market. So, I consider this a real score as I got it for $70 shipped (the price tag is Canadian dollars).

Holy Christmas, Batman! It’s been announced that my favorite Prince album, Sign o’ the Times, will be released in an 8 CD/1 DVD Super Deluxe Edition this coming September.
The Super Deluxe Edition includes all the audio material that Prince officially released in 1987, as well as 45 previously unissued studio songs recorded between May 1979 and July 1987, and a complete live audio performance from the June 20, 1987 stop on the “Sign O’ The Times” Tour at Stadium Galgenwaard in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Also included is a brand-new DVD containing the complete, previously unreleased New Year’s Eve benefit concert at Paisley Park on December 31, 1987, which was Prince’s final performance of the “Sign O’ The Times” Tour stage show and his only on-stage collaboration with jazz legend Miles Davis.

The Super Deluxe Edition set also features a 120-page hardcover book containing Prince’s previously unseen handwritten lyrics for many of the songs from the era, including the hits “U Got The Look,” “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man,” and “Hot Thing,” iconic unseen images from the era taken by Prince’s primary photographer in the mid-1980s to early 90s, Jeff Katz, plus images of archive assets including original analog tape reels and studio tracking sheets.

It retails at a hefty $160 …. but, damn … I NEED THIS! *drools*

Continue reading “Christmas in September!” →

Anyone that really knows me knows that “West End Girls” is my favorite single song of all time. So imagine my delight to see that Pet Shop Boys have dropped a new updated 2020 version of their classic first single. This is so fucking smooth.

Everyone surviving the pandemic craziness? No? At least we have been treated to some really excellent music releases over the last week!

Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters is already the front runner for best album of the year. It’s complex and challenging … and you need to listen to it right now.

The Twilight Sad have dropped IT WON/T BE LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME LIVE. I really do love this band and it’s great to see them continuing to gain popularity. My only complaint is that I wish they had trimmed down the two minutes of audience noise at the beginning of the show/first track. But that’s a minor quibble.

X has dropped ALPHABETLAND (the first album in 35 years featuring all the original members). Clocking in at a lean 27 minutes, it’s loud, aggressive, and everything else you would expect from X. I didn’t know how much I needed this in my life until I heard it.

Back in 1988, Bernard Sumner (of New Order) and Johnny Marr (formerly of The Smiths) formed a group called Electronic. On their self-titled debut album (released in 1991), they collaborated with Pet Shop Boys on the song “The Patience of a Saint.” It’s a really great album and you should seek it out for a listen. Now, after the album came out, Sumner went back to record Republic with New Order and Pet Shop Boys went to work on their fifth album, Very. End of story?

So, this is of interest to nobody but me but … those subsequent albums which were released in 1993 (Republic in May and Very in September) both contain songs titled “Young Offender.” Planned? Just coincidence? Probably the later … but I still find it to be a fun factoid (that I probably never would have thought about had I not all this “stay-at-home” induced free time).

Now amuse yourself by listening to both songs.

New Order “Young Offender”

Pet Shop Boys “Young Offender”

So incredibly obsessed with this song right now … especially the horn section and guitar solo which are both total ear candy!

I love everything about this.