Music Review: Love Train: The Philadelphia International Story

It’s a rainy Saturday morning here in Seattle, and I happened upon a review of the new Hall & Oates box set by a favorite Blogcritics writer, Connie Phillips. She mentioned a live cover version they did of the classic Billy Paul song, “Me And Mrs. Jones.” It inspired me to go back and listen to the original, which is on the box set Love Train: The Sound Of Philadelphia.

I wound up listening to all four discs of this incredible set again, and was reminded of just how brilliant the Philadelphia International label was at its height. Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff owned soul music in the pre-disco age. Just look at the roster of talent on this box: The O’Jays, The Stylistics, The Delfonics, MFSB, Harold Melvin And The Bluenotes (featuring Teddy Pendergrass), the list goes on and on.

Besides The O’Jays though, most of these acts are remembered as “one-hit wonders.” Name another song by The Three Degrees besides “When Will I See You Again,” and drinks are on me (no Googling allowed).

My point is that the Philadelphia International label was the great successor to Motown, and has never been given the credit it deserves. “Classic” Motown was really an early Sixties phenomenon, outside of notable exceptions like the Jackson Five and Marvin Gaye. Likewise, Philadelphia International was an early Seventies thing, besides the later emergence of Teddy Pendergrass in the latter part of the decade.

So why is it that “The Sound Of Philadelphia” is so forgotten today? It defines a particular point in AM radio history with songs such as “Backstabbers” by The O’Jays, “Then Came You,” by The Spinners, and “Kiss And Say Goodbye” by The Manhattans. These tunes are period pieces to be sure, but I never get tired of hearing them.

What happened was disco, and Philadelphia International got caught up in it. In retrospect, it was a huge mistake to take the quick buck with extended mixes of “Bad Luck” or “I Love Music.” Incidentally, these versions are not available on Love Train, but are worth seeking out.

Regardless, the patented groove of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff’s productions took a backseat to The Bee Gees and their Saturday Night Fever ilk. Don’t get me wrong, Saturday Night Fever is a great record, but there is nothing on it as powerful as “Me And Mrs. Jones.”


And there’s the rub. Love Train: The Philadelphia International Story is a snapshot of a particular moment in time which will never be duplicated.

The only thing missing is the first white performer to appear on Soul Train, Sir Elton John. While the theme to Soul Train, MFSB’s “TSOP,” is included, Elton’s homage to the music with “Philadelphia Freedom” (1975) is not. It’s too bad, because at the time not only Sir Elton, but John Lennon’s Walls And Bridges and David Bowie’ Young Americans were also paying specific tribute to this fantastic branch of the music tree.

Love Train: The Philadelphia International Story is a box set that I cherish.

Site Review: Direct TV Satellite

As regular readers of this blog know, I have had some difficulty lately with my TV service. Rather than go into the problems I have had to deal with though, I would prefer to just let everyone know how happy I am with DirectTV.

I had heard good things about them before, but while surfing the web I changed upon the combination of Satellite Directv, and it led me to a site that had everything. All I had to do was punch in my zip code, and up popped all the information I needed. Talk about easy! And the promotion they had going, at least in my area, was awesome.

Some of the other great features they offer are over 130 HD channels, 100% digital picture and sound, and the fact that you never have to buy the equipment. Believe me, that last one is a real plus in my household, where I have spent way too much on other provider’s equipment. Well, needless to say, I signed up on Direct TV satellite, and was all set.

Click on DirectTVand see what I am talking about. If you are in the market to improve your TV time, this is most definitely the place to go.

DVD Review: Evilution

There is trouble in Iraq, and it is not anything the military was expecting. A microscopic alien life form with the properties to possess the living, and resurrect the dead has been discovered. The problem is that these aliens do not play well with others. Their entire modus operandi is to kill off the humans, and take over their bodies.

When is a zombie film not a zombie film? In the case of Evilution, it is when the zombies are “Alien Possessed Lifeforms,” according director Chris Conlee. Whatever you say, Mr. Director. But Evilution is a zombie flick of the first order, and a pretty fun one at that.

The Iraqi compound that the aliens were in was bombed, but one of the scientists managed to escape, with the remaining specimens in hand. Newly civilian, Darren Hall (Eric Peter-Kaiser) has a plan for the aliens, he wants to try and communicate with them. Fool. He finds a really creepy low-rent apartment to conduct his experiments in, and things quickly spin out of control.

On the plus side, he has a smoking hot neighbor named Maddie (Sandra Ramirez) who inexplicably just wants to do him. This is another “only in Hollywood” moment, but the interlude serves a purpose. While the dork is getting it on, some street junkie breaks into his apartment, and injects himself with the alien specimen.

Instant alien zombie-mania! This is where the movie gets good, as the apartment tenants go all Night Of The Living Dead on each other. Big bad Sgt. Collins (Tim Colceri) has tracked Darren down, and shows up just in time for the party. Eventually, even Darren’s new squeeze gets bitten by the alien bug. The movie ends with him making the ultimate sacrifice, pulling her with him off the top of the building, killing them both.

The DVD extras include interviews with the director, cast, and stunt people. There is also a segment discussing the location Evilution was shot in. It was an old, abandoned hospital, that everyone swears was haunted. It seems to me like the perfect place for a flick like Evilution to be shot in.

Although the movie is obviously a fairly low-budget affair, Chris Conlee and his production crew have made the most of it. Evilution is a worthy addition to the zombie genre, and lord knows we can always use more zombie flicks.

Product Review: Dwarves "Throbblehead" by Aggronautix

Aggronautix recently honored legendary punks GG Allin and Tesco Vee with their own bobblehead dolls, which the company calls “Throbbleheads.” The company has now upped the ante with the third installment in the series, producing its first "double-headed" Throbblehead. The latest incarnation features both Blag The Ripper (formerly Blag Dahlia) and HeWhoCannotBeNamed of the Dwarves on one larger-than-ever platform.

For those not familiar with the Dwarves, they were an uncompromising punk band of the late 80s and early 90s. Probably their most infamous album came out on Sup Pop in 1989, titled Blood, Guts And Pussy. The cover alone made their reputation. It featured a stark photo of two naked, blood-soaked women in front of a white background, plus a naked dwarf sodomizing a rabbit.

The music was relentless hardcore. The longest of the 12 songs clocks in at 1:23 and is a lovely ditty titled “Motherfucker.” Other top hits from the album included “Detention Girl,” “Skin Poppin’ Slut,” and “Insect Whore.”

The Dwarves double Throbblehead figure is 5 1/2 inches tall, and comes packaged in a sturdy plastic clamshell casing. The display box is a nice tri-windowed affair. Blag the Ripper and HeWhoCanNotBeNamed are portrayed as they appear onstage, Blag with his microphone, HeWho with his axe. Their attire features HeWho’s ever popular lucha libre mask, bondage wear, and Blag’s skull boner buckle.

This baby will make a hilarious addition to every old geezer's punk collection. As with GG Allin and Tesco Vee, Aggronautix are releasing the set in a limited, numbered edition. The Dwarves run is only 1,000, so if you want one, do not hesitate. The GG Allin T-head was a 2,000 piece run, and it sold out almost immediately.

The best place to get the new Dwarves double-headed Throbblehead is straight from the source at Aggronautix.

DVD Review: The Christians

Like the religion itself, The Christians is epic in scope. This five-disc, 13-hour DVD box-set provides a sweeping history of the past 2,000 years as seen through the prism of Christianity. This is no religious tract however. The documentary takes a neutral look at the impact Christianity has had on the world through history, both good and bad.

Certainly no other religion has ever approached the cultural influence upon the Western world that Christianity has. So much so that the basic timeline of Christianity’s development is pretty well-known by the layman.

The early Christians were persecuted by Rome, before the religion became the official doctrine of the empire. Many, many wars were fought in the name of Christianity over the centuries. Gorgeous cathedrals and churches were erected in Europe to honor Christ. And in the present day, we have endless debates on evolution, the separation of church and state, and abortion, all in one way or another tied to Christianity.

Thank goodness this is a British production, with their legendary reserve intact, otherwise things could have gotten out of hand. Especially in regards to our current culture wars.

One of the more notable aspects of the series is the location filming. Host Bamber Gascoigne and crew traveled to more than 30 countries around the world to provide the footage, and much of it is remarkable. I was especially taken with the tours through centuries-old cathedrals and monuments. The architecture, and artwork of these structures is breathtaking at times.

A handy bonus feature included in the package is the 16-page accompanying booklet. In it, we find highlights of each episode, as well as a section titled “Questions to ponder.” This is a nice touch, although the series was produced originally as entertainment, by focusing on some of these ideas, the episodes becomes a little more educational as well.

Other extras include photo galleries titled “The Culture Of The Cross,” and “Christ In Art.” There are also text biographies of select influential people in Christian history called “Architects Of The Faith.”

The 13 episodes of The Christians were originally shown on the British ITV network in 1977, and re-broadcast on PBS in the United States during the 1980s. The newly produced Introduction by a now grey-haired Gascoigne brings the events of the past 30 years in Christianity up to date. The most significant of which was the fall of Communism in 1991.

The Christians is an extraordinary historical overview of Christianity over the centuries. This is a DVD set that I heartily recommend to anyone interested in Western civilization, and how it has been shaped by one of the most powerful cultural forces of all time.

Site Review: Myrtle Beach Golf

My golf buddies have been listening to my whining about taking a trip to Myrtle Beach for so long enough now it's getting ridiculous. With my 30th reunion coming up, I have decided to start doing some of the things I have been wanting to do for a long time. Golfing at Myrtle Beach Golf is at the top of the list. Up until now, the trip had been pretty much a big pipe dream. But when I discovered Myrtle Beach Golf Vacations, I started to make some plans.

Myrtle Beach is one of the finest courses in the country, as well as one of the most challenging. No less an expert than Arnold Palmer designed the King’s North course, and it sounds incredible. It is one of Myrtle Beach Golf most talked about and played courses, and one I intend to try.

One of the other nice things on the Myrtle Beach Golf Packages site is the all-encompassing list of hotels, restaurants, nightlife attractions, even car rentals. It looks like 2010 is going to be a great year of golf, starting at the course I have been wanting to play seemingly forever. South Carolina, here I come!

DVD Review: Flyin' Cut Sleeves

Flyin’ Cut Sleeves is an amazing documentary, originally released on VHS in 1993. The new DVD reissue does not add anything to the original, but there is really nothing more to be included anyway. What came out 16 years ago is as powerful today as it ever was.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Rita Fecher was a New York teacher assigned to a high school in the south Bronx. She was so shaken by the circumstances of her students that she began filming interviews with them. Most of these took place between 1969-73.

Many of her students were gang members, probably the majority in fact. One list has the number of gangs in the area numbering 42 distinct entities in 1972, and that did not even include the female units. The Savage Nomads had a separate group called the Savage Nomad Girls for example. Likewise, the Savage Skulls had the Savage Skulls Girls Division.

These kids lived in absolutely desolate surroundings, as is graphically shown by the camera. They had little illusions about where their lives were headed. It is heartbreaking to watch some of these interviews; these are really just children, forced to grow up in a hurry.

One group that wanted to do something besides wage petty turf wars called themselves the Ghetto Brothers. Cornell Benjamin, or “Black Benjie” as he was known, paid dearly for his idealism. For intervening between two gangs and trying to broker a peace, he was beaten to death.

It was an event that stopped everyone in their tracks, and made many of the leaders reconsider the course of their lives. Recoiling from this tragedy, many of the gang members quit the gangs and started working towards a positive change in the ‘hood.

With funding from the New York State Council Of The Arts, Rita Fecher was able to go back to the south Bronx and interview many of her surviving former students. These interviews were conducted mostly between 1989-92 and update the lives of these extraordinary people.

The footage is raw, and most of it is pretty bleak. But there is a quality of hope that shines throughout Flyin’ Cut Sleeves. It is a testament of strength, proof that the human spirit can surmount even the most daunting obstacles.

The DVD reissue of Flyin’ Cut Sleeves is bare bones, there are no extras, just a trailer for a film called Style Wars. But this 60-minute documentary of some truly inspirational individuals is enough. Flyin' Cut Sleeves stands alone as a pretty powerful statement, no frills necessary.