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Harry James And His Orchestra – It's Been A Long, Long Time: MARVEL Music Monday
April 8, 2019 April 8, 2019 mlbradford aliens, Avengers, books, cake, Carnage, comics, Darth Vader, David Bowie, Doctor Who, Dystopian World, fantasy fiction, Flash Gordon, Frickin' Quarnex Battery, History, humour, Kevin Bacon, Magic, Movies, Music, Nostalgia, Psychology, Quest, Rom The Spaceknight, Science, science fiction, Star Wars, Stuff that Matters, Superheroes, Videos, What Is Real?, X-Men
SHIELD COMPROMISED…
Steve Rogers: "I don't remember giving you a key."
Nick Fury: "You really think I'd need one? My wife kicked me out."
Steve Rogers: "Didn't know you were married."
Nick Fury: "There are a lot of things you don't know about me."
Written by Jule Styne;
Lyrics by Sammy Cahn;
Vocals by Kitty Kallen;
Performed by Harry James & His Orchestra (1945)
Natasha Romanoff: "Hey, fellas. Either one of you know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a fossil."
Steve Rogers: "That's hilarious."
Remember When: The Bradscribe Retro Party!
January 24, 2019 mlbradford aliens, books, Brad Fartlighter, cake, David Bowie, Dragons, Dystopian World, Fantasy, Far Future, Frickin' Quarnex Battery, History, humour, Lucid Dreams, Magic, Movie Icon, Movies, Music, Nostalgia, Psychology, Quest, Robots, science fiction, Space Flight, Spielberg, Star Wars, Stuff that Matters, Superheroes, Time Travel, Videos, What Is Real?
We're Having The Time Of Our Lives! The Only Question Is – What Time Is It?!
"Be excellent to each other. And… PARTY ON, DUDES!" – Abraham Lincoln.
You can step (click?) out of the 21st century a mo and sample some of the delights of yesteryear!
As you'd expect, the drinks are fizzy and the music is stellar in this sector of the blogosphere! There are bowls of Twiglets and Cheesy Wotsits as far as the eye can see, and a whole stash of Curly Wurlys, Banjos, Jammy Dodgers and Wagon Wheels to enjoy.
Amidst snazzy streamers and popping balloons, let's get this groovy get-together off and flying!
The mystery. The suspense. The adventure. The call… that started it all.
Elliott: "He's a man from outer space and we're taking him to his spaceship."
Greg: "Well, can't he just beam up?"
Elliott: "This is reality, Greg."
Remember when:
Brad said he would NOT go to watch E.T. back in '82?
Even when yours truly was only that high, he felt too old to indulge in such mushy, sentimental falderdash! Wanted my aliens to be cool, menacing, even hostile if it guaranteed great action sequences. All the kids in my class knew that this quiet, spindly lil blond moppet sitting at the back of the classroom forever reading comics, was the one most likely to dig sci-fi movies, and yet none of them could understand why he was the only one not to go watch E.T. Quite clearly, Dyzan moves in mysterious ways…
Yeah, watched this Spielberg classic upon receiving its belated UK TV premiere, and loved it.
Was absolutely delighted to hear this personal fav pop song played in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Captures perfectly that John Hughes vibe:
All he wanted to do was dance... 😉
Ren: "You like Men at Work?"
Willard: "Which man?"
Ren: "Men at Work."
Willard: "Well where do they work?"
Ren: "No, they don't, they're a music group."
Willard: "Well what do they call themselves?"
Ren: "Oh no! What about The Police?"
Willard: "What about 'em?"
Ren: "You ever heard them?"
Willard: "No, but I seen them."
Ren: "Where, in concert?"
Willard: "No, behind you."
No matter what creative pursuits occupied this particular tiny mind, in his Command centre (i.e. his bedroom), or wherever he was on his Grifter bike, Brad just had to be in front of the telly every Thursday evening at around 7pm to catch the latest edition of Top Of The Pops, in which groups performed their latest singles.
With YouTube, it's great to re-watch some of the best performances to appear on the show, many of which one really believed would never be seen again.
Bought a few singles myself, (mostly EPs on cassette) but not anywhere near as many as one would have liked…
If you enjoyed the 80s vibes and nostalgia of The Midnight – Explorers you'll love this too:
SPOILER!: They're heading for the medical frigate…
Admiral Ackbar: "All craft, prepare to retreat."
Lando Calrissian: "We won't get another chance at this, Admiral!"
Admiral Ackbar: "We have no choice, General Calrissian! Our cruisers can't repel firepower of that magnitude!"
Lando Calrissian: "Han will have that shield down. We've got to give him more time!"
there were only two Star Wars movies?
Come 1983, almost eweyone at school anxiously wondered if Revenge Of the Jedi had any chance of equalling its illustrious predecessors. Then the deflating story swept through the classrooms: George Lucas had changed the title (to the more dull Return Of The Jedi, upon realising that vengeance is not exactly a trait associated with "that old religion"). Obviously, we concurred: the production was doomed, and thus we feared the worst.
This Richard Marquand-directed presentation blew us all away with its spectacular story and spills. Naturally, we ended up gawping all the way through it, just as much as we'd done all the way through Star Wars 2 three years earlier.
Can't remember any of the Trigonometry lessons from around that time, but will never forget that acquiring the latest range of Star Wars action figures and filling up our Official Return Of The Jedi Sticker Albums became essential endeavours. 😉
Greetings, Retrowaver. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the frontier against smartphones and mainstream "music" 🙂
Alex smiles + Grig smiles = Everybody smiles!
"Am I to understand that you're actually declining the honour of becoming a Starfighter? Extraordinary…! This is all highly irregular!" – Grig.
The "experts" insisted that the revolutionary "new" computerised special visual effects technology utilised in The Last Starfighter (1984) would transform the ways in which SF movies were produced?
Unfortunately, such is the rapacious rate at which computer technology has advanced in just the last three decades, so the sfx of this little sci-fi action/adventure outing have dated rather poorly. Anyway, the film neatly tapped into the video-game-craze that was massive back then, and carries a charm, sensitivity and sense of wonder that is badly-needed in the CGI-driven dross we are lumbered with nowadays.
The central performances provide its other strong points: Lance Guest as the top video-gamer: Alex Rogan who wins a trip to a galactic war, is always entertaining, certainly more memorable than some wooden leading players we could mention, but Dan O'Herlihy made Star Navigator 1st Class Grig awesome enough to become one of my all-time fave cinematic aliens,
Easily the most enjoyable aspect of compiling these music posts is that moment when (you think) you've got all the platters that matter and are set to launch, when –at the last minute! – something captures your senses. This next number is the latest instance of this astonishing trend, discovered only this past weekend!
The assortment of freaky aliens hare – designed by Jim Henson's Creature Workshop! – appeared in the video to Billy Ocean's 1985 hit single: "Loverboy"(!)
These grooves are so cosmic they can't be from this Earth! This has become my new favourite track:
Beware of geeks bearing gifs 😉
"If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour… you're gonna see some serious shit" – Dr. Emmett Brown.
Aow!
It's one of those parties where you just don't want the merriment to end, right?
For those who want to enjoy more Retrowave jollities, you're welcome to zip along to my last volume of Electric Dreams (and follow the Links back to the other instalments!)
There will be LOTS MORE parties, reviews and fiction to come on Bradscribe
we can all pull ourselves away from this dreamy gif:
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it" – Ferris Bueller.
Vivian Stanshall's biG GRunt – 11 Mustachioed Daughters!
January 14, 2019 mlbradford aliens, Avengers, Birdman, books, cake, Carnage, comics, David Bowie, Dystopian World, Fantasy, Frickin' Quarnex Battery, History, humour, Kevin Bacon, Lucid Dreams, Magic, MATT DAMON!, Movies, Music, Nostalgia, Psychology, Quest, science fiction, Stuff that Matters, Superheroes, Technology, Videos, What Is Real?
Manic Music Monday Continues – With A Black Sabbath Pastiche
"Why can't I be different and unusual… like everyone else?" – Vivian Stanshall.
In compiling this week's thrilling instalment of Manic Music Monday, only one influential individual came to mind.
Vivian Stanshall (1943-1995), highly eccentric, "as-English-as-tuppence" singer-songwriter, musician, author, poet and side-splitting wit, most famous for writing and performing with The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.
Wnen he wasn't hanging out with John and Paul of The Beatles, getting up to wacky japes with Keith Moon of The Who, and recording his debut solo album with Traffic's Steve Winwood, he toiled away – over several years – on an ingenious, seminal work: Sir Henry at Rawlinson End, an episodic surrealist radio serial especially recorded for BBC Radio 1's John Peel show, chronicling the bizarre – but unfailingly hilarious, and highly recommended – (mis)adventures of inebriated and irascible old codger: Sir Henry Rawlinson.
This Christmas, it has been great getting reacquainted with this blinking-bonkers masterpiece.
Did some rummaging around online, and eventually discovered this obscure gem.
biG GRunt was "one of a number of short-lived groups" Viv formed following the demise of The Bonzos, but considering these groups featured the same core personnel, it could be argued that they're essentially the same band masquerading under a variety of names.
This rare performance (recorded in 1970) appeared on a BBC4 documentary about this exceptionally gifted inductee of the Bradscribe Hall of Fame:
"We first met in a big Irish pub in South London, the New Cross Arms … Vivian was quite plump in those days, wearing Billy Bunter check trousers, a Victorian frock coat, horrible little oval, violet-tinted pince-nez glasses; he had a euphonium under his arm, and large, rubber false ears. And I thought, well, this is an interesting character…
"He was – is – in terms of what he's left behind, a national treasure…" – Neil Innes.
Boys Keep Swinging: The Return Of Manic Music Monday!
January 7, 2019 mlbradford aliens, cake, David Bowie, Frickin' Quarnex Battery, History, Magic, Movie Icon, Music, Nostalgia, science fiction, Stuff that Matters, Superheroes, Technology, Videos, What Is Real?
Manic Music Monday: Heaven Loves Ya!
"He always did what he wanted to do. And he wanted to do it his way and he wanted to do it the best way… He was an extraordinary man, full of love and life. He will always be with us…" – Tony Visconti.
We recommence this series with a late, great member of the Bradscribe Hall of Fame.
This is the week to remember the Starman.
Tomorrow would have been David Bowie's 72nd birthday, while this Thursday will mark three years since we lost him.
Been compiling a Post celebrating how it's FORTY YEARS since my very first dips into pop culture: comics, movies, TV shows.
And pop music.
This video – a performance on the Kenny Everett Video Show (then, in 1979, one of my earliest fav TV programmes) – would have been one of those included in that Post, but, like the man himself, it stands apart from the others.
Also, this is most likely the very first time yours truly caught this legend in action.
Brad will hopefully return later in the week with a more substantial Post, but if not, be sure to pop round next Monday for another groovy vid!
"I suppose for me as an artist it wasn't always just about expressing my work; I really wanted, more than anything else, to contribute in some way to the culture I was living in" – David Bowie, 8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016.
A Winter's Tale: Reflection And Rejuvenation On A Woodland Walk
January 4, 2019 mlbradford aliens, Avengers, cake, Captain America, comics, David Bowie, Doctor Strange, Dystopian World, Fantasy, Far Future, Frickin' Quarnex Battery, Guardians of the Galaxy, History, Kevin Bacon, Lucid Dreams, Magic, Movie Icon, Movies, Music, Nostalgia, Psychology, Quest, Rom The Spaceknight, Science, science fiction, Stuff that Matters, Superheroes, Technology, Time Travel, Videos, Visual Futurism, What Is Real?
A New Year: A New Hope…?
"The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness" – John Muir.
"Foamfollower's question caught him wandering. "Are you a story-teller, Thomas Covenant?"
Absently, he replied, "I was, once."
"And you gave it up? Ah, that is as sad a tale in three words as any you might have told me. But a life without a tale is like a sea without salt. How do you live…?"
How indeed…
You must have noticed.
The words have not flowed on this site as one would like. Sure, my gobsmackworthy powers of expression and composition did not miraculously return with the chimes of Big Ben the other night, but all is not lost! As Ovid once said: "Perfer et obdura!" (Be patient and hold out!)
One great – and highly recommended – way for anyone to slip back into their creative groove is to escape from their desk and explore the outdoors. Supposedly, the biting nip in the air during this particular season should do wonders for my stuffy cranium. Sometimes, the crashing sounds of the surf can usually entice me down to the beach, but today, the opposite direction is taken.
On top of the hill looming majestically over our village, lies "The Ring" – a glorious local nature reserve named after a ring of beech trees planted up here in the late 18th century. Signs of habitation on this prominent point date back into prehistoric times, and traces of a Roman temple were unearthed back in the 50s, so the charm of this spot has been entrancing people for centuries.
Would proclaim myself: "Lord Of The Ring," (oHO! 😉 ) but nah. The WordPress masses no longer swing by this site these days, and one doesn't wish to lose his last few remaining readers by dispensing such cheap 'cracks as that!
"For me, trees have always been the most penetrating preachers. I revere them when they live in forests and groves. And even more I revere them when they stand alone…
"In their highest boughs the world rustles, their roots rest in infinity; but they do not lose themselves there. They struggle with all the force of their lives for one thing only: to fulfil themselves according to their own laws…
"A tree says: My strength is trust. I know nothing about my fathers. I live out the secret of my seed to the very end, and I care for nothing else…" – Hermann Hesse.
"Of the mastersmiths in the Northlands that were, and of their marvellous skills, the Winter Chronicles tell many tales. Greatest is that of-"
Brad, who, rather than stay on a crowded train reluctantly listening to such inconsequential babble emanating from endless banks of smartphones, you are more likely to find him trudging through the beechwoods, high atop The Ring, lost in the garrulous harmony of jays, nuthatches, robins and even the odd fastidious crow…
Why should this ol' dude, now sporting a formidably bushy crumbcatcher, spend either his time or creds on such flaccid fare as Aquaman or Bumblebee, when this season boasts a positively splendiferous plethora of maidenhair spleenworts and their effulgent yellow-green pinnae?!
One arborial landmark in particular (see above!) entices me every time with its fantastical, Middle-Earth-like charm. Nicknamed it the "Elf Tree," 'cos you half expect an elf, goblin, or some frabjous form of faeriekind to lurk beneath its bark…
Whatever magickal and bewitching fantasy land lies deep beyond its gnarly roots: take me there!! For it can only be infinitely superior to this mundane madhouse we call the Real World, with its gaggles of dunderheaded politicians – on BOTH sides of The Pond! – bickering pathetically amongst themselves while We, The People, suffer as our socio-economic institutions are left to ROT.
And what about that other 21st century gripe of mine?!
My foray into social media (up until three years ago) did not last long. Upon finding old "friends," the general consensus seemed to be: "Uff, he's STILL alive…" And they all drifted off back to their own monotonous pursuits.
The distance – and anonymity – that social media affords has only served to increase – and embolden – the anti-social behaviour that now festers online… and on our streets. In my opinion, the uncontrollable proliferation of smartphones only makes these matters WORSE. And, regrettably, these wretched gadgets will NOT be vanishing like our ancient forests any time soon…
It is NO coincidence that a direct link exists between such rampant modern tech and a substantial lack of care and consideration for others…
So you see, up here, amidst my own bare, leaflorn bastion of solitude, there is no reason to rant. Just savour the serenity! And you can blot out such harsh truths that – as we traipse timidly into the year in which Blade Runner is set – the economic gap between the richest and the poorest around this befuddling Pale Blue Dot of ours is now so gargantuan that it makes the Death Star look like a ping pong ball…
"If you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise…" 😉
"The book of nature has no beginning, as it has no end. Open this book where you will, and if you have the desire to acquire knowledge you will find it of intense interest. No matter how long or how intently you study the pages, your interest will not flag, for in nature there is no finality" – Jim Corbett.
"What can we look forward to in 2019?!"
Well, you see, therein lies the problem – "looking forward" has become (for me) a most uncomfortable exercise that screams nothing but: "Make more tawdry remakes! Be more obtuse to your fellows! Dehumanize yourself further by snapping up yet more superficial gadgets with money you don't have!"
In order to deal with incessant swathes of rotten luck and poor health – during this past quarter alone – the pull towards nostalgia and the joys and contentment synonymous with yesteryear become ever more comforting. And helps replenish my waning will to write. So, expect to see more nostalgic-tinted stuff on this site!
Encouragingly, Christmas week witnessed an upsurge in both the quantity and quality of my writing, and the renewal of that urge to finish and Publish more Posts!
To help avoid any more anxious loooong waits for subsequent Posts, you might like to know that my Manic Music Monday series is to be resurrected! Thus, there will be a guaranteed weekly dose of Brad while my usual Reviews and special Features (hopefully!) come to fruition!
Any new ideas for this New Year you would like to see on Bradscribe, pls let me know!
Let me conclude then, by saying just this:
The Very Happiest of New Years to you all!
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft,
And lo, Brad settles down this balmy eventide to write
Long and arduously into the night…
The view from atop the Ring, looking east… ^
…and looking west…
"Either we all live in a decent world, or nobody does…" – George Orwell.
High 5! The Bradscribe Celebration!
October 21, 2018 October 21, 2018 mlbradford aliens, Avengers, books, Brad Fartlighter, cake, Captain America, comics, David Bowie, Doctor Strange, Fantasy, Far Future, Flash Gordon, Frickin' Quarnex Battery, Guardians of the Galaxy, History, humour, Jeff Goldblum, Kevin Bacon, Lucid Dreams, Magic, Movie Icon, Movies, Music, Nostalgia, Quest, science fiction, Stuff that Matters, Superheroes, Technology, Time Travel, Videos, What Is Real?
Thor: "Hey, let's do the Bradscribe Celebration! Come on, you love it."
Loki: "It's humiliating."
Thor: "Do you have a better plan?"
Loki: "No."
Thor: "We're doing it."
There's a party goin' on right here! A celebration to last throughout the years. Come on now!
Yes, friends, it's FIVE YEARS AGO today since Bradscribe made its first tentative steps into the blogosphere. Essentially the main platform to bring my writing to a wider readership (i.e. not just my mother) it has grown (hopefully in a healthy way) with the original SF articles and movie and book reviews now accompanied by Bronze Age (comic) Bonanzas, fiction, music compilations and – oh yes – parties.
Such a monumental anniversary could not go unheralded. Besides, we could all do with another Bradtastic party, right? Let's all celebrate and have a good time!
What better way to get these proceedings under feelgood way than with the Synchronised Sneakers Squad: 😉
"OH! Feels so good, doesn't it…? I just
myself!" – Doctor Stephen Strange.
5 Freaky Facts About Bradscribe:
1. Actually, my original sign-up with WordPress was made during the first months of 2012, but – thrilled at having access to my very own Dashboard from which my distinctive creativity (and waffle 😉 ) could pour forth – no matter how much the instruction manuals were read and reread, none of them made any sense; they may as well have been published in Lithuanian!
Only by constantly repeating a How To vid on YouTube did yours truly discover that the little white box in the top right corner of the Dashboard activates any New Post…
2. Brad is NOT superstitious and yet over the past 60 months, not a single Post got published on the 13th day of ANY of them. At least something – even if it's just a music Post, (the quickest and easiest to compile) – has appeared EVERY month. Strangely enough, no Posts materialised during November 2013. As soon as the technical side to blogging was mastered, so me ol' mucker Writer's Block came a-knockin'. HA!
3. Posts have been published in 3 different countries. Having watched – and thoroughly enjoyed – Birdman in Singapore (in February 2015) an equally enjoyable night was spent at a 24-hours Starbucks typing up this Review:
4. Passing the 200 Followers milestone (in February 2017 is (Statswise) my most successful Post with 21 Likes and 36 Comments.
My most popular Post remains my tribute to one of the greatest actors: Peter Cushing It's the one where the majority of my Spam Comments tend to accumulate. Although some are unintelligible – or in Portuguese – these are unanimously positive and full of praise – or giving tips on how to improve my hydroponics system… 0_0
The next two clickbaits in the Bradscribe Archives honour a couple of the most iconic female characters in popular culture: Rey Of Light: Who's That Girl? and Here's To Hela: The Girl With The Awesome Antlers
5. The first video to appear here happened to be the trailer for Ex Machina in January 2015.
Not comfortable with the way in which the text of this site looked too gargantuan on other consoles, and miffed that new readers could not access my wonderful About page, the decision to change my Theme was taken in June 2015.
The first gif – now a (beloved?) mainstay around here – featured (of all people) Max Von Sydow (!) and appeared during this fiction Post: in August 2015.
Dr. Hank Pym: "Hiya, champ, how was school today?"
Scott Lang: "Aw, ha ha ha! Alright, get your jokes out now, can you fix the suit?"
Hope van Dyne: "So cranky…"
Speaking of shining stars, ;-) this site would be nothing without YOU.
Surely, the main aim of avy blogger is TO BE READ, yes? Taking this opportunity to extend gushing gratitude and virtual hugs to you all!
The main reason to get embroiled in this blogging lark was to meet and chat with a myriad of groovy, like-minded peeps. Starting out all those moons ago, admittedly, there was some trepidation: would other bloggers be kind and sane peeps to converse with?! Moreover, would they be sociable with Brad? At all?!
Such intelligent, interesting and witty individuals you are! Just the sort of lovely folk one expects to find in the local village.
And another reason why you are all so amazing?
You got soul! If you didn't, you wouldn't be in here 😉
Peter Quill: "I like your plan. Except, it sucks. So let me do the plan and that way it might be really good."
Drax: "Tell him about the dance-off to save the Universe."
Behold! The 5 Most Gobsmacking Moments @ The Movies In The Last 5 Years:
"If I could save time in a bottle…"
"Prison break? That's illegal, you know?" – Pietro Maximoff.
The Perfect Storm!
"Angharad, is that just the wind or is it some furious vexation?" – The Dag.
You don't know the power of the Dark Side... until his Lordship kindly gives us a demonstration…
"Be careful not to choke on your aspirations, Director" – Darth Vader.
She's not a queen. Or a monster. She doesn't hold back neither!
"…But it can't be you. You're just the worst" – Thor.
SNAP to it!
"You should have gone for the head…" – Thanos.
Is it possible that something got left out here?!
Can YOU think of a scene – shown on the big screen within the last five years – that needs to feature on this list?
As always, your awesome Comments will be very much appreciated!
"He's not so bad… deep down he's all fluff… He's also a huge dork. Chicks dig that!" – Natasha Romanoff.
Okey-dokey then, enough about ME!
Hope you have enjoyed these grooves, gags and gifs – thank you ever so much for popping round.
As long as WordPress continues, there will ALWAYS be good times and laughter on the site endearingly known as Bradscribe. For the rest of this month, it's back to the spooky stuff as we hurtle hectically towards Halloween.
Had intended to round off this one-in-a-half-decade jamboree with a few deep and profound words, but really: can anyone still see/hear me above that joyous cacophony of loud music, merry banter and balloons popping?!
So, in eager anticipation of many many more positive and productive Posts ahead, let me just wish you ALL:
A Very Happy Triple Choc Cheesecake Peanut Butter Caramel Cake!! 🙂
"Yes, it's true…! We're all here together… truly together, for our hearts are open books and this atmosphere breeds understanding and mutes the ego. Here we are all one, and in this oneness there can only be… love" – Adam Warlock.
Electric Dreams II: The Return Of Retrowave
August 20, 2017 mlbradford aliens, Blade Runner, books, cake, Carnage, comics, David Bowie, Dystopian World, Far Future, Frickin' Quarnex Battery, Guardians of the Galaxy, History, Lucid Dreams, Magic, Movies, Music, Nostalgia, Psychology, Quest, Science, science fiction, Space Flight, Stuff that Matters, Technology, Videos, Visual Futurism, What Is Real?
New Ways, New Ways, I Dream Of Wires
"My only exposure to electronic music before this had been Kraftwerk, but they were always trying to be machine-like… Then The Human League came along and their music had a human feel to it. It worked for me" – Gary Numan.
"One of my friends told me how genius it was that at the start of Cars [1979] there is just one note that stays and stays and stays," recalled affable high-flying Electro Overlord Gary Numan. "I had to break it to them that when I was in the studio I started playing the first note and couldn't think what to do next. I wasn't a genius at all, just bereft of ideas."
Ha! Such a self-effacing Overlord.
He paved the way for the innovative New Wave electronic pop outfits of the '80s, who, in turn, have helped influence the current music genre guaranteed to lift my spirits: Retrowave, aka Synthwave.
Can't go wrong wth a roster of retro vibes.
Thus, this selection includes just some of the audio pleasures to have sustained me during the last few weeks of alternating levels of creativity. Compiling the first instalment of this series turned out to be such a blast so this further indulgence was in order. Would like to think that you can find some gems in this collection that can inspire your writing too.
What better way to begin than with Miami Vice: the epitome of class '80s TV.
Crockett is a consistently good Retrowave artist – and knows how to set the right mood when my writing kicks in – in fact, one or two of his tracks have single-handedly inspired pieces of my fiction!
With this vid, all me groovy '80s small screen memories come flooding back; you're watching and all of a sudden – @ 00:38: BAM! there they are: Crockett and Tubbs – woo-hoo!! The boys are back in town! Together in Electric Dreams…?
"…I was always convinced that electronic music wasn't just another genre; it was a different way of approaching the composition and production of music. It was about the idea that music is not only made up of notes and harmonies, but could be made with sound…" – Jean Michel Jarre.
There are a least three YouTube channels constantly loading new material on a daily base; the quality and diversity on increasing offer is simply breathtaking – a mighty fine accompaniment to my working and creative sessions.
Such a gem starts off sounding akin to one of John Carpenter's more creepy movie scores before transmogrifyng into something by Gary Numan.
Surely, that is high praise, indeed?
This is glorious:
"I have heard the music of the future – don't look for anything else" – Brian Eno.
Cosmic!
Not only one of the most scrumptious words in the English language, it always presents a mighty fine and dandy excuse to explore the good stuff – and escape from the bad.
Synthwave is the only genre producing the kind of spacebound sounds that help Brad achieve just that.
From Turboslash to Turbo Knight – let's face it: it's these ecstatic moments of beautiful symmetry that keep bringing you back to Bradscribe.
This track is accompanied by some Japanese anime – always expect the unexpected on this site!
LOVE the deeeep intro to this – far out, man…
"…I went back to the big, original Moog and did everything electronically… In a computer. In '77… I suppose I helped modernise the sound of pop…" – Giorgio Moroder.
"I get credit for being a pioneer," Numan continued. "But you open a door and it allows other people who have got great ideas to come through and take it even further. You hear other people doing things and you think: That's great!'"
Well, what an amazing door.
Even better – heartening, even – to know that a considerable range of talented auteurs of audio awesomeness have seized the opp to not only revive '80s' pop vibes, but draw upon that decade's eclectic mix of SF movies (and their soundtracks!), videos and other media to create these retro-wonders.
This week, one of my more intelligible spam Comments (for one of my comic reviews, of all things) read:
"Built-in grooves to connect numerous units together."
Yes, that is all it said…
Would like to think that some really snazzy built-in grooves have been assembled here for your enjoyment this evening.
This is another Synthwave artist who can do no wrong @ th mo – there's no ace like HOME:
"Something new was in the air with electronic sounds. We were a younger generation. We came up with different textures" – Ralf Hutter (Kraftwerk).
"It all began, appropriately enough, in science fiction," wrote Jon Savage, in a blisteringly compelling exploration – published five years ago – of the development of electronic music.
He went on to confirm a personal belief held for some time that: "…the possibility of other worlds – and the transformation achieved of leaving this one – is a sure-fire way of abstracting from any problems that one has on this Earth…"
At this point my text rambles into something utterly profound – but hey! – it's getting late, and everyone just wants to party.
Don't they…?
"…Annnd it's half past groovy – you're listening to Bradscribe FM, beaming LIVE from the Cosmic Cakery across the Outer Rim Territories – playing the platters that matter on the station where the fun never stops!
"Get on the good foot, pop-pickers!"
"…On the wall back there is a black panel. Blinky yellow light. You see it? There's a quarnex battery behind it. Purplish box. Green wires. To get into that watch tower, I definitely need it…
"I got one plan, and that plan requires this frickin' quarnex battery, so FIGURE IT OUT!" – Rocket Raccoon.
And if this Third Rock From The Sun is all too much, you can always escape with Brad into some right snazzy realms of the imagination.
Where else in the blogosphere can you jump at such a chance?
As far as the universe is concerned, we are but fleeting and randomly assembled collections of energy and matter, forever foraging for greater meaning in our lives…
(Aha! Told you he was going to slip something hi-brow in…)
The cute but courageous 'Scribe may NOT hold all the unswers ye seek, but what DOES matter is that we don't waste what precious little energy we have.
"Keep your 'lectric eye on me, babe
Put your ray gun to my head
Press your space face close to mine, love
Freak out in a moonage daydream, oh yeah!" – David Bowie.