Ken Sharp Invites You to "Toytown"

Ken Sharp, the power pop maestro who's previously brought us terrific records such as 1301 Highland Avenue and Beauty in the Backseat, has just released his latest, Welcome to Toytown. Like his previous effort, 2021’s Miniatures, this double-length album explores a wide array of emotions in songs that are of shorter duration, all of them running one to two minutes in length. These superb tunes feature Sharp's heartfelt vocals and majestic melodies, layered into a shimmering, multi-instrumental soundscape that will evoke memories of the vintage baroque pop sound of groups such as The Left Banke and The Zombies, as well as modern practitioners of the form like The Divine Comedy, Velvet Crush, and Daniel Knox.

Welcome to Toytown is bursting at the seams with lovely songs such as “Great Big Beautiful World," "Friend In You," and “To Praise Your Love.”  Sharp is a supremely talented artist whose music reaches us on an emotional level because it’s full of genuine heart and soul. These well-crafted songs also connect with us because they’re infused with Sharp’s deep love and affection for the sounds of classic pop and rock, which shines through on tracks like “Last of the Dandys,” “Dreams In Our Head,” "I Am Your Spaceman," and of course, “Beach Boys On My Stereo.”

Speaking of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys, the centerpiece of the album is a song cycle entitled “Toytown Suite" which recalls Wilson’s work on classics records like Pet Sounds and Smile. This glorious mini pop opera features 12 inter-connected songs which tell the tale of a toymaker king who has lost his crown combined with the story of a child's enthusiasm about the Christmas holiday. In just under ten minutes, “Toytown Suite" will take you on a musical journey that encompasses a variety of emotions, sounds and musical styles. It's not just one of the best tracks on the album, it’s one of the finest pieces of work in Sharp’s already impressive musical oeuvre.

Welcome to Toytown is a phenomenal album filled with extraordinary music and fabulous songs featuring enchanting, intricate arrangements. This record is manna from heaven for lovers of classic pop. Ken Sharp's splendid songs will etch themselves into your memory, and find a lasting place in your heart. For more information on Ken and Welcome To Toytown, head over to https://kensharp.bandcamp.com/album/welcome-to-toytown, and follow this link to watch the video for “Great Big Beautiful World,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pelcPvtL1c.

13 Years of Eclectic Avenue

I started this blog back in 2011 as an outlet to write about my passion for the movies, music and books I loved, and share those thoughts with others. Throughout the previous years, I'd done some writing for local newspapers, and I'd also did a stint as a writer/editor for the KISS fanzine FIRE, which was published by my pal Gilda. I had been thinking about doing a blog for a while, and thanks to the support and encouragment of Gilda and a few other dear friends, I launched Eclectic Avenue. Alongside my "real-life" job experiences in publishing, IT and healthcare, working on the blog been a fantastic adventure, and the blog (and my writing) have come a long way in the ensuing years.

The positive response to Eclectic Avenue allowed me to participate in several blogathons, which are special events where a group of bloggers all write about a shared topic (for example, favorite TV episodes) and it also led me to submit a story to CultureSonar, a well-respected arts and entertainment website. I became a regular contributor to the site in 2017 and have written a quite a few articles for them since, including interviews with Dave Mason, William Shatner and Phil Volk of Paul Revere and The Raiders. It's a privilege to work for CultureSonar, and an honor to be part of the site's group of uber-talented writers.

A live shot of Early Elton from 2016

 

My work here at Eclectic Avenue and at CultureSonar has been tremendously fulfilling, and a whole lot of fun. When I started this blog, if you'd told me about the incredible experiences I'd have over the years, the people I'd meet, and the artists, writers and producers (including the talented Marc Platt, Grey DeLisle, Rin Lennon, Kurt Reil and Rich Pagano, John Conte and Jeff Kazee of Early Elton) I've gotten to know (and interact with on a regular basis) I probably wouldn't have believed you! My sincere thanks to you all for your kindness and cooperation, and your appreciation of my writing. It has been a fabulous, awesome and amazing experience to work with all of you.

I'm grateful to everyone who's read and enjoyed my work, and to those who've taken the time to reach out and comment about it. Thanks to Al and Cindy from CultureSonar for their continued support and encouragement, and also to Marty and Maureen at JEM Records for digging my work, and asking me to write about their fabulous artists on a regular basis, both here and at CultureSonar. Finally, I'd like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my friends for being there for me throughout the years. There's more to come both here at Eclectic Avenue and over at CultureSonar, so stay tuned!

 

TV Episode Blogathon 2024: The Bionic Woman

Vincent Price & Lindsay Wagner

The 1970s was the "bionic era" on ABC. In 1973, the network premiered The Six Million Dollar Man, first as a trio of made for TV movies, and later as an ongoing series. Based on the novel Cyborg by Martin Caidin, the novel, movies and ongoing series tell the story of Steve Austin, played by Lee Majors, who was given bionic enhancements after he was seriously injured in a crash while testing an experimental aircraft. Austin ends up working as an agent for the the Office of Scientific Investigation, aka the OSI, taking on enemies like aliens, robots, and nefarious enemy spies. The series was a ratings success, and a spinoff, The Bionic Woman, was launched in 1976.

The Bionic Woman is the tale of  Jaime Sommers (Lindsay Wagner), a tennis pro and old flame of Steve's,  who is seriously injured in a skydiving accident. Steve asks his OSI boss, Oscar Goldman, to give Jaime bionic upgrades in order to save her life. The character was first introduced during the second season of The Six Million Dollar Man, in a two-part episode, in which Jaime dies after her body rejects her bionics. The character proved so popular that she was brought back the following season, and it was revealed she had been saved using an experimental procedure which preserved her life, but affected her memory. She doesn't recall her past romance with Steve. Jaime ends up returning to her hometown of Ojai (where she and Steve grew up) working as a teacher, while also moonlighting as an OSI agent.

During the three season run of her series, The Bionic Woman battled the Fembots, mad scientists, enemy agents and her murderous doppleganger, Lisa Galloway, often teaming up with Steve Austin for multi-part crossover adventures. But did you know she also faced off against a  rogues gallery featuring Vincent Price, Julie Newmar, Abe Vigoda, Hermione Baddeley and William Windom. They all appeared in “Black Magic," which originally aired on November 10, 1976, as part of the series' 2nd season. Although there's no actual black magic featured in the episode, it's a spooky adventure with Jaime encountering a gallery of much beloved character actors.

After a briefing by Oscar Goldman, Jaime goes undercover to infiltrate the Carstairs family, a group of con artists, tricksters and ne’er do wells. Cyrus, the clan’s patriarch, has passed away, and the clan is coming together for reading of his will. Jaime poses as Tracy, a member of the family who no one has seen since she ran away to join the circus (to become a fortune teller, no less!) years ago. Among Cyrus’s possessions is a highly coveted formula for a new alloy that will be used in the manufacture of jet fighters.Oscar has inside intel which reveals it's going to be sold to the highest bidder, and it's Jaime’s objective to obtain the formula before it falls into the wrong hands.

The family gathers for the reading of the will, which was videotaped by Cyrus prior to his death. The larcenous assembly instantly begins bickering, sniping and trying to one up each other. It turns out the late patriarch isn’t going to make it easy for anyone to claim his fortune. On the videotape, Cyrus delivers a riddle inspired by the works of Lewis Carroll. The riddle contains clues to the whereabouts of his riches, which are hidden in a box somewhere in the house. The first person to find the treasure gets everything. The scavenger hunt is on, and it's every man or woman for themselves. When the family members split up to locate the box, everyone starts to mysteriously disappear! Soon only Manfred and Jamie remain. He and Jaime team up to locate the box. But is Manfred going to double cross her and keep the treasure (and the formula) for himself?

 “Black Magic,” is a lot of fun. The cast of veteran actors all have a good time tossing off the snarky dialogue in Arthur Rowe's script. That master of menace,Vincent Price, plays a dual role as both Cyrus and the wily Manfred, while Julie Newmar, aka Catwoman on the 1960s Batman series, is slinky and sinister as Claudette. Abe Vigoda, (Tessio in The Godfather and Sgt. Fish on Barney Miller) is Barlow, the double-crossing butler. Also on hand are Hermione Baddley of Mary Poppins and Maude, and William Windom, who has a ton of TV credits to his name, including a memorable appearance as Commodore Decker in the original Star Trek episode "The Doomsday Machine" and a recurring role on Murder, She Wrote. "Black Magic" was helmed by prolific TV director Barry Crane, who also was behind the camera for episodes of Mission: Impossible and Hawaii Five-O.

The Bionic Woman was in some ways the kindler, gentler side of the two bionic shows, which perfectly suited Wagner's personality and charisma. She won an Emmy for the role of Jaime in 1977. The series had its share of dramatic and intense episodes during its run, including the two-parters "Doomsday is Tomorrow" and "Deadly Ringer." "Black Magic" is definitely more of a lark, and Wagner has fun interacting with Price and the other veteran scene stealers, while trading quips (and silly code names) with Richard Anderson's Oscar Goldman. This is the sort of gathering that could only have happened on 1970s television! The Bionic Woman ran for two years on ABC, then moved over to NBC for its final season. Wagner, Majors, Anderson, and Martin E. Brooks, who played scientist Rudy Wells, reprised their roles in three TV movie reunions in the 1980s and 90s.

This post is part of the Favourite TV Episode Blogathon, hosted by Terence over at his blog, A Shroud of Thoughts. I'd like to thank him for allowing me to join in on the vintage TV fun. For more information on the blogathon, and to check out the other entries, please follow this link: https://mercurie.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-10th-annual-favourite-tv-show.html.

Grey DeLisle's Remarkable "Driftless Girl"

The prolific and supremely talented Grey DeLisle is a singer, songwriter, voice actor and stand-up comedian who's released some terrific music over the last few years, including the the marvelous covers record Borrowed, and She's An Angel, a superb collection of retro country originals. Her latest album, Driftless Girl, is another outstanding record. This magnificent collection of folk and country tinged songs may just be her best work yet. Driftless Girl opens with the low-key ballad "Where You're Coming From." That extraordinary track is followed by the terrific, country-rock flavored duet "My Two Feet," which includes vocals by Buck Meek.

The poignant "Driftless Girl," is a beguiling tune (featuring guest artist Nikki Grossman) which contains one of DeLisle's strongest performances to date. She always manages to find the heart and emotional center of the characters in her songs, and "Driftless Girl" is a prime example of this innate talent. The impressive title song isn't the end of DeLisle's superb work on the album. There's also the affecting "The Ballad of Ella Mae," a stunning murder ballad, and the captivating "I Don't Wanna Want You," a tale we can all relate to, about that person you probably shouldn't love or want to be with, but still do.

The spirited "Pretty Jolie" and the sly, tongue in cheek "Quick Draw" will win you over with their cool grooves and the energetic performances from DeLisle and her band. "In The Living Room," and "Mama's Little Rose" are chock full of old school country vibes, and "Down From Dover" (written by Dolly Parton) is a classic story song featuring another beautiful vocal by DeLisle. Driftless Girl is a truly magnificent record. DeLisle is an extraordinary, radiant performer and gifted songwriter, and she just keeps getting better with every release. Driftless Girl, with excellent production work by Jolie Holland, is most definitely on my list of the best albums of 2024. If you're not already listening to Grey DeLisle's music, this record is a great place to start. Here are links to "Driftless Girl," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu5Si90bv3g, and "My Two Feet," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MVV3XGPeBU.

Retro Roddenberry: Genesis II & Planet Earth

Before the Star Trek franchise was reborn on the big screen in 1979 with the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the creator of the show, Gene Roddenberry, was attempting to produce a new science-fiction adventure for television. He made several attempts to launch a new series during the 1970s, the first of which was the telefilm Genesis II. The movie, which originally aired on CBS in 1973, tells the story of Dylan Hunt, a 20th century scientist working on an experiment that will provide long term suspended animation for astronauts on deep space flights. During an earthquake at a NASA facility in Carlsbad Caverns, Hunt becomes trapped in hibernation inside an underground bunker while testing the system.

Hunt is discovered and revived by an organization called PAX in the year 2133. There’s been a nuclear war while Hunt has been asleep. He finds himself in a post-apocalyptic society where several groups are vying for control of the planet. PAX, much like the Federation in the original Star Trek, is a peaceful, multi-national organization trying to preserve the best attributes of mankind. When Hunt is misled by the traitorous Lyra-a, a mutant who has infiltrated PAX, he becomes embroiled in a conflict between PAX and Lyra-a’s people, the Tyranians, an evil collective who want him to repair their failing nuclear power systems, thus giving them an advantage in their conflict with PAX. Will Hunt help the villainous Tyranians, or return to aid PAX’s more Utopian society?

Ted Cassidy & Alex Cord in Genesis II

Genesis II is an entertaining, old school style sci-fi adventure that mixes elements of Star Trek, the original Buck Rogers, and other post-apocalyptic tales like Planet of the Apes. Alex Cord plays Dylan Hunt, and he’s decent (if a bit stodgy at times) in the role, but it’s Mariette Hartley (who had appeared in the original Star Trek episode “All Our Yesterdays”) who steals the show as the duplicitous Lyra-a. The cast also includes familiar faces Ted Cassidy, Percy Rodrigues, Lynne Marta, Titos Vandis and Nurse Chapel herself, Majel Barrett, aka Mrs. Roddenberry, in a small role. The flavorful score for the film is by Harry Sukman, and the solid direction is by John Lllewellyn Moxey, best known to genre fans for helming the eerie Horror Hotel (1960) and the classic telefilm The Night Stalker.

CBS passed on a weekly version of Genesis II, opting to go with a Planet of the Apes television series, which lasted only one season. Roddenberry took his Dylan Hunt ideas over to ABC, who produced Planet Earth in 1974. This sequel to/relaunch of the Genesis II saga features John Saxon (of Enter The Dragon) taking over the role of Dylan Hunt. After a brief recap of Dylan’s origin, we learn he’s now a PAX team leader. While on a mission, one of PAX’s council members is injured, and needs a type of surgery which can only be performed by a doctor who went missing while on a mission. When Hunt’s team goes in search of him, they learn he’s been captured by the Confederacy of Ruth, a society where women rule and men are subservient. Hunt ends up in the clutches of Marg, a leader of the female led group, and it’s a race against time to get the doctor back to PAX in time, as well as defeat the Kreegs, a militaristic band of mutants who have attacked both PAX and the Confederacy.

Janet Margolin & John Saxon in Planet Earth

Planet Earth is a lot of fun, and is lighter in tone than Genesis II. It feels very much like an episode of the original Trek series, where the crew went on a mission engaging in fist fights, philosophizing and a dollop of sexual innuendo. John Saxon definitely plays Hunt in a more macho-oriented, Captain Kirk leaning style. The PAX team even record mission log entries, just as Kirk and his crew did on the TV series. The marvelous supporting cast features Ted Cassidy, returning in his Genesis II role as PAX agent Isiah, Janet Margolin, taking over from Lynne Marta as PAX’s Harper-Smythe, and Diana Muldaur, who guest-starred in two episodes of Star Trek, and later portrayed Dr. Katharine Pulaski for one season on Star Trek: The Next Generation as Marg. She eventually succumbs to Dylan Hunt’s Kirk-like charm. The script for Planet Earth was written by Roddenberry and Juanita Bartlett, who went on to become a writer for The Rockford Files. Behind the camera this time out was another Trek veteran, Marc Daniels, who helmed the classic episode “Mirror, Mirror.”

Like CBS, ABC didn’t move forward with a series of weekly Dylan Hunt tales, though they re-tooled the concept once more (without Roddenberry) in 1975 as Strange New World, again starring John Saxon, as Anthony Vico, an astronaut lost in time. That third attempt also didn't lead to a weekly show. Roddenberry went on to produce pilot films for The Questor Tapes, about the adventures of an advanced android, and the supernatural thriller Spectre, neither of which went on to become a series. Some of the Dylan Hunt concepts later re-surfaced in the 1990s TV series Andromeda, which premiered after Roddenberry’s death. Genesis II and Planet Earth are now available together on a double-feature Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection, and these retro telefilms are worth a look for Roddenberry fans and devotees of 1970s sci-fi.

"Take A Good Look" at Paul Collins

If you’re a power pop fan, then I’ve got just the album to brighten up your day and chase away your winter blues. Paul Collins, best known for his work with The Nerves, The Breakaways and The Beat, aka The Paul Collins Beat, is back with a marvelous new release, Stand Back and Take a Good Look, which comes out February 16 on JEM Records. This outstanding record is a power pop fans dream come true. The disc includes appearances by Shoes, 20/20, Richard X. Heyman, and the late Dwight Twilley, who appears on the fabulous "I'm The Only One for You."

Stand Back and Take a Good Look features a superb collection of songs, including "Will You Come Through?" written by Paul's former bandmate Peter Case, "Another World," and "You Can't Go Back," co-written by Collins with Steven Huff, the bassist for The Beat, and even more melodic slices of pop perfection such as "How Will I Know," "Liverpool" and "That's When I Think of You." There's also the exuberant title track, which will almost certainly get stuck in your head and earworm its way onto your list of power pop favorites.

It's clear from his marvelous work here that Collins, who took a break from the music world for a while, hasn't lost his ability to craft marvelous rock and roll tunes seasoned with a touch of New Wave and a dash of punk. The album offers a great overview of the signature sound of the man who's been dubbed the "King of Power Pop." The songs on Stand Back and Take a Good Look are sparkling, swirling, and scintillating examples of the genre at its finest. Collins sounds terrific throughout the record, providing top-notch vocals and masterful rhythm guitar. In addition to the guest stars mentioned earlier, the album also features solid work by Prairie Prince and Ronnie Barnett.

Paul Collins adds another great album to his much celebrated oeuvre with Stand Back and Take a Good Look. While it might seem a bit early to be talking about "best albums of the year," I think you'll find this phenomenal record landing on a lot of top ten lists at the end of 2024. For more on Paul and his music, you can visit https://thepaulcollinsbeat.com/. Follow this link to check out one of my favorite tracks from the disc, the extraordinary "I'm The Only One For You," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L89KbKNtGR4, which was recently dubbed a "Coolest Song In The World" by Little Steven's Underground Garage on Sirius XM Radio.

Marc Platt's Powerful "Sins of the Family"

This week at Eclectic Avenue, I'd like to shine a light on the latest release from the uber-talented singer-songwriter Marc Platt. I've reviewed several of his previous discs here, including That Mid-Life Crisis, The Golden Ticket, and No AI: Plattinum Approved. Platt's new album, Sins Of The Family, just might be his best yet. It's another superlative collection of heartfelt songs that will connect with listeners on an emotional level.

The fantastic opening track, "The One That Got Away," details the aftermath of a troubled relationship. We've all had those intense connections which seemed great at the time, but in hindsight were better off left in the rearview mirror. That powerful song is followed by the more positive vibes of "When I Feel Alive"  and "Waiting For The Sun To Rise" both of which celebrate the more joyful side of love. On Sins Of The Family, Platt enhances his love of the pop/rock music of the 1960s with a subtle touch of the 1970s and 1980s on several of the album's sublime and graceful songs.

Themes of family, friendship, and the fluid nature of memory reverberate throughout this reflective, powerful record. Just listen to introspective tracks such as "What's Become of Us Now" "Young Again" and "Lovers and Traitors." You'll instantly be able to empathize with Platt's thoughtful tales of love, loss, pain and redemption. We've all dealt with the types of situations that he deftly illustrates in the title track, and "Battles Fought Battles Won." Despite the darker themes of some of the songs on the album, there's always a ray of hope on display in Platt's work, evidenced here in lovely tracks like "Settle My Mind" and "Live Every Day."

Sins Of The Family is anchored by Platt's deeply personal lyrics, emotional vocals, impressive guitar work and outstanding production. From the terrific opening track right on through to the superb closing number, "The Secret," this is a phenomenal album that will absolutely resonate with you on repeated spins. His innate talent for connecting with us through sharing personal experiences which echo our own puts him in the company of singer-songwriters like Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Cat Stevens and Jim Croce. You can check out this magnificent record by heading over to https://marcplatt.bandcamp.com/album/sins-of-the-family, and here's a link to the video for "The One That Got Away" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UpuEXCzs48.