circumstantial tree

Power Windows tour, Greensboro NC, April 22, 1986 with Blue Oyster Cult opening.

Wonder Woman. Watched the TV series religiously in the late 1970s and a fan of the recent "Wonder Woman" (2017) and "Wonder Woman 1984" (2020). A script was recently finished for Wonder Woman 3 but filming is not going to happen it was just announced. 

I think it was around early 1982 that I first heard their music. I had heard the band name previously but knew nothing about them. Caught "Vital Signs" video on MTV and mistakenly thought it was Supertramp (the vocals are similar) who were popular then. Saw the end credit as Rush. Thought it was an interesting song because I couldn't say what genre of music it was. It was a mix of hard rock and new wave. Began seeing the ESL versions of Tom Sawyer, Red Barchetta, and Limelight over the summer and my interest increased. But "Subdivisions" was the one that pulled me in during the Fall of 1982. I got the new "Signals" album and became hardcore immediately. Didn't see them perform live until the Power Windows tour.

Sometime after Roll the Bones. I had been a fan since Moving Pictures, but a diehard since Signals. And I was in love with Rush the most between 1982 and 1989. I really liked Presto and Roll the Bones, but my enthusiasm had dwindled slightly between those albums. Roll the Bones I wasn't too sure of after the first couple of listens but it grew on me rather quickly. Around 1991, my musical interests were changing I think. I was simply ready to hear different bands, different sounds. During the summer of 1991 I started watching "120 Minutes" on MTV and was quickly enjoying bands that would be called alternative rock bands. Two musical movements came about then - "grunge", which was Seattle based and "shoe gaze", which was the newest wave out of the UK. I leaned more toward shoe gaze and similarly styled bands. I didn't quite warm up to grunge though. Because of my new music interests, I couldn't get into Counterparts (which I liked more over the years) nor Test for Echo (which still ranks at the bottom for me). Both musical movements lasted until around 1995 after which, we started seeing boy bands and other similar kinds of acts which I couldn't get into. And dear god, remember the macarena in 1996?

 

I bought "Different Stages" sometime after it was released and thought, for a live album, it was pretty damn good. In the late 1990s I was getting into ambient, new age style music and still think that most of it is not half bad, but it can be too moody at times. There was a jazz radio station out of Plymouth, MA that aired ambient style music on Sunday nights which introduced me to different performers.

 

My interest was renewed in Rush when Geddy's "My Favorite headache" came out and I heard about the first RushCon in 2001 which I attended. Finally, I was able to meet other big time Rush fans and my interest increased significantly as a result and word that Rush was working on their first new album at the time which would be "Vapor Trails". And I loved it! Something that was missing in T4E and Counterparts (not sure what it was) had reappeared on Vapor Trails. I went to opening night in Hartford, CT in May 2002. One of my most memorable Rush shows. And it was the first Rush concert I attended since Roll the Bones in March 1992 in Chapel Hill, NC.

 

When they released "Snakes and Arrows", I liked the album for a period but then got bored with it. Some great songs on it, but I never was in the mood to play it. I thought "Clockwork Angels" was much better but I'm never in the mood to play it. Vapor Trails is my "go to" album regarding the most recent releases.

My first new topic on TRF in quite some time. Anybody else looking forward to seeing Wonder Woman 1984? I absolutely loved the first movie in 2017. I had my doubts at first back then since Lynda Carter owned that role in the late 1970s. But Gal Gadot has proved she can take the role in the movie industry. Because I was so impressed with the first movie, I now look forward to the new film once it ever opens.

 

Originally, it was going to open a year ago in December, but director Patty Jenkins decided to move the opening date to June 2020, unaware, just as we all were, that the pandemic would rear its ugly head. Opening date has been moved several times since with a new release date, as of now, on Christmas Day.

 

My fantasy would be that if there is an 80s music soundtrack, Rush would somehow be on it. Since the movie takes place in 1984 I even fantasized that song from Grace Under Pressure would appear in it somewhere, or maybe even something from Signals. Given some of the plot points, it would seem "The Big Money" would be ideal, but that didn't come out until 1985.

 

In this movie, Diana deals with two foes - Maxwell Lord (who I think is patterned after Donald Trump of the 1980s era) as well as Barbara Minerva once she transforms into Cheetah, a major foe for Diana in the comics, but was never seen in the 1970s series. Cheetah, I think, is Wonder Woman's biggest enemy in the comics in the same way Joker is Batman's most important foe.

 

The character of Steve Trevor, who died in the first film, reappears in this new film causing people to wonder how that could be possible. Although I've seen and heard leaks about the plot in the second film, I can see how it is possible whether fans would may or may not like that.

 

I plan on seeing the movie as soon as it opens in theaters.

I'm all "pizza'ed" out. I used to love it, but nowadays I have no desire to eat it. I think it's because my body is getting old and can only handle lighter foods. Speaking of the least, I'd say my preference is fettucini alfredo although I'd add chicken to it.

Right now, the latest I'm into is music by Zola Jesus. She's been around since around 2010. Zola Jesus is a stage name she uses, it's not her actual name. She's very electronic, uses strings, and is somewhat goth and might be what can be called "Dark Wave". Her stuff is not for everyone's tastes though, but it caught my attention several years ago.

Force Ten comes to mind.

pick anything from Test for Echo and those will be my 5.

"Time Stand Still"' is okay. It's got good moments. Other moments could have been edited out.

You mad cuz you weren't in this one?

 

;)

I do prefer BTLS (regardless of whether I'm in it or not) because it was more about the band, their progress, and their approach to music and album concepts. Plus it was chronological.

 

TSS is more about the tour and touring in general and I don't find that as interesting. I liked the fan interviews and I have met several of the people in them at RushCon. I think the Obama segment could have been left out because it has nothing to do with Rush or their final tour.

"Time Stand Still"' is okay. It's got good moments. Other moments could have been edited out.

I like the album. I know I shouldn't but I do like it. Peter Banks had wanted to be part of the tour but Steve Howe, according to Banks, manipulated the situation to make sure he was not on it. Steve Howe also wasn't too thrilled with Trevor Rabin and said the guitars often clashed on stage.

 

Many of the songs were supposed to be part of a new ABWH album they'd been working on. Somebody convinced Yes East (ABWH) and Yes West (Squire, White, etc...) to come together for the album. Rick Wakeman hates it with an utter passion, much more than he ever did with Tales from Topopgraphic Oceans.

 

My fave songs include "Silent Talking", "Angkor Wat", "Take the Water to the Mountain". I can tell these were ABWH tunes because they have Anderson written all over them.

What operating system?

Windows 10

For some strange reason, audio will only play through either headphones plugged into my computer or through loud speakers plugged into the computer.

 

Until recently, if I was listening and watching videos on YouTube I had the choice of either. If I wanted to switch from headphones to loud speaker, all I had to do was pull my headphones out of the console and the sound would automatically come from the speakers. Just taking out my headphones or plugging the jack back in would allow this change.

 

Now, I have to go to settings and choose a default to loudspeakers or headphones. How can I fix it back to the way it was?!

I wasn't listening to radio then. I mean, there was MTV, so radio was past tense. Distant Early Warning video came out maybe a month later. Body Electric came out July 1984 on MTV. And Red Sector A live video came out around November 1984.

It came into our record stores on Tuesday, April 17th 1984. I bought it the following Saturday, April 21st. Overcast, very raw day and was Easter weekend too I think. The weather of that day certainly went well with the cold, drafty sound of the album.

Hey, I knew I still had my southern accent but the accent you hear in the documentary is nowhere near as strong as the one I used to have.

To me it's about suicide and dealing with life instead of ending it. I always interpret "Between the Wheels" as suicide because I was thinking about it at the time of that song.

 

On "The Pass", and I really like the song by the way, I find the lyric "dreamers turn to look at the cars" to be awkward.

At the Mad Monster party in Charlotte over the weekend. Here I am with Adrienne King ("Alice") from Friday the 13th (1980).

 

 

This is awesome ..... The original Friday The 13th is completely underrated and overshadowed by all the bad sequels

 

I was lucky enough to meet Betsy Palmer ( RIP ) at a convention here in NJ a while ago, and she was the most gracious and kind person ...

 

I have seen just about every horror film ever, but Fri The 13th stands alone as the one that traumatized me when I saw it in the theater as a kid

 

( Probably a New Jersey thing as it was filmed a few minutes from where I live :)

 

Yep. Adrienne spoke of Betsy Palmer as being a very kind person. I had seen her in a movie with Joan Crawford called "Queen Bee". But she was a star in the 1950s for sure. So "Mrs. Voorhees" was probably a sexy looking woman when she killed those "two counselors who weren't paying any attention while that young boy drowned". LOL. Adrienne said that Betsy unfortunately was overlooked by the Academy Awards this year in the memoriam section of those that died this year.

 

Friday the 13th was filmed in Hope, NJ and Blairstown, NJ. I only like this film and the following sequel. Not as interested in part 3 or afterward.

 

Harry Manfredini and Tom Savini (Friday the 13th music composer and makeup guy respectively) were also in attendance.

 

Linda Blair was supposed to be there but she didn't make it I guess. Instead they got Eileen Deetz who was a standin for Linda in the movie as well as the face of the demon.

 

Malcolm McDowell, Tony Moran (one of the Michael Myers of Halloween), George Romero the film director for Dawn of the Dead, the guy who played Jason in the remake (don't know his name), Dee Wallace (Cujo, Howling) were there as well.

 

It was great meeting the ones I did. Would have liked to have met the others but didn't want to spend too much money. The three above were all great to talk to and had no problem carrying on a conversation.

And William Katt who played "Tommy Ross" in "Carrie" (1976).

 

With PJ Soles who played "Norma Watson" in Carrie (1976) and "Linda" in Halloween (1978).

 

At the Mad Monster party in Charlotte over the weekend. Here I am with Adrienne King ("Alice") from Friday the 13th (1980).

 

Let's see....in no particular order:

 

Test for Echo: the album.

 

I voted Signals. It's my second fave album and was the reason I became hardcore fan. However, Fly By Night is my third favorite so I really love it as well. At the time, FBN was the first "classic" back catalog Rush album for me to get.