Dad's Movies: "Twelve O'Clock High"

 This is a pretty obvious one, 1949's Twelve O'Clock High.

This movie sits at an interesting crossroads in movie history. The film gets into serious detail about a bomber squadron doing daytime raids against Germany, which was a new thing for the Allies at the time. It was also very dangerous with high casualty rates. Gregory Peck's character comes in to relieve the squadron leader who is having difficulty maintaining the bombing campaigns while his men suffer losses and high levels of stress. 

There is a level of realism and honesty about war that was almost unheard of for WW2 movies at that time. On the other hand, the dialogue and some stylistic touches are more similar to movies made during the war. Overall, the show really strives for a realistic and sympathetic approach and was rated very highly by WW2 vets as one of the only movies that came close to depicting what is was like for these flight crews. 

The movie is very talky with many scenes taking place in offices and personal quarters, which makes things seem slow. If I had a criticism, it would be that there were a few too many early in the film speeches and exchanges, especially given how well done and tense the one late-film air battle is. Also great is the realistic look of the sets and exteriors; those are real B-17s being used in the takeoff and landing sequences. The stock combat footage is well integrated into the movie.

The cast is overall very good. I don't always love Peck's acting style, but he's great here, though he seems a little young to be a general. Nitpicks.

I'm sure Dad found this movie to be hard hitting, given his time building combat aircraft during the war.

Dad's Movies: "Dead Reckoning"

 No, not the Mission: Impossible sequel, but Dead Reckoning (1947), the Bogart film. This movie slots in during the peak time of Film Noir, but doesn't quite fit the Noir mold. This one feels like a mashup of a number of other Bogart detective movies, but adds the angle of a guy returning from WW2; makes sense. 

The story has some silly dialogue (well-delivered by Bogart) and too much flashback/VoiceOver narration for my taste, but gets the job done with a number of plot twists that aren't super obvious. 

Bogart is great, as usual, even when delivering his little monologue about how women should act (yikes). Lisabeth Scott does well, though she doesn't always convince as a conniving femme fatale.

Dad was a big Bogart fan, so I suspect he grabbed this one, while agreeing that this is no Maltese Falcon.

Dad's Movies: "The Moon is Down"

The Moon is Down (1943) is remembered, if at all, for the fact that it's based on a Steinbeck novel and maybe for it having Henry Travers (Clarence in, It's a Wonderful Life) in it. Like a lot of others made that year, this is most certainly a product of its time, but it rises above other similar propaganda movies made during the war in how it humanizes individuals, even some of the Nazis. 

The cast does reasonably well, even if they tend to underplay some of the scenes, with Travers and Peter van Eyck, making the strongest impressions. Oh, and Natalie Wood appears in her first movie as a child. 

The movie spends a little too much time having the characters stand around monologuing, but makes its point. This is another movie that I'm pretty sure Dad saw during the war, perhaps between shifts at the P-51 factory. Another point he probably found amusing was the way that the Germans brought a brass band with them to the occupied village. 

Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 43)

WTF, 43?  At some point I will have to do a follow up installment where I go through this as one playlist and see which ones I linger on. Yes, "Songs I (still) Didn't Skip".  Don't get too excited.

"Pull Up the Roots" by Talking Heads (1983) 

The album this is from, "Speaking in Tongues" is such a classic that it's hard to find anything new or interesting to say about stuff from it. This song is such a fun 'Heads take on Funk, and yet retains the essential oddness of the band. 

"Back in the USSR" by The Beatles (1968)

I'm sure I've talked about The White Album before here, but it's the first Beatles LP I became familiar with as a youth and so it occupies a larger than normal place in my brain, even though it really isn't, in my view, the strongest Beatles album. It is, however, the one I am most fond of. I think I barely knew what "Back in the USSR" was parodying when I first heard it, but it rocks out, no matter what.

"245 Days" by Peter Himmelman (1989)

I think I first heard this song on one of those music-only cable/satellite TV channels in the late-1990s. This channel really had some great 1990s+ alternative pop that wasn't at all on my radar. The channel was so good that I recorded hours of it for later review on my Minidisc recorder. Wow. This song is still really good with some great, super-TWANGY, fretless electric bass playing. Oh, and Himmelman is from Minnesota, so that's a bonus. 

"Get Up Offa That Thing" by James Brown (1976)

Speaking of bass players, the guy on this track, Will Lee, was the longtime bassist for David Letterman's house band. Cool. 

"On Interstate 15" by Wall of Voodoo (1982)

I'm pretty sure I was driving somewhere when this song came up. Perfect. 

"Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" by Isaac Hayes (1969)

Ever the intellectual, Mr. Hayes uses a lot of ten dollar words in this song. But, the groove is the thing.

"Welcome Back" by John Sebastian (1976)

Yes, back when TV shows had hit songs for their theme songs. This one is really good, and lyrically has a lot going on! Of course, the song, even in its broadcast TV length, must seem intolerably long for an opening credits sequence. "They tease him a lot, 'cause they've got him on the spot. Welcome back."

"Cuts You Up" by Peter Murphy (1989)

Apparently, this guy is known as the "Godfather of Goth". Fun fact!

"Broken Jaw" by Foster the People (2011)

The instrumental break in the middle of this song sounds like it could be the music for the latest Mega Man game.

"Tell the Truth" by Ray Charles (1960)

Hmm, did James Brown borrow the horn lick from this tune for "I Feel Good"?

"We Never Change" by Coldplay (2000)

Despite its age and lots of use in movies/TV, the tunes from this band's debut album still sound pretty fresh.

"Proud Mary" by Ike and Tina Turner (1971)

Damn, this really cooks! I think this outdoes the original.

"Lodi" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)

A natural choice to linger on after the last tune. It's hard to believe this was the "B" side to "Bad Moon Rising". It's not the usual filler they usually used for that.

"You Happy Puppet" by 10,000 Maniacs (1989)

There's that droning organ again.

"Wake Up Little Susie" by Simon and Garfunkel (1982)

Such a natural song for these two to cover.

"Gone Hollywood" by Supertramp (1979)

One of the few full LPs I bought with my own money in 1979. I pretty much played it to death. The album itself doesn't aspire to prog rock but settles into what the band was meant to be, '70s pop with just a bit of an edge.

"Sweet Dreams" by Patsy Cline (1963)

A heartbreaking classic, of course, but they should have ditched the strings. Cline herself, apparently agreed.

"I Can Help" by Billy Swan (1974)

This must have sounded old, even in 1974. 

"Love Rollercoaster" by Ohio Players (1975)

Aside from the silly story that surrounded the recording of the song, it's just FUN.

"Hole in the River" by Crowded House (1986)

I think Mr. Finn needs to explain how exactly a hole can get into a river.

Dad's Movies: "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo"

 It's more WW2 fun with Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944). 

This movie slots in nicely with over propagandistic shows of the time that really wanted to not only play up the Doolittle Raid, but paint those serving overseas in a heroic light at a time when the war had been going on for a while.

Spencer Tracy really only has a few scenes where he gives speeches (he always asks if anyone wants to drop out!) so the real featured performer here is Van Johnson. Johnson does relatively well not overplaying his role and the rest of the cast is mostly okay with a small early role for Robert Mitchum, who stands out.

The film plays it pretty straight on the facts of the Doolittle mission and isn't nearly as cringy with the anti-Asian stuff as other similar films, but the real issue is that the show is just too long. The first half feels like a slog and doesn't really pick up until the story shifts to the mission itself. 

The score is pretty weak with a lot of stock cues and patriotic musical wallpaper. Fine. 

And, one of the best things about the movie is all the authentic shots of WW2 aircraft. There's a lot less stock footage than you'd expect. 

I don't know how much Dad loved this movie, but I'm sure he remembered it from the time since he was likely spending his days building airplanes (P-51s), so this would have meant something.

Dad's Movies: "The Mask of Dimitrios"

 It's another 1940s WW2 movie, The Mask of Dimitrios (1944). 

At some point, people figured out that Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet were a lot of fun together in movies, so they made some! This one could have used some more scenes with the two of them, but they're great when they are playing off each other. The rest of the show has a slow start and relies on flashbacks too much for my taste, but it all comes together well. I know Dad enjoyed these two performers, so it's natural that he'd have this film in his collection. 

Dad's Movies: "Northern Pursuit"

 This time, it's another WW2 movie, made during the war:  Northern Pursuit (1943). 

An above-average show for its time and nicely balances the propagandistic elements with a straight adventure story. Unlike some movies of its kind, this one doesn't paint the Nazis as clowns or fools; a credible threat indeed. The plot is far from original, but works decently here. 

Flynn is his usual suave action hero self, doing what would have been a James Bond-like turn, had he been doing movies decades later. The supporting case does well with the material. The Germans actually speak German some of the time (no subtitles but that wasn't really a thing, then) and even the indigenous characters, who don't look like white actors in makeup, speak (what I assume is) their own language. 

The production looks fairly expensive with a mix of studio sets and some locations--quite good for the era. 

I can imaging my Dad seeing this on a break from working at the aircraft factory during the war. A fun diversion. 

Dad's Movies: "The Sea Hawk"

And now we get, The Sea Hawk (1940)!

Somehow, I've never gotten around to watching this entire movie. The score is justifiably famous and it adds a lot. It's pretty well known that Korngold's score for this and some other shows were a huge inspiration for John Williams' Star Wars score.  I got to know the music when our high school marching band played an arrangement of the opening title music from this movie. Dad must have jumped on that when it was made available. 

The movie is really good with Flynn being at the top of his swashbuckling game--hey, it's practically Robin Hood at Sea! The film has more WW2 propaganda elements than I was expecting; Spain's menace is a good stand-in for Nazi Germany. 

The rest of the cast is great Claude Rains and Flora Robson being the supporting cast standouts. Brenda Marshall, who's adorable, does what she can with a thinly written part as the romantic interest.

The movie looks great with expensive-looking sets and impressive effects (for 1940!) during the battle scenes. 

 

Dad's Movies: "The Great Race"

This Blake Edwards 1960s comedy, The Great Race (1965) has been on my radar for a long time but I finally caught up to it. This show came at the end of the line for big budget roadshow movies. The money spent here is on full display with tons of pricey location shooting and practical special effects.

This movie, along with some other ones of its kind, really pulls out all the stops to be a live-action cartoon, at least where its gags and action set pieces are concerned. On the other hand, the film has a definite nostalgia (there's even a dedication to Laurel and Hardy at the beginning) feeling going on, something that audiences of the 60s likely would have grasped, or at least had an inkling of from their parents. The early silent movie era feel is strong. Hell, there's even a song break, complete with a follow-the-bouncing-ball graphic.

Curtis plays the shining (literally) lead here as well as you'd expect. Curtis also gets to do a sword fight with his shirt off (Shatner eat your heart out!). Lemmon gets to have the most fun with his totally over-the-top performance as the mustache-twirling villain. Lemmon's acting can be grating in this movie (that laugh) but I have to think this is what Blake Edwards was after. There's also a pretty apparent gay relationship between Lemmon and Falk's characters if you look for it.

Natalie Wood, for me, is the standout. Wood gets to do more than be the love interest, though the Suffragette side plot is pretty clumsy, and is always charming. She also looks amazing throughout the show with a large number of costume changes. 

I think this was just too long and overblown for me. The humor and expensive look of the show just had trouble sustaining everything. Dad was fond of movies like this. As usual, it would be interesting to ask him how this one held up as I suspect he saw it during its original run.

Dad's Movies: "The Uninvited"

 This ticks two boxes that Dad had for old movies he liked to revisit. Stories about musicians and released during WW2. Which brings me to The Uninvited (1944). 

This was made during the time when psychology was becoming a trendy topic in Hollywood films. The show isn't all about psychological things but also works as a good haunted house story. Fortunately, the psychology angle isn't overdone and thus the show has aged better than other movies of the time. The plotting is a little convoluted but keeps you guessing well enough until the nature of the mystery is apparent, even if we figure it out well before the characters do. 

The cast is really good. Milland can be pretty bland in some of his shows but he's better here and of course we know he had acting chops since his famous performance in "The Lost Weekend" is only a few years off. Here, he plays it charming and cool, though he comes off a bit flat on the more dramatic scenes. 

Gail Russell gives a realistic, vulnerable performance which apparently was a reflection of the actor's insecurity in real life. The rest of the cast is good and Cornelia Otis Skinner doing well with a slightly off-balance take as the mental institution director who seems to have had a gay relationship with one of the "ghosts". And yeah, of course it's problematic that one of the weirder people in the movie is the lesbian. Fun! Oh, and isn't it funny how most of the people in the movie, which takes place in England, sound like Americans? 

The movie is justifiably famous for introducing the jazz standard song, "Stella by Starlight".

What also makes the movie work is the very effective cinematography, much of which takes place in dark, candlelit interiors. 

Dad's Movies: "Mr. Lucky"

 Given how much of a staple Grant's movies were in my home, growing up, it's a bit of a surprise that it's taken me this long to get to this one, Mr. Lucky (1943).  I can imaging Dad seeing this in between shifts at the aircraft factory he worked at during the war.

This movie fits Cary Grant's natural acting style like an old shoe; he really does convince as a charming con man. There are some unavoidable wartime propaganda aspects that bog things down in the last third of the movie, but it mostly works. Normally, the predicable character turns would be tough to swallow but Grant sells them well and Laraine Day's love interest character proves to be up to taking on Grant's smooth deceptions; she's actually pretty good here and has some depth of character. 

The film lacks some of the crackling dialogue that we got in Grant's best movies but the charm and overall good feelings smooth over the cracks. I'm grading this one on a bit of a curve due to the time it was made. 

Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 42)

 Part 42?! I keep thinking I'm going to get too many repeats or run out of tunes I linger on, but no.

"Blue Jean" by David Bowie (1984)

This was described by a critic as one of Bowie's best second-rate hits. Second-rate it may be, but it's still a banger.

"High on Sunday 51" by Aimee Mann (2002)

Mann does well with the drug metaphor here!

"Murder by Numbers" by The Police (1983)

This was a bonus track on the original release CD/cassette that wasn't on the vinyl. It's not a great Police song and I don't think it's better or worse of a song to close the LP with than, "Tea in the Sahara". As an album, "Synchronicity" doesn't quite hold together in the second half--the first half is very strong.

"Another Star" by Stevie Wonder (1976)

Could this be the one SW song done as a Samba???

"In the Shadows" by The Rasmus (2004)

Early-aughts alt/pop from...Finland?

"Ooh Baby Baby" by Linda Ronstadt (1978)

Another great cover by Linda who did a lot of great covers!

"Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" by Warren Zevon (1976)

Oh, this is funny. Ronstadt did a cover of this song a year later!

"Tip of My Tongue" by John Hiatt (1987)

From one of the best albums of the 1980s that few people think of when they think of 80s music.

"Ruby Baby" by Donald Fagen (1982)

Wow, a lot of covers on this installment.

"Year of the Cat" by Al Stewart (1976)

This has Alan Parsons and his over-the-top production written all over it. Lyrically, this song is kind of like "Margaritaville" but less fun.

"S.I.B. (Swelling Itching Brain)" by Devo (1987)

Classic paranoid Devo energy.

"Mean Mr. Mustard" by The Beatles (1968, demo version)

It can be revealing to hear these early versions of songs that are so familiar.

"Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" by Elton John (1973)

I don't really have much to add to this classic but I'm reminded just how tight EJ's backup band was in those days.

"One Tongue" by Hothouse Flowers (1993) 

Today, this band kind of comes across as "U2 with horns". Nice enough.

"Rose Garden" by Lynn Anderson (1970)

A lyrical masterpiece:  "I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden."

"Communication Breakdown" by Led Zeppelin (1969)

These guys were so good, right out of the gate.

"Signed, Sealed, Delivered" by Stevie Wonder (1970)

The Motown groove is strong with this one. James Jamerson!

"James and the Cold Gun" by Kate Bush (1978)

Speaking of James...this is a good one but it goes on a bit too long. Kate gets a pass, however.

"Change of the Guard" by Steely Dan (1972)

A very un-Yacht Rock-like Steely Dan tune as they were mostly a just a rock band then.

"Save a Prayer" by Duran Duran (1982)

There's a lot of heft in this ode to a one-night stand.

"A Place in the Sun" by Stevie Wonder (1966)

Another cover! This is a pretty straight country-style song but SW still nails it.

Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 41)

 Every once in a while, I remember I was doing this thing.

"15 Step" by Radiohead (2007)

From perhaps a second-tier Radiohead album...which is still really good! The other notable thing I recall from this one was the publicity it generated when the band released it as an mp3 download where you could name your price (including zero). It was still the age of CDs and digital music downloads (this album would not show up on Spotify until 2016); an interesting time for the music business.

"The Party's Over" by Willie Nelson (1967)

Nelson really knew how to shame a drunk.

"Fixing a Hole" by The Beatles (mono, 1967)

I'm sure I've gone on about the Beatles mono mixes before but this is another example of their overall superiority. 

"Your Sister Can't Twist (but She Can Rock and Roll)" by Elton John (1973)

A deep cut from the monster LP, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". 

"Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac (1975)

I don't have much to contribute to this monster hit of the 70s that remains one of Nicks's strongest songs.

"Rocks Off" by The Rolling Stones (1972)

Mick sounds a little drunk on this one but Charlie Watts pulls him along.

"One of the Millions" by XTC (1989)

A great bass line on this 3/4 time track. The back story of this band is an extended bummer.

"Waltz Across Texas Tonight" by Emmylou Harris (1995)

Hmm, another song in 3! I do find the album this came from to have aged pretty well. Sure, it still sounds a tad weird with its ice-cold, reverb drenched production, but I still think it's great, nearly 30 years later(!).

"Learnt My Lesson Well" by Kaiser Chiefs (2007)

This would mash up well with ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky", don't you think?

"High and Dry" by Radiohead (1995)

Oh yeah, now this is peak Radiohead.

"Baby I'm A-Want You" by Bread (1972)

I'm a-not sure about the grammar on this one!

"Ain't That a Shame" by Pat Boone (1955)

I can picture Pat taking time between Chevrolet ads to make this recording. No one but Boone could make an R&B song sound this white.

"Rest Your Love on Me" by Bee Gees (1978)

It's fun to hear these guys do a Country song in the middle of their Disco Glory Years.

"Getting In Tune" by The Who (1971)

Have I hit every song from the album this song came from ("Who's Next") yet? There's one I would probably skip but the rest are genuine classics.

"Sara Smile" by The Bird and the Bee (2010)

A great Hall & Oates cover. 

"The World Isn't Fair" by Randy Newman (2003)

Another one where Newman performs a piano/vocal-only version of one of his songs. This version works better than the original, which is a bit over-orchestrated (shocking, I know).

"Tired of Your Jive" by B.B. King (2005)

How can you skip a song with that title???

"Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" by Willie Nelson (1975)

Willie tackled an old 1940s Country tune and found himself with a hit record, which boosted his career at the time. 

"All The Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)" by REM (2001)

This is okay but I don't the band's keyboard-heavy later material has aged as well.

"She's a Lady" by Tom Jones (1971)

Speaking aging well...or not.

"Advice for the Young at Heart" by Tears for Fears (1989)

I find it interesting how much the sound of this group changed album to album, at least through the first three. From sorta-edgy synth pop, to new wave or something (whatever you'd call the style of "Songs From the Big Chair"), to openly riffing on The Beatles with big production values.

Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 40)

 Okay, so it's been a while but it's freakin' Part 40 for crying out loud! 

As usual, I've posted these in the form of a Spotify playlist which you can find here with the usual caveat that once in a while, a song I reference isn't available on the service. 

"Here Comes Your Man" by The Pixies (1989)

It's the most mainstream song from this band by a long shot but still has a tiny bit of an edge to it with a catchy guitar lick.

"Reva's House" by Los Lobos (1992)

Another good track from a really solid album. The opening really hits with a "wall of sax" and a great Country Swing (?) feel. Sure, it's no Elmo and the Lavender Moon but what is?

"Not Now John" by Pink Floyd (1983)

I may have let this track play through due to a certain name being in the title but damn, this was the *single* from this album? Fun stuff.

"Monkey's Paw" by Laurie Anderson (1989)

This song seems to have been influenced by the musical feel of Paul Simon's "Graceland" album and even features the same South African bassist who played on that 1980s staple. 

"Green Flower Street" by Donald Fagen and the New York Rock and Soul Revue (1991)

A live version of a song from Fagen's first solo album that manages to mostly outshine the studio version with one exception. Fagen really likes to play this odd instrument called the Melodica. I've seen him play this thing at Steely Dan shows and he pulls it out for this tune. Needless to say I am not a fan but you may feel differently.  The "Revue" was a short-lived group of hot shots that made one live album. The NYRSR wasn't really a group as they mostly performed their own songs but it did include Fagen, Phoebe Snow, Michael McDonald, Boz Skaggs, and others. The album is very good and should be, given the talent involved. 

"Fido, Your Leash Is Too Long" by The Magnetic Fields (1999)

An amusing alternative song packed to the rafters with fun retro, super analog-y synths. 

"Stop Loving You" by Toto (1988)

This is one of the stronger tracks from this LP. It's kind of hard to believe that this was released only 11 years before the previous Magnetic Fields song which sounds like it's from a different musical planet (at least within pop music, let's not get too pedantic).

"Jenny Wren" by Paul McCartney (2005)

A very good late-period McCartney song from one of his better albums, period. Better than I remember.

"Your Dictionary" by XTC (1999)

Pretty good but it leans a bit too much into Beatles territory. 

"Racing in the Street" by Bruce Springsteen (1978)

Another Springsteenian Epic.

"What's in the Middle" by The Bird and the Bee (2009)

One reviewer called this, music "for the NPR crowd". Guilty as charged.

"Not About Love" by Fiona Apple (2004)

I think I talked about the album this song is from, the one that had its earlier version leaked on the Internet before but this is another example where the earlier attempt with a different producer and the arrangement is better, in my opinion. There's a good, sort of long article here about the whole saga around this album that's worth a read. Needless to say, this track is not on the streaming services but seems to be on YouTube.

"Broken" by Tears for Fears (1985)

This almost sounds like an extended introduction to the song that comes up next on this album, the big hit, "Head Over Heels". 

"God Put a Smile upon Your Face" by Coldplay (2002)

Is this the best song by this band? I have no idea but it is catchy as hell. 

"Working My Way Back to You" by The Spinners (1980)

Another example of the later cover version surpassing the (still good) original. 

"Well..All Right" by Buddy Holly and The Crickets (1958)

This is one of my favorite Holly tunes. It's a perfect, stripped to its bare essentials, pop song. I also love the way that the drummer plays the whole track on one cymbal which gives the song an unusual sound.

"Means to an End" by Traffic (1968)

This feels a bit like a throw-away song from this LP but it's short!

"Po' Boy" by Bob Dylan (2001)

A great later-period Dylan song with lyrics that seem random but somehow come together. It may not be profound but it has...an easy-going depth...whatever that means.

"Right Now" by Van Halen (1991)

That Hagar fellow is starting to grow on me.

"Lady" by Styx (1973)

With all due respect to "Mr. Roboto", this is one of the band's earliest and best hit songs. I have yet to plumb the depths of all Styx LPs so I may have to remain ignorant of the band's deeper cuts. The song has a great interplay between the instruments in the early part of the song with a massive buildup with what I assume is some kind of organ to get us to the Power part of the Power Ballad. 

Silly details:  My copy of this song is from an old CD box set of 1970s hits called, "Have a Nice Decade". The CD box had a strip of green carpeting that reminds me of the carpet that was in my high school which was built in 1978 and also featured a lot of orange painted railings. Neat. At the end of some of the tracks, you hear clips of audio from events that happened the year the song was released.  At the end of "Lady", there is audio of Gerald Ford announcing the pardon for Richard Nixon. Ah, good times! 

Styx re-recorded this song in 1995 for a greatest hits compilation when the original record label, I assume, wanted too much dough to license the original. The re-do is a pretty faithful facsimile of the '73 version but the analog synth or whatever it was doesn't sound quite right and of course Dennis is, well, old. Hold on to your master recordings, kids (just ask Taylor)!

Dad's Movies: "Genevieve"

 Next, we have Genevieve (1953)

A charming light comedy road movie with that distinctive post-WW2 British style. The setup wasn't exactly what I was expecting. The race, such as it is, isn't the entire focus of the film, but the climax of a story about the main characters and their relationships. The show isn't afraid to take its time on the characters, even with its lean 83 minute running time. The feel is kind of like an Ealing Studios comedy but more sweet in nature. 

The leads are all very good with lots of brief appearances by colorful characters. It's fun to see Kenneth Moore in something besides a war film or his great performance in "A Night to Remember". Dinah Sheridan is great here with a charming performance as the sometimes frustrated wife. This makes me wish Sheridan had done more film work. 

The movie is also fun to watch as you get tons of location footage across the 1950s English countryside and then there are the antique cars which are almost characters themselves. 

Dad really liked these old British comedies and I specifically remember him trying to track down a copy of this movie when other movies of this era were being reissued on DVD. Not everything Dad bought from the "old days" was a gem, but this one was a keeper.

Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 39)

 Time to dust this thing off for another batch of old stuff.

"Happy" by Pharrell Williams (2013)

One of the most un-ironically catchy songs I can think of and it was EVERYWHERE a decade ago (yikes). 

"Foot Stomping,  Pt. 1" by The Flares (1961)

The one hit by this surprisingly long-lived doo-wop group. 

"5 O'Clock in the Morning" by The Donnas (2002)

At my current age, this song is truly aspirational. 

"Just My Baby" by Rickie Lee Jones (1989)

A nice tune from an album produced by Walter Becker while Steely Dan was on its extended hiatus. 

"Gold" by Prince (1995)

It's great to re-hear such a good Prince song now and then to remind me just how much great music he cranked out over his too-short career. The B side for this single was called, "Rock 'N Roll Is Alive (And it Lives in Minneapolis!)". If you say so...

"Give Me More Time" by Whitesnake (1984)

A good "take me back" 1980s rocker.

"Say Goodbye" by Cheap Trick (1997)

A somewhat modern Beatles-esque song but it's just fine.

"A Taste of Honey" by The Beatles (1963)

And of course an actual Beatles song appears. This is a close, if well done, cover of what was a very popular tune from a Broadway play in the early 1960s. The song seems to have long outlived the show.

"Just a Little Lovin'" by Ray Charles (1962)

Speaking of covers, this is from Ray's fantastic album of Country AND Western songs. 

"Can We Still Be Friends" by Todd Rundgren (1978)

The song by the band, War, with a similar name is a lot more fun.

"A Taste of Honey" by Jackie Gleason (1967)

Just-a by accident, this OTHER cover of "Honey" popped up. And yes, it's the Jackie Gleason from "The Honeymooners" (he should have called the LP, "A Taste of The Honeymooners") and apparently he made a lot of easy listening albums in the 1950s-60s. 

The guy didn't read or write music so obviously others did most of the work but I'm sure they match Gleason's tastes. Others must have agreed since Capitol released 58 (!) albums between 1952 and 1972. 

This cut is obviously performed by studio pros with serious chops but it's very "White Bread Basie" in its arrangement. 

"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson (1979)

Now *this* is Peak Disco!

"Rox in the Box" by The Decemberists (2011)

An American alt-rock band has its UK Folk phase. I heard someone say recently that mono, as a format (as opposed to stereo) is dead but this is damned close to these ears. Dang hipsters and they're olde tyme monophonics!

"Talk to Me Baby" by Barry Mann (1964)

A choice lyric:  "Girls get mad at such little  things. How can a guy ever think of them all?"

"Little Sister" by Elvis Presley (1961)

I just love the sound of this track; it's just FAT. And that guy from the Jordanaires singing along with Elvis puts it over the top.

"Heathaze" by Genesis (1980)

A deep track from one of the band's earlier forays into pop that actually holds up pretty well. A song that seems to be about apathy and has some very good bass work by Mr. Rutherford.

"True" by Spandau Ballet (1983)

One of those songs they put into TV shows or movies set in the 1980s to create easy atmosphere. 

"Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell (1984)

A pretty funny song from a guy who's dad was Berry Gordy. Oh yeah, and some rando named Michael Jackson is here for some reason.

"Longview" by Green Day (1994)

A great 90s punk bass line. 

"Willing and Able" by Prince and the New Power Generation (1991)

A great classic R&B inspired tune with the usual Prince polish. 

Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 38)

 Here ya go, kids!

"The Great Curve" (live version) by Talking Heads (1982)

Six+ minutes on one chord:  edgy!

"Black and Blue" by Van Halen (1982)

I guess this would be considered a "ballad" for this band.

"I'm Still in Love With You" by Al Green (1972)

In the same groove as, "Let's Stay Together" with that dry, boxy horn sound.

"Persuasion" by Santana (1969)

A cookin' second tier Santana song...still Santanic!

"Michael" by Franz Ferdinand (2004)

Another good example of 20-year old alternative rock and roll.

"Hey, Good Lookin'" by Hank Williams (1951)

I love the Ray Charles cover but the original version still gets the job done.

"Angel of the Morning" by Juice Newton (1981)

Despite its overuse in TV/movies, I had to laugh at how this was hilariously used in the opening of the movie, "Deadpool".

"White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane (1967)

A classic that became shorthand for drug trips, it's still a great hallucinogenic bolero of a song.

"Chimes of Freedom" by The Byrds (1965)

We stay in the land of the hippies with this Bob Dylan cover. I'm guessing the Dylan version is more well known today. 

"Fortress Around Your Heart" by Sting (1985)

The passage of time has reinforced the notion that Sting was smart to launch his solo career with an album featuring heavy-hitting jazz/session musicians which made his music sound familiar and yet distinct from his work with The Police.

"People Are Strange" by The Doors (1967)

I've become less fond of The Doors as I've gotten older but this song is still great. The 80s Echo and the Bunnymen cover is good, too but doesn't top old Jimbo's version.

"Revolution" (Esher demo version) by The Beatles (1968)

Like some, I grew up listening to the single/non-album version of this song find the slower version from "The White Album" the be inferior. This demo/acoustic version for me beats the LP version as it's a little peppier. The LP version seems to run out of steam.

"A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara'd Into Submission)" by Simon and Garfunkel (1966)

The longest song title on this list!

"P.Y.T." by Michael Jackson (1982)

This was VERY Disco for 1982. 

"Knives Out" by Radiohead (2001)

Radiohead around this time had passed its peak (OK Computer, IMO) but this is still good.

"Smoke Rings" by k.d. lang (1997)

Lang's version of a very old song mostly seems to pay tribute to the Les Paul/Mary Ford version but has its own coolness to it. There's a "real Corinthian leather" feel here.

"Don't Mess With Doctor Dream" by Thompson Twins (1985)

I think I have managed to hit every TT song in my library.

"The Things We Do For Love" by 10cc (1976)

This is pretty heavy on the cheese but it's still a catchy pop song.

"Arthur's Theme" by Christopher Cross (1981)

Huh, so the core lineup from Toto is on this track and the song credits Burt Bacharach as a co-writer. Does this make Bacharach, Yacht Rock???

"Funkytown" by Lipps Inc. (1979)

I hear musicians around here (Minnesota) talk about how the people who were hired to play on this song, recorded in Minneapolis, were offered a flat fee or a percentage of the profits. Needless to say, the flat fee wasn't NEARLY enough. 

Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 37)

 If this goes on much longer, this series might have to be renamed, "Songs I Was Too Lazy to Skip (Part 1,834)". 

"West of Hollywood" by Steely Dan (2000)

This closing track to SD's comeback LP kind of reminds me of the old single, "F.M." in that it's just okay but ends with this long-ass (but good!) tenor sax solo. Wait, there are actually two versions of FM and it's the "alternate" version (if you care enough to read about all the variations, the series of tubes can assist) that has the sax solo on the end. Never mind.  

"Born Again" by Badly Drawn Boy (2002)

Does this, a 20+ year old song, sound dated today? Not in the way that an old A-Ha song might but it does have that early-2000s alt-rock, post-90s (would you like a side of cliche' with that?) combo of sparse, synthesizer-less (but often piano) guitar rock that is still smoothly produced. Smooth Grunge? 

"The Diary of Horace Wimp" by Electric Light Orchestra (1979)

Think Beatles tribute band song with some crazy Vocoder going on. 

"We Are the People" by John Mellencamp (1987)

A vague, lumpy anthem for the working people. JM does it again.

"We Got the Beat" by the Go-Gos (1981)

I could have sworn this is later than 1981; it sounds more like mid-1980s. Great retro-surf song.

"23rd Chromosome" by The Honeydogs (2003)

A Minnesota band that broke through (briefly) twenty or so years ago. A nice, pseudo Bossa Nova song. 

"Help Me Make It Through the Night" by Willie Nelson (1980)

Willie does a good cover of this Kris Kristofferson original in that it does kind of sound like a Nelson song.

"La Bamba" by Los Lobos (1987)

Another cover!  This must have been the one song that got Los Lobos into the mainstream. This track is good although their original material is better.  I like the little coda on the end of the tune, something that almost certainly wasn't on the Ritchie Valens original. 

"I Appear Missing" by Queens of the Stone Age (2013)

Wait, what's a song from 2013 doing here?!  Nice to see Dave Grohl in something other than a Crown Royal ad. 

"The Truck Song" by Lyle Lovett (2003)

Not your typical country song about a pickup.

"Out of Control" by The Rolling Stones (1997)

There's a pretty decent groove here for a 90s Stones song.

"Jump in the Line" by Harry Belafonte (1961)

RIP, Harry. One of his great songs:  "Somebody help me!"  

"Ain't That Asking For Trouble" by Stevie Wonder (1966)

Stevie in wiiiiide stereo!

"C'est le Vie" by Robbie Nevil (1986)

In the 1980s, there was a lot of synth bass and a lot of actual electric bass that *sounds* like synth bass (see also: drums). I think this is an actual bass that's been processed to sound like a synth but I'm not 100% sure. If it's from a keyboard, it's really good. Wikipedia does list a bassist for the album but who the hell knows (cares?). 

"Miserlou" by The Trashmen (1964)

A convincing cover/knockoff of this famous tune by everyone's favorite Minnesota surf rock band.

"Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix (1967)

Speaking of covers, I once heard a string quartet do a version of this song and it really works!

"Whatever Gets You Through the Night" by John Lennon (1974)

This is a classic song but man, I have a hard time with the intonation on this one. Lennon was probably fucking with us. 

"Hungry Like The Wolf" by Duran Duran (1982)

Keywords:  Deeply silly lyrics, 80s Disco, heavy breathing. Yeah, that's it.

"Diamonds Are Forever" by Shirley Bassey-Mantronik 007 Remix (1971/2000)

Not every track on this compilation of remixes is a winner but this one was fun and perhaps preferable to the original. 

"Another Day" by Paul and Linda McCartney (1971)

More interesting musically than lyrically with a cool middle/bridge section in 3/4 time.

Dad's Movies: "Hopscotch"

And now I get around to watching, Hopscotch (1980). 

This mid-late career Walter Matthau movie is a lot of fun. Matthau's near-retirement CIA agent character, who has would could be described as a Cold War Spy code of ethics, refuses to eliminate his Soviet counterpart in an operation which draws the ire of his bureaucratic political boss at the agency who decides to put the old goat out to pasture. 

Matthau, rather than wait out his years sitting in an office, decides to burn his bridges on the way to retirement by writing a "memoir" where he reveals the dirty secrets from his years as a spy. This doesn't go over well the boss, played with oily relish by Ned Beatty, who begins a hunt to take our guy out before he can embarrass them all too much. This begins a fun and clever chase around multiple countries where Matthau's spy always keeps one step ahead of his old co-workers with the help of his old lady friend.

Everyone is very good here and the plotting is clever and funny without going to stupid extremes. Some of the things Matthau's classical music-loving character does might be a stretch but it's all played so well that I didn't mind, really. Walter Matthau played in the same range most of the time but he doesn't do this in a cartoonish over-the-top way which prevents this from being, "The Odd Couple with spies". 

The supporting cast does well with Beatty handling the thankless boss role well. Glenda Jackson is great as the very capable friend who also fools the CIA people easily. Sam Waterston is fine though he doesn't get a ton to work with. I also enjoyed seeing Herbert Lom who is always good, no matter how silly the part. 

Dad no doubt enjoyed the use of classical music in this show and it doesn't hurt that this was directed by Ronald Neame, who did "Whisky Galore" which was a favorite of his.

Dad's Movies: "Mister 880"

 Today, we have Mister 880 (1950)

A somewhat early Burt Lancaster movie, written (based on a true story apparently) by frequent Frank Capra writer, Robert Riskin. The plot revolves around a kind old man who counterfeits dollar bills and the US Treasury agent who is trying to bust him. Riskin's sentimental style is evident here but the show plays a bit more on the subdued side than Capra would have done it. The film opens with what reads as a rouser for US Government agents who protect the nation but thankfully, this is dispensed with early on. 

Lancaster is his usual charming handsome self even if he lays the "tough G-Man" act on a bit much at times. Dorothy McGuire is fine as the friend Skipper, the counterfeiter, and love interest. McGuire's character even has a job at the UN; nice touch. This film must have been intended as a vehicle for Edmund Gwenn (Skipper) who became famous as Kris Kringle in the 1947 version of "Miracle on 34th Street" and he doesn't disappoint. Gwenn still does a similar act but with subtle differences. Skipper comes off as sweet but a little foggy in the mental department. The fun is noticing how Skipper is more sharp and aware of things than people think. Gwenn would go on to play a similar character (in tone, not a counterfeiter) in Hitchcock's 1955 "The Trouble With Harry" (he's perfect in this). Also kudos to Skipper's Benji-like shaggy dog.

The movie seems to use a fair amount of NYC locations which gives it a more substantial feel. While I wouldn't describe this show as a comedy, it's fairly light. If it wasn't for the charm of the cast, the show would feel a bit slow at times but this is one of those cases where just spending time with these folks is nice.

I don't know what Dad thought of this movie, which I'd never heard of before I found it in his collection, but I do know he was a fan of the '47 "Miracle" so perhaps that was the connection.