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Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Remake The 80's?: Why Destroy Perfection?

I was inspired to do this post by a Facebook Group post that asked what 80's TV Show would you like to see remade on TV today. Now since I'm a child of the 80's, my first response was "I have to choose one? They were all awesome." Soon, though my rational brain engaged and, yes I admitted that there were a few stinkers in the mix, but mostly I did think "why mess with perfection, because today's TV execs are incapable of producing a good show, and even worse at remaking or reimagining an old one.

Hawaii 5-0 was pretty good, but They made the A Team into a movie and the over the top action violence of the TV show seemed very cruel in a film. 21 Jump Street turned into a comedy. And the Equalizer? I was willing to buy into a gender switch, and even the racial switch, but Robyn McCall (Queen Latifa) is a Vigilante/Private Eye part of a Team that is hunted by the police, while Robert McCall was a retired CIA agent who acted mostly alone and had good connections and relations with the Police and CIA. I just didn't get the new vibe. And I'm still too scared to see what they've done to MacGyver.

Face it, even the Facts of Life couldn't be made today. And yes I know there was a reunion/remake one shot show recently. But in today's woke environment. A show about 4 heterosexual teenage girls? Three white, one black? And the zingers that fly between all four of them (especially Jo and Blair) would be insensitive and cruel today. The show wouldn't get past the pitch today, and that's sad for the state of TV.

But my crowning example of why we shouldn't remake the 80's but simply enjoy the old reruns where we can find them is V. I recently watched the original 1984 V The Series on Tubi and have followed it up with the 2009 Reimagined Series of the same name. The two shows couldn't be more different.

First of all, Character Development is SLOOOOOW. Now here I will make my only concession to the new show. The original V Series in 1984 was not original, but actually a continuation of a storyline that began in two miniseries: V and V: The Final Battle. I just began Season Two of the reimagined series and Anna just ate her first rat. Diana would have been through the entire rodent population of Los Angeles by that time. Development wise after 14 of 22 episodes, we're still somewhere in the original Miniseries.

The Original V was a new look at the Holocaust, and the visitor flag and uniforms were stylized Nazi Swastikas. Now the V's, in the original V was for Victory, not Visitor, another WWII reference. The Aliens were always lizards or visitors. 

Anna is no Diana, and that's another problem. Anna is the Visitor Queen, no one higher than her. Diana was only a science officer on the LA mothership, all loyal to an unseen "leader". The lower rank allowed for intrigue, conniving and backstabbing. It makes for drama. Jane Badler, the original Diana, just made an appearance, and the girl still oozes venom. Maybe actors don't know how to act anymore.

And maybe that's the ultimate problem. They were only a few letters off. It should have been Y, as in Why should we do it? All the acting is really flat. "We are of peace, always" sounds so insincere on it's face I don't know how anyone believes it. "They hate us cause we're different" comes straight from the Democrat playbook. In reality the fear was because no one could tell Visitor and Human apart. They were too much alike.

The answer to the question is No. I don't want to remake the 80's. It will be wrecked. I want to remember it the way it was, not try to make them see how it is now. I am Awaiting Your Reply.


Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Cooking Something Up: The Class of 1996

The Class of 1996. Or the Class of 2021. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction rules, which I am borrowing, is 25 years from the date of the first album. This year is 25 years from a release in 1996. And what a year it is.

The list is by no means inclusive, but I think the following would be first ballot Hall of Fame. 

First, the also rans. These may eventually get in, but not first ballot. Blackball, Ghoti Hook, and My Friend Stephanie. Rock, Alternative and Ska.

The Class of 2021 is 6 Strong. We Start with a little house cleaning, and when you do, it's best to use Bleach. A punk alternative band that made it's bones by appearing on the Jenny Jones Show and performing Super Good Feeling. The Post Punk scene wasn't very big, but Bleach fans were loyal. They burned out quickly as their final concert was in 2004. I saw them 3 times in 1997 with Seven Day Jesus, in 1999 with Joy Electric and Miss Angie, and as part of Soulfest in 2004. The Cause of Death was a tired heart caused by the death of friends in the Gulf War. We have been waiting for a reunion since.

Seven Day Jesus came on to the scene at the same time, and actually toured together for a time. They were more straight up rock than Bleach an so got overwhelmed in the crowd. A. Point of trivia is that Bass player Russ Fox also played with Bleach

The Ska Scene blew up in 1996. When a genre takes off it seems like the band flow to it like mice to the Pied Piper. The most successful of them was the Orange County Supertones.

Punk had the Ramones, and the Christian World's Ramones were called The Huntington's. If you like your songs under 2 minutes, this is the band for you.

Starting from Hard Rock and mellowing to Emo, Stavesacre. Their latest release was in 2017 after they had taken a 7 year hiatus.

And finally, the most successful of them all, Skillet. I still consider their debut almost unlistenable, though not as bad as ZoeGirl. The sole constant in a quarter century, Bass Guitar/Lead Singer John Cooper. His wife Korey joined in 2000 as keyboardist/guitar
R/programming/only adult in The room and the Band has been invincible ever since. Based on recent events, I expect they will be around for a long time to come.

There you have it, the Class of 2021. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Saturday, June 19, 2021

Night Beat HOF: 1990-1995

This is where the rubber meets the road. 1996 is 25 years removed from 2021, so we are in the class of 1996. This means that the 90's is 1990-95.

This is the period where things really took off or totally went to Gehenna, depending on your view of things. By the 90's CCM began to settle into distinct genres that, with the exception of Summer festivals didn't exactly fellowship together. In the first two decades there was a kind of community that put everybody together in a Concert. Hey, it was all about the message. Now the message was still there, but you weren't going to have Stryper and Michael W. Smith on the same ticket.

By 1990 Pop had settled into a distinct genre and rock and metal had parted ways. Heavy metal was also beginning to splinter into hard rock and industrial along with metal, which was divided between melodic or symphonic and screamo or thrash. The synthesizer was making a big inroad into the CCM scene at this time and Dance Music began to be more accepted among the saints 

1990 is where we begin. And two of the biggest names of the Decade came from two very separate camps, IONA and Donderfliegen (Darn That Fly), which soon ditched that name for the more recognizable DEITIPHOBIA (Fear of God). IONA is a Prog-Rock powerhouse from the UK. Celtic symhonies meet some of the most talented  musicians around. Metal Mistress LEAH McHenry has been greatly influenced by IONA mainly through the  work of Troy Donockly on The Quest and Ancient Winter. DEITIPHOBIA is best described as the Father of Christian Industrial Music. 

1991 brought us Sorrow of Seven with April Lassiter on vocals and Kevin 131 Gutierrez on Programming and Guitar. Kevin also did Guitar work with DEITIPHOBIA, so there was little doubt that once the band shed it's unwieldy monicker for the more concise Aleixa (pronounced uh-Leek-uh) it would steer the course of Industrial for years to come. The Band is not Unloved.

Ring around the Rosie, pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down. Rising from the Ashes in 1992 was Circle of Dust. The heavier of the two industrial projects of Klayton (Celldweller was more rock) he plays all the instruments himself. The perfect playlist for the Zombie Apocalypse. Speaking of Zombies, our other entry for 1992 is Audio Adrenaline, who has many hits including Some Kind of Zombie.

1993 started a trend which spread like wildfire through the Church. I mean, if you want to go deeper, if you can hear the mountains tremble, or if you can sing of his live forever. If you can you may be Delirious. The British Youth Group band led by Martin Smith revolutionized the Modern Worship genre. Things were truly Jumping in the House of God.

It should be illegal to have so much talent in a small area. Four hours from Littlehampton is Manchester, where the Message To Schools Trust worked with kids in the schools. On Friday they put on a concert for the kids as the World Wide Message Tribe, which made it hip to dance in Church. David would be proud. 

Things were heating up. 1994 was a very active year. I might be tempted to say Kiss Me. Sixpence None The Richer burst on to the scene in 1994, along with Nu Metal Band Payable On Death aka P.O.D. Also making their splash were the synthpop bands Joy Electric and The Echoing Green. You might need a three day weekend.

And 1995 was when Third Day flew in like a Blackbird with their brand of 1970's Southern Rock. Mac Powell and Company created a niche in CCM that Disciple and Decyfer Down were to enter. There aren't too many bands willing to step into the shoes of Bad Company and ZZ Top.

Our final post is next. 1996. The Class of 2021. Until Next Time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Thursday, June 3, 2021

The Night Beat HOF: Generation Next

1980 was a turning point in the world, and I don't just say that because I was an 80's kid. Ronald Reagan was elected in November of that year and launched a Republican Revolution that is still in Progress. TV was better, Fashion was Better, Hair was Better, and Music Was Better. 

Christian Music was also better then. The genre was growing up. Growing up is painful, and it is no different with CCM. As the years went on the Jesus Music Movement cooled off and artists didn't feel pressured to utter the name of Jesus every other word. Purists call it selling out, but it's really maturity and it led to a better product. Ironically despite the selling out image, some of the most spiritually on fire music came out of the era.

CCM had barely come together as a genre when it began to fracture into many sub-genres. Pop and Rock began to develop into separate worlds, and Rock itself was splitting into Rock, Hard Rock, Alternative and Metal.

Like it's predecessor era, this is just a ten year era. The 90's would be another era altogether. Our 80's inductees include: 

The Choir, 77s, AD, Mylon LeFevre and Broken Heart, Stryper, Whitecross, Bloodgood, Saint, Bride, Michael W Smith,
Russ Taff, Leslie Phillips, Barren Cross, Shiela Walsh, Life Savers Underground, Steve Taylor, White Heart, Undercover, Altar Boys, Carman, Farrell and Farrell, Crumbacher, Newsboys, DC Talk and Kicking off the most amazing decade ever, ArkAngel.

The 90's Await. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

The Night Beat HOF: The Founders Class

The Founders Class of The Night Beat Hall of Fame technically would consist of any artist prior to 2021. Considering that our starting point is Larry Norman's Upon This Rock in 1969 that's 52 years. That's unworkable. So the founders class will be the First decade 1969-1979. It also coincides with the Jesus Music Era and would encompass, according to HOF rules, the Classes of 1994-2004.

While not a Comprehensive list, this would include:

Larry Norman, Daniel Amos, Servant, Petra, The Archer's, Randy Stonehill, Phil Keaggy, The Second Chapter of Acts, Keith Green, Resurrection Band, Sweet Comfort Band, DeGarmo and Key, Denny Correll, Love Song, Chuck Girard, Evie, Barry McGuire, Reba Rambo, Dallas Holm, Kansas, Don Francisco, Darrell Mansfield, Andrus Blackwood and Company, Glad, Truth, Andrea Crouch, Phil Driscoll, Amy Grant, Michael Omartian.

I invite you to make your own suggestions, as I think this is far from complete, but I think this is a good start. Next up is the CCM era 1980-1989, when things started to become a coherent industry, which in my opinion was a very good thing. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Sunday, May 16, 2021

Hall Pass: Recognizing the True Gems

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions of 2021 came out recently, and a quiet riot has erupted, not necessarily because of who was inducted, but because of who was not. 

Now since I got born again in 1975 and switched to a Christian Music Only diet beginning in 1978, I admit that my knowledge of Mainstream Music is limited, but I did live through the 80's and 90's and you pick up things through osmosis. So yes, I am aware of Journey, Madonna, Chicago, Van Halen and a bunch of others from the era, even though I did not choose to purchase that music.

I decided to check out the RARHOF Website and both check out Eligibility (25 years from First Album) and scroll the inductees. Not that I was surprised, but there was no Christian Rock Band represented unless you consider U2, which I would, but that means that they are a token to pacify the religious. While CCM and Mainstream Rock have become separate industries, it sounds pretty much the same instrumentally speaking. Lyrically, it is definitely cleaner and there may be a reverential reference to Jesus as a bonus.

"What's the big deal", I hear you say. You have a Gospel Music Hall of Fame. You have yours and we have ours. That would be fine, except the GMHOF is really the Southern Gospel Hall of Fame. It is mostly SG, no amplifier necessary. Petra is the only Rock entry, and maybe Amy Grant. Big Whoop. Even the Jesus crowd can't get around to honor the righteous rocker.

What we need is a Night Beat Hall of Fame, and I am going to Start the seeds of it right here. I'll use the RARHOF standard this year 1996=2021, that will come later, and first I'll try to come up with a Founder's Class of inductees from the Golden Era. It should be a fun exercise and Unwelcome your input as well. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Monday, April 5, 2021

Sweet Melodies of The Fallen

I begin with a disclaimer. I have been a fan of Evanescence since they were a bunch of kids out of Little Rock, Arkansas. The first song I remember hearing was Even in Death on Christian Industrial.com internet radio. Then I heard Bring Me to Life and My immortal on the Daredevil soundtrack. Fallen was the only album I have put on pre-order. So while this review is honest, it also is coming from a fanboy.


The Bitter Truth is the fourth studio album from Evanescence and the first in eleven years (the Night Beat had barely got of the ground. I started the blog in July of 2010). It is amazing to realize that I could say that I have been following the Band for my entire career as a blogger. Of course the Night Beat started as a radio show in 1984 when Amy Lee was in her terrible two's. 

The Bitter Truth gets off to a different kind of start with a two song intro. Artifact/The Turn and Broken Pieces Shine could be the best 1-2 punch to open an album ever. I would call Artifact/The turn an EDM song and it begins with a question "Where do we go now?" The answer is up to 11 on the volume. A simple countdown of three, two, one zero into the metal anthem broken pieces shine is the best transition since Tourniquet and Imaginary from Fallen. Survival Hurts, and I don't know if I will be alright, but I have to try is Amy's commentary on the death of her brother. As someone who has experienced the loss of a lived one I understand her completely.

There isn't a bad song on the album, but the album does sound different. Any lack of production can easily be forgiven by me in that this album was put together during a lockdown. I would say it sounds great despite the obstacles. Yeah, Right may be the only Pop Happy song that Amy ever records. That's not to say that her songs are depressing, but the pain that she channels in her songs work healing for the listener. In that way the song works.

Use My Voice is another different song, in that it came out in the middle of the Presidential campaign, that is different. Evanescence has pretty much stayed clear of any political statement. Conservatives like metal too. When the song originally came out I confess I took a hiatus from the band, not wanting to be disappointed. I decided to check it out and am pleasantly surprised. The song and video steer a good middle course and has a patriotic flair. My only wish is that Amy et al doesn't get petty and do cease and desist orders if Republicans use it in 2022. Both sides should be allowed to say you don't speak for me.

I'm a sucker for the epic ballad, see My Immortal or Lost In Paradise for proof. Far from Heaven is Amy at her spine chilling best. It is full of pain and prayer, and may be one of my favorite Ev Worship tunes. I can't see your light anymore, cause I've spent too long in the dark. I am not ashamed to say it's an emotional trainwreck of a song and will leave you in tears. Best song on the album.

You know where this is going.

The Bitter Truth
is that this is a 5 Emerald perfect album. Is it multi-platinum like Fallen. It should be, it has that kind of impact, but since Fallen was a debut, I don't know if that lightning can strike twice. Still, it cements Evanescence status as legendary. That's the (not so) Bitter Truth. The revenge of the fallen. until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.