Loyd's BONUS AUDIO goodies!!--- # 4-- Four faves from S.R.V.!!--

Sooner or later, this here blog-a-wog-a-wang-dang-doodle being about STUFF that I DIG in the EXTREME (among all sorts of other odds and ends!)--- there simply HAD to be a post about the LEGENDARY Stevie Ray Vaughan!

Watch this space for a more extensive post, about this amazing and (yes, I know I say it a LOT here about the music-makers I'm all GEEKY about--- but once AGAIN, the word FITS!) gifted guitarist / singer---and his effect on the Loydster.  He was only 35 when he left us, as they say-- ALL TOO SOON. But--- he left us with some of the GREATEST, most ROCKIN' blues ever recorded!

In no particular kind of order, here are 4 of my favorite tunes from the Texas guitar-slinger! The live version of 'Pride and Joy' (recorded at Carnegie Hall on Stevie's birthday, 1984), is my personal favorite version of  that song! I just DIG the COOL horn section!!!---

TRULY music to get the feet tappin' and the head boppin'! As I was saying, look for a post about Stevie and his music (AND it's effect on me, over the years!) in the not-too-distant future!

(STILL!) Tinkering on stuff in the 'Secret Sanctum'!!

The seemingly on-going 'other hobby' I have, the tinkering with / adjusting / fine-tuning of stuff within my little 'man-cave', continues! This time though, the adjustment made, was pretty much something that NEEDED to be done--- to prevent BOTH: a disaster from taking place, and my family seeing dear 'ol dad / hubby, cry like a bullied school-girl!

Our little tale starts with THIS display shelf / case! (Hopefully, you-- My faithful readers of this here blog, will recall it from pics in earlier posts!)----

Originally, the case shown above -- was a neat-o-nifty item! I found this thing at a 'going-out-of-business' sale, when an old jewelry store here in Bristow was calling it quits. That was nearly 20 years ago!

It's served well over the years, so what eventually happened with it, is NOT something I can moan or complain about! It's kept most of the dust and crud off a good chunk of my 'Batman / Superman' figures, for quite a span of time!

But, time--- is what REALLY took it's toll on the 'ol display case! Taking it apart for a couple of major moves, opening and closing it ---- countless times!--- for shuffling / rearranging stuff. This eventually led to the wearing out of the hardware that holds the whole shebang together!

TWICE in the past month or two, I've dropped into the 'Crime-fighting headquarters / hide-out', and found the ENTIRE case LEANING--- dangerously close to falling over! After all, it IS simply 5 glass panels, held together by simple, L-shaped brackets--that tighten down with PLASTIC screws! (except the front panel, which uses 'hinges', screwed onto the glass the same way, so the case can be opened / closed)--- Those screws HAD to wear out sooner or later!

 So--- this past week, the decision was made--- TOUGH as it was--- to retire the old case, once and for all, and replace it with something. Something that was BOTH practical, AND even MORE important--- FREE! (Hey, I'm not exactly a wealthy GEEK-A-ZOID!) My lovely, ever-so-patient spouse came up with the answer!

'Loyd', the woman-of-the-house said to me--- AGAIN, ever-so-patiently--- 'why don't you just utilize that old book case I snagged at that yard sale a year or two back? It's just sitting out in one of the barns, collecting dust!' That caused the little ten-watt light bulb to pop on in my brain! Why that's a GREAT IDEA! Of course it is!! It came from my wife!

With a little tinkering, I managed to move the shelves around, so the larger stuff in my little collection would fit. THIS is what it looked like this past Friday night, after I also added some scrap pieces of wood to it here and there, to strengthen the whole thing up, and enable me to mount glass to it's front!---

AND--- as of late Saturday afternoon, THIS is the state it was in.  I painted it white on the inside, to make it MUCH easier to see all the items within (most of the other shelves / cases in my little hide-out were done this way---- in this most recent version of my little hide-out, that is!)---

As of yesterday afternoon, THIS is the end-result! I took my time, over the last few days--- placing EVERY figure from the old case (like it was MEANT to be--- they ALL fit perfectly!) into this one! AND--- part of the old case continues,after it's many years of faithful service, as part of this 'new' model--- the front glass is actually two panels from the old case!---

Pretty much a 'win-win' resolution, I think! A potential DISASTER was avoided, and all the 'Bats / Supes' figures are STILL protected from the dust / webs / funk, up in the 'ol man-cave! I'm one happy, all-the-way-shameless classic-pop-culture-GEEK-FREAK!

Loyd's BONUS video clip--- # 20!!!--- A couple of IMPORTANT anniversaries!!

The two MOST important fictional folks in the 'ol Loydster's life recently celebrated milestone anniversaries! The 'Man of Steel' turned the BIG 8-0 back in the early summer of last year, (and his hair is STILL a shiny blue-black!!) and 'The Caped Crusader' hit that same B-day just a couple of months ago (I've gotta say, he's holding up pretty well too, for a guy BORN in 1939!!)

Here's a couple of 'animated shorts' celebrating the characters, in just about ALL of their various versions! The Batman short was actually 'fan-made'--- for 'ol Bat's 75th B-day! More on that, after the clips!----

A couple of thoughts, about the Batman short. One, it is VERY COOL (even if it is from 5 years ago, so we don't get to see 'animated'-versions of the most recent 'cinematic Dark Knight'!)!! Two, WHY did a (obviously VERY talented!) fan have to put this together???

DC comics / Warner Brothers lavished some time, thought, and effort into the Supes short. So why not spend the same amount of consideration for the 'Gotham Guardian'? It really leaves me scratching the 'ol noggin!!!

Anyhow, BOTH shorts are indeed cool--- AND do an excellent job of celebrating these beloved characters!!! So WHY should I quibble!!! HAPPY ( belated!) B-DAY, Supes & Bats!! Here's to MANY more decades to come!

Loyd's BONUS video-clip(s)!!!-- # 19.2!!!--- D.C.'s WAY-OUT (but NOT quite SO wacky!) 60s 'toons!!!

• Just in case anybody's wondering if I may have forgotten about the D.C. comics-based 'toons of the 60s---- Nope!!! Although I've got to admit that I didn't know about these, until my young adulthood!! The local TV stations I stayed GLUED to growing up, never showed ANY of these!!! Goofy-geeky-campy FUN!!--- Though not NEARLY as goofy-geeky-campy as the Marvel 'animated EPICS'!!!----

All of these CLASSIC 'toon openings reminds me!!! Somewhere, stashed away and nearly forgotten about-- I have some DVDs with a number of these SAME  'superhero-hi-jinks' on them!!! I'm off to do a little hunting / 60s 'toon-watching!! Then, I just MIGHT tie a towel around my neck, and go pretend to fight crime!!! ALL (make-believe) BAD-GUYS BEWARE!!!

Loyd's BONUS video-clip(s)!!!--- # 19--- Those WAY-OUT and WACKY '60s Marvel 'toons!!

OK---- I will admit these are ALL pretty much GOOF-BALL!! (except for 'ol web-head's opening, which is actually pretty NEAT-O!!) But, boy-howdy-doo-dah!!! Do they bring back some of the better memories from an otherwise pretty CRUMMY time in my life--- also known as 5th and 6th grade!!! If your'e  'of a certain age'... these little 'opening themes' will probably bring back some memories for you too!!! (hopefully warm and fuzzy ones!!!)


                                            

Ah yes, to be a kid in the mid-70s!!! Watching reruns of 'toons and other TV shows from the 6os!! Not such a bad way to grow up, really!!!

The AMAZING Mr. Lynne and his MARVELOUSLY MAGICAL, ROCKIN'-pop-music-band!!!

The album art for 'New World Record' --- NOT my FIRST encounter with 'The E.L.O. spaceship',but STILL one of my favorite images!!

Quite a while back, here on the 'Loydster-bloggy-woggy-wing-a-ding-thang', I promised a post dedicated to the EVER-so-talented Jeff Lynne and his band, E.L.O. I think it's about time I kept my promise!!

Like MOST all of the stuff I discuss here, (meaning things I'm usually EXTREMELY geeky about!!) I'm just focusing on how this artist / musical craftsman has affected me. how the music he SO obviously carefully produces and puts together has grown to become pretty much almost interwoven into the Loydster's D.N.A.!!!

The 'front-man' of the band himself, STILL rockin' it on tour--- 2018-style!!!

The 1st E.L.O. tune I remember hearing, is STILL an all-time favorite-- 'Don't bring me down'!! It came floating across the airwaves to me, on my TINY little transistor radio. This was in that SAME critical time I've mentioned before (just check out some of my earlier posts, folks!!!), where I was a lonely, somewhat DORKY and awkward-feeling kid, just about to finish junior high--- AND enter into the kinda-scary unknown dimension, known as----- high school!!!

I knew even then, when I heard this EXTREMELY catchy, sort-of-blues-rock-influenced tune--- with it's WALL of musical-sounds hitting me like a sonic TIDAL-WAVE (multiple pianos thumping along, other noises CHUNKING along with it's rhythum!!--- I would learn YEARS later, that the pianos were over-dubbed 6 or 7 times, the 'other noises' included cases of soda-pop bottles being shaken in time to the other instruments!!)--- THIS band was INDEED something WAY different than most anything / anyone being played over the radio!!! Back then, as well as most of the years since!!!

My interest being captured by that first song, I began to seek out their other music. This was in 'the dark ages' of course--- before internet and instant information!! I had to do some investigating, networking, and just generally snooping around!! Talking with friends who also were really digging on this British guy,from Birmingham England-- Jeff Lynne, and his band-- Electric Light Orchestra (that's what the E.L.O. acronym stood for, I found out early on.).

I borrowed albums from my buddies,checked out earlier stuff from libraries (yes, you could check out L.P.s from libraries back then!!),and 'discovered' a band that had been around-- to my happy shock & surprise-- since the dawn of the 70s!!!

 This was a band that didn't fit into ANY kind of mold!! They weren't afraid to 'mash-up' musical styles and genres. Mix-up classical orchestrated stuff, heck-- even an OPERA SINGER--- with downright EAR-SPLITTING, almost GRUNGY-sounding rock-n-roll!!! Don't quite believe me??? Give a listen to the tune: 'Rockaria'!!! It will BOTH blow your mind AND get the toes-a-tappin'!!!---

The album that tune was from, the first one with the 'spaceship' on it's cover (an icon that's since been FOREVER burned into my memory and mind-- I can't think of either the band OR Jeff Lynne, without mentally picturing it!!), quickly became one of my favorites!!! The 'top 3' favorite albums of E.L.O, on the 'ol Loydster's PERMANENT play-list, by the way--- 'A New World Record' (1976), 'Out of the Blue' (1977-- a double-album MASTERPIECE!), and 'Discovery' (1979-- mainly because it kicked off my interest in the band!!) I've been pretty much HOOKED on 'the man from Birmingham', and his band--- ever since!!

I've kept up with the TRULY talented and CRAZY-gifted Mr. Lynne, pretty much non-stop since those long-ago 'pre-high-school' days!! The catchy tunes he's capable of crafting, have been BOTH a HUGE chunk of the soundtrack of my life, and just FUN to listen to!!! It's almost impossible for me to listen to most of everything he's done, and not come away feeling good!

Need more evidence???? How about a little ditty from the first of his (so far ONLY two) solo albums, 'Armchair theater', 'Every little thing'---

That one's from 1990. A pretty good overall year for the Loydster!! I was discharged from my (by then) EXTREMELY miserable time in the Air Force, married to my beautiful wife Debbie--- AND-- an album from Jeff Lynne was released!!! Life was INDEED good!! FULL of  well-crafted tunes all the way through.... I've LOST count of the times I've listened to that album!!! In fact, I NEVER get tired of hearing it!!

After the early 90s, Mr. Lynne kind of disappeared behind the soundboard, producing albums for other artists (like he had at the close of the 80s, working with Roy Orbison, George Harrison, and Tom Petty-- as well as joining those 3 gents to form the Traveling Wilburys-- along with Bob Dylan, of course!), BUT--- then he resurfaced in 2001!!

With a newly reformed E.L.O., a new album-- 'Zoom', and a live show!! This was intended to be a 'kick-off' show, before he took the 'new' band on tour. Then, unfortunately.... the album was ignored, by commercial radio, as well as a lot of record buyers!! Too bad!! It's a VERY well-done album, with PLENTY of the usual carefully crafted, catchy tunes!! Here's Jeff and the band, doing the tune that kicks off the album.----

It would be another nearly 8 years before Mr. Lynne would put out another  album, this one a collection of old standards and other oldies that he grew up listening to. The 2009 release, 'Long Wave'. He recorded this one in his home studio, playing pretty much ALL the instruments on nearly EVERY track!!! Another time the 'general public' ignored what he was producing!! Again, it's REALLY too bad!!! It was Jeff Lynne in CLASSIC form!! (scroll back a few posts, for a couple of samples from that one!!)

Another CHUNK of time passed by, before any new material was put out there by one of my favorite British folks!! 2015 saw the release of 'Alone in the universe'. This time, the public responded in the positive!! A  LOT of copies of the album were sold--- so MUCH so, that 'Jeff Lynne's E.L.O.' (as the band's now called!) finally mounted a couple of TOURS!! At points ALL around the world!!

One of the really outstanding cuts on the album, and my personal favorite-- is the tune: 'When I was a boy'. It's pretty much Jeff Lynne, telling us HIS story. I'll freely admit, as a LONG-time fan, this one gives me goose-pimples, folks!!----

There's not much more for me to say after that one!!! Just that I truly hope that Jeff Lynne, and WHAT EVER band he has backing him (with or WITH OUT an actual orchestra!), continues making carefully crafted, slick and BOUNCY tunes for all of his fans ( I count myself in that number, with NO SHAME whatsoever!!!), for MANY years to come!!!



                                          ----'See you NEXT time, gang!!!!'----