Dyn-O-Mite Matches

I slept in so late, it was past 12 when I finally got to brunch. Listened to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels while I ate. This is the 2005 musical adaptation of the 1988 movie about two con men in the French Riviera who try to fleece a soap heiress, only to find themselves being the ones who get fleeced. This did well enough at the time but wasn't a huge hit despite a great cast and lavish production. 

I'm surprised. There's a lot of really fun material here. Norbert Leo Butz scores as the more uncouth con-man Freddy, singing about how he'll be "Great Big Stuff" in his introductory number. He and Sherie Renee Scott as the heiress get the lovely "Nothing Is Too Wonderful To Be True," and there's witty satirical numbers like "Love Is My Legs." John Lithgow, who played the senior con-man Lawrence, pops up to tell people not to listen to the final three numbers if they don't want to be spoiled. Fortunately, I've seen the original film and the all-female remake The Hustle, so I'm quite familiar with the hilarious twist ending. 

The CD I bought in Philadelphia came with an extra surprise. It took me a minute to realize the squiggly lines someone drew on the disc were signatures. According to Wikipedia, about a month after the show's opening, thousands of people stood in line at the Imperial Theater in New York to get free preview copies of the cast album before its May release. Several members of the cast and composer David Yazbek signed them. I know I see Butz and Scott's signatures there, and Joanna Gleason's, too. Wow. I'll bet the owner of Circa Gallery never checked the CD in the case, or this would have cost way more than a dollar. I'm going to treasure this one.

Hurried out just as the CD ended. Work mostly went fine, other than one incident. I almost got run over by a speeding car that went way too fast on the road between the parking lot and the Acme. Truth be told, I really should have been paying attention. It did rattle me and I wish I'd been more careful, but ultimately, no one was harmed. 

In fact, we were dead almost the entire afternoon. First of all, the weather was utterly stunning. Brilliant blue sky without a cloud in it, cool fresh breezes. It was barely in the 70's. Pushing carts was mostly a pleasure. Second, there's not a whole lot going on right now. The kids start their first full week of school tomorrow, we're between holidays, and the Eagles don't play an afternoon game until my first day of vacation. It's too nice to be shopping!

Hurried home as soon as I finished, then took a shower, grabbed dinner, and went straight into tonight's Match Game marathon. Comedian Jimmie Walker goes way back on Match Game. He started in mid-1974 and continued appearing regularly through 1991, long after his breakout show Good Times was in re-runs. 

Jimmie could be annoying, often yelling into the crowd when they booed one of his bad answers, or trying to agitate them in support for said answers. On the other hand, he also had a lot of really funny moments. In a 1976 episode, his response to a question about a modern Snow White would look like had him insisting she should look more like him. He appeared in two classic PM episodes, in 1975 with Kate Jackson, and in 1981 where Debralee Scott kept flirting with a cute contestant, until they finally kissed (and quite passionately!) after she helped him win the first Audience Match. Earlier in '75, he admired a very cute contestant who made the attractive green suit she wore.

Honestly, his most memorable appearances were probably in Match Game '90. He heard Sally Struthers announce her role as the voice of the younger sister in a new ABC show, Dinosaurs. He proved to be the Master of the Match-Up, flying through the answers like his words had wings. Twice, he got an especially pretty lady to the Audience Match. The second time, he was so enamored with the lovely miss, he picked her up and carried her off - twice!

You'll have a dyn-o-mite time flying through Match-Ups with the Prince of urban sitcoms in this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Saturday Night Classics - Featuring Jimmie Walker Episodes

Gold Star Harvest

Got a quick start today with breakfast and The Busy World of Richard Scarry. Bananas Gorilla wants to be "The Perfect Gentleman" for lovely leopard Rita. He thinks he's doing nothing but causing trouble, but she enjoys their date anyway. Michael Antelope is recruited to paint the Sistine Chapel, but a priest keeps smudging his paint and ruining his artwork. He proves why he's "The Best Painter Ever" when he finds a way to keep wandering hands off his frescoes. Poor Dennis the elephant thinks he's not good at anything, but "The Best Day for Dennis" shows that everyone has something to contribute, even a long trunk.

Hurried out after the cartoon ended for a run to the Collingswood Farm Market. Even at 11 AM, and despite the chilly and cloudy weather, they were busy with people buying produce for last-of-the-season barbecues and back to school dinners. It took me less than 20 minutes to buy tiny Gala apples, fat peaches, and tart black grapes. I got out so early, I went across the street to WaWa and bought a chocolate banana smoothie.

Began 13: The Musical when I got home and had lunch. I go further into this Netflix coming-of-age tale about a boy who just moved to Indiana and is trying to fit in at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On Streaming - 13: The Musical

Ran out to work before I even finished the movie. I was surprised at how busy we were today. We're past the beginning of the month, between holidays, the kids are fully back in school, and the Eagles don't play again until Monday the 16th. Maybe people just wanted something to do in the bad weather. The wind picked up mid-way through my shift and it got even colder. It even showered briefly but hard at one point. I had to clean up a broken jar of tomato-onion Goya sauce and fell behind with the carts until it was almost time for me to leave.

Confirmed my schedule here as well. In good news, still a lot of hours with a more spread-out Monday and Friday off. However, most of those hours are still really early. The head bagger wanted Tuesday off and has spent more time lately in a register replacing a morning cashier who retired. 

Dashed straight home and upstairs after that. Finished 13, then listened to records for a while. The Cinderella story and songs record is pretty typical of the genre. I believe it's a later recording from 1980 that doesn't use any of the original voices, but does have most of the original songs. The stepsisters are a bit too shrill, but the fairy godmother has a deep, inviting voice, and Cinderella herself isn't bad.

Trane: The Atlantic Collection features John Coltrane numbers from his albums released by Atlantic Records. "My Favorite Things" was the hit here and is still occasionally heard on the radio at Christmas. Other iconic stand-outs include "Giant Steps," "Equinox," and "Naima." 

Finished the night at YouTube for tonight's late Match Game marathon. Tonight's theme was episodes the channel's owner deemed "Gold Star," significant or especially funny. And given the bent of the show, there's a lot of them. 

Some shows featured goofy questions, like Orson Bean's hilarious answer to a question about getting a man to propose. There was also the time Polly Holiday's microphone bent over and wouldn't work and Richard held a mock funeral for it. Or the one shortly after the set was remodeled and the Star Wheel brought in when Gene brought a woman on the set to see the show better and commented that the new question holders sounded like Star Wars when they moved up and down. Gene once attacked a cameraman when he wouldn't get off Avery Schriber eating his answer. 

Syndicated episodes had their fair share of wacky shenanigans, too. Brett and Barbara Rhodes drooled over a handsome young man from Maine who towered over Gene. Brett and Fannie turned up in another syndicated show on Gene's arms in blonde wigs. Patty Duke got help for a sore knee from a physical therapist contestant, while Jack Jones flirted with the other. There was also the overly excited woman in a later week with McLean Stevenson and long-time soap actress Melody Scott-Thomas who went so crazy every time she won, she practically attacked Gene, and the PM episode with contestants who were so inept, the man only won because Charles matched each of them once, then matched him in a tie.

Check out some of the funniest Match Game episodes ever in this gold star marathon!

Match Game Saturday Night Classics - Featuring Gold Star Episodes (1973 - 1982) 

Red Hot and Cool

Began the morning with breakfast and The Scooby Doo Show. "The Ghost That Sacked the Quarterback" appears to have kidnapped the local football team's star player. Turns out it's supposedly the ghost of a player who disappeared years ago, the Rambling Ghost. The kids stick around the stadium to find out what's really going on with this mystery, while Shaggy and Scooby dodge the Rambling Ghost to get at all that concession stand food.

Headed out after that. First up was a brief stop at WaWa for a drink. I ended up with an Oreo Coke Zero. Looks like Coke has been messing around with their limited edition "Creations" again. Thankfully, unlike that nasty artificial-tasting Y3000 a while back, this did taste like a fizzy liquid chocolate Oreo. 

Cut across Audubon and Haddon Lake Park to avoid traffic on the Black Horse Pike. There were two businesses on the Pike I really wanted to check out again. Del Buono Bakery is impossible to miss, with the giant horse statue out front and several more statues of animals outside. I went in through a side door flanked by statues of the Blues Brothers. The first room you see is dominated by rows and rows of breads and rolls, with a huge conveyor belt-like machine spitting out hot, fresh rolls in the back. The front room is filled with shelves of cookies, cake rolls, cheesecake, coffee cake, soft pretzels, and cinnamon rolls, along with a deli. I bought four bagels and a raisin roll for lunch next week and pretzels for a snack later.

Rode a couple of blocks down past Walgreens and CVS before crossing into Mt. Ephraim. I hadn't visited Bob at the Abbie Road record store since Lauren visited in early June. He was pretty busy for him, with at least two other guys digging around for new and used classic rock, hard rock, jazz, and pop LPs and CDs. I hit the jackpot with CDs, picking up five jazz, four rock, and one country title as a Christmas gift for Lauren. Only found three records, but one was a childhood favorite. The three records are:

The Rolling Stones - Black & Blue

 

The Moody Blues - The Other Side of Life

Walt Disney's Story and Songs from Cinderella (This cost me the most, but it was a mint, still-in-its plastic copy of the very first record I ever owned. It's what it says on the tin, four songs and some dialogue from the Disney Cinderella. Mom bought this for me and Snow White for Rose in the early 80's; she'd pick up Sleeping Beauty for Anny a few years later.) 

Thanks to a 5 for 20 sale on CDs, I came up with that gift for Lauren and:

The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers and Voodoo Lounge

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (1971)

Santana - Abraxus

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball

David Benoit - The Best of David Benoit 1987 - 1995

Charles Mingus - Three or Four Shades of Blue and Mingus Ah Um

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Jazz: Red Hot and Cool

Miles Davis - The Best of Miles Davis - The Capitol/Blue Note Years

I thought of riding down to Tu Se Bella's or the Black Horse Pike Diner for lunch, but I didn't feel like going all the way down to Audubon Crossings and I just did a diner last week. Thought I'd try Toni Roni's on the corner of the Black Horse Pike and West King's Highway, a couple of blocks down from Abbie Road. Considering it was almost 3 when I made it there, I was surprised to see a couple of guys at Formica tables enjoying slices. I'll have to eat there again when I'm on the Black Horse Pike and feel like pizza. The thin, crispy slices of cheese and tomato basil mozzarella weren't bad. Had them with a bottle of iced tea.

The traffic on the Black Horse Pike had gotten so bad by 3:30, I decided to go home the way I came and cut across Audubon and Haddon Heights. I suspect I'd run into folks on their way to a weekend at the Shore. If they were going to the Shore, they picked the wrong weekend. It was cloudy, cool, and very humid as I rode down Merchant Street and over the train bridge into Oaklyn. It spit slightly when I arrived at Abbie Road, but to my knowledge, it hasn't done anything since then.

Went straight into working on the inventory when I got home. In addition to all of the rock titles I picked up today, I added the 1981 Pirates of Penzance revival with Kevin Kline and Linda Ronstadt, Plain and Fancy with Barbara Cook, Promises, Promises, Purlie, Raisin, the Gwen Verdon Victorian mystery Redhead, and The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd with Anthony Newley. All but Plain and Fancy came from thrift shops and record stores; I picked that one up from the Voorhees Library book sale over a decade ago (when they still held it). 

Broke at quarter after 7 for dinner and Match Game '79. They're almost up to the end of the CBS run with Fred Grandy's first week. It also features the first appearance by Carolyn, a contestant who will become rather important in a few episodes...

Took a shower, then finished the night at YouTube with more Match Game. James Darren, Philadelphia singer, actor, and TV director, passed away on Monday. He finished out 1974 with Betty White, sweet Juliet Mills, and Nipsey Russell and his poems on prosperity. James hadn't hadn't been on the show for more than five minutes before Jack Narz suddenly popped up from under his desk to promote his show Now You See It. The New Year's episode was a riot, with Jimmy Durante nose joke questions, an adorable older man answering "__ Breaker" on the Audience Match, and balloons and streamers coming down from the ceiling to celebrate the arrival of the New Year and their new sign.

The joint is jumpin' the Philadelphia way with this beloved South Philly singer and director!

James Darren - Match Game Tribute

The Eagles-Packers game in Brazil was on Peacock, so I didn't watch it, but I did check the score. It seemed to be one heck of a game, with the score going back and forth all night. In the end, the Eagles just barely pulled off their first win of the season, 34-29. 

Getting Things Done

Got a late start this morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Jodi is "A New Friend at School" on her first day. Daniel is disappointed when Prince Wednesday would rather play pigs with her than race cars with him. Teacher Harriett finally reminds him that even if a friend plays with someone else, you're still friends. Likewise, he gets upset when Miss Elainia plays splatball with Jodi instead of him. Lady Elaine reminds Daniel that "A New Friend at the Playground" will include him in their fun.

Had just enough time before my job counseling appointment for a quick errand at Target. I needed shaving gel. Got that and a Hint apple water, too. To my surprise, the Westmont Plaza was mobbed with teenagers when I arrived. They must have just gotten out of school, because none of them were up front. There were no lines anywhere but Starbucks. Hurried to the library quick enough to take out the intriguing-looking mystery A Midnight Puzzle by Gig Pandian and Job Therapy by Tessa West. 

I had just finished checking out the books and was going to see if Dawn had arrived when she walked right in. We had a fairly productive hour. I applied for a part-time copy writer at Sagpixel in Cherry Hill, a Marketing Coordinator for something called Corporate Synergies in Camden, an editor for the Patch newspapers, and a secretary for CarVision in Maple Shade. Truth be told, the Patch is the only one I'm all that interested in, and I'm not sure I'm really qualified for any of them. I haven't worked with Microsoft Word or PowerPoint or anything fancy since college. I really need to find a way to upgrade that.

I still felt better when I doubled back to the Westmont Plaza. Thankfully, though there were lots of chattering teenagers at Starbucks, the line wasn't long. I had an egg and pesto sandwich on chewy ciabatta bread and the most amazing Apple Crisp Non-Dairy Foam Chai Latte that really did taste like the fall dessert. Unlike the pumpkin latte in Audubon yesterday, it wasn't too sweet or spicy, just right.

Sprouts was even quieter. There's nothing there to interest teenagers, no seasonal or toy aisles. In addition to coconut milk, breakfast cookie sandwiches, and Poppi soda, I thought I'd try something different. Sprouts has bins where you can buy everything from staples like flour and salt to candy, nuts, and dried fruit in bulk. I scooped a small bag of dried pineapple and another of coconut macaroon almonds, just to try them. Not only were the almonds delicious, but the pineapple came to 39 cents and the almonds to $1.30. I will absolutely be doing that again with sweet nuts and dried fruit. 

Headed down the hill and past Haddon Township High School to the Westmont Acme next. They were even less busy. I mainly needed to restock yogurt and granola bars. Apple butter is a decent price for a good-sized jar, and it's less sweet than jelly or jam. I discovered the hard way last night when I had an upset stomach that I needed to refill the Lifesavers jar I use for Starlight mints. Poppi soda is still three for $6 here, and bakery cookies were on sale, too.

Rode across Newton Lake Park going home, then over the path on the hill next to the Haddon Township Environmental Center. The weather remains gorgeous here. It's slightly more humid, but otherwise beautiful, sunny, breezy, and in the lower 80's. The park is still pretty gorgeous, too. The water rippled and sparkled under the new fountains. Emerald leaves over my head waved in that sweet-smelling breeze.

When I got home, I watched PAW Patrol while getting organized and putting my groceries away. "Pups Save the Bookmobile" when its owner's raccoon accidentally lets go of the breaks and it goes flying down a mountain. The pups have to make sure that neither the books nor the bookmobile's owner get hurt. Mayor Humdinger has a desire to carve his and the Kitty Catastrophe Crew's faces on the side of a cliff, but the "Pups Save Heady Humdinger" when the head breaks off and rolls through Adventure Bay.

Switched to The Price Is Right while taking down the summer decorations and putting up the ones I have for fall. I know, it's early, but first of all, it's been really hot one day since mid-August. Second, by the time fall actually does start, I'll be on vacation. The Sees candy tin and candles shaped like candy corn go on the shelf with my Beanie Babies and my old teddy TJ. Set up baskets of fall foliage on three different shelves and two scarecrows on the media center and one of the book shelves. The orange owl with glasses reading a book sits with my collectible teddies on top of the record crates. I can't find the fall wreath, so I hung the dangling wooden leaves and acorns on my door instead.

Worked on the inventory next. Added On the Twentieth Century, the 1983 revival of On Your Toes, Once Upon a Mattress with Carol Burnett, and the original stage Paint Your Wagon, The Pajama Game, and Peter Pan. All but Once Upon a Mattress were bought from record stores within the last six years. In fact, Once and Twentieth Century are the only ones that didn't come from Phidelity Records in Westmont, and Twentieth Century came from Long In the Tooth Records in Philly.

Watched Pigskin Parade while I worked. I go further into this cute college football romp that was Judy Garland's first feature-length film at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Back to School Again - Pigskin Parade

Watched Match Game '79 as I worked. They were up to the adorable week featuring vintage TV puppets Kukla and Ollie. Brett spent the week flirting with Ollie the Dragon, while Eva Gabor spent it explaining her strange answers. Kukla and Ollie's puppeteer and creator Burr Tilstrom popped out to show how he worked the duo in the end.

Finished the night with rock records while I worked on the Pigskin Parade review. Thankfully, Beggars Banquet did have the right record. One of the Stones' best albums of the 60's featured the dark hits "Sympathy for the Devil" and one of my favorites of their songs, "Street Fighting Man." I also like "Factory Girl" and "Salt of the Earth."

I didn't cry at "The Old School" on Rupert Holmes' Pursuit of Happiness, but it and "Town Square" are lovely, sad songs about memories. They were especially meaningful to me. There is an old school in Cape May, the Franklin Street School, that was Cape May's black school before New Jersey integrated all schools in 1948. It's been the town rec center since my childhood. I remember taking dance and gymnastics classes in the auditorium when I was very young. Unlike the Old School, it was recently remodeled and is now the Cape May City Library. 

I've been hearing Dan Fogleberg's songs on the radio since I was trying to tumble in those gymnastic classes. They always seemed a little sadder and more melancholy than most of the songs on the radio in the 80's. The tribute "Leader of the Band" and sorrowful take of "Same Old Lang Syne" were the hits. "Hard to Say" and "Missing You" are also good. 

Good Times, Bad Times

Started off a beautiful morning with breakfast and The Busy World of Richard Scarry. Sally Cat wails "Has Anyone Seen My Book?" when her favorite story goes missing. Huckle and Lowly have to get it back from the man they accidentally sold it to in a flea market. "P.J Pig's Brave Day" gives the squire a chance to be a hero when the real knights prove unsuited to rescue fair Princess Lily. Mr. Gronkle's nephew Vanderbilt wants to join the soccer team, but he's too slow. He thinks "Vanderbilt's New Shoes" will make him a soccer star, but what really gets him on the team is constant practice.

Frankly, I was not looking forward to work after all the trouble over the weekend. On one hand, I was able to mostly get the carts done with no trouble. I did get called in to put away a huge cart of cold items ten minutes before I was supposed to sweep the store. I rushed around so I could get everything done. 

Soon as I got home, I changed and went right back out. Like on Monday, it was simply too nice to hang around inside all day. The weather remains stunning here, sunny, breezy, dry, and in the lower 80's. Can't be more perfect for early September. 

I rode my bike over the train bridge and into Audubon. I've had drinks at the Brown Dog Cafe before, but never lunch. Ate a turkey and bacon croissant sandwich and a maple chai tea latte on a wrought-iron table on the sidewalk. It was too beautiful to eat indoors! I wasn't the only person who thought so, either. Even as I enjoyed my sandwich and thick ripple chips, a mother and daughter sipped their own drinks at another outside table. The sandwich was terrific, slathered with what I suspect was guacamole. The chai latte tasted of pumpkin spice and was too sweet.

When I got home, I vacuumed and Swiftered my rooms while watching The Monkees. I actually wanted to check out "The Monkees A La Carte" because none other than Harvey Lembeck of the Beach Party series plays a gangster out to take over a local restaurant. The Monkees pose as the Purple Flower Gang to get in on the mobster's gathering of other local criminals and stop them from taking over all crime in the city!

Dusted my rooms, made my bed, and added the CDs I listened to recently to the folders while watching Horse Feathers. I go into the Marx Brothers' take on college football tropes at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Back to School Again - Horse Feathers

Spent an hour checking Indeed for jobs. When I found nothing interesting, I switched to the inventory. Finished Nine and added No Strings, the Columbia studio versions of Oh, Kay! with Jack Cassidy and Oklahoma! with Nelson Eddy and Kaye Ballard, the original cast of Oklahoma!, and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. 

Moved to Match Game '79 while eating dinner. Nipsey Russell, Loni Anderson of WKRP, and Jack Jones, who sang the theme from The Love Boat, join in here. In the first episode, Brett walks off when they won't accept "cannon ball" for an answer. The second began with Gene auctioning off a poster of Loni in a bathing suit. Charles, of all people, "won" it and displayed it for the rest of the show.

Finished the night after a shower with recent record acquisitions. Ben Bagley's Leonard Bernstein Revisited is another collection of songs cut from musicals by the composer in question, from ones with short runs, or from his ballet Fancy Free or the off-Broadway revue By Bernstein. The opening "Conquering the City" was originally intended to open Wonderful Town, but apparently it was dropped when they didn't like the idea of beginning with a ballet. "Bright and Black," "President Jefferson March," and "Take Care of This House" are from the short-lived 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, which covered the relationship between black servants and the President and First Ladies in two centuries of White Houses. Nell Carter does especially well by "Bright and Black." Chita Rivera also has fun with "The Story of My Life," which was apparently cut from Wonderful Town when so-so singer Rosalind Russell couldn't manage it. 

I really need to be more careful when I buy records used. The Rolling Stones album didn't come with Between the Buttons, despite that being the cover. It came with the US version of the collection Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass), and not even a copy that was in good shape. On one hand, it's hard to argue with some of their biggest early hits, including "Satisfaction," "Time Is On My Side," and "Good Times, Bad Times." On the other hand, I really wanted their actual albums. I think I'll just donate this one and keep looking. 

Bad Day of the Flowers

Began the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. "Daisy's Grasshopper" actually goes further back than most Disney fans realize. Wilbur originally starred in Goofy's very first short, "Goofy and Wilbur," in 1939. Goofy joins Daisy and the others in hopping after Wilbur when he jumps away before Professor Ludwig Von Drake can take his picture.

Actually headed off to work on time...and that was pretty much the last thing that went right all afternoon. Work was nothing short of a pain in the rear. I would do carts, only to be called to put away carts full of cold items people didn't want. It put me way behind with the carts and sweeping. It didn't help that we were busy all day with grouchy beginning-of-the-month people and elderly senior housing residents taking advantage of the senior discount we have on Tuesdays.

Even after I went to help the floral department manager, the managers up front still kept calling me to put cold items away. The college kid who took over for me was outside, trying to catch up with those carts. The floral department manager saw how flustered and upset I was and chewed out the front end managers, because she needed help, too. Thankfully, we were able to spend my last two hours making lovely little arrangements from the mini-bouquets in peace. I think most of them actually came out rather well, especially a yellow rose and carnation one that was perfect. Hastily put together a rose and sunflower arrangement just before I was almost late getting out.

Needless to say, I rushed home after that. At least the weather remains nice. It was gorgeous, sunny and warm, with a cool breeze. Looks like it's going to be that way for most of the week...and after it rains a little, it'll cool off even more.

Soon as I got home, I changed, took out the trash, and did a few chores before settling down to watch Sweetie. I go further into this rousing early talkie about a chorus girl who inherits a college at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Back to School Again - Sweetie (1929)

Attempted to do the inventory next. I was so tired, I was only able to add My One and Only, New Girl In Town, The New Moon, and Nine. The New Moon is actually its original West End cast. The US wouldn't really do cast albums until the 1940's. I'm pretty sure My One and Only was something I picked up in Philly, but once again, I don't remember anymore. 

Watched Match Game '79 during and after dinner. In the first episode, Everyone, especially Scoey Mitchilll, has comments on Gene's Old Man Periwinkle reading in the first episode. Scoey scolds Fannie for constantly having the wrong answer, only to learn to watch his mouth when it turns out she did match this time.

Finished the night with recently-acquired CDs. Though the Monkees' first album does feature the hits "I'm Not Your Stepping Stone" and "Last Train to Clarksville," it also has its fair share of clunkers. I prefer Micky's faster version of "I Wanna Be Free" to Davy's slower and sappier one, and "This Just Doesn't Seem to Be My Day" works better accompanying weird antics on the TV show. On the other hand, Mike has one of his best early songs, the rollicking "Sweet Young Thing," and Micky and Davy are hilarious in the comedy number "Gonna Buy Me a Dog." 

There's some winners in the additional material on this two-disc set, too. "So Goes Love" is one of Davy's better ballads, and we finally get to hear two Mike songs that made it to the TV show but not albums, "You Just May Be the One" and "All the King's Horses." Mike would later remake the lovely "Propinquity (I've Just Begun to Care)" with his own band in the 1970's, but even the First National Band version isn't as stripped-down and sweet as acoustic demo heard here.

Dean Martin: The Classic Years seems to mostly be recordings from TV or early singles. In addition to hits like "That's Amore" and "Everybody Loves Somebody," there's some deeper cuts. His duet on "Baby It's Cold Outside" is really cute, as is a charming "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face." I also like "Pennies from Heaven," "Takes Two to Tango," and a laid-back "Dream a Little Dream." 

On a Clear Labor Day

Started my Labor Day with the material for the holiday from the 1962 Colliers anthology Harvest of Holidays. The long piece was a biography of Samuel Gompers, the founder of the American Federation of Labor and one of the founders of the American Labor Movement. Poems included I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman, Those Who Go Forth Before Daylight by Carl Sandburg, and The Village Blacksmith by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Watched The Scooby Doo Show while eating breakfast. It's "A Bum Steer for Scooby" when the gang visits Daphne's Uncle Matt at his ranch, only to be chased by a ghostly bull. Uncle Matt explains that the ghost bull is an ancient spirit who haunts the ranch at night. No sooner do the kids start investigating this mystery than they encounter an equally spooky Native medicine man and Uncle Matt vanishes. The kids have to get to the bottom of this wild western, before Uncle Matt's not the only one who disappears! 

Went to work after Scooby ended. Work was a pain in the rear. Despite a gorgeous, sunny day, people still weren't in good moods. We were mobbed off and on for a lot of the day, too. It's still the beginning of the month, and most local kids start school between tomorrow and Thursday. I started out pushing carts and sweeping outside, but they pulled me to put away four carts filled with items to be returned (including one of cold items). I normally like putting things away, but not when we had such lovely weather. 

Hurried straight home after work. When I got in, I changed and went right back out again. It really was too nice of a Labor Day to waste bent over a computer. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, sunny and brilliant blue, with a nice cool wind and not a bit of humidity in sight. It was the perfect day for a bike ride in Oaklyn.

My first stop was the Hispanic ice cream booth La Morelense Plus for one last cool treat of the summer. I was originally going to get another milkshake like I did in June, but I saw a woman get a chocolate sundae topped with crushed Oreos and cherries that looked divine. Their chocolate banana cried out for crushed peanut butter cups, and I added chocolate syrup, too. Oh, wow. It was incredible, so sweet and chocolaty, with just enough banana and a hint of nuttiness from the peanut butter. I wasn't the only person enjoying ice cream on a perfect late summer day. Their patio was full when I arrived, and there was a long line of people trying to decide what they wanted.

Made a quick stop at WaWa for Olipop soda, then went for a long bike ride around Oaklyn. Rode past Rose's house on Kendall and around the neighborhoods on either side of the school, dodging the road work being done on Goff. Stopped briefly to gaze at the stunning view of the creek between Oaklyn and Audubon Park. The sky was so clear, I could see all the way to the Ben Franklin Bridge. I wasn't the only one admiring the sights, either. Two girls chatted on a bench by the water, while another man talked on his phone in his car.

After I did some more riding in the neighborhood where Dad used to live and over by Dollar General, I made another quick stop at Crown Chicken and Gyro. I really didn't feel like leftovers again, so I ordered a fish sandwich with fries, lettuce, and pickles. They were pretty quiet, but it was also still kind of early for dinner. 

I ate at home while watching Match Game Syndicated. I caught part of Holly Hallstrom's debut on the show, and all of the episode where someone said he'd give Gene a mink if he kissed his aunt. The "mink" turned out to be fuzz on a stick, but Brett ended up with it anyway. The others made "minksicle" jokes all through the show. We also saw Bart Braverman get really booed by the audience, and the first season finale. 

For some reason, they switched back to Match Game '79 after that. I've seen the '79 episodes a thousand times by now, so I took a shower instead. Finished the night with game shows featuring Regis Philbin, whose birthday was last week. Philbin's first shot at hosting a game show was The Neighbors in 1975. Two female neighbors answer gossipy questions about a panel of three real-life neighbors. Yeah, it's about as interesting as it sounds. Regis is good and the homey set was cute, but the gossip was obnoxious, the questions were silly, and frankly, you didn't really care what these catty women thought of each other. It didn't last four months.

It would be the late 90's before Philbin hosted another game show...and this time, the show was a sensation. Philbin was in charge of the US Who Wants to Be a Millionaire from the start. He, the show, and his catchphrase "Is that your final answer?" were ubiquitous from late 1999 through mid-2002. More than the lifelines or the neon set, Philbin was instrumental in knowing when to rack up tension, and when to ease off and joke around. His energy really made the show what it was. I have a random episode from the height of the show's popularity in 2000 that gives you a good example.

Philbin turned over hosting the syndicated show to Meredith Vieira, but he would occasionally turn up as host for his signature show for a decade thereafter. He did the special Who Wants to Be a Super Millionaire in 2004 and a series of specials for its 10th anniversary in 2009. In late 2009, he would briefly take over hosting syndication, and did just as well on the truncated version as he did with the longer one back in 2000. 

Philbin occasionally played on other people's game shows. He did Password Plus twice, in 1981 and 1982, both times to promote his then-talk program The Regis Philbin Show. He honestly did pretty well, getting his contestant to Alphabetics at least once in both episodes I have here. Audrey Landers joins him in '81; none other than Betty White was his partner near the end of the show's run in '82. He made a brief cameo at the beginning of a special two-hour episode of Deal Or No Deal in 2006 to help a contestant.

His last appearance on a game show was hosting Million Dollar Password in 2008. Password got hit hard by the Millionaire bug here, with neon sets and consecutive money tiers that did nothing to enhance the game. The celebrities were generally better. Serena Williams and Craig Ferguson play pretty well here and seem to be enjoying themselves well enough. Though the show was relatively popular in the ratings, it was a hit with people who were a lot older than CBS was looking for at the time. It lasted just a little over a year.

Create millionaires, describe Passwords, and get to know your neighbors with one of the most beloved and influential hosts of all time!

The Neighbors (1975)

Password Plus (1981)

Password Plus (1982)

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (2000)

Deal or No Deal (2006)

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Syndicated (2009)

Million Dollar Password (2009)

And I hope you all had a beautifully sunny Labor Day of your own, whether you had to work or not!

Music and Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and the cast album for Look Ma, I'm Dancin' and Arms and the Girl. These are flop vehicles for popular female stage comedians of the time, which is pretty much all they have in common. Look Ma was a modern-set dance-heavy spoof for Nancy Walker as a brewery heiress who takes over a ballet company. Arms and the Girl is a musical version of the play The Pursuit of Happiness. Nanette Fabray is an ardent soldier in the American Revolution. Pearl Bailey is a runaway slave who takes the name of whatever state she happens to be in. 

Frankly, neither show is especially top-drawer, although Look Ma was said to have outstanding choreography by Jerome Robbins. Pearl Bailey gets the best songs in Arms, "Nothin' for Nothin'" and "There Must Be Something Better Than Love." Walker dances off with Dancin' belting "I'm the First Girl In the Back Row." Dancer Harold Lang also does well by the opener "Gotta Dance."

The Cotton Club had a lot of problems on release, but its fine collection of Duke Ellington standards on the soundtrack wasn't one of them. The moody "Copper Colored Gal" and lovely "Ill Wind" are my favorites. There's also a passable Cab Calloway imitation with "Minnie the Moocher." 

Switched to working on the cast album inventory after I ate. In addition to Look Ma and Arms and the Girl, I added Milk and Honey, Miss Liberty, the semi-operatic The Most Happy Fella, Mr. President, and the original Broadway cast of The Music Man. These were all record and thrift shop finds. I think The Music Man was too, but I'm otherwise not sure about that one. 

WDAS-FM Black Rock remains a staple R&B and soul station in Philadelphia to this day. In 1975, they put out a collection of what was likely the big hits on the station at the time. Some of these I've never even heard of, like "Choice of Colors" by Curtis Mayfield and "Peace at Least" by Rotary Connection. My favorites were the dance-y "Bang Bang" by Joe Cuba and "I Think About Loving You" by Earth Wind & Fire.

Hurried off to work after a very quick lunch. Work was mobbed when I came in, with lines across the aisles. I suspect it has less to do with Labor Day Weekend and more with it being the beginning of the month and kids going back to school. I dodged a lot of grouchy or ignorant people, including at least three who complained because only one electric cart out of three was charged and ready when I first came in. Sorry, I can't help it if one is broken and the other was used until it died by a customer. I stayed outside for the first half, but had to sweep too when the morning bagger finished. Otherwise, no trouble whatsoever.

As soon as I got home, I changed, took the laundry downstairs, and finished with tonight's Match Game Classics marathon. Wacky plaid sport coats were apparently the style in the 1970's, especially early in the decade. The most infamous of Gene's plaid coats was by far that awful green plaid suit he wore in an early '73 episode that was so ugly, no one in the panel would even look at when he came in. Thankfully, after that episode Gene limited himself to the coat or the pants, but not together. Richard had two plaid coats of his own, one in tan and brown and one in purple and white. There was also Gene's almost as awful gray checked suit that made him look like half of a vaudeville team, and Richard's more subdued navy and white checked coat. 

It's the attack of the wild Me Decade prints in this eclectic and creative marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Attack of the Plaids! 

Oh, and I bought train tickets for my vacation tonight! I'll be in Pittsfield this year from the 22nd through the 30th. The musical blog will be on hiatus at that time, but I'll continue to post updates here. 

Southern Belle Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. "Donald's Ducks" are having a hard time finding their way somewhere warm. Mickey and Donald help get them to a warm, sunny beach where they can spend the winter. 

Headed out after the show ended. I started out sweeping and doing carts, but switched to carts after a second bagger came in around noon. It actually could have been busier. Everyone must be waiting for the beginning of the month tomorrow and Monday. I had time to water the plants and consolidate buckets of roses for the floral department manager and put cold items away. 

I actually got my schedule online yesterday, but confirmed it today. In good news, more hours, and I work late enough next Saturday to hit the farm market. However, the head bagger took off on Tuesday and got Labor Day off, which means I'm working almost a week straight. I also have a seven hour day on Tuesday, though half of that will be in the floral department. 

Picked up a few things after work that I forgot yesterday. I didn't realize until this morning that I was almost out of multi-vitamins. The Acme's generic organic gummies were buy-one, get-one. Found cookies that were half-butter almond, half pumpkin on the clearance shelves. This week's Saturday free sample was Bodyarmor electrolytes drink. I went with fruit punch.

I needed to run to the bank, so instead of dashing across Camden County to Collingswood, I decided to hit the PNC in Mt. Ephraim. I forgot how scary it is riding down the Black Horse Pike. Though there are a few new businesses like the huge WaWa and the combination Taco Bell/Pizza Hut, most of the businesses on the Black Horse Pike are older, or closed all together. I passed many boarded-up buildings with cracked parking lots and overgrown lawns on my way down the Pike. 

At least the Mt. Ephraim PNC looks like it was remodeled recently and not nearly as scary. They were closed by 3:30, so I hit up the ATM. Got there, got my money, got out and back down the Pike.

Made a few other stops. I grabbed a pumpkin spice smoothie and an Orange-Strawberry Propel for later from WaWa. I realized on my way home that I forgot bagels for lunch at work this week, so I ended up back at the Acme to get those before finally heading home.

Rested a bit after I changed, then added a few titles to the inventory. Did Make a Wish, Mame, Man of La Mancha, the London favorite Me and My Girl, and the 1978 Merry Widow with Beverly Sills in the title role and a translation by Sheldon Harnick. Most of these were thrift shop finds, except for Make a Wish, which I picked up on eBay in 2022, and The Merry Widow, which I found at a yard sale. (I don't remember where Mame came from now.) 

Took a shower, then had dinner and finished on YouTube with tonight's Match Game Saturday Classics marathon. Mary Ann Mobley was another former Miss America who appeared on the show. In fact, she was the first Miss America to hail from Mississippi. She mostly appeared from 1973 through 1977, then came back in 1979 for a few weeks in syndication, always sitting in the fourth "ingenue" seat next to Richard Dawson. 

She was one of the more entertaining ladies to sit in that seat, gracious and funny even when her answers weren't the best. Mary Ann had the habit of giving rambling explanations as to how she got her answers. Once, she went on for so long, Gene sat down in front of her desk until she finished. (Twice.) Another time, she reached over to give a contestant a kiss...which set off everyone running over to kiss her or the contestant, including Tom Poston. 

Lift a mint julep to one of the fairest daughters of the deep south in this hilarious marathon! 

Match Game Saturday Night Classics - Featuring Mary Ann Mobley On Match Game

Cool Summer

Began the morning with breakfast and PAW Patrol. "The Pups Save Puplantis" when they travel underwater with mer-pups and witness a kid pirate and his puppy sidekick steal the shell that gives Puplantis its magic. Without the shell and its pearls, Puplantis is falling to bits! Rocky and Rubble try to keep it from getting worse, while Chase keeps an eye on them from above and the others go after the pirates.

Caught the second half of Press Your Luck as I prepared to go out. One of the two guys Whammied out almost immediately. The lead and the turns kept going between the one lady and the remaining guy. The guy finally hit a Whammy and couldn't make more money, leaving the lady to win with a ton of money and three vacations to Mexico, Puerto Rico, and a cruise to the Mexican Riviera. 

Headed out after the episode ended. I wanted to give the ride up to Barrington and Haddon Heights a second shot after my first attempt at the beginning of the month got rained out. It was cloudy, but this time, the dark clouds were just clouds. They kept it cool and windy, but I never felt so much as a raindrop the entire day. Made a brief stop at WaWa in Audubon for a watermelon Propel, but otherwise made it up the White Horse Pike to Barrington by noon without incident.

The Barrington Antique Center is huge warren of cozy little rooms jammed to the rafters with every vaguely collectible item you can imagine, from genuine antique glassware and furniture to DVDs and Barbies from a few years ago. I wish their records were cheaper. I have come up with good records there on occasion, but $10 for a rock title I could get out of the dollar bin at Innergroove is too much. I did find the Santana album Inner Secrets for $5 and Shirley Temple's Storybook, a collection of fairy tales and two Washington Irving stories inspired by her TV show of the same name. The book has gorgeous color and pen illustrations redolent of the early 60's when the show was out and even features a story I never heard of before, "The Land of Green Ginger."

Dodged the traffic on Clements Bridge Road and made my way down Atlantic to the industrial park on the other side of town. The House of Fun is next-door to the park in its own building. This store focuses on pop culture collectibles, toys, horror and cult DVDs and blu-rays, and stuffed animals. I was going to get a DVD, but it was too expensive. I just dug an older Beanie Baby ghost, Spooky, out for Halloween.

Next stop was what's now known as Doc's Finds, formerly Station Avenue Antiques in Haddon Heights. There's now fewer antiques and more locally made clothing and food, and the dollar record bins are gone. I still came up with some good finds of my own:

Maureen McGovern - Maureen McGovern

The Moody Blues - On the Threshold of a Dream

The Rolling Stones - Between the Buttons (the US version with "Let's Spend the Night Together" and "Ruby Tuesday") and Beggar's Banquet

The Haddon Heights Library is next-door, so I stopped there next. I only fished a cozy mystery, The Cider Shop Rules, out of the row of books on that 50 cent sale, but I did have a nice chat with the young librarian when she complimented me on my Pokemon backpack. The owner of Doc's Finds complimented me, too. 

Rode down Atlantic Avenue, mainly so I could pull in at the Legacy Diner in Audubon for lunch. I was definitely feeling like breakfast, so I got coconut-pineapple pancakes. Yum. Tons of coconut and fresh pineapple pieces in three pancakes that were so huge, I couldn't finish them. By 3 PM they weren't all that busy, so I got to enjoy my meal in peace.

Went straight into working on the inventory when I got home. Along with adding the titles I just bought to the rock inventory, I did Kismet, Les Miserables, A Little Night Music, Lost In the Stars, and The Magic Show. Lost In the Stars, which I picked up at a yard sale two years ago, is the only album from this batch that didn't come from one of the record stores in the last decade or so...I think, anyway. I'm not sure where Kismet came from anymore. 

Had a very quick dinner while watching Match Game Syndicated. The late Peter Marshall turned up for what would be his first of two weeks. Gene sat in his seat in the opening, and he came out with Gene's microphone. They kept talking about how much they resembled each other. Personally, I don't see it.

Headed out for a treat after the show. It remained cool, cloudy, and humid, perfect weather for a walk to West Clinton for Oaklyn's Final Friday block party. Every last Friday of the month from June through October, there's a big street fair on the last two blocks of West Clinton near the school, with food trucks, craft books, face painting, and a live band. 

I ran into Rose, Finley, and Craig on the parking lot across from the school where the bean bag game and craft booths were. Rose had their two dogs Cider and Oreo and took them home after a few minutes. (Khai apparently had opted to go home early.) Finley insisted on her father buying her a second lobster roll from the lobster food truck and ran into Phillies Phatties to greet friends of hers. She had these cute pink, lavender, and turquoise streaks in her hair that I suspect were the result of combs or clips. After they left, I bought myself a banana donut from Common Grounds' booth. Alas, despite the sugary icing, it was rather bland.

Finished the night at home with Big Trouble In Little China at Tubi. Trucker Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) finds himself caught up in a very weird adventure in San Francisco's Chinatown when the fiancee (Suzee Pai) of a friend (Dennis Dun) who is kidnapped by a street gang. After they get between two warring mystical societies, she's kidnapped by an ancient Chinese sorcerer who thinks sacrificing her will break a long-standing curse. Her friend Gracie Law (Kim Cattrall) is also kidnapped when Lo Pan realizes she also has green eyes. He'll kill her and marry the other girl. Jack eventually aids an old friend who is also a warrior in solving the secrets of Chinatown and the mystical elemental warriors.

Supremely weird action flick wasn't a hit at the time, but I think it's worn much better than the other action film revolving around Asian mysticism that came out in the mid-80's, The Golden Child. Russell's clearly having a ball as the normal guy caught up in this oddly magical adventure. Not all of the Chinese stereotypes have dated that well, Cattrall has little to do in a boring love interest role, and some of the scarier monsters put this out of reach of the very young, but by and large this wild action fantasy is still a hoot for teens and adults who are into 80's adventures. 

Flowers and Monkees

Began the morning with breakfast and The Busy World of Richard Scarry. The hobos who hang out in busy town try to help repair "The Best Amusement Park Ever," but run into nothing but problems when they realize they're in over their head. The Cave Pigs last seen in the first episode of season 3 create "The First Bridge" with the help of a Cro-Magnon Pig when they can't figure out a way to cross the river and get at the juicy berries. Huckle tells his family to "Say Cheese, Please!" in order to take a perfect family shot for a class project, but he ends up getting the shot in the least-likely spot.

Switched to The Monkees as I made the bed and my grocery list. The Monkees ran at the height of the spy caper craze, and several episodes did spoof the fad, starting with "The Spy Who Came In From the Cool." Davy buys a pair of red maracas that turn out to have microfilm in them. Two Russian spies want the film and offer to trade for it. An American spy agency recruits the guys to help, but the guys are the ones who eventually take the duo down.

"Monkee Chow Mein" has dated less well today. Asian villain Dragonman wants to unleash the Doomsday Bug, but Peter finds it in a fortune cookie and turns it into the spy agency. The guys think they're done with spying, but Dragonman's goons inadvertently kidnap Micky. When Peter's captured while going after him, Mike and Davy are the ones who end up leaping into action.

Headed out to work after "Spy Who Came In from the Cool" ended. I spent the first hour sweeping and pushing carts. I was going to do that for the second hour, too, but then someone grabbed a bag of rice that knocked over a Goya malt drink. I had to clean up the mess, which meant I had to rush the sweeping and had no time for the carts. And that meant I had to do the carts after break, which meant I was late getting to the floral department.

As it turned out, I mainly helped her clean up around the flowers and water the mums and plants that are mostly what's out now. Dusted the shelves with the stuffed animals and vases, then put out the big arrangements she made earlier. That left me with just enough time to make one small arrangement. All of the arrangements were big bouquets of roses, mums, or small sunflowers. I dropped a single yellow rose in a slim bottle-like vase with a bit of baby's breath. I thought it came out well. It looked simple and elegant.

Did my grocery shopping after work. Restocked granola bars and yogurt. I thought I had a coupon for bakery cookies, but I didn't. Still got sugar cookies. Poppi probiotic soda was 3 for 6 if you bought three. Found little bottles of ethnic spice blends on the clearance shelves. Bought jerk and bruschetta. Picked up coconut milk, and since I won't have the time for the farm market this week, apples.

Stopped at Yummies Palace in Oaklyn for a treat on the way home. Though it was cloudy by 4:30, it otherwise remained hot and very humid. I needed to cool off. While two high schoolers tried to decide what they wanted for their gelatos, I decided to try a milkshake with their home-made ice cream. The girl put too much milk in. I basically had cookies-and-cream flavored milk with lots of big cookie pieces and a slightly sour taste. 

Went straight upstairs after I got home. Changed and watched Cmon, Let's Live a Little on YouTube while I took a look at the revised version of the cover letter for Collingswood High Dawn sent me. I go further into this teen musical from 1967 about a campus protest at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

C'mon, Let's Live a Little 

Worked a little bit on the inventory after that. I had just enough time to add Jamaica with Lena Horne, the Mary Martin vehicle Jennie, the original concept album for Jesus Christ Superstar, and the Alfred Drake flop operetta Kean. I think I got Kean from a thrift shop, but I don't remember which one now...which is ironic, since Wikipedia says the album is fairly rare and pricey now. If memory serves me correctly, I got it for a dollar. 

Took a shower, then watched Match Game Syndicated while eating a late dinner. Joe Santos, Eva Gabor, and Betty White join in to meet Glenn, the first blind contestant on a game show, and his beautiful seeing-eye dog Princess. Needless to say, Princess was well-taken care of with Betty there, and she frankly seemed smarter than some of the panelists.

Finished the night after dinner with several more recent record finds while working on the review for C'mon, Let's Live a Little. Cut! Outtakes from Hollywood's Greatest Musicals are mostly dropped songs from either Judy Garland movies or 20th Century Fox musicals of the 30's and 40's. While most of the Judy material has turned up on DVD, CD, and in That's Entertainment III, some of the other songs were entirely new to me. 

Judy did a charming version of "Easy to Love" that apparently didn't make it into the non-musical family comedy Life Begins for Andy Hardy. Betty Grable claimed "I'll Be Marching to a Love Song" in a number dropped from Footlight Serenade, while Alice Faye's "Think Twice" was intended for Sally Irene, and Mary. Ann Sothern did the comic spoof "Salome" for Panama Hattie in 1940 (which would eventually be trotted out for Virginia O'Brian). Nanette Fabray and Fred Astaire sing "Got a Bran' New Suit" from The Band Wagon, likely either a follow-up to "I Love Louisa" or one of the big numbers from the end of the film. Astaire and Charisse were supposed to have a dance to "You Have Everything" that was dropped.

I wish the Paramount musical The Fleet's In wasn't so hard to find today. This story of a sailor (William Holden) who is dared to kiss untouchable dance hall singer "The Countess" (Dorothy Lamour) may seem fluffy, but it has a terrific score that includes the standards "Tangerine" and "I Remember You." Betty Hutton (as The Countess' roommate) belts "If You Build a Better Mousetrap" and the other major hit "Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing In a Hurry."

Streetlife Serenade was one of the few Billy Joel albums I didn't have in any form. I believe I did have it at one point, but got rid of it when I started clearing out my rock albums collection. I've been a fan of Joel for as long as I can remember. Dad was a fellow Long Island native; Mom says she saw him play piano in bars before he became famous. In all honestly, part of the reason I got rid of this is this has never been my favorite of his albums. It does feature a few good numbers, notably "The Entertainer" on celebrity and the life of rock stars.