Wall Street Is For The Big Guns

In an effort to view history before going to the movie theaters I watched the 1980s classic drama Wall Street starring Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen (playing Dad to real-life and movie son Charlie) and Darryl Hannah (looking like a drag queen). My first impression of the movie was how astonishingly similar Charlie was to his father Martin and brother Emilio. (Emilio is not in the movie but every time I looked at Charlie I saw a bit of Young Guns Emilio).

As far as the movie goes, it is predictable put very sharp. Wall Street itself is made to look like a three right circus and Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) is a young stockbroker desperate to become one of the big players. He struggles on his own but when he hooks up with power player and mentor Gordon Gekko (Douglas) he makes a ton of money as a result of what he is willing to do for Gekko, no matter what. Bud becomes wealthy, enjoying his mentor's promised perks, including a penthouse on Manhattan's Upper East Side and a trophy blonde, interior decorator Darien (Hannah). He even begins dressing like Gekko – suspenders and all. At one point Bud does ask himself “Who am I?” but doesn’t seem to change his tune until his mentor decides he wants to buy Bud’s father’s company, sell it off in pieces and take away the jobs of all its employees – including Bud’s father, Carl.

Before this happens Carl warns Bud about Gekko but Bud is convinced that his father is just a blue collar worker and Union president who could never make it to the big time. Eventually Bud realizes his father’s instincts are right when Gekko wants to destroy the very company his father has helped build for the last 24 years.

While the acting is superb (Douglas won an Academy Award for Best Actor) the technology, especially the computers and phones, are extremely dated to say the least. I forgot how good looking the Sheen men are and how handsome Douglas was in his heyday. While the film is full of snappy one-liners the big phrases are “greed is good” and “money never sleeps” which are, as the new trailers have indicated, carried into the recently released sequel.

I can’t wait to see Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps for several reasons: 1) I appreciate the fact that the studio moguls waited 23 years for a sequel rather than the usual move which is to spit out another sequel as soon as humanly possible. 2) The first movie was good and pretty much left the door wide open for a follow-up so I’m very curious to see what happens next. 3) Even though I think Shia LaBeouf is kind of a tool I’m interested to see what he does with what I assume to be a protégé role similar to Charlie Sheen’s.

Whether or not the sequel measures up to the original remains to be seen but if the acting and dialogue is as good in 2010 as it was in 1987 then I’ll buy into Gordon Gekko’s bullshit all the way to the theater.

Solomon Burke

Unfortunately 10/10/10 will be sadly remembered as the day we lost another music legend. Solomon Burke, a pioneer in rock and R & B died unexpectedly today on an airplane when it arrived at an airport in Amsterdam. He was 70 years old. While the name Solomon Burke may not be instantly familiar, you know his music.

After Ahmet Ertegun signed Burke to Atlantic Records his career took off. His shows were raucous R&B revues, as he sang in a pink robe and gold crown. Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler called Burke "the best soul singer of all time."

Classic songs you’ve heard and should download if you haven’t already:

“Cry to Me”
“Everybody Needs Somebody to Love”
“Don’t Give Up On Me”
“Just Out of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms)”
“If You Need Me”
“You're Good for Me”
“Got to Get You Off of My Mind”
“Tonight's the Night”

Burke made his last record for Atlantic in 1968, but his hits had staying power and pop culture appeal. Just to name a few: John Belushi and Dan Akroyd performed “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” in The Blues Brothers in 1980, Patrick Swayze sang “Cry to Me” to Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing in 1987 and Peter Gallagher performed “Don’t Give Up On Me” on an episode of The O.C. in 2005.

Known as “The King of Rock and Soul,” Burke has been covered by artists including Otis Redding, Bruce Springsteen, and the Rolling Stones. Burke was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 and won his first Grammy in 2003 for Don't Give Up on Me, on which he covered Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson and Van Morrison. In recent years, he performed on a throne with a massive band.

He left behind 21 children, 90 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren, many of whom toured with him and pursued music careers of their own.

His final album, Hold On Tight, is due to be released later this month.

Burke was flying to Amsterdam because he was scheduled to perform a sellout show on Tuesday. Even at 70 years old he was still showing audiences what it meant to be the King of Rock and Soul.

Can’t Argue With An Epic

On September 26, 2010 Titanic’s Gloria Stuart died in her L.A. home after being treated for lung cancer. She was 100 years old. While most of us remember her as the elderly Rose (young Rose was played by then newcomer Kate Winslet in flashbacks) Titanic was by no means Stuart’s first rodeo, as she started acting in 1932. She is pictured here from back in the day - to say she was stunning is an understatement.

Although Winslet and Leonard DiCaprio were clearly the stars, Stuart’s part in Titanic was extremely important and her recollection of one of history’s greatest disasters was emotional and relatable. Even at age 87, Stuart was sharp, focused and extremely believable.

I recently watched Titanic for the first time in awhile and honestly I think I like it a little more every time I watch it. Whether you like romance, action, history or drama, this movie has it all. I still remember where I was the first time I saw it in theatres – a place called Riviera Theatre in Miami, Florida that no longer exists. The place was packed full of people of all ages and genders and although I knew how good the movie was then I first saw it I had no idea what was going to come next.

After Titanic became the biggest movie of 1997/the universe people flooded the record stores for copies of the soundtrack. We got CD shipments in on Tuesdays and for weeks (or maybe it was months) we had lines out the door of people who wanted – no NEEDED – that album. I don’t know whether these people really loved that Celine Dion song that much or if they wanted to get a piece of the movie in any way they could. Especially since it wasn’t coming out on VHS for awhile. At that point DVDs were unheard of so people had to wait until September 1998 for the tapes – and the movie was actually released on two tapes because it was so long. How’s that for a blast from the past.

Anyway, Titanic was an epic movie in 1997 and it still holds up. The dynamic between Winslet and DiCaprio was unprecedented and that hasn’t changed. Some have said that Titanic is our generation’s Gone With The Wind and I don’t think that’s a stretch by any means.

There is no denying Titanic’s impact as it accumulated a grand total of $1,843,201,268 worldwide. That's a lot of digits! It became the highest-grossing film in history and remained so for twelve years until Avatar, also written and directed by James Cameron, surpassed it in 2010. Titanic also won 11 out of the 14 Academy Awards it was nominated for including Best Picture, Director and Original Song. This movie has been talked about for the last 13 years and will continue to be talked about for many decades to come. Rest in peace Gloria, you’ve earned it.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Announces 2011 Nominees - For Better Or Worse

A few days ago the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame released its 2011 nominees and the list, as per usual, is very eclectic. While some deserve to be nominated (Alice Cooper, the Beastie Boys and Bon Jovi, etc.) there were some questionable choices as well (i.e. Donna Summer for crying out loud). Anyway, here they are:

Alice Cooper – Love him, his eye makeup and the fact that his a self-proclaimed rock and roll villain.
Beastie Boys – With their rock and roll infused rap verses, they are truly pioneers of hip-hop and music as a whole.
Bon Jovi – While many haters think they are just 80s metal has-beens Bon Jovi’s legacy goes much deeper and, as their recent country album proves, much more versatile.
Chic- Dance/pop/disco all sounds the same…not impressed.
Neil Diamond – Who doesn’t love “Sweet Caroline”?!
Donovan – Remember the song “Mellow Yellow”? Yeah, that about sums it up.
Dr. John - Funky southern music that makes you want to hang out on a porch somewhere in New Orleans and drink whiskey.
J. Geils Band – Best known for movie montage favorites like “Centerfold” and “Love Stinks,” this unique band has been hard to ignore for years.
LL Cool J – Although those initials make me bias LL Cool J really is a rapper for all audiences.
Darlene Love – Really? Was she nominated for all those Christmas albums she released?
Laura Nyro – A huge voice that’s been holding up for decades.
Donna Summer – I’ve never been a fan of disco and although there are plenty of people out there nostalgic for her songs I am not one of them.
Joe Tex - With his James Brown-esque sound and funk 2011 may just be his year.
Tom Waits – That low baritone with a razor sharp edge gives me the Johnny Cash chills but I’m not sure if he’ll make the cut this year.
Chuck Willis – A mix of doo woop and R & B, Willis’ voice is why we miss music from the 1950s.

Also, as always, there were a few acts that had been mentioned as potential nominees but will have to wait till next year:

Joan Jett – She’s responsible for some of my favorite lyrics of all time: “I love rock and roll so put another dime in the juke box baby.” When will it be her turn?!
KISS – A shocking oversight considering their massive fan base and sound.
Rush – So many geeks love this band but I’ll take a pass.
T. Rex – One of those 1970s bands that were the epitome of rock and roll. There time could be just around the corner.
The Smiths – “Please, please, please, let me get what I want” has never been so appropriate.

Artists become eligible for the Rock Hall ballot 25 years after the release of their first single or album, so there is clearly a long wait to begin with. As a result, those who feel that they were snubbed and have been around for many decades probably feel as though they’ve been waiting centuries. The final list of 2011 inductees will be announced in December, and the induction ceremony -- the Hall's 26th annual event - will be held March 14, 2011 at Manhattan's Waldorf Astoria.

Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez

Wow…those are two names I never thought I’d see in the same title. Although I haven’t seen many episodes of American Idol there are a ton of artists I really like that came from that show - Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry and Crystal Bowersox just to name a few. While there have always been amazing singers on Idol, the judges have managed to gain more publicity than the talent whether it’s Simon Cowell’s biting responses, Randy Jackson’s consistent use of the word “dawg” or Paula Abdul’s nutjob behavior.

After Abdul left the show in 2009, songwriter Kara DioGuardi took over her seat. Although she has cred for the hit songs she’s written for several artists with huge voices, she was never that impressive to me as a judge. Knowing that 2010 would mark Cowell’s final year, Idol set out to shake things up last season by adding a fourth judge – the fabulous Ellen DeGeneres who I’m assuming they were trying out as a replacement for Cowell. I thought she was great but after only one season she called it quits and DioGuardi followed her lead.

With only one judge left (Jackson) rumors began swirling around the entertainment industry about who would fill the remaining judge chairs. Names like Justin Timberlake, Jessica Simpson and Elton John were thrown around but the final choices ended up being Aerosmith’s charismatic lead singer Steven Tyler and Jenny from the Block. Two extremely successful artists who couldn’t be more different. While Boston-bred Tyler has been the voice behind one of America’s greatest rock and roll bands for over four decades, Lopez was the first actress-singer to have a number one album and a number one movie in the same week.

I’ve been an Aerosmith fan for as long as I can remember (my dog is named after an Aerosmith song for crying out loud) and I can’t wait to hear what Tyler has to say when it comes to spotting or dismissing new talent. I’m wondering how critical he is going to be or if he will be kind to his fellow artists. As far as J-Lo is concerned I’ve never been a huge fan but obviously the woman who has been successful both on screen and in the studio has something to offer and I’m ready to hear what she has to say.

The new season of American Idol featuring the new lineup of judges will begin in January 2011. Until then do yourself a favor and listen to some Aerosmith classics like “Sweet Emotion,” “Back in the Saddle,” “Crazy,” “Dream On” and “Walk This Way” or maybe ones you haven’t heard like “Sedona Sunrise” and “Mama Kin” while thinking about which scarf Tyler will use to decorate his microphone. You should also listen to some Lopez albums like On The 6 and J.Lo or maybe even pop in some of her better movies like Out Of Sight and Selena.

I predict that January’s Idol premiere is going to be a big one as new singers and new judges will bring in new viewers and curious old viewers. Let the talent show begin.

All You Need Is A Hook

As we all know there is a lot that goes into making a successful song and you can never outguess the listener. A single that one person might think will top the charts may never reach the top ten while another song will surprisingly be the hit of the season. Either way, the hook is what catches the listener’s attention so most likely it will be found in or consist of the chorus and will function as the mouthpiece of the song. The hook is also a musical or lyrical phrase that stands out and is easily remembered because it’s attention-grabbing, easy to dance to and has lyrics people can sing along to.

It recently dawned on me that when it comes to hip hop and rap songs the hook is usually sung by a female who has a killer voice.

Examples:

“Empire State Of Mind” – Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys
“Run This Town” – Jay-Z featuring Rihanna
“Love The Way You Lie” – Eminem featuring Rihanna
“Live Your Life” – T.I. featuring Rihanna
“Southside” – Moby featuring Gwen Stefani
“Airplanes” – B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams

Clearly Rihanna has recently become the queen of the hook which has only added to her appeal. I really like Rihanna but I’d honestly rather hear her voice as the hook in conjunction with a male voice instead of just hearing her voice throughout an entire song. Jay-Z definitely knows how to pick ‘em when it comes to females singing the hooks to his songs since he has chosen Rihanna, Alicia Keys and Beyonce for past songs. “Run This Town” and “Empire State Of Mind” have been inescapable this year and when Jay-Z sang with Beyonce in “’03 Bonnie And Clyde” everyone’s ears perked up.

Eminem recently scored a top ten hit when everyone’s favorite Barbados girl joined him in “Love The Way You Lie,” while B.o.B. and Hayley Williams recently performed “Airplanes” on the MTV Video Music Awards. In 1999 Moby found that one of the most popular songs on his album Play and ultimately one of his most successful songs of all time was “Southside” featuring Gwen Stefani.

So does this mean that having a female voice to sing the hook of your song guarantees a hit? Not necessarily. But, I do find it interesting that these collaborations have become exceedingly popular and frequent over the past decade. I’m always a fan of collaborations, especially when fusing rock and rap together, because I think some amazing music has come out of these partnerships (i.e. Aerosmith and Run D.M.C. singing “Walk This Way” in 1986) but it’s hard to know when something is going to work. I’m by no means a fan of Hayley Williams’ band Paramore but I do love her hook on “Airplanes.” Who would have guessed? Also, while collaborations between males and females is nothing new (i.e. Mariah and ODB on “Fantasy” in 1995) I think the partnerships have made a much more significant impact on the music business in recent years. Whether it’s a female featuring a male or vice versa I hope that these collaborations continue because in an industry that seems to be fading more and more as the days go by these creative choices throw a welcomed spark to an unfortunate situation.

Always Volunteer At The GABF

Unless you aren’t a Denver resident, going to the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) and not volunteering is a huge mistake. With over 400 breweries presenting booths and vying for medals, GABF is the largest commercial beer competition in the world. In short, it is the Super Bowl of beers contests. Breaking all of its pervious ticket sales records, the GABF sold out five weeks in advance to thirsty people eager to try approximately 3,000 different beers under one roof.

Attracting 151 beer judges from 10 countries, award-winning brewers have the chance to win prestigious gold, silver and bronze medals in 79 beer categories. If you want to take part in this three-day beeraplooza then you’ll have to be willing to pay $55 a night - unless you plan ahead and find a way to volunteer. In my case, I was lucky. Rod’s boss has been volunteering at the GABF for the past few years and invited me to join them. When I agreed to volunteer I didn’t know what to expect but figured it might resemble wine festivals I’ve attended in the past. I was kind of right. Sort of.

First of all, the GABF takes place in the Denver Convention Center to accommodate thousands of people who are ready to drink. (And also so the big blue bear could watch in awe). While some had a very short distance to travel such as the rowdy locals on the light rail, others traveled from other states such as Las Vegas, California, Texas, etc. for the ultimate weekend of boozing. Knowing that the number of attendees would be close to 50,000, GABF-goers started getting in line early but as the time crept closer to 5:30 p.m. the line wrapped around the convention center and down two blocks. As a volunteer, not only do you not to have pay but you also don’t have to wait in that horrifying line. Instead, volunteers get their own entrance and get to waltz in without any hassle. Once inside, the fun begins.

Each volunteer is part of a team (we were the Mile High Tappers) and is assigned to a brewery. Our jobs were to pour different kinds of beer for all walks of life. While some attendees were very polite others felt the need to bang their one ounce glasses around as they demanded to taste as many beers as possible. There were also people in costume, whether it was matching t-shirts with funny sayings like “I don’t get drunk, I get awesome” or candy-colored hats and glittered Elton John glasses. People were stoked to be there and ready to drink.

That being said, getting too wasted at the GABF is a rookie maneuver whether you’re an attendee or a volunteer because if someone sees that you are too drunk to function they will escort you out. Team captains watched to make sure volunteers only poured the allotted tasting amount and made sure no one was getting too tipsy. A popular way to avoid this happening is to wear necklaces made up of snacks like pretzels, cheese, sausages, crackers and whatever else people can put on string. Not only is it festive but it’s very smart. As we all know eating is key when you’re going to be drinking.

All and all my first GABF experience was great. I met a lot of fun people and talked to brewers from all over the country. In addition to tasting good beers, the people-watching is also a fun aspect of the event. Beer lovers from across the nation gathered to taste beer and have a good time – it’s really something to see. And I’m not even a beer drinker! Given the opportunity I will definitely volunteer again next year because being part of the event while participating in the event is definitely the way to go. Plus, it’s nice to get to do everything for free. The Great American Beer Festival is listed as one of the top 1,000 places in the US to visit before you die and now I can see why that's the case. See ya next year for the 30th Anniversary!