Joe VS The Lego Movie!

As always, this won't be a typical movie review.  I'm not going to go into detail about the writers and directors or any 'behind the scenes' stuff - because it doesn't matter...not one bit.
I was thinking about being elusive at the start of this review...I thought it would keep you reading the whole thing - just so you could discover whether or not I liked it.
I'm throwing that idea right out the window.

Titling this review, "Joe VS The Lego Movie," suggests there was a fight.  Well, there was.  I was going into it with a clear thought in my head: There's no way it can be as good as everyone is saying or as good as I want it to be.
I'm happy to say that the end result of "Joe VS The Lego Movie" is very clear.  I lost.  Lego won.  It not only won, but it blew my f#cking mind.  Yeah, I saw it in 3-D, but I'm not judging it on that...because I saw better 3-D effects in the trailer for 'The Amazing Spiderman 2.'  If you feel like paying extra and wearing those lame glasses - go for it.  But this flick doesn't need any gimmicks...which is funny, because the whole movie could have easily come off as just a gimmick itself.
Yes, there is a plot.  Yeah, there are loads of brilliant cameos.  And they really nailed the right voice actors for their roles in this film.  I'm not sure who I would give the stand-out performance to...but can't imagine anyone else nailing the part of 'Good Cop/Bad Cop' like Liam Neeson.  Pure gold.  

I'm going to keep this review pretty cut, dry, and on side of simplified.
Almost 99% of everyone I know played (or still plays) with Legos.  And of that 99%, I'd say most of them all go through the same routine - regardless of age.  We buy a new set, we follow the instructions, we build something our imagination could never have pulled off...and then, a few weeks later, it gets destroyed in an epic battle and becomes part of the massive box all the other Legos go...and THAT is when the magic happens.  That is when real building begins.  The best part of building Legos is making something all by yourself that only you could have made.  (I've build whole worlds with my sons and the only catalyst is imagination and the desire to dream)
So, with that in mind, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT THE LEGO MOVIE IS REALLY ABOUT.  Seriously, it's not about plot or character arcs.  It would be pointless for me to go over the (very fun) plot with you .  Instead - here's what the Lego Movie is really all about:
You need to follow instructions in order to build anything.  You have to follow rules.  HOWEVER, it's only after you follow the rules and instructions that you can truly start to create.  You need to know where you've been to discover the adventure of where you can go.  
That's it.
That's what this movie is really all about.

I've read reviews that breakdown plot - which is pointless...I've read reviews that say it's a film with a lot of secret agendas...rubbish.  This movie is brilliant and preaches one thing...which I typed already and don't want to get as redundant as I typically do.
Some critics are griping about the length of the movie and how the battles toward the end drag on and could have been trimmed up.  Ummmmm...WHY?!  I'm serious, I know they go a bit long, but think about it - think about the audience!  When the film throws you a curve-ball in the climactic finale - ask yourself: Who was that 'twist' for?  You think it was for the kids...or their parents/grandparents.  Once you figure that out then you'll know who the epic battle scenes were for.  See, this movie caters to every possible demographic...since every possible demographic (more than likely) has a history with Legos.  
Ok, I'm rambling...
I'm giving this film a 10 out of 10.
(I'm currently looking for a new rating system...I was thinking about using "Yippie Kai-Yays" as my system.  The number of Yippie Kai-Yays a movie gets will show you how good it is).

There you go...now GO SEE THE LEGO MOVIE!

JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT REVIEW

I have no idea if anyone will come across this or choose to read it.  Long story short - I haven't posted anything in years...I always imagined my return to blogging would be sparked by something HUGE...but this isn't the case.
Or maybe it is...
I caught a screening of JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT and it made me realize something so crystal clear and obvious...yet I have blinded myself for so long I can't believe I wasn't able to see it.
What did JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT make me realize???

There is something seriously wrong with the movie industry, our expectations as an audience, and (eventually) the legacy we leave for the future.

So here we go - my review of JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT.

First off, I'm growing tired of the movie title: movie title thing.  But maybe I'll rant on that later.
This is the FIFTH official Jack Ryan film.  In case you're not keeping score, here's what's come before:
We had Alec Baldwin first tackle the character (after Kevin Costner passed) in THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER.  Then it was Harrison Ford's turn in PATRIOT GAMES & CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER.  After a long hiatus we got Ben Affleck in the reboot version, THE SUM OF ALL FEARS.

To be fair and bluntly honest, Alec Baldwin nailed the role.  He pretty much defined exactly who Jack Ryan was.  Harrison Ford played the part like Harrison Ford played almost ever part in the 90's.  He pointed his finger, his family was in danger, and it was up to him to save the world.  While his versions were good, they played more like Harrison Ford action movies and not the way the character was intended.  When Affleck jumped on board he brought a lot of Baldwin to his portrayal, but his chops weren't yet sharp enough to be anything more than the doooooossshhh who did the movie PAYCHECK.

I LOVE THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER.  It's a great flick which never fails.  I can watch it once a week for a year and I'm still entranced by it's ability to weave an intelligent story, seduce me to see beyond any dated computer tech-talk, and it truly causes me to care about the characters involved - on both sides of the coin, too.

The reason I'm gushing for RED OCTOBER is because it's what I wanted SHADOW RECRUIT to be.  I wanted it to be a patient film, not relying on any shaky camera work.  I wanted it to be an honest film, showing me Jack Ryan as an analyst for the CIA who was brilliant in the brain - yeah, he had seen some action in the past, but it left him hurt and almost crippled...so now he's the brains.  Jack Ryan is probably best summed up as being BRAINS with BALLS, and that's exactly how Alec Baldwin played him.  Now, I know Baldwin is only as good as the script - but when a movie is not only about Jack Ryan but also called JACK RYAN, well I guess I need the performance to be even, consistent and (hopefully) good.

I'm going to assume you're confused because this is supposed to be a movie review and (so far) I've told you nothing about the flick I'm reviewing.  That's my fault...I don't really review movies like most people.  I'm kind of a runaway train.  Stick with me and everything will work itself out.

So let's start out with the plot of SHADOW RECRUIT...

It's supposed to be a reboot of the Jack Ryan story.  (I know, ANOTHER reboot)  In some ways, it succeeds.  See, the movie starts out with a young, hair-extension wearing Chris Pine (yes, the new Captain Kirk) as young Jack Ryan in England.  He's in school - but all that matters is 9-11...because he gets to see the twin towers fall on TV.  This leads us to a time jump.  A few years later we see Ryan, in a helicopter.  Now he's a Lieutenant in the Marines, wearing the camo.  What he's doing is unclear and it doesn't matter.  All you need to see is him undoing his seat belt to help one of two other Marines properly buckle up - just in time for a missile attack and crash landing.  We don't see the landing, but we hear about it as he's rushed to a hospital.  We overhear how he broke his back, but still managed to save the other two Marines.  We flash forward some more and see him and (obviously the future Mrs. Ryan because we watched the trailer for this movie) Keira Knightley.  Keira is doing her best at a convincing American accent (more on that later), and she's a resident doctor in training - helping Ryan learn to walk again.  While he wobbles and pops a pill, Kevin Costner is in the shadows...Costner is there to be the Admiral Pike to Kirk's Ryan.  (Yeah, that's a stretch - but it works)  By the time Costner makes himself known to Ryan we learn how cool Ryan is (and how cocky) because Jack tells this CIA bad ass that he's been watching him watching him.  Ryan is told by Costner's character about an assignment and (of course) he takes it.
That's when the opening credits flash up, "JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT."
Seriously, that's when we finally see the opening credits.
So no, I wasn't spoiling anything by giving you my rundown of the film...because the movie hasn't even really started yet...and guess what - it SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE ANY FURTHER THAN THE CREDITS!  Honestly, if they would have found a young Alec Baldwin impersonator to sub for Chris Pine, they could have made a short film perfect to play before watching THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER.
Ok, that's just crazy talk on my part.  (Because I just did a search and can't find any Alec Baldwin impersonators on the interwebs)
See, it's mentioned in THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER about Ryan's past and how he learned to walk again.  You can imagine it and invest yourself in the character.  He's got BRAINS with BALLS.  In SHADOW RECRUIT we see just how hard it is for him to learn to walk again...for about a minute...then, amazingly, he's running laps in the next scene.
I referenced how the previous actors played the RYAN character.  So let's talk about Chris Pine.  

Looking back at the performances before, it became clear to me that the actors were trying to play it very straight and with hints of fear.  In SHADOW RECRUIT, Pine tries to do this - but it fails because his first moment to be in danger ends in **SPOILERS** him drowning the attacker.  It's one thing, in movies, to just shoot a bad guy.  It's something VERY different to show a man drowning another.  It's brutal, it's not quick, and it shows a merciless ability to take a life.  That's NOT Jack Ryan...at least it's not the way he's been shown before.  The biggest problem comes with Ryan freaking out AFTER he kills the attacker.  Again, if he had just shot him I would understand the panic.  But instead he drowns him.  It was very BOND.  (More on that soon)
So now we have Jack Ryan - killing machine - who is supposed to be a shell-shocked CIA analyst investigating some bad financial happenings in Russia.  Instead, we have Jack Bourne Bond Ryan and he crosses the globe to stand in front of the bad guy (after drowning one of the bad guys' bad guys) and the two go to dinner together - all the while they each know the truth behind the other.  How BOND is that?!  
Seriously, I'm going to go off the rails here - because I wanted to like this film, I really did...but the ENTIRE MOVIE plays out like a remake of CASINO ROYALE with sprinkles of MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL & THE BOURNE LEGACY.  
MAJOR SPOILER - MAJOR SPOILER!
The bad guy is SO MUCH OF A THREAT to our lead character that his fate is handled almost EXACTLY the way Bond's enemy was handled in CASINO ROYALE!
Ok, Major Spoiler over...
Let's wrap this up before I explode.
Kenneth Branagh directed the film and stars as the bad guy from Russia.  Tank God he did this villain justice - because it makes up for my memory of him in WILD WILD WEST.  Sweet fancy Moses.

Keira Knightley adopts an American accent and plays the love interest.  Her character is only here to provide Ryan the chance to pull a 'Tom Cruise Run' to save her...and to look hot as balls.

Kevin Costner is rock solid and plays his mentor role perfectly.  He is balancing his attitude on the fence of "I'm old enough to be done with this" and "Still has a bit of fight left."  I don't know if that will make sense, but it's been a long time for a solid Costner character - and this is it.  Playing Pa Kent was NOT.

It's the fifth JACK RYAN film and I'm going to use that fact to give it my rating on a scale of 1 - 10.

There is one positive to this film!  MOTHER RUSSIA!  Seriously, I hated A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD more than any movie in recent memory.  The was Russia was used was pathetic - this film succeeds in a huge way by showing us a decent American action movie in a foreign land.  

JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT

5 out of 10

This is going to be the first of many new reviews.  Stay tuned - or tubed - or whatever the right expression is.  Look for some video reviews and a whole lot more.  It's been a long time - I might be a bit rusty - but I'm coming back in a big way.

Justin Bieber...Secret Nazi?

Yep...I'm attacking Justin Bieber. I know, the whole world wide blog-o-sphere is doing the same thing...but come on--no one has the balls to say the truth.

I'm ignorant, by the way, so please remember that.

Does Bieber have one parent or two? Are they still married?

I'd like to know NOW--that way I know who to BLAME when BIEBER pulls a COREY and drops dead of an overdose.

LONG STORY SHORT--BIEBER IS INTERVIEWED & DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THE WORD GERMAN MEANS.

What an asshole.

Look, I've read his TWAT. Or TWEET. Or whatever it's called when someone uses TWITTER as a damn press release.

He CLAIMS that he thought he was being asked about "JEWMAN" and not GERMAN.

"JEWMAN?"

"JEW-MAN?!"

You think Mel Gibson was salivating at that one?

Justin Bieber, who looks like a Beaver--which is funny as hell to me, is a child star for absolutely no reason. My sister in-law (who's 11) has a huge crush on him. Every time I see his mug I want to make sure my sons turn out the exact opposite.

Wait...where am I going with this.

Oh yeah, BEAVER IS AN ASSHOLE. And I mean asshole in the sense that he has no idea how stupid he is.

The fault lies in his parents.

Hold on, let me look up if this mutant's parents situation.

Yep...parents are divorced.

Guess what--now it's their fault even more than I thought it was.

God damn leaches.

Get it now, get it on, before its gone...Let’s everybody carry on, carrying on...Turn it up, set it off, before its gone!

Pearl Jam…live in St. Louis…May 4^th, 2010.

All I can say is that I’ve never, ever been in the middle of a situation and actually thought, “Oh my God! This is better then I could have ever dreamed.”

That changed.

Last night.

And that was only 2 songs into Pearl Jam’s set.

So many thoughts, words, emotions…let’s just strip (hot) to the essentials:

The band is 20 years old.

The guys in Pearl Jam are in their mid to late 40’s.

It’s 2010…not 1993.

I’m in my 30’s and I took my 10 year old son.

Given those facts, honestly, I figured I would have a good time and maybe, just maybe, Avery Elvis would not be totally bored.

Let me set the stage for you…

Avery has seen ONE concert before this. Just one. Toby Keith. No sh#t. I always fantasized that I would take him to his first concert, like my dad did with me. In some selfish ways I actually thought that maybe I would be performing his first concert—with my band Vallium. I tried to spark up a charity reunion show—but the guys from the group are too busy playing in ‘bar/cover bands’ to humor the idea.

I got to the venue with Avery right about the time the opening band, BAND OF HORSES, hit the stage. My thoughts on them? They had a very cool slide show play on the backdrop behind them.

Yeah, that's pretty much it.

Even though Avery had already "kind of" been to a concert before (I'm going to try and not mention Toby Keith anymore in this review) he has never had a concert t-shirt. Well damn it, that was going to change.

So, during half of BAND OF HORSES, we went looking for a perfect concert t-shirt. (See the photo at the top to check out our selection)

After the shirt selection, Avery really wanted to put it on. (this is a part of the evening that really made me laugh) We went to the men's room. Avery hit a stall and I walked up to a jon for a quick whiz. It was a men's room at a rock concert. Guys will know what the room looked and smelled like without me having to set the scene for you. Avery ran up next to me, while I was trying to whiz, and he said, a little too loudly, "Dad! Some of these guys brought booze in here!"

I did a quick glance around at some of the guys and they all gave me a look that told me they thought my son's reaction was pretty 'cute' and funny. So, being a good dad, I looked at Avery and said, "Yeah, I know. Wow. Well, did your dad get booze?"

"No."

"Well then, that's all you need to know, son. Let's check out that shirt."

Avery's face lit up like a firecracker when he caught a glance of himself in the mirror.

Around all of the guys at the sinks Avery let out a loud, "Woooh!" He clapped his hands together and said, "Let's do it, dad!"

Even if Pearl Jam decided to cancel--at that moment--I was on cloud 9.

The concert took forever to start. I didn't time it...but at the very least, it seemed like an hour between BAND OF HORSES and PEARL JAM.

But then it happened. The house lights went out. The crowd screamed. Avery jumped up, almost knocking my jaw off, and one of the greatest evenings of my life started to kick into overdrive.

I'm not sure if I should go song by song...telling you the best bits here and there...I'll post the full set-list, but maybe it's best to just give you a review that you can only get from me. (that means I'll contradict the hell out of any intentions I've laid out and there will be no logical flow to this entire post)

They started the show with SOMETIMES. First track off of "No Code." Avery had made me promise to tell him the names of the songs, because he knew he wouldn't recognize all of them.

Ten seconds into SOMETIMES...this guy...this ex-frat-boy beer-gut jock, in the row in front of us, hits his friend and says, "Oh yeah, man! This is off of their new album!"

Avery was looking at them and I noticed he nodded.

No.

No, no, no.

I leaned in, with the over-bearing stench of Issey Miyake choking my lungs--yeah, I said it. Issey Miyake sucks. It's worn mostly by douche bags.

I said, "Sorry, sport. This song is about 14 years old. It's called SOMETIMES."

I moved back over and saw Avery give me a big smile.

Nice.

The energy from the stage could be felt throughout the entire venue. It was like The St. Louis Blues were in the Stanley Cup Playoffs--game 7--and the whole show was the bottom 5 minutes of the third period...Blues up by 1.

I'm serious, it was beyond electric.

A great highlight, before I continue, has to be...THE REEFER. Yes, there were people smoking pot. Sorry, kids, hate to expose that one.

Was I?

What are you, stoned?! Of course not. I was there with my son, you degenerate!

But the moment I dreaded did happen. About 3 songs in...Avery looked at me and said, "Dad, people are smoking!"

"I know, son. I told you they would."

"Yeah, but dad, are they smoking cigars? It doesn't smell like cigarettes!"

"Avery, shhh, don't get weird, but have you ever heard of pot?"

"Pot?"

"Yeah, son...weed?"

"WEED?! DAD, THEY'RE DOING WEED!? WE COULD ALL GO TO JAIL! IT'S ILLEGAL!"

It was, hands down, the greatest I have every seen or heard Pearl Jam--EVER. Better than the infamous live broadcast of Atlanta Georgia in '94. Better than every St. Louis performance I've caught personally.

This is going to sound lame...but I felt like I was 16 again. When I saw Pearl Jam back in 2000 and 2003 I thought, "Well, they are getting older...maybe they can't move like they used to...the 90's are over, after all."

Last night? I didn't think that ONCE. (although I would have liked to have heard ONCE)

In 2000 they played 26 songs.

In 2003 they played 25 songs.

(Yeah, I'm a huge geek)

Last night? We got 27 songs. HOW COOL IS THAT?!

Okay, I can't hold back...I'm just going to go FULL-ON SUPER FAN and go song by song.

1. Sometimes--faster than on the album and Vedder growle d and screamed the build up at the end, giving me chills and setting the pace for what is already being called, by the band, "The Sleeper in St. Louis." (Seriously, that is what Stone Gossard cal led the show, backstage, after they wrapped)
2. Corduroy--I used to love this song...then I got tired of it...when they first started in I kind of rolled my eyes...but something happened--this version (find the bootleg) is the best rendition of Corduroy I have ever heard.

   

3. All Night--This is a b-side (the dumbass ex-jock in front of me thought it was from their second album, VS) can be found on the 2-disc "Lost Dogs" release. Never intended for release as a single or even an album cut...but damn, what a great song to set the pace for us and them having "All Night!"
4. Do The Evolution--This is Avery's favorite Pearl Jam song. From the first howl of Eddie on the mic, my son was standing on his seat, pumping his fist in the air (he's only 10!) and singing along.
5. Why Go--Great way to get the whole crowd to sing al ong. Hearing this song, played the way they did last night, made me think back to the first time my Dad put the needle on the record of "Ten" and told me, with a straight face, "Joe, this will change how you hear music for the rest of your life."
6. Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town--I thought it was an odd place to put this song in their set-list. But when the lights go bright and everyone screams, "HELLO!" you can't help but get lifted up.
7. In Hiding--In 1998 I had $2.00 to my name. I was living in my friend's basement. Working 40 hours a month on FM radio. Chasing a dream and coming up short. The album "Yield" had recently come out. One night, I'll never forget, I put this song on repe at. I laid on the basement floor and dreamed. Dreamed of any life that brought me a feeling of success and completion. While singing along to this song I looked to my right and saw my son. I swear, I almost cried. It was beautiful.
8. Even Flow--I knew they would play it...I never look forward to it...but Avery looked at me and said, "Dad, the guitar guy is playing it better than on Guit ar Hero! " (EVEN FLOW was on Guitar Hero 3)

   

9. Unthought Known--New song off of "Backspacer." It sounds like the sister to WISHLIST. I had my fingers crossed for it to blend into WISHLIST. Instead, they played the "Riot Act" track:
10. Save You--Not a bad song, but it wasn't the greatest track the group ever produced...I was also hoping Avery wouldn't realize that Eddie was saying the "F" word about 30 times during that performance.
11. Down--If this song would have been on "Riot Act" and not been shelved as a b-side I, personally, believe the album would have done much better. "You can' t be neutral on a moving train...one day the symptoms fade, think I'll throw these pills away..."
12. Pilate--WOW! PILATE?! Seriously?! A song that makes their album, "Yield," even more unique and accomplished. Never heard it live. Now I want to hea r it every day.
13. Severed Hand--Eddie said that this was a "drug song." Then he reminded us all that, "Not all drugs are good...some are great."
14. Not For You--When I think of the way I get treated for my radio show, HIPP NIGHTS, I think of this song a s my anthem. Never heard a bad version of it. Last night was no different.
15. Glorified G--I really wanted to hear SATAN' S BED. I thought there was a chance. I never thought that I'd be lucky enough to hear this! Stone Gossard was on fire last night.
16. 1/2 Full--If you can't get RED MOSQUITO then you've gotta get 1/2 FULL. At least that's how I feel. Both songs are amazing jams. The changes in the vers ion they played last night are making me itch to get the bootleg immediately.

    

17. Daughter--A bit bummed that Eddie didn't do a little interpretive lyric swapping at the end...but they band made up for it with:
18. The Fixer--Yeah, yeah, I know...it's the Target song. Fine. Say what you will--but this song was so good live that I felt I was seeing the show at The Hi-Pointe (before BS politics shut it down) Intimate and raging.
    
    ENCORE 1
    

19. Inside Job--Last track off of one of their 'ballsiest' albums to date, the self titled "Pearl Jam" from 2006. A great song that sounded so sweet echoing in the rafters.
20. Just Breathe--The current LAST KISS for Pearl Jam. It's a decent song--still sounds like it should have been on the soundtrack for "INTO THE WILD," but it is, currently, the favorite Pearl Jam song of my wife. And it has the next lyric I'm getting tatto oed on my arm: "I'm a lucky man to count on both hands the ones I love."
21. Jeremy--The engineer extraordinaire of HIPP NIGHTS tells me that this is the "Radiohead Creep" for Pearl Jam. All I know is that Eddie embraced the hell out of our energy and went full-on section 8 during this number. Not a single soul wasn't singing alon g and screaming at the end.
22. Got Some--personal favorite off of the new album. Very solid rendition. In fact, it further proves to me that "Backspacer" sounds better as an album played live.
23. Rearviewmirror--I can never hear this song enough. For Avery and I it holds a special meaning. REARVIEWMIRROR was the first song Avery ever heard--ever! Leaving St. Anthony's Hospital...I got him securely strapped into the backseat...turned the radio on, and there it was, right at the beginning. REARVIEWMIRROR.
    
    ENCORE 2
    

24. Garden--If anyone paid attention to my predictions than all I need to say is, "I CALLED IT!"
25. Alive--Eddie played with the crowd on this song and, no joke, I thought he was going to jump out and crowd surf or start to scale the side of the Scott-Trade. Best moment of any concert I have ever been to happened during this performance. Avery a nd I, arms around each others shoulders, singing along word for word.
26. Baba O' Riley--No band will EVER cover THE WHO better than PEARL JAM. Quote me. Don't believe me? Then listen to them do "LOVE REIGN O'ER ME." That cover is the 2nd greatest cover of all time. (2nd only to Johnny Cash doing HURT)
27. Yellow Ledbetter--Of course. They had to close with this. And even a little flirting with the song's inspiration, LITTLE WING. Two words: "Potato Wave."
    
    

    

    
    

PEARL JAM TONIGHT!

TONIGHT...St. Louis...Avery Elvis Hipperson gets to see his FIRST PEARL JAM CONCERT!

I'm stoked.

Sure, I've seen them before...Just ask my wife how many PJ shows I've "forced her" to go and see. For the record--she only got me to leave ONE show early. That still stings...

I'm going to post a full review tomorrow.

But, to indulge my Pearl Jam love for today--and to help spread that love to some of you that might have fallen off the Jam wagon--here are the best "gateway drug" songs from each album. My way to help ease you back in.

TEN

ALIVE
Easily, the best song on the album, and the best intro song for anyone who hasn't heard of them yet.

VS

REARVIEWMIRROR
It's got a unique flow to it. The lyrics? Don't worry. If you don't get it you don't have to stress--just wait for the 3 Vedder's screaming at the end.

VITALOGY

SATAN'S BED
This is more of a personal favorite than the best "gateway drug" song for this album. Better Man is probably a better pick. But SATAN'S BED? Damn, what a cool song. "I'd stop and talk but I'm already in love."

NO CODE

HAIL HAIL
It's a very simple song. It's lyrics are some of the most beautiful--but because of the arrangement you would never know it. Best line--Are you woman enough to be my man?

YIELD

ANYTHING!!!
Any song (except the RED DOT) from this album should get you back into the Jam. Personally, I'm a sucker for NO WAY and ALL THOSE YESTERDAYS. Avery Elvis? His favorite PJ song of all time is on this album: DO THE EVOLUTION.

BINAURAL

NOTHING AS IT SEEMS
I was back and forth with this one. I picked the slow number. It's got a great guitar solo and has a vibe to it that reminds you just how powerful subtlety can be.

RIOT ACT

LOVE BOAT CAPTAIN
Okay, I'll say it...this is their worst album. But it still has some cool moments. Half of this record sounds like they're trying too hard. But LBC hits every needed note.

PEARL JAM

WORLDWIDE SUICIDE
This very well may be my favorite Pearl Jam song ever. Yeah, I love Satan's Bed. Yeah, I'm a walking contradiction...but I've NEVER turned this song off if it pops up--and Eddie's message in this song is a great "F.U." to the suspenders ruining this country.

BACKSPACER

GOT SOME
It's off to find a song that sounds better live than on the record--this song is by far the best stand out track on Backspacer--but hit youtube and watch them play it on Letterman. Brilliant.

IT'S OVER JOHNNY...IT'S OVER!

Joe Hipperson here…I’m a huge Stallone fan, so, if I get some SLY news I feel obliged to share it with you.

RAMBO is now MIA. About a year ago, while Stallone was teasing everyone with his concept for this summer’s THE EXPENDABLES, he hinted that a fifth RAMBO film would feature John J. fighting something “alien” to the franchise.

Yeah, a lot of us rolled our eyes. But, after time, I started to like the idea. Stallone vs a man in a suit-style alien/monster? The last time we saw a throw-down like that would be when Arnold turned out his best performance EVER in PREDATOR.

Sadly, I am hear to report that the idea of RAMBO coming back to the silver screen for blood, guts & carnage is dead.

Almost…

To quote the Italian Stallion himself, Stallone said, “I

think Rambo's pretty well done…I don't think there'll be any more. I'm about 99% sure.”

99% Sure?

That leaves a .01% chance!!!

The reason I bring this up is SIMPLE—If “RAMBO” was the last film in the series…well, was it good enough? I think the film was damn fun to watch. But it really reminded me (in tone) of TEARS OF THE SUN. I really wanted to see a story on American soil, with John J. Rambo, and maybe make it a throwback to how people in this country can be a greater threat than the ‘dime a dozen’ movie bad guys.

I’ll end this entry by saying that, as of right now, STALLONE CAN DO NO WRONG. You want proof? Here you go:

WHY RADIO IS LAME

Joe Hipperson here. I’ve been trying to update this blog here and there…not trying to OVER do it—that’s why you don’t get the same type of update over and over again.

On day I’ll be telling you why Jessica Simpson is an anti-woman self loving attention whore. The day after that I could be exposing my soul, showing everyone how pissed off I am at the lack of time Hipp Nights gets on St. Louis airwaves. And then there are the updates that involve my personal life.

Today?

Well, today I’m going to tell you why the radio industry drives me crazy. Don’t worry, I’m not going on a rant about my persecution. I’m no hero and I don’t deserve to be a martyr. J.C. CORCORAN?

That guy deserves your passionate resolve to fight for a way to get him (after his sweet ass contract deal expires) BACK on the local airwaves. Ya know, now that I think about it…how cool would it be to have J.C. CORCORAN & JOE HIPPERSON do a morning show together? Jesus. Talk about two polar opposites colliding. Roll your eyes all you want.

Here’s something NO ONE has figured out yet:

Given the RIGHT platform…the right time-slot…the right opportunity—I would be the most listened to talk show host in this city.

There are multiple reasons why…but that isn't the point of this blog entry.

(don't over-analyze the picture...it's just a rough draft of a tattoo I might get)

Back to my point...

I was visiting Mike Anderson's blog. www.stlmediastuff.blogspot.com . I read a post that made me remember just how backwards radio programming can be.

Here is, word for word, what was posted on Mike Anderson's site:

Hatch Research is conducting a paid market research study on Music.
Qualified individuals must be MALES, between the ages of 34 – 41 years old.
Qualified participants must listen to 96.3 K-HITS AS THEIR NUMBER #1 RADIO STATION.
Participants will receive $90 for their time and participation in this 3-hour group interview at our Maplewood, MO location.

Did you REALLY read that? How lame is THAT!? They need to run a market research study and SPEND MONEY to do so--just to figure out how to get the right programming on the radio--in order to get people to listen!?



Christ!



Here we are, in ST. LOUIS! Sure, we're not New York or LA or Chicago...but it's still a decent market for radio...right? I work in radio. You all know that. I've known SO many GREAT talk show hosts/on-air personalities that are not on the air anymore--and you want to know the #1 reason they get told as the pink slip falls into their lap?



They get told that there isn't enough money in the budget to keep them on. Not enough money? Not enough money to pay the people responsible for giving your station PERSONALITY? But they find enough money to throw at consultants and market research teams to get told what they should be doing--instead of thinking for themselves!


Ok, I know you probably think that I'm just "bitching and moaning." I'm not. Listen up, because I have solutions. Some of them I'm going to give out on this blog, for free. The others? Well I guess you'll just have to hire me to be your program director. That is, if you want a station with integrity and a station with balls.

You want to know how smart I am? I'm going to tell you. Almost EVERYONE has some form of MP3 player. That means that the music they love is always on shuffle and giving them exactly what they want: A spontaneous Soundtrack To Their Lives.



So what do they go to the RADIO for???



Personality.



The hosts. The DJ's. Whether TALK or MUSIC format--it's all personality. 10 years ago? Yeah, maybe you could get away with saying that the music was more important than the voices the audience hears--but not today. Not in the climate of 2010.



I've always hated it when radio stations hire out of town consultants who come INTO town, talk to "real people" and determine, for a HUGE FEE, the right direction the station needs to head.



Let me ask you this--WHO gets remembered more? The people that had to get their ideas from others or the innovators that make up their own minds and pick a direction--and move FORWARD--THEIR WAY.



Here's a little experiment...How many radio stations have a program director or programming staff that could listen to Frank Sinatra's "MY WAY," and not get pissed that they are complete hacks?


So my bottom line is simple--if you run a radio station and you want to find out what people want to hear--SELL YOUR STATION. Sell it. Seriously. Or hire someone full-time, not some market research team, and have that someone in a position to have the guts to give your station direction.


You want to figure out what the people like or don't like? Try something radically different in this overly soft, PC smothered society--STAND ALONE! Make your station whatever the hell YOU want.


Hell, if you are THAT powerful that you can hire consultants or market research teams then I'll bet my left nut that you have the authority to make the choice to stand on YOUR OWN IDEAS. YOUR OWN DIRECTION.


Guess what--if people tune in and LIKE IT--You now have something that no one else does! AN ORIGINAL RADIO STATION WITH INTEGRITY!