Roger O Green

ROG on EW on TV

“The 100 best shows from 1983 to 2008”, which I assume explains the absence of St. Elsewhere (1982-1988) and Cheers (1982-1993).

1. The Simpsons, Fox, 1989-present: I watched religiously for nine or ten years. Spotty since then. Have the soundtrack, saw, and liked, but didn’t love, the movie.
2 The Sopranos, HBO (1999-2007): saw the last four minutes on YouTube. Unless you count all the clips shown at the Emmys. For a show I’ve never watched, I know an awful lot about it. I could be watching it now on non-pay cable, but didn’t.
3 Seinfeld, NBC (1989-98): See, I liked it when it really WAS about nothing, getting lost in a parking lot and whatnot. I did enjoy the TV pitch about the show about nothing and the second spitter. But George and the Yankees? Eh. Susan’s death? Hated. Went from must see from the get-go to catch in reruns the last three seasons.
4 The X-Files, Fox (1993-2002): saw maybe four times, including a two-parter. Liked it when I saw it.
5 Sex and the City, HBO (1998-2004): whereas when this went from HBO to TBS, my wife and I DID watch it. Mostly liked it, though the first half of the first season, it struggled to find is voice.
6 Survivor, CBS (2000-present): watched the first season, which I enjoyed, and the second, which largely bored me. Then started watching the first episode and the finale for a few seasons. Last couple years, haven’t even bothered.
7 The Cosby Show, NBC (1984-92): watched religiously, even though it started losing its mojo at the end.
8 Lost, ABC (2004-present): have seen maybe five minutes of it. At this point, I can’t commit to a serial with such a complex back story.
9 Friends, NBC (1994-2004): watched it in the beginning and at the end. Periodically, it’d irritate me as too cute and I’d bail, but a storyline would pull me back in.
10 Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The WB (1997-2001); UPN (2001-03): saw one musical episode.
11 The Wire, HBO (2002-08): another HBO show I’ve not seen.
12 South Park, Comedy Central (1997-present). Saw a few episodes to see what the fuss was, bailed.
13 Freaks and Geeks, NBC (1999-2000): watched every episode. Loved.
14 The Daily Show, Comedy Central (1996-present): usually see in clips on someone or other’s blog.
15 The Oprah Winfrey Show, Syndicated (1986-present): See infrequently. I remember one episode when she brought together the black kids who integrated the high school in Little Rock in 1957 and those who jeered them; great show. Probably watch thrice a year, such as when she had Paul McCartney on.
16 Arrested Development, Fox (2003-06): didn’t much like when I watched the first season and gave up. Fellow bloggers sang its praise and I tried again at the beginning of Season 2 and watched to the end.
17 The Office (U.K. version), BBC2 (2001-03) – never saw.
18 American Idol, Fox (2002-present)- watched it from the third to the last episode in Season 1, through all of Seasons 2 and 3. Watched just the Top 24 in season 4, top 12 in season 5, and not at all since.
19 ER, NBC (1994-present) – watched the first six or eight seasons before I bailed.
20 Beverly Hills, 90210, Fox (1990-2000) – didn’t watch.
21 Roseanne, ABC (1988-97) – watched the first six or seven seasons before it lost me.
22 The Real World, MTV (1992-present) – saw the first three or four seasons. Since then, watched the first episode of the season a half dozen times, but that was all.
23 The West Wing, NBC (1999-2006) – watched the first five seasons, gave up, watched most of the last season.
24 Star Trek: The Next Generation, Syndication (1987-94) – saw every episode.
25 Miami Vice, NBC (1984-89) – saw a lot of it early; may have given up after three or four seasons.
26 Chappelle’s Show, Comedy Central (2003-06) – saw a couple episodes.
27 Law & Order, NBC (1990-present) – watched religiously from the middle of the first season until Jerry Orbach left, almost not at all since then.
28 The Larry Sanders Show, HBO (1992-98): had HBO for the first couple seasons and watched, but then I didn’t so I didn’t, though I did see the last episode in a hotel room in Boston.
29 The Shield, FX (2002-present): saw a season or two.
30 Late Show With David Letterman, CBS (1993-present): occasionally.
31 The Civil War, PBS (1990): watched it all.
32 Gilmore Girls, The WB (2000-06), The CW (2006-07): caught in reruns the first season, saw the rest. Almost lost me with the Rory/married Dean affair.
33 My So-Called Life, ABC (1994-95): saw it all.
34 24, Fox (2001-present): saw the first season, which was 13 great episodes, followed by WTF. The last episode, though, really got to me. The beginning of the second season turned me off, though I did see parts of that and the next season. Not only gave it up but have railed against it in this blog almost from its inception.
35 CSI, CBS (2000-present): saw one episode, hated it.
36 thirtysomething, ABC (1987-91): watched most episodes.
38 Beavis and Butt-head, MTV (1993-97): watched once, hated.
39 Six Feet Under, HBO (2001-05): never saw; probably would have watched.
40 Mr. Show, (HBO, 1995-98): don’t know what this is.
41 Frasier, NBC (1993-2004): watched every episode.
42 L.A. Law, NBC (1986-94): watched most episodes.
43 Late Night With Conan O’Brien, NBC (1993-present): rarely.
44 Jeopardy!, Syndicated (1984-present): since I owned a VCR, almost never miss.
45 Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO (2000-present): haven’t seen; probably would if I could.
46 Homicide: Life on the Street, NBC (1993-99): favorite show of the decade.
47 30 Rock, NBC (2006-present): tried it early, didn’t like.
48 Ally McBeal, Fox (1997-2002): one of those shows I watched whether it was good (Robert Downey Jr.) or not (Hayden Pantitierre as Ally’s daughter).
49 Twin Peaks, ABC (1990-91): watched the first season but lost interest.
50 Baywatch, NBC (1989-90), Syndicated (1991-2001): never saw a complete episode.
51. Melrose Place, Fox (1992-99): ditto.
52. Felicity, The WB (1998-2002): ditto.
53. Will & Grace, NBC (1998-2006): watched sporadically, such as Gene Wilder’s first appearance.
54. Moonlighting, ABC (1985-89): another show I watched from its great beginning to its lousy post-“Maddie-and-David succumb” end.
55. Pee-wee’s Playhouse, CBS (1986-90): saw a couple times.
56. Desperate Housewives, ABC (2004-present): never saw a full episode.
57. The Amazing Race, CBS (2001-present): ditto.
58. The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, NBC (1992-present): generally not.
59. Battlestar Galactica, Sci Fi (2003-2008): never saw.
60. Xena: Warrior Princess, Syndicated (1995-2001): never saw a full episode.
61. The Office (U.S.), NBC (2005-present): watched from the beginning.
62. House, Fox (2004-present): watched once or twice.
63. Mystery Science Theater 3000, Comedy Central (1989-96), Sci Fi (1997-99): tried it, bored me.
64. The Osbournes, MTV (2002-05): watched two or three episodes before giving up.
65. Family Guy, Fox (1999-2002, 2005-present): watched about a season in its first incarnation, quit.
66. Grey’s Anatomy, ABC (2005-present: have watched far too many episodes.
67. Planet Earth, Discovery Channel (2007): don’t think I have.
68. Jackass, MTV (2000-02): never saw.
69. The Colbert Report, Comedy Central (2005-present): rarely.
70. Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS (1996-2005): one episode.
71. Friday Night Lights, NBC (2006-present): never saw a full episode; I’m sure it’s very good, and I’d like it, but it was a matter of time.
72. NewsRadio, NBC (1995-99): watched maybe a half dozen episodes when Phil Hartman was on.
73. Oz, HBO (1997-2003)” another HBO casualty.
74. Wiseguy, CBS (1987-90): watched religiously.
75. Project Runway, Bravo (2004-present): never saw.
76. In Living Color, Fox (1990-94): watched for most of a season.
77. The Golden Girls, NBC (1985-92): probably saw 75% of the episodes; hey, it had Betty White!
78. I’ll Fly Away, NBC (1991-93): watched religiously.
79. The Comeback, HBO (2005): don’t know this.
80. King of the Hill, Fox (1997-present): watched it religiously, for about three seasons, then stopped. Don’t know why.
81. Murphy Brown, CBS (1988-98): probably saw every episode.
82. The Hills, MTV (2006-present): actively not interested.
83. Absolutely Fabulous, BBC2 (1992), BBC1 (1994-2004): saw a run of this somewhere (PBS?)
84. Northern Exposure, CBS (1990-95): watched religiously.
85. The Kids in the Hall, HBO (1989-92), CBS (1992-95): saw a few episodes, almost certainly on CBS.
86. Prime Suspect, ITV (1991-2006): watched most seasons in the 1990s, but sorta forgot about it.
87. Deadwood, HBO (2004-06): another HBO no-show.
88. Malcolm in the Middle, Fox (2000-06): a handful of times.
89. SpongeBob SquarePants, Nickelodeon (1999-present): watched for maybe a couple seasons BEFORE Lydia was born, seldom since.
90. Dawson’s Creek, The WB (1998-2003): saw the last episode, maybe one or two others.
91. Mad Men, AMC (2007-present): until it got Emmy love, off my radar.
92. The Ben Stiller Show, Fox (1992-93): probably saw most of it.
93. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Bravo (2003-07): watched a couple seasons with my wife.
94. Married…With Children, Fox (1987-97): saw once; hated.
95. Designing Women, CBS (1986-93): one of those shows that followed something I was watching and ended up seeing occasionally.
96. The Arsenio Hall Show, Syndicated (1989-94): saw much of one season, not much more, though I did watch Bill Clinton.
97. Party of Five, Fox (1994-2000): saw the pilot, little else.
98. MacGyver, ABC (1985-92): once in a great while.
99. The Bachelor, ABC (2002-present): never a whole episode.
100. Saved by the Bell, NBC (1989-93): never a whole episode. And what I did see was really bad.

MIA: Once and Again (saw every episode EXCEPT THE PILOT!); NYPD Blue (yes, really).

ROG

FantaCo 1987

In looking for more FantaCo-specific material, I started leafing through a my journal from 1987. Ah, John Hebert comes over to my house a couple times to work on Sold Out #2 in March. Let’s see, what else?

May 1987: A friend of a friend of mine (more like an acquaintance of a friend of mine) came into the store looking for a job. Let’s call him Jacques. Apparently, I had met him before at a party, but he didn’t leave much of an impression. He shows up without calling first and is ticked off that I’m at lunch when he arrives. He uses the phrase “Oh great, boychik” a lot. Jacques gave me a bad-looking copy of his resume. He criticized the Atari we had in the store (HE had a Commodore) and says he knows “more about comic books than anyone” because he’s been reading them for years – as though I’d never heard THAT before. Jacques tells me the other places he’s already applied today – doesn’t THAT make us feel special, if we even hiring! He then told me FantaCo was owned by Fantagraphics and that Matt, the guy behind the counter, was “stupid” for not knowing that the store was owned by the people who put out Amazing Heroes. (For the record, FantaCo was not owned by Fantagraphics, Fangoria or any other entity). I wish we had had a job to offer so I could have turned him down.

July 30, 1987: There was a boy of about 12 patiently waiting outside the door of the store at about 10 a.m. The sign clearly noted that the store didn’t open until 11, and that early morning is when I did mail order, stocked the shelves, organized the bank deposit, etc. As it turns out, the boy had come from Belfast, Northern Ireland to buy a set of Fangoria magazines ($249) plus $225 of other horror-related merchandise. His mother, who I hadn’t seen waiting – worried that he was spending so much money and wondered whether the material would even get through Customs. The boy said something to the effect that at least you don’t have to worry about getting shot all the time. I had the sense that, based on the wide range of products offered in the Fangoria ads, the store would be physically larger, but still I sensed that he felt as though he had come to Mecca. Had I known how far he had traveled to be there, I might have let him in earlier.
We sold four Fangoria sets in two days, two in the store, two in the mail.

ROG

Songs That Move Me, 50-41

50. Indiscipline – King Crimson.
“I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress…” Tom, my boss at FantaCo, described this song as his description of the store. Last song on the first side of the Discipline LP.
Feeling: feeling: feeling: feeling:

49. Would I Lie To You – Eurythmics.
There’s the insistent beat, the horns, the vocals, the guitar line, specially on the bridge.
Feeling: truthful.
It’s HERE.

48. High School- MC5.
A decade before the Ramones, the MC5 from Detroit, a three-chord band. This live version doesn’t exude the sheer raw energy of the original.
Feeling: you better get out of the way.

47. Tell Me Something Good – Rufus.
Chaka Khan! Has that wonderful descending chromatic scale. Stevie Wonder-penned funk. Love the Bob Hope intro.
Feeling: good.

46. Logical Song – Supertramp.
I love the way the sound gets fuller on the verse before the break, the doubling of the vocal on “a vegetable” and the sax solo.
Feeling: paranoid.

A better video but lesser sound here.

45. Uptight – Stevie Wonder.
My first all-time favorite Motown song. First that bass line with drums, then the horns. I’m also fond of the background vocals, and that machine gun-like drunm fills. So good that Bill Cosby, long before Weird Al, copped it for “Little Old Man”.
Feeling- joy.

44. Tomorrow Never Knows – the Beatles.
Insistent bottom, weird tape loop sounds, odd vocal, strange bridge. Oh, I love it.
Feeling: floating.
It’s here.

43. Our Prayer – Beach Boys.
About 68 seconds of stunning vocalese.
Feeling: reflective.
A snippet here.

42. Satisfaction – Rolling Stones.
Anthemic, copped by lots of other bands.
Feeling: as though I tried and I tried.

41. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love and Understanding?-Elvis Costello.
I STILL hear this both as the driving anthem it is and as an a cappella doowop. From a greatest hits CD.
Feeling: like begging for peace.

ROG

Condolences

…to the family of Muriel Kubert, who died this week on her 57th wedding anniversary to Joe. Steve Bissette, who attended the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon & Graphic Art, gives his take here. ROG

Eddie Mitchell Makes Me Go Country

Eddie called me out to comment on EW’s top 25 country albums you have to hear, even if you don’t like country music. Since I pretty much do whatever Eddie requests – he asks so nicely – I could do naught but respond, albeit reluctantly. I am not what I’d call a big country fan; I don’t dislike it, just don’t follow it much.
Once, though, I did. Back in the days when AM radio was king, there were many stations that operated pretty much from sunrise to sundown. Then there were these mega “clear channel” stations that one could hear from a great distance at night. From my home in Binghamton, NY, I could hear stations in New York City and Cleveland. I could also get WWVA, Wheeling, West Virginia, a country station.
Also, my grandfather brought home this album “50 Stars, 50 Hits” on “two long-playing albums”, as the pitchman said it.

Now to the list:
*means I Have It

*1. Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison, Johnny Cash
Maybe it’s because I heard it first, but I prefer San Quentin. Not that this is a bad album. I also liked the American Recordings John R. did later in his life. In fact, if you considered that best of American Recordings album that came in the posthumous box set, I might pick that.

*2. Home, Dixie Chicks
As I mentioned recently, bought this to protest the protest of the Dixie Chicks. Ironically, this album has one mighty patriotic tune in particular that was on the charts when the controversy developed. I like it, but it seems terribly high in the pantheon of all country music.

3. Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., Dwight Yoakam
I like him when I see him on TV or when he appears on a compilation album I have, but have none of his albums.

*4. Van Lear Rose, Loretta Lynn
I’m quite fond of this Jack White-produced disc.

5. Red Headed Stranger, Willie Nelson
Have some Willie, not this.

6. Carnegie Hall Concert, Buck Owens and His Buckaroos
No Buck except on 50 Stars.

7. Modern Day Drifter, Dierks Bentley
Don’t know him. See he already has a greatest hits album.

8. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Miranda Lambert
I heard her name mentioned in a positive review on CBS Sunday Morning, I believe.

9. The Complete Reprise Sessions, Gram Parsons
The only Gram I have is on the expanded version of the Byrds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo CD.

10. Time Well Wasted, Brad Paisley
Know the name. He’s playing around here soon.

11. Coat of Many Colors, Dolly Parton
Eddie will probably hate me, but I own no solo Dolly.

*12. Elite Hotel, Emmylou Harris
Own it on LP, haven’t played it in years. Prefer Blue Kentucky Girl from that era.

13. Georgia Hard, Robbie Fulks
Don’t know.

*14. Trio, Dolly Parton/Linda Ronstadt/Emmylou Harris
Bought unheard based on all those great Emmylou harmonies on Linda’s albums, and Dolly’s harmony on Linda’s “I’ll Never Be Married”. Very fond of this album.

15. Gold, Hank Williams
For all the covers of Hank Williams songs I own and songs referring to Hank, from Johnny Cash to Neil Young that I have, unless I got one in the end days of my LP collecting, I just don’t have any collections.

16. Hag — The Best of Merle Haggard, Merle Haggard
I think that I didn’t get the parody that was “Okie from Muskogee” and dismissed him out of hand. Know better now, but haven’t rectified the void in my collection.

17. Come On Over, Shania Twain
I do remember some sultry video from this, which I did hear as country particularly. And that “Man, I’m a Woman” song’s from here, too. The album sold 20 bajillion copies. My feeling: meh.

*18. Guitar Town, Steve Earle
My first Steve Earle was a live album I didn’t much like. The second was I Feel Alright, which just love. Guitar Town is a really good album, but it was so hyped in my circle of friends, it couldn’t bear the weight.

19. These Days, Vince Gill
Own none Like to watch him on TV occasionally.

*20. Almost Blue, Elvis Costello
It was an acquired taste for me. Grew to like and respect it, rather than embrace it.

21. Here for the Party, Gretchen Wilson
I know who she is, but not this album.

22. The Definitive Collection, the Flying Burrito Brothers
Know them, have heard them on FM radio, but own none.

23. Revival, Gillian Welch
If there’s one artist on this list I’m mostly likely to purchase, it’s Gillian Welch. I’ve heard her music at other people’s houses.

24. Horse of a Different Color, Big & Rich
Know them only by reputation, not all good.

*25. Raising Sand, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
My wife loves Alison Krauss, and we saw her in April 2003 at the Palace Theater in Albany. There are tracks of hers on albums I like but I haven’t loved a whole album since that greatest hits album she put out back c. 1994 when she was still brunette and more zaftig, until this one. But is it country?

I have eight out of 25.

What, no Patsy Cline? I would also found room for Lyle Lovett, Mary Chapin Carpenter and maybe Rosanne Cash.

Your turn, Eddie.

ROG