I Say I Don't Love Her, But I Know It's A Lie: RX Bandits

Whenever I get into one band or a particular genre, I tend to embrace it fully. Once I buy one CD, it's not long before I begin trying to amass the rest of the group's discography and/or I begin to spread out to other bands in the genre. For the past year and a half, one particular genre I came to love was ska punk. With this newfound interest came a love for several bands including the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Catch 22, Mustard Plug, Dance Hall Crashers, and back in December, the RX Bandits.

In my initial ska phase back in the summer of 2015, I routinely skimmed over my local record store's small ska section, which is where I first recognized the group, with their album Halfway Between Here & There. Maybe in the past I had seen the name in passing, but it didn't leave an impression on me. However, I didn't end up buying it at the time, mainly because it was $6 and I'm a stingy bastard who wasn't willing to pay that much for a band I hadn't heard before.

Jump forward to December. Once again I was at the record store trolling for cheap music, this time in the budget section (this store has two sections, the main one where everything tends to be between $2-$10 and a massive budget section where everything is under $1). While sifting through the budget CDs, I came across another album by the RX Bandits for a dollar, which I figured I could take a chance on. Turns out I liked it.

Over the next several months I began collecting CDs by the RX Bandits, including the one I originally came across in August, which had still not been sold. As I began accumulating their albums, several of them became staples of this past summer, the most recent being 2014's Gemini, Her Majesty, which I got only a couple weeks ago.

While I tend to lump the group in with many other ska punk bands, this band has much more diverse palette than many other ska bands. If anything I would only classify their first three and even then, that's pushing it with their third album, Progress. Starting with this album, the band began to push its musical boundaries, which only expanded further and further with each release. By the time the band released Gemini, Her Majesty, their sound had largely expunged their initial ska punk sound for a progressive rock sound with quirky time signatures, lengthier songs, and more technical instrumentation. However, as odd as some of their songs may be, they are still accessible. In short, they went from being a Reel Big Fish clone to a quasi-cross between Sublime, Fugazi and Rush, creating a sound I have not heard from anybody else. The band also features much broader topics than their contemporaries, touching on subjects ranging from relationships to politics, and while I don't particularly share their sentiments, I commend them for taking greater leaps in terms of subject matter.

Overall, the group's material is a neat journey to listen to. Each album displays its own sound, and they all play into the band's progression and creation of their own sound when you look at all of them in the grand scheme of things.

Breakdown of My Collection

1. Halfway Between Here and There (1998, CD) - This was the band's second album, but the first under the moniker "RX Bandits". Before this album, they put out an album titled Those Damn Bandits as the Pharmaceutical Bandits. However, that album is long out of print, and I am not willing to pay an exorbitant amount of money for a copy, however you can get it on iTunes. Nonetheless, this is basically the earliest album you can get in hard copy without paying $50. Musically, this album has the RX Bandits playing typical 90s ska punk. The music and lyrical themes are fairly lighthearted and simplistic compared to the band's later works and of all their works, it is probably their least essential of the albums listed,  but it remains a decent album. So if you're interested in checking out the band's material, this is not the best album to start with.

Highlights: "Gun in Your Hand", "This Time", "Andrea"

2. Progress (2001, CD) - Generally considered the band's breakout album, this album shows the band experimenting with deeper and darker sounds and themes, as well as broader influences. If you ask me, this is a good place to start if you want to get into the group. It has some of the ska that defined their earlier sound, with some of the more progressive tendencies present in their later works.

Highlights: "VCG3", "Analog Boy", "Status", "Get", "Who Would've Thought"

3. The Resignation (2003, CD) - The Resignation was actually my first album and was what got me into the group. Musically, it finds the band at a crossroads. Rather than playing progressive ska punk like on Progress, it features the band playing some of the heaviest, most rock-intense material of their career, separating their sound into two. Some songs are distinctly heavy rock and punk, while others are closer to reggae. It also features some of the band's most political material, which adds to the heaviness of the work.

Highlights: "Sell You Beautiful", "Prophetic", "Newstand Rock (Exposition)" "Taking Chase As the Serpent Slithers"

4. ...And the Battle Begun (2006, CD) - This album finally has the band really starting to embracing the progressive rock angle in their sound, and is probably my favorite of their albums. With this album, the time signatures get much quirkier, the music gets more technical, and the overall sound is far more diverse. If want to get into this group, I'd recommend this album if you don't check out Progress first.

Highlights: "Only For the Night", "And the Battle Begun", "In Her Drawer", "On a Lonely Screen"

5. Mandala (2009, CD) - I came across a really cheap copy of this album on Amazon and debated whether or not to buy it for several weeks. I finally caved in back in July and bought it and I haven't regretted it. By this album, the band's sound had fully morphed into the ska-inflected progressive rock they had been inching towards since Progress. It tones down some of the reggae influences of ...And the Battle Begun, and the progressive influences are played up. While it may not be one of the best albums by them to start with, it is pretty rewarding once you get into them.

Highlights: "My Lonesome Only Friend", "It's Only Another Parsec", "Hope Is A Butterfly, No Net Its Captor…(The Virus Of Silence)", "Mientras La Veo Soñar", "Breakfast Cat"

6. Gemini, Her Majesty (2014, CD) - Being the most recent album by the group, I have yet to really sit down and listen to it, but in the chances I have gotten to listen to it, I can see that it is fairly close to Mandala in terms of sound, carrying the same progressive-reggae-rock sound and much like Mandala, presenting an enjoyable listening experience.

Highlights: "Wide Open", "Stargazer", "Meow! Meow! Space Tiger", "Fire to the Ocean"

If nothing else, the group stands out amongst many of the other bands I listen to for their more diverse sound and the fascinating development they went through to get to that sound. This diverse sound is also good because it can draw in people with varying tastes. Some who like punk can enjoy songs like "Sell You Beautiful" while progressive rock fans can listen to "Breakfast Cat", "Hope Is A Butterfly, No Net Its Captor…(The Virus Of Silence)" and "And the Battle Begun" and reggae fans can enjoy "Babylon", "In All Rwanda's Glory", and "Overcome (The Capitulation)". 

In short, this band has songs for fans of many different types if music, so if you like any of these types of things, you should check these guys out. If nothing else, it may open your eyes to some of the other sounds they play with as well.

You Get The Match and Gasoline: The Afghan Whigs

Whenever I get really stressed out, one of my favorite things to do is go for a drive through the nearby park, especially at night. Since I started doing this back last winter, it has become one of my favorite ways to relax. One of the key things I love about driving at night is just being able to put on music and listen to it as I stroll in the dark. While my soundtrack for driving at night can be fairly diverse, one of my favorite bands to listen to on these drives is the Afghan Whigs.

Initially coming to prominence in the early 1990s with their breakthrough album Gentlemen, the Afghan Whigs set themselves apart from their alternative rock contemporaries by embracing more soulful influences, which only became more apparent with each album.

Prior to 2016, my knowledge of and exposure to the Afghan Whigs was extremely limited. I had occasionally seen a copy of Gentlemen at Goodwill, and I knew their frontman, Greg Dulli was the only other person to perform on Foo Fighters' first album aside from Dave Grohl. My only exposure to Dulli's work was with the Gutter Twins and an Afghan Whigs song titled "Retarded" on a Sup Pop compilation. Even when I heard "Retarded", it didn't leave much of an impression.

However, I guess on a whim after seeing another copy of Gentlemen in a thrift shop, I decided to check out the group on iTunes. The songs all seemed okay until I got to the song, "Something Hot" off of 1965. I recognized from a scene in American Pie 2 (the American Pie movies are sort of a guilty pleasure for me) and it all started to come together. I already enjoyed the parts heard in the movie and once I got to hear the rest of the song, I fell in love. From there, it basically opened the floodgates. I first got my hands on the albums Black Love and 1965 in April this past year, and my collection expanded further over the summer. In that time frame, the Afghan Whigs became one of the best groups I discovered in 2016.

Musically, the band started out as a fairly conventional rock band, with a semi-grungy alternative that seemed to cross the sounds of their Sub Pop labelmates and the Replacements. However, as time went on, Dulli's songwriting began to incorporate wider influences, especially R&B and soul, as well as more instruments such as horns, violins and a clavinet. By the time the group put out 1965, they were wearing these influences loud and proud. Meanwhile, Dulli's lyrics often tend to be sexual and/or sleazy, which go well with the group's soulful sound. The only thing that is can be off-putting for the first time listener is Dulli's voice. However, with time, his voice only comes to add to the listening experience.

A Breakdown of My Collection

1. Up in It (1990, CD) - When listening to this album, it's difficult to realize this is the same band that would put out Black Love or 1965, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The music is far more raw draws from a punk and garage background, eschewing almost all the R&B and soul found in the music that would come in following releases. However, the material itself is fairly strong on its own, and I rank it fairly highly among their albums. In the long run though, while it's an enjoyable listen, the group's material in the coming years would surpass it and this would serve more as a testament to the group's early years.
Highlights: "White Trash Party", "Hey Cuz", "Retarded", "I Am the Sticks"

2. Congregation (1992, CD) - I recently bought this album and while as of now, it is not my favorite, it is slowly growing on me. This actually the band's third album, but it is the earliest album I own. It was also the last independent album before making it big and has them still performing their earlier sound. However, it begins to show shades of what they would do on Gentlemen and later albums, with the R&B influence.

Highlights: "I'm Her Slave", "Congregation", "Miles iz Ded"

3. Gentlemen (1993, CD) - This is one that broke the band into the mainstream and is one that critics now point to as a highlight of 90s rock albums. However, for the longest time, I just wasn't very interested in it. I don't know why, but I just wasn't. However, in the past couple weeks, I've been listening to it more frequently in the car and am beginning to really enjoy it. While it is still not my favorite album by them, I'd probably recommend this for newcomers because it is probably the strongest rock-heavy material they did.

Highlights: "Gentlemen", "Debonair", "Be Sweet", "What Jail Is Like", "Now You Know"

4. Black Love (1996, CD) - From what I remember, this was my first Afghan Whigs album. I ordered this along with a copy of 1965 and this one showed up first. This is the first album, to me, where the group's R&B influences were particularly prominent in the songs. Much like Gentlemen, I did not immediately fall in love with this album. However, I found songs I liked very fast and it's now probably my second favorite album by them. From what I know, this was actually inspired by an unproduced film-noir movie Dulli planned on making, and the music has a darker tone. On a side note, it also has the song, "Going to Town", which is one of my favorite songs in general.

Highlights: "Crime Scene Part One", "My Enemy", "Double Day", "Blame, Etc." "Honky's Ladder", "Going to Town"

5. 1965 (1998, CD, Vinyl) - This album is hands down my favorite by the Afghan Whigs. In fact, it may be one of my favorite albums of all time. It features the group at their most eclectic, incorporating elements of rock, pop, R&B, soul, and jazz to create a beautifully diverse set of songs. It has several songs that got me into the group in the first place. So if you want a fantastic album to listen to, I'd easily say go for this one. For Christmas 2016, I got a vinyl copy of the album as well, which, to my surprise, included a second disc with some covers, remixes, and live recordings, and I really loved the remixes to "Somethin' Hot" and "66".

Highlights: "Somethin' Hot", "Crazy", "Uptown Again", "66", "Cito Soleil", "John the Baptist", "Omerta"

6. Do to the Beast (2014, CD) - The band's first album since their reunion, it is also my most recent album, and when I mean recent, I mean I bought it less than a week ago. Granted, I haven't taken the time to listen to it in full, but for the songs I have heard, I can make some assumptions. The songs definitely have that distinct Afghan Whigs sound, albeit more subdued and with less angst heard on Black Love or Gentlemen. Much like most of the other albums by the Afghan Whigs, it will most likely grow on me with time.

Highlights: "Matamoros", "Algiers", "The Lottery"

I Can Go The Distance: Hercules (Part 2)

I make it no secret that Disney's Hercules is one of my favorite movies. No doubt it's my favorite animated movie and while it's not perfect, I enjoy it for what it is. But being me, simply enjoying the movie is not enough. I impulsively need to get a hold of anything I can get my hands on that was tied to it. That's why I even bought that crummy Zero to Hero tape. It's not great, but I like it because it's Hercules. However, I already talked about the movies, so if you want to read about them, click here. This time, I want to talk about some of the other things tied into the movie, the art book, The Art of Hercules: The Chaos of Creation, and the Playstation game based on the movie.

The Art of Hercules: The Chaos of Creation

I first heard about The Art of Hercules from my animation professor at my old community college. I was showing him some of the work I had been doing at the time and mentioned I had recently seen this movie and it left an impression on my work. To my surprise, he said it was one of his favorite 2D Disney movies and mentioned studying and copying the art styles in the book. This was the first time and heard of this. I knew they made books full of concept art for movies and video games. I even gave my cousin a book of concept art for Star Wars: The Force Unleashes for Christmas. But a book full of concept art for Hercules?!? I had to get it.

Due to the fact the movie is close to twenty years old and was not one of the most profitable Disney franchises, I had to get my hands on a secondhand copy. Nonetheless, my copy was basically good as new and didn't stop me from enjoying it at all.

The book itself is broken up into various chapters detailing the steps of the movie's creation, including the initial planning stages, the story development and the character and environmental design, all with amazing concept art. We can see how directors Ron Clements and John Musker plotted out the main storyline, where each made lists of potential ideas and then compared and contrasted the two. We also see early design sketches of several of the characters, including some by the directors themselves, because they were once Disney animators, themselves. This is one of the most fascinating things for me. The characters of Hercules have a distinct design that was intentionally done to set them apart from previous Disney heroes and heroines, but the earliest sketches can give the viewer an idea of what Hercules, Megara, and Phil could have looked like if they followed an art style closer to The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast.

Strewn throughout the book are rough animation frames of characters (i.e., the actual pencil sketches done by animators prior to cleaned up or being painted) that serve as guides throughout the book. The author sometimes gives them quotes to comment on whatever is being discussed, but it usually comes off as kind of cheesy. Nonetheless, when you see these frames, it makes you step back and realize how much work really goes into creating a single frame. And for somebody who is into hand drawn animation like me, that is incredible.

It's been a little while since I actually sat down and looked all the way through, but regardless, if you can find a copy for cheap and you're interested in animation, this is a neat book to check out.

Hercules (PlayStation)

Before I even got into the Disney's Hercules stuff, I had known about the game for the original Playstation after seeing JonTron talk about it. However, it was only recently I was particularly interested in getting my hands on a copy of it, when I found a copy for about $11 on Amazon when you count shipping. With that, I just couldn't resist.

A lot of times, licensed games based on movies or TV shows are total crap. Some of the only exceptions I can think of are SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom, The Simpsons: Hit and Run, and a handful of Star Wars games. However, in this case, I'd say this was a pretty good game. I had fun, andI probably would have even if it wasn't based on a movie I liked.

Almost all of the levels are based on scenes from the movie, beginning with Hercules, training on Phil's island. We then go through levels such as the Centaur's forest, Thebes, a boss battle with the hydra, storming Mount Olympus, and traveling to the underworld and facing off against Hades.

The game itself is largely a side-scrolling platformer, with a handful of segments where you traverse the z-axis. Graphically, it almost reminds me of Paper Mario for the Nintendo 64, as it uses two-dimensional sprites with a three-dimensional background. The sprites themselves are pretty low resolution, but this is not the end of the world for me. There are a number of different moves and power-ups you can use, the types of levels arranged are varied, and the boss battles are varied as well, so you won't get bored doing the same thing over and over again. The controls are pretty responsive and overall, it is pretty fun.

However, there are drawbacks. For one thing, the game makes you jump through hoops just to get the ability to save. Basically, there are four vases hidden in each level and you must get each of them, which allows you to save your progress after completing the level. However, the vases can be hard to find or in some levels, extremely hard to even get to, and there is no indicator as to how many you have gotten. This normally wouldn't be a problem if there weren't things objects in the foreground obscuring your view several times per level. Then again, you may not need to use the save at all, because the game is incredibly short. Once you get the hang of the controls and what to do in each level, you can easily complete the game in the same amount of time it would take just to watch the movie.

In the long run, though, I liked the game. Would had it been worth $50 when it was new? No, but for about $10, it's a good deal to me. But if you have the money, I would definitely recommend the art book, first and foremost. If you like Disney or animation in general, the book gives some insight on the creative process that can go into creating an animated film, and can show how many incarnations everything goes through before the project is finished.

Everybody Says They Want A Million Bucks: ALL (Part 2/2)

When people look at the overarching career of the Descendents and All, many seem to only celebrate the Descendents portion, while viewing All as a substitute while Descendents frontman Milo Aukerman was working as a scientist. And while the group may lack the former's geeky, bespectacled vocalist, that does not diminish the group's overall musical output, and it tends to get overlooked as a result.

To sum it up, the Descendents were an influential punk band in the early-mid 1980s. However, by 1987, lead vocalist Milo Aukerman left the band to pursue a full-time career in biochemistry. Not wanting to continue under the Descendents name without Milo, drummer Bill Stevenson, guitarist Stephen Egerton and bassist Karl Alvarez decided to continue under a new name: All, taken from the most recent Descendents album. If you have not yet, I encourage you to read my previous post about the Descendents for additional background.

With the band now renamed All, they needed a new lead singer. Enter Dave Smalley, formerly of DYS and Dag Nasty (another personal favorite of mine). According to Smalley, as soon as he got off the plane and met up with the other members, they went straight to the restaurant, Alfredo's, and then to practice, highlighting the band's intense work ethic. By 1988, the band had already pumped out their first album, Allroy Sez... and was soon followed up with the EP, Allroy for Prez. However, the rigor of being on the road and performing with the band was beginning to wear on Smalley and he soon left the group. Smalley would go on to form his own band, Down By Law, and participate in two Dag Nasty reunions in the years following his time with All.

Smalley was replaced with Scott Reynolds, and the group began working on their sophomore album, Allroy's Revenge. For All fans, this seems to be one of the band's strongest albums, with songs such as "She's My Ex" and "Mary". Allroy's Revenge was soon followed up by Allroy Saves in 1990, and Percolater in 1992, which began pushing the band in a more experimental direction. However, by the time the group was touring for Percolater, conflicts began to arise between Reynolds and the other members, namely Alvarez, and it was decided Reynolds would leave the group following the European tour.

After the tour, Reynolds was replaced with Chad Price, who debuted on the 1993 album, Breaking Things. With the heavier instrumentation and Price's deeper voice, the new album gave the band a more muscular, albeit, less diversified sound.

By this point, alternative and punk had hit it big and countless bands were gaining mainstream attention. After being courted by major labels for a couple years, All signed a deal with Atlantic Records and put out Pummel in 1995. While the album had little commercial impact, Stevenson and Egerton decided to use the funds from the deal to build their own recording studio, The Blasting Room. Due to the limited success of Pummel, Atlantic dropped All from the roster.

By this point, Milo Aukerman was interested in performing with the Descendents again, and All went on hiatus for the former to put out Everything Sucks and tour. All benefited from this reunion, however, when it got signed with the Descendents to Epitaph Records, which had several successful releases in recent years and was doing incredibly well for an independent label. Once the Descendents disbanded again, All was able to ride the success of the Descendents with their newest album, Mass Nerder. However, by the new millennium, the group's success began to dwindle and the group ultimately went into hibernation.

After 2000's Problematic, the only release by the band was the split-live album with the Descendents, Live Plus One, from 2001. As the years went on, the members carried on with different projects and only resurfaced as All by the 2010s, with both Scott Reynolds and Chad Price fronting the band at different shows.

For me personally, I actually got into All before I got into the Descendents. And as much as I love the Descendents, I generally prefer All's output in the long run, no matter how blasphemous that sounds. By the time All was founded, had developed as songwriters to a point where they could largely avoid the growing pains early Descendents material had. However, despite sharing three of the four members, All is virtually ignored by most fans. If anything, it seemed to be derided for simply not being the Descendents. As a result, its discography has gone largely unnoticed despite it is largely on par with its Milo-fronted counterpart.

With the release of the Descendents' Hypercaffium Spazzinate, it makes me wonder about the future of All. The musicians are clearly active, but Milo also announced his retirement from science, which almost seems to put All in limbo. Nonetheless, I hope to see the groups coexist and both release albums.

MY COLLECTION

1. Allroy Sez... (CD, 1988) - The group's debut is not necessarily the band's best, but it's also not the group's worst. I don't have a whole lot to say about this album. I got it in January 2015, I can appreciate it because Dave Smalley is on it, there are some good songs, but I'd just rather to listen to some of the bands other works.
Highlights: "Pretty Little Girl", "Sex in the Way", "Sugar and Spice"

2. Allroy for Prez (CD, 1988) - This EP is probably one of my favorite releases by the group, and definitely my favorite of the releases with Dave Smalley. From what I remember, this is my second All album and it has some of my favorite tracks by them. In all honesty, the only track I don't particularly like is the instrumental, "Son-O-Qua". Regardless, if you wanted to check out this band, I'd say this is a good release to start on.
Highlights: "Just Perfect", "Skin Deep", "Daveage", "Wishing Well"

3. Allroy's Revenge (CD, 1989) - The band's first with Scott Reynolds, this album has some of the band's best songs. However, much like my initial opinion of the Descendents' I Don't Want to Grow Up, while there are a number of songs I love, I'm also not crazy about some of the other songs on this release. However, I still find it to be an enjoyable listening experience.
Highlights: "She's My Ex", "Mary", "Scary Sad"

4. Allroy Saves (CD, 1990) - Of all the albums by All, this is one I rarely listen all the way through. The sound on this album starts to push in a more diverse, experimental sound, which yields mixed results, and was the first All album to be produced by Stevenson and Egerton, which proves to be a drawback on this outing. While I can enjoy this album, I do not recommend it for someone just getting into All.
Highlights: "Educated Idiot", "Just Living", "Explorador"

5. Percolater (CD, 1992) - This album continues the more diverse experimentation All was playing around with, with better results in my opinion. The production is still not great, but is better than Saves. This was actually one of my favorite albums by All when I first heard it, and I can still enjoy it. I probably wouldn't recommend it to a new listener just yet, but it is still one that can be enjoyed.
Highlights: "Dot", "Nothin'", "Nobody's", "Breathe"

6. Breaking Things (CD, 1993) - With Chad Price now on vocals, the music on Breaking Things is much more powerful, with better production and heavier instrumentation. I know Bill Stevenson is actually disappointed this lacks the diversity of Percolater and Saves, but that doesn't really bother me. This album actually has a handful of songs that really got me into the group in the first place, such as "Guilty" and "Cause". It also has heavier topics such as "Birthday I.O.U", which really hits hard when you hear the lyrics and realize they deal with abortion. This was a fairly strong album in the long run and gives insight to what the band would do in the future.
Highlights: "Original Me", "Cause", "Guilty", "Birthday I.O.U.", "Shreen"

7. Pummel (CD, 1995) - All's first and only major label album has come to fall through the cracks of time, but that does not mean it is a bad album by any means. Much like Allroy Sez..., this album has several strong songs, which unfortunately seem to have been forgotten by fans, but it is also dragged down by others. One thing that really makes this album stand out from the rest of the band's discography is that it has some very angry, mainstream-unfriendly songs such as "Uncle Critic", "Stalker" and "Hetero". "Hetero" in particular bothers me due to its blatantly homophobic lyrics, which is saying something, because I am not particularly offended by political incorrectness. However, the good songs on here are still very enjoyable.
Highlights: "Self Righteous", "Million Bucks", "Long Distance", "Breakin' Up", "Black Sky"

8. All (CD, 1998) - This old, out of print compilation was one that I basically bought out of impulse for $20, but is also one I treasure. In essence, the band compiled a number of fan favorites and remixed them for one CD. This gives the songs a much greater sense of consistency and it almost sounds like songs sung by Dave Smalley and Chad Price could have been on the same album at one point. The remixing fixed many of the issues I had with songs on Allroy Saves and Percolater, such as the overabundance of reverb and making it sound much more modern. It also features a new version of the song "Just Like Them", from Allroy Saves. Originally written by Milo Aukerman, this version actually features Milo on vocals, and is a neat contribution. As of now, this CD fetches for about $33, but if you're a bit All fan or a completist, I'd recommend it.

9. Mass Nerder (CD, 1998) - After the success of the Descendents' Everything Sucks, this album gave All a good amount of publicity. Personally, it was my first All album. I found it at a Goodwill in 2014 for $2 and it may be one of the best purchases I ever made there. Musically it combines some of the heaviness of Breaking Things and Pummel with the melody of Allroy for Prez and is my favorite latter day albums by All. This is one I highly recommend.
Highlights: "World's On Heroin", "Until I Say So", "Honey Peeps", "Silly Me", "Vida Blue", "Until Then", "Silence"

10. Problematic (CD, 2000) - While I particularly enjoyed Mass Nerder, I was not a big fan of Problematic. It's not that the music is particularly bad, but it was just not as strong as previous efforts. I'm not crazy about some of the lyrics, and it's sort of a shame that this is currently their last studio album. In the long run, I'd probably say this is my least favorite album by them, and would only really recommend it to completists.
Highlights: "Carry You", "Better Than That", "Real People", "Drive Away"

11. Live Plus One (CD, 2001) - As I previously wrote about in the Descendents entry, this live album was actually a split album with the Descendents. While the Descendents disc was recorded in 1996 and was the real draw of the album, I was interested in the All disc, recorded on the Problematic tour in 2001. The most interesting thing to me is to hear songs initially done with Dave Smalley or Scott Reynolds sung by Chad Price, breathing new life into some of my favorite All songs. While I'm aware of another All live album, Trailblazer, I have yet to listen to it. In the meantime though, I seriously recommend this album, because it gives you a sampling of each band.

So why am I writing about All? Because in recent times, all the attention has been focused on the Descendents, and as much as I love them, I also want to give some love and attention to All, which I feel has been sorely lacking. So who knows if All will make any more music? In the meantime, for many listeners, even Descendents fans, All's material is a new goldmine waiting to be explored.

Couldn't Sell Out a Telephone Booth: Descendents (Part 1/2)

I don't generally buy new music the day it comes out. Most of the bands I listen to are long gone or they have reached a point in their career where they release music much less frequently. However, this year, there have been a couple of exceptions: Blink-182 and the Descendents, both of which impressed me. However, I will discuss Blink some other time and focus on the Descendents and its sister band, All.

Based on the bands I have discussed in the past, I think it's no surprise I tend to listen to the poppier, more melodic end of punk rock, and aside from the Ramones, the Descendents more or less kickstarted it. Coming up at the same time as more aggressive, rougher edged bands like Black Flag, the Circle Jerks and Minor Threat in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Descendents interjected a much stronger sense of melody and a much less serious demeanor, which helped set them apart from many of their contemporaries.

Initially formed in the late 1970s in Hermosa Beach, California by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson, the group put out a surf-y, new wave influenced single with Navetta and Lombardo singing on the each side. Soon afterwards, the band drafted Milo Aukerman, a friend of Stevenson's from high school, to front the band, a role he has had ever since. With Milo in tow, the band abandoned their earlier sound in favor of much faster, shorter, aggressive punk songs, which can be heard on the band's first EP, Fat.

After Fat, the band followed up with their first full length album, Milo Goes to College in 1982. True to the album's name, Milo would end up leaving the band to go to college to study biochemistry, and Bill Stevenson joined Black Flag, while the rest of the band largely went on hiatus. On the occasions the band would perform, they were fronted by Ray Cooper, unless Milo was in town. In that case, Milo would sing and Cooper would play rhythm guitar.

By the mid 1980s, Bill Stevenson had left Black Flag and presented Milo with some new songs, and the Descendents regrouped. However, during the group's hiatus, Navetta set all of his equipment on fire and moved to Oregon to become a full-time fisherman, and Cooper took over guitar duties. After rehearsing for two weeks, the band put out their sophomore album, I Don't Want to Grow Up, and Stevenson lined up a tour to support the album. This album would also be the last for Lombardo, who, already being close to 20 years older than the rest of the members, had a full time job and a new house. As a result, he had to reluctantly had to bow out of the band before the tour. To fill his place, Stevenson and Aukerman recruited high school classmate Doug Carrion and the tour commenced.

A year later, the band followed up on I Don't Want to Grow Up with Enjoy!, which included more experimentation with styles like heavy metal and relied more on toilet humor. After supporting this album, both Cooper and Carrion left in pursuit of different interests.

The band soon drafted bassist Karl Alvarez, who in turn recommended childhood friend Stephen Egerton to serve as guitarist. With Alvarez and Egerton, the band put out their fourth album, ALL in 1987, based on the concept of "All" by Stevenson and a friend. This concept, which meant you always go for greatness, has been part of the band since then. However, after this album, Milo backed out to resume his path towards a career in biochemistry, having always seen the Descendents as a hobby rather than a job. Thus, after the band's FinALL tour, the group retired the Descendents moniker.

With Milo leaving the band, Stevenson, Egerton, and Alvarez decided to carry on under a different name, donning the name, ALL, and initially recruiting Dag Nasty's Dave Smalley as vocalist and would release several albums with different singers from 1988 to 2000.

Our story with the Descendents resumes in the mid 1990s, when Milo, burned out from work contacted his former bandmates about doing some songs and shows. This resulted in the album, Everything Sucks, released in 1996. Due to the revived mainstream interest in punk at the time, Everything Sucks went on to be the band's first charting album. The album even featured guest appearances from Frank Navetta and Tony Lombardo. The band supported the album with a tour and even played on an early Warped Tour. However, much like before, Milo still considered Descendents a hobby and went back to work after the tour concluded.

After Everything Sucks, the band lied dormant until 2002, when the group reconvened in the studio. However these tracks would not see the light of day until 2004 with the album Cool to Be You. However, the group did not really support the album and the band went back into dormancy. Milo continued work as a biochemist while Stevenson and Egerton began careers as recording engineers. 

In the late 2000s, there were a handful of rough patches and tragedies that struck the band. Karl Alvarez had a heart attack in 2007. Frank Navetta died after going into a diabetic coma in 2008, and Bill Stevenson had both a meningioma (a brain tumor) and a pulmonary embolism. However, as Alvarez and Stevenson recovered, the band began to reconnect and began performing shows again, mainly performing one-off shows and festivals every couple times a year.

This tradition has changed as of 2016, as the band announced its seventh album, Hypercaffium Spazzinate, and Milo announced he was leaving his science career behind and playing with the Descendents full time. As I write this, this album has been out for less than a month and the band is on tour now.

When I first heard the Descendents in early high school, I wasn't very impressed, to be honest. Granted, at the time, I was much more picky in terms of what I listened to and I grew to love many of these songs later on. Ironically, I really got into the Descendents after I got into All, which is nowhere near as recognized or appreciated as the Descendents. As high school went on, I gradually began listening to them more often and really became a fan of the group around my sophomore year of college and began accumulating their CDs, as well as their documentary, Filmage. Since then, my appreciation for the band has only grown and have become a group I listen to routinely.

MY COLLECTION

1. Two Things At Once (CD, 1987) - This CD documents the band's early recordings, compiling both Milo Goes to College as well as the Bonus Fat record, which. in of itself, is a compilation in of the Fat EP and the group's debut single "Ride the Wild"/"It's a Hectic World". I got this compilation Christmas 2014 and I remember listening to it all the way through on the way up to my aunt and uncle's house for Christmas. Obviously being a collection of early recordings, it shows the band at its rawest. 

• "Ride the Wild" and "It's a Hectic World" (1979) are the only notable exceptions. These were written and recorded before Milo joined the group and the band had not yet solidified their sound. "Ride the Wild", penned and sung by Frank Navetta, has a new wave sound with some 60s influence, while Tony Lombardo's "It's a Hectic World" has more of a surf-y influence. This would be abandoned once Milo entered the fold.

• Fat (1981), the first release with Milo on vocals, highlights the band's new hardcore leanings, with two songs, "Weinerschnitzel" and "I Like Food" both being under 20 seconds. I almost never listen to these tracks, aside from "Mr. Bass", but they are the first steps towards the band's main sound.

• Milo Goes to College (1982) - The band's first album marries the melodic elements of the band's first single and the aggression of Fat in a fantastic 22 minute collection of pop-inflected hardcore. Seen by many as the band's best, this album is frequently listed as one of the best punk albums of all time and I wasn't that impressed the first time I heard it, but I grew on me and I now love it. The album has many fan favorites, and I have heard numerous covers of songs from this album, including "I'm Not A Loser" by Strung Out, "Bikeage" by Face to Face, and "Hope" by both Sublime and Blink-182. The only issue I have is with some of the lyrics, most notably on "I'm Not a Loser", which features some fairly homophobic lines during the bridge. Nonetheless, I still find it to be a very enjoyable album and recommend it to anyone interested in hardcore.

          Highlights include: "Myage", "I'm Not a Punk", "Hope", "Bikeage", "Jean is Dead", "Kabuki               Girl"

2. I Don't Want to Grow Up (CD, 1985) - The follow up to Milo Goes to College features a slightly stronger pop influence, while still retaining a lot of the hardcore sound. This time around, Milo seems to have a better control of his voice, actually singing rather than giving the tuneful adolescent bark we heard on College. I got this album the same Christmas I got Two Things at Once, and I remember listening to it on the same car ride. My impression of the album was that I liked a number of songs from the get-go, I disliked a handful of them too. However, much like Milo Goes to College, these songs grew and I enjoy many of them now. Maybe not as much as Milo, but I enjoy them nonetheless.

Highlights: "Silly Girl", "Christmas Vacation", "In Love This Way", "Good Good Things"

3. Enjoy! (CD, 1986) - I have conflicted feelings of this album. I guess I'd have to say it's my least favorite of all other their albums. However, that is not to say there are not good songs. On the contrary, there are some fantastic songs on here. However, I'm not crazy about others and I don't particularly appreciate the toilet humor on this one. Aside from the Fat EP, this is one of the my least listened to Descendents albums.

Highlights: "Sour Grapes", "80s Girl", "Get the Time"

4. ALL (CD, 1987) - The first album for Alvarez and Egerton, this album begins to branch out and feature more experimental songs and music, giving it a somewhat quirky sound. I first got this album for my 20th birthday, but one song from this album, "Clean Sheets", was the one that got me interested in the band in the first place.

Highlights: "Coolidge", "Clean Sheets", "Cameage", "Pep Talk"

5. Everything Sucks (CD, 1996) - After several years of inactivity as the Descendents, the band came back in full force and could almost be seen as a brief renaissance for them. They made one album, which garnered both acclaim from fans and even attention from the mainstream and then went back into dormancy. It also features guest appearances from former members Frank Navetta and Tony Lombardo on the song "Doghouse". Regardless, this album seems to be one fans revere as a high point. This was one of my first albums by them and some of these songs were what helped get me into them in the first place. While I tend to listen to Milo Goes to College more often, I highly recommend this album, because if College belongs among Black Flag's Damaged and Husker Du's Zen Arcade, then Everything Sucks belongs among Green Day's Dookie, The Offspring's Smash and Rancid's ...And Out Come the Wolves.

Highlights: "I'm The One", "Rotting Out", "When I Get Old", "Thank You", "We"

6. Live Plus One (CD, 2001) - I don't usually buy live albums, but being a split live album with All, I indulged and bought this double CD recently and I really enjoy it. The Descendents disc was recorded in 1996, while supporting Everything Sucks, and the band was playing in great shape. It was also interesting to hear the band play All's "Original Me" with Milo on vocals rather than All's Chad Price. I haven't gotten a chance to listen to the other two Descendents live albums Liveage or Hallraker, but I know this is a strong performance and recommend it.

7. Cool To Be You (CD, 2004) - This album was actually the first CD I owned by the Descendents, and it basically carries the same sound of Everything Sucks. However, the band didn't seem to be totally "there" and invested in the record the way they were with past albums. Nonetheless, there are some good songs on here. Not the very best, but it is still a fairly strong album. One particular highlight on this album is Bill Stevenson's song, "One More Day", detailing the strained relationship with his father in the year leading up to his death. Song lyrics don't usually affect me, but for some reason, the ones on this album really hit a chord with me, and it is one of the most emotional songs I've heard.

Highlights: "Talking", "Cool to Be You" "One More Day", "Tack", "Anchor Grill", "Dry Spell"

8. Hypercaffium Spazzinate (CD, 2016) - The first album in twelve years is a strong return for the group. With the issues the members has faced in the past several years, it seems to have brought the band back together, and on this record, they seem to be rejuvenated much like they were on Everything Sucks. My copy includes the Spazzhazard EP, which gives the album an extra five songs, and simply adds to the listening experience. It's rare that new albums meet or exceed my expectations, but this one certainly did.

Highlights: "Feel This", "Victim of Me", "Spineless and Scarlet Red", "Fighting Myself", "Beyond the Music", "Shameless Halo".

With the new Descendents album out and the band on tour, I hope to see the group carry on with even greater activity. With that, I also hope it gives more people a chance to see and experience the group firsthand and help spread their influence even more.

Who Is The Monster and Who Is The Man: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

With my previous posts about Disney movies focusing on Hercules, Aladdin, and A Goofy Movie, I think it's obvious I have particular tastes in this company's movies. However, this time I'm going to write about a movie that is very, very different than these others, but one that I love all the same. That is the Disney adaptation of Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, from 1996... and it's sequel, I guess.

While I don't remember ever actually watching Hercules or Aladdin as a kid, I'm pretty sure I remember seeing this one as a kid. I just didn't remember the movie itself. When I opened up the tape, it was at the end of the spool and had not been rewound, so obviously it had been played through at least once, and I have a fleeting memory of me either putting it in or taking it out of the VCR we had in the basement. Regardless, when I was in my major Disney phase over the past couple months, I was curious about this movie. While I didn't remember the events of the movie, from what I read and the little I had seen online, it was evident that this was much darker than the other Disney movies that came out in the Renaissance and once I got back into Disney films, I was interested in seeing this one.

This past spring, my parents bought me a couple blu-rays for Easter, including Lilo and Stitch, The Emperor's New Groove, A Bug's Life, and lastly, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. At last, I got the chance to sit down and watch it.

Synopsis (SPOILERS)

Our main character, Quasimodo, is a disfigured, deformed, yet kindhearted young man who is the bell ringer for Notre Dame cathedral in the 1400s. Twenty years before, Claude Frollo, a judge who despises gypsies, killed Quaismodo's mother and almost drowned the boy before he was forced by the archdeacon to raise Quasi to atone for it. In those twenty years, Frollo has forbidden Quasi from leaving the bell tower and tells him the world will not except him for his deformities. As a result, Quasimodo only has the gargoyles in the bell tower to talk to. Taking advice from the gargoyles, Quasimodo sneaks out of the tower in disguise to attend the Festival of Fools, a yearly festival that Frollo must preside over, yet hates.

Meanwhile, we meet our other two main characters, Phoebus and Esmeralda. Phoebus has been called back from war to serve under Frollo as captain of the guard. When they meet, Frollo explains to Phoebus how he believes the gypsies are corrupting the morals of Paris and plans to eradicate them by finding their hideout, the "court of miracles". Esmeralda is a beautiful, good hearted gypsy who dances in the street for money and is going to perform in the Festival.

At the festival, Quasimodo is exposed and is crowned as the "King of Fools" for his hideousness. However the crowd's attitude turns ugly and they begin to humiliate him, tying him down and throwing food at him. Frollo refuses to help as punishment for disobeying him and instead, Esmeralda steps in to stop the cruelty. Frollo demands she leave Quasimodo be, but she refuses, freeing him. Angered Frollo sends Phoebus and the other soldiers to arrest her, but she is able to escape and the festival ends.

Quasimodo retreats into the cathedral, and Esmeralda sneaks in as well. Phoebus notices and follows her in and makes her declare sanctuary so he cannot arrest her. Trapped inside the cathedral, Esmeralda finds Quasimodo and follows him and they get to know each other better. To repay her for helping him at the festival, Quasimodo helps Esmeralda escape. Before they go their separate ways, she gives him a necklace that he can use to find her if he ever needs help and he is smitten.

Meanwhile, Frollo is battling his own feelings towards Esmeralda, with conflicting feelings of lust for her and hatred of her because she is a gypsy. He is informed that she has escaped from Notre Dame and reaches a conclusion: if he can't have her, then he will have her killed.

The following morning, he begins a citywide search for her, raiding and destroying houses and jailing people, angering Phoebus in the process. However, Phoebus finally reaches his breaking point with Frollo when he is instructed to light a house on fire with a family trapped inside. When he refuses, Frollo lights the house himself and Phoebus saves the family. Declared a traitor, he is about to be executed until Esmeralda intervenes. Phoebus is able to escape but is injured in the process, and is presumed dead by Frollo. At the same time, Frollo realizes that it was Quasimodo who helped Esmeralda escape from the cathedral in the first place. Esmeralda saves him and takes him to Quasimodo in the bell tower to hide him. There, Phoebus and Esmeralda kiss, crushing Quasimodo. However, this moment is interrupted when Quasimodo hears Frollo approaching the cathedral and Esmeralda escapes, leaving Phoebus to heal.

Frollo comes up to the bell tower and tells Quasimodo that he has found the court of miracles and plans to invade it the next day. After he leaves, Phoebus leaves to find the court and warn Esmeralda and the other gypsies, and Quasimodo follows suit. Using the necklace Esmeralda gave him, Quasimodo and Phoebus find the court in the old catacombs before they are ambushed by the gypsies. They are then almost executed until Esmeralda once again steps in to save them. However, as the two warn the gypsies, Frollo and his men arrive, as they followed Quasimodo there. The protagonists, as well as all of the gypsies are captured.

We find Frollo has had Phoebus and the gypsies locked up, Quasimodo chained up in the bell tower, and Esmeralda tied to a stake, about to set her aflame. He gives her one last chance to save her self by sleeping with him and she spits in his face. Enraged, Frollo lights the wood pile. Quasimodo is ultimately able to break the chains and use a rope to swing down and save Esmeralda, bringing her back up to the top of the cathedral. However, she is unconscious from the smoke. Frollo gets some of his men to get a battering ram to break down the cathedral's doors. In the chaos, Phoebus is able to break out his cage and free the gypsies and lead an uprising against Frollo's soldiers. The door is ultimately broken down enough for Frollo to get through and confront Quasimodo, with the intent to kill him.

When he tries, however, Quasimodo overpowers him but is distracted when he notices Esmeralda has woken up. Frollo takes advantage of this and tries to attack him with a sword and chases the two out onto the balcony, where he finds them hiding by hanging from a gargoyle. He struggles to hit them with his sword and ends on top of a gargoyle. However, as he is about to swing his sword, the gargoyle starts to crack and he clings onto it for dear life until it finally breaks off and he plummets with it to his death. Meanwhile, Esmeralda is able to climb back onto the balcony and tries to help Quasimodo back up, however he slips from her fingertips and and falls too. Luckily, Phoebus is able to catch him further down. The following morning, Phoebus, Esmeralda and Quasimodo exit the cathedral and Quasi is celebrated, concluding the film.

My Thoughts

The biggest thing I have to say about this movie is that it is by FAR one of the darkest movies Disney has ever put out. It has themes you would probably NEVER see in a Disney movie portrayed so blatantly today, such as religious hypocrisy, racial prejudice, infanticide, and even plain sexual lust. However, I think this is one reason why I love this movie so much. It's not only a black sheep in the realm of renaissance films, but also in the entire Disney animated filmography. It's actually crazy to me that Hercules, easily one of the most comedic and lighthearted renaissance films, came out just a year later, which really juxtaposes the differences between the two. Whether it's the themes, the ominous Gregorian music, the medieval setting or the depiction of some of the characters, this movie has a much darker atmosphere than some of the other Disney movies.

Being Disney, the animation is obviously fantastic. Esmeralda and Frollo probably stand out the most to me, with Esmeralda's dance sequence in particular as well as Frollo's overall creepy presence. While a lot of animation tends to be geared towards comedy, I think this movie shows how effective it can be in creating drama as well. From what I have read, this was the most expensive renaissance film, and it is evident that they were pushing the boundaries of what they could do. If I remember correctly, the making of the opening shot actually crashed the computer because it could not process all the different layers. Other innovations could be seen in the crowd shots, which featured numerous computer generated background characters. While today, these characters look extremely dated and basic when you focus on them, when you look at the shot altogether, they still contribute to the scale of the scene. Another phenomenal shot is the shot of Quasimodo sliding down the flying buttress during the "Out There" musical segment. Aside from that is the shot of him running down the side of Notre Dame , both of which utilize computer technology for the background.

The music is also very good. Like many Disney movies since 1989, the music was composed by Alan Menken, and there are several fantastic musical numbers. Easily one of the best in the movie is Judge Frollo's song, "Hellfire", which is indicative of the film's darkness. Another good number is the song "God Help the Outcasts". None of these songs necessarily have the radio friendliness of previous Disney films, yet they are still very strong.

Much like my other favorite Disney movie, Hercules, one of the strongest features this movie has is its villain. However, unlike Hades, who brought a layer of comedy to Hercules through his fast paced delivery and snarky attitude, Judge Claude Frollo was a very dark character that contributed to the film's family unfriendliness. His depiction as an overtly religious bigot and his warped belief that what he was doing was righteous creates realistic villain which, coupled with Tony Jay's chilling performance, creeps me out as an adult. However, that could be another draw to the film: to see one of Disney's darkest, most sinister villains.

One thing I did not particularly like was the gargoyles. I know they were intended for comic relief, but to me, they tended to seem out of place and just too over the top for the mood the movie was aiming for. As far as characters go, I don't think they were that bad, but I think they created major mood whiplash whenever they were there and their song was one I could have gone without.

Due this film's darkness, it seems like this film has largely fallen by the wayside in Disney's eyes and doesn't really get any recognition nowadays. You almost never seen references to it in Disney's social media platforms and you don't see many references to it in Disney World. Nonetheless, that does not detract from the film and actually makes the film somewhat more special to me. It's basically a hidden gem of a movie that has been forgotten in time. If you have the chance to see it on Netflix or see a copy of the DVD, I'd recommend it. Keep in mind though, when you get the DVD, it's also probably going to include the sequel.

The Sequel

I have only seen the sequel all the way through once. I actually tried watching it a second time and just turned it off midway through. I don't remember much of it and I don't want to discuss it much so the synopsis will be brief.

The story is set several years after the events of the first film. Phoebus and Esmeralda have since married and had a son named Zephyr. Meanwhile, Quasimodo still lives in the bell tower and serves as the bell ringer, but now lives among the other people in Paris. At the beginning of the film, there is about to be a festival devoted to love. However Quasimodo doesn't have anyone to celebrate with.

Meanwhile, a carnival has come to town, however, it is revealed the carnies are actually thieves traveling town to town, and the leader, Sarousch, has his sights set on stealing a bell from Notre Dame and sends his assistant, Madellaine to steal it. When she gets to Notre Dame, she and Quasimodo get along until he reveals his face and she runs away in shock. However, Quasimodo goes back to the circus to see her and Sarousch instructs her to follow Quasimodo. After seeing him with Zephyr, Madellaine is not afraid of him anymore and the two go on a date through Paris, distracting him long enough for Sarousch and his minions to sneak into the cathedral and steal the bell. Phoebus realizes that Sarousch is responsible and Quasimodo accuses Madellaine of deceiving him and Phoebus arrests her for her involvement in the theft.

Sarousch and his men end up taking Zephyr hostage as they escape almost get away. However, Madellaine uses her high wire skills to sneak past them and take Zephyr back, and Sarousch is arrested.

The next scene is at the festival, where Madellaine, who has since been freed for helping the heroes, shows up at the cathedral and she and Quasimodo end up declaring their love for each other, thus concluding the movie.

This is the type of movie that people talk about when they criticize Disney straight to video sequels. The animation is incredibly cheap, the characters are uninteresting, and the story has the quality of a lousy TV show. I actually forgot there were songs in this movie until earlier tonight when I started writing this entry. That's how forgettable they were. There are really only two things I can say I liked about this movie. The first is that the majority of the cast (minus Tony Jay as Frollo) returned, so the returning characters all sound familiar. The other thing was I liked was that Quasimodo got to be in a relationship at the end. But that's about it.

All in all, I think the original movie is an underrated work of art that has unfortunately been lost with time. I don't feel that way about the sequel.

The animation is beautiful and fluid, the music is great, and the stories and characters are crafted very well. Since seeing it back in the Spring this year, it has become one of my favorite Disney movies.

Bless My Soul, Herc Was On A Roll: Hercules

Oh boy, this is one I've been really looking forward to. When I mentioned in past posts about being on a Disney kick the past couple months, it was all because of this movie. Once I saw this movie back in January, it opened up the floodgates and revived my interest in Disney movies and this takes the spot as my all-time favorite Disney movie.I don't know how to describe why I like this movie so much. Granted, as an adult, I can appreciate the technical work that went into the production better than I ever could as a kid. I love the animation, the art direction, the music, and it may just be because it was the first traditionally drawn Disney movie I've seen in years and reminded me of the studio's quality of the time.

Much like Aladdin, I remember occasionally watching reruns of the TV show on Toon Disney, but I only saw the movie as an adult. Other than that, the only exposure I had to the movie was the occasional reference to Hades in Disney World or House of Mouse, jokes and screenshots posted online, and a scene or two we watched in sixth grade when we studied Greek mythology.

Overall though, this movie is fairly underrepresented when it comes to Disney films. While it may not be outright ignored like The Hunchback of Notre Dame or any of the movies from the dark ages, it certainly seems to be low ranking in terms of the company's roster of movies. In a sense, that may be another reason why I like it. It doesn't have as much exposure as some of the other movies nowadays and that sort of makes it more special to those who really do like it.

Summary

Hercules is very, very, loosely based on the myth of the ancient Greek demigod Heracles, but takes on a largely different story.

As a baby, Hercules is kidnapped and turned mortal under the order of Hades, the god of the dead, who wants to take over Mount Olympus for himself. After Hades' minions fail to kill him, Hercules is adopted and raised on Earth but struggles to fit in because he has superhuman strength. After learning about his true parentage, Hercules begins a quest to restore his godhood by becoming a "true hero", with the help of his flying horse, Pegasus, and trainer Philoctetes.

On his journey towards becoming a hero, Hercules, Phil and Pegasus travel to Thebes and meet a beautiful young woman named Megara along the way, who is revealed to be reluctantly working for Hades. After defeating the hydra, Hercules becomes a celebrity in Thebes, defeating every monster Hades sends his way.

As Hades gets closer to implement his plan to take over Olympus, he uses Hercules' attraction to Meg against him, however, Meg comes to fall for him as well. Phil overhears Meg and Hades talk, but when he tries to warn Hercules, Hercules refuses to listen and the get in an argument, which ends with Phil leaving.

When she refuses to assist him further, Hades takes Meg hostage and coerces Hercules into giving up his powers for her safety. Hercules gives up his powers, and is immediately crushed when Hades reveals Meg was working with him all along. Hades then leaves and frees the Titans to help him take over Olympus, and sends a giant cyclops to kill Hercules. Unable to convince him to fight, Meg gets Phil to help motivate him, but is fatally injured when Hercules defeats the cyclops, breaking Hades' deal. With his strenght restored, Hercules is able to save Mount Olympus, but Meg dies before he can return to her.

Hercules travels down to the underworld and offers to take her place in the sea of the dead if he can reach her. As he saves her, he becomes immortal because he sacrificed himself, and can return to Olympus. However, Hercules realizes he will have to leave Meg behind and instead gives up his godhood to live on Earth with her.

My Thoughts

When I first sat down to watch this movie, I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I was curious about some of the scenes I had seen online and I recognized Hades as a popular villain, but I finally sat down to watch it in January 2016. 

It had been a long time since I had seen a traditionally animated Disney movie and I think seeing this and the quality of the animation really is what sparked my revived interest in Disney films. I was used to limited animation and cheaper television animation so when I saw the fluidity and fantastic flow and movement of the movie, it blew me away. One thing that astounded me was the attention to detail in how the characters moved. Even if a character wasn't doing anything, they still would shift their weight slight naturally and actually seem like a living person. In limited animation, it a character doesn't need to move, they don't. The animators will animate whatever parts that need to move like an arm or eyes, but little more. With this animation, the characters actually feel like they are alive, only two dimensional. Another thing I love about the animation is that it was a break from the typical Disney design. By hiring Gerald Scarfe as production designer and incorporating ancient Greek influences, the art has a distinct personality that would not only set it apart from other Renaissance movies, but also open the door to more abstract designs in future films. I don't even know how to describe the nature of the art direction. Many objects and characters are filled with flowing swirls and angular, rigid points.

Certain characters also highlight certain animation styles. Hercules (who was animated by Andreas Deja, responsible for Jafar from Aladdin, Scar from The Lion King, and Gaston in Beauty and the Beast) has by far the best action animation, obviously. In scenes like the Hydra scene or when he is still high from his date with Meg, we see wild, yet believable animation that is beautifully detailed and fluid.

Meg's animation can emphasize her sex appeal in how she moves, her animation really shines in the more subtle moments, especially in her face. This can be seen when Hades implies he wants to use her to find Hercules' weakness, where she is both shocked and insulted. Another example can be seen when they are on their date, both when she is annoyed by Pain and Panic nagging her as well as the heartfelt gaze she gives when Hercules says she's the greatest person "with weak ankles" he's ever met.

Hades, meanwhile... I don't know how to describe it. His animation and motion just seems to fit James Woods's portrayal so well. He talks like a smarmy used car salesman and he's got the animation to pull it off.

One more comment I have about the animation I have is regarding the Hydra scene. One of my favorite shots in the entire movie is the shot where Hercules is holding onto the monster's teeth as it tries to eat him and he struggles to keep it from biting down. This is due to how well the the traditional and computer animation interact together and look believable, which is a challenging task. I can't even begin to imagine how much time went simply into that shot.

Another thing I enjoy is the story. Before anybody says anything, I am fully aware this movie is unfaithful to the mythology. If anything, I view this movie as Ancient Greek fanfiction. However, that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it. The biggest thing about this story that I love is the love story. I admit it. I am a total sucker for the romance plot between Hercules and Meg and I find the kiss at the end to be extremely sweet.

Another thing is that even though the movie conflicts with the myth, it's evident Ron Clements and John Musker did their research in writing. Even if it's not part of the story, there are several allusions to the 12 Labors Hercules has to accomplish in the original story as well as parts from other myths. It's obvious artistic liberties were taken several times for the sake of the movie being entertaining, but at the same time, if it didn't Hercules wouldn't be a family friendly G-rated musical comedy. It would also be called Heracles.

One other thing I love about this movie is the music, because it is such an odd choice. The Little Mermaid has songs with tropical elements, Aladdin's soundtrack incorporates Middle Eastern influences, and Hercules... has a soundtrack inspired by '60s gospel and soul. The anachronistic nature of the soundtrack adds to the overall oddball nature of the film. It helps that the songs are also insanely catchy. Much like Aladdin, I was familiar with some of the songs long before I saw the movie. The song, "Zero to Hero" would go on to be the intro theme for the animated series, while "Go The Distance" would be used in the Wishes fireworks show in Walt Disney World.

Aside from the reasons already listed, I think the reason why I love Hercules is because it sticks out from so many of the other Disney movies at the time. Aside from Aladdin, Hercules is probably the most comedic films from the Disney Renaissance era, which made it really contrast with the more dramatic movies it came out in between like The Lion King, The Hunchback of Notre Dame or Tarzan. One observation I have seen that I agree with is that it was one of, if not the first Disney movies where over-the-top humor wasn't really relegated to sidekicks. Instead, basically every character can get their own comedic moment. In terms of slapstick, Hercules is clobbered a couple times, Phil takes a heavy dose of physical abuse through the movie, and even Meg gets tossed around a couple times. Another thing I like is that most of the characters are smart-asses, with Hades and Meg both providing some good quips.

Another reason I love it is probably just because it doesn't get as much attention as some of the others from its time. Everybody loves the Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, but how many people say Hercules or the Hunchback are their favorites? They're not as common. No doubt it was a financial hit at the time and Disney probably did an intense marketing campaign like they always do, but that is definitely not the case anymore. You may see Hades lumped in with all the other acclaimed Disney villains, but Hercules gets little to no recognition commercially anymore. So it always seems extra special when Disney actually DOES reference it.

The way I see it, based on the quality of Disney movies, you can name almost any of their movies as your favorite and it can be acceptable. And while Hercules may come across as a middling/average Disney movie, there are certain parts to it that really bring it out on top for me, personally.

Hercules: Zero to Hero

Once I saw the original Hercules, I was obsessed. I was not just hooked, I was literally obsessed with it for several weeks. In that timeframe, my obsession and my need for completion led me to actually track down and buy a copy of Hercules: Zero to Hero. I even made sure I had a working tape player to ensure I could watch it. It's not that it's particularly good, because it's not. But I loved the movie so much that I wanted the complete experience.

Synopsis

Set after the events of the original movie, we see Hercules and Meg, now married and moving into a new house. During the move in process, Meg comes across some of Hercules' old high school stuff. In a panic, Hercules sends the stuff back to Phil's island. Curious, Meg sneaks out to find Phil and see what the big fuss was about. This leads into the first segment.

The first segment is about Hercules on his first day of school. Once there, he quickly establishes himself as a loser, and becomes friends with fellow outcasts, Icarus and Cassandra. He also gets humiliated by the school's bully, Adonis. Hoping to boost his popularity, Hercules decides to beat a two headed cyclops who are more interested in attacking and eating more prominent students, leading to problems back at school.

Back on Phil's Island, Hercules finds Meg at Phil's island and tells her another story from high school. The second story features Hercules coming across a new student at school who moonlights as a vigilante known as the Grim Avenger. Together, the two team up to defeat the Minotaur, who has been destroying temples recently.

The last story is about Hercules getting into an argument with his father Zeus after Hercules is picked on in school by Adonis. After the dispute, Zeus turns himself into a mortal teenager to show how easy it is to be a teenager and is quickly disproven. Meanwhile, Hades catches wind of this, and tries to take advantage of this, and Hercules and Zeus must work together to stop him.

Once again on Phil's island, Meg reassures Hercules that she'd love him regardless of who he was in high school, and Hercules responds by telling her he found her high school memorabilia, much to her chagrin.

My Thoughts

Overall... this is really not that great. All this video release is is a compilation of four episodes of the TV show: "Hercules and the First Day of School", "Hercules and the Grim Avenger", and "Hercules and the Visit from Zeus", with the clipshow episode, "Hercules and the Yearbook" being re-edited to serve as a segue between episodes. I mean, for a Saturday Morning TV series, it wasn't bad, but it is not all that great when you compare it to the movie as a full length release. The animation is cheap, the songs are either cheesy or forgettable and the writing isn't as strong as it is in the movie. The one thing this has really going for it is the return of most of the main voice actors, most importantly Tate Donovan as Hercules and James Woods as Hades.

Again, it was originally a TV show, which on its own, is not all that bad. If anything, I give it more of a pass because of that as opposed to being an intentional straight to video release (*COUGH* Hunchback of Notre Dame II *COUGH*). Honestly though, I only bought the VHS because I'm a compulsive collector. If you really wanted to see these episodes for whatever reason, I know they are on YouTube, and they're not anything particularly special. Overall, I'd say this video was not that good, but I still sort of enjoy it through its mediocrity simply because I love the original movie so much.

Conclusion

While it may not be most people's first choice, Hercules is easily MY favorite Disney movie. It's kind of a weird movie when you compare it to some of the other latter day renaissance movies, but I think that makes it more endearing to me. I love the animation, the music is some of my favorite from a Disney movie, and I like the overall mood and atmosphere the film casts. It's a shame Disney doesn't do a whole lot with this movie anymore. At most, they may make a reference to Hades or make a post from the movie on their social media sites, but it seems to have largely fallen by the wayside since the end of the Disney Renaissance. However, this is not the only one, and the I plan on writing about another movie that has since been forgotten since the '90s in my next Disney post.

If I Can't Change Your Mind Then No One Will: Bob Mould and Sugar

As I was writing my Hüsker Dü entry, I could tell that it was going to be an excruciatingly long post if I wrote about them as well as Bob Mould's later work in the same entry. As a result, I decided to split it in two: this time around, I will be writing about Bob Mould's '90s band, Sugar, as well as his solo career. While I would write about Grant Hart's work as a companion piece, not only does he not have as prolific a career as Mould, but I only own a copy of his first solo album, Intolerance.

When I was first introduced to Hüsker Dü, I was not particularly impressed. Granted, the only albums I had access to at the time were their latter day albums, Candy Apple Grey and Warehouse: Songs and Stories, which are not considered their prime. Instead, I slowly got into their work through Sugar. I remember the first song I really liked by them was "Helpless" off of Copper Blue. I then grew to like "If I Can't Change Your Mind" as well as "Gee Angel" from their second album, File Under: Easy Listening. Then, on my 16th birthday, I got a copy of Copper Blue on CD and loved it. That following April was when I bought Hüsker Dü's Flip Your Wig and New Day Rising. While Husker Du was always the group people acclaimed, I always held Sugar in a special regard, probably because it was what got me into Bob Mould's material in the first place. Unfortunately, the group didn't last long, but even then, their weaker works are still pretty enjoyable.

For the longest time, I had an aversion to solo albums. I don't know why. I guess I expected that when a member of a band I liked made a solo album, it was going to intentionally break away and forge a different sound. However, when I got into Bob Mould's solo material, I was delighted to find the music is more or less built off of the same sound he crafted when in Hüsker Dü, only with more experience and refinement. This consistency translates also in quality as well. As I listen to Bob Mould's various solo albums, even some of his more experimental albums, there is a consistency to his work. While Mould would play with certain elements such as acoustics or electronic sounds, his songs are still Bob Mould songs. This is especially evident as I was listening to his new album, Patch the Sky, which fits right in with his previous two albums, Silver Age and Beauty and Ruin, as well as others such as Body of Song or The Last Dog and Pony Show.

Bob Mould would begin his post-Hüsker Dü career with his first two solo albums. Upon work for his third solo album, he began to gel better with two new instrumentalists, David Barbe and Malcolm Travis and the project went from a solo act with backing instrumentalists to a full fledged band. After a couple years, the group disbanded and Mould made his third solo album by himself. After this, he made one more album in the mid-late 90s which would serve as a swan song for his guitar heavy rock. During this hiatus, Mould took this time to embrace electronic music. By the early 2000s, this interest heavily influenced his 2002 album, Modulate, which polarizes fans to this day. After Modulate, Mould eased up on the electronic influences on his two following albums and brought back the predominant guitar sounds he was known for. By the 2010s, Mould's music had reverted back to the guitar heavy pop rock in the vein of Sugar and Hüsker Dü.

Going over his entire discography, I can say Bob Mould is probably one of the key reasons I got through high school. Throughout his career, he was able to craft beautiful, soaring melodies that I loved and came to associate them with several high points from my teenage years. It's a shame a lot of people don't recognize him or his music, even when he has been recognized by several big name people and publications for years.

 Breakdown of My Discography

Sugar

1. Copper Blue (1992, CD, Cassette) - This was my first CD by any of Bob Mould's projects and I still think of it as one of his best. When people look at Bob Mould's overall work, this album frequently comes up as one of his greatest achievements, up there with Workbook, New Day Rising, Flip Your Wig and Zen Arcade. In fact, to me, this album has Mould perfecting the sound he was developing when Husker Du was at their peak, mixing in the right amount of guitar heavy rock with infectious pop melodies, with a strong backing band to fill out the songs. I have fond memories of listening to it while my friends and I played Halo: Reach online back in high school. While that may be an odd association, it goes to show those were two of the most notable elements I can remember about my sophomore and junior years of high school. I don't listen to this album a whole lot anymore, just because Bob Mould has such a prolific career, but whenever I come back to this one, I always remember why I love it.
Highlights: "Changes", "Helpless", "If I Can't Change Your Mind", "Fortune Teller"

2. Beaster EP (1993, CD) - This EP was recorded at the same time as Copper Blue, but released separately because the material on it had much darker feel. This can be heard in several places, such as the tense punk intro to "Tilted", the organ based "Walking Away", as well as the darker, Biblical lyricism. However, Mould's characteristic melodies still shine through and make this a neat companion to Copper Blue.
Highlights: "Tilted", "Feeling Better"

3. File Under: Easy Listening (1994, CD) - The second and final full-length studio album by Sugar, the album has some good cuts, but most people think it falls short when compared to its predecessors. As I look back at this album, I find there are several songs that I had forgotten about, but loved once I heard them again. However, I would go for Copper Blue first.
Highlights: "Gift", "Gee Angel", "Your Favorite Thing", Believe What You're Saying"

4. Besides (1995, CD) - As the name implies, this is a compilation of various b-sides, outtakes and live tracks the band did in its short existence. To me, the highlights are obviously the ones that were cuts recorded during the Copper Blue and FU:EL sessions, but it is also interesting to hear some of the contributions bassist David Barbe made that didn't make the albums.
Highlights: "Needle Hits E", "Mind is an Island", "Going Home", "And You Tell Me"

Overall, Sugar was a fruitful, albeit short endeavor Mould took in the nineties, that while it contributed songs that are still in his setlist today, was really something of a detour in his solo career, which makes up the most of his post-Hüsker Dü output.

Solo Albums

1. Workbook (1989, CD, Vinyl) - Bob Mould's first album after Hüsker Dü's implosion was one of reinvention and is still one of, if not the best, of his solo albums. He hid away in a farmhouse up in New York where he began writing material with a much more somber, stripped down approach. The album relies much more on acoustic instruments, with very little of the loud guitar that defined his work in Hüsker Dü. For whatever reason, I avoided this album. I didn't want to hear folk influenced music. I wanted to hear songs like "Makes No Sense At All", but when I started to sit down and listen to it, I realized this has some of his strongest material, no matter what musical lens it is played through. Since then I have come to love this album. I highly recommend it.

Highlights: "Wishing Well", "See A Little Light", "Compositions for the Young and Old", "Poison Years", "Lonely Afternoon"

2. Black Sheets of Rain (1990, CD) - After the more mellow, folk inspired work of Workbook, Mould returns to the loud guitar work of his earlier material. I don't listen to this album much, but it's not bad by any means. It's certainly angrier and more cathartic than Workbook, but it doesn't have as many songs that stand out to me.

Highlights: "Stop Your Crying", "It's Too Late", "Sacrifice/Let There Be Peace"

3. Bob Mould (1996, CD) - Once Sugar dissolved, Bob Mould took a step back from the concept of working with a band for his music and instead made this album by himself with a four track tape recorder and a drum machine, giving it a distinct sound among his albums. I'm conflicted on this one. It has several very good songs that I could consider some of his highlights, but there are others that are among my least favorite out of his entire discography. When I bought this album, I actually ordered a used copy and the version I got included a maxi-single for the song "Egoverride" as well, which was neat.

Highlight: "Anymore Time Between", "Fort Knox, King Solomon", "The Next Time That You Leave", "I Hate Alternative Rock", "Egoverride", "Art Crisis", "Deep Karma Canyon", "Roll Over and Die"

4. Egoverride Single (1996, CD) - This came with the self-titled album and has some interesting songs that were left off of the album. It's not essential, but it is a neat listen.

Highlights: "Egoverride", "Wanted Was"

5. The Last Dog and Pony Show (1998, CD) - When this album was coming out, Bob Mould was on the verge of a hiatus. As the title implied, this was going to be the last album and tour he did before retiring from rock music. Musically, it is not the most distinct album he has done, when you can listen to New Day Rising or Copper Blue, but it is one of my favorites for some reason. I think it's just because of some of the songs that stand out to me that make me love it so much. This album also foreshadows some of his later interests in the experimental track, "Megamaniac", which is less of a song and more of a collage of samples. My copy of this included a second disc that had an interview with Mould, which, while it is not as interesting as a single, is still a nice surprise.

Highlights: "New #1", "Moving Trucks", "Who Was Around", "Vaporub", "Skintrade", "Sweet Serene"

6. Modulate (2002, CD) - After several years, Bob Mould came back to music with Modulate, which, to this day, is by far the most polarizing album in his output. While some of the songs are still distinctly Bob Mould songs, they are played through an electronic lens, with synthesizers and samples strewn throughout the album. While many people revile this album, I actually really like it. Once you get past the strange production, the songs themselves are very strong and are frequent ones I listen to. One thing that I want to note also, is that the song, "Trade", actually has roots as a Hüsker Dü song, and I know there is a recording of them playing it live back in 1988, which I would recommend checking out if you like the album version.

Highlights: "Slay/Sway", "The Receipt", "Soundonsound", "Trade"

7. Body of Song (2005, CD) - After the overtly electronic sound of Modulate, Bob Mould begins to move back towards guitar based music on this album. However, his interest in electronic music and soundscapes are not gone and it sometimes seeps into the music. The album is not a bad album by any means, but it is one I don't spend a whole lot of time listening to.

Highlights: "Circles", "Paralyzed", "Beating Heart the Prize", "Days of Rain"

8. District Line (2008, CD) - This album basically continues the sound Bob Mould plays on Body of Song, mixing his typical sound with electronic work. I don't dislike this album, but I rarely listen to it. However, the song "Stupid Now" was the first solo song I heard by him and was what got me interested in his solo work altogether.

Highlights: "Stupid Now", "The Silence Between Us", "Miniature Parade"

9. Life and Times (2009, Digital Download) - With this album, Mould begins moving away from the electronic influences and goes back towards the sound heard on The Last Dog and Pony Show. While I tend to forget about this album, anytime I go back to it, I remember it has several good songs on it.

Highlights: "Life and Times", "Spiraling Down", "MM17", "I'm Sorry Baby, But You Can't Stand in My Light Anymore"

10. Silver Age (2012, CD, Vinyl) - Around the time this album came out, Mould's autobiography was also coming out and it was the 20th anniversary of Copper Blue. With that in mind, Bob Mould decided to go back to that sound, focusing almost entirely on thick guitar-heavy pop rock songs that one could find in Sugar's output. With bassist Jason Narducy and drummer Jon Wurster in tow, it almost feels like a spiritual successor to Sugar. This album almost seems to be the beginning of a renaissance for Mould, as his following albums continue in this vein are and are just as consistently good.

Highlights: "Star Machine", "Silver Age", "The Descent", "Angels Rearrange", "Round the City Square"

11. Beauty and Ruin (2014, CD, Vinyl) - This album basically continues the sound Mould picked back up on Silver Age. For some reason, I never really listened to this album much or at least paid much attention to it until the follow up, Patch the Sky came out. But once I did, I loved it.

Highlights: "I Don't Know You Anymore", "Nemeses are Laughing", "Forgiveness", "Hey, Mr. Grey", "Fix It"

12. Patch the Sky (2016, Vinyl) - For whatever reason, I didn't preorder this album when I heard about it, even though I did with the two previous albums. However, one night when I was at Barnes and Noble, I noticed a copy of this album, which included an autographed poster inside, and I bought it without question. I now love this album and it makes for a great trilogy with its two predecessors. Actually, I was inspired to continue writing this entry because of this album. If you find a copy, check it out.

Highlights: "The End of Things", "Hold On", "Daddy's Favorite", "Black Confetti"

My yellow vinyl copy of Beauty and Ruin

Since I first fell in love with earliest Sugar songs, Bob Mould has become my all time favorite singer songwriter. His songs have a character that is distinct to him. They can be either extremely loud and cathartic or soft and restrained and they still sound like him. That's just how much range he has. If you want straightforward, catchy rock music, you can't really go wrong with Bob Mould's material, whether it is Husker Du, Sugar or his solo stuff. That character transcends projects and shines through all of them.