Redartz: Hello again, time riders! Today we are returning to the tail end of the Bronze Age, deep into fall 1985. Stepping off our temporal transport, we see a newspaper vendor. The headlines on these newspapers are full of international news: the hijacking of an Italian liner, the Achille Lauro; and talks in Paris between Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev and French President Francois Mitterand. And in the sports section, coverage of baseball player Pete Rose as he breaks Ty Cobb's all-time hits record.
Meanwhile the streets are full of music, as many folks are carrying around massive radio/tape players ("boom boxes") on their shoulders. Wafting through the cool autumn air we hear:
The Number One Song on the Billboard US Pop Chart: Ready for the World; "Oh Sheila"
Rounding out the top five:
2. Dire Straits, "Money for Nothing"
3. a-ha, "Take on Me"
4. Whitney Houston, "Saving All My Love for You"
5. Stevie Wonder, "Part-Time Lover"
I'm finding '85 to be a great year musically. I like all the top five (unheard of in most other time periods for your humble host), but lower on the charts lurk some even cooler tunes. Other notables: Mick Jagger and David Bowie, "Dancing in the Streets"- fun remake of a fantastic Martha and the Vandellas song. They performed it on "Live Aid" a few months back. Then there's Sting, "Fortress Around Your Heart"- a solid cut from his new solo album. Hated to see the Police disband, but this effort has some fine music. And finally, Tears for Fears, "Head Over Heels"- their hit album "Songs From the Big Chair" is incredible. And this is one of the best cuts.
Tears for Fears, "Head Over Heels"
Tops in the UK: Jennifer Rush, "The Power of Love"
Ah, but what about tv? Is the video component of pop culture as interesting in '85 as the music? Let's see what's on tonight and find out...
US Television Schedule:
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| Dana Plato, Conrad Bain, Todd Bridges and Gary Coleman |
ABC: Webster, Mr. Belvedere, Diff'rent Strokes, Benson, Spenser: For Hire
Diff'rent Strokes and Benson still get my attention. Robert Guillaume is always a pleasure to watch, and the cast of "Strokes" still satisfies.
CBS: The Twilight Zone, Dallas, Falcon Crest
Although the nighttime 'soaps' hold no interest for this viewer, the reborn "Twilight Zone" is another matter. It's a never-miss show among our group of current -and-former art students. They even got Harlan Ellison to contribute.
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| David Hasselhoff and "Kit" |
NBC: Knight Rider, Misfits of Science, Miami Vice
A lot of folks are watching David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight. Talking car, and all that. Then later on, we have the stylish phenomenon "Miami Vice". Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas star as Crockett and Tubbs, two Miami undercover cops with great fashion sense. The music is a huge part of the appeal of this show. The episode with Glen Frey was very cool, as was his accompanying hit "Smuggler's Blues". And the show has a big hit theme song, by Jan Hammer:
Miami Vice opening
BBC1: Wogan, Blankety Blank, Dynasty, Bergerac, The Horse of the Year Show
BBC2: Tarzan's New York Adventure, Observatories of the World, Micro Live, King's Country, Gardener's World, My Music, Now the War is Over, Did You See...?
Okay, we've covered the big media. What about our beloved comics? In the case of young Redartz, this week's offerings are among the last comics I'll be getting for awhile. The local lcs still gets my business, but in diminishing amounts. So what's out right now?
Well, the Byrne's still doing good things with the FF so that's a keeper. As is Thor by Simonson. And DC's "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is approaching it's climax. It's been a good tale, and has kept me buying some DC's all year. Kudos to Marv Wolfman and George Perez for touching a lot of bases. And I did try that first issue of "Mazing Man". Just for a lark.
And speaking of larks, our lark in the memorable year of 1985 is coming to it's conclusion. Hope you enjoyed revisiting a few high points in one of the decade's outstanding years. Hang onto your boarding pass; it won't be long until we once again take that Retro Metro back to the Bronze Age!
