WINTER OLYMPICS

I don't know about anybody else, but I've had a real hard time trying to drum up any amount of interest in this years Winter Olympics. I'm not really sure why though. I usually really like to watch the games and the Winter ones especially, but so far I just can't get into it. I wonder if it's because things are somewhat anticlimactic after the Steelers won the Super Bowl. I don't know. I guess I need that March Madness injection or something, but the Winter Games just aren't making much of a dent in my psyche.
I think that maybe I should be watching the couples Ice Skating, or whatever it's called, because all the highlights reels that I've seen have shown a lot of crash and burn, so maybe it's more exciting than I ever figured it was. No, I'm sure it's not.
One thing I have to say is that all of the hype about Bode Miller has been a laugh. This guy was built up to be the second coming, but when you think about it, all the hype, or at least a large majority of it was based on how much of an all night party animal this guy is. When you think about it, if that's the case, then the odds of him walkin' away with a bunch of gold medals was highly unlikely anyway. Unless he wins his last chance, he can kiss those Miller Beer endorsements that were sure to come his way goodbye.

WHAT A WEEK !

What can I say. Things started off with a Steelers victory in the super bowl. Then I land a weekend job as a courier, Then I get two job interviews. I hope this string of hopeful opportunity continues. I am also submitting some reviews to Creem Magazine in the hopes that maybe I can become the next Lester Bangs, or at least the next Robot Hull. (Check back issues of Creem magazine circa '71-75 to get the obscure rock writer references). Any way I've come across a few tidbits that the rock inclined amongst you will want to be checking out.

T-REX - BORN TO BOOGIE

Well the Grammy's were on the other night and decided that I needed to combat all the bullshit coming over the airwaves by putting some real rock n roll on my television. So enter T-REX and the DVD BORN TO BOOGIE. This is a real to treat for anyone who digs T-REX (is there any one who doesn't?) This is a film that was made in '72 or so. I never even knew of the existence of this thing but the story goes that after it's release it was left rotting away in the cans. This DVD has the restored film and of course, it has all those extra goodies we've come to count on when we get DVD's.
The movie is mostly concert footage interspersed with some surrealist goofing off, kind of Fellini crossed with Monty Python in a way. There are also some performance pieces with T-REX jamming along with Ringo and Elton John. You know this type of film if you've seen MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR or 200 MOTELS.
One of the extras that you get along with everything else in this package is the entire concert that is used as the foundation of this movie. It is T-REX in pretty good form playing great high energy rock n roll. If you like T-REX you will like this. If you like good rock n roll you will like this. The sound is good and the visual is top notch. You cannot go wrong with this thing. It was just the cure needed to counteract U2, Kanye West, and all those other bozos getting awards for being purveyors of mediocrity and crap.

NEW YORK DOLLS-ALL DOLLED UP
Forget the reunion discs that are out there. I mean, it just ain't the dolls. I mean no disrespect to Syl, Johanson, or Killer Kane, but it ain't the dolls. They were definitely integral parts of the composition but you don't have the New York Dolls without Johnny Thunders.
So why don't you go out and pick yourself up the DVD that gives you the goods. The real New York Dolls. This is considered a documentary, but really it's more just footage that was shot of the Dolls goofing around, and playing gigs. I have some of this footage on an old bootleg video but the picture quality on that thing is pretty much unwatchable. Here everything looks good, and for my money sounds good as well. Any one who bitches about the sound of the Dolls music not being clear or pristine is really not getting it. That's not to say that I enjoy crappy sound quality, but the primitive, raw sound is what the Dolls were about in spades.
However the best thing about this DVD isn't the feature it's the extras. You get twelve songs performed uninterrupted. There's stuff from Kenny's Castaways, Max's Kansas City, the Whisky A Go Go, and more.
I wonder why the Stuff from Kirschner's Rock Concert and the Midnight Special is not available. It's time for all this stuff to get released for goofs like me who can't get enough of this mainline rush. Till next time gang.