Tried to be a mess, tried to be my best (Part 27)....

 Best Of....

Today we find out what the best song from one of the greatest of New Wave bands is....Talking Heads!

They had many great songs: 

This Must Be The Place

Burning Down The House

Life During Wartime

Psycho Killer

Take Me To The River

Girlfriend Is Better

Slippery People

And She Was

Road To Nowhere

All classics to one degree or another.  But I gotta say, THE greatest Talking Heads song can be none other than....

Once In A Lifetime!

Crazy iconins lyrics.  Hypnotising riffs and beats.  And in the video, the crazy, jerky dancing by lead singer David Byrne (which, incidentally, supposedly caused a fellow to get kicked out of a club when this song came on and he started repeated the dancing in the video move per move.  People thought he was on drugs.)  And all in under 4 minutes!

POLT

My badass birthday, my happy world (Part 300)....

 Badass Birthday

On this date, in Ohio, 100 years ago, Paul Lynde as born. 

He was a comeidan, actor and game show panelist with a very campy snarky style and delivery.   He wanted to be a serious actor, but he was always given the comedic parts.  And he was good at them.   I know him best as Uncle Arthur in Bewitched and as the Center Square in Hollywood Squares.   And he was the voice of Templeton the pig in Charlotte's Web!  

He was a barely closeted gay man in Hollywood at a time when one just could not be that.  But he made fun of it in some of his jokes on gameshows, even if he hated dealing with it in public.

So yeah, his appearances are badass and a gay man doing his best to survive in a homophobic world make him a badass too. 

But really, the MAIN reasons he's TRUE Badass is for one thing: 

The Paul Lynde Halloween TV Special from 1976 or so.

Pinky Tuscadero.  Florence Henderson.  Billy Barty.  Witchie-Poo.  Margaret Hamilton, the Wicked Witch of the West.  Kiss!   Disco music, singing and dancing!  

How much more Badass than THAT can you get????

POLT

My birthday song, my happy world (Part 286)....

 Badass Birthday

On this date in 1939 in Tennessee, Dixie Carter was born. 

She had a 35 year acting career, and received an Emmy nomination. She also had a vibrant theater career.  But she's best known for playing Julia Sugarbaker in the sitcom Designing Women. 

I know he lines were written for her, but her delivery of said lines was just...well badass.  Have a look. 

They're all amazing, but the bests ones are at 2:10, 4:10, 

And then there's this one, it's my favorite.  It's a long clip here, but the best part, the best line, perhaps my favorite from the entire show is at 3:35.

BWHAHAHAHA...I crack up every time she says those four adjectives!

Dixie Carter playing Julia Sugarbaker...totally Southern Belle Badass. 

POLT

Check this out, real quick, don't know if everybody know (Part 5337)....

 Check This Out!

This is Whaadle, a cute lil twink in college who's a guitar player and singer. I don't know where I stumbled upon him but I checked out his youtube channel and heard this song.   The original is by Magnetic Fields, who I've never heard of (hence why I probably haven't heard the song before).  But I really enjoy this version of it.  His voice is just...innocent?  Soothing?  Comforting?  I don't know, I like it. Give it a listen, see what you think. 

As it says on the screen, the actual singing begins about 1:05 minutes in.  

POLT

My birthday song, my happy world (Part 215)....

 Badass Birthday

On this date, in 1946, in London, Alan Rickman was born. 

As if Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series were not enough,,,,

,,,,there's more. 

Hans Gruber, Die Hard

Sheriff of Nottingham, Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves

Metatron, Dogma

Alexander Dane, Galaxy Quest

Blue Caterpillar, Alice In Wonderland

And several voiceovers sing that distinctive voice of his!  

And he's won a BAFTA, Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actor's Guild award!

Sadly, he passed away in 2016 at the age of 69.

POLT

 This by Chumbawamba (yes the "I get knocked down, I get up again" group), and it's from a live performance in Dusseldorf Germany in 2000....Twenty six years ago. 

 

Maybe we can use this as a rallying cry now? 

Twenty six years after the song, eight one years after the fall of the Third Reich and we still have to deal with this bullshit. 

POLT

Now we're living separate lives (Part 52)......

 Separated At Birth?

So tell me, behatted tRump daughter Ivanka and some sort of fancy event and Monty Python's Gumby sketches, were they....

Separated At Birth? 

In case you're not familiar with Monty Python, here: 

POLT

My birthday song, my happy world (Part 167)....

 Badass Birthday!

On this  day, in 1948, in Washington DC was born Samuel L. Jackson. 

He's a versatile actor having been in many movies like: 

Do The Right Thing

GoodFellas

Jungle Fever

Menace II Society

Jurassic Park

Unbreakable

Black Snake Moan

Django Unchained

Glass 

among many others.  And he's had starring roles in...

The Star Wars universe (Mace Windo)

Pulp Fiction (Jules Winnfield)

Incredibles (the voice of Frozone)

And the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Nick Fury).

He has an Oscar, a BAFTA, A Golden Globe and a Screen Actor's Guild award.

And yes, these ARE all impressive, several of being considered a badass.  But the most Badassy-est reason for him to be badass is the following: 

Yep.  That right there friends....he defines badass.

POLT

My birthday song, my happy world (Part 153)...

 Badass Birthday

Since we're in the season, today this one: back in 1927, 98 years ago, in Iowa was born Andy Williams. 

His music career spanned 70 years, releasing 43 albums, getting 15 gold albums and 3 platinum albums.  He was nominated for 6 Grammys and earned 3 Emmys for the Andy Williams Show on TV. 

But why is he a badass? 

One of the best Christmas Carols of all time. 

Andy passed away in 2012 at the age of 84. 

POLT

My birthday song, my happy world (Part 135)...

 Badass Birthday

On this day, in 1968,  57 years ago, in England, Thom Yorke was born. 

Thom Yorke is the lead singer of the band Radiohead, and has been so for over 30 years.  But why is he a badass?  Check out their best song: Creep!

TOTAL badass song, and TOTAL badass vocals, sung by a TOTAL badass himself. 

POLT

My birthday song, my happy world (Part 127)...

 Badass Birthday 

Today, way back in 1825, 200 years ago, in Vienna Austria, was born Johann Strauss II.

He is sometimes known as The Waltz King with a repertoire of over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles and operettas.  Impressive as all that is, what's makes him a badass is that he composed the Blue Danube Waltz, one of the most famous waltzes in history.  Popularized for newer generations by its prominent usage in the movie 2001 A Space Odyssey. 

He passed in 1899 at the age of 74. 

POLT

My birthday song, my happy world (Part 90)....

 Badass Birthday

In 1946, 79 years ago, in the African nation of Tanzania, Freddie Mercury was born. 

It should be obvious he's a badass, but if not, let me rattle off these songs: 

Another One Bites The Dust

Bohemian Rhapsody

Crazy Little Thing Called Love 

Don't Stop Me Now

Killer Queen

Somebody To Love

We Are The Champions

We Will Rock You

Among many others.  But for a visual representation of his badassitude, see this from 

Not only is his voice simply sublime, but man, look at how he handles the crowd!

POLT

Golden years, gold, whop, whop, whop (Part 2)...

 Fifty Years Ago In Music

Let's see what was #1 on Billboard's Top 100 on July 3rd, 1975. 

"Love Will Keep Us Together" by The Captain And Tennille

POLT

My birthday song, in my happy world (Part 10)....

 Badass Birthdays

Today is the 98th Birthday of British actor Bernard Fox. 

He was in many movies and TV shows.  But what makes him a Badass is his reoccurring role as Dr. Bombay on the magically amazing TV series Bewitched!    Here are some clips: 

He passed away at age 89 in 2016.

POLT

 Posted his January 20th, 2017....but it seems even MORE appropriate right now. 

POLT

Check this out, real quick, don't know if everybody know (Part 4841)....

 Check This Out!

Damn these last couple weeks have been a busy few for the Grim Reaper. 

Kristopherson doesn't really bother me too much.  I mean, I'm not happy he's dead, but I don't really have any feelings on it. 

James Earl Jones makes me sad, in that he IS Darth Vader to me.  I knew it wasn't him, but I always pictured him under that armor, since it's his voice.  And what a voice it was. 

Maggie Smith makes me even sadder.  Yes there's Downton Abbey and of COURSE Harry Potter.  But i remember her from her 70s work: Death On The Nile (so many great one-liners) and California Suite, where of course, she won an Oscar.  And all the videos of her with Judi Dench and them both just being friendly vicious to one another...love it. 

But the worst is John Amos.  I remember his fondly from Good Times.  He's a dad everyone could want.  And then there was Roots. I was a pre-teen when that aired, but I remember it.  Oh it horrified me when they cut off half his foot!  I didn't even know he was a semi-regular on the Mary Tyler Moore show until I read obituaries about him.  But I most fondly remember him from the West Wing, as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Percy Fitzwallace.  The man was totally professional and yet took no shit from anyone.  And two times specifically always rung true and hit me hard. 

When he was asked about the Don't Ask Don't Tell thing. 

And earlier when he was asked what he thought about making Charlie, a young black man, the president's personal aide. 

Short, sweet, to the point.  Damn I miss Fitzwallace and the West Wing. 

And I'll miss John Amos too. 

POLT

Check this out, real quick, don't know if everybody know (Part 2348).....

 Check This Out!

I'm assuming all the Palace readers have seen this by now, but if not, this Tim Walz son during Tim's nomination speech. 

He's on the spectrum and neurodivergent.  He's got a non-verbal learning disability.  But by GOD is he proud of his father.  The clapping, the crying, and joy and pride.  

This has been all over social media today, and I sweat every time he yells, "That my Dad!"  I tear up.  Every single time. 

It doesn't matter what else Tim Walz does in life, for him to have raised a son, not the mention his daughter too, who so obviously loves him, Tim has already won at life. 

POLT

Music, music makes the people, come together (Part 4)...

 Musical Memories

In the mid-90s, over a period of 5 or 6 years I went to a Halloween party thrown by friends of my good friend Amy.  The parties were in Harrisburg PA.  Amy and I (and sometimes someone with us) would get dressed up, pile in the car and drive up there on the Saturday before Halloween.  The party was a blast.  But that's a story for another time (see HERE). 

On at least 4 of those trips to Harrisburg, while Amy and/or I were driving, with the radio playing, somehow the same song came on each year!  It's crazy!  It wasn't even a current song at that time.  And we had, I'm sure, different stations on, at least one year we had to have had a different one on.

At any rate, any time I hear that song played now, I'm instantly back in the car, riding with Amy, in a cool October evening, on the way to Harrisburg.  

And that song?  "Blister In The Sun" by The Violent Femmes

PS, 

This song came out in 1983, well over a decade before our trips.  

PPS, 

This song also reminds of "My So-Called Life" where Angela dances around her room to it in her obligatory oversized flannel shirt.

POLT

Music, makes the people, come together (Part 3)...

 Music Memories

When I was a freshman in college, I lived in an apartment in the town my college was in.  I had a little TV and cable and up there, they had MTV.  Back home (where I returned each weekend to do laundry and hang with friends), we had cable too, but no MTV.  We wouldn't get that on our cable system here for another 3-4 years. 

Anyway, I LOVED watching MTV  up at college.  It was still a new and novel thing: hearing AND seeing music at the same time.  I watched it almost all the time I had the TV on. 

At that point, the biggest group in the world was U2.  And also, at that time, the video MTV replayed over and over and over again was "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".   I can still see most of that video in my head even now, I saw it so much back then. 

And even now, when I hear it, like in the car on the way to work today, I flash back to my room up there in that apartment in college and I'm more than 35 years younger, and loving MTV and U2.

POLT

Check this out, real quick, don't know if everybody know (Part 3748)...

 Check This Out!

Sadly, Tina Turner passed away today at the age of 83.  I just watched a documentary of her life, done by her children, I think, earlier this year.  She had an incredible life. 

This, this below is how I always think of Tina Turner.  "Proud Mary" done live on Italian TV in 1971.  Such a voice. 

She truly was the Queen of Rock N Roll.  

Rest in peace, queen.

POLT