The 500 - #163 - 1999 - Prince

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #163
Album Title: 1999

Artist: Prince

Genre: Dance Pop, Art Pop, Minneapolis Sound, R&B, Funk

Recorded: Kiowa Trail (Prince's Home Studio), Chanhassan, Minnesota; and Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, California

Released: October, 1982

My age at release: 17
How familiar was I with it before this week: Fairly

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #130, elevating 33 spots
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: 1999

"You know that feeling you get on a roller coaster, when you are slowly climbing to the top...and it seems to take forever? That's turning 30. You'd better look around...because the rest of the ride is damn quick."

Those astute words by my pal, Paul Dawson, were uttered at the time we were entering our thirties. Paul has always been a clever wordsmith and I laughed off his amusing hyperbole. However, as I prepare to turn 60 this summer, I'll admit that the last 30 years came and went with alarming speed.

Paul Dawson, at his 30th birthday party.

The first time I heard the debut single 1999 from Prince's album of the same name, was in late autumn, 1982. I was a passenger in the car of another pal, Rob Cummings, when it came on the radio. Oddly, I can even remember the road we were on. The music wasn't my cup of tea at the time, but the lyrics sure got me doing some mental math:  "How old will I be in 1999...and what will I be doing? Will I be married? Have kids? What job will pay my bills?"

The idea of being 34 seemed like the stuff of science-fiction to my 17-year-old brain. Besides, as Paul later put it, I was still slowly climbing the first hill on the roller coaster. Now, with that birthday a full 26 years behind me, it feels like contemporary history. Such is our strange perception of time, a topic I tackled in my January, 2025 blog post about The Definitive Collection, from ABBA.

However, the wonderful thing about revisiting music from my youth, especially after a long hiatus, is that it can rekindle some of those vibrant, emotional feelings. There is something about the sound of 1999 that evokes such powerful nostalgia for me. It is likely the distinctively ‘80s "synth and electronic drum" sound that permeates so many of the tracks. That sound reminds me of how much I loved being 17. It was a time of great freedom and discovery. I had money, limited responsibility and incredible health. I didn't know how lucky I was. The curmudgeonly man on the porch in It's A Wonderful Life was right when he lamented to George Bailey and Mary Hatch. "Youth is wasted on the wrong people".

My friendships were also fantastic, including the time I spent with Rob and Paul. I am still in contact with Paul...we've actually been texting about the NFL draft as I write this piece. However, Rob and I drifted apart after high school. After listening to this record, I decided to try to find him through social media. He worked in construction, as a bricklayer, in the early ‘90s, and I found a website for Rob Cummings Contracting Company. I sent a message...we'll see what comes of that.

The album 1999 was the fifth studio production from the multi-talented and influential musician/songwriter Prince. On the strength of three hit singles, it propelled the flamboyant, androgynous entertainer to stardom. Consequently, it is not surprising that 1999 was the first song of his I heard.  In fact, for many years, I assumed this was his debut record and that he was an overnight sensation.

Prince, in his video for Little Red Corvette, the second single from 1999.

Released as a double record on vinyl in 1982, 1999 set the stage for Prince's meteoric rise to superstardom. Two years later, The High Priest of Pop released the landmark record Purple Rain, which also served as the soundtrack to his 1984 film of the same name, at which point he  became one of the biggest artists in the world – rivalled only by The King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Purple Rain appears at #76 on The 500 list. That is 87 weeks away...but on this roller coaster ride that will be here, in the words of Paul Dawson, "damn quick".

The 500 - #226 - Nebraska - Bruce Springsteen

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #226
Album Title: Nebraska
Artist: Bruce Springsteen
Genre: Folk, Heartland Rock, Lo-Fi Indie
Recorded: Springsteen's rented home in Colt's Neck, New Jersey

Released: September, 1982
My age at release: 17
How familiar was I with it before this week: Fairly

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #150, moving up 76 places since the 2012 list.
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Nebraska

It was recently announced that Jon Stewart intends to return to The Daily Show (TDS) –.a half-hour satirical television newscast and interview program that has aired on Comedy Central since 1996. Originally hosted by Craig Kilborn for its first two years, comedian Stewart took the helm in 1999 and stayed with the program for the next 16 years. The following six years featured South African comedian Trevor Noah as host. When he departed in December, 2022, TDS decided to rotate guest hosts, among them Al Franken, Sarah Silverman and Roy Wood Jr.

The three longest serving hosts, (l-r) Kilborn, Stewart and Noah.

These days I watch TDS far less than I once did and although I enjoy the occasional episode, it is not the appointment viewing that had me riveted during Jon Stewart's tenure. In fact, on August 16, 2006, two days before I was married in New York City, my bride, her father, my pal Steve "Lumpy" Sullivan and I attended the taping of an episode. The guest was former New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean. During a Q&A session before the show, Lumpy was able to ask Stewart a question about his career in television.

Stewart behind the desk on The Daily Show.

On Monday, February 12, Stewart will return to the TDS desk and he plans to host Monday episodes for the remainder of the year -- a presidential election year in the United States. There is unlikely to be a shortage of comedic fodder for Stewart's biting satirical wit. His remarkable intelligence, coupled with his compassion and reasonable outlook on humanity and politics is compelling, engaging and highly entertaining. Additionally, Stewart isn’t just an armchair political critic. He is willing to engage in important political and social issues. In 2019, the longtime New York resident worked tirelessly to ensure 9/11 first responders were provided with funding for health care.

Stewart appearing in the U.S. Congress with 9/11 first responders.

If you  are wondering why I am prattling  on about a political comedian in a post about Bruce Springsteen's sixth studio record, Nebraska, it’s because  Stewart was asked to speak at the 2009 Kennedy Center Honors Award show when Springsteen was among the recipients.

Kennedy Award recipients, flanked by Michelle and Barack
Obama were - (l-r) Mel Brooks, Dave Brubeck, Grace Bumbry
Robert Di Nero and Springsteen.

Stewart's speech about Springsteen is one that my friends and I have watched many times. In typical Stewart fashion, his prose was brilliant, punctuated by insightful commentary and delightful wit. It is well worth the effort to watch the entire piece. There are a few lines that perfectly capture the spirit of Springsteen and his impact on contemporary music listeners. Listen to Stewart as he encapsulate the way I feel about music and about Springsteen's powerful impact:

"I didn't understand his (Springsteen's) music for a long time. Until I began to yearn. Until I began to question the things I was making and doing in my own life. Until I realized it wasn't just about the joyful parade on stage and the theatrics. It was about stories of lives that could be changed...When you listen to Bruce’s music, you aren’t a loser. You are a character in an epic poem...about losers. But that is not the power of Bruce Springsteen. It is that whenever I see Bruce Springsteen do anything, he empties the tank – every time...And we, on the receiving end of that beautiful gift, are ourselves rejuvenated, if not redeemed."

Stewart’s remarks galvanize the spirit and energy of Nebraska  – the fourth of eight records by Springsteen on the 2012 edition of The 500. Nebraska deals with ordinary, down on their luck, blue collar characters who are facing a challenge or turning point in their lives. The songs are often bleak in theme and some deal with criminal activities. The tone is set immediately with the opening track, Nebraska, which is based on 19-year-old spree killer Charles Starkweather who, during the winter of 1957 and 1958, murdered eleven people. When he was arrested, he was accompanied by his 14-year-old girlfriend and accomplice Caril Ann Fugate. Their story was, in part, inspiration for the films Badlands, Natural Born Killers and Kalifornia. In fact, it was Badlands that inspired Springsteen to research the murderous pair and write the song.

Starkweather's arrest photos.

Springsteen recorded most of the record at his home studio in Colt's Neck, New Jersey, in a house he was renting following a successful tour promoting his 1980 record, The River. (#253 on The 500). Initially, he planned to be accompanied by his backing group, The E Street Band. However, it was decided to release the record in its original, stripped-down, acoustic form. The band did tinker with the tracks and Springsteen fans have long speculated whether those recordings, often dubbed Electric Nebraska, will ever be released. A few can be found on the internet, but a polished, official release seems unlikely.

A fan-made mock up of the Electric Nebraska album cover.

I'm content to stick with the original. Much like The Daily Show, I like the classic content best. Re-listening to Nebraska in preparation for this post, reminded me why I like Springsteen so much. He helps me understand my own yearning and reinforces the fact that just hearing his songs puts me on the "receiving end of that beautiful gift...and I am rejuvenated...and redeemed."

The 500 - #332 - Shoot Out The Lights - Richard and Linda Thompson

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: # 332

Album Title: Shoot Out The Lights

Artist: Richard and Linda Thompson

Genre: British Folk Rock

Recorded: Olympic Studios, London, U.K.

Released: March, 1982

My age at release: 16

How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all

Is it on the 2020 list? No

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Shoot Out The Lights

There are six Learning Skills on which Ontario Elementary Educators evaluate their students for report cards. Of the six, Collaboration is the skill I spend most of the year helping students foster.

Collaboration is challenging, and an attribute that requires effort to master. It is more than "working with someone." I can work with anyone, especially if the desired outcome is simple, clear and measurable. Washing dishes, cooking a meal, doing  yard work with someone else is  "co-operation" rather than "collaboration". The real test of collaborative skill is co-operating on a creative project – a coming together of minds where input from each determines the outcome.

Recently, I watched the new documentary Get Back. The three-part, eight-hour series covers the making of The Beatles' 1970 album Let It Be, which was their eighth and final studio recording. It is an intimate examination of collaboration -- four creative minds   working toward an album, concert and film project over 21 days in a London studio. The film chronicles the challenges, triumphs, drudgery, levity and frustrations of the creative process. There is a moment when guitarist George Harrison jokingly suggests that his friend Bob Dylan join them in the studio. Bandmate Paul McCartney immediately retorts: "It's bad enough with four of us!"

Shoot Out The Lights is also an interesting product of strained collaboration. It is the sixth and final album from British husband and wife folk-rock duo Richard and Linda Thompson. It is the second album from the couple on The 500. I wrote about I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight, back in July, 2019. It is at position #471.

In 1979, the couple found themselves without a record contract after disappointing sales of their fifth album, Sunnyvista. By 1980, they were touring as the opening act for Gerry Rafferty and working on new material. Rafferty offered to help finance a new record and used his connections at United Artists to help secure a new contract for the Thompsons.

Singer/Songwriter Gerry Rafferty performing with his band (1979)

However, the Thompsons' collaborative relationship with Rafferty was short-lived. The couple, Richard in particular, were unhappy with Rafferty's production work on many of the songs that would, eventually, make up the Shoot Out The Lights record. Consequently, the songs were re-recorded. The original version was eventually leaked as a bootleg recording dubbed Rafferty's Folly.

The relationship between the couple was further strained when Richard began an affair with tour promoter Nancy Covey while Linda was pregnant. By the time the record was finished and released, the couple was separated. They continued to perform together promoting the record, but the relationship was tense. In fact, the acrimony was so apparent on stage that fans of the group labelled it the "Tour From Hell".

Linda & Richard Thompson on stage (1981)

The album, which was filled with songs containing barbed metaphors about their failing marriage, was critically well received. AllMusic magazine praised it as "a meditation on love and loss in which beauty, passion and heady joy can still be found in defeat." 

Much like The Beatles accomplished a decade before them with Let It Be, Richard and Linda Thompson managed to create something remarkable while simultaneously falling apart. Collaboration in a cauldron. It is not ideal, but sometimes it works -- testimony to the value of dedication, talent and creativity.

Truth be told, I think the other Thompson record on The 500 list, I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight, is far superior. I am flummoxed by Shoot Out The Lights being rated higher. These thoughts were echoed by podcaster Josh Adam Meyers and a guest, Avery Pearson, on the accompanying episode of The 500 Podcast. It is well worth a listen as the comedic pair, Meyers and Pearson, take Shoot Out The Lights to task in a riotous, one-hour conversation.