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A Look Back At Continuation By Philip Bailey

11/22/2013

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Philip Bailey released "Continuation" in 1983 on Columbia Records.
In 1983, soul singer Philip Bailey was known for being one of the lead singers for the funk and pop band, Earth, Wind and Fire. His angelic falsetto tones quickly became one of the band's trademarks. That year, he dropped his first solo album on an unsuspecting public. Sadly, this eight-track masterpiece of an album went unnoticed. Was the music bad? Of course not! But there's a number of (unfair) reasons why Continuation is overlooked to this very day. Did no one take Bailey serious without his EWF buddies backing him up? Was he overshadowed by the younger falsettos around at the time, particularly Prince and Michael Jackson? Was the album not promoted sufficiently? There could be a kernel of truth to all of these possibilities or none at all. Either way, I'm gonna get into the music. You're seriously missing out if you haven't heard this album. 

I Know

The album's opening track and first single. It's a light pop song fusing rock and R&B. Does it sound like EWF? Not really, but it has memorable chords and great vocals by Bailey. Overall this song isn't as confident as some of the others. Maybe this was released as the first single to ease his transition from EWF? Not a bad song by any means. It makes great riding music. The music video, however, is hilarious. Bailey plays a cab driver who runs into an old girlfriend who is now a celebrity. With his long stare and leather jacket, Bailey looks quite tough in the video. But it all goes out the window when he opens his mouth and sings like woman. The acting and overall tone of the video is pure '80s cheesiness. 

I give this song 3 stars out of 5 ***

Trapped

Uh-oh. Things start to get serious on this track. This one is a deep ballad with soulful synths and vocals. As Bailey's vocals ride the groove you'll find yourself falling into a trance. Speaking of vocals, I read somewhere years ago that Bailey's singing was inspired by Mahailia Jackson, Eddie Kendricks and Smokey Robinson. It's obvious on songs like this one, where his falsetto sounds like Kendricks, but he sings with the strength and lungpower of Mahailia Jackson, yet always maintaining a quivering vibrato like Robinson. I like songs like this because as soulful as the song is, it sounds pop because of the synthesized instrumentation. Bailey starts to go crazy with the falsetto adlibs during the climax. Great vocals, great production, great groove.

Four Stars ****

It's Our Time

This one wouldn't sound out of place on an '80s Stevie Wonder album. This time Bailey is accompanied on lead vocals by a female singer. She sounds like Stephanie Mills but I doubt it's her. Sister Sledge are credited with background vocals on one song so I'm assuming this song is a duet with them. Like the previous song, it's a soul ballad and a catchy one at that. Not too much I can say about it, but after two ballads back to back you're ready for things to speed up and fortunately that happens on the next track.

Three and a half stars *** 1/2

Desire

This track is notable for two reasons. First off, it's the first uptempo track on the album. It's also the first song where Bailey drops the falsetto to sing in his natural tenor voice. He doesn't sound bad at all, but this time the falsetto we're familiar with is reserved for adlibs and background vocals. The synth funk and electric guitar playing on this track gives it somewhat of a Prince vibe. In fact a song like this would not sound out of place on the Purple One's Dirty Mind album. Was Bailey trying to send a message here? There's also a rare piano solo midway through the song. Songs like this prove that Bailey had everything it took to compete with artists like Prince and Stevie Wonder. He may not be able to play all those instruments the way they can, but he can certainly hold his own and produce similar songs.

Three and a half stars *** 1/2

I'm Waiting For Your Love

This one picks up where the last one left off. The song is uptempo electric funk, and Bailey again sings most of the lead vocals in his mild natural tenor. I respect him for trying something different, but the falsetto is his real blessing without a doubt. He does everything he can to make his real voice more exciting but there's no magic until he takes off into his high register during the pre-chorus. The falsetto is a real special effect. In fact, on the bridge, it almost sounds as if his voice is layered but I think that's just how strong his pipes are.


Three stars ***

Vaya (Go With Love)

Now we return to the heavenly falsetto and romance. This is another song straight out of the Stevie Wonder text book. It wouldn't have sounded out of place on Michael Jackson's Thriller album either. Greg Phillinganes didn't work on this album but this song recalls his work. Given the fact that Vaya was written by Bailey, Nathan East, George Duke and Nan O'Byrne, I'm not surprised that it turned out so brilliant. This was the first song song I heard from Continuation and it made me want to explore the rest of the album. Unfortunately, Bailey never worked with Stevie Wonder, Greg Phillinganes or Michael Jackson, but I imagine the end result would be a song like this. I can't resist melodic R&B songs like this one. Vaya is hands down my favorite track on this album. 

Four Stars ****

The Good Guy's Supposed To Get The Girl

I imagine if Eddie Kendricks or Smokey Robinson tried to imitate a Michael Jackson song this would be the result. It's the jam, no doubt. But with the dance beat and Jerry Hey's horn arrangements, this song sounds like it could be an unreleased track from The Thriller album. That's not a bad thing. I think it's good that Bailey shows confidently that he could compete with younger artists. Songs like this one are miles and miles away from EWF but Bailey excels. Like Vaya, this one had the potential to be a hit.


Four Stars ****

Your Boyfriend's Back!

This song is the funkiest track on the album and a great closer because it leaves you wanting more. It's almost Nile Rodgers funky. Also, you could argue that Boyfriend has a similar sound to The Brothers' Johnson. Like some of the other songs on this album, the song combines rock and electric funk all in one. It's a tough and unapologetic sounding song. 

Four Stars ****


Final Thoughts

When I first heard this album in full, I couldn't believe it wasn't a bigger success. Considering Bailey's four octave vocal range and the melodic grooves throughout the album, you'd think this would have at least done better on the R&B charts. Bailey had more success on his later solo albums but this was a hell of a way to make a solo debut in my opinion. 

It's quite obvious that Bailey and producer George Duke admired the sounds of Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Prince. The influences of those three men are apparent throughout the songs and that's another thing I like about this album. Bailey didn't copy them per se, but he let people know that he wasn't an old head that could only sing lead for EWF. He updated his sound for this album and went in a new direction that people probably didn't expect.  

I'll leave you with what is probably my favorite solo Philip Bailey song of all time. It's a soothing jazz ballad called Waiting For The Rain. It's a very pleasant listening experience. 
My next music review will be on The Dealers, a legendary funk band from Memphis, TN and the subjects of my new book, The Dealers: Then and Now.
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The Howling IV: The Original Nightmare

11/18/2013

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Being a longtime horror fan, one of my favorite all-time horror flicks has to be greatly under-appreciated film, The Howling IV: The Original Nightmare. Well, it's not the original nightmare as the title suggests. It's actually a remake of the 1981 film, The Howling, directed by "Gremlins" Director Joe Dante. That film was based on the book, The Howling, by Gary Brandner. This movie, however, is a closer adaptation to the novel.

As a kid I didn't know what it was about this movie that kept me interested. No matter when it came on TV, I tuned in despite seeing it hundreds of times. The movie went straight to video in 1988 and was panned by nearly every critic known to man. It's a bad film but to me, a very enjoyable one.

The plot is simple enough. A stressed out writer named Marie Adams (Romy Windsor) is having hallucinations and nightmares about a creepy wide-eyed nun and a wolf-like creature. (Random pairing, I know). Under the advice of her doctor, she and her husband Richard retreat to a cottage in the small, isolated town of Drago to clear her mind for a few weeks. The few people in the town are strange. There's the sheriff, who walks and acts as if there's a stick up his ass. Next, there's local store owners Mr. and Mrs. Ormstead. (The latter is a little too proud of her role as the town gossip). There's also Eleanor, (Lamya Derval) a strange but flirty and attractive artist. Early in the film we also meet Marie's agent Tom, whom Marie is having an affair with. (Gasp!!) Naturally, Richard is disapproving of Tom, especially when Marie tried to insist that he sleep over. Apparently Richard isn't into threesomes. 


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As the story progresses, things happen as they do in every movie. I mean, what kind of movie would it be if nothing happened? Highlights include Marie's cute poodle disappearing (later discovered murdered), strange howling in the woods every night, Marie finding a damn paw print on the cottage door, (WTF??) and random ghosts appearing in the house and telling Marie to get the hell out. (Though she never takes the hint). Also, everyone in the town seems to know everything that goes on involving Marie and Richard, especially that damn nosy Mrs. Ormstead!!

A former nun and fan of Marie named Janice (Susanne Severeid) shows up unannounced at the cottage. Apparently the mute nun with huge eyes that Marie had been sexually fantasizing about was actually a fellow nun and friend of Janice. (OK, so Marie wasn't sexually fantasizing about the nun. It's not that kind of movie. LOL!!! But, she was haunted by her. That's the truth). 

The nun, Sister Ruth, disappeared from the convent and was found in Drago by the Sheriff. She was out of her mind and ill, muttering the words, "We're all in fear." Huh, so I guess she could talk. But anyway, Sister Ruth starved herself to death. Janice renounced her Nunship (is that a word?) and went to Drago to find out what happened to her fallen wide-eyed friend. 


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"Have you seen Whoopi Goldberg or the rest of the cast of Sister Act?"
Together, Janice and Marie work together like a clumsy Batman and Robin to get to the bottom of things. In the meantime, a couple hiking in the woods is briefly taken in by Marie and find themselves devoured by a werewolf almost immediately after departing. I find it annoying when movies bring in certain characters just to die. The hikers were the token throwaway characters in this story.

Now, this happens midway through the film and the werewolf that mauls them isn't even shown. Blood and gore is kept to a minimum. What's worse? This werewolf attack happens during broad daylight!  Everyone knows werewolves are nocturnal and controlled by the full moon. So what gives? The filmmakers are breaking serious tradition here. I guess they figured they could get away with it because the howling creatures aren't confirmed to be werewolves just yet in the film. 

Anyway, things keep progressing and eventually the mysteries behind the town, the ghosts, and Sister Ruth are all explained. I don't want to provide too many spoilers but I'll list some of the pros and cons of the film.

Pros

Epic Transformations

In my opinion, this movie has the most memorable werewolf transformation ever filmed. When I think of werewolf transformations this is what pops in my head first. I like it because it's a bit different. Rather than Richard undergoing a painful transformation right before your eyes, his skin literally melts off, his bones break, and he sinks into the ground as the town werewolves emerge from the shadows and chant  "Satan Calls You!"  His bones change shape down in the puddle created by his melted skin and he reforms as a bloodthirsty werewolf. I liked Makeup Artist Rick Baker's work in An American Werewolf In London and Michael Jackson's Thriller, but the werewolf transformation here will still be fresh in your mind after the closing credits because nothing like it was ever done at that time. It may not be the best werewolf transformation but it's my favorite.I don't see how this scene was not considered epic at the time. Check it out for yourself.

Cheesy 1980s' Music

I was born in the 1980s, so naturally I have an appreciation for the music of that era. The music you hear in this movie is pure '80s. It's full of blaring synthesizers, rock guitars and programmed drum kits. In fact, some of the songs on the soundtrack sound like they could be rejects from Prince's Purple Rain album. (Review coming. Don't worry). The film's theme song is Something Evil, Something Dangerous composed and performed by Justin Haywood, lead singer of The Moody Blues. Come on. Don't tell me you're not feelin' this track.

Pure Horror.....Kinda

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Too many movies nowadays combine comedy and horror. Jennifer's Body was a perfect example of that. It had the potential to be a chilling film but the constant jokes drowned out any chance of it being scary. The Howling 4 doesn't have any jokes. It attempts to take you for a ride and terrify you. It would succeed but there are things I'll mention later that distract you from suffering any real fright.

In the end the film is unintentionally funny but it tried to be horror. That's something I appreciate. It's OK to combine horror and comedy sometimes but today it has become a trend and true horror is increasingly becoming a lost art. 


Cons

Cheesy, Dimwitted, Idiot Characters

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My cons aren't really cons per se, but minor annoyances that take away from the horror in the story. To put it bluntly, the characters are downright silly by today's standards. Look at Richard, the male lead. Richard tries to be a tough guy, but he has horrible '80s hair. Combine that with his dry, monotone voice and tight blue jeans, and you have a non-charismatic clown. For my female readers out there, is this the kind of guy you'd want protecting you in a dark alley, let alone a cottage surrounded by bloodthirsty werewolves? No wonder Marie was having an affair with Tom, who had much more personality and came across more realistic. Makes me wonder why she married that dud Richard in the first place? 

I'm not finished ranting on Richard yet. Throughout the whole film, he has this murderous stare in his eyes. (Yes, the same stare he has in the picture above). He's so wooden and quiet. Every time I watch the movie I expect him to suddenly stab Marie to death yelling, "Die you stupid, stupid bitch!" But it never happens. 

Marie is likable but not the brightest crayon in the box. When a stranger appears on her doorstep saying she's a fan, Marie invites her in for coffee without hesitation! Fans can be creepy and dangerous. Did Marie not learn anything from the tragic death of John Lennon? (sighs) The two lead characters have their misgivings, but the whispery townspeople do have a reserved creepiness about them. They are clearly withholding information from Marie. Are they murderers? Werewolves? Ghosts? Vampires? The suspense works and is a big part of the pacing, which I'll get to now.

Pacing

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Many fans and reviewers said the movie dragged and I can see why they say that. The first werewolf attack happens midway through and we don't even see the wolves that much until the climax at the end. But I enjoy the ride.There's a lot of suspense and the characters are (unintentionally) very amusing, so it's a fun journey to see Marie getting freaked out by random ghosts and watching Richard's character get more and more robotic by the minute. The clueless characters, backed by the synthy 80s' music make the movie very enjoyable. And when we do see the werewolf transformations it is a nice payoff, though some of the werewolves look like normal wolves with glowing red eyes. I assume that this is when the filmmakers ran out of money. But some of the wolves, like wolfie here on the right, looked pretty vicious.

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"I'll ask you AGAIN. Have you seen Whoopi Goldberg and the cast of Sister Act? I believe I'm in the wrong movie. Thank you."

Final Thoughts

This movie is far from great but I can see what they were trying to accomplish. You could say it falls into the "So Bad It's Good" category. If you're running short on late night comedies to watch, this one would make a great substitute. I'd rate it 6 out of 10 because it's always entertaining to watch.
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    Award-Winning Journalist A.J. Dugger III

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    A.J. Dugger is an Award-Winning Television and Print & Media Journalist.

    He appears as a crime analyst on the TV-One crime series, For My Man, and is the author of four books: Black Journals,  the horror anthology SoUtHeRn TeRrOr, the mystery crime thriller Who KILLED Joel Larson? and The Dealers: Then and Now, the sensational story of his mother and uncles' career as a funk band.

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