Kim Morgan (not) on DVD, Cheap Trick, Kong and GTO

A little behind on my DVD duties but I have an excuse. The holidays. Right? Anyway, I'm skipping DVD releases (as of now, I'll get to them later) and going straight to Three Obsessions:

1. "Downed" by Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is a lifelong obsession. On certain days I consider them the greatest rock band of all time. The perfect combination of catchy pop riffs, full on from-the-groin RAWK and intelligence (and not just because the other two guys in the band are “nerds”—they're cool nerds, not massive dorks), I never tire of them. As of now, I can’t stop listening to “Downed” from the brilliant album “In Color.” It’s such a curiously sad yet wonderfully fuck-it-all song that, of late it makes my head spin. If you’re going through anything, if you feel a little crazy it’s cathartic beyond reason. This just runs through my brain: “Downed, downed out of my head...I’m going to live in a mountain way down under in Australia. It's either that or suicide. It's such a strange strain on you. Oooh, I got a mind." And I love it when he sings, "You're think you're Jesus Christ." It's good most bar jukeboxes aren't hep enough to contain this song because if I get drunk tonight I have no idea what I'd be capable of. Either I'd get in a fight or pack up my car and move out of this city ("So long! So long! Sayonara!"). If a song makes you feel happy and crazy all at once that's an awesome thing. I don't ever want to have kids but--if Robin Zander demanded I bear his child I would. Shit, I'd have a baby with Bun E. Carlos.

2. King Kong Or rather, defending the movie. Jesus Christ people get off my back! If it’s not nearly every single one of my friends (not you Jimmy or F.X. thank you guys), it’s my goddamn sister too! What am I supposed to do? Lie? Say I was totally bored and hated the movie? I was thoroughly entertained. This only brings up that funny predicament when you’re “busted” for liking something outside your "peer" group. Friends usually trust your taste but when you suddenly go against, they look at you differently. Like you cheated on them. And not understandable cheating. For instance, most critics/friends didn't love Lords of Dogtown, but those who know me understand that I’m easily seduced by a movie featuring ‘70s skater kids, a scraggly Val Kilmer-esque Heath Ledger and scenes where boys jump into a car singing “Now you’re messing with a Son of a bitch!” Not to mention the Black Sabbath, T-Rex and Stooges peppering the soundtrack. They know I’ll lie down like a whore when Heath waxes a surfboard and starts singing “Maggie May.” But King Kong? It’s like I slept with the hugest, most obnoxious movie nerd on the planet. Like I woke up with Harry Knowles. Or to make it grosser and more soulless, Harry Knowles crossed with Michael Bay. But what can I say? OK, OK, I’ll admit it; I have a *cocaine problem. Rehab's been tough. I relapsed and well, that ape was just there--for three hours. By the way, I'm joking about the cocaine  (please read below). And I don't really care who knows that I like Kong (please read top ten list).

3. 1967 Pontiac GTO I’ve seen a black one in my neighborhood and the car is so goddamned beautiful it fills me with desirous pain. *I still don’t know who owns it (Xander Cage?) but, whoever he/she is (God it would be so awesome if a chick was driving that car) I want to become their best friend. Maybe they’re an alcoholic. Designated driver please?

*Note: To those who emailed confused/concerned about my cocaine joke, let me clear this up. I don't have a cocaine problem! I don't even like cocaine. The stuff makes me have anxiety attacks. I hate having to write this because now I sound like a liar. Like, I don't kill kittens! Jesus people! What's wrong with you? Why would you think I bagged a cat and threw it out my car window on the freeway? I never did that! I just said I liked King Kong!

*Note: Update on who owns the GTO. Some middle aged, rich asshole who probably listens to Velvet Revolver and U2 (when he's feeling "sensitive"). Sorry, rich people don't deserve muscle cars. Only the gear headed and the poor. And Warren Oates--no matter how little he knows about cars in "Two Lane Blacktop." 

Comments

[jane doe]

God I love this post. It's an epinephrine cappuccino, and the last shots are dizzying.

[Jack lane]

1) if Cheap Trick is your idea of hep then you are not hep..its the same tunes those rich assholes in muscle cars you whine about listen to

[Ted]

You (above) are so very wrong about Cheap Trick. They fucking rock. Kim's just admitting to what she likes--which is cooler than yammering on about something like Elvis Costello. Yawn. Oh wait, you probably think Green Day invented punk rock.

And rich dudes in muscle cars think Social Distortion is "edgy." Yuck.

Go listen to you Blink 182, guy.

[trayce]

hey blow me. I am not one of those rich assholes kim talks about. (but I do drive a 68 super bee you fuck-hole subaru driving pansy.) if cheap trick were chuck norris they would deliver a roundhouse kick to your head and it would explode in a slurry of faggy twee music and low carb spritzer.

[sharon]

Oh my g-d! yes yes yes!
I saw a rare '68 for sale on craigslist recently and I instantly orgasmed and rushed to look at my bank account.
http://portland.craigslist.org/car/124459634.html
They are so THE HOT.

[sharon]

Which is not to say I equate the pontiac the with mustang...I personally prefer the mustang. Just that I recognize they are both in the true muscle car family, and muscle is wonderful. I personally think the mustang is hotter; the mustang has that quintessential raw classic look. But that pontiac looks nice too....wasn't it one of the getaway cars in The Killers? It somehow reminds me of Ronald Reagan. So, yes, the Pontiac too is THE HOT.

[Kevin Foley]

King Kong was great; you should get new friends.

'nuff said.

[Reno Sepulveda]

My first road trip, we drove down from Fresno to Hollywood. 17 years old, rubbernecking our way down Sunset to the biggest record store I'd ever seen. Tower Records of course.

We were just hanging out in the store when a flatbed tractor trailer rig pulls into the parking lot with a band all set up and ready to go on it. It's Cheap Trick.

We'd never heard of them except for all the In Color posters plastered up and down the strip. Long story short, they killed. One of the best concerts I've ever seen.