Vinyl Resurrection

   I might as well face it; often times pop culture can be as fickle as hell. One day out of the blue you hear about some new trend whether it's clothing, music, a new word, etc. and sometimes you think to yourself either “that's cool” or “that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.” Maybe you're one of those people who really don't care; I like to cover all my bases as you can plainly tell. But for one reason or another, this trend will catch on and become so popular that it unceremoniously pushes itself into your life somehow, someway no matter how ridiculous it may seem. I've never watched one episode of American Idol but thanks to constant updates by AOL news l knew about Reuben Studdard coming in second to Clay Aiken. I think I just felt a cold shiver go up my spine.

    Trends come and go in pop culture, but somehow, someway some of them actually manage to make resurgence later down the line after it was supposed to be dead and buried. A group like Aerosmith gets big in 70s, practically grounds to halt through most of the 80s, and suddenly they get big again. Who but the most die-hard fan would have seen that one coming?

    Technology is very much like that, in just over 100 years we went from records made from acetate and vinyl to cds to downloadable music files. Each new piece of technology has made the previous one obsolete, but something very rare has happened in the last few years. Out of the examples I made just now when it comes to listening to music, one of these formats is making something of a comeback.

     This is where pop culture and technology meet as in the last few years since the advent of downloads; records seem to be having a sort of revival that's usually reserved for actors getting that big movie when a few years ago they would've called it a day. I'm looking at you John Travolta. When you walk through stores like Best Buy, Target, and Borders (when it was still around) there are a lot of things you'd expect to see, vinyl records probably weren't one of them.

    To say that records went extinct at that moment, but one does have to ask “how did this happen?” Aside from downloads, there are a few reasons why this happened:

                   1.   The collectors market: if there are people who go out and collect comic books,

old movie posters, etc. there has to be a group out there that collects records. These folks are the die-hard fans of the medium who regardless of whether the embraced the new technology or not, they refused to let go of those wax stacks. The reasons vary, whether it was nostalgia, whether it was preference to the lo-fi, warm sounds, the cover art, etc. this group was one of a hand full that kept records from being sent to the grave.

       2.  Indie and Underground bands: I remember when Hot Topic was still cool (shut up) you could get clothing, jewelry and, shock of shocks…..music from bands that may not get sold at your normal music stores. I remember going to a Hot Topic around 2002 and while I did have some records that I had inherited from hadn’t actually bought one myself. Until I bought NOFX’s “The Decline”, an 18 minute single on 7 inch vinyl. NOFX was never one of my favorite bands but I did enjoy putting that record on and jumping around in my room to it. 

                  It was bands like NOFX and many others in the underground and indie scenes that kept the record alive mainly due to the fact that it was cheaper to record vinyl.

             3.  DJs Keep them dancing: DJs in the hip hop scene were another group that kept the record alive mainly because of how much easier it was to use those than the new technology. There were specialized cd players and rigs that allowed DJs to mix, cut, scratch, etc. like they would on vinyl. However, a major complaint was a lack of feel  that was the majority of DJs preferred over the new tech. So many DJs decided to keep their records for another day.

         

        I’m sure there were plenty of other groups who could claim to be a part of this, but in my research these are the groups majorly responsible for keeping it alive. And once downloads came and cds became obsolete it made it possible for records to come back, and become an acceptable and somewhat profitable trend once again. Maybe “Vinyl Resurrection” is a bit of a misnomer since they never really left, but I’m glad they’re still around and giving us something nice to listen to.

Superman: Secret Origin 5

There’s an aspect of the retelling of stories like the Origin of Superman that I’m not particularly into, that being the retconning of a character into having some history with the main character prior to meeting in their first superhero/supervillan battle. There are instances however where this can enrich a character, Lex Luthor was basically a run of the mill mad scientist before he was made the childhood friend/acquaintance of Clark Kent in the pages of Superboy. Then there are moments like last issue of Secret Origin where a character like the Parasite has given a background where he worked at the Daily Planet building for ………… no particular reason other than story convenience. He could have been a random guy off the street and one could have established pretty quickly that he was a shifty character, and it would’ve had the same results.  

     This issue makes this same style of retcon with another classic Superman villain, John Corben aka Metallo. I feel that rewriting this character the way they did was once again unnecessary. They could’ve used one page from last issue to show him in action and have him make some comments in the process establishing what a scumbag he really is. Instead they went with…….well, let’s launch into Superman: Secret Origin issue 5 and you’ll see.

Issue Five: Strange Visitor

   

     We open with a fire raging at one of the Daily Planet’s distribution centers; Superman arrives to save the people inside. The crowd outside watching the blaze is still questioning the Man of Steel’s motives thanks to a few words from Lex Luthor. Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen soon get to the scene to take pictures and it takes the trio a ut not all is wine and roses in Costa de Lex as the other media outlets have been gradually been jumping on the “Superman is Awesome” bandwagon, and predictably Lex has a hissy fit about someone taking the spotlight away from him. 

    However he’s still convinced the right person in the right places that Big Blue is a threat as we find that he’s been discussing all this with General Sam Lane, who’s more than willing to help Luthor ground Supes in exchange for some new weaponry. And in spite of the fact that the General admitted that he hasn’t been in his daughter’s life for a long time due to disinterest, he still gets a bit chaffed when Lexie insinuates that the relationship between Lois and Superman may be more than just a reporter and her story. He also uses the word “unnatural” to describe the relationship due to Supes’ alien origin.

   This discussion between Lex and General Lane is interesting to me because Superman has for a long time been looked upon as an immigrant’s story. A person coming from another land to the new world looking to prosper from their hard work and dreams and one of the biggest obstacles to prospering in the new world are the attitudes of those in a higher position who look down on those they see as “unworthy”.  Obviously the language used by that side to describe immigrants from anywhere was much stronger but I don’t feel like dignifying such ideas.

    I will say this: if this attitude was taken by those in “polite society” it wouldn’t be hard to imagine that the attitude General Lane takes to the possibility of a romance between Lois and Superman would be the same as anyone with those views would have if they were told their child was getting cozy with one of those they saw as inferior to them. 

Just think of the dumbest thing you could possibly say

   Taking a quick break from the xenophobia, we arrive at the Daily Planet where we find the paper is coming back from the stone age thanks to their coverage of Superman, apparently he’s getting popular enough to warrant a piece in the gossip columns as “Metropolis’ Most Eligible Bachelor.” Stop the presses. Enter Sgt. John Corben, who has come expecting to be greeted by Lois with open arms and finds the flowers he sent in the trash. Corben shows just what a peach he is by telling Lois that she can’t change the world as a reporter and should just become a housewife and start a family with him just like her father would want. Lois tries to brush off that winning proposal but Corben gets physical and demanding that she doesn’t ignore him.

    Clark comes in and interrupts things; Corben then tries the old “firm handshake” which anyone who was ever on the wrong end of it means squeezing the other guys hand in an attempt to show dominance. Clark doesn’t even notice this attempt at alpha male dumbassery and Corben walks away perplexed while Clark and Lois walk away to have lunch. Back at Lexcorp, Luthor and General Lane discuss using the Metallo suit as a deterrent against the Man of Steel, but using the extra ingredient of Kryptonite to not only power the suit but to hurt him as well.

Do you feel something?

     At lunch, Lois describes her childhood with the General and the reasons why he never received his father of the year mug. Clark actually has some soothing words for her, which sets of her “not what he seems” alarm. As Clark is quickly searches for a rebuttal he sees another fire burning and reverts to milquetoast mode and spills his lunch all over the place to get out, leaving Lois to pick up the check and the thought of “what was I thinking”. We find as Superman arrives that the fire was deliberately set by General Lane to attract him and bring him in for a “briefing” that makes it sound like Lane is treating him like an illegal alien.

     When Big Blue decides he’s had enough he goes to leave as General Lane threatens that if he walks out the door that Superman will become an enemy of the United States. Supes replies that he’s no one’s enemy and makes his way out as he gets confronted by troops that the Man of Steel easily sends packing. Corben then makes his appearance in the Metallo suit which works for all of about three seconds.

     Things take a turn when Corben unleashes the Kryptonite and it has an immediate effect on Supes, making him vulnerable to the assault.  The troops then open fire and the bullet actually impact and wound the Man of Steel, but in what has to be at least in the top three of most contrived ways to save yourself a bullet ricochets off of Superman’s forehead and shatters the Kryptonite causing the Metallo suit to explode with Corben in it. Superman gets away and the military begins to hunt him down which includes an invasion of the Daily Planet by General Lane himself to take any information relevant to Superman while the Man of Steel is forced underground.

   Next time we will get to the final issue of Secret Origin, yes we are almost there…..and I will eventually get to the Transformers review that I promised so keep your eye out. Cheers to all.