Pretty Much: the Podcast

1997 and the end of the Sofa story.  At least, as told by one member.  I don’t even trust him to get it right. https://ia801507.us.archive.org/12/items/PM069IfItsGoingToRainThenLetItRainForDays/PM%20069%20If%20It's%20Going%20To%20Rain%20Then%20Let%20It%20Rain%20For%20Days.m4a      

1996 was Sofa’s year in the wilderness: getting the bigger shows, gearing up to record another album, and trying to find some kind of balance… https://ia601508.us.archive.org/25/items/PM068SourceCrossfire/PM%20068%20Source%20Crossfire.m4a          

1995 was pivotal for Sofa: two albums recorded and released, a host of shows played in the hometown, and the introduction to a new friend. (No. 3 in a series!) https://ia601505.us.archive.org/34/items/PM067SoAround/PM%20067%20So%20Around.m4a

  (No. 2 in a Series! Collect ’em All!)  In 1994 Sofa released their first album, suffered burglary, media indifference, and generally got darker and weirder. https://ia801507.us.archive.org/35/items/PrettyMuch066SomethingsOnYourSide/Pretty%20Much%20066%20Something's%20On%20Your%20Side.m4a

AT LAST IT CAN BE TOLD!  The story NO ONE wanted (you) to hear! This is the chilling tale of four young men in a depressed and wild city, churning out the soundtrack to a thousand lonely nights.  This is an epic calculated to drive you mad with missed opportunity and self-deprecation.  This is Sofa. … Continue reading Pretty Much 065: No Wonder

1978.  At some point one must question the viability of what keeps one alive. https://ia601506.us.archive.org/8/items/PrettyMuch064SkylabIsFalling/Pretty%20Much%20064%20Skylab%20is%20Falling.m4a

Coming to the halfway point of the 80s it was starting to look like the decade might have to be a write off for the kid looking for band to champion.  Until he happened on a video that one day… https://ia801507.us.archive.org/2/items/PrettyMuch063NovemberGurls/PM%20063%20November%20Gurls.m4a  

Hmm. Time to settle in and watch this Stranger Things show I’ve been hearing so much about. Dum de dum…so far so good – wait. No. They did WHAT? Prepare, I suppose, to be significantly less outraged than I was. https://ia801507.us.archive.org/33/items/PrettyMuch062PrettierThings/Pretty%20Much%20062%20Prettier%20Things.m4a

A late night bike ride through a small Ontario town calls to mind the moment long ago when the Boss really earned his title. https://ia801505.us.archive.org/26/items/PrettyMuch061AScaredAndLonelyRider/Pretty%20Much%20061%20A%20Scared%20and%20Lonely%20Rider.m4a  

A watched pot never boils. And the person you expect to see around every corner never appears.  Until you quit looking for them, of course. https://ia801508.us.archive.org/28/items/PM060...AfterAllTheseYears/PM%20060%20...After%20All%20These%20Years.mp3  

The self-medicating Silver Fox of CTOX is back and musing on great men, past loves, and defunct basement bands. https://ia601504.us.archive.org/21/items/PM059TheUncalledForReturnOfChetManogian/PM%20059%20The%20Uncalled-for%20Return%20of%20Chet%20Manogian.m4a

In the deep shadow of years of heartbreak and abuse, we find proof of a man who cared and tried and failed. He wasn’t even the only one. But this time we tip our hat to Peter Henderson Bryce. https://ia601505.us.archive.org/32/items/PM058TheStoryOfANationalCrime/PM%20058%20The%20Story%20of%20a%20National%20Crime.m4v  

From just the other side of history’s latest dividing line, a message. https://ia601501.us.archive.org/30/items/PM057ThePostcard/PM%20057%20The%20Postcard.m4a

Let the pigeons loose! Clark & Huey return with a Turning Tables episode devoted to the songwriting of Mr. Phil Collins! https://ia601504.us.archive.org/35/items/PM056PhilCollinsAndAll/PM%20056%20Phil%20Collins%20and%20All.m4a

Sometimes “getting the band back together” means exactly that. https://ia601500.us.archive.org/25/items/PM055HardTimesAndHardRocks/PM%20055%20Hard%20Times%20and%20Hard%20Rocks.m4a

Oh, like you’ve never listened in on the conversations of others. https://ia601506.us.archive.org/19/items/PM054TheListener_201508/PM%20054%20The%20Listener.m4a

Quickly now: Saga or Loverboy? Blondes or brunettes? Bugs Bunny or Charlie Brown? It’s 1984 and the stakes HAVE NEVER BEEN HIGHER. https://ia601503.us.archive.org/23/items/PM053ThatWereTheGoodOlTimesAsYouCouldSayPart2/PM%20053%20That%20Were%20the%20Good%20Ol%27%20Times%20%28As%20You%20Could%20Say%29%20Part%202.m4a

In 1980 two 13-year olds half a world apart settle on some basic technology to keep in touch. https://ia601501.us.archive.org/3/items/PM052ThatWereTheGoodOlTimesAsYouCouldSayPart1/PM%20052%20That%20Were%20the%20Good%20Ol%27%20Times%20%28As%20You%20Could%20Say%29%20Part%201.m4a

Just what did a pulp detective send-up on the AM radio waves in the early ’80’s mean to one goofy kid? https://ia801500.us.archive.org/4/items/PM051JohnLockePrivateEye/PM%20051%20John%20Locke,%20Private%20Eye.m4a

A missing pooch becomes a big deal as we commemorate fifty episodes of Pretty Much: the Podcast! https://ia601500.us.archive.org/1/items/PM050FiftyNamesICallMyDog/PM%20050%20Fifty%20Names%20I%20Call%20My%20Dog.m4a

19 years ago, there were spookier things to worry about than ghosts and vampires and witches. https://ia601502.us.archive.org/21/items/PM049TheRothOversensitivity/PM%20049%20The%20Roth%20Oversensitivity.m4a

I hear my “insolent streak has its limits when up against global social culture.” The proof came in this week when I was nominated for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Also: where are the songs for Lou Gehrig? https://ia601505.us.archive.org/3/items/PM048SomeKindaJerk/PM%20048%20Some%20Kinda%20Jerk.m4a

I hear my “insolent streak has its limits when up against global social culture.” The proof came in this week when I was nominated for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Also: where are the songs for Lou Gehrig? https://ia601503.us.archive.org/28/items/PM048SomeKindaJerkMobile/PM%20048%20Some%20Kinda%20Jerk%20mobile.m4v

Before Will Smith in The Wild Wild West, before Cleavon Little in Blazing Saddles, there was Herb Jeffries (aka Herb Jeffrey, aka Umberto Valentino) in Harlem Rides the Range, Harlem on the Prairie, and The Bronze Buckaroo: America’s first black singing cowboy! …PS: Maybe he wasn’t black. https://ia601500.us.archive.org/35/items/PM047TheBronzeBuckaroo/PM%20047%20The%20Bronze%20Buckaroo.m4a

Lucky me. Young enough to enjoy the fruits of the latest and greatest Golden Age of Television, but old enough to have experienced firsthand the Golden Age of the TV Theme Song. Ah, the burnish! The melancholy! https://ia601501.us.archive.org/4/items/PM046ThemeForToday/PM%20046%20Theme%20for%20Today.m4a

Clark and Huey are treading water in this week’s Turning Tables, and of course discussion turns to just how funny does Eric Clapton think he is? https://ia601503.us.archive.org/15/items/PM045ConsequencesOfSunshineOverAntarctica/PM%20045%20Consequences%20of%20Sunshine%20Over%20Antarctica.m4a

(What used to be) Canada’s Finest All-Male Hotel is undone by yet another fire, and this time there is no coming back. https://ia601503.us.archive.org/12/items/PM044PeoniesOnMackayStreet/PM%20044%20Peonies%20on%20Mackay%20Street.m4a

Advice for all you kids obsessed with going to space: keep an eye on the protractor. https://ia601506.us.archive.org/32/items/PM043TheAstronautsLongWalk/PM%20043%20The%20Astronaut%27s%20Long%20Walk.m4a

It may be a sign that winter is getting to you when you start talking to it. Making deals. Telling stories to hasten its departure. https://ia601501.us.archive.org/13/items/PM042AWindyTale/PM%20042%20A%20Windy%20Tale.m4a

Absolute pros, those Ray Conniff Singers. But they would have their mettle tested one night in the White House in ’72 when they had to deal with a substitute singer. And then face off with the greatest pro of all: Richard Nixon. https://ia601503.us.archive.org/11/items/PM041TheOobieDoobieGirl/PM%20041%20The%20Oobie%20Doobie%20Girl.m4a

Clark and Huey return to Pretty Much with a trivia contest that gets personal and turns ugly. https://ia601505.us.archive.org/35/items/PM040TurnTurnTurning/PM%20040%20Turn%20Turn%20Turning.m4a

Turns out the old guy with the Gene Kelly twinkle in his eye actually cut a helluva figure in a sailor suit. And may have been the only person I knew who could tell you what a tangle with a Nazi sub can cost you. https://ia601506.us.archive.org/30/items/PM039HMSNabob/PM%20039%20HMS%20Nabob.m4a

It isn’t what you think. A wedding weekend visit to a model railroad museum initiates thoughts of flight and what it means to be small in the world. https://ia801501.us.archive.org/28/items/PM038TheEscapeArtist/PM%20038%20The%20Escape%20Artist.m4a

Every good boy knows writing a letter home now and then is the key to getting good mail. https://ia601509.us.archive.org/16/items/PM037AHollerInTheQuagmire/PM%20037%20A%20Holler%20in%20the%20Quagmire.m4a

Your host skirts the edges of arithmomania and allows one thing to lead to…thirty-six things. And yes, apologies to Steve Nash. https://ia601506.us.archive.org/14/items/PM03636On36/PM%20036%2036%20on%2036.m4a

For some of us, 9/11 began with the phrase, “believe it or not…” It was a nice thought, that we ever had a choice. https://ia601504.us.archive.org/31/items/PM035FiveSensesof911/PM%20035%20Five%20Senses%20%28of%209:11%29.m4a

Unca Walt tells you how he had to come up with a new creation, and in a hurry. But as successful as the Mouse was, Walt would have to make a decision about character… https://ia601504.us.archive.org/27/items/PM034Loyalty/PM%20034%20Loyalty.m4a

It isn’t grave robbing if you say “yoink.” https://ia601500.us.archive.org/25/items/PM033TheAnnotatedGraveyard/PM%20033%20The%20Annotated%20Graveyard.m4a

Clark and Huey take us to the School of Rock once again. But are puny mortals qualified to lecture on the majesty of John Bonham? https://ia601503.us.archive.org/4/items/PM032GonzoForBonzo/PM%20032%20Gonzo%20for%20Bonzo.m4a

On the downside: 55 million people had no power. On the upside: 3 men had some dynamite vodka & tonics as they sat on a stoop in the Village and laughed their asses off. https://ia601507.us.archive.org/21/items/PM031LightsOut/PM%20031%20Lights%20Out.m4a

Drowning, it seems, doesn’t look like drowning. https://ia601500.us.archive.org/32/items/PM030InCommon/PM%20030%20In%20Common.m4a

Rain in eastern Ontario. On what else falls from the sky. And who notices. https://ia601509.us.archive.org/2/items/PM029Providence/PM%20029%20Providence.m4a

Clark tries to salvage the latest Turning Tables podcast. Huey has a beef with a certain blue-eyed soul master. https://ia601508.us.archive.org/6/items/PM028SympathyForTheDoobieBrothers/PM%20028%20Sympathy%20for%20the%20Doobie%20Brothers.m4a

Wrapping up the story of my night on the streets of Montreal in December ’86, you may well be looking forward to a moment of enlightenment and redemption, at last. What are you, kidding me? https://ia601504.us.archive.org/8/items/PM027TooStupidPart2/PM%20027%20Too%20Stupid%20Part%202.m4a

One worries about having the content to fill one’s weekly podcast, you know. Turns out we are not even close to running out of stories that display one’s own idiocy. By a long shot. https://ia601509.us.archive.org/35/items/PM026TooStupidPart1/PM%20026%20Too%20Stupid%20Part%201.m4a

That’s right. Birds are chirping. Bands are playing in the park. It’s summer in Canada, and that means two birthday parties in one week for us and our pals down south. (Plus, thoughts of mortality, separation anxiety, and historical impotence. It IS still Pretty Much.) https://ia601504.us.archive.org/34/items/PM025SummerBirthdays/PM%20025%20Summer%20Birthdays.m4a

Ah, the boys of summer. The floorboy steps in it once more. https://ia601506.us.archive.org/4/items/PM024Speedo/PM%20024%20Speedo.m4a

Clark and Huey have been pals since they started riding the school bus together in 1983. One thing leads to another, and that leads to their own podcast, Turning Tables. Turns out metal-loving Huey is an Ink Spots aficionado. Who knew? https://ia601502.us.archive.org/24/items/PM023TurningTables_201507/PM%20023%20Turning%20Tables.m4a

Drinks poured. Questions answered. Traps sprung. If it’s 1988 it must be time for the late night fox of CTOX: Chet Manogian. https://ia601500.us.archive.org/13/items/PM022TheTardyManifestoOfChetManogian_201507/PM%20022%20The%20Tardy%20Manifesto%20of%20Chet%20Manogian.m4a

Oh, the things we hang on to. Like voice messages. Not recordings – hand-written transcriptions. 1995 wasn’t that long ago. Was it? https://ia601504.us.archive.org/9/items/PM021NineMessages_201507/PM%20021%20Nine%20Messages.m4a