Join Melinda and Aaron as they descend into the somewhat cringey fever dream that is 1980’s Xanadu. Where roller skating, disco, and big Hollywood musicals crash head-on into Greek mythology and romance, you’ll find… Xanadu.
49 - 50/50: Covers and Space
Melinda and Aaron have fought through the COVID-19 malaise and are each back with a surprise topic. Melinda delves into what makes a great cover song, with a handful of interesting examples, while Aaron recalls our hopeful visions of space travel from the 80s.
Covers
Space Travel
22 - 50/50: Burning Inside: Chernobyl & The PMRC
Aaron & Melinda each pick a news event from the 80s and discuss. On the table for discussion: a nuclear disaster and proposed music censorship. Don't you miss the 80s?
Chernobyl's Elephant's Foot
6:48 - Aaron - Chernobyl - April of 1986 saw a catastrophic nuclear disaster in Ukraine, then part of the USSR. Aaron gives us more information on what actually happened and some notable facts you may not have heard about.
26:46 – Melinda - PMRC Senate Hearings - occurring on September 19, 1985, these hearings sought to begin labeling music based on lyrical content for the alleged purpose of allowing parents to control their kids' music. Melinda tells us how that went.
Dee Snider, giving our buddy Al Gore what for.
The 85 PMRC Avengers - John Denver, Dee Snider, and Frank Zappa
Suggested Reading
Elephant’s Foot – article here: http://nautil.us/blog/chernobyls-hot-mess-the-elephants-foot-is-still-lethal
Seclusion Zone - http://mentalfloss.com/article/78779/12-facts-about-chernobyls-exclusion-zone-30-years-after-disaster
Documentary about the people who returned to live in their villages inside the seclusion zone: http://thebabushkasofchernobyl.com//
Top Gear Episode “Ukraine Road Trip” http://topgear.wikia.com/wiki/Ukraine_Road_Trip
Lovely photographs of other abandoned places: https://blazepress.com/2014/07/38-haunted-abandoned-places-earth/
Russian Radar Array outside of Chernobyl/ Russian Woodpecker: http://www.newsweek.com/hunt-russian-woodpecker-246670
Where are they now? https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/pmrcs-filthy-15-where-are-they-now-20150917
The PMRC Hearing (Full) - Tipper Gore VS. Explicit Content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d65BxvSNa2o
15 - The Decline Of Western Civilization Part 2: The Metal Years
Melinda got the blu-ray box set of the Decline of Western Civilization movies, so we thought this would be a great opportunity to talk about Metal!! Not that there is all that much real metal in this 1988 documentary by Penelope Spheeris... but nonetheless we give it a go. Aaron watches the film for the first time and Melinda revisits it with the director's commentary. Contemplating buying the set? You'll wanna hear our review.
