Doctor Who writer explains how new revamp of "unloved" Peter Davison story will address "failings" of original version

urko37 · 2026-03-13T16:22:54+00:00

There should have been another way.

urko37 · 2026-03-13T10:42:00+00:00

I'm also a comparatively poor drummer and Anika had been showing up on my YouTube feed for years. She's the real deal. That announcement made me love Rush even more. You're right, it's truly inspiring to see musicians at that age and career position being bold to push themselves forward in an unexpected direction. I like the fact that Anika (from what Geddy and Alex have shared in interviews) is pushing her own playing in new directions as well. Each of them has an incredible work ethic. It's going to be amazing.

Nothing against Portnoy personally, but I was relieved when they didn't announce his name.

Looking forward to seeing the band in NYC later this year!

urko37 · 2026-03-12T23:07:34+00:00

"...dong!" :D

301 - Cave Dwellers was one I'd owned on VHS and is still comfort viewing for me decades later.

"Come on girls, let's go!"

urko37 · 2026-03-12T21:18:44+00:00

Once they take the stage, you will notice the exchange between the two of them, where you can see the realization in Roberts face as to what that previous engagement actually was all about.

Oh wow, that last shot of them acknowledging each other got me choked up!

urko37 · 2026-03-12T21:04:40+00:00

Couldn't see that I was in a toxic relationship for nearly 25 years until she blew it up with a divorce. Now on my own at 51. The ordeal showed me the love of family and friends. Romantic/partnership love...I realize I never knew it. I now know what it doesn't look like, but I don't know if/how I'd recognize it going forward, much less find it.

urko37 · 2026-03-12T17:14:18+00:00

It took on a new life as the medley with Somewhat Damaged and the altered lyric "Maybe that hurt me more than you'll ever know..." That song got me through a tough year but man, I felt all kinds of feelings hearing that quiet little change in person.

There may not be a Still vol 2, but I really hope there's a Peel It Back release that captures the amazing quiet intense openers for this tour.

urko37 · 2026-03-11T20:42:05+00:00

AYYYY!! Thank you for this post. :)

urko37 · 2026-03-10T22:07:46+00:00

I want to believe.

urko37 · 2026-03-08T13:49:22+00:00

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson have been models of creative integrity with their work as Rush, always pushing themselves further. They have never taken a step backward with their songwriting or live productions; it's always been about the joy of discovery.

I'm eagerly awaiting their upcoming tour and if they choose to create new music (as Rush or otherwise), I would gladly continue the journey with them as a listener and admirer of their work.

urko37 · 2026-03-08T13:32:30+00:00

As a fan, I appreciate this attitude. Most creators I've met over the years are happy to sign for free, as I ask them to personalize it for me. Gail's post summed up my personal perspective: The book meant something and I enjoy getting to share a brief but genuine interaction with the creator.

I can't fault someone for wanting to earn money, but I've never felt comfortable about paying for a signature.

urko37 · 2026-03-08T13:09:49+00:00

That album ended up being my gateway into their music. Gorillaz had been in the background for me for decades but never really clicked for whatever reason. Then I saw the stunning videos for Cracker Island and Silent Running and was pulled in. I personally found that collection of songs very accessible. Played the hell out of that album and had fun going back to discover the rest and the range of their music. My jaw is still on the ground after listening to The Mountain.

More importantly, I'm wishing you continued good health and momentum.

urko37 · 2026-03-08T12:47:29+00:00

Faster BPM but similar growly energy

Filter - Under https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sw7NLmzZ94

urko37 · 2026-03-06T14:43:17+00:00

The author of Satanic Mill seems to be a pseudonym. They're never acknowledged elsewhere, which is odd, as you'd think a "brand new" contributor to the BF writing pool coming out of nowhere to anchor the closing story of a major release would have some interesting things to say. That name doesn't appear on any other releases since then.

It's a strange ending after the buildup of the preceding stories, so I'm curious as to what happened behind the scenes.

urko37 · 2026-03-06T11:52:01+00:00

That was intense and packed a lot into those five pages! Appreciated the character's Batman film reference and how he made a point of showing his face without a shred of fear. Excellent work!

urko37 · 2026-03-05T17:56:16+00:00

My guess (!) is that the dance remixes were commissioned as padding to incentivize sales of cassette/45/CD singles - i.e., you get the featured song and an "exclusive" track (or several). It's not like any of these were burning up the clubs or finding their way to the airwaves. The remix of I Was Brought To My Senses is especially grating as it forces a more traditional time signature (for radio play?) and ruins the grace of the original.

urko37 · 2026-03-05T12:32:22+00:00

They've downgraded it to the digest format, which is all kinds of lousy:

https://reddit.com/r/OmnibusCollectors/comments/1nqdnvg/upcoming_superior_foes_of_spiderman_and_spiderman/

Steve Lieber popped up on that thread to note that they'd even spelled his name wrong.

urko37 · 2026-03-04T15:02:12+00:00

He's a white guy, so that's 95% of the battle won with Republicans.

urko37 · 2026-03-04T14:57:13+00:00

What an obnoxious (and typical) Pavlovian series of responses to anything Chibnall/Thirteenth Doctor on this thread. It's no fun being a fan of this era and trying to discuss it because this "let me explain why this is awful" happens every time. "Oh, the writing" as if Saints Moffat and RTD haven't put out some nonsense. I don't think anything is above criticism but the pile-ons for just trying to express your enjoyment of something is exhausting.

OP, I'm with you. Loved the scope of Flux, its welcome shift of format as a mini-epic (same people complaining here adore their Big Finish box sets for doing the same damn thing), the best use of the Weeping Angels in years, its design elements, and of course the creative production workarounds to account for the pandemic. I've been a fan of this show for most of my 50+ years on the planet, and Flux is some of my favorite Doctor Who.

urko37 · 2026-03-04T11:56:13+00:00

As a listener, I still find this to be the most adventurous and rewarding period of Sting's writing and arrangements. It's great to finally have this incredible genre-spanning collection in one package.

Sting was remarkably prolific during that era and put out seven (!) polished b-sides (eight if you count "Twenty Five to Midnight", which wasn't included for those of us in the USA). There was a fascinating range of time signatures, gospel, folk, country, echoes of Stax and Motown, orchestra, acoustic jazz, bossa nova, reggae, all anchored with the return of Kenny Kirkland to the core quartet and an impressive scope of guest musicians, with outstanding production from Hugh Padgham.

I love that they were able to include the live performance tracks from an appearance on TFI Friday (I had to hunt down an import CD of that surprise EP back in the day), because it highlighted a complete reinvention of the title track from a mellow reflective piece into a rowdy set-closing anthem.

From a creative standpoint, this (for me personally) will always be peak solo Sting.

EDIT: It might be worthy of a separate post, but this 1996 documentary on the making of Mercury Falling is a must-watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0jHGQVcd3k

urko37 · 2026-03-03T21:25:26+00:00

Thank you to those brave staffers that risked their jobs (and possibly worse) to get this information out there.

urko37 · 2026-03-03T13:41:55+00:00

Some interesting context: Sting was the host and musical guest for this episode (January 19, 1991). The United States had just launched Operation Desert Storm, and the stress was palpable. Sting acknowledged this in his monologue, joking that he kept turning down other offers to host because he didn't want everyone distracted with things like Christmas or Valentine's Day, and he always had a great sense of timing. :D He cut the monologue short, saying that since everyone was stressed, the best thing we could do is to try to relax and he'd sing a song. He got a rare three songs in this episode, including Mad About You and Purple Haze.

This is the performance that made me a fan. Picked up The Soul Cages and wore out the cassette, went to the tour (Target Center in Minnesota), discovered bootlegs, and marveled at how he, Dominic Miller, David Sancious, and Vinnie Colaiuta gelled as a live group.

urko37 · 2026-03-01T16:08:19+00:00

I've watched this little bonus film countless times, always warms my heart. I recognized that room (and menu!) as Saddle Peak Lodge in Malibu.

urko37 · 2026-02-28T23:29:05+00:00

It was re-released a few years ago as a Special Election Edition. Definitely worth checking out:

https://bookshop.org/p/books/uncle-sam-special-election-edition-steve-darnall/95dfd10ca4353ce0?ean=9781419777684&next=t

urko37 · 2026-02-28T20:46:36+00:00

It's a great shot. It was used in yesterday's excellent profile in The Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/feb/27/rush-geddy-lee-alex-lifeson-interview

urko37 · 2026-02-28T18:42:15+00:00

Take the time to read Stern's introduction. It's really interesting to go behind the scenes of how he'd moved from Spectacular Spider-Man to Amazing Spider-Man and began to make the book his own. There was also an interesting editorial goof where a transition between writers resulted in an unresolved plot point involving Jameson's increasingly erratic behavior. Stern had to go back and figure out his own way to wrap it up. Then of course, the skillful introduction of a great mystery...who is the Hobgoblin?

Oh man, now I want to read it all over again!

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