The two hundred and forty-third classical recording: #443 Cesar Franck - Symphonic Variations
There's a good amount of small variations in this piece that work to give a nicely rousing performance, an interesting and short piece that really managed to lift my spirits.
The two hundred and fortieth TV show: #509 Star Trek: Voyager
I watched a lot of Star Trek Voyager around the time it was first on. Rewatching the earlier episodes, it's been hitting what I felt it was - a watchable iteration of Star Trek that doesn't get to the heights of Deep Space Nine and feels a bit too standalone to take advantage of its setting, but it does enough to make you think and give you some different things to look at. At this point, I wish it could push itself further forward, not reaching the heights it could, but it's still worth watching.
The two hundred and thirty-ninth TV show: #445 Drop the Dead Donkey
There's something that works in this show even twenty-five years after its broadcast. While some of the mechanics of news have changed, this workplace comedy about a news station recently bought by an investor who is partially affecting the contents of the channel while being nominally independent. Aside from well working satire, the way the show includes recent news events (at the time - helped with an intro explaining them for modern broadcasts) elevates the feeling of timeliness of the show. It's incredibly engaging still, certainly more than I expected for its time.
The six hundred and sixty-fifth album: #665 The Shamen - En-Tact
Turning the corner from psychedelia to electronic music, En-Tact gives us the music I would associate with the earlier rave scene, even if it's not as repetitive as that - there's a lot of musicality and variation that I guess wouldn't quite fit that trance. There's a lot of interesting elements here that I enjoy, as an experiment that clearly succeeded.
The six hundred and sixty-fourth album: #664 Cocteau Twins - Heaven Or Las Vegas
The dreamy electronic pop of the Cocteau Twins hits quite gently, a soothing sound that creates a simple flow through the album. There are some really uplifting songs and the flow is quite nice, with the meaning not mattering as much as the feeling the album gives you.
The six hundred and sixty-third album: #663 NWA - Straight Outta Compton
Our last album of the eighties hits hard. The gangsta rap album hits with Fuck the Police as its second track, an openly hostile challenge that continues to resonate stronger in modern days in the US. The raps are written as a more real sound, focusing on the reality experienced instead of having a party atmosphere.
The two hundred and forty-second classical recording: #905 Dmitri Shostakovich - Piano Concerto no. 2
This is an intense piece that's full of life and energy, racing you through the motions at a speed that's really engaging and interesting. There's enough going on to keep you focused at all times and I really loved getting immersed in it.
The two hundred and thirty-eighth TV show: #47 Sea Hunt
Not every show connects. The premise of Sea Hunt, that of following a trained diver helping with emergencies, leads to some interesting adventures, and there's some excitement in it, but ultimately it feels toothless as it's more about rescues than crime and there's a limit to what you could film at the time. It means that the central conflict never feels as engaging as it could be and the episodes just pass you by. As a concept, it's reached some nice places, but ultimately there's a limit to what excites me these days.
The two hundred and thirty-seventh TV show: #213 Land of the Lost
There's something to be said about judging shows based on their own criteria. A 1974 action adventure with stop motion dinosaurs is always going to look dated to our eyes and with a kids' audience, there are limits to what it can do. But having immersed myself recently in Japanese tokusatsu, flowing out from Ultraman, and Doctor Who, which aims to hit a similar spot, this doesn't hold up. The production values are cheap, sure, with the focus going on the stop motion effects and the early blue screen availability, but there's no great story to go along with it - the stories never feel clever or interesting - and the acting feeling quite bad. None of the actors give that good a performance, which seems only partially age-related, and the whole thing just feels unconvincing.
The six hundred and sixty-second album: #662 Jungle Brothers - Done by the Forces of Nature
While we just covered some sample-heavy, produced albums, Jungle Brothers uses a lot more original material, with thoughtful lyrics and a more mature sound. It's here to tell a story and give a message, but works as a strong set of songs as well.