Smurfs!

Remember Saturday Morning Cartoons? If you grew up during the '80s like myself, you'll remember shows like Muppet Babies, The New Archies, Scooby Doo, and so many more. And of course, you'll remember The Smurfs. I have a habit of collecting retro cartoons, particularly from the '80s. So when I heard that Part One of Season One of The Smurfs was going to be released on DVD, I couldn't resist buying it. I think there's a part of us that wants to tap back into the past, to a time when life was (or seemed) more innocent, when we didn't think of bills or RRSP's or mortgage payments. Essentially, I bought the Smurfs for nostalgia, not because I think it's a great cartoon.

While it was fun to watch it again, I can't say that I really want to buy the subsequent seasons. The Smurfs is cute. But I'm no longer five years old, so the show doesn't have the same hold on me at 31. I'm now into shows like The L Word or Project Runway -- they're not exactly The Smurfs.

However, there is a certain sadness watching The Smurfs. I remember the good times about my childhood, but also the tough times. And I think back to that five-year-old, full of hopes and dreams, who loved watching Smurfette tease the male Smurfs, or Gargamel trying to thwart the poor Smurfs; the boy who couldn't wait to be an adult, but had no idea what being an adult involved. All in all, I'm glad I bought The Smurfs box set, but it's been a bittersweet experience.

Found the Cure: Buy this Collection

Ashford & Simpson are the extremely talented singer/songwriter duo who wrote countless Motown hits including Diana Ross' mega-hits "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and her disco classic "The Boss". The pair went on to a successful recording career with Warner Bros and Capitol Records. Warner Bros. has just released an excellent 2-disc compilation of the duo's 70's disco-oriented material entitled "The Warner Bros. Years: Hits, Remixes and Rarities". It features disco classics such as "Found A Cure", "It Seems To Hang On" and "Over and Over", which sound as lush as ever. The second disc features new remixes of these classics, but the remixes stay faithful to the originals. This is a collection that demonstrates A&F's talents as singers and songwriters and also proves that disco did not suck!

Revisiting the classics: "Summer Rain"

An Australian website recently compiled a list entitled "The 50 Gayest Songs of All Time". Of course, the usual suspects showed up: Madonna's "Vogue", Diana Ross "I'm Coming Out", and the number-one song, "Dancing Queen" by ABBA. But one of the surprises on the list was Belinda Carlisle's 1989 minor hit "Summer Rain", coming in at 34. I say "minor" because the song was not a big hit in North America (peaking at #30 on the U.S. Billboard 100), although it was a bigger hit in Australia.

The third single from Belinda Carlisle's third album "Runaway Horses", "Summer Rain" is one of her loveliest songs, and perhaps her most underrated. The song continued in the style of Carlisle's summery, feel-good pop music she did so well in the late '80s on hits like "Mad About You", "Heaven Is A Place on Earth" and "Circle in the Sand". "Summer Rain" is one of my favourites of Carlisle's, and it seems to be a favourite of many others, as it has become one of her enduring singles. Check it out!