Greatest Song Evah 1/19/24

Have You Ever Seen The Rain?

A big part of what made Creedence Clearwater Revival what they were is the way they handled extremes. They are well known for the massive number of classic 3 minute singles they produced, yet they just as equally mastered the long instrumental jam. So many of their hits oozed joyfulness, but they just as equally recorded songs full of sadness. This song practically epitomizes that whole idea; the lyrics describe a sun shower, a weather phenomenon that’s inherently contradictory.

This was the big hit from their penultimate album, at the point in which the band members were beginning to drift apart and just before they moved into the experimental weirdness that made up a big part of their final album. This is pure perfection; the non-John Fogerty members of CCR don’t often get the credit that they deserve, so let me throw praise in Doug Clifford’s direction. The drum beat in this song really kicks.

But as is usually the case, John Fogerty is the song’s MVP. He was so adept at modifying the tone in his vocals. This song doesn’t call for his pure rocker shouting or for his swamp laden muddiness. Just ride the tone of the song in the verses and then reach for the rafters when it’s time for the chorus. There’s a healthy debate to be had over who was the greatest American rock band. Creedence are absolutely prime contenders for that honor.

Doc & Darryl

Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry will forever be intertwined, and the Mets made that even clearer last summer when they announced that both were to have their uniform numbers retired this upcoming season. Earlier this week the team confirmed the specific dates for the ceremonies; Gooden’s day will be on April 14 & Strawberry’s on June 1.

For the longest time the Mets had a very stringent number retirement policy, reserving this honor solely for players who entered the Hall of Fame as Mets. They have eased up on that in recent years, and Doc & Darryl are the two newest men to benefit from that. This is a deserving honor for both. Not only were they two of the key figures in the most exciting era in franchise history, but they were transcendent stars. At his height every Dwight Gooden start was a special event. Those of us lucky enough to witness it will never forget his potent combo of talent and charisma. And while Strawberry at his peak didn’t quite match that of Gooden, you never wanted to miss one of his at bats. He had one of the most beautiful, majestic swings, and there was nothing quite like seeing the heights and distances of his home runs.

Of course, it’s difficult to speak of their peaks without also mentioning their valleys. I’ve discussed this before, but I’m very uncomfortable reducing their career narratives to the simple framework of generational stars whose trajectories were ruined due to addiction. I still maintain that Gooden’s shoulder injuries were just as damaging as his cocaine use was, and the same goes for Strawberry’s back injuries.

Redemption arcs are also big parts of the stories for both men. Strawberry has gone on to become an effective drug counselor, and Gooden has used his own struggles with relapses as a cautionary tale for others. At the moment he appears to be in a good place; there were times in the past when I was concerned by his gaunt appearance. He looks to be healthy now. And these ceremonies cement both men as Mets For Life. I have to admit I had conflicting emotions when Gooden threw a no-hitter in 1996. I was happy that he was able to find something in himself to accomplish the feat even though his best stuff was long gone. But why couldn’t it have been while he was still a Met? And why did it have to happen when he was a Yankee?

OK, I got that out of my system. I’m really looking forward to both ceremonies.

The Streaming Orphans - China Beach

“I didn’t save them all, but I saved a lot.” I’m not sure if that’s the exact quote, but that line from the series finale perfectly summarized the tone of China Beach, yet another show that’s sadly absent from any streaming service. The show made a star out of Dana Delany, provided early roles for some familiar TV faces, and was one of the best of its era.

The above quote illustrates the main premise of the Sisyphean struggles at a military hospital at wartime. Set during the Vietnam War, Delany’s Colleen McMurphy served as the head nurse, and hers was a compellingly well-drawn character. It’s a sad state of affairs to say that when the show premiered in 1988 it was still so unusual to see such a complex female character. Delany was perfectly cast, winning multiple Emmy Awards for the role.

As valuable as Dana Delany and her character were, a show can’t succeed without a strong supporting cast, and China Beach had it. Robert Picardo did strong work as the chief surgeon; this show ran concurrently with The Wonder Years, in which he had a recurring role as Coach Cutlip. That made for a great study in contrast - two shows vastly different in tone with a similar difference between the tones of the two characters that he played. It’s a testament to his skill that he nailed both so well.

The show also provided an early showcase for Michael Boatman as a young soldier. In the years since he has specialized in broadly comedic roles, but his dramatic talents were evident here. The episode centered around the assassination of MLK was a real gut puncher. I also really liked the Marine portrayed by Jeff Kober. With his intense stare he often plays imposing characters, but this role really gave him a chance to reveal the humanity behind his character.

But the other true breakout besides Dana Delany came from Mary Helgenberger, who also won an Emmy for the show. She portrayed a prostitute, and the show made no attempts to soften her. No stereotypical hooker with a heart of gold here, she was pure mercenary. I also appreciated the fact that the show did not make a judgmental tone towards her character.

The show stuck around for 4 seasons and ended with one of the better series finales. It was set in the modern day, centered around a reunion organized by one of the characters. The plot dealt with a lot of the PTSD they were experiencing, flashing back and forth from present to past. It climaxed with a visit to the Vietnam Memorial Wall and it perfectly hit all of the emotional high notes.

As is usually the case, costs for music rights have been the roadblock for this show. It was filled with specific musical cues, and the show just would not work as well as it did if it were to be replaced with a generic score. This was a special show; its absence risks its getting lost as more time passes. That would be a shame, Colleen McMuphy deserves to be part of the same discussion when the top characters in television history are debated.

Happy Anniversary, MLB Network

The actual 15th anniversary of MLB Network took place on January 1, but the network will officially celebrate the milestone with a retrospective special on Monday evening. When I was a kid, I used to think how cool it would be if there were a TV channel that showed nothing but baseball all day. It took decades for my dream to come true, but it finally did with a soft launch on New Year’s Day with a rebroadcast of the Don Larsen perfect game.

There’s a lot that one can criticize the network for, but much of it is nitpicking. At its best, it does exactly what it should - giving the audience of much of this glorious sport as it can. Its greatest value comes when we get those alerts in our phone informing as that something special is taking place somewhere. That’s the bat signal to switch to the network.

There are clearly changes I would make if I were in charge, with the caveat that I realize business concerns are behind many of the decisions the network makes. For example, I’m fairly certain there is a limited audience for rebroadcasts of old games, no matter how great of an opportunity it is to Remember Some Guys. But I don’t think this change is asking too much. I love the fact that the network allows me to watch a lot of out of town games, but I wish that they would identify the voices. It’s one thing if I’m watching a Giants game and I know that I’m listening to Krukow & Kuiper, but not every local team is as well known. If I hear a crew that either impresses me, or doesn’t, I want to know who it is.

As for the non-game portions of the daily schedule, the quality varies. I’ve said in the past that I wish they would take better advantage of the vast library they have and produce more original programming in the off-season than they do. They can only rerun the Ken Burns documentary so many times. And I will never understand the fascination with Mad Dog Russo. I realize I’m in the minority here, but watching a lunatic froth at the mouth is not entertaining to me. It would be one thing if he was offering any keen insight in his own inimitable way, but he sounds like the kind of incoherent fool whom you want to keep your distance from. And the less said about Harold Reynolds, the better. Finally, I question how well the network is able to exist independently from the league itself. At times it has shown that it’s not afraid of criticizing the sport when necessary, but you can definitely sense that the removal of Ken Rosenthal a couple of years back has had a chilling effect.

As a whole, as imperfect as it is, the network has been a true asset. If you love baseball, how could you not love an outlet that covers the game 24/7?

On a related note which did not come as much of a surprise, Fox Sports announced that they have hired Adam Wainwright as a full-time analyst. His work in last season’s playoffs was impressive. He is knowledgeable, insightful, and shows an ability to easily explain things. In one game he demonstrated the different grips that separate a slider from a sweeper. I learned something there. Most importantly, he has a clear love for the game. Not to sound like a broken record about John Smoltz, but that enthusiasm adds so much to the enjoyment of a telecast.

Pitchfork

It seems like every day comes with a new piece of bad news about media outlets, whether it’s massive rounds of layoffs, new ownership with an ominous history, or both. This week alone we saw the sale of The Baltimore Sun to owners of Sinclair Broadcasting, and layoffs at The Sporting News, which barely survives as a digital only publication. And staff members at the Los Angeles Times are bracing themselves for what looks to be significant upcoming carnage.

And the news also came that Condé Nast will absorb Pitchfork into GQ Magazine, with a large number of layoffs attached to the move. I aged out of Pitchfork’s target demographic some time ago, but I do still occasionally use it as a resource in my search for new music. Pitchfork has long evolved from its old image as the outlet for “oh, you claim to be a fan of ____? Name their first 3 albums!” smugness. It has been a valuable outlet for intelligent music criticism. This is a bad loss; there are fewer and fewer places where one can find such worthwhile insight. Condé Nast pledges that the fusion will serve all audiences well; the history of such mergers tells us otherwise. May I use this as another opportunity to plead for someone to purchase and resuscitate AV Club?

SNL Preview

It’s been about a month since the most recent new episode; even with the built-in holiday break, that’s a longer absence than normal. Late last year there were some rumblings that a couple of cast members were about to leave, which was offered as a possible explanation for the long break. Those rumors appear to have been unfounded; the more logical reason for the extra week off was that the Emmys took place, meaning that some show VIP’s were in LA last week.

Two rising stars take the stage this time - Jacob Elordi as host and Renee Rapp as musical guest. I have no preconceived notions for the weekend; there’s little on Elordi’s resume that screams comedy, but hosts with his profile have been known to be pleasant surprises.

Closing Laughs

Time to close the curtain on yet another week. Have a peaceful weekend everyone, and let’s meet back here again on Monday.