A while back the "Message" took on the subject bands with the word "twins" in their name (Thompson Twins, Cocteau Twins) that did not include any actual twins. But what about other band names based on familial relationships? 

In the case of sisters, both The Pointer Sisters and Sister Sledge did feature actual sisters. Not so with The Sisters of Mercy, though. Dee Snider might have looked a little like somebody's sister (if that somebody was Sammy Hagar), but Twisted Sister had no actual sisters. And the name Shakespeare's Sister owed more to The Smiths' song catalog than to any siblings of the Bard of Avon. It's a similar story for the Manchester trio that had a hit in 1986 with "Break Out." What was the full name of the band?

Last week the sky was falling over in Russia, in the form of a meteor that fell to earth. Fortunately nobody overreacted in the fashion predicted by at least a few apocalyptic films from the 80's - no counterstrike, no accidental armageddon. And anyways, WWIII is SUPPOSED to be initiated by the release of a red balloon, not by a meteorite.

Comedian, Steven Colbert got the opportunity to make jokes about the 80's arcade game "Asteroids" before The I had the chance (Grrr), but we can still use the occasion to offer some "Asteroids" related trivia. Atari's "Asteroids" was the most successful arcade game the company ever released, and it has long since earned an exalted status among video games.

Shortly after its release in 1979, the game inspired sequels, home versions, imitators, and bootlegs, some of which are still showing up today. Rumor has it there's supposed to be a Hollywood film inspired by the game. I remembers how, intentionally or not, the game's appearance coincided with the release of the first Star Wars sequel "The Empire Strikes Back." The asteroid chase was one of the best parts of the film, and upon exiting the Mall theater after watching it for the 27th time, one could head over to the arcade for several rounds of Atari's "Asteroids." 

Several films from the 80's featured shots of "Asteroids" arcade game, either in the background, or being played by the characters. These included "Fast Times At Ridgemont High," "War Games," and "Terms Of Endearment." But perhaps the most ironic, given last weeks dashcam images of the Russian meteor streaking through the sky, was a 1984 film starring Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelli Maroney, and Robert Beltran. It featured teenagers left to fend for themselves in a post apocalyptic wasteland populated by zombies, only this time thermonuclear war was not actually to blame. What was the name of the film?

In honor of Valentine's day, the "Message" contemplates the works of one of the great romantics - Bryan Ferry. I was checking out some selections from Bryan Ferry's 2012 album "The Jazz Age" today. It's a collection of Ferry's best known tunes redone in a 1920's ragtime jazz kind of style. While not entirely novel, the experiment is more than a novelty. The interesting part, especially from a sound engineering point of view, is the success the album achieves in sounding like it was recorded some time between the world wars. 

What's more, the songs are done as instrumentals! Other rock stars of the 80's have taken a stab at revisiting the big band sound (Joe Jackson's "Jumpin' Jive," as well as numerous releases by The Brian Setzer Orchestra), but they typically retained most of their identity throughout. Considering how much of Ferry's artistic identity is tied to his voice, it's a gutsy move to push the mic aside. It's likely that a listener who wasn't in on the setup wouldn't even know it was him. But I guess being as successful as Bryan Ferry means that you don't have to obsess about being properly identified (unless someone mistakes you for Christian Bale.) 

Bryan Ferry's success began back in the 70's with the incredibly influential Roxy Music. He started developing his solo career early on, and much of it ran concurrent to his participation in Roxy Music. His 1985 album "Boys and Girls" was his only U.K. #1 as a solo artist, and is probably his best known album in the U.S. But 1987's "Bete Noire" should not be overlooked. Without losing sight of Ferry's signature style, it manages to be a little more adventurous. This is probably in part thanks to the collaborative nature of the record. David Gilmour makes an appearance, and producer Patrick Leonard shares writing credits on several songs. Just as noteworthy is the co-writing credit for the song "The Right Stuff." No, it wasn't a New Kid, it was someone much cooler. Who was it?