Quantum Leap -- Episode 46: Glitter Rock

Sam Leaps Into: 

Jeffrey "Tonic" Mole, the lead singer in a rock band.

Objective:

Avoid getting stabbed to death.

Date:

4-12-74

Location:

Detroit, Michigan

Memorable Quote:
We all live our lives behind masks, but the real point of living is to get beyond, to break through those masks, from the outside and from the inside, so that we can really communicate. Unfortunately most of us don't.  ~Sam

Highlight:
I like the whodunit element of the story, and I was not at all sure who the guilty party was.

Lowlight:

Not a big fan of rock music post 1970 (more on this below).

Other thoughts, observations, and questions I didn’t ask when I was in fourth grade:

• The manager is played by Peter Noone, the lead singer of Herman's Hermits.  I listened to a lot of Oldies growing up (mostly thanks to my Dad having them on in the car), and Herman's Hermits was a great band with a lot of hits.
• Sadly for me, the wheels fall off the rock music wagon once the 60's end.  Maybe it's growing up with Oldies, my perfect pitch, my old soul, my intrinsically good taste, or all of the above, but I find most modern rock music and its derivatives (e.g. alternative, punk, metal) to be unlistenable.  There are exceptions, for instance I think both U2 and Green Day have some very good songs.  But most of the time when I hear modern rock, all I hear are people yelling.  I remember in college having to watch Pink Floyd: The Wall and thinking it made no sense while also making my ears bleed, and another college memory involves me overhearing someone in my dorm talking about Kurt Cobain.  "What band was he in?" I asked.  "Nirvana?!" the guy responded incredulously at my lack of modern musical knowledge.  What can I say, I'll take Frank Sinatra over people yelling any day.  How's that for a hot take.
• One last anecdote to wrap up my "music" tangent: I remember as a teenager often watching Jay Leno at night with my parents (taped from the previous night), and at the end of the show when we'd get to the musical act, 95% of the time we'd listen to the first few notes and then my Dad would take the remote control and fast forward.  He would sometimes add, "It sounds better when I accidentally step on Boo-Boo's tail" (Boo-Boo was our cat).
• The falling light during the stage rehearsal brought back some Cleo Rocks memories.
• 22:03 mark -- a brief shot of RFK Stadium, which is strange considering the stadium is in D.C. but the episode takes place in Detroit.  
• This is immediately followed by a scene where Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter (one of Herman's Hermits greatest hits) is playing in the background as Sam and Noone converse. Nice touch.
• I like the "Who's on First" routine with Sam and Al related to The Who, and it's also fun to see Al rocking along on stage with the band.
• Shouldn't the webbed hands shared by Sam and Philip have been enough to convince everyone that they were related?

Conversation:
Peter Noone.

I went to the audition for the part of one of the group who were a Kiss “Knockoff."  I read the part and said to the genius Bellisario "Hey Sir. Can I be the murderer not the bloke in the band?" The director said "No one would believe you as a murderer!" And I said "How about it Sir Bob, isn’t the idea of a who done it to have the mystery be a mystery?" I enjoyed myself and I think I did ok as a murdering, cross dressing embezzler manager having had personal experience and someone to be a la stanislavsky!!!!  My best work so far and I have to say Scott B is brilliant!!!

Final Analysis:

Decent episode -- I like the mystery and also the Philip character.  Not as big a fan of the "rock" ambience however.  Ranking it 32 out of 46.