ALAN VEGA - BORN IN THE USA

I'd never made the connection between Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska and Alan Vega and Suicide before recently reading Clinton Heylin's E Street Shuffle book.  Bruce is open about it, and with his version of Dream Baby Dream on the new High Hopes album he might now have sent some royalties their way.  Play Nebraska next to Frankie Teardrop and the debt is obvious, and it's also clear how much further out Suicide are, and how classic their songwriting is.  I dug out the 2  Vega albums that are in The Wall of Sound - sadly I don't think I listened to 'em after buying them.  Anyway, this track from 1982's Collision Drive - no synths, only echo, guitar and slow pounding drums - is a bit of a sequel to Frankie, and would divide the Brooce fans out there.  The story line is pure Nebraska, too.

SGT. BILKO BUYS AN EMPTY STORE

I didn't expect to encounter a critical parable about celebrity capitalism and the hollow nature of the American Dream when settling down to a Sgt. Bilko box set, but there it was - Episode 2 of series 1 - an episode called 'The Empty Store'.
The plot is that Bilko inexplicably loses the platoon's money in a card game - due to a strategically placed mirror - so plots to get his and his new recruits money back.  He rents an empty store downtown.  As word spreads across Fort Baxter, everyone is asking "What is Bilko up to now?"  Everyone is desperate for a piece of the action.  If Bilko has rented this store he must be onto something!  The cardsharps beg to be allowed to buy a 3rd share in what Bilko tells them is only an empty store.  Sure it is!
Through the miracles of the Youtube link I've included below so you can get a taste of the toadying and personality cult worship rarely seen outside of "Jamie has a good idea to make money and give something back" or "Mary Queen of Shops Manipulates False Needs Snazzily".  If I could remember my CSE Structuralism I'd bamboozle you with some French concepts. This is just Sgt Bilko - Hatten-Hup! Quick march quick march! (I also didn't know that The Phil Silver's Show was originally going to be called You'll Never Get Rich.)
There's a twist in the tale  but enjoy Phil Silver's pitch perfect balance of avarice, revenge and comic timing.  I'm not suggesting that Nat Hiken was a misunderstood Dalton Trumbo figure, just that this 25 minute sit-com is a sentiment free slice of Capra-corn and this layer of interpretation takes nothing away from the slick surface.  Remember, that's how Woolworths started - with an empty store.