Reviews Written By: A1CQCS17LQCHIHprovided by Amazon.com |
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 | The Doors: Live in Europe, 1968 | |
 | "Morrison Trips Under Airplane's Aegis" | 2009-03-20 |
| This DVD covers The Doors' European tour in late 1968. They were accompanied by The Jefferson Airplane on the tour, and The Airplane's Grace Slick and Paul Kantner are the commentators. We see Jim Morrison get off the airplane (an actual one) and flash a great eye-contact smile at the camera after saying he is "Jim." It is cool how, before the same camera, Ray Manzarek, in dark glasses, looks just like Chuck Norris did in "The Way of The Dragon" (in which Chuck faced off against Bruce Lee). Most of Slick's and Kantner's comments are delivered early on. Grace pays tribute to Jim as a singer and performer, citing his natural manner vs. the posturing of other performers. However, she points out that while they were in Amsterdam, Jim accepted any drug offered to him by fans on the street and got so stoned that he could not perform that night except to interrupt The Airplane's performance of "Plastic Fantastic Lover." Some footage of Jim dancing around is cool to see. Setting aside that lapse, Jim is shown performing with skill in various locales, intensely posing and gripping the mike, and using his whole face and head to bellow the words out. His eyes may be closed or open, he may be still or moving, but he is always interesting to watch. He does some pretty wild roaming around the stage performing "Light My Fire" at London's Roundhouse Theatre. By contrast, the Denmark TV performance of "The Wasp (intro)/Love Me Two Times" shows Jim at his professional best. The last sentence of the Amazon.com Editorial Review above states The Doors performed a "silly version" of "Hello I Love You" before "a baffled crowd on a London street." How does the reviewer account for the West German flag in the background? Jim is lip synching the song for the "4-3-2-1 Hot & Sweet" West German TV Show on September 13, 1968, and the crowd is certainly not baffled. Do an Internet search for "Frankfurt Romer Square" and see for yourself. All the Roundhouse clips that dominate this DVD (along with the de-planing scenes I referenced above) are in "The Doors Are Open." Also, "The Wasp/Love Me Two Times" and the Romer Square performance are on "The Doors Collection." If you already have those, you would essentially be purchasing this DVD for the non-Roundhouse parts of "When the Music's Over" and the mixed clips of "The Unknown Soldier"; there are no rare performances of songs. The passage of time and aggregation of Doors material have eroded my rating for this DVD from four stars to three. | ||
 | The Doors - No One Here Gets Out Alive (Tribute to Jim Morrison) | |
| "In Want of the Deeper Caverns within Morrison" | 2009-03-20 |
| "A Tribute to Jim Morrison" is an aggregation of video clips and photos of Morrison and commentary from the three living Doors, two authors, and Doors producer Paul Rothchild. It is a helpful introduction for someone who knows little about Morrison and wants to learn more. However, because it dates back to the early 1980s, stalwart fans will find everything is old hat (e.g., The Doors landing in Europe and identifying themselves to the questioner; the performances in Europe and on the Ed Sullivan Show). In "No One Here Gets Out Alive," Jerry Hopkins and Danny Sugerman (Editorial Review above, get that spelling right) wrote many things about Morrison, but their biography was most memorable for its focus on Morrison's wild antics, including many dangerous and gross things and acts of cruelty. Most of the stories about wild antics were attributed to Sugerman, as Hopkins was the narrative and fact guy. The difference on this DVD is that they stick to the more basic and general. Although Morrison's excesses are acknowledged, the emphasis is on Jim Morrison the performer. Indeed, a video clip is worth a thousand words. Nothing that Hopkins and Sugerman say is very profound or insightful. Rothchild and the living Doors are more intelligent and interesting to listen to, but they do not dig deep enough into Morrison either. How could this have been more interesting? The literary side of Jim Morrison could have been explored. Jim was very well read, and some of his lyrics were inspired by his eclectic readings, including some French literature, for example. Louis-Ferdinand Celine wrote "Journey to the End of the Night" (see The Doors' debut album track 9). Arthur Rimbaud, French writer of the 19th century, had Morrison as one of his most prodigious readers, and Wallace Fowlie took the trouble to write "Rimbaud and Jim Morrison: The Rebel as Poet." As a performer, Jim Morrison was inspired by theatrical innovator Antonin Artaud, who wrote "Theater of Cruelty." Also, Morrison had enough running around in his own head, helped by mind-altering substances, to inspire himself to great lyrics. The creative stuff is perhaps beyond Hopkins and Sugerman, but not the three living Doors and some of Morrison's associates. Jim Morrison was not always a pleasant guy to know when drunk or stoned. When he was not, I would have found him interesting to talk to, and I think many others would have as well. | ||
 | The Doors: No One Here Gets Out Alive - The Doors' Tribute To Jim Morrison | |
| "In Want of the Deeper Caverns within Morrison" | 2009-03-20 |
| "A Tribute to Jim Morrison" is an aggregation of video clips and photos of Morrison and commentary from the three living Doors, two authors, and Doors producer Paul Rothchild. It is a helpful introduction for someone who knows little about Morrison and wants to learn more. However, because it dates back to the early 1980s, stalwart fans will find everything is old hat (e.g., The Doors landing in Europe and identifying themselves to the questioner; the performances in Europe and on the Ed Sullivan Show). In "No One Here Gets Out Alive," Jerry Hopkins and Danny Sugerman (Editorial Review above, get that spelling right) wrote many things about Morrison, but their biography was most memorable for its focus on Morrison's wild antics, including many dangerous and gross things and acts of cruelty. Most of the stories about wild antics were attributed to Sugerman, as Hopkins was the narrative and fact guy. The difference on this DVD is that they stick to the more basic and general. Although Morrison's excesses are acknowledged, the emphasis is on Jim Morrison the performer. Indeed, a video clip is worth a thousand words. Nothing that Hopkins and Sugerman say is very profound or insightful. Rothchild and the living Doors are more intelligent and interesting to listen to, but they do not dig deep enough into Morrison either. How could this have been more interesting? The literary side of Jim Morrison could have been explored. Jim was very well read, and some of his lyrics were inspired by his eclectic readings, including some French literature, for example. Louis-Ferdinand Celine wrote "Journey to the End of the Night" (see The Doors' debut album track 9). Arthur Rimbaud, French writer of the 19th century, had Morrison as one of his most prodigious readers, and Wallace Fowlie took the trouble to write "Rimbaud and Jim Morrison: The Rebel as Poet." As a performer, Jim Morrison was inspired by theatrical innovator Antonin Artaud, who wrote "Theater of Cruelty." Also, Morrison had enough running around in his own head, helped by mind-altering substances, to inspire himself to great lyrics. The creative stuff is perhaps beyond Hopkins and Sugerman, but not the three living Doors and some of Morrison's associates. Jim Morrison was not always a pleasant guy to know when drunk or stoned. When he was not, I would have found him interesting to talk to, and I think many others would have as well. | ||
 | The Doors - Live in Europe 1968 | |
| "Morrison Trips Under Airplane's Aegis" | 2009-03-20 |
| This DVD covers The Doors' European tour in late 1968. They were accompanied by The Jefferson Airplane on the tour, and The Airplane's Grace Slick and Paul Kantner are the commentators. We see Jim Morrison get off the airplane (an actual one) and flash a great eye-contact smile at the camera after saying he is "Jim." It is cool how, before the same camera, Ray Manzarek, in dark glasses, looks just like Chuck Norris did in "The Way of The Dragon" (in which Chuck faced off against Bruce Lee). Most of Slick's and Kantner's comments are delivered early on. Grace pays tribute to Jim as a singer and performer, citing his natural manner vs. the posturing of other performers. However, she points out that while they were in Amsterdam, Jim accepted any drug offered to him by fans on the street and got so stoned that he could not perform that night except to interrupt The Airplane's performance of "Plastic Fantastic Lover." Some footage of Jim dancing around is cool to see. Setting aside that lapse, Jim is shown performing with skill in various locales, intensely posing and gripping the mike, and using his whole face and head to bellow the words out. His eyes may be closed or open, he may be still or moving, but he is always interesting to watch. He does some pretty wild roaming around the stage performing "Light My Fire" at London's Roundhouse Theatre. By contrast, the Denmark TV performance of "The Wasp (intro)/Love Me Two Times" shows Jim at his professional best. The last sentence of the Amazon.com Editorial Review above states The Doors performed a "silly version" of "Hello I Love You" before "a baffled crowd on a London street." How does the reviewer account for the West German flag in the background? Jim is lip synching the song for the "4-3-2-1 Hot & Sweet" West German TV Show on September 13, 1968, and the crowd is certainly not baffled. Do an Internet search for "Frankfurt Romer Square" and see for yourself. All the Roundhouse clips that dominate this DVD (along with the de-planing scenes I referenced above) are in "The Doors Are Open." Also, "The Wasp/Love Me Two Times" and the Romer Square performance are on "The Doors Collection." If you already have those, you would essentially be purchasing this DVD for the non-Roundhouse parts of "When the Music's Over" and the mixed clips of "The Unknown Soldier"; there are no rare performances of songs. The passage of time and aggregation of Doors material have eroded my rating for this DVD from four stars to three. | ||
 | The Doors: The Doors Are Open - The Roundhouse, London | |
 | "Hot in Black and White" | 2009-03-20 |
| Even though "The Doors Are Open" is a made-for-TV documentary of an indoor show, it shows The Doors performing in a raw and gritty manner in what is literally a "heated" atmosphere. They sweat profusely during their performance, most conspicuously lead singer Jim Morrison in his white shirt. When he howls out the lyrics to "Backdoor Man," he is the apotheosis of raunchy intensity. The fact that the filming is in black and white only serves to magnify the hard-core aura of the performance. The Doors dish out their hard-rock songs "Five to One," "The Unknown Soldier," and "When the Music's Over" as if to satisfy a craving conjured up by the film's introductory statement that the group shows "what they are against rather than what they are for." Various rioting, revolutionary, and reactionary video footage is interspersed within the performances of songs, but particularly during those three. Also, The Doors field some questions from interviewers in close-up filming. Guitarist Robby Krieger's songs "Light My Fire" and "Spanish Caravan" are also performed in a heavy-set manner. "Light My Fire" sounds perhaps out of key and is often more harsh than pretty. In the instrumental interlude, the camera follows Jim dancing and journeying all around the stage, and off, performing some acrobatics and offering ladies the mike. In the "Unknown Soldier" Jim does his standard collapse after Robby Krieger's "gunfire" from his guitar. The film shows Jim is really soaking by this time. The Doors played "Break on Through" in their Roundhouse shows, but unfortunately it is not included here. However, the songs they did play really boiled over. The Sun the group was Waiting For was certainly here in this performance. With their next album, the group chose to Parade More Softly. | ||
 | Doors, The, Collector's Set-3 Video Pack | |
 | "This Is the One To Have" | 2009-03-14 |
| In this review, I comment on this collection's three components separately, but I recommend the entire collection enthusiastically. This is not only because I think it is great, but because there is so much material. Perhaps you will find there is something you do not like, but you will find plenty to enjoy. Dance on Fire: The viewer is laced by lead singer Jim Morrison's magnetism and a dark background as the promo video for "Break on Through" starts things off. Later come the Doors' three most prominent TV appearances: on the shows of Ed Sullivan, Jonathan Winters, and The Smothers Brothers. Morrison's poise is solid on all three. The misty visuals for "Moonlight Drive" on the Winters show are great. Morrison sang "higher" in "Light My Fire" after Ed Sullivan's censors had told him to change it to "better" for their show. Contrary to what is shown in the movie "The Doors," he sings "higher" softly the first time, but he then does sing it loudly in the climax. "L.A. Woman" is infused with striking colorful scenes of Los Angeles; an Indian boy dances in "Wild Child"; and a great collage supports the anti-war message of "The Unknown Soldier." Those who love "The Crystal Ship" can see Jim by the shore and also swimming in the river with a lady to an overdub of this pretty song. Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek directed "Dance on Fire," the best of the three components here. Live at the Hollywood Bowl: A dark backdrop envelopes the audience in this large venue as all lighting surrounds the Doors. Jim Morrison has a commanding presence at the mike, and great posture, and he dances and moves around the stage with his own kind of grace. His vest is yellow, his leather pants are brown, and his large western belt buckles shine. John Densmore's drums, as Densmore himself points out, are "mod orange." Those who like Doors long cuts can enjoy good versions of "The End," "When the Music's Over," and "Light My Fire." However, I can do without the full intro to "The Celebration of the Lizard" especially if, like here, it is not followed by "Not to Touch the Earth" (the only really good part of that theater piece). The theatrics of "The Unknown Soldier" are great, with Morrison dropping to the stage, writhing in agony, after Robby Krieger "shoots" him with his guitar. That makes up for the song's closing instrumental motif sounding too much like "My Eyes Have Seen You" Redux. The Soft Parade: This includes a substantial amount of material from the 1969 PBS television show hosted by rock critic Richard Goldstein, just before the album "The Soft Parade" was released. The Doors discuss rock music, but Jim's delivery has shortcomings. Shown here are the show's performances of "Wishful Sinful," "Build Me a Woman," and the finale, "The Soft Parade," on which a bearded Jim moves around with intensity. Separately, a different video of "Wild Child" has the group rehearsing the song in the studio. "The Changeling" is supported by a video collage showing the group in informal and formal moments. Audio commentary: Krieger, Densmore, and Manzarek provide commentary for all three sections. They sometimes discuss the footage, including activity during performance, outfits, instruments, venues, the songs, and the general environment. At other times, they tell anecdotes and vignettes about many topics: e.g., the ejection from Whisky a Go Go after Morrison's indiscretion performing "The End," being signed by Elektra President Jac Holtzman, playing at The Ondine Club in New York City, and the Miami incident. Among their lesser known stories is the group's being sued for plagiarism in "Spanish Caravan"; Robby says he thought the riff was so generic (always played) that he did not imagine a French copyright would kick in. Bonus materials: Self-driven Doors enthusiast Kerry Humpherys narrates for the viewer through a great visual display of Doors memorabilia. Manzarek's two student films from UCLA are also part of the presentation. Both star his soon-to-be wife, Dorothy Fujikawa, and in "Induction" one gets a brief glimpse of Morrison in a party scene. Moreover, there are excerpts from Densmore's solo play on his life with the Doors, "Riders on the Storm." Finally, Krieger does a guitar-only version of "The End," helped by a percussionist and, on bass, Arthur Barrow, who has sometimes played with Robby in his solo career. Word to the Wise: If you own the three VHS's, you may not think the bonus materials justify a purchase of this CD unless you are a hard-core Doors person. Well, perhaps together with the audio commentary they do. | ||
 | The Doors Collection (Collector's Edition) | |
| "This Is the One To Have" | 2009-03-14 |
| In this review, I comment on this collection's three components separately, but I recommend the entire collection enthusiastically. This is not only because I think it is great, but because there is so much material. Perhaps you will find there is something you do not like, but you will find plenty to enjoy. Dance on Fire: The viewer is laced by lead singer Jim Morrison's magnetism and a dark background as the promo video for "Break on Through" starts things off. Later come the Doors' three most prominent TV appearances: on the shows of Ed Sullivan, Jonathan Winters, and The Smothers Brothers. Morrison's poise is solid on all three. The misty visuals for "Moonlight Drive" on the Winters show are great. Morrison sang "higher" in "Light My Fire" after Ed Sullivan's censors had told him to change it to "better" for their show. Contrary to what is shown in the movie "The Doors," he sings "higher" softly the first time, but he then does sing it loudly in the climax. "L.A. Woman" is infused with striking colorful scenes of Los Angeles; an Indian boy dances in "Wild Child"; and a great collage supports the anti-war message of "The Unknown Soldier." Those who love "The Crystal Ship" can see Jim by the shore and also swimming in the river with a lady to an overdub of this pretty song. Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek directed "Dance on Fire," the best of the three components here. Live at the Hollywood Bowl: A dark backdrop envelopes the audience in this large venue as all lighting surrounds the Doors. Jim Morrison has a commanding presence at the mike, and great posture, and he dances and moves around the stage with his own kind of grace. His vest is yellow, his leather pants are brown, and his large western belt buckles shine. John Densmore's drums, as Densmore himself points out, are "mod orange." Those who like Doors long cuts can enjoy good versions of "The End," "When the Music's Over," and "Light My Fire." However, I can do without the full intro to "The Celebration of the Lizard" especially if, like here, it is not followed by "Not to Touch the Earth" (the only really good part of that theater piece). The theatrics of "The Unknown Soldier" are great, with Morrison dropping to the stage, writhing in agony, after Robby Krieger "shoots" him with his guitar. That makes up for the song's closing instrumental motif sounding too much like "My Eyes Have Seen You" Redux. The Soft Parade: This includes a substantial amount of material from the 1969 PBS television show hosted by rock critic Richard Goldstein, just before the album "The Soft Parade" was released. The Doors discuss rock music, but Jim's delivery has shortcomings. Shown here are the show's performances of "Wishful Sinful," "Build Me a Woman," and the finale, "The Soft Parade," on which a bearded Jim moves around with intensity. Separately, a different video of "Wild Child" has the group rehearsing the song in the studio. "The Changeling" is supported by a video collage showing the group in informal and formal moments. Audio commentary: Krieger, Densmore, and Manzarek provide commentary for all three sections. They sometimes discuss the footage, including activity during performance, outfits, instruments, venues, the songs, and the general environment. At other times, they tell anecdotes and vignettes about many topics: e.g., the ejection from Whisky a Go Go after Morrison's indiscretion performing "The End," being signed by Elektra President Jac Holtzman, playing at The Ondine Club in New York City, and the Miami incident. Among their lesser known stories is the group's being sued for plagiarism in "Spanish Caravan"; Robby says he thought the riff was so generic (always played) that he did not imagine a French copyright would kick in. Bonus materials: Self-driven Doors enthusiast Kerry Humpherys narrates for the viewer through a great visual display of Doors memorabilia. Manzarek's two student films from UCLA are also part of the presentation. Both star his soon-to-be wife, Dorothy Fujikawa, and in "Induction" one gets a brief glimpse of Morrison in a party scene. Moreover, there are excerpts from Densmore's solo play on his life with the Doors, "Riders on the Storm." Finally, Krieger does a guitar-only version of "The End," helped by a percussionist and, on bass, Arthur Barrow, who has sometimes played with Robby in his solo career. Word to the Wise: If you own the three VHS's, you may not think the bonus materials justify a purchase of this CD unless you are a hard-core Doors person. Well, perhaps together with the audio commentary they do. | ||
 | The Doors of the 21st Century - L.A. Woman Live | |
| "The Doors Redux, for Cult Followers" | 2009-03-07 |
| The 21st Century Doors played only two songs from the "L.A. Woman" album -- the title cut and "Riders on the Storm" -- when I saw them perform in Manhattan several years ago. Thus, I was glad when this DVD came out, with every song from L.A. Woman performed except "Crawling King Snake." (I do not like it anyway.) I certainly did catch renditions of "Roadhouse Blues," "Break on Through," "Love Me Two Times," "When the Music's Over," and "Soul Kitchen" in NYC, and on this DVD these big guns are just as strong. I also remember how good the light show was in New York, and it is perhaps greater on this DVD: Rays of purple, blue, pink, and crimson envelope the stage and the audience throughout the concert. Appropriately, yellow often becomes prominent when the L.A. Woman songs are played. A great slide show in the back displays shapes and forms that constantly metamorphose, like bubbles in a sea of blue, but also shows some scenes from videos. When the concert begins, keyboardist Ray Manzarek wears a whitish coat and guitarist Robby Krieger sports an outfit modeled after a National Guard uniform. Later, both take their jackets off, figuratively rolling up their sleeves as the show becomes more absorbing. Ray employs multi-sound keyboards, but their softer character and lower volume sometimes de-emphasize his input so that the overlay does not sound quite like the old Doors. His part on "When the Music's Over," for example, is not so overwhelming. This results in greater prominence for Robby, and does Mr. Krieger ever rock with power! Anyone who watches this video should find it strange that some say that Robby's skills have diminished. The fact is his power is equal to the old days and his dexterity is even greater. As good as Robby's blistering, extended soloing on "Roadhouse Blues" is, he outdoes it on "Love Me Two Times," arguably the DVD's best track. As for Ray, setting aside the above he remains a whiz on the keyboards, always romping and in complete control, and he comes up with some original textures. Ian Astbury of The Cult is groomed like Jim Morrison and sings with great force, but he does not try to become Jim Morrison, for which he deserves credit. For example, he does not go into drawn-out poetry on "When the Music's Over," but instead basically sticks to the original structure. On the song "L.A. Woman," I would have liked more extensive instrumentation. Still, the group displays its worksmanship there and on the other tunes. Robby shows a great blues edge on "Been Down So Long" and "The WASP." After "Light My Fire" comes the concert's best moment, the finale: "Soul Kitchen." Ray's keyboards come alive for the streaming parts and combine with Robby's funky guitar to blow the crowd away. The song's dramatic texture excites everyone so much that a huge throng comes on stage mid-way, dancing and singing in one of those situations in which human consciousness unites in celebration of existence and brotherhood. It is one of the most enjoyable things I have ever seen in connection with a rock concert. The spirit of The Doors lives forever! | ||
 | VH1 Storytellers - The Doors (A Celebration) | |
| "Doors Do Town Hall with Rotating Cover Singers " | 2009-03-07 |
| It was several years ago in Manhattan that I first saw Ian Astbury bellow out the "Alabama Song" and "Backdoor Man" in concert as the lead singer of The Doors of the 21st Century. Today, I can see him singing many Doors tunes for the same group on my "L.A. Woman Live" DVD, but not those two great Doors cover songs. So, I refer back to "VH1 Storytellers" to see The Cult's lead singer perform them at an earlier time, with shorter hair. Without necessarily trying to imitate Jim Morrison, Astbury in "Backdoor Man" goes through movin' and shakin' motions that do less to complement the song and his so-so performance of it and more to suggest that he is being inspired by Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant singing, "shake for me ... I want to be your backdoor man." However, Astbury really rocks, sings well, and shakes great on "Wild Child," which unfortunately was not on the broadcast; hence, it was dubbed a bonus track here. Ian was so good that he could have, er, earned an audition... The informality of a Town-Hall-type setting, in which Doors members chat with the audience and take a few questions, brings the viewer closer to keyboard player Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. Sadly, John disputed the legitimacy of the 21st Century Doors, but some solace comes from seeing him together with Ray and Robby. Between songs, they deliver anecdotes largely familiar to their biggest fans, but some of the things they talk about would be new to most. In performing the songs, the three Doors are sometimes joined by supporting musicians. On "The End," a tabla player and an electric bassist complement a commanding performance by The Doors and Travis Meeks of Days of the New, giving this atmospheric tune even more eastern (Central Asian?) texture. I can always do without "Five to One." But with Train, Creed, and Stone Temple Pilots frontmen, let's invite ourselves to hear the rest. Wax hypnotic on "Riders on the Storm" (the other bonus track) and "Light My Fire." Let's rock with "Break on Through," "Roadhouse Blues," and "Love Me Two Times." Ray and Robby still have real edge and perhaps have greater dexterity than in their heyday, when it was Jim Morrison who had the magnetism. Over time, however, the three remaining Doors have achieved substantial charisma of their own. As this DVD shows, The Doors are the standard by which 21st century groups seek to be measured. | ||
 | VH1 Storytellers - The Doors | |
| "Doors Do Town Hall with Rotating Cover Singers " | 2009-03-07 |
| It was several years ago in Manhattan that I first saw Ian Astbury bellow out the "Alabama Song" and "Backdoor Man" in concert as the lead singer of The Doors of the 21st Century. Today, I can see him singing many Doors tunes for the same group on my "L.A. Woman Live" DVD, but not those two great Doors cover songs. So, I refer back to "VH1 Storytellers" to see The Cult's lead singer perform them at an earlier time, with shorter hair. Without necessarily trying to imitate Jim Morrison, Astbury in "Backdoor Man" goes through movin' and shakin' motions that do less to complement the song and his so-so performance of it and more to suggest that he is being inspired by Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant singing, "shake for me ... I want to be your backdoor man." However, Astbury really rocks, sings well, and shakes great on "Wild Child," which unfortunately was not on the broadcast; hence, it was dubbed a bonus track here. Ian was so good that he could have, er, earned an audition... The informality of a Town-Hall-type setting, in which Doors members chat with the audience and take a few questions, brings the viewer closer to keyboard player Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. Sadly, John disputed the legitimacy of the 21st Century Doors, but some solace comes from seeing him together with Ray and Robby. Between songs, they deliver anecdotes largely familiar to their biggest fans, but some of the things they talk about would be new to most. In performing the songs, the three Doors are sometimes joined by supporting musicians. On "The End," a tabla player and an electric bassist complement a commanding performance by The Doors and Travis Meeks of Days of the New, giving this atmospheric tune even more eastern (Central Asian?) texture. I can always do without "Five to One." But with Train, Creed, and Stone Temple Pilots frontmen, let's invite ourselves to hear the rest. Wax hypnotic on "Riders on the Storm" (the other bonus track) and "Light My Fire." Let's rock with "Break on Through," "Roadhouse Blues," and "Love Me Two Times." Ray and Robby still have real edge and perhaps have greater dexterity than in their heyday, when it was Jim Morrison who had the magnetism. Over time, however, the three remaining Doors have achieved substantial charisma of their own. As this DVD shows, The Doors are the standard by which 21st century groups seek to be measured. | ||
 | Apples to Apples - Party Box Edition | |
| "Easy to Play, Enjoyable Word Association Game" | 2009-03-02 |
| It is understandable why Apples to Apples has become so popular. Because it is a simple word association game, a group at a family gathering or a casual get-together can easily be persuaded to play. What makes the game a standout is that the psychology of each player is on exhibit, providing a great deal of group entertainment. Everyone gets a chance to be the judge: With each new round, a new person takes on this role, in which he or she must pick the best match for the green adjective card. Everyone else picks up subject cards, from which they choose the one they think the judge will select as the best association. The items on the subject cards present a broad range of topics including people and places, entertainment and sporting activities, science and nature and food, history and culture. Even poison ivy and off-the-wall topics like pond scum come into play! Studying and understanding the psychology of the judge of-the-moment is a critical aspect of winning the game. One can get a clue from the cards he or she discards when not the judge. Is the judge-of-the-moment goofy and given to oddball or off-the-wall matches, or staid and given to straightforward connections? I have had a number of situations in which my card was chosen because it made for an amusing or "contrarian" fit, and I have done the same as a judge. There can still be skill at winning because more often than not, judges will pick something that is similar in an ordinary way. But because of the subjective element along with twists, subtleties, and ironies, anyone can win. Even when one does not win the overall game, there is enjoyment in being picked by the judge for an amusing match that makes everyone laugh or shake their head. | ||
 | I Never Had It Made : An Autobiography of Jackie Robinson | |
| "Achievement and Bitterness of a Champion" | 2009-03-02 |
| I enjoyed "I Never Had It Made," and I can recommend it as a pretty complete picture of Dodger great Jackie Robinson's life, in that he died shortly after its publication in 1972. It is possible Jackie expanded more on various topics in other publications, but I emphasize his heavy discussion here of events from the 1960s to the early 1970s. Any man who broke baseball's color line would have been an historical figure and would have had to show a lot of toughness. However, he would not necessarily have had Jackie's leadership qualities and penchant for remaining in the limelight due to involvement in political and social causes. Jackie Robinson had that extra dimension, and that is why I was interested in what he had to say, on baseball and everything else. Jackie had many triumphs. He was a star athlete at UCLA and resisted segregation in the military. He broke baseball's color line, overcoming merciless verbal abuse, threatened strikes, hate mail, and teammates who did not support him at first. In connection with baseball he would react to things, speak up, and then sometimes be singled out for controversy beyond what he wanted. This happened, for example, when Jackie stated that in his view the New York Yankee players were not bigoted, but that the Yankee front office discriminated against blacks. Jackie was attacked in various circles but graciously acknowledges here the support of Commissioner Ford Frick. Outside of baseball, Jackie spoke up too. A good quality he had was not only to make his own views clear, but to stick up for someone he thought was being treated unfairly. This can be seen in Jackie's desire, speaking before the House Un-American Activities Committee, to strike a proper balance on black singer and activist Paul Robeson: He had the right to have communist sympathies but not the right to declare himself a spokesman for all negroes. Jackie also attacked Malcolm X and Adam Clayton Powell for unfairly criticizing UN Undersecretary Dr. Ralph Bunche as an "Uncle Tom." Eventually, Jackie was caught up in the fading of idealism that developed as blacks and whites clashed following the passage of the main Civil Rights laws. Jackie tells how he worked in support of Nelson Rockefeller for President in 1964, but then went over to Lyndon Johnson when Barry Goldwater got the Republican nomination. Corresponding to this, Jackie's discusses his political evolution in supporting Richard Nixon before the mid-1960s but then seeing the light later. This is one of the most interesting aspects of the book. As for the business world, Jackie goes into his time as head of personnel for Chock full o' Nuts and his involvement with the African-American owned Freedom Bank. Unfortunately, controversies existed, and he faced many tense moments. Jackie became embittered with events. On top of this was the personal tragedy of his son Jackie Jr., who became addicted to drugs in Vietnam and later died in an auto accident. Jackie continued to speak out about failure to hire blacks in managerial and front office positions in baseball as well as general discrimination against blacks in employment. He grew to mistrust the white establishment more. Jackie Robinson was a commanding presence who always stood up for what he believed. The reader of "I Never Had It Made" will feel his sadness and bitterness. As someone who gave so much of himself, Jackie should have received more in return, and what he wanted he did not want for himself. | ||
 | The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It by Lawrence S. Ritter, ISBN 0688112730 | |
| "Oh, How They Played the Game!" | 2009-02-28 |
| "The Glory of their Times" is a book of personality, a book of passion, in which 22 baseball players of the 1890s to the 1930s tell their stories. Originally taped by Lawrence Ritter in the 1960s, these oral remembrances are now very valuable. There are no longer any live witnesses of the earlier times. The later times are fast escaping conscious memory, setting aside the contribution of Paul Waner, the only interviewee who played past 1938. I met Rube Marquard, the first interviewee presented, in 1975, during induction week at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Marquard, who had been inducted four years earlier, had a cane. He told me that New York Giant manager John McGraw was the greatest manager ever, and that Marquard's Giant teammate, pitcher Christy Mathewson, and others of his day played for the love of the sport. "Today, all the players want is money," he said. What would he say about the players of 2009? Giant catcher Chief Meyers also emphasized the love of the sport argument to Ritter: "Most of us would have paid them just to let us play." Regardless of the veracity of these statements, modern players benefit from a huge legacy the old timers bequeathed to them. Ritter states in his preface that they were "men who chased a dream and, at least for a time, caught up with it and lived with it...They were pioneers...They entered an endeavor which lacked social respectability, and when they left it, it was America's National Game." The years 1905-1914, after baseball's rules became relatively settled, are particularly special for me. With the home run a rare treat, bunting, contact hitting, good baserunning, and stolen bases were the keys. The Chicago Cubs had their "peerless leader," Frank Chance; Three Finger Brown and their other great pitchers; and their Tinker-to-Evers to Chance double play trio. They won the pennant every year from 1906 to 1910 except 1909, when Honus Wagner's Pittsburgh Pirates beat Ty Cobb's Detroit Tigers in the World Series as Wagner vastly outplayed the nasty Cobb. In 1908, Giant Fred Merkle's boner, recounted in detail here by teammate Al Bridwell, forced a playoff between the Giants and Cubs. The Cubs won and beat Cobb's Tigers in the World Series. This was one of the greatest seasons ever, and together with the 1909 season represented a peak in fan interest. The famous action shot of Cobb sliding into New York Highlander third baseman Jimmy Austin is in this book, and Austin discusses Cobb, spikes and all. Sam Crawford, Cobb's teammate, picks Wagner over Cobb as the best player he ever saw (plus, for what it is worth, Tris Speaker over Willie Mays in centerfielding). Tommy Leach, Wagner's teammate, picks Wagner as "[t]he greatest everything ever." Rube Bressler tells us about the great pitchers and the "$100,000" infield of the Philadelphia A's. That is $100 million today. Red Sox outfielder Harry Hooper and Smoky Joe Wood himself tell us about the Red Sox fireballer's 1912 season, in which he went 34-5 and won 16 straight games. Wood was the only pitcher of the time who could throw as hard as Walter Johnson, and Wood beat him 1-0 in a regular season game that was one of baseball's biggest draws (Johnson also won 16 straight that year). Wood was almost the loser in the World Series finale, but Fred Snodgrass dropped a fly ball in the 10th inning with the Giants ahead, and they and their beloved Mathewson went down to a heartbreaking defeat. Poor Snodgrass describes how, to no avail, he made a great catch on the next play that only detail-minded baseball fans know about. Hooper tells us he sure did remember, and he also recalls Babe Ruth as a young pitcher. Bridwell states the best modern players are in the league of the best old timers, but we can still appreciate the humor of Lefty O'Doul. He recounts how he was at a dinner in about 1960 and acknowledged that Willie Mays was a great fielder and quite a good baserunner but could not carry the bat of Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and some other old timers. Cobb hit .367 lifetime when the spitball was legal, along with the emery ball and the shine ball. A youngster asked O'Doul what he thought Cobb would hit today. O'Doul replied, "about the same as Mays, maybe .340." The kid asked, "Then why do you say Cobb was so great if he could only hit .340 or so with this lively ball?" O'Doul replied, "You have to take into consideration, the man is now seventy-three years old." | ||
 | The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It with Book by Lawrence S. Ritter, ISBN 1565112474 | |
| "Oh, How They Played the Game!" | 2009-02-28 |
| "The Glory of their Times" is a book of personality, a book of passion, in which 22 baseball players of the 1890s to the 1930s tell their stories. Originally taped by Lawrence Ritter in the 1960s, these oral remembrances are now very valuable. There are no longer any live witnesses of the earlier times. The later times are fast escaping conscious memory, setting aside the contribution of Paul Waner, the only interviewee who played past 1938. I met Rube Marquard, the first interviewee presented, in 1975, during induction week at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Marquard, who had been inducted four years earlier, had a cane. He told me that New York Giant manager John McGraw was the greatest manager ever, and that Marquard's Giant teammate, pitcher Christy Mathewson, and others of his day played for the love of the sport. "Today, all the players want is money," he said. What would he say about the players of 2009? Giant catcher Chief Meyers also emphasized the love of the sport argument to Ritter: "Most of us would have paid them just to let us play." Regardless of the veracity of these statements, modern players benefit from a huge legacy the old timers bequeathed to them. Ritter states in his preface that they were "men who chased a dream and, at least for a time, caught up with it and lived with it...They were pioneers...They entered an endeavor which lacked social respectability, and when they left it, it was America's National Game." The years 1905-1914, after baseball's rules became relatively settled, are particularly special for me. With the home run a rare treat, bunting, contact hitting, good baserunning, and stolen bases were the keys. The Chicago Cubs had their "peerless leader," Frank Chance; Three Finger Brown and their other great pitchers; and their Tinker-to-Evers to Chance double play trio. They won the pennant every year from 1906 to 1910 except 1909, when Honus Wagner's Pittsburgh Pirates beat Ty Cobb's Detroit Tigers in the World Series as Wagner vastly outplayed the nasty Cobb. In 1908, Giant Fred Merkle's boner, recounted in detail here by teammate Al Bridwell, forced a playoff between the Giants and Cubs. The Cubs won and beat Cobb's Tigers in the World Series. This was one of the greatest seasons ever, and together with the 1909 season represented a peak in fan interest. The famous action shot of Cobb sliding into New York Highlander third baseman Jimmy Austin is in this book, and Austin discusses Cobb, spikes and all. Sam Crawford, Cobb's teammate, picks Wagner over Cobb as the best player he ever saw (plus, for what it is worth, Tris Speaker over Willie Mays in centerfielding). Tommy Leach, Wagner's teammate, picks Wagner as "[t]he greatest everything ever." Rube Bressler tells us about the great pitchers and the "$100,000" infield of the Philadelphia A's. That is $100 million today. Red Sox outfielder Harry Hooper and Smoky Joe Wood himself tell us about the Red Sox fireballer's 1912 season, in which he went 34-5 and won 16 straight games. Wood was the only pitcher of the time who could throw as hard as Walter Johnson, and Wood beat him 1-0 in a regular season game that was one of baseball's biggest draws (Johnson also won 16 straight that year). Wood was almost the loser in the World Series finale, but Fred Snodgrass dropped a fly ball in the 10th inning with the Giants ahead, and they and their beloved Mathewson went down to a heartbreaking defeat. Poor Snodgrass describes how, to no avail, he made a great catch on the next play that only detail-minded baseball fans know about. Hooper tells us he sure did remember, and he also recalls Babe Ruth as a young pitcher. Bridwell states the best modern players are in the league of the best old timers, but we can still appreciate the humor of Lefty O'Doul. He recounts how he was at a dinner in about 1960 and acknowledged that Willie Mays was a great fielder and quite a good baserunner but could not carry the bat of Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and some other old timers. Cobb hit .367 lifetime when the spitball was legal, along with the emery ball and the shine ball. A youngster asked O'Doul what he thought Cobb would hit today. O'Doul replied, "about the same as Mays, maybe .340." The kid asked, "Then why do you say Cobb was so great if he could only hit .340 or so with this lively ball?" O'Doul replied, "You have to take into consideration, the man is now seventy-three years old." | ||
 | October 1964 | |
| "The Quintessential 1960s Baseball Season" | 2009-02-25 |
| "October 1964," written by the well-known journalist David Halberstam, tells the story of the month and the year when the St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Yankees in the World Series, 4 games to 3, to end the Yankee Dynasty. I will start by acknowledging there is a bit of the narrative in "October 1964." The season's progress is occasionally communicated, and Halberstam captures the late-season Yankee charge and the Philadelphia Phillies' collapse that allowed the Cards to win the National League pennant. The last six chapters (35 pages) each cover one World Series game (Chapter 31 covers Games 6 & 7). For the most part, however, "October 1964" is a sociological analysis of racial matters in baseball. The Yanks represented the establishment with its reluctance to sign black players, and the Cards represented the emergence of black stars. Halberstam gives extended profiles/discussions of the main figures, somewhat proportionate to their importance. There is much about Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, and Elston Howard as well as Lou Brock, Curt Flood, Tim McCarver, and racially sensitive manager Johnny Keane. But with the full 21 pages of Chapter VII devoted to Mickey Mantle and almost all of Chapter IX's 24 pages devoted to Bob Gibson (and many more pages for both), the reader is left wanting to know something about certain other players (Halberstam does give arbitrary focus to some lesser lights). Halberstam sets forth extended vignettes and background information, rather than summaries with occasional quotes that characterize the narrative style. He discusses a theme or a player, manager, or general manager, and then takes off with detail and insight, weaving everything into a larger picture he desires to communicate. Sometimes his discussion gives substantial focus to people who were not on either team, such as Negro League star Buck O'Neil and major leaguer George Crowe (last with the Cards in 1961). For the Cards' black players, the segregation of the South was still something they had to endure during spring training, and they suffered many other indignities in baseball. In this book they are black players instead of players, but that is not a bother because of what Halberstam is trying to accomplish. By contrast, Halberstam sentimentally reviews the Yankee players' trials and tribulations; most were in decline, and he tries to explain why. It also must be remembered what Jackie Robinson said in the 1950s: It was Yankee management that was prejudiced, not the players; the same held true here. Halberstam excessively dwells on Mantle's injuries and decline but fails to mention that, aside from being the most dynamic performer in the 1964 Series, Mantle was baseball's biggest offensive force in the regular season. He drove in 111 runs in only 465 at bats, and arguably should have won the MVP over Brooks Robinson. It took Cards' 1964 MVP Ken Boyer 628 at bats to get his 119 RBIs and Willie Mays 578 to get the same number as Mantle, who hit .387 with runners in scoring position and a freakishly high .424 batting right handed with 51 RBIs in 158 at bats. This underlines Halberstam's tendency to overly dwell on psychological themes at the expense of baseball analysis. Why not have a position by position size-up of the teams going into this closest of Series? Humor/Irony: The 1964 Yanks had five black players: Howard, Al Downing, Hector Lopez, Pedro Gonzalez, and Elvio Jimenez. The Cards had Brock, Gibson, Flood, and Bill White. Can you name another? I can, but that merely makes it 5-5. Also, suppose that in 1962 Willie McCovey's series-ending line drive had fallen in. That would have meant by 1964 three consecutive World Series losses for the Yanks, first at the hands of Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda, Felipe and Matty Alou, and Jose Pagan. Would Halberstam have written "October 1962" if that happened? But the primary credit would have gone to the Giants' white pitchers of that pitchers' Series, as with Koufax and Drysdale when the Dodgers swept the Yanks in 1963. Audio Cassette: I can vouch for the priorities on the cuts: The important stuff was left in. However, there is a blooper for the ages: The original has "The American League tended to rely on sluggers who were slow afoot; Mantle and Maris were exceptions." The audio cassette has "the American League tended to rely on sluggers; Mantle was the exception." Fact checking will show Halberstam himself made a few errors too. | ||
 | October 1964 | |
| "The Quintessential 1960s Baseball Season" | 2009-02-25 |
| "October 1964," written by the well-known journalist David Halberstam, tells the story of the month and the year when the St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Yankees in the World Series, 4 games to 3, to end the Yankee Dynasty. I will start by acknowledging there is a bit of the narrative in "October 1964." The season's progress is occasionally communicated, and Halberstam captures the late-season Yankee charge and the Philadelphia Phillies' collapse that allowed the Cards to win the National League pennant. The last six chapters (35 pages) each cover one World Series game (Chapter 31 covers Games 6 & 7). For the most part, however, "October 1964" is a sociological analysis of racial matters in baseball. The Yanks represented the establishment with its reluctance to sign black players, and the Cards represented the emergence of black stars. Halberstam gives extended profiles/discussions of the main figures, somewhat proportionate to their importance. There is much about Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, and Elston Howard as well as Lou Brock, Curt Flood, Tim McCarver, and racially sensitive manager Johnny Keane. But with the full 21 pages of Chapter VII devoted to Mickey Mantle and almost all of Chapter IX's 24 pages devoted to Bob Gibson (and many more pages for both), the reader is left wanting to know something about certain other players (Halberstam does give arbitrary focus to some lesser lights). Halberstam sets forth extended vignettes and background information, rather than summaries with occasional quotes that characterize the narrative style. He discusses a theme or a player, manager, or general manager, and then takes off with detail and insight, weaving everything into a larger picture he desires to communicate. Sometimes his discussion gives substantial focus to people who were not on either team, such as Negro League star Buck O'Neil and major leaguer George Crowe (last with the Cards in 1961). For the Cards' black players, the segregation of the South was still something they had to endure during spring training, and they suffered many other indignities in baseball. In this book they are black players instead of players, but that is not a bother because of what Halberstam is trying to accomplish. By contrast, Halberstam sentimentally reviews the Yankee players' trials and tribulations; most were in decline, and he tries to explain why. It also must be remembered what Jackie Robinson said in the 1950s: It was Yankee management that was prejudiced, not the players; the same held true here. Halberstam excessively dwells on Mantle's injuries and decline but fails to mention that, aside from being the most dynamic performer in the 1964 Series, Mantle was baseball's biggest offensive force in the regular season. He drove in 111 runs in only 465 at bats, and arguably should have won the MVP over Brooks Robinson. It took Cards' 1964 MVP Ken Boyer 628 at bats to get his 119 RBIs and Willie Mays 578 to get the same number as Mantle, who hit .387 with runners in scoring position and a freakishly high .424 batting right handed with 51 RBIs in 158 at bats. This underlines Halberstam's tendency to overly dwell on psychological themes at the expense of baseball analysis. Why not have a position by position size-up of the teams going into this closest of Series? Humor/Irony: The 1964 Yanks had five black players: Howard, Al Downing, Hector Lopez, Pedro Gonzalez, and Elvio Jimenez. The Cards had Brock, Gibson, Flood, and Bill White. Can you name another? I can, but that merely makes it 5-5. Also, suppose that in 1962 Willie McCovey's series-ending line drive had fallen in. That would have meant by 1964 three consecutive World Series losses for the Yanks, first at the hands of Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda, Felipe and Matty Alou, and Jose Pagan. Would Halberstam have written "October 1962" if that happened? But the primary credit would have gone to the Giants' white pitchers of that pitchers' Series, as with Koufax and Drysdale when the Dodgers swept the Yanks in 1963. Audio Cassette: I can vouch for the priorities on the cuts: The important stuff was left in. However, there is a blooper for the ages: The original has "The American League tended to rely on sluggers who were slow afoot; Mantle and Maris were exceptions." The audio cassette has "the American League tended to rely on sluggers; Mantle was the exception." Fact checking will show Halberstam himself made a few errors too. | ||
 | Matty: An American Hero : Christy Mathewson of the New York Giants | |
| "Certainly a Hero, and Even a Paragon of Virtue?" | 2009-02-19 |
| Through the end of the 19th century, baseball had a roughshod reputation: Uneducated and unrefined players drove many a respectable family to opt for a picnic instead. One man was the big force in countering that image: New York Giant righthander Christy Mathewson. The quintessential baseball hero and a first-year Hall of Famer, he is the subject of this biography by veteran baseball writer Ray Robinson. On the field, Mathewson won 373 games and lost only 188, and he pitched 79 shutouts. As Robinson emphasizes, Matty was the greatest control pitcher of his time, which seemed to be a by-product of his intelligence. In the World Series he was 5-5 but that should have been much better: His ERA was 0.97. Against the Philadelphia A's in the 1905 World Series, Matty pitched three complete-game shutouts, the best pitching performance to this day in the Fall Classic. Matty grew up in Factoryville, Pennsylvania, and at Bucknell University he achieved academic as well as athletic distinction. Even though he left after his junior year (as Robinson puts it, "he became Bucknell's most famous dropout"), he was seen as baseball's first college boy. Matty was so intent on leading a virtuous life that in addition to moderation in drinking and swearing, he refused to pitch on Sunday. (However, he changed his tune on the subject after his playing career, something I found out first from this book.) In the days when there was only one umpire on the field, an ump who had not gotten a clear view might defer to Matty for the correct call because Matty "had a widespread reputation for integrity and probity." If Matty was not at his best on a given day, Robinson observes, people would speculate that this checkers champion was staying up too late playing the then-popular board game, rather than what might be supposed in the case of modern athletes. Indeed, Mathewson as presented by Robinson is an authentic virtue-laden scholar athlete. Robinson gathered a lot of quotations, and he enlightens the reader on lesser-known matters such as Christy's days at Bucknell and his World War I experience that led to his premature death from tuberculosis. We even learn that the Giants traveled to Cuba and that Christy pitched against a pitcher nicknamed "the black Mathewson." Robinson captured the passion of Mathewson's World Series moments --including the heartbreaking defeat in the 1912 World Series. Some moments of Matty's pitching rivalry with Three Finger Brown are included, but after Mathewson beat Brown 1-0 in a 1905 game, it was one of baseball's jinxes that Brown beat him nine straight times (not mentioned by Robinson) while the Cubs were winning pennants. Setting that detail aside, there is something more about Mathewson the reader wants to know. Sure, an occasional failing was acknowledged, and some end-of-book tributes from writers and others were given. But inside the narrative I would have liked to see more concentrated focus on emotional content -- Mathewson's personality, baseball friendships, family life, etc. The Cubs-Giants rivalry could have been given greater scope. But I acknowledge these things are more difficult in writing about old timers, with witnesses dead and limited information at hand. Bottom line: "Matty" is a good studious read for baseball fans with an interest in his era. | ||
 | 61* : The Story of Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle and One Magical Summer | |
| "Top Notch in Every Category" | 2009-02-11 |
| The basic story of the 1961 Mantle and Maris home run race is pretty well known, but real fans like to know the details, the day-by-day occurrences: what it was like in the trenches for Roger and Mickey. In "61*" The Sporting News editors give week-by week commentaries on the fortunes of these two Bronx Bombers with an eye-friendly layout. The glossy pages are loaded with large photographs, some in color and some taking up an entire page. Green box charts detail the homers by both sluggers during the week. Newspaper clippings are superimposed. There was so much going on: Japanese newspapers were asking Maris questions, Mantle and Maris were being cast in a movie with Doris Day, and computers were being asked whether one or both would break Babe Ruth's home run record. The season started hot for Mantle and cold for Maris, and even after Roger had his share of home runs, his batting average was low until a midsummer surge. Shortly after midseason came Commissioner Ford Frick's controversial asterisk ruling (this book is titled "61*," not "61"), which hardly needs an introduction. It seems that today, everyone (I certainly do) thinks it was wrong. Yet photos/comments of 10 AL and NL stars pulled from TSN archives show that more than half agreed with Frick, Ruth's ghostwriter, that in this first 162-game season, 61 homers would have to be hit in the first 154 games for Ruth's record to be considered broken. Mantle agreed: "Mick 'Wouldn't Want Mark If It Was Set in 155 Games'" is the banner head of the double-page display featuring their comments. Hindsight tells us that a season is a season; people who want to count at-bats, plate appearances, and games can do so informally if they want. But Frick's ruling dominated the dialogue on the home run race that was dominating the season. An irony, as "61*" filmmaker Billy Crystal points out in his forward, was that on the day Frick's ruling was announced, both M&M boys lost a homer when a game was rained out. Crystal wrote that "The summer of 1961 was the greatest of my life." Wasn't it for everyone? But a curious fact is that the Yankees drew only 1.7 million fans. As one writer later remarked, they should have drawn 3 million. There were many empty seats in the Yanks' final games. Nevertheless, the world listened breathlessly, and the tension surrounding Roger's final three homers is a great, detailed story here. Roger hit #59 in game 154 with the wind blowing heavily in, and then had a few near misses in a gallant effort at upsiding Frick. The final pages include commentary on post-1961 years for Mantle and Maris, an interview with Crystal about his film, and yes, a little on Mark McGwire (who had an advantage over Maris, as Barry Bonds had, that I will allow to remain implicit). This book packs a lot of passion, in prose and photographs. Aside from the seasonal drama, readers will feel that they have learned the true story of Mantle and Maris as men. | ||
 | Bronx Zoo | |
| "The Season to Remember" | 2009-02-08 |
| New York Yankee relief ace Sparky Lyle wrote "The Bronx Zoo" to present his team's 1978 season, day by day, as he saw it. He rose to the occasion, for the events were of such a stature and such controversy as to demand a book like this. The season had so many defining moments: Reggie Jackson vs. Thurman Munson; Billy Martin vs. George Steinbrenner and Reggie: "One's (Reggie's) a born liar and the other's (George's) a convicted one"; the firing and hiatus rehiring of Martin; Catfish Hunter's miraculous comeback; The Boston Massacre, climaxing a comeback from 14 games out; Bucky Dent's home run; Ron Guidry going 25-3; Bob Welch striking out Reggie, and then a magnificent comeback World Series win under manager Bob Lemon's quiet guidance. All this in one season? Thurman Munson's death the next year left this Yankee season with even greater radiance. "The Bronx Zoo" became the sobriquet for the Yankees of this era, and their 1978 season became THE season to remember. With Sparky contributing so much else, I was unbothered by his carping about his competition for the lead relief spot with Rich Gossage. Hey, Sparky says himself that it wasn't personal, and he took Goose out for a meal early on to make that clear to him. Forget it: What "The Bronx Zoo" sets forth is the personalities and events of the season. There is some of Jim Bouton's "Ball Four" in tone: Sparky has good sarcasm, and controversy is an obvious theme. But the humor here outdoes that in "Ball Four." In New York only two weeks after being traded to the Yankees, Sparky relates how he sat on a cake intended for manager Ralph Houk. Plays-for-keeps Thurman Munson had alerted Sparky, knowing of this habit he would bring from Boston to New York. But that takes second fiddle to a later episode involving a cake, some shampoo, and female reporters in the Yanks' locker room. Funny too were Sparky's teammates like Graig Nettles: He said that Sparky "went from Cy Young [in 1977] to Sayonara after 1978." So there is much controversy and humor in this book, but there is also pride: This team was known as "The Best Team Money Can Buy." Just as Sparky talks about clubhouse shenanigans and player resentments, he discusses his theories on why Reggie does so well in October. And read Sparky describe how the Yanks fought back in the face of Dodger arrogance after dropping World Series Games 1 & 2 in LA: "'We don't want to just beat them. We want to really kick their ass.' And we did." Then Sparky lays it on how they did with such statements as "[Bill Russell] couldn't have caught a ground ball with a shovel." So pride was there, but the style of the message is just fun and more fun. After I started reading "The Bronx Zoo," I could hardly put it down. | ||
 | Minnie and the Mick: The Go-Go White Sox Challenge the Fabled Yankee Dynasty, 1951 to 1964 | |
| "Yankee and White Sox Hearts" | 2009-02-08 |
| From 1951 to 1964, the Go-Go White Sox beat out the Yankees for the American League pennant only once, in 1959. That is not terribly impressive, but the only other team to do it was the Cleveland Indians, in 1954. It is the White Sox who can take pride in having been the most consistent leading rivals to the Bronx Bombers over this period. Each year is introduced by "Setting the Stage" with general background on the season. Author Bob Vanderberg then presents write-ups of a "Most Glorious Victory" and a "Most Devastating Defeat." There and in separate chapters, players on each team give their personal memories of all aspects of the rivalry, down to park effects, managers, and controversies. Tom Tresh relates how difficult it was to hit Hoyt Wilhelm's knuckleball, and Billy Pierce comments on pitching to Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Bill Skowron. There is even a chapter on fights: You guessed it, the name Billy Martin pops up, but there are many others. For the period, the appendices contain summaries and details of each game played, as well as extensive stats. It is unfortunate that Minnie Minoso, the big White Sox star of 1951-57, was not on the 1959 AL champions (he came back after season's end in a trade), but the amusing title gives a correct indication that this book will not be dry. It rivals Peter Golenbock's "Dynasty" in aggregating quotes and anecdotes. Although a lot of stats are given, "Minnie and the Mick" is a book of memories, not narratives. The chemistry of the rivalry is captured effectively. Maybe the writer's home team is the White Sox, but this book will appeal to Yankees fans as well, along with other fans who have a nostalgic interest in 1950s and 1960s baseball. | ||
 | Elston and Me: The Story of the First Black Yankee (Sports and American Culture Series) | |
| "Biography of a True Champion" | 2009-02-05 |
| "Whatever they're paying him, it ain't enough." This quote from former Yankees manager Casey Stengel (p. 133) on Elston Howard's 1965 contract neatly sums up how valuable Howard was to the Yankees, and "Elston and Me," a biography by Howard's widow, Arlene, serves to do the same. As the first black Yankee player and coach, Howard left a lasting imprint as a fine gentleman and extremely valuable Yankee for nine AL championship teams. In 1955, the Yankees needed someone with quiet dignity to break the color barrier for them, and Howard filled the role. "Elston and Me" shows he was not as willing as some people think to roll with every punch, either. He did speak out against spring training discrimination against black players, for example. The refreshing thing is that people who know things about Elston can recognize that the praises given to him (not just the prose, but the many quotes about him) in this book are all true; it is not the sort of thing that could be contradicted by a scandal book. Elston is portrayed as a religious and family man and an unselfish person, but also the consummate team player: Arlene and co-author Ralph Wimbish do a good job of telling the story of Elston the man, but also the fierce competitor. Baseball (mostly Yankee) fans will get their satisfaction from the retelling of baseball events, season by season. The negative to this book is the fact checking. The text has Yogi Berra hitting 22 home runs in 1955 (was 27) and the Yanks winning the 1957 pennant with a 96-55 record (98-56). Hank Bauer is cited as winning the 1958 Sport Magazine World Series MVP award, but it was Bob Turley. The subject is not spared the mistakes: His RBI totals are incorrect for two different seasons and up to a certain point in one season. Frank Lary beat the Yanks 7 times in 1958, not 1957. There are many more smaller errors involving what inning, what date, who scored the run etc. that I will not bore you with except to comment that they can be pinpointed because of the existence of modern information (baseball) databases. One would hope these things would lessen rather than become greater with the passage of time, but unfortunately, they are a reality for too many publications nowadays. | ||
 | Samsung ML-2010 Monochrome Laser Printer | |
| "OK While It Lasted; Some Jamming Problems" | 2009-02-03 |
| I was a Samsung ML-2010 printer owner for 2 3/4 years, and I was always happy with the laser jet print quality. As for paper jams, I found things to be middling. At times I could see a reason for the jam because of distortions in the paper, but other times I thought the printer really should not have jammed. The positive is that after the work to clear things out and washing my hands, it would recover. My ML-2010 was also durable as far as recovering from things like temporary disconnections or nonfunctioning, until about 4 months ago. I did have some problems with canceling print jobs from the computer; I am not sure how much that had to do with the printer, because it is a frequent problem with computers (settings/control panel). I was satisfied by the number of pages I got from the toner. Also, I had success with refurbished toner as well as new toner. Refurbished is worth it because you will get a better price, and you can find good prices if you look around. After 2 3/4 years, something went wrong with the printer connection to my computer. I purchased a different printer. | ||
 | The Totally Garlic Cookbook | |
| "For Love of the Garlic Taste" | 2009-01-20 |
| My wife and I love garlic, and we are very glad we purchased this book. We have not tried any of the meat dishes yet, but we can personally vouch for the Penne with Broccoli & Garlic, Roasted Garlic Potatoes, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes (for flavor, do use the proportions they recommend), Sauteed Spinach with Garlic & Lemon Slivers, Garlic Asparagus, and Rice Pilaf with Peppers & Pinenuts. It is not just the garlic, but how it mixes with other recipe items: e.g., those red pepper flakes in the penne dish, that rosemary in the roasted garlic potatoes. My wife always professed to garlic tea to help colds, and there is also garlic honey cough syrup (includes brandy!). If you like garlic, in this book you'll find many helpful recipes featuring garlic and clever ways to enhance recipes with garlic. | ||
 | Toby Toucan and His Noisy Beak with Toy by Paul Flemming, ISBN 157584172X | |
| "Beautiful and Useful Too" | 2009-01-18 |
| Toucans' colorful beaks and other pretty features make them special to us humans: What glows is charismatic. I'm not sure what toucans really sound like when they close their beaks, but the theme of this board book is to believe that toucans are capable of doing so loudly: "snip, snap." On top of the last page, above all the pages, is Toby's plastic head and large beak, very colorful. There is a handle at the back of his head that allows the kids to "snip, snap" the beak. Like the last page, the cover page neatly matches the beak and head with the remainder of his profile. The story is brief but is fun for young readers. Toby, proud of his beak, receives a letter delivered by flying mailman Harry Heron. It is from other animals that complain that his snapping harms their daytime/nighttime sleep. Later, they find his snapping useful, for a good ending. The excellent color illustrations emphasize Toby's tropical look and the greens and browns of the forest. Because the pages are board, they are durable and well fit for youngsters. You can count on your kids enjoying this book. | ||
 | One Was Johnny: A Counting Book | |
| "A Wacky Count Up to 10 and Down" | 2009-01-18 |
| "One Was Johnny" is a simple counting book for young kids. It uses that favorite element that all kids enjoy -- animals -- in a fun story of events in a count up to 10, then down from 10. The animals keep coming into Johnny's house, doing some mundane, some nonsensical things; what should Johnny do? (There is a token human, a robber who does merely trivial harm.) Johnny's method to get rid of the intruders bears an interesting twist with respect to the song-rhyme "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly." All the counting pages have amusing illustrations. Johnny achieves his solitude, but the kids may wonder why he did not want to be with all the great animals. They will still love the book. | ||
 | One Was Johnny: A Counting Book | |
| "A Wacky Count Up to 10 and Down" | 2009-01-18 |
| "One Was Johnny" is a simple counting book for young kids. It uses that favorite element that all kids enjoy -- animals -- in a fun story of events in a count up to 10, then down from 10. The animals keep coming into Johnny's house, doing some mundane, some nonsensical things; what should Johnny do? (There is a token human, a robber who does merely trivial harm.) Johnny's method to get rid of the intruders bears an interesting twist with respect to the song-rhyme "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly." All the counting pages have amusing illustrations. Johnny achieves his solitude, but the kids may wonder why he did not want to be with all the great animals. They will still love the book. | ||
 | Michael Brecker - Tales from the Hudson | |
| "The Stars Deliver" | 2009-01-16 |
| Michael Brecker, who performs versatile tenor sax work, wrote most of the songs and assembled an all-star cast for this CD. Start with the rhythm section: That's Dave Holland on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums behind the grooves. Listen to "Song for Bilbao": If you think that sounds like a Pat Metheny song, you're right, and that is Pat with a screeching guitar solo; he also plays on all the other songs. McCoy Tyner, whose piano work I really liked on Coltrane's "My Favorite Things" and "Ole," endears himself to me again on two numbers: "Bilbao" above and the dynamic "African Skies." Joey Calderazzo is the piano person on the other tracks, including his own "Midnight Voyage," one of the highlights. "Tales from the Hudson" concludes on a feverish pace with "Cabin Fever," as Brecker's sax and other instruments rocket at a blistering pace. The tempos vary, but never the quality of the jazz, as this CD shows that when Brecker puts his mind to it, he can succeed. | ||
 | Steps Ahead - Modern Times | |
| "A Step in the Other Direction" | 2009-01-14 |
| For the most part "Modern Times" represents a shift to a more structured set of songs from the improvisational style of the group's U.S. debut album. The presence of keyboardist Warren Bernhardt adds an extra dimension. This is a great electronic jazz CD, with plenty of spunk and good music. The horn and synth motifs and rhythms have little of the blandness sometimes heard in modern jazz CDs. They occasionally get repetitive, but there is always something else that kicks in to keep things interesting. As a vibraphone lover I enjoy the work of Mike Mainieri, and there are plenty of good vibrations elsewhere. For example, on "Radioactive" and "Old Town," the percussion is synthesized into sharp wooden sounds, which along with the other instruments create those often intricate, pulsating fountains of rhythm that epitomize the best of electronic jazz. The group really excels in those songs and elsewhere in overlaying the instruments and rhythms. There is, of course, still some good improvisation from the horns, the piano, and the vibraphones. "Self Portrait" and "Now You Know" are gems that will satisfy listeners who enjoy the pretty side of things. Along with the group's U.S. debut, this is one of my favorite modern jazz CDs. | ||
 | Steps Ahead - Steps Ahead | |
| "Pools of Great Sound" | 2009-01-06 |
| Years ago, I confided in a friend who played in a jazz band that I was looking for jazz CDs with good vibraphones, and he recommended this. He added, "Listen to the first cut, `Pools,' it will blow you away." Well, I listened, and it did. Mike Mainieri's vibraphone soloing on "Pools" is the best kind of free-flowing improvisation from this beautiful instrument, yielding an absorbing pleasure trip. Tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker amazingly matches Mainieri in quality on "Pools" to make this 11-minute plus composition magnificent from start to finish. The second song, "Islands," is almost as good. Mainieri's vibes sparkle again on this track, as well as on "Skyward Bound" and "Northern Cross." Brecker time and again displays a great technical proficiency on the sax, and the rhythm section is great. The group is really together except on the oddball improvisation finale "Trio." Fans of pianist Eliane Elias should note she made her first album appearance here, before she launched her very successful solo career. Her radiant improvisation work on "Islands" is her highlight. Beyond my predilection for the great vibraphone work, this eponymous U.S. debut is one of the best modern jazz albums I know. | ||
 | Mastering Spanish Business Vocabulary: A Thematic Approach | |
| "Data Dump" | 2008-12-27 |
| I use my Spanish language skills on occasion at work, and I have found this book's wealth of words and phrases to be useful. Spanish words and phrases are set forth with their English translation, most of the time with Spanish/English sample sentences. However, organization and perspective are lacking. There are 27 thematic topics and various subtopics in each topic. These topics and subtopics and the words or phrases themselves are not alphabetized. There are no insights, commentary, or tables. I give this book 4 stars (barely) because I am an information hound and because there is at least an index, although Spanish to English only. However, people who want more organization, explanation, and creative helpfulness may not find it as palatable as they would like. | ||
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