As seen in Memory of Fire, Molly McColl dies while saving the life of Lauren Dane's son Jake. Because Molly holds the position of Vodi on Oria, she wears a necklace that magically refuses to allow her to die. Unfortunately, her rebirth brought back a soulless Molly McColl.

The two sisters-Lauren and Molly-begin questing for knowledge on what happened to former Vodi. While they work, dark forces begin working toward the destruction of the two women. Jake, who has never gotten over the death of his father, somehow manages to transport himself to the afterlife in search of his father. Lauren is forced to follow her son in an effort to try to save four souls: her husband's, Jake's, Molly's, and her own.

Meanwhile Pete Stark definitely proves to be more than a mere deputy, the Cat Creek Sentinels begin wondering about Lauren, and dragons surface as book two winds toward a satisfactory finale. Characters, plot, setting, and all the other elements of great fantasy work well in The Wreck of Heaven.

The cd lyrics are typical Jayhawk fare in that they are a cross between Eric Woolfson and Bernie Taupin. In short, Jayhawk lyrics are not vacuous but are very concise with plenty of bite and import. Consider this whimsical verse from "Save it for a Rainy Day":

"Pretty little hairdo don't do what it used to
Can't disguise the living
All the miles that you've been through

Looking like a train wreck
Wearing too much makeup
The burden that you carry
Is more than one soul could ever bear"

As for the feel of the music, consider it a cross between the Beatles' Rubber Soul and early James Taylor. There is a mellowness with a tangible bite to it pervading the entire 14 song set of disk one. (Disk 2 is a collection of rehearsals, live performances, and acoustic versions of songs past and present.)

Perhaps "All the Right Reasons" is the best song on the cd. Then again, "Will I See You in Heaven" may be tomorrow's favorite. There are truly no bad songs to be found on this album.

To any who have never heard the Jayhawks, consider that the group's last album must have impressed Stephen King since he alludes to works from Smile in Black House and From a Buick 8. For the King of Pop Culture to take a notice, the Jayhawks must be worth noticing.

Ringo's latest effort sports a dazzling array of guests including Timothy B. Schmit, David Gilmour, Willie Nelson, and Eric Clapton. The basic band is fairly tight and does show an amazing versatility. Overall, the production values of the music are fairly well done.

The obvious track most people will want to hear is the tribute to George Harrison "Never Without You." Like George Harrison's own "All Those Years Ago" tribute to John Lennon, this tribute is simultaneously light-hearted and deeply felt. The guitar work of Eric Clapton compliments the tongue in cheek lyrics.

A DVD accompanies the set and is a documentary of the making of Ringo Rama. Unlike the DVD that accompanied George Harrison's Brainwashed, this documentary does have some substance. A great deal of the silly antics and work that went into the production of the CD are revealed.

Overall, the album is far better than McCartney's Driving Rain and not as good as Harrison's Brainwashed. Most Beatle fans will appreciate Ringo Rama for its simplicity and loud Blast from the Past.

Now, McCammon releases Speaks the Nightbird amid interviews in which he says he is through with writing. I put off reading what could unfortunately be McCammon's last published work under the principle of saving the best for last. I waded through King's opus about a Buick and Koontz's reworking of Frankenstein while eyeing Speaks the Nightbird as it hung around the unread portion of my bookshelves. For extra good measure, I read everything Elizabeth Haydon had written to 2003.

Only two unread books remained to me: Robert Jordan and Robert McCammon. Which did I think would be the most disappointing? One that fires a seemingly endless epic that appears to have become mired in capitalistic greed, or what could be my favorite writer's swan song? As Jordan collected dust, I opened Speaks the Nightbird and stepped into 1699 when Carolina was still a fledgling British colony. I stepped into murder most foul, mystery walking rampant, and fiction at its best.

What most writers aspire to be, McCammon seems to master whimsically. His characters, plot, machinations, and setting erupt into a blissfully wondrous reader's heaven. Under dark rain clouds, the reader enters the life of a magistrate's clerk-Matthew-as he rides the road from old Charles Towne to one of the Carolina colonies that is faced with a macabre legal issue. Murder most foul apparently has been committed by a witch. The colony's own existence seems threatened until the issue of witchcraft can be legally settled by the magistrate.

Waves of mystery upon mystery roll ever relentlessly over the reader as the clerk finds a witch whose beauty is bewitching and whose guilt is inarguable. All witnesses tell the truth...of that fact there can be no doubt. Yet, Matthew finds himself charmed by the lass's apparent innocence.

Speaks the Nightbird is a wondrous voyage through McCammon's blue world. No matter what type of fiction a reader enjoys, this book will find its way into that reader's heart. Despite his protestations that he will no longer write, McCammon may find that his readers have a unique problem. They thirst for more.

Dean Koontz does take a different strategy with his tapestry of plot. Instead of weaving back and forth with various strands of his plot as he did with Strangers and Mr. Murder, Koontz basically stays with his three main characters once they are introduced. As has been usual with Koontz as of late, his new novel only spans a few days.

Koontz starts his novel with a true North by Northwest feel in that he appears to place his characters in the wrong place at the wrong time. An unusual plot twist in the novel's last pages takes a surprise turn that will take most readers totally unaware, and Koontz shreds the wrong place at the wrong time into something else entirely.

Dylan O'Conner, an artist on his way to an arts festival, and his autistic brother Shep are ensconced in a hotel room. Nearby, Jillian Jackson is a comedian on her way to her next gig. Those three find a trip to get fast food and root beer to be a suddenly dangerous proposition. Attacked by an amok scientist, Dylan and Jillian are forcibly given injections that may-or may not-have positive consequences.

To compound matters, there is a goon squad that wants to kill the amok scientist and anyone with whom he may have had contact. Jillian, Dylan, and the synonym spouting Shep find themselves on the run and that strange things are beginning to happen within their bodies.

The next few days in the three character's lives are a wild non-stop roller coaster ride that is virtually a thrill a minute. Koontz has a unique way of peppering his suspense-filled pages with humor, especially in the personage of Shep O'Conner. One can easily compare the unusual character that is Shep with Tom (M-O-O-N spells Tom) from King's The Stand. Both characters are immensely charming and quite more than they appear to be.

Easily, these three characters rank as some of the most charming and unique personages found in the Koontz universe. Koontz somehow finds a way to allow the characters to grow and become three-dimensional during the book's non-stop action and brevity of time that makes up the story's setting.

This is also one of the few Koontz books that does not feature a loveable animal. The goon squad that chases Shep, Dylan, and Jillian never develop as characters because they remain a constant background threat. Normally, Koontz loves to get into his evil characters' heads and reveal their sickness. He pretty much avoids doing that with the exception of the chilling Dr. Frankenstein. (For those who have read the book, the pun with chilling was intended. Sorry.)

Those who have not had the pleasure of experiencing the Koontz universe could not hope for a better introduction. By the Light of the Moon is a master at work and is a wonderful weaving of suspense and comic relief.

Brainwashed features a George Harrison freer and more relaxed since the early Beatle days. Prometheus unbound could not have been more emancipated from the shackles of pressure and concern as to how an artistic work would be received. This album just might be George's best work ever, and is definitely a wonderful goodbye to those who loved the man and enjoyed his music. I admit a tear or two passed between the tracks.

Both Jeff Lynne and Dhani Harrison deserve kudos for a job well done in production. What had begun with The Traveling Wilburys and Cloud Nine continues and is more than mere ear candy.

Jeff Lynne, who was the driving force behind the original Electric Light Orchestra, can be heavy handed with his direction, but I feel he handled George's songs with care. Listening to Dhani Harrison-and seeing him physically on the enclosed DVD-is haunting. Dhani's resemblance to his father is uncanny...especially when thinking of the George of the early Fab Four days.

All the songs are worthy, but two deserve special mention. "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" is a wonderful song that George Harrison did with Jools Holland. Listening to George play a song he thoroughly enjoyed-but did not compose-is a definite treat. Nothing more screams the true George Harrison than does this excellent performance. "Run So Far" was a song George contributed to Eric Clapton's monster album Journeyman in 1989.

Brainwashed does a good job of embodying all that made George Harrison such a delightful, special singer, composer and individual. About the time Jim Croce died, an old cliché made the rounds-Heaven must have a hell of a band. Now, I truly think it does.

In the distant past, the land of Corus suffered a mysterious magical catastrophe of apocryphal proportions. Unfortunately, what has replaced political and social nirvana is a collage of minor nation-states that are constantly seeking to expand their ways of life through war. Caught in the middle is the territory of the Iron Valleys. Enter into the fray a young man called Alucius, heralded by mysterious beings known as Soarers.

Alucius is a herder of nightsheep. As a character, Alucius is an interesting cross between Luke Skywalker of Star Wars fame and Stephen King's Roland. The first part of the book deals with Alucius's development and his growth into manhood. As with most herders, Alucius has Talent, magical abilities that are largely used to defend nightsheep from Iron Valley predators.

Because of threatening rogue nation-states, Alucius finds himself conscripted into the Iron Valley militia. He evolves into an competent scout, able to use his Talent to locate the invading enemy and escape detection. Unfortunately, disaster strikes and Alucius finds himself a prisoner of war forced to serve in the enemy army.

The world of Corus is fascinating with a wild west flavor tainted by magic and intrigue. Modesitt does not fully explore his new world, obviously leaving that for future volumes. He does, however, leave enough intriguing concepts dangling to whet one's appetite for future adventures.

Legacies is an excellent book filled with well-developed characters that wonder through a tightly wielded plot. Anyone who has enjoyed past Modesitt fantasy works will find Legacies a marvelous read.

The music itself is a wonderful variety. Eleven tunes brilliantly illustrate exactly what Christmas should be...a time of love, peace, and miracles.

The CD's first tune is a melody called "Christmas Is Almost Here". Between the haunting guitar work and Carly's sultry voice, the song twists and winds like a slowly moving river on a lazy winter day. An equally haunting version of "O Come, All Ye Faithful" is given new life as Carly sings a familiar tune to the accompaniment of wonderful dobro and guitar work.

The tenor of the CD changes with the Carly Simon penned "The Land of Christmas (Mary)". This funky tune is reminiscent of some of her better tunes from The Bedroom Tapes. A wonderful version of "Silent Night" works well and is an excellent transition to the funky "Twelve Gates to the City". Beatle fans will find the musicians for this tune a delight. Billy Preston and Jim Keltner provide excellent support. Billy Preston's organ work for the Let It Be album and Harrison's Bangla Desh concert was wonderful. Jim Keltner is the legendary studio drummer that worked on solo efforts for John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison.

"I'll Be Home for Christmas" makes a body want to rush home. Carly's voice is haunting and incredibly sexual. A rather interesting version of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" follows with a slight reggae twist.

"Heaven" is written by Carly and Lucy Simon. This tune works very well with a bare bones accompaniment of only acoustic guitar, piano, and bass. What follows is a fascinating duet with Willie Nelson as the two give a dynamic interpretation of "Pretty Paper". Although one would scoff at the idea of Willie Nelson's and Carly Simon's voices merging well together, they actually do a breathtakingly excellent job.

Carly Simon makes "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" her very own song. With the accompaniment of only a 12-string guitar, anyone who hears this will definitely feel that Christmas time is here again.

The CD's concluding song is apt for what currently ails the world. John Lennon's and Yoko Ono's wonderful Christmas tune "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" is delivered with an angst and poignancy that makes one tearfully remember the December 8th, 1980 murder of John Lennon. Shades of Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Palestine, and all the other world's ills are all given an appropriate perspective and one can only hope that the drums of war can ultimately be silenced.
All in all, Carly's album has only one flaw. It simply does not last long enough. Otherwise, if one were to own only one Christmas album, this should be the one!

King has had similar characters and another book about an old car rolled off a Twilight Zone assembly line. Probably the work that comes the closest is an old short story called "The Mist" in that King shows a propensity towards unique worlds and dimensions walking uncomfortably close to our own.

From a Buick 8 is a story that centers around Ned Wilcox and the rural Pennsylvania state police of Troop D. Ned Wilcox is a boy confronting the ambiguous and amorphous change from teenager to man. To confound his journey to manhood, Ned's father Curt Wilcox (a member of Troop D while alive) is killed by a horrible auto accident somewhat reminiscent of King's own misfortune in Maine. (There are differences. Thank God, King survived his own brutal brush with death.) Determined to help the boy understand what happened to his father, Sandy Dearborn and other troopers tell Ned about the mystery lying inside Shed B.

King adopts the posture of several different points of view in painting the narrative of From a Buick 8. He weaves a tightly woven tale that relentlessly yanks the reader bodily by the neck into one of King's most macabre and entertaining roller coaster rides. From a Buick 8 is about as addictive and hypnotizing as truly great fiction can be. One can almost hear Sandy Dearborn spinning Troop D's incredible tale as a whispering mental tug draws the reader helplessly in front of Shed B to take his or her own peek.

For me, the release of a new Stephen King book is an advent reminiscent of discovering the value of a library card and all the wonders it can unleash. From a Buick 8 is a gift from a well-seasoned writer who seems to have his own unlimited universe through which he unselfishly leads readers much like an old-fashioned theater usher using a flashlight to take a willing ticket holder through the pitch dark theater to his or her seat.

"There are things," can't you hear him say, "that occasionally move in the dark. You really don't have to worry. Much." Then, as he walks away... "Enjoy the show."

For the first one hundred pages, the resulting weave that is Ship of Magic is absolutely so Byzantine that this reader experienced an intense struggle to continue turning pages. Without warning, Ship of Magic became a helter skelter roller coaster ride. Which is it that grips the reader so viciously: concern and love of characters or an intriguing and addictive plot?

Whichever the answer, Ship of Magic is a unique fantasy tale that deals with Bingtown's Old Traders. These are merchants who venture into tremendous generational debt in order to own a ship virtually carved from wizardwood called a liveship. Wizards and other normal fantasy devices do not reside in Ship of Magic. Instead, a world of serpents, pirates, cruel slavery, and political intrigue abound. In fact, the frame story that seems to encompass the Bingtown doings is a mysterious migration of serpents. What this has to do with Bingtown is an interesting mystery that is only hinted at within the first volume of The Liveship Traders trilogy.

Robin Hobb is definitely a literary voice belonging within the realms of fantasy. Those who have never had the pleasure of reading her previous works should give the lady a try. When Hobb's magic boat does take off, the reading pleasure becomes highly addictive.

As a comedy, Protocol does have its moments, though Dave garners the most laughs. As a demonstration of pure acting ability, stick with Guarding Tess. Why then should someone plunk hard-earned bucks down on a movie such as Protocol?

Goldie Hawn is a cultural icon and gives any movie she appears in some basic worth. Buck Henry, who is known for early Saturday Night Live appearances, directing Heaven Can Wait, and the screenplay for the Owl and the Pussycat, wrote the screenplay for Protocol. Herbert Ross, who directed The Goodbye Girl, sits in the director's chair. Most importantly, those who fondly remember any of the above mentioned names will appreciate the blast from the past that Protocol represents.

Without giving away too much of the film's surprises, Goldie plays a ditzy character who finds herself doing the right thing at the wrong time. In this particular case, she inadvertently saves the life of a visiting Arab political figure. Apparent gratitude from the U.S. government eventually lands Hawn's character a position on the White House's protocol team. There, Goldie finds herself to be basically a pawn. In her own abnormal fashion, Goldie proves that pawns can, in fact, win the game.

One special historical note is brought forth through viewing Protocol in a post-Sept. 11th world. Hollywood's portrayal of Arabs has uniquely changed during the years since Protocol originally played in theaters across America.

As a comedy, Protocol does have its moments, though Dave garners the most laughs. As a demonstration of pure acting ability, stick with Guarding Tess. Why then should someone plunk hard-earned bucks down on a movie such as Protocol?

Goldie Hawn is a cultural icon and gives any movie she appears in some basic worth. Buck Henry, who is known for early Saturday Night Live appearances, directing Heaven Can Wait, and the screenplay for the Owl and the Pussycat, wrote the screenplay for Protocol. Herbert Ross, who directed The Goodbye Girl, sits in the director's chair. Most importantly, those who fondly remember any of the above mentioned names will appreciate the blast from the past that Protocol represents.

Without giving away too much of the film's surprises, Goldie plays a ditzy character who finds herself doing the right thing at the wrong time. In this particular case, she inadvertently saves the life of a visiting Arab political figure. Apparent gratitude from the U.S. government eventually lands Hawn's character a position on the White House's protocol team. There, Goldie finds herself to be basically a pawn. In her own abnormal fashion, Goldie proves that pawns can, in fact, win the game.

One special historical note is brought forth through viewing Protocol in a post-Sept. 11th world. Hollywood's portrayal of Arabs has uniquely changed during the years since Protocol originally played in theaters across America.

As a comedy, Protocol does have its moments, though Dave garners the most laughs. As a demonstration of pure acting ability, stick with Guarding Tess. Why then should someone plunk hard-earned bucks down on a movie such as Protocol?

Goldie Hawn is a cultural icon and gives any movie she appears in some basic worth. Buck Henry, who is known for early Saturday Night Live appearances, directing Heaven Can Wait, and the screenplay for the Owl and the Pussycat, wrote the screenplay for Protocol. Herbert Ross, who directed The Goodbye Girl, sits in the director's chair. Most importantly, those who fondly remember any of the above mentioned names will appreciate the blast from the past that Protocol represents.

Without giving away too much of the film's surprises, Goldie plays a ditzy character who finds herself doing the right thing at the wrong time. In this particular case, she inadvertently saves the life of a visiting Arab political figure. Apparent gratitude from the U.S. government eventually lands Hawn's character a position on the White House's protocol team. There, Goldie finds herself to be basically a pawn. In her own abnormal fashion, Goldie proves that pawns can, in fact, win the game.

One special historical note is brought forth through viewing Protocol in a post-Sept. 11th world. Hollywood's portrayal of Arabs has uniquely changed during the years since Protocol originally played in theaters across America.

Installation of the product on my three laptops, however, yielded mixed results. Installation on Windows XP Professional and Home versions progressed with absolutely no problems. A Windows ME computer offered the blue screen of death seven times and did not recognize the program's restart. After the restart, Windows ME began scanning the hard drive claiming an illegal shutdown. Regardless, the program did install correctly despite the various misadventures, obviously adopting the Borg philosophy that �Resistance is futile.�

StarOffice offers quite an assortment of templates and examples easily accessed by the butterfly icon ensconced in the system's systray. The program's tips, help, and manual are extremely useful in order to get an experienced user started.

Perhaps Microsoft offers more bells and whistles, but, for the price, StarOffice is a powerful home replacement. In fact, most businesses could use StarOffice and not miss the absence of Word, Excel, or Access in the least.

The StarOffice spreadsheet is an adequate number cruncher. From simple auto sum, to complex formulas, one can easily manipulate numbers and create classy layouts. The Autopilot feature allows a person possessing weak mathematical skills to eventually figure a needed formula.

The Presentation feature falls in line with the other programs as more than adequate for most people's needs. A database and draw program round out the package.

What about those who have to use Office at work? Can Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files be read by StarOffice? I found most Word documents were easily handled by StarOffice, though some Excel graphs were misplaced.

All in all, StarOffice is a powerful program for those needing to present data, handle mass mailings, write the great American novel, and manipulate numbers. For those who are considering Works or WordPerfect as an alternative and cheaper route from Microsoft Office, give StarOffice a shot.

Within the boundaries of the conquered kingdom lies a statue said to have powers that would defeat the Sherank if only one of the exiled Scions could but get his hands on it. Unfortunately, the first string Scion has a mishap that sidelines him. His brother Tig, a glorified librarian/historian, is selected to replace him as a last resort.

Lady in Gil is a stand alone book. One does not need to read the other two books that follow, but most will feel compelled to continue reading about Tig and his misadventures. Rebecca Bradley does a masterful job of characterization, but her strongest point is plot development and pace. She is a savvy writer that delivers a completely satisfying story full of love interest, betrayal, humor, despair, and perhaps one of the most intriguing harems ever detailed within any fantasy work.

Since I do live in the heart of one of the story's settings, I read with interest the many references to the Laurinburg, Gibson, and Rockingham areas of south central North Carolina. Having met the author's parents while they resided in Laurinburg, I began reading Holly Lisle as a way to scratch a curiosity itch. I found a tremendous treasure within the works of Holly Lisle. And, like fine wine, this particular author seems to greatly improve with age.

Memory of Fire is the story of two women: Lauren Dane and Molly McColl. Both become enmeshed within the tangled web first spun by parents that neither woman really knew. Part of that webbing includes another world; one on which humans can create and produce magic. Unfortunately, each spell carries a sinister equation: for every spell cast there is an equal and opposing effect on Earth. Each woman learns that old Spiderman axiom-with great power comes great responsibility. Quite frankly, to reveal more would be criminal, for the book's charm lies within its plot's twists and turns.

As Lisle breathes life into wonderful characters and plot, Memory of Fire becomes a procrastinator's worst nightmare-it simply is NOT a book to be put down until every page is turned. Fortunately, Memory of Fire is the first installment of a larger work called The World Gates; there will be more to come.

Books that I plan to read repeatedly are usually bought in the hardback format; however, Memory of Fire is available only in paperback. I find that to be the book's only major flaw.

On first hearing Dark Horse, one could pretty much wonder what was going on in Harrison's personal life. The first four songs as a whole seem rather dark and overtly melodramatic. Patti Harrison, George's wife, and Eric Clapton had an affair that culminated with Patti becoming a very temporary Patti Clapton. "Bye Bye Love" is a song that features Patti, Eric, and George. George did change the Felice and Boudleaux lyrics to accommodate his situation: "There goes our lady with a "you know who". I hope she's happy and "Old Clapper" too. We had good rhythm (and a little slide). Then she stepped in, did me a favor, I threw them both out."

George had briefly collaborated with Ron Wood to write the song "Far East Man". While the song's introduction is being performed, Harrison can be heard inviting Frank Sinatra to perform the song on his next live album. Could this be sincere, or could it be sarcasm because Sinatra always credited "Something", a song he covered, as a Lennon/McCartney creation? "Far East Man", by the way, is an excellent song that marries the talents of Ron Wood and George Harrison well.

The song "Dark Horse" is an excellent composition that is hugely autobiographical in tone, very much like a typical John Lennon composition. Harrison seems to be gently lifting the mantle from his psyche and saying, "Psst! Come here and take a peek. This is who I really am." After the Extra Texture album, George started his own record label called Dark Horse, indicating that he himself believed the "Dark Horse" song was a definitive song.

For those who enjoyed the relaxed sound of the Beatles' Let It Be effort, a similar under-produced sound exists with Dark Horse. Musicians Tom Scott, Jim Keltner, Ringo Starr, Nicky Hopkins, Willie Weeks, Billy Preson, Andy Newmark, Klaus Voormann, and Gary Wright perform extremely well. For those who want a dance album, Dark Horse simply will not fill the bill. As for a truly musical experience, though, Dark Horse is a first-rate experience.

While Dark Horse itself was a dark album reflecting the loss of Patti to Eric Clapton, Extra Texture tends to be a bit more upbeat. The list of contributing musicians is impressive, with the likes of Jim Gordon, Jim Keltner, Carl Radle, Leon Russell, David Foster, Jim Horn, Gary Wright, Klaus Voormann, Jessie Ed Davis, Billy Preston, and Nicky Hopkins.

After his success of All Things Must Pass, George suffered mightily from unreasonable critics during his next three studio efforts. The single from Extra Texture was the song "You", a remarkably upbeat love song. One 1975 critic bemoaned George's limited lyrics and wondered repeatedly whether the usage of primarily three words was truly necessary. Those three words, by the way were I-love-you. It makes one wonder if critics have ever actually been in love! It seems that true love reduces most vocabularies to just three words. The 1975 album featured a pullout liner sleeve that had a smiling Harrison with the caption "OHNOTHIMAGEN", which was evidently a gentle slap at critics.

"Ooh Baby (You Know That I Love You)" is a song George dedicated to the Motown master Smokey Robinson. George seems able to recreate the atmosphere of Robinson's more soulful love songs. As a rule, Extra Texture is one of George's most soulful efforts, and it could be that his mindset was influenced by Robinson's music.

Practically the sole drawback to the album is its nine original compositions that last about 41 minutes; it just is NOT long enough. In the main, this CD is well worth the purchase.

The centerpiece of Mind Games was the continuing saga of John and Yoko�s difficulties with the US government. The liner notes contains a Declaration of Nutopia, which is a conceptual country built on the logical outcome of �Imagine�. The �Nutopian International Anthem� is a four-second period of silence on the album.

�Mind Games� remains one of the most powerful songs ever written by Lennon�a perfect marriage of the genius and smart aleck that was John Lennon. Remember the Beatle who responded to the question, �How did you find America?� with �I turned left at Greenland�? Lennon even had a name for himself during this period that seemed to sum up that genius/smart aleck well�Dr. Winston O�Boogie.

Love songs �One Day (At a Time)� and �Out the Blue� are very poignant looks at the condition of love. Although Lennon had left Yoko for the company of May Pang, the songs are quite obviously aimed at Yoko.

With the exception of �Meat City�, Mind Games represents a mellow Lennon. There are no overt rockers, just powerful songs from a man whose life is seemingly falling apart. The Plastic Ono Band members were Ken Ascher, David Spinozza, Gordon Edwards, Jim Keltner, Michael Brecker, and Sneaky Pete.

To get the album in perspective, one needs to look at John's life in 1974...the year of Walls and Bridges release. John is separated from Yoko. In January, John asks the queen for a royal pardon of his drug conviction that is being used in an attempt to deport him from the U.S. He is denied. In March, John makes the papers during a visit at the Troubadour nightclub in Los Angeles. He is heard making uncouth comments to the Smothers Brothers and seen with a sanitary napkin on his head. John ends up being ejected from the club. With a little help from his friends Harry Nilsson and Keith Moon, Lennon manages to stay fairly drunk, occasionally surfacing to produce Nilsson's album Pussy Cats and write a song or two.

In July, the Justice Department orders John to vacate the US within 60 days or face deportation. Lennon appeals. Lennon helps Elton John with "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "One Day (at a Time)", which was the B-side of the single. September sees the release of Walls and Bridges. In October, John gets his first post-Beatles Number One hit single with "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night."

In short, 1974 was a year of chaos and joy for John Lennon. Walls and Bridges reflects that chaos and joy quite well. "Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out)" and "Scared" clearly reflect the pain he felt during 1974. However, "#9 Dream" and "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night" show John's bouts with better days.

The supporting cast of musicians is too numerous to name, but there are two `guest' musicians of note: Elton John and Harry Nilsson. Kudos go to Elton John for his role in getting John Lennon back on track and reunited with Yoko Ono. All in all, Walls and Bridges is a great blast from the past from one of the most talented Beatles.

Jake Cutter, as a character, is a worthy successor to Harry Keogh, who does manage to make a guest appearance. Just like Harry, Jake's independence from E-Branch does make for good suspense.

The last few books of the series have dealt with a new threat to Earth. Three Wamphyri have managed to escape from Starside, crossing over via a transdimensional gate under the Carpathian Mountains. Of course, the goal of these three vampire lords is nothing short of total domination of Earth. The only thing blocking their goal is the British E-Branch, a governmental organization of talented mentalists.

As Avengers begins, the vampires, Lady Vavara, Lord Malinari, and Lord Swartz, are attempting to capture the Necroscope and return to Starside with Cutter's vaunted powers added to theirs. The triumvirate is extremely sick of Earth with its short nights and E-Branch, wanting nothing more than to escape Earth with a weapon that can be used against Harry Keogh's descendant Nathan, who has successfully cleansed vampires from his own world.

While on Earth, the Wamphyri have reaped more success than they realized. In earlier books of the series, the Wamphyri attempted to create spores that would filter through the atmosphere and eventually create more of their kind. Initially feeling the brutal sting of failure, the fruiting bodies of their spores have in fact been rather successful. A vampire plague is sweeping the Earth.

Can E-Branch effectively protect Earth and destroy the Wamphyri before they return to Starside? In his previous books, Lumley did not allow the Wamphyri to establish a toehold on Earth. In his last book of the series, however, Lumley does seem to remove all stops and creates an atmosphere of most anything goes.

And, it does not seem to work. While Avengers is a necessary read for those who have been following the Necroscope series, new fans should find their vampire thrills elsewhere. The last forty pages of Avengers are contrived at best, and bring the Necroscope series to a vastly unsatisfying conclusion.

At least Brian Lumley does in fact conclude his series. Quite a few Tor series seem rather endless in scope, and, as is the case with Robert Jordan, are getting rather sporadic with book releases and quality. Still, vampire fans not familiar with Brian Lumley's Necroscope series can safely read the series' first eight books.

When I finally got around to listening...WOW! The musical range on this CD is tremendous...and basically breathtaking. Quite simply, there is not one single bad track to be found. From Sting's opening "Seventh Son" to Clapton's rendition of Ray Charles' "What Would I Do Without You," this CD is a superb musical smorgasbord.

The booklet that accompanies the CD pretty much sums up the listening experience..."For optimum results, play as loudly as possible in comfortable environments."