The first three cuts on the album are no-brainers for hit singles. (We Only Got) Sixty Years (On the Planet) ends any question as to whether Brian and the band can guitar rock anymore. This song is air guitar nirvana with Brian belting out throaty vocals while Bernie Dresel beats holes in his drum set and Johnny "Spaz" Hatton makes the bass THUMP! Don't Trust A Woman (In A Black Cadillac) keeps things rumbling along more in a rich rock vein rather than rockabilly. Next comes the surprise of the three in When The Bells Don't Chime that defies typical classification. Brian plays a stomping banjo (yes, banjo!) along with great rockabilly riffs and a fast beat sure to get everyone in a dance mode BSO-style! It's part country, part rock, part Americana, part rockabilly, but all fun and good. Next comes a great slow 1950s ballad in That Someone Just Ain't You and an instrumental called Rat Pack Boogie. The pace gets back into overdrive with Ring, Ring, Ring in modern 1950s rockabilly stomp. Then comes Drink Whiskey and Shut Up - a funny tale from a bartender tired of trendy people in his bar. The Stray Cats live in 2003 with Smokin' 'N Burnin' rockabillying about hotrods and hot girls! A great remake of Wild Wind follows and then another surprisingly catchy ballad in St. Jude (Pray For Us). For the Setzer doo-wop fan, you will be in doo-wop heaven with To Be Loved. The final track is the Banjo Mix of When The Bells Don't Chime.

All things said, this is a GREAT album worthy of many plays and the 'Keep' section of your CD collection.

Time, so far, may not have proven this book accurate, but it will help you to understand about why Kim Jong Il and North Korea are still threats to Asia and America to this day. I have been told that "Red Phoenix" is still 'required reading' for many American military personnel who get assigned to posts in and around South Korea. Give it a try if you enjoy military thrillers and like to be up on world events.

The events in this book are written simply as they happen and are to be enjoyed on that level. You are basically the 'fly on the wall' as the brilliant backwoods farmboy goes to college in the late 1930s. His adventures range from poignant to side splittingly funny (and it is hard to make me laugh) in a seemingly random way, but anyone who has lived on campus for four years will 'understand'. Porter learns much in and out of the classroom that he never knew existed back on his family's farm in rural Georgia. His campus time starts in the fall of 1938 so the events leading up to World War II and the ending of The Great Depression play active roles.

If "Run with the Horsemen" brought smiles and enjoyment to you, you will absolutely not want to miss out on Porter's further adventures. I didn't think the mule named 'Pet' incident in the first book could be topped for screaming, side-splitting laughter, but Ferrol has several incidents in "The Whisper of the River" that may put you in the hospital from laughing til it really hurts!

Sams is not Faulkner, but this is no beach fluff either. You will be much better for the effort. Highly recommended.

Sara Evans is an example of everything that is going right in modern pop country-music. She is very happily married and just gave birth to her second child. The joy that is apparently in her life and heart simply overflow like cataracts in this album. Mind you, the content is not all joy in the songs. The classic country gem "I Learned That From You" is biting, but brilliantly on target in showing the effects of poor male example. "Why Should I Care" and "Four-Thirty" lament over memories of love gone wrong. However, these three songs serve to anchor this CD to the ground as the rest of it just soars to the stratosphere with ebullience and hope. The opening title track deserves all the attention it has gotten both in country- music and mainstream press. This album version is over five and one half minutes long and segues perfectly into "Saints and Angels" singing of the power of grace and forgiveness to heal in a loving, but imperfect marriage. Then comes the centerpiece of the album in "I Could Not Ask for More". This is an unabashed love song to be sung right into the eyes of your spouse telling them how wonderful they are and how much you love them. If you hadn't fully noticed Sara's somewhat nasally vocals, you certainly will on "I Keep Looking" singing about wanderlust and growing older with a coy twist. "Let's Dance" is another uplifting love song about the romantic joys of true, committed love. Fluff? Not if you are in love and Sara clearly is. "Show Me the Way to Your Heart" sings of winning over the heart of a love interest who had been burned before in love. Then comes my personal favorite cut. I can only best describe "You Don't" by recalling a time when I watched a springtime Texas thunderstorm roll in from the west. It appeared on the horizon, rolled into my immediate area building in intensity and power. First the sight, then the smell, the wind, the rain, finally, the rolling thunder and pink-hued lightning bolts. It is a perfect metaphor here. This song is an emotional thunderstorm of astounding intensity telling the female side of how much her lover affects her. It is GOOD STUFF. "Every Little Kiss" is a brilliant upbeat cover of the Bruce Hornsby original to finish this 52 minute tour de force album.

To give you a little more perspective on the mindset that went into creating this album, consider the liner notes. "My son Avery. My sweet little punkin! You will never fully understand the depth of my love for you. Even when you were in my womb, I knew you and loved you! You have changed my life forever. I love you so much more than any song, or album, or concert. Always know that! Since I wrote these songs in the first few months of your life, I dedicate them all to you. Love Forever, Mommy. Craig, I didn't know it was possible to grow closer and more in love with someone every day, but it is. You are my rock and my shield. You take such excellent care of Avery and me. Thank you. I am so proud of you sweetie. You are a godly man and I will love you always. And finally, Lord Jesus, let everything I do be pleasing to You and be Your will. I love You above everything. Thank You for the blessings in my life and thank You for giving me music. Please help me to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which I have been called." Can you have you priorities any better in order?! Wow! Talk about really having your head on straight! You will find, if you listen to this CD with your heart open, that it will bring some of Sara's joy to your heart as well. This is truly a work of art. Great work, Sara! I look forward to your next offering and wish you and your growing family the continued best. Thank you for warming my own heart.

The bottom line: Definitely pick this up if you enjoy the thinking side of Jackson Browne. Beware if you are looking for "Running On Empty, Part II".

With all that said, this is a book well worth reading if you desire insight into the turbulent world we live in. Hanson is a military historian and professor of classics at California State University. He has also been a full-time farmer and brings a refreshing bit of hard earned real world insight into his scholarly work. He chooses and describes the events of nine landmark battles over the last 2500 hundred years to illustrate nine central concepts he considers essential in the formation of the Western way of fighting. They are "Freedom or 'to Live as You Please'", "Decisive Battle", "Citizen Soldiers", "Landed Infantry", "Technology and the Wages of Reason", "The Market - or Capitalism Kills", "Discipline - or Warriors Are Not Always Soldiers", "Individualism", and "Dissent and Self-Critique". The battle itself is described in vivid detail and then several more sub-sections break down pertinent points illustrating aspects of the concept. An epilogue entitled "Western Warfare - Past and Future" wraps things up and includes interesting discussion on whether other battles are exceptions, the export of Western armaments to non-Western nations, and what happens when Western culture meets Western culture on the battlefield. The softcover edition also contains an afterword entitled "Carnage and Culture after September 11, 2001" that was not in the hardcover as the attacks occurred less than a month after the original publication. I was particularly astounded by his insights on the Greek influence on battlefield discipline and what "bravery" consists of in Western culture during the chapter on the Battle of Rorke's Drift.

Many of a liberal or leftist persuasion may be enraged and/or dismissive of "Carnage and Culture", but don't let yourself get sidetracked before completing it. It will challenge many of your past assumptions. I served as a weather officer for a U.S. Air Force unit in Operation Desert Storm and saw first hand the devastatingly lethal way a Western military fights in combat. This book gave me much to think about as to how and why the Western way of combat developed. Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs and Steel" provides thoughts on how natural resources and geography have helped or hindered cultures, but "Carnage and Culture" addresses the formation of the military values that have helped the West dominate much of the world. I like to think that Diamond set the stage while Hanson develops the mindset of a dominant character. This is no quick read. You will also very likely go back and read sections again to fully absorb Hanson's writing before thinking on your own to your own opinions. That, to me, is the hallmark of a worthy book. Very highly recommended.

Everybody's looking for some way in,
I'm looking for some way out.
I've been wasting my time standing in line,
if this is what it's all about.
All I've got is a job that I don't like,
and a woman that don't understand.
So tonight at the bar,
I'll get in my car and take off for the promised land.

Hokey? Maybe. But it sure is fun to listen to! Each time I listen to these discs (and it has been ALOT lately), a new song from it lodges in my sub-conscious for the rest of the day. Waylon had his ups and downs in his life but, he has left us with a great trove of relateable music for many, many people.

Included in this offering is an eleven page set of liner notes chronicling the rise of Waylon and his battles for artistic independence. Also included are notes on each song and how high they reached on the Country and Pop charts.

Give this compilation a try if you have found yourself at least as curious as I had become of the music of this original musical Outlaw. The sound quality is excellent and the selection of songs is very good. If you are a little less sure about taking the double disc plunge, pick up a used copy from one of the Amazon sellers. Waylon may have been known as an 'Outlaw', but he has become a true good guy in my world lately.

Gary Kinder wrote a 1998 bestseller on Thompson's search entitled "Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea". It is one of the best pageturners I have ever read! More amazing is that it actually happened! The ship was the United States Mail Steamship "Central America" which was making rounds between the Atlantic coast of Panama and New York City during the California Gold Rush era. She was a side paddlewheeler steamship and was hauling a huge cargo of gold ingots, freshly minted gold coins, gold nuggets, and gold dust along with 38,000 pieces of mail and 578 passengers. Much of the gold was being brought to New York to shore up the bullion holdings of banks that had been putting out too much paper money without the available gold reserves to back it. Most of the passengers were returning from the Gold Rush; many were women and children. The ship sank after a heroic battle with a hurricane in 1857 off the Carolinas taking about 425 lives with her and all the gold. Both books chronicle Thompson's epic adventure finding the ship and recovering the gold down 8000 feet underwater where even the US Navy couldn't effectively recover items. Kinder's book clocks in at over 500 riveting pages but, is largely without pictures of all the incredible finds. "America's Lost Treasure" fills in that photographic void quite admirably in it's 186 pages.

"America's Lost Treasure" is broken down into a background history of America at the time leading up to the Central America's sinking, a detailed account of the CA's fateful last voyage, a background of the equipment and people involved in the search and rediscovery of the CA, the discovery of the ship and the 'Garden of Gold', a review of the personal items found at the bottom other than the gold, and a section on the other scientific discoveries made at the site such as decay processes and new species of life found. There are hordes of very appropriate photographs that perfectly illustrate the topic discussed in the very readable and concise narration. The page layout is very well done and makes full use of the book's ten inches by ten inches size. Particularly interesting is the discovery and opening of several intact passenger's trunks revealing intact clothing and still visible photographs! The gold, however, is the expected showstopper.

Overall, I can't recommend this book enough when read in companion with "Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea". Some people will bristle with disfavor on the efforts in general to recover items from this wreck feeling it is a desecration of history and wrong. I couldn't help but be astounded by the disciplined and rigorous scientific and engineering skills put on display in the efforts. This is an absolutely fascinating pictorial account of a remarkable period in the history of America. It will rivet your attention from beginning to end and have you looking back at sections again and again. It is one of the best coffee table books in existence. The lost treasure found is truly breathtaking and this book is an absolutely worthy account of it! VERY highly recommended!

The album cover to "Play With Your Head" shows Mike Viola sitting alone in a movie theatre looking at the screen showing the names of the tracks to this album. It is very appropriate. Pete Donnelly plays bass and Michael Levesque bangs on the drums but, this CD is basically Mike Viola's baby. He wrote, produced, sang, and played the excellent guitars on this eleven track 37 minute offering. By the time I was halfway through a second listen to the whole CD, I could tell this CD was a keeper!

I was a fan of New Wave back in the early 1980s, before it became trendy, and took a liking to the work of Graham Parker. Mike's singing voice and inflections are noticeably similar so, this gave me a slightly favorable bias initially. There are plenty of great hooks all over (reminds me a little of the Strokes) and it is quite obvious that these guys are pretty decent musicians. "Ruby's Got A Big Idea" has 'hit song' written all over it! It is infectious, full of great harmonies, fun, and distinctive while timing in at just over three minutes. "Tough Hang" could easily be a fine single as well. The lyrics to all songs are included and worth reading. Mike is quite good with the pen as well reminding me some of Elvis Costello and early Talking Heads. The sad Elvis ambiance is heard most in the near accoustic "Make No Mistake" lamenting disappointment in a selfish friend. "All eyes are fixed on you; Fade in your past crashes in waves on the lawn; Fade out your last laugh lasts a little too long; In your contract there's a clause so you better save your applause; When I play; Make no mistake". Shades of David Gray can also be heard on "Call Off the Dogs". Don't let these allusions to other musicians mislead you though. They are only reference points for the newcomer. The Candy Butchers have their own sound; they are no cover band that happens to be putting out original muzak. And they have a FUTURE!

Definitely give this CD a try. The first play will need another before it really begins to sink positively into you. After that, you will be hooked! Highly recommended.

Cyndi will likely define for you, whether you like it or not, if you are a pessimist or optimist. The pessimist will look and listen through this offering and see much to scorn at. She is "too packaged, too schmaltzy, too idealistic, not enough originality". The optimist will see "sincerity, honesty, hard work, a heart-rending voice, and a hopeful heart of gold". I choose the latter, resoundingly. Cyndi and her music is really all about the future, even though she often sings about the past. She is so achingly honest that you almost can't help being drawn to her as a person as if she were your own beautiful, beloved, younger sister. Yes, she is packaged in the album photos and Enhanced CD as the ultimate "girl-next-door". She is in fact shockingly beautiful, statuesque, and redefines "photogenic" but, don't let this distract you from the music. This girl has something to say! She co-wrote eight of the eleven tracks and includes notes on all of the songs in the enhanced portion. She is more stunning than Daisy Duke, but she's no naive airhead! Most of her lyrical topics are about lost love and not-so-over-with-quite-yet past relationships but, she is no mawking sap, she wants to get things right because she really does care. It is that kind of heart that makes you want to stick with Cyndi Thomson, the artist and person. She has a bright future and plenty of room to grow as a person and musician. And you know she will be working hard to develop both.

Buy this CD. Open your heart, listen, and feel real life. Hear the Georgia crickets fading out "I Always Liked That Best", hear the wistful penny whistle opening "What I Really Meant To Say", hear Cyndi's voice nearly crack with emotion singing "I'll Be Seeing You". THIS IS GOOD STUFF. And it's got a brilliant future! VERY highly recommended.

The trouble began quite quickly. A few pages in, there was a pair of sentences. "� She was followed by a stiff-looking black woman in a conservative gray suit. She had Department of Children and Families written all over her." Stiff-looking? In a conservative gray suit? Written all over her? "That's some mighty fine descriptive writing right there!" I couldn't help but think to myself quite condescendingly. There are innumerable other examples throughout this book. I read in one of the published reviews that James Patterson put out three books in 2001 alone. It almost seems that this book was a result of 'hurried' thought and writing as well. I'm not saying that all popular books should be dense, literary works; I was just surprised and somewhat let down with "2nd Chance". It seems geared for about a tenth grade reading level. Potato chips for a literate adult.

I was also not too sold on the results of the male James Patterson trying to write the part of female lead characters. To me, they largely sounded like somewhat civil men with female names. The 'girls' were always reaching for beers and cussin' with the best of them at times. There is nothing much wrong with that to me but, it didn't have the ring of authenticity. Is James Patterson trying to cater this series to 'empowering' women characters to gain female readers? I got that distinct feeling but, it fell a bit short on substance.

The plot was also quite lackluster. Seemingly innocent people are getting killed in San Francisco with indications leading to a racial motive. But some evidence points to the culprit being a minority and "The Women's Murder Club" of friends Lindsay, Cindy, Jill, and Claire are on it. There are some decent twists and turns but, the accumulated sense that this book was rushed and not really thought about enough permeates the whole read. My eyes were rolling more often than my pulse quickened.

Overall, forking over near full price for this level of effort was not money well spent for me. I thought I ordered prime rib but, I got a well made cheeseburger and steak fries. They are not quite the same. Please pass the antacid.

If ever there was a CD I would recommend to someone who is not overly familiar with Del Amitri or who is usually locked in to 'Top 40' music but, would like to expand their horizons into excellent, deserving, lesser known material, then THIS IS IT! Every song on this CD is truly worth the listen. They are well played, catchy, intelligent, and just plain FUN to listen to! Even the few brooding songs here will soon permeate their way into your subconscious and play away over and over. The many upbeat songs will brighten any moment with their flat out likeable-ness and put many smiles on your face. Del Amitri is still very much together and viable and you will soon be hearing more of their material on the radio making you very glad you got yourself well acquainted with them!

Buy this CD soon! You will not regret it for YEARS to come!

The Church is pretty much the antithesis of `pop' music. Even with their 1987 Starfish album and radio hits of `Under the Milky Way' and `Reptile', you would be hard pressed to call them `fun'. But the album sold in droves and is still played on tons of radio stations worldwide. They have been an active band for 22 years now and have seen plenty of ups and downs with tons of time in between. Something about this band works, and keeps converts who have made the effort strangely happy. I can't exactly explain to you what it is about this band and new album that I like so much... mere words seem to fail me but, I can say this: you will do well to dabble in 'After Everything Now This'. It is hypnotic, transcendental, shimmering, mesmerizing, and so much more that defies clear explanation. That last sentence is usually translated (often rightly so) by the general public as `yeah, that means it will put me to sleep'. I, too, am prone to fits of musical narcolepsy but, this album has kept me wide awake afloat in a sonic dreamscape several times over now! `Numbers' begins the aural trip and is also the first album single. 'After Everything' immerses you fully in the hypnotic state that dazzles with well timed musicianship and Kilbey's soft vocals, not drug stupified noodling. The band is absolutely on top of it's form throughout this CD's 56 minutes. It ends with the stunning `Invisible' lasting 7:48. Don't expect to be enthralled with this disc on the first listen but, as the definition above hints, your conversion will be underway then and, complete soon. Also, take Amazon up on the offer to buy the `Numbers' single with this CD. It has two non-LP cuts on it that are also WELL WORTH YOUR MONEY! Go for it!

Enough of the background! Are they any good? If this is the first Church CD you are buying, I would recommend picking one of the "Best of..." CDs or "Hindsight" first to get you hooked on the Church sound. It takes a few listens for their sound to permeate your inner being but, once they get in your blood, you tend to become addicted as I have happily been for 18 years! This CD is a perfect sampling of the Church developing their sound that would result in their 1987 smash hit "Under the Milky Way". Steve Kilbey's writing and vocals matched seamlessly by Peter Koppes and Marty Willson-Piper's guitars backed by Richard Ploog's hypnotic drumming will put you in a trance-like state of being somewhat akin the Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" or "Meddle". This is no New Wave 'be-bop' music at all. It is great writing matched with brilliant musicianship that has lasted for twenty years now (their new album is due out very soon). The band was very prolific in the early 1980s as "The Blurred Crusade" album was released in early 1982, the "Sing-Songs" EP in late 1982, the also out of print album "Seance" in 1983, the "Remote Luxury" and "Persia" EPs in 1984, followed by the "Heyday" album in 1985. If "Starfish" is the only Church album you have ever known, I do recommend this CD. If the Church's 1990s material is your bag, you will find the material to be less ethereal and epic in length but, still quite satisfying. My favorites on this CD are "Ancient History", "Maybe These Boys...", "Into My Hands", and "Violet Town".

The bottom line: this is not mindless pop-music despite the goofy New Wave hairdos. It takes a few listens to get used to but, once you acquire the taste, it will satisfy like a glass of 18 year old fine scotch!

Like I said earlier, BUY THIS ALBUM!!! You will not regret it ever!

The book totals 192 pages and is oddly sized on 10½ by 10½ inch paper. The whole story of Boeing from it's early days during World War I up through 1998 are told in very readable text. A generous amount of high quality pictures are used to illustrate each development. Chapters cover the floatplanes and fighters of the early days, pre-WWII development of airliners, the Boeing bomber heritage, the classic early jetliners, medium range airliners, the 747, the 757 and 767, and next generation aircraft including the 777. A useful appendix is included listing each Boeing "Model number" with the type of aircraft it is better known as, how many were built, and when they were produced.

This is a very enjoyable coffee-table book for all people both young and old interested in aircraft. Kids will love looking at the pictures, average adults will greatly enjoy the clearly explained history and development, and even Boeing veterans will probably learn a few things! I feel safe to say that this is a book you will have in use on your bookshelf for a long, long time. It should be best for kids as they will likely grow in understanding of airplanes as time goes on and interest in the field continues beyond just pictures. It's a great buy for anyone! Go for it!

Buy this album if you dig American electric guitar blues! If you can make it happen, get a copy with the bonus disc "Hidden Treasure". It will then make this a "six" star review as it adds over 35 minutes of excellent live material from a recent New York City show including "Blind Man In the Dark", "Fallen Down", a solo acoustic "Soulshine", and a knee-bending KILLER ten minute version of ZZ Top's "Jesus Just Left Chicago". This Mule still KICKS!!!

If you are fascinated by B-52s, this is the book for you... It is not a "general" coffee-table book for the "general" public, though. There is no war-mongering in this book either. It is an excellent survey of a remarkably versatile aircraft.

Highly recommended if you are into New York City history.

This book contains 18 chapters with plenty of excellent commentary and narration. Topics range from development history, Soviet responses, offensive/defensive armament, "parasite" fighters, Hollywood movies with the B-36, accidents, variants, scrapyard photos, and surviving B-36s among many others. The level of research is tremendous! Excellent essays written by aircrew members and maintenance personnel cover a huge range of topics both big and small. An amazing array of photos are included from sources ranging from the Air Force, newspapers, museums, personal collections, and associations. Wing nose art is included.

This is not really for the person with casual interest in airplanes. It is THE definitive book on everything B-36!

Jack Kerouac was truly ahead of his time. He wrote this semi-autobiographical novel in the late 1940s but, it wasn't accepted for publication until 1957. The main character is Sal Paradise, a rootless, late 20s veteran of World War II who seeks adventure and enlightenment with his hipster and beat generation friends while wandering the country, often on his college money from his GI Bill. The "education" he gets is profoundly enlightening to the reader as each adventure seems to end up in shambles followed by an irresistible urge to escape the consequences by hitting the road and eventually repeating the tragic cycle anew. Most of the character's restless peregrinations originate in "the sins of their fathers". They each grew up surrounded by authority figures who set poor examples in their own lives but, had children anyway. "On the Road" is the story of this next generation repeating these mistakes while reveling in sex, drugs, and bop music. To quote Harry Chapin, "My boy had grown up just like me". The thing that makes this book so extraordinary is how Kerouac effortlessly endears many of the characters to us. We know these people, we understand these feelings, to paraphrase Bill Clinton, "We feel their pain". The tragedy of this beaten generation is like medieval alchemy studies; it took a long, long time and much treasure before earnest man finally realized that you just can't turn iron into gold. There was no one to tell them otherwise so, both of these era's "intellectuals" careened along blissfully ignorant on their respective roads to nowhere. You can't help but feel for them, though. And the writing is top-notch.

READ THIS BOOK IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. Forget your politics and preconceptions. This is a true slice of life and a lesson that I don't believe our generation has learned yet either. We can all learn something from Sal and Dean's travels. Very, VERY highly recommended.