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 | Lucky Number Slevin (Widescreen Edition) |
 | "Slevin Help Us" | 2009-09-27 |
Good action, black humor, and interesting casting are dragged down by an overly convoluted and totally unbelievable plot. The movie is watchable enough but at the end you're saying, yeah, sure, whatever. Missed being good.
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 | Lucky Number Slevin (HD DVD) |
| "Slevin Help Us" | 2009-09-27 |
Good action, black humor, and interesting casting are dragged down by an overly convoluted and totally unbelievable plot. The movie is watchable enough but at the end you're saying, yeah, sure, whatever. Missed being good.
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 | Chris Isaak Christmas |
 | "When All Else Fails..." | 2007-08-28 |
...a Christmas album will cure what ails ya. Chris Isaak is the rare artist who can write originals and also cover the classics by putting his own stamp on them, and he also has a great band. Fun for the fan and also those looking for something fresh in the holiday rotation.
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 | Chris Isaak - Chris Isaak |
 | "Strong Entry" | 2007-08-28 |
I remember hearing "Blue Hotel" once or twice on the radio and being blown away by it, but it wasn't until a couple of years later that I started tracking down Chris Isaak's music. For my money, tracks 1-5 on the album are a great representation of his talent; a guy who can write songs and perform them with the melancholy of Orbison and the swagger of Elvis. The rest of the material is not quite as amazing, though by no means poor.
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 | Chris Isaak - Forever Blue |
| "Back to Basics" | 2007-08-28 |
There will be some sorry people who liked "Wicked Game" who will stumble into this album and be wondering wtf about two minutes into "Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing." Sorry, people. Supposedly a very bad breakup spurred this album, and you can pretty much tell right off the bat the Chris is pissed and more than a little broken up about it. "Changed Your Mind" is a perfect counterpoint to "Nothing's Cahnged" from "Heart Shaped World." Vert solid material throughout. One thing to note, guitarist James Calvin Wilsey, who shaped all previous albums to some degree, disapppeared mysteriously prior to this recording.
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 | Chris Isaak - Silvertone |
| "First Impression" | 2007-08-28 |
I would have worn these albums all out if they weren't CDs. It's really arguable that this is his best overall effort. The production isn't as polished as it would get in the "Wicked Game " era, but the material is very strong. It's core Chris Isaak, very dark and very intense, probably too much so for mass consumption. Songs like "The Lonely Ones" aren't seen again until the "Forever Blue" album 10+ years later. Very solid album.
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 | Chris Isaak - Speak of the Devil |
| "Good Set" | 2007-08-28 |
Many good songs on this album, though very little of the intensity of the early albums, what made Chris Isaak unique. "Wanderin'" comes close, and also describes the record a bit. Very good, but not compelling.
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 | Chris Isaak - Baja Sessions |
| "Change of Pace" | 2007-08-28 |
After working through some serious issues on "Forever Blue," this was kind of a surprise release the following year. Some delightful re-interpretations of his own work and some covers, notably a glistening version of "only The Lonely." Not seminal work, but a very nice album.
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 | Chris Isaak - San Francisco Days |
| "How to Follow Wicked Game" | 2007-08-28 |
First, write a song which kinda puts you in the mindset of "Wicked Game," like "Can't Do A Thing (To Stop Me)." Then, put this complete piece of fluff on a regular album, which also has plenty of good songs on it. This album broke some new ground for Chris; a bit more spohisticated than the moody moping and borderline stalking we had grown to love. Really good tunes with a new dimension, e.g. "San Francisco Days," "Beautiful Homes." "Two Hearts," "Lonely With A Broken Heart," and a killer cover at the end.
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 | Chris Isaak - Always Got Tonight |
| "Waning" | 2007-08-28 |
I really liked "Courthouse," One Day," and "Notice The Ring." Few if any other standouts. Chris Isaak seemed to be about out of ideas at this point. I don't know, maybe make a Christmas album?
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 | 20 lb. Tank Adapter Hose for Baby Q Grill |
| "Important!" | 2007-08-22 |
Without this after you open the valve on the gas tank and light the match you'll blow up. Yes, squirrels do eat it, so coat it with some pepper spray or something.
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 | Weber Q Permanent Grill Cart - 54601 |
| "Maybe a little overpriced" | 2007-08-02 |
As per my related review, the Q is a great grill, but you really don't want to have to grill on the ground unless you're in true portable mode. Hence, you need a cart, and this one is serviceable in all aspects. But given that you're buying a cart, I would have made the accesory a little stouter and maybe included the propane guage you get on the bigger models.
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 | Floaters |
| "50% Submerged" | 2007-08-02 |
The book has decent characters and moves along nicely My biggest beef is that I don't buy the motivation for the crime or the character behind it. Same character, better plot would be a better book.
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 | ACOUSTIC RESEARCH AP-16100W 100' White 16 Gauge Oxygen-Free Speaker Wire |
| "Useful for transferring sound to speakers" | 2007-07-10 |
Well made. Cut your own length, buy some AR banana clips, hook up, and listen.
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 | Weber Q 220 Portable Propane Gas Barbecue |
| "Gassed" | 2007-07-10 |
After having had the larger "Genesis" model for several years, I thought this would be a big compromise. While billed as a portable, it can easily be accessorized into a backyard model with a stand and a full sized tank. I needed something for a temporary relocation without spending $500, and this has exceeded expecations. Stuff cooks well, it's easy to assemble, and it's made well.
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 | The Golden Orange |
| "Pulpy" | 2007-07-10 |
This is a really enjoyable read. What's unusual is that the author telegraphs the plot twist very early on, but you still enjoy the characters enough to keep you reading until you find out exactly how it plays out.
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 | The Ataris - So Long, Astoria |
| "So long, youth" | 2007-02-24 |
Or so it seems. I like this album a bit less than previous ones. A lot of the songs a "deeper," which in and of itself isn't bad, but takes some of the fun out of the equation. These guys were really good at what they did previously, this comes off a bit too preachy in spots. Still a few winners like "Boys of Summer," which I think effectively ended the Don Henley era.
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 | Ataris - Anywhere But Here |
| "Pound for pound a great album" | 2007-02-24 |
Considering it was recorded on a shoestring (literally) represents the callow musings of a 20 year old midwestern kid, it really isn't half bad.
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 | The Ataris - Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits |
| "Keep driving" | 2007-02-24 |
...through the Ataris catalog. This their first professionally recorded opus; chock full of amusing and well played songs. It might not be your thing, but how can you not like it?
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 | David Gilmour - About Face |
| "About halfway good" | 2006-02-08 |
Your search likely led you here looking for more great music by the guys who brought you Pink Floyd. Don't get your hopes to high like I did those many years ago. David Gilmour is great guitarist and mediocre songwriter - nothing he's put out as a solo artist or as the leader of the post-Waters Pink Floyd lite would make you think otherwise. It's very similar to "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" in many ways, but he's at least trying to make it on his own here. Both this album and "AMLOR" are very listenable, but they're not the desert island discs some of these reviews make them out to be.
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 | David Gilmour - David Gilmour |
| "It's a David Gilmour album called David Gilmour" | 2006-02-08 |
There was a good system of checks and balances in place within Pink Floyd between the musical stylings of David Gilmour and the biting lyrics of Roger Waters. Left to their own devices they each did OK on their first couple of solo albums; in this case a solid set of tunes featuring some exemplary guitar work. Overall, the songs aren't that memorable and the production sounds dated in a middle-of-the-raod 70s sort of way. An enjoyable record, but not likely to stay in heavy rotation.
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 | Roger Waters - The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking |
| "Worth a ride" | 2006-02-07 |
Roger Waters basically made three albums after Pink Floyd broke up, and this is the best of them. It's very much a concept album, and though a couple of the songs are good listens on their own, you can't really "get it" unless you listen to the whole thing. The lyrics are as clever as any Roger Waters wrote for Pink Floyd, but unlike The Final Cut, there are a lot of humerous touches. The best part of the musical side of the album is an extremely vital performance throughout from Eric Clapton, a big contrast to his solo work at the time, which was buried in overproduction. You're probably looking at this review if you're a recent discoverer of Pink Floyd and wondering what else is worth having. I recommend giving this a shot before buying any of the post 1983 David Gilmour only Pink Floyd releases.
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 | Roger Waters - Radio Kaos |
| "Some good songs on this radio" | 2006-02-07 |
The second of Roger Waters' post Pink Floyd albums is a mixed bag. On the plus side, there are four or five good songs on the album, some good lyrics, and some neat effects. The negatives are that the concept seems not fully developed, the sound has mid-80's drum machine qualities, and there are some tedious tracks like Four Minutes. I'd buy it again if I lost my copy, but it's not a masterpiece.
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 | Steve Earle - El Corazón |
| "The heart of the catalog" | 2006-02-03 |
Of all of Steve Earle's albums, this is probably the best one. He plays many different styles here, my personal favorite being N.Y.C.. I went to the NY show on the tour for this album, where he played three solid hours and was firing on all cylinders. Only a very subtle hint of those nasty politics in the first track. This album is great fun.
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 | The Wallflowers - Bringing Down the Horse |
| "Headlight still burning bright" | 2006-02-03 |
One of the few albums that you can pull out ten years after it was released and enjoy. Very close to the ideal rock 'n' roll record. Both fast and slow songs, but all coming across with intensity. Excellent guitars and drums. Forget worrying about how much it does or doesn't resemble Bob Dylan or Tom Petty. A great listen and the place to start if you're new to the band.
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 | Jets to Brazil - Orange Rhyming Dictionary |
| "Jetbreaker" | 2006-02-03 |
Blake Schwarzenbach was basically the sole creative force behind both Jawbreaker and JTB, so the comparisons are basically "early" Blake vs. "later" Blake. He has produced great-sounding records with both bands. The more I listen to this guy, the higher he moves up in my personal ranking of the all-time great artists. His songs come in many different forms, his lyrics range from abstract to so simple that they're almost corny, but totally sincere. I can't get it out of my car's six CD changer after over a year. Buy it.
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 | Steve Earle - Train a Comin |
| "Starting from scratch" | 2006-02-03 |
From what read, a lot of bad things happened to Steve Earle before he came back from them with this album. From what I know, he went out with boderline arena-rock stuff like Copperhead Road and came back with a radically diffrent approach. So all the fans of 80's Steve will hate this, blah blah blah. These are good, honest songs from a very talented songwriter, and though the sound may be a little bluegrass for some it works well. If you loved this skip ahead to The Mountain.
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 | Steve Earle - I Feel Alright |
| "Back in the saddle" | 2006-02-03 |
Hard on the heels of the somewhat barebones "Train a Comin'," this album brought Steve Earle all the way "back" and directly into his prime. This album represents the best of his unique fusion of country and rock 'n' roll. He has a knack for writing simple, hard-driving, exuberant songs like "More Than I Can Do." One of his best, and not at all "political," which is a big topic in the reviews.
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 | Steve Earle & Del McCoury - The Mountain |
| "Not bad for an album without drums" | 2006-02-03 |
It's hard to imagine an artist slipping so seamlessly into a genre that it sounds like he created it, but Steve Earle pulls it off. I would encourage everyone to buy it despite their probable fears that it's going to be one of those unlistenable country records. It's great music, and it's very hard and gritty. The songs are top notch, and I think he wrote them all. A pretty impressive statement from Steve Earle.
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 | Jets to Brazil - Perfecting Loneliness |
| "Rocket Bye Bye" | 2006-02-03 |
Gee, I hope none of the people who trashed this album and suggested Blake Schwarzenbach stop making music lose sleep over the fact that this was it. It's kind or eerie how the final track (vocal from the next room a la Joe Walsh on Rocky Mounstain Way)seems to forshadow the possible end of a great artist's output. This competes and edges out O.R.D. as the best of the tree JTB albums. The band is now dead, the record label is not one of the big ones; you do the math - I'm going to strongly recommend you buy a copy today.
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