The College Crowd Digs Me

Stinger Robert R. McCammon (1988) Paperback, 538 pages     NO SPOILERS: I wasn't exactly sure what this novel was going to be about.  I avoid reading the front and back blurbs beforehand so as not to give too much away.  Dig the surprise, I guess.  But I had a pretty good inkling this wasn't To Kill A Mockingbird .  Anyway, Stinger is a page-turning, treehouse kind of sci-fi/horror story.  A violent chase between one ET and another ET ends up in a little nowhere town in Texas.  A dying town where the days and nights are filled with a slow sweltering bucket of monotony.  And the town folk know everybody, but mostly just keep to themselves.  That is until an alien standoff hits the fan and the community needs to work out their own differences for the greater good.  There are multiple plots going on and a variety of town characters to meet and sift thru and this keeps everything on the edgier side.  The violence is bang and ...

(4 For Friday) *   20 valuable bits of advice to consider. *  There are flipbooks to flip, and then there is this one. *   So that's the end of The Great Wall of China .  Never seen it.  Now I have. *   A reminder how to check and cancel subscriptions on your iPhone or iPad. "No Hard Feelings" - The Avett Brothers / "True Sadness" (2016) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK

"Synthesis" - Cryan Shames (1968)     "Synthesis" is mostly an entertaining pick-up.  It starts off with a cool garage burner that's a lot of fun.  But it's also the hardest track on here.  Still, there are a few baroque-ish lightly-dusted tracks to be had.  Atmospheric of the good kind.  Unfortunately,  Cryan Shames,  from Hinsdale, Illinois never completely commit to the tasty mind-play fun.  Mixed throughout this square are original pop AM offerings that are not bad songs at all.  "First Train To California,"  for example, is a sunshine gem.  But nothing at all like the opening track or the atmospheric mind-trip stuff found on here.  I like both, but I wish the band had just flipped a coin and headed off in one direction.  The album "Synthesis" can be found for under $10 easily, and is a good pick-up when you do.  Walk away if the price is jacked.  Don't over-expect when you drop the needle a...

(a short jaunt) "Dark Star" - Crosby, Stills & Nash / "CSN" (1977) "Forgive me if my fantasies might seem a little shopworn. I'm sure you've heard it all before.  I wonder what's the right form." I love the build-up to the dance.  Tiptoe congas and snares.  Cock-strutting guitar.  Shoulder-tapping drums.  All leading up to  Stephen Stills  cutting to the chase.  We know each other all too well.  And with his partners,   Graham Nash and David Crosby , they knock it outta the park.  As much as I like  "Shadow Captain,"  this one should've been the opening track.  And I would've voted for an extended intro.  This was CSN's 2nd studio effort in this teamwork combination...and the one I play most often. (OWN) "Bang, Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" - Terry Reid / "Bang, Bang You're Terry Reid" (1968) "You grew up, and I left town. I would always call you mine. You would always laugh and say,  ...

(4 For Friday) *   A two-year time-lapse showing  how braces actually correct   your teeth. *   Here are 23 interesting pieces of data  in visual form.  I love this kind of stuff. *   Driverless taxis in operation in Beijing.  And that's how that works. *  Every Stephen King movie ranked .  I watch'em, but never over-expect.  I had no idea I missed so many.   "Helicopters" - Barenaked Ladies / "Maroon" (2000) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK  

"Little Queen" - Heart (1977)     I was familiar with Heart's classic "Barracuda" and the fun rocker "Kick It Out"... but I'd never heard this album in its entirety.  And as famous as Heart became, I was mostly clueless about all but their major radio hits and never gave the band too much thought.  So, in a spending mood, I saw the gorgeous  "Little Queen"  album, the one with the Renn-Faire cover, offered for a reasonable piece of coinage and snagged. I got myself an education.  The songs and musicianship are just excellent.  I'm not sure why I thought it would be otherwise, but the album sounds like it was truly a full-on band effort and not just an Ann and Nancy Wilson affair.  Along with Ann Wilson's Plant-like vocals,  "Little Queen"   is a contrast of rockers and gentler folk rock head-trips in much the way Zeppelin would often conjoin their harder stuff with dives into the folkier pool.  And...

"Family Entertainment" - Family (1969)     From Leicester, England, Family released a musical discourse of seven studio albums, each one climbing the UK charts.  But rarely do their albums show up in bins around here.  Especially the early stuff.  I guess Family just wasn't promoted much in the States.   I'll have to pass the baton to someone else doing a Masterclass about the band.  But as for this epistle, I will tell you that "Family Entertainment" was the band's 2nd album and included their signature track... "The Weaver's Answer." After cleaning and playing this record the first time, I was left with a bit of a... "That was okay, I guess, but what did I just listen to?"   I brewed some Chock full o'Nuts and watched the rest of the Cubs game.  That same evening I dropped the needle again on "Family Entertainment"  and it was a much more enjoyable spin.  I guess my head wasn't in it the first time.  ...

"Elephant Ball" - Crystal Syphon (2015)     Crystal Syphon shared the stage with all of the west coast puppies...holding their own and making fans wherever they played.  And when not working the stages, they were making music in the studios.  But for whatever reason, none of it was ever put to wax.  Finally, in 2012,  Roaratorio gathered together some of Crystal Syphon's songs for what became their "Family Evil" album.  And then a wonderful follow-up album  "Elephant Ball" in 2015.  Both are some tasty West Coast psych rock offerings and are recommended. The album "Elephant Ball"  is music from 1967-'69 and starts off with three studio recordings, the first being a fantastic Iggy-like garage-punk track.  A couple of excellent and groovy folk-rock tracks follow.  And then Crystal Syphon really gets their magic beads going.  Six tracks performed at the Fillmore West in November of '69.  And I'll take all of t...

(4 For Friday) *   A small boat and a real JAWS . *   20 lesser-known  life-saving tips.   Interesting.  A few are VERY interesting. *   I know very little about Marlon Brando , but in this short two-minute clip, Brando puts it all on the table when nobody wanted to listen.  And way ahead of his time. *    An easy reminder  in case you forget .   "American Squirm" - Nick Lowe / "Labour of Lust" (1979) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK

Essential Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 1 (#1-24) Stan Lee (Writer), Jack Kirby (Artist) Marvel  (1999) (first published in 1963-66) Graphic softcover, 564 pages The Marvel Essential editions are well-known for faithfully reprinting collections of the early issues of famous comic book superheroes.  This one, of course, gathers the first 24 issues of the original X-Men series.  Fans of the silver age comics will enjoy the nostalgia and find most of the included stories entertaining. The X-Men are five teenage mutants, each with a unique skill, who attend a private school run by "Professor X."   The professor protects the X-men while helping the mutants develop their talents.  "Angel" has wings and flies.  "Beast" is extremely acrobatic and strong.  "Cyclops" has powerful laser eyes.  "Iceman" manipulates ice to his advantage.  And "Marvel Girl" is skilled in telekinesis.  This was the original X-Men team which would later evolv...