The College Crowd Digs Me

"Every book is a new book if you haven't read it!"   And so, let us begin. Holly by Stephen King (2023) Hardcover, 449 pages If you are familiar with Stephen King's "Bill Hodges Trilogy" beginning with Mr. Mercedes then you have already met Holly.  In this one, Holly is hired to find a mother's missing college-age daughter.  The missing person case leads to a creepy stomach-churning thriller.  King proves once again that creepy weird supernatural ideas are often no match for the creepy horrible stuff inflicted via human discourse.  Holly is filled with page-turning uncertainties with Holly's detective skills weaved in a believable investigative manner, with King playing fair with all the clues. Holly is a stand-alone hardback novel, but that's no reason to skip the trilogy. (full review) The Feud: The Hatfields & McCoys by Dean King (2013) Holy Schnikes!  The conflict between the West Virginia Hatfields and the Kentucky McCoys  was a comp...

Holly by Stephen King (2023) Hardcover, 449 pages NO SPOILERS: If you are familiar with Stephen King's "Bill Hodges Trilogy" beginning with Mr. Mercedes then you have already met Holly.  In this novel, our protagonist has been enjoying the detective business and now runs a small office that tackles smaller cases like missing pets, runaways, etc. during the masking days of Covid.  She is a sharp-cookie, but a socially self-conscious woman with OCD and a tiny circle of friends.  Holly is a neat character and easy to root for. In this Stephen King thriller, Holly is hired to discover what happened to a mother's college-age daughter.  The missing person case leads to a creepy stomach-churning thriller that travels easily on both sides of the Stephen King fence.  The author drives Holly's detective skills in a believable investigative manner, playing fair with all the clues.  Thankfully, no bogus magic bullet solutions show up here.   King proves ...

"I'm The Man" - Joe Jackson (1979 ) "You look so sick when you're pushing me around."   "I'm The Man" was the follow-up to "Look Sharp" and makes for a great one-two punch.  The "Instant Mash" punkwave pop attitude from his debut album carries nicely into his sophomore effort.  Jackson's lyrics are dusted in barbed cynicism, causing his catchy songs to have a wonderful edgy vibe.  The same bandmates , especially  Graham Maby with his   bossy bass, move things viciously along . The square is loaded with songs that get better with each listen.  There were two sides to Joe Jackson's career.  The sarcastic barde who cast agitated shadows everywhere and the more jazz-waved maestro that showed up on later albums.  I like both versions of the guy.   Joe Jackson's albums can be found cheap.  Most are under $5.  Look over there. Where? There ...in the bargain bin.  And all offer good and safe bang. "I'm The...

"In For The Kill" - Budgie (1974)      I pick up Budgie whenever I'm lucky enough to stumble upon one, which isn't often.  Their music carries the shine of Purple, Sabbath, and Zeppelin, and yet Budgie has very much their own plow.  The riffage is there. The jamming is inspired. There is prog-dust sprinkled about.  And the vocals are curiously wonderful.  They have all the flavors I like.  This and their previous album "Never Turn Your Back on a Friend"  (1973) are both killer.  They're my Huckleberry.  Side one is a solid spinner with an epic nine-spot gem to close it out.  The epic nine-spot on side two is pretty dang good, as well.  Only the boogie-esque "Running From My Soul"  on side two sours the milk.  That one I've yet to warm up to.  Otherwise, "In For The Kill" is a blast to crank.  This Welsh band never got much bump from their label in the States, but the album still scratches the itch j...

"The Tiger And The Lamb" - The East Side Kids (1968)      You rarely stumble upon a lesser-seen vintage psych album under $20 anymore, but here you go.  For $15, this vg+ psych square just jumped into my hand for me to take home.  Pop-psych and psych rock both to feed the palette.  The vocals are strong and the band sounds like they know the score.  On the cool UNI label, The East Side Kids' one-and-done album is filled with variable doses of studio hopscotch that nicely hold up the psychedelic chalice.       And why not?  The front cover photos more than hint that the band knew their way around a lazy Susan bong snake.  Nothing heavy or groundbreaking, but it held my interest and certainly belies the lower price tag.  The more you listen, the more you appreciate the ideas and efforts.  The only track that dampens the dance is the country-esque  "Ask The Box"  on side two, not because it is bad, but b...

"Catch A Rising Star Live At Pogos April 3, 1978" - Van Halen (2016)       Van Halen had dropped one of the best debut albums ever just two months prior to the band introducing themselves to Wichita.  Not at the 12,000-seat Coliseum.  Not at the 10,000-seat Henry Levitt Arena.  But at a much, much smaller venue named Pogos...a popular dance club in the city.  What a lucky bunch that crowd.  Because on the night of April 3, 1978, in Wichita, KS... Van Halen brought their rock-bark to the house.  The group was young, hungry, and still friends back then...just trying to climb their way to the top.  And whether they knew it or not, they were well on the way.         "Catch A Rising Star Live At Pogos" captures the band performing nine songs from their just-released debut album along with a classic Blue Cheer encore.  And this square has it all.  David Lee Roth's goofy frontman bantering and vocals...

The Feud: The Hatfields & McCoys The True Story by Dean King (2013) Softcover, 430 pages NO SPOILERS:      When we think of feuds, our minds quickly think of the Hatfields and the McCoys.  Television has been parodying the infamous feud for years.  Songs have been written.  But Holy Schnikes!  The conflict between the West Virginia Hatfields and the Kentucky McCoys' was a complex flustercluck of stealing, pay-backs, grudges, revenge, murders, maiming, Romeo-Juliet romances, shunning, and a whole lot of sneakery.  Both sides.  It involved close family members, cousins, uncs, friends, and neighbors.  All seemed to have a dog in the fight whether they wanted one or not.  It was blood for blood and don't ever go against the family.   Surprisingly, both families had members in rather important positions of employment.  Sheriffs.  Deputies. Politicians. Church leaders.  Author Dean King brings it all out and ...

"The Age Of Plastic" - Buggles (1980)      Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn were the Buggles .  The duo delivered some cool electronic new wave with a tasty synth-pop bend.  Their first album,  "The Age Of Plastic" has a very cool futuristic aura, but not cold.  The songs thread their way around the room in a spacey, dream-filled fashion with added hints of tension throughout.  Subtle, not jarring.  The mix is sweet with groovy sound effects and the vinyl really brings it all out.  Nothing wasted.  The square is a cool snapshot vibe-of-the-times and it still tastes great.  The album's most famous track, "Video Killed The Radio Star" became a time-stamp for the introduction of video music and is still one of the best pop songs to come out of the eighties.  I never tire of it.  But "The Age Of Plastic" is much more than just that song.  I was surprised by how entertaining this album was.  It's a spin for fun...

"Pyramid" - Alan Parsons Project (1978 )      In 1978, Tutankhamun and the pyramids were a huge buzz.  Definitely the flavor of the year. (Just ask Steve Martin .)  And the Alan Parsons Project  also jumped into the sands, adding their two cents with a "Pyramid" of their own.  And another ear-candy square to enjoy.  This was APP's third album following their killer "Tales of Mystery and Imagination" and "I Robot" and though not as strong, it is still a hoss.  APP released eleven albums total and I have  "Pyramid" slipping into my top favorite five.        The music is mostly chill with a mysterious vibe dusted all around.  A nice spin for the late evenings.  Catchy and clever, the album's concept of death and the great mystery hold together well, and Parsons' fine-tuned production is again outstanding. The instrumentals are cream and the vocals are butter with plenty of subtle and not-so-subtle ef...

The Sandman Overture (Deluxe Edition) by Neil Gaiman (writer), J.H.Williams III (artist)  DC Vertigo  2015 Hardcover, 224 pages NO SPOILERS:      When I was introduced to Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, it felt like I was almost getting a glimpse behind the curtain.  The mystical hidden machine.  The story was just too smart, too magical, too dangerous.  And still, to this day, I've yet to meet a more beautifully dysfunctional family than the Endless Family.  Dream and his six siblings...Destiny, Death, Destruction, Despair, Desire, and Delight/Delirium are each a mind-blow and a conundrum.  The other characters that populate this epic telling are a puzzle, too.  The ten-volume graphic novel is this and much more.  Each panel meant to be read and relished.  Mythology dipped in sci-fi and heavily dusted from the brittle pages of ancient folklore.  It's all a mental treat. The Sandman Overture  (inside)   ...

"Kingdom Come" - Kingdom Come (1988)      Well, I'll just go ahead and point at the elephant in the room.  Kingdom Come is a band from Hamburg, Germany whose eponymous debut album sounds more than just a little bit like Led Zeppelin.  Many Zeppelin fans were offended and hated it.  Others dug the novelty of some of the band's Zeppelin vibes.  As for me, I fall in with the camp of "I'll take all of this you got." It's a fun album.  The mix is perfect.  Quiet and punchy.  The band is workin' it out.  Outstanding musicianship, though not nearly as thunderous as LZ.   And the Lenny Wolfe vocals...  Gimme some candy!  Delightful is all I can say.  Throw comparisons out the window.  If judged simply by what they brought to the table, Kingdom Come's  first square is an entertaining ten-track crank-fest that never bores. I had not heard of Kingdom Come until listening to an older KSHE playlist I set up...

"What we gotta do is we gotta snag that tall dude and stomp the shit out of him..." ~ Reggie ~ (Reggie Bannister)      Okay, David Lee and Tom Waits may sing of being one, but actor Reggie Bannister is the real ice cream man.  Since the very first "Phantasm"  movie, Reggie has been a working-class hero of the most anomalous and determined means.  Helping to battle the Tall Man and the many spheres of death, this year marks the 45th Anniversary of one of the strangest, coolest, and craziest of horror films.   Reggie Bannister has represented in all five of the “Phantasm” films and, along with his multi-talented wife Gigi , has recently released an exciting book that picks up where the series left off.  Like Michael J. Fox and many others, Reggie has been dancing with Parkinson's with a two-step forward, one-step back determination, continuing to stay active meeting fans, and working on his memoirs.  Thanks to our favorite ice cream m...