The College Crowd Digs Me

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson (2006) Hardcover, 268 pages NO SPOILERS: "…the Thunderbolt Kid" is a nostalgic journey about growing up in the Midwest circa the 1950s.  Author  Bill Bryson's recollections of those olden days as a young boy reminded me of Christmas Ralphie with a bit of Scut Farkus orneriness thrown in.  It's a sweet, amusing read that causes us to measure what we've lost with what we've gained.  Nostalgia will do that to ya.  One thing is for certain.  Helicopter parenting was not a thing.  And Jello is still Jello. One caveat, and YMMV, Bryson's growing-up years seemed more than charmed in the telling.  But pages turn like butter, so...whaddyagonnado?   It's the perfect book to chill your mind and break up the monotony from the thrillers, mysteries, and horror stories you've been gorging on.  Pick this one up and give your pulse a break.   "It's A Big Old Goofy World" - John Pr...

"Nothin' Matters And What If It Did" - John Cougar (1980) "Nothin' Matters…" was John Cougar Mellencamp's fourth album and one I enjoy quite a bit.  With his large catalog, this and his previous self-titled album (aka) "I Need A Lover"  (1979) are still my favorites.  Not commercially his best stuff, but the ones I spin the most often.  And by a large margin.  I've had the two CDs forever and last week when I wasn't finding anything deep or psych-bent...there this square was.  And with absolutely nothing else tugging at my sleeve. Before JCM fell into a dangerous bucket of self-importance, he was still a smart-ass, but a little more fun.  More tongue-in-cheek.  And maybe more vulnerable.  Both albums are smile-makers and muscle-flexors with a little less posturing.  But what do I know?  I don't know anything.  There were plenty of good songs on good albums yet to come from this guy, but nothing as satisfying. ...

"Proud Flesh Soothseer" - Linn County  (1968) The album "Proud Flesh Soothseer" is a mash of soul-driven psych blues rock with organ and dusting of flute and sitar.  The organ is bold without being bossy.  And the flute and other instruments give many of the songs an avant-jazz peek-a-boo vibe.  It's not Martha White All-Purpose flour good.  But it's good for what it is.  You can hear the band trying to be ambitious.  For 1968, Linn County grabs a piece of the early psych-ring and keeps everything balls and heady.  Let me be clear.   Linn County is not at all what I call a horn band.  But there are some horns, mostly in good measure.  Overall, I liked it.  Plus, for an obscurity psych square, Linn County's debut with the spooky cover is also easy on the billfold.  It's a win-win. Linn County started their jammin' in Iowa before being signed by Mercury Records.  They relocated to San Fran and quickly found th...

"Something Weird Greatest Hits"  (2018 - Rei 2023) "Something Weird Greatest Hits" was a gift from my dad who saw it in a record bin of new albums marked half-price at The Record Ship last month.  I don't actively seek out compilations for myself, but obscure stuff like this is the type of comp that interests me most.  This double album is a selection of music culled from many exploitation drive-in B-movies that were pushed out on the cheap in the '60s.  Each track tries to posture with a groovy rebellious and underground taint that would cause parents to worry, fret, and frown...and maybe they succeeded.  Today, the shock value is relatively silly, but in the best way.  A definite smile-maker.  "Something Weird…" is a groovy time machine that takes you on a rock-n-sleazy adventure with every spin. For sure, there are a few tracks on this square that are legit in their own right.  And a few of the artists I even recognized.  The Bit' A Swe...

Ghost Story by Peter Straub (1979 - Rei 2003) Hardcover, 483 pages NO SPOILERS: For a horror novel of grand repute, Ghost Story is a slow-burn read.  A simmering crockpot of atmosphere and characters.  Knowing this going in will make all the difference for the reader.  It did for me.  Not the usual kind of pace that, say, Stephen King, who recommends this book highly, might ascribe to.  Here, Peter Straub chooses a much different tempo and nails it.  Ghost Story has a delicious claustrophobic vibe that works all through the story.  I knew I was in good hands and settled in for the telling. The story revolves around a small group of elderly, old-time, long-time friends who call themselves The Chowder Society .  These small-town gentlemen socially meet to smoke a smoke, drink a drink while each take a turn swapping stories about odd things they remember.  These stories slowly evolve into much darker, stranger shares.  And somewhere amon...