Chuck – The Complete Second Season (DVD)
I didn’t buy into the hype when Chuck was first released. I saw it as little more than a quick clone of NBC’s Heroes – appeal to the geeks and get instant ratings.
Author: John B. Moore
Runaway Dream: Born to Run and Bruce Springsteen’s American Vision by Louis P. Masur (Book)
There are very few records that could illicit the almost academic like study of its origins, but Bruce Springsteen’s career defining Born to Run is one that can. Recorded nearly 35 years ago, the record was delayed in part due to Springsteen’s extreme perfectionism and intense pressure from the band’s record label desperate for a big seller after their first two efforts garnered critical praise, but failed to find an…
Jason Yates – Jason Yates (CD)
For the bulk of his career, Jason Yates spent most of his time hidden behind a Hammond B3 organ. But as his self-titled sophomore record shows, he actually belongs in front of the mic. Lying somewhere between jam band rocker and Americana singer songwriter, Yates writes heartfelt rock without skimping on the funk.
In the Loop (DVD)
There have been a slew of movies created this decade with the backdrop of the Iraq war, but most have failed miserably. It seems British director/writer Armando Iannucci may have finally found the right formula.
Sid! (DVD)
This doc on Sid Vicious is appropriately brief. Considering the second bassist for The Sex Pistols was barely in the band before the group imploded on their first U.S. tour, the fact that this documentary is 80 minutes long is actually pretty impressive.
Jack Johnson – En Concert (CD)
Laidback folk rocker Jack Johnson has been accused of writing the same song over and over again. If nothing else, En Concert, the Hawaiian singer’s live record, goes to show just how diverse he can be. Recorded on his 2008 world tour En Concert is everything a live record should be: expansive (the songs cover all five of his albums) and creative (the arrangements are far from predictable).
Lyle Lovett – Natural Forces (CD)
Lyle Lovett is one of those rare musicians that has earned a critic’s pass of sorts. Thanks to decade’s worth of brilliant songs, he’s allowed to put out a weaker album every now and then. Natural Forces, his latest, is not bad, but again not among his best. Though Lovett has managed to cast a pretty big net beyond the traditional country music fan with past albums, the dozen songs…
AC/DC – Backtracks (2 CDs/1 DVD)
AC/DC is one of those bands where there is very little fence sitting. You either love ‘em or hate ‘em and I just happen to fall into latter category. The argument that always gets trotted out in discussing AC/DC is that the band sounds the same on just about every song on every album. Well… you’re right. They found a formula very early on that works: big crunchy power chords…
Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales by Clarence Clemons and Don Reo (Book)
Standing stage left to Bruce Springsteen for the past three decades, E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons has had the opportunity to take in life from a unique advantage as a member of perhaps the greatest American rock band. In his wildly entertaining memoir, written with the help of his best friend Don Reo (creator of “My Wife and Kids†and a number of other sitcoms), Clemons manages to share…
My Effortless Brilliance (DVD)
My Effortless Brilliance is a throwback to early/mid-90’s Indies like Daytrippers and Walking and Talking – engaging characters, simple plots where not much happens, but the dialogue is refreshingly honest.