New Brian Wilson compilation features two unreleased tracks

Playback: The Brian Wilson Anthology collects 18 tracks from Wilson's solo career, including two never before released. The album is out Sept. 22. You can pre-order it on CD or vinyl now from Amazon.

The new tracks are "Some Sweet Day," from Wilson's early 1990s sessions with Andy Paley (other tunes from that era have never been officially released) and a new track especially for this release,  "Run, James Run," which was the working title of Pet Sounds' instrumental title track, originally composed as a James Bond them.

Here's the complete track listing:
  1. Love and Mercy (from the Brian Wilson album)
  2. Heroes and Villains (from Brian Wilson Presents Smile)
  3. Surf’s Up (from Brian Wilson Presents Smile)
  4. Melt Away (from Brian Wilson)
  5. Let It Shine (from Brian Wilson)
  6. Some Sweet Day
  7. Rio Grande (from Brian Wilson)
  8. Cry (from Imagination)
  9. Lay Down Burden (from Imagination)
  10. The First Time (from Live at the Roxy Theater)
  11. This Isn’t Love (from Live at the Rox Theater)
  12. Soul Searchin’ (Duet with Carl Wilson) (from Gettin' In Over My Head)
  13. Gettin’ In Over My Head (from Gettin' In Over My Head)
  14. The Like in I Love You (from Brian Wilson Reimagines George Gershwin)
  15. Midnight’s Another Day (from That Luck Old Sun)
  16. Colors of the Wind (from In the Key of Disney)
  17. One Kind of Love (from No Pier Pressure)
  18. Run, James, Run

Pic: The Master returns to "Doctor Who"

Here's a first look at John Simms, reprising his role as the Master on this week's episode of "Doctor Who." Nice Roger Delgato-style goatee!


New on video June 20, 2017: Car Wash

Click the links to order DVDs or Blu-rays from Amazon.


Car Wash


Batcaves: What will $800 buy?

From Mego to Lego, various folks have made Batcave playsets and replicas (a fancier name for playset). But this must be the most elaborate to date: Factory Entertainment's "1966 Series Batcave Desktop Sculpture," yours for only $799.99.

The set includes LED lights, a "pulsating color change effect" for the cave's atomic power core, flashing lights on select monitors and screens, and a rotating turntable for the Batmobile (not included!).

Looks like fun, and look is all I can do.

Batman '66 action figures from Funko up for order

Click the pics to order items from Amazon.









Pop Artifact: Superman Colorforms set



Pop Pick: "Jonny Quest: Original Television Soundtrack"

Everything, of course, was cool about Jonny Quest - the characters, the look, the action, the whole kid-as-adventure-hero premise - but one of the coolest was the swinging soundtrack.

Now that music gets its due in a limited edition, 2-CD package from the excellent outfit, La-La Land Records. The set is packed with jazzy, exotic, adventure-filled themes and cues that will soundtrack any scenarios you can conjure in your head. Lots of crackling drums, brass stabs and grooving bass, with the occasional tabla and flute thrown in. Most of the music was composed by Hoyt Curtin, who also created music for "Top Cat," "The Flintstones" and other series.

A detailed booklet provides great historical background on the series and how the music was created. You can order the album here.


See Sigourney Weaver in a 22-minute sci-fi short from director Neill Blomkamp



Vintage pic: Stevie Wonder


Pop Picks: "Colossal"

"Colossal" is one of the most unusual, thought-provoking films I've seen in a while.

In fact, I agree with my wife, who said a day after we watched it: "The more I think about it, the more I like it."

And there's plenty to think about. Like "WTF? This is a movie about a woman who learns that she's controlling the actions of a gigantic, Godzilla-like monster that's attacking the buildings and citizens of Seoul, South Korea. How do you come up with an idea like that?"

But screenwriter Nacho Vigalondo did come up with such an idea, and it's pretty danged cool.

The woman/monster is Gloria (Anne Hathaway), a hard-drinking writer who loses her job and boyfriend and returns to her small hometown to maybe get her life together. There, she meets up with an old friend, Oscar, (Jason Sudeikis), who hires her to work at his divey bar. Then monster troubles ensue and all sorts of questions arise.

Is Gloria really a monster, or does she just feel like a monster? Or is it that people are treating her like a monster, when she isn't? Are the men in her life more monstrous than she is? Is she treating herself too monstrously, and shouldn't she just cut herself some slack?

Lots to think about. Viewed in terms of gender, self-image an expectations we/others place on ourselves, it's a fascinating, many nuanced story. It's also quite funny and moving at times. Plus, it has giant monsters. Well worth a look.