Pop stuff: What I'm watching, reading, hearing, etc.

Tarzan Archives: The Russ Manning Years Volume 1

The golden age of comics reprints keeps giving: I'm halfway through this delightful and nicely produced collection of Manning's excellent Tarzan comics work for Gold Key.  Published between 1965 and 1967, the stories here are all adapted from Edgar Rice Burroughs' first seven Tarzan novels. The approach is quite faithful, although the storylines are quite condensed from the prose versions.

Manning's Tarzan is noticeably tamer than those of Joe Kubert or John Buscema or even Hal Foster. These stories stem from a very mannered era of comics, and the ape man has more in common visually with Curt Swan's Superman than some of the more savage depictions other artists. Even so, I LOVE Manning's art. His line so crisp and clean -- he was really a perfect draftsman. Everything is so well-rendered from jungle nights and desert island beaches to English manors and trains and ships and lost cities of gold. Then there are all the animals and supporting cast and Tarzan's form in action. The Tarzan mythos provides a fertile playground for versatile and talented artists.

The graphic storytelling and flow of action is suburb. Yes, it's very much of its time. But, as with Carl Barks, comic book storytelling doesn't get much better than this, and the quality stands up to time. It's easy to see why so many pros, such as Sergio Aragones who penned the introduction to this volume, are big Manning fans.

There's more than 250 pages of glorious comics here. If you love comic books and/or Tarzan, it's a treasure. Looking forward to seeing more, including Manning's work on Gold Key's Korak: Son of Tarzan, which will be collected in another volume from Dark Horse this spring. IDW has announced plans to publish collections of Manning's Tarzan newspaper strips, too.


Once Upon A Time
We streamed this 1944 Cary Grant film for Family Movie Night last weekend and it's an odd one.

Here's the synopsis: Grant, a wheeler-dealer who runs a Broadway theater, is down on his luck after one too many bombs. He's on the verge of selling his joint when he's accosted by a couple of kids running their own hustle out on the sidewalk: They have a caterpillar that dances. To one tune only: "Yes Sir, That's My Baby," which the critter's owner, Pinky, plays on harmonica. Grant's character thinks he can make some money off this novelty, although everyone around him, including Pinky's protective older sister, played by Janet Blair, thinks he's crazy.

I think maybe the scriptwriters and producers were crazy, but this was a fun film to watch if just for the fact that you can't figure out how it got made.  Outside the whacky plot, it does have some nice moments and fine performances, and I always enjoy seeing Cary Grant. There's also a cool cameo by Walt Disney, who takes an interest in maybe doing a picture featuring the dancing creature. Disney fans will want to check it out for that. William DeMarest (Uncle Charlie from "My Three Sons") also turns up.

Pop stuff: Sufjan Stevens live concert review; Polyphonic Spree's holiday album

Surfjohn Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long: Seasonal Affective Disorder Yuletide Disaster Pageant on Ice. This traveling extravaganza featuring the very talented Sufjan Stevens (not sure why he's calling himself "Surfjohn" on this tour) came through town the other night, blowing minds, provoking laughter and otherwise making spirits bright.

Stevens started recording Christmas songs several years back as a way to help himself appreciate the holiday more, and he's released several holiday albums and EPs of traditional and original holiday tunes.

The show starts at over-the-top and takes off from there: Musicians dress in costume -- Superman, snowman, angel, etc.; there's a huge game show wheel used for choosing sing-along Christmas songs; inflatable Santa Claus and unicorn (yes, unicorn) toys are hurled into the audience; there's a bubble machine, confetti and tinsel all over the place.

It's a simultaneous send-up and celebration of Christmas -- all the things that make the holiday,  or at least the way we celebrate it -- overwhelming, stressful, crazy and wonderful. It was an exorcism of holiday angst.

Stevens is a brilliant musician and arranger -- maybe even his generation's Brian Wilson. His original  holiday music is filled with great melodies and harmonies (his band is also great) and sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-breaking lyrics.

It was a fun show, with wonderful music performances by the band and plenty of opportunities for audience participation. Members of the crowd were selected to spin the  "Wheel of Christmas" and we all sang-along to seasonal favorites -- they'd even handed out a book of lyrics.

I came away more relaxed and amused about the holiday, but appreciating its significance and meaning. I'm better-prepared to really enjoy Christmas this year with friends and family, which I think was Stevens' aim. No matter how annoying, how crazy and how overwhelming this season can be, we're all in it together. It's ridiculous and fun, and we're all going to be ok.

The tour is still on. Catch it if you can. Here's video from a recent performance, to give you a taste:

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Holidaydream: Sounds of the Holidays Vol. One by the Polyphonic Spree. In a similar mode to Sufjan Stevens musically, this album is full of classic and original holiday tunes performed by Tom DeLaughter and his alt pop choir.

The thing that's great about the Spree is all those voices. DeLaughter, formerly of Tripping Daisy, takes the lead vocals backed a huge array of backing vocalists. It sounds great on the Spree's exuberant, sunshine pop-influenced original songs, and is a natural fit for Christmas music -- really bringing out the spirit and joy of the holidays.

The only tune that didn't click for me was the super slow take on "Silver Bells," which drains the life out of the song. Thankfully, the group does an up-tempo "reprise" of the song, which sounds fantastic.

Other traditional songs covered include John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" (as timely as ever, sadly), "Silent Night," "Little Drummer Boy," "Winter Wonderland" and a trippy, psychedelic take on "Do You Hear What I Hear," which sounds awesome.

I don't know if it'll become a seasonal favorite, but this is certainly a nice addition to my holiday music collection.

Pop stuff: What I'm hearing, watching, reading, etc.: New Madness LP; Dark Shadows movie; Alter Ego mag!

Madness - Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da: Best-known to most Americans for their 80s hit "Our House," Madness is an always surprising, frequently rewarding band. 

Starting out as a ska/pop group with great tunes such as "One Step Beyond" and "Baggy Trousers," they transformed into one of Britain's best pop groups, turning out catchy/poignant tunes with incisive lyrics that captured elements of English life. Their best work is comparable to Ray Davies' songs for the Kinks. 

"Our House" is more than just a a great 80s hit, it's a funny, loving look at family life. In "House of Fun," the group even managed to produce a hit song about a teenage boy trying to buy condoms. Their 1982 album featuring both those songs,  Rise and Fall,  is one of pop's neglected masterpieces.

A couple years after that LP, the band broke up and -- apart from occasional reunion gigs and one album -- stayed that way until 2005, when they released a decent covers LP of ska/reggae favorites, The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1. Nice enough, but there was no expectation that they'd ever return to glory. After all, what band does at this point in their careers? Yet, another surprise, Madness did.

The Liberty of Norton Folgate, released in 2009, is one of the last decade's best pop releases, a concept album of sorts about life in a particular part London. The record is packed with great lyrics and melodies. What band releases their best LP 30 years after their start?

Now comes a follow-up album of original tunes, and Madness is still on a roll. Not as ambitious as Liberty, this new one is still a gem, launching with the very catchy, 60s soul-sounding "My Girl 2," (a reference back to one of their early 80s hits), and containing a number of other equally memorable and likeable tunes. 

Highlights include "Never Knew Your Name," the story of a lost night in the clubs set to a disco-style beat (albeit, Madness-style disco); "How Can I Tell You," an endearing and super-catchy song that's a message from a parent to his child;  "Misery," which is a return to their ska roots, and "Death of a Rude Boy," which is a tribute to the Specials' classic single "Ghost Town." The distinctive Madness sound, hallmarked by great, intricate arrangements, tasteful string parts and punchy horns is present throughout the LP.

The album ends with an alternative, slightly tougher-sounding version of "My Girl 2" produced by longtime associate Clive Langer. 

While Madness will be forced to play "Our House" until they finally break up for real (they played it atop Buckingham Palace at the Queen's Golden Jubilee last summer), their recent work shows they aren't trading on nostalgia. They are turning out some of the best work of their career. Other middle-aged bands should do so well.

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Dark Shadows. My family rented this one the other night and came away from it  pretty much as I'd expected. It's a typical Tim Burton film, holding out tons of promise, but failing to deliver even moderate entertainment. 

Why do we keep expecting more from this director who never seems to deliver? If only he could make a movie half as interesting as his hair-do.

Anyway, should've known better. I figured at least Johnny Depp would be fun to watch as Barnabas Collins. I love watching Depp as much as my wife does, but for entirely different reasons (yeah, I understand how smolderingly hot he is). And, it turns out that Depp as vampire is pretty fun. 

Not being a fan of the original TV series, I wasn't offended that this is a send-up. In fact, it would've been better had it been a send-up that was actually funny. 

As it is, nothing much funny or surprising occurs. Michelle Pfeiffer is put to little productive use. Eva Green is moderately entertaining. Even Helena Bonham Carter comes off as bland, as she's the director's partner! 

Apart from Depp, the best performance comes from Chloe Grace Moretz as the rebellious, gothy/grumpy teen-age daughter.  But she and Depp don't justify the flick.

Blah.

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 Alter-Ego, October 2012 issue. I'm always pleased when the new issue of Roy Thomas' comics history fanzine shows up at the door.

This was a good one, featuring a nice cover interview with comics scribe Marv Wolfman, tracing his career from fanzines to his pro work at Marvel and DC, including details of his work on the beloved Tomb of Dracula series with Gene Colan. Appropriate, as this was the Halloween issue. 

Also, there's the conclusion of a long interview by Jim Amash of cartoonist Leonard Starr. Great artwork throughout.

Roy tells us his editorial that Jim, who has turned out dozens of excellent interviews with Golden Age artists and writers for the mag over the past several years, plans to cut back on his input for various reasons. I'm very sorry to hear that.

Through his work, Jim has chronicled history that otherwise would be lost. Many of these creators have passed away in recent years and their stories would have gone with them but for Jim. 

Roy also notes that other historians and writers have lifted tons of information from Jim' interviews without properly crediting them. I've noticed this, too, and it's shameful.

Thanks Jim, for your tremendous contributions to the history of American comics! And thanks Roy for the continued work on Alter Ego.

Pop stuff: What I'm reading, watching, hearing, etc.

James Bond: Skyfall. My son and I had a chance to see this (in Big-D!) last weekend and it was a blast! Not as grim as Daniel Craig's first Bond outing, not as silly as those of Roger Moore, this serves up everything in the proper  proportions: Action, humor, suspense and -- still something a bit new for Bond -- deeply felt emotion. More than any Bond film, we get under OO7's skin as he copes with problems he can't simply shoot away (although, he can still dispatch with many of his challenges that way). We also get a better sense of what makes him tick.

Along the way we get a wild opening chase sequence that I won't ruin by trying to describe, other to say it's hilarious, jaw-dropping and goes on and on (in a good way); a new Moneypenny; great performances by Dame Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes and Albert Finney; and a delightfully creepy villain played by Javier Bardem, who seems to adopt a new, weird hairdo in every film he's in these days.

Everyone likes to list his or her favorite James Bond actors. On my list, I'd put Sean Connery first, followed closely by Craig. He's great in this role and has many of the same characteristics that made Connery so attractive: He's funny, charming, tough and lethal.

"Skyfall" is also among the better Bond films I've seen. It's certainly one of the best post-Connery entries in the series.

Seeing as how this is 007's 50th year on screen, it was also nice to see a few tributes to the old films in this new one. I won't spoil those, either.

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Russ Cochran's Sunday Funnies. I'm sure you can all  relate: What with being a husband and dad and having a full-time job and other projects on my plate, it sometimes takes a while to get around to reading some of the great stuff that piles up around here. But lately, I've had a chance to dive into these bundled treasures of vintage Sunday comics compiled by famed comics historian and collector Russ Cochran.

This is great stuff that really gives one a sense of what it must've been like to be a kid in the 30s and 40s, when the Sunday newspaper delivered beautifully illustrated adventures and humor in the form of Tarzan, Frank Goodwin's Connie, Buck Rogers, Alley Oop, Frank King's Gasoline Alley and more.

Drawing on the legendary Bill Blackbeard archives and other sources of vintage comics, Cochran has printed well-chosen selections from these strips and more in a huge broadsheet format. If you sit in a chair and open up these pages, you'll disappear behind them. And that's what's so cool, you really get enveloped in the strips and can appreciate, say Hal Foster's Tarzan art, up close as never before.

Each "issue" of the Sunday Funnies includes three broadsheet sections bundled in plastic. The paper is durable and the art and colors are nice and clear, yet shot from original newspapers. I have two issues, not sure if the third is out, yet, and I've purchased them online via my comics retailer.  But you can order directly from Russ here.

Pop stuff: What I'm reading, watching, hearing, etc.

Mojo, November 2012 issue. I regularly pick up Mojo, if just for the record reviews. They cover such a huge breadth of releases and the mag has many times tipped me off to new music I enjoy. But the features are generally interesting, too. even if the story is about a band I don't follow, or don't care for. Like Z.Z. Top.

These guys, featured on the cover of the U.S. edition of the November issue, never did much for me, though I found their 1980s videos amusing. The Texas boogie blues thing just never caught my musical interest. But the story is interesting, highlighting the band's past brushes with Jimi Hendrix and Roky Erickson and their various career struggles.

There's also a good story about the last days of the Jam, a band I really do like. This punk/mod revival band turned out many great singles and was huge in the UK. Their disbandment was a huge disappointment to many, but something that needed to happen.

The companion CD that comes with this issue is a good one: Featuring mod-scene pop, soul and reggae tunes and a couple of Jam rarities.

Record Collector, October 2012 issue. This is a mag I only rarely pick up, as I'm more interested in just listening to music, not in collecting rare 45s and LPs, etc. (although, you'd be hard-pressed to recognize that, with all the LPs, 45s and CDs around this place). But there's a great cover feature on the Kinks in this issue and a long interview with Ray Davies focusing on his work in the mid-60s, my favorite Kinks era.

It's definitely one to pick up if you're a fan of the Kinks circa 1964-68.






The Skeleton Key. This past weekend, I figured we'd watch one of the half-dozen or so horror classics I DVRed off TCM recently during their Halloween programming. But my son wanted to watch this one off Netflix. He'd seen it with friends before, but my wife and I hadn't even heard of it.

Released in 2005 and starring Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands and John Hurt, it's not too bad, with some suspenseful, yet predictable scenes, and a couple of neat twists. I still want to watch those old horror films off TCM, though.


This Land is Your Land: The Folk Years. I found this 2002 box set on Time-Life/Rhino for $7.99 a a used record store recently and it's a major score.

Some of the tunes (Byrds, Dylan, etc.) I had before on other records, but it's still a great way to gather other songs not in my collection.

The set features folk revival and folk rock tunes from the early to mid 60s by the Limeliters, Brothers Four, Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, Arlo Guthrie, Tim Hardin, etc., and even some stuff I wouldn't necessarily put in the category, such as Chad and Jeremy, the Seekers, Van Morrison, etc.

But it's all in the great sound typical of Rhino at an unbeatable price. Worth cruising the used bins for.

Pop stuff: What I'm watching, hearing, reading, etc.

"Once Upon a Time." My family has been watching this series from its start last season.  We keep waiting for it to go from pleasant diversion to can't-miss status, but I don't think it's going to get there.

The show is fun in that it's different from most everything else on television right now. It's not a police procedural or a a reality show, not sci-fi or based on superheroes.

It's about fairy tale characters who seep into reality, and real people who find themselves in fantasy lands. There are characters from Snow White and various Grimm fairy tales and other chldren's stories, as well, such as Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland. Since the show is on the Disney-owned ABC, I sometimes get the sense that whole thing is about marketing various Disney properties.

The fantasy/reality premise obviously offers up lots of possibilities, but, unfortunately, the plots seem somewhat rambling. I'm getting the sense the creators are playing around, not really knowing where they want to go. And, hence, the show is getting a little confused and aimless, too.

"Once" shares some production staff who worked on "Lost," and there's some of the same feel to this show, particularly in the shifts between reality and the fantasy and between past and present.

Even though the last season of "Lost" clearly showed that the creators didn't know where they were going or how to satisfyingly end the series, it always seemed like they did. You got sucked in, awaiting big payoffs that, frustratingly, never came. But it was fun following along.

With "Once," you never really get sucked in. At least I don't. There are fun ideas and some fun characters -- especially the great Robert Carlyle as Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin, who seriously needs to play the Joker or the Riddler in a Batman movie someday -- but they just don't grab me like those on "Lost" did. I feel much the same way about "Once" as I do "Revolution," another "Lost"-associated show, which I reviewed here last week.

My family is invested in "Once." My son likes it, so I'll likely hang in there. But I really hope it finds a compelling direction soon.

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"The BFG" by Roald Dahl. Here's  a much more satisfying take on fantasy-meets-reality. My wife and I just finished reading this brilliant, funny story with our 9-year-old daughter, who loved it.

It's pretty straight-forward: Giants are real and are regularly eating small children all over the world. It's been going on for years, but humans don't know about it because they never see the giants. The kids just go missing. Until one child, a British girl named Sophie, spots a nice, non-kid-eating giant she dubs the BFG: Big Friendly Giant.

Through the BFG, Sophie learns what's been going on and vows to put a stop to it, enlisting the help of the Queen of England and the Royal Armed Forces to do so.

It's great, surreal fun. Dahl, in his usual fashion, didn't write down to kids, making the prospect of child-eating giants as gross and fearsome as it would be in reality, but also somehow darkly funny.

The BFG and the other giants speak in a jumbly wordplay that is fun to read aloud and hilarious to kids. The illustrations by Quentin Blake are funny and charming, too. I love that he draws the Queen to actually look like, you know, the real Queen!

Even if you don't have a kid to read it to, it's a fun book.

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Pearl Django. My wife and I had a chance to see this Seattle quartet the other day and walked away dazzled and delighted.

The name is a joke, a reference to a much-better-known group from the band's home base. But the Django part -- in tribute to the great gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt -- is for real.

With accordion, violin and two guitars -- one pumping out the generally rapid rhythms, the other skittering melodically over the top -- the group captures the romantic sounds of Reinhardt's 1920s-30s Paris. The repertoire includes tunes Django made famous, along with other jazz standards and some originals.

I'm a longtime Django fan, but hadn't heard this group's take on his music. It was fabulous to see and hear them in action.

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The English Beat - Complete Beat. I've been enjoying this collection of, which includes all three of the Beat's studio albums, plus a double CD of rarities and live cuts.

I played the heck out of the Beat's LPs back in my high school and college years and it's great to hear their music sounding nice and clear again. They were a spectacular group, mixing post-punk pop with ska and rock steady. Their music is insistent and sometimes political, but always melodic.

There are great songs scattered throughout this set: "Mirror in the Bathroom," the anti-Thatcher "Stand Down Margaret," "Doors of Your Heart," their takes on "Tears of a Clown" and "Can't Get Used to Losing You," "I Confess" and the closest they ever came to a U.S. hit, "Save it for Later."

Most of the tracks hold up just fine and are unbranded by oppressive 1980s production. A thick booklet does a nice job of detailing the band's too-short history. The band split up 1983, with former members forming new groups General Public and Fine Young Cannibals, both of which were more successful on these shores.

Beat fans should note that the group's albums have each been released separately in expanded form over in the U.K. Those versions are spendier and include some additional extras, including videos. I went with the U.S. box because it's cheaper and includes all the tunes I really want, anyway.

Pop stuff :What I'm hearing, reading, watching, etc.

Produced by George Martin. This is a DVD released of a recently aired BBC Arena special and well worth picking up if your a Beatles fan.

Paul and Ringo both appear and join Martin in tender recollections of their work together back in the 1960s, when Martin sat on the other side of the glass from them in the Abbey Road recording studios. Their scenes together are funny and informal, like watching old friends reminiscing, which, I guess, is exactly what they are.

But it's not all Beatles. We take a look at Martin's pre-Fabs career, too, when he served in the RAF during World War II, went to music school and ultimately became a record producer at EMI's eclectic, low-budge Parlophone label, producing everything from trad jazz to light classical, to comedy albums and Scottish dance recordings. Fortunately for the world, he opted to give rock'n'roll from Liverpool a try.

Martin's son, Giles, asks him to share details and stories from the early days, and George's charming wife, Judy, is present, too, to share her recollections about working alongside him while a secretary at Abbey Road.

Ex-Python Michael Palin chats with George about the comedy days, when Martin produced records by Goon Show greats Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan. We get an overview of Martin's post-Beatles career, too, when he produced hit recordings by America and worked with Jeff Beck and the Mahavishnu Orchestra.

The film is only and hour long and a quick breeze through a long career, yet it still contains great details and interviews. Another hour or so of extras is well worth checking out, especially a series of interviews in which noted record producers, such as T-Bone Burnett, Rick Rubin and others, discuss Martin's impact and influence.

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The Lennon Letters. More Beatles, which isn't terribly unusual around this place. I'm about three-quarters through this long-awaited and heavily hyped collection of Lennon's written-down odds and ends compiled by Hunter Davies, author of the Beatle's 1968 authorized biography.

This isn't a collection of letters as you might see from a politician or famous authors, where intimate prose serves as a sort of memoir or autobiography. Lennon didn't write many letters like that. Mostly, he jotted quick notes and postcards to fans, friends and relatives. They were witty, provocative and sometimes offered up revealing insights into his personality and moods, but they tended toward brevity.

Anything where Lennon put pen to paper is fair game to Davies, who includes notes Lennon wrote to his housekeeper and even a shopping list or two. But there are more interesting items, as well.

I found it fascinating that Lennon took the time to write back to fans on occasion and tended to be very gracious in answering their questions. One letter includes him writing back to a student at Quarry Bank High School, his old alma mater. Another couple show him explaining the Beatles' interest in Transcendental Meditation to concerned/interested fans.

Lennon's long diatribes in Britain's music papers, attacking Paul McCartney and the Beatles myth, are also included, as are his many letters to critics and newspapers promoting and sticking up for the art and music of his wife, Yoko Ono.

Many of the "letters" also include his funny drawings and his humorous/sometimes aggravating wordplay. Lennon certainly liked to put his thoughts, no matter how fleeting, in writing. If he was still around today, he'd likely be producing one of the most entertaining blogs on the Web.

 If you go into with reasonable expectations, and love Lennon, it's a book worth checking out.

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Revolution. Not the song, but the new TV series on NBC.

After the terrible conclusion of "Lost," I approached a new show produced by J.J. Abrams with some trepidation. But the basic, yet intriguing, premise of this show -- the world has completely lost electricity and has been thrown into chaos as a result -- made me decide to give it a try.

So far, it's not been terrifically engaging, though the most recent episode I watched ("The Plague Dogs" on Oct. 8) injected some pathos into the plot that made the characters and story a little more interesting.

America after the lights go out is pretty much what you might expect: Everybody's freaked out. Food is in short supply and everyone is out for themselves. The NRA must love it, because those with guns are the best off. I'm sure there are survivalists out there right now stocking up on more ammo and saying "I told you so."

Yet, the good guys on this show are gun-free. They are trying to live peacefully and have run afoul of the militia that is, literally, calling the shots.

Though, as I said, the show seems to be getting better, none of the characters is immediately as captivating as those on "Lost."

The plot isn't as much of a grabber, either. We know right off the bat what's going on. Yet, there is some mystery, too. We don't know why the power went out -- though some of the characters may. We also don't know if it can be switched back on -- though there are hints that it can. We also don't know why the leader of the militia and some of the key rebels, who were pals before the big blackout, are now at odds.

So, I'll hang in there for a while, and hope that it doesn't end up that they were all in Heaven and dead all along.

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Nashville.  My wife and I checked this one out, mainly to see Connie Britton, who was so fantastic and likeable on "Friday Night Lights." But we didn't make it past the pilot.

Britton plays Rayna James, country star facing a mid-life slump in record sales. To help re-spark interest from the fans, her label wants her to tour with an up-and-coming and annoying young star played by Hayden Panettiere. The script kept referring to her as an ingenue, which, I guess, is French for "little bitch."

Anyway, it's all very soapy, with subplots involving Rayna's husband, who is running for mayor, and the nefarious schemes of Rayna's dad, Lamar Wyatt, who is basically the J.R. Ewing of the piece.

Had this been a straight drama, not a soap, it might be fun. But, as is, it's too cheesy even for guilty pleasure status.

Pop stuff: What I'm hearing, watching, reading, etc.

I'm trying something new: Reviews on the fly, so to speak, a weekly roundup on my recent brain  input. As you'll see, it's not all newly released books, albums or films, etc., but old stuff, too, that I'm rediscovering or checking out for the first time. Maybe it will help make this place  a little more personal.


"The Price of Politics,"by Bob Woodward. See, it's not all comic books and rock'n'roll around here. I'm nearly finished with this: Woodward's latest inside skinny on what's happening, or not happening, in the White House. It's not exactly a roller-coaster ride of excitement. The focus is on the debt limit crisis and the financial apocalypse our nation continues to barely skirt. Lots of numbers and lots of people not getting anything done. But, with Woodward's access to all the key players and lots of fly-on-the-wall details of closed meetings and secretive deal-making, it's a good snapshot of our dyfunctional government and drives home why things are at such an impasse. I'm skeptical the upcoming election will change much, not matter who wins.


"The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson,"by Robert Caro. I finished this one a few weeks back and it's still very much in my mind as I read Woodward's book. Whether you agreed with his politics or not, or liked or disliked the man, LBJ was a guy who could get things done. This huge book looks at his vice-presidency, during which he was essentially sidelined by the Kennedy brothers, who disliked (and in the case of Bobby, hated) him and the first months of his presidency. LBJ was a deeply flawed and power-hungry man. But he rose to the occasion after JFK's assassination and helped the country move forward, achieving an amazing array of policy victories right from the start. This was a president who knew how to work with, around, and through Congress; a master politician who knew where all the bodies were buried and how to achieve what he wanted.

 
"Oh, God!". We watched this for family movie night this past weekend. I hadn't seen it since it was in the theaters back in 1977 and it holds up amazingly well, thanks mostly to the enduring charm of George Burns. It's a sweet and a funny film. Carl Reiner directed. John Denver, as a man appointed by the Almighty (Burns) to help spread a message of simple tolerance and compassion, is a pretty decent actor. The great Teri Garr is her usual wonderful self as his wife. Paul Sorvino is funny as a Falwell-ish evangelist.


Tempestby Bob Dylan. Speaking of the epic and Biblical: Dylan's most-recent LP has been playing in my home and in the car stereo for several weeks now. It's a grower. You've probably read about the 14-minute, Leo DiCaprio-mentioning tune about the Titanic and about the John Lennon tribute tune. Both are great, not as alarmingly bad as you might fear. The rest is very good, too. As with any Dylan album, the lyrics are dark and enigmatic and take time to absorb. The imagery in many songs is angry, violent, with characters making threats and even killing one another. There multiple references to blood and wounds and undercurrents of jealousy and vengeance. Dylan's voice is now reduced to gravel, and actually sounds pretty great over the rootsy, bluesy musical backdrop. One tune, "Early Roman Kings" is a surreal Chicago blues tune that sounds like something off one of his mid-60s albums. If you like Bob, you'll enjoy the album. It continues the long-roll of greatness he's been on since Time Out of Mind.