Thursday, September 27, 2012

Like Water


This is a review for the book, Rainwater by Sandra Brown.  I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.  http://www.amazon.com/Rainwater-Sandra-Brown/dp/1439172773/ref=cm_cr-mr-title

I have never read a Sandra Brown novel before so I din't know what to expect. I was happy to discover a novel with a lot of rich meaning and a nice story.
The book takes place in the depression era (1934 to be exact) where a hard working woman named Ella Barron struggles to take care of the tenants of her boarding house while dealing with a 9 year-old son with a severe case of autism. The novel begins with a new boarder moving in by the name of David Rainwater.

From there the novel follows an interesting path dealing with issues such as racism, bigotry, poverty, and even finding love when you have given up on it. The novel isn't a deep soul searching revelation by any means. But with fleshed out characters, exciting scenes, and triumph in the face of natural pains and the evil men do, the novel is a very satisfying read. Two thumbs up.

RATING 4 of 5

Monday, September 17, 2012

Stone Temple Pilot's Debut Album

This is a review I wrote for Stone Temple Pilots excellent Core album.  http://www.amazon.com/Core-Stone-Temple-Pilots/dp/B000002IU3/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_1   I gave it 5 stars out of 5.  Here's why:





Still one of my favorite albums of all time. In 1992 STP realeased this rock gem. It wasn't univerally aclaimed though that's for sure. While fans loved it enough to make it go 8 times platinum the critics dismissed it as just another grunge cd. Well, STP are still around making music, so what you got to say to that critics? Here's a song breakdown:

Dead and Bloated 5.0 Heck of a start to a cd. Scot Weiland's growling lyrics over a killer riff. Was never a radio single, but still gets a lot of airplay even today!
Sex Type Thing 4.9 A strong song condeming date rape. Pretty powerful stuff.  If you find the single for Plush ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000057W1V?SubscriptionId=0QCHRJVSKG6F3BRGBNG2&tag=pbs_00098-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B000057W1V ) it contains a swing type version to the song.  Pretty epic...
No Memory 3.7 Cool interlude that leads into....
Wicked Garden 4.8 Strong rock song. Another classic.
Sin 4.7 A very underated song. Weiland is here raging against sin and religion.
Naked Sunday 4.2 Interesting beat. Love the production on this song.
Creep 5.0 STP go acoustic on this one, and it is amazing. You can feel the intensity in Scott's voice too!
Piece of Pie 4.5 Interesting song. Not really in love with it though.
Plush 5.0 It doesn't get any better than this! The music, the lyrics, the singing, the baseline. Everything comes together in this one! Worth buying the cd just for this song!
Wet My Bed 2.5 Throw away track in my opinion. Very short and could've been left off.
Crackerman 5.0 My favorite song on the record! I saw Velvet Revolver play one time and they did this song. So good!
Where the River Goes 4.9 Good long ending song!

54.2 out of 60.0. Pretty awesome. If you don't have this cd but love rock, then you need to get this.  Classic 90s rock at it's finest.

RATING: 5 of 5!

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Loves the Sound of Her Own Voice







This review is for the book for "Palimpest" by Catherynne M. Valente.  Audio Book version.
I gave it 1 star.

I found the premise of this book intriguing. Stripped down to the basic, it's the story of four people who end up having spontaneous sex with a stranger and enter Palimpsest. The experience will change their lives forever.... And that's it. There is no other scrap of plot in the whole story.

The only thumbs up I can give echos the other reviewers, Catherynne Valente has a truly musical quality to her writing. She can definitely turn a phrase. And it is a pleasure to read her construction. But it's not enough....

That being said though, that's all she does. Palimpsest is more like a drug trip hallucination than actual story. I'm not really sure she has a plot in mind at all. The problem is that while you at first enjoy listening to the musical quality of the story, you eventually become frustrated when you realize it's not going anywhere.
When I first started listening to it I tried to compare it to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. I figured I would appreciate it for the artistic quality even if I wasn't wowed by the story. But no, it's no Dark Side of the Moon either.

So overall I have to say I am really disappointed in the work. I would love to give it more than a 1 star, but a book has to have a plot that makes it worthy of reading. If not ultimately it ends up being a pretty little piece of garbage. And this is what Palimpsest is.

RATING 1 of 5

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Album: Sucker Punch OST*  Artist: Various  Rating: 5 Stars




Amazing cd! Now while there is some previously released material on this album, don't let that discourage you. The remixes are dead on. Here's my thoughts on each track:

1. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - 5.0 Emily Brown, what can't she do? Act, and now sing? Yes she does a heck of a job on this song. A classic reworking that hits on all cylinders.
2. Army of Me (Sucker Punch Remix) - 4.5 Don't get me wrong, the song fits perfectly in with the movie. And the remix is cool.Not vastly different from the original song. Still nice to see it in here.
3. White Rabbit - 5.0 A song about Alice In Wonderland. It rocks. Emiliana Torrini's voice is perfect here. A dreamy rock/pop song.
4. I Want It All/ We Will Rock You (Mash Up) - 1.0 Ugh, this doesn't work with the rest of the cd in my opinion. It's a fist pumping mix of rap and classic Queen. But it sticks out like a sore thumb when compared with the rest of the dreamy rock and punk songs.
5. Search and Destroy - 4.5 Ah here we go. Jumps right back into the album's theme. Good song
6. Tomorrow Never Comes - 4.5 A very memorable song (on the movie it's the train scene/kitchen scene). This song get's stuck in my head every time I hear it. It is not dying....argh! See!
7. Where Is My Mind? - 4.5 Emily Brown sings backup to this song as well. Will stick with you long after the song ends.
8. Asleep - 4.0 Yet a third Emily Brown song! And she rocks this one as well. Slower and haunting.
9. Love is the Drug - 5.0 This song is from the final credits in the movie. And it fits in so well. Once you get done the movie you are kind of in a dark place by what you have just seen. This song is the perfect touch to bring you back up. It sounds like a big grand production. Great song and a great way to conclude the album.

Final Score: 38.0 out of 45.0
Not too shabby! With the exception of song number four this soundtrack doesn't miss a beat. I personally recommend it.

RATING 4.7 of 5

Friendly to Your Mouth and the Environment!

What:  Tom's of Maine Toothbrush Type: Soft Bristles 4 count Price:  $11.99 Rating: 5.0 Tom's of Maine is an awesome company. ...