The last time I reviewed a Leonard Cohen CD, Live From London, Anna and Lee and Patrick thought I was being too harsh on the artist. After listening to Songs From the Road Cohen’s voice hasn’t improved. But Leonard Cohen’s fans will want this CD/DVD set. Cohen sings some of his more obscure songs. He adds a verse to “Suzanne” and changes the order of verses in “Bird On the Wire.” Hardcore fans will enjoy the 93-minute DVD with concert footage and an interview with Cohen. As I said in my review of Live From London, Cohen’s manager stole his money and now Cohen’s touring at the age of 74 to survive. I keep buying Leonard Cohen’s CDs to support the artist. GRADE: CD/C; DVD/B.
TRACK LIST
Disc 1
1 Lover, Lover, Lover [Ramat Gan Stadium, Tel Aviv, Israel, September 24, 7:43
2 Bird On the Wire [Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, Scotland, November 6, 2008 6:09
3 Chelsea Hotel Royal Albert Hall, London, England, November 17, 2008 3:31
4 Heart With No Companion [Oberhausen King Pilsener Arena, Oberhausen, Ge 5:06
5 That Don't Make It Junk O2 Arena, London, England, November 13, 2008 4:22
6 Waiting For the Miracle [Hp Pavilion, San Jose, California, November 13 8:01
7 Avalanche [Gothenburg Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden, October 12, 200 4:17
8 Suzanne Mena Arena, Manchester, England, November 30, 2008 3:41
9 The Partisan Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland, October 10, 2008 5:18
10 Famous Blue Raincoat O2 Arena, London, England, November 13, 2008 5:23
11 Hallelujah [Coachella Music Festival, Indio, California, April 17, 2009 7:32
12 Closing Time John Labbatt Centre, London, Ontario, May 24, 2009 6:07

Disc 2
1 Lover, Lover, Lover [Ramat Gan Stadium, Tel Aviv, Israel, September 24, 2009
2 Bird On the Wire [Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, Scotland, November 6, 2008
3 Chelsea Hotel Royal Albert Hall, London, England, November 17, 2008
4 Heart With No Companion [Oberhausen King Pilsener Arena, Oberhausen, Ge]
5 That Don’t Make It Junk O2 Arena, London, England, November 13, 2008
6 Waiting For the Miracle [Hp Pavilion, San Jose, California, November 13, 2009
7 Avalanche [Gothenburg Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden, October 12, 2008
8 Suzanne Mena Arena, Manchester, England, November 30, 2008
9 The Partisan Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland, October 10, 2008
10 Famous Blue Raincoat O2 Arena, London, England, November 13, 2008
11 Hallelujah [Coachella Music Festival, Indio, California, April 17, 2009
12 Closing Time John Labbatt Centre, London, Ontario, May 24, 2009
13 Backstage Sketch Bonus Track

Based on Brad Mezrich’s The Accidental Billionaires, The Social Network tells the story of how Mark Zuckerberg is dumped by his girl friend and he retaliates by creating Facebook. Yes, that’s a simplification, but essentially that’s the plot. But Aaron Sorkin’s canny script tells the story through the lens of two lawsuits brought against Zuckerberg: one by his former best friend and the other by the Winklevoss twins who claim Zuckerberg stole their idea for a social network web site. Jesse Eisenberg plays the near autistic Zuckerberg to automaton perfection. Justin Timberlake surprises with a startling performance as Sean Parker, evil Napster creator. Andrew Garfield, who will play Peter Parker in the next Spiderman movie, plays Zuckerberg’s best (and only) friend, Eduardo to sympathetic perfection. David Fincher turns what could have been a dull documentary into a thriller. GRADE: A-

Diane decided it was time for home improvements so we had a new vanity, a new counter top, and a new Delta faucet installed in our first floor bathroom. Diane liked the results so much she had the remodeling guys install a new counter top, and a new Delta faucet, and a new bathroom floor in our upstairs bathroom. The installer told us: “I have to remove the toilet to install the flooring. If you want me to install a new toilet when I’m done with the flooring, I’ll install it for free.” Who could pass up that offer! Diane and I had a Kohler Cimerron toilet installed in our first floor bathroom a couple years ago and were impressed with the quality and the eco-friendly 1.4 gallon flush power technology so we went to Lowe’s an bought an “all in one box” unit. We’re also very impressed with the quality and style of the Delta faucets. If you’re planning on updating your bathroom or thinking about a total remodeling, we can highly recommend Kohler and Delta.

Thanks to a heads up by Bill Crider, I’m now the proud owner of Thriller: The Compete Series. The list price is $149.99. Deep Discount has this 14 DVD set for a mere $74.95! That’s half price off for 67 classic episodes by Robert Bloch, Cornell Woolrich, Robert E. Howard, and other Name writers. The episodes included performances from William Shatner, Leslie Nielsen, Mary Tyler Moore, Elizabeth Montgomery, Rip Torn, Richard Chamberlain, Cloris Leachman, Robert Vaughn, John Carradine, Ursula Andress and many more! Shipping is free! Thriller was a precursor to Twilight Zone and Night Gallery. Click here to order.

Dante’s Divine Comedy garners my vote as the Most Unusual Book of the year. Seymour Chwast adapts Dante’s masterpiece, Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise into a graphic novel format. The result is a black & white noirish retelling of the classic story. Purists will be offended, but I found Chwast’s effort impressive. There’s some startling graphic on nearly every page. You should definitely check this out. GRADE: A-

Four Color Fear: Forgotten Horror Comics of the 1950s dazzles with a dozen stories from legendary EC Comics. Greg Sadowski does a great job choosing stories from Vault of Horror and Tales from the Crypt: haunting stories by Sid Check, Jack Cole, Jack Katz, Fred Kida, Joe Kubert, Howard Nostrand, Bob Powell, Manny Stallman, and Basil Wolverton. Among the artists in Four Color Fear are two of my favorites: Wallace Wood and Frank Frazetta. The infamous Comics Code killed these graphic comics for over a generation so this collection reminds us how scary and creepy horror comics were in the 1950s. What a wonderful compendium! Don’t miss it!

In 1970, Miles Davis brought out his jazz-rock fusion album, Bitches Brew. It became Miles Davis’ first gold record. Now, 40 years later, we have this 40th Anniversary collection in two formats. The first format, the “Collector’s Edition,” includes 4 CDs, the original album on CD, and an audiophile vinyl pressing on 2 LPs. Also included are previously unissued material including extensive live performances of much of the same music including a DVD of the entire Copenhagen performance from November 4, 1969. More bonus material: a 48-page 12×12 book, memorabilia envelope, and large fold out poster.

Or, you can go with Bitches Brew in the Legacy Edition [2 CDs and a DVD]. Here are all the original material plus alternate takes and bonus cuts. A DVD of the Copenhagen performance is included. Bitches Brew is one of those seminal recordings. These editions are completely remastered and sound great!
Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. Pharaoh’s Dance
2. Bitches Brew
3. Spanish Key
4. John McLaughlin
Disc: 2
1. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down
2. Sanctuary
3. Spanish Key (alternate take)
4. John McLaughlin (alternate take)
5. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down (single)
6. Spanish Key (single)
7. Great Expectations (single)
8. Little Blue Frog (single)
Disc: 3
1. Directions (Copenhagen concert of 11/4/69)
2. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down (Copenhagen concert of 11/4/69)
3. Bitches Brew (Copenhagen concert of 11/4/69)
4. Agitation (Copenhagen concert of 11/4/69)
5. I Fall In Love Too Easily (Copenhagen concert of 11/4/69)
6. Sanctuary (Copenhagen concert of 11/4/69)
7. It s About That Time (Copenhagen concert of 11/4/69)
8. The Theme (Copenhagen concert of 11/4/69)

This week BEST BUY is offering Phil Collins’ GOING BACK CD for a mere $7.99. If you love Motown, you’re going to love this new Phil Collins effort. Phil sings his favorite Motown hits like “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and “Standing in the Shadows of Love.” I’ve been a Phil Collins fan since his days with Genesis. If you’re a Phil Collins fan, this is a must-buy especially at BEST BUY’s rock bottom price. GRADE: A
TRACK LIST:
1 Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue) 2:32
2 (Love Is Like A) Heatwave 2:53
3 Uptight (Everything’s Alright) 3:03
4 Some of Your Lovin’ 3:19
5 In My Lonely Room 2:25
6 Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me For a Little While) 2:59
7 Blame It On the Sun 3:27
8 Papa Was a Rolling Stone 6:44
9 Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer 2:59
10 Standing in the Shadows Of Love 2:42
11 Do I Love You 2:50
12 Jimmy Mack 2:56
13 Something About You 2:47
14 Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone 2:40
15 Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever 2:48
16 Going To a Go-Go 2:49
17 Talkin About My Baby 2:47
18 Going Back 4:36

Wall Street achieved iconic status back in 1987 with Michael Douglas’ (as Gordon Gekko) slogan: “Greed is Good.” The sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, tries to capture the amoral Wall Street ethos that led to the near-collapse of our economic system. Gordon Gekko’s release from prison triggers a series of events involving Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin, Carey Mulligan, and Frank Langella that director Oliver Stone attempts to use as a microcosm of our current financial crisis. However, I found the Real Life drama of Michael Douglas’ battle with throat cancer to be more compelling every time Douglas was on the screen. GRADE: B+

Rick Robinson reviewed a Graham Greene short story collection a few weeks ago. That motivated me to read Greene’s Complete Short Stories, a wonderful collection of 49 stories. Greene’s short stories were scattered through four short story collections. This volume gathers them together in one handy place. For Graham Greene fans, here’s the breakdown of the stories:
Stories 01 to 21: 1954’s Twenty-One Stories (itself an expansion of 1947’s Nineteen Stories)
Stories 22 to 25: 1963’s A Sense of Reality
Stories 26 to 37: 1967’s May We Borrow Your Husband? and Other Comedies of the Sexual Life
Stories 38 to 49: 1990’s The Last Word: And Other Stories
Everyone will have their favorites but I recommend gems like “The Destructors,” “Under the Garden,” “An Appointment With the General, and “The Basement Room.” I consider them some of the finest short stories ever written. If you’ve only read Graham Greene’s fine novels, you’re missing out on some of his best work if you ignore his short fiction. GRADE: A
(This completes the September 2010 portion of my Short Story Reading Challenge. I will read and review one short story collection per month in 2010. To find out more about the Short Story Reading Challenge, be sure to click: “http://theshortstorychallenge.blogspot.com/”>Short Story Reading Challenge.