Fours and Two

My January pop culture consumption has had an abundance of fours: I read 4 books, 4 trade paperbacks, 4 single issues of comics, and bought/downloaded for albums (one of which has 4 discs). In fact, the only thing I didn't manage 4 of (besides TV, but who can keep track of all that) was short stories, having read only one. There's no big significance to any of this, of course, but I found it interesting.

Here are some quick reviews of two comics I read yesterday...

Joe the Barbarian #1 - This is a new Vertigo series from Grant Morrison and Sean Murphy and this first issue costs only a dollar. As far as the story goes, it's definitely a set-up issue about a geeky diabetic who is either hallucinating or actually traveling to a world where all his toys are real and "the drains are choked with guts and stuffing." Interesting. Even better, though, is the art by Murphy (who also drew one of the short stories in that first House of Mystery). I'm not very adept at talking about art, so I'll just say that his work makes me feel like I could visit the places he's drawing. More than that, I want to. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.

Astro City: The Dark Age Book Four #1 - This is the final book of the long-running Dark Age storyline, where Charles and Royal Williams are out for revenge for their parents' murder. This is not a good place for newcomers to start, as this is the 13th issue of the story. For long-time readers like me, I'm looking forward to finding out what happens, especially filling in the pieces of Silver Agent's time jumps.

Sunday Shuffle #169

I can't believe we're at the end of January already. I'm four weeks into my session at the Y and three weeks into my college semester. Mid-winter break at the day job is less than two weeks away as well. Anyway, here is today's music...

1. Last Day Of Magic/The Kills (1)

2. Darling Night/J Tillman (1)

3. Summer Babe (Winter Version)/Pavement (1)

4. Jen Is Bringin the Drugs/Margot & The Nuclear So & So's (1)

5. Swedes In Stockholm (Acoustic)/Tokyo Police Club (1)

6. Hostile, Mass./The Hold Steady (1)

7. You Really Got a Hold on Me/She & Him (2)

8. With Arms Outstretched/Rilo Kiley (1)

9. Brown Paper Sack/Reigning Sound (1)

10. A Bottle of Buckie/Ted Leo & The Pharmacists (1)

I'm With Them

I've taken the last few weeks to play With The Beatles repeatedly, letting the music soak in. It was the second album from the Fab Four and other one I'd never heard in its entirety. To be honest, there were quite a few songs I'd never heard at all. Still, that's the fun, isn't it?

For me, this is an album that gains steam as it goes along. Sure, there's fun in the descending chords that end "It Won't Be Long" and the nifty bassline working with McCartney's melody in "All My Loving." I was surprised to hear "All I've Got To Do," which feels like it could be a protoype for low-fi indie rock - the instrumentation is sparse but effective.

George Harrison really shines on his first Beatles original, "Don't Bother Me." It has a nice groove to it and a short, sharp guitar solo. The harmonica comes out for "Little Child," which feels like a 50s-style rocker. "Till There Was You" has such a pretty melody but such goofy lyrics - "There was music and wonderful roses." You know, I don't remember that song from The Music Man but it's been a long time since I've seen it.

The covers continue with the great "Please Mr. Postman" as the boys harmonize and a solid take on Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven." The one original stuck between all the covers is "Hold Me Tight" with its fun call-and-response vocals.

I love their version of Smokey Robinson's "You Really Got a Hold on Me." John and George sound great together harmonizing on the verses and when Paul joins in on the choruses...wow. Plus, Ringo's drum fills are great.

Speaking of Ringo, he rips it up on "I Wanna Be Your Man" along with some cool Hammond B3 organ and nice lead work from George. What a great little tune. And speaking of George, he's back in the lead with "Devil In Her Heart" and so are the great three-part harmonies. Then speaking of Ringo again, his drum work and the piano are highlights of "Not A Second Time."

By the time we get to their cover of "Money (That's What I Want), I realize the album has just gone full-speed ahead and it brings it on home is a rocking way. Hey, this band was pretty good!

Wild Again

I mentioned the other day that I was reading Suicide Kings, the latest novel in the long-running Wild Cards series shepherded by George R.R. Martin. I had lost some momentum in my reading but I rebounded yesterday and then finished the book this morning. There often comes a point in a book where I can no longer put it down as it powers to its end.

This book is the final of a recent trilogy within the Wild Cards universe and the 20th overall. It continues to track a group of characters we were introduced to in Inside Straight and their journey from hero wannabes to actual heroes. At this point, I'd grown attached to several of the characters and this chapter was not always kind to them. There is that sense of heroism and redemption, though.

I'm not going to natter on about plot. This book hinges on the previous two and a new reader would be well-served to start with Inside Straight. Some of these characters hearken back to the original set of Wild Cards novels, many of which I read but haven't owned in a long, long time. In any event, there are a bunch of new writers who have signed on for more books and look forward to seeing what happens.

Life in Miniature

Here's a quick encapsulation of my week for you - from Saturday to Monday, I read 230 pages of the latest Wild Cards novel, Suicide Kings. On the other hand, I've only read 34 more pages since that time. I do hope to finish the 175 pages or so that are left this weekend...by Saturday, if possible. We'll see.

Sunday Shuffle #168

Here's some music for Championship Sunday - Go Colts!

1. Pride of the Yankees/Patterson Hood (1)

2. That Is All/Slobberbone (1)

3. Blue Headlights/Shout Out Louds (1)

4. From/Dr. Dog (1)

5. Like Egypt Was/Michael Penn (1)

6. Cindy Tastes Of Barbecue/Luna (1)

7. The Return of Jackie and Judy/Tom Waits (1)

8. The Re-arranger/Mates of State (2)

9. I Walk By Your House/Reigning Sound (1)

10. Nowhere/Frankel (1)

Corn Flake Mysteries

Some quick thoughts on things I've read recently...

House of Mystery - There are quite a few mysteries laid out in the first volume of this series, which is as it should be. What connection does Fig have to the titular house and why is she the only one who can hear it talk? Why can it talk? Who are the mysterious figures that chased her to the house? Why are only five people not allowed to leave? Plus, we get stories within each story, as story is the method of payment in the bar. Matthew Sturges is the driving force behind the title, though Bill Willingham sometimes writes the stories within. The main artist is Luca Rossi, who reminds me of Tony Harris back in his Starman days (that's a good thing)); backups are by a variety of artists, like Jill Thompson and Sean Murphy. After reading this volume I went out and bought the second; I look forward to it reaching the top of the stack.

Adventure Comics #6 - The momentum on this title was slowed by the Superboy Prime two-parter (which I did like quite a bit) but this issue finishes up Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul's brief run on the book. Their work on this book has been so good that I wish they were staying on the title instead of moving to Flash (still not sure how I feel about Barry Allen's return but I'll have to check it out). The Legion back-ups disappeared but it looks like they'll soon have this book and a new Legion book in a few months, so I can probably wait.

The Unwritten #9 - This closes up the second storyline with some horrifying developments. Next issue appears to be another one-off like the brilliant Rudyard Kipling-centric #5. I love this comic book.

Corn Flakes with John Lennon - This is a memoir from rock critic Robert Hilburn and is an interesting look at the artists he got to know a little bit - Lennon, Dylan, Springsteen, and U2, to name a few. If you love any of them (and how could you not at least love one or two), you'd find plenty to enjoy in the book. I do and did.

Ex Machina - It feels like it's been forever since I read Vol. 7, so I was happy to sink into Dirty Tricks (Vol. 8). I'm guessing there are only two volumes left to go in this political/super-hero book by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris and I'll be sad to see it finish.