May We Suggest?
David Shapiro:
I don't know if I'm suddenly getting religion or what, but I woke up several days in a row to driving acoustic guitars in my head backing the lyrics, "Everybody gonna pray, on the very next day ... everybody gonna pray to the heavens on the judgment day." I finally tracked it down to Peter, Paul and Mary's landmark 1963 album, In the Wind. This CD represents some of the best work of the groundbreaking folk trio, bringing Bob Dylan's music to the masses with classic renditions of "Blowin' In The Wind" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right." A great way to revisit the energy of the time.
Since we're in a folkie '60s kind of mood, let's keep the vibe going by checking in with the clown princes of the folk era, the Smothers Brothers. They were best known for their controversial, censored, canceled TV Comedy Hour, but their funniest work was on earlier albums from their live nightclub act. Their best spoofs and twisted takes on folk classics still hold up remarkably well, and they're assembled on the CD, Sibling Revelry: The Best of the Smothers Brothers. Play this CD on your car stereo while you're stuck in traffic and you'll wish the jam lasted longer.
I'm not the only one taking another look at the folk era. Peter Apo, one of two Hawaii boys in the Oregon-based Travelers 3 who later came home to record Hawaiian music, returns to his folk roots with a new CD, My Back Pages. It contains the title Dylan song as part of a medley and folk staples such as "Wayfaring Strangers" and "Early Morning Rain." A mellow listen that brings back a lot of good memories.
Before we leave the folk scene, a freebie: Another Hawaii musician, Keith Haugen, has been appearing at anti-war rallies singing a medley that combines his own composition, "Cease Fire," with Bobby Darin's 1968 anthem, "Simple Song of Freedom." It's an old-fashioned, kick-ass, folkie protest song, and Haugen generously provided readers of my blog with an MP3 file of "Cease Fire Medley" for free download here.
And finally, to prove I can keep at least one foot in the 21st century, I liked and highly recommend Norah Jones' new CD, Not Too Late. It has a different feel from her earlier albums with more original compositions, but let's face it, with that voice Jones could sing the Burger King menu and make it work.
Sean McKlusky:
Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings, edited by Marcus Borg
There are many parallels between the philosophical teachings of Jesus and
Buddha; so many in fact that some scholars believe that Jesus was influenced
either directly or indirectly by Buddhist teachings. But don't worry, this
book isn't about conspiracies or an attempt to explain the lost years of
Jesus. Nor does it press a Gnostic agenda. It simply places the
expressions side by side allowing the reader to come to their own
conclusions and ponder the universal human experience and perhaps the
universality of the truth which is said to come to all who seek.
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
What a great vacation read! (So I'm behind on my pulp fiction reading
list and no, I have NOT read The Da Vinci Code!.)
Sean's newest music acquisition:
Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection by Def Leppard
"Rise up, gather round,
Rock this place to the ground.
Burn it up let's go
for broke,
Watch the night go up in smoke."
Didi Wood:
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
When I read that this book was narrated by Death, I rolled my eyes and thought,
"What a gimmick! He'll never pull it off." But I loved Zusak's I Am the
Messenger,
so I gave The Book Thief a try. And I'm glad I did, because it's amazing,
heartbreaking, and — dare I say it? — important. Don't miss this one.
Costello Music by The Fratellis
My husband always knows what's new and good in the music world, and
that's how I got to hear this album, which won't be released in the U.S. until
March 12. You may recognize "Flathead" as that catchy song in the iPod
television ads — the rest of the album is just as good.
Back to Black by Amy Winehouse
Another British import scheduled for release in the U.S. on March 12. This is classic
soul with a capital S. See her perform "Rehab" live at the Brit Awards
2007, where she received the award for Best British Female Solo Artist (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-TPVZCi9q4).