Red Hot + Rio: Pure Listening Pleasure
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (15 October, 1996)
list price: $14.98 -- our price: $13.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

This immaculately conceived and packaged fundraiser for the AIDS awareness foundation is a sharp tribute to Brazilian pop. David Byrne, Milton Nascimento, PM Dawn, Stereolab, Gilberto Gil, and Crystal Waters (vamping through "The Boy from Ipanema") are among those weighing in with sophisticated tunes that will cross from cocktail hipsters to the leading edge of the mass audience. --Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Listening Pleasure-RED HOT+RIO
I enjoyed 1.Used Your Head by Money Mark, 2.Corcovado done by Everything but the Girl, the funkie beats were great, 3.Desafinado done by Astrud Gilberto & George Michael was soothing and relaxing, 4.Non-Fiction Burning was enjoyable 5.Crystal Waters' version of The Boy from Ipenema, LOVED IT!! the music makes your body want to move, it will be favorite, 7.Seguranca (Security) done by MAXWELL with that sultry soft voice of his & the music, this is a favorite, 8.E Preciso Perdoar done by Cesaria Evora & Caetano Veloso w/Ryuichi Sakamoto on the keyboard, Damn I love Cesaria's voice, she got off, this is definetly a favorite, 10.Water to Drink by Incognito w/Omar & Anna Caram was nice, 11.Dancing by Milton Nascimento was enjoyable, 12.How Insensitive done by Antonio Carlos Jobim & Sting, I didn't care for Sting singing this song, I do enjoy Sting's music but not this, he wasn't the man for it. 13.Water of March done by David Byrne & Marisa Monte was okay, but I enjoy Al Jarreau & Oleta Adams rendition on "A Twist of Jobim" better, 15.One Note Samba/Surfboard by Stereolab & Herbie Mann, I didn't care for that techno or computer sounding stuff, it sounded like the music on The Wiz when they were trying to get away from the trash cans, it will get a skip, 17.Black Orpheus Dub by Mad Professor, it had sort of a Rasta, funk, techno flair which was okay, 18.Chico Science & X DJ Soul Slinger, I couldn't get into that either, that will get a skip too, 19.Funk'N Lata's Sambadrome, was short & funky, 20.Giberto Gil's Refazenda, his voice went well with the song, 21.Preciso Dizer Que Te Amo done by Cazuza & Bebel Gilberto was nice, but the sound was off, it sounded like they were singing in a tube. I manly purchased this CD because it had my 2 favorite singers Maxwell and Cesaria Evora & I enjoyed both of their songs immensely. I am totally satisfied with this purchase and it will be one of my favorite CDs which I listen to often.

Great for Jobim Fans
If you like Bossa Nova, particularly Antonio Carlos Jobim, you will love this CD. It has covers by many current artists of his songs, as well as some other Brazilian music. I like how the liner has the lyrics in English, but almost all the songs are in Portuguese. The David Byrne Waters of March in an exception, where he sings in English, and a woman is singing in Portuguese, but it works out very well.

An excellent addition. I have most of the songs on the album on at least two other CDs, but the artists have played with the songs enough to complement the originals.

Brazilian Music Just Rules
I honestly bought this cd for one song, É Precisco Perdoar by Cesaria Evora, Caetano Veloso and Ryuichi Sakamoto. I became addicted to that song once I heard it and had to have it. I'm a huge Cesaria Evora fan anyway. (Try her too, anything she sings is god send.) Familiar with this series (Red, Hot and ...) I knew it would be a good cd, but all I cared about was the one song.

I got my song and oh I got more! Everything But the Girl singing Corcovado was a lovely tribute, plaintive and all. They did justice to Jobim and then some. PM Dawn's cover of Non Fiction Burning has rekindled my appreciation of PM Dawn as well as renewed my love of Brazilian pop.

The cd is great. Some are odes to Brazilian pop and others are renditions in the artists style. Familiarity with the songs definitely makes it a treat to hear them in new styles, but the few that I wasn't familiar with certainly opened my eyes to new sounds.

Now, I certainly recommend the cd for É Precisco Perdoar alone, but the rest of the cd is certainly worth it either way. Once you get a taste of this, you'll want more Brazilian Music. You almost can't go wrong with Brazilian jazz at all, you need only be slightly more judicious for Brazilian pop. It all has a laid back groove that will calm you as soon as exhilirate you. ... Read more

Asin: B000004750
Subjects:  1. 90's    2. Adult Contemporary    3. Afro-Brazilian    4. Alternative Pop/Rock    5. Ambient Pop    6. Bossa Nova    7. Brazil    8. Brazilian    9. Brazilian Jazz    10. Brazilian Pop    11. Club/Dance    12. College Rock    13. Crossover Jazz    14. Dance Music    15. Dance-Pop    16. Dub    17. Electronica    18. Ethnic Fusion    19. Experimental    20. Experimental Rock    21. Fusion    22. Indie Electronic    23. Indie Pop    24. Indie Rock    25. Jazz-Pop    26. Latin Continuum    27. Latin Jazz    28. Latin Pop    29. MPB    30. Pop    31. Pop/Rock    32. Post-Rock/Experimental    33. Samba    34. Soul-Jazz    35. Trip-Hop    36. Tropicalia    37. Urban    38. Vocal Jazz    39. World Fusion    40. Worldbeat   

A Love Supreme
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (20 June, 1995)
list price: $17.98
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

A Love Supreme is a suite about redemption, a work of pure spirit and song, that encapsulates all the struggles and aspirations of the 1960s. Following hard on the heels of the lyrical, swinging Crescent, A Love Supreme heralded Coltrane's search for spiritual and musical freedom, as expressed through polyrhythms, modalities, and purely vertical forms that seemed strange to some jazz purists, but which captivated more adventurous listeners (and rock fellow travelers such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, and the Byrds), while initiating a series of volatile, unruly prayer offerings, including Kulu Su Mama, Ascension, Om, Meditations, Expression, Interstellar Space. From the urgent speech-like timbre of his tenor, to the serpentine textures and earthy groove of Elvin Jones's drumming, Coltrane's suite proceeds with escalating intensity, conveying a hard-fought wisdom and a beckoning serenity in the prayer-like drones of "Psalm," where Jones rolls and rumbles like thunder as Garrison and Tyner toll away suggestively--all the while Coltrane searches for that one climactic note worthy of the love he wants to share.--Chip Stern ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (134)

masterpiece
For those that get this album it is nothing short of a masterpiece. For those that don't it is just noise. I recommend giving this album a listen before buying it, but for those that have a hard time getting into this album I recommend multiple listenings over a fairly extended period of time. Try listening to it 4 or 5 times with in a couple of weeks time span. I've actually known people who at first thought this album was awful, but after a while their ears just opened up to it.

To the reviewer who said:

"Art reaches out, speaks to the universal, appeals to the heart. Jazz excludes, speaks in code, demands analysis. I prefer art."

I think that it is pretty ironic that you criticized this particular album in this manner. Essentially this album was Coltrane's attempt to reach out, speak to the Universal, and appealing to the heart. If you missed that you missed the entire point. I'll admit this is an album some people are going to love and others are going to hate, but Coltrane's purpose is undeniable. Also your claim that jazz isn't art is laughable.

First on my list of favourites
I resort many times to this record when I really want to get carried away with music. For me this record is medicine. So Coltrane, Tyner, Jones and Garrison are here like a group oftherapists so to speak.
This one is truly unique. Never listened to something even similar and don't want to. Because "A love supreme" is just perfect. I have other Coltrane works like "Giant Steps" or "Blue Train" but these ones don't mean much to me. And I even don't like much John's way of playing: too many notes in such a little time space. Many times they don't tell me anything. And it is the same reaction that I get sometimes from Bird. "Ok, you're a virtuoso. Congratulations!. So what?".
But this record was really his cornerstone for me. He was in a different approach. He meant something to me in every note he blew from his sax. He really got into something. And he's here with the great McCoy Tyner. With his piano helps Elvin Jones to create a mystic atmosphere where you can feel they are in some kind of spiritual voyage. And everything is a wonder.
So if you are one like me who's not very fond of Coltrane, it doesn't matter at all. This is a must have. Who told you that "Kind of Blue" was the all-time best?. It is "a love supreme". It is about pure inspiration from four geniuses of Music. It'll change you. For good!.

Still supreme after all these years.
It's a testament to John Coltrane's artistic vision that a piece of uncomprimising music such as a 'A Love Supreme' can be heard for the universalism it stands for. Recorded in a studio in New Jersey in late 1964, Coltrane had spent a week alone in a room in his house away from his wife and children. During that time of contemplation and isolation, he put pen to paper to bare his soul to God and the essence of 'A Love Supreme' was born. I don't think it was a coincedence that at the time this album was recorded in the mid-60's, a new philosophy of spirituality and peace & love began to prevade popular music in general. The Church of St. John Coltrane still resides in that bastion of hippiedom, San Francisco.

The music on the album itself is powerful not just for Coltrane's playing itself but also for the fanatical interplay of the quartet. 'Acknowledgement' opens with Garrison's passionate bass line, leading into Coltrane's dynamic and ingenious playing, the quartet's spirited performance like a fervant, untamed emotion that has gripped them all. 'Resolution' blazes from the record with Tyler burnishing the track with some brilliant playing of his own. Jones's frantic drumming comes to the fore on the opening of 'Pursuance', a track where the meaning of 'Chasin' The Trane' becomes self-evident as Garrison, Tyler and Jones follow in hot pursuit of their leader's furious joy. Tyler's playing is again compelling as the quartet trade notes with such alarming velocity before Garrison's bass tip-toes and leads us like the pied-piper to the concluding 'Psalm'.

It's refreshing in this day and age to hear an artist whose sincerity and integrity shines through his work. ... Read more

Asin: B000003N7G
Subjects:  1. Jazz    2. Pop   

Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil: Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (18 November, 1997)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

This Clint Eastwood vanity-project was one of the biggest box office disappointments of 1997, despite a masterful performance by Kevin Spacey, Eastwood's typically subtle direction and, to these ears anyway, one of the most satisfying collections of songs gathered in service of a film in many a year. It didn't hurt that they were all penned by the late, great Johnny Mercer (a native of Savannah, GA, the film's locale and most crucial, underrated element) and with the exception of Tony Bennett's "I Wanna Be Around" and Sinatra's classic "Summer Wind," were rendered by an all-star team of jazz players (Charlie Haden, Michael Brecker, Joshua Redman, Kevin Eubanks, Christian McBride among them) and an impressive line-up of vocalists including k.d. lang, Paula Cole, Joe Williams, Rosemary Clooney, Cassandra Wilson, Alison Krauss, Diana Krall, and Kevin Mahogany. Eastwood has long been a jazz devotee and, in recent years, eager proselytizer; this album plays like a love letter to one of his most beloved musicians and composers. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Features

• Soundtrack

Reviews (46)

Probably my all-time favorite movie soundtrack.
I watched the movie and enjoyed it, would give it three stars, maybe four.Listened to the soundtrack and absolutely LOVED it.This is one of the classiest collections of songs I have ever had the privilege to feast my ears upon.

Generally speaking, this is a compilation mostly of songs written by the venerable Johnny Mercer, performed by some accomplished jazz stylists and the likes of Rosemary Clooney, k.d. lang, and Alison Krauss.It also includes "I Wanna Be Around" by the great one himself, Tony Bennett (his own performance).Although several of the songs are on the light side, I would characterize the overall flavor of this CD as quiet, mellow, maybe even a little somber at times, but all great jazz hits -- and I'm usually not a big fan of jazz.

This is also one of the most relaxing collections I know.Serve it up with a rich cabernet and it's guaranteed to bring your stress level down a few notches.The only hiccup on the way is a rather uninspired performance by Clint Eastwood -- with that voice he really should stick to tough-guy acting.But don't let that turn you away from an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable soundtrack.My ears have devoured it more times than I can count, and I don't plan to stop any time soon.

highly recommended
This cd is full of great songs.I was really impressed with K Spacey's version of "that old black magic"...what a pro.I have the movie on both dvd and tape (somewhere) as well as the book, but what I revisit more than all of those is this soundtrack.This is a throwback to when songs had depth and soul, as opposed to the slick singles that you hear on the radio these days.Basically, to sum it all up, if you want to own a timeless collection of songs, then buy this cd.

The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is b/c of Eastwood's song.

How can you go wrong with Johnny Mercer?
Loved the book and instinctively knew that a movie couldn't capture the essence of it. As for the CD, I think the soundtrack for "L.A. Confidential" was much more evocative of time and place. How can one go wrong using great songs with Johnny Mercer's lyrics? Hear them sung by amateurs, who at best, sound like lounge singers, and you'll know. Kevin Spacey does a passable job on "That Old Black Magic", but the artful arrangement doesn't require him to sustain a note for long. Clint Eastwood may be an icon, but he can't sing, and it's disappointing to pay good money to hear less than top performances. The absolute best version of "Accentuate the Positive" is by Johnny Mercer himself (on the "L.A. Confidential" soundtrack). Since this CD is something of a tribute to Mercer, it would have been great to include one of his vocals. The best performance by an amateur on this CD is Alison Eastwood's sweet and lanquid rendition of "Come Rain or Come Shine." The great tunes on this CD are performed by the people who really are musicians: K.D. Lang's lovely version of "Skylark" is much better than Linda Rondstadt's, but no one can surpass Ella's. The superb selection on this CD is Alison Krauss singing "This Time the Dream's on Me" - sheer perfection. ... Read more

Asin: B000002NJF
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Soundtracks    3. Soundtracks & Film Scores   

Sony MVCFD75 Mavica 0.3MP Digital Camera
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $499.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The Sony Mavica MVC-FD75 is an easy-to-use digital camera that offers a 10x optical zoom lens not normally found on an entry-level model. The nearly universal floppy is the storage medium of choice. The 640 x 480 resolution is great for e-mailing, posting on the Web, or making small prints (no larger than 3-by-4 inches).

There are a number of programmed exposure modes that help you take pictures in just about any circumstance, and an auto white balance makes sure your colors remain true. For macro lovers, there's an integrated auto macro mode, which lets you take pictures up close. Images are captured in the JPEG format by default, but you can also record uncompressed bitmaps. ... Read more

Features

• 0.3-megapixel sensor captures 640 x 480 images great for emailing or wallet-size prints
• Autofocus lens with 10x optical zoom
• Stores images on floppy discs
• Discs can be read by virtually all Macs and PCs with floppy drives
• Uses proprietary lithium-ion rechargeable battery(included)

Reviews (63)

Still using my Mavica, 2nd review
I originally reviewed this camera March '01 and just found my review on a web search. I gave it a "5" and still do - easy to use and great price.The floppies save you from crawling around hooking stuff behind the computer- always a nightmare in MY office!For online selling the pics are great, closeups are the only letdown and if you are very careful you can do "ok" but not great.Still a big bang for the buck and it's been A+++ for function, not a problem ever and I'm a heavy user. A solid buy, you could do much worse!

Mavica MVC-FD75
I'm no techie and like things simple, straightforward and easy to use.This camera fits the bill.I limit digital photography to web usage, sending pics via email, looking at pics on my computer or TV via DVD player, posting pics on eBay and hobby websites, etc. and this camera is perfect for those purposes.The use of floppy discs is particularly nice and so is the outstanding macro/close-up capability.If you plan to blow up pics fairly large and print them, a higher resolution camera may be preferable, but for 95% of my needs this camera is perfect and so much easier to use than my wife's fancy, expensive, high resolution camera with more of bells and whistles.

c stalcup
The camera is very convenient but if the light is not bright enough the image does not show on the screen, so pictures are hard to take centered or in focus. ... Read more

Asin: B00005A3MB
Subjects:  1. Cameras - Digital    2. LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) (Displays) Viewfinder (Viewfinders)    3. MVCFD 73, FD, 73    4. MVCFD73    5. Digital Camera (Cameras)    6. Photograph (Photography)   

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
by Frank Miller Klaus Janson Lynn Varley
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 May, 1997)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $10.17
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (220)

One of the best stories Ive read
This was the first story in the genre of comics/graphic novels that I have read in almost ten years. I have to say, this is one hell of a story. Its a side of Batman, more in depth and troubled than I am used to. It shows how driven he is, to the point that he cannot even retire in peace without the beast within tearing him apart. It also shows the lengths to which his enemies, and in this story, even the government will go to stop him. Funny thing is, there was a snippet of this story in an episode of the Batman Animated series years ago that until I read this, had no clue where it came from. Masterfully done, worth the read for comic collectors and non-comic collectors alike.

A Dark Masterpiece
I had originally read part 4 without the first 3 parts. Thankfully, I managed to go through this masterpiece from start to finish eventually, and it was a turning point in the comics medium.

Prestige format, 48 pages without advertisements and high quality paper to go with the artwork and coloring. All this could be just glossy overtures if not for the fact that the story is something else.

Miller reinvented the medium and push it to a cultural phenomeon is one thing. What remains clear is after nearly 20 years, this mini-series/graphic novel remains as timeless as it is brilliant is without doubt. Reading it again recently, brings back all that was excellent in comics in 1986 and shows just how far superhero storytelling has evolved.

Miller was the first one to put Batman in an Elseworlds situation and it is clearly still the best. How he takes well known characters in the DC universe and reinvents them is another brilliant stroke.

But the thing that impresses me most even to this day is his writing. Cinematic, atmospheric and mature. None of this was common in comics before this. Now, it is expected. Yet very few can match Miller in this regard. And very few will.

In the end, if not for Arkham Asylum, this would be my very favourite Batman story. Yet, it is something that every comic fan should experience. An immeasurable work. A masterpiece. All the superlatives apply.

For all its grittiness and sophistication and its impact on popular culture, I still find it a very entertaining read. An adventure that steamrolls and is affecting at once.

Just go read it. Dark masterpiece is an understatement.

It's A Dark One
Miller's take on Batman is brutal and engrossing.We start as Wayne comes out of retirement hounded by a personal demon (you know which one) and takes on an absolutely harrowing Gotham.He's old, a bit sluggish, and pissed, and that's the real charm of Miller's book: it's not romantic.Batman is not the clever, humorous caped crusader found in the animated series or in teh original Adam West program; he's a tortured soul, bitter and savage.Miller and his illustrators are very good at guiding the reader along both narratively and emotionally.In other words: this book is a real treat.It's very violent and very scary, but these extremes serve a purpose: they carry warnings with them, for Miller's Gotham is very much the microcosm of the worst in humanity, and it's very possible that we someday become these things.Miller looks at a maturing Batman from his own mature viewpoint, making for a gripping, fast-paced, and heady read.

It's a cool book. ... Read more

Isbn: 1563893428
Sales Rank: 2936
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Fantasy    3. Graphic Novels - Superheroes    4. Science Fiction    5. Science Fiction - General    6. Fiction / Graphic Novels    7. Movie/TV Tie-Ins   

Freaky Deaky
by Elmore Leonard
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (06 May, 1998)
list price: $12.00
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (32)

Hippies turn deadly
Deadly.We have this couple, Robin and Skip, two 60's radicals used to be anti-establishment, anti-the man.How things changed.Now they're ex-convicts getting ready to score a huge payback on the wealthy family that originally snitched them out.Kaboom!Deadly.In comes Chris Mankowski.The Sexy Bomb Boy.He transfers from the Bomb Squad to the Sex Crimes Division for Detroit's Finest.His very first case involving a rape leads him to a gossamers web of Austin Powder, clothes pins, lots of copper wire, a big black dude named Juicy Mouth, Busby Berkley and the Banana Dance, bushels of grass and gallons of LSD, an explosive ending, and perhaps the coolest Elmore Leonard character ever in the ex-Black Panther, Donnell Lewis.He's just wicked nasty.

Why "Freaky Deaky" hasn't been made into a movie confounds--yes, confounds--me.How can "The Big Bounce" make it to theaters before "Freaky Deaky?"Even Don Cheadle is talking about making "Tishomingo Blues."Not cool."Freaky Deaky" is a really good story, and it's about time that a big screen version of it gets made.

Dash For Cash
If you're planning to extort money from a multi-millionaire by threatening to blow up his house (or else) you should probably make sure of at least 2 things. First, the man you're threatening should be smart enough to understand the threat. Second, your partner, who also happens to be the explosives expert, probably shouldn't be spending most of his spare time tripping on acid. Thus Elmore Leonard sets the scene for Freaky Deaky. It's his penchant for creating characters just a quarter-turn from normal that makes his stories a delight to read.

The story opens with a lunch-time meeting between Robin Abbott and Skip Gibbs, a couple of former student radicals from the 1960s and 70s. You get the impression pretty quickly that these two people are not exactly your salt of the earth types when they fondly remember their finest moment together as the time they bombed a government building. Robin smoothly leads the conversation around to how they were both captured for their roles in the bombing, the prison sentences they served and her thoughts as to who tipped the police off as to their identities and whereabouts. She's still not happy and is after revenge in the form of a restitution payout and she needs Skip's knowledge of explosives to execute her plan.

This introduces us to Woody and Ricks, as well as Woody's chauffeur, ex-Black Panther Donnell Lewis. Now, Woody is a multi-millionaire, having inherited his parent's fortune after his mother died. She didn't like Mark all that much and he only received a small endowment, much to his eternal frustration. Although Woody has all the money, he is also an alcoholic and his brain has deteriorated to the point where he is totally reliant on Mark and Donnell.

A man with a mind like Woody's coupled with his net worth sets him up as a major target for the less scrupulous people on earth and, wouldn't you know it, Mark and Donnell just happen to be those kinds of people. Their plotting and planning from within the Ricks mansion combined with Robin and Skip's activities ensure that Woody is in for a bumpy ride. The question is, will he even notice?

But wait, I haven't even mentioned the story's protagonist. Chris Mankowski is a police detective who has just transferred from the bomb squad to the sex crimes unit. By just, I mean it's his first day, when he gets dragged into the picture when a woman walks in to report that she has been raped by Woody Ricks. The fact that a former bomb squad detective just happens to be thrust into the midst of an impending bombing may seem too coincidental to accept, but it is in keeping with Leonard's sense of irony.

Chris is by far the most complete character in the story. We learn a lot about his background, his bad luck with women, his wonderfully charming relationship with his father and his passion for his job. He is also a dangerously insightful detective who reasons problems out with startling speed, although that occasionally results in him getting himself into more trouble than he counts on. In short, he is an easy protagonist to like and I found myself quietly cheering for him.

So, from the set up, it sounds as though the story is just a simple grab for cash, doesn't it? Well, it's a grab for cash all right, but it's far from simple. You see, Robin and Skip's plan involves setting up bombs around the Ricks' mansion and then threatening to set them off unless they are paid. The problem with the plan lies in the fact that Skip is tripping on acid half the time and his attention to detail is not what it could be, with unexpected results.

Elmore Leonard sets up a hectic storyline, bordering on manic, with each attempt to carry out the extortion quickly following the last. The fact that the bad guys are a mixture of insanity and incompetence provides a strong feeling of uncertainty as to who or what is going to be blown up. There are too many humorous moments to call this a thriller, but there is also too much drug-taking and violence to describe it as a light-hearted caper. I think "black comedy" is the most fitting description for Freaky Deaky.

A wonderful page turner
I read this book in one sitting as I could not tear myself away from it. Mr. Leonard is a great writer heeding tot he old E.B. White rules from Elements of Style - omit needless words. He mixes drama with probably the best dialogue writing. ... Read more

Isbn: 0688160964
Sales Rank: 728294
Subjects:  1. Detective and mystery stories    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Leonard, Elmore - Prose & Criticism    5. Mystery & Detective - General    6. Mystery fiction    7. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General