From Delaney & Bonnie to us
585017
I bought the LP. This is the only band I know that can go along nicely with blues, rock, rock 'n'roll, country, folk, gospel and soul in the short range of an album. Duanne Allman is a special guest, as much as Little Richard, who provides an unbeatable rock 'n' roll piano lesson on "Miss Ann".
844837
This is a terrific souvenir of the genesis of what became the Mystic Valley Band. In 2008 Conor Oberst went to Mexico and eventually he and Taylor Hollingsworth (guitar), Macey Taylor (bass), Jason Boesel (drums), Nik Freitas (guitar), and Nate Walcott (organ) recorded the album that was released simply as CONOR OBERST in 2008. (The band later released OUTER SOUTH in 2009.)

What ONE OF A KIND does is collect a variety of B-sides and outtakes that were recorded in Mexico during January/February and November December. Of the ten originals, half were written by Oberst. Oberst's highlights are the uptempo title track and the reflective "Gentleman's Pact." Favorite line:

All that you keep is the journey
All you keep are the spaces in between.
It's not the fresh start or the ending,
All that you keep is the journey.

Oberst also shares the spotlight with his bandmates.  Hollingsworth wrote and sings lead vocals on "Central City," Boesel wrote and sings lead vocals on "I Got the Reason #1," and Freitas wrote and sings lead vocals on "Normal." There are also a couple of covers, both sung by Oberst. The first is a blues shuffle rendition of "Corina, Corina." The other is a faithful cover of the Paul Simon hit "Kodachrome." The album closes with a 2:19 rendition of "White Shoes," which was expanded to 5:50 on OUTER SOUTH.

In addition to the music CD, you also get a DVD documentary of the evolution of the Mystic Valley Band and the creation of the music that is on the CD and the music that eventually became 2008's CONOR OBERST. Some of the video is black-and-white, some is in color. Some is a bit grainy. Occasionally, still photos are used. Lots of on-camera interviews with band members. Lots of music--rehearsals, concert footage from shows in Mexico--but no full songs are included. Overall, if you're a fan, this is a must-have purchase. And at this price, it's a bargain considering you're getting more than 40 minutes of music on the CD and the running time on the DVD is nearly an hour.

My daughter and I caught them live at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 2009. It was an amazing show. I earned some serious "Dad" points when I drove her 800 miles to see the band at that show in Colorado. I should earn a few more when I pass this on to her.  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED  [CD running time - 42:01; DVD running time - 55:26]
1683322
Delaney is a very fortunate Kansas girl.  She has found a job working in a book store in Edinburgh Scotland.  And the Cracked Spine is not just any book store, it is filled with rare books and collector's items.  Delaney's job is to verify and catalog the rarest of items.

After Delaney has an evening at the pub with a couple of her friends who are medical students, she and her boy friend, Tom, go to the warehouse portion of the store.  She wants to verify the existence  of some antique scalpels.

The next morning, a medical student she met at the pub the night before is found murdered in the alley behind the store.  Edinburgh's age means that there are many stories and legends of murders from the past.  In fact the alley may have been the site of a burial ground.  History is everywhere.

Events begin to influence Delaney as she searches for the truth about the murdered girl and the murderer.  Between history and the secrets of the people involved there is a great deal to investigate.

This is a fast moving story.  Although it is the third book in a series, I could follow the action easily even though I have not read the first two books.

Delaney has an extra sense which allows her to channel literary quotes  which are appropriate for the moment.  One quality I did not admire is her sense that she is able to investigate on her own.  She is a bright young woman who has fallen in love with her new city as well as most of the people she has met there.  But, at times she seemed to be too willing to retain information which would have been better to be shared with the police.

The secondary characters are able to add to the atmosphere and action of the story.  Delaney's boss Edwin, and her fellow workers are very interesting  as well as supportive of Delaney.  In fact, nearly every friend is a supportive character who is willing to go the extra mile on her behalf.

I liked this book.  It is a well developed cozy mystery with a good plot and a strong central character.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.
2428207
It's awesome that they packaged these two albums together. The Runaways are my favorite band, but only with Cherie Currie. The Runaways would have gone nowhere without her! I hope to hear more from Cherie in the near future. She's recorded a new album, but it's being held hostage by Blackheart Records. Please help her get it back by taking a moment to sign the petition.

[...]

For more information please visit my website:

[...]
4800321
It is nice to hear songs that are updated & cleaned up.  The New Recording & Patsy Cline CD's were very nice too.  Well worth the money.
2624803
I adored Donny & Marie during the heighth of their career - the l970s!  I only wish the DVD carried ALL of Donny & Marie's shows!  It is still a worthwhile DVD though
259482
I had read the book after it was first released. I had fallen in love with the Delaney sisters durng there book promo tour. The book answered a lot of questions I had about the end of slavery and what did people  do to survive.  My Granddaughter needed to do an autobiography for her english class and I recommended the book to  her. She loved it and got an A on her book report.  The book has a great sense of adventure and humour and  a great way to learn history.
716107
Celtic Woman started as an experiment to celebrate traditional Irish melodies in a fresh and modern way presented by a wonderful group of talented ladies who represent the diverse beauty of the women of this region.  Due to the marvelous talents of the team assembled, the project lit a fire that has spread around the world.  We fell in love with Mairead, Chloe, Lisa Kelly, Meav, and Orla.  The magnificent arrangements by David Downes had us all singing along and making these Irish songs our own.  The Celtic Woman experience has taken us through many excellent videos and albums.  Along the way the team has changed giving us wonderful memories of Lynn, Alex, Lisa Lambe, Susan, and Hayley.  We are just starting to see the newest member Mairead Carlin.

This latest release is a filming of the actual Celtic Woman touring show.  This is a fun show with fantastic performances of many favorites. It is absolutely stunning on BluRay.  Every detail in the bead work on the gowns, the textures and colors of the stage, even the glitter shines in this beautiful presentation.  As always, the ladies are at the top of their form as Chloe, Susan, Lisa Lambe, and Mairead dazzle through our Celtic Woman favorites.  Don't miss it!

As I listened to this CD for the first time prior to receiving the BluRay, I had a realization in the music.  Over the journey so far, I have grown to love the specific songs from the specific voices.  I have read reviews and notes from fans stating their favorite team or individual.  I have seen comments as the team changes which express regret and concern with the personnel shifts.  I have even desperately wanted to hang on to my favorite voice.  While listening to this CD, I realized that this is not Lisa's song, or Chloe's song.  But these are Ireland's songs and Celtic Woman's songs.  To truly celebrate the diversity and beauty of these time treasured songs, it is best to experience them in different ways with different voices and personalities.  Yes, I will always swoon to Lisa Kelly's Caledonia.  I will be swept up by Chloe's Galway Bay.  But I will also embrace Lisa Lambe's Dulaman and welcome Susan's The Voice.  The beauty of having these recordings is that we can continue to experience the past we love as well as look forward to the diversity and change that is ahead.

That is what the Emerald release is to me. Remembering the celebration of the Celtic Woman and moving into the next phase.  I hope there are many more experiences to come!
4958327
It's interesting to step into the shoes of our sisters from another time and country.
It helps to broaden our perspective and our minds. I enjoyed the experience.
4927207
I consider myself one of the biggest Ian & Sylvia fans around.  I love all of their recordings.  This is my favorite of their records. At least on Saturdays.  I first bought the _Greatest Hits_ package after reading about them in Lillian Rozon's _Rock Encyclopedia_, back in the early 70s.  At that point, I think that their current record was the Columbia release, _Ian & Sylvia, with David Wilcox_ (though I'm not sure the latter phrase is really part of the title, but otherwise it's confusing to have two albums with the same title, even if on different labels and released about 10 years apart). But, as I was saying, I'd really come to like the two LPs in the _Greatest Hits_ package, and particularly "Un Canadian Errant" and "Mary Anne," which were the two songs in common.  (Also, this album was one of only a few I & S records that were available in the Musicland store where I bought both of these records).  They were probably the most Peter, Paul & Mary-sounding of the bunch, soft and pleasant.  Although on this record, they were not representative of the more challenging sound of Ian & Sylvia's more counterpunctual sound. At first I was a little put off by the sound of this record, in fact.  Compare their version of "Old Blue" to the PP&M version, for instance. They have a rawer sound a little less mediated by the Greenwich village coffeehouses, though of course they'd soon move in that direction. This record probably represents their mediation of the folk and blues LPs and radio broadcasts and their backgrounds in Canada better than their later recordings which may reflect a bit more their encounter with other evolving folk-pop artists and audiences. Not that they weren't already experiencing that by the time they recorded this. But, in any case, I think I love their "Rocks & Gravel" best of all of their recordings (it's playing right now, but I'm sure that doesn't influence this judgement).  Over the years I cam to love this record the best.  Of corse, on Tuesday or Wednesday I might say _Northern Journey_ is my favorite, or the latter-day CD repackaging of the Columbia record as _The Beginning of the End_. You can get all of these Vanguard recordings in a comparatively budget priced package of "The Complete Vanguard Studio Recordings" and it comes with a fine booklet.  That's 7 LPs plus a couple tracks. It doesn't include their live Newport recordings or the later duo work on MGM, Ampex and Columbia, but it's the best bargain.
1625924
An easy read and an authentic sharing of her early years growing up in Shippensburg, PA. I read it at one sitting and was totally engrossed. It brought back so many memories as Bonnie was a classmate of mine. I was wishing that photographs had been included, and I certainly think a sequel would be well received. I would love to read more about Bonnie's college years and her professional career.
3328986
I watched this concert on PBS in March of 2008, and I couldn't get the CD and DVD fast enough. What a great lineup of music...I love this album! It has 5 different singing styles, and alone or together, they are quite a pleasure to listen to. I love how the culture of the Emerald Isle keeps getting passed down to their younger generation.
2863074
Angelica Huston's memoir is a delight.  She writes of growing up in Ireland, England, and New York in the 60's and 70's.  This is the 1st part, the 2nd coming out next fall.  She writes well and you can live her moments with her.  And I can only believe the next will be better with all the Hollywood dish of the 80's.
4471112
Howard Kaylan, along with his buddy, Mark Volman, formed The Turtles in the late 1960s and are best known for their hit single "Happy Together". In the late 70s and early 80s they re-imagined themselves as Flo & Eddie. But that was only part of Kaylan's life. He worked with Frank Zappa and did some acting on TV and even dabbled in some science fiction short stories. This 278-page book has Kaylan taking us back to his childhood days (when HE decided to change his birth name from Kaplan to Kaylan (`cause he "wanted to be "different".

Though, as I note above, he did some writing, he used well-known music journalist (Goldmine, Jazz Times and hundreds of CD liner notes) Jeff Tamarkin to help organize and tell his story. While it's Kaylan's life that is documented here, I see Tamarkin's style (which I've always liked) in the text. (Tamarkin's previous book was about Jefferson Airplane). It's an easy read.

Kaylan has a big fan in Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller) who wrote the Foreword. There are 16 pages of COLOR photos of Kaylan's families (he was married five times) as well as him appearing with various musicians over the year.

Kaylan - who recently turned 65 - looks back on his life and the book is an easy read. Fans of the Turtles, Flo & Eddie and Zappa will definitely want this book, but it's also another volume that discusses the highs (no pun intended) and lows of life on the road.

I hope you found this review both informative and helpful.
Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"
2322429
Nancy Bhn arrived in my mailbox just in time for the weekend, and I've listened to it 3 or 4 times through in just two days! There are 20 songs on this CD, including several 'hits' (Nancy Bhn, Mo leathbhidn fin, Amhrn Mhirtn, O'Sullivan John, etc.). Songs are roughly half in English, half in Irish, with full lyrics for all in the sleeve notes. There are no translations though. I'm not a huge country fan at the best of times, but I find the harmonies in the English-language songs keep it light, not maudlin (you know the joke about the country song played backward: my truck got fixed, my dog came back to life, my girl came back to me). There's none of that self-pitying stuff here. The Irish-language songs are great though: really personal, intimate songs about people and places in Connemara. Funny songs; songs commemorating boats, boxers, and revolutionaries; songs of heartbreak and homesickness. They're all here. Nl fhios agam an forbhean  Nancy - nor mhaith liom bualadh leithi ar shrideanna an Spidil!

I think it's fascinating what Beartle (and elsewhere John Beag) have done: created a whole new genre of music that mixes American country with sean-ns accents. He combines different elements of the two genres in different ways for each song: one song will have the waltz-rhythm of country with lyrics in Irish, and a solo on the pipes (really crisp piping, by the way). Another song might have a traditional Irish melody pumped up with that country rhythm and the lyrics delivered in a very compelling baritone voice, with that great sean-ns melismatic touch. It never feels forced, always a very natural marriage.

All in all, I'm thoroughly glad I got this CD. It's a great sampler of one of Connemara's great entertainers.

M t t dh lamh seo 'Bheartle, rinne t an-jab leis an dlthdhiosca seo. Sil agam go bhfaighfidh m seans th a chloisteil beo am eicnt ar ball.
4720983
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

How exciting to be in Edinburgh, Scotland again, visiting Delaney in her new home across the pond! One of the armchair travels I enjoyed the most in 2016 began when Delaney read the ad for The Cracked Spine bookstore, left her Kansas home for a new adventure in Scotland. Paige Shelton has done beautifully at introducing her readers to the beauty of the land, the quaint architecture, and the uniquely welcoming folks.

The owner of The Cracked Spine, Edwin MacAlister, and his staff Hamlet and Rosie are like family to Delaney now, as are Elias and his wife Aggie, her landlords. Edwin sounds like the ideal boss in every way, especially as he trusts Delaney more and more to research and assist with the unique books and antiquities. At least until she began to learn the bits and pieces of some of Edwins secrets from several decades earlier.

Delaney, with the companionship and taxi of Elias, her landlord, went to a castle to pick up a vintage, collectible comic book from the son of an old friend who would be dressed as William Wallace, the character from Scottish history that he reenacted. The castle was not a popular destination in the way that many others were, and they didn't see anyone at all, much less who she was to meet. When she did finally meet the man they were to see, she found him, dead, on a stairway. On her way to the parking lot to head off visitors, Delaney found the heavy, 2-year annual edition of Oor Wullie and took it for Edwin.

Discovering how the young man died, why, and at whose hand leads Delaney through neighboring towns and countryside. Some people she met were friends or acquaintances of the young man and some who are life-long friends or acquaintances of Edwin. In the case of the young man, he was the son of a friend who died in a fire two years earlier. It is a sweeping investigation as Edwin grieves the young man and past events, unable to be of help to Delaney. Past and present meet across social classes and various walks of life. The more she learns, the more pieces there are of a puzzle in which someone has kept the picture on the lid hidden from sight.

It is interesting to me to learn more about Scotland and her history. For one, I was unaware of the deep reverence that many Scots feel for their land and its history; it is hard to fathom living in a country whose history goes back many, many centuries. I was also surprised to learn that there was typically little snowfall in Edinburgh. The author brings history to life through Delaney, for example when she ponders what it was like to live in the stark differences the castles of 13th century Scotland.

What Delaney calls her bookish voices are also fascinating, especially when she allows them to help her determine the correct course of action. I wonder if those voices are more helpful or less helpful to her as she works in such an intriguing bookstore and historic land. I enjoy seeing Delaneys research of various items and situations. It is amazing to me, who had a much more liberal reading structure in high school, that this young woman is not only so well-read, but also has an excellent memory of the books, plays, and poetry. Delaneys loyalty to Edwin, her co-workers, and friends is exemplary, and it is delightful to see her and Tom get to know each other better.

There are many plot twists, at least one or two resulting in red herrings and some with solid, helpful leads. I love the complexity of the mystery and depth of the primary characters. The pace is steady overall, interspersed with action-packed scenes until a certain point in which the action escalates to non-stop. I was very surprised to find out who the real bad guy/ gal was, which is the way I like mysteries. The ending is very satisfactory and I am already looking forward to the next visit to Scotland. I highly recommend this to cozy mystery lovers with an appreciation for Scotland, bookstores, and incredibly well-written stories.
2114427
Mac and Delaney go way back. Back when love was effortless, when they were each other's everything until that fateful day. There's so much that Mac wants to tell her, that's been on his mind for years.

When Delaney needs help, he doesn't hesitate to get to her. At first he'll take what he can get from her but he wants so much more. Secrets that are going to hurt are going to come out. Will their love be enough this time?

I did feel like the book dragged at times and took me much longer than to read than normal. I really do like this series and look forward to the next one from this author.