Not So Long Ago -- WELL DONE !!!
595931
Project Twenty: Not So Long Ago, narrated by Bob Hope, takes an excellent, informative look at the five years of peace between the end of World War Two and the beginning of the war in Korea. The film moves along very well and packs in a lot without ever feeling rushed; I like that! The quality of the footage is excellent and the musical score enhances the documentary.

Although this film runs less than one hour there's so much covered here that I scarcely know where to begin. We see war planes being told to cease fire and turn around at the end of the Second World War in mid-August, 1945; and there's great footage about how these planes were broken down or sometimes melted down to make things like new cars which gradually became more and more available just as food rationing cards faded away. There's still more coverage of the Red Scare including its effect on Hollywood stars; we see motion picture stars flying into Washington, D.C. to take sides before The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) when a young Congressman named Richard Nixon was just becoming known.

In addition, there is footage of the economic upswing thanks partly to the G.I. Bill and so many young people wanting to start their own family with a home and kids. There was a big housing shortage at the end of World War Two; builders raced to produce new homes and this helped the economy quite a bit. Other highlights include the development of television; the country's fascination with "flying saucers" and how so many political analysts were absolutely confident that Dewey would beat Truman in the presidential race of 1948.

It may seem as if I've given it all away; but I assure you that I haven't. There's still more here!

Overall, Project XX: Not So Long Ago is great viewing for anyone studying American history in the mid-20th century; it's very nostalgic as well. I highly recommend this documentary.
3125545
I lived in Los Angeles when Zubin Metha was music director of the LA Philharmonic.  It was an underrated group in those days and Metha first turned down an offer to take over the New York Philharmonic with the phrase that he couldn't justify taking over the "Cadillac" of American orchestras when he had the Rolls Royce of orchestras here in LA.  We all were very proud of what he accomplished with the previously overlooked group after Sir Georg Solti left in a huff when Metha was hired to be his assistant without his input - even before he officially took over the reins.  But by the time Metha left to finally go to the "Cadillac" he really had built a terrific orchestra right here in rough and tumble LA.  He wasn't everyone's favorite conductor since he literally learned the job with the help of the solid musicianship of the old LA Phil, but I think a lot of people were sorry to see him leave.
I attended a concert performance of The Planets when he was still in LA and it was quite good.  I had this recording on vinyl and practically wore in out over the last 40+ years and was excited when I found it once again available - now reprocessed to more recent standards and on a very good-quality CD.  There are probably better recordings of this old "war horse" but this one brings back wonderful memories and the playing is still very good.  Glad I was able to get my hands on this one!
4665045
A recollection of life in an older time and place. Very entertaining and memory jogging for older folks like me, and enlightening for younger ones.
I was amazed at how similar the customs and language were to my time and place.  I thoroughly enjoyed having my memory jogged and can certainly see why those times have been called "the good old days."  Yes, those times were sometimes hard but family life was so much more important and even necessary back then.  It sad how technology has taken away the social closeness that we felt then.  To see so many totally involved with smart phones, and blackberries that they don't seem to see each other anymore even when together is really sad. I much prefer playing rummy, or go fishing, or monopoly with a friend or sibling to punching little buttons and ignoring my  surroundings or companions.........
1444317
I grew up in the 70's and did not know about this movie/cd --- now I find myself an older mom of a 3 year old and I found it.  Thank God too -- it's a GREAT CD for our daughter, or if I had of had a son, for a boy too.  I hope to find the movie now to go along with the CD we bought.  Very happy with this, and so is our daughter, who can be 'anything' she wants --- the music is a classic for sure.
3712207
Wow .. those soundtracks do take me back to the good old days of 1976, where I was only 7 years old, and TV was still in black and white. One day during that year, my uncle got his first Sony color TV, along with his first Sony U-matic tape player!  I still remember when my cousin came to me shouting: "My father got a color TV .. We got a color TV" ... It was unbelievable!!

Me and my brothers rushed out to my uncle house to see this new amazing TV and video tape player. There, my uncle played for us the first color film, called The Message!!!  It was extremely amazing time for me because it was the first time to experience a film in color where the picture looked life-like at that time!!.  Even at that small age, I was totally touched by the film, and by its soundtrack!!  Today, and 35 years later, I still enjoy watching that film, and I still cannot stop myself from crying whenever I hear its soundtracks!
3742789
Great to hear real music again,, grew up hearing these on the radio as a kid....Today there is no more real music, at least the last 20 years...This is a great collection of the org. recordings in high quality stereo....some of the names I didn't remember, but as soon as you hear them, you sure will....It's a shame the new generations don't know what real music is , because radio stations don't play anything worth listening to....Our Winter Love, Stranger on the Shore, A Summer Place,, etc.. just fantastic.....There are only 2-3 selections I would have replaced with other hits of the time, but I'm very pleased with this CD....
4455033
GREAT MUSIC!!!!  Well done....!!  I am ordering another copy..
300847
I was 17 when this album was released in 1968.  For The Byrds new album I was expecting, as McGuinn had said in interviews, something along the lines of the rock/electronic/jazzy experimentation of THE NOTORIOUS BYRD BROTHERS.  But no this was country music!  I was shocked and disappointed, as were many of the rock critics at the time.  The DJs on the then new "underground" FM rock radio stations didn't know what to make of it.  But, as Dylan said, "The Byrds can do things that most people don't even know about."  And, once again, they proved themselves to be light years ahead of the curve.  So far ahead, in fact, that this time the record buyers didn't buy the record.  But time has proved McGuinn, Hillman, Parsons, White, and Kelly to be right.  The trail they blazed, along with Gene Clark and Doug Dillard on THE FANTASTIC EXPEDITION OF DILLARD AND CLARK, also released in 1968, has proved so very wide, and opened up a lot of peoples' eyes (including mine) to just how great country music can be.  This album is fine, and I should know, because I've been listening to it for over 32 years.
912104
Well, it's not difficult to understand that after this work, where Banco was fully involved in the difficult task to split themelselves from their prog style regarding the first three albums, They immediately after dedicated themselves to make a "renewal" of the old sound, but without forgetting their prog roots...and naturally the music, despite being less inspiring in comparison to their best progressive works (think of their concept album "Darwin" for example...), was fully expressed anyway in this melodic "Come in...", above all as it was focused on vocals and their classic influence as well!!
In fact no one can deny there was a new change, especially concerning the "artistic" direction (talking about their compositions as well), which will bring a pop mood in the eighties; nevertheless They were still able- after the present album- to compose some very interesting instrumental works, before their definitive commercial or mainstream choice...so "Come in..." is an important step of the band's career, even though you won't find any ever-green or classic hits here, those are the "immortal" songs I mean, that still today They keep on playing live on stage!!...Nevermind, cause something important has been left to their prog fans, who will avoid the commercial hits of the eighties (a-la "Moby Dick", I mean...) but will keep on collecting their intelligent works, like the present one!!

After all it's worth checking out, at least!
3112486
O.K. I'm letting the world know...I'm 38 years old. And, according to my 8-year old daughter, born when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. Every time I wax nostalgic and spin the ALBUMS (Wow! Those are huge CD's Mom!)I once enjoyed as a youth (remember Supertramp?) my daughter recoils in horror. When I saw this CD, I knew right away that my daughter and I could both enjoy it. Combining the songs I once enjoyed with the fresh new faces of my daughters generation, I took a chance (no pun intended here)! They may not be the original, but the vocals are easy on the ear and strikingly similar! A refreshing change from your typical "bubblegum" fare. Clean lyrics - a must - and quite difficult to find in the days of Christina and Britney. Thanks A*Teens!
1549643
What a conbination from the early days + new material added. Great!!!
3300798
I am sure that many people who will read this review can remember back to when the "United States" was supplying aid to "Africa" back in the 1980s.  Of-course the 1980s have long-since passed.  But if you are looking for any kind of momento of the decade of the 1980s, then you may want to consider purchasing this MP3!!!.
3515264
It is as relevant today as it was when it was made (2010?). Spot-on!
4759437
My first encounter with *Men At Work* was during the summer of '82 when I attended Fleetwood Mac's Mirage Tour concert in Norfolk, Virginia.  *Men At Work* was playing warm-up for Mick, John, Christine, Lindsey & Stevie!  "This is a warm-up group??" I murmured to myself, "Man, these guys are FABULOUS!!!"
I don't have this particular CD but what I do have is the original Columbia cassette tapes which I purchased just as soon as they appeared on display at Mother's Tapes & Records.  The first, "Business As Usual," came out shortly after that memorable Fleetwood Mac concert.
Now, in 2003, the first two albums, "Business As Usual" and "Cargo," have been reissued on CD--with bonus cuts!  So now you can enjoy all the songs on these albums, both good & "bad," and you can make up your own mind about them rather than being limited to someone else's choosings.  Unfortunately, "Two Hearts" has not yet been reissued on CD making "Contraband" the very next best thing [until "Two Hearts" is reissued] because "Contraband" contains five songs (Hard Luck Story, Still Life, Maria, Man With Two Hearts, Snakes and Ladders) from the "Two Hearts" album, whereas the other collection here, "Essential Men At Work," contains only four songs from "Two Hearts."  The "bottom line," as they say, is that your buying "Contraband" will be money very well spent and very well enjoyed indeed!
I must admit, my old cassette tapes are beginning to show some signs of wear, so as I am using one browser window to write this, I am using another browser window to buy the CD reissues of "Business As Usual" and "Cargo"--complete with bonus tracks--and I am also going to buy "Contraband" to hold me over until "Two Hearts" is reissued too--hopefully with more bonus tracks.  Then, finally, when "Two Hearts" is reissued I shall have the *COMPLETE* works of *Men At Work*!!!  ::::::evil laughter::::::
638757
Great job Lou -- excellent sound and camera work and the format was superb. Paul...it goes without saying -- you had 'it' when you started the band in 1973 and you still have 'it' today. The consumate professional in both music and now art.

Thank you for 30 + years of inspiration and entertainment!

Randall
679506
My, my how times have changed!  Dining and food played quite a different role in the lives of the middle class and the wealthier classes during the Regency Era in England.  What was served was important and how it was prepared and offered up on the dining room table had meaning back then. Food and food service was often very different from todays meals, especially when guests dined with families back in the early 1800's. It was also interesting to me how the timing of meals and of "tea" throughout the day could be of such importance.  And also that well brought up young ladies like Lizzie and Emma, rarely had anything to do with food preparation. Their involvement with that primarily consisted of choosing the "menu" for the day and giving that information to the housekeeper or cook. In "P & P",  Mrs. Bennett actually takes quite a bit of pride in the fact that HER daughters (unlike Charlotte Lucas) had nothing to do with "kitchen activities". Thus giving her daughters, like Lizzie and Jane, more social status because of their lack of involvement with food.  I really enjoyed reading this book, as it was like a little window back in time that gave me a better idea of what daily life was like for women of this era.  Life revolved so MUCH around dining correctly back then. It made me wonder what the Bennett family and Mr, Darcy would think of eating in todays world filled with fast food drive up windows!  It also made me wonder what Regency era families would think of all the modern "Foodies" out there today who enjoy viewing programs like "The Chew" and who truly love to cook and to to roll up their sleeves and prepare healthy foods and gourmet meals. They would probably just shake their heads in wonder at that.  A big "Thumbs Up" for this informative and entertaining book!
3305871
Wonderful book! Wish I had read it decades ago! Of course, it wasn't written then, but still...