Big Al

Great comments in here! I need to spin this one again while reading the comments!

I'd just get the individual stereo masters. The DVD in the box contains the mini-docs that are on the individual CDs. Furthermore, the box is more expensive per-disc than the individual discs. Last but not least, Best Buy has the White Album on sale for $16.99 and the Past Masters 2-CD set for $12.99. If you were to buy all the stereo CDs at Best Buy, you'd actually be saving $15 off the box and getting pretty much the same thing (note that those prices are only good thru Saturday). What else is in mono-only besides "You Know My Name"? I looked at the set today but didn't buy it (yet).

GO MARINERS!!!!

Why? Hell, after losing 2 of 3 to Baltimore, I'm not sure either team is all that catchable now. I mean, if you can't beat 31-games-outta-first Baltimore, you got no business being in any playoff hunt.

I wish I were as confident as you - we may have put the Rays out of it, but I can hardly count out the Rangers, particularly factoring in remaining schedule (I believe they play more games against below .500 teams) Don't forget that the Rangers have cratered against sub-.500 teams this year. Doesn't necessarily count 'em out, but the Angels seem a lot more catchable than the Sox right now.

Okay Dan, if chemistry isn't worth shit and the Red Sox have a better bullpen than the Yankees, care to tell us why the Yankees are in first and the Red Sox are in second right now? I mean, my God: don't you enjoy this game at all? Or is making sure we all kowtow to your declared superiority of the Red Sox over everyone else your ultimate goal?

Heck YEAH I'm still interested! I'll wait on buying those Beatles remasters to get this instead!

Damn straight I do. It will make me physically ill if he gets a World Series ring while with the Yankees. That and I think Dan pretty much nailed it.

Those three quotes, in a nutshell, describe the Rangers in general and Ron Washington to a T (especially the 2nd quote. That sounds like the kind of thing Wash would say). He brings in Grilli to start the ninth and expects him to keep the deficit at one run and then leaves him out there to get pummeled? WTF??? I really thought last night's loss would've been right up there with the infamous game last year against the Red Sox, but then they come back and sweep a twin-bill tonight, so that eases last night's pain in a big way. The common phrase around here right now is that the Rangers win in spite of Wash's best efforts to lose. It's gonna be a gut-wrenching September, that's for certain.

Very nicely said! :

Yes, formulaic in the sense that it has a sampling of a lot of the styles of music he's tried out in the past (it reminded me of Spike immediately). Not bad, just not nearly as interesting as Delivery Man, River in Reverse or Secret, etc. Well, we agree to disagree then. I think Spike is EC's most horrid album.

Wow! $8 for the Clark Terry VEE? That is a deal and a half! If I didn't already own it..... somebody should snap that up PRONTO!

It's the first series the Yanks have lost at home since the All-Star Break. Hey, I'm just trying to get my head around the idea that the Rangers actually won a series against the Yankees in New York!!! When the heck was the last time THAT happened? Much less just winning a series from them, period?

I really like "King of America." It was one of the first Costello albums I ever got. Me too, and I liked it a lot when I first got it. I don't listen to it as much as other EC records, though. It's a fine record, and yes, Ray Brown's on a couple tracks. Hey GregK, you thought MOMOFUKU was formulaic? Hadn't ever thought about that, but I can see where you're coming from even if I disagree wholeheartedly. I mean, there were a lot of times listening to that record that felt like I was listening to This Year's Model (especially "American Gangster Time"), but for me that's what makes it such a fantastic record. One can retread without rehashing, and IMO EC did that brilliantly on MOMOFUKU.

Happy 29th, fellow Texan (and Metroplexian)!

Yeah, just in case you don't know where Highway 61 or Desolation Row are. No.... no.... no.... LOL!!! You should hear "Dylan," which consists of... outtakes from Self Portrait!! YeeaaahhhhhI'll take your word for it on this one!

All 17 minutes of Lionel Hampton & crew roaring through "Flying Home" on the Lionel Hampton Quintet VME. I've GOT to get that box!

Slightly off-topic, but I just realized I have a Sonny Stitt LP at home with the same title as Chris' blog. Pretty sure Stitt won't mind, though...

PM sent on these!

I don't care for it. I found it sleepy and boring. But then, MOMOFUKU was such a blisteringly brilliant record, I didn't expect (and sure didn't hope) Elvis to revert to NPR/King Of America form. Maybe I should listen to it again. Bottom line, if you really like King of America, you'll likely enjoy this one.

How's that for irony? I'm reading Alex's post while listening to SELF PORTRAIT for the first time in my life. And probably last time. Clearly, this is a case where I should've just taken everyone's word for it. I mean, I generally can find something (anything) to like about even the worst records (siddown, Skid; I know where you're going with this!). Can't do it on this one. Yeesh! At least Costello's "Goodbye Cruel World" was listenable. BLEEAAHHH!!!!

Don't forget Dee Anthony. Too bad George Burns is no longer around, but maybe Zemeckis will digitally include him. It's like Sylvester the Cat once said, "Why didn't I think of this before? Anything is possible in a cartoon."

I know, just riffin' on a thread theme, that's all.

FB?! FB is only for you damn unwetted lotus leafs! Be touched by action or get off the pot! ... How very Zen of you!

Me too, but I think I'm going to be more of an observer than a participant because I don't know nearly enough to be able to randomly guess Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Fletcher Henderson, Louis Armstrong, Artie Shaw..... But I *AM* confident in guessing that there is no Glenn Miller on here! This is gonna be like BFT 66 from mikeweil: all kindsa fun, no clue about anything, and gonna be fighting temptation not to break the bank once the answers are revealed! Much fun to be had on this BFT! Can't wait to start reading the guesses!