BruceH

Hell, I've been re-reading Brown lately! Getting in touch with my inner nerd, I got Nesfa Press's From These Ashes: The Complete Short Fiction of Fredric Brown, and it's companion Martians and Madness, which collects all his sf novels. As a kid I only read What Mad Universe among his novels. (Wonder if I should check out any of his mysteries.) Some of his short stories are among my all-time favorites, such as "Arena" and "Puppet Show." He was also a master of the short-short. I also forgot to mention William Tenn, Stanley G. Weibaum, James Schmitz, as well as others I'm sure. Like Ursula K. LeGuin, for instance...damn, once I start I can't stop. No more!

The Asimov/Foundation connection is the first thing I thought of when I first saw The Mule's handle as well. Nice to see that I'm not the only one. Growing up I was very much on the same reading track as jazzbo, particularly with respect to Pohl & Kornbluth, Niven, and Zelazny. Also Heinlein, Damon Knight, Kuttner & Moore, Sturgeon, Stapledon, Simak, Disch, Silverberg, Robert Sheckley, Gardner Dozois, Philip K. Dick, Leiber, Piper, and some guy named Sterling. I also branched out and kind of left sf behind, but now I read some occasionally. I must admit I felt a surprising twinge of grief when I heard the news of Damon Knight passing away recently. He was about the last of the old guard, other than Arthur C. Clark. Perhaps it was an uncomfortable reminder of the passage of time.

I think the Emerson version is the only one I have of these quartets, so I can't very well compare and contrast too much. Sounds good to me.

What-----another birthday??? You would think time were passing or something. Have a good one, Dmitry!

THIRTY?? I can't afford that!

Gimme that ol' time religion.

Personally, I think Waiting Game is the weakest, but that's just me.

Don't even think about it! That way lies madness.

This is a great album. Sure, True Blue and Back To the Tracks are even better, but that shouldn't detract from the accomplishment here. "Nutville" is a classic Brooks original, and I love the cover of "Star Eyes." There's not a weak track on the album, really. A good start to what should have been a long career.

Happy Birthday!

Stones-Aftermath (British import) Beatles-Revolver (British) Velvet Underground--1st album Richard Hell & the Voidoids--Blank Generation The Clash--1st album (British, of course) Ramones--1st & 3rd albums Eno--Another Green World Pere Ubu--The Modern Dance The Minutemen--What Makes A Man Start Fires? Television--both albums The Kinks--Something Else, Face To Face

Is this the one with "Mastermind" on it?

Van Morrison, with his old band Them, did a great version of "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue." I've always liked that one.

I know what you mean, Joe. Those pictures are so good that I actually bought that issue off the stands (and I almost never buy NG). Check out the APOD site, too (Astronomy Picture of the Day)---some good ones on there!

Seriously, it's a mixed bag, and I can see why anyone would be into it. I like the idea of it. But for me the bad mastering of the early stuff is a deal-breaker. On my system the early music sounds like boken glass coming through my speakers. Not good!

Sonny Clark for me.

Plus the RCA box sucks.

I could swear that Marquee Moon used to be on their top 100 list. Back in the late 80s, they came out with a new, improved top-100 (or 200) list and I remember being slightly gratified that MM was on it. Must have gotten bumped by Eminem.

Please do!

Ya mean it ain't "Chip-pot-lee"?

Agreed! Makes "You deserve a break today" sound like genius in comparison. I'm hatin' it!!

Yeah, where?? I love skinny, square-end ties! (Really!)

My first Hank Mobley record, and still one of my favorites. I have to admit, though, that for years despite playing it over and over, I categorized it as "just another" Blue Note album. At some point, 'round about getting a second and third album by Mobley, something clicked with me, and I went back, dug out Soul Station, and thought it was one of the best albums I'd ever heard. It happens like that sometimes. Takes you a while to realized what you've got. There's a sort of relaxed elegance to his phrasing and tone here that just sends me...if Mozart played jazz tenor, it would be like this.

I'd say grab Sonny Clark's Leapin' and Lopin' as they apparently aren't ever going to remaster it. Ditto on Tokyo Blues and Night Dreamer. Of course, I could be wrong.