gmonahan

Yeah, Carlin could get really mean as he got older. I knew a guy who scheduled acts at Indiana U in Bloomington, and I asked him once who was the worst jerk he ever had to deal with. "George Carlin, hands down" was the answer. I was disappointed (loved some of his midlife comedy a lot) but not too surprised. gregmo

This has brought back to me some of the interesting discussions we've had on the Board about the connection between the often-problematic personalities/personal lives of some jazz musicians and their art. I think what makes Cosby different is that a lot of his public persona came to be tied up with a moral and ethical mission. He made a lot of his study of child psychology, of the importance of family life, of working hard and all that, and these charges just blast a lot of that out of the water as hopeless hypocrisy. If his humor had been more like that of, say, Redd Fox, would people be more likely to give him a pass? Probably not, but it's an interesting question. gregmo

I'm a hopeless fanatic for all the series, despite occasional lapses in the writing ("Spock's Brain," anyone?!). I think what makes Trek different (and often, better) than so many other sci-fi series/movies is its innate optimism. Unlike the truly *endless* dystopian future movies that have appeared and continue to appear constantly on the big and small screens, Trek posited the rather daring notion that people might actually come together and accomplish things, that the future would not be a nightmare, but better than the present or the past. That said, I have the original series on blu-ray, and I have to say, blu-ray isn't very kind to mid-60s TV makeup! You can see the seams in Spock's ears, and too many of the alien "masks" look even cheesier than they did fifty years ago. If one can get by that, my favorites are "Corbomite Manouver," "Balance of Terror," and, of course, "The Trouble with Tribbles." The last showed that, while Shatner too often overacted in dramatic scenes, he was really a very good light comic actor. One of the reasons I really liked "Boston Legal." gregmo

Two stupids don't make a smart Steve! gregmo

Yeah, I had it on my Amazon wish list for quite a while before a copy suddenly showed up at a somewhat affordable price! gregmo

gregmo

That's a nice one, it was on CD before, but is still rare. I'm waiting for them to reissue 'Blues At Carnegie Hall' .... Me, too. That was a doulble butcher job by Collectables where they coupled it with the much more common and totally unrelated Art Blakey Atlantic album, and deleted material from the otherwise unavailable MJQ set to make it all fit on one CD. Blues at Carnegie Hall was issued whole by Rhine/Atlantic on an "Original Master Recording" disc. Spendy, but nice sound. gregmo

How's the album with Paul Bley? I'm not generally a big Paul Bley fan, but I kind of like this one. Baker needed a challenge, and Bley does that. I think it's one of Baker's better late-period efforts. gregmo

I always loved this group. Universal packed their first 11 albums into a cd box set back in 2005. Rather spendy to get today, but some fine music there for those who like that style: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Swingle-Singers/dp/B000BU99I8/ref=sr_1_5?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1421871006&sr=1-5&keywords=Swingle+Singers+box+set. gregmo

All excellent sets. The Farlow is something of a hidden gem, I think, and I really like the Jazztet set. gregmo

In medieval Europe, holidays (holy days) were all Catholic Saint's days. The secular United States had to create secular saints, so we made them out of "discoverers" (imperialist conquerors, in some opinions), presidents, and heroes. It's sort of an evolving process, isn't it?! gregmo

When I was working, we got Presidents Day. Then, when the King holiday came on, they traded them. So, I got the King holiday, and not Presidents Day. So it goes. gregmo

I think deciding when to buy something like the Parker Dials (and keep in mind that there is more to this set than just the Parker Dials) can be a little like deciding when to buy a new computer. As technologies change (and improve?), this is the kind of classic music that will probably be reissued again and again, making use of that new technology. It's especially the case with the Dials, since we lack the original masters. I can't imagine anyone ever doing it better than Mosaic, but I may have a different opinion when the music is reissued in a different--and for now, unknown--format in ten years or so. Of course, I'll probably buy that one too..... gregmo

Pretty sure JSP ripped that Louis Jordan set off from the (outstanding) Bear Family box set. gregmo

Yes, only in America could we concoct a sitcom making life in a German POW camp seem like a comic romp. It did give the great German actor Werner Klemperer some money, albeit, playing a really shallow, dumb character. gregmo

I am new to this forum, and perhaps this is the wrong thread for this, but: I recently listened to a friend's copy of the Mosaic Charles Mingus Candid Rcordings. It is really good with very good sound, IMO. It is out of print and quite spendy. Most of these tracks are on the following albums: Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus, Mingus, Reincarnation of a Lovebird, Mysterious Blues and Newport Rebels. Has anyone compared these CDs to the Mosaic Box? Recommendations? First, welcome to the forum!! If I may, I'd suggest you start a new thread on this under "discography." You'd be far more likely to get responses there than under this thread! gregmo

Dude, that shit was always on at night (and on weekends). I'm talking daytime 70s stoner dorm fare, like 3 PM, when class were over, but before dinner came. gregmo

You must have lived in a different kind of dorm than I did! My stoner friends all watched Monty Python and Saturday Night Live. And compared to the Norman Lear comedies, shows like Hillbillies, Green Acres, and Petticoat Junction were pretty juvenile. Apologies to all the fans! gregmo

Well, the whole concept of the show--what makes it really good, IMHO--is the concentration on these characters and their interactions with each other and the relatively small confines of their world. Expanding it would make it a radically different show. gregmo

It's always amazing when archives like these pop up, especially about the African-American experience in America. So much of that was lost. Gives me hope that there's more out there somewhere! gregmo

Sorry to be a dissenting voice, but those shows were unbelievably DUMB. The only positive I know of to come out of them was the Irene Ryan scholarships that actress generously established with the money she made from the show. Otherwise, good riddance! Humbug! Bah! gregmo

"Roland Kirk: Complete Recordings, 1956-1962," disc 3. I've only just discovered Kirk. Wonderful, fascinating artist. gregmo

I assume it's because most people have some kind of clothes on when they die. gregmo

$35 or so. I think it was for a Sinatra bootleg. I'm a hopeless Sinatra completist. I gave up thoughts of treatment for the disease years ago. gregmo

Me neither. In fact, certain kinds of those exits are legal here in Oregon with the aid of a physician. As for me, I prefer to work hard on living. Way too much music to hear before I go! gregmo