#ray's cd reviews

[sourmonsterworms]

The END (2009) - The Black Eyed Peas

8.5/10

This album has a Very Mixed reputation but there’s a goddamn reason I can still sing every single word of the first 5 tracks. The album is very frontloaded, all of the charting singles are shoved front and center in the album. I know this album’s singles get a lot of shit but I could make a case for all 5 of these singles, even I Gotta Feeling, which I don’t even like that much comparatively (despite the fact that I think this is the song most people feel the most positively toward).

Boom Boom Pow is tight, earwormy, futuristic (for the time) sounding, I haven’t listened to this song in years and I remembered Every. Fucking. Word. Not too overly repetitive, the verses are good, it doesn’t feel like any part of the song is carrying or lagging behind, the epitome of a cohesive song where something interesting is always happening. 

Rock That Body my beloved. I don’t give a fuck what you think about this song its fucking twerkable, this song used to make me go fucking apeshit when I was a kid, this song is a hill I will fucking die on. I genuinely enjoy the chipmunk Fergie vocals and respect them as an artistic choice, I’m Not Fucking Kidding.

Meet Me Halfway is a guilty pleasure, I know by all rights I should say it's bad, that its sampling of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs iconic song about longing Maps is baffling, but in the moment? You know what? This song DOES hit. This is probably the best vocal performance Fergie has or ever will give. 

Imma Be- Ok please stay with me here, I know this is probably most people’s least favorite of the singles. It's repetitive, it's probably the ugliest sounding production wise, its pioneering annoying “ay”s as an instrument, the ever present “Imma Be”s. But when the bridge hits I feel like it's all worth it. I fucking love the back half of this song so much. It's like the musical equivalent of eating your vegetables to get dessert.

I Gotta Feeling is my least favorite of the charting singles, I dunno, I just think it's like, ok. Most people would say this is the best song on the album I feel, its not even in my top 5, but I know every fucking word like its burned into my brain so, what’ll you do.

The album doesn't stop with its commercial singles though, the next two songs were non charting promotional singles (one of which was only released in France). Alive is, surprisingly, kind of reminiscent of a RAM era Daft Punk song but if The Black Eyed Peas were there (4 years predating RAM). I think this song honestly deserves to be remembered as well as the preceding 5 songs.

Missing You, the aforementioned France Only Promo Single, at first feels a bit heavy handed, opening with Fergie doing her most Fergie. However, I actually really like the production on this one. The transition from the first chorus to the first verse immediately changed my expectations for the song, and the second verse, with Fergie’s interjections of “Missing you” is the high point of the song, immaculate. I could easily imagine this song having been a successful radio single 2009-2010 (Yes, I am saying this album should have had 7 charting singles Actually, it’s my review I get to say whatever words I want)

Unfortunately this is actually the point where the album falls off. Ring-A-Ling, a song about bootycalls, is the most straight up offensive to my ears, which is a shame because Missing You leads into it so beautifully that it leaves you completely unprepared for what is about to happen to you. The chorus proudly proclaims that “the girls want ding-a-ling” how brave of will.i.am to say that like it doesn’t sound goofy as fuck. The vocal effects on Fergie do not sound like a Respectable Artistic Choice on this one. The production is very “annoying song from the late 2000s-2010s”, unfortunately I could also imagine a world where this charted in 2010, so it's good that we mercifully dodged that timeline. Also this song ends on a sample that used the R slur, reminding you that the Peas love that word so much that one of their most famous songs is unlistenable without the censored edit (ugh).

The songs after this aren’t too terribly notable, Party All The Time feels like a less good retread of I Gotta Feeling, Out Of My Head is actually pretty decent but feels like a rejected leftover from The Duchess rather than a Black Eyed Peas song (it basically is just a Fergie song), and Electric City just, isn’t very good. Showdown feels like it could have had something with the counting in the pre chorus, but the rest of the song is just, eh.

Now Generation opens with a narrator talking about how The Youth can destroy the Economy by Not Buying things, before tiptoeing into an absolutely baffling song about how cool technology and the internet is and Money and Stuff. I feel like this is supposed to sound rebellious or something but it’s just? What the fuck is this? One Tribe feels like an attempt to return to their roots, or at the very least Where Is The Love? But it's just an empty song about Love and Peace and Unity. Also it sucks.

After 7 tracks of mid, here we are at the closing track. So you know how I said Alive sounded like Daft Punk? Lightning striketh twice because Rockin To The Beat sounds even more like Will.i.am really wanted to make a Daft Punk song. I don’t know if this would clear on an actual Daft Punk album, but on this album? It's a pleasant surprise. Genuinely nice way to close out the album.

Despite this album cycle’s insane success at the time and the album’s commercial success, this album feels bloated. With 15 tracks, the shortest of which clocking in at 3:45, most being over 4 minutes, this album could have been 5 tracks shorter and it would have benefitted the listening experience greatly. Personally I think Ring-A-Ling, Electric City, Showdown, Now Generation and One Tribe could have seen the chopping block and little of value would have been lost. That being said, the good songs here? Pretty good. Would absolutely suggest listening to Alive, Missing You and Rockin To The Beat at least once if you’ve never heard them.

1 Rock That Body

2 Alive

3 Missing You

[earlycuntsets]

"your star

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE

The Black Parade is Dead!

At this point, MCR needs no introduction. The band led by Gerard Way is an icon of current punk-rock and every day thousands of fans around the world join their "carnival". The good news is that the quintet will release The Black Parade is Dead! this month and we will invite you to its launch!

BY: XABIERA SAN MIGUEL B.

When My Chemical Romance visited South America with their world tour last February and we learned that Chile and Argentina were included in the tour, we perfectly understood that thousands of fans would fulfill their dream of seeing their favorite band live, however, not all of them could attend the event, and for that reason, when we found out that the CD+DVD The Black Parade is Dead! would be arriving in record stores on July 5th, we got our act together and got ex-clusive tickets for the launch. Yes, just as you read it, we will invite you to the premiere of My Chemical's new material…, but first things first, you should first know what all the musical fuss is about.

Why not miss The Black Parade is Dead!

To begin with, this is the second live DVD in the career of the quintet from New Jersey, which began its history in the winter of 2001. The first was Life on the Murder Scene and was released in 2006.

The dual-format material includes completely live images and sounds, and compiles two concerts from The Black Parade World Tour, but they are two completely different concerts from each other.

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE

DEAD

The tour, which began in February 2007 and ended on May 9 at New York's Madison Square Garden, included 138 dates of electrifying concerts, in which Gerard Way, Ray Toro, Bob Bryar, Frank Lero and Mikey Way

they gave their best.

On the one hand there is the CD with the complete recording of the show that the band offered last October 7 at the Palacio de

www.theblackparadeisdead.com"

[next page]

The boys performed on October 24, 2007 at Maxwell's Club in Hoboken, New Jersey, in front of about 200 people.

The DVD was directed by Adam Rothlein, an expert in the field, who had already worked on DVDs for Green Day, System of a Down, All-American Rejects and Disturbed.

As this is a limited and collectible edition, edited especially for fans, the material comes in a digipack (cardboard box with two compartments, one for each disc) and includes a booklet.

20 pages with exclusive photos from both concerts.

The second envelope of the packaging includes a sheet printed on both sides, with thanks from the group and photos of the merchandising available online.

Mexico City Sports. On this occasion, MCR reviewed its entire album The Black Parade.

The album will be available at the Record Fair the first week of July and its reference price is $15,000. Both materials will not be sold separately.

On the other hand, there is the DVD that rescues the very intimate concert that

If you were one of those who attended the show that MCR offered in Santiago de Chile, you probably remember that on that occasion, unfortunately Frank Iero, the band's guitarist, could not be present. Well, this is your chance to see it in all its dimensions.

We invite you to the launch of The Black Parade is Dead!

For the only time in history, Warner Music has organised a DVD Avant Premiere as a DVD release, so you can watch the concert on the big screen! So pay attention and come get your tickets. Tú Magazine and Warner Music invite you to the DVD Avant Premiere

The Black Parade is Dead!

To attend the Avant Première, redeem

Free! This coupon for an invitation

for two people in our office,

Located at: Rosario Norte 555, 18th Floor.

Neruda Building. Las Condes, Santiago.

The function will take place on Tuesday

July 8, 2008, 7:00 p.m.

at Cinemark Alto Las Condes (Kennedy Avenue 9001, Las Condes. Santiago, Chile).

Don't be left out: We have 40

double invitations.

We will be open between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Promotion valid until Friday, July 7, 2008, or while supplies last

invitations.

On the day of the event, The Black Parade is Dead! will be sold prior to the performance."

tu mexico 06/2008

link to the black parade is dead full show with the mentioned maxwells hoboken nj 10/28/2007 show

[artofdeductionbysholmes]

We may have a problem with the so-called fiancé, @artofdeductionbysholmes I lost sight of him…

Any update on the lab results? @artofdeductionbysholmes @mollyatthemorgue

The question is: did he disappear on his own terms, or was his disappearance forced?

And yes, I just received @mollyatthemorgue Molly's lab report. See below.

[ID: 3 screenshots of a lab report

Lab Report

Subject: Examination of Paper Sample

Date of Report: June 2, 2024

Lab Technician: Hooper, Molly

Sample ID: Paper-2024-371

Introduction

The purpose of this lab report is to present the findings from the examination of a piece of paper. The analysis aims to identify the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the paper, and any potential indicators of its environment and exposure history.

Sample Description

Type: Paper 

Condition on Receipt: Intact with minor surface wear, slightly discoloured.

Methods of Analysis

Visual Inspection

Microscopic Examination

Chemical Analysis

X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF)

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)

Microbiological Assays

Moisture Content Analysis

Odour Analysis

Results

1. Visual Inspection

Appearance: The paper showed slight discoloration, with faint yellowish-brown stains.

Surface Condition: Minor abrasions were noted. Some dirt and dust particles were visible.

2. Microscopic Examination

Fibre Integrity: The cellulose fibres were mostly intact, with minor signs of surface wear.

Debris: Presence of small soil particles and other unidentified debris.

3. Chemical Analysis

X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF):

Detected Elements: Trace amounts of heavy metals such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr).

Surface Contaminants: Minor presence of inorganic substances.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS):

Organic Compounds: Detected small amounts of hydrocarbons and other organic pollutants.

Residues: Identified residual chemicals from inks and dyes, with some degradation products.

4. Microbiological Assays

Bacterial Presence: Identified bacterial species including Bacillus and Pseudomonas spp.

Fungal Presence: Traces of fungal spores, likely Aspergillus and Penicillium spp.

5. Moisture Content Analysis

Moisture Level: Moderate moisture content of 12%.

Chemical Composition: The moisture contained slight acidic properties.

6. Odour Analysis

Detected Odours: Mild, musty odour with hints of organic decay.

Discussion

The examination of the paper sample indicates several key findings:

The physical condition and minor wear suggest it was exposed to an environment with abrasive materials and some physical stress.

The presence of heavy metals and organic pollutants detected by XRF and GC-MS indicates exposure to a polluted environment, potentially involving industrial or waste materials.

Microbial assays revealed early stages of microbial colonisation by bacteria and fungi typically associated with organic material decomposition.

The moderate moisture content and slight acidity suggest exposure to a moist environment with some chemical interactions.

Odour analysis confirmed the presence of organic decay-related gases.

The combination of physical wear, chemical contaminants, microbial presence, and environmental indicators suggests that the paper may have been exposed to a mixed waste or polluted environment. The findings are consistent with environments such as waste disposal sites, polluted industrial areas, or other locations with significant organic and inorganic contaminants.

Conclusion

The paper sample shows signs of exposure to a polluted and possibly waste-rich environment. The results indicate physical wear, contamination by heavy metals and organic pollutants, microbial activity, and environmental interactions that are typical of such conditions. Further context about the paper's origin could provide more specific insights.

Lab Technician Signature:

[signature of Molly Hooper]

Reviewed By:

Patrick Miller

/end ID]

[akumanoshonen1]

New Blue Sun: A Review

By: Akuma Nensho

11/17/23

With his most recent release, New Blue Sun, André 3000 shines as a ray of creative freedom and aural creativity in a world overflowing with pop singles and formulaic rap. Without any lyrics or rapping, this genre-bending record is proof of his limitless inventiveness and steadfast dedication to pushing the frontiers of music.

From the very first note, this album transports listeners to a realm of ethereal beauty, where the virtuosic melodies of flutes and other woodwinds weave a tapestry of sonic textures that are both captivating and deeply meditative. André 3000's mastery of these instruments shines through in every composition, as he effortlessly blends traditional techniques with avant-garde experimentation, creating a soundscape that is both familiar and otherworldly.

Although André 3000's use of instruments is a radical shift from his earlier work, it seems to be a logical next step in his creative development. His versatility has always been demonstrated by his ability to move across genres with ease, from the psychedelic experimentation of The Love Below to the Southern hip-hop of OutKast. With this latest CD, he demonstrates an unmatched mastery of the instrumental medium, pushing his versatility to new limits.

The album's dreamlike aesthetic is further enhanced by its lack of vocals. Without the distraction of lyrics, the listener is forced to engage with the music on a deeper level, allowing the melodies and rhythms to wash over them and evoke a range of emotions. This approach demands a certain level of active listening, rewarding those who are willing to immerse themselves fully in the sonic experience.

I believe that New Blue Sun has the potential to inspire a new generation of musicians and listeners alike. It is an album that shows that music can be more than just a catchy tune or a clever lyric; it can be a journey of self-discovery, a catalyst for emotion, and a source of profound beauty.

André 3000 stands out as an example of artistic integrity in a period when trends and commercialism are typically the driving forces behind the music business. It is evidence of how music has the ability to transcend genres and establish a very intimate connection with listeners. I have no doubt that this record will go down as one of the most significant and important albums of our era.

[lalunameli]

Scan provided by @tnbscans

I had to do this one because I was curious about the shoujo-esque styled Yuri comic on the side. Apparently it was a review comic of the drama special included with Vol 6 of the dvd/blu-ray release for Season 1. It was drawn by Kiki and included on pg 22 of the magazine this blurb appeared in.

I've translated the information in the blurb that follows the DVD/Blu-ray info, pertaining to the drama itself.

スペシャル CD #6

ユーリ・ペトロフの憂鬱なる日常

Special CD #6

Yuri Petrov's Melancholic Daily Life

STORY：トレーニングルームの施設改善の命を受けたヒーロー管理官ユーリ・ペトロフ。ヒーロー達の意見を聞こうとトレーニングルームを訪れる。

In his role as Hero Administrator, Yuri is tasked with improving the Training Room Facilities. He visits the Training Room for an inspection, and to get the Heroes opinions.

CAST：遊佐浩二（ユーリ・ペトロフ）／平田広明（ワイルドタイガー）／森田成一（バーナビー・ブルックスJr.）／楠大典（ロックバイソン）／井上剛

CAST: Yusa Kōji (Yuri Petrov)/Hirata Hiroaki (Wild Tiger)/Morita Masukazu (Barnaby Brooks Jr.)/ Kusunoki Taiten (Rock Bison)/Go Inoue (TN: Sky High's seiyuu appears with in the listing without a role credit - he's the ring announcer in the audio drama)

登場キャラクター

Cast of Characters

ユーリ・ベトロフ ワイルドタイガーバーナビー・ブルックスJ、ロックバイソン

Yuri Petrov, Wild Tiger, Barnaby Brooks J, Rock Bison

（声／遊佐浩二）（声／平田広明）（声／森田成一）（声／楠大典）

Voices: Yusa Kōji, Hirata Hiroaki, Morita Masakazu, Kusunoki Taiten

聞きどころピックアップ！

What to listen for:

* ユーリ視点で進むストーリー！普段は謎の多い人物だけに、彼のモノローグは必聴もの！！

* ワイルドタイガーとロックバイソンのスペシャルマッチの原因とは！？ちょっとしたミステリー要素も楽しめる！

* A story from Yuri's pov. His monologues are a must listen for people who like mysteries!!

* Why are Wild Tiger and Rock Bison in a Special Match!? More mysteries to enjoy.

ちょこっとレビュー COMIC! 作/喜喜

Comic Review by : Kiki

視察中のユーリに一体何が…?!

What (on earth) happened to Yuri during the inspection?

スペシャルCD #6の収録レポート漫画はP.22へGO

Go to pg 22 for the report manga on Special CD #6

The Drama CD itself has been previously translated here:

[ljaesch]

Set Review: Nirvana - "Nevermind" (30th Anniversary Reissue)

On November 12, 2021, Nirvana’s Nevermind album received a 30th anniversary reissue as a two CD edition, a five CD/one Blu-ray Super Deluxe edition, and a vinyl LP/7” release. The eight LP Super Deluxe edition of the reissue was released on May 27, 2022. This review will be focusing on the five CD/one Blu-ray Super Deluxe edition of the reissue. In addition to the CDs and the Blu-ray, the Super…

This week's Retro Release Review takes a look back at Nirvana's 1991 album, Nevermind.

[barkercast]

457 : Nightbreed Intrada Soundtrack Release

In the Clive Barker Podcast, long-time fans Ryan and Jose interview guests, bring you the news, and take deep dives into Barker-related stuff.  In Episode 457 We go over the new Nightbreed Soundtrack 2-disc CD Release from Intrada. Available in Podcast Audio and Youtube Video.

Sponsor : Don Bertram’s Celebrate Imagination | ETSY Store

Check Out  “Stained Glass Tulip” on his Facebook page. 

Check Out his videos going over the original painting “The Bug Brothers” and his intro to the 35th Anniversary screening of Hellraiser.

There are some paintings on his Etsy shop to check out. Mother and Child II, The Star Gazer, The Folk Singer, The Pearl, The Portal, Top of the World.  And don’t forget about his books, The Chimney Sweep’s Tale and Celebrate Imagination

Discussion: Nightbreed Soundrack Intrada 2-Disc Release

Liner Notes

Disc 1 – Music Cues

Disc 2 – 1990 Soundtrack Release, Plus Extras

Buy it From Intrada

Intrada YouTube Channel Soundtrack Trailer

Patreon Members Shout-Out (Become a Patron)

David Anderson

Erik Van T’ Holt

Daniel Elven

Returning Sponsor: Don Bertram’s Celebrate Imagination 

Feedback From Listeners

Coming Soon for our Patreon Subscribers

Collector’s Corner: Jericho

Coming Next 

Jericho Squad 77 Returns

Phantasmagoria Hellraiser Interview Book

Review of 4K Rawhead Rex

More Boom Hellraiser comics discussion 

Hellraiser Quartet of Torment Coverage

And this podcast, having no beginning will have no end. 

web www.clivebarkercast.com

iOS App| Android App, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, Stitcher, Spotify, Pandora, Libsyn, Tunein, iHeart Radio, Pocket Casts, Google Play, Radio.com, DoubleTwist and YouTube and Join the Occupy Midian group

Discord Community

Twitter: @BarkerCast| @OccupyMidian 

Buy Our Book: The BarkerCast Interviews Occupy Midian | Hardcover | Kindle | Apple

Become a Patreon Patron

Support the show, Buy a T-Shirt

Music is by Ray Norrish

All Links and show notes in their Entirety can be found at http://www.clivebarkercast.com

New episode of the Clive Barker Podcast

[thealmightyemprex]

80's Fantasy Month

So I am doing something diffrent

I am gonna review difrent 80's fantasy classics on diffrent formats

CD Lord of the Rings 1981

Book Howls Moving Castle

Laserdisc Conan the Barbarian

In Theaters :PRincess Bride

Video Legend

Blu Ray Neverending Story

Streaming Time Bandits

DVD:TBD (Either Dragonslayer,Secret of the Sword ,Labyrinth or LAst Unicorn )

@ariel-seagull-wings @angelixgutz @princesssarisa @themousefromfantasyland

@amalthea9 @the-blue-fairie @theancientvaleofsoulmaking

@makingboneboy

@filmcityworld1

[askagamedev]

When is the earliest moment a game will get put on a disc/blu-ray these days? Some prototype? A test build? Review copies? A test before manufacturing begins? Historical examples of old CD and cartridge games from pre-production are around, so I wonder if any from this era even exist to show up like that.

We don't really do discs anymore. We used to do them for builds on dev machines, but now that we've all got sufficiently fast internet connections and sufficiently large hard drives, all we do are digital builds now. Even our submission candidates are digital now. To my understanding, we really only make discs when we've passed cert and we're going to gold master. Even the physical discs you get today often just contain the same internet-based installer that you'd download from the digital store.

I don't think disc builds have been a thing since two console generations ago, the X360/PS3/Wii era. We actually made regular disc builds back then because we had to test things like streaming data off of the optical disc. I remember having to come up with solutions for desynchronized audio issues because data were still being streamed from the disc when we loaded a saved game from a cold boot at a particular place in the game I was working on. Nowadays we can fully install the game to the SSD and we no longer have to worry about those kind of technical issues.

[Join us on Discord] and/or [Support us on Patreon]

Got a burning question you want answered?

Short questions: Ask a Game Dev on Twitter

Long questions: Ask a Game Dev on Tumblr

Frequent Questions: The FAQ

[gothedrals]

I posted 9,069 times in 2022

That's 709 more posts than 2021!

1,457 posts created (16%)

7,612 posts reblogged (84%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@coldbug

@heyitsphoenixx

@vampireway

@ftwwworld

@stjoangerard

I tagged 6,843 of my posts in 2022

Only 25% of my posts had no tags

#g - 1,344 posts

#gerard way - 1,312 posts

#mcr - 1,007 posts

#art - 446 posts

#aes - 295 posts

#frank iero - 258 posts

#video - 164 posts

#ghost - 154 posts

#ask g - 140 posts

#fave - 124 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#i’ve gotten back into journaling this year and one habit i’ve picked up is just filling a page with “i love x i love y i love z’’ etc when i

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

when we die we all go to the big my chemical romance concert in the sky

2,375 notes - Posted October 18, 2022

#4

See the full post

2,500 notes - Posted June 23, 2022

#3

gerard way, 2022 // freddie mercury, 1986

4,179 notes - Posted May 18, 2022

#2

where’s that interview where ray said he wanted people to leave their shows feeling like they just got fucked. that really is what it feels like

7,598 notes - Posted August 29, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I miss you blockbuster I miss you cds I miss you little buttons that played song previews in walmart I miss you vhs tapes I miss you blocky tv with rabbit ears that only had 10 channels I miss you scratched dvds from the library I miss you envelopes of developed photos from a film camera I miss you flip phones covered in stickers I miss you physical media

17,366 notes - Posted July 9, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[sourmonsterworms]

Lungs (2009) - Florence + The Machine

Does anyone need me to tell them this album is spectacular? Does everyone not already know? Hello? Hello??? Listen to it???

9.5/10

1. Howl

2. Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)

3. I'm Not Calling You A Liar

[musiquefragments]

CD Albums Past, Future, present. No.20 Stevie Ray Vaughan-Sky is crying.(1990)

CD Albums Past, Future, present. No.20 Stevie Ray Vaughan-Sky is crying.(1990)

Stevie Ray Vaughan-The sky is crying(1991) Its strange in reviewing this one as the Blues, is an area of music I sort of delve into from time to time but never sort of becoming involved in the collection of it. But I have to say that in terms of Blues music Stevie Ray Vaughan is right up there with the best. The work of Vaughan I have only fleetingly touched, so no expert on his output. But…

[jaydofmo]

Ozma of Oz by the Toronto Civic Light Opera Company

 The Civic Light Opera is back with one more Oz story, the third Oz book, Ozma of Oz, which they have decided will be their final entry. They've released (and I've reviewed) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Marvelous Land of Oz, so to avoid being an Oz company for a long time, they're concluding with Ozma and going on to other stories. The CLO is sticking with MP3CD to distribute their audiobooks. These are CDs that have MP3 files on them as a data track, allowing for a lot more audio than you'd get from a standard audio track on a CD. Modern CD players can play these, and you can also play them back in a computer with a disc drive or use it to copy the files to a portable device. Or you can do what I did and put it in a home theater DVD or Blu-Ray player, pull up the folder of MP3 files and just start playing. Ozma of Oz goes back to the Outside World (our world), where we find Dorothy and Uncle Henry on a trip to Australia on a stormy night. While looking around for Uncle Henry, Dorothy goes on deck, only to be washed overboard, finding refuge in a chicken coop. She awakens outside of the Land of Ev with Billina, a talking chicken. On their way to find out the best course of action, they meet the mechanical man Tik-Tok, and Princess Langwidere who has thirty interchangeable heads in her boudoir. But soon Dorothy and her companions fall in with the visiting princess Ozma of Oz, who's heading to the nearby Nome Kingdom to rescue the Royal Family of Ev from the Nome King. If you're familiar with my previous reviews, you'll know what to expect. While the text is unabridged, the introductions and chapter titles are not read. Joe Cascone narrates with a full cast performing the dialogue, the cast returning from their roles in the previous two audiobooks. To make it further stand out, classical music and sound effects are added. This is where I have to mention one thing. During the story, both Langwidere and the Nome King use bells to call for their subordinates or to be alerted. The same sound effect is used for all times, which is fine, it's just that this sound effect is very familiar if you've ever seen a commercial for Taco Bell. Audio quality is good. I was playing it back with the audio going through the soundbar and found it sounded best if I used the music setting. Overall, it's a great presentation of the story. Again, we get a matching presentation in a jewel case, decorated with artwork by John R. Neill, photos of the cast, an introductory note from Joe, a cast list and a list of music used in the production. If you miss physical media, these are worth looking over. To get a copy, Joe has it for sale on his website, along with the first two Oz books as well as music CDs and notices of his upcoming audio versions of A Christmas Carol and Animal Farm. http://dlvr.it/Ssd7Cx

[avaliveradio]

Michael Harrison Blues : Just Wanna Play Some Rock and Roll

Michael Harrison Blues - Just Wanna Play Some Rock and Roll

Music Genre: Rock blues alternative Vibe: upbeat Located in: Colorado Sounds like: clapton, stevie ray vaughn

Michael Harrison Blues is bringing back the American blues music of the 80’s inspired by talent like Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn. The blues has always been a way for the artist to express their inner feelings and emotions through music. It is much more than just notes and chords, it’s a way of life. I especially love the guitar work in this single. That's clearly where the talent takes first hat. Michael shows off his skills well on this single backed by 40 years of perfecting his craft.

Music Review by Jacqueline Jax  Link to your streaming page: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4hoxej8h6MgsjUnAyHLngY

Song has been getting alot of attention....Nominated singer. songwriter, and guitar player Michael Harrison, has been playing, recording, performing his craft for 40 years... In addition to singing and playing, writing great songs, and arrangements. He has 7 great CD's, and is on his own Indie Label... He continues to establish himself as a solo artist. though he has played with many great musicians along the way...Tommy Bolin, Toy Caldwell (Marshall Tucker Band), John Lee Hooker. Mose Allison , Charlie Musselwhite, Mark Naftin , (Butterfield Blues Band), Ron Bland, Jim Riddle, Miles Mangram, Kathy Kemp, Bob Rebholtz, Mike Marlier, Ron Jolly, Peter Gregory, Brian Mikulich and more. Check out Michael's latest Cd Livin The Blues. Video link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k3izGMn9fWoHxgTgK0mPXPYNHtcaeTS2I

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Social Links & Website: https://twitter.com/mhblues

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054875266005

michaelharrisonblues.com

[lesser-known-composers]

Johann Adolf Hasse (1699 - 1783)

[ljaesch]

Set Review: R.E.M. - "Automatic For the People" (25th Anniversary Edition)

In 2017, R.E.M. released a 25th anniversary reissue of the band’s 1992 album, Automatic For the People. It was released in the following formats: an LP edition, a two CD edition, a digital edition, and a three CD/one Blu-ray deluxe release. This review will focus on the deluxe release.

This edition of the 25th anniversary reissue of Automatic For the People is packaged with a 60-page hardcover…

Thus week's Retro Release Review takes a look back at R.E.M.'s 1992 album, Automatic For the People.