On Loan

Over the past several weeks, I've taken advantage of the Salt Lake City Public Library to fulfill my entertainment needs. I've got my hands on some really good stuff. Take a look:



1967-1970 by The Beatles
I've had the Red Album (1962-1966) for years on cassette and recently got it on CD. It only stood to reason that I'd need to listen to the Blue Album too. Hard to believe it's the same band, in some ways.



Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys
A.K.A. "The album that inspired Sgt. Pepper's"
If you're expecting the same old "fast cars, big waves, cute girls" formula that made the Beach Boys stars, well, you won't find it here. This album is experimental, complex, and thought-provoking. And no matter how good the Beatles were at everything else, they never could harmonize the way the Beach Boys could.



Rubber Soul by The Beatles
A.K.A. "The album that inspired Pet Sounds"
The first step on the Beatles' journey from boy band to musical revolutionaries. A darker, less exuberantly optimistic tone than earlier Beatles releases. I never thought I'd hear a song where John Lennon threatened someone (a woman, no less) with violence, but it's right here ("Run For Your Life"). Great songwriting and great performances.



Revolver The Beatles
Actually, I'm picking this one up from the library today. Can't wait to expand my Beatles horizons even further!



Justice Leage - Seasons 1-4 (including JLU)
I was completely enthralled by this series. Sadly, I didn't read a lot of DC when I was growing up, just Marvel (Mostly X-Men, Avengers, and Alpha Flight). I thought this was an excellent introduction to these characters. And from what I've deduced by talking to persons more knowledgeable than myself, these stories are quite faithful to the original characters and their personalities. Highly recommended.



Teen Titans
I loved this series when it ran on Cartoon Network. And it's still good. But after watching the entire Justice League series, I have to confess that this was a bit of a letdown. I'll probably give it a look again later.



Astro City: Life in the Big City by Kurt Busiek, Brent E. Anderson, and Alex Ross
I love comic books and superhero stories. (Can you tell?) The stories in this book are among the best I've ever read. The humanity of the characters is almost unparalleled in the genre. I can't recommend this too much.



The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1 and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 2 by Alan Moore
Some will undoubtedly question my taste, but I liked the movie a lot better than the book(s) on which it was based. There were just too many "Ewwww!" moments for me. Most of them involving the Invisible Man.



Eternals by Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr.
I've always thought the Eternals were an interesting, if underutilized, group in the Marvel universe. Nice treatment of the team by Gaiman.

I've also borrowed some stuff from Lord Mhoram in the past few weeks.



Vinland Saga by Leaves' Eyes
Not my usual cup of tea, musically speaking, but this is a very nice album. A great balance of power and delicacy.



Red Planet Boulevard by Lana Lane
I really enjoyed Lana's take on the Scottish Play in her concept album Lady Macbeth. This album is nothing at all like that one. This one's a lot more organic and melodic. Fortunately, Lana's versatile enough to make both of them enjoyable.

So that's what I've been doing with my free time lately. Now, if you'll excuse me,I have to go update my Amazon.com wish list....