5 comments about City Hall: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

1. This movie is the quintessential example of how politics and public opinion rules the day. Each of the actors in this criminal injustice movie are compelling. Cusack's plight is what endears him to the viewer--restive in nature, the Louisiana boy attempts to save Pacino's administration and future but, is unable to resurrect him in the end. While Pacino is resolute in his hopes, dreams and desires, his role as the Greek mayor of New York City is plagued with a plethora of problems that he can no longer control. His prior associations for good or bad is what is his final Waterloo. This film is resplendent in its depiction of police and political depravity. This is a must see film for political science and criminal justice students.
   
   Most respectfully,
   Dr. Charles Thomas Kelly, Jr.
   Assistant Professor of the
   Administration of Justice
   Louisiana State University-Alexandria



2. I think I agree with most critics who say that Jerry Goldsmith's score for "City Hall" is like a warm-up for "L.A. Confidential", and the tracks 'The Bridge' and 'The Meet' are proof of that. Although I have to admit that those two cues are the best of the CD, as well as 'Old Friends' and 'Count On It. The music certainly has that New York feel to it since the movie takes place there. Unfortunately, as for the rest of the album, it all sounds like there is no way to go; and it remains too quiet for my taste, possibly because the film itself is kinda dull in spite of Al Pacino's usual overperformance that keeps anybody awake. But then again, there is "L.A. Confidential"...



3. A decent and somewhat entertaining movie about political corruption in New York, this movie arguably would have been a total flop were it not for Pacino and Cusack. I feel that the amount of killing is a little excessive and lends to the general pradicability of the plot. It was worth watching once, but I doubt I'll ever feel compelled to do so again.



4. A solid film and a step up from another John Cusack political drama, the decent but yuppie-themed "True Colors." Cusack's character is the deputy mayor of NYC, aka the ambitious mayor's,(Al Pacino) right hand man. A shooting in Brooklyn leaves three people dead which culminates into a Willie Horton type legal & media crisis for the mayor's office. Cusack teams up with Bridget Fonda, a lawyer for the detectives endowment fund to perform due diligence only to find their digging ends up too close to home. Danny Aiello does a good job as a complicated yet sympathetic Brooklyn councilman; Martin Landau as a bent new york supreme court judge and former law partner of the mayor; Richard Schiff as a probation supervisor; and David Paymer as a top city hall advisor. Snappy intelligent dialogue, Pacino is rarely better.
   
   "The only thing new in this world is the history you don't know." ~ Harry Truman



5. My pal Al has been my favorite actor ever since I saw his amazing performance in Heat and it bothers me when people say that all he does is yell in his movies rather than give a credible performance. It bothers me because they usually pick the wrong movies to single out . In the case of City Hall he gives a very nuanced and touching performance throughout that is ruined by a speech that is pure Pacino. The script which was written by Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver) and Nicholas Pileggi (Goodfellas) and two other gentlemen concerns corruption in the Big Apple. Pacino is mayor John Pappas, John Cusack his deputy mayor, Danny Aiello a union boss who despite being a man of the people is tied in with a mobster, and Bridget Fonda as a crusading investigator who is trying to prove every one's corruption and clear a few names while she is at it. The story is this a rogue cop is meeting with a drug dealer without the benefit of backup or a bulletproof vest. His informant is the drug dealer's cousin and when all three of them surprise each other shots are fired and the cop and drug dealer die while a six year old boy is also killed in the crossfire. This is a tragedy that the mayor has to address and that the deputy mayor has to spend the entire movie trying to piece together. Whose bullet the cop's or the drug dealer's killed the kid? Why was the cop there against orders and without any backup or protection? Why is the drug dealer walking the streets when his crimes would ordinarily send him to prison for years? The answers that slowly come are nothing shocking or revelatory. Corruption exists in government and even well respected mayors or judges might have a hand in it. The scene that I speak of takes place at the young boy's funeral. The mayor (Pacino) has been advised not to go there and if he must go to say only a few words and then leave. This being a Pacino movie why say a few meaningless words when Al can yell which is exactly what he does. The boy was black and the church is an all black one which only adds to the scene since this passionate kind of speech is not out of place. It could be something from Scarface or any other Pacino film as it starts out somber and moves to optimistic before finally erupting into full blown Pacino rage. Al can do this better than anyone but it seriously detracts from his overall performance because it is too easy to say he's yelling rather than acting which he does beautifully in the film's final scene between him and Cusack. By this time Cusack knows the truth and wants answers from the mayor and Pacino plays the scene like he is Cusack's father and he is devastated to learn that his son no longer needs him or trusts him. The film is not bad despite a confusing and not too original story but it is worth it to see the performances of Pacino, Cusack, and Danny Aiello.

No comments about Unlawful Entry: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

No comments about Albert Ketelbey: In a Monastery Garden; In a Chinese Temple Garden; Sanctuary of the Heart; Will You Forgive?.

5 comments about Carmina Burana.

1. Very Very Very 80s sounding. While that normally isn't a bad thing for me, it just makes this album very boring and cheesey. I'm a Manzarek fan, but he still plays at his best in the Doors.



2. I bought Carmina Burana on cassette tape when it was first issued after hearing it at a local music store. While I was listening, I had no idea that it was Ray Manzarek but thought that it would be an interesting addition and conversation piece for my music collection, and so it was. Certainly no one ever guessed that ex-Doors keyboardist Manzarek was responsible for this strange-sounding music! The listing here says this is Doug Hodges' work, but Hodges is just one of many musicians on this Manzarek project.
   Well, that cassette wore out years ago and I spent a lot of time looking for it online to no avail. As many out of print CDs are being re-mastered and reissued, I recently thought to try again. And voila, there it was!
   I read a review of the unremastered edition in which the reviewer said he thought the CD was cheesy and reeked of the 1980s. Well, everyone hears things differently, but he gave me the impression that he was hoping to hear some Doors-type rock and roll music when he bought it. If you are looking for that, well that is not on this CD. What is here is some of the most mysterious and rousing music you are likely to hear in the pop idiom! This is a great road-trip recording and also a great CD to listen to as heavy thunderstorms pound everything around you.
   Ray Manzarek has taken German composer Carl Orff's music to the poetry known as the Carmina Burana and modernized it. And despite the modernization, it retains a distinctly medieval feel. My opinion is that the project works. The often-strident Latin chorus and the instrumental arrangements are inspirational to say the least. Even my father and some of his friends like it!
   Now I have heard Manzarek's Carmina Burana used as a backdrop to a TV show about Satanism, but there is nothing Satanic about the Carmina Burana. It is merely a song cycle celebrating the sweetness of life and lamenting its vagaries.
   With Carmina Burana, Ray Manzarek shows a wider range of talent than I would have ever expected. If you are looking for something unusual in music and are open to something vastly different from most of what you hear in the world of pop, then Carmina Burana may be for you. Put this on for your friends and they will be as surprised as mine were when they learn whose album it is!



3. I came across this album while browsing absent-mindedly through the public library selection. I had not recognized the name "Carmina Burana", but upon listening, realized that I had heard the piece many times, from many conductors, before. I am a lover of the medieval period, church music, and 80's synthesized music, amongst many other genres. I was astounded to find such a synchronically composed piece that brought together such diverse theories.



4. One must realize members of the Philip Glass Emsemble are performimg here. True it has somewhat a disco feel at times. It is colorfull and upbeat. It has repetative framework that I think works well here. Because it follows closely to the original piece the Glass minimalism is incorporated within the music instead of controling it. I wished it had a bit darker and brooding soundscape and had say Fripplike guitar for example.( King Crimson- The Construction Of Light - to me that track sounds like Fripp meets Glass )Anyways, I managed to find this a few years ago on import after extensive searching. Now I see it is much more easily available. This was one of those albums I had that I was not happy till I found a cd version. Personally I love this.



5. This album is an excellent electronic rendition of Carl Orff's classic tale. Inspired keyboard work by Ray Manzarek, along with brilliant performances by the rest of the crew, make this cd well worth a listen!

2 comments about Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast.

1. My Gosh,she got it!!
   What a century performance,you really have to buy it.



2. There is no menu....if you don't watch it all the way thru...you can't watch it at all.

5 comments about Carmina Burana.

1. Very Very Very 80s sounding. While that normally isn't a bad thing for me, it just makes this album very boring and cheesey. I'm a Manzarek fan, but he still plays at his best in the Doors.



2. I bought Carmina Burana on cassette tape when it was first issued after hearing it at a local music store. While I was listening, I had no idea that it was Ray Manzarek but thought that it would be an interesting addition and conversation piece for my music collection, and so it was. Certainly no one ever guessed that ex-Doors keyboardist Manzarek was responsible for this strange-sounding music! The listing here says this is Doug Hodges' work, but Hodges is just one of many musicians on this Manzarek project.
   Well, that cassette wore out years ago and I spent a lot of time looking for it online to no avail. As many out of print CDs are being re-mastered and reissued, I recently thought to try again. And voila, there it was!
   I read a review of the unremastered edition in which the reviewer said he thought the CD was cheesy and reeked of the 1980s. Well, everyone hears things differently, but he gave me the impression that he was hoping to hear some Doors-type rock and roll music when he bought it. If you are looking for that, well that is not on this CD. What is here is some of the most mysterious and rousing music you are likely to hear in the pop idiom! This is a great road-trip recording and also a great CD to listen to as heavy thunderstorms pound everything around you.
   Ray Manzarek has taken German composer Carl Orff's music to the poetry known as the Carmina Burana and modernized it. And despite the modernization, it retains a distinctly medieval feel. My opinion is that the project works. The often-strident Latin chorus and the instrumental arrangements are inspirational to say the least. Even my father and some of his friends like it!
   Now I have heard Manzarek's Carmina Burana used as a backdrop to a TV show about Satanism, but there is nothing Satanic about the Carmina Burana. It is merely a song cycle celebrating the sweetness of life and lamenting its vagaries.
   With Carmina Burana, Ray Manzarek shows a wider range of talent than I would have ever expected. If you are looking for something unusual in music and are open to something vastly different from most of what you hear in the world of pop, then Carmina Burana may be for you. Put this on for your friends and they will be as surprised as mine were when they learn whose album it is!



3. I came across this album while browsing absent-mindedly through the public library selection. I had not recognized the name "Carmina Burana", but upon listening, realized that I had heard the piece many times, from many conductors, before. I am a lover of the medieval period, church music, and 80's synthesized music, amongst many other genres. I was astounded to find such a synchronically composed piece that brought together such diverse theories.



4. One must realize members of the Philip Glass Emsemble are performimg here. True it has somewhat a disco feel at times. It is colorfull and upbeat. It has repetative framework that I think works well here. Because it follows closely to the original piece the Glass minimalism is incorporated within the music instead of controling it. I wished it had a bit darker and brooding soundscape and had say Fripplike guitar for example.( King Crimson- The Construction Of Light - to me that track sounds like Fripp meets Glass )Anyways, I managed to find this a few years ago on import after extensive searching. Now I see it is much more easily available. This was one of those albums I had that I was not happy till I found a cd version. Personally I love this.



5. This album is an excellent electronic rendition of Carl Orff's classic tale. Inspired keyboard work by Ray Manzarek, along with brilliant performances by the rest of the crew, make this cd well worth a listen!

5 comments about Live at Carnegie Hall.

1. Ok so I say its super funny then only give it 4 stars. Thats because the jokes are great. I have listened to it so many times in the car and I still laugh. My husband and I even tell the jokes to each other and laugh. But it loses a star because of the quality of the cd. Be ready to play with the volume. If you pop the cd in as normal all you will hear is laughing. Maybe Ray`s mic wasn`t connected right to the recording booth or however they record it but you have to turn the volume way up to hear Ray, then turn it down since the laughter gets really loud. Other then that it was great. It was such a great comedy cd that I would buy another cd of Ray`s even with the same problem just to hear the jokes. Also I liked that other then one word in the very beginning that is beeped out, the cd is clean to listen to for the whole family. Other comedy cds, like Chris Rock have way too much swearing. It just isn`t needed in my family car.



2. The previous reviewer hit it on the head -- the lone problem with this CD is in how it was recorded. Ray's voice bounces between being loud, as if he's right at the mike, to softer, as if he's set back a few steps demonstrating something. The crowd noise also changes periodically, with the laughter sometimes being as loud as Ray. This makes it difficult to listen to the CD in the car without playing with the volume.
   
   That being said, I really enjoyed this CD and listen to it periodically. Some of the routines remind you of Ray's character on his show, but some of it is not for kids' ears. It's not because of language -- although the first track contains the only curse on the CD, the F*** word -- but it's more because of some of the topics around his kids and their diapers, or his twins ability to...well.. just listen on your own first.



3. Ray Romano is a talented guy, but the sound guy for this CD needs to go back to college, the sound quality is very poor and to actually put something like this on sale is a disgrace. I give it five stars for Mr. Romano afterall Everybody Loves Raymond, but buy this disc at your own risk, I wish I had spent my money on a Season of the show not this disc. Not that you need to Ray, please make another CD.



4. This is one of the funniest comedy shows I've every heard. I love that Ray Romano doesn't need to have a potty mouth to be funny! His timing is as always impeccable. My personal favorites are the bits on turning 40 (aka the prostate exam!) and Olestra (I have since introduced "anal leakage" into my social vocabulary). We want more!



5. as other viewers commented, the sound quality is extremely bad in the way that you have to turn the sound volumn very very loud in order to hear Ray but in the mean time, your ears could be hurt by the crowd's clabbing. Bad recording unfortunately, but no discout on Ray's sense of humour.

No comments about Play Ball!: Basic Fielding.

1 comments about Play Ball!: Basic Pitching.

1. This is a good training video, I recommend it for kids and parents. The pitching mechanics section is good, but he skips a couple key items(i.e. both the position of the stride foot, and tucking the elbow on the glove hand, during delivery). However, it gives simple straight forward instructions that are easy to follow. I liked the section on types of pitches and grips, very good. I also appreciated the message that Little Leaguers should not throw curve balls. To paraphrase he states, "kids are going to try to throw curve balls anyway, so lets not put our heads in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist, lets show them how to do it properly so they don't hurt their arms." I agree. He strictly talks about the overhand curve, he doesn't teach a slider for good reason. Kids shouldn't try to throw it at all.
   The tips from the pros were a little lame, but they're pros and I'm not.
   A great book to go with this is "The Little League Guide to Correcting the 25 Most Common Mistakes" by John Montelelone.

No comments about Play Ball!: Basic Hitting.