3 comments about The Shadow with Book(s).

1. The Shadow is one of the most fondly remembered shows from the golden age of radio. Even many who are not radio buffs recognize the name and what it stood for. And what it stood for was entertainment the likes of which will never be heard again. It was a theatre of the imagination. For years families would gather around the radio and be caught up in the adventures of Lamont Cranston and Margo. This great collection makes a nice addition to any radio buff's home.
   
   There are 20 shows in all, and it is available in both cassette and cd format. Orson Welles is represented on 4 shows, Brett Morrison on 7, John Archer on 1, and Bill Johnstone, my personal favorite, on 8. I have owned this and listened to every show on more than one occasion. While it is not quite as encompassing as the larger boxed collection I have reviewed, it is still a must have for fans of radio's greatest show.
   
   This great collection comes with a stunningly researched booklet by Anthony Tollin, who uses a number of sources, including John Dunning's fine book, to give a far-reaching look at the history of radio's greatest man of mystery as he appeared in print, on radio, and in film. There are marvelous program notes on each episode included in the booklet and photos of many of the key players. Those key players included the many voices of Margo Lane.
   
   Over the years, Lamont's constant companion, Margot Lane, would be portrayed by Agnes Moorehead, Margot Stevenson, Marjorie Anderson, Judith Allen, Lesley Woods, and Grace Matthews. Margot Stephenson was the beautiful Broadway actress who had actually inspired the character of Margot Lane.
   
   There are many outstanding shows in this attractively packaged set, and while I would have to rate the sound quality on a couple of these shows a B or B-, that is still excellent considering their age. A few minor adjustments to your stereo will allow you to enjoy every minute of every show. The overall quality of the 20 shows is quite good, and the entertainment value is priceless.
   
   This greatest of mediums has sadly passed from popularity, but for those who either remember it, or have just begun to discover it, this Shadow collection is essential.



2. Odd Banana was prompt in their service, much quicker than Amazon has been on an item I ordered at the same time. The product was well packaged and was in great condition. Their description of the product matched exactly what was sent.
   I would definitely consider doing business with them again in the future.



3. Well, I thought I was a fan of The Shadow radio shows from the 1930's. I've heard a bunch, and own a bunch, and in this box set here's only two I've heard before--"Prelude to Terror," about a loony who concocts exploding light bulbs and plants them in strategic buildings. [..] then there's "Reflection of Death," about a mirror from Inferno itself--or is it now? Many of these feature Bill Johnstone as the Shadow, and believe me, he may have been the best of any of the men who played that role. Each man brought his own flair to the role. the one I like least is kid Orson Welles, who hadn't yet panicked America and made his name forever. When these shows were made, he was still riding by ambulance from show to show--no joke, he did just that. This is money well spent.

3 comments about If Evolution is Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Evolve.

1. You can't go wrong with Biafra's fantastic sense of humor, especially in conjunction with his ever-scathing political commentary.
   This is a highly listenable and entertaining set of cds, which is not to undermine their importance. They are challenging and thought-provoking, addressing contemporary social and political issues, and weave together a perfect blend of satire and seriousness.



2. Jello Biafra pontificates on a number of issues that I personally find important: the need for teenagers and young adults to have free access to entertainment, music and media of their choice; the banality and anti-aestheticism of "mainstream suburbia" and the suit-and-tie, Christmas-shopping, pro-sports mentality fed to us in the media (that's how their corporate sponsors make money after all).
   
   But here Biafra is much more concerned with the economics playing behind the scenes. Rather than "whine" about Tipper Gore, the PMRC and their efforts to deny people under a certain age certain types of albums (and movies, video games, possibly even live concerts), here Biafra goes into a much more powerful threat to freedom and democracy: corporate power and the DE FACTO censorship and authoritarianism it brings. You could best think of this album as a rebuttal to conservative economist Milton Friedman's book CAPITALISM AND FREEDOM.
   
   This album was recorded in late 1997/early 1998, the era of anti-gang paranoia, the Newt Gingrich regime, NAFTA, drug wars, welfare reform, and Wall Street uber-alles. Biafra clearly points out President Clinton's repeated concessions to the conservative right, not just the Wall Street right but also cultural reactionaries (one of which would have been first lady had the Supreme Court not handed the 2000 pres election to Bush). This frustration over pro-corporate, pro-suburbia, anti-marijuana, anti-musical freedom "liberal" Democrats was certainly at least part of the fuel behind Ralph Nader's 2000 campaign.
   
   Biafra points out, very honestly, that the corporate media deliberately blames society's problems on everything except the real cause (how screwed up our economic system is (this is a verbatim quote)), which not only unnecessarily scapegoats innocent people like Marilyn Manson and divides the nation among race and culture lines, but assures that the real problems will never be solved.
   
   Of course, to inspire the people for social change, he also gives examples of how Russians and Eastern Europeans overthrew their communist-by-name-only regimes and set up democracies run, in some cases, by rock musicians! Granted, neocapitalist fervor has been pushed too hard on the ex-"communist" countries, but the basic idea of a mass of people overthrowing a corrupt and elitist political regime is definitely something that a democratic socialist like myself can wholeheartedly support!
   
   After listening to this album you too will be inspired to renounce the capitalist economic ideology and dream of the day when America will experience a general strike. Even if you don't agree with Biafra's (or my) quasi-socialist philosophy of wealth, work and property, you will be forced to admit that America is going down the tubes and that "It's the economic system, [...]"



3. If you didn't get the summary and for some reason actually took it literally, then you've probably never listenned to the Dead Kennedys. Well, ex-Kennedy lead singer Jello Biafra has taken his razor blade-like social awareness and criticism to spoken word. You won't believe what you learn, and worst of all you'll never be able to pledge allegiance again(OH NO!!). Buy this. Yeah, yeah. I know that's all you hear every evening as you vegetate in front of the new opiate of the masses, i mean television, but this might actually wake you up. Besides, if you've found your way to this review than you must have some interest in Biafra or the Dead Kennedys. If you just stumbled upon this as a poor innocent good citizen, well, good. You need this. It's like Viagra for the brain. Arm the homeless!

No comments about Vanity Fair.

3 comments about Stars On Suspense - 60 Tales from Radio's Outstanding Theater of Thrills.

1. "Suspense" was an incredibly-popular mystery radio program that was on the air for 22 years (1940 through 1962). Dubbed as "Radio's outstanding theater of thrills", the show was/is the longest-running "mystery/anthology" series in network radio history.
   
   A large number of Hollywood's greatest stars put in time behind the microphone on the "Suspense" soundstage, and this large 60-show collection highlights many of these popular stars' appearances on the mystery program.
   
   The eerie series was hosted/narrated by a person known as "The Man in Black". Several different individuals served as "The Man in Black" over the years, including Joseph Kearns, who would later play "Mr. Wilson" on the TV series "Dennis The Menace". (He wasn't quite so "manacing" on "Menace", was he?) :)
   
   Each of these thirty Compact Discs contains two full-length "Suspense" broadcasts. My two favorite episodes included in this sixty-program collection are "Drive-In" and "Sorry, Wrong Number". .............
   
   1.) "Drive-In" stars a 24-year-old Judy Garland and was originally aired on November 21, 1946. Judy plays a waitress at a drive-in restaurant, and accepts a ride home with a stranger. She will later regret that decision. This is a dandy "Suspense" classic, with Judy utterly believable as the young woman in peril.
   
   2.) Agnes Moorehead is the star of "Sorry, Wrong Number" (which aired November 18, 1948). .... "Sorry" was performed a total of EIGHT times by Miss Moorehead on "Suspense", and is considered the most famous of all the plays in the radio series. Orson Welles, in fact, once called the popular Lucille Fletcher play "the greatest single radio script ever written".
   
   Moorehead is perfect as the woman who overhears the plot to her own murder due to criss-crossed telephone wires. This particular performance, in late 1948, coincided almost exactly with the time period when the movie version of "Sorry" was running in theaters. From data I can gather, the movie (starring Barbara Stanwyck in Miss Moorehead's role) opened in theaters on September 1, 1948, just 2.5 months prior to this "Suspense" radio performance by Moorehead.
   
   Among the various bits of info and trivia that can be accessed via this boxed set's lengthy booklet, we learn that Miss Moorehead -- after each "Sorry, Wrong Number" performance -- was so tense, it took her hours to unwind.
   
   Other chilling/thrilling programs occupying space in this set include: "The Black Curtain" with Cary Grant ... "Hitchhike Poker" with Gregory Peck ... "Night Cry" with Ray Milland ... and "Back For Christmas" with Herbert Marshall.
   
   This deluxe CD set was produced and released by "Radio Spirits" (of Schiller Park, Illinois) in the year 2000. The 7.25" x 7.5" all-plastic, "album"-style packaging securely holds the 30 Compact Discs. A 64-page booklet is included, with tons of facts and photos and backstory information on each of the sixty programs in the set.
   
   The packaging design makes it very easy to pick out which episode you want to listen to with just a quick glance at the back of the plastic case. Every show title is printed on the back, along with air dates, the guest stars, and the corresponding CD number.
   
   In 1998, another excellent batch of top-flight radio programs was produced and released by Radio Spirits. It's a healthy collection of 60 OTR mystery shows on 20 audio cassettes, entitled "Old-Time Radio's Greatest Mysteries". A similar product has recently been re-released on audio cassette and CD by Radio Spirits, bearing the exact same title, that includes a smaller number of total programs (40). But the cassette assortment I own has sixty shows, including three episodes of "Suspense", plus broadcasts from many other radio shows of the same genre -- e.g.: "Inner Sanctum", "Escape", "Lights Out!", "Quiet Please", and "The Shadow"; plus lots of others.
   
   But what makes that "Greatest Mysteries" pack extra special (IMO) is the inclusion on one of the cassette tapes of the 1950 "Suspense" broadcast "On A Country Road" (starring Cary Grant). That particular "Suspense" episode, more than any other I can think of, has the amazing ability to "turn on the television set" in the listener's mind. I can easily, and vividly, envision in my imagination every portion of that chilling radio play.
   
   Cary Grant stars with Cathy Lewis and Jeanette Nolan in "On A Country Road", which originally aired over the U.S. radio airwaves on November 16, 1950. Grant and Lewis play a travelling couple stranded on a deserted country side road in a driving rainstorm after their car runs out of gas. The couple's fears and concerns are heightened and further multiplied by the fact that an escaped mental patient, armed with a hatchet, is on the loose in the very same area.
   
   "On A Country Road" is one of my all-time favorite radio plays, and really quite a remarkable one, that leaves the listener glued to their radio (or cassette player in my case) for its entire thirty-minute duration. It's definitely a mystery program that is well-calculated to keep you in .... ~~spooky organ music goes here~~ .... "SUSPENSE"!
   
   Unfortunately, "On A Country Road" isn't included within this "Stars On Suspense" multi-disc pack. That's a shame, too, for in my view it truly deserves a slot on one of these 30 CDs.
   
   Radio Spirits puts out excellent-quality products --- Remastered and restored radio programs on CD (or audio cassette), along with smart and snazzy packaging with attractive artwork, and highly-researched text info via the booklets that are included with each boxed Old-Time Radio collection. Plus: Rare and "behind-the-mike" photographs that accompany the text in the collectible-style booklets.
   
   High praise goes to RADIO SPIRITS for providing posh collections like this "STARS ON SUSPENSE" CD set to "OTR" fans.



2. The very first "Suspense" broadcast took place on July 22, 1940 over all the CBS stations and featured "The Lodger," a popular Hitchcock thriller, with star Herbert Marshall. Twenty-two years later, it went off the air and left behind a trail of great stories and great acting. So it is appropriate that one of the latest additions to the Radio Spirits catalogue of "old time" broadcasts be titled .

   Here we have 60 episodes broadcast between 6-17-42 and 2-17-49. True to the policy of the producers, no crime goes unpunished (with one or two ambiguous exceptions) and there is no science fiction or fantasy, again with one or two exceptions.

   There is no doubt that the producers also loved casting against type. In episodes not included here, Fibber McGee and Molly played straight roles and Jack Benny appeared as a tongue-in-cheek Martian. But in general, the word among the brightest stars in Hollywood was that an appearance on "Suspense" would be an actor's dream. So in this Radio Spirits set you can hear Edward G. Robinson, Vincent Price, Cary Grant, Charles Laughton, Joseph Cotten, James Cagney, Judy Garland, and too many more to mention here.

   The two gems of the collection both star Agnes Moorehead. Of course, there is the famous "Sorry, Wrong Number" episode that has been hailed as the greatest dramatic performance on the radio, ever! The other is the even more frightening "The Yellow Wallpaper" that got an inferior treatment on Public Television a few years ago.

   This is not the first "Suspense" collection put out by Radio Spirits, but it is a valuable piece of history nevertheless. It is available as a 20-cassette boxed set or as a 3- CD boxed set. Each has its advantages and I have both, the tapes for the car and the CDs for playing my favorite scenes at elderhostels and talks on the history of mass media. Both sets contain the usual booklet crammed with background information about the series and about each individual episode, complete with photographs of the stars.




3. This collection is incredible! It not only has the first show of the series, but includes some of their better shows all around - including "The Hitchhiker" starring Orson Welles and "Sorry, Wrong Number" starring Agnes Moorehead (generally regarded as the best show of the series). Each episode stars a well-known actor or actress like Cary Grant, Orson Welles, Joseph Cotton, Jack Benny, etc. My only beef with the 30+ hours of programs is that they didn't include "On a Country Road", first broadcast with Cary Grant in 1950 and then rebroadcast in 1954 with Frank Lovejoy. THAT show was the best of the series, and absolutely empitomized what the series meant to do: keep you in...SUSPENSE! My suggestion is to buy this, and then see if you can find "On a Country Road" somewhere and give it a listen to get the best of the best.

5 comments about God Bless Tiny Tim: The Complete Reprise Recordings.

1. TT recorded a song with the refrain (if not the title) "The icecaps are melting." I think it was on God Bless Tiny Tim. That title doesn't show up in the track list on AMZN or on RhinoHandMade.com's track list (Rhino also sells the box set). Does anyone know what happened to that song? Am I mis-remembering the title?



2. You either like him or you find him a curiosity... but if you like Tiny Tim this a great set. Unfortunately, only 3,000 copies were pressed by Rhino Handmade. I don't foresee this selling out anytime soon, but this is definitely worth buying if you're a fan of this genius. Yes, I said "genius." Tiny Tim knew A LOT about music and his love of old music was evident in his recordings and shows.
   
   A nice bonus for me was the inclusion of the mono single version of "Tiptoe Through The Tulips." The original album tracks crossfade into each other and it kind of bugged me over the years. The cd maintains the crossfades and original album sequencing, but the included single tracks offer the songs without the crossfades. A minor quibble sure, but what do you expect from someone who would shell out the dough for this set? =)



3. This boxed set is a blessing! While Tiny Tim's first is a well known classic, his other recordings with the great producer Richard Perry are equally amazing. His version of "Great Balls Of Fire" off of his 2nd record is incredible and completely over the top! And if you like reading, Barry Hansen's liner notes are wonderful (what else would you expect from Dr. Demento).
   
   If you love Tiny, you'll love this set. And if you have a roommate who doesn't love Tiny, this is the perfect collection to bug the hell out them and eventually drive them crazy! Yeah!



4. Tiny Tim was one of the greatest talents of his era but was not appreciated by the general public because he was presented only as a comedy routine with his irritating falsetto voice. On the cds in this set, you can hear him sing in a wonderful baritone register and enjoy one of the greatest ever versions of "As Time Goes By" which includes the seldom-heard verse as well as country versions of "Satiisfied With Life" and "Have You Seen My Little Sue?". "Frisco Flo" is a Dixieland number with a fantastic jazz band. There are versions of "I'm A Lonesome Little Raindrop" and "Remember Your Name And Address" that would have been better in a lower key but one gets the feeling that Tiny felt the need to live up to the expectations of the general audience for the very high and irritating effect.



5. Tiny Tim had an encyclopedic knowledge of American popular music from the 1890s to the 1950s, and could sing most anything you asked for right on the spot, with a perfect feel for the song, the era it came from, and the singers who sang it back then. On TV, he was a living, breathing color cartoon. He was instantly recognizable and unforgetable, with his long, curly hair, prominent nose, and that dainty ukelele that was dwarfed by his imposing 6' 1" frame. His exaggerated politeness--he called everyone "Mister" or "Miss"--was oddly endearing. And then there was his singing voice, absolutely unique, especially when he went into his unearthly falsetto. Americans were charmed by the fabulous old songs he sang, of course. He fit right into the nostalgic vogue for '20s and '30s style pop music that took place in the '60s, as exemplified by "Winchester Cathedral".
   
   This 3 CD collection features Tiny Tim's complete Reprise studio masters and more. It is a limited edition of 3,000.
   
   Disc One features his first album, God Bless Tiny Tim, which is quite wonderful. This album was a big hit back in the day. The disc also features many non-LP singles, as well as a few singles that had been on one of his albums, in a different mix. Most of these singles are also quite good.
   
   Disc Two features Tiny's second and third albums. Album two was titled Tiny Tim's Second Album, somewhat unimaginatively. This is another terrific album, that unfortunately didn't sell. His third album was a children's album titled For All My Little Friends. This one didn't sell, either. This is a good album, but not nearly as good as the previous two. This is probably because Richard Perry, the producer of Tiny's first two albums, was unavailable to produce most of the album. Perry came up with some imaginative arrangements on Tiny's earlier albums, but Gene Shiveley, who produced most of the children's album, seemed content to just feature Tiny alone with his ukelele. I should mention that "The Viper", from Tiny's first album, is repeated here and it's the same version, not a new recording.
   
   Disc Three begins with five previously unreleased masters, plus four radio commercials for Tiny's first album. These masters are about as good as anything else he recorded for Reprise, so it's a mystery why they weren't released. The bulk of the disc features many, many demos that Tiny recorded. Most of these demos were recorded as songs considered to possibly be included on his children's album. Nearly all of them just feature Tiny and his ukelele. These aren't all the demos he recorded for Reprise, a few were left off because there wasn't enough room for them.
   
   This collection is a most have for any Tiny Tim fan. (All 3,000 of us!)

No comments about Comedy Superstars.

2 comments about Radio Shows: Stars on Suspense.

1. This is a terrific collection of shows from one of the greatest radio shows ever produced. Those of us who love and collect old time radio can't get enough of "Suspense" to add to our booty and this happens to be a fine sampling of this wonderful show.
   
   The catch-phrase "Roma wine presents" or "Autolite presents" are recognizable to anyone who loves the imagination. Radio ruled for decades and Suspense was for good reason one of the most popular shows on the airwaves. Suspense was the cream of the crop, well written stories given a glossy and realistic production that week after week kept listeners glued to their chairs. For myself and others it is a nostalgic and entertaining way to remember the past.
   
   Many stars are on this collection and many great shows. Night Cry is a terrific story of a cop gone wrong and The Screaming Woman is unforgettable entertainment, a frantic search to save a life before it's too late. Also included is the radio version of Sorry Wrong Number, which is even more suspenseful than the Barbara Stanwyck film. It is an edge of your seat nail biter.
   
   Perhaps my favorite on this collection is Summer Night. It is moody and moving and epitomizes everything that was good about Suspense. It is tightly written and well performed. Ida Lupino, Ray Milland, Margaret O'Brien, Judy Garland and a host of others star in these quality productions that will have you using your imagination and sitting on the edge of your seat.
   
   This is a fine investment for the hours of entertainment you'll get. It will make you a fan of old time radio and have you searching for more. This is a good place to start your journey into---Suspense!



2. If you like the Old Time Radio shows, this is a must have. I have several in the series of radio shows but this is by far the best one.

1 comments about Howls, Raps & Roars.

1. I first heard of this compilation when a girl I knew in college forced a book of Ginsberg poetry on me... and I liked it. She also had Howls, Raps, & Roars, a boxed set of recordings of some of the greatest American poets of the last half of the 20th century... reading their own stuff. It's amazing. To hear Lenny Bruce go on about Dracula's family life and other absurd little quips, all the way to Allen Ginsberg performing Howl on the anniversary of his mother's death... it's powerful, enlightening, and rich in every aspect in portraying the Beat generation of poets and performers for all audiences.

2 comments about Evening with Quentin Crisp.

1. The actual content, in terms of the words spoken, is worth five stars. However, the recorded quality of this Cherry Red Records "remastered" version is truly appalling - and there's simply no excuse for that. The original recording was made in 1979 and yet the 1992 DRG label release was near perfect in quality.
   
   I have the 1992 DRG label 2 CD set, and its sonic quality is excellent - just a few minor analogue tape related dropouts. However this new Cherry Red version, although licensed from DRG, has the volume overdriven throughout to the point where there is almost constant and very annoying clipping in both channels, plus some extra distortion in the left channel.
   
   Mercifully, there is no audible distortion on the one added feature on the Cherry Red release - a June 1980 interview with Quentin by a man named Morgan Fisher. Morgan has set his directional mic in a stationary position, facing Quentin - so Morgan's own voice is a bit too low in volume. We have no trouble hearing Quentin - and that's the main thing.
   
   If you already own the 1992 DRG 2CD set, then I'd suggest that you should give this version a miss. If you want to hear a great interview with Quentin (recorded in his last year of life) then listen to the mp3, as recorded by Steve Pride, on his queer cinema interview/review site "prideonscreen.com". There is an excellent extra on the UK DVD release of "The Naked Civil Servant": "Mavis Catches Up With Quentin Crisp - An Interview From 1989" (video filmed in New York).
   
   The 1992 DRG 2CD version was not only much better quality but also much more sensibly arranged - with the complete "An Evening With" performance on disc one (55 minutes), after which he took a break before returning (on disc 2, another 55 minutes) to answer questions from the audience (which had been written on cards during the break).
   
   The Cherry Red version crams 73 minutes on to disc 1, and then dumps the last half hour of Q&A on disc 2 (leaving space for the Morgan Fisher interview). This not only shows a lack of finesse - but also a lack of due respect for the late great artist.



2. Quetin Crisp at his glorious best. The first CD is all dry witt monologue. Mannered and very amusing. Some side splitting moments of humour. And he's just so gosh darn likeable- bitchy but with such niceness about it that its fun and wit.

   The second CD is the best of the two, where Quentin answers questions put in by the audience at half time.

   If you at all liked his writing, this performance just adds that extra dimension of hearing the right voice reading out the words.

   I imagine, Quentin Crisp sitting in an arm chair, in a glorious velvet suit, waving his arms and rolling his eyes during the whole story telling.

   So I am a Quentin 'Fan boy' of sorts. But this was a find in the back of a dusty bin in a record shop, and is one of my favorite CD's.

1 comments about Crimes Against Nature.

1. Overall, I found Crimes against Nature by Lydia Lunch a disturbing, artistic look at what I would call the Shadow of society. That is, all that we try not to look at when we look at ourselves, our society, and even our own ideals. As she puts it, "to understand life, I have surrounded myself with death." She describes "pains not in the soul or the body, but which belong to both." She vividly casts aside the romanticism of the church, state, and virtue to focus on what few of us even have the guts to look at, let alone think about. As an artist, she shares the experience with us in a way that helps us to relate to the darkness she has studied and to understand more deeply than any newshound could.
   
   The notes for CAN include a speech/letter to prosecutor Jack Thomson, who had attempted to silence her. It's a brilliant piece of work which lucidly describes the hypocrisy of society, the hypocrisy of censorship, and how society and censorship both foster evil and alienation rather than preventing it.
   
   In a way, she reminds me of Otep, or what Otep would be like if she were more a nihilist. Perhaps the primary difference between Otep and Lydia Lunch is that Otep still believes that some aspects of society are good, but Lydia Lunch would shatter any illusions of goodness. (If you find Otep too distressing, then you won't be able to stand Lydia Lunch at all.)
   
   She does go on a lot about self-destructive activities, seeming to champion suicide, self-mutilation and cutting, and a general nihilism tainted by disgust of the self and everybody else. She does not shy away from the darkest aspects of society, even to the point of raping and destroying children, and you can almost feel yourself more of an eyewitness rather than just hearing about it. I also sense multiple meanings in her various comments, which work on many levels.
   
   What is perhaps most disturbing is how she got me to sympathize with some of the vilest examples of humanity whom she describes in a masterful voice able to encapsulate every emotion down to subtle nuances. She often interrupts her stories and tirades to give out such food for thought as, "Nature Herself is antisocial."
   
   Some people might think this encourages self-mutilation, but I think that's likely only if they're already doing so. I found it cathartic, helping to name, and thus master, the pains that haunt many of us.
   
   Lydia Lunch (she has a site on the web) is a true artist. I don't hold to all of her views, but I do respect her work as an artist, and think she has something valuable to say to all of us-though it will hurt just to hear it, and you may need a shower right after.