The glass bottom boat of the cultural press
This week, cuddly curmudgeon Christopher Long finds himself feeling even older as he hobbles through a Florida flea market in pursuit of vinyl copies of the four infamous KISS solo albums — just in time to commemorate the set’s milestone 45th anniversary.
Sometimes you’ve got to look back several decades to discover fresh “new” music. And this week, Christopher Long stumbles accidentally upon a true vinyl treasure — a clean copy of Eli and the Thirteenth Confession, the critically acclaimed 1968 sophomore set from Laura Nyro — for only three bucks!
Miniatures (Jet Fighter Records). Review by Christopher Long.
Britain’s pop/rock poster boys recently brought their “Everybody Wants” world tour to Orlando, FL for a sold-out performance at The Social. Christopher Long was there, waiting like a giddy schoolgirl when the band rolled into town.
Once upon a time, long ago, KISS was a rock band. This story recounts how four unlikely guys from New York first came together during the early 1970s and literally changed the face of rock and roll.
Monster (Universal Music Company). Review by Christopher Long.
After forty years, Kiss proved they are still the Hottest Band in the Land, as they blew the ever-living crap out of Christopher Long at a Tampa show.
Live clips and interviews from Meat Puppets, Minutemen, Redd Kross and Twisted Roots.
Beware the wrath of a KISS superfan scorned! Christopher Long reviews the 10th anniversary edition of Dale Sherman’s biography of the Creatures of the Night.
Sycamore Meadows (Original Signal Recordings/Power Ballad). Review by Christopher Long.
Kip Fulbeck’s Permanence examines tattoos as a means toward self discovery. Every piece of ink has a story and it all adds up to who we are as people. Jen Cray could barely finish the book before adding a fresh layer of ink to her body.
It’s Gail Worley’s annual List of the Top 19 Quotes from Interviews she conducted with various Rock Types in 2005!
The Early Years (Morpheus Records). Review by Carl F Gauze.
A.J. Croce celebrates the 50th anniversary of his father, Jim Croce’s, three ground breaking albums, with a nationwide tour of Croce Plays Croce.
High Above Harlesden 1978 - 2023 from On-U Sound collects 60 dub and reggae tracks from Creation Rebel, an astounding set of musicians.
Gerta O. Egy’s beautifully drawn fungi almost eclipse their fairyland habitats in her Mushroom Daydream Coloring Book.
One of the last of the classic wuxia swordplay films stands as a fitting coda to the grand period of the genre. Phil Bailey reviews a new Blu-ray release of the 1975 film The Valiant Ones.
The Complete Friends of Old-Time Music Concert (Smithsonian Folkways Records). Review by Bob Pomeroy.
Smash Mouth takes us back to The Brady Bunch circa 1973, with “Sunshine Day,” featuring Barry Williams, the original Greg Brady.
Not everyone can be excited by blocks spinning on a screen, but if you are, Ian Koss recommends you pay attention to Best of Five.
The final two films in the bonkers Hong Kong action comedy series The Inspector Wears Skirts hit Blu-ray from 88 Films.
A pair of early “girls with guns” action films from superstars Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock have arrived from 88 Films.