Frankly, I'm astonished. So few Rezensionen für what must be one of the best albums of 2009, regardless of genres. The first two tracks, on a Techno tip, reminded me of Black Legend's 'You See The Trouble With Me' and of Underworld's most ravey tracks. Not that Dusty Kid merely copied them but he managed to come up with tracks every part as effective and addictive. The rest of the CD is very varied, even ambient in some parts. And the photographs in the booklet are magnificent. I have only got one question: when will he come up with a new CD album?

There are many different styles on this mainly americana / folk record : a song in the style of the young but already electric Dylan, a chamber music track redolent of Hauschka (zum Beispiel Ferndorf), a song reminiscent of Titus Andronicus (Monitor) while the 9/11 inspired title track reminds me of Spain (their masterpiece The Blue Moods of Spain), und so weiter. Overall, it is very downtempo, maybe too much so.

What Lizz WRIGHT gives us here is a fine, very polite and polished gospel/blues LP (with the odd nod to Bob Marley's 'Get Up, Stand Up' on the title track, and a bit of World music or trip hop here and there). Much as she likes gospel and blues, Lizz is no Mahalia Jackson and no Aretha Franklin. At the end of the day, it's OK but you really can't go over the moon about this album.

... but not one of the very best in Stevie's discography. Personally, I like Fulfillingness' First Finale better and it still is not one of the very best in Stevie's discography (but Songs in the Key of Life is). Anyway, if you like Stevie Wonder, you will not be disappointed by this deep soul, not that much pop album.

This sounds like the classic period Pogues meet Social Distorsion (or better still, Social Distorsion's frontman on his solo album), with a dash of Two Gallants. In a good way, of course.

This book really flies from page 125 to the end, with the incredible, elongated fight between Dr. Strange and Dormammu. And I mean this in a serious 'Are They On LSD Or What?' kind of way (LSD was still legal in 1964). Before that, we witness Stan LEE and Steve DITKO's introduction of their new character in the summer of 1963 with a 5-page filler story, and then another, and then another, and then the telling of Dr. Strange's origins, and then various 10-page stories (some with funny inkings). It's not that these stories are not good, it is that LEE & DITKO were busy, at the same time, with Spider-Man. Anyway, I first read these stories in B&W, at age 13 or 14, and I pretty much appreciated to re-read them in this edition more than 35 years later!

Here is the contents of this 82-minute + CD (+ very informative booklet):
1. Love Bones - JOHNNIE, Taylor,
2. Rainy Night In Georgia - BROOK, Benton,
3. Gotta Hold On To This Feeling - WALKER, JR. & THE ALL STARS
4. Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) - SLY & THE FAMILY STONE
5. Give Me Just A Little More Time - CHAIRMEN OF THE BOARD
6. Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time) - THE, Delfonics,
7. Cryin' In The Streets Part 1 - PERKINS, GEORGE & THE SILVER S
8. Turn Back The Hands Of Time - TYRONE, Davis,
9. You're The One Part 1 - SISTER, Little
10. Love On A Two-Way Street - THE, Moments,
11. Band Of Gold - FREDA, Payne,
12. Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is T - THE, Temptations,
13. Stealin' In The Name Of The Lord - PAUL, Kelly,
14. Get Up (I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine) Part - JAMES, Brown,
15. War - EDWIN, Starr,
16. Ain't That Lovin' You (For More Reasons Than - LUTHER, Ingram,
17. Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours - STEVIE, Wonder,
18. Express Yourself - WRIGHT, CHARLES & THE WATTS 10
19. Part Time Love - ANN, Peebles,
20. It's A Shame - THE, Spinners,
21. Love Uprising - OTIS, Leavill,
22. Somebody's Been Sleeping - 100 PROOF AGED IN SOUL
23. Groove Me - FLOYD, King
24. The Tears Of A Clown - ROBINSON, SMOKEY & THE MIRACLE
Like all its predecessors, this last CD in the brilliant 'Sweet Soul Music' series packs mega classics ('James Brown's 'Sex Machine', The Miracles' 'The Tears Of A Clown' to name but two), the more obscure (for me at least) and the very special (you really really have to listen to the lead singer on 'Give Me Just A Little More Time'! You won't forget it). From country soul, to soul pop to deep funk: not a duff track!

I have nothing but praises for the whole "Sweet Soul Music" series from Bear Family Records. More than 80 minutes of masterpieces or hits or both, a 80-page booklet full of information about each track and artist. That's what I call a very good job done! "1969" announces the funky 1970s (Sly, JB, The Meters, The Isley Brothers) while still relying heavily on soulful tracks (Candi Staton and pretty much everything else). I hope that Bear Family will follow suit and introduce a "Funk" series of year-by-year compilations.

By 1968, Soul music went funkier, as evidenced on this excellent compilation. As in previous issues in this series, mega hits ('I second that Emotion', 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough', '(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay' und so weiter) are mixed with songs that were less successful but became classics. The booklet is very informative. Really, it is a masterclass in how to compile soul music.

In this book, you get the first 6 issues of the Silver Surfer comics from the late 1960s by Stan Lee and John Buscema, plus 12 magnificent pages by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby plus a short story lampooning the Silver Surfer. Two things strike me most. First, the verbiosity. They never stop talking in this book, even if they are all alone by themselves. The second thing is the sheer might of the Silver Surfer and his opponents : Thor, Mephisto, The Stranger, The Overlord und so weiter (and when the Silver one meets Thor, you think you're reading english written by someone from the Middle-Age or something). When I first came across a Silver Surfer comic book, I was about age 10 and I was struck by Mephisto. Re-reading the episode now brought back all those memories. Anyway, I wonder what a 10-year-old kid of now might think of this book.