Album Reviews
Movies
Concert Reviews

Top 10
Resources
Contact Us

For Those About To Rock.....

Before I get to the November artist of the month, I would like to make mention of last month’s artist of the month. R.E.M. released ‘Around The Sun’ and to be honest, it was neither what I was hoping for nor what I was expecting. It was, however, an album that clearly the band was happy with so on that level it succeeds. It’s a very somber affair with some standout songs notably "Leaving New York," "Make It All Okay," "Final Straw," and "I Wanted To Be Wrong" and some songs that should have been relegated to z-side status. The thought came to my mind while listening to this album, when an artist writes a song, shouldn’t it stand a chance that it becomes at
least one person’s favorite song? But there are a couple of songs, "High Speed Train" and "The Worst Joke Ever" that couldn’t possibly have even one fan think that’s their favorite song! They don’t stand a chance. But, all in all, it’s not a bad album. It kind of comes off like a Michael Stipe solo album with Mike Mills and Peter Buck seeming to stay in the background virtually indetectable that’s it’s really them. It could be them playing, but it could be anybody. I do, however, like the fact that the band is following it’s muse. It’s just not the album I was really hoping for...
 

Now let’s get to this month’s big artist and I do mean BIG. I’ve thought off and on all month about a possible angle I would pursue in regards to U2 and their new album but I could never really come up with anything without it sounding like I was just making something up to make something up. So, I’ll make something up anyway....I just know that I’m really excited about it and have been really anticipating their latest opus for many months now. The album, if you haven’t heard, has the rather unwieldy title How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb and it comes out on November 23rd. Although I agree with the sentiment of the title wholeheartedly, I thought perhaps a better title would be simply: Peace. Afterall, they do have an album called War. And if you see the cover of the album, it shows the boys sitting down in a row looking rather comfortable, probably too comfortable really. It’s an odd image. It’s hard to tell how it fits in with the title. But U2 has been doing questionable things for many, many years now. They kind of excel at it. It’s obvious they give an incredible amount of thought to everything they do song-wise and image-wise and why should their eleventh album be any exception? I’ve heard the new single "Vertigo" but not in it’s entirety. I tend to put off hearing new material anyway from bands before the proper album is out. I like to get the music all in one big bang. Well, from what I’ve been hearing and reading and from what "Vertigo" hints at, this new album will be a tour de force for The Edge guitar-wise and I’m sure Adam and Larry will be backing him up suitably. Anyhow, let’s get pumped! There are bands and then there are BANDS. And there’s no-one quite like U2. Indeed they really are the biggest band in the world. Some might argue the point, but for anyone having grown up in the late '80’s/early '90’s, U2 was the peak. They surmounted the peak of Everest and they’ve never really come down. Sure they have taken some interesting and experimental detours, but they have always been trudging ahead looking for the next mountain to climb or at least a new trailhead to take them on unforeseen paths. As fans we’ve been on this path with them for 24, almost 25 years now and we still don’t know how it will end. Oh, please don’t let it end! We’ve mapped our musical course to these guys. However you feel or have felt about U2 in the past and their different and varying stages, just know this, they won’t always be around and that will be a sad day indeed. Enjoy them as they are today! I think this is gonna be a real stunner of an album..... Bono, Adam, Larry, Edge, ...............they’re U2, they’re back and that’s cause to celebrate!

November ARTIST of the MONTH:

U2 - “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb” (The 11th album from the music legends co-produced by Steve Lillywhite who produced their first 3 albums.)
 

And now the recently released music not mentioned in last edition:

Frank Lenz - “Conquest Slaughter”
Pieta Brown - “I Never Told” (daughter of Greg Brown.)
The Dears - “No Cities Left”
Jeff Scott Soto - “Lost In Translation”
Ian Brown - “Solarized” (import, former Stone Roses
singer.)
Depeche Mode - “1981-2004 remixes”
Porcupine Tree - “Voyage 34”
Keane - “Hopes & Fears”
Chevelle - “This Type Of Thinking Could Do Us In”
Roper - “Brace Yourself For The Mediocre”
The Bis-Quits - “The Bis-Quits” (Will Kimbrough’s second band, reissue featuring the hilarious ‘Yo Yo Ma’.)
Will and The Bushmen - “Gawk” (Will Kimbrough’s first band, reissue.)
Johnny Dowd - “Cemetary Shoes”
Tracy Grammar - “Verdant Mile”
Greencards - “Movin’ On”
Jeffrey Foucault - “Stripping Cane”
Amy Rigby - “Faulkner, Dylan, Heinz & Me”
Blaze Foley - “Oval Room”
Popes - “Release The Beast” (Shane MacGowan’s band, 2 CD set, 1 live, 1 studio.)
John Frusciante - “Inside Of Emptiness”
The Explosion - “Black Tape”
Jason Truby - “String Theory” (This previously did not have a release date, but it is available now.)

And the new, new music:

11/2

King’s X - “Live All Over The Place” (2 CD set, finally a live document from this exceptional band!) 
Iris DeMent - “Lifeline” (Her first new album since 1996; this seems to be a gospel/old spiritual type album with only one original. Apparently these are songs Iris grew up with singing and listening to. I’m sure it will pave the way for a new album of originals. But for now, this will do just fine I’m sure. I’m glad she’s back. If you haven’t discovered Iris.....it’s about time you did.)
Woven Hand - “Consider The Birds” (Official US release.)
Travis - “Singles”
Steve Earle - “Live From Austin, Texas”
Robert Earl Keen, Jr. - “Live From Austin, Texas”
Susan Tedeschi - “Live From Austin, Texas” (See a trend? ;-)
Neil Morse - “One” (Former Spock’s Beard and Transatlantic singer.)
Live - “The Best Of Live - Awake” (One CD and One DVD - 19 songs and 22 video clips. CD includes three previously unreleased or otherwise rare songs, one being a duet with Shelby Lynne called ‘Run Away’ and another a cover of Johnny Cash’s ‘I Walk The Line’.)
A Perfect Circle - “Emotive”
Switchfoot - “Early Years 1997-2000”
Velvet Revolver - “Fall To Pieces” EP
The Rolling Stones - “Live Licks” (2 CD set)
David Bowie - “Diamond Dogs” (30th anniversary)
John Lennon - “Rock And Roll” (a reissue of John’s tribute to his rock ‘n roll heroes, includes 4 bonus tracks.)
John Lennon - “Acoustic” (demos and rare acoustic stuff.)
Beth Neilsen Chapman - “Hymns”
Minus 5 - “At The Organ”
Mighty Lemon Drops - “Young Gifted & Black Country”
Manic Street Preachers - “Lifeblood” (import.) 
Robin Williamson - “Beat Goes On”
Long Ryders - “Best Of Long Ryders” (an overlooked '80’s Americana band.) 
Damien Jurado - “Just In Time For Something” EP
Doluor - “New Old Friends”
Two Cow Garage - “The Wall Against Our Back”
Def Leppard - “Best Of” (Import, 2 CD set, includes a cover of The Kinks’ ‘Waterloo Sunset’.)

11/9

Innocence Mission - “Now The Day Is Over” (A collection of standards, traditional and original songs sung and played as lullabies.)
Derek Webb - “I See Things Upside Down”
“Live Aid” Concerts (Relive the 80’s with the famous famine relief concerts. Finally released on a 4 DVD set recorded and filmed on the same day, July 13th 1985 in both London and Philadelphia. To see who’s on it, go to http://www.liveaiddvd.com. Please note that Ashford & Simpson is not Ashlee Simpson. ;-)
Bruce Springsteen - “Unplugged DVD” (19 tracks including for the first time ‘Roll Of The Dice’.)
Elton John - “Peachtree Road”
Neko Case - The Tigers Have Spoken” (live album)
Richard Thompson - “Live In Providence” DVD
Los Lobos - “Live At The Fillmore” DVD
Dido - “Sand In My Shoes” 
Garrison Keillor - “Prairie Home Companion”
Screaming Trees - “Ocean Of Confusion: Songs of
Screaming Trees 1989-1996”
Stroke 9 - “All In”
Chroma Key - “Graveyard Mountain Home”
Powderfinger - “Vulture Street”
Aimee Mann & The Young Snakes - “self-titled” (A collection of early songs not previously released.)
John Fogerty - “Blue Moon Swamp” (reissue w/bonus tracks.)
Chris Thomas King - “Why My Guitar Screams And Moans”
Linda Ronstadt - “Hummin’ To Myself”
Stray Cats - “Rumble In Brixton”
Seal - “Best of 1991-2004”
Saint Etienne - “Travel Edition 1990-2005”
Homeland - “The Big Dream”
Freedy Johnston - “Way I Were” (Collection of early unreleased songs.)
King Crimson - “21st Century Guide To King Crimson
1969-1974” (boxset.)
Triumph - “4 reissues” (Allied Forces, Never Surrender, Thunder Seven and Stages.)
Queen - “On Fire: Live at the Milton Keynes Bowl” (2 CD’s and 2 DVD’s, concert from 1982.)
Bee Gees - “Number Ones”
Vanessa Carlton - “Harmonium”
George Jones - “50 Years Of Hits” (2 CD set.)
Shania Twain - “Greatest Hits”

11/15

Wilco - “The Wilco Book” (A 160 page book that comes with a bonus 12 song CD that features unreleased songs from the “A Ghost Is Born” sessions.)
 

11/16

Neil Young - “Greatest Hits” (w/ bonus DVD.)
Pearl Jam - “Rearview Mirror - Greatest Hits 1991-2003” (2 CD set. 33 songs.)
The Beatles - “Capitol Albums: Vol.1” (4 CD boxset features the first four previously unreleased albums in the U.S. in both mono and stereo versions.)
Los Lonely Boys - “Los Lonely Boys” (w/DVD.)
Ocean Blue - “Waterworks” EP
Collective Soul - “Youth”
Rufus Wainwright - “Want Two” (Special edition comes with a 20 track DVD.)
Rusted Root - “Live”
Beastie Boys - “Triple Trouble”
Pete Yorn - “Live From New Jersey” (2 CD set.)
Casbah Club - “Eastworld” (Live, new date.)
The Samples - “Very Best of The Samples”
Patsy Cline - “Collection”
Rodney Crowell - “Essential”
Kimmie Rhodes - “Windblown”
Fred Eaglesmith - “Dusty”
Blondie - “Live”
Bon Jovi - “100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong” (5 CD boxset, includes many rarities.)
Genesis - “Platinum Collection”
 

11/23

U2 - “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb”  (in case you missed it!)
Alison Krauss & Union Station - “Lonely Runs Both Ways”
Buddy Holly - “Greatest Hits”
Richard Thompson - “Hokey Pokey” (Reissue w/5 bonus tracks. A few other reissues of his come out on this day too.)
Shawn Colvin - “Polaroids: A Greatest Hits Collection”
Sarah McLachlan - “Afterglow” (2 CD live set.)
Goo Goo Dolls - “Live In Buffalo” (20 song CD and 19 song DVD. Features a cover of Supertramp’s ‘Give A Little Bit’ which, if you think about it, probably isn’t as bad as it sounds.)
Nirvana - “With The Lights Out” (3 CD’s and 1 DVD boxset.)
Gwen Stefani - “Love, Angel, Music, Baby” (No Doubt’s frontwoman.)
Simon & Garfunkel - “Old Friends Reunion Tour” DVD
Poco - “Keeping The Legend Alive” (w/DVD.)
Seinfeld - The first 3 seasons of the classic sitcom come out on DVD on this day. 

11/30

BeBop Deluxe - “3 reissues”
Dashboard Confessional - “Vindicted”
Ed Harcourt - “Strangers”
The Verve - “This Is Music: The Singles 1992-1998”
Spiderman 2 DVD

12/1

Radiohead - “The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth Of All Time” (DVD, available at their official site. Hmm.....wonder who they have in mind? )

12/14

“The Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King” (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition features 50 extra minutes. 4 DVD set.)
Texas - “Greatest Hits”

January and beyond....

1/18

Emm Gryner - “Songs Of Love And Death” (A collection of Irish songs.)

2/22

Tori Amos - “The Beekeeper”

P.S. You may be looking for that Lucinda Williams double live album entitled “Live At The Fillmore West”, well, no exact release date has been found, although a few have circulated such were found in past issues of The Crossing ......so stay tuned!
 

LYRIC of the MONTH:

I was running through a lot of U2 lyrics, but this one seemed to be the most important in light of all that is going on in the world...

They’re reading names out over the radio. All the folks the rest of us won’t get to know. Sean and Julia, Gareth, Ann and Breda. Their lives are bigger, than any big idea.

Have a Happy and Peaceful and Thankful Thanksgiving!

Chris Barlow