Hugo

Hugo Cabret
lives in the train station clock tower
he winds the clocks
Watches the action below

Hugo looks for a message
From his late father
And along the way makes a friend

Papa Georges
Runs a toy shop
The past won't stop
Tormenting his soul

It's about the love of film, yes
But more about restoration of things
Or more importantly
Restoration of meaning of one's work

It's definitely recommended
And yet when the film ended
I felt that I had missed out

Probably wasn't the same on the small screen
In the theater so many of the key scenes
Would have been larger than life

That's My Boy

Wow, if you want to see how Adam Sandler's trying to separate moviegoers from their money, a trailer for his new film "That's My Boy" is on imdb.com......it might make Jack and Jill look good.

Second City Unscripted by Mike Thomas

I happen to love the oral history format- done well, it makes for quick, informative, entertaining reading.  Years ago, I read Live From New York by Tom Shales and Andrew Miller, an oral history of Saturday Night Live.  But would SNL have been so successful without the influence of Chicago's (and Toronto's) Second City? 

Second City Unscripted is a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most notorious comedy shows in America, Chicago's Second City.  Started in the early 60s, Second City was a hit almost from the start and went on to attract some of the foremost comedians, a trend that continues up to the present day.

SCU is recommended reading for its look behind the scenes in Chicago (and also in Toronto).  Its star players from past and present provide a fascinating look at Second City during changing times, its changing management picture, and its venture into television, and is especially recommended for those who have also read Live From New York.

Attack and Release- The Black Keys

The Black Keys' 2008 album Attack and Release is very listenable, if not quite as catchy as Brothers, which followed in 2010.  Attack and Release features songs like "Lies", a done-me-wrong slow stomp, and "Things Ain't Like They Used To Be", the closing track.  The band also proves their versatility with two different takes on the same lyrics, "Remember When (Side A)" and "Remember When" (Side B)", a faster breeze through the first song.  Like Brothers, I'd recommend Attack and Release for the songwriting and memorable guitar, even if the hooks aren't as plenty.

Opening Day

This time of year,
When I was a kid,
My grades would suffer

I used to know
Who played third for the Angels
His batting average
And uniform number

It was still Bob Uecker
It was Rockin' Robin
And Molitor, Yount, and Higuera
Creaky County Stadium and another era

It's Miller Park now
Roof open or closed
Tension in the bottom of the eighth
The fans are frozen
In place as the pitcher winds
High drama, especially in October
Is not hard to find

It's candy to candy,
Easter to Halloween
It's opening day to the World Series
And the journey in between.

Brothers By The Black Keys

Sometimes I like to try something a little different.  I wasn't sure what The Black Keys were about, so it was good to listen to something new without any expectations.  Even without expectations, Brothers, the Keys' 2010 release is entertaining, for the most part.  There are a few filler tracks, but for the most part, there was enough soul, hooks, and guitar work to keep my interest. 

Standout tracks:  "These Days", "She's Long Gone", and "Ten Cent Pistol".

Wrecking Ball- Bruce Springsteen

There are certain artists that I have just never been able to get into.  I never got into Bob Dylan and never understood why he was considered so great, and Bruce Springsteen falls into that class.  I never thought he was bad, but never got into his work, either solo or with the E Street Band, so I went into listening to Wrecking Ball with little expectation that I would like it.

Going in, I knew from reading online that some of the songs are dealing with the Great Recession. My hope was that Springsteen wouldn't go all John Mellencamp-heavy-handed with this album, and he didn't. Some of the songs are a bit cheesy in spots, like the opening song "We Take Care of Our Own" and "Land of Hopes and Dreams". Springsteen has his share of anthemic songs on Wrecking Ball, but I would recommend the album because of its quieter songs, such as the vulnerable,  down-and-out "This Depression" and the dead-people-talking "We Are Alive".