Category: Potpourri

He’s Just Sayin’ – Andrew’s 2012 Prog Rock Favorites

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Ok so now you’ll have it from a ProgRock expert and not someone who’s still learning about the genre! Here’s an abbreviated list of some of his favorite albums of 2012. This post is cross-posted from  his blog I’m Just Sayin’…

I have kind of let my blog slide a bit, so I wanted to kick 2013 off with a list of some of my favorite albums from 2012.  I’m a little behind with new releases this year, but I wanted to share some of the albums that have stuck with me throughout the year.  Hope you enjoy!

Big Big Train – English Electric Part 1

This album may very well be my favorite of the year.  It sounds to me like it could be a follow up to Genesis’s Selling England By The Pound.  The album has a very English feel to me, full of great melodies.  I enjoyed their previous album The Underfall Year but it really didn’t click with me like this one did.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDyBTqy1Z10]

Beyond The Bridge – The Old Man And The Spirit

I believe in one of my few posts over the past year I mentioned this album, it is probably my favorite progressive metal album in a long time.  It’s big, bombastic, full of amazing vocals and musicianship.  It has everything that I love.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDPNW8o3WSU]

The Night Flight Orchestra – Internal Affairs

This is just a fun, fun album.  Formed by the singer from Soilwork and bass player from Arch Enemy, one would expect a heavy album, and that couldn’t be further from what this is, a straight up classic 70’s rock album with some of the catchiest melodies I have heard in a while.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE99mc_ubHc]

Thank You Scientist – Maps Of Non-Existent Places

This album literally has everything jazz, funk, prog, metal, alternative, horns & strings.  It’s just everything thrown together, but it works and it works extremely well.  This album got a lot of play by me throughout the summer..

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UMfPvl8EgM]

Jess And The Ancient Ones – Jess And The Ancient Ones

This is a more recent addition, but it catapulted to one of my favorites of the year very quickly.  Very retro sounding, great female vocals, songs about satan, how can you go wrong.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofI2heJhcOc]

That’s 5 for now, I’ll post a few more in the coming days.  Hope you check some of these out and maybe find something new to enjoy!

Christmas Books to Add to My To Be Read Pile! Oh Boy!

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The Boy in The Suitcase - one of my Christmas Books

So as we start 2013 let’s take a look at the boat load of wonderful Christmas books that I received. ! First there’s the book I received from my daughter Elizabeth, that I am currently reading The Boy in the Suit Case by Lene Kaaberboll and Agnete Frillis. This is the first book in a planned three book series featuring Red Cross worker Nina Borg. Elizabeth picked the book because, I told her after I picked up book two of the series a month or so ago for her at the library, that it said on the cover “Fans of Nordic crime fiction rejoice”,and that I was a fan of Nordic crime fiction, so the book sounded good to me! So far I was right!

 Two Joe Hill Books from Uncle Jim

Two books came from Kathy’s Uncle Jim and wife Nathalie both by Joe Hill Horns and Heart-Shaped Box. I’ve never read any of his books but I was a big fan of his dad, Stephen King’s early books! They also gave me a Book Light that will come in handy when I am staying up late to finish one of Joe’s books!

 A Thriller and Three Mysteries and A Civil War History book from My Wife

Four books came from my wife – Deep Sky by Patrick Lee. This is the third book featuring Travis Chase and The Breech an anomaly that is the governments most carefully guarded secret. I’ve really enjoyed the first two books in this series The Breech and Ghost Country and there’s no question that this one will be just as good!

One of the non-fiction books I received was Jeffrey D Wert’s new book about the Civil War A Glorious Army: Robert E Lee’s Triumph 1862-1863. This one has two things going for it Wert’s writing and Robert E Lee! I know I’m going to love it!

The last two books from my wife are from two of my favorite authors. The first is The Silent Girl a Rizzoli and Isles novel from Tess Gerritsen The Silent Girl. I’ve really enjoyed all the Rizzoli and Isles novels. It will be interesting to see how I like this one now that I’ll have the TV actors who play Rizzoli and Isles in my head when I read it!

The second book is the 19th book in the great Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke. I’ve read every one of them but Book 8 Burning Angel. I think I will make it a goal to read that one this year, then I can say I’ve read the complete series!!

A History Book From Andrew and Meaghan

Son Andrew and daughter-in-law Meaghan gave me the other non-fiction book that you readers will read more from: Events that Changed the World. I bet you didn’t know that on November 20, 1917 the first tank battle was fought in Cambrai, France! On that day a large number of tanks were incorporated into a battle plan for the first time : they were used in a full scale assault on the Hindenburg Line in Northern France! Bet you can’t wait!!

Oops finally I also received Boyd Morrison’s latest book The Vault, which came disguised as Ruth Rendell’s book The Vault, because my wife says she couldn’t read my writing, but since she already had read the book I don’t know!!

So thanks everyone for setting up my reading for the first part of 2013!! Now it’s time to get back to The Boy in the Suit Case.!

New Books!

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So I took back books to the library that were overdue, some that I had finished and should have been back  on time and some that I didn’t read but should have! Anyway I picked up two new ones that I am excited about reading.  The first is the new C.J.Box Joe Pickett book Nowhere to Run and the other is the latest Lincoln Perry book by Michael Koryta The Silent Hour can’t wait to start them both! The Pickett book has to go first because it’s only a two week loan! Oh, by the way I’m only 51 pages away from the end of Dead Man’s Share and the book is a lot better over the second half!  I’m also a third of the way through Linwood Barclay”s Fear the Worst, which is very good and I probably should finish before I start the Box book but I will probably read them together until I get to the point where I just have to finish one of them! Too many books, too little time!