The Libertine **1/2

Directed by: Laurence Dunmore

Written by: Stephen Jeffreys

Starring: Johnny Depp, Samantha Morton, John Malkovich, Francesca Annis, Richard Coyle, and Jack Davenport

There are few actors that can carry a film, even fewer who can justify paying theater ticket prices just to see their film. And yet its gotten to the point, and I sense that I am not alone here, that all you have to do is say two magical words, Johnny Depp, and I’m there. He is the kind of actor who is revered, adored and lusted after by both audiences and critics alike, and I personally would pay good money to see him read excerpts from the new MTA subway rules and regulations pamphlet if it meant another opportunity to see Depp in action. The man is simply that good.

So it should come as no surprise then that Depp’s new film, The Libertine, is worth watching for his titillating performance as John Wilmot, the Earl of Rochester, “a 17th century poet who famously drank and debauched his way to an early grave.” Depp is inspired as Wilmot, and has described his character as probably being “the first punk rocker,” as the poet challenged authority, followed his libido with aplomb, and generally could care less about what others thought of him or his reputation. And in this sense the film succeeds: we are shown Wilmot as the heathen, as the rock star, as the poet, and are even shown glimpses of him as the love sick man, but it is the latter that we never really get to know, thus the film lacks the heart and emotional punch that it was obviously shooting for.

The Libertine is video director Laurence Dunmore’s feature film debut and it’s visual strength’s lie in Dunmore’s decision not to shoot the film by the standard ‘period-piece’ bible that we as a viewer are used to. Instead of the usual dolly shots we get shaky hand-held close-ups that both disorient and engage, taking us out of our surroundings and re-awakening our interest. Unfortunately, Dunmore’s interesting camerawork cannot save the film, which suffers from a severe lack of depth necessary to make fully realized characters.

The Libertine’s fatal flaw, however, comes in the form of John Malkovich’s prosthetic nose. Malkovich, as King Charles II, carries a “nose extension,” so to speak, for the whole of the film and while you cannot see the atrocious make-up job when the nose is shot from the front, when profiled the prosthetic is laughable to say the least. Indeed, this is only a minor flaw. The real reason that The Libertine fails to be extraordinary, or even memorable, is because it has no real substance; even a film about a legendary lothario needs to have some point to it.

- Lily Percy, Editor

Elizabethtown ****

Written and Directed by: Cameron Crowe

Starring: Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon, Judy Greer and Alec Baldwin

It is nearly impossible for me to write about a Cameron Crowe film with any level of objectivity. His films are engrained in my psyche: I quote dialogue from the Holy Trinity, Say Anything, Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous, daily, the latter film serving as the ultimate measuring stick for all aspiring journalists, music lovers and fans. So when early reviews of his latest film Elizabethtown started pouring in, nearly all of which were not only negative but also downright abusive and inflammatory, I was worried that his streak, which wavered a little with the mediocre Vanilla Sky, had finally come to an end. Turns out I had nothing to fear for Elizabethtown, which Crowe refers to as his “most personal film to date,” is nothing short of cinematic bliss.

The film stars Orlando Bloom as Drew Baylor, an up-and-coming shoe designer who experiences failure on a global million dollar level and learns of his father’s death all on the same day. What ensues is one of the most honest and sincere portrayals of death, life, failure, success and love that have ever been captured on film. As Drew goes back home to his father’s hometown in Kentucky, he finally faces the truth about the life he has been leading. Up to the moment of his “brilliant fiasco” his priorities were focused solely on achieving success, he soon realizes, with the death of the father that he never really knew, that he has been asleep all of this time, wasting away at a life that he no longer recognizes nor likes all that much.

These are all themes that have been explored extensively in many of Crowe’s back catalogue of films, but they have never felt as utterly exposed as they do in Elizabethtown. Much like Almost Famous, Elizabethtown is partly autobiographical; Crowe’s own father passed away when he was still a young boy and this knowledge provides the film with a heightened level of emotional intensity. This also comes across through Bloom’s thoughtful performance as Drew. This is the first time that Bloom has ever had to demonstrate such powerful and sincere emotions on-screen, and being a leading man in a Cameron Crowe film is no easy feat--you need just the right combination of sincerity, sweetness, and heart-on-your-sleeve honesty, all of which are not commonly found in most Hollywood casting offices. I was therefore pleasantly surprised by how effortless Bloom seemed on screen, and how well he carried the film’s most gut-wrenching scenes all on his own.

That having been said, Elizabethtown is not a film that everyone will like nor get. In fact, most people may very well loathe it. But, to quote another beloved Crowe character, “We live in a cynical world. A cynical world. And we work in a business of tough competitors.” I for one am eternally indebted to Cameron Crowe for sharing his heart on film, thus enriching mine, time and again.

- Lily Percy

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ***1/2

Directed by: Mike Newell

Written by: Steven Cloves

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and every great actor on the British Isle.

The title alone says it all. And I’m not speaking metaphorically.

In the fourth installment of the movies based on J.K. Rowling’s bestselling novels, we are finally forced to face the inevitable fact that our beloved hero is growing up.

The movie begins with the Quidditch World Cup. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), accompanied by his two best friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), attends the event where, amongst the cheering and the revelry, a bit of chaos ensues. This is where Harry first sees the Dark Mark, a symbol of the infamous Death-Eaters, followers of Lord Voldemort, the darkest of dark wizards. (For those of you unfamiliar with the story, a brief summary if you will: Dark Wizard meets Boy; Boy kills Dark Wizard; Dark Wizard resurrects himself and vows to kill Boy.)

Back at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, Ron, Harry, and Hermione’s fourth year is laid out before them by two defining events: the Triwizard Tournament and the Yule Ball. Both events garner the introduction of new characters such as Cedric Diggory, golden boy of Hogwarts, Cho Chang, Harry’s first crush/full fledged introduction to puberty, and Mad-eye Moody, Hogwart’s new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. This year, Hogwarts is host to the Triwizard Tournament, a tournament so dangerous that the Ministry of Magic declares only wizards 17 and older are allowed to enter. Much to the dismay of Professor Dumbledore (and the disgust of the other students) Harry’s name is chosen and so the trouble begins.

The culmination of events in the Triwizard Tournament is the long awaited introduction to Lord Voldemort, played to perfection by Ralph Fiennes. He shows up in one of the scariest resurrections ever and does what dark wizards do best: kill people and try to take over the world.

The action in the movie runs aplenty. In between fighting off big, fiery dragons, fending off rather irate underwater creatures (and one very annoying reporter played by Natasha Richardson), Harry and Ron discover girls.  Screenwriter Steven Kloves’ dialogue and director Mike Newells’ wise inclusion of scenes such as the students’ first dancing lessons and the arrival of Ron’s dress robes add to the lighthearted feel of the movie.

With excellent casting and consistent inclusion of movie favorites such as Neville Longbottom, Fred and George (the Weasley twins) and Moaning Myrtle, fans continue to connect to the characters they know and love. The chemistry displayed within the cast of young stars is so believable that it may have some viewers, myself included, wishing we were wizards back in grade school. The introduction of Fleur Delacroix and Victor Krum, wizards from rival schools and Harry’s opponents in the tournament, helps shed more light into the world of Harry Potter. When Lord Voldemort finally shows up, his evil becomes more real to us because it extends past just the Hogwarts school.

All in all, the movie was enjoyable. As a huge fan of the books, I left the film with a lot of criticisms swimming around in my head. Once the dust cleared and my judgments were lifted, I realized one thing: no one can ever take away my love for a boy and his wand.

- Gilliane Lataillade, Resident Advocate

Jarhead ***1/2

Directed by: Sam Mendes

Written by: William Broyles, Jr.

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Lucas Black, Jamie Foxx and Chris Cooper.

In Nov. 4^th’s issue of the New York Times, A.O. Scott, a film critic whom I normally admire, described Jarhead as being “a footnote - a minor movie about a minor war.” That’s a pretty bold statement from a guy who makes his living sitting in front of movie screen. Dangerous work, film criticism.

Scott’s main gripe with the film, and he is not alone here as I have read countless other reviews of Jarhead stating exactly the same thing, is that it does not take a particular political side i.e. it is neither for the Gulf War nor against it. I didn’t realize that it was Sam Mendes responsibility, or any filmmaker’s for that matter, to dictate how we must view the events that unfold on-screen. I am not that naïve, however, to think that every director does not have a particular agenda that they are promoting when they direct a film or choose to tell a certain story, but in Jarhead, much like in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, the point is not to pass judgment, nor to determine who is right or wrong (although I would argue that Mendes makes his opinion very clear), but rather to tell the story of one man, one soldier, who in turn illuminates and becomes every soldier, every man.

The soldier in this case is Marine Anthony Swofford, played by a terrifyingly buff Jake Gyllenhaal, a third-generation enlistee who is less than thrilled to be in the Marines. We are shown the standard boot camp scenes, the abuse, the emotional toil and strain that distance creates on the relationships left back home, all of the standard ‘day in the life’ scenes that you have come to expect from the modern day war film. And they’re good scenes, they serve their purpose by adding realism to the mood of the film.

What makes Mendes’ film stand out, however, is precisely that it tries its very best not to. It doesn’t pretend to make grandiose statements or poetic declarations, nor does it attempt to glorify neither war nor peace, life simply isn’t that black and white; Jarhead simply tells one man’s story, no message, no glory: the story is enough to carry the film.

- Lily Percy, Editor

The Weather Man **1/2

Directed by: Gore Verbinski

Written by: Steve Conrad

Starring: Nicholas Cage, Michael Caine, Hope Davis, Gemmenne de la Peña, Nicholas Hoult

It’s been a long time since I’ve liked Nicholas Cage in a film. Ok, so it hasn’t really been that long, I liked Ridley Scott’s Matchstick Men after all, but it sure feels like an eternity since I’ve been able to stand any character that he’s played. I don’t know where the Nicholas Cage from films such as Leaving Las Vegas and The Rock (yes, actually, I did like this Michael Bay film) has gone but it is nice to see some semblance of brain activity in his performance as David Spritz in Gore Verbinski’s The Weather Man.

The plotline behind the film is original enough--there aren’t many movies out there chronicling the life of TV weatherman--but when the novelty of the story wears off, what you are left with is a surprisingly honest and touching family drama. Newcomer Gemmenne de la Peña, as Cage’s sullen daughter Shelly, is particularly memorable; she brings sincerity to the role that is well beyond her years. 

The real reason to see the film though is Michael Caine. Caine shines in the role of acclaimed novelist Robert Spritz, Cage’s father. Watching the two actors interact on-screen as father and son is not only entirely believable, which is remarkable enough in itself, but also wholly endearing and relatable. Their relationship works because it is recognizable, and in the end they are what keep this film from dying the familiar death of the thousand family dramas before them.

- Lily Percy, Editor

A History of Violence ***1/2

Directed by: David Cronenberg

Written by: Josh Olson

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Ashton Holmes

I’m a sucker for stillness, especially when it comes to film. Coupled with a well-told story, a great director and a pitch-perfect cast, this is the stuff that gets my proverbial film critic panties in a twist.

David Cronenberg’s latest oeuvre, A History of Violence, encompasses all of these qualities. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, the film tells the story of Tom Stall, a family man who owns a small town diner who, after committing murder (in self-defense), begins to unravel as his past comes back to haunt him. 

Stall is played by Viggo Mortensen, an actor whose career path never ceases to amaze me. He is seemingly unafraid to be completely vulnerable on-screen, and it therefore comes as no surprise that his portrayal of the loving husband and doting father is brilliantly juxtaposed with a sense of mystery and tension that only he could achieve. Maria Bello shines as his wife Edie Stall. Ever since her wonderful performance in The Cooler I have been watching her with admiration and respect as she chooses one challenging role after another. This film is certainly no exception. Rather than simply portraying the token caricature wife, Bello breathes life into Edie and transforms her role into one of the most important, and heartbreaking, of the film.

A History of Violence is unlike any Cronenberg film that I have ever seen. It is by far the most straightforward film that he has ever made; with no crazy plot twists or science-fiction fantasy themes. But I would venture to say that it is also the best film he has ever made, with a look and feel to it that is as close to modern film noir as we get these days. The last scene of the film, in which we see an exchange of glances between Tom and Edie, is by far one of the most devastating endings to a film that I’ve seen in years and harkens back to an understated and graceful style in filmmaking and storytelling that cannot be matched.

- Lily Percy, Editor

DVD'S:

Fever Pitch ***1/2

Directed by: Bobby and Peter Farrelly

Written by: Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel

Starring: Drew Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon

When I borrowed Fever Pitch from a friend recently, I fully expected to hate it. It’s based on a fantastic Nick Hornby novel that I love and, to make matters worse, it is a remake of a superb 1997 British adaptation (that Hornby himself wrote the screenplay for) that features Colin Firth as the title character, the Arsenal-loving Paul Ashworth.

In this new version, Paul is now Ben, a loveable schoolteacher and Boston Red Sox fanatic, played by SNL’s Jimmy Fallon. On a class trip he meets Lindsey Meeks (Drew Barrymore), a successful corporate businesswoman who he ends up falling head over heels for. At first their relationship seems destined for greatness, that is until Lindsey discovers that Ben’s obsessive love for the Red Sox knows no bounds, and Ben realizes that Lindsey’s work-a-holic mentality is the only acceptable addiction in the relationship.

Bruce Springsteen once said that the greatest day of his life was the day he picked up an electric guitar. The second greatest day, he continued, was the day he learned to put it down. This is, essentially, what Fever Pitch is all about. We often find ourselves clinging to obsessions (and addictions), whether they are in the form of a rock band, a particular film or even a certain sports team, when we need something to fill the void in our lives. When something better comes along, i.e. a relationship, we are suddenly expected to drop that one thing that has been a driving force in our lives for as long as we can remember. It isn’t easy, but it is worthwhile, for in the end, as the film certainly attests to, you’ve moved on to something bigger and better, something that will not only fill the void, but fulfill your life as well.

It may seem strange that such life lessons should come packaged in a seemingly throw-away film as Fever Pitch, directed by the Farrelly Bros. no less, but such is the case. If only every romantic comedy released here on in were as surprisingly good.

- Lily Percy, Editor

She Hate Me (2004) ***1/2

Directed by: Spike Lee

Written by: Michael Genet

Staring: Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Ellen Barkin, Monica Bellucci, Jim Brown, Ossie Davis, Jamel Debbouze, Brian Dennehy, Woody Harrelson, Ling Bai, Lonette Mckee, Paula Jai Parker, Q-Tip, Dania Ramirez, John Turturro, Sarita Choudhury.

Are you ready? Here’s the recipe for Spike Lee’s latest creation. In an oven safe pan place 2 cups of Enron-type scandal, one-cup new Italian mafia, a pinch of fertilization made-to-order and just a dash of money. Bake for two hours and eighteen minutes at 350 degrees, and then let it sit for half an hour. Your end result will be a delightful dish bursting with morality, sex, ethics, race, politics and humor.

This is probably my favorite Spike Lee movie; He Got Game (1998) comes in at a close second. The only thing that I find disappointing is that most critics disliked this movie. But they’re not always right (Elizabethtown comes to mind). Our story follows a Harvard-educated biotech executive John Henry Jack Armstrong (Anthony Mackie), the only person that had the courage to be a righteous soul in a not so righteous company. By choosing to become a whistle-blower he loses his job and becomes the fall guy in a Securities & Exchange Commission investigation. After having all of his assets frozen by the government and unable to find work in the city, Jack is forced to take an offer to impregnate his former girlfriend Fatima (Kerry Washington), now a lesbian, and her lover Alex (Dania Ramirez) for five thousand dollars each.

Once he goes through with it, Fatima sees the perfect opportunity to make a whole lot of money. The next day she shows up at his door with a group of lesbians willing to pay $10,000 each to have Jack impregnate them. From this point on things get really complicated for Jack: he must prove his innocence to the Securities & Exchange Commission, fight off rumors of his involvement with the Italian mafia (one of the lesbians he impregnates is the daughter of a mafia boss), all the while dealing with the moral consequences that come along with his new line of work.

What will happen to our hero? You’re going to have to rent it to find out. This is Spike Lee at his best, bringing to the audience a story right out of today’s headlines and showing all of us that the most important thing we have is love. In the words of Don Angelo Bonasera (John Turturro), “Sometimes we have to do what we know is wrong in our hearts in order to make it right in our lives.” I hope you enjoy the film as much as I did, even if it was 4:00 in the fucking morning. Why does HBO always have to show the best shit after 1:00AM…Bastards.

- Juan Marcos Percy, Importer/Exporter

BOOKS:

The Sound and The Fury: A Rock’s Backpages reader.

Edited by: Barney Hoskyns

“Woodstock was no more peace and love than Altamont was. They were the result of the same disease: the bloating of mass bohemia in the late 60s. At that point, Mercury, the patron saint of merchants and thieves takes over, all hell breaks loose, and the Devil starts setting up his bleachers out on Highway 61.

…did the 60s, an exhausted behemoth in bell-bottoms and platform shoes, stumble on into the next decade, watching helplessly as its sacred hatchlings—Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison—met their fates one after another, and like some last phantom of our great expectations, unable to remember what it wanted, melt into the thin air of the 70s?”

*An excerpt from David Dalton’s “Altamont: An Eyewitness Account.”

There really is nothing greater than reading about a subject that you love, and there is no greater subject to write about than rock n’ roll. The Sound and The Fury: A Rock’s Backpages reader is itself much like the great artists that it chronicles: powerful, electric and often out of control. You go from reading about The Beatles first time in America to the legend behind David Bowie, from Bruce Springsteen’s rise to fame to Kurt Cobain’s queer teenage years. All of the interviews included in the book portray the artist in what is a remarkably candid light, many of whom are now unrecognizable (remember when Madonna was still fun? And Dylan hilariously catty?).

This is one of those rare collections that truly live up to its name. John Mendelssohn’s “Poison the hood: Niggaz with Attitude,” which began as an expose on music mogul David Geffen and instead (along with Robert Gordon’s 1990 Ice Cube interview, also included in this book) became a haunting glimpse of just how glamorized ‘gansta’ rap would become in later years includes some of the most horrific stories about NWA and the West Coast scene, most of which you’ve probably never heard. Equally as shocking is David Dalton’s remarkable “Altamont: An Eyewitness Account.” Dalton attended the now legendary concert as a writer for Rolling Stone; his first-person descriptions of the violence and chaos that broke out that night at the hands of the Hell’s Angels serves as the perfect companion piece to the Maysles Bros. Gimme Shelter, and yet there are images and emotions that his piece evokes that rise far above anything shot on film that night.

At the end of The Sound and The Fury, you come away feeling like you’ve been given a backstage pass into a world that few ever get to see. It is as if William Miller had never gotten off of Stillwater’s tour bus, and somehow, we managed to sneak on for the ride of our lives.

- Lily Percy, Editor

MUSIC:

Madonna - Confessions on a Dance Floor

Madonna has come full-circle with her latest release, Confessions on a Dance Floor.  This full-fledged dance record harks back to the glory days of dance music, where she got her start.  With Confessions, Madonna proves that there can be sweet results by revisiting your roots.

Much like records of the disco era, the songs on Confessions meld into one another seamlessly.  Solid production and arrangements (and an alluring mix of synth, percussion and lush orchestration) also make these songs shine.  Songs like "Hung Up" and "Get Together" recall disco's hey day by channeling ABBA and Donna Summer.  Songs like "Let It Will Be" and "Forbidden Love" are a bit more contemporary, aurally echoing Daft Punk and Kraftwerk.  Madonna even revamps her own sound with songs such as "Jump," "How High" and "Push" by recalling songs from True Blue, Like A Prayer and Erotica. 

Many of these songs are rather upbeat in tone (after all, this is a dance record).  But it wouldn't be a Madonna record if she didn't include songs of spiritual reflection ("Isaac"), introspection ("Like It Or Not," "Jump" and "How High") and love ("Future Lovers," "Sorry" and "Forbidden Love").  Lyrically however, the songs do not always match up to the stellar production.  As evidenced with the lame lyrics, "I don't like cities but I like New York/Other cities make me feel like a dork," on the song "I Love New York."     

There are two minor issues with Confessions though.  One, the record mellows too quickly.  The record starts of with great momentum but loses much of it by the end.  Two, for this to be a dance record, the production lacks the urban/soulful leanings and influences that the genre and much of Madonna's earlier work is known for. 

Putting that aside, Confessions more than makes up for Music and American Life's shortcomings with its consistency, smooth production, and entertainment value.  Madonna and co-producer Stuart Price have crafted not only one of this year's finest records, but one of Madonna's best records as well.                  

~ Markell Williams, Music Critic

Brendan Benson – The Alternative to Love

I'm going to be bold here.

In a year full of great albums by Aimee Mann, Ben Folds & Coldplay it's going to be really difficult to top this one: Brendan Benson's “The Alternative to Love” is the album to beat in ’05.

Benson is, much like a lot of the artists I seem to like, conveniently described as sounding Beatles-esque, although, honestly, a lot of the music on the disc reminds me of one of my all-time favorite albums, Aimee Mann's “Whatever.” At times (particularly on “Flesh & Bone” and “Them & Me”) he also brings to mind Elliott Smith, particularly the “Figure 8” album. I love the tinkling drip drop of "Cold Hands (Warm Heart).” LOVE the Phil Spector/Wall of Sound opening of "The Pledge.” I find myself smiling at his clever lyrics and dizzying rhymes.

Guitar licks and hand claps, harmonies and that Jon Brion kinda jingle-jangle that I love so well abound on this album. I thought my favorite song this year would never be anything but the title track, "Alternative to Love,” until I decided that it's probably "What I'm Looking For.” It’s that kind of album. Each track will become your Very Favorite Song.

Artist Link: http://brendanbenson.com/

- Rick Sayre, Pop-Culture Junkie

Tracy Chapman – Where You Live

When I hear the phrase “voice of a generation” there are a few people that come to mind. Springsteen, Dylan, the obvious ones, and then there’s Tracy Chapman, the one woman for whom I would truly consider changing my sexual orientation. See her live in concert and you will be struck by two things: how humble a person she is on stage considering her powerful voice, and just how much passion and beauty radiates as she sings.

Her new album, Where you live, is moving, both socially, emotionally and politically, and is an extension of the genius of albums such as Tracy Chapman and Matters of the Heart.

Songs such as the elegiac “Be and be not afraid,” and the tender “Change,” are unforgettable to say the least. Chapman has the rare ability to tell stories that both empower and engage, that make you feel like you can strive for something better. “Don’t Dwell,” is haunting, the kind of song that you listen to on sad afternoons when everything seems too big to wrap your head around, and “Love’s Proof” is as beautiful an unrequited love song as they come.

The more that I listen to this album, the more I am amazed by Chapman’s ability to understand the human psyche, and more importantly, the nature of our hearts. She knows where we live simply because, well, she lives there too. I can think of no other female songwriter out there right now who understands the infinite power of words and music to move mountains and, in the process, hearts.

- Lily Percy, Editor

David Gray – Life in Slow Motion

David Gray is one of those artists that are frustratingly unappreciated. He has a following, and has achieved success with a string of hit singles, but for the most part he is looked upon as being just another acoustic guitar playing singer/songwriter. I can only hope that the superb Life in Slow Motion, Gray’s seventh album to date, will change all of that.

Life in Slow Motion is the kind of album that you put in your stereo and somehow never makes its way out. Every song has something different to offer: from the addictive “Slow Motion” to the Beatles-esque “Disappearing World,” the wonderful “Hospital Food” and “Ain’t no love,” all of the songs on this album sound as if they were composed with a sincere understanding of the ups and downs of life.

Gray has lyrics here that reveal more than they probably should, and it is precisely these kinds of revelations, perfectly on display in “Alibi,” (the song that bravely asks, “Where’d it all go wrong? /my Friday night enfant”), that make this album one of the best of the year. In a music world that seems to thrive solely on cynicism and witty one-liners, David Gray is a sublime breath of fresh air.

- Lily Percy, Editor

Raul Midón - State of Mind

An artist like Raul Midón with a record like State of Mind only comes along every so often.  On the first listen, its outstanding beauty will enrapture you.  Mind exemplifies Midón's immense talent in voice, musicianship, and songwriting. His music is a mixture of soul, funk, folk, jazz and Latin music.  He's carrying on in the George Benson, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway and Jose Feliciano tradition of singing and songwriting.  Given these influences, Midón still makes his own mark.

Midón's soulful, passionate singing and guitar playing are at the center of attention throughout this marvelous record, as highlighted on "Sunshine," "Everybody," "All In Your Mind" and the title track.  The songs of Mind deal with the many facets of love and life.  Dealing with the latter, are the inspirational title track and "Everybody," while "Never Get Enough" and "Waited All My Life" conjure love's yearnings.  "Keep On Hoping" is a sparse yet moving duet with Jason Mraz about catching the eye of the girl you're crazy about. "If You're Gonna Leave" is a plea to a lover to try to get love back to the way it was before.  "Sitting in the Middle" is a loving tribute to Donny Hathaway.  Another of his idols, Stevie Wonder, is featured playing harmonica on the luscious "Expressions of Love."  Showcasing Midón's knack for musical versatility is "I Would Do Anything," a tantalizing mix of African and Latin rhythms with flute and percussion.              

Mind is a superb collection of songs.  Midón displays a sense of artistry (and talent) that very few of his contemporaries can match.  This is definitely another of this year's greatest records.  And Midón is one the industry's brightest stars.  Mind is just the beginning of so many great things to come.   

~ Markell Williams, Music Critic

SPOTLIGHT:

“Blessings not just for the ones who kneel…”

I still remember the first time that I heard U2. I was about ten and a Canadian missionary was staying with us for a month. He had been helping my mom clean the house and from my room I could hear him humming along to a song on his Walkman. Intrigued, I came out and asked him what he was listening to, “Achtung Baby, he said. “It’s U2’s new album.” Soon thereafter my brother went out and bought the tape for himself and the damage was done. We’ve been faithful U2 fans ever since (although I would argue that my brother has been more objective by far.)

I believe that you can tell a lot about a band by their fans. When you look at U2 fans you will find a variety of people, of races, religions and cultures, all united by one simple thing: their love of the music. But it isn’t that simple, for as any U2 fan will tell you, it goes well beyond the music. There are some artists that go beyond the standard fanfare (Springsteen is definitely guilty of this as are Dave Matthews Band and a handful of others), who mean so much to their fans simply because of the people that they are and the ideas and beliefs that they represent. Because of Paul Hewson (Bono), Dave Evans (the Edge), Larry Mullen, Jr. and Adam Clayton, because of the people that they are and the music that they create when the four of them get into a room together, these are the reasons why U2 is still the greatest rock band out there, even after nearly 30 years of musical history.

I am as riveted and amazed by them today as I was when I first heard the electric opening riffs of “The Fly.” “Until the end of the world,” is a song that makes me weep and kneel at its sheer brilliance, and “Where the streets have no name” is still the song that I want to hear playing when this journey of mine finally comes to an end. What amazes me, and I can say this of no other band who has been around as long as U2 has, is the fact that they are still evolving, attracting an entirely new audience with every album that they release. Their past two albums, All that you can’t leave behind and How to Dismantle and Atomic Bomb, are filled with all of the hope and promise, anger and rage, social and political frustration, that you first heard on War, Under a Blood Red Sky and the Joshua Tree. I look forward to hearing songs such as “Sometimes you can’t make it on your own,” “Walk On,” “Yahweh,” “Stuck in a moment,” and “Miracle Drug,” just as much as I do their classics. That says a lot about a band whose current tour will probably be one of the most successful in the history of rock n’ roll.

And yet I need more from them. I demand more from them, and I know that I am not alone. I need them to be the uncompromising and innovative band that released the bare bones album The Joshua Tree in the middle of the synthesized 80s; I need them to be the band that nearly broke up during the making of the landmark rhythm-infused Achtung Baby; I need them to be the band that released Pop in 1997, before the idea of a dance album was cool and hip and ultimately successful.

I need them to be all of these things again because, while they are still making amazing music, music that begs to be heard, they are making the music that comes naturally and easily to them. And U2 is nothing if not a band that does not take the easy road. There is no one else out there like them and I for one will not accept anything less from the band that has provided the essential soundtrack to my life.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan once said this about U2, "You have made people listen. You have made people care, and you have taught us that whether we are poor or prosperous, we have only one world to share. You have taught young people that they do have the power to change the world."

Bono sings in “Rejoice,” “I can’t change the world, but I can change the world in me.” Like the million or so fans out there, I humbly thank these Irish punk rockers for changing the way I listen to music, for introducing me to Dylan and Springsteen, Johnny Cash and Raymond Carver, but most of all, I thank U2 for changing my life and the way that I view my place in the world.

- Lily Percy, Editor

Discography

Boy (1980)

October (1981)

War (1983)

Under a Blood Red Sky (1983)

The Unforgettable Fire (1984)

Wide Awake in America (1985)

The Joshua Tree (1987)

Rattle and Hum (1989)

Achtung Baby (1991)

Zooropa (1993)

Pop (1997)

Best of 1980-1990 (1998)

All that you can’t leave behind (2000)

Best of 1990-2000 (2002)

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004)