I was in love with Linda Ronstadt and her music for much of the 1960s and 1970s. But today, Linda Ronstadt is suffering from Parkinson’s and can no longer sing. She’s also in dire financial straits. That’s one of the reasons I bought this uneven collection of duets. You can read Bill Crider’s fine review of Duets here. You can’t beat Linda Ronstadt’s duets with J.D. Souther and Aaron Neville. “Somewhere Out There” with James Ingram won two Grammys. It still sounds great to these ears. If you want to support a struggling artist, buy a copy of Duets. GRADE: B
TRACK LIST:
1 Adieu False Heart – Ann Savoy (3:34)
2 I Can’t Get Over You – Ann Savoy (3:06)
3 Walk Away Renee – Ann Savoy (3:24)
4 The New Partner Waltz – Carl Jackson (2:50)
5 I Never Will Marry -Dolly Parton (3:13)
6 Pretty Bird – Laurie Lewis (2:38)
7 I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still In Love With You) – Emmylou Harris (2:46)
8 Hasten Down the Wind – Don Henley (2:42)
9 Prisoner In Disguise – J.D. Souther (3:53)
10 I Think It’s Gonna Work Out Fine – James Taylor (4:01)
11 Don’t Know Much -Aaron Neville & Skywalker Symphony Orchestra (3:34)
12 All My Life – Aaron Neville & Skywalker Symphony Orchestra (3:31)
13 Somewhere Out There – James Ingram (3:59)
14 Sisters – Bette Midler (2:54)
15 Moonlight In Vermont -Frank Sinatra (4:05)

Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman are the marquee names for The Railway Man, but the actor who carries the major moments in this film is Jeremy Irvine as the young Colin Firth character. Firth’s character, Lomax, is part of a British signal unit who surrenders to the Japanese when Singapore falls in 1942. When the Japanese discover Lomax has managed to cobble together a working radio receiver, Lomax is viciously beaten and tortured. We find this out in a series of flashbacks. In 1980, Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman meet on a train and after a brief romance get married. But Kidman’s character discovers her husband has severe Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. How that gets resolved is the heart of the movie. Based on a true story, this film tells its story convincingly. GRADE: B+

I had so much fun reading Milton Lesser’s Johnny Mayhem stories for last week’s FFB, I decided to read another collection of Milton Lesser’s science fiction stories from the 1950s. I turned to Armchair Fiction’s Masters of Science Fiction, Volume 8. “A” As In Android displays Milton Lesser’s versatility. Several of the stories in this volume are “puzzle” stories, like “The Impossible Weapon.” The hero is confronted with a problem (one that might threaten his life) and he is under pressure to solve it quickly. There are stories of aliens (good and bad) and futuristic wars. What is consistent is Lesser’s power of story-telling. If you’re in the mood for some Old School science fiction from the 1950s, “A” As In Android delivers.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. “A” As In Android”
2. “Voices in the Void”
3. “The Double Occupation”
4. “No-Risk Planet”
5. “The Music of the Spheres”
6. “Code of the Bluster World”
7. “All Flesh is Brass”
8. “It’s Raining Frogs”
9. “Anything Your Heart Desires”
10. “Black Eyes and The Daily Grind”
11. “The Impossible Weapon”
12. “From Hidden Worlds”
13. “Pen Pals”
14. “My Sweetheart’s the Man in the Moon”

For Elvis fans here’s a new set including previously unreleased concert songs with some studio “reference” tracks from 1974. Elvis is in fine voice, the crowd noise is minimal, and the remastered sound is fabulous. RCA has been releasing rarities from their Vault for the past few years. This may be the last of the Elvis alternate tracks.
TRACK LIST:

Disc 1
1 Also Sprach Zarathustra (1:15)
2 See See Rider (3:02)
3 Medley: I Got a Woman/Amen (5:48)
4 Love Me (2:03)
5 Trying to Get to You (2:06)
6 All Shook Up (1:03)
7 Steamroller Blues (2:52)
8 Medley: (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear/Don’t Be Cruel (1:59)
9 Love Me Tender (1:45)
10 Medley: Long Tall Sally/Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On/Your Mama Don’t Dan (3:31)
11 Fever (3:07)
12 Polk Salad Annie (3:32)
13 Why Me Lord (2:55)
14 How Great Thou Art (3:45)
15 Suspicious Minds (3:40)
16 Introductions (3:08)
17 Medley: Blueberry Hill/I Can’t Stop Loving You (3:01)
18 Help Me (2:54)
19 An American Trilogy (3:57)
20 Let Me Be There (3:34)
21 My Baby Left Me (2:23)
22 Lawdy, Miss Clawdy (2:06)
23 Funny How Time Slips Away (2:56)
24 Can’t Help Falling in Love (1:38)
25 Closing Vamp (1:11)

Disc 2
1 Also Sprach Zarathustra (1:17)
2 See See Rider (3:01)
3 Medley: I Got a Woman/Amen (4:16)
4 Love Me (1:40)
5 Trying to Get to You (2:08)
6 All Shook Up (1:02)
7 Steamroller Blues (2:53)
8 Medley: (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear/Don’t Be Cruel (1:59)
9 Love Me Tender (1:44)
10 Medley: Long Tall Sally/Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On/Your Mama Don’t Dan (3:17)
11 Fever (3:03)
12 Polk Salad Annie (3:51)
13 Why Me Lord (2:52)
14 Suspicious Minds (3:44)
15 Introductions (2:31)
16 I Can’t Stop Loving You (2:25)
17 Help Me (2:42)
18 An American Trilogy (3:58)
19 Let Me Be There (3:39)
20 Funny How Time Slips Away (2:48)
21 Can’t Help Falling in Love with You (1:45)
22 Closing Vamp (1:04)
23 Down in the Alley (3:34)
24 Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues (3:19)
25 Softly as I Leave You (2:17)
26 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (4:28)
27 The Twelfth of Never (2:48)

Peter Heller’s new novel, The Painter, mixes murder and Art. The narrator is an artist who is best known for shooting a man in a bar. The painter is haunted by the murder of his daughter. When the painter confronts a man beating a horse, another dark plotline is set into motion. The Painter offers a twisty plot and a complex narrator to tell an unusual story. If you’re in the mood for something different, I suggest you read The Painter when it’s released on May 6th. GRADE: B

No, this is not the best of Bogart because The Big Sleep, High Sierra, Dark Passage, and To Have and Have Not are not included. The more accurate title for this set might have been Bogart’s Biggest Hits. The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and The African Queen never looked so good. The remastering of these classic films make them look great! If you’re a fan of Bogart this is a must-buy. If you’re a fan of classic films, this is a must-buy. I hope Bogart’s other movies are released in similar fashion. GRADE: A

In our unrelenting quest to simulate the U.S. economy, we bought a new 2014 Nissan Altima. This is our 9th Nissan in a row. Our Nissans have been trouble-free. Patrick and Katie have totaled two Maximas…and walked away unscathed. That’s a tribute to Nissan engineering and safety. As a matter of procedure, the Nissan financial officer ran a credit check on us. He came back amazed. “Your FICO score is 892! We don’t see a score like that very often,” he exclaimed. We waited until Winter ended (at least we think it’s over) before buying this sleek Brillian Silver Altima (the second photo shows the actual color better). It’s loaded with plenty of goodies!

Todd Mason and Patti Abbott raved about Orphan Black last Spring and that motivated me to watch it on BBC America. Todd and Patti were right! The slowly unraveling of the plot about clones held my interest. Now, Season Two begins tonight (check your local listings for times in your area). This original Canadian science fiction television series stars Tatiana Maslany who plays several identical looking women. I marvel at the way Tatiana Maslany makes all the women she plays unique. Masterful acting! The twisty plot is full of surprises. Orphan Black, Season One is available on DVD and Blu-ray. And BBC America is running an ORPHAN BLACK marathon today. Highly recommended!

Back in the 1950s, AMAZING published a series of adventure stories featuring a very unique agent. Johnny Mayhem, through some alien sorcery, can possess another body for 30 days. Then, he has to move on to another body. Theoretically, he could never die…unless he stays in a body longer than 30 days. Milton Lesser has fun with the concept as he moves his hero from planet to planet and body to body. Johnny Mayhem is a trouble shooter for the Galactic League. They beam his “elan” to a body that’s waiting on the troubled planet of the day. Mayhem has to get up to speed on the local crisis and solve it within the 30-day time limit. If you like old fashioned, fast-paced science fiction adventure, you’ll find it here.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. “My Name is Mayhem”
2. “They Sent a Boy”
3. “The Burning Man”
4. “Magellan Was a Piker”
5. “This Planet is Mine”
6. “A Place in the Sun”
7. “Think Yourself to Death”
8. “Get Out of My World”
9. “A Coward Named Mayhem”
10. “Mayhem Enslaved”
11. “World Beyond Pluto”