Doctors are predicting an early flu season for 2018 so Diane got her flu shot last week. Diane complained her arm hurt for a couple days afterward. I’m getting my flu shot today. Like Diane, I’m getting the “high-dose” flu vaccine for those 65 and older. The CDC reports that 80 to 90 percent of all flu-related deaths are among those over 65. Last year 80,000 Americans died of the flu so this is Serious Stuff for folks in our age group.

Have you gotten your flu shot yet?

Mycroft and Sherlock is a sequel to 2015’s Mycroft. In Mycroft, the brilliant elder brother of Sherlock Holmes works for the British Government’s Secretary of State of War. Mycroft is only 23=years-old, but already understands the levers of power. Mycroft’s closest friend, Cyrus Douglas–a man of African descent with ties to Trinidad, learns of a series of mysterious deaths of children drained of their blood. Mycroft and Douglas travel to Trinidad to investigate the bizarre situation. Death and conundrums await them. Mycroft’s life spins onto a new and dangerous path as he learns the truth about the woman he loves. Mycroft delivers an exciting start to this new Holmes series. GRADE: B-

Mycroft and Sherlock takes place three years after these events. Sherlock is almost 19-years-old but is already a precocious puzzle-solver. While Mycroft is summoned by Queen Victoria to insure a tie in the first England vs. Scotland soccer game, Sherlock investigates the ritualistic murders of Asians in London. The murders lead to a nefarious conspiracy involving dolls and smuggling. I enjoyed the conversations between the exasperated Mycroft and Sherlock, a teenager with attitude. Both characters display their impressive deductive powers in solving the mysteries that result in a surprising solution. Fans of Holmes will enjoy this Mycroft and Sherlock mashup pastiche! GRADE: B

Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The New Musical thrilled the many children in the audience at Shea’s Performing Arts Center. Lots of dancing, pyrotechnics, engaging music, and a talented cast brought Roald Dahl’s creation to life. The story of a poor boy obsessed with chocolate who aspires to rise above his poverty generates a compelling power over the audience. Henry Boshart plays the plucky Charlie Bucket convincingly. Noah Weisberg plays Willie Wonka to snarky perfection. Diane really liked the way the production presented The Oompa-Loompas. Clever! This production is geared for a kid audience. I found the First Act dragged a bit as the Golden Ticket winners emerged. The Second Act set in the Chocolate Factory was more exciting. If Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The New Musical shows up in your neighborhood, you might consider checking it out. GRADE: B
Act I
“The Candy Man” – Willy Wonka & Ensemble
“Willy Wonka! Willy Wonka!” – Charlie Bucket & Ensemble
“The Candy Man” (reprise) – Charlie Bucket
“Charlie, You & I” – Grandpa Joe
“A Letter from Charlie Bucket” – Charlie Bucket, Mrs. Bucket, Grandparents
“More of Him to Love” – Mrs. Gloop, Augustus Gloop, Ensemble
“When Veruca Says” – Mr. Salt, Veruca Salt
“The Queen of Pop” – Mr. Beauregarde, Violet Beauregarde, Ensemble
“That Little Man of Mine” – Mrs. Teavee, Mike Teavee
“If Your Father Were Here” – Mrs. Bucket
“I’ve Got A Golden Ticket” / “Grandpa Joe” – Charlie Bucket, Grandpa Joe, Grandparents, Mrs. Bucket
“It Must Be Believed to Be Seen” – Willy Wonka, Ensemble
Act II
“Strike That! Reverse It!” – Willy Wonka, Ensemble
“Pure Imagination”† / “Grandpa Joe (reprise)” – Willy Wonka, Charlie Bucket, Grandpa Joe and the Golden Ticket Winners
“The Oompa Loompa Song” – Oompa Loompas
“Auf Wiedersehen Augustus Gloop” – Willy Wonka & The Oompa Loompas
“When Willy Met Oompa” – Willy Wonka & The Oompa-Loompas,
“Veruca’s Nutcracker Sweet” – Veruca & The Oompa-Loompas
“Vidiots” – Willy Wonka, Mike, Mrs. Teavee & The Oompa-Loompas
“The View From Here” – Willy Wonka & Charlie
“The Candy Man (Bows)” – Full Company

The Serta StayCool Duo Pillow is the most comfortable pillow I’ve ever slept on. A friend of mine recommended the Serta StayCool Duo Pillow because she hates pillows that get warm and force you to flip them over in the middle of the night. The Serta StayCool Duo Pillow listed for $119 for the King Size at Kohl’s, but it was on sale for $89.99. Diane had a 30% off coupon (Diane has a coupon for everything!) which brought the cost down to around $60. Diane had some Kohl’s Cash so that reduced the price to around $50. Worth every penny!

The Serta StayCool Duo Pillow features: “a unique 2-sided design allowing you to choose between firm and plush comfort. The firm side features our Cool Twist™ Gel Memory Foam for firm yet contouring comfort. The plush side features our EverCool® Memory Foam for enhanced cushioning comfort. The dual-comfort options makes this pillow ideal for all sleep positions and our unique two-sided design with Cool Twist™ Gel Memory Foam inside and EverCool® Memory Foam in the other side results in maximum comfort.”

I’m delighted with my new Serta StayCool Duo Pillow! How’s your pillow treating you?

The Buffalo Bills shocked the sports world with their 27-6 beatdown of the Minnesota Vikings last week despite being 17-point underdogs. This week, the Bills travel to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field to take on Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. The Bills are 10-point underdogs. One reason for that point spread might be the fact that the Bills have never won in Green Bay. I’m looking for a close game today. How will your favorite NFL team do today?

Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 11/9 would be doing way better at the Box Office if Moore had cut a deal with Rick Wilson to “borrow” the title Everything Trump Touches Dies. Despite the unfortunate title, Moore documents the rise of Trump and the decline of Flint, Michigan (knowingly poisoned by Government officials). Although these two events seem unconnected, Moore shows how our broken political system results in growing disasters. Fortunately, Moore also documents a growing grassroots movement that may offer some hope in these Dark Times. Michael Moore is earnest and wants to show how we got into this awful mess, but I found Fahrenheit 11/9 a tad too long. How much Bad News and Fake News can an audience endure? In this case, Less would be Moore. GRADE: B+

Back in 1979, DAW Books launched a retro anthology series that would feature the best stories from the Golden Age of Science Fiction, years before the yearly YEAR’S BEST volumes began. The series starts with stories from 1939 because Isaac Asimov already published a three-volume anthology series called Before the Golden Age that covered SF stories from 1931 to 1938.

This first volume includes classics like “The Gnarly Man” by L. Sprague De Camp and “Black Destroyer” by A. E. Van Vogt. Iconic writers like Robert A. Heinlein, Theodore Sturgeon, Henry Kuttner, Robert Bloch, C. L. Moore, Lester del Rey, and Jack Williamson are represented. Asimov and Greenberg introduce each story and provide information about the writer. I was impressed by Nelson Bond’s “Pilgrimage” where a young woman confronts myths from the Past.

The Great SF Stories series went on to become a landmark series of anthologies. As Jim Harris found out when he started to collect these books, the prices online can be eye-popping! I plan to review a volume each month for Friday’s Forgotten Books. Only 24 more volumes to go! GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction 8
“I, Robot” by Eando Binder (AMAZING STORIES, January 1939) 11
“The Strange Flight of Richard Clayton” by Robert Bloch (AMAZING STORIES, March 1939) 25
“Trouble With Water” by Horace L. Gold (UNKNOWN, March 1939) 35
“Cloak of Aesir” by Don A. Stuart (John W. Campbell, Jr.) (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, March 1939) 56
“The Day is Done” by Lester del Rey (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, May 1939) 103
“The Ultimate Catalyst” by John Taine (THRILLING WONDER STORIES, June 1939) 118
“The Gnarly Man” by L. Sprague de Camp (UNKNOWN, June 1939) 141
“Black Destroyer” by Alfred E. van Vogt (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, July 1939) 163
“Greater Than Gods” by Catherine L. Moore (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, July 1939) 194
“Trends” by Isaac Asimov (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, July 1939) 229
“The Blue Giraffe” by L. Sprague De Camp (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, August 1939) 248
“The Misguided Halo” by Henry Kuttner (UNKNOWN, August 1939) 272
“Heavy Planet” by Milton A. Rothman (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, August 1939) 289
“Life-Line” by Robert A. Heinlein (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, August 1939) 299
“Ether Breather” by Theodore Sturgeon (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, September 1939) 318
“Pilgrimage” by Nelson Bond (AMAZING STORIES, October 1939) 332
“Rust” by Joseph E. Kelleam (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, October 1939) 353
“The Four-Sided Triangle” by William F. Temple (AMAZING STORIES, November 1939) 363
“Star Bright” by Jack Williamson (ARGOSY, November 1939) 385
“Misfit” by Robert A. Heinlein (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, November 1939) 412

This new 2-CD Expanded Edition of The Supremes’s chart-topping, The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland, present 52 songs that feature the scope of a seminal album that made history as the tenth studio album released by The Supremes for Motown in 1967. It includes the number-one hit singles “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” and “Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone.” As the title states: all songs on the album were written and produced by Motown’s main songwriting team of Holland–Dozier–Holland. Most of the album was recorded during the spring and summer of 1966; however several songs date back to the summer of 1964. The LP album sold over 1,525,000 copies world-wide at the time.

This set includes 28 tracks released for the first time including updated mixes & alternate versions, as well as a score of electrifying live performances captured at the Copacabana nightclub in New York City in May 1967. This is the last recorded performance of the original trio: Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard. If you’re a fan of The Supremes, this is a must-buy. If you’re a casual fan of Holland/Dozier/Holland songs and The Supremes you’ll find plenty of great songs to listen to on this 2-CD set. Highly recommended! What’s your favorite song by The Supremes? GRADE: A
TRACK LIST:
Disc: 1
1. You Keep Me Hangin’ On (Mono)
2. You’re Gone (But Always In My Heart) (Mono)
3. Love Is Here And Now You’re Gone (Mono)
4. Mother You, Smother You (Mono)
5. I Guess I’ll Always Love You (Mono)
6. I’ll Turn To Stone (Mono)
7. It’s The Same Old Song (Mono)
8. Going Down For The Third Time (Mono)
9. Love Is In Our Hearts (Mono)
10. Remove This Doubt (Mono)
11. There’s No Stopping Us Now (Mono)
12. (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave (Mono)
13. You Keep Me Hangin’ On (Stereo)
14. You’re Gone (But Always In My Heart) (Stereo)
15. Love Is Here And Now You’re Gone (Stereo)
16. Mother You, Smother You (Stereo)
17. I Guess I’ll Always Love You (Stereo)
18. I’ll Turn To Stone (Stereo)
19. It’s The Same Old Song (Stereo)
20. Going Down For The Third Time (Stereo)
21. Love Is In Our Hearts (Stereo)
22. Remove This Doubt (Stereo)
23. There’s No Stopping Us Now (Stereo)
24. (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave (Stereo)
25. The Happening (Extended hit mix) (Bonus Track)
26. All I Know About You (Extended mix) (Bonus Track)
27. Love Is Here And Now You’re Gone (Version 3) (Bonus Track)
28. We Couldn’t Get Along Without You (Extended mix) (Bonus Track)
29. You Keep Me Hangin’ On (Extended “cool” alternate) (Bonus Track)

Disc: 2
1. You Can’t Hurry Love (Extended alternate)
2. The Happening (Film versions)
3. Love Is Here And Now You’re Gone (Version 1)
4. You’re Gone (But Always In My Heart) (Gladys Knight and The Pips Duet mix)
5. I Guess I’ll Always Love You (Extended mix)
6. Going Down For The Third Time (Extended mix)
7. Remove This Doubt (Extended mix)
8. I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) – Where Did Our Love Go (Motown Mashup)
9. Put On A Happy Face (Live At The Copa May 1967)
10. Medley: Stop! In The Name Of Love/Come See About Me/My World Is Empty Without You/Baby Love (Live At The Copa May 1967)
11. My Favorite Things (Live At The Copa May 1967)
12. You Keep Me Hangin’ On (Live At The Copa May 1967)
13. The Lady Is A Tramp/Let’s Get Away From It All (Live At The Copa May 1967)
14. I Hear A Symphony (Live At The Copa May 1967)
15. From This Moment On (Live At The Copa May 1967)
16. Queen Of The House (Live At The Copa May 1967)
17. Love Is Here And Now You’re Gone (Live At The Copa May 1967)
18. Somewhere (Live At The Copa May 1967)
19. You Can’t Hurry Love (Live At The Copa May 1967)
20. Medley: Thoroughly Modern Millie/Second Hand Rose/Mame (Live At The Copa May 1967)
21. Group Introductions (Live At The Copa May 1967)
22. You’re Nobody Til Somebody Loves You (Live At The Copa May 1967)
23. The Happening (Live At The Copa May 1967)

In a comment on my review of THE B SIDE: THE DEATH OF TIN PAN ALLEY AND THE REBIRTH OF THE GREAT AMERICAN SONG By Ben Yagoda, Fred Blosser recommended Always Magic In the Air: The Bomp and Brilliance of the Brill Building Era (2005) by Ken Emerson. I thought I had a copy of Always Magic In the Air and sure enough after a couple days of digging around in my basement, I found it and read it.

As Fred noted in his comment, Always Magic In the Air tells the stories of seven legendary songwriting teams: Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, and Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. Always Magic In the Air captures the time in America when Rock & Roll was just beginning. The Brill Building became like an assembly line for the thousands of songs that flooded the radio stations and record stores (remember them?).

Ken Emerson supplies the historical context for all of these songwriting teams and discusses what made their songs so successful and unique. If you’re a fan of this era in popular music, Always Magic in the Air will delight and inform you. Thanks for the recommendation, Fred! GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction p. ix
1 The Original Cool Cats p. 1
2 A Broadway Divided p. 17
3 Lonely Avenue p. 31
4 “My Daughter Bought It. What Are You Going to Do About It?” p. 51
5 Partners in Chutzpah p. 65
6 The Young Lovers p. 84
7 Putting the Bomp in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp p. 92
8 In the Garden of Aldon p. 104
9 “It Was Just Jewish Latin” p. 121
10 Baby Talk p. 141
11 At Work in the Elvis Atelier p. 155
12 The Magician and the Mensch p. 167
13 Selling Out p. 182
14 Seesaw p. 195
15 Double Trouble p. 208
16 Golden Girls p. 214
17 “Somethin’ Died” p. 225
18 Swinging London p. 238
19 From the Monkees to Thomas Mann p. 249
Coda p. 262
Acknowledgments p. 269
Notes p. 271
Bibliography p. 307
Discography p. 317
Index p. 321

My first reaction to watching Joni Mitchell, Both Sides Now: Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 was…bravery. Wispy 27-year-old Joni Mitchell, alone on the concert stage and surrounded by The Who’s mountains of speakers, faced a hostile crowd of 600,000 attendees. A mob of people were trying to break down the fences to enter the Festival without paying. Radicals were accusing the musicians of “playing for money” when everything should be free!

Into this volatile situation, the Festival promoters maneuvered Joni Mitchell on the stage. “They threw me to the Beast,” Joni Mitchell says in her commentary. Alternating between her guitar, piano, and dulcimer, Joni Mitchell gamely tried to reach out to the acres of people. There’s noise, there’s disruption. You can see the frustration and anguish on Joni Mitchell’s face as the audience grows more ugly. And, amazingly, Joni Mitchell faces down those 600,000 people and brings order out of chaos. It’s one of the most courageous performances I’ve ever seen. And, all the while, Joni Mitchell’s voice soars over the restless Festival attendees.

Back in 1970, I was in love with Joni Mitchell (and Diana Rigg, Grace Slick, Marianne Faithfull, and a dozen more female singers and actresses). I owned all of Joni Mitchell’s albums. If you’re a Joni Mitchell fan, Joni Mitchell, Both Sides Now: Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 is a must-buy. If you’re a casual Joni Mitchell fan, you’ll be captivated by her brave performance under dire conditions on the Isle of Wight. It doesn’t get much better than this! What’s your favorite Joni Mitchell song? GRADE: A+
SONG LIST:
That Song About The Midway
Chelsea Morning
For Free
Woodstock
My Old Man
California
Big Yellow Taxi
Both Sides Now
Gallery
Hunter
A Case Of You