Bruce Springsteen and I go all the way back to “Born to Run” (1975). The radio stations played “Born to Run” on heavy rotation. I bought the album and played it constantly. Ever since, I’ve bought Bruce Springsteen’s CDs. Despite his prodigious output, Springsteen maintained good quality control. I like some Springsteen CDs better than others, but there isn’t a clunker among them. Wrecking Ball, Springsteen’s new CD, reflects more of a social consciousness than you’ll find in today’s pop music. “We Take Care of Our Own,” “Jack of All Trades,” and “Wrecking Ball” all speak to America’s problems. But, despite the social messages, the music remains driving and insistent. Recommended. GRADE: B+
TRACK LIST:
1 We Take Care of Our Own 3:53
2 Easy Money 3:36
3 Shackled and Drawn 3:46
4 Jack of All Trades 5:59
5 Death to My Hometown 3:28
6 This Depression 4:07
7 Wrecking Ball 5:49
8 You’ve Got It 3:48
9 Rocky Ground 4:40
10 Land of Hope and Dreams 6:58
11 We Are Alive 5:36
12. Swallowed Up (In The Belly Of The Whale) 5:33
13. American Land 4:34

Child 44 is the most claustrophobic novel I’ve ever read. It’s set in the Soviet Union in the early 1950s. Secret Police Officer Leo Demidov, former WWII hero, finds his world turned upside down when he tries to investigate a series of murders. The Soviet bureaucracy discourages Leo’s investigation arguing that Soviet life doesn’t have any crime only political transgressions. The stifling webs of corruption and political treachery make Child 44 a very paranoid read. Tom Rob Smith captures the desperation, fear, and cruel looniness of the Soviet state. And, I can’t think of a more beset hero of any novel. Smith piles difficulties on Leo that even Job couldn’t handle! GRADE: B+

Nothing tastes so soothing on a cold winter night than a nice cup of tea. My recent favorite is Rishi Tumeric Ginger Tea. Yes, it’s a bit pricy at about $8 for a 2.46 oz tin. But that makes around 12 cups of delicious tea. Rishi Tumeric Ginger Tea is an organic loose herbal tea so you’ll need an infuser. But the wonderful taste of the golden turmeric with zesty lemon grass and spicy ginger will tickle your taste buds! Usually I add dollops of honey to most teas to kill the astringent taste, but I don’t need to with Rishi Tumeric Ginger Tea. There’s a natural sweetness in this mixture. This tea is caffeine-free. Some people claim turmeric relieves their joint pain. Other people claim ginger solves their digestive problems. All I know is that Rishi Tumeric Ginger Tea tastes great and has a calming effect when I drink it. GRADE: A

Diane and I attended a wonderful piano recital at SUNY at Buffalo where Richard Goode performed before a Standing Room Only crowd. This recital was a partnership between the SUNY at Buffalo Music Department and the Ramssi P. Tick Concert Series. I’m a big fan of Richard Goode. I have most of his CDs. This is the third time I’ve seen him perform. Goode is a no-nonsense guy. He sits down, performs, takes a bow, and leaves. No inane patter. No “explaining” the music he’s about to play. Goode is all about playing the music. I was hoping Goode would play some Mozart (I play Goode’s Mozart CDs on a regular basis), but No Such Luck. Goode opened the recital with Schumann and Brahms. The whole second half of the recital was Chopin. I enjoyed the second half better than the first. GRADE: A-
PROGRAM:
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 Scenes from Childhood/1. Von fremden Ländern und Menschen ROBERT SCHUMANN
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 Scenes from Childhood/2. Kuriose Geschichte
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 Scenes from Childhood/3. Hasche-Mann
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 Scenes from Childhood/4. Bittendes Kind
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 Scenes from Childhood/5. Glückes genug
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 Scenes from Childhood/6. Wichtige Begebenheit
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 Scenes from Childhood/7. Träumerei
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 Scenes from Childhood/8. Am Kamin
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 Scenes from Childhood/9. Ritter vom Steckenpferd
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 Scenes from Childhood/10. Fast zu ernst
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 Scenes from Childhood/11. Fürchtenmachen
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 Scenes from Childhood/12. Kind im Einschlummern
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 Scenes from Childhood/13. Der Dichter spricht

Seven Fantasies, Op. 116; No. 1: Capriccio in D minor JOHANNES BRAHMS
Seven Fantasies, Op. 116; No. 2: Intermezzo in A minor
Seven Fantasies, Op. 116; No. 3: Capriccio in G minor
Seven Fantasies, Op. 116; No. 4: Intermezzo in E major
Seven Fantasies, Op. 116; No. 5: Intermezzo in E minor
Seven Fantasies, Op. 116; No. 6: Intermezzo in E major
Seven Fantasies, Op. 116; No. 7: Capriccio in D minor
Intermission
Nocturne for piano No. 16 in E flat major, Op. 55/2, CT. 123 FREDERIC CHOPIN
Mazurka for piano No. 7 in F minor, Op. 7/3, CT. 58
Mazurka for piano No. 29 in A flat major, Op. 41/4, CT. 79
Mazurka for piano No. 11 in E minor, Op. 17/2, CT. 61
Mazurka for piano No. 10 in B flat major, Op. 17/1, CT. 60
Mazurka for piano No. 13 in A minor, Op. 17/4, CT. 63
Scherzo for piano No. 4 in E major, Op. 54, CT. 200

It’s tax season and as I have done for over a dozen years, I bought a copy of TURBOTAX DELUXE at Sam’s Club for $39.98. This edition has Federal and New York State returns plus Federal E-File. We don’t have a complicated return. The biggest chore is entering all the charitable contributions we make to Public Radio and TV, various health charities, arts institutions, colleges, etc. It took me about a half hour to enter all the data and TURBOTAX told us we owed the Feds about $2000, but we were getting a $1000 refund from New York State. I like to break even, but this is close enough. If you’ve never used TURBOTAX, I highly recommend it. This edition walks you right through the process. Nothing could be simpler. Just make sure you have all your tax information handy and you can finish this chore in record time at minimal expense. GRADE: A

The Chalice of Death: Three Novels of Mystery in Space is the third omnibus collection from Planet Stories. All three novels in this collection were published as halves of ACE Doubles. The Chalice of Death was first published as Lest We Forget Thee, Earth under the psuedonym “Calvin M. Knox.” Shadow on the Stars was originally published as Stepsons of Terra. Starhaven was published under the pseudonym of “Ivar Jorgenson.” I’ve enjoyed the two previous omnibus collections, Hunt the Space-Witch! and The Planet Killers. If you’re a friend of fan of Robert Silverberg, you’ll find these long unavailable novels fun reading.

Rick Robinson of the fine blog THE BROKEN BULLHORN tagged me with this meme.

1. What is your dream vacation?
Staying home reading. But, if forced to travel, I’d visit my daughter Katie in Boston and my son Patrick (wherever he is…he moves around a lot).

2. Are you spontaneous or do you like to plan ahead?
I try to plan, but I’m open to adventure.

3. Tell us one thing you want to do but don’t dare do it.
Have an affair with Gwyneth Paltrow.

4. What’s your biggest phobia?
Snakes, snakes, snakes!

5. If you were stranded on a desert island-what three things would you want with you? (Not including your laptop or family)
Books, plenty of cans with pop-off lids, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

6. Name three things in your life that you are thankful for.
My orthopedic surgeon, my CPAP, and my vast library. I’m going to cheat and add: Diane, Patrick, Katie, and my friends & family.

7. What was your nickname in High School?.
The Brain.

8. If you could meet the President of the United States, what would you say to him?
Why the hell did you send troops to Afghanistan!

9. If you could be any literary character, who would you be?
Travis McGee.

10. What is your favorite quote?
“Money isn’t everything…but it really is.”

Okay, I might have gotten lucky. AMAZON is selling the Dragon Tattoo Trilogy: Extended Edition Blu-ray set for $54.99 (list price: $79.96). I picked this wonderful set up at BJ’s Warehouse for a mere $29.99. I suspect someone goofed up because the regular DVD set of the Dragon Tattoo Trilogy: Extended Edition was also priced at $29.99. I bought this Blu-ray set and now I’m thinking I should go back and buy the other mis-priced Dragon Tattoo Trilogy: Extended Edition Blu-ray sets before someone figures out that Something Is Wrong. If you’ve not seen these Swedish versions of Stieg Larsson’s best selling books, you’re missing a real treat! Noomi Rapace is fantastic! This Extended Edition includes two hours of additional material! GRADE: A

While watching the PBS American Masters episodes of Woody Allen: A Documentary I realized that there were a handful of Woody Allen movies that I hadn’t seen. I made a list and I’ll slowly work my way through those films until I’ve seen all of Woody’s movies. I’m starting with Matchpoint, Woody’s Hitchcockian thriller from 2006. Former tennis pro Chris (Jonathan Rhys-Meyer) marries the daughter (Emily Mortimer) of a wealthy mogul. But Chris isn’t satisfied. He begins an affair with Nola (Scarlett Johansson). Nola is passionate, but also wants Chris to herself. A crisis occurs and Chris has to take action or his entire life will blow up. Woody Allen, who is best known for comedy, shows he has the chops to do suspense, too. GRADE: A-