Written by Ray N. Olsen, Member of the International Society of Olympic Historians Below is the final updated independent prediction of the medal count for teams in the 2014 Winter Olympics by Infostrada Sports.You will note that while the US is first (great) for Gold Medals by two over second place Norway (wow, they only have a total of 4...
Music Review: Paul McCartney Archive Collection – Wings at the Speed of Sound
Boasting possibly the most noticeably improved audio fidelity of Paul McCartney’s Archive Collection reissue series thus far, Wings at the Speed of Sound arrives as a newly remastered double-disc set (available November 4). The deluxe book edition adds a DVD and far more elaborate packaging. Notable for being the most democratic of McCartney’s Wings-billed albums (only six of the 11...
Music Review: Paul McCartney – NEW – Collector’s Edition (2 CD/1 DVD)
What a great time to be a Paul McCartney fan. On the eve of the long-awaited next installments in the Paul McCartney Archive Collection (Venus and Mars and Wings at the Speed of Sound), Concord Music Group issues a collector’s edition of 2013’s NEW. Packaged in a compact hardcover book case, this two-CD, one-DVD edition is sort of a like...
DVD Review: WKRP in Cincinnati – Complete Series
With the holiday season upon us, fans of classic sitcoms will certainly want to consider adding Shout! Factory’s new release of all four seasons of WKRP in Cincinnati to their wish list. Many fans never believed we’d see such a release, and with good reason. Back in 2007, WKRP’s maiden season was issued as a DVD release but it contained...
New Music for Old People: ZZ Hill, Rev. Gary Davis, Curtis Stigers, Andy Stochansky and More
This column is like the title says — its intention is to fill the gap for those of us who were satiated musically in the ’60s and then searched desperately as we aged for music we could relate to and get the same buzz from nowadaze. iTunes was the answer for me in 2003 and I have been following the...
Bentley’s Bandstand: October 2014
Pieta Brown, Paradise Outlaw. Is there a way to capture true musical transcendence in words? If so, let it happen for Pieta Brown, one of America’s treasures, someone who is still moving towards finding a fitting audience. Fortunately, Brown’s new album, co-produced by stealth partner Bo Ramsey, is the kind of creation where no explanation is needed. These captivating songs...
Album Review: Dave Ray – Legacy
I confess that my first thought upon hearing of this collection was: “A three-CD ‘legacy’ release of ‘rare and unreleased recordings’ from Dave Ray?? I’ve never even heard of the guy.” But it turns out that I was in fact well acquainted with his music, though not with his first name. Instead, I knew him as the “Ray” in Koerner,...
A Chat With The Knick Writer-Producer Steven Katz
In today’s world there are numerous medical breakthroughs that have become commonplace and are used in treating patients. One hundred years ago, however, many of these methods either did not exist or were on the cusp of being invented, tested and perfected. Set in 1900 New York City, Cinemax’s period TV medical drama The Knick finds the staff at the...
Interview: Luca Perasi – Author of Paul McCartney Recording Sessions (1969-2013)
Now readily available in the United States, Paul McCartney Recording Sessions (1969-2013) was a labor of love for über McCartney fan and music journalist Luca Perasi. The book examines the recording of each McCartney song, in chronological order, from the year The Beatles ceased to exist as a working band right up to last year’s triumphant album New. Mr. Perasi...
New Music for Old People: Bahamas, Allen Toussaint, Linda Ronstadt, Max Frost and More
This column is like the title says — its intention is to fill the gap for those of us who were satiated musically in the ’60s and then searched desperately as we aged for music we could relate to and get the same buzz from nowadaze. iTunes was the answer for me in 2003 and I have been following the...