Reviews by Saturn Loft

Also known as The Sad Hobo Earworm.

In 1971, Gavin Bryars took a left-over audio snippet of a singing tramp on the streets of London and set it to music. He left it to record at the studio while he went out for a cup of coffee. When he returned, he discovered his singing tramp tape loop had reduced nearly everybody in the studio to melancholic states and had even driven a couple of people to tears. Bryars realized he had something quite special. In a further display of genius, he had Tom Waits and a full orchestra accompany his singing tramp, thus immortalizing this strange little ditty for all time. It’s poignant, totally unique, and oddly hypnotic, but be forewarned: it may get stuck in your head.

Another album from early in Cosby’s career, this one contains a generous dose of humorous tales from his childhood. The big stand-out here is “Go Carts”, a hilarious story featuring elements of danger, 6 year old criminal masterminds, and childish ingenuity at its best. I also enjoyed Cosby’s description of the unexpected results when the adults decided to “improve” the local playground by installing monkey bars. “–and I made it my philosophy after that never to play on nothing I saw no grownups playing on.”

A classic album by a classic band, Abbey Road speaks for itself. From the iconic picture on the cover, to the funky first strains of “Come Together”, all the way to the tiny but whimsical “Her Majesty” at album’s end, it’s a splendid auditory experience. (Makes my ears happy!)

This one’s pretty easy to review. If you liked Monty Python and The Holy Grail the film, then you will like this album, because it’s got most of the major highlights. There’s the Camelot song, the Knights who say “Nee”, and of course the inimitable taunting of the French guy at that one castle..
It never gets old, really.

Bill Cosby is at his best when he's reminiscing about his childhood antics, like staying out too late watching scary monster movies with his pal Weird Harold and then having to walk home over a dark bridge, or the tale of calculated retribution against a certain kid named Junior Barnes.
There's no bad language here (unless you count "gunky", whatever that means) and none of the raunchy tangents modern comics are so reliant on, but this stuff will still make you chuckle. Classic.

One of Pink Floyd's better albums, if not their best, this is one long extravagant elegy to former bandmate and lead singer Syd Barrett.
Some notable tracks:
"Shine on You Crazy Diamond", a multi-part rock opus that is quintessential Pink Floyd
"Welcome to the Machine", a cynical view of the rock industry ('cause Waters is good at that)
"Wish You Were Here", great lyrics and simply a great song

The Ken Burns Collection CDs are a really great way to introduce yourself to the foremost artists of jazz, and this album is no exception. Almost all of Holiday's best-known songs can be found here, including "Strange Fruit", "God Bless the Child", and "Good Morning Heartache." Put this in the stereo on a rainy day and enjoy!

Isabella Bird was an extraordinary woman, an adventurer who traveled through Asia, the Hawaiian Islands, and all over the United States in the 1800s. This particular book covers her 1873 trip to the Colorado Rockies, in which she encounters bears, blizzards, and grizzled desperadoes. She scales mountain peaks, sleeps in ice-cold cabins, and sallies forth into lumber camps and wilderness strongholds with daring intrepidity.
One of the most interesting aspects of this adventure is the intriguing chemistry between Bird and "Rocky Mountain Jim" Nugent, a hard-drinking "ruffian" with a dangerous temper. She's a short, rather dumpy Englishwoman. He's a scruffy Irish mountain man who lost an eye to a grizzly. One can imagine the pair they make.. Yet, the hints of romance are barely touched on in Isabella's letters. Did they get together or was it all unrequited longing? I guess we'll never truly know, but it makes for an interesting read

Good old uptight Darcy, one of the most enduring romantic heroes in fiction. This book started a persistent trend which has continued to this day, although the most recent incarnation of Darcy and Bennet has them battling zombies… Anyway, the original (and in my opinion the best) showcases Austen at her finest, lighthearted and reveling in the sparkling wordplay of her characters. Highly recommended.

All the classic Python riffs. If you're going to own a Monty Python album, this one's highly recommended. Great for road trips, annoying coworkers, and for stress relief on rough days.