When 2010 started I set a goal for myself that for once in my life I would do one of my musical projects justice and make sure five music videos were made.  “21st Century Love Songs” was an album that found me deep inside my head and in an analytical cynical weary mind state.  Different projects lend themselves to different kinds of photos, videos, packaging, performance, and presentation.  This time around these songs came from a space of contemplation.  The imagery used in the cover art and music videos are reflective of the emphasis on thinking over looking.  As 2010 comes to a close, and as life moves forward I want to take a moment to collect together all the wonderful videos made for “21st Century Love Songs” in one place.  I think years from now I’ll be able to look back on this album and be proud of its honest perceptiveness.

VIDEO ONE: “Oh Sweet Boy”
Directed by Aubrey Bramble featuring Michael Spadoni

The first single from “21st Century” was “Oh Sweet Boy” and the video was shot in Seattle.  The song itself finds the narrator on the side of a dance floor wondering how the object of his affection can be so carefree aware of all the tragedies happening elsewhere that very second.  Aubrey and Michael did a fabulous job capturing the contemplative darkness of the track.

VIDEO TWO: “Square One”
Directed by Myk Frietag for Mykmedia Productions

“Square One” is a lovely and sad song about emotional desolation counterbalanced with severe longing.  Certainly one of my more emotive songs.  Myk Frietag’s moody video perfectly captured the longing that so haunts us sometimes….

VIDEO THREE: “21st Century Love”
Directed by Jeremy Gloff for Riotboy Productions

The title track of “21st Century Love Songs” to me is an audio time capsule of the messy emotional clusterfuck  we are currently trying to wade through.  With the increased ability to communicate (via technology) comes a disconnection and mental distance.  This computerized touch it doesn’t do much.

I really wanted to make a video that visually brought to life some of my thoughts on modern culture and modern love.  This project was tedious and heavy.  I found myself crying at some of the imagery I created — this was heavy serious stuff that can really break your back (and your heart) if you think about it too much.  I felt this song deserved a visual companion piece so I forced myself to do it.

VIDEO FOUR: “From Afar”
Directed by Jeremy Gloff for Riotboy Productions

“From Afar” is a song that entertains the idea that the current dangerous and shaky emotional state is too risky to negotiate.  Perhaps the best way to love someone is in the imagination…because fantasies are unable to discourage or disappoint.  For this simple video I wanted to bring the distance and yearning of the song to life.  The video has a happy ending but that’s not the way it always ends.  I ask at the end of the video….is it best to love someone from afar or up close.

VIDEO FIVE: “One Phone Call”
Directed by Jeremy Gloff for Riotboy Productions

Certainly the most important video from this project (and maybe my entire career) is “One Phone Call”.  The song itself is a eulogy of five friends of mine who all killed themselves (whether through drugs, jumping off a bridge, a gun, etc).  As expected this song was a struggle to record in the studio.  Take after take I found myself overwhelmed by the grief and breaking down in sobs.  Some very emotive and raw vocal takes of this song were recorded that never saw the light of day.

Then I took a deep breath and realized I had to step outside of myself and of my own life and approach this song looking in from the outside.  My friends deserved a good solid performance.  The vocal track you hear was the first and only time I made it through without crying in the studio.

I know that before I could let “21st Century Love Songs” start collecting dust this video had to be made.  After entertaining a series of ideas and concepts I finally settled on the idea of putting out a call for submissions.  If a person was once suicidal I asked them to submit a photo of themselves and to tell a little bit of their story.  If a person lost someone to suicide I asked them to submit a photo of their loved one with a message to them.  Each email I opened was heartbreaking and heavy.  To collect these submissions and arrange them as a cohesive whole was a tender and serious project.  Seeing  the completed work I think I did the subject justice.  One cannot stress enough just how widespread and brutal the effects of suicide are.  Of all my videos I love this one the most, and I hope the most people see it.

My last few albums spawned a series of visual ideas that never came to light (the aborted “Beautiful Boy” and “1987″ videos would have been great!) I am pleased to have seen through my visual concepts for “21st Century Love Songs” — I hope some of these videos made you think and feel.

-JG December 26 2010

My motivation behind writing those prior pieces was generally to light a fire under people’s asses. They were a call to arms and a call to assistance. Little did I ever expect when I arrived in Tampa from Buffalo twelve years ago that I’d fall so deeply in love with this dirty yet gorgeously quirky place. Over the years the hidden strangeness seeped into my blood. Now, as I wait tables at work and even consider leaving the area I have to run into the stairwell to secretly break into tears so people aren’t witness to my vulnerability. This has become home. This city is probably the only place I have ever truly been happy in my life. The thought of ever leaving here…my cheap apartment…my wonderful job….my wonderful fucking friends…is heartbreaking and leaves me literally gasping for breath in a bathroom stall so no one can see me.

All this said, over the last three years I’ve become increasingly depressed regarding our local scene. Where I once believed and championed I then began to become cynical and hopeless. In the process of this transition I began to lose ambition and the drive to further my “success”. I have released a total seven albums since moving to Tampa. Perhaps my early work here was a bit unrefined and shaky but I am confident that my commitment to improving myself has been reflected in my recordings. It is a musician’s hope that their fan base grows with them. Sadly, as I take stock of my output in Tampa, I am skeptical of believing that I’ve truly acquired a fanbase. In truth, I wonder if any bands in Tampa really aquire a huge fan base outside of their friends and friends of friends.

I think back to when I lived in Buffalo. As much as I was unhappy in Buffalo and get chills at the prospect of ever trading back my Cuban Sandwiches for Buffalo wings…I can safely say that Buffalo kicks ass at supporting their own. While the scene there, like ours, is small there is a comradeship and interest in supporting live music. Buffalo is as proud of their Ani DiFranco, love her or hate her (I hate her) as they are of their Bills and their Beef On Weck. Sour grapes aside, outside of niche crowds it does not seem the general public of Tampa really celebrates anything creative about the area.

Naturally, there’s the apathetic stance of “just accepting how things are” and carrying on. There’s also the option of being the starry eyed optimist who eternally hopes “things will change and get better”. And then what if they never do, and then you are fifty five and you look back and say “ah, oh well.” Now won’t that be a bitch? I’ve taken both of the above stances during my time in Tampa.

It’s dangerous to be lackadaisical about acknowledging your instincts. If you feel misgivings about a scene…the only way to improve anything is to express these misgivings. I’ve done this many times in the past. I truly feel with regret that overall, my interest and enthusiasm in improving the quality of the Tampa creative scene was sadly not shared. Without a doubt there’s many many many great people who contribute their patch to the Tampa cloth. In my years of living here I’ve known many great promoters, DJs, writers, musicians, artists, and I consider many of these people friends.

Dangerously when a scene is small enough that everyone is friends it makes it sticky to speak out if you don’t feel people are doing a good job. It’s very thin ice to separate a person from their passion. And so another vicious cycle reveals itself. A scene can never improve if people aren’t able to express what they find lacking in it. Or, what I fear is truly the case, the general public is too lazy or indifferent to have an opinion about it.

A lot of people have left Tampa in the past few years. At first I was one of the most vocal people to discredit this decision. I felt very strongly about the need to cultivate and love our own local scene. And as I kept believing one by one a lot of Tampa heavy hitters left the area. While at first I found it trendy, weak, and bandwagonesque to flock to these so-called golden creative meccas (NY, San Fran, Chicago etc) over the last few months I’ve come to a better understanding of this decision.

Using my own career as an example I’d like to highlight the struggle of being a creative person in Tampa. Certainly every city has its difficulties. And certainly I am aware that the press has been very kind and consistent about covering my events. I know I am one of the more successful local personalities. However, it’s heartbreaking to realize that where my career stands right now at this very moment, it is absolutely impossible for me to be any more successful in the area than I am right now. This is a fucking heartbreaking and bitter pill to swallow. So one is faced with the following options. Leave. Keep this as a homebase and fuck the local scene. Or be content with the level of success one is currently at.

In only my personal case, these are the reasons I feel it would be impossible for me to be more successful in Tampa:

1) Radio stations do not champion their local acts. WMNF (and particularly Flee) always played a track off one of my albums the week of release. But regardless of the quality of my work, one of my tracks was, isn’t, and never will be put into regular rotation. Without the motivation of the possibility that one can have a hit on their local independent station, the whole music community takes an apathetic stance towards their stations. When I first came to Tampa I used to put fifty of my CDs in all of the WMNF DJs mailboxes. One track got played one time from that album. Later I was more selective over whose mailboxes got my CDs. During that promotion I was played zero times. On my most recent albums I’ve reduced my WMNF promoting to only Flee, who was kind enough to give me two on-air interviews.

Following the release of my albums, however, my tracks were never put into heavy or permanent rotation. I do not take this personally because to my knowledge, no local acts are put into heavy or permanent rotation. With no radio success to aspire to or hope for, what does the local musician have to hope for? Perhaps unfairly I write off the entire rest of the area’s radio stations to be corporate and untouchable.

2) It’s nearly impossible to get a following outside of your friends, and even that’s a hard one. I remember sitting at Starbucks with some of my best friends a few weeks ago. I told them about some of the venues I had upcoming shows at. These friends immediately told me they wouldn’t be coming to the show because they didn’t like the venue. A few weeks later, playing a different venue, a different sect of my friends said they would never step foot in that other venue. And here lies the problem. I’ve found that your friends won’t follow you where you play…you have to book where your friends will go. And that sucks. Vicious cycle number one thousand. If you don’t book the venues your friends prefer you end up with an empty room. Once you have an empty room you get a reputation for being unable to draw a crowd. Being that the general public would prefer to get their photo taken in the Czar bathroom (and I do love everyone at Czar, no disrespect) rather than embrace local music (how passe), a Tampa musician is basically reliant on the attendance of their friends. After twelve years of working in the area I have no accumulated a following outside of my friends and acquaintances. To be fair, maybe it’s just because my music sucks and that’s why I have no following. But being more objective, I am hard pressed to think of any local act whose draw (outside of huge release parties and events) is larger than their friends. Being a hopeful musician this is discouraging as a motherfucker.

3) The club DJs do not play local music. When I did my dance album it was such an exciting thing to know my songs were being played and danced to a clubs in New York, Seattle, San Francisco, and Atlanta. Bless their hearts, I am friends with a lot of the local DJs. Sadly enough, even my friendship wasn’t enough to get my shit played here in Tampa. I do not take this personally. No one local is played. Even more discouraging is knowing that no matter how good the material would be, I truly believe it would be impossible for a local artist to get one of their songs in regular dance rotation. Which makes for a fucking dreadful truth. Local scenes are cultivated from the ground up. The musicians make the songs. Then the press writes about those songs. Then the radio plays those songs. Then the DJs play those songs. Tampa has musicians, and DJs, and radio, and press. Not only in the case of my career, but I speak on behalf of anyone trying to create in the area…for the love of God why didn’t we all support eachother? When the DJs refuse to stand behind and take a chance on something local…they are essentially putting the pause button on the cultivation and growth of the city’s cultural spirit. I am smart enough to know it’s a money game. As witnessed by my own eyes, it seems the Tampa public is perfectly content dancing to Miley Cyrus and that “Shots” song. The DJs aren’t going to challenge these crowds. So then what?

4) The press in Tampa is hit or miss. After years of experience certain reporters and publications have revealed themselves to be more supportive than others. By far the best local journalist is Jay Cridlin. Cridlin’s coverage defies borders, cliques, and boundaries. Cridlin seems to view the area with the appropriate wide eyed lense. On the other hand, a personal email and package to other papers were both ignored and unanswered. TBT, Friday Extra, and St Pete times all ran stories with large photos of me. I am appreciative as HELL about this. I take nothing for granted. Inconsistent is the fact that Creative Loafing didn’t even run a one sentence blurb about my show. And that sucks. I am a hard working contributer to the patchwork quilt of our area. I air these gripes because I have heard them expressed by other people. Depending on “scene politics” and “who is friends and enemies with who”, certain publications pick and choose who they support rather than providing an unbiased and broad coverage of this sometimes pretty exciting scene. I am also sad to report that despite writing my Dear Gloffy column for REAX for free for three years to this day I still have yet to have any of my actual music written about or reviewed in the paper or website. Laid out flat, a scene is somewhat dependent on the press coverage it gets. I’ve known certain visual artists and musicians who were snubbed repeatedly, despite their talent and consistent participation in the local scene. Eventually these creative people lost faith in the press, lost interest, and gave up. If you know that the press isn’t going to give you fair coverage, really one is only left with the option of going to a place where they will be covered fairly. One again citing my experience growing up in Buffalo…ArtVoice was very comprehensive and boundary-less when it came to their coverage of the local scene. All gripes aside, there ARE some people in Tampa who are great at their coverage. A half dozen or so people come to mind. I am appreciative of all you’ve done for me.

Since living in Tampa I have seen very very very few musicians ever grace the cover of  local publications. A couple years ago I remember one local musician getting a cover. This same musician later stated they would have preferred to be on the cover of an Atlanta magazine. Fuck, I’d have been happy if a Tampa magazine  ran a fucking one line blurb about my release party at the RITZ.

Wouldn’t musicians and artists work harder in the area if they knew there was at least the OPTION or POSSIBLITY that they could get a cover story? Since basically it is assumed and accepted that the press will never give us cover stories, we don’t even try. We no longer care. And people just keep moving away because of this.

I no longer have the energy of the interest to “try to make things better around here.” Sadly enough, I just don’t care anymore. I’ve given it my all and the results were some great music, some cool friends, and some fucking great great times. I know I’ll never get asked to play Tropical Heatwave or get invited to rep Tampa at SXSW because I don’t have a beard. Perhaps it was to my disadvantage that I flamboyantly hosted a lot of fun events — perhaps I lost people’s ability to view me as the serious musician that I am.

This year I’ve written to about a dozen local promoters, photographers, videographers, other local musicians about collaborating. No responses. Maybe I smell bad. Maybe everyone thinks my music sucks. I don’t think so though. I just think people are lazy and unresponsive. I take some responsibility. I know from album to album I change genre so maybe promoters have a hard time knowing where to put me. I would have loved to opened for a band like The Black Kids…a huge show that a lot of kids will come out for. It would have been great exposure to a local audience that would never see me otherwise. My newer dance/high energy indie music would have been a great fit.

So what prompted this whole stream-of-conscience rant. The fact that Flee got fired from WMNF. In a local scene that often felt hopeless, Flee was one face throughout my career who was consistent and genuine. Not only at my event, but at many many events. If there is one fucking person who truly had a passion for the local music scene is Flee. His enthusiasm and drive to work against the plaguing apathy is so fucking respectable and necessary. For WMNF to fire Flee is not only a slap in the face to Flee after all he has done for them, but it’s a slap in the face to the whole fucking music scene. While the rest of WMNF was who the fuck knows where, Flee was out in the field soaking in the local music, playing the local music, loving the local music, staying up past his bedtime to make the local musicians feel like they fucking mattered, and providing a smiling public face to associate with WMNF.

I am not allowing comments on this piece. I don’t even care to debate anymore. To all parties reading this, don’t take it personally. Every single person in Tampa I know, I love you, and I have made peace that the way things are done here, they are going to stay being done that way. I have no interest in discussing how things can get better. I am looking at options when my lease runs out in April.

My twelve years in Tampa have been the best of my life. Should I leave here in April I will most certainly come back. Maybe years later. Maybe two weeks later with my tail between my legs. But as it stands, I wish to search for a city that steadily and consistently plays their locals acts on the radio. A city where the club DJS take pride and interest in the music that is being made in their own back yard. And a press that will sometimes give their cover to local people who are working shitty jobs to create art that is homespun and homemade.

St Pete even recently seemed to have an upsurge in creativity that quickly dwindled into in-fighting and gossip from what I hear.  What a fucking shame, but not surprising.  If only the big picture prevailed.

In conclusion my friends in Tampa are truly the best people I know in the world. I cry (for real) every time I think about being apart from them. But even more unsettling is knowing that staying here is accepting that there’s only a certain amount of support someone creating locally will get. To all those still fighting the battle, I salute you and I hope you keep it up. Tampa has the potential to be wonderful.

read the story here:
Two Homeless Women And A Gay Man

I know the economy is bad, but people will always be having babies. My mother did great raising me. She is very sensitive, kind, and committed to her work. I wanted to put this post up to wish her luck with her new business.

Find out more about my Mom’s Doula services in Tampa and her personal training:
LoisHall.net

I keep a more updated version of this list here: http://www.jeremygloff.com/childrensbooks.html

Behold, the complete Berenstain Bears Bibliography, to my knowledge.

MY BERENSTAIN BEARS COLLECTION
(The Berenstain Bears are tied with Nancy Drew as my favorite book series of all time. I hope to one day own every BB book ever published. If you are looking for a complete list of Berenstain Bear books I have almost all of them!)

BATH BOOKS AND CLOTH BOOKS
Berenstain Bears’ Bath Book
Toy Time (cloth book)
Scrub-A-Dub-Sub
Great Scuba Dive
Say Night Night (Berenstain Baby Bears cloth book)
It’s Bathtime (Berenstain Baby Bears bath book)

BERENSTAIN BABY BEARS
Pacifier Days
My Potty And I
My New Bed
My Trusty Car Seat
Me First! Me First!
My Every Day Book

BEARS FACTS LIBRARY
The Bears’ Almanac
The Bears’ Nature Guide
The Bears’ Science Fair

BEAR SCOUT CHAPTER BOOKS
In Giant Bat Cave
And The Humungous Pumpkin
Meet Bigpaw
Save That Backscratcher
And The Terrible Talking Termite
And The Coughing Catfish
And The Sci-Fi Pizza
Ghost Versus Ghost
And The Sinister Smoke Ring
And The Magic Crystal Caper
And The Run-Amuck Robot
And The Ice Monster
And The Really Big Disaster
Scream Their Heads Off
And The Evil Eye
And The Ripoff Queen

BEAR SCOUTS MERIT BADGE MYSTERIES
And The Missing Merit Badges
And The Search For Naughty Ned
And The White Water Mystery
And The Stinky Milk Mystery

BIG CHAPTER BOOKS
Drug Free Zone
New Girl In Town
Gotta Dance!
The Nerdy Nephew
Accept No Substitutes
The Female Fullback
The Red-Handed Thief
The Wheelchair Commando
The School Scandal Sheet
The Galloping Ghost
Camp Crush
Giddy Grandma
Dress Code
Media Madness
Freaky Funhouse
Showdown At Chainsaw Gap
Maniac Mansion
Teen Rock Café
Bermuda Triangle
Ghost Of The Auto Graveyard
Haunted Hayride
Queenie’s Crazy Crush
Big Date
Love Match
Perfect Crime (Almost)
Go Platinum
G-Rex Bones
Lost In Cyberspace
Wax Museum
Go Hollywood
No Guns Allowed
The Great Any Attack
Phenom In The Family

COLORING AND ACTIVITY BOOKS
Bear Country Coloring Fun
On Vacation – A Coloring Book
Learn-To-Read Coloring Fun
Go To School Coloring Book (1983 Happy House edition)
Mama Bear’s Coloring & Activity Book
Papa Bear’s Coloring & Activity Book
And The Bear Country Olympics
Paper Doll Book
And The Bear Country Circus
Christmas Tree: A Story To Color (1984 cover – Papa with an ax)
Paint With Water (1985 Happy House – incorrectly listed as “Paint Water” in many places)
Christmas Tree: A Story To Color (1986 cover – decorated tree house)
A Bear Country Alphabet Coloring Book
Count On Numbers Coloring Book
Around-The-Clock Coloring Book
On The Farm Coloring Book
Bear Scout Nature Coloring Book
Safety First Coloring Book
Paint Box Book
Trace ‘N’ Rub
And Bigpaw (With 10 Punch-Out Figures)
Go To The Doctor Coloring Book
Birthday Party Coloring Book
New Baby Coloring Book
Giant Sticker Fun (cub club treehouse cover)
Paint With Water (golf cover)
Giant Paint With Water (skating cover)
Giant Paint With Water (hiking cover)
Big Color/Activity Book (green cover with brother carrying a tree)
Giant Color/Activity Book (red cover with Papa on a unicycle)
Christmas Fun (1992 version – sled cover)
All Through The Year
Magic Pictures
Finish The Picture
Hidden Pictures
Puzzles
My Stories
Lace-ups
Mini Boxes To Color & Share
Notes To Color & Send
ABC Fun
Easter Sticker Fun
Christmas Fun (1995 version – Sister putting star on xmas tree)
Fun and Games Coloring And Activity
Christmas Fun Coloring (1996 version)
School Fun Coloring
Merry Merry Christmas
Read and Rhyme Bear Country
Easter Fun
Springtime In Bear Country
New Clothes
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
Spring Fling
Bunny Hop
Dinosaur Coloring Adventure
Party Time
Activity Book (comes with UK’s “Go To School” DVD)
Keep Your Cool Activity Book: You Don’t Have To Be Angry
Good Behavior Activity Book: Good Behavior Is Great
Talk About Feelings Activity Book: Let’s Talk About Feelings
On Vacation! Favorite Book To Color (Dalmation Press)
Go To School – Big Best Book to Color (Dalmation Press)
All Year Long! – Book To Color With Crayons (Dalmation Press)
Bear Country – Super Book To Color (Creative Edge)
Play Packs: Grab & Go!
A Big Year!
Country Play
Happy Days
Summer Fun!
Learning Is Fun!

COMPILATIONS
Berenstain Bears Sampler
Big Book Of Berenstain Bears Beginner Books
The Berenstain Bear Scouts Treasury
Big Book of Science And Nature
Big Book of Stories
Bigger Book of Stories
Adventures of The Berenstain Bears
Big Book of The Berenstain Bears
The Big Book Of Berenstain Bears Beginner Books (2011 version)
BIG Storybook Collection

CUB CLUB HARDCOVERS
Home Sweet Tree
On Time
Learn To Share
And The Spooky Shadows
Visit Fun Park
And The Broken Piggy Bank
Perfect Fishing Spot
And The Hiccup Cure
With Nothing To Do
At The Giant Mall
And The Wishing Star
All Year ‘Round
And The Baby Chipmunk
And The Summer Job
Get A Checkup
And The Big Red Kite
Family Get-Together
And The Excuse Note
Bedtime Battle
Get Jealous
Hug And Make Up
Visit Uncle Tex
Learn About Colors
Visit Farmer Ben
And The Spooky Old House
Pet Show
And The Good Deed
And The Jump Rope Contest
Birthday Boy
Lost In A Cave
At Big Bear Fair
And The Big Picture
And The Soccer Tryouts
And The Talent Show

DR. SEUSS BEGINNER BOOKS
The Big Honey Hunt
The Bike Lesson
The Bears’ Picnic
The Bear Scouts
The Bears’ Vacation
The Bears’ Christmas
The Bear Detectives
The Missing Dinosaur Bone
That Stump Must Go
The Bears’ Holiday (same book as “The Bears’ Vacation” with different title)

DR. SEUSS BRIGHT & EARLY BOOKS
Inside Outside Upside Down
Old Hat New Hat
Bears In The Night
He Bear, She Bear
The Spooky Old Tree
The Berenstain Bears On The Moon
The A Book
The B Book (Book Club Edition)
C Is For Clown (Book Club Edition)
Bears On Wheels (Book Club Edition)

FAMILY TIME BOARD BOOKS
At Big Fun Park
Pick Up And Put Away
Go To The Movies
Go Out To Eat
Easter Magic

FAMILY TIME BOOKS HARDCOVERS
Say Please and Thank You
On The Road
Help Around The House
Back To School
Hold Hands At The Big Mall
Bedtime Story
Get The Grouchies

FAMILY TIME POP-UP BOOKS (GT Publishing)
Welcome To Bear Country
In The Spooky Fun House

FIRST FIRST TIME BOOKS
Are A Family
Four Seasons
Say Good Night
At The Super Duper Market

FIRST TIME BOOKS (Random House)
Nursery Tales
New Baby
Go To School
Go To The Doctor
Moving Day
Go To Camp
Get In A Fight
And The Sitter
Visit The Dentist
In The Dark
Mama’s New Job
Meet Santa Bear (original cover artwork)
Trouble With Money
And The Truth
Too Much TV
And Too Much Junk Food
Forget Their Manners
Learn About Strangers
No Girls Allowed
Too Much Birthday
Get Stage Fright
Week At Grandma’s
Go Out For The Team
Trouble With Friends
And The Bad Habit
Trouble At School
And The Bad Dream
And The Double Dare
Get The Gimmies
And The In-Crowd
And Too Much Vacation
Trick Or Treat
And The Slumber Party
And The Prize Pumpkin
Trouble With Pets
Don’t Pollute (Anymore)
And The Trouble With Grownups
And Too Much Pressure
And The Bully
New Neighbors
And The Green-Eyed Monster
And Too Much Teasing
Count Their Blessings
And The Blame Game
Get Their Kicks
Mad, Mad, Mad Toy Craze
Think Of Those In Need
And The Big Question
The Birds, The Bees, and the Berenstain Bears
And Baby Makes Five
And The Homework Hassle
Lend A Helping Hand
Dollars and Sense
And The Excuse Note
And The Real Easter Eggs
And The Big Blooper
Report Card Trouble
Funny Valentine
And The Mama’s Day Surprise
And The Papa’s Day Surprise

FIRST TIME DO-IT! BOOKS
Cook-It!
Draw-It!
Fly-It!
Grow-It!

FIRST TIME READERS
And The Big Road Race
And The Missing Honey
Blaze A Trail
On The Job
The Day Of The Dinosaur
I Love Colors
And The Ghost Of The Forest
Ready, Get Set, Go!
After The Dinosaurs
Go To Work (British version of “On The Job”)

FIRST TIME WORKBOOKS
Get The Gimmies
Messy Room
Trouble With Money
In The Dark

HAPPY HOUSE STORY BOOKS
Knight To Remember (Hardcover)
And The Mansion Mystery (Hardcover)
Not-So-Buried Treasure (Softcover)
And The Coughing Catfish (Softcover)

HARPER COLLINS PAPERBACKS
Bedtime Battle
And The Trouble With Chores
Go On A Ghost Walk
And Too Much Car Trip
Hug And Make Up
And The Trouble With Commercials
And The Big Spelling Bee
Trim The Tree
Lose A Friend
Baby Easter Bunny
And The Bad Influence
Really Big Pet Show
Valentine Party
Safe And Sound!
Sick Days
Go Out To Eat
And The Haunted House
Computer Trouble
Come Clean For School
Winter Wonderland

HARPER COLLINS LARGE HARDCOVERS
Save Christmas
Go Back To School
Go On Vacation
Big Bedtime Book

HARPER FESTIVAL BOARD BOOKS
Sister Bear Learns To Share
Brother Bear Loves Dinosaurs

I CAN READ BOOKS (Harper Collins)
Clean House
New Pup
And The Baby Chipmunk
Play T-Ball
And The Wishing Star
Seashore Treasure
Down On The Farm
Out West
New Kitten
Sleepover
Family Reunion
Class Trip
All Aboard!
Reading Is Fun With The Berenstain Bears (3 Book Collection)
Kitten Rescue
Neighbor In Need
Shaggy Little Pony
Mama’s Helpers
And The Lost Little Cub

JELLYBEAN BOOKS
Get The Screamies
Get The Don’t Haftas
Get The Noisies
Get The Scaredies
Get The Twitchies

LIVING LIGHTS ZONDERKIDS SERIES
Say Their Prayers
And The Golden Rule
Go To Sunday School
God Loves You!
Play A Good Game
Love Their Neighbors
Give Thanks
Faithful Friends
Discover God’s Creation
Do Their Best
Hurry To Help
Learn To Share
And A Job Well Done
And The Gift Of Courage
Kindness Counts
Show God’s Love
And The Joy Of Giving
The Forgiving Tree
Here’s The Church, Here’s The Steeple
Gossip Gang
Follow God’s Word
Jobs Around Town
Holy Bible
Let The Bible Be Your Guide
Perfect Fishing Spot
Reap The Harvest
Trouble With Secrets
Show Some Respect
Get Ready For Christmas

LONG JOHN SILVER’S ACTIVITY BOOKS
Manners Count
School Smarts
Good Sports
Fun Times

McDONALD’S BOOKS
Attic Treasure
Substitute Teacher
Eager Beavers
Life With Papa
Attic Treasure Activity Book
Substitute Teacher Activity Book
Eager Beavers Activity Book
Life With Papa Activity Book

MEET QUESTRON
One-Two-Three How Many Wheels Can You See?
Left Right Stop Go And Other Things You Need To Know

MISC. BERENSTAIN BEARS BOOKS
Counting Book
Papa’s Pizza (A Sniffy Book)
The Bears’ Activity Book
Storybook Tree House
The Berenstain Bears Designs In Cross Stitch (Country Cross Stitch)
Mysterious Numbers (Fisher Price Talk-To-Me Book)
Stamp Fun
Make-And-Do Book
Baby Bear’s Toys ‘N Noises
How To Get Along At School (Kid Stuff Record And Book)
How To Get Along With Your Fellow Bear (Kid Stuff Record and Book)
Magic Slate (with family in car picture)
Postcard Book
Family Favorites: My Play A Tune Book
On The Road (1992 Random House – book is shaped like a car w/wheels)
Earthsaver Calendar For 1993
Home Sweet Tree (Lift The Flap Book)
Family Tree House (Pop Up Sound Up)
In The Movies (Yes! Interactive Where Is It? Book)
Go Shopping
Home Sweet Tree (Play Along Stories Edition 1995)
Visit The Big City (Playskool Magic Touch Talking Book)
Visit The Big Museum (Playskool Magic Touch Talking Book)
When We Grow Up (Playskool Magic Touch Talking Book)
And The Spooky Fun House (Golden Sight ‘n’ Sound Book)
Big Rummage Sale (Golden Sight ‘n’ Sound Book)
All Time Favorite Nursery Songs
And The Messy Messy Room (My First Colorforms Book)
And Their Forest Friends (My First Colorforms Book)
And The Secret Clubhouse (My First Colorforms Book)
Go To Grizzlyland (Fisher-Price PowerTouch Learning System Book)
The Berenstain Bears’ Red Roadster (Book that comes w/toy car)
And The Substitue Teacher (GT Family Time Version)
Book Of Values (Cloth Book)

NON FICTION AND VINTAGE
Berenstains’ Baby Book
Lover Boy
What Dr. Freud Didn’t Tell You
It’s All In The Family
The Berenstains (Young At Heart)
Children’s Authors: Stan & Jan Berenstain
The Bear Essentials
Down A Sunny Dirt Road: An Autobiography
Child’s Play: The Berenstain Baby Boom

RANDOM HOUSE MINI-STORYBOOK SERIES
Go Fly A Kite
Soccer Star
To The Rescue
And The Dinosaurs
And The Wild Wild Honey
Shoot The Rapids
And The Big Election
And The Neighborly Skunk

RANDOM HOUSE PEEK-A-BOARD BOOKS
In Big Bear City
Yikes! Yikes! Where’s My Trike?

SCHOLASTIC PAPERBACKS
The Berenstain Bears’ Thanksgiving
The Berenstain Bears’ Comic Valentine
The Berenstain Bears Play Ball
The Berenstain Bears Easter Surprise
The Whole Year Through

STEP INTO READING (Random House)
Go In And Out
Big Bear Small Bear
Ride The Thunderbolt
Catch The Bus: A Tell The Time Story
In The House Of Mirrors
Go Up And Down
We Like Kites
By The Sea
And The Missing Watermelon Money
And The Tic-Tac-Toe Mystery
And The Escape Of The Bogg Brothers

STEPPING STONE BOOKS
The Wrong Crowd
The Haunted Lighthouse
The Goofy, Goony Guy
The Runamuck Dog Show
Too Small For The Team
Ride Like The Wind

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS MAGIC WAND SPEAK & LEARN
The Berenstain Bears On The Job
The Berenstain Bears Olympics

VARIOUS HARD COVERS
The Berenstain Bears Christmas Tree (Random House)
The Berenstain Bears Christmas Tree (Living Lights 2009 Edition)
Say Please And Thank You

YES! INTERACTIVE COMES TO LIFE BOOKS
And The Eager Beavers
Life With Papa
And The Mysterious Numbers
Not-So-Buried Treasure

BERENSTAIN BEAR BOOKS I AM LOOKING FOR:
(if you have any info about these books please email me!)
Go to School (Happy House, 1990)
Halloween Fun (Family Time, 1997)
Scribble Magic (Happy House, 1985) (I think this is actually called “Magic Picture Riddle Book”)
Fun Book (Golden 1992)
Fun With The Berenstain Bears (Stickers) (American Greetings)

I am also looking for the following two books in their original size/editions, I currently have the Grolier Book Club editions and
I want the originals with the letter and number at the bottom of the spine:
Bears On Wheels (Non Book Club Edition)
The B Book (Not Book Club Edition)

I love communicating with other collectors and fans, so don’t hesitate to write! When books are added I update my list at www.jeremygloff.com. If you love the bears or have any questions email me at deargloffy@gmail.com !!!!

2008 was a kick ass year for a fan of the retro divas. Both Donna Summer and Grace Jones stepped out of hiding after more than 17 years since their last albums. Madonna, Mariah, and Janet faced off. And Cyndi and Carly quietly trumped them all. Late in the year Marianne Faithfull showed up with her first album in a couple years. And Britney Spears released an infectious irresistible slice of bubble gum crap that we will all hate to love. Here are Gloffy’s thoughts on the new albums I purchased in 2008.

JANET JACKSON – DISCIPLINE

When word leaked out that Janet, Mariah, and Madonna all had new albums coming out, everyone wondered who the winner would be. The initial reports speculated that all three albums may be released in the same month. As it turned out, Janet beat the other two to the punch by a couple months.

At first glance, it all seemed so promising. Janet’s lead single “Feedback” pumped with a killer hook, modern production, and the most potential of any Janet single in recent memory. Initial promo clips that showed up Perez Hilton showed Janet donning a sleek robotic look. It promised to be very post-modern, very “now”.

As the weeks leading up to the album flew by, despite positive reviews “Feedback” stalled on the charts. Then pre-release reviews forecasted a less than amazing album. Early listens to sound clips disappointed.

In the end, DISCIPLINE turned out to be yet another disappointment in the Janet Jackson cannon. DAMITA JO was spotty, 20 Y.O. had its moments, but DISCIPLINE turned out to be Janet’s first complete artistic and commercial bomb. As Janet ages, the faster she runs to catch trends, the more it leaves her career out of breath. Sales were dismal, and subsequent singles were regulated to late night gay club play. A far cry from the pop star releasing gems as late in the game as 2001′s “All For You”. The fact that Janet didn’t write most of the album was another nail in the coffin. The pop star who once served innovative and personal masterpieces like THE VELVET ROPE was now regulated to a producer vehicle. This vehicle ran out of gas fast.

The future of Janet seems bleak indeed. Her last tour flopped, and public interest is at an all time low. How disappointing. I really love Janet. If only she’d cover up those titties and reclaim her artistic side. One and a half out of five stars.

DOLLY PARTON – BACKWOODS BARBIE

Dolly Parton is in her fifth decade. The 60s found her duetting with Cole Porter. The 70s found her going solo and recording some of the most heartfelt and classic country music ever. The 80s found her morphing into a comedic and campy public caricature. The 90s found her star fading while she continued to record mediocre albums. In the early part of this decade Dolly reclaimed her crown. With a series of bluegrass album Dolly Parton reasserted just how effective her songwriting skills are. The pinnacle of this resurgence was the middle album LITTLE SPARROW. Dolly’s bleak and rural mountain songs rang with an emotion and execution unparalleled.

What has plagued Dolly’s career most is the inconsistency of her output. For every jewel in her artistic crowd there’s a series of duds. Following the bluegrass trilogy Dolly has since released four albums. BACKWOODS BARBIE is the latest and it’s terrible. With this album Dolly tries to recapture the mainstream country audience with little success. The glossy production isn’t endearing, and the nadir of this offering is the gender-reversed cover of the Fine Young Cannibal’s “She Drives Me Crazy”. (Now named “You Drive Me Crazy”). I purchased BACKWOODS BARBIE and Janet’s DISCIPLINE on the same day, and ended up just playing my own album on the way home. Dolly’s strongest suit as a writer is as the Smoky Mountain bluegrass siren. This album misses that golden mark by miles. One out of five stars.

CARLY SIMON – THIS KIND OF LOVE

Only weeks before Mariah and Madonna were set to drop their new albums Carly snuck in with this low key offering released on Starbuck’s now defunct Hear Music label. At first listen the one was almost dismissed as a clunker, but further listening revealed the album to be up to the standard of Carly’s best 70s and 80s work. The best songs on this album are carefully crafted with the precision and heart that makes Carly Simon’s music so unique. Especially effective are the opening trilogy of songs. The lead off title track features a soft samba groove and romantic lyrics. “Hold Out Your Heart” could easily hold court with Simon’s best 70s material. In this track the harmonies swell and burst with the power that only Simon can muster. The drum-loop heavy “People Say A lot” seemed ridiculous at first…but that ridiculousness turned out to be its charm. “People Say A lot” crawls with the anger and camp not much different from past Carly Simon classics in this genre (“Big Dumb Guy” from THE BEDROOM TAPES, The entire SPOILED GIRL album.) The almost would be a five star release, but the album loses a bit of steam in the second half. Four out of five stars.

MARIAH CAREY – E = MC2

Pre-release buzz for this album was at fever pitch. Mariah herself purred that if the previous EMANCIPATION OF MIMI was dinner, this new offering would be dessert. Early forecasts from industry listening parties were enthusiastic. Even record exec L.A. Reid said in an interview that Madonna was wildly foolish for releasing an album around the same time as Mariah.

The fever pitch was further elevated by the release of the album’s debut single “Touch My Body”. The song was an instant classic upon first listen. It was familiar yet fresh. It was classic Mariah Carey but with a new injection of sexy female empowerment. I was immediately sold.

My friend Sam and I were so stoked about the album’s release that we set up a lunch date centered around it. The plan was to buy the album, sample the tracks, eat hot dogs, and fall in love with the album. With great fever we rushed to my car and listened to ten second snippets of each track. Maybe it was the hot Florida sun getting to us but Sam and I made a premature proclamation that afternoon that E=MC2 was in fact a much better album than EMANCIPATION OF MIMI.
After lunch I went home to my normal post-new-album purchase ritual. I lit incense. I laid on my bed with the lyric sheet. And I began at track one.

By track three of E=MC2 I found myself irritated. I became a Mariah fan during GLITTER, at which point I went and bought Mariah’s entire back catalog. I was familiar with her work. As I read the lyrics and listened to the songs it became apparent that eighteen years into her career Mariah Carey had discovered ebonics. I take great interest in the lyrics of a song…and damned if 90% of these tracks didn’t heavily incorporate urban slang. I have zero issue with urban slang, however it felt very false coming from Mariah Carey. Especially this late in the game. To me, it felt like shrewd marketing targeted at a more urban crowd rather than a natural evolution of speech. Mariah Carey has never been the most genuine artist out there, but never did she seem as affected and false and when she sang lines like “wherever I go he be cruisin’, turn to the right, oh he’s so smooth with it”.

Luckily, there were a couple tracks that sort of redeemed the album, and “Migrate” got a lot of plays on camp value alone. “Loving You Long Time” was pleasant enough. Mariah turned out to be absolutely correct…the album was much like dessert. All fluff and no substance.

Overall, this album fell miles short of expectation. Two out of five stars.

CYNDI LAUPER – BRING YA TO THE BRINK

Let’s face it. No one was really paying attention about the upcoming Cyndi Lauper album. I casually peeped her wikipedia page here and there. But basically I mentally regulated this as one of those albums I would pick up out of obligation, quickly to fall to the wayside.

My initial fears regarding this album came true. The first couple tracks were in the style of the generic gay club house I so feared. Lead singles “Set Your Heart” and “Same Old Story” both reeked of the horrible generic thump that’s been glued to us since the 90s. These were the kind of songs that would fit perfect during a SEX IN THE CITY scene featuring drag queens and Samantha Jones at her most “fierce”. I figured I could endure bad-gay-house-music Cyndi Lauper until her next album…when she got back to the good heartfelt stuff.

I bought the album at Borders without much fanfare. The cover art was quirky in a cool way. I put the album in my stereo and was prepared to jump through the tracks rather quickly. To my delight I found that Cyndi had released the absolute two worst songs from the album as singles!

BRING YA TO THE BRINK turned out to be as relevant, imaginative, heartfelt, and consistent as any of Cyndi’s best albums. Both “Into The Nightlife” and “Echo” found Cyndi venturing into new electronic genres…with her penchant for gut-wrenching gorgeous choruses intact. “Rocking Chair” thumped along with an electronic and rootsy vibe. Even the opening track “High And Mighty” was both off center and low key.

A few of the tracks were throwaways, but overall Cyndi Lauper showed up in 2008 with an album that reminded us just how precious and talented she is. A strong four out of five stars.

MADONNA – HARD CANDY

Any new Madonna album is met with great anticipation. Especially from the die hard fans like myself. Truth be told, with this album the signs did not look so good…perhaps for the first time in Madonna’s entire career. Early leaked demos were lukewarm and boring. Even the concept of Madonna working with past-the-moment producers like Pharell and Timbaland seemed a bit sketchy.

The closer the album got, the more that dread set in. Originally the album was to be titled GIVE IT TO ME which didn’t give cause for much celebration. The next rumored title was LICCORICE which also failed the thrill. By the time the official album title was released, HARD CANDY, it was already clear that this was an album without a strong concept.

The leaking of the album’s cover art also did little to light a fire under the project. The prospect of a butch forty nine year old Madonna with her legs wide open did little to appeal. Whereas Madonna’s sexuality once empowered and seemed frisky and daring, this new guise felt a little desperate and washed up. During the TRUTH OR DARE era that was little doubt that Madonna was spreading her legs both in and out of the photography studio. Fast-forward to 2008 and I am reluctant to accept that Madonna’s raunchy pose accurately portrayed who she is today as a person or an artist. At most, the cover was a testimony that aging woman can still look “hot” by stereotypical society standards. Such a statement would be extremely powerful had it been accompanied by music asserting a mature sexual adult woman. This was not to be the case.

HARD CANDY did in fact turn out to be better than expected. “Candy Shop” revealed itself to be much more fun than the demo leak indicated. “Incredible” and “She’s Not Me” both triumphed with experimental arrangements and sounds. “Miles Away” was a catchy and emotional Madonna track. Even “Voices” and “The Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You” began to show their charms after repeated listens. Of course no matter how many spins you gave “Spanish Lesson” it still was the absolute worst song Madonna had ever released.

One must mention the lead single “4 Minutes”. When I first head the song I wrote it off as a horrible clunker. Eventually I grew to love it. The video was killer. The song itself…I am so blinded by my Madonna love I think it’s hard for me to judge fairly. The single was huge, and it was cool to have a current Madonna song that I could sing along to with my mainstream friends. That alone gave the single some positive light.

The worst thing about HARD CANDY was the way Madonna’s voice was recorded. The younger Madonna singing in her high register sounded cute and poppy. Middle aged Madonna singing in her high register sounded shrill and strained. Madonna is much more effective singing in her lower range.

So after all is said and done, the supposed purpose of HARD CANDY was to give us some music that was fun and carefree. Unfortunately even Madonna didn’t sound like she was having much fun on the record. Still, us Madonna fans learned every word and played it over and over, because it’s a Madonna record. Luckily the Sticky & Sweet tour saved this entire Madonna era from complete. As for HARD CANDY, I give it three and a half out of five stars.

DONNA SUMMER – CRAYONS

I was so apathetic about the new Donna Summer album that I completely forgot about it at first on its release date. I am admittedly a fan of her prior album, 1991′s MISTAKEN IDENTITY. But since that hit and miss effort, Donna had reduced herself to a variety of unremarkable niches. There was the Christmas album. Yuk. The frequent tours on the oldies circuit. And worst of all, the numerous one-off singles mostly in the unimpressive genre of generic gay house. I am a huge Summer fan, and I shook my head that one of the pioneers of the dance movement was cutting such bland faceless dance singles.

Enter CRAYONS. I heard a couple of the songs on You Tube prior to the album and they didn’t catch my interest much. I rushed into Target to buy that album on my way to a dinner date with a straight guy. As I put the album into my Cd player and was running expectedly late, I hated CRAYONS at first. The album at first seemed desperate with trend-chasing. And worst of all…it seemed Donna was incorporating hip youth lingo into her lyrics…which was awkward at best…unlistenable at worst.

But damned if I didn’t fall in love with this album more and more with each listen. The songs were irresistibly catchy. And more importantly, varied. And with closer listening it was quite evident Donna herself was having a ball making this album. I hadn’t heard Donna Summer sounding this spirited and invested on a record in years.

“Stamp Your Feet” was a true anthem, and it was cool going to gay clubs and hearing a new Donna Summer cut. “Mr. Music” and “The Queen Is Back” were camp at its most catchy and fun. “Sand On My Feet” is the most gorgeous romantic song Donna Summer has ever recorded. My personal favorite cut is “Science Of Love” that charges along with the same intensity and desperation of Donna’s best early 80s cuts in the same vein.

After all is said and Donna, I never would expect that Donna Summer would eclipse the big three…Janet, Madonna, and Mariah. But quietly she did. CRAYONS is a later-career masterpiece that shows its rewards with repeated listens. Kudos to Donna for not making a modern generic dance record. By shifting from modern pop, dance, jazz, ballad, country, and new age Donna Summer truly did show the variety in her box of CRAYONS. This was a classic. Five out of five stars.

EMMYLOU HARRIS – ALL I INTENDED TO BE

When I caught wind that the forthcoming Emmylou album was going to be produced by Brian Ahern I was super stoked. Ahren was the producer of all the early classic Emmylou albums. They were a married couple, so the subsequent divorce naturally led to a creative parting. They say time heals wounds, and the two did a one off song together on a Rhino comp a couple years ago. The prospect of a Harris/Ahern full length thrilled.

1970s Emmylou Harris was earthy, rootsy, polished, and classic. The albums were a potent blend of bluegrass, 1970s L.A. country-pop, all with a singer/songwriter vibe (even if Emmylou wasn’t a frequent writer herself.) In the mid 1990s Harris shook it up by working with producer Daniel Lanois (famous for his work on classic U2 records.) Since then most of Harris’ output has maintained that spacy, ethereal alt-country vibe. Lots of echo, reverb, and musical effects. While that new sound is classic in its own right, by Harris’ last solo full length, STUMBLE INTO GRACE, the sound had run its course. So a turn back to her roots seemed perfectly timed.

The album’s stark black and white photography was gorgeous. As I slipped the CD in the player I was immediately moved to tears by the opening track “Shores Of White Sand”. The way the music and harmonies swelled…well it was like it was 1980 all over again.

Well turns out, it was 1980 over again. Harris and Ahern took a music track recorded in 1980, took off the vocals of the original (and deceased) singer, and added Emmylou’s vocals.

Elsewhere the album wasn’t as reminiscent of Harris and Ahern’s 1970s prime. The album charged along with a stark simplicity and gloom. Never had Emmylou Harris as boldly and blatantly addressed her older age…and the always approaching day of death that all of us face.

ALL I INTENDED TO BE is not an album for the optimistic or carefree. It’s an honest and stark album recorded and written by someone later in their life, addressing the concerns of that age. I didn’t listen to the album as much as some others that came out this year…but truth is that has more to do with where I am at in life than the merits of the album itself. I wish the album had been more of a throwback to the sound of Harris’ 1970s slick albums, but I’m fully aware that artists rarely look backwards. Kudos to Harris for still moving forward thirty-something years into her career. Four and half out of five stars.

JEREMY GLOFF – 1987

In this great year of pop music I released my own 1980s dance album. I think it’s one of my most solid albums…I edited myself hard this time and knocked the album down to 13 tracks as opposed to the previous albums 18. What this album lacked in the sincerity and emotional investment of my previous albums, it made up for in fun and catchiness. Naturally I give myself five out of five stars!

GRACE JONES – HURRICANE

With Grace’s last proper full length being 1989′s horrible BULLETPROOF HEART and her last truly great album being 1985′s SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM, it was up in the air how this one would go. Of course everyone got a sneak preview when the track “Corporate Cannibal” leaked onto You Tube…and that song was great. The odds were looking positive.

When Grace put the album up on her myspace page all doubts were squished. HURRICANE contained the best elements of Grace’s gravy Compass Point years updated and vibrant. With her signature sound intact, lyrically HURRICANE presented the most mature and personal Grace Jones the world has ever seen. Best track was the autobiographical “William’s Blood” which was a collaboration with Wendy and Lisa. There wasn’t a stinker on this album. Four and a half out of five stars.

BRITNEY SPEARS – CIRCUS

I became interested in Brit after her mental meltdown. Before that, she was an erasable blip on the pop culture radar. With my interest up, I purchased BLACKOUT, which turned out to be a cult-sleeper. With repeated listens, BLACKOUT revealed itself to be on of the catchiest, darkest, most hedonistic pop/dance albums of 2007.

Fast forward to 2008 and after a mental health hiatus America’s beloved Britney Spears has returned. All flowing blonde hair and big smiles.

As a marketed product CIRCUS is flawless. The songs take the most accessible elements of BLACKOUT and drop them into a more commercial digestible pop setting. CIRCUS presents classic Spears with enough left over grit to appeal to both the mainstream and the underground.

As far as high art, CIRCUS is a worthless piece of crap. The vocals are completely autotuned. The songs are fluffy, fun, and catchy. It’s a flawless pop record from beginning to end. “If You Seek Amy” is the catchiest disguised double-entendre in recent memory. “Womanizer” is a killer hit single, and the title track mixes the edgy with the catchy. I’m sure CIRCUS will keep Spears on the positive side of the pop culture map for a couple years. When I’m in the mood for something mindless, well-crafted, and fun CIRCUS fits the bill. This album was everything HARD CANDY tried but failed to be. I have to give CIRCUS two ratings. On one hand it gets zero stars, because it’s a shame what the general public wants and gets these days. On the other hand it gets five stars, because for modern pop music it doesn’t get any better than this.

MARIANNE FAITHFULL – EASY COME EASY GO

Marianne Faithfull has a sterling track record. In her four decade career, rarely has Faithfull ever artistically mis-stepped. This is both a blessing and a curse. With each subsequent album there’s the expectation to be met. Of course, Marianne Faithfull probably could give two shits. Ever the trail-blazer, Marianne seems to create daring projects without consideration of approval. If anything it has usually proven that in Marianne’s case…the bigger the artistic risk the greater the reward. Case in point: her last album BEFORE THE POISON was a collaboration with Nick Cave and PJ Harvey that won in spades.

EASY COME EASY GO was produced by Hal Wilner, the man also behind the boards for 1987′s STRANGE WEATHER. While STRANGE WEATHER was an cover album of standards, this new album covered both oldies and songs by current relevant bands. And of course it’s only on a Marianne Faithfull album where a Dolly Parton cover would be sequenced next to a Neko Case song.

Upon first listen I felt Marianne’s voice was abrasive on this album in a less endearing way than usual. Of course, with any high art, sometimes one doesn’t “get it” at first. Such was the case with this album. The more I spun it, the more its nuances and quirks became evident. And most importantly, the more the absolute POWER of the songs was revealed.

As always Marianne gives a riveting and impassioned performance. Knowing that many of these songs were cut in one take with a live band only furthers ones respect for the project. The album came in two versions: a ten track CD, and also a three disc version with a second eight-song disc and a documentary DVD. The first disc is solid and classic, and the second one is still growing on me. There really are no stand out tracks on the album—the selections are extremely varied and consistently successful. This is another stellar release from Marianne Faithfull. Five out of five stars.

WENDY AND LISA – WHITE FLAGS OF WINTER CHIMNEYS
The final release that has interested me is the new release by Wendy And Lisa. Only for the sake of reference will I mention that these ladies came into prominence as members of Prince and The Revolution. Since leaving the Prince fold…the girls have gone on to produce five solid albums of their own. This is the latest, and it’s a classic.

There are no surprises on this album. Wendy and Lisa have always excelled at mid-tempo dreamy introspective jams. But rather than experiment this time out Wendy and Lisa refined. There’s a world-weary maturity in these songs that can only be gained by time and experience. Recorded and released completely independently, Wendy And Lisa were left to their own devices. The songs swirl with memories, regrets, sadness, hope, and closure. Wendy and Lisa have always delivered albums there were mostly consistent from beginning to end. WHITE FLAGS continues and ups that standard…the songs flow together as a suite of songs united.

In stark contrast to the manufactured pop music of today, WHITE FLAGS is a breath of fresh and sincere air. I have a lot of respect for artists going the independent route and creating art just for the sake of it. This album deserves a lot more exposure than the mainstream press will probably give it. But that’s the beauty of the whole thing in a way…by means of grass roots exposure true artists will connect with those who they need to connect with. This album is another five star release from Wendy and Lisa.

QUICK TAKES

PRETENDERS – BREAK UP THE CONCRETE

The last Pretenders album I LOVED was LAST OF THE INDEPENDENTS. Neither VIVA EL AMOR nor LOOSE SCREW failed to excite me. On this new album Chrissie is fierce and inspired. Easily the best (and most artistically forward) Pretenders album in years, the band dabbles in Americana and it fits like a glove. Four out of five stars.

ALANIS MORISSETTE – FLAVORS OF ENTANGLEMENT

Easily the best Alanis album since INFACTUATION JUNKIE. The songs are catchy, well produced, and for the first time in awhile sincere. This album got a bit lost in my shuffle, but I really enjoyed it the times I listened to it. A solid four and a half out of five stars.

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM – GIFT OF SCREWS

After putting this album on the shelf for over ten years, Buckingham finally finishes the job. This album mixes Buckingham’s best pop elements with his knack for experimentation. Buckingham always comes out a winner when he is able to equally balance the two, as he did on this album. Compared to his murky and tuneless experiments on Fleetwood Mac’s SAY YOU WILL, GIFT OF SCREWS is an enjoyable and successful listen. Four out of five stars.

ALICIA BRIDGES – FAUX DIVA XXX

On this album Alicia culls and remasters the remainder of her unreleased back catalog, and throws in a couple unreleased early years tracks. While not as essential as last year’s SAY IT SISTER, FAUX DIVA does include the savage “Self Applause” and the wonderful “Breakaway”. Now that Bridges has recapped her vintage catalog let’s hope she starts writing some new material. Three out of five stars.

THE THOMPSON TWINS – All 3 of the Twins classic albums have been reiussed as double disc sets, as well as their first two albums being released on CD finally. This is definitely of note to Thompson Twins fans.

THE KILLERS – DAY & AGE

They have yet to do anything as interesting (and let’s face it, great) as HOT FUSS, but this album is fun enough. Three and a half out of five stars.

JOHN MELLENCAMP – LIFE DEATH LOVE AND FREEDOM

A serious, somber affair from Mellencamp. Haunting and gorgeous. Five out of five stars.

So overall, this has been one awesome year for the music I love. 2009 doesn’t promise as many classics as this year. My most anticipated release is Courtney Love’s NOBODY’S DAUGHTER. We have an Annie Lennox greatest hits to look foward to, as well as a Madonna compilation. The new Teena Marie album CONGO SQAURE sounds exciting, and that’s about it. Oh, and yet another Fleetwood Mac RUMOURS reissue. Yawn. Happy Holidays everyone, and may be beat go on.

Love,
Jeremy Gloff