Posts by Jeff LaSala (11)

This, the fourth installment of Dreamlines, my highly-biased Rush review serial, has taken me a while to come to. For many reasons, but namely because of the seminal, grandiose nature of the album at hand. It's intimidating. Am I, a humble fantasy novelist and member of music's laity, qualified to critique such a work? Well, no, but then I am a rabid fan and surely will have more good things to say than not. I'm speaking, of course, about those four numerals...

The third installment of this serial submits one of cerealdom's most confused—and yet undeniably tasty—grain-based breakfast victuals. Why so confused? How can a breakfast cereal suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder? It can. Read on.

Here, then, is the third and long-overdue installment of Dreamlines, my Rush review serial. If you've read the first two so far, then you're a pretty cool person. Seriously, pat yourself on the back. Today I talk about the band's notorious third album, Caress of Steel.

Halloween is not so far behind us yet. So before all things spectral completely slip from our minds under the crushing weight of recent Election Day, upcoming Christmas, and to a lesser extent the imminent Thanksgiving....let us take a brief moment to look upon a cereal incorporeal for most of the year but found with greater frequency during the harvest season (and at affordable cost, too).

Blueberries and disembodied spirits. Like chocolate and peanut-butter, this humble planet of ours spun many times before someone realized these two things need to go together somehow. Boo Berry® was that means.

We also carved pumpkins and stuff! We also took crazy pictures! Look at them!

In honor of Halloween, I will begin my new serial, Cerealization, with a review of Count Chocula®. I don't normally buy "sugar cereals"—and I was very rarely allowed to have any as a kid—but I may make an exception for the sake of this serial.

Chocolate. And vampirism. Two great things that taste great together.

Here is the second installment of Dreamlines, wherein I will give you my thickly-biased layman's review of every music release from Rush. Today I talk about the band's second album and the very one that roped me in with some fantasy sleight of hand. If you know nothing about Rush, and would like to know what the big deal is, consider the review of a fan that tells it like it is.

Here begins the first installment of my serial, Dreamlines, wherein I will give my unapologetic and heavily-biased layman's review of every music release from the best band in the universe—which is of course the Canadian rock trio Rush. I realize this is a very selective serial and may not interest many, but I also know that I'm in good company here at Sidedown and that I'm among at least a few Rush friends.

So the first installment is for Rush's self-titled first album...

On Wednesday I took Marisa, for her birthday, to see a Broadway production of Macbeth at the Lyceum Theater, starring Captain Jean-Luc Pic....I mean, Patrick Stewart. While I certainly enjoy a good Shakespeare movie, I certainly read more novels than plays so I can't consider myself a drama critic or even a theater enthusiast. But, I know a thing or two about storytelling and I certainly can appreciate a director’s take of a dark story like this one.

This Macbeth is on a limited run, and if you have any opportunity to see it, consider it seeing it. It’s very good. There, that’s my short review. For more, read on!

A Rush album review coming from me is a little bit like Cookie Monster reviewing the latest incarnation of the Double Stuff Oreo®. I mean, you know he's going to like them. But not all cookies are created equal, and I think even Cookie Monster would agree. Just so, neither are Rush albums.

As a Rush freak, I can recommend specific albums to just about anyone, knowing there's a chance they'll be won over by some intriguing lyrics or impressive musicianship. Moving Pictures. Counterparts. But I don't think I'd ever recommend a live album to someone who isn't already a fan. You sort of need to like these guys to get into their live sound. That said, I'm going to give my fan opinion of their new album, Snakes & Arrows Live. Slither on in and listen up...