A regular feature of sweaty bloggopotamus, Friday Reviews is a look at from one to a google plex things I've read, watched, heard, felt, tasted and/or smelled. While I hope these reviews to be of recent or interesting things, they will always be of things I love or hate or which have surpassed or sorely missed my expectations. In other words, its my two cents (which after adjusting for intellectual inflation and multiplying by the 'insight factor' and dividing by the quality of the review, is actually one cent - and that's on my better days).
I listened to the audiobook version of Bossypants, because, well, I don't actually read too many books unless they're in large print. But, I would have listened to the audiobook anyway because it's read by Tina Fey.
'Hot damn!' I thought. "This will be as funny as Jon Stewart's first book, easy." And then I listened to the audiobook.
The audiobook was only five CDs - probably the shortest one I've ever listened to. Well, short isn't bad. If I'm going to compare it with Stewart's Naked Pictures of Famous People, they have their brevity in common. But, they don't have much else in common.
I don't know what I was expecting other than "funny", but somehow Bossypants wasn't it. "Oh," you say to yourself, "Eric didn't like it." Wrong. &^>
Stewart's book was snarky and biting and very funny; just like the man himself. Bossypants is definitely funny, but it's self-reflective and grateful. There is some biting humor, but not that's aimed at a named individual. This (audio)book is more memoir than comedy skit. I learned how much Fey loves her family and her job, and heard some hilarious anecdotes from her life. I think maybe Stewart was the wrong person to compare her to in her effort, but I couldn't know until I came out the other side that Bossypants would more resemble something written by a perky David Sedaris. I can only wonder if Fey is like her book, I hope so.
Oh, and other audiobook producers, take note: Tina Fey included pictures in a PDF which she referenced often (there were 24 images). This was brilliant.
Bossypants gets two enthusiastic thumbs up from me.
I have long been a fan of this band and frontman Ben Gibbard's side-project, The Postal Service. Therefore, I expected I would at the very least, like this album. I have also had the good fortune to see this band perform live a couple of times, and really, really like the rougher edge of their live performances. Because of both of these factors, I really enjoyed my first listen through of the album. Several songs, including the first track, "Home is a Fire", have a rougher edge to them than the normal DCfC song, and this is a good thing. This album wasn't just a continuation of Plans, but growth to the band's sound.
I mentioned liking the album after the first listen-through. That's a pretty big deal, as normally I may like a few songs, but to like a whole album takes multiple (sometimes many multiple) listenings. I've heard the album completely through four times now and I still feel good about it, and have yet not been able to pick out any one or two singles to add to my "Great Fucking Music" playlist on my iPod. (I have a rule of not adding more than two songs per album to this playlist - I have other playlists for great albums, which Codes and Keys has ben added to.)
Codes and Keys gets a well-earned A from me.
Pete Yorn is the fourth studio album by ... Pete Yorn. I have been a big fan of his ever since I heard "Life on a Chain" back in 2001 or 2002. I am never disappointed with his albums and this one does not break that trend. Upon listening to this album, I think pretty much the same thing I think when I listen to all of his albums, namely, "Why the HELL is he not more famous?" He writes his own songs, there always at least a couple of catchy and accessible songs on each album. He's a good looking guy. And from what I've heard from interviewers, he's a really nice guy. Maybe if he were an asshole he would be more famous?
I'll keep doing my bit for Pete Yorn. I'm listening to the new album even as I write this and think this is his best effort yet. This album has a slightly rougher sound than the last two and is less produced than his previous attempts. Both of these are a good thing.
Am I seeing a trend with new music - to be rougher than previous efforts? Hard to tell from just two albums, but this is one artist that I think can benefit from it, and I know that I as the listener certainly do.
Pete Yorn gets a 9.1 out of 10.0 from me.
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