Various Artists
Halloween Hootenanny
1998
Who better to serve up a high-powered Halloween soundtrack than Rob Zombie himself? Here, everyone's favorite
hellbilly offers up 19 tracks from a veritable Who's Who of modern garage rock. The styles run from
psychobilly (Reverend Horton Heat) to surf (Satan's Pilgrims) to trash (Southern Culture on the Skids). Boo.
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William Gaddis
The Recognitions
1955
Before there was Pynchon, or Vollmann, or Foster Wallace, or any of those other "difficult" American writers,
there was William Gaddis. The Recognitions, his first novel, is almost fractal in the way it continually
rewards the reader. As you dive into the story, then sections, then paragraphs, then sentences, and finally into
obscure references, your admiration builds and builds. Tackling authenticity, modernity, originality, and
piety, Gaddis's work stands towering as a modern classic.
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Greg Mottola
The Daytrippers
1997
A close-knit family is a good thing, right? In The Daytrippers, Long Island housewife Eliza finds a
mysterious love letter in her husband's pocket. After sharing her fears with her parents, her sister, and her
sister's boyfriend, the entire crew piles into the station wagon and heads for Manhattan to get to the bottom of
things. Throughout this low-key odyssey, writer/director Mottola focuses on smaller battles, played wonderfully
by his ensemble cast (Hope Davis, Parker Posey, Liev Schreiber) and resulting in an unexpected conclusion.
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Charlie Papazian
The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing
1991
Good beer is a good thing, and, as it turns out, making it
yourself isn't exactly rocket science. With the help of this homebrewer's bible and the expertise of your
local brewstore, you too can cook up anything from Bohemian pilsener to Toad Spit Stout. Just remember Mr.
Papazian's credo: "Relax. Don't worry. Have a homebrew."
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Iron Maiden
The Number of the Beast
1982
Take this album, add a black denim jacket, a case of Meister Brau, and some long hair and you've got yourself a
first-rate high-school heavy metal starter kit. A devilish conglomeration of Norse war epic, Patrick McGoohan
tribute, and Revelation 13:18 read by Vincent Price, The Number of the Beast should be the keystone of
every headbanger's collection. Please listen with index fingers and pinkies extended.
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F. Scott Fitzgerald
Babylon Revisited and Other Stories
1999
"Everybody's youth is a dream, a form of chemical madness," Fitzgerald writes in The Diamond as Big as the
Ritz. Yet, in this collection's title story, youthful dreams have given way to relentless loneliness and
loss. Whether they're dissipated expatriates, hard-drinking New Yorkers, moonstruck Southerners, or ambitious
children of the Plains, Fitzgerald's characters are
unmistakably American, and his compassion suffuses even their despair with a golden glow.
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Ben Lee
Breathing Tornados
1999
While both of the young Australian's previous albums were charming, Ben Lee's Breathing Tornados ups the
ante in suprising fashion. Together with producer Ed Buller, Lee creates a sound dense with keyboards and
samples. Of course, sophisticated production touches contribute little if the songs aren't up to snuff. Happily,
Lee delivers a warm, vital set that, at its best, is breathtaking.
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Lawrence Weschler
Boggs: A Comedy of Values
1999
Here Lawrence Weschler, a staff writer for The New Yorker, details the personality and prosecution of J.S.G. Boggs, a man who draws
realistic versions of world currency. But he's not a counterfeiter, he's an artist -- Weschler is clear on that.
Unfortunately not everyone is similarly enlightened, namely the Bank of England and the U.S. Secret Service.
Like Boggs' currency, Weschler's ruminations on the ultimate value of ink-stained paper are both
thought-provoking and entertaining.
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Paul Auster
Lulu on the Bridge
1998
Author Paul
Auster, in his directorial debut, offers an offbeat, urban fable
starring Harvey Keitel as an embittered jazzman and Mira Sorvino as a
waitress/actress looking for her lucky break. It's a story of enchantment,
obsession, and change. It's also an homage to silent screen
icon Louise "Pandora" Brooks and
the legend of Lulu as told by German playwright Frank Wedekind. Auster
works with an ensemble of skillful actors, including Willem Dafoe, Mandy
Patinkin, and Vanessa Redgrave, who seem to relish their roles in this
moody, mysterious fairy tale.
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c/recs/artist-essentials/jazz/dukeellington.html
Duke Ellington
1899-1974
1999 marks the centennial of
the birth of Edward Kennedy Ellington. From his ragtime
recordings in the 1920s to the ambitious
suites of his later career, Duke Ellington never stood still. Along
the way he and collaborator Billy Strayhorn produced standards like
"Mood Indigo," "Caravan," and "Take the `A' Train." And while his role as
pianist
was vital, Duke's main instrument was his band. Ellington used soloists
intuitively, as a painter uses brushes. He blended musical elements
without surrendering each's distinct personality. His legacy is music that
transcends jazz, and beauty that transcends music.
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