Read Our Minds

Doves Aim High With Kingdom of Rust

Doves latest release, Kingdom of Rust, was almost four years in the making, and it shows in the quality of the recording and the complexity of the arrangements. While they have often been overshadowed by Coldplay and Radiohead, their unique sound and sophistication has created a modest cult-like following that just might expand into full-fledged fandom this time around.

The CD contains eleven tracks that rank among the best the band has done – starting with Jetstream, a natural opener for their supporting tour.  It builds to a climax of sound and layers that sonically reinforces life waiting in an airport and experiencing the unfulfilled promise of flight and mysterious destination as delays mount.  The title track starts as an homage to Cowboy Westerns with the twanging gee-tar, and then quickly devolves into a song of angst over broken love.  The third and eighth tracks would be at home on their first CD, but that’s a good thing.  They are vintage Doves – big sprawling hooks with pounding bass and drumbeats.

All in all this CD was worth the wait and has an invigorating quality about it.  But, the other shoe must drop.  I recently saw them live at The Vic (one of my favorite smaller venues) with Mike Nikolich (see his review where he was using the Etymotic noise reduction earbuds).  It became clear that the label was doing a full court press for expanded awareness – every new song had a video supporting it, while the older ones were relegated to typical light sweeps and color washes.  But more importantly, it became clear that the reason it took so long for this release was that the lads just aren’t that talented.  The first several songs ran off the clock in tempo, and it wasn’t intentional.  The beautiful, loving arrangements, including many clever guitar tunings and effects, all mashed together into a muddy roar and much of the sound was obviously coming from pre-recorded loops.  Bear in mind that this was the fourth time I have seen Doves perform, so I have a reference point for these comments.

Still, I would rank this as their second best concert performance, but I was definitely underwhelmed.  And I’ve learned that while I will continue to keep this CD in heavy rotation, I will not see them live again.  They are a much better studio band, and should stay there.  If it takes four years for their next release but that one shows continued maturation of their sound, then count me in.  Just don’t plan to see me at the concert again.

--Reviewed by Dennis Collins

Elton John and Billy Joel Concert

In my almost 3 decades of heading out to Wrigley Field, July 21 was the first time I felt I was guaranteed to see a win. It was the second Chicago show on Elton John and Billy Joel’s Face 2 Face tour. The pairing of the piano-playing pop legends didn’t disappoint, and neither did the venue (miraculously, it didn’t rain despite the cloudy sky). A huge stage stood at center field, flanked by the unusual site of Jumbotrons and a sea of fans filling in the field space from wall to wall.

Sir Elton and Joel kicked off the show together, alternating verses on one another’s hits.  Then John and his band took over the stage. “Rocket Man” was the stand out for me in the rollicking, high-energy set. Joel found success with crowd-pleasers such as “Only the Good Die Young.” If I had to choose, I’d say John is the stronger performer of the two. My one complaint with Joel is that he talked too much when he could have played more. If he left out the divorce or fly swatter jokes, maybe there would have been time for one of my favorite ballads “Lullaby” or “And so it Goes.”

Back at the pianos together, John and Joel closed the more than 3 hour performance with some of the songs I’d been waiting and hoping to hear—“Uptown Girl,” “Bennie and the Jets” and “Candle in the Wind.” Ending with “Piano Man,” the a cappella refrain sung by the thousands in the crowd will stick with me. If you’re sad you missed out, you’ll get a chance to catch it at home. They were taping a DVD.

--Reviewed by Kristin Petersen

iPod touch: Frustration = Four Stars

 Have a couple of hours every other week lately being stuck by needles? Instead of complaining about it I went out and bought an iPod touch. I figure I could easily download music, audio books and movies to get me through a couple of hours of chemo. So the plan was to review the 2008 movie “The Women”. Great actresses … Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Candace Bergen, Cloris Leachman, Bette Midler. And a pretty good second string … Debra Messing, Debi Mazar, Carrie Fisher. Unfortunately the movie missed the mark. It was messy. A few good lines but too much like Sex and the City for forty-somethings.  

More important, is the iPod touch. I was so excited to have this toy. Unfortunately, the iTunes store application is a bear. First I downloaded the same audio file multiple times. Thank goodness iTunees saw the mess I put myself in and allowed me to return the two extra editions of “Twilight”. Upon direction, I had an easier time downloading “The Women” to my computer. But to get it onto the iPod took forever to figure out. The app is not intuitive, particularly for someone with other things on her mind. The rental movies are hidden behind a series of screens, and all things considered, remembering the order to actually get the movie to the iPod seemed ridiculously complex. I did finally manage it.

Hopefully it will be easier next week. Any ideas on what movie I should download?

-- Reviewed by Tracy Shryer

The Uninvited

One of the best ways for me to unwind from a hectic week or a busy weekend is by renting a movie. Even though I love horror films, I was skeptical on renting the new flick, “The Uninvited.” In my mind, everything since “Sixth Sense” has, for the most part, ranked as average in my book. Nothing seems to create that much suspense or horror, and you can predict every evil lying around the next corner.

To my pleasant surprise, “The Uninvited” wasn’t bad at all. And it kept me awake the entire 87 minutes, which is a difficult task for any director.

Without diving into a spoiler alert, “The Uninvited” was based around a teen who is going through emotional problems after her mother dies in a house fire. After she is released from psychiatric care, her father brings her back home where her and her sister quickly believe their dad’s new girlfriend (and their ex-nanny) killed their mom in a purposely ignited house fire. And now the duo believes she has also murdered a friend and is now after them.

Of course there is a lot more detail than what I just told, but there is never a true glimpse of the twist the movie takes in the final minutes. Much like the “Sixth Sense,” you never see it coming.

If you’re looking for a decent horror movie this weekend, I would recommend checking out “The Uninvited.”

--Reviewed by Christine Rojewski

Musical Web- The Who

I don’t swirl around the Internet much.  I read the newspapers, scour ESPN.com and check out sites connected to the University of Illinois Fighting Illini.  I also visit a few political sites for news as well.  That’s about it.  But I do know we like music at Tech Image…and there is one site that I visit all the time.  It may date me but I don’t care as I am a tremendous fan of the world’s greatest LIVE rock and roll band—The Who.

I think this is a great site because they post current and old concert song clips.

So check out this site … TheWho.com.  Registration is free and you don’t even have to register.  Enjoy.

--Reviewed by Kevin Johnson

Dillinger -- Villain to Vanilla in Public Enemies

Because of Johnny Depp, Public Enemies received a lot of pre-release buzz, but it seems like a movie without a center. So many stories were going on with so many characters that after a while I started checking out the cool colors on the walls of my local cineplex due to a lack of interest. That kind of wandering story. Even Johnny Depp couldn't save this dog. A very vanilla movie, very forgettable. Look for it on TNT within six months.

--Reviewed by Tim Boivin

“On Writing” By Stephen King

Family, friends and colleagues know that my retirement plans include writing novels. (My wife enjoys my writing so much that she wants me to quit now and start living the life of the creative mind. But I have explained that, despite her romantic desire to support a struggling author, I don’t expect to tire of strategic business communications for at least another decade.) Close friends also know I am a raving fan of Stephen King, the geeky troublemaker of a kid who transformed his macabre fantasies into millions of dollars as a horror-fiction novelist.

Given the two facts above, I felt I had better read his best-selling memoir “On Writing.”

I didn’t approach the book on bended knee, as one might expect of a long-time fan. Rather, I expected to be bored. Take a master out of his work shop and watch him flail, I thought. I had read his much earlier non-fiction work “Danse Macabre” and was not impressed – or interested. I remember only one piece of advice for aspiring writers from that book, and it actually didn’t come from him. It came from some other author, whose name escapes me now. The gist was that writing fiction was like driving 60 miles-per-hour down a winding road in fog at night with your headlights off. In other words, if you’re not comfortable without a fully articulated plan and a guarantee of survival, then don’t get behind the wheel.

In “On Writing” King tells some wonderful stories of his youth, which really make the book worth the time for any fan. I was shocked that I didn’t know that he had battled alcoholism and cocaine addiction. Sure explains a lot. But to tell the truth, nothing else surprised me. I felt as though I knew what was coming on the next page most of the time. Especially when he digs into the writing tips section. He tells us – just as every one of my writing teachers since high school did – to read “Elements of Style” by Strunk & White. (I’ll make a confession here: I deliberately never read that book just because I was supposed to do it. Well, I suppose that’s entirely accurate. I skimmed it.) King also tells us that good writers read voraciously (Whoops! He says good writers avoid adverbs) good writers heed grammar and punctuation, they write every day, they are rebels at heart…. zzzzz… Oh, sorry.

Don’t get me wrong. I still love Stephen King. And I enjoyed the book. Maybe I was restless because I have read so much of his work that very little he wrote inspired an epiphany for me. In fact, he probably spoiled it for me by giving me so many insights into the writer’s profession in his novels. For example, I know that professional authors work to make money – not because they are dedicated to their art – and sometimes they do average work. Not that this is a sin in my opinion, as professional communications strategists work to make money, too. But perhaps I couldn’t shake the feeling that King knew all along that whatever he wrote with the title “On Writing” on the cover would hit the best-seller list and make millions. He really didn’t seem to be working very hard. Unlike his greatest novels, he just couldn’t hook me, make me stay up too late night after night wondering – and truly worrying – what would happen next.

Still, at the risk of sounding like a hypocrite, I will add my voice to the chorus of other critics. If you aspire to writing, King’s “On Writing” is required reading – if only to assure yourself that you are on the right foggy road with your headlamps turned off. And OK, I’ll admit that he did inspire me to step on the gas.

--Reviewed by Bob Dirkes