Hi folks - Just a quick note. I intended to write a single column this week about three ballads: Julius Lester's blistering "Stagolee", Gordon Bok's gentle cante-fable "Peter Kagan and the Wind", and the Tuft's Beelzebubs long lost "Major Tom / Space Oddity". But as I got going, I realized this wasn't going to do any of them justice. So instead of addressing all of them at once I'll be devoting a single column to each, spread out over three weeks. First up is Julius Lester's … [Read more...] about Malleus update: Ballads post now in 3 parts
Malleus review: Superman vs. Atom Man on Radio (Smithsonian Historical Performances, English)
8 out of 10 Hollywood has decreed that summertime is superhero time, so today we don our spandex and take to the skies with this historical release. Superman may not pack the same box office punch he once did, but this super-delicious old time radio serial still packs plenty of P-E-P: Pep! With its clean bubble-gum flavor and cartoon verve, "Superman vs. Atom Man" leaves this comic book afficionado asking "why weren't more OTR superhero shows this much fun?" … [Read more...] about Malleus review: Superman vs. Atom Man on Radio (Smithsonian Historical Performances, English)
Malleus special: Gion Matsuri 2001 – Binaural Soundscapes of Festive Kyoto (in honor of Gion Matsuri 2008)
Come celebrate the Kyoto festival of Gion Matsuri with this collection of binaural soundscapes. Music, pictures, pachinko, giant wagons covered with ancient tapestries, and lots of Japanese people saying "Oooooh!" at just the right moments. What more could you want? Get a pair of headphones and enjoy this album, recorded by myself and free to all. … [Read more...] about Malleus special: Gion Matsuri 2001 – Binaural Soundscapes of Festive Kyoto (in honor of Gion Matsuri 2008)
Malleus Review: Sticks by Karl Edward Wagner, a binaural audio drama by ZBS (English)
9 out of 10 What possessed Tom Lopez to do this half-baked horror tale? Devil or angel, it was an inspired muse: Lopez doesn't just adapt Wagner's story, he rewrites it, and the result is far more chilling than the original. … [Read more...] about Malleus Review: Sticks by Karl Edward Wagner, a binaural audio drama by ZBS (English)
Malleus Review: The Meaning of the 4th of July for the Negro by Frederick Douglass (English)
10 out of 10 In a subtle and varied presentation, actor Fred Morsell brings the full force of statesman and former slave Frederick Douglass's eloquence to bear on the issue closest to him: slavery. Re-enactment at its finest, Morsell's performance confirms both the classic status and contemporary relevance of Douglass's legendary 5th of July speech. Yes, 5th of July. Read on! … [Read more...] about Malleus Review: The Meaning of the 4th of July for the Negro by Frederick Douglass (English)