Music Review: Worship by Michael W. Smith

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Everything comes together to lead us in worship.

Cons: "Let it Rain" way too long and repetitive

The Bottom Line:

In modern worship

This is a classic release

Go buy it today

Michael W. Smith Leads Us in Amazing Worship

When the worship movement took off about 10 years ago, many established artists jumped on the band wagon by releasing worship oriented projects of their own.  When Michael W. Smith announced the plans to release Worship, I figured it was another in the already long line.  Being a Michael W. Smith fan, I had planned to get it when it came out.  But then it started getting amazing reviews.  Sure enough, they were all well deserved.

Instead of Michael doing standard studio covers of popular praise songs, he recorded this at a live concert.  While he occasionally solos, he often invites the people who attended that night to sing along.

And Michael is backed by an all star choir.  And I do mean all star.  The choir consists of the likes of Shaun Groves, Ginny Owens, and Chris Rice from his own record label; Greg Long; Wes King; Cindy Morgan; Erin O'Donnell; Mark Shultz; Phillips, Craig, & Dean; and Amy Grant.  As anyone who follows Christian music knows, that's quite an impressive line up of talent.  Yet they never take over the show.  Very few of these people actually have solos.  In fact, if you didn't read the credits, you'd never know they were there.

While this may have been a live recording, the music is lush and wonderful as well.  It almost all consists of the standard worship instruments of piano, keyboard, drums, guitar, and bass with a violin and viola jumping in occasionally.

And speaking of jumping in, while Michael does talk occasionally, it is never for long and always appropriate.  The audience does often applaud between songs.  But there is nothing here that will jar you as you listen to this disc.

So, what about the songs?  Again, the selection is perfect.  Some of the songs are praise choruses that were hot off the press at the time, while others go back 15 years of so.  Since the disc was released in 2001, even the "newer" songs are now dated.  But the lyrics are all still wonderful.

The disc opens with a couple of songs that are still favorites.  "Forever" is an upbeat song taken right from Psalms.  It's a great opener to catch our ear right off the bat.  And I love the reminder of God's faithfulness.  Things slow down for "The Heart of Worship," yet it's nice to have that at the beginning as well as the song reminds us that worship is about more then singing a song - it's about our actions and ultimately about God.

The violin first comes out on "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus."  It plays the song through a couple times as a solo before every sings the familiar chorus.  It's beautiful.

Things pick up again for "Open the Eyes of My Heart," a song of pure praise, but slow down again for "Above All."  I hadn't heard this song too much before I bought the disc, but I love it now.  It's a song that glorifies Jesus and gives Him the honor He is due for His sacrifice for us.  The viola comes in on the second time through the song.

The viola has a solo on the bridge between "Above All" and "Breathe."  The transition is almost a minute long and worth every second.  I had just begun to really hear "Breathe" at the time I got the disc, but I love the song of pure reliance upon God.

Then comes "Let It Rain."  This is the only track I don't care for on the disc.  It's over five and a half minutes of Michael, then the choir, then everyone singing "Let it rain/Let it rain/Open the floodgates of Heaven."  Yes, those are the only lyrics of the song.  I'm not a fan of songs that get repeated over and over again, especially if they have very few lyrics.  Part way through, Darren Whitehead reads from Psalm 97, but it's not enough to save the track in my opinion.

Ironically enough, I don't have that problem with "Awesome God."  In the three minutes they spend repeating the chorus of the Rich Mullins classic, they easily could have sung the entire song.  Yet I love the song so much I honestly don't care.

And Michael W. Smith includes a new version of his classic praise song "Agnus Dei."  He originally recorded it on his 1990 release Go West, Young Man.  It was later covered by Third Day on the Exodus CD and Amy Grant on her third Christmas CD.  This version opens with the viola again.  Once the choir starts singing, it's piano and guitar heavy, however.  It's a very mellow version that really allows you to focus on the simple words giving God praise.

All told, there are 11 tracks that make up the live portion of the disc.  But we aren't done yet.  It actually concludes with two studio recordings.  One of them is a studio version of "Above All."  The second is an all new song, "Purified," co-written by Michael and his wife Debbie.  It's a prayer to worship God in His holiness.  Both of these tracks are still focuses on piano, guitar, and drums, making them fit perfectly with the rest of the disc.

Even all these years after its first release, Worship is still able to make my spirit soar in worship.  Michael W. Smith deserves a lot of credit for all the time he put into making sure this disc does exactly what it sets out to do.

CD Length: 1:07:27

Tracks:

1. Forever

2. The Heart of Worship

3. Draw Me Close

4. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

5. Open the Eyes of My Heart

6. Above All

7. Breathe

8. Let it Rain

9. Agnus Dei

10. Awesome God

11. More Love, More Power

12. Purified (Studio Recording)

13. Above All (Studio Recording)

Book Review: Moxy Maxwelll Does Not Love Stuart Little by Peggy Gifford

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Funny situations and basically good characters

Cons: A few of the chapters were too short

The Bottom Line:

Procrastinating?

This is a pleasant way to

Avoid something else

I Loved Watching Moxie Maxwell Procrastinate

Okay, I'll admit it.  I am a procrastinator.  I find doing what I need to do extremely hard while doing what I want to do extremely easy.  For that reason, I took the recommendation of Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little to heart and checked it out of the library.  Yes, the book is meant for kids, but I found it very entertaining anyway.

Moxy Maxwell has had all summer to read Stuart Little.  There's going to be a quiz on it tomorrow, the first day of school.  But has Moxy read the book?  Of course not.  She's been too busy reading what she has chosen and doing other fun things.  Now Moxy needs to get it read today before she is part of a swimming show tonight.  And she plans to, too.  Just as soon as she cleans her room and comes up with a way to pay for college.  Will she ever get it read?

This book was an absolute hoot.  I saw too much of myself in Moxy's attempts to get out of reading the book.  This was especially true when she decided cleaning her room was more fun than reading the book.  And the results of her next great brainstorm must be read to be fully appreciated.

Probably because I am a procrastinator at heart, I identified with Moxy right off the bat.  She may only be about to start fourth grade, but she is a likable character with one exception.  I didn't appreciate the way she took advantage of her younger sister and a neighborhood friend.  Hopefully, that will be dealt with in later books.  On the other hand, I appreciated the way her mother handled the overall situation.  She was an authority figure while still being fair to other people involved.  The rest of the characters are fine but are there more to serve the story and therefore are only partially developed.

The book is only 92 pages long and includes illustrations in the form of black and white photos supposedly taken by Moxy's twin brother Mark.  Those photos add much to the humor of the book, especially the captions.  I found it a very fast read, but I'm sure it will take the early elementary target age a little longer to get through.

My only true complaint about the book is the occasional short chapter.  Most of the chapters were fine, but occasionally one was only two or three sentences.  A couple times, the chapter was one word while the chapter title was much longer than that.  I could tell it was designed to be funny, but I found it distracting.

Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little was a funny book well worth reading.  I definitely plan to read the sequel soon.  Assuming I don't put it off for some other book that catches my interest, that is.

Book Review: The Seeing Stone by Holly Black and Tony Terlizzi (Spiderwick Chronicles Book 2)

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Fast paced story and characters developed
Cons: Cruelty to animals
The Bottom Line:
Story starts strongly
Does not let go until end
Great second entry




I See a Good Stone, I Mean Story

The Spiderwick Chronicles is a serialized story for kids.  Each book is 108 small pages and include several black and white illustrations.  The Seeing Stone is the second installment in the five book series.  The story really gets off the ground in this one.

In the first installment, we met the Grace siblings and their mother who have just moved into an old family home.  Strange things started happening to them, and Jared, our main character, found a book that explains about the existence of faeries and other supposedly mythological creatures.  Jared also has a twin named Simon and an older sister named Mallory.

It's been a couple of weeks, and the Grace family is settling into their new home.  Then the new cat that Simon has adopted disappears.  Simon insists on looking for it, only to disappear himself.  Jared watches as Simon is attacked by something that Jared can't see and dragged into the bushes.  Quickly getting their sister Mallory, the two search for a way to see what is happening.  Can he find his brother and fight off the mystery attackers?

I complained that the first book took a bit too long to get going.  That was hardly the case here.  Things start with just enough info to get readers who have missed the first book up to date.  We're only pages into the book when the main story starts and things don't slow down from there.  We get plenty of new information for this fantasy world, but always in the context of moving the story forward.  While the final few pages leave some questions that lead us into book three, the story is really self contained here.

The characters feel more developed here as well.  Frankly, it's hard to spend too much time developing them with the short length of the book.  But I do feel like I know them better than I did in book one.  Of course, we really only have Jared, Simon, and Mallory with a few mythological creatures making brief appearances.  The limited number of characters helps as well.

The writing is simple and straightforward, making it perfect for the intended age of 7 and older.  And the illustrations I mentioned earlier are wonderful.  They are very detailed black and white pictures that add to the charm of the books.

I should mentioned part of the plot involves cruelty to animals (not by the kids but by Goblins).  If that might bother you or your child, keep it in mind.

This series will capture the imagination of anyone who reads it.  I can't wait to move forward from The Seeing Stone.

Movie Review: Race to Witch Mountain

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Action, laughs, and special effects all come together for a fun ride

Cons: Moralizing; dropped sub-plot

The Bottom Line:

A franchise reboot

As family action movie

So enjoyable

"Don't Go Into the Tricked Out Refrigerator, Jack."

Never having watched the original Witch Mountain movies, I was inclined to give Race to Witch Mountain a pass right from the start.  But then I started seeing the previews and thought it looked like it could be good.  Watching the originals didn't increase my enthusiasm any, but I'm glad I gave it a go.  Forget everything you think you know about Witch Mountain.  This is a new and different movie.  But boy is it fun.

Jack Bruno (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) is a cab driver.  He has a shady past but is trying to put all that behind him.  It's time for the annual science fiction convention in Las Vegas, which means his cab is filled with weirdos, including Dr. Alex Friedman (Carla Gugino), one of the speakers.

Yet the trouble comes in the forms of two teenagers.  Seth (Alexander Ludwig) and Sara (AnnaSophia Robb) appear in his cab at the start of one shift.  They offer him a wad of cash and ask to be taken to an undisclosed location.  When they arrive, Jack discovers it is an abandoned cabin in the middle of the nowhere.  Not wanting to leave them alone, he discovers something he never imagined.  Is he in over his head?  Can he help Seth and Sara complete their mission?

The plot bears no resemblance to either of the movies it supposedly came from.  Honestly, they could have slapped any name on it and it would have been just as good.  But that's not to say that they don't recognize their roots.  There are subtle nods to the original the entire way through.  Check out Jack's cab number.  They manage to get a Winnebago involved.  And the original kids, Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann show up in the diner scene as Tina and Anthony.  For fans of the original, you'll know how cool that is.

I thought for a minute they were going to spend too long setting things up, so I was actually surprised at just how quickly Jack, Seth, and Sara met up.  And from there, things only get even more interesting.  The plot moves from one plot point to another with ease, introducing a deadly Siphon and Department of Defense men played by Ciaran Hinds, Tom Everett Scott, and Chris Marquette.  With so many people chasing our heroes, there's never a dull moment.

Just because this is a family film, don't think they skimped on the special effects.  There were several truly mouth dropping moments, the most impressive of which was in the previews.  I don't know how they did it, and I've stopped wanting to find out.  I just love believing what I see.

The movie is more than plot and special effects.  It has plenty of comic relief.  I was smiling several times and laughed out loud several others.  It finds just the right balance.  Some of the best comic relief comes from Garry Marshall's cameo as science fiction writer Donald Harlan.

And the movie truly has heart.  Even though I saw most of the plot points coming, I came to love these characters.  I didn't want the film to end because I enjoyed them so much.

The film is filled with action and stunts.  I'm sure this is why the movie got a PG rating.  There are several intense scenes, but most older elementary age kids should be fine with it.  The movie does start to preach about global warming at one point, but it isn't for more than a few seconds.

I saw my first movie with The Rock in the lead a few weeks back and had a hard time getting past his poor acting.  I'm happy to say he's really improved.  Granted, there's nothing award worthy here, but I believed every minute of his acting.  The same goes for the rest of the cast.

Which brings us to my only real complaint about the film.  There is a sub-plot involving Jack's past coming back to get him.  It weaves in and out of the story until about 3 quarters of the way into the film when it is suddenly dropped.  Yes, it is annoying.  But I still left with a smile on my face.

Speaking of leaving, don't.  There are a few scenes during the credits you'll want to catch.

Despite the dropped plot point, I left with a smile on my face.  In fact, I was kind of surprised at just how much I enjoyed Race to Witch Mountain.  If you are at all interested in seeing it, go.  You'll have a good time with an enjoyable movie.

Book Review: Wake Up, Little Susie by Ed Gorman

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Interesting characters in a solid mystery

Cons: Slow start, Sam's love life

The Bottom Line:

Trip to the 50's

As murder hits a small town

With the Ford Edsel

The Body in the Edsel

Wake Up Little Susie was the second book Ed Gorman wrote about Sam McCain, part time lawyer and PI in a small Iowa town during the 50's.  So why did I read it first?  The book is set a few months before the events in the first book in the series.  Since I had a copy of this book and didn't have the first, I figured that was a good excuse to start with what I had.

It's a day Sam McCain and other car enthusiasts have been looking forward to for a while.  The Ford Motor Company is releasing their new design, the Edsel, in dealerships all over the country.  But it turns out the design is less than appealing.

The real shock in town, however, is the body that is found in the trunk of one of the models.  Susan Squires was the second wife of David Squires, an ambitious attorney in town.  A part time PI, Sam is asked to look into the murder and beat the crooked chief of police to the solution.  But as Sam begins to dig, he uncovers a trail of scandal.  Does he have what it takes to find the killer?

I did not live through the 50's, but I love history and easily get nostalgic.  That happened for me on page one and the feeling never left until after the book was over.  A warm glow overshadowed the entire book.  The references to pop culture from the time made me smile.

As our main character and narrator, Sam McCain is the best developed character.  He's pretty smart except when it comes to his love life.  In fact, that's the one area I really wanted to smack him around.  Not only is there a love triangle (or really square) involved, but he's sleeping with someone else.  That actually put me off him for a few chapters, but I did warm back up to him.

The other characters took a bit more time to become real to me.  Part of that was because I felt overwhelmed at the beginning.  Maybe I should have read the first book first after all.  But as I kept reading, I sorted them all out and really got to like several of them.  It's obvious to me which way the love story should go even at this early a date.  The most interested character is Sam's boss, snobbish Judge Esme Anne Whitney who has a habit of shooting rubber bands at him.

The plot started rather slowly with the period details overshadowing the few clues Sam got.  But as the book got going, things picked up in this department, too.  There were several nice clues and red herrings before an ending I never would have figured out without Sam's help.

Ed Gorman has written plenty of mysteries, and it shows.  The writing is confident and clean.

So, will I take another trip in my time machine to visit Sam McCain?  You'd better believe it.  If Wake Up Little Susie is any indication, I'll be making quite a few of them, in fact.  (Now, can the title song please stop running through my head?)

Book Review: The Field Guide by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi (Spiderwick Chronicles Book 1)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good introduction to a fantasy story

Cons: A bit too fast of a read

The Bottom Line:

Starting a series

By laying all the groundwork

Fast and slow at once

The Beginning of a Serial for Kids

When I saw the fantasy movie The Spiderwick Chronicles in theaters a year ago, I fully intended to read the books.  Thanks to a recent trip to the library, I finally got The Field Guide, the first in the five book serial.  It's a good, imaginative start, but it could have been better.

The Grace Family has been going through some hard times.  The parents have divorced.  Jared has taken it harder than his siblings and started getting into trouble.  It's why a fresh start is what he needs, even if he doesn't want it.

They have moved to the estate of a distant relative.  No one has lived in it for a long time, and it is in disrepair.  That might explain the strange sounds that Jared, his twin Simon, and their older sister Mallory hear in the walls the first night, right?  Exploring a little more, the trio discover an old manuscript.  Does it hold the key to all the strange things happening?

Now I'm going to be honest right up front.  I am not the target audience.  The book is aimed at middle to late elementary school kids.  Most of my reservations probably won't bother them in the slightest.

For starters, the book is a quick read.  It's just barely over 100 pages.  The book is small, the print is large, and there are numerous wonderful illustrations by Tony DiTerlizzi throughout.  It took me less than an hour to polish this book off.  Considering the list price is $11, I'm glad I got it from the library.

Because the story is spread out over five books of this size, the story here is pretty simple and straightforward.  In fact, based on the movie, I'd call what we have here the set up.  Don't misunderstand, there is some action here and stuff is definitely happening.  There's even a resolution.  But it's very light.

The characters are also a tad on the weak side.  They fall into broad types with very little true defining characteristics.  Again, I have to look at the target audience.  For those just graduating to chapter books, this is perfect.  It's only from an adult eye that I find the flaws.

This makes it sound like I didn't enjoy the book.  That's not true.  Knowing where the story goes certainly helps.

In fact, I already have the next two books out of the library.  The Field Guide isn't a perfect introduction, but it is enough of a beginning to get kids hooked on the story.

Book Review: Mrs. Pollifax on Safari by Dorothy Gilman (Mrs. Pollifax #5)

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Wonderful time with a great main character

Cons: Slow to get started

The Bottom Line:

Trip to Africa

Hunting for an assassin

Not your normal trip

Mrs. Pollifax Versus Aristotle

Mrs. Pollifax on Safari is the fifth book in the series and was the final book I read the summer I discovered the series.  I remember loving it, so I was looking forward to sitting down and rereading it.  It is still quite enjoyable, but it doesn't quite hold up as well as I remembered.

For those who aren't familiar with the series, Mrs. Pollifax squeezes spying for Carstairs at the CIA in between volunteer work and garden club activities.  But don't make the mistake her enemies do.  This is one resourceful grandmother.  Each book in the series takes place in the time it was written, so they are a nice time machine to the world politics of another era.  This one takes us to the fragile democracy of Zambia during the late 1970's.

Carstairs has gotten intel that the assassin Aristotle is going to be on a safari in Zambia to arrange his next hit.  Since no one even knows what he looks like, Carstairs knows this is a great opportunity to gather information.  He immediately calls his favorite innocent tourist.  Mrs. Pollifax's mission is to take pictures of the other people on the safari.  The CIA will use them to figure out who Aristotle really is.

But the first night of the safari, Mrs. Pollifax discovers that her film has been stolen.  Suddenly, things are personal, and she decides she will not only take the pictures but figure out who Aristotle is.  Can she do that when her fellow travelers seem so nice?  What secrets might they be hiding?

Most of the books in the series start a little slowly since they follow the same formula.  Mrs. Pollifax gets her assignment, prepares for the trip, and meets someone along the way who winds up playing a part in the story.  This time, that set up seemed a bit too long and drawn out to me.  Part of that is because of a sub-plot that seems inconsequential.

Once Mrs. Pollifax arrives in the animal reserve and we meet the suspects, things pick up.  There's a hint of romance in this book, that is if he doesn't turn out to be Aristotle.  A twist in the second half really helps things along.  And there's a scene near the end that has to be my favorite in the entire series.  It makes me laugh so hard.

Of the characters we've seen so far, only Mrs. Pollifax is in this book.  Carstairs and his assistant Bishop disappear after they give her the assignment only to provide one last laugh in the final chapter.  There's a discussion early in the book about whether Mrs. Pollifax is still as naive as she was in the first book or not.  The truth of the matter is, she is smarter but not smart enough to keep from making a couple stupid mistakes.  But she is as resourceful as ever, which means time spent with her is always a pleasure.  Honestly, it is easy to narrow the suspect characters down to two or three, but even so a couple of them surprised me in the end.

While the book was written 30 years ago, it really doesn't show.  I did notice many of the paragraphs are longer than the modern books I read, but the language was still high accessible.  I had no trouble flying through the book at my normal pace.

I still enjoyed Mrs. Pollifax on Safari, but not quite as much as the first time around.  Fans of the series will hardly care.  Any adventure with this addictive main character is great news.

You don't necessarily need to read the Mrs. Pollifax series in order, but you'll enjoy reading all of them.

TV Show Review: The West Wing - Season 1

Stars: 3 out of 5
Pros: Characters who grow on you

Cons: Cliched stories; weak storytelling; a bit of smugness to the whole thing

The Bottom Line:

It thinks it's clever

But it isn't.  Takes a while

But can entertain

Slick Writing Attempts to Cover Up Weak Storytelling

Long ago, I wrote The West Wing off as left wing propaganda.  I've been surprised over the years at the conservative friends who have raved about the show.  But I've stuck to my guns.  That is, until my best friend gave me the first season for Christmas this year.  Since it was a gift, I figured I should sit down and watch it.  I still don't see quite why it is so highly praised, but I just might be becoming addicted.

Season one of The West Wing opens part way through the first year of the Bartlet Administration.  President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) is a first term Democrat from New England, and he has a strong staff helping him.  That is, when they aren't caught up in personal issues.  For instance, Deputy Communications Director Sam Seaborn's (Rob Lowe) new friend happens to be a prostitute.  Chief of Staff Leo McGarry (John Spencer) is having problems in his marriage.  And Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) is upset that they have hired former girlfriend Mandy Hampton (Moira Kelly) as a political consultant.  Never mind the fact that she is the best in the business.

But along with the personal drama, there are also plenty of politics as The White House seeks to get various bills through Congress, or even a Supreme Court Nominee.  Fortunately, CJ Cregg (Allison Janney) is on hand to properly deal with the press during all the ups and downs of the first year.

To be honest, I almost didn't make it past the pilot.  After conservative Christians are made out to be horridly evil hypocrites, I could have stopped.  But I was determined to make it through several episodes before I gave up.  Things didn't improve right away.

The first few episodes throw us into stories already in motion.  Heck, it was several episodes before I even figured out what all the main characters do.  But the references to things that happened off screen felt more arrogant or smug than clever writing, especially when they are never really explained.  Additionally, the plots were by the numbers cliches we've seen elsewhere.  Other things were thrust on us very awkwardly.

Several episodes in, things began to get better.  I'm not sure if it is because I was finally getting the rhythm of the show or because I was growing to like the characters.  Either way, I was finding myself looking forward to the next episode to find out exactly what would happen to the characters.  We began to find some conservative characters who were sympathetic, and not just because they agreed with the President.

But not all was well still.  Several of the episodes, like the death penalty episode or "Celestial Navigation" seemed like little more than an excuse to preach to us.  The storyline I was most interested in seeing, the Supreme Court Nominee, was over almost before it began.

Then there's the series trademark "walk and talks."  Key pieces of dialog are often given by characters as they walk rapidly down the halls from one office to another.  Some of that is okay, and fortunately it calms down in the second half.  But it honestly felt too gimmicky to me.  Same with the fast paced dialogue.  Honestly, slow down a little and let us absorb what you are saying!

I keep coming back to the characters.  While I never did warm up to sanctimonious Mandy, the rest really grew on me.  This is especially true of President Bartlet, who is a warm, caring, and funny man.  I also really like Josh, especially when he starts bantering with his assistant, Donna Moss (Janel Moloney).  They have some of the best comic relief of the season.  I was predisposed to like the President's aide Charlie as played by Dule Hill (now a star of Psych), and it certainly helped.  Even the reserved Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff) got to me.

Even among the cast members I didn't like at one time or another, I can't fault the actors.  This is a very demanding show, and they are always at the top of their game.  I can't imagine how much energy it took to film the episodes.  Watching them deliver some of the fast paced banter is jaw dropping.

For those considering the set, there are 22 episodes here.  They are preserved on three double sided discs with commentaries on key episodes by series creator Aaron Sorkin and various members of the crew.  Disc 4 contains the majority of the bonus features, which include three beyond the scenes documentaries, a few minutes about scoring the show, and the standard deleted scenes and gag real.

Despite my complaints, the part of me that must know what happens next won't let the series go.  I'm considering some cheap ways to finish the series.  If you are interested in the show, I recommend you try to catch some reruns to help you decide if the first season of The West Wing is for you.

Season 1 Episodes:

1. Pilot

2. Post Hoc, Propter Hoc

3. A Proportional Response

4. Five Votes Down

5. The Crackpots and These Women

6. Mr. Willis of Ohio

7. The State Dinner

8. Enemies

9. The Short List

10. In Excelsis Deo

11. Lord John Marbury

12. He Shall, From Time to Time

13. Take out the Trash Day

14. Take This Sabbath Day

15. Celestial Navigation

16. 20 Hours in LA

17. The White House Pro-Am

18. Six Meetings Before Lunch

19. Let Bartlet be Bartlet

20. Mandatory Minimums

21. Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

22. What Kind of Day Has it Been

Music Review: I Want to be Like You by FFH

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Harmonies, several of the tracks

Cons: Some of the lyrics are shallow

The Bottom Line:

Several tracks are good

And some of them are shallow

Still, good overall

Folksy, Fresh, Harmonious Debut

I Want to Be Like You is the debut of Christian band FFH.  Over the course of their career, they have enjoyed a moderate amount of success, but they never became a top tier band.  Frankly, they are one of those bands I enjoy when I am listening to them, but very rarely feel a burning need to hear.

The band's sound is very hard to describe.  They aren't quite rock, they aren't quite pop, and they have a folksy almost country twinge to them at times.  It's helped by lead singer Jeromy Deibler's slight twang when he sings.  Really, the instruments aren't the focus of the band, however; it's the harmonies.  They have one of the tightest harmonies of many of the groups out there.  While Jeromy is definitely the lead, the rest of the group backs him up noticeably and well.

The disc kicks off with one of their better known hits.  "One of These Days" starts off with simple guitar strums as Jeromy sings of what Heaven might be like.  When he reaches the chorus, drums and the rest of the group kick in.  Already, you can hear the harmonies as they group sings together.  It's a mid-tempo number that sets the tone well for the rest of the disc.

I'm a big fan of the title track.  "I Want to be Like You" is a simple, slow number.  Again, the emphasis is on the guitar and the lyrics, although you can hear more keyboard on this number once things get going.  Jeromy sings of all God has done for us and then our response, wanting to be as much like God as we can as imperfect people.

"Power in the Blood," the disc closer, feels like it could be a modern hymn.  The song praises God for all He has done for us.  The guitar and drums behind it are simple while the harmonies are the tightest on the disc.

If you are looking for pure fun, look no further than "Big Fish."  This is a very upbeat song with the focus being on drums keeping the rhythm this go around.  And the group sings plenty of "do dum dee dum's" between verses and choruses.  The song takes its cues from the story of Jonah as it reminds us that "Obedience is neat."  There's nothing really deep here, but it never fails to bring a smile to my face.

On each disc, Jeromy's wife Jennifer sings lead at least once.  Here's it is only once on "I'm Alright."  This song has the biggest country feel to it as Jennifer sings of her faith that God's love will see her through any difficulties that life will through her way.

But this song also brings us to the problem with this debut and the group.  Many of FFH's non-fans complain bitterly about how shallow their lyrics are.  And that's probably why I don't find myself drawn back to them on a regular basis.  In "I'm Alright," for example, they sing that "The Father loves me/and likes having me around."  True, but I think it could be expressed so much better.

That trouble also shows up on "So is His Love" which compares God to various elements of nature.  The themes of "Only You" and "Breathe in Me" have been done before and better by other artists.

I Want to Be Like You offers a few songs of encouragement.  But some of the songs are a little shallow.  FFH is an acquired taste, but if you are looking for something light, you will enjoy them.

CD Length: 47:28

Tracks:

1. One of These Days

2. Take Me as I am

3. Fall to You

4. I Want to be Like You

5. I'm Alright

6. Big Fish

7. Wholly to You

8. So is His Love

9. Only You

10. Breathe in Me

11. Little Change

12. Power in His Blood

Book Review: 2nd Chance by James Patterson and Andrew Gross (Women's Murder Club #2)

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Strong character; engaging story

Cons: Plot a tad formulaic; unbelievable climax

The Bottom Line:

Formula to plot

Climax is over the top

Yet it is so fun

I'm Glad I Gave These Ladies a Second Chance

If a friend hadn't loaned me this book, I probably never would have read it.  I wasn't that impressed with the first book in the series.  But there was the stack of Women's Murder Club books staring at me.  So I picked up 2nd Chance, and I'm glad I did.

For those unfamiliar with the series, they center around four women in San Francisco.  Lindsay Boxer is the lead character.  She's just been promoted to Lieutenant of the San Francisco Homicide Division.  But when a big case comes along that stumps her, she goes to her friends for help.  There's Claire Washburn, the medical examiner, Jill Bernhardt, the assistant DA, and Cindy Thomas, crime reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle.  In addition to being strong friends, these women act as sounding boards and help with the case in their own way.

It appears to start with a shooting at a black church.  After all the bullets fly, only one little girl is dead.  But newly promoted Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer picks up on a few clues that make her think it wasn't a random killing or even the hate crime everyone else is quick to label it.  She is even more suspicious when she finds a connection with a suspicious suicide in Oakland.  When a third killing takes place, the pressure is really on the department.  What is the connection?  Where will it all lead?

Everything about this book was stronger than the first.  While we already know who the characters are, they are more fleshed out here.  All but Claire are given their own sub-plots, which really helps with the development.  I especially enjoyed watching Lindsay deal with her father suddenly showing up in her life.  The first book had a touch of a women are better than men theme, but that was gone here.  These women get together because of their friendship and their desire to help solve a vicious string of murders.

Speaking of vicious, the killer has a few moments that are a tad twisted, but it isn't nearly as bad as it was in the first book.  That was a change I really appreciated.

The plot in this book starts on page one and keeps going until the climax.  I hate to say it on book two, but it does feel slightly formulaic already.  However, I didn't see the twists coming until they were upon us, so that is only a slight complaint.  My only true gripe was the climax, which finds Lindsay going off by herself to confront the killer.  There is no way a police officer would behave the way she did.  Of course, since I normally read cozies, which are the height of unrealism, I'm willing to let that pass as well.

The book is written in a combination of first and third person.  Most of the book is narrated by Lindsay with occasional breaks to give us a chapter from the point of view of one of the other women or even the killer.  These switches are never confusing.  The chapters are extremely short, averaging between three and four pages each.  It does make things go much faster with all that white space.

2nd Chance was so much better than the first one that it makes me look forward to seeing where the women go next.

Here are the Women's Murder Club Mysteries in order.