The first use of synthesizers on a rock albums that made any sense (in contrast, please see the Notorious Byrds Brothers), but that's hardly the reason Abbey Road burns itself into your soul. George's two finest songs are both here ("Something" - Frank Sinatra once called it the greatest love song ever written - and "Here Comes The Sun"), and Ringo has a good song here, too ("Octopus's Garden"). John's compositions on Abbey Road aren't his best, but quite good anyway ("Come Together," "Because"). Paul doesn't contribute any of his immortal ballads, but his impeccable musicianship is on display throughout ("Oh! Darling," "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window"). And if you haven't heard his infamous "pop symphony" which dominates side 2, well, you haven't lived.

The Beatles' relentless musical tour ran in place this time. It took them several months more to realize that their carefully crafted fusion of Dylan-esque lyrics and Brian Wilson-esque production values was a dead end, and, instead, to move in a million directions at once on their next album. However, they managed to toss off a classic collection of songs while jogging on their treadmill (title track, modelled on its Sgt. Pepper's counterpart; "I Am The Walrus," another elaborately tripped-out Lennon tune). Paul dominates a bit too much, with some of his upbeat pop numbers wearing thin ("Your Mother Should Know"), but others being marvelous ("Hello Goodbye"). Half of the record is a newly-recorded double EP, and the other half is singles from the previous 12 months, including some truly classic hits: John's extraordinary acid-rock production "Strawberry Fields Forever," which almost topped the Beach Boys' contemporary "Good Vibrations"; Paul's marvelous, cleverly orchestrated "Penny Lane"; and the irresistable, perfectly timed Summer of Love anthem "All You Need Is Love."

A two-disc set, the first CD contains 11 studio cuts and the second has 13 live tracks recorded from her Plugged '98 tour. I'm an avid Toriphile and this is probably her most commercial release, so for that reason it isn't my favorite. But there aren't any horrible songs, and I've connected with it even though some people dislike it. "Glory of the '80s" is cool, very funky, and I love the creepiness of "Juarez" and "Suede." "Josephine," "Spring Haze," and "1,000 Oceans" are beautiful, touching piano ballads, and "Datura" is a great song as well - I especially love the weird second part, where you do feel like you're on datura (a hallucinogen).

Now for the live set: the band (Steve Caton, guitar; Matt Chamberlain, drums; Jon Evans, bass) provides lively backing on tunes that often stretch far longer than their studio incarnations ("Precious Things" is over seven minutes, and "The Waitress" runs over ten). They rock out on a couple of numbers that were originally quiet ("Sugar"), but play subtly on the more pensive tunes like "Bells For Her." Tori plays solo on the gorgeous b-side "Cooling" (which turns out better than the studio version, IMO), and does a couple of evidently improvised introductions ("Cooling," "Cornflake Girl"). In "The Waitress," Tori hits stride with a performance that is almost a force of nature. I dunno, you'd really have to hear it! It's one of the most amazing things I have ever heard. So powerful.

Almost half of the live songs are from Under The Pink, and Boys For Pele is represented only by the brief "Mr. Zebra." Tori is usually on piano with some synth, and her vocals hit you in the pit of the stomach.

On Boys For Pele, Tori started moving away from the piano-based arrangements of her first two albums and began experimenting with other sounds. Here she is experimenting with techno, dance, and industrial music. Tori's full-blown backing band gives Choirgirl a tight and expansive sound, adding things such as drum loops on "Cruel" (a scathing, sarcastic attack on people who consider themselves perfect), an industrial influence in "Hotel" (a bizarre, beautiful track filled with unpredictable sonic soundscapes), and tribal drum sounds in "iieee" (a riveting and certainly interesting track). There's also a lot of pain and meaning here - "Spark" and "Playboy Mommy" were inspired by Tori's miscarriage.

The only reason this terrific album is not five stars is that the experimental vibe isn't always convincing - "Raspberry Swirl" has a repetitive dance beat and "She's Your Cocaine" is marred by annoying, distorted vocals. Choirgirl as a whole, though, is wonderful music that showcases Tori's artistic talents.

If you're trying to build up your Tori collection, this is a good item to buy if you don't already have it. Or if you want to get into Tori, buying this would also be good. That being said, my favorite track on here is the cover of "Thank You." I love Led Zeppelin, but she did this song very nicely, and her voice is prettier than Robert Plant's, anyway. The cover of "Angie" is nice, but I don't think it's anything special. The "Crucify" remix and "Winter" are good because they give you a glimpse of what Little Earthquakes are like. As for "Smells Like Teen Spirit," I have to say I disliked this cover. When I first heard it, it sounded like cats dying. Maybe I'm just crazy because everyone else loved it.

Besides, you can't redo Nirvana.

I first heard the Divinyls when MTV and radio started playing "I Touch Myself" all the time. It's one of those songs that you can't get out of your head. The album itself is actually good: "Make Out Alright," "I Touch Myself," and "Lay Your Body Down" have catchy riffs and solid beats, "I'm On Your Side" and "If Love Was A Gun" are wonderful ballads, and Christina Amphlett has a very distinctive voice. (To me that's always a plus for a singer.)

But overall, I don't think this is anything special that I would recommend, and if it disappeared from my CD case, I wouldn't miss it severely.

I read this book when it first came out, and loved it, the way the words flow to create such beautiful, intricate characters and dialogue. I also related to The Mozart Season a lot, because I'm classically trained in piano and my little sister plays the violin. It's brilliant and absolutely lovely. Allegra is one of the best book heroines ever, and her mature yet child-like observations on everything made it fun to read. In short, I love this book and recommend it to everyone!

A Wrinkle In Time has got to be a classic by now - so many people I've talked to have named it as their favorite book. It's the story of an awkward high school girl, Meg; her little brother, Charles Wallace; their friend, Calvin; and three strange women who take them on an odd journey through space and time. Ultimately, it is a story about good triumphing over evil - a classic theme - but there is so much meaning here, so much pain. It's complex and wonderful, but not so that kids can't understand it: I read this to my sister when she was 7, and she loved it.

So many people loved this album, but I just don't see it. The music is dull and sparse, containing no memorable hooks, and the lyrics just ramble on and on, with no real rhyme. How could this same woman have written Jagged Little Pill only...oh, yeah, and why did she wait so long to release a follow-up? By this point, the world just did not care anymore. And what's with the cover art?

The only songs I like are "Unsent" and "One," but even those don't affect me like any of the tracks on Jagged Little Pill. I kind of wish she'd left out some of these songs and put in "Uninvited" and "No Pressure Over Cappuccino." But oh well...hopefully, some of these tunes will come into their own when Alanis performs them in concert. She's awesome to see live, go check her out if you get the chance!

The tone of Lydia Millet's My Happy Life alternates between depressing and uplifting, and for a few hundred pages, you get to see life through the eyes of an unnamed woman and it changes your perspective entirely. The title is rather misleading, as she hasn't lived a "happy life" at all. In fact, her life is one of the worst I've read about, though I'm generally not shocked by fiction. But what incredible fiction it is!

She has lived a harsh and difficult life and gone through unspeakable things, yet she remains incapable of bitterness or anger. Her ability to love and forgive is staggering, and she sees beauty in things that others wouldn't think at all about. Locked up and abandoned in a mental hospital, the woman struggles to survive and eventually begins writing the story of her life on the walls.

I love this book because after the first couple paragraphs, I felt like a completely different person. And after I finished it, I realized that I was still me, but I felt different, like my mind had been expanded and I'd seen the world through someone else, someone who could only love. Millet's writing hits you right in the pit of the stomach, and I'd be interested in seeing what else she has to say. I'd recommend this to anyone who thinks they would appreciate a book like this.