Being used to the vinyl of these albums I was let down at first by the sound of these tracks. The vinyl sounds wonderful, warm and engaging. Another reviewer pointed out a 'treble boost' in the earlier recordings on the box set. That's true, the sound does improve the later the album. After a few listens my ears are getting used to the harder sound of the CD's. Sounds good uploaded lossless to my iPhone.

My other complaint is the packaging. The original album artwork has been bastardized. The covers are now cheap looking and a tad garish, although they do feature the date which is useful. The generous 28-page is mostly lyrics. When it comes to the enigmatic figure of Pagliaro, purchasers of this package don't want lyrics (especially if you only speak French or English but not both). We want photos, articles, interviews.

Saying that, the music contained herein is some of the greatest ever by a Canadian artist. I can't think of another Canadian who can rock as hard as Pag then turn around and spin a catchy melody with picture-perfect pop. Jangly as the early English hits are, there is a balls-to-the-wall take-no-prisoners attitude to the rock and roll songs you rarely find. Beginning with pop, Pagliaro quickly shifted his career to the harder stuff, eventually finding his ideal guitar partner in the great Walter Rossi during the mid 70's. Adding harmonica whiz Jimmy Zeller makes this era band the best of all. There's so many gems here, if you are not familiar with Pag, you are in for a treat. This is rock and roll nirvana. The live set alone is blistering. The new (title) track is rocking and the CD of non-album singles is a fabulous bonus.

There's barely a bad track here; it's all quality and grit. At $75, this is a steal. I'd give the whole thing an 11 out of 10 but the packaging and sound bring it down to a 10 (:0)

I couldn't get very far in the book before becoming bored with Larsson's pedantic and rambling style. The movie, however, gripped me from beginning to end. Unlike the book, the movie is tightly paced and is blessed with blues and whites that jump off the screen. The direction and cinematography are clear and simple, yet gorgeous. The best of the trio, GWTDT lends itself to repeated viewings as the plot is contorted and at times hard to follow, but that only intrigues the viewer more. I've now seen the movie three times and each time was better than the previous viewing. Noomi Rapace brings Lisbeth Salander alive. Nyquist is no slouch, either. It's a shame Rapace was not tapped for the upcoming US version. One of the best movies of the last few years.

John Einarson has had his ups and downs writing about the rock scene of the 60's. His books about the Buffalo Springfield and Neil Young's early days are gripping accounts of monster talents and unlucky breaks. On the other hand, his account of the Burrito Brothers is a bitter retribution from Chris Hillman to his former Burrito bandmate Gram Parsons.

This book, however, is the best of the lot. Einarson perfectly captures the spirit of the times and brings to life the almost forgotten brilliance of Gene Clark. The author pulls no punches about what jerks Clark's fellow members of the Byrds were, not even sparing his one-time co-writer Chris Hillman. He also lays bare the soul of his subject, making him at once tragic, noble and a genius. After I turned the final page, I couldn't help be consumed with emotion, reflecting Gene Clark's own internal foibles and struggles. But what I was left with was that Clark was a towering musician with a classic voice, an ear for intricate yet robust melodies and poetic lyrics. What Clark lacked was ego, ambition and self-control. That aside, Einarson is to be credited with capturing the diverse aspects of a complicated, introverted and immensely talented man.

I found another of John Einarson's books, "For What It's Worth: The Story of Buffalo Springfield" to be engrossing, well-researched and lovingly wrought. I was shocked when I began reading this book. There is not a page that does not drip with disdain and jealousy over Gram Parsons' legacy and person. Not being alive to defend himself, Parsons' is an easy target for Hillman, who while not co-writer is credited with partial authorship ("John Einarson with Chris Hillman").

It is obvious that ulterior motives are behind the telling of this sad tale. While the book itself carries with Einarson's impeccable attention to detail, it is a hard slog for a lifelong Byrds and FBB fan. What galls me the most is how the authors rip Parsons' music and musicianship. I'm sorry but the allure of the FBB was Parsons' incredible double-tracked vocals on that first FBB album. I'm scratching my head over this tome. I don't get why Hillman, after all these years, holds so much hate in heart for Parsons. I feel dirty after reading this, not for the tales of Parsons' childish and self-absorbed abuse of those around him but for Hillman who has never been able to overcome the feeling of inferiority and resentment towards his bandmate. Einarson is to be blamed, too. His job is not to make his co-worker feel great about himself but to tell a compelling story. He does the latter but he fails badly on the human angle.

The original TPB movie was funny, original and a classic film version of a hyper funny TV series. This movie seems tired. The jokes are few and far between and the acting seems uninspired. Most disturbing of all are the extras on the disc. Gone are the hilarious commentary from the boys, both in and out of character. Instead we get three fans who obviously cannot shed much light on the workings of the shoot. They're not comedians so it's dry, if cheerful, going. The deleted scenes are justifiably not in the movie. I hate to rag on my beloved TPBs but this effort is half-hearted from the movie itself to the DVD/BR extras. The fun is gone. Hopefully, the new Drunk and Drugs show will bring back the zany.

With Stephen Harper steamrolling over our country, it's no comfort to know that his legion of wild-eyed theocratic followers is also on the march. With their not so veiled admiration of Hitler youth, the new evangelicals of Canada make up for their tiny numbers with fervent mindlessness reminding one of the Taliban in thought and deed. Marci McDonald wraps up this group into a tidy reminder to Canadians not to take their country for granted. Our country's well being and freedoms are not so much threatened by our usual worries of economy, environment and wars but by the ferocity of sad unquestioning children mostly from Alberta who prefer not to think for themselves but place their faith in a deity and the Conservative party. Her tight prose and rigorous fact checking make this an enjoyable - if not disturbing - read. My only complaint is that McDonald lets the new Canadian evangelical movement off too easy. The author could have gone for the jugular but has instead decided to play safe and be nice.

I lived in Texas at the time of this show. It was a great broadcast then and an even better DVD now. What a great selection of songs. Every one of them killer and future Dylan keyboardman Augie Meyers is as great in his own way as Garth Hudson is in his. This is salt of the earth stuff, but with great melodies and a beat so gloriously sloppy, it's no wonder the band takes on one of its oldest songs, the Kinks "Who'll be the Next in Line."

What a band, what a sound, what a deal. Pass this one at your own peril.

Any actor who can excel at playing both this wild character and probably the greatest Heathcliff besides Olivier, deserves more credit than Tom Hardy has received. This movie has it merits but mostly because of Hardy it transcends. As to the Blu-Ray, a rough grain permeates the picture perfectly in tune with its primary character.

Reading this makes you want to wash your hands. Stephen Harper's scary fanaticism or his evangelical beliefs is truly creepy. More American than Canadian is much of his beliefs, Harper comes across as George Bush's equally evil twin. It's truly staggering to think what disasters Harper would subject Canada to if he ever gets a majority. Can you imagine a religion that equates money and power with closeness to god?

Rex Murphy, Canada's Glenn Beck and George Will rolled into one, is an educated man who knows how to pitch an argument. Then again, anyone can pitch an argument and win if they know how to play the game. And Murphy certainly knows how to twist an argument into a seemingly valid resolve. Problem is, nobody has told Murphy the world is not flat. His outmoded and anachronistic view of the world does not serve the reality in which it presently exists. In conclusion, if you are a conservative and old-fashioned and happy that you are this way, you might enjoy this book. If you face the world fully head on and are desirous of progress and change for the better, you'd best look elsewhere for enlightenment.