Dr. Barnabas T. Bynum's New School Musical Revue and Travelling Minstrel Show

This self titiled dvd made its way to me via a dear friend. And after watching this train wreck of a performance, we are still dear friends. I have always been a Dr. Hook fan in large part because they gave voice to the lyrics of one of my all time favorite songwriters, Shel Silverstein. With the exception of a spirited version of "Carry Me Carrie", everything is a mumbled, jumbled, half assed attempt to coherently convey some sense of musicality. This "concert" if that is what this is, was apparently a 1974 effort from some European tv sudio. There doesn't appear to be a live audience in attendance, but if there was, they would have surely walked out. An editorial review posted at Amazon declares that "fans will not be disappointed." What****???? Maybe the editor was smoking some of the same herbal supplements that Dr. Hook was apparently smoking. I realize that the boys in the band were just a raucous bar band at heart, but this is ridiculous. I don't know if someone released this atrocity to embarass Dr. Hook or just to make a quick buck or both. With the hundreds of concerts the band performed together, someone couldn't come up with a better performance than this? C'mon. This one is for the hardest of hardcore Hook fans. And even at that, you'd better close your eyes and hold your nose. This one's a stinker.

Well it seems another season of American Idol has been completed and another winner crowned. But don't fret America, a new season will start in January. In the meantime, allow American Idol to fulfill all your vocal needs. Do you need vocal talent for your Broadway or off Broadway musical? Do you need a vocalist to sing the national anthem at your ballpark, stadium, or arena? Do you need somebody to sing at the ribbon cutting for the grand opening of a bank, massage parlor, trailer park, or bingo hall? Again, don't fear my friends. A former American Idol contestant can fill the bill.

One can envision the day when the American Idol finale will rival the hysteria and overblown excitement of the Super Bowl. It will become an all day event laden with its own "pregame" activities culminating with the grand announcement of who got the most cell phone votes. And while that person will no doubt possess superb vocal skills, so do millions of other folks who choose not to subject themselves to this dog and pony show. What did we ever do before American Idol? Of course the talent was always there: in the churches, bars, honky tonks, and street corners of our land. There used to be A & R folks whose job was to seek out these individuals. And though that scenario is still true to a certain extent it is becoming less so. You see American Idol sucks all the oxygen out of the building. Even the esteemed record executive Clive Davis (who has clearly exhibited a keen eye for talent in the past) chooses to let American Idol address his talent needs. And what's worse, "Idol" has spawned similar talent shows with a similar three judge panel: the snide Englishman, the daffy chick, and the cool black guy. But don't fret America, don't fret.

Join tour guide, alternative country singer/songwriter Jim White on this spooky, kooky ride through the swamps, bayous, bars, prisons, back roads, and churches of the rural south. Part documentary, part spiritual quest, part spoken word artistry, this film was originally made for the BBC but has recently been shown on the Sundance channel. Appearances are made by celebrated writer Harry Crews, The Handsome Family, and the wonderfully creepy Johnny Dowd. This film will make you laugh, break your heart, and entertain you at the same time. Among the missing teeth, numerous tattoos, and free flowing beer, you'll find real people who've been touched by good and evil Perhaps Jim White sums it up best when he says that he's "looking for the gold tooth in God's crooked smile".