Blogcritics Author: Anna Creech

Book Review: Don't Stop Believin' - How Karaoke Conquered the World and Changed My Life by Brian Raftery

Anna Creech — Mon, 5 Jan 2009 21:24:19 EST

An engaging exploration of the history and culture of karaoke through one man's life and experiences.
Sitting in the auditorium talking to the music director while the high school musical cast took a break from rehearsal, I remarked that I couldn't imagine how anyone had the nerve to perform on that huge stage. I had auditioned for a part in the annual musical the year prior, and I still hadn't gotten over how awful it was to sing, albeit...

Book Review: Smart Blonde - Dolly Parton by Stephen Miller

Anna Creech — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 01:27:45 EST

This unauthorized biography may satisfy inquiring minds until Parton finishes her impending autobiography.
In his acknowledgments, author Stephen Miller makes it clear that his book, Smart Blonde: Dolly Parton, is not an authorized biography of the singer, songwriter, and actress. Despite not being able to interview Parton or most of her closest associates for the book, he has been able to gather an impressive collection of anecdotes and factual...

Music Review: A Princeton Christmas: For The Children Of Africa, Vol. 1 & 2

Anna Creech — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 08:34:47 EST

A selection of classic and classical Christmas songs performed by many of the Princeton (NJ) choral ensembles.
Having been a member of several choirs over the past few years, I've become familiar with many of the popular and no-so-popular choral pieces for the Christmas season. Western societies have drifted away from choral music appreciation, in general, with the exception of the Christmas holiday season, so many choirs spend a good part of the year...

DVD Review: Star Trek - The Original Series: Season Three Remastered

Anna Creech — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 23:38:27 EST

The enhancements in this collection make even the worst episode more palatable.
Several times in the Star Trek - The Original Series: Season Three Remastered featurettes, the interviewees mention that the third season exists mainly because the fans demanded it, and not because the studio executives thought they could make any money off of it. The show was moved from Monday night prime-time to late Friday night, facing certain...

Music Review: P!nk - Funhouse

Anna Creech — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:10:36 EST

Don't stop with the first single -- this album is filled with more to come.
Originally hitting the music scene as an R&B artist in 2000, P!nk (Alecia Moore) has changed her sound as often has she has changed her hair style. Her new album, Funhouse, is a cornucopia of popular music genres, with aggressive rock tunes offset by sweet pop ballads, mingling with country and soul. P!nk has used this forum as a sort of public...

Book Review: slide:ology - The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations by Nancy Duarte

Anna Creech — Sun, 9 Nov 2008 19:30:30 EST

Should be required reading for anyone giving presentations using slides.
In my short career, I have attended many professional conferences, and I quickly learned that it's a bit of a crap shoot as to whether or not the concurrent sessions will match the exciting presentation summaries in the program book. Last year, I attended a conference for librarians interested in technology in libraries, and I was pleasantly...

Music Review: Rodrigo y Gabriela - Live in Japan

Anna Creech — Sun, 9 Nov 2008 15:57:47 EST

Recommended if you like acoustic guitars, hand percussion, jazz, Latin rhythms, and the driving energy of metal.
Listening to this album, it's hard to believe that there are only two people performing this music. Using their acoustic guitars as both stringed instruments and improvised hand drums, along with the occasional assistance of an effects pedal, Mexican duo Rodrigo y Gabriela skillfully weave together intricate rhythms and melodies. Recorded live in...

DVD Review: Agatha Christie: Mystery Lover's Collection

Anna Creech — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:34:57 EDT

Nothing new here for long-time fans, but this may be a nice gift set for introducing Christie to new viewers.
This set of DVDs is an odd collection of film adaptations of Agatha Christie's books and short stories. Culled from several other DVD sets, Agatha Christie: Mystery Lover's Collection attempts to give the viewer a sample platter of Christie's amateur detectives. Devoted fans will already have most of the discs in this collection, but it...

Music Review: Awake My Soul - The Original Soundtrack / Help Me to Sing - Songs of the Sacred Harp

Anna Creech — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:53:59 EDT

Continuines the preservational and educational mission of the documentary which inspired this collection.
The documentary Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp told the story of the origins of shape note singing, and of the Sacred Harp collection in particular, as well as the recent revival of this type of vocal music. With the release of the two-disc soundtrack, we are treated with the full recordings of the songs referenced in the documentary,...

DVD Review: Click & Clack - As the Wrench Turns

Anna Creech — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:30:42 EDT

Tom's shoes aren't the only stinkers in this show.
Growing up mainly in the '80s and '90s with the family car being the most inexpensive yet reliable compact vehicle we could afford, my little sister and I did not have the luxury of seat-back DVD players and separate headset plugs. Instead, we had to make our own entertainment on long road trips. If we were lucky, a few of the hours in the...