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BEST COMICS: 2018

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THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN
T H E
T E M P E S T




Shortcut links:
>Best Comics
>Best Graphic Novels
>Best Collections
>Best Movies And TV
>Best Websites

>Rest In Power






B E S T
C O M I C S :





I D W




-THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: The Tempest, by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill (Top Shelf/IDW) _______ ⇧

Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's swan song... for the series, and for their comics careers.

The wink in the cover design to Classics Illustrated should give a clue. This six-issue series is as complex as Pynchon, as subversive as Joyce, as interlaced as Farmer. Gradually, the saga of the League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen has become the story of one extraordinary woman, the indomitable Mina Murray. And, through the concept that all literature was a true interconnected history, it has woven together the sources of everything we enjoy into a new way of seeing them.

Read, Think, Create.

Handy checklist:
  • LOEG 1
  • LOEG 2
  • LOEG: The Black Dossier
  • LOEG 3: Century
  • LOEG: The Nemo Trilogy
  • LOEG 4: The Tempest



-GHOSTBUSTERS: Answer The Call, by Kelly Thompson and Corin Howell _______
Along with their crossover comics series in which all versions of Ghostbusters (from live to cartoon) met, IDW also did this series starring the women from the 2016 film.





I M A G E





-SAGA, by Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan _______ ⇧
Contemporary comics' consistently finest series went on a year hiatus after issue #54.

-PAPER GIRLS, by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang _______ ⇧
Contemporary comics' consistently most complex series only enriches with time.




-SLEEPLESS, by Sarah Vaughn and Leila Del Duca _______
A rethinking of Fantasy and Romance idioms.

-BITTER ROOT, by David F. Walker, Chuck Brown and Sanford Greene _______
The '20s Harlem Renaissance vs. arcane forces (and family quarrels).

-INFIDEL, by Pornsak Pichetshote and Aaron Campbell _______
A horror allegory where a building feeding off of bigotry plagues the immigrants who live there.

-PRISM STALKER, by Sloane Leong _______
Like Octavia Butler writing 'Sailor Moon' .


-THE NEW WORLD, by Aleš Kot and Tradd Moore _______
After the USA's Second Civil War, two opponents screw up the program by falling in love.

-BLACKBIRD, by Sam Humphries and Jen Bartel _______
A neon-noir L.A. Occult mystery.

-SKYWARD, by Joe Henderson and Lee Garbett _______
Class wars, science intrigue, and zero gravity.

-HEY KIDS! COMICS!, by Howard Chaykin _______
Howard Chaykin's loving (while unvarnished) homage to the history of the comics industry.



-MONSTRESS, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda _______
Best-selling author Marjorie Liu's Gothic Fantasy, with stunning art by Sana Takeda.

-THE WICKED AND THE DIVINE, by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie _______
Life and death and lifestyles of the rich and infamous.



"All Good Things...", dept.:

Creator-owned series have the benefit of taking their stories to a definite endpoint. These stalwarts bowed out this year.


-SEX CRIMINALS, by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky _______ ⇧
The climactic five issues. >

-DESCENDER, by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen _______
The concluding seven issues. Indiana Croft.
The sequel series Ascender follows.

-BLACK SCIENCE, by Rick Remender, Matteo Scalera, and Dean White _______
The concluding eight issues. Dare all pretensions in parallel dimensions.

-BLACK CLOUD, by Jason Latour, Ivan Brandon, and Greg Hinkle _______
10-issue series concludes.





M A R V E L




-AMERICA, by Gabby Rivera, Joe Quinones, and Ramon Villalobos _______ ⇧
Latter end of 10-issue maxi-series.
America Chavez, amazon luchadora immigrating from another dimension, represents the best ideals of the country she's named for!
Fascists and bigots, begone!



Art by Russell Dauterman

-THE MIGHTY THOR, by Jason Aaron And Russell Dauterman _______ ⇧
Jane.
The death of the mighty Thor.

-MS. MARVEL, by G. Willow Wilson and Nico Leon _______
Embiggen your mind.

-THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL, by Ryan North, Erica Henderson, and Derek Charm _______
Fight the sour! Un-glower to the People! Go, nuts!

-SPIDER-GWEN, by Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez _______
Does whatever a spider can.




-RISE OF THE BLACK PANTHER, by Evan Narcisse and Paul Renaud _______
A skillful streamlining of his Origin.

-BLACK PANTHER, by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Daniel Acuna _______
Bestselling author Coates relaunches the title from #1, continuing his golden run.

-SHURI, by Nnedi Okorafor and Leonardo Romero _______
T'Challa's sister, who once wore the mantle of Black Panther, breaks free into her own series.




-JESSICA JONES, by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos _______
It's the dialogue.
During 2018, after nearly two decades of course-correcting Marvel Comics and blueprinting all of the Netflix shows, Bendis moved to DC.

-DOCTOR STRANGE, by Mark Waid and Jesus Saiz _______
"And Doctor Strange is always changing size."

-BLACK BOLT, by Saladin Ahmed and Christian Ward _______
Any excuse to enjoy Christian Ward's psychedelic art is a valid one.

-LEGION, by Peter Milligan and Wilfredo Torres _______
With the radical TV series attaining new levels of quality, this 5-issue mini-series returns the troubled psionic to the page.


_______________


S T A R
W A R S


Marvel is doing a splendid job making movies between the movies.


-STAR WARS, by Jason Aaron and Stuart Immonen, + _______
The flagship title covers the Rebel side of events during the period between A NEW HOPE and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

-DARTH VADER: Dark Lord of the Sith*, by
Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli
_______
This second VADER series covers his emergence immediately after REVENGE OF THE SITH.

*(They don't include the subtitle on the cover, causing great confusion with the previous 25-issue DARTH VADER series, set later.)



-STAR WARS: Doctor Aphra, by Kieron Gillen, Emilio Laiso, and Kev Walker _______ ⇧
The inverse Indiana Jones, the bizarro Han Solo, continues to crash the party and take your lover.

-STAR WARS: Poe Dameron, by Charles Soule and Angel Unzueta _______
This fun series continually brought depth to the pilot and his squadron, fleshing out the events leading up to THE FORCE AWAKENS until its conclusion with issue #31.

-STAR WARS: Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi— CAPTAIN PHASMA, by Kelly Thompson and Marco Checchetto
A one-shot which explains events for her between THE FORCE AWAKENS and THE LAST JEDI.





D C




Timely Reminder, Dept.
  • WATCHMEN (1986) is a graphic novel by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, with color by John Higgins.
  • They are the sole creators of this original saga, despite a copyright swindle by the publisher.
  • This is a self-contained story, period.
  • Any other "before" or "after" supplements, "crossover integrations", or "screen extensions" are a complete fraud perpetrated by the greedy and supported by the foolish.

This also applies to all ABC Comics characters misappropriated and franchised. The Corporation didn't create it, they don't ethically "own" it, and their appropriation is just irrelevant exploitation.

(See also: Siegel and Shuster; Bill Finger; Fawcett Comics,...)





V E R T I G O


Forget the corporation, support the creators.


-ASTRO CITY, by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson, + Alex Ross _______
Only two issues and a hiatus, but hey, it's Astro City!

-DEATHBED, by Joshua Williams and Riley Rossmo _______
Hallucinogenic six-issue series about a mysterious adventurer reaching zenith.





Y O U N G
A N I M A L


Forget the corporation, support the creators.

Art by Paulina Ganucheau.

Gerard (My Chemical Romance) Way's imprint, rechanneling the spirit of early '90s Vertigo Comics.


-SHADE, THE CHANGING WOMAN, by Cecil Castellucci and Marley Zarcone _______
The twelve issue Girl book was followed by this six-issue mini-series.
Meta-Zone, Mensa-mad, mega-rad!

-DOOM PATROL, by Gerard Way and Nick Derington _______
Like the other shoe dropping for Grant Morrison's '90s storied run.

-ETERNITY GIRL, by Magdalene Vissagio and Sonny Liew _______ ⇧
What if your best solution is the worst outcome for all?

-CAVE CARSON HAS AN INTERSTELLAR EYE, by Jon Rivera and Michael Avon Oeming _______
The 12-issue Cybernetic Eye book was followed by this six-issue series for the cosmic explorer.





D A R K
H O R S E





-BLACK HAMMER: Age Of Doom, by Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston _______
Black Hammer, Lemire's alt-universe parallel to Kingdom Come, ran 13 issues, and was followed up after their 'Crisis' event with this sequel book.

-BLACK HAMMER: The Quantum Age, by Jeff Lemire and Wilfredo Torres _______
A six-issue spin-off of the Black Hammer series.

-ETHER: The Copper Golems, by Matt Kindt and David Rubín _______
A five-issue sequel to Ether, continuing the adventurer caught betwixt science and fantasy.

-AMERICAN GODS: My Ainsel, by Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell, and Scott Hampton _______
The second arc in their adaptation of Gaiman's book, concurrent with an excellent TV series version.



I never metaphor I didn't like.>
Art by Martin Morazzo.

-----Berger Books-----

In a just universe, Karen Berger would be the one running DC Comics instead of the Corps and the Ballcaps.

Berger edited Alan Moore's Swamp Thing (1984-'87) as he completely upended the comics industry. When that maturity reached an adult level well past the mainstream DC hero books, she ushered in their 'New Format' titles that would morph into Vertigo Comics (1993). Her adult imprint, thriving in the Direct Sales comics shops, brought us Gaiman's Sandman and The Books of Magic (well before Harry Potter); Morrison's Doom Patrol, Animal Man, and The Invisibles; Delano's Hellblazer; and Milligan's Shade, The Changing Man. This grew across 20 years to include Preacher, Lucifer, A History of Violence, 100 Bullets, Fables, Y: The Last Man, and The Unwritten. While the '90s mainstream lost much of what made the '80s Revolution so mature, she created a legacy that is beyond compare, still influencing the best work on the page and the screen.

She's back now to show you how it's done right with the imprint Berger Books, distrubuted by Dark Horse.

-LAGUARDIA, by Nnendi Okorafor and Tana Ford _______
Acclaimed Afrofuturist writer Nnendi Okorafor (BINTI, AKATA WITCH) challenges xenophobia with this allegory of interstellar immigrants facing discrimination in NYC.

-THE SEEDS, by Ann Nocenti and David Aja _______
Childhood's End from another angle in a four-issue series.

-SHE COULD FLY, by Christopher Cantwell and Martin Morazzo _______ ⇧
A four-issue series about the mystery left in the wake of a Flying Woman.

-MATA HARI, by Emma Beeby and Ariela Kristantina _______
A layered reevalution of the controversial WWI spy in this five-issue series.




L I O N
F O R G E



-MAE, Volume 2 by Gene Ha _______ ⇧
The next chapter in the all-ages cross-dimensional adventure series by the acclaimed artist of Alan Moore'TOP 10.



B O O M




-CODA, by Si Spurrier and Matías Bergara _______
Like Mad Max goes to Mordor.

-JUDAS, by Jeff Loveness and Jakub Rebelka _______ ⇧
A deconstruction of Judus Iscariot as fate's puppet.

-ABBOTT, by Saladin Ahmed, Sami Kivela, and Jason Wordie _______
This hard '70s detective will solve this arcane noir, if she can get past everyone's biases. Five issues.

-FIREFLY, by Greg Pak and Dan McDaid _______ ⇧
Jumping from Dark Horse, the adventures of everyone's favorite cult TV Space Western continue.







B E S T
G R A P H I C
N O V E L S :





-STRONG FEMALE PROTAGONIST, Vol. 2, by Brennan Lee Mulligan and Molly Ostertag (IDW) _______ ⇧
Mulligan and Ostertag wrestle with the complexities of being a postmodern feminist superhero.

-THE HIDDEN WITCH, by Molly Knox Ostertag (Scholastic) _______
Ostertag's hailed sequel to THE WITCH BOY.



-The Beatles' YELLOW SUBMARINE, by Bill Morrison (Titan) _______ ⇧
"It's all in the mind, y' know."
A labor of L-O-V-E by the co-founder of Bongo Comics and current editor of MAD Magazine, distilling the film into thoughtful graphic tableauxs.

-FAB4 MANIA: A Beatles Obsession and the Concert of a Lifetime, by Carol Tyler (Fantagraphics) _______
Tyler's diary entries and illustrations lovingly recreate the thrill of Beatlemania taking hold of the new youth through 1965, with a you-are-there sweetness.




-The Provocative COLETTE, by Annie Goetzinger (NBM) _______ ⇧
Lateral to the film bio COLETTE (2018) starring Keira Knightley, Annie Goetzinger tells her version of the notorious life of the great French literarary rebel.

-McCAY, by Thierry Smolderen and Jean-Philippe Bramanti (Titan Comics) _______ ⇧
A comics bio of the life of Winsor McCay, creator of the esteemed "Little Nemo In Slumberland" comic strip and modern animation, told in the style of his work.

[See also: "The Adventures of Hergé" (Drawn & Quarterly), and the Art Masters graphic novel bios of fine artists.]

-THE JOE SHUSTER STORY: The Artist Behind Superman, by Julian Voloj and Thomas Campi (Papercutz’s Super Genius) _______ ⇧
A lovely biography of the co-creator of Superman, the character that established the entire comics industry.
And how that industry then established the legally-upheld pattern of bilking massive corporate profits at the expense of disposed creators.
[See also: 1938-Now]

-MEMORABILIA, by Sergio Ponchione (Fantagraphics) _______
Bios in comix form of Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Wallace Wood, Will Eisner, and Richard Corben, referencing their styles in each.




-MONK!: Thelonious, Pannonica, and the Friendship Behind a Musical Revolution, by Youssef Daoudi (First Second Books) _______ ⇧
BeBop or be dead.
The symbiotic relationship of Jazz prophet Thelonious Monk and his patron, Kathleen Annie Pannonica de Koenigswarter.

-ALL THE ANSWERS: A Graphic Memoir, by Michael Kupperman (Simon & Schuster) _______
A nuanced memoir about his father, a Quiz Kid champion of the '40s, and the toll of celebrity on soul and family.

-BERLIN 3: City Of Light, by Jason Lutes (Drawn & Quarterly) _______ ⇧
Across 20 years, Lutes has woven an ongoing examination of how the rebellious Wiemar Republic was (ahem) trumped by repressive Nazism, which he has now finished in this timely third collection.

-I, René Tardi, Prisoner of War in Stalag IIB, by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics) _______ ⇧
The French comics legend gives account of his father's time surviving that Hell.




-BRAZEN: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World, by Pénélope Bagieu (First Second) _______ ⇧
Revolution Grrrl Style Then!
A herstory of international hellions.

-I MOVED TO LOS ANGELES TO WORK IN ANIMATION, by Natalie Nourigat (Boom) _______ ⇧
In which she does exactly what she set out to do, and maybe you can, too.

-WHY ART?, by Eleanor Davis (Fantagraphics) _______ ⇧
Eleanor Davis peels away layers of assumption in a quest of better understanding about the practice of creation.



-THE LIE AND HOW WE TOLD IT, by Tommi Parrish (Fantagraphics) _______
A contemplation of how the anxieties in mundane relationships can lead to their undoing.

-GRAFITY'S WALL, by Ram V and Anand RK (Unbound) _______
A wall in Mumbai, the pivot point for the futures of young friends.

-THE PRINCE AND THE DRESSMAKER, by Jen Wang (First Second Books) _______
'Princess fairy tales' are getting thankfully challenged and liberated at every turn nowadays, and this welcome volume about friendship, secrets, and personal expression is another push forward.

-COYOTE DOGGIRL, by Lisa Hanawalt (Drawn & Quarterly) _______
The designer of the 'Bojack Horseman' show decides to indulge any fun fantasy she wants.



-UPGRADE SOUL, by Ezra Claytan Daniels (Lion Forge) _______ ⇧
Can you attain perpetual youth? Should you?

-ON A SUNBEAM, by Tillie Walden (First Second) _______
A collection of the webcomic series, a poignant tale about outer space exploration and inner space revelation.

-TAEMONS, by Kim Salt (ShortBox) _______
Any deal with a devil is more than you bargained for.

-HOMUNCULUS, by Joe Sparrow (ShortBox) _______ ⇧
A character story about artificial intellence and the turning of time.



-CASSANDRA DARKE, by Posy Simmonds (Fantagraphics) _______
The evergreen Posy Simmonds (GEMMA BOVERY, TAMARA DREWE) returns.
No one combines literate text, narrative illustration, caustic barbs, and sublime moments in their work like her.

-HASIB AND THE QUEEN OF SERPENTS, by David B. (NBM) _______
Who can resist a Thousand And One Nights tale, told in kaleiscopic design?

-BARRIER, by Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin (Martin Panel Syndicate) _______
A self-published indie comic by one of the most important writers of the medium, which you can name your price to buy.
(Be generous.)

-LIKELY STORIES, by Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham (Dark Horse) _______
A new horror anthology by the two luminaries.
Now let's wrap up Miracleman after 25 years, guys.



-The Sons of EL TOPO, Vol. 1: Cain, by Alejandro Jodorowsky and José Ladrönn (Dark Horse) _______ ⇧
Alejandro Jodorowsky spoke for decades of doing a sequel to his epochal symbolist Western film, EL TOPO (1970).
At last, he gives us a version of it, beautifully panarama-ed by the cinematic art of José Ladrönn.


-WONDER WOMAN: Earth One, Vol. 2, by Grant Morrison and Yanick Paquette (DC) _______ ⇧
Morrison and Paquette continue their alternate take on the origins and arrival of the eternal Diana.

-MARVEL RISING: Unbeatable Squirrel Girl meets Ms. Marvel, by Devin K. Grayson, Ryan North, G. Willow Wilson,
and Marco Failla
(Marvel) _______
Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and Ms. Marvel meet for the first time.
Well? Throw money at it!






B E S T
C O L L E C T I O N S /
R E I S S U E S :



Quality is timeless.


-PRINCE VALIANT: Volumes 4-6 (1943-1948), by Hal Foster (Fantagraphics) _______
Hal Foster -and his peers Alex Raymond and Milton Caniff- turned comic strips from kids stuff to a literate art form, inspiring every comic book artist who followed.

-EC ARCHIVES: Weird Fantasy, Vol. 3, by Multiple Creators (Dark Horse) _______
EC Comics invented adult comics in the early '50s, and were crucified for it.> Catch up to the original revolution.
Stories by Gaines, Feldstein, Frazetta, Wood, Kamen, Orlando, and Williamson.

-EC ARCHIVES: Haunt Of Fear, Vol. 5, by Multiple Creators (Dark Horse) _______
Stories by Gaines, Feldstein, Binder, Kamen, Davis, and Crandall.

-THE UNKNOWN ANTI-WAR COMICS, by Multiple Creators (IDW) _______
A trove of previously overlooked anti-war stories across the years, featuring work by Steve Ditko and others.



-YRAGAËL AND URM: The Madman, by Michel Demuth and Philippe Druillet (Titan) _______
Philippe Druillet intersected Kirby cosmicness with Moorcock experimentalism, changing the comics industry after co-founding Metal Hurlant/Heavy Metal magazine with Moebius.
This is a remastering of the 1974 Science Fantasy classic.

-LONE SLOANE: Gail, by Philippe Druillet (Titan) _______ ⇧
This third volume in the ongoing remasters of the Lone Sloane series reprints the 1978 book.


-INSIDE MOEBIUS: Vol.1, 2, and 3, by Jean Giraud (Dark Horse) _______
In 2001, Jean Girard/Moebius/Gir sought to reinvent himself again in a doodle diary, which instead became a sprawling discourse of an author inverting his ouvre with perverse glee while questioning himself.
Looser, funnier, odder, crazier.

-THE PRISONER, by Jack Kirby and Gil Kane (Titan) _______ ⇧
In the mid-'70s, Marvel Comics supported the return of Jack Kirby by letting him adapt two projects dear to his heart: the film 2001 and the symbolist TV series, 'The Prisoner'.
But they felt the cerebral tale lacked action, and had Gil Kane take another go at it. Neither version was ever released, a grievous error set right by this deluxe book scanning the original art of each.
BCNU.





-WONDER WOMAN: The Golden Age Omnibus, Vol. 3 (1946-'47), by William Moulton Marston, Joyce Murchison, H.G. Peter, and Robert Kanigher (DC) _______
The final stories written by original creator Marston and his ghost partner Murchison, illustrated by co-creator Peter.
After Marston's death in '47, the feminist firebrand was systematically neutered over the next 20 years by Robber Conniver.

-GREEN LANTERN: The Silver Age Omnibus, Vol. 2 (1965-'70), by John Broome, Gardner Fox, and Gil Kane (DC) _______
Editor Julius Schwartz kicked off the Silver Age rebirth of comic books in 1956, in the wake of the attempt to extinguish them. He did it by streamlining them for the Space Age, with sharp writers, sleek artists, and always always always smart Science.
This Cosmic Cop series inspired all of the imitations that followed: Captain Mar-Vell, Nova, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Men In Black, etc.

-GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW: Hard Traveling Heroes (1970-'74), by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams (DC) _______ ⇧
This is the precise turning point when comics grew up and were first acknowledged by the mainstream media.
O'Neil and Adams were the peers of the New Hollywood, bringing a level of literacy and illustration and sociopolitical realism that the New York Times Review Of Books termed "the Age of Relevancy". Every mature innovation since in the medium branches from right here.
Essential.



-JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: The Bronze Age Omnibus, Vol. 2 (1974-'77), by (DC) _______
The classic line-up of the most influential super-team in history.

-BATMAN By Neal Adams, Book 1 (1968-'69), by Bob Haney, Dennis O'Neil, and Neal Adams + (DC) _______
The first stories, when Neal Adams' naturalistic illustration began propelling the medium forward.

-ALL-STAR SUPERMAN (2005-'08), by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (DC) _______
One of the most majesterial celebrations of the Last Son Of Krypton gets remastered.

-MISTER MIRACLE (2018), by Tom King and Mitch Gerads (DC) _______
The recent, highly acclaimed 12-issue maxi-series compiled.
How does the escape artist escape himself?



-FANTASTIC FOUR, The Coming Of Galactus: The Epic Collection (1964–'66), by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (Marvel) _______
Fantastic Four had been a brainy adventure series, but this is the moment when Marvel Comics first got biblical on a cosmic scale.

-DOCTOR STRANGE, Master of the Mystic Arts: The Epic Collection (1963-'66), by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko (Marvel) _______
The creators of Spider-Man go unexpectedly mad with glorious visions of the beyond.

-SPIDER-MAN, No More: The Epic Collection (1966-'67), by Stan Lee, John Romita Sr., Larry Leiber, and Marie Severin (Marvel) _______
Every story where a superhero chucked it all and walked away comes from right here.

-Jim Starlin's MARVEL COSMIC ARTIFACT EDITION (1972-'77), by Jim Starlin + (IDW) _______ ⇧
Inspired by Kirby's New Gods, Jim Starlin invented Thanos and the struggle for galactic power, blocked by Captain Marvel, The Avengers, and Warlock.
He set off the entire Marvel '70s SciFi wave, as well as the throughline of the Marvel Films which culminates in AVENGERS: Infinity War (2018) and AVENGERS: Endgame (2019).



-MASTER OF KUNG FU, Weapon of the Soul: The Epic Collection (1974-'75), by Jim Starlin, Doug Moench, and Paul Gulacy + (Marvel) _______
After four decades of backstage legalities, Marvel is finally free to reprint this vital series.
Initiated by Jim Starlin during the Martial Arts craze, it would evolve under writer Doug Moench and artist Paul Gulacy into an interrogation of previous Asian stereotypes with profound philosophical introspection, amid radical Steranko-esque page arrangements.
And it would only get better, as subsequent volumes will prove...

-Marvel Masterworks: KILLRAVEN (1973-'76, 1982), by Don McGregror and P. Craig Russell, + Adams, Chaykin (Marvel) _______
While writer Don McGregor was revitaling Black Panther, his modern sequel to WAR OF THE WORLDSs took full flight with artist P. Craig Russell. As Russell found his unique graphic Art Nouveaus style, the series became fine art, culminating in a stunning 1982 graphic novel reunion finale.

-MOON KNIGHT, Final Rest: The Epic Collection (1982-'84), by Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz (Marvel) _______
Moon Knight during this period was the exact equivilent of the GL/GA O'Neil and Adams stories a decade before.
The title was one of the first to go off newstands to the new Direct Market of comic stores, allowing writer Moench and artist Sienkiewicz to bring an adult intensity and stylistic innovation unseen before.



-The Ballad Of HALO JONES, Vol. 1, 2, and 3, by Alan Moore and Ian Gibson (2000 AD) _______
One of Moore's first series, and his first with a dynamic female lead.

-THE ONE, by Rick Veitch (IDW) _______
A rare six-issue series for Epic Comics (1985), in which Veitch paralleled Moore in deconstructing modern superhero tropes.
After this, he began an ill-starred arc following his friend Moore as writer/penciller for Swamp Thing.

-VIOLENT CASES, by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean (Titan) _______
Gaiman and McKean made their comics debut in 1987 with this experimental Noir story.

-V FOR VENDETTA 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, by Alan Moore and David Lloyd (DC) _______ ⇧
Because you need to be told, at all times, to pay attention, to fight back, to never give up.

-LOST GIRLS: Expanded Edition, by Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie (IDW) _______
Comics' royal couple treats coupling royally.



-RONIN, by Frank Miller (DC) _______
After his early-'80s Daredevil run brought hardboiled maturity to mainstream American comics, Miller had more clout than anyone in 1983.
So he made a cutting-edge Lone Wolf And Cub/cyberpunk epic that shocked or divided everyone, and which across time has come clear as one of the best things he ever did.

-Bill Sienkiewicz's MUTANTS AND MOON KNIGHTS Artifact Edition, by Bill Sienkiewicz (IDW) _______
The experiments from "Moon Knight" led Sienkiewicz to expand his Adams realism into Steadman frenzy, coming to the fore in his bracing 1984 work on The New Mutants, the first X-Men spin-off team.
His punk work on the character Legion therein is why Noah Hawley's TV show LEGION is so artfully stylized.

-DAVE McKEAN: The Short Films, by Dave McKean (Dark Horse) _______ ⇧
A blu-ray of McKean's short films in a book with production photos and art.

-DC Comics: The Art of DARWYN COOKE, by Darwyn Cooke (DC) _______
Cooke left the Bruce Timm animation shows to become one of the luminaries of modern comics, until his untimely passing.

-DIRTY PLOTTE: The Complete Julie Doucet, by Julie Doucet (Drawn and Quarterly) _______
Another lost soul, this one a pioneer for confessionals in indie comix, with a bent and sad edge.



-STAR WARS: Forces Of Destiny,
by Multiple Creators (IDW) _______ ⇧
All-ages comics with new adventures spotlighting Leia, Rey, Hera, Ahsoka, Padme, and Rose with her sister Paige.

Watch the Forces Of Destiny cartoon shorts for free here:
Season 1, Season 2

-SPECTACLE, Vol. 1, by Megan Rose Gedris (Oni Press) _______
A paranormal circus murder mystery.

-MILK WARS, by multiple creators (DC/Young Animal) _______
A crossover event between DC and its punk imprint Young Animal, including: JLA/Doom Patrol; Mother Panic/Batman; Shade, the Changing Girl/Wonder Woman; Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye/Swamp Thing.


_______________



WHERE WE COME FROM, Dept.

Explore the past to map the future.
Get with, get going.



-Comic Book History of Comics: Comics for All, by Fred Van Lente, Ryan Dunlavey, and Adam Guzowski (IDW) _______ ⇧
The sequel to "Comic Book History of Comics", which told the history in graphic form, goes international in scope.

-NEW HOLLYWOOD, by Jean-Baptiste Thoret and Bruno (IDW) _______ ⇧
A graphic overview of how the counterculture saved Hollywood and advanced filmmaking between 1967 and 1980.







B E S T
M O V I E S
a n d
T V:



I write and illustrate reviews of all comics-sourced films at the Four Color Films site.

Art by Tym Stevens

-AVENGERS: Infinity War

-BLACK PANTHER

-ANT-MAN AND THE WASP

-THE DEATH OF STALIN

See Also:
>Four Color Films,
THE Comic Movies Review Site!



-LEGION, season 2
The highest level of fine art craft on Television.

-DAREDEVIL, season 3

-CLOAK AND DAGGER, season 1


See also:
>BEST MOVIES & TV: 2018






B E S T
W E B C O M I C S





-NANCY, by Olympia Jaimes
Under a psuedonym, someone is upgrading the classic strip's mindtricks for the digital age.
"Sluggo is lit" and you should be literate, too.

-ON A SUNBEAM, by Tillie Walden

-The Nib
RESIST!






R E S T
I N
P O W E R





  • Stan Lee
  • Steve Ditko
  • Marie Severin

From you, we exist.
Because of you, we persist.





Nuff said, pilgrim. Excelsior!


© Tym Stevens



See also:

-FourColorFilms: THE Comics Film Review Site!


BEST MOVIES & TV: 2018
BEST MUSIC: 2018

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2017
BEST MUSIC: 2017
BEST COMICS: 2017

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2016
BEST MUSIC: 2016
BEST COMICS: 2016

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2015
BEST MUSIC: 2015
BEST COMICS: 2015

BEST MUSIC: 2014
BEST MOVIES & TV: 2014
BEST COMICS: 2014

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2013
BEST MUSIC: 2013
BEST COMICS: 2013

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2012
BEST MUSIC: 2012
BEST COMICS: 2012

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2011
BEST MUSIC: 2011
BEST COMICS: 2011

BEST MOVIES: 2000-2010
BEST COMICS: 2000-2010
BEST MUSIC: 2000-2010


-STARSTRUCK Strikes Back!
-STARSTRUCK: The Roots and Branches of Elaine Lee & Michael Kaluta's space opera
-How STAR WARS Is Changing Everything!

-THE CANON 1: 50 Books That Created Modern Pop Culture
-THE CANON 2: 50 More Books That Created Modern Pop Culture




THE CANON 3: 50 Recent Books That Created Modern Pop Culture

$
0
0
... with Music Player!

The Canon TRILOGY is now complete!


THE CANON 3


(of Genre Fiction)

Dark Carnivals! Psyche Horror!
Wonder Factories! Virtual Reality!
Avatars! Science Fantasy! Demon Possession!
Beast Fables!


Feminist SciFi! PostMod SpecFic!
ESPers! Vampires! Clones! Dystopias!
Empathic Detectives! Cyberpunk! Steampunk!


Ghosts! Diverse P.I.'s! Highlanders!
Dark Fantasy! Magic School! Comics Lit!
Alt History! Hacker Grrrl!



In chronological order, here are 50 key books where many of our modern legends come from...

MUSIC PLAYER!


The Basics, Dept.:
1) This is an entry primer for Speculative Fictions.
2) This is an Alternate Lit List for alternative seers.
3) Feed your mind and your aspirations will follow!




The Canon covers time
in three subsequent jumps:

The Canon 1 focuses across 800 BC to 1950, from the early legends through the 19th Century Classics to the Pulp Magazine era.

The Canon 2 focuses mainly on the 1940s to 1970, from the Golden Age to the New Wave Of Science Fiction. It also spotlights female and multicultural authors who deserve more illumination.

The Canon 3 focuses on the 1960s to 2000s, from the New Wave Of Science Fiction to today.

"Leads To" COLOR KEY =
  • MOVIE
  • TV show
  • Book
  • Comic
  • Music
  • Game









1)

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES,
by Ray Bradbury
(1962)

◼ Dark Carnival.

1982 film poster by David Grove


Gothic modern.
The carnival of bad souls covets yours.




Leads to:
Umbra/ge.

Bradbury's story evolved out of his "Dark Carnival" anthology's short story, "The Black Ferris"(1948), and a screen treatment for a Gene Kelly film that didn't get funded (1955). The book emerged as the shadowy companion to the radiant "Dandelion Wine"(1957).


▶▶▶ King's books "Danse Macabre", "The Dead Zone", "Salem's Lot", and "Joyland"; the film adaption SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES(1982); Koontz's "Twilight Eyes"(1985); Dunn's "Geek Love"(1989); Stine's 'Goosebumps' books (1992); Gaiman's "American Gods"(2001); the Pandemonium Carnival in the League of Gentlemen TV series (1999); Layman's "The Traveling Vampire Show"(2000); the HBO series 'Carnivale'(2003); endless Black Metal songs and concept albums; Ferrario's "Dark Carnival"(2003); Morgenstern's "The Night Circus"(2011); the anthology book "The Midnight Carnival: One Night Only"(2013); 'American Horror Story: Freak Show'(S04, 2014).

Also Read:
- "Dandelion Wine", by Ray Bradbury (1957)



2) WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE,
by Shirley Jackson
(1962)

◼ Psychological Horror.

Art by Thomas Ott


Jackson converted insular dread into literature.



Leads to:
Anima.


▶▶▶ Books like;
Cormac's "Outer Dark"(1968); Levin's "The Stepford Wives"(1972); King's "Carrie"(1974); Andrews'"Flowers in the Attic"(1979); Harris'"Red Dragon"(1981) and "The Silence Of The Lambs"(1988); Atwood's "Alias Grace"(1996); Palahniuk's "Haunted"(2005); Padgett's "The Secret of Ventriloquism"(2016); Machado's "Her Body and Other Parties"(2017); Hunt's "In the House in the Dark of the Woods"(2017).

▶▶▶ Comics and Graphic Novels like:
Moore, Bissette, and Totleben's "Swamp Thing"(1984); Gaiman's "The Sandman"(1989); Burns'"Black Hole"(1995); Kerascoët's "Beautiful Darkness"(2009).

▶▶▶ Films and shows like:
Polanski's REPULSION(1965); Roeg's DON'T LOOK NOW(1973); THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE(1976); THE SIXTH SENSE(1999); THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT(1999); Lynch's MULHOLLAND DRIVE(2001); ORPHAN(2009); Aronofsky's BLACK SWAN(2010); the 'American Horror Story' TV series (2011); THE WITCH(2015); I AM THE PRETTY THING THAT LIVES IN THE HOUSE(2016); MOTHER(2017); the film adaption WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE(2018); the TV adaption of Flynn's 'Sharp Objects'(2018).

Also Read:
- "The Haunting of Hill House", by Shirley Jackson (1959)



3) THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH,
by Walter Tevis
(1963)

◼ Alien Inversion.



Alien perspective.
Maybe we're too alien for our visitors' sake.



Leads to:
Refugee.


▶▶▶ Roeg's film adaption THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH(1976); Bowie's album "Low"(1977); Tarkovsky's STALKER(1979); Dick's "VALIS"(1981); Sayle's urban inversion THE BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET(1984); Carpenter's STARMAN(1984); the set designs for Manhattan’s apartment and Ozymandias' retreat in the WATCHMEN film (2009); Faber's book and Glazer's film UNDER THE SKIN(2014); Bowie's stage musical Lazarus(2015).

Also Read:
- "Stranger in a Strange Land", by Robert Heinlein (1961)

Also Watch:
-- UNDER THE SKIN(2013)
The woman who fell to Earth.



4) CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY,
by Roald Dahl
(1964)

◼ Wonder Factory.

Cover by Quinten Blake


Embrace life and don't be selfish.
And have fun making wonderful things.


Leads to:
Curiosity shoppe.


Actual Wonka candy bars!

▶▶▶ the film adaption WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY(1971); Sammy Davis, Jr's cover version "The Candy Man"(1972); Levinson's TOYS(1992); the band name Veruca Salt; the second film adaption, Burton's CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY(2005); two official Wonka video games; MR. MAGORIUM'S WONDER EMPORIUM(2007); Gilliam's THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS(2009); the opera 'The Golden Ticket'(2010); the musical 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'(2013); Primus' album "Chocolate Factory"; Spielberg's adaption of READY PLAYER ONE(2018).

Also Watch:
-- WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY(1971)
Gene Wilder.
The film improves the book.
Ask yourself in life, "What would Charlie do?"



5) THE THREE STIGMATA OF PALMER ELDRITCH,
by Philip K. Dick
(1965)

◼ Virtual Reality.



Virtual surreality as social farce.



Leads to:
Social media/tion.


Virtual Reality!

With canny prescience, the 1965 novel weaves themes of climate change, virtual reality, interactive avatars, social media addiction, thought police, trans-humanism, designer drugtrade, future visions, and alien godhood.

▶▶▶ songs by Delta V, Constants, and Valerio Maina; paralleled by the '60s New Wave Of Science Fiction works of Zelazny, Ballard, and Ellison; BLADE RUNNER(1982); '80s CyberPunk and the novels of Gibson, Sterling, Rucker, and Stephenson; Otomo's manga "Akira" and its film adaptation AKIRA(1988); THE MATRIX(1999); The Sims video game (2000); Morgan's 'Altered Carbon' trilogy (2002); BLADE RUNNER 2049(2017); Jones' film MUTE(2018); the series 'Maniac'(2018).


Also Watch:
--'Philip K. Dick's ELECTRIC DREAMS', Season 1 (2018)



6) FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON,
by Daniel Keyes
(1966)

◼ Advanced Intelligence.



What is the toll of advanced awareness?.



Leads to:
Grey matters.


The book was adapted as the film CHARLY(1968), and won the Academy Award for Cliff Robertson's performance as the lead.

▶▶▶CHARLY(1968); multiple adaptions on TV, Radio, and stage, in the U.S., England, France, and Japan; the stage musical 'Charlie and Algernon'(1978); Tony Bank's album "A Curious Feeling'(1979); Dr. Manhattan in "Watchmen"(1985); AWAKENINGS(1990); LITTLE MAN TATE(1991); GOOD WILL HUNTING(1997); Star Trek: DS9, "Doctor Bashir, I Presume"(S05/E16, 1997) and "Statistical Probabilities"(S06/E09, 1997); I AM SAM(2001); 'The Simpsons: "HOMЯ"(S12/E09, 2001); Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"(2003); the award-winning dance piece 'Holeulone' by Karine Pontiès (2006); the band Flowers For Algernon; Tom Davis' album "Flowers For Algernon"(2010); 'The Good Doctor' TV series (2017).

Also Watch:
- CHARLY(1968)




Additional Classics:

-"Where the Wild Things Are", by Maurice Sendak (1963)

-"Nova Express", by William S. Burroughs (1965)

-"The Iron Man: A Children's Story in Five Nights", by Ted Hughes (1968)




7) ENGLAND SWINGS SF:
Stories of Speculative Fiction
,
edited by Judith Merril
(1968)

◼ The New Wave Of Science Fiction, UK.



Space Opera gives way to the literary, the experimental, and counterculture values.

Judith Merril and Harlan Ellison were among the first to champion and compile this speculative renaissance. This is a primer.



Leads to:
Feed your head.

New Wave authors:
UK: Michael Moorcock, Judith Merril, Thomas Disch, Brian Aldiss, J.G. Ballard, and John Brunner.
USA: Norman Spinrad, Joanna Russ, Samuel R. Delaney, Carol Emshwiller, Phillip K. Dick, James Tiptree Jr, Roger Zelazny, Ursula K. Le Guin, Sonya Dorman, and Phillip Jose Farmer.

Paralleled by Speculative Fiction writers like Harlan Ellison, Kurt Vonnegut, and Thomas Pynchon.

The adult illustrated fantasy magazines Metal Hurlant, Heavy Metal, 2000 A.D., and Warrior.


The introspective, abstract, postmodern, anti-hero, sociopolitical outlook of the Counterculture and the New Wave influenced European films like:
Truffaut's adaption of FAHRENHEIT 451(1966), PRIVILEGE(1967), Kubrick and Clarke's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY(1968), Vadim's BARBARELLA(1968), DOPPELGANGER(1969), NO BLADE OF GRASS(1970), Kubrick and Burgess'A CLOCKWORK ORANGE(1971), Powell's THE BOY WHO TURNED YELLOW(1972), THE FINAL PROGRAMME(1973), Bass'PHASE IV(1974), Malle's BLACK MOON(1975), Roeg's THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH(1976), ALIEN(1979), MEMOIRS OF A SURVIVOR(1981), TIME BANDITS(1981), OUTLAND(1981), 1984(1984), BRAZIL(1985), Bilal's BUNKER PALACE HOTEL(1989), NAKED LUNCH(1991), CITY OF LOST CHILDREN(1995), CODE 46(2003), MOON(2009), NEVER LET ME GO(2010), INCEPTION(2010), CLOUD ATLAS(2012), UNDER THE SKIN(2014), EX MACHINA(2015), HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES(2017).

▶▶▶'Doctor Who' in the '70s ; 'UFO'(1970); 'Space: 1999'(1975); Wagner and Azquerra's "Judge Dredd" comic (1977); Adams'"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"(1979); Moore and Lloyd's "V For Vendetta"(1982); Milligan, McCarthy, and Ewin's "Strange Days"(1984); Delano, Ellis, etc. on "Hellblazer"(1988); 'Red Dwarf'(1988); Gaiman's "The Sandman"(1989); Morrison's "The Invisibles"(1994); Ellis and Cassaday's "Planetary"(1998); 'Black Mirror'(2011); Moore's "Fashion Beast"(written 1985/adapted 2012).

Also Read:
- "Dangerous Visions", Various authors, edited by Harlan Ellison (1967)
A collection of the American wave authors.



8) LORD OF LIGHT,
by Roger Zelazny
(1967)

◼ Avatars.

Cover by Howard Bernstein

Surrogate super-selves on a greater plane.



Leads to:
Prosopopoeia.

The real-life C.I.A. operation Argo, chronicled in the Oscar-winning film, ARGO(2012).

Avatars. Zelazny's book revolves around surrogate selves, taking the cue from the avatars of Hinduism. The video game Habitat(Lucas Arts, 1986) used the term avatars for cyber selves, which became a common term on the internet for onscreen identity after Neal Stephenson's cyberpunk book "Snow Crash"(1992).


▶▶▶ Hawkwind's song "Lord Of Light"(1972); Jack Kirby's designs for an unmade film and related theme park (1979); Clarke's "Fountains Of Paradise"(1979); MacDonald's "River Of Gods"(2004); Morrison's "Vimanarama" comic (2005); ARGO(2012); Dhar's "Vimana"(2012); Banker's "Gods Of War"(2015); the Pixar short film, "Sanjay's Super Team"(2015).

>"The unbelievable meteoric rise of Indian Science Fiction Fantasy"

Also Watch:
- ARGO(2012)



9) THE LAST UNICORN,
by Peter S. Beagle
(1968)

◼ Fantasy Redux.



The scion of Tolkien, Lewis, and L'Engle come of age.

Parallel to the New Wave Of Science Fiction, the counterculture was deconstructing the dynamics and depths of Fantasy with literate innovations.



Leads to:
Chimera.

Other innovative writers in the new wave of Fantasy included;
Ursula K. Le Guin, Michael Mooorcock, Anne McCaffrey, Roger Zelazny, Katherine Paterson, Philip Jose Farmer, Lin Carter, L. Sprague de Camp, Tanith Lee, Richard Adams, Vonda McIntyre, and Terry Pratchett.


▶▶▶ Films influenced by the new wave of Fantasy include:
FANTASTIC PLANET(1973); Jodorowsky's THE HOLY MOUNTAIN(1973), ZARDOZ(1974); Malle's BLACK MOON(1975); Lucas'STAR WARS(1977); Bakshi's WIZARDS(1977); Gilliam's JABBORWOCKY(1977); the hand-animated WATERSHIP DOWN(1978); the dark fantasy EXCALIBUR(1981); the animated HEAVY METAL(1981); Gilliam's TIME BANDITS(1981); Henson's DARK CRYSTAL(1982); the animated FIRE AND ICE(1983); Miyazaki's NAUSICAA of the Valley of the Wind(1984); Scott's LEGEND(1985); LABYRINTH(1986); HIGHLANDER(1986); THE PRINCESS BRIDE(1987); Wender's WINGS OF DESIRE(1987); Švankmajer's ALICE(1988); Greenaway's PROSPERO'S BOOKS(1991); Caro and Jeunet's THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN(1995); Yimou's HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS(2004); McKean's MIRRORMASK(2005); Del Toro's PAN'S LABYRINTH(2006); BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD(2012); THOR: The Dark World(2013); 'Game Of Thrones'(2011); 'Outlander'(2014).

Also Watch:
- 'The Last Unicorn'(1982)
Animated adaptation.



10)

DRAGONFLIGHT,
by Anne McCaffrey
(1968)

◼ Science Fantasy.



The conventions of Fantasy rewritten like contemporary Science Fiction.



Leads to:
Tarragon.


Female authors have been a primary throughline of Fantasy literature:
from Margaret Cavendish (1600s) and Ann Radcliffe (1700s), to the 20th Century with Francis Stevens, Leigh Brackett, Andre Norton, P.L. Travers, and Madeleine L'Engle.
But Anne McCaffrey was the first woman to win both the Hugo and the Nebula prizes, ushering the success of new wave writers like Ursula K. Le Guin, Tanith Lee, Diana Wynne Jones, Natalie Babbitt, Vonda N. McIntyre, Joan D. Vinge, Diane Duane, Diana Gabaldon, and J.K. Rowling.

Fantasy comics with female leads include: Thomas and Windsor-Smith's "Red Sonja"(1973); the Pini's "Elfquest"(1978); "Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld"(1983); Marx's "Sisterhood of Steel"(1984); the 'Xena: Warrior Princess' TV show (1995) and "Xena" comics (1997); Moore and Williams III's "Promethea"(1999); Medley's "Castle Waiting"(1999); Smylie's "Artesia" series (1999); Marz's "Mystic"(2000).


Since the success of the LORD OF THE RINGS films and the 'Game Of Thrones' TV series, an explosion of feminist media expanding Fantasy parameters include: Pearson's "Hilda" graphic novels (2010) and the 'Hilda' cartoon show (2018); 'The Legend of Korra' TV series (2012); Costa's webcomic "Peritale"(2015); Louis'"Agents Of The Realm"(2016); Leth and Levens'"Spell On Wheels"(2016); O'Neill's "Princess Princess Ever After"(2016); Thompson and Douhard's "Mega Princess"(2016); Hicks'"The Nameless City" books (2016); Wheeler and Ganucheau's "Another Castle"(2016); Naifeh's "Night's Dominion"(2016); Dawson and Wood's "Ladycastle"(2017); Ostertag's "Witch Boy" graphic novels (2017).



11) THE BEAST THAT SHOUTED LOVE AT THE HEART OF THE WORLD,
by Harlan Ellison
(1969)

◼ Speculative Fiction.

Art by Leo and Diane Dillon


Ellison became the center of the new wave of speculative fiction.



Leads to:
"Shades of earth are ringing through my open views..."

Ellison's peers included the US and UK authors of the New Wave Of Science Fiction, but also authors like J.G. Ballard, Margaret Atwood, Thomas Pynchon, Joanna Russ, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr.; and filmmakers like Nicolas Roeg, Ken Russell, Irina Aktasheva, Robert Altman, and Andrei Tarkovsky; and his work influenced comics writers like Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Warren Ellis, and Garth Ennis.


▶▶▶ Incredible Hulk #140, Ellison's story "The Brute that Shouted Love at the Heart of the Atom"(1971); the film adaption A BOY AND HIS DOG(1975); Boyle's "The Worlds End"(1987); Morrison's "The Invisibles"(1994); 'Neon Genesis Evangelion': Episode 26 (1997).



12) HER SMOKE ROSE UP FOREVER,
by James Tiptree, Jr.
(1969)

◼ Speculative Metafiction.



An omnibus of Tiptree's short stories between 1969 and 1980.

James Tiptree, Jr was one of the most heralded writers of modern SF for his first decade, but -for some reason- was less supported when later revealed to be Alice Bradley Sheldon.
But quality is timeless, and divisions are dust.



Leads to:
Multiplicity.

After Mary Shelley invented Science Fiction writing the very postmodernist "Frankenstein"(1818), the kneejerks immedietely believed the book had been ghosted by her husband, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Across time, female authors of Speculative Fiction often used male pseudonyms to slip entry into the OldBoy publishing world. Important examples include: Vernon Lee / Violet Paget (worked across 1880s-1930s); Murray Constantine / Katharine Burdekin (1920s-'30s); L. Taylor Hansen / Lucile Taylor Hansen (1940s); C.L. Moore / Catherine Lucille Moore (1940s-'50s); P.L. Travers / Pamela Lyndon Travers (1930s-'80s); Paul Ash(well) / Pauline Ashwell (1940s-'90s); Andre Norton / Alice Norton (1940s-2000s); JK Rowling and Robert Galbraith/ Joanne Rowling (1990s-).


As an example that gender is simply a social construct and that individual merit is all that matters, Tiptree helped free the possibilities for authors living beyond arbitrary segregations, such as: Jessica Amanda Salmonson, JY Yang , Caitlin R. Kiernan, Poppy Z. Brite , Vivek Shraya , and Charlie Jane Anders .

Also Read:
- "Meanwhile, Elsewhere: Science Fiction and Fantasy from Transgender Writers"(2017)



13) RINGWORLD,
by Larry Niven
(1970)

◼ Epic Science.



The heir to Arthur C. Clarke; hard science and bold physics.



Leads to:
Nimbus.


▶▶▶ Clarke's "Rendezvous With Rama"(1973); Star Trek: Animated, adapting Niven's "Slaver Weapon"(S01/E14, 1973); Pratchett's spoof "Strata"(1981); Forstchen's "The Alexandrian Ring"(1987); Banks''Culture' book series (1987); the Catwoman in STAR TREK 5: The Final Frontier(1989); the Dyson Sphere in Star Trek: Next Generation, "Relics"(S06/E04, 1992); Reynolds'"Houses Of The Sun"(2008); the Ringworlds in the video games Halo, Stellaris, Star Ruler 2, and Space Empires.



14) THE ATROCITY EXHIBITION,
by J.G. Ballard
(1970)

◼ Deconstructed Dystopia.

Art by Phoebe Gloeckner


Deconstruction worker.
Ballard's experimental satire approached speculative fiction from a cubist lens.



Leads to:
Explication.


Ballard's postmodern sensibility has had a direct influence on writers like Bruce Sterling, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Lee Killough, John Gray, Terry Dowling; and the films of Ken Russell, David Lynch , David Cronenberg , and Lars von Trier, as well as Sam Esmail's 'Mr. Robot' TV series .

▶▶▶ Film adaptations of Ballard's work include EMPIRE OF THE SUN(1984); CRASH(1996); and HIGH-RISE(2015).

▶▶▶ Ballard's influence on music is immense: The Normal's "Warm Leatherette" (1978), covered by Grace Jones; Joy Division's "Atrocity Exhibition"(1980); Merzbow's album title "Great American Nude"(1991); Gary Numan's songs "Love and Napalm" and "A Question of Faith"(1994); Botch's album "We Are the Romans"(1999); Exodus' album "The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A"(2007); Mão Morta's album "Pesadelo em Peluche"(2010); Danny Brown's album "Atrocity Exhibition"(2016); and the band names The Atrocity Exhibit and The Comsat Angels.

>The brutal musical legacy of JG Ballard



15) THE EXORCIST,
by William Peter Blatty
(1971)

◼ Demonic Possession.



The ONLY demonic possession book and film that matter. All else is just degrees of pastiche.

Blatty's book, and Friedkin's film, perfectly balance the ambivilent dislocation between rational science and supranormal fear.



Leads to:
Incendiary.


Too many bad rip-off and parody films that won't be named.
But notable films which are truly worthwhile include Polanski's preceding film ROSEMARY'S BABY(1968), Kubrick's adaption of King's THE SHINING(1980), Raimi's surreal farce THE EVIL DEAD II(1987), THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE(2005), Kent's THE BABADOOK(2014), Hawley's TV Series 'Legion'(2017), and much of the two-season 'The Exorcist' TV series (2016-'17).

The serial music chimes of Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" used in the film's soundtrack directly inspired Goblin's SUSPIRIA theme, John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN theme, and Mark Snow's 'The X-Files' theme; and songs like Skinny Puppy's "Love" and Radiohead's "Burn The Witch".

The film inspired songs like The Ohio Players'"Runnin' From The Devil" and the Brothers Johnson's "The Devil",

▶▶▶ Richard Pryor's "Exorcist routine", later expanded on Saturday Night Live(1975); King's books "Carrie"(1974) and "The Shining"(1977); Blatty's post-script book "Legion"(1983), which he directed as the film THE EXORCIST III(1990); GHOSTBUSTERS(1984); Alan Moore's character, the punk exorcist John Constantine(1985); the gargoyle Pazuzu in the 'Futurama' TV series; Allen's historical book "Possessed"(2000); Pielmeier's "The Exorcist" stage play; Oyeyemi's The Icarus Girl"(2005).

Also Watch:
--THE EXORCIST(1973)
One of the finest films of the New Hollywood>, beyond genre or time.




Additional Classics:

-"Another Roadside Attraction", by Tom Robbins (1971)

-"The Lathe Of Heaven", by Ursula K. Le Guin (1971)

-"Tarzan Alive: A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke", by Philip José Farmer (1972)

-"The Princess Bride", by William Goldman (1973)




16) WATERSHIP DOWN,
by Richard Adams
(1972)

◼ Beast Fable.

Art by Eric Tenney


All power to the peaceful!



Leads to:
Parable.

In the tradition of beast fable social commentary, the book descends from "Gulliver's Travels"(1726), "The Jungle Book"(1894), "Winnie The Pooh"(1926), "Animal Farm"(1945), and "Planet Of The Apes"(1963); and is paralleled by "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH"(1971), and "Tom Ass - Or, The Second Gift"(1972); and descended by "Maus"(1980+) and "Hunters Moon"(1989).


▶▶▶ Wangerin Jr's "The Book of the Dun Cow"(1978); the hand-animated adaptation WATERSHIP DOWN(1978); Dann's "The Animals of Farthing Wood"(1979); the animated THE SECRET OF NIMH(1982); William's "Tailchaser's Song"(1985); Le Guin's "Catwings"(1988); G. King's "The Wild Road"(1997); Martini's "The Mob"(2004); the CG-animated adaptation 'Watership Down'(2018).

Also Read:
- "Maus I and II", by Art Spiegelman (1980-1991)
A memoir of the Holocaust which won the Pulitzer Prize.

Also Watch:
-- WATERSHIP DOWN(1978)
Animated classic.



17) ELRIC OF MELNIBONE,
by Michael Moorcock
(1972)

◼ Counter Fantasy.



A deconstruction of Fantasy by the counterculture, critiquing monarchy, deities, and stifling conventions.



Leads to:
Dark Fantasy.

Like Ballard, Moorcock had enormous influence on music:
Deep Purple's album "Stormbringer"(1974); Hawkwind's albums "Warrior on the Edge of Time"(1975) and "The Chronicle of the Black Sword"(1985); Blue Öyster Cult' song "Black Blade"(1980); Diamond Head's "Borrowed Time" album (1981); the band name Mournblade; NME's song "Stormbringer"(1985); the band name Tygers of Pan Tang; Dark Moor's EP "The Fall of Melniboné"(1985); many Black Metal albums and songs.


▶▶▶Adam Warlock; the sword BlackRazor in Dungeons & Dragons games; the parody Elrod of Melvinbone in Cerebus comics (1978); the video game Chaos: The Battle of Wizards; the roleplaying game company White Wolf, Inc; Sapkowski's lead character from The Witcher series, Geralt of Rivia(1986); Gaiman's short story "One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock"(1994); Smax in the "Top 10' comic series (1999); Captain Zodiac in "Tom Strong' comics (2005); the Elric brothers from the 'Fullmetal Alchemist' animated series ; the sword Stormbringer in "Game Of Thrones"; the Grome software (2014).



18) THE STEPFORD WIVES,
by Ira Levin
(1972)

◼ Feminist Allegory.



Reject all conformity and oppression.

Ira Levin also wrote "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Boys From Brazil".



Leads to:
The personal is political.


▶▶▶ the film THE STEPFORD WIVES(1975); Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale"(1985); DISTURBING BEHAVIOR(1998); THE WORLD'S END(2013); O'Neill's "Only Ever Yours"(2016); GET OUT(2017); 'Riverdale'(S03, 2018); the podcast and TV series 'Homecoming'(2018).

Also Watch:
-- THE STEPFORD WIVES(1975)
Faithful and poignant.



19) GRAVITY'S RAINBOW,
by Thomas Pynchon
(1973)

◼ Postmodern Anti-narrative.



The "Ulysses" of speculative fiction.
A book so exhaustive and exhausting that few who say they've finished it actually have.



Leads to:
Stealth trajectiles.

Paralleled by peers:
books like Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five", Reed's "Mumbo Jumbo", Ballard's "Crash";
and filmmakers like Federico Fellini, Luis Buñuel, Chantal Akerman, Peter Greenaway, and Matthew Barney.

Music inspired by the book:
Devo's song "Whip It"(1980); Laurie Anderson's song "Gravity's Angel"(1984); Camper Van Beethoven's song "All Her Favorite Fruit"(1989); Pat Benatar's album title "Gravity's Rainbow"(1993); Frith and Kaiser's song “The Kirghiz Light(1995); Bill Laswell's dub song “A Screaming Comes across the Sky(2000); Coheed and Cambria's song “Gravity’s Union(2013).


Elaine Lee and Michael Wm. Kaluta's "Starstruck"(1984) graphic novel was dedicated to Pynchon because of this book .

▶▶▶ Perec's "Life: A User's Manual"(1978); DeLillo's "Ratner's Star"(1976); Acker's "Blood and Guts in High School"(1978); Moore's unfinished "Big Numbers" comic (1990); Wallace's "Infinite Jest"(1996); Danielewski's "House of Leaves"(2000); Bolaño's "2666"(2004); Zak Smith's drawing exposition, "One Picture for Every Page of Thomas Pynchon's Novel Gravity's Rainbow"(2006); Thomas'"The End of Mr. Y"(2006); Hall's "The Raw Shark Texts"(2007); the film IMPOLEX(2009); Abrams and Dorst's "Ship Of Theseus"(2013); Moore's opus "Jerusalem"(2016); 'The OA'(2016).




Additional Classics:

-"Dhalgren", by Samuel R. Delaney (1975)

-"Woman On The Edge Of Time", by Marge Piercy (1976)

-"Bridge To Terabithia", by Katherine Paterson (1977)




20)

THE FOREVER WAR,
by Joe Halderman
(1974)

◼ Anti-War.



A Vietnam vet traces the spiraling trajectory of violent madness.



Leads to:
Extinction.


The counterculture's disillusionment and rejection of the Vietnam War and the Military-Industrial Complex inspired many episodes of 'Star Trek'(1966-'69), Ballard’s “The Killing Ground(1969), Spinrad's story "The Big Flash"(1969), Moorcock's "A Cure for Cancer"(1971), Le Guin’s novella “The Word for World Is Forest(1972), and Wilhelm's story "The Village"(1973).

>"The Vietnam War as American Science Fiction and Fantasy"

▶▶▶ Haldeman's Star Trek novels, "Planet of Judgment"(1977) and "World Without End"(1979); Pohl's "Gateway"(1977); Card's "Ender's Game"(1985); the soldiers in ALIENS(1986); Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, "Battle Lines"(S01/E13, 1993); Hamilton's "Fallen Dragon"(2001); Baxter's 'Destiny's Children' books (2004); AVATAR(2009); the series 'Homecoming'(2018).



21) THE SEVEN-PER-CENT SOLUTION,
by Nicholas Meyer
(1974)

◼ Crossover Metafiction.



Meyer's bestseller rejuvenated Holmes by situating him within actual history and concurrent fiction.

Parallel to Phillip Jose Farmer's books, this began the contemporary trend to recontextualize pulp fiction and history together.



Leads to:
Cross-overs!


▶▶▶ Extensions of the cross-fiction approach that followed include:
the Wellman's "Sherlock Holmes' War of the Worlds"(1975); Hall's SF-tinged "Exit Sherlock Holmes: The Great Detective's Final Days"(1975); Collins'"The Case of the Philosophers' Ring"(1978); MURDER BY DECREE(1979); Faria, Jr's "O Xangô de Baker Street"(1995); Norbu's "The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes"(1999); Moore and Campbell's "From Hell"(1989); the alternate Batman story, "Gotham by Gaslight"(1989); Carr's "The Alienist"(1994); Ellis and Cassaday's "Planetary" comics (1998); Moore and O'Neill's "The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen" comics (1999); the anthology "Shadows Over Baker Street"(2003), which includes Gaiman's "A Study in Emerald"; Chabon's novella "The Final Solution"(2004); Carr's "The Italian Secretary"(2005); Malmont's "The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril"(2007) and "The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown"(2011); McCleary's "The Alchemy of Murder"(2009); Horowitz's "The House of Silk"(2011); the TV series 'Penny Dreadful'(2014).

Also Read:
- "Tarzan Alive: A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke", by Philip José Farmer (1972)

Also Watch:
-- THE SEVEN-PER-CENT SOLUTION(1976)
A solid if slightly loose adaptation, from Meyer's script.
-- TIME AFTER TIME(1979)
Meyer's directorial debut.
H.G. Wells vs. Jack the Ripper in the present day.



22) CARRIE,
by Stephen King
(1974)

◼ ESPer.



Don't tell her what she can't do.

Shirley Jackson, weoponized.


Leads to:
Retribution.


▶▶▶ De Palma's CARRIE(1976); Jean Grey and the Dark Phoenix in X-Men comics ; THE FURY(1978); King's "Firestarter"(1980) and FIRESTARTER(1984); Dahl's "Matilda"(1988); the "Carrie" Broadway musical (1988); Cassie on 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer', "Help"(S07/E04, 2002); RINGU(Japan, 1998) and THE RING(2002); River Tam in Firefly(2002) and SERENITY(2005); the undervalued alternate film adaptation, Pierce's CARRIE(2013); the ITV series 'Him'; Eleven on 'Stranger Things'(2016); THELMA(Norway, 2017); the Carrie Musical episode of 'Riverdale', (S02/E18, 2018); 'The Umbrella Academy', (S01, 2019); X-MEN: Dark Phoenix(2019).

Also Watch:
-- CARRIE(1976)
De Palma channels Hitchcock.



23) JAWS,
by Peter Benchley
(1974)

◼ Primal Fear.

Art by Roger Kastel


Predator.
Benchley's savvy pulp novel tapped into mid-'70s sociolpolitical anxiety by way of primal fear. Steven Spielberg's film version quickly became the highest grossing movie yet made.



Leads to:
Blockbuster.

The book made Benchley a bestselling author. The film version launched director Steven Spielberg, composer John Williams, and star Richard Dreyfus as in-demand superstars.

JAWS(1975) is the Big Bang of modern blockbusters.
Films had usually been released gradually outward by regions, depending on reviews and word-of-mouth. JAWS countered this by releasing nationwide simultaneously during the Memorial Day weekend, as school let out for Summer. The film became a cultural phenomenon.
George Lucas repeated this two years later with STAR WARS, establishing the summer blockbuster strategy for decades .

▶▶▶ Bad:
weaker sequel films; rip-offs like GRIZZLY, PIRANHA, CROCODILE, and ANACONDA; Fonzie "jumping the shark" on the 'Happy Days' show; the henchman Jaws in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME and MOONRAKER; (sigh) the SHARKNADO films; THE MEG.


▶▶▶ Good:
the Land Shark on Saturday Night Live(1975); Benchley's "The Deep"(1976) and THE DEEP(1977); ALIEN(1979); "Shark Week" on the Discovery Channel (1988); Beastie Boys' sample of JAWS theme in "Egg Man"(1989); OPEN WATER(2003); THE REEF(2010).

Also Watch:
-- JAWS(1975)
-- ALIEN(1979)



24) THE FEMALE MAN,
by Joanna Russ
(1975)

◼ Gender Deconstruction.



Written in 1970, Russ harbingered the rise of Feminist Science Fiction which enriched the decade by advancing more possilities for the medium, its creators, and the audience.



Leads to:
The human.


'70s Feminism advanced all media -movies, television, books, comics, and music- with new perspectives.
Key speculative authors included: Ursula K. Le Guin, James Tiptree Jr, Kate Wilhelm, Suzette Haden Elgin, Elizabeth A. Lynn, Suzy McKee Charnas, Vonda McIntyre, Pamela Sargent, Octavia Butler, and Margaret Atwood.



25) INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE,
by Anne Rice
(1976)

◼ Vampire Mythos.


Vampire renaissance.
Ann Rice's debut led to a series of bestselling sequels, charting the international history of vampires to the present.



Leads to:
Oral tradition.


The bestselling books led to the 21st Century boom of Vampire media, from THE LOST BOYS to Buffy The Vampire Slayer, to TWILIGHT and 'True Blood', to 'Becoming Human' and 'The Vampire Diaries'.

▶▶▶ Martin's "Fevre Dream"(1982); THE HUNGER(1983); Romkey's "I, Vampire: The Confessions of a Vampire"(1990); Almereyda’s NADJA(1994); Kalogridis'"Covenant with the Vampire"(1994); BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF(2001); Harris''Southern Vampire Mysteries' books (2001) and the HBO series 'True Blood'(2008); Lindqvist's "Let the Right One In"(2004) and film versions ; Meyer's 'Twilight' books and films (2005); Kostova's "The Historian"(2005); Valentino's "1140 Rue Royale"(2007); Jordan's BYZANTIUM(2012); Witter's graphic novel "Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Story"(2012); Jarmusch's ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE(2013); the Vampire theatre in 'Penny Dreadful' Season 1 (2014); the interviews structure in WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS(2014).

Also Read:
- "The Vampire Lestat", by Anne Rice (1985)
Another side of the story.



26) WHERE LATE THE SWEET BIRDS SANG,
by Kate Wilhelm
(1976)

◼ Clones.


Clones.
While cloning had been used in earlier SF works, Wilhelm dealt with it with prescient care as it became a mainstream concept in 1970s culture.



Leads to Leads to Leads to Leads to:
Clones.

Earlier work with Cloning included:
Huxley's "Brave New World"(1931); THE RESURRECTION OF ZACHARY WHEELER(1971); 'Star Trek: The Animates Series': "The Infinite Vulcan"(S01/E07, 1973); multiple instances in 'Doctor Who'(from 1973 up); Gwen Stacy's clone in "Spider-Man"(1974).

Actual cloning!: Dolly the sheep (1996).


▶▶▶ Levin's "The Boys from Brazil"(1976); Parliament's concept album "The Clones Of Dr. Funkenstein"(1976); The Clone Wars in the STAR WARS films (1977); Replicants in BLADE RUNNER(1982); Crichton's "Jurassic Park"(1990) and JURASSIC PARK(1993); 'The X-Files', "Eve"(S01/E11, 1993); ALIEN: Resurrection(1997); STAR TREK: Nemesis(2002); RESIDENT EVIL(2002); CODE 46(2003); X-23 in 'X-Men: Evolutions'(2003) and LOGAN(2017); Mitchell's "Cloud Atlas"(2004); Ishiguro's "Never Let Me Go"(2005); AVATAR(2009); Murphy's "Punk Rock Jesus" comic (2012); the Clone Club in 'Orphan Black'(2013); OBLIVION(2013); 'Dark Matter'(2015); GEMINI MAN(2019).



27) THE PASSION OF NEW EVE,
by Angela Carter
(1972)

◼ Separatist Dystopia.



Gender, Race, and Power are only false social constructs, a brainwashing dogma designed to divide and conquer.>>



Leads to:
New You.


▶▶▶ Waters'"Tipping the Velvet"(1998); Palahniuk's "Invisible Monsters"(1999); Peters'"Luna"(2004); Stace's "Misfortune"(2005); Winter's "Annabel"(2010); Black's "Perfect Peace"(2010); Lowry's "The Earthquake Machine"(2011); Woods'"The Albino Album"(2013); Klaber's "The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell"(2013).



28) DREAMSNAKE,
by Vonda McIntyre
(1978)

◼ Magic Healer.



Feminist Sorcery.



Leads to:
Holistic.

Like Science Fiction, Fantasy conventions were rethought through '70s Feminism, with works including: Anne McCaffrey's 'Pern' books (1967); Le Guin's "The Left Hand of Darkness"(1969); and Russ'"The Adventures of Alyx"(1976).


▶▶▶ Lynn's "Watchtower"(1979); The "Sword and Sorceress" anthologies, edited by Bradley (1984); Tepper's 'Jinian' books (1985); Mercedes Lackey's huge ouvre; Pratchett's "Equal Rites"(1987); Scarborough's "The Healer's War"(1988); Winterson's "Sexing the Cherry"(1989); Pierce's "Wild Magic"(1992); Windling's "The Wood Wife"(1996); Modesitt Jr's 'Spellsong Cycle' books (1997); Gaiman and Vess'"Stardust"(1998); Zhaan and Noranti on the 'Farscape' series (1999); Croggon's 'Books of Pellinor' books (2002); Bennett's 'The Bonemender' books (2005); Liu's "Shadow Touch"(2006); Valente's "In the Cities of Coin and Spice"(2007); Okorafor's "Akata Witch"(2011); Lo's "Huntress"(2011); Snyder's 'Healer' books (2011); Jackson's 'Sense Thieves' books (2012); Anaya's 'The Healer' books (2014); Jemison's "The Fifth Season"(2015); Didkinson's "The Traitor Baru Cormorant"(2015); Samatar's "The Winged Histories"(2016); Cordova's "Labyrinth Lost"(2016).



29) THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY,
by Douglas Adams
(1979)

◼ Absurdist SciFi.



Monty Python and Doctor Who writer joyrides the universe.



Leads to:
Science superscription.

Actual Babel Fish translation devices!

The number 42 has been referenced by shows like 'The X-Files', 'LOST', 'NCIS', and 'Stargate Universe'; Miles Morales' origin spider; games like Fable II, Destroy All Humans, Borderlands, Universal Sandbox; the Google HQ building; and the band name Level 42.

▶▶▶ Gilliam's TIME BANDITS(1981); Cox's REPO MAN(1984); The Adventures Of BUCKAROO BANZAI(1984); Adam's "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency"(1987); SPACEBALLS(1987); 'Red Dwarf'(1988); BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE(1989); Gaiman and Pratchett's "Good Omens"(1990); Brust's "Cowboy Feng"(1990); Willis'"To Say Nothing of the Dog: Or,..."(1997); THE FIFTH ELEMENT(1997); MEN IN BLACK(1997); 'Cowboy Bebop'(1998); Moore, Cannon, and Ha's "Top 10" comics (1999); 'Futurama'(1999); GALAXY QUEST(1999); 'Farscape'(1999); THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT(2001); Fforde's "The Eyre Affair"(2001); 'Doctor Who'(2005 return); WALL-E(2008); FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TIME TRAVEL(2009); ATTACK THE BLOCK(2011); PAUL(2011); THE WORLD'S END(2013); 'Rick And Morty'(2013); GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY(2014); Ness'"The Rest of Us Just Live Here"(2015); 'The Orville'(2017); THOR: Ragnarok(2017); Valente's comedy "Space Opera"(2018).



30)

KINDRED,
by Octavia Butler
(1979)

◼ Conscious Allegory.



Sociopolitical consciousness and diverse voices.



Leads to:
Liberation.

The success and acclaim earned by Octavia Butler opened the doors for more Afrofuturist women:
Nisi Shawl, Jewelle Gomez, Nalo Hopkinson, L.A. Banks, Tananarive Due, Andrea Hairston, Nnedi Okorafor, Andrea Hairston, N. K. Jemisin, and Karen Lord.


▶▶▶ Bishop's "No Enemy But Time"(1982); Yolen's "The Devil’s Arithmetic"(1988); Walker's "The Color Purple"(1982) and "The Temple of My Familiar"(1989); Gabaldon's "Outlander" books (1991); Gerima's SANKOFA(1993); Willis''All Clear' books (2010); Atkinson's "Life After Life"(2013); Whitehead's "The Underground Railroad"(2016); 'Legends Of Tomorrow', "Abominations"(S02/E04, 2016); Hamid's "Exit West"(2017); Duffy and Jenning's "Kindred" graphic novel adaption (2017).

Also Read:
-- "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut (1969)



31) RED DRAGON,
by Thomas Harris
(1981)

◼ The Empathic Detective.

"The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in Sun"
(ca. 1803-1805), by William Blake


The third major Detective innovation:
the Deductive Detective (Sherlock Holmes);
the Hardboiled Detective (Philip Marlowe);
and the Empathic Detective (Will Graham).



Leads to:
Profiler.


The Empathic Detective, or Profiler:
In the book, Will Graham reverse-engineered murders by an empathic intuition about sociopaths. By contrast, Clarice Starling in the sequel "The Silence Of The Lambs"(1988) solved crimes by empathic intuitions about the victims.
After the first book was adapted as the film MANHUNTER(1986), the Profiler archetype quickly permeated mass culture.: the empath on 'Unsub'(1989); Agent Cooper on 'Twin Peaks'(1990); 'Profiler'(1996); 'Cracker'(UK, 1996); 'Criminal Minds'(2005); 'Numb3rs'(2005); MAD DETECTIVE(Hong Kong, 2007); 'The Killing'(Sweden,2007/US,2011); 'Homeland'(2011); 'Top Of The Lake'(Aus, 2013); 'The Fall'(UK, 2013); the prequel TV series about Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter, 'Hannibal'(2013); 'True Detective'(2014); Hopkins flipping the script in SOLACE(2015).


Forensic Detectives:
the success of the SILENCE OF THE LAMBS(1990) film made Forensic Detectives the vogue.
William Petersen (Will Graham in MANHUNTER) lead the first of four 'C.S.I.' shows (2000); 'Crossing Jordan'(2001); 'NCIS'(2003); 'Cold Case'(2003); 'Rosewood'(2015); even the name of the series 'Mindhunter'(2017).


Serial Killers:
the Oscar-sweep success of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS made theatric serial killers and genius sociopaths the mode.
Earle on 'Twin Peaks'(1990); Ellis''American Psycho'(1991); Carr's "The Alienist"(1995); SEVEN(1995); Peace's 'Red Riding' books (1999); Lee's biopic SUMMER OF SAM(1999); THE BONE COLLECTOR(1999); MONSTER(2003); Larsson's "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo"(2005); Dexter' (2006); SAW(2007); ZODIAC(2007); The Joker in THE DARK KNIGHT(2008); 'The Blacklist'(2013); The Beast in SPLIT(2016); 'Barry'(2018).

Combining 'Twin Peaks' with SILENCE lead to 'The X-Files'(1993), its 'Millenium' spin-off (1996), and the film X-FILES 2: I Want to Believe(2008).

Also Read:
-- "The Silence Of The Lambs", by Thomas Harris (1988)

Also Watch:
-- MANHUNTER(1986)
-- THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS(1990)
-- 'Hannibal', a prequel TV series (2013-'15)




Additional Classics:

-"2010: Odyssey Two", by Athur C. Clarke (1982)

-"Fevre Dream", by George R.R. Martin (1982)

-"Contact", by Carl Sagan (1985)

-"The Hellbound Heart", by Clive Barker (1986)

-"Islands in the Net", by Bruce Sterling (1988)




32) NEUROMANCER,
by William Gibson
(1984)


◼ CyberPunk.



Virtual Reality, Hackers, and The Matrix.



Leads to:
The Net.

Actual Virtual Reality (approximately)!

You reading this.:
The book invented the terms 'Cyberspace' and 'The Matrix', and forecast future mass public use of the Internet beyond just the Military and Academia.>


▶▶▶ Murakami's "Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World"(1985); Sterling's "Schismatrix"(1985); Cadigan's "Mindplayers"(1987); the magazine MONDO 2000(1989); Stephenson's "Snow Crash"(1992); the magazine WIRED(1993); Bowie's "Outside" album (1995); Morgan's 'Altered Carbon' trilogy (2002); Cline's "Ready Player One"(2011); Pynchon's "Bleeding Edge"(2013).

▶▶▶ the Metal Gear video games (1987); the Shadowrun video games (1993); the Deus Ex video games (2000).


▶▶▶ Jodorowsky and Moebius'"The Incal" comics (1981–'89); Gillis and Saenz's all-digital "Shatter" comics (1985); Shirow's manga "Ghost in the Shell"(1989); Moreno's all-digital "Batman: Digital Justice" graphic novel (1990); Kishiro's "Battle Angel Alita" manga (1990); the nine titles in Marvel's "2099" comics (1992); Morrison's "The Invisibles"(1994); Lee and Minor's "BrainBanx"(1997); Ellis'"Transmetropolitan"(1997); Venditti's "The Surrogates" comic (2005) and SURROGATES(2009).

▶▶▶ the 'Max Headroom' series (1985); AKIRA(1988); FLATLINERS(1990); Chung's 'Æon Flux' cartoons (1991) and ÆON FLUX(2005); FREEJACK(1992); GHOST IN THE SHELL(1995); Bigelow's STRANGE DAYS(1995); the 'VR.5' series (1996); THE MATRIX(1999); the 'Batman Beyond' animated series (1999); Cronenberg's film eXistenZ(1999); the 'Harsh Realm' series (1999); the 'Dark Angel' series (2000); Whedon's 'Dollhouse' series (2009); Gilliam's THE ZERO THEOREM(2013); the 'Westworld' series (2016); GHOST IN THE SHELL(2017); READY PLAYER ONE(2018); all Hackers on every TV show.

Also Watch:
-- BLADE RUNNER(1982)
-- GHOST IN THE SHELL(1995)
-- THE MATRIX(1999)



33) THE NEW YORK TRILOGY,
by Paul Auster
(1985-'86)

◼ Postmodern Detective.

Art by Art Spiegelman


Trying to unscrew the inscrutable.



Leads to:
Headtrip or Shrink.

The Detective genre, with its murky complexities and existential dread, lends itself to PostModern deconstruction.
Examples preceding Auster include: McCabe's "The Face on the Cutting-Room Floor"(1937); O'Brien's "The Third Policeman"(1940/pub.1966); Robbe-Grillet's "The Erasers"(1953); Highsmith's "The Talented Mr. Ripley"(1955); Dürrenmatt's "The Pledge"(1958); Burrough's "Naked Lunch"(1959); Welles' version of THE TRIAL(1962); Godard's ALPHAVILLE(1965); Pynchon's "The Crying of Lot 49"(1966); Kōbō Abe's "The Ruined Map"(1967); Sciascia's "Equal Danger"(1971); Altman's THE LONG GOODBYE(1973); Murakami's "A Wild Sheep Chase"(1982); Scott's BLADE RUNNER(1982); von Trier's THE ELEMENT OF CRIME(1984).


▶▶▶ Examples following Auster include: Moore and Gibbon's "Watchmen"(1986); Adams'"Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency"(1987); Lynch and Frost's 'Twin Peaks'(1990); the Coen's BARTON FINK(1991); Tarantino's PULP FICTION(1994); Holland's "Death in a Delphi Seminar"(1995); Singer's THE USUAL SUSPECTS(1995); Nolan's MEMENTO(2000); Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"(2003); Pessl's "Special Topics in Calamity Physics"(2006); Miéville's "The City and the City"(2009).

Also Watch:
-- THE ELEMENT OF CRIME(1984)





34) THE HANDMAID'S TALE,
by Margaret Atwood
(1985)

◼ Feminist Dystopia.


Separatism is poison.
Bite the hand that beats you.



Leads to:
RESIST.


▶▶▶ Sargent's "The Shore of Women"(1986); Tepper's "The Gate to Women's Country"(1987); Moore and Lloyd's "V For Vendetta"(1982/1988); James'"The Children of Men"(1992) and CHILDREN OF MEN(2006); Harpman's "I Who Have Never Known Men"(1995); Anderson's "Speak"(1999); Satrapi's "Persepolis" graphic novel (2000) and PERSEPOLIS(2007); McHugh's "Nekropolis"(2001); Vaughan and Guerra's "Y: The Last Man" comics (2002); Holmqvist's "The Unit"(2006); Hall's "Daughters of the North"(2007); Jordan's "When She Woke"(2011); Hashimi's "The Pearl that Broke Its Shell"(2014); 'Orphan Black' ranch (S02, 2014); Mandel's "Station Eleven"(2015); MAD MAX: Fury Road(2015); the '3%' TV series (2016); Alderman's "The Power"(2017); King's "An Excess Male"(2017); Melamed's "Gather the Daughters"(2017); Erdrich's "Future Home of the Living God"(2017); El Akkad's "American War"(2018); Pichetsote and Campbell's "Infidel" comics (2018); Zumas'"Red Clocks"(2018); Dalcher's "Vox"(2018); Shah's "Before She Sleeps"(2018).

"V For Vendetta",
art by David Lloyd


Also Read:
- "The Testements", the sequel by Margaret Atwood (Sept. 2019)

Also Watch:
--'The Handmaid's Tale' TV series (2018)



35) WATCHMEN,
by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
(1986)

◼ Postmodern Superhero.

Art by Dave Gibbons


The postmodern superhero.
The literate graphic novel.

Mainstream acceptance of the graphics literature form.


NOTE: This is a self-contained story, period.
Any other "before" or "after" supplements or 'franchise extensions' by other parties are a complete fraud perpetrated by the greedy and supported by the foolish.

😊


Leads to:
PostMod Comics Lit.


"Watchmen" is the Big Bang of modern comics legitimacy.
British author Alan Moore became a prime architect of the '80s Comics Renaissance; he advanced the maturation of the medium, initially with the first deconstructed superhero, Marvelman ("Miracleman" in the US), and then the radical "Swamp Thing", and then "Watchmen" and "V For Vendetta".
When re-collected in book form as Graphic Novels in the late-'80s, the works earned literary credibility through bookstores, libraries, press, and bestseller lists. The adult form and its mass support led to the mega-Conventions, media experts, and screen blockbusters of the present.


▶▶▶Acolytes:
WATCHMEN
• The Golden Age and Silver Age, rethought postmodern -
▸▸▸ the "Wild Cards" anthology books, edited by George R.R. Martin (1987); the appropriation of the Bullet Smiley symbol for Acid House and Madchester raves (late 1980s); Pop Will Eat Itself's anthem "Can U Dig It?"["Alan Moore knows the score."] (1989); Busiek and Ross'"Marvels" comic (1994); Busiek and Anderson's "Astro City" comic (1995); Waid and Ross'"Kingdom Come" comic (1996); Willingham's "Pantheon" comic (1998); Moore, Cannon, and Ha's "Top 10"(1999); Way and Ba's "The Umbrella Academy" comic (2007); WATCHMEN(2009); Stephenson's "Nowhere Men"(2012); Schwab's 'Vicious' books (2013); Morrison's pastiche "Pax Americana"(2014); 'Elementary', "You've Got Me, Who's Got You?"(S04/E16, 2016); 'The Umbrella Academy'(S01, 2019).

MIRACLEMAN
• The naturalistic, realistic superhero -
▸▸▸UNBREAKABLE(2000); 'Smallville'(2001); 'Heroes'(2006); adult realism in Nolan's THE DARK KNIGHT(2008); HANCOCK(2008); 'Misfits'(2009); Carol Danvers (channeling Miraclewoman) as Captain Marvel(2012); LUCY(2014); Gaiman and Buckingham's sequel "Miracleman: Book Four, The Golden Age"(1992/2016); Gaiman and Buckingham's "Miracleman: Book Five, The Silver Age"(begun1992/2019?).
• The apocalyptic repercussions -
▸▸▸ Morrison and Yeowell's "Zenith" comics (1987); Ellis and Hitch's "The Authority" comic (1999); Neo vs. Agent Smith in THE MATRIX trilogy (1999-'03); ultraviolence in Ellis'"The Boys"(2006); Black Adam since DC Comics' event series "52"(2007); Waid's "Irredeemable" comic (2009); Ellis and Gastonny's "Supergod" comic (2009); Gunn's SUPER(2010); CHRONICLE(2012); MAN OF STEEL(2013); Lemire's "Black Hammer"(2016); GLASS(2019).


V FOR VENDETTA
• Power to the People -
Moore and artist David Lloyd used the Guy Fawkes mask as the face of dissent: anonymity/unanimity.
▸▸▸ after the success of the film adaptation V FOR VENDETTA(2006), the mask was taken up by democratic activists and the Anonymous hacktivists worldwide; the Everyone collective on 'Elementary'(2012); 'Mr. Robot'(2015).
(The blank mask has also become cheap shorthand to demonize activists as terrorists in bad films, shows, comics, and malware ads.)

COMICS LIT I: Awards -
Pynchon's "Gravity's Rainbow"(1973) had offended the old-guard Pulitzer jury, but the literary cred earned by the graphic novels "Watchmen" and "The Dark Knight Returns"(1986) augered the turning tide:
• PULITZER -
▸▸▸ Spiegelman's graphic novel "Maus"(1980-'91), Morrison's allegory Beloved(1988), Chabon's comics-centric The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay(2001), McCarthy's spec-fic The Road(2007), Diaz's genre-centric The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao(2008), and Whitehead's spec-fic The Underground Railroad(2017).
• Awards -
▸▸▸"Watchmen" (Time's 100 Best Novels, Hugo, Eisner); Bechdel's graphic novel "Fun Home"(Time best novel 2006) and "Fun Home" musical (5 Tonies, 1 Obie); Lewis'"March"(Natl. Book Award, RFK Award); Bell's "El Deafo"(Newberry Medal).
>List of award-winning Graphic Novels


COMICS LIT II: Indie Films from adult graphic novels -
Moore's FROM HELL(2001); AMERICAN SPLENDOR(Oscar nom, 2001); GHOST WORLD(Oscar nom, 2001); ROAD TO PERDITION(Oscar nom, 2002); A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE(Oscar nom, 2005); Moore's V FOR VENDETTA(2006); ART SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL(2006); PERSEPOLIS(2007); Moore's WATCHMEN(2009); SCOTT PIGRIM vs. THE WORLD(2010); The Extraordinary Adventures of ADELE BLANC-SEC(2010); TAMARA DREWE(2010); BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR(2013); GEMMA BOVERY(2014); THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL(2015); MY FRIEND DAHMER(2017); VALERIAN and the City of a Thousand Planets(2017); DEATH TO STALIN(2017); GHOST IN THE SHELL(2017).

COMICS LIT III: Indie Comics and the TV screen -
Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman's works blueprinted the adult Vertigo Comics* (1993)>, and all its successive imitators, leading to these show adaptations.
▸▸▸'The Walking Dead'(2010); 'Constantine'(*,2015); 'iZombie'(*,2015); 'Lucifer'(*,2016); 'Preacher'(*,2016); 'Wynonna Earpe'(2016); 'The End of the F***ing World'(2017); 'Happy!'(2017); 'Doom Patrol(*,2019); 'Swamp Thing(*,2019); 'Deadly Class'(2019); 'The Umbrella Academy'(2019); 'Y: The Last Man'(*,2020).



Art by David Lloyd

Additional Classics:

- "Miracleman, Book 3, Olympus", by Alan Moore and John Totleben (1988)

- "V For Vendetta", by Alan Moore and David Lloyd (1982/1988)

- "The Sandman", by Neil Gaiman,+ (1989)




36) BELOVED,
by Toni Morrison
(1987)

◼ Haunted Metaphor.



The heart is a haunted place.



Leads to:
Spectre.


▶▶▶ BELOVED(1998); Due's "The Good House"(2003); Brockmeier's "The Truth About Celia"(2003); Enright's "The Gathering"(2007); Waters'"The Little Stranger"(2009); ENTER THE VOID(2009); Winters'"In the Shadow of Blackbirds"(2013); THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2: Ghosts of Georgia(2013); PERSONAL SHOPPER(2017); A GHOST STORY(2017).

Also Read:
- "The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts", by Maxine Hong Kingston (1976)

Also Watch:
-- UGETSU(1953)
-- BELOVED(1998)



37) THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE,
by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling
(1990)

◼ SteamPunk.


Victorian Futurism.
After defining Cyberpunk as edgy futurism, Gibson and Sterling reapplied the aesthetic to the past.



Leads to:
Puff Zoom.

The concept of Victorian Futurism dates from Verne and Welles's books and across the 20th Century in varied works, which include: Peake's "Titus Alone"(1959); THE TIME MACHINE(1960); 'The Wild Wild West' series (1965); Moorcock's "The Warlord of the Air"(1971); TIME AFTER TIME(1979); Jeter's "Morlock Night"(1979); Powers'"The Anubis Gates"(1983); Gilliam's BRAZIL(1985); Blaylock's "Homunculus"(1986); and Miyazaki's LAPUTA: Castle in the Sky(1986).
K. W. Jeter was the first to give the general name for the loose genre in 1987.


▶▶▶ the roleplaying game Space: 1889(1988); BACK TO THE FUTURE III(1990); The Chaos Engine video game (1993), inspired by "The Difference Engine"; Mignola's "Hellboy" comics (1993); the Myst trilogy of games (1993); Jeunet and Caro's THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN(1995); the 'Doctor Who' TV movie (1996); Moore and O'Neill's "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" comic series (1999); Miéville's "Perdido Street Station"(2000); the roleplay games Skies of Arcadia(2000), Arcanum(2001), and Rise of Nations(2003); Reeves''Mortal Engines' books (2001) and MORTAL ENGINES(2018); HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE(2004); STEAMBOY(2004); design aesthetics at the Burning Man festival; the Oz-reimagining TV maxi-series 'Tin Man'(2007); Gevers's anthology "Extraordinary Engines"(2008); del Toro's HELLBOY II: The Golden Army(2008); Thomas Dolby's album "A Map of the Floating City"(2011); 'The Legend of Korra' animated (2012); 'Penny Dreadful'(2014); Tardi's APRIL AND THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD animated (2015); the sequel film ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS(2016); Ha's "Mae" comics (2016).

Also Read:
- "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" graphic novels by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill (1999)



38) DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS,
by Walter Mosley
(1990)

◼ Diverse Detective.



Murder, no rote.
Edgar Allan Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue"(1841) supposedly invented detectives, but Catherine Crowe’s "Adventures of Susan Hopley" preceded it months earlier with three female sleuths.
Holmes and Marlowe have a wide range of company, with detectives from every sphere, such as Mosley's 'Easy Rawlins' books.



Leads to:
Public I.

Previous to Mosley, diverse detectives include: Catherine Crowe’s "Adventures of Susan Hopley"(1841); Rinehart's 'Hilda Adams' books (1914); Upfield's 'Inspector "Boney" Bonaparte' books (set in Australia, 1929); Christie's 'Miss Marple' books (1930); Stratemeyer's 'Nancy Drew' books (1930); Fickling's 'Honey West' books (1957); Himes''Harlem Detective' books (1957); T. Hillerman's 'Leaphorn and Chee' books (Navajo, 1970); Tidyman's 'John Shaft' books (1971); Paretsky's 'V. I. Warshawski' books (1982); Jones, Campbell, and Anderson's "Somerset Holmes" comic (1983); Haywood's 'Aaron Gunner' books (1988); Barnard's 'Charlie Peace' books (1989).


▶▶▶ Baker's 'Virginia Kelly' books (1991); Neely's 'Blanche White' books (1992); Bland's 'Marti MacAlister' books (1992); Patterson's 'Alex Cross' books (1993); Hill's 'Joe Sixsmith' books (Britain, 1993); Rowland's 'Sano Ichiro' books (Japan, 1994); Mickelbury's 'Gianna Maglione'(1994) and 'Carol Ann Gibson'(1998) books; Wesley's 'Tamara Hayle' books (1994); Evanovich's 'Stephanie Plum' books (1995); Hambly's 'Benjamin January' books (set in 1830s New Orleans, 1995); Grimes''Theresa Galloway' books (1996); Garcia-Aguilera's 'Lupe Solano' books (1996); Smith-Levin's 'Starletta Duvall' books (1996); Massey's 'Rei Shimura' books (Japan, 1997); Deaver’s 'Lincoln Rhyme' books (1997); Carter’s 'Nanette Hayes' books (1997); See's 'Red Princess' books (China, 1997); Smith's 'No 1 Ladies Detective Agency' books (Botswana, 1998); Thomas-Graham's 'Nikki Chase' books (1998); Rusch's 'Smokey Dalton' books ('60s Memphis, 2000); Bendis and Gaydos''Jessica Jones' comics (2001) and the 'Jessica Jones' TV series (2015); ; Bates''Alex Powell' books (2001); Hirahara's 'Mas Arai'(2003) and 'Ellie Rush' (2014) books; Cotterill's 'Dr. Siri Paiboun'(Laos, 2004) and 'Jimm Juree'(Thailand, 2011) books; Larsson's 'Lisbeth Salander' trilogy (Sweden, 2005); Davis''Sophie Katz' books (2005); A. Hillerman's Chee sequels, the 'Bernadette Manuelito' books (2006); Hall's 'Vish Puri' books (India, 2009); Kwei Quartey's 'Inspector Darko Dawson' books (Ghana, 2009); Stuart's "The Pigeon Pie Mystery"(2012); Pandian's 'Jaya Jones' books (2012); Hall's 'Elouise Norton' books (2014); Yu's 'Aunty Lee' books (Singapore, 2015); V. Khan's 'Inspector Chopra' books (India, 2015); A. Z. Khan's 'Esa Khattak' books (Toronto, 2015); Larson and Williams'"Goldie Vance" comics (2016); Ahmed and Kivelä's "Abbott" comics (2018).


▶▶▶ Park's SHAFT(1971); COTTON COMES TO HARLEM(1972); 'Get Christie Love!'(1974); 'Police Woman'(1974); 'Cagney & Lacey' TV show (1982); 'A Man Called Hawk' TV series (1989); V.I. WARSHAWSKI(1991); THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS(1991); DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS(1995): 'The Wire'(2002); 'Karen Sisco'(2003); 'Veronica' Mars' TV series (2004); 'Luther'(2010); 'The Bletchley Circle'(2012); 'The Fall'(2013); 'Happy Valley'(2014); 'Miss Sherlock' TV series (Japan, 2018); 'True Detective', Season 3 (2019).

Also Watch:
-- DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS(1995)




Additional Classics:

-"Jurassic Park", by Michael Crichton (1990)

-"The God of Small Things", by Arundhati Roy (1997)

-"Brown Girl in the Ring", by Nalo Hopkinson (1998)

-"Cryptonomicon", by Neal Stephenson (1999)




39) OUTLANDER,
by Diana Gabaldon
(1991)

◼ Historical Romance Redux.



The conventions of a Romance Novel rethought with historical accuracy and speculative fiction.



Leads to:
The whole kilt and caboodle.

Classic Time Travel Love Stories include: Star Trek, "City on the Edge of Forever"(S01/E28, 1967); TIME AFTER TIME(1979); BACK TO THE FUTURE III(1990); IL MARE(Korea, 2000) and THE LAKE HOUSE(2006); Niffenegger's "The Time Traveler's Wife"(2003); THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME anime (2006); the Outlander TV series (2014).


▶▶▶ Books in a similar vein include: Roberson's "Lady of the Glen"(1996); Atkinson's "Human Croquet"(1997); Gage's "Wishing for a Highlander"(2012); Claire's 'Morna's Legacy' books (2013); McDougall's "Veil of Time"(2014); Layouni's "Hemlock"(2014); Brown's "Beautiful Wreck"(2014); Kearsley's "A Desperate Fortune"(2015); Ashford's "The Color of Secrets"(2015); Robson's "After the War Is Over"(2015); Mortimer's "The Outcasts of Time"(2017); Reisz's "The Night Mark"(2017); Ellsworth's "Stars Over Clear Lake"(2017); Cooper's 'Dawn of the Highland Dragon' books (2017); Longley's "Tangled in Time"(2017); McElwain's "Caught in Time"(2018).

Also Watch:
-- SOMEWHERE IN TIME(1980)





40)

SNOW CRASH,
by Neal Stephenson
(1992)

◼ Cyberpunk 2.0.



Avatars and Diversity.
Taking a cue from the Rastas, Ninjas, and Razorgirl of Gibson's international "Neuromancer"(1984), Stephenson pointedly extends pro-diversity and anti-sexism while redefining the concept of cyberspace for the rising World Wide Web generation.



Leads to:
Tech/nicolor.

Avatars. Amplifying on Zelazny's "Lord Of Light"(1968), Stephenson makes Avatar the official online-surrogate term.

Predescessors in diversity include: Scott's 'Dreamships' books (1992); Thomson's "Virtual Girl"(1993); Goonan's "Queen City Jazz" books (1994).


▶▶▶ Nagata's 'The Bohr Maker' books (1995); STRANGE DAYS(1995); Akomfrah's THE LAST ANGEL OF HISTORY(1996); Lee and Minor's "BrainBanx" comics (1997); Ellis and Robertson's "Transmetropolitan" comics (1997); Forbes'"Exit to Reality"(1997); Okazaki's "Afro Samurai" manga (1998) and 'Afro Samuarai' anime (2007); Zion in the MATRIX films (1999); Mosely's "Futureland"(2001); Grimwood's 'Arabesk' trilogy (2001); Eskridge's "Solitaire"(2002); Bear's "Carnival"(2006); Morgan's "Black Man"(a.k.a., "Thirteen", 2007); Beukes'"Moxyland"(2008); AVATAR(2009); WRECK IT RALPH(2012); the inclusive anthology "Cyber World: Tales of Humanity’s Tomorrow"(2016); 'Nightflyers'(2018).

Also Watch:
-- THE MATRIX(1999)
Morpheus and Trinity.





41) THE ALIENIST,
by Caleb Carr
(1994)

◼ Historical Mystery.



In the spirit of Meyer and Farmer, fictional mysteries set within historical times and figures.



Leads to:
Reverse analysis.

In "The Seven Per Cent Solution", Meyer teamed the fictional investigator Sherlock Holmes with the real mental investigator Sigmund Freud. In "The Alienist", Carr combines the two into the fictional Dr. Laszlo Kreizler.


▶▶▶ Scorsese's adaptation of THE GANGS OF NEW YORK(2002): Larson's "The Devil in the White City"(2003); Pearl's "The Dante Club"(2003); Brady's "A June of Ordinary Murders"(2012); Faye's "The Gods of Gotham"(2012); 'Copper'(2013); 'Ripper Street'(2013); Price's "By Gaslight"(2016); the 'Mindhunter' series (2017); Ricca's "Mrs. Sherlock Holmes: The True Story of New York City's Greatest Female Detective..."(2017); Hirsch's "The Devil’s Half Mile"(2018).

Also Read:
- "The Seven Per Cent Solution", by Nicholas Meyer (1974)
- "From Hell", by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell (1999)

Also Watch:
-- 'The Alienist'(2018)
Mini-series.



42) A GAME OF THRONES,
by George R.R. Martin
(1996)

◼ Dark Fantasy.


Gritty realism, complex royal intrigue, fatalistic tone.
Tolkein complexity rethought by way of the historicity of The War Of The Roses.



Leads to:
Winter.


The success of Jackson's LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy films (2001-'03), with their naturalistic approach to Fantasy, greenlit HBO's series of 'Game Of Thrones'(2011).
The success of 'Game', with its gritty edge and worldbuild, inspired screen projects like: CONAN THE BARBARIAN(2011); 'Merlin'(2012); THOR: The Dark World(2013); A FIELD IN ENGLAND(2013); German's HARD TO BE A GOD(2013); 'The White Queen'(2013) and 'The White Princess'(2017); 'Atlantis'(2013); 'Vikings'(2013); 'Black Sails'(2014); 'Outlander'(2014); 'The Last Kingdom'(2015); 'The Shannara Chronicles'(2016); 'Westworld'(2016); 'American Gods'(2017); WONDER WOMAN(2017); BLACK PANTHER(2018); 'Disenchantment'(2018); 'Outlaw King'(2018); 'Medici'(2018); 'Norsemen'(2018); AQUAMAN(2018); 'Queen Of Shadows'(2019).

▶▶▶ Novik's 'His Majesty's Dragon' books (2006); Bardugo's 'Shadow and Bone' books (2012); Jemisin's 'The Fifth Season' books (2015); Tahir's 'An Ember in the Ashes' books (2015); Gratton’s "The Queens of Innis Lear"(2018); Kuang's "The Poppy War"(2018); Suri's "Empire of Sand"(2018); James'"Black Leopard, Red Wolf"(2018).


▶▶▶ Martin's own prequel stories "Hedge Knight"(2003); Vaughan and Staples'"Saga" comic (2012); "Rat Queens"(2013); Sundberg's "Stand Still Stay Silent" webcomic (2013); Busiek and Dewey's "The Autumnlands"(2014); Liu and Takeda's "Monstress"(2015).

Also Watch:
-- EXCALIBUR(1981)
-- 'Game Of Thrones'(2011-2019)





43) HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCEROR'S STONE,
by J.K. Rowling
(1997)

◼ Sorcery School.

Art by Mary GrandPré


Magic youth.
Rowling led a generation of readers through their youth with empowerment metaphors.



Leads to:
Alohomora!

The Harry Potter series advances a rich tradition, which includes: White's "The Sword In The Stone"(1938); Lewis''The Chronicles of Narnia' books (1950); Le Guin's "A Wizard of Earthsea"(1969); Murphy's "The Worst Witch" books (1974); Gaiman's "The Books of Magic" comic (1990).


▶▶▶ DiTerlizzi and Black's 'The Spiderwick Chronicles' books (2003); Riordan's 'Percy Jackson' books (2005); Scott's 'The Alchemyst' books (2006); Rothfuss''The Name of the Wind' books (2007); Moore and O'Neill's "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume III: Century"(2009); Carey and Gross'"The Unwritten" comic (2009); Grossman's "The Magicians"(2009) and 'The Magicians' show (2015); Okorafor's "Akata Witch"(2011) books ; Riggs'"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children"(2011); Messenger's "Keeper of the Lost Cities"(2012); Rowell's "Fangirl"(2013); Johansen's 'The Queen of the Tearling" books (2014); Larson's "Pennyroyal Academy"(2014); the prequel film series FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM(2016); Bell's "The Uncommoners"(2017); Chainani's "The School for Good and Evil"(2018).

Also Read:
- Gaiman's "The Books of Magic" comic (1990)
- Carey and Gross'"The Unwritten" comic (2009)

Also Watch:
-- The eight film adaptions of the seven HARRY POTTER books (2001-2011).



44) THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND CLAY,
by Michael Chabon
(2000)

◼ Comics Literature.


When comics fans became awarded authors.
Chabon's novel about a love triangle during the Golden Age Of Comics -with a protagonist inspired by Will Eisner, Jack Kirby, and Jim Steranko- won the Pulitzer Prize.



Leads to:
Genre Cred.


▶▶▶ Lethem's "The Fortress of Solitude"(2003); "The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist" comics (2004); Vaughan, Rolston, and Bond's sequel graphic novel "The Escapists"(2006); Malmont's "The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril"(2006); Diaz's "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao"(2007); Alexie and Forney's "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian"(2007); Maharaj's "The Amazing Absorbing Boy"(2010); Chabon's kids book "The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man"(2011); King and Fowler's "A Once Crowded Sky"(2012); ARGO(2012); King and Gerad's inversion of Kirby's "Mister Miracle"(2018); Eskew's "Tales of the Astonishing Black Spark"(2018).



45) AMERICAN GODS,
by Neil Gaiman
(2001)

◼ Postmodern Myth.



Mythology 2.0.
Pray to the gods but don't be the gods' prey.



Leads to:
Deus hex machinations.


▶▶▶ Willingham and Buckingham's "Fables" comics (2002) ; Hopkinson's 'The Salt Roads'(2003); Riordan's 'Percy Jackson' books (2006); Phillips'"Gods Behaving Badly"(2007); Jemisin's "The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms"(2010); Miéville's "Kraken"(2010); the 'Once Upon a Time' show (2011); Okorafor's 'Akata Witch' books (2011); Hearne's 'Iron Druid' books (2011); Wilson's "Alif the Unseen"(2012); Gillen and McKelvie's "The Wicked + The Divine" comic (2014); the 'American Gods' TV series adaptation (2017); the "American Gods" comic adaption by Russell (2017).

Also Read:
- "Lord Of Light", by Roger Zelazny (1967)
- "Anansi Boys", by Neil Gaiman (2005)

Also Watch:
-- 'American Gods' TV series (2017)



46) LIFE OF PI,
by Yann Martel
(2002)

◼ Mythic Realism.



One person's magic realism is another's alternate perception.



Leads to:
Myth understanding.


▶▶▶ Murakami's "Kafka on the Shore"(2002); Gruen's "Water for Elephants"(2006); Martel's "Beatrice and Virgil"(2010); BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD(2012); Rowley's "Lily and the Octopus"(2016); Pan's "The Astonishing Color of After"(2018).

Also Watch:
-- LIFE OF PI(2012)



47) JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL,
by Susanna Clarke
(2004)

◼ Alt-History Magic.



Fantasy worldbuilding as alternate reality.



Leads to:
Alchemical reactions.


▶▶▶ Wecker's "The Golem and the Jinni"(2013); McCay's "The Witches of New York"(2016); Shawl's "Everfair"(2016); Whitehead's "The Underground Railroad"(2016); Gene Ha's comic "Mae"(2016).

Also Watch:
-- 'Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell' TV maxi-series (2015)



48) THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO*,
by Stieg Larsson
(2005)

◼ Hacker Grrrl.


* (First published as "Män som hatar kvinnor / Men Who Hate Women"


The tenets of Cyberpunk distilled into an espionage and crime thriller, redefined by the advent of punk savant Lisbeth Salander.



Leads to:
Fe-maelstrom.


Larsson finished two worthy sequels before his untimely passing: "The Girl Who Played With Fire"(2006) and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest"(2007).
A False Estate has issued irrelevent 'sequels' in book, film, and comics form.>


The three books were adapted into the 'Millennium Trilogy' TV maxi-series (Sweden, 2009), and then edited into three films for international release.
The first book was re-adapted in an English film version with Fincher's THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO(USA, 2011).

▶▶▶ Flynn's "Sharp Objects"(2006); the 'Forbrydelsen'(Sweden, 2007) and 'The Killing'(USA, 2011) TV shows; MacLeod's 'Inspector Anita Sundström' books (2010); McGrath's "White Heat"(2011); Beukes'"The Shining Girls"(2013); Torre's "The Girl in 6E"(2013); Sund's "The Crow Girl"(2016); Sam Black Crow on 'American Gods'(S02, 2019).

Also Read:
- "There Are Things I Want You to Know" About Stieg Larsson and Me", by Eva Gabrielsson (2011)

Also Watch:
-- THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO(Sweden, 2009)
-- THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE(Sweden, 2009)
-- THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST(Sweden, 2009)

-- THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO(USA, 2011)



L: Mina Murray, art by Kevin O'Neill;
R: Lisbeth Salander, art by Leonardo Manco.

Additional Classics:


-"The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick (2007)

-"The Windup Girl", by Paolo Bacigalupi (2009)

-"All the Birds in the Sky", by Charlie Jane Anders (2016)

-"Children of Blood and Bone", by Tomi Adeyemi (2018)




49) CLOUD ATLAS,
by David Mitchell
(2005)

◼ Time Symphony.



Experimental novel with interwoven narratives across time.



Leads to:
Conceptual clockwork.

Similar experimental novels with spanning narratives include: Hesse's "Siddhartha"(1951); Cortazor's "Hopscotch"(1963); Marquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude"(1967); Calvino's "If on a winter's night a traveler"(1979); Pavić's "Dictionary of the Khazars"(1983); McHugh's "China Mountain Zhang"(1992); Danielewski's "House of Leaves"(2000); Hemon's "Nowhere Man"(2002); Wong's film 2046(2004).


▶▶▶ Moore's "Voice of the Fire"(1996); Cunningham's "Specimen Days"(2005); SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK(2008); Bolaño's "2666"(2008); MR. NOBODY(2009); Nicholl's "One Day"(2009); I ORIGINS(2014); North's "The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August"(2014); 'Sense8'(2015); Hall's "Speak"(2015); McCormack's "Solar Bones"(2016); 'The OA'(2016); Saunders'"Lincoln in the Bardo"(2017); McKinnon's "Storyland"(2017).

Also Watch:
-- CLOUD ATLAS(2012)
-- 'Sense8'(2015-'18)



50)

THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO,
by Junot Diaz
(2007)

◼ Genre Alchemy.



The Reveal: Speculative Fiction is literature with a wider lens.
All stories are simply human allegory and the interplay of possibilities. There actually are no borders -in land, bodies, or minds- and all is wide open.

Diaz's book overstands this where Wikipedia doesn't: their review analysis focusing on the (high) Literary while segregating the (low) Speculative as trivia is why they entirely missed the twist that redefines what was happening all along. Separatism has made their insight a blindspot.

SpecFic -parallel to science, art, and dreams- is just a heightened perception of the possible that can lead to the actual.

All false social binaries aside, Oscar isn't a marginal cliche; he is the sum of all the works on these Canons who has learned this higher truth.
And in the end, the craft you make is equal to the mind you awake.



Leads to:
Zafa.


▶▶▶ Walton's "Among Others"(2008); Godot's "Supernatural Hero"(2013); Reid's "Neanderthal Seeks Human"(2013); Anders'"All the Birds in the Sky"(2016); HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES(2018).

>100 Must-Read Books of Magical Realism




51) THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES,
by Joseph Campbell
(1949)

◼ The Hero's Journey.



At the end, the book of all beginnings.

By comparing world myths, Campbell traced the roots of all storytelling through the hero archetype and the transformative journey.
The book's distillation of the Monomyth became a template for countless authors and filmmakers ever since.



Leads to:
Roam all roads to leads.


Kubrick and Clarke read it before making 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY(1968), George Lucas while making STAR WARS(1977).

▶▶▶ excerpts in Adams'"Watership Down" (1972); Vogler's "The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers"(1992); Bierlein's "Parallel Myths"(1994); "The Weatherlight Saga" in Magic: The Gathering(1997); Rowlings''Harry Potter' books (1997); Hyde's "Trickster Makes This World: Mischief, Myth, and Art"(1997); 'LOST'(2004); the video game Journey(2012)...



>Why EMPIRE and LAST JEDI are actually the Best of the STAR WARS films





KEY FILMS, SHOWS,
MAGS, and COMICS



The New Wave of Science Fiction and successive literary movements were paralleled by classic Comic Strips, genre Films, and the Modern Age of Comics.

Taken together, their ideas forged much of our Pop Culture today.


KEY FILMS:


1970s


-- A CLOCKWORK ORANGE(1971)
-- THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN(1971)
-- THX-1138(1971)
-- WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY(1971)
-- SHAFT(1971)
-- CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES(1972)
-- SOLARIS(1972)
-- THE GODFATHER(1972)
-- SILENT RUNNING(1972)
-- SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE(1972)
-- THE EXORCIST(1973)
-- SERPICO(1973)
-- FANTASTIC PLANET(1973)
-- DON'T LOOK NOW(1973)
-- LIVE AND LET DIE(1973)
-- SLEEPER(1973)
-- DON'T LOOK NOW(1973)
-- WESTWORLD(1973)
-- SOYLENT GREEN(1973)
-- THE GODFATHER Part II(1974)
-- ZARDOZ(1974)
-- CHINATOWN(1974)
-- PHASE IV(1974)


-- THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW(1975)
-- THE STEPFORD WIVES(1975)
-- JAWS(1975)
-- LOGAN'S RUN(1976)
-- CARRIE(1976)
-- THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH(1976)
-- ERASERHEAD(1977)
-- SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO(1977)
-- STAR WARS(1977)
-- CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND(1977)
-- HALLOWEEN(1978)
-- INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS(1978)
-- SUPERMAN: The Movie(1978)
-- STAR TREK: The Motion Picture(1979)
-- TIME AFTER TIME(1979)
-- ALIEN(1979)


1980s


-- STAR WARS: The Empire Strikes Back(1980)
-- ALTERED STATES(1980)
-- THE SHINING(1980)
-- SUPERMAN II(1981)
-- BODY HEAT(1981)
-- RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK(1981)
-- MAD MAX II/ THE ROAD WARRIOR(1981)
-- OUTLAND(1981)
-- TIME BANDITS(1981)
-- E.T.(1982)
-- POLTERGEIST(1982)
-- STAR TREK II: The Wrath of Khan(1982)
-- BLADE RUNNER(1982)
-- THE THING(1982)
-- BORN IN FLAMES(1982)
-- STAR WARS: Return Of The Jedi(1983)
-- THE BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET(1984)
-- NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND(1984)
-- GHOSTBUSTERS(1984)
-- NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR(1984)
-- REPO MAN(1984)
-- STAR TREK III: The Search For Spock(1984)
-- THE TERMINATOR(1984)
-- BLOOD SIMPLE(1984)
-- 2010: Odyssey Two(1984)


-- COCOON(1985)
-- WINGS OF DESIRE(1986)
-- ALIENS(1986)
-- CASTLE IN THE SKY(1986)
-- MANHUNTER(1986)
-- STAR TREK IV: The Voyage Home(1986)
-- BLUE VELVET(1986)
-- THE PRINCESS BRIDE(1987)
-- HELLRAISER(1987)
-- AKIRA(1988)
-- MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO(1988)
-- WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?(1988)
-- THE ABYSS(1989)
-- TETSUO: The Iron Man(1989)


1990s


-- THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS(1991)
-- THE ROCKETEER(1991)
-- STAR TREK VI: The Undiscovered Country(1991)
-- TERMINATOR II: Judgment Day(1991)
-- ORLANDO(1992)
-- FARAWAY, SO CLOSE(1993)
-- PULP FICTION(1994)
-- GHOST IN THE SHELL(1995)
-- HEAT(1995)
-- APOLLO 13(1995)
-- THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN(1995)
-- THE USUAL SUSPECTS(1995)
-- 12 MONKEYS(1995)
-- STAR TREK: First Contact(1996)
-- PRINCESS MONONOKE(1997)
-- ABRE LOS OJOS(Spain, 1997)
-- CONTACT(1997)
-- PI(1998)
-- BABE: Pig In The City(1998)
-- GALAXY QUEST(1999)
-- THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT(1999)
-- THE IRON GIANT(1999)
-- THE MATRIX(1999)


2000s


-- SPIRITED AWAY(2001)
-- LORD OF THE RINGS: The Fellowship of the Ring(2001)
-- HERO(China, 2002)
-- THE RING(2002)
-- LORD OF THE RINGS: The Two Towers(2002)
-- LORD OF THE RINGS: The Return of the King(2003)
-- INFERNAL AFFAIRS I, II, and III(2002-'03)
-- THE MATRIX RELOADED(2003)
-- THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS(2003)
-- X2: X-Men United(2003)
-- ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND(2004)
-- HARRY POTTER And The Prisoner Of Azkaban(2004)
-- SERENITY(2005)
-- STAR WARS: Revenge Of The Sith(2005)
-- CHILDREN OF MEN(2006)
-- V FOR VENDETTA(2006)
-- SUPERMAN RETURNS(2006)
-- WALL-E(2008)
-- LET THE RIGHT ONE IN(Sweden, 2008)
-- THE DARK KNIGHT(2008)
-- AVATAR(2009)
-- CORALINE(2009)
-- MOON(2009)
-- THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO(Sweden, 2009)
-- STAR TREK(2009)


2010s


-- INCEPTION(2010)
-- TOY STORY 3(2010)
-- ANOTHER EARTH(2011)
-- HUGO(2011)
-- THE TREE OF LIFE(2011)
-- THE AVENGERS(2012)
-- BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD(2012)
-- THE CABIN IN THE WOODS(2012)
-- PROMETHEUS(2012)
-- ELYSIUM(2013)
-- SNOWPIERCER(2013)
-- GRAVITY(2013)
-- A GIRL WALKS ALONE AT NIGHT(Iran, 2014)
-- DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES(2014)
-- X-MEN: Days of Future Past(2014)
-- UNDER THE SKIN(2014)
-- EX MACHINA(2015)
-- STAR WARS: The Force Awakens(2015)
-- MAD MAX: Fury Road(2015)
-- THE WITCH(2015)
-- ROGUE ONE(2016)
-- HIDDEN FIGURES(2016)
-- BLADE RUNNER 2049(2017)
-- STAR WARS: The Last Jedi(2017)



KEY SHOWS:


1970s


- 'Science Ninja Team Gatchaman'(1972; a.k.a, Battle Of The Planets, 1978)
- 'Star Trek: The Animated Series'(1973)
- 'The Six Million Dollar Man'(1974)
- 'Space: 1999'(1975)
- 'The Bionic Woman'(1976)
- 'Wonder Woman'(1976)
- 'Mork and Mindy'(1978)


1980s

- 'The Twilight Zone'(1985)
- 'Amazing Stories'(1985)
- 'The Ray Bradbury Theater'(1985)
- 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'(1987)
- 'Superboy'(1988)
- 'Alien Nation'(1989)


1990s


- 'Twin Peaks'(1990)
- 'The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'(1992)
- 'The X-Files'(1993)
- 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'(1993)
- 'Earth 2'(1994)
- 'Star Trek: Voyager'(1995)
- 'Cowboy Bebop'(1998)
- 'Futurama'(1999)
- 'Farscape'(1999)
- 'Spaced'(UK, 1999)


2000s


- 'Star Trek: Enterprise'(2001)
- 'Samurai Jack'(2001)
- 'Firefly'(2002)
- 'Lost'(2004)
- 'ReGenesis'(2004)
- 'Doctor Who'(2005 revival)
- 'Life On Mars'(UK, 2005)
- 'Fringe'(2008)
- 'Misfits'(UK, 2009)
- 'Adventure Time'(2010)
- 'Sherlock'(2010)


2010s


- 'Game Of Thrones'(2011)
- 'Black Mirror'(UK, 2011)
- 'The Legend Of Korra'(2012)
- 'Outlander'(2014)
- 'Star Wars: Rebels'(2014)
- 'Mr. Robot'(2015)
- 'Daredevil'(2015)
- 'Westworld'(2016)
- 'Legion'(2017)
- 'Star Trek: Discovery'(2018)




KEY MAGAZINES:


1970s


- "Cinefantastique"(1970)
- "The Spirit", by Will Eisner (1940s reprints; 1974)
- "Metal Hurlant", by Moebius, Druillet, Bilal, etc. (1974)
- "Starlog"(1976)
- "Ah! Nana"(Feminist answer to Hurlant, 1976)
- "Comics Journal"(1977)
- "Heavy Metal"(Metal Hurlant US, 1977)
- "Fantastic Films"(1978)
- "Omni"(1978)

1980s

- "Epic Illustrated"(1980)
- "Raw"(1980)
- "Comics Scene"(1982)

1990s

- "Video Watchdog"(1990)
- "Wrapped In Plastic"(1992)
- "Cinescape"(1994)
- "SFX"(1995)
- "Comic Book Artist"(1998)
- "Alter Ego"(1999)

2000s

- "Illustration"(2002)
- "Back Issue!"(2003)



KEY COMICS:


1970s


• "Green Lantern/ Green Arrow" by Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams (1970)
• "New Gods", "Mister Miracle", and "The Forever People", by Jack Kirby (1970)
• 'Doonesbury" comic strip, by Garry Trudeau (1970)
• "Superman" by (w) Cary Bates and Elliot S! Maggin, (a) Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson (early '70s)
• "Batman" by Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams (early '70s)
• "Swamp Thing" by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson (1972)
• "Shazam!" by Denny O'Neil and C.C. Beck (1972)
• "Amazing Spider-Man" #121-122, by Gerry Conway and Gil Kane (1973)
• "Manhunter" by Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson (1973)
• "The Shadow" by Denny O'Neil and Michael Wm. Kaluta (1973)


• "Killraven" by Don McGregor and P. Craig Russell (1973)
• "OMAC" by Jack Kirby (1974)
• "Captain Marvel" and "Warlock" by Jim Starlin (1975)
• "The all-new X-Men" by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum (1975)
• "American Splendor" by Harvey Pekar with R. Crumb, etc. (1976)
• "Detective Comics" by Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, and Terry Austin (1976)
• "The Micronauts" by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden (1978)
• "Superman vs. Muhammad Ali" by Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams (1978)


1980s



• "Bloom County" comic strip, by Berkeley Breathed (1980)
• "The Uncanny X-Men" by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, and Terry Austin (1979-'81)
• "Master of Kung Fu" by Doug Moench and Gene Day (1981)
• "Daredevil" by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson (1981)
• "Love and Rockets" by Los Brothers Hernandez (1982)
• "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" by Hayao Miyazaki (1982)
• "The Rocketeer" by Dave Stevens (1982)
• "V For Vendetta" by Alan Moore and David Lloyd (1982/1988)
• "Ronin" by Frank Miller (1983)
• "A Distant Soil" by Colleen Doran (1983)
• "Swamp Thing" by Alan Moore, Steven R. Bissette, and John Totleben (1984)


• "American Flagg" by Howard Chaykin (1983)
• "Starstruck" by Elaine Lee and Michael Wm. Kaluta (1984)
• "Calvin and Hobbes" comic strip, by Bill Watterson (1985)
• "Crisis On Infinite Earths" by Marv Wolfman and George Perez (1985)
• "Marvelman"(UK, 1982)/ Miracleman(US, 1985-88) by Alan Moore, with Leach, Davis, and Totleben
• "Watchmen" by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (1986)
• "The Dark Knight Returns" by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson (1986)
• "Batman: Year One" by Frank Miller and David Mazzuccelli (1987)
• "Maus I" (1986) and "Maus II"(1991) by Art Spiegelman
• "Dykes To Watch Out For" strip, by Alison Bechdel (1987)
• "The Sandman" by Neil Gaiman, + (1989)


1990s


• "Shade, the Changing Man" by Peter Milligan + (1990)
• "Bone" by Jeff Smith (1991)
• "Enigma" by Peter Milligan and Duncan Fegredo (1993)
• "Hellboy" by Mike Mignola (1993)
• "Starman" by James Robinson and Tony Harris (1994)
• "Marvels" by Mark Waid and Alex Ross (1994)
• "Astro City" by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson (1995)
• "Kingdom Come" by Mark Waid and Alex Ross (1996)
• "Earth X" by Alex Ross and Jean Paul Leon (1999)
• "Planetary" by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday (1999)

2000s


• "Promethea" by Alan Moore and J.H. Williams III (1999)
• "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill (1999)
• "Top 10" by Alan Moore, Zander Cannon, and Gene Ha (1999)
• "Tom Strong" by Alan Moore and Chris Sprouse (1999)
• "Daredevil" by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev (2001)
• "Alias" by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos (2001)
• "The New Frontier" by Darwyn Cooke (2004)
• "All-Star Superman" by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (2005)
• "Starstruck" revised, by Elaine Lee, Michael Wm. Kaluta, and Lee Moyer (2009, 2017)

2010s


• "Batwoman" by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III (2009)
• "Saga" by Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan (2012)
• "Sex Criminals" by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky (2013)
• "Ms. Marvel" by G. Willow Wilson + (2014)
• "Paper Girls" by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang (2015)




KEY GRAPHIC NOVELS:



♦ "A Contract with God" by Will Eisner (1978)

1980s

♦ "Love And Rockets, vol. 1: Music for Mechanics" by Los Bros Hernandez (1985)
♦ "American Splendor" by Harvey Pekar, Robert Crumb, + (1986)
♦ "Watchmen" by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (1987)
♦ "The Dark Knight Returns" by Frank Miller (1987)
♦ "The Sandman, vol. 1: Preludes And Nocturnes" by Neil Gaiman + (1988)


1990s

♦ "Maus I/II" by Art Spiegelman (1991)
♦ "Understanding Comics" by Scott McCloud (1993)
♦ "Palestine" by Joe Sacco (1996)
♦ "Ghost World" by Daniel Clowes (1997)
♦ "Cages" by Dave McKean (1998)
♦ "From Hell" by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell (1999)
♦ "Gemma Bovery" by Posy Simmonds (1999)

2000s

♦ "Wonder Woman: Spirit Of Truth" by Paul Dini and Alex Ross (2001)
♦ "The Diary of a Teenage Girl" by Phoebe Gloeckner (2002)
♦ "Palomar: The Heartbreak Soup Stories" by Gilbert Hernández (2003)
♦ "Blankets" by Craig Thompson (2003)
♦ "Black Hole" by Charles Burns (2005)
♦ "The Plot: The Secret Story of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" by Will Eisner (2005)
♦ "American Born Chinese" by Gene Luen Yang (2006)
♦ "Fun Home" by Alison Bechdel (2006)


2010s

♦ "Starstruck: Deluxe Edition" by Elaine Lee, Michael Wm. Kaluta, Charles Vess, and Lee Moyer (2011)
♦ "March, vol. 1" by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell (2013)
♦ "Unflattening" by Nick Sousanis (2015)
♦ "My Favorite Thing Is Monsters" by Emil Ferris (2017)






Music Player!


Over 100 songs inspired by the books above!
(in order according to the list)


This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.

Rock! Prog! Funk! PostPunk!
Indie! Electro! Soundtracks!







© Tym Stevens



See also:

-The Canon 1: 50 Books That Created Modern Culture

-The Canon 2: 50 More Books That Created Modern Culture


-2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - Its Transcendent Influence on all Pop Culture, with Music Player

-How STAR WARS Is Changing Everything!

-The Big Bang of STARSTRUCK: The Roots and Branches of Lee and Kaluta's Space Opera



BEATLESQUE Songs: 1967-esque

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0
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...with Massive
Music Player!



BEATLESQUE SONGS

#5 of 9


Covers, Clones, + Cousins!

Hear every 1967BEATLES song
matched to its covers, clones, + cousins,
all in chronological order.

The most comprehensive matching of Beatles songs to the songs they inspired ever made.

Explore a vast Multiverse of 'new Beatles music'!

Shortcut links:
1) MUSIC PLAYER
2) The Influences


_______

Hear the whole BEATLESQUE Songs series:
1963-esque
1964-esque
1965-esque
1966-esque
1968-esque
1969-esque
1970-esque
'REUNION' 1970-Now











1) BEATLESQUE Songs:

1967-esque



SGT. PEPPER LP Cover homages:
Rolling Stones; Jimi Hendrix; Zappa; Small Faces;
Ringo; XTC; Red Rocket #7; Flaming Lips.



MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR-ists on Player:
Jacco Gardner; of Montreal;
Prince; Os Mutantes.


Music Player:

1967-esque



Spotify playlist title=
BEATLESQUE Songs: 1967-esque
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.
(This Player is limited to the first 200 songs.
Hear the unlimited Playlist here.)

Over 800 songs and 46 hours worth
of alternative Beatles sounds!

Featuring:
Pink Floyd!Tages!Aretha Franklin!
Los Iberos!The Band!Blood Sweat Tears!
Elton!Bowie!Eno!10cc!ELO!
Sparks!Queen!The Residents!
Klaatu!The Rutles!Cheap Trick!
Chrome!The Undertones!Prince!
Beastie Boys!Jellyfish!Nirvana!
MBV!PM Dawn!Blur!STP!
PJ Harvey!Elliott Smith!You Am I!
Radiohead!Goldfrapp!Dungen!
Broadcast!Travis!Kaiser Chiefs!
Fiery Furnaces!White Denim!Foxygen!
Glim Spanky!Pugwash!The GOASTT!
Electric Wurms!Guerilla Toss!Limiñanas!
Satellite Jockey!MGMT!Weyes Blood!

And many, many more!




HOW IT WORKS:

The BEATLES song plays first (shown here in blue).

Example

It is followed by Clones and Cousins, often bracketed at the beginning and end by Cover versions. Then the next Beatles song repeats the cycle.

A Clone is a song directly imitating the song. A Cousin is within the same sonic spirit as the original.

The Beatles' songs are in order of their release; the matching songs are listed sequentially in the order of their own release, i.e., 1967, 1968, 1972, 1978, 1995, 1996, etc.

Because The Beatles finished each year with a Christmas flexidisc for their UK Fan Club, each Music Player ends with Holiday songs done in their style.


The Playlist matches each of these songs to its children, in this order...


BEATLES Releases: 1967


SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND(May 1967):
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
"With A Little Help From My Friends"
"Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"
"Getting Better"
"Fixing A Hole"
"She's Leaving Home"
"Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite"
"Within You Without You"
"When I'm Sixty-Four"
"Lovely Rita"
"Good Morning, Good Morning"
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)"
"A Day In The Life"
(+ runout groove)

MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR(Nov 1967):*
EP=
"Magical Mystery Tour"
""The Fool On The Hill"
"Flying"
"Blue Jay Way"
"Your Mother Should Know"
"I Am The Walrus"
+ The Singles:
"Hello Goodbye"
"Strawberry Fields Forever"
"Penny Lane"
"Baby You're A Rich Man"
"All You Need Is Love"

"The Family Way" soundtrack, by Paul McCartney & George Martin

•• Song written for another artist: "Catcall"

Unreleased: "Carnival Of Light"
(Player includes songs guessing the sound
of unreleased musique concrète montage)

Christmas flexi; sketches with song snippets, including "Everywhere It's Christmas"


* All the Playlists follow the original British release of singles and albums in sequence.
This Player makes the exception of following the MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR's USA track listing, which combined the EP with that year's singles.








2) BEATLESQUE Songs:

How Their Influence Never Ends




SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND
(1967)


The SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND album
is the most important -and for most everyone the greatest- album in Rock history. Everything before it is simply prelude, all after aftermath.
Often termed Psychedelic, it is a cornucopia of Baroque Pop, Acid Soul, Carnival, Music Hall, World, and Avant Electronics.
Singularly, it left formula riff Rock behind and gave artists permission to be varied musicians pushing the envelope.
It heralded the Concept Album and Art Rock.
The radical graphic art covers, inner gatefold, printed lyrics, and cutout sheet created an interactive experience, evolving album packaging and listener engagement.
From its music styles to its cover, it evokes a fantasy past to open up new possible futures.
In tandem with the Summer Of Love, SGT. PEPPER was a coming out party for the counterculture, the most socially influential generation in modern history.
The first Rock album to ever win the Album Of The Year Grammy.



----


Beyond time, place, or genre, musical artists have continuously made specific homages reflecting the 1967 sounds of The Beatles.

(All bold names are heard on the Music Player)


Rolling stones; XTC; The Small Faces.

British Evocation
Art Rock.
Provocation to ambition, as their rivals stepped into Statement albums, with fine and underrated music coming from The Rolling Stones, The Hollies, The Kinks, The Zombies, Small Faces, Billy Nicholls, Status Quo, The Spencer Davis Group, The Tremeloes, The Equals with Eddie Grant, and The Nice.

Welcome Good Guys
The audience of peers took it home and to heart, like The Beach Boys, The Buckinghams, The Mamas And The Papas, Paul Revere And The Raiders, and The Turtles.


Rotary Connection; Prince; Beastie Boys.

Fixing A Soul
Soul gems proper via Sgt. Pepper were mined by Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Four Tops, The 5th Dimension, Blood Sweat And Tears, Rotary Connection, The Foundations, Joe Cocker, The Five Stairsteps, Eric Burdon + War, Syreeta, Maxayn, Prince, Beastie Boys, Fat Boys, Terence Trent D'Arby, P.M. Dawn, Raphael Saadiq, Alice Smith, Nicole Atkins, Adrian Younge, Mayer Hawthorne, and Anderson East.
From Jamaica with love, the Easy Star All-Stars remade the whole album in Reggae Dub style.

Fuelin' The Hills
Artists rooted in Country and Folk music found new fields to forage, such as The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Terry Callier, The Band, Kathy McCord, Richie Havens, Margo Guryan, Gerry Rafferty, America, The Jayhawks, and Jeffrey Gaines.
The stately keys of "A Day In The Life" forecast John and Paul's future piano anthems, and insured careers to stately tinklers like Billy Joel, Ed Harcourt, Eric Matthews, Father John Misty, and Weyes Blood.


Le Orme;
Les Bises, Les Intrigantes, Les Miladys;
Tages.

World Broadcast
The Beatles performed "All You Need Is Love" on the first worldwide telecast to over 400 Million people.
Globally, artists reflected that love right back on record, such as Ravi Shankar, Mina (Italy), Le Orme (Italy), Jacqueline Taieb (France), Les Merseys (Canada), Les Bises (Canada), Tages (Sweden), Locomotion (Netherlands), Czerwone Gitary (Poland), Hungária (Hungary), Prudy (Czech.), The Flame (South Africa), Sergio Mendes And Brasil '66, Liverpool (Brazil), Os Santos (Brazil), Los Iberos (Spain), Los Dug Dug's (Mexico), Nineteen 87 (Australia), and The Allusions (Australia).

Lucid In The Sky
"look for the girl with the sun in her eyes..."
All-female bands continued onward through the transition from Beat to Baroque, with '60s explorers like The Daisy Chain, The Feminine Complex, Les Milady's (Canada), Les Ingénues (Canada), and Les Intrigantes (Canada) marching the trail for later artists like The Go-Go's and Mad Monster Party.


Harry Nilsson; XTC; The Grays.

We Are The Walrus
Nothing is sung that can't be restrung.
Finding their way to where they were meant to be were devout acolytes like The Redcoats, Bee Gees, Harry Nilsson, Badfinger, Bernard Chabert (France), Emitt Rhodes, Electric Light Orchestra, Cheap Trick, Klaatu, The Rutles, XTC, Squeeze, The Spongetones, Chris von Sneidern, The Grays, Oasis, The Boo Radleys, Sloan, Elliott Smith, Cotton Mather, Cloud Eleven, The Clientele, Lucky Bishops, Robbers On High Street, Pugwash, and Aaron Lee Tasjan.




MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR
(1967)


The MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR album
is actually an EP soundtrack, with separate singles paired into an LP for the US market.
The improv TV film was initially a critical misfire that has proved an underrated Indie milestone, but the album collection succeeds as both a PEPPER postscript and a bellwether to the WHITE ALBUM.
The gleeful delirium of the Psyche Pop undulates between John's woozy haze, George's sinister blear, and Paul's fanfared pep.
Its dark richness and skewed melodics forecast every Indie record since 1980.
Its crowning achievement is the astounding Psyche manifesto "I Am The Walrus", a song more multiform than most rivals' albums.

----


Your Parents Would Know
Interpoloating the score were mentors like Del Shannon, Fats Domino, The Ventures, and Wes Montgomery.

Baby, You're A Rich Mind
It's only fair that it's a family affair. Making cameo appearances in the Playlist crowd are Julian Lennon, The GOASTT (The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger) with Sean Ono Lennon, and James McCartney.

Pop Art
Shaking some Pepper into their Power Pop assault were Elvis Costello And The Attractions, The Koobas, The Raspberries, Big Star, Barnaby Bye, 10cc, Ronnie D'Addario, Utopia with Todd Rundgren, The Posies, The Times, Eleanor Rigby, Teenage Fanclub, Fountains Of Wayne, Fastball, The Ravelers, and Chewy Marble.

From The Motor Trade
Outside of the Chamber Pop chambers, Garage Rock artists still revved up some new torque, with reprisals from Public Nuisance, The Damned, The Dirtbombs, and The Go, to Cheap Time, The Midnight TV Programs (Japan), and The Limiñanas (France).


The Jimi Hendrix Experience;
Kay Kay And The Weathered Underground;
Jacco Gardner.

Kaleidoscope Highs
Psyche idealic.
A dolly mixture of astralnauts transcended all spaces and times daytripping in and out of its styles.
Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Love, Sagittarius, The United States Of America, Os Mutantes (Brazil), The Bonzo Dog Band, The Idle Race with Jeff Lynne, and Blossom Toes'60s;
Flied Egg (Japan) '70s;
The Soft Boys with Robyn Hitchcock, Stray Trolleys with Martin Newell, The Revolving Paint Dream, The Three O'Clock, The Dukes Of Stratosphear/XTC, Julian Cope, The Green Pajamas, and The Flaming Lips'80s;
Jellyfish, Lida Husik, and The Brian Jonestown Massacre'90s;
The Olivia Tremor Control, of Montreal, Circulatory System, The Apples In Stereo, Super Furry Animals, Dungen (Sweden), The High Dials, Fabienne DelSol (France), Thee Oh Sees, Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, Stereoscope Jerk Explosion, The Essex Green, Sitcom Neighbor, and The Psycrons (Japan) '00s;
Frankie Rose And The Outs, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Tame Impala with GUM, Jacco Gardner (Netherlands), Glim Spanky (Japan), Yorick van Norden, Fay Hallam, Electric Wurms, Mikal Cronin, Los Estanques (Spain), Cupid's Carnival, Weyes Blood, Blair Alise And The Bombshells, and Rosalie Cunningham'10s.

Band Width
The Sergeant's music sheets underscored a pluralistic plethora of creators across time, like The Jam, Tubeway Army, Split Enz, Yellow Magic Orchestra, and The Undertones'70s;
That Petrol Emotion, Jah Wobble And Keith Levene, Echo And the Bunnymen, Tears For Fears, World Party, Dead Can Dance, Soul Asylum, My Bloody Valentine, and Inspiral Carpets'80s;
Sebadoh, Radiohead, Blur, Elastica, PJ Harvey, Komeda, and Hooverphonic'90s;
Broadcast, Travis, Gomez, Kaiser Chiefs, Bono, Panic! At The Disco, Girls, The Divine Comedy, Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks, and Lupe Fiasco + Unkle'00s;
EMA, MGMT, Foxygen, Wendy James, Portugal The Man, and Jim Noir'10s.

Mystery Tourists
Standing outside the frame were mercurial enigmas that might be David Bowie, Brian Eno, Sparks, Chrome, Guerilla Toss, or White Denim.

Strobing Feels Forever
Redefining Rock.
From the heavy to the heady to the heavenly, let's introduce The James Gang, Black Sabbath, King Crimson, Chicago, Affinity, Elton John, Queen, Ronnie James Dio, Lenny Kravitz, and Nirvana.




In 1967, THE BEATLES converted modern popular music into an art form.
And as their sounds expanded, so did all the responses across time...


_______

Hear the whole BEATLESQUE Songs series:
1963-esque
1964-esque
1965-esque
1966-esque
1968-esque
1969-esque
1970-esque
'REUNION' 1970-Now






© Research, Art, and Essay by Tym Stevens








A splendid time is guaranteed for all!






BEATLESQUE Albums: 400 Alternate Universe BEATLES Albums You Need!, with 2 massive Music Players!


LENNONesque: All-Star Homage Playlists To John Lennon's BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players

McCARTNEY-esque: All-Star Homage Playlists To His BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players



BRIAN WILSON-esque: All The Songs Imitating His BEACH BOYS Music Styles!, with 2 Music Players



BEATLESQUE Songs: 1963-esque

$
0
0

...with Massive
Music Player!



BEATLESQUE SONGS

#1 of 9


Covers, Clones, + Cousins!

Hear every 1963BEATLES song
matched to its covers, clones, + cousins,
all in chronological order.

The most comprehensive matching of Beatles songs to the songs they inspired ever made.

Explore a vast Multiverse of 'new Beatles music'!

Shortcut links:
1) MUSIC PLAYER
2) The Influences


_______

Hear the whole BEATLESQUE Songs series:
1963-esque
1964-esque
1965-esque
1966-esque
1967-esque
1968-esque
1969-esque
1970-esque
’REUNION’ 1970-Now











1) BEATLESQUE Songs:

1963-esque



PLEASE PLEASE ME LP Cover homages:
The Rutles; Blur; Shampoo; Sex Pistols.



WITH THE BEATLES LP Cover homages:
Everly Bros.; Blondie; Pretenders; Utopia.


Music Player:

1963-esque



Spotify playlist title=
BEATLESQUE Songs: 1963-esque
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.
(This Player is limited to the first 200 songs.
Hear the unlimited Playlist here.)

Over 575 songs and 24 hours worth
of alternative Beatles sounds!

Featuring:
Rolling Stones!The Supremes!The Byrds!
Los Shakers!The Hollies!Los Brincos!
Guess Who!Czerwone Gitary!Badfinger!
Flamin' Groovies!Ramones!The Rutles!
Elvis Costello!The Jam!Pretenders!
The Go-Go's!Robyn Hitchcock!Lyres!
The Pandoras!The Smithereens!Pixies!
Nirvana!The Muffs!Sloan!
Apples In Stereo!The Coral!Spoon!
Dressy Bessy!Kasabian!Best Coast!

And many, many more!



HOW IT WORKS:

The BEATLES song plays first (shown here in red).

Example

It is followed by Clones and Cousins, often bracketed at the beginning and end by Cover versions. Then the next Beatles song repeats the cycle.

A Clone is a song directly imitating the song. A Cousin is within the same sonic spirit as the original.

The Beatles' songs are in order of their release; the matching songs are listed sequentially in the order of their own release, i.e., 1963, 1964, 1966, 1976, 1982, etc.

(If The Beatles recorded a cover version, it is preceded by the original, shown here in yellow.)

Because The Beatles finished each year with a Christmas flexidisc for their UK Fan Club, each Music Player ends with Holiday songs done in their style.


The Playlist matches each of these songs to its children, in this order...


BEATLES Releases: 1963

"Love Me Do/ P.S. I Love You"(Oct 1962)

PLEASE PLEASE ME(Jan 1963):
"I Saw Her Standing There"
"Misery"
"Anna (Go To Him)"
"Chains"
"Boys"
"Ask Me Why"
"Please Please Me"
"Love Me Do"
"P.S. I Love You"
"Baby It's You"
"Do You Want To Know A Secret"
"A Taste Of Honey"
"There's A Place"
"Twist And Shout"

"From Me To You/ Thank You Girl"
"She Loves You/ I'll Get You"

•• Songs written for other artists: "I'll Keep You Satisfied", "Bad To Me", "I'll Be On My Way", "Love Of The Loved", "I'm In Love", "Hello Little Girl", "Tip Of My Tongue"

WITH THE BEATLES(Nov 1963):
"It Won't Be Long"
"All I've Got To Do"
"All My Loving"
"Don't Bother Me"
"Little Child"
"Till There Was You"
"Please Mister Postman"
"Roll Over Beethoven"
"Hold Me Tight"
"You Really Gotta Hold On Me"
"I Wanna Be Your Man"
"Devil In Her Heart"
"Not A Second Time"
"Money"

Christmas flexi; banter plus "Good King Wenceslas", "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Ringo"


The Playlists will follow the original British release of singles and albums in sequence.








2) BEATLESQUE Songs:

How Their Influence Never Ends




PLEASE PLEASE ME
(1963)


The PLEASE PLEASE ME album
reignited Rock'n'Roll in 1963, after the USA Idol dropouts and the varied genre splits on polished Pop radio.
It was the World returning the music as a renewed force and an act of fervid faith, abolishing the fad narrative of dismissers.
The debut album swept aside false genre divisions, declaring solidarity with Girl Groups and Soul artists and even Broadway.
The Beatles took Rock'n'Roll away from the machine, foiling the slick and processed with the raw and shaggy.
They were the all-in-four real deal: they wrote their own songs, each sang, and they turned the backing bands of the past into the modern self-contained group.
And they lit the youth fuze with focused fire on a scale no one had ever imagined possible.



----


From their songbook to their style, The Beatles created the template for all others to follow, starting with their first albums.

Artists of every slant found their starting point in these records, and have often reflected the 1963 sounds of The Beatles with direct homages. Here's a quick throughline of the patterns and the creators heard on the Playlist.

(All bold names are heard on the Music Player)


The Dave Clark Five; The Rolling Stones; The Hollies.

British Invasion
The rising tide of Beatlemania brought a second wave of Rock'n'Roll into the charts, the airwaves, the screens, and the youth.
A cascade of UK acts -wearing suits and moptops- returned the gift to the USA, including bands like The Rolling Stones, Gerry And The Pacemakers, The Dave Clark Five, The Animals, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, The Hollies, Billy J. Kramer And The Dakotas, Chad And Jeremy, The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Shadows, The Fourmost, and The Remo Four; as well as Pop singers like Dusty Springfield, Lulu, Helen Shapiro, Julie Grant, and Cilla Black.


Equipe 84; Les Bel Canto; Les Merseys.

World Beat
The Beatles inspired everyone to pick up a guitar and form a group.
Globally, mirror moptops bashed out the beat and leaped crazy on 45" sleeves, including The Rattles (Germany), The Motions (Netherlands), The Phantoms (Netherlands), Czerwone Gitary (Poland), Elipse (Yugoslavia), Equipe 84 (Italy), The Easybeats (Australia), Les Lutins (Canada), Les Bel Canto (Canada), Les Sultans (Canada), Les Hou-Lops (Canada), Les Merseys (Canada), Los Shakers (Uruguay), Los Mockers (Uruguay), Kano Y Los Bulldogs (Uruguay), Los Canarios (Spain), Los Pekenikes (Spain), Los Sirex (Spain), Los Idolos (Spain), Los Gatos Salvajes (Argentina), Arco Iris (Argentina), Los Saicos (Peru), Liverpool (Brazil), Os Vips (Brazil), and Los Monstruos (Mexico).


Goldie And The Gingerbreads;
The Debutantes; The Girls At Dawn.

Female Bands
The Beatles inspired everyone to pick up a guitar and form a group.
There were scores of all-female bands around the world, like The Liverbirds, Goldie And The Gingerbreads, The Debutantes, The Luv'd Ones, The Pleasure Seekers with Suzi Quatro, The Ace Of Cups, The Chicks, Honey Ltd., Les Beatlettes (Canada), Les Soeurs Gallant (Canada), Las Chic's (Mexico), Las Mosquitas (Argentina), Dara Puspita (Indonesia), and The Fair Sect (New Zealand).
They were mistreated, unsigned, underrecorded, and conveniently written out of history, but they were just as vital and valuable as their brothers, and became the baseline for the exponential waves of female bands that followed, including such Beat Music fans as The 'B' Girls, The Go-Go's, The Bangles, Mad Monster Party, The Aquanettas, The Pebbles (Japan), The Milkees (Japan), That's A NO NO! (Japan), THE LET'S GO's (Japan), BIGMAMA SHOCKIN' 3 (Japan), The Beat Girls (Japan), Some Girls with Juliana Hatfield, The Gore Gore Girls, The Girls At Dawn, Vivian Girls, Peach Kelli Pop, Bleached, and Habibi.
>Women Of Rock: 1960s

Idols
The Beatles had been inspired by their heroes, like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, The Crickets, The Isley Brothers, The Shirelles, Brenda Lee, and Del Shannon. As Beatlemania took sway, their heroes began assimilating their acolytes' innnovations into their own continuing work.


The Supremes; The Byrds; The Remains.

Peers
May you live with interesting peers.
The Beatles were blessed to be inspireded by friends and rivals like The Supremes, The Byrds, The Guess Who (Canada), The Golliwogs (pre-Creedence Clearwater Revival), The Bobby Fuller Four, The Remains, The Beau Brummels, and The Beach Boys.



WITH THE BEATLES
(1963)


The WITH THE BEATLES album
established British Beatlemania as a galvanizing force.
The Brill Building wrote down to youth, whereas The Beatles were youth redefining themselves.
They were the working class rising from the underground (literally, The Cavern Club) with their own style and outlook.
With a quantum leap they dramatically increased their song range and melodic chops: brisk hits, pretty ballads, and a showtune offset by surly rockers.
Its startling graphic cover channeled the Art Cool of Berlin into the mainstream, and redefined them as a new level of modern Pop.



----


Badfinger; The Spongetones; The Red Button.

Heirs
The Beatles became a compass from which to explore possibilities, and directly led others to make fine and distinctive work of their own, such as The Monkees, Badfinger, (the uncanny post-Python parody) The Rutles, The Motors, The Toms, The Spongetones, Sekret (Russia), The Smithereens, The Posies, Sloan, The Boo Radleys, The Minders, Myracle Brah, Frank Lee Sprague, Spoon, The Coral, The Midwest Beat, and The Red Button.


The Knack; Pretenders; The Last.

Power Pop
Beatles melodicism, Who crunch.
The hallmarks of both resonate through '70s and '80s acts like Flamin' Groovies, Shoes, The Tweeds, Paul Collins'The Beat, Nikki and the Corvettes, Squire, The Rubinoos, The Poppees, The Pleasers, The Shivvers, The Heaters, The Knack, 20/20, The Last, Pretenders, The Stripes (Germany), and The Times.

Power Punk
Ramping the Garage Rock in the Beat were thrashing yobs like The 101'ers, Ramones, Buzzcocks, The Boys, Elvis Costello And The Attractions, The Nerves, The Breakaways, The Fruit Eating Bears, The Jam, The Pop Rivets, and The Godfathers.


Les Playboys; Muck And The Mires; The Ugly Beats.

Beat Revival
Parallel to Punk, a counter-movement of revival/revisal blossomed in the mid-'80s, with Beat-repeaters like The Catholic Girls, The Rapiers, Lyres, Game Theory, Talulah Gosh, and Marshall Crenshaw.
The pulse still pounded through the '90s and 2000s with Muck and the Mires, The Most, The Weeklings, The Hi-Risers, The Beat Rats, Derrick Anderson, The Jikens (Japan), The Kaisers (Scotland), The Bristols with Fabienne Delsol (France), I Ganzi (Italy), Filhos da Judith (Brazil), The Undershakers (Spain), Kommando Beat (Germany), Janey And The Ravemen, and Acid House Kings (Sweden).

Garage Rock '80s
Meanwhile, Punk gave permission for Garage revivalists like The Scientists (Australia), Les Playboys (France), The Pandoras, The Milkshakes, and their sisters The Delmonas to jang strings.
This continues in countless 2000s acts like Caesars, Mr. Airplane Man, The Mooney Suzuki, The Come Ons, The Fondas, The Ugly Beats, The Electric Mess, The Pink Tiles (Australia), Doctor Explosion (Spain), Miss Chain And the Broken Heels (Italy), The Peawees (Italy), and The Trip Takers (Italy).

Alternative
Both Pixies and Nirvana grounded their corrosion in a strong sense of melody and memorable hooks, an underlying trait that is shared by Indie acts like The Lemonheads, Blue Skies For Black Hearts, and Best Coast.





In 1963, THE BEATLES overwrote the history of Rock'n'Soul with a new future.
And as their sounds expanded, so did all the responses across time...


_______

Hear the whole BEATLESQUE Songs series:
1964-esque
1965-esque
1966-esque
1967-esque
1968-esque
1969-esque
1970-esque
’REUNION’ 1970-Now






© Research, Art, and Essay by Tym Stevens








A splendid time is guaranteed for all!






BEATLESQUE Albums: 400 Alternate Universe BEATLES Albums You Need!, with 2 massive Music Players!


LENNONesque: All-Star Homage Playlists To John Lennon's BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players

McCARTNEY-esque: All-Star Homage Playlists To His BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players



BRIAN WILSON-esque: All The Songs Imitating His BEACH BOYS Music Styles!, with 2 Music Players



BEATLESQUE Songs: 1964-esque

$
0
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...with Massive
Music Player!



BEATLESQUE SONGS

#2 of 9


Covers, Clones, + Cousins!

Hear every 1964BEATLES song
matched to its covers, clones, + cousins,
all in chronological order.

The most comprehensive matching of Beatles songs to the songs they inspired ever made.

Explore a vast Multiverse of 'new Beatles music'!

Shortcut links:
1) MUSIC PLAYER
2) The Influences


_______

Hear the whole BEATLESQUE Songs series:
1963esque
1964esque
1965esque
1966esque
1967esque
1968esque
1969esque
1970esque
’REUNION’ 1970-Now











1) BEATLESQUE Songs:

1964-esque



A HARD DAY'S NIGHT-owls:
guests on the Player -
• The Rutles; Otis Redding; Go-Go's; Ramones
• Thee Headcoatees; The Smithereens;
The Dirtbombs; Katrina And The Waves
• The Equals; Frank Lee Sprague;
The Pebbles; The Monkees
• Rolling Stones; Shonen Knife; Gene Clark; Elastica.



BEATLES FOR SALE LP Cover homages:
Rolling Stones; Chambers Brothers;
Honey Ltd; The Kinks.


Music Player:

1964-esque



Spotify playlist title=
BEATLESQUE Songs: 1964-esque
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.
(This Player is limited to the first 200 songs.
Hear the unlimited Playlist here.)

Over 650 songs and 30 hours worth
of alternative Beatles sounds!

Featuring:
The Who!The Miracles!The Zombies!
Los Apson!Beach Boys!Marvin Gaye!
Raspberries!Led Zeppelin!The Cars!
The Knack!Utopia!The Romantics!
The Spongetones!The dB's!The Police!
The Bangles!Sneetches!Crowded House!
Young Fresh Fellows!Lush!Stereo Total!
Splitsville!She & Him!Young Veins!
Filhos Da Judith!New Pornographers!Baby Shakes!

And many, many more!



HOW IT WORKS:

The BEATLES song plays first (shown here in red).

Example

It is followed by Clones and Cousins, often bracketed at the beginning and end by Cover versions. Then the next Beatles song repeats the cycle.

A Clone is a song directly imitating the song. A Cousin is within the same sonic spirit as the original.

The Beatles' songs are in order of their release; the matching songs are listed sequentially in the order of their own release, i.e., 1963, 1978, 1980, 1984, 1986, etc.

(If The Beatles recorded a cover version, it is preceded by the original, followed by all the clones in their style.)

Because The Beatles finished each year with a Christmas EP for their UK Fan Club, each Music Player ends with Holiday songs done in their style.


The Playlist matches each of these songs to its children, in this order...


BEATLES Releases: 1964

"I Want To Hold Your Hand/ This Boy"(Nov 1963)

EP: "Long Tall Sally"/ "I Call Your Name"/ "Slow Down"/ "Matchbox"(June 1964)

•• Songs written for other artists: "One And One Is Two", "Nobody I Know", "World Without Love", "I Don't Want To See You Again", "From A Window", "Like Dreamers Do", "It's For You", "You Know What To Do"

"Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand/ Sie Liebt Dich"(March 1964)

A HARD DAY'S NIGHT(July 1964):
"A Hard Day's Night"
"I Should Have Known Better"
"If I Fell"
"I'm Happy Just To Dance With You"
"And I Love Her"
"Tell Me Why"
"Can't Buy Me Love"
"Any Time At All"
"I'll Cry Instead"
"Things We Said Today"
"When I Get Home"
"You Can't Do That"
"I'll Be Back"

"I Feel Fine/ She's A Woman"(Nov 1964)

BEATLES FOR SALE(Dec 1964):
"No Reply"
"I'm A Loser"
"Baby's In Black"
"Rock And Roll Music"
"I'll Follow The Sun"
"Mr. Moonlight"
"Kansas City - Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey"
"Eight Days A Week"
"Words Of Love"
"Honey Don't"
"Every Little Thing"
"I Don't Want To Spoil The Party"
"What You're Doing"
"Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby"


Christmas flexi; banter with snippets of "Jingle Bells", "Oh Can You Wash Your Father's Shirt?"



The Playlists will follow the original British release of singles and albums in sequence.








2) BEATLESQUE Songs:

How Their Influence Never Ends




A HARD DAY'S NIGHT
(1964)


The A HARD DAY'S NIGHT album
captures the band defining themselves just as the frenzy of Beatlemania took the USA.
1964 became a new Year Zero for Rock'n'Roll, with Beat Music overhauling Pop into Jet Age modernity.
Elvis had launched solo rivals, but The Beatles catalyzed legions based on the new group concept, copying their every style and advance.
Where Elvis films featured canned material, The Beatles''movie soundtrack' was purely a self-created and mature statement.
Here, they were finding their writing voices with strong material forecasting that they were too solid to be a fad.
They were on such creative fire that they were launching others' careers with side songs, such as the haunting waltz "It's For You".
Crucially, all of this was made possible by George Martin's impeccable production and empathic support.


----


Beyond time, place, or genre, musical artists have continuously made specific homages reflecting the 1964 sounds of The Beatles.

(All bold names are heard on the Music Player)


The Who; The Rolling Stones; The Zombies.

British Invasion
The Beatles' style and sound provided a template for young acts to spring from.
Their debut on the Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964 opened the floodgates for many other English imports, including The Rolling Stones, Gerry And The Pacemakers, Marianne Faithfull, The Kinks, The Hollies, The Who, The Zombies, The Searchers, The Dave Clark Five, Chad And Jeremy, Freddie And The Dreamers, The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Rockin' Berries, The Honeycombs, and The Liverpool Five.


The Beach Boys; Buffalo Springfield;
The Merry-Go-Round.

Side Songs
The Beatles were the tsunami lifting all boats.
Like the songwriting teams of the Torch Song era, Lennon-McCartney wrote hit records for other artists, like Billy J. Kramer And The Dakotas, The Applejacks, Cilla Black, Peter And Gordon, and The Fourmost.
These are often considered 'lost Beatles songs' which get covered in their style by soundalike artists.

Peers
Immediately, the band's success, style, and sounds ignited a hothouse flowers of responses that escalated the maturity and scope of modern Pop music, from Folk to Soul to Jazz to Rock, with a resulting hybridization that expanded the arts and their audiences. Luminaries that flourished include The Beach Boys, Jackie De Shannon, The Byrds with Gene Clark, The Angels, The Knickerbockers, The Remains, The Mamas And The Papas, The Rascals, Buffalo Springfield, The Merry-Go-Round with Emitt Rhodes, The Buckinghams, Neil Diamond, and The Equals with Eddy Grant. This pollinated onward with later acts like Three Dog Night, Led Zeppelin, Yes, and T.Rex.


The Supremes; Otis Redding; Billy Preston.

Soul Seranade
When the band did cover versions from the fledgling Motown label, it opened their artists to worldwide fame.
Rock and Soul are generic terms often misused to separate, but in reality all music is just passion made to be shared by everyone. Artists who both inspired and responded back to The Beatles include Smokey Robinson And The Miracles, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, George And Teddy, Dionne Warwick, Sly And The Family Stone, and their friend from Hamburg days, organist Billy Preston.
They also inspired jams from Jamaica with responsive songs from The Upsetters and The Paragons.

Common Folk
Their love of Country Music and Folk melodies was reflected back by Folk artists like Vashti Bunyan and Judy Collins;
by Country artists like Waylon Jennings, Buck Owens, Roseanne Cash, and The Mavericks;
and by artists who combined Dylan and The Beatles to create Folk Rock and Roots Rock, from The Byrds and Sir Douglas Quintet to Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers and The Long Ryders.


Czerwone Gitary; Los Cheyenes; Hljómar.

World Beat
Moptops shook globally in a world unified by Beat Music, with cousins like The Beau Brummels, The Del-Vetts, Les Improvistes (Canada), Les Shadols (Canada), Les Hou-Lops (Canada), Jacqueline Taieb (France), Le Fleurs De Pavot (France), Les Guitares Sèches (France), Czerwone Gitary (Poland), Vulkan (Czech.), George And The Beatovens (Czech.), Les Baroques (Netherlands), De Maskers (Netherlands), Hljómar (Iceland), Mavi Isiklar (Turkey), Los Brincos (Spain), Los Mustang (Spain), Los Bravos (Spain), Los Diana (Spain), Los 5 Diablos (Spain), Los Cheyenes (Spain), Los Flecos (Spain), Els Dracs (Spain), Els Drums (Spain), Los Apson (Mexico), Liverpool (Brazil), Leno And Lilian (Brazil), Los Shakers (Uruguay), Los Protones (Peru), Los Ecos (Peru), The Outcast (Japan), The Befores (Japan), and The Easybeats (Australia).


The Liverbirds; The Bangles; The Pebbles.

She Rocks
The Beatles are credited with selling more guitars in the mid-'60s than anytime in history. That explosion of bands included uncounted all-female bands who have since been unfairly excluded from that history, such as The Liverbirds, The Pleasure Seekers, Germanes Ros (Spain), Die Sweetles (Germany), Sanjalice (Yogoslavia), The Debutantes, and She.
These Beat sisters set the tempo for later Beat-transistors like The Runaways, The Go-Go's, The Bangles, The Pandoras, The Delmontes, Shonen Knife (Japan), The Pebbles (Japan), The Milkees (Japan), The Margarettes (Japan), The Beat Girls (Japan), Thee 50's High Teens (Japan), BIGMAMA SHOCKIN' 3 (Japan), The A-Lines, Vivian Girls, BOYTOY, Baby Shakes, and The She's.



BEATLES FOR SALE
(1964)



The BEATLES FOR SALE album
gets pinned unduly with the 'exhausted' narrative, as in too much touring and too many cover versions.
But the covers here actually help foretell the coming style transitions into Folk and Soul for 1965.
Here, their new songs turn into introspective confessionals, abetted by lush harmony blends.
Young men now with partners, their songs go from Love as attraction to Love as introspection.
In between the albums, they perfected the perfect mid-'60s Guitar Riff song with "I Feel Fine".


----


Idol Hands
Their heroes The Crickets, Link Wray, The Everly Brothers, and Del Shannon began to sound like them, and their songs were interpolated by varied legends like The Ventures, Grant Green, Chet Atkins, Ella Fitzgerald, and Henry Mancini.


The Redcoats; The Monkees; The Resonars.

Heirs Apparent
Their sonic innovations gave flight to kindred spirits who brought new dimensions of their own, like The Redcoats, The Monkees, Badfinger, Jeff Lynne, The Rutles, Billy Joel, The Spongetones, Crowded House, The Smithereens, Myracle Brah, Swag, The Resonars, The Autumn Defense, The Clientele, Groovy Uncle, The Red Button, Pugwash, and Yorick van Norden (Netherlands).


The Raspberries; The Heaters; The Stripes.

Power Pop
Putting the punch in the hooks through the '70s were Pop powerhouses like Flamin' Groovies, The Raspberries, Oister with Dwight Twilley and Phil Seymour, Ronnie D'Addario, the Paley Brothers, The Tweeds, and Blue Ash.
Power Pop became both an alternative to and entry point for New Wave with Beathoven/ The Innocents (Australia), The Poppees, The Pleasers, The Cars, The Heaters, The Toms, The Merton Parkas, Utopia with Todd Rundgren, The Knack, Rockpile, 20/20, The Last, The Romantics, The Numbers (Australia), The Stripes with Nena (Germany), Promise, Dirty Looks, The dB's, The Sneetches, The Little Girls, The Police, Katrina And The Waves (Canada), The Darling Buds, and The Primitives.
This current surged onward from the '90s to now with The La's, The Young Fresh Fellows, The Bristols with Fabienne DelSol, Cherry Twister, Frank Lee Sprague of the Sprague Brothers, Locksley, The Morning Benders, Splitsville, The Hi-Risers, The Young Veins, Kommando Beat (Germany), and She & Him.


The Boys; The Atlantics; The Friggs.

Garage Punx
Their feiry hooks and irreverent spirit lit the fuse directly to Garage Rock acts like Neighb'rhood Childr'n, and burned clearly in later Punks like Ramones, Buzzcocks, The Boys, The Nerves, The Atlantics, and Red Kross.
Their flame continued to singe past time through Thee Headcoatees, The Muffs, Elastica, The Friggs, The Dirtbombs, The Come Ons, Boonaraaas (Germany), Miss Ludella Black, The Ugly Beats, Vicki And The Vengents, The Pink Tiles (Australia), and The Reverberations.


The Prisoners; Wednesday Week; THE LET'S GO'S!

New Beat
1964-style Beat music still oscillated across time with Blondie, The Beat with Paul Collins, The Prisoners, Sekret (Russia), Wednesday Week, and Marshall Crenshaw, and strobed in mid-'80s Psychedelic revivalists like Lyres, The Three O'Clock, and The Chesterfield Kings'80s;
Beat set off new tremors with The Kaisers (Scotland) and Los Fresones Rebeldes (Spain) '90s;
with The Singles, Nick Armstrong And The Thieves, Muck And The Mires, Vinyl Kings, Blue Skies For Black Hearts, Cola Jet Set (Spain), Serpentina (Spain), The Rabeats (France), and Les Fleur De Bach (France) '00s;
and with The Beat Rats, The Weeklings, The Belmondos (Italy), Filhos da Judith (Brazil), Derrick Anderson, THE LET'S GOS (Japan), The Connection, The Mieters (Netherlands), The Kitschenettes (France), Brilliant Colors, and The Most (Sweden) '10s.

When I'm '64
The sounds of 1964 still reverberate across a panoply of artists like The Roches, Traveling Wilburys, Lush, Stereo Total (France), The New Pornographers, The Redwalls, Magnetic Heads, The Shelters, Leather Girls, and Those Darlins, for those attuned to hear it.




In 1964, THE BEATLES overwrote the history of Rock'n'Soul with a new future. People have been quoting the verses ever since.
And as their sounds expanded, so did all the responses across time...

_______

Hear the whole BEATLESQUE Songs series:
1963-esque
1965-esque
1966-esque
1967-esque
1968-esque
1969-esque
1970-esque
'REUNION' 1970-Now






© Research, Art, and Essay by Tym Stevens








A splendid time is guaranteed for all!






BEATLESQUE Albums: 400 Alternate Universe BEATLES Albums You Need!, with 2 massive Music Players!


LENNONesque: All-Star Homage Playlists To John Lennon's BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players

McCARTNEY-esque: All-Star Homage Playlists To His BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players



BRIAN WILSON-esque: All The Songs Imitating His BEACH BOYS Music Styles!, with 2 Music Players



BEATLESQUE Songs: 1965-esque

$
0
0

...with Massive
Music Player!



BEATLESQUE SONGS

#3 of 9


Covers, Clones, + Cousins!

Hear every 1965BEATLES song
matched to its covers, clones, + cousins,
all in chronological order.

The most comprehensive matching of Beatles songs to the songs they inspired ever made.

Explore a vast Multiverse of 'new Beatles music'!

Shortcut links:
1) MUSIC PLAYER
2) The Influences


_______

Hear the whole BEATLESQUE Songs series:
1963-esque
1964-esque
1966-esque
1967-esque
1968-esque
1969-esque
1970-esque
'REUNION' 1970-Now











1) BEATLESQUE Songs:

1965-esque



HELP! LP Cover homages:
Tater Tots; Echo And The Bunnymen;
The Like; Asylum Party.



RUBBER SOUL LP Cover homages:
Bob Dylan; Jimi Hendrix; The Monkees; Love.


Music Player:

1965-esque



Spotify playlist title=
BEATLESQUE Songs: 1965-esque
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.
(This Player is limited to the first 200 songs.
Hear the unlimited Playlist here.)

Over 750 songs and 36 hours worth
of alternative Beatles sounds!

Featuring:
Link Wray!The Turtles!Els Picapedrers!
Four Tops!The Byrds!Jefferson Airplane!
Stevie Wonder!Deep Purple!Chicago!
New York Dolls!Blondie!The Real Kids!
The Damned!YMO!Split Enz!
Squeeze!The Bangles!Replacements!
Happy Mondays!Chris von Sneidern!TCR!
Foo Fighters!Cornershop!Fastball!
Hoooverphonic!Los Flechazos!Soulive!
Sufjan Stevens!Fleet Foxes!El Goodo!
Franz Ferdinand!Mystic Braves!Shelters!

And many, many more!



HOW IT WORKS:

The BEATLES song plays first (shown here in red).

Example

It is followed by Clones and Cousins, often bracketed at the beginning and end by Cover versions. Then the next Beatles song repeats the cycle.

A Clone is a song directly imitating the song. A Cousin is within the same sonic spirit as the original.

The Beatles' songs are in order of their release; the matching songs are listed sequentially in the order of their own release, i.e., 1963, 1964, 1966, 1976, 1982, etc.

(If The Beatles recorded a cover version, it is preceded by the original, and followed by all the clones in their style.)

Because The Beatles finished each year with a Christmas flexidisc for their UK Fan Club, each Music Player ends with Holiday songs done in their style.


The Playlist matches each of these songs to its children, in this order...


BEATLES Releases: 1965

"Ticket To Ride/ Yes It Is"(April 1965)
"Bad Boy", USA EP add(June 1965)
"I'm Down", B-side(July 1965)

HELP!(July 1965):
"Help!"
"The Night Before"
"You've Got To Hide Your Love Away"
"I Need You"
"Another Girl"
"You're Going To Lose That Girl"
"Ticket To Ride"
"Act Naturally"
"It's Only Love"
"You Like Me Too Much"
"Tell Me What You See"
"I've Just Seen A Face"
"Yesterday"
"Dizzy Miss Lizzy"

"We Can Work It Out/ Day Tripper"(Dec 1965)

•• Song written for another artist: "That Means A Lot"

••"If You've Got Trouble"(unreleased until 1996)

RUBBER SOUL(Dec 1965):
"Drive My Car"
"Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)"
"You Won't See Me"
"Nowhere Man"
"Think For Yourself"
"The Word"
""Michelle"
"What Goes On"
"Girl"
"I'm Looking Through You"
"In My Life"
"Wait"
"If I Needed Someone"
"Run For Your Life"

Christmas flexi; banter plus partial snippets of Holiday and Pop songs


The Playlists will follow the original British release of singles and albums in sequence.








2) BEATLESQUE Songs:

How Their Influence Never Ends




HELP!
(1965)


The HELP! album
makes it clear that the band is creating a new canon of modern Pop albums, getting exponentially more progressive.
The Abbey Road studio now becomes an instrument, with multi-layered tracking and more instruments.
Influenced by their new friend/foil Bob Dylan, John moves to more acoustic songs.
With two songs, George starts to find his writing chops.
Rocker Ringo mellows into Country Ringo.
Paul's "Yesterday", the most covered song of all time, ushers in modern Chamber Pop.
Along the way they nail the perfect Guitar Riff songs with "Ticket To Ride" and "Day Tripper".
This was the first Rock album ever nominated for a Grammy.


----


Beyond time, place, or genre, musical artists have continuously made specific homages reflecting the 1965 sounds of The Beatles.

(All bold names are heard on the Music Player)


The Rolling Stones; The Kinks; The Equals.

British Involution
As The Beatles went past phenomenon to zeitgeist, they graduated from 'teen idols' to a career path.
Finding their feet behind them were The Rolling Stones, Gerry And The Pacemakers, The Kinks, The Hollies, The Who, Herman's Hermits, The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Honeycombs, The Moody Blues, and The Equals with Eddy Grant.


The Beach Boys; The Mamas And The Papas;
The Free Design.

From My Friends
They inspired and were inspired by their peers and rivals, pushing each other forward with new looks and outlooks.
Purveyors of the new Beat-driven sunshine pop included The Beach Boys, The Vejtables, Francoise Hardy (France), Paul Revere And The Raiders, The Turtles, The Mamas And The Papas, The Lovin' Spoonful, The Knickerbockers, and The Left Banke, followed later by expansive acts like Jefferson Airplane, The Bonzo Dog Band, and The Free Design.

Idolatry
Espying their flag waving and transcribing the signals were mentors like Link Wray, The Everly Brothers, and Henry Mancini.


Els Picapedrers; Los Salvajes; Los Zooms.

World Beat
The message of The Beatles was perceived aound the world.
Signaling global semaphores were The Del-Vetts, Les Playboys (France), Les Anges (France), Los Brincos (Spain), Los Pepes (Spain), Los Zooms (Spain), Los Soberanos (Spain), Los Salvajes (Spain), Els Picapedrers (Spain), Los Continentales (Spain), Liverpool (Brazil), Os Vips (Brazil), Kano Y Los Bulldogs (Uruguay), Los Gatos (Argentina), La Barra De Chocolate (Argentina), Los Saicos (Peru), Les Baroques (Netherlands), Czerwone Gitary (Poland), Olympic (Czech.), The Beatmen (Czech.), Hungária (Hungary), Zsuzsa Koncz (Hungary), Les Lutins (Canada), Les Excentriques (Canada), Les Différents (Canada), Les Sultans (Canada), Les Merseys (Canada), The Spiders (Japan), The Siglap 5 (Indonesia), and The Easybeats (Australia).


Dara Puspita; The Feminine Complex; The Luv'd Ones;
The Pebbles; Thee Cherylinas; The Like.

She's Got The Beat!
She didn't just follow the band, she was the band.
All-female combos getting little help from a sexist industry included Beat Music rockers like The Luv'd Ones, The Belles, The Daisy Chain, The Feminine Complex, Dara Puspita (Indonesia), Females (Indonesia), and Las Chic's (Mexico) '60s.
Support arrived across time with The Go-Go's, The Bangles, Les Calamités (France), The Delmonas, and Mad Monster Party'80s;
with Thee Headcoatees, The Pebbles (Japan), Thee Cherylinas (Germany), and The Donnas'90s;
and The Milkees (Japan), The Like, TCR, Sit n' Spin, Peach Kelli Pop, and La Sera'10s.


Nick Lowe; The Romantics;
Katrina And The Waves.

Pop Power
Three minutes with a hook.
With all the style expansions in Rock that eventually followed in their wake, the primal need for 3-minute melodic pop songs with punch still twined like a spine through the decades:
The Raspberries, Dwight Twilley, Blue Ash, Ronnie D'Addario, ABBA, Sneakers, Nick Lowe, The Records, The Pleasers, The Poppees, and The Knack'70s;
Utopia with Todd Rundgren, The Shivvers, Pretenders, The Romantics, The dB's, Marshall Crenshaw, Katrina And The Waves, and The Smithereens'80s;
The Young Fresh Fellows, The Posies, Matthew Sweet, and Velvet Crush'90s;
Splitsville, The Minders, Fastball, and Sufjan Stevens'00s;
Derrick Anderson, Best Coast, The Young Veins, and Telekinesis'10s.


The Monkees; Squeeze; Chris von Sneidern.

Put The BE In Beatles
Many acts tried on the boots and found their own stride.
Their reflection led to a refraction of new possibilities through artists like The Redcoats, The Monkees, The Clefs Of Lavender Hill, and The Merry-Go-Round with Emitt Rhodes '60s;
Harry Nilsson, The Move with Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, Badfinger, The Rutles, Squeeze, and The Toms'70s;
The Spongetones and Crowded House'80s;
Chris von Sneidern, The Boo Radleys, Myracle Brah, and Cotton Mather'90s;
The Resonars, The Clientele, Swag, The Coral, Three Hour Tour, Broken Vinyl Club, and The Red Button'00s;
The Midwest Beat, Quilt, The Clean, Cut Worms, and El Goodo'10s.



RUBBER SOUL
(1965)


The RUBBER SOUL album
is when the Abbey Road studio changed from pitstop to playground, and the band could relax from touring to explore.
If '50s Rock LPs were always hits and filler, this record redefined Albums as a unified statement of quality songs by vital artists.
The fluid nexus of Beatles/Dylan/Byrds created the Folk Rock movement.
For all the storied Country influence, the album is alive with jaunty Soul influence from Stax and Motown faves, hence the title pun.
Their new relaxation herb led them into Psychedelia and the tonalities of World musics.
Their contemplative and organic songs hearken the synthesis of Pop and Singer Songwriter.



----


Four Tops; Smokey Robinson And The Miracles;
Soulive.

Rubber Soul
Upbeat was the sound of a new world, and all fingers were snapping.
Bouncing back some soul tread were Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson And The Miracles, Four Tops, and Bettye LaVette, and later artists from Black Heat to Soulive.
Jamaica redubbed The Beatles' groove in songs by Clarendonians and Ernest Ranglin.


The Byrds; Bob Dylan; The Long Ryders.

Are You Ready For The Country?
1965 saw The Beatles moving into Folk Rock.
Reacting naturally were Country stalwarts like Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Anne Murray;
building bridges from Folk to Rock were Bob Dylan, The Byrds with Gene Clark, Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills and Neil Young, Neil Diamond, and fluid troubadour Donovan;
broadening the hilly horizon were similar offspring like Gilbert O'Sullivan, The Long Ryders, Suzanne Vega, The Jayhawks, Shack, Sam Phillips, Ben Kweller, and the folke chorals of Fleet Foxes.


The Real Kids; Ultravox; Mr. Airplane Man.

Drive My Car
From inspiring legions of teens bashing in their garages to the surly buzz of Garage Rock, they kicked open the club sidedoor for rude louts across time.
Rowdy guests on the Playlist include The Damned, Buzzcocks, The Real Kids, Ultravox, The Prisoners, The Fastbacks, The Replacements, The Flatmates, The Delmonas, Jesus And Mary Chain, The Muffs, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Von Bondies, The Go, Mr. Airplane Man, Los Flechazos (Germany), Sorrows, The Gore Gore Girls, The Gurus (Spain), Miss Ludella Black, The Ugly Beats, The Love Me Nots, Nicki And The Vengents, The Shake, The Limiñanas (France), Doctor Explosion (Spain), and Suzi Chunk of Groovy Uncle.


The Plimsouls; The Three O'Clock;
Thee Headcoatees.

This Bird Has Flown
The highs were clearly kicking in on the wavery cover of RUBBER SOUL, and initial Psyche bands like The Peanut Butter Conspiracy, The Joint Effort, and The Yankee Dollar followed their bliss.
Psyche evangelists continued to relay the joint spirit from the '80s to now through wavebenders like The Jam, The Stray Trolleys with Martin Newell, The Plimsouls, The Rain Parade, The Three O'Clock, The Bangles, The Revolving Paint Dream, Robyn Hitchcock And The Egyptians, The Dentists (Australia), Game Theory, White Flag, The Darling Buds, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, of Montreal, The Apples In Stereo, Serpentina (Spain), Frankie Rose And The Outs, Aunt Nelly, Mystic Braves, The Psycrons (Japan), Sitcom Neighbor, and White Denim.

New Waves
Do you really have to hide your love away?
As the press milked the conflict narrative using Punk's mantra of generational overthrow, in reality that next wave of youth of course reflected and expanded on their parents.
1965 sounds resonate clearly in Blondie, The Cars, Elvis Costello, The Photos, The Flashcubes, Split Enz, Yellow Magic Orchestra, The Stripes with Nena (Germany), Holly And The Italians, The Police, The Boomtown Rats, Echo And the Bunnymen, Love Tractor, and R.E.M..


Flamin' Groovies; The Beat; Filhos da Judith.

And The Beat Goes On
Beat Beat repeat.
The jangling guitars and crack melodies of Beat Music became a timeless torch kept ablaze by Flamin' Groovies and The Beat with Paul Collins '70s;
The Rapiers, Sekret (Russia), and The Thanes'80s;
The Rooks, The Greenberry Woods and The Bristols with Fabienne DelSol '90s;
Frank Lee Sprague of The Sprague Brothers, Dressy Bessy, The Connection, Muck and the Mires, The Singles, Slumber Party, The Grip Weeds, Kaiser George And The Hi-Risers, and The Belmondos (Italy) '00s;
and Filhos da Judith (Brazil), The Jikens (Japan), Cola Jet Set (Spain), Noonday Underground, Palmyra Delran, The Beat Rats, The Woggles, The Weeklings, The Moons, Peter Berry And The Shake Set (Norway), The Jerry Hormone Ego Trip (Netherlands), The Most (Sweden), and French Boutik (France) '10s.

The Word is LOVE
The Beatles are the prism that projects all facets of Rock.
This period's sonic innovations also infused great songs across the years by a boundless array of artists like Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Deep Purple, Chicago, Piero Umiliani, New York Dolls, Heart, Aerosmith, Linda Ronstadt, NRBQ, Steely Dan, Adrian Belew, Happy Mondays, Traveling Wilburys, Lush, Paul Westerberg, Foo Fighters, The Shelters, The London Souls, Black Grape, The Bye Bye Blackbirds, Cornershop, Franz Ferdinand, and Linus Of Hollywood.




In 1965, THE BEATLES rearranged what was possible in Rock Music.
And as their sounds expanded, so did all the responses across time...


_______

Hear the whole BEATLESQUE Songs series:
1963-esque
1964-esque
1966-esque
1967-esque
1968-esque
1969-esque
1970-esque
'REUNION' 1970-Now






© Research, Art, and Essay by Tym Stevens








A splendid time is guaranteed for all!






BEATLESQUE Albums: 400 Alternate Universe BEATLES Albums You Need!, with 2 massive Music Players!


LENNONesque: All-Star Homage Playlists To John Lennon's BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players

McCARTNEY-esque: All-Star Homage Playlists To His BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players



BRIAN WILSON-esque: All The Songs Imitating His BEACH BOYS Music Styles!, with 2 Music Players



BEATLESQUE Songs: 1966-esque

$
0
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...with Massive
Music Player!



BEATLESQUE SONGS

#4 of 9


Covers, Clones, + Cousins!

Hear every 1966BEATLES song
matched to its covers, clones, + cousins,
all in chronological order.

The most comprehensive matching of Beatles songs to the songs they inspired ever made.

Explore a vast Multiverse of 'new Beatles music'!

Shortcut links:
1) MUSIC PLAYER
2) The Influences


_______

Hear the whole BEATLESQUE Songs series:
1963-esque
1964-esque
1965-esque
1967-esque
1968-esque
1969-esque
1970-esque
'REUNION' 1970-Now











1) BEATLESQUE Songs:

1966-esque



REVOLVER LP Cover homages:
Los Brincos; The Bangles;
Jet; Love.



Music Player:

1966-esque



Spotify playlist title=
BEATLESQUE Songs: 1966-esque
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.
(This Player is limited to the first 200 songs.
Hear the unlimited Playlist here.)

Over 575 songs and 32 hours worth
of alternative Beatles sounds!

Featuring:
Music Machine!Sly & Family Stone!VU!
Donovan!Pretty Things!Bobbie Gentry!
Jr Parker!Capt. Beefheart!CSNY!
Big Star!Rundgren!Bowie!
Eno!ELO!EWF!Tom Petty!Wire!
The Plimsouls!R.E.M.!Husker Du!
Los Lobos!XTC!Living Colour!
Jane's Addiction!Morrissey!Beck!
Ride!Screaming Trees!Soundgarden!
Radiohead!Oasis!Garbage!
The Vines!The Black Keys!Telekinesis!
Dum Dum Girls!La Sera!Temples!GUM!

And many, many more!



HOW IT WORKS:

The BEATLES song plays first (shown here in red).

Example

It is followed by Clones and Cousins, often bracketed at the beginning and end by Cover versions. Then the next Beatles song repeats the cycle.

A Clone is a song directly imitating the song. A Cousin is within the same sonic spirit as the original.

The Beatles' songs are in order of their release; the matching songs are listed sequentially in the order of their own release, i.e., 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1973, 1986, etc.

Because The Beatles finished each year with a Christmas flexidisc for their UK Fan Club, each Music Player ends with Holiday songs done in their style.


The Playlist matches each of these songs to its children, in this order...


BEATLES Releases: 1966

"Paperback Writer/ Rain"(May 1966)

•• Song written for another artist: "Woman"

REVOLVER(Aug 1966):
"Taxman"
"Eleanor Rigby"
"I'm Only Sleeping"
"Love You To"
"Here, There, And Everywhere"
"Yellow Submarine"
"She Said She Said"
"Good Day Sunshine"
"And Your Bird Can Sing"
"For No One"
"Doctor Robert"
"I Want To Tell You"
"Got To Get You Into My Life"
"Tomorrow Never Knows"


Christmas flexi; banter plus "Good King Wenceslas", "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Ringo"


The Playlists will follow the original British release of singles and albums in sequence.








2) BEATLESQUE Songs:

How Their Influence Never Ends




REVOLVER
(1966)


The REVOLVER album,
true to its name, is a revolution, fixing Abbey Road studios as the centrum of sonic advances.
It is the album as Statement, songs for songs' sake, beyond touring or hits. This changes the industry into the artist's favor.
It jaunts with Soul, like the James Brown in "Taxman" and the Stax and Motown in "Good Day Sunshine" and "Got To Get You Into My Life".
Paul's ballads are poignant short stories, as beautiful as "Yesterday" yet more nuanced.
John becomes the Psychedelic exemplar with his songs, hitting zenith with the epochal "Tomorrow Never Knows".
George finds himself through India with "Love You To", and opens Western Pop music to World musics.
Ringo steals the show with "Yellow Submarine", a kids sing-along become countercultural choral become global anthem.
The singles "Paperback Writer" and "Rain" inaugurated Pyschedelic Rock as mainstream hits.
REVOLVER established Pop music as a modern art form on par with Jazz, and just as vibrant with possibility.


----


Beyond time, place, or genre, musical artists have continuously made specific homages reflecting the 1966 sounds of The Beatles.

(All bold names are heard on the Music Player)



The Who; The Kinks; The Zombies.

British Evolution
The album is now an art form.
This had a transformative effect which liberated their home rivals to become themselves, producing great recordings and freer experimentation by The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Pretty Things, The Kinks, The Zombies, The Moody Blues, Herman's Hermits, The Tremeloes, Peter And Gordon, Chad And Jeremy, and The Twilights.

Love you, too
Their American peers responded to peer pressure the best way with more great work by The Beach Boys, Paul Revere And The Raiders, The Mamas And The Papas, Cryan' Shames, The Turtles, The Doors, and The Rascals.


The Temptations; The Supremes;
Sly And The Family Stone.

Free Your Mind and Soul
There is a jubilant pulse of Soul on RUBBER SOUL and REVOLVER.
Radiating back good rays of sunshine were illuminated '60s Soul gods like Diana Ross And The Supremes, The Temptations, Roy Redmond, Booker T And The MG's, Sly And The Family Stone, and The Foundations;
and vibing this groovy radiance across the years were Rare Earth, Earth Wind And Fire, Terea, Stanley Jordan, Lenny Kravitz, Soulive, Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings, The Avalanches, and Avery*Sunshine.

And Your Byrd Can Sing
Tin Pan Alley was speechless.
Bob Dylan and The Beatles ushered a wide spectrum of Folk Rock and upcoming Singer Songwriters, such as The Byrds, Gene Clark + The Gosdin Brothers, Bobbie Gentry, Richie Havens, Joni Mitchell, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Neil Diamond, Emmylou Harris, John Denver, Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, Los Lobos, Rosanne Cash, Shack, Sam Phillips, and The Smiles and Frowns.


Hljómar; Los Brincos; Los Iberos.

Revolving Planet
The Beatles' sonic advances came from touring the world.
Now their global imitators were free to integrate their own roots sounds into their work, like Les Tallmud (Canada), Les Baronets (Canada), Les Aristos (Canada), Hljómar (Iceland), The Vanguards (Norway), Los Brincos (Spain), Los Iberos (Spain), Los Shakers (Uruguay), Los Mockers (Uruguay), Meire Pavão (Brazil), Los Macs (Chile), Almendra (Argentina), and Los Walkers (Argentina).


Las Chic's; The Daisy Chain; Honey Ltd.

She Said, You Listen
Never mind the bigots, here's the sex revolution.
Contrary to the flitwit version of Rock history, all-female bands inspired by The Beatles existed worldwide in the mid-'60s. Despite fools and blind historians and missing Spotify gaps, The Daisy Chain, The Feminine Complex, Honey Ltd, Las Chic's (Mexico), Plommons (Sweden), The Untouchable, and The Enchanted Forest beat four-to-the-floor on wax, in dancehalls, and across airwaves.
Their drumsticks righteously pounded the paths for modern acts like Thee Headcoatees, The Hot Toddies, The Kissaten (Japan), Dum Dum Girls, Habibi, and La Sera to explore.
>WOMEN OF ROCK: The 1960s


The Monkees; Bee Gees; Crowded House.

Hear Therein Everyone
Become your idol, become yourself.
Birds of a feather refract together. Artists who found their own unique expression through The Beatles' templates over time include The Redcoats, The Knickerbockers, The Monkees, Bee Gees, The Merry-Go-Round, Grapefruit, and Marmalade, '60s;
and Badfinger, Electric Light Orchestra, Klaatu, Cheap Trick, The Rutles, and The Toms'70s;
and XTC, The Spongetones, The Smithereens, and Crowded House'80s;
and Oasis, Chris von Sneidern, The Boo Radleys, Sloan (Canada), Elliott Smith, Super Ratones (Argentina), Four O'Clock Balloon, Myracle Brah, and Cotton Mather'90s;
and The Clientele, Lucky Bishops, The Resonars, The Autumn Defense, Robbers On High Street, and The Red Button'00s;
and Quilt, Beady Eye, and Groovy Uncle'10s.


The Records; The Knack; The dB's.

Empower Pop
Beat Hook Solo +.
Because of this album, later Power Pop artists would become emboldened to splice more adventure into their arrangements, with classic wax melted by Flamin' Groovies, Big Star, The Tweeds, The Records, Prix, 20/20, Squire, Squeeze with Glenn Tilbrook, Utopia with Todd Rundgren, The Plimsouls, The dB's, Katrina And The Waves, The Bears with Adrian Belew, The Posies, The Young Fresh Fellows, Matthew Sweet, The Rooks, Fastball, Splitsville, Velvet Crush, Kelley Stoltz, and Telekinesis.

Idol (Not Idle)
Their mentors learned new tricks, too, with bold cover versions by The Shadows, Ella Fitzgerald, Wes Montgomery, and Junior Parker.


Captain Beefheart; The Go; The Black Keys.

Garage Daze Fuzzshine
Merseybeat > Freakbeat > Garage Rock.
The clock's progression mutated into new chord progressions, resounding roundly through the fuzzboxes of lusty miscreants like The Music Machine, The Velvet Underground + Nico, Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band, Death, The Prisoners, The Chesterfield Kings, The Dirtbombs, The Go, The Black Keys, The Gurus (Spain), Mando Diao, The Len Price 3, DC Fontana, The Out Key Hole (Italy), and Night Beats.


The Jam; Dukes Of Stratosphear; Guadalcanal Diary.

Relax and float downstream
Listen to the colour of your dreams.
REVOLVER is when Beat melted into Psychedelia, opening global ears and quick minds to the new now. Que waves of feedback loops, undulating melodies, and woozy chorals.
Donovan, Sagittarius, Daughters of Albion, Syd Barrett, and Trúbrot (Iceland) '60s;
and Ilous & Decuyper (France), The Jam with Paul Weller '70s;
and Stray Trolleys with Martin Newell, The Teardrop Explodes with Julian Cope, The Purple Hearts, The Rain Parade, The Dream Syndicate, The Revolving Paint Dream, The Three O'Clock, Game Theory, Plasticland, The Dentists (Australia), The Dukes Of Stratosphear/XTC, Let's Active, Screaming Trees, Los Negativos (Spain), Guadalcanal Diary, The Green Pajamas, The Darling Buds, The Primitives, and The Stone Roses'80s;
and The Hair (Japan), of Montreal, Oranger, Dungen (Sweden), Pipodélica (Brazil), A Band Of Bees, The Jessica Fletchers, Serpentina (Spain), Bikeride, and Thee Oh Sees'00s;
and levitation room, The Reverberations, Sitcom Neighbor, Temples, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, GUM of Tame Impala, The Galileo 7, Lucille Furs, Glim Spanky (Japan), and The Heliocentrics'10s.

Iconoclast
"...of the beginning, of the beginning..."
Do what you wilt shall be the whole of the law.
David Bowie, Brian Eno, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Wire'70s;
Talking Heads, Pretenders, The Feelies/Yung Wu, The Psychedelic Furs, The Creatures/Siouxsie, R.E.M., Hüsker Dü, Meat Puppets, R. Stevie Moore, House of Freaks, Jane's Addiction'80s;
Morrissey, Galaxie 500, Ride, Beck, Garbage, Radiohead, The Chemical Brothers'90s;
The Vines, You Am I, Broadcast, Franz Ferdinand, Kasabian, Field Music, Pas/Cal'00s;
Jane Weaver, Hangabouts, Deradoorian, Django Django, Lorelle Meets The Obsolete (Mexico), Louise Burns, and Stealing Sheep'10s.


The Bangles; Nic Armstrong And The Thieves; The Most.

UnBeaten
"You got your Beat in my Psyche"/"You got your Psyche in my Beat."
Beat groups across the decades continually dosed their stomp with some soul and soar, like The Times, The Bangles, Eleanor Rigby, The Primitives, Nic Armstrong And The Thieves, Muck And The Mires, Frank Lee Sprague, Vinyl Kings, The Grip Weeds, The Bye Bye Blackbirds, The Moons, James Clarke Five, The Most (Sweden), and French Boutik (France).

Love is everyone
Rock out to the back of beyond and back around the turnaround.
Black Sabbath, Chicago, Aerosmith, Living Colour, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Collective Soul, and Jet.





In 1966, THE BEATLES turned Pop albums into musicians' statements.
And as their sounds expanded, so did all the responses across time...


_______

Hear the whole BEATLESQUE Songs series:
1963-esque
1964-esque
1965-esque
1967-esque
1968-esque
1969-esque
1970-esque
'REUNION' 1970-Now






© Research, Art, and Essay by Tym Stevens








A splendid time is guaranteed for all!






BEATLESQUE Albums: 400 Alternate Universe BEATLES Albums You Need!, with 2 massive Music Players!


LENNONesque: All-Star Homage Playlists To John Lennon's BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players

McCARTNEY-esque: All-Star Homage Playlists To His BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players



BRIAN WILSON-esque: All The Songs Imitating His BEACH BOYS Music Styles!, with 2 Music Players



BEATLESQUE Songs: 1968-esque

$
0
0

...with Massive
Music Player!



BEATLESQUE SONGS

#6 of 9


Covers, Clones, + Cousins!

Hear every 1968BEATLES song
matched to its covers, clones, + cousins,
all in chronological order.

The most comprehensive matching of Beatles songs to the songs they inspired ever made.

Explore a vast Multiverse of 'new Beatles music'!

Shortcut links:
1) MUSIC PLAYER
2) The Influences


_______

Hear the whole BEATLESQUE Songs series:
1963-esque
1964-esque
1965-esque
1966-esque
1967-esque
1969-esque
1970-esque
'REUNION' 1970-Now











1) BEATLESQUE Songs:

1968-esque



WHITE ALBUM Playlist guests:
The Move; Harry Nilsson;
Black Sabbath; Billy Preston.



Music Player:

1968-esque



Spotify playlist title=
BEATLESQUE Songs: 1968-esque
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.
(This Player is limited to the first 200 songs.
Hear the unlimited Playlist here.)

Over 750 songs and 44 hours worth
of alternative Beatles sounds!

Featuring:
Nina Simone!Bob Dylan!Ella!
CCR!Beach Boys!Ramsey Lewis!
Pink Floyd!Stevie Wonder!MC5!
Os Mutantes!Simon & Garfunkel!
Led Zeppelin!Black Sabbath!
Badfinger!Nilsson!Big Star!ELO!
Bowie!Eno!Elton!
10cc!Tom Waits!Queen!
The Clash!The Rutles!The Cars!
Squeeze!Siouxsiee!The Knack!
Swell Maps!R.E.M.!Prince!
Eurythmics!The Smiths!Hüsker Dü!
Fugazi!Flaming Lips!Wilco!Ween!
Nirvana!The Breeders!The Jayhawks!
Soundgarden!GBV!STP!Beck!
Oasis!Blur!Supergrass!
Elliott Smith!QOTSA!White Stripes!
Spoon!BRMC!The Vines!
Thee Oh Sees!Fiery Furnaces!Ty Segall!
Bon Iver!Habibi!London Souls!
Kikagaku Moyo!Weyes Blood!

And many, many more!


HOW IT WORKS:

The BEATLES song plays first (shown here in red).

Example

It is followed by Clones and Cousins, often bracketed at the beginning and end by Cover versions. Then the next Beatles song repeats the cycle.

A Clone is a song directly imitating the song. A Cousin is within the same sonic spirit as the original.

The Beatles' songs are in order of their release; the matching songs are listed sequentially in the order of their own release, i.e., 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1986, 1996, 2005, etc.

(If another song inspired theirs, it is placed right before it.: e.g., "Back In The USA" and "Surfin' USA" before "Back In The USSR".)

Because The Beatles finished each year with a Christmas flexidisc for their UK Fan Club, each Music Player ends with Holiday songs done in their style.


The Playlist matches each of these songs to its children, in this order...


BEATLES Releases: 1968

"Lady Madonna/ The Inner Light"(March 1968)
"Hey Jude/ Revolution"(Aug 1968)


THE BEATLES/ 'The White Album'(Nov 1968):
"Back In The USSR"
"Dear Prudence"
"Glass Onion"
"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
"Wild Honey Pie"
"The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill"
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
"Happiness Is A Warm Gun"
"Martha My Dear"
"I'm So Tired"
"Blackbird"
"Piggies"
"Rocky Raccoon"
"Don't Pass Me By"
"Why Don't We Do It In the Road"
"I Will"
"Julia"

"Birthday"
"Yer Blues"
"Mother Nature's Son"
"Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey"
"Sexy Sadie"
"Helter Skelter"
"Long, Long, Long"
"Revolution (1)"
"Honey Pie"
"Savoy Truffle"
"Cry Baby Cry"
("Can You Take Me Back" fragment)
"Revolution #9"
"Good Night"

•• Song written for other artists: "Step Inside Love", "Thingumybob", "Badge", "Sour Milk Sea", "Penina"

Songs demos that were recorded later:
"Junk", "Not Guilty", "Circles", "Dehra Dun", "What's The New Mary Jane", "Cosmically Consious", "Child Of Nature", "Look At Me", "Watching Rainbows"

"WONDERWALL" soundtrack, by George Harrison


Christmas flexi; banter, collage, John's poems, and Paul's ad-lib "Happy Christmas, Happy New Year"


The Playlists will follow the original British release of singles and albums in sequence.







2) BEATLESQUE Songs:

How Their Influence Never Ends




THE BEATLES
(1968)


The double-LP THE BEATLES,
the un-PEPPER, stripped away ambition and embellishment for feel and spontenaity.
The entirely blank cover with small, askew embossed title had to be rorshached and felt in every sense.
The songs are intimate demos or loose jams with light overdubs.
The four sides reflect four individuals looking for peace amid chaos, rolling between abrasion and introspection.
The songs are generally straight-ahead Rock, Blues, Ska, Folk, Soul, Music Hall, Country, or Musique Concrète.
Called THE BEATLES more as a culmination than collection, it is quietly the seeds of their solo careers.
The climax "Revolution 9", a found-sound montage perfectly summing the chaos of 1968 and the tensions that created the album, may be the most brashly challenging/alienating/revelatory statement in Rock music history.
Its fractured beauty forecast every band tension record, schizoid and sprawling double album, loose solo side project, stark or mellow Indie confessional, and nervous breakthrough recording that ever followed.




----


Beyond time, place, or genre, musical artists have continuously made specific homages reflecting the 1968 sounds of The Beatles.

(All bold names are heard on the Music Player)



The Beach Boys; Bonzo Dog Band; Fleetwood Mac.

PEERS
The Beatles' back-to-basics approach and mature material was liberating for kindrid spirits like
The Beach Boys with Dennis Wilson, The Pretty Things, Bonzo Dog Band with Neil Innes, Fire, Fleetwood Mac, The Equals, The Kinks, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Turtles, Steve Miller Band, Spirit, Redbone, and Affinity's Linda Hoyle.


Stevie Wonder; Prince, Public Enemy.

SOUL
Their organic Soul and liberation stance moved major shakers like
Wilson Pickett, Arthur Conley, Lowell Fulson, The Five Stairsteps, Stevie Wonder, Swamp Dogg, Minnie Riperton, The Moments, Prince, Public Enemy, Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood, Adele, Alice Smith, and Curtis Harding.
Reggae and Ska artists dubbed that spirit in jams by Jackie Mittoo, John Holt, Max Romeo, The Specials, and Sublime.


SIDE SONGS
In a bountiful year, Paul and George wrote songs for
Cilla Black, Black Dyke Mills Band, and Jackie Lomax.


Aimee Mann; Sam Phillips; Billy Joel.

FOLK + PIANO
After Bob Dylan and The Band went Roots, The Beatles embraced the path that led to Singer-Songwriter, as did varied acts like
Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Simon And Garfunkel, America, The Eagles, Gilbert O'Sullivan, John Denver, Stackridge, Suzanne Vega, The Jayhawks, Sam Phillips, Billy Bragg + Wilco, Aimee Mann, Shack, Alison Krauss, The Mavericks, Daniel Johnston, Ed Harcourt, Keren Ann, Bon Iver, and Hollow Hand.
The phenomenal success of the "Hey Jude" single put the spotlight on piano balladeers like
Randy Newman, Eddie Hardin, Billy Joel, Fiona Apple, Sheryl Crow, Regina Spektor, Lana Del Rey, Tobias Jesso Jr, and Weyes Blood.


Harry Nilsson; Elliott Smith; Spoon.

HEIRS
Across time, The Beatles became a thought experiment where intuned acolytes mined new stratagems, like
The Redcoats, The Monkees, The Idle Race, Grapefruit, Paper Garden, and The Move'60s;
and Badfinger, Sleepy Hollow, Harry Nilsson, Emitt Rhodes, Bernard Chabert (France), Electric Light Orchestra, 10cc, Cheap Trick, The Rutles, and The Motors'70s;
and Squeeze with Glenn Tilbrook, The Spongetones, The Smithereens, Crowded House, Guadalcanal Diary, The Young Fresh Fellows, and The Posies'80s;
and Teenage Fanclub, The Auteurs, Chris von Sneidern, The Boo Radleys, Sloan, Blur, Oasis with Liam Gallagher, You Am I, Elliott Smith, Four O'Clock Balloon, Myracle Brah, and Cotton Mather'90s;
and Jason Falkner, The Clientele, Lucky Bishops, Swag, Frank Lee Sprague, Ross, Pugwash, Her Majesty's Buzz, The Autumn Defense, Spoon, Robbers On High Street, Fugu, Dr. Dog, The Bootles, Sitcom Neighbor, The Resonars, and Cirrone (Italy) '00s;
and The Like, Beady Eye, The Weeklings, Three Hour Tour, Cut Worms, Groovy Uncle with Suzi Chunk, Aaron Lee Tasjan, and Yorick van Norden'10s.

Ramsey Lewis; Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger;
The Redwalls.

MENTOR
Bringing wisdom to new ideas were
Fats Domino, Little Junior Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Nina Simone.
Jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis was the first artist to tribute an entire Beatles album with his interpolation of this one.


FAM
The possibilities opened by this album were transmuted in unique ways by
Julian Lennon, Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger with Sean Ono Lennon, James McCartney, and Dhani Harrison.
The spirit of this album also moved within solo Beatle side-projects like Traveling Wilburys (George) and The Fireman (Paul).

WORLD
The Beatles explored the wide reaches of music, while the far corners explored theirs, like
Os Mutantes (Brazil), Os Lobos (Brazil), Liverpool (Brazil), Los Diablos (Spain), Los Brincos (Spain), Los Iberos (Spain), Los Mustang (Spain), Trúbrot (Iceland), Hungária (Hungary), I Bisonti (Italy), Les Sinners (Canada), Les Bel Canto (Canada), Los Johnny Jets (Mexico), and The Flame with Ricky Fataar (South Africa).

BEAT + GARAGE
Their unerring melodicism socked more bang to the Pop for
The Raspberries, Flamin' Groovies, Oister with Dwight Twilley, The Knack, Sekret, The Times, The Nines, Velvet Crush, Supergrass, The Singles, The Fondas, Vinyl Kings, Push Kings, Serpentina (Spain), The Merrymakers, The Moons, THE MIDNIGHT TV PROGRAMS (Japan), and Miles Kane.


Big Star; The Clash; Husker Du.

GARAGE PUNX
Their cruel chords and withering snark puctured through to
The Clash, Ian Dury, The Laughing Dogs, Téléphone (France), Hüsker Dü, Fugazi, The White Stripes, Cheap Time, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and The Go.


Daughters Of Albion; Elf Power; Blaire Alise.

PSYCHE
Post-LSD and then TM, their detox pilgrimage of mindtrips and soulsearching on this album illumined thirdsightseers like
Pink Floyd'60s;
and Robyn Hitchcock, Game Theory, The Flaming Lips, The Green Pajamas, and White Flag'80s;
and Ultra Vivid Scene, The Bevis Frond, Kula Shaker, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Lida Husik, The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, The Olivia Tremor Control, and Elf Power'90s;
and The Apples In Stereo, of Montreal, Chewy Marble, The High Dials, Dungen (Sweden), Thee Oh Sees, Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, and Chewy Marble'00s;
and Weaves, Meatbodies, Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats, Kikagaku Moyo (Japan), Ty Segall Band, levitation room, Ultimate Painting, GUM, and Cupid's Carnival'10s.


Soundgarden; Tom Waits; Beck.

ICONOCLAST
Their skewed popcraft and cacophony montages and mischief flux unloosed the abstruse for aberrant anglers like
Fifty Foot Hose, Joe Byrd And The Field Hippies, Yoko Ono, David Bowie, Roxy Music, Brian Eno, Tom Waits, Jaco Pastorius, Swell Maps, Lemon Kittens, Nurse With Wound, Ween, Negativland, Broadcast, Rasputina, Ex-Girl, Julianna Barwick, and White Denim.

INDIE
Their wayward and willful journey without any road map un/charted the courses for Independent artists like
Alex Chilton, The Cars, Radio Stars, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Split Enz'70s;
The Feelies, Simple Minds, R.E.M., Echo And the Bunnymen, Eurythmics, The Smiths, Love And Rockets, House of Freaks, and The Soup Dragons'80s;
Throwing Muses, The Breeders, Kristin Hersh, Superdrag, Sebadoh, Gallon Drunk, Ride, The Verve, Guided By Voices, Paul Weller, Beck, Komeda, Tracy Bonham, and Belle And Sebastian'90s;
LCD Soundsystem, Ben Kweller, Low, Travis, The Vines, Martina Topley-Bird, Salim Nourallah, Kasabian, The Fiery Furnaces, and Telekinesis'00s;
MGMT, Portugal The Man, Jim Noir, Linus Of Hollywood, Sexy Sadie of course, Blaire Alise And The Bombshells, and Habibi'10s.

ROCK
Their bruising Blues and Grunge grind fanned the inferno in
MC5, The Pleasure Seekers, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Chicago, Alice Cooper, T. Rex, Suzi Quatro, Elton John, Aerosmith, Queen, Adrian Belew, Screaming Trees, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden with Chris Cornell, Stone Temple Pilots with Scott Weiland, Smashing Pumpkins, Collective Soul, Queens of the Stone Age, Jet, and The London Souls.





In 1968, THE BEATLES turned Pop albums into personal statements.
And as their sounds expanded, so did all the responses across time...


_______

Hear the whole BEATLESQUE Songs series:
1963-esque
1964-esque
1965-esque
1966-esque
1967-esque
1969-esque
1970-esque
'REUNION' 1970-Now



© Research, Art, and Essay by Tym Stevens








A splendid time is guaranteed for all!






BEATLESQUE Albums: 400 Alternate Universe BEATLES Albums You Need!, with 2 massive Music Players!


LENNONesque: All-Star Homage Playlists To John Lennon's BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players

McCARTNEY-esque: All-Star Homage Playlists To His BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players



BRIAN WILSON-esque: All The Songs Imitating His BEACH BOYS Music Styles!, with 2 Music Players




BEATLESQUE Songs: 1969-esque

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...with Massive
Music Player!



BEATLESQUE SONGS

#7 of 9


Covers, Clones, + Cousins!

Hear every 1969BEATLES song
matched to its covers, clones, + cousins,
all in chronological order.

The most comprehensive matching of Beatles songs to the songs they inspired ever made.

Explore a vast Multiverse of 'new Beatles music'!

Shortcut links:
1) MUSIC PLAYER
2) The Influences


_______

Hear the whole BEATLESQUE Songs series:
1963-esque
1964-esque
1965-esque
1966-esque
1967-esque
1968-esque
1970-esque
'REUNION' 1970-Now











1) BEATLESQUE Songs:

1969-esque



We all live in a YELLOW SUBMARINE:
The Mops; XTC;
Komeda; Olivia Tremor Control.



ABBEY ROAD LP Cover homages:
Booker T And The MGs; Pink Floyd;
The Damned; Sleater Kinney.


Music Player:

1969-esque


YELLOW SUBMARINE
Graphic Novel, by Bill Morrison.


Spotify playlist title=
BEATLESQUE Songs: 1969-esque
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.
(This Player is limited to the first 200 songs.
Hear the unlimited Playlist here.)

Over 675 songs and 42 hours worth
of alternative Beatles sounds!

Featuring:
Booker T & MGs!Pink Floyd!Bonzo Dog!
CCR!Aretha!The Move!Marvin Gaye!
Temptations!Rolling Stones!Fanny!
Badfinger!Neil Young!Alice Cooper!
Zeppelin!Emitt Rhodes!King Crimson!
Eddie Hazel!10cc!Thin Lizzy!Queen!
Patti Smith!Elvis Costello!The Slits!
Dead Boys!XTC!Squeeze!Talking Heads!
Soft Boys!Spongetones!Let's Active!
Melvins!Stone Roses!Tori Amos!Beck!
Nirvana!Primal Scream!Supergrass!
Garbage!Olivia Tremor Control!Oasis!
Radiohead!Fastball!White Stripes!
Sam Phillips!Earlimart!Buffalo Daughter!
The Raconteurs!Duke Spirit!El Goodo!
Deerhoof!The Clientele!Tame Impala!
Nicole Atkins!Linus Of Hollywood!
Lawrence Arabia!Smith Westerns!

And many, many more!



HOW IT WORKS:

The BEATLES song plays first (shown here in blue).

Example

It is followed by Clones and Cousins, often bracketed at the beginning and end by Cover versions. Then the next Beatles song repeats the cycle.

A Clone is a song directly imitating the song. A Cousin is within the same sonic spirit as the original.

The Beatles' songs are in order of their release; the matching songs are listed sequentially in the order of their own release, i.e., 1966, 1968, 1978, 1987, etc.

(If another acts' song inspired theirs, it is placed right before it: e.g., The Merseys, The Band, James Taylor, Mason Williams, Beethoven, Fleetwood Mac.)

Because The Beatles finished each year with a Christmas flexidisc for their UK Fan Club, each Music Player ends with Holiday songs done in their style.


The Playlist matches each of these songs to its children, in this order...


BEATLES Releases: 1969


YELLOW SUBMARINE(Jan 1969):
(Film: July 1968, Album: Jan 1969)
"Yellow Submarine"
More "Yellow Submarine" on the 1966-esque Playlist.
"Only A Northern Song"
"All Together Now"
"Hey Bulldog"
"It's All Too Much"
"All You Need Is Love"
More "All You Need Is Love" on the 1967-esque Playlist.
+ George Martin's orchestral score


GET BACK Sessions woodshedded songs (Jan 1969):
"Teddy Boy", "Suzy Parker", "Because I Know You Love Me So", "Taking A Trip To Carolina", "Fancy My Chances With You", "Woman Don't You Cry For Me", "Beautiful Girl", "Paul's Piano Intro", "Watching Rainbows"

"Let It Be/ You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)"(March 1969)
"Get Back/ Don't Let Me Down"(April 1969)
More "Let It Be" and "Get Back" on the 1970-esque Playlist.
"The Ballad Of John And Yoko/ Old Brown Shoe"(May 1969)

"Give Peace a Chance/ Cold Turkey",
Plastic Ono Band
"Don't Worry, Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow)",
Plastic Ono Band

•• Songs written for other artists:
"Come And Get It", "Goodbye"


ABBEY ROAD(Sept 1969):
"Come Together"
"Something"
"Maxwell's Silver Hammer"
"Oh! Darling"
"Octopus's Garden"
"I Want You (She's So Heavy)"
"Here Comes The Sun"
"Because"
"You Never Give Me Your Money"
"Sun King"
"Mean Mr Mustard"
"She Came In Through The Bathroom Window"
"Golden Slumbers"
"Carry That Weight"
"The End"
(+ "Her Majesty"

Christmas flexi



The Playlists will follow the original British release of singles and albums in sequence.








2) BEATLESQUE Songs:

How Their Influence Never Ends




YELLOW SUBMARINE
(1969)


The YELLOW SUBMARINE album,
like MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR, is the other postscript to SGT. PEPPER.
Compiled mainly from 1967 recordings, it provides a lysergic chaser to the recent stark sobriety of THE WHITE ALBUM.
A contract obligation for the band, the animated film exploded unexpectedly in popular culture because of its signature Pop Art graphics, and rejuvenated their popularity among a new wave of young.
The combo of John and Paul's flip fun with George's murky heaviosity creates a heady kids album/kiddy heads album enjoyable for its own frivolity.


----


Beyond time, place, or genre, musical artists have continuously made specific homages reflecting the 1969 sounds of The Beatles.

(All bold names are heard on the Music Player)



Rolling Stones; The Kinks;
Creedence Clearwater Revival.

PEERS / All Together Now
The Beatles inspired and were inspired by the Blues and Popcraft of their compatriots: British bands like The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Hollies, Fleetwood Mac, and The Bonzo Dog Band; and American acts like The Turtles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Three Dog Night.


Booker T And The MG's; George Benson; Marvin Gaye.

SOUL / You Got To Be Free
Their love of Soul was returned across time by Soul, Funk, and HipHop artists like James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Booker T And The MG's, Charles Wright and The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, Brook Benton, Billy Preston, Joe Cocker, Ike And Tina Turner, George Benson, War, The Persuasions, The Brothers Johnson, Parliament, Eddie Hazel, Soulive, André 3000, and Osaka Monaurail.
Their early love of Jamaican musics was reciprocated in kind by Marcia Griffiths, Toots And The Maytals, and Peter Tosh.


Simon And Garfunkel; Neil Young; Weyes Blood.

FOLK / You Know I Believe And How
Their moves paralleled the expressions of Folk and Roots artists over time like Gene Clark, The Band, James Taylor, Simon And Garfunkel, Neil Young, America, The Jayhawks, Wilco, Sam Phillips, and Ron Sexsmith;
with Country acts like Chet Atkins + Jerry Reed;
and with piano balladeers like Carole King, Randy Newman, Eddie Hardin, Tori Amos, and Weyes Blood.

WORLD / Because The World Is Round, It Turns Me On
They wanted Love for the world, and the globe gave it back, in fine work by Les Sextans (Canada), Les Bel Canto (Canada), Les Intrigantes (Canada), Tages (Sweden), The Flame (South Africa), Los Brincos (Spain), and Liverpool (Brazil).


The Move; Badfinger; Quilt.

HEIRS / All Good Children Go To Heaven
They parented a lineage of artists who retained that luminosity in their own outlooks:
The Move, Badfinger, Harry Nilsson, Gerry Rafferty, Emitt Rhodes, Sleepy Hollow, Electric Light Orchestra, The Rutles, and Cheap Trick'70s;
Squeeze, The Spongetones, The Bangles, and The Smithereens'80s;
Chris von Sneidern, Oasis with Noel and Liam Gallagher, The Grays, Sloan, Elliott Smith, Myracle Brah, and The Clientele'90s;
Velvet Crush, Swag, The Coral, Spoon, Robbers On High Street, Dr. Dog, and Pugwash'00s;
El Goodo, Lawrence Arabia, Quilt, Aaron Lee Tasjan, and Yorick van Norden'10s.

IDOLS / And I Will Sing A Lullaby
They kindled their elders like Sarah Vaughan, Vince Guaraldi, The Jazz Crusaders, and Peggy Lee.

FAM / Sun Kings
Their best creations surveyed their own horizons, with some heartfelt callbacks to their parents in work by The Claypool Lennon Delirium and The GOASTT (The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger) with Sean Ono Lennon, and Fistful of Mercy with Dhani Harrison.




ABBEY ROAD
(1969)


The ABBEY ROAD album
is the true full-power finale of The Beatles.
After trying to go to basics with the halted GET BACK project, it's a return to full production and a shift from solo demos to group interplay again.
If THE WHITE ALBUM is the other bracket to RUBBER SOUL, this is the true bookend to SGT. PEPPER.
Its warm, intricate production infuses a song cycle of Folk glow, contusion Blues, maniacal Pop, gutbucket Soul, Piano hymns, luminous madrigals, emerging Prog Rock, and prescient Moog electronics.
John brings in his new Punk attack style, Ringo has jolly fun, Paul fuses it all together with grand virtuosity, and George blindsides them all with two of the best love songs ever made.
The impossibly iconic cover shows our heroes walking from Abbey Road studios into the crossroads of the future.


----



NEW BEAT / Some Kind Of Innocence Is Measured Out In Years
Their Beat Music with 1969 sunshine remained perennial in the spirit of artists like The Grip Weeds, Push Kings, Frank Lee Sprague, The Redwalls, Filhos da Judith (Brazil), Groovy Uncle, and Miles Kane.


10cc; The Posies; Supergrass.

POWER POP / We Would Sing And Dance Around
They motivated Pop artists to inflect some adult wisdom in their teen spirit, such as The Raspberries, 10cc, Dwight Twilley, The Motors, Utopia with Todd Rundgren, Peter Case, The Posies, The Young Fresh Fellows, Supergrass, Fountains Of Wayne, Fastball, Kaiser Chiefs, The Young Veins, and Richard Swift.

GARAGE / Killer Diller
Their noize blasts and snark were the lead-up to upstarts like Patti Smith, Ramones, Sex Pistols, The Damned, Dead Boys, The Slits, X-Ray Spex, Public Image Ltd., The Laughing Dogs, Nina Hagen, The Replacements, The White Stripes, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Caesars, and The Gurus (Spain).


The Damned; Let's Active; Tara Busch.

PSYCHE / Sail Me On A Silver Sun
Their angel chorales, non sequitur cheek, and hypnotic distortion divinated flocks of lobestrobers like Pink Floyd with David Gilmour, The Idle Race, and Caravan'60s;
The Soft Boys, The Dukes Of Stratosphear, Let's Active, The Dream Academy, and The Stone Roses'80s;
Jellyfish, Kula Shaker, of Montreal, and The Olivia Tremor Control'90s;
Circulatory System, The Morning Benders, Super Furry Animals, Echobrain, Earlimart, Nicole Atkins, Tara Busch'00s;
Elf Power, The Green Pajamas, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Tame Impala, Kegawa No Maries (Japan), The Kissaten (Japan), Mikal Cronin, New Electric Ride, Cupid's Carnival, and HOLY'10s.

INDIE / By The Banks Of Her Own Lagoon
They opened up the latitude and attitude for Independent artists to explore their own errant spaces, like Alex Chilton, Elvis Costello And The Attractions, Talking Heads, Jane Kennaway, The Glove, Tears For Fears, Love And Rockets, Yo La Tengo, Primal Scream, Spiritualized, Suede, Beck, Radiohead, Garbage, Blur, The Cardigans, Butter 08, Cornershop, Rooney, The Vines, Papas Fritas, Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks, Girls, The Duke Spirit, Dum Dum Girls, TECLA, The Besnard Lakes, Low, Beachwood Sparks, Smith Westerns, Tashaki Miyaki, and Toro y Moi.

ICONOCLASTS / Pataphysical Science
They, singlular and together, were noize and assemblage and shizoid and fearless, hence Yoko Ono, Sonic Youth, Negativland, Ween, Buffalo Daughter, Deerhoof, and White Denim.


Fanny; Pink Floyd; Elton John.

ROCK / The Love That's Shining All Around You
They turned epic Rock into a malleable Art form, sculpted ever since by Led Zeppelin, King Crimson, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Chicago, Fanny, Eric Clapton, Elton John, T. Rex, New York Dolls, Humble Pie, Flied Egg, Velvert Turner Group, Aerosmith, Leslie West, Thin Lizzy, Queen, Bad Company, Be Bop Deluxe, Lenny Kravitz, Living Colour, Melvins, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Chris Cornell, Skunk Anansie, Silverchair, Jet, and The Raconteurs.



In 1969, THE BEATLES tore up in turmoil and reconvened for final glory.
And as their sounds expanded, so did all the responses across time...


_______

Hear the whole BEATLESQUE Songs series:
1963-esque
1964-esque
1965-esque
1966-esque
1967-esque
1968-esque
1970-esque
'REUNION' 1970-Now






© Research, Art, and Essay by Tym Stevens








A splendid time is guaranteed for all!






BEATLESQUE Albums: 400 Alternate Universe BEATLES Albums You Need!, with 2 massive Music Players!


LENNONesque: All-Star Homage Playlists To John Lennon's BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players

McCARTNEY-esque: All-Star Homage Playlists To His BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players



BRIAN WILSON-esque: All The Songs Imitating His BEACH BOYS Music Styles!, with 2 Music Players





A splendid time is guaranteed for all!






BEATLESQUE Albums: 400 Alternate Universe BEATLES Albums You Need!, with 2 massive Music Players!


LENNONesque: All-Star Homage Playlists To John Lennon's BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players

McCARTNEY-esque: All-Star Homage Playlists To His BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players



BRIAN WILSON-esque: All The Songs Imitating His BEACH BOYS Music Styles!, with 2 Music Players



BEATLESQUE Songs: 1970-esque +

$
0
0

...with Massive
Music Player!



BEATLESQUE SONGS

#8 of 9


Covers, Clones, + Cousins!

Hear every 1970BEATLES song
matched to its covers, clones, + cousins,
all in chronological order.

The most comprehensive matching of Beatles songs to the songs they inspired ever made.

Explore a vast Multiverse of 'new Beatles music'!


Shortcut links:
1) MUSIC PLAYER
2) The Influences


_______

Hear the whole BEATLESQUE Songs series:
1963-esque
1964-esque
1965-esque
1966-esque
1967-esque
1968-esque
1969-esque
'REUNION' 1970-Now











1) BEATLESQUE Songs:

1970-esque +



LET IT BE guests:
Father John Misty; Weyes Blood;
Elliott Smith; Lenny Kravitz.




Music Player:

1970-esque +



Spotify playlist title=
BEATLESQUE Songs: 1970-esque +
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.
(This Player is limited to the first 200 songs.
Hear the unlimited Playlist here.)

Over 325 songs and 20 hours worth
of alternative Beatles sounds!

Featuring:
The Who!Aretha!Simon & Garfunkel!
Donny Hathaway!Traffic!Bowie!
Badfinger!Black Sabbath!ELO!Faces!
Elton!Al Green!Raspberries!America!
Dennis Wilson!The Rutles!World Party!
Replacements!U2!Ramones!
Pogues!Smithereens!Crowded House!
Lenny Kravitz!Jayhawks!Rembrandts!
Sloan!Oasis!Aimee Mann!Cardigans!
Chris von Sneidern!Myracle Brah!Vines!
White Stripes!Guided By Voices!LEO!
Lucky Jim!Tracy Bonham!Jason Falkner!
Alice Smith!Arctic Monkeys!Adele!
Alabama Shakes!The Autumn Defence!
Libertines!Fistful Of Mercy!Tobias Jesso!
Beck!Portugal, The Man!Mikal Cronin!

And many, many more!



HOW IT WORKS:

The BEATLES song plays first (shown here in blue).

Example

It is followed by Clones and Cousins, often bracketed at the beginning and end by Cover versions. Then the next Beatles song repeats the cycle.

A Clone is a song directly imitating the song. A Cousin is within the same sonic spirit as the original.

The Beatles' songs are in order of their release; the matching songs are listed sequentially in the order of their own release, i.e., 1970, 1972, 1993, 2004, 2008, etc.

And the Playlist finishes with the two Reunion songs, "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love".


The Playlist matches each of these songs to its children, in this order...


BEATLES Releases: 1970


LET IT BE(May 1970):
"Two Of Us"
"Dig A Pony"
"Across The Universe"
"I Me Mine"
"Dig It"
"Let It Be"
"Maggie Mae"
"I've Got A Feeling"
"One After 909"
"The Long And Winding Road"
"For You Blue"
"Get Back"

BEATLES Releases: 1990s
The Reunion Songs

"Free As A Bird"(Dec 1995)
"Real Love"(March 1996)

OUTRO:
"The Beatle Suite", George Martin (1974)








2) BEATLESQUE Songs:

How Their Influence Never Ends




LET IT BE
(1970)


The LET IT BE album
is the last album, although it isn't.
Recorded in early 1969, the back-to-basics GET BACK sessions fell apart, and the majesterial ABBEY ROAD followed as their true cohesive swan song.
Phil Spector (some say over-)produced this compilation as the band dissolved in May 1970, creating an unintended coda.
Never meant to be The Grand Finale, the album nonetheless retains much of the rootsy jam spirit of its intent, while still being lifted to glory by John's spectral "Across The Universe" (from '68) and Paul's "Let It Be" and "Long And Winding Road".
George debuts his slide Blues style, Ringo keeps their egos on time, and MVP Billy Preston suffuses Soul and camraderie with his keys.
Viewed initially as the hangover to the honeymoon of their career, with the healing passage of time the rawness of its Blues belts, Boogie jams, and Piano hymns earned appreciation, and presaged similar classics from EXILE ON MAIN STREET to 3rd/SISTER LOVERS, from TUSK to THE WALL, from SANDANISTA to IN UTERO.


----


Beyond time, place, or genre, musical artists have continuously made specific homages reflecting the 1970 sounds of The Beatles.

(All bold names are heard on the Music Player)



Rolling Stones; Dennis Wilson; Lenny Kravitz.

ROCK
The ragged glory of this final album had profound impact on subsequent works by The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Hollies, Traffic, The Beach Boys with Dennis Wilson, King Crimson, Spirit, Black Sabbath, Linda Hoyle, Pacific Gas And Electric, Faces, Derek And The Dominos, Pappo's Blues (Argentina), Elton John, Suzi Quatro, Gene Simmons, Lenny Kravitz, and Alabama Shakes.

SOUL
Its Gospel anthems and soulful Blues earned amens from artists as varied as Aretha Franklin, Billy Preston, Donny Hathaway, Shirley Scott, Doris Troy, The Staple Singers, Bill Withers, Al Green, Boney M, and Childhood.


Billy Preston; The Jayhawks; Lucky Jim.

FOLK
Singer Songwriter then became the vanguard of personal expression in the early-'70s, from Simon And Garfunkel, Jackie De Shannon, Bread, and America, onward to Indie Folkers The Jayhawks and Wilco.

BALLAD
The piano anthem.
"A Day In The Life">"Hey Jude">"Let It Be">"Long And Winding Road">"Imagine">"Maybe I'm Amazed" =
board balladeers like Jimmy Webb, Lô Borges (Brazil), Billy Joel, Lucky Jim, Alela Diane, Father John Misty, Tobias Jesso Jr, and Weyes Blood.


The Aerovons; Fistful Of Mercy; The Autumn Defense.

HEIRS
The baton was now handed off to their lineage, transported and transformed across time by The Aerovons, Badfinger, Sleepy Hollow, Electric Light Orchestra, The Rutles, The Toms, The Smithereens, Crowded House with the Finn Brothers, Chris von Sneidern, The Grays with Jason Falkner, Oasis with Liam Gallagher, Elliott Smith, Sloan, Cotton Mather, Cloud Eleven, Swag, Myracle Brah, Three Hour Tour, Dr. Dog, Pugwash, The Autumn Defense, and Yorick van Norden.

FAM
The love you made gets equaled by the love your children relay, as conveyed here by Julian Lennon and by Fistful of Mercy with Dhani Harrison.

BEAT POP
The pulse still pumped through a diaspora of cousins, like Les Bel Canto (Canada), The Raspberries, Derrek and Lon Van Eaton, Prix, Dave Edmunds, The Times, The Young Fresh Fellows, Teenage Fanclub, The Rembrandts, Supergrass, Velvet Crush, Fastball, Vinyl Kings, The Singles, and Cirrone (Italy).


The Replacements; U2; Paul Weller.

GARAGE
Its DIY edge and raw gumption energized apostates like Ramones, The Tearaways, Električni Orgazam (Serbia), The Replacements*, The White Stripes, and The Gurus.
*(who brashly made an album also called LET IT BE)

PSYCHE
The infinite rung through opened minds for thirdsightseers like Kula Shaker, of Montreal, The Apples In Stereo, Dungen (Sweden), Echobrain, Ko And The Knockouts, Sitcom Neighbor, Fay Hallam, Cupid's Carnival, The Proper Ornaments, HOLY, Mikal Cronin, and Cupid's Carnival.

INDIE
Raw, true, sundry.
Enter the Independents: David Bowie, U2, Eurythmics, Elliot Easton, World Party, The Pogues, Love And Rockets, Aimee Mann, Ween, Mercury Rev, Ride, Paul Weller, Beck, Guided By Voices, Blur, The Cardigans, Inger Lorre, Chocolate Genius, Tracy Bonham, Hooverphonic, Rita Lee (Brazil), Los Fabulosos Cadillacs (Argentina), Regina Spektor, The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys, Portugal The Man, and L.E.O..


"I'd like to say thank you
on behalf of the group and ourselves,
and I hope we passed the audition."


----



Family.


The REUNION songs
are the coda to The Beatles that the band deserved in 1970.

Note to naysayers: the final period Beatles recording, "I Me Mine" (Jan 1970), was by George, Paul, and Ringo. And many other classic songs had only 3 or 2 or even 1 member on them.
Truly, "Let It Be" had turned into a elegant elegy for the band, as they sounded in 1969.
The understated (and deeply unappreciated) grace of "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love" is how they integrate the solo hallmarks that followed through 1970 and 1971: John and Paul's solo piano anthems, George's slide guitar, and hearing all of four them sing in verse turns.
They would've made these songs then, and they came back and they did.
The songs are hauntingly beautiful and rank with the best efforts they ever did. They were made by family as a gift to us with love, and they are wonderful.

Thank you, brothers, for everything.




By 1970, THE BEATLES had left us a canon unsurpassed, and the challenge to step up.
And as time passed, the responses have never stopped...


_______

Hear the whole BEATLESQUE Songs series:
1963-esque
1964-esque
1965-esque
1966-esque
1967-esque
1968-esque
1969-esque
'REUNION' 1970-Now






© Research, Art, and Essay by Tym Stevens








A splendid time is guaranteed for all!






BEATLESQUE Albums: 400 Alternate Universe BEATLES Albums You Need!, with 2 massive Music Players!


LENNONesque: All-Star Homage Playlists To John Lennon's BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players

McCARTNEY-esque: All-Star Homage Playlists To His BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players



BRIAN WILSON-esque: All The Songs Imitating His BEACH BOYS Music Styles!, with 2 Music Players



BEATLES 'Reunion Anthology': 1970-Now

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BEATLESQUE SONGS

#9 of 9


BEATLESQUE Solo Songs!


Roll up for the 'BEATLES Reunion' Anthology;
a playlist of over 100 Beatlesque Solo (+ family) songs simulating a fantasy Reunion, as if the band had continued from 1970 to today.

"The Magical Mystery Tour is waiting
to take you away..."


Shortcut link:
1) MUSIC PLAYER
2) Songs list
3) Reunion essay


_______

Hear the whole BEATLESQUE Songs series:
1963-esque
1964-esque
1965-esque
1966-esque
1967-esque
1968-esque
1969-esque
1970-esque +















Music Player:

BEATLES 'Reunion' Anthology

Spotify playlist title=
BEATLES Anthology 4: 'REUNION' 1970-Now
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.


Over 125 songs and 9 hours worth
of alternative Beatles sounds!


August 8, 1969.


BEATLESQUE
Solo songs

1970-Today
A Fantasy Reunion Anthology


John
Paul
George
Ringo

and Family


George + John '71; Ringo + Paul '73;
John + Paul '74; Ringo + John '76.

"Love", John Lennon ('70)
"All Things Must Pass", George Harrison ('70)
"Maybe I'm Amazed", Paul McCartney ('70)
"Coochy Coochy", Ringo Starr ('70)
"My Sweet Lord", George Harrison ('70)
"Instant Karma", John Lennon ('70)
"Singalong Junk", Paul McCartney ('70)
"Look At Me", John Lennon ('70)
"Every Night", Paul McCartney ('70)
"Well Well Well", John Lennon ('70)
"Isn't It A Pity", George Harrison ('70)
"Early 1970", Ringo Starr (w/ George) ('71)
"Imagine", John Lennon ('71)
"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey", Paul + Linda McCartney ('71)
"Mrs. Lennon", Yoko Ono ('71)
"Oh My Love", John Lennon (w/ George) ('71)
"Back Seat Of My Car", Paul + Linda McCartney ('71)
"Jealous Guy" (instr.), John Lennon ('71)
"It Don't Come Easy", Ringo Starr ('71)
"Long Haired Lady", Paul + Linda McCartney ('71)
"Gimme Some Truth", John Lennon ('71)
"Too Many People", Percy Thrillington ('71)
"Bangla Desh", George Harrison ('71)
"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)", John Lennon ('71)
"When The Wind Is Blowing", Wings ('71)
"Back Off Boogaloo", Ringo Starr (w/ George) ('72)
"New York City", John Lennon ('72)
"Best Friend", Paul McCartney & Wings ('72)
"Aisumasen (I'm Sorry)", John Lennon ('73)
"I'm The Greatest", Ringo Starr (w/ John + George) ('73)
"Live And Let Die", Paul McCartney & Wings ('73)
"Meat City", John Lennon ('73)
"Death Of Samantha", Yoko Ono ('73)
"Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)", George Harrison ('73)
"Photograph", Ringo Starr (w/ George) ('73)
"Hi Hi Hi", Paul McCartney & Wings ('73)
"Approximately Infinite Universe", Yoko Ono ('73)
"You Are Here", John Lennon ('73)
"Six O'Clock", Ringo Starr (w/ Paul) ('73)
"Band On The Run", Paul McCartney ('74)
"#9 Dream", John Lennon ('74)
"The Beatle Suite", George Martin ('74)
"Let Me Roll It", Paul McCartney + Wings ('74)
"Steel And Glass", John Lennon ('74)
"Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five", Paul McCartney + Wings ('74)
"Goodnight Vienna", Ringo Starr (w/ John) ('74)
"Dark Horse", George Harrison ('74)
"Scared", John Lennon ('74)
"Soily", Wings ('75)
"Move Over Ms L", John Lennon ('75)
"Venus And Mars (Reprise)", Wings ('75)
"This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying)", George Harrison ('75)
"You Can't Catch Me", John Lennon ('75)
"Love In Song", Wings ('75)
"I'll Still Love You", Ringo Starr ('76)
"Let 'Em In", Wings ('76)
"Beware My Love" (live), Wings ('76)
"It's In What You Value", George Harrison ('76)
"I'm Carrying", Wings ('78)
"Don't Let It Bring You Down", Wings ('78)
"Now And Then", John Lennon ('78)
"Winter Rose/Love Awake", Wings ('79)
"Blow Away", George Harrison ('79)
"India India", John Lennon (c.'79-'80)
"Here Comes The Moon", George Harrison ('79)
"Old Siam, Sir", Wings ('79)


PG+R, Clapton's wedding '79;
GR+P, Ringo's wedding '81;
GR + Yoko, Sean, Julian -Grammy Awards '88
(photo: Bob Gruen).

"I'm Losing You", John Lennon ('80)
"On The Way", Paul McCartney ('80)
"Woman", John Lennon ('80)
"Every Man Has A Woman Who Loves Him", Yoko Ono + John Lennon ('80)
"Wrack My Brain", Ringo Starr (w/ George) ('80)
"One Of These Days", Paul McCartney ('80)
"Grow Old With Me", John Lennon ('80)
"All Those Years Ago", George Harrison (w/ Paul + Ringo) ('81)
"Here Today", Paul McCartney ('82)*
"Circles", George Harrison ('82)
"Tug Of War", Paul McCartney ('82)*
"Wanderlust", Paul McCartney (w/ Ringo) ('82)*
"Pipes Of Peace", Paul McCartney ('83)*
"Valotte", Julian Lennon ('84)
"However Absurd", Paul McCartney ('86)
"When We Was Fab", George Harrison ('87)
"Johnny B. Goode" (live), Chuck Berry + Julian Lennon ('87)
"Lucille", Paul McCartney ('88)
"Handle Me With Care", Traveling Wilburys ('88)
"Sunday Morning", Julian Lennon ('89)
"My Brave Face" demo, Paul McCartney + Elvis Costello ('89)
"Cheer Down", George Harrison ('89)
"Don't Be Careless Love" demo, Paul McCartney + Elvis Costello ('89)
"Veronica", Elvis Costello (w/ Paul) ('89)

*(Produced by George Martin.)


Reunion sessions '94 and '95;
Ringo, Paul, George, + George Martin.

"New Blue Moon", Traveling Wilburys ('90)
"Saltwater", Julian Lennon ('91)
"Roll Over Beethoven" (live), George Harrison ('91)
"Weight Of The World", Ringo Starr ('92)
"Hope Of Deliverance", Paul McCartney ('93)
"Strawberries, Oceans, Ships, Forest", The Fireman ('93)
"Free As A Bird", The Beatles('95)
"Real Love", The Beatles('96)
"Beautiful Night", Paul McCartney (w/ Ringo) ('97)*
"Great Day", Paul McCartney ('97)
"Glory Tales. Trionfale", Paul McCartney + LSO ('97)
"Really Love You", Paul McCartney (w/ Ringo) ('97)
"King Of Broken Hearts", Ringo Starr (w/ George) ('98)
"Vertical Man", Ringo Starr ('98)
"La De Da", Ringo Starr (w/ Paul) ('98)
"I Don't Wanna Know", Julian Lennon ('98)
"Watercolour Guitars", The Fireman ('98)
"Queue", Sean Ono Lennon ('98)
"Come On Christmas, Christmas Come On", Ringo Starr ('99)
"Somedays", Paul McCartney ('99)

*(Orchestration by George Martin.)


Paul Ringo + George '01;
Cirque du Soleil's LOVE '06.

"Plastic Beetle", Paul McCartney ('00)
"Horse To The Water", George Harrison + Jools Holland ('01)
"Riding Into Jaipur", Paul McCartney ('01)
"Rising Sun", George Harrison ('02)
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (live), McCartney/Starr/Clapton ('02)
"Something" (live), Paul McCartney ('03)
"Instant Amnesia", Ringo Starr ('03)
"Elizabeth Reigns", Ringo Starr ('03)
"Jenny Wren", Paul McCartney ('05)
"English Tea", Paul McCartney ('05)
"Don't Hang Up", Ringo Starr ('05)
"Parachute", Sean Ono Lennon ('06)
"Mr Bellamy", Paul McCartney ('07)
"Nod Your Head", Paul McCartney ('07)
"Another John Doe", thenewno2 ('08)
"For Love", Ringo Starr ('08)
"Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight", The Fireman ('08)
"A Day In The Life/ Give Peace A Chance" (live), Paul McCartney ('09)


Ringo + Paul '14.

"Walk With You", Ringo Starr (w/ Paul) ('10)
"The World Was Made For Men", The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger ('10)
"Father's Son", Fistful Of Mercy ('10)
"Invisible", Julian Lennon ('11)
"Disconnected", Julian Lennon ('11)
"Cut Me Some Slack", Paul McCartney + Nirvana ('12)
"Anthem", Ringo Starr ('12)
"All That You Wanted", Matt Backer + Julian Lennon ('12)
"Bluebell", James McCartney ('13)
"Make It Home", thenewno2 ('13)
"Make It Home", Tony Mortimer + Julian Lennon ('13)
"New", Paul McCartney ('13)
"Hosanna", Paul McCartney ('13)
"Devil You Know", The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger ('14)
"Bubbles Burst", The Claypool Lennon Delirium ('16)
"Alice", James McCartney ('16)
"Never Know", Dhani Harrison ('17)
"Give More Love", Ringo Starr ('17)
"Do It Now", Paul McCartney ('18)



JOHN PAUL GEORGE RINGO


The archaic narrative is that The Beatles wera a beautiful romance that ended with a bitter divorce. But Clashprop is for tabloid hacks, and the true story is that their love resolved all pain across time, for themselves and their supporters.

The apex of this is in the real Reunion songs "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love".
By themselves they are lovely songs with resonant grace, which is all they need be. Larger, they are also metaphors of redemptive alchemy; at their heart is a haunting ache now transformed into elegant psalms for the ages, full of redemption and resolve from shared experience. Any failure by some to appreciate this is simply that. These wonderful hymns are Love and they are thus loved.

The Beatles were unable to actually get back together as a quartet because of fate. In one regard, this Reunion Playlist is a hopeful fantasy of what songs they might have recorded as a band over the years.

In another light, each of these songs exist because each soul never lost the person they had been.
Their personal paths weren't a denial of their past, but a fulfillment of their diverse possibilities. And along the way, facets of their original core continued "shimmering, glimmering". Even solo, they consistently made particularly Beatlesque songs in the same general spark or specific sound as they had together.

The real re-union of The Beatles was in spirit across time.
Their bond of mutual love was borne out in song, in an arc that resolved grief, anger, and disappointment into humility, kinship, and respect. Gradually they became comfortable with their full identity and their fellowship again. Because of this, whether made solo, or by duets, or trios, or family, each of these actually is a real Beatles song. This player is really about their reunification of spirit, as a brotherhood, a family, a happy legacy.

We were blessed to have had the band, and we've been rewarded with the family songs that have continued to come since then.



LENNON McCARTNEY HARRISON STARKEY


The Beatles were The Beatles, until they weren't.
They became four individuals who expanded their merit on their own. Along the way they flirted, fought, and gradually reconciled with each other and with their legacy. This player charts that parallel journey of the four souls with reverence.

Their sons aren't The Beatles and aren't supposed to be.
They are five individuals who continually prove their own merits in their unique ways. Along their own paths, they have occasionally channeled the sonic spirit of their fathers -as they have as much right to do as all the other musicians who did- and those moments are included here just for fun and family.
But Julian Lennon, Sean Ono Lennon, James McCartney, Dhani Harrison, and Zak Starkey are their own selves, and we respect them best by letting them be.

Follow your hearts, have fun, create progress, reunite the world.
Love.

George, Julian, + Ringo '85;
Sean, Yoko, + Ringo; Dhani + Paul;

Julian + Sean; Julian + Dhani;
Sean + Dhani; Sean + James;
Dhani + James; James + Zak.






"And in the end,the love you take
is equal to thelove you make."




© Research, Art, and Essay by Tym Stevens








A splendid time is guaranteed for all!






BEATLESQUE Albums: 400 Alternate Universe BEATLES Albums You Need!, with 2 massive Music Players!


LENNONesque: All-Star Homage Playlists To John Lennon's BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players

McCARTNEY-esque: All-Star Homage Playlists To His BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players



BRIAN WILSON-esque: All The Songs Imitating His BEACH BOYS Music Styles!, with 2 Music Players



HAPPY NEW YEAR! with New Years Songs music player

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Quality is timeless.

Make a better future.

Count your blessings.



HAPPY NEW YEAR!:
Rock'n'Soul Playlist,
by Tym Stevens
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.

A history of NEW YEARS songs from the 1950s to today, in chronological order.

Rockabilly!Jazz!Blues!
Soundtracks!Soul!Country!
Garage!Psychedelic!Funk!
Glam!Reggae!Punk!
New Wave!HipHop!Electro!

and more!


© Tym Stevens



See Also:
-The Real History of Rock and Soul!: A Music Player Checklist


BEST MUSIC: 2019, with Music Players!

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Weyes
Blood






ALL THE


REAL MUSIC!

Swipe away all those trendy-indie
'Best Music' lists that taste like envelopes!


These bustling tunes will turnpike your psyche
and bumrush your tushie!


Shortcut to Music Players:





Yola


B E S T


N E W
A L B U M S :
2 0 1 9




BEST ALBUMS 2019
by Tym Stevens
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.



This music player has songs from the following albums, in the same order.




Weyes Blood, "Titanic Rising"
(pronounced 'wise blood')
The Album Of The Year.
Natalie Mering is making the most beautiful and innovative records around.
Always majestic, her previous stately madrigals have now melted into warm and soulful confessionals, gorgeously adorned with aching keys and Harrison slides, while subliminally underlined by corroded electronics.
Lovely and complex. Essential.

Willie Farmer, "The Man From The Hill"
Gutbucket Blues.
Soulful songs sidling out with fuzzy swagger.

Yola, "Walk Through Fire"
Country Soul.
Produced by Dan Auerbach (of The Black Keys), the British singer carries the torch of Stax Records and "Dusty In Memphis" forward.
The epic "Faraway Look" is the Song Of The Year.

Chrysta Bell, "Feels Like Love"
Advanced TripHop.
Expanding beyond her "Twin Peaks" territory, the unfairly-unsung Bell channels Eurythmics and Kate Bush into new frequencies.



The Black Keys, "Let's Rock"
Bluesy Rock'n'Soul.
Nevermind the digital shrill,
here's the analog Feel.

Orquesta Akokán, "Orquesta Akokán (The Instrumentals)"
Cuban Mambo.
Last year's party kicker glees up the spree just as great in its Instrumental version.

Lee Fields And The Expressions, "It Rains Love"
Timeless Soul.
With the sad losses of Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley, Daptone Records keeps on keepin' on with the stalwart soul troubadour, Lee Fields.

Seratones, "POWER"
Rock'n'Soul 2.0.
Louisiana's finest brings us the next level of passionate thump and grind.




Ghost Funk Orchestra, "A Song For Paul"
Cinematic Art-Soul.
Threading the moody badlands with a funky strut.

Karen O + Danger Mouse, "Lux Prima"
Electro Noir.
The superduo of Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley) get taut while colossal.

Hannah Williams And The Affirmations, "50 Foot Woman"
Perennial Soul.
Funky vamps, Soul croons, and the breathtaking political anthem "What Can We Do?"

Here Lies Man, "No Ground To Walk Upon"
Afrobeat Rock.
Rhythmic double-step with metallic crunch.




Fabienne DelSol, "Four"
Beat, Garage, and Psyche.
After too long an absence, the French Beat-maven (formerly of The Bristols) returns with immortal sounds.

Kate Tempest, "The Book Of Traps And Lessons"
Spoken Word.
Kate Tempest, perhaps the most literate Rapper on Earth, strips it to the bone with her razor poetry.

Brittany Howard, "Jaime"
Eccentric Soul.
The Alabama Shakes leader does an experimental sidebar, trading blues rock for malleable soul confessions.

White Denim, "Side Effects"
Grooving Art-Rock.
Catchy as fire, glitchy as Zappa, groovy as bliss.




Our Native Daughters, "Songs Of Our Native Daughters"
Bluegrass Americana.
A roots supergroup of Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell, using the traditional to critique the present.

The Darts (U.S.), "I Like You But Not Like That"
Garage Rock.
Led by Nicole Laurenne (The Love Me Nots, Motobunny), these hoodlums kick your keister wearing go-go boots.

Ibibio Sound Machine, "Doko Mien"
New Wave Afrobeat.
Nigerian/Brit Eno Williams preens her machine with '80s sheen.

The Limiñanas, "Le bel été"
Soundtrack.
The usually psychedelic couple evokes the spirits of Morricone, Axelrod, and Vannier in these ambient arias.




Paul Cauthen, "Room 41"
Soul Country.
Like Waylon Jennings jamming with Hi Records, coming off of a bender or a revelation.

L7, "Scatter The Rats"
Grunge Grrrl.
One of Rock's finest bands returns to stomp all assclowns flat.

Angel Olsen, "All Mirrors"
Symphonic Songwriter.
The mercurial minstrel goes luminous.

Durand Jones And The Indications, "American Love Call"
Vocal Soul.
Everything right about The Miracles, The Delfonics, and The Chi-Lites, shining clear.




Fay Hallam, "Propeller"
Psychedelic Yé-yé.
Everything right about trippin' Library Music albums, strobing.

Seba Kaapstad, "Thina"
World NeoSoul.
The nexus of South Africa/Germany opens up new lines of soul-pop communication.

The Jackets, "Queen Of The Pill"
Garage Psyche.
Swiss band led by the terrifying Jackie Brutsche, trashing your place and laughing.

Gary Clark Jr., "This Land"
Blues Rock.
The blues paragon goes elastic with reggae, rockabilly, soul, and social commentary.




Chrissie Hynde, The Valve Bone Woe Ensemble, "Valve Bone Woe"
Melodic Jazz.
Imaginative cover versions swinging with nifty lilt.

Altin Gün, "Gece"
World Psyche.
Anatolian rock + Turkish Psyche Folk band from The Netherlands.

The High Dials, "Primitive Feelings, Pt. 1"
Indie Psyche.
Magical mystery trouveurs.

Ikebe Shakedown, "Kings Left Behind"
Soul Cinerama.
Spaghetti Western Tripadelic Funk. C'mon, you know you want it.




L'Epee, "Diabolique"
Psyche Supergroup.
Actor Emmanuelle Seigner, Anton Newcombe (The Brian Jonestown Massacre), and The Limiñanas alchemize lightning.

Mercury Rev +, "Bobbie Gentry's 'The Delta Sweete' Revisited"
Swamp Pop Redux.
The indie band honors Bobbie Gentry's 1968 classic album with covers sung by luminaries like Norah Jones, Hope Sandoval, Laetitia Sadier, Vashti Bunyan, and Lucinda Williams.

The Shivas, "Dark Thoughts"
Dream Psyche a-go-go.
Do the rite of Shiva.

Mavis Staples, "We Get By"
Gospel Soul.
The original Woke, since the '50s. Listen up to the legend and learn.




Temples, "Hot Motion"
Glam Psyche.
Like Syd Barrett swirls with T-Rex saunter.

Control Top, "Covert Contracts"
PostPunk Grrrl.
Angular rock, anger wrought.

Shafiq Husayn, "The Loop"
Space-adelic Soul-Hop.
Funky head raps and chorals, with stellar guests.

Olivia Jean, "Night Owl"
Fuzzadelic Pop.
Like Fabienne Delsol's alternate universe American cousin.




The New Pornographers, "In The Morse Code Of Brake Lights"
PostGrad Pop.
The indie-pop supergroup collective fronted by Carl Newman and Neko Case, refracting pop sunshine into new spectrums.

The Coathangers, "The Devil You Know"
Garage Punk.
The song "F___ The NRA" says it all.

The Claypool Lennon Delirium, "South Of Reality"
Prog Psyche.
Les Claypool and Sean Lennon perfect their progressive psychedelia.

The O'Jays, "The Last Word"
Philly Soul.
The vocal legends' swan song, co-produced by Betty Wright, which exactly captures the sweet tunes and caustic wit of their early-'70s heyday.
"As long as it's workin' in your favor/ You love the law/
Making our lives a livin' hell/ Above the law/
No one is above the law.
"








C O O L


S O N G S :
2 0 1 9



All the

REAL MUSIC
beyond the box!

Nevermind Gloss Pop, Stepford Idols, Karaoke Choruses ("woh-oo-oh"), Ego Brats, Emo Prats, Plinky Folk, Brittle Bombast, Vegas Country, Smug Thug, Mope Noodling, De-mixed Throb, and Robot-o-Tune schlock! >

Here's the
D R E A M
J U K E B O X !

Shimmy down with more soul
than South Korea!


COOL SONGS 2019
by Tym Stevens
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.

*(The Player is limited to the first 200 songs.
Hear the unlimited Playlist here.)


This year's jukebox is sequenced into groups of sound, instead of randomly.
All the songs elasticize their genres.
Get your groove on in this sonic order.:

Rockabilly!Beatlesque!Garage!Psyche!

Glam!Folk!Country!Blues!

Soul!Funk!Covers!RESIST!

Riot Grrrl!Alt-Rap!Electro!Alt Rock!

World !Alt Jazz!Soundtracks!


Chrysta Bell; Our Native Daughters;
Durand Jones + Indications; The Coathangers;
Gary Clark Jr; Blackwater Holylight



18 hours of skull-wobbling, fanny-swiveling music, featuring the following fine folks in this exact order!:

Rockabilly!
Screamin' Rebel Angels, Bitchwaves, Jen Awad, Bloodshot Bill, Kim Lenz, Delaney Davidson, Barry Saunders, Jontavious Willis, Cow Cow Boogie, Thee Windom Earles, and Kosmik Band.

Pixies; The Muffs; The Darts


Girl Group / Surf / Spaghetti Western / Beat / Garage!
Orquesta Akokán, Twin Temple, Charlie Faye & the Fayettes, Isobel Campbell, Ruen Brothers, Pixies, Gitkin, The Limiñanas, Starflyer 59, Satan's Pilgrims, Jim Noir, The Muffs, Ela Orleans, Baby Shakes, Samehada Shiriko And Dynamite, Tony Molina, The Highmarts, Saba Lou, The Resonars, Telekinesis, Parsnip, Nick Waterhouse, Les Breastfeeders, The Darts, The Smoggers, The Night Times, The Jackets, Frankie and the Witch Fingers, Fumaça Preta, Fleur, The Shivas, and French Boutik.

Psychedelic / Beatlesque!
Weyes Blood, Fabienne DelSol, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, Flamingods, The High Dials, Fay Hallam, Temples, Satellite Jockey, Rosalie Cunningham, Andrew Combs, Death and Vanilla, Altin Gün, Cave, Guaxe, L’Epee, Redd Kross, The Cherry Bomb Peppers, Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation, Mikal Cronin, Drugdealer, Paul McCartney, The Proper Ornaments, Electric Light Orchestra, Electric Zoo, Sarah Bethe Nelson, and Karkara.

Fabienne DelSol; Temples; L’Epee


Classic Rock / Glam!
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Blackwater Holylight, Hawkwind, The Black Keys, Sharon Van Etten, Mara Balls, Uni, Angel Olsen, Firefriend, Tim Presley, and Thee Oh Sees.

Folk!
Shana Cleveland, Kacy And Clayton, Lillie Mae, Rhiannon Giddens, Heather Woods Broderick, Aldous Harding, and Alice Smith.

Country Soul!
Yola, Paul Cauthen, Jenny Lewis, Renee Wahl, The Sworn Secrets, Lula Wiles, Our Native Daughters, and The Secret Sisters.

Secret Sisters; Mavis Staples; Hannah Williams


Blues!
J.S. Ondara, Leyla McCalla, Leo "Bud" Welch, Mary Lane, The Ghost Wolves, Willie Farmer, Tristen, and Mavis Staples.

Soul!
Hannah Williams And The Affirmations, Carlton Jumel Smith, Monophonics, The Teskey Brothers, Lee Fields And The Expressions, The Savage Rose, Kelly Finnigan, Seratones, Black Pumas, Los Coast, The Delines, Liz Brasher, Brainstory, Black Monument Ensemble, Durand Jones And The Indications, The Family Daptone, Allen Stone, Charles Bradley And Menahan Street Band, Michael Kiwanuka, Avery R. Young, and Alexis P. Suter Band.

Funk!
Field Music, Ghost Funk Orchestra, Ikebe Shakedown, Coastal County, The Budos Band, Ibibio Sound Machine, Peter Ivers, Karl Denson, and Neal Francis.

Sleigh Bells; Chrissie Hynde; Booker T. Jones;
Taron Egerton; Valerie June; Kandle


Covers!
Sean Pinchin, Katey Brooks, Sleigh Bells, The Harlem Gospel Travelers, Dan Melchior Band, Brandon Santini, Deep Sea Diver, Jeffrey Foskett, Beck And Jakob Dylan, GA-20, The Chocolate Watchband, Olivia Jean, Night Beats, Chrissie Hynde, Bee Bee Sea, Booker T. Jones, Jeff Russo and Lisa Hannigan, Mercury Rev + Lucinda Williams, Las Robertas, Jeff Buckley, Bernard Fowler, Urbandawn, Himesh Patel, Delta Wave, Ringo Starr, Cheap Trick, Taron Egerton, The Specials, Garbage, Valerie June, Bonerama, Kelsey Lu, Tropical F____ Storm, Whyte Horses, Taylor Hawkins, Bone Collectors, Frankie Rose, Joan As Police Woman, Rosanne Cash, Elvis Costello, Childish Tones, Isobel Campbell, Kandle, and Los Straitjackets.

R E S I S T !
Gary Clark Jr, Gang Of Four, DIÄT, Mama Jefferson, The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, Kelly Finnigan, Danielia Cotton, Neil Young, Mavis Staples, Soul Scratch, The Coathangers, Pama International, Kate Tempest, The Bright Light Social Hour, Crazy Horse, Brittany Howard, The New Mastersounds, The O'Jays, The Heavy, and Jim James.


Kate Tempest; Otoboke Beaver;
Death Valley Girls


Riot Grrrl!
Kim Gordon, Sneaks, Adia Victoria, Lucy and the Rats, Amyl and The Sniffers, Cherry Glazerr, Priests, Tetsuko, Marry Waterson And Emily Barker, Du Blonde, Le Butcherettes, Suzi Quatro, Otoboke Beaver, Gauche, Control Top, Francie Moon, Death Valley Girls, The Let’s Go’s, The Paranoyds, Mattiel, noranekoguts, Nicole Atkins & Jim Sclavunos, Ex Hex, and The Tomboys.

Rock En Espanol!
Cherry Pickles, Melenas, Boogarins, Las Odio, Nina Coyote, and Femina.

Alt Rap!
Shafiq Husayn, The Comet Is Coming, J.PERIOD, Tenesha The Wordsmith, Flying Lotus, Sarathy Korwar, Little Simz, Chali 2na And Krafty Kuts, and Sadistik.

Electro!
Ladytron, Moon Duo, G&D, Octo Octa, Warmduscher, Automatic, and International Teachers Of Pop.

White Denim; Karen O + Danger Mouse; Sasami


Alt Rock!
White Denim, Empath, Piroshka, Black Doldrums, Jemma Freeman and The Cosmic Something, Mystic Braves, Dhani Harrison, Beck, Karen O And Danger Mouse, Sam Cohen, St. Francis Hotel, Sasami, Spoon, The New Pornographers, Faux Ferocious, Des Demonas, Uranium Club, Mark Lanegan, Meatraffle, and Vanishing Twin.

Africana!
Here Lies Man, Seba Kaapstad, Songhoy Blues, Pony Bravo, Karl Hector & The Malcouns, Kaleta And Super Yamba Band, and Odd Okoddo.

World!
Kutiman and Melike Şahin, Habibi, Derya Yildirim and Grup Şimşek, Mdou Moctar, Los Estanques, Bedouine, and Cochemea.

Here Lies Man; Los Estanques;
Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom


Alt Jazz!
Theon Cross, Matana Roberts, Chris Lightcap, Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom, Joe Armon-Jones, Jaimie Branch, and Cécile McLorin Salvant.

Cinerama!
Messer Chups, Chrysta Bell, Rakta, Quin Arbeitman, Junkie XL, Graham Coxon, Anna Calvi, The Soundtrack Project, Jamie Bell, Tindersticks And Robert Pattinson, Jeff Russo, Ludwig Goransson, and John Williams.

Happy Holidays!
Mikal Cronin and Scone Cash Players.








B E S T


R E I S S U E S :
2 0 1 9


Quality is timeless.


And in the end
the love you take
is equal to
the love you make.



BEST REISSUES 2019
by Tym Stevens
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.


This music player has songs from the following albums, in the same order.



1950s



Miles Davis, "The Complete Birth Of The Cool" (1950)
The pivotal sessions that hinged the transition from Bebop to Cool Jazz.

Miles Davis, "The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions" (1956)
With John Coltrane, Red Garland, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones.

Link Wray And His Ray Men, "The Link Wray Collection 1956-’62"
Wray's fiery guitar instrumentals paved the way for Garage Rock, Heavy Metal, and Punk.



Ray Charles; Norma Tanaga; The Doors;
Stax Records; The Stooges; James Brown

1960s



Ray Charles, "Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music, Vols. 1 and 2" (1962)
Country and Soul are intertwined, and Ray templated the next decade of each with these crucial records.

Norma Tanega, "Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog" (1966)
Askew Folk balladeer gets the spotlight she deserves.

Little Ann, "Detroit’s Secret Soul" (1969)
All of her unreleased recordings, finally seeing light.

The Doors, "Waiting For The Sun" (1969)
50th anniversary expansion of the classic album.

The Doors, "The Soft Parade" (1969)
50th anniversary expansion of the classic album.




The Beatles, "Abbey Road" (1969)
One of the greatest albums ever made, remastered along with demos and takes.
Essential.

Stax various artists, "Soul Explosion" (1969)
An overview of the massive amount of single releases Stax did to relaunch itself after breaking up with Atlantic Records.

Various Artists, "Psyche France, Vol 5 (1960-70)"
More PsycheGallic tunes, including some of Bernard Chabert's Beatlesque jams.

The Stooges, "The Stooges" (1969)
50th anniversary of the first album, a precursor of Punk.


Various Artists, "Motown Unreleased: 1969"
There are so many riches in the Motown vault and here are still more.

King Crimson, Catalog reissues (1969-'95)
The quintessential Prog band, in all their fascinating permutations.

Various Artists, "Fania Goes Psychedelic"
Spike some Boogaloo in your hullabaloo.

Bob Dylan, Travelin’ Thru, 1967-’69: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 15
The Country crooner years, featuring Johnny Cash.

Half a million strong;
Richie Havens; Janis Joplin;
Sly Stone; Santana;
Jimi Hendrix; The Who;
We are stardust

Various Artists, "WOODSTOCK: Back To The Garden" (1969)
The most important concert of all time,
and the coming out party for the actual greatest generation.
Available in 5 LP, 3 CD, 10 CD, and whopping 38 CD versions.

James Brown, "Live At Home With His Bad Self" (1969)
An unreleased live hits album backed by the original JB's.

Chicago, "Chicago Transit Authority" (1969)
Their startling debut will force anyone to reassess them fairly.
Astounding chops, evergreen melodies, skronk guitar, and freedom fighter politics.
All Power To The People!

Jimi Hendrix, "Songs For Groovy Children: The Fillmore East Concerts" (1969/'70)
Every one of the New Years performances by the Band Of Gypsies.



The Man.

1970s



The J.B.'s, "More Mess On My Thing" (1969-'70)
An unreleased album of the next phase J.B.'s, featuring Catfish and Bootsy Collins, including a 22-minute medley which covers Kool & The Gang, The Meters, Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, and George Harrison.

Polly Niles, "Sunshine In My Rainy Day Mind: The Lost Album" (1970)
An unreleased album of sunny Pop and Soul.

Nat Turner Rebellion, "Laugh To Keep From Crying" (1971)
An unreleased album of the vocal combo with raised fists.

Marvin Gaye, "What’s Going On (Live)" (1972)
Unreleased live performances, touring one of the greatest albums ever made.

Various Artists, "Cambodian Nuggets" (late-'60s/early-'70s)
Ros Sereysothea sang fuzzy rock tunes, and for that the Pol Pot regime murdered her.>
Buy this record and raise a middle finger to all dictators.

R.D. Burman, "The Bullet Train" (1970s)
Burman scored many of the most adventurous Bollywood scores of the '60s, '70s, and '80s, and this is a retrospective.

Various Artists, "Soul Jazz Records Presents: Nigeria Soul Power 70: Afro Funk, Afro Rock, Afro Disco" (1970s)
Beyond Fela, African music underwent sonic revolutions in the '70s, but often got overwritten by oppressive political revolutions.

Curtis Mayfield, "Keep On Keeping On: Curtis Mayfield Studio Albums 1970-1974"
All of the essential early-'70s solo albums (except for 1972's "Super Fly"), prime for rediscovery.

Marvin Gaye, "You’re The Man" (1972)
A reconstruction of the 'missing album' sessions between "What's Going On" (1971) and "Let's Get It On" (1973).
The political first third is amazing.


Ros Sereysothea; Curtis Mayfield;
Dead Kennedys


Gene Clark, "No Other" (1974)
Gene's moody, complex, and especially soulful album.

Mick Ronson, "Only After Dark: The Complete Mainman Recordings" (1974-'76)
The three albums that guitarist Ronson made on Bowie's label after going solo.

The Undisputed Truth, "Cosmic Truth" (1975)
Norman Whitfield's answer to Funkadelic, finally rereleased.

The Undisputed Truth, "Higher Than High" (1975)
Like The Temptations, the Family Stone, and Funkadelic having a debauched weekend.

Suicide, "Suicide" (1977)
The nervy record that launched a million cold-synth acts.

Dead Kennedys, "Iguana Studios Rehearsal Tape -San Francisco 1978"
The standard bearers of American political punk, galloping on surf clang.

The Pop Group, "Y" (1979)
PostPunk agitprop of the first order.



Dance
Music
Sex
Romance


1980s


Dinosaur L, "24-24 Music" (1982)
Arthur Russell's experimental mutant disco, which rebounded across all the cutting edge dancefloors.

Arthur Russell, "Iowa Dream" (1974-1985)>
More of Arthur's unreleased folk work, introspective and eclectic.

Konk, "The Magic Force Of Konk 1981-1988"
Maybe more so than their peers Talking Heads, Liquid Liquid, and ESG, Konk were the intersection of afrobeat, jazz, funk, and hip hop.

Prince, "1999" (1982)
The essential double album, doubled out again with unreleased tracks, plus b-sides and live takes.

Prince, "Originals"
Prince's original demos of songs he gave to other artists.

The Smithereens, "Demos 1: Girls About Town/Beauty And Sadness/ Especially For You" ('81-'86)
Demos for the initial EPs and debut album.

Beastie Boys, "An Exciting Evening At Home With Shadrach, Meshach And Abednego" (EP, 1989)
In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the "Paul's Boutique" album, these two EPS were reissued.

Beastie Boys, "Love American Style" (EP, 1989)




1990s



Bikini Kill, Catalog reissues (1991-'96)
Revolution Grrrl Style Now And Forever!

Harry Nilsson, "Losst And Founnd" (1994)
The unreleased album that Nilsson was working on at the time of his passing.


2000s



Queens of the Stone Age, "Songs For The Deaf" (2002)
Their breakthrough and best album, like robotik stoner rock with Cream harmonies.






© Tym Stevens







"A splendid time is guaranteed for all!"






See also:

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2019
BEST COMICS: 2019

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2018
BEST MOVIES & TV: 2018
BEST COMICS: 2018

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2017
BEST COMICS: 2017
BEST MUSIC: 2017

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2016
BEST COMICS: 2016
BEST MUSIC: 2016

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2015
BEST COMICS: 2015
BEST MUSIC: 2015

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2014
BEST COMICS: 2014
BEST MUSIC: 2014

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2013
BEST COMICS: 2013
BEST MUSIC: 2013

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2012
BEST COMICS: 2012
BEST MUSIC: 2012

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2011
BEST COMICS: 2011
BEST MUSIC: 2011

BEST MOVIES: 2000-2010
BEST COMICS: 2000-2010
BEST MUSIC: 2000-2010




BEST COMICS: 2019

$
0
0

PAPER GIRLS,
by Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan



Shortcut links:

Best Comics
••WATCHMEN = Creators Rights
All-Ages Comics!
Best Graphic Novels
Best Collections + Reissues
Where We Come From, Dept.
Best Magazines
Best Movies + TV
Best Webcomics

Rest In Power











B E S T
C O M I C S :






I M A G E




PAPER GIRLS, by Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan_______
One of the smartest, twistiest comics ever made comes to a close with issue #30.



LITTLE BIRD, by Darcy Van Poelgeest and Ian Bertram_______
An hallucinatory 5-issue mini-series, like a post-apoc' dreamquest.

UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, by Charles Soule and Scott Snyder (w), and Giuseppe Camuncoli and Daniele Orlandini (a)_______
A superduo of writers brings us a complex story of our world ravaged by a pandemic, and the lost country that was the United States.

FAIRLADY, by Brian Schirmer, Claudia Balboni, and Marissa Louise_______
Fantasy meets cop procedural, underlined with social critique.

SKYWARD, by Joe Henderson and Lee Garbett_______
Class wars, science intrigue, and zero gravity.



ASCENDER, by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen_______
The sequel to DESCENDER navigates Sci-Fi and Fantasy.

BITTER ROOT, by David F. Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Greene_______
The '20s Harlem Renaissance vs. arcane forces (and family quarrels).

MONSTRESS, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda_______
Best-selling author Marjorie Liu's Gothic Fantasy, with stunning art by Sana Takeda.

THE WICKED AND THE DIVINE, by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie_______
Life and death and lifestyles of the rich and infamous.




M A R V E L





VALKYRIE JANE FOSTER, by Jason Aaron and Al Ewing_______
She was Thor, and now she is more.



THE MAGNIFICENT MS. MARVEL, by Saladin Ahmed and Minkyu Jung_______
A relaunch title of everyone's favorite, Khamala Khan, with a new creative team.

THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL, by Ryan North and Derek Charm_______
Comics' most hilarious hero closes out a long run of chestnuts with issue #50.

THE UNSTOPPABLE WASP, by Jeremy Whitley and Gurihiru_______
The new Wasp and her genius squad arrive to shake up the science hive.

MARVEL RISING, by Nilah Magruder and Roberto Di Salvo_______
Ms Marvel, Squirrel Girl, Ghost-Spider, America Chavez, and Captain Marvel. Nuff said.



SILVER SURFER BLACK, by Donny Cates and Tradd Moore_______
It's the trippy art, morphing somewhere between Steve Ditko and Oliver Hibert.

BLACK PANTHER, by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Daniel Acuna_______
Bestselling author Coates continues to refine and redefine Wakanda's maonarch for the present day.

SHURI, by Nnedi Okorafor and Leonardo Romero_______
Bestselling author Okorafor puts the Panther's sister on center stage.



MARVELS: Annotated, by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross_______
MARVELS rocked the industry in 1994, with its lushly painted deconstruction of the history of the Marvel universe, seen through the eyes of average people. This reissue reveals all the deep details within it.
Ever marvelous.

_______________

S T A R
W A R S



Marvel is doing a splendid job making movies between the movies.


STAR WARS, by Kieron Gillen and Angel Unzueta; Greg Pak and Phil Noto_______
For 75 issues, this series did excellent arcs filling in the mysteries between A NEW HOPE and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.
After this, a new relaunch of the title will explore between EMPIRE and RETURN OF THE JEDI.

DARTH VADER: Dark Lord of the Sith*, by Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli_______
A second series, set in Vader's formative years in the aftermath of REVENGE OF THE SITH, which culminated with issue #25.

*(They don't include the subtitle on the cover, causing great confusion with the first 25-issue DARTH VADER series, which was set later.)

DARTH VADER: Dark Visions, by Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum and varied artists_______
A five-issue mini, an anthology examining how Vader is perceived by different people across the galaxy.


STAR WARS: Doctor Aphra, by Simon Spurrier and Caspar Wijngaard_______
One of STAR WARS comics' most inspired breakthrough characters wraps up her illustrious run with issue #40.






D C





WATCHMEN=Creators Rights:
Fight The Real Enemy

DC Comics began when its mob-connected owners swindled two comics creators out of Superman.>

Siegel and Shuster only recieved proper credit and some compensation 35 years later when other brave creators like Neal Adams started championing creators rights and embarassed the company through the press into giving it. In the '80s, as creator-owned indie comics ignited a mature comics renaissance, DC often paid lip service to now honoring creators rights. This was easier to say, now that their financial fortunes had just turned from near bankruptcy to critical darlings through the revolutionary works of one writer, Alan Moore. Living off his legacy ever since, they now repay him by consistantly betraying him.

Let's be clear. DC has many great accomplishments in its tenure, all of which were achieved by smart creators and supportive editors. But, that creativity has often been overridden by the exploitative machinations of the larger corporations (the legal mafia) that have owned them.


Writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons were promised the permanent rights to WATCHMEN, after a first printing; in 1986, the new 'graphic novels' of the time had one printing and were done. Instead, WATCHMEN and THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS and MAUS established graphic novels as a new literature in the mainstream. Exploiting the irony of its lucrative success, DC has withheld copyright ever since through endless printings. And now they franchise the stolen property through phony prequels and sequels by others to convince the public that they own it.

By all accounts, the new WATCHMEN TV series (Like DC, HBO is also owned by Warner Bros.) is excellent. But I'm boycotting it and here's why.

It doesn't matter about the quality of a swipe, because it's still a swipe. The only purpose for the "Before WATCHMEN" and "Doomsday Clock" comics and the TV series sequel is to deny copyright to the original creators. To support any of them is to support the criminal. Any denial of this is just a flimsy rationalization for Gimmes to consume without conscience.

Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons created WATCHMEN and it's theirs alone. They innovated everything that helps you enjoy all the titles on this Best Comics post. Be Woke by actually being aware. Stand up for real justice and support creators rights.





V E R T I G O


Forget the corporation, support the creators.

GODDESS MODE, by Zoe Quinn and Robbi Rodriguez_______
Femme underground vs. the god machine.





D A R K
H O R S E







BLACK HAMMER: Age Of Doom, by Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormston, and Dave Steward_______
The 12-issue maxi ends; Lemire's BH titles are a parallel to such alt-Comics-history classics as KINGDOM COME, ASTRO CITY, and PLANETARY.

BLACK HAMMER ’45, by Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes_______
A 4-issue mini; like the Tuskegee Airmen retold as the Blackhawks.

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY: HOTEL OBLIVION, by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá_______
After a long break (and the breakout success of the Netflix show), the creators return for a sequel.

AMERICAN GODS: The Moment of the Storm, by Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell, and Scott Hampton_______
The third and concluding arc in their adaptation of Gaiman's book, a separate version than the TV series adaption.




-----Berger Books-----

In a just universe, Karen Berger would be the one running DC Comics instead of the Corps and the Ballcaps. She helmed the original/actual Vertigo Comics, the standard which all current Indie companies are imitating, and now she has her own imprint of creator-owned titles.



INVISIBLE KINGDOM, by G. Willow Wilson and Christian Ward_______
Put together Wilson (the creator of the new Ms. Marvel) and Ward (psychedelic artist of THE ODY-C), and you get a female Dune unlike anything you've seen.

SHE COULD FLY: The Lost Pilot, by Christopher Cantwell, Martin Morazzo, and Miroslav Mrva_______
Written by the showrunner of the Halt And Catch Fire TV show, a mini-series sequel opening up mysteries within and without.


EVERYTHING, by Christopher Cantwell and I. N. J. Culbard_______
The mega-mall promises consumer paradise, so why is everything going wrong outside?
(Metaphor.)

RUBY FALLS, by Ann Nocenti and Flavia Biondi_______
A generational murder mystery.





I D W



Picard, Janeway, Kirk, and Sisko.
You're welcome.

STAR TREK: The Q Conflict, by Scott Tipton, David Tipton, and David Messina (IDW) _______
A mini-series team-up of multiple series -Star Trek, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager- against the omnipotent being, Q.






B O O M





FIREFLY: The Unification War, by Greg Pak and Dan McDaid _______ ⇧
8 issues (or two trades) telling the secret civil war history that led to the TV series.

FIREFLY: Bad Company, by Josh Lee Gordon and Francesco Mortarino_______
A one-shot spotlighting the life story of the rapscallion, Saffron (played on the series by Christina Hendricks).

FIREFLY: Sting, by Delilah S Dawson, with Pius Bak, Serg Acuna, Richard Ortiz, Hyeonjin Kim, and Rodrigo Lorenzo _______ ⇧
An original Graphic Novel, showing Saffron's heist caper from the POV of all the Firefly women involved.



STRANGE SKIES OVER EAST BERLIN, by Jeff Loveness and Lisandro Estherren_______
A Cold War espionage thriller meets sci-fi horror.







T I T A N


BLADE RUNNER 2019, by Michael Green, Mike Johnson, and Andres Guinaldo_______
The first canon comic sequel, by Michael Green (the co-writer of the film sequel BLADE RUNNER 2049), opens up new vistas in the raining city.





V A U L T


SERA AND THE ROYAL STARS, by Jon Tsuei and Audrey Mok_______
A Fantasy of a monarch trying to stave off civil war while seeking divine deliverance.




V A L I A N T


LIVEWIRE, by Vita Ayala, Raul Allen, and Patricia Martin_______
Going from superhero to wanted felon over a noble choice, Livewire circuits a world of pain.




A L L - A G E S
C O M I C S






"Hey, Kids!Comics!"

From the '30s to the '80s, comics unified all of the kids in the world.

Comics spinner racks were omnipresent in every grocery, newstand, and drugstore, a world of dreams in color for small change. But after 50 years, this changed.


As the fans grew older, comics grew more mature (and gradually more expensive). In the early '80s, comics disappeared from common spaces to be sold only in individual comic stores. This was the best and worst thing that could have happened: the select stores became a lab for the medium to grow up with adult fans, but this Comics Renaissance left all the kids behind with no entry point. Now that three decades have passed, the young have moved on to games and streaming, seeing superheroes nowadays only in films that are meant for those longtime adult readers.

Roy Thomas once said, "The Golden Age of Comics is 8."

Comics should still be a fun spark for kids. Now, with the spectacular success of Raina Telgemeier's books, various publishers are finally figuring this out. A wide movement to provide more all-ages comics has risen. From single comics to trade paperbacks, there are many new entry points for young readers to join in and open up their imaginations.


C O M I C S


POWERS IN ACTION, by Art Baltazar (Action Lab) _______
The always delightful Baltazar brings another loving spoof of all things hero in this 4-issue mini.



STEVEN UNIVERSE, by Taylor Robin and S.M. Mara (Boom) _______
The acclaimed show has finished, but the adventures continue on the page.

ADVENTURE TIME, Season 11, by Sonny Liew and Marina Julia (Boom) _______
Season 10 was the last onscreen, but keep the merriment rolling with this print sequel.

SABRINA, The Teenage Witch, by Kelly Thompson and Veronica Fish (Archie) _______
Known for her TV shows, Sabrina is just as bewitching in her latest comic series by noted writer Kelly Thompson.

MARVEL ACTION: SPIDER-MAN, by Delilah S Dawson and Fico Ossio (Marvel/IDW) _______
Young teen versions of Peter, Miles, and Gwen goof around.

STAR WARS ADVENTURES, by various creators (IDW) _______
All-ages adventures of the film and TV animated characters in new stories.
Rey!



CASPER, by various creators (American Mythology) _______
The timeless '50s-'70s stories reprinted.

UNDERGOG, by various creators (American Mythology) _______
New and classic stories.

BULLWINKLE AND ROCKY, by various creators (American Mythology) _______
The classic '70s comics reprinted.

PEANUTS: LUCY SPEAKS OUT!, by Charles Schultz (Amp) _______
Reprints of the Peanuts comic strip in serial form.


G R A P H I C
N O V E L S

SPACE BOY #1-6, by Stephen McCranie (Dark Horse) _______
An ongoing series of books, following a young teen adapting to moving around our solar system and the friends she makes.

BEN 10, by various creators (Boom) _______
The TV series hero in original tales.


SUPER SONS, by Peter J. Tomasi, Carlo Barberi, and Art Thibert (DC) _______
The adventures of Damian Wayne (Robin) and Jon Kent (Superboy), a 12-issue maxi compiled into two trade paperbacks.

DC SUPERHERO GIRLS At Metropolis High, by Amy Wolfram and Yancy Labat (DC) _______
An original Graphic Novel starring young teen versions of Batgirl, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Green Lantern, Bumblebee, and Zatanna.

TOY STORY ADVENTURES, by various creators (Disney) _______
Short stories spread across the span of the films.

CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED, by various creators (Jack Lake Productions) _______
From the '40s to the '70s, Classics Illustrated adapted the classic books into comics form, becoming classics themselves.
Recently each issue has been reprinted as a single-volume trade paperback.



GUTS, by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic/Graphix) _______
Raina Telgemeier is the JK Rowling of comics, bringing more young readers in with her wildly popular and fun confessional books than anyone in the industry.

CLEOPATRA IN SPACE #1-5, by Mike Maihack (Scholastic) _______
Annual books of the Egyptian teen queen having fun in the far future.

SANITY AND TALLULAH #1-2, by Molly Brooks (Disney/Hyperion) _______
Two young girls, a fiesty cat, a space station. What could go wrong?

HILDA And... #1-7, by Luke Pearson (Flying Eye Books) _______
Refreshing kid adventures with a contemporary Fantasy bent, now made world-famous by the Netflix cartoon series.


Resources:
Kidscomics.com
School Library Journal: Good Comics For Kids
50 Best Comics + Graphic Novels For Kids
The Big Blog Of Kids' Comics!
European Comics For Children
13 Great Webcomics For Kids and Teens





B E S T
G R A P H I C
N O V E L S :





THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN:
Vol. 4, The Tempest
, by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill (Top Shelf) _______
The finale to the LOEG books, and to the careers of its esteemed creators.

What if all literature was a true, inter-related reality? The Extraordinary Gentlemen books are actually the complex history of one extraordinary woman, threading the entire Canon of speculative fictions together.

Deep as Oxford, eclectic as the Smithsonian, fun as Comic-Con.




NOVEMBER Vol. 1, by Matt Fraction and Elsa Charretier (Dark Horse) _______
Beginning a trilogy: three women, a crooked city, and intricate enigmas.

THE MIDWINTER WITCH, by Molly Knox Ostertag (Scholastic) _______
The finale of the Fantasy trilogy, by hailed creator Ostertag (Strong Female Protagonist).

CLYDE FANS, by Seth (Drawn and Quarterly) _______
A long form meditation how all things must pass, focusing on a fans factory, a series made across twenty years and collected together for the first time.

GIRL ON FILM, by Cecil Castellucci; Art by Vicky Leta, Jon Berg, V. Gagnon, and Melissa Duffy (Boom) _______
A wild memoir by Castellucci (Shade The Changing Girl).

GENDER QUEER: A Memoir , by Maia Kobabe (Lion Forge) _______
Only you can define who you are.
(Tip: It's a work in progress the whole way.)




THE RIVER AT NIGHT, by Kevin Huizenga (Drawn & Quarterly) _______
Insomnia gives you plenty of time to think think think...

LAURA DEAN KEEPS BREAKING UP WITH ME, by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero O Connell (First Second Books) _______
Love is revelation, destroyer, and catalyst. A nuanced teen opera.

SKIP, by Molly Mendoza (Nobrow Press) _______
Two new friends explore cosmic landscapes and their psyches. Beautifully painted surrealism.

CATS OF THE LOUVRE, by Taiyo Matsumoto (NBM) _______
The secret world of night cats in the art palace.



IRON
Or, The War After
, by Shane-Michael Vidaurri (Archaia Studios Press) _______
Like Animal Farm meets 1984.

JAMES BROWN:
Black And Proud
, by Xavier Fauthoux (IDW) _______
"Say it loud!".



REMBRANDT, by Typex (SelfMadeHero) _______
SelfMadeHero is publishing great biographies of famous artists told in their visual styles; previous volumes highlighted Van Gogh, Picasso, Munch, Dali, and Magritte.
>SelfMadeHero.com

PHILIP K. DICK, by Laurent Queyssi and Mauro Marchesi (NBM) _______
Speculative Fiction's most eccentric and original thinker is finally getting his due, with film and tv adaptions, documentaries, and bios like this.

BASQUIAT, by Paolo Paris (SelfMadeHero) _______
The downtown renaissance man who mapped the future from the primordial past.

BLANK CANVAS:
My So-Called Artist's Journey
, Vol. 1-5, by Akiko Higashimura (Seven Seas) _______
The autobiography of the famed Manga artist and her struggles.




I KNOW WHAT I AM:
The Life and Times of Artemisia Gentileschi
, by Gina Siciliano (Fantagraphics) _______
Artemisia was a 16th Century painter abused and neglected at every turn, but her brilliant work has become undeniable.

AMAZONS, ABOLITIONISTS, AND ACTIVISTS:
A Graphic History of Women's Fight for Their Rights
, by Mikki Kendall (Ten Speed Press) _______
"What do we want? Freedom!
When do we want it? Now!".

THIS WOMAN'S WORK, by Julie Delporte (Drawn & Quarterly) _______
Autobiography as feminist deconstruction of identity.

THE HARD TOMORROW, by Eleanor Davis (Drawn & Quarterly) _______
Love and the intersection of anxiety and responsibility.




THE LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS:
A Graphic Narrative
, by David Walker, Damon Smyth, and Marissa Louise (Ten Speed Press) _______
Douglass was the Gandhi and King of the 19th Century, who rose up from illiterate slave to revolutionary scholar.

I, RENE TARDI, PRISONER OF WAR IN STALAG IIB:
Vol. 2, My Return Home
, by Rene Tardi (Drawn & Quarterly) _______
The aftermath of the French cartoonist's internment in a German WWII prison camp.

THEY CALLED US ENEMY, by George Takei, with Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker (Top Shelf) _______
George Takei is famous for forging the future on Star Trek.
But as a child he was interned in a California prison camp, despite being a citizen. This timely autobiography reminds us that bigotry must be fought at all times in all places.

GRASS, by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim (Drawn & Quarterly) _______
A memoir of Korean girls exploited as sexual slaves in Japanese internment camps.

THE BLUE ROAD:
A Fable of Migration
, by (Arsenal Pulp Press) _______
A symbolic parable about the value of immigrants, across land and soul.




The Sons of EL TOPO:
Vol. 2, Abel
, by Alejandro Jodorowsky and José Ladrönn (Dark Horse) _______
Jodorowsky made his startling debut with the symbolist western film EL TOPO (1970).
After years of developing a sequel, he is releasing it in graphix form, with Ladrönn's stunning art depicting the best unmade film around.

DIOSAMANTE, by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Jean-Claude Gal (Humanoids) _______
Having worked with Moebius, Jodorowsky has created many Metal Hurlant-style alternate histories.






B E S T
C O L L E C T I O N S
+ R E I S S U E S :


Quality is timeless.




EC ARCHIVES:
Weird Fantasy, Vol. 4
Two-Fisted Tales, Vol. 4
Crime SuspenStories, Vol. 4
Frontline Combat
Modern Love
Piracy, by Multiple Creators (Dark Horse) _______
EC Comics invented comics for adults in the early '50s, and were crucified for it.>
Catch up to the original revolution.
Stories by Gaines, Feldstein, Frazetta, Wood, Kamen, Orlando, Williamson, and more.




Druillet's THE NIGHT (1976), by Philippe Druillet (Titan) _______
Out of unbearable personal tragedy, Druillet crafted this stark catharsis tale.

Druillet's SALAMMBO, Vol.1 (1980-'81), by Philippe Druillet (Titan) _______
Druillet adapted a trilogy out of Flaubert's controversial historial war saga.

ANGEL CLAWS (1994), by Jodorowsky and Moebius (Humanoids Publishing) _______
Two iconoclasts push sensual surrealism beyond all boundaries.

40 DAYS- Dans Le Désert B (1999), by Moebius (Book Palace) _______
A sketchbook compilation. Look and learn.

LE FAUNE DE MARS- Martian Wildlife (2011), by Moebius (Book Palace) _______
Another sketchbook collection, as usual a basic master class.




WONDER WOMAN:
The Golden Age, Vol. 3
(1944), by Charles Moulton and H.G. Peter (DC) _______
Moulton's forward feminism and Peter's art-nouveau cartooning are only now getting the appreciation they're due.

ADAM STRANGE:
The Silver Age, Vol. 1
(1958-'64), by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, Murphy Anderson, Gil Kane, and Carmine Infantino + (DC) _______
DC's Flash Gordon surrogate was a canny series which brought SciFi into the Silver Age, with stellar writers and artists.

BATMAN
By Neal Adams, Book 2
(1969-'70), by Dennis O'Neil, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, and Neal Adams + (DC) _______
The modern Batman exists because of Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams.
They ushered in the Age Of Relevancy, when mainstream comics grew up. Dig the revolution.

SHAZAM!
The World's Mightiest Mortal, Vol. 1
(1973-'75), by Dennis O'Neil, C.C. Beck, and Bob Oksner (DC) _______
Captain Marvel was the biggest selling superhero on Earth in the '40s, until jealous DC sued him out of existence.
In 1973, they began to atone for this by bringing him back for a new generation, and this bouyant tome collects the first 18 fun issues.



Absolute SWAMP THING
by Alan Moore, Vol. 1
(1983-'85), by Alan Moore, Stephen R, Bissette, and John Totleben, + (DC) _______
Alan Moore seeded the Comics Renaissance in Britain with MarvelMan (1982).
But it wildflowered to the world with his US work on Swamp Thing.
This is a remastered omnibus of the beginning, with new (dull airbrush) coloring.

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS,
35th Anniversary
(1985-'86), by Marv Wolfman and George Perez (DC) _______
DC invented the Multiverse.
After thirty years of complex continuity, they streamlined it all with this epic-to-end-all-epics.
Still the best.

THE KILLING JOKE (1988), by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland (DC) _______
The core inspiration for both THE DARK KNIGHT (2008) and JOKER (2019).
Read the real thing.

KINGDOM COME (1996), by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross (DC) _______
Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman took superheroes to an unmatchable pinnacle with Miracleman (1987-'90).
But it spawned worthy scion like this beautifully painted contemplation about lost hope and luminous futures.



VAMPS:
The Complete Collection
(1996), by Elaine Lee and William Simpson (Vertigo) _______
Elaine Lee (Starstruck) and Will Simpson (Game Of Thrones artist) bring you female vampire bikers; all three mini-series collected in one volume at last.

STARDUST (1996), by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess (Vertigo) _______
The original illustrated story, before the novel or the film.



MASTER OF KUNG FU:
Fight Without Pity
(1975-'77), by Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy (Marvel) _______
This comic series is the lost treasure of the '70s, finally seeing print again after rights issues.
Moench wrote three crucial runs across the decade, each with a singular artist. This collects the first with Gulacy, a stylist blending the best of Bruce Lee and Steranko.

NEW MUTANTS:
The Demon Bear Saga
(1984-'85), by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz (Marvel) _______
After his stunning run on Moon Knight, Sienkiewicz unleashed all inhibitions with his work here: like Neal Adams knife-fighting with Ralph Steadman.
This specifically inspired the radical TV series Legion and the NEW MUTANTS film (2020).


THE PRISONER:
Shattered Visage
(1988), by Dean Motter and Mark Askwith (Titan) _______
This authorized sequel to The Prisoner show returns to print, as strong an extension as any made.

PROMETHEA,
20th Anniversary Vol. 1
(1999), by Alan Moore and J.H. Williams III (America's Best Comics) _______
Like Wonder Woman with all the brakes off.
Moore and Williams' magnum opus is a cosmic cathedral of infinite riches.
A work of fine art.


PETER CANNON THUNDERBOLT, by Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard (Dynamite) _______
WATCHMEN influenced everything, but was matched by none.
Here's one of the few heirs that do well by it.


NANCY:
A Comic Collection
, by Olivia Jaimes (Amp Comics) _______
The terrific webcomic reboot gets a print book.

HEY KIDS! COMICS!, by Howard Chaykin (Image) _______
Howard Chaykin's loving (while unvarnished) homage to the history of the comics industry.



ALIEN 3, by (Dark Horse) _______
In 1987, the suits squandered a chance for ALIEN 3 and 4, written by Cyberpunk author William Gibson and to be directed by returning original Ridley Scott.
Let that sink in.
This compiled mini-series adapts the unused script for ALIEN 3 to comics.



_______________



WHEREWE
COMEFROM,
Dept.


Explore the past to map the future.
Get with, get going.



American Comic Book Chronicles:
1940-1944
, by Kurt F. Mitchell (TwoMorrows) _______
The deep story of the Golden Age of Comics.

EC COMICS:
Race, Shock, and Social Protest
, by Qiana Whitted (Rutgers University Press) _______
As time passes, EC Comics only gains more social stature, even as all its assassins have dissolved to dust.



BRAIN BATS OF VENUS:
The Life and Comics of Basil Wolverton, Vol. 2 (1942-1952)
, by Greg Sadowski (Fantagraphics) _______
Wolverton was the punk rock of extreme cartooning, so severe he could hardly have a career.

Forgotten All-Star:
A Biography of GARDNER FOX
, by Jennifer DeRoss (Pulp Hero Press) _______
Pivotal writer Gardner Fox created the JSA, and then the JLA, and the Multiverse between them.

MAC RABOY:
Master of the Comics
, by Roger Hill (TwoMorrows) _______
In contrast to the clean-line cartooning of C.C. Beck's Captain Marvel, Raboy's Captain Marvel Jr was like a streamlined Hal Foster, naturalistic and elegant.


Timely's Greatest:
The Golden Age Of SIMON AND KIRBY
(1940-'42), by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby (Marvel) _______
The original power duo, who co-created Captain America, dynamic panels, hyperbolic storytelling, kid squads, love comics, and double-page spreads.



EC COMICS LIBRARY:
Atom Bomb and Other Stories
, by Harvey Kurtzman and Wallace Wood (Fantagraphics) _______
The message stories of EC's golden boys.

EC COMICS LIBRARY:
The Woman Who Loved Life And Other Stories
, by Johnny Craig (Fantagraphics) _______
Johnny Craig is infamous for his blunt, scandalous work for Vault Of Horror and Crime SuspenStories.

ROY G. KRENKEL:
Father of Heroic Fantasy
, by Andrewsteven Damsits and Barry Klugerman (IDW) _______
A consummate illustrator, whose influence on succeeding artists is immeasurable.

Telling Stories:
The Classic Comic Art Of FRANK FRAZETTA
, Edited by Edward Mason (Bud's Art Books) _______
A reissue of the 2008 book, collecting Frazetta's less-known early comics work.

Marvel Masters of Suspense:
STAN LEE AND STEVE DITKO
(1960s), by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko (Marvel) _______
There were two dynamic duos at Marvel and Stan was in both. Ditko's best art period.




KIRBY IS FANTASTIC (The 1960s), by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (Marvel) _______
An overview of the cutting edge Fantastic Four comic, for which Lee and Kirby did the first 101 issues.

KIRBY IS MIGHTY (The 1960s), by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (Marvel) _______
It was in The Mighty Thor where Kirby went galactic and epic, with double-spreads that blueprinted everything in the THOR films.

DC Universe:
The Bronze Age Omnibus of JACK KIRBY
(The 1970s-'80s), by Jack Kirby (DC) _______
From '70 to '75, Kirby jumped ship to the Distinguished Competion, hitting his pinnacle with the New Gods titles and Kamandi.

KIRBY RETURNS (1976-'78), by Jack Kirby (Marvel) _______
An omnibus of Kirby's return to Marvel Comics; his continually influencial work then on Captain America, Black Panther, The Eternals, 2001, Machine Man, and Devil Dinosaur is still being mined in comics and onscreen today.



The Complete CREPAX,
Vol. 4: Private Life
(1960s), by Guido Crepax (Fantagraphics) _______
Mod pageantry, Hitchcock panels, and erotic decadence.

JAMES WARREN, Empire Of Monsters:
The Man Behind Creepy, Vampirella, And Famous Monsters
, by Bill Schelly (Fantagraphics) _______
Warren magazines like Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella were the adult comics of the '60s and '70s.
And The Spirit reprints rediscovered and helped canonize Will Eisner.

BERNIE WRIGHTSON Artifact Edition, by Bernie Wrightson (IDW) _______
EC produced future children like Jeff Jones, Michael Kaluta, and Berni Wrightson, whose fine illustration work on Swamp Thing is essential.

The Collected TOPPI,
Vol. 2: North America
, by Sergio Toppi (Lion Forge) _______
Every page by Toppi is a master class in illustration, in the use of line, contrast, design, and negative space.

The Book Of WEIRDO:
A Retrospective of R. Crumb's Legendary Humor Comics Anthology
(1994), by Jon B. Cooke (Last Gasp) _______
Crumb's cheeky response to the arty RAW magazine was the hinge from underground comix to today's indie comics and graphic novels.
Culprits who slung ink there included Peter Bagge, Charles Burns, Daniel Clowes, Kim Deitch, Julie Doucet, Drew Friedman, Phoebe Gloeckner, Justin Green, Bill Griffith, Gilbert Hernandez, Carol Lay, Harvey Pekar, Joe Sacco, Dori Seda, Art Spiegelman, and Robert Williams.

FREE S#!T, by Charles Burns (Fantagraphics) _______
Drawings that Burns gave away free to friends now grace a coffee table book.




MAGAZINES




ALTER EGO (TwoMorrows) _______
The original '60s comics fanzine that pioneered all of modern fandom, with deep stories on the Golden and Silver Age creators, is an ongoing mag still edited by Roy Thomas.
>Alter Ego

BACK ISSUE! (TwoMorrows) _______
Dedicated to the '70s and '80s renaissance.
>Back Issue

ILLUSTRATION (The Illustrated Press) _______
The best illustrators celebrated by the smartest illustration mag.
>Illustration








B E S T
M O V I E S
+ T V :



I write and illustrate reviews of all comics-sourced films at the Four Color Films site.

Art by Tym Stevens

CAPTAIN MARVEL
That's her boot upside your ass.
My review and original art.

AVENGERS: Endgame
10 years of quality superhero films coming to stunning fruition, and hinging into the new future.
My review and original art.

SPIDER-MAN: Far From Home
Pushing the envelope into origami.

JOKER
Art film and character study, in New Hollywood style.
My review and original art.

See Also:
>Four Color Films,
THE Comic Movies Review Site!



LEGION, season 3
The highest level of fine art craft on Television.

JESSICA JONES, season 3
Jessica bows out, as snarky and haunted as ever.

RAISING DION, season 1
A smart, funny, and moving series about an 8-year-old superhero and his amazing mom.



See also:
>BEST MOVIES & TV: 2019






B E S T
W E B C O M I C S :




NANCY, by Olympia Jaimes _______
Under a psuedonym, someone is upgrading the classic strip's mindtricks for the digital age.
"Sluggo is lit" and you should get literate, too.

PRINCE VALIANT, by Mark Schultz and Thomas Yeates _______
Schultz (Xenozoic Tales) and Yeates (Timespirits) are doing excellent work continuing Hal Foster's masterwork into the 21st century.

The Nib_______
RESIST!







R E S T
I N
P O W E R



From you, we exist.
Because of you, we persist.


Art by Tym Stevens

Everett Raymond Kinstler
Pedro Bell
Gahan Wilson
Howard Cruse


Back cover of MAD #46 (April 1959),
art by Frank Kelly Freas.

MAD Magazine ⇧
After the dumbass politicians killed EC Comics>, MAD Magazine rose like a phoenix blowing a smartass raspberry at all culture.
Its satiric mayhem directly inspired Lenny Bruce, underground comix, National Lampoon, Saturday Night Live, In Living Color, MAD TV, The Daily Show, and all snarky teens ever since.
Now the usual gang of idiots -the dumbass digital era- has ended it.
Stay irate, stay crazed, stay MAD.






Nuff said, pilgrim.Excelsior!


© Tym Stevens



See also:

-FourColorFilms: THE Comics Film Review Site!


BEST MOVIES & TV: 2019
BEST MUSIC: 2019

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2018
BEST MUSIC: 2018
BEST COMICS: 2018

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2017
BEST MUSIC: 2017
BEST COMICS: 2017

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2016
BEST MUSIC: 2016
BEST COMICS: 2016

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2015
BEST MUSIC: 2015
BEST COMICS: 2015

BEST MUSIC: 2014
BEST MOVIES & TV: 2014
BEST COMICS: 2014

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2013
BEST MUSIC: 2013
BEST COMICS: 2013

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2012
BEST MUSIC: 2012
BEST COMICS: 2012

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2011
BEST MUSIC: 2011
BEST COMICS: 2011

BEST MOVIES: 2000-2010
BEST COMICS: 2000-2010
BEST MUSIC: 2000-2010


-STARSTRUCK Strikes Back!
-STARSTRUCK: The Roots and Branches of Elaine Lee & Michael Kaluta's space opera
-How STAR WARS Is Changing Everything!


- THE CANON 1: 50 Books That Created Modern Culture, with Music Player
- THE CANON 2: 50 More Books That Created Modern Pop Culture, with Music Player
- THE CANON 3: 50 Recent Books That Created Modern Culture, with Music Player




BEST MOVIES & TV: 2019

$
0
0

The Great, The Good, and The Interesting!

R E Y



Shortcut links:
BEST MOVIES: 2019
BEST DOCUMENTARIES: 2019
BEST TV: 2019


Note: This will often spotlight directors for special merit.
But Auteur Theory is a shoebox; films are a collaborative effort with everyone involved.







"And... Action!"

B E S T
M O V I E S :
2 0 1 9





T H I N K




SHADOW (China) ⇧
Director Zhang Yimou is famed for his epic compositions and rich colors (Hero, House Of Flying Daggers).
Here, he counters this with a Wuxia palace thriller rendered in (almost) greyscale and expressionistic set pieces.

PARASITE (South Korea) ⇧
Like two melded films burning at both ends, this layered social satire lights up the comedies and tragedies of the class war.
Director Bong Joon-ho (Mother, Snowpiercer) crests on a supurb cast.

LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT* (China) ⇧
*(not the O'Neill play)
Bi Gan impressed many with his debut film, Kaili Blues (2015).
This follow-up is a startling leap forward, a labyrithine neo-noir that culminates in an eerie symbolist odyssey shot in one hour-long take.

ASH IS PUREST WHITE (China) ⇧
The journey is the thing.
Director Jia Zhangke unrolls a parable of a woman (artfully played by his partner, Zhao Tao) caught up in smalltown ganglife.



TOLKIEN
J.R.R. Tolkein turned Fantasy into literature with the Lord Of The Rings trilogy.
This bracing and touching bio reveals how poverty, war, and love compelled him to make it.

THE CURRENT WAR
Civilization exists because of electricity.
This constantly surprising overview of the bruising competition between Edison, Westinghouse, and Tesla leads right into the birth of the modern world.

THE IRISHMAN
Scorsese, Pacino, DeNiro, Pesci, Keitel.
The Godfather gang bookend their storied careers with a stately epic.

ROCKETMAN
Freeing itself from the biopic rut, this freeform musical captures the quintessential '70s Superstar during his popular zenith and personal lows with surprising candor and inspiration.
The classic songs are impressively produced by Giles Martin.



OPHELIA
A feminist riposte to Hamlet, led by the ever-supple Daisy Ridley.

HER SMELL
Two films: a handheld faux-doc' of a riot grrrl going mad with Rock excess, and a static stare at sobriety and grace.
Elizabeth Moss strings both extremes.

PAIN AND GLORY (Spain)
Pedro Almodóvar's swan song.
MVP Antonio Banderas is at his best as the avatar for the director's cathartic personal journey through past and present travails, guiding a fine cast through a layered and moving story.


Interesting:
LUCY IN THE SKY
A beautiful set-up that goes to an erratic place; based loosely on the true tale of a female astronaut struggling through the aftermath.
This journey is valuable as a feminist rebuke to double-standards, and is undervalued because of them.




S M I L E





THE LAUNDROMAT
Want to know how the Rich launder all the money they fleece from you?
In this brash experimental comedy, director Steven Soderbergh and an all-star cast expose the Panama Papers, with everyperson Meryl Streep on the trail of the gleefully decadent Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas.


YESTERDAY
What if you were the only one who knew The Beatles' songs?
This thought experiment proves out as an engaging comedy with some nice character beats and, of course, the best music.

BEATLESQUE Songs: 1963-esque, with Massive
Music Player!




BOOKSMART
Normally I can't do suburban angst or High School wanks. Nope.
But this film constantly flays cliches with clever lines, jolting absurdity, and a cast chemistry that is undeniable.

STAN AND OLLIE
A gently bittersweet stroll through Laurel and Hardy's final comedy tour that is as funny and touching as their classic films.
Steve Coogan (Stan) and John C. Reilly (Ollie) are uncannily accurate.

DOLEMITE IS MY NAME
Comedian Rudy Ray Moore channeled the '70s black underground into albums and films through his rough-rapping character, Dolemite.
Eddie Murphy is clearly on fire playing his idol, a cult figure who helped inspire indie street films and Rap.
(Also, it struts on an excellent soundtrack.)

THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO
Half great, half frustrating.
Strongest as a confident, wry character study of two unique friends braving their dreams, weakest when it reduces the city's pluralism to forced generic absolutisms.




D R E A M





✭✭✭✭✭
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

I love the Original Trilogy as much as anyone can.
Yet, for me, the new films are the best.
And RISE is the Ultimate STAR WARS film.

It not only splendidly crescendoes its current trilogy, but the entire triple trilogy, with a scope, depth, vision, and intensity that excels them all. Rey is truly The One, and this triumph is beautiful in every facet all the way to its last frame.


Why EMPIRE and LAST JEDI are actually the Best of the STAR WARS films




HIGH LIFE
An astronaut, a child, an evolving mystery, and an event horizon.
Claire Denis' nonlinear SF parable unwinds like a play, quietly building and contorting, with star assist from Juliette Binoche, Robert Pattinson, and André Benjamin.

ANIARA (Sweden) ⇧
A cityship bound for Mars goes astray, and its bereft society struggles to find its way.
Based on Martinson's 1956 symbolist poem, this entrancing film interpretation recalls SF author James Tiptree Jr, with her blend of rumination, turnovers, and undertow.

AD ASTRA
The storylines of 2001 and 2010 transformed into the introspective journey of "Heart Of Darkness"/Apocalypse Now.

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - Its Transcendent Influence on all Pop Culture, with Music Player!

FAST COLOR
Told in plain terms amid wide plains, Julia Hart's naturalist 'superhero' story impresses through twists and teardrops.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw heads a winning, understated cast.


Interesting:
GLASS
The intersection of Unbreakable and Split, better in its build-up than its end-up.




N I G H T M A R E





WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE
An effective, if straightforward, adaptation of the emotional thriller.
Always read the original works by Shirley Jackson, to savor her poetry and contemplation.

THE CANON 3: 50 Recent Books That Created Modern Pop Culture, with Music Player!

THE LIGHTHOUSE
Robert Eggers follows The Witch (2015) with this harsh b/w chiller.
The psychological duel between Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, trapped in a remote lighthouse together, is arresting.



Interesting:
UNDER THE SILVER LAKE
Essentially a canny Hitchcock homage used to frame a potpourri of LA weirdness.
Well-shot and scored.

VELVET BUZZSAW
The previous effort Nightcrawler was solid, but this generally sharp LA art world satire insists on being a mediocre horror film instead.




G R A P H I C
I M A G E S



I review and do original illustrations of
all Comics-based films for the review site,
Four Color Films.


Art by Tym Stevens

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL
My Review and original art

CAPTAIN MARVEL
My Review and original art

SHAZAM!
My Review and original art


Art by Tym Stevens

AVENGERS: ENDGAME
My Review and original art

SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME

JOKER
My Review and original art



See Also:
Four Color Films,
THE Comic Movies Review Site!




A R T F L I X





TOY STORY 4
Every Toy Story sequel is better and deeper, because Pixar waits for a great idea and takes their time with care.


TEEN TITANS GO! vs TEEN TITANS
Goofball fun.
I'm a sucker for any Multiversal team-up, always.

I LOST MY BODY (France)
This pensive and surreal film is not for kids.
A severed hand flexes through Paris to track down its host. Also, a touching romance!
(It works.)


TV Animation:



✭✭✭✭✭
UNDONE⇧ 1

An indie dramedy, mystery thriller, and eye-popping headtrip all in one!

'Undone' is as bright and innovative as almost anything out there. Once the amazing second episode kicks in, no alert person could possibly turn away from this show's mysteries and delights.

The effusive Rosa Salazar (Alita) is riveting as the whirlwind freespirit Alma, teetering between tough self-assessment and radically altered perception of reality itself. Carefully tracing a hypnagogic spirit journey, realized through stunning rotoscope animation and painted backgrounds, the gripping story stays grounded through the rich performances of Angelique Cabral, Constance Marie, Siddharth Dhananjay, Daveed Diggs, and the elastic Bob Odenkirk ('Better Call Saul').

Now that 'Legion', 'Lodge 49', and 'The Good Place' have ended, sharp fans should support 'Undone'.


STAR WARS: RESISTANCE 2
Essentially 'Archie Meets Star Wars', with all the YA fun that entails.
Great cudos for the conversion of Ralph McQuarrie's signature art designs into anime style.

DISENCHANTMENT 2
A wonky first half, but a rousing finish.

MARVEL RISING
A continuing series of specials, starring Ms Marvel, Squirrel Girl, Ghost-Spider, America Chavez, and Captain Marvel.






B E S T
D O C U M E N T A R I E S :
2 0 1 9



KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE
How Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the young progressives overturned the repressive control of the House Of Representitives.

THE GREAT HACK
How Cambridge Analytica hacked your social media to install a fake President.

THE EDGE OF DEMOCRACY
How the populist leadership of Brazil was toppled to install the dictator Bolsonaro.

THE INVENTOR: Out For Blood In Silicon Valley
It's often said 'Bernie Madoff only went to prison because he ripped off rich people', and this doc' taking down another corporate swindler proves that true.
Meanwhile, the wider rich have swindled the country, but that's just business as usual.




The Two Killings Of SAM COOKE
Sam Cooke was America's soul superstar but, after recording the protest anthem "A Change Is Gonna Come", he died under abrupt and contested circumstances.

APOLLO 11
On July 20, 1969, the human race became interstellar citizens with our landing on the moon.

WHO BURNED THE BRONX?
1970s NYC was gutted and burned for the monied to 'develop'.

MEMORY: The Origins of ALIEN
The finest SciFi/Horror film of all time gets due remembrance.







B E S T
T V :
2 0 1 9



(The season number follows each title.)




N E W S





Feed your mind and your activism will follow.

The Rachel Maddow Show

LAST WEEK with John Oliver

PBS NewsHour

PBS FRONTLINE




D R A M A





GENTLEMAN JACK 1 ⇧
Anne Lister scandalized the 1830s with her androgynous sexuality and business acumen.
Here, showrunner Sally A. Wainwright (Last Tango in Halifax, Happy Valley) brings her secret world -translated from coded journals- to vivid life, pinioned on the mesmerizing performance of Suranne Jones.

JETT 1 ⇧
Like Catwoman meets "Breaking Bad".
The great Carla Gugino finally gets the breakout role she deserves, completely riveting in Sebastian Gutierrez's sleek hardboiled thriller.
Kinky, brutal, intricate, tender.


MR. ROBOT 4
Sam Esmail's hacktivist-thriller comes to a heady, challenging finale.

EL CAMINO: A Breaking Bad Movie
A nuanced postscript to "Breaking Bad" that succeeds on every level.



THE DEUCE 3 ⇧
The 'show about Porn history' is actually an expose of the rise of our corporate rulers.

In the '70s and '80s, the rich destroyed destitute NYC neighborhoods; this war on the poor proved to be a gentrification scheme to seize land and power, which they used to take over the city, the state, and the nation.

The series finale, set in 1985, spells this out for all the late and the lazy to see. This is the origin of your current overthrow.

POSE 2 ⇧
The spiritual and sequential 'sequel' to "The Deuce", as viewed and endured by the LGBTQ underground in 1990.



GAME OF THRONES 8
Television's grandest and most complex show, #1 around the world, comes to a poignant/polarizing finale.
No matter where you fall on that, this series has been one of the most impressive and resonant achievements in TV history.




W O N D E R



Television is the new Cinema.

Through the 20th Century, Film had the lockhold on budgeted scope and artful substance, while television was considered cheap and lowbrow.

In the recent two decades, the tide is turning. With big-pocket cable companies, diverse content, widescreen stereo TVs, longform serials, and sophisticated audiences, televison can now rival or outpace cinema for production values and narrative depth.

Three examples of this are 'Star Trek: Discovery', 'The Mandalorian', and 'Lost In Space'.



✭✭✭✭✭
STAR TREK: DISCOVERY 2 ⇧
'Star Trek: Discovery' is the Ultimate STAR TREK.

It symphonizes the idealic passion of the original series, the mad experimentation of the animated and the novels, the serial depth of the Berman-era shows, and the optimum cinerama of the films into an holistic blend of all its varied strengths. This season reinvented the origins of the original, and then, in one breathtaking final leap, boldly went where none of them have gone before.

Engage.


✭✭✭✭✭
THE MANDALORIAN
The new STAR WARS films, tv show, animateds, and comics are the best ever made, lovingly crafted by fans-turned-pros who are enhancing everything we loved from before.
Thank you, Jon Favreau, for the 'Boba Fett space western' that we always wanted.


✭✭✭✭✭
LOST IN SPACE 2 ⇧
One of the best shows being made.
As mysteriously epic as 2001, as heart-pounding as RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, as real as THE MARTIAN, as touching as any family dramady around, this ingenius serial constantly surprises and galvanizes at every turn.

If you've been absent, discover your loss.


THE ORVILLE 2
While "Star Trek: The Next Generation" took over 50 episodes to find its feet, this sleeper did it within its first 12.

If the first season started as NextGen-Lite with fratboy jokes, it later sobered up into a real social issues drama with light asides. The second season warped with that momentum into a fine ReGeneration show that too many, including Trekkers, are missing out on.




THE OA 2 ⇧
Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij's fearless head-shred epic has more smarts than your kicked ass.

Brazenly deep, heedlessly serpentine, vehemently passionate. Other than "Legion", there is no other show so many light years ahead of the curve. The astounding 5th episode is better than entire seasons of other fine shows.



COLONY 4
Everything rises up for the final showdown against the alien invasion... and then they cancelled the show.
It's still worth the season's trip, even so.

3% 3 (Brazil)
Quietly the best dystopian rebellion story around, led by the great Bianca Comparato and Vaneza Oliveira.

OSMOSIS 1 (France)
Like 'Black Mirrror', a well-considered critique of how tech can mine you far deeper than it ever should.

HIS DARK MATERIALS 1
Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogy books unleashed in all the depth that cinema couldn't have time for.
Thoughtful casting and skillfull worldbuilding.


GOOD OMENS miniseries
A whimsical adaption of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's staving-apocalypse book, scripted by Neil himself; a bit self-consciously muggy but at its stride when played straight.
Michael Sheen and David Tennant are having such fun as angel and devil that their tide carries everything.




H O R R O R




THE TWILIGHT ZONE (2019) 1
Rod Serling, an acclaimed playwright, disrupted '50s TV censorship using the guise of a Speculative Fiction show to satirize any oppression of spirit and mind.
This third revival honors him with more diverse casting, sharp social commentary, and character plays.
The third episode, "Replay", is an outstanding condemnation of racial profiling and killer cops that should be mandatory viewing right now.*

*(Albeit, the only one where the new cursing element is justified.)


BLACK MIRROR 5
While that show honors tradition, its heir is breaking new ground.
Alvin Toffler's theory of 'Futureshock' predicted we couldn't keep up with the ramifications of the tech we churn out.
At 70 minutes each, Charlie Brooker's anthology vignettes set 'five minutes in the future' are as strong as movies, deep as plays, focused as short stories. This is a consistently excellent and profoundly thoughtful series, challenging us to review our evolving reality.


STRANGER THINGS 3
A strong, well-thought season that pulls the entire ensemble together while advancing each character.

THE TERROR 2
The first season of this anthology was such an engrossing tale of arctic survival that it didn't really need the horror element.
The second, set in the awful Japanese Internment camps of WWII California, is also such an intense and vitally topical subject in itself.
But the homeland eeriness that accompanies it works well within.


Interesting:
AMERICAN GODS 2
Neil Gaiman's classic book should have been adapted in two seasons.
But showrunner Bryan Fuller kept adding so much quality expansion to the first season that four seemed more likely.

With his dismissal, the show is now on autopilot, a canny simulation running in place simply to franchise out the book adaption longer than it should be.
Tighten it up and finish.

Awake producers should take this opportunity to bring Bryan Fuller back to create his second phase of the cancelled "Hannibal" series.




H E R O E S





LEGION 3 ⇧
The most consistently innovative and fearless show on television wraps up.

Noah Hawley trysts dreams and delusions, daring us to stare into a strobe of idylls and eidolons. Like acid stepped on with morphine, "Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" mashed-up with "Jar Of Flies", or "The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test" celtic-knotted with "Naked Lunch".

Roll up for the mystery tour.


SWAMP THING 1
On the comics page, "Swamp Thing" was two revolutions:
first the acclaimed monster fable by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson (1973), and then the postmodern deconstruction by Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, and John Totleben (1985). All they got for it was bad movies, tv shows, and cartoons.
Until now. Against all expectation, this solid effort tries earnestly to right most of those screen wrongs.
Cancelled, but a sincere advance that was appreciated by long-time fans.

DOOM PATROL 1
Grant Morrison's brainwarping stories for Vertigo Comics get very well channeled here, particularly in its latter half.

UMBRELLA ACADEMY 3
Morrison's Doom Patrol stories inspired his heir, rocker Gerard Way, to write this comic.
The show version is an adept rethink of the Doom Patrol and the X-Men, filtered through Moore and Gibbons' WATCHMEN.



CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS crossover event
Told in 5 parts across Batwoman, Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow, and Legends Of Tomorrow, this streamlined adaption of the ultimate Multiversal team-up maxiseries (1985) is great fun.
Just as the comic laced all of DC's print history into one shared continuity, the genius of this version was to establish all DC movie and tv shows as one multiveral reality. Fun cameos, new twists, and a hearty effort.

BATWOMAN 1
There have been several live-action Superman TV series, but never really one for Batman.

The 'Batman''66 series was only a live cartoon parodying the material from ignorance. Recent surrogate shows like 'Birds Of Prey', 'Gotham', 'Arrow', and 'Pennyworth' are The Batman in absentia. So is this... except it works now; the point is to represent the modern Dark Knight concept accurately, and Kate Kane (Ruby Rose) personifies this completely when all the others couldn't.

Art by J.H. Williams III

The actual Batwoman stories by writer Greg Rucka and artist J.H. Williams III are true works of art, a visual tour de force and critical pinnacle that only a Noah Hawley ('Legion) could translate to screen. Streamlined instead into The CW's teen formulas, this TV show still retains enough basics of Kate's world to fly. 'Arrow' remade Nolan's DARK KNIGHT films for 8 seasons, but this show quietly implies it is their legitimate sequel. And, aside from first-year wonkiness, it is.


PENNYWORTH 1
This is the antidote to everything that was wrong with the deplorable 'Gotham'.
Beyond all bizarrity and bogglement, they are by the same guy, Bruno Heller. ?!!
Set in an Elseworlds mid-'60s London, this rough drama starring Bruce Wayne's eventual parents and the eponymous Alfred fuses the early 'Avengers' spy series with the harshness of the Harry Palmer films.
Crack dialogue, period precision, sharp photography and music.



JESSICA JONES 3
The last of the Marvel Netflix shows bows out.
Drastic reversals, intense struggles, hard lessons.

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. 6
Knowing their endpoint is next year, they seem to be having fun on the way out.



RAISING DION 1 ⇧
A sensitive show about an 8-year-old with superpowers is more mature than the CW's YA superhero shows.
An excellent cast, smart stories, many laughs and twists.



Interesting:
THE ROOK 1
Like "The X-Men" rewritten by John le Carré.

CLOAK AND DAGGER 2
Twice as long as it should have been, but still pretty solid.



See Also:
Four Color Films,
THE Comic Movies Review Site!




D E T E C T I V E S





MINDHUNTER 2 ⇧
An even better second season, with the FBI's original Profiling division coming together, even as their private lives splinter apart.
(The work of pioneer profiler John E. Douglas covered in this period was the direct inspiration for Thomas Harris'"Red Dragon" and "The Silence Of The Lambs").


TRUE DETECTIVE 3

This anthology series was doing two things that everybody missed:
1) Homaging different eras/styles of detective stories each season.
2) Outlining a secret occult power cabal behind it all.

With all the rabid overvaluing of Season 1 (Southern Gothic) and reflexive underappreciation of Season 2 (Neo Noir), Season 3 (Police Procedural) was forced to retell the first one better to regain public faith, obscuring these goals.

For the anthology show to hold true, it should alternate radically each turn: such as, an 1890s Victorian, a 1930s hardboiled, a B/W '40s Film Noir, a contempo historical mystery to wrap up. Though detectives would investigate a local murder, only the viewers will piece the total puzzle together in the combined overview. So let's back off and let it happen.

That said, Mahershala Ali is sterling here.


WHEN THEY SEE US Miniseries
Ava Duvernay (Selma) dissects the travesty that framed 'the Central Park 5' youths, based on bigotry and corruption.




C O M E D Y





✭✭✭✭✭
THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL 3 ⇧

What showrunner out there can shine the emerging flaws of her rich characters into profound facets, twine all the dynamic social tensions of 1960, and crack wise faster and better than Broadway in Midge's stand-up tours from Vegas to Miami to the Apollo, all with the clockwork intricacy and spectacular zing of a musical?

Amy Sherman-Palladino can. The rest should be taking notes to catch up.



THE GOOD PLACE 4
The brainiest farce on network TV only increases with quality in its final run.

BROAD CITY 5
The outrageous Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson bring their hijinks to a close.

RUSSIAN DOLL 1
Natasha Lyonne and Amy Poehler co-created this livewire headtwister, in which Lyonne navigates the same day forever.
Hilarious and essential.




LODGE 49 2 ⇧
Imagine a writers room of Thomas Pynchon, Nora Ephron, Elmore Leonard, Tina Fey, Carlos Castaneda, and Robert Altman, getting spliffed and riffing freely.
The unicorn van, shark lawsuits, corporate weasels in Furry suits, headbutting into glass doors, blindfold revelations, the snow room, mariachis through hoops of fire, plane bailouts, The World Under The World.

AMC has cancelled this brilliant show, but treat yourself to the fine journey of both seasons.




THINGS TO CATCH UP ON, Dept.



Hey, who has time (or money) to see everything?


MARRIAGE STORY
THE CHAMBERMAID/ LA CAMARISTA
HARRIET
MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN
A HIDDEN LIFE

KNIVES OUT
WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY

GODFATHER OF HARLEM 1
FLEABAG 2
DAVID MAKES MAN 1



© Tym Stevens



See also:

Four Color Films, THE Comic Movies Review Site!


BEST MUSIC: 2019
BEST COMICS: 2019

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2018
BEST MUSIC: 2018
BEST COMICS: 2018

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2017
BEST MUSIC: 2017
BEST COMICS: 2017

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2016
BEST MUSIC: 2016
BEST COMICS: 2016

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2015
BEST MUSIC: 2015
BEST COMICS: 2015

BEST MUSIC: 2014
BEST MOVIES & TV: 2014
BEST COMICS: 2014

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2013
BEST MUSIC: 2013
BEST COMICS: 2013

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2012
BEST MUSIC: 2012
BEST COMICS: 2012

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2011
BEST MUSIC: 2011
BEST COMICS: 2011

BEST MOVIES: 2000-2010
BEST COMICS: 2000-2010
BEST MUSIC: 2000-2010



How STAR WARS Is Changing Everything!


"Cut!




HAPPY NEW YEAR! with Happy New Years Songs Playlist

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0
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Quality is timeless.

Make a better future.

Count your blessings.



HAPPY NEW YEAR!:
Rock'n'Soul Playlist,
by Tym Stevens
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.

A history of NEW YEARS songs from the 1950s to today, in chronological order.

Rockabilly!Jazz!Blues!
Soundtracks!Soul!Country!
Garage!Psychedelic!Funk!
Glam!Reggae!Punk!
New Wave!HipHop!Electro!

and more!


© Tym Stevens



See Also:
-The Real History of Rock and Soul!: A Music Player Checklist


BEST COMICS: 2020

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Michael Golden's
M I C R O N A U T S
Artists Edition




Shortcut links:

Best Comics
••WATCHMEN = Creators Rights
All-Ages Comics!
Best Graphic Novels
Best Collections + Reissues
••MICRONAUTS
Where We Come From, Dept.
Best Magazines
Best Movies + TV
Best Webcomics

Rest In Power








B E S T
C O M I C S :






I M A G E



A MAN AMONG YE, by Stephanie Phillips and Craig Cermak_______
When women are the pirates, things actually get interesting.

BIG GIRLS, by Jason Howard_______
Who needs Kaiju when you have giant women?

X-RAY ROBOT, by Mike Allred_______
Robots + Allred = Yes.

SEX CRIMINALS, by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky_______
The acclaimed erotic satire ended with #25 (2018). But now Fraction and Zdarsky return unexpectedly with issue #26 through #30, before jumping into the future for the ultimate finale issue, #69 (naturally).



ASCENDER, by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen_______
The sequel to Descender navigates Sci-Fi and Fantasy.

GIDEON FALLS, by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino_______
Lemire, an avowed fan of TWIN PEAKS, continues to explore the madness wrought by the Black Barn.

MONSTRESS, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda_______
Best-selling author Marjorie Liu's Gothic Fantasy, with stunning art by Sana Takeda.

BITTER ROOT, by David Walker and Chuck Brown (w) and Sanford Green (a)_______
Monster-hunters during the Harlem Renaissance.

HEDRA, by Jesse Lonergan_______
A one-shot art epic challenging the conventions of classic Science Fiction, panel arrangements, and perception.




M A R V E L






VALKYRIE JANE FOSTER, by Jason Aaron and Torunn Gronbekk (w), and Ramon Rosanas (a)_______
She was Thor, and now she is more.

THE MAGNIFICENT MS. MARVEL, by Saladin Ahmed and Minkyu Jung_______
A relaunch title of everyone's favorite, Kamala Khan, continued by a new creative team.

BLACK PANTHER, by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Daniel Acuna_______
Bestselling author Ta-Nehisi Coates wraps up his celebrated run revitalizing T'Challa.

DAREDEVIL, by Chip ZDarsky and Marco Checchetto_______
Chip Zdarsky is known as much for his writing (Howard The Duck) as his art (Sex Criminals). Now he's earning accolades with his hardboiled renovation of The Man Without Fear.


_______________

S T A R
W A R S




Marvel is doing a splendid job making movies between the movies.


STAR WARS, Vol. II by Charles Soule and Jesus Saiz_______
For 75 issues, Volume I of this series did excellent arcs filling in the mysteries between A NEW HOPE and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.
Now it has relaunched from #1, unveiling dream movies between THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI.

DARTH VADER, Vol. II by Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco_______
In complete parallel with these new stories of the rebels is a relaunch telling the Dark Lord's side of the same events, and how they overlap.


STAR WARS: Doctor Aphra, Vol. II by Alyssa Wong and Marika Cresta_______
Not to be undone, everyone's favorite anti-hero and smartass returns, navigating from EMPIRE to RETURN in her own pinball fashion.

STAR WARS: The Rise Of Kylo Ren, by Charles Soule and Will Sliney_______
A mini-series exploring the backstory of the Sequel Trilogy's villain.





D C




WATCHMEN=Creators Rights:
Fight The Real Enemy

DC Comics began when its mob-connected owners swindled two comics creators out of Superman.>

Siegel and Shuster only received proper credit and some compensation 35 years later when other brave creators like Neal Adams started championing creators rights and embarrassed the company through the press into giving it. In the '80s, as creator-owned indie comics ignited a mature comics renaissance, DC often paid lip service to now honoring creators rights. This was easier to say, now that their financial fortunes had just turned from near bankruptcy to critical darlings through the revolutionary works of one writer, Alan Moore. Living off his legacy ever since, they now repay him by consistently betraying him.

Let's be clear. DC has many great accomplishments in its tenure, all of which were achieved by smart creators and supportive editors. But, that creativity has often been overridden by the exploitative machinations of the larger corporations (a.k.a., legal mafias) that have owned them.
>

Writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons⇧ were promised the permanent rights to WATCHMEN, after a first printing; in 1986, the new 'graphic novels' of the time had one printing and were done. Instead, WATCHMEN and THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS and MAUS established graphic novels as a new literature in the mainstream. Exploiting the irony of its lucrative success, DC has withheld copyright ever since through endless printings. And now they franchise the stolen property through phony prequels and sequels by others to convince the public that they own it.

While the WATCHMEN TV series (Like DC, HBO is also owned by Warner Bros.) earned critical and fan acclaim, I'm boycotting it and here's why.

It doesn't matter about the quality of a swipe, because it's still a swipe. The only purpose for the "Before WATCHMEN" and "Doomsday Clock" comics and the TV series sequel is to deny copyright to the original creators. To support any of them is to support the criminal. Any denial of this is just a flimsy rationalization for Gimmes to consume without conscience.

Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons created WATCHMEN and it's theirs alone. They innovated everything that helps you enjoy all the titles on this Best Comics post. Be Woke by actually being aware. Stand up for real justice and support creators rights.





D C



Forget the corporation, support the creators.

FAR SECTOR, by N.K. Jemison and Jamal Campbell_______ (Young Animal)
Gerard Way's imprint Young Animal, a variant on classic Vertigo Comics, does a unique take on the Green Lantern Corps written by noted Afrofuturist author N.K. Jemison.

THE OTHER HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE, by John Ridley and Alex Dos Dias_______
Oscar-winning writer/director John Ridley (12 Years A Slave; TV's American Crime) reviews historic moments in DC's history as experienced by heroes pushed to the margins.

Superman’s Pal, JIMMY OLSON, by Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber_______
A postmodern twist on Silver Age fun.





D A R K
H O R S E




BLACK HAMMER / JUSTICE LEAGUE, by Jeff Lemire and Michael Walsh_______
Like Astro City and Planetary, the BLACK HAMMER series has been an alternate universe of postmodern superhero deconstruction. Here they meet the originals.

Karen Berger

-----Berger Books-----

In a just universe, Karen Berger would be the one running DC Comics instead of the Corps. She helmed the original/actual Vertigo Comics, the standard which all current Indie companies are imitating, and now she has her own imprint of creator-owned titles.

TOMORROW, by Peter Milligan and Jesus Hervas_______
When a computer virus morphs into a devestating human pandemic, the youth must stave off dystopia.




I D W




STAR TREK: Year Five, by various teams (IDW) _______
Imagining the final missions of the Original Series.

STAR TREK: Deep Space Nine - Too Long A Sacrifice, by Scott and David Tipton (w) and Greg Scott (a) (IDW) _______
A 4-issue miniseries spotlighting Odo solving a Noir mystery.






B O O M



FIREFLY, by Greg Pak and Lalit Kumar Sharma_______
Revitalized at its new comics company, FIREFLY burns bright in all-new stories by noted writer Greg Pak (Star Wars).







T I T A N



DOCTOR WHO: The Thirteenth Doctor , by Jody Houser and Roberta Ingranata_______
Whittaker meets Tennant!
'The Thirteenth Doctor' goes Mod with 'The Tenth Doctor' in mid-'60s Swinging London.

BLADE RUNNER 2019, by Michael Green, Mike Johnson, and Andres Guinaldo_______
The first canon comic sequel, by Michael Green (the co-writer of the film sequel Blade Runner 2049), opens up new vistas in the raining city.
(The series continued forward in 2021 under the title BLADE RUNNER 2029.)





A F T E R S H O C K


WE LIVE, by Inaki and Roy Miranda_______
A battle for destiny between monsters, aliens, and children who can redeem the future.






D Y N A M I T E


VAMPIRELLA Facsimile Edition, by Various Creators_______
Exact reprint facsimiles of classic magazine issues #1 (Sep 1969), #3 (Jan 1970), and #30 (Jan 1974). Come for the full Warren Magazine experience, stay for the eternal art by Jose Gonzalez.





A H O Y



BILLIONAIRE ISLAND, by Mark Russell and Steve Pugh_______
Russell and Pugh keep writing the book for the times.
Criminally shorted by the abrupt cancellation of their brave political satire PREZ, Russell and Pugh channeled it into the success of The Flintstones. Now they press onward into their hilarious creator-owned salvo against the greedy, the stupid, and the cruel.





A L L - A G E S
C O M I C S





"Hey, Kids!Comics!"

From the '30s to the '80s, comics unified all of the kids in the world.

Comics spinner racks were omnipresent in every grocery, newstand, and drugstore, a world of dreams in color for small change. But after 50 years, this changed.


As the fans grew older, comics grew more mature (and gradually more expensive). In the early-'80s, comics disappeared from common spaces to be sold only in individual comic stores. This was the best and worst thing that could have happened: the select stores became a lab for the medium to grow up with adult fans, but this Comics Renaissance left all the kids behind with no entry point. Now that three decades have passed, the young have moved on to games and streaming, seeing superheroes nowadays only in films that are meant for those longtime adult readers.

Roy Thomas once said, "The Golden Age of Comics is 8."

Comics should still be a fun spark for kids. Now, with the spectacular success of Raina Telgemeier's books, various publishers are finally figuring this out. A wide movement to provide more all-ages comics has risen. From single comics to trade paperbacks, there are many new entry points for young readers to join in and open up their imaginations.


C O M I C S




I D W
MARVEL ACTION, by various teams_______
Marvel and IDW collaborate in creating an all-ages series of Marvel Action titles which include The Avengers, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, and Spider-Man.


STAR WARS ADVENTURES, by various creators_______
All-ages adventures of the film and TV animated characters in new stories.
Rey!

D A R K
H O R S E

STRANGER THINGS, by Various Creators_______
Naturally our arcane argonauts would have their own comic.



A M E R I C A N
M Y T H O L O G Y

CASPER Spotlight: Hot Stuff Sizzlers, by various_______
A 2-issue reprint of the classic Harvey Comics characters.

CASPER’s Spookville, by various_______
A 4-issue reprint of the classic Harvey Comics characters.

ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE As Seen On TV, by various creators (IDW) _______
Reprints of the '60s comics from their heyday.


G R A P H I C
N O V E L S




R A N D O M
H O U S E



The publishing giant partnered with DC Comics for the Step Into Reading series, with entry level books for new readers. (4-6)

DC: Wonder Woman Saves The Treesby Christy Webster and Eric Doescher_______
DC Superhero Girls: Fierce Competition, by Erica David (w) and Franceso Legramandi and Gabriella Matta (a)_______
DC: My Dad Is A Superhero, by Dennis R. Shealy and Red Central LTD. (DC) _______
DC: My Mom Is A Superhero, by Rachel Chlebowski and Red Central LTD. (DC) _______


They also publish Screen Comix, books which combine film stills with word balloons to make comic adaptations of entire films. (8-12)

STAR WARS: The Empire Strikes Back_______
"Luminous beings are we."

STAR WARS: The Rise Of Skywalker_______
"Nothing is impossible."
Rey!

STAR WARS: The Clone Wars, Season 7, Vol. 1 _______
This adapts the first half of the finale season of the animated series.

* see also, The Mandalorian (March 2021)

S C H O L A S T I C



Raina Telgemeier BOX SET: Five Book Collection, by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic/Graphix) _______
Raina Telgemeier is the JK Rowling of comics, bringing more young readers in with her wildly popular and fun confessional books than anyone in the industry. This set collects her books Smile, Drama, Sisters, Ghosts, and Guts.

TWINS, by Shannon Wright and Varian Johnson_______
How will twin sisters deal with growing apart and becoming themselves?

D R A W N
A N D
Q U A R T E R L Y


LITTLE LULU, Vol. 2: The Fuzzythingus Poopi, by John Stanley_______
A collection of classic reprints.

B O O M !
S T U D I O S


ADVENTURE TIME: Princess Bubblegum_______
New adventures for the adorable scientist.

ADVENTURE TIME: Fionna And Cake_______
All-new tales of everyone's favorite alternate heroes.

STEAM, by Drew Ford and Duane Leslie_______
A steampunk adventure for young readers, with a hearty ecological messsage.

D A R K
H O R S E



Disney MULAN’s Adventure Journal: The Palace Of Secrets, by Rhona Cleary and Agnesse Innocente_______
This should have been MULAN's year.
Although the pandemic scuttled the release of the new film, this book carries kids into her exciting world.

SPACE BOY #6, #7, and #8, by Stephen McCranie_______
The ongoing graphic novels of the spacetrotter.

S P A R K N O T E S


The “No Fear Shakespeare” series matches the Bard’s words to comics panels for entry readers.

MACBETH, illustrated by Ken Hoshine_______

HAMLET, illustrated by Neil Babra_______
ROMEO AND JULIET, illustrated by Matt Wiegle_______

F I R S T
S E C O N D



ONE YEAR AT ELLSMERE, by Faith Eric Hicks_______
Faith Eric Hicks excels at fantastic adventure with strong stories and vivid characters.

SCIENCE COMICS: Rocks And Minerals_______

HISTORY COMICS: The Great Chicago Fire -Rising From The Ashes, by Kay Melchisedech Olson_______

POESY, The Monster Slayer, by Cory Doctorow and Matt Rockefeller_______

NICO BRAVO vol. 2, by Mike Cavallero_______

N O B R O W
P R E S S


With the smash success of the HILDA Netflix cartoon based Luke Pearson’s books, Nobrow has adapted first season episodes into entry books.


HILDA And The Hidden People____ (#1)
HILDA And The Great Parade____ (#2)
HILDA And The Nowhere Space___ (#3)
HILDA And The Time Worm____ (#4)
HILDA And The Ghost Ship____ (#5)
HILDA And The White Woff____ (#6)


AKISSI: Even More Tales Of Mischief (Book 3), by Marguerite Abouet and Mathieu Sapin_______
Everyone's favorite troublemaker from the Ivory Coast stirs up more manic fun.

S T O N E
A R C H
B O O K S


MR. KAZARIAN, Alien Librarian, by Steve Foxe and Gary Boller_______
The alien archivist shows kids a whole new slant on things.

LITTLE
B R O W N
and C o .

GOLDIE VANCE: The Hotel Whodunit (Book 3), by Lilliam Rivera and Elle Power_______
More mysteries for our stealthy sleuth.

K A Z O O
M A G A Z I N E


NOISEMAKERS: 25 Women Who Raised Their Voices And Changed The World, Edited by Erin Bried_______
Bring the noise, raise awareness.


Resources:
Comic Shop Locator
BookShop.org

Kidscomics.com
School Library Journal: Good Comics For Kids
50 Best Comics + Graphic Novels For Kids
The Big Blog Of Kids' Comics!
European Comics For Children
13 Great Webcomics For Kids and Teens





B E S T
G R A P H I C
N O V E L S :





LEONARDO 2, Vol. 1 by Stephane Levallois(NBM)_______
A Metal Hurlant-style epic of Da Vinci's clone reconciling a galactic war, illustrated in his pen, wash, and painting styles.





I, RENE TARDI, PRISONER OF WAR AT STALAG IIB, Vol. 3:
After The War
, by Rene Tardi(Fantagraphics)_______
The aftermath of the French cartoonist's internment in a German WWII prison camp.

SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE: The Graphic Novel, by Kurt Vonnegut; Ryan North (w) and Albert Monteys (a)(Archaia)_______
The expressive cartoonist adapts the timeless and time-rending novel.

ANIMAL FARM, by George Orwell, illustrated by Odyr(Mariner Books)_______
A painted version of the fable meant for all adults.

YEAR OF THE RABBIT, by Tian Veasna(Drawn And Quarterly)_______
The true story of a family's struggle to survive and escape the Khmer Rouge.

UNDER-EARTH, by Chris Gooch(IDW)_______
An allegory set in a landfill prison, where duos dig through the past trying to find love, hope, and release.


THE MAGIC FISH, by Trung Le Nguyen and Patrick Crotty(Random House)_______
A beautiful all-ages identity story told with great heart, lyrical art, and complex grace.

ALMOST AMERICAN GIRL: An Illustrated Memoir, by Robin Ha(Balzer + Bray)_______
Dislocated from Korea to Alabama, a teen girl processes her turmoil through making comics.

WELCOME TO THE NEW WORLD, by Jake Halpern and Michael Sloan(Bloomsbury)_______
A collection of the New York Times strips; escaping Syria, a family's dreams of the American ideal are thrashed trying to survive the Trump era.

THE WOLF OF BAGHDAD, by Carol Isaacs(Myriad)_______
After WWII, the Jewish population of Iraq was decimated. This visual psalm tries to reconcile what was lost from the vantage of a survivor.


PHOOLAN DEVI, Rebel Queen, by Claire Fauvel(Nantier Beall Minoustchine Publishing)_______
Devi was like the Robin Hood or the Che Quevara of India, threading the rigid caste system to become a crucial political voice.

REDBONE: The True Story Of A Native American Rock Band, by Christian Staebler and Sonia Paoloni (w), and Thibault Balahy (a)(IDW)_______
Many know Redbone for their hit song, "Come And Get Your Love" (used in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY). But the first Native American rock band on a major label were also proud activists and musical pioneers.


KENT STATE: Four Dead In Ohio, by Derf Backderf(Abrams Comicarts)_______
In 1970, the government murdered protest.
Backderf (My Friend Dahmer), with canny timing, traces the events that led to the National Guard killing peaceful student dissenters, chilling the movement and setting the current Police State suppression machine in motion.

WE SERVED THE PEOPLE: My Mother’s Stories, by Emei Burell(Archaia)_______
A memoir of her mother's struggles under Maost doctrine in the '70s.

TIANANMEN 1989: Our Shattered Hopes, by Lun Zhang and Adrien Gombeaud (w), and Améziane (a)(IDW)_______
Kent State reincarnated.
The true story of a wave of youth activists standing up to Communist authority before the eyes of the world, and the irredeemable horror brought to bear on them.

THOREAU AND ME, by Cedric Taling(SelfMadeHero)_______
Recognizing that our climate crisis mirrors the greedy carnage of the Industrial Revolution on nature, a young artist communes with Thoreau's spirit to find a better path..
>SelfMadeHero.com


THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH, by James Tynion IV, Martin Simmonds, and Aditya Bidikar(Image)_______
If all conspiracies are actually true, who do you trust and what do you do?

THE LEAGUE OF SUPER FEMINISTS, by Mirion Malle(Drawn And Quarterly)_______
A primer of the basic concepts of Feminism, in everyday terms.

CONSTITUTION ILLUSTRATED, by R. Sikoryak(Drawn And Quarterly)_______
Sikoryak (Masterpiece Comics, Terms And Conditions) scores again, demystifying the U.S. Constitution with vignettes starring a century of comics and cartoon characters, drawn in their signature styles.

UNRIG: How To Fix Our Broken Democracy, by Daniel G. Newman and George O’Connor(First Second)_______
This expose of the Big Money that corrupts the American political system also provides solutions that can empower its true owners, the People.

PLUTOCRACY: Chronicles Of A Global Monopoly, by Abraham Martinez(NBM)_______
In 2051, The Company rules the world. Can one person investigating the roots of this capitalist dystopia bring down the rich who oppress us all?


DRAGMAN, by Steven Appleby(Cape)_______
A wry tale of a superman in womens clothing, taking on a jaded era of literal soul-selling greed.

THE WIZERD! And The Potion Of Dreams!, by Michael Sweater and Rachel Dukes(Oni Press)_______
A free-wheeling spoof on Fantasy where turning traditions inside out is all the fun.

A GIFT FOR A GHOST, by Borja Gonzalez(Abrams)_______
Mary Shelley meets Riot Grrrl. An intersecting tale of a 19th Century goth and her macrabre poetry mashed-up with a modern punk trio who are all razz and no chops.

WITCH HAT ATELIER, by Kamome Shirhama(Kodansha)_______
The ongoing manga about the aspiring mage and the byzantine plot to empower/disempower her.

A MAP TO THE SUN, by Sloane Leong(First Second)_______
A YA character drama about a girls basketball team and their struggles with personal trust and shifting futures.

APSARA ENGINE, by Bishakh Som(Feminist Press)_______
A conceptual atlas of eight stories which challenge the social borders of gender, explore for the more, and open up personal vistas.


MADI: Once Upon A Time In The Future, by Duncan Jones and Alex Di Campi (Z2 Comics) _______
Duncan Jones debuted to rave reviews writing and directing his movie MOON (2009), an homage to timeless '70s SciFi films. He expanded that storyline to Earth with the Netflix film, MUTE (2018), homaging '80s Tech Noir films. This original graphic novel rounds the 'MOONiverse trilogy' to completion.

STREETS OF PARIS, STREETS OF MURDER, Vol. 1 by Jacques Tardi and Jean-Patrick Manchette(Fantagraphics)_______
Beginning a two-volume collection of all of Tardi's crime noir stories.

DON’T GO WITHOUT ME, by Rosemary Valero-O’Connell(Shortbox)_______
A speculative fiction troika, each story a poetic meditation on ardor and yearning.



DAIRY RESTAURANT, by Ben Katchor(Schocken Books)_______
Ben Katchor is the Charles Bukowski of cartoonists, the Studs Terkel of graphic novels. Here, his blocky skritches array an engaging tapestry of restaurant history, social insight, and puckish trivia into a master thesis.

THE WINTER OF THE CARTOONIST, by Paco Roca(Fantagraphics)_______
Under 1957 Spanish Fascism, five brave cartoonists dare to take on the corrupt system in this true story.

THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG-DISTANCE CARTOONIST, by Adrian Tomine(Drawn And Quarterly)_______
Designed like a sketchbook, this memoir by the acclaimed cartoonist Tomine questions his life path and career choice with startling sensitivity and genuine revelation.

THE BOOK TOUR, by Andi Watson(Top Shelf)_______
A very Kafka mystery, in which a minor author threads weirdness with pithy aplomb.


WENDY, MASTER OF ART, by Walter Scott(Drawn And Quarterly)_______
Told in loose Indie style, this art college satire careens through polyamory, sexual politics, semiotics, and personal graduation along its tumble.

TINDERELLA, by M.S. Harkness(Uncivilized Books)_______
Smarts about stupidity. Online dating, power lifting, bone-poverty, rotten behaviour, and rude lessons ensue.

DESPERATE PLEASURES, by M.S. Harkness(Uncivilized Books)_______
Following up the noted TINDERELLA, Harkness channels Daniel Clowes insight with Dori Seda bluntness in this party/hangover.


DRAWN TO SEX: Our Bodies and Health, by Matthew Nolan and Erika Moen(Oni Press)_______
This second volume, after the intro Drawn To Sex: The Basics(2018), continues a Sex Positive tour of healthy sensuality, all fun and no judgements.
>Oh Joy Sex Toy

HEY AMATEUR!, Edited by Shelly Bond(IDW)_______
100 famous creators show you how to do most anything in single-page, nine-panel courses. Join Mike Allred, Kelly Sue Deconnick, Becky Cloonan, Paul Pope, Gail Simone, Gene Ha, Gilbert Hernandez, Leah Moore, and more in blowing up your mind.





B E S T
C O L L E C T I O N S :




EC ARCHIVES:
Impact
Psychoanalysis
War Against Crime, Vol. 2
by Multiple Creators(Dark Horse)_______
EC Comics invented comics for adults in the early-'50s, and were crucified for it.>
After the censorship kicked in, EC bowed out with these final comics titles, retrenching into the smash success of Mad Magazine.
Stories by Feldstein, Crandell, Krigstein, Davis, Orlando, Kamen, Craig, and more.

TERROR TRAIN And Other Stories , by Al Feldstein(Fantagraphics)_______
All of writer/artist Feldstein's crime and horror classics in one black/white volume.

ACCIDENTS AND OLD LACE And Other Stories, by Graham Ingels and Al Feldstein(Fantagraphics)_______
An overview of illustrator Ingels' work on crime and horror perennials in one black/white volume.


SKY MASTERS Of The Space Force:
The Complete Dailies 1958-1961
, by Dave and Dick Wood (w), Jack Kirby, Wallace Wood, and Dick Ayers (a)(Hermes Press)_______
The space-faring strip collected, most notable for the all-too-brief stint where Jack Kirby's pencils were inked by Wallace Wood (of EC Comics fame).

Jack Kirby: FANTASTIC FOUR Artisan Edition, by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Joe Sinnott(IDW)_______
The real page art, photographed and printed in actual size. This compilation catches the series and its creators at their peak, with five important tales from 1968 and 1969.

THE ETERNALS: The Complete Collection Remastered, by Jack Kirby(Marvel)_______
Upon his return to Marvel in the latter-'70s, Kirby rethought his New Gods concepts as The Eternals, templating the Marvel Films epic directed by Chloé Zhao.


SUPERMAN Vs. WONDER WOMAN Tabloid Edition, by Gerry Conway and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez(DC)_______
A full-size reproduction of the 1978 tabloid-format tome, in which the two powerhouses wrestle over the nuclear future.

SUPERMAN SMASHES THE KLAN , by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru(DC)_______
In 1946, the wildly popular Superman radio show bravely called out bigotry, with our hero busting the Klan. In this modern 3-issue series, Yang (American Born Chinese) reinterprets that historic tale through a deeper personal lens.

YOU BROUGHT ME THE OCEAN, by Ales Sanchez and Julie Maroh(DC)_______
Coming-of-age and coming-out. Award-winning author Sanchez and bestselling writer/artist Maroh (BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR) turn traumatic aquaphobia into a wellspring of love.

SHADOW OF THE BATGIRL, by Sarah Kuhn, Nicole Goux, Cris Peter, and Janice Chiang(DC)_______
Cassandra Cain was a beautiful concept which was brutally maimed.
In the early-'00s, the Asian-American hero inheriting the mantle of Batgirl suffered every atrocity a hack male creator could throw at a female character (see also: X-23) before fading away. This rethink, by an all-female team, restores and revitalizes the eeriest, edgiest Bat-hero of all.



Michael Golden’s
MICRONAUTS Artist’s Edition
,
by Bill Mantlo (w) and Michael Golden (p),
with Josef Rubenstein and Al Milgrom (i)
(IDW)_______

The first 12 issues of THE MICRONAUTS (1978-'79) were the STAR WARS of comics.

The seismic success of that 1977 film rewrote the film industry, Science Fiction in the mainstream, SFX production, and creative potential overnight. While many scrambled to answer that challenge across the next decade, maybe none succceeded more spectacularly than the most unlikely and overlooked of sources.
(see also: STARSTRUCK)

While Marvel Comics was being saved from bankruptcy by their fortunate licensing of STAR WARS, Takara's Microman toyline was doing solid success in the USA as The Micronaut line by Mego. Shrewdly, Marvel licensed the action figures with the mandate of a Lucas-esque space opera. They got more than they could have hoped for.

Veteran writer Bill Mantlo and upcoming artist Michael Golden went for glory, turning toys into arthouse through a complex stellar saga with intricate world-building, overarched by wonder and underlined by mystery. The heady brew cauldroned elements of Flash Gordon, THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, NASA, The New Wave Of Science Fiction, Herbert's "Dune", Zelazny's "Lord Of Light", von Däniken's "Chariots Of The Gods", Lee and Kirby's FANTASTIC FOUR, Gerber's MAN-THING, Ditko's DOCTOR STRANGE, Starlin's CAPTAIN MARVEL, DIAL "H" FOR HERO, Steranko's NICK FURY, and -subliminally- 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, along with cyborgs, dystopia, revolution, spirituality, and family drama.

Mantlo (like Lee) fired off the sprawling scope, ricochet plotting, and stentorian melodrama. Golden (like Kirby and Ditko) built the impossible worlds, micro and macro: Homeworld, the molecular chain wrapped in cities; their sanscrit alphabet; the consistent, blueprinted architecture of the Body Banks and H.E.L.L; the quiet visual clues leading to the climactic big reveal. Along the way, Golden found his signature style (issue #8) and cult status. The brave experiment crescendoed with the stunning MICRONAUTS #11, one of the greatest comics ever made.

In retrospect, THE MICRONAUTS should have been a 12-issue maxi-series and stopped. After Golden left, everything diminished. The Marvel series devolved through declining follow-ups, and -after the loss of the franchise rights- into pale imitations by later comics companies. But the innovations and impact of Mantlo and Golden's MICRONAUTS resonate to this day, from the continuous comics stories of the polymorphous Captain Universe, to the subatomic Microverse (as the Quantum Realm) seen in ANT-MAN and AVENGERS films, to Mantlo's sidebar character Rocket Raccoon in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.

Because of legal rights issues, this huge compendium is the first reprinting of any of the material since 1983. IDW's Artist Editions carefully photograph original comic art at full size; this reverential tome reprints all of issues #3, #7, #8, #9, #11, and #12, plus key pages from all other issues, the covers, and rare pin-ups. For fandom, it is a long-held dream come true.

And, hopefully, it opens the door for a fully remastered reprinting by Marvel of the original 12 issues.


Walter Simonson’s THE MIGHTY THOR Artisan Edition, by Walter Simonson (IDW) _______
After Lee and Kirby's original '60s run, the most revered arc of THOR is by writer/artist Walt Simonson in the mid-'80s. Its influence was so keen on the THOR films that Simonson had a cameo as an Asgardian.

THE SANDMAN: Overture
- J.H. Williams III Gallery Edition
, by Neil Gaiman and J.H. Williams III(Graphitti Designs)_______
After many years, Gaiman wrote a new Sandman story. This deluxe version focuses directly on the lush illustrations of the chameleonic Williams at full scale without text.
(A smaller texted version is included for reading.)

P. Craig Russell’s THE SELFISH GIANT
And Other Stories Fine Art Edition
, by P. Craig Russell(Wayne Alan Harold)_______
Since his breakthrough illustrating the acclaimed KILLRAVEN series, Russell's art nouveau grace has made him an artists artist.


LONE SLOANE: Chaos, Vol. 1, by Phillippe Druillet(Titan)_______
The 1978 chapter of the Odyssean astronaut by the grandiose Druillet, a visionary artist who co-founded Metal Hurlant magazine with Moebius.

FRANKENSTEIN, by Mary Shelley and Berni Wrightson(Hermes Press)_______
Originally printed in 1983, Wrightson's illustrations for the classic text ignited universal praise. The 50 pieces, a labor of love across seven years done in the painstaking style of Golden Age Of Illustration giants like Joseph Clement Coll and Franklin Booth, are reproduced at large size, along with the full text, showcasing the master at his peak.

CORTO MALTESE: Mu The Lost Continent, by Hugo Pratt(IDW)_______
The twelth and final adventure from 1988 brings the sailor's journey full circle.

Collected TOPPI, vol. 3:
South America
, by Sergio Toppi(Lion Forge)_______
Sergio Toppi has been one of the finest illustrators of the last 50 years.

Collected TOPPI, vol. 4:
The Cradle Of Life
, by Sergio Toppi(Lion Forge)_______
Every volume by Sergio Toppi is a master class in line, color, design + composition, and visual storytelling.

THE LEGEND OF KORRA:
Ruins Of The Empire
, by Michael Dante DiMartino and Michelle Wong(IDW)_______
An original sequel following on from the lauded 4-season animated series.

LITTLE BIRD:
The Fight For Elder’s Hope
, by Darcy Van Poelgeest and Ian Bertram(Image)_______
The 5-issue series spanning galactic reaches and inner dreams compiled.

ADVENTUREMAN, Vol. 1:
The End and Everything After
(1995), by Matt Fraction and Terry Dodson(Image)_______
The frighteningly prolific Fraction thrills us with Pulp yesteryears that now become a mother and son's new frontiers.

TARTARUS, by Johnnie Christmas and Jack T. Cole(Image)_______
Imagine Mos Eisley with Afrofuturist edge and DUNE-esque intrigue.

BE GAY, DO COMICS, by Various Creators(IDW)_______
A fun anthology of over 30 creators examining the LGBTQIA possibilities, from contributions to The Nib (see 'Best Webcomics' below).




B E S T
R E I S S U E S :




THE ETERNAUT (1957-'59), by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Alberto Breccia(Fantagraphics)_______
A remastering of the late-'50s Argentine classic of Cold War fear and new world hopes.

BARBARELLA (1964, 1974), by Jean-Claude Forest(Humanoids)_______
A remastering of Book 1 (1964) and Book 2 (1974), newly translated from French to English by Kelly Sue DeConnick (Captain Marvel, Bitch Planet).

MERMAID SAGA (1984-'94), by Rumiko Takahashi(Viz)_______
Takahashi's classic, a journey through immortality and lost humanity, which inspired the 2003 animated series.


Absolute SWAMP THING by Alan Moore, Vol. 2 (1985-’86), by Alan Moore, Stephen R, Bissette, and John Totleben, +(DC)_______
Alan Moore first seeded the '80s Comics Renaissance with his British series, MarvelMan(1982).
But it wildflowered to the world with his US work on Swamp Thing.
This is a remastered omnibus of the middle, with new (dull airbrush) coloring.

STUCK RUBBER BABY (1995), by Howard Cruse(First Second)_______
Cruse's groundbreaking semi-memoir of braving homophobia and bigotry in the mid-'60s South gets a 25th anniversary edition, with a new introduction by Alison Bechdel (Fun Home).

Bottom: comparison of the original B/W art
with the new color version.

FROM HELL: Master Edition (1989-’98), by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell(Top Shelf)_______
A new remastering of the ultimate Jack The Ripper examination, in which artist Campbell adds muted color to the black/white tale, and some quiet tweaks for visual clarity.






WHEREWE
COMEFROM,
Dept.



THE FLAPPER QUEENS:
Women Cartoonists Of The Jazz Age
, by Trina Robbins(Fantagraphics)_______
Trina Robbins, a pioneer in the Underground Comix movement and comics historian, once again enlightens us on female artists for the ages.

DRAWING LINES:
An Anthology Of Women Cartoonists
, with Joyce Carol Oates, Colleen Coover, Roberta Gregory, Trina Robbins, and Gail Simone +(IDW)_______
This treasury of a dozen stories gives proper due to many pivotal pioneers.

INVISIBLE MEN:
The Trailblazing Black Artists Of Comic Books
, by Ken Quattro(Yoe)_______
The great Matt Baker has gotten long overdue fanfare in recent years. This insightful book expands outward to other creators from the Golden Age Of Comics who deserve our attention, bringing us full comics stories, art, and photos.


JACK KIRBY:
The Epic Life Of The King Of Comics
, by Tom Scioli(Ten Speed Press)_______
A comics bio of The King, told in an almost manga style.

HISTORY OF EC COMICS, by Grant Geissman(Taschen)_______
A 600-page history of the most notorious comics company of all time, with new info, the infamous covers, key stories, and photos galore.

MASTERS OF BRITISH COMIC ART, by Ken Quattro(Art Masters)_______
Following his Masters of Spanish Comic Book Art, Roach rescues British artists and (often literally) their work from obscurity and neglect, distilling the eclectic grab-bag of English cartooning into one cornucopia.

COMICS AND ADAPTATION, Edited by Benoit Mitaine, David Roche, and Isabell Schmitt-Pitiot(University Press Of Mississippi)_______
Literature has been adapted by comics, comics have been adapted to the screen. This scholarly book of essays examines the process of both through a formal and contextual perspective.



MAGAZINES




ALTER EGO(TwoMorrows)_______
The original '60s comics fanzine that pioneered all of modern fandom, with deep stories on the Golden and Silver Age creators, is an ongoing mag still edited by Roy Thomas.
>Alter Ego

BACK ISSUE!(TwoMorrows)_______
Dedicated to the '70s and '80s renaissance.
>Back Issue

ILLUSTRATION(The Illustrated Press)_______
The best illustrators celebrated by the smartest illustration mag.
>Illustration


RETROFAN(TwoMorrows)_______
Everything pop cultural from the '60s through the '80s.
>Illustration

THE COMICS JOURNAL(Fantagraphics)_______
The premiere scholastic graphic arts forum, now printed in an annual volume.
>The Comics Journal

STAR TREK(Titan)_______
"These are the voyages..."
>Star Trek

STAR WARS INSIDER(Titan)_______
"An energy field created by all living things..."
>Star Wars Insider






B E S T
M O V I E S
+ T V :




WONDER WOMAN 1984




AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. 7

DOOM PATROL 2

UMBRELLA ACADEMY 2

SNOWPIERCER 1


See Also:
>Four Color Films,
THE Comic Movies Review Site!





B E S T
W E B C O M I C S :





SOFT LEAD, by Chan Chau_______
Clark and Bruce just hanging out, being real.

HEARTSTOPPER, Alice Oseman_______
A tale of friendship and coming out.

NANCY, by Olympia Jaimes _______
Under a psuedonym, someone is upgrading the classic strip's mindtricks for the digital age.
"Sluggo is lit" and you should get literate, too.

PRINCE VALIANT, by Mark Schultz and Thomas Yeates _______
Schultz (Xenozoic Tales) and Yeates (Timespirits) are doing excellent work continuing Hal Foster's masterwork into the 21st century.

The Nib_______
RESIST!






R E S T
I N
P O W E R




From you, we exist.
Because of you, we persist.


Claire Bretecher
Alice Schenker
Juan Gimenez

Claire Bretecher; Juan Gimenez;
Mort Drucker; Denny O'Neil

Mort Drucker
Dennis O’Neil
Joe Sinnott
Milton Glaser

Joe Sinnott (inking Kirby); Milton Glaser;
Ron Cobb; Richard Corben


Bob Fujitani
Ron Cobb
Richard Lupoff
Richard Corben






Nuff said, pilgrim.Excelsior!



© Tym Stevens



See also:

-FourColorFilms: THE Comics Film Review Site!


BEST MOVIES And TV: 2020
BEST MUSIC: 2020


BEST MOVIES And TV: 2019
BEST MUSIC: 2019
BEST COMICS: 2019

BEST MOVIES And TV: 2018
BEST MUSIC: 2018
BEST COMICS: 2018

BEST MOVIES And TV: 2017
BEST MUSIC: 2017
BEST COMICS: 2017

BEST MOVIES And TV: 2016
BEST MUSIC: 2016
BEST COMICS: 2016

BEST MOVIES And TV: 2015
BEST MUSIC: 2015
BEST COMICS: 2015

BEST MUSIC: 2014
BEST MOVIES And TV: 2014
BEST COMICS: 2014

BEST MOVIES And TV: 2013
BEST MUSIC: 2013
BEST COMICS: 2013

BEST MOVIES And TV: 2012
BEST MUSIC: 2012
BEST COMICS: 2012

BEST MOVIES And TV: 2011
BEST MUSIC: 2011
BEST COMICS: 2011

BEST MOVIES: 2000-2010
BEST COMICS: 2000-2010
BEST MUSIC: 2000-2010

-STARSTRUCK Strikes Back!
-STARSTRUCK: The Roots and Branches of Elaine Lee And Michael Kaluta's space opera
-How STAR WARS Is Changing Everything!


- THE CANON 1: 50 Books That Created Modern Culture, with Music Player
- THE CANON 2: 50 More Books That Created Modern Pop Culture, with Music Player
- THE CANON 3: 50 Recent Books That Created Modern Culture, with Music Player





BEST MUSIC: 2020

$
0
0

B L A C K
P U M A S






ALL THE


REAL MUSIC!

Hard Pass all those trendy-indie
'Best Music' lists that taste like spoons!


These tunes will seance your senses
and woogie your boogiee-oogie-oogie!


Shortcut to Music Players:





Greyhounds; Les Hay Babies;
Bonnie Whitmore; Star Feminine Band


B E S T


N E W
A L B U M S :
2 0 2 0



BEST ALBUMS 2020
by Tym Stevens
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.



This music player has songs from the following albums, in the same order.



Black Pumas, "Black Pumas"
The Album Of The Year.
A Psychedelic Soul tour-de-force.
A truly stunning debut by the Texas duo, with a diverse range of melodies that already sound like classic standards.

(See also: Georgia Ann Muldrow, Curtis Harding, Greyhounds, The Heavy)

Nicole Atkins, "Italian Ice"
Country, Soul, Psyche, +.
Atkins is a mage who shifts effrortlessly through musical moods, with memorable tunes and rewarding turns.
Why do we need plastic idols, when we have someone who deserves all the attention?

(see also: Neko Case, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Jesca Hoop)

Autoramas, "Studio Sessions"
Surfabilly New Wave.
Garage sounds with punk angularity, from Brazil with love.

(see also: The Rezillos, The B-52's, Pixies)

Alexandra Savior, "The Archer"
Cinematic soulsearching.
Rising above personal setbacks and turmoil, Savior's second album steps boldly forward, haunting while exorcised.

(see also: Julee Cruise, The Last Shadow Puppets, Kandle, Unloved, Deradoorian)

Greyhounds, "Primates"
Funky Soul Rock cornucopia.
Giving the Black Pumas a serious run for their money are their fellow Texans, swiping the stage with bounding Funk, warm Soul, and crack tunes.

(see also: Black Pumas, The Black Keys, St. Paul And The Broken Bones)

Pottery, "Welcome To Bobby's Motel"
Elastic Dance Punk.
Montreal whips up a mercurial smoothie of Talking Heads twitch, Gang Of Four hustle, Fela polyrhythms, and Zappa's spirit.

(see also: Liquid Liquid, Orange Juice, White Denim)

Chicano Batman, "Invisible People"
Alternative Dance.
With a name like Chicano Batman, they have to be delightful. And this dream disco of alternative sounds will shake your hips while lingering in your ears.

(see also: Kid Creole And The Coconuts, Brazilian Girls, Red Baraat)

Hijyou no Licence, "Black Beauty"
Garage Rock riot.
What, you thought you could just escape Japanese noiseabilly freakouts? Not on my watch.

(see also: The Gories, Guitar Wolf, Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, Theee Bat)


Monophonics, "It's Only Us"
Funky Soul Psyche.
The Bay Area groovers shimmy your sacroiliac through lush moodscapes.

(see also: Kelly Finnigan solo record, El Michels Affair, Ghost Funk Orchestra, The Budos Band, Ikebe Shakedown)

Songhoy Blues, "Optimisme"
Desert Blues from Mali.
Their ferocity comes from being political refugees, their joy from optimism for the future.

(see also: Tinariwen, Goat, Imarhan, Bombino)


Bonnie Whitmore, "Last Will And Testement"
Noir Soul.
Recorded in some nexus between Memphis Soul joints and Twin Peaks diners, this confession booth of soulful blues and ballads is killer.

(see also: Nicole Atkins, Jessica Lee Mayfield, Secret Sisters, Hannah Williams)

Loren Oden / Adrian Younge, "My Heart, My Love"
Timeless Soul.
Sweet crooning from Gospel roots, with lovely Classic/Forward arrangements by producer Adrian Younge.

(see also: The Delfonics, Marvin Gaye, Maxwell, D'Angelo)



Lucinda Williams, "Good Souls, Better Angels"
Bruising Blues.
The Alt-Country poet can belt out fuzzy feedback with the best of them, and here she goes off like pissed bottle rockets.

(see also: Patty Griffin, Mr. Airplane Man, The Detroit Cobras)


Bootsy Collins, "The Power Of The One"
Funk Forward.
Another Bootsy record with serious guest stars (George Benson, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Snoop, Branford Marsalis, Larry Graham himself, Dr. Cornel West, etc.), this time more fully wrapped in the classic P-Funk sound.

(see also: James Brown, Parliament, Funkadelic, early Red Hot Chili Peppers, Thundercat)


X, "ALPHABETLAND"
Punkabilly.
The L.A. Punk pioneers return so energized with their early-'80s fire that you'd think not a minute had passed.

(see also: The Cramps, The Damned, Black Flag)


BC Camplight, "Shortly After Taking Off"
Pop Futurism.
Brian Christinzio's bracing blender of '50s Rock, '60s experimentalism, and all forms of Synth Pop rewrites the playbook. Think and dance.

(see also: GUM, La Femme, Django Django, Constant Bop)



Les Hay Babies, "Boite aux Lettres"
Chanson Beatles.
The best Rubber Soul from Canada you didn't know you'd need and love so much.

(see also: Les Lutins, Les Intrigantes, French Boutik)


The Jayhawks, "Xoxo"
Alt-Americana.
Everything right about Roots music, Singer-Songwriter, and Country Rock in one ever-evolving band.

(see also: The White Album, Neil Young, America, Wilco)


Star Feminine Band, "Star Feminine Band"
AfroPop.
A Benin septet of musician girls from 10 to 17, turning daily challenges into sunshine. Go buy it right now.

(see also: Lijadu Sisters, King Sunny Ade)


Bob Dylan, "Rough And Rowdy Ways"
Blues Master Class.
When Bob talks, you listen.

(see also: Howlin' Wolf, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Mark Lanegan)




Kyle Lacy, "The Road To Tomorrow"
Actual Heartland.
Lacy and his hickory-smoked cohorts swing this debut record of Rockabilly, Country, and pure Soul with such confident verve, you'd think it was his tenth.

(see also: Sam Cooke, Van Morrison, Brian Setzer, The James Hunter Six, J.D. McPherson)


Jungle Fire, "Jungle Fire"
Latin Funkadelia.
You'll feel like a hundred horses, thundering across the desert into glory.

(see also: Fela, early Budos Band, Ocote Soul Sounds, Brownout, Antibalas)


Death Valley Girls, "Under The Spell Of Joy"
Epic Garage.
Bikini Kill meets Black Sabbath. Get off your butt and get with.

(see also: Cradle, Blackwater Holylight, Heron Oblivion, Las Robertas)


Las Cobras, "Selva"
Lysergic Fuzz.
Like a tryst between Mazzy Star and Guadalupe Plata, their sinister hypnotic psychedelia will enrapt your synaptic paths.

(see also: Tess Parks, The Limananas, L'Epee)



Tami Neilson, "CHICKABOOM!"
Honkytonk Heaven.
Rockabilly, Country, and Soul with the sass of Wanda Jackson and the grand intensity of Shirley Bassey. A great record to offset a lousy year.

(see also: Patsy Cline, Imelda May, Shannon And The Clams)


Osees (Thee Oh Sees) , "Protean Threat"
Prog Punk.
Rip it up and start again. Garage Punk's most frighteningly malleable contortionists always switch names and sounds swifter than ocean currents, this time bashing out manic Motorik on crank.

(see also: Ty Segall, Meatbodies, Abjects)


Habibi, "Anywhere But Here"
Beat Music meets Iran.
After a long gestation (and fraught times), the quartet evolves their harmony guitar pop into textural melodicism with lyrical teeth.

(see also: Dum Dum Girls, La Luz, Quilt)


Toots And The Maytals, "Got To Be Tough"
Reggae Soul.
Rest In Power, Toots Hibbert. The man who invented the term 'Reggae' and then defined its sound has left us his lifelong legacy of shining music.


(see also: Otis Redding, Jimmy Cliff, John Holt, Black Uhuru)



Deerhoof, "Future Teenage Cave Artists"
Experimental Pop.
Indie Rock's most fearless band played cut-up with the sonic rules again, turning melody inside out while still being erratically catchy.
And they also dropped a covers album -Love-Lore- of insane medley combinations.

(see also: Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Yoko Ono, Broadcast, Guerilla Toss)


Don Bryant, "You Make Me Feel"
Stax Soul.
Quality is timeless, and griots know the score. Listen and learn.

(see also: Sam And Dave, Eddie Floyd, William Bell, Clarence Carter, Sharon Jones)


Throwing Muses, "Sun Racket"
Classic Indie.
The indie band's second act blazes like it's their first time and they have everything to prove.

(see also: Blake Babies, Belly, Sleater-Kinney)


Here Lies Man, "Ritual Divination"
Afrobeat Rock.
Pounding out an album a year like it was the '70s, sounding like a jam session between Fela and Queens Of The Stone Age.

(see also: Fela Kuti, Antibalas, Golden Dawn Arkestra)




Pretenders, "Hate For Sale"
Punk'n'Roll.
Molten with vigor and resolve, this stunning new rocker from the returning stalwarts plays like 'their great lost record from 1982'. A fist in the face to time, ageism, and conformity.

(see also: The Stranglers, The Smithereens, Ex Hex)


Public Enemy, "What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down?"
Conscious Rap.
When Chuck D. raps, you listen.

(see also: The Last Poets, Gil Scott-Heron, Consolidated, Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy, Kate Tempest)

Caleb Landry Jones, "The Mother Stone"
Baroque Pop Dada.
The famed actor fractures his hypnogogic hallucinations into whiplash symphonies, like Sgt. Pepper pinballing through a maze. Hold onto the handlebars and enjoy the ride.

(see also: Syd Barrett, Alexander "Skip" Spence, Julian Cope, Crispin Glover, Beck)


Nadine Shah, "Kitchen Sink"
Moody Alternative.
The cosmopolitan Shah unscrews the skewed in her mysterious moods.

(see also: Malaria!, The Creatures, Anna Calvi)



Fantastic Negrito, "Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?"
Blues Moderne.
Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz plays the Blues spectrum with his roots in the classics, and his branches into the cosmos.

(see also: The Bones Of J.R. Jones, The Alabama Shakes, Benjamin Booker)

White Denim, "World As A Waiting Room"
GaragePsycheSoulFunkPunkJazzProgBluesPop.
The Austin Texas quartet will throw in some other wrong/rights into the gumbo before you can blink. Plus, you can boogie to it.

(see also: The New Pornographers, Thee Oh Sees, Portugal. The Man, Spoon)

Tomar And The FCs, "Rise Above"
Gutbucket Soul.
Memphis-esque Soul Stew: half-a-pint of Stax, four tablespoons of Hi Records, a pinch of Stones, a dash of Allmans, and a stir of Link Wray. Beat well.

(see also: Little Milton, David Porter, Raphael Saddiq)

Shadow Show, "Silhouettes"
Revolver Redux.
Detroit brings you the catchy, adventurous, Beatlesque popcraft you needed to feel truly complete.

(see also: The Bangles, The Pandoras, The Bristols, Cola Jet Set)



Cupid's Carnival, "Color-Blind"
Beatles '65, with some '69.
The Beatles are a prism, from which new rays continually find their own light. This inspired band guarantees you a splendid time.

(see also: The Spongetones, The Red Button, Groovy Uncle)

Joel Paterson, "Let It Be Acoustic Guitar!: Joel Paterson Plays The Beatles Again"
Beatles acoustic.
Following the success of his electric instrumentals album Let It Be Guitar! Joel Paterson Plays The Beatles(2019), here's the acoustic follow-up.

(see also: Chet Atkins, early Glen Campbell, Jim Capilongo)

Daniel Romano, "How Ill Thy World Is Ordered"
Mash-ville Skyline.
Minting albums as fast as Prince or Ryan Adams, on this stylistically expansive release the Canadian sounds like '69 Dylan making Abbey Road at Muscle Shoals.
And if that isn't good enough for you, I don't know what else to say.

(see also: The Flying Burrito Brothers, Alan Hull, T-Bone Burnette, Jake Bugg)

Annabelle Chairlegs, "Gotta Be In Love"
Optical Sound.
Psyche-idealic pop for now people.

(see also: The Shivas, LOVEBYRD, Blackwater Holylight, The Lovely Eggs)



The Moons, "Pocket Melodies"
All roads lead to Abbey Road.
Beatlesque bands tend to be crafty clones or spiritual cousins. The Moons are definitely the latter, using their pop chops and sonic experimentation to create exemplary albums, and this magnum opus is their best yet.

(see also: Cotton Mather, Robbers On High Street, Lawrence Arabia)

Joey Molland, "Be True To Yourself"
Badfinger's culmination.
Just as Paul McCartney is a one-man Beatles, Joey Molland is the one-man Badfinger. Here he creates the greatest album you wish they had got to make, a swan song of effortless grace and beauty.

(see also: Sleepy Hollow, We All Together, Chris von Sneidern, The Grays)

Diamond Hands, "III"
Pop-adelic perfection.
Everything immortal about The Beatles, Classic Rock, and Power Pop in one spellbinding kaleidescope.

(see also: Let's Active, Sitcom Neighbor, New Electric Ride)

Paul McCartney, "McCartney III"
The Love he makes.

The Sun doesn't care about your 'fashion-turnover' outlook. It's beyond anyone's simple limits and will continue to illuminate the world. Quality is timeless.
Here, the Master Of Pop gleefully tosses away the Fakebook yet again, with immediately classic tunes alive with lucid knack, elated spark, and fresh perspectives.

Reminder, dept.: You know how you made a solo record, trying all kinds of un-commercial things, going acoustic and eclectic, playing all the instruments in your home studio? Paul invented that with McCartney (1970). Catch up to the rays.

(see also: Emitt Rhodes, Todd Rundgren, Elliott Smith, Sam Phillips, Tara Busch, Mikal Cronin)

Paul McCartney

photo: Mary McCartney







C O O L


S O N G S :
2 0 2 0


All the

REAL MUSIC
beyond the box!

Nevermind Gloss Pop, Stepford Idols, Karaoke Choruses ("woh-oo-oh"), Ego Brats, Emo Prats, Plinky Folk, Brittle Bombast, Vegas Country, Smug Thug, Mope Noodling, De-mixed Throb, and Robot-o-Tune schlock! >

Here's the
D R E A M
J U K E B O X !

Shimmy down with more soul
than a fishing wharf!


COOL SONGS 2020
by Tym Stevens
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.

*(The Player is limited to the first 200 songs.
Hear the unlimited Playlist here.)


This year's jukebox is sequenced into groups of sound, instead of randomly.
All the songs elasticize their genres.
Get your groove on in this sonic order.:

Rockabilly!Beatlesque!Garage!Psyche!

Glam!Folk!Country!Blues!

Soul!Funk!World!Africana!

Alt Rock!PostPunk!Electro!Riot Grrrl!

TripHop!Soundtracks!RESIST!


Fantastic Negrito; Pottery;
Nadine Shah; La Femme



16 hours of synapse-snapping, tushie-twisting music, featuring the following fine folks in this exact order!:

Rockabilly!
The Fangin' Felines, Groovy Uncle, Eva Eastwood, The Neatbeats, and Hijyou no Licence.

The Newbeats; Salome No Kuchibiru;
The Ace Of Cups; Las Cobras


Surf / Beat / Garage!
The Minders, Hayley And The Crushers, The Courettes, The Shakers, Cupid's Carnival, Nick Lowe, Habibi, Mr. Waricomets, Tristen, Lips Of Salome, The Fleshtones, Pretenders, Ace of Cups, and Las Cobras.

Psychedelic / Beatlesque!
Autoramas, Destination Lonely, Shadow Show, The Clientele, Isobel Campbell, Miranda And The Beat, El Goodo, Fleur, Joel Paterson, Diamond Hands, Leah Senior, The Flaming Lips, Bananagun, The Moons, The Empty Hearts, BC Camplight, Datura4, Brigid Dawson And The Mothers Network, Dent May, Annabelle Chairlegs, The Jayhawks, Daniel Romano, Caleb Landry Jones, Blues Pills, Bebopalula, Paul McCartney, Joey Molland, King Tuff, Brent Cowles, Nathaniel Rateliff, Les Hay Babies, Throwing Muses, and Death Valley Girls.

Autoramas; Annabelle Chairlegs;
The Jayhwks; Joey Molland


Classic Rock / Glam!
Declan McKenna, Gloria, Jane Weaver, Fuzz, Las Historias, Mrs. Piss, Osees, and Nancy.

Folk / Country!
levitation room, Sarah Jarosz, Tim Heidecker and Weyes Blood, The Secret Sisters, The Clientele, Dirty Projectors, Kacy + Clayton and Marlon Williams, Angel Olsen, and Laura Marling.

The Secret Sisters; Bette Smith;
Bai Kamara Jr; Chris Stapleton;
Don Bryant; Nicole Atkins


Blues!
Bette Smith, Suzanne Santo and Gary Clark Jr, Black Joe Lewis And The Honeybears, Lucinda Williams, Bob Dylan, Bai Kamara Jr And The Voodoo Sniffers, and Larkin Poe.

Soul!
Early James, Thorbjørn Risager, Don Bryant, Tami Neilson, The James Hunter Six, Dedicated Men of Zion, Nicole Atkins, Black Pumas, Gemma Ray, Dan Penn, Chris Stapleton, Greyhounds, Kandle, Marcus King, Lee Fields And The Expressions, Motenko, X, Loren Oden, Paul Weller, Khruangbin and Leon Bridges, Monophonics, Thee Sinseers, SAULT, and Aaron Frazer.

Funk / Mutant Disco!
Fantastic Negrito, Hannah Williams And The Affirmations, Them Vibes, Bastards Of Soul, Jyoti/Georgia Anne Muldrow, Tomar and the Fcs, Pottery, Jungle Fire, Neal Francis, Thundercat, Nadine Shah, Penza Penza, Childish Gambino, The Du-Rites, Chris Joss, Brownout, Temples, La Femme, Chrysta Bell, and Too Much.

Deerhoof; Deradoorian;
White Denim; PINS;
Zara McFarlane; Osees


World!
Toots And The Maytals, Marcos Valle, Ley Line, Altin Gün, and Bab L'Bluz.

Rock En Espanol!
Los Cogelones, Mint Field, El Shirota, The Limiñanas and Nuria, Sgt. Papers, Los Estanques, Estrogenuinas, Marilyn Monstruo Band, and The Mavericks.

Africana!
Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela, Warsaw Afrobeat Orchestra, Songhoy Blues, Les Amazones d'Afrique and Mamani Keïta, Melt Yourself Down, Farafi, Roy Ayers, Star Feminine Band, Antibalas, Groupe RTD, Michelle David And the Gospel Sessions, and Mdou Moctar.

Toots Hibbert; Tony Allen;
Songhoy Blues; Les Amones d'Afrique


Alt Rock!
Here Lies Man, Deerhoof, Spoon, Thao And The Get Down Stay Down, Chicano Batman, Ohmme, Moses Sumney, Deradoorian, White Denim, HAIM, Yves Tumor, and Savoy Motel.

Neo Wave / PostPunk!
The Unknowns, Elvis Costello, The Go-Go's, Vintage Crop, Kobra, PINS and Leather Party, Ganser, Public Practice, Autoramas, and Girls In Synthesis.

Electro!
GUM, Home Counties, Electrocute, Jehnny Beth, Django Django, Zara McFarlane, Special Interest, Son Lux and William Bell, Osees, and Kate NV.

Alt-Rap!
Kate Tempest, Riz Ahmed, Sa-Roc, Dry Cleaning, Shygirl, Shabazz Palaces, Calibro 35 and MEI, Sneaks, Common with Lenny Kravitz and Chuck D., Fiona Apple, Hotel Lux, and Run The Jewels with Josh Homme and Mavis Staples.

Riz Ahmed; The Paranoyds;
noranekoguts; Alexandra Savior;
Unloved; Adrian Younge + Ali Shaheed Muhammad


Riot Grrrl!
Mitski, Shilpa Ray, illuminati hotties, Es, Kat Riggins, The Paranoyds, noranekoguts, L.A. WITCH, Concrete Lawn, Sasami, Suzie Stapleton, and Ohmme.

Alt-Jazz!
Jaimie Branch, Artemis, Muriel Grossman, Shabaka And The Ancestors, Nubya Garcia, and Idris Ackamoor And The Pyrimids.

TripHop / Cinerama / Soundtracks!
Kandle, Anna Calvi, Calibro 35, Alexandra Savior, The Third Mind, Sharon Van Etten, The Proper Ornaments, Lera Lynn, El Michels Affair, Unloved, Ghost Funk Orchestra, Au Revoir Simone, The Budos Band, Jackie Lynn, The Dream Syndicate, Bonnie Whitmore, Brownout, El Michels Affair and Piya Malik, Julie Byrne and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Jon Batiste, Ramin Djawadi, Jeff Russo, and Ludwig Goransson.

Elvis Costello; Public Enemy;
Resistance Revival Chorus; Durand Jones And The Indications

RESIST!!
Artichoke, Ondara, Dion and Paul Simon, Catholic Action, Elvis Costello, Wire, Dave Hause and Amythyst Kiah and Kam Franklin, Pink Mountaintops, Enemy Radio, Alabama Slim, Earl St. Clair, Public Enemy, Paul Cauthen, Boca 45 and Hannah Williams, Consolidated, Lucinda Williams, Neil Young, Peaches, Angelo Moore And the Brand New Step, Resistance Revival Chorus and Rhiannon Giddens, Gabriels, Lera Lynn, Durand Jones And The Indications, Badge Époque Ensemble and James Baley, Mavis Staples, A Certain Ratio, Kyle Lacy, Liz Vice, and Harry Gregson-Williams.

Happy Holidays!
Kelly Finnigan, Black Pumas, and Michelle David And the Gospel Sessions.






C O V E R


S O N G S
2 0 2 0


All the Best


COVER VERSIONS
of the year!


Music is the throughline of the human spirit.

Singing timeless songs in times of uncertainty brings us solace, offers out support, and bonds us in communion.

In a year that separated us from each other, sharing songs reaffirmed us as a people, honored our origins, and lit the way for the young.

There were an abundance of cover songs in 2020. Through them, we sought reflection, revelation, and renewal. Here’s a playlist of our mutual journey.

COVER SONGS 2020
by Tym Stevens
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.



List = Original By / Cover Artist
Songs are sequenced in the chronological order of the Originals.



1920s-'50s Covers

Mahalia Jackson / Sinéad O'Connor, Tampa Red / Erin Harpe, Vera Lynn / Karen Elson, Glenn Miller / Elisa JO, Woodie Guthrie / Resistance Revival Chorus, Big Mama Thornton / Kyle Lacy, Little Willie John / The Shakers, and Screaming Jay Hawkins / Kandace Springs, and The Kills.

'60s Covers

Ray Charles / Autoramas(riff), and The Flying Horse Big Band, Sam Cooke / Los Coast and Gary Clark Jr., The Seekers / Dean And Britta, Toussant McCall / Robert Plant, Los Shakers / Muck and the Mires, The Impressions / The Notations, The Beatles / Kathleen Grace and Larry Goldings, The Easybeats / The Weeklings, and The Premonitions, The Rolling Stones / Les Hay Babies, The Beatles / Blossoms, Four Tops / Jonathan Wilson, The Beatles / Black Pumas, and Peter Parcek, The Rolling Stones / Molly Tuttle, The Kinks / Unloved and Raven Violet, Jefferson Airplane / The Shivas, The 13th Floor Elevators / The Third Mind, Status Quo / The Colour Collection, Ennio Morricone / Ikebe Shakedown, Buffalo Springfield / Billy Porter, James Brown / Shawn Pittman, Bee Gees / The Revivalists, The Beatles / Artemis, Harry Nilsson / Alyssandra Nighswonger, The Turtles / Bella Kaye, Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood / Alex Kapranos and Clara Luciani, HAIR / Rachelle Garniez, The Beatles / Valentina And The Electric Post, and The Midnight Callers, and Glen Campbell / The Pen Friend Club.

'70s Covers

Creedence Clearwater Revival / Fogerty's Factory, The Stooges / Destination Lonely, The Beach Boys / Psychic Ills, The Beatles / Joel Paterson, and Joan As Police Woman, George Harrison / Jarrod Dickenson, Brook Benton / Los Straitjackets, Edwin Starr / Vintage Trouble, Steppenwolf / Deap Lips(The Flaming Lips + Deap Vally), David Bowie / Ramin Djawadi, John Lennon / Dirty Projectors, and The Anderson Council, Neil Young and Crazy Horse / Jeff Russo and Noah Hawley, Pink Floyd / Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, Black Sabbath / Moon Duo, Funkadelic / Brittany Howard, Graham Nash / Constant Bop, Marvin Gaye / Devon Gilfillian, and Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, Black Sabbath / BSCBR with Deradoorian, Ann Peebles / Sister Lucille, Nilsson / Heather Trost, The Jackson 5 / Dezron Douglas, T. Rex / Pixies, Yes / Allegaeon, John Denver / Whitney and Waxahatchee, Steely Dan / Eli "Paperboy" Reed, and Julia Logan, Pink Floyd / Ramin Djawadi, The O’Jays / PJ Morton and Yola, Black Sabbath / Emel, Big Star / Bedouine, Hurray For The Riff Raff, Waxahatchee, Sly And The Family Stone / Bootsy Collins and Larry Graham, Nick Drake / Ben Harper and Rhiannon Giddens, Kool And The Gang / Khruangbin, Elton John / The Fearless Flyers, Stevie Wonder / Constant Bop, Paul McCartney And Wings / Tanya Donelly and The Parkington Sisters, Dolly Parton / Robin McKelle, Stockhausen/Beach Boys/Star Trek/Oliveros/Muppet Movie medley / Deerhoof, Chris Bell / Beck, Bob Dylan / Emma Swift, Black Sabbath / Uniform, “Rocky Horror Picture Show” / T.S.O.L. and Keith Morris, Fleetwood Mac / Elizabeth, Donna Summer / The Organauts, Kraftwerk / Guga Stroeter, Lucio Agra, Renato Soares, Talking Heads / Order of Operations, Richard Hell And The Voidoids / The Bobby Lees, Plastic Bertrand / Whyte Horses, Elvis Costello And The Attractions / Los Straitjackets, and Sharon Van Etten and Josh Homme, Chic / Lydia Ainsworth, Buzzcocks / Adele And The Chandeliers, The B-52’s / The Medicine Dolls, The Clash / Hinds, and Mattiel, and Wings / Constant Bop.

'80s Covers

John Lennon / Chris Cornell, X / Hayley and the Crushers, Grace Jones / Bacao Rhythm And Steel Band, Grover Washington Jr and Bill Withers / Rhiannon Giddens and Sxip Shirey, Phil Collins / Larkin Poe, Bruce Springsteen / Alison Mosshart, Ramones / Brad Marino, Queen and David Bowie / Karen O and Willie Nelson, Joan Jett / L7, Prince / Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings, and Tashaki Miyaki, The Cars / Soccer Mommy, U2 / Sarah Jarosz, INXS / Dylan LeBlanc, Pixies / Gouge Away, Beastie Boys / Mattiel, Public Enemy / Public Enemy +.

'90s Covers

Concrete Blonde / Puss N Boots, Chris Isaak / Messer Chups, and Aubrie Sellers, Julee Cruise / Daniel Knox, Pixies / Nation of Language, Joan Jett / The Venomous Pinks, Radiohead / Arlo Parks, Mazzy Star / Whitehorse, Nirvana / Hannah Williams And The Affirmations, and Shadwick Wilde, Portishead / Amanda Palmer and Rhiannon Giddens, and Torres, Guided By Voices / Mo Kenney, Soundgarden / Sevendust, and Jeff Buckley / Emel.

'00s and '10s Covers

Hooverphonic / Hooverphonic, David Bowie / Modern Nature, Gnarls Barkley / Shadow And the Thrill, and Lana Del Rey / Vitamin String Quartet.






B E S T


R E I S S U E S :
2 0 2 0


Quality is timeless.


Fanny



BEST REISSUES 2020
by Tym Stevens
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.


This music player has songs from the following albums, in the same order.


1950s



Peggy Lee, "Decca Rarities"(1952-’56)
A prolific and important period in the great Torch Singer's history, given center stage.

Sarah Vaughan, "Time After Time"(1950s)
Let's give all the love to Jazz vocalists like Sarah Vaughan, Betty Carter, Blossom Dearie, Dinah Washington, Julie London, Nancy Wilson, Anita O'Day, and Carmen McCrae that we should.

Various Artists, "The Right To Rock: The Mexicano And Chicano Rock 'n' Roll Rebellion 1955-1963"
Rock'n'Roll was everybody, from the beginning. Learn the important contributions from Latinx pioneers like young Freddie Fender, Chan Romero, Los Xochimilcas, Ritchie Valens, Los Teen Tops, and Los Gibson Boys.

Pérez Prado, "Prez"(1956)
The Mambo master's Top 40 smash and mainstream pinnacle, remastered.

Eddie Cochran, "The Liberty Years"(1957-’64)
A box set of the Rockabilly troubadore's entire output, remastered.

Bessie Jones, "Get In Union"(1959-'66)
Recorded by ALan Lomax, fronting the Georgia Sea Island Singers, Bessie Jones was a walking encyclopeia of folk spirituals. A mainstay on the '60s festival circuit, she sang at the Carter inauguration in '77.


Chicano Rock; Perez Prado;
Ella Fitzgerald; Joni Mitchell

1960s



Various Artists, "Gargano's Garage: Lavender, Magenta, Indigo, and Blue Fin Labels"(1959-’66)
A subterranean history of the mysterious producer Vic Gargano, his myriad record label artists, and a span from Prom Rock to Psychedelia. >

Ella Fitzgerald, "The Lost Berlin Tapes"(rec. 1962)
The live album Ella In Berlin(1960) is an essential classic. Her sequel tour was recorded but lost... until now.

Solomon Burke, "The King Of Rock 'N' Soul: The Atlantic Recordings 1962-1968"
While many know Atlantic Soul giants like Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, Ben E. King, and Aretha Franklin, not enough know the fine catalog of Solomon Burke. This box set corrects that.

Joni Mitchell, "Archives, Vol. 1: The Early years 1963-1967"
A box set of unreleased treasures, such as home demos, live recordings, and radio performances, by the Folk regent before she made albums.



Various Artists, "Girls With Guitars Know Why"(mid-'60s)
The fifth compilation in Ace Records' ongoing series celebrating the women of '60s Beat, Garage, and Psychedelia.

Various Artists, "Lost Nuggets From The 60s: Girls In The Garage 1963-1967"
While the coveted Girls In The Garage series was essentially bootleg, this above-ground parallel helps put these lost classics back into print and history.

Sharhabil Ahmed; Bobbie Gentry;
Elton John; The Pleasure Seekers


The Everly Brothers, "Down In The Bottom: The Country Rock Sessions 1966-1968"
Concurrent with the Country Soul of Stax and Muscle Shoals, and preceding the rise of Swamp Pop, the brothers went to their roots in these overlooked recordings.

Los Brincos, "Todos Sus Exitos y Rarezas"(1964-'70)
A fine overview of "the Spanish Beatles", who made many fine sounds from Merseybeat to Classic Rock.

Sharhabil Ahmed, "The King Of Sudanese Jazz"
The Sleuths at the wonderful label Habibi Funk mine gold again with their anthology of the innovative guitarist, singer, and band leader.

Bobbie Gentry, "The Delta Sweete“(1968)
Last year, many Alt-Folk artists did a tribute to this entire album. Listening to the original reveals how The Queen Of Swamp Pop was actually a versatile interpreter of all kinds of music. And a darn good guitarist and writer, as well.


Elton John, ”Jewel Box”(1965-2019)
This box set retrospective is a shocking abundance of riches.
Skipping the hits, these 8 discs cover the rare and the deep of Rock's greatest showman: from B-sides and deep cuts, to the motherlode of 65 unreleased demos (!) by Elton and Bernie Taupin from the early days.

The Feminine Complex, ”Livin’ Love”(1969)
The all-female band's debut album is a Pop trove of sunny Soul and groovy Beat music.

Marie Laforêt, ”1969-1970”
More of a supple nightclub chanteuse than a Chanson idol, Laforêt is duly recognized now for her sophistication and bredth.

The Pleasure Seekers, ”What A Way To Die”(1964-’69)
The all-female band, led by sisters Patti and Suzi Quatro, spanned from Beat music to a harder blues that presaged their rebirth as the ultra-Heavy Cradle.


Jimi Hendrix

1970s



Jimi Hendrix, "”Live In Maui”(1970)
A fabulous remaster of the Hawaii concert, in both audio and video form, along with a new feature-length documentary about the event.

The Stooges, ”Live At Goose Lake: August 8th, 1970”(1969)
A startling new discovery, the only soundboard recording of the original line-up of The Stooges roaring their way through all of Fun House, right before they fell apart.

Fanny, ”Fanny”(1970)
Fanny made history as the first all-female Rock band signed to make multiple albums on a major label.
This vinyl reissue of their Rockin' debut -produced by Richard Perry- proves what an excellent and dexterous Rock'n'Soul quartet they were.

John Lennon, ”Gimme Some Truth.”(1970-’80)
A compilation of his greatest hits, in anticipation of a new remastering of all his solo albums. A Punk with wings, before all and like no other.


The Stooges; Marvin Gaye;
The Staple Singers; Brainticket


The Doors, ”Morrison Hotel“(1970)
A 50th Anniversary remastering of the essential album, with a healthy dose of extra takes.

Marvin Gaye, ”Funky Nation: The Detroit Instrumentals”(1971)
A collection of the funky jams Marvin did with Bohannon in the wake of releasing the essential What's Going On album.

Ennio Morricone, "Morricone Segreto”(late-‘60s to early-‘80s)
Morricone did a frighteningly huge amount of film scores in this socially fertile period. Besides polishing off rarities, this collection displays the incomporable bredth and innovation of his talent.

David Bowie, ”Metrobolist, a.k.a., The Man Who Sold The World”(1970)
The 50th Anniversary rerelease of the classic, remixed by original producer Tony Visconti.

Black Sabbath, ”Paranoid”(1970)
One of the new remasters of the original Sabbath's catalog, this box set also includes live 1970-'71 concerts, a new book, photos, and more.

Oneness Of Juju, "African Rhythms 1970-1982”
An American band who merged African and Afro-Cuban rhythms to Funk and Soul political songs.

The Staple Singers, ”Come Go With Me: The Stax Collection”(1968-1974)
The Staples made many fine Gospel protest albums from the late-'50s up, but when they came to Stax Records, their star took off. Led by the inimitable guitarist Pops and the fiery frontsinger Mavis, they schooled the charts with such Funk classics as "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There".

Iggy And The Stooges, ”You Think You’re Bad, Man? The Road Tapes ’73-’74“
A five-disc bookend to the ”Live At Goose Lake" set (1970 above), this fly/wall document of freefall follows their scorched-earth reunion tour down to its infamous finale of flung bottles and obscenities. Who's your Punk daddy now?

Brainticket, ”Cottonwoodhill”, “Psychonaut”(1971, 1972)
Vinyl reissues of the electrifying German Prog band, with unsung classics like the domme poet of the Funky "Pieces Of Light" and the Sabbath stomp and Shankar fade-out of the intense "Watchin' You".



The Rolling Stones; African Airwaves;
Make Some Noise; Elvis Costello


The Rolling Stones, ”Goats Head Soup”(1974)
Previously considered the fall-off after the Stones' Golden Period, this reissue gives better justice to their eclecticism. Includes extra tracks, a live concert, and an unreleased song with Jimmie Page guesting on guitar, "Scarlet".

Various Artists, "Soul Love Now: The Black Fire Records Story, 1975-1993”
Oneness Of Juju issued their own record label, with a pantheon of spiritual Jazz artists and conscious Soul acts.

Various Artists, "La Locura de Machuca 1975-1980”
In mid-'70s Columbia, a producer named Machuca documented the roiling scene of Columbian/African psychedelic fusion acts. Blow your mind, wag your behind.

Neil Young, ”Homegrown”(1975)
The ever-fluctuating Neil finally unveils this unreleased album, a Country-Rock breakup lullaby.

Various Artists, "African Airways Six: Mile High Funk 1974-1981”
Another funktastic collection of African women soaring.

Iggy Pop, "The Bowie Years“(1977-’78)
A deluxe box set of the two Berlin albums produced by Bowie, plus outtakes, versions, an interview, a book, and live performances.

Patrick Cowley, ”Some Funkettes”(1975-’77)
The sixth entry in a release campaign of the influential Disco producer's works.

Various Artists, "Make More Noise! Women In Independent Music UK 1977-1987"
Because of Feminism and Punk, more women took control in Rock during this period than ever had before. This 90-song box set and book is an important synopsis covering that wave that lifted our present.

The Toms, "The 1979 Sessions”
Tommy Marolda dubbed himself making memorable Power Pop tunes, and created a cult following.

Elvis Costello And The Attractions, ”Armed Forces”(1979)
A deluxe box set of the remastered album, copious live perfomances, 10" records, lyric books, posters, postcards, and a partridge in a pear tree.


Eve Libertine of Crass


1980s


Use No Hooks, ”The Job”(1979-’83)
The unreleased recordings of an Australian PunkFunk band, with plenty of hooks and workouts to spare.

The Last, ”Look Again“(1980)
The L.A. Power Pop band's unreleased second album, remastered.

Toyah, ”Sheep Farming In Barnet”(1980)
The beginning of a remastering and reissue campaign of Toyah Wilcox's works, along with other albums from the Safari Records label.

Split Enz, "True Colours”(1980)
A remixed anniversary edition of the New Zealand classic, with added live performances.

Pylon, ”Pylon Box”(1980-’83)
The Art Pop band from Athens, GA, gets the full treatment, with both albums remixed, B-sides and rarities, a demo setlist, and a lavish book.

Red Cross, "Red Cross"(1980)
The Power Punk origins of Red Kross, before they were legally forced to change their name.

Crass, "Catalog Remasters"(1978-’86)
The fiercest AnarchoPunks of all, with a remastering of their six crucial albums, including Penis Envy and Christ: The Album.

Prince And The Revolution, "Prince And The Revolution Live”(1985)
Prince was king of the world in 1985 because of the smash success of Purple Rain(1984), and this live concert -briefly available on VHS then- has been remastered for the ages.

Various Artists, "Sun City: Artist United Against Apartheid“(1985)
Following the worldwide success of Live Aid, Little Steven (Van Zandt) organized an all-star album to decry oppression in South Africa. It helped bring massive international awareness to overturning Apartheid, which happened in 1990. At last, this pivotal classic gets reissued.

Prince, ”Sign ‘O The Times”(1987)
A staggeringly deluxe box set.
Prince reinvented himself with the solo double album Sign ‘O The Times, but he went through three unreleased albums to get there. This insanely generous set includes all of that and B-sides besides, plus live performances, a DVD concert, and a 120-page book.

Tears For Fears, ”The Seeds Of Love”(1989)
After the monster hits of 1985, the band took their time to make a Beatlesque album that most slept on. Time proves the wiser, with this expanded set.

Neneh Cherry, ”Raw Like Sushi“(1989)
While Conscious Rap and Native Tongues acts were renovating HipHop, here came the leftfield Swede to ramp up the game, with tough lyrics and bumping tunes.



1990s



L7, ”Smell The Magic”(1990)
The Grunge Grrrls' blistering second album, remastered for a vinyl release.

Various Artists, "Rutles Highway Revisited"(1990)
A tribute album to The Rutles, with covers of their first 1978 album by indie artists like Galaxie 500, Lida Husik, Das Damen, Daniel Johnston, Shonen Knife, and Bongwater.

PJ Harvey, ”Album Demos”(1993-’96)
A reissue campaign of all her albums remastered this year was good enough. But in addition, companion albums of home demos for Dry, To Bring You My Love, and Is This Desire? were released for the first time.

Supergrass, ”The Strange Ones: 1994-2008”
For all the hoopla about the Blur and Oasis feud, the greatest Britpop band was Supergrass, whose relentless run of catchy and inventive Power Punk, Classic Rock, Glam, and Indie anthems was formidable. And now, undeniable.

Paul McCartney, ”Flaming Pie”(1997)
On fire with the adrenalin from The Beatles Anthology, Paul - with help from friends like Jeff Lynne, George Martin, and Ringo- struck up the band as only he can. A classic.


L7; Supergrass;
Gillian Welch; Lips Of Salome

2000s



Gillian Welch, ”Boots No. 1, 2, and 3”(2004)
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings recorded a vault's worth of demos for copyright reasons, and now share them with us to enjoy.

Robert Plant, ”Digging Deep: Subterranea”(1981-2020)
As a companion to his Digging Deep podcast, Robert presents a new solo retrospective with three unreleased songs, focusing more on roots and mood.

The Coathangers, "The Coathangers"(2007)
The debut album of the Punk trio remastered for vinyl.


2010s



Calibro 35, "Calibro 35"(2010)
The debut album of the Milan band, who specialize in funky cinematic Rock in the mode of 1969-'75 Italian soundtracks.

The Kills, ”Little Bastards“(2003-’20)
This collection of B-sides and cover versions from the Blues Punk duo is basically a blasting new album in itself.

Incredible Tabla Band, Shawn Lee Presents ”Tabla Rock”(2012)
The 1973 classic LP Incredible Bongo Band sold nothing, but became the sonic bedrock for all samples of HipHop to come with songs like "Apache". This loving recreation of it substitutes tablas for bongos.

Lips Of Salome, "Sound Of Salome"(2007-’20)
A summary of the Japanese duo's career, rooted in '60s styles expressed in new ways.

Autoramas, ”B-Sides And Extras, Vol. 1”(2000-’20)
The Brazilian combo surfs on Rockabilly and Garage rhythms with New Wave chops.






© Tym Stevens







"A splendid time is guaranteed for all!"






See also:

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2020
BEST COMICS: 2020


BEST MOVIES & TV: 2019
BEST COMICS: 2019
BEST MUSIC: 2019

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2018
BEST MUSIC: 2018
BEST COMICS: 2018

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2017
BEST COMICS: 2017
BEST MUSIC: 2017

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2016
BEST COMICS: 2016
BEST MUSIC: 2016

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2015
BEST COMICS: 2015
BEST MUSIC: 2015

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2014
BEST COMICS: 2014
BEST MUSIC: 2014

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2013
BEST COMICS: 2013
BEST MUSIC: 2013

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2012
BEST COMICS: 2012
BEST MUSIC: 2012

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2011
BEST COMICS: 2011
BEST MUSIC: 2011

BEST MOVIES: 2000-2010
BEST COMICS: 2000-2010
BEST MUSIC: 2000-2010




BEST MOVIES & TV: 2020

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The Great, The Good, and The Interesting!


MA RAINEY'S
BLACK BOTTOM




Shortcut links:
BEST MOVIES: 2020
BEST DOCUMENTARIES: 2020
BEST TV: 2020

C R I T E R I O N


Note: This will often spotlight directors for special merit.
But Auteur Theory is a shoebox; films are a collaborative effort with everyone involved.


Because of the pandemic, many films made in 2019 got broad release in streaming formats to fill the product gap, and are included.






"And... Action!"



B E S T
M O V I E S :
2 0 2 0







T H I N K




✭✭✭✭✭
MANK
Did Orson Welles write CITIZEN KANE (1941), or did Herman J. Mankiewicz? Yes.

They both did, but this arresting and shrewd film gives the other guy some needed spotlight. Directing his father's script, David Fincher's labor of love is generally accurate to the facts, while focusing more as an allegory about creativity in an exploitative system than a strict biography. As such, its wry satire is politically right on time, launching acerbic barbs at the Hollywood veneer and its capitalist underbelly, the Rich rigging Right Wing elections for power, and the indomitable punk spirit that guides creatives to battle the corrupt machine with art.

Enjoy it all, and then watch it again just for the craft: its emulation of KANE with layered flashbacks, lush B/W photography, and epic eye; the sterling dialogue, quoting the actual Mank' and his scripts; the sly turns by a perfect cast; and the wave of cameos by important historical figures from Chaplin to Hearst.



✭✭✭✭✭
MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM
The heralded August Wilson wrote 9 stage plays about the African-American experience, one for each decade of the 20th Century.
Set during a 1927 Blues recording session, this riveting drama explores the coiling tensions between hope and exploitation, between what's made available and what needs to be possible. Viola Davis and Glynn Turman are marvels of subtlety and slow burn. And the late Chadwick Boseman, in his final role, is on righteous fire as the sideman who demands Front Street.

ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
In her directorial debut, noted actor Regina King co-adapts Kemp Powers' play. Activist Malcolm X, boxer Muhammad Ali, singer Sam Cooke, and footballer Jim Brown once met up in a 1964 Florida hotel room, and this imagines what might have happened in such an amazing get-together.

THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7
The CounterCulture proposed Love to all throughout 1967, and the world spent 1968 trying to destroy them for it. (And still does.).
Aaron Sorkin (West Wing) examines the infamous trial of the activists who disrupted the '68 Democratic Convention, and how their populist ideals still resonate in contemporary politics, as does the corruption of the power elite that continues to assault activism and progress.



SHIRLEY
Josephine Decker's examination of psychological horror scribe Shirley Jackson's home life isn't an accurate bio, but instead an intense thriller in Jackson's own style. [And much more faithful in effect than the cheap shocks of The Haunting Of Hill House (2018).]
Masterful performances by Elisabeth Moss and Michael Stuhlbarg.

THE ASSISTANT(2019)
Kitty Green's slow-fuse shell game styles itself like an office documentary, following Julia Garner in her duties while quietly peeling away the layers of passive sexist degradation that women endure daily in the workplace.



SUMMERLAND (U.K.) ⇧
Jessica Swale's nuanced story of a temperamental writer forced to care for a displaced boy is bittersweet and lovely, driven by the ever-great Gemma Arterton and another radiant turn by Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

NOMADLAND
Chloé Zhao's adaption of the non-fiction book about modern nomads follows Frances McDormand in plain-stated documentary fashion, upending conventional perceptions of poverty, community, retirement, and personal change.

BACURAU (Brazil)
Led by natural unknowns along with stalwarts like Sônia Braga and Udo Kier, this Weird Western unwinds through an evolving mystery that's especially effective in the eerie setup of its first half.



MINARI
This engaging and fresh tale of a Korean family trying to make it as farmers in 1980 Arkansas is based on writer/director Lee Isaac Chung's youth. Steven Yeun scores another acting win, while the spunky Grandma and the unaffected kids swipe it.

TIGERTAIL
Alan Yang (Parks and Recreation) explores how a father's disconnect from his daughter is rooted in his troubled past in this moving character drama starring reknowned character actor Tzi Ma and Christine Ko.

THE WILD GOOSE LAKE (China) (2019)
Diao Yinan follows the triumph of his crime thriller BLACK COAL, THIN ICE with this neo-noir journey, mesmerizing in its mood and unexpectedly grand moments.

MOGUL MOWGLI (U.K.) ⇧
Riz Ahmed has done so many varied roles, it's a shock to see him essentially be himself, a British-Pakistani rapper of intimidating skill. But rather than a music success yarn, this tough and occasionally surreal film takes a more challenging and empathic turn.


Interesting:

TESLA
An experiment in form that that benefits most from Ethan Hawke and Kyle MacLachlan's performances. A more effective take on the battle bwtween Tesla and Edison is THE CURRENT WAR (2017).

BLACK BEAR
This film also dusrupts narrative form, which is interesting enough, but it's the Cassavetes-esque intensity of Aubrey Plaza's shaded performance that revs the engine.





S M I L E





BORAT Subsequent Moviefilm
Sacha Baron Cohen tops himself in this superior sequel, taking on the worst excesses of current Fascistic politics full-on with a crazed bravery and vicious wit. Amazing newcomer Maria Bakalova is his match the whole way. And the climax has become legend.

THE TRIP TO GREECE
Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon trade cheeky snark and more impressions in this fourth and final playful riposte to the Hope and Crosby ROAD pictures.


LUCKY GRANDMA(2019)
Did an NYC Chinatown grandma cross the wrong mob, or did the mobs cross the wrong grandma? Sasie Sealy and her all-female crew hit comedy gold with this saavy charmer starring the hardass Tsai Chin.

THE 40-YEAR-OLD VERSION
What if MANHATTAN thought like DO THE RIGHT THING? Writer/director/producer/rapper Radha Blank's B/W meditation on trying to make it in modern New York just gets more exponentially hilarious and inspired as it goes.


THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD (U.K.) ⇧
Armando Iannucci follows the Python-esque THE DEATH OF STALIN with a zany deconstruction of Charles Dickens as a metatextual farce, starring a cosmopolitan cast of greats, continually upended -of course- by any scene with Peter Capaldi, Tilda Swinton, or Ben Whishaw.

MISS JUNETEENTH
Channing Godfrey Peoples' debut film gives Nicole Beharie (Sleepy Hollow) the star vehicle that truly lets her breathe, with this tender and amaiable yarn about a mother and daughter's differing dreams for the future.

THE HALF OF IT
As an antidote to the vanilla John Hughes coming-of-age formula, writer/director Alice Wu channels her youth as the outsider in a conventional small U.S. town through a sharp and funny rewrite of "Cyrano de Bergerac". Leah Lewis is a winning stand-out leading a fresh and supple cast.

YES, GOD, YES
Karen Maine's merry and sacriligeous slapstick of sexual awakening at an uptight Bible camp is clever, and Natalia Dyer (Stranger Things) is a wide-eyed delight.

EXTRA ORDINARY (Ireland) (2019)
GHOSTBUSTERS meets THE EXORCIST. All the ludicrous and leftfield fun you would want it to be.

VILLAINS(2019)
This demented farce is a whirling curveball, pitting two dumb thieves against married serial killers in the woodlands. Mayhem and bizzarity tumbles.




D R E A M





✭✭✭✭✭
TENET

In his heart of hearts, Christopher Nolan wants to make James Bond films.

In ways, he already has: the skyscraper scene in THE DARK KNIGHT; the plane sequence that opens THE DARK KNIGHT RISES; and the snow fortress sequence in INCEPTION. But here he goes full-tilt with an ultimate James Bond-esque thriller that questions the very nature of the sequential itself. This smart and innovative film works on every level, as a layered mystery, an international intrigue, an action thriller, as speculative fiction, and as a mindwarp.

Anyone who says different doesn't know what time it is.



MULAN
This fine film had the bad luck of being scuttled by the Pandemic (and attendant hysterical bias).
Meanwhile, on the real side, it reinvents the legend and the 1998 animated film much better, with an epic saga loyal in spirit, brave in innovation, and true in its aim.
Yifei Liu shines as the lead in this spectacular fantasy, amid a cast of all-star greats including Donnie Yen, Tzi Ma, Jason Scott Lee, Rosalind Chao, Gong Li, and Jet Li. Sword up and ride.

THE VAST OF NIGHT
An effective debut, with elaborate Raimi-cam tracking shots zooming through weird goings-on in a '50s desert town. Sierra McCormick steals it as the irrepressible teen telephone operator.





N I G H T M A R E





THE INVISIBLE MAN
This feminist retake on the Wells classic has the perfect star in Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale). Aside from some minor logic gaps, it's a bracing thriller with a lot of wry subtext.

REBECCA
Hitchcock made his Hollywood debut with his smash adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's gothic romance thriller.
But the strong story is bigger than Hitch, and has been reinterpreted over the years through radio, plays, musicals, and TV mini-series. Here, Ben Wheatley (A FIELD IN ENGLAND, HIGH RISE) eschews moody studios and revivifys it filming on location in the natural settings of Monte Carlo, castles, and shore houses. Lily James and Armie Hammer bring the glamour and mystery.

GRETEL AND HANSEL
Oz Perkins reaches peak stylization in this moody decoding of the creepy fable, engaging on its craft alone.

HIS HOUSE (UK) ⇧
A Sudanese refugee couple, haunted by war and secrets, moves to an inhospitable London town and encounters fresh grief and old horrors.

SHE DIES TOMORROW
Amy Seimetz starred in Shane Carruth's surreal mood piece UPSTREAM COLOR (2013), and she refracts it directing this jarring and entrancing film, in which a mysterious compulsion takes over one person after another.

Interesting:
RELIC
Natalie Erika James scores points for macabre style in this gloomy gloss of three women navigating a haunted place.





G R A P H I C
I M A G E S





WONDER WOMAN 1984
Director Patty Jenkins completes the arc, transferring Diana from the dreary hackdom of Snyder's DC films to the bright nobility of Donner's SUPERMAN.

The transition began in WONDER WOMAN (2017) and reaches full fruition here. WW84 is a loving tribute to the beginning of modern superhero films, namely SUPERMAN (1978) and SUPERMAN II (1981), with all the noble action, grand stakes, broad fun, heraldic destiny, romantic night-flights, and bright days intact. But, in rewriting SUPERMAN III into the good film it should have been, this sly homage is informed by all the character beats, complex plotting, metatext, social subtext, and expert craft that contemporary superhero films have evolved into. It is essentially the best superhero film that the '80s never actually made, and right in every way for it. Truth.





A R T F L I X





SOUL
Pete Docter wrote/directed the essential Pixar film INSIDE OUT (2015), a subtle film that understands the 3 levels of emotional perception.
(cheat chart: primary/basic, secondary/mixed, tertiary/abstract).
He expands that profundity in this heady film, as fleet as a bebop solo, as challenging as a Monk recital, as fun as a ballroom dance. Deep, funny, soulful.


TV Animation:


HILDA 2 ⇧
The latest season of Luke Pearson's charismatic adventurer tells bracing modern Fantasy tales, while taking the bold step of letting her have actual emotional growing pains along the way. A fine, fun show.


DISENCHANTMENT 3 ⇧
The Matt Groening team (The Simpsons, Futurama) continues turning Fantasy tropes inside out, gliding on engaging plots and daffy twists. Watch it for the teen-bratitude genius of Abbi Jacobson's voice, stay for the most complex and artful painted backgrounds in animated TV.

THE MIDNIGHT GOSPEL 1
How do you possibly follow up the brilliant candy absurdism of Adventure Time? Creator Pendleton Ward turns conversations with his friends into multiveral mindwarps.



STAR TREK: Lower Decks 1 ⇧
Seth McFarlane initially misstepped by trying to merge frat humor with Star Trek in his parody, The Orville, eventually settling better into gentle spoofing.
Mike McMahan, a writer for Rick and Morty, succeeds better here lobbing Douglas Adams absurdity in rapid-fire gasps. The ballyhooed Easter Eggs of Trek history are seriously deep cut, but the true depth lies in characterization that makes you really care.

STAR WARS: The Clone Wars 7 ⇧
The beloved Clone Wars animated series was cut short from a 10-year goal by a Season 6 cancellation. Thankfully, fan support and the impact of its mythos on live-action films earned a 7th season finale reprieve, wrapping up the events between film Episodes II and III. And proving, quite touchingly, that Ahsoka Tano was the heart of it all.






B E S T
D O C U M E N T A R I E S :
2 0 2 0




MLK/FBI
The best man in America was harassed and threatened by the worst; Dr. King fought for real justice for American citizens, while FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover corroded our nation with corruption and oppression. The same dichotomy remains between populist activism and systemic injustice to this day.

WHO KILLED MALCOLM X?
It's been clear since 1965 that the murder of Civil Rights activism's bravest voice was deeper than the false narrative. Time only reveals more of the collusion.

ASSASSINS
How two women were tricked into murdering the heir to the leader of South Korea.

THE CORDILLERA OF DREAMS
What is the legacy of the brutal 1973 Chile coup, and who does the interpretation?



DELIA DERBYSHIRE: The Myths And The Legendary Tapes
As the wizard of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Delia created the classic 1963 Doctor Who theme purely out of tape loops. She has achieved cult status with all the other sonic wonders she created.

MR. SOUL!
From 1968 to 1973, Ellis Haizlip used public access TV to bring real Black culture and social views into the living room, disprupting all the hate narratives with peace, love, and soul.








B E S T
T V :
2 0 2 0





(The season number follows each title.)





N E W S





Feed your mind and your activism will follow.

The Rachel Maddow Show

LAST WEEK with John Oliver

PBS NewsHour

PBS FRONTLINE

THE DAILY SHOW, with Trevor Noah





D R A M A





BETTER CALL SAUL 5 ⇧
If Breaking Bad is THE GODFATHER, then Better Call Saul is THE GODFATHER II; while the first is a linear crime drama, the second is a prequel/sequel simultaneously, telling a wider and deeper story in between those time contrasts about consequences and redemptions. This penultimate season -a lesson in mature television craft- beautifully sets up the Sixth finale season to come.

FARGO 4 ⇧
After a pause, Noah Hawley brings a new dimension to the Fargo-verse, one that the Coens have never entertained in their films: the African American experience on either side of crime. Chris Rock and Jason Schwartzman are good, but Glynn Turman and Ben Whishaw carry the gravity, and Jessie Buckley and E'myri Crutchfield steal it.


BABYLON BERLIN 3
The noir detective series investigates murders at a 1929 movie studio, even as the terrible tide of Nazism begins to rise underneath.

KILLING EVE 3
Another engaging season from a new showrunner, full of shocks and laughs, though maybe running the risk of formula at this point.


M I N I - S E R I E S


"SMALL AXE"
West Indies immigrants tranformed the culture of London from the '60 to the '80s, but found a rough road in the doing. Director Steve McQueen (12 YEARS A SLAVE) dramatizes this in five film stories that examine the tolls paid in their struggles.

BLACK NARCISSUS
Have Gemma Arterton, will succeed. The Powell-Pressburger film version (1947) is a stone classic, but this worthy 3-part adaptation brings in added elements of the book, enhanced by filming at actual Nepal locations.


THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT 3 ⇧
An excellent adaptation of Walter Tevis's (The Hustler, The Man Who Fell To Earth) book which became a cultural phenomenon, winning awards and blowing up chess board sales. Anya Taylor-Joy is fascinating as the troubled chess prodigy who can conquer the world if she can exceed her own stalemates.

DEVS
Alex Garland (EX MACHINA, ANNIHILATION) crafts an 8-part headtrip, mesmeric in tone and provocative in implications. The chameleon Sonoya Mizuno plays a software developer at the cusp of a redefinition of existence.

S H O R T

WHAT DID JACK DO?
A film noir short film in which tough cop David Lynch interrogates a cagey monkey. 17 minutes of hilarious.





W O N D E R





STAR TREK: DISCOVERY 3 ⇧
'Star Trek: Discovery' is the Ultimate STAR TREK.
After summing up the strengths of all previous shows and films in its first two seasons, the most innovative Trek show in history rebuilt itself from a blank slate this year, defining itself in the unknown in real time in a way not seen since the Original Series itself. The show knows it, and its triumphant culmination at season's end proves it.

Catch up to the new future.

STAR TREK: PICARD 1 ⇧
A brave show that challenges how Star Trek can be told, and what it tells about itself. Taking its cues from the fearless transmutations of Discovery, Picard upgrades The Next Generation into Phase II, with feature film production values, sociopolitical edge, scandalous upheaval, guerilla rebellion, and a ruthless questioning of what Starfleet is and should be. And along the way, some loved and familiar faces take on new life.

Engage.


THE MANDALORIAN 2 ⇧
Everyone loved the first season, which brought STAR WARS feature film values to weekly television, while expanding the depth of its stories with mini-series breadth. But everyone really loved the second season, when aspects from all variations of the canon came to life and together; from the live-action versions of animated characters to the astonishing guest at the end.



OUTLANDER 5
Television's best romance told dual love stories, while balancing history, inclusion, fate, and tragedy.

DOCTOR WHO 12
Jodie Whittaker is wondrous as the current Doctor, and showrunner Chris Chibnall (Broadchurch) has totally redefined and expanded the character for the ages in the stunning season finale.

HIS DARK MATERIALS 2 ⇧
An adaptation of the second book in Pullman's Fantasy series, alive with vivid locations, pinioning deception, palpable edge, and the charm of Dafne Keen's puckish hero.

WESTWORLD 3 ⇧
The source film WESTWORD (1973) was followed by the sequel FUTURE WORLD (1976).
The genius of this season was in reinventing itself into cyberpunk territory, while filming in real-world locations that exist because of the future extrapolations which have since come to pass.

3% 4 (Brazil)
The dystopian allegory reaches its end. Anyone with any casting sense would be building a STAR WARS spin-off series around break-out stars Bianca Comparato and Vaneza Oliveira.






H E R O E S





AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. 7 ⇧
Since the beginning, this show has set the standard for smart adult fun in superhero shows: always funny without descending to crass, ever active while never stooping to hyper-violence, clever in its arcs without overstretching the taffy. Unloved at first for seeming too basic, it stealthily built a hardcore following with sharp stories, Whedon wit, and great characters. This finale season read like a love letter to its supporters, to Marvel history, and to its own admirable accomplishments.

DOOM PATROL 2
Writer Grant Morrison's storied four-year run on the 'Doom Patrol' comic series completely redefined the misfits as lysergic surrealism for adults. This series channels his black comedy into what sometimes veers on madcap camp, still retaining enough of his concepts, arcs, and tone to be a fun translation of his legacy.

UMBRELLA ACADEMY 2
Grant Morrison's acolyte is rock star Gerard Way, who with Brazilian artist Gabriel Bá created his own take on 'Doom Patrol' and 'The X-men' comics with the postpunk piss-take, 'The Umbrella Academy'. This solid series adaption, with its scope and tone, may even capture more of the Morrison style than DOOM PATROL does.

ALTERED CARBON 2
Richard K. Morgan's cyberpunk trilogy about body-changing mercenary Takeshi Kovacs lends itself naturally to renewal. This adaptation of the second book rejuvenates the series with a dynamic turn by new lead, Anthony Mackie.

SNOWPIERCER 1 ⇧
Two French graphic novels in the 'Metal Hurlant' style were the basis for Bong Joon-ho's acclaimed cult hit SNOWPIERCER film (2013), a metaphor about classism in a lone train endlessly circling a frozen Earth.
The malleable framework of the concept gets fully expanded here with the time it deserves, wringing the classism parable for all its immediate currency. Daveed Diggs does a dramatic turn here, but the steely star of it all is the multi-faceted Jennifer Connelly.

AWAY 1
Why can't we have excellent Mars TV shows without them being cancelled?* Well anyway, this Mars exploration series starring Hilary Swank deserved more support and your views, and it's well-worth the journey.

*[see also: MARS (2016), THE FIRST (2018). No, literally, go see them.]






The Passion Of Joan Of Arc; The Great Dictator;
The Red Shoes; Ugetsu;
Pather Panchali; Nights Of Cabiria


C R I T E R I O N



Netflix is like the flashy dance club of streaming entertainment, but The Criterion Channel is for the deep cuts of real culture.

It needs to be said. Netflix and Amazon Prime and Hulu impress with their glossy New Now, and they do have many current gems, but they completely lack heritage classics. All width and no depth. That's all fun, but how long can you chew gum for supper? At some point, when you crave for a more well-rounded diet of substance that sustains your mind and soul, there's only one place to get serious about learning full-quality cinema... The Canon Of Great Films That Actually Matter.

The Hidden Fortress; Black Orpheus;
The 400 Blows; Purple Noon;
Woman In The Dunes; A Hard Day's Night


While other streaming sites are High School, The Criterion Channel is Oxford.

The Criterion Channel film-streaming site is the best cinema from around the world and every decade since film began, along with new indie films and acclaimed documentaries. Plus, Criterion is the vanguard in restoring great films to a precision standard of picture and sound that matches the present. Restored classics now look better than the day they were struck. If you've watched Mark Cousins'"The Story of Film: An Odyssey" documentary series as a primer >, this site is the true library to expand your enjoyment into the most essential film classics. Every fine film we appreciate now branches directly from the roots of these timeless works of cinematic art, whether it's a romance, period piece, character drama, guerilla handheld, Rock film, style fest, rebel indie, or avant garde. Get the whole picture.

Later for sugar, next for substance. Subscribe today.

Black Girl; Persona;
Solaris; Space Is The Place;
Eraserhead; Brother From Another Planet



(see also: Fandor, Mubi, Turner Classic Movies, Kanopy, Filmhub, IndiePix, IndieFlix, Ovid, BFI Player (UK), OpenCulture)





THINGS TO CATCH UP ON, Dept.



Hey, who has access (or money) to see everything, even during a lockdown?

Films
DEAD PIGS
CORDELIA
SOUND OF METAL
AND THEN WE DANCED
ANGELFISH

GAGARINE
THE WOLF HOUSE
POSSESSOR
THE DARK AND THE WICKED


Docs
FLINT: WHO CAN YOU TRUST?


TV
MRS. AMERICA
PERRY MASON
I MIGHT DESTROY YOU
MONEY HEIST

SCHITT'S CREEK 6
PEN15
AUNTY DONNA’S BIG OL’ HOUSE OF FUN
THE AMBER RUFFIN SHOW

TWILIGHT ZONE 2
RAISED BY WOLVES 1
UPLOAD
OMNISCIENT (Brazil) 1

MY FAVORITE WAR
STEVEN UNIVERSE FUTURE
ADVENTURE TIME: Distant Lands
INFINITY TRAIN
SOLAR OPPOSITES




© Tym Stevens



See also:

Four Color Films, THE Comic Movies Review Site!


BEST MUSIC: 2020
BEST COMICS: 2020

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2019
BEST MUSIC: 2019
BEST COMICS: 2019

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2018
BEST MUSIC: 2018
BEST COMICS: 2018

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2017
BEST MUSIC: 2017
BEST COMICS: 2017

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2016
BEST MUSIC: 2016
BEST COMICS: 2016

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2015
BEST MUSIC: 2015
BEST COMICS: 2015

BEST MUSIC: 2014
BEST MOVIES & TV: 2014
BEST COMICS: 2014

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2013
BEST MUSIC: 2013
BEST COMICS: 2013

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2012
BEST MUSIC: 2012
BEST COMICS: 2012

BEST MOVIES & TV: 2011
BEST MUSIC: 2011
BEST COMICS: 2011

BEST MOVIES: 2000-2010
BEST COMICS: 2000-2010
BEST MUSIC: 2000-2010



How STAR WARS Is Changing Everything!


"Cut!




HAPPY NEW YEAR! with Happy New Years Songs Playlist

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0
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Quality is timeless.

Make a better future.

Count your blessings.



HAPPY NEW YEAR!:
Rock'n'Soul Playlist,
by Tym Stevens


This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.

A history of NEW YEARS songs from the 1950s to today, in chronological order.

Rockabilly!Jazz!Blues!
Soundtracks!Soul!Country!
Garage!Psychedelic!Funk!
Glam!Reggae!Punk!
New Wave!HipHop!Electro!

and more!


© Tym Stevens



See Also:

HALLOWEEN!: A Rock'n'Soul Music Player

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS: A Rock Music Player

THANKSGIVING!: A Rock'n'Soul Music Player

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! A Rock'n'Soul Music Player


The Real History of ROCK AND SOUL!: The Music Player Checklist



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