TOP PICK
Curb Your Enthusiasm
(HBO)
The good news is that Larry is as cranky as ever on the
seventh-season premiere (which airs at 9 p.m. Sunday on HBO). The
better news is the Seinfeld reunion that’s part of Curb’s
storyline this year. But first you’ll have to watch Larry squirm his
way through a new relationship now that he’s single.
CD
Chris Bell: I Am the Cosmos — Deluxe
Edition
(Rhino Handmade)
Bell was a founding member of Big Star who left the power-poppers in
1972. He died in a car accident six years later. In between, he
recorded a bunch of songs that were eventually released in 1992. This
expanded reissue adds a disc of alternate versions and a few unreleased
songs. A must-hear for Big Star fans.
DVD
Doctor Who: The Next Doctor
(BBC)
This special outing of the cult sci-fi show was originally broadcast
overseas on Christmas Day. Appropriately, the hour-long episode takes
place during the holiday, when the doc is transported back to 1851 and
bumps into a man who may or may not be a future version of himself.
Extras include a concert of Doctor Who music from the Royal
Albert Hall.
CD
Smokey Robinson: Time Flies When You’re Having
Fun
(ROBSO)
Robinson celebrates his 50th anniversary of making music with his
most solid album in years. India.Arie, Carlos Santana and Joss Stone
all show up to help out, but it’s Robinson’s quiet-storm love songs and
still-sweet voice that fuel these baby-making tunes. The bonus cover of
the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” is a poignant tribute to a fellow
Motown star.
DVD
Unwigged & Unplugged
(Courgette)
This souvenir from Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry
Shearer’s recent tour includes live versions of songs heard in This
Is Spinal Tap and A Mighty Wind. There’s also plenty of
storytelling and joke-telling onstage. Best of all, Spinal Tap’s debut
(from director Rob Reiner’s 1979 TV show) is one of the extras.
This article appears in Sep 16-22, 2009.