TOP PICK
Max Fleischer’s Superman
(Warner/DC Comics)
The 17 old-school cartoons on this two-DVD set rank among
animation’s all-time greatest. The Man of Steel’s ultra-stylized
adventures have influenced generations of animators (Fleischer’s team
was also behind the excellent Popeye cartoons in the ’40s). Best of
all, these remastered toons have never looked so vibrant.
CD
Eric Church:
Carolina
(Capitol Nashville)
This Nashville newcomer hates urban cowboys with big hats and big
mouths; he’s all for big hooks and honky-tonk tradition on his second
album. Church’s lonesome twang works on both the rockers and ballads.
Plus, he co-wrote all 12 songs, which are mostly about raising hell,
drinking Jack and Coke, and smoking weed.
DVD
Frost/Nixon
(Universal)
Ron Howard’s faithful adaptation of the stage hit is a showcase for
Frank Langella and Michael Sheen, who respectively play the disgraced
U.S. president and the British talk-show host who wants to uncover the
truth. Extras include deleted scenes, commentary and footage from the
Nixon Library. Best of all, there are plenty of clips from the real
interviews.
CD/DVD
Jane’s Addiction:
A Cabinet of Curiosities
(Rhino)
This three-CD, one-DVD survey of the L.A. band’s leftovers includes
plenty of not-so-skeletal demos that reveal just how fully formed most
songs were before they were recorded. Cover versions of the Grateful
Dead’s “Ripple” and Sly & the Family Stone’s “Don’t Call Me Nigger,
Whitey” are also cool. A live show and videos put it all in
perspective.
CD
Sinéad O’Connor:
I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got
(Capitol/EMI)
Before she became a pope-bashing loony, O’Connor was an adventurous
singer-songwriter who managed to reach No. 1 with her second album, now
expanded to two discs. The Prince-penned hit “Nothing Compares 2 U” had
a lot to do with its success, but the rest of the record — which
juggles alt-rock, folk, a cappella and hip-hop — remains one of
the ’90s’ best.
This article appears in May 13-19, 2009.