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Blasting through the rock like the Chilean miners, the human spirit is alive and well!!!

That same human spirit can be seen and felt coursing through the best of music and film.

Am I reaching? Well, not really.

If anything is anywhere near as miraculous and heart-rending as those miners' rescue, well you know you're on to something good. The best music and movies move your heart and transport you to other times and circumstances. They tap into your soul and make you check your pulse. If the readings come back positive, it's time well spent. If we can learn anything from those miners, it's how to never give up under the direst of circumstances. There is always hope, blessed hope, for Life to begin anew. In case you missed it, let me give you a little back story: 33 miners from the country of Chile were just rescued as of October 12/13 having spent 69 to 70 days (read: over two months!) trapped after their mine collapsed over 2,000 feet below the Earth's surface. That's roughly the length of seven football fields down. Those guys are walking around now having been hoisted to the desert above and back to the land of the Living. We'll soon see their stories in books, probably a movie and maybe a song or two. All contributing to the rich tapestry of Life held together by the undying, unflinching human spirit that lives on in us all. If you've got even a little bit of what those guys have got, you're doing rock solid good! All I'm saying is if you are a human and I'm assuming you are, and you've got the human spirit inside of you and you've got that spirit fired up and kindled, well then you are doing pretty good no matter what your circumstances might be. A little help from our friends can help though…  

Recently released and not mentioned in last edition:

* Ty Tabor - Trip Magnet EP (download only) and Something's Coming (CD.)
* Pegi Young - Foul Deeds (Wife of Neil.)
* JP, Chrissie & the Fairground Boys - S/T (Chrissie Hynde project.)
* Will Hoge - The Living Room Sessions EP
* Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People EP (download only.)
* The Avett Brothers - Live Volume 3
* Cowboy Junkies - Live EP 1992 (reissue.)
* Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Sessions EP (download only.)
* Black Dub - S/T (Daniel Lanois' project.)
* American Aquarium - Small Town Hymns
* Portico Quartet - Isla
* Kathryn Calder - Are You My Mother?
* Sarah Jaffe - Suburban Nature
* Alex Band - We've All Been There
* David Dondero - #Zero with a Bullet
* Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin - Let it Sway
* Citizen Cope - Rainwater
* Tom Jones - Praise & Blame
* JJ Grey & Mofro - Georgia Warhorse
* Seven the Hardway - S/T (Tony MacAlpine project.)
* Muzzle of Bees - Tribute to Wilco's Summerteeth. (download only.)
* Joe Elliott - My Regeneration (covers.)
* Sixpence None the Richer - Early Favorites
* Sam Baker - a few reissues
* Jefferson Airplane - Return to the Matrix 1968 (2 CD's.)
* John Mayall - So Many Roads: An Anthology 1964-74 (4 CD box set.)
+ The Rolling Stones - In Exile
+ Me and Orson Welles

9/7

* Sara Bareilles - Kaleidoscope Heart
* Interpol - S/T
* Serj Tankian - Imperfect Harmonies
* The Acorn - No Ghost
* The Factory - S/T
* The Walkmen - Lisbon
* Brendan James - S/T
* Jukebox the Ghost - Everything under the Sun
* Bachman Turner Overdrive - Bachman & Turner
* Porcupine Tree - Recordings
* Megadeth - Rust in Peace: Live (CD/DVD.)
* Rick Nelson - The Last Time Around: 1970-1982 (Box set.)
+ The Beatles - Complete Ed Sullivan Shows
+ The Airborne Toxic Event - All I Ever Wanted: Live from the Walt Disney Concert Hall
+ Killers
+ MacGruber
+ Solitary Man
+ Tommy (Blu-ray.)

9/14

* Robert Plant - Band of Joy (Patty Griffin, Darrell Scott and Buddy Miller guest.)
* The Gracious Few - S/T (The guitarist, bassist and drummer of LIVE with the singer of Candlebox.)
* Brandon Flowers - Flamingo (Singer of The Killers.)
* Weezer - Hurley
* Justin Townes Earle - Harlem River Blues
* Mavis Staples - You Are Not Alone
* James - The Morning after the Night Before (2 CD's.)
* Of Montreal - False Priest
* Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart
* Peter Himmelman - The Mystery and the Hum
* Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns
* Edwyn Collins - Losing Sleep
* Michelle Branch - Everything Comes and Goes (EP.)
* The Script - Science and Faith (import.)
* Dawn Kinnard - Wrong Side of a Dream (import.)
* The Charlatans - Who We Touch
* Junip - Fields
* Dungen - Skit I Allt
* Thriving Ivory - Through Yourself and Back Again
* The Walkmen - Lisbon
* The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream
* Blonde Redhead - Penny Sparkle
* The Chapin Sisters - Two
* Clare Burson - Silver and Ash
* Azure Ray - Drawing Down the Moon
* Andy Jackson - End Sounds
* Superchunk - Majesty Shredding
* Chromeo - Business Casual
* Grinderman - S/T 2
* Jamey Johnson - The Guitar Song
* The New Czars - Doomsday Revolution
* Accept - Blood of the Nations 
* Flotsam & Jetsam - The Cold
* Dragonforce - Twilight Dementia: Live
+ Leonard Cohen - Songs from the Road
+ Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time
+ Just Wright
+ Letters to Juliet
+ Paper Man

9/21

* Santana - Guitar Heaven (Hard rock covers; many guest singers.) 
* Zac Brown Band - You Get What You Give
* Paula Cole - Ithaca
* Maroon 5 - Hands All Over
* Caedmon's Call - Raising up the Dead
* Anberlin - Dark is the Way, Light is a Place (Produced by Brendan O'Brien.)
* John Legend & The Roots - Wake Up (covers project.)
* Michael Franti & Spearhead - The Sound of Sunshine
* Margot and the Nuclear So and So's - Buzzard
* Justin Rutledge - Early Windos
* Kim Taylor - Little Miracle
* Ryan Montbleau - Heavy on the Vine
* Rain Perry - Internal Combustion
* Matt Costa - Mobile Chateau
* Fake Problems - Real Ghosts Caught on Tape
* Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky
* The Black Ryder - Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride
* Black Country Communion - S/T (Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Derek Sherinian & Jason Bonham.)
+ Robin Hood
+ Ondine
+ The Secret in their Eyes

9/28

* Neil Young - Le Noise (Produced by Daniel Lanois.)
* Gin Blossoms - No Chocolate Cake
* KT Tunstall - Tiger Suit
* Pete Yorn - S/T
* Tired Pony - The Place We Ran From (Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody with R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and producer `Jacknife' Lee.)
* The Posies - Blood/Candy
* Bad Religion - The Dissent of Man
* Steven Page - Page One (ex-Barenaked Ladies frontman.)
* Ben Folds & Nick Hornby - Lonely Avenue
* Nellie McKay - Home Sweet Mobile Home
* Heidi Talbot - The Last Star 
* Manic Street Preachers - Postcards from a Young Man
* Jimmy Eat World - Invented
* The Saw Doctors - Further Adventures of... (import.)
* Fences - S/T
* Glasser - Ring
* No Age - Everything in Between
* Mark Ronson - Record Collection
* Owen Pallett - A Swedish Love Story EP
* Three Mile Pilot - The Inevitable Past is the Future Forgotten
* Adam Haworth - We Live on Cliffs
* August Burns Red - Home: Live (CD/DVD.)
* Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
* Spock's Beard - X
* James Labrie - Static Impulse (Singer of Dream Theater.)
* UFO - Best of a Decade
* Halford - Made of Metal
* The Doobie Brothers - World Gone Crazy
* Eric Clapton - Clapton (many guests.)
* Seal - Commitment
* Phil Collins - Going Back (2 CD's; covers.)
* Lucky Peterson - You Can Always Turn Around (Covers.)
* David Bowie - Station to Station (Deluxe edition.)
* Cinderella - Long Cold Winter (expanded reissue.)
+ Rush - Classic Albums Series: 2112 and Moving Pictures (a great companion to the recent documentary!)
+ Alice Cooper - Theatre of Death: Live in London
+ Babies
+ Iron Man 2
+ Get Him to the Greek
+ Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky
+ The Killer inside Me
+ Frozen
+ Beauty & the Beast (blu-ray.) 
+ King Kong (1933 original; blu-ray.)

10/5

* Guster - Easy Wonderful
* Fistful of Mercy - As I Call You Down (Ben Harper, Joseph Arthur and Dhani Harrison, son of George.) 
* Fefe Dobson - Joy
* Tricky - Mixed Race
* Alain Johannes - Spark
* Jars of Clay - The Shelter (many guests.)
* The Corin Tucker Band - 1,000 Years
* Donavon Frankenreiter - Glow
* Winterpills - Tuxedo of Ashes
* Admiral Fallow - Boots Met My Face
* Down - Diary of a Mad Band
* Fran Healy - Wreckorder (Front man of Travis.)
* Soundgarden - Telephantasm: a Retrospective (CD/DVD.)
* The Orb - Metallic Spheres (David Gilmour guests.)
* Crimson Glory - In Dark Places: 1986-2000 (5 CD box set.)
* John Lennon - a few remasters and a hits collection
* John Mayer - Battle Studies (expanded w/DVD.)
+ Todd Snider - Live from Nashville
+ The Karate Kid
+ The Secret of Kells
+ Splice
+ Grindhouse
+ A Nightmare on Elm Street

10/12

* MuteMath - Armistice: Live (CD/DVD.)
* Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
* Sister Hazel - Heartland Highway
* Darius Rucker - Charleston, SC 1966
* The Indigo Girls - Holly Happydays
* Lady Antebellum - A Merry Little Christmas EP (Target exclusive.)
* Katharine McPhee - Christmas is the Time
* Shelby Lynne - Merry Christmas
* Dar Williams - Many Great Companions (2 CD's.)
* Shawn Mullins - Light You Up
* Kelly Stoltz - To Dreamers
* Lynn Miles - Fall for Beauty
* Belle & Sebastian - Write About Love
* Liz Phair - Funstyle
* Suzanne Vega - Close Up Vol. 2: People & Places
* Joe Satriani - Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards
* Steve Lukather - All's Well That Ends Well
* Unknown Component - The Infinite Definitive
* Less Than Jake - TV EP
* You, Me and Everyone We Know - Some Things Don't Wash Out
* Antony and the Johnsons - Swanlights
* Badly Drawn Boy - Photographing Snowflakes
* Idlewild - Post Electric Blues
* All That Remains - For We Are Many
* Pomegranate - One of Us
* Spiritual Beggars - Return to Zero
* Brian Setzer - Christmas Comes Alive
* Zodiac Mindwarp & the Love Reaction - We Are Volsung
+ Ladies and Gentlemen...the Rolling Stones (1972 concert film; first time on DVD.)
+ Los Lonely Boys - Live at the Fillmore
+ I Am Love
+ Jonah Hex

10/15

+ How to Train Your Dragon

10/19

* Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown
* Elton John & Leon Russell - The Union (Produced by T-Bone Burnett.)
* Sugarland - Incredible Machine
* The Social Network soundtrack
* Honor Bright - Action! Drama! Suspense!
* Wooden Hand - Death Seat
* The Philistine Jr.'s - If a Band plays in the Woods...?  
* The Beatles - Red (1962 - 66) and Blue (1967 - 70) remastered
* Bob Dylan - Bootleg Series: Witmark Demos 1962-64 
+ Michael Schenker Group - Live in Tokyo: 30th anniversary Japan Tour
+ Please Give
+ Holy Rollers
+ Predators
+ Agora
+ Oceans

10/26

* Crowded House - Very Best of
* Taylor Swift - Speak Now
* Bryan Ferry - Olympia (many guests.)
* Good Charlotte ­ Cardiology
* Lauren Pritchard - Wasted in Jackson
* Elizabeth and the Catapult - The Other Side of Zero
* Keller Williams - Kids
* Fred Schneider - Destination...Christmas (B-52's front guy.)
* Buddy Guy - Living Proof (Carlos Santana and B.B. King guest.)
* Yngwie Malmsteen - Relentless
* Dixie Chicks - Essential
* Carl Wilson - Youngblood (reissue.)
* Stryper - The Covering (The Yellow and Black Attack cover their 70's and 80's hard rock musical inspirations.)
+ R.E.M. - Live from Austin, TX 2008
+ The Girl Who Played with Fire
+ Back to the Future (25th anniversary expanded box set.)
+ Winter's Bone
+ Wild Grass
+ South of the Border
+ The Girl who played with Fire
+ Sex and the City 2

11/2

* Elvis Costello - National Ransom
* Brian Eno - Small Craft on a Milk Sea 
* Matt & Kim - Sidewalks
* Elliott Smith - Introduction to...
* Autumn Defense - Once Around
* Jamiroquai - Rock Dust Light Star
* Weezer - Death to False Metal (rarities collection.) and Pinkerton (Deluxe edition.)
* Brad Paisley - Hits Alive
* Keith Richards - Vintage Vinos
* Huey Lewis and the News - Soulsville (covers.)
* Paul McCartney - Band on the Run (Deluxe edition.) 
+ King's X - Live Love in London 2009 (2 CD's/1 DVD.)
+ Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax & Megadeth - The Big Four (Live in Sofia, Bulgaria.)
+ Toy Story 3

11/9

* Susan Boyle - The Gift
* Reba McEntire - All the Women I Am
* Joanne Shaw Taylor - Diamonds in the Dirt
* Hellogoodbye - Would it Kill You?
* Tallest Man on Earth - Sometimes the Blues is just a Passing Bird EP
* Syd Barrett - An Introduction...
* Alter Bridge - AB III
* Eric Johnson - Up Close
* Helloween - 7 Sinners
* Queensryche - Empire (Deluxe edition.)
* Guiffria - S/T and Silk and Steel (reissues.)
* Tom Petty - Damn the Torpedoes (Deluxe edition.)
* Bon Jovi - Greatest Hits - The Ultimate Collection (2 CD's.)
* Dave Matthews Band - Live in New York City (2 CD's.)
* Dio - Live at Donington 1983 and 1987
+ Eric Clapton - Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010
+ Grown Ups
+ Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
+ Charlie St. Cloud
+ Ramona & Beezus
+ Love Ranch

11/16

* Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town (3 CD/3 DVD Deluxe edition; 2 CD's called The Promise sold separately made up of 21 unreleased/rare tracks.)
* Jimi Hendrix - Live at Woodstock/BBC Sessions/West Coast Seattle Boy: Anthology/Blues
* Bryan Adams - Bare Bones: Live
* Norah Jones - ...Featuring Norah Jones
* Loreena McKennitt - The Wind that Shakes the Barley
* Rascal Flatts - Nothing like This
* Blackmore's Night - Autumn Sky
* Killing Joke - Absolute Dissent
* Stereolab - Not Music
* Pink - Greatest Hits...So Far
* Josh Groban - Illuminations
* Supertramp - Breakfast in America (Deluxe edition.)
* John Martyn - Live at Leeds (Deluxe edition.)
* The Who - Live at Leeds (4 CD box set.)
+ Heaven & Hell - Neon Nights: Live at Wacken (CD/DVD.)
+ Disney's A Christmas Carol
+ The Kids are All Right
+ The Last Airbender
+ Lottery Ticket
+ Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore

11/23

* Annie Lennox - Christmas Cornucopia
* The National - High Violet (expanded reissue.)
* Tron Legacy soundtrack
* Sister Sparrow - S/T
* Through the Sparks - Wormwood Waning 
* Pantera - Cowboys from Hell (Deluxe edition.)
* Smashing Pumpkins - Teargarden by Kaleidyscope Vol. II: the Solstice Bare
* The Rolling Stones - 2 giant vinyl box sets
+ Regina Spektor - Live in London (CD/DVD.)
+ Sting - Live in Berlin (CD/DVD.)
+ Eat Pray Love
+ The Expendables
+ Flipped
+ I'm Still Here: the Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix

11/30

* Steve Wynn - Northern Aggression
+ Paul Weller - Live at London's Royal Albert Hall (CD/DVD; import.)
+ Knight & Day
+ Sorcerer's Apprentice

12/4

+ The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

12/7

* Duffy - Endlessly
* Plain White T's - Wonders of the Younger
* Runner Runner - S/T
* Robin Trower - Playful Heart
* Bob Dylan - Original Mono Recordings box set
+ Shrek Forever After
+ Restrepo

12/14

* Bob Marley - Live Forever: Live in Pittsburgh 1980 (Deluxe edition.)
+ The Other Guys
+ Despicable Me
+ Mother and Child

12/21

+ Easy A
+ Salt
+ Step Up 3

12/28

+ Howl

LYRICS of the MONTH: 2 songs this time.

"Save some time to dream
Save some time for yourself
Don't let your time slip away
Or be stolen by somebody else
Save some time for those you love
For they'll remember what you gave
Save some time for the songs you sing
And the music that you've made

Could it be that this is all there is?
Could it be there's nothing more at all?
Save some time to dream
`Cause your dream could save us all

Save some time for sorrow
Cause it will surely come your way
Prepare yourself for failure
It will give you strength someday
Try to keep your mind open
And accept your mistakes
Save some time for living
And always question your faith

Could it be that this is all there is?
Could it be there's nothing more at all?
Save some time to dream
`Cause your dream could save us all

Cast your eyes up to heaven
Oh what does this mean to you
Try not to be too judgmental
So others will not judge you
Save some time to think
Before you speak your mind
Oh many will not understand
And to them you must be kind

Could it be that this is all there is?
Could it be there's nothing more at all?
Save some time to dream
`Cause your dream could save us all

Oh yeah
Your dream might save us all."

John Mellencamp, the song "Save Some Time to Dream" off the album _No Better Than This_ released in August 2010.

http://www.mellencamp.com

And

(Contrast the details of this true life story with that of the Chilean miners.)

At the Quecreek mine nine miners went down
Two hundred and forty feet in the ground
The night shift went a mile when there came a shout
Somebody's hit water everybody get out

It was over their heads and too fast to outrun
Together they were tied to live or die as one
Help came from all round but then the drill stripped and broke
So the men penned goodbyes and wives hoped against hope

When the waters come up
When you go thru the flood
In the Lord you can trust
He will be there with us

Now Jesus was laid in a hole in the ground
He was dead, but the third day God's hand brought Him out
And the miners were buried three nights and three days
But like Jesus, Sunday morning all nine men were raised.

Julie Miller, the song "Quecreek" off the Buddy Miller album Midnight and Lonesome released in 2002.

http://www.buddyandjulie.com

Happy Halloween! Have fun...be safe.

See you for the next installment of The Crossing...

Chris Barlow
cbcrossing@yahoo.com
(Let me know you are out there...tell me what you are listening to.)