Sunday, May 21, 2023

Comfortable (Flyin' Scotsman), Ian Hunter, When I'm President

The opening song on this CD gets off to a smoking start with the top-notch Comfortable (Flyin' Scotsman) which is a powerful full-paced rocker with guitars and a subtle use of saxes along the lines of a Hoople-flavored flashback. The record would not be out of place for Jerry Lee Lewis' piano or Little Richard and the Upsetters saxophone.

With Ian's Scot background the song can be seen from a first-person perspective. The song is a tribute to his roots and although he was born in Oswestry, Shropshire, England, as many children in his generation, World War II necessitated a move to safer climes. The family moved to Hamilton, South Lanarkshire to live with his Aunt Nettie in Peacock Cross with his Scottish father's family. Hunter was brought up there until the age of six and has stated that he considers himself a Scot, but he also identifies as English and British (after years in the US maybe a bit American as well).

The lyrics are cloying and clever as he imagines time with a lady: "I bet those twins ain't identical" so once Hunter liked the line and imagines a "slip into something more comfortable" he had the key word imagination and the verses came easily. It's a song of seduction with more than just false bravado but with a bit of wit and fun since it is not in strict time. There are some songs of Hunter's that are just fun and not on serious topics as Ian noted: "It's just a bluesy fun song."

Comfortable (Flyin' Scotsman)

(Ian Hunter)

Imagination's all in the mind
Why don't you come up and see me some time
Get wild get weird get wonderful
And we can slip into something more comfortable

Imagination's up in the air
You wanna stretch it, it'll go anywhere
I bet those twins ain't identical
Why don't we slip into something more comfortable

What's that sound, what's that sound
The Flyin' Scotsman's back in town
Can you hear that lonesome whistle call,
Why don't you slip into something more comfortable

Imagination - there ain't any tax
On imagining this and imagining that
It's the only thing left that's a free-for-all
Why don't we slip into something more comforatable

Gather round, gather round
The Flyin' Scotsman's back in town
A fully operational
Why don't we slip into something more comforatable

Imagination's a beautiful book
Well take a look, why don't you take a look
Extra large, large, medium, small
Why don't we slip into something more comfortable

Hit the sack, hit the sack
The Flyin' Scotsman's back on track
All hail rock 'n' roll
Why don't we slip into something more comfortable

Why don't we slip into something more comfortable
Why don't we slip into something more comfortable
Why don't we slip into something more comfortable
Why don't we slip into something, slip into something
Slip into something, slip into something more comfortable

Ian Hunter and The Rant Band CD: "When I'm President"

Sleeve and track listing

Proper Records PRPCD104

Comfortable (Flyin' Scotsman)
Fatally Flawed
When I'm President
What For
Black Tears
Saint
Just The Way You Look Tonight
Wild Bunch
Ta Shunka Witco (Crazy Horse)
I Don't Know What You Want
Life

Review

Now this is more like it. Ian's new album is a welcome return to form. The good news is this album is chock full of rockers. The bad news is... well, there isn't any. In the fullness of time this album could well turn out to be his best in many years.

The run of good albums that started with Rant and continued with Shrunken Heads continues here. Guitars are to the full, with strong solos from both James Mastro and Mark Bosch. Ian's singing is strong without ever sounding strained and the rhythm section is as tight as a duck's whatsit.

What helps of course is that the songs are top-notch. Comfortable (Flyin' Scotsman) sets the tone, being a powerful full-paced rocker with guitars and subtle use of saxes. The title track is also strong, a mid-paced rocker with a repeated keyboard refrain reminiscent of The Who's Won't Get Fooled Again.

What For is another rocker with strong guitars and piano reminiscent of early Mott The Hoople. Ian hasn't rocked like this for years, and it sounds like he's having fun. Black Tears is slower but powerful and moody with a guitar solo that reminds me of the much-missed Mick Ronson. Saint is another up-tempo rocker, this time it reminds me at times of Twisted Steel. Wild Bunch meanwhile is a rocker that reminds me of The Faces.

There are so many good songs on this album it is hard to pick out highlights. What's interesting is that this album is credited to Ian Hunter And The Rant Band. This is much more of a band album than most of Ian's recent albums, and it is much the better for it.

What more can I say? It's brilliant... 'nuff said,

Comfortable (Flyin' Scotsman)

3:02

Originally issued on When I'm President.

Saturday, May 20, 2023

One Fine Day, Ian Hunter, 1st LP

The drummer Dennis Elliott thought this could be a sure fire hit but Ian rejected this tune and Colwater High for release. However, these two dramatic songs gave way to the funky Who Do You Love and The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth. In any case, it would take another thirty years for lyrics to be put to both songs but then it took only about half an hour for the lyrics of both.

The song does have a commercial appeal and is relatable for any one feeling as though they are not getting the recognition they deserve. Lyrically, it is similar to Ian's own Standin' in My Light or somewhat similar to Bob Dylan's Positively 4th Street. The last line seems to be Ian's direction in the studio to knock the whole instrumental bit on the head.

One Fine Day

(Ian Hunter)

Well we're back on the street
Back on the air, one fine day
We'll be back over here
Back over there, one fine day
My whole world is upside down
A lot of people want me under the ground
But I know it'll change, they'll come around
One fine day

Back on line, back on track
One fine day
No more stabbing me in the back
One fine day
Losing your love don't bother me now
I do my job and the love will come
I'll be back on Deal Street having fun
One fine day

I don't care what people say
I ain't gonna live in yesterday
I know I'm gonna be okay
One fine day
One fine day
One fine day
Hit me, hit me, hit me
(I tell you what, I think we should er
I think , I think we should knock
That whole last instrumental bit on the head)

Friday, May 19, 2023

Colwater High, Ian Hunter, 1st LP, Ian Hunter

Colwater High has been around for a considerable amount of time. Originally, it was conceived as a possible follow up to Mott The Hoople's Foxy Foxy in 1974. Then, this song was resurrected for the first Hunter LP but it did not see the light of day. Ian had no lyrics for the music. He didn't write the lyrics until 30 years later but oddly enough these words and lyrics for One Fine Day came in about half an hour.

It seems as though the lyrics are describing a love but termed "High" and he counts out 1-4 so maybe he means a high school. It is not clear although the lyrics are among the most intricate he has written. Since he is a slave always perhaps he means the memories and importance of the teen age years.

Colwater High

https://youtu.be/yRXSjx5hJkw

(Ian Hunter)

one, two, three, four,
one, two, three, four

Silently spoken, days of our lives
Rooms that are broken inside
I need your violence
Songs in the air
Call me 'til I don't care
You're a sight for sore eyes
Colwater High, remember me
I'm the one who'll always be around
To pick up your lies
Colwater High, remember me
I will be your slave forever

Millions of daydreams, lost in your hair
You call me but I'm never there
Crowded arenas, screaming for you
But there's only one dream
You're a sight for sore eyes
Colwater High, remember me
I'm the one who'll always be around
To pick up your lies
Colwater High, remember me
I will be your slave forever

Until the day my heart breaks down
'til the roof is caving in
And my ego hits the ground
And you're my ologist (optometrist?) 
You're a sight for sore eyes
Colwater High, remember me
I'm the one who'll always be around
To pick up your lies
Colwater High, remember me
I will be your slave forever

You're a sight for sore eyes
Colwater High, remember me
I'm the one who'll always be around
To pick up your lies
Colwater High, remember me
I will be your slave forever

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Once Bitten Twice Shy, Ian Hunter, originally issued on Ian Hunter

The opening track on his first solo album really kicks off the LP and demonstrates what the combination of Hunter-Ronson could have been in Mott The Hoople. Ian looked for a swing drummer and Dennis Elliott added that critical combination. The songs were imaginative and colorful with Ronson's sparkling guitar. Critics on both sides of the Atlantic were enthusiastic as the LP had lyrical injections of intellectual substance. The LP peaked at #21 in Britain and #50 in America. The single hit #14 in Britain. In one of the misfortunes of the music business Hunter-Ronson were called to England to perform on Top of the Pops which would have driven the sales higher; unfortunately, getting off at Heathrow Airport Hunter discovered that Mick was not in the musician's union and the appearance was cancelled.

One of the best summaries of how the Hunter Ronson collaboration was a peak came from Jac Holzman, the founder of Elektra Records, noting the LP was "an impressive and assured album showcasing vivid rock, emotional ballads, acerbic lyrics, imaginative poetry and some of Ronson's most inspirational musicianship--an ebullient and colorful record, enveloped by bastardized Escher artwork into the bargain."

This track is about the most well-known, most performed, and most associated with Ian's solo career. Hunter calls it "70s Chuck Berry. Simple with a twist!" and that does just about sum it up. It took Ian ten hours at Mick Ronson's place to write it. The words and music came together quickly. Marc Bolan popped into the studio when it was being recorded and he admitted that he always underestimated Ian; in short, Hunter got the seal of approval from the regal star. Ian thought it was a hit from the beginning and it was a UK Top 20 and Guns N' Roses wanted to record it but the manager of Great White pushed it and their cover went US Top 5. Unfortunately, the Guns LP sold 7 million while White's only 2 million or Ian would have picked up a few more bob there. It is bewildering to consider but White's lead singer was nominated for a Grammy.

The song was released originally as both an album and a single version. There are various live interpretations including the song as part of a medley in 1979, also another version with strings in 2002, and as late as a 2008 version. The lyrics are straightforward and is one of those classic rock life tales of women and music.

Once Bitten Twice Shy

(Ian Hunter)

Well the times gettin' hard for you little girl
I'm a hummin' and a strummin' all over God's world
you don't remember when you got your last meal
and you forgot just how a woman feels
you didn't know what rock n' roll was
until you met a drummer on a Greyhound bus
I got there in the nick of time
before he got his hands across your state line

well in the middle of the night
on the open road
and the heater don't work and it's oh-so cold
you're gettin' tired, you're lookin' kinda beat
the music of the street, drive you off your feet
you didn't know how rock n' roll looked
until you caught your sister with a guy from the group
half-way home in the parking lot
by the look in her eyes she was givin' what she got

Once bitten twice shy, babe

Woman you're a mess gonna die in your sleep
There's blood on my amp and my Les Paul's beat
I can't leave you home cos you're runnin' around
my best friend told me you're the best trick in town

You didn't know that rock n' roll burned
so you bought a candle and you loved and you learned
you got the rhythm, you got the speed
mamma's little baby likes it short and sweet

Once bitten twice shy, babe

I didn't know ya got a rock n' roll record
until a saw your picture on another guy's jacket
you told me I was the only one
and look at you now, well it's dark as it's dumb

Once bitten twice shy, babe

Once Bitten Twice Shy	4:44	A single and album track, originally issued on Ian Hunter, and on the compilations The (MTH) Collection, Gold,The Golden Age 1969-1997, The Journey, Old Records Never Die, Once Bitten - the CBS Collection, Shades of Ian Hunter: The Ballad of Ian Hunter and Mott the Hoople and The Very Best of Ian Hunter.
Once Bitten Twice Shy (single version)	3:52	The single version can be found on the 30th Anniversary (2005) and 2016 (box set) issues of Ian Hunter and the compilations Once Bitten Twice Shy and The Singles Collections 1975-83.
Once Bitten Twice Shy (live 12th June 1979)	4:56	This live version (recorded at My Father's Place, Roslyn NY) was released on Collateral Damage. Not on the box set.
Once Bitten Twice Shy (live 18th June 1979)	4:56	This live version (recorded at the Agora, Cleveland OH) is on the 30th Anniversary issue of You're Never Alone With a Schizophrenic. Not on the box set.
Once Bitten Twice Shy (live 5-11th November 1979)	5:27	This live version (recorded at The Roxy, Los Angeles CA) was released on Welcome to the Club and on the compilations The Best of Ian Hunter, The Collection, From The Knees Of My Heart and Shades of Ian Hunter.
Medley: Once Bitten Twice Shy/Bastard/Cleveland Rocks (live 5-11th November 1979)	(6:13)	This live medley (recorded at The Roxy, Los Angeles CA) was originally the b-side to We Gotta get Out Of here. It can be found on Welcome to the Club and on the compilation The Singles Collection 1975-83.
Once Bitten Twice Shy (live 22nd November 1979)	5:31	This live version (recorded Hammermith Odeon, London England) was originally issued on If You Wait Long Enough For Anything, You Can Get It On Sale (box set only).
Once Bitten Twice Shy (live 19th April 1980)	5:24	This live version (recorded Rockpalast TV Show, Grugahalle, Essen Germany) was originally issued on Live At Rockpalast (not on the box set).
Once Bitten twice Shy (live 11th September 1981)	5:34	This live version (recorded Dr. Pepper Music Festival, Pier 84, New York NY) was originally issued on the Ian Hunter Rocks video (VHS/Laserdisc only). The video (DVD) can also be found on It Never Happened (box set only); the audio can be found on From The Knees Of My Heart (not on the box set).
Once Bitten Twice Shy (live 15th February 1989)	4:59	This live version (recorded The Dominion, London England) was released on BBC Live in Concert.
Once Bitten Twice Shy (live 29th April 1994)	5:16	This live version (recorded Hammersmith Apollo, London England) was released on The Mick Ronson Memorial Concert.
Once Bitten Twice Shy (live 29/30th January 2002)	5:29	This live version (recorded Sentrum Scene, Oslo Norway) was issued on Strings Attached.
Once Bitten Twice Shy (live 28th May 2004)	5:11	This live version (recorded The Astoria, London England) was released on The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nuthin' But The Truth and on Behind The Shades and Greatest Hits Live In London. Not on the box set.
Once Bitten Twice Shy (live 2007)	5:41	This live version (recorded at an unknown venue) was on the CD-single version of When The World Was Round.
Once Bitten Twice Shy (live 2nd March 2008)	6:01	This live version (recorded at the Mick Jagger Centre, Dartford England) was issued on Acoustic Shadows (box set only).

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Salvation, Ian Hunter, Rant, Stranded In Reality, Experiments

Salvation was written just before Rant but Hunter thinks he actually wrote this song in the late 1990s. He first played the song live in 1997, but did not record it until 2008, and at the time said it would be on his last record. There are two versions: an early take and a second version with harmonica, although he doesn't recall who's playing on either version.

Fortunately, it was not his last release but it is an intriguing spiritual track. Some tracks don't make it to record but Ian feels strongly enough about it, he says Salvation is important to him, and he hopes he has not been too naughty since this song clearly is all about the wind-up. He is working out his salvation stating a sentiment that parallels Philippians 2:12, i.e., cultivate salvation, bring it to full effect, and actively pursue spiritual maturity.

Hunter thinks the song was one of the best things he's ever done. It's the last track for the last audio disc in the box set fueling speculation that with the box set he was finished recording.

Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

while Salvation (written in 1997 but not recorded until 2008) is a great way to close the collection. Ian has said it would be on his last record, and Proper's track listing has Experiments as the last disc... if this is really the last one (and Ian says it's not) then there's no finer way to finish.

Salvation

4:47

Originally issued on Experiments - Previously Unreleased Recordings (box set only).

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

The Man in Me (Dylan), Ian Hunter & Tribes

Monday, May 15, 2023

Testosterone, Ian Hunter, The Artful Dodger Outtake, Stranded In Reality, Experiments

Hunter and Bjørn Nessjø, Norwegian record producer, engineer and musician, rocked Testosterone out. Ian liked this track also, I think it's one of the best tracks he's ever done, but it couldn't fit on the Artful Dodger record. Certainly it ranks up there with the hardest rock songs Ian has recorded. It has a killer bass run. First, Ian did a demo and then Bjørn improved it as he made his contribution.

Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

Testosterone

4:59

Originally released on Experiments - Previously Unreleased Recordings (box set only).

Sunday, May 14, 2023

Nobody's Perfect, Ian Hunter, Experiments

Saturday, May 13, 2023

San Diego Freeway, Ian Hunter, Stranded In Reality, Experiments

This simple song San Diego Freeway according to Ian came and it was just fun. He is riding his Harley Davidson down the San Diego Freeway enjoying the girls who should be back at school. It is something like Hunter's vision of Southern California maybe similar to the locale of The Beach Boys and he used the refrain using a name, "San, San, San, San Diego,' while ending the song reciting `Ohio,' or `Austin' as in Cleveland Rocks or One More Time.

Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

San Diego Freeway

4:05

Originally issued on Experiments - Previously Unreleased Recordings (box set only).

Friday, May 12, 2023

Big Black Cadillac, Ian Hunter, Stranded In Reality, Experiments

Hunter played all the instruments on Big Black Cadillac during 1985-1990, in his New York apartment. The early 1980s writing had been eclectic as he was in the country. The Manhattan domicile had its limitations though since the neighbors banged on the walls because of the noise after 6 pm.

Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Coincidence, Ian Hunter, Stranded In Reality, Experiments

Coincidence is about Kaleel who was a bus driver from New Orleans during the late 1970s Hunter Ronson tour but he had one alarming fault. He had no sense of direction whatsoever. He was a great person as so many from New Orleans are. As they were driving to a venue alarmingly the band would discover it was not there. Then, Kaleel would protest, that `I swear it was here before.' The band might drive eight hours when the actual distance should have been only two hours: ahh, the days before GPS made driving directions much more difficult. This song is similar to one of the humorous songs that Hunter includes on an album that relates an engaging story or with a funny twist.

What more about the book?

Yeah Uh-Huh by Lisa and Phil

https://youtu.be/r46AbOSo-MM?si=uuWy3T8rQjhnGkwS

Tell Me About Your Book, The Phenomenal Musician John Christian who is not from Great Britain

https://www.facebook.com/keepitasahobby/posts/pfbid09pnutefvQEpSF8uz8jMTipnWEhR23axesLKoRysawg9MLcKZxLs1xNFQ5ogADRedl?mibextid=YxdKMJ

Set Lusting Bruce with Jesse Jackson

https://podcasts.apple.com/.../set.../id1038228650...

HODGEPOD with Rob Fredette

https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-bgfx7-14962b2

Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Demolition Derby, Ian Hunter, Stranded In Reality, Experiments

Trudi liked Demolition Derby and it is a strong song that could have been included on a studio release. The demo was recorded in Hunter's home studio on the east side of Manhattan in the late 1980s. Ian read an interview about Phil Collins and discovered that they both have the same studio set up. Unfortunately, it didn't make Hunter sound like Collins (nor have his hits). Collins knew how to extract the sound that he wanted from the studio equipment. Ian dismissed his home recordings as he thought they sounded like rubbish without drums to accompany his ideas. A drum kit simply would not have fit in their apartment. One time, Keith Reid, Procul Harum's lyricist visited and Hunter tried writing with him. The songs were often good to his musical peer as we can hear now for ourselves but unfortunately they were not released on any studio albums. The song is mechanical but nonetheless an intriguing song.

On Track Ian Hunter

On Track Ian Hunter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1789523044...

Upcoming Podcast Appearances! More details soon:
Toby Gribben Show
Better To ...? Podcast

In the meantime, listen to previous appearances!   
Yeah Uh-Huh by Lisa and Phil https://youtu.be/r46AbOSo-MM?si=uuWy3T8rQjhnGkwS 

Tell Me About Your Book, The Phenomenal Musician John Christian who is not from Great Britain https://www.facebook.com/keepitasahobby/posts/pfbid09pnutefvQEpSF8uz8jMTipnWEhR23axesLKoRysawg9MLcKZxLs1xNFQ5ogADRedl?mibextid=YxdKMJ 

Set Lusting Bruce with Jesse Jackson https://podcasts.apple.com/.../set.../id1038228650... 

HODGEPOD with Rob Fredette https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-bgfx7-14962b2 

Sign up now for more special information about On Track Hunter On Track at TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me!  

More info or to request an interview: TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1789523044?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_WOLGDN9AD6UWV1H4EG8O

Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

Monday, May 8, 2023

My Love (The Jar), Ian Hunter, Experiments

Although a demo this is a good song. Despite the quality the timing does not always work out for it to be a part of a regular studio release. It was recorded in Hunter's NYC home studio. Jim Steinman who was Bonnie Tyler's producer tried to find other artists to record the song around 1983.

My Love (The Jar)

3:47

Originally released on Experiments - Previously Unreleased Recordings (box set only).

Sunday, May 7, 2023

Look Before You Leap, Ian Hunter, Experiments

Saturday, May 6, 2023

More to Love, Ian Hunter, Experiments

Friday, May 5, 2023

More to Love, Ian Hunter, Experiments

Thursday, May 4, 2023

Money Can't Buy Love, Ian Hunter, Experiments

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

You're Messin' With The King Of Rock 'n' Roll, Ian Hunter, Experiments

Experiments is fascinating. With one exception (the Tribes track) these are demos, outtakes and (complete) unreleased tracks from the personal archive of Ian Patterson covering thirty or so years. You're Messin' With The King Of Rock 'n' Roll is an attack on Albert Goldman's 1981 gossipy Elvis book which spoke ill of the dead once The King was dead. It has a line: "You made your money on a dead man's grave" all done in a rockabilly style like Queen's Crazy Little Thing Called Love but more of a flat-out rocker. The song was to be on All Of The Good Ones Are Taken but the demo wasn't finished, didn't record well enough, and the lyrics needed more work. It's a song that fell through the cracks and previously unreleased.

Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

Look Before You Leap is a great power ballad (is that Ronno on guitar?), while Salvation (written in 1997 but not recorded until 2008) is a great way to close the collection. Ian has said it would be on his last record, and Proper's track listing has Experiments as the last disc... if this is really the last one (and Ian says it's not) then there's no finer way to finish.

OK, so what's in the box? Well there's every (regular) album that Ian has ever released, with the exception of 2016's Fingers Crossed and 2004's live double The Truth... Every album has been remastered, in some cases with bonus tracks (eg single edits) that haven't appeared on previous issues. Each is presented in a mini-LP replica sleeve, complete with an inner sleeve (for the CD itself) and a booklet. Sound quality is excellent throughout.

In addition, there are a further nine discs of rare and previously-unreleased material. There is an acoustic gig (Acoustic Shadows) from 2008, which is an interesting contrast to the (also acoustic) Live In The UK 2010 disc (also included here). Two discs of rarities (Tilting The Mirror) gather together bonus tracks that have appeared on "bonus CDs" on previous releases. Bag Of Tricks gather together various live tracks recorded over the years, including the 2002 Manchester gig that was previously thought to be "lost". It neatly showcases the last 30 years of live shows, from Toronto in 1987 through to Sheffield in 2013 and Tokyo in 2015. Fascinating.

Then there's If You Wait Long Enough... which included for the first time the 1979 Hammersmith Odeon gig. OK, an hour of this show was broadcast on BBC Radio One but this is the full show (nearly two hours!) and an improvement on the original BBC mix. We also get a 1981 show recorded in San Fransisco. This is interesting because it features Robbie Alter on guitar and Mick Ronson - on keyboards!

Then there's two DVDs. The first is a motley collection of promo films, TV appearances and concert clips from the past 40 years. Disc 2 includes the 1979 Rhyerson Theatre show from Toronto which was broadcast on TV and has circulated amonst fans for years. There's also the Ian Hunter Rocks show from 1981, previously only issued on VHS (and Laserdisc). Then there's the Strings Attached show from Oslo in 2002. This has two tracks not included on the original DVD and a great way to round off a fascination collection. The 'Strings Attached' show is also in real-time sequence (unlike the original).

There is also a lavish hard-cover book which presents a biography of Ian's career so far, together with a track-by-track run-down of all the material in this collection, with Ian's (at times) brutally honest opinion. The book ends with tributes from a whole host of fellow musicians, all of whom are unstinting in their praise. Whorrabloke!

You're Messin' With The King Of Rock 'n' Roll

4:57

Originally released on Experiments - Previously Unreleased Recordings (box set only).

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

I Get So Excited, Ian Hunter, 1st LP

Excerpt:

This rocker, I Get So Excited, closes out the first LP and it is a straight ahead barn burner. The impressive debut album closes out with vibrant verses, a simple chorus, and gleeful lyrics; it starts and keeps up a frenetic pace about the buzz and fandom of music. The sequencing of the album is perfectly ended with this ode to the power and passion of rock music. There was discussion for the track as a single release which seems reasonable since it features a stirring and driven Mick Ronson solo and Dennis Elliot's powerful drumming. CBS thought the track was more commercial and favored its release but Hunter liked it the least and it almost didn't get released at all. There were numerous outtakes and needing a track among others this one was fished out by Ronson from other songs to finish in a rush. As a result, Hunter's voice wasn't all that strong so they added every echo in the book.

The excitement has to do with music and crowds as at Wembley or parades. Even if it's the end he says "I don't care" and it could even be tied back to music since he's a fan. The song speeds up to end the LP on a high, fast note.

On Track Ian Hunter is shipping soon. Want to promote Ian? The publisher is marketing the book but asked for help from us fans in the Hunter orbit. If you have contacts with podcasts, magazines, or other music outlets let me know so we can promote Ian's music. I'm open for interviews to talk about Hunter's catalog. Thanks!

Great news! Advance copies of On Track Ian Hunter have reached the publisher and will be available soon! I even saw an advance copy on eBay.

On Track Ian Hunter https://www.amazon.com/dp/1789523044...

Upcoming Podcast Appearances! More details soon:
The Book 101 interview about On Track Ian Hunter will be released soon!

Better To ...? Podcast, recorded a terrific conversation, due for release 2 August 2024.

In the meantime, listen to previous appearances!
Yeah Uh-Huh by Lisa and Phil https://youtu.be/r46AbOSo-MM?si=uuWy3T8rQjhnGkwS

Tell Me About Your Book, The Phenomenal Musician John Christian
https://www.facebook.com/.../pfbid09pnutefvQEpSF8uz8jMTip...

Set Lusting Bruce with Jesse Jackson https://podcasts.apple.com/.../set.../id1038228650...

HODGEPOD with Rob Fredette https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-bgfx7-14962b2

Full of Words
About writing including On Track Ian Hunter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2129805/14708009

Frankly Francisco Podcast:
Mostly about Burning America but On Track Ian Hunter is mentioned as well:
https://open.substack.com/pub/micksmith/p/who-was-on-the-frankly-francisco?r=e00v8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Toby Gribben Show, awesome show, and live 8 February 2024!

Sign up now for behind the scenes information about On Track Ian Hunter at TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me!

To book and interview: TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

What is the difference between a Beatles biography or a song by-song review of the Beatles career?
https://micksmith.substack.com/p/what-is-the-difference-between-a-9fc

I Get So Excited

(Ian Hunter)

I hear a thousand drums a million miles away
I feel the Wembley roar I get a buzz off a big parade
I get the music
Everywhere
Get off on the music
If this is the end there I don't care
I get so excited
So excited
Call me a fan that's just what I am
I said I I I I I get So excited
So excited
My nerves are alive
I feel like a knife
I said I get so excited

I hear a choir singing way up above the sea
I feel the sound a-changing as the night rocks a spell on me
I get the music
Everywhere
Get off on the music
If this is the end there I don't care I get
So excited
So excited
I'll throw you a line come far behind
I said I I I I I get
So excited
So excited
Its happening so fast
And the drummers a blast
I said I get so excited
By your mind oh yeah oh yeah
Excited by your warmth oh yeah oh yeah
Excited by your body oh yeah oh yeah
Excited by your...
Ha ha ha ha
Oh yeah oh yeah oh yeah right! I get
So excited
So excited
Band on the run just for the fun
I said I I I I I get
So excited
So excited
It lasts and it lasts
Get up off your past
I said I I I I I I I get
So excited
So excited
Call me a fan that's just what I am
I said I I I I I I I get
So excited
So excited
My nerves are alive
I feel like a knife
I said I I I I
I I I I
(fade)
Hey hey!

I Get So Excited

3:50

Originally issued on Ian Hunter, also on the compilations Gold, Shades of Ian Hunter: The Ballad of Ian Hunter and Mott the Hoople and The Very Best of Ian Hunter.

Monday, May 1, 2023

Shades Off, Ian Hunter, 1st LP

The poem ending It Ain't Easy When You Fall arose during a Mott tour in Scotland from 1973. Hunter's interest in poetry was long lasting having D.H. Lawrence on Mott and Baudelaire on Mad Shadows; and, of course in 23A Swan Hill he says: "Wrote this poem called `The Floods Roll On.'" The poem fit the song as in the studio the song ran a bit short and they needed an ending when an attempted scat singing didn't come off as well. It's a bit of a mix since the song is about Mick Ralphs while the poem is personal to Ian. The "uncontrollable light" line in the poem is when songwriting goes perfectly which Ian has stated has happened only about a half a dozen times in his life.

Shades Off (spoken)

(Ian Hunter)

Where do you go when you've somewhere to run
But the time isn't right and there's things to be done
And you're trapped half-way up, you don't want to go back
So you keep going on - compromising the lack

And you see the green fields as you travel on by
And you look at the things you'd forgotten to try
And you wish you were young and you wish you were old
For the songs always sung and the stories been told

And you thought you were different but what did it mean
For you tricked yourself trying - life's still unseen
As it is, as it was, as it always will be
Will you find out at all what it is to be free

See it never was easy to live with a head
So I kept to the back room and I live there instead
What comes from the front-room is only for "Friends"
I have a bay window but that's where it ends

And it's here I see pictures and my madness is clear
And there's no longer logic so therefore no fear
And I'm almost dead with uncontrollable light
Sometimes when I've written a song - it's alright...

Sunday, April 30, 2023

It Ain't Easy When You Fall, Ian Hunter, 1st LP

With It Ain't Easy When You Fall Hunter is saying that fame and success is fleeting employing tender verses, intelligent piano interludes, and captivating harmony-laden choruses. This song is unusual in that the song segues into the spoken-word poem Shades Off. The subject matter is Mick Ralphs who Ian relates really did talk about ships and boats as topics related in the song rather than getting down to the needed musical business. This is Ian's sendoff to Ralphs who was off to Bad Company but he still considers him a friend. It appears that Hunter is suggesting that Mick was down and out but life moves faster. Ian and Ralpher did write solid rock while together and there is a sense of genuine loss in the song. Ian is suggesting that Mick has more to offer and has to pick himself up. Maybe Bad Company was the result.

It Ain't Easy When You Fall

(Ian Hunter)

You used to float just like a boat upon the tide
You used to run when things were done you used to hide
You talk of ships you talk of boats you talk of games
And now you're down you ain't around its such a shame
Cause you got something to give
Something to hold onto
Why don't you live
And you just forget about fixing up fate
Maybe you'd stop pick yourself up
Now its too late Oh
It ain't easy when you fall
It ain't easy when you fall
It ain't easy when you fall
No it ain't no good at all

You didn't know this world ain't slow you gotta move
You made no sound I watched you drown I watched you loose
Your loneliness you knew it best but its a drag
Cause in the end I lost a friend I feel so sad
Cause you had something to give
Something to hold onto
Why did you live
If you just forgot about fixing up fate
You'd be here you'd be near
Now it's too late Oh
It ain't easy when you fall
It ain't easy when you fall
It ain't easy when you fall
No it ain't no good at all
Oh-oh hey
It ain't easy when you fall
(fade)

After leaving Mott the Hoople, Ian teamed up with guitarist Mick Ronson to record his first solo album. Mott had booked Air studios in London, but Ian and Mick went in instead. The result is an album that is totally stunning - one of Ian's best.

From the opening "'Ullo!" of Once Bitten Twice Shy to the savage cut-off of original album closer I Get So Excited this is an album packed full of good tracks. I can't pick out highlights because they're all good.

The 30th Anniversary issue now includes two session outtakes (unreleased at the time), together with two single edits. All of the bonus material was previously released on the Once Bitten Twice Shycompilation.

Sound quality is excellent, as are the sleeve notes.

This album has been issued several times on CD. The original Columbia (USA) CD had good (but not exceptional) sound quality, while the UK Sony/Rewind CD had very good sound quality. Neither had bonus tracks.

It Ain't Easy When You Fall

(5:45)

Coupled with the spoken-word poem Shades Off, this was originally issued on Ian Hunter, also on the compilations Gold Once Bitten - the CBS Collection and The Journey.

Saturday, April 29, 2023

The Truth, The Whole Truth, Nuthin' But The Truth, Ian Hunter, 1st LP

The song from the first LP is a popular cut and is available in two longer live versions from 2004. It is a direct contrast to the understated 3,000 Miles From Here as the track sequence gradually builds in intensity with each song.

Ian said the track was written specifically with Mick Ronson in mind and timing had a great deal to do with the quality of the result. Mick had just read a poor review of his own solo album and he went straight into the studio to blast the crunchy guitar lead on Truth; emotionally, he poured his heart into the guitar work on this track.

The lyrics perfectly match the emotion emitted from the guitar. The singer pleads for the other to tell the truth but the perceptible anger expressed is palpable: "God's little baby got nothing to shoot." What an incredible line when all he's asking for is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. This sounds like a track ideal for a movie courtroom scene such as "You can't handle the truth!" in A Few Good Men.

(Ian Hunter)

Lonely days lonely nights
Hoping thing's gonna turn out right
You had me hanging on a string
For you I did most anything
You don't give me no
The truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth
Its a blind mans eye baby ain't no youth
The truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth
Don't need your lies I got my proof

Put your face up to my window
Ask me baby what did I see
Well I know I know you ain't right
I know you ain't right for me
You don't give me no
The truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth
Gods little baby's got nothing to shoot
The truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth
Get your kicks on a different route
All I want is the truth
All I want is the truth

All I want is
The truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth
Blind mans eye baby ain't no use
The truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth
Don't need your lies I got nothing to prove
The truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth
Gods little baby's got nothing to shoot
The truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth
Get your kicks on a different route
Don't hurt ya Don't hurt ya
The truth don't hurt ya
The truth don't hurt ya
Don't hurt ya don't hurt ya
The truth don't hurt ya
(fade)

Sound quality is excellent, as are the sleeve notes.

The Truth, The Whole Truth, Nuthin' But The Truth	6:14	Originally released on Ian Hunter, and on the compilations Gold, Once Bitten - the CBS Collection, The Journeyand Once Bitten Twice Shy. The version on Once Bitten Twice Shy is slightly shorter (at 5:58) due to the excessive dead time (silence) at the end of the track having been removed, but is otherwise identical.
The Truth, The Whole Truth, Nuthin' But The Truth (live 28th May 2004)	8:43	This live version (recorded The Astoria, London England) was released on The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nuthin' But The Truth and on Behind The Shades. Not on the box set.
The Truth, The Whole Truth, Nuthin' But The Truth (live 12th June 2004)	8:20	This live version (recorded at the Bikini, Barcelona, Spain) was released on Bag Of Tricks (Vol 2) (box set only).

Reading since summer 2006 (some of the classics are re-reads): including magazine subscriptions

Abbot, Edwin A., Flatland;
Accelerate: Technology Driving Business Performance;
ACM Queue: Architecting Tomorrow's Computing;
Adkins, Lesley and Roy A. Adkins, Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome;
Ali, Ayaan Hirsi, Nomad: From Islam to America: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations;
Ali, Tariq, The Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads, and Modernity;
Allawi, Ali A., The Crisis of Islamic Civilization;
Alperovitz, Gar, The Decision To Use the Atomic Bomb;
American School & University: Shaping Facilities & Business Decisions;
Angelich, Jane, What's a Mother (in-Law) to Do?: 5 Essential Steps to Building a Loving Relationship with Your Son's New Wife;
Arad, Yitzchak, In the Shadow of the Red Banner: Soviet Jews in the War Against Nazi Germany;
Aristotle, Athenian Constitution. Eudemian Ethics. Virtues and Vices. (Loeb Classical Library No. 285);
Aristotle, Metaphysics: Books X-XIV, Oeconomica, Magna Moralia (The Loeb classical library);
Armstrong, Karen, A History of God;
Arrian: Anabasis of Alexander, Books I-IV (Loeb Classical Library No. 236);
Atkinson, Rick, The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945 (Liberation Trilogy);
Auletta, Ken, Googled: The End of the World As We Know It;
Austen, Jane, Pride and Prejudice;
Bacevich, Andrew, The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism;
Baker, James A. III, and Lee H. Hamilton, The Iraq Study Group Report: The Way Forward - A New Approach;
Barber, Benjamin R., Jihad vs. McWorld: Terrorism's Challenge to Democracy;
Barnett, Thomas P.M., Blueprint for Action: A Future Worth Creating;
Barnett, Thomas P.M., The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century;
Barron, Robert, Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith;
Baseline: Where Leadership Meets Technology;
Baur, Michael, Bauer, Stephen, eds., The Beatles and Philosophy;
Beard, Charles Austin, An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States (Sony Reader);
Benjamin, Daniel & Steven Simon, The Age of Sacred Terror: Radical Islam's War Against America;
Bergen, Peter, The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda's Leader;
Berman, Paul, Terror and Liberalism;
Berman, Paul, The Flight of the Intellectuals: The Controversy Over Islamism and the Press;
Better Software: The Print Companion to StickyMinds.com;
Bleyer, Kevin, Me the People: One Man's Selfless Quest to Rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America;
Boardman, Griffin, and Murray, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Roman World;
Bracken, Paul, The Second Nuclear Age: Strategy, Danger, and the New Power Politics;
Bradley, James, with Ron Powers, Flags of Our Fathers;
Bronte, Charlotte, Jane Eyre;
Bronte, Emily, Wuthering Heights;
Brown, Ashley, War in Peace Volume 10 1974-1984: The Marshall Cavendish Encyclopedia of Postwar Conflict;
Brown, Ashley, War in Peace Volume 8 The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated Encyclopedia of Postwar Conflict;
Brown, Nathan J., When Victory Is Not an Option: Islamist Movements in Arab Politics;
Bryce, Robert, Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of "Energy Independence";
Bush, George W., Decision Points;
Bzdek, Vincent, The Kennedy Legacy: Jack, Bobby and Ted and a Family Dream Fulfilled;
Cahill, Thomas, Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter;
Campus Facility Maintenance: Promoting a Healthy & Productive Learning Environment;
Campus Technology: Empowering the World of Higher Education;
Certification: Tools and Techniques for the IT Professional;
Channel Advisor: Business Insights for Solution Providers;
Chariton, Callirhoe (Loeb Classical Library);
Chief Learning Officer: Solutions for Enterprise Productivity;
Christ, Karl, The Romans: An Introduction to Their History and Civilization;
Cicero, De Senectute;
Cicero, The Republic, The Laws;
Cicero, The Verrine Orations I: Against Caecilius. Against Verres, Part I; Part II, Book 1 (Loeb Classical Library);
Cicero, The Verrine Orations I: Against Caecilius. Against Verres, Part I; Part II, Book 2 (Loeb Classical Library);
CIO Decisions: Aligning I.T. and Business in the MidMarket Enterprise;
CIO Insight: Best Practices for IT Business Leaders;
CIO: Business Technology Leadership;
Clay, Lucius Du Bignon, Decision in Germany;
Cohen, William S., Dragon Fire;
Colacello, Bob, Ronnie and Nancy: Their Path to the White House, 1911 to 1980;
Coll, Steve, The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century;
Collins, Francis S., The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief ;
Colorni, Angelo, Israel for Beginners: A Field Guide for Encountering the Israelis in Their Natural Habitat;
Compliance & Technology;
Computerworld: The Voice of IT Management;
Connolly, Peter & Hazel Dodge, The Ancient City: Life in Classical Athens & Rome;
Conti, Greg, Googling Security: How Much Does Google Know About You?;
Converge: Strategy and Leadership for Technology in Education;
Cowan, Ross, Roman Legionary 58 BC - AD 69;
Cowell, F. R., Life in Ancient Rome;
Creel, Richard, Religion and Doubt: Toward a Faith of Your Own;
Cross, Robin, General Editor, The Encyclopedia of Warfare: The Changing Nature of Warfare from Prehistory to Modern-day Armed Conflicts;
CSO: The Resource for Security Executives:
Cummins, Joseph, History's Greatest Wars: The Epic Conflicts that Shaped the Modern World;
D'Amato, Raffaele, Imperial Roman Naval Forces 31 BC-AD 500;
Dallek, Robert, An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy 1917-1963;
Daly, Dennis, Sophocles' Ajax;
Dando-Collins, Stephen, Caesar's Legion: The Epic Saga of Julius Caesar's Elite Tenth Legion and the Armies of Rome;
Darwish, Nonie, Now They Call Me Infidel: Why I Renounced Jihad for America, Israel, and the War on Terror;
Davis Hanson, Victor, Makers of Ancient Strategy: From the Persian Wars to the Fall of Rome;
Dawkins, Richard, The Blind Watchmaker;
Dawkins, Richard, The God Delusion;
Dawkins, Richard, The Selfish Gene;
de Blij, Harm, Why Geography Matters: Three Challenges Facing America, Climate Change, The Rise of China, and Global Terrorism;
Defense Systems: Information Technology and Net-Centric Warfare;
Defense Systems: Strategic Intelligence for Info Centric Operations;
Defense Tech Briefs: Engineering Solutions for Military and Aerospace;
Dennett, Daniel C., Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon;
Dennett, Daniel C., Consciousness Explained;
Dennett, Daniel C., Darwin's Dangerous Idea;
Devries, Kelly, et. al., Battles of the Ancient World 1285 BC - AD 451 : From Kadesh to Catalaunian Field;
Dickens, Charles, Great Expectations;
Digital Communities: Building Twenty-First Century Communities;
Doctorow, E.L., Homer & Langley;
Dodds, E. R., The Greeks and the Irrational;
Dostoevsky, Fyodor, The House of the Dead (Google Books, Sony e-Reader);
Dostoevsky, Fyodor, The Idiot;
Douglass, Elisha P., Rebels and Democrats: The Struggle for Equal Political Rights and Majority Role During the American Revolution;
Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan, The Hound of the Baskervilles & The Valley of Fear;
Dr. Dobb's Journal: The World of Software Development;
Drug Discovery News: Discovery/Development/Diagnostics/Delivery;
DT: Defense Technology International;
Dunbar, Richard, Alcatraz;
Education Channel Partner: News, Trends, and Analysis for K-20 Sales Professionals;
Edwards, Aton, Preparedness Now!;
EGM: Electronic Gaming Monthly, the No. 1 Videogame Magazine;
Ehrman, Bart D., Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scriptures and the Faiths We Never Knew;
Ehrman, Bart D., Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why;
Electronic Engineering Times: The Industry Newsweekly for the Creators of Technology;
Ellis, Joseph J., American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson;
Ellis, Joseph J., His Excellency: George Washington;
Emergency Management: Strategy & Leadership in Critical Times;
Emerson, Steven, American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us;
Erlewine, Robert, Monotheism and Tolerance: Recovering a Religion of Reason (Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Religion);
ESD: Embedded Systems Design;
Everitt, Anthony, Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor;
Everitt, Anthony, Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician;
eWeek: The Enterprise Newsweekly;
Federal Computer Week: Powering the Business of Government;
Ferguson, Niall, Civilization: The West and the Rest;
Ferguson, Niall, Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power;
Ferguson, Niall, The Cash Nexus: Money and Power in the Modern World, 1700-2000;
Ferguson, Niall, The War of the World: Twentieth-Century Conflict and the Decline of the West;
Feuerbach, Ludwig, The Essence of Christianity (Sony eReader);
Fields, Nic, The Roman Army of the Principate 27 BC-AD 117;
Fields, Nic, The Roman Army of the Punic Wars 264-146 BC;
Fields, Nic, The Roman Army: the Civil Wars 88-31 BC;
Finkel, Caroline, Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire;
Fisk, Robert, The Great War For Civilization: The Conquest of the Middle East;
Forstchen, William R., One Second After;
Fox, Robin Lane, The Classical World: An Epic History from Homer to Hadrian;
Frazer, James George, The Golden Bough (Volume 3): A Study in Magic and Religion (Sony eReader);
Freeh, Louis J., My FBI: Bringing Down the Mafia, Investigating Bill Clinton, and Fighting the War on Terror;
Freeman, Charles, The Greek Achievement: The Foundations of the Western World;
Friedman, Thomas L. The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century Further Updated and Expanded/Release 3.0;
Friedman, Thomas L., The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization;
Frontinus: Stratagems. Aqueducts of Rome. (Loeb Classical Library No. 174);
Fuller Focus: Fuller Theological Seminary;
Fuller, Graham E., A World Without Islam;
Gaubatz, P. David and Paul Sperry, Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That's Conspiring to Islamize America;
Ghattas, Kim, The Secretary: A Journey with Hillary Clinton from Beirut to the Heart of American Power;
Gibson, William, Neuromancer;
Gilmour, Michael J., Gods and Guitars: Seeking the Sacred in Post-1960s Popular Music;
Global Services: Strategies for Sourcing People, Processes, and Technologies;
Glucklich, Ariel, Dying for Heaven: Holy Pleasure and Suicide Bombers-Why the Best Qualities of Religion Are Also It's Most Dangerous;
Goldberg, Jonah, Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning;
Goldin, Shmuel, Unlocking the Torah Text Vayikra (Leviticus);
Goldsworthy, Adrian, Caesar: Life of a Colossus;
Goldsworthy, Adrian, How Rome Fell: Death of a Superpower;
Goodman, Lenn E., Creation and Evolution;
Goodwin, Doris Kearns, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln;
Gopp, Amy, et.al., Split Ticket: Independent Faith in a Time of Partisan Politics (WTF: Where's the Faith?);
Gordon, Michael R., and Bernard E. Trainor, Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq;
Government Health IT: The Magazine of Public/private Health Care Convergence;
Government Technology's Emergency Management: Strategy & Leadership in Critical Times;
Government Technology: Solutions for State and Local Government in the Information Age;
Grant , Michael, The Climax of Rome: The Final Achievements of the Ancient World, AD 161 - 337;
Grant, Michael, The Classical Greeks;
Grumberg, Orna, and Helmut Veith, 25 Years of Model Checking: History, Achievements, Perspectives;
Halberstam, David, War in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton, and the Generals;
Hammer, Reuven, Entering Torah Prefaces to the Weekly Torah Portion;
Hanson, Victor Davis, An Autumn of War: What America Learned from September 11 and the War on Terrorism;
Hanson, Victor Davis, Between War and Peace: Lessons from Afghanistan to Iraq;
Hanson, Victor Davis, Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise of Western Power;
Hanson, Victor Davis, How The Obama Administration Threatens Our National Security (Encounter Broadsides);
Hanson, Victor Davis, Makers of Ancient Strategy: From the Persian Wars to the Fall of Rome;
Hanson, Victor Davis, Ripples of Battle: How Wars of the Past Still Determine How We Fight, How We Live, and How We Think;
Hanson, Victor Davis, The End of Sparta: A Novel;
Hanson, Victor Davis, The Soul of Battle: From Ancient Times to the Present Day, How Three Great Liberators Vanquished Tyranny;
Hanson, Victor Davis, Wars of the Ancient Greeks;
Harnack, Adolf Von, History of Dogma, Volume 3 (Sony Reader);
Harris, Alex, Reputation At Risk: Reputation Report;
Harris, Sam, Letter to a Christian Nation;
Harris, Sam, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason;
Hayek, F. A., The Road to Serfdom;
Heilbroner, Robert L., and Lester Thurow, Economics Explained: Everything You Need to Know About How the Economy Works and Where It's Going;
Hempel, Sandra, The Strange Case of The Broad Street Pump: John Snow and the Mystery of Cholera;
Hinnells, John R., A Handbook of Ancient Religions;
Hitchens, Christopher, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything;
Hogg, Ian V., The Encyclopedia of Weaponry: The Development of Weaponry from Prehistory to 21st Century Warfare;
Hugo, Victor, The Hunchback of Notre Dame;
Humphrey, Caroline & Vitebsky, Piers, Sacred Architecture;
Huntington, Samuel P., The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order;
Info World: Information Technology News, Computer Networking & Security;
Information Week: Business Innovation Powered by Technology:
Infostor: The Leading Source for Enterprise Storage Professionals;
Infrastructure Insite: Bringing IT Together;
Insurance Technology: Business Innovation Powered by Technology;
Integrated Solutions: For Enterprise Content Management;
Intel Premier IT: Sharing Best Practices with the Information Technology Community;
Irwin, Robert, Dangerous Knowledge: Orientalism and Its Discontents;
Jeffrey, Grant R., The Global-Warming Deception: How a Secret Elite Plans to Bankrupt America and Steal Your Freedom;
Jewkes, Yvonne, and Majid Yar, Handbook of Internet Crime;
Johnson, Chalmers, Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire;
Journal, The: Transforming Education Through Technology;
Judd, Denis, The Lion and the Tiger: The Rise and Fall of the British Raj, 1600-1947;
Kagan, Donald, The Peloponnesian War;
Kansas, Dave, The Wall Street Journal Guide to the End of Wall Street as We Know It: What You Need to Know About the Greatest Financial Crisis of Our Time--and How to Survive It;
Karsh, Efraim, Islamic Imperialism: A History;
Kasser, Rodolphe, The Gospel of Judas;
Katz, Solomon, The Decline of Rome and the Rise of Medieval Europe: (The Development of Western Civilization);
Keegan, John, Intelligence in War: The Value--and Limitations--of What the Military Can Learn About the Enemy;
Kenis, Leo, et. al., The Transformation of the Christian Churches in Western Europe 1945-2000 (Kadoc Studies on Religion, Culture and Society 6);
Kepel, Gilles, Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam;
Kiplinger's: Personal Finance;
Klein, Naomi, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism;
KM World: Content, Document, and Knowledge Management;
Koestler, Arthur, Darkness at Noon: A Novel;
Kostova, Elizabeth, The Historian;
Kuttner, Robert, The Squandering of America: How the Failure of Our Politics Undermines Our Prosperity;
Lake, Kirsopp, The Text of the New Testament, Sony Reader;
Laur, Timothy M., Encyclopedia of Modern US Military Weapons ;
Leffler, Melvyn P., and Jeffrey W. Legro, To Lead the World: American Strategy After the Bush Doctrine;
Lendon, J. E., Soldiers and Ghosts: A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity;
Lenin, V. I., Imperialism the Highest Stage of Capitalism;
Lennon, John J., There is Absolutely No Reason to Pay Too Much for College!;
Lewis, Bernard, The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror;
Lewis, Bernard, What Went Wrong?: The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East;
Lifton, Robert J., Greg Mitchell, Hiroshima in America;
Limberis, Vasiliki M., Architects of Piety: The Cappadocian Fathers and the Cult of the Martyrs;
Lipsett, B. Diane, Desiring Conversion: Hermas, Thecla, Aseneth;
Livingston, Jessica, Founders At Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days;
Livy, Rome and the Mediterranean: Books XXXI-XLV of the History of Rome from its Foundation (Penguin Classics);
Louis J., Freeh, My FBI: Bringing Down the Mafia, Investigating Bill Clinton, and Fighting the War on Terror;
Mackay, Christopher S., Ancient Rome: A Military and Political History;
Majno, Guido, The Healing Hand: Man and Wound in the Ancient World;
Marcus, Greil,Invisible Republic: Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes;
Marshall-Cornwall, James, Napoleon as Military Commander;
Maughm, W. Somerset, Of Human Bondage;
McCluskey, Neal P., Feds in the Classroom: How Big Government Corrupts, Cripples, and Compromises American Education;
McCullough, David, 1776;
McCullough, David, John Adams;
McCullough, David, Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt;
McLynn, Frank, Marcus Aurelius: A Life;
McManus, John, Deadly Brotherhood, The: The American Combat Soldier in World War II ;
McMaster, H. R., Dereliction of Duty: Johnson, McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam;
McNamara, Patrick, Science and the World's Religions Volume 1: Origins and Destinies (Brain, Behavior, and Evolution);
McNamara, Patrick, Science and the World's Religions Volume 2: Persons and Groups (Brain, Behavior, and Evolution);
McNamara, Patrick, Science and the World's Religions Volume 3: Religions and Controversies (Brain, Behavior, and Evolution);
Meacham, Jon, American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House;
Mearsheimer, John J., and Stephen M. Walt, The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy;
Meier, Christian, Caesar: A Biography;
Menzies, Gaven, 1421: The Year China Discovered America;
Metaxas, Eric, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy;
Michael, Katina and M.G. Michael, Innovative Automatic Identification and Location-Based Services: From Barcodes to Chip Implants;
Migliore, Daniel L., Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology;
Military & Aerospace Electronics: The Magazine of Transformation in Electronic and Optical Technology;
Millard, Candice, Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey: The River of Doubt;
Mommsen, Theodor, The History of the Roman Republic, Sony Reader;
Muller, F. Max, Chips From A German Workshop: Volume III: Essays On Language And Literature;
Murray, Janet, H., Hamlet On the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace;
Murray, Williamson, War in the Air 1914-45;
Müller, F. Max, Chips From A German Workshop;
Nader, Ralph, Crashing the Party: Taking on the Corporate Government in an Age of Surrender;
Nagl, John A., Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam;
Napoleoni, Loretta, Terrorism and the Economy: How the War on Terror is Bankrupting the World;
Nature: The International Weekly Journal of Science;
Negus, Christopher, Fedora 6 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux;
Network Computing: For IT by IT:
Network World: The Leader in Network Knowledge;
Network-centric Security: Where Physical Security & IT Worlds Converge;
Newman, Paul B., Travel and Trade in the Middle Ages;
Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm, The Nietzsche-Wagner Correspondence;
Nixon, Ed, The Nixons: A Family Portrait;
O'Brien, Johnny, Day of the Assassins: A Jack Christie Novel;
O'Donnell, James J., Augustine: A New Biography;
OH & S: Occupational Health & Safety
Okakura, Kakuzo, The Book of Tea;
Optimize: Business Strategy & Execution for CIOs;
Ostler, Nicholas, Ad Infinitum: A Biography of Latin;
Parry, Jay A., The Real George Washington (American Classic Series);
Paton, W.R., The Greek Anthology, Volume V, Loeb Classical Library, No. 86;
Pausanius, Guide to Greece 1: Central Greece;
Perrett, Bryan, Cassell Military Classics: Iron Fist: Classic Armoured Warfare;
Perrottet, Tony, The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Olympic Games;
Peters, Ralph, New Glory: Expanding America's Global Supremacy;
Phillips, Kevin, American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush;
Pick, Bernhard; Paralipomena; Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ (Sony Reader);
Pimlott, John, The Elite: The Special Forces of the World Volume 1;
Pitre, Brant, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper;
Plutarch's Lives, X: Agis and Cleomenes. Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus. Philopoemen and Flamininus (Loeb Classical Library®);
Podhoretz, Norman, World War IV: The Long Struggle Against Islamofascism;
Posner, Gerald, Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK;
Potter, Wendell, Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR Is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans;
Pouesi, Daniel, Akua;
Premier IT Magazine: Sharing Best Practices with the Information Technology Community;
Price, Monroe E. & Daniel Dayan, eds., Owning the Olympics: Narratives of the New China;
Profit: The Executive's Guide to Oracle Applications;
Public CIO: Technology Leadership in the Public Sector;
Putnam, Robert D., Bowling Alone : The Collapse and Revival of American Community;
Quintus of Smyrna, The Fall of Troy;
Rawles, James Wesley, Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse;
Red Herring: The Business of Technology;
Redmond Channel Partner: Driving Success in the Microsoft Partner Community;
Redmond Magazine: The Independent Voice of the Microsoft IT Community;
Renan, Ernest, The life of Jesus (Sony eReader);
Richler, Mordecai (editor), Writers on World War II: An Anthology;
Roberts, Ian, The Energy Glut: Climate Change and the Politics of Fatness in an Overheating World;
Rocca, Samuel, The Army of Herod the Great;
Rodgers, Nigel, A Military History of Ancient Greece: An Authoritative Account of the Politics, Armies and Wars During the Golden Age of Ancient Greece, shown in over 200 color photographs, diagrams, maps and plans;
Rodoreda, Merce, Death in Spring: A Novel;
Romerstein, Herbert and Breindel, Eric,The Venona Secrets, Exposing Soviet Espionage and America's Traitors;
Ross, Dennis, Statecraft: And How to Restore America's Standing in the World;
Roth, Jonathan P., Roman Warfare (Cambridge Introduction to Roman Civilization);
SC Magazine: For IT Security Professionals;
Scahill, Jeremy, Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army [Revised and Updated];
Schama, Simon, A History of Britain, At the Edge of the World 3500 B.C. - 1603 A.D.;
Scheuer, Michael, Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War On Terror;
Scheuer, Michael, Marching Toward Hell: America and Islam After Iraq;
Scheuer, Michael, Osama Bin Laden;
Scheuer, Michael, Through Our Enemies Eyes: Osama Bin Laden, Radical Islam, and the Future of America;
Scholastic Instructor
Scholastic Parent & Child: The Joy of Family Living and Learning;
Schopenhauer, Arthur, The World As Will And Idea (Sony eReader);
Schug-Wille, Art of the Byzantine World;
Schulze, Hagen, Germany: A New History;
Schweizer, Peter, Architects of Ruin: How Big Government Liberals Wrecked the Global Economy---and How They Will Do It Again If No One Stops Them;
Scott, Sir Walter, Ivanhoe;
Seagren, Eric, Secure Your Network for Free: Using Nmap, Wireshark, Snort, Nessus, and MRTG;
Security Technology & Design: The Security Executive's Resource for Systems Integration and Convergence;
Seibel, Peter, Coders at Work;
Sekunda N., & S. Northwood, Early Roman Armies;
Seneca: Naturales Quaestiones, Books II (Loeb Classical Library No. 450);
Sewall, Sarah, The U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual;
Sheppard, Ruth, Alexander the Great at War: His Army - His Battles - His Enemies;
Shinder, Jason, ed., The Poem That Changed America: "Howl" Fifty Years Later;
Sidebottom, Harry, Ancient Warfare: A Very Short Introduction;
Sides, Hampton, Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West;
Simkins, Michael, The Roman Army from Caesar to Trajan;
Sinchak, Steve, Hacking Windows Vista;
Smith, RJ, The One: The Life and Music of James Brown;
Software Development Times: The Industry Newspaper for Software Development Managers;
Software Test Performance;
Solomon, Norman, War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death;
Song, Lolan, Innovation Together: Microsoft Research Asia Academic Research Collaboration;
Sophocles, The Three Theban Plays, tr. Robert Fagles;
Sound & Vision: The Consumer Electronics Authority;
Southern, Pat, The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History;
Sri, Edward, A Biblical Walk Through the Mass: Understanding What We Say and Do In The Liturgy;
Sri, Edward, Men, Women and the Mystery of Love: Practical Insights from John Paul II's Love and Responsibility;
Stair, John Bettridge, Old Samoa; Or, Flotsam and Jetsam From the Pacific Ocean;
Starr, Chester G., The Roman Empire, 27 B.C.-A.D. 476: A Study in Survival;
Starr, John Bryan, Understanding China: A Guide to China's Economy, History, and Political Culture;
Stauffer, John, Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln;
Steyn, Mark, America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It;
Strassler, Robert B., The Landmark Herodotus: The Histories;
Strassler, Robert B., The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War;
Strassler, Robert B., The Landmark Xenophon's Hellenika;
Strategy + Business;
Streete, Gail, Redeemed Bodies: Women Martyrs in Early Christianity;
Sullivan, James, The Hardest Working Man: How James Brown Saved the Soul of America;
Sumner, Graham, Roman Military Clothing (1) 100 BC-AD 200;
Sumner, Graham, Roman Military Clothing (2) AD 200-400;
Suskind, Ron, The One Percent Doctrine: Deep Inside America's Pursuit of Its Enemies Since 9/11:
Swanston, Malcolm, Mapping History Battles and Campaigns;
Swiderski, Richard M., Quicksilver: A History of the Use, Lore, and Effects of Mercury;
Swiderski, Richard M., Quicksilver: A History of the Use, Lore, and Effects of Mercury;
Swift, Jonathan, Gulliver's Travels;
Syme, Ronald, The Roman Revolution;
Talley, Colin L., A History of Multiple Sclerosis;
Tawil, Camille, Brothers In Arms: The Story of al-Qa'ida and the Arab Jihadists;
Tech Briefs: Engineering Solutions for Design & Manufacturing;
Tech Net: The Microsoft Journal for IT Professionals;
Tech Partner: Gain a Competitive Edge Through Solutions Providers;
Technology & Learning: Ideas and Tools for Ed Tech Leaders;
Tenet, George, At the Center of the Storm: The CIA During America's Time of Crisis;
Thackeray, W. M., Vanity Fair;
Thompson, Derrick & William Martin, Have Guitars ... Will Travel: A Journey Through the Beat Music Scene in Northampton 1957-66;
Tolstoy, Leo, Anna Karenina;
Trento, Joseph J., The Secret History of the CIA;
Twain, Mark, The Gilded Age: a Tale of Today;
Ungar, Craig, House of Bush House of Saud;
Unterberger, Richie, The Unreleased Beatles Music & Film;
VAR Business: Strategic Insight for Technology Integrators:
Virgil, The Aeneid
Virtualization Review: Powering the New IT Generation;
Visual Studio: Enterprise Solutions for .Net Development;
VON Magazine: Voice, Video & Vision;
Wall Street Technology: Business Innovation Powered by Technology;
Wallace, Robert, Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs, from Communism to al-Qaeda;
Wang, Wallace, Steal This Computer Book 4.0: What They Won’t Tell You About the Internet;
Ward-Perkins, The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization;
Warren, Robert Penn, All the King's Men;
Wasik, John F., Cul-de-Sac Syndrome: Turning Around the Unsustainable American Dream;
Weber, Karl, Editor, Lincoln: A President for the Ages;
Website Magazine: The Magazine for Website Success;
Weiner, Tim, Enemies: A History of the FBI;
Weiner, Tim, Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA;
West, Bing, The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq;
Wharton, Edith, The Age of Innocence;
Wilcox, Peter, Rome's Enemies (1) Germanics and Dacians;
Wise, Terence, Armies of the Carthaginian Wars 265 - 146 BC;
Wissner-Gross, What Colleges Don't Tell You (And Other Parents Don't Want You To Know) 272 Secrets For Getting Your Kid Into the Top Schools;
Wissner-Gross, What High Schools Don't Tell You;
Wolf, Naomi, Give Me Liberty: A Handbook for American Revolutionaries;
Wolf, Naomi, The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot;
Woodward, Bob, Plan of Attack;
Woodward, Bob, The Agenda: Inside the Clinton White House;
Wright, Lawrence, The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11;
Wright-Porto, Heather, Beginning Google Blogger;
Xenophon, The Anabasis of Cyrus;
Yergin, Daniel, The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, & Power;