Blogcritics Editors' Picks: November 15 through November 28

You've managed to consume the last of the leftover turkey, sopped up the remnants of the gravy and cranberry sauce, and at long last have pushed yourself away from the table. Before you contemplate that holiday shopping, catch up on the best of what happened at BC in the past two weeks.

MUSIC

El Bicho takes readers along on an eventful evening, allowing us to experience every moment with him and fellow Blogcritics writers as they attend the The Doors 40th Anniversary - Live On The Sunset Strip.

Tom Johnson's review of The Beatles -Love sifts through the good and the bad as well as all the criticism to get down to the heart of it — the music of this legendary band.

Richard Marcus' enthusiasm for the blues and the promotion of such comes through loud and clear as he gives readers a look at Ruf Records and its founder in Blues Bash Ruf Records: Keeping The Blues Alive.

In Rolling Stones' Bigger Bang Tour Now Biggest Bucks Tour, Eric Olsen delivers an entertaining read combining the news and his own personal thoughts on the Rolling Stones' longevity.

Blogcritics' leading authority on the blues, Joan Hunt, put all her knowledge to good use and delivered two insightful interviews. One was with The Bluesers and one with Kenny Neal to round out our month-long look at the blues.

From Asst. Music Editor A.L. Harper:

DJRadiohead reviews Hooker, a collection in part of the body of work by blues legend John Lee Hooker.

A funny man teaches us to appreciate silly songs in Big Geez's Silly Songs - From Edison To Weird Al.

BOOKS

It's Guy... TV and Film Guy. He knows I like my Bond shaken and stirred with a little Kierkegaard, Hegelian quests, and Platonic archetypes. Or at least he has me thinking so after reading his persuasive review of James Bond and Philosophy.

In his review of the historically faithful Leonardo, Alessandro Nicolo imposes a self-discipline, "as it could have easily careened out into multiple directions," one of which could have been yet another "Da Vinci Codification" of an elusive and magnificent mind. Alessandro shows, however, that he's up to the task in deftly and diligently considering Leonardo in his proper context.

Bonnie's incisive review of The Hanging of Angélique sheds a light on a "a neglected area of the country's history" in the struggle of Canadian slaves — and symbolically, one in particular. "We can't give Angélique her name," say Bonnie, "but we can name what happened to her and make her part of our collective memory. Even if remembering her took 27 years." Hanging is a "book with an edge," but Bonnie's review shares that same, and needed, quality.

Article Author: Lisa McKay

Lisa McKay is Blogcritics' Executive Editor. At BC she can usually be found hanging out in the film section. She recently started food blogging at Will Kill for Food.

In her spare time, she watches movies, listens to music, reads, and caters to the whims of two spoiled cats. …

Visit Lisa McKay's author page — Lisa McKay's Blog