The Golden Compass by [sound recording] by Philip Pullman.

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This audio performance, by the author and a full cast, is far superior to the film.  It fully held the attention of this adult, without the company of children.  “Some books improve with age–the age of the reader, that is. Such is certainly the case with Philip Pullman’s heroic, at times heart-wrenching novel, The Golden Compass, a story ostensibly for children but one perhaps even better appreciated by adults. The protagonist of this complex fantasy is young Lyra Belacqua, a precocious orphan growing up within the precincts of Oxford University. But it quickly becomes clear that Lyra’s Oxford is not precisely like our own–nor is her world. For one thing, people there each have a personal daemon, the manifestation of their soul in animal form. For another, hers is a universe in which science, theology, and magic are closely allied.” – amazon.com

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The Big Lebowski: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

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The perfect listening companion for your trip to Lebowski Fest 2007.  With classic tunes from the Coen Brothers’ bowling film, including My Mood Swings by Elvis Costello and Townes Van Zandt’s version of Dead Flowers. – R. Kutler 

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Lifeline by Iris DeMent.

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“…as DeMent herself writes in the notes, ‘These songs aren’t about religion.’ Instead, ‘Blessed Assurance,’ ‘That Glad Reunion Day,’ and other tracks offer a promise: that simple perseverance can put trouble on the run. And DeMent has never sounded better. The twang in her voice gives a hard edge to these hopeful tales, while lovely pianos, acoustic guitars, and Dobros sweeten the notes. Lifeline triumphs by meeting sadness head-on. – Jon Young, Mother Jones (March-April 2005)

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Going Driftless: an Artist’s Tribute to Greg Brown.

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“Going Driftless is a 14-song compilation of women singing Greg Brown songs with all proceeds from its sale to benefit The Breast Cancer Fund of San Francisco…This collection may widen Brown’s audience, if that’s even possible.” – Anglea Page, Sing Out (Winter 2003)

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