Listmania!
My reviews with the most "helpful" votes: a look back
By an Amazon.com customer
The EraserThe Eraser by Thom Yorke
Buy new: $10.99 / Used from: $4.00
Helpful votes: 127 My rating: 4 stars Lead singer of Radiohead gets his glitch on!
Rather RippedRather Ripped by Sonic Youth
Buy new: $13.98 / Used from: $3.13
42 helpful votes My rating: 5 stars 2006 triumph from The Greates American Rock Band of the Last 25 Years.
Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (33 1/3)Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (33 1/3) by Kim Cooper
Buy new: $7.88 / Used from: $5.66
Helpful votes: 31 My rating: 5 stars Journalist Kim Cooper sorts out fact from fantasy concerning one of the best albums of the '90s.
Drum's Not Dead (CD + DVD)Drum's Not Dead (CD + DVD) by Liars
Buy new: $14.98 / Used from: $2.30
Helpful votes: 30 My rating: 5 stars Brooklyn weirdos move to Germany, get even weirder.
Pink Floyd - London 1966-1967Pink Floyd - London 1966-1967
Buy used from: $8.43
Helpful votes: 26 My rating: 4 stars Short documentary featuring 2 early Floyd jams, packaged with a convenient CD.
Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely StripperCandy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper by Diablo Cody
Buy new: $10.20 / Used from: $2.77
Helpful votes: 25 My rating: 4 stars Memoir about a year or so spent as a stripper/sex worker--not nearly as filthy as it sounds!
Sonic YouthSonic Youth by Sonic Youth
Buy new: $9.98 / Used from: $3.98
Helpful votes: 23 My rating: 5 stars Re-issuing the debut of The Greatest American Rock Band of the Last 25 Years.
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of ReasonThe End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason by Sam Harris
Buy new: $10.04 / Used from: $2.33
Helpful votes: 22 My rating: 5 stars Influential, and surprisingly popular, book that forcefully denounces religious faith of all kinds.
Be Your Own PetBe Your Own Pet by Be Your Own Pet
Buy new: $9.98 / Used from: $0.78
Helpful votes: 20 My rating: 4 stars This young pop-punk band could switch to decaf, but then it wouldn't be as much "fffun."
Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian FundamentalismAtheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism by David Mills
Buy new: $10.17 / Used from: $7.04
Helpful votes: 19 My rating: 4 stars David Mills is just your friendly neighborhood atheist. A user-friendly primer on a misunderstood topic.
Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian NationalismKingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism by Michelle Goldberg
Buy used from: $0.55
Helpful votes: 19 My rating: 4 stars Careful, fact-based journalism, not angry screeds, distinguish this expose of the scariest people in America today.
Freethinkers: A History of American SecularismFreethinkers: A History of American Secularism by Susan Jacoby
Buy new: $11.56 / Used from: $6.24
Helpful votes: 19 My rating: 5 stars An American history book that explores how secularists have made a positive contribution to progress.
At the Mountains of MadnessAt the Mountains of Madness by John Zorn
Buy new: $22.98 / Used from: $14.55
Helpful votes: 19 My rating: 5 stars Composer/saxophonist John Zorn leads a merry band of lunatics through noisy, no-holds-barred soundscapes based on Jewish music scales. I only wish they played at my Bar Mitvah!
Pirate's Booty Chaos, 2-Ounce Bags (Pack of 24)Pirate's Booty Chaos, 2-Ounce Bags (Pack of 24)
Helpful votes: 18 My rating: 4 stars A great snack mix I can eat while listening to Sonic Youth, reading books on atheism and watching Kiefer Sutherland torture terrorists on "24." Tasty!
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (CD + New DVD Documentary)Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (CD + New DVD Documentary) by Dead Kennedys
Buy new: $17.98 / Used from: $11.47
Helpful votes: 17 My rating: 5 stars Re-issue of San Francisco punk band's classic debut, made possible through unfortunate leagl procedings.
CarnavasCarnavas by Silversun Pickups
Buy new: $13.99 / Used from: $8.07
Helpful votes: 17 My rating: 4 stars Album from Los Angeles-based alt rockers that try for My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth, but often end up with Smashing Pumpkins comparisons. Pretty good, nevertheless.
Hardcore CollectionHardcore Collection
Buy new: $26.99 / Used from: $20.23
Helpful votes: 17 My rating: 5 stars A collection of short films of the '80s by "Cinema of Transgression" director Richard Kern. Filth, degradation and squalor was never as filthy, degrading or squalid. The "hardcore" is not the musical genre, although there is a cameo appearance by Black Flag's Henry Rollins, and, uh, Henry Jr.
Lost Highway  [IMPORT]Lost Highway [IMPORT]
Buy used from: $4.99
Helpful votes: 16 My rating: 4 stars Someday a decent DVD edition of this David Lynch mind-bender (is there any other kind?) will be released. Until then, this lo-fi, pan & scan version will have to suffice--please, though: rent, not buy.
The God DelusionThe God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
Buy new: $17.82 / Used from: $3.25
Helpful votes: 16 My rating: 5 stars Richard Dawkins tries to write the go-to book about atheism, and he pretty much succeeds. I'm almost tempted to say it's heaven-sent!
The Caged Virgin: An Emancipation Proclamation for Women and IslamThe Caged Virgin: An Emancipation Proclamation for Women and Islam by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Buy new: $14.96 / Used from: $0.19
Helpful votes: 13 My rating: 4 stars First book by bestselling "Infidel" author and former member of Dutch parliment Ayaan Hirsi Ali. She is a true hero.