Perfect - Thelonious Monk

Advantages: Intimate, excellent recording of the master of jazz piano alone doing what he does best.
Disadvantages: There's just not enough of it.

...Thelonious Monk is unquestionably one of the greatest musicians of the last century. Joyous, wild, insane, romantic, ecstatic, otherwordly, desperate, monumental - and that's just his facial expressions. There are musicians who play their instruments, then there are musicians who just play, the instrument and the musician each being and becoming each other's instrument. Monk is one of these, and you won't find a better example of his greatness than on this record. Recorded in just a few days, every track here sounds like it burst out the sticky centre of a donut the size of the galaxy at the beginning of time, imploding with wonderous uncontrollably joy at the very fact of existence. The recordings themselves are so crisp and balanced that you can hear Monk humming and tapping along as he plays the piano with his whole body, somehow... Read review

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Advantages: An amazingly written, addictive read.
Disadvantages: -

...Many readers will be put off The Monk by the fact that it is over two hundred years old but it really is their loss. This is a great read which moves as quickly as any modern thriller and entrances with its lavishly poetic yet perfectly accessible style. Ambrosio is the most highly-regarded monk in all Madrid. Peasants and noblemen alike gather in huge crowds to hear his weekly sermons and his fellow monks revere him almost like a saint. In telling the story of Ambrosio's shocking decline the author questions whether extreme religiousness is always a sign true devotion to God. There are those who proclaim themselves holy in their words or their actions who do so for the accompanying feeling of superiority over their fellows, rather than for any love of a higher being. In fact, spending all ones days in strict adherence to a religious... Read review

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Advantages: Really, really gory; nice moves and cool fatalities; lots of extras, especially for MK fans.
Disadvantages: Unimpressive visuals; hammy voice acting; can become repetitve; short story.

...-(Game Information)- Name:Mortal Kombat:Shaolin Monks Publisher:Midway Developer:Midway Studios LA Genre:Beat-Em Up Release Date:Sep, 30 2005 Age Rating:18+ for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence and Language Number Of Players:1-2 Xbox Live:No Custom Soundtracks:No In-Game Dolby Digital:Yes Developer Site:www.midway.com Product Site:www.mkmonks.com Memory Unit:No -(History)- Midway Games are a Chicago-based game manufacturer and have been making video games since it introduced Pong in the late '70s. Their action-based game library includes franchises such as Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam, and Gauntlet. Mortal Kombat is not only one of the most controversial fighters in history, but it's also one of the best. Since it exploded onto the arcades in the 90's, Mortal Kombat has been known as one of the most gruesome games around... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful