will.i.am. - Songs About Girls

Interscope/A&M/Universal

I remember being 16 and seeing Black Eyed Peas perform for about 20 people. It was uncomfortable, awkward, and a little strange being in a room virtually by myself seeing a hip hop group I'd never really heard much of. And then they walked on stage. Yeah, it stopped being awkward, because they literally filled in the stage before my eyes.
Years later, they are huge: on T.V. and the radio, commercials and in movies, on billboards and the side of busses. Now, frontman will.i.am has released his first solo album, written and produced by the same.
The titled Songs About Girls is only too accurate: almost every song is about women and the interactions between them and will. If you are looking for this album to be a continuation of Black Eyed Pea's last album, you will be sadly disappointed. While you cannot take the will.i.am. out of the 'Peas, will.i.am. stands on his own, with his own style of hip-hop in the loosest sense. Songs follow more of an R&B-pop feel, rather than his signature dance-hop of the past.
Not to detract from Songs About Girls, though. It follows its own path, and definitely stands on its own. Its the Justinfied to N*SYNC, so to speak. My prediction: "Got It From My Momma" will be the club hit of 2008. Watch for it.

Josh Groban - Noel

Reprise/Warner Bros.

Essentially the top 12 of the most played Christmas songs to date, Josh Groban's Noel is the album for the season. With over 17 millions Cd's sold under his name to date, Groban releases this more as a gift for the holidays rather than a new album. He is still on the road promoting his last hit album ÒAwakeÓ in Australia, which has been seen by 800,000 to date. The songs are fairly classical renditions, with new twists, like the acoustic guitar rhythmic backing to ÒLittle Drummer BoyÓ. This is a Christmas gift for the family.

Joni Mitchell - Shine

Hear/Concord

In the nearly 40 years of mainstream artistic expression and, what many label as "creative genius", Joni Mitchell has reached a point that few artists really get to: pure artistic freedom. This year gives us Shine (composed, arranged, and produced by Mitchell herself), her first record in five years. It also gives us "The Fiddle and the Drum", a ballet based on her music, putting her in the big chair of co-creator and artistic director. And, the cherries on the sunday, is a visual art exhibit in New York. She seemingly doesn't even need to try anymore to get her work out there, only to open her mouth and it appears, for better or for worse.
The new album is a bit different than those of past: her music is a little edgy, with strange instrumentation (the track "Hana" having digital drums, organic strings and flute, and a completely out of place, heavily distorted guitar coming in at odd intervals). Mitchell's voice has gotten a little more gravely, as the critics have all condemned as "the cost of smoking". To be honest, it does nothing short than add to this album. I say keep on smoking.
Critics also have railed on this for her anti-cell phone and environmentalist standpoint in this record. Despite the slight hypocrisy of being released on a label which single-handedly tears down so much rainforest at the cost of mediocre espresso, all I have to say is this: at least she's saying something, which is more than I can say for most of the rest of us.

Various Artists - New Orleans Brass

Putumayo

If there was ever a breath of fresh air, this would be it. The legendary sound that New Orleans has been known for is not only one of incredible talent, and musicianship, but also one of the most soulful genres to ever surface in the American music scene. This release is a tribute if there ever was one. A who's who of the New Orlean's Brass scene, this record puts together the most talented and noteworthy performers of today, and creates what could possibly be the most jaw dropping album of the year. I have had a smile on my face since this record started, and I don't know what could bring me down from here.
The booklet included has full page descriptions of each group and artists, in 3 languages. Artists include Leroy Jones, Dukes of Dixieland, and The Dirty Dozen Brass band, to name a few.
To be honest, the names mean very little. All the music stands on its own, apart from fame of one individual or the scandals of another. They are all gold, and that is not me just saying that to please the right people. And the best part? This is a benefit for the Renew Our Music Fund. ROMF is an organization created to help the musicians of New Orleans replace their equipment after Hurricane Katrina. Amazing.

Mae - Singularity

Tooth&Nail/Capitol/EMI

Christian indie rockers Mae return with their third album, Singularity. Their first album off of an indie label and officially in the big game, Mae really can stand alone these days. While probably still doing a tour or two in support of others, they now have the backing to do something else besides opening for successful bands such as Foo Fighters, Something Corporate or Weezer.
Mae's sound has evolved over the last few years. Starting out as a borderline punk band, they are now more of a watered-down Incubus without the sex appeal and obnoxious turn-tables. A few tracks, such as "On Top" stand up on their own without the name of a label or tour mates to keep them afloat. The sexual innuendo is inescapable, and somehow adds to making this a really good pop song. Points of the album reminisce a lot of mid-90's alternative rock, and in reality, I think the only thing that sets this band apart is the keyboards.

Rob Heath - Couple of Times Round the Sun

Self Released

With a unique blend of mid-90's pop rock and alternative-country, Rob Heath is a musical genius. Not to minimize his musical ability, but his real genius lies in his lyrics. Each song tells an individual story, singing about depression, love-lost, and God. He has made quite a name for himself over the last few years: working behind the scenes with such acts as Meatloaf, N'Sync, Collin Raye and George Strait, to name a few. To make his name more impressive than just a list of pop-hit writing, he also has won awards left and right...everything from Public Domain Foundation's ÒMusic to LifeÓ Contest to New Folk award at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas (which he was one of the 6 chosen out of 600 applicants). This is his third album, with a much heavier emphasis on production than the previous.
Heath is above most of the alt-country acts out there. He manages to surpass the very typical singing style available on almost any country album, creating hooks that are really unique and unlike any I've heard in the past. He is an impressive guitar player, but it is in the music writing that he shines. It's the blend of all the elements. The ideas and how things fit together which are the highlights. He seems to approach it more from a rock and roll point of view, while still staying true to country roots. That's exactly what it is. It may be the shape of things to come in the country world.

Beastie Boys - The Mix-Up

Brooklyn Dust/Capitol/EMI

I ran into a friend the other day. The last I saw of this person they were a small, immature little punk, doing what they could for attention and looking for nothing more than to get his hands dirty. Somehow, when I ran into him, he was almost a head taller than me, with a vocabulary that I would never have imagined would come out of this kid 10 years ago. Dressed-up, a little scrubble, and driving a car our parents drove back then, he was an entirely new person than before. That's what the Beastie Boys are like to me. I remember Licenece To Ill, I remember the premiere for the video of "Intergalactic", and now I get this. You can watch a few Jewish screw-ups from Brooklyn grow up before your eyes, and end up with a sort of sophistication that 20 years ago would only prompt the response of "Hu?"
So when I got this album, I expected a return to their roots: after all they did start out as a Bad Brains worship band. I was interested to see whether they would throw it all away, get back to their snotty "I'll never grow up" past, or maybe take a higher, and less fun road to expand their musical endeavors. Unfortunately, they picked the later. I'm not saying this is bad, it just isn't what I would have expected. If I were to categorize this, I would have to say somewhere between trip-hop and lounge, essentially pushing the bounds of what we call "hip-hop" today. They play their own instruments, and I don't think say a word throughout the entire album, which, for a token liberal activist group, is quite the achievement. This is definitely Beastie Boys growing up, getting real jobs, and still smoking a real lot of weed.
************LATE BUT GREAT***********

Patrick Park - Everyone's In Everyone

Curb Appeal

ick Park "Everyone's In Everyone," Curb Appeal A lot of times when I hear new music, I can literally see influences through the CD. By influences, I mean two members sitting there, staring at each other, saying "Hey, let's start a band that sounds like Genericannoyingrockband A". People have a tendency to emulate instead of taking notes. And I'm a jerk, so I would be the first to say if this one of those. As a matter of fact, it actually isn't at all.
Park has done it right. Instead of taking Dylan (or his modern-day clone Bright Eyes), Park took notes. This is honest, and original: incredibly rare in this genre. His big spotlight to date is the last song on every high school girls dream-adolescence, "The OC".
The first thing I thought about this record was "Jesus this is some great packaging". Digi-pack with a really awesome insert that folds out beautifully, only adding to the music, not detracting. The theme of the artwork is dead or dying trees, which pretty much sums up the album. It's about understanding each other, and others problems, with an incredibly eerie tone to it all. He plays Dylan-esq folk, with melodies that neither Dylan or Oberst would touch, and relies on simple chords to further the song, instead of overdone production or ridiculous amounts of musicians.

The Kin - Rise and Fall

Alethia

Koren Brothers Isaac and Thorry are The Kin. Australian natives, they trekked their way over in 2001, making their home in New York City. Their growing popularity combined with amazing press opportunities is leading to this band possibly going somewhere. Selling out local venues such as the Bowery Ballroom and the Knitting Factory, The Kin have what has been called a "breathtaking live performance". They have made national television on more than one occasion, and even a segment on the worldwide "Fearless Music TV".
They are constantly being compared to U2 and the Cure, which is spot on. Korens' write in a very Cure-fashion, taking notes in forms of song structure and instrument style. They explicitly rip off U2 with their consistent use of strings as an element to "up the epic" so to speak. The vocals are definitely that of a Bono fan boy, but still have the impressive range that made Bono a name on the map.

Cliff Eberhardt - The High Above and the Down Below

Red House

With three albums on Red House under his belt, Cliff Eberhardt is doing what he dreams: writing and playing music. While an extended break due to a severe car accident kept him from writing much, he returned with this masterpiece for the general public. Its not quite blues, not completely rock, and a bit too much of each to be labeled jazz, The High Above and the Down Below is an emotional roller coaster. This really has soul. It's something I am sad to say does not exist much in the music world these days. He started with humble beginnings writing jingles for commercial products (the one I remember the best is the Chevrolet commercials with the ÒHeartbeak of AmericaÓ slogan), and through that found his home with Red House.
It's not as if he is doing something completely original. I've heard this style in countless coffee shops and clubs up and down the coast. But what really sets this apart is that he's doing it really, really well. He has a foundation in song writing that is rare in these days. Very down tempo-ed, and relying heavily on the voice he was given, he manages to take standards and turn them into something incredibly interesting and intelligently pieced together. I think my favorite track on the album would be the album namesake, which has almost a driving, lone-ranger country feel to it.

Racoon - Another Day

RedEye

Racoon, a Dutch-sponsored pop-rock band, released their newest album Another Day earlier this year. They pride themselves on an original sound, taking equal pars of pop, rock, and indie into a blend they themselves have deemed their own. Which is awesome to see, with rehashed Òinsert genre hereÓ everywhere we look. They have yet to spend much time in the U.S., despite their heavy American music style, citing everything from Fleetwood Mac to Fiona Apple as their influences. Their only stint in the United States was a set at the 2005 South by Southwest, which, they have said in multiple interviews, will hopefully be changed with a U.S. Tour to come.
Acoustic guitar driven, Another Day is a well developed show of Racoons work. It includes their signature not-quite-alternative-rock vocal melodies, creating a dynamic that is also not quite that of anyone I've heard before. The lyrics are really well thought out, such as ÒIf you play with a gun then you will shoot someone/Why do you yell. You can whisper as well/Walk AwayÓ. Each song has a slightly different feel, ranging from slow and depressing, to upbeat and almost dance-able.

Various Artists - Bachata Roja: Acoustic Bachata From The Cabaret Era

Ryko/iASO

I have a really big soft spot for liberation music: blues and jazz have been known to bring me to tears. Reggae, despite not being a fan of the genre, really does make me feel good just because of the story surrounding its incantation. And until this point, I knew very little about bachata and what it was. That really is a shame, because I have been missing out for quite a while. Bachata Roja is a collection of the best Dominican Bachata through history.
It began similarly to previously stated genres: a new sound that few of the general public would deem real music. It has flourished, and stands on its own compared to its early influences of Cuban bolero, Mexican ranchera, and Puerto Rican jibaro.
Both the editor and I are floored with this record. Not only is it informative and historically interesting, but the music is unbelievable. It's all acoustic, with the focal point being singing and tremelo-picked guitars. To be honest, I really am speechless over this record. Beautiful music, beautiful history, and a sense of pride that you can actually hear through the cheap plastic that cases it. Highly recommended.

Pete Seeger - We Shall Overcome

Smithsonian Folkways

"Jesse James" is one of my favorite songs of all time. The last few books I have read are history books on the IWW. Hell, half of the books reviewed for JSITop21 are AK Press books, a cooperative anarchist book distributor. So how on Earth could I say anything bad about this? This is one of the most timeless artists to ever exist, both with his music and his personality. Falling in line with friends Woody Guthrie and Joe Hill, Seeger believed in the dream of equality for all, regardless of race, gender, or class. Especially class. Just about every song on this collection is about labor organizing, stealing from the rich, and dreams of freedom. Seeger is a legend, along side Paul Bunyon and Johnny Appleseed.
Pete Seeger used music and lyrics as a way of telling stories, teaching people across the country of events going on throughout the United States. He began recording in the 40's after dropping out of Harvard University, and writing songs on the road. He has recorded countless albums, written more than I could fathom, and, well, played banjo better than I could ever hope to. This legend will never die.

Various Artists - Across The Universe-Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Interscope/UMG

So this is an interesting one. This is the soundtrack to the movie Across the Universe. The movies plot: taking Beatles songs, their meanings behind it, and creating a musical based around that. Main characters Jude (Jim Sturgess) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), whom are lovers, working with an anti-war movement with the help of ÒDr. RobertÓ (played by the one and only Bono) and ÒMr. KiteÓ (the undeservingly criticized comedian Eddie Izzard) to fuel their adventure. They created a musical after the songs were written.
The soundtrack is a Beatles tribute. If you know the Beatles, you know the soundtrack. Bono does the main theme of ÒLucy in the SkyÓ, which may be the highlight of it. Other artists include Joe Cocker and Jon Anderson, singing ÒHey JudeÓ and ÒCome TogetherÓ, respectively. The musicians take their artistic license with the songs, changing them enough to make them noticeably not original, but for the most part keep them in the vein of the Beatles masterpieces. All the songs on the soundtrack are in movie, plus more.

Zeph & Azeem - Rise Up

Om

"Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God". This saying is lying in wait underneath the CD of Rise Up, placed on an anarchist emblem with a fist in front of a star. While I resent the idea of God being introduced, the sentiment is still the same, and that of the album. Appropriately called Rise Up, Zeph & Azeem's album is a return to a style of hip hop that is less concerned with bling and more interested in beats, culture, personal freedoms, and meaning. This pair-up works well: both have a fairly distinct style of hip-hop to their name which is as much unique as it is powerful.
Zeph & Azeem combine styles which are not in traditional hip-hop today: adding rebellious attitudes to almost funk or reggae beats. Fully formed beats layered with an old-school flow to it all. Reminds me of a more modern version of A Tribe Called Quest. I would have liked a Q-Tip guest-spot, but we can't all get our wishes. Included in the booklet is one of the most comprehensive thank you's I've ever seen, thanking everyone whose done anything for them, thrift stores, you tube, restaurants, and ending with "no thanks, no love, no props, no dap, no respect, no need, no want, no reason, no trust for george w. bush." That sums it up.

Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys - The Essential Masters

King/Gusto/Varese Sarabande/Universal

So, being the product of the late twentieth century that I am, the first thing that popped into mind when listening to this was O Brother, Where Art Thou? It makes me feel a little better to know that was actually Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys who laid the soundtrack for the movie. This is actually quite an amazing group. While the name is slightly misleading (the Clinch Mountain Boys is Ralph Stanley and his brother Carter, until his death. The band featured a revolving door of reoccurring characters participating in the music-making), this is the most impressive bluegrass/old time to date. The Stanley Brothers revolutionized the genre with their incantation in 1946, even to the point of naming a style of banjo playing the ÒStanley StyleÓ. From their small Virginia town they emerged, forever setting the bar that much higher for the bluegrass musicians of the world to attempt to meet.
The Essential Masters is an early Òbest ofÓ collection. They did a great job, because, really, every track on here is gold. With a pretty consistent theme of melodic singing hooks and unbelievable banjo playing, these songs are simultaneously sincere and lighthearted. It's the sort of thing that you can listen to while miserably broken hearted, or after a long day of work to take your mind of the days problems. Either way, it feels right. The instrumentation is fairly simple: guitar, banjo, fiddle, and double bass at times, along with a pretty consistent run of dual vocalists. This has been called the best of the best. I could not imagine ever disagreeing.

Bobby Rush - Raw

Deep Rush/Thirty Tigers

Bobby Rush is known for a slightly over-the-top sound and live show, but took quite a turn with Raw. Raw is stripped down, simplistic, and, well, raw-er than his previous releases. He plays what he has labeled as ÒFolkfunkÓ, taking elements from a slew of genres (blues, soul, funk, folk, and even hip-hop) to make something comfortable and intimate for himself. With over 20 albums under his belt, and over 50 years of experience to date, he knows how the music world works.
He started at a time that was nothing like today: before mass production of CD's and the revolutionary music distribution tool that is the Internet. He started out humbly playing clubs in the South until he made the trek to Chicago, where his name started to be made.
This album, as stated above, is stripped down compared to his past releases. It is one man recording almost all of the instruments. For the most part, all songs would sound identical live as it would recorded. Simplistic structure, but some of the most amazing harmonica playing in the history of the blues.
His guitar playing, similarly, is jaw dropping. Blues guitar has always been awe-inspiring for me, so this is just that much more of a treat, having a legend go back to his roots and play some of the most impressive finger-picked lines that may have ever existed. The deep South has produced some amazing music, and this is certainly no exception.
**********Shelton's Single of the Week: "How Long"**************

KT Tunstall - Drastic Fantastic

Relentless/Virgin/Capitol/EMI

The name of this album is pretty accurate. KT Tunstall's new album is quite fantastical, almost dreamily so. It's not quite a pop act, and not quite rock. There are parts that strongly remind me of the late 90's pop of the like of Natalie Imbruglia (who, I must say, I loved), and almost new rock of bands such as the Gossip or more toned down Arcade Fire (whom KT recently said she had been listening to a lot during recording this album).
Blending these elements, she got something a little different, and a little new. The theme seems to be pretty out there: some sort of exaggerated expanse of a love story that almost flows throughout the album, but maybe not. Like a whisper in the dark, that may or may not have skimmed by your ear. The layout is a nonsensical comic book, so what bad could I say?
***So Nice, Gotta Do It Up Twice (Created by the Original NYC DJ, Jocko, 1955)***

Yes - Live at Montreux 2003 Double CD

Eagle Rock

I remember playing ÒRoundaboutÓ on guitar for the first time when I was 16, and thinking that finger picking a prog song might be my biggest accomplishment to date. And then realized that, while I could play it, someone actually wrote that guitar line, and it definitely took me down a notch. Yes are one of those bands that, love them or hate them, really are timeless. They will never stop being impressive, and their live shows will never stop knocking-out the audience.
I remember my dad talking about their live shows when I was younger: floored by the, well, cage of keyboards surrounding Rick Wakemen and the just-short of overdone pyrotechnics show. While I use the term ÒrevolutionizedÓ in reviews almost as frequently as I eat and sleep, this towers all of the past. This band virtually started Prog-rock, which is both a gift and a curse. But with so much bad prog-rock out there, it only makes Yes stand that much taller than the rest of them.
As for this album: let me begin with the fact that I am against live albums. I think they sound awful, and if I'm not watching a band, I much rather get the full production of the band in the studio than the live feeling and compromised instrument tone. With that said, I sincerely like this. The band is on top of it, having their amplifier tone be virtually identical to recordings, and having the live energy sound through the CD. They play all of their best songs, including the infamous ÒRoundaboutÓ, and in no way does their age drag down their ability to play their instruments compaired to their heyday. They play a collection of songs from the last 40 years here, and almost makes me inclined to pay the $150 ticket prices the next time they come through. Almost. Featuring the original line-up of Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, and Alan White.

Stanley Clarke - The Toys of Men

Heads Up

I have a confession to make. I have a bad habit of judging books by their covers. Or cd's by their covers. Whatever. Anyways, I looked at this, disappointedly, preparing myself for another uninteresting lounge/jazz album that would put me to sleep at these wee hours of the morning. Low and behold, I put the CD in, and was more confused on what hurricane had just hit me. This is not slow jazz. This is not the sort of thing that you would see in a smokey club. This is what exists on the other side of town, where the expensive wine is replaced with something with a little more kick. The only words I could think of during the first track was "Prog-Jazz", which I later retracted to jazz-fusion. I still say it is more prog than either, though. The first two tracks are high tempo, with unusual time signatures and, yes, double kick drum hits throughout. It sounds like the offspring of Mingus and Rush. Later, the album slows down a bit, incorporating female vocals and slow melodies.
Clarke is known for being one of "those ones". You know. Mingus, Pastorius, Coltrane. Unbelievably talented musicians, starting in their youth, and creating a sound that us normal human beings can do nothing but drool at. He was a solid name by the time he was 25, and by the time he was 30 he had a top 20 pop hit. He worked on countless amounts of movie scores (Boyz 'N the Hood, Romeo Must Die, and The Transporter). I really need to stop being so judgmental about album covers.

Trisha Yearwood - Greatest Hits

MCA Nashville

One of the most popular female country singers of the 90's, Trisha Yearwood initially rose to fame as a protŽgŽe of Garth Brooks, but quickly staked out her own identity as an assertive yet vulnerable modern woman. Growing up in a small town in Georgia, she quickly took an interest in rock and country music, emulating Presley and musicals. Yearwood was the first female country singer of her generation that didn't try to be a sex symbol, and she didn't try to project anything other than the fact that she was a great singer. She has received multiple platinum-selling albums, along with a Grammy under her belt.
What set Yearwood apart is her enormous voice; there is no lilt in it - she can whisper to a full throated wail in a second, and her pitch is spot on every time. Her rock based roots faintly shine through her country air, creating something original, and deserving of her success. Each song is a story, remarkably pieced together. One of the best examples is the song "Walkaway Joe": "That boy is just a walkaway Joe: born to be a leaver...She'll keep reaching on for the cold hard truth to reveal what it had known".

See I was resting at the park minding my own
business as I kick up the treble tone
on my radio tape player box, right
just loud enough so folks could hear it's hype, see ?
Outta nowhere comes the woman I'm dating
investigation maybe she was demonstrating
But nevertheless I was pleased
My day was going great and my soul was at ease
until a group of brothers started bugging out
drinking the 40 oz, going the nigga route
Disrespecting my black queen
holding their crotches and being obscene
At first I ignored them cause see I know their type
They got drunk and got guns and they wanna fight
and they see a young couple having a time that's good
and their egos wanna test a brother's manhood
So they came to test Speech cause of my hair-do
and the loud bright colors that I wear [Boo !]
I was a target cause I'm a fashion misfit
and the outfit that I'm wearing brothers dissing it
Well I stay calm and pray the niggaz leave me be
but they're squeezing parts of my date's anatomy
Why, Lord, do brothers have to drill me ?
Cause if I start to hit this man they'll have to kill me

[CHORUS:]
I am everyday people (2x)

I told the niggaz please let us pass, friend
I said please cause I don't like killing Africans
but he wouldn't stop and I ain't Ice Cube
but I had to take the brother out for being rude
and like I said before I was mad by then
It took three or four cops to pull me off of him
But that's the story y'all of a black man
acting like a nigga and get stomped by an African

[CHORUS]

Political Article: Say Yes to National Healthcare By: Michael Hochman and David Himmelstein Back To Top Michael Moore's film Sicko gave a big boost to the movement for single-payer national health insurance this year. But even those turned off by Mr. Moore's less-than-subtle style will find many reasons to support a single-payer system. As the number of uninsured and underinsured Americans continues to rise and medical costs spiral out of control, these reasons are increasingly compelling. As doctors at an urban hospital, we see uninsured patients in the emergency room with serious illnesses that easily could have been prevented with appropriate preventive care. We waste countless hours filling out unnecessary insurance forms. And we listen to patients complain about the complexities and hassles of navigating the health care system. This is why an increasing number of us on the front lines have started calling for meaningful change in the form of a single-payer system in which the government funds health care. Next weekend, proponents of single payer will gather in Washington for the annual convention of Physicians for a National Health Program. Our group has proposed giving every U.S. resident a health care card entitling him or her to all medically necessary services. The new program would be funded by an increase in taxes, but that would be fully offset by savings from abolishing insurance premiums and many out-of-pocket health care costs. Those wanting cosmetic and other medically unnecessary services could still pay out of pocket. Opponents of a single-payer system argue that single payer could be even more inefficient and bureaucratic than the current system. They point to other countries, such as Canada, that have national health insurance and yet have long wait times to see doctors. But research supports the opposite conclusion. For example, a 2003 study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that the average overhead of U.S. insurance companies is 11.7 percent, compared with 3.6 percent for Medicare and 1.3 percent for Canada's national health insurance program. And the waits in Canada are a result of Canada's low level of health spending - on a per capita basis, about half that in the United States. The efficiency of Canada's national health insurance program coupled with our current high level of health funding would yield the world's best health care system. There is no reason to expect, as some people do, that reckless use of health care resources would increase under a single-payer system. Other countries that offer free health care spend much less than we do, and even now, most Americans don't "feel" the cost of health care because insurance companies pay many of the bills. Some also suggest that the quality of health care would decline under a single-payer system. But again, this is unlikely. Life expectancy is shorter and infant mortality rates are higher in the United States compared with most nations with a single-payer system, and a comprehensive analysis has found that Canadians receive care at least as good as most insured Americans. The only difference would be that instead of sending bills to private insurance companies - a difficult and time-intensive process - doctors and hospitals would bill the national health insurance program. Medical innovation would also continue unfettered. The vast majority of basic science in the United States is publicly funded, and incentives for drug development would remain strong. Despite the merits of a single-payer system, none of the major 2008 presidential candidates supports it. Instead, they have put forth a creative array of meaningless, incremental reforms that would do little for our failing system. or example, Mitt Romney's Massachusetts Health Reform - which requires citizens to purchase health insurance or face a fine - is proving far more complicated and far less comprehensive than many had hoped. Proposals from Democratic Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois and Hilary Rodham Clinton of New York also fall far short. Under both of their plans, only low-income citizens who qualify for Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Programs would be guaranteed health care. The rest would be required to buy their own, effectively criminalizing the uninsured. Although few mainstream politicians endorse single payer, we see reason for optimism. A recent survey of Massachusetts physicians found that almost two-thirds favor single payer, and we believe health care providers are coming around nationwide as well. We hope the political thrust for single payer will come soon. If it doesn't, we face a future of more wasteful spending, more inefficiency - and ever more Americans struggling to get by without health insurance.

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