Celine Dion - Taking Chances

Columbia/Sony BMG

I don't really know what I can say about this woman. She really has revolutionized the music industry, breaking record after record, and leaving a legacy that no one will be able to beat (except for Madonna, but that goes without saying). How many television shows, movies, books, comics, etc. have made a parody of "My Heart Will Go On?" There is not a person in this country over 16 who doesn't know the song from the opening note, and not a wedding that doesn't highlight this song on the dance floor.
She has the highest grossing non-English speaking album of all time (worldwide), and has won every award that she could possibly win, including the World Music Award for the Best-selling Female Pop Artist of All Time in 2004. So, basically, she is at a point where she could do anything, be anything, and has every road open to her.
Taking Chances is her newest release, and in no way disappoints. She still has the mind-blowing vocal range, for which she's known for, but seems to use it much more sparingly. She takes a more laid back approach, working more within the confines of the song and working on subtle nuances, rather than the overall jaw-drop affect of her glass-shattering full voice. Tracks like "Shadow Of Love" is more of an alternative rock dance hit than her normal serenading, with others like "A Song For You" incorporating the ballad-esq piano and strings melodies that are much more common for the superstar. I don't feel like much of what I will say could possibly mean anything, because if you don't know who this is, you might as well quit now.

Various Artists - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Beowulf

Warner Bros.

To be perfectly honest, I'm afraid of this movie. It simultaneously has everything going for it and everything against it. Against it, we have the fact that it is full CGI, which has to date never looked good. It also has the entire lineage of the first recorded story in history for the film to compare to. This isn't to mention a slew of lesser known actors, and the full CGI. Also, there is the whole full CGI thing. I can't stand that.
Going for it, we have Crispen Glover as Grendel, which could be amazing. We also have Neil Geiman writing the script, who has rarely let me down. Also, Beowulf is probably one of the most epic stories ever written. So we have a lot going for, and a lot going against. I'm still scared.
So when I saw the soundtrack in my pile for the week, I was concerned which category it would fall under: embarrassing concoction of modern metal and indie artists, or something possibly interesting. I am so excited to announce it being the latter. One of my biggest complaints about soundtracks is that, nowadays, it is almost exclusively new bands, and no actual compositions from the movie.
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Beowulf takes the actual soundtrack to the film, which only uses two songs with singing, and even this is in the vein of the movie. This is wonderful. Intense orchestral themes ravage this release, breaking only for softer, renessaince-esq guitar and vocal melody styled ballads. Personally, I would take this over any mediocre one hit wonder.

Paul Simon - The Essential Paul Simon Double CD

Warner Bros.

I came to accept a few years ago that pop punk was essentially dead. Green Day turned to glam rock, Blink 182 disbanded, and the label that brought emo-pop punk to MTV, Drive-Thru Records, finally called it quits, or an equivalent to "We no longer will put out Saves The Day clones and Dashboard Confessional records". Sure, there have been a few things to pop up, but not much. I haven't listened to Yellowcard since their first release, and threw them to the back and expected them to fade away like the rest. But this band won't die, and they want the '90's back.
Paul Simon has had more prestigious awards than I would know what to do with. The most impressive, I think, is the premier winner of the Library of Congress' Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The Librarian of Congress at the time, James Billington, was quoted as saying "Few songwriters have had a broader influence or contributed more to song genres than Paul Simon." The Essential Paul Simon does a great job of picking up the best he has made solo, using the greatest hits and some of the lesser known-but still golden musical pieces. Complete with this is the bonus DVD, containing television spots, music videos, and Saturday Night Live performances. The man has it made.
*******Shelton's Single of the Week: "Me And Julio Down by The School Yard"*******

Angie Stone - The Art Of Love & War

Stax/Concord

Every time I think a great genre is dead, something happens and I realize that the music industry goes in cycles. So no matter how much I wish third-wave ska will blow up again, I know that it will happen, in some day at some time. In the current resurrection of soul, diva Angie Stone releases The Art Of Love & War, a concoction of old Motown and contemporary R&B. 90% of this record was written by Stone, which furthers my prediction of the re-rising of soul in the twenty-first century.
Stone has been compared to a modern-day Aretha Franklin. If you make sure to emphasize "modern-day", it is pretty right on. She has the groove and subtle emotional punch of Franklin, but takes it one step further, incorporating the state of R&B today into the mix. It makes it all smoother than that of the past, more polished, and possibly more sexualized. On tracks like "Make It Last," Stone adds a bit of hip hop feel to the mix, while "Play Wit It," is a surefire party favorite.

The Chemical Brothers - We Are The Night

Astralwerks/Virgin

Legendary electronic music genre-bending The Chemical Brothers have always pushed the boundaries of electronic music. From the opening track on We Are The Night, which features a deep bass-ey drone, turning slowly into singing, then back to noise, is the essence of what The Chemical Brothers are. Using odd samples, interesting effects, and making listeners unsure whether to do more drugs or dance, We Are The Night was recorded, supposedly, in an abandoned bomb proof bunker in London. Best known for their soundtrack work (Fight Club), The Chemical Brothers know exactly what they are doing. It's so common to see electronic artists who really are just toying with what they are have, guessing as they go along. Fighting this, The Chemical Brothers are so precise in what sounds happen when, with every single beat and note completely intentional. This is, as I said, a record for people who either love drugs or dancing. Especially for both.

McCoy Tyner - Afro Blue

Telarc

McCoy Tyner is one of the best jazz pianists alive today, and probably in the top 10 of all time. His ability to move the instrument at his whim, making it an extension of himself rather than a tool makes his style so perfect that he deserves much more than what he's got so far. Afro Blue is a collection of sorts, taking a few tracks from each of his last few albums. A best of album, but not entirely that. A showcase, if you will.
Born in Philly, Tyner started his musicianship at the age of 13, and began performing professionally by the age of 15. His bands were all over the place, sometimes consisting of professionals, sometimes of neighborhood kids who were still learning their instrument.
Tyner combines traditional jazz piano in the vein of Thelonious Monk and the Afro-Cuban style of Latin jazz that I cannot get enough of. Quite a few standards, but equal amounts of original material, we see a much lighter side to the jazz world here. He plays piano like a god, playing fast as lighting with an incredibly slow tempo, and works the instrument, as I said, like an extension of himself rather than a tool. This is really breathtaking.

the subdudes - Street Symphony

Back Porch/Blue Note/EMI

It is so interesting to look at the cycles of popular music throughout history. There are points where "fun" music is all of the rave, and others, like what seems like today, we focus more on the negative, and a more solemn feel to the music. Modern hip-hop usually doesn't have an uplifting feel the same way funk did. A lot of music today isn't the sort of thing you would smile uncontrollably to. The subdudes are just that: a gleaming light coming from the sky, truly brightening everything up. I couldn't imagine someone who would really dislike this band, except if they really did just hate happiness.
After a five year hiatus, they have returned with Street Symphony, playing off of their signature style of vibrant upbeat melodies, incredibly interesting and fulfilling harmonies, and a general feel to them that makes me question why they have not gotten more recognition than they have (as in, made their way into the classics alongside Clapton and Springsteen).
This is the first release post-Katrina, which is actually quite obvious when you look at the lyrical content: "Poor Man's Paradise," "Thorn in Her Side" (about the Statue of Liberty), and "Brother Man" (a look at the divides of race and religion). They claim to try to steer clear of the political dealings, but in times like these, we all have to try. This is an incredibly solid release, especially considering that this is their 8th release in 20 years. You don't see most musicians with their 8th CD being this good.

Various Artists - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Transformers

Warner Bros.

Where do we start with something like this. Okay, lets start from the beginning: this movie should not have been made. The Transformers actions figures were great as toys, better as cartoons, and does not work at all as a live action movie. There are two many plot holes, too much explanation and cheesiness, and was not made to be a movie! It also means that The Watchmen, which is going to be done by the same people, is going to be unbearable, which I almost take as a personal stab. So, needless to say, I did not appreciate this movie much.
The soundtrack took a similar idea, but it ended up working better. Let me explain: where the film was a retro look at a toy from the 80's and 90's, attempting to take something that was a hit ten or twenty years ago and blow it up again, the soundtrack takes bands that have had smash hits in the early 2000's, and puts their newer hit songs on the soundtrack. I believe every band on this album are already on their downward spiral, but for the most part are still as good then as they are now. They just didn't have the luck of writing a second timeless hit.
Lets take the most exciting part of this album first: Smashing Pumpkins. I've been waiting for this for years, hoping that their new release won't be the routine let's-reunite-and-make-a-sub-par-album deal that almost any band that tries to do this does. And while the new album isn't their best, it starts where they left off: hard hitting and intense, with Billy Corgan's signature nasal-as-hell voice. Also on this album are Linkin Park, Disturbed, Goo Goo Dolls, and The Used, to name a few. All the songs are solid singles, and well worth the extra few dollars to buy the album than go see the movie.

Tracy Nelson - You'll Never Be A Stranger At My Door

MerLess/Memphis International

Returning with another great country album is Tracy Nelson. You'll Never Be A Stranger At My Door is her attempt at "the list of country songs to cover" that she had been compiling for the past 20 some odd years. A few of the tracks on here are her own ("Salt Of The Earth" featuring Guy Clark), but the majority are covers or tributes: "I Still Miss Someone" is a straightforward Cash cover, while opening track "Cow Cow Blues" is a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, which may be my favorite. It features her hair dresser, Terry Tucker, doing an incredibly low vocal track to compliment Nelson mid-range voice. She isn't fulfilling her historical procession of jazz-inspired country here; instead she sticks to a fairly Americana style, which, truth be told, fits her much better. Stranger At My Door, while not life-changing, is still one of her best to date.

Carmine Appice Project - Ultimate Guitar Zeus

Escapi

This is a bit of an oddity. Where we are used to seeing forefronts of bands collaborating, like Santana's theme of hitting up the biggest singers in the industry while he plays guitar, this features Carmine Appice, drummer and singer. He then got the best heavy metal guitar players around to tear it up in the studio with him and make millions off of.
Carmine Appice may not be a household name, and most probably you haven't even heard of him, but you've definitely heard him. Vanilla Fudge? No? How about Pink Floyd? Or Ozzy Osbourne? Or Rod Stewart? The man has played with everyone, and is still adding to the list.
Ultimate Guitar Zeus is sort of ridiculous, if you think about it. Appice features some of the most charismatic, well known, and hair-driven egos that have ever picked up a stringed instrument. Featured on here is Ted Nugent, Slash, Brian May of Queen, Steve Morse of Deep Purple, and Vivian Campbell of Whitesnake, just to name a few. The list goes on, and the ridiculous self-indulging solo-ing really never stops, from beginning to end. If you like any of the bands mentioned above, I'd suggest checking this out. Heavy Metal resurrection.

Kenny Chesney - Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates

BNA/Sony BMG

I think this album can be summed up pretty well in the description of the first song on the album: "Only in country music can you get laid and saved in the same three-minute song..." Kenny Chesney is incredibly solid in his musicianship. While using the same three chords and same melodies that just about any Garth Brooks fan would know backwards and forwards, he sings them confidently, proud, and passionately.
It could be based on the fact that this is his most personal album to date (as you can probably tell from the title). He manages to let his reputation as a performer shine through on these recordings (he is, after all, a three time ACM Entertainer of the Year, and two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year). Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates flows incredibly well. It's one of those albums that you would listen to all the way through. If you like any song on this album, you will probably like all of them. It's so rare these days to find country albums without filler tracks.

Frank Rosolino & Carl Fontana - Trombone Heaven, Vancouver 1978

Uptown

The name says it all, folks. Trombone Heaven is two of the best trombone players in the world, collaborating in the later end of 1978. The jazz standards, mostly of Thelonious Monk and Carmichael, are smooth, and incredibly easy to listen to. Frank Rosolino was best known with his work with Stan Kenton, Howard Rumsey's All Stars and Supersax, along with doing film and television scoring. His equal, Carl Fontana, also worked with Stan Kenton, but additionally lead the big bands of Woody Herman and Lionel Hampton.
The music here is pretty straightforward and unimpressive; as I said earlier, these are all jazz standards. The trombone playing is off the wall. It incorporates some dynamics, and still some of the fastest playing I've ever heard. It is virtually an excuse to solo for the some 70 odd minutes of the CD. Just to reiterate, the name says it all. If you like trombone, this really will be heaven for you.

emma's revolution - roots, rock, & revolution

Self-Released

Pete Seeger called this record a part of "the worldwide revolution which will save this planet..." roots, rock & revolution is a battle ax to every corporate politician everywhere, but falling a little short of actually being called "radical", seemingly focusing all of their energy in peace rather than equality. But that's my deal.
As far as the record goes, it is definitely got something going on. It changes direction every song, opening with environmentalist acapella ballad "Living Planet," with rocking "Preaching to The Choir," singing about the ridiculousness of the term "preaching to the choir" in the political scene following shortly after. Every song is a bit different than the next, each with it's own political explanation of songs. "Silence and Lies," is about the massacre at Kent State. "Came home from school to the war on TV/Looked at the soldiers and thought I saw me/Looked at the children and saw my own face/I saw myself dying all over the place." The best part, probably, is their rendition of Pete Seeger's "If I Had a Hammer". Complete with links to organizations across the globe, perfect for any political liberal in the country.

DB - The Secret Art Of Science 2: Then and Now

Twisted Group/Koch

DJ DB, 7 years later, has released the second in his The Secret Art Of Science, taking a daring turn and naming the album The Secret Art Of Science 2: Then and Now. The legendary first album had everyone screaming "Best drum and bass album ever!", meaning the hype for this was off the charts. And it isn't here to disappoint: all of the tracks are incredibly well produced and pushing the boundaries of the genre. The album focuses on two different time lines: the first half focusing on classic, the later half on newer. Complete in this release is a piece of culture bashing on every page, and an in depth essay on the harms of music piracy culture.

Puerto Plata - Mujer de Cabaret

iASO

The editor and I were just talking about this. In his own words, "We would never hear something like this in our gringo honeymoon that is our environment, except on the radio station in Freedom, California, named KPIG. Check them out on their website http://www.kpig.com." Outside of there, you won't here something this good in this country.
Plata's life is almost as interesting as his music. He lived in the Dominican Republic during the rein of Trujillo, one of the most infamous dictators in recent history. The Dominican Republic was not a well off or safe country at the time, and the stories that Plata personally tells about his experiences growing up is enough to shake up any white kid in their middle class home: stories about being confused with Trujillo's killer, and being taunted with a gun to his face, before being let go when his true identity was confirmed. The man, at the age of 84, has lived a life that most of us so privileged in our existence can only drop our jaws at.
Speaking of jaw dropping, let's talk about his music. It falls under the category of "bachata", a South American form of acoustic jazz and traditional music. Plata has been called one of the best, despite this being his first recorded album. He manages to do on guitar what most metal guitarists only dream about doing: playing lighting-inspired lead lines that flow like a brook and hit like a rock. It's genius, and I could only imagine how much better this would be live. It's a damned shame this isn't more widespread.

The Gougers - A Long Day For The Weathervane

Weathervane

Where most alternative country is based off of a singer, or an individual or two, The Gougers went the other route and modeled rock and roll. Its a sound they have. Every piece is as important as the next, and really wouldn't be the same without them. Acoustic versions of these songs would definitely be lacking something vital to their sound.
Previously known as the Sidehill Gougers, the group dropped the beginning with the addition of a drummer, furthering the above dynamic. It has worked out for them: they recently had a performance booked at the Americana Music Association Conference in Nashville, which went over amazingly well with the critics. Their signature blend of country and rock & roll makes a not quite unique sound, but one that is really easy to listen to and soothing to the ears. They use a great range of sounds and feels, some of the songs incorporating strings and some a little more basic rock feel.

Eliza Gilkyson - Your Town Tonight

Red House

Grammy nominee Eliza Gilkyson has quite a shadow to make her way out of. Her father was Terry Gilkyson, acclaimed folk singer, covered by Dean Martin, Johnny Cash, and the White Stripes. He also wrote "The Bare Necessities," the theme from The Jungle Book. I grew up on that movie, so I can't help but have a soft spot for the Gilkyson family. So let's see how the younger daughter panned out. Eliza Gilkyson started writing and recording as a teenager, trying to give her father some demos of songs she'd written. She's been on the long road of a professional musician since then, including more than six full lengths and numerous EP's. She's toured everywhere, played with everyone, and got admitted to the Austin Music Hall of Fame. Your Town Tonight is her newest release: a live album, recorded mostly in Texas in 2005. I'm generally not a big fan of live albums, but this is one of the few exceptions. She doesn't sound sloppy or too crisp, she doesn't have a roar of annoying fan screams layered throughout, and the levels don't sound like they came out of a chimp playing with a PA system. Her songs are beautiful, fueled by her slightly gruff voice which drives the entire orchestration. With such a lineage to follow, it seems that Gilkyson is doing a great job.

Coheed And Cambria - No World For Tomorrow

Columbia/Sony BMG

I've always thought of this band as a bunch of nerds who got into indie rock and pop punk, sat in their rooms all day learning Rush solos, and did nothing but read comics and listen to Drive Thru records. With every album that passes, they push past that idea in my head; now, instead of being a bunch of nerds who listen to pop punk, they are now just nerds, who happen to play ridiculous indie rock. They took the route of the fantasy metal bandwagon (ala Dragonforce or under appreciated Rhapsody), and have created a fluid story that almost makes sense, starting with The Second Stage Turbine Blade and ending here, with No World For Tomorrow.
This is in no way a cut-down to the band, but they would have been better off trying to get a movie deal and doing the soundtrack rather than vice-versa. They incorporate their love of prog-rock here, most of the time caring more about the intricacy of what they are playing rather than the melody. The singers voice, while I wouldn't say annoying, is quite odd; I can't think of a solid explanation of it besides high pitched and in complete disgust with anything that repeats fluidly. A sort of free-expression of melody, so to speak. While this is incredibly silly, and a fairly cheesy album, it has a sort of epic feel to it. It's like watching that last Chronicles Of Narnia movie. Cheesey, but completely uplifting and fun. That is this band.
***So Nice, Gotta Do It Up Twice (Created by the Original NYC DJ, Jocko, 1955)***

J. Holiday - Back of My Lac

Capitol/EMI

The first single off of Back of My Lac, "Bed", has already become legendary: it is the third track of the decade to win the rare trifecta of Most Increased Plays in the same week one the Rhythmic chart (#1 Most-increased plays, up 934), Urban chart (#1 Most-increased plays, up 582), and Urban AC chart (#1 Most-increased plays, up 298). So, yes, this man has something irresistible. The video for "Bed" is all over MTV, all over BET, and the radio can't stop playing it, no matter how much we learned from "The Maccarena" how quickly singles can get old. But to be fair, this song is much better, no radio station has announced to play the song for 24 hours straight, and there is no stupid dance to go along with it.
J. Holiday is opening for R. Kelly (which I actually missed last night). This is a really good collaboration. J. Holiday functions under the same umbrella of Kelly, certainly perpetuated more by sex than art, and has a voice that is comparable. It's also impossible to miss the "first letter of first name, dot, last name" stage name that they both have in common. At the same time, Holiday is not a clone, and isn't just following in Kelly's footsteps. His beats are a bit more tribal, incorporating a lot more rhythmic drumming. Holiday also holds back on the "stream of consciousness" flow that Kelly has, sticking a little bit more to the rhythm of the song, making the tracks easier to get a grasp on and get hooked in. I'm kind of sad now I didn't have 50 dollars to go see him.

Van Hunt - Popular

Blue Note/Capitol/EMI (Released January 15th)

I don't know what it is exactly, but something about funk always just screams "sex!" to me. I don't know if it's because the most likely place to hear funk these days are in adult films, or just that I've listened to one too many of those Rick James albums, but really, it just screams lust to me. Van Hunt takes that connection in my mind and warps it, almost making the two ideas synonymous.
After his acclaimed first album On The Jungle Floor was heavily compared to a reincarnation of Prince, Hunt decided he need to push the boundaries for Popular. He took the idea he was using, the hyper-sexualized funk-groove orgy, and made the funk more sexualized, the sex more funky, and, well, turning himself into something that stands on it's own.
The tracks are incredibly diverse in feel, ranging from the almost punk-y "Turn My TV On", to the acoustic, post-break up R&B ballad "Ur A Monster, Parts 1 & 2". The comparisons to Prince, while may not stand up musically, have some merit: Van Hunt is a musical prodigy, lyrically genius, and almost as much lust in his voice than James Brown.

Josh Turner - Everything is Fine

MCA Nashville/Universal

Grammy winning Josh Turner continues bringing some of the best mainstream country of the last few years again with Everything is Fine. The best part of this is most certainly his voice: deep, not too twangy, and soothing. It almost sounds unreal. I couldn't actually imagine someone having a voice like that in everyday life. They would just sound like a much more manly John Wayne, if you could imagine.
Not only can he sing, he can also right a mean melody. "She's a firecracker, the light of my life," is one of the catchiest lines I've heard all night, and really one for the record books. While he isn't doing anything stylistically new or original, he plays what he does unbelievably well: he's completely toned the genre of country to its bare bones, and made it as perfect as imaginable.

Let's go fellas shower time's up in five minutes
* sounds of prison bars slamming shut *
Get those feet off the table whaddyou think this is home?

(This is bullshit yo son let me get a cigarette)
(I'ma go.. back to my cell and read)

That's it five more minutes and that's it
Back to work fellas back to work!

[Dead Prez]
Yo lil' Kadeija pops his locks he wanna pop the lock
but prison ain't nuttin but a private stock
And she be dreamin bout his date of release, she hate the police
but loved by her grandma who hugs and kisses her
Her father's a political prisoner, Free Fred
Son of a Panther that the government shot dead
back in 12/4, 1969
Four o'clock in the mornin, it's terrible but it's fine, cause
Fred Hampton Jr. looks just like him
Walks just like jim, talks just like him
And it might be frightenin the Feds and the snitches
to see him organize the gang brothers and sisters
So he had to be framed yo, you know how the game go
Eighteen years, because the five-oh said so
They said he set a fire to a a-rab store
but he ignited the minds of the young black and poor
Behind enemy lines, my niggaz is cellmates
Most of the youths never escape the jail fates
Super maximum camps will advance they gameplan
to keep us in the hands of the man, locked up

(Hello?) Collect call from Nes
(How are you?) Yo shit is crazy Boo
(Have you been alright?) You know I miss you
(I feel lonely lonely lonely) Yo woman..
can you put some money in my commisary?

Lord can't even smoke a loosey since he was twelve
925 locked up with a L
They call him triple K, cause he killed three niggaz
Another ghetto child got turned into a killer
His pops was a Vietnam veteran on heroin
Used like a pawn by these white North Americans
Momma couldn't handle the stress and went crazy
Grandmomma had to raise the baby
Just a young boy, born to a life of poverty
Hustlin, robbery, whatever brung the paper home
Carried the chrome like a blind man holdin cane
Tattoes all over his chest, so you can know his name
But y'all know how the game go
D's kicked in the front door, and guess who they came fo'?
A young nigga headed for the pen, coulda been
shoulda been, never see the hood again

Behind enemy lines, my niggaz is cellmates
Most of the youths never escape the jail fates
Super maximum camps will advance they gameplan
to keep us in the hands of the man, locked up

Behind enemy lines, my niggaz is cellmates
Most of the youths never escape the jail fates
Super maximum camps will advance they gameplan
to keep us in the hands of the man, locked up

* speaking in spanish *

You ain't gotta be locked up to be in prison
Look how we livin, thirty thousand niggaz a day
up in the bing, standard routine
They put us in a box just like our life on the blocks
(behind enemy lines)
You ain't gotta be locked up to be in prison
Look how we livin, thirty thousand niggaz a day
up in the bing, standard routine
They put us in a box just like our life on the blocks
(behind enemy lines)

Political Article: Can Anyone (Any Viable Candidate, That Is) Say 'Single-Payer'? By: Brad Warthen Back To Top Can anyone among those with a chance of becoming president say "single-payer?" If not, forget about serious reform of the way we pay for health care. It doesn't even necessarily have to be "single-payer." Any other words will do, as long as the plan they describe is equally bold, practical, understandable, and goes as far in uprooting our current impractical, wasteful and insanely complex "system." And the operative word is "bold." Why? Because unless we start the conversation there, all we might hope for is that a few more of the one out of seven Americans who don't have insurance will be in the "system" with the rest of us - if that, after the inevitable watering-down by Congress. And that's not "reform." Actual reform would rescue all of us from a "system" that neither American workers nor American employers can afford to keep propping up. But the operative word to describe the health care plans put forward by the major, viable candidates is "timid." "Single-payer" is definitely not that - at least, not within an American context. Seen from the perspective of most advanced nations - which accept medical care as just another part of a nation's infrastructure, like roads and post offices - it's no big deal. Not here, though - not by a long shot. Here, we have too many people preprogrammed to go ballistic at the mention of "single-payer." That's because of the identity of that payer. It's... well, it's the government! This column will now take a short break while libertarians run around shrieking until they turn blue and fall over... da-da-dum-dum, hmmm... readers might want to go look at the Sunday comics until we resume... da-dee-da-dahhh... Still screaming, so let's get another cup of coffee... Ah, that's good stuff... OK, we're back, and they're still screaming, but we'll just have to accept that they're going to do that, and proceed. "Government," in America, is a word that we use for a free people banding together to do something that we can do far better working together than working separately. Some people don't accept that fact. They seem to believe that "government" is some scary thing that intrudes on their lives from out there somewhere, like a spaceship full of aliens with ray guns that will turn us all into toads or something. Those people are one of the two big reasons why you don't hear any presidential candidates saying "single-payer" except Dennis Kucinich. You may recall recent reports that Mr. Kucinich had a close encounter with a UFO, and it was a positive experience, so I guess he's just not scared of the aliens any more. But the major candidates are. Or rather, they're scared of being labeled as extremists. Also, they don't want to offend the health insurance companies whose reason for being would disappear under "single-payer." Last week, I got a press release from a labor union that complained "that no Republican candidate has a plan to ensure all Americans have access to health care." That's true. But the union, which represents blue- and pink-collar workers in health care, was missing the fact that the leading Democrats are little better. "Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have been engaged in a bitter back-and-forth over whose health plan covers more people," The Wall Street Journal reported last week. "Former Sen. John Edwards has jumped in, saying his plan is the best of all." But what they're fighting over are plans that would pull varying numbers of the uninsured into the same overly expensive, wasteful, maddening system of private health insurance that the rest of us are caught in. Conveniently, they say their plans would be paid for by repealing the "Bush tax cuts for the wealthy." Maybe you could pay for a health plan that way - as long as it doesn't provide real reform. Make no mistake: A single-payer national health plan would cost a lot of money, and you would pay for it in new taxes. The good news is that most of us would probably still pay less than we currently pay in premiums. According to the Web site of Physicians for a National Health Program, which promotes single-payer, "This is because private insurance bureaucracy and paperwork consume one-third (31 percent) of every health care dollar. Streamlining payment through a single nonprofit payer would save more than $350 billion per year, enough to provide comprehensive, high-quality coverage for all Americans." But when not even touchy-feely liberal Democrats have the guts to say it's worth paying a new tax to make health care affordable for all, even when that's the hottest domestic issue among voters (which would not be the case if the insured majority were happy), we're in trouble. Little wonder that Dow Jones' MarketWatch reported last week that "Those who hope the 2008 presidential election will finally bring about drastic health-care reform may well end up finding it's a case of politics and business as usual, experts say." The same article noted that Hillary Clinton has received $1.8 million in contributions from accident and health insurers, followed by Barack Obama with $1.45 million, Mitt Romney with $1.09 million and Rudy Giuliani with $1.08 million. That, by the way, is money that you and I and the guy down the street paid for health care that didn't go to health care. Given the odds against substantive reform - between the government haters, the insurance industry and Big Pharma, all of whom have a demonstrated willingness to outlast the rest of us in any protracted political fight - the only way we're going to see significant change is if a president is elected with a mandate for bold reform. Only a president is elected by the whole nation, so only a president would ever have that kind of juice. Unfortunately, as previously noted, none of the viable candidates will say "single-payer." But I will: Single-payer. Single-payer, single-payer! Now, do you have anything better to say?

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