So, back in Minneapolis. PHEW. That was one hell of a shit of a deal. My report doesn't even do it justice. My stony little heart is swollen with pride!

So, "Graduation." If you're like me, and the other 200000000 people in the world, you probably picked up a copy of this today (unless you're sans taste, in which case maybe you picked up the 50 Cent record instead? For shame!) I'm still digesting but it sounds slicker and less baroque than last time, probably because of the lack of Jon Brion presence on there, but there's still enough awesome batshit crazy stuff to interest me, like the fucking cool Can sample here and the Mountain sample there, and there, and there. Plus, the guy's flow is smooth as butter, as always. Gimme a few more listens and I promise I'll give you a decent review. My initial impression: very positive, but maybe not quite as floored as last time -- but then again, I was REEEEALLLLY floored last time, so if we've got, y'know, "Magical Mystery Tour" instead of "Sgt. Pepper" or whatever, to hyperbolize the FUCK out of it (Kanye ain't no Beatle, I'm just drawing a comparison level-wise) that's still not bad at all.

Dude, I'm really MORE psyched about the initial reports of the new Brian Wilson suite "Lucky Old Sun (A Narrative)" coming out of the UK. Advance word from even some of the more cynical critics is that this is indeed "Smile" part deux, or at least "Orange Crate Art" part deux, which, considering that was 90% a Van Dyke success, is not fucking bad at all, is it? On brianwilson.com there's a couple preview tracks, the best of which is "Midnight's Another Day," a staggeringly magnificent song equal to anything the man did in his heyday and I do NOT say that lightly. And a Gershwin-esque track called "Live Let Live" snuck out on the "Arctic Tale" soundtrack too, and that song garnered twenty, thirty plays from me and Deebs. Again, more as I hear more.

GLAD AS HELL to be with the kiddo this week. There was a four-foot-tall hole in my heart these weeks in LA -- as much as I adore it there, it just ain't the same without her. We picked up a pop-up book of "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon," which I read on the plane and absolutely fell in love with. I understand its not well-regarded as King books go, proving once again that people have NO TASTE WHATSOEVER. I was in tears at the end. Honest.