Arkansas Goes on Road, Thrashes Mississippi

Now that's more like it. After losing their first three SEC games of the year, the Razorbacks rolled over the Ole Miss Rebels, 44-8 in Oxford on Saturday. It was a refreshing change of performance for an Arkansas team that has floundered well below preseason expectations. And with the refreshment comes the hope that the Hogs can keep their seasonal ship rolling straight through November.

Tailbacks Darren McFadden (22 carries/110 yards) and Felix Jones (15 carries/101 yards) were back on their respective games, while the offensive line did a tremendous job of opening space in front of them. Even quarterback Casey Dick was on his game, throwing 11 completions in 17 attempts, for 96 yards and 3 TDs against a sole meaningless end-of-the-first half interception. Peyton Hillis was a weapon out of the backfield as well, catching 4 passes for 60 yards, while TE Andrew Davie had the first two TD catch game of his young career.

And still, this one was mostly about the defense for the Hogs. With six sacks and four interceptions, there's no question that the Razorback 'D' went into this one with the intent of driving the Rebels firmly back on their heels. Surely, they did that and more, generating pressure up front, playing solid man coverage and giving defensive coordinator Reggie Herring the ability to blitz as freely as he wanted, without the worry of springing a leak. Arkansas' defensive performance was so good it made talented Rebels' QB Seth Adams look really bad, and with him, a host of skilled receivers.

It's way too early to reach much into this game: Ole Miss stinks. Now Arkansas plays a terrible Florida International team on Saturday. But if the Razorbacks can keep their good play going against South Carolina in two weeks, there's a very realistic chance that this club could play its way back into New Year's Day bowl consideration. For head coach Houston Nutt, under fire after a lackluster first half of the season, that's about as good a turnaround as could be hoped for at this point.

-JAB

Radiohead reaches new heights "In Rainbows"

British rock band Radiohead has self-released In Rainbows, its first new album in more than four years. By selling the ten song disc via its own website, the group has turned the music industry on its metaphorical ear. Early estimates have them selling more than 1.2 million copies of an album that customers can pay as little as ninety cents for, if they so choose. A double-disc CD proper release is expected for early December, but the mp3 downloads undoubtedly do the songs justice. Indeed, the feeling here is that Radiohead has continued to surpass itself in terms of music-making, marketing strategy, and general creativity. Below is my track-by-track breakdown of the new record.

1) 15 Step: Opening against the background of a stomping, shifting backbeat, lead singer Thom Yorke intones the questions: "How come I end up where I started? How come I end up where I went wrong?" Splashes of guitar help the song lift into full-blown takeoff, with all kinds of crazy sounds---howls, reverb, children clapping---jump out of the background. A bona-fide rocker.

2) Bodysnatchers: This tune was debuted as fast and guitar-heavy during Radiohead's brief European tour last year. The guitars remain, though the tempo's been turned down a bit. Jonny Greenwood and Ed O'Brien trade riffs while Yorke wails lyrics about paranoia in "the 21st century! The 21st century!." A solid 1-2 punch to open.

3) Nude: A song that's already more than ten years old, "Nude" used to be called "Big Ideas." After struggling fruitlessly for a long time on the proper incarnation for the melody, the band has settled on a slow, ruminating chord progression full of strings. Some Radiohead diehards may be upset with this "final" version, but I think it does the original tune some final justice.

4) Arpeggi: A beautiful song with (relatively) depressing lyrics about "weird fishes" and the "bottom of the sea", this is probably the most efficient reworking of any tune on the album. Gone are the dramatic piano chords, replaced instead with choppy acoustic guitar splashes. The song builds to a harmonic crescendo about four minutes in; it literally sounds like it's being played under water somewhere at the very depths of the ocean.

5) All I Need: One of my personal favorites of Radiohead's recent concert setlists, the music and lyrics strike a perfect balance. It's a slow, romantic burner with lyrics about being "In the middle of your picture, lying in the leaves/You're all I need." Yorke's voice sounds tremendous here, carrying the song towards the end, where it breaks back down over fractured piano chords. A fresher version of Radiohead's younger balladry days.

6) Faust ARP: At a little over two minutes, it's easily the shortest song on the album. Early reviews have likened it to McCartney's "Blackbird", and it's not a bad comparison. I have little idea as to what the title means. Something about a German author? Hmmm...

7) Reckoner: This will probably upset Radiohead diehards the most. Played live last year, the song was straight ahead Radiohead rock at its OK Computer-like best. Now it's another slow builder, bathed in symphonic swirls. It's a pretty tune at its core, but yet another sign that the Oxford quintet have elected to go in the slower is better direction on Rainbows. Still a very good song though.

8) House of Cards: The easiest-to-digest track on the whole album. Its laid-back guitar fuels the almost reggae melody. Yorke's opening lines: "I don't want to be your friend/I just want to be your lover." They're as direct and love-themed as any he's written since The Bends. At five and a half minutes, it's also the longest song on the album. Doesn't feel like it though. An absolute gem.

9) Jigsaw Falling Into Place: Played live under the working title of "Open Pick." Another song that's been boiled down to its slow-paced core. It possesses a groovy rhythm track keyed by bassist Colin Greenwood and drummer Phil Selway. Another tune that's sure to confuse those looking for the fast-paced rock and roll of recent Radiohead shows.

10) Videotape: Continuing in the tradition of Radiohead LP closers like "Street Spirit", "Motion Picture Soundtrack", "Life in a Glass House" and "Wolf From the Door", this is a heavy ballad riding on the emotions of an album full of them. Yorke sings about his personal Judgement Day, where everything he's done is diplayed in videotape, a la the now-classic film comedy Defending Your Life. It's an interesting idea, and it hits hard with happiness and remorse intertwined. "This is the most perfect day I've ever known," sings Yorke. If he's speaking about In Rainbows and its place in the Radiohead album canon, it certainly comes awful close.

Josh's Grade for In Rainbows: A-

-JAB

Springsteen Heads Back to E Street for More Magic

Hearing Bruce Springsteen play with the E Street Band is like going home and hanging out with a bunch of old friends you haven't seen in a long time: it just feels good. For the Boss, it must've felt as such on latest studio album Magic, his first effort with the E Streeters since 2001's The Rising. It's career release number fifteen for Springsteen if you're keeping score at home. Opening with the poppy lead single "Radio Nowhere", Springsteen's album is focused in both mood and intention. The single is about searching for good music in an age where the industry is shrinking and consolidating by the day (more by necessity than choice). It's a good opener, and in line shortly afterwards are old school sounding Springsteen cuts like "You'll Be Coming Down" and "I'll Work For Your Love." Better than both of those though is "Living in the Future." It literally sounds like E Street circa 1978. Clarence Clemons' jazzy sax is all over it, with a catchy hook and busy guitars to boot. It's as good as anything Bruce has done with E Street in ten years. Then Bruce turns his attention to serious matters, particularly war in the modern age, on cuts like "Gypsy Biker", title track "Magic," second single "Long Walk Home" and strings-laden closer "Devil's Arcade." "Biker" and "Home" are probably the best of that bunch, and Springsteen does a fine job of describing the horrors of warfare and its consequence without laying the finger too heavy with blame on any one person or thing. The best song on the album though is the finale, "Terry's Song." Written for recently deceased longtime Bruce friend Terry McGovern, the track is both beautiful and simple in its tone and delivery. Producer Brendan O'Brien must have realized so as well: he leaves the song almost completely free of any studio tricks. If there's one major complaint of the album, it's that it sounds a bit slick and overproduced in places, but that's the only real quibble I've got. It's always great hearing Bruce back at work on E Street for the love of his listeners, and this album is another unquestioned success. Josh's Magic Grade: B+ -JAB

Josh's Early October Storylines

Razorbacks Roll Up Mean Green

A 66-7 victory over North Texas doesn't do much to change the public perception of the Razorbacks, but it can certainly help the players gain some confidence in themselves. The passing game was more than functional; for a change, it was seriously impressive. Casey Dick looked way better on the playaction throws, while wideouts London Crawford and Robert Johnson stepped up and made some nice catches. Defensively, the secondary finally started turning to look at the ball (sure does help, huh?), while the stud tailback duo of McFadden and Jones churned out 270 first half yards before mercifully hitting the bench for half number two.

Things won't get any more exciting this coming weekend, when Arkansas hosts former I-AA school Tennessee-Chattanooga in Little Rock. A rout it shall be, and the Hogs will then be 3-2 when the night wraps, but they'll still be stuck on 0-2 in SEC play, a mark that won't change---for the positive or the negative---until they host Auburn in Fayetteville a week from Saturday.

One real Chattanooga storyline of note: Heisman hopeful Darren McFadden needs 151 yards rushing (probably all in the first half) to set the all-time Razorback ground mark in front of his hometown fans in Little Rock. Here's hoping D-Mac gets it done in the Rock.

Mets Slide All the Way Out

An epic collapse apparently won't cost Mets' skipper Willie Randolph his job, but it probably should have. Watching New York trip over itself during the final 17 games of the season was one of the more painful experiences of my sports life. The pitching completely collapsed, both starting and in the bullpen, while the offense lost almost all of its spunk. A lot of that stemmed from the top of the lineup: Jose Reyes looked like a completely different player during the final two months of the season. He went from a guy who was arguably becoming the most exciting all-around player in the game to a guy who couldn't even get on base.

A lot of the fold-up was psychological. After losing eight straight times to the Phillies towards the end of the year, the Mets clearly no longer believed in themselves. The swagger was gone, and soon, so was their divisional lead. And now New York enters an offseason filled with questions, while Philadelphia parties like it's 1993. Oh, the misery....

LCS Picks: Cleveland over Boston in ALCS; Chicago over Colorado in NLCS
World Series Champ: Cleveland Indians

NFL Wraps First Quarter of Play

New England is once again the team to beat, at 4-0 through one quarter of the season. The "undefeated" talk has already started up, with Tom Brady (13 TD tosses) playing like the Most Valuable Player. Clearly the addition of Randy Moss (7 TDs already) has made the Patriots scary good; rumors of the Freak's athletic demise were undoubtedly exaggerated. Don't sleep on the Colts yet though: at 4-0, they are still the defending champions until someone proves otherwise.

The two other undefeated teams are unquestioned surprises. We knew Dallas would be good, but this good, this fast under Wade Phillips? My goodness. Tony Romo is playing like a bona fide star, while Marion Barber has emerged as the best red zone tailback in the NFL. If the Cowboys' 'D' ever gets up to speed, it's going to mean serious trouble for the rest of the NFC.

And then there's Green Bay. Brett Favre has his Packers off to a 4-0 start, and now he also has the all-time TD toss mark in the bag, shattering Dan Marino's previous tally of 420. Favre is playing like he's 28, not 38, and the Green Bay defense has improved as much as any group in all of football.

The list of disappointing starts is a lot longer, stretching from San Diego, Philadelphia and Cincinnati (all 1-3) to New Orleans, Saint Louis and Miami (all still winless).

A fourth of the NFL season is it all it is, but now is the first real good time to take stock of where your respective team is---or isn't.

Springsteen Back with "Magic", Crows Postpone, Radiohead Loses Collective Mind

Yes, I've already picked up my copy of Bruce Springsteen's new album Magic, but I've yet to put it in the CD player for a spin, so give me just a couple of days till I offer you a full-fledged review. It's coming though, I promise . . . the E Streeters are back, baby.

In other music news: the Counting Crows have, rather unfortunately, elected to postpone the release of their fifth album Saturday Nights, Sunday Mornings until after the New Year. Something about being too busy to take care of "all the little details" according to lead singer/songwriter Adam Duritz in a post on his band's website. Too bad about that. Almost six years now since the last Crows' album.

Meanwhile, British collective Radiohead---arguably the greatest living rock band in the world today---has taken a completely different route in releasing their seventh album, titled In Rainbows. With almost no advertising or advance notice, and no record deal to speak of (the previous one has already been fulfilled) the group will release the album on its own via the internet next Wednesday, October 10th. Ten songs will be available, and here's the crux of the craziness: downloaders will have the right to pay as much or as little as they like for each and every song. You read correctly: downloaders can elect to pay nothing for the songs if they so choose. On December 3rd, the band will then release a double CD of the album, containing eight extra tracks, along with artwork and more. That too can only be ordered online and will set you back a mere $80 in American cash.

Will it prove to be a profitable decision for Radiohead? Time will tell, but at the least, it's certainly a statement against the big music conglomerates. Kudos for that, but still sort of crazy if you ask me. That's Radiohead for you.

-JAB