Bob Dylan *Radio Hour*

Also known as German markets in everything, or alternatively why oh why can't we have a better U.S. copyright law?

Remember when Bob Dylan was DJ for those XM satellite radio shows, spinning a melange of blues, folk songs, vaudeville, gospel, and general bizarreness, with generally American themes, in the process proving himself one of the world's great musical infovres?  Some of those shows are collected on CD, in Germany, vol. I, II, and III, four discs a box, twelve discs in total.  The Amazon.de listings are here (they will ship to the US), or in German stores for about six dollars a disc, thank you Greece.

I own thousands of CDs, but these are among the very best and the song selection compares favorably to other collections of American music.  The sound quality and transfers are first-rate.

Here is a Bach box, his major choral works and some of the major cantatas, MP3, and CD, 42 euros, 22 discs, John Eliot Gardiner conducting, these are some of the best recordings of the chosen pieces and even with shipping costs this is an extremely favorable purchase.

Have I mentioned there are many outrageous bargains in Berlin, not just my apartment?

For five or six euros, you can buy an excellent spaghetti bolognese, better than almost anything in WDC or Virginia.  Apartments are cheaper, you don't need a car, mineral water and good bread is cheaper, gelato is cheaper, and in most social circles you're not expected to dress extraordinarily well.  I'm not sure books are cheaper but they're not outrageously priced either, even many English-language editions.  It's a strange feeling to come to Europe and have most things be cheaper, which still is not the case in Paris.

Here Angus recommends five CDs for Germany, good picks but the Dylan and the Bach round out some Alvin Curran and some gospel in my living room.

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