Memphis Roundtable with Jerry Jarrett, Lance Russell and Dave Brown

The Good
Three of the most significant figures in Memphis pro-wrestling history are given an opportunity to share their experiences with fans in a discussion directed by former manager Scott Bowden.  Bowden grew up on this stuff, so he knows how to pull out the best of these three.  Jerry Jarrett is a great storyteller and can explain things well, so most anything he does is excellent.  Lance Russell is a tremendous talker and someone who infuses humor well, so those qualities that made him a great straight-man for Memphis wrestling, makes him entertaining in this atmosphere.  Dave Brown has never done a detailed shoot interview (that I know of, probably radio interviews), so it was great to catch his perspective, stories and details on some of Memphis's greatest angles and personalities.

The Bad

This was relatively short and having multiple people always cuts down on time even more, but Scott Bowden kept this flowing and so it did not seem as rambling as it could have.  A couple repeat stories out of Jerry Jarrett and Lance Russell, but you have to expect that to an extent.  Obviously there were dozens of great names and angles that went unmentioned, which could disappoint that person who really wanted to hear about the Dream Machine, Plowboy Frazier or some other character.  You hear about Jackie Fargo, Jerry Lawler, Jimmy Valiant and the other iconic figures of Memphis wrestling, but many are left out.

The Rating: ***3/4

Larry Zbyszko Shoot Interview [Highspots]

The Good
Larry Zbyszko has always been a quality off-the-cuff interview and I've always thought his appearances on Wrestling Observer Live and elsewhere have been solid.  He is funny, has good stories and is enjoyable to listen to talk.  This 2-hour overview of his career contained all of those qualities, so if you've heard him before and liked him, you should enjoy this.  Larry has a sharp memory, great insight and can get over through talking in the same way he does here.

The Bad
Larry Zbyszko has always been a quality off-the-cuff interview and I've always thought his appearances on Wrestling Observer Live and elsewhere have been solid.  He is funny, has good stories and is enjoyable to listen to talk.  This 2-hour overview of his career contained all of those qualities, so if you've heard him before and liked him, you should enjoy this.  Larry has a sharp memory, great insight and can get over through talking in the same way he does here.

The Rating: ***1/2

Have a Nice Day (audiobook)

Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: Mick Foley
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
Released: 10/00 

The Good
Audiobooks are fun, especially with the right narrator and omissions. This had Mick Foley telling his book and it added to some of the stories a great deal. It was brief and a worthwhile listen. I think the anecdotes had a lot of personality and the impressions of Dominic Denucci and Terry Funk were really funny. This really can't be fairly compared to the book, which an opus, but perhaps to shoot interviews. It was enjoyable.


The Bad
"How do you really condense it all into this?" I kept wondering. One of the best pro-wrestling books and inarguably the most trendsetting, Have a Nice Day! being retold in such an abridged way takes a lot of the heart out of it, but thankfully leaves some of the humor. You must read the book.

The Rating: **1/4