There must be a cosmic confluence of sonic symmetry in the universe when two uniquely compelling albums by unlikely artists are released within a few weeks of each other. One is Music is Better Than Words, vintage tunes from the songbooks of lyrical luminaries such as Rodgers and Hammerstein and Lerner and Lowe, beautifully sung by the brilliantly subversive creator of Family Guy, Seth MacFarlane. The other is the latest mind-blowing “concept” album from that redoubtable human pop culture machine, William Shatner, called Seeking Major Tom.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then The Modern Pin-Up (Flo Publishing) is the Encyclopedia Britannica of 21st century cheesecake, expertly exposing a thriving subculture of sensuous sirens that excel at exuding eroticism without coming off as sleazy or salacious.

The Lost Patrol: Rocket Surgery
The Lost Patrol is the great unsung band of New Jersey. While not nearly as famous as fellow native musicians Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi, these consistently compelling melody-makers deserve a much wider audience, though their rabid cult following continues to multiply.

A picture is worth a thousand words, the old saying goes, which makes this eye-poppingly colorful tome, jam-packed with classic celebrity photographs and profiles from the halcyon days of early rock ‘n’ roll radio, a virtual encyclopedia of iconic imagery.