V/A – This American Life: Stories Of Hope And Fear / 2006 Shout Factory / 11 Tracks / http://www.thislife.org / http://www.shoutfactory.com / Reviewed 18 December 2006

While a number of my friends listen to NPR, I must admit that I have never heard “This American Life” before actually getting this CD to review in the mail. After this, I may just have to start listening t NPR a little more often. Hell, this CD may actually be something that truckers and long-haul drivers actually will want to purchase, as the stories that are present on the discs of this set will be something that crosses all socioeconomic strata and educational attainment. These are stories that are not fictional; individuals could conceivably see themselves in the situations that are being discussed here. However, it may be the case that individuals avoid this album because of a perceived lack of star power.

While individuals that are familiar with the show or will the New York Times Bestsellers list may be knowledgeable of individuals like David Wilcox and Myron Jones, the average individual will only be familiar with individuals like David Sedaris (and maybe I’m overestimating the literary knowledge of the average American). Whether the stories present may or may not be fictitious, the base level present in all eleven tales is that they are compelling enough to have listeners listen in for the entirety of the track. The replay value of the disc is decent, but that could decrease based on the individual and their ability to read the same story over again. What would be nice to have is a bundled set with the 2-CD set and an accompanying book that has full transcripts of all the stories told.

While it would be nice to listen to each of these tracks, it may be better to read specific passages if the impact is not immediately discernible to the listener. If that was the case (having a set as described) individuals could finish a tale if they had to go into the doctor’s office and did not have an iPod or portable CD player. Still, “This American Life: Stories of Hope and Fear” will hopefully just be the first of many compilations of short stories that will excite and interest listeners. Here’s to wishing that Shout Factory and This American Life come to an agreement to do exactly as was said. Give this set a go, even if one is not the biggest fan on “books on tape”. The experience is different than any other book on tape that I’ve heard, and I feel it will be the same to other listeners.

Top Tracks: Jorge Just – If I Can Just Make It There, Tom Wright – Fears Of Your Life

Rating: 7.2/10

[JMcQ]