CULTURE JAMMING — MAY 13

TOP PICK

Max Fleischer’s Superman

(Warner/DC Comics)

The 17 old-school cartoons on this two-DVD set rank among animation’s all-time greatest. The Man of Steel’s ultra-stylized adventures have influenced generations of animators (Fleischer’s team was also behind the excellent Popeye cartoons in the ’40s). Best of all, these remastered toons have never looked so vibrant.

CD

Eric Church: Carolina

(Capitol Nashville)

This Nashville newcomer hates urban cowboys with big hats and big mouths; he’s all for big hooks and honky-tonk tradition on his second album. Church’s lonesome twang works on both the rockers and ballads. Plus, he co-wrote all 12 songs, which are mostly about raising hell, drinking Jack and Coke, and smoking weed.

DVD

Frost/Nixon

(Universal)

Ron Howard’s faithful adaptation of the stage hit is a showcase for Frank Langella and Michael Sheen, who respectively play the disgraced U.S. president and the British talk-show host who wants to uncover the truth. Extras include deleted scenes, commentary and footage from the Nixon Library. Best of all, there are plenty of clips from the real interviews.

CD/DVD

Jane’s Addiction: A Cabinet of Curiosities

(Rhino)

This three-CD, one-DVD survey of the L.A. band’s leftovers includes plenty of not-so-skeletal demos that reveal just how fully formed most songs were before they were recorded. Cover versions of the Grateful Dead’s “Ripple” and Sly & the Family Stone’s “Don’t Call Me Nigger, Whitey” are also cool. A live show and videos put it all in perspective.

CD

Sinéad O’Connor: I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got

(Capitol/EMI)

Before she became a pope-bashing loony, O’Connor was an adventurous singer-songwriter who managed to reach No. 1 with her second album, now expanded to two discs. The Prince-penned hit “Nothing Compares 2 U” had a lot to do with its success, but the rest of the record – which juggles alt-rock, folk, a cappella and hip-hop – remains one of the ’90s’ best. –Michael Gallucci