Monthly Archives: September 2019

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 9/21/19

22 Sunday Sep 2019

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Salutations™!!

Yesterday was a scheduling-weird day for The BCPF and me. We had a house-warming to attend in Charlotte so we had to put our regular activities on hold. We got back into town around 3pm so then we got to go to Underdog Records and got to listen to a few before we went to dinner. Anywhat! We got some good stuff. Here’s the haul:

The_Replacements_-_Pleased_to_Meet_Me_cover

©Sire Records

  • The Replacements – Pleased To Meet Me — All I knew of this band (other than listening to the stuff on the RS list, somehow this isn’t on that) was the song “Alex Chilton” about, well, Alex Chilton, the founder of Big Star and lead singer of the 60s band, The Box Tops (“The Letter”). That song is on this album. Chilton actually played on this album, but not on his namesake tune. The Replacements started in punk but moved a little more straight-ahead rock and became one of the pioneering “alternative” rock bands. This album is great! I really dug it. VG+.
  • Paul Simon – Still Crazy After All These Years — We had this already but it was only in VG shape. We aren’t going on a big run of re-collecting better versions as it may seem we are from the last few weeks. However, if we find something that we know we are a fan of but our version wasn’t in the best of shape, then we’ll get the better version because we really enjoy listening. Besides, this one is a reissue on Warner Bros and the original we had was on Columbia. EX/VG++.
  • The Smithereens – Especially For You — The first full-length album by The Smithereens and supposedly one of Kurt Cobain’s favorite albums, per his journal. “Blood and Roses” and “Behind the Wall of Sleep” were both Top 40 hits on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks charts and the album is solid. It was a fun listen. EX/VG++.
  • The Smithereens – Green Thoughts — The follow up to the previous entry, we haven’t listened to this one, yet. It had the singles “Only a Memory,” “House We Used to Live In,” and “Drown in My Own Tears.” Sadly, we lost singer/guitarist Pat DiNizio in 2017. EX/VG++.
  • Pink Floyd – Animals — One of the few “classic” Floyd albums I didn’t have. This isn’t in the greatest shape but I couldn’t pass it up. It’s one of their “proggy” ones that is only five songs long but has three over 10 minutes long. I’ve heard it and it’s not my fave but I now have it. It’s an original pressing. VG-.
  • The Police – Outlandos D’Amour — The debut album by one of my faves. Finding them on vinyl has been somewhat of a chore. But, I’m working on it. This has “Next to You,” “So Lonely,” “Roxanne,” “Hole in My Life,” “Can’t Stand Losing You,” “Truth Hits Everybody” and “Born in the ’50s.” I love this album. I love all their albums, even if I don’t love all the songs. VG is what Jonathan said and while I trust him more than my own ratings, I didn’t hear any surface wear or noise so I’m going to say it’s VG+.
  • Glen Campbell – Southern Nights — I’m not a huge Campbell fan, but I do like the title song and I recognize his talent. It was $2. VG++.

Jonathan was busy in the store yesterday and he and “D” have been working on getting the store cleaned up for the big $1 album sale coming next weekend. Basically, boxes and boxes of $1 albums that he’s never put out before will be available and people will (hopefully) go crazy and buy a bunch of stuff! It could be a big deal. So, make sure you get by and get your $1 records. Make sure you clean them before you play them. Dirty records are like a social disease for styli. Listen to this week’s The Less Desirables to hear more about it! I have been using Discogs to “shake” my phone which leads to a random pick from my collection. That’s awesome.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Sleep lay behind me like a broken ocean. Strange waking dreams before my eyes unfold. You lay there sleeping like an open doorway. I stepped outside myself and felt so cold. Take a look at my new toy. It’ll blow your head in two, oh boy. Truth hits everybody, truth hits everyone.” – “Truth Hits Everybody” (Sting)

Sounds Like Saturday or: Somebody Call the Police

21 Saturday Sep 2019

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Salutations™!!

Today is the 40th anniversary of Cheap Trick’s Dream Police album. I got to perform my favorite song from this album when VSS did the Live at Budokan a few years back. But, other than Clay Howard, I don’t think anyone touches Robin Zander trying to sing these songs, so, instead of a cover, here’s the real deal. Enjoy!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Hey, it’s me again. Plain to see again. Please, can I see you every day? I’m a fool again. I fell in love with you again. Please, can I see you every day? You didn’t know what you were lookin’ for ’til you heard the voices in your ear.” – “Voices” (Nielsen)

The Blizzard or: Solo For The First Time

20 Friday Sep 2019

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Salutations™!!

Today is the 39th anniversary of Ozzy’s first solo record, The Blizzard of Oz. I love this record even if it isn’t my fave of his. Randy Rhodes was a master of his instrument and it’s too bad he was talked into being on the plane with that idiot. Anyway, happy 39th birthday, Oz! (The video has some dropout and is warped a bit)

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Crazy, but that’s how it goes. Millions of people living as foes. Maybe it’s not too late to learn how to love and forget how to hate.” – “Crazy Train” (Osbourne/Rhoads/Daisley)

Many a Title or: The Biggest Day in KISStory

19 Thursday Sep 2019

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Yesterday was September 18, which means it’s the biggest release day in KISStory.

September 18, 1978, saw all four KISS solo albums (Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss) released.

September 18, 1983, saw Lick It Up released.

September 18, 1987, saw Crazy Nights released.

So, six KISS albums were released on that day. All six of them are certified platinum.

So, here’s a tune, enjoy!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Don’t like to dress, talk too good, but I found my queen. Not too clean, know what I like, if you know what I mean. Baby, baby, guess you win the prize. Maybe, baby, where the sun never shines. This must be love, fits like a glove.” – “Fits Like a Glove” (Simmons)

To Those Gone or: RIP

18 Wednesday Sep 2019

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Salutations™!!

I’ve not had a chance to say RIP to the two names in music that we lost this past week. So, I’ve not been a big fan of Eddie Money or his music, but what I did like, I liked a good bit. He tried to join the police force (as his family was wont to do), I mean his name is really Mahoney, that’s a New York Police name if ever there was one. But, he went into music instead. He moved to San Francisco, changed his name to Eddie Money and went on to do some good songs. I’m not saying I didn’t like his stuff, I just didn’t hear more than just the “hits.” He had been battling a lot of things, including drug addiction and cancer, which eventually won that battle.

The other one was a little more sudden, surprising and more impactful to me. I won’t make it out to be a yeah, I have always been a fan situation but I have always liked The Cars. Ben Orr died in 2000 from Pancreatic Cancer. This week we lost the leader of The Cars, Ric Ocasek. He died from natural causes but he had recently had surgery. He suffered from both hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Growing up the most I knew of The Cars was the hits and always thought that Ocasek was the singer of the band. I didn’t find out until “Drive” that Ben Orr was co-lead vocalist. But, even that being what it is, Ocasek was the main songwriter of the band and the driving force behind it.

The not-so-funny thing about his death is it is the latest in the Vagabond Saints Society curse. We have lost a good bit of artists that VSS have covered, in one way or another. We don’t know that that is a real thing but it happens a bit. Anyway, RIP to both Ric and Eddie.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“It’s not the perfume that you wear. It’s not the ribbons in your hair. I don’t mind you comin’ here and wastin’ all my time. I guess you’re just what I needed. I needed someone to feed. I guess you’re just what I needed. I needed someone to bleed.” – “Just What I Needed” (Ocasek)

Justice of the Younger Kind or: Outsiders

17 Tuesday Sep 2019

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Salutations™!!

I have always talked about how I love superheroes. I love DC and Marvel and some outlying characters. I have to say that I have always been more partial to DC’s heroes. I was a huge fan of Super Friends and all its incarnations. That, of course, was the television version of Justice League.

Young_Justice_Title

©DC/Warner Bros

I subscribe to DC Universe, which I talked about before, as well. I’m finding a lot to see on there and the Young Justice series has been awesome. It is basically all of the DC Universe thrown together and focuses on a lot of the Outsiders and Young Justice characters. It started in 2010 and a second season happened in 2013. This was on Cartoon Network and just this year seasons three and four are on the DC Universe app.

I’m loving that in the second season there was a Native American who wears an orange headband and has long black hair and has the ability to create a large, man-like, astral being which alludes to the character Apache Chief from Super Friends. There is an Asian girl who wears green and can control energy flow. She alludes to Samurai from Super Friends. An African American kid who wears blue and black and controls electricity, just like Black Vulcan from Super Friends. Lastly, there is a Mexican (his family is Mexican, I’m not being racist) boy who is named Eduardo Dorado, Jr. who has the ability to teleport just like El Dorado from, you guessed it, Super Friends (albeit the later versions). None of these kids were actually named any of those things, but it’s really right there in your face. I love it.

I just started season three and it’s a lot of great stuff. I don’t like some of the voice actors doing the characters. Their voices for the characters, not the actors themselves. But, the storylines are great. I’m loving this app.

You should check it out. I am not compensated at all for this, I just dig it and I pay for it.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Despite its title, it is not a direct adaptation of Peter David, Todd Dezago and Todd Nauck’s Young Justice comic series, but rather an adaptation of the entire DC Universe with a focus on young superheroes.” – Wikipedia

Crud For Giggles or: Feeling It

16 Monday Sep 2019

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Salutations™!!

Yesterday, I felt like utter crapola. I can only assume it was an allergy. I sneezed probably 350 times and I’m not really sure I’m exaggerating there. I sneezed so much that when I do anything today, my sides, my stomach, my everything is so sore from it. I ache.

CYYpJrJUQAAON8S

©Viacom

Luckily, I actually got to sleep and rested but the whole day today, I’ve felt zapped and worn out. I would love to write a long blog post right now, but I don’t really feel up to much. So, forgive me (or you’re welcome) for this shorter post.

Until tomorrow, stay healthy…
Scorp out!

—
“I have allergies, and I’ve had my share of nosebleeds, but that’s usually related to pollen.” – Stephen Curry

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 9/14/19

15 Sunday Sep 2019

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Salutations™!!

The BCPF and I slept late because we were out late, even though I didn’t get to play on Friday night. But, we did eventually get by to Underdog Records and had a little bit of listening time before our Saturday evening plans. Here’s the haul:

Tonight_(album)

©EMI America

  • Belle And Sebastian – Days Of The Bagnold Summer — When anything by Belle & Sabastian comes out, we jump on it. This is to a soundtrack of a film, I guess by the name of Days of the Bagnold Summer. It is a great album. If you’re not familiar with B&S, you should check them out. I understand it’s not for everyone but you never know, you may like it. New.
  • Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers – Southern Accents — Petty’s 1985 album that spawned “Don’t Come Around Here No More,” “Rebels” and “Make It Better (Forget About Me).” It’s a great album. EX/VG++.
  • Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough) — His follow up to the previous entry, this one had “Jammin’ Me,” “Runaway Trains,” “All Mixed Up” and “Think About Me” released as singles. A great album, as well. EX/VG++.
  • The Police – Ghost In The Machine — I had this one already but only in VG condition. I just couldn’t pass up a VG++ version. So, I’ll trade the other one in to Jonathan. This is tied for second of my favorite Police albums with Outlandos d’Amour, Reggatta de Blanc and Zenyatta Mondatta (yes, that is all their other albums) after Synchronicity. “Invisible Sun,” “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” “Spirits in the Material World” and “Secret Journey” were the singles but “Omegaman,” “Demolition Man,” “Rehumanize Yourself” and “Too Much Information” is also on this album.
  • David Bowie – Tonight — This may shock some people but the first time I ever heard of, or anything by, Bowie was “Blue Jean” from this album. I hated it. I don’t know why. It was because of the video on TBS’s Night Tracks music video program. Remember, I didn’t have MTV until 1986. I also didn’t have access to Bowie on the radio. I was so out of touch. That’s why I make it my mission, now, to absorb as much as I can. Bowie continues his writing with Iggy Pop on this album and does a Beach Boys cover (“God Only Knows” from Pet Sounds) and a Chuck Jackson cover (“I Keep Forgettin'”) and does a duet with Tina Turner on the title track. I love this album. VG++.
  • Chopin, Artur Rubinstein – Nocturnes (Complete) — You’ll see from the next few entries, there were a number of classical albums. This one first. It’s a 2xLP set of, well, the complete set of Nocturnes from ol’ Fred. VG.
  • Beethoven, Wiener Philharmoniker Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Pierre Monteux – Symphony No.3 In E Flat (“Eroica”) — Pretty much what it says. This one is NM and still sealed, although I’ll take care of that in the next little bit.
  • Luys Venegas de Henestrosa – Luys Venegas de Henestrosa (16th Century) “Libro de Cifra Nueva” — The “History of Spanish Music” series, this is a shload of harpsichord music. I don’t know how I feel about that. VG+.
  • Gustav Leonhardt, Johann Sebastian Bach – The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2 — 3xLP set that is in great condition and we got it from the $1 bin. VG+.
  • François Chantal – Piano At Twilight — I love piano music, this was in VG+ condition and in the $1 bin. Yes, please.
  • Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Love Beach — Released two days before my eighth birthday, this is the “nadir” of ELP’s output. It’s the last one before they split up. They didn’t play together again until 1992. Although, Keith Emerson and Greg Lake did join up with Cozy Powell for a whole different ELP in the mid-80s. That’s the first time I ever heard of ELP and didn’t know that Palmer was even a thing. Anyway, this is supposed to be earth-shatteringly awful which makes me want to hear it. According to Keith Emerson, the album was “an embarrassment against everything I’ve worked for.” It was $1 and goes in my ELP collection. A win for me, even if it does suck like a Hoover. VG/VG+.

When we got to Underdog Records yesterday, Jonathan had put out some doughnuts from Krispy Kreme and we each had one. Jonathan is always doing cool things for his customers. He has a lot of speaker pairs for sale right now, you should check out the Underdog Records’ Instagram and Facebook to see what he has. Plus, follow to see what he’s just picked up or acquired and is putting out for purchase. Listen to each new episode of The Less Desirables to hear what the TLD/UR special of the week is!

I use Discogs to keep track of what I have so when I came across an album in the store I can look to see if I already have it. I was talking to another customer in the store and he says he gets home and realizes he already had a copy of something and just keeps it. I told him to use Discogs and that doesn’t happen as often. It does sometimes but not usually.

Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“I got my own way of workin’, but everything is run with a southern accent where I come from.” – “Southern Accents” (Petty)

Sounds Like Saturday or: The Gig That Wasn’t

14 Saturday Sep 2019

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Salutations™!!

Last night we were supposed to do our set of Springfield songs but the Forsyth County Sherrif’s department of the Village of Clemmons had other plans. So, here’s a bit of what you missed with us not playing.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Cause every man sees in the younger man the hope. Every woman sees in the younger girl the dream. Everybody lives the pride and passion of the young. From the womb to the tomb we will remember what it means.” – “Celebrate Youth” (Springfield)

In Da Club or: Springing for Action

13 Friday Sep 2019

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Salutations™!!

Tonight, at Rizzo’s in Clemmons, the Friday Night Music Club is putting on their September gig. It’s a triple-billed shindig with Huey Lewis & The News, J Geils Band and Rick Springfield!

No, Huey Lewis, Peter Wolf nor Rick Springfield are actually going to be there.FNMC

Friday Night Music Club is the brainchild of Doug Davis (yes, that Doug Davis) and offers shows to raise money for local organizations and charities. This month it’s all about Authoring Action. Find out more about them at their website. But, the shows are basically tributes to genres, bands, years, and sometimes a “rock lottery” that is bands made up of people who put their names into a hat for a specific instrument or vocal.

Tonight, it’s three bands doing the aforementioned artists. Tonight is also Clay Howard’s birthday (who is playing the part of Rick Springfield because, well, of course). I’m playing the part of Springfield’s bass player. You should come out and see it. There is a cover of $5 but it all goes to Authoring Action.

Rizzo’s is at 6353 Cephis Dr. in Clemmons.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“So celebrate youth, those who have it. Celebrate youth. Give them sight. The future of the world’s in the hands of the children. So, celebrate youth. Teach them right.” – “Celebrate Youth” (Springfield)