Category Archives: Records

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 9/26/20

27 Sunday Sep 2020

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Salutations™!!

The BCPF and I were up “early” to prepare for Record Store Day Drop #2. We were selected for the 930a spot and it was a perfect spot for us. We got everything on our list with the exception of one title but one of our friends and part of the RSD Crüe had found that one at another store after his slot. Things were calm and easy going for Jonathan, I believe. So, we did one non-RSD release but all the releases were brand new. I also included identifiers and attributes, where/when applicable, including how limited the run is. Here’s the haul:

©Kanine

Surfer Blood – Carefree Theatre — This is the non-RSD release. I heard just one song from this as I was making the commercial for Underdog Records for The Less Desirables. I sent Jonathan a message and had him hold me one. I thought it was be great for The BCPF. She loved it. Straight indie rock.

The rest are RSD releases.

The Replacements – The Complete Inconcerated Live — Limited to 8500 copies. Comes in tri-gatefold packaging. 3xLP and it was a great show. Paul Westerberg had a rough night with his voice and some feedback but I love how raw this show is. They may have done some overdubs but I don’t think so, I think this is how it was. I dug it.

The Feminine Complex – Livin’ Love — 2 × Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Pink. Gatefold sleeve, two pink LPs in white polylined inner sleeves. This was the one our friend got for us at a different store. The Feminine Complex was an all-girl garage band from the 60s and this is their only album.

Various – I Saved Latin! A Tribute To Wes Anderson — 2 × Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Limited Edition, Pink, Blue. Exclusive Ltd. Edition Run of 1,000 copies. The BCPF really loves her Wes Anderson movies and I like them, too. This is a compilation of songs from his films. It’s 2xLP record 1 is “Margot Tenenbaum pink” (like The Royal Tenenbaums) and record 2 is “Life Aquatic blue” (like The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou).

Mott The Hoople – The Golden Age Of Rock ‘N’ Roll — Gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeves. 2 × Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Blue, Gatefold.

Various – Wilcovered — According to Discogs:  “Wilcovered 19 covers of Wilco songs performed by renowned artists and friends of the band.” 2 × Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Limited Edition. It was an interesting listen. The BCPF is a big fan of Wilco, I’m pretty indifferent. She liked it a lot more than I did.

McCartney – McCartney — Record Store Day release September 26, 2020. Limited pressing: 7000 copies. After cancelling the April 18, 2020 RSD, this release was rescheduled for the second RSD Drop on September 26, 2020.
However in some countries (e.g. Canada and France) it was accidentally distributed for the first RSD Drop on August 29, 2020. Comes in a Gatefold sleeve with a Red ‘Obi’ strip and an (A5-size) ‘Half-speed Mastering’ Certificate. Vinyl cut by Miles Showell using original 1970 master tapes at Abbey Road Studios, London, 5th November 2019. This half-speed master closely references the 2011 remaster by Steve Rooke and Guy Massey.
It was made as a vinyl specific transfer in high resolution and without digital peak limiting for the best possible reproduction.

Son Volt – Live At The Orange Peel — 2 × Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition. RSD 2020 – September 26. On transparent orange vinyl. Quantity: 1500. Recorded live at The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC on September 23, 2005, these songs were part of the 6 String Belief DVD, but have never before been released on vinyl. The BCPF knew nothing about this band, but I believe it will be things she digs. Again, she loves Wilco and Jeff Tweedy was in Uncle Tupelo with Jay Farrar. Uncle Tupelo broke up and Farrar started Son Volt. This was done in a venue that I’ve stood outside of (and was supposed to see Steven Wilson there two years ago, darn snow).

Fleetwood Mac – The Alternate Rumours — Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Remastered. Record Store Day 2020 exclusive release, part of the September 26th drops. Limited edition of 16,000 copies. I was looking forward to this one the most, I think. I have really loved the Fleetwood Mac “Alternate” albums over the last few years. There was Alternate Mirage, Alternate Fleetwood Mac, Alternate Tango in the Night. This is perhaps their biggest of them all. I loved all the alternate takes on this album, save one. It’s my least favorite song on the album and I liked “I Don’t Want to Know (Early Take)” even less.

Roger Waters – The Wall (Live In Berlin 1990) — 2 × Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Clear, 180 Gram. Record Store Day 2020 exclusive release, part of the September 26th drops. 30th Anniversary limited edition, pressed on Clear 180 gram vinyl, gatefold cover in a total of 8.000 copies. When I first saw this concert (I think I own it on DVD), I was enthralled in the spectacle of it. I have always said that The Wall is my favorite Pink Floyd album and while I still prefer the Pink Floyd version, this was amazing.

The Doors – The Soft Parade: Stripped — Vinyl, 12″, Limited Edition, Numbered, Clear. Record Store Day 2020 exclusive release, part of the September 26th drops. Limited to 12,000 units. Eight tracks (some repeats) some with new Robbie Krieger overdubs.

Various – Psyché France 1960-70 Volume 6 — The BCPF and I are suckers for French pop music. This is French pop music from the 1960s. It sounds new and it could be but supposedly it’s from back then. It was a great listen.

Tegan and Sara – Tonight We’re In The Dark Seeing Colors — Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Purple splatter. Recorded live from their ‘Hey, I’m Just Like You’ Tour. Includes exclusive versions of Tegan and Sara favorites on limited edition purple splatter vinyl. Limited to 500 copies.

Mark Snow – The Truth And The Light: Music From The X-Files — Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Glow-In-The-Dark.

Squirrel Nut Zippers – The Inevitable — Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue. Record Store Day 2020 first release, part of the September 26th drops. Limited to 1500 copies. The BCPF says this is her college days. I love the swing style and this is a great album.

Primus – Suck On This — Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, Blue. Limited to a quantity of 5000. Release has 3D artwork, and nothing written on the spine. Live album from 1989.

The Alarm – Celtic Folklore Live — Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition. Record Store Day 2020 release in a total of 1.000 copies. Side-A recorded at Hammersmith Odeon London – February 9th 1988. Side-B recorded at Cabaret, San Jose, California – March 17th 1988.

Lenny Bruce – Is Out Again — A rare recording of Lenny Bruce, fully authorized by Lenny’s daughter Kitty Bruce, unlike the majority of the bootleg material that has been released in the past. This release was only ever sold in limited copies at clubs, directly by Lenny to fans. I haven’t heard this yet, but my favorite part of it is the letter on the back from a reverend. He basically says he feels that Bruce is grossly misunderstood.

It was a great day for us. Jonathan said at our scheduled time that everything was going very smooth. I haven’t sent him a message yet, as I normally do after each RSD. He’s probably relaxing today. You can check out any unsold RSD stock by visiting the Underdog Records website. He does contactless deliveries in the early part of the week and is open Thursday through Saturday 11a-7p. I use Discogs to keep track of my collection and share it with you!

I also want to wish The BCPF a happy sixth reception-versary. It’s our fourth and final “public” anniversary of every year.

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“Broadway hasn’t been the same since we found lover’s lane. Standing on the corner of fourth and main. Dreaming of you way downtown in lover’s lane. Sun is down, moon is bright. Lover’s gonna stroll all night. Way downtown in lover’s lane.” – “Lover’s Lane” (Mathus)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 9/19/20

20 Sunday Sep 2020

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Salutations™!!

©GNP Crescendo

Yesterday was a pretty routine day. Well, maybe not. We got a late start. The BCPF finished her biggest project of the year, I was up way too late, yadda yadda yadda. We really only got to listen to a few records yesterday but we bought a few at Underdog Records. Here’s the haul:

Pink Floyd – A Dark Side Of The Moon — This is a European import of a live concert recorded at London Wembley Empire Pool on November 16, 1974. I’m assuming that it is VG+. I bought it “new” but a lot of these imports come unsealed, so I don’t know what the rating/grading is and if they are new or not. This is the gray sleeved version.

Bad Brains – Live ’79 Soundboard — I know nothing about Bad Brains, just that I’ve heard the name for years. This is another import and unofficial release, this one from Finland. I’ve seen a review or two that says it’s not worth money because while it is a “soundboard” recording it’s dubbed from some old wonky cassette or something. We’ll see. VG+?

John Prine – Sweet Revenge — I’ve only heard John Prine like three times outside of his comedy-ish song, “Let’s Talk Dirty in Hawaiian.” One was when I did the RS list and another a few months back when he passed away. I don’t necessarily care for him. I feel we already had a Bob Dylan, we didn’t need a cheap knock-off. I realize that he’s much more than that, now. But, while I have to say I enjoyed a good bit of this album, it’s still mostly “meh” for me. New.

Alexander Courage – Star Trek, From The Original Pilots: The Cage & Where No Man Has Gone Before (Original Television Soundtrack) — “The Cage” was the original pilot of STOS and instead of Captain Kirk, “Bones” and the like, it had “Number One” and Captain Christopher Pike. NBC thought it had out kicked the coverage of its viewing audience and refused it, ordering instead a second pilot. This is where “Where No Man Has Gone Before” comes in. It was the first episode America saw, with Kirk and Bones. “The Cage” was mostly recycled into one of the most famous STOS episodes, “The Menagerie.” This comes in one of three colors: Red Shirt Red, Science Officer Blue or Command Gold. But, you don’t know which color you get until you open it. This is sealed. Hold on, I’ll open it… Science Officer Blue!!

Beck – Kaos Radio Session – Olympia, WA. January 13, 1994 — So, another import/bootleg/unofficial release from Europe. The cover says January 26, 1994, but the back says January 13, 1994. Also, the Discogs entry has a red cover with yellow border, but mine is blue with a pink border. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a crappy copy but The BCPF is a huge Beck fan, so… VG+?

Pretenders – Live At The Palladium New York City, 1980: FM Broadcast — This is a limited edition unofficial release from Europe. It’s sealed, is on a true label and has a barcode. I hope it is of decent sonic quality. New.

Nirvana – Damage, Mon Amour — An Italian unofficial release. A Collection of live and radio recordings from 1989 through 1994. On blue viny VG+?

Nirvana – At The End Of Lonely Street — Another Italian unofficial release. A collection of bedroom, garage and studio demos from 1989 through 1992. VG+?

Bob Marley – The Best Of Bob Marley — German import. This is a rerecording of Bob Marley songs by Marley, not your typical compilation. As one reviewer said on Discogs: A great copy in term of musical quality. Not a lot of the greatest hits but some interesting takes on some well-known songs. Refreshing. VG+?

Gloria Estefan And Miami Sound Machine – Let It Loose — Yeah, I know. It was sealed and an original pressing from 1987. I’m a sucker for the Top 40 bubblegum of the time. I couldn’t resist. NM.

Jonathan was gearing up for RSD Drop 2 that happens next Saturday. You have until midnight tonight to register for the lottery for this weekend. Same deal as before except another half hour added, so that means six more people get to have a turn in-store. It starts at 8a and three people (and a possible +1) get 15 minutes to shop the store, including the RSD booty. When the 15 minutes are up, they have to check out and leave. 815a folks get to come in and the process repeats. Last month he cut it off at 11a. This month it goes until 1130a. He promptly closes the store and then takes inventory. Then, at 1p the website goes live with leftover stock from RSD. Remember, in the past, this hasn’t been allowed by the official RSD brass. This year, the are allowing it. Visit the Underdog Records website to register for your chance to be one of the lucky 42. Then come home and use Discogs to keep track of your loot.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“I like the way you cross the street ’cause your precious. Moving through the Cleveland heat, how precious. Taking rides and all the kicks was so precious. But you know I was sh***in’ bricks ’cause I’m precious. Made me want to, made me want to, you made me make it. Oh, you’re so mean.” – “Precious” (Hynde)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 9/12/20

13 Sunday Sep 2020

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Salutations™!!

A good but long week for The BCPF and me led to a good weekend, including a fantastic trip to Underdog Records. I don’t have a lot to say about it other than, here’s the haul:

©Sub Pop

The first two are of the TimeLife – The Story of Great Music collections that I ordered from Discogs and told you about a week ago.

Various – The Opulent Era — Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Wagner, and one of my favorites, Camille Saint-Saëns, and more line this 4xLP collection. NM.

Various – The Music Of Today — Shostakovich, Sir William Walton, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Aaron Copland. NM.

The rest is yesterday’s haul:

Prince – Dirty Mind — #206 on the RS List, this is Prince’s third album and the first one to really get him any recognition. Looking at other albums out in 1980, this cover had to have gotten some desperate housewives hot and flustered. He’s in his leather banana hammock and trench coat and not much else. New.

Marilyn Manson – We Are Chaos — The new Manson album, this is a solid listen front to back. It’s a little odd for the usual Manson fare, but there’s enough of it in there that you know it’s him. I liked it. New.

Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes — The debut album from the folk punk heroes. a lot of popular tunes from this album: “Blister in the Sun,” “Kiss Off,” “Add It Up,” “Gone Daddy Gone” and more. New.

Hootie & The Blowfish – Cracked Rear View — This album, like the band Nickelback and heck, Hootie, too, is chided and I can’t really tell why. The snooty know-it-alls will say because it’s this reason or that reason or whatever and it “sucks.” Well, it was the best selling album of 1995 and is the 19th best selling album of all time. I mean, 21 million copies sold, it couldn’t have sucked that bad. That just means that those same know-it-alls are just blowhards who just want to hear themselves talk (or type). Now, that being said, if you just don’t like it, I can live with that. I think it was just overplayed, but if you’re the artist, isn’t that what you want? I’d give a lot to have a “hit” that was played so much it was considered “overplayed.” I’m indifferent about it one way or the other, I just wanted it in my collection. New.

Marilyn Manson – The Pale Emperor — Manson’s ninth album. I don’t really know much about this one, but it did have three singles: “Third Day of a Seven Day Binge,” “Deep Six,” “Cupid Carries a Gun.” 2xLP. New.

The Head And The Heart – Let’s Be Still — I know nothing about this band. Have never even heard of them. But, it’s indie folk rock. Who do we know that is a fan of that genre? That’s right! And, she is the one who picked this up. 2xLP. New.

Pavement – Crooked Rain Crooked Rain — Straight up indie rock that sits at #212 on the RS list. This is Pavement’s second album, their debut, Slanted and Enchanted is also on that list. The debut was a bit lo-fi where this is more accessible, straight-ahead indie rock. I liked it. New.

Superchunk – Foolish — We bought the acoustic version last year and I have to say I enjoyed that one better. Mac McCaughan’s voice rakes on me sometimes. Overall I like the band, I’ve seen them twice in concert, but this is a bit much. New.

Nirvana – Bleach — When this album came out, I was in a spot where my preferred music was in danger of being dethroned and I was anti- that. I talked badly about Nirvana (and Grunge in general), Cobain, the music, the fans, everything. I thought it sucked. I thought it was awful. I thought it was scourge of the Earth. I said bad things that I regret about Kurt Cobain. Over time, though, I came to respect all that Nirvana was. Nevermind, which was my bane when it arrived, has come to be a great album in my eyes. I had never heard this album (which was their debut) and this thing rocks!!!! I was dumb. I was an idiot. I was blind but now I see. Man, this is even better than Nevermind in my opinion. I loved it. New.

Interpol – Turn On The Bright Lights — I have never heard anything from Interpol that I know of. I asked Jonathan about it and he said they were just a straight rock band with a bit of a darker side. I said, okay. NM.

Joe Jackson – Joe Jackson’s Jumpin’ Jive — 1981 album from Jackson of a lot of swing and jump blues tunes. I like Joe Jackson. I like jump blues and swing. VG+.

Mussorgsky — The Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy – Pictures At An Exhibition – Night On Bald Mountain — VG+.

We started the music section back on this week’s episode of The Less Desirables which is sponsored by Underdog Records. Don’t forget to register to get in on the lottery for RSD Drop 2 coming September 26. Use Discogs to track your collection and buy albums to add to it.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“When I’m out walking, I strut my stuff and I’m so strung out. I’m high as a kite. I just might stop to check you out.” – “Blister In The Sun” (Gano)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 9/5/20

06 Sunday Sep 2020

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Salutations™!!

Yesterday was a good day. The weather was perfect, the day was perfect. The BCPF and I got up and enjoyed a “Staycation” day, going to Underdog Records, eating lunch at The Porch, listening to records all afternoon. It was fantastic. We got some good stuff. Here’s the haul:

©Columbia

Elliott Smith – Elliott Smith — A hardcover book of Elliott Smith’s second (self-titled) album with 2xLP and handwritten lyrics and a lot of cool stuff. The BCPF is a Elliott Smith fanatic. New.

Mad Season – Above — Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, lead singer Layne Staley of Alice in Chains, drummer Barrett Martin of Screaming Trees and bassist John Baker Saunders. They only released one album and this is it. Two of those guys (Staley and Saunders) died of heroin overdoses in 2002 and 1999 respectively. 2xLP, gatefold. New.

The Rolling Stones – Goats Head Soup — The follow-up to my least favorite (yet somehow most critically acclaimed) Stones album, Exile on Main Street. This is much better. I mean, I actually like this one and it doesn’t make my skin crawl. This past Monday was the album’s 47th anniversary and this is the 2xLP version that has the original album plus outtakes and alternative versions. The album sounds great, too. New.

EOB – Earth — EOB is Ed O’Brien, guitarist for Radiohead. This is his debut solo album and we haven’t heard it yet, but people have been saying good things about it. New.

The Cure – The Head On The Door — The sixth album from The Cure, this celebrated it’s 35th anniversary last week. This is a great album. It has the singles “InBetween Days” and “Close To Me” but the whole thing is worth it and the deeper cuts are just as good as the “hits.” New.

Various – The Great Big Band Vocalists — The release year for this is unknown, not only to me but to Discogs as well. It features Les Brown with Doris Day, Guy Lombardo with Bing Crosby, and much more. I’m going to say this is NM because, while it’s old (definitely from the mid-to-late 60s to early-70s), it’s still sealed and even the cover is in great shape if you don’t count slight discoloration. So I’m going with New/NM.

So, that’s the haul. Not as much as last week but last week was a ridiculously special day. Jonathan did a fantastic job with the RSD things last week and we had a great discussion about it at the store. He’s still doing deliveries during the early parts of the week and open Thursday-Saturday in the store. He’ll do curbside, too, if you call him. The lottery for RSD Drop 2 is coming next weekend. Follow Underdog Records on social media or drop by the store to find out more about RSD Drop 2. And use Discogs to track your collection, or as I did before (and did this week), use it to purchase hard-to-find items you need in your collection.

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“I’ve waited hours for this. I’ve made myself so sick, I wish I’d stayed asleep today. I never thought this day would end. I never thought tonight could ever be this close to me.” – “Close To Me” (Smith)

Spinning Sunday or: Record Store Day Drop One

30 Sunday Aug 2020

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Salutations™!!

Yesterday was a national holiday for record collectors, although it didn’t feel like it. In recent years, I would have camped out overnight in front of Underdog Records in anticipation of Record Store Day. And, it would have been mid- to late-April. But, all that went out the window with C-19. RSD was postponed and then they decided to do it in three drops. One each in August, September, and October. Jonathan did the right thing and set it up in a lottery system where interested parties registered to enter. There were over 100 entries, maybe close to 200. Only 36 slots were available: 3 people every 15 minutes from 8am (the normal start time for RSD) and 11am. Underdog then closed and Jonathan took an inventory of the leftovers and, also for the first time, he was able to sell RSD titles online the day of.rsd drops

I was lucky enough to draw one of the spots. I was a 1015am slot. No overnight camping was allowed, which I don’t mind missing at all, I just missed hanging with my friends. And, no mad scramble for records, although with our crew (or Crüe as we call it), it was fun to do that together. All of these are new and I include (where applicable) the limited issue. So, with that in mind, here’s the haul:

  • Iggy Pop – Kiss My Blood (Live At The Olympia – Paris France – 1991 — Record Store Day 2020 exclusive release, limited to 2,500 copies. Includes printed inner sleeves, a tour poster, and a DVD of the live concert. 3xLP Gray/Red/Gray. New.
  • Ace Frehley – Trouble Walkin’ — Record Store Day 2020 first release, limited to 2,400. 2XLP, 45 RPM, Yellow/Orange splatter. First time on vinyl since 1989. I only owned it on CD, much later.
  • The Cure – Bloodflowers — Record Store Day 2020 exclusive release, limited to 7,500 copies. 2xLP, Limited Edition, Picture Disc, Reissue. I don’t usually do picture discs because a) they sound atrocious and b) they tear the poop out of my needle. But, this album isn’t available on vinyl right now unless you find an old copy.
  • Judas Priest – British Steel — Record Store Day 2020 exclusive release, limited to 3,500. 2xLP, Single Sided, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue. Side A is on Record 1, and Side B is on Side A of Record 2. Sides B & D are printed on creating the illusion of a picture disc. Tracklisting on the packaging differs from what is listed on RSD’s website. I’m not sure how this works, I haven’t opened the albums. I got this mainly for the collectability of it.
  • Throwing Muses – Purgatory Paradise — Record Store Day 2020 first release, limited to 950 copies. 2xLP, Reissue. I don’t know that this album (released in 2013) was released on vinyl originally. I think that’s what the first release means. This was a pick from The BCPF.
  • k.d. lang – Drag — Record Store Day Aug 2020 edition. Smoky grey vinyl. 2xLP, 3 sides recorded, side 4 etched “drag.” Special Edition. k.d. lang (I love the lowercase styling) has an amazing voice.
  • Fight – A Small Deadly Space — Record Store Day 29 Aug 2020 exclusive. First-ever vinyl reissue. Limited Edition, Red & Black Marble. For those who don’t know, Fight was the band that Rob Halford started after he left Judas Priest in 1992. This is their second album.
  • Martin Denny – Exotic Moog —  Limited Edition, Reissue, Orange. Record Store Day 2020 exclusive, limited to 1,500 copies. Originally released in 1969.
  • Tones On Tail – Pop — Limited Edition, Reissue. RSD 2020 Release. Limited to 1500 copies. We didn’t get this from Underdog Records. I had talked to someone from the Crüe that I knew had an earlier time slot and I knew that this was on his list. Another part of RSD is you’re only allowed to buy one of each title. I also didn’t know how many copies Jonathan got in, so another member of the Crüe had to go to another store (he didn’t get drawn) and was first in line (that store did allow people to gather) and picked it up for me. This was The BCPF’s “must-have” from the list.
  • Al Green – Green Is Blues — Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, Green/Blue Split, 180g. First released for Record Store Day 2020 with an initial pressing of 3,000 copies, of which 500 were sold in the UK. Housed in a tip-on jacket. This means the pictures are glued onto the card stock.
  • The Pale Fountains – Longshot For Your Love — Compilation, Limited Edition, Reissue. RSD 2020 release reissue limited to 900 Copies. Black vinyl disc issued in a gatefold sleeve. With inner sleeve featuring liner notes & lots of photographs. This was confusing. Musically it is amazing. Vocally it was awful. The music wins.
  • Roxy Music – Roxy Music — Reissue, Clear, 180 Gram, Gatefold. Record Store Day 2020 exclusive release, limited to 4,000, gatefold cover. This release is listed as “Roxy Music – The Steven Wilson Stereo Mix“ on RSD’s website, but that title does not appear on the front cover or spine. So, I don’t know if it really is the Steven Wilson stereo mix or not. Some copies with “Made in the Czech Republic” sticker on the back. Mine had that. The debut album from the band in 1972.
  • Gorillaz – G Sides — Compilation, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, 180g. Limited to 15,000 worldwide copies according to Record Store Day. Printed inner sleeve. I don’t have any Gorillaz and I don’t know a single tune by them. I figured now is a good time to listen to some of it.
  • Pretenders – Live! At The Paradise Theater, Boston, 1980 — Limited Edition, Reissue, Clear / Red. RSD Drop, August 29, 2020 release. Limited edition of 6500 copies. It’s in a vinyl plastic sleeve that smells like pool floats and beach balls. I dug it. The record is awesome, too.
  • k.d. lang and the reclines – Angel With A Lariat — Limited Edition, Translucent Red, Reissue. Reissue of her 1987 sophomore effort.
  • Tom Tom Club – Genius of Live 2020 — Compilation. Record Store Day 2020. Exclusive limited to only 1200 pressed on yellow vinyl.
  • Dio – Annica — 12″. Picture Disc. Officially released on August 29th, 2020 for Record Store Day. The sticker still lists the date for RSD as April 18, 2020, which was postponed. Limited to 3000 copies. Again, this is more for the collectibility of it than to listen to. I’m not a fan of 12″ single nor picture discs (as I stated).
  • The Charlatans UK – The Charlatans V. The Chemical Brothers — 12″,  Limited Edition, Reissue, Yellow. Record Store Day 2020. Limited to 500 copies. The Chemical Brothers remixed this 12″.
  • Def Leppard – Rock N Roll Hall of Fame — Limited Edition, Special Edition. Released for the first Record Store Day “Drops” 2020. Limited to 4000 copies. Includes a hype sticker. Recorded last year in the Barclay Center during their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.
  • Ultravox – Sleepwalk — 12″, 45 RPM, Single, Limited Edition, Clear. Record Store Day 2020 edition: first time on UK 12″. Cover sticker states Ultravox. 40th Anniversary. 12″ Clear Vinyl Exclusive Sleepwalk. Limited Edition Record Store Day. Rear Cover states: Taken from the 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of VIENNA. Note: only one pressing of this has been manufactured for worldwide distribution and there are no separate releases for any specific country. 1,200 copies only.
  • New Riders Of The Purple Sage – Field Trip — Limited Edition, Black. Recorded live at Temple Meadow – Veneta, Oregon August 27, 1972. Taken directly from the original 16-track analog master reel-to-reel tapes running at 15 I.P.S. Previously released as “Veneta, Oregon August 27, 1972” (KUFALA Recordings- KUF 0088) in 2004. Record Store Day Release limited to 1500 copies. I know this is probably a blasphemous statement, but I have never heard of NRPS other than some passing something here and there. I don’t know that if I ever had heard it or anything from them, I wouldn’t know it was them. So, why not check it out?
  • Various – Girls In The Garage Volume 8 — Compilation, Limited Edition, Numbered, Special Edition. Some of the artists on this are Claire Lane, The Beas, The Liverbirds, Marilyn Mattson, Shammy And The Famous Ruis Family, Die Sweetles, What Four and Judy Came, just to name a few.

The next two were not part of the RSD releases but we picked them up while we were in the store:

  • Fantastic Negrito – Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? — My Kousin Gary turned me on to this during the recording of Asylum: The Tales from the Devereaux Diaries podcast last week. It’s hard to put him in a genre but you can include, blues, R&B, and some roots stuff. It’s a great listen and The BCPF loved it as well. New.
  • Rolling Blackouts C.F. – Hope Downs — The BCPF really liked the first album we got from Rolling Blackouts C.F. (which was their second album) so she wanted this one (their first), too. New.

I know this was all long and I won’t go into any long-winded diatribe things. Checkout Underdog Records’ website, listen to Asylum: Tales from the Devereaux Diaries podcast (and The Less Desirables and The Man Who Ate the Town and… well, the whole TLD Network) and use Discogs for cataloging and collecting!

Until tomorrow, whew! Keep spininn’!
Scorp out!

—
“Have you lost your mind yet? To get free tonight, ah. To all of your friends that come over, uh. And get free tonight, uh. Clap your hands in time. Get free tonight, yeah. Now the whole world is watching. Get free tonight. It’s your mind, body and soul food tonight. Let your mind, body and soul feel it tonight.” – “Chocolate Samurai” (Dphrepaulezz)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 8/22/20

23 Sunday Aug 2020

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Salutations™!!

It was a short “haul” this week. The BCPF and I went to say goodbye to West End Coffee House as Jim and Dana had their final day open. We went to Underdog Records. We went to BLL Rotisserie Factory and then came home, listened to some records, and later, had friends over and watched a movie on the side of our house. It gave us the perfect scenario to physically distance and still have a social time. We watched Jurassic Park. Other than some minor tech glitches, it was a great time. Here’s the haul:

psychocircus

©Mercury

  • Kiss – Psycho Circus — The reunion album, kind of. Peter didn’t play much on this album and Ace really had little input, too. Some people were disappointed in it but I actually love the whole album. There are some places that could be a bit contrived but I’m okay with that. I’m still a “KISS is Gene and Paul” kind of guy but I was happy with the product. I didn’t want to buy it yet as I tried to get them in order and the last one I have is 1987’s Crazy Nights. Smashes, Thrashes & Hits, along with Hot In The Shade, Revenge, Alive III, and Carnival of Souls, are hard to find and are quite expensive if you look on Discogs (which, of course, I do!). New.
  • U2 – How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb — My favorite U2 album post-Achtung Baby. So many great songs on here. My favorite? “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own.” But, also “All Because of You,” “City of Blinding Lights,” and “Vertigo.” I put the first one on a mix CD for The BCPF when we were just “friends talking.” New.
  • The Cure – World War (Rare Demos) — Bright yellow vinyl with demos and alternative takes of early Cure songs. They were more of a pop band back then and not so much the “Dark Wave” darlings they became. I like both versions of the band but I think I like the “real” Cure (dark) better. Imported. VG+.
  • The Lumineers – The Lumineers — The album that kind of started a movement. I don’t know how I feel about that movement but hey (ho), it is what it is. A lot of acoustic swing and alt-country vibes happening on this album. It’s not something I listen to often. The BCPF on the other hand…? New.
  • Tamba 4 – We And The Sea — World jazz and Latin. That’s all I got. The BCPF was compelled and I try not to say no. VG.

So, yesterday was the last day to register for the Record Store Day lottery. Three people (with a plus-one) will be allowed in every 15 minutes to do their RSD shopping. When that 15 minutes is up, they have to check out and leave. It’s not ideal, especially compared to the past, but it’s the only way to do it in these crazy times. The drawing for the lottery is Tuesday morning. Jonathan struggles with the potential of regulars not getting in. I told him not to worry about that. This is fair and we regulars (at least The BCPF and I) understand the risks. We each have our name in the hat and if one of us is pulled the other is disqualified from contention. That too is fair. The good news is, there is no camping out and no one is going to be allowed to buy multiples of anything. No immediate clamoring, I guess. At 11am, all sales are closed. The store is closed and Jonathan will take inventory of what is left. And for the first time ever in the history of RSD, online sales will be allowed and that will happen at 1pm from the leftover RSD stock, first-come-first-served. I know there’s a greater chance of me not getting the few titles I want but also I think it’s fair and balanced in approach.

I use Discogs to catalog my collection and use the Discogs Marketplace to purchase things that Jonathan can’t get me.

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“Tough, you think you’ve got the stuff. You’re telling me and anyone, you’re hard enough. You don’t have to put up a fight. You don’t have to always be right. Let me take some of the punches for you tonight.” – “Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own” (Mullen/Clayton/Evans/Hewson)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 8/15/20

16 Sunday Aug 2020

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Salutations™!!

Yesterday was pretty much a usual Saturday for us. We got up and went to Underdog Records, had lunch at BLL Rotisserie Factory, came home listened to some records, went to check in with the Maw-In-Law and ate dinner. That’s it. Here’s the haul:

Rush_A_Farewell_to_Kings

©Anthem

  • Rush – A Farewell To Kings — So, with the exception of the debut album, Rush, I have all the Rush studio albums up through Hold Your Fire and then the live albums All the World’s a Stage and Exit…Stage Left. I want all of them, of course. I’ll find the ones I’m missing somehow. Some of them may not be available on vinyl given their time period but I’m sure not that Neil Peart is gone, we’ll get rereleases and “first time on vinyl” releases. New.
  • David Bowie – Heathen — Bowie co-produced this 2002 album with Tony Visconti, which hadn’t produced an album with Bowie since 1980’s Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). It was started prior to the 9/11 events and was influenced by them. Not my favorite Bowie, for sure, and he’s starting to sound “old” at this point. There are a couple of covers, too, like Neil Young’s “I’ve Been Waiting for You,” “I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship” from Legendary Stardust Cowboy and “Cactus” from the Pixies. I think it was supposed to be a lot of songs like the LSC, obscure 1960s tunes. I grabbed this from the clearance bin. New.
  • Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison — Yes, I have this already but the copy is on VG and since it is #88 on the RS list, I felt I needed a better copy. Plus, outside of RSD or other “special” or “novelty” releases, it’s the first time it’s been reissued on vinyl in many years. New.
  • Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak — Not a huge Thin Lizzy fan but I really needed some in my collection. Doing the “musical tourist” thing, I went for the one that had their two biggest tunes, the title track and “The Boys Are Back In Town.” Also, pulled from the clearance bin. New.
  • The Steve Miller Band – Greatest Hits 1974-78 — I had this on CD and as I’m not the world’s biggest Steve Miller fan, I really like these tunes, so here we go. It was in the used section at Underdog but it’s still sealed and is not a cutout. It also cost me more than a few of the new ones you’ll see below, so I’m counting it as New and it’s on transparent blue vinyl (according to the hype sticker).
  • No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom — A very important album from the 90s. I say that because it brought Ska to a whole new audience and really introduced Gwen Stefani to the world. They were around prior but until this album, no one really heard of them unless you were looking specifically for that genre of music. I love this album and I’m not that into Ska. New.
  • Archers Of Loaf – White Trash Heroes — The BCPF loves her Archers of Loaf but mainly she loves her Merge Records artists. This is one of those. We have an Eric Bachmann album and he sings much differently on that than he does here. On white vinyl, new.
  • Axis – It’s A Circus World — All I know about this band is that it has Carmine Appice’s little brother (and Dio drummer) Vinny Appice as 1/3 of the lineup. This seems to be the only album they released and it is from 1978. Funny thing about Carmine and Vinny… Carmine goes by Carmine A-peace but Vinny is Vinny App-a-see. VG+.
  • Bob Geldof – Deep In The Heart Of Nowhere — Also in the used bin but sealed. This was the first album after Bob left Boomtown Rats. The main single was “This Is the World Calling” with “Love Like a Rocket” also being released. There are a lot of guest appearances on this album: Eric Clapton, Midge Ure (Ultravox), Jools Holland (Squeeze), Annie Lennox, Jamie West-Oram (from The Fixx), Alison Moyet (from Yaz), Clem Burke (from Blondie), Maria McKee, Bono and more. Again, still sealed so I’m going with New.
  • Hammer – Black Sheep — Hammer is Jan Hammer (of “Miami Vice Theme” fame) and his backing band. I figure it’s probably jazz instrumentals. I haven’t heard it yet. VG++ sealed cutout.
  • The Power Station – The Power Station 33⅓ — Of the two Duran Duran side projects, I liked this one the best. John and Andy Taylor, Tony Thompson and Robert Palmer. Yes. Yes, please! The drum sound on “Some Like It Hot” is amazing. I also like their cover of “Get It On” from T-Rex. Two of the band has passed on but we have this album! Well, and the follow-up but no one talks about that one. VG+.
  • Night – Night — Night apparently had two Top 20 hits in the 70s: “Hot Summer Nights” (No. 18) and “If You Remember Me” (No. 17). Also, Chris Thompson is one of the lead vocalists (they had two) and he is probably best known as the vocalist for Manfred Mann’s Earth Band on their cover of “Blinded By The Light.” He also did some work with the Alan Parsons Project. This is a promo copy and is VG+.

Well, a week without any classical, that’s become a novelty. But, I am awaiting the final box set from the TimeLife collection I ordered from Discogs. It has finally reached Greensboro or so I was told this morning by the USPS.

Jonathan has rearranged a few things in the store and said that business is going well. They are still only open Thursday through Saturday with Monday through Wednesday being delivery and organization time. Have you gotten in on the lottery for RSD? You still have until next Saturday 8/22 to get in. Not sure what I’m talking about? Here’s where you can find out more. I hope I get drawn! And, of course, I use Discogs to track my collection and fill the ones that I can’t find anywhere else.

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“Some like it hot and some sweat when the heat is on. Some feel the heat and decide that they can’t go on. Some like it hot, but you can’t tell how hot ’til you try. Some like it hot, so let’s turn up the heat ’til we fry.” – “Some Like It Hot” (Palmer/Taylor/Taylor)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 8/8 and Otherwise

09 Sunday Aug 2020

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Salutations™!!

You may be asking what that title means. Well, you also may not, but I’m going to tell you anyway. Remember the last time I did the “Spinning Sunday” (two weeks ago if you don’t remember)? I told you that we had gotten a good start on that TimeLife Great Men of Music series? Well, I decided that wasn’t good enough and that I needed to finish the collection. (insert sigh here)

thebestofbigstar

©Stax

I got on Discogs Marketplace and found the last 13 that I needed to have all 30. Yes, I’m a glutton for punishment. I glutted on, I guess. Now, to be honest, I am missing one, only because it’s not here, yet. The USPS tracking says it’s to be delivered on 8/6 (today is 8/9) but is “delayed.” I know C-19 has the world screwed up and there was a hurricane in the area this week, but this is the only one that had a problem. Anywhat! I’ll leave all the GMoM ones until the end. We got some more TimeLife stuff but I don’t think I’ll go looking to collect all of these. Then again, maybe I will…? Here’s the haul:

  • Lou Reed – When Your Heart Is Made Out Of Ice — A live compilation from Lou Reed, circa 1974 or so. Notes from the album: Side A is in mono, all other sides in stereo. Track C2 notes from back cover: ‘Due to the age of the master tape some restoration & cleaning have not been able to improve a slight tape wobble which runs for a few seconds, only.’ 2xLP. New.
  • Big Star – The Best Of Big Star — I had never heard of Big Star until the day Alex Chilton died. St. Patrick’s Day 2010. Doug Davis (yes, that Doug Davis) and either the Plaids or Mediocre Bad Guys were playing at Finnigan’s Wake prior to them slimming down the SPD festivities and Doug said that Alex Chilton passed away and that it was a kick in the teeth for him. I played it off like I knew what he was talking about but I didn’t know.  Big Star has three entries on the RS list (#449, #434, #405). This is a “greatest hits” album but with some remixes and edits. I hear a lot of Doug’s influences here. Great collection. 2xLP. New.
  • Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues — The BCPF loves Fleet Foxes and it’s right in her wheelhouse. They only have three studio albums and we have them all, plus a 10″ single that we got for RSD Black Friday 2017. Sub-Pop makes her eyes wide and her breath choppy. Sub-Pop is the label in which FF is signed. 2xLP. New.
  • Various – Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — I know it’s 80s cheese and the soundtrack is even more K-R-A-F-T but I love the crap out of this stuff. I loved the movie and the soundtrack. It was there in EX condition and I wasn’t passing it up!
  • Maxus – Maxus — I know NOTHING about this band. It seems to be AOR or something close. I can find some stuff on some of the members online but I think it’s a situation like Toto where it’s a bunch of studio musicians that actually formed a band, but I don’t think they really got anywhere. This is the extent of their releases, I think. I don’t know. But, I like to hunt down stuff strange to me. It’s a promotional copy. VG++.
  • Big Country – Steeltown — This was the follow-up album to the band’s debut, The Crossing which spawned the hit “In a Big Country.” This album had none of that kind of star power but it wasn’t a bad listen, at all. I will even say I enjoyed it. EX.
  • Julian Lennon – The Secret Value Of Daydreaming — The second album from Julian and while it didn’t have the oomph that Valotte had, it still had a modest hit with “Stick Around” that made it to #32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart. The video featured Michael J. Fox, Joe Piscopo, Martin Kove (the heel sensei from Karate Kid), Playboy playmate Peggy McIntaggart and Jami Gertz. VG+.
  • Cheap Trick – Found All The Parts — A 10″ EP release from 1980. A cover of The Beatles’ “Day Tripper” (not live) and three other tunes recorded live. Apparently, there were several versions of this having different members on the labels. I got the “Bun E on both sides” copy. VG+.
  • Tuxedo Junction – Tuxedo Junction — I thought the cover was cool and didn’t know what it was. Think Taco doing “Puttin’ on the Ritz” but about 5-7 years earlier and then take Taco out of it and that’s what you get here. “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and stuff like that. It was a good laugh if nothing else. EX on transparent gold.
  • Various – Original Soundtrack From The Motion Picture “Teachers” — Nick Nolte, JoBeth Williams, Ralph Macchio, and Judd Hirsch. That’s who was in the film. .38 Special, Roman Holiday, Night Ranger, Motels, Freddie Mercury, ZZ Top, Bob Seger, Joe Cocker, Ian Hunter. That’s who was on the soundtrack. VG+.
  • The Peabody College Madrigalians, Members Of The Nashville Symphony Orchestra – A Psalm Of Joy — Moravian Music. That’s all I got. The BCPF loves her Moravian culture (she worked at Old Salem for many years). VG+.
  • Various – Slavic Traditions — So, here is the start of the other TimeLife collections. As with the GMoM series, these have 4xLP and all three boxes are VG+ condition sleeve and media.
  • Various – The Spanish Style
  • Various – The Story Of Great Music: From The Renaissance

Now, as promised, the “rest” of the TimeLife Great Men of Music series. These are in the order I received them, not in their serial numbers the ratings are “media” and “sleeve”:

The reason I noted that they are closer to Near Mint is that with Discogs, most of the sellers keep their ratings slightly lower than what they are. Why? If they rate it NM and you feel it’s really only VG+ then they feel you’ve cheated them. If you list it VG+ and it’s really closer to NM, they are generally happy that it was better than expected. Most of them had listed any defects or blemishes and I saw no need to detract from the near-pristine state most of them were in. This genre of music tends to be collected by more discerning and responsible record owners. Not saying rock people don’t take care of their records, many do, but I know what crappy condition my albums were in when I was a kid, for sure. Now, I take very good care of my stuff, even using a vinyl brush and cleaning them after so many uses. Also, anything that wasn’t from the $1 bin gets a plastic sleeve.

Of course, all the non-classical stuff (and the three collections and Moravian music) all come from Underdog Records. Jonathan is ramping up for Record Store Day(s) 2020. It’s a little different this year and will NOT involve camping out. To learn more about the RSD events and how you can be part of them (it is very different this year), visit the Underdog Records website. We missed Underdog Records and Jonathan last week. We made up for it this week. Obviously, I use Discogs to track my collection and to purchase things I can’t find otherwise.

Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“Now all the masters know that you need the glow. You need the glow, the glow to grow. If you love to live, you live to love. Hah, you got to move to the upper level. Cause when you got the glow, there ain’t no stopping what you want to do. Hah oh! To reach that upper level, your mind, body and soul must be one. It’s a sacrifice. It takes hard work. It’s a way of life.” – “The Glow” (Hutch)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul? 7/25/20

26 Sunday Jul 2020

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Salutations™!!

Yesterday had to be one of the weirdest days we’ve seen in the last bit and this is 2020 where everything is weird. Even the most usual of things. So, we get up and get going. Routine. We run over to Underdog Records and I have a field day with some classical.

You see, The BCPF and I have turned our Sundays (for the most part) into Classical Sunday. We listen to a lot of rock and folk and all that stuff during the week and then Sunday has become the “day of rest” and with that a little culture. You saw over the last few weeks we had gotten the “TimeLife – Great Men of Music” box sets from the 1970s for Guiseppi Verdi and Sergei Rachmaninoff. I have quite a few full sets of TimeLife collections on CD and now I’ve decided I want to find the full collection from this series  ~1975. I didn’t decide that until yesterday and you’ll see why in a little bit.

GunsnRosesUseYourIllusionII

©Geffen

But first, the rest of the reason why yesterday was one of the weirdest days. We got three new records and there were skips in the first song on the second side of two of them. Okay. While listening to the second of the three new ones, the power goes out. A car hit a pole or something the text from the power company said. It was out for about 90 minutes. Then it comes back on, we finish album number two, put on album number three and the power goes out again. This time a tree had fallen. So, we start looking into what to eat for dinner. The power comes on again.

We pick our place for dinner, order it, and go pick it up. We get it home and the entire order was wrong. Practically everything on the order was either the exact opposite of what we ordered or stuff that we hadn’t even said. So, we drove all the way back and the place was closed. But, a few forceful knocks and a masked smile got me in the door. They apologized profusely and remade my order. They even threw in a few extras. They were nice. I will go back (of course).

So, that was the weird day we had. Here’s the weird haul we got:

  • R.E.M. – Out Of Time — The BCPF has been looking for this one. Jonathan ordered it special for us and here it is. This one has “Shiny Happy People” and the song that really broke them mainstream, “Losing My Religion.” New.
  • Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion II — Jonathan special ordered me this one. I like a lot of aspects about this one but upon listening to it yesterday (including the power outage), I realized that it doesn’t have the same oomph that Use Your Illusion I had. But, there is a caveat for me. The “filler” songs on this one are better than on I. The main meat of I was better but the peripheral songs on II were better, in my opinion. I used to like the “alternate” lyrics for “Don’t Cry” (and I still do) but realized over the last few weeks that the “original” is the better version. 2xLP. New.
  • P J Harvey – Dry — She is a strong and powerful woman and it shows in her music. This is a reissue of her debut album from 1991. This one I have to take back as B1, which was one of the main reasons why The BCPF wanted this, skipped all the way through. It knocked around 30 seconds off the song, I’d say. I examined it and can see little nicks and imperfections. We bought it new, too. Jonathan has another one held for me and we’ll exchange it. But, I really enjoyed listening to all but B1 and part of B2. New.

So, from here on in, it’s all classical, all the time. The first isn’t part of the TimeLife (TL) series but what follows is many Sundays of listening pleasure. Now, being the completist I am, I have to find the ones I’m missing. Dang it, whomever you are that unloaded your entire TL collection on Jonathan this week! Each of the “Great Men of Music” series are 4xLP and I list their grading. Here we go:

So, there you have it! Now, I only have about 20 more to go! I don’t know how many there are. I need to look that up. But, Underdog Records was jumping yesterday. Good crowd (still only five allowed in at a time – okay seven yesterday but people were checking out). I love seeing it that way. It reminds me of the “old” days. Maybe we’ll get back to the TLD/UR specials of the week and playing songs on TLD again. Check out the Underdog Records social media for the latest finds that can be yours. Jonathan still does deliveries during the early part of the week and will ship unlimited records for $4. Also, I use Discogs to keep up with this crazy collection of mine!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Whaz so civil ’bout war anyway?” – “Civil War” (Rose/Slash/McKagen)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 7/18/20

19 Sunday Jul 2020

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Salutations™!!

Yesterday was kind of rushed for The BCPF and me. I have new studio stuff and things aren’t going right with it so I was expecting a call from Sweetwater (which never happened). We ran to Underdog Records, grabbed lunch at BLL Rotisserie Factory, and came home to a big “nothing burger.” But, we got some listening in. Here’s the haul:

  • Fiona Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters — Fiona’s new album and the first one I bought from her since When the Pawn… (and yeah, I used the short form because otherwise, it would have been a shload of words used that you wouldn’t have wanted to read and it was ridiculous that she named an album thatlongofatitleanywayand…) sorry about that… She’s still her very talented and very weird self. I liked listening to this. I was pleased. New.
  • Maroon 5 – Songs About Jane — I remember when this album came out. Well, at least a few months after. The band that I was in was going to cover “Harder to Breathe” but we didn’t. I know Adam Levine gets touted as a “pretty boy” (because he is) and people think because he’s on a talent show he’s cheese. I don’t think so. Maroon 5 is a good band. They write good songs and Adam is a great singer. I loved this album then. I love this album now. Get over it. New.
  • Rolling Blackouts C.F. – Sideways To New Italy — The band’s full name is Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. I don’t know why they only abbreviate part of it? Oh well. This is right up The BCPF’s alley. Jonathan was playing it in the store and I asked about it. I heard two words and that was all the convincing I needed to pick it up: “Sub Pop.” My wife jumps at anything from that label. Them and Merge. It’s very much her and we enjoyed listening to it. New.
  • Cat Power – You Are Free — The BCPF jumps at all things Cat Power, which incidentally is the stage name and eponymous band name of Chan Marshall, which is also a nickname for Charlyn Marshall. I guess one alias wasn’t enough. And an alias for your alias is even better. I dunno. The album features guest appearances by Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, and Warren Ellis of the Dirty Three. It’s typical Cat Power and it’s pretty awesome. New.
  • Giacomo Puccini – Manon Lescaut — I want to get more opera in my collection. Puccini is great, so we can expand this way. In the used section but still sealed. It’s also a cut-out but still sealed. 3xLP. New?
  • Rachmaninoff – Great Men Of Music — I love these Great Men of Music collections. I have the Verdi one that I talked about a few weeks back and now this one. Sundays are our classical days. Yay us! Where The BCPF is more orchestral, I’m more piano, although I think Sergei did both, so I’m pretty sure we’ll dig it. Also “used” but still sealed. So I’m going with new. 4xLP.
  • Bandola – ‘Til Tuesday EP — All either The BCPF or I know about this is that my friend Mitch Easter played on this and produced all but one of the tracks. It’s power-pop and Mitch is on it, circa 1992. Bingo! VG+.

Underdog Records is open Thursday through Saturday, 11a-7p. Jonathan said he is still doing deliveries but it seems the demand isn’t too high for that right now. Do you follow Underdog Records on Instagram and Facebook? You see something he posts that you like? Contact him and you can pay virtually and he can deliver or you can do curbside on off-days or come by the store during store hours. You can shop for new vinyl, anytime, day or night by visiting the website. Tell him that I sent you!! Also, I use Discogs to track my collection and it has a really cool “shuffle” feature when you can’t figure what you’re in the mood for.

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“Tap on my window, knock on my door, I want to make you feel beautiful. I know I tend to get so insecure. It doesn’t matter anymore. It’s not always rainbows and butterflies. It’s compromise that moves us along yeah. My heart is full, and my door’s always open. You can come anytime you want yeah.” – “She Will Be Loved” (Levine/Valentine)