Category Archives: Records

Spinning Sunday or: Now Normal Chronicle Edition

05 Sunday Apr 2020

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Salutations™!!

You’d think in this time of “self-isolation” and “stay-at-home” and being surrounded by a lot of vinyl dreaminess that I’d have a lot of time to catch up on some listening. Yeah, you’d think that. But you’d be incorrect.

donovan

©Epic

See, the thing is, while I am home working, so is The BCPF. We work no more than 12 feet from each other. She and I work with different music strategies. She’s more the indie folk/rock stuff from the early 90s on and I’m all over the place. So, while I do listen to music during this (when I’m not in the studio, alone mind you), it’s usually under headphones and listening to streaming.

Since we are both home and working, it’s less practical to put on a record or be mindful of what to listen to next. If we listen to something collectively, it’s Yacht Rock Radio on SiriusXM because we both dig that.

Plus, on top of this, I have been busier than I was before the lockdown. That food and beverage list has kept me steady for the last three weeks. It’s going great and getting a lot of traction but it is a lot of work. There are other lists that may have as much as we have on our list but they are using the Ron Popeil method of “Set It and Forget It.” They put the list up and don’t update it. They have erroneous information and… well, that’s not what this post is about. This post is about records and vinyl and listening and stuff.

I realized, too, that not only have we had limited listening chances but also that I haven’t posted a record-listening post since early March. Almost a month, actually. So, I’m going to make up for it today. This is what we have listened to since March 7.

Since I can’t get by Underdog Records (he’s not open), then we have to rely on our back catalog of vinyl. That’s a shame, right? We only have slightly less than 2500, I mean we’ll run out. I kid. Underdog Records has been selling still. Jonathan is posting on social media and people have been buying from there, the website, which he’s spent a lot of time updating, or from Discogs. He ships flat rate of like $4 or something (check the site) and if you live within 10 miles of downtown, he’ll hand-deliver your items to your door with “no contact” delivery.

There hasn’t been much TLD to talk about so there are not any TLD/UR specials right now. We’ll get back to that when we get back to life. Watch Underdog Records on social media or visit the website and buy some records, would ya?

Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“I’m so sorry you have just reached my answering machine. I’m not in at present, I’m sure you know this whole routine. Leave your name and number and I’ll try and get back to you. You have thirty seconds to talk to me before you’re through.” – “Answering Machine” (Holmes)

Spinning Sunday or: The “Haul” 3/2X/20

22 Sunday Mar 2020

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Salutations™!!

Lostinthedream

©Secretly Canadian

Nothing is familiar right now. Nothing is “ordinary.” Underdog Records, while not “officially” open has been doing some social media sales and The BCPF purchased two records from Jonathan this week. I don’t remember what day it was. They’re all running together. Here’s what they were:

  • The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream — Like a vocally-talented, young Bob Dylan. Ethereal songs with good vocals. Airy and light, it’s a good listen. 2xLP. New.
  • Polvo – Today’s Active Lifestyles — The BCPF warned me ahead of time it was going to be “out of my wheelhouse,” if you will. She was right. It reminds her of her college days when she was a college radio DJ. I thought it was really rough, but hey, if my girl likes it… New.

Right now, more than ever is a great time to follow Underdog Records on Facebook and Instagram. That’s pretty much the only way he’s doing any selling whilst the health situation is happening. He offers limited curbside pickup and limited delivery. I’m not sure how long this will go on, but support him the best you can. There is no TLD/UR special right now. Just be safe. Use Discogs and wash your damn hands!

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“With a comb down here, it’s easy. But do you rather have a good day? But a dream like this gets wasted. That you’ll bend under pressure.” – “Under the Pressure” (Granduciel)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 3/14/20

15 Sunday Mar 2020

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Salutations™!!

It’s a weird world we’re in right now, Dear Reader. This COVID-19 is throwing the world and everyday life into havoc-filled disorder. Nowhere is immune to this and we have to be vigilant and hygiene-minded. As I have said a lot of times over the week, “wash your damn hands.” You don’t have to do “Happy Birthday.” Pick another song. Whatever.

The BCPF and I went to breakfast, to Underdog Records and back home, used a lot of sanitizing wipes and washed our hands profusely. At dinner, we took our own hand sanitizer and when we got home, we washed our hands. Whilst at Underdog Records, here’s the haul:

YRR HDITJ

©Pleaserock Records

  • Yacht Rock Revue – Hot Dads In Tight Jeans — A band that started by being a cover band doing the soft rock goodness that we all got from the late 70s to the early 80s. The BCPF and I love our Yacht Rock and will spend a lot of time listening to that on SiriusXM as it has its own channel. I’ve not yet listened to this as I had to spend about 45 minutes putting it on Discogs because no one else had. New, orange transparent vinyl.
  • Lambchop – FLOTUS — The BCPF loves Lambchop and this came out in 2016. It is not named after the First Lady of the United States, however. It stands for “For Love Often Turns Us Still.” It was the usual soft-spoken indie rock it is. A good listen, too. 2xLP, EX.
  • The Chipmunks – Chipmunk Rock — The third of the Chipmunk albums that I have. I liked Chipmunk Punk (1980) and was okay with Urban Chipmunk (1981). This was the third of the series, too. I say series because even though they were out in the 50s and 60s, this was the “reintroduction” of the “genre” that Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. crafted from his dad’s creation. It was just a year after these albums came out that the 80s cartoon series (that, yes, I did watch) started, with Ross, Jr. doing the part of Dave. VG+.
  • The Moody Blues – In Search Of The Lost Chord — I have been trying to fill my Moody Blues collection and there were three at Underdog, all reasonably priced, that I didn’t have so, I picked them up. This one was difficult to find in Discogs, though. I didn’t know it was a reissue and searched high and low for the original with the blue London label and that wasn’t a gatefold cover. I found it and I like the album art. It was the Moodys’ third studio album (again, this is a reissue from 1971 or so). EX.
  • The Moody Blues – The Present — One of their 80s offerings. They tried to capture the essence of their previous release, Long Distance Voyager, which was much more successful. VG++.
  • The Moody Blues – Octave —Their ninth, released in 1978, it was the last to feature keyboardist Mike Pinder, who wanted time with his family and had some friction with his bandmates. VG+.

So, another short haul for us. I have a dilemma right now. Record Store Day, which was to be April 18, has been moved to June 20 because of the COVID-19 scare/outbreak. I was like, okay, I know what the weather will be like in June. It’s testy in April. But, that’s not the kicker. I have a lot of activities in April that I am supposed to be part of, and it just so happened that the 18th of April was not one of those days. However, the move to June 20, kind of ruins some stuff. I’m supposed to go to Boston with The BCPF for her work conference (because I love Boston) and that’s the same week/weekend. Also, I have a Carolina Cobras game on that evening. There’s a chance I can pull it all off, but it will be rough. Or, I’ll have to rework the schedule. Or, I’ll have to cancel something. Or, I’ll just not go camp out. But, that’s part of the fun for me. There is still plenty of time to figure that out and there is still a chance some or all of those events could be postponed or canceled outright. So, we’ll see how it goes. Go to the RSD website to see what the list looks like. Listen to each new episode of The Less Desirables to hear the TLD/UR special of the week. Use Discogs to track your collection. And, wash your damn hands!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“I worked like a slave for years. Sweat so hard just to end my fears. Not to end my life a poor man. But by now, I know I should have run.” – “Ride My See-Saw” (Lodge)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 3/7/20

08 Sunday Mar 2020

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Salutations™!!

Early to rise and out the door. The BCPF and I went to Young Cardinal Cafe (again) and had a fantastic breakfast. We then went to Underdog Records and got just a few records and came home to listen. It was a good day. Happy Daylight Saving Time. There’s the haul:

Thecautionhorses

©RCA

  • Cowboy Junkies – The Caution Horses — The BCPF’s and my first date was to see Cowboy Junkies in Charlotte. This is from 1990 and, while a cut-out, was still sealed and so we are taking it as new. I’ll admit that CJ isn’t my favorite stuff. I like the folky aspect but some of it gets a little annoying. But, The BCPF likes them, a lot, and that was our first date, so… New/NM.
  • Depeche Mode – Speak & Spell — The remastered, reissue of DMode’s debut album. It was the only one to feature founder Vince Clarke before he went on to form Yaz/Yazoo! with Allison Moyet and then Erasure with Andy Bell. The big hit on this album is “Just Can’t Get Enough.” I love me some synth-pop/synth-heavy music, especially from this era. New.
  • Bob Dylan – Street-Legal — Whew… Dylan. I’m just… I don’t know. This is late-70s electric Dylan and while it wasn’t bad… I just cannot get into it. One thing I did find interesting, though, on the back cover, it looks like Bob is doing his best Alice Cooper imitation. VG+.
  • The Cuff Links – Tracy — It turns out that the Cuff Links was pretty much just one of many projects by Ron Dante. The title track reached #9 on the charts in 1969. All the rich vocal harmonization was done by Dante, himself. When this got to the charts, the #1 song was “Sugar, Sugar” by the Archies (modeled after the comic strip/book) and guess who was the head of that? Yep, Dante. So, it was just a lot of his playing around, which I can certainly respect. I’d do it. I have done it. So… VG+.

It was a very small haul this week, but Record Store Day is coming up, the list has been released, and I am having to save my collection money for that as we are up to 21 titles that we want. The average cost of these records can be around $25-30 and that’s a good chunk of change. We will pare down the list as the day gets closer and I figure what I can do without. The BCPF will have to do the same. If something comes along that I have to have before RSD, then I’ll buy it but my buying will probably continue to be light for the next little bit. You should go by and see what they have and what I’m leaving for you to buy! Listen to each new episode of The Less Desirables to see what the TLD/UR special of the week is. Use Discogs to catalog your collection. The “random” feature is pretty cool.

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“We walk together, we’re walking down the street. And I just can’t get enough. And I just can’t get enough. Every time I think of you, I know we have to meet. And I just can’t get enough. And I just can’t get enough.” – “Just Can’t Get Enough” (Clarke)

Spinning Tuesday? or: The Haul 2/29/20

03 Tuesday Mar 2020

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Salutations™!!

Yeah, I know I said on Sunday that I’d be doing the haul on Monday, but you know… That Saturday was long, The BCPF and I had a full plate, literally and figuratively. Here’s the haul:

Queensryche_-_Rage_for_Order_cover_1

©EMI America

  • Real Estate – The Main Thing — Again, anytime I can find material that I know that The BCPF would like comes up, I try to grab it and whilst I was making the Underdog Records ad for TLD, I heard this. She loved it and grabbed the download code immediately. This is a band made up of fans of Pavement, Built to Spill and Weezer, all of which are faves of The BCPF. New.
  • Queensrÿche – Rage For Order — I let out an audible “gasp!” when I saw this. I have been waiting for this on vinyl. It’s one of my favorite Queensryche albums and this is an original pressing with everything original and it is in NM condition. This is amazing!
  • The Secret Sisters – Saturn Return — We saw, and met, the Secret Sisters when they opened for Iron and Wine. They were so good. Kind of country and kind of jazzy/folky. We have their debut s/t album and now their latest release. This is only their fourth album in 10 years. New.
  • Bob Marley – Chances Are — This album was issued after Marley’s death in May 1981. Chances Are is a collection of previously unreleased recordings from 1968 to 1972 that were produced by JAD Records during Marley’s time living in the U.S. and otherwise working with JAD back and forth from Jamaica to the States. The selected tracks on this collection were overdubbed, remixed, and in many cases, extended beyond their original duration, especially for this album. VG+.
  • Herbie Hancock – V.S.O.P. — A 2xLP “live” album featuring a shload of top-notch musicians. Of course, it features Herbie Hancock, featuring acoustic jazz performances by the V.S.O.P. Quintet and jazz fusion and jazz-funk performances by the Mwandishi band and The Headhunters. EX.
  • Crow – Mosaic — I have really liked what I’ve heard from Crow and this is their third studio album and the third that I have on vinyl including a greatest hits album. VG.
  • Jerry Goldsmith – Star Trek: The Motion Picture — I love film soundtracks, especially dynamic orchestral kind and I love Jerry Goldsmith. So, I couldn’t pass this one up. VG+.
  • Mary Hopkin – Post Card — I know very little about Mary Hopkin but she was one of the first to sign to Apple Records, the record label owned by The Beatles. EX.
  • Arthur Fiedler With The Boston Pops Orchestra – Overtures — 3xLP that features, as the title suggests, a ton of overtures. NM with VG+ cover.
  • Robert Plant – Pictures At Eleven — The debut solo album from the former Led Zeppelin singer. Cozy Powell played on two songs and Phil Collins on the rest. It was one of the last albums released on Zep’s Swan Song label. VG+.
  • The Innocents – The Innocents — All I can find on this album and the band is it’s an American new wave band that were the subject of an NBC documentary called “Rock and Roll Dreams,” which aired on February 21, 1982. According to Discogs, this is the only album they released. VG+.
  • Various – A Prairie Home Companion Anniversary Album — 2xLP compilation of skits, jingles and songs from the popular radio program. EX with VG+ cover.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, The Bulgarian Quartet, Dimo Dimov, Alexandre Thomov, Dimitre Tchilikov, Dimitre Kosev – The String Quartets: Volume I — NM.

So, while we didn’t have a chance to listen to much, we did have a good haul to go through. Jonathan still had a lot of used stereo equipment for sale so go grab some EQs, tuners and such. Listen to each new episode of The Less Desirables to hear the TLD/UR special. Use Discogs to catalog your music collection. Say no to drugs. Drink you milk, say your prayers, take your vitamins… okay, whatever on that last part.

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“Despite the crushing weight of all that’s on our plate, despite the true significance of everything at stake. I will stay true. The main thing. It’s all I can do. The main thing.” – “The Main Thing” (Courtney/Bleeker/Lynch/Kallman/Pollis)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 2/21/20

23 Sunday Feb 2020

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Salutations™!!

After missing a week of visiting Jonathan at Underdog Records, The BCPF and I made up for it. I went on Thursday and we both went on Friday. I missed having new records in my hands and flipping through the inventory. Here’s the haul:

Iron_Maiden_-_Seventh_Son_Of_A_Seventh_Son

©EMI/Capitol

  • Best Coast – Always Tomorrow — I heard this when I was preparing the ad for Underdog Records on The Less Desirables and thought it sounded like The BCPF’s kind of music. I was correct. She dug it. I dug it. New.
  • King Krule – Man Alive! — This was another one that I heard the lead single from and I liked it so I bought it. Once I got it home, though… meh. I like the artistic chances he was taking but it was hard to follow and hard to get into. Both of us were kind of speechless. But, I don’t give things up easily. I’m keeping it. It’s on blood-red, transparent vinyl. New.
  • Bob Marley & The Wailers – Exodus — The ninth studio album by Marley, it was a departure from most of what he wrote prior. Of the songs that ended up on Legacy, which is simultaneously his greatest hits album and the highest-selling reggae album of all time, this album had more tracks than any other. This album contains “Exodus,” “Jamming,” “Waiting in Vain,” “Turn Your Lights Down Low,” the amazing “Three Little Birds” and “One Love/People Get Ready,” co-written by Curtis Mayfield. NM.
  • Iron Maiden – Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son — I still need Somewhere In Time to have all the “classic” Iron Maiden albums that I really care about. I consider their first seven (of which this is seventh and SIT, sixth) the canon that matters. This isn’t my favorite from them but does have some good moments. I always think of a former classmate of mine, Mark Bohannon because he was the biggest Maiden fan I knew, which was odd to me because I pictured Maiden heads to be stoner types with long hair and all greasy skinned (gimme a break, I was new to this scene) and he was clean-cut, kept and wore sweaters and stuff. Anyway, this was something he talked about a good bit. NM.
  • Alice Cooper – Raise Your Fist And Yell — Alice’s 10th solo record and the last to feature Kip Winger on bass and Paul Taylor on keys, both would go on to form Winger with Reb Beach and Rod Morgenstein. The song “Prince of Darkness” was included in the film of the same name from John Carpenter. VG+.
  • Jill Barber – Metaphora — The 2018 album from jazz/folk vocalist Barber. Laidback and very listenable. A good listen, actually. The BCPF eats stuff like this for breakfast, so she, of course, loved it. On “Coke Bottle” blue/green transparent vinyl. NM.
  • Journey – Next — The last Journey album before Steve Perry came along (with Robert Fleishman making a brief stop, first) and totally pop-rocked them out (which is still my favorite era of Journey). I don’t recognize any of these tunes and it wasn’t what I was expecting. I was looking for it to be a little more proggy like the early Journey albums were, but they were kind of in pop mode here, it seems. None of these songs are in the live lineup of played tunes anymore. I liked it, it was just different to me. VG+.
  • Genesis – Seconds Out — 2xLP live album from Genesis. It was the last Genesis album to feature Steve Hackett, thus making Genesis a “three-piece” after this, in which …And Then There Were Three came along. This was recorded, mostly in Paris, on their Trick of the Tail tour. VG+.
  • Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Liverpool — FGTH’s second and final album. That’s sad because both this and its predecessor, 1984’s Welcome to the Pleasuredome are amazing albums. I love synth-driven pop and this is chock full of that. I enjoyed every note of both albums. Amazing stuff, both. I love them. I hate they didn’t do more.  VG+.

Again, it was good to get by Underdog Records again. They have a slew of electronic equipment for sale, either from the store or on consignment. Now is the time to get the equipment you need or want. Listen to each new episode of The Less Desirables to hear what the TLD/UR special of the moment is. Use Discogs to keep track of your music collection or to just do “random grab” choices. That’s fun.

Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“Laugh like the head of Apollo. Young and strong on the wings of tomorrow. Rise up in millions, get off your knees. Dispelling the demons in the valley of danger. We all work together, sculptures in sorrow. With love light to follow on sweet head of Apollo. Rage hard, into the light.” – “Rage Hard” (Gill/Johnson/Nash/O’Toole)

Big Album Day or: February 10

10 Monday Feb 2020

Posted by in Life as We Know It, Music Review, Records

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Salutations™!!

I don’t like to do video posts on Monday and I still don’t know that I will do one today, but February 10 has a lot of history for releases.

1carole_king_-_tapestry

©A&M

In 1971, Carole King released her seminal album, Tapestry. It contains 12 songs and there isn’t a clunker one. “I Feel the Earth Move,” “So Far Away,” “It’s Too Late,” “Home Again,”
“Beautiful,” “You’ve Got a Friend” (I really don’t like James Taylor’s version but love this one), “Where You Lead” (I’m a huge Gilmore Girls fan and that was the theme song sung by Carole and her daughter Louise Goffin), “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” “Smackwater Jack,” “Tapestry” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” The album is amazing. It’s #36 on the RS list and I wonder if that’s too far up the list. Should it be in the 20s? I don’t know, but man, it’s a great album.

Little_Feat_-_Waiting_for_Columbus

©Warner Bros.

Now, in 1978, there were three big albums released. Well, I know one of them was big, the other two were pretty big for fans of those bands, too. Let’s start with the “other two.”

Waiting for Columbus is Little Feat’s first live album. 17 tracks on 2xLP. I’m not a Little Feat fan, really. But for some, it’s the tops.

Stained Class is the fourth album from Judas Priest. It’s the first album with temporary drummer Les Binks. Binks gets a songwriting credit with “Beyond the Realms of Death.” Bassist Ian Hill gets his first writing credit with “Invader.” I always thought anyone could be the bassist for Priest because he doesn’t “do anything.” Now, he isn’t flashy, but Hill is a good solid bassist. I think the best song on the album is the opening track, “Exciter.” I have grown to really dig Judas Priest.

StainedClass

©Columbia

Now, the big one is where we were introduced to the magic that was Van Halen. On this day in 1978, Van Halen was released. The wizardry of Eddie Van Halen was something that few had heard before. His fretboard work, combined with his tremolo picking was earthshattering. Yeah, it’s not as out-there as it used to be but in 1978, it certainly was. Combine Eddie’s guitar work with Alex’s thunderous drumming, Michael Anthony’s near virtuoso-like bass playing, he was matching Eddie in a lot of those tunes, and his ultra-high harmonies and the frontman that is second, in my opinion to Paul Stanley in stage presence (at least then), Diamond David Lee Roth and you have a band like no other. Dave’s ability to split his vocals in those early days was amazing.

Van_Halen_album

©Warner Bros.

From the siren into with the growling bass in “Running With the Devil” to the groove rock of “Jamie’s Cryin'” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” to the classic rock and roll feel of “Feel Your Love Tonight” to the speed boogie of “I’m the One.” All of that on their own would be a darn-great rock album. But, then you add the laid back feel of “Little Dreamer,” the in-your-face version of the Kink’s “You Really Got Me,” the classic “Ice Cream Man” and the song that changed the lives of as many up-and-coming/wannabe guitarists as “Purple Haze,” “Stairway to Heaven” and “Iron Man,” “Eruption” and that makes this one of the greatest rock albums I have ever heard. I say that and I’m not even a big VH fan. It’s #410 on the RS list and I think that’s a bit too high. I think it should at least be in the top 200. But, that’s just me, I guess.

So, I’ll spare you a video to watch, but I just wanted to bring attention to this day in record releases, of which I have three of the four on vinyl! Thanks for indulging me.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“It used to be so easy living here with you. You were light and breezy and I knew just what to do. Now you look so unhappy and I feel like a fool.” – “It’s Too Late” (Stern/King)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 2/8/20

09 Sunday Feb 2020

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Salutations™!!

Yesterday, The BCPF was to get her hair cut and that got us to Underdog Records earlier in the day. Like, 11am early. Her cut was next door at Hair Bomb with Cynthia Platt-Miller so we did that before eating. The BCPF has lived here her entire life and had never eaten at Grecian Corner so I took her there. We had good food, yeah, good, good food. Anywhat, here’s the haul:

NotoriousByrdBrothers

©Columbia

  • Cat Power – The Greatest — In what I’ve come to know as “sadcore” (“bleak lyrics, downbeat melodies and slower tempos, or alternatively, songs with deceivingly upbeat melodies that are simultaneously characterized by depressive lyrical undertones or imagery,” according to Wikipedia), it was musically something that I figured I’d hear in a coffee shop somewhere. I liked it. Her voice is really smooth. She spent some time in her youth attending school in Greensboro. The BCPF wanted it and yep, she got it. I had never heard anything that I knew of from Cat Power. The BCPF said that she had played me something before but it wasn’t announced who it was. New.
  • Mister Rogers – It’s Such A Good Feeling: The Best Of Mister Rogers — What the world needs now is more Fred. Fred Rogers made everything seem okay when we were kids, at least he did to me. The BCPF agreed. Life lessons, how to deal with situations, education and more. Ol’ Fred was a great guy. This is a Barnes & Noble exclusive and is on transparent red vinyl. NM (but there is a scratch on the best song on the album… boo).
  • Lou Reed – Rock N Roll Animal — Yesterday’s haul can be explained best this way: a lot of Byrds, a lot of Lou. Not a lot of either, really but multiples of both. Let’s just go with that. This is a live album of Lou doing four Velvet Underground songs and one non-VU song. I have stated many times that I am not a fan of Velvet Underground but I like (mostly) Lou solo. These versions of the VU songs were really good. Another cool aspect of this album is basically it’s the Alice Cooper band (the Welcome to My Nightmare years) with Lou instead of Alice. Dick Wagner (who played the guitar solos on “Sweet Pain” and “Flamin’ Youth” as well as the acoustic guitar on “Beth” on KISS’ Destroyer) and Steve Hunter were both guitarists on this album, “Whitey” Glan played drums and Prakash John played bass. All four of those guys were the band on Nightmare. Anywhat! It was a decent listen. NM/EX.
  • Lou Reed – Rock And Roll Heart — This was Lou’s first album on Arista records. I haven’t listened to it, yet. There were three singles released for the album, “I Believe in Love,” “Chooser and the Chosen One” and the title track. VG+.
  • The Byrds – (Untitled) — It’s untitled but really, that’s the name of the album. It’s a 2xLP that is a live show on sides 1 & 2 and studio stuffs on sides 3 & 4. It’s the first “official” live album by the band (recorded in early 1970) and the first to feature Skip Battin on bass, having replaced John York. VG+.
  • The Byrds – The Notorious Byrd Brothers — This album was #171 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Albums of All Time List. That’s a good place for it. Some on that list I couldn’t figure why they were where they were and some I couldn’t figure out why they were there at all, but this one fits perfectly where it is. It’s a good listen. This is the one where David Crosby gets kicked out of the band. Who knows the real reason but it stemmed from his rants and political musings as well as his not wanting certain songs on the album because it was from outside writers (King/Goffin), and so on. But, the album is legit good and, again, deserves the spot it holds on the RS list. VG+.
  • The Byrds – Ballad Of Easy Rider — The title song was written by Roger McGuinn and Bob Dylan, although Dylan wasn’t credited on the album. It was, of course, featured in the film Easy Rider and this album was released to capitalize on the success of that film. Critics panned it at first but it has grown to be a strong spot holder in their discography. VG+.
  • John Entwistle – Smash Your Head Against The Wall — This was the first solo album of any of the members of The Who. The cover is quite weird. It’s his face superimposed in an x-ray of a skeleton chest. I don’t know what it sounds like as I haven’t listened to it, yet, but Jonathan said that he liked it a lot. That’s good enough for me. VG-.
  • Various – Nothing In Common – Original Soundtrack — Sealed but a cutout. Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason. Songs from Thompson Twins, Richard Marx, Aretha Franklin, Carly Simon, Nick Hayward (from Haircut 100) and The Kinks among others. That’s all I got for it. NM.
  • Rick Wakeman – The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table — I haven’t heard this yet but I love Wakeman’s concept album stuff. I like mystic, medieval themes, too, so I will probably enjoy this. I look forward to hearing it. VG+.

We got to Underdog Records around 11am and the place was jumpin’. I like seeing a long of people in there. Jonathan had Drive-By Truckers pumping, the incense and candles burning and it was a good time in the old record store, for sure. I noticed Jonathan had a lot of used stereo equipment like equalizers, cassette decks, receivers and even a CD changer. Those were all the “black-faced” late 80s/90s stuff that for whatever reason people tend to shy away from these days. They want silver plated stuff that makes them seem a bit more “legit,” I guess but good sound is good sound. I know the black-faced stuff is more digital and solid-state and the older stuff seems more “vintage” and is possibly tube-powered. I don’t know. My stuff is all black-faced except for my turntable which is plastic but silver. Anywhat, the prices were really good and much of the stuff had been fully-serviced. So, the point is, if you want to update or create a new-to-you stereo system, Underdog Records is the place to be to get that. Listen to each new episode of The Less Desirables to hear what the TLD/UR special of the week is. I use Discogs to track my collection and Jonathan now puts QR codes on his labels to help make sure you get the right version/variant/copy in your Discogs account. Good stuff!

Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you. I’ve always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you. So let’s make the most of this beautiful day. Since we’re together, we might as well say: Would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won’t you be my neighbor?” – “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” (Rogers)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 2/1/20

02 Sunday Feb 2020

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Salutations™!!

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! The BCPF and I went to Penny Path yesterday to celebrate Imbolc (where pancakes are generally the tradition but we went with crêpes). Then we hit up our friend Carly’s shop, VibesUp Winston-Salem, then to Jim & Dana Moody’s West End Coffeehouse and grabbed some pies for today’s big game and we even saw Daniel Butner from Carrabba’s and Kandi and Lori from TBD/Pride WS. Then we headed to Underdog Records and grabbed just a few records. It was a full day of visiting. It was great and tiring all at once. Here’s the haul.

Montrose_-_-s-t-

©Warner Bros.

  • Depeche Mode – Exciter — I was excited to get this because, well, we love Depeche Mode in this house. But, really, while it was a good listen, it really didn’t thrill me. I didn’t hear anything that memorable. It is produced well, mixed well, written well. I just wasn’t moved by it. But, I’m glad I have it. New, remastered on 180g.
  • The Mountain Goats – Transcendental Youth — This album focuses on outcasts, recluses, the mentally ill, and others struggling in ordinary society. John Darnielle has a way with quirky, witty and funny lyrics (even if the subject matter isn’t always funny). It was a good listen. New.
  • Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – The Tourist — Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is a musical project started by Alec Ounsworth. This album was independently released and is on a cool white vinyl. The songs were really well-written and the sonic quality was fantastic. It was a fun listen. EX/VG++.
  • Montrose  – Montrose — This was entry #11 from the Eugeneology/Hard Rock albums I did a few years back. You can read my review here. I’m interested in seeing if my views of it have changed because while I didn’t dislike it, I didn’t exactly like it. And, I said I probably wouldn’t listen again, but here we are. We’ll see. VG+.

It was a short-haul this week. That’s all we got. Underdog Records was jumping yesterday. The store was full and both The BCPF and I had to wait to get to the “Freshly Acquired” section of the used records. That rarely happens. Did you know that Underdog Records has two listening stations in the downstairs part of the store? You can sit on a comfy couch either in a darker, more intimate setting or sit by the window watching the creatures of Burke Street/West End shuffle through. You can do that and listen to just about any used record in the place. Also, you can grab a complimentary cup of coffee and have it whilst listening or if you ask nicely – and are over the age of 21 – you can get a complimentary brew of alcoholic nature. Yesterday I had a Natty Bo, a National Bohemian. Not my favorite beer at all but what the heck. It wasn’t anything that said “Bud” on it. Jonathan wants his store to be welcoming and comfortable to all and I believe he nails it. Listen to each new episode of The Less Desirables to hear the TLD/UR special of the week. And, use Discogs to track your music collection, no matter the medium.

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’ and GO CHIEFS!!…
Scorp out!

—
“Do every stupid thing that makes you feel alive. Do every stupid thing to try to drive the dark away. Let people call you crazy for the choices that you make. Climb limits past the limits, jump in front of trains all day. And stay alive. Just stay alive.” – “Amy aka Spent Gladiator 1” (Darnielle)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 1/25/20

26 Sunday Jan 2020

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Salutations™!!

The BCPF and I had a great listening day yesterday. We got by Underdog Records and grabbed a good bit of stuff and came back and listened. It was really a great listen. Okay, here’s the haul:

  • Wolf Parade – Thin Mind — Great Canadian band out of Montreal and on the Sub Pop label. Good straight-forward indie power pop. Well-written tunes and full of hooks. I heard their lead single, “Julia Take Your Man Home” when I was doing the Underdog Records ad for this past week’s The Less Desirables. New.

    Dead_Mans_Party_album

    ©MCA

  • Angelo Badalamenti – Music From Twin Peaks — The BCPF and I love this show and we love the music. I think we both had it on CD or something. But, this is on limited edition clear green vinyl. It sounds fantastic and brings back good memories of going back and watching the show together. I love the lounge aspect of the music. It’s so fun! New.
  • Pet Shop Boys – Hotspot — Brand new Pet Shop Boys! It’s their first since 2016. Which, to me could have been their first since 1990 and I wouldn’t have known any better. I didn’t even know they were still together. That being said, I loved listening to this. Great dance electronica with some grit and humor (or humour, since they’re Brits), which is what they’ve always done. This was so much fun to listen to. I recommend it if you were ever a fan of their stuff. New.
  • Oingo Boingo – Dead Man’s Party — I heard an audible gasp out of The BCPF when she found this one in the “newly acquired” section. I knew of a few Oingo Boingo songs, most notably “Weird Science” and a few others and I didn’t realize that my entire Oingo Boingo knowledge was this album. “Just Another Day,” the title track, “Stay,” and the aforementioned “Weird Science” are all here. The whole album was amazing and I thought to myself, I could listen to this again. I don’t usually do that, but it would have been worth it! EX/VG++.
  • Rage – Rage — So, it’s been fun doing what I call “Pulling a Bob” and no, that’s not a euphemism for something dirty… get your head out of the gutter (although that would be a funny one). Pulling a Bob is in reference to the drummer from my old band Heavens Sake. We joked that he would go and look through albums, cassettes and CDs and look for whatever bands he could find that had a lot of hair. He was really into that kind of thing. Well, my “Bob” isn’t necessarily that. I just like finding those early-to-mid 80s bands that look like they’d be hard rock or sound like they would. This is listed as hard rock, and I had to do some digging to find anything on them. Apparently, they were Nutz before this and consisted of John Mylett, Dave Lloyd, Keith Mulholland, Mick Devonport, and Terry Steers. They’re Brits. I think the cover looks more like Loverboy than an early 80s hard rock band. Then again, I guess you could call early 80s Loverboy a “hard” rock band. VG+.
  • Sugarloaf – Spaceship Earth — All I know of Sugarloaf is “Green Eyed Lady” and that’s not on here. But, it was just a couple of bucks and I said, why not. I like “GEL.” VG+.
  • Don Henley – I Can’t Stand Still — Henley’s debut solo album with “Dirty Laundry,” “Johnny Can’t Read” and the title track. He looks so young on the cover. VG+.
  • Re-Flex – The Politics Of Dancing — I love the title track and really, that’s all I know from them. I hope the rest of the album is in the vein of that song. A couple of bucks, I couldn’t turn it down. VG+.
  • Bonnie Raitt – Sweet Forgiveness — This is the album that has her cover of Del Shannon’s “Runaway” on it. That song reached #57 on the chart. The BCPF picked this one up. VG+.
  • Chris de Burgh – The Getaway — I knew the big hit on this album, “Don’t Pay the Ferryman” from the K-Tel album Hot Tracks which was partly the catalyst for me breaking my “KISS Isolation.” I listened to nothing but KISS for so long and then this was given to me by my mother for Christmas and I found myself really into pop music. I have grown a lot since then. Anywhat! I liked that “Ferryman” song and this was there for a few bucks, I said, yes, please! VG+.
  • Blue Öyster Cult – Some Enchanted Evening — A live album from BOC. Okay. It’s pretty rough but Jonathan has it listed as VG-. That’s what I’m going with, too.

So, a solid haul. We loved listening to the new albums and revisiting the older ones. A long listening day full of goodness. We were talking with Jonathan in the store and he was devising a new way of labeling his used records, with barcodes. His system is kind of confusing to me, but I’m sure I’ll learn it better. He hunts down the exact version that’s in Discogs (which I know from experience can be daunting and sometimes downright impossible) and that’s included in the code, too, so it takes the work out of it for you. Another thing we talked about his how he always makes sure that, unless it’s a $1 bin find, he or De or Adam cleans each record by not only washing them but running them through the vacuum system so that it doesn’t only dry the liquid cleaner but also sucks up all the bad particles and such. Unless we buy some $1 records, I don’t have to come home and run my records through my cleaner, I just use the static brush to get a few straggling particles and I have the cleanest listening experience possible with the records I get.  Jonathan takes such good care of his customers and friends. Thanks, buddy.

Listen to each new episode of TLD for the TLD/UR special of the week. I use Discogs to track my record collection and Jonathan may have just made it easier.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“We got the bubble-headed bleached-blonde, comes on at five. She can tell you ’bout the plane crash with a gleam in her eye. It’s interesting when people die. Give us dirty laundry.” – “Dirty Laundry” (Henley/Kortchmar)