Salutations™!!
Yesterday, The BCPF and I got to go to Underdog Records for the first time in around three weeks. We made up for it by getting a lot of records and listening to a lot of records before we went to have dinner with friends. Jonathan is ramping up for Record Store Day Black Friday so go to the RSD website to find what you’re looking for. Here’s our haul:
- Kiss – Destroyer (Resurrected) — Yes, KISS is my favorite band and no this is not my favorite album by them, as you’d know if you read through my two-part ranking a few months back. This was the Bob Ezrin remix from 2012 and I like some aspects of it and don’t like others. The addition of the extra vocals in “Detroit Rock City” gets on my nerves. I always thought that was a cheesy addition on the Double Platinum version and it is here, too. It doesn’t need it. I like hearing Ace’s solo on “Sweet Pain” over the one that Dick Wagner did on the original. Do I like it better? Nah, but it’s nice to hear it. New.
- The Cure – Seventeen Seconds — This was the second album from The Cure and Robert Smith wrote these things (and recorded them) when he was just 21 and he sounds so young. It’s a great album and fun to listen to. New.
- Nine Inch Nails – Pretty Hate Machine — The debut album from Trent Reznor and friends and a direct descendant of the previous album, at least by influence. “Head Like a Hole” was the only thing I had heard from this but the whole album is amazing. It’s hard and coarse yet hauntingly beautiful at the same time. Angst is riddled throughout but I also feel it is a little tongue-in-cheek. I could be wrong. New.
- The Replacements – Let It Be — #241 on the RS list, it ranks higher than the Beatles album of the same title. When I wrote my first review about this whilst doing the countdown, I was pretty hard on it. Listening back with fresher (and dare I say more mature) ears, I liked it a whole lot better yesterday than I did in September of 2015. That’s four years difference. Wow. A loose cover of KISS’ “Black Diamond” and all, this was fantastic. New.
- Superchunk – AF (Acoustic Foolish) — Mac McCaughn released Foolish in 1994 and this is the acoustic re-recording of it from, I guess, 2019. The BCPF has always loved Superchunk and we’ve seen them live twice. She really enjoyed this and she doesn’t have the original at all. So, yay us! New.
- Pavement – Live Europaturnén MCMXCVII — Yep, a live album from Pavement from 1997, although it wasn’t officially released until 2008. I haven’t heard it yet, but I know The BCPF likes Pavement, so that’s why we got it. NM.
- Ex Hex – Rips — A band consisting of Mary Timony from Sleater-Kinney. The BCPF saw it was on Merge records and had to have it. So, here it is. NM.
- Marlene Dietrich – Marlene Dietrich’s Berlin (Her Nostalgic Songs About The Grand Old City) — I have enjoyed the other Marlene Dietrich albums we had so I’m sure I’ll enjoy this one, too. VG+.
- Parliament – GloryHallaStoopid (Pin The Tale On The Funky) — The penultimate album for Parliament on the Casablanca Records label, and is another concept album which tries to explain that Funk was responsible for the creation of the universe. Great artwork. VG-.
- Joe Cooley – Cooley — Irish accordion drinking music. VG+.
It was so good getting back to Underdog Records. So much enjoyment. This week, Underdog Records will have a Halloween party on Wednesday from 7-9 with Segreto (aka DJ Eighty Four) playing a bunch of darkwave and mood-appropriate tunes with live painting by Dane Walters. There will be free refreshments but folks may also BYOB. Listen to each new episode of The Less Desirables to hear the TLD/UR special of the week. Use Discogs to keep track of your music collection.
Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!
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“God money I’ll do anything for you. God money just tell me what you want me to. God money nail me up against the wall. God money don’t want everything he wants it all.” – “Head Like a Hole” (Reznor)