Tags
ABBA, Cherry Glazerr, Discogs, Donovan, Green Day, John Waite, Joni Mitchell, Mott the Hoople, Music, Rainbow, Records, Rick Wakeman, Rod Stewart, The Less Desirables, Traffic, U2, UB40, Underdog Records, Weezer
Salutations™!!
Yes, this is usually a Sunday thing but Sunday and yesterday were either an important day or just something I had to rant about instead. So, here’s the haul from Saturday from Underdog Records.
©Mercury
- Cherry Glazerr – Stuffed & Ready — Another try at introducing The BCPF to a group that I think she’d like. I’m usually successful and this another triumph. It’s a little Riot Grrl ish but that’s okay because she likes that stuff. Girl power! Jonathan said this was a little heavier than their past stuff but he also said he likes everything they do. Win! New.
- Green Day – Kerplunk! — This is the second album from Green Day, the last indie release before signing with Reprise Records and the massive hit album Dookie was released and it’s the first with Tré Cool on drums. This is the 2009 reissue, VG+.
- Donovan – Sunshine Superman / In Concert At The Anaheim Convention Center — As the title suggests, it’s a 2xLP/true Double Album as it is Sunshine Superman and a live album packaged together. VG+.
- Weezer – Raditude — Weezer’s last on Interscope/DGC/Geffen. The title was suggested by Dwight Schrüte from The Office. Actually, it was Rainn Wilson who played Dwight, but still… VG.
- Rainbow – Bent Out Of Shape — I’m trying to expand my classic hard rock repertoire beyond just what Eugene introduced me to in 2017. I’m trying. I’m trying. I don’t know much about the album. It was there. I purchased it. VG+.
- U2 – Under A Blood Red Sky (Live) — Live album from the Irish lads that featured songs from their first three albums and was the soundtrack to a companion film of (almost) the same name. Great versions of the tunes, too. It was right before The Unforgettable Fire which was still before “my U2 time.” But, I really like that album, and the next few, a lot. VG+.
- Rod Stewart – The Rod Stewart Album — Stewart’s debut solo record. I don’t know that I cared for his “Man of Constant Sorrow” but I did like the rest of the album. I like the elegant sleek yellow cover. In the UK it was called An Old Raincoat Won’t Ever Let You Down which was one of the songs on the album. Lots of Faces and other special guests on the album. VG+.
- Joni Mitchell – Mingus — A collaboration with Charles Mingus prior to his passing, we get to hear a shload of Jaco Pastorius on this record. It’s very experimental and some of it is “out there,” but it’s worth every second. Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Peter Erskine (along with Jaco) on one album? Wow! VG+.
- UB40 – Labour Of Love — Yes, the whole thing sounds like “Red Red Wine.” But, it’s reggae with electronica sprinkled in and some of it is really “slow jammy” which is cool with me. It’s not a great record but it’s a decent record. VG+.
- John Waite – Mask Of Smiles — The lackluster follow-up to No Brakes which had “Missing You.” It was there and I thought the picture on the back was funny. VG+.
- ABBA – Voulez-Vous — “Chiquitita”, “Does Your Mother Know” and “I Have a Dream” were the singles of this album which saw the group embracing disco. I didn’t know they ever didn’t embrace it…? VG+.
- Traffic – Mr. Fantasy — Traffic’s debut album. The cover and tracklisting the US got were different than the UK release which was fairly common at that time. It’s a decent record. The band was a four-piece but Dave Mason left before the album was released. VG.
- Mott – Drive On — Mott the Hoople after Ian Hunter left. I don’t know anything about the album, but I like the Mott the Hoople stuff I’ve heard. Let’s hope it wasn’t all about Hunter. VG.
- Rick Wakeman – Journey To The Centre Of The Earth — Yes’ keyboardist extraordinaire doing his composition based on the Jules Verne novel of the same name. I want to hear it. It’s in rough shape but I still have it as VG, but the cover is really rough (G/F+). It was a $1 bin find.
Jonathan had sold a couple of speakers when we were there and there were a lot of other speakers to choose from. A lot of cool stuff in there. I meant to ask him about the Curated by Underdog program. I kind of want to know how he’d curate music for me. Listen to The Less Desirables every Wednesday (or when you get to it) and hear the TLD/UR special of the week. Also, I highly recommend you use Discogs to catalog and track your music collection (no matter the format).
Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!
—
“Under a blood red sky a crowd has gathered in black and white. Arms entwined, the chosen few. The newspapers says, says… Say it’s true, it’s true and we can break through. Though torn in two, we can be one. I will begin again.” – “New Year’s Day” (U2)
anyway. Give me the Beatles anyday. Speaking of which, Chuck Berry’s “You Can’t Catch Me” (recorded here) features the lyric, “Here come old flat top” just like “Come Together” from Abbey Road. There was some stink about that but it was settled. Some of why I don’t care for this record is the blues aspect. We know how I am about that. I like the more polished late-60s-through-early-90s Stones, if I’m going to listen to them at all. Another thing, twelve songs and only four are written by them. Again, I know it’s still really, really early in their careers, but that perplexes me. I have to say that I do not mind the RS originals but their covers on this, drives me up the wall. Meh.
songs about dancing and it not only not be cheesy but be relevant and serious. ‘Cause really, who doesn’t just want to funk out? “Groovallegiance” features a very rare bass solo, but I didn’t find clarification if it’s “Bootsy,” “Boogie” or “Skeet” that’s playing said solo. All three as listed as personnel but nothing is necessarily denoted as who does what where. It’s awesome no matter whom it is. “Who Says a Funk Band Can’t Play Rock?!” is truly a rock song. The whole album is about breaking through to something more. This song proves exactly what the title suggests, wrong. “Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad (The Doo-Doo Chasers)” wins the award for the longest song title on the countdown (at least that I can tell). It’s pretty much saying that the world can be a “shite hole” and there are those that perpetuate that assumption. We’ve all gone in the crapper, if you will. A great (almost) 11 minute song, that. I am pretty certain that “Bootsy” is playing the bass on “Cholly (Funk Getting Ready to Roll)” as he’s a co-writer. All in all this is a great funk/rock album. I have really gotten in to most everything in that genre that I’ve heard in this countdown, thus far. Yay, me and dug!
Dylan I know and that’s a good thing. “Isis,” “Mozambique” are mesmerizing. They are so easy to listen to but strangely complex. “One More Cup of Coffee” which I believe has Emmylou Harris singing backup is sad and beautiful. Although, the story isn’t bad, I don’t really care much about “Joey.” It drags, it’s whiny and it’s eleven minutes long. It seems that one got some negative attention for glorifying gangsters. Yikes! I do like the Mexican-style of “Romance in Durango.” Reminds me of some stuff Ma Père would listen to when I was a child. He’s not Mexican but liked Marty Robbins and such. “Sara” is an almost pleading, directly personal direction of songwriting as it was about his wife. It wasn’t often, at least that I can figure, that he did that. That’s one of my favorite songs on this album. I’d own this album if I could skip “Joey.” Dug!
the first single. I have that on a Time-Life compilation, which I’m sure is Sounds of the 70s. You can hear the imperfections in the drumming and other instruments, but I think that adds to the uniqueness. At the beginning of side two, he gives a small tour of studio sounds like hum and hiss. It was odd hearing it. “Marlene” has xylophones and such on it and at one point sounds just like that new chime that Facebook uses for it’s Instant Messenger and I kept thinking someone was messaging me. Side four is comprised of songs that were done with full ensembles. Musicians include Mark Klingman, Rick Derringer, Vicki Sue Robinson and Edward James Olmos (yes, that Edward James Olmos, vox). The third released single was “Hello It’s Me” which is a side four song. The second was “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” and the fourth was “Wolfman Jack” which is probably the worst song on the album and it was released TWO years after “Hello It’s Me.” There was another album released before “Wolfman Jack” came out. I don’t understand that. Anywhat! Overall I thought the album was fantastic, but really, Rundgren could have cut that down to about eleven songs and left it as an LP. Most of it was filler, some of which sounded very much like other songs on the album and could have been done away with or released two separate albums. It was too much. But, because I liked the material, I’m still going with a “dug” here.
