Salutations™!!

©Reprise

Yesterday was a beautiful day. It was warm but not hot, the humidity was quite low, the windows on “Annabelle” were all open, including the moonroof. The BCPF and I walked around Old Salem and visited with friends at the Cobblestone Farmers Market, at breakfast at Mary’s Gourmet Diner, visited Underdog Records, put together our new vinyl shelf, started the reorganization process (re-alphabetizing) of the “reset” which I’ll explain in a bit, early dinner at Willows Bistro and finished with a little get together with our very good friends. So, here’s the haul:

• Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Life – This was still sealed from 1987. We listened to it but didn’t have time to post a Facebook or Instagram log about it. It was different but exactly the same. I would say a little less singer-songwriter and more just late 80s rock. NM.
• Randy Newman – 12 Songs – #356 on the RS list. I found that I really dig some Randy Newman whilst listening to that song. He actually wrote a lot of stuff that other folk recorded; like “Mama Told Me Not to Come,” made more famous by Three Dog Night. VG++.
• The Who – It’s Hard – Early 80s Who. The Who isn’t one of my favorite bands but I find myself wanting their stuff. It was a good price and it was available, so there you go. VG+.
• Stan Getz – Another World – I have loved just about everything I have heard from Stan Getz, so here’s hoping that I like this 2xLP from the late 70s. VG+.
• Bananarama – True Confessions – A mid-80s classic. This is the one with “Venus” on it. The BCPF made a comparison that Bananarama’s harmony style is a lot like the Spice Girls. I’d say that Bananarama was probably a direct influence. VG++.
• Bananarama – Bananarama – This was their debut album featuring “Cruel Summer” and “Robert De Niro’s Waiting.” Haven’t listened to this one, yet. VG+.
• Simon & Garfunkel – Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. – 1965 debut album of a little duo that is going to go places! One of my favorite S&G tunes is “Sound of Silence” and as The BCPF says, “Paul Simon is a genius.” Yeah, he is. VG.
• Scorpions – Animal Magnetism – Wracking up on my Scorpions collection. The song “The Zoo” has always been a favorite of mine from this group. VG.
• Stephen Stills – Stills – We can’t figure out whether Stephen Still is a huge football fan or if he just likes wearing the t-shirt “jerseys.” It seems like you see him in those a lot from the pics on albums and magazines and such from back in the 70s. $1 bin find in VG condition.
• Humble Pie – Eat It – I have no Humble Pie albums and I’m not sure I’ve even ever heard a song by them. I am sure I have but I wouldn’t know what it was. This is a 2xLP that is part rock, part R&B covers, part acoustic, and live performances. So, I don’t know what to make of it. $1 bin find and in “good” condition.

Jonathan was gearing up for Record Store Day and he was a bit befuzzled but we made it a little better when we arrived at the shop with an iced coffee of some sort that Dana Moody of West End Coffeehouse sent for him. But, we are revving for Record Store Day, as well. We bought this brand new shelf and have started resorting our collection. We’re going to change our process, too.

We already do it alphabetically by artist/band first name because that’s the way Discogs does it and I want to be able to look in order to find them according to Discogs. We are taking the classical out and we’re going to separate that from the regular collection so they’re easier to find. We also keep the ones that we haven’t listened to separate but that part of the collection was becoming quite a stack. So, we decided that since there are two Record Store Days a year – a big one in April and a minor one in the fall (I think Black Friday) – those will be “reset” days. Anything that hadn’t been listened to gets inserted into “gen pop” of the collection. That gives us time to listen and if we haven’t then, oh well.

Visit the Record Store Day website and find out what is coming out next Saturday and go support your local record stores. These are exclusive to indie stores and these albums won’t be on Amazon or in the big box stores. You may find some stuff on eBay but it will most likely be marked up ridiculously. Jonathan has ordered a large sum of product for this event and he needs to unload it. That’s where you (and we) come in. Support local business and indie record store. Yeah, I know I said that already… it’s important.

And, I use Discogs to keep track of what I have, which that list has grown a lot. I have to look at it in the store to make sure I do or don’t have an album before I make duplicate purchases. It’s a fun resource. Try it! They do CDs, too.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“And the people bowed and prayed to the neon god they made. And the sign flashed out its warning in the words that it was forming. And the sign said the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls. And whispered in the sounds of silence.” – “The Sound of Silence” (Simon)