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Tag Archives: Billy Joel

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 12/12/20

13 Sunday Dec 2020

Posted by TGBII in Records, Spinning Sunday

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Tags

Belle & Sebastian, Billy Joel, Discogs, Music, Pride Winston-Salem, The BCPF, Underdog Records

Salutations™!!

The BCPF and I got to Underdog Records late. I emceed the Pride Winston-Salem Holiday Drag Brunch, then we ate and then went to Coffee Park to get a print of the new Holiday Roast. Then we went to Underdog Records and got a decent haul. Let me tell you about it…

©Matador

Belle And Sebastian – What To Look For In Summer — You know that The BCPF and I love us some Belle and Sebastian and this was a brand new (released Friday) 2×LP live album. It was pretty awesome for fans of B&S. All songs were recorded on tour in 2019, the majority from US cities, with one in Montreal, one in Pamplona and five songs on the Mediterranean sea for “Boaty Weekender” which was like a cruise for them. New.

Various – O Brother, Where Art Thou? — The BCPF and I both love this film. We love the soundtrack. It was there in EX/NM condition so we grabbed it. Yay, us!

Billy Joel – Souvenir — Promotional-only release by Columbia Records in 1977 to promote Billy’s pre-The Stranger songs. Side 1: These selections were recorded live December 5th and 6th, 1976 at Palmer Auditorium, University of Connecticut at New London during the live video taping of “Billy Joel Tonight.” Side 2: several cuts from Billy’s albums. Pressed on Columbia’s white promo labels, which state “Demonstration – Not For Sale” at the bottom, as well as on the front jacket. These were distributed mainly to radio stations, clubs, and fan clubs in the US and were were not sold in stores. This album is known to have been heavily counterfeited, too. I am not sure, without further inspection, which I have. EX/NM.

Various – New Wave Hits — Rhino’s Back To The 80s release. 140 gram pink swirl vinyl. A collection of early 80s new wave hits, just as it says. EX/NM. This is still sealed but we will remedy that soon.

Various – History Of British Rock — 2×LP collection of British heavy hitters (at least in the mainstream genre) like Kinks, Rod Stewart, Manfred Mann, Bee Gees, etc. The collection is from 1974. Gatefold cover. Auto-coupled for sequential playing (Sides 1 & 4 / Sides 2 & 3). NM/EX.

Various – ¡Something Festive! — Holiday classics from the likes of Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Liza, Burt Bacharach, Claudine Longet and more. VG+.

We got to listen to the Belle and Sebastian and the one of the comps from last week yesterday. We didn’t get a proper listening day but we will. Underdog Records has gotten a good bit of freshly-used vinyl and that was nice to see. He’s been so busy with the RSD stuff he hadn’t had time. Jonathan is doing deliveries M-W and the store is open Thursday-Saturday. You can buy new vinyl, day or night, 24/7 from the Underdog Records website. I used Discogs to track my collection, and you should, too!

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“Bobby’s driving through the city tonight, through the lights in a hot new rent-a-car. He joins the lovers in his heavy machine. It’s a scene down on Sunset Boulevard. Say goodbye to Hollywood. Say goodbye, my baby.” – “Say Goodbye to Hollywood” (Joel)

Now Normal Chronicles or: Shload

29 Tuesday Sep 2020

Posted by TGBII in Video

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Tags

10000 Maniacs, Alice in Chains, Billy Joel, Chicago, Iron Maiden, Kool & The Gang, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, New Order, OMD, Peter Gabriel, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rush, Stevie Wonder, Stone Temple Pilots, The Fall, The Rolling Stones, The Smiths, The Verve

Salutations™!!

Today is a big day in musical releases. Glorified Magnified from Manfred Mann’s Earth Band turns 48. All the World’s a Stage from Rush is 44. The Stranger from Billy Joel is 43. Celebrate! from Kool & the Gang and Hotter Than July by Stevie Wonder are 40. Bend Sinister from The Fall, Somewhere in Time from Iron Maiden, Brotherhood from New Order, The Pacific Age from OMD, and Chicago 18 are all 34 today. Strangeways, Here We Come from The Smiths and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan from Red Hot Chili Peppers is 33. Core from Stone Temple Pilots, Dirt from Alice in Chains, Our Time in Eden from 10,000 Maniacs and Us from Peter Gabriel are all 28. Bridges to Babylon by The Rolling Stones Urban Hymns from The Verve are 23. There are more but none that I really want to talk about.

Whew! That’s a lot. I mean, two huge grunge-era releases, one of the best from Maiden and we know what a fan of Peter Gabriel I am. But, since The Stranger is my favorite album from Billy Joel and this is my favorite song by him, it’s a no-brainer and this dude does it very well. I do kind of wish the saxophonist wouldn’t have been so diva-ish about his parts. Enjoy!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Things are okay with me these days. Got a good job, got a good office. Got a new wife, got a new life and the family’s fine. We lost touch long ago. You lost weight I did not know you could ever look so nice after so much time.” – “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” (Joel)

Now Normal Chronicles or: Muchness

23 Wednesday Sep 2020

Posted by TGBII in Video

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Billy Joel, Music, Video

Salutations™!!

There’s a lot of anniversaries today… Abraxas from Santana is 50 today. Aja from Steely Dan, Passage from The Carpenters and Little Criminals from Randy Newman are all 43. Parallel Lines from Blondie is 42. Tommy Tutone – 2 from Tommy Tutone is 39. The Nylon Curtain from Billy Joel is 38. This Nation’s Saving Grace from The Call and The Wishing Chair from 10,000 Maniacs are 35. Third Stage from Boston is 34. Legacy from Poco is 31. Better Living Through Chemistry from Fatboy Slim is 30. Some biggies on there. But, I just can’t pass this one up! And from a 12-13 year old doing it all solo. Great job, Matt! Enjoy!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“All grown up and no place to go. Psych 1, Psych 2. What do you know? All your life is Channel 13. Sesame Street. What does it mean? I’ll tell you what it means. Pressure!” – “Pressure” (Joel)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 7/11/20

12 Sunday Jul 2020

Posted by TGBII in Records, Spinning Sunday

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Andrew Bird, Billy Joel, Bohemian Rhapsody, Discogs, Guns 'N' Roses, Music, Queen, The BCPF, Underdog Records, vinyl

Salutations™!!

The usual Saturday routine, The BCPF and I got up, ran to Underdog Records, had lunch, listened to records, had dinner, watched a movie (Bohemian Rhapsody, by the way).

GnR--UseYourIllusion1

©Geffen

Here’s the haul:

  • Andrew Bird – My Finest Work Yet — The BCPF and I saw Andrew Bird open for Belle and Sebastian two years ago. He was great. This is, like most of his work, experimental, ethereal and kind of laid back. I dug it. New.
  • Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion I — This album and its twin were overplayed in 1991. Not nearly as much as Appetite for Destruction was and still is, but it was. But, no matter, I loved them then and I love them now. I only got #I (because that’s all that was at Underdog Records) but I’m sure I’ll find #II soon. I was at the infamous Greensboro concert when they were 2-3 hours late and played until 3am. They played these albums, to the best of my knowledge, in their entirety and I was in awe. Then again, I hadn’t been going to concerts that often but this was amazing. The first time I heard their version of “Live and Let Die” was at this show and I nearly cried. I love that tune. Great album. I need to listen to #II again to see which I like better. 2xLP. New.
  • Queen – A Night At The Opera — The Queen album, at least to most. I don’t know that I fit in that category because I have others I like better, but I guess this is like Queen’s Destroyer, considered their quintessential masterpiece, even if it wasn’t really. We watched Bohemian Rhapsody last night and it was amazing. Then when we finish watching, I check my phone and see that the video of me doing “Bicycle Race” was posted yesterday (that song is not on this album). A coinkidink for sure. This album is really fantastic. New.
  • Billy Joel – Streetlife Serenade — Billy’s third album. I really, really, love old Billy Joel. I say old. Isn’t all of it old now? How about earlier BJ? And even with that, I’m good through most of his career. Listening to the recurring Joel channel on SiriusXM opened me up to a lot of cool stuff I hadn’t heard. This has “Root Beer Rag” and “The Entertainer” on it. Those are prominent but the whole album is a great listen. EX.
  • Billy Joel – Songs In The Attic — This was BJ’s first live album. It had a bit from his debut album, which at the time wasn’t readily available. Most importantly to me, on this album is the version of “She’s Got a Way” that I’m most used to hearing. It was a great representation of his early stuff and we loved listening to it. VG+.

Not a huge haul today but fun. And, we did something we don’t always do. We listened to all of our haul on the day we got it. Jonathan was talking with some folks about purchasing some used stuff to resell. I love hearing that. Distribution has been rough because of C-19 but he keeps getting stuff and is still doing deliveries early in the week. Watch Underdog Records’ Instagram and Facebook pages to see what he is getting in, new and used, and even equipment and supplies. You can DM for something (first come first served) you see. Jonathan can try to special order things for you as well. I use Discogs to keep track of my collection and am able to share it with my friends.

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“You suck my blood like a leech, you break the law and you breach. Screw my brain till it hurts, you’ve taken all my money. And you want more. Misguided old mule with your pigheaded rules. With your narrow-minded cronies who are fools of the first division.” – “Death on Two Legs” (Mercury)

The Monday Recap or: The Listens 5/31/20

01 Monday Jun 2020

Posted by TGBII in Records

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10000 Maniacs, Billy Joel, Charles Mingus, Discogs, Elton John, Judas Priest, KC & the Sunshine Band, Leonard Bernstein, Music, Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, The Byrds, Underdog Records, vinyl

Salutations™!!

So, as I said yesterday, I’m going to attempt to write my Monday blog post about the week of “my” listening. Per usual, this week’s streaming listens comes from Discogs’ shuffle feature and it has to be an album that I own on vinyl (outside of peripheral things like Beeswax Vinyl & More listens), that way it’s like listening to my vinyl but with headphones from my computer whilst The BCPF works 10 feet away. Here’s the list (this is in order of listens):

  • Various – How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (The Original Broadway Cast Recording)
  • Pink Floyd – Animals
  • Charles Mingus – Mingus Ah Um
  • Judas Priest – Unleashed In The East (Live In Japan)
  • Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel I (Car)
  • Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison – My Fair Lady
  • Leonard Bernstein – West Side Story (Original Sound Track Recording) I don’t know why I had three musical soundtracks this week. I’m okay with that.
  • 10,000 Maniacs – In My Tribe
  • Billy Joel – Glass Houses
  • KC And The Sunshine Band – KC And The Sunshine Band
  • Elton John – Too Low For Zero
  • The Byrds – Younger Than Yesterday
  • Paul Simon – Graceland
  • Peter Gabriel – So — Yes it is my favorite album of all time and I was elated that it showed up!

Collage16120

So, all the records that I had in Discogs for this, I believe they all came from Underdog Records. 99% of my records came from there.

Again, check out Underdog Records’ social and web stuffs. Buy records. Use Discogs to keep track of your collection and use it’s groovy (see what I did there) shuffle feature.

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“I am standing up at the water’s edge in my dream. I cannot make a single sound as you scream. It can’t be that cold, the ground is still warm to touch. We touch, this place is so quiet, sensing that storm.” – “Red Rain” (Gabriel)

Spinning Sunday or: The Listen 5/23/20

24 Sunday May 2020

Posted by TGBII in KISS, Records, Spinning Sunday

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10cc, ABC, Accept, Adam & the Ants, Angel, Barbra Streisand, Bauhaus, Berlin, Billy Idol, Billy Joel, Blue Oyster Cult, Boston, Discogs, Heart, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Huey Lewis & The News, Jim Steinman, KISS, Megadeth, Music, Patti Smith, Phil Collins, Radiohead, Records, Run-DMC, Rush, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Squirrel Nut Zippers, The BCPF, The Cars, The Clientele, The Mamas and the Papas, The Outlaws, The Rolling Stones, Timbuk3, Underdog Records

Salutations™!!

Another Saturday passes that we didn’t get to darken the door of Underdog Records. That doesn’t mean Underdog isn’t busy. Heck no! Jonathan is running himself ragged to make deliveries and has extended the reach to Greensboro, High Point and other places. So, definitely watch the Underdog Records Facebook and Instagram and watch what he’s releasing. Purchasing is first-come-first-serve so be on the lookout. Also, you can purchase new vinyl anytime day or night on the website. If you’re outside of the delivery area or just don’t want Jonathan to drop stuff off at your door, then he offers “unlimited” LPs (I’m sure it’s a little limited) for a flat rate $4.

This week’s “listens” were abundant. 22 albums I got through from Monday-Friday.

And, per usual, this week’s streaming listens comes from Discogs’ shuffle feature and it has to be an album that I own on vinyl (outside of peripheral things like Beeswax Vinyl & More listens), that way it’s like listening to my vinyl but with headphones from my computer whilst The BCPF works 10 feet away. Here’s the list (this is in order of listens):

collage152420

  • Huey Lewis & The News – Small World
  • Siouxsie & The Banshees – Tinderbox
  • Angel – On Earth As It Is In Heaven
  • Rush – Hold Your Fire
  • Adam And The Ants – Kings Of The Wild Frontier
  • Phil Collins – No Jacket Required
  • Jim Steinman – Bad For Good
  • Radiohead – Kid A
  • Herb Alpert And The Tijuana Brass – !!Going Places!!
  • Heart – Dreamboat Annie
  • The Rolling Stones – Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out
  • The Mama’s And The Papa’s – If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears
  • Barbra Streisand – The Broadway Album
  • Megadeth – Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?
  • Accept – Balls To The Wall
  • 10cc – Bloody Tourists
  • Billy Idol – Billy Idol
  • ABC – How To Be A Zillionaire!
  • The Outlaws – Outlaws
  • Run-D.M.C. – Run-D.M.C.
  • Billy Joel – The Stranger
  • Blue Öyster Cult – Mirrors

collage252420

Whew! A long listening list indeed! It was spread out, too. The BCPF remarked how I went from Streisand to Megadeth. It worked. I love Streisand and I’m not afraid to admit that. But, I was ready for something heavy after having gone through The Mamas and the Papas and Streisand back to back. It worked, as I said.

collage452420

Well, yesterday, here’s what The BCPF and I listened to, actually on vinyl:

  • Timbuk 3 – Eden Alley
  • The Cars – Shake It Up
  • Kiss – Dynasty (its 41st anniversary yesterday)
  • Bauhaus – Burning From The Inside
  • Berlin – Pleasure Victim
  • Squirrel Nut Zippers – Hot
  • Boston – Don’t Look Back
  • The Clientele – Suburban Light
  • Patti Smith – Horses

All-in-all, it was a great listening week. I just hope to get into Underdog Records soon to rummage through the used vinyl.

collage352420

Again, check out Underdog Records’ social and web stuffs. Buy records. Use Discogs to keep track of your collection and use it’s groovy (see what I did there) shuffle feature.

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“I was seventeen, you were just a dream. I was mesmerized, I felt scared inside. You broke my heart and I still can feel the pain. I’ve been counted out, I’ve had fear and doubt. I’ve been starry-eyed, never satisfied. Because late at night I still need you just the same.” – “Sure Know Something” (Stanley/Poncia)

Spinning Sunday or: The Listen 5/2/20

03 Sunday May 2020

Posted by TGBII in Records, Spinning Sunday

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Alice Cooper, Billy Joel, Breathe, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Dire Straits, Discogs, Don Henley, Electric Light Orchestra, Heart, John Lennon, K-Tel, Music, Pavement, Peter Gabriel, Portastatic, Queen, Records, Rush, Styx, The BCPF, The Cure, The Smiths, Underdog Records

Salutations™!!

I am so longing for the opportunity to get back into Underdog Records and rummage through the used albums, some new albums and just to see Jonathan again. This is getting rougher as the time slips away. We’ve eaten well, though.

This week was a lot shorter in both the headphone/streaming listening and the actual record listening. The BCPF and I only got four albums in yesterday. I would say that we were busy but, other than cutting my hair, grabbing lunch and dinner, we didn’t do much of anything. We always listen from as early as we can to dinner time. Then we catch up on binge-watching, which right now is Roseanne. And, I was in the studio twice this week and was on some video conferences, so my headphone listening was lighter, too. Anywhat! Here’s the “headphone listen” list:

  • Don Henley – The End Of The Innocence
  • Breathe  – All That Jazz
  • Styx – Man Of Miracles
  • Electric Light Orchestra – Out Of The Blue
  • The Smiths – Hatful Of Hollow
  • Alice Cooper – Killer
  • Peter Gabriel – Security
  • Queen – A Day At The Races
  • John Lennon – Mind Games
  • Daryl Hall & John Oates – Along The Red Ledge
  • Rush – Grace Under Pressure
  • Billy Joel – Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II
  • Heart – Magazine
  • Dire Straits – Dire Straits

collage50320

That was it for my private listening. Again, to explain what the “private listening” is, I use Discogs to pick an album that I already have on vinyl. That way, I am listening to what I have but not bothering The BCPF in the process, as she tries to work. So, I’m listening to my collection, just under headphones. Now to the record listening, what there is of a list, anyway:

  • Pavement – Brighten The Corners
  • Various – Hot Tracks (was the K-Tel compilation that brought me out of “Kissdom”)
  • Portastatic – The Summer Of The Shark
  • The Cure – Disintegration (was its 31st anniversary)

collage150320

There you have it. My/our slim listening lists for the week. Hopefully, this week I get more listening time. Or… hopefully, this week we can get some money coming in! That would be even better.

Underdog is still doing deliveries all over the Triad. He started just in WSNC and has moved to the outlying areas and, to me, is overworking himself. But, he’s a dedicated record store owner. Possibly the most dedicated there is. And, he’s the sweetest dude, too. You really should check out the Instagram (especially) and Facebook pages of Underdog Records. You can order new stuff, anytime, day or night, on the Underdog Records website. He can deliver to your house or ship it to you, unlimited LPs for $4. Get you some rekkids! And, obviously, I use Discogs to track my collection.

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“Cover me when I sleep. Cover me when I breathe. You throw your pearls before the swine, make the monkey blind. Cover me, darling please…” – “Shock the Monkey” (Gabriel)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 11/3/18

04 Sunday Nov 2018

Posted by TGBII in Records, Spinning Sunday

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Billy Joel, Black Sabbath, Discogs, Don McLean, Earth Wind and Fire, Electric Light Orchestra, Foreigner, John Ralston, Joy Division, Lionel Richie, Music, Nicole Atkins, Nirvana, Ozzy Osborne, Prince, Records, Rockwell, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Smokey Robinson, The Less Desirables, The Less Desirables Network, The Who, Underdog Records, Warsaw

Salutations™!!

Started out yesterday with some crépes and headed on over to Underdog Records, one of The BCPF’s and my favorite places! Here’s what we got!

ELODiscoveryalbumcover

©Jet/Columbia

  • Siouxsie & The Banshees – Superstition — The BCPF loves Siouxsie and the Banshees. It fits her once goth modus operandi. I like them pretty good, too, but she’s the true fan. This is from 1991 but is a reissue from 2018, It has “Kiss Them For Me.” New. In fact…
  • Siouxsie & The Banshees – Tinderbox — This is a little older, from around 1986 with “Cities in Dust.” It’s the 2018 reissue and is new.
  • Nirvana – MTV Unplugged In New York — I actually picked this up on Thursday, but didn’t enter it into Discogs until yesterday. Some disagree with me, but I think this is a fantastic album! It’s raw and you can almost hear Cobain’s pain but at times you can hear him sounding relaxed and chipper. Still, it’s great. #313 on the RS List. New.
  • Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath — #243 on the RS List, this album was heavy, dark and awesome! It’s a great debut album. Possibly the birth of doom metal or heavy metal, this. New.
  • Ozzy Osbourne – Diary Of A Madman — So, if we go with Black Sabbath, why not go with its former singer? Yep. This is a great album. I don’t like it as much as Blizzard of Ozz or The Ultimate Sin, but I do like it a lot! New.
  • Nicole Atkins – Goodnight Rhonda Lee — I discovered Nicole Atkins last week whilst finding something by someone playing locally and found a song that I liked on the first try and once I grabbed what I needed, I didn’t stop the album from playing. I then listened to it again. I felt it was something that The BCPF would like and I knew that I liked it, so I had Jonathan order it for me. She loved it. It’s like Dusty Springfield mixed with some Stevie Nicks with swing and jazz stylings that rocked. This is a must-listen, Dear Reader! New.
  • Warsaw – Warsaw — When Joy Division did their first demo, they were still going by Warsaw. So, this is that demo. The BCPF said she had it when it was actually Joy Division and the album was called Warsaw but this is an “unofficial release” and it sounded pretty good, albeit bass heavy. Not the gloom-and-doom Joy Division we came to know. New.
  • John Ralston – Shadows Of The Summertime — John played at Underdog Records on Friday night and we purchased this. Haven’t listened to it, yet, but we enjoyed him. New.
  • Earth, Wind & Fire – Raise! — The one with “Let’s Groove” on it. I love that song; probably my favorite EWF song. VG+.
  • Prince – Controversy – I found this in VG- condition but I still couldn’t pass it up. I mean, it’s Prince and I didn’t have it already. So, now I do.
  • Smokey Robinson – Blame It On Love & All The Great Hits — I’ve never been a huge fan of Smokey. He’s got a great voice but I just don’t like most of the songs. The BCPF wanted it. She got it. VG+.
  • Lionel Richie – Great Love Songs With The Commodores & Diana Ross — I had this on CD, one of the first 100 or so that I got. I got it (on CD) exclusively for the song “Endless Love” but all the songs are great tunes. VG++.
  • Don McLean – American Pie — Let me go on record and say that I absolutely LOATHE the song “American Pie.” It ranks up there with “Freebird” as the worst song ever. But, The BCPF said we should have it in our collection. Okay… It was in the $1 bin so there’s that. VG.
  • Billy Joel – Turnstiles — Billy Joel for $1? Yep. I’ll take it. And, it looks to be in fairly good condition. I’m calling it VG+. This album has “New York State of Mind,”  “Say Goodbye to Hollywood,”  “Prelude/Angry Young Man” and “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway).”
  • The London Symphony Orchestra – Tommy — 2xLP box set with Daltrey, Townshend, Rod Stewart, Ringo Starr and a plethora of guests with the London Symphony Orchestra. A $1 bin find it’s in VG+ shape.
  • Electric Light Orchestra – Discovery — “Shine a Little Love,” “Don’t Bring Me Down,” “Last Train to London,” “Confusion” and “The Diary of Horace Wimp.” I love ELO and didn’t really realize how much until I was researching for the VSS stuff last year. A $1 bin find. VG+.
  • Rockwell – Somebody’s Watching Me — This was sitting on the counter in front of Jonathan and I asked about it. It’s Berry Gordy’s son and has that one catchy tune with Michael Jackson. $1. VG+.
  • Foreigner – Double Vision — I had this (their sophomore effort) already but it was the 2nd pressing cover. This is the original cover. Including “Hot Blooded,” “Blue Morning, Blue Day” and the title track. I found it in the $1 bin and it is VG+.
  • Foreigner – Foreigner — The debut album with “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold as Ice” and “Long, Long Way from Home.” It was in the $1 bin and it’s also VG+.
  • Various – Peter And The Wolf / The Sorcerer’s Apprentice — Side 1 is Peter, Side 2 is Apprentice. $1 bin find. Not in the greatest of shape. Good at best. Fair most likely.

This haul was the biggest we’ve had in a while. Underdog Records was celebrating their fifth anniversary and there were sales happening. Remember that Underdog Records is THE Official Music Sponsor of The Less Desirables. Make sure you listen to the latest episode each week (on Wednesday night) to hear the weekly TLD/UDR special.

Discogs is where I keep my collection in check. It’s a great app and tool.

Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“All that I have left is the sound of my own breath and then darkness falls so quiet. Here’s a feeling I’ve had many times before. Every time you leave it’s your arms that I bereave then the next time to leave’s yours. I watch the ghosts of your footsteps by our door.” – “Darkness Falls So Quiet” (Atkins)

Sounds Like Saturday or: Seniors’ Last Hurrah

29 Saturday Sep 2018

Posted by TGBII in Sounds Like Saturday

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Billy Joel, Kennebunk High School, Sounds Like Saturday

Salutations™!!

Today was the 41st anniversary of Billy Joel’s The Stranger album and it’s one of my faves by him, if not the fave. So, for today, here’s a really cool cover of what is probably my favorite Billy song (at least currently) and it’s done by a senior class at Kennebunk High School back in what looks like 2010. There were a couple of hiccups but it’s pretty fantastic. Enjoy!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Things are okay with me these days. Got a good job, got a good office, got a new wife, got a new life and the family’s fine. We lost touch long ago. You lost weight I did not know you could ever look so nice after so much time.” – “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” (Joel)

Fare Thee Well or: A Man Crush Confidential

08 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by TGBII in Blogging, Food, Life as We Know It, Travel

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Anthony Bourdain, Asia Argento, Billy Joel, CNN, Culinary Institute of America, Elton John, Eric Ripert, Kitchen Confidential, Life, Life as It is, Paris, The BCPF, The Grateful Dead, The Ramones, Travel, WSNC

Salutations™!!

My interest in Anthony Bourdain came right after The BCPF and I met. She talked about liking his show, No Reservations, and how she really loved it and his bad-arsed qualities. It was an immediate reaction for me. Dang! This cat is cool and he loves food and travel. He dug into things that went beyond just food and travel, though.

170905122613-anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-trinidad-exlarge-169

©David Holloway/CNN

 

He was a social activist. Which I know being a bleeding-heart liberal can turn a lot of people off. But, he was able to do that without being too in-your-face about it. He was outspoken about sexual harassment in restaurant kitchens as well as the circus that has become Hollywood’s own fight within about the same subject. In fact, his partner/girlfriend, Asia Argento, was one of the women that Harvey Weinstein allegedly harassed. But, he worked for better working conditions for restaurant workers.

Another thing that drew me to him was his willingness to try just about any food. He was especially fond of using varietal bits of animals, the stuff that most 21st century people wouldn’t think of eating. That caught on. I mean, a few of my favorite local chefs here in WSNC do what is called an offal dinner and use glands, hearts, gizzards and just about anything else they can find to use. That rubbed off on me, too. It was because of his adventurous eating that inspired me to do more of it myself. Sweetbreads. Foie gras. Glands. Organs. I will try many things like that, now. I love steak/beef tartare and it’s because of him.

But, it wasn’t the food and the activism alone. It was about the travel, too. He had a fascination with the people and cultures of Southeast Asia. He always said when he retired he would move there. The BCPF and I totally expected him to do just that. He loved Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. He loved China, Malaysia, the Philippines and one of the most memorable episodes of his latest show, Parts Unknown, was filmed in Myanmar.

He loved to show his “TV friends” places that most likely would have been way off our radar. Sure, he went to some glamorous parts but mostly he dug deep into deep areas that were “less desirable,” and brought awareness, by way of “documentary-style” television. He got to know the natives. He befriended them, got to know them, lived with them for small amounts of time, learned about them and, perhaps most importantly, he learned from them. Thus, we learned from them.  He was a rock star in travel and food.

The BCPF and I love to travel. We love being places. So much of our “wish list” is based on places that he’s been. The only reason we don’t follow through is financial reasons. But, we both love to learn about different cultures and immerse ourselves in those cultures. He did that for us and we would sit with him in our living room and learn more, benefiting from his insight, knowledge and learning. I’ve loved him. I’ve had a man-crush on him.

Just this past week, 3B, my 16-year old culinary hopeful, asked me who my favorite celebrity chef was. Without hesitation, I said Anthony Bourdain (and followed by Gordon Ramsey), even though he had technically moved from the culinary aspects of his life. He wasn’t completely out of it. He talked a lot about cooking, methods, ingredients, techniques and it was never not part of his conversations, at least on television.

He graduated from Culinary Institute of America in 1978 with an associates degree. He went on to become the executive chef of Brasserie Les Halles in NYC and eventually moved on from there. But, up until their closing last year, he was considered their “chef-at-large.” He was given an honorary doctorate from CIA in December 2017.

I haven’t always agreed with him, though. He’s a fan of the Ramones and I don’t care about the Ramones. He doesn’t like Billy Joel or Elton John and I really like both of them. I am with him on the Grateful Dead though, I don’t care for them, either. He’s been tough on some celebrity chefs and lenient on others. But, he admits when there are mistakes that he’s made and apparently he’s made a lot.

He’s had demons. He was an abuser of illicit drugs. He’s admitted to using LSD, cocaine, heroin, psilocybin mushrooms (which he would soak in honey and flavor his tea) among others. He was a two-pack-a-day smoker until a few years back which he quit for his daughter’s sake. That little girl is 11 years old, now. And she’s without a father.

You see, Anthony Bourdain was found dead in his Parisian hotel by his best bud, Éric Ripert, who appeared on many of “Tony’s” shows. It was an apparent suicide, although as of this writing, I don’t know how he did it. And, I don’t know if there is a note. I think this is hitting me as hard as it did when Prince and Bowie died two years ago. As I said, he was a rock star, at least to me. He sat in my living room. He helped (indirectly) strengthen my incredible marriage to my beautiful wife.

I feel awful about this. I think I’d feel less bad had it been natural causes or something that wasn’t his doing. But, this was suicide and I have an especially hard time with that. I feel for his 11-year old daughter. I feel for his fans. I feel for others that loved him that have also dealt with suicide directly by a loved one as this is reliving a situation. I talked to just a person like that this morning. I won’t go into that because it’s not my story but she touched my heart with her story.

Something very interesting is that he always said he didn’t care for Paris. The BCPF and I call it our favorite city. The last time we were there, we actually purchased his book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly in Shakespeare and Company, an English-speaking bookstore which happens to be one of the most famous bookstores in the world. I look at it often and say, I want to read that. I have a feeling that I may get to that, now.

I also have a feeling that there will be a lot of binge-watching of old eps of No Reservations and current eps of Parts Unknown. Tony, I miss you already, sir. I need to pick up my culinary chops and do you proud (at least in my mind). Thank you for the inspiration and guidance, though we never spoke. Thank you for the cultural lessons and the social advocacy.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Sad Scorp out…

—
“If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” – Anthony Bourdain

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