Tag Archives: Blue Oyster Cult

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 9/15/18

16 Sunday Sep 2018

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Salutations™!!

Points_on_the_Curve_CD_cover

©Geffen Records

It was a rather dreary day in WSNC yesterday and will continue to be for a few days. There were minimal folks out because no one knows what Florence is going to do. So, The BCPF and I made sure to get some good listening material at Underdog Records. And, we did! Here’s what:

  • Sly & The Family Stone – Fresh — #186 on the RS List and I love good funky rock and that’s what this is. Great stuff. Yellow label UK pressing, I believe. It’s in VG++ condition.
  • The Blue Öyster Cult – Tyranny And Mutation — This was the 23rd entry on the Eugeology list from last year. I stated at the time that I didn’t care to hear it again. I do want my list stuffs on vinyl, so here it is in my listening realm again. VG+.
  • Aztec Camera – High Land, Hard Rain — I had heard of Aztec Camera but knew nothing of them. I had seen a few AC albums and thought nothing of it. I didn’t know it was The BCPF’s kind of thing. She said it was and we got this one. I could tell right away that it was definitely her kind of thing. It’s VG++.
  • Simple Minds – Once Upon A Time — There are a lot of great songs on this album and I was very happy to have it. It was a VG++ rated album and we really enjoyed listening to it. Simple Minds are a great band and I’ll buy pretty much anything from them I find.
  • New Order – Low-life — This wasn’t purchased from Underdog Records but was given to us there by our pal Clay Howard. Clay’s the only person we know that will give you gifts for his birthday! It was a great listen and The BCPF was singing along with the whole thing. At least mouthing the words, she won’t sing in front of me for whatever reason. VG++!
  • Wang Chung – Points On The Curve — I will never understand what in the wide-world-of-sports they’re talking about on “Dance Hall Days” but I really like the song. There were several great tunes on this album, and I’ll venture to say it was one of my favorite listens yesterday. Good early 80s pop and the best part is we found it in the $1 bin. I will go as far as saying it was VG++.
  • Henry Mancini – The Best Of Mancini — I love Henry Mancini and his smooth and groovy jazz stylings. He does it really well not only as musical releases but in television and movies, as well. It was a $1 bin find and is VG+.
  • Rod Stewart – Never A Dull Moment — It was funny to watch both The BCPF and me trying to figure out how to get the vinyl out of the sleeve. It was some weird double-flapped gatefold type thing. It turns out you get the vinyl from the back of that. It’s difficult to explain. We just had never seen one like that. Anywhat! It was a $1 bin find and I was surprised how much I liked the album. Some of Stewart’s older albums are a bit bluesy for me. VG.
  • Rick Springfield – Success Hasn’t Spoiled Me Yet — Another great pop album from the early 1980s. Speaking of Clay Howard, the first time we talked about playing music together was him asking about doing a Springfield tribute band. “Don’t Talk to Strangers” is on this one. Great stuff. VG+.
  • Various – Hit Machine — My friend Taylor Chamberlin contacted me on my Instagram post about this. He asked if I had it and I said I didn’t, which was odd because I have such a vast collection of K-Tel albums. He left it at Underdog Records for me. That was a swell gesture of him, I think. Thanks, TC. It’s G+.

So, not a huge haul but a very satisfying one. We got to all but the BOC and K-Tel album yesterday. It was a great listen day. I’ll have some news about The Less Desirables and Underdog Records this week. But, let me say that you can find a lot of cool records both used and new at Underdog. A lot of the stuff from the late 80s and into the 00s that were not even really released on LP is not being re-released in that format and Underdog Records gets them. Be sure to listen to The Less Desirables to hear what the TLD/UDR exclusive deal of the week is.

Discogs is my go-to for cataloging my albums and listing them here. It’s the easiest way to keep up with your collection, too. And, they have a great marketplace for selling or buying your records, cassettes or CDs.

Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“What you gonna do when things go wrong? What you gonna do when it all cracks up? What you gonna do when the love burns down? What you gonna do when the flames go up? Who is gonna come and turn the tide? What’s it gonna take to make a dream survive? Who’s got the touch to calm the storm inside? Who’s gonna save you? Alive and kicking.” – “Alive and Kicking” (Kerr/Burchill/MacNeil)

Silent Sunday or: The Haul 3/10/18

11 Sunday Mar 2018

Posted by in Records, Silent Sunday

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Salutations™!!

Yesterday morning was a little odd because 1) we were recovering from the awesome VSS/Queen show the night before and 2) we had to be at home until later to have some things picked up from our house. We eventually got to Mary’s Gourmet Diner (with 3B with us) and then to Underdog Records.  So, here’s the haul:

  • Cheap Trick – We’re All Alright! – I had to look up this record on Discogs to see if I had it. I didn’t. 2017 release. New.

    220px-Oracular_Spectacular_2008

    ©Columbia

  • They Might Be Giants – I Like Fun – Brand new TMBG and it includes all the smart and snark that you’d think you need from them. It’s in there! New.
  • MGMT – Oracular Spectacular – #494 on the RS list. It was in VG++ condition, basically played maybe once and then sold. So it was near new. Great album, too.
  • The WaterBoys – Room To Roam – UK pressing, VG condition. I know very little about the band but what I have heard, I’ve enjoyed.
  • Al Green – Let’s Stay Together – 2009 reissue in VG++ condition. Same as the MGMT above, like it’s really not been played more than twice or so.
  • Blue Öyster Cult – Agents Of Fortune – The album with what is probably their most famous song on it, “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.” It’s in VG+ condition. At Underdog, the albums that have better ratings and are in better condition get put in the protective sleeves and have detailed stickers on those sleeves. In the “notes” section, Jonathan has “more cowbell!!”
  • Roberta Flack – Feel Like Makin’ Love –  I have found that I really enjoy listening to Roberta Flack’s music. This was a great VG+ addition to the collection.
  • Graham Nash – Wild Tales – VG condition. Nash looks like he’s a necromancer or getting ready to conjure the dark lord or something.
  • Gerry Rafferty – Gerry Rafferty – I know of “Baker Street” and “Right Down the Line.” Other than that, I don’t know much about Rafferty. I’ll find out more when I listen. VG+.
  • The Art Of Noise – In Visible Silence – I didn’t have any Art of Noise on any medium so when I found this in the $1 bin, I had to grab it. It’s in VG condition.
  • Moms Mabley – Moms Mabley At The Playboy Club – I have no idea what this is. It was The BCPF’s pickup. It’s pretty beaten up. I’d say “Good” at best.
  • Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Crush – I love when I get stuff that I knew of but didn’t know it. Does that make sense? I know OMD’s “If You Leave.” I have their latest release. I knew they had more tunes that I had heard. This album has two of those songs. Plus, they have a song entitled “88 Seconds in Greensboro.” I found out that it is talking about the 1979 “Greensboro Massacre” where 5 civil rights activists were shot down by KKK and Nazis right here in Greensboro. It was a $1 bin find and is in really good shape. I’d say VG+.
  • U2 – Wide Awake In America. Rarely do I find U2 albums in the $1 bin. That’s what happened this time. This four-song EP has live recordings from “The Unforgettable Fire” tour. It looks well-used but it plays great. I’ll call it VG.
  • Mott The Hoople – Mott The Hoople – I’ve liked all I’ve heard from this band and this was in the $1 bin. Let’s go with it. There is a bunch of gunk on Side 1 and without getting microscopes and sewing needles, I can’t get it cleaned and I don’t know how it will sound, I’ll just call it G.
  • Michael Jackson – Thriller – This did not come from Underdog, at least not when I got it. I told you last week of the albums that Jerry Chapman, yes, that Jerry Chapman sent me and I had one that was a duplicate? I also said I traded it to Clay for something. This is what I traded for. My sister had this when we were younger and I pretty much procured it for myself. It was tossed around and beaten up pretty bad. I have come across a few copies but none that were in any kind of listenable condition. This is in good shape. Thanks, Clay!

Record Store Day is coming on April 21 and the list is out. Just visit the website and make plans to stand out in the morning in line to grab what you want. The line will be long and the lineup of the releases for that day will be really good. The BCPF has already gone through and made a list. And, then, Discogs, Y’all! Keep track of what you’ve got!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“We don’t make mistakes. We know you. Oh, yes we have known you. Times are changing but not in our street. Once we played there, like the good times. You know it. God, you know it. They’re heading for a shallow grave with a big black cross by a tall white house to a place down south. We won’t forget. To be stabbed in the back by a man they met. In 88 seconds in Greensboro.” – “88 Seconds in Greensboro” (McCluskey/Humphreys)

Dis Go Dat Way or: Another Mother Further (Eugeology Entry 31)

10 Thursday Aug 2017

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Salutations™!!

The last time I liked two in a row from Eugene, the streak was broken. I did like the last two, one surprised me. The other I didn’t know what to expect. Eug and Jon are both still behind but I’m trudging along. Here’s this week’s entry:

Mother's_Finest-Another_Mother_Further

©Epic Records

 

#31 – Another Mother Further by Mother’s Finest.

I had heard of this band and do have one of their albums on vinyl, but not this one. I wish I did have it, though. The first thing I hear when this starts up is “Custard Pie” “Mickey’s Monkey,” a song that first appeared 14 years prior to this version from Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and sounds very different, as well. So, there’s the question. Who was copying who? I know Led Zeppelin gets a lot of flack for “stealing” songs but in their defense, “Custard Pie” doesn’t really sound like Smokey’s version of “Mickey’s Monkey.” But, MF’s version of “Mickey” does have the same bones as the original but sounds a lot like the Zep tune in tone and form. The Zep tune came out two years prior. I have listened to both back to back and there’s certainly some copying going on. But, I like both so who cares, right?

This album has everything. It has hard rock. It has funk. It has soul. It has disco. It has slow jamming R&B. In some ways, it reminds me of a harder rocking Sly and the Family Stone and I love me some Sly. If you’re not familiar with Mother’s Finest, first, shame on you, and shame on me, because I did know about them, just not that they were this good. Anywhat! They are a rock band (some even call it “metal” although we don’t use that term much on this list) comprised entirely of African American musicians. They were worried they’d not get their hard rock cred because of their ethnicity so they didn’t put pictures on their albums. This was the 1970s and I can see their conundrum. But, I don’t care if you’re burnt umber, polka-dots and plaid, good rock is good rock. This is great rock. And, with the other elements they bring, that makes it even better. Ask The BCPF what happens when some 1970s or 1980s slow jams come on the radio. I get my soul on and I’m not afraid to admit it.

So, “Mickey’s Monkey” isn’t the only cover on this album. They do a kick-arse version of Elvis’ “Burning Love,” too. I like this version better; it rocks just right. And, these aren’t even my favorite songs on the album. My absolute favorite is “Thank You for the Love.” That’s just an awesome tune. But, I also really dig “Baby Love,” “Hard Rock Lover” and I especially dig “Dis Go Dis Way, Dis Go Dat Way.” I love the riffs and disco feel. Groovalicious!

I prefer the vocal stylings of Joyce “Baby Jean” Kennedy over Glenn Murdock but both are fantastic and their harmonies intertwine perfectly. Gary “Moses Mo” Moore’s riffs on the guitar are tasteful, clever and he shows he can hang with his contemporaries. Mike Keck’s keyboards are what fill all the cracks and his clav work is so 1970s but so juicy. I think the clavinet can be annoying when used willy-nilly and Keck uses his powers for good on this album. Drummer Barry “B.B. Queen” Borden has some serious chops. Listen to “Hard Rock Lover” and see what I’m saying. But, he can also pull back and add a simple back beat that completely brings out the soul in the music, rocking or not. The bass stylings of Jerry “Wyzard” Seay are not only perfectly laid down, but that tone is amazing. So lush and rich but still cuts through. My biggest complaint with most recordings is when the producer, as well as the band/performer, allow the bass to become background noise. That is certainly not the case here. I love listening to his playing.

Speaking of producers, Tom Werman had a lot to do with some fantastic albums from the 70s and 80s ranging from Cheap Trick (including In Color, Heaven Tonight and Dream Police my three faves by them) to Molly Hatchet and Blue Öyster Cult to Twisted Sister, Kix, Stryper and Poison and more. He’s got some big guns in there. Crisp, clean and easy to hear all that is going on. That’s exactly the case here, as well. And, coming in just under 35 minutes the album is jam packed yet easy to get through.

So, to answer the unasked question: yes, this time, there were three in a row that I liked from Eugene. Thanks so much for introducing this to me, Eug and I await your review and Jon’s as well. This is going on my “want list” for both Underdog Records and Discogs.

Until tomorrow, happy funky listening…
Scorp out!

—
“You give me good feelings. You give me good feelings. You give me good feelings. Ooh, I want to thank you for the love. Thank you for the heartaches. Thank you for the tears I’ve cried. Thank you for all those lies.” – “Thank You for the Love” (Mother’s Finest)

It’s Alright or: Tyranny and Mutation (Eugeology Entry 23)

15 Thursday Jun 2017

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Salutation™!!

Last week’s album was a dream! It may be one of my favorites since we started this project. Thanks, Eugene! Jon‘s still out in the ether or Rotary Land so who knows when and if he’ll get caught up. But, the world doesn’t stop turning, let’s move on.

Blue_Oyster_Cult-Tyranny_and_Mutation.jpg

©Columbia Records

 

#23 – Tyranny and Mutation by Blue Öyster Cult.

I had forgotten something by BOC could be on this list and I dreaded it when it came up. Well, I like some of their songs, I told myself. Turns out, none of the songs I was hoping for was on this album. No “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” “Burnin’ For You” or “Godzilla.” My first listen was full of loathsome annoyance. It was a hodge-podge of styles that really made little sense the first listen through and it was so amateurish.

It isn’t surprising that Eug likes this, though. It seems the rougher and ragged the production and songwriting is, the more he likes it. Something about “spirit of rock and roll,” or the like. I have an appreciation for plenty rock and roll spirit, we just have vastly differing opinions on what that means. At least, we don’t have the same tastes in the overall.  I do think, however, that’s a good thing. I’d not be listening to this list if we liked all the same things. But, I digress…

That first listen was rough. But, I trudged through it and now, six listens through, I have a deeper appreciation for this album. It’s not bad at all, although there are some things I don’t like about it. Two things stand out above all else: 1) I can’t stand the intro to “O.D.’d on Life Itself” (it sounds like something someone who just picked up the guitar for the first time will play over and over because they figured out how to do it; I was there, I know), it’s crap. And, 2) I can’t stand Eric Bloom’s voice, weak and shaky. Joe Bouchard’s voice is pretty good and the songs are fine, but really we need more Buck Dharma on vocals. Listen to the vocals of “Teen Archer” (the only song Dharma sings on this album) and hear the strength and power. Listen to Blooms stuff and it’s, again, like a teenager standing on the stage for the first time.

Bloom’s lyrics are good, though. Let Dharma sing them, I say. “The Red & the Black” is about the Canadian Mounted Police.  “Baby Ice Dog” is, from what I can tell, about a cheating girlfriend. I’m not sure.  “Mistress of the Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl)” is pretty good, too.

BOC gets a little proggy with  “7 Screaming Diz-Busters.” At least in the beginning. It’s also loaded with sexual innuendo. Especially when your read Eric Bloom talk about what it means. Okay. I think that was a lot of BOC: it’s storytelling over flash and bang. I’m okay with that. Still as much as I grew to appreciate this album, I don’t really want to hear it again. I probably would have liked it had it had Dharma singing more. His leads are great, though. Eric Bloom’s “stun guitar” kills me. It’s just extra “fuzzy.” That’s all. There’s a lot of imagery in the lyrics, sometimes hard to follow, sometimes not. I like that aspect, even if I don’t always know what they’re talking about.

I don’t really know what Allen Lanier is doing. I know he plays keys and rhythm guitar, but three guitars in the band, while not too common, isn’t too unusual, either, especially for the time. But, it’s hard to distinguish who is doing what. The Bouchard brothers, Joe on bass and Albert on drums are on it. Joe does a lot of runs and riffs that stand out throughout the album. Albert has great fills and is solid as heck. That’s the highlight of the album for me.

Overall, I don’t mind the album, but would have rathered have heard at least one of the hits. But, that’s not the point of this list, is it? Nope. Thanks Eug, can’t wait to read your take and Jon, well, you’ll be here in a month or so.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Flights of black horseman soar over churches, pursued by an army of birds in the rain. None of them can see the clouds, the polished wings don’t care. Animal ways through the hazy dreams full of pain.” –  “Wings Wetted Down” (A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard)

Silent Sunday or: The Haul 5/27/17

28 Sunday May 2017

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Salutations™!!

Underdog Records closed on Saturday (through this Tuesday) for a bit of “respite.” Never fear though, I still went there Friday (twice) and got a nice haul for the weekend. This is what it looked like:Sgt._Pepper's_Lonely_Hearts_Club_Band

Man… we are certainly gonna need a new cabinet soon. We’ve started on the last cube of the 8 cube cab. It’s coming. Underdog will be open again on Wednesday. You can find them at 825 Burke Street in WSNC. Listen to The Less Desirables to hear what the weekly Underdog/TLD special is. And, use Discogs for your cataloging of LPs and CDs and hit me up, we can share collections.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“It’s all the same, only the names will change. Everyday, it seems we’re wastin’ away. Another place where the faces are so cold. I drive all night just to get back home. I’m a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride. I’m wanted dead or alive. Wanted dead or alive.” – “Wanted Dead or Alive” (Sambora/Bon Jovi)