Yesterday was the 43rd anniversary of Elvis Costello’s second album (his first with the Attractions), This Year’s Model. The album was #98 on the RS list that mattered and dropped to #121 on the one that doesn’t. This is a pretty good rendition. Enjoy!
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “I’ve been on tenterhooks, ending in dirty looks. Listening to the Muzak, thinking ’bout this ‘n’ that. She said that’s that, I don’t wanna chitter-chat. Turn it down a little bit or turn it down flat. Pump it up when you don’t really need it. Pump it up until you can feel it.” – “Pump It Up” (Costello)
Yesterday was a most typical day for The BCPF and me. Up, breakfast, Underdog Records, a quick stop at City Beverage to grab wine that we ordered 2 weeks ago, home to listen to records, MIL, dinner, movie. We love those kind of days. By the way, today is the last Sunday of my 40s. Wow… Here’s the haul:
Elvis Costello – Hey Clockface — This is Elvis’ newest album. We haven’t listened to it, yet, but I liked the pieces that I used in the Underdog Records commercial this week on The Less Desirables. 2×LP, Limited Edition, Indie Exclusive, Red Transparent. Indie exclusive means that the colored vinyl is only available at independent retailers. You won’t get the transparent red at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and large music chains (if those still exist). New.
Norah Jones – Come Away With Me — This was “used” but maybe played once and it is in NM condition. This has become a big deal for the daughter of Ravi Shankar, and both The BCPF and I love her voice, so we had to get it.
Alice In Chains – Facelift — Alice In Chains’ debut album. I have played two songs on it in bands. “We Die Young” and “Man in the Box.” The latter was the first song I ever sang as the lead singer in a band live. A little trio back when I was 22 called Amorak. The name is a long story for another time. But, this album is amazing and I had forgotten just how much so. I still prefer the follow up Dirt but this is still great. 2×LP remaster on 180g black vinyl. New.
Grateful Dead – American Beauty — #261 on the RS List (that matters) and the 50th anniversary edition at that. I am not a fan of the Dead, really. But, I needed this because I think everyone should have it and it’s on that danged list. This is the collector’s edition on 180g black vinyl. New.
The Dream Syndicate – 50 In A 25 Zone — I really know nothing about this. The BCPF put it in the crate. That’s all I know other than it’s a six-track 12″. VG+.
Commodores – Midnight Magic — The seventh album from Commodores. This album has the Lionel Richie-penned “Still” and “Sail On.” VG+.
It’s a shorter haul this week and my wallet thanked me for that. RSD Black Friday edition is coming, well, on Black Friday, so go to the RSD website and see what is coming out that day. The last three RSD drops (Covid 2020 editions) were by lottery appointments only. This one is back to lining up, waiting your turn and going in with people you may or may not know. I don’t know that I will be going to the Black Friday RSD but I don’t know that I’m not. Underdog Records will be open from 8a-7p that day. You can order new vinyl that Underdog Records has in its current inventory, day or night, 24/7 by visiting the Underdog Records website. Also, use Discogs to track your music collection of find those things you just gotta have but can’t find.
Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’… Scorp out!
— “Lady, morning’s just a moment away and I’m without you once again. You laughed at me. You said you never needed me. I wonder if you need me now?” – “Still” (Richie)
Today is the 43rd anniversary of Elvis Costello’s debut album, My Aim Is True. It’s #168 on the RS list and is a pretty darn good album. This was the big hit on the album and it’s a good version. Enjoy!
Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!
— “Oh it’s so funny to be seeing you after so long, girl. And with the way you look, I understand that you are not impressed. But I heard you let that little friend of mine take off your party dress. I’m not going to get too sentimental like those other sticky valentines ’cause I don’t know if you’ve been loving somebody. I only know it isn’t mine.” – “Alison” (Costello)
Today is the anniversary of several albums. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere from Neil Young & Crazy Horse (#210 on the RS list) celebrates 51 years today. The Carpenters’ self-titled third album is 49. Relics: A Bizarre Collection of Antiques & Curios, a compilation album from Pink Floyd is also 49. Little Queen, the second album from Heart is 43 today. Breaking All the Rules from Peter Frampton is 39. Combat Rock from The Clash is 38. Chicago 17, my personal favorite Chicago album is 36. Spellbound, the second album from Paula Abdul is 29. Slang, the sixth studio album from Def Leppard is 24 as is Long Line from Peter Wolf and All This Useless Beauty from Elvis Costello & the Attractions. Maladroit from Weezer and Down the Road from Van Morrison and Vapor Trails from Rush are all 18 today. That’s a lot of albums. The last three were released the day before my son was born. I guess you can figure what tomorrow’s post will be about, huh? Anywhat! This is what I decided to play today. Enjoy!
Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!
— “Loneliness is such a sad affair. And I can hardly wait to be with you again. What to say to make you come again? Come back to me again and play your sad guitar.” – “Superstar” (Bramlett/Russell)
Today is the anniversary of a few albums. The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers (49th) and Black and Blue (44th), The Ramones’ self-titled debut (44th), Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die! from Jethro Tull (44th), Bob Dylan at Budokan (41st), Men At Work’s Two Hearts (35th), TwoHearts, the Dave Mason album (33rd), Joe Walsh’s Ordinary Average Guy(29th), Hootie and the Blowfish’s Fairweather Johnson (24th), Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (18th), Elvis Costello’s When I Was Cruel (18th), Supertramp’s final album Slow Motion (18th), and Peter Gabriel’s Live Blood (8th). That’s a wide field. And, I find it odd that there are two completely different albums with the same name on the same anniversary. I’ll go with this cover, though. Enjoy!
Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!
— “Let’s forget about the tongue-tied lightning. Let’s undress just like cross-eyed strangers. This is not a joke, so please stop smiling. What was I thinking when I said it didn’t hurt?” – “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” (Tweedy)
The BCPF and I have been quarantined and like I said last week, we actually don’t have time during the week to listen to records, even though we have been surrounded by them all day every day for the past three weeks. But, when The BCPF is doing her thing and I am doing mine, I go under headphones and listen to streaming. Yes, believe it or not, I do stream and have CDs. It’s not all about the vinyl. It’s just my preferred way. But, when I am streaming for the home time, I still do a random grab with Discogs and that means it’s stuff that I already have on vinyl. So, this past Wednesday, I think – days are running together – I had a good listen of the following (sorry about the weird black border on the pic):
So, there you have it. Make sure you follow Underdog Records on social media, particularly Instagram. That way you know what he’s putting out for sale. Also, check out the website as Jonathan’s web store is back in business! You can pay via Venmo, CashApp or PayPal and he can bring it to you or ship it for $4 (that’s unlimited LPs for that price). Also, use Discogs to catalog your music collection, no matter the format.
Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!
— “Up on the hill, people never stare. They just don’t care. Chinese music under banyan trees here at the dude ranch above the sea. Aja. When all my dime dancin’ is through, I run to you.” – “Aja” (Fagen/Becker)
A fun Saturday that was a little late starting (just like today) but we had breakfast (or lunch) and then went by to see Jonathan at Underdog Records. Good listening, too. Here’s the haul:
The Police – Synchronicity — Yep, I found another. This was one of the 2019 reissues, but it had a variant cover that I didn’t have, so I bought it. Someone got it for Christmas and decided they didn’t like it and sold it to Jonathan. One listen through so it’s NM.
Touré Kunda – Casamance Au Clair De Lune — According to Wikipedia: “Touré Kunda is a Senegalese band noted for their musical versatility and political activism. Their 40-year career encompasses recordings in over six languages and collaborations with well-known musicians such as Carlos Santana and Talking Heads. They have had considerable success in Africa and Europe and are active in social causes such as Children’s rights and advocates for the homeless.” It’s good stuff. We enjoyed listening to it as we are fans of the world music genres and we have a few. This was a really good listen. VG+.
Squeeze – Babylon And On — There were five singles released on this album and I’m not sure if I know any of them. I don’t know if any of them get played on 1st Wave on SiriusXM much. I’m indifferent to Squeeze. I like them, but I really don’t pay a lot of attention to them. The singles are “Hourglass,” “Trust Me to Open My Mouth,” “The Waiting Game,” “853-5937” and “Footprints.” VG+.
Graham Parker And The Rumour – The Parkerilla — I think I’ve said this before but Parker reminds me of a mix of the new wavy side of Elvis Costello and the punk aspects of Joe Jackson. This is a live album and it’s actually pretty good, for a live album. VG+.
Heaven – Bent — I believe this album has been known as three different things, Heaven, Twilight of Mischief and Bent. The band, as far as I can tell, is Australian and the guitarist, Bradford Kelly, designed the “Kelly” guitar for Jackson, which was probably most famous as being the guitar of choice of Marty Friedman in his Megadeth days. I always loved the design. I don’t know what it sounds like but it sure looks like something that my pal Bobby Richardson, the drummer from Heavens Sake (how coincidental) would love. We always joked that he would go through records (or CDs) just to find some band with a lot of hair. That was his thing. VG.
Yep, a good time in the record shop, snotty weather and all. I wish I had the money but he has a beautiful Kenwood receiver in the store that looks beautiful and he says it sounds beautiful. It’s probably mid-80s and is in pristine condition. Good stuff. Listen to each new episode of The Less Desirables to hear the TLD/UR special. Use Discogs to track your music collection, no matter the medium.
Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!
— “The hourglass has no more grains of sand. My watch has stopped, no more turning hands. The crew have abandoned the ship. The lights are on but no one is in.” – “Hourglass” (Difford/Tilbrook)
The BCPF and I made our way to Underdog Record for the first time in over a week the day after Christmas. I couldn’t go any longer. We had put together our fifth record case and had shifted the whole collection around and now it was time to get more records! I think we did a good job, too. Here’s the haul:
Pink Floyd – A Saucerful Of Secrets — This past April, we got the “mono version” of this for Record Store Day, but you’ll remember that it wasn’t a full version because I got a mis-pressed copy that had some weird dance/electronic song on the first side. Turns out, you needed to run that at 45RPM and when I Shazamed it, it came up “Track 1” from 04 by Moi. Well, this isn’t the cool mono version, but I wanted to have the album anyway, so I bought the stereo reissue from 2016. New.
Love And Rockets – Seventh Dream Of Teenage Heaven — This is the debut album from Love and Rockets, the band that was Bauhaus without Peter Murphy. It was a fun listen and is on a cool deep blue vinyl. It’s big on The BCPF’s list of bands and things she likes so when she saw it, she was like, “can I?” and I can’t tell her no. New.
David Bowie – Low — This was the first of the “Berlin Trilogy” (along with “Heroes” and Lodger). It was done with Brian Eno and Tony Visconti and was recorded mostly in France, not Berlin. It’s instrumental- and synth-heavy. The album is #251 on the RS list. I really like this album and while it doesn’t really feel like a Bowie album to me, it is a great listen. New.
The Jesus And Mary Chain – Psychocandy — This is a weird album. Jangly pop, I like it, but you can’t hear what they’re doing because there is so much “noise.” I think they added the noise and while I respect the artistic “vision,” it makes it really distracting and I think that really takes away from the overall integrity. VG.
The Rolling Stones – 12 X 5 — The second American studio album by the Stones, which released in 1964 following the success of their American debut The Rolling Stones (England’s Newest Hit Makers), which was released concurrently with their UK debut, The Rolling Stones. 12 × 5 is an expanded version of the EP Five by Five, which had followed their debut album in the UK. I had asked The BCPF if we had this album when we were rearranging our records on Monday. This is a really good copy of the 1986 reissue. EX/VG++.
The Connells – Fun & Games — The BCPF gasped audibly when I showed her this album, so to say she was excited would be an understatement. I thought it was a decent listen but not “great.” This is Jangle Pop and it’s okay for that. She was happy and that’s what matters the most! EX/VG++.
AC/DC – Fly On The Wall — I’ve never been a huge AC/DC fan, especially Brian Johnson era, but I didn’t mind this album at all. It’s a mid-80s record and I guess the big tune on this one is “Sink the Pink.” It’s really cookie-cutter 80s AC/DC. So, yeah. VG+.
Crow – Crow Music — I got the “Best Of” from Crow a few weeks back and thought it was decent. This one is their debut and it has what is probably their biggest hit, although I hadn’t heard of them before, “Evil Woman (Don’t Play Your Games With Me),” even though I have heard that song and don’t know if it was from that compilation album or perhaps on a comp CD from Time-Life or what. Anyway, it was pretty good. VG.
Various – The Best Of Laurie, Volume 1 — Compilation album of songs from early- to mid-60s. Dion, Chiffons, The Royal Guardsmen, The Mystics and more. NM.
Elvis Costello And The Attractions – Imperial Bedroom — I believe this is the first real album I heard of EC’s and I remember being really impressed with it. It has a lot of emotions and as The BCPF said, “he writes good torch songs.” VG/VG+.
Byrds – Byrds — I found this in our reshuffling and realized I had never put it in Discogs. I don’t know why. This is the Byrds twelveth and final album. Most of the press I see is less than stellar. But, The BCPF feels like she needs all of them and I’m not arguing over that! VG.
It was so good to see Jonathan again and just being in my favorite local store was a big relief. Jonathan had some good freshly-acquired vinyl and I noticed there was still a good bit of used stereos/turntables/speakers for sale. You gotta go by and check that out. You got Visa gift cards for Christmas, right!? Go invest in some vinyl!
Listen to each new episode of The Less Desirables and hear what the TLD/UR Special of the Week is. Obviously, I use Discogs to track my collection, find what I may have, may need, and definitely want. And, as we found out (or confirmed what we already knew) whilst reshuffling our collection, it is great for the Random Grab!
Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!
— “Wickedness lies in your moistened lips. Your body moves just like the crack of a whip. Black cats lay atop your satin bed. You sure wish that you could see me dead. Evil woman, don’t play your games with me.” – “Evil Woman (Don’t Play Your Games With Me)” (Waggoner/Wiegand/Wiegand)
Like the last few weeks, The BCPF had the day off on Friday and we went to Underdog Records a day early. We got some good stuff and I’m going to share that with you, now!
Michael Kiwanuka – Kiwanuka — I first heard pieces of this album when I was making the commercial for Underdog Records on The Less Desirables. I thought it was great. Jonathan kept getting copies and selling out before I could get there to get one. So, I had him order one for me specifically. Here it was, finally. And it was well worth the wait. Lots of good ambient blues, R&B, rock, all that in one. A great album that even The BCPF loved and was disappointed there wasn’t a download code in the sleeve. New.
The Smiths – Strangeways, Here We Come — Gotta love some miserable Brits, eh? “I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish,” “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before,” “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me” and one of my favorite Smiths tunes, “Girlfriend in a Coma” is on this album. VG++.
Elvis Costello & The Imposters – Look Now — A 2018 release from EC, it sounds like old EC and that is a good thing. He wrote most of the stuff himself but there were three songs co-written by Burt Bacharach and one co-written by Carole King. A really good listen. VG++.
Pink Floyd – Atom Heart Mother — Released a month and a half before I was (born), this is Pink Floyd’s fifth studio album and consists of mostly instrumentals (36:44 of the 52:06 total running time). I didn’t think I’d care for it as sometimes Floyd’s instrumental stuff idles on, but I did enjoy it. It is a good and relaxing atmospheric listen. VG+.
Faces – Ooh La La — This is the fourth and final studio album by Faces. By this time, Rod Stewart had already had a hit with “Maggie May” and his first few solo albums, and the singer had become increasingly distanced from some of his Faces bandmates, who were frustrated by the fact that by this point they had come to be perceived by the public (and even by some concert promoters) as little more than Stewart’s backing band for live work (according to Wikipedia). I had never heard the title track until the Amazon Echo commercials and when I found out who it was, I was like, yeah, that sounds like Rod Stewart. Turns out it was Ronnie Wood who sang it, co-writing it with Ronnie Lane, the bassist. The cover is cool, you can “squeeze” the top of the sleeve and the mouth and eyes move. VG+.
The Who – Magic Bus — Oh we crazy Americans in the 60s and 70s. This is a compilation album of previously released material and was not issued in the UK. They were capitalizing on the success of the song by the same name. The BCPF picked it up! VG+.
Ringo Starr – Beaucoups Of Blues — A most peculiar album, indeed. It’s not really that peculiar, but it’s certainly Ringo’s take on American country and western. It’s pure “tears in my beer.” Not bad for what it was, but… VG+.
Angel City – Face To Face — I had never heard of Angel City until Eugene had me review Two Minute Warning on his hard rock list. You can read my review here. In Australia, they were known as The Angels, but so they wouldn’t be confused with the band Angel (KISS’ rostermates on Casablanca Records), they changed to Angel City. This was their second overall release and the first for the US. It’s a decent listen, as we did so whilst cleaning/straightening our downstairs. Rock, punk, even metal at some points. VG+.
Queensrÿche – Promised Land — This wasn’t purchased at Underdog Records. I believe this came from Bobby the Drummer (from Heavens Sake) when he worked at CEMA (EMI) when we first met. He knew I was a Queensryche fan and gave it to me. I had either forgotten that I had it or where it was (or a combo of the two) and I found it located behind a filing cabinet that I have in my living room. You’d have to see it… but it was still sealed. So, I promptly opened it up and gave it a spin. Operation: Mindcrime will always be my favorite Queensryche album (second favorite overall of all time) and Empire will always be my second favorite ‘Ryche album. But, to me, this is their most underrated. It is just what I wanted to do musically at that time and I still love it. It’s still hard rock but has a more modern edge to it (at least in the mid=90s) and Geoff Tate was still singing and not talk-singing through songs. He hadn’t quite blown himself out at this point. The songs are well-written, still tell stories and still sounds like Queensryche. I love this album and will listen to it again, really soon. Have I mentioned that I love this album?
It’s Christmas time and that means gift certificates and Underdog Records has plenty of them, in any denomination you want. The cool thing is these come on old 45s/singles/7″ whatever you call them. And, Jonathan can still special order anything on vinyl that you need in time for your special vinyl lover (I can give you a list if you’re interested *wink*). Also, Underdog Records will be putting out freshly acquired used vinyl every single business day until Christmas. Also, also, there are plenty of used receivers, turntables, speakers and more in the store if you know someone who has said they’d love to start listening to records (perhaps again) but don’t know where to start. Jonathan can help you out. Listen to each new episode of The Less Desirables to hear the TLD/UR special of the week. I use Discogs to track my awesome record collection and to make sure I don’t double dip something I already have. The BCPF used it to “random grab” a record during our cleaning time yesterday. Much fun, indeed!
Until tomorrow, keep spinning!
Scorp out!
— “Let me whisper my last goodbyes, I know – it’s serious.” – “Girlfriend in a Coma” (Morrissey/Marr)
The BCPF and I did a little jumbling around yesterday. We actually started at Underdog Records instead of it being the last stop of the morning. We had a ribbon cutting at Moji Coffee and More at noon and then had breakfast at Mary’s Gourmet Diner, our first time there in about six months. But, I had gone by Underdog on Friday to grab some stuff for The BCPF and me before someone else took off with it. Anywhat! Here’s the haul:
Bad Books – III — I said on my Instagram post about this album yesterday that one of the joys of having Underdog Records as the official music sponsor of The Less Desirables is making the commercials. It gets me to listen to snippets of new stuff that is highlighted releases. I heard the first song on this and knew right away it is right up The BCPF’s alley so I made sure I picked it up. I was right in thinking she’d love it. The win for me! New.
Steve Earle – Guitar Town — #489 on the RS list. I have never really been a fan of his and I think the reason why is “Copperhead Road.” This album is a good album and not a bad listen. I listened to it a few years back now and was surprised that I didn’t hate it. Would I want to listen to it often? Nah. But I was glad to get it in my collection. VG+.
Caleb Caudle – Paint Another Layer On My Heart — Caleb is a local dude. He’s been on The Less Desirables and plays around here often. He’s gotten pretty big and does tours. I’m glad to know him. VG++.
Band Of Horses – Cease To Begin — One of the ones that I grabbed on Friday because I know how much The BCPF loves Band of Horses. Before we ever started dating, she put a song from this album on a mix-CD for me. It’s a great listen. NM.
Band Of Horses – Why Are You Ok — She got not one, but two Band of Horses albums this weekend. She was happy. Both were NM, too.
Donald Fagen – The Nightfly — I love Steely Dan and I think most of that is because of Donald Fagen. This had two hits on it but the whole album is fantastic. It seems like he had more fluidity outside of the Steely Dan confines and just had a ball with this album. I told The BCPF, when “New Frontier” came on that I thought the video featured a bomb shelter. So, I looked it up. I was right. This was my favorite listen of the day yesterday. VG+.
Elvis Costello And The Attractions – Blood & Chocolate — Elvis goes by Napoleon Dynamite (not to be confused with the film, which I loved) on this album. It’s a decent listen. I never realized how creepy “I Want You” is, but I like it anyway. VG++.
X – Ain’t Love Grand — First Wave heavy, yet poppy punk. It was a good listen. I hear some of their stuff on SiriusXM sometimes. I like it. Singer Exene Cervenka channels her inner Kate Pearson on this album. VG+.
Timbuk 3 – Eden Alley — I never knew the couple had more than their first album and here we are two weeks in a row getting a Timbuk3 album. The BCPF said she had this one when she was a young girl. It’s not epic stuff, or even great for that matter, but it’s a great, fun listen. VG+.
U.K. – U.K. — A progressive supergroup with singer/bassist John Wetton (formerly of King Crimson, Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry’s band and Uriah Heep), keyboardist/electric violinist Eddie Jobson (formerly of Curved Air, Roxy Music and Frank Zappa’s band), guitarist Allan Holdsworth (formerly of Tempest, Soft Machine, The New Tony Williams Lifetime and Gong) and drummer Bill Bruford (formerly a full member of Yes and King Crimson, and also a tour drummer for Genesis). It is from 1978 but sounds more 80s-ish. Jonathan played if for me in the store. I liked it so I took it! I mean I paid for it, but I bought it. VG-.
Shalamar – Heartbreak — The first Shalamar album after Jodi Whatley and Jeffrey Daniel left. It has the only song I know of by the band, “Dancing in the Sheets.” I may find that I know more, but I don’t know. VG+.
Various – A Musical Souvenir Of New York City — Featuring The David Terry Orchestra, The Cherry Hill Songsters, The Travellers Three and The Troubadors. It’s an album of songs about NYC. It’s from 1964 and the picture is of Manhattan but without the WTC since that wasn’t opened until 1973. A $1 bin find. VG/VG+.
America – America — This is the 1972 reissue in which “A Horse with No Name” is included. It was originally released as a single after the debut album was released but it was such a success that Warner Bros. reissued it with the song included. $1 bin find. VG.
Was a great day yesterday and the store was jumping. I love seeing Underdog Records busy. If you’ve not listened to the latest episode of The Less Desirables, you should. Each episode we mention the TLD/UR special of the week. I also use Discogs to keep up with my collection so when someone asks, “how many records do you have?” I can blurt out we have XXXX amount and they’re always amazed that I know that. I know that because of Discogs. “Do you have this record?” Why yes. Or, not yet!
Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!
— “It’s looking like a limb torn off or all together just taken apart. We’re reeling through an endless fall. We are the ever-living ghost of what once was. But no one is ever gonna love you more than I do.” – “No One’s Gonna Love You” (Bridwell/Hampton/Barrett)
