Tag Archives: Lou Reed

Now Normal Chronicles or: On Time on the Wild Side

07 Monday Dec 2020

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Salutations™!!

Whaddayaknow!? I’m actually on time this week. Well, sort of. I’m posting this on Tuesday for Monday but you know, whatever. Tomorrow is the 48th anniversary of Lou Reed’s Transformer album, and because there was nothing I wanted to talk about released today and tomorrow is a little different, I posted about it today. This version is a little airy and different. I like it. Enjoy!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Candy came from out on the Island. In the backroom, she was everybody’s darling. But she never lost her head. Even when she was giving head. She says, “Hey, babe, take a walk on the wild side.” – “Take a Walk on the Wild Side” (Reed)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 11/27/20

29 Sunday Nov 2020

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Salutations™!!

Friday was Record Store Day Black Friday and again, I was mostly ticked that it happened. It’s a money grab and sure I could have skipped it, but that’s not the spirit of the event nor the point. It happened and although I didn’t camp out and wait, I got some good stuff. There was very little that I cared about and maybe just a bit more that The BCPF did. We got to Underdog Records around 930a and the place was empty. There had been a mad rush with people camping out when the doors opened at 8a. But, here’s what we did get…

©Island

Garth Brooks – Legacy – Remixed / Remastered — This was not part of the RSDBF event. This was a 7­×LP/7×CD box set. Most of Garth’s stuff is not available on vinyl and I really with it had the debut album, Ropin the Wind and a few others but it does have No Fences, The Chase, In Pieces, Fresh Horses and a 3×LP live album. I would have gladly traded the two albums missing for all the CDs. I have most of those CDs already. But, these are remastered, so… New.

Big Star – In Space — Also not in the RSDBF piece. Pressed on Translucent Blue Vinyl. Includes Liner Notes From the Band & Other Contributors. It is a reissue of Big Star’s fourth and final album in 2005. This was just 5 years prior to Alex Chilton’s death on St. Patrick’s Day, 2010. It was a good listen. I’m not the biggest Big Star fan but I certainly appreciate them. New.

Andrew Bird – Hark! — The third and final un-RSDBF piece. This is Andrew Bird’s October 2020 release. Packaged in a gatefold jacket with three paper sheet inserts, each with four perforated birds to hang as ornaments. I believe it is also red vinyl. New.

Lou Reed – Live At Alice Tully Hall (January 27, 1973 – 2nd Show) — Record Store Day Black Friday 2020 “RSD First” release. Limited to 5,000 copies.
Limited edition burgundy color vinyl. Issued in gatefold sleeve. Lou’s first solo show in New York City (I believe this is the second of that day). First time ever (officially) released with essay and rare pics & memorabilia. Recorded during Lou’s 1973 Transformer tour. Mixed from restored original multitrack tapes by Matt Ross-Spang. On limited edition burgundy color vinyl. New.

Lou Reed – Magic And Loss — Limited Edition, Reissue, 180 Gram. 2×LP/3-sided with etched side 4. Record Store Day Black Friday 2020 “RSD First” release, limited to 7,000 copies. Issued in non-gatefold jacket with single-page insert with lyrics and credits. The critically acclaimed concept album
First time on vinyl since an original limited release. Pressed on 2 LPs for the first time ever. 180-gram vinyl with side 4 etching. New.

U2 – Boy — Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, White, 40th Anniversary Edition. Record Store Day release for Black Friday 2020. Limited to 10,000 copies. Double-sided poster and lyrics / credit insert included. We have this on vinyl but only an older VG copy. This was special edition and we wanted it. New.

Best Coast – Crazy For You — This version is stamped on standard weight black vinyl. Pressing limited to 4000 copies. 1,000 Seafoam Green
3,000 Standard Weight Black . “All hand numbered xxxx/4000 in the lower right corner of the back cover.” That’s from the Discogs entry. I see no hand numbering. We do have one of the 1000 Seafoam Green ones as we listened to it yesterday. New.

That concludes our 2020 Record Store Day broadcast day. I got some good stuff, but it was anticlimactic now that it’s all said and done. I guess they’ll go back to the regularly scheduled way of doing it in 2021. That is, if we are back to normal at that point. Go visit Jonathan at Underdog Records. He’s open 11a-7p Thursday-Saturday and does deliveries and pickups Monday-Wednesday. Use Discogs to keep track of your collection.

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“Three thirty in the mornin’, not a soul in sight. The city’s lookin’ like a ghost town on a moonless summer night. Raindrops on the windshield, there’s a storm movin’ in. He’s headin’ back from somewhere that he never should have been, and the thunder rolls.” – “The Thunder Rolls” (Alger /Brooks)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 8/8 and Otherwise

09 Sunday Aug 2020

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Salutations™!!

You may be asking what that title means. Well, you also may not, but I’m going to tell you anyway. Remember the last time I did the “Spinning Sunday” (two weeks ago if you don’t remember)? I told you that we had gotten a good start on that TimeLife Great Men of Music series? Well, I decided that wasn’t good enough and that I needed to finish the collection. (insert sigh here)

thebestofbigstar

©Stax

I got on Discogs Marketplace and found the last 13 that I needed to have all 30. Yes, I’m a glutton for punishment. I glutted on, I guess. Now, to be honest, I am missing one, only because it’s not here, yet. The USPS tracking says it’s to be delivered on 8/6 (today is 8/9) but is “delayed.” I know C-19 has the world screwed up and there was a hurricane in the area this week, but this is the only one that had a problem. Anywhat! I’ll leave all the GMoM ones until the end. We got some more TimeLife stuff but I don’t think I’ll go looking to collect all of these. Then again, maybe I will…? Here’s the haul:

  • Lou Reed – When Your Heart Is Made Out Of Ice — A live compilation from Lou Reed, circa 1974 or so. Notes from the album: Side A is in mono, all other sides in stereo. Track C2 notes from back cover: ‘Due to the age of the master tape some restoration & cleaning have not been able to improve a slight tape wobble which runs for a few seconds, only.’ 2xLP. New.
  • Big Star – The Best Of Big Star — I had never heard of Big Star until the day Alex Chilton died. St. Patrick’s Day 2010. Doug Davis (yes, that Doug Davis) and either the Plaids or Mediocre Bad Guys were playing at Finnigan’s Wake prior to them slimming down the SPD festivities and Doug said that Alex Chilton passed away and that it was a kick in the teeth for him. I played it off like I knew what he was talking about but I didn’t know.  Big Star has three entries on the RS list (#449, #434, #405). This is a “greatest hits” album but with some remixes and edits. I hear a lot of Doug’s influences here. Great collection. 2xLP. New.
  • Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues — The BCPF loves Fleet Foxes and it’s right in her wheelhouse. They only have three studio albums and we have them all, plus a 10″ single that we got for RSD Black Friday 2017. Sub-Pop makes her eyes wide and her breath choppy. Sub-Pop is the label in which FF is signed. 2xLP. New.
  • Various – Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — I know it’s 80s cheese and the soundtrack is even more K-R-A-F-T but I love the crap out of this stuff. I loved the movie and the soundtrack. It was there in EX condition and I wasn’t passing it up!
  • Maxus – Maxus — I know NOTHING about this band. It seems to be AOR or something close. I can find some stuff on some of the members online but I think it’s a situation like Toto where it’s a bunch of studio musicians that actually formed a band, but I don’t think they really got anywhere. This is the extent of their releases, I think. I don’t know. But, I like to hunt down stuff strange to me. It’s a promotional copy. VG++.
  • Big Country – Steeltown — This was the follow-up album to the band’s debut, The Crossing which spawned the hit “In a Big Country.” This album had none of that kind of star power but it wasn’t a bad listen, at all. I will even say I enjoyed it. EX.
  • Julian Lennon – The Secret Value Of Daydreaming — The second album from Julian and while it didn’t have the oomph that Valotte had, it still had a modest hit with “Stick Around” that made it to #32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart. The video featured Michael J. Fox, Joe Piscopo, Martin Kove (the heel sensei from Karate Kid), Playboy playmate Peggy McIntaggart and Jami Gertz. VG+.
  • Cheap Trick – Found All The Parts — A 10″ EP release from 1980. A cover of The Beatles’ “Day Tripper” (not live) and three other tunes recorded live. Apparently, there were several versions of this having different members on the labels. I got the “Bun E on both sides” copy. VG+.
  • Tuxedo Junction – Tuxedo Junction — I thought the cover was cool and didn’t know what it was. Think Taco doing “Puttin’ on the Ritz” but about 5-7 years earlier and then take Taco out of it and that’s what you get here. “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and stuff like that. It was a good laugh if nothing else. EX on transparent gold.
  • Various – Original Soundtrack From The Motion Picture “Teachers” — Nick Nolte, JoBeth Williams, Ralph Macchio, and Judd Hirsch. That’s who was in the film. .38 Special, Roman Holiday, Night Ranger, Motels, Freddie Mercury, ZZ Top, Bob Seger, Joe Cocker, Ian Hunter. That’s who was on the soundtrack. VG+.
  • The Peabody College Madrigalians, Members Of The Nashville Symphony Orchestra – A Psalm Of Joy — Moravian Music. That’s all I got. The BCPF loves her Moravian culture (she worked at Old Salem for many years). VG+.
  • Various – Slavic Traditions — So, here is the start of the other TimeLife collections. As with the GMoM series, these have 4xLP and all three boxes are VG+ condition sleeve and media.
  • Various – The Spanish Style
  • Various – The Story Of Great Music: From The Renaissance

Now, as promised, the “rest” of the TimeLife Great Men of Music series. These are in the order I received them, not in their serial numbers the ratings are “media” and “sleeve”:

The reason I noted that they are closer to Near Mint is that with Discogs, most of the sellers keep their ratings slightly lower than what they are. Why? If they rate it NM and you feel it’s really only VG+ then they feel you’ve cheated them. If you list it VG+ and it’s really closer to NM, they are generally happy that it was better than expected. Most of them had listed any defects or blemishes and I saw no need to detract from the near-pristine state most of them were in. This genre of music tends to be collected by more discerning and responsible record owners. Not saying rock people don’t take care of their records, many do, but I know what crappy condition my albums were in when I was a kid, for sure. Now, I take very good care of my stuff, even using a vinyl brush and cleaning them after so many uses. Also, anything that wasn’t from the $1 bin gets a plastic sleeve.

Of course, all the non-classical stuff (and the three collections and Moravian music) all come from Underdog Records. Jonathan is ramping up for Record Store Day(s) 2020. It’s a little different this year and will NOT involve camping out. To learn more about the RSD events and how you can be part of them (it is very different this year), visit the Underdog Records website. We missed Underdog Records and Jonathan last week. We made up for it this week. Obviously, I use Discogs to track my collection and to purchase things I can’t find otherwise.

Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“Now all the masters know that you need the glow. You need the glow, the glow to grow. If you love to live, you live to love. Hah, you got to move to the upper level. Cause when you got the glow, there ain’t no stopping what you want to do. Hah oh! To reach that upper level, your mind, body and soul must be one. It’s a sacrifice. It takes hard work. It’s a way of life.” – “The Glow” (Hutch)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 2/8/20

09 Sunday Feb 2020

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Salutations™!!

Yesterday, The BCPF was to get her hair cut and that got us to Underdog Records earlier in the day. Like, 11am early. Her cut was next door at Hair Bomb with Cynthia Platt-Miller so we did that before eating. The BCPF has lived here her entire life and had never eaten at Grecian Corner so I took her there. We had good food, yeah, good, good food. Anywhat, here’s the haul:

NotoriousByrdBrothers

©Columbia

  • Cat Power – The Greatest — In what I’ve come to know as “sadcore” (“bleak lyrics, downbeat melodies and slower tempos, or alternatively, songs with deceivingly upbeat melodies that are simultaneously characterized by depressive lyrical undertones or imagery,” according to Wikipedia), it was musically something that I figured I’d hear in a coffee shop somewhere. I liked it. Her voice is really smooth. She spent some time in her youth attending school in Greensboro. The BCPF wanted it and yep, she got it. I had never heard anything that I knew of from Cat Power. The BCPF said that she had played me something before but it wasn’t announced who it was. New.
  • Mister Rogers – It’s Such A Good Feeling: The Best Of Mister Rogers — What the world needs now is more Fred. Fred Rogers made everything seem okay when we were kids, at least he did to me. The BCPF agreed. Life lessons, how to deal with situations, education and more. Ol’ Fred was a great guy. This is a Barnes & Noble exclusive and is on transparent red vinyl. NM (but there is a scratch on the best song on the album… boo).
  • Lou Reed – Rock N Roll Animal — Yesterday’s haul can be explained best this way: a lot of Byrds, a lot of Lou. Not a lot of either, really but multiples of both. Let’s just go with that. This is a live album of Lou doing four Velvet Underground songs and one non-VU song. I have stated many times that I am not a fan of Velvet Underground but I like (mostly) Lou solo. These versions of the VU songs were really good. Another cool aspect of this album is basically it’s the Alice Cooper band (the Welcome to My Nightmare years) with Lou instead of Alice. Dick Wagner (who played the guitar solos on “Sweet Pain” and “Flamin’ Youth” as well as the acoustic guitar on “Beth” on KISS’ Destroyer) and Steve Hunter were both guitarists on this album, “Whitey” Glan played drums and Prakash John played bass. All four of those guys were the band on Nightmare. Anywhat! It was a decent listen. NM/EX.
  • Lou Reed – Rock And Roll Heart — This was Lou’s first album on Arista records. I haven’t listened to it, yet. There were three singles released for the album, “I Believe in Love,” “Chooser and the Chosen One” and the title track. VG+.
  • The Byrds – (Untitled) — It’s untitled but really, that’s the name of the album. It’s a 2xLP that is a live show on sides 1 & 2 and studio stuffs on sides 3 & 4. It’s the first “official” live album by the band (recorded in early 1970) and the first to feature Skip Battin on bass, having replaced John York. VG+.
  • The Byrds – The Notorious Byrd Brothers — This album was #171 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Albums of All Time List. That’s a good place for it. Some on that list I couldn’t figure why they were where they were and some I couldn’t figure out why they were there at all, but this one fits perfectly where it is. It’s a good listen. This is the one where David Crosby gets kicked out of the band. Who knows the real reason but it stemmed from his rants and political musings as well as his not wanting certain songs on the album because it was from outside writers (King/Goffin), and so on. But, the album is legit good and, again, deserves the spot it holds on the RS list. VG+.
  • The Byrds – Ballad Of Easy Rider — The title song was written by Roger McGuinn and Bob Dylan, although Dylan wasn’t credited on the album. It was, of course, featured in the film Easy Rider and this album was released to capitalize on the success of that film. Critics panned it at first but it has grown to be a strong spot holder in their discography. VG+.
  • John Entwistle – Smash Your Head Against The Wall — This was the first solo album of any of the members of The Who. The cover is quite weird. It’s his face superimposed in an x-ray of a skeleton chest. I don’t know what it sounds like as I haven’t listened to it, yet, but Jonathan said that he liked it a lot. That’s good enough for me. VG-.
  • Various – Nothing In Common – Original Soundtrack — Sealed but a cutout. Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason. Songs from Thompson Twins, Richard Marx, Aretha Franklin, Carly Simon, Nick Hayward (from Haircut 100) and The Kinks among others. That’s all I got for it. NM.
  • Rick Wakeman – The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table — I haven’t heard this yet but I love Wakeman’s concept album stuff. I like mystic, medieval themes, too, so I will probably enjoy this. I look forward to hearing it. VG+.

We got to Underdog Records around 11am and the place was jumpin’. I like seeing a long of people in there. Jonathan had Drive-By Truckers pumping, the incense and candles burning and it was a good time in the old record store, for sure. I noticed Jonathan had a lot of used stereo equipment like equalizers, cassette decks, receivers and even a CD changer. Those were all the “black-faced” late 80s/90s stuff that for whatever reason people tend to shy away from these days. They want silver plated stuff that makes them seem a bit more “legit,” I guess but good sound is good sound. I know the black-faced stuff is more digital and solid-state and the older stuff seems more “vintage” and is possibly tube-powered. I don’t know. My stuff is all black-faced except for my turntable which is plastic but silver. Anywhat, the prices were really good and much of the stuff had been fully-serviced. So, the point is, if you want to update or create a new-to-you stereo system, Underdog Records is the place to be to get that. Listen to each new episode of The Less Desirables to hear what the TLD/UR special of the week is. I use Discogs to track my collection and Jonathan now puts QR codes on his labels to help make sure you get the right version/variant/copy in your Discogs account. Good stuff!

Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you. I’ve always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you. So let’s make the most of this beautiful day. Since we’re together, we might as well say: Would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won’t you be my neighbor?” – “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” (Rogers)

Spinning Sunday or: The $1 Haul 9/28/19

29 Sunday Sep 2019

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Salutations™!!

Yesterday was the start of the $1 sale at Underdog Records. Jonathan and De put out around 3,000 records Friday night after work. Jonathan estimates around 1600 of those went out yesterday during the sale. Some people walked out with over 200 records yesterday. The place was a madhouse and I loved seeing it like that. Here’s our modest haul, by comparison:

412KCHYT2YL.jpg

©Warner Bros.

  • Lou Reed – The Blue Mask — This was not $1. It was found as we waited in line to purchase what we had already gotten. It was Reed’s 11th studio album. This was okay. It’s not my area of expertise for him. To me, nothing beats Transformer and Berlin from Lou. VG+.
  • The Police – Synchronicity — I know what you’re thinking, dude, you already have this album. You would be correct. There’s a special thing about this album. On vinyl, in 1983, there were around 93 different variants of the cover of this album. Some were blue, red, yellow (BRY), others were (RYB) and then others, still were (YBR), on top of that, in each color scheme, different pictures showed the band members in various orders and in various pictures. No, I’m not looking to have 93 different variants of this album. I am however looking for 30 different variants. I have three right now. I thought I had a fourth but it was a duplicate. Boo hiss. This is BRY and is Sting/Stewart/Andy with the textsheet to the left. VG+.

The rest of these are $1 records and are assumed to be graded VG unless otherwise noted:

This week, (Tuesday-Friday) the records will be left out for the same deal that went on yesterday, purchase 15 and get 15% off; purchase 33 and get 33% off; purchase 50 and get 50% off. Next Saturday, all remaining $1 record will be $.25 each or 5-for-$1, but they will close two hours early on that Saturday (at 5p). Because of this, there will be no TLD/UR special of the week. This is a great way to kickstart a record collection. Discogs has been a big help to me on this long list.

Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“I ain’t no Christian or no born again saint. I ain’t no cowboy or Marxist D.A. I ain’t no criminal or Reverend Cripple from the right. I am just your average guy, trying to do what’s right.” – “Average Guy” (Reed)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 6/30/18

01 Sunday Jul 2018

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Salutations™!!

The BCPF and I were up early to head to Mary’s Gourmet Diner and then over to Underdog Records, yesterday. We were actually home before noon and that gave us over six hours of record listening before heading to Willows Bistro last night. That was great! Here’s the haul:

skidrow

©Atlantic Records

  • Skid Row – Skid Row – I have always been a fan of Sebastian Bach’s voice. He’s got power and soul. His range is amazing, too. This is a VG++ copy of the album was priced at about $20, so it was in magnificent shape and it was so fun listening to it on vinyl after years of CD listening. Great pickup!
  • Extreme – Extreme II: Pornograffitti – I wore the CD out for this album when I discovered it back in the very early 90s. I hate Gary Cherone’s voice outside of Extreme (like in Van Halen), but in Extreme, it fits darned-near perfectly. This was a VG++ copy. Now, my beef with the vinyl version of this album is the exclusion of “Hole Hearted.” I understand there are space limitations on vinyl (see my post a few months back about Dire Strait’s Brothers in Arms) but “Hole Hearted” made it to #4 on the charts! They could have left off “It (‘s a Monster)” or something else. Oh well. I also think this is the Canadian version of the album.
  • Polvo – Shapes – I had never heard of this band before but The BCPF says that they were a staple of the Chapel Hill scene in the early- and mid-90s. I know that it was mixed and partially recorded at my pal Mitch Easter’s Fidelitorium in K-Ville. It was a lot of soft to heavy stuff and I enjoyed listening with her. It was in VG++ shape.
  • Various – Lost In The Stars (The Music Of Kurt Weill) – Kurt Weill was a German/American composer and songwriter active in the 1920s through to his death in 1950. Perhaps his best-known work was The Threepenny Opera which featured the song “Mack the Knife.” This tribute has Sting, Lou Reed, Tom Waits, Marianne Faithfull, Todd Rundgren and others doing his songs. I loved all of it. The BCPF liked some of it. It was great stuff, to me. VG+.
  • Chris Stamey Group Special Guests The dB’s – Christmas Time – Chris Stamey is a Chapel Hill, NC native that spent a lot of time in WSNC. He was in bands with Alex Chilton of Big Star and he was also in Sneakers with Mitch Easter. He later formed the dBs with Peter Holsapple, which along with REM and Let’s Active (Easter’s band) led the charge for guitar bands in the southeast. It’s a Christmas album. That’s what I know of it other than what I’ve already said. VG+.
  • The Dream Academy – The Dream Academy – Yes, “Life in a Northern Town.” But, this album was so much more than just that song. The whole album is in that vein but it’s just as good as that song. This was in the $1 bin and there was a skip here and there but very little. I’m going to say VG.
  • Van Halen – Van Halen – the awesome first VH album and I got it for $1. After cleaning it up, it was in really good shape. Not much surface noise at all and not a single skip. I was quite pleased with that acquisition. I’ll go with VG.
  • The J. Geils Band – Ladies Invited – I don’t recognize any songs on here, but it was $1, so why not? VG.
  • Go-Go’s – Beauty And The Beat  – Yep, “Head Over Heels,” “This Town,” and “We Got the Beat.” No skips and it was only $1. VG.
  • Various – Top Gun (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – $1 bin find. You don’t pass this soundtrack up. VG.
  • Michel Legrand And His Orchestra – The New I Love Paris – I’ve said it before but The BCPF and I are obsessed with French music from the 50s and 60s. It was $1 so there you go. VG-.

So, a while back, Jonathan had given me a crate of “warped” records that he was going to let me do some experimenting with because I wanted to play with flattening them. I went through some of them yesterday and while there was a little bit of warble on the turntable, none of the ones I pulled were too awfully bad. So, here’s what I cleaned from that stack:

  • Christopher Cross – Another Page – It’s the album with “All Right” and “Think of Laura.” The LP itself was in pretty good shape with the slightest warp. I would say it’s about VG.
  • Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim – Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim – Ol’ Blue Eyes. Not too bad. VG-.
  • Bruce Springsteen – Human Touch and Bruce Springsteen – Lucky Town – Sister releases, ninth and tenth of Springsteen’s studio albums, released on the same day. Lucky Town was still sealed. They each had a little warble but all in all, VG/VG+.
  • The Beach Boys – Endless Summer – 2xLP compilation album. I had to do some serious washing on this album and there were some spots on the album that I have no idea what it is. I washed it extra long and most but not all of that scum came off of the wax. I’d say G+, and that’s being generous.
  • Richard Marx – Rush Street – I’m a huge fan of Richard Marx, whether I should be or not. I dig him. One of my favorite tunes from him and this album is “Hazard.” I love the story. Not much warp, either. VG/VG+.
  • K.T. Oslin – 80’s Ladies – Still sealed and not much warpage. VG/VG+.
  • Various – Happy Days – Fonzie Favorites – Yeah, I don’t know. It was there and I couldn’t resist cleaning it to see what came of it. I’ve not listened to it but it’s mostly Doo-wop and old rock and roll. Everly Brothers, Bobby Darin, Bill Haley & the Comets, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Coasters, The Chantels, etc. VG.
  • Bee Gees – 1st – The guys, including the non-Brothers Gibb, look way young. It’s the coolest that Barry Gibb has ever looked, I’d say. It’s called 1st and for a major label, it is their first, but it’s third in their actual discography. It has the tune “New York Mining Disaster 1941” on it. VG. Mono.
  • Tom Jones – What A Night – I love me some Tom Jones. According to its Wikipedia page, “the album was promoted by Epic as showing a more sensitive and thoughtful side to the singer.” Okay. G+.

So, that’s a pretty good haul or at least a pretty good addition. Jonathan had a pretty good selection of receivers and turntables in Underdog Records yesterday. It’s a great way to start your record collecting (besides having something to play them on), having good and decent equipment.

Thanks to Discogs for providing a place to keep a record of what I have in my collection. Last night at Willows I was able to compare notes and collections with my good friend Michael. Discogs is great.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“A Salvation Army band played and the children drank lemonade and the morning lasted all day, all day. And through an open window came, like Sinatra in a younger day, pushing the town away, away. Life in a northern town.” – “Life in a Northern Town” (Laird-Clowes/Gabriel)

Silent Sunday or: The Haul – Record Store Edition

22 Sunday Apr 2018

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Salutations™!!

So, the thing I want to say first is this: as much as I don’t mind the cold, sitting outside when the temperature drops to 41° and the wind comes barreling in at 3:45am in the morning and you’re in line for the Super Bowl of Records and Vinyl. That “ish” sucks like a Hoover. But, that’s exactly what we did right outside of Underdog Records. The BCPF and I camped along with a few of our vinyl friends all night Friday night/Saturday morning to be the first four (actually six but two pairs and two individuals) in the door to make sure we get our wants/wishlist filled for Record Store Day.

They'reallgonnalaughatyou

©Warner Bros.

 

We went to eat at Mary’s Gourmet Diner directly after and then we went home and crashed for FIVE hours. We got up and listened a little before heading to Willows Bistro to have dinner with friends of ours, The Johnsons. Anywhat! You came for the list, right? I will say that all of these are brand new/NM (because I’m opening them). I’ll also put down who wanted and/or picked it up (Scorp/The BCPF). Here is the list:

  • Fleetwood Mac – The Alternate Tango In The Night – I love the original Tango in the Night. I was kind of disappointed with this. I mean, it’s good, but I was hoping for true alternate takes of “Big Love” and “Everywhere.” There were cool things on it, but I didn’t get my full satisfaction out of it but that’s okay. I’ll listen over and over anyways. This was my top RSD priority. (Scorp)
  • Living Colour – “Live From CGGB’s” Tuesday 12/19/89 – Actually picked up by The BCPF. She saw them open for the Rolling Stones on this tour and wanted to capture it. I’d think it was a little out of her wheelhouse but I was happy she got it. I have always loved what I’ve heard from Living Colour. 2xLP. (The BCPF)
  • The Cure – Mixed Up – A remastered remix album that came out on my 20th birthday (which, by the way, means 1990) and The BCPF loved it. It’s on a 2xLP picture disc set and it’s pretty awesome. I loved the remixes, too. I hadn’t heard them before.  2xLP. (The BCPF)
  • The Cure – Torn Down: Mixed Up Extras 2018 – A sequel to the 1990 remix album Mixed Up. It is even more remixes, done by Robert Smith. 2xLP. (The BCPF)
  • Adam Sandler – They’re All Gonna Laugh At You! – My favorite Adam Sandler album. I got the only one that Jonathan got in. I don’t know how many he ordered but he only received one. I think it’s Sandler’s best. A mix of really great sketches and really good songs. There may be a clunker here and there but overall, it’s great! I’m glad I was where I was in line because the guy behind us wanted it and he drove all the way from New Bern to do his RSD shopping. Sorry, Jason. Looking at his haul though, I’d say he spent close to if not over $1000 that day, so I figured I saved him a few bucks. 2xLP. (Scorp)
  • Ella Fitzgerald – Ella At Zardi’s – Zardi’s Jazzland was a jazz-focused music venue in Los Angeles in the ’50s. It was world-famous and a lot of top-name jazz folks played there, including, Ella. There were only two of these that Jonathan got and it was a top priority for The BCPF, which because our pal Michael got the other, left our friend Bill out. Sorry, Bill. 2xLP (The BCPF)
  • Wilco – Live At The Troubadour L.A. 1996 – The BCPF is a Wilco fan and this is a 2xLP of the band in their heyday, at their peak. I like Wilco pretty well. It’s not my favorite but it is cool. (The BCPF)
  • The Sundays – Reading, Writing And Arithmetic – The absolute top priority for The BCPF, this completes the Sundays trilogy. It’s a reissue but she had them all on CD when she was younger. I’m glad she got it. (The BCPF)
  • Jeff Buckley – Live At Sin-é – The Sin-é Coffeehouse in Manhattan’s East Village was a jumping in point for a good amount of well-known musicians, including Mr. Buckley. This 4xLP is the complete version of his 4-song EP that was released in 1993. The “Legacy” collection (4xLP) was released in 2003 but only on CD. I could be wrong but I believe this is its first time released on vinyl. (The BCPF)
  • Madonna – The First Album – Picture disc of Madge’s first album with “Borderline,” “Holiday” and “Lucky Star.” It was surprisingly inexpensive. It will be fun listening to it. (The BCPF)
  • Neil Young – Roxy Tonight’s The Night Live – A live concert from Neil Young recorded in 1973, although the official release isn’t until next Saturday. Yay us for getting an early copy. It’s 2xLP but only three sides. The fourth side is etched. (The BCPF)
  • Pink Floyd – The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn – The mono version of the debut Pink Floyd album. I wasn’t going to get it but then I figured, I can’t not get it. I won’t get this chance again unless I am ready to pay 20% markup on them. I’ll admit this isn’t a favorite of mine but it is needed for the RS List (#347) but it’s a limited edition. (Scorp)
  • David Bowie – Welcome To The Blackout (Live London ’78) – As the title suggests, it’s live from 1978. Bowie wasn’t ever “not good” and I loved the late 70s/early 80s stuff. This is a 3xLP set, too. (Scorp)
  • David Bowie – Bowie Now – Compilation rerelease on white vinyl. (The BCPF)
  • Lou Reed – Animal Serenade – A 3xLP live album recorded in Los Angeles at the Wiltern Theatre in 2003 after The Raven. The show features a drummer-less band (including Mike Rathke on guitar/synth, bassist, vocalist Fernando Saunders, and the cello of Jane Scarpantoni). Reed delivers dramatic readings of some of his most compelling work. In addition, Anohni, of Antony and the Johnsons fame, contributes background vocals throughout and sings the lead on “Set The Twilight Reeling” and “Candy Says.” (The BCPF)
  • Duran Duran – Thanksgiving Live – The Ultra Chrome, Latex And Steel Tour – A 2xLP of Duran Duran on tour in 1997. (Scorp)
  • Duran Duran – Budokan – A brief live performance from Duran Duran in Japan. There are only nine songs, but they sound fantastic. Simon’s voice is on point and you can really hear everything coming through. (Scorp)
  • Dylan & The Dead – Dylan & The Dead – Just what it sounds like it would be. You can guess who picked this one up but I’ll give you a hint, it was not me. (The BCPF)
  • The Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesties Request – I’m very surprised this wasn’t on the RS List. A cool lenticular cover and gatefold packaging. I like KISS’ version of “2000 Man” better, but this isn’t bad. It’s on blue-splattered vinyl. (The BCPF)
  • Human League – Secrets – Vinyl debut and reissue of their 2001 album. (Scorp)
  • Sufjan Stevens – Mystery Of Love – 10″ transparent vinyl of Sufjan Stevens single from the soundtrack of Call Me By Your Name. (The BCPF)

So, by my count, that’s 13 for The BCPF and 7 for Scorp. Not a contest at all and it just is what it is. We both got what we wanted and that’s cool. The only thing I missed was the reissue of the Whitesnake ’87 album which I’ll find somewhere later. It was just a good haul. If I haven’t already told you how much we paid, privately, you’ll have to just guess. No reason to broadcast that, but I will say it was over $70.

Jonathan was swamped but in a great mood when we left, I hope it stayed that way and I hope he made all his money back and more. I believe he’s open today for a rare Sunday opening. That may have changed but may not have. Check the Underdog Records social media channels.

Surprisingly, Discogs had all of them in by the time I got to them, however, some were just the European versions (which should be about the same), so I’ll go looking for the US versions to make the collection listing more accurate. That’s it, I’m still tired and I’m out!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp is worn out!

—
“Whenever I’m alone with you, you make me feel like I am home again. Whenever I’m alone with you, you make me feel like I am whole again. Whenever I’m alone with you, you make me feel like I am young again. Whenever I’m alone with you, you make me feel like I am fun again.” – “Lovesong” (Smith/Gallup/Thompson/O’Donnell/Williams/Tolhurst)

Waiting on the Man or: Almost Done

22 Thursday Feb 2018

Posted by in Life as We Know It, Records

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Salutations™!!

So, the title of this post is two-fold, a double entendre, if you will. First, I have completed the first drafts of the video job. The copy, the VO, the splicing, it’s all done. Now, I just have to have the client sign off on them, which I’m waiting for him to do tomorrow. If there are changes needed, then I’ll make those and if not, then I will put it together and have it ready for next week. Right as rain, that.

Velvet_Underground_and_Nico

©Verve

 

The other thing is I listened, again, to the Velvet Underground + Nico album. This time it was because of “procedure.” Because I play something that was released today, or I play something from someone whose birthday or deathday is on this day.

None of the releases for today did I have in the collection. No one’s birthday was today that I could find that mattered. Today was, however, the anniversary of Andy Warhol’s death. So, since that was my only recourse, I played it. I took one for the team.

I hate that album. I must say that today I found it more tolerable than usual, but I still didn’t enjoy it. I told someone that it is the auditory equivalent of eating cow dung for breakfast. Oddly enough, I really like Lou Reed solo. And, I don’t mind two of the Nico songs on the album.

But, overall it’s just a wreck of sound. I don’t like “raw.” I don’t like the lo-fi production value. I think it sounds like they were just goofing off, although I know they weren’t. I don’t like the off-key talk/singing that Lou Reed does in this. I don’t like the “artistic” side of it. But, I do like how the songs are written.

I think it’s kind of like Bob Dylan. Great songs but man I like hearing others doing them. I have some folks say that it’s one of the “finest” albums ever recorded and to that, I say it’s absolute bullshite.  You can be all hipster and claim to like it all you want, but it’s pure crap, at least in this album form. There, I said it.

And I’ll end up with at least two more VU albums because they’re on that darned list and I want all that I can get from it. I was asked why I do that and my answer was because I am a collector. Some disagree with me, but I don’t care. I do what I want. That’s how I roll. The BCPF likes it but she likes a lot of stuff that I don’t necessarily like to listen to. That’s okay. I have it here for her. Yeah… that’s it.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Hey, white boy, what you doin’ uptown? Hey, white boy, you chasin’ our women around? Oh pardon me, sir, it’s the furthest from my mind. I’m just lookin’ for a dear, dear friend of mine. I’m waiting for my man.” – “Waiting For My Man” (Reed)

Silent Sunday or: The Haul 1/27/18

28 Sunday Jan 2018

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Salutations™!!R-3734657-1342257119-1574.jpeg

Yesterday was a typical Saturday with The BCPF. We had our breakfast and then to Underdog Records for our take. Then, we did run to see friends of ours who are moving to Denver (the one in Colorado). Then home to listen to the wonderful sounds we purchased on vinyl and then on to Willows. Here’s what we got from Underdog Records:

  • Calexico – The Thread That Keeps Us – Brand new from Calexico. The BCPF loves this stuff. It’s hard to keep track of what kind of music you’re listening to with them as their styles change quite frequently within the same album. It’s cool but weird. A friend of mine said that you could classify it as “Post-Devotchka acoustic meandering since you asked.” Thanks, Tony. I liked it. So did The BCPF. New.
  • Eno – Here Come The Warm Jets – #432 on the RS List. Brian Eno is a weird dude. Very weird. But, I dug this and the next album. New.
  • Eno – Another Green World – #429 on the RS List. Both of these are very ambient and proggy. I dug them both. New.
  • The Outfield – Play Deep – This actually wasn’t from Underdog. I purchased it from Discogs Marketplace. I had wanted it for a while. I had it on cassette when I first moved to WSNC at the age of 15. I wore that out. I then had it (still do) on CD and that thing is scratched to all hades. I had forgotten how amazing the entire album was until we listened to it yesterday. I love it start to finish and will play it often. It won’t be just thrown in the collection. VG+/NM-.
  • Lou Reed – New Sensations – Yes, I hate Velvet Underground but I can actually listen to Lou. VG.
  • Yes – Drama – A VG+ copy of some proggy goodness.
  • Various – Weird Science – Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack – VG copy just because I wanted it.
  • Devo – Freedom Of Choice – The “Whip It” album. VG.
  • Murray Head – Say It Ain’t So – So, we all know that Murray Head is the “One Night in Bangkok” guy. We also know that he was Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar (the original cast). Did you know that he’s Andrew Head’ brother in real life? Andrew played Rupert Giles on the television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Anywhat! This was a fantastic album. We really enjoyed it. VG+.
  • Billy Squier – Emotions In Motion – Had to have this gem, especially since it was in the $1 bin.
  • Various – High Voltage – A K-Tel collection. I love these things. I like when they’re in the $1 bin, too. VG.
  • Suzanne Vega – Suzanne Vega – $1 bin find. Vega is a good storyteller. A lot of her stuff sounds the same but you can’t say she doesn’t have a “style” about her. It was a good album to listen to. VG.
  • New Birth, The – Golden Classics – Yeah, once I got the New Birth bug, I still gotta grab them. $1 bin find. VG.

It was a slow day at Underdog Yesterday, but I believe it picked up later. I could just hang out there all the time. I’m sure I’d annoy the dickens out of Jonathan, though. Cheap plug here, listen to The Less Desirables to hear the latest TLD/Underdog special for the week.

I use Discogs to catalog my entire collection. If I’m Underdog and find an album that I (thought) needed, I can check to see if I actually already have it. Plus, there are several versions of many of the recordings, you can use the identifiers to find out which version you have. And, as you can see from me doing so, you can purchase stuff from the Marketplace. I love Discogs.

—
“Say it ain’t so, Joe please, say it ain’t so. That’s not what I want to hear Joe and I’ve got a right to know. Say it ain’t so, Joe, please say it ain’t so. I’m sure they’re telling us lies Joe please tell us it ain’t so.” – “Say It Ain’t So, Joe” (Head)

Listing or: a New Play

05 Friday Jan 2018

Posted by in Life as We Know It, Movie Review, Music Review, Records

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Salutations™!!

Well, it’s a new year. Last year around the new year, I finished two long-time lists, The Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All Time and the 400 nominations for the AFI 100 Years… 100 Movies. Again, those were long, drawn-out treks. The movies list took almost nine years and the RS list was a three-year jaunt. Lots of hours spent in that. One day I may add up the run times of each film and each album to see how much time those actually took. I’m really curious.

nme

©NME

 

Then, this past year, I did Eugeology: Eugene’s List of Hard Rock Albums and Possible Gems where Eugene and Jon and I listened to a random list of 50 hard rock albums that Eugene thought were fantastic and perhaps lesser known to everyday music folk. I finished it in almost perfect time. Eugene got somewhere barely over half done and Jon never made it to half. Oh well.

Now, the point is, Dear Reader, you know that I do lists. That’s how I operate. Eug jokes that the only way to get me to do something is to put it on a list or let it involve a streak and watch me burn through it. He’s not far off from the truth, there.

I feel I need to explain this again, but I’m always asked why I have to have lists, why can’t I just listen to stuff? I’ll condense it and say that where I grew up there were no top 40 or pop music radio stations until at least 1982 and at that, it was a limited playlist. We didn’t have MTV and I really had no access to the plethora of music that was out there. My father listened only to what we now know as “classic country” and my mother listened to Leslie Gore and gospel stuff. She isn’t really a “musical person.” I spent most of my time, ages 8 until around 12/13, listening to nothing but KISS. I don’t regret that, but I do wish I had more knowledge of the rest of musicdom.

As I said at the beginning, it’s a new year. And, since I’m out of lists that I was already working on, well, I need another. So, I was looking through some Google searches and came across a few lists but the one that I think is manageable right now is NME’s 101 Albums to Hear Before You Die. I will figure out how to structure the listen. I know for the RS list I did 10 at a time and with Eug’s list we did one a week. I don’t know, just yet, how I’m going to approach it. I know that about half of the albums on that are on the RS list in different spots (obviously) but there are some out there things that I’ve never even heard of. You never know I may find the next Forever Changes (Love), Maggot Brain (Funkadelic) or Berlin (Lou Reed) on this list. Or, I may find the stuff too out there for me and abandon it. We’ll see. I know that NME has a 500 of all time, too. Who knows. I have the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (2011 edition) book and there’s a website with the whole list including all editions. You never know I may pick all of those. For now, however, I’m going to say the NME list is what I pick. You’ll see how it works out because I know you read every day, right? Right.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Lists are how I parse and manage the world.” – Adam Savage