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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)

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©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)

Snowing Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 12/8/18

09 Sunday Dec 2018

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Salutations™!!

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©Interscope

As I had stated on social media in places, our trip to Asheville was canceled because of the impending Snowpocalypse, so we did get to Underdog Records after all. We started the morning at our favorite creperie and shared a meal with our The Beer Dads cohorts. It was a great morning. We did our grocery shopping which we usually reserve for Sunday but if you look out the door today, you’ll see we’re not going anywhere. But, then we got to Underdog and here’s the haul:

  • The Struts – Young & Dangerous — I have heard of these guys but haven’t listened to anything they’ve put out until this week. When I do the commercials for Underdog on The Less Desirables, I try to include pieces of music that are relevant to the new releases. This was one of those. It’s a great rock record. New.
  • Bauhaus – Best Of Bauhaus | Crackle — The BCPF is a huge fan of this band and its subsequent offerings like Peter Murphy solo and Love and Rockets. So, this was a given. It was also a new release and bam! We nailed it. New.
  • Marvin Gaye – Live At The London Palladium — Recorded late in 1976 and released in early 1977, this is an energetic show with a lively crowd. I think he may have been a little drunk or stoned while doing it, but that’s just my opinion. He was a flirt, that’s for sure. Not the best live album but it is a very good one. VG+.
  • Van Morrison – Wavelength — As I stated on my social media post about this, the only problem I really have with Van Morrison is it’s like he’s yelling at me when I listen. But, this has some great tunes on it, nonetheless. It was a departure from his previous releases as it was more guitar and synth driven. The song “Kingdom Hall” was about his mother being a practicing Jehovah’s Witness and attending “church” which “Kingdom Hall” is what JWs call their churches. VG++.
  • Joe Jackson – I’m The Man — Last week (or the week before, one of the two) I talked about Jackson’s debut album that we had just picked up and this is the follow-up and it’s a great sophomore effort, too. I performed the final track “Friday” with the Vagabond Saints Society several years back, closing the show. VG+.
  • Tchaikowsky / Mendelssohn – David Oistrakh, Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, Samuel Samosud, National Philharmonic Orchestra of the U.S.S.R., Kiril Kondrashin – Violin Concerto In D Major – Violin Concerto In E Minor — That may be the longest Discogs album title I’ve ever put in one of these posts. It’s classical and The BCPF has gone on a kick as of late. Not a bad thing. VG+.
  • Eric Clapton – Slowhand — I actually got this last week but upon playing it, I needed to return it to Jonathan because it skipped all the way through “Cocaine.” He washed it and vacuumed it dry at the shop and it played with no skips. I got it home and it skipped a few times but that was the only place. I don’t know why it did on my system and not his, but oh well. It #325 on the RS list. I’m fine with that placement, too. It doesn’t need to be higher or lower. It’s fine. VG+ (minus the skip).

The weather kept the early part of the day quiet for Underdog Records but as we were there, people were starting to pile in, so yay for Jonathan’s peace of mind! And, we have our vinyl to keep us company in the bedlam that is winter outside. You should have gone to get yours. You know, Christmas is coming and you know you want to start collecting and playing vinyl, right? Yes, you do. So, tell your loved ones that you want a new (or used) turntable for Christmas. And, heck, why not grab a gift certificate (or in this case a gift 45) for you, as well? You have to have something to play on it, right? Listen to this week’s episode of The Less Desirables (well, listen every week) to hear what the special TLD/UDR deal is.

The schools have already canceled thinking they’ll be back by Wednesday but they won’t. This much snow, later turning to ice, will be a week at least. So, if you go out, be careful. Oh, and I use Discogs to catalog my vinyl!!

Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“Lazy Gilly was a flower child all the summer. Calmly running wild. She’d be silly and her friends just smiled. Pass the bottle, wash the pills down, what went wrong? What went wrong? She don’t care no more. She don’t need to fight it. She don’t care no more. She gets paid on Friday.” – “Friday” (Jackson)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 9/8/18

09 Sunday Sep 2018

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Salutations™!!

The BCPF and I were back to Underdog Records yesterday after our trip to Beantown last week. It was good to be back and not only did we get a good haul this week, we actually got about six hours of record listening as well! Other than going through some head cold or sinus thing, yesterday was a wonderful day. I love my girl and spending the day with her. Here’s the haul:

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©Warner Bros.

  • The Psychedelic Furs – Talk Talk Talk — When I was younger, say when this stuff was new, I always got PFurs mixed up with The Fixx and Naked Eyes. They were close enough to the first wave stuff that it was only on my radar when they had a mega hit. I just didn’t have access to it. I have (obviously) come to know the difference and this was a great record. VG++.
  • Dire Straits – Love Over Gold — I have, on several occasions, mentioned my newfound love of Dire Straits. I am now only one album from having all of their studio albums on vinyl. I’m not sure it was even released on vinyl or not. If not, since they are not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, perhaps they’ll get a reissue of it? And, if they could figure out a way to get side one of Brothers in Arms back to its full-length self, that would be great. This was a great record. VG+.
  • Aerosmith – Aerosmith — No, I still don’t like Aerosmith, but there are some songs that I like and this was their debut album. This is the second pressing reissue from 1976 where “Walkin’ the Dog” is spelled correctly and they only used the photo of the band instead of the full sky pic. VG+.
  • Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – I Love Rock ‘N Roll — I know the song is way played out by now, but when this came out, I always felt it was a matter of “oh you have that!?” with covetous intent. I never had it, though. As a kid, for some things, albums and such, ordinary releases felt like the Holy Grail and I either felt special for having something or jealous someone else did. Music is just that big a deal to me. Anywhat! This was there and The BCPF couldn’t resist getting it. VG.
  • Pretenders – Pretenders — This completes our 79-89 Pretenders full-length album collection. They have stuff later but this was their heyday, so this is what we want. It has some great tunes including “Precious” and “Brass in Pocket.” VG++.
  • Squeeze  – Singles – 45’s And Under
  • Squeeze – Argybargy — We got two Squeeze albums yesterday and we’ve only gotten to listen to the “Singles” one so far. But, I had forgotten how many awesome songs this band had. Both of them were VG++.
  • The Cars – Candy-O — Just like Dire Straits, I have come to realize that I just downright love The Cars. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. This album, their second, has a lot of great stuff including “Let’s Go,” “It’s All I Can Do,” and “Dangerous Type.” VG++.
  • Robert Plant – Now And Zen — If I’m not mistaken, it’s the second time I’ve bought this album but the first time owning it. I believe this is the one that I purchased and immediately gave to my pal and bandmate, Clay Howard. I may be wrong, sure, but I believe that’s what happened. It has “Ship of Fools,” “Tall Cool One” and “Heaven Knows” and has a really cool feel and groove about the whole album. I dig it. VG++.
  • The Guess Who – The Best Of The Guess Who — I had this album on CD and didn’t realize how much I missed by just going after the “sexy” Rock 92 staples. Songs like “Laughing” and “Undun” are really good. I do wish (as annoying as it is) that they would have included the album version of “American Woman” but the meat of the song is here. Great listen. VG+.
  • Aldo Nova – Aldo Nova — I have passed over this about 20 times. It was a good price and I finally pulled the trigger on it. VG++.
  • Jackson Browne – World In Motion — VG++.
  • Jackson Browne – Lives In The Balance — I say I am a “fan” of Jackson Browne. However, I am usually more hit-or-miss with his stuff than I am full-on excited. These are two 80s albums. We will see if they’re hits or misses with me. VG+.
  • Billy Squier – Don’t Say No — This album was two before the one with “Rock Me Tonite” on it so he was still rockin’ and rollin’ at this point. Really, I don’t know why people flipped out over that video other than it was just awful. People are dumb. But, this has the hits “In the Dark,” “The Stroke,” “My Kind of Lover” and “Lonely is the Night.” But, there are so many other good songs on the album as well. You should get it or stream it or something if you’ve not heard it. VG++.
  • Isaac Stern, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy, Tchaikovsky/ Mendelssohn– Violin Concerto In D Major / Violin Concerto In E Minor — $1 bin find, but as per usual with classical records that we find in the $1 bin (or elsewhere), the classical music folks pretty much take care of their records. It was in really good shape, both the media and the cover. I rated it VG+ but could have gone VG++ if not for a little bit of “spotting” on the vinyl, even after my cleaning of it.
  • Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass – Christmas Album — The BCPF loves her Christmas albums, we both dig Herb Alpert and it was a $1 bin find. Why not jump on it!? Even for a $1 bin find it was in VG shape.

There you go, Dear Reader. Not only did we get awesome albums in this haul, many of them were VG++ and all of them were priced nicely. That’s what we missed being in Boston. We loved Boston but we missed our Saturday routine at Underdog Records. Deals like this week’s haul are what Underdog Records is all about. Plus, Jonathan is very helpful with finding the right equipment, old titles, he knows his inventory and is just the sweetest guy. Just yesterday a couple came in looking for cleaning supplies to be able to listen to some old records they had in storage. He helped them pick out the right stuff for what they needed and even gave away his “secret formula” recipe for the solution that I and several of the Underdog Records community use for cleaning records. He could have upsold some other stuff but he didn’t. He cares about your records. Watch the Instagram and Facebook feeds for the newest finds Jonathan has come across at Underdog Records. Also, listen to The Less Desirables every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (or anytime really) to hear the weekly TLD-exclusive deal.

Also, I stood in Underdog Records yesterday with my phone in my hand and every time I came across the titles above, I first checked on Discogs to make sure I didn’t already have it. Discogs is a great resource for all record, CD and even cassette collectors. The Marketplace is pretty awesome, too.

Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“Caroline laughs, and it’s raining all day, loves to be one of the girls. She lives in the place in the side of our lives where nothing is ever put straight. She turns herself ’round and she smiles and she says, ‘This is it, that’s the end of the joke.’ And loses herself in her dreaming and sleep, and her lovers walk through in their coats. Pretty in pink, isn’t she?” – “Pretty in Pink” (Ashton/Butler/Butler/Ely/Kilburn/Morris)