Tag Archives: Rush

Now Normal Chronicles or: Shload

29 Tuesday Sep 2020

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Salutations™!!

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

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

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 8/15/20

16 Sunday Aug 2020

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Salutations™!!

Yesterday was pretty much a usual Saturday for us. We got up and went to Underdog Records, had lunch at BLL Rotisserie Factory, came home listened to some records, went to check in with the Maw-In-Law and ate dinner. That’s it. Here’s the haul:

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©Anthem

  • Rush – A Farewell To Kings — So, with the exception of the debut album, Rush, I have all the Rush studio albums up through Hold Your Fire and then the live albums All the World’s a Stage and Exit…Stage Left. I want all of them, of course. I’ll find the ones I’m missing somehow. Some of them may not be available on vinyl given their time period but I’m sure not that Neil Peart is gone, we’ll get rereleases and “first time on vinyl” releases. New.
  • David Bowie – Heathen — Bowie co-produced this 2002 album with Tony Visconti, which hadn’t produced an album with Bowie since 1980’s Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). It was started prior to the 9/11 events and was influenced by them. Not my favorite Bowie, for sure, and he’s starting to sound “old” at this point. There are a couple of covers, too, like Neil Young’s “I’ve Been Waiting for You,” “I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship” from Legendary Stardust Cowboy and “Cactus” from the Pixies. I think it was supposed to be a lot of songs like the LSC, obscure 1960s tunes. I grabbed this from the clearance bin. New.
  • Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison — Yes, I have this already but the copy is on VG and since it is #88 on the RS list, I felt I needed a better copy. Plus, outside of RSD or other “special” or “novelty” releases, it’s the first time it’s been reissued on vinyl in many years. New.
  • Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak — Not a huge Thin Lizzy fan but I really needed some in my collection. Doing the “musical tourist” thing, I went for the one that had their two biggest tunes, the title track and “The Boys Are Back In Town.” Also, pulled from the clearance bin. New.
  • The Steve Miller Band – Greatest Hits 1974-78 — I had this on CD and as I’m not the world’s biggest Steve Miller fan, I really like these tunes, so here we go. It was in the used section at Underdog but it’s still sealed and is not a cutout. It also cost me more than a few of the new ones you’ll see below, so I’m counting it as New and it’s on transparent blue vinyl (according to the hype sticker).
  • No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom — A very important album from the 90s. I say that because it brought Ska to a whole new audience and really introduced Gwen Stefani to the world. They were around prior but until this album, no one really heard of them unless you were looking specifically for that genre of music. I love this album and I’m not that into Ska. New.
  • Archers Of Loaf – White Trash Heroes — The BCPF loves her Archers of Loaf but mainly she loves her Merge Records artists. This is one of those. We have an Eric Bachmann album and he sings much differently on that than he does here. On white vinyl, new.
  • Axis – It’s A Circus World — All I know about this band is that it has Carmine Appice’s little brother (and Dio drummer) Vinny Appice as 1/3 of the lineup. This seems to be the only album they released and it is from 1978. Funny thing about Carmine and Vinny… Carmine goes by Carmine A-peace but Vinny is Vinny App-a-see. VG+.
  • Bob Geldof – Deep In The Heart Of Nowhere — Also in the used bin but sealed. This was the first album after Bob left Boomtown Rats. The main single was “This Is the World Calling” with “Love Like a Rocket” also being released. There are a lot of guest appearances on this album: Eric Clapton, Midge Ure (Ultravox), Jools Holland (Squeeze), Annie Lennox, Jamie West-Oram (from The Fixx), Alison Moyet (from Yaz), Clem Burke (from Blondie), Maria McKee, Bono and more. Again, still sealed so I’m going with New.
  • Hammer – Black Sheep — Hammer is Jan Hammer (of “Miami Vice Theme” fame) and his backing band. I figure it’s probably jazz instrumentals. I haven’t heard it yet. VG++ sealed cutout.
  • The Power Station – The Power Station 33⅓ — Of the two Duran Duran side projects, I liked this one the best. John and Andy Taylor, Tony Thompson and Robert Palmer. Yes. Yes, please! The drum sound on “Some Like It Hot” is amazing. I also like their cover of “Get It On” from T-Rex. Two of the band has passed on but we have this album! Well, and the follow-up but no one talks about that one. VG+.
  • Night – Night — Night apparently had two Top 20 hits in the 70s: “Hot Summer Nights” (No. 18) and “If You Remember Me” (No. 17). Also, Chris Thompson is one of the lead vocalists (they had two) and he is probably best known as the vocalist for Manfred Mann’s Earth Band on their cover of “Blinded By The Light.” He also did some work with the Alan Parsons Project. This is a promo copy and is VG+.

Well, a week without any classical, that’s become a novelty. But, I am awaiting the final box set from the TimeLife collection I ordered from Discogs. It has finally reached Greensboro or so I was told this morning by the USPS.

Jonathan has rearranged a few things in the store and said that business is going well. They are still only open Thursday through Saturday with Monday through Wednesday being delivery and organization time. Have you gotten in on the lottery for RSD? You still have until next Saturday 8/22 to get in. Not sure what I’m talking about? Here’s where you can find out more. I hope I get drawn! And, of course, I use Discogs to track my collection and fill the ones that I can’t find anywhere else.

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“Some like it hot and some sweat when the heat is on. Some feel the heat and decide that they can’t go on. Some like it hot, but you can’t tell how hot ’til you try. Some like it hot, so let’s turn up the heat ’til we fry.” – “Some Like It Hot” (Palmer/Taylor/Taylor)

Spinning Sunday or: The Listen 5/23/20

24 Sunday May 2020

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Salutations™!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

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

Spinning Sunday or: The Listening 5/16/20

17 Sunday May 2020

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Salutations™!!

I feel we’re getting closer to being able to rummage through some used vinyl in the next month or so, but until then Jonathan is still delivering vinyl from Underdog Records all during the week. I think sales have been okay for him but I’m sure he could use some more. Head over to the Underdog Records website, or follow on Instagram (Jonathan’s preferred method) and Facebook to see what you can purchase.

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

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A pretty good list. Then The BCPF and I listened to these, on vinyl, yesterday:

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

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“Father, father, we don’t need to escalate. You see, war is not the answer. For only love can conquer hate. You know we’ve got to find a way to bring some loving here today.” – “What’s Going On” (Gaye/Cleveland/Benson)

Now Normal Chronicles or: Is This Nowhere?

14 Thursday May 2020

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Salutations™!!

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)

Spinning Monday or: The Listen 5/9/20

11 Monday May 2020

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Salutations™!!

Yep, I am a day behind on this because yesterday was Mother’s Day.

So, Underdog Records is still “closed” and Jonathan says that while he does see reopening in the near future, it will still be several weeks, and procedures within the store will be different. He’s doing a shload of deliveries right now, though. Head over to the Underdog Records website, or follow on Instagram (Jonathan’s preferred method) and Facebook to see what you can purchase.

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

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©record companies/not me

That’s a pretty good “listen” list, I think. Not my favorite Prince album and I’m not a huge Springsteen fan, but overall, it was enjoyable.

Then there were the ones that The BCPF and I listened to on Saturday on vinyl:

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©record companies/not me

That was a really good listening session, other than I need to find a better copy of Running on Empty because that was clearly a $1 bin find and is in really bad shape. Almost unlistenable at times. So, it’s on my hunt list, I guess.

I cannot wait to flip through the used records again. I want to buy a lot of them! I have an impressive collection now but that’s not enough. I want more! Part of the experience is the ability to collect. We’ll work on it. Patience, old man… patience.

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

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice. If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill. I will choose a path that’s clear, I will choose freewill.” – “Freewill” (Peart/Lee/Lifeson)

Spinning Sunday or: The Listen 5/2/20

03 Sunday May 2020

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Salutations™!!

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

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

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

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

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

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

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

Sounds Like Friday or: Thick Boy

07 Friday Feb 2020

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Salutations™!!

I am doing the “Sounds Like” on Friday because I’m in a hurry and need to really concentrate on the subject I need to talk about. And yes, I promise I’ll bring back the Friend Friday thing. I just want to make sure that I give the companies that I highlight the right dedication and consideration to do them justice. Otherwise, why do it?

Anywhat! I never get enough of Neil Peart and now we have a finite amount to work with since his passing. This “thick boy” as he calls himself (and he’s just honest) plays some mean drums and while he does sound like he skips a hit here and there, it is much better than many drummers that I’ve heard and I know it is better than I could do. So, enjoy!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“What you say about his company is what you say about society. Catch the mist. Catch the myth. Catch the mystery. Catch the drift.” – “Tom Sawyer” (Lee/Peart/Lifeson/Dubois)

Sounds Like Saturday or: The New Guy

11 Saturday Jan 2020

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Salutations™!!

Yesterday we found out that we lost one of the most prolific, and in my opinion, greatest drummers in rock or otherwise, Neil Peart of Rush. I have always had a respect for Rush and he has always been one of my favorite drummers, even if I’d never say I was a “fan” of the band. Drums have always been the one instrument that can really “wow” me if they’re done right and he did it right, every time. And, he was more than just a drummer, he wrote most of the lyrics for Rush songs and incorporated a lot of musical styles in his repertoire.  Here’s Neil in action. Rest in peace, New Guy. Oh yeah, f*** cancer!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Too much attention and hoopla doesn’t agree with my temperament.” – Neil Peart

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 7/5/19

07 Sunday Jul 2019

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Salutations™!!

Yes, I have the date right up there. The BCPF and I went to Underdog Records on Friday because I had a Cobras Game last night. Jonathan had been closed on Wednesday and Thursday for the holiday but was open on Friday. Yay us! Here’s the haul:

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©Chrysalis Records

  • Metallica – Metallica — #255 on the RS list, it’s my second favorite Metallica album after Ride the Lightning. On this tour, they did an “In-the-Round” stage setup where they were in the middle and the crowd surrounded them on all sides. During the song “Seek and Destroy” from their debut album, Kill ‘Em All, James Hetfield came down and sang the hook with groups of people. As he walked past me (I was in the second row but we had been moved up to the security railing) and said, “I need one more crazy m*****f***er and I nearly jumped the fence screaming me! me! me! He came over, grabbed my hand and had me dangling over the railing as he went into the line. I was breathing through my nose, inhaling deeply, and he did the “searchin’…” and I yelled, at the top of my voice, “SEEK AND DESTROY!!!” I had friends who watched it from farther back in the arena and they told me later that they couldn’t even hear the music when I did that because it was so loud. “Enter Sandman,” “Sad But True,” “The Unforgiven,” “Wherever I May Roam” and “Nothing Else Matters” were all released as singles. It was a great heavy album. Not as heavy as their previous albums, at least not in the “thrash” way, but it was heavy sonically. 2xLP. New.
  • The Decemberists – Picaresque — The BCPF doesn’t hold back when it comes to The Decemberists. This album was the band’s last on the Kill Rock Stars label and was produced by Chris Walla, guitarist for Death Cab for Cutie. 2xLP. VG++.
  • Judas Priest – Killing Machine — This is a 2015 reissue of what we Americans knew as Hell Bent for Leather. It’s the same album and yes, I have Hell Bent but I wanted one with the albums’ proper name. Why was there a change? When this came out it was around the time of the Cleveland Elementary School shooting in San Diego. Brenda Spencer, a 16-year old, shot and killed the principal and a custodian and injured nine others (including eight children) from her house. When a reporter got in touch with her whilst she was holed up in her house and asked why she did it, she said, “I don’t like Mondays. This livens up the day.” That was the inspiration of Bob Geldof’s Boomtown Rats’ song, “I Don’t Like Mondays.” Anyway, this was an opportunity to have both titles. VG+.
  • Okkervil River – The Stand Ins — The BCPF likes this band and picked out the album. I liked what I heard but I wouldn’t have known to get it. My pal Patrick Ferguson is a big fan of the band as well. This was a follow up to The Stage Names and if you put the prior album above this one, it makes a complete picture. VG++.
  • The Knack – …But The Little Girls Understand — The follow-up to their debut, Get the Knack, which I tout as a gravely underappreciated album. This one charted well, but many critics panned it for its tired misogynistic themes and subject matter. I haven’t listened to it, yet, but again, I loved the previous record. We’ll see how the sophomore effort goes with me. VG+.
  • Arlo Guthrie – Power Of Love — I know nothing about this album other than it was released in 1981. The BCPF likes her folk heroes and well, he is one. VG+.
  • The Shirelles – The Shirelles Greatest Hits — $1 bin find. I’m not really sure why The BCPF wanted this one but it could be that it was a girl group. She usually goes for the more rocking/post-punk/first wave-kind but she picked it up.

Now, the next four I did not buy at Underdog Records, although I would have had I seen them there. Before we knew that Jonathan was open on Friday, we had stopped by Design Archives on Fourth Street and they had vinyl. I thought at first these things were overpriced, but I had Jonathan look at them and he said that was pretty accurate to what he would have charged, so I felt better about getting them at that point. Here’s that mini-haul:

  • Rush – Fly By Night — I added three more albums to my Rush collection through this vinyl stop. This is Rush’s second album and the first with the monster Neil Peart not only on drums but with the lyrics, too. Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee liked that Peart was a bookworm and wrote imaginative lyrics. That way they could concentrate on complex music. VG+.
  • Rush – Power Windows — This was the follow-up to Grace Under Pressure. The album has the songs “The Big Money” (for which there was a somewhat revolutionary video), “Manhattan Project,” “Marathon” and “Mystic Rhythms” among others. VG+.
  • Rush – Hold Your Fire — The mostly forgettable follow-up to Power Windows does at least feature “Time Stand Still” with Aimee Mann singing back up. It was the lowest selling Rush album since Hemispheres. VG+.
  • Ultravox – Vienna — Their fourth album and the first on Chrysalis Records and the first with singer Midge Ure. The singles on this album were “Sleepwalk,” “Passing Strangers,” the title track and “All Stood Still.” VG+.

I think this week’s haul was awesome. We’ve already listened to some great stuff and hopefully will get to a bit more today and hopefully, I’ll have time to listen to some throughout the week. Underdog Records will be open all next week and you should listen to The Less Desirables (well, you should anyway) to hear the TLD/UR weekly special. Also, use Discogs to track your music collection, be it vinyl, cassette, CD, or even 8-Track.

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“Time stand still. I’m not looking back but I want to look around me now. Time stands still. See more of the people and the places that surround me now.” – “Time Stand Still” (Peart/Lee/Lifeson)