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Black Sabbath, Broadway, Carly Simon, Charlie Parker, Curated by Underdog, Discogs, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Harry Nilsson, Ian Hunter, Joe Cocker, Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, Mass Gothic, Music, Pink Floyd, Scorpions, Suzanne Vega, The Carpenters, The Clash, The Less Desirables, The Moody Blues, The Who, Tina Turner, Underdog Records
Salutations™!!
The first Underdog Records purchase of 2019, woot! It’s going to be a good year all around and it’s going to be a good record year, too. I want to continue to fill my RS list wants and discover things that I didn’t know existed. I’m going to attempt to listen to more new music, but it really isn’t my bag. Anywhat! Here’s the haul:
©CBS/Epic
- Pink Floyd – Obscured By Clouds — I had made a post on this blog a few weeks back about this album. How great it was and how I was disappointed that no one had brought it to my attention prior. It was there and I grabbed it. This is the remastered reissue, new. It is a great album!
- The Clash – Combat Rock — The “Should I Stay or Should I Go” and “Rock the Casbah” album. First pressing in EX/VG++ condition. I couldn’t pass that up.
- Scorpions – Best Of Scorpions — Jonathan said, “yes and yes” when I brought this album up to the counter. He said that old Scorpions are under-appreciated and I nodded in agreement. The Scorps (no relation to me) have been around in some form or fashion since 1965 and most people don’t know that. So they had stuff that predates the “Rock You Like a Hurricane” era. This is in VG.
- Mass Gothic – I’ve Tortured You Long Enough — promo copy of this album, it has no official cover but it’s from Sub Pop Records and it’s everything you’d think an album on that label would be. Which means that The BCPF loved it. VG++.
- Charlie Parker And His Orchestra – Night And Day — The BCPF grabbed this one and I’m not really sure why. She usually avoids the more horn musicians. But, I dig them, so I’m glad she did. VG-.
- Various – Midnight Cowboy (Original Motion Picture Score) — I like soundtracks and this was from the only X-Rated film to win Best Picture and first gay-related Best Picture. Also, it has Harry Nilsson’s “Everybody’s Talkin’,” which I love. VG+.
- Black Sabbath – Technical Ecstasy — The penultimate Ozzy Sabbath record. He was blitzed most of the time and spent a lot of that time on the beach in Miami whilst Tommy Iommi was left to produce the album. It was recorded at the same studio as the Eagles’ Hotel California was being recorded at the same time. Geezer Butler said that they’d have to go in and scrape the residual cocaine off the mixing board after the Eagles left. VG-.
- The Who – Who’s Next — I already have this album, but I believe this is a better copy than what I have. VG.
- Linda Ronstadt – Hand Sown… Home Grown — Ronstadt’s debut solo album after leaving the Stone Poneys. It flopped but we like her so it was a good one to get. VG+.
- Tina Turner – Private Dancer — The “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “Better Be Good To Me” and “Private Dancer” album. I didn’t know that the title track was written by Mark Knopfler, but it does make sense now that I’ve listened to other Dire Straits albums. Ode to oneself and lamenting about the role that they’re the lot of. Plus, it’s an 80s staple and we know I’m a sucker for that stuff. VG+.
The rest are $1 albums and unless otherwise noted, they’re at least VG.
- Carpenters – Now & Then — 3-way gatefold cover that shows Richard and Karen driving by the house they bought for their parents.
- Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Brain Salad Surgery — I love the H.R. Geiger cover, which was somewhat an inspiration for the film Alien. “Karn Evil 9” is one of their better-known songs but it’s a long one.
- Suzanne Vega – Solitude Standing — “Luka” and “Tom’s Diner.” Nuff said.
- Various – How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (The Original Broadway Cast Recording) — I like my “original Broadway cast recordings.”
- Ian Hunter – You’re Never Alone With A Schizophrenic — I like Mott the Hoople and some of his other solo stuff so let’s give it a try. Plus, it’s a great album title.
- Carly Simon – Carly Simon — The debut album by Simon, it was produced by Eddie Kramer who produced both Alive! and Alive II by KISS.
- The Moody Blues – Seventh Sojourn — The eighth album by the band and had “I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)” on it.
- Various – An Officer And A Gentleman – Soundtrack — Again, soundtrack. The 80s. Cocker. Warnes.
- Joni Mitchell – Song To A Seagull — Three major female voices of the 60s/70s and three debuts in one haul. That’s pretty impressive. This was Joni’s debut album.
Jonathan had a lot of “fresh” stuff that he was going through yesterday which only means you’re going to have a lot to choose from. Now, something new for 2019 that Jonathan is doing is called “Curated by Underdog” which is a subscription service that you can have Jonathan (and I’m sure his trusted associates) curate your collection with criteria of your choosing. Like only indie things? Like 80s music? Only want new records? Only want used records? Want a combo of the two? Well, Jonathan and Underdog Records have you covered. You’ll receive your subscription either monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly. The lowest cost package comes in at just $12. I think that’s a pretty good deal. It’s also a way to find things you may not have thought about. For more information visit the Curated by Underdog site. Also, listen to each episode of The Less Desirables to find out what that week’s TLD/UR special is.
Curated by Underdog and I both use Discogs. Underdog to help create and manage your subscription and me to make sure that I don’t get multiples of things. It also has a cool “shuffle” feature that picks a random album (upon your request).
Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!
—
“Welcome back, my friends To the show that never ends. We’re so glad you could attend. Come inside! Come inside! There, behind a glass, stands a real blade of grass. Be careful as you pass. Move along! Move along.” – “Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Part 2” (Lake/Emerson)
many of them very well known, and not one single was released. Still the album went to #1 in both US and UK. I’m more a fan of the first disc overall but there are some songs on the second that I like even more. The recording sessions, which also produced tunes “Hey Jude” and “Revolution” (not to be confused with the acoustic-driven “Revolution 1” and avant garde “Revolution 9”), neither on this album (both were released as singles), was done after the infamous Transcendental Meditation trip to India with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Several things happened with that. One was the other people that were involved, including the wives of the band and Mia and Prudence Farrow. It was Prudence’s obsession with the meditation aspect that led to John Lennon writing “Dear Prudence.” Another thing was dissension within the ranks of the band, partly over direction and partly over Yoko Ono. Again, even with that going on, there are some fantastic tunes written here. Arguably, it’s some of George Harrison’s best stuff as a Beatle. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Long, Long, Long” and “Savoy Truffle” are all great songs. “Piggies” isn’t bad, and it seems Charles Manson was a fan, as he referenced it in all the “Helter Skelter” mess, named for another song from this album. I could go into all the songs that I like but that would be a blog post all to its own. I’ll just say that I really like almost every single song. Perhaps if I’m taking the opposite route, “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road,” “Don’t Pass Me By,” “Yer Blues” and “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey” are the ones I like least. Love it!
it says as much all through the choruses. I like that he laughs like it’s a big party the whole time, leaving that in the song, even though I really don’t know what it’s about. I don’t think I’m equipped to understand a lot of what Dylan is talking about, most of the time. When the Chicago Blues song, “Pledging My Time” came on I felt like throwing something. I really can’t stand that stuff. Thankfully it went by fairly fast and we get the long but wonderfully written “Visions of Johanna,” a song about contrasting lovers. One a bit of sexual and one a bit spiritual. The song is lovely. There are parts of “Most Likely You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine” that sound like a game show theme. It’s also very circus-ish. I heard the bluesy stuff at the beginning of “Temporary Like Achilles” and worry it will be another crapola song, but this wasn’t crapoloa. Yes, it is saloon-like but not in some gin joint kind of way. It’s a well constructed song and I love the line: “Honey, why are you so hard?” For the most part, for the highlights of the album, nothing on here stands out. The band being on the album to accompany Dylan (I believe called The Hawks with Robbie Robertson and Rick Danko of The Band) is pretty cool. But, this is not any better than most of the other Dylan albums on this countdown. In fact, I’d have taken just about any of them over this one. Even with headphones on, I found myself puttering around on the internet and checking emails and Facebook messages. It was okay, but certainly not top 10 material, to me. Meh.
49 of the countdown), but I doubt it. I’ve always found the “phony Beatlemania has bitten the dust” line, funny. Perhaps even more now that it is surrounded by Beatles album on the top 10. I had always put The Clash in the same category as, say, Ramones and Sex Pistols. They most certainly aren’t. Maybe their earlier days. Not this album, at least. Let’s get this out of the way, first: Paul Simonon is a bad, bad, bad arsed bass player. I listened to this album with headphones and his playing is all over it and it is so clear. Examples (well, the whole danged album, but if I must) would be: “Koka Kola,” “The Guns of Brixton” (which he wrote and sings lead on), “Lost in the Supermarket,” “London Calling” and “Lover’s Rock” to name just a few. Seriously, the whole album is like a Simonon session. Another thing about this, I never realized the harmonies (albeit rudimentary) were so good and the somewhat wide breadth of styles they touch the whole album. From 50s-style do-wop to harder rock, pure punk to jazz and all in between, it’s here. And the production! We’ve discussed how much I’m into that and man, it’s here. The songwriting on here, even beyond the style is really good. I own this on CD and have listened through once, about 8 years ago or so, and mostly dismissed it as “that punk crap.” I still think that of their earlier records, but this is some fantastic stuff. So, let’s revisit those first two lines of this entry: Does it belong in the top 10? I retract that whole statement and change it to, “yes it does.” I also want to add the words: “ab-so-f***ing-lutely!” This could stand to be one or two higher, perhaps? When the new year arrives, I’m heading to Underdog Records (the official vinyl store of The Less Desirables) to purchase this on vinyl and not any old used copy either. A shiny new one. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I LOVE this album ×∞ (that’s infinity, boys and girls).
Stones, so what do I know? I only enjoyed two songs from this album, “Shine a Light” and “Soul Survivor.” And, I’m not completely sure that last one wasn’t influenced by the fact it was the last thing I had to hear from it. I thought I owned it on CD, but I don’t. I remember the big hype about it in 2010 and I’m thinking that may be when I got it, if I did. I thought about purchasing it but I have had so many hit-or-miss moments with the Stones that I was gun shy about it. I could be and am probably wrong but I spent a lot of time listening to the local classic rock radio station here that has a mad on for some Stones and I can’t recall ever hearing any of these songs on there. They weren’t known for their expansive rotation. Pointing out two things about this list, again, because I’m sure I’ll be ripped about this one: If it must be on this list, it shouldn’t be this high; I’d not have it on there at all. Tattoo You and Some Girls are much better albums, to me. Which, brings me to my second point: this review process is about what I liked or didn’t like. It’s not necessarily a record of the merits or greatness of the album, that’s what Rolling Stone’s job was in compiling it. That being said, I don’t care if I never hear this again. Did not like.
players. Both are Motown legends, both members of the famous Funk Brothers and both are beasts. I can’t say which I liked listening to better. Another thing, I’ve mentioned I love concept albums and that’s what this is. It’s about the Vietnam War, but it’s not a protest album. It’s a love album. From the get go, Gaye is unrelenting on his love for fellow man and the disappointment of the treatment of vets returning home. In fact, the album is done from the perspective of a vet who was fighting for his country, coming back to a country that is intolerant, bitter and holds hatred for just about everyone. “What’s Going On,” while written about an incident seen on the Four Tops tour bus, pretty much sums up the feeling of 1971, which is, what is going on? I think that could be asked today, too. So much hatefulness, rancor, opposition to everything no matter if you really agree or not and so on. Gaye’s own brother was a Vietnam vet and wrote letters to Marvin and when he returned discussed what he saw. This was influential for the album, as well. Marvin Gaye has one of the sweetest, most purest voices I think I’ve ever heard and I am ashamed to say that I didn’t pay more attention to him before this. There’s much more to this man than “Sexual Healing” and his tragic demise. I’m not picking favorites on here, the whole album (nine songs, barely over 35 minutes) is my favorite song. I highly recommend this album, for sure. I LOVED it!
abandoned, pyromaniacal would-be lover (“Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)”); someone wondering where their life is going (“Nowhere Man”) to introspection, love and loss (“In My Life”). This album has a lot of things going on. French inspiration in the form of “Michelle” and I love the French for these are things that go together well. I have the book A Hard Days Write by Steve Turner and in that he says Paul had to ask a French friend of his how to say it and it worked out perfectly. The urgency of “The Word” pounds in some early “harder” rock and I love that. Lennon and McCartney seemingly wrote that while getting stoned, writing the lyrics on multicolored paper. I guess that was to add to the trip. And, wouldn’t “Run For Your Life” be considered a bit threatening? “I’d rather see you dead, little girl, than see you with another man.” Yep, sound kind of stalkerish to me. So, it’s a well-developed and beautifully flawed album all at the same time. As I said, it’s one of my top 5 Beatles albums of all time and it’s right where it should be, I think. Love.
it, but it has good moments. Of course, it wouldn’t be Dylan if there wasn’t some long-arsed song that went on for almost 12 minutes, right? That’s what you get with “Desolation Row.” I don’t know how he remembers all the words live. I also don’t picture him with teleprompters. Perhaps he didn’t do that one live? I do like how Dylan combined poetry with music. I think, too, that was the beauty of what he did. I know she was misunderstood and her poetry and songs weren’t that spectacular, but Jewel did the same thing 20 years later. I know that lyrics are basically poetry (sometimes, I don’t think “Got Love For Sale” from KISS is necessarily poetry), but he actually conveys that it’s poetry set to music. The legendary “Like a Rolling Stone” is on this album. Poor girl, I say. I like the title track and the slide whistle in it. It’s credited as a slide whistle but I don’t know if that’s what it is. They make these whistles that create that sliding sound but it’s according to how hard you blow. A slide whistle only goes so far and you have to use the slide. Novel concept, eh? There are plenty of good songs on the album, “Queen Jane Approximately,” “Tombstone Blues.” Both good songs. However, my favorite on here is “Ballad of a Thin Man.” I just like the darker, meaner, snarkier feel of the tune. It was cool to listen to. Overall, the album was still a mystery to me because I never know what the heck he’s talking about but it was better than the previous, as I said. Still, is it top 10? Not to me, nope. Put it in the 300s. I dug it, but don’t care to hear it again.
song I had heard on the local classic rock station but didn’t know what it was. I actually had to call the station and ask Pete Bunch what it was. He didn’t make fun of me, but I could tell he was amused. That song was “Eleanor Rigby.” The instrumentation, in fact, was sans any of the Beatles, only a double string quartet. I did a rock version of that tune about 15 years ago. I need to see if I can dig it up off an old computer or something. I can’t find it otherwise. I’d like to “release” that for people to hear. The sound quality itself was pretty crappy but I really liked my arrangement of it. The production of this album is lush. Sometimes albums from this era has a thinner sound to me, even from the big boys. Part of it, I’m sure was the absence of the big open “live” recordings and reliance on more multi-track recording which allows for better isolation. Listening to this through headphones the width of the sonic field is magical. Panning and depth are amazing here. The first appearance of “Yellow Submarine” was here, too, almost a full two years before the film and soundtrack of the same name came out. The harmonies here are so full and masterful, too. The harmonies of Lennon and McCartney are historic, of course, but when you add in Harrison’s harmonies, it’s out of this world; complex. “Tomorrow Never Knows” is an oddity because with the exception of a few notes here and there, the song’s instrumentation is only in the key and never moves out of this key; just tablas, bass and backward sitars in an Indian style. I’m not a fan of the Indian stuff on most Beatles albums, so “Love You To” isn’t a fave. I’d say on this album, it’s the only song I don’t really care for (not the last time you’ll read about that in a Harrison tune). I could write an entire post on this album, so I’ll stop on it now, but I’ll also say that some of my actual favorite songs are (in addition to “Taxman” and “Eleanor Rigby”): “She Said, She Said,” “And Your Bird Can Sing,” “For No One,” “Got to Get You into My Life” and “I Want to Tell You.” To say I love this album is an understatement, indeed.
don’t mind it, but, this isn’t as full as the Beatles albums. Not to me, anyway. This is only the second time, ever, listening to this album. I own it on CD and listened through once, saying to myself, wow this is the great album everyone keeps talking about? Okay, then… I’m listening to the mono version because I believe that was the original release. I don’t know the difference in mono version vs stereo, other than the obvious aural spread. I do find funny, the fact that people get twisted out of shape when they find out that other than vocals and a few random instrumental moments, the Beach Boys didn’t play on this album. This, my friends is the magical work of the “Wrecking Crew!” Remember them? I did a review of the documentary a few months back and I’ve talked about on this list finding out they’ve been on it has really perked me up. That’s some saving grace for me on this. Some. Any electric bass you hear, that’s the legendary queen Carol Kaye. She’s awesome! Is it really a Beach Boys album or is it a Brian Wilson solo album? The first single, “Caroline, No” was released as by him, I think. I don’t know. There’s good songs on this album, it’s just a different monster all together. Some of those good songs would be: “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Here Today,” “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times.” Really, though, I am repeating myself: I don’t get it. I’m not saying it’s a bad album. I’m saying it, in no way, to me, is comparable to Sgt. Pepper. Not in song quality, not in sonic quality. There’s good songs on this album, it’s just a different monster all together. Some of those good songs would be: “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Here Today,” “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times.” I will admit, I went back and listened to parts of the stereo mixes and it sounded much better; more full with more depth. Rumor has it that Paul McCartney heard this and wanted to reproduce it. If that’s the case he totally out-tripped the coverage. Sgt. Pepper went leaps and bounds over this. I told you last segment that I was going to question something in this segment and this is it. Now, Top 20? Yeah, probably. So, I’ll say I dug it, but not for this spot. And, the winner is…
could put in here to describe it. The orchestra warming up at the beginning indicates you’re in for a show, an exhibition, a spectacle! And, the sound of the roaring orchestra at the very end of “A Day in the Life” lets you know that you’ve just been knocked on your arse, perhaps both literally as well as figuratively. I do hate that George Harrison’s only vocal/written tune is one of the two I don’t like, but really, George, I don’t like your Indian-influenced tunes. I don’t discard it all of the time, just in the case of “Within You Without You” and “Love You To” from Revolver. And, for once, a Ringo-voiced tune isn’t a throwaway token song. “With a Little Help from My Friends” is one of the cornerstone staples of this album. A tune that also was covered, famously by Joe Cocker (I covered that version for the VSS “Woodstock” show) and the theme song to a successful television show, The Wonder Years. Storytelling by the Beatles, in my opinion is only bested by Bob Dylan, perhaps Springsteen at times. But, the Beatles stories are bold as in “She’s Leaving Home” (which is one of my favorites on here), “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!” and “A Day in the Life,” which is at times my absolute favorite Beatles song. That fluctuates its superlative status based on my mood. The production itself, again, rumored to be the result of Paul hearing Pet Sounds and wanting to best it, is completely lush and brilliant. George Martin, you beast! I think when the Beatles decided to throw away the “can we reproduce this live” worry, they opened their minds, their music and their craft to whole new, astronomical levels. It’s an aural, moving piece of art that I can never get tired of listening to. It finds its way onto my listening rotation at least once every six to eight months. Before I got the remastered box set and transferred it all to my iPod, my old copy of this was really, most literally, worn down. I didn’t take too good of care of it. I gave it to someone, perhaps The BCPF or my buddy Brian, I’m not sure who got what. I can write whole posts about this but it would be a lot of redundant descriptors, adverbs and adjectives; more than is ever needed. The bottom line is, this is the greatest album of all time. It’s the greatest album that will ever be. I can say that because the art of putting an album together is basically done and I don’t see this being beaten. So, I love it. I own it. I have a dilapidated old, used, saved from a fire vinyl copy that I will change in the next few months with a shiny new version. It’s chock-full of greatness and it was even completely covered by Cheap Trick. That makes it even more cool, right? Right. Ladies and gentleman… may I introduce to you, the (album) you’ve known for all these years: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. 
other than he’s just awesomely funky-n-groovy? That on many of his albums and tracks, he plays most of the instruments himself. Lots of clavinets happening on this album and other great keyboard spots. He plays the drums, synth basses, a bit of everything. That and guest spots from Ray Parker, Jr., Jeff Beck, Deneice Williams, “Buzz” Feiten make this album even more spectacular. Stevie’s use of melody and orchestration fills the cracks and holes (not in quality, just covers the speakers) with aural splendor. The ultra-powerful and urgent, “Superstition” is there and offset by the sweetness of “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “You and I” and “You’ve Got It Bad Girl.” There’s range and spread on this album and that’s a great thing. Groove and shuffle, intensity and tenderness, bits of it all. I dug this album and thought it was well composed.
There’s so much power in her music and in these songs it’s easy to get lost in them. This is a fantastic album. I DUG it!
yet another check on the “I’m from West Virginia and my parents listened to country music” tally of life. Neither of those, by the way are knocks nor mock on the facts. We didn’t have radio stations that played Pink Floyd, or anything like that until around 1981 or 1982. Ma Mère listened to gospel or older pop stuffs like Leslie Gore or folksy stuff like Peter, Paul & Mary. Ma Père listened to country. Tears-in-beer country. Plus, none of my friends listened to Pink Floyd, so I had no exposure, at all. I do remember walking into a record store on Main Street in Welch, WV, looking for KISS’ Unmasked (1980) album and seeing a cardboard cutout of the album cover and Gerald Scarfe posters that were associated with the album. I moved to WSNC, as I’ve said countless times, in 1986 and there was a reissue of “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2” around 1987-88 or so and I bought it on 45. I had just started listening to the local classic rock station and got more familiar with some other Floyd songs. I decided, sometime later, to buy The Wall, but it was in or after 1990 because I didn’t buy my first CD player until December 27, 1989. I did have Delicate Sound of Thunder on cassette (it was released two days after my 18th birthday) and heard three of the songs that way. Anywhat! All that to say, I love the album and with the exception of a song or so (can we say “Bring the Boys Back Home?”). My faves are (all three) “Another Brick in the Wall,” “Goodbye Blue Sky,” “Young Lust,” “Hey You,” “Comfortably Numb” and “Run Like Hell.” I love the album.
#86 – Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen. I think this is the first time in a bit, if not the entire list, that I have two albums in a row that I actually own. It may have happened. But, I’m pretty positive that it is the first time that I own two in a row on vinyl. Sadly, I didn’t have time to listen to this on vinyl at home. I’ll try to do a vinyl listen soon, if I have something that is available on it. That’s something that I’ve not done since I’ve started this countdown. It’ll be fun. When I first heard the first single, “Dancing in the Dark,” believe it or not, that was the first time I heard of Bruce Springsteen. Yeah, yeah, I know, but it really was. Chalk it up to my total immersion into KISS and just breaking out of the mold. And, here’s the other thing, I hated it, every bit of it. I don’t know that I heard “Cover Me” (the second single until much later. If I did, I probably turned it off or went out to play or something. I’ve mostly come around to who I used to call Spruce Bedspring over the years. Most of that with the help of my friend Beth who is the biggest Springsteen fan I have ever met or even ever heard of. To me, though, at the time, the title track and to some extent “Dancing…” sounds like he’s just yelling the whole time. I just wanted to shout back “just shut up!” Now, fast forward to now. I don’t know how I feel about “Darlington County” but the rest of the album (if you take into account I like more laid-back and alternative versions of the title track) is fantastic. Of course, my favorite tune (since I asked for it and did it at the VSS Springsteen show) is “I’m on Fire.” It’s a sultry little number. I loved the video, too. “My Hometown” and “Glory Days” are also faves of mine. There are some throwaways, at least to me, such as “Working on the Highway” and the aforementioned “Darlington County.” “Downbound Train” and “I’m Goin’ Down” make up for both of those, though. There were seven singles released on this album. While none of the songs are virtuosity tunes or even particularly intrinsic or complex, that’s not what this album was about it, I don’t think. It was just putting out a good album. This is that. Great even. I really dug it.
this countdown are any better than most of the albums that were in the top 200-100? Does it deserve to be on this list, absolutely and I dig it, but I still don’t think it’s Top 100 material. Not a knock on the album, I just think some stuff is better. Dug.