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Tag Archives: The Replacements

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 9/26/20

27 Sunday Sep 2020

Posted by TGBII in Music Review, Records

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Tags

Discogs, Fleetwood Mac, Lenny Bruce, Mark Snow, Mott the Hoople, Music, Paul McCartney, Primus, Record Collecting, Record Store Day, Records, Roger Waters, Son Volt, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Surfer Blood, Tegan and Sara, The Alarm, The Doors, The Feminine Complex, The Replacements, Underdog Records, Wes Anderson, Wilco

Salutations™!!

The BCPF and I were up “early” to prepare for Record Store Day Drop #2. We were selected for the 930a spot and it was a perfect spot for us. We got everything on our list with the exception of one title but one of our friends and part of the RSD Crüe had found that one at another store after his slot. Things were calm and easy going for Jonathan, I believe. So, we did one non-RSD release but all the releases were brand new. I also included identifiers and attributes, where/when applicable, including how limited the run is. Here’s the haul:

©Kanine

Surfer Blood – Carefree Theatre — This is the non-RSD release. I heard just one song from this as I was making the commercial for Underdog Records for The Less Desirables. I sent Jonathan a message and had him hold me one. I thought it was be great for The BCPF. She loved it. Straight indie rock.

The rest are RSD releases.

The Replacements – The Complete Inconcerated Live — Limited to 8500 copies. Comes in tri-gatefold packaging. 3xLP and it was a great show. Paul Westerberg had a rough night with his voice and some feedback but I love how raw this show is. They may have done some overdubs but I don’t think so, I think this is how it was. I dug it.

The Feminine Complex – Livin’ Love — 2 × Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Pink. Gatefold sleeve, two pink LPs in white polylined inner sleeves. This was the one our friend got for us at a different store. The Feminine Complex was an all-girl garage band from the 60s and this is their only album.

Various – I Saved Latin! A Tribute To Wes Anderson — 2 × Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Limited Edition, Pink, Blue. Exclusive Ltd. Edition Run of 1,000 copies. The BCPF really loves her Wes Anderson movies and I like them, too. This is a compilation of songs from his films. It’s 2xLP record 1 is “Margot Tenenbaum pink” (like The Royal Tenenbaums) and record 2 is “Life Aquatic blue” (like The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou).

Mott The Hoople – The Golden Age Of Rock ‘N’ Roll — Gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeves. 2 × Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Blue, Gatefold.

Various – Wilcovered — According to Discogs:  “Wilcovered 19 covers of Wilco songs performed by renowned artists and friends of the band.” 2 × Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Limited Edition. It was an interesting listen. The BCPF is a big fan of Wilco, I’m pretty indifferent. She liked it a lot more than I did.

McCartney – McCartney — Record Store Day release September 26, 2020. Limited pressing: 7000 copies. After cancelling the April 18, 2020 RSD, this release was rescheduled for the second RSD Drop on September 26, 2020.
However in some countries (e.g. Canada and France) it was accidentally distributed for the first RSD Drop on August 29, 2020. Comes in a Gatefold sleeve with a Red ‘Obi’ strip and an (A5-size) ‘Half-speed Mastering’ Certificate. Vinyl cut by Miles Showell using original 1970 master tapes at Abbey Road Studios, London, 5th November 2019. This half-speed master closely references the 2011 remaster by Steve Rooke and Guy Massey.
It was made as a vinyl specific transfer in high resolution and without digital peak limiting for the best possible reproduction.

Son Volt – Live At The Orange Peel — 2 × Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition. RSD 2020 – September 26. On transparent orange vinyl. Quantity: 1500. Recorded live at The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC on September 23, 2005, these songs were part of the 6 String Belief DVD, but have never before been released on vinyl. The BCPF knew nothing about this band, but I believe it will be things she digs. Again, she loves Wilco and Jeff Tweedy was in Uncle Tupelo with Jay Farrar. Uncle Tupelo broke up and Farrar started Son Volt. This was done in a venue that I’ve stood outside of (and was supposed to see Steven Wilson there two years ago, darn snow).

Fleetwood Mac – The Alternate Rumours — Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Remastered. Record Store Day 2020 exclusive release, part of the September 26th drops. Limited edition of 16,000 copies. I was looking forward to this one the most, I think. I have really loved the Fleetwood Mac “Alternate” albums over the last few years. There was Alternate Mirage, Alternate Fleetwood Mac, Alternate Tango in the Night. This is perhaps their biggest of them all. I loved all the alternate takes on this album, save one. It’s my least favorite song on the album and I liked “I Don’t Want to Know (Early Take)” even less.

Roger Waters – The Wall (Live In Berlin 1990) — 2 × Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Clear, 180 Gram. Record Store Day 2020 exclusive release, part of the September 26th drops. 30th Anniversary limited edition, pressed on Clear 180 gram vinyl, gatefold cover in a total of 8.000 copies. When I first saw this concert (I think I own it on DVD), I was enthralled in the spectacle of it. I have always said that The Wall is my favorite Pink Floyd album and while I still prefer the Pink Floyd version, this was amazing.

The Doors – The Soft Parade: Stripped — Vinyl, 12″, Limited Edition, Numbered, Clear. Record Store Day 2020 exclusive release, part of the September 26th drops. Limited to 12,000 units. Eight tracks (some repeats) some with new Robbie Krieger overdubs.

Various – Psyché France 1960-70 Volume 6 — The BCPF and I are suckers for French pop music. This is French pop music from the 1960s. It sounds new and it could be but supposedly it’s from back then. It was a great listen.

Tegan and Sara – Tonight We’re In The Dark Seeing Colors — Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Purple splatter. Recorded live from their ‘Hey, I’m Just Like You’ Tour. Includes exclusive versions of Tegan and Sara favorites on limited edition purple splatter vinyl. Limited to 500 copies.

Mark Snow – The Truth And The Light: Music From The X-Files — Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Glow-In-The-Dark.

Squirrel Nut Zippers – The Inevitable — Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue. Record Store Day 2020 first release, part of the September 26th drops. Limited to 1500 copies. The BCPF says this is her college days. I love the swing style and this is a great album.

Primus – Suck On This — Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, Blue. Limited to a quantity of 5000. Release has 3D artwork, and nothing written on the spine. Live album from 1989.

The Alarm – Celtic Folklore Live — Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition. Record Store Day 2020 release in a total of 1.000 copies. Side-A recorded at Hammersmith Odeon London – February 9th 1988. Side-B recorded at Cabaret, San Jose, California – March 17th 1988.

Lenny Bruce – Is Out Again — A rare recording of Lenny Bruce, fully authorized by Lenny’s daughter Kitty Bruce, unlike the majority of the bootleg material that has been released in the past. This release was only ever sold in limited copies at clubs, directly by Lenny to fans. I haven’t heard this yet, but my favorite part of it is the letter on the back from a reverend. He basically says he feels that Bruce is grossly misunderstood.

It was a great day for us. Jonathan said at our scheduled time that everything was going very smooth. I haven’t sent him a message yet, as I normally do after each RSD. He’s probably relaxing today. You can check out any unsold RSD stock by visiting the Underdog Records website. He does contactless deliveries in the early part of the week and is open Thursday through Saturday 11a-7p. I use Discogs to keep track of my collection and share it with you!

I also want to wish The BCPF a happy sixth reception-versary. It’s our fourth and final “public” anniversary of every year.

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“Broadway hasn’t been the same since we found lover’s lane. Standing on the corner of fourth and main. Dreaming of you way downtown in lover’s lane. Sun is down, moon is bright. Lover’s gonna stroll all night. Way downtown in lover’s lane.” – “Lover’s Lane” (Mathus)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 1/11/20

12 Sunday Jan 2020

Posted by TGBII in Records, Spinning Sunday

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Bing Crosby, Daniel Butner, Discogs, George Jones, Modest Mouse, Music, Nine Inch Nails, Prefab Sprout, Pretenders, Procol Harum, Sergio Mendes, The Less Desirables, The Love Language, The Rainmakers, The Replacements, The Strokes, Underdog Records

Salutations™!!

The BCPF and I did a quick jaunt to breakfast and Underdog Records yesterday and came home and my pops came over and helped me replace (read: he installed) a light fixture and put up a new one. It was a lot longer process than it should have been, I’m sure, but hey, we did what we needed to and voila! The lights are up. We didn’t really get to listen to much vinyl yesterday because I wanted to play stuff that my dad would be interested in since he was doing us a solid. There was a lot of George Jones playing from Alexa. Here’s the haul:

Nine_Inch_Nails_-_With_Teeth.png

©Interscope/Nothing

  • Nine Inch Nails – With Teeth — My pal Daniel Butner has loaned me his collection of NIN albums to listen to and get acquainted with. The journey has been interesting. I have never really been into Industrial Rock. Yeah, I have dabbled in some Marilyn Manson and even some NIN but never really paid attention to it. I have a couple of NIN either on vinyl or CD. This is a brand new, 2xLP, remastered, reissue for the 15th anniversary. I sent Daniel a pic and he was excited! New.
  • The Replacements – Don’t Tell A Soul — The 1989 follow up to Pleased to Meet Me. I really enjoyed the previous three records, so let’s hope this is as kick-butt as those. New.
  • The Love Language – Libraries — This is something The BCPF pulled. I do know they are an indie rock band from Raleigh and that this was NM.
  • Modest Mouse – Strangers To Ourselves — I have heard of MM but don’t really know anything about them. The BCPF is a fan and after looking them up, I see that they are strongly influenced by Pavement, Pixies, XTC, and Talking Heads, all bands that she/I like, so it should be interesting. This is “like new” per Jonathan, so let’s say, NM.
  • The Strokes – Angles — Don’t know a lot about The Strokes but a lot of my friends like them. The BCPF picked it up, I’ll post when we listen. VG+.
  • Prefab Sprout – From Langley Park To Memphis — Both The BCPF and I are fans of Belle & Sebastian and upon reading about their influences, this was on their list, so we will probably dig it. The album had guest appearances from Stevie Wonder and Pete Townshend and used multiple producers including Thomas Dolby, who could not commit to working on the entire album. VG+.
  • The Rainmakers – The Rainmakers — I’ve never heard of The Rainmakers but this album was from the mid-80s and looks like something I’d listen to. So, I will. VG++.
  • Sergio Mendes – The Beat Of Brazil — An acclaimed bossa nova/jazz musician from Brazil, Sergio Mendes is a world treasure, so I’ve read. He’s collaborated with many contemporary artists as well as done a lot on his own. This is from 1967 and will feature a lot of bossa nova. VG+.
  • Procol Harum – Exotic Birds And Fruit — Jonathan loves Procol Harum and I have found I enjoy it, so I bought this. Incidentally, the name means nothing. A famous record producer had a cat named Procul Haran (Procul being the breeder’s prefix). So their manager named them Procol Harum (bastardizing both that and harem, kind of like Motley Crue or Def Leppard). VG.
  • Pretenders – Extended Play — This came out between the first Pretenders album and second. A couple of song are outtakes from the first and a couple of them ended up on the second album. It was an addition to the collection. Bam! VG.
  • Bing Crosby – Zing A Little Zong — The only album we listened to yesterday when my dad was here. I love Bing Crosby and his ilk. I just enjoy the standards/crooners style vocal jazz. I just dig it. It’s a good album. VG+.

So, not a bad haul. The new year has waded us through the holiday wasteland of no new releases and things are coming out, be them reissues or brand new albums. I dig it a lot. Listen to each new episode of The Less Desirables to hear the TLD/UR special of the week. I use Discogs to bring you all this lovely list, you should use it to track your music collection regardless of the medium.

Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“Father, son, holy cow. Moses went up to the mountain high to find out from God why did you make us why? Secret words in a secret room, he said a womp bop a lu bop a lop bam boom. I did not put you here to suffer. I did not put you here to whine. I put you here to love one another. And to get out and have a good time now now now. Let my people go-go-go.” – “Let My People Go-Go” (Walkenhorst)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 10/26/19

27 Sunday Oct 2019

Posted by TGBII in KISS, Records, Spinning Sunday

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Casablanca Records, Discogs, Ex Hex, Joe Cooley, KISS, Marlene Dietrich, Music, Nine Inch Nails, Parliament, Pavement, Records, Sleater-Kinney, Superchunk, The Cure, The Less Desirables, The Replacements, Underdog Records

Salutations™!!

Yesterday, The BCPF and I got to go to Underdog Records for the first time in around three weeks. We made up for it by getting a lot of records and listening to a lot of records before we went to have dinner with friends. Jonathan is ramping up for Record Store Day Black Friday so go to the RSD website to find what you’re looking for. Here’s our haul:

51Ytw7QYLML._SY355_

©Casablanca

  • Kiss – Destroyer (Resurrected) — Yes, KISS is my favorite band and no this is not my favorite album by them, as you’d know if you read through my two-part ranking a few months back. This was the Bob Ezrin remix from 2012 and I like some aspects of it and don’t like others. The addition of the extra vocals in “Detroit Rock City” gets on my nerves. I always thought that was a cheesy addition on the Double Platinum version and it is here, too. It doesn’t need it. I like hearing Ace’s solo on “Sweet Pain” over the one that Dick Wagner did on the original. Do I like it better? Nah, but it’s nice to hear it. New.
  • The Cure – Seventeen Seconds — This was the second album from The Cure and Robert Smith wrote these things (and recorded them) when he was just 21 and he sounds so young. It’s a great album and fun to listen to. New.
  • Nine Inch Nails – Pretty Hate Machine — The debut album from Trent Reznor and friends and a direct descendant of the previous album, at least by influence. “Head Like a Hole” was the only thing I had heard from this but the whole album is amazing. It’s hard and coarse yet hauntingly beautiful at the same time. Angst is riddled throughout but I also feel it is a little tongue-in-cheek. I could be wrong. New.
  • The Replacements – Let It Be — #241 on the RS list, it ranks higher than the Beatles album of the same title. When I wrote my first review about this whilst doing the countdown, I was pretty hard on it. Listening back with fresher (and dare I say more mature) ears, I liked it a whole lot better yesterday than I did in September of 2015. That’s four years difference. Wow. A loose cover of KISS’ “Black Diamond” and all, this was fantastic. New.
  • Superchunk – AF (Acoustic Foolish) — Mac McCaughn released Foolish in 1994 and this is the acoustic re-recording of it from, I guess, 2019. The BCPF has always loved Superchunk and we’ve seen them live twice. She really enjoyed this and she doesn’t have the original at all. So, yay us! New.
  • Pavement – Live Europaturnén MCMXCVII — Yep, a live album from Pavement from 1997, although it wasn’t officially released until 2008. I haven’t heard it yet, but I know The BCPF likes Pavement, so that’s why we got it. NM.
  • Ex Hex – Rips — A band consisting of Mary Timony from Sleater-Kinney. The BCPF saw it was on Merge records and had to have it. So, here it is. NM.
  • Marlene Dietrich – Marlene Dietrich’s Berlin (Her Nostalgic Songs About The Grand Old City) — I have enjoyed the other Marlene Dietrich albums we had so I’m sure I’ll enjoy this one, too. VG+.
  • Parliament – GloryHallaStoopid (Pin The Tale On The Funky) — The penultimate album for Parliament on the Casablanca Records label, and is another concept album which tries to explain that Funk was responsible for the creation of the universe. Great artwork. VG-.
  • Joe Cooley – Cooley — Irish accordion drinking music. VG+.

It was so good getting back to Underdog Records. So much enjoyment. This week, Underdog Records will have a Halloween party on Wednesday from 7-9 with Segreto (aka DJ Eighty Four) playing a bunch of darkwave and mood-appropriate tunes with live painting by Dane Walters. There will be free refreshments but folks may also BYOB. Listen to each new episode of The Less Desirables to hear the TLD/UR special of the week. Use Discogs to keep track of your music collection.

Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“God money I’ll do anything for you. God money just tell me what you want me to. God money nail me up against the wall. God money don’t want everything he wants it all.” – “Head Like a Hole” (Reznor)

Spinning Monday? or: The Haul 10/6/19

07 Monday Oct 2019

Posted by TGBII in Records, Spinning Sunday

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Bad Company, Bikini Kill, Discogs, Graham Parker, Music, Spinning Sunday, The Replacements, Underdog Records, Uriah Heep, Wilco

Salutations™!!

So, yeah, yesterday was a self-care day. So, I’m doing the Spinning thing today. We had a short “haul” list and Underdog Records will be closed this whole week because Jonathan is in dire need of a vacation. He’s taking that. Good for him. Here’s the haul:

uriah

©Mercury Records

  • The Replacements – Tim — The BCPF asked if I got this album because it was called “Tim.” I said I got it because it was on the RS list and I needed it. But, also because it was called “Tim.” Tim is #137 on the RS list and I really don’t remember much about it. We also didn’t have much listening time so we’ll get to it this week. New.
  • Wilco – Ode To Joy — The newest release from Jeff Tweedy and company. It was a bit dragging for me, but I think The BCPF liked it. New.
  • Bikini Kill – Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah — This is one of those things that The BCPF warned me about. “I have to warn you that this is might be pretty awful. But, it’s part of my high school memories.” I’ll give her that. It’s a reissue of the EP but with extra tracks, so it’s full LP length. New.
  • Bad Company  – Rough Diamonds — The last Bad Company album with the original lineup, including the last with Paul Rogers. He went on to do some solo stuff after this. The biggest tune on this is “Electricland.” VG++.
  • Uriah Heep – Look At Yourself — This is one of those albums that I had when I was a kid. I don’t know that I ever listened to it. I just liked the cover. That’s why I got it. It was in VG- condition, too. If I ever find my old records at my parents’ house, I’m sure this is with them.
  • Graham Parker And The Rumour – Stick To Me — The third studio album by Parker/Rumour. The original tapes were destroyed in the recording process by oxidation or something and they had to rush to rerecord everything. They had an 80-piece orchestra and everything. Nick Lowe was the producer and put it together hastily (like in a week’s time) and it is a really lo-fi album, although that’s not what Parker wanted. He said he didn’t like it at all, but now, once they got rid of the 80s-style Phil Collins drums in the 90s it was kind of grungy and that’s appealing to him, but at the time, nah. VG++.

Like I said, Underdog Records is closed this week because Jonathan is on vacation. The “official story” is that he won the lottery and moved to Morocco. That’s not what happened but thought it was funny. Of course, there is no TLD/UR special this week, either. I used Discogs to go through my choices this weekend, making sure we didn’t already have some of the things we got. A great tool.

Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“God, what a mess, on the ladder of success. Where you take one step and miss the whole first rung. Dreams unfulfilled, graduate unskilled. It beats pickin’ cotton and waitin’ to be forgotten. We are the sons of no one, bastards of young.” – “Bastards of Young” (Westerberg)

Late But Not Out or: For the Records

23 Monday Sep 2019

Posted by TGBII in Food, Music Review, Podcasting, Records, The Less Desirables Network

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Beeswax Vinyl & More, Clyde Edgerton, Fan Interference, Music, Pink Floyd, Records, The Less Desirables Network, The Man Who Ate the Town, The Police, The Replacements, The Smithereens, Underdog Records

Salutations™!!

This weekend, as I said was a little bit weird, timing-wise and we didn’t get to do our normal listening. That also threw our posting off a little on Beeswax Vinyl and in the Underdog Records “Now Spinning” page. So, I’ll leave a little posting about them here. Hah’bah’dah?

20190921_164404-01

©Enigma Records

This is from Saturday, Sunday and one today.

First up is a great record from The Smithereens. It’s their debut album from 1986, titled Especially For You. I say debut, but I really mean their first full-length album. They had some EPs and stuff prior. This had “Blood and Roses” and “Behind the Walls of Sleep” on it.

20190922_101515-01

©A&M

Then came the debut album from one of my favorite bands, The Police. It’s Outlandos D’Amour. They were extra punk/ska at this time and the album is just full of awesome tunes. “Next to You,” “So Lonely,” “Roxanne,” “Hole in My Life,” “Can’t Stand Losing You,” “Truth Hits Everybody” and “Born in the ’50s” just to name a few. I love this album. It’s not my favorite Police album but it’s tied for second with the other three that aren’t Synchronicity.

 

20190922_101605-01

©Sire Records

Next, was The Replacements’ Pleased to Meet Me. It wasn’t Tim or Let It Be (not to be confused with the Beatles album of the same name), which were both on the RS list, but it does have the song “Alex Chilton,” named after the singer of The Box Tops and Big Star. Chilton actually plays on this album, too, but not on that song. It’s punk, it’s rock, it’s alternative. It’s great. I enjoyed listening to it, a lot.

 

Those were Saturday’s listens. Sunday, we only got one in and that was Walking Across Egypt, which is basically author and musician Clyde Edgerton doing songs based on two of his books, Walking Across Egypt and Raney. This album is a lot of banjo and not-quite-bluegrass-Americana. Edgerton is a native of North Carolina, being born in Bethesda, close to Durham. He is a professor at UNC-Wilmington and has a street named for him in Kernersville. This is signed by Edgerton. The last bit is kind of an audiobook with a couple of passages read by the author. A good listen.

20190922_101717-01

©Flying Fish

 

 

Today, I listened to Pink Floyd’s Animals. This was the transition between Wish You Were Here and The Wall. It’s not my favorite, by any means. It’s a little more proggy than I’d like and less about compact songs. I like compact songs. Heck, read any of my RS list reviews. It’s a concept album that is based on socio-political issues in the late 1970s UK. That was a tumultuous time, for sure. There was turmoil within the band at that time, too. It led to Richard Wright leaving or being fired. Either way, he was no longer in the band. He was just a “hired hand” on The Wall, even though I felt he was a very important part of both of those albums. This was a decent listen. I dug it.

20190923_180414-02

©Columbia

That’s what I got for our playing the last few days. One day, we’ll get back to recording Beeswax Vinyl & More podcast. We’ll talk about more records soon. Hey, speaking of podcasts, we recorded both Fan Interference and The Man Who Ate the Town today. Listen to TMWATT here and FI here.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“If you didn’t care what happened to me and I didn’t care for you, we would zigzag our way through the boredom and pain. Occasionally glancing up through the rain, wondering which of the buggers to blame. And, watching for pigs on the wing.” – “Pigs on the Wing (Part 1)” (Waters)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 9/21/19

22 Sunday Sep 2019

Posted by TGBII in Records, Spinning Sunday

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Discogs, Glen Campbell, Music, Pat DiNizio, Paul Simon, Pink Floyd, Records, The Police, The Replacements, The Smithereens, Underdog Records

Salutations™!!

Yesterday was a scheduling-weird day for The BCPF and me. We had a house-warming to attend in Charlotte so we had to put our regular activities on hold. We got back into town around 3pm so then we got to go to Underdog Records and got to listen to a few before we went to dinner. Anywhat! We got some good stuff. Here’s the haul:

The_Replacements_-_Pleased_to_Meet_Me_cover

©Sire Records

  • The Replacements – Pleased To Meet Me — All I knew of this band (other than listening to the stuff on the RS list, somehow this isn’t on that) was the song “Alex Chilton” about, well, Alex Chilton, the founder of Big Star and lead singer of the 60s band, The Box Tops (“The Letter”). That song is on this album. Chilton actually played on this album, but not on his namesake tune. The Replacements started in punk but moved a little more straight-ahead rock and became one of the pioneering “alternative” rock bands. This album is great! I really dug it. VG+.
  • Paul Simon – Still Crazy After All These Years — We had this already but it was only in VG shape. We aren’t going on a big run of re-collecting better versions as it may seem we are from the last few weeks. However, if we find something that we know we are a fan of but our version wasn’t in the best of shape, then we’ll get the better version because we really enjoy listening. Besides, this one is a reissue on Warner Bros and the original we had was on Columbia. EX/VG++.
  • The Smithereens – Especially For You — The first full-length album by The Smithereens and supposedly one of Kurt Cobain’s favorite albums, per his journal. “Blood and Roses” and “Behind the Wall of Sleep” were both Top 40 hits on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks charts and the album is solid. It was a fun listen. EX/VG++.
  • The Smithereens – Green Thoughts — The follow up to the previous entry, we haven’t listened to this one, yet. It had the singles “Only a Memory,” “House We Used to Live In,” and “Drown in My Own Tears.” Sadly, we lost singer/guitarist Pat DiNizio in 2017. EX/VG++.
  • Pink Floyd – Animals — One of the few “classic” Floyd albums I didn’t have. This isn’t in the greatest shape but I couldn’t pass it up. It’s one of their “proggy” ones that is only five songs long but has three over 10 minutes long. I’ve heard it and it’s not my fave but I now have it. It’s an original pressing. VG-.
  • The Police – Outlandos D’Amour — The debut album by one of my faves. Finding them on vinyl has been somewhat of a chore. But, I’m working on it. This has “Next to You,” “So Lonely,” “Roxanne,” “Hole in My Life,” “Can’t Stand Losing You,” “Truth Hits Everybody” and “Born in the ’50s.” I love this album. I love all their albums, even if I don’t love all the songs. VG is what Jonathan said and while I trust him more than my own ratings, I didn’t hear any surface wear or noise so I’m going to say it’s VG+.
  • Glen Campbell – Southern Nights — I’m not a huge Campbell fan, but I do like the title song and I recognize his talent. It was $2. VG++.

Jonathan was busy in the store yesterday and he and “D” have been working on getting the store cleaned up for the big $1 album sale coming next weekend. Basically, boxes and boxes of $1 albums that he’s never put out before will be available and people will (hopefully) go crazy and buy a bunch of stuff! It could be a big deal. So, make sure you get by and get your $1 records. Make sure you clean them before you play them. Dirty records are like a social disease for styli. Listen to this week’s The Less Desirables to hear more about it! I have been using Discogs to “shake” my phone which leads to a random pick from my collection. That’s awesome.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Sleep lay behind me like a broken ocean. Strange waking dreams before my eyes unfold. You lay there sleeping like an open doorway. I stepped outside myself and felt so cold. Take a look at my new toy. It’ll blow your head in two, oh boy. Truth hits everybody, truth hits everyone.” – “Truth Hits Everybody” (Sting)

Say Anything… or: The Less Desirables Movie of the Week

10 Saturday Jun 2017

Posted by TGBII in Movie Review

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a/perture Cinema, Amazon Prime, Bebe Neuwirth, Cameron Crowe, Cheap Trick, Chynna Phillips, Depeche Mode, Eric Stoltz, Frasier, Heart, IMDb, Ione Skye, Jeremy Piven, Joan Cusack, Joe Satriani, John Cusack, John Mahoney, Lili Taylor, Living Colour, Movies, Nancy Wilson, Peter Gabriel, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rotten Tomatoes, Say Anything..., The BCPF, The Less Desirables, The Replacements

Salutations™!!

a/perture cinema, the Official Movie Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents The Less Desirables Movie of the Week, Say Anything… (1989), starring John Cusack, Ione Skye and John Mahoney.

Say_Anything

©20th Century Fox

 

Per IMDb: “A noble underachiever and a beautiful valedictorian fall in love the summer before she goes off to college.”

Lloyd Dobler (Cusack) starts obsessing over Diane Court (Skye) at their high school graduation. She’s the valedictorian, and most assume she’s “out of his league.” She has won a fellowship to attend school in England and her father, Jim (Mahoney), couldn’t be happier. Jim is the owner of a retirement home and is his daughter’s best friend, after the divorce from her mother. They have a good bit of money and that adds to the ways that Diane and Lloyd are different, although neither of them cares.

Jim is worried that Lloyd may be a detriment to Diane’s upcoming matriculation in England; afraid that she’ll want to stay home instead of going. The more the two teens get involved, the more Jim becomes less tolerant of Diane’s “freedoms.” It doesn’t help that the IRS is investigating Jim on fraud charges through the retirement home.  Do the crazy kids stay together? Do they break up? What happens with the IRS? You’ll have to watch to find out.

As usual, Joan Cusack plays in the film with her brother, John. She doesn’t give any Oscar-winning performances but that wasn’t what she set out to do, in this film. It was so strange seeing John Mahoney with dark hair and playing a role outside of Martin Crane, Frasier’s father in the television series. There are times when you don’t like him and I’m not used to that with him, either. There are times when you certainly do like him, though.

The BCPF thinks Ione Skye got the part because she’s pretty while I think she is an awful actress and looks like a horse. As the film went on it was like she learned to act. The acting was less atrocious from her the deeper the film went. Beyond that, I think that she and Cusack (who can act) actually had good screen chemistry.

Another Frasier cast member, Bebe Neuwirth (she played Frasier’s ex-wife, Lillith), made an appearance here, as well. Other cameos include Jeremy Piven, Chynna Phillips, Eric Stoltz and Lili Taylor.

Probably the most notable thing about this film is its soundtrack. One of the most famous scenes of teen-driven dramedies happens in this film: the iconic holding of the boombox playing “In Your Eyes” from Peter Gabriel (off my favorite album of all-time). Cusack reenacted that onstage at a Peter Gabriel show a few years ago. In addition to PG, the soundtrack included Nancy Wilson of Heart (her husband, Cameron Crowe wrote the film), Depeche Mode, The Replacements, Cheap Trick, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Living Colour and Joe Satriani. It’s a great soundtrack and the songs fit well in the film.

Overall, I think it was a decent film. Not my favorite of teen films but it was pretty good. Rotten Tomatoes has it at 98% Fresh with an Audience Score of 85%. IMDb has it at 7.4 stars out of 10. We rented it from Amazon Prime and I will rate it 4 stars out of 5. Have you seen it? What would you like to hear/read me review?

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“One question: are you here ’cause you need someone, or ’cause you need me?… Forget it, I don’t care.” – Lloyd Dobler

Appelle-Moi or: Can You Help Me Occupy My Brain? (RS Part 37)

28 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by TGBII in Music Review

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Black Sabbath, Blondie, Bruce Springsteen, Dr. Dre, Elton John, Notorious B.I.G., Pavement, The Meters, The Replacements

Salutations™!!

The last segment of Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All Time was a long-time in the making and I’ve started this one kind of soon after, so hopefully it won’t go so long this time. A good segment last time, too. Not a lot of filler; some but manageable. Let’s not waste time, let’s hit this one.

#140 – Parallel Lines by Blondie. Punky chic, I’d say. Don’t let Debbie Harry’s pretty looks fool you. She’ll dazzle you with her looks and roundhouse kick you with her voice and the band does so with their no-nonsense music (well, maybe a little, Blondie_-_Parallel_Lineswell-planned nonsense). Three staples of Sirius XM’s First Wave channel, “Hanging on the Telephone,” “One Way or Another,” which starts this album out right, and “Heart of Glass,” all three are the flour while the rest of the album is the egg in the cake; the rest holds it together. It truly is in your face. You can look away but you can’t escape. “Picture This” is probably some of the best capturing of a live feel in the studio I’ve heard since the 76-77 era of KISS, while “Fade Away and Radiate” has that Blondie reggae beat but a sultry and seductive backbone. “Pretty Baby” reminds me of the Shangri-Las or something like that. It hearkens back to the 50s rock and roll pop girl groups. I know that was the point and I’m quite okay with it. I hear some Cheap Trick (or just similarities therein) in the music of “I Know But I Don’t Know.” The dissonant chord changes are what do it for me, I think. I’m ashamed to say that I really don’t know much about Blondie other than the hits on this album, “Rapture” and “Call Me.” This is a reminder of how sucky I can be at knowing my classic bands. Pity, Scorp, pity. I think “Heart of Glass” is a good indication as to where the band would be going in the following few years. It sounds more futuristic than the rest of the album and, to me, was more than just a representation of the disco stuff that was still lingering and hanging on at the time; it was advanced in structure and sound. I really like that song. I really like this album! Dug!

#139 – Rejuvenation by The Meters. NOLA Funk! Yes, please. This album was produced by the very recently departed, R&B legend, Allen Toussaint. The early Meters albums were mostly instrumentals. This is not just instrumental. I’ll also say this, again, George Porter, Jr. is a genius of a bass player. None of these guys are slackers. Tight drumming, banging piano and an added horn section that was arranged by Mr. Toussaint. My favorite tune on the album is the last song, “Africa.” It’s sounds mean and funky all at the same time. Now, I do like it, and completely dig it on the countdown but why this high on the list? That’s my only question. Overall, I dug it.

#138 – The Chronic by Dr. Dre. This one was on hold until I ordered it from iTunes. It’s not on anything streaming (while all of his others are) and YouTube has several copies but they’re all muted. Anywhat! I didn’t want to Dr.DreTheChronicspend money on it as it’s not my thing, really. BUT, I got it and put it on my iPod and listened to it whilst driving around in Nigel (my Kia Soul) and I have to say, this is some really good stuff. Well, let’s not go crazy, whether or not it’s “good” is subjective but I really like it. I’ve enjoyed listening to it. As always, I could certainly do without all the “n” word strewn about the album, but what can you do? I’d actually consider this a Snoop Dogg album over a Dre album. He’s highlighted throughout and his work is the best on the record. There’s a lot of shots at Eazy-E, who owned Ruthless Redords and Ice Cube, both former N.W.A. members. Dre and gang also take shots at Tim Dog and Luther Campbell (Luke of 2 Live Crew). They’re not at all apologetic about it, either. They don’t hold back. It was a pleasure to listen to. “F*** with Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’),” “Let Me Ride,” “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang,” “A N***a Witta Gun” and “Deeez Nuuuts” are my favorites on here. I almost wish I’d have bought the vinyl version, now. I’m still happy with it. Dug!!

#137 – Tim by The Replacements. Well, it’s not everyday you have an album named after you. I know what you’re thinking, wait! I thought your name was Scorp? Haha, well, it is. Just go with it. Once I waded through R.E.M., the Cure and such, this is what The_Replacements_-_Tim_coveralternative rock would have sounded like in my head. I know it’s a travesty and all that but I knew nothing of The Replacements, other than the song “Alex Chilton,” prior to this complete countdown. I don’t know how I didn’t. Well, that’s not true. This was released before I moved to WSNC and we didn’t have access to this where I was from. “Dose of Thunder” sounds like something Cult would have done. I like that. “Hold my Life,” “I’ll Buy” are both solid songs. The first one that really made me go, that’s cool is “Waitress in the Sky.” Next is “Swinging Party” and I REALLY like that one. At the time it was rough and dirty, I’m sure. But, I think it fits perfectly snug in the annuls of the early alternative (or First Wave) motif. It’s rebellious but not totally defiant; accessible. There’s not a single song on this album that I’d skip over. I may not think them my favorite tunes, but they’re certainly a great listen. One of my faves in the last bit. And closing out on “Here Comes a Regular?” I nearly wept. Priceless. DUG!

#136 – Greatest Hits by Elton John. Compilation album, but I will admit, it, along with it’s sister Greatest Hits Volume II, are two of my favorite comps ever. I think I have grown to like this one more but at first II was my fave. It’s a good representation of Elton’s and Bernie’s masterful craftsmanship. (I dig it even if I don’t review it)

#135 – Slanted and Enchanted by Pavement. There has to be something said about a singer that only sporadically finds the right note to sing and you can tell that he doesn’t care if he does or doesn’t. He’s in his own world and you have to respect that. You don’t have to like it, but you have to respect it. I don’t know, just yet, how I feel about. I do know that this is definitely one of The BCPF’s favorite bands. I can see that because she doesn’t care if anyone sings on key, either. I’m not at all putting them down, I get it. This is probably what Eugene has always talked about with it “being about feeling it” or putting the emotion and meaning first. Well, I’m about a slick package and this certainly isn’t that. It is also impressive that they can fit 14 songs in at under 39 minutes. Musically, this is some great and innovative (to me) stuff. The attitude, I get that. The meaning, I get that. The work horse here seems to be Gary Young, the drummer/percussionist; he’s on it with some wicked slamming beats and it sounds like his drums probably needed a few shots of whisky and a sedative after he played them. That and therapy. “Conduit for Sale!” is one of my favorites. I find that when Stephen Malkmus gets in a higher register and is near screaming levels, his pitch is a lot better. When he’s laid back, it becomes droopy and inconsistent. Again, note that I am not putting that down. I am only pointing out the facts, here. In conversing with The BCPF, I told her this was “beautifully awful,” and I stand by that. It’s tasteful and so wrong which makes it oh so right. 1992, mission accomplished. I dig it.

#134 – Ready to Die by Notorious B.I.G. Pickle juice drinking? Wow. I don’t really know what I’m listening to here, but I think I like it. Liberal use of the “n” word and amazingly there are a lot of m*therfu*kers that somehow found their way onto the album. “Juicy’ is a great song. I really dig that one. The album itself seems like it could be a concept deal, but it could just be Biggie’s ability to tell a story. It’s about life, but it’s more reminiscent of a movie than real life, but we do know he died in a big “war,” and this is all about the lifestyle. A lot of shots fired, a lot of screaming, a lot of killing. It’s creepy knowing that the name of this album is what it is and what happened to him. Morbid, really. I’ve heard “Everyday Struggle” before as well. I’d say “Big Poppa” was the biggest hit on here. The radio-friendly stuff is a whole lot easier to listen to than the gangsta-heavy stuff, but it’s all pretty easy to listen to. Biggie’s not a fast-talking rapper, instead just being laid back and flowing. It’s not a bad album overall and I’m surprised that I liked it as much as I did. That being said, TheWildTheInnocentI’m done with it and don’t care if I ever listen to it again, other than a handful of tunes. Dug-ish.

#133 – The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle by Bruce Springsteen. Definitely, this is a mix of sultry, bluesy and cock rock. The music on this album is spot on. “Kitty’s Back” is one fantastic song, going from that sultry to slinky, laid-back and shuffling. One thing I can never take from Bruce is that he’s a story teller and a half. “Kitty” certainly brings the cream to the top in that instance. That same characterization can be said for “Wild Billy’s Circus Story,” complete with Garry Tallent’s clever tuba treatment. I just pops out there every once in a while. It’s cool and I can dig it. Getting through the opening track was easy musically but not so easy vocally, but he more than made up for it with the rest of the album. The last three songs, “Incident on 57th Street,” “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” and “New York City Serenade,” are lauded by many to be some of the best 25 minutes in album history, so I hear. I go on record to say that I have always hated “Rosalita” and that didn’t change after this, but the other two songs are a fantastic 17 minutes of juiciness. I will be honest and say that I never knew that Bruce was the guitarist of his band for the early stuff. I never heard of him until Born in the USA and by that time, he was more associated by the large entourage of musicians that surrounded him on stage in the vidoes. I never knew better; color me impressed. This is a good album that comes in just under 47 minutes for seven songs. I dug it.

#132 – Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack by Various Artists.  This is one that I wish I wasn’t such a stickler about compilations. Yes, it’s a soundtrack, and one of the greatest, in my opinion. I have it on vinyl, even. I’ll listen to it but not comment further.

#131 – Paranoid by Black Sabbath. As much as I loved Sabbath’s debut album, this is Sabbath to me. I mean, heck, “War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” “Paranoid” and “Planet Caravan” on the same album? C’mon! It’s heavy. It’s metal. It’s classic. I never knew that the instrumental end of “War Pigs” was called “Luke’s Wall.” And, a fine anti-war tune that is. “Paranoid” is a fun (not fun) song with a great guitar riff. I Black_Sabbath_-_Paranoidloved Ozzy’s rendition of that and “Children of the Grave” on the Tribute album. I never got Pantera’s cover of “Planet Caravan” but I think this version sits easy as a mood shift from the heaviness. It’s very Doors-like to me with some Allman Brothers thrown in. Great vocal effect on that, too. I listened to this one through headphones and love the panning on “Iron Man.” Really, does a song get much heavier than this? This is the heavy that Death and Speed Metal bands wish they could get. A menacing riff to go with a menacing figure in the lyrics. What I get out of the lyrics are: he goes to the future and sees destruction. He tries to get back to warn everyone in his own time that this is going to happen. In the magnetic field that enabled his time travel, he’s turned into a bit metal dude and he can’t talk. We know in this society, anything the masses don’t understand, they shun. He gets mad and destroys those who mock him. So, I guess he created the destruction he saw the vision of? Do I hear a talkbox mixed with the wah pedal in “Electric Funeral.” I’d love to ask Ed B. here in WSNC what Geezer Butler is playing to make the bass sound so boxy. Is it the Rickenbacker 4001? I generally don’t like that kind of bass sound but this is actually perfect for what they’re doing. The album closes with “Fairies Wear Boots” and as it goes quiet afterwards, you kind of feel like something’s over. A feeling of finality. That’s sad, but good that you can feel that way about an album, right? I certainly dug it. It’s a great album.

So, wow, other than the two comp albums (which incidentally, I love both) most everything got a “Dug;” only Biggie got a “dug-ish.” It was a good segment that gave me some “hmmm, how didn’t I know I liked that already?” moments. I hope the next set is just as awesome. Which, this one was only a week after the other, hopefully I will get to the next segment in a short amount of time, too. See you, then…

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Politicians hide themselves away, they only started the war. Why should they go out to fight? They leave that role to the poor.” – “War Pigs” (Iommi, Osbourne, Butler, Ward)

Just a Little Bit Too Strong or: That’s the Way It Is (RS Part 26)

04 Friday Sep 2015

Posted by TGBII in Music Review

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Black Sabbath, Eminem, JAY-Z, Jerry Lee Lewis, Mothers of Invention, Ornette Coleman, R.E.M., Run-DMC, The Grateful Dead, The Replacements

Salutations™!!

I know I usually do these on Mondays but this coming Monday is a holiday and I may write about that, who knows, so let’s put this one in today… Okay? Okay! I worked my way through the first 250 of Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All Time. I wrote my defense (not really, just a recap) of those and now I’m ready to move on. Hopefully, there’s stuff that will surprise me in a good way. I don’t like those unfortunate surprises so much. Anywhat! Let’s hit it!

#250 – Reasonable Doubt by Jay-Z. Ok, a question, here. I know it’s because of the overall influence of what the album has done its affect on others and/or subsequent releases, but how is that an album that is advocating so much violence, especially gun violence against the “N” word, killing, shooting and such, on this list? Biggie is on here, and we know what happened to him. It’s one thing to put on a front but this isn’t WWE. This isn’t just an on-screen spat for entertainment purposes. This is potentially real life-and-death. The songs themselves aren’t really that bad. The subject matter is bad. I understand the posturing and I understand the “I overcame” but that’s one thing; provocation is another. The subject matter of this sickens me and I’m not just being a “bleeding heart liberal” (which sometimes I can be), it’s just way too much for me to pay attention to. Not a good start to “Side 2” of the list but I’m thinking I’m not going to rate it unless something really stands out to me. Some of the music is pretty cool, but nothing other than “Feelin’ It” and “Coming of Age” stick out, really, to me. No rating.

#249 – Automatic for the People by R.E.M. Now to rinse the taste of the Jay-Z album out of my ears, this is much more tame and much more listenable. Starting off with 1R.E.M._-_Automatic_for_the_People“Drive” it’s a eerie little tune that I happen to love. One of the sappiest, yet saddest, songs ever recorded, “Everybody Hurts,” is something that I’ll remember first and foremost from Taxicab Confessions on HBO and when I first heard it, I thought the singer (yes I know it’s Stipe, now) was awfully whiney. But, I also think that the song is wonderfully written and now I know better. Now, I’m not saying this is a great album from beginning to end, as some of it kind of falls short like fluffy filling but there is some fantastic stuff on here. “Man on the Moon” is a great tribute to the zany Andy Kaufman. I think that’s the first time I’ve really ever used the word “zany” on this blog and probably in real life outside of ZanyZappers that I had as kids. Anywhat! The story in the song is fun and a fitting tribute. And “Nightswimming.” My memories of that song had nothing directly to do with R.E.M.. Rather it’s more about a man named BB who sang it during the “R.E.M.: The Later Years” Vagabond Saints Society show, which happened to be my first show with VSS, ever. BB, whom I’m sorry to say I can’t remember his last name, did it and kind of got flustered during the performance and they restarted it. I felt bad for him, but he pulled it off like a champ. I didn’t really even know him but he seemed to be a very nervous person, although he was a singer for another band, of which escapes me right now. BB passed away a few years back, and when I hear that song, forevermore it reminds me of that night. Bittersweet. I dug the album, though.

#248 – The Shape of Jazz to Come by Ornette Coleman. Whoa! Some very unique stuff, this. It’s not so much that Ornette is playing the saxophone but he’s talking through it. It’s like a personified being more than an inanimate object. And while Don Cherry makes the coronet/trumpet sing, and probably more so than any I’ve heard before, it’s still not as hot as Ornette’s playing. They’re both playing riffs with horns and wind instruments that is almost as fast as some Yngwie licks and that’s super fast. The complimentary conversation between the sax and trumpet throughout the album is amazing. Another unique thing about the album is that it is a quartet but without any 1Ornette Colemantraditional chordal instruments. I hear no piano or guitar on it at all. I hear drums, a double-bass and the sax and trumpet. In “Focus on the Sanity” the sax is like a kitten playing with a ball of string and having a grand old time. Another amazing thing about this album is that all thirty-eight minutes of it was recorded in one day back in 1959. Not that unheard of as Heavens Sake recorded the basic tracks for nine songs in one day, but still, out of six, five of these babies are over five minutes long; one at over nine. This was a joy to listen to and I’d say it was righteous! I dug it, for sure!!

#247 – Live/Dead by The Grateful Dead. I hang my head when I see The Grateful Dead. I’m very ungrateful that I have to be subjected to them. Listening to this is like listening to sporadic, chronic “tuners” (those who stand at the front of the stage constantly tuning their guitars/basses when they’re not really out of tune – it’s a nervous habit, nothing more) that are scoring some strange art-house film that while we hear the soundtrack/score we don’t get to see the crappy movie (caveat, I like art house films, most of the time). This is all criticism of just the first song, a 23-minute epic of a mess called “Dark Star.” After that it gets “better,” whatever that means. I can picture them standing on the stage and just twiddling around on some notes and such. Some of it gets a little dynamic, like “Turn on Your Love Light,” but most of it is b-o-r-i-n-g! I mean even trying to do other things while listening was making the things I was doing bad. I mean, even playing Cookie Jam was not taking my mind off of this garbage. Grateful that The Grateful Dead is over for now. I’m sure there’s more of this junk on here somewhere. This is like a shot of Clorox with a Drain-o chaser. I don’t care if I get flack for talking junk about “the Dead.” This outright sucks! I know I’m not being professional or proper in my critique but it’s not proper to have to listen to this, either.

#246 – Freak Out! by Mothers of Invention. I actually own this album, believe it or not. I don’t know why, but I do. And even if I don’t think this is great, it’s not the (expletive) Grateful Dead!! Now, that being said, I don’t not think this is good. I love Zappa’s satire and he leaves no one out. He’s an equal opportunity blaster. Everyone’s fair game here. “Motherly Love” I have heard before and I don’t know where. Seems like a movie or something but I can’t find a listing about it. “Wowie Zowie” is fun. The whole album is fun, and I think in some twisted way the whole thing is tongue-in-1FreakOutcheek, musically and lyrically. It takes a lot of aspects from doo-wop but the mid-Sixties are definitely threaded throughout. David Fricke of Rolling Stone says that this was a direct influence on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Band from The Beatles (spoiler, it’s very high on this countdown). I don’t know that I hear that but I can’t deny it, either. “You’re Probably Wondering Why I’m Here” reminds me of something and I can not figure out what it is. Maybe it will come to me at a later date. I dunno. Anywhat! I dig it.

#245 – All Killer, No Filler: The Anthology by Jerry Lee Lewis. I want to listen to some of The Killer but not like this. 

#244 – The Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem. “Stan” is but one very disturbing account of the other side of celebrity; the bad side, the stalkers, paparazzi, tabloids, critics, etc. In fact, the whole album is like that. I’m more of a fan of this than I am of the Slim Shady LP (#275) that I reviewed earlier in the countdown. I think I just find this more accessible. At one end, he’s not as hungry as he was before he got “famous” but on the other side he can relax a little bit because he’s gotten where he needs to be – good or bad be the case. Then comes “Kim.” “Stan” was nothing compared to “Kim,” as far as songs go. His hatred for his wife and his account of how she prevented him from seeing their daughter rings through. It’s a murder ballad, or murder fantasy, where he kills her and stuffs her in his trunk. Presumably, this is a prequel to “97 Bonnie & Clyde” from the Slim Shady LP. It’s perhaps one of the most violent songs I’ve ever heard, at least in sense of actually “acting out” the violence. Eminem played both himself and Kim in the song and you can hear the demise, the duct tape and the stowing. Rough stuff, but overall, I dug the album.

#243 – Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath. I can feel myself sinking from the weight of the metal, it’s heavy. If I’m stating my opinion (and I am), this is, especially in the title song’s breadth, where “heavy metal” was born. The earth cracked, gash wide open, up and from its head sprung forth Ozzy, Tommy, Bill and Geezer. You can almost 1Black Sabbathfeel the black clouds rolling in – and not slowly – bringing an impending doom which will swallow you and every ounce of good that was left in your decaying soul, whole; inch by inch. Wow, I don’t know if I could have made that any more delightfully dreadful but the title song is absolutely that. Although I dig “The Wizard,” I feel that the harmonica is watering down it’s weight and I could have done without that, but overall the song is powerful. There’s a bit of confusion on my part as to which version of this album I’m supposed to listen to. There’s the European LP version, the North American LP version, a reissue (which I try to stay away from because I want it to be as close to the original as possible) and bonus tracks, which while sometimes I do listen to, if they’re not on the original, then I don’t include them in the review. The version I decided on (and what was readily available on Rhapsody) is the North American LP version. So, you get as track number three: “Wasp/Behind the Wall of Sleep/Bassically (yes I spelled that right)/N.I.B.” N.I.B. stand neither for “Nativity in Black” nor “Name in Blood.” It’s about the devil falling in love and becoming a decent entity. In an FAQ on their website, Geezer Butler stated that the song had no title so they just called it “Nib” after drummer Bill Ward’s beard which was shaped like a pen nib. I can relate as I have one of those. The end is one long song as well. It’s called “A Bit of Finger/Sleeping Village/Warning.” The “Bit of Finger” part is pretty but haunting. Then it goes back to punching you square in the teeth with a metallic fist whilst being a little jazzy and Zeppelin-like. There’s a bit of “Heartbreaker” in there if you listen close enough. And, after listening to the “Warning” part, I don’t want anyone else to say Page is a sloppy lead player without giving Iommi the same rub. He’s sloppy all through that. But, it doesn’t really take away from the over all. This album was a depressing delight and I most certainly dug it. Any fan of hard rock should like this. Although I really can’t stand the term “heavy metal,” I think this one does offer a great birth of it. Now, I await the hellmouth to swallow me whole.

#242 – Run-D.M.C. by Run-D.M.C. Back when rap was fresh and new not run-of-the-mill whack that it is now. This is some of the spread that caused people to notice rap. It’s elements of rock, pop, rap and hip-hop topped with a bit of awesome sauce rolled up into a fantastic rap dessert. I dig that they give Jam-Master Jay (RIP) some love. Two songs worth, actually. He’s perhaps the most famous of spinner DJs that the rap world has ever known. Other than “Sucker M.C.’s (Krush-Groove 1),” I don’t think I’ve heard any of these songs before. That’s not a bad thing, I just mean that it’s this good without a powerhouse song. At the same time, there’s nothing really standout-ish about it either. I’m not taking away from it, it rocks. I really like “It’s Like That.” Rock on Jay! Dug!

#241 – Let It Be by The Replacements. The first thing I see on the track listing is a 1let it besong called “Black Diamond.” What is this!? It can’t be!? It is! It’s a cover of the 1974 (more precisely it’s a cover of the 1975 Alive! version) debut album track from KISS. If nothing else, they get props for that! It’s a pretty horrible cover, but they did cover it and released it. It seems that this is a jumbled mess. But, that’s not exactly true. I think it’s a well-calculated mess, but a mess nonetheless. Is it punk? Not really. Is it crap? Not at all. Is it my thing? Nope. I know of other Replacements songs, namely “Alex Chilton,” and I know it’s better than this. This isn’t a dismissal, but a resignation that I really don’t care for it. “Unsatisfied,” “Sixteen Blue” and “Answering Machine” are along the lines I wish the rest of the album had been. Having heard good things about them and the “Alex Chilton” song, I was looking forward to this album. It pains me to say that I found it just “so-so.” Dug-ish.

This, the first segment past the halfway point, was a bit of a let down.  Starting off with JAY-Z’s album (which I usually don’t mind him) and then eventually, The Grateful Dead. That’s just wrong. There was an anthology so I skipped that one. That’s almost a third of your segment, right there. There were some real highlights, though. I really liked the R.E.M. (which I own and have heard before), Black Sabbath (which surprised me), Run-D.M.C. and even Eminem albums. The “excited me” find, though, was Ornette Coleman. That really, really impressed me and I will have to find more from him, if there is any. What do you think, Dear Reader? Do you agree with my assessments or strongly (or even mildly) disagree with me? Let me know. Until we next meet on this Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All-Tim journey, this seg is done.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!!

—
“When your day is long, and the night, the night is yours alone,
When you’re sure you’ve had enough of this life, well hang on.
Don’t let yourself go ’cause everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimes.” – “Everybody Hurts” by R.E.M.

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