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Atlanta Rhythm Section, Bob Dylan, Discogs, Elton John, George Duke, Jackson Browne, Jim Steinman, Music, Pablo Cruise, Records, Sanford and Townsend, Savoy Brown, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Spinning Sunday, Stanley Clarke, Steely Dan, The Band, The Less Desirables, Todd Rundgren, Underdog Records
Salutations™!!
Yesterday was a pretty big haul, but it was a cheaper haul. I’ll explain more as we go. But, it was fun just being at Underdog Records, as it always is. It’s my candy store. Here’s the haul:
©Warner Bros.
- Siouxsie And The Banshees – Peepshow — The BCPF and I had a good long discussion about why she likes the “Dark Wave” stuff so much. I don’t know that we ever got to the bottom of it, but she just digs it. This was a reissue of their 1988 album. New.
So, from here on, all the albums are $1 bin finds and unless otherwise noted, they are all in VG condition (mostly after cleaning them up). So, here we go:
- Pablo Cruise – A Place In The Sun — I only really knew one song by Pablo Cruise, who I thought was a guy. I didn’t realize that it was a band in which none of them were named Pablo Cruise. They were a quartet and would always joke that Pablo was the one in the middle. There is a story behind the name, at least minimally, that I won’t get into because, well, that’s not why we’re here. This is the one that has “Whatcha Gonna Do?” which was the song that I knew. This was in really good shape, so I would maybe even rate it VG+, but that may be pushing it.
- Pablo Cruise – Worlds Away — The other Pablo Cruise that I got, this was the follow-up to A Place in the Sun.
- Sanford And Townsend – Smoke From A Distant Fire — I will admit that I got this album only because either Ed Sanford or Johnny Townsend (I don’t know which is which), on the cover, looks like a young, chubby Clay Howard. The duo were well-known studio musicians (weren’t they all in the 70s?) and songwriters who co-wrote good songs. I haven’t listened to this so I don’t know what they sound like.
- Atlanta Rhythm Section – A Rock And Roll Alternative — This album has “So Into You” on it and I like that song. That itself was worth the buck.
- Jim Steinman – Bad For Good — For those who don’t know, Steinman was the musical mind behind the songs for Meat Loaf. In fact, this was supposed to be the follow-up to Bat Out of Hell but because of Mr. Aday’s vocal problems, Steinman recorded it himself. Meat Loaf did do some of the songs on some of his later albums. The cover is pretty beaten up, but the LP looks to be VG.
- Jackson Browne – For Everyman — Browne’s sophomore effort. It contains his version of “Take It Easy” which was co-penned by Glenn Frey.
- Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road — Okay, trying this again. Every time I get this 2xLP album it’s pretty beaten up and I have to continue looking. This one doesn’t seem to be too bad, but I haven’t played it, yet, either. I’ll keep you informed.
- Bob Dylan / The Band – Before The Flood — The first officially released live album by Dylan, it’s his 15th album overall and the seventh from The Band. I know nothing of it, so we’ll see about it. Also a 2xLP.
- Todd Rundgren – Todd — The last 2xLP for today, it’s Rundgren’s fifth album. I liked Something/Anything? so I am hoping I like this, too.
- Steely Dan – Countdown To Ecstasy — I love me some Steely Dan and this has “Bodhisattva” and “My Old School,” which, the latter I love.
- Stanley Clarke / George Duke – The Clarke / Duke Project — Stanley Clarke. ‘Nuff said.
- Savoy Brown – Hellbound Train — Jonathan asked if I had ever heard this album and I said no. He then said he wanted me to have it. So he gave it to me. We listened to it. It’s pretty good. It’s a blues-rock band from England. Nothing overly exciting for me. I didn’t dislike it, though. Thanks, J.
For your holiday shopping needs, Underdog Records will be open today, Sunday from 11-4 and Monday (Christmas Eve) from 10-3. And, the big thing now is gift certificates, so make sure you either get yours or tell your loved ones to get you one. Listen to The Less Desirables each week to hear what the TLD/UR special of the week is. And, use Discogs to catalog your music collection, be it vinyl, CD or even cassette.
Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!
—
“So you’re having trouble with your romance? Well, you better check it out before it goes, yeah. ‘Cause you might not be seeing things just the way you should. And you don’t recognize what everybody knows. Whatcha gonna do when she says goodbye? Whatcha gonna do when she is gone?” – “Whatcha Gonna Do?” (Jenkins/Lerios)
anyway. Give me the Beatles anyday. Speaking of which, Chuck Berry’s “You Can’t Catch Me” (recorded here) features the lyric, “Here come old flat top” just like “Come Together” from Abbey Road. There was some stink about that but it was settled. Some of why I don’t care for this record is the blues aspect. We know how I am about that. I like the more polished late-60s-through-early-90s Stones, if I’m going to listen to them at all. Another thing, twelve songs and only four are written by them. Again, I know it’s still really, really early in their careers, but that perplexes me. I have to say that I do not mind the RS originals but their covers on this, drives me up the wall. Meh.
songs about dancing and it not only not be cheesy but be relevant and serious. ‘Cause really, who doesn’t just want to funk out? “Groovallegiance” features a very rare bass solo, but I didn’t find clarification if it’s “Bootsy,” “Boogie” or “Skeet” that’s playing said solo. All three as listed as personnel but nothing is necessarily denoted as who does what where. It’s awesome no matter whom it is. “Who Says a Funk Band Can’t Play Rock?!” is truly a rock song. The whole album is about breaking through to something more. This song proves exactly what the title suggests, wrong. “Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad (The Doo-Doo Chasers)” wins the award for the longest song title on the countdown (at least that I can tell). It’s pretty much saying that the world can be a “shite hole” and there are those that perpetuate that assumption. We’ve all gone in the crapper, if you will. A great (almost) 11 minute song, that. I am pretty certain that “Bootsy” is playing the bass on “Cholly (Funk Getting Ready to Roll)” as he’s a co-writer. All in all this is a great funk/rock album. I have really gotten in to most everything in that genre that I’ve heard in this countdown, thus far. Yay, me and dug!
Dylan I know and that’s a good thing. “Isis,” “Mozambique” are mesmerizing. They are so easy to listen to but strangely complex. “One More Cup of Coffee” which I believe has Emmylou Harris singing backup is sad and beautiful. Although, the story isn’t bad, I don’t really care much about “Joey.” It drags, it’s whiny and it’s eleven minutes long. It seems that one got some negative attention for glorifying gangsters. Yikes! I do like the Mexican-style of “Romance in Durango.” Reminds me of some stuff Ma Père would listen to when I was a child. He’s not Mexican but liked Marty Robbins and such. “Sara” is an almost pleading, directly personal direction of songwriting as it was about his wife. It wasn’t often, at least that I can figure, that he did that. That’s one of my favorite songs on this album. I’d own this album if I could skip “Joey.” Dug!
the first single. I have that on a Time-Life compilation, which I’m sure is Sounds of the 70s. You can hear the imperfections in the drumming and other instruments, but I think that adds to the uniqueness. At the beginning of side two, he gives a small tour of studio sounds like hum and hiss. It was odd hearing it. “Marlene” has xylophones and such on it and at one point sounds just like that new chime that Facebook uses for it’s Instant Messenger and I kept thinking someone was messaging me. Side four is comprised of songs that were done with full ensembles. Musicians include Mark Klingman, Rick Derringer, Vicki Sue Robinson and Edward James Olmos (yes, that Edward James Olmos, vox). The third released single was “Hello It’s Me” which is a side four song. The second was “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” and the fourth was “Wolfman Jack” which is probably the worst song on the album and it was released TWO years after “Hello It’s Me.” There was another album released before “Wolfman Jack” came out. I don’t understand that. Anywhat! Overall I thought the album was fantastic, but really, Rundgren could have cut that down to about eleven songs and left it as an LP. Most of it was filler, some of which sounded very much like other songs on the album and could have been done away with or released two separate albums. It was too much. But, because I liked the material, I’m still going with a “dug” here.
