Yesterday was a palindrome. Did you know that? 121121. Our day was weird because I had to spend half of it in the studio working on video set up and Zoom and all kinds of craziness that just wasn’t working the way I wanted/needed. My cousin, Gary or Kousin Gary on the Asylum – Tales from the Devereaux Diaries Podcast came up from Durham to help me out. He’s a vid production specialist, so he helped me work some things out. The BCPF and I took him to West End Cafe for a late lunch/early dinner and beers for his trouble and then took him to Underdog Records before he had to head back east. I didn’t get anything while there, but The BCPF did. Here’s her haul:
Nirvana – Nirvana — Compilation, Limited Edition, Reissue, Smoke-colored vinyl. Includes glossy double-sided insert with an essay by David Fricke, pictures, and song credits. Anti-static inner sleeve. Listed as used but still sealed, Walmart Edition.
Elton John With Ray Cooper – Live From Moscow — 2×LP, Limited Edition, Clear vinyl, 180g. Record Store Day 2019 release. Recorded at Rossiya Hall in Moscow. NM.
Weezer – Weezer — “The Black Album”. Limited Edition, Black Smoke. Black Smoke Vinyl edition limited to 2000 pressings, purchased on the Weezer Web Store. Sixth self-titled album (Black); hype sticker and promotional materials refer to it as “The Black Album.” Includes a custom inner sleeve. Pre-orders were delivered with a black spork; metal sporks were included with test pressings. NM
Gary loved Underdog Records and well, we do, too! He bought Megadeth’s Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying and a used, signed copy of Electric Circus from WASP. You should check out Underdog Records’ website and social media to see what Jonathan has gotten in and is offering for purchase. Use Discogs to track your collection.
Until next time, keep spinnin’… Scorp out!
— “He’s the one who likes all our pretty songs. And he likes to sing along and he likes to shoot his gun. But he don’t know what it means, don’t know what it means, when I say, he’s the one who likes all our pretty songs. And he likes to sing along and he likes to shoot his gun. But he don’t know what it means, don’t know what it means, and I say, “Yeah”. – “In Bloom” (Cobain)
So, on Monday, I recorded a podcast for Useless Things. But, I forgot to post it here. I did post it on the Useless Things Podcast page and on the TLD Network page.
On Monday, I talked about my birthday/Friendsgiving celebration at The Katharine Brasserie and Bar as well as remembering Eric Carr and Freddie Mercury. You can listen to that episode, here.
Today, I talked about Beeswax Vinyl Daily and clarified what the Billboard, Grammy, AMA, RS list, and RIAA certifications, and such all mean when I talk about them. You can listen to that episode, here.
I appreciate your listening! Subscribe, like, rate, review!
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “Originally conceived to honor artists and track sound recording sales, Gold & Platinum Awards have come to stand as a benchmark of success for any artist—whether they’ve just released their first song or Greatest Hits album.” – RIAA website
Friday was Record Store Day – Black Friday Edition and I participated but not to the extent I used to. Since the pandemic, I haven’t had the inclination to participate. The BCPF and I did some work around the house on Friday and waited for my ex-wife to come and get some stuff from our house. We grabbed lunch and then went to Underdog Records. We figured that gave time enough for the rush to subside. Here’s how much I didn’t participate: I didn’t even look at the list to see what was coming out. I didn’t know of anything. We played it right, it wasn’t busy but it had been. We went back to Underdog Records yesterday for Small Business Saturday. Just to spend a little bit of money. Here are the hauls (these are all new, no used):
Fleetwood Mac – Alternate Live — Record Store Day – Black Friday 2021 release. Limited to 6000. 2×LP, Limited Edition. A fourteen-song LP pulled from the Fleetwood Mac Super Deluxe release, including a further seven songs from the Tusk tour, four from the 1977 Rumours tour, and three from the 1982 Mirage tour.
King’s X – Please Come Home…Mr. Bulbous — I forgot about this but was so glad there was one still there. Numbered, Yellow Sun colored vinyl. Record Store Day Black Friday 2021 release, hand-numbered out of 2500. RSD Sticker on the front says “First time on vinyl! Exclusive numbered edition on sun yellow wax.” This is number 2294/2500.
Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit – Georgia Blue — Everyone talks about Jason Isbell and everything points to The BCPF liking it. That being said, I don’t know anything about him and wouldn’t know a song if I heard it. 2×LP, Blue Translucent. 2021 Record Store Day “RSD Black Friday First” release, limited to 12,000 copies.
Richard & Linda Thompson – Shoot Out The Lights — I bought this yesterday for SBS. It was ranked #332 on the RS list that matters. It’s not on the one that doesn’t. Not RSD. Limited Edition, Reissue. Rhino Limited Edition ‘Start Your Ear Off Right’ pressing on 180-gram black vinyl, limited to 4300 copies worldwide.
Talk Talk – It’s My Life — The other LP purchased for SBS. Limited Edition, Reissue, Repress, Purple Translucent, 180g. Originally from 1984. Released in the U.S. on 15 Jan 2021 as part of Rhino’s ‘Start Your Ear Off Right’ reissue campaign for 2021.
Carole King – In Concert (Live at the BBC, 1971) — Recorded Live for the BBC In Concert Series in 1971 and produced by Series producer Stanley Dorfman, Carole King performs hits from the seminal album Tapestry. Never before released on vinyl. Record Store Day Black Friday 2021 release.
Modern English – After The Snow (Live From Indigo @ O2) — Recorded live Friday, September 18th, 2020 at indigo at The O2, London, England. [On sleeve:] Dedicated to our friend Vaughan Oliver 1957 – 2019. [From the band:] Vaughan Oliver designed this sleeve for us shortly before his untimely passing in December 2019. We felt it was only fitting to release his work. We have brought together Vaughan’s friend and long-time design partner Chris Bigg to finalise [sic] the art work [sic] and realise [sic] Vaughan’s vision.
Dire Straits – Encores — 45 RPM, EP, Limited Edition, Remastered, Pink vinyl. Only 4 songs. RSD “Black Friday” 2021. Limited edition of 6.000 copies. Including 12″ x 12″ lithograph with embossed “Record Store Day 2021” logo.
Grant-Lee Phillips – Yuletide — EP, Limited Edition, Green vinyl. Limited edition green vinyl. Released first on Record Store Day Black Friday. For whatever reason, it’s the same five songs front and back. I am not sure if they are different versions.
That’s a decent haul with an extensive price tag. But, I have them. We have purchased two new record shelf systems which we are in dire need of. We’re redoing the whole house (to some extent) and will be getting those up sometime soon. Jonathan said the RSDBFE was a major success and he was happy. Keep track of Underdog Records on Instagram and Facebook as there are probably a couple of RSD records left. You can order new vinyl 24/7/365 by visiting the website. Use Discogs to track your collection.
Until next time, keep spinnin’… Scorp out!
— “I’ve asked myself, how much do you commit yourself? It’s my life, don’t you forget. It’s my life, it never ends (It never ends).” – “It’s My Life” (Hollis/Friese-Greene)
It’s time to talk about that trip we just took around the sun. It’s birthday time. Good ones, not so bad ones, memorable ones. Plans for this one. Also, It’s time to talk about that trip we just took around the sun. It’s birthday time. Good ones, not so bad ones, memorable ones. Plans for this one. Also, a new discussion starter question.
Leave comments or just join the conversation by calling the TLD Network Hotline at 336-422-NUMB (6862).
The BCPF and I got up early and went to some yard sales. That’s the first time in probably six or seven years that we did that. Early in our relationship, we would go to yard/rummage/garage sales and we got away from it when we didn’t have much money and we got up late and most yard sales are done by noon. We still don’t have much money but we were up early and well, why not? We got some cute things and whatever and we spent maybe $10? It was more about just doing it than what we got. We had lunch at The Sherwood, went to Underdog Records, and because my “Beeman Belly” kicked in, we had to leave early from Underdog. So our “haul” is anything but. So, here’s what we got.
The War On Drugs – I Don’t Live Here Anymore — I thought this was a Merge band, but it’s Atlantic. Cool. We have some of their stuff and, of course, The BCPF loves them. This is their brand new album, it came out two weeks ago. 2×LP, Limited Edition, Blue Translucent. New.
Peter Gabriel – Up — By now, you know I love me some Peter Gabriel. I have all of his albums up to So (except for Birdy the soundtrack for the Matthew Modine and Nicholas Cage film), but nothing beyond that. There are a few good songs on here that I know of. It was released in 2002 and is the last album of new material he’s released. Everything since has been live, reimagined, or redone stuff from his catalog. 2×LP, Reissue, Remastered, 180 grams. New.
That’s it, sadly. Danged Beeman Belly. Jonathan had gotten in some sweet used turntables that have been tested and approved for sale if you’re in need of a record player. If you read these posts and don’t have a way to listen to records but wish you could, then Underdog Records is your place to get started. Watch the Facebook and Instagram of the store and order new vinyl day or night by visiting the website. Use Discogs, like I do, to track your music collection, no matter the format. If it was available on reel-to-reel, and someone has had it, it will be on there. 8-Track, cassette, vinyl, and possibly digital. I’m not sure. But, check them out, too.
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “My ghost likes to travel so deep into your space” – “Growing Up” (Gabriel)
Time for a new podcast, y’all! Yeah, two in one week. I had stuff to say, I guess. I don’t know if I’ll have stuff to say next week or not. But, it’s the 40th anniversary this week of my favorite KISS album. Hear me talk about it here.
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “It’s nothing to me…” – “A World Without Heroes” (Reed/Ezrin/Simmons/Stanley)
On this episode of the Useless Things Podcast, we have storytime. Storytime in which we learn about Al. What Al does and how and why you shouldn’t be like Al. It’s a quaint story, a tale as old as time if you will.
I also ask a question about turn signals. Blinkers, blinkahs, whatever.
I was going to post this yesterday but I fought myself. Incidentally, it also feels weird not backing up and making posts for the last four days as well. Yesterday, I started a new thing. A new podcast. A companion piece to this blog. It’s called Useless Things Need Love Too. How original, right? Well, it’s my IP and I am sticking with it. I could go into a lot of detail about what this podcast is going to be about, but if I did that, then what would be the point of listening? I lay out the whole deal on this podcast. And, it’s only about 17 minutes, so just about 10 minutes longer than a Beeswax Vinyl Daily episode. Expect a new one every week. I think Friday will be the day I release them. It may not be every Friday. That is especially true with all the holidays and my birthday coming up. Anyway, you can listen to the inaugural episode here.
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “I am opinionated and speak loudly at times, but I will admit that I don’t always know what I’m talking about.” – Me
As you may or may not know, Dear Reader, I have written this blog “every day” (at least FOR every day) since November 1, 2014. That was right after, well a month and a half after, my honeymoon. I did the Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All Time list (the 2012 list that matters) and reviewed that. I did the Honeymoon Chronicles. I have posted while traveling. I have started several podcasts since then.
Today is November 1, 2021. That’s 2,557 days. 2,557 blog posts. On October 1, I started counting down for this. That’s what that number has been. Probably over 750k words because when I was on, it was verbose. Especially in the early days, I had a special rule that said I had to have at least 250 words per post. Usually, it was over 500 but had to be at least 250.
As you may have noticed over the last two years, there’s been a bit of a shortage of topics to talk about. Most of the stuff I post anymore is just “piggybacks” off of my podcasts or other blogs. I’ll admit my heart hasn’t really been in it but I have to keep up streaks. I can’t let something go.
I loved posting in the beginning. There were a lot of cool things to talk about. It could be a rant. It could be a review. It could be an observation. It could just be spouting off about something, I mean look at the subtitle of this blog. I used to really love writing. That has waned, a lot. I think some of it has to do with time, which I have very little of, at least free time, anymore.
I’ve lifted my fingers from my laptop…
The pandemic threw things into disarray even more. At least pre-C-19, I had places to go, people to rub against, things to see and do. That’s where I drew a lot of inspiration for this blog that may or may not have been 100% true and accurate. You know that technically, I write this blog as a character and not as myself. That’s why it’s always signed “Scorp” short for Scorpio, short for ScorpioNC, the name I’ve used most of my adult “online” life. Scorp had a lot of things to say, sometimes just to rile people up, especially during the RS List days. Not all of it was how I actually felt. That’s creative license and I used it.
I think the key word in that last sentence is “creative.” Once the pandemic hit, and I found myself working on so much research and writing on The Man Who Ate the Town to keep up with what food and beverage establishments in WSNC that I became a bit burned out on writing. Because my scope was limited, so was my writing channel. I didn’t want to write so much but I also didn’t want to let this thing go. At least not then.
It went from making sure I had a post in before midnight to constitute that day’s post to “eh, I’ll write the whole week’s worth on Sunday.” And, that’s what happened. I was getting up early on Sunday to write Monday’s, Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s, Thursday’s, Friday’s, and Saturday’s posts. Saturdays are fairly easy because it’s just picking a video to play for Sounds Like Saturday. But, skip back to five months ago, and every day it was a “Now Normal Chronicle” post about a video of something, mostly anniversaries of albums. That’s because it was easy to pull off. I think it was an interesting topic. So much that everything that Beeswax Vinyl Daily is, is exactly that. Music history. So, I didn’t see the need to post that every day, any longer.
It’s not fair to you, Dear Reader, to have to endure my boredom and frustrations. I don’t know if “fair” is the right word. You can just not read it, that’s okay. But, I haven’t stopped getting new followers and readers. I haven’t stopped getting likes on a good number of posts, mostly the food ones or where I say something profound (at least in my head). It’s not fair to me either, though. I started this to mean something. I still want it to mean something. At first, I missed being a “journalist” and this was the way for me to do that, bring you something exciting or at least entertaining. Through all these years, I think, especially in the beginning, that this was at least entertaining. It’s become a chore for me.
So, here we are, again, November 1, 2021. Seven years, to the day, that I started the NABLOPOMO (National Blog Posting Month) “30-Day Challenge” that I just couldn’t stop writing (thanks a lot Kristen Daukas). I am announcing that I am stopping the “every day posting” that I have committed to and somewhat adhered to, effective today. But, what does that mean? It means that there won’t be a dedicated Monday-Sunday daily blog post. But, I am not giving up blogging altogether. I do still plan on doing Sounds Like Saturdays and Spinning (or Silent) Sundays. I want this blog to go on.
But, that’s not all. I will be going back to the spirit of this blog and that’s posting with purpose. If I have something to say, to announce, to rant about, to promote, then I’ll come and post about those things. The blog is still here. In addition to that, I’m working on a weekly blog post along the lines of what was “Talking Tuesday” posts for seven weeks in 2016. It’s basically a blog post that is in podcast form. In fact, I am planning to start a Useless Things Need Love, Too podcast for those. I may look at the Wheeler’s Dog platform and do one on here (or its own website) and then do a BONUS episode each week on Patreon. I’m weighing my options.
It comes down to this, I changed my “daily” focus from this blog to the Beeswax Vinyl Daily and trust me, that takes up not only my work time but my free time, too. I put more hours into that than almost any podcast I do or have ever done. It’s my daily release. This used to be. This used to mean so much to me, and it really still does, but it’s not a priority. That’s its sad reality and sad truth. But, I still love it and I’m going to keep it. I think I’m going to take a virtual page out of the book of my friends Honu Global and refurbish, refinish, reimagine what this blog will be.
I thank all of you who may have read these ramblings daily, at least in the beginning. Thank you if this is your first time. Thank you if this is your last time. Thank you for pushing me through. Thank you for just being mildly interested. Thank you for tuning in to see what kind of train wreck it may be.
Once again, I’m not quitting this, I’m just repurposing it.
Until next time, same blog channel at SOME blog time… Tim out.
First, have you figured out what the numbers mean? This is the last time I’ll ask that question. That, I promise. At least about this situation. I also promise that all will be revealed tomorrow. The long confusing wait will be over-ish. So, now on with the regularly scheduled made-up blog post.
Jonathan closed up Underdog Records yesterday because he was heading south. His favorite sports team, bar none, is the Atlanta Braves and he had an opportunity to go to the World Series game last night. Unfortunately for me (I hate the Braves), they won, but I’m glad my pal got to experience that. That meant that The BCPF’s and my day opened up. So, after breakfast at Grandma Ruby’s… What to do? What to do?
We went rummaging and “antiquing.” I didn’t think to look for yard sales or anything like that, but we went to Eclectibles, a used book store, and bought a good bit of books (her just regular books; me musical things and one recipe book).
We then went to a place called V’s Treasures and bought two “windows” that we will convert into something else. I say that. We will have Beth and Jay from Honu Global (I produce their Nailing It with Blue Jean and the Brewer podcast) “reimagine” them.
We then went to the new Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County’s ReStore that opened just a mile or so from our house. The BCPF bought a reading chair for her “StephCave” as she’s calling it. We spent a lot of money. That’s scary. But, we have some stuff to help us with the rejuvenation of this house we live in.
With that, I guess I’m heading off for today. OH! You can still purchase records from Underdog Records by visiting their website. And use Discogs to track your collection!
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “Habitat ReStores are independently owned reuse stores operated by local Habitat for Humanity organizations.” – Habitat ReStore
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Useless Things Need Love Too 