Something Completely Different

Over the past few months, I've finally gotten my home office fixed up to a point where I actually enjoy hanging out in it. Now I have a place for the turntable I hadn't been able to use for many years, and as a result I've been buying physical records for the first time in a long time.

Anyway, I figured this forum could use a vinyl thread. If you have recent purchases or just favorite records you want to share, please do!

In the past few days I got:

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Danger Mouse & Black Thought—Cheat Codes (2022)
I've loved the Roots for a long time but I never really rated Black Thought much as a rapper. Listening to this album, where it's mostly just him and Danger Mouse, has opened to my eyes to how good he is. This whole thing is great from beginning to end and I was thrilled to hear MF Doom pop up from beyond the grave.

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Gavin Bryars – The Sinking of the Titanic (1975)
I've loved the 1990 recording of this modern classical piece for a long time, but I had never heard the 1975 recording before so I was pleasantly surprised to find this at one of my local record shops. Side one, which is wholly occupied by the original, much shorter version of the title track, is great. Side two, which is taken up by "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet" is just okay, but maybe it will grow on me.

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Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers—Buttercorn Lady (1966)
Some solid hard bop here. I already owned this digitally so I knew I liked it, but I was excited to find a used copy for cheap.

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Herbie Hancock—Monster (1980)
Bought this one blind because I've been on a big Herbie Hancock kick lately and it didn't disappoint. This era in his discography turned off a lot of jazz purists back in the day because he was basically making straight-up disco, but he did it well and I like it.

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Taj Mahal—Music Keeps Me Together (1975)
I knew maybe half the track on this one before buying it, but what a great album! Like the best Taj Mahal releases, this is loose, eclectic, and uplifting.

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Vangelis—Heaven and Hell (1975)
I bought this based on a recommendation from both Synthgirl and Trollheart. It's less atmospheric and more bombastic than the other Vangelis albums I own (Spiral, Beaubourg, China), but I like the variety! Thank you both for the recommendation!

Glad you enjoyed Heaven and Hell! It's a lot closer to his prog rock roots (right down to the Jon Anderson guest spot) than his more new age oriented work for sure.

Ah, tis well I remember that Gavin Bryars album being reviewed by you in your thread about 25 Albums You Must Hear Before the Earth Crashes into the Moon and We All Die (or is that the other way around? Probably the other way round) - great review. I miss that thread.

Glad you enjoyed the Vangelis too. I also recommend Direct if you're into more spacey, synthy stuff and you probably wouldn't kill me if I pointed you in the direction of his soundtrack to 1492: Conquest of Paradise.

Last vinyl I bought isn't something you crazy foreigners will recognize, but it was the recent vinyl (re)release of Gartnerlosjen's album Due (means dove) from.. 1995? I've LOVED this album since I first heard it back in the 90s so of course I put it up on the wall.

(https://scd.community/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F1SXVA49h.jpg&hash=b16c7dd16b4bb4c8e6fdb679146a64502d8fa1e3) (https://imgur.com/1SXVA49)

@Comus did you ever check this one out?

That fish on your wall is so cool!  :love:

Quote from: Guybrush on Jan 21, 2023, 07:44 PM@Comus did you ever check this one out?

I did not, but I have added it to my list

I got some mail over the weekend.  :)

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Sunn O)))—Monoliths & Dimensions (2009)
Seriously one of the biggest albums ever. The whole thing sounds like the chanting of cosmic monks and the sky splitting open. It's hard to not drop what you're doing and just let yourself be absorbed.

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Sunn O)))—Kannon (2015)
I had never heard this one before I put the needle on the vinyl here. This release is short and stripped down compared to Monoliths & Dimensions, but it's still great.

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Bobby McFerrin—Spontaneous Inventions (1986)
My favorite track is the Herbie Hancock collaboration "Turtle Shoes", but the whole album is wonderful. If you don't think Bobby McFerrin is one of the greatest vocalists alive, I suggest giving this album a spin.

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Mühr—Shepherd / Blood (2010)
I had to get this EP shipped all the way from Greece. It was worth it though, both tracks are colossal and gorgeous in ways that only doom metal can be.

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Kronos Quartet—Winter Was Hard (1988)
Interesting somewhat early Kronos Quartet, this is more directly connected to classical music than their later work but it's still a very enjoyable listen.

More came in the mail today:

(https://i.discogs.com/Fe3D5neiD0V0jd76WvsXmdta42rxqDm38vei3ucwqjY/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:593/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE1ODcy/NDktMTI4NDE0MDMz/Ni5qcGVn.jpeg)
Sly & Robbie—Reggae Greats (A Dub Experience) (1984)
This is one of my favorite dub albums, and like a lot of great music, it doesn't fit neatly into the genre and style it's associated with. It's great smokey dub to be sure, but it also has an 80s electro sensibility and an experimental edge.

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Dr. John, The Night Tripper—Gris-Gris (1968)
Another classic that defies easy categorization. It's psychedelic but in a very New Orleans way. It's jazzy, it's funky, and it's soulful, but it has a heavy dose of Lex Baxter going on too.

^Dr. John & Bobby McFerrin (and Herbie Hancock) are the only ones I recognize. Turtle Shoes is a fun song and of course McFerrin's vocals are legendary.

I'm gonna check out Monoliths & Dimensions!

Quote from: Trollheart on Jan 21, 2023, 08:28 PMThat fish on your wall is so cool!  :love:

Is this sarcasm? You sound a little like my wife :laughing:

Predictably for me, I like maritime decor. My wife rightly thinks it's cheesy and more at home in a cabin than in a house. Still, I was allowed to "ocean up" our stairwell (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QC3yWJwoA5UC7i5D2ryQc7PhIb2iDYqA/view?usp=share_link) just a little bit.

Quote from: Guybrush on Jan 24, 2023, 06:54 AM^Dr. John & Bobby McFerrin (and Herbie Hancock) are the only ones I recognize. Turtle Shoes is a fun song and of course McFerrin's vocals are legendary.

I'm gonna check out Monoliths & Dimensions!

I hope you like it!

For the record, I like your fish decoration as well.

Quote from: Janszoon on Jan 24, 2023, 03:34 PMI hope you like it!

For the record, I like your fish decoration as well.

Thanks ;D  All in all, I prefer to listen to music with song structure and melody, but the soundscaping here is pretty cool. I liked the heavy religious vibe :laughing:

There is both song structure and melody, it's just very, very slow!  ;D

I'm not sure if some of these image links are going to work but I'll give it a shot. Picked up some old records at a local store the other day for super cheap.


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Chic—C'est Chic (1978)
Disco is a singles-driven style of music so it's rare to find a whole album by one band that's a great disco album from start to finish. C'est Chic is that album though. It's just wonderful and I'm so happy to finally have it on vinyl.


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Kronos Quartet—White Man Sleeps (1987)
It's been hard to find the early 2000s Kronos albums I've been looking for, so I've been checking out some of the earlier stuff. Some solid modern classical here for sure.


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Jean-Michel Jarre—Oxygène (1976)
I had never heard this one all the way through before, but I was not disappointed. Lovely vintage synths make for a truly beautiful experience.


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The O'Jays—Ship Ahoy (1973)
People are probably most familiar with the song "For the Love of Money" from this album, and that's a great, funky piece of cynicism, but the real standout here is the title track, "Ship Ahoy", which is an absolutely devastating song about the nightmare that was the transatlantic slave trade.


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Jazz At Preservation Hall I: The Eureka Brass Band (1963)
I've owned the third record in this series for many years, but if wasn't until recently that I really understood what it was. These are old school 1920s-ish New Orleans dixieland/hot jazz players recorded in the middle part of the 60s. So we were at a point where recording technology was good, but these early jazz players were also alive and young enough to play. It's such a treasure to hear this music come out from behind the curtain of scratchy, tinny roaring 20s tech and sound more comparable to what it would really be like in person a hundred years ago.


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Jazz At Preservation Hall II: Billie & De De Pierce / Jim Robinson's New Orleans Band (1963)
This one is a split album, long before the punks were doing it. The married couple of Billie (piano) & De De (trumpet) Pierce are on side one and trombonist Jim Robinson's is on the other. Great stuff.


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New Orleans' Billie & De De And Their Preservation Hall Jazz Band (1966)
A different series, but still coming out of Preservation Hall (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preservation_Hall). This one is strictly Billie & De De in all their glory. Beyond the music, which is great, there's just something so endearing about the lovely couple with the gender-neutral names. 


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New Orleans' Sweet Emma And Her Preservation Hall Jazz Band (1964)
This one is a little different from the others in that it's a live album, which only serves to enhance the experience of it feeling like a window into the 1920s. Emma Barrett's piano is glorious, Emanuel Styles' banjo is intense, and Percy Humphrey's banter between songs is incredibly charming. This shit makes me wish I had a time machine.

Oxygene is really a timeless, transcendent classic. This video of Jarre walking through all the synths he used on the album is a treat for us synthsters.

Oxygene and other JMJ albums used to be background music to our DNDing back in the 90s. I haven't really listened to it since then, so that's a huge nostalgia trip waiting to happen.

Also, Limmy's Falconhoof sketches feel weirdly familiar to me.

Quote from: Mrs. Waffles on Jan 28, 2023, 02:11 AMOxygene is really a timeless, transcendent classic. This video of Jarre walking through all the synths he used on the album is a treat for us synthsters.

Very cool! I love seeing musicians geeking out like that. It reminds me of this video of Herbie Hancock explaining his gear to Quincy Jones (including a touchscreen in 1984!):

Quote from: Guybrush on Jan 28, 2023, 07:58 AMOxygene and other JMJ albums used to be background music to our DNDing back in the 90s. I haven't really listened to it since then, so that's a huge nostalgia trip waiting to happen.

Also, Limmy's Falconhoof sketches feel weirdly familiar to me.

What did I just watch?  :laughing: Were dial-in adventure games ever actually a thing?

Another recent delivery:


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Magma—Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh (1973)
I've heard other stuff by Magma, but believe it or not, this was my first time listening to this album. I always want to like prog, there's a lot about it that appeals to me in theory, but I often find the execution is a little dull. That is absolutely not the case with this album. It's just so wild and crazy and alien, I love it. I wish I knew more prog like this.


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Lupe Fiasco—Drogas Wave (2018)
I wrote this guy off years ago after being disappointed by his first two albums. Little did I know how wrong I was. This triple disc is fantastic! The music is gorgeous, the rapping is is flawless, and the lyrics are great. Packaging design is pretty great too.


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Mammal Hands—Animalia (2014)
Some solid modern jazz here. I'm not sure if I like it as much a their album Floa yet, but I'll definitely be putting this into the rotation.


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El Michels Affair—Yeti Season (2021)
Ultra quirky jazz/funk/soul music from NYC. The vibe is Budos Band but much more weird and eclectic. Piya Malik's guest vocals on four of the tracks really add a lot as well.

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Marvin Gaye—What's Going On (1971)
I have to admit, when I was younger I thought Marvin Gaye was pretty lame. I attribute that to the fact "Sexual Healing" was mainly what I knew from him and I'm still not a fan of that song. This whole album, though, is amazing. It's warm and sad, angry and soft-spoken. I fell in love with this many years ago and the record sounds wonderful.


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Herbie Hancock—Crossings (1972)
I've been trying to expand my Herbie Hancock collection and just gave this record a first listen. My takeaway so far is that it sounds like Sextant, but more so. This album is so groovy and so trippy that it's like I can smell the clouds of weed rolling off of it. This is bleep bop bleep jazz from the surface of the Moon. This is some serious stoner shit.

Here's hoping these image links work!


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Sloath—Sloath (2010)
A couple weeks ago, on a whim, I ordered a whole bunch of metal records by artists I wasn't familiar with. I had never heard or even heard of this UK band before, but I'm enjoying this album. It's heavy, it's fuzzy, it's slow, mostly instrumental doom along the lines of Slomatics or Sleep. If you like that kind of stuff, you'd like this. In looking this up on The Metal Archives, I also discovered that that my record is one of only 500 produced, so that's kind of cool.


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Inter Arma—Paradise Gallows (2016)
Out of this group of recently ordered metal records, I think this is the only band I had even heard of before. I had a vague sense of them being post metal-ish, which turned out to be accurate. Their sound is somewhere between Neurosis and Panopticon. It's post metal with a lot of sludge and a bit of black metal thrown in for good measure. It's long (2 LPs) and cinematic and sometimes even beautiful.


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Chaos Echœs—A Voiceless Ritual (2016)
This was a totally unknown album from an unknown band, apparently from France and also apparently now defunct. It's also a live album. I wasn't as blown away by this as the two albums above, but it's still some solid drone metal. For a small time band, it's a pretty high quality live recording too. I definitely felt like I was in the room with them.


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Nox Formulae—Drakon Darshan Satan (2020)
Some terrific wall of noise style black metal here from Greece. The liner notes are hard to parse, but it sounds like this album is either connected to an upcoming book by one of the band members or part of some ongoing mythology within the band or both. Either way, everything about this album esoteric and dark and I think it adds to the overall mood.

Quote from: Janszoon on Feb 04, 2023, 07:45 AM(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/84/MarvinGayeWhat%27sGoingOnalbumcover.jpg)

Marvin Gaye—What's Going On (1971)
I have to admit, when I was younger I thought Marvin Gaye was pretty lame. I attribute that to the fact "Sexual Healing" was mainly what I knew from him and I'm still not a fan of that song. This whole album, though, is amazing. It's warm and sad, angry and soft-spoken. I fell in love with this many years ago and the record sounds wonderful.

Wonderful collection of vinyls here, Jans.  I'm a huge Marvin Gaye fan and he may be my favorite vocalist ever (which is saying a lot).  What's Going On is of course a classic, in which the strings help Marvin's harsh medicines go down.  My favorite track is actually "Flying High (In the Friendly Sky)".  Think I'll spin that right now.  :)

Quote from: ribbons on Feb 04, 2023, 06:32 PMWonderful collection of vinyls here, Jans.  I'm a huge Marvin Gaye fan and he may be my favorite vocalist ever (which is saying a lot).  What's Going On is of course a classic, in which the strings help Marvin's harsh medicines go down.  My favorite track is actually "Flying High (In the Friendly Sky)".  Think I'll spin that right now.  :)

Thanks! For him being such a well known artist, I'm embarrassed to admit I don't know his discography well at all. Do you have any recommendations of other albums I might like by him?

Unfortunately with Marvin I favor particular songs over whole albums.  I actually love the Trouble Man soundtrack, which although largely instrumental was composed almost entirely by Gaye and features some stellar drumming (partly by Marvin himself).  The title track "Trouble Man" is probably my favorite of anything he's ever recorded.  Also would recommend parts of Let's Get It On, parts of Here My Dear (his weird divorce album), and parts of I Want You (another title track I love) - but don't feel I can recommend those albums wholeheartedly.

Still, it's a privilege to hear one of history's greatest singers sing anything.  Happy listening, Jans!

Case in point:  even while singing horizontally, still better than 99% of singers singing vertically.   :)

Thanks! I'm going to check those out. Trouble Man sounds really interesting.

I can recommend one. Here My Dear from 1978 was an album Gaye had to record for a divorce settlement. You'd think he'd record something along the lines of Metal Machine Music but it is actually one of his best works. It's even a double album. I would definitely give that a listen.


EDIT: Missed Ribbons' mention but I liked the whole album. Otherwise you have to scour some of his hits, particularly from the sixties.

I'll definitely check it out. Thanks RS!

Continuing with my delivery of unknown metal.

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Sutekh Hexen—Behind the Throne (2012)
Coming from some part of Oakland, California when the sun apparently doesn't shine, this one is black metal taken to the furthest "wall of noise" extreme. It's noisy and abrasive but also atmospheric. It sounds like the soundtrack to ritual human sacrifice and the cover art seems confirm that this was the intent. If you like Gnaw Their Tongues or Black Witchery or early Sunn0))), you might like this.


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Sutekh Hexen—Empyräisch (2012)
I didn't intend to order two album by a band I didn't know, but somehow I did. This one is apparently a compilation of older material and like that Sloath record, it's a limited run of 500. This is rawer and less full-sounding than Behind the Throne, with some strong basement recording vibes. I like it, but  not as much as the other album.


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Dead in the Manger—Transience (2014)
Another US band in this block. The Metal Archives lists them as blackened grindcore, but to me they lean heavily in the metalcore direction as well. Regardless, this EP is pretty good. Out of all the records from this shipment this is the least noisy and least experimental, but that's not a bad thing and their playing is tight


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Caïna—Setter of Unseen Snares (2015)
Another limited run record. Mine actually looks nothing like the image above, but I can't find an image of it online anywhere. Anyway, this one is black metal from Manchester, UK. It's apparently a one man band, which is always cool, and it has some noticeable post punk influences, which is also nice. I'm not in love with this one, but I could see it growing on me.

Quote from: Mrs. Waffles on Jan 28, 2023, 02:11 AMOxygene is really a timeless, transcendent classic.

i love it, too

i've listened to it countless times

If there's one thing Oxygene taught me, it's that under everything, the Earth is giant skull.

And the last of the big metal order.

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Buioingola—Il Nuovo Mare (2015)
Out of all these records from my "unknown metal" delivery, this one is definitely an outlier. There are a lot of crust, goth, shoegaze, and industrial influences here, often to such a degree that I would hesitate to call the music metal. Whatever you call it, this is some bleak, haunting music evocative of barren landscapes, abandoned buildings, and sinister plots. I love it. Probably my favorite of the bunch so far.


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Nihill—Grond (2014)
This is black metal from the Netherlands by the now-defunct band Nihill. Two LPs with one track per side is a bold move, but Nihill pulls it off. Huge and pummeling, the album sounds like the gates of hell have been thrown open and nightmares have manifested in the waking world. It's one of those examples of the ways in which music can exceed movies as an expressive art form. No movie could be this unrelentingly intense and still be watchable, but this album can do those thing and remain eminently replayable.


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Sunn O)))—Dømkirke (2008)
Out of this whole batch of metal albums I've been posting about, this is the only one that wasn't a shot in the dark. The first time I heard Sunn O))) was almost 20 years ago. They were one of the openers at a show I went to and I absolutely hated them. I was going through a rough breakup, had gone out to see the dance punk band called !!!, and the oppressive drones of Sunn O))) were not what I was in the mood for at all. I remember thinking the band was some kind of ridiculous joke. The weird thing was, as the weeks went by after that show, I couldn't stop thinking about them. Eventually my curiosity got the best of me and I bought one of their CDs. Then over time I got more and more into them. Now here I am buying any of their albums that I can find on vinyl.

Even for a band known for oddball releases, this is unusual. It's was originally a vinyl-only release for one thing, and I think it might be their only live album. It was recorded in Bergen Cathedral in Bergen Norway, and like the Cowboy Junkies' The Trinity Session, the sound of the music inside the space of the cathedral adds a lot to the recording. This a double album containing four tracks, each over fifteen minute long, all of them utterly hypnotic. Like the best Sunn O))) albums, this isn't something you put on in the background while you're doing something, this is meditative music that envelops you.

Dømkirke is a personal favorite of mine, probably my number 3 Sunn project after Altar and Black One. I love the palpable cathedral atmosphere as well, it adds a distinctive atmospheric gloom to that album.

 

Quote from: Mrs. Waffles on Feb 08, 2023, 04:11 AMDømkirke is a personal favorite of mine, probably my number 3 Sunn project after Altar and Black One. I love the palpable cathedral atmosphere as well, it adds a distinctive atmospheric gloom to that album.

This was my first time listening to it, but I'm really digging it. It's funny, the first two Sunn0))) CDs I bought, back when each was new, were Black One and Altar. I've always especially loved Altar for how different it is.

Quote from: Janszoon on Feb 08, 2023, 04:36 AMThis was my first time listening to it, but I'm really digging it. It's funny, the first two Sunn0))) CDs I bought, back when each was new, were Black One and Altar. I've always especially loved Altar for how different it is.

Nice! I got into them in 2009 when Monoliths and Dimensions was brand new. I was sorta-friends with this guy at my college who was some kind of stoner/goth hybrid and he was huge into them, so we kind of bonded over that.

Quote from: Mrs. Waffles on Feb 08, 2023, 06:25 AMI was sorta-friends with this guy at my college who was some kind of stoner/goth hybrid

Wait... you knew me in college?!  :laughing:

Dømkirke :laughing:

Are these guys norwegian? Because that looks like a norwegian pun.

Domkirke = cathedral
Døm = Judge (as in the judging of sins)

So perhaps it's like the Church of judgment 🤘

I prefer dum (which means dumb), so Dumkirke = Dumb church.

I wouldn't be surprised it was intended to be a pun or in-joke of some kind. This is a band who named an album Life Metal after a long running in-joke about death metal after all.

[/quote]

Quote from: Guybrush on Feb 08, 2023, 07:21 PMI prefer dum (which means dumb), so Dumkirke = Dumb church.

:laughing:

Quote from: Janszoon on Feb 07, 2023, 11:38 PMSunn O)))—Dømkirke (2008)
Out of this whole batch of metal albums I've been posting about, this is the only one that wasn't a shot in the dark. The first time I heard Sunn O))) was almost 20 years ago. They were one of the openers at a show I went to and I absolutely hated them. I was going through a rough breakup, had gone out to see the dance punk band called !!!, and the oppressive drones of Sunn O))) were not what I was in the mood for at all. I remember thinking the band was some kind of ridiculous joke. The weird thing was, as the weeks went by after that show, I couldn't stop thinking about them. Eventually my curiosity got the best of me and I bought one of their CDs. Then over time I got more and more into them. Now here I am buying any of their albums that I can find on vinyl.

Even for a band known for oddball releases, this is unusual. It's was originally a vinyl-only release for one thing, and I think it might be their only live album. It was recorded in Bergen Cathedral in Bergen Norway, and like the Cowboy Junkies' The Trinity Session, the sound of the music inside the space of the cathedral adds a lot to the recording. This a double album containing four tracks, each over fifteen minute long, all of them utterly hypnotic. Like the best Sunn O))) albums, this isn't something you put on in the background while you're doing something, this is meditative music that envelops you.

Metal is not my thing, but I've been hearing about Sunn O))) for ages and your review definitely makes me want to check this out.  "*oddball releases*", "inside the space of the cathedral", "utterly hypnotic" - all sound mysterious and appealing to me.  Thanks!  :)

Quote from: ribbons on Feb 08, 2023, 11:39 PMMetal is not my thing, but I've been hearing about Sunn O))) for ages and your review definitely makes me want to check this out.  "*oddball releases*", "inside the space of the cathedral", "utterly hypnotic" - all sound mysterious and appealing to me.  Thanks!  :)

Well, if you check them out, I hope you like them! You may also be interested in their album Altar, which they made in collaboration with the band Boris. It's probably their least metal album. It has a fantastic song called "The Sinking Belle" on it which is so far from metal I'd almost call it folk.

^ In that case, I'll start at the Altar and then proceed through the whole cathedral with Dømkirke!  Thanks, Jans - will check these out for sure, as I've been meaning to listen to Sunn O))) for a while now.   :)

I went to a tiny little record store out in a distant suburb over the weekend and came home with these:

(https://i.discogs.com/JEjfUlIez6PXQHJVkdYU9E1tCFqIJSvQEE8sqxknLIk/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:594/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTUyMjAw/NDMtMTU2NTIwMDg0/My03MTQzLmpwZWc.jpeg)

Pérez Prado & His Orchestra—"Prez" (1957)
I don't own very much mambo, but this album makes me want to rectify that. I have one other Pérez Prado record, Exotic Suite of the Americas, which leans heavily in the direction of exotica, and it's great, but I think I like him even more when he's doing what made him famous. Prez is just so much fun. It makes me want dance like a goof and make elaborate cocktails. It's also incredibly well produced for an album from the 50s. There are a lot of layers here and it all sound terrific.


(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7a/Equinoxe_Jarre_Album.jpg)

Jean-Michel Jarre—Équinoxe (1978)
After liking Oxygène so much, I thought I'd check this one out too. Apparently the concept of this album is a day in the life of a person, from waking in the morning to going to sleep at night. I can certainly hear it, though I feel like the mood here is less a day in the life of a person than a day in the machinery of the body. When I listen to this I picture a heart beating, lungs breathing, and blood pulsing. I can see the different hormones as they diffuse throughout the day, the white blood cells attacking invaders, the nervous system responding to stimuli, the digestive system breaking down food. It's like a microscopic version of the global ecosystem of Oxygène and it's really working for me.


(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bb/The_Cars_-_Candy-O.png)

The Cars—Candy-O (1979)
I've loved this album for most of my life. It's almost tied with their self-titled first album for me, but if I'm forced to choose, this one has the edge. For a band that had a pretty consistent sound from album to album there's something about this one that has always felt a little... darker. By darker I don't mean to imply that it's sinister or depressing, it's just that it feels like more of a night time album than their others. Every song here is great, with a certain amount of weirdness under the surface, and I've always loved how the last three tracks on side one segue into each other. I would honestly say that "Double Life"/"Shoo Be Doo"/"Candy-O" triptych is one of best trios of connected songs in all of rock.


I also got this one in the mail:

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/99/Mambo-Yma-Sumac.jpg)

Yma Sumac—Mambo! (1954)
I've been a fan of this album for a while, but I felt like I needed a vinyl copy. Yma Sumac has one of the most amazing voices I've ever heard. It's almost operatic at times, high and airy, then it's this low growl like a jaguar or a monster under your bed. And the album as a whole is quite varied, in keeping with her ever-changing voice. All of it is wonderfully weird and makes me feel like I'm hanging out a swanky lounge in Lima with extraterrestrial fashionistas.

those are all great write ups

i like Équinoxe but it never resonated with me like Oxygène

i dig how much you like Candy-O

if it wasn't for the absolute supremacy of Moving in Stereo i might think it was in the same league as the debut but that track 😥

Quote from: Janszoon on Feb 14, 2023, 01:19 AMIt makes me want dance like a goof and make elaborate cocktails.

As someone who does these two things on the reg, this sounds right up my alley!

And Equinoxe is a classic as well.

I got three Sun Ra albums in the mail last week:

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4f/WhenSunComesOut.jpeg)

Sun Ra & His Myth Science Arkestra—When Sun Comes Out (1963)
It's crazy to think that this album is sixty years old and still sounds weird. It's definitely the least strange of these three records, but it's still Sun Ra and thus still unabashedly strange. Occasionally, something resembling bebop surfaces, which makes this less weird than the other two albums, but it's always handled in a strange way. For example, the track "Dancing Shadows" is pretty much a bebop song, but the drumming is usual and almost sounds like IDM from several decades in the future. Even the production on this album is unusual. It's raw and dry and sounds like it was recorded in an abandoned house. Truth be told it almost sounds like it was produced by Steve Albini, which is crazy when you think about it.


(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/56/Sun_Ra_-_The_Magic_City.jpg)

Sun Ra & His Solar Arkestra—The Magic City (1966)
At the start of the nearly twenty-seven minute track that occupies all of side one of this album, the bebop drums might trick you into thinking you're about to hear something that's only as weird as When Sun Comes Out, but no, you are now on a spaceship on its way to Saturn. It's astonishing to think about this album in the context in which it was released. The Beatles' Revolver was released in the same year was seen as innovative and countercultural. Comparatively, The Magic City sounds like it was recorded on another planet a million years in the future.


(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/83/StrangeStrings.jpg)

Sun Ra & His Astro Infinity Arkestra—Strange Strings (1967)
Out of these three Sun Ra albums, this is the one I was familiar with. The concept here is bananas compared to what was going on in popular music at the time: reed and horn players were given stringed instruments from junk stores, homemade instruments were constructed, and the only instruction given to the musicians was to play whatever they felt like when Sun Ra pointed at them. The result is some of the most alien sounding music I've ever heard. When I listen, I see vast stone halls carved into the landscape of Mars and lizard people playing incomprehensible music on bizarre instruments.

^ Great write-ups, Jans.  Sun Ra rules - such an innovator.  I have Magic City and Strange Strings on vinyl as well.  Also Jazz In Silhouette, Angels and Demons At Play, Atlantis, God Is More Than Love Can Ever Be, Sleeping Beauty, and Languidity.   8)

i've been a big fan for a long time all these three became immediate favorites- i'm not saying they're the best or anything just that since they came out they're my go to sun ra listens - they're all available for free on BandCamp and on Spotify

Haverford College 1980 Solo Piano

Solo Keyboards, Minnesota 1978

Solo Piano at WKCR, 1977


(all officially released in 2019)

^ Noted, OH!  Will definitely check those out.   8)

Quote from: ribbons on Feb 14, 2023, 07:33 PM^ Great write-ups, Jans.  Sun Ra rules - such an innovator.  I have Magic City and Strange Strings on vinyl as well.  Also Jazz In Silhouette, Angels and Demons At Play, Atlantis, God Is More Than Love Can Ever Be, Sleeping Beauty, and Languidity.   8)

I haven't heard any of those! Which one is your favorite?

^ It's tough because we're spoiled for choice with Ra - but it's probably a tie between Atlantis (because I love the clavinet, congas and drones) and Languidity (which is chill and funky at the same time, and I'm partial to the sound of a Fender Rhodes). 

Quote from: ribbons on Feb 14, 2023, 11:52 PM^ It's tough because we're spoiled for choice with Ra - but it's probably a tie between Atlantis (because I love the clavinet, congas and drones) and Languidity (which is chill and funky at the same time, and I'm partial to the sound of a Fender Rhodes). 

Without giving away any details, I'll say this: stay tuned. :)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/22/Lanquidity.jpg)

Sun Ra—Lanquidity (1978)
A couple days ago, ribbons mentioned two Sun Ra albums that she loves, which made me want to give them a listen. Lanquidity was the first one I found on Spotify, so I started listening to it while I was working in the office yesterday and it immediately made me feel like I was on drugs despite the fact that I was completely sober. Impressed after just one song, I decided I was going to order it from Discogs when I got home, but after work I swung by my favorite local record shop and was surprised to discover that they had a copy!

After the last three Sun Ra albums I listened to, this one seems shockingly normal at first, but that's just an illusion. There's a reason I felt like I was on drugs when I listened to it. There is a level of groove and melody here that makes it more approachable, but once you start listening you realize that, to quote Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys, something is fucky. Someone with a better understanding of music theory can probably explain this better than me, but there's something very "off" about this music, in a good way. It's theoretically a kind of jazz-funk, but it's rhythmically weird. I don't have a good enough ear to know if that's because of an odd time signature or polyrhythms or swing or what, but it's a wonderful listen. This is probably the closest thing to dream music that has ever been released and I'm loving it. Thanks ribbons!

Nice write up and sounds very intriguing! I'll give Lanquidity a listen when I find some time.

QuoteSomeone with a better understanding of music theory can probably explain this better than me, but there's something very "off" about this music, in a good way. It's theoretically a kind of jazz-funk, but it's rhythmically weird. I don't have a good enough ear to know if that's because of an odd time signature or polyrhythms or swing or what, but it's a wonderful listen.

yeah

i'm not a musician but as a fan i think of his music as its own galaxy or a rogue planet- i see a clean trajectory with almost all jazz but not with him

Quote from: Janszoon on Feb 17, 2023, 11:09 PM(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/22/Lanquidity.jpg)

Sun Ra—Lanquidity (1978)A couple days ago, ribbons mentioned two Sun Ra albums that she loves, which made me want to give them a listen. Lanquidity was the first one I found on Spotify, so I started listening to it while I was working in the office yesterday and it immediately made me feel like I was on drugs despite the fact that I was completely sober. Impressed after just one song, I decided I was going to order it from Discogs when I got home, but after work I swung by my favorite local record shop and was surprised to discover that they had a copy!

After the last three Sun Ra albums I listened to, this one seems shockingly normal at first, but that's just an illusion. There's a reason I felt like I was on drugs when I listened to it. There is a level of groove and melody here that makes it more approachable, but once you start listening you realize that, to quote Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys, something is fucky. Someone with a better understanding of music theory can probably explain this better than me, but there's something very "off" about this music, in a good way. It's theoretically a kind of jazz-funk, but it's rhythmically weird. I don't have a good enough ear to know if that's because of an odd time signature or polyrhythms or swing or what, but it's a wonderful listen. This is probably the closest thing to dream music that has ever been released and I'm loving it. Thanks ribbons!

Amazing review as always, Jans - I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you for taking the time to listen.  Languidity surely is "dream music", and yes, the idiosyncratic coiling-and-uncoiling rhythms sneak up and de-stabilize the atmosphere in a deceptively languid and heady way.

Thanks to your review, I'm inspired to spin the album again real soon!   :beer:

one of the most important aspects to sun ra's music is how well he can swing

on his more accessible stuff his music is kind of like a really sexy woman who has peculiar mannerisms that make it almost impossible to not to keep starring at her and the more you see the more mesmerized you get until you're 100% under her spell

and even his most dissonant music still has this upbeat "i'm just messing with you" vibe but he's no jokester- his music is always serious but never pretentious - he breaks down the elitist barrier between the avant garde and the listener

now i rank cecil taylor higher than sun ra but in that way sun ra is kind of the anti cecil taylor

with cecil taylor you have to put in the work but his music pays gigantic dividends

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71NXcziWzxL.jpg)

Jelly Roll Morton—The Incomparable Jelly Roll Morton (His Rarest Recordings) (1959)
This is a collection of early 1920s Jelly Roll tracks that was released in 1959. It's crazy to think that the equivalent today would be a rarities collection of recordings from the late 1980s. That collection would no doubt have fairly high production values, but scratchy old shellac records from the the 1920s transferred to vinyl in the 1950s? Not so much. Nevertheless, beneath the tinniness and crackle, you can still hear how great these songs were. Songs that would become more well known a few years later—like "Wolverine Blues" and "Tiger Rag"—are present, as well as two versions of "Mr. Jelly Lord", some standards, and other tracks I'm less familiar with. They were recorded during Jelly Roll's time in Chicago, when he was still something of an up-and-comer. It would be wonderful to jump in a time machine and go back a hundred years to hear this stuff live at somewhere like the Green Mill, a club I lived near and used to frequent eighty years after Jelly Roll's time, but given that that's not an option, I'm happy to have this.


(https://i.discogs.com/DU45lPnib2NEBg_a323BLFjXn6FYTi_2WCPUBh19tQ0/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:595/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI4MzQw/MTctMTMwMzE0NjQ0/OS5qcGVn.jpeg)

Originální Pražský Synkopický Orchestr—Originální Pražský Synkopický Orchestr (1980)
I saw this in one of my local record stores and bought it on a whim. Apparently, this band was formed in Prague in the mid-1970s and was dedicated to accurately reproducing Dixieland jazz from the 1920s. They're a really tight band, but what's interesting is that, on some level, they fail at their intended goal. They are definitely playing 1920s jazz songs, but there's certain formality to the way they play that you don't hear on the Jelly Roll recordings I mentioned above. They sound like people who went to music school and there's something about the way they approach rhythm that has a noticeable central/eastern European feel to it. That might sound like a criticism, but honestly I like hearing this music filtered through a different sensibility, it gives it a unique feel.

^Interesting write-ups as usual 🙂

I gave Lanquidity a listen through and really liked it. I just put it on while working from the home office, so I wasn't paying much attention to the various tracks etc. but definitely a cool listen.

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a2/Dopethrone.jpg)

Electric Wizard—Dopethrone (2000)
I sold some old records at my favorite local shop this evening and picked this up. I've been a fan of this album for a long, long time but did not own a physical copy. It hasn't been easy to find lately so I was excited to discover that they had it. No surprises here since I know the album well, but it still was a nice feeling to drop the needle into the grove. Now I just need to find a copy of Witchcult Today that's not crazy expensive and I'll have every EW record I want.

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/82/Selected_Ambient_Works_85-92.png)

Aphex Twin—Selected Ambient Works 85–92 (1992)
When I was in college a friend of mine copied this album onto cassette for me. I'm sure I still have it somewhere but I haven't listened to it since sometime in the late 90s. Anyway, I was flipping through the new vinyl section at the record store and I found this re-press, so I bought it on a whim. Having not heard it in so long, I'm really impressed by how well this has aged!

Classic album for sure. 90s era Warp Records stuff is my absolute jam. Aphex, Autechre, Boards of Canada, such a cool and innovative scene.

Quote from: Mrs. Waffles on Mar 08, 2023, 05:53 PMClassic album for sure. 90s era Warp Records stuff is my absolute jam. Aphex, Autechre, Boards of Canada, such a cool and innovative scene.

I love that stuff too. I actually stumbled across the Aphex Twin album because I was looking for Autechre albums. It's so convenient that two of the biggest IDM artists of that era are so close to each other alphabetically! :laughing:

I ordered a few records from Poland recently. There's so much great music from that country that's really hard to find over here, it makes incredibly thankful for the internet.

(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a2587626387_10.jpg)

Baaba—EasterChristmas (2014)
I've owned this album digitally for several years and I really love it, but it was nice to get the actual record. For one thing, I really love the cover design. Musically, this band comes out of this whole experimental jazz/yass scene that been going on in Poland for a few decades, and I just love a lot of this stuff. As a band, Baaba varies a lot from album to album. On this one, it sounds like they took happy, poppy synth music from the 1980s, smashed it, and reassembled it into free jazz. No song follows a pattern you would expect, but somehow all of it is happy, sweet, and innocent sounding.
 

(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a4082463006_10.jpg)

Baaba—Disco Externo (2010)
As I mentioned above, Baaba is pretty different from album to album. This one is less obviously synth-driven than EasterChristmas and a little more funk and rock influenced instead. Some of the guitar playing sounds almost like hardcore punk and some of it sounds like west African highlife. There are harpsichord and marimba sounds here and a distinct tropicalia sensibility as well. Unusual for Baaba, this album actually has a track with vocals. It's a hard album to describe. Disco Externo is not my favorite—or even second favorite—Baaba album, but even a middling album by this band is an incredible collection of music.


(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a4248310301_10.jpg)

Mazz | Boxx—MazzBoxx (2021)
This album is interesting collaboration between downtempo electronic music guy Igor Boxx and yass clarinetist Jerzy Mazzoll. I've been a fan of Igor Boxx for a while, but I had not heard this album before ordering it. It's really good. Like other Igor Boxx releases, it feels like a movie score. It's low-key, jazzy, a little glitchy, a little industrial, sometimes whimsical, frequently ominous, and well worth a listen if any of that description sounds appealing.

Quote from: Mrs. Waffles on Mar 08, 2023, 05:53 PMClassic album for sure. 90s era Warp Records stuff is my absolute jam. Aphex, Autechre, Boards of Canada, such a cool and innovative scene.

my respect for Aphex Twin and Autechre keep growing but BOC, too me, are on a higher level and mainly because of Children.

(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a2459095065_10.jpg)

Painkiller—Execution Ground (1994)
I love the first two Painkiller studio albums in all their dissonance and brutality, but this one was always hard for me to get into. Unlike those two, this isn't pure intensity, in fact it's frequently pretty mellow, dubby, and ambient. This is one of the nice things about this little vinyl sojourn I'm on: I'm not driving while I'm listening or cleaning or walking around listening on headphones. When I'm experiencing these albums, I'm sitting near my record player listening to the record out loud. I think that makes me pay much closer attention. Listening to Execution Ground this way has definitely made me appreciate it more. This album is a real journey—haunting, atmospheric, and sometimes violent—and I have a newfound enjoyment of it.

(https://cdn1.dustygroove.org/images/products/m/mann_herbie_herbieman_108b.jpg)

Herbie Mann & João Gilberto With Antonio Carlos Jobim (1965)
I stumbled across this in my local record store and couldn't pass it up. What I've managed to find out about it is a little mysterious, but it sounds like what this album really is is tracks by either Mann or Gilberto with arrangements by Jobim. I love all three of them so whatever the deal is, I'm on board. Overall, despite Mann's involvement, I'd describe this as a bossa nova album with occasional jazz flute on it more than anything. Like a lot of my favorite bossa nova music, this makes me want to chill out on the roof deck with some wine as the sun slouches toward the horizon. A vinyl copy of João Gilberto's stunning 1973 self-titled album may continue to be out of my price range, but this album is not a bad substitute at all.

Quote from: Toy Revolver on Mar 11, 2023, 09:53 AM

Quote from: Mrs. Waffles on Mar 08, 2023, 05:53 PMClassic album for sure. 90s era Warp Records stuff is my absolute jam. Aphex, Autechre, Boards of Canada, such a cool and innovative scene.

my respect for Aphex Twin and Autechre keep growing but BOC, too me, are on a higher level and mainly because of Children.

I Care Because You Do is amazing imo, even better than the debut

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/54/AphexTwinICareBecauseYouDo.jpg)

Quote from: Janszoon on Mar 23, 2023, 12:37 AM(https://cdn1.dustygroove.org/images/products/m/mann_herbie_herbieman_108b.jpg)

Herbie Mann & João Gilberto With Antonio Carlos Jobim (1965)
I stumbled across this in my local record store and couldn't pass it up. What I've managed to find out about it is a little mysterious, but it sounds like what this album really is is tracks by either Mann or Gilberto with arrangements by Jobim. I love all three of them so whatever the deal is, I'm on board. Overall, despite Mann's involvement, I'd describe this as a bossa nova album with occasional jazz flute on it more than anything. Like a lot of my favorite bossa nova music, this makes me want to chill out on the roof deck with some wine as the sun slouches toward the horizon. A vinyl copy of João Gilberto's stunning 1973 self-titled album may continue to be out of my price range, but this album is not a bad substitute at all.

This sounds lovely, actually :)

I find latin jazz like Gilberto's very evocative and soothing. It's just perfect when lounging in the garden on a hot summer's day. Hence, I'm definitely seasonal in my listening habits around this genre :laughing:

Quote from: Guybrush on Mar 23, 2023, 06:32 PMThis sounds lovely, actually :)

I find latin jazz like Gilberto's very evocative and soothing. It's just perfect when lounging in the garden on a hot summer's day. Hence, I'm definitely seasonal in my listening habits around this genre :laughing:

Sometimes I like to listen to it in the winter to warm up!

Also, I have to say this album has one of the ugliest covers ever. And the Herbie Mann photo feels like they're using it to prove that he really was in Rio. :laughing:

My most recent pickup was a repress of Low's Secret Name:

(https://i.discogs.com/WiJFlKrijNyrYA-8lPQBUqavUF4Wg0_JjYZ1Bo4ADH4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTcxNzky/My0xNjcwMTk1MTkz/LTg0NDcuanBlZw.jpeg)


Delicious slowcore goodness. If only they could repress their debut :(

RIP Mimi Parker, you beautiful soul.

Quote from: Guybrush on Mar 23, 2023, 06:32 PMI find latin jazz like Gilberto's very evocative and soothing. It's just perfect when lounging in the garden on a hot summer's day. Hence, I'm definitely seasonal in my listening habits around this genre :laughing:

You ever listen to much Jobim? Might be up your alley if you haven't.

QuoteInter Arma—Paradise Gallows (2016)
Out of this group of recently ordered metal records, I think this is the only band I had even heard of before. I had a vague sense of them being post metal-ish, which turned out to be accurate. Their sound is somewhere between Neurosis and Panopticon. It's post metal with a lot of sludge and a bit of black metal thrown in for good measure. It's long (2 LPs) and cinematic and sometimes even beautiful.

just finished first listen to this one

they do a lot of things really well

this pitchfork review sums it up pretty well

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22074-paradise-gallows/

Quote from: Toy Revolver on Apr 04, 2023, 08:06 PM

QuoteInter Arma—Paradise Gallows (2016)
Out of this group of recently ordered metal records, I think this is the only band I had even heard of before. I had a vague sense of them being post metal-ish, which turned out to be accurate. Their sound is somewhere between Neurosis and Panopticon. It's post metal with a lot of sludge and a bit of black metal thrown in for good measure. It's long (2 LPs) and cinematic and sometimes even beautiful.

just finished first listen to this one

they do a lot of things really well

this pitchfork review sums it up pretty well

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22074-paradise-gallows/

I'm glad you liked it!

Quote from: SGR on Mar 23, 2023, 08:52 PMYou ever listen to much Jobim? Might be up your alley if you haven't.

Certainly 🙂 I'm not well versed, but I have some of his songs in my playlists.

(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3570700284_10.jpg)

Ominous Black—Ominous Black (2012)
I found this 10" in record in a store in Providence, Rhode Island not long ago, and was to surprised to discover that (a) it was produced by Steve Albini and (b) this band is actually from Philadelphia. Not sure how I had never heard of them before, but I hadn't. This little disc is less than fifteen minutes long, with one song on each side, and it's really good. It's sludgy, doomy, and psychedelic, with that classic "you're in the room with the band" Albini production style. This is 3am music, abandoned factory music, fllashing lights and police tape on a rainy night music, and this is one of the most accurately named bands I can think of.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81nXrnRecPL.jpg)

R+R=NOW—LIVE (2021)
I got this one a few months ago, but I happen to be listening to it right now so I decided to do a little write up. The band is a supergroup of modern jazz artists lead by pianist Robert Glasper and includes Terrace Martin, Taylor McFerrin, Christian Scott, Derrick Hodge, and Justin Tyson. The album was recorded live at the Blue Note Club in NYC. A lot of this reminds me of late 70s Herbie Hancock, specifically his album Sunlight, but with a more modern sensibility. No doubt a great deal of weed has been smoked in relation to this recording. It's mellow, soothing, and also fairly upbeat. My favorite track is the twenty-five minute long closer "Resting Warrior", which is weird, spacey, and contains some of the best synth, bass, and drum playing on the album.

Most recent acquisition

(https://cdn.smehost.net/milesdaviscom-uslegacyprod/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cover-16.jpg)

Miles Davis - In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk (1961)

Great live recording, and if memory serves, the first live Miles album that was planned to be released as such during the performance. Hank Mobley on sax (after Coltrane left, before Shorter joined) and Wynton Kelly on piano, the quintet absolutely locks in for some stellar playing.

Quote from: Rubber Soul on Feb 04, 2023, 08:47 PMI can recommend one. Here My Dear from 1978 was an album Gaye had to record for a divorce settlement. You'd think he'd record something along the lines of Metal Machine Music but it is actually one of his best works. It's even a double album. I would definitely give that a listen.


EDIT: Missed Ribbons' mention but I liked the whole album. Otherwise you have to scour some of his hits, particularly from the sixties.

dang

talk about me being late to the party

it's hard for me to admit that wasn't on my radar as one of his best

al green's the belle album comes to mind

thanks Ribbons and Rubber Soul for helping my fill an embarrassing gap in an artist i thought i was fully hip to

Most recent acquisition:

The Fall - The Marshall Suite (New 2LP Red Translucent Repress):

(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0505/7734/2621/files/MOVLP3322_1024x1024@2x.jpg?v=1683133347)

If any of you are big fans of the band (e.g. @jadis ), now's the chance to get a reasonably priced LP copy of this record (it's limited to 1500 and hand numbered). I've got an LTEV pressing of it already, but that's a shoddy pressing - and this one contains the vinyl exclusive (1999) final track, "Finale: Tom Ragazzi".

Here's a link:
https://www.limitedadditionrecords.com/products/marshall-suite-translucent-red-numbered-double-vinyl-lp

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d3/The_Cars_-_The_Cars.png)

The Cars—The Cars (1978)
I can't believe how long it took me to find this record. I could've ordered it through Discogs, but it just seemed like something I should be able to find in a record store so I waited. Driving home from visiting my parents for Mother's Day, I stopped at a record store in Connecticut, and BOOM, there it was and it was only $6! It has a slight warp but is otherwise in excellent condition and plays great. I owned this on cassette and I still own the CD, but this is just one of those albums I really wanted on vinyl. I'm listening to it as I write this and I'm still struck, after all these years, by what a fantastic album it is. Not a bad track on it. Stellar hooky songwriting from beginning to end, while somehow still maintaining a sense of weirdness. It's a masterclass in how to make a pop album.

Definitely a stone cold classic. Love the little analog synth leads peppered into those tracks too. The ending synth part to "Just What I Needed" is great fun to play.

Quote from: Janszoon on May 16, 2023, 07:08 PM(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d3/The_Cars_-_The_Cars.png)

The Cars—The Cars (1978)
I can't believe how long it took me to find this record. I could've ordered it through Discogs, but it just seemed like something I should be able to find in a record store so I waited. Driving home from visiting my parents for Mother's Day, I stopped at a record store in Connecticut, and BOOM, there it was and it was only $6! It has a slight warp but is otherwise in excellent condition and plays great. I owned this on cassette and I still own the CD, but this is just one of those albums I really wanted on vinyl. I'm listening to it as I write this and I'm still struck, after all these years, by what a fantastic album it is. Not a bad track on it. Stellar hooky songwriting from beginning to end, while somehow still maintaining a sense of weirdness. It's a masterclass in how to make a pop album.

one of the all time greatest debuts and it still sounds fresh

Great debut album.

Almost as great of a debut as Appetite For Destruction.

Quote from: SGR on May 17, 2023, 04:01 AMGreat debut album.

Almost as great of a debut as Appetite For Destruction.

The Cars debut blows the fuck out of that fake led zeppelin wannabe bullshit

Quote from: Toy Revolver on May 17, 2023, 04:35 AMThe Cars debut blows the fuck out of that fake led zeppelin wannabe bullshit

One of them still gets played at college parties though

Quote from: SGR on May 17, 2023, 04:01 AMGreat debut album.

Almost as great of a debut as Appetite For Destruction.

Both are great albums in very different ways.

Quote from: Janszoon on May 17, 2023, 04:43 AMBoth are great albums in very different ways.

Here I was trying to do a bit of trolling and you just bypass it completely and take the high road.  :laughing:

:beer:

Quote from: SGR on May 17, 2023, 04:46 AMHere I was trying to do a bit of trolling and you just bypass it completely and take the high road.  :laughing:

:beer:

What can I say? I love both Appetite for Destruction, and maybe more controversially, Use Your Illusion II. Use Your Illusion I is ok too, but more equivalent to Heartbeat City IMO, if I'm going to beleaguer this comparison to Cars albums.

Quote from: Janszoon on May 17, 2023, 04:57 AMWhat can I say? I love both Appetite for Destruction, and maybe more controversially, Use Your Illusion II. Use Your Illusion I is ok too, but more equivalent to Heartbeat City IMO, if I'm going to beleaguer this comparison to Cars albums.

I wasn't around when the UYI albums came out originally, but I always got the impression that UYI 1 tended to get more love (maybe because of "November Rain"?). I agree though, UYI 2 was definitely the better album - much less filler and weak songwriting. Had some of their best tracks, "Civil War", "Estranged", "Yesterdays", "Locomotive", "You Could Be Mine", I even love their cover of "Knockin On Heaven's Door". UYI 2 is generally a lot more reflective and restrained when compared to UYI 1. That said, the closing track to UYI 1, "Coma", might be among my all time favorite GNR songs.

Quote from: SGR on May 17, 2023, 05:23 AMI wasn't around when the UYI albums came out originally, but I always got the impression that UYI 1 tended to get more love (maybe because of "November Rain"?). I agree though, UYI 2 was definitely the better album - much less filler and weak songwriting. Had some of their best tracks, "Civil War", "Estranged", "Yesterdays", "Locomotive", "You Could Be Mine", I even love their cover of "Knockin On Heaven's Door". UYI 2 is generally a lot more reflective and restrained when compared to UYI 1. That said, the closing track to UYI 1, "Coma", might be among my all time favorite GNR songs.

I was a freshman in high school when they came out and, yeah, UYI 1 seemed like it got more love at the time. To me, "Live and Let Die", "Perfect Crime", "Don't Cry", "November Rain", "Garden of Eden", and "Coma" are the only good tracks on UYI 1, and I'm not as enamored with "Coma" as you are. UYI 2, on the other hand, is pretty solid from start to finish. "Breakdown" and "So Fine" are the only weak tracks on the album, and even those aren't too bad.

Quote from: Janszoon on May 17, 2023, 05:43 AMI was a freshman in high school when they came out and, yeah, UYI 1 seemed like it got more love at the time. To me, "Live and Let Die", "Perfect Crime", "Don't Cry", "November Rain", "Garden of Eden", and "Coma" are the only good tracks on UYI 1, and I'm not as enamored with "Coma" as you are. UYI 2, on the other hand, is pretty solid from start to finish. "Breakdown" and "So Fine" are the only weak tracks on the album, and even those aren't too bad.

Are you a fan of "Get in the Ring" and "My World"?

When it comes to "Coma", cut me some slack, it reminds me of my teenage years when I thought I was invincible and the only material thing I really thought about were girls.  :laughing:

Quote from: SGR on May 17, 2023, 06:34 AMAre you a fan of "Get in the Ring" and "My World"?

They aren't my favorite songs but I like them. With "My World", I always thought it was cool that they were trying something so different.

Appetite is great, the Illusion albums have their moments but I find a lot of the songs to be a little overlong and both albums as a whole a bit of a slog to listen to front to back. I think with some more editing it would have made a killer single album though.

REM's Reveal finally got repressed and I just copped the limited edition. I love this record beyond what it probably deserves for personal reasons, and I'm just happy to finally be getting it as an LP.

(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0558/2166/4449/files/REM_Reveal_CRAFT_LP_SkyBlue_FRONT_VINYL_1800x1800.png?v=1687816986)

"Imitation of Life" is still one of the best songs they ever did - with one of the most creative music videos, especially for 2001.

I have a question for UK based members.

Where do you buy vinyls? Online they are extortionate, garage & car boot sales only have 1920's country (which there is nothing wrong with, I just don't want it 😂) and I'm really struggling to get any decent records. I think I only have about 5 or 6 because I've had to buy brand new for £30/40/50 :(

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6f/It%27s_All_Right%21.jpg)

Wynton Kelly—It's All Right! (1964)

I just picked this record up the other day. Love the Roy Lichtenstein vibes to the album cover. It's a pretty interesting artifact given that it came out in the mid-60s, because it sounds at least ten years older than that. This is some stately non-bop that makes me wish I liked olives enough to chomp on some as I sipped a martini in a quiet 1950s hotel bar.

Thanks for sharing, Jans.

I'm checking it out briefly and Portrait of Jenny is deliciously laid-back, so that's going straight into my rotation. Lovely!

Quote from: Janszoon on Feb 10, 2024, 07:20 AM(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6f/It%27s_All_Right%21.jpg)

Wynton Kelly—It's All Right! (1964)

I just picked this record up the other day. Love the Roy Lichtenstein vibes to the album cover. It's a pretty interesting artifact given that it came out in the mid-60s, because it sounds at least ten years older than that. This is some stately non-bop that makes me wish I liked olives enough to chomp on some as I sipped a martini in a quiet 1950s hotel bar.

So lovely to see you around!

And that album sounds very up my alley.

Quote from: Lexi Darling on Feb 10, 2024, 04:23 PMSo lovely to see you around!

And that album sounds very up my alley.

Thank you! ☺️

It's definitely worth a listen.

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4e/Drill_Music_in_Zion_Album_Cover.jpg)

Lupe Fiasco—Drill Music in Zion (2022)
Lupe Fiasco apparently recorded this over three days because he was going for something raw and imperfect. Obviously a lot of writing and preparation went into it beforehand and the results are fantastic. It's beautiful and thoughtful like Drogas Wave, even if it's only about half the length. I'm frequently lukewarm on rappers who get a lot of attention for their lyrics, but Lupe really writes stuff that resonates with me. 

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81nOxdDp+uL._SX522_.jpg)

Kebekelektrik—Kebekelektrik (1977)
This was somewhat of a random purchase. At first I had no idea how to pronounce this weird looking word "Kebekelektrik". Then I noticed the album was produced in Montreal and I realized that it's pronounced "Quebec electric". Anyway, it's a pretty good record. As the back of it advertises, "This album was recorded entirely with synthesizers". It has that warm 70s synth feel, some disco beats, and the entire second side is a single track—a disco synth rendition of Ravel's "Bolero".

Quote from: Janszoon on Jul 16, 2024, 09:44 PM(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81nOxdDp+uL._SX522_.jpg)

Kebekelektrik—Kebekelektrik (1977)
This was somewhat of a random purchase. At first I had no idea how to pronounce this weird looking word "Kebekelektrik". Then I noticed the album was produced in Montreal and I realized that it's pronounced "Quebec electric". Anyway, it's a pretty good record. As the back of it advertises, "This album was recorded entirely with synthesizers". It has that warm 70s synth feel, some disco beats, and the entire second side is a single track—a disco synth rendition of Ravel's "Bolero".

I got curious, so checked this out. Not quite for me, but still fun 🙂 I like the name.

Maybe @Lexi Darling would find this interesting if she isn't already familiar.

@Guybrush @Janszoon I wasn't familiar! Interesting that it says it's all synth but I very clearly hear a clavinet, which isn't a synthesizer but an electromechanical keyboard. Could be a translation thing, or maybe they just called all electric keyboards synths.

It's pretty cool. The take on Bolero is pretty creative. I appreciate you thinking of me, @Guybrush !

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/75/Celebration_cover.png)

Madonna–Celebration
I actually got this comp a few months ago, but I'm still digging it. There's definitely part of my love for this that's related to my own time spent in the twentieth century closet. Now that I'm a litle more open, I fucking love it. The later sides are a little depressing, but the parts that draw me in are incredible. It put me in some vague gender/orientation by I love it an it feels perfect to me.

Quote from: Janszoon on Feb 05, 2025, 04:29 AM(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/75/Celebration_cover.png)

Madonna–Celebration
I actually got this comp a few months ago, but I'm still digging it. There's definitely part of my love for this that's related to my own time spent in the twentieth century closet. Now that I'm a litle more open, I fucking love it. The later sides are a little depressing, but the parts that draw me in are incredible. It put me in some vague gender/orientation by I love it an it feels perfect to me.

Will probably always be my favorite Madonna track - very nostalgic. That hum-sing chorus is auditory nicotine.

While I won't be showcasing any psychofunkjazzexperimentalsalsa records or anything, and while I haven't bought vinyl in about 25 years now (way too expensive and I no longer have a turntable - how I get those locomotives to rotate is a problem now) I still want to join the conversation here. When younger I only bought vinyl, mostly because there was nothing else to buy. So I have about 400 albums and what I'm doing here is literally grabbing one, two or three at random from the rack and then wittering on about them. As you can see from the first one below, I had a habit of labelling/cataloguing my albums, for various databases. Usually this took the simplest form - album title and artist, and an assigned number - occasionally it got a little more involved, with codes and stuff. You can see here I've taped a yellow index card to it and written the details on that too. Here's the first one anyway.
(https://i.postimg.cc/52Mjgck2/20250205-182153-1.jpg)
(My image is a little shiny thanks to the plastic dustsheet, which I didn't remove, so here's a clearer copy from the Big W...
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bd/Toto_Toto_IV.jpg)
Toto IV - Toto - 1982

I was never a fan of Toto, and I still am not. I read a review once which used the line "revenge of the session men", and so it seems: almost all of the band worked with other bands for a long time before they came together to form their own band, or before at least that band got popular. But did it? I imagine maybe 1 in 100 households had this album, maybe more. It's one of those albums you bought even if you were not a fan of the band. It broke them commercially and has three hit singles on it, including their most famous, "Africa". It sold over six million copies worldwide and was a top 5 album both sides of the water.

But it's an album that lives and dies really on its singles. "Rosanna", the aforementioned "Africa" and "I Won't Hold You Back", the only ballad on the album, are where this album shines. As for the rest? Yeah, not so much. There are a lot of weak tracks here, and in particular I don't rate the disco-ish "Waiting for Your Love", "It's a Feeling" or "We Made It". In fact, bar those three singles and maybe the one time they really rock out on "Lovers in the Night" I think it's a pretty substandard album. But such was the power of those hit singles that everyone - given there was no such thing as itunes or Spotify or downloading single tracks at the time - bought the album on the strength of those singles. I heard another of their albums, The Seventh One, and I was distinctly underwhelmed. Even now, I bet if someone asks you to name a Toto song, if you can, it's gonna be "Africa". I mean, who doesn't know that song?

But do three singles a good album make? Not in my view, but then, what do I know? Anyway, going one better than Jansz (sorry man, you know me) I want to also display the reverse cover and what was inside as well as the album itself, and so...
(https://i.postimg.cc/MKRBJtyF/20250205-182220-1.jpg)
I can't say I think much of this one really. A hodge-podge of jumbled live photographs and the track listing. Considering the album art was so clever (apparently it's four rings to represent all four albums, with each of the previous ones a little tarnished to show they're older ones, or so it says) they really just went on auto-pilot for the back cover.

Inside albums you would often find interesting, lyric-printed inner sleeves, as we called them, though sometimes all you'd get would be a plain white paper envelope. In those cases, people with more time on their hands than they should, like me, tended to often decorate these themselves. Voila!
(https://i.postimg.cc/BnxPfZ1F/20250205-182252-1.jpg)
(The things you can do with a packet of felt-tip pens, huh?)
Also just showing the reverse, which isn't decorated but I have angrily tippexed out the warning that used to be on many of the albums: HOME TAPING IS KILLING MUSIC! AND IT'S ILLEGAL!
(https://i.postimg.cc/0ygK4Krx/20250205-182327-1.jpg)
Well, no: exorbitant prices were killing music, and they were legal. And they did, more or less, kill music, pushing us into an online marketplace. It's quite funny to me how the deliberately tippexed out warning was my flipping the bird to the record companies. Ah, what a rebel, eh? Incidentally, my name and address is on the back cover too (why I don't know - if this album went out of my possession it was going to be because someone robbed it, and they were hardly likely to return it were they? Maybe I thought I might loan it out to a mate) but I've blurred it out, as I have enough death threats coming to my house as it is, thank you very much.

And finally, because why not, the album itself.
(https://i.postimg.cc/qqS64zLs/20250205-182357-1.jpg)
I must admit, I kind of miss seeing the record label logo on the album going round as it played. Oh well.

Next one up is someone nobody has heard about, but who was one of my crushes, and favourite female artists, around the 1980s.
(https://i.postimg.cc/NGzH1zcK/20250205-182141-1.jpg)

Welcome to the Cruise - Judie Tzuke - 1979

Judie Tzuke (the "t" is silent, so her name is produced Judie. And her surname is pronounced "zook") is an English singer and songwriter, best known, if at all, for her hit single "Stay With Me Till Dawn", and this is her debut album, from which that single is taken. Unlike the previous album, in my opinion anyway, there's barely a poor track on this. Everything from soft group A capella (with a bit of cello) to island music and hard(ish) rock to (urgh) disco, including three lovely ballads, I was very impressed by this, as well as her second album (not quite so much by the third and fourth) and have been a fan of hers ever since. I got to see her live in Dublin and was lucky enough to arrange an interview with her. Lovely lady - so much shorter than I had thought she would be! The album's cover is odd, produced by those well-known graphics genius Hipgnosis, though what it's meant to convey I don't know.
(https://i.postimg.cc/TYbpn20s/20250205-182213-1.jpg)
While the back cover is simple enough and is a continuation of that on the front, I always felt the dress she wears makes her look like she's pregnant, but again what do I know? Judie is one of those artists who, like Rory Gallagher and Gary Moore to name but two, always has her face on her album covers - I don't think I can think of one where she's not on it. She's a great songwriter, and shows, certainly showed at the time, that deep lyrics and clever songs were not just the pervue of male songwriters. All songs on this album, and most of her others, are written by her and her future husband, Mike Paxman, who also plays guitar and piano.
(https://i.postimg.cc/L4wJqgtf/20250205-182245-1.jpg)
The inner sleeve of this album is much more interesting. You get pictures of both Judie and Mike, and all the lyrics reproduced on the sleeve. Got to love that seventies hair style!  :laughing:
(https://i.postimg.cc/6Qc7THc5/20250205-182307-1.jpg)
And the album itself, released on Elton John's Rocket Records label.
(https://i.postimg.cc/qqz6P88B/20250205-182353-1.jpg)

Last one is in some ways the most eclectic of a very non-eclectic bunch.
(https://i.postimg.cc/J4HBK5rP/20250205-182147-1.jpg)

Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel (1977)
Up until the release of So, the ex-Genesis frontman and founder always titled his albums the same, just his name, so the first four are generally known either by the order they came out in - Peter Gabriel I, II, III and IV (also named Security in the US, don't ask me why) or by their subject. This one, therefore, is also known as Car. Because he's in a car, duh. If you were a Genesis fan and expecting Genesis-lite or a continuation of such from Gabriel, you were in for a rude surprise. Gabriel's solo material features all the different directions he wanted to go in with Genesis, but could not. So very little of this album could even be called properly progressive rock. It has, of course, his first big hit, "Solsbory Hill", and later favourite "Here Comes the Flood" (though for live performances he has turned this into a soft piano ballad, and I prefer the more forceful and dramatic version here). He also tackles almost barbershop in "Excuse Me", heavy blues in "Waiting for the Big One" and some sort of mad doomy style thing in "Moribund the Burgermeister." Gabriel's albums would always be unpredictable, and this was where he set out his stall.
(https://i.postimg.cc/zBPVFV4s/20250205-182248-1.jpg)
It's clever, I feel, how he doesn't open his eyes until the inner sleeve, and when he does you get quite a shock.
(https://i.postimg.cc/pTdmjDcQ/20250205-182311-1.jpg)
Almost looks like he's an alien or something.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Gpd8L0k5/20250205-182355-1.jpg)
I always loved "the famous Charisma label", on which Genesis and other prog bands were released, with its bored-looking Mad Hatter logo. When I were a lad, Charisma was what you looked for when seeking out quality prog.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61A-FQiuQKL._UX358_FMwebp_QL85_.jpg)

Björn J:Son Lindh—Bike Voyage II (English title: A Day at the Surface) (1978)
This album cover is some serious truth in advertising: stoned flute music. I'm a little embarassed to admit I tracked this album down because one of the tracks is used in a recent Apple ad that I like, but it's turning out to be a great album. It's very 70s in all the best ways—it's funky, it's trippy, and it's beautifully complex.

Here's the song from the Apple ad:

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2f/Harry_Nilsson_Pussy_Cats.jpg)

Harry Nilsson—Pussy Cats (1974)
I love Harry Nilsson, but something you have to embrace as a fan is that his career was extremely hit-or-miss. Some of his albums are absolutely amazing and some are real duds. Pussy Cats falls somewhere in the middle. It was produced by John Lennon during a time when he and Nilsson were pretty high/drunk all day everyday. Nilsson even damaged his vocal chords during a screaming competition with Lennon at this time and it's very noticeable in some of the tracks on this record. All of that said, the best moments of this album are pretty great and I was pretty psyched to find a copy of it for fairly cheap.

One of the big standout tracks to me is his version of Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross". I love the original, but Nilsson takes the heartbreak to another level:

First off, Son of Schmilsson by Harry Nilsson is a desert island disc for me.

Second, anybody going to Record Store Day for limited release vinyl on Saturday, April 12?

https://recordstoreday.com/SpecialReleases

Several on the list that I'm interested in; The Dictators, Jethro Tull, Nick Lowe, Queen, Todd Rundgren, Teenage Bottlerocket, Sweet.  Initiation by Todd is most interesting for me.  The original release was over an hour of music crammed on a single piece of vinyl.  This limited release is two LPs.

From Wiki about original release in '75: "At over sixty-seven minutes, Initiation is one of the longest commercially-released LPs. Due to a plastic shortage, in order to keep the album on one vinyl LP, Rundgren had to limit and EQ the master so the bass response was rolled off to keep the grooves small enough to cut onto a single disc; he also had to speed up the first half of Side One ("Real Man" to "Eastern Intrigue") and speed up the entirety of Side Two to eliminate 2-3 minutes from each side (5). The album's original inner sleeve included a note which stated: "Technical note: Due to the amount of music on this disc (over one hour), two points must be emphasized. Firstly, if your needle is worn or damaged, it will ruin the disc immediately. Secondly, if the sound does seem not loud enough on your system, try re-recording the music onto tape".

I love that that warning would make zero sense to anyone under 20 or so today. Needle? Why would you need a needle to play music? Did people knit while they listened to albums back in the day? And what's with this tape thing? Did they have to stick them back together after they broke? Oh, and don't even talk about stylus or cartridge!  :laughing: Man, I'm old!  :(

Quote from: Buckeye Randy on Feb 19, 2025, 08:39 AMFirst off, Son of Schmilsson by Harry Nilsson is a desert island disc for me.

That's a good one. Knnillssonn is mine.

Quote from: Buckeye Randy on Feb 19, 2025, 08:39 AMSecond, anybody going to Record Store Day for limited release vinyl on Saturday, April 12?

https://recordstoreday.com/SpecialReleases

Several on the list that I'm interested in; The Dictators, Jethro Tull, Nick Lowe, Queen, Todd Rundgren, Teenage Bottlerocket, Sweet.  Initiation by Todd is most interesting for me.  The original release was over an hour of music crammed on a single piece of vinyl.  This limited release is two LPs.

I didn't see a lot on this year's list that jumped out at me, but there is a SunnO))) EP that I've never heard of before. That could be cool.

Quote from: Janszoon on Feb 19, 2025, 10:01 PMI didn't see a lot on this year's list that jumped out at me, but there is a SunnO))) EP that I've never heard of before. That could be cool.

I've gone to these a couple times and it's great how the line starts shortly after midnight.  I'm not there at 3AM but I am there early enough to wait outside and have great conversations.

It's much like concert lines at GA shows, plenty of knowledgeable people to pass the time with.

Best purchase was a couple years ago, a live album by Sparks. There were 1000 copies available and my store scored two of them and I got one of those.