Boxcar Willie: King of the Road (Suffolk Marketing SMI-124K, 1980).

As advertised on T.V. This was my dad’s record, one of only a handful in my possession. It’s a perfectly adept collection of covers of country classics. Sort of a Temu Hank Williams. Not available in stores.

#MyVinylSolution #vinyl

Here's the ad that inspired my parents to send a check for $7.98 to Boxcar Willie.

- YouTube

Auf YouTube findest du die angesagtesten Videos und Tracks. Außerdem kannst du eigene Inhalte hochladen und mit Freunden oder gleich der ganzen Welt teilen.

(www.youtube.com)

Just noticed my runout groove has "Cut By TRUTONE-Pa 3-81" on it. Which I assume means this was released no earlier than March 1981?

@gloriousnoise "We have Hank Williams, Sr. at home."

@gloriousnoise whoops I scrolled up and see you already drew the connection

@fivetonsflax I wonder if any Hank Sr. was available or even in print in 1980?

@gloriousnoise Wikipedia says:

The American Truckers Benevolent Association, a national organization of CB truck drivers, voted "Your Cheatin' Heart" as their favorite record of all time in the fourth annual Truck Drivers' Country Music Awards, in 1978. In 1987, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame under the category "Early Influence", and he was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

So I’m guessing yes, but it’s a good question.

@fivetonsflax I remember hearing “Kaw-liga” on my grandparents’ car radio as a kid and thinking it was the greatest song ever, but Bocephus had a hit with it in 1980 so it was probably that version. It’s weird to think there was a time we didn’t have access to all recorded music at our fingertips.

In the 90s I shoplifted a Hank Sr cassette from the budget tape rack at Meijer’s while I was getting into rockabilly, ha ha, and that was the first Hank Sr I owned.

Phoebe Bridgers: Stranger in the Alps (Dead Oceans DOC 142, 2017).

So many great songs on this. I could’ve seen her on this tour in a tiny venue (Lady’s Literary Club on Grand Rapids) but it was a Tuesday night. Sigh. “Jesus Christ I’m so blue all the time” hits me every time I hear it. She might have gotten a little goofy after this but this one’s pretty perfect.

#myvinylsolution #vinyl #phoebebridgers

Bright Eyes: I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning (Saddle Creek LBJ-72, 2005).

I love this album. The #vinyl has a nice soundstage. It’s the only Bright Eyes I have on wax and it’s the only one I need. Has Emmylou given her harmonic blessing to any precocious young songwriters since this?

#MyVinylSolution #BrightEyes

James Brown: Get On the Good Foot (Polydor PD-2-3004, 1972).

“My Best To Jake & Family. I Feel Good. James Brown.” My prized possession. When I got the opportunity to get his autograph I thought it would be phony to ask him to sign some mint record I just bought so this is it…in all its masking taped glory.

#MyVinylSolution #vinyl #JamesBrown

Full gatefold. (Story in alt text.)

@gloriousnoise Wow! That's fantastic (and a great story)!

Anna Burch: Quit the Curse (Polyvinyl PRC-346, 2018).

I love this album but the vinyl sounds mid at best. Pretty bad, actually, at least on my stuff. In the video for “2 Cool 2 Care” she does the hula hoop in slow motion which made me a fan for life.

#MyVinylSolution #vinyl

Butter 08 (Grand Royal GR029, 1996).

I was way into JSBX in 1996 and this was Russell Simins’ band with Miho and Yuka from Cibo Matto. It sounds exactly how you’d expect (chaotic) and I don’t think I’ve listened to it in 30 years. Pretty fun.

#myvinylsolution #vinyl

J.J. Cale: Naturally (Shelter SR-2122, 1974 pressing).

Hearing J.J. Cale for the first time back in college made me realize what an overrated fraud Clapton is. Cale is a quietly soulful singer and guitarist and a sophisticated songwriter. His “After Midnight” is so good it makes you hate Clapton even more.

#MyVinylSolution #vinyl

Cat Mother and the All Night Newsboys: The Street Giveth and the Street Taketh Away (Polydor 24-4001, 1969).

This is pretty generic 1969 white boy boogie but Lester Bangs reviewed it favorably for Rolling Stone so I picked it up when I saw it cheap. Bangs lumped them in with “non-innovative, journeymen groups [who] don’t feel compelled to try so hard” but to him that was a compliment. I bet he never played it again after writing it up. I won’t either.

#MyVinylSolution #vinyl #LesterBangs

The Bobby Charles Quartet (Fenton 2026, 1966).

Fenton Records was a mid-60s vanity label that released a bunch of 45s by teenage garage bands from West Michigan. This is not that. It’s goofy lounge music and as far as I know it’s Fenton’s only LP.

#MyVinylSolution #FentonRecords #vinyl

I didn’t realize until I was putting this away that 1) it has a multi-page gatefold insert, and 2) the last page is signed by all four members of the quartet, none of whom is named Bobby Charles, “To the Bergstroms, my kindest people.”

@gloriousnoise

There is a Bobby and a Charles, though!