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Phil Collins: Face Value (Atlantic SD-16029, 1981).
Like every 10yo boy in 1981 I loved “In the Air Tonight” but within five years I was ashamed to admit it. It still sounds dope on #vinyl but the other songs are pretty lame. Collins seems like a nice guy and his hits are bangers but the filler is not killer.
Judy Collins: Living (Elektra EKA-75014, 1971).
Ugh, I was reading Sylvie Simmons’ Leonard Cohen biography and I found this in the dollar bin and thought what the hell. It’s not great. “Vietnam Love Song” is unlistenable. The two Cohen song are alright.
Ray Charles: Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Volume Two (ABC-Paramount ABC-435, 1962).
Garage sale find. Vinyl is beat up but still sounds great in glorious mono, which reminds me I should’ve switched my headshell to the one with a conical stylus in the cart, which is supposedly better for old mono grooves.
Clem Snide’s Journey (Foreign Leisure FL-009, 2011).
Eef Barzelay present six acoustic covers of Journey songs. I love his voice and his interpretations. This was definitely a “support the artists you like by buying their stuff” purchase. Ghost of Fashion and Soft Spot are both important albums in my life, and I hope Eef is able to afford to keep making music.
@stevegis_ssg Sorry I can’t read. I thought you were pointing out that there is a musician named Bobby Charles.
Didn’t see the AND A in your reply. Duh.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
@taylorlorenz Lack of search. Inability to click on a user’s follows/following and see who they follow/are following.
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.
Full gatefold. (Story in alt text.)
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.
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?
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.
@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.
@fivetonsflax I wonder if any Hank Sr. was available or even in print in 1980?
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?
Here's the ad that inspired my parents to send a check for $7.98 to Boxcar Willie.
