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Gerry Mulligan Quartet, Paris Concert, 1955 on World Pacific Records
Great find via Mel’s Record Shop in Amesbury MA. Recorded live at the Pleyel Hall June 1st, 1954, with the valve trombone of Bob Brookmeyer replacing Chet Baker’s trumpet, with Red Mitchell on bass and Frank Isola on drums. I especially love the sequence of Moonlight in Vermont followed by The Lady is a Tramp and…
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Various Artists, AngelHeaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex, 2020 on BMG.
Hal Wilner produced tribute to Marc Bolan & T. Rex, featuring a wide variety of artists and styles. Wilner was also said to be working on a documentary but died in 2020 after assembling the album. The film was made by Ethan Silverman as one that “Celebrates the life and work of glam rock pioneer…
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Kacey Musgraves, Same Trailer Different Park, 2013 on Mercury
My copy is the 2023 Vinyl Me Please reissue (in the VMP Essentials, not VMP Country track) on “green galaxy” vinyl. Love Musgraves’ songwriting – this was her fourth LP but is the one that got her lots of attention, and deservedly so. Mama’s hooked on Mary KayBrother’s hooked on Mary JaneAnd Daddy’s hooked on…
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Ball and Pivot, Ball and Pivot EP, 1984 on Z Club Records
Ball and Pivot were a self-described “glam-rock” band in the early 80s in Boston, featuring Tom Hauck, B Wilkinson, and Paul Caruso (all of whom had also played in The Atlantics). I picked up this record on the basis of that description and the cover at Island Records on Martha’s Vineyard. You can find more…
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Willie Nelson, Country Willie: His Own Songs, 1965 on RCA Victor
Nelson’s third LP, and his first for RCA Victor. Look how clean cut he is here, long before outlaw Willie. My copy is part of the Vinyl Me Please box set The Story of Willie Nelson which as you’d expect is well produced and packaged. (Though I prefer plain old black vinyl, these are well…
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Chrissie Hynde, Standing in the Doorway: Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan, 2021 on BMG
I’m a sucker for a cover album, especially one dedicated to a specific artist. I’m also a huge fan of both Bob Dylan and Chrissie Hynde, so it should not be surprising I was excited to find this record. Hynde is joined by The Pretenders‘ James Walbourne and engineer/producer Tchad Blake, but the instrumentation and…
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Alison Krauss & Union Station, Paper Airplane, 2011 on Rounder Records
You really can’t go wrong with anything Alison Krauss touches. Got this one directly from Rounder online. Great versions of Lori McKenna‘s “My Love Follows You Where You Go,” Aoife O’Donnovan‘s “Lay My Burden Down” and Jackson Browne’s “My Opening Farewell” but every song is solid.
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Michael Jackson, Thriller, 1982 on Epic
I remember listening to this right when it came out. I was young enough to not yet know I was supposed to reject Michael as too popular or unclear and instead just loved the grooves and the videos. My copy isn’t one I’ve had since then – I don’t think I even had a turntable…
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The Isley Brothers, 3+3 featuring: That Lady, 1973 on T-Neck
The Isley Brothers is one of those bands i didn’t know well but have started to appreciate more as I collect vinyl – whenever i find a record of theirs in decent shape I just pick it up. Picked up this copy via a vinyl fair at Mill No. 5 in Lowell. In addition to…
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Nancy Sinatra, Boots, 1966 on Reprise.
Sinatra’s debut full-length on Frank Sinatra’s Reprise label, produced by Lee Hazlewood and arranged & conducted by Billy Strange. My copy is one of the Light in the Attic reissues – volume 2 in the Nancy Sinatra Archival Series – via Amazon, which adds an Amazon Music wrapper to the release. Very fond of the…
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Angel Olsen, Big Time, 2022 on Jagjaguwar.
I’ve long been a fan of Angel Olsen, going back to Burn Your Fire For No Witness in 2014. This release was a Secretly Society selection in June of 2022. Jonathan Wilson (who has also produced albums by Dawes, Mia Doi Todd , Bonnie Prince Billy, Billy Strings, and Father John Misty) produced, alongside Olsen.
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Billy Strings, Home, 2019 on Rounder Records
This was the 4th LP from Billy Strings (the first two with Don Julin) and his first on Rounder – it won Best Bluegrass Album for 2021. I heard about Billy Strings through youtube videos suggested based on other Americana acts – some really strong word-of-mouth based on touring, though I haven’t had a chance…
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Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend, 2008 on XL Recordings.
Debut album from Vampire Weekend, including Oxford Comma and Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa. How could I not love a band with grooves like this and references to punctuation? For the English major (and PhD) to have an indie rock band come out of Columbia with a pedigree involving Dirty Projectors and touring with The Shins…
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Various Artists, Ruby Trax: The NME’s Roaring Forty, 1992 on New Musical Express.
This was a 3xLP box set issued to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the New Musical Express – which ran in print from 1952 to 2018 when it went digital-only (though it is said to be coming back). The compilation was full of contemporary artists covering songs that had been covered in the NME during…
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Null and Void, Happiness and Contempt, 1980 on M.A.O. Records.
Null and Void were a self-described “early 80s SoCal synth wave band.” This was their debut EP, recorded at Devon Sound – it’s been reissued by Medical Records along with Montage Morte, their second LP from 1982. This may have been MAO Records’ first releases – catalog number MAO 1001 and 1980 release suggests so.…
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Muddy Waters, McKinley Morganfield A.K.A. Muddy Waters, 1971 on Chess Records.
2xLP collection of songs from 1948 to 1964 – hugely influential post-war era Chicago blues. Liner notes by Pete Welding. There are a ton of Muddy Waters compilations including a dozen plus just on Chess records, but I was really happy to find this one in good condition. My copy via a vinyl fair at…
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Johnnie Taylor, Wanted: One Soul Singer, 1967 on Stax
Taylor replaced Sam Cooke in The Soul Stirrers before becoming a solo artist, and went on to have a big it in the mid-seventies with “Disco Lady” (1976). This album is recorded with the Stax house band, including Booker T & The MGs, and features five songs written by Isaac Hayes & David Porter as…
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Various Artists, Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine vol. 2, 2021 on Oh Boy Records (OBR-063).
Second volume of tributes to John Prince via Oh Boy. Great collection of songs and versions, but standouts for me include Brandi Carlile’s “I Remember Everything,” Valerie June’s “Summer’s End,” and Jason Isbell’s “Souvenirs.” Volume 1 I have digitally, but also is on my wantlist for a vinyl version if I can locate one. Volume…