Category: MiscPage 1 of 3

Prince, Controversy, 1981 on Warner Bros.

Prince’s fourth full-length album, which he wrote, produced, and played most the instruments on. (André Cymone gets co-writing credit on “Do Me Baby” on some later versions, but…

Sunny War, Anarchist Gospel, 2023 on New West

Sunny War, for me, came out of nowhere – I was not familiar with her earlier work though she’s put out 6 previous full length albums (one with…

Bauhaus, Burning From The Inside, 1983 on Beggar’s Banquet / A&M

Quite a shift from yesterday’s post of Oscar Peterson’s Return Engagement to Bauhaus, but that’s the joy of a diverse collection. I was just a touch too late…

M. Ward, The End of Amnesia, 2001 on Future Farmer Recordings

M. Ward’s sophomore album, following up Duet for Guitars #2 – and what a wonderful album it is. My copy is a 20th anniversary reissue on vinyl from…

Various Artists, 89.3 The Current, 2005 on Minnesota Public Radio (MPR 116)

Great compilation of recordings made in the studios of Minnesota Public Radio. The Current is the branded name for KCMP, 89.3, and was created when MPR bought WCAL-FM,…

Echo and the Bunnymen, B-Sides and Live (2001-2005), 2022 on Demon Records

Released digitally in 2007 by Cooking Vinyl, but reissued on vinyl by Demon Records for Record Store Day 2022, on clear vinyl. A number of songs from Live…

Jolie Holland & Samantha Parton, Wildflower Blues, 2017 on Cinquefoil

Holland and Parton were the original core of the Be Good Tanyas, later joined by Trish Klein and Frazey Ford. I was (and still am) a massive fan…

Dead or Alive, Youthquake, 1985 on Epic

Dead or Alive sometimes get put in the one hit wonder category, based on the massive success of “You Spin Me Round” but this is really a great…

Talking Heads, Live on Tour, 1979 on Warner Bros

The Warner Bros. Music Show was a series of releases sent to radio stations for broadcast between 1979 and 1988 – they weren’t ever really intended to be…

R.E.M., reckoning, 1984 on IRS

R.E.M.’s second full length LP (following Murmur – Chronic Town was just an EP) and the best album titled Reckoning to come out in the 80s (the second…

Peter Case, HWY 62, 2015 on Omnivore Recordings

I’ve been a big fan of Peter Case since discovering The Man With The Blue Postmodern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar in the 80s. I didn’t know it at the…

UB40, Self-Titled, 1988 on A&M

Ub40’s eighth studio album, released in the US on A&M (It was on DEP International in the UK). Includes the Dusty Springfield cover “Breakfast In Bed” with Chrissie…

The Ink Spots, If I Didn’t Care, 1964 on Crown Records (CST 448)

Crown is somewhat reviled as the king of the discount labels – records were issued without even paper inner sleeves, and issues records between 1953 and 1972. Records…

Art Farmer, The Many Faces of Art Farmer, Scepter Records, 1964

My copy (as you can see from the images) is an UpFront records reissue from the 70s, retitled as just Art Farmer. UpFront was a sublabel of Springboard…

Los Lobos, Native Sons, 2021 on New West

This is a three sided LP, with an etching on the fourth side. Los Lobos, proud Angelenos, covering songs by other Los Angeles bands, including folks like Stephen…

Japandroids, Celebration Rock, 2012 on Polyvinyl

Japandroids are a duo out of Vancouver BC – while this was their second album (the first was 2009’s Post-Nothing), it was their big breakout record and was…

Sara Watkins, Under the Pepper Tree, 2021 on New West

I’ve been a big fan of Sara Watkins going back to Nickel Creek, I’m With Her, and her solo work. Great versions of “Pure Imagination” and “Tumbling Tumbleweeds.”…

Kacey Musgraves, Pageant Material, 2015 on Mercury Nashville

The follow up to her break out Same Trailer, Different Park, released in 2015 on Mercury Nashville. Love the songwriting here – modern twist on classic country songwriting,…

Stray Cats, Stray Cats / Pin Up, 1981 on Arista

This was their debut album – after forming in NY they moved to the UK and this was first released there in early 1981. It wasn’t released in…

Charles Bradley, Victim of Love, 2013 on Dunham / Daptone.

Charles Bradley is a great story – picked out of relative obscurity into a music career in his early 50s. Sadly he died (of stomach cancer) in 2017….