Category: music
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David Bowie, Tonight, 1984 on EMI America
Bowie’s follow up to Let’s Dance, produced by Bowie with Derek Bramble and Hugh Padgham, with many of the same musicians, but also with contributions by Iggy Pop and a guest appearance from Tina Turner. A couple of covers on the album: The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows” and “I Keep Forgettin’” which is a…
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Stephane Grappelli, Uptown Dance, 1978 on Columbia
Only available on vinyl, cassette, and 8-track, Grappelli is joined here by two different bands – one with Jimmy Rowles, Ron Carter, Grady Tate, and Jay Berliner and the other with Richard Tee, Anthony Jackson, Steve Gadd, Hugh McCracken, and Rubens Bassini. For my ears, this album veers at times into easy listening / fusion,…
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Various Artists; The Sam Phillips Years: Sun Records Curated By Record Store Day Volume 9; 2022 on Org Music
Great collection timed to coincide with Sun Records’ 70th anniversary, Record Store Day’s 15th anniversary, and Tito’s Vodka’s 25th anniversary – which is why the inner sleeve is basically a Tito’s ad. Selections: Compilation produced by Michael Kurtz & Carrie Colliton and put out by Org Music My copy via Vinyl Destination (RIP) in Lowell…
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Midnight Oil, Diesel and Dust, 1987 on CBS / Columbia
Peter Garrett, Rob Hirst, Jim Moginie, and Martin Rotsey are the core of Midnight Oil, the politically earnest band from down under. This was their sixth full length (the band started all the way back in the 70s and released their self-titled debut in 1978), but it was their breakout album in the US, with…
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ABBA (Björn, Benny, Agnetha & Frida), Waterloo, 1974 on Atlantic
Originally released by Polar in Sweden but by Atlantic in the US, this is the debut album for ABBA, made famous when they won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with “Waterloo.” I’m surprised one does not find more ABBA in used record stores – maybe everyone’s holding on to their copies? My copy via Beverly…
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White Bike, Give Up, 2023 on Turntable Kitchen.
Full album cover of The Postal Service album (of the same name) from 2013 by Portland OR indie band White Bike. I love this series and this album – although there have been many covers of “Such Great Heights” it’s wonderful to hear the full album get the cover treatment. I’m especially fond of their…
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Various Artists, This Are Two Tone, 1983 on Chrysalis/Two Tone
In the UK, this was released on Two Tone, but in the US they were distributed by Chrysalis and issued on the Chrysalis label. Sleeve design credit to Jerry Dammers who founded Two Tone and was a key member Specials. Great compilation of 80s reggae/ska: Specials / The Special A.K.A., Madness, The Selecter, The English…
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Black Nasty, Talking To The People, 1973 on Enterprise
Enterprise was a sub-label of Stax, and released the early solo work of Isaac Hayes. It is actually named after the Star Trek spaceship – Al Bell was a big fan. Black Nasty cut three singles and an album (this one) for Enterprise before being dropped by the label. Johnnie Mae Matthews, the “Godmother of…
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Lou Rawls, Come On In, Mister Blues, 1969 on Pickwick/33
One has to be careful about some of these discount releases on Pickwick/33 – they were a discount label for a reason, offering cheap compilations of previously released material – but this one is really fantastic. Lou Rawls passed in 2006 and he put out over 70 albums, so there’s a lot to collect, especially…
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Julie Byrne, The Greater Wings, 2023 on Ghostly International
This is Byrne’s first release on Ghostly International and third full-length. Her collaborator and partner Eric Littmann died suddenly during the recording of the album which he was producing. Alex Somers (of Jónsi & Alex) completed the production. Byrne says in the sleeve notes “we worked with devotion and deliberate exploration of how our collaboration…
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Neil Young, Bottom Line 1974, The Radio Broadcast, 2018 on Parachute
Although this claims to be a radio broadcast (likely to make it appear legit under EU copyright laws which treat broadcasted material differently) it’s likely actually an audience recording, with a few additional tracks of unknown recording date attached. This 1974 Bottom Line show has been bootlegged many times, but is also now an official…
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Irma Thomas, Down at Muscle Shoals, 1984 on Chess
Thomas recorded for Chess in the late sixties, and made this recording at Fame Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals in 1967, but the album was not released until 1984 (in Japan). It’s very hard to find in the Japanese vinyl, though it was reissued on CD in 1991. There are no credits for musicians, though…
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Dr. John, Desitively Bonnaroo, 1974 on ATCO
Dr. John’s seventh solo LP, Desitively Bonnaroo is the source of the name for the Bonnaroo music festival. It was produced by Allen Toussaint, who is also credited with keyboards, percussion, and backing vocals, and a band including George Porter Jr, Art Neville, Joseph Modeliste, and Leo Nocentelli (aka The Meters). Not sure if Dr.…
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Nina Simone, Silk & Soul, 1967 on RCA Victor
This was Simone’s second album for RCA, following Nina Simone Sings the Blues, and was recorded in RCA Victor Studio B in New York. It includes great renditions of “The Look of Love” and “Cherish” neither of which I thought of as particularly Nina Simone material, along with a brilliant “I Wish I Knew How…
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Nickel Creek, Celebrants, 2023 on Repair Records
The first Nickel Creek album since 2014 and a welcome reunion for Chris Thile, Sara Watkins, and Sean Watkins, all of whom have been busy doing other things. It become a nominee for best folk album at the Grammy Awards but lost to Joni Mitchell at Newport. It was recorded in 4 weeks at Nashville’s…
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The Decemberists, I’ll Be Your Girl, 2018 on Capitol
The Decemberists is one of my top twenty bands of all time – I could leave their discography on repeat all week and never tire of them. That said, I mostly discovered the Decemberists in the era of digital: CDs, downloads, and streaming – I’ve had very little on vinyl. So I was excited to…
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Bruce Springsteen, Nebraska, 1982 on Columbia
Springsteen’s sixth studio album, which he recorded himself on a four track to use as demos but then decided to release them directly. (Somewhere in the vaults exist at least some of these songs in full band versions, but they’ve not surfaced yet). Springsteen has cites as inspiration both the story of Charles Starkweather (who…
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Leo Kottke, Ice Water, 1974 on Capitol
Although he was born in Georgia, I think of Kottke as another Minneapolis folkie. He’s one of the folks who, when I find an album I don’t have, I just buy it without question. He’s also still out touring and well worth seeing if you get a chance. This was his fifth full length on…