James Hunter puts out records under his own name and as leader of the James Hunter Six, as well as his first band Howlin’ Wilf and the Vee-Jays.
Consistent with being on Daptone, it’s a roots/revival R&B Soul sound – his breakout People Gonna Talk came out in 2006 on Rounder. I got a chance to see him in a small venue – the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport MA – the summer of 2007.
My copy of this record (via private sale) is a mono pressing on dark blue Daptone labels.
Another band associated with the Paisely Underground / Paisely Punk movement of the early 80s, Dream Syndicate were Steve Wynn, Kendra Smith, Dennis Duck, and Karl Precoda.
This was their debut EP on Wynn’s own Down There Records label before they signed to Slash in 1982.
My copy, via a private sale, is on red / green Down There labels with “marketed by Enigma” on the label.
The Three O’Clock were part of the so-called paisley punk scene in the early eighties, on Frontier records – after changing their name from Salvation Army under threat of legal action.
Baroque Hoedown was their debut release under the new name.
This copy, via a private sale, is a French pressing on Lolita – with 3 additional tracks not on the US EP: a cover of the Byrds “Feel a Whole Lot Better,” “In Love Too,” and a cover of Syd Barrett’s “Lucifer Sam.”
Widely bootlegged live album recorded at the LA Forum June 26th, 1970. Some performances from this night (and many from this tour) were on Four Way Street.
My copy—via a private sale—is on purple “LID” labels, and has “Find the Cost of Freedom” at the end of side A rather than side D as on other releases.
Released on Beggars Banquet in the UK and Big Time in the US, this was the third full length from Daniel Ash, David J, and Kevin Haskins aka Love and Rockets. Love “No New Tale To Tell” from this LP but really all of what they put out.
Hard to find the 80s pressings in decent shape.
My copy—via Crossroads Records in Portland OR—is a 2023 reissue on Beggars Banquet as part of the Beggars Arkive series.
Series of cuts from the summer 2023 tour of Dead & Company, with Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, Jeff Chimenti, and Jay Lane. Recorded in multiple venues, including the Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington, Folsom Field in Boulder Colorado, and Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA.
Sad to hear of Bob Weir’s passing this month – got a chance to see him live a number of time with the original Grateful Dead as well as multiple times with Dead & Co and enjoyed both tremendously. Sad I missed the chance to see them at the Sphere – that would have been great.
In my collection thanks to a thoughtful coworker who saw the shows at the Sphere and got this as a benefit, but doesn’t collect vinyl so sent it my way.
Peterson recorded November 17, 1974 in Tallinn, Estonia (listed as Tallinn Russia) with Niels Pederson and Jake Hanna.
I love finding these 70s era Pablo recordings.
My copy—via Crossroads Records in Portland OR—is a 1976 RCA Indianapolis pressing 2xLP gatefold.
One of the must-haves for any Dylan collector, Blood was Dylan’s return to Columbia after a couple albums on Asylum. “Tangled Up in Blue,” “Simple Twist of Fate,” and “Shelter From The Storm” are my favorites but there’s no shortage of great songs here.
Dylan’s autobiography claims the songs are inspired by Checkov, but Jakob Dylan and others have suggested more autobiographical inspiration – Dylan’s divorce from Sara Dylan was finalized in 1977.
My copy—via Crossroads Records in Portland OR—is a 1975 Santa Maria pressing with black text on the rear cover.
Mose Allison from 1971 with Chuck Rainey and Billy Cobham, recorded at Atlantic Studios and Regent, and produced by Joel Dorn.
Great versions of “Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me” and “If You’ve Got The Money (I’ve Got The Time)” plus nine originals by Allison.
My copy, via Crossroads Records in Portland OR, is a reissue Presswell pressing with lacquer cut by George Piros at Atlantic Studios.
Desmond (who composed Take Five and was a critical part of the Dave Brubeck Quartet) playing here with Ron Carter, Ed Bickert, and Connie Kay – recorded at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in 1974 and produced by Creed Taylor.
One of five albums Desmond put out on CTI in the late 60s and 70s. including Summertime and Skylark (with Gabor Szabo). It’s very fusion, and features Ed Bickert on guitar as much as (or more so than) Desmond.
My copy, via Crossroads Records in Portland OR, is a 1975 issue with Van Gelder in the runouts.
Live album recorded with the Stray Gators on the tour following the release of Harvest. The rear cover lists the venues at which each track was recorded as well as the members of the Stray Gators (Tim Drummond, Johnny Barbata, Jack Nitzsche, and Ben Keith) and special guests David Crosby and Graham Nash.
Reportedly Young didn’t love the tour and this was out of print for years, not released on CD until 2017 – but I think these performances sound great.
My copy, via Crossroads Records in Portland OR, is a Pitman pressing, unfortunately not including the original lyric poster.
Another (like The World Won’t Listen) compilation album from The Smiths, including some BBC sessions plus other singles and B-sides. Came out in 1984 in the UK but was not released until 1993 in the US (instead Sire released Louder than Bombs for the US market).
This LP includes “How Soon is Now?” as the b-side to “William, It Was Really Nothing” – the track was also on US editions of Meat is Murder. Also includes “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” which was also on the William single b-side.
My copy, via Crossroads Records in Portland OR, is a 2011 reissue by Rhino on Sire labels, pressed at Rainbo.
Nineteenth studio LP from John Darnielle and crew, recorded at Sam Phillips Recording in Memphis, and produced by Matt Ross-Spang. Similar crew to Dark in Here which was recorded shortly after this LP.
Love the liner notes credits for Ross-Spang: “the man himself, the dude with the heater in the basement, the fellow you know from the back room, the man who will not personally sell you any knives but can direct you to a guy who has at least three, two of them quite exotic.”
My copy—via Electric Fetus in Minneapolis MN—is the “gold metallic” 2xLP limited edition pressing.
Fifth studio LP from Depeche Mode, released by Mute in the UK and Sire in the US, and recorded in Berlin and London. One of my favorite Depeche Mode albums of all time, starting with “Black Celebration” all the way through “But Not Tonight.”
Core Depeche Mode lineup of Alan Wilder, Andrew Fletcher, David Gahan, and Martin Gore, working with Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller.
My copy—via Crossroads Records in Portland OR—is an Allied Pressing with the embossed cover, with Site and TM under the label logo.
Third studio LP from The Smiths, following Meat is Murder. This might have been the first Smiths LP I had, with “Frankly, Mr. Shankly,” “Cemetry Gates,” and “Bigmouth Strikes Again” permanently etched in my brain.
Love the Salford Lads Club photo from the inside of the gatefold.
My copy—via Crossroads Music in Portland OR—is a 2012 European reissue which doesn’t particularly name a label, though the copyright is to Warner Music UK Limited.
Said to have been recorded live in Gothenburg, Sweden on April 24th, 1985 and purportedly broadcast on FM radio., though Setlist.fm has them in Gothenburg on the 25th of April. Dear Boss. (with the period included) is a label focused on putting out radio broadcasts from the EU based on EU copyright law (and sometimes unofficial releases of things they may not have actually been on the radio).
This has circulated for some time as a bootleg, also with the April 24th date and a claim of having been broadcast – though I can’t find any reference to where it might have been broadcast.
Great quality recording – some of these tracks have later appeared on Echo box sets (Crystal Days).
My copy via Crossroads Records in Portland OR on green vinyl.
Twentieth studio LP from The Mountain Goats, recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals and produced by Matt Ross-Spang. THe Mountain Goats this time include John Darnielle with Peter Hughes, Jon Wurster, and Matt Douglas, supported by Spooner Oldham, Will McFarlane, Susan Marshall, and Reba Russell.
Darnielle is such an amazing and interesting songwriter. The subtitle of the album is “12 songs for singing in caves, bunkers, foxholes, and secret spaces beneath the floorboards.” Who else (Flaming Lips?) would have a song titled “Aruging with the Ghost of Pater Laughner about his Coney Island Baby Review”?
My copy—via Electric Fetus in Minneapolis MN—is the blue vinyl limited edition with an etching on side 4.
Eleventh studio album (following Rust Never Sleeps) from Neil Young, with one side collecting things recorded throughout the 70s and the second half from 1980 sessions specific to the album.
Young is joined by Levon Helm, Tim Drummond, and Tom Scribner on Side 1, and by Greg Thomas, Dennis Belfield, Ben Keith, and Rufus Thibodeux on Side 2, which was recorded at Gold Star in Hollywood.
My copy—via Crossroads Records in Portland OR—is a Los Angeles pressing with the custom star labels and inner sleeve.
Tenth Neil Young LP and third with Crazy Horse. Mixture of live performances with overdubs and recordings done live in studio. There was a tour also called “Rust Never Sleeps.”
Great collection of songs, bookended by “My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)” and “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)” – with “Powderfinger,” “Pocahontas,” and “Thrasher” (among others) in between.
My copy—via Crossroads Records in Portland OR—is a Los Angeles pressing on orange Reprise labels, unfortunately sans printed lyrics insert but with original inner sleeve.
Eighties Dylan – 25th studio LP featuring a mix or originals and covers, with guests including Randy Jackson (yes, from American Idol and Name That Tune, and Journey), Steve Jordan, Danny Kortchmar, Sly & Robbie, Mark Knopfler, Alan Clark, Kip Winger, Ron Wood, Clapton, Bob Weir, Brent Mydland, Jerry Garcia, and many more.
Recorded over a series of years in multiple sessions – “Silvio” is probably my favorite track, co-written with Robert Hunter and with guest vocals by Garcia, Weir and Mydland.
I understand not everyone loves 80s Dylan but I do.
My copy—via Crossroads Records in Portland OR—is a Carrollton GA pressing with printed inner liner.
