Record Store Day blues 2011

Ok, I didn't get the Blues as much as I brought home some Blues. Despite the date at the top of the post, today is Record Store Day 2011, April 16. I scanned the list of special releases coming out today and prepared my list. After synching up my CD and album lists with my Blackberry, I hit the road. First store was modestly packed and I was able to find one record on my list, the special reissue of John Hammond (Jr.)'s "So Many Roads". Sporting a stellar support cast of Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Mike Bloomfield (on piano!), and Charlie Musselwhite, I figured this belongs amongst my other pieces of great aural history. The next store was within walking distance and, after a short wait for them to open ("Don't they know this is a holiday?"), we all go in to find out the store didn't order any of the Record Store Day releases. Not cool. It's really a great record store (do NOT look behind the counter...) but this was bad form. I headed over to store #3 to complete my day's shopping. In the mix was a reissue of the fantastic "The Immortal Mississippi John Hurt" (Country Blues at it's best) and a CD reissue of "Power of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix". I was actually kinda fooled by a special release of a 3 song single, with 2 songs from the CD and an unreleased live version of Robert Randolph doing 'Purple Haze'. Funny that the CD I bought had an issue date of 2011, when the CD was originally issued in 2004. In any event, it's well worth picking up for Clapton's scorching version of 'Burning of the Midnight Lamp', Prince's 'Purple House', Santana's 'Spanish Castle Magic', and a ridiculous 'Power of Soul' by Bootsy Collins with help from George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars. These songs were playlist staples when I had NOTIMEWARP RADIO going. I also grabbed me a CD copy of John Lennon's "Walls and Bridges" and the DVD of "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Rolling Stones". Not a bad score, I think. Too bad the Pink Floyd, Live in London 66/67 disc wasn't still available. While I really dig the resurgence of vinyl, both records cost me (give or take a coupla) $20. I've never paid that much for a single piece of music before. I think the record companies still aren't getting it or they've just found another way to stick it to us. For an industry so panicked about people stealing music, they continue to put it out there at excessive costs. Dunno... in my book, it just encourages people to look for cheaper options, which, while the anger is directed at the record labels, it's the artist who gets screwed again. But, anyway, time to get the good vibes going with that John Hammond record, some BBQ beans, a burger, then the Rolling Stones when they were the absolute baddest mofos on the planet! Down in the grooves...


Albums listened to since last post; "Aja" (Steely Dan), "Harvest" (Neil Young), "Stampede" (Doobie Brothers), "Touchdown" (Bob James), "No Wave" (Various), "About Face" (David Gilmour), "Al Green's Greatest Hits", "In the Mood" (John Lee Hooker), "The Secret Value of Daydreaming" (Julian Lennon). Total listened to: 90. To go: 598.

Oozing through the grooves...

Another large gap between posts but, here we are today. Gots the creative jones creeping in as I grab some more new music for the collection, itching to pick up my camera again, Record Store 2011 approaches, listening to tons of music all stirred up on my ipod classic... inspiration just oozing from all directions. It's starting to look like I'm gonna need some serious listening marathons to get through the whole collection by year's end. Regardless if I get through them all, I'm finding some great stuff I either haven't heard in years or just plain forget about. So, this edition's video is from 1975 as the Doobie Brothers rip through 'Neal's Fandango' and 'Road Angel', which the last one comes from the "What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits" album. The Doobies were my first "real" favorite band. I bought my first album, "The Captain and Me" for my 10th birthday. The Doobies were called a "bubblegum rock" band back then and I never got that. Ok, I was into them and was a 10 year old but, they weren't playing mindless pop; these guys rocked! Dig the vid -



Albums listened to since last post; "Toulouse Street", "What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits" (Doobie Brothers), "Band of Gypsys" (Jimi Hendrix), "Ghost in the Machine" (Police), "Gaucho" (Steely Dan), "Jailbreak" (Thin Lizzy), "Sweet Dreams" (Eurythmics), "Stone Crazy" (Buddy Guy), "Purple Rain" (Prince), "Sly & the Family Stone Greatest Hits". Total listened to: 81. To go: 605.

Classic before it was classic...

Time for anutha post! The positive of the great drive crash of '11 has been the hard nosed dedication of getting my library EXACTLY how I want it and making sure that not one single song isn't on a hard copy somewhere. Meanwhile, I'm really enjoying my journey through my album collection. It's quite a kick when you hear something that you haven't heard in a decade or so, that gets you outta your chair to check out what the name of the song that you're listening to. This post finds us with some serious classic rock records. With the ripping project, I've put on stuff I'm still pretty familiar with that I can half listen to. Here's a video that looks like something some alien would pull outta time capsule or something. Lynyrd Skynyrd on some TV show in 1974, with Bob Burns still on drums(!). Til we groove again...



Albums listened to since last post; "Smash Hits" (Jimi Hendrix), "Pronounced", "Second Helping", "Nuthin' Fancy" (Lynyrd Skynyrd), "Everybody Knows This is Nowhere" (Neil Young), "Let's Dance", "Fame and Fashion" (David Bowie). Total listened to: 71. To go: 615.

but you're so high...

And back again for another quick blog blurb. Lists of albums listened to are stackin' up like crazy, as life keeps me on this ca-razy rollercoaster. Instead of long entry, I'll just hit ya with this video of Albert Collins tearing it up at Buddy Guy's Legends...



Albums listened to since last post; "Shake it Up" (Cars), "Zenyatta Mondatta" (Police), "Freaky Styley" (Red Hot Chili Peppers), "The Unforgettable Fire" (U2), "Don't Lose Your Cool", "Cold Snap" (Albert Collins), "Security" (Peter Gabriel), "David Gilmour". Total listened to: 64. To go: 622.