Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
It’s a Vinyl World, After All
I want to thank John over at http://www.audaud.com/index.php for the exclusive rights to reprint this great review!
AUDIOPHILE AUDITION focuses on recordings of interest to audiophiles and collectors, with an accent on surround sound for music, and on all hi-res disc formats. Over 100SACD, DVD Video/Audio and standard CD reviews are published during each month, and our archives go back to January 2001.
It’s a Vinyl World, After All (2009)
Any audiophile into vinyl should have this DVD.
Published on January 20, 2009
It’s a Vinyl World, After All (2009)
Michael Fremer’s Guide to Record Manufacturing, Cleaning, Storage, Handling, & Collecting in the 21st Century
Studio: Music Angle
Video: 16:9 color
Audio: English DD 2.0
Extras: Interviews with two pressing plant managers - Pallas & RTI, More on two other record cleaning machines, Vintage turntables at a hi-fi show, Stills of Pallas plant tour, pdf information files, 2 AES white papers on analog playback
Length: 179:45 incl. extras
Rating: ****(*)
Michael Fremer is a contributing editor to Stereophile magazine and editor of his own web magazine, www.musicangle.com, the only publication dedicated solely to the vinyl format. He previously published a DVD which was a guide to the complexities of turntable setup to properly play back vinyl. Fremer’s stimulus for the production of this DVD was the explosion of re-interest in the hoary long-play record, shown by major sales increases as more and more young people come to appreciate the better sound of vinyl vs. both MP3 downloads and standard compact discs. He has been a longtime proponent of the advantages of the vinyl format in spite of the ascendancy of the digital CD, but all the major labels ceased issuing LPs, and it looked for many years like the format was becoming as obsolete as 8-track or cassettes. In the last couple years that has all changed, with major labels returning to LP releases, reissues of some of the best rock, jazz and classical albums, and specialist audiophile reissue labels expanding their catalogs to include premium 180 and 200-gram pressings, 45 rpm pressings, and even pressing on only one side (to avoid problems caused by grooves on the reverse side). The majority of sales are in reissues of classic albums in the rock and blues genres.
Most audiophiles have read about the record pressing procedure or seen still photos of it, but Michael’s visits to the two pressing plants will be a treat since it shows exactly the many detailed steps involved in the process. The vinyl audiophile will be more understanding of the pricing of $30 to $50 for many of these discs when he sees what is involved and how many discs are immediately trashed because they have various flaws. It is of concern to hear that no new pressing equipment for LPs has been made for 20 years! He also looks in on a lacquer mastering session at AcousTech with Steve Hoffman, Joe Harley and others making aural decisions on how best to remaster a classic Van Gelder Blue Note 15 ips master tape for a 45 rpm vinyl reissue.
The demonstration portions of the lengthy DVD have Michael explaining how to properly store, handle and clean your records. He demonstrates the whole cleaning process using the two most popular record cleaning machines, with many different cleaning and preservation fluids and brushes, and stresses that even brand new LPs should be cleaned to remove artifacts from the pressing process. I’ve had just as lengthy an experience with vinyl as Michael, yet I picked up a couple pointers from the DVD - such as the importance of having a clean plastic or paper cover on the record cleaning machine platter so that you are not putting the LP surface you just cleaned down against a dirty platter. And also to frequently vacuum the platter (as well as your turntable platter).
Michael also demonstrates some of his other vinyl gadgets, including a horrendously expensive demagnetizer which works due to the subtle iron content in the lampblack used to color the clear vinyl. However, he doesn’t mention the effort to press premium audiophile LPs out of clear vinyl without the addition of the lampblack, which is said to result in the same enhancement of the sonics. He tends to ad lib his spiels, and I get a kick out of the occasional text corrections with illustrations that are superimposed on the screen to correct errors he made. The sampling of his LP collection and the stories associated with each album were fun viewing. There were also a few navigational errors on this initial DVD pressings - such as the soundtrack being muted for several seconds as each chapter begins - but Michael tells me that will be corrected on the following release. Any audiophile into vinyl should have this DVD.
- John Sunier
On a side note, included in the DVD package is my own ebook PDF file, "The Fascinating Hobby of Vinyl Record Collecting." Michael contacted me and we both agreed it would make a great addition to his already fantastic DVD. I am honored to be part of his project and thank Michael for the inclusion of the my ebook.
AUDIOPHILE AUDITION focuses on recordings of interest to audiophiles and collectors, with an accent on surround sound for music, and on all hi-res disc formats. Over 100SACD, DVD Video/Audio and standard CD reviews are published during each month, and our archives go back to January 2001.
It’s a Vinyl World, After All (2009)
Any audiophile into vinyl should have this DVD.
Published on January 20, 2009
It’s a Vinyl World, After All (2009)
Michael Fremer’s Guide to Record Manufacturing, Cleaning, Storage, Handling, & Collecting in the 21st Century
Studio: Music Angle
Video: 16:9 color
Audio: English DD 2.0
Extras: Interviews with two pressing plant managers - Pallas & RTI, More on two other record cleaning machines, Vintage turntables at a hi-fi show, Stills of Pallas plant tour, pdf information files, 2 AES white papers on analog playback
Length: 179:45 incl. extras
Rating: ****(*)
Michael Fremer is a contributing editor to Stereophile magazine and editor of his own web magazine, www.musicangle.com, the only publication dedicated solely to the vinyl format. He previously published a DVD which was a guide to the complexities of turntable setup to properly play back vinyl. Fremer’s stimulus for the production of this DVD was the explosion of re-interest in the hoary long-play record, shown by major sales increases as more and more young people come to appreciate the better sound of vinyl vs. both MP3 downloads and standard compact discs. He has been a longtime proponent of the advantages of the vinyl format in spite of the ascendancy of the digital CD, but all the major labels ceased issuing LPs, and it looked for many years like the format was becoming as obsolete as 8-track or cassettes. In the last couple years that has all changed, with major labels returning to LP releases, reissues of some of the best rock, jazz and classical albums, and specialist audiophile reissue labels expanding their catalogs to include premium 180 and 200-gram pressings, 45 rpm pressings, and even pressing on only one side (to avoid problems caused by grooves on the reverse side). The majority of sales are in reissues of classic albums in the rock and blues genres.
Most audiophiles have read about the record pressing procedure or seen still photos of it, but Michael’s visits to the two pressing plants will be a treat since it shows exactly the many detailed steps involved in the process. The vinyl audiophile will be more understanding of the pricing of $30 to $50 for many of these discs when he sees what is involved and how many discs are immediately trashed because they have various flaws. It is of concern to hear that no new pressing equipment for LPs has been made for 20 years! He also looks in on a lacquer mastering session at AcousTech with Steve Hoffman, Joe Harley and others making aural decisions on how best to remaster a classic Van Gelder Blue Note 15 ips master tape for a 45 rpm vinyl reissue.
The demonstration portions of the lengthy DVD have Michael explaining how to properly store, handle and clean your records. He demonstrates the whole cleaning process using the two most popular record cleaning machines, with many different cleaning and preservation fluids and brushes, and stresses that even brand new LPs should be cleaned to remove artifacts from the pressing process. I’ve had just as lengthy an experience with vinyl as Michael, yet I picked up a couple pointers from the DVD - such as the importance of having a clean plastic or paper cover on the record cleaning machine platter so that you are not putting the LP surface you just cleaned down against a dirty platter. And also to frequently vacuum the platter (as well as your turntable platter).
Michael also demonstrates some of his other vinyl gadgets, including a horrendously expensive demagnetizer which works due to the subtle iron content in the lampblack used to color the clear vinyl. However, he doesn’t mention the effort to press premium audiophile LPs out of clear vinyl without the addition of the lampblack, which is said to result in the same enhancement of the sonics. He tends to ad lib his spiels, and I get a kick out of the occasional text corrections with illustrations that are superimposed on the screen to correct errors he made. The sampling of his LP collection and the stories associated with each album were fun viewing. There were also a few navigational errors on this initial DVD pressings - such as the soundtrack being muted for several seconds as each chapter begins - but Michael tells me that will be corrected on the following release. Any audiophile into vinyl should have this DVD.
- John Sunier
On a side note, included in the DVD package is my own ebook PDF file, "The Fascinating Hobby of Vinyl Record Collecting." Michael contacted me and we both agreed it would make a great addition to his already fantastic DVD. I am honored to be part of his project and thank Michael for the inclusion of the my ebook.
Music News & Notes
New Ian Tyson Music
Canada's Ian Tyson is working on a new album, his 14th for Stony Plains records, titled "Yellowhead to Yellowstone." The singer/songwriter (Four Strong Winds, Someday Soon) wrote eight of the albums ten cuts, reflecting his life as an Alberta rancher and on growing older (he is now 75). It also shows off a distinct change to his voice.
“A couple of years ago,” says Tyson, “I played a big outdoor show in Ontario. I fought the sound system — and I lost. I knew I’d hurt my voice, and it was recovering slowly when I was hit with a bad virus, which seemed to last forever. My old voice isn’t coming back, the doctors told me, so I’ve had to get used to this new one. Audiences seem to pay more attention, now, to the lyrics and the stories in the songs. And while I’ve lost some of the bottom end of my voice, the top range, oddly enough, is still there.”
----------------------------------------------
Swinging Hips for Lofgren
Nils Lofgren is celebrating more than a half-time performance with the E-Street Band at the Super Bowl. He's also performing for the first time with his new hips which he received back in October.
"I'm coming along. I've lost the cane. I've lost the limp. I'm doing rehab. I'm just trying to be a good rehab patient. I've never had to be this cautious, 24-7 with my body, so it's a new adventure for me, But I've been assured that if I do the rehab right, in 10 to 12 months my body'll grow in, around and through these (hips) like roots and vines and lock 'em in as good as they're gonna get."
He's also assembling the new album Tough Stuff: The Best of the All-Madden Team Band which will be comprised of music he composed over the last ten years for the All-Madden Team announcement broadcasts.
----------------------------------------------
Taj Mahal, Healey Win Awards
Taj Mahal was named International Artist of the Year at Canada's Maple Music awards while guitarist Amos Garrett received the lifetime Blues with a Feeling Award. The big winner of the night, though, was the late Jeff Healey who received seven awards.
----------------------------------------------
Donovan's Dream Come True
Donovan spoke to reporters at the MIDEM International Music Conference in Cannes, France on Monday, telling them that the Internet is what he and his contemporaries dreamed about in the 60's.
"The dream of the '60s, of me and John Lennon and the others, was how do we speak to everybody on the planet at the same time? The first answer was via satellite, but that didn't connect to everyone. Then John would say, 'How about telepathy?'
"Then we forgot about it until now we realize that the Internet fulfills that dream of communicating with everyone. I'm not afraid of the Internet because it's that the dream we had. The Internet is the new '60s as far as I'm concerned."
----------------------------------------------
Paul McCartney and Dolly Parton Guest On New Yusef LP
Yusuf, formerly known as Cat Stevens, will follow up 2006's "An Other Cup," his first secular album in 28 years, with a set that recalls his straightforward troubadour days.
The as-yet-untitled set is due in late spring from Universal.
"This one was really a result of me writing a lot of songs and being kind of inspired again," Yusuf -- who adopted the Muslim name Yusuf Islam in 1978 and now prefers the shorter version -- told Billboard. "After I recorded ('Cup') people just wanted to hear me do a lot of simple stuff, just with the guitar."
The single "Boots & Sand" features Paul McCartney and Dolly Parton -- with a video shot by Jesse Dylan, son of Bob -- while Michelle Branch and Gunnar Nelson assist on the track "To Be What You Must."
----------------------------------------------
All Aboard- Flight 666
The first full-length documentary on Iron Maiden will debut in theaters throughout the world on April 21. Iron Maiden: Flight 666 documents the group's Somewhere Back in Time tour through Asia, Australia and the Americas.
The film is being made by the Canadian firm Banger Productions, who also made the film Metal, A Headbangers Journey. The crew was given full access to the band throughout the February and March 2008 leg of the tour which saw Maiden play 23 shows in 45 days. Footage not only includes live performances but also behind the scene stories, including the groups custom Boeing 757 which was piloted by lead singer Bruce Dickinson.
Canada's Ian Tyson is working on a new album, his 14th for Stony Plains records, titled "Yellowhead to Yellowstone." The singer/songwriter (Four Strong Winds, Someday Soon) wrote eight of the albums ten cuts, reflecting his life as an Alberta rancher and on growing older (he is now 75). It also shows off a distinct change to his voice.
“A couple of years ago,” says Tyson, “I played a big outdoor show in Ontario. I fought the sound system — and I lost. I knew I’d hurt my voice, and it was recovering slowly when I was hit with a bad virus, which seemed to last forever. My old voice isn’t coming back, the doctors told me, so I’ve had to get used to this new one. Audiences seem to pay more attention, now, to the lyrics and the stories in the songs. And while I’ve lost some of the bottom end of my voice, the top range, oddly enough, is still there.”
----------------------------------------------
Swinging Hips for Lofgren
Nils Lofgren is celebrating more than a half-time performance with the E-Street Band at the Super Bowl. He's also performing for the first time with his new hips which he received back in October.
"I'm coming along. I've lost the cane. I've lost the limp. I'm doing rehab. I'm just trying to be a good rehab patient. I've never had to be this cautious, 24-7 with my body, so it's a new adventure for me, But I've been assured that if I do the rehab right, in 10 to 12 months my body'll grow in, around and through these (hips) like roots and vines and lock 'em in as good as they're gonna get."
He's also assembling the new album Tough Stuff: The Best of the All-Madden Team Band which will be comprised of music he composed over the last ten years for the All-Madden Team announcement broadcasts.
----------------------------------------------
Taj Mahal, Healey Win Awards
Taj Mahal was named International Artist of the Year at Canada's Maple Music awards while guitarist Amos Garrett received the lifetime Blues with a Feeling Award. The big winner of the night, though, was the late Jeff Healey who received seven awards.
----------------------------------------------
Donovan's Dream Come True
Donovan spoke to reporters at the MIDEM International Music Conference in Cannes, France on Monday, telling them that the Internet is what he and his contemporaries dreamed about in the 60's.
"The dream of the '60s, of me and John Lennon and the others, was how do we speak to everybody on the planet at the same time? The first answer was via satellite, but that didn't connect to everyone. Then John would say, 'How about telepathy?'
"Then we forgot about it until now we realize that the Internet fulfills that dream of communicating with everyone. I'm not afraid of the Internet because it's that the dream we had. The Internet is the new '60s as far as I'm concerned."
----------------------------------------------
Paul McCartney and Dolly Parton Guest On New Yusef LP
Yusuf, formerly known as Cat Stevens, will follow up 2006's "An Other Cup," his first secular album in 28 years, with a set that recalls his straightforward troubadour days.
The as-yet-untitled set is due in late spring from Universal.
"This one was really a result of me writing a lot of songs and being kind of inspired again," Yusuf -- who adopted the Muslim name Yusuf Islam in 1978 and now prefers the shorter version -- told Billboard. "After I recorded ('Cup') people just wanted to hear me do a lot of simple stuff, just with the guitar."
The single "Boots & Sand" features Paul McCartney and Dolly Parton -- with a video shot by Jesse Dylan, son of Bob -- while Michelle Branch and Gunnar Nelson assist on the track "To Be What You Must."
----------------------------------------------
All Aboard- Flight 666
The first full-length documentary on Iron Maiden will debut in theaters throughout the world on April 21. Iron Maiden: Flight 666 documents the group's Somewhere Back in Time tour through Asia, Australia and the Americas.
The film is being made by the Canadian firm Banger Productions, who also made the film Metal, A Headbangers Journey. The crew was given full access to the band throughout the February and March 2008 leg of the tour which saw Maiden play 23 shows in 45 days. Footage not only includes live performances but also behind the scene stories, including the groups custom Boeing 757 which was piloted by lead singer Bruce Dickinson.
Top 20 Most Outrageous Heavy Metal Album Covers
Last week we looked at Gigwise.com's list of best & worst album covers for 2008. Switching gears a bit, let's look at www.spike.com's look at The Top 20 Most Outrageous Heavy Metal Album Covers. Actually, I think some of these are classic album covers, I love heavy metal covers! We will look at five a day, sometimes that's all a person can handle. Longtime readers of the blog will certainly recognize some of these classic album covers.
Heavy metal bands have always relied on their album covers. Most metal bands wouldn’t have been half as popular if it wasn’t for their ridiculously awesome album art. But how did it go so wrong? When did bands start thinking it was okay to take their shirts off and pose as medieval warriors? Let's explore #10-6 on the list:
10. Pantera: Metal Magic
9. Metallica: Metal Up Your Ass
8. Danzig: Thrall Demonsweatlive
7. Scorpions: Lovedrive
6. Metallica: Load
Heavy metal bands have always relied on their album covers. Most metal bands wouldn’t have been half as popular if it wasn’t for their ridiculously awesome album art. But how did it go so wrong? When did bands start thinking it was okay to take their shirts off and pose as medieval warriors? Let's explore #10-6 on the list:
10. Pantera: Metal Magic
9. Metallica: Metal Up Your Ass
8. Danzig: Thrall Demonsweatlive
7. Scorpions: Lovedrive
6. Metallica: Load
Rock & Roll Tidbits
On The Beatles 1970, #1 hit, "The Long and Winding Road", Paul McCartney played the piano, and John Lennon played bass. George and Ringo do not appear on the track at all.
Bill Haley and His Comets recorded "Rock Around The Clock" as a "B" side for their first Decca Records recording session. The "A" side was a song called "Thirteen Women And Only One Man In Town".
It’s ironic that of the members of ZZ Top, Dusty Hill, Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard-Beard is the only member of the classic trio not to sport a beard.
Boy George once admitted that he wanted to be reincarnated as Matt Dillon’s underwear. No comment from Dillon.
Elvis' girlfriend, Ginger Alden, found him dead, lying on the floor of his bathroom. He had been seated on the toilet reading The Scientific Search For Jesus.
Twenty years after his death, a report showed that Elvis Presley was the world's best selling posthumous entertainer, with world-wide sales of over 1 billion dollars and 480 active fan clubs. He died owing $3 million.
The Association were turned down by every major label who heard their first album, which included the future number one smash, "Cherish".
Antoine "Fats" Domino and his wife Rosemary have eight children, all of whom have names that start with "A".
The same studio musicians who had just helped Bob Dylan record "Like A Rolling Stone" were asked by producer Tom Wilson to stay in the studio for one more song. He then recorded the electric guitar, bass and drums that were to be added to Paul Simon's voice and acoustic guitar. The result was the 1966 number one hit, "Sounds Of Silence".
Stevie Wonder wrote "Isn't She Lovely" for his daughter Aisha Zakia. The names mean "strength" and "intelligence" in an African language.
Brenda Lee graduated from high school in Hollywood, having already earned 12 top ten records.
Paul Revere and The Raiders' first chart entry, "Like Long Hair" was based on Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Prelude in C-Sharp Minor", written in 1897.
The longest title of a US number one record belongs to a Dutch studio group called Stars On 45. Although their medley was simply known as "Stars On 45" in most parts of the world, the US single had a 41 word title: "Intro Venus / Sugar Sugar / No Reply / I'll Be Back / Drive My Car / Do You Want To Know A Secret / We Can Work It Out / I Should Have Known Better / Nowhere Man / You're Going To Lose That Girl / Stars On 45".
Performance contracts for the band Van Halen stipulated that they be provided with a supply of M&Ms at every show, but all of the brown ones had to be removed.
In 1964, an acoustics expert from New South Wales University measured the noise level during a Beatles' concert at 112 decibels. That's between 10 and 20 decibels higher than a Boeing 707 jet flying at 2,000 feet.
Doors guitarist Robby Krieger once said about lead singer Jim Morrison: "I loved the guy when he was straight. I disliked him immensely when he was drunk."
In 1956, a Protestant minister in Greenwich Village, New York said about Elvis Presley's music; "I don't think youth wants this sort of thing. It is the result of the letdown that follows every war."
Darlene Love, who sang lead vocals on The Crystals hits "He's A Rebel" and "He's Sure The Boy I Love", played Danny Glover’s wife in all four Lethal Weapon movies.
Harry Elston, co-founder of The Friends Of Distinction, used to work as a limousine driver for The Temptations.
Mercury Records released The Platters' "Twilight Time" on both 78 RPM and 45 RPM discs. The song went to number one in the U.S. in April, 1958 and sold one and a half million copies, of which 98.2 percent were 45s. By that June, Mercury became the first major record label to announce that it would stop producing 78s, effective immediately.
After Gene Simmons of KISS graduated form Richmond College, he became a school teacher. This career move was short-lived however, as he quit to form KISS. Why? “I wanted to kill those little pricks,” he said.
Bill Haley and His Comets recorded "Rock Around The Clock" as a "B" side for their first Decca Records recording session. The "A" side was a song called "Thirteen Women And Only One Man In Town".
It’s ironic that of the members of ZZ Top, Dusty Hill, Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard-Beard is the only member of the classic trio not to sport a beard.
Boy George once admitted that he wanted to be reincarnated as Matt Dillon’s underwear. No comment from Dillon.
Elvis' girlfriend, Ginger Alden, found him dead, lying on the floor of his bathroom. He had been seated on the toilet reading The Scientific Search For Jesus.
Twenty years after his death, a report showed that Elvis Presley was the world's best selling posthumous entertainer, with world-wide sales of over 1 billion dollars and 480 active fan clubs. He died owing $3 million.
The Association were turned down by every major label who heard their first album, which included the future number one smash, "Cherish".
Antoine "Fats" Domino and his wife Rosemary have eight children, all of whom have names that start with "A".
The same studio musicians who had just helped Bob Dylan record "Like A Rolling Stone" were asked by producer Tom Wilson to stay in the studio for one more song. He then recorded the electric guitar, bass and drums that were to be added to Paul Simon's voice and acoustic guitar. The result was the 1966 number one hit, "Sounds Of Silence".
Stevie Wonder wrote "Isn't She Lovely" for his daughter Aisha Zakia. The names mean "strength" and "intelligence" in an African language.
Brenda Lee graduated from high school in Hollywood, having already earned 12 top ten records.
Paul Revere and The Raiders' first chart entry, "Like Long Hair" was based on Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Prelude in C-Sharp Minor", written in 1897.
The longest title of a US number one record belongs to a Dutch studio group called Stars On 45. Although their medley was simply known as "Stars On 45" in most parts of the world, the US single had a 41 word title: "Intro Venus / Sugar Sugar / No Reply / I'll Be Back / Drive My Car / Do You Want To Know A Secret / We Can Work It Out / I Should Have Known Better / Nowhere Man / You're Going To Lose That Girl / Stars On 45".
Performance contracts for the band Van Halen stipulated that they be provided with a supply of M&Ms at every show, but all of the brown ones had to be removed.
In 1964, an acoustics expert from New South Wales University measured the noise level during a Beatles' concert at 112 decibels. That's between 10 and 20 decibels higher than a Boeing 707 jet flying at 2,000 feet.
Doors guitarist Robby Krieger once said about lead singer Jim Morrison: "I loved the guy when he was straight. I disliked him immensely when he was drunk."
In 1956, a Protestant minister in Greenwich Village, New York said about Elvis Presley's music; "I don't think youth wants this sort of thing. It is the result of the letdown that follows every war."
Darlene Love, who sang lead vocals on The Crystals hits "He's A Rebel" and "He's Sure The Boy I Love", played Danny Glover’s wife in all four Lethal Weapon movies.
Harry Elston, co-founder of The Friends Of Distinction, used to work as a limousine driver for The Temptations.
Mercury Records released The Platters' "Twilight Time" on both 78 RPM and 45 RPM discs. The song went to number one in the U.S. in April, 1958 and sold one and a half million copies, of which 98.2 percent were 45s. By that June, Mercury became the first major record label to announce that it would stop producing 78s, effective immediately.
After Gene Simmons of KISS graduated form Richmond College, he became a school teacher. This career move was short-lived however, as he quit to form KISS. Why? “I wanted to kill those little pricks,” he said.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Spiral Scratch Records
I love independent record stores and their respective stories. This one caught my eye because I was born and raised in the Buffalo, NY area for the first 15 years of my life and it is where I bought my first 45 rpm record; which by the way was Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" (I fell in love with the flip side "Birds" as well)
written by Chao Li
Spiral Scratch is a Buffalo record sanctuary, with an amazingly broad selection of vinyl.
Even though Spiral Scratch has a small collection of CDs, this fairly new shop is the king of vinyl. "I just love music," says owner Dave 'Anchovies'. Dave is a soft-spoken guy, oozing with passion for music, especially the big-black-disc kind.
"I've always thought it was a shame that Buffalo, a city with such a great music scene, didn't still have the type of non-intimidating record store that I feel we need."
This is exactly what Dave built. His inspiration comes from music stores that he'd visited and loved spending time in, and Spiral Scratch has all the comforts of a small-city record store.
Spiral Scratch, occupying the space that used to be Sit and Spin Records, is not the first record store in Buffalo, but it's different. One of the most noticeable differences is that all the records are a couple dollars less than the prices one normally finds. Because Dave uses a handful of independent distributors or buys directly from the music labels themselves, the record price can be kept low.
Spiral Scratch is open to special orders. "It may take me a little longer to get the record, but I can sell them for really cheap," Dave says.
The store also buys back old records, and it also has a modest used CD collection. In addition, Dave is involved in promoting local shows and selling tickets for shows. Recently, Dave was moving tickets to the Boris show at Soundlab. Even though Spiral Scratch supports local music, you will not find a segregated section in this store.
"Local music shouldn't be separated into its own thing. Great music is great music, that's why I mix them all in together," Dave explains.
More of a fan than a businessman, Dave's establishment is driven by his passion for music and the rest seems to follow, making Spiral Scratch nearly unique in Buffalo. Dave did not show off the rare items he had on the shelves, neither did he mark up the price to a ridiculous level. They are just there, waiting silently for someone who'll recognize them as treasure--for the love of the music--not the fact that they may be a first pressing.
Introduced to music by his late father, back in the day, Dave believes that vinyl records and the vinyl scene is due for a comeback. "CDs are compact, but they fail after you use them for a couple years," Dave says. "If you take care of your records, they last forever." Vinyl records have large, visually appealing cover art and some come with posters and other fold-outs. Today, in the age of digital music, many vinyl records are released with a code so that people can also download the songs in mp3 formats to put on their digital music player.
"I still don't see myself as a collector. I just have a lot of records," Dave states. "If a record was released with two different album covers, a collector needs to have both. If I just have one--it's probably the cheaper one."
Even though it is still early on in the game, Dave's aim is clear. "I want this store to be broader than any of the other record stores," he says. With the help of his family and close friends, Spiral Scratch imports and sells records from a wide variety of artists. The collection ranges from Sigur Ros, to Sleep, to Nico; anyone can find something to take home. Dave backs that thought up by saying, "I don't want to just sell music I like, I want to have something for everyone that comes into the store."
Spiral Scratch Records
2531 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14216
716.873.1484
SOURCE: http://www.buffalorising.com/2009/01/spiral-scratch-records.html#SlideFrame_1
Vinyl's still vital
I love vinyl related articles and found a beauty at lancasteronline.com
Store owners see a rise in LP sales despite digital options
By LINDA ESPENSHADE, Staff Writer
Kenny Cotich loves placing a vinyl record on his record player, finding the song he wants by counting the lines, positioning the stylus or needle on the record and relishing the little pop as the electronic connection is made.
Cotich, of Manor Township, is only 19, and he is not alone in his love of records. Young and old are returning to vinyl as the music format of choice.
Forget the MP3 players, compact discs and computer downloads. Records have the best sound and the best aesthetic experience, fans say.
Nationwide, Nielsen SoundScan, reported 1.88 million records sold in 2008, almost twice as many as 2007. The numbers are still small, compared to the total 428.4 million albums that were sold, nevertheless the statistics reflect the growing interest that local independent record stores have been seeing over the past five years.
Local record store owners are seeing more interest in vintage records and in records made by many modern alternative bands, especially variations of indie, punk, electronic and folk music.
To read the rest of this interesting story:
http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/232814
Store owners see a rise in LP sales despite digital options
By LINDA ESPENSHADE, Staff Writer
Kenny Cotich loves placing a vinyl record on his record player, finding the song he wants by counting the lines, positioning the stylus or needle on the record and relishing the little pop as the electronic connection is made.
Cotich, of Manor Township, is only 19, and he is not alone in his love of records. Young and old are returning to vinyl as the music format of choice.
Forget the MP3 players, compact discs and computer downloads. Records have the best sound and the best aesthetic experience, fans say.
Nationwide, Nielsen SoundScan, reported 1.88 million records sold in 2008, almost twice as many as 2007. The numbers are still small, compared to the total 428.4 million albums that were sold, nevertheless the statistics reflect the growing interest that local independent record stores have been seeing over the past five years.
Local record store owners are seeing more interest in vintage records and in records made by many modern alternative bands, especially variations of indie, punk, electronic and folk music.
To read the rest of this interesting story:
http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/232814
Outrageous Heavy Metal Album Covers.
Last week we looked at Gigwise.com's list of best & worst album covers for 2008. Switching gears a bit, let's look at www.spike.com's look at The Top 20 Most Outrageous Heavy Metal Album Covers. Actually, I think some of these are classic album covers, I love heavy metal covers! We will look at five a day, sometimes that's all a person can handle. Longtime readers of the blog will certainly recognize some of these classic album covers.
Heavy metal bands have always relied on their album covers. Most metal bands wouldn’t have been half as popular if it wasn’t for their ridiculously awesome album art. But how did it go so wrong? When did bands start thinking it was okay to take their shirts off and pose as medieval warriors? Let's explore #15-11 on the list:
15. Whitesnake: Lovehunter
14. Ozzy Osbourne: Speak of the Devil
13. Morbid Angel: Covenant
12. Exodus: Bonded by Blood
11. Anthrax: Fistful of Metal
Heavy metal bands have always relied on their album covers. Most metal bands wouldn’t have been half as popular if it wasn’t for their ridiculously awesome album art. But how did it go so wrong? When did bands start thinking it was okay to take their shirts off and pose as medieval warriors? Let's explore #15-11 on the list:
15. Whitesnake: Lovehunter
14. Ozzy Osbourne: Speak of the Devil
13. Morbid Angel: Covenant
12. Exodus: Bonded by Blood
11. Anthrax: Fistful of Metal
Music News & Notes
Clint Ballard Jr. Passes Away
We are all just learning now that legendary songwriter Clint Ballard, Jr. passed away on December 23 at his Denton, Texas home. He was 77.
Ballard's songs include Game of Love (Wayne Fontanna & the Mindbenders), You're No Good (Dee Dee Warwick, Linda Ronstadt), Gingerbread (Frankie Avalon), Good Timin' (Jimmy Jones) and I'm Alive (Hollies).
-----------------------------------------------
Nick Drake Tribute
A number of current artists are coming together to record a tribute album to English singer/songwriter Nick Drake. Included in the project are Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl, Norah Jones and Jack Johnson. Also on the album will be a version of Drake's Black Eyed Dog recorded by Heath Ledger in late 2007.
-----------------------------------------------
Blind Pig January 2009 Releases
On January 27, 2009 Blind Pig Records will release new studio CDs from a pair of up-and-coming blues stars as well as LP reissues from two blues legends.
The label will release new recordings from vocalist/harmonica player John Nemeth (Love Me Tonight) and guitar phenom Damon Fowler (Sugar Shack), and audiophile quality vinyl records from Walter Horton (Fine Cuts) and Otis Rush (Tops).
John Nemeth burst on the scene last year with his dazzling debut album, winning acclaim as one of the most gifted artists on the modern blues scene. He skillfully blends retro and modern blues and soul into compelling music that is simultaneously old and new. Brimming with energy, his new CD is tougher and edgier. Nemeth re-visits the inspired sounds of the 50's and 60's when Chicago blues was adding funk and rock to the mix. By reinvigorating the sound of vintage American R&B with his spine-tingling vocals and considerable songwriting skills, John has crafted a timeless slice of American music. Frequent collaborator Elvin Bishop guests on two tracks.
Damon Fowler, another fast-rising blues star, has made a name for himself with his guitar expertise and fusion of roots, rock, blues, and sacred steel. He's been compared to Johnny Winter and Jeff Beck, while his slide guitar has a hint of Ry Cooder and the late Duane Allman. He can play fiery runs with the best of them, but it's his lyrical work on lap steel and Dobro that sets him apart from legions of guitar players. Sugar Shack is pure Southern Americana - a skillful blend of swamp, blues, and Southern rock.
Big Walter Horton, whom Willie Dixon called "the best harmonica player I ever heard," was a highly influential harp master who combined a unique, fluid style, a genius for tone, and a rare emotional intensity. Fine Cuts, released in 1978, was one of the first recordings from the fledgling Blind Pig label, when the company was still headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Otis Rush, another blues giant and one of the premier Chicago blues guitarists, is captured live in a searing, soulful performance at the San Francisco Blues Festival in 1985. This fired-up, imaginative program showcases Rush's prodigious skills, immaculate chops, stinging, vibrato-drenched guitar and tortured, intense vocals.
-----------------------------------------------
Ringo Not Mute Anymore
Ringo Starr is back, sort of. A number of months ago, he announced on his website that he would no longer be signing autograph requests. He's backtracked slightly on that declaration, signing a drum head for a contestant winner.
The ex-Beatle has also been silent up until the now, writing on his website "I don't feel blue any more. It's 2009 and I feel fine. Couldn't get any better, could it? Peace and love to Ricardo, hope you have a great life. Peace and love everybody."
-----------------------------------------------
Patty Smyth & Scandal Reunion Update
Over six months ago, a story of how Patty Smyth and Scandal were ready to go the reunion route. They had done an episode of VH1's Band Reunited and said it felt so good that they were ready to try it full time again.
Now, a half year later, new information has surfaced from a conversation that Smyth had with Spinner.com. The new group with original members Smyth, Keith Mack (guitar) and Benjy King (keyboards) and new members Tom Welsch (bass) and Eran Asias (drums) originally went into the studio and recorded an EP of fresh material.
Originally set for release in late-2008, what the group heard made them so excited that they decided to hold off and record a full-length album. Now set for a release sometime this year, Smyth is excited. We did a bunch of gigs and that's all I heard at every show, 'Are you gonna make a new record?' I really felt compelled to do it. I figured, 'Why not?'
"It doesn't sound retro at all. Keith just really evolved, just as I like to think I have as a songwriter and singer. That's kind of what you want...to be different but still us."
We are all just learning now that legendary songwriter Clint Ballard, Jr. passed away on December 23 at his Denton, Texas home. He was 77.
Ballard's songs include Game of Love (Wayne Fontanna & the Mindbenders), You're No Good (Dee Dee Warwick, Linda Ronstadt), Gingerbread (Frankie Avalon), Good Timin' (Jimmy Jones) and I'm Alive (Hollies).
-----------------------------------------------
Nick Drake Tribute
A number of current artists are coming together to record a tribute album to English singer/songwriter Nick Drake. Included in the project are Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl, Norah Jones and Jack Johnson. Also on the album will be a version of Drake's Black Eyed Dog recorded by Heath Ledger in late 2007.
-----------------------------------------------
Blind Pig January 2009 Releases
On January 27, 2009 Blind Pig Records will release new studio CDs from a pair of up-and-coming blues stars as well as LP reissues from two blues legends.
The label will release new recordings from vocalist/harmonica player John Nemeth (Love Me Tonight) and guitar phenom Damon Fowler (Sugar Shack), and audiophile quality vinyl records from Walter Horton (Fine Cuts) and Otis Rush (Tops).
John Nemeth burst on the scene last year with his dazzling debut album, winning acclaim as one of the most gifted artists on the modern blues scene. He skillfully blends retro and modern blues and soul into compelling music that is simultaneously old and new. Brimming with energy, his new CD is tougher and edgier. Nemeth re-visits the inspired sounds of the 50's and 60's when Chicago blues was adding funk and rock to the mix. By reinvigorating the sound of vintage American R&B with his spine-tingling vocals and considerable songwriting skills, John has crafted a timeless slice of American music. Frequent collaborator Elvin Bishop guests on two tracks.
Damon Fowler, another fast-rising blues star, has made a name for himself with his guitar expertise and fusion of roots, rock, blues, and sacred steel. He's been compared to Johnny Winter and Jeff Beck, while his slide guitar has a hint of Ry Cooder and the late Duane Allman. He can play fiery runs with the best of them, but it's his lyrical work on lap steel and Dobro that sets him apart from legions of guitar players. Sugar Shack is pure Southern Americana - a skillful blend of swamp, blues, and Southern rock.
Big Walter Horton, whom Willie Dixon called "the best harmonica player I ever heard," was a highly influential harp master who combined a unique, fluid style, a genius for tone, and a rare emotional intensity. Fine Cuts, released in 1978, was one of the first recordings from the fledgling Blind Pig label, when the company was still headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Otis Rush, another blues giant and one of the premier Chicago blues guitarists, is captured live in a searing, soulful performance at the San Francisco Blues Festival in 1985. This fired-up, imaginative program showcases Rush's prodigious skills, immaculate chops, stinging, vibrato-drenched guitar and tortured, intense vocals.
-----------------------------------------------
Ringo Not Mute Anymore
Ringo Starr is back, sort of. A number of months ago, he announced on his website that he would no longer be signing autograph requests. He's backtracked slightly on that declaration, signing a drum head for a contestant winner.
The ex-Beatle has also been silent up until the now, writing on his website "I don't feel blue any more. It's 2009 and I feel fine. Couldn't get any better, could it? Peace and love to Ricardo, hope you have a great life. Peace and love everybody."
-----------------------------------------------
Patty Smyth & Scandal Reunion Update
Over six months ago, a story of how Patty Smyth and Scandal were ready to go the reunion route. They had done an episode of VH1's Band Reunited and said it felt so good that they were ready to try it full time again.
Now, a half year later, new information has surfaced from a conversation that Smyth had with Spinner.com. The new group with original members Smyth, Keith Mack (guitar) and Benjy King (keyboards) and new members Tom Welsch (bass) and Eran Asias (drums) originally went into the studio and recorded an EP of fresh material.
Originally set for release in late-2008, what the group heard made them so excited that they decided to hold off and record a full-length album. Now set for a release sometime this year, Smyth is excited. We did a bunch of gigs and that's all I heard at every show, 'Are you gonna make a new record?' I really felt compelled to do it. I figured, 'Why not?'
"It doesn't sound retro at all. Keith just really evolved, just as I like to think I have as a songwriter and singer. That's kind of what you want...to be different but still us."
Rock & Roll Tidbits
The first time that Dick Clark heard a Beatles' record he said, "I don't know what the heck you're so excited about...it'll never fly."
According to vocalist Davy Jones, The Monkees were allowed to choose some of the songs they recorded. Two that they turned down were "Knock Three Times", which would become a Billboard chart topper for Tony Orlando and Dawn in 1970 and "Love Will Keep Us Together", which became a million selling number one for The Captain and Tennille in 1975.
The term "rock and roll", which was black slang for sexual intercourse, appeared on record for the first time in 1922 on Trixie Smith's "My Baby Rocks Me With One Steady Roll".
The term "rhythm & blues" was coined in 1948 by a young Billboard reporter and future Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler, to replace the negative term "Race Records".
After John Lennon made his unfortunate remarks about the Beatles being "more popular than Jesus", the Bishop of Montreal, the Rt. Rev. Kenneth Maguire said: "I wouldn't be surprised if The Beatles actually were more popular than Jesus. In the only popularity poll in Jesus' time, he came out second best to Barabbas."
In the summer of 2005, recording industry insiders estimated that there were still 28 billion songs being illegally downloaded yearly.
Mike Stoller, one half of the songwriting team of Leiber & Stoller, survived the 1956 sinking of the luxury ship Andrea Doria off Nantucket Island. When he returned to New York on a rescue freighter, he was greeted by his partner Jerry Leiber who told him that they had just scored their first hit record by "some white kid called Elvis Presley." Stoller replied "Elvis who?"
Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees considered himself to be quite the ladies man. In fact, his standard pick-up line was that he had fallen in love and wanted to get married. He was known to walk around with a pocket full of engagement rings but this technique got him into trouble especially when five or six of his ‘fiancées’ gathered together at the stage door.
"House Of The Rising Sun" is a traditional Folk song that was first recorded in 1920 and tells a story about a brothel in New Orleans named after Madame Marianne Le Soleil Levant (which means "Rising Sun" in French). It was open for business from 1862, when Union Troops occupied the town, until 1874, when it was closed due to complaints by neighbors.
After the death of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham in 1980, guitarist Jimmy Page refused to even pick up a guitar for nearly nine months.
Monkees’ guitarist Mike Nesmith wrote Linda Ronstadt's 1968 hit, "Different Drum".
Gene Chandler, who reached number one in the US in 1962 with "The Duke Of Earl", was the producer of "Backfield In Motion", a 1969 Top Ten hit by Mel And Tim.
Tommy Roe wrote and recorded a song called "Sheila" when he was just 14 years old. The effort went nowhere, but six years later, he recorded it again for ABC-Paramount and this time it went to number one in the US.
Peter Noone, better known as Herman of Herman's Hermits, once interviewed Elvis Presley for the UK music paper New Musical Express.
In 1972, Chuck Berry complained when his record company recorded a concert performance in London. But Berry stopped complaining after a song from his set went on to be his biggest-selling hit. The song? “My Ding-a-Ling.”
Many listeners believed that Bjork’s song “Humanbehavior” contained lyrics sang in Icelandic. Not true, say Bjork, “People think it’s Icelandic,” she quipped. “But actually whatever noise it feels naturally to sing.” Uh, have you met Yoko Ono?
In the first two years after the Beatles fired drummer Pete Best, they would gross over 24 million dollars. Best went to work as a baker, earning 8 pounds a week.
In the Spring of 1969, The Cowsills had the number two song on Billboard's Hot 100 with "Hair". The changing music scene soon left them hopelessly outdated and by 1970, guitarist Bob Cowsill had a job sweeping a parking garage.
When Jerry and the Pacemakers returned to England following their first tour of America in 1964, they were shocked to find that not only did the band not make any money, they actually owed over three thousand dollars in expenses, thanks to lavish dinners and limousine rides.
Question Mark and The Mysterians 1966, number one US hit "96 Tears" was recorded in the living room of their manager's house.
None of The Beatles were invited to attend the private funeral of their manager Brian Epstein. They did however hold a memorial service for their former leader a few weeks later.
The song writing team of Holland - Dozier - Holland wrote "Where Did Our Love Go" for The Marvelettes, who hated the song and turned it down. It was then offered to The Supremes, who reluctantly recorded it. By mid-July, 1964, it became their breakthrough hit, climbing all the way to number one on Billboard's Hot 100.
Phil Collins was an extra during the filming of the first Beatles' movie, "A Hard Days Night".
Although the term "teeny-bopper" came to mean a young teenager in the 60s and 70s, the original term "bopper" was a street gang term for one who was always looking for a fight.
According to vocalist Davy Jones, The Monkees were allowed to choose some of the songs they recorded. Two that they turned down were "Knock Three Times", which would become a Billboard chart topper for Tony Orlando and Dawn in 1970 and "Love Will Keep Us Together", which became a million selling number one for The Captain and Tennille in 1975.
The term "rock and roll", which was black slang for sexual intercourse, appeared on record for the first time in 1922 on Trixie Smith's "My Baby Rocks Me With One Steady Roll".
The term "rhythm & blues" was coined in 1948 by a young Billboard reporter and future Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler, to replace the negative term "Race Records".
After John Lennon made his unfortunate remarks about the Beatles being "more popular than Jesus", the Bishop of Montreal, the Rt. Rev. Kenneth Maguire said: "I wouldn't be surprised if The Beatles actually were more popular than Jesus. In the only popularity poll in Jesus' time, he came out second best to Barabbas."
In the summer of 2005, recording industry insiders estimated that there were still 28 billion songs being illegally downloaded yearly.
Mike Stoller, one half of the songwriting team of Leiber & Stoller, survived the 1956 sinking of the luxury ship Andrea Doria off Nantucket Island. When he returned to New York on a rescue freighter, he was greeted by his partner Jerry Leiber who told him that they had just scored their first hit record by "some white kid called Elvis Presley." Stoller replied "Elvis who?"
Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees considered himself to be quite the ladies man. In fact, his standard pick-up line was that he had fallen in love and wanted to get married. He was known to walk around with a pocket full of engagement rings but this technique got him into trouble especially when five or six of his ‘fiancées’ gathered together at the stage door.
"House Of The Rising Sun" is a traditional Folk song that was first recorded in 1920 and tells a story about a brothel in New Orleans named after Madame Marianne Le Soleil Levant (which means "Rising Sun" in French). It was open for business from 1862, when Union Troops occupied the town, until 1874, when it was closed due to complaints by neighbors.
After the death of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham in 1980, guitarist Jimmy Page refused to even pick up a guitar for nearly nine months.
Monkees’ guitarist Mike Nesmith wrote Linda Ronstadt's 1968 hit, "Different Drum".
Gene Chandler, who reached number one in the US in 1962 with "The Duke Of Earl", was the producer of "Backfield In Motion", a 1969 Top Ten hit by Mel And Tim.
Tommy Roe wrote and recorded a song called "Sheila" when he was just 14 years old. The effort went nowhere, but six years later, he recorded it again for ABC-Paramount and this time it went to number one in the US.
Peter Noone, better known as Herman of Herman's Hermits, once interviewed Elvis Presley for the UK music paper New Musical Express.
In 1972, Chuck Berry complained when his record company recorded a concert performance in London. But Berry stopped complaining after a song from his set went on to be his biggest-selling hit. The song? “My Ding-a-Ling.”
Many listeners believed that Bjork’s song “Humanbehavior” contained lyrics sang in Icelandic. Not true, say Bjork, “People think it’s Icelandic,” she quipped. “But actually whatever noise it feels naturally to sing.” Uh, have you met Yoko Ono?
In the first two years after the Beatles fired drummer Pete Best, they would gross over 24 million dollars. Best went to work as a baker, earning 8 pounds a week.
In the Spring of 1969, The Cowsills had the number two song on Billboard's Hot 100 with "Hair". The changing music scene soon left them hopelessly outdated and by 1970, guitarist Bob Cowsill had a job sweeping a parking garage.
When Jerry and the Pacemakers returned to England following their first tour of America in 1964, they were shocked to find that not only did the band not make any money, they actually owed over three thousand dollars in expenses, thanks to lavish dinners and limousine rides.
Question Mark and The Mysterians 1966, number one US hit "96 Tears" was recorded in the living room of their manager's house.
None of The Beatles were invited to attend the private funeral of their manager Brian Epstein. They did however hold a memorial service for their former leader a few weeks later.
The song writing team of Holland - Dozier - Holland wrote "Where Did Our Love Go" for The Marvelettes, who hated the song and turned it down. It was then offered to The Supremes, who reluctantly recorded it. By mid-July, 1964, it became their breakthrough hit, climbing all the way to number one on Billboard's Hot 100.
Phil Collins was an extra during the filming of the first Beatles' movie, "A Hard Days Night".
Although the term "teeny-bopper" came to mean a young teenager in the 60s and 70s, the original term "bopper" was a street gang term for one who was always looking for a fight.
This Date In Music History-January 20
Birthdays:
Paul Stanley- KISS (1952)
Ian Hill- Judas Priest (1952)
Eric Stewart- Mindbenders (1945)
Rick Evans- Zager and Evans (1943)
Slim Whitman was born in 1924.
Songwriter Lee Pockriss ("Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini,” "Johnny Angel” and many others) turns 81.
They Are Missed:
Born on this day in 1942, Billy Powell, vocals, The O'Jays (died on May 26, 1982).
Ron Townson of the 5th Dimension was born in 1933 (died on August 3, 2001).
Lead Belly was born in Mooringsport, LA in 1889 (died December 6, 1949).
Alan Freed, who many credit with coining the term "Rock and Roll,” died in 1965 at the age of 43. Freed was a Cleveland disc jockey who started promoting dances that featured the top artists of the day, including, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis. After moving to New York and appearing in some teen movies, he was caught up in the payola scandal of 1959 for accepting money for playing certain records on his radio show. Before his death, he was virtually broke and fighting charges of tax evasion. It was a sad end for one of Rock and Roll's most important pioneers.
History:
In 1973, Jerry Lee Lewis was booked to play the Grand Ole Opry on the condition that he would stick to Country and Western tunes only. Jerry did just that for a while, but eventually broke into his old Rock hits from the 50's, while swearing up a storm. He proclaimed, "I am the rock and rollin', country and western, rhythm and blues singin' motherf***er."
"Get A Job" by The Silhouettes was released in 1958. The song would climb to #1 in the US and is considered to be a Rock and Roll classic, although the Philadelphia quartet who sang it never had another Top 40 hit.
In 1965, the Byrds covered Bob Dylan’s "Mr. Tambourine Man." However, only group leader/guitarist Jim McGuinn was allowed to play on the track. CBS Records decided to use Hollywood session musicians rather than the group.
"Meet the Beatles" was released in the US in 1964.
In 1982, Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a bat thrown onstage by a fan in Des Moines, Iowa. He was taken to hospital to undergo a rabies injection.
Today in 1968, the song "Judy in Disguise (with Glasses)" by John Fred & His Playboy Band topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.
In 1969, Elvis Presley recorded "In the Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds" It was the first time he had recorded in Memphis since 1956.
In 1970, Creedence Clearwater Revival hits #2 with "Travelin' Band" and "Lookin' Out My Back Door," and #4 with "Up Around the Bend.” The group never had a #1 hit.
In 1988, The Beach Boys, the Beatles, the Drifters, Bob Dylan, Berry Gordy, Jr., Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, Les Paul and the Supremes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during ceremonies at New York's Waldorf Astoria. During the Beach Boys acceptance speech, vocalist Mike Love insulted just about everybody in the music business, including Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen and Mick Jagger. "I don’t have much to say ‘cause I’m the quiet Beatle," dead panned George Harrison in his speech.
In 1990, Michael Bolton started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart with 'How Am I Supposed To Live Without You', the singers first #1 and the first #1 single of the 90's in the US.
The Rolling Stones appearred on the season premiere of ABC’s pop music show Shindig in 1965. They bring Blues great Howlin’ Wolf along as special guest.
In 1958, KWK, a radio station in St. Louis, wraps up their "Record Breaking Week". After the station manager Robert Convey decided rock 'n' roll should be banned from their airwaves, DJs were allowed to play every rock record in their library once on air and then smash it to pieces. Convey describes the stunt as "a simple weeding out of undesirable music."
In 1968, having been in seclusion since his 1966 motorcycle accident, Bob Dylan tried to build bridges with the folk community he left behind by "going electric". He and the Band performed at a Carnegie Hall tribute to Woody Guthrie, sharing a bill with Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, Odetta and Ramblin' Jack Elliott.
Paul Stanley- KISS (1952)
Ian Hill- Judas Priest (1952)
Eric Stewart- Mindbenders (1945)
Rick Evans- Zager and Evans (1943)
Slim Whitman was born in 1924.
Songwriter Lee Pockriss ("Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini,” "Johnny Angel” and many others) turns 81.
They Are Missed:
Born on this day in 1942, Billy Powell, vocals, The O'Jays (died on May 26, 1982).
Ron Townson of the 5th Dimension was born in 1933 (died on August 3, 2001).
Lead Belly was born in Mooringsport, LA in 1889 (died December 6, 1949).
Alan Freed, who many credit with coining the term "Rock and Roll,” died in 1965 at the age of 43. Freed was a Cleveland disc jockey who started promoting dances that featured the top artists of the day, including, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis. After moving to New York and appearing in some teen movies, he was caught up in the payola scandal of 1959 for accepting money for playing certain records on his radio show. Before his death, he was virtually broke and fighting charges of tax evasion. It was a sad end for one of Rock and Roll's most important pioneers.
History:
In 1973, Jerry Lee Lewis was booked to play the Grand Ole Opry on the condition that he would stick to Country and Western tunes only. Jerry did just that for a while, but eventually broke into his old Rock hits from the 50's, while swearing up a storm. He proclaimed, "I am the rock and rollin', country and western, rhythm and blues singin' motherf***er."
"Get A Job" by The Silhouettes was released in 1958. The song would climb to #1 in the US and is considered to be a Rock and Roll classic, although the Philadelphia quartet who sang it never had another Top 40 hit.
In 1965, the Byrds covered Bob Dylan’s "Mr. Tambourine Man." However, only group leader/guitarist Jim McGuinn was allowed to play on the track. CBS Records decided to use Hollywood session musicians rather than the group.
"Meet the Beatles" was released in the US in 1964.
In 1982, Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a bat thrown onstage by a fan in Des Moines, Iowa. He was taken to hospital to undergo a rabies injection.
Today in 1968, the song "Judy in Disguise (with Glasses)" by John Fred & His Playboy Band topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.
In 1969, Elvis Presley recorded "In the Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds" It was the first time he had recorded in Memphis since 1956.
In 1970, Creedence Clearwater Revival hits #2 with "Travelin' Band" and "Lookin' Out My Back Door," and #4 with "Up Around the Bend.” The group never had a #1 hit.
In 1988, The Beach Boys, the Beatles, the Drifters, Bob Dylan, Berry Gordy, Jr., Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, Les Paul and the Supremes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during ceremonies at New York's Waldorf Astoria. During the Beach Boys acceptance speech, vocalist Mike Love insulted just about everybody in the music business, including Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen and Mick Jagger. "I don’t have much to say ‘cause I’m the quiet Beatle," dead panned George Harrison in his speech.
In 1990, Michael Bolton started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart with 'How Am I Supposed To Live Without You', the singers first #1 and the first #1 single of the 90's in the US.
The Rolling Stones appearred on the season premiere of ABC’s pop music show Shindig in 1965. They bring Blues great Howlin’ Wolf along as special guest.
In 1958, KWK, a radio station in St. Louis, wraps up their "Record Breaking Week". After the station manager Robert Convey decided rock 'n' roll should be banned from their airwaves, DJs were allowed to play every rock record in their library once on air and then smash it to pieces. Convey describes the stunt as "a simple weeding out of undesirable music."
In 1968, having been in seclusion since his 1966 motorcycle accident, Bob Dylan tried to build bridges with the folk community he left behind by "going electric". He and the Band performed at a Carnegie Hall tribute to Woody Guthrie, sharing a bill with Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, Odetta and Ramblin' Jack Elliott.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Outrageous Heavy Metal Album Covers
Last week we looked at Gigwise.com's list of best & worst album covers for 2008. Switching gears a bit, let's look at www.spike.com's look at The Top 20 Most Outrageous Heavy Metal Album Covers. Actually, I think some of these are classic album covers, I love heavy metal covers! We will look at five a day, sometimes that's all a person can handle. Longtime readers of the blog will certainly recognize some of these classic album covers.
Heavy metal bands have always relied on their album covers. Most metal bands wouldn’t have been half as popular if it wasn’t for their ridiculously awesome album art. But how did it go so wrong? When did bands start thinking it was okay to take their shirts off and pose as medieval warriors?
20. Stryper: Soldiers Under Command
19. Stryken: First Strike
18. Boned: Up At The Crack
17. Attila: Attila
16. Black Sabbath: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Compiled by
By Dustin Sussman
http://www.spike.com/blog/top-20-most/71466?page=1&numPerPage=1
Heavy metal bands have always relied on their album covers. Most metal bands wouldn’t have been half as popular if it wasn’t for their ridiculously awesome album art. But how did it go so wrong? When did bands start thinking it was okay to take their shirts off and pose as medieval warriors?
20. Stryper: Soldiers Under Command
19. Stryken: First Strike
18. Boned: Up At The Crack
17. Attila: Attila
16. Black Sabbath: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Compiled by
By Dustin Sussman
http://www.spike.com/blog/top-20-most/71466?page=1&numPerPage=1
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