ZZ Top - Cheap Sunglasses 1980
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Mr. Music by Jerry Osborne
I am continuing our new feature: Ask "Mr. Music." Now in its 23rd year of syndication (1986-2008), Jerry Osborne's weekly Q&A feature will be a regular post every Wednesday from now on. Be sure to stop by Jerry's site (www.jerryosborne.com) for more Mr. Music archives, record price guides, anything Elvis, buy & sell collectibles, record appraisals and much more. I thank Jerry for allowing the reprints.
FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 15, 2009
DEAR JERRY: There were two popular songs in the mid-'70s, both about a woman with two men in her life, and not wanting to give up either one.
One of these is “Torn Between Two Lovers,” by Mary MacGregor, which virtually everyone knows.
It is the other one that has eluded me for about 30 years.
I can't find this recording because I don't know the singer or the title, which I hope you can provide.
However, I vividly recall the storyline because I have been in a similar romantic triangle.
This girl has one man who would give the world to be with her, and treats her like a queen. She has another who “uses her and abuses her,” and is someone with whom there is no future.
Instead of doing the smart thing — dumping the bum and sticking with the good guy — she can't seem to tear herself away from the loser. She even tells the nice one he “deserves someone who is free to give it all,” which she isn't willing to do.
One of the memorable things about the song is the clever use of rainy metaphors to describe her dilemma. One such reference is about being safely under the umbrella of the good guy instead of out in the rain with the other fellow.
I once thought the singer to be Connie Francis, but this song doesn't seem to be among her recordings.
Perhaps you can end this lengthy exercise in futility.
—Meredith Raines, Portsmouth, Ohio
DEAR MEREDITH: Let's put an end to the futility.
You have the first half of this singer's name right. She is the very lovely Connie Eaton, who made the record you can't forget.
The title is “If I Knew Enough to Come Out of the Rain” (ABC 12098), and, as you mention, the weather metaphors Connie uses are brilliant.
Be assured you are not the only one whose life has imitated art in this regard. Countless others also relate to Connie's tuneful predicament — which kicks off with an admission to what psychologists and meteorologists might call precipitative masochism:
“Maybe I'm just crazy
For it's something I that I just can't explain
Don't know what else I can tell you
Maybe I just like walking in the rain”
DEAR JERRY: I enjoy hearing the golden oldies on radio and watching the doo-wop shows on TV.
But for some reason none of them ever include two of my favorite songs: “Lonely Winds” and “She Say.” I can't figure out why this is.
Could it be because they are both by one-hit wonders? Who did record them?
—Don Wakefield, Wrightsville, Pa.
DEAR DON: Both “Lonely Winds” and “She Say (Oom Dooby Doom)” are by groups with many hits to their credit, meaning there must be some other reason you don't hear these records.
You might try requesting them, since many oldies stations like to know what listeners want to hear.
As for the group names, “Lonely Winds” is a Top 60 hit (1960) for the Drifters, and “She Say”(Oom Dooby Doom),” by the Diamonds, reached the Top 20 (1959).
IZ ZAT SO? While hit makers like the Drifters and Diamonds are far from one-hit wonder status, let us review some examples that truly define the term.
Through four decades of music (1950 through 1989), these nine recording artists had the nation's No. 1 hit, yet never again did any of them even appear in the Top 100:
1950: Anton Karas (“The Third Man Theme”); 1952: Johnny Standley (“It's in the Book”); 1955: Joan Weber (“Let Me Go Lover”); 1958: Laurie London (“He's Got the Whole World in His Hands”); 1960: Hollywood Argyles (“Alley Oop”); 1969: Zager & Evans (“In the Year 2525”); 1979: M (“Pop Muzik”); 1982: Vangelis (“Chariots of Fire - Title”); 1985: Jan Hammer (“Miami Vice Theme”).
Copyright 2009 Osbourne Enterprises- Reprinted By Permission
-----------------------------------------------
"Rockin Records" is now on sale- call with the code "CVR" and receive $6 off your purchase
http://www.jerryosborne.com/
Toll-Free: (800) 246-3255
Jerry Osborne's "Rockin' Records" has long been the most popular record guide. Now with 1,104 pages, it is by far the biggest record guide we've ever made. It is regarded throughout the industry as the best available guide, and it is the one accepted by all the major insurance companies.
Call today with the code "CVR" to receive your discount!
FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 15, 2009
DEAR JERRY: There were two popular songs in the mid-'70s, both about a woman with two men in her life, and not wanting to give up either one.
One of these is “Torn Between Two Lovers,” by Mary MacGregor, which virtually everyone knows.
It is the other one that has eluded me for about 30 years.
I can't find this recording because I don't know the singer or the title, which I hope you can provide.
However, I vividly recall the storyline because I have been in a similar romantic triangle.
This girl has one man who would give the world to be with her, and treats her like a queen. She has another who “uses her and abuses her,” and is someone with whom there is no future.
Instead of doing the smart thing — dumping the bum and sticking with the good guy — she can't seem to tear herself away from the loser. She even tells the nice one he “deserves someone who is free to give it all,” which she isn't willing to do.
One of the memorable things about the song is the clever use of rainy metaphors to describe her dilemma. One such reference is about being safely under the umbrella of the good guy instead of out in the rain with the other fellow.
I once thought the singer to be Connie Francis, but this song doesn't seem to be among her recordings.
Perhaps you can end this lengthy exercise in futility.
—Meredith Raines, Portsmouth, Ohio
DEAR MEREDITH: Let's put an end to the futility.
You have the first half of this singer's name right. She is the very lovely Connie Eaton, who made the record you can't forget.
The title is “If I Knew Enough to Come Out of the Rain” (ABC 12098), and, as you mention, the weather metaphors Connie uses are brilliant.
Be assured you are not the only one whose life has imitated art in this regard. Countless others also relate to Connie's tuneful predicament — which kicks off with an admission to what psychologists and meteorologists might call precipitative masochism:
“Maybe I'm just crazy
For it's something I that I just can't explain
Don't know what else I can tell you
Maybe I just like walking in the rain”
DEAR JERRY: I enjoy hearing the golden oldies on radio and watching the doo-wop shows on TV.
But for some reason none of them ever include two of my favorite songs: “Lonely Winds” and “She Say.” I can't figure out why this is.
Could it be because they are both by one-hit wonders? Who did record them?
—Don Wakefield, Wrightsville, Pa.
DEAR DON: Both “Lonely Winds” and “She Say (Oom Dooby Doom)” are by groups with many hits to their credit, meaning there must be some other reason you don't hear these records.
You might try requesting them, since many oldies stations like to know what listeners want to hear.
As for the group names, “Lonely Winds” is a Top 60 hit (1960) for the Drifters, and “She Say”(Oom Dooby Doom),” by the Diamonds, reached the Top 20 (1959).
IZ ZAT SO? While hit makers like the Drifters and Diamonds are far from one-hit wonder status, let us review some examples that truly define the term.
Through four decades of music (1950 through 1989), these nine recording artists had the nation's No. 1 hit, yet never again did any of them even appear in the Top 100:
1950: Anton Karas (“The Third Man Theme”); 1952: Johnny Standley (“It's in the Book”); 1955: Joan Weber (“Let Me Go Lover”); 1958: Laurie London (“He's Got the Whole World in His Hands”); 1960: Hollywood Argyles (“Alley Oop”); 1969: Zager & Evans (“In the Year 2525”); 1979: M (“Pop Muzik”); 1982: Vangelis (“Chariots of Fire - Title”); 1985: Jan Hammer (“Miami Vice Theme”).
Copyright 2009 Osbourne Enterprises- Reprinted By Permission
-----------------------------------------------
"Rockin Records" is now on sale- call with the code "CVR" and receive $6 off your purchase
http://www.jerryosborne.com/
Toll-Free: (800) 246-3255
Jerry Osborne's "Rockin' Records" has long been the most popular record guide. Now with 1,104 pages, it is by far the biggest record guide we've ever made. It is regarded throughout the industry as the best available guide, and it is the one accepted by all the major insurance companies.
Call today with the code "CVR" to receive your discount!
Music News & Notes
Beatles, Nirvana Memorabilia Raises Thousands At Auction
An auction of memorabilia belonging to the likes of The Beatles and Nirvana has raised thousands of dollars in New York.
A souvenir poster of The Beatles 'Sgt Pepper...' album was the most popular item, raising $52,500.
One of the late Kurt Cobain's bass guitars raised $43,750, while handwritten lyrics by Bob Dylan fetched $25,000.
More than 300 pieces of music memorabilia went under the hammer at Christie's, raising a total of $650,000.
But only around 70% of all items sold, as the auction industry continues to feel the effects of the tough economic climate.
================================
Sunny Day Real Estate Reunion Tour, Reissues Scheduled
Following a more than 10 year hiatus, all four original members of pioneering Seattle rock band Sunny Day Real Estate will regroup for a 20-date US tour starting September 17th, 2009. In addition, Sub Pop Records will re-issue both "Diary" and the band's second full-length album, commonly known as "LP2" (or "The Pink Album" for its entirely pink cover). Both re-mastered albums will include rare bonus tracks as well as newly written liner notes and will be released on both CD and LP September 15, 2009, just prior to the start of the tour.
Originally formed in Seattle in 1992, Sunny Day Real Estate featured Nate Mendel (bass), William Goldsmith (drums), Dan Hoerner (guitar,vocals) and Jeremy Enigk (vocals, guitar). "Diary," the band's first full-length album, was released in 1994 on Sub Pop, going on to become the seventh-best selling record in the label's history with more than 231,000 copies scanned in the US alone. "Diary" was recorded at Chicago's Idful Studios with producer Brad Wood and released to critical acclaim. Following the completion of a US Tour to support the debut release, the group headed back into the studio with Wood to record the follow-up.
But during the recording sessions, internal tensions splintered Sunny Day Real Estate, resulting in a sudden break-up and the finished album being turned in to Sub Pop without a title or artwork. LP2 was released in November 1995, by which time both Goldsmith and Mendel had joined Foo Fighters and Enigk had begun a solo career. Without Mendel, Sunny Day Real Estate reunited in 1997 and released two more studio albums (the 1998 Sub Pop release "How It Feels to Be Something On" and in 2000 "The Rising Tide on Time Bomb") before disbanding again in 2001. Sunny Day Real Estate's influence has grown exponentially since the band's initial split.
================================
Heart Recording New Album
Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart have said that they have been in and out of the studio for the last few months recording their follow-up to 2004's Jupiter's Darling. Nancy told Billboard magazine "We've got about eight songs that we really like, and we've recorded three basic (tracks) that work so far. I know it will be out this coming year, but I can't give you any more specific time frame than that.
"We're recording with just a real woodshed, small acoustic element, people playing together at the same time and (in) the same room -- like what they used to call a hootenanny."
================================
Rolling Stone Readers Pick Hey Jude as McCartney's Greatest Song
To celebrate Paul McCartney's 67th birthday, Rolling Stone asked its readers to pick their favorite song written by the former Beatle.
A number of interesting things came out of the list, even though the list was meant to celebrate the anniversary of his birth, the song "Birthday" didn't make the top 15. "Yesterday," which is the most recorded song in music history, came in only tenth. The breakdown on the tracks was nine from the Beatles and six from McCartney's solo career.
The Rolling Stone reader's picks:
•Hey Jude
•Penny Lane
•Maybe I’m Amazed
•Helter Skelter
•Oh! Darling
•Live and Let Die
•Eleanor Rigby
•I Will
•Jet
•Yesterday
•Let It Be
•Let Me Roll It
•Band on the Run
•Too Many People
•For No One
================================
Arctic Monkeys - new album & 2009 tour dates
Arctic Monkeys are poised to release their third album "Humbug" on Tuesday, August 25th, 2009.
Produced by Josh Homme in the Mojave Desert and Los Angeles and James Ford in Brooklyn, Humbug features 10 brand new Arctic Monkeys' songs. Fans can now pre-order the album in bundle form, with a collectible, limited edition poster, from the band's website.
The band, who will be headlining the Reading and Leeds Festivals in the UK in August and playing the following shows over the summer, have announced 4 new shows in the US in August."
Arctic Monkeys - 2009 Tour Dates
Saturday, August 1st All Points West, Liberty State Park, New Jersey
Sunday, August 2nd Osheaga Festival, Montreal, Canada
Monday, August 3rd Highline, New York, NY*
Wednesday, August 5th Paradise, Boston, MA*
Friday, August 7th Metro, Chicago, IL*
Saturday, August 8th Lollapalooza, Chicago, IL*
Friday, August 28th Leeds Festival, England
Saturday, August 29th Reading Festival, England
October 2-4 Austin City Limits, Austin, TX
An auction of memorabilia belonging to the likes of The Beatles and Nirvana has raised thousands of dollars in New York.
A souvenir poster of The Beatles 'Sgt Pepper...' album was the most popular item, raising $52,500.
One of the late Kurt Cobain's bass guitars raised $43,750, while handwritten lyrics by Bob Dylan fetched $25,000.
More than 300 pieces of music memorabilia went under the hammer at Christie's, raising a total of $650,000.
But only around 70% of all items sold, as the auction industry continues to feel the effects of the tough economic climate.
================================
Sunny Day Real Estate Reunion Tour, Reissues Scheduled
Following a more than 10 year hiatus, all four original members of pioneering Seattle rock band Sunny Day Real Estate will regroup for a 20-date US tour starting September 17th, 2009. In addition, Sub Pop Records will re-issue both "Diary" and the band's second full-length album, commonly known as "LP2" (or "The Pink Album" for its entirely pink cover). Both re-mastered albums will include rare bonus tracks as well as newly written liner notes and will be released on both CD and LP September 15, 2009, just prior to the start of the tour.
Originally formed in Seattle in 1992, Sunny Day Real Estate featured Nate Mendel (bass), William Goldsmith (drums), Dan Hoerner (guitar,vocals) and Jeremy Enigk (vocals, guitar). "Diary," the band's first full-length album, was released in 1994 on Sub Pop, going on to become the seventh-best selling record in the label's history with more than 231,000 copies scanned in the US alone. "Diary" was recorded at Chicago's Idful Studios with producer Brad Wood and released to critical acclaim. Following the completion of a US Tour to support the debut release, the group headed back into the studio with Wood to record the follow-up.
But during the recording sessions, internal tensions splintered Sunny Day Real Estate, resulting in a sudden break-up and the finished album being turned in to Sub Pop without a title or artwork. LP2 was released in November 1995, by which time both Goldsmith and Mendel had joined Foo Fighters and Enigk had begun a solo career. Without Mendel, Sunny Day Real Estate reunited in 1997 and released two more studio albums (the 1998 Sub Pop release "How It Feels to Be Something On" and in 2000 "The Rising Tide on Time Bomb") before disbanding again in 2001. Sunny Day Real Estate's influence has grown exponentially since the band's initial split.
================================
Heart Recording New Album
Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart have said that they have been in and out of the studio for the last few months recording their follow-up to 2004's Jupiter's Darling. Nancy told Billboard magazine "We've got about eight songs that we really like, and we've recorded three basic (tracks) that work so far. I know it will be out this coming year, but I can't give you any more specific time frame than that.
"We're recording with just a real woodshed, small acoustic element, people playing together at the same time and (in) the same room -- like what they used to call a hootenanny."
================================
Rolling Stone Readers Pick Hey Jude as McCartney's Greatest Song
To celebrate Paul McCartney's 67th birthday, Rolling Stone asked its readers to pick their favorite song written by the former Beatle.
A number of interesting things came out of the list, even though the list was meant to celebrate the anniversary of his birth, the song "Birthday" didn't make the top 15. "Yesterday," which is the most recorded song in music history, came in only tenth. The breakdown on the tracks was nine from the Beatles and six from McCartney's solo career.
The Rolling Stone reader's picks:
•Hey Jude
•Penny Lane
•Maybe I’m Amazed
•Helter Skelter
•Oh! Darling
•Live and Let Die
•Eleanor Rigby
•I Will
•Jet
•Yesterday
•Let It Be
•Let Me Roll It
•Band on the Run
•Too Many People
•For No One
================================
Arctic Monkeys - new album & 2009 tour dates
Arctic Monkeys are poised to release their third album "Humbug" on Tuesday, August 25th, 2009.
Produced by Josh Homme in the Mojave Desert and Los Angeles and James Ford in Brooklyn, Humbug features 10 brand new Arctic Monkeys' songs. Fans can now pre-order the album in bundle form, with a collectible, limited edition poster, from the band's website.
The band, who will be headlining the Reading and Leeds Festivals in the UK in August and playing the following shows over the summer, have announced 4 new shows in the US in August."
Arctic Monkeys - 2009 Tour Dates
Saturday, August 1st All Points West, Liberty State Park, New Jersey
Sunday, August 2nd Osheaga Festival, Montreal, Canada
Monday, August 3rd Highline, New York, NY*
Wednesday, August 5th Paradise, Boston, MA*
Friday, August 7th Metro, Chicago, IL*
Saturday, August 8th Lollapalooza, Chicago, IL*
Friday, August 28th Leeds Festival, England
Saturday, August 29th Reading Festival, England
October 2-4 Austin City Limits, Austin, TX
'Void' LP player spins records in midair like musical UFOs
Inspired by the Vinyl Killer, which is currently the smallest record player in the world, Korean designer Rhea Jeong's "Void" LP player would have records spinning in midair above it.
Here's the plan, according to Designboom, who Jeong sent the design to:
The record player uses a carrier and dock outfitted with a magnetic and auto-calibrating control system which carries the LP into thin air as it is playing music. A self-running record player shaped in the form of a red sphere, contains a needle, amplifier and speaker, spins around the record, bringing the music to life.
There's even a control on the player's base to control how high the record spins.
What the heck? Looks a bit weird to me, someone with this type of talent should be designing things that can be useful, although it's still pretty unusual.
Suburban Home announces 14th Anniversary Celebrations
This from Virgil Dickerson of Suburban Home Records:
That’s right, Suburban Home turns 14 in September. As we have in recent years, we plan to throw a weekend of festivities that will be sure to leave your ears happy and your liver sad. Unlike some Anniversaries, this is not just another year. Our entire history at Suburban Home has seen its share of ups and downs. We have suffered through declining CD sales, experienced renewed interest in vinyl, and feel throughout all of this that we have been putting out the best records we have ever released. As other labels have been shutting their doors, we continue to eek by. This anniversary finds us celebrating much like I imagine an terminal patient might celebrate another birthday. Who knows how many years we have left? It’s not worth worrying about, instead we are excited to celebrate another beautiful year.
Mark the following dates on your calendar:
Thursday, September 10th – Suburban Home Anniversary warm-up show (either in Ft Collins or Colorado Springs)
Friday, September 11th – Suburban Home 14th Anniversary show #1 at 3 Kings Tavern
Saturday, September 12th – Daytime- Garage Sale/Flea Market, Nighttime- Suburban Home 14th Anniversary show #2 at 3 Kings Tavern
Sunday, September 13th – Suburban Home 14th Anniversary BBQ and Washers Tournament at Wash Park
So far, the following Suburban Home artists have committed to performing: Joey Cape, Jon Snodgrass, Chad Price, maybe Drag the River, Austin Lucas, Two Cow Garage, Mike Hale, Jr. Juggernaut, The Takers, and the Revenge.
We are still awaiting final confirmations from: Look Mexico, Tim Barry, Josh Small, In the Red, Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, and Ninja Gun. And we are working on a few surprise performers that are a part of the extended Suburban Home family. Stay tuned, it should be one hell of a party.
I am working on a deal at the Towne Place Suites Hotel on 6th and Broadway for people coming in from out of town. I am also working on a few brewery tours, and other fun things to do for people that are new to our fine city. Just mark the dates on your calendar and start pricing out flights!
Virgil Dickerson- In The News
Q&A: Virgil Dickerson of Suburban Home Records and Vinyl Collective
Virgil Dickerson is a busy dude. When he’s not running his indie label Suburban Home out of his Denver, Colorado office, he’s busy overseeing Vinyl Collective, the distro and online store he launched three years ago that specializes in — you guessed it — vinyl. And somewhere in between all that he also manages to make time for a wife and kid. Specializing in alt-country and tuneful punk rock, Suburban Home has released records from Drag the River, Useless I.D. and Tim Barry, lead singer of Avail. The label even has a Drunk Dial Hotline, a voicemail line that inebriated bands — and fans — are encouraged to call when they’ve had too much to drink, the highlights of which are posted on the labl’s website. We chatted with Dickerson about his two businesses, harnessing social media and the death of the label sampler.
Your label is named after a Descendents song, were they your entree to punk rock?
They weren’t my first experience with punk rock. I went to college in Boulder at C.U. in ‘93, and I was a big hip-hop guy leading up to that and never really latched on to too much rock. But the first bands I got exposed to were Screeching Weasel, Green Day and Operation Ivy. And that blew my mind. It opened me up to a whole other world that I knew nothing about. Shortly thereafter, I started thinking about doing a fanzine, and the name came up because of the Descendents song, who I became a big fan of. We were going to call the zine Suburban Homes and Gardens, but for whatever reason we decided to just make it Suburban Home. And that started in September of ‘95.
And when did you put out your first record?
Read the rest of the interview here:
www.yuppiepunk.org
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
New Music Releases June 23
Alexisonfire - Old Crows/Young Cardinals
Astra - The Weirding
The Bats - The Guilty Office
Bjork - Voltaic (CD/DVD)
Jay Brannan - In Living Cover
Tom Brosseau - Posthumous Success
Chase Long Beach - Gravity Is What You Make It
Cheap Trick - The Latest
Cher - 3614 Jackson Highway
Climax Blues Band - Back to Back: Sense of Direction/Stamp Album (Bonus Tracks)
Al Cohn/Joe Newman/Freddie Green - Mosaic Select: Al Cohn, Joe Newman & Freddie Green
Shawn Colvin - Live
Christina Courtin - Christina Courtin
Def Leppard - Adrenalize (Deluxe Edition)
Def Leppard - Pyromania (Deluxe Edition)
Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings
Kurt Elling - Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman
Eryn Non Dae - Hydra Lernaïa
Fast Life Youngstaz - Jamboree
David Frizzell/Shelly West - The Very Best of David Frizzell & Shelly West
Future of the Left - Travels with Myself and Another
Girls at Our Best - Pleasure
Goatwhore - Carving out the Eyes of God
God Help the Girl - God Help the Girl
Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul (Bonus Tracks)
Patterson Hood - Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs)
Hot Chocolate - Every 1’s a Winner
Jets Overhead - No Nations
Michael Johns - Hold Back My Heart
The Lemonheads - Varshons
Love Is All - Last Choice
The Marvelettes - Forever: The Complete Motown Albums, Vol. 1 Mars Volta - Octahedron
Eugene McGuinness - Eugene McGuinness
Tift Merritt - Buckingham Solo
Mount Eerie - Dawn
Alexi Murdoch - Away We Go
Laura Nyro - Mother’s Spiritual
Brian Olive - Brian Olive
John Powell - Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (Score)
Regina Spektor - Far
Royal City - Royal City
The Sa-Ra Creative Partners - Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love
Spooky Tooth - Lost in My Dream: An Anthology 1968-1974
Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer
Al B. Sure! - Honey I’m Home
Otis Taylor - Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs
Pete Yorn - Back & Fourth
Tonic - A Casual Affair: The Best of Tonic
The Woggles - Tempo Tantrum
Original Soundtrack - I Love You, Beth Cooper
Original Soundtrack - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Original Soundtrack)
Astra - The Weirding
The Bats - The Guilty Office
Bjork - Voltaic (CD/DVD)
Jay Brannan - In Living Cover
Tom Brosseau - Posthumous Success
Chase Long Beach - Gravity Is What You Make It
Cheap Trick - The Latest
Cher - 3614 Jackson Highway
Climax Blues Band - Back to Back: Sense of Direction/Stamp Album (Bonus Tracks)
Al Cohn/Joe Newman/Freddie Green - Mosaic Select: Al Cohn, Joe Newman & Freddie Green
Shawn Colvin - Live
Christina Courtin - Christina Courtin
Def Leppard - Adrenalize (Deluxe Edition)
Def Leppard - Pyromania (Deluxe Edition)
Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings
Kurt Elling - Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman
Eryn Non Dae - Hydra Lernaïa
Fast Life Youngstaz - Jamboree
David Frizzell/Shelly West - The Very Best of David Frizzell & Shelly West
Future of the Left - Travels with Myself and Another
Girls at Our Best - Pleasure
Goatwhore - Carving out the Eyes of God
God Help the Girl - God Help the Girl
Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul (Bonus Tracks)
Patterson Hood - Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs)
Hot Chocolate - Every 1’s a Winner
Jets Overhead - No Nations
Michael Johns - Hold Back My Heart
The Lemonheads - Varshons
Love Is All - Last Choice
The Marvelettes - Forever: The Complete Motown Albums, Vol. 1 Mars Volta - Octahedron
Eugene McGuinness - Eugene McGuinness
Tift Merritt - Buckingham Solo
Mount Eerie - Dawn
Alexi Murdoch - Away We Go
Laura Nyro - Mother’s Spiritual
Brian Olive - Brian Olive
John Powell - Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (Score)
Regina Spektor - Far
Royal City - Royal City
The Sa-Ra Creative Partners - Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love
Spooky Tooth - Lost in My Dream: An Anthology 1968-1974
Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer
Al B. Sure! - Honey I’m Home
Otis Taylor - Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs
Pete Yorn - Back & Fourth
Tonic - A Casual Affair: The Best of Tonic
The Woggles - Tempo Tantrum
Original Soundtrack - I Love You, Beth Cooper
Original Soundtrack - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Original Soundtrack)
New Vinyl Releases- June 23
Acid Mothers Temple: Dark Side of the Black Moon: What Planet Are We On? (vinyl)
The Aggrolites: IV (vinyl)
Al Green: Greatest Hits (vinyl reissue)
Al Green: I'm Still in Love with You (vinyl reissue)
Al Green: Let's Stay Together (vinyl reissue)
Au Revoir Simone: Still Night, Still Light (vinyl)
Bibio: Ambivalence Avenue (vinyl)
Black Meteoric Star: Dominatron/Anthem (vinyl)
Brian Olive: Brian Olive (vinyl)
Busdriver: Jhelli Beam (vinyl)
The Church: Untitled #23 (vinyl)
Death Cab for Cutie: Something About Airplanes (remastered vinyl)
Deer Tick: Born On Flag Day (vinyl)
Deerhunter: Rainwater Cassette Exchange (vinyl)
Dinosaur Jr.: Farm (deluxe edition) (vinyl)
Dream Theater: Black Clouds & Silver Linings (3-CD edition) (2-LP vinyl)
Eprhyme: Shomer Salaam b/w My Mouth Is A House Of Prayer (vinyl)
Foreign Born: Person To Person (vinyl)
Future of the Left: Travels With Myself And Another (vinyl)
God Help The Girl: God Help The Girl (vinyl)
Green Day: 21st Century Breakdown (vinyl)
A Hawk and a Hacksaw: Delivrance (vinyl)
Larry Jon Wilson: Larry Jon Wilson (vinyl)
Love Is All: Last Choice EP
Neko Case: Middle Cyclone (vinyl)
of Montreal: For Our Elegante Caste (vinyl)
Pavement: Brighten The Corners: Nicene Creedence Ed. (remastered 4-LP vinyl box set)
R.E.M.: Murmur (remastered vinyl)
R.E.M.: Reckoning (remastered with bonus disc) (vinyl)
Royal City: Royal City (vinyl)
Spinnerette: Spinnerette (vinyl)
Sunset Rubdown: Dragonslayer (vinyl)
Tom Waits: Swordfishtrombones (vinyl reissue)
Tortoise: Beacons of Ancestorship (vinyl)
Venetian Snares: Horsey Noises EP (vinyl)
Wolves in the Throne Room: Black Cascade (vinyl)
Wooden Shjips: Contact EP (vinyl)
Ya Ho Wha 13: Magnificence in the Memory (vinyl)
Young Widows / Pelican: Young Widows Split Series Vol. 3 (vinyl)
Other notable releases:
John Mellencamp: Life Death Live & Freedom (2-CD & DVD edition)
George Jones: A Good Year For The Roses - The Complete Musicor Recordings 1965-1971 Part 2 (4-CD box set)
Creedence Clearwater Revival: 40th Anniversary Edition Box Set (7-CD box set) Buy CCR Music
Neil Young: Rock At The Beach - Live 1989 (dvd)
John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band: Live in Toronto '69 (dvd)
Merchants see vinyl revival
By Kathleen Moore
Gazette Reporter
SCHENECTADY — Vinyl is making a comeback.
The foot-wide records, which had to be carefully handled and could only be played with precisely placed needles, were long ago replaced by cassettes and later smooth-sounding, hand-sized compact discs.
But now vinyl is back, embraced by teenagers who beg for a record player as a birthday present. Local vinyl store owners say their sales are so strong that they’ve kept pace even in the recession.
The resurgence led Niskayuna resident Bruce Northrup to open what may be Schenectady’s only vinyl record store. He sells used books and records at The Old Book Surfer at 2334 Guilderland Ave.
He’s aiming mostly for the adult crowd — “the collector population that are looking for memories of the past” — but other store owners say the real market is children.
Read the rest here: dailygazette.com
Gazette Reporter
SCHENECTADY — Vinyl is making a comeback.
The foot-wide records, which had to be carefully handled and could only be played with precisely placed needles, were long ago replaced by cassettes and later smooth-sounding, hand-sized compact discs.
But now vinyl is back, embraced by teenagers who beg for a record player as a birthday present. Local vinyl store owners say their sales are so strong that they’ve kept pace even in the recession.
The resurgence led Niskayuna resident Bruce Northrup to open what may be Schenectady’s only vinyl record store. He sells used books and records at The Old Book Surfer at 2334 Guilderland Ave.
He’s aiming mostly for the adult crowd — “the collector population that are looking for memories of the past” — but other store owners say the real market is children.
Read the rest here: dailygazette.com
Music News & Notes
New KISS Album Almost Done, Most Likely Exclusive to Wal-Mart
Paul Stanley sent a note over to kissonline.com talking about the new KISS album.
"We're about four days from finishing the new KISS album. Eleven tracks, and it IS everything I've told you. It IS classic. It IS all written within the band. And IT ROCKS BIG TIME! Tommy and Eric both handle lead vocals. The songs, sound and playing will knock your socks off. You will all be as proud and excited as we all are. Oh...and WAIT till you see the cover!"
We ARE just getting started!
The album is, from all indications, going to be another Wal-Mart exclusive. The first clue is a little information that Gene Simmons let drop accidentally (or, knowing Gene, accidentally on-purpose) during an in-studio meet-up with none other than Denise Richards during a guest stint she did on Sirius/XM Radio. In the clip, Gene can be seen talking about how he is going to visit with the CEO of Wal-Mart and they will be dedicating an entire section of their store to the band.
The other clue is that Simmons and Stanley made an appearance at the Wal-Mart shareholder's meeting on June 5.
No release date has been set for the album.
=======================
Monkee Ill Again
The Monkees' Peter Tork has confirmed on Twitter that he has had a re-occurance of the head and neck cancer that was originally found in March. He is currently undergoing radition treatment while still out playing shows.
He wrote on his Facebook page:
...weds I was greeted by the good doctor (may his tribe increase), with the stunning news that 10 weeks after my surgery, the cancer is back. I was so taken aback by the news that I wasn't able to ask much. dr did say that the chance is about 80% that they will "get ahead" of the growth, and be able to control and shrink it...didn't feel a thing during radiation...i thank you for your attention and concern.
========================
Play The Real Thing Kids
So, what do real guitarists think of Guitar Hero and Rock Band? Jimmy Page and Jack White talked about it during a press conference promoting their movie It Might Get Loud.
White said, "It's depressing to have a label come and tell you that is how kids are learning about music and experiencing music."
Page added that he didn't think much could really be learned from the games.
"You think of the drum part that John Bonahm did on Led Zeppelin's first track on the first album, Good Times Bad Times. How many drummers in the world can play that part, let alone on Christmas morning?"
Amen, Mr. Page.
===========================
Antony And The Johnsons To Release "Aeon"/"Crazy In Love" Single
Antony and the Johnsons will release the "Aeon"/"Crazy in Love" double A-side single in the US on August 4th on CD and 7" through Secretly Canadian and on August 3rd in Europe and UK on 7" through Rough Trade. The band appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman for the song's television debut. Antony and the Johnsons' earnest and impassioned cover of Beyonce's "Crazy in Love," a long time live favorite, is being released officially for the first time.
===========================
Jackson's Jewels
Michael Jackson will wear costumes embossed with over 300,000 Swarovski crystals at his comeback gigs in London.
The crystalised elements on the singer's stage outfits will feature 53 different shapes, 40 different sizes and 27 different colours. How Freaking cute, grab man.
Jackson's dance collaborator Kenny Ortega said the partnership had “inspired our fashion and scenic elements to a new state of the art”.
The announcement comes as Jackson prepares to release extra production seats for the gigs at London's O2 Arena, which get under way on July 13.
===========================
R.I.P Jeff Winfield (Left Banke)
Jeff Winfield, the original guitarist for the Left Banke, passed away back on June 11from pneumonia. He played on the group's first album and, later, with the group Birth of Spring who recorded for Mercury.
Walk Away Renee by Dawn Eden
The first hint of industry recognition came from Harry Lookofsky himself. "Mike's father used to come in late at night, on and off," says Cameron, "to check up on the boys and see what they were doing." The boys were doing a lot besides playing, I'll tell you that much! Mike went down one night and introduced 'Walk Away Renee' to us. Steve hated the song, of course. Tom and I thought it had possibilities. We played it and had Steve sing lead on it, and it started coming out pretty good. Mike's father heard it and said, 'Let's try to record it.' And bingo.
The song was inspired by Renee Fladen, a platinum blonde vision. Cameron: "Renee was Mike Brown's big love, and Tommy liked her a lot too. Tall, blonde, and quiet. Mike was like a little kid around her. He'd bring her up to the studio to hear his latest songs, and then we'd all come out and sing. She'd just sit there and listen and smile a lot."
Finn: "Most of the kids were half-runaways in those days. A bunch of teenagers got an apartment together- a crash pad- in Tin Pan Alley, around the Broadway area. Renee lived there part- time when she didn't live with her mother."
"I brought her over to the studio. For a kid of 16, or 17, she was free, liberal, open- minded, sexy- everything. She was just very different for that time, so she bowled Mike over."
Brown: "I met her through the newly formed Left Banke. They would run around, so to speak, because they knew a lot of people. I was hanging around with the group, and it was just in one of those chance encounters that I met her."
Discussing Renee, Brown refers to her in free-spirited terms like those used by Finn: "What people forget is that the main thing that was happening with everybody I was hanging around with- was a new era. That didn't last very long. The reich was supposed to go for a thousand years, and this couldn't last 10. But whether you fell in love or anything else, everybody just sort of floated around."
Brown says that he wrote "Walk Away Renee" one month after he met Renee, in the winter of '65. He then wrote what became the Left Banke's second hit, "Pretty Ballerina" and "She May Call You Up Tonight" (on the Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina LP), both about the very same young woman.
Renee never went out with Brown, dated Finn briefly, and later went out with the group's original drummer, Warren David. "After that," says Finn, "using 60's lingo, she 'split the scene' because of all the different guys liking her. She felt very uncomfortable."
Brown describes his unrequited feelings for Renee: "I was just sort of mythologically in love, if you know what I mean," he says, "without having evidence in fact or in deed." As Brown says this he laughs softly. His laugh sounds like that of one who would rather laugh than cry.
"But I was as close as anybody could be to the real thing," he adds. "As a matter of fact, like in the Twilight Zone or something, if you cross over, you lose what you have. It's only because you're away from it that you can appreciate the beauty of it. Once you've become immersed in it, you can't see the sunlight coming through the window, because you're no longer doing that. You're in that light."
This Date In Music History-June23
Birthdays:
Aimee Anne Duffy - (Duffy) Welsh singer-songwriter (1984)
James MacPherson - Breeders (1966)
Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs - Oasis (1965) Quit the band in Aug 1999.
Rosetta Hightower - The Orlons (1944)
Steve Shelley - Sonic Youth (1962)
Randy Jackson - American musician and record producer, judge on American Idol (1956)
Robert Hunter - lyricist for the Grateful Dead (1941)
They Are Missed:
Born in 1940, Adam Faith, singer and actor. Faith died on March 8, 2003.
Also born on this day in 1940, Stuart Sutcliffe, original bassist of The Beatles for eighteen months (January 1960 - June 1961). Died of a brain hemorrhage on April 10, 1962 (age) 22.
Born today in 1937, Niki Sullivan, guitarist, singer, one of the three original members of Buddy Holly's backing group, The Crickets. He co-wrote a number of his hit songs and sang back-up vocals on 27 of the 32 songs Buddy recorded over his brief career. Sullivan died suddenly of a heart attack on April 6, 2004 (age 66).
Born on this day in 1929, June Carter Cash, country singer, wife of Johnny Cash. Died May 15, 2003 (age 73).
History:
In 1814, Adolphe (Antoine Joseph) Sax was born. He was the inventor of the saxophone.
Ray Charles started a 14-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1962 with “Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music.”
In 2007, 1,800 guitarists in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany, set a world record for a mass guitar performance of Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water." This effort breaks the mark set just three weeks earlier in Kansas City, KS, when over 1,600 played the riff.
In 1965, Motown Records released "Tracks Of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles. The same song will be a hit for Linda Ronstadt in 1976.
In 1977, a very inebriated Keith Moon joined Led Zeppelin onstage in Los Angeles. He belts seven shades of sh*t out of a tympani on "Moby Dick" and "Rock and Roll," then proceeded to call John Bonham the best living rock drummer in the world today.
The Knack released "My Sharona” in 1979.
The #1 album in the US in 1979 was Supertramp's "Breakfast in America."
In 1975, during his “Welcome To My Nightmare” tour in Vancouver, Canada, Alice Cooper fell from the stage and broke six ribs.
George Harrison started a five-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1973 with “Living In The Material World.”
Pink Floyd made their US Top Forty debut in 1973 with "Money." It reached #13.
In 1990, Buddy Holly’s Gibson acoustic guitar sold for $237,419 in a Sotheby's auction. The guitar was in a tooled leather case made by Holly himself.
13-year-old Keith Sorrentino filed a $500,000 lawsuit against Madonna in 1990, claiming he suffered nightmares and bed-wetting problems after an incident outside Madonna’s home when she allegedly flung him to the ground. Temper, temper Midge.
Nelly started a seven week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 2002 with “Hot In Here.”
In London in 2003, Eminem gave a $450,000 necklace to a fan in the front row of a concert. He had announced while from the stage that "I'm going to give this to the sexiest woman I see.
In 1976, Paul McCartney & Wings wrapped up their tour at Inglewood, Calif.'s Forum. Sir Paul wouldn't tour the US for another 13 years.
In 1963, Del Shannon charts with "From Me To You, which becomes the first Lennon & McCartney composition to make the Billboard Hot 100.
B.W. Stevenson recorded "My Maria" in 1973.
Elvis Presley cuts "If I Can Dream" in 1968
In 1995, CBS News anchor Dan Rather joins R.E.M. onstage at Madison Square Garden during a soundcheck to perform "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?" which referred to a bizarre incident years before when Rather was beaten up by thugs demanding the answer to the question. The performance was shown on David Letterman's "The Late Show."
In 2009, Chris Brown pleaded guilty to one count of assault on his former girlfriend, Rihanna. The 19 year-old R&B singer was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to do six months community service. Brown had faced charges of assaulting Rihanna, 21, during a row in February. The last-minute plea deal came before a hearing at a Los Angeles court at which Rihanna was due to give evidence. The Los Angeles County Superior Court judge also ordered Brown and Rihanna to stay at least 50 yards from each other, except at entertainment industry events when the distance is reduced to 10 yards. Good, never hit a woman.....
Duran Duran started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1984 with “The Reflex,” the group's first US #1, also a UK #1.
Aimee Anne Duffy - (Duffy) Welsh singer-songwriter (1984)
James MacPherson - Breeders (1966)
Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs - Oasis (1965) Quit the band in Aug 1999.
Rosetta Hightower - The Orlons (1944)
Steve Shelley - Sonic Youth (1962)
Randy Jackson - American musician and record producer, judge on American Idol (1956)
Robert Hunter - lyricist for the Grateful Dead (1941)
They Are Missed:
Born in 1940, Adam Faith, singer and actor. Faith died on March 8, 2003.
Also born on this day in 1940, Stuart Sutcliffe, original bassist of The Beatles for eighteen months (January 1960 - June 1961). Died of a brain hemorrhage on April 10, 1962 (age) 22.
Born today in 1937, Niki Sullivan, guitarist, singer, one of the three original members of Buddy Holly's backing group, The Crickets. He co-wrote a number of his hit songs and sang back-up vocals on 27 of the 32 songs Buddy recorded over his brief career. Sullivan died suddenly of a heart attack on April 6, 2004 (age 66).
Born on this day in 1929, June Carter Cash, country singer, wife of Johnny Cash. Died May 15, 2003 (age 73).
History:
In 1814, Adolphe (Antoine Joseph) Sax was born. He was the inventor of the saxophone.
Ray Charles started a 14-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1962 with “Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music.”
In 2007, 1,800 guitarists in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany, set a world record for a mass guitar performance of Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water." This effort breaks the mark set just three weeks earlier in Kansas City, KS, when over 1,600 played the riff.
In 1965, Motown Records released "Tracks Of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles. The same song will be a hit for Linda Ronstadt in 1976.
In 1977, a very inebriated Keith Moon joined Led Zeppelin onstage in Los Angeles. He belts seven shades of sh*t out of a tympani on "Moby Dick" and "Rock and Roll," then proceeded to call John Bonham the best living rock drummer in the world today.
The Knack released "My Sharona” in 1979.
The #1 album in the US in 1979 was Supertramp's "Breakfast in America."
In 1975, during his “Welcome To My Nightmare” tour in Vancouver, Canada, Alice Cooper fell from the stage and broke six ribs.
George Harrison started a five-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1973 with “Living In The Material World.”
Pink Floyd made their US Top Forty debut in 1973 with "Money." It reached #13.
In 1990, Buddy Holly’s Gibson acoustic guitar sold for $237,419 in a Sotheby's auction. The guitar was in a tooled leather case made by Holly himself.
13-year-old Keith Sorrentino filed a $500,000 lawsuit against Madonna in 1990, claiming he suffered nightmares and bed-wetting problems after an incident outside Madonna’s home when she allegedly flung him to the ground. Temper, temper Midge.
Nelly started a seven week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 2002 with “Hot In Here.”
In London in 2003, Eminem gave a $450,000 necklace to a fan in the front row of a concert. He had announced while from the stage that "I'm going to give this to the sexiest woman I see.
In 1976, Paul McCartney & Wings wrapped up their tour at Inglewood, Calif.'s Forum. Sir Paul wouldn't tour the US for another 13 years.
In 1963, Del Shannon charts with "From Me To You, which becomes the first Lennon & McCartney composition to make the Billboard Hot 100.
B.W. Stevenson recorded "My Maria" in 1973.
Elvis Presley cuts "If I Can Dream" in 1968
In 1995, CBS News anchor Dan Rather joins R.E.M. onstage at Madison Square Garden during a soundcheck to perform "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?" which referred to a bizarre incident years before when Rather was beaten up by thugs demanding the answer to the question. The performance was shown on David Letterman's "The Late Show."
In 2009, Chris Brown pleaded guilty to one count of assault on his former girlfriend, Rihanna. The 19 year-old R&B singer was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to do six months community service. Brown had faced charges of assaulting Rihanna, 21, during a row in February. The last-minute plea deal came before a hearing at a Los Angeles court at which Rihanna was due to give evidence. The Los Angeles County Superior Court judge also ordered Brown and Rihanna to stay at least 50 yards from each other, except at entertainment industry events when the distance is reduced to 10 yards. Good, never hit a woman.....
Duran Duran started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1984 with “The Reflex,” the group's first US #1, also a UK #1.
'Perfecting Sound Forever': A History Of Audio
Talk of the Nation, June 22, 2009 - In his book, Perfecting Sound Forever, Greg Milner explores the evolution of sound. His history covers the analog days of Thomas Edison through the present day of digital recordings, and the quest for sonic perfection.
Technological advances have complicated the debate about the value of the most accurate reproduction of a sound, versus the most enhanced. Whereas Edison set out to perfectly capture a live performance, today's sound engineers have the ability to create recordings from musicians who aren't in the same room — or aren't even alive at the same time.
Milner takes the reader through major breakthroughs and massive failures in recording history. He also digs into specific recordings from Lead Belly, the Beatles, Mission of Burma, Steve Albini and Massive Attack.
Excerpt: 'Perfecting Sound Forever'By Greg Milner
NPR.org, June 22, 2009 - When a sound wave is generated, the mass is the air itself — or rather, the billions of particles that comprise the air — and the elasticity is the natural tendency of the particles to return to a stable position. These are the characteristics of any sound wave, whether caused by the big bang or by John Bonham's drum intro to Led Zeppelin's version of Memphis Minnie's "When the Levee Breaks." Those two particular sounds are alike in other ways: they are both epic and epochal, and each has been cited as evidence of the hand of God (and in Bonham's case, also His right foot). The latter is easier for us to conceive (though nearly as unlikely to ever be repeated), so let's examine the work performed by Bonham, and its effect on us.
You are very lucky. It is sometime in the early seventies, and you are at a mansion in the English village of Headley. The members of Led Zeppelin are here to make their fourth album, and they have invited you along to watch. Today they will record Bonham's drum part for "When the Levee Breaks." The band wants Bonham's drums to have a booming, reverb-heavy sound. (This is an unusual choice for the time, since the trend in records is toward drums that sound dry, with little resonance.) To achieve the desired effect, they place the drums at the bottom of a stairwell, with the microphone hanging three stories up. You are in the stairwell, a few feet away from the drums. The only person who will be closer to the sound is Bonham.
The engineer announces that the tape is rolling. Bonham counts off the rhythm and then slams his foot down on his kick drum's pedal to begin the beat.......
Read the rest of this intriguing article here: NPR.org
Technological advances have complicated the debate about the value of the most accurate reproduction of a sound, versus the most enhanced. Whereas Edison set out to perfectly capture a live performance, today's sound engineers have the ability to create recordings from musicians who aren't in the same room — or aren't even alive at the same time.
Milner takes the reader through major breakthroughs and massive failures in recording history. He also digs into specific recordings from Lead Belly, the Beatles, Mission of Burma, Steve Albini and Massive Attack.
Excerpt: 'Perfecting Sound Forever'By Greg Milner
NPR.org, June 22, 2009 - When a sound wave is generated, the mass is the air itself — or rather, the billions of particles that comprise the air — and the elasticity is the natural tendency of the particles to return to a stable position. These are the characteristics of any sound wave, whether caused by the big bang or by John Bonham's drum intro to Led Zeppelin's version of Memphis Minnie's "When the Levee Breaks." Those two particular sounds are alike in other ways: they are both epic and epochal, and each has been cited as evidence of the hand of God (and in Bonham's case, also His right foot). The latter is easier for us to conceive (though nearly as unlikely to ever be repeated), so let's examine the work performed by Bonham, and its effect on us.
You are very lucky. It is sometime in the early seventies, and you are at a mansion in the English village of Headley. The members of Led Zeppelin are here to make their fourth album, and they have invited you along to watch. Today they will record Bonham's drum part for "When the Levee Breaks." The band wants Bonham's drums to have a booming, reverb-heavy sound. (This is an unusual choice for the time, since the trend in records is toward drums that sound dry, with little resonance.) To achieve the desired effect, they place the drums at the bottom of a stairwell, with the microphone hanging three stories up. You are in the stairwell, a few feet away from the drums. The only person who will be closer to the sound is Bonham.
The engineer announces that the tape is rolling. Bonham counts off the rhythm and then slams his foot down on his kick drum's pedal to begin the beat.......
Read the rest of this intriguing article here: NPR.org
Monday, June 22, 2009
Bringing Back the Old School just in time for the 21st Century
By: Alex Young
For children growing up in a digital age, it’s wild to think that some kids’ entire music collection will be a collection of digital memories on their computer. In the current climate of unrest within the music industry because of Internet piracy, there’s a revolution that’s coming back to shine in the spotlight once again – the return of the vinyl record. December 2008’s issue of Rolling Stone revealed vinyl sales are up 60 per cent from 2007 in the United States alone. With the re-release of essential rock albums like LA Woman by the Doors and Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys, all kinds of classics are getting a brand new life on vinyl. Whatever your taste may be, there’s an album waiting for you to rediscover it in a way you’ve never heard before and it’s like listening to your favorite albums for the first time all over again. For all of you that have been keeping their loyalty to vinyl strong throughout the years, now you too no longer have to feel like the only analogue dude in a digital world. The influence of the vinyl is anything but forgotten and there are a few characters that have stuck around including like the old school sound technicians, the record storeowners and the collectors. Today you’ll get to hear from each of them and their take on vinyl getting another spin.
There are a lot of differences between vinyl and any other medium but the biggest one is the quality of the recordings themselves. No one can make this any clearer than someone who has been drowning themselves in sound on a daily basis for most of their lives as they know it. This crafty character in the vinyl revolution is like a sergeant sending his troops into battle by telling them what they’re fighting for. This is what the sergeant had to offer the troops to explain to rally the troops in today’s music market. When you are listening to vinyl you are getting a much more intimate experience with the music itself because there’s literally nothing else on the album beyond the musicians.
Analog recording captures a live musician on their own as well as capturing the natural distance and depth within the room. When artists record digitally, the files themselves are already programmed to sound like analog recordings with effects but are actually of a lower fidelity. Mike Trimmer, head of the PA and Live Sound Department at Toronto’s infamous shop Steve’s Music, has worked on the road as a sound and recording engineer for over 20 years. Trimmer took some time to discuss the difference between vinyl and digital sound recordings by pointing out “If you’re working with high end of analog equipment there’s a high fidelity difference. Meaning digital recordings are programmed to sound like live recordings but the quality is a lot thinner which makes some recordings sound more harsh or hollow.” The difference between the quality of vinyl and digital recordings also lies in how the music itself is recorded. Trimmer also said “When you use digital processing, it uses high end modeling equipment that is meant to simulate an analog recording. But when you listen to an analog recording it is just a recording of a live musician and there’s nothing coming between that. The difference is in the detail of the harmonics and textures. Digital recordings are upgraded into a resolution into the 96 range, which is what makes it popular on a recording level. But a CD is still 44.1, which makes it harsher to listen to at high volumes.”
Anyone comparing vinyl to any other medium for music has to keep in mind that vinyl provides a personal experience for its listener. Another character in the audio army breathing new air into the lungs of vinyl is the record storeowner that can speak with technical prowess of someone like the sergeant and the elite lingo of music geeks alike. This character is the record storeowner, who has both a stake in the business and an undying passion that can challenge even the most elite music geeks. Of all the time spent cleaning out your garage rooting through all your parents’ old records from high school it’s only natural to see a flush of memories come back to them all at once. One of vinyl’s biggest appeals is that it provides a truly unique connection between the listener and the music because even there might be 7 trillion copies of Led Zeppelin IV and Sticky Fingers floating around the world, that the copy in your collection was printed just for you.
The grandiose artwork that accompanies every record could be big enough to become a poster and the liner notes could be a novel; these recognizable characteristics allow listeners to identify with their favourite albums in a way that is unheard of anywhere else. Roozbeh Showoeh is the manager of Slinky’s Music in Toronto that sells CD’s, vinyl, and DJ Equipment. Showoeh discussed the personal experience vinyl has to offer anyone that’s willing to listen by saying “It’s interesting to see what an attractive product they’ve become. They’re almost like a fashion statement. Obviously you buy a record for the music but it’s interesting to see people get vinyl for the artwork. I’ve seen all kinds of people frame vinyl, hang it on their walls, use it like a poster and it’s like them using everything that came with the record itself to show their love for the music.”
With vinyl breaking its way back into the mainstream after spending decades in dusty attics and burnt out basements, not everything is perfect for the vintage revival. These are the people who do strive for a more mature quality from their music collection and the people at the heart of vinyl’s survival: the foot soldier that keeps their affection flowing from the heart of music into their inner fanatic. Justin Chard is a first-year Humber College Radio student that interns at Toronto’s heartbeat for modern rock, 102.1 the Edge, and is an absolute vinyl fanatic. Chard owns over three hundred vinyl discs and loves all of them to death, claiming he doesn’t “have the heart” to throw out his albums that are beyond repair. It’s for that reason that Chard finds himself at a crossroads as a modern vinyl collector. “The real bitch is that when you love an album on vinyl to death, it actually dies.” Chard says with a chuckle. “Because of the actual physical contact with the needle, if you’re spinning an album for years on end, it’s obviously not going to last forever. If you break a CD you can just burn another copy, if you lose a tape or hear something on the radio, you can just download it. If you carve one of your vinyl’s to death, it’s great to see how much you can love something like music, but you have to go out and buy a brand new disc.”
It’s interesting to see records get another spin after they were presumed dead for decades. After hearing so many classic cuts such as “Straight to Hell” by the Clash become morphed into MIA’s hit single “Paper Planes” last year, artists that got their start in the vinyl era are clearly not going anywhere. Although vinyl doesn’t have the same pull in the music industry it’s amazing to see that it still has a place in the hearts of music lovers in the twenty-first century even in an age when anyone can practically pull mp3’s out of thin air on the internet. The timeless qualities that come with a vinyl resurrect a connection between a fan and their favorite tunes that the world once thought was extinct with the emergence of tapes and CD’s. It was Bob Dylan that said “the times they are a-changing” but it’s nice to know that the world didn’t forget that, some things will stay golden for a little bit longer.
Source: http://kakonged.wordpress.com
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