Week Ending 09/13/2008
1. 45rpm - Elvis Presley RCA EPB-1254 with alternate picture sleeve - $2,483.00
2. 45rpm - The Idols "Check Her Out" / "Why Am I So Blue" USA - $2,125.00
3. LP - Sonny Rollins "Saxophone Colossus" Prestige 446 - $2,025.00
4. 45rpm - Bobby Kline "Taking Care Of Business" / "Something Nice To Say" MB - 1,727.00
5. LP - The Brigade "Last Laugh" Band 'n Vocal - $1,725.00
SOURCE: http://ccdiscoveries.blogspot.com
Monday, October 6, 2008
Album Cover Art
Let's continue or look at Gigwise.com's list of controversial, weird, best and worst album covers:
Controversial
23. Anthrax: ‘Fist Full Of Metal’ Thank god for heavy "thrash" metal or we wouldn't have Anthrax. Or we could ask god to eliminate them and not have the heavy sounds of Anthrax.
The man who formed Anthrax is also the only remaining founding member: Scott Ian. Scott formed the band with classmate Danny Lilker to cover his favourite Judas Priest and KISS songs. The band played their first self-organized gigs in a church basement, playing covers and own songs. The band underwent a lot of lineup changes in the first years until they were able to record their first demotape with the help of Ex-Manowar Guitarist Ross-The-Boss in 1983. This demo got them a record deal with Megaforce records and Anthrax recorded their debut CD A Fistfull Of Metal and released it in 1984. Surprisingly, the band has withstood many, many different line ups and 'eras' and has produced some of the best thrash rock that was ever created.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weird
23. Aphex Twin: 'Come To Daddy' Ahhh, this weirdo again. Mr. Aphex Twin himself Richard D James' face is pasted onto faces of school children and this is enough to force me never to buy the album.
Come to Daddy is a 1997 EP by electronica artist Richard D. James, commonly known as Aphex Twin. "Come to Daddy, Pappy mix" — often simply called "Come to Daddy" — is one of Aphex Twin's best-known songs.
James describes his work like this:
“ Come to Daddy came about while I was just hanging around my house, getting pissed [drunk] and doing this crappy death metal jingle. Then it got marketed and a video was made, and this little idea that I had, which was a joke, turned into something huge. It wasn't right at all.
Enough said.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst
23. The Frivolous Five – ‘Sour Cream and Other Delights’ I actually like this one- although it would be much better without all that whipped cream (I just want to see how far they sag)
The Frivolous Five were parodying the cover of a popular Herb Alpert album called Whipped Cream and Other Delights. You gotta love a group of grannies who don't take themselves too seriously.
-------------------------------------------
Best
23. The Cure: ‘The Cure’ I have a brilliant idea- let's get a four-year old and give him the artisitic talent of a two-year old and let him design our album cover! Why this makes a 'best of' list is beyond my comprehension.
The Cure are an English rock band that formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several lineup changes, with frontman, guitarist and main songwriter Robert Smith—known for his iconic wild hair, pale complexion, smudged lipstick and frequently gloomy and introspective lyrics—being the only constant member.
The Cure is the eponymously-titled twelfth studio album by The Cure released on June 28, 2004 internationally and a day later in the United States. Initial pressings included a bonus DVD "Making 'The Cure'", which featured video footage of The Cure recording the backing tracks and "scratch" (guide) vocals to three of the songs included on the album.
Controversial
23. Anthrax: ‘Fist Full Of Metal’ Thank god for heavy "thrash" metal or we wouldn't have Anthrax. Or we could ask god to eliminate them and not have the heavy sounds of Anthrax.
The man who formed Anthrax is also the only remaining founding member: Scott Ian. Scott formed the band with classmate Danny Lilker to cover his favourite Judas Priest and KISS songs. The band played their first self-organized gigs in a church basement, playing covers and own songs. The band underwent a lot of lineup changes in the first years until they were able to record their first demotape with the help of Ex-Manowar Guitarist Ross-The-Boss in 1983. This demo got them a record deal with Megaforce records and Anthrax recorded their debut CD A Fistfull Of Metal and released it in 1984. Surprisingly, the band has withstood many, many different line ups and 'eras' and has produced some of the best thrash rock that was ever created.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weird
23. Aphex Twin: 'Come To Daddy' Ahhh, this weirdo again. Mr. Aphex Twin himself Richard D James' face is pasted onto faces of school children and this is enough to force me never to buy the album.
Come to Daddy is a 1997 EP by electronica artist Richard D. James, commonly known as Aphex Twin. "Come to Daddy, Pappy mix" — often simply called "Come to Daddy" — is one of Aphex Twin's best-known songs.
James describes his work like this:
“ Come to Daddy came about while I was just hanging around my house, getting pissed [drunk] and doing this crappy death metal jingle. Then it got marketed and a video was made, and this little idea that I had, which was a joke, turned into something huge. It wasn't right at all.
Enough said.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst
23. The Frivolous Five – ‘Sour Cream and Other Delights’ I actually like this one- although it would be much better without all that whipped cream (I just want to see how far they sag)
The Frivolous Five were parodying the cover of a popular Herb Alpert album called Whipped Cream and Other Delights. You gotta love a group of grannies who don't take themselves too seriously.
-------------------------------------------
Best
23. The Cure: ‘The Cure’ I have a brilliant idea- let's get a four-year old and give him the artisitic talent of a two-year old and let him design our album cover! Why this makes a 'best of' list is beyond my comprehension.The Cure are an English rock band that formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several lineup changes, with frontman, guitarist and main songwriter Robert Smith—known for his iconic wild hair, pale complexion, smudged lipstick and frequently gloomy and introspective lyrics—being the only constant member.
The Cure is the eponymously-titled twelfth studio album by The Cure released on June 28, 2004 internationally and a day later in the United States. Initial pressings included a bonus DVD "Making 'The Cure'", which featured video footage of The Cure recording the backing tracks and "scratch" (guide) vocals to three of the songs included on the album.
Album Cover Art
Let's continue our look at Gigwise.com's list of controversial, weird, best and worst album covers:
Controversial
23. Anthrax: ‘Fist Full Of Metal’ Thank god for heavy "thrash" metal or we wouldn't have Anthrax. Or we could ask god to eliminate them and not have the heavy sounds of Anthrax.
The man who formed Anthrax is also the only remaining founding member: Scott Ian. Scott formed the band with classmate Danny Lilker to cover his favourite Judas Priest and KISS songs. The band played their first self-organized gigs in a church basement, playing covers and own songs. The band underwent a lot of lineup changes in the first years until they were able to record their first demotape with the help of Ex-Manowar Guitarist Ross-The-Boss in 1983. This demo got them a record deal with Megaforce records and Anthrax recorded their debut CD A Fistfull Of Metal and released it in 1984. Surprisingly, the band has withstood many, many different line ups and 'eras' and has produced some of the best thrash rock that was ever created.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weird
23. Aphex Twin: 'Come To Daddy' Ahhh, this weirdo again. Mr. Aphex Twin himself Richard D James' face is pasted onto faces of school children and this is enough to force me never to buy the album.
Come to Daddy is a 1997 EP by electronica artist Richard D. James, commonly known as Aphex Twin. "Come to Daddy, Pappy mix" — often simply called "Come to Daddy" — is one of Aphex Twin's best-known songs.
James describes his work like this:
“ Come to Daddy came about while I was just hanging around my house, getting pissed [drunk] and doing this crappy death metal jingle. Then it got marketed and a video was made, and this little idea that I had, which was a joke, turned into something huge. It wasn't right at all.
Enough said.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst
23. The Frivolous Five – ‘Sour Cream and Other Delights’ I actually like this one- although it would be much better without all that whipped cream.
The Frivolous Five were parodying the cover of a popular Herb Alpert album called Whipped Cream and Other Delights. You gotta love a group of grannies who don't take themselves too seriously.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Best
23. The Cure: ‘The Cure’ I have a brilliant idea- let's get a four-year old and give him the artisitic talent of a two-year old and let him design our album cover! Why this makes a 'best of' list is beyond my comprehension.
The Cure are an English rock band that formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several lineup changes, with frontman, guitarist and main songwriter Robert Smith—known for his iconic wild hair, pale complexion, smudged lipstick and frequently gloomy and introspective lyrics—being the only constant member.
The Cure is the eponymously-titled twelfth studio album by The Cure released on June 28, 2004 internationally and a day later in the United States. Initial pressings included a bonus DVD "Making 'The Cure'", which featured video footage of The Cure recording the backing tracks and "scratch" (guide) vocals to three of the songs included on the album.
Controversial
23. Anthrax: ‘Fist Full Of Metal’ Thank god for heavy "thrash" metal or we wouldn't have Anthrax. Or we could ask god to eliminate them and not have the heavy sounds of Anthrax.
The man who formed Anthrax is also the only remaining founding member: Scott Ian. Scott formed the band with classmate Danny Lilker to cover his favourite Judas Priest and KISS songs. The band played their first self-organized gigs in a church basement, playing covers and own songs. The band underwent a lot of lineup changes in the first years until they were able to record their first demotape with the help of Ex-Manowar Guitarist Ross-The-Boss in 1983. This demo got them a record deal with Megaforce records and Anthrax recorded their debut CD A Fistfull Of Metal and released it in 1984. Surprisingly, the band has withstood many, many different line ups and 'eras' and has produced some of the best thrash rock that was ever created.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weird
23. Aphex Twin: 'Come To Daddy' Ahhh, this weirdo again. Mr. Aphex Twin himself Richard D James' face is pasted onto faces of school children and this is enough to force me never to buy the album.
Come to Daddy is a 1997 EP by electronica artist Richard D. James, commonly known as Aphex Twin. "Come to Daddy, Pappy mix" — often simply called "Come to Daddy" — is one of Aphex Twin's best-known songs.
James describes his work like this:
“ Come to Daddy came about while I was just hanging around my house, getting pissed [drunk] and doing this crappy death metal jingle. Then it got marketed and a video was made, and this little idea that I had, which was a joke, turned into something huge. It wasn't right at all.
Enough said.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst
23. The Frivolous Five – ‘Sour Cream and Other Delights’ I actually like this one- although it would be much better without all that whipped cream.
The Frivolous Five were parodying the cover of a popular Herb Alpert album called Whipped Cream and Other Delights. You gotta love a group of grannies who don't take themselves too seriously.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Best
23. The Cure: ‘The Cure’ I have a brilliant idea- let's get a four-year old and give him the artisitic talent of a two-year old and let him design our album cover! Why this makes a 'best of' list is beyond my comprehension.
The Cure are an English rock band that formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several lineup changes, with frontman, guitarist and main songwriter Robert Smith—known for his iconic wild hair, pale complexion, smudged lipstick and frequently gloomy and introspective lyrics—being the only constant member.
The Cure is the eponymously-titled twelfth studio album by The Cure released on June 28, 2004 internationally and a day later in the United States. Initial pressings included a bonus DVD "Making 'The Cure'", which featured video footage of The Cure recording the backing tracks and "scratch" (guide) vocals to three of the songs included on the album.
This Date In Music History- October 6
Birthdays:
REO Speedwagon singer Kevin Cronin was born in Evanston, Illinois in 1951.
Los Lobos bassist David Hidalgo was born in Los Angeles in 1954. He's also played accordion on albums by Buckwheat Zydeco, Bonnie Raitt, and Tom Waits.
Born on this day in 1964, Matthew Sweet, singer guitarist.
Millie Small ("My Boy Lollipop") is 63.
History:
In 1964, the Beatles recorded 13 takes of "Eight Days a Week." It was the first time Lennon and McCartney had gone into the studio with an incomplete song, then finish it during the recording process. Late evening was spent at The Ad Lib Club, London, partying with The Ronettes and Mick Jagger.
In 1980, the Bee Gees sued their manager, Robert Stigwood, and PolyGram for $200 million. They alleged misrepresentation and fraud, and complained that the defendants had been lining their pockets to the detriment of the group (they settled out-of-court).
Cher started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart in 1973 with 'Half-Breed', the singer’s second US No.1. The single didn't chart in the UK.
The US Top 5 singles in 1970 were: at 5, 'All Right Now' by Free, 4, 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough', Diana Ross, 3, 'Candida', Dawn, 2, 'I'll Be There', Jackson Five and No.1, 'Cracklin' Rose,' Neil Diamond.
In 1958, Billboard Magazine ran an article that stated "payola, that under-the-turntable device whereby record companies win plugs and influence disc jockeys, is fast growing into a monster that may yet destroy its creators. According to key record execs, jockey payola is so widespread that it's no longer possible to measure its effectiveness." Disc jockey Alan Freed's career will soon be ended by the scandal.
In 1966- British rocker Johnny Kidd was killed in a car crash in Manchester, England, at the age of 26. The car was being driven by the husband of the secretary of his fan club. Although he never made a dent in the US record charts, Kidd had several hits in the UK. He is best remembered on the North America music scene for writing The Guess Who's 1965 chart debut, "Shakin' All Over".
In 1969, George Harrison's song "Something" was released as the "A" side of a Beatles' 45, a first for Harrison. Along with Lennon and McCartney's "Come Together", the single will reach number one in the US next month.
Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots received a gold record in 1976 for one of the more bizarre novelty hits of the decade, "Disco Duck". In December, it became only the fourth single ever to be certified platinum.
The Eagles' "Heartache Tonight" was released in 1979. It would become their fifth Billboard number one single.
Bob Marley collapsed onstage during a concert in Pittsburgh in 1980. He was flown to Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York City and then to Ethiopia to rest. He would later be admitted to a German disease-treatment center, but would die of brain tumor in May 1981.
Mick Jagger offered an apology to the Reverend Jesse Jackson in 1978 after Jackson denounced the Stones' song, "Some Girls" as racist. Jagger, however, refused to change the lyrics.
Robert John had the top tune on the Billboard Pop chart in 1979 with a song called "Sad Eyes.” It had been nearly 21 years since his first chart appearance in 1958 with a minor hit, "White Bucks and Saddle Shoes.”
REO Speedwagon singer Kevin Cronin was born in Evanston, Illinois in 1951.
Los Lobos bassist David Hidalgo was born in Los Angeles in 1954. He's also played accordion on albums by Buckwheat Zydeco, Bonnie Raitt, and Tom Waits.
Born on this day in 1964, Matthew Sweet, singer guitarist.
Millie Small ("My Boy Lollipop") is 63.
History:
In 1964, the Beatles recorded 13 takes of "Eight Days a Week." It was the first time Lennon and McCartney had gone into the studio with an incomplete song, then finish it during the recording process. Late evening was spent at The Ad Lib Club, London, partying with The Ronettes and Mick Jagger.
In 1980, the Bee Gees sued their manager, Robert Stigwood, and PolyGram for $200 million. They alleged misrepresentation and fraud, and complained that the defendants had been lining their pockets to the detriment of the group (they settled out-of-court).
Cher started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart in 1973 with 'Half-Breed', the singer’s second US No.1. The single didn't chart in the UK.
The US Top 5 singles in 1970 were: at 5, 'All Right Now' by Free, 4, 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough', Diana Ross, 3, 'Candida', Dawn, 2, 'I'll Be There', Jackson Five and No.1, 'Cracklin' Rose,' Neil Diamond.
In 1958, Billboard Magazine ran an article that stated "payola, that under-the-turntable device whereby record companies win plugs and influence disc jockeys, is fast growing into a monster that may yet destroy its creators. According to key record execs, jockey payola is so widespread that it's no longer possible to measure its effectiveness." Disc jockey Alan Freed's career will soon be ended by the scandal.
In 1966- British rocker Johnny Kidd was killed in a car crash in Manchester, England, at the age of 26. The car was being driven by the husband of the secretary of his fan club. Although he never made a dent in the US record charts, Kidd had several hits in the UK. He is best remembered on the North America music scene for writing The Guess Who's 1965 chart debut, "Shakin' All Over".
In 1969, George Harrison's song "Something" was released as the "A" side of a Beatles' 45, a first for Harrison. Along with Lennon and McCartney's "Come Together", the single will reach number one in the US next month.
Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots received a gold record in 1976 for one of the more bizarre novelty hits of the decade, "Disco Duck". In December, it became only the fourth single ever to be certified platinum.
The Eagles' "Heartache Tonight" was released in 1979. It would become their fifth Billboard number one single.
Bob Marley collapsed onstage during a concert in Pittsburgh in 1980. He was flown to Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York City and then to Ethiopia to rest. He would later be admitted to a German disease-treatment center, but would die of brain tumor in May 1981.
Mick Jagger offered an apology to the Reverend Jesse Jackson in 1978 after Jackson denounced the Stones' song, "Some Girls" as racist. Jagger, however, refused to change the lyrics.
Robert John had the top tune on the Billboard Pop chart in 1979 with a song called "Sad Eyes.” It had been nearly 21 years since his first chart appearance in 1958 with a minor hit, "White Bucks and Saddle Shoes.”
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Record Stores Still Thrive
Anyone who know me, knows that I advocate buying vinyl records from the small independent record store, whether it be online; or physically visiting the store. I also love articles about independent record stores and here are some in the LA and Chicago areas that you could visit if you live in the area or go for a visit:
LA's Top Independent Record Shops
by Jason Gelt, Los Angeles Vinyl Records Examiner
Let's have a round of applause for the independent record shop. Their numbers have dwindled in recent years as digital downloads supplant CDs as the predominant cash-and-carry music format for the general music buying public. But if you're into vinyl records, the indie store still reigns supreme. As records become more and more of a niche market, those little mom and pop shops become even more important. Now, everybody loves Amoeba (unless it's a Saturday afternoon and the aisles are so crowded you can barely look through the bins), but for that up-close-and-personal old-fashioned record shopping experience, why not try one of these other stellar options.
1. Freakbeat Records: The Valley's finest used and new record store, featuring a great selection of vinyl, collectibles and CDs, plus a knowledgeable and helpful staff. Not only that but you can sample the used records on the premises.
2. Vinyl Solution: Huntington Beach's solution to the punk rock record collector's quandary. Great records, great prices and knowledgeable staff, plus frequent in-store performances from local and touring acts.
3. Rockaway Records: Silver Lake's only remaining independent record store has an impressive selection of collectible vinyl and CDs. Prives can be high, but the quality is guaranteed.
4. Canterbury Records: Pasadena's premier mom and pop record shop stocks a little something for every taste, plus cheap turntable supplies.
5. Headline Records: A punk rock enthusiast's haven, Headline Records serves up hard-to-find punk platters to distinguishing collectors, not to mention an outstanding selection of t-shirts.
6. Rhino Records: 235 Yale Ave., Claremont, CA 91711, 909-626-7774. I know it's a bit of a drive, but the trip is definitely worth it, even with today's gas prices. Hidden away in collegiate Claremont, Rhino Records is a classic independent music store with a great selection of new and used records, CDs and DVDs.
7. Pasadena City College Flea Market: Held on the first Sunday of each month, this flea market has an entire floor set aside for record dealers. Whether you're looking for old punk, old jazz and R&B or obscure folk rock, chances are you'll find something here to suit your tastes. Best of all, it won't break the bank.
8. Don's Music: 4871 Eagle Rock Blvd., L.A., CA 90041, 323-255-3551. Jam-packed from floor to ceiling with vintage vinyl of every variety, Don's has a little of something for every taste. Don't forget to pet the store cat.
9. Poo-Bah Record Shop: 2636 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 626-449-3359. Since 1971, this East Pasadena institution has provided vinyl nerds with an excellent selection of new and used rock, jazz and soul LPs and 45s.
SOURCE: http://www.examiner.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some record shops in the Chicago area:
Beverly Records, 11612 S. Western Ave, 773-779-0066: For 41 years, the family-owned business has remained the place to go for rarities from all genres, with special emphasis on 45-rpm singles and even 78-rpm classics.
Dave's Records, 2604 N. Clark St, 773-929-6325: There’s not a lot of room to move around, the better to cram 40,000 titles spanning all genres into a relatively tight storefront space that is militantly anti-CD.
Dusty Groove America, 1120 N. Ashland, 773-342-5800: Unrivaled cross-section of musical subcultures, heavy on cool African, Jamaican and Latin American grooves, underground hip-hop and funk.
Gramaphone, 2843 N. Clark St., 773-472-3683: Since 1969, a must-stop for deejays from around the world with its rich array of underground dance, house, hip-hop and electronic 12-inch singles.
Jazz Record Mart, 27 E. Illinois St., 312-222-1467: Bob Koester, legendary proprietor of Delmark Records, bought the store in 1959, and it’s been rife with jazz, blues, gospel and hard-core country gems ever since.
Lauries Planet of Sound, 4639 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-271-3569: Amid DVD’s and music-related artifacts, the vinyl selection is superb, with write-ups from the staff touting the virtues of various obscurities.
Metal Haven, 2003 W. Montrose, 773-755-9202: All metal all the time. Desperate for the latest release by Impaled? Looking for that Motorhead/Girlschool 10-inch picture disc? This is your store.
The Old School Records, 7446 Madison St., Forest Park, 708-366-7588: Another classic mom-and-pop store that carries vinyl as well as other hard-to-find formats (cassettes, VHS tapes).
Reckless Records, 3161 N. Broadway, 773-404-5080; 1532 N. Milwaukee, 773-235-3727; 26 E. Madison, 312-795-0878: Selective but strong array of used and new vinyl, with an emphasis on indie and underground rock.
Vintage Vinyl, 925 Davis St., Evanston, 847-328-2899: Since 1979, has carried an impressive range of vinyl, from hard-core country to British new wave.
SOURCE: http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com
LA's Top Independent Record Shops
by Jason Gelt, Los Angeles Vinyl Records Examiner
Let's have a round of applause for the independent record shop. Their numbers have dwindled in recent years as digital downloads supplant CDs as the predominant cash-and-carry music format for the general music buying public. But if you're into vinyl records, the indie store still reigns supreme. As records become more and more of a niche market, those little mom and pop shops become even more important. Now, everybody loves Amoeba (unless it's a Saturday afternoon and the aisles are so crowded you can barely look through the bins), but for that up-close-and-personal old-fashioned record shopping experience, why not try one of these other stellar options.
1. Freakbeat Records: The Valley's finest used and new record store, featuring a great selection of vinyl, collectibles and CDs, plus a knowledgeable and helpful staff. Not only that but you can sample the used records on the premises.
2. Vinyl Solution: Huntington Beach's solution to the punk rock record collector's quandary. Great records, great prices and knowledgeable staff, plus frequent in-store performances from local and touring acts.
3. Rockaway Records: Silver Lake's only remaining independent record store has an impressive selection of collectible vinyl and CDs. Prives can be high, but the quality is guaranteed.
4. Canterbury Records: Pasadena's premier mom and pop record shop stocks a little something for every taste, plus cheap turntable supplies.
5. Headline Records: A punk rock enthusiast's haven, Headline Records serves up hard-to-find punk platters to distinguishing collectors, not to mention an outstanding selection of t-shirts.
6. Rhino Records: 235 Yale Ave., Claremont, CA 91711, 909-626-7774. I know it's a bit of a drive, but the trip is definitely worth it, even with today's gas prices. Hidden away in collegiate Claremont, Rhino Records is a classic independent music store with a great selection of new and used records, CDs and DVDs.
7. Pasadena City College Flea Market: Held on the first Sunday of each month, this flea market has an entire floor set aside for record dealers. Whether you're looking for old punk, old jazz and R&B or obscure folk rock, chances are you'll find something here to suit your tastes. Best of all, it won't break the bank.
8. Don's Music: 4871 Eagle Rock Blvd., L.A., CA 90041, 323-255-3551. Jam-packed from floor to ceiling with vintage vinyl of every variety, Don's has a little of something for every taste. Don't forget to pet the store cat.
9. Poo-Bah Record Shop: 2636 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 626-449-3359. Since 1971, this East Pasadena institution has provided vinyl nerds with an excellent selection of new and used rock, jazz and soul LPs and 45s.
SOURCE: http://www.examiner.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some record shops in the Chicago area:
Beverly Records, 11612 S. Western Ave, 773-779-0066: For 41 years, the family-owned business has remained the place to go for rarities from all genres, with special emphasis on 45-rpm singles and even 78-rpm classics.
Dave's Records, 2604 N. Clark St, 773-929-6325: There’s not a lot of room to move around, the better to cram 40,000 titles spanning all genres into a relatively tight storefront space that is militantly anti-CD.
Dusty Groove America, 1120 N. Ashland, 773-342-5800: Unrivaled cross-section of musical subcultures, heavy on cool African, Jamaican and Latin American grooves, underground hip-hop and funk.
Gramaphone, 2843 N. Clark St., 773-472-3683: Since 1969, a must-stop for deejays from around the world with its rich array of underground dance, house, hip-hop and electronic 12-inch singles.
Jazz Record Mart, 27 E. Illinois St., 312-222-1467: Bob Koester, legendary proprietor of Delmark Records, bought the store in 1959, and it’s been rife with jazz, blues, gospel and hard-core country gems ever since.
Lauries Planet of Sound, 4639 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-271-3569: Amid DVD’s and music-related artifacts, the vinyl selection is superb, with write-ups from the staff touting the virtues of various obscurities.
Metal Haven, 2003 W. Montrose, 773-755-9202: All metal all the time. Desperate for the latest release by Impaled? Looking for that Motorhead/Girlschool 10-inch picture disc? This is your store.
The Old School Records, 7446 Madison St., Forest Park, 708-366-7588: Another classic mom-and-pop store that carries vinyl as well as other hard-to-find formats (cassettes, VHS tapes).
Reckless Records, 3161 N. Broadway, 773-404-5080; 1532 N. Milwaukee, 773-235-3727; 26 E. Madison, 312-795-0878: Selective but strong array of used and new vinyl, with an emphasis on indie and underground rock.
Vintage Vinyl, 925 Davis St., Evanston, 847-328-2899: Since 1979, has carried an impressive range of vinyl, from hard-core country to British new wave.
SOURCE: http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com
Classic Rock Videos
Just watched this old gent on Farm Aid and he was fantastic, he is still a top entertainer and his music is time-less.
Jerry Lee Lewis- Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
Jerry Lee Lewis- Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
Album Cover Art
As we continue our look at Gigwise.com's look at album cover art, let's explore #25 of the most controversial, weirdest, best and worst as decided by their crack staff:
Controversial
24. The Residents: ‘The Third Reich & Roll’ Dick Clark ar Hitler? I love it although the sensors and the powers that be did not care for the cover. The Third Reich 'n Roll is a 1976 album by the U.S. avant-garde rock group The Residents. Their second (officially) released album, it is a parody and satire of pop music and commercials from the 1960s. The work consists of two side-long pastiches of various songs from the period.
Some of these songs are played simultaneously. America's "A Horse With No Name" is slightly newer than the rest of the hits on the album, but matches The Swinging Medallions' "Double Shot of my Baby's Love" exactly. The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" is performed as the guitar solo to The Beatles' Hey Jude.
Better realized and executed than their first album, it also generated controversy due to its cover art which featured television entertainer Dick Clark in a Nazi uniform holding a carrot while surrounded by swastikas and pictures of a dancing Adolf Hitler in both male and female dress. A version was marketed in the 1980s for German consumption which heavily censored much of the cover art by stamping the word "censored" over every Nazi reference.
Rumor has it Dick Clark found the cover amusing, and has a framed copy in his office.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weird
24. Tiny Lynn: 'Little Lehman's Half-Fast Songs' hard to believe this thing wasn't picked up by a major label and then go double-platinum with this beauty of a cover. Guess that makes us one of the select few to see it and suffer permanent psychological damage as a result, becasue, if you Google this; there certainly isn't any information about the band. I'd like to have some of his toys though...
----------------------------------------------------
Worst
24. Guns n’ Roses – ‘The Spaghetti Incident’ Anyone hungry for some pasta? "The Spaghetti Incident?" is the fifth album by hard rock band Guns N' Roses. The album is unique for the band, consisting entirely of cover versions, mostly of punk and glam rock songs of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The title is a reference to a food-fight between Axl Rose and Steven Adler, involving spaghetti. Much was made of this food fight during Adler's resolution lawsuit with the band; and Adler's attorney referred to it as "the Spaghetti Incident". It is suggested that the attorney's choice of name for the incident was a reference to the David Bowie movie, The Linguini Incident.
Many of the tracks were recorded with original Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin during the Use Your Illusion I and II sessions. Those tracks were previously intended to be included in a combined Use Your Illusion album, consisting of three (or possibly even four) discs, instead of the two separate discs they ended up being.
In 1992, the band prepared to release the leftover cover tracks as an EP, with then-Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke replacing Stradlin's guitar tracks. They later decided on making the album a full release and recorded several more tracks for it.
Then-Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan sings on many of the album's tracks and Hanoi Rocks frontman (and Axl Rose's idol) Michael Monroe appears on "Ain't It Fun" as a guest vocalist.
The album was released shortly after the conclusion of the Use Your Illusion World Tour which had lasted since early 1991. The vinyl copy of the album was released in clear plastic orange, and the CD was released with colour designs and markings, which would later be changed (in the 1997 reissue) to simply a plain silver coloured CD.
Despite protests from Rose's bandmates, an unadvertised cover of Charles Manson's song "Look at Your Game, Girl" was included on the album at his request. The CD release gave no track number to the song - it could only be found by listening through the dead air left after the last documented track on the album. In early 2000, Rose said that he would remove "Look at Your Game, Girl" from re-issues of the album, citing that critics and popular media misinterpreted his interest in Manson and that a misunderstanding public no longer deserved to hear it. However, the song is still present on the album, and in recent re-issues, "Look at Your Game, Girl" has been added as a separate, 13th track.
To date, it is the last full-length studio album released by Guns N' Roses.
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Best
24. Sonic Youth: ‘Goo’ Not a choice I would make, my guess is that one or more of the voters is a big fan of Sonic Youth- I have seen 100 more album covers that would fit in better for a 'best of' list.
Goo is an album by alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released on June 26, 1990. A remastered version was released in 2005.
Goo was the first album released after the band signed to major label Geffen Records. Their albums became more accessible and less experimental, but still retained elements of their trademark collage of noise.
The cover is a Raymond Pettibon illustration based on a paparazzi photo of Maureen Hindley and her first husband David Smith, witnesses in the case of serial killers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, driving to the trial in 1966.
The handwritten text reads, "I stole my sister's boyfriend. It was all whirlwind, heat, and flash. Within a week we killed my parents and hit the road."
Controversial
24. The Residents: ‘The Third Reich & Roll’ Dick Clark ar Hitler? I love it although the sensors and the powers that be did not care for the cover. The Third Reich 'n Roll is a 1976 album by the U.S. avant-garde rock group The Residents. Their second (officially) released album, it is a parody and satire of pop music and commercials from the 1960s. The work consists of two side-long pastiches of various songs from the period.
Some of these songs are played simultaneously. America's "A Horse With No Name" is slightly newer than the rest of the hits on the album, but matches The Swinging Medallions' "Double Shot of my Baby's Love" exactly. The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" is performed as the guitar solo to The Beatles' Hey Jude.
Better realized and executed than their first album, it also generated controversy due to its cover art which featured television entertainer Dick Clark in a Nazi uniform holding a carrot while surrounded by swastikas and pictures of a dancing Adolf Hitler in both male and female dress. A version was marketed in the 1980s for German consumption which heavily censored much of the cover art by stamping the word "censored" over every Nazi reference.
Rumor has it Dick Clark found the cover amusing, and has a framed copy in his office.
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Weird
24. Tiny Lynn: 'Little Lehman's Half-Fast Songs' hard to believe this thing wasn't picked up by a major label and then go double-platinum with this beauty of a cover. Guess that makes us one of the select few to see it and suffer permanent psychological damage as a result, becasue, if you Google this; there certainly isn't any information about the band. I'd like to have some of his toys though...
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Worst
24. Guns n’ Roses – ‘The Spaghetti Incident’ Anyone hungry for some pasta? "The Spaghetti Incident?" is the fifth album by hard rock band Guns N' Roses. The album is unique for the band, consisting entirely of cover versions, mostly of punk and glam rock songs of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The title is a reference to a food-fight between Axl Rose and Steven Adler, involving spaghetti. Much was made of this food fight during Adler's resolution lawsuit with the band; and Adler's attorney referred to it as "the Spaghetti Incident". It is suggested that the attorney's choice of name for the incident was a reference to the David Bowie movie, The Linguini Incident.
Many of the tracks were recorded with original Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin during the Use Your Illusion I and II sessions. Those tracks were previously intended to be included in a combined Use Your Illusion album, consisting of three (or possibly even four) discs, instead of the two separate discs they ended up being.
In 1992, the band prepared to release the leftover cover tracks as an EP, with then-Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke replacing Stradlin's guitar tracks. They later decided on making the album a full release and recorded several more tracks for it.
Then-Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan sings on many of the album's tracks and Hanoi Rocks frontman (and Axl Rose's idol) Michael Monroe appears on "Ain't It Fun" as a guest vocalist.
The album was released shortly after the conclusion of the Use Your Illusion World Tour which had lasted since early 1991. The vinyl copy of the album was released in clear plastic orange, and the CD was released with colour designs and markings, which would later be changed (in the 1997 reissue) to simply a plain silver coloured CD.
Despite protests from Rose's bandmates, an unadvertised cover of Charles Manson's song "Look at Your Game, Girl" was included on the album at his request. The CD release gave no track number to the song - it could only be found by listening through the dead air left after the last documented track on the album. In early 2000, Rose said that he would remove "Look at Your Game, Girl" from re-issues of the album, citing that critics and popular media misinterpreted his interest in Manson and that a misunderstanding public no longer deserved to hear it. However, the song is still present on the album, and in recent re-issues, "Look at Your Game, Girl" has been added as a separate, 13th track.
To date, it is the last full-length studio album released by Guns N' Roses.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best
24. Sonic Youth: ‘Goo’ Not a choice I would make, my guess is that one or more of the voters is a big fan of Sonic Youth- I have seen 100 more album covers that would fit in better for a 'best of' list.
Goo is an album by alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released on June 26, 1990. A remastered version was released in 2005.
Goo was the first album released after the band signed to major label Geffen Records. Their albums became more accessible and less experimental, but still retained elements of their trademark collage of noise.
The cover is a Raymond Pettibon illustration based on a paparazzi photo of Maureen Hindley and her first husband David Smith, witnesses in the case of serial killers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, driving to the trial in 1966.
The handwritten text reads, "I stole my sister's boyfriend. It was all whirlwind, heat, and flash. Within a week we killed my parents and hit the road."
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Album Cover Art
We are now half way through our look at Gigwise's 50 most controversial, weirdest, best and worst album covers as compiled by their crack staff. Let's explore #25:
Controversial
25. Minus – ‘The Great Northern Whale Kill’ Offensive? No doubt. Insensitive? No doubt. Controversial? No way it cannot be because the image you are looking at is of an eight-year old boy.
MÃnus is an Icelandic alternative rock/hardcore band from ReykjavÃk. They are signed to the record label Smekkleysa. MÃnus have shared the stage with, among others, Metallica, Foo Fighters, and Queens of the Stone Age. 'The Great Northern Whale Kill' is their third LP and was released 3rd of March, 2008.
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Weirdest
25. Swamp Dogg: 'Rat On!' Albino lab rat? or just playing horsey? Certainly fits into this category. This R&B artist has made many albums in his 40-year career, including this 1971 offering. To those in the know, Swamp Dogg intentionally came up with this ridiculous (some would say startingly ugly) cover shot. Per Swamp Dogg, he thought it hilarious that a black man was finally on top. Also, per Swamp Dogg, the record company, Elektra, was less enthused.
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Worst
25. Fleetwood Mac – ‘Rumours’: I disagree with it belonging along with some of the worst album covers of all time. There was a lot of personal strife within the band (Nicks & Buckingham were fighting, as ususal), so I guess Mick & his little balls stepped up.
Rumours is the thirteenth album by rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1977. In December 1976, prior to the release of the album, Reprise released the single "Go Your Own Way". In 1978, Rumours won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. As of 2007 the album has sold more than 30 million copies, and is on the list of best-selling albums of all time. In addition, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Rumours at #25 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. According to Carol Ann Harris author of "Storms - My Life With Lindsey Buckingham And Fleetwood Mac" the album has sold over one million copies in the Los Angeles area alone. This rare feat puts it next to other major releases such as "Thriller" by Michael Jackson.
Hit singles included Buckingham's "Go Your Own Way", Nicks's "Dreams" and Christine McVie's "Don't Stop" and "You Make Loving Fun". Buckingham's "Second Hand News", Nicks' "Gold Dust Woman" and "The Chain" (the only song written by all five bandmates) also received significant radio airplay.
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Best
25. Prince: ‘Lovesexy’ This makes the 'best' list? The naked 'Purple one'? And he calls it a gospel LP? Great, a naked cover on a gospel album. Has he no shame?
The album is notable for the haunting gospel of "Anna Stesia," and the hit single "Alphabet St." Also notable is the cover, causing some controversy as it depicted Prince in the nude, in a seemingly devout pose. Some record stores refused to stock it or censored the cover with black wrapper.
Lovesexy is an album by Prince, released in 1988. Lovesexy was issued as a substitute record after the release of the infamous Black Album had been suddenly canceled. The Black Album and Lovesexy almost act as companion pieces, sharing the song "When 2 R In Love," but nearly opposite in theme. The album was recorded in just seven weeks, from mid-December 1987 to late January 1988, at Prince's new Paisley Park Studios, and most of the album is a solo effort from Prince, with a few exceptions. The opening track, "Eye No," was recorded with the full band (Miko Weaver on guitar, Levi Seacer, Jr. on bass, Doctor Fink and Boni Boyer on keyboards, Eric Leeds on saxophone, Atlanta Bliss on trumpet and Sheila E. on drums). Sheila E., in fact, plays drums on several tracks and sings backup, along with Boyer. Leeds and Bliss provide horns on most tracks, and Ingrid Chavez provides the intro to "Eye No". As opposed to the LP release, early CD copies of Lovesexy have the entire album in sequence as a single track, so the album is heard in the context of a continuous sequence, though later editions have it as 9 separate tracks.
Controversial
25. Minus – ‘The Great Northern Whale Kill’ Offensive? No doubt. Insensitive? No doubt. Controversial? No way it cannot be because the image you are looking at is of an eight-year old boy.
MÃnus is an Icelandic alternative rock/hardcore band from ReykjavÃk. They are signed to the record label Smekkleysa. MÃnus have shared the stage with, among others, Metallica, Foo Fighters, and Queens of the Stone Age. 'The Great Northern Whale Kill' is their third LP and was released 3rd of March, 2008.
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Weirdest
25. Swamp Dogg: 'Rat On!' Albino lab rat? or just playing horsey? Certainly fits into this category. This R&B artist has made many albums in his 40-year career, including this 1971 offering. To those in the know, Swamp Dogg intentionally came up with this ridiculous (some would say startingly ugly) cover shot. Per Swamp Dogg, he thought it hilarious that a black man was finally on top. Also, per Swamp Dogg, the record company, Elektra, was less enthused.
---------------------------------------
Worst
25. Fleetwood Mac – ‘Rumours’: I disagree with it belonging along with some of the worst album covers of all time. There was a lot of personal strife within the band (Nicks & Buckingham were fighting, as ususal), so I guess Mick & his little balls stepped up.
Rumours is the thirteenth album by rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1977. In December 1976, prior to the release of the album, Reprise released the single "Go Your Own Way". In 1978, Rumours won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. As of 2007 the album has sold more than 30 million copies, and is on the list of best-selling albums of all time. In addition, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Rumours at #25 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. According to Carol Ann Harris author of "Storms - My Life With Lindsey Buckingham And Fleetwood Mac" the album has sold over one million copies in the Los Angeles area alone. This rare feat puts it next to other major releases such as "Thriller" by Michael Jackson.
Hit singles included Buckingham's "Go Your Own Way", Nicks's "Dreams" and Christine McVie's "Don't Stop" and "You Make Loving Fun". Buckingham's "Second Hand News", Nicks' "Gold Dust Woman" and "The Chain" (the only song written by all five bandmates) also received significant radio airplay.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best
25. Prince: ‘Lovesexy’ This makes the 'best' list? The naked 'Purple one'? And he calls it a gospel LP? Great, a naked cover on a gospel album. Has he no shame?
The album is notable for the haunting gospel of "Anna Stesia," and the hit single "Alphabet St." Also notable is the cover, causing some controversy as it depicted Prince in the nude, in a seemingly devout pose. Some record stores refused to stock it or censored the cover with black wrapper.
Lovesexy is an album by Prince, released in 1988. Lovesexy was issued as a substitute record after the release of the infamous Black Album had been suddenly canceled. The Black Album and Lovesexy almost act as companion pieces, sharing the song "When 2 R In Love," but nearly opposite in theme. The album was recorded in just seven weeks, from mid-December 1987 to late January 1988, at Prince's new Paisley Park Studios, and most of the album is a solo effort from Prince, with a few exceptions. The opening track, "Eye No," was recorded with the full band (Miko Weaver on guitar, Levi Seacer, Jr. on bass, Doctor Fink and Boni Boyer on keyboards, Eric Leeds on saxophone, Atlanta Bliss on trumpet and Sheila E. on drums). Sheila E., in fact, plays drums on several tracks and sings backup, along with Boyer. Leeds and Bliss provide horns on most tracks, and Ingrid Chavez provides the intro to "Eye No". As opposed to the LP release, early CD copies of Lovesexy have the entire album in sequence as a single track, so the album is heard in the context of a continuous sequence, though later editions have it as 9 separate tracks.
This Date In Music History- October 4
Birthdays:
Nona Hendryx, who left Labelle for a solo career that saw her singing backing vocals for Talking Heads, was born in Trenton, NJ in 1944.
Bassist Jim Fielder, who played for the Mothers of Invention, Buffalo Springfield and Blood, Sweat & Tears, was born in Denton, Texas in 1947.
Marlena Davies of Philadelphia R&B group the Orlons ("The Wah Watusi") was born in 1944.
Also born on this day in 1944, Soul singer Patti Labelle.
Helen Reddy, US singer, songwriter was born in 1942.
History:
J. Frank Wilson ("Last Kiss") died of a heart attack in 1991.
Roger Miller was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996. Don’t know what took them so long.
In 1961, Bob Dylan played Carnegie Hall in New York. Of the 53 people that attended, most were friends. He made $20 from the enterprise.
In 1963, the Yardbirds invited Eric "Slowhand" Clapton to replace their old guitarist Anthony "Top" Topham. Clapton was an art-college friend of vocalist Keith Relf.
Number one on the American albums chart today in 1969 was Creedence Clearwater Revival with Green River.
Just days after recording what would be her biggest hit, 27 year old Janis Joplin died of a heroin overdose at Hollywood's Landmark Hotel in 1970. "Me and Bobby McGee" would reach number one in early 1971, her highest chart success since "Piece Of My Heart" with Big Brother and The Holding Company in 1968.
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" album went to No. 1 in America in 1975.
The song "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" was released by Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1969.
John Lennon released his "Walls And Bridges" LP in 1974, which would go on to top the Billboard album chart a few weeks later. Recorded during his estrangement from Yoko Ono, it turned out to be the last record that Lennon recorded without input from her.
In 1963, Billboard Magazine reported that hot-rodding songs were the latest teen fad, replacing surfing songs. Among the top tunes was the Beach Boys' "Little Deuce Coupe", which sat at #15 on the Billboard chart. Capitol Records started supplying DJ's and record retailers with a book of hot-rod terms.
Also in 1963- The Beatles made their first appearance on the UK rock and roll TV show Ready Steady Go!, where they were interviewed by fellow performer, Dusty Springfield.
"Abbey Road", the last album recorded by The Beatles, entered the UK charts at number one in 1969. The L.P. would go on to be the group's biggest seller in Britain, although "The Beatles" (the white album) sold more in North America.
Queen had their second US number 1 song when "Another One Bites the Dust" hit the top of the Billboard chart in 1980. Earlier in the year, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" also went to head of the hit parade.
Michael Gibbins, drummer for Badfinger on their hits "Come And Get It", "Day After Day" and "No Matter What", died in his sleep in 2005 at the age of 56.
Nona Hendryx, who left Labelle for a solo career that saw her singing backing vocals for Talking Heads, was born in Trenton, NJ in 1944.
Bassist Jim Fielder, who played for the Mothers of Invention, Buffalo Springfield and Blood, Sweat & Tears, was born in Denton, Texas in 1947.
Marlena Davies of Philadelphia R&B group the Orlons ("The Wah Watusi") was born in 1944.
Also born on this day in 1944, Soul singer Patti Labelle.
Helen Reddy, US singer, songwriter was born in 1942.
History:
J. Frank Wilson ("Last Kiss") died of a heart attack in 1991.
Roger Miller was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996. Don’t know what took them so long.
In 1961, Bob Dylan played Carnegie Hall in New York. Of the 53 people that attended, most were friends. He made $20 from the enterprise.
In 1963, the Yardbirds invited Eric "Slowhand" Clapton to replace their old guitarist Anthony "Top" Topham. Clapton was an art-college friend of vocalist Keith Relf.
Number one on the American albums chart today in 1969 was Creedence Clearwater Revival with Green River.
Just days after recording what would be her biggest hit, 27 year old Janis Joplin died of a heroin overdose at Hollywood's Landmark Hotel in 1970. "Me and Bobby McGee" would reach number one in early 1971, her highest chart success since "Piece Of My Heart" with Big Brother and The Holding Company in 1968.
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" album went to No. 1 in America in 1975.
The song "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" was released by Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1969.
John Lennon released his "Walls And Bridges" LP in 1974, which would go on to top the Billboard album chart a few weeks later. Recorded during his estrangement from Yoko Ono, it turned out to be the last record that Lennon recorded without input from her.
In 1963, Billboard Magazine reported that hot-rodding songs were the latest teen fad, replacing surfing songs. Among the top tunes was the Beach Boys' "Little Deuce Coupe", which sat at #15 on the Billboard chart. Capitol Records started supplying DJ's and record retailers with a book of hot-rod terms.
Also in 1963- The Beatles made their first appearance on the UK rock and roll TV show Ready Steady Go!, where they were interviewed by fellow performer, Dusty Springfield.
"Abbey Road", the last album recorded by The Beatles, entered the UK charts at number one in 1969. The L.P. would go on to be the group's biggest seller in Britain, although "The Beatles" (the white album) sold more in North America.
Queen had their second US number 1 song when "Another One Bites the Dust" hit the top of the Billboard chart in 1980. Earlier in the year, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" also went to head of the hit parade.
Michael Gibbins, drummer for Badfinger on their hits "Come And Get It", "Day After Day" and "No Matter What", died in his sleep in 2005 at the age of 56.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Two Buddy Holly Collections Coming For 50th Anniversary of His Passing
They make no mention of a vinyl release, but let's hope that this eclectic set list will also be available on vinyl.
February 3, 2009 will mark the 50th anniversary of "The Day The Music Died," when a plane crash took the lives of rock 'n' roll legends Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper. In anticipation of that momentous occasion, the vault of rare Buddy Holly tracks will be opened wide for two multi-disc sets released January 28, 2009.
The three-CD, 60-selection Memorial Collection (Geffen/Decca/UMe), presents a thorough, digitally remastered overview of Holly's short, yet astonishing career featuring rare undubbed recordings with original partner Bob Montgomery and backing band and collaborators, The Crickets. The collection includes all of Holly's hits -- among them a few of rock's greatest recordings, That'll Be The Day, Oh Boy!, Maybe Baby, Not Fade Away, It's So Easy, Peggy Sue, Rave On -- the set concludes with selections from the Apartment Tapes, in which Holly sings new songs and accompanies himself on acoustic guitar in his New York apartment just months before the tragic crash. One Buddy & Bob recording, Soft Place In My Heart, has never before been released while two others from the duo appear on a U.S.-issued album for the first time. Maria Elena Holly said, "The release of these sets will be a magical moment for the fans who have been waiting for a long time to hear the beginnings of Buddy's career to the end with the apartment tapes, his last recordings! Holly-lujah!"
The two-CD, 59-selection Down the Line - Rarities (Geffen/UMe), is filled with pre-fame home recordings, alternate takes, undubbed versions, and informal solo tapes. Included is a recording from when Holly was 14 years old; from Buddy & Bob; the complete undubbed Apartment Tapes; outtakes and alternates of familiar recordings by Holly and The Crickets; and the undubbed Garage Tapes. In The Garage Tapes, rehearsals with the Crickets (J.I. Allison and Joe B. Mauldin) were recorded by a friend at various places, including the Holly family garage in late 1956. Buddy ripped through an array of then-current hits, from Chuck Berry's
Brown-Eyed Handsome Man, Little Richard's Rip It Up, and Fats Domino's Blue Monday, to Carl Perkins' Blue Suede Shoes, Big Joe Turner's Shake, Rattle & Roll, and Bo Diddley's Bo Diddley.
Cricket J.I Allison fondly recalls laying down some of those famous recordings. "Many of the tunes were done just in Buddy's garage but I remember doing a few of them like Bo Diddley and Brown-Eyed Handsome Man, way out West at Petty's studio in Clovis, NM. The line-up was Buddy, myself on drums, Sonny Curtis on guitar and Don Guess on bass."
The undubbed Apartment Tapes, include Buddy's raw, pre-overdubbed versions of such popular Holly songs as Peggy Sue Got Married and Crying, Waiting, Hoping.
Along with the U.S. debuts of three Apartment Tapes tracks and the undubbed Holly Hop (from the Garage Tapes) that are heard on both the Memorial Collection and Down the Line - Rarities, the latter also releases for the first time anywhere three additional Buddy & Bob tracks. Throughout both retrospectives, the original recordings, shorn of the overdubbed instrumentation added in the early '60s for belated public consumption, are musical and historical revelations.
In less than two years in the national consciousness, Holly changed the sound of rock 'n' roll. Steeped in country music, the Lubbock, Texas native soon blended in blues, R&B, and the new Elvis-fired rockabilly. The result was some of the most innovative and influential rock 'n' roll ever recorded. Buddy Holly died on February 3, 1959, but his music lives on.
Text courtesy of Universal Music Enterprises
February 3, 2009 will mark the 50th anniversary of "The Day The Music Died," when a plane crash took the lives of rock 'n' roll legends Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper. In anticipation of that momentous occasion, the vault of rare Buddy Holly tracks will be opened wide for two multi-disc sets released January 28, 2009.
The three-CD, 60-selection Memorial Collection (Geffen/Decca/UMe), presents a thorough, digitally remastered overview of Holly's short, yet astonishing career featuring rare undubbed recordings with original partner Bob Montgomery and backing band and collaborators, The Crickets. The collection includes all of Holly's hits -- among them a few of rock's greatest recordings, That'll Be The Day, Oh Boy!, Maybe Baby, Not Fade Away, It's So Easy, Peggy Sue, Rave On -- the set concludes with selections from the Apartment Tapes, in which Holly sings new songs and accompanies himself on acoustic guitar in his New York apartment just months before the tragic crash. One Buddy & Bob recording, Soft Place In My Heart, has never before been released while two others from the duo appear on a U.S.-issued album for the first time. Maria Elena Holly said, "The release of these sets will be a magical moment for the fans who have been waiting for a long time to hear the beginnings of Buddy's career to the end with the apartment tapes, his last recordings! Holly-lujah!"
The two-CD, 59-selection Down the Line - Rarities (Geffen/UMe), is filled with pre-fame home recordings, alternate takes, undubbed versions, and informal solo tapes. Included is a recording from when Holly was 14 years old; from Buddy & Bob; the complete undubbed Apartment Tapes; outtakes and alternates of familiar recordings by Holly and The Crickets; and the undubbed Garage Tapes. In The Garage Tapes, rehearsals with the Crickets (J.I. Allison and Joe B. Mauldin) were recorded by a friend at various places, including the Holly family garage in late 1956. Buddy ripped through an array of then-current hits, from Chuck Berry's
Brown-Eyed Handsome Man, Little Richard's Rip It Up, and Fats Domino's Blue Monday, to Carl Perkins' Blue Suede Shoes, Big Joe Turner's Shake, Rattle & Roll, and Bo Diddley's Bo Diddley.
Cricket J.I Allison fondly recalls laying down some of those famous recordings. "Many of the tunes were done just in Buddy's garage but I remember doing a few of them like Bo Diddley and Brown-Eyed Handsome Man, way out West at Petty's studio in Clovis, NM. The line-up was Buddy, myself on drums, Sonny Curtis on guitar and Don Guess on bass."
The undubbed Apartment Tapes, include Buddy's raw, pre-overdubbed versions of such popular Holly songs as Peggy Sue Got Married and Crying, Waiting, Hoping.
Along with the U.S. debuts of three Apartment Tapes tracks and the undubbed Holly Hop (from the Garage Tapes) that are heard on both the Memorial Collection and Down the Line - Rarities, the latter also releases for the first time anywhere three additional Buddy & Bob tracks. Throughout both retrospectives, the original recordings, shorn of the overdubbed instrumentation added in the early '60s for belated public consumption, are musical and historical revelations.
In less than two years in the national consciousness, Holly changed the sound of rock 'n' roll. Steeped in country music, the Lubbock, Texas native soon blended in blues, R&B, and the new Elvis-fired rockabilly. The result was some of the most innovative and influential rock 'n' roll ever recorded. Buddy Holly died on February 3, 1959, but his music lives on.
Text courtesy of Universal Music Enterprises
Nick Reynolds of the Kingston Trio Passes Away
Nick Reynolds, who was one of the founding members of the Kingston Trio, passed away yesterday at the age of 75. He had been in a San Diego hospital for a number of weeks before his family made the decision to take him off life support.
Reynolds first met Trio member Bob Shane while attending Menlo College and the two would play as a duo with Reynolds on guitar and Shane on bongos at various fraternity functions. The soon added Joe Gannon on bass and Barbara Bogue on vocals to form the group Dave Guard and the Calypsonians.
Reynolds left the group for a short time after graduation and the remaining musicians reformed as the Kingston Quartet. After little success, Reynolds returned and, along with Shane's friend Dave Guard, they formed the Kingston Trio.
The group's initial success was at San Francisco's Purple Onion, where the started out opening for Phyllis Diller but eventually graduated to their own headlining spot. They played at the club throughout the latter part of 1957 and were signed to Capitol records.
Their self-named first album ended up being a smash, going to number one on the Billboard Album charts and kicking off the folk music revival which would spawn numerous groups and solo artists throughout the early-60's. The album also contained their first number one single, Tom Dooley, which started a string of ten top 40 singles for the group between 1958 and 1963.
Dave Guard left the group in 1961 to explore folk music more deeply and Shane and Reynolds brought in John Stewart who had been a member of the Cumberland Three. The group had already recorded two of Stewart's songs and his personality and voice blended well with the two remaining members.
In 1963, the group heard a young Peter, Paul and Mary sing the Pete Seeger song Where Have All the Flowers Gone? and recorded their own version which placed well on the pop charts and even better on the new Easy Listening tally.
With the onset of the Beach Boys and the Beatles, the popularity of folk music started to fade, but the trio kept going until they decided to call it quits in 1967, playing a farewell gig at the Hungry I on June 17. Guard stayed busy with music and Stewart went on to have a very successful solo career, writing Daydream Believer for the Monkees and eventually having his own hits like Gold. Reynolds, though, move to Oregon where he was a sheep rancher and opened a theater.
In 1981, the group reformed with all of its members over the years for a successful PBS special. Various versions of the group continued and, in the late-80's, Reynolds rejoined the group where he stayed until retiring in 1999.
The Kingston Trio ended up being one of the most influential artists of the last fifty years, ushuring in the folk music craze in the same way that the Beach Boys brought in surf and the Beatles started the British invasion.
Notable Kingston Trio singles:
Tom Dooley (1958, #1 Pop)
The Tijuana Jail (1959, #12 Pop)
M.T.A. (1959, #15 Pop)
A Worried Man (1959, #20 Pop)
Where Have All the Flowers Gone (1962, #21 Pop, #4 Adult Contemporary)
Greenback Dollar (1963, #21 Pop, #6 Adult Contemporary)
Reverend Mr. Black (1963, #8 Pop, #15 R&B)
Grammy Awards:
1958 Best Country & Western Performance - Tom Dooley
1959 Best Folk Performance - The Kingston Trio At Large
SOURCE: http://winkscollectibles.blogspot.com
Reynolds first met Trio member Bob Shane while attending Menlo College and the two would play as a duo with Reynolds on guitar and Shane on bongos at various fraternity functions. The soon added Joe Gannon on bass and Barbara Bogue on vocals to form the group Dave Guard and the Calypsonians.
Reynolds left the group for a short time after graduation and the remaining musicians reformed as the Kingston Quartet. After little success, Reynolds returned and, along with Shane's friend Dave Guard, they formed the Kingston Trio.
The group's initial success was at San Francisco's Purple Onion, where the started out opening for Phyllis Diller but eventually graduated to their own headlining spot. They played at the club throughout the latter part of 1957 and were signed to Capitol records.
Their self-named first album ended up being a smash, going to number one on the Billboard Album charts and kicking off the folk music revival which would spawn numerous groups and solo artists throughout the early-60's. The album also contained their first number one single, Tom Dooley, which started a string of ten top 40 singles for the group between 1958 and 1963.
Dave Guard left the group in 1961 to explore folk music more deeply and Shane and Reynolds brought in John Stewart who had been a member of the Cumberland Three. The group had already recorded two of Stewart's songs and his personality and voice blended well with the two remaining members.
In 1963, the group heard a young Peter, Paul and Mary sing the Pete Seeger song Where Have All the Flowers Gone? and recorded their own version which placed well on the pop charts and even better on the new Easy Listening tally.
With the onset of the Beach Boys and the Beatles, the popularity of folk music started to fade, but the trio kept going until they decided to call it quits in 1967, playing a farewell gig at the Hungry I on June 17. Guard stayed busy with music and Stewart went on to have a very successful solo career, writing Daydream Believer for the Monkees and eventually having his own hits like Gold. Reynolds, though, move to Oregon where he was a sheep rancher and opened a theater.
In 1981, the group reformed with all of its members over the years for a successful PBS special. Various versions of the group continued and, in the late-80's, Reynolds rejoined the group where he stayed until retiring in 1999.
The Kingston Trio ended up being one of the most influential artists of the last fifty years, ushuring in the folk music craze in the same way that the Beach Boys brought in surf and the Beatles started the British invasion.
Notable Kingston Trio singles:
Tom Dooley (1958, #1 Pop)
The Tijuana Jail (1959, #12 Pop)
M.T.A. (1959, #15 Pop)
A Worried Man (1959, #20 Pop)
Where Have All the Flowers Gone (1962, #21 Pop, #4 Adult Contemporary)
Greenback Dollar (1963, #21 Pop, #6 Adult Contemporary)
Reverend Mr. Black (1963, #8 Pop, #15 R&B)
Grammy Awards:
1958 Best Country & Western Performance - Tom Dooley
1959 Best Folk Performance - The Kingston Trio At Large
SOURCE: http://winkscollectibles.blogspot.com
Album Cover Art
Let's continue our look at Gigwise.com's top 50 most controversial, weirdest, best and worst album cover art as put together by their staff:
Controversial
26. Dio: Holy Diver - Holy Diver is the American heavy metal band Dio's debut album. Released on May 25, 1983, it has been hailed by critics as Dio's best work and a classic staple in the heavy metal genre. The album was eventually certified Gold in the US on September 12, 1984 and Platinum on March 21, 1989. The original vinyl release had a photo-montage LP-liner.
The cover was controversial, featuring what appears to be a monster killing what appears to be a Catholic priest. Dio was quick to argue that appearances are misleading and it could just as easily be a priest killing a monster. If the Dio logo is held upside down it appears to read "Die", or a stylistically obscured "Devil." It could also mean the devil torturing the priest, but then the chain breaks and he plunges to the depths. It could also mean that priests sometimes get corrupted by evil. It could also mean anything you want it to mean, I guess, if the right substance is utilized.
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Weird
26. Fist: 'Goodbody’s Traveling Torture Show' Tie me up and whip me She-Man, if that is what you are. Utterly indescribable camp from the 70's. I have no idea who Fist was or what happened to her, and judging by the content of this LP-a cacophony of shrieks, slaps, wails and other dungeon sounds-she probably deserved whatever she had coming. And loved it!
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Worst
26. Black Sabbath – ‘Sabotage’ Let's all pose in front of a life-size mirror and call it album cover art. Sabotage is the sixth studio album by the British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in 1975. The album cover is a photograph of the band members standing in front of a large bronze mirror. Their "reflections" face the wrong way, and are simply copies of each band member's real image. This is the first album to feature all of the band members on the cover.
For the second time, a Black Sabbath album initially saw favourable reviews, with Rolling Stone stating "Sabotage is not only Black Sabbath's best record since Paranoid, it might be their best ever", although later reviewers such as Allmusic noted that "the magical chemistry that made such albums as Paranoid and Volume 4 so special was beginning to disintegrate".[4]
Sabotage cracked the top 20 in both the United Kingdom and United States, but was the band's first release not to achieve platinum status in the US. Songs such as "Hole in the Sky", and "Symptom of the Universe" became fan favorites, with the latter's chugging riff even cited as an early example of thrash metal. Black Sabbath toured in support of Sabotage with openers KISS, but were forced to cut the tour short in November 1975, following a motorcycle accident in which Ozzy ruptured a muscle in his back.
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Best
26. The Beatles: ‘Revolver’ One of my all-time favorite covers, this would certainly make my top ten, but logs in at #26 on the Gigwise list. Revolver is the seventh album by the Four Lads, released on August 5, 1966. The album showcased a number of new stylistic developments which would become more pronounced on later albums. Many of the tracks on Revolver are marked by an electric guitar-rock sound, in contrast with their previous, folk-rock inspired Rubber Soul. It reached #1 on the UK chart for seven weeks and #1 on the U.S. chart for six weeks.
Revolver was released before the Beatles' last tour in August 1966, but they did not perform songs from the album live. Their reasoning for this was that many of the tracks on the album, for example "Tomorrow Never Knows", were too complex to perform with live instruments.
The cover illustration was created by German-born bassist and artist Klaus Voormann, one of the Beatles' oldest friends from their days at the Star Club in Hamburg. Voormann's illustration, part line drawing and part collage, included photographs by Robert Whitaker, who also took the back cover photographs and many other images of the group between 1964 and 1966, such as the infamous "butcher cover" for Yesterday and Today. Voormann's own photo as well as his name (Klaus O. W. Voormann) is worked into Harrison's hair on the right-hand side of the cover. In the Revolver cover appearing in his artwork for Anthology 3, he replaced this image with a more recent photo. Harrison's Revolver image was seen again on his single release of "When We Was Fab" along with an updated version of the same image.
The title "Revolver", like "Rubber Soul" before it, is a pun, referring both to a kind of handgun as well as the "revolving" motion of the record as it is played on a turntable. The Beatles had a difficult time coming up with this title. According to Barry Miles in his book Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now, the title that the four had originally wanted was Abracadabra, until they discovered that another band had already used it. After that, opinion split: Lennon wanted to call it Four Sides of the Eternal Triangle and Starr jokingly suggested After Geography, playing on The Rolling Stones' recently released Aftermath LP. Other suggestions included Magical Circles, Beatles on Safari, Pendulum, and, finally, Revolver, whose wordplay was the one that all four agreed upon. The title was chosen while the band were on tour in Japan in June–July 1966.
Controversial
26. Dio: Holy Diver - Holy Diver is the American heavy metal band Dio's debut album. Released on May 25, 1983, it has been hailed by critics as Dio's best work and a classic staple in the heavy metal genre. The album was eventually certified Gold in the US on September 12, 1984 and Platinum on March 21, 1989. The original vinyl release had a photo-montage LP-liner.
The cover was controversial, featuring what appears to be a monster killing what appears to be a Catholic priest. Dio was quick to argue that appearances are misleading and it could just as easily be a priest killing a monster. If the Dio logo is held upside down it appears to read "Die", or a stylistically obscured "Devil." It could also mean the devil torturing the priest, but then the chain breaks and he plunges to the depths. It could also mean that priests sometimes get corrupted by evil. It could also mean anything you want it to mean, I guess, if the right substance is utilized.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weird
26. Fist: 'Goodbody’s Traveling Torture Show' Tie me up and whip me She-Man, if that is what you are. Utterly indescribable camp from the 70's. I have no idea who Fist was or what happened to her, and judging by the content of this LP-a cacophony of shrieks, slaps, wails and other dungeon sounds-she probably deserved whatever she had coming. And loved it!
--------------------------------------------------------
Worst
26. Black Sabbath – ‘Sabotage’ Let's all pose in front of a life-size mirror and call it album cover art. Sabotage is the sixth studio album by the British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in 1975. The album cover is a photograph of the band members standing in front of a large bronze mirror. Their "reflections" face the wrong way, and are simply copies of each band member's real image. This is the first album to feature all of the band members on the cover.
For the second time, a Black Sabbath album initially saw favourable reviews, with Rolling Stone stating "Sabotage is not only Black Sabbath's best record since Paranoid, it might be their best ever", although later reviewers such as Allmusic noted that "the magical chemistry that made such albums as Paranoid and Volume 4 so special was beginning to disintegrate".[4]
Sabotage cracked the top 20 in both the United Kingdom and United States, but was the band's first release not to achieve platinum status in the US. Songs such as "Hole in the Sky", and "Symptom of the Universe" became fan favorites, with the latter's chugging riff even cited as an early example of thrash metal. Black Sabbath toured in support of Sabotage with openers KISS, but were forced to cut the tour short in November 1975, following a motorcycle accident in which Ozzy ruptured a muscle in his back.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best
26. The Beatles: ‘Revolver’ One of my all-time favorite covers, this would certainly make my top ten, but logs in at #26 on the Gigwise list. Revolver is the seventh album by the Four Lads, released on August 5, 1966. The album showcased a number of new stylistic developments which would become more pronounced on later albums. Many of the tracks on Revolver are marked by an electric guitar-rock sound, in contrast with their previous, folk-rock inspired Rubber Soul. It reached #1 on the UK chart for seven weeks and #1 on the U.S. chart for six weeks.
Revolver was released before the Beatles' last tour in August 1966, but they did not perform songs from the album live. Their reasoning for this was that many of the tracks on the album, for example "Tomorrow Never Knows", were too complex to perform with live instruments.
The cover illustration was created by German-born bassist and artist Klaus Voormann, one of the Beatles' oldest friends from their days at the Star Club in Hamburg. Voormann's illustration, part line drawing and part collage, included photographs by Robert Whitaker, who also took the back cover photographs and many other images of the group between 1964 and 1966, such as the infamous "butcher cover" for Yesterday and Today. Voormann's own photo as well as his name (Klaus O. W. Voormann) is worked into Harrison's hair on the right-hand side of the cover. In the Revolver cover appearing in his artwork for Anthology 3, he replaced this image with a more recent photo. Harrison's Revolver image was seen again on his single release of "When We Was Fab" along with an updated version of the same image.
The title "Revolver", like "Rubber Soul" before it, is a pun, referring both to a kind of handgun as well as the "revolving" motion of the record as it is played on a turntable. The Beatles had a difficult time coming up with this title. According to Barry Miles in his book Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now, the title that the four had originally wanted was Abracadabra, until they discovered that another band had already used it. After that, opinion split: Lennon wanted to call it Four Sides of the Eternal Triangle and Starr jokingly suggested After Geography, playing on The Rolling Stones' recently released Aftermath LP. Other suggestions included Magical Circles, Beatles on Safari, Pendulum, and, finally, Revolver, whose wordplay was the one that all four agreed upon. The title was chosen while the band were on tour in Japan in June–July 1966.
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