Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Oct 21, 2020 19:14:28 GMT -5
I'm also a big, big fan of Santana - I've seen him live six times, which, considering how rarely I actually go to concerts, is saying a lot. Abraxas is arguably the best album, but to me the first four albums are all essential listening... I agree. The four albums that Santana made between 1969 and 1972, with the Woodstock-era line up, are fantastic. |
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Post by beccabear67 on Oct 21, 2020 23:15:18 GMT -5
Neal Schon and Gregg Rollie started Journey after leaving Santana following Abraxas. the first few pre-Steve Perry Journey albums have some great moments, on drums was Aynsley Dunbar! Later there was some kind of reunion group named Abraxas Pool. I keep meaning to check out more by them...
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on May 23, 2022 11:34:32 GMT -5
Resurrecting this thread as I've bought a fair bit of vinyl over the past couple of months and thought I'd show some of it off in the coming days. Here's the first lot (more to come later)...  Going clockwise from top left, we have The Allman Bros. Band's 1979 reunion album, Enlightened Rogues, which features the hit single "Crazy Love". This is a U.S. first pressing of the album and it's in really minty condition -- just like new in fact! I really love the Allmans during their original period of 1969-1976, but this is my first venture into any of their later stuff. The song-writing here is pretty much dominated by guitarist Dickey Betts, with Gregg Allman only contributing one song. I like Betts' writing (and guitar playing) an awful lot though, so that's no bad thing. It's easy to see why "Crazy Love" was a U.S. Top 10 hit, it's a very catchy, up-tempo country-rock number, with Bonnie Bramlett supplying some striking backing vocals. The rest of the album is pleasant enough, with some really nice ensemble playing, but it lacks the fire of the earlier Allman Brothers' music. Next up is a UK 1980s re-pressing of Johnny Ace's posthumous "Memorial Album". Originally released in 1955, the album gathers up Ace's biggest hits in celebration of the man who was Rock 'n' Roll's first casualty (he accidentally shot himself fooling around with a gun backstage). He was only 25. I already knew "Pledging My Love", of course, as it's a classic of the era and also one of my favourite songs of the 1950s. The rest of his stuff was unknown to me though. To be honest, I wasn't really expecting much from this -- after all, Ace's career only spanned a scant two years of record making. However, I've been pleasantly surprised to find that most of this album is really good R&B and proto-soul music. "Pledging My Love" is still the stand out track, of course, but the rest of the album is much more than mere filler. Miles Davis' Milestones came out right after Davis' moody, noir-inspired soundtrack album for the French film Ascenseur pour l'échafaud (1958) and before Porgy and Bess (1959), so its really prime Davis IMHO. To be honest, I find the album a little dissapointing. It's a little patchy in places; standout tracks like Thelonious Monk's "Straight, No Chaser" and the title track are sublime, but a lot of the rest of it strikes me as rather ho-hum. Maybe I just need to listen to it more. By the way, this is a U.S. pressing from the late 1960s and is Electronically Re-Chanelled Stereo (the album was initially only mixed in mono and not presented in real stereo until 2001). Although I usually steer clear of Fake-Stereo pressings like this, I have to say that this record sounds really, really nice from a hi-fi point of view. I also took a punt on J. J. Cale's first album. Folks have been telling me for years that I should check out Cale's '70s albums, and this is his debut, Naturally, from 1971. I've only listened to this record twice so far, but it has a lovely laid-back vibe to what is fairly straight ahead boogie or blues-rock. The playing is really great throughout though and there's a really comforting ambience to the album: this is definitely a late night record. Not much of the material jumps out at me so far, and it feels like this is an album that is more than the sum of its parts. That said, the song "Magnolia" is absolutely fantastic. Again, I think more listening is required for this one to grow on me. But I certainly like it so far. |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on May 23, 2022 12:20:53 GMT -5
Resurrecting this thread as I've bought a fair bit of vinyl over the past couple of months and thought I'd show some of it off in the coming days. Here's the first lot (more to come later)... Going clockwise from top left, we have The Allman Bros. Band's 1979 reunion album, Enlightened Rogues, which features the hit single "Crazy Love". This is a U.S. first pressing of the album and it's in really minty condition -- just like new in fact! I really love the Allmans during their original period of 1969-1976, but this is my first venture into any of their later stuff. The song-writing here is pretty much dominated by guitarist Dickey Betts, with Gregg Allman only contributing one song. I like Betts' writing (and guitar playing) an awful lot though, so that's no bad thing. It's easy to see why "Crazy Love" was a U.S. Top 10 hit, it's a very catchy, up-tempo country-rock number, with Bonnie Bramlett supplying some striking backing vocals. The rest of the album is pleasant enough, with some really nice ensemble playing, but it lacks the fire of the earlier Allman Brothers' music. Next up is a UK 1980s re-pressing of Johnny Ace's posthumous "Memorial Album". Originally released in 1955, the album gathers up Ace's biggest hits in celebration of the man who was Rock 'n' Roll's first casualty (he accidentally shot himself fooling around with a gun backstage). He was only 25. I already knew "Pledging My Love", of course, as it's a classic of the era and also one of my favourite songs of the 1950s. The rest of his stuff was unknown to me though. To be honest, I wasn't really expecting much from this -- after all, Ace's career only spanned a scant two years of record making. However, I've been pleasantly surprised to find that most of this album is really good R&B and proto-soul music. "Pledging My Love" is still the stand out track, of course, but the rest of the album is much more than mere filler. Miles Davis' Milestones came out right after Davis' moody, noir-inspired soundtrack album for the French film Ascenseur pour l'échafaud (1958) and before Porgy and Bess (1959), so its really prime Davis IMHO. To be honest, I find the album a little dissapointing. It's a little patchy in places; standout tracks like Thelonious Monk's "Straight, No Chaser" and the title track are sublime, but a lot of the rest of it strikes me as rather ho-hum. Maybe I just need to listen to it more. By the way, this is a U.S. pressing from the late 1960s and is Electronically Re-Chanelled Stereo (the album was initially only mixed in mono and not presented in real stereo until 2001). Although I usually steer clear of Fake-Stereo pressings like this, I have to say that this record sounds really, really nice from a hi-fi point of view. I also took a punt on J. J. Cale's first album. Folks have been telling me for years that I should check out Cale's '70s albums, and this is his debut, Naturally, from 1971. I've only listened to this record twice so far, but it has a lovely laid-back vibe to what is fairly straight ahead boogie or blues-rock. The playing is really great throughout though and there's a really comforting ambience to the album: this is definitely a late night record. Not much of the material jumps out at me so far, and it feels like this is an album that is more than the sum of its parts. That said, the song "Magnolia" is absolutely fantastic. Again, I think more listening is required for this one to grow on me. But I certainly like it so far. Nice pick-ups. I'm a big fan of Johnny Ace. And I rather like Milestones, though it's been some time since I've listened to it. |
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Post by badwolf on May 23, 2022 13:21:13 GMT -5
Neal Schon and Gregg Rollie started Journey after leaving Santana following Abraxas. the first few pre-Steve Perry Journey albums have some great moments, on drums was Aynsley Dunbar! Later there was some kind of reunion group named Abraxas Pool. I keep meaning to check out more by them... I love early Journey!
When I was young and just starting to buy my own music, I got a cassette called In the Beginning by Journey. I was familiar with their radio hits, but was confused when I listened to this album. It didn't sound anything like them, especially the singer! I wondered if it was another band by the same name. I didn't understand at the time that a band might change their sound or even their singer. Like how could it even be the same band??  (Back then cassettes were made cheaply as far as the packaging, and they often didn't have credits of any kind inside, especially budget catalog releases.) Well the album grew on me and eventually I loved it for what it was. It wasn't till years later I found out it was a compilation of songs from the first three albums.
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Jun 6, 2022 16:18:59 GMT -5
Here's the second batch of my recent vinyl purchases...  So, clockwise from top left, we have the UK version of Donovan's Sunshine Superman album from 1967 (although this is a second pressing from 1968). At this point in his career, Donovan was experiencing contractual difficulties with his British record label Pye arising from his having signed with Epic Records in the U.S. in late 1965. As a result, his 3rd and 4th albums -- Sunshine Superman (August 1966) and Mellow Yellow (February 1967), which were both released on Epic -- were not issued in the UK. By mid-67, the contractual problems were sorted out, but rather than release both of Donovan's recent Epic albums in the UK, Pye Records chose to compile what they felt were the best tracks from Sunshine Superman and Mellow Yellow into a UK version of Sunshine Superman. The album sported new cover artwork and was released in June 1967. It's a very nice compilation of tracks actually, though it inevitably leaves out some great songs from its parent albums. I do absolutely adore that album artwork though. Next up is Another Side of Bob Dylan from 1964 (this is a 1967 UK pressing), which is an album that I've had on CD since the early '90s. It's a real favourite of mine, so I figured a nice vinyl copy was worth buying and besides I got a really good deal on it.  This is the album where Dylan first began to shift away from his earlier folk-protest songs and experiment with a more surrealistic style of lyric writing, which was very much indebted to Beat writers like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. Probably the best known song from this album is "It Ain't Me Babe". Next is the "Beano album" by John Mayall & The Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton from 1966 (though this is an early '70s re-pressing). This is a quintessential album of the '60s British blues boom and, although I've never owned a copy of my own, it is an album that the guitarist in my band has been into since the late '80s. As a result, I know most of the songs on it pretty well, having been exposed to them by him over the years. The ensemble musicianship on this album is absolutely blistering, with Clapton in particular laying down some of the best guitar playing of his career. The album is sadly let down a little bit by Mayall's thin, reedy singing voice, but nevertheless, this is an album on which the band is really cooking. Last up is the Jefferson Airplane's final album release (not counting a 1989 reunion album that is best forgotten) and this particular copy is an original U.S. pressing from 1973. Thirty Seconds Over Winterland is a live album that documents the final configuration of the band, with Papa John Creach on electric fiddle and David Freiberg (ex-of Quicksilver Messenger Service) on vocals. Despite its title, the album's tracks were not exclusively recorded at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, as a good half of the album is sourced from a concert at Chicago Auditorium. This really isn't a great album, in all honesty: the band sound tired and like they are just going through the motions on stage. But it was the only Jefferson Airplane album that was missing from my collection, so the completest in me had to have it. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2022 2:07:41 GMT -5
Next is the "Beano album" by John Mayall & The Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton from 1966 (though this is an early '70s re-pressing). This is a quintessential album of the '60s British blues boom and, although I've never owned a copy of my own, it is an album that the guitarist in my band has been into since the late '80s. As a result, I know most of the songs on it pretty well, having been exposed to them by him over the years. The ensemble musicianship on this album is absolutely blistering, with Clapton in particular laying down some of the best guitar playing of his career. The album is sadly let down a little bit by Mayall's thin, reedy singing voice, but nevertheless, this is an album on which the band is really cooking. Ah, the Beano album...quintessential indeed! This is quite literally where the sound of hard rock (in terms of both Clapton's playing and guitar tone) begins in my opinion. You can point to all of the earlier rock albums that had some of these aspects, but Clapton just brought it all together in a huge way never heard before on this album. The "Cream" sound was already there, as he would head off to that same year. But before Fresh Cream and Disraeli Gears, before Hendrix's pyrotechnics of lead guitar innovation the following year, this was THE album. Agreed on Mayall's voice, Jack Bruce brought a much pleasing quality in Cream in my opinion. A wonderful album to enjoy on vinyl (and congrats on the other acquisitions). |
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Jun 18, 2022 20:03:10 GMT -5
Ok, here's the third batch of vinyl LPs that I've recently picked up...   In the top picture (clockwise from top left) we have a mid-80s compilation of stuff by Todd Rundgren's old band The Nazz on Rhino Records. Previously, I'd only heard the song "Open My Eyes" by The Nazz, which I knew from Lenny Kaye's early '70s compilation album Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968. That song is a pop-punk-psych powerhouse and I'm pleased to say that most of this album consists of stuff that is equally exciting and catchy. That said, it's actually on the slower, more introspective songs that the band really beguile, with "Gonna Cry Today" and "Hello It's Me" being standouts. Next up is Pink Floyd's Obscured By Clouds, which is a soundtrack album for some obscure French arthouse film. This album was released in 1972 (though my copy is a late '70s re-press) and it came out between Meddle and Dark Side of the Moon. I'd always understood that this album was supposed to be pretty inessential, as far as Floyd albums go, but it was the only album of their's that I didn't have from the 1967-1975 period, so I decided to grab a copy. Actually, I have to say that I think this album is a lot better than I'd been lead to believe it would be. I mean, sure, it has its share of fairly pleasant, but unremarkable instrumental pieces, but the lovely, melancholy songs "Wot's... Uh the Deal?" and "Stay" are worth the price of the album alone. The Iggy Pop & The Stooges LP Rare Power is a Record Store Day release from 2018 that gathers together outtakes from the classic Raw Power album sessions. I have to say that, much as I love The Stooges and Raw Power, this album is not an essential purchase. The outtake songs are all fun to listen to in a raucous, balls out, rock 'n' roll way, but they also lack the tight focus of the tracks that made it onto the finished album. The rest of this compilation is padded out with a couple of pretty inessential Iggy Pop remixes of the songs "Shake Appeal" and "Death Trip", and an absolutely terrible modern synth and drum loop-laden remix of "Gimme Danger" by someone called Josh Mobley. This remix doesn't fit with the rest of the album at all and is a real "what were they thinking?!" moment. I'm glad I have this LP in my collection, but I can't really see myself reaching for it too often. If I want to listen to the Stooges I'm much more likely to pull out one of their three original albums. The last album in the top image is Nancy Sinatra's Greatest Hits, which came out in 1970. This album is predictably excellent, with all-time '60s classics like "Sugar Town" and "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" sitting alongside the brilliant duets with Lee Hazelwood "Some Velvet Morning" and "Jackson". Her hit duet with her dear ol' Dad Frank "Somethin' Stupid" is here too. Having been released in 1970, this is a perfectly timed Greatest Hits album: it captures Nancy Sinatra at the height of her powers as a pop star, before her recording career began to decline commercially and creatively in the 70s and beyond. In the second photo, we have a mid-80s Jackie Wilson compilation, which is from Belgium, I believe. I've been partial to Wilson's music since the 1980s, but weirdly this is the first time I've ever purchased any of it. Sensibly, the album mainly focuses on his pop, soul, R&B and doo-wop hits, like "Reet Petite", "Lonely Teardrops", "Baby Workout", and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher". But the album also features a few of his his crooner hits, such as "Alone At Last" and "Night", which is an area of his recording career that I never knew existed. To be honest, I can take or leave these easy listening "crooner" tracks, but I like the fact that they are included, as it gives a much more complete overview of Jackie Wilson's career. Lastly, I picked up Loudon Wainwright III's second album from 1971, which is aptly titled Album II. I've been a fan of Loudon's since the early '90s, when I discovered his third album (the equally aptly titled Album III), which includes his most famous song, "Dead Skunk". But I've never gotten around to exploring any of his other albums, which is kinda weird because I really like Album III an awful lot. If you know Loudon Wainwright III's music, you'll know what to expect here: confessional folk-flavoured songs with wry, rapier-sharp lyrics on love, life, death and babies. Unlike its follow-up, this album doesn't feature a band: it is all Wainwright accompanying himself on acoustic guitar and occasionally on piano. I have to say, although it's not quite up to the standards of Album III -- and there's certainly nothing as memorable as "Dead Skunk" on this album -- Album II is rather charming in Wainwright's usual tragi-comic way. The most famous song here is probably "Motel Blues", which I've heard other people cover in folk clubs and at open mic nights over the years. |
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Aug 16, 2022 1:40:55 GMT -5
Won a UK copy of Muddy Waters' Live at Newport album on ebay last week for £10 (I was the only bidder)...  This is a reissue on Pye's budget Marble Arch label from around 1967 or 1968. It's a shame it doesn't feature the album's original artwork, but the contents are exactly the same as the original issue. The music is fantastic, of course, and the condition of this particular LP is exquisite -- the vinyl really is mint and sounds quieter than some brand new LPs I've bought. I've been after this album for a while now, so I'm really pleased to have picked up such a high grade copy. |
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Oct 28, 2022 2:18:40 GMT -5
I bought an old 10" long-player by Hank Williams this week off of Discogs.com titled Moanin' the Blues.   This record was issued in 1952, and my copy is in very nice condition for such an old record. I like Hank Williams a whole lot -- sure, most of his music sounds hopelessly dated nowadays, but there's a rawness of emotion to many of his recordings that transcends the stylistic fashions of their era. In short, when Williams played and sang, he meant it. I already had a couple of "Greatest Hits" LPs of his, but when I was ill in bed with Covid a couple of weeks ago, I found this album online and gave it a listen. Now, maybe it was because I wasn't feeling my best, but I'm not ashamed to say that parts of this album are so emotionally hard-hitting that I got a little moisten-eyed listening to it. I decided that I was gonna have to get myself a copy, as several of the songs on it are not on the other two Hank Williams compilations that I own. I also dig the fact that this is a 10" album -- that's a sadly underused format, in my humble opinion. The 33⅓ RPM 10" LP format came out in the '40s and early '50s, when long-playing microgroove vinyl discs were first developed. These pre-date the more familiar 12" album format. These early LP albums were manufactured at 10" diameter because that's the size that the older shellac and vinyl 78rpm singles were, so that size was deemed industry standard at the time (it was only later in the mid-to-late '50s that the 12" LP became the dominant format). There are a few of Williams's better known tracks on here, such as "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and "Lovesick Blues", but the slightly deeper cut that really blew me away when I was listening to it sick in bed was "Alone and Forsaken". Check it out, this is just a great song and a helluva heart-wrenching performance (now, excuse me, there's something in my eye)... |
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(Back then cassettes were made cheaply as far as the packaging, and they often didn't have credits of any kind inside, especially budget catalog releases.) 
This is the album where Dylan first began to shift away from his earlier folk-protest songs and experiment with a more surrealistic style of lyric writing, which was very much indebted to Beat writers like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. Probably the best known song from this album is "It Ain't Me Babe".