Vinyl Finds (Continued)

They told me in the record store that they had just put this out the same day that I found it. Good thing that I came along when I did. It might not have been there later that day.

I may have told this story here previously. I first heard Otis Redding on 1960's, AM-radio and his song: "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay." The radio DJ would say by the "Late Great Otis Redding." Being only ten or eleven years old at the time, I certainly understood that he just might be "great" but initially had no idea what the word "late" used in that way meant.

The song that was my introduction to his talent, while not on this record, is still a favorite to this day and can still often be heard being played on the radio. His voice is among the greatest ever!!

Todays Blues From Chicago

These days it seems, I trend more towards the old and classic in music than I do towards what's new.

Another great album cover. Keep returning and browsing through those used vinyl record bins because you never know what you might find on any given adventure. It's a genuine thrill when I come across a recording like this!!

Records with "Various Artists" has mostly been a good label in my search experiences.

When I was younger I wouldn't give The Blues a second thought. It wasn't a consideration in my music choices. But about ten years ago, through the desire and search for more slide guitar sounds in my life, my eyes and ears were finally opened .... enter, The Blues!!!

Mindless Monday Playlist

Because overly warm Monday's also deserve a randomly shuffled iPod playlist don't you think ....

• Michael Franti & Spearhead - See You In the Light
• Grant Lee Buffalo - Honey Don't Think .... I've always had problems separating Grant Lee Buffalo, Donna The Buffalo and Buffalo Tom. There must be some other "buffalo" musical references out there?
• Paul Westerberg - What a Day (For a Night)
• James Keelaghan - My Skies
• The Police - King of Pain

"There's a dog outside barking up a storm. There's a three legged cat offering half a meow. There's a set of headphones pressing on my brain" ..... The beginnings of an additional verse for King of Pain.

• Eric Burdon - Water .... That voice sure takes one back to the 1960's!!
• Rickie Lee Jones - Altar  Boy .... Being a former altar boy, I have to stop and listen to this one.
• Drive-By Truckers - Sounds Better In the Song
• Bob Dylan - Dreamin' Of You
• Tom Freund - North American Long Weekend ..... Had it actually been a long weekend, I might not be here now lamenting Monday.
• David Bowie - Rebel Rebel .... Not a huge David Bowie fan but occasionally you hear a song that causes you to run to iTunes for a download.
• Arc Angels - Paradise Cafe
• Peter Gabriel - Whole Thing

ECM Radio

Listening lately to the ECM Records Radio on iTunes ...... ECM Records

It started with Keith Jarrett's, Koln Concert forty years ago. So many various record releases that spark my interest. Each month brings several new additions. Now there's one place to hear selections from the extensive catalogue. Primarily Jazz, World and Classical themes. Sometimes minimal. Sometimes the sounds are quite challenging. Maybe even a little strange. Almost always interesting though.

Their motto: "The Most Beautiful Sound Next to Silence"

New Unearthed Tom Waits

A live fm-radio broadcast from 1977. Tom Waits in his best gravelly voice and playing the piano backed by acoustic bass, drums and saxophone. If you enjoyed his "Nighthawks At The Diner" album from 1975, then you'll likely enjoy this recording as well. Hopefully there's more live stuff in a vault somewhere waiting to be released one day soon.

The highlights for me are the songs, "Invitation To The Blues" and "Eggs and Sausage." 

It was around 1977 or 1978 when my college roommate introduced me to "Nighthawks At The Diner." Partly spoken and partly sung, we laughed at his wit and borrowed several of his lines from the record to use in everyday conversation, even competing to see who could best imitate Wait's voice. It's one of those albums remembered fondly almost fourty years later. If a reunion were to happen tomorrow, we'd likely end up playing the record again, remembering old times ..... And not to forget that the album contains my personal anthem, the song, "Better Off Without A Wife."

Album Cover Artwork

Because I'm a huge fan of exciting images, great album covers and album design, especially from the late 1950's and the 1960's ..... Found at the record store yesterday.

And I'll give it a listen too.

Shuffle Time Again

Another round of the iPod on shuffle play. Late night/early morning weekend edition ..... because someone, somewhere has to be playing music for the night to hear. In case it's feeling a little lonely and anxious in the darkness.

• Son Volt - Caryatid Easy
• Yo La Tengo - I Feel Like Going Home
• Matt Nathanson - To The Beat of Our Noisey Hearts
• Blue Merle - Part of Your History
• John Prine - Unwed Fathers (Live) .... So many great songs that he's written!
• Bob Mould - The Breach .... Finger tapping on my desk, adding a second drummer to the song.
• Poco - You Better Think Twice
• Big Country - We're Not In Kansas .... Acoustic version.
• Keith Richards - 999
• Assembly of Dust - Vaulted Sky
• Ryan Adams - Oh My Sweet Carolina
• Hunters & Collectors - When the River Runs Dry .... Aussie band. Along with The Church, Midnight Oil and Paul Kelly, my favs from Australia!
• Sweet Billy Pilgrim - Stars Spill Out Of Cups

Record Store Day!!

Another "Record Store Day" today! My kind of holiday! Vinyl junkies, geeks and dorks galore in the record store. Wait a minute ..... I'm one of those geeks. Just not the insane variety that stands in a long line for several hours waiting for the doors to open. I mosey on in whenever I get around to it. And glad that I do. From the photos that I've seen it looks like it was a mob scene during the first hour. I probably missed out on some good stories but I'm way too old and lacking in perseverance for this standing-in-line stuff.

It's fascinating to me, the number of kids, teenagers and 20-somethings, that frequent record stores today. Sometimes I think they outnumber us geezers. How did they discover these black discs called records? I feel the urge occasionally to stop and tell them about the grand old days of record stores, the BCD era (before compact discs) when there was three or four in town. When one might go out of business but another would always pop up. When every decent sized town had a record store. When they would burn incense in the store. Long before the internet .... When every store would have the huge Schwann Catalog on the counter for reference. When the majority of the band and musician names on the records were known to me. When I was young!! I wonder if they would listen?

I did pick up a couple Record Store Day limited releases to do my part to observe and honor todays occasion .....

• Typhoon - Prosthetic Love (Piano Version) ..... 7-inch vinyl. A local band!
• The Animals - The Animals No. 2 ..... 10-inch vinyl. From 1965. Their second EP.

Also found .....

• Kai Winding & J.J. Johnson - The Great Kai and J.J. ..... Jazz from 1961. Both are trombonists. Bill Evans on piano. On Impulse Records, another of the great classic Jazz record labels.
• Clyde McCoy - The Uncollected 1938 .... Big Band Swing. From radio broadcasts. On Hindsight Records. Part of a series of enjoyable recordings of different big bands from the 1930's-50's. I've been taking home anything that I can find from this series. History to me. Something my parents may have listened to in their youth which makes it fascinating. With the live narration introducing each song, you almost feel like you are back in those days, in front of your radio.

Slow Train Coming

Dylan's born again album. I just think that it's great music. Right there with "Blood On The Tracks" as his best from the 1970's and 80's. And there's Mark Knopfler on guitar!!

Dylan appeared on Saturday Night Live back then. Viewing the program in those days was a Saturday evening routine for me, before the first big cast change in the Not Ready For Prime Time Players. He played songs from the new album. I have to remind myself that this was new music in the late 70's not the classic that I view it as today. I was still in the process of getting to know the songs. As I recall they gave him the time to perform three songs. Two songs has generally been the norm.

Matthew Ryan

Just for you guys, my longtime friends and gang here on the Facebook... This is well obviously me rehearsing Suffer No More up in my lair. Enjoy...? Really wanting you guys to come out to these shows. This band is gigantic and we're committed to giving you guys the very best we have. Not just from Boxers, but also a lot of surprises from all over the span of things from May Day on. Even a Strays song? Maybe even a new cover of a song most of us probably love. Visit the site www.matthewryanonline.com/tour. Come see us! Help spread the word. Por favor.#matthewryan #boxers #livemusic

Posted by Matthew Ryan on Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Rockin' With The Ramones

I don't just listen to old Jazz, Blues, Singer/Songwriter tunes and classic 1960's.

During excursions and pilgrimages years ago to Salem and Portland record stores, a friend and I would make a point to stop and ponder the song titles on Ramones albums and chuckle. (It's probably a good thing for the two of us that a genuine die-hard Ramones fan didn't walk by and take offense.) We would occasionally bring them up as a topic in casual conversation. Talk about being a couple of "Pinheads." Eventually though, I started listening to the actual songs. Maybe it was because of the MTV video for "Pet Cemetary."  I used to think of The Ramones as Punk Rock ..... but it's really just fun Rock! Songs that are guitarish, short and quick and meant to be played loud!! Even if "Shelia Is A Punk Rocker" and "Suzy Is A Headbanger."

Vinyl Finds - Continuing Adventures

From 1969. Looks like the original vinyl. Great voice!! The liner notes calls his music, "swamp music." His most famous song is "Pork Salad Annie." It's not found here but his "Rainy Night In Georgia" is. And once again, great album cover artwork! The 1960's, probably the best decade for album covers.

While following Jackson Browne, Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, Cat Stevens, etc., during the 1970's and beyond, Tony Joe White (and others) went mostly un-noticed. It's time now to make up for that.

Singer/Songwriter! Blues-rock! Swamp music! It's just great sounds missed out on for so many years. It feels like unearthing lost treasures when finding and giving an initial listening, 46 years later. And it just looks cool visually in a collection! Put it inside a plastic sleeve and it looks like a rare collectors item.

The search for more continues!