tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10693783980351092752023-11-16T02:58:39.051-08:00THE VINYL PRINCESS"The MP3 has dismantled the intended shape of an album" -Elvis CostelloVinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-62622448436004671202009-09-24T12:28:00.000-07:002009-09-24T12:41:33.414-07:00The VInyl Princess is moving!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HKBXJHsDpO_fqlaXYepGrKi7rxgcD2UVvcFfSxzP6GhosHXxct6sUpGrjTdgmvTfq1y-m2f3QUUI9-Szi65hDo20miCjlq9uqpIAvrXt4-sHJp2JNTBDQxNX2wWurhl_Wt-tIe0dYvlk/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 131px; height: 93px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HKBXJHsDpO_fqlaXYepGrKi7rxgcD2UVvcFfSxzP6GhosHXxct6sUpGrjTdgmvTfq1y-m2f3QUUI9-Szi65hDo20miCjlq9uqpIAvrXt4-sHJp2JNTBDQxNX2wWurhl_Wt-tIe0dYvlk/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385120590916364994" /></a><br />Hey, we're moving! And when I say "WE", I hope that means you too. My new website is up and ready for houseguests. Go to www.thevinylprincess.com to check it out and follow me. You'll probably be happy to learn that I'm not taking the faux leopard pole lamp but all the vinyl is coming with me. C'mon over.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Love,</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The VP.</div>Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-70600657327468945622009-08-02T18:32:00.000-07:002009-08-02T18:54:42.757-07:00John Doe and The Sadies- Country Club<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpoz4nI7seB4Gy0F5N7DNJOgJnk-35_WbhS3IsCeT8nl-IfGrXwX1c7y65CNSHlJF3_LR1XQn3bzMpkksZiMYabxPiafuq1VqFJBuQXhANlF8tB9rA0mfk-DHdycJ7mLI4K_Cj3Aedj1p-/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 129px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpoz4nI7seB4Gy0F5N7DNJOgJnk-35_WbhS3IsCeT8nl-IfGrXwX1c7y65CNSHlJF3_LR1XQn3bzMpkksZiMYabxPiafuq1VqFJBuQXhANlF8tB9rA0mfk-DHdycJ7mLI4K_Cj3Aedj1p-/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365550008010428722" /></a><br />John Doe wears a lot of hats (X, the Knitters, and his solo stuff) and, although he's no stranger to cowboy hats, I think this is the first "Countrypolitan" record he's made in a while. He says he made a drunken promise to Travis and Dallas Goode (of the Sadies, a great band in their own right) when they were playing together in Toronto but those promises are usually forgotten. This one was not and the result is a pretty incredible record that combines a lot of really great songs with some top notch musicianship. There's four originals on this one, three by the Sadies, and one by Exene Cervenka, Doe, and the amazing Kathleen Edwards who sings on a few numbers too. The rest are standards or semi-standards made famous and written by the who's who of the country music world: Willie Nelson, Ray Price, Hank Snow, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings. Tammy Wynette, Hank Williams, Porter Wagoner. There isn't a dud on this whole record. I love it as an ensemble piece. I also love that this is not a Nashville style album (no strings, no horns, no choirs, no bullshit), this record is Cosmo Country right out of Bakersfield.Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-49030319494614052272009-06-23T19:02:00.000-07:002009-06-23T19:34:02.847-07:00ELVIS COSTELLO- Secret, Profane and Sugarcane<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vGcqRc7oUCAA74cRGOEWaslxRgeplyMlqkP8FQRK7OiEhSBVfp7VQ6M-GhdBCtrIC2GXhgXjiXB8AUgE2v0OX-atomBlJc__xJxgEMoy2U6fMJ7BIW_FTp1sSb_ernrEqFItlbLqeOT_/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 124px; height: 110px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vGcqRc7oUCAA74cRGOEWaslxRgeplyMlqkP8FQRK7OiEhSBVfp7VQ6M-GhdBCtrIC2GXhgXjiXB8AUgE2v0OX-atomBlJc__xJxgEMoy2U6fMJ7BIW_FTp1sSb_ernrEqFItlbLqeOT_/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350716590268761586" /></a><br />Can I begin by saying how very inspiring it is for the Vinyl Princess to see artists releasing their albums on Vinyl again (happy sigh). While the rest of the world goes off in alarming directions, it appears that the music world is coming back around to Vinyl and what could be better than that? Elvis Costello's new album is a work of art. The artwork on the cover looks like vintage tarot cards with my favorite bird, a crow, right there in the middle. The pen and ink of Elvis on the back is just what I want to think of when I see him in my mind. This is a double gatefold album and the lyrics are wordy so it takes a minute to get through them all but do it, they're brilliant. On to the music: Produced by T-Bone Burnett, who rarely disappoints, a mandolin figures heavily on many songs and the gracious Jim Lauderdale sings harmonies. The songs themselves are like clever short stories with a beginning, a middle, an end, a good plot and even a few sub-plots. I was on board right out of the gate with <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Down Among the Wines and Spirits</span> and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Complicated Shadows</span>, of course. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Sulphur to Sugarcane</span> is my fave on the record and loads of fun and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">She Was No Good</span> is a pretty song that required several listens before I figured out what he was talking about. Listening to this album is like losing yourself in a great book. Mine, by the way, is signed by the man himself. Yup, I looked him right in the eye. I may even have touched him.Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-58287912517050104632009-06-03T12:30:00.000-07:002009-06-03T12:34:13.023-07:00Vinyl Saturday- June 20thhttp://idolator.com/5238702/will-vinyl-saturday-drag-people-back-to-the-record-storesVinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-52057171483073878102009-05-25T13:23:00.000-07:002009-05-25T13:39:47.532-07:00And now a word about censorship<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfb5HtD09uaD0UFvtihC5xggTzXEWXRs720y8LJLQa_SVVC9QePWBG6Izer622o2KGXIj_o4WuVVrX7DeqL0SgndvTySs6bFGCXmoXnxLigwlTnTctPzKEFT1kMvKaeml0jxmw1w8kySe/s1600-h/images-1.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 86px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfb5HtD09uaD0UFvtihC5xggTzXEWXRs720y8LJLQa_SVVC9QePWBG6Izer622o2KGXIj_o4WuVVrX7DeqL0SgndvTySs6bFGCXmoXnxLigwlTnTctPzKEFT1kMvKaeml0jxmw1w8kySe/s400/images-1.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339863910825223810" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OaxRpxK7uzjXfRml_1aqPzn9vHP-pBZg8WtnMmsWIlrXLQH7dWdVUXoIPsvZ1vdlB53VxpufV__bzDBVij-7OgRfKKMvKzihqMCJ8l5XUiOpI5qtpfRmhUcbjMWRyy3rOQCeTebpyxDJ/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 127px; height: 127px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OaxRpxK7uzjXfRml_1aqPzn9vHP-pBZg8WtnMmsWIlrXLQH7dWdVUXoIPsvZ1vdlB53VxpufV__bzDBVij-7OgRfKKMvKzihqMCJ8l5XUiOpI5qtpfRmhUcbjMWRyy3rOQCeTebpyxDJ/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339863803399387394" /></a><br />The new Green Day album, ironically titled " 21st Century Breakdown" will not be appearing at your friendly neighborhood Walmart store any time soon. That Walmart would suggest to a recording artist that they require them to edit the content of their art in order for it to be acceptable in their soulless mega-monster stores, which profit off the backs of slave labor in developing countries, is beyond absurd. My bigger point, however, is that we shouldn't be looking for this album at Walmart anyway. Walmart can continue on, as they always have, selling crap to the masses but I'm happy that they are leaving music in the hands of the people who know what they're doing. Buy your Green Day albums at indie record stores. Album sales for "21st Century Breakdown" surpassed 200,000 in the first few days of hitting the stores without the help of Walmart. Yeah, we don't need your greedy paws all over our music. Thanks, Green Day. Rock on.Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-17511005053039550962009-04-07T12:03:00.000-07:002009-04-07T12:20:29.505-07:00Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPhBaTn_hdDKowOLx4lnWkZdgNeufSF0wcTZkShV_XLz-D0Zw5FizyBlx3JbyDuijPfb1M84mGs8OI6G0x3HdPyxoYA5b9G1oSvsCBN5BPAYHe8lWXwJUlfvAm0RriSzGQ4EC9sQclfKu7/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 116px; height: 114px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPhBaTn_hdDKowOLx4lnWkZdgNeufSF0wcTZkShV_XLz-D0Zw5FizyBlx3JbyDuijPfb1M84mGs8OI6G0x3HdPyxoYA5b9G1oSvsCBN5BPAYHe8lWXwJUlfvAm0RriSzGQ4EC9sQclfKu7/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322030199576104834" /></a><br />Honestly? I don't have a deep catalogue on Patsy. I adore her, sure, but I find myself going back to the same tunes, the ones I know the words to, over and over. Fortunately, on Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits, there is a song for damn near every occasion involving the opposite or the same sex, whichever the case may be. Patsy's focus is mostly on the tunes of the Cheatin' and Hurtin' variety, a modern day therapist would most certainly call her a victim but it just feels so good to throw Patsy on the turntable when someone's done you wrong. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Crazy </span>is my number one on this LP, a classic of classics, ditto for <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Sweet Dreams, I Fall to Pieces,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"> Strange, She's Got You, Why Can't He Be You?, Leavin' on Your Mind, </span>and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">You're Stronger Than</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"> Me</span>. The coolest thing about Patsy though, is that there's always an "I Will Survive" quality to her voice, no matter how sad the song, she inspires you to get back on the horse and ride off into the sunset in search of the next heartbreaker.Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-77291345622840358472009-04-03T09:37:00.000-07:002009-04-03T10:07:59.993-07:00SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRiiK3O792EbfO3Wmwjfkb7jFUqOFtaXV3vAkOPwt9MJpAyPuGAVuHmNI_sp3rmrTC6Woq2qlhY_DtRK_nVX0XOufVkE0lYpLlDbYKHlGdVAcsqdWHEzLGZRMX-ougtiWOigbOrcnKj03/s1600-h/images-2.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 77px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRiiK3O792EbfO3Wmwjfkb7jFUqOFtaXV3vAkOPwt9MJpAyPuGAVuHmNI_sp3rmrTC6Woq2qlhY_DtRK_nVX0XOufVkE0lYpLlDbYKHlGdVAcsqdWHEzLGZRMX-ougtiWOigbOrcnKj03/s400/images-2.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320512382016489986" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzwDRvD5nJhXcOaqFHxX1jeQWbSRzCiHPv_eW2JDd2ESOfawOBMmlGT5zu0T_BRurXV5GW_UPLo7RBhh2_rIGrDqATvHb5PzNe-WvOkcKi7CB4mab8rzyTRQEiJ5zaXykyZQU6Zq7JIue/s1600-h/images-1.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 118px; height: 118px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzwDRvD5nJhXcOaqFHxX1jeQWbSRzCiHPv_eW2JDd2ESOfawOBMmlGT5zu0T_BRurXV5GW_UPLo7RBhh2_rIGrDqATvHb5PzNe-WvOkcKi7CB4mab8rzyTRQEiJ5zaXykyZQU6Zq7JIue/s400/images-1.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320512222782095186" /></a><br />On the back of this album, a guy called "Vinyl Demon" (and I'm pretty sure we'll be meeting in a dark alley someday) says "Jalacey Hawkins is not an ordinary man and this is not an ordinary record. Play it and be damned". Screamin' Jay Hawkins was colorful, to say the least, he had a sort of a Vincent Price esthetic onstage, emerging from coffins, wearing capes and turbans and carrying a skull named Henry. He also had a flare for pyrotechnics, which got him into a lot of trouble and he dabbled in voodoo, obviously. Showmanship aside though, Hawkins was dazzling and if you haven't spent a little time with "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">I Put A Spell On You</span>", I suggest you do so immediately because there's nothing on earth quite like it. It defies description. The Rock and Roll Hall of fame lists it as one of the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll. In his later career, Hawkins became something of a cult figure, appearing in the Jim Jarmusch film "Mystery Train" and touring with Nick Cave and the clash. Hawkins died in 2000 leaving behind 75 offspring(!). The rest of the album pales in comparison to the first cut but I adore <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Little Demon</span> and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">You Made Me Love You</span> and Hawkin's version of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">I Love Paris </span>is as good as it gets.Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-38164045094772087372009-03-28T14:20:00.000-07:002009-03-28T14:56:37.334-07:00Ry Cooder- GET RHYTHM (1987)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH51BnY4F08WAGmUdlI8cxTTN2cKmY129OHLEReW2wZRJgKQTY93wdt8ba94Bux_vQqbJko00YUYVyn0lQQAFr_1FiGHTRvioAeC2k79qblbjDED0XYf_XQqBLvqX4hM26THgfqoPvvsPC/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 98px; height: 97px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH51BnY4F08WAGmUdlI8cxTTN2cKmY129OHLEReW2wZRJgKQTY93wdt8ba94Bux_vQqbJko00YUYVyn0lQQAFr_1FiGHTRvioAeC2k79qblbjDED0XYf_XQqBLvqX4hM26THgfqoPvvsPC/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318360200161369618" /></a><br />Ry Cooder is a manic virtuoso of sorts. I've suspected that he has that genius aptitude for music that drives some musicians over to the dark side but Ry's worked tirelessly exploring a gazillion genre's of almost forgotten music and performed his unique brand of CPR on them, a Midas touch to say the very least. He got me listening to The Pahinui Brothers and Ali Farka Toure and The musicians of the Buena Vista Social club would have faded off into nothing had Ry not stepped in and made them a force to be reckoned with, not to mention he restored the dignity to the mostly aging members that they surely deserve. Anyhoo, before all that, Ry put out some pretty righteous records and my fave of them all is GET RHYTHM. This is a sexy, fun, drive to nowhere kind of CD that I reserve for those days when I'm feeling particularly kick-ass. Right out of the Gate, Johnny Cash's <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Get Rhythm</span> is HOT and one can't help but admire Ry's unique guitar stylings. Elvis's <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">All Shook Up</span> is a different song in Ry's hands. Chuck Berry's 13 <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Question Method</span> is funky sexy. My Five star pick on this record in <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Across The Borderline</span>, performed with Harry Dean Stanton- who was eighty at the time (and he's still eighty, go figure, I suspect a pact with the devil) This one will pull at your heart strings and make you long for a witness relocation program that takes you to the undiscovered West, if there were still an undiscovered West, that is. Check it out, it's a helluva record.Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-22304480422753905682009-03-21T16:03:00.000-07:002009-03-21T16:30:50.090-07:00JOHN PRINE- Bruised Orange<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnWpyefBJrkIQiiB2tF-0z2ma1tfeDZv4bh2aKn86pILzI7qIxVuAW9u9uYQtiJnFwStUVbAApIP2kbCIBbhVaNLZSkQJD7FjP3x70c3TjpvCTsnBWQwbvbXF4V0UGWNAzeDC7cQKqa-c/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 116px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnWpyefBJrkIQiiB2tF-0z2ma1tfeDZv4bh2aKn86pILzI7qIxVuAW9u9uYQtiJnFwStUVbAApIP2kbCIBbhVaNLZSkQJD7FjP3x70c3TjpvCTsnBWQwbvbXF4V0UGWNAzeDC7cQKqa-c/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315787495367638658" /></a><br />This, John Prine's fifth record, produced by the late Steve Goodman, was given to me by a guy who claimed to have stolen a box of them off the back of an idling truck. He didn't know who John Prine was and thought I might. Hell yes, I know. John Prine wrote what I consider to be one of the best songs ever written "Hello In There." A song that will literally rip your heart out and show it to you, still beating. Bruised Orange though, song for song, is my favorite album. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Fish and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"> Whistle, If You Don't Want My Love</span>, and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Bruised Orange (Chain Of Sorrow)</span>, respectively #1,#3, and #5 are lyrically the kind of songs that make you weak in the knees and have you dialing ex-boyfriends in the wee hours (been there, done that, don't do it). But seriously, This album is jam-packed with moments, riffs, and the deeply poetic stuff we've come to expect from the iconic singer-songwriter Prine has become since he stopped delivering mail in Chicago. Oh, and I'd be amiss if I didn't mention "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Crooked Piece Of Time" </span> just when you thought it was okay to leave the house. This album is easy to find on Vinyl for a few bucks so try not to steal it or even borrow it cause you'll never give it back.Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-86832802836863871472009-02-27T14:00:00.000-08:002009-02-27T14:44:00.848-08:00Cowboy Junkies- The Trinity Sessions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EG01dKG9_Pl1jW7oYl7YgRlyeNhbbTZStsl5fHjhWZfiawiTx_T9MxwOn1NTuTWdowXySeqrRkDiNhgr90mm1lCENtqYiyN3vEfRMtDpz6H8nbhEQ5ZvxFBxf4O_ZTskxqr4SFcrRY7O/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 104px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EG01dKG9_Pl1jW7oYl7YgRlyeNhbbTZStsl5fHjhWZfiawiTx_T9MxwOn1NTuTWdowXySeqrRkDiNhgr90mm1lCENtqYiyN3vEfRMtDpz6H8nbhEQ5ZvxFBxf4O_ZTskxqr4SFcrRY7O/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307611247892785746" /></a><br />The Junkies recently went back to the Trinity Church in Toronto to re-record those 12 oh-so beautiful songs originally recorded twenty years ago. The original Band Members: the sexy, hushed chanteuse Margot Timmins and her song-writing brother , Michael, her other brother, Peter, on drums and Alan Anton on Bass, were joined by some artists who were shaped by the original; Natalie Merchant, Ryan Adams, and Vic Chestnut. I think it should be in stores today. Back to the original though, naturally, this is a seminal album, the selection of tunes: Hank William's "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (my own personal favorite version of the song), Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane" and "Blue Moon Revisited" (holy Shit, it's gorgeous), combined with the acoustics in that cool old church in 1987 (and THANK CHRIST, they didn't tear it down, oops sorry, Christ does live there, doesn't he?). The whole thing took fourteen hours to record. I suppose that would account for the organic feel of this record, nothing here feels forced or staged. The album was snapped up by RCA and sold a million copies and it lives on and on and on, as it should.Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-30176790516388495302009-01-29T13:33:00.000-08:002009-01-29T13:52:40.927-08:00Jethro Tull, Aqualung<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04xynNlcFsw648kOcN_vQw-dL3v18FKawoW12PLimo05Ukud9NkMNVjWFZ5lsCDihXQQCZQOPUsZq-DZe7xq5UFEAZnaq4v9qnm3-Ivh0OTTMO_lo9IyGewnpNlgrWvclP_q1-XC1yDv1/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 118px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04xynNlcFsw648kOcN_vQw-dL3v18FKawoW12PLimo05Ukud9NkMNVjWFZ5lsCDihXQQCZQOPUsZq-DZe7xq5UFEAZnaq4v9qnm3-Ivh0OTTMO_lo9IyGewnpNlgrWvclP_q1-XC1yDv1/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296836763569897842" /></a><br /> The song <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Aqualung</span>, as a 70's rock anthem, is right up there with <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Stairway To Heaven</span>. Although Ian Anderson denies that this album is a concept album, one wonders. There seems to be a distinct message running through it, a liberal anti-church and state rant, and side one seems to be about six distinctly different characters. I'm a flute lover and Ian Anderson on stage doing his thing is a pretty cool thing to behold. Some of the songs on this record are heavily layered. complex, deeply messaged and all the rest a girl like me looks for in anthem rock. Others, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Cheap Day Return</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Wond'ring Aloud, Mother Goose,</span> are more acoustic. The album artwork, a painting of the Aqualung character is something that you don't forget, definitely a cover for the ages. This was the first album recorded at Island Studios in London. Ironically Led Zeppelin's fourth album was being recorded simultaneously in a different, smaller studio. Although it's difficult to describe the listening experience one encounters while this record is playing, I can say with great confidence that there is nothing else on earth like Aqualung. Dropping acid while listening is optional.Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-16618957390238908782009-01-22T11:20:00.000-08:002009-01-22T11:46:38.470-08:00The Byrds- Mr. Tambourine Man- 1965<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsZ2ouGogi0mPstgCC-pTuErKmgRm4gvCTADTpRrRNig19ICcYoekpaP7F8Rarj-p0onfSXmOcyJG_ILOJ1mnLcevoU4tQlwO6cHWeTqn_o7PIllO1BxFwVD9DqwrKqKOuQ1zyiwO_cN9/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 124px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsZ2ouGogi0mPstgCC-pTuErKmgRm4gvCTADTpRrRNig19ICcYoekpaP7F8Rarj-p0onfSXmOcyJG_ILOJ1mnLcevoU4tQlwO6cHWeTqn_o7PIllO1BxFwVD9DqwrKqKOuQ1zyiwO_cN9/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294206749858019378" /></a><br />The Byrds always follow the Beatles on my record shelf. Mostly because they both take up some serious space. Also because, in the beginning, the Byrds were inspired by the Beatles. Roger McGuinn was a total folkie at the time but he brought that unmistakable jangly 12 string sound that the band became famous for. Gene Clark wrote all those great tunes that you still hum in the shower and then the band's vocal harmonies became synonymous with the Southern California coast where it all happened. I like this first album a lot, the staff: McGuinn, Clark, Hillman, David Crosby (Pre CSN) and Michael Clarke on drums changed as the years passed and we'll get to that when I talk about "Sweetheart Of The Rodeo" and the Gram infusion . "Mr Tambourine Man" was embraced at first for the Dylan covers but, as time passed, songs like <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Here Without You</span>, and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better</span> and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">I Knew I'd Want You</span> garnered the attention they deserved. Gene Clark should be partly credited with making the early Byrds (get it) what they were, He wrote some very enduring songs. For the rest, they were a tight band with stellar vocal harmonies and great musicianship.Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-21985105510249726162009-01-17T11:50:00.000-08:002009-01-17T12:28:28.782-08:00The BEATLES- Rubber Soul<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgru6dEymHpbu-66R01minrQrCo8Zh2Q1VC1Pvxg8FLn0CARcMCdpDDu65vTLqiQ-3oU_ZuNR85l6XnfXb3mwYtXWGV0i9kB-Ute7cVr0CFt2rN3nlDmC60VtiGPgLaG5lioMhzDpUWC7pe/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 124px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgru6dEymHpbu-66R01minrQrCo8Zh2Q1VC1Pvxg8FLn0CARcMCdpDDu65vTLqiQ-3oU_ZuNR85l6XnfXb3mwYtXWGV0i9kB-Ute7cVr0CFt2rN3nlDmC60VtiGPgLaG5lioMhzDpUWC7pe/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292361824157450370" /></a><br />Recorded in just over four weeks, "Rubber Soul" was released in 1965 and immediately regarded as an artistic achievement of the highest level. I don't know about any of that, I just love how it jump starts your groove with <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Drive</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">My Car</span> and then it takes a sharp right turn into <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Norwegian Wood</span> featuring George on Sitar (This was about when he was inspired by Indian music and took lessons from Ravi Shankar). Apparently, the song is about an affair that John had, written cryptically so his wife wouldn't figure out (Uh, how dumb was she?). That, and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Girl</span> might be Lennon's best ballads. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Michelle, Looking Through</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">You</span>, and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">You Won't See Me</span> are what's become enduring classic Paul McCartney and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">In My Life</span> was the last song that John and Paul wrote together before their friendship turned sour, and, considering that, how very poignant. Rubber Soul seems to me to be the mpoheads emergence from Beatlemania and marks their plunging themselves into serious, ponderous, thoughtful songwriting.Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-16418808064511991622009-01-14T13:47:00.000-08:002009-01-14T14:33:16.377-08:00The Doors- Strange Days<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyB4PJlUXURzl4_wEB8KKP-go74PdMNFAR7Xb1YLC9_yXjdbYVMIQ6GRHcqE67eFa0KqMWC8xGiSkFir1zVFpMSrpClwKAR6zPF16-lhkL7LG3PfPrR6xFdigjeicYQbeDAS9PXFaLKxIw/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 118px; height: 118px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyB4PJlUXURzl4_wEB8KKP-go74PdMNFAR7Xb1YLC9_yXjdbYVMIQ6GRHcqE67eFa0KqMWC8xGiSkFir1zVFpMSrpClwKAR6zPF16-lhkL7LG3PfPrR6xFdigjeicYQbeDAS9PXFaLKxIw/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291280993524447890" /></a><br />Moving along to other 40(ish) year-old albums. I present to you "Strange Days". People might say that the Door's first was their best but those of us who like to cross over to the dark side and wallow in a Morrison induced funk seem to enjoy "Strange Days". Besides the catchier and more accessible <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Love Me Two Times</span> and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">People Are Strange</span>, there's a mixed bag of Morrison at his most poetic and theatrical and visceral. The atmospheric <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Horse Latitudes</span> is like being at a Poetry Brawl and the eleven minute <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">When The Music's Over</span> is erotically political and self-indulgent in a way that only Morrison could pull off. It's hard to listen to the Doors and not feel the tragedy that befell Morrison but I sometimes think that it adds to the poignancy of their work. Ray Manzarek's signature organ is everpresent on this album and I think he added so much more to the doors than he's often given credit for. It must have been hard to watch Jim gyrate in his tight leather pants while he plunked away at his organ behind him. This LP is one of those timeless things that I'll be listening to till the end of time.Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-87389511932269271052009-01-08T18:19:00.000-08:002009-01-08T19:21:26.293-08:00Van Morrison- Astral Weeks 1968<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFA-WB18h0pGtjB3NWQk2thZ64-YDpaPRvUfA-MVAqrqXrK6uE1QHfNEODq2AU2iXOhcXrBy44SAxgqnDVth_AGdYvrrfF2Hbe_f3bR8cqUH_ndaY2CXamn5VSBTGur5KrAM76eJn4RubB/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 140px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFA-WB18h0pGtjB3NWQk2thZ64-YDpaPRvUfA-MVAqrqXrK6uE1QHfNEODq2AU2iXOhcXrBy44SAxgqnDVth_AGdYvrrfF2Hbe_f3bR8cqUH_ndaY2CXamn5VSBTGur5KrAM76eJn4RubB/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289128715310564722" /></a><br />What happened? How'd it get to be Thursday? God, that is what day it is, right? I lost a couple of days to the Pogues. Once I got started with those knuckleheads I couldn't stop.<div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> I've been wondering about Van Morrison. He recently revisited "Astral Weeks" at the Hollywood Bowl a full FORTY years after it was first recorded (I'll be reviewing that for caughtinthecarousel.com) and I was thinking about the original. Recorded in 1968 when Van was in his twenties, this album showcases all that he was and, for the most part, still is. His voice has clarity and unflinching direction and he's over-confident and richly gospelly/bluesy and you can lay back and listen to this record for as long as it takes to ge there. My top cut is <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">The Way Young Lovers Do. </span>It makes me miss the sixties even though I was far from being born. Next best is <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Madame George</span> and then <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Cyprus Avenue.</span> A lot of people like Moondance but I think that's because it's more tuneful, more of a sing-along in the car kind of record. Astral Weeks is like you get in the car but you gotta let Van drive, because he knows every curve in the road.</div>Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-70376674579599673642009-01-03T16:15:00.000-08:002009-01-03T16:35:33.871-08:00The POGUES- RUM, SODOMY, and the LASH-1985<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC03uOZ_x0J6JDTCpo4rDnTM18gSgUN6q85ppbU-3KlrhHdbtg5mUF2c_JAPyHneLsqoeNzqnxtdtj0nP0bt3FmK7xGiFOrdsFljP_TBjV9uKsO9dErffQGMKLK2mf2YXXveFydHBgmvmb/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC03uOZ_x0J6JDTCpo4rDnTM18gSgUN6q85ppbU-3KlrhHdbtg5mUF2c_JAPyHneLsqoeNzqnxtdtj0nP0bt3FmK7xGiFOrdsFljP_TBjV9uKsO9dErffQGMKLK2mf2YXXveFydHBgmvmb/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287230271259031490" /></a><br />I LOVE the Pogues....LOVE them. They're a rollicking, brawling, In-your-face Celtic, Punk-Ass, bunch of buffoons but they are SO good. Rum, Sodomy & the Lash was produced by Elvis Costello and he brings out the band's best, most notably Shane MacGowan and most notable of the cuts, "Dirty Old Town" and "And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" both covers, but Brilliant. On "The Sick Bed of Chuchulainn", You'll forgive Shane everything and maybe even lend him money, knowing you'll never see it again. After Shane left, I dunno, seems like a lot of the Pogues spirit left with him but you can only take someone barfing on your shoes and sleeping with your girlfriend for so long I guess. This album is an easy find and a gem.Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-68874947510790224742009-01-01T12:35:00.000-08:002009-01-01T12:51:09.658-08:00TOP TEN VINYL RE-ISSUES in 2008<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgTJq7TNBob5m-rCbk5mh-uiMlej4hFLKzRkNwmgdpb1Wn7dZwRi7yAdc6JjOTMI4rACYDlODiD4ZMM-RAbknJY2X5VcCMfqfcrAgpYnkOIsJ-ZM20vOQ1lqaSFCOvy3DM-15hrU3VPPL/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 104px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgTJq7TNBob5m-rCbk5mh-uiMlej4hFLKzRkNwmgdpb1Wn7dZwRi7yAdc6JjOTMI4rACYDlODiD4ZMM-RAbknJY2X5VcCMfqfcrAgpYnkOIsJ-ZM20vOQ1lqaSFCOvy3DM-15hrU3VPPL/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286430615407391874" /></a><br />Happy Vinyl Collecting in 2009. Below I've assembled a list of raddest re-issues of 2008.<div><br /><div>1. Cannonball Adderly-Soul Zodiac (Capital)</div><div>2. The Beach Boys- Pet Sounds (on 180 gran vinyl, Capital)</div><div>3. Jimi Hendrix- Band of Gypsys (limited edition fiery red 180 gram vinyl-Capital/EMI)</div><div>4. R.E.M. - Document (Capital/EMI)</div><div>5. Van Morrison- Tupelo Honey</div><div>6. Cream- Disraeli Gears (Polydor)</div><div>7. Cat Stevens- Tea For The Tillerman (A&M)</div><div>8. Supertramp- Breakfast in America (A&M)</div><div>9. Nick Drake- Pink Moon (Island)</div><div>10. Charlie Mingus- Mingus Ah Um (originally issued in 1959, now on 180 gram vinyl, audiophile)</div><div><br /></div></div>Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-76941287192327638872008-12-29T12:25:00.000-08:002008-12-29T12:43:23.837-08:00Gram Parsons- GP-1973<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVeF-nhMhf8TxY9bz678hwDlDMbFXCGnG7Ady2mLyBa7xQ82nPqBBh4O-OaIAhklOmKLnkk4pccbLmZd46q4i71w-ZAyInDlL4R1fAW5pgjdCn96u0I7Q5Gwpzvy57hZ52xEu9VM5WE4i/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 118px; height: 118px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVeF-nhMhf8TxY9bz678hwDlDMbFXCGnG7Ady2mLyBa7xQ82nPqBBh4O-OaIAhklOmKLnkk4pccbLmZd46q4i71w-ZAyInDlL4R1fAW5pgjdCn96u0I7Q5Gwpzvy57hZ52xEu9VM5WE4i/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285315342408987666" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGPLLRJqqScNKhlClb7iMe9Hinsxic_wexlUCLtSUWgSNI4Dr8CzDSCT0Fv6zmaLkdZM9saLvqMnH_jvncy61cUZz-gu1w6jUscSMXO-Lqr1LZqExke5QgRTRQdBPV6CIapBHDaqGXiXP/s1600-h/images-1.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 90px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGPLLRJqqScNKhlClb7iMe9Hinsxic_wexlUCLtSUWgSNI4Dr8CzDSCT0Fv6zmaLkdZM9saLvqMnH_jvncy61cUZz-gu1w6jUscSMXO-Lqr1LZqExke5QgRTRQdBPV6CIapBHDaqGXiXP/s400/images-1.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285315148442091746" /></a><br />I'm closing out the year with a legend. Perhaps you're already one of the gazillions of fans who worship at the altar of Gram but I never tire of talking about him. I like GP because on this record Gram found a soul mate in Emmylou Harris and the magical harmonizing ensued. "She" remains my favorite Gram song. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">The New Soft Shoe</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Big Mouth Blues</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">We'll Sweep Out The</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"> Ashes In The Morning</span> are all Soul movers. People say that this album doesn't have the edge that say "Gilded Palace Of Sin" or "Grievous Angel" has but I just think it's so damn sweet and that's what I think Gram was. He was a sweet guy. A Fuck up sure, but a sweet one. Gram, in his short but shiny career, influenced more musicians than I have room for on this blog. This record is a gem, not to be hidden away but to be played over and over.Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-35268630564150155502008-12-27T12:08:00.000-08:002008-12-27T12:38:54.701-08:00Bryan Ferry- Boys and Girls-1985<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitiN2-sy_5z5t5CmSSfh8VON6BQQPvu1BDsUKj5vK6UNG4oegxBagt3c97plbHT8eDoIv3Duct8gOisms8gJFdkfihOhVBuAGyOkzErvyu0Z6bJuLHgIpIIYbioZhzY-1qd6RvmR8iLkkb/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 116px; height: 114px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitiN2-sy_5z5t5CmSSfh8VON6BQQPvu1BDsUKj5vK6UNG4oegxBagt3c97plbHT8eDoIv3Duct8gOisms8gJFdkfihOhVBuAGyOkzErvyu0Z6bJuLHgIpIIYbioZhzY-1qd6RvmR8iLkkb/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284568536389698754" /></a><br />I don't know if I'm happy or unhappy that I was born too late to enjoy the vastly vapid days of disco but the closest I get to a disco beat is Bryan Ferry and how I love him. First of all, he's sexy as hell. He would get my vote just for the way he dresses but he completely does me in with <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Slave to Love</span> I mean...right? Admittedly, he's spotty on his other solo releases and he should really stop with the covers that have been covered and covered but "Boys and Girls" is about the best album I own for dancing in your underwear under a mirror ball. Barring <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Slave to Love</span>, the cuts on this album tend to blend into each other but there's a soulfulness to the throbbing. No one can mean it quite like Bryan. Guest musicians include Mark Knopfler and David Gilmour. Although they don't get all experimental on this album, their sound is unmistakable and they certainly add a little somethin' somethin' to it. Check it out. Mirror ball not included.Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-56851116896476216582008-12-25T17:47:00.000-08:002008-12-25T18:02:26.006-08:00And finally- The Graduate-1968<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBN8DdAZ3TsKXXDfMeQIR5ffPuyL_vzc0k6Yf1j4R-9YqlW48y68Bdg9Arxs2o67-sGXv28dgPO50zHkjHpQZnKnb6LhQBUeqrhFqIMJ7UwY0KktLm-9lEZPZ367a3gw414rsIzVcr4JP/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 104px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBN8DdAZ3TsKXXDfMeQIR5ffPuyL_vzc0k6Yf1j4R-9YqlW48y68Bdg9Arxs2o67-sGXv28dgPO50zHkjHpQZnKnb6LhQBUeqrhFqIMJ7UwY0KktLm-9lEZPZ367a3gw414rsIzVcr4JP/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283913193754554626" /></a><br />I know that I said that I was done with soundtrack week but I suddenly remembered that I'd forgotten "The Graduate". First of all, GREAT movie, and may I add that I am generally not a Mike Nichols fan but this movie is his swansong and apparently his rock and roll has put on weight since then. At Christmas, I generally like to drag out a vintage film and eat chocolate and this year, The Graduate was my Christmas film. <div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I recognize that one really does have to be a Simon and Garfunkel fan to appreciate this one but really...who isn't? Best song on the LP, naturally "Mrs. Robinson" (buyer beware: Both versions on the soundtrack are shortened for the film. For the full album length see: Bookends). The composed cuts by Dave Grusin are also fun. I think the thing I like so much about this soundtrack is that it so eloquently evokes the era. Okay, this is really it, I'm moving on. Stay tuned for my top ten LP re-issues.<br /></div>Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-80419605273849641442008-12-22T16:52:00.000-08:002008-12-22T17:12:59.599-08:00THE BEST FOR LAST-One From The Heart- Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWUv7cYVokQBnfE0wfySx8syAR13pCzHct-VSD1omeNGQAAQySi0PkBPxqIYBpwQmb9qI4Up8rmYnJH3y0JpXTYfJ0rUwqT0KW0P6YIRDtP0ODOpN5iaq6I8lbccQrEaWyLe1Qc276-6j/s1600-h/images-1.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 116px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWUv7cYVokQBnfE0wfySx8syAR13pCzHct-VSD1omeNGQAAQySi0PkBPxqIYBpwQmb9qI4Up8rmYnJH3y0JpXTYfJ0rUwqT0KW0P6YIRDtP0ODOpN5iaq6I8lbccQrEaWyLe1Qc276-6j/s400/images-1.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282787300502178962" /></a><br />One From The Heart was a movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It was a very expensive bomb, probably because they tried to recreate Las Vegas on a Hollywood backlot. DO NOT let that deter you from running to your nearest used record outlet and snapping up this soundtrack. Every second of it is divine. The unlikely coupling of Crystal Gayle and Tom Waits was genius. Tom met his wife, Kathleen Brennan while recording it too, they're still together. The important thing though, is the music. For Instance: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Picking Up After You.</span>...<div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">The Roses are Dead and the Violets are too</span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">And I'm sick and tired of picking up after you</span>"<blockquote><div></div></blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Broken Bicycles</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Old Boyfriends</span> (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">They Look you up when they're in town. To see if they can still</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"> burn you down</span>), <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">I Beg Your Pardon.</span>....great songs, great poetry, great instrumentation, all moody and attitudey with horns and pianos that sound like they're coming from an empty nightclub while an old guy sweeps up.. <br /></div></div>Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-61703297991549384722008-12-21T13:49:00.000-08:002008-12-21T14:08:57.281-08:00Something Wild for Soundtrack week.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYokmMtZAlnK3e6wJU4_N60NPARgRllDDQhbN83x1_VfCYX3F7R0LPaVCC7qhTUwBefyFD5fmO16ZIgA-JLltGuuHNNQht_h1AqSh0mDLvAi8mHVbpA7DSSCD39UCvBlZylTkaMly0_boP/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 116px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYokmMtZAlnK3e6wJU4_N60NPARgRllDDQhbN83x1_VfCYX3F7R0LPaVCC7qhTUwBefyFD5fmO16ZIgA-JLltGuuHNNQht_h1AqSh0mDLvAi8mHVbpA7DSSCD39UCvBlZylTkaMly0_boP/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282368618519210882" /></a><br />From it's opening credits where the camera is skimming across the water, closing in on Manhattan featuring David Byrne singing <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Loca De Amor</span> with Celia Cruz, this movie is a fun ride. The cool thing about Jonathan Demme is that he knows his music and his soundtracks always make his movies extremely memorable. Throw in Ray Liotta, early in his career, as an amoral con man and how can you possibly go wrong? Literally every track on the soundtrack is good. It features Oingo Boingo, the Fine Young Cannibals, UB40, New Order, Jimmy Cliff, Sonny Okossum and a bonus cool rap of "Wild Thing" over the closing credits by Sister Carol. The album art is also cool with Mexican Folk Art on the backside. Something Wild appeals to the bad girl in all of us. Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-74954142921275597472008-12-20T12:52:00.000-08:002008-12-20T13:08:49.267-08:00Soundtrack Week continues with Ry Cooder- Paris, Texas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbRGJW3-cH8tNpVJjr9cWkXMkVwCOXL97z9LmWdMkhOVJIPhWRcMpP1LfeO5YL9_B0CfKdllt0mQPbO-8F4xvgvirhpBjInU0NvymoI39f1_NzsQqdPqmQcyrX7I4DS0ekD3eZVCugrhk/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 124px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbRGJW3-cH8tNpVJjr9cWkXMkVwCOXL97z9LmWdMkhOVJIPhWRcMpP1LfeO5YL9_B0CfKdllt0mQPbO-8F4xvgvirhpBjInU0NvymoI39f1_NzsQqdPqmQcyrX7I4DS0ekD3eZVCugrhk/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281982081959670162" /></a><br />Ry Cooder is a musician's musician, a student of music if you will. He can play damn near anything too. His revival of Cuban music in the Buena Vista Social Club brought the world's attention back to a sound that had been all but forgotten outside of Cuba. Ry's spent a lifetime exploring the musical stylings of world musicians around the globe and he does it all with the enthusiasm of a kid. My favorite sound, when it comes to Ry is that lonely haunted guitar style that he's famous for and my favorite LP featuring a heaping helping of it is the soundtrack to Paris, Texas. It conjures a deserted Texas highway and broken down old gas stations and highway signs shot through with bullet holes. I listen to it when I'm city weary and claustrophobic. This LP wears well. I never tire of it and I've heard it a lot....a LOT. Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-90432389422170444792008-12-17T23:05:00.000-08:002008-12-17T23:22:45.524-08:00Mark Knopfler- Local Hero (1983)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwg6p3CXrKcnQIm9Pg5MM_pEmqPlwm8DKAtKANm85S5Eke4CaMxYty1s4EXdMtRk3GI2KA2ItAxvy9tBoml3hWDRKH0T_Ja1rZYaA4_D1Nh3RRURdEbe9YNbdC5p4nCHUka0-IlayHob_/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwg6p3CXrKcnQIm9Pg5MM_pEmqPlwm8DKAtKANm85S5Eke4CaMxYty1s4EXdMtRk3GI2KA2ItAxvy9tBoml3hWDRKH0T_Ja1rZYaA4_D1Nh3RRURdEbe9YNbdC5p4nCHUka0-IlayHob_/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281027060563240050" /></a><br />I have a wee soft spot for Celtic music but, like the blues, I can only do real celtic for about a half an hour before developing a celtic headache. I call this soundtrack "Celtic Light". It's nothing like the Pogues or the Dropkick Murphys, rather it has a dreamy sweet quality to it with just a dollop of celtic in the background. Knopfler's guitar playing is stellar as usual but he practices tasteful restraint on the soundtrack. I love to lose myself in it. Sometimes I imagine myself driving along the Irish coastline in a sportscar but then a car comes out of nowhere and smashes into me because I'm driving on the wrong side of the road and I fall over the cliff and into the ocean crashing below. Then I get up to turn the record over.Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1069378398035109275.post-23808766735582084922008-12-16T21:05:00.000-08:002008-12-16T21:26:58.138-08:00Hey, Guess WHAT?? IT's soundtrack week<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDCY0OiKTeTVAm7_u6uEB6dJDeEq9tw1Zlm6r2-kxugdWvdrLfSvEhi4oaJleSiWKMph6frzf8tN541GCdp08TqbP41-be6qsZOWKmJWWa64IXBV2fTCqB1SY6ruWwiD_Ok4wmHQZ46j1/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDCY0OiKTeTVAm7_u6uEB6dJDeEq9tw1Zlm6r2-kxugdWvdrLfSvEhi4oaJleSiWKMph6frzf8tN541GCdp08TqbP41-be6qsZOWKmJWWa64IXBV2fTCqB1SY6ruWwiD_Ok4wmHQZ46j1/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280626208405682018" /></a><br /> I humbly present my first submission to soundtrack week (Yes, I know it's Tuesday. Traditionally, soundtrack week runs Tuesday to Tuesday. I don't know why. I do as I'm told by the Vinyl King and Queen, whom I've never met and only know through E-mail but they don't seem to take much bullshit. "The Mission" by Ennio Morriconne (The King Of soundtracks BTW and also probably doesn't take much bullshit)..yes, the Mission: flat out gorgeous. I can't say enough about this soundtrack. I'll say a few things: It's artful, it's thought provoking. It's performed by the London Philharmonic, It was nominated for an Academy Award. Some people who know their shit call this the best soundtrack score ever written. Well, I won't argue with that. I also happen to love Oboes (who doesn't?) the most feminine of the reed instruments and featured strongly in the Mission. I can't recommend this LP enough. Get it now and listen to it till you weep. Oh, and not a bad movie either; Robert Deniro as a Jesuit priest dragging a big bag full of metal crap and rocks around like he's Santa Claus? C'mon, it's totally worth it.Vinyl Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745995457558872662noreply@blogger.com1