Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Busy Times


9-15-09


I changed jobs at the end of last month. It’s been a really busy time for me. Learning a whole new office etc. And very soon, I will be preparing to sell at the Claremont, CA LP swap meet – 6 cartons of stuff, “first time out”, as it were. And I am selling again on eBay: J-Pop Shop, as “ rkla42 “. And my band, The Decayes, finished their first album in over a quarter of a century. Busy time, indeed. No time for Playlists.


So, a natural pause, as it were. My busy life pauses for changes. So, in the interval, a brief silence followed by…


I really like our band’s new album. It’s an instrumental album. We worked on it over three long weekend sessions over the last 5 years. The results of our labor will be released by Mind’s Ear / Imgrat shortly. I will advise. We haven’t titled it yet.


After buying a few British music magazines, last night, I played a recently re-mastered CD of Gong “Magick Brother”. I think there was an article about Gong in Uncut Magazine (#149, October 2009). It’s the most coherent I’ve ever read of Daevid Allen being interviewed. Overall, a pretty good issue. I also read about Dr. Feelgood, Kraftwerk and The Who. Looks like the first three Kraftwerk albums might come out on CD after all!


And last night, I was finally getting around to playing / auditioning some of the CD’s I got recently (see yesterday’s list). Like I don’t already have enough music to listen to! (Still waiting on the ’08 A Certain Ratio “Mind Made Up” album on CD)


Not so sure I will invest in the Beatles re-mastered CD’s. I have the DVD “Anthology” set, and many other Beatles releases. These days, I am mostly listening to Beatles albums to hear performances by Ronnie Ross, the late great British sax player (“Savoy Truffle”, anyone?) I know the Japan will be the only place to print / replicate / manufacture the discs / covers properly. Will they all have individual obi strips? Aargh, $500+!?!


It was good to catch up with my fellow band members. Rick dubbed me the Dave Adams collection – wonderful, warped Joe Meek productions! Are we going to get to see the Joe Meek movie anytime soon in the U.S.?


Recently, circumstance and fortune brought me an inexpensive copy of The Bee Gees “Spirits Having Flown” CD. I always liked the single “Tragedy” from this album. But I guess this is when the ‘backlash’ set in, against the Brothers Gibb. Listening fresh to this title, I rather enjoyed the track “Living Together” – where they even dropped the falsetto voices!


So, I still have a “Music Life” – but real life sometimes occupies more of my time than I would like, and I can (usually) only reach my ‘higher self’ via music.


- Ron


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ron:

I was running errands all day Saturday but found time to go to two used book stores that stock CDs/vinyl as well. Jackpot!

Mr. K's actually had more than I wanted to spend on, all at great prices. (<$6) A cursory look at the $2 bin netted 5 CDs quick. That suggested a careful perusal of all of the stock. But the regular price stock was even better so I opted for that instead.

John Cale - Paris 1919
A late 90s Warner Archives RM w/o bonus tracks. I'm fine with that. A lovely album with a hilarious series of back cover shots! I was only familiar with "Hanky Panky Nohow" from this album.

Art Of Noise - Daft
A late 90s US UMG pressing. I've never had "classic" AON on CD - until now!

Swing Out Sister - Where Our Love Grows
US Shanachie pressing. Late period SOS have latched onto that Jim Webb meets 5th Dimension vibe for all it's worth, but with better singing, arranging and playing!

Bryan Ferry - Slave To Love: The Ballads
I've never even seen a copy of this! This came out in 2000 and I forgot that I wanted a copy! It has 2 non-lp cuts I need for the maestro's body of work collection: A version of Shakespeare's Sonnet #18 done for the Princess Di tribute album I wouldn't buy even for a rare Ferry cut, and a leftover track from the "As Time Goes By" sessions that only appears here. It hangs together well as a piece with 9 covers and 9 originals.

I didn't pick up the Julia Fordham collection that somebody dumped into the $2 bin (I have her 1st + a JPN only live disc but somehow got derailed from the JF train). Nor did I get the Basia "Clear Horizon" with a few unique cuts that was also in the cheapie bin (along with her live album).

Later in the afternoon, I stopped in at Montford Books since they had advertised a 20% off sale on music and music related books this week. I had not been there in a while so I stopped in and found:

Sugarcubes - Vitamin CD single
Peter Murphy - Should The World Fail To Fall Apart UK 12"
The Nails - Hotel For Women US 12" 1981
Rolling Stones - 1978 US Promo Miss You 12" remix with original stamped sleeve!

A very bountiful day for me!

Ron Kane said...

J. Cale & Art of Noise are great finds for a cheapie bin! "Paris 1919" was the first Cale album I ever had and I still enjoy it a lot.

That Stones 12" should sound good, too. Ever hear the Latimore record it's based on? "Redneck in a Soul Band" or thereabouts.

RK