Time for a new needle

03-30-10

Time for a new needle

I checked my stylus recently – in need of a change. I try to change my phonograph stylus every two years, if at all possible. 4 years ago, I bought two replacements. One broke, and the 2^nd replacement’s time is up.

So, I drove to the electronics store where I always buy my replacement stylus at – of course, it wasn’t “in stock” – I special ordered two of them. So, no more playing phonograph records until the new stylus comes in.

That’s OK. I can still play CD’s, tapes…videos etc. As noted recently in this very blog, my CD burner is working well lately – very efficient. So, no problems there.

I have considered getting a new turntable as well – likely a red Pro-Ject III that comes with a nice, new stylus. I’ll buy it at a stereo store in Los Angeles, so they will set up all the counter-weights, tracking etc. – for me. Looks like I will be hanging on to my vinyl for some time, so a nice turntable isn’t out of the question. Also interested in getting a record cleaning machine – though I have been warned that those kind of machines tend to “fall apart” with heavy use.

As always, when I am faced with not being able to play my records, I always start thinking about getting rid of stuff. Yes, I notoriously “over-collect” stuff – and there are always avenues that I do not eventually choose to go up, particularly with singles. My thoughts on this topic are rather…un-collected, however. Not sure what to get rid of.

It has been amusing recently to discover that there are now more CD’s being made available (Method Actors, Scribble etc.), supposedly at the very end of “CD Time”. I can’t really imagine a time when you won’t be able to buy CD’s, but…looks like that time is nearly on the horizon. That being said, they said that about LP’s too, and they’re still around!

With “Spring Break” upon us next week, I will be taking a break from blogging for a few days. I have time off from work then. With any luck, I should be back up and running by April 12, 2010.

If something becomes apparent to me, I may post something during the time of my official vacation from blogging – you never know. I never know. We’ll see.

As usual, thanks for reading my stuff. Comments are always welcome.

What shall we talk about in April?

Singer - Songwriters

03-29-10 Singer – Songwriters

The Japanese publication “Record Collectors Magazine” has done a list of their favorite Singer – Songwriters (also known as “SSW”). Not my favorite genre, but I am fully aware of it. Their list:

1. Bob Dylan – Blonde on Blonde * (I own 4 versions)
2. Leonard Cohen – Songs of Leonard Cohen * (I own 3 versions)
3. Laura Nyro – More Than A New Discovery
4. Tim Hardin – Tim Hardin 3: Live In Concert
5. Fred Neil – Sessions
6. Harry Nilsson – Harry * (I own 1 version)
7. John Stewart – California Bloodlines * (I own 1 version)
8. Leon Russell – Leon Russell * (I own 3 versions)
9. James Taylor – Sweet Baby James
10. Gene Clark – Gene Clark
11. Steve Goodman – Steve Goodman
12. Carole King – Tapestry * (I own 3 versions)
13. Kris Kristofferson – The Silver Tongued Devil and I
14. John Prine – John Prine
15. Eric Andersen – Blue River * (I own 1 version)
16. Bobby Charles – Bobby Charles
17. Townes Van Zant – The Late Great Townes Van Zant
18. Jerry Jeff Walker – Jerry Jeff Walker
19. Neil Young – Harvest * (I own 2 versions)
20. Jim Croce – Life and Times

I have 8 of their Top 20 (*) – Which is followed by albums by Tom Waits, Jackson Browne, Bruce Cockburn, Donnie Fritts, Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman, John Sebastian, Guy Clark, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Warren Zevon, Jimmy Webb, Steve Forbert, Rickie Lee Jones etc. And I own some of those too.

Distinctly 2^nd division stuff: Dino Valente, Tim Buckley, Mickey Newbury, Steve Young, Delaney & Bonnie, Tony Kosinec, Gordon Lightfoot, John Simon, Paul Williams, Jesse Winchester, Marc Benno, David Crosby, John Hartford, Kenny Loggins / Jim Messina, Barry Mann, Don McLean, Don Nix, Todd Rundgren, Judee Sill, Livingston Taylor, Roger Tillison…after which their list trails off into SSW obscurity.

Of the 8 that I own of the Top 20, I confess that I recently bought an LP of Eric Andersen’s “Blue River” because of how highly it placed in a Japanese magazine’s “Top 200” list – and I’d never even heard it!

And perhaps I have missed a designation that this list is US & Canadian artists only? For otherwise, I would think this list includes people like Richard Thompson and Roy Harper – folks that sometimes get claimed by the Folk Music or Progressive Rock camps.

Making a Lot of CD-R’s Lately

03-26-10

Making a Lot of CD-R’s Lately

For whatever reason, my CD burner has decided to work decidedly faster than it used to lately – frequently reaching speeds of 31x speed. So, I only used to be able to burn 5 or 6 a night, as it took such a long time. On a recent day, I burned a full wallet of 24 titles.

As I have sometimes said, this is how I listen to my CD collection – in my Suzuki. Each weekend has a drive to and from Los Angeles – on my way to Dorothy and back. Prime listening time! Also, we do listen to music together, when driving all over Southern California.

We can listen to a lot of the same stuff, too. I do make discs without regard to what I think she will think of it, because I know a lot of the time I am alone in the car (or with Joe-san, who doesn’t care too much what is played). I do not bombard her with Frank Zappa or British jazz. And I do sometimes try to think of what she might like to hear (or not object to).

I have such a long history of girlfriends / ex-wife who do / did not share my musical tastes. I still maintain that there are no female Stump fans. And it is my experience that Elvis Costello must have a predominantly female fanbase. Yes, I know male E.C. fans – several of them. I gave Dorothy whatever Elvis Costello pieces that I had in my collection – a “Veronica” UK 3” CD Single – and a ton of his music videos.

I have sometimes had the idea that I should make more compilation CD-R’s and actually get rid of some of my CD’s. I actually feel like the days are numbered for CD’s, so not planning on getting rid of anything other than duplicates or stuff I bought to re-sell. What happens when everything is Down-load only? Yuck.

So, I make a lot of CD’s to play in my Suzuki. I also want to have my old Sony MiniDisc installed (mainly for the ability to play MDLP discs).

Just the other day, Dorothy & I were talking about the old cassette Walkman. I distinctly remember sitting on trains in Europe, wearing my headphones proudly – listening to then-new Frank Zappa double LP’s on cassette. I remember buying both a TCS-310 recording Walkman and an ECM-99 condenser microphone. The microphone was bigger than the Walkman! I could never get it into anywhere!

Who / What / Where / When

03-25-10 Who / What / Where / When

A short while ago, I posted this list of 1978/9 music, and regular reader Jim D. posted his “Who / What / Where / When” about these artists / records. That blog got the most comments of anything I have posted in recent memory! Jim’s responses, followed by my own.

ACR /Knife In Water/Pandora (online)/2006 – Working at a record distributor, fall 1979
Kate Bush /Them Heavy People/SNL/1978 – Working at a record distributor, 1978
John Cale /Fear/CD/1996 – Hippie record store, 1974
Marianne Faithfull /Broken English/college radio/1979 – Working at a record distributor, 1979
Japan /Ain't That Peculiar version 2/Cash Cows LP/1980 – Tried “Quiet Life” about 1980
Ian Dury /"Hit Me"/radio/1979 – “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll” on KROQ, about 1978
Gang Of Four /Anthrax/college radio/1981 – Working at a record distributor, 1980
Nick Lowe /Cruel To Be Kind/radio/1979 – on KROQ, about 1979
Madness /One Step Beyond/video/1980 – In London, England, fall 1979
Magazine /The Correct Use Of Soap/LP/1980 – Working at a record distributor, 1978
Mi-Sex /Computer Games/video/1980 – I was sent their debut LP from NZ, fall 1979
The Nits /The Young Reporter/Steppin Into The 80s LP/1981 – I was given the “New Flat” LP about 1980 in Amsterdam
Gary Numan /Are "Friends" Electric?/radio/1979 – in Moby Disc, summer 1979
Mike Oldfield /Tubular Bells/environment/late 70s – on a sampler LP, about 1974
The Rutles /I Must be in Love/SNL/1978 – same as you, Jim-san
Simple Minds /Sweat In Bullet/2x7"/1981 – brother-in-law noticed “Real To Reel Cacaphony” LP, 1979
The Slits /I Heard It Through The Grapevine/college radio/1980 – “Cut” LP, In London, England, fall 1979
The Stranglers /Tank/No Wave LP/1978 – Debut album, heard at a hippie record store, about 1978
Rachel Sweet /Fool Around/CD/1991 – LP came into the record distributor and was colored vinyl, so we all tried it, 1979
Ultravox /Passing Strangers/video/1980 – clear vinyl 12” of “Slow Motion” – tried because it was clear vinyl, 1978
Wire /Ahead/video/1985 – A Question Of Degree 45, about 1979
XTC /Making Plans For Nigel/video/1980 – When “Go 2” came out, it was packaged with a “free” 12” of “Go +” – being free, we all tried it – and immediately got “Go 2” and “White Music”, 1978
Y.M.O. /Computer Games/urban radio/1979 – Kinokuniya Bookstore, San Francisco, 1979
Frank Zappa /I'm Slime/SNL/1976 – My older sisters played me Frank Zappa while they babysat me in the mid-60’s – the first one I clearly remember was “Absolutely Free”, about 1967 or so.

Judas Priest

3-24-10 Judas Priest

According to my files, I’ve only ever written about Judas Priest right when I first started blogging in 2002! Heavy Metal, from Birmingham, England.

CD POINT OF ENTRY COLUMBIA US CK 37052

1981 10 TRKS original CD issue

CD SAD WINGS OF DESTINY RCA US 4747.2

1976 9 TRKS ('93 issue?)

CD SIN AFTER SIN COLUMBIA US CK 34787

1977 8 TRKS original CD issue

LP SIN AFTER SIN COLUMBIA US PC 34787

1977 8 TRKS promo

CD STAINED CLASS COLUMBIA US CK 35296

1978 9 TRKS original CD issue

I don’t have a large Judas Priest collection. Really, my favorite is “Sin After Sin” – and the others have been found very inexpensively. None of the CD’s are re-mastered versions, either. I am such a casual fan, that I can’t even remember which album “Freewheel Burnin’” is on! (But it would have to be about ’84 or so).

I did see them live, probably 30 years ago or so. I believe I can remember Rob Halford riding onto the stage on a motorcycle. And it was LOUD.

Looks to me like their ‘golden period’ is from ’76 – ’78. No so much changed after ’78, but a whole slew of NWOBHM bands walked down the pike (Def Leppard etc.)

I am always greatly amused by my perceived chasm between Rob Halford being gay, and what his 70’s fans think of gender issues of this nature. Could those heavy metal fans really all be ‘OK’ with his being gay? I suppose there is now an entire sub-genre of “Gay HM” of which I know little or nothing. I know at some point, Halford left Judas Priest – but didn’t he return later on?

No matter – “Sin After Sin” is amazing. Nice, ‘heavy metal production’ from a member of Deep Purple. Interesting Joan Baez cover version, “Diamonds & Rust”. “Sinner”!

I wonder if there was something in the water up in Birmingham? How could a British city like Birmingham have been responsible for both Black Sabbath and Judas Priest? I visited Birmingham when I lived in England, and it seemed ‘fine’.

But I don’t do much HR ( = hard rock ) these days – my hearing simply won’t take it! At least heavy metal is served very nicely in the CD era – certainly all of the HM albums that I like from the 70’s are on CD, at least in Japan.

Heldon / Richard Pinhas

3-23-10 Heldon

Heldon is a French electronic progressive rock band based around guitarist Richard Pinhas. I followed them in the mid-70’s, but I stopped at a certain point. I enjoy some of the solo works by Richard Pinhas. It’s fair to say that Mr. Pinhas was influenced by the Fripp & Eno LP “No Pussyfooting”.

LP AGNETA NILSSON URUS FR 11

1976 5 TRKS

LP ALLEZ TEIA DISJUNCTA FR 2

1975 7 TRKS

CD ALLEZ TEIA CAPTAIN TRIP JPN CTCD-532

1975 8 TRKS (1 x bonus track) ('05 issue) (kami sleeve)

LP ELECTRONIQUE GUERILLA DISJUNCTA FR 36873

1974 6 TRKS

CDx2 ELECTRONIQUE GUERILLA / IT'S ALWAYS ROCK'N ROLL CUNIEFORM US RUNE 51/52

1973/4 15 TRKS (’93 issue)

CD INTERFACE CUNIEFORM US RUNE 43X

1977 8 TRKS (2 x bonus tracks) ('92 issue)

LP INTERFACE COBRA FR COB 37013

1977 6 TRKS

LPx2 IT'S ALWAYS ROCK'N ROLL URUS FR 000006/7

1973? 9 TRKS with Gilbert Artman

CD STAND BY SPALAX FR 14233

1978 3 TRKS ('91 issue)

LP UN REVE SANS CONSEQUENCE SPECIALE COBRA FR COB 37002

1976 4 TRKS

I guess by the time of “Stand By” (1978), I felt that “progressive rock” of this nature was past it’s sell-by date. I had moved on to Magazine, XTC and Ultravox. I liked “Interface” a lot – and I just listened to it again the other evening. I distinctly remember feeling that “I didn’t get it” when I heard “Un Reve Sans Consequence Speciale”. Yes, I believe all of these Heldon albums are 100% instrumental electronic music.

I also liked that Lard Free’s Gilbert Artman worked with Heldon on “It’s Only Rock’n Roll”. I am a huge Lard Free fan, and I got to meet Mr. Artman in Paris in 1979. I don’t believe we ever discussed his work with Heldon, however. I really liked a lot of the artists who were on the Cobra label, from France.

Richard Pinhas solo works:

LP CHRONOLYSE COBRA FR COB 37015

1978? 9 TRKS

CD ICELAND CUNIEFORM US RUNE 44X

1979 9 TRKS (1 x bonus track) ('92 issue)

LP ICELAND POLYDOR FR 2393 254

1979 8 TRKS

LP RHIZOSPHERE COBRA FR COB 37005

1977 5 TRKS

I recently got the “Iceland” CD and enjoyed it a lot. The bonus track on it was lengthy! I would love to find “Rhizosphere” and “Chronolyse” on CD (for a good price). Cunieform Records has certainly done a nice job with the Heldon albums making their way to the CD format.

Tangerine Dream

03-22-10 Tangerine Dream

I got interested in Tangerine Dream at a time when there wasn’t a lot of German rock music available in the US, around the time of “Phaedra”. Within a few years, they began releasing high-profile original soundtracks in the US – and German electronic music was no longer “underground”. Space rock!

CD ELECTRONIC MEDITATION SEQUEL US 1032.2

1970 5 TRKS ('96 issue) debut

CD PHAEDRA VIRGIN UK CDV 2010

1974 4 TRKS

LP PHAEDRA VIRGIN DE 87781 XOT

1974 4 TRKS German pressing

CD RICOCHET VIRGIN UK CDV 2044

1975 2 TRKS

LP RICOCHET VIRGIN UK V 2044

1975 2 TRKS

LP RUBYCON VIRGIN UK V 2025

1975 2 TRKS

LP STRATOSFEAR re-issue VIRGIN UK OVED 70

1976 4 TRKS re-issue

LP SORCERER (O.S.T.) MCA JPN VIM-6149

1977 12 TRKS O.S.T., insert

LPx2 ENCORE VIRGIN US PZG 35014

1977 4 TRKS Live 1977

LP CYCLONE VIRGIN DE 25843 XOT

1978 3 TRKS German pressing

LP FORCE MAJEURE re-issue VIRGIN UK OVED 111

1979 3 TRKS black vinyl, re-issue

LP FORCE MAJEURE VIRGIN UK V 2111

1979 3 TRKS clear vinyl

LP TANGRAM VIRGIN UK V 2147

1980 2 TRKS U.K. pressing

LPx4 70 - 80 (4LP) (Collection) VIRGIN UK VBOX 2

1980 22 TRK Collection, booklet

LP EXIT VIRGIN UK V 2212

1981 6 TRKS

LP THIEF (O.S.T.) ELEKTRA US 5E-521

1981 8 TRKS

LP LOGOS VIRGIN DE 205.23

1982 3 TRKS Live

LP HYPERBOREA VIRGIN UK V 2292

1982 4 TRKS

LP WHITE EAGLE VIRGIN UK V 2226

1982 4 TRKS

LP RISKY BUSINESS (O.S.T.) - V.A. VIRGIN UK V 2302

1984 11 TRKS Prince etc.

CD LEGEND (O.S.T.) – V.A. VARESE SAR US VSD 5645

1985 11 TRKS Bryan Ferry, Jon Anderson

CD PERGAMON SEQUEL US 1047.2

1986 2 TRKS Live ('96 issue)

LP PERGAMON VIRGIN CAN VL 2381

1986 2 TRKS Live, January 31, 1980

LP LIVEMILES CAROLINE US CAROL 1349

1988 2 TRKS Live; Alberquerque, NM – Berlin, Germany

I also have quite a few 45’s by T. Dream, as they are affectionately known by their fans.

Tom Waits

03-19-10 Tom Waits

CD BIG TIME ISLAND US 90987.2

1988 18 TRKS Live, 1st CD issue

LP BOUNCED CHECKS (Collection) ASYLUM NZ EF 7200

1981 10 TRK Collection, Asylum material

LP BOUNCED CHECKS pirate EXCITABLE 4502.1

1976? 10 TRKS pirate, Live '75

CD EARLY YEARS Vol. 2 MANIFESTO US PT3 40602

1993 13 TRKS ('71 recordings)

CD FRANK'S WILD YEARS UNIVERSAL JPN UICY-93710

1987 17 TRKS SHM-CD ('08 issue) kami sleeve #1629

CD5 GOIN' OUT WEST ISLAND UK CID 537

1992 4 TRK CD Single CD5

CD HEARTATTACK AND VINE ELEKTRA US 295.2

1980 9 TRKS Bones Howe, prod.

7" IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD / SINGAPORE (PS) ISLAND UK ISD 260

1984 4 TRK EP with pic sleeve, 7"x2

CD MULE VARIATIONS ANTI US 86547.2

1999 16 TRKS

CD NIGHTHAWKS AT THE DINER ELEKTRA US 2008.2

1975 18 TRKS Live, 2 on 1 (Cal Schenkel cover)

LP RAIN DOGS ISLAND US 90299.1

1985 19 TRKS U.S. pressing

CD RAIN DOGS UNIVERSAL JPN UICY-93709

1985 19 TRKS SHM-CD ('08 issue) kami sleeve #0762

LP SOMETHING ABOUT PARIS pirate PIRATE POP 5

1986? 8 TRKS pirate, Live '85

CD SWORDFISHTROMBONES ISLAND DE 255.774

1983 15 TRKS 1st CD issue ('87 issue?)

LP SWORDFISHTROMBONES ASYLUM AUS 60211.1

1983 15 TRKS original version, diff. cover

I think it’s strange that Tom Waits has never received the CD “re-master” treatment in the US. You know, clear trays, bonus tracks. In Japan not long ago, they did actual re-masters of several Island label albums – and released them as paper sleeve SHM-CD’s ( = Super High Materials ). I ordered all of ‘em, and only “Rain Dogs” and “Frank’s Wild Years” showed up. Drat – I’ll have to wait until I go to Japan again to find a used re-master of “Swordfishtrombones”!

So, no re-masters for any of his Elektra / Asylum albums, eh? And where’s a legit DVD for “Big Time”?

So far, I have not found too many of his Anti label CD’s. “Mule Variations” is all I have come up with so far, and I don’t think I’ve played it yet. Let’s see…1999 – on my “To Be Played” stack for 11 years now. I’ve certainly played CD’s of “Heartattack and Vine” and “Rain Dogs” in the last 11 years. And I am still open-mouthed at my variant Asylum (Australia) LP pressing of “Swordfishtrombones”.

Rather interesting / amusing that a non-US collection LP “Bounced Checks” (Asylum NZ, in this case) would appear to be named after a bootleg LP that circulated some years before.