Japanese Magazine List #2

5-28-10

Japanese Magazine List #2

Again, from (Japanese) Record Collector’s Magazine, May 2010 issue – “LP’s They Wish Were Re-issued As CD’s”:

Metro – New Love

Neil Young – Time Fades Away

Mark Wirtz Orchestra & Chorus – Come Back & Shake Me

David Stoughton – Transformer

Shiloh – self-titled

Pantera – I Am The Night

Attitudes – Good News

Christopher Kearney – Pemmican Stash

Les Mirabelles – Oeuvres Completes, Vol. 1

Jeremy’s Secret – The Snowball Effect

Beatles – At The Hollywood Bowl

Duncan Mackay – Score

Gloria Mundi – I, Individual

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott – Jack Elliott Sings

Crystals – Twist Uptown

Gino Cunico – self-titled

Thin Lizzy – The Continuing Saga of The Aging Orphans

Lyn Dobson – Jam Sandwich

Andrew Loog Oldham Orchestra – East Meets West

Albion Band – Light Shining

B.A. Robertson – Initial Success

Well, I would certainly buy Mark Wirtz, The Beatles, Duncan Mackay, Lyn Dobson and B.A. Robertson on CD! I think The Beatles LP is the only thing from this list that I actually own as an LP. I once owned the David Stoughton LP, but – it wasn’t anything special – and I off’d it because it fell outside of my then-interests. Same for the Gloria Mundi LP, I remember it – but – there was something un-hip about RCA new wave-era LP’s, and I don’t own many (any?) of ‘em.

Lyn Dobson is likely a decent 70’s British jazz / rock LP, so I would be curious to hear that. And I have been interested in B.A. Robertson for quite some time now – ever since finding the “Kool In The Kaftan” 45 (which the Japanese magazine compares to XTC!) about 1980 or so.

I wonder what it is that the Neil Young title never gets re-issued? I mean, now that he’s making giant boxed sets (I own “Archives Vol. 1”, 8CD set of N.Y. material).

A really excellent Japanese magazine list today, eh? Nice B&W cover shot of The Beatles, too. I guess Bob Dylan just played Japan again recently. Back on 6/1!

Japanese Magazine Lists #1

5-27-10

Japanese Magazine Lists #1

This month, I bought 2 different Japanese music magazines more than my usual “Strange Days” order – Record Collector’s Magazine and Crossbeat. Can’t read ‘em, they’re in Japanese – but the pictures (and lists) tell me all that I need to know!

From Crossbeat, the Top 25 records of the 60’s:

1. The Beatles – Revolver

2. Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced?

3. The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds

4. Pink Floyd – Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

5. Bob Dylan – Highway 61 Revisited

6. The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed

7. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper

8. The Doors – self-titled debut album

9. The Who – My Generation

10. The Velvet Underground & Nico – self-titled

11. Led Zeppelin – self-titled

12. King Crimson – In The Court of the Crimson King

13. Cream – Wheels Of Fire

14. The Beatles – Abbey Road

15. MC5 – Kick Out The Jams

16. The Kinks – Village Green Preservation Society

17. The Rolling Stones – Beggar’s Banquet

18. Sly & The Family Stone – Stand

19. The Stooges – self-titled

20. The Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night

21. The Who – Tommy

22. The Byrds – Mr. Tambourine Man

23. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin II (Is this really a 1969 LP?)

24. Bob Dylan – Blonde on Blonde

25. The Beatles – Rubber Soul

So, this list is a bit different from the one that Record Collector’s Magazine printed in their masterful book some time ago. Nice to see the debut Jimi Hendrix album ranked so highly! Interesting to see the MC5 on this list at all! And I usually thought that when The Kinks are ranked, the Japanese like “Face To Face” the best!

This issue of Crossbeat also has a neat booklet included that shows off some classic Beatles photos and stuff from the original Music Life magazine – the magazine that my blog is named after!

So, a fun month for Japanese music magazines! Tomorrow, a new list from “Record Collector’s magazine”!

Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

5-26-10 Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

Like many other kids growing up in the U.S., my parents had multiple albums by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. Without question, we also had LP’s by the Baja Marimba Band. For a few years there, they were both VERY popular.

1. The Lonely Bull (A&M SP-101S)
2. Vol. 2 (A&M SP-103)
3. South of the Border (A&M SP-108)
4. Whipped Cream & Other Delights (A&M SP-4110)
5. Going Places (A&M SP-4112)
6. What Now My Love (A&M SP-4114)
7. S.R.O. (A&M SP-4119)
8. Sounds Like (A&M SP-4124)
9. Herb Alpert’s Ninth (A&M SP-4134)
10. The Beat of the Brass (A&M SP-4146)
11. Christmas Album (A&M SP-4166)
12. Warm (A&M SP-4190)
13. The Brass Are Comin’ (A&M SP-4228)
14. Summertime (A&M SP-4314)

In 2005, some of these original albums became available on Shout Factory (via Columbia Records) – really decent packaging, liner notes, excellent sound. But where’s “Vol. 2”, “Warm”, “The Brass Are Comin”” and “Summertime”?

Herb’s run was from about 1962 to 1969. It is purported that the original TJB was ‘broken up’ in 1969 (hence the last three albums not being made available in the 2005?). I think we would all agree the most famous / popular titles are #1 - #7. Which doesn’t explain why “Vol. 2” was over-looked (surely it should’ve / could’ve been “bonus tracks” on “The Lonely Bull”?). It’s true: some of these discs are not very lengthy.

Herb Alpert & Jerry Moss also formed A&M Records, specifically to release “The Lonely Bull” 45 & LP – but, of course, it became a real record company. How many records on A&M do you own? I own quite a few.

I always pick up the 7” 45rpm singles by Herb & Co. whenever I can find them. As far as I know, not one single non-LP B-side as yet – but I only have a dozen or so of them.

Apparently there was recently (Feb. 2010) a BBC documentary made about Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. I’d sure like to see that. Perhaps one of my ‘torrent’ friends will find that (in NTSC) and burn me a DVD-R of it. I remember an old acquaintance of mine had a Japanese laser disc of HA&TJB!

Time Machine 1970 #4

5-25-10

Time Machine 1970 #4

Thankfully, Strange Days magazine in Japan has kept up with it’s “Time Machine” series, which I find quite interesting.

Strange Days 2010.06 lists “April 1970 Albums” as: Paul McCartney – “Paul McCartney” (Apple UK LP PCS 7102); Elton John – “Elton John” (DJM UK LP 2/40406); Jethro Tull – “Benefit” (Island / Chrysalis ILPS 9123); Ten Years After – “Cricklewood Green” (Deram UK LP SML 1065); Brinsley Schwarz – “Brinsley Schwarz” (United Artists UK LP UAS 29111); The Doors – “Morrison Hotel” (Elektra US LP EKS 75007); Blodwyn Pig – “Getting To This” (Island / Chrysalis UK LP ILPS 9122); Incredible String Band – “I Looked Up” (Elektra UK LP 2469 002); and Iron Butterfly – “Live” (Atco US LP SD 33-318).

Yet another month where I remember the original release of eight or nine of these titles!

Must’ve really been paying attention by April, 1970 – I got the Paul McCartney LP as soon as humanly possible – why wasn’t “Maybe I’m Amazed” released as a single? The debut (actually his 2^nd) Elton John LP was being played pretty heavily on the FM radio – notably the venerable “Your Song” – so, definitely heard that one right away. I remember an advertisement for “Benefit” by Jethro Tull asking you to send in to the US record company the exact length of Side 1 of “Benefit” – I don’t remember what the prize was, but…I remember this promotion 40 years later. Really like this TYA album – never got the cover with the “finger up’ – never saw the UK 45 with th live version of “Love Like A Man”. I guess the Japanese consider Brinsley Schwarz important now because of Nick Lowe, but at the time – I didn’t go for it, didn’t hear it (until much later). All over The Doors “Morrison Hotel” – with the single “Roadhouse Blues” – but it was always “Peace Frog” that got my attention! Blodwyn Pig – hey, wasn’t this the guy who used to be the guitar player in Jethro Tull? Yep. I was already an Incredible String Band fan – having found an inexpensive LP copy of “Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter”; I first got a US “I Looked Up” and many years later got a UK copy, with it’s differing cover. I think my brother must’ve had the “Live” album by Iron Butterfly – we were pretty much done with them by this time. Who needed a 2^nd long version of “In-a-gadda-da-vida”?

40 years down the road, still pretty good with the McCartney & Elton John LP’s. I absolutely love Jethro Tull’s “Benefit”, probably my favorite Tull LP (US LP, UK LP, German LP, US re-mastered CD). I have both a UK & UK LP for TYA, and a re-mastered UK CD and Mo-Fi gold CD. I keep an original US issue of the “Morrison Hotel” LP to this very day; I own 3 copies of “I Looked Up” by the I.S.B., original US LP, original UK LP and a Hannibal label CD. And I do own two different copies of Iron Butterfly “Live” – both on LP, a US original and a German re-issue (I am admittedly fond of the songs on this album that aren’t the aforementioned “In-a-gadda-da-vida”). I don’t have the Brinsley Schwarz LP or anything but a CD of the 2^nd Blodwyn Pig album.

Samla Mammas Manna / Lars Hollmer

5-24-10

Samla Mammas Manna / Lars Hollmer

I see that I wrote about Lars Hollmer and Samla Mammas Manna in both 2004 and 2006. But lately, I found a few S.M.M. CD’s – so I have really been listening lately.

CD SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA SILENCE SW

SRSCD 3603 1970 14 TRKS (2 x bonus tracks) ('01 issue)

LP SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA SILENCE SW

SRS 4604 1971 12 TRKS

CD MALTID SILENCE SW

SRSCD 3604 1973 12 TRKS (3 x bonus tracks) ('91 issue)

LP MALTID SILENCE SW

SRS 4621 1973 9 TRKS

LP KLOSSA KNAPITATET SILENCE SW

SRS 4627 1974 9 TRKS

CD KLOSSA KNAPITATET SILENCE SW

SRSCD 3617 1974 9 TRKS ('95 issue)

LP SNORUNGARNAS SYMFONI MNW SWEDEN

MNW 70P 1976 4 TRKS Gregory Allan Fitzpatrick

LPx2 FOR ALDRE NYBEGYNNARE / SCHLAGENS MYSTIK (as VON ZAMLA) SILENCE SW

SRS 4640 1977 18 TRKS with poster

7" LOJONET AV LJUGA (as VON ZAMLA) LOVE SWEDEN

SLS 1 1979 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP FAMILESPRICKOR (as VON ZAMLA) SILENCE SW

SRS 4662 1980 8 TRKS

CD FAMILESPRICKOR (as VON ZAMLA) SILENCE SW

SRSCD 3612 1980 8 TRKS ('93 issue)

CD ZAMLARANAMMA (as VON ZAMLA) RESOURCE SWE

RESCD 511 1982 9 TRKS

CD 1983 (as VON ZAMLA) CUNIEFORM US

RUNE 121 1999 13 TRKS Live '83 – excellent sound!

Lars Hollmer was the keyboard / accordion player for Samla Mammas Manna (and it’s various permutations, Von Zamla etc.), but he passed away in 2008. I bought the S.M.M. albums in the 70’s, but…there was so much stuff back then, they didn’t have the impact they maybe should’ve. It was Hollmer’s solo album “Fran Natt Idag” (1983?) that really got me to listen. I played that LP to death – and now I can’t locate a CD of it in the new century!

There are also a few more S.M.M. CD’s I’m looking for – Swedish CD’s are notoriously difficult to come by in the western U.S. – and expensive. I will likely be mail-ordering the double CD “FOR ALDRE NYBEGYNNARE / SCHLAGENS MYSTIK” from Cunieform… but I would really like to find some of the ones that I have never seen or heard. Maybe next time I go back to Japan?

Samla Mammas Manna were part of “Rock in Opposition”, a musical political movement in the late 70’s, early 80’s in Europe. But I usually think of R.I.O. music as being kind of ‘dour’ (Dagmar Krause, perhaps?) – and there is always a great sense of humor on S.M.M.’s / Hollmer’s (mostly instrumental) work. Almost psychedelic progressive rock…accordion!

Tak for the music, Mr. Lars Hollmer (1948 – 2008).

p.s. I think I'll get the box set from Cunieform / Wayside...

Now Playing

Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass "South of the Border" (Shout! Factory US CD, 2005 - originally on A&M Records, 1964)

Vangelis

5-21-10 Vangelis

CD ALBEDO 0.39 RCA JPN BVCP-5025

1976 8 TRKS ('90 issue)

LP ALBEDO 0.39 POLYDOR GR 2421 095

1976 9 TRKS Greek pressing

LP ANTARTICA (O.S.T.) POLYDOR JPN 28MM 0290

1983 8 TRKS insert

CD BLADE RUNNER (O.S.T.) EAST WEST JPN AMCE-732

1994 12 TRKS O.S.T. (80's recording)

CD CHARIOTS OF FIRE (O.S.T.) POLYDOR JPN POCP-2015

1981 7 TRKS ('91 issue)

LP CHARIOTS OF FIRE (O.S.T.) POLYDOR US PD-1-6335

1981 7 TRKS

CD CHINA POLYDOR US 813653.2

1979 9 TRKS

LP CHINA POLYDOR UK POLD 5018

1979 9 TRKS

CD EARTH VERTIGO EU 532783.2

1973 10 TRKS

LP EARTH VERTIGO JPN BT-8109

1973 10 TRKS ('79 issue)

CD HEAVEN AND HELL WINDHAM HILL 11232.2

1975 2 TRKS w/ Jon Anderson

LP HEAVEN AND HELL RCA DE NL 71148

1975 3 TRKS w/ Jon Anderson

LP IGNACIO (O.S.T.) EGG CAN 90039

1975 2 TRKS re-issue

LP INVISIBLE CONNECTIONS DEUTSCHE G DE 415 196.1

1985 3 TRKS German pressing

CD L'APOCALYPSE DES ANIMAUX (O.S.T.) POLYDOR US 831503.2

1973 7 TRKS O.S.T.

LP L'APOCALYPSE DES ANIMAUX (O.S.T.) POLYDOR JPN MPF 1313

1973 7 TRKS insert ('80 issue)

CD MASK POLYDOR US 825245.2

1985 6 TRKS

CD OPERA SAUVAGE (O.S.T.) POLYDOR DE 829663.2

1979 7 TRKS ('76 recording)

LP OPERA SAUVAGE (O.S.T.) POLYDOR JPN MPF 1302

1979 7 TRKS ('76 recording)

CD ROAD, THE EAST WEST DE 73026.2

1990 8 TRKS Roman Polanski

LP SEE YOU LATER POLYDOR JPN 28MM 0013

1981 6 TRKS insert

CD SOIL FESTIVITIES POLYDOR UK 823396.2

1984 5 TRKS U.K. pressing

CD SPIRAL WINDHAM HILL 11230.2

1977 5 TRKS U.S. pressing

LP SPIRAL RCA UK PL 25116

1977 5 TRKS U.K. pressing

CD THEMES (Collection) POLYDOR US 839518.2

1989 14 TRK Collection

Also known as Vangelis O. Papathanassiou, formerly of Greek / French pop group Aphrodite’s Child (together with Demis Roussous). I once saw Vangelis at a Michel Polnareff concert, at the Roxy in Los Angeles. My favorite albums of his are ”Earth” and “L’Apocalypse Des Animaux”, a soundtrack to a film I’ve never seen. I’d like to find a used CD of “See You Later”. I also have a few Jon & Vangelis CD’s.

Amon Duul II

5-20-10 Amon Duul II

I think I am all finished buying ‘re-masters’ for the Amon Duul II catalogue on CD:

CD BBC RADIO 1 LIVE IN CONCERT WINDSONG UK WINCD 027

1973 8 TRKS Live

CD CARNIVAL IN BABYLON REPRETOIRE DE REP 4986

1971 10 TRKS (4 x bonus tracks) ('02 issue)

CD HIJACK SPV DE SPV 42332 CD

1974 9 TRKS ('08 issue)

CD MADE IN GERMANY REPERTOIRE DE REP 4631

1975 20 TRKS ('96 issue)

CD PHALLUS DEI REPERTOIRE DE REP 4872

1969 10 TRKS (5 x bonus tracks) ('01 issue)

CD TANZ DER LEMMINGE SPV DE SPV 304202 CD

1971 17 TRKS ('06 issue)

CD VIVA LA TRANCE SPV DE 305382

1973 15 TRKS (4 x bonus tracks) ('07 issue)

CD WOLF CITY SPV DE SPV 305372CD

1973 10 TRKS (3 x bonus tracks) ('07 issue)

CD YETI SPV DE 304192

1970 13 TRKS ('06 issue)

I read that SPV re-issue label in Germany recently went out of business, so I was happy to find re-masters of what I consider to be the important titles still floating around.

I bought Amon Duul II LP’s in the early-to-mid 70’s and have always been partial to their earlier efforts, notably:

1. Phallus Dei
2. Yeti
3. Tanz Der Lemminge ( = Dance of the Lemmings )
4. Carnival in Babylon
5. Wolf City
6. Viva La Trance
7. Hijack

Nice that the Repertoire issue of “Carnival in Babylon” now contains the several non-LP single tracks that appeared on their LP “Best Of” – “Lemmingmania”. I have more vinyl LP’s than the above mentioned titles, but the above 7 titles are what I consider to be “classic” ADII, with the “Live 1973” BBC disc being supplementary (effectively taking the place of their “Live In London” LP). #3 – #7 all had U.S. LP issues – but in most cases, I am lucky enough to have original German LP’s (and a few amusing variants, such as original Japanese 70’s pressings with posters).

I am also very fond of the 3 x solo albums by bassist Lothar Meid: “Mensch Dieser Klaus”, “Einbahnstrasse” and “Songstiges”. I must dig out and play the solo LP by Chris Karrer. I recently saw the BBC documentary about German 70’s music, and was delighted to see that the BBC crew went and found John Weinzerl and Renate Knaup-Krotenschwanz, both of whom are still alive and kickin’.