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Old 10-29-2013, 09:47 PM   #20105 (permalink)
Screen13
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A Dollar Bin mix of the Good, the Bad, and 80's

Los Lobos - How Will the Wolf Survive - I remembered "Don't Worry Baby" and the title track, so I'm giving it another spin around to hear if my memories connect with modern listening.

Cat Stevens - Matthew and Son and New Masters - The double LP repackaging of the singer songwriter's first two albums. Loved the original version of "First Cut Is the Deepest" (although PP Arnold's is still the best version), and it was a hit and miss journey throughout, although with some "Swinging 60's" orchestration that kept my interest. Not a bad listen, especially for a Dollar!

Joni Mitchell - Don Juan's Reckless Daughter - The experimental 2 album set that lost her a lot of fans, and that means "I'm there"! Heard a bit of the epic "Paprika Plains" and need to hear the rest, but after hearing that Bjork liked this album (any truth to it?), I'm getting ready to go for the ride, especially on a late night listen.

Yes - Drama - The Buggles meet what was left of Yes and turn out something that is surprisingly pretty good for it's kind considering the age of the band that it being an album released in 1980 when most of their peers were sounding pretty tired. Never really a big Yes fan, but I seriously respect their playing. Trevor Horn, pre-bombastic New Wave Producer (Frankie Goes to Hollywood and some of the other ZZT happenings)/Pre-Yes Comeback Producer/Then-Buggle, takes the mic here and does a passable job. Some previous owner did at least a unique ID on the cover and label, but it was the cleaner of the two copies in the bin. Yes, there is also a C/O as well.

Deep Purple - Made in Europe - what was really the final album before the reunion made it not so, this is showcasing the Burn/Stormbringer line up with Blackmore possibly created/cobbled together to do some kind of apology for Come Taste the Band (Really, there was none necessary, but you know how some were about that album) - "...here, at last, is a real chance to come taste the band" read the Geoff Barton and Pete Makowski-written liner notes (both were from Sounds). Reportedly with obvious Doctoring - which happens quite a bit on many live albums of the time anyways - this is not a classic but a nice way to remember an era of fading out.

Lulu - New Routes - Then married to Maurice Gibb (The Bee Gees' Odessa fan favorite "Marley Purt Drive" is on here), she decided to seriously follow the steps of Dusty in Memphis. While not as essential as Springfield's Muscle Shoales album, it has some nice moments that make it a fine listen for those curious to hear the "To Sir With Love" singer in a less orchestrated light trying to fit in with the "natural" era (although with some MOR touches here and there). Cher also made an album at the famed studio, released in 1969, but I think if I heard it it won't be as nice as this as Lulu's vocals at the time were with a slight R&B meets Brenda Lee style making this move more of a natural experiment. Not as really essential as the Lulu and The Lovers recordings, but a good way to enter The 70's. Features "Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool For You Baby)".

Lovin' Spoonful - Everything Playing - The final album of the John Sebastian era,and a mixed bag, but sounding better in Stereo (I got the Mono version a long time back). Well orchestrated and featuring the 1967 hits "Six O'Clock" and "She's a Mystery to Me".

Style Council - The Cost of Loving - What was a 2-12 inch 45 set in The UK gets put into one slice of vinyl for the US market, killing off the original "Orange Album" cover concept which critics have slighted this album for it's Stateside release. Too slick, too much 80's production, and including what's cited as the worst ever attempt to being Rap into a Council album, it also has a couple of good songs, especially "Heaven's Above". Clearly the most MOR The Council ever got and in result the least interesting - The Jerusalem UK TV show featuring songs from the album being their ill-fated Magical Mystery Tour moment was more head-turning.

Joboxers - Gangbusters - The "Just Got Lucky" band showing a good level of playing ability that sadly went under noticed through their brief time as a Teenage Pin-Up band (In The UK) and as a briefly famous band thrown in the "New Wave" when they were a little more than that. Not really a great album, but something that deserves a spin by those wanting to know more than the hit.

Bottom of the barrel award: Peter Frampton - I'm in You - Just to hear if the album was really as bad as it was all the way. Sadly, it was a waste of a good guitar player's talent with under-cooked songs and very uninspiring playing. The version of "Roadrunner" really made me race back to Humble Pie's version. No denying the level of talent, but not a good show of it following the success of Frampton Comes Alive. Call it an album under pressure, things still should have been better instead of something to be the soundtrack to the infamous modeling in a Kimono cover photo that still remains high in a list of what went wrong in The 70's in my opinion and the liner notes did not fool me one bit.

Brighton Rock - Canadian Hair Rock with an appalling and hilarious dress sense - and a C/O to boot!
House of Lords - Presented through (Gene) Simmons Records, co-produced by Greg Giuffria (Angel, Giuffria), and as generic as expected.

Ending this post on a slightly better note: Icehouse EP - From the very early days when they were a passable New Wave band. C/O, and an album that brought back a memory.

Last edited by Screen13; 10-29-2013 at 09:59 PM.
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