This was another $3 purchase. The case is taped together. I thought the albums were going to be well loved, but they looked like they were never played. The recordings are not great. The sound is really muffled, all we hear clearly is the horn (which isn’t all that bad of an issue, but I do like hearing the whole band). If it wasn't for an occasional loud spot during a quiet moment, I wouldn’t think there was a drummer playing. The stars are definitely the horns. It is just cool to hear the recordings. There is a bongo (?) solo during “Swing Low Sweet Cadillac" where one guy yells “damn" and the audience bursts out in laughter. It is these improv moments that make live recordings incredible. This wasn’t the best listen due to mastering, but it is a good listen all the same.
Don't take my word for it listen for yourself and tell me what you think.
This was at one of spots yesterday. There were a few superficial scratches, but for $3 I decided to roll the dice. It sounds decent, a few pops and clicks but overall a very decent copy. The album has a few genres mashing together, we get some folky tunes, some country tunes, and a few scorchers. You can definitely see Neil Young and Stephen Stills developing the sounds they would be known for. A crazy thing I read was that Rick James played with an early version of the band before this lineup. I wonder how that sounded. Anywhoo, this was a very good listen.
Don't take my word for it listen for yourself and tell me what you think.
Fernandez Pray and His South American Rhythm Orchestra
Rendezvous in Rio
Number of LPs: 1
Label: Telefuken
Release Year on Jacket: 1959
Songs I Liked:
A1 – Caravan (video)
A2 – Fiesta
A4 – La Cucaracha
B1 – Brazil
B2 – Adios
B4 – Frenesie
B5 – The Peanut Vendor
Overall Rating: A
Would You Recommend:
The sound on this is kind of awful because the record was not treated well before coming to me. It is a shame, because this album is super fun. It is high energy, and the music is top notch booty shakers. I mean they do La Cucaracha as a mambo big band number that had me dancing in my seat. It is also a shame that I could not find this digitally to share with you, because my scratchy recording does not do it justice. This is a great listen.
Don't take my word for it listen for yourself and tell me what you think.
Makeba's music is always powerful. It is not something I would generally seek out, but I came across her through a list of greatest albums of all time and was instantly intrigued. Her voice sounds so strong, and her music sounds simplistic but it has this rhythmic complexity that seeps in deep. This album is very Latin centric, she adds African folk with a Latin flair to produce a very cool aesthetic. This is a good listen.
Don't take my word for it listen for yourself and tell me what you think.
Willie has been around the Boston Punk scene for well over forty years. This album is one of those odd albums where they weren’t quite committing to punk but were trying to find a place for themselves. At times it is basic rock, glam, rockabilly, pop, and sometimes it is just unlistenable (looking at you You've Lost That Loving Feeling). One thing I do have to say though is if Look At Me wasn’t an influence for all of Morphine's sound, they are lying to themselves. I honestly can't recommend this. It was amusing at times, but I kept looking to see what track I was on hoping it would end. This was not a good listen.
Don't take my word for it listen for yourself and tell me what you think.
This is a damn near perfect example of 70s west coast punk. I have bought this album more times than I can count. I bought this 40th anniversary reissue because it came with a signed zine. I am a sucker for signed items. This album is under thirty minutes from start to finish, but every second is awesome. It is loud, angry, and hits that teenage angst spot that hides in my heart. If you have never heard this stop reading and click on the link below. If you just returned, you are welcome. This is an excellent listen.
Don't take my word for it listen for yourself and tell me what you think.
I was just barely a teen when GNR, Metallica and FNM decided to do a stadium tour. I'm not sure why my parents let me go alone, but they did. It was one of those shows where Axl's antics caused a riot, violence and many arrests. He took almost four hours to hit the stage (was probably 40 minutes but felt like four hours). The opener was FNM, I did not really know them. Patton kicked a guy in the front row and yelled about how he picked on him in high school. I instantly fell in love with him and the band. I have been obsessed ever since. This is Patton's first FNM album. It isn’t their best but it will always have a special place, because it was my first also. The mix of genres put these guys way ahead of the curve, and the album is still very strong (mostly. The rap/rock is a tad dated). Like I said this isn’t their best, but even at their worst (this isn’t that either) they are still an excellent listen.
Don't take my word for it listen for yourself and tell me what you think.
I'm tired. Point blank fatigue over everything going on in the U.S. is extremely exhausting, especially when you add the fact that I am quarantined due to exposure to Covid (test was negative but I feel awful). I reached for this album because it is an old friend. I grew up on TS, and they have always delivered. This album is pretty hard. I personally think this is their best album. It still has that hokey 80s makeup thing, but it is more about being a kick ass metal band. TS is such a big thing in my life we invited Dee to our wedding. He didn’t show up, but he sent a beautiful card and a signed photo (Dee's pic is on my fridge). This is an excellent listen, and a great escape from the world for a bit.
Don't take my word for it listen for yourself and tell me what you think.
Earlier I mentioned that this sounded like Donovan. I put it on to be sure, and yes I still hold that opinion. Bowie was developing his sound, but he wasn’t there yet. This really sounds like a mish mash of influences shoved together. I am a huge Bowie fan, excuse a huge fan of certain eras of Bowie's music (let’s forget most of the 80s happened). This album is not one I listen to often. I feel it just doesn’t sound like a true Bowie album until the later half of Side B. This is an OK listen.
Don't take my word for it listen for yourself and tell me what you think.
I don’t usually reach for a Donavan record, because I find him too mellow. Today I am working from home because I have been exposed to two separate people that tested positive for Covid. I thought I needed a mellow morning. On this listen I was surprised how much early Bowie stole from Donovan (I know it took a bit for Bowie to find his sound). I didn’t hate this. It was very bubblegum, but relaxing. I didn’t have to think much at all. Some of the songs had interesting parts, enough to keep me listening (although I usually refuse to shut off an album once it starts). I would say this was an OK listen.
Don't take my word for it listen for yourself and tell me what you think.
I kept seeing posts of people getting this and I was concerned because I couldn’t remember if I bought it or not. Today the mail came and I had pre-ordered the red and the silver/black splatter bundle. So not only did I order it, but I also got a t-shirt with it. Needless to say I was excited. I love Patton. I love most Patton projects. I really love Bungle. This is just another amazing Bungle album. It is definitely more “metal" than past albums, but they always had an element of metal to them. This is simply a fantastic album. This is an excellent listen.
Don't take my word for it listen for yourself and tell me what you think.
This is not an Allman Brothers album I listen to often. It probably has only been played a handful of times. It has a true 80s feel to it. Most of this album sounded like Lynyrd Skynyrd (not a dig just not AB quality). Side B had that overproduced feel of 80's Grateful Dead albums. This felt like a contract obligation, not a true effort to make a great album. It was a just OK listen.
Don't take my word for it listen for yourself and tell me what you think.
A1 – Overture – Cotton Avenue (video because listen to that bass and groove)
A2 – Talk To Me
All of Side B (it becomes a huge jam session)
C2 – The Tenth World
C3 – Dreamland
D1 – Don Juan's Reckless Daughter
Overall Rating: A
Would You Recommend:
A few weeks ago, I picked up Blue, because Dylan at Noble Records kept recommending it. I was shocked how amazing it was. In true I have a problem fashion, one of the sellers at the fleamarket had a huge stack of Joni and I bought them all. I am only a few songs in and I am still drawn in with how different Joni is versus what I thought she was. This is a very funky album, with amazing musical moments. The instrumentation on these songs are unique, and really do stay with you. Her words are powerful, but the music underneath them is making me want more. This is another great listen.
Don't take my word for it listen for yourself and tell me what you think.
Occasionally, I go on a Springsteen kick. It is always an awaking, because I forget how powerful of a songwriter he is. I think as I get older and more jaded his music starts to hit me more. This is a fairly dark album. It starts out on death row, and that sets the tone for the rest of the album. He isn’t screaming or rocking out, instead the majority of the album is acoustic and retrospective. I'm sitting in my room with my cat on my lap just relaxing and thinking. It is hard to see all the positive in the world sometimes, but to me this is as good as it gets. It is a nice easy Sunday morning, sausage is cooking, music is playing, and I am happy. This is a great listen.
Don't take my word for it listen for yourself and tell me what you think.
This is one of the more approachable Zappa albums. At times it sounds like a great classic rock jam band. It has awesome guitar licks, and memorable hooks. If Zappa is an artist that you just haven’t had the chance to listen to, this is a great place to start out. If you make it through this and still want more then go slowly. It is worth it. This is a great listen.
Don't take my word for it listen for yourself and tell me what you think.
This was from a mystery box that someone put together for me. I am shocked because they nailed it so far. I have never heard of Wand before this, but I already started searching for more of their albums (instantly added to my want list). The genre on Discogs says psychedelic, which I can see but it is far more. It has a heaviness to it that is awesome, it reminded me of Swans (that is a huge compliment). It has shoegazey moments, that get ripped away by loud aggressive guitars and drums. I haven’t wanted to rush to hear more of a band in a long time. I love hearing new music, and finding new to me bands. The only sadness in finding these new bands is knowing that I will probably not be able to see them live in a club like it use to be. Either way this is getting my highest recommendation. This is an excellent listen.
Don't take my word for it listen for yourself and tell me what you think.
B1 – Skeletons in My Closet (this was so bad it was good)
B4 – You’re A Movie
Overall Rating: C+
Would You Recommend:
I've never listened to this before. I bought it because I am obsessed with completing certain artists. Alice has always been a big deal in my life because my mom enjoyed him. I grew up doing his resurgence when Trash was released. This was not his best, but it wasn’t an awful album. It has a bunch of interesting new wavish arrangements. Alice has always played with genres and this just seems more of that. A few of the songs were actually enjoyable, and I would add them to a playlist. If I didn’t know this was Alice I wouldn’t hold it to a higher level. It is a truly odd listen, but I enjoyed some of it. This is an OK listen.
Don't take my word for it listen for yourself and tell me what you think.