Recent Acquisitions: 4-12-09

Morrissey, Years of Refusal (Attack/Lost Highway, new, $11). This might be a good album. I can't tell, because the sound sucks, like most modern recordings. Instead of spending the effort to engineer the album correctly, Morrissey (or the producer), on the back cover, instructs the listener to play the album loudly, perhaps hoping that if your ears are bleeding you wouldn't be able to tell how bad the album sounds. (File under: Music Industry Death Watch)

Pavement, Terror Twilight (Matador, $6). I've discovered this album is not a good one for listening in the car. It's so much better on the home stereo, spinning on a turntable.

PJ Harvey, Rid of Me (Island, UK original pressing, $10). Listening to this album, why do I picture PJ Harvey in a cage fight match with Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins)? Do I hate Corgan that much?

John Cale, Vintage Violence (Columbia, original pressing, $3). The title is a misnomer, unless Cale's referring to pillow fights and Hawksian face slaps, nothing truly violent like a cage fight with PJ Harvey. Cale's first solo album is downright pastoral; it's like Paris 1919 without all the beautiful moments.

David Bowie, Space Oddity (RCA, orange label reissue, $3). Old Bowie albums don't sound dated at all, probably because so many modern bands rip off his old material.

The Kinks, Kink Kontroversy (Reprise, pink-gold-green steamboat label, original mono pressing, $4). Includes the original inner sleeve, which advertises other Reprise artists of that era, including Sinatra, Dean Martin, Trini Lopez, Sammie Davis, Jr., and Don Ho--just what would be of interest to Kinks fans.

The Kinks, One for the Road ( 2-LP, $4). The unimaginative title should've been a tip-off to the uninspired performances on this unnecessary album. The title should've been We're Gonna Rip You Off. That seems more in character with Ray Davies' cynicism.

The Who, The Who Sell-Out (Classic reissue, new, $18). The back cover photo of Keith Moon holding an over-sized tube of acne medicine to a large red splotch on his face is hilarious! Oh yeah, the songs are good, too.

Led Zeppelin, Presence (Swan Song, original pressing, $4). This is the self-parodistic Spinal Tap album before there was Spinal Tap.

Van Morrison, It's Too Late to Stop Now (Warner Brothers, tan label reissue, 2-LP, $4). I wish I could've seen Van live during his prime. When I saw him in concert in the 80s, he didn't move his fat, mystical ass from behind the keyboards.

John Lee Hooker, Plays & Sings the Blues (Chess, 80s reissue, $7). I'm trying to like traditional blues, but there may be too much of a cultural barrier for me to feel it in my soul like other music that I love.

Wilson Pickett, The Exciting Wilson Pickett (Atlantic, plum label, original mono pressing, $4). This mono pressing sounds much better than a stereo pressing of a greatest hits album I have. These songs were recorded to be listened to as mono singles.

Al Green, Al Green (Bell Records, 70s reissue of original Hotline LP, $4). This is his first LP.

Al Green, The Belle Album (Hi Records, original pressing, $4). His last secular LP.

Peter Tosh, Equal Rights (Columbia, $3).

Nat "King" Cole, After Midnight (Capitol, reissue, $2). Listening to this album is one of those moments when one realizes that sometimes our forebears had much better taste than us. This is tremendous stuff.

Bud Powell, The Amazing Bud Powell (Blue Note, solid blue label, $3). One of the tragic stories of jazz. Powell suffered from mental illness after being clubbed over the head by a cop. Yet he was able to continue playing, at least for a little while.

Eric Dolphy, Outward Bound (Prestige, 70s OJC reissue, $8). Dolphy is always great as a sideman, especially for Mingus and Coltrane, but I've always been skeptical about his ability to lead a group. He seems like a musician who does best with outside discipline. Except for Out to Lunch, a great album, I've avoided picking up Dolphy records.

Charlie Mingus, Tijuana Moods (RCA, original mono pressing, $4). This original mono pressing complements the original stereo pressing in my collection. See Listening Session post below.

Marty Paich, I Get a Boot Out of You (Warner Brothers, Rhino reissue, new $22). This is a big band album, arranged by Paich, featuring the best West Coast jazz musicians of the late 50s, including Art Pepper (definitely pirate material). It's got to be good.

Beethoven, Late Quartets, Guarneri Quartet (RCA red seal label, 4-LP, $7).

Beethoven, Symphony No.9, Herbert von Karajan, Philharmonia Orchestra (Columbia, mono German pressing, $2). This was a pure impulse buy considering I have about a zillion recordings of this symphony, including von Karajan's classic account from the early 60s.

Beethoven, "Appasionata" and "Funeral March" Sonatas, Sviatoslav Richter (RCA, mono shaded dog, $2).