The 2nd annual Record Store Day came and went. It was like a holiday for the record collector and like most made-up holidays it was an exercise in consumerism. I celebrated by buying the following RSD exclusive releases:
Pavement, Live Europaturnen MCMXCVII (Unknown label - Matador? new, $15). A live recording of a 1997 concert in Koln available only on vinyl. This album demonstrates Pavement could really rock. Is Stephen Malkmus the David Foster Wallace of the rock music world? He just seems smarter and more literate than everyone else on the field.
Bob Dylan, "Dreamin' of You"/b-side "Down Along the Cove (Live at Bonnaroo)" (7" single, Columbia, new, $6.50). Included a bonus lithograph of a young Dylan.
Whiskeytown, "San Antone"/b-side "The Great Divide" (7" single, Geffen, new, $5). Two previously unreleased songs from Ryan Adams' former band.
Camera Obscura, "French Army"/b-side "The World Is Full of Strangers" (7" single, 4AD, new, $5). My favorite Scottish twee band this side of B&S. Their b-sides are unfailingly good.
Flaming Lips & Stardeath and White Dwarfs, "Borderline"/Black Keys "Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles" (7" split single, Warner Brothers, new, $5). The Lips doing a psychedelic cover of a Madonna song. Yes!
Other acquisitions from the past 2 weeks:
U2, No Line on the Horizon (Island, 2-LP, new, $27). I bought this for collecting purposes. It's already out of print. But it turned out to be an enjoyable listen.
John Coltrane, Giant Steps (Atlantic/Rhino reissue 2-LP, 45rpm, new, $54). Limited edition 1195 of 2500.
Ween, La Cucaracha (Schnitzel Records, UK pressing, new, $23).
The Sword, Ages of Winter (Kemado Records, new, $8). I was getting low on Black Sabbath riffs, so I filled up with The Sword. The thing most Sabbath-influenced bands completely miss is the lyrical side of Sabbath.
The Sword, Gods of the Earth (Kemado Records, new, $12). See above.
Pink Floyd, The Division Bell (Columbia, US pressing, $14). I had never seen a vinyl copy of this post-Waters album, so of course I had to pick it up. I'm betting it sucks.
10cc, Deceptive Bends (Mercury, $2). It's got the jaunty "The Things We Do for Love" and a cool Hipgnosis-designed cover (see previous post).
Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, Fancy Meeting You Here (RCA, original Canadian stereo pressing, $3). This is a sure sign I'm getting old. I actually enjoy this music. More swinging than you'd expect.
B.B. King, Completely Well (Bluesway, original pressing, $2).
Curtis Mayfield, Live (Curtom, 2-LP, $2).
Al Green, Livin' for You (Hi Records, US pressing, $4). I'm hoping the US version sounds better than the UK pressing I have. Life is hell for an audiophile.
Mile Davis, Sketches of Spain (Columbia, stereo 2-eye label, $2). I thought I only had the mono version, but it turns out I also had an original stereo pressing. Now I've got an extra stereo copy. Life is hell for a record collector.
Chet Baker, Jim Hall, Hubert Laws, Studio Trieste (CTI, $2).
Mahler, Symphony No. 3, Haitink, Concertgebouw Orchestra (Philips, Dutch pressing, 2-LP, $2).
Wagner, Tristan und Isolde, Solti, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (London, FFSS pressing, 6-LP, $4). When am I going to have time to listen to this? Probably when I'm dead.
Pet Shop Boys, Actually (EMI Manhattan, US pressing, bonus pack with "Always on My Mind" 12" single, $4). Until I started listening to a lot of soul music recently, I never knew how much early electronica was influenced by soul music.... Okay, it's disco. So what.
No comments:
Post a Comment