Spinning Vinyl

So this session had a theme of 80s vinyl. Sometime between 1988 and 1991, new releases stopped being issued on vinyl except for mega-hits, and CDs took over. But the early and mid 80s, while crammed with terrible synthesizer pop, also saw some of my favorite artists making great records. All of these are very special to me. 

Things started with XTC's English Settlement 1982, side two with No Thugs In Our House, Yacht Dance, and All Of A Sudden (It's Too Late). I've always loved the chorus of No Thugs, "No thugs in our house, are there dear, We made that clear, We made little Graham promise us he'd be a good boy". Sure, as long as an adolescent male tells you they'll be good, it's all set. Both Yacht Dance and All Of A Sudden are also great. "Life's like a jigsaw, you get the straight bits but there's something missing in the middle". English Settlement has always been my favorite XTC, and for an unknown reason I bought the expensive two LP import version when it came out, which was vastly superior to the single disc US version that had five less songs.

Next up, The Clash London Calling 1980, also side two. Side two isn't the hit-packed side one or side four, but it's very good. Spanish Bombs, Clampdown and the call to arms of The Guns of Brixton, "When they kick at your front door, How you gonna come?, With your hands on your head, or on the trigger of your gun". Even the weak side kicks ass.

Then it was side two of Elvis Costello's Trust 1981. I typically think of Imperial Bedroom as my Costello highlight, but I may need to reconsider. With songs like New Lace Sleeves, From A Whisper To A Scream, Different Finger, and White Knuckles, the side just slaps you in the face. The Attractions were such a great band.

Next I pulled out one I hadn't listened to in I don't know how long. Talking Heads Remain In Light 1980, side one with Born Under Punches, Crosseyed and Painless, and The Great Curve. It was listed as a best of the year along side London Calling on every such list. At the time of release, Ken Tucker wrote in Rolling Stone, "Remain in Light yields scary, funny music to which you can dance and think, think and dance, dance and think, ad infinitum." It was a thrill to hear after so long a time.

Side one of Robert Palmer's Pride 1983 followed. This was Palmer's last record before the one-two punch of Power Station's 33 1/3  and Palmer's Riptide, both with Tony Thompson, Andy Taylor and Bernard Edwards and featuring Some Like It Hot and Addicted to Love. But Pride is no slouch, and side one features the title track, Want You More, Dance For Me and You Are In My System.

Finally we get to 1986 and Joe Jackson's three-sided vinyl version of Big World. Side three with Soul Kiss, Tango Atlantico, Home Town, and the snark of The Jet Set, all demonstrating Jackson's gift for skilled and varied composition. Recorded live without any overdubs or sonic trickery, Big World is an outstanding example of a super tight band firing on all cylinders. 

It was a fine, if brief, romp through the stacks, sticking to favorite records by favorite artists with the speakers singing loud and clear.

Spinning Vinyl

This is the special Saturday night after-dinner nightcap version of Spinning Vinyl. After an outstanding Italian dinner, we returned home for a nightcap and a card game and some music, all featuring pianists. 

First up was side two of Diana Krall's From This Moment On 2006. There isn't anything earth-shattering about this particular Diana Krall Record, but it is a solid outing of standards featuring the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and Krall's lovely voice and fine piano. It is a swell selection of songs performed flawlessly and arranged beautifully. Day In Day Out, Come Dance With Me, and Little Girl Blue stood out, but the whole side is just about perfect.

Next was Allen Toussaint's swan song American Tunes 2106, side one, featuring Toussaint's Delores' Boyfriend, Fats Waller's Viper's Drag, Professor Longhair's Mardi Gras In New Orleans, and Billy Strayhorn's Lotus Blossom, and everything works.The record is a mix of Toussaint solo piano recordings from 2013 and what would have been a new studio record that was unfinished before he died in 2015. The 2015 recordings are done with a stellar cast including Bill Frisell, Jay Belerose, Greg Leisz, Charles Lloyd, David Piltch, Adam Levy, and Van Dyke Parks. It is a wonderful Toussaint record, almost as good as his high water mark The Bright Mississippi 2009.

My wife and I are both huge fans of Ahmad Jamal. We both saw him live many moons ago and then had a chance to see him together in Seattle in 2006. I love his work from the fifties and sixties as much as any jazz pianist, and he continued to make great music in his rhythmically inventive style until 2019, just four years before his death at age 93. Saturday Morning 2013 is merely another of his great late career masterpieces. We listened to side one, with the title track and Back To The Future (both by Jamal) as well as I'll Always Be With You, the 1945 Perry Como hit.

Lastly we heard Ellis Marsalis' For All We Know 2020, side two. This recording is just outstanding, and Marsalis plays with his son Jason on vibes, who gets to shine frequently. The record, on the audiophile vinyl-only Newvelle records, has amazing sound, with both piano and vibraphone beautifully captured. Marsalis is a wonderfully fluid player, song selection is lovely, and we get to hear Marsalis' relaxed style one more time just months before his passing.

The one thing all these records have in common (other than piano) is great sound. Tommy LiPuma always made Krall's records sound great, as did Joe Henry on Toussaint's last three albums. Saturday Morning was recorded in France by some talented engineers using state of the art equipment, and everything on Newvelle Records is lovingly produced with attention to sonic detail. That doesn't matter if the music isn't up to the same high bar, but all of these performances are truly special.

Spinning Vinyl - The Blues Edition

I'm certainly not a huge blues fan, but there's plenty to like when it wins me over. So a stroll through the stacks recently caught the theme and...

Alvin Lee is a bad-ass guitar player, and the band includes a driving rhythm section and a hot shot organist. Lee also has a fine bluesy scream and wrote seven of the eight tracks. Ssssh is a stomping blues-rock classic.

I listened to side 1, with Waitin' On The Bus and Jesus Just Left Chicago, my favorite ZZ Top moment. But I had forgotten how great the side ended with Hot, Blue And Righteous. I was getting into the blues for real now, so that meant it was time for Buddy Guy.

Guy's guitar playing isn't like anyone's, at least not anyone I've heard. His leads can seem to almost lose the rhythm, but it never really happens, and he leaves me stunned every time. This one from 1994 was the start of a string of strong outings from the indomitable Buddy Guy.

The harmonica drenched Too Many Drivers, Ronnie Barron's It's Getting Harder To Survive, Mose Allison's If You Live, and Bobby Charles' and Rick Danko's Small Town Talk make for one great side. The Better Days band was short-lived and always in the wake of The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, but they had a nice organic sound and operated like a music co-op, with everybody getting some time, and making the most of it.

 

Southside Johnny has been through a fair bit, but he keeps doing it to death, and he's managed to produce more than a few solid albums since those first three classics between 1976-1978. Better Days 1991, Into The Harbor 2005, Pills And Ammo 2010, and this stone classic blues ball buster from 2000. Messin' With The Blues might be Johnny's best since those early days.

Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Vaughn was reverential, but he also came to play. King does Stormy Monday, and then Vaughn lights up Pride And Joy, on fat black 45 rpm plastic.

Bromberg's How Late'll Ya Play'Til? 1976 is another lost gem that more people should hear. A double album with one studio record and one live record, it might be the most stylistically sweeping statement of musical ability across genres available. On the live blues sides, the band is hot and Bromberg is having a ball.

These things have to end somewhere, and that somewhere this time out, is Savoy Brown, side one of Blue Matter 1969. The brief union of Kim Simmonds with Chris Youlden made for some fine blues from Savoy Brown. Youlden's solo career never really took off, and Simmonds has soldiered on impressively, but the two of them together were unique.

Spinning Vinyl

I haven't done a Spinning Vinyl episode in quite a while. This is the Easter Sunday edition. My wife and I spent Easter at home with our best friends. My lovely bride made a great meal, and our guests brought a carrot cake that completely and unequivocally redefined carrot cake in the most amazing way possible. I like carrot cake generally, but this item was really something else. The cake was totally incredible, and unique, and the cream cheese icing was replaced by a blend of whipped cream and mascarpone that was the bomb.

Oh wait, this is about the music. Since it was the holiday, I mostly stuck to jazz while we had appetizers and drinks in the afternoon. I got things started with Joe Jackson's Summer In The City Live In New York 2000. The recording was released only on CD when it was new, and made it to vinyl as a reissue in 2017. Intervention Records did a really nice job with the pressing and it's a fine recording of Jackson in a trio setting doing a nice mix of material.

I played Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson 1959. I love Webster's mellow blowing as much as any sax player I can think of. The late 1950s seem to have produced much of my most-loved jazz.

So right after that I went to one of my all-time favorite piano trio records, Ahmad Jamal At The Pershing / If Not For Me 1958. Jamal, here with Israel Crosby on bass and Vernell Fournier at the kit, makes some of the most comfortably swinging piano jazz, well, ever. The version of Poinciana here is delightful.

I wanted to push things up a bit, so I went to Buena Vista Social Club, Ry Cooder's 1997 foray into Cuban music with the original cast of players, as it were. This kind of cross-cultural outing rarely works as well as it works here. But then Cooder pretty much stays out of the way.

Earlier in the week I had T. Rex's Electric Warrior 1971 on, and I brought it back out to have some party music in the mix. Bang A Gong, Planet Queen, Life's A Gas, Rip Off. One great glam song after another.

Getting closer to dinner time I pulled out Cassandra Wilson's Blue Skies 1988. After two boundary-testing outings, Wilson made her traditional standards record. With a trio of Mulgrew Miller piano, Lonnie Plaxico bass and Terri Lynn Carrington drums, Wilson raised the bar on what could be expected from a set of great American songbook standards. It is a very special record for me, and one I never tire of hearing.

And finally Allen Toussaint's The Bright Mississippi 2009. This is a  record every music lover should own. New Orleans music as expressed by some of today's finest instrumental talent and the smooth piano and arranging of Toussaint. Subtle, breathtaking beauty.

As dinner was up next, I switched to shuffling the French playlist on the iPod. A playlist consisting of the Midnight In Paris 2011 soundtrack, added to with similar jazz and vocal tracks from Madeleine Peyroux, Bill Evans, Stacy Kent and others. Great dinner music, and my wife's favorite. That played at least until the carrot cake...

Spinning (45 rpm) Vinyl

The other night, as I am wont to do, I sat down, turned it up, and listened to music on vinyl. The first song was James Brown's Funky Drummer, the nine-minute extended version from In A Jungle

Groove 1986. The next thing that caught my eye was an XTC 45 rpm single of Senses Working Overtime and an unusually funky Egyptian Solution (homo safari series no. 3), which finds a unique cross-roads between James Brown and Can. Since the turntable was set for 45, I sought out selections in the format.

If LPs sound better than CDs (and they do), then 45 rpm is better still. Compared to LP, the fidelity of 45 is very high, sort of like red-book CD compared to SACD, DVD-A, or high-resolution files, all of which have the potential to sound just as good as analog.

Next up was Stevie Ray Vaughn's Pride And Joy from the Analog Productions pressing of a Canadian TV special performance with Albert King. Super-hot performance made even better by a fine recording. After that were several cuts from The Anthony Wilson Trio's Jack Of Hearts. Wilson has released most of his records on vinyl, and several of them, like this, in 45 rpm. Wilson is a fantastic guitar player and is always surrounded by only the best support. Groove Note's pressing on fat slabs of vinyl sounds incredible.

After that, it was 7-inch singles. Revolution by The Beatles (wow), the Supremes' You Can't Hurry Love by the Stray Cats (the b-side of Rock This Town), John Lennon's Stand By Me (a superb Japanese pressing), and an early Nick Lowe single of Goffin and King's girl-group
classic Halfway To Paradise, which is both funny and perfect. Graham Parker's live White Honey and Soul Shoes from the Hold Back The Night single followed, and then Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings' I Just Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition Is In. Oh yeah, today's finest soul outfit takes on Kenny Rodger's foray into psychedelic music. Priceless.

I don't own many seven-inch singles, or many 45 rpm twelve-inch LPs like the Albert King or the Anthony Wilson, but they sure are fun to hear. I don't want to hear great recordings of mediocre performances, but all of the above are great performances made all the better by quality sound.

Spinning Vinyl

It's been a while since I've documented a trip through the stacks. In the interest of transparency, this "session" took place over two days, with my lovely wife along for the ride on the second day.

I started out with Hot Tuna 1970, a traditional acoustic blues from Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Cassidy (from Jefferson Aitplane) that still sounds great today. Hesitation Blues, How Long Blues, Death Don't Have No Mercy, side one is hot.

From there I got more current with The Jayhawks Mockingbird Time 2011. A reunion of the classic line-up with Karen Grotberg, and an unusually good reunion effort, rivaling they're best work. Closer To Your Side and She Walks In So Many ways were standouts.

Side two of The Jimi Hendrix Experience 1967 never ceases to amaze. From there I listened to David Crosby's Almost Cut My Hair from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's Deja Vu 1970, one of Crosby's finer moments.

Then I got all bluesy. I listened to Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes' fairly recent Messin' With The Blues 2001, and I mean it when I say this guy's still got it (at least he did 12 years ago). It's remarkable, and the title track and Tell 'Em I'm Broke were killer, with knock-out harmonica on both. Then it's on to Born Under A Bad Sign 1967. I took in side two, which had been a while, and Almost Lost My Mind and The Very Thought Of you rocked. The record is pretty much the definition of blues music.

I've always liked T-Bone Burnett's Trap Door from 1982, and I listened to the entire six-song EP. It's a perfect slice of pop-rock from a basic four-piece band and fabulous songwriting. It's a shame Burnett never did it this way again. While into the pop scene, I listened to side two of The Beatles 1969. Aside from Harrison's embarrassing Piggies, it'd got fine tunes from both Lennon (I'm So Tired, Julia) and McCartney (Blackbird, Rocky Raccoon).

Back to blues-rock for The Allman Brothers' Eat A Peach 1972. I always liked One Way Out. I listened to Bill Champlin doing What Good Is Love from Single 1978, his first solo effort, and even if it sounds too much like Earth, Wing, and Fire, it's still good.

Then it's back to blues for Bob Dylan's Modern Times 2006. I've said it before that Dylan has been experiencing an artistic Renaissance of late, and this is a smoking hot record. Thunder On The Mountain and Rollin' And Tumblin' are just superb, as is Someday Baby. That rasp of a voice still carries more weight than most singers half his age.

Lindsey Buckingham's Go Insane from 1984 is a real ear candy treat. I Want You, Go Insane , and Slow Dancing all thrive on Buckingham's studio smarts, but they're also great tunes.

And why not end the evening mellow, with Jack Johnson In Between Dreams 2005. Better Together you have to like if you have any romance in you. But Good People and Sitting, Waiting, Wishing are also solid gold. I haven't bought any other Jack Johnson records because this one is so good. That's not really like me.

Old and new. The Hendrix and Albert King are both available on new remastered vinyl, and they sound great.

Spinning Vinyl

It's been a little while since I last took up the occasional Spinning Vinyl series. The other night I got to fire up some records, and I had a fine time. Maybe these will stir a memory or make you curious. I started the night clearly inspired, as I slapped I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide by ZZ Top from Deguello 1979 on the turntable. A great song, one of my favorites from ZZ Top. Next up was John Mayer with Something's Missing from Heavier Things 2003, another very different take on the blues. Then I had one of those ideas, and it was on to Cat Food by King Crimson from In The Wake Of Poseidon 1970. Feeling a little random play about things, I skipped ahead to You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga 2007 and The Mystery Zone from Transference 2010, both by Spoon.They are a very talented bunch.

Life On The Moon and To The Stars from We Will Become Like Birds 2005 by Erin McKeown followed, and there's another just fabulous record, McKeown firing all all cylinders, and a finely crafted rock production to boot. Another quick left turn brought Turn My Life Down From Volunteers 1969 by Jefferson Airplane. I was never a big Airplane fan, but Turn My Life Down struck a chord with me, and it has remained with me every since. Next up I took a break from jumping up and down and listened to all of Side One of Shame Shame by Dr. Dog: Stranger, Shadow People, Station, Unbearable Why, and Where'd All The Time Go? I remain enthralled with this record, and they have a new one due out soon.

From Side Four of The Beatles White Album 1968 I spun Savoy Truffle and Cry Baby Cry. Then it was Brian Auger and Julie Tippetts Encore from 1978, a very cool record that reunited one of the most creative jazz-rock duos ever, whose mid-sixties work was just crazy, and well ahead of its time.  Git Up, a cover of Steve Winwood's Freedom Highway, and Auger's Future Pilot all sounded good, and Julie's voice is a thrill. From there it was on to The Who, My Generation and The Kids Are Alright from My Generation 1965, The Moody Blues Go Now from Go Now The Moody Blues #1 1965, Allen Toussaint's Yes We Can from Holy Cow! The Best Of Lee Dorsey 1985, and Burning Spear's Live Good from Marcus Garvey 1975 (classic reggae-where'd that come from?)

Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me Boz Scaggs from Speak Low 2008 is a lovely reading of the classic by Boz, who has lost nothing as he has mellowed. Soul Kiss from Joe Jackson's Big World 1986 (one of Jackson's better outings by my take). As the night drew to a close, I dug a deep groove with the extended version of Funky Drummer, from James Brown's In The Jungle Groove 1986 (but recorded with the great Clyde Stubblefield in 1970). And finally, I listened to Alcohol and Complicated Life from Muswell Hillbillies by The Kinks 1971. "Gotta stand a face it, life is so complicated". Seems like anybody could write it, but Ray Davies is the one who made it work. Ray Davies was really writing back then. Between 1968-1971 he could do no wrong.

So that's how I spent my evening a few days ago. No rhyme no reason, just my mind on random play and a big stack of records.

Spinning Vinyl

We've been here before. And here. And here. And here.

So this time no explanation, yes there was a theme, it wasn't always followed.
All vinyl, all in the last few hours, in this actual order:
Levon Helm: Rag Mama Rag and Time Out For The Blues, from Ramble At The Ryman, 2011
Grateful Dead: Mama Tried, from Grateful Dead, 1971
Eric Clapton: May You Never, Wonderful Tonight, and Lay Down Sally, from Slowhand, 1977
Nick Lowe: True Love Travels On A Gravel Road, from The Impossible Bird, 1994
John Hiatt: Drive South, from Slow Turning, 1988
Neil Young And Crazy Horse: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, from At The Fillmore 1970, 2006
Spoon: You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb and Rhythm & Soul, from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, 2007
Drive By Truckers: The Southern Thing, The Three Great Alabama Icons, and Wallace, from Southern Rock Opera, 2003
Fleetwood Mac: Lay It All Down, from Future Games, 1971
Van Morrison: Bulbs, from Veedon Fleece, 1974
Jim O Rourke: All Downhill from Here, from Insignificance, 2001
Wilco: Impossible Germany, from Sky Blue Sky, 2007
Gary Louris: True Blue, from Vagabonds, 2008
Rolling Stones: Wild Horses and I Can Hear You Knockin', from Sticky Fingers, 1971
Burning Spear: Live Good, from Marcus Garvey, 1975

That was fun.

Gon Out
Bakson
Bisy
Backson
CJ

Spinning Vinyl

If you've read this blog before, you know I like vinyl. It's not just that it sounds warmer and more rhythmic than CD, it's also that the records I love from the sixties and seventies, some of my favorite stuff, is on vinyl in my collection. Last night I got home early from work and my wife called to say she would be late. Opportunity knocks. Turn it up.

I started with Springsteen's The River 1980, side two, with Hungry Heart, Out In The Street, Crush On You, You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch), I Wanna Marry You, and The River. Talk about your classic album side. Like most two-LP affairs, The River is a sprawling effort, but side two is perfect. From there I pulled out The Best Of The J. Geils Band 1979 for Southside Shuffle and Give It To Me. Hey, it was Friday- need I say more? This also explains Mountain's Mississippi Queen from their 1970 debut Climbing!

I slowed things down for a steamy blues (Go-Go Boots) and a country weeper (Dancin' Ricky) from The Drive-By Truckers latest Go-Go Boots 2011. While doing the southern thing, I played One Way Out from The Allman Brothers Eat A Peach 1972. One of their hottest moments, even with so many to choose from.

How I then chose The Electric Flag An American Music Band 1968 is a mystery, but Hey Little Girl with Nick Gravenites' great vocal, and Buddy Miles' Mystery were both fun to hear, if just a bit dated. Quickly back to Friday night territory, I played Funk 49 by the James Gang from The Best Of The James Gang 1973. Joe Walsh is a spectacular guitarist. Period. Midnight Man from the same record was fun, as I hadn't heard it in a while.

Australia from The Kinks Arthur 1969 has always been a favorite. Another great guitar song. Dave Davies' lead/jam on the song's four-minute "fade" is wonderful, and an unusual extended form for the Kinks. This lead into Bob Weir's Ace 1972, and I listened to the hilarious Mexicali Blues, the rocking (especially for the Dead) One More Saturday Night, and the gorgeous ballad Cassidy. This record qualifies for top five Grateful Dead studio records easily in my book.

I haven't listened to Santana in a while, so I listened to Samba Pa Ti, Hope You're Feeling Better, and El Nicoya from Abraxas 1970. I could have chosen better Santana material, frankly, and by then my wife was due home, so I switched gears to Norah Jones for side one of The Fall 2009. This record keeps growing on me. It's mellow, but it pulsates. And her singing and writing and the arrangements are all strong.

Then I stumbled upon George Harrison's swansong Brainwashed 2002, and I listened to Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea, Rocking Chair In Hawaii, and Brainwashed. Like all of Harrison's records, it's not perfect, but there are some fine moments.

As we sat down to dinner my wife asked me to play that record I had on the other night, so I dropped the needle on John Hiatt's 1987 gem Bring The Family. There are not many records that come this close to perfect. We listened to the whole record. Bring The Family has it all- Hiatt's best collection of songs ever (and he's done much outstanding songwriting), his consistently great singing, the most amazing "back-up band" ever (Jim Keltner, Ry Cooder, and Nick Lowe!), and an outstanding, clean recording with weight and depth.

Dinner was delicious. But that's for some other blog.

Spinning Vinyl

A few days ago I got some quality time with the stereo. It was only two hours on a weeknight, but it turned into a fine session of turntable love.

Side one of Free The Bees 2004 got things started. The Bees are a highly engaging psych-funk-rock outfit from England that have made some great records, and this one is particularly strong. The new one is good, too. The psychedelic opener These Are The Ghosts is a killer tune, and Wash In The Rain and No Atmosphere are both excellent.

Next up was the last side of the four-LP The Rolling Stones Singles Collection The London Years 1989. This is a very fun set that includes many rarely-heard B-sides. I listened to Brown Sugar, Wild Horses, Don't Know Why I Love You (a Stevie Wonder cover!), Try A Little Harder, Out Of Time (Jagger's 1966 version recorded by a non-Stones band), and Jiving Sister Fanny. Those last four are all rare singles and B-sides and fine performances. This box set is full of surprises like that and the vinyl sounds good, even if it was cut from digitally remastered recordings.

I had to get my fix of Kiln House, Fleetwood Mac's 1970 masterwork and Cristine McVie's debut with the group. Hi Ho Silver and the magnificent Jewel-Eyed Judy lit up the speakers with classic rock glory.

Speaking of classic records, Greg Allman's Laid Back from 1973 is near perfect. My drummer friend Todd mentioned it to me a few years ago, and I picked up a used copy. Allman's version of Jackson Browne's These Days is a terrific rendition of a fine song.

I'm soaking up the seventies by now, so why not Joni Mitchell's Miles Of Aisles, her 1974 live outing with The L.A. Express. Side four, with Carey, The Last Time I Saw Richard, Jericho, and Love Or Money is as good as Joni gets. The L.A. Express really found a sweet spot between Joni's early folk-pop and her later jazz leanings. They compliment her well throughout the entire record.

Back to the future, I grabbed Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga from 2007. I go back and forth on this band sometimes, but the trifecta of You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb, Don't You Evah, and the amazing Rhythm And Soul had me rockin' in that strange place this band inhabits.

The stereo was up pretty loud by now, and the attitude of Spoon made me long for some more concentrated sneer. I knew I couldn't go wrong with side four of The Clash's London Calling 1979. Lover's Rock, Four Horsemen, I'm Not Down, Revolution Rock, and Train In Vain. What an amazing album side. Hard core punks probably prefer earlier Clash, but it's hard to deny the the sheer perfection of London Calling, with so many classic tunes and a band clearly at the top of their game.

Time to wind down, and what better way to get back to earth than with The Band. I pulled out 1970's Stage Fright and listened to Stage Fright and The Rumor. I've always loved both of these songs, especially the moralistic tale of The Rumor, a simple reminder of the lasting damage done to reputation by oft-told lies.

Just another night of music on black plastic. For more of the occasional Spinning Vinyl series, try here or here.

Spinning Vinyl

Another not so quiet evening at home. Let's see what's in the racks.

I got home early and fired things up with The Marshall Tucker Band's debut from 1973, side one: Take The Highway, Can't You See, and Losing You. You might remember Can't You See. It's a fine Southern rock record, with soul and gospel touches on top of that Skynyrd thang.

Next up- Lucinda Williams, side three of World Without Tears 2003, including the magnificent title track. "If we lived in a world without tears, How would bruises find the face to lie upon... How would broken find the bone".

Elvis Costello and the Attractions Get Happy! 1980. An oft overlooked gem, side one includes I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down, Black And White World, Motel Matches, Human Touch, and Beaten To The Punch, some monster Elvis, and Steve Nieve's organ is always perfect.

The Heptones Night Food 1976. I haven't listened to much Reggae in a while, but this was always one of my favorite Reggae records. Side one includes Country Boy, the overly-menacing I've Got The Handle, Book Of Rules and Mama Say. Reggae got soul even more than Toots himself.

Side four of The Very Best Of Diana Krall, with Let's Face The Music And Dance, and The Heart Of Saturday Night, and Fly Me To The Moon. I know, you either love her or hate her. I love her. And her piano kicks it, too. Amazing recent vinyl release- as good as they get.

Beatles For Sale, 1964, No Reply, I'm A Loser, Baby's In Black, Rock And Roll Music, I'll Follow The Sun. In that order. Big fun, and amazing stuff. The record just before Rubber Soul. It's even better than you remember.

All of the sudden I had to hear Cat Food, from King Crimson's In The Wake Of Poseiden 1970. Cat Food is the bomb. All jerky guitar and crazy talk. Cat Food again!

That inspired XTC's Egyptian Solution (Homo Safari Series No. 3) from the Senses Working Overtime 12" Single/EP. A remarkably funky slice of XTC, they do a sort-of Tom-Tom Club crossed with Can that digs a deep groove. An unusual XTC song, and well worth hearing.

Why not Spoon's The Beast And The Dragon, Adored from Gimmie Fiction 2005. Then Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker) by Parliament from The Mothership Connection LP 1975. While we're getting funky, Prince's When You Were Mine and Head from 1980's Dirty Mind. When you were mine is a classic rocker from Prince, and Head, well it's a funky workout about exactly what you think it's about.

Finally the evening winds down with Lay It All Down and Show Me A Smile from Fleetwood Mac's 1973 outing Future Games. Lay It All Down is a bluesy workout with a dynamite dual-guitar jam, and Show Me A Smile is the template for better Christine McVie love songs to come, but the elements are all here. Future Games is really something to hear if you haven't.

Spinning Vinyl

Last night I sat down between the speakers and turned it up to pretty loud and listened to vinyl records. After 2 1/2- 3 hours, here's what I'd listened to:

Johnny Cash Original Sun Singles '55-'58. A newly restored 2-LP set that includes all of Cash's singles on Sun Records. The sound is clean and in your face. It's well worth hearing, and Cash really sounds dangerous. I listened to Folsom Prison Blues, So Doggone Lonesome, I Walk The Line, Get Rhythm, and Train Of Love. Amazingly raw.

Speaking of raw, I then segued to Johnny Cash American IV: The Man Comes Around from 2002. One of Cash's last recordings, his voice is especially ragged, and sometimes he just can't make it do the right thing. But the performance is moving, covers of popular music that Cash does surprisingly well with. I listened to The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Personal Jesus, and In My Life. Personal Jesus was the best, the old guy can't really do the other two justice. It's painful to hear him try. Or it's poignant, at least that is what some writers think.

Next up I listened to the entire Laura Nyro and Labelle Gonna Take A Miracle from 1971. This is an amazingly well recorded and produced record. Nyro, the New York singer, hit songwriter, comes to Philly to be produced by Gamble and Huff. And the famous songwriter records an entire record of covers. This shouldn't work, but with the vocal power of Patti Labelle, Sarah Dash and Nona Hendryx, it can't fail. The record is all covers of fifties and sixties girl group, doo-wop and Motown classics. The vocals are magnificent, the arrangements perfect.

Next up, a change of pace to side 8 of the four-LP release of Led Zeppelin's Mothership. Zep never sounded better than on these slabs of plastic. In The Evening and All My Love from the band's later work. Gotta rock sometime.

Frank Zappa Them Or Us from 1984 is hardly my favorite Zappa LP, but it does contain one of Frank's best doo-wop efforts ever, the hilarious Be In My Video. The lyrics poke fun at rock stars, groupies, and the music biz in general (a common Zappa theme), but the vocal arrangement is at once complex doo-wop styling and giggle inducing.

Next up, The Kinks! Yes, The Beatles, The Stones, and... It should be The Kinks, and there should be no hesitation. 1969's The Kinks Arthur, Or The Rise And Fall Of The British Empire has always been a favorite, and like most of the Kinks records, is available on beautiful new vinyl. I wore mine out from 1969 a long time ago. I listened to side 1, with Victoria, Yes Sir, No Sir, Some Mother's Son, Drivin', Brainwashed, and Australia. A great album side. Australia ends the side with a great melody and lyric and a fabulous jammed-out ending that may well be the best Dave Davies guitar lead ever.

Lucinda Williams Little Honey from 2008 is a pretty good Lucinda record, and Lost Highway does a good job with the sound of this 2 LP set. I just had to hear her version of AC/DC's It's A Long Way To The Top that concludes this record. Yes, that's right, Lucinda covering AC/DC. It's a killer song, and Lucinda and band rip it up.

Side two of Elton John The Captain And The Kid from 2006. Elton's been on a roll lately, and this sequel to 1975's Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy deserves it's sequel status. It's just plain solid Elton and Bernie. Great songcraft. Nigel and Davey are still going strong, and Elton can write where he can sing. If you lost faith in Elton in the 80s and 90s, he's back.

Side 1 of The Elvin Bishop Band Rock My Soul is another old gem from 1972. Jo Baker takes lead vocals on several smoldering R&B tracks, and the crack ace band is on fire. Rock My Soul does just that, with swinging R&B. Holler And Shout has a great horn chart, Let It Shine is a gospel tinged ballad that Jo Baker sings to the ground. It's all bluesy fun.

Across The Universe from David Bowie's Young Americans 1975 has always sat well with me. Bowie lays on the, well, the Bowie thing, and turns John Lennon's classic into a slow grind. I wouldn't think that would work, either. But It does.

And finally, there's a new The Best Of Sly And The Family Stone from 1999 that adds on some of the later material that escaped the otherwise excellent 1970 Greatest Hits. If You Want Me To Stay, from 1973's Fresh, is a great Sly tune, from what is arguably his last good record. Funky as you wanna be.

And then the evening was ended. A fun romp through the stacks completed.