At Long Last, Love. (In Mono, Of Course)

For a long time it was the initial pressing of "Runt," Todd Rundgren's debut which inadvertently left the pressing plant in small numbers with 3 additional tracks. There was only one way to know if you had stumbled across this vinyl gem, and it wasn't by just looking at the cover or the label. You needed to remove the LP from its sleeve and count the bands on each side to notice that it didn't match the amount of songs listed. I found one in 1979 at my long lamented home away from home, Zig Zag Records on Avenue U and East 23rd Street in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. $18, I believe, which was a good deal of money to spend on a record back then.

Then it was a mono copy of Pink Floyd's "Piper At The Gates Of Dawn." After that, it was a mono copy of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bookends," which has a story attached to it that is so unbelievable and disheartening, it'd be worth sharing if the acquisition of said record hadn't put those ill feelings to bed...for the time being. (Maybe I can be coerced for a future post.) Most recently, it was the elusive and super rare U.K. mono pressing of the Stones' "Let It Bleed" and the mono U.K. pressing of "The Who Sell Out." Both originally came with posters. These days, I could only afford one poster. So if you see the one pictured, give me a shout.

As an obsessive/lunatic/collector, there will always be something. This week, it's the mono pressing of The Zombies' "Odessey & Oracle." This one won't be easy, but it's worth the hunt. The catch is a different animal altogether.




All these years of buying and selling and listening and I have never owned a Beatles' Butcher Cover, probably the most famous collectible of all. I can't even recall holding someone else's copy. Someday, maybe.

Is there one thing...an LP...a 45...a recording...that you obsess over?

What's the story?

Is it finallly in your possession? Was it worth it?  Are you still on the hunt?

I'd love to hear these stories and see if any are as bizarre and unpleasant as some of the craziness I've experienced, simply for that jewel. (In mono, of course.)

"We'll Fix It In The Mix."

So I have this thing about Tony Visconti producing David Bowie. As much as I love Bowie's last few albums, my feeling is that I would have loved them more had the production had a little less of everything, especially 2003's "Reality," which features some of Bowie's best material but is so in your face sonically, you barely have time to breathe. Drums, guitars, effects, reverb...all...too...MUCH!

Same with 2002's "Heathen," which I have gone on record saying is in my Top 5 Bowie records of all-time. Brilliant, but busy. Check out the demo of The Pixies cover "Cactus" from that record before Visconti got a hold of it. Subtle difference, but there is a difference and to my ears, it feels better, almost "Low" era.





The new Aaron Neville record is released tomorrow. It's a collection of the old rock and roll and doo-wop tunes Neville was raised on. This could have easily ended up a glossy mishap. Instead, thanks to the co-production of Don Was and Keith Richards, it is not. It's a killer. The producers nailed it.


Is there one record where the production has plagued you for years? It could be a record you almost love or one you wanted to love, but just can't because of the sound.

The 2013 Grammy Awards, Or What I'd Like To Call....

 

 

 

Please finish the blog title sentence.

It seems futile to attempt any rational discussion about the Grammy Awards. But I think that as passion-filled music lovers, it must also be difficult for us to ignore.

 

The ceremony is about a month away, and I will watch. I always do. It's irresponsible of me, I know. Like a guy with an ulcer who continues to put hot sauce on his eggs.

 

I'll kickstart this conversation. Take a look at the four categories and nominees below. As usual, I am dumbfounded. Not necessarily in a "this music stinks" way. More in a "are academy members listening to anything other than pop music" way.  And by the way, Best New Artist nominee Fun has been around since 2008. Not so new.

 

I was a member for 8 years and voted. The opportunity exists for members to vote for almost all of those artists you always feel deserve to win over those that actually do.  Musicians you love and respect are included on the preliminary ballots. It's not as if there isn't a fighting chance. So how is it that never happens? How is it "Call Me Maybe" gets nominated for Best Song over anything off of the last John Hiatt record? This is more of a scam than the RRHOF.

 

There is no ultimate goal here. I am just offering you a space to vent.

 

 

 

 

Record Of The Year

• Lonely Boy - The Black Keys
• Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) - Kelly Clarkson
• We Are Young - Fun. featuring Janelle Monáe
• Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye Featuring Kimbra
• Thinkin Bout You - Frank Ocean
• We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Taylor Swift

Album Of The Year

• El Camino - The Black Keys
• Some Nights - Fun.
• Babel - Mumford & Sons
• Channel Orange - Frank Ocean
• Blunderbuss - Jack White

Song Of The Year

• The A Team - Ed Sheeran, songwriter (Ed Sheeran)
• Adorn - Miguel Pimentel, songwriter (Miguel)
• Call Me Maybe - Tavish Crowe, Carly Rae Jepsen & Josh Ramsay, songwriters (Carly Rae Jepsen)
• Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) - Jörgen Elofsson, David Gamson, Greg Kurstin & Ali Tamposi, songwriters (Kelly Clarkson)
• We Are Young - Jack Antonoff, Jeff Bhasker, Andrew Dost & Nate Ruess, songwriters (Fun. featuring Janelle Monáe)

Best New Artist

• Alabama Shakes
• Fun.
• Hunter Hayes
• The Lumineers
• Frank Ocean

Tracy's Face

One of my very favorite scenes in just about any movie comes at the end of Woody Allen's "Manhattan."  I'm sure you've seen it, but take a look anyway.






Prior to that scene, I had never heard "Potato Head Blues." So for that alone, I am grateful.

I don't know what it is about lists that we all find so fascinating. Top Tens. Best This. Worst That. They are obviously fun to compile. (And probably less fun to read.) But this list, Woody Allen's reasons why life is worth living is particularly wonderful, especially in the context of the film. It's just the right length, though I wouldn't have minded hearing a few more



I'm going to limit my choices to music and film, but if you'd like to share something else, you are welcome to. God knows I could do this all day and I just might continue to add as the week goes on.


Maybe we can all discover something.




The scene in "Rear Window" when Raymond Burr catches on to Grace Kelly, specifically what occurs below from 2:46 - 2:53.








Buddy Rich's drum solo in the "West Side Story" medley from Sinatra's "Concert For The Americas."










Todd Rundgren's "The Verb To Love."








The coda from "Layla."







Every second of Peter Lorre's screen time in "Casablanca."

(Sorry, couldn't find a clip.)






There...I've started it.