New Arrivals/Now Playing (Graham Parker, Goblin, Tommy Shaw, Motopsycho + Jaga Jazzist Horns)

A mixture of new arrivals and some older stuff today:

9060388-1

Graham Parker And The Shot - Steady Nerves
(1985) Elektra - 9060388-1
UHF Records, Royal Oak, MI 94¢ (Used)

Great LP from Graham Parker, a guy whose career goes back to the early 70's. If you're a fan of early-ish Joe Jackson and maybe The Clash, you'll probably enjoy this. Touches of power pop, punk, and ska. Nice white label promo on Elektra Records. The jacket's a bit beat, but not horrible.

DW019

Goblin - Goblin Tour EP 2013
(2013) Death Waltz Recording Company - DW019
Purchased at Show $25.00 (Sealed)

Just in time for Halloween! Goblin has specialized in horror film soundtracks for several decades. This is a sampler, pressed on red vinyl, featuring four re-recordings of some of their most popular works. $25 is a tad steep for a sampler, but the boys came all the way from Italy to play for me, so I helped them out. Musically, it leans more prog than classical.  The show was great and I also scored a sweet Goblin t-shirt.

81789-1

Tommy Shaw - Ambition
(1987) Atlantic Records - 81789-1
eBay $7.99 (Sealed)

My first "favorite band" was Styx. I couldn't get enough of them back when I was 15. This is a solo album released by Styx guitarist, Tommy Shaw in 1987. Production is pretty typical mid-80's big rock, but the songs are excellent. Nice guitar tones, as well. $8 is a nice price on a minty sealed copy.

FISH10

Motorpsycho + Jaga Jazzist Horns - In The Fishtank 10
(2003) Konkurrent - FISH10
BestBuy.com $13.99 (Sealed)

One of my recent "favorite bands".  Motorpsycho is a pretty convincing genre-hopping band from Norway. On this LP they team with the avante-garde Jaga Jazzist Horn Section.  Motorpsycho leans in the stoner rock arena the past couple years, but this album (recorded in 2003) is closer to jazz.  Original copies of this on vinyl are pricey.  I found this reissue on BestBuy.com and burned some Reward Zone dollars to score it.  I win.

New Arrivals (Nick Drake, Glen Campbell, Bongripper, Katatonia)

The mailman dropped by a few times this past month and delivered some pretty interesting stuff:

ILPS 9105

Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
(2013) Universal/Island - ILPS 9105
ImportCD.com $43.09 (New)

Sadly, I just discovered the sublime Nick Drake a couple years ago. He only released three albums during his short career. Until recently, vinyl collectors had to choose between terribly expensive original UK and US pressings, and more-affordable but inferior quality bootlegs. So, it was pretty cool when Universal started a series of high quality but affordable reissues last year. Each album is presented in a nicely packaged box set. The vinyl pressing is superb, and the box set extras are interesting. Five Leaves Left is Drake's first album, and my favorite of the three. Released in 1969, it's a collection of sparse folk compositions that rely heavily on his rather-depressed vocal style. The box includes a restored gatefold jacket, a reprint of the original promotional poster, a couple cool handwritten lyric sheets, a download card, and a curious promotional rolling paper.

ST-103

Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman
(1968) Capitol Records - ST-103
eBay $3.00 (Sealed)

I'm always on the prowl for sealed LPs from the 60's and 70's...especially ones that remind me of growing up in St. Clair Shores. This LP was purchased on eBay as part of a lot of five sealed original Glen Campbell records. I paid $15 plus $4.00 shipping for whole lot. The records came from a music shop that closed back in the late-60's. All are original pressings, all are still sealed, and all still have the cool price stickers on them. The shrink wrap is tight and the corners are sharp. Thankfully, the LP's were packed well enough to insure that they stayed in great shape while the postal system threw them across the country like a football. I have several sealed Glen Campbell LP's which all will be opened eventually. This one is a classic for a great price.

Self-Released

Bongripper - Satan Worshipping Doom
(2013) Self-Released
Bongripper.com $24.00 (New)

I've been filling in my Stoner Rock collection the past six months. One of my favorites is Bongripper. The Chicago-based band specializes in extended down-tuned instrumental numbers, as well as some pretty great occasional Post-Rock. Like many Indie Stoner Rock bands, the vinyl is hard to come by due to the low press runs. The band usually handles the pressings, and they don't press many. Basically, if you don't get in on the presale, you miss out. This version of Satan Worshipping Doom is on heavyweight black vinyl in a beautiful illustrated (but rather R-rated) gatefold jacket. Oddly, the Black vinyl was the most limited version (100 copies), and the only one pressed at 180 gram. I always prefer black vinyl, and really like the 180 gram stuff, so I was happy to be able to score a copy. Download card included.

KScope840

Katatonia - Dethroned and Uncrowned

(2013) KScope Records KSCOPE840
PledgeMusic.com $31.91 (New)

I've done a few Kickstarter-type purchases in the past, and this was another one. Basically, you pledge to purchase a copy of an album with the understanding that if they don't get enough pledges, the pressing is cancelled and you pay nothing. This one funded in a couple days, which is no surprise. Katatonia is a popular Gothic Prog-Metal band that originally started out specializing in Death Metal. They left the growling behind years ago and have released several albums of moody, guitar-heavy Prog. The interesting thing about this release is that it is a re-make of their most recent album, Dead End Kings. On this version the songs have been re imagined, stripping away a lot of the heavy layers and replacing them with more organic keyboards and acoustic guitars. It really works well, and the band is supposed to be doing this to some of their other past albums as well. Included a handy download card, a nice tour program, and a beautiful autographed gatefold jacket.

New Arrivals (Grails, Porcupine Tree, Explosions In the Sky, Hard Goods)

I ordered several records from Oldies.com. They have a great looking list of vinyl both new and vintage, but they don't really say what's new/sealed and what's open/used. I took a chance and ordered a mixture of newer titles that I figured were new/sealed, and older titles that I hoped were new old stock. Sadly, the old stuff was just that...old used stuff. Still, I ended up with a couple nice condition LP's that, while not sealed, are still in decent shape. I also ended up with a couple used Kansas albums that I already had multiple copies of, and most-certainly didn't need. Oh well. As for the new titles, they have an interesting selection, including a few things that I haven't been able to find anywhere else:

TRR 118

Grails - Burning Off Impurities
(2007) Temporary Residence Limited TRR 118
$19.15 (New)

Grails are a band whose albums you just don't see for sale at stores, or even online very much. They mix Post Rock with a strong Middle Eastern flavor. This record features a stunningly etched 4th side. Don't worry, there's no singing to get in the way of the cool mystical jamming on this double LP. The perfect soundtrack for your next hookah party. Included a thoughtful free MP3 download.  No lava lamp, though.

There's two things that gets my PayPal chubby: anything remotely Post Rock...and limited edition vinyl presales:

TRR 222

Explosions in the Sky - Prince Avalanche: An Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

(2013) Temporary Residence Limited - TRR 222
Temporaryresidence.com $15.00 + $2.98 shipping (New)

Back in June I took advantage of the online presale of the new Explosions in the Sky soundtrack album, Prince Avalanche.  The limited edition is pressed on red vinyl and comes with a free MP3 download. Another Post Rock band, EIST create lush, cinematic soundscapes using traditional rock instrumentation. Movie soundtracks are a natural for this excellent band. I was very pleased that despite the record label's insistence to ship their records in flimsy cardboard mailers, everything arrived minty clean and fresh.

My favorite local record store the past couple years has been UHF Records, 512 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, Michigan 48067 (248) 545-5955. The selection is excellent as is the staff. It reminds me of the sorely-missed Record Time in Roseville. It's worth the drive and you won't walk out empty-handed. Unless, of course, you're that guy from the "One" video. I was able to trade a bunch of pieces that I had doubles of. They gave me fair trade value, which allowed me to grab a couple imports that I'd been holding out on:

Kscope 825

Porcupine Tree - The Sky Moves Sideways

(2012) Kscope - Kscope825

$29.95 + tax (New)

Porcupine Tree vinyl can be purchased direct from their label, but shipping from the UK really blows. Way expensive and everything seems to arrive in the mail trashed. Probably because of this, you rarely see PT vinyl around town...except at UHF. They had several titles in stock when I visited. Porcupine Tree is one of the leaders of modern progressive rock. Their albums sound fresh, but their influences are firmly rooted in the early-70's. The band seems to be on an extended hiatus while the members do other things, but their label is still churning out some great re-releases. The Sky Moves Sideways was first released in 1994, but this edition dropped in 2012. The original pressings from this band are really getting expensive, so it's cool they have responded with affordable reissues.

PRO 583

Hard Goods

(1974) Warner Bros. PRO 583

$0.94 (Used)

This is one of several Loss Leader double-LPs that Warner Bros. released in the 70's and early-80's. The compilations were sold dirt cheap (most were $2.00), and designed to expose listeners to new artists and songs that they may not be familiar with. Each album featured deep tracks and unreleased nuggets from a wide variety of bands from the Warner Bros. roster. No hit songs here.  I had a couple of these back in the day, but got rid of them years ago because they were trashed. UHF had a few of these in their bargain bin, and this one was in great shape. The artists featured include Montrose, Ted Nugent, Foghat, Deep Purple, Frank Zappa, Todd Rundgren, Bob Seger, Kiss, The Beach Boys and Robin Trower among others. How could I pass this thing up for a buck?

New Arrivals (Petula Clark)

Petula Clark - Color My World / Who Am I

Petula Clark - Color My World / Who Am I 
(1967) Warner Brothers Records WS1673
$3.50 + $4.00 shipping (New Old Stock)
Discogs.com

I recently picked up two sealed copies of this LP. The one that I cracked open tonight was a shrink wrapped cutout with a cool 5 for $1.49 sticker from S. Klein, a defunct department store chain in New York City from the 20's to the mid-70's. Five cutouts for $1.49? That's a bargain! I'm thinking this must have been sold in the late-60's/very early 70's, before the oil embargo drove up record prices. I've been listening to loads of Petula Clark the past year or so, and picking up original sealed vinyl whenever I see it cheap. The jacket is not in the greatest shape, and sadly, neither is the record, but the price was decent so I jumped on it. You'd like to think that all vintage sealed vinyl is going to be mint when you slice it open, but that's not always the case. I guess 50 years of bouncing around from rack to rack takes it's toll. There isn't much static on the record, but a bit of audible scuffing from the paper inner sleeve. Not surprisingly, this LP smelled like Grandma's basement in Hamtramck when I opened it.

Petula Clark's studio albums of the mid to late-60's usually featured a couple of her current singles, and few new songs (usually penned by her main writing partner back then, Tony Hatch) and at least a couple cover tunes. The cover songs range from just o.k. to embarrassing. This album was released in 1967 and follows the formula pretty close. Both the singles are superb, "Color My World" and "Who Am I". Of the cover songs, only "Reach Out, I'll Be There" works. "Cherish" would be cool if she hit some of the high notes from the original, but I guess she couldn't be bothered. The rest of the songs either suck, or fall in the embarrassing category. The worst offender of these is the opening track, "England Swings", and  "Las Vegas", which is really horrible. Petula Clark was never an album artist. She served up some great hits, but they were often surround by crap. That said, her hits compilations are mostly excellent. My favorite is The Ultimate Petula Clark (BMG Heritage, 2003, BH2 51038), which is sadly only available on CD. The mastering by Vic Anesini is excellent, and the song selection strong.

The Rock Shop, Mays Landing, New Jersey

The Rock Shop Outside

Before heading home, I managed to hunt down another record store, The Rock Shop (4403 Black Horse Pike, Mays Landing, New Jersey 08330, 609-383-1014). It's located on the second level of the Hamilton Mall, not far from Atlantic City. Being in a suburban mall and wedged between Sears and Macy's, I figured the selection would be lousy and the prices high. I was only partially right.  The nice selection of new vinyl was decently priced.  I found a bunch of titles that you just don't see at stores very often.  Sadly (and this always pisses me off), because of the way the LP bins are designed, the sides of the new vinyl jackets are getting damaged.  I can sort of tolerate a less-than-perfect jacket on a $1 used piece...but on a $20 sealed album it's unacceptable. Besides LP's, they have a pretty large selection of 7" singles.  Lots of punk rock.  Lots of CD's as well, if you still dig those.

The Rock Shop Inside

What surprised me was the pricing in the quite large used vinyl section. I expected some good deals. Nope. Way too high. The freaking bargain bin was $5. That's nuts. The better used stock was priced not too far below the new vinyl. Too bad, since they had a bunch of great metal titles, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, etc. There was also a large quantity of vintage sealed vinyl. Again, way over-priced. I spotted a nice sealed Towering Inferno OST LP that would have been mine had it been priced south of $10. Not today.

If you're still hunting for Record Store Day releases from this year, check this place out. They still have a bunch of stock.


Their credit card machine was down, so I ended up putting back a few things. I ended up with these fine records:

Man or Astroman - Experiment Zero  $19.99 (New)

(1996) Touch and Go Records TG157

My good buddy Doug turned me on to these guys a long time ago. Excellent space-age, sci-fi, surf rock. This is a band you just don't see very often at the shops.  Sealed vinyl, free MP3 download, great looking jacket.

OM - Conference of the Birds  $19.99 (New)

(2006) Holy Mountain 5QXF3LP

OM isn't for everyone. This LP features two side-long songs. The music is drone/doom rock, with touches of eastern influence played by just a drummer and bassist. Great stuff to listen to while at work. I've been looking for this release for a while, and all I ever seem to see is the picture disc version. I really dislike picture discs because they sound shitty, so I was pleased to finally find this standard version.  Sealed vinyl, free MP3 download.

Tunes, Northfield, New Jersey

Tunes, Northfield, NJ

I've been on vacation since 7/18. I stopped in Hershey, PA and Philadelphia on our way to Cape May and the Jersey shore. Today was the first day I've had to do some record shopping. One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to look for record stores. There's a bunch of great ones left all over the country, but sometimes finding them can be tough. To help out, I use an app on my iPhone from The Vinyl District. It's pretty simple. You open the app and it tells you the nearest record stores.  Sometimes they're a couple miles away...sometimes 250 miles. Just select a store and it gives you reviews and directions. I've found loads of stores with this free app. Back to Cape May. This is an old seaside town on the southern tip of New Jersey. There's a ton of small shops...but not a single record store. I imagine they had a bunch back in the day, but they're all gone now. The closest I found (with the help of TVD and some suggestions from Deadformat.net), was a place near Atlantic City called Tunes (1205 Tilton Road, Northfield, NJ 08225, 609-241-6932). Lots of CD's and a fair amount of vinyl. The new vinyl was fairly priced. The used was in overall decent shape. Plenty of $1 and $2 discs to dig through. Some of the used stuff was a bit spendy. Oddly, there were a bunch of those Judas Priest 180 gram import reissues on the Koch label in the used section. The way they cropped the covers on those always bugged me, so I passed. I like to pick up a store t-shirt from the shops I visit.  Tunes didn't have any.

Here's what I bought... 

Joe Jackson - I'm The Man  $2.00 (Used)

(1979) A&M Records SP 4794

Jacket, inner sleeve and vinyl in nice condition. This is Joe Jackson's second LP. Great cover photo.

Brian May + Friends - Star Fleet Project  $3.00 (Used)

(1983) EMI Canada MLP-15014

Besides a hole punch, the jacket looks fine. The record looks great. These are tough to find. I didn't realize it was a Canadian pressing till I got back to our place. That's cool.

The Cars - Heartbeat City  $5.00 (Used)

(1984) Elektra 60296-1

Very nice promo label, pressed on QUIEX II vinyl. Very sharp gatefold jacket. They had two promo copies of this one. Both looked fine, but this one was better.







The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Axis: Bold As Love (MONO)  $19.99 (New)

(2013) EH/Legacy 88765419711

This is the new mono 200 gram pressing. Gatefold jacket. Classic Hendrix. Brand new, sealed.

Spent the rest of the day at the beach. Beautiful sunshine most of the time. Listened to one of my recent favorites on the iPhone while watching the Atlantic Ocean lap at the shore:

Crippled Black Phoenix - No Sadness or Farewell

(2012) (MP3)

Still love this rather short-ish album. They claim it's a filler record, and a bridge between the old CBP and whatever comes next. Superb post-apocalyptic prog rock with a heavy Pink Floyd vibe and a hint of post rock goodness...

What is this blog all about?

Chicago IV - Live at Carnegie Hall

I intend to discuss my vinyl (and occasional CD) shopping, buying, and listening habits on an infrequent basis. My collection ranges from easy listening to stoner rock.  Really, nothing is off limits.  I have a weak spot for pristine white label promos and just about anything sealed.  I'll overpay once in a while to get what I really want...or when I'm sick of looking for a deal on something.  Everything I buy is for listening.  I don't have the space for a bunch of stuff I don't plan on playing.  I try to buy from independent shops whenever possible, but I do buy a lot online.  I never buy to flip, and never buy as an investment.  Basically, I'll tell you what I've been hunting for, where I've been hunting, what I've found, what I've paid, and what I've listened to.  I'll discuss things new to my collection...and things I've had forever.  Hopefully you'll find some of it interesting...