Firstly there are a couple of people who follow me - many thanks to you for making me feel like i'm not just talking to myself!
Secondly all my friends are intrigued and try (unsuccessfully) to find me, which gives me a great sense of mystique! lol
Thirdly, and most excitingly, i've received an amazing present all the way from Canada - records! Now for those people who have been following my blog you know at Christmas I was given a 60s Fidelity record player by my dad, which is now one of my most prized possessions! But collecting vinyl has not turned out as cheap as I first thought it may, especially seeing as all the artists I like seem to be very collectible! I've picked up a couple of charity shop bargains, but most have been either nicked from home, or bought on ebay (can be very expensive!!).
So, this entry is dedicated to you ScholarLee, for your generosity in sharing some of your duplicates with me, and doubling my very small record collection into something that is almost worthy of being called a collection! (Hopefully you'll get the song reference in the title of this post)
I've got them on now, first listen... here we go....
Moondance - Van Morrison
One of my favourite albums by Van the Man, and includes my favourite track - Caravan :) Good shout! An awesome quality piece of vinyl, great sound, no crackles or skips! Whoop great Sunday afternoon album - which is a great excuse to play it tomorrow too so my flat mate can't get mad ;) There's a cool little fable in the cover too, i'm told this is exclusive to the vinyl copy - chance to put on my story teller's voice and read it to my flatmate.
Blondie - Eat to the Beat
I actually already had this, but my copy was awful because this was how i discovered Blondie, at a parents BBQ when I was pretty young - Atomic is barely playable on my copy!! Takes me back to being a kid dancing around with my little brother making the record skip - good memories even if they do make me cross at my younger self for damaging the record!
The Cars - The Cars
I have to say, i'd never heard of these guys... very new wave - i'm loving MGMT at the moment, and i get a similar feeling at times listening to these guys. A good one to put on after Blondie I think, I feel like i'm back in the 80s/90s and for some reason have the three men and a little baby movie playing in my head - especially the party at the start! I think i'm gonna like The Cars :) Oo, i like Just What I Needed - good track once it gets going.
Chicago - Chicago VII
Again, i've never heard of Chicago before... I feel before long I might have to apologise for my musical ignorance, but i'm only a young-un and there's so much out there to find (plus American music is less of my forte). Anyways, these guys had completely slipped past my radar, a very cool album cover though, one of the most exciting in the bunch. The track are long, and have some amazing instrumental work on them from what I can make out from a quick listen. All these records so far are making my imagination work overload! With this album I kinda get the feeling it would be playing in some jazz bar bar, background music in a movie like Jackie Brown or something. Could be a winner for when i'm doing other things like painting and don't want to have to get up and change the record all the time :)
Phil Collins - Hello, I Must Be Going
Great Call! Phil Collins along with people like Elton John, The Beautiful South and George Michael make up the soundtrack to my childhood and were always playing in the car. I was surprised to not find much at home, but my mum informs me that this is because she had a car boot sale years ago and sold a load of records - dammit! So, the album, some great tracks, like Little China and You Can't Hurry Love. I will always love Phil Collins, despite the fact I am occasionally ripped for it when people find him in my music collection. But for that very reason I am so glad to now have him in my vinyl collection too :) Excuse me while I boogie away to You Can't Hurry Love....
Right onwards and upwards, what's next....
Billy Joel - 52nd Street
Piano man is one of my favourite tracks from this guy, but I have to say i'm not really familiar with many of his other tracks, and don't think i know any of the tracks on this album - but he's got an awesome reputation so looking forward to giving him a chance...
It's very funky, already grooving away! Didn't realise he sang stuff like this, Stiletto is cool... My life! haha it's great when you know a song but didn't know you did until you heard it - of course I know this song, i remember cheesy discos and my parents and their friends singing away to this one! I get the feeling this track has been well played on this copy, good to know it's been well appreciated!
Harry Chapin - Greatest Stories Live
I think this one might have to wait for now... i've never heard of this guy either, but with a bit of research and from what Lee tells me he's a story teller. If I think of other artists I know that I would describe as story tellers Bob Dylan immediately springs to mind. And whenever I introduce people to Bob, I mean past his more well known stuff, it has to be really listened to to be fully appreciated, so Harry, you are being saved for when i have the time to give it my full attention and i'm not writing a blog entry!
Billy Joel (again) - The Stranger
Already wondering which of these i'll already know....let's see....
Well that was easy! Just the way you are :) Now this is an example of the kind of music I thought Billy produced and released. Not that I wasn't kind enjoying some of the funky stuff on 52nd Street I like it when it turns out that what I assume is wrong, keeps you on your toes - know what I mean! Loving the piano runs on Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, kinda Elton esq, then the sax comes in - nice (place in my heart for a good bit of saxophone playing - i play clarinet)
Rod Stewart - A night on the town
I has to be said, i'm not overly sure about this one... you say Rod Stewart and I think cheesy pop commercial shite. But, in the spirit of this amazing gift i'm gonna trust Lee, who says this album is before he turned into a pop whore, and give it a chance...
Not only that, i'm going to do something I don't think i've ever done on vinyl... i'm going to skip to track 4 on side 1 for The Killing of Georgie as recommended by Lee. I know this is bad, but i'm familiar with The First Cut is the Deepest and Tonight's the night, so i'm keen to see if there's more for Rod to offer.
He does have a great rock voice, that's so so difficult to argue, and it has to be said when i try and think of a Rod Stewart track that I like, it would have to be Maggie May for exactly that reason. So already on this track i'm liking that aspect. I think I like part I better than II, but together they're a nice enough track I think, and I don't hate it which is very positive - I think this album will be getting more of a listen.
Right, i'm leaving it there for now - phew it was a whistle stop tour, and I want to go back and have a proper listen to a few. Still to go:
Steely Dan - Gold
Stevie Nicks - Bella Donna
Styx - Cornerstone
and of course Harry Chapin - Greatest Stories Live when i'm in the right frame of mind!
