I didn’t expect to go this year (as has been the case every year), but grabbed half an hour within a couple hours of closing time to grab the following, to prove I’m old and MOTO:
Elvis Costello and the Attractions: Live at the Hollywood High 7” 45 EP: the clerk was surprised I didn’t have it, but he didn’t realize it wasn’t a repro of the Armed Forces bonus 7”, but 3 tracks from that HH concert that hadn’t made the original EP or Rhino AF bonus disc. No-brainer! even if it didn’t end up being some of the best live EC & Attractions I’d ever heard - live versions of “Pump It Up”, “Lip Service”, and “Waiting For the End of the World”… ALL essential! (Also on new complete LATHH CD I’m trying not to buy.)
Elvis Presley - “That’s All Right” b/w “Blue Moon of Kentucky” (Elvis 75 promo 45 edition): didn’t have any Elvis Suns in 7” form, so why not? Repro Sun label compromised by 2010 BMG copyright text blah blah blah. Both cuts sound way fuller than I ever remember. Cover immediately dated.
John Lennon Singles Bag: really didn’t expect to find this, and was doubly suprised by what I thought was a modest price for the multitude of collector ephemera packed into its heavy brown cardstock envelope - 3 postcards (repros of shots from 45 and LP covers from which singles are drawn), 24” x 36” B&W poster of John and Yoko at their Toronto ‘69 bed-in (perfect for the basement or dorm room), a “custom” 45 adapter hub (graphic-free standard yellow 45 adapter hub with ugly all-caps RSD/Lennon ID), and 3 heavy-gram 45 repros of “Mother”, “Imagine”, and “Watching the Wheels” (a good trio). Never had the 1st two as 45s. “Mother” surprised me - shorter and mixed more forcefully than on the LP, it packs a heavier punch even when its screaming is cut short. Its B is from Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, and its picture sleeve uses the contrasting POB LP covers on either side. By flipping the sleeve over and over, I discover the shots can’t possibly be under the same tree! Can they?
The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live at Clark University: since the price of this 12” EP? LP?, was so low, I grabbed it, even though studio Hendrix has always fascinated me more than live Hendrix. THIS is the most amazing live Hendrix I’ve heard. In a room that holds no more than 600, the Experience is numbingly loud - the closing number, “Wild Thing”, matches live VU tapes from the same period for balls-out intensity, intuitive band interplay, and go-for-it chops - Mitchell, Redding, and Hendrix play more loosely, yet more dynamically, than I’ve yet heard. All the Hendrix you need? Maybe!
kap'n krate-digger
Hooray for Record Store Day! We went to Harvest Records in Asheville, which was packed but not to the point of making me hissy and claustrophobic, which was kinda the experience last year at Vertigo. Those nice Harvest boys had a tableful of local cookies and popsicles! I love cookies and popsicles! We didn’t stick around for the live performance by Drive By Truckers that was happening in the alley behind the store at 2:30, but we did score a handful of rekkids before cutting ourselves off from draining the bank account.
I’ll tell you what we got, but I can’t give you a sound rundown yet…..because we haven’t got the turntable hooked up yet. We’re working on it! The house is still being recleaned and rearranged so that we can finish unpacking all the records, books, and CD”s in an organized, finalized fashion rather than a higgledy-piggledy free-for-all style. But I digress…..
The only “Record Store Day Special” item that we picked up was the LCD Soundsystem 1-sided 12”.
Continuing with the dancey dance floor theme, I also found Sylvester’s “Step II” on vinyl, and it includes the great gay-pride disco hit “(You Make Me Feel) Mighty Real,” which Radiohead TOTALLY appropriated for one of their cuts on “Kid A.” I flashed it at Scott and said “Do we need this, do you think?” He said “Mighty Real?” and I said “YEAH! $2.99!” and he said “Duh!” and I said “Dude….we’re so geh.”
www.youtube.com/watch
I really love the waitstaff in that establishment, by the way.
Scott also emailed ahead and got them to hold one of these already-out-of-print gems for us.
www.sublimefrequencies.com/item.asp
Checking out some youtube clips of Omar, I’m thinking Sir Richard Bishop has spent some SERIOUS time soaking up his sounds…which of course makes sense since Bishop is one of the Sublime Frequencies masterminds.
www.youtube.com/watch
What else, hm, what else? OH YEAH! Got a used LP of Numero Group’s Eccentric Soul “CAPSOUL” comp. It looks good. I sure would like to hear it. Sometime this week, I should be able to hear more than the clips here:
www.numerogroup.com/catalog_detail.php
Also picked up the companion to one of my current favorite albums, which is “I just don’t feel at home in this world anymore” on Mississippi Records. “Mata La Pena” continues the theme of otherwordly international sounds preserved from old 78’s.
www.dustygroove.com/item.php
I can’t wait to hear it. I have been obnoxiously obsessed with “Just Don’t Feel At Home”, which you can download here:
chainedtothecinematheque.blogspot.com/2007/12/i-dont-feel-at-home-in-this-world.html
Seriously, do check it out, no matter your tastes. It’s such a gorgeous album.
I also got chatted up by lots of boys at Record Store Day. I don’t know if this is just the usual laid-back southern hipster friendliness, or if it’s STILL a case of “GIRL IN A RECORD STORE! GIRL IN A RECORD STORE!” If the latter, how flattering, since I’m considerably older than all of the chatty boys. I am glad to see that more females are frequenting the music shoppes these days, though. It’s heartening. Hopefully it’ll slowly help break down the chest-beating one upmanship monkeyshines that have always been so prevalent on the scene.
Ouch!
I’m sure they’re all great, Dingey, but if I’d found sealed half-speed masteres of ANY of those records in the 59-cent bin, I’d have laughed and said, “THAT’S something DINGEY would probably buy!” (And then I’d have bought another copy of Black Sabbath Vol. 4)
*gasp!*
SHUT UP!
Reliving my Youth
I realized that this has been the first time in over 20 years I’ve bought a vinyl record, brand new, sealed, with a song I’d never heard before. Opened it, heard that song, liked it. New DEVO, “Fresh” 12 inch. Also bought “Duty Now for the Future.” Like I was 16 again. Instead of old with sagging skin and weak eyes and musty toes.
I had all those conditions in high school already
Both Devos were gone by the time I got to the store - glad a true fan got ‘em! No LCD SS either.
I was really hoping to find the new Apples in Stereo, which was supposed to be released for RSD - maybe there were some and it sold out - but at least it will have a wider release. I would have liked to have bought something “new”. (I had no illusions of finding the Flaming Lips’ Dark Side collaboration, even if I’d made it out at opening time.)
Been thinking about going back to see if the exclusive Sonic Youth “best of” (selected by the stars!) Hits are for Squares is still around - I had one of two remaining copies under my arm but put it back when I decided it might not be VFM. “Bull in the Heather” (selected by Catherine Keener!) has been running through my head since I left it behind, and I don’t have a copy of …Jet Set… to play.
I know there are some Magnetic Fields fans here - for a cool $100, a multi-10” edition of 69 Love Songs (all volumes compiled) might still be yours!