Sloan – 4 Nights At The Palais Royale Sealed LP Box (Murder; MUR038)

So…tonight I’m going to see Sloan. Yay for me! Love this band. And my love extends back to the mid 90’s. Remember the mid 90’s? No? Me either. Or is it neither? But…I do remember being blown away by Sloan’s third album, “One Chord To Another”. Simply, just a brilliant, well-crafted pop record. For those who like melody, Sloan salutes you. And the bonus disc that was included in super early copies of the CD – “Let’s Get This Party Started” – in which the band knocks off a bunch of really great covers at what was initially framed as being recorded at a house party (it wasn’t, party noises were dubbed in after the fact, but…so what), only helped endear me to this band. Full-on lovingly bashed-out takes on Modern Lovers (“Dignified & Old), Roxy Music (“Over You”), The Hollies (“I Can’t Let Go”), The Everly Brothers and/or Turtles (“Glitter & Gold”, with some super sweet harmony vocals from fellow Nova Scotian Jennifer Pierce from Jale) ), April Wine (“I Wouldn’t Want To Lose Your Love”!; hey, Sloan is Canadian, sooo…), a freaking amazingly tweaked version of Canned Heat’s “On The Road Again” that morphs into Stereolab’s “Transfona Five” (genius!), as well a few tracks from earlier Sloan records.

Yes, there were earlier Sloan records. Two of ’em actually – “Smeared” (1993) and “Twice Removed” – both of which were originally released on the then uber-hip DGC label. Neither of which met overwhelming commercial success in the states as DGC dropped the band. Both of which I own, but don’t revisit very often. “Smeared” was a bit messy, but had its moments, and “Twice Removed” was much, much better. But for some reason, I just don’t go back to those records. But seeing as I own them, one day I shall.

But…to get to this live box. Recorded over, uhhhh, a four-night stand in November 1988 at Toronto’s “Palais Royale, the band was winding down its tour in support of yet another excellent effort, “Navy Blues.”  Released only in Canada on the band’s own Murder Records imprint, straight outta Halifax. This triple-vinyl set was issued in a scant pressing of 500. Yes, 500. Not many. Even for Canada that’s a small number. (Sorry, Canada) The box remains sealed, tho does sport a decent top right corner dent. Just think of it as, ummm , patina.

Since issuing “4 Nights…”, the band has released another six studio records. For my money, all excellent. Seriously, there are not many bands out there that have remained so consistent for so long, and have yet to fall back to the formulaic. I mean, there is a kinda loose template that they adhere to, but they keep it inventive and fresh enough from release to release, song to song to not even come close to approaching tiresome. And the thing that is most mind-boggling to me – how a band with four songwriters have managed to hold off their respective egos to make it to their 20th birthday.

“4 Night At The Palais Royale” is $75 and you can find it here…

http://www.discogs.com/sell/list?release_id=2284978&ev=rb

or here…

http://www.musicstack.com/item/61609558

vinyl

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June 7, 2011

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30+ Reel-To-Reels To Be Posted On eBay This Thursday (6/9)

Welcome to the working week. Just wanted to throw out a little heads-up that I will be using the previously under-utilised (at least by Graypunk standards) auction site known as eBay to list about 30 reel-to-reels that I recently picked up. When I looked at all my selling options, eBay simply seemed like the most reasonable way to go about getting this lot into the hands of you, the general public (and no, that is not meant as a slur).

So, just to create a little pre-posting awareness, what follows is a list of what will be available during a 10-day auction that will start this Thursday night and end on Father’s Day evening. All 7 1/2 IPS 4-Track, unless otherwise noted. I would grade almost all the boxes as VG+, with some having a little more wear than others. As for the reels themselves, I have not played any of them, but I have no reason to believe there are any major issues based on the a collection that they were culled from. And, as with anything and everything I sell, returns and refunds are completely hassle-free. If there is an issue with the tape, I will pay for the return shipping.

Joan Baez – Volume 2 (Sealed)…Vanguard VTC 1638

Bee Gees – Odessa…Atco ATF 702, Ampex 3 3/4 IPS 4-track Double-Play

Blood, Sweat & Tears – Blood, Sweat & Tears, Columbia CQ 1057

Bloomfield/Kooper/Stills – Super Session…Columbia CQ 1075

Byrds – Notorious Byrd Brothers…Columbia CQ 980

Byrds – Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde…Columbia CQ 1078

Byrds – Sweetheart  Of The Rodeo…Columbia CQ 1025

Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bayou Country…Fantasy FAX 8387, Ampex 3 3/4 IPS 4-Track
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Green River…Fantasy FAX 8393, Ampex 3 3/4 IPS 4-Track
Creedence Clearwater Revival – S/T…Fantasy FAX 8382, Ampex 3 3/4 IPS 4-Track

Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash…Atlantic X 8229, Ampex 3 3/4 IPS 4-Track

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – 4 Way Street, Atlantic J 902, Double-Play

David Crosby – If I Could Only Remember My Name…Atlantic M 7203, Ampex

Bob Dylan – John Wesley Harding…Columbia CQ 997
Bob Dylan – Brining It All Back Home…CQ 729

Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Tarkus…Cotillion M 9900, Ampex

Jimi Hendrix Experience – Axis: Bold As Love…Reprise RST 6281-C, Stereotape/American
Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced…Reprise RST 6261-C, Stereotape/American
Jimi Hendrix Experience – Electric Ladyland, Vol I…Reprise RST 6307-1-C, Stereotape/American
Jimi Hendrix Experience – Electric Ladyland, Vol II…Reprise RST 6307-2-C, Stereotape/American
Jimi Hendrix Experience – Band Of Gypsies…Capitol M 472, Ampex

Jethro Tull – This Was…Reprise RST 6336C, Greentree/American

Kinks – Face To Face…Reprise RS 6228, Stereotape/American

Kinks – Kinda Kinks…Reprise RS 6173, Stereotape/American

Al Kooper – I Stand Alone…Columbia CQ 1095

Graham Nash – Songs For Beginners..Atlantic M 7204, Ampex

Howard Roberts Quartet – This Is Howard Roberts, Color Him Funky…Capitol ZT 1887

Santana – Santana…Columbia HC 1172, 3 3/4 IPS 4-Track

Simon & Garfunkel – Wednesday Morning, 3AM…Columbia CQ 1034

Simon & Garfunkel – Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme, Columbia CQ 1017

Steven Stills – Stephen Stills…Atlantic M 7202, Ampex

Steven Stills – Stephen Stills 2…Atlantic M 7206

Ventures – Telstar…Dolton STL 8019-C

Who – Live At Leeds…Decca ST7-9175

And there ya have it. Any questions or clarifications, please let me know. Apologies for some of the wonky spacing and, again, look for these come Thursday pm. If for some reason that does not happen, I will update the status. Cheers, kevin

tape

June 6, 2011

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Mingus Dynasty – Chair In The Sky Sealed LP (Elektra/Musician 6E-248)

Happy Friday. Okay, this is gonna be a brief one. I was going to write about the super sweet Japanese pressing of David Sylvian’s “Brilliant Trees” that I just posted ($50), but that would require too much writing, er, typing on my part as I actually know that record and would want to, umm, elaborate. (Let’s just say it’s really, really great, but “Adolescent Sex” it’s not…but what is?). So I decided to feature another recent addition that I know next to nothing about (well, actually, nothing), but someone out there may dig. Because, like Vanessa Williams, I’ve got work to do.

Okay, Mingus Dynasty. Again, seeing as how I have never listened to this record, and it is sealed, I will turn the platform over to All Music Guide’s resident jazzbo, Scott Yanow.

“After bassist/composer Charles Mingus’ death on January 5, 1979, a reunion band featuring some of his former sidemen called Mingus Dynasty was formed. Cut just six months after the bassist’s demise, this album was the first Mingus Dynasty recording, and it has its moments. Such alumni as altoist John Handy, trombonist Jimmy Knepper, trumpeter Jimmy Owens, and tenorman Joe Farrell meet up with two members of Mingus’ last major band (pianist Don Pullen and drummer Dannie Richmond), plus bassist Charlie Haden, who ably fills in for the late bandleader. In addition to “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” (which was becoming popular at the time), the septet performs three numbers from Mingus’ collaboration with Joni Mitchell, plus “Boogie Stop Shuffle” and “My Jelly Roll Soul.” Handy and Pullen, in particular, fare well in this spirited setting, although one does miss the innovative bassist.”

Thanks, Scott. All I can add is if you’re looking for a fill-in bassist for a jazz project, you could do far, far worse than Charlie Haden. Other than that, you’ve been informed. Or as informed as you’re going to get reading my blog.

Sealed and original 1979 pressing. Outside of some super minor corner hiccups, a really nice copy for a mere twenty.

Discogs…http://www.discogs.com/buy/Vinyl/Mingus-Dynasty-Joe-Farrell-Charlie-Haden-John-Handy-Jimmy-Knepper-Jimmy-Owens-Don-Pullen-Dannie-Rich/37825407?ev=bp_titl

Musicstack…http://www.musicstack.com/item/64693369

Gemm…http://www.gemm.com/item/Mingus–Dynasty/Chair–In–The–Sky/GML1456775663/

vinyl

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June 3, 2011

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Box Tops – Soul Deep: Best Of The Box Tops Sealed 180gm UK LP (Simply Vinyl 67425)

A fairly self-explanatory entry today. A sealed UK-only 180gm virgin vinyl pressing encased in Simply Vinyl’s typical heavy-duty plastic sleeve. Perfect shape. CD is , sadly , out-of-print in the states. And this 18-track collection is probably the best way to experience Alex Chilton’s pre-Big Star blue-eyed Memphis soul combo as their full-length albums were arguably somewhat hit-and-miss affairs. And maybe not arguably. Cut after cut, pretty great.

Kinda scarce. Kinda sweet. Kinda $50.

Musicstack…http://www.musicstack.com/item/64657395

Gemm…http://www.gemm.com/item/Box–Tops/Soul-p-Deep%3A-p-Best-p-Of-p-The-p-Box-p-Tops/GML1455563333/

vinyl

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June 2, 2011

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Gil Scott-Heron…Rest In Peace, Man

Yeah, I know…a little late with this one. In fact, I am a bit ashamed of myself for not posting something earlier. I mean, not that this wasn’t reported virtually everywhere. (Okay, I am assuming it didn’t receive much play on Fox News…). But I must say that I was a bit surprised at how many outlets I came across that referenced his passing. At that was kinda cool.

I find “Pieces Of A Dream” one of the most powerful collection of songs ever committed to vinyl, including a full-band re-recording of the classic “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”, which was actually the B-Side to “Home Is Where The Hatred Is”, also featured on this record. Was there a more intense 7″ single? Maybe, tho kind doubtful. Absolutely killer band to boot, with longtime collaborator Brian Jackson on piano, Ron Carter on bass, guitarist Burt Jones, Hubert Laws on reeds and the legendary Bernard “Pretty” Purdie on the drums. Recorded in two days. How punk rock is that.

So, this is not a sales pitch. I picked this up a week before his death. There was a local Craigslist posting for a box of jazz and a box of 70’s/80’s stuff for, well, not a lot of money. Which was good, as most of the 70’s/80’s stuff was pretty beat. But there were some nice titles in that box of jazz, which a neighbor had left for this guy when she moved away. And a bunch of ’em still have the original Pellucidar price tag on ’em, including this “Pieces Of A Dream” record. $2.25 back in 1971! (BTW, Pelluicdar was a bookstore in Berkeley, evolved into Pendragon, which evolved into its current incarnation, Pegasus. At least, I think that’s the deal).

More than anything, just wanted to get  scan of this up, as it’s a classic and this copy is the original Flying Dutchman gatefold issue. Have yet to play it as I am awaiting a new cartridge to arrive later in the week (as my current one has been, uh, troublesome). I can see the record has received quite a bit of turntable action of the past 40 years. As well it should. And it will be the first thing I spin when I have the table back up and running.

 

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June 1, 2011

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Praxis / Bill Laswell – Praxis / 1984 Sealed EP (Celluloid; CEL 168)

Man, back in the very late 70’s (and throughout the 80’s), you couldn’t swing a dead cat without knocking a Bill Laswell album off the turntable. The dude was EVERYWHERE, recording under a slew of aliases and with a bunch of different bands, including Anton Fier’s Golden Palominos and the downtown avant art jazz funk band Material. And like many people, I bought just about everything his name was attached to for quite some time. That is, before it became completely overwhelming to keep up. Or maybe it was because I slowly drifted apart from his collaborations. But I hung on for quite a while, pretty much loving all those Subharmonic productions and many of those ambient records he did with Namlook. Honestly, it’s hard for me to still pull up all that stuff in my brain.

This EP, alternately know simply as “Praxis” or “1984” (the year it was recorded) fell into a supremely beat-heavy period for Laswell. He had produced Herbie Hancock’s groundbreaking “Future Shock” record, spinning off the hugely successful hit “Rockit” and I think this may have been the start if a long-running relationship with turntablist Grandmixer DST. Again, I can’t remember all the timelines, and the combination of laziness and early-in-the-week need-to-get-a-ton-of-stuff-done anxiety won’t allow me to spend a whole bunch of time digging through reference material.

This EP was just another logical extension – or off-shoot – of Laswell’s continuing and evolving musical curiosity. No musicians credited, only instrumentation – DMX, turntable, records, tapes, shortwave radio. I’m sure there is clarification on the musicians involved somewhere, but DST has to be manning the turntable and I believe Christian Marclay (most recently heralded for his 24-hour video piece, “The Clock”) would be operating the shortwave. Tape manipulation is totally up for grabs. Fifteen minutes (at best) of minimalistic soundscape goodness. With beats. Good…stuff. Unsurprisingly, doesn’t sound too far removed at all from his Hancock work or, as many reviews have noted, The Art Of Noise.

I’m sure this made its way onto CD at some point. But again, that would take time to figure out. And hey, if it did make it to disc, I doubt it’s still readily available. (This just in, as I had to look, Subharmonic did issue this in the late 90’s and it is currently out-of-print, though fairly easily accessible). Considering this is mastered by Howie Weinberg, at 45rpm, no way the CD is gonna sound better than this.

Sealed with a cut corner; $20.

Discogs…http://www.discogs.com/buy/Vinyl/Praxis-1984/33369630?ev=bp_rel_det

Musicstack…http://www.musicstack.com/item/11773492

vinyl

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May 31, 2011

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Aerosmith – Honkin’ On Bobo Sealed LP (Columbia; C 87025)

And…hello. In “honor” of (ie- to capitalize on) the end of Steven Tyler’s debut season of American Idol, I offer you this – Aerosmith’s last (and possibly final?) studio record. I somewhat think we’ll probably never see another record from these guys, especially after last night, when Tyler took the AI stage to bang out a (very) abbreviated version of “Dream On” without his bandmates. Not sure what the odds truly were when this season started, but I think a number of folks – including myself – envisioned a finale that would end the stalemate between Tyler and, well, everyone else in the band. Instead, I watched with visions of the other guys sitting at home smashing in the screens of their plasmas. While I will say that the vocal was better than I would have expected (little pitchy in places, natch), it was just wrong to do that without Joe Perry and the rest of the “boys” standing alongside him. Instead, we got actual boys.  Kinda lame. And kinda sad. And kinda hard to imagine that it didn’t widen the chasm between Tyler and the rest of the band to a potentially irreparable level.

But hey, if 2004’s “Honkin’…” is remembered as the band’s last studio effort, they could have gone out on a far worse note. Like, um, any of records they released in the decade preceding it. While it’s billed as the band’s “blues” record, at the end of the day, it’ still a rock & roll record. And it was produced by Jack Douglas, the legend who twiddled the knobs for all of the band’s epic early stuff. And Johnnie Johnson shows up on piano for for a song or three. Which is/was way cool. So yeah, while it’s not “Rocks”, it’s also not “Press To Play”.

The last sealed copy I saw on eBay closed at $117. And I gotta say, it’s not an easy find in any condition, especially sealed as this record saw one smallish pressing and that was it. Original factory seal with  custom sticker on shrink, and the jacket is pretty much perfect. No dents, creases or other such things that will harsh your mellow like seeing Tyler do Aerosmith without Aerosmith.

Available for a Franklin at the following authorized Graypunk outlets…

Discogs…http://www.discogs.com/sell/list?release_id=2129175&ev=rb

Musicstack…http://www.musicstack.com/item/49093768

Gemm…http://www.gemm.com/item/Aerosmith/Honkin’–On–Bobo/GML1451038707/

vinyl

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May 26, 2011

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It’s Only $10: The Leroi Brothers – Open All Night Sealed LP (Profile Records; PRO 1224)

As I was talking to myself the other evening, I pointed out to me that it seems that the majority of records I highlight are, well, a tad pricey. Yeah, I know, it’s easy to get caught up in the trophy records. Especially when you find ’em sealed. But…there are sooooo many things in the Graypunk catalog that are both great and inexpensive. And that leads me to this new and occasional feature – It’s Only $10 – where I point out the good and  the (relatively) cheap.

Now you may remember the last time I rolled out an idea that I thought was cute and mentioned at that time that it would also be something I would continue with, well, infrequency. That was “Should It Stay Or Should It Go”, where I would delve into my ridiculously large personal collection (seriously, I’m not bragging here as in this new world order of digital, I have enough physical music that I could actually open up a fully stocked physical record store, which is like chasing archaic with, ummm, more archaic). I will get back to that one, if only due to the fact that it was probably the only post to date that generated an extended commentary, albeit from one person who, like me, thought he really liked that Imperial Drag record until he listened to it again.

So…the Leroi Brothers. Not brothers. And no Leroi’s. First or last name. The core of the band was Mike Buck, who played drums for the Fabulous Thunderbirds (including that band’s first few albums) and vocalist/guitarist Steve Doerr. Various guitarists came and went and the bass slot became the equivalent of Spinal Tap’s drum chair in that, well, it was manned by many. But regardless of who was along for the ride at any given time, the Leroi’s were simply a seriously solid bar band. Much in the way that, say, Rockpile or the Morells were great bar bands. And there’s no shame in that.

That downside is, again like those bands, and the FabulousThunderbirds before them, there’s also no glory. Records sales were tepid at best. (Okay, the T-Birds did sell some records for a few weeks in there somewhere, but…). And while Profile Records was admittedly adventurous and aggressive in its signings at the time, it was inevitable to be somewhat forgotten when you’re looking at Run D.M.C. on one side of your roster and the Cro-Mags on the other. Leroi who? That said, if you’re not into rap or hardcore, and like your rock delivered straight-up, with occasional dashes of r&b, rockabilly, country and blues, this is a good ‘un. You’d be hard-pressed to find it cheaper on CD. And the vinyl is gonna sound soooo much better, mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk.

And hey, it’s only $10…

Discogs…http://www.discogs.com/buy/Vinyl/Leroi-Brothers-The-Open-All-Night/37131695?ev=bp_rel_det

Musicstack…http://www.musicstack.com/item/14746491

Gemm…http://www.gemm.com/item/Leroi–Brothers/Open-p-All-p-Night/GML1449112231/

vinyl

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May 21, 2011

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Eddie Cochran – 20th Anniversary Album Sealed Box Set (Liberty-United; ECSP 20)

Seems apropos to follow up yesterday’s Buddy Holly vinyl box set with this gem. The 2oth Anniversary (1980) marks the date of his death, which is more than a tad depressing, having died as the result of head injuries suffered from a taxi accident in Britain the first day of a UK tour. Gene Vincent was in that same accident, as was Cochran’s fiancée, but both survived the crash. Cochran was a mere 22 years old at the time.

So, don’t have a slew of detail on this box as, again, hard to turn up stuff on some of these Cochran comps as there was sooooo much repackaging of his material. However, this 4LP collection was issued in 1980 and contains 84 tracks and includes some unreleased, demo tracks and some studio banter. Each record comes in a custom sleeve and there is a brief 8-page “souvenir booklet” included, all housed in a very nice glossy hinged box. Almost all of the songs are in mono, which is certainly not a surprise, with a smattering of stereo tracks here and there. The box itself has a shrink tear along the front right of the box, resulting in some super light wear and very faint indentation lines.

Okay? Okay. That’s about all I have. Oh, I can tell you that this is much lighter than the Holly box, with international shipping estimated to be somewhere around 22-25 US dollars. The price on the box is $75 and you can find it at the following fine internet retail sites…

Musicstack…http://www.musicstack.com/item/51406486

Gemm…https://www.gemm.com/item/Cochran-c—Eddie/20th–Anniversary–Album/GML1451054128/

Have yourself a very merry weekend!

vinyl

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May 20, 2011

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Buddy Holly – The Complete Buddy Holly Sealed UK LP Box Set (MCA Coral; CDSP 807)

Rock and roll, ground zero. I think I mentioned this box in passing a couple of weeks ago, though incorrectly stated it was a German pressing. Nope. It is a 6LP UK pressing, issued in the late 70’s. NOT the Charly reissue that followed a few years later, but rather the original MCA issue. This is a SEALED set, remaining encased in the original importer’s (Jem Records) double layer of loose shrink. While there are some tears to the first layer of shrink, it appears the second layer is completely intact. The textured and hinged external box itself, which is all I am privy to, is in superb shape. Seriously beautiful.

As for the musical details, I’m going to defer to my god friend William Ruhlmann at All Music Guide for the details. Okay, he’s not my good friend. He’s not even a friend. But hey, I’m sure he is a super swell guy. But I’m feeling somewhat lazy this morning, and if someone else has already done an excellent job detailing the contents, why do I need to paraphrase (ie-steal) that verbiage and make it my own? I mean, other to make you think I know more about this box than I really do. Okay, here ya go…

“In the wake of the number one British ranking for “20 Golden Greats” in 1978 and the release of the feature film “The Buddy Holly Story”, MCA U.K. assembled this six-LP box set (which finally was released in the U.S. in February 1981). It traces Holly’s career from his country & western duo with Bob Montgomery in 1954/1955 to his 1956 Nashville sessions for Decca Records; the Clovis, NM, recordings with the Crickets and producer Norman Petty that launched his career in 1957; the New York sessions of 1958; the final 1958 demo recordings; the various posthumously overdubbed versions of the demos; and other assorted rarities. In other words, all the material that Decca/MCA previously had spread across seven LPs — The Chirping Crickets, Buddy Holly, That’ll Be The Day, Reminiscing, Showcase, Holly In The Hills, and Giant — between 1957 and 1969 (not counting the many compilations) was here, plus more. The box also contained an extensive scrapbook, lots of liner notes, and a detailed discography. It was, thus, the state of the art in box sets just prior to the CD era, and given Holly’s importance in the history of rock & roll, an essential album for any serious collector. With the passing of the LP era, it is out of print, and MCA claims to be gathering more unreleased material for some comparable box set, though years go by without its appearing. Meanwhile, if you needed one record album to demonstrate what the most popular music of the second half of the 20th century sounded like, this would be it.”

Thanks a bunch, Mr. Ruhlmann. I should have you guest here more often. What can I add? Well, there are just over 120 original mono and stereo master recordings, with exhaustive notations regarding who plays on what and when & where they played. The box was compiled and annotated by John Beecher and Malcolm Jones. And, finally, the “extensive scrapbook” clocks in at 60 pages. I would indeed call that extensive.

Outside of that, it’s here. And it’s heavy. Just a tad under 4 pounds. So heads up to any international buyers who my be interested. It’s gonna be a bit pricey to get it there, somewhere around $40. Oh, the box itself is $100 and you can find it at the following virtual shops…

Discogs…http://www.discogs.com/buy/Vinyl/Buddy-Holly-The-Complete-Buddy-Holly/37079037?ev=bp_rel_det

Musicstack…http://www.musicstack.com/item/51406485

Gemm…http://www.gemm.com/item/Holly-c—Buddy/Complete–Buddy–Holly/GML1451054127/

vinyl

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May 19, 2011

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