Phish – The White Tape, Sealed 180gm White Vinyl LP (Jemp 1071)

This was a Black Friday Record Store Day Exclusive a couple months back, and the listings on eBay have gone from dozens listed to one here and there. First time on vinyl for this 1986 piece, which was originally a cassette-only compilation containing a bunch of pre-Elektra four-track demos that the band used to shop for both gigs and a label deal. This has since been released on compact disc and made available for download, but this is the first time it has been issued on vinyl. $100. I know, ridiculous, right? Tell that to the eBay guy that has it priced for almost double that.

Musicstack…http://bit.ly/zFWJ6a

Gemm…http://bit.ly/yAb7pk 

Trey Anastasio – The Horseshoe Curve, Sealed LP (Rubber Jungle, RJRTA 04)

Singer and guitarist for Phish. Singing. And, ummm, guitar-ing. But not with Phish. Any questions?

Sealed, with some tiny tip rubbing. $60.

Musicstack…http://www.musicstack.com/item/264840271

Gemm…http://www.gemm.com/item/ANASTASIO%252CTREY/HORSESHOE%2520CURVE/GML1923691889/

Bob Dylan – Best Of Volume 2, Sealed 2LP Europe-Only Issue (Columbia 498361)

Man, I so did not get Dylan when I was growing up. Pegged him with all the clichés, primarily the “dude can’t sing” dismissal. And I found him a little boring. Now mind you, we’re talking mid 70’s here, so when set against, say, Kiss, Elton John and Aerosmith, Dylan came off as a tad, well, not that. His dandy days were well behind him at that point and this suburban kid wasn’t in a place where, at 15, I could truly appreciate and assimilate “Blood On The Tracks”. Now, Kiss’ “Destroyer”? Different story.

Anyway, all you really need to know when it comes to a Dylan compilation is what the track listing looks like. It looks a little somethin’ like this…

Side 1

1. Things Have Changed
2. A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall
3. It Ain’t Be Babe
4. Subterranean Homesick Blues
5. Positively 4th Street

Side 2

6. Highway 61 Revisited
7. Rainy Day Women #12 And #35
8. I Want You
9. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight
10. Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)

Side 3

11. Simple Twist Of Fate
12. Hurricane
13. Changing Of The Guards

Side 4

14. License To Kill
15. Silvio
16. Dignity
17. Not Dark Yet

Yep, that’s a pretty great track listing. This is either a UK or Dutch pressing, but not exactly sure of the origin. Again, this is pretty tough to turn up, especially sealed. So hence the lofty $100 price tag.

Musicstack…http://bit.ly/wvzeKN 

Gemm…http://bit.ly/yeWjyN 

Full Time Men (Peter Buck / Keith Streng) – Fast Is My Name, NM 12″ EP (Coyote, TTC 8562)

So maybe Peter Buck will fly Keith Streng down to Baja this weekend for the final couple nights of the Todos Santos Festival. A full-blown Full Time Men reunion. And then, following that 10-minute set, they’ll figure out where to go from there.

Way back in 1985, two guitarists – one played with the Fleshtones, one played with a band names R.E.M. – got together and knocked out a twangy three-song side project. One of ’em had to sing, I suppose, and since Buck doesn’t, Streng did. (Even tho he really can’t sing either.) Nothing here that’s gonna change your life, but it is quite an enjoyable listen. And Buck busts out the banjo, which especially at the time, was pretty cool.

Three short bursts of jangle pressed on audiophile-ish Quiex vinyl, housed in a super nice jacket that is still in shrink. $15.

Musicstack…http://www.musicstack.com/item/272550422

Gemm…https://www.gemm.com/item/FULL%2520TIME%2520MEN/FAST%2520IS%2520MY%2520NAME/GML1924351019/

Van Halen – Top Of The World, Sealed Numbered UK 12″ Box w/ Badge (Warner W0066TB)

Yeah, I know, it ain’t the Diamond Dave era. Which apparently is very much back in vogue these days. But…it might have the only four songs you need from the Hagar years, all on one 12″ single. Honestly, I have no idea if that is true as I’m not sure I have actually heard an entire Hagar-fronted Van Halen record. But I think all four of these songs were hits – “Top Of The World”, “Why Can’t This Be Love”, “When It’s Love” and “Dreams”. All hits, yes? I think that’s true.

Anyhoo…those four songs. And frankly, not even sure if the 12″ is 33rpm or 45? (Does it matter?) But I am sure it comes with an enamel badge and logo sticker. And I don’t think there is any logo distinction between the two Van Halen eras, so you should be cool with sporting the badge at your local arena when VH visits on their world tour with DLR. So it’s got that going for it. And it’s numbered (#00959). And, ummm, sealed. $50.

Discogs…http://www.discogs.com/sell/list?release_id=3160799&ev=rb

Musicstack…http://www.musicstack.com/item/267288376

Also on Gemm and eBay, if you prefer.

 

The Rolling Stones – Five By Five, 1982 Japanese Pressing with Condom (London L15P-5002)

Gorgeous 1982 Japanese pressing of this 1964 UK-only five-track release, with all songs recorded at Chess Studios while the Stones were stateside for their first US tour. For American buyers, the five songs found here were more easily sourced via the band’s 1964 full-length, “12 x 5” (natch). This particular issue is pretty darn scarce, and this particular copy is beautiful, with all components – vinyl, jacket, obi, insert – in near mint or better condition. Oh, and so is the condom. Condom? Condom. (Sorry, I just like typing *condom*).

I have no idea why (though I’d love to know if anyone does know the back-story) there was this series of Japanese 80’s Stones reissues that all included “mini-condoms” as part of the packaging. If you look at the red box on the top of the obi (on the left hand side of the jacket), you will see an area just about smack in the middle that looks like there is something slightly pushing out against the obi. That, my friends, is your mini-condom.

Again, this is a beauty, albeit a short five-song beauty. Oh, all songs in mono. $60.

Musicstack…http://www.musicstack.com/item/266634963

Gemm…http://www.gemm.com/ddc/search.pl?&a_refno=GML1923863688

The Rolling Stones – The Rolling Stones, Sealed 1976 Japanese Pressing (London LAX 1002)

Picked up one finger less than a handful of Stones Japanese pressings a couple weeks back and just uploaded ’em to Gemm and Musicstack. Might very well post ’em on the eBay. And…might not. Working on the assumption that most folks know who the Rolling Stones are (or, ahem, were), so we’ll keep this relatively concise.

Sealed 1976 issue from the highly regarded King Record Company, with wide obi and insert, snugly enveloped in P.J. Imports shrink. Outside of a small right corner ding and some light accompanying rubbing, this is a superb copy of the band’s debut. $75.

Musicatck…http://www.musicstack.com/item/266634961

Gemm…http://www.gemm.com/ddc/search.pl?&a_refno=GML1923863686

Albert Collins / Robert Cray / Johnny Copeland – Showdown Sealed LP (Mobile Fidelity (MFSL 217)

Just uploaded 30 or so new titles to Gemm and Musicstack. Some of ’em are also available on Discogs, none are on eBay at the moment. And not sure if they will be. I can’t predict the future, even when I’m controlling certain aspects of it.

All new additions are sealed, with the couple that are open being new/unplayed. In addition to this Mobile Fidelity beauty, there’s stuff from Springsteen (“Seeger Sessions”), Paul Simon (scarce German pressing of “You’re The One”), McCartney (yet another copy of the UK-only “Driving Rain”, which never lasts very long), The Who (“BBC Sessions”), Santana (UK pressing of “Milagro”), Van Morrison (“Pay The Devil”, which I think is somewhat recently out of print) and a rare Dylan UK-Only release (the 2LP “Best Of, Volume 2”). Yep, a bunch of old white man music, not necessarily all produced by old white men.

The copy of “Showdown” is in superb shape. Again, it’s a sealed, original,  limited & numbered 1985 200gm audiophile issue, with a small shrink tear found on the upper left quadrant of the front jacket. I can tell you that it is small enough to be deftly covered by a retail price sticker. Ugh. But no issues whatsoever beyond that tear. Oh, and number 2306. $100.

Musicstack…http://www.musicstack.com/item/264840277

Gemm…https://www.gemm.com/item/COLLINS%252CALBERT%2520%252F%2520ROBERT%2520CRAY%2520%252F%2520JOHNNY%2520COPELAND/SHOWDOWN%2521/GML1923691895/

Man, how I would love to see Gemm tighten up their item addresses.

Willie Nelson – Phases And Stages Sealed LP (Atlantic; SD 7291)

It’s kinda interesting that Willie’s two records for Atlantic (and only releases for that label) are always in the mix when discussing his best work. And many would argue that 1974’s “Phases And Stages”, as well as 1973’s “Shotgun Willie”, are his two best albums. But while critical plaudits ran-and run-extremely high, neither record sold very well at the time. And Atlantic dropped him, Columbia signed him and his next record was “Red-Headed Stranger”. Take that, Atlantic.

In regards to “Phases…”, a somewhat contemporary analogy could be found in Beck’s “Sea Change”. That’s right, this is Willie’s bummed-out break-up record. Musically, nowhere near as somber as one would or could expect from a concept album that chronicles the dissolution of a marriage (and one in which both versions of the story are told – side one from the her perspective, side two from his). But if you like to listen to words, not even a full-blown Willie honky-tonk number could keep you from crying in your beer. Do NOT listen to this record directly after splitting from your significant other. Highly un-recommended.

A bit of name-dropping…produced by the legendary Jerry Wexler, mixed by the legendary Tom Dowd, played by the legendary Muscle Shoals Swampers. And the legendary Johnny Gimble. Oh, and Willie.

Sealed and $40. And just to clarify, anything that looks like wear is relegated to the shrink, not the jacket.

Musicstack…http://www.musicstack.com/item/262304758

Gemm…http://www.gemm.com/item/NELSON%252CWILLIE/PHASES%2520AND%2520STAGES/GML1923570196/

Not Quite Top Of The New Year…

And while I’m not the first, I surely won’t be the last to wish you and yours all the best in 2012. And I thank you in bunches for all the support in 2011. Year One is in the books and Year Two is off to a decent start. I’m not much for stacking up the resolutions, but I am cautiously optimistic (ie – leaving a modicum of room for the eventual backslide to come) that I can post “content” to this blog on a much more regular basis than recent history would suggest. Yes, I kinda disappeared somewhere around Thanksgiving, having ended 2011 with a slight touch of malaise. Nothing physical (though I did tweak my back a couple of weeks ago while moving records around the office, and I will note I was moving full boxes of records as opposed to say, a handful of vinyl), but just couldn’t muster up the desire to sit at the keyboard and write. Er, type.

Much of this comes down to time management. That is, my complete lack of it. And that is multiplied when you throw in the holidays and family (all of which were great). If I have any resolution to adhere to this year from a business perspective, it would be organizing my days (and nights) so that I can continue to keep Graypunk Records operational (and profitable, natch) while also affording myself the time to annoy you with my occasional ramblings on music. Or whatever. A balance, if you will, of my selfish need for commerce and my selfish need to impart myself on you.

So yeah, rather than falling back on my old habits of updating my Facebook page while failing to cross-post on this blog, the goal is to keep both on a regular roll. And while it is somewhat inevitable that FB will be updated more frequently (dude, it’s an ease thing), I will definitely be posting here more often. If you’re subscribed via email to this blog, this will result in, well, more emails. Hey, there’s always delete. I mean, not that I encourage that. Or want to know that. Fragile ego and all.

But know that while I wasn’t blogging, I was buying records. I have a backlog of vinyl that I purchased over the holidays and I’ll start uploading later this week. I promise it will be a sweet start to the year, with quite a bit of sealed stuff. Multiple titles from Springsteen, McCartney, Rolling Stones (a few killer Japanese pressings) and Dylan alongside some one-off’s from Pearl Jam (Vitalogy), Van Morrison (Pay The Devil) , The Posies (Amazing Disgrace). All sealed.

Bunch of open copies in really nice shape as well. In fact, I have my first three “play” records for 2012 lined up – a WLP of Ornette Coleman’s “The Art Of The Improvisers”, an original pressing of James McMurtry’s great debut, “Too Long In The Wasteland” and a Reprise Steamboat issue of Beefheart’s “Trout Mask Replica”. Now that’s some listening I can get behind. There’s a reason why I don’t buy open copies of, say, Dokken records. Well, other than there not being any money in selling Dokken records.

Cheers.