Obviously, the best part is listening to records all day long. Once a focal point of my life, the time I've spent at home listening to music has decreased considerably in recent years. I guess it sort of gave way to work, relationship shit, chores, etc. I really look forward to Sunday now though...just digging in to the racks and seeing what sticks. And there have been some goodies. I've heard all the punk records in the store, so why not venture out to the other sections??? That's what I've been doing and the results have been eye-opening and exciting. Here's three faves that might work for you....................
Booker Little - Quartet
"I may not know art, but I know what I like." That familiar, snide expression is exactly how I feel about jazz. I can appreciate it, often really enjoy it...but my knowledge of it is very limited. Enter my first accidental discovery in jazz on my own: I stroll into the shop, slightly yellow, smelly, dehydrated, sweating out bourbon, armed only with a strong cup of coffee and a pecan danish. I grab the first record I see on the floor, throw it on with little or no thought other than I know I need to play music in a record store. The goal that morning was to avoid simultaneously puking and shitting my pants (I was resigned to one happening, but couldn't bear both). Yet the record wakes me up, wipes the muck away and I'm born anew. Wowza! This Booker Little LP, released on the Time label, is what did it. I sent the owner an email the next day asking about this LP that I dug so much. His reply: "Wow...you've got really good taste. I'm shocked!!!" Me too. "Quartet" is unique because there's no goddamn saxophone, yet it manages to be exceedingly cool, melodic and great. Originals fetch a pretty penny, but I managed to snag a great sounding, really well done LP reissue via eBay for less than $20.
Harvey Mandel - Baby Batter
Look at this fucking record. Like I wasn't gonna throw it on...pffft. Harv, or "The Snake" as he's more commonly known, totally reeks of that 70s guitar hero tag, doing anything from prog to jumpsuit-clad rock suites to finger-tapping jazzbo bullshit. It's all a trip and this LP in particular totally nails it. It's smooth almost to the point of obscenity. Its sound is comparable to how a nude 70s vixen with tan lines looks. That's a ringing endorsement if there ever was one. Local boy too, having done his time with Musselwhite and Canned Heat. FUN FACT: dude was the limbo gunslinger for The Stones in between Taylor and Wood. Imagine the ramifications had he stuck.
Fairport Convention - Leige & Leif
This record absolutely fucking RULES and no, I have not turned into a hobbit. Yet. These guys, and this LP in particular, have to be the absolute pinnacle of British folk rock. Maybe that's not saying much. Think about the genre: foggy mountain villages, drinking mead or some other bullshit, eating berries, skipping, maybe a fuckin' elf or two. I dunno. It's a ridiculous genre, replacing David Crosby's square shades and Whiskey A-G0-Go sit-ins (equally what-the-fuckin'-fuckish, if ya ask me) for renaissance faire mysticism and weird tiny stringed instruments of so-Caucasian-they're-clear origin. There's absolutely NOTHING dangerous or even overtly sexual about this record AT ALL, which calls the actual rock quotient into question here. But I don't care. Sandy Denny's voice is truly something else and the songs have drive that actually seems HEAVY in spite of the sprite. Shocking, really. 4 Men With Beards did a fantastic reissue that oughta be in the $15 neighborhood, but I'm holding out for beat-up original.
Further Palatal Expanders coming in semi-regular fashion. Check these out if'n you have the time.
5 comments:
that sounds great, i don't work at goner but once or twice a week i'm in there doing restocks and checking out whatever is on the stereo
The extra $ is a (small) bonus. Hanging out in the shop, playing records like these (that I'd probably ignore otherwise) is a great way to spend a day.
Hey Mitch,
Is that store good for digging? I went there once years ago and remember it being really overpriced, but that's more of vague recollection. It's a bit of a haul out there, so is it worth it?
Ken
The store has actually changed a tad over the years. Sure, there are still high-$$$ rare records on the wall that produce sticker shock, but the amount of new punk vinyl is of comparable size and price to 1234Go. The used rock racks are great, as are the $1-$3 records in the bargain bins. Sneak out on a sunday and we'll grab a beer! I'd even let you drink one in the store!
That sounds civilized. I'll definitely try to make it up there some time.
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