#51 | Elleven
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That’s the street up

Small Faces - Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake - 1968 (2018 stereo reissue/ remaster)

TOM WAITS
Blue Valentine
1978 Canada pressing

One hell of an appropriate album for last spin at 11:55 pm on a Saturday Night.

It’s borderline impossible for me to pick a favorite Tom album. They’re all so distinctive, and I’ve heard every single one hundreds of times, so I just don’t think I could do it. And when you’re dealing with such a vast, incredible catalog, why should you have to.

Blue Valentine, however, has two of my all-time favorite Tom SONGS on it in “Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis” and “Whistlin’ Past The Graveyard”.

As much as I love the weirdo junkyard Tom (do I EVER), when I’m exhausted in the late night hours, NOTHING beats his early barfly piano man albums.
After this one, he’d only make one more like that before shit started to get weird.
Like… REALLY weird.
See: Swordfishtrombones.

DAVID BOWIE
Diamond Dogs
1980 Canada reissue

6:27 pm.
80 degrees outside (sorry, Celsius lovers).

Windows wide open, and Bowie blasting at full volume.

In the words of John Steinbeck…

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter and David Bowie to give it sweetness?”

That may not be a direct quote.
Please don’t fact check that.

MEAT PUPPETS
II
2024 U.S. Remastered Reissue

On your way out to the desert to trip your face and balls off, and to fully squeegee your third eye to realize we are all one, and all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, and that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, and that there is no such thing as death, and life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves?

Don’t forget to pack your copy of Meat Puppets II.

MGMT
Oracular Spectacular
2014 U.S. Remastered Reissue

Since 2007, it’s not officially Summer until I hear this album. It’s just such a fun listen, and I believe “Time To Pretend” is one of the greatest pop songs of the past 20 years.

Now, unfortunately, MGMT is one of those examples of a band that I don’t have much use for past their first album. I’ve tried. I really have. I WANT to like the albums that followed this.

I cant.
Theres just not a lot there.
Which is fine, because I’ll always have Oracular Spectacular.

Spectacular it is, indeed.

That’s the street up

Jeff Beck Group - Beck-Ola - 1969 (2025 remaster)

#RecordOfTheDay

Giant Sand - Center of the Universe

Back in the early-mid 90s I went through a huge Giant Sand phase. They were absolutely my favorite band. Since I was in NYC I saw them like 5 times, at various venues around the City (and Maxwell's in Hoboken). This was the height of the CD era so I had to track down their discography as such. Then I kinda lost interest. Joey & John went on to form Calexico (who are one of my favorite bands), and I didn't really follow Howe's later incarnations of the band. But in my late middle age revisiting all the music of my youth I've got a few of my favorite Giant Sand records from that era of the band; the first I found in the wild, the others, including this, I've gotten from Discogs.

The second disc is a live set from the Vermontress Festival Sub Pop put on in Burlington Vermont in '92!

http://www.bradleysalmanac.com/30-years-ago-today-sub-pops-vermonstress-fest

ORVILLE PECK
Pony
2021 Canada pressing

I have LOATHED everything by Orville Peck that has followed this great debut album, which was recorded by my good pal Jordan at The Noise Floor, which is a stone’s throw from where I live.
A wonderful, mysterious dusty sounding modern brand of country that sounds incredibly natural and artful.

Since, he has leaned into all the pop trappings that come with recognition, including a dismal album of duets that made me absolutely nauseous.

If this great debut is the only thing of true value to my ears that I ever get from him as an artist, then so be it. Because this one IS truly a gift.

The rest can be fired into the sun.

This, by the way, is the original available-in-Canada-only Royal Mountain Records pressing, and not the one released by Sub-Pop.

CLAUDIO SIMONETTI’S GOBLIN
Dario Argento's Profondo Rosso (Live Soundtrack Experience)
2021 Finland pressing

Because of assholes whose egos are out of control monsters, there are now two different Goblins.
This one, which features original keyboardist and composer Claudio Simonetti, and another, which features everyone else.

This iteration focuses solely on live performances of their horror scores (mostly with rear live projection of those films), as well as new horror film scores and attending horror conventions.

The other focuses on being a rock band playing old material with only occasional new compositions here and there.

I much prefer Simonetti’s incarnation, and this performance here (with only the audio to go on with none of the visuals other than the art included in the package) is REALLY GOOD.

Profondo Rosso (“Deep Red” in English) is a great Argento movie if you can find it.

MJ LENDERMAN
Manning Fireworks
2024 U.S. pressing

One of the absolute best records of 2024 gets my last spin of the night.

I love this dude.
Awesome, catchy, witty songs with a bit of a Pavement-y vibe.
It’s impossible for me to listen to this just once. It’s so infectious, that I need to hear it again immediately.

“Wristwatch”, “She’s Leaving You”, and “On My Knees” are straight up bangers.
#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcollection #art #music #vinylcommunity #retro #vintage #indie #alternative

GNARLS BARKLEY
The Odd Couple
2025 U.S. reissue

Been a long time for this one.

Even though the band’s most recognizable MEGA hit “Crazy” is on their previous effort, I’ve always felt that The Odd Couple is the better album on whole. In all honesty, “Crazy” aside, there wasn’t much else on St. Elsewhere that I found all that interesting.
Not the case with The Odd Couple.

In fact, there isn’t much here that I DONT find interesting. There’s so many killer songs here.
Who’s Gonna Save My Soul, Run, Would Be Killer, Open Book, No Time Soon, Blind Mary…. a far superior batch of songs than the first record. If “Crazy” was on here, I’d argue there’d be no reason to own the first record at all.
But that’s just me.
#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcollection #art #music #vinylcommunity #retro #vintage #pop #soul #alternative

MYSTERY PLANE
Still Life
2016 UK Ltd. Ed. Reissue

For those who have zoomed in and read the hype sticker on the front cover of this album, you could see why I’d gamble on it and try it out.
And man, am I ever glad I did!
This shit is awesome!

Proggy & kraut-like #sythpop originally recorded by two dudes on a reel to reel with drum machines in 1981.
It was originally meant as a demo to shop around to record labels in order to score a record deal. Later, the Color Tapes label released only 100 copies of it.

These are VERY cool songs; really melodic, and with a really unique DIY sound.
Before they went the drum machine route, they tried to be a more conventional band, but their drummer was more interested in being fucked up on amphetamines.
Another guy just lost interest.
HIS name was Porl Thompson, who would later go on to play in The Cure.

A record DEFINITELY worth checking out.

DINOSAUR JR.
Bug
2020 U.S. reissue

A wonderful, dead quiet, killer sounding reissue of an absolute classic.

I was in the mood for some gnarly guitar shredding today, and when that’s the case, you only go to one place.

J. FUCKING MASCIS.

As they hail from my neck of the woods, I fell in love with Dinosaur almost instantly. They’re are without question one of my three favorite bands of all time, and I have seen them live more times than any other band. Maybe…. 30+ times?

This album (along with countless other classics) was recorded at Fort Apache, a studio that I’d spent some time in myself in my younger days.

I have EVERYTHING they’ve ever released. There’s not a single thing I’m missing. Even all of the J solo albums, all of Lou’s solo output, Sebadoh, 7” singles… you name it, I’ve got it.
There’s more Dino Jr. in my library than any other artist.
#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcollection #art #music #vinylcommunity #retro #vintage #1980s #80s #80sMusic #indie #alternative

BRIAN ENO
Ambient 4 (On Land)
2018 Europe reissue

A ominous last go-round of the night.

This is my second favourite of the original Eno ambient records (behind Music For Airports) and the only one that I don’t have an original pressing of.

For me, this one sounds more like a science fiction score. It emanates such a feeling of impending doom and dread, and uses a lot of animal and nature sounds, noises of random objects, as well as unused tape from other Eno projects which are screwed, hacked, manipulated and mixed in with everything else.

It is simultaneously an unnerving AND wonderful aural experience, particularly late in the evening, with the lights off.

The Blade Runner soundtrack BEFORE the Blade Runner soundtrack.

THE STROKES
Room On Fire
2003 U.S. pressing

More Strokes, as I’ve been re-visiting their entire catalog over the past few weeks.

When this came out, I didn’t care for it much at first.
However, I think that had everything to do with the VERY high bar the first album set. I still think that Is This It? is one of the greatest debuts in rock history.
Over the years though, I’ve grown to love Room On Fire, even though I don’t pull it out all that often.
But every time I do, I’m constantly reminded of just how good it is.

Reptilia, 12:51, Meet Me In The Bathroom… all signature Strokes tunes for me.

Now… if I can just warm up to First Impressions Of Earth.

All these years later, and I STILL can’t get down with that one, no matter how hard I try.
THAT one is by far their worst, IMO.

AMON DUUL II
Yeti
1970 UK 2xLP pressing

One of the most important albums of the entire #krautrock / #prog movement of the late #60s early #70s .

Just an incredible album that SOUNDS magnificent. If you ever come across one, get it.
It’s worth every penny.
However, you’ll need a LOT of pennies.

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