Too Soon?

 

I've been trying for years to appreciate Nicole Atkins. I have friends who love her. Elvis Costello, Steve Nicks and Raul Malo love her. But, her records just don't do it for me. On paper, I should be a fan. But her tendency to "belt one out" over music that doesn't always need a voice that "belts one out" gets under my skin. On this new Christmas duet with French singer Gaspard Royant, on the other hand, she really hits the spot.

 

 

Good morning.

I'm dealing with some real life issues at the moment that have left me both distracted and uninspired. If I don't get a jolt between now and Thursday, have a very Happy Thanksgiving and hopefully, I will see you soon after.

Songs Of The Week, 2024: 11/16-11/22

 

Messed Around- Squeeze
Gawd Above- John Fullbright
Sookie Sookie- Tina Britt
Obsessed With Aretha- Graham Parker
Forbidden City- Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
The Sunny Side Of The Street- The Pogues
Blessed- Lucinda Williams

zip

BW's Saturday #44

 

It's The Weekend! The Best Time To Go Record Shopping!

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Back in June of 2012, I bought a large collection of LPs. Really large. Like, thousands upon thousands. With the help of some friends, we made this happen over a weekend. I only had an inkling of what I was getting, as the collection was purchased from an old friend who I trusted. There was no list of titles with detailed descriptions of condition. It was more like, "You know what I like. I've been collecting for years. You won't be sorry." Yes, that was good enough for me.

So on this Saturday morning in June, a semi-trailer pulls up and what I recall being 93 cartons of meticulously curated and well-cared for records gets unloaded mostly into my basement storage space two blocks from my home, with about a dozen randomly chosen boxes left on the sidewalk for me to handtruck back to house, about three at a time,

Not before or since, have I ever had that much fun buying and selling vinyl. If it was on your wish list, I had it, sometimes in both stereo and mono, often in both U.S. and U.K. configurations. I was the Vinyl King Of Queens for 2012 and 2013. 

Dealers were lining up at my record fair tables, three deep. It was a glorious time.

Things aren't nearly as wonderful now. To be fair, you don't catch a great white shark on a routine basis. It's mostly a few porgies here, maybe a tuna that you can cut up with a few friends. Plus, the market is flooded. Every Tom, Harry and Dickhead thinks they know how to sell records and more times than not, only Tom and Harry do, while Dickhead ruins it for everybody else by slapping a $40 price tag on a ragged but playable copy of Kiss "Destroyer" that should probably only sell for $8. 

There are few things I love more than buying and selling records. Put me in a record store with a pocket full of cash and I will disappear for a few hours, BP down to a normal number, anxiety attacks in the rear view.

I recently bought a collection of about 1000 or so classic rock records. You have to buy everything. Cherry-picking is frowned upon for good reason, otherwise everyone would be left with nothing but their America and Chicago records. There were some great titles, all needing a little bit of love. A seam split here, a light mark there. But in the end, a little cleaning up, a nice poly bag, and you've got a totally fine copy of Joe Jackson's "Look Sharp" for $5. 

Back in June of 2012, I had about 1500 records listed on Discogs and another 200 listed on eBay, not to mention, a real deep inventory. These days I barely have 200 listed on Discogs, but I stand by most of what's there.

Take a look. I could use the work. You know, idle hands and all... 

It's the weekend, the best time to go record shopping. I offer free shipping if you spend $25. And who wouldn't be happy with a copy of "Look Sharp" on their turntable?

Discogs Shop

The Coward Brothers

As a long time, ardent non-supporter of most things involving T-Bone Burnett, including his 80's stint as Elvis Costello's Coward brother, I fully expected to not like this new revival LP. Burnett has this stellar reputation as a producer, and you might be a fan. But to my ears, he makes all of his records sound like there is a wad of dust on your stylus. A perfect example is Costello's "National Ransom," a record that I find unlistenable because of just how bad it sounds. And while, I do love both records by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, despite the grainy T-Bone production, I can only imagine how much better both could have sounded. But that's enough about what I don't like about T-Bone Burnett. I had to listen to "The Coward Brothers" because of how much I love Elvis Costello.

If you are one of those E.C. fans who got off the bus after "Imperial Bedroom," maybe this record isn't for you. But if you are like me, someone who has embraced Costello's genre-hopping, this new collaboration with T-Bone is a big time winner.

This record is full of wonderful surprises. Melodies and arrangements take twists and turns, veering in and out of Americana, rockabilly, and even a touch of psychedelia.

How does it sound? Just like a T-Bone production, slightly muddy and occasionally and unnecessarily old-timey. But there are 20 songs and none of them overstay their welcome.