Inspired in Part by Record Store Day – Playlist April 12/15

April 11, 2015 / ds barrett / Leave a comment

“Amphetamine: – Steve Wynn and the Miracle Three

Such a great frickin’ driving song if you want to get yourself a speeding ticket… by the way, I don’t recommend the ticket…

“Hoover Dam” – Sugar

I had a review half written called “the Return of Peanut Girl,” but I never finished it. Anyway, Copper Blue sounds awesome on vinyl and you can find it at your better record stores.

“Deathly” – Aimee Mann

Any excuse to put Aimee Mann on a playlist is a good excuse. Still haven’t heard back from her… I’m guessing she doesn’t read my blog.

“Coming Home” – Leon Bridges

Soul music has a new champion and his name is Leon Bridges. Keep your eyes open folks, this guy is for real!

“Sliver” – Nirvana

Still bummed about missing my shot… maybe another will show up in 10 years.

“You Really Got Me” – The Kinks

After the disappointment of the new Van Halen live, I couldn’t even bring myself to play one of their songs. So here is something way better.

“The Lovecats” – Tanya Donelly & Dylan In Motion

Donelly is awesome and the Cure are awesome, so getting two for the price of one. Now if Robert Smith could cover “Feed The Tree” we… just kidding.

“Someplace” – Nick Waterhouse

He hasn’t put Holly out on Spotify, so I went with “Someplace” from his first record. I will be talking about Holly in the upcoming weeks. Spoiler – it is AWESOME! Buy it here!

“Ain’t Messin’ Round” – Gary Clark Jr

Just because I wanted to stay in that rockin’ soul vibe.

“My Mind Is Rambling” – The Black Keys

A seven inch split is coming out in Record Store Day of the Black Keys and Junior Kimbrough, so I thought why not throw a Black Keys cover of Junior just for the hell of it. Besides – it fits.

“Touch Me I’m Sick” – Mudhoney

Turns out fictional band Citizen Dick (see movie Singles) is releasing “Touch Me I’m Dick” for RSD 2015. Can’t wait to hear it! Anyway, here is the original song that led to that play on words.

“Everyone Knows” – Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

Jett has a double album being released for RSD, so I put her in the mix… because she is a rock god and I need no other reason.

“Machine Gun Blues” – Social Distortion

I am so looking forward to getting my hands on that first Social Distortion record next Saturday.

“Alex Chilton” – The Replacements

Another 7” being released this weekend is reason enough… I miss Chilton.

“Back In Your Head” – Tegan & Sara

Um are you picking up on a theme that surrounds a certain date that has rare vinyl being released.

“Runaway” – Del Shannon

I’ll be doing a review on this guy soon.

“I’d Run Away” – The Jayhawks

Read a rather depressing article on these guys recently. Awesome band that can never seem to catch a break…

“The Cuckoo” – Kristin Hersh

Leader of the Throwing Muses and incredible singer/songwriter in a varied solo career (check out Hips & Makers if you need proof) she also has a 7” of “The Cuckoo” coming out on RSD.

“Brass Buttons” – The Lemonheads

Yep. A split 7” of the Lemonheads and the original Gram Parsons tune is arriving on Saturday.

“Jesus Christ” – Big Star

Only reason I put a Christmas song on a April playlist is because of RSD… irony is, the original release of this song was on a record that had nothing to do with the holiday season either.

Always lookin’ good! David Bowie and RSD 2015

April 11, 2015 / ds barrett / Leave a comment

Having just written about Bowie a couple weeks back I didn’t think I’d be mentioning him again so soon, but here we are. With only a week until RSD 2015 it seems he notes another little column, so to speak.

As early as February it was announced that Bowie would be contributing two 7” singles for Record Store day in the form of a “Changes” picture disc, and a split single with Tom Verlaine on the song “Kingdom Come.” These releases are cool, but somewhat expected as David Bowie has been releasing a series of 7”picture discs over the years to commemorate the various 40^th anniversaries of his work as they come up.

However, a limited release of his first album has also popped up in the most recent North American lists for Record Store Day. However, there also seems to be some confusion. I’ve seen some web sites refer to his debut album which was recorded in ’66 but released in ’67, while others have referred to the ep 1966, which contained some early rare tracks by Bowie. It seems more likely that the ep is what is being released as the source gave far more details in explaining that it was re-mastered comes in white vinyl and limited to 2000 copies.

Regardless, Bowie fans who insist on vinyl and collectors in general should be pretty happy… if they get their hands on it. I pretty much can guarantee you that they will sell out.

Dreams of RSD past (FOUND!) and future: Social Distortion – Hard Times & Nursery Rhymes and eponymous

April 10, 2015 / ds barrett / 1 Comment

Occasionally, as you walk through your local record store, and you try to put together a coherent thought, you just see it, a record you wanted badly, but never thought you would get, just sitting waiting to live a new life on your turntable. That is how I found a copy of the 2012 Record Store Day edition of Hard Times & Nursery Rhymes by Social Distortion.

Since its release in 2011, Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes have had four different editions put out all in limited quantities. The pre-orders from their web site were yellow and limited to 1000. The next 2500 to hit store shelves were red, and the last 5000 were black.

The following April, Social Distortion released 2000 RSD editions in green and included with it a “machine gun blues” poster. The great thing is that besides being an awesome record, it still seems to be readily available at decent prices. Discogs have it listed at $37.75, but I picked mine up for less than thirty a few weeks back.

I doubt highly that this will be the case after this Record Store Day 2015 when their eponymous record is reissued. This is the classic 1990 record (that actually hit the Billboard 200) that contains the stellar “Story Of My Life.” While it was recently (2012) reissued on 180 gram vinyl by Music on Vinyl over in Europe, it is only available here as an import. That is until Record Store Day, when 1500 split colour blue and white copies hit the shelves.

It is definitely on my wish list and circled in red for high bloody priority find. I will be a disappointed record collector next Saturday if I don’t find it.

You have got to be f&%king kidding me! Van Halen – Live Tokyo Dome In Concert

April 9, 2015 / ds barrett / 3 Comments

I was introduced to Van Halen by a cousin who went to Hollywood High and used to see Roth walking the streets of L.A. pre-fame, and he brought their self-titled debut with him in the summer of ’78 when I was just turning eleven.

It blew my young mind. I don’t know how many copies I blew through in my Walkman in the early 80’s, but it was on there a whole lot. Then for a few years you could count on a good Van Halen record to be the sound of your summer – even if it was released in December, Van Halen made things great. When “the change happened” and Sammy Hagar took over, it still rocked. Despite what hard core Roth fans say, 5150 was an awesome record for Van Halen and Sammy Hagar fans alike. It still gets pulled out on occasion and put on the old cassette player.

Then it started to slip, not all at once, but they couldn’t carry you through a record the way they once did. Later the wheels came off all together. Hagar to Roth to Cherone to Hagar to Roth to… it’s irrelevant.

The recent press with Eddie and David and Alex and Wolfgang(?) would have you believe this is a return to those early glory days… it isn’t. As I watched that Jimmy Kimmel concert all I could think was that Roth can’t hold his voice together. Sure he’s lost none of his showmanship, but he can’t, well, um, ah… he wasn’t much of a singer before, and now well… he just can’t fuckin’ sing.

So now you get this Live In Tokyo Dome, which they are proud to say is authentic… no auto tunes or overdubs… the band is great. Eddie can play the way Eddie has always played, Alex sounds like Alex and well, it is all overshadowed by the fact that David can’t sing. Maybe if I was seeing it live in person the spectacle of a big rock show would compensate, but there is no way around it. They had vocal talent… but for whatever reason, they were exiled to Chickenfoot… which is now the better band.

So what you have here is more than two hours of songs you used to love being sung out of tune or just plain shouted. It’s rather depressing; Captain Roth steering the great ship Van Halen right into the iceberg. Just go out and buy the re-mastered vinyl from the Roth years which is all going to be out in the next few months. You don’t want this, it hurts too much.

“WTF” The Mystery of the Beatles: Sgt Peppers 1978 – On the Path to Vinyl Glory #2

April 9, 2015 / ds barrett / Leave a comment

Feeling Nostalgic and listening to this, so, re-posting

barrettbites

Just before Christmas I was flipping through the pages of e-bay, day dreaming about all the expensive things that I neither need nor can afford, when I came across a listing for one of the greatest albums ever released – The Beatles: Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. Now ordinarily I might not have stopped to look seeing as I already have a couple versions, but this was a grey marble style vinyl, and it was priced ‘under’ thirty dollars.

“WTF”

I placed a bid, not expecting to actually win and the family and I left to spend a couple seasonal days with my in-laws.

Upon my return I found out I won…, again – “WTF”

So now I need to find out what I’ve bought and why it was worth owning.

Well, this particular piece of wax was a limited version put out in Canada only in the year…

View original post 246 more words

You know what they say about blinking… Nirvana – Sliver/Dive 7”

April 8, 2015April 8, 2015 / ds barrett / 1 Comment

So I put myself on a few mailing lists so that I don’t miss something cool when it comes out. Hence when Newbury Comics put out a limited run of the Strokes Room On Fire last week I scooped it up before it sold out the next day… it hasn’t even been shipped, yet e-bay re-sellers are already asking over a $100.00.

Just yesterday morning I received an e-mail from Newbury Comics about a split coloured (pink/Blue) 7” of Sliver/Dive by Nirvana. It wasn’t two hours old when I got to it…

Gone

Sold out

e-bay resale has two listed already for over $95.00.

Now you can still get a regular black 7” for around $15.00 which is pretty cool, and you can still grab the 2011 Record Store Day Nevermind Singles Box set for just over $60.00 through discogs or e-bay.

The 2011 set has 4 10” discs and is basically a vinyl replica of the CD singles with b-sides included from the Nevermind era. It is a pretty cool set, but damn, the pink/blue is pretty sweet looking. Oh well…

GET IT NOW or forever hold…! The case of Aimee Mann & Mobile Fidelity

April 6, 2015 / ds barrett / 1 Comment

One of my favourite artists on this planet is Aimee Mann. Album for album there just hasn’t been a record she has put out that made me doubt where she is going. Even her latest effort with Ted Leo, The Both (which I wrote about a while ago), was an incredibly satisfying union that I hope happens over again and again. (Get it here)

However, Aimee has also provided me with perhaps the greatest example of ‘buy it’ or miss out that I can get.

Coming off an Academy Award nomination for the soundtrack to Paul Thomas Anderson’s film Magnolia, Mann released what is probably her most well known record Bachelor #2 or, The Last Remains of the Dodo. The album also included several songs from the Magnolia soundtrack and was incredibly well received by critics and fans alike.

A couple years later Mann released the phenomenal Lost In Space, which was really well received by British critics, and dumped on by North American ones. Regardless, she would appear in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV) performing two songs from it. The art work for the project was done by award winning cartoonist Seth, which just added to the cool factor on this record. It still remains one of my favourite.

Of course both of these albums were put out before the recent vinyl revival, so they appeared only on the compact disc format…

UNTIL

2006

Mobile Fidelity, which loves to re-release critically heralded records got together with Mann. Now I also wrote about MoFi a while back, but to briefly recap, they do awesome things with wax, and they do it all on audiophile grade vinyl (180 gram or higher), from original source tapes and in limited numbers. When the album is done right – it is a collector’s dream come true.

Bachelor #2 and Lost in Space were released at the same time and likely would have put you back anywhere between 30 and 45 dollars back in 2006.

Well, nine years later.

A vinyl copy of Bachelor #2 sells for $203.84 off of discogs, and between $226.38 and $320.69 on e-bay.

A vinyl copy of Lost In Space sells for $274.42 on discogs and also $226.38 + on e-bay.

I don’t know about you, but that is out of my price range. I mean maybe if I won the lottery, but, well, like so many other cool things – it’s a nice thought but reality is where I live.

So all I can say is this…

Hey Aimee, if you’re out there, maybe you could re-release these records on vinyl again, and maybe some others too. I promise to buy at least two or three copies of each as my sister is also a fan and they make great birthday and holiday gifts.

P.S. If I could also get ya to sign this poster I have for my kids; it was their first concert ever, and you know, that would be just kinda awesome and stuff, and maybe you know… well maybe bring your Christmas show north to Toronto once… and… well, thanks for considering, and putting out great music, and…

A Grand Illusion? Paul McCartney & Wings – Wings Over America & Rockshow

April 6, 2015 / ds barrett / 2 Comments

The fire would crackle and the camp director would pull out his guitar and play. Three songs would ring out of the gulley or over the lake and drift through the air toward nearby Waterloo… the songs were always moving. He would start with Simon & Garfunkel’s “Punky’s Dilemma” switch into an original called “Heroes” and finish with the Beatles “Blackbird.” Those songs have lingered in my memory for 35 years, and I suppose they’ll be with me for the rest of my life – it was just that powerful.

It’s also telling that I have always identified with McCartney’s live version over the Beatles original because of the illusion of immediacy; the idea of an acoustic guitar being played directly to you rather than through a set of speakers. Of course the reality is somewhat different.

Wings Over America/Rockshow is a performance piece, the show that solidified the conceit that a concert needed more than musicians and instruments to create a great ‘show.’ The set list itself is meant to bring about different moods throughout the performance in what was a grand spectacle. The background showing huge pictures of super villains and large displays of… well anything that was needed. Even Wings themselves trading off vocals and playing the band camaraderie card comes off as forced when you watch Rockshow. In fact, individual songs are being spliced mid-performance to keep the illusion alive. Introductions taken from Seatle placed into a song played in L.A., horns from Seattle appearing in L.A. footage. Everyone appears as best friends. It doesn’t even matter if this was truth or not, as the illusion of Rockshow moves directly onto the recordings for Wings Over America which contain numerous studio overdubs. The entire package is rock ‘n’ roll in its greatest excess. It is selling the trappings of a spectacle as both a huge performance and an intimate live show. The thing is, does the reality change how you feel about listening/watching it go down?

For me at least, it doesn’t. My cassette copy of Wings Over America is worn from the amount I listened to it between the ages 13 & 20, and I continue to hear it with teenage ears and sensibilities. Rockshow is a document of a 70’s stadium concert at the height of their power. This is a time when bands toured to support record sales rather than the current model of album to get interest in seeing bands live. Yes it is spectacle, but so is much of modern entertainment.

The Wings Over America vinyl is three records of 180 gram bliss lovingly taken from the original sources. It sounds fantastic. The blu-ray of Rockshow also sounds fantastic, and does its best to restore the movie to top quality taken from the original 35mm film and turned into stereo 5.1 surround sound.

Sure I would love to be in front of a true artist delivering an intimate performance by campfire. Yeah, I’d love to invite McCartney over for dinner and see what he does with the guitars hanging on the wall. Hell, I’d love to have that old camp director over. Anyway, we all know that isn’t about to happen, so at least I can put some vinyl on and dream my way into the past.

Great Driving Song + Amazing Driving Record = Steve Wynn & the Miracle Three – Static Transmission… I Really Want This!

April 5, 2015 / ds barrett / 1 Comment

I don’t remember where I was or what I was doing. In my imagination it was behind the wheel of a blue ’69 Mustang with windows rolled down and a stereo so loud you couldn’t hear the wind. Dust is flying from behind the wheels and I’m flying at twice the speed limit as “Amphetamine” pushes the speakers to their limit. My hair whips against the front of my sunglasses and the vibrations in my throat tells me I’m singing along, “na na, na na, yeah, na na, na na, yeah.” It’s Saturday, the sun is setting, I have a place to be and I don’t care what time I get there or if I arrive at all. Life doesn’t get any better.

That is how I picture hearing Static Transmission for the first time. It starts in reflective themes and dreamy sequences of “What Comes After” and as CD progresses things pick up as guitar play and energy pick up. By song five, “Amphetamine” you’re lost and you never want to be found. Guitar buzz and stories ring out and you could be at a party of 100 or a party of 1 and it still rings of that late teens/early twenty something energy where everything emanates with the possibility of summer nights. Even as things slow down again it just brings visions of slow dances, crashing waves and fires at the beach.

This is a summer record, full of youth and life, and I want it on vinyl. I want it to spin on my turntable as I look out the window into my backyard and watch the cardinal land in the Japanese maple. It plays as a soundtrack for memories, real or imagined, and it lifts me up into a lighter mood.

BUT

We can’t have everything. It was released in 2003, and as great a record as it is, that was the only year it was released on vinyl. Discogs has copies for sale, but the prices are all in euros and very expensive to boot.

Sometimes we must be satisfied by what we have and leave some dreams in the subconscious where they belong.

How Superstitious Are You? Playlist April 5/15

April 4, 2015April 4, 2015 / ds barrett / 4 Comments

“Slipin’ & Slidin’” – Little Richard

I read somewhere once that Here’s Little Richard is one of the most ‘essential’ records of all time. After listening a few dozen times in recent weeks, I believe that I agree. There is currently a special limited edition of it at Newbury Comics.

“Livin’ For The City” – The Dirtbombs

Love this record and love this band. I highly recommend you give them a listen. You can order stuff from here.

“Superstition” – Stevie Wonder

After reviewing The Dirtbombs, I couldn’t resist playing something from the legend himself. Wish he hadn’t lost his political edge for a bunch of wedding played syrup, but still, when he was at his creative peak, he couldn’t be touched.

“Your Touch” – The Black Keys

Earlier Black Keys, they just frickin’ rock – no matter what Mr. White has to say.

“Hold On” – Alabama Shakes

Something about this band just leaves me wanting more; looking forward to getting the new stuff.

“Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs

A good Neil Young cover is always welcome around here. Besides it gives me another excuse to play something from those great cover albums by Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs.

“Ballad of Big Nothing (Alternate Vocal)” – Elliot Smith

Another re-release from Newbury, … I love Smith’s music, I just wish it didn’t remind me of… well, less talk – more listen.

“Punky’s Dilemma” – Simon & Garfunkel

Started writing a review that included a memory of this song; haven’t finished the review, but the song makes me smile all the same.

“Blackbird” – Paul McCartney & Wings

Besides the recent re-master of Wings Over America, I actually have an old cassette copy I got back when I was about 15. Can’t believe this guy is still touring… can’t believe Kanye fans didn’t know who he was… actually…. I can believe that. Nevermind.

“Magnet and Steel” – Walter Egan

Don’t own it on vinyl, but I really do love this song. For some reason I always thought this was a Buckingham – Nicks song and always pictured Lindsay & Stevie singing it together. For a billion years I’ve known the truth, but that image just never goes away.

“Don’t Let Me Break Your Heart Again” – Turbo Fruits

Best Strokes sounding song not put out by the Strokes in a very long time; can’t wait to hear the whole record.

“The Root” – Kim Deal & Morgan Nagler

Kim Deal is so frickin’ awesome it hurts. Don’t want to picture the Pixies without her – so I don’t. She has her own web store where she is selling her singles and posting videos. This video is pretty cool.

“What Ever Happened?” – The Strokes

No, I’m not paid to promote Newbury! BUT – they do put out some cool collectible vinyl!

“Disarm” – The Smashing Pumpkins

It is getting hard to find this edition of Siamese Dream that is 180 gram vinyl with a gatefold cover. Get it soon or wait for the next significant anniversary.

“Positive Bleeding” – Urge Overkill

Yeah… I broke down and bought it! Probably use it as an example of how the poor exchange rate makes buying from south of the border a little on the expensive side.

“Until The Sun Comes” – Rival Sons

Love this song, I’m just not sure about the band yet. I’ll let you know later.

“If Only We Were Dogs” – Juliana Hatfield Three

Soon to be sold out from her web store, if you are thinking about it… you better get on it.

“I Ain’t Superstitious” – The Jeff Beck Group

It just made it across the Atlantic, and it already seems hard to get. Good Luck!

“Communication Breakdown” – Led Zeppelin

No problem finding this gem any and everywhere.

“John, I’m Only Dancing (Sax Version, 2003)” – David Bowie

This record has become “My Precious” he says in his best Gollum voice. This is a great version of the classic “John, I’m Only Dancing.” Why do I love it so much – the answer is in the song.