What am I here for (André Previn) (LP 614)

 

André Previn A Touch Of Elegance (Vinyl, CBS Coronet, 1960) ** 

Genre: Piano jazz 

Places I remember: My father's record collection. I can distinctly remember the cabinet that housed this and dad's other  records in our house at 18 Korma Ave., Royal Oak, Auckland, NZ, Earth, The Solar System, The Universe. The long, narrow cabinet was used to house dad's stereo and records at one end (on a bottom shelf) and was also used as a drinks' cabinet on the top shelf. At some point the small bottle of purply/red bitters must have fallen over and leaked and was then soaked up by some record covers. Mr Previn's album has tell tale signs of this stain some 60 years later (and a very faint bitters smell). The pristine vinyl was unaffected. Phew.

Back cover and stains on display!

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: It Don't Mean A Thing

Gear costume: Sophisticated Lady   

Active compensatory factors: Dad loved Duke Ellington and so I guess this album was a sought after purchase for him in 1960 as the album is an excuse to cover a whole lot of his songs. I was 3 years old so I only know this album from a distance.

André Previn employs his orchestra to bolster his piano playing and it's all pretty schmaltzy apart from the more up tempo song I've featured (ironically the only one on the set and as the song goes - it don't mean a thing unless it's got that swing!).

Sidebar #1: this long playing album was clearly still a bit of a novelty back in 1960 as it makes sure listeners set their turntable speed at 33 and a third by telling them that THREE TIMES on the back cover!

Sidebar #2: I've just bought a copy of Duke Ellington/John Coltrane and it is in a different stratosphere to the André Previn set. Recorded in 1962, it's almost a contemporary of Previn's Elegance but clearly dad wasn't interested in it if he even knew it existed. Duke's piano playing is amazing and there is only ever going to be one John Coltrane but dad preferred the orchestral version. 

Where do they all belong? Another album I'll never get rid of because those stains on the cover are priceless!

Love island (Deodato) (LP 613)

Deodato Love Island (Vinyl, Warner Bros. Records, 1978) *** 

Genre: Jazz fusion 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Tahiti Hut

Gear costume: Take The A Train

Active compensatory factors: I continue to be seduced by the jazz fusion gumbo that Deodato serves up (as he's Brazilian I guess that should be Feijoada rather than gumbo).

As with other Deodato albums, the guest list is impressive: John Tropea, George Benson, Larry Carlton, Rick Marotta, Randy Brecker are a few of more well known ones.

Sometimes forgotten in all this, is Eumir Deodato. He composes most of these songs, and his cool, laid back keyboard style is the featured instrument throughout. 

Where do they all belong? Bound to be more coming but that's it for Deodato on vinyl for now. Prelude is the biggie coming on CD.

Strut time (Benny Golson) (LP 611 - 612)

Benny Golson The Modern Touch (Vinyl double album released as Blues On Down on Milestone Records, 1978. Originally released 1957) ***

Benny Golson The Other Side Of Benny Golson (Vinyl double album released as Blues On Down on Milestone Records, 1978. Originally released 1958) ****

Genre: Jazz 

Places I remember: Ray's Jazz Bar (in Foyles of Charing Cross)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Strut Time

Gear costume: Are You Real?, This Night

Active compensatory factors: This is a double album made up of two late fifties albums that he recorded for Riverside: 1957's The Modern Touch and 1958's The Other Side Of Benny Golson.

These were his second and third albums and you can hear the development (all of my featured songs above come from The Other Side...).

You'll know Benny from the film The Terminal - the whole point of the Tom Hanks film is for the main character to get Benny's signature!

Where do they all belong? That's it for Benny, next up in the Jazz section is Freddie Hubbard.

You brought the joy (LP 610)

Freda Payne Contact (Vinyl, Invictus Records, 1971) ***

Genre: Soul

Places I remember: The Music Box (Hastings)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Odds And Ends

Gear costume: Cherish What Is Dear To You (While It's Near To You) 

Active compensatory factors: I had just read a re-release review of this album in Mojo Magazine and I was in The Music Box looking in the soul section for Billy Preston's Encouraging Words for Noel when I came across this album.

The Mojo review had mentioned that a lot of the songs were written by Brian Holland-Lamont Dozier (I love Holland-Dozier-Holland) - that piqued my interest.

When I saw it was on the Invictus label, that clinched the deal so I took a punt. I only know her via the Band Of Gold single so listening to a whole album by her was a new experience.

As an album it's pretty good, and although I think the peak was Band of Gold (not on this album) which appeals more to my pop sensibilities, there are some terrific songs on the album. 

Where do they all belong? Next up in the soul section is Raydio.

Eddie, are you kidding? (Frank Zappa) (LP 607 - 609)

The Mothers Fillmore East - June 1971 (Vinyl, Reprise Records, 1971) ****

Frank Zappa Frank Zappa's 200 Hotels (Vinyl, United Artists, 1971) ***

The Mothers Just Another Band From L.A. (Vinyl, Reprise Records, 1972) ****

Genre: Alternative rock 

Places I remember: Fillmore East came from the RCA record club in 1971, Just Another Band was bought at a Newmarket Record Store in 1972, and 200 Motels came from a record shop/bric-a-brac store in Keswick from a visit to the Lake District in 2011.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: The encores at the end of Fillmore East: Lonesome Electric Turkey/Peaches En Regalia/Tears Began To Fall

Gear costume: Strictly Genteel (from 200 Motels)

Active compensatory factors: Record clubs introduced many collectors to their first taste of bands. The RCA Victor Record Club did exactly that for me by opening up the world of weird, fringe, alternative music like that produced by Frank Zappa.

In 1971, I sent away for The Mothers' Fillmore East live album, and it duly arrived in the post to my Royal Oak, Auckland home. To say it was a shock to my teenage system is an under-statement.

I think I knew that The Mothers was shorthand for The Mothers Of Invention and that Frank Zappa was the guiding force because I read the music papers (Circus, Sounds and NME mainly) but I had no real idea what the music was about, because I'd not heard anything by the band to that point - it certainly wasn't something that NZ radio would broadcast.

So when I listened to it I was shocked to hear lurid stories of groupies, sex, and band debachery in a kind of comedy music format (as 200 Motels introduces). If my parents had heard it there is no way I'd have been allowed to keep it!

So I listened to it in secret and when Just Another Band From L.A. came along (with the purchase of John Lennon/Yoko Ono's Sometime In New York City double album from 1972 also containing some Zappa/Mothers' jams), I also listened to them on headphones in my bedroom. 

The comedy music of this version of The Mothers was short lived - 1970 to 1972 (starting with Chunga's Revenge). It flamed out after Frank was pushed off the stage and was laid up for a while (working on Waka/Jawaka).

During those three years Frank and The Mothers produced the film and soundtrack - 200 Motels. I have yet to see the film, but the music is stand alone. It's not my favourite Zappa album but a long way but it does contain some fun moments and Strictly Genteel, as the climax on side four, is superb!

It has to be said, that some of this stuff hasn't aged that well and the comedy routines can be gross and unfunny at times, but he was a trail-blazer, a real rebel in the music industry and a creative genius, so I forgive him his excesses.

Finally, I do retain a real soft spot for Billy The Mountain - a side long barking mad suite that tells the convoluted story of Billy and Ethel (his wife - a tree growing off of his shoulder). Only in Frank's wild imagination could this exist, and actually work as a 'song'.

Where do they all belong? Next up - we are still in the early seventies for Waka/ Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo

Pride and joy (Stevie Ray Vaughan) (LP 605 - 606)

Stevie Ray Vaughan  Texas Flood (Vinyl, Epic Records, 1983) ****

Stevie Ray Vaughan  Couldn't Stand The Weather (Vinyl, Epic Records, 1984) **** 

Genre: Blues 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Cold Shot

Gear costume: Love Struck Baby, Rude Mood 

Active compensatory factors: I was knocked out by the video for Cold Shot when it came out in 1984. Big year 1984 - I was married and we had our first child that year.

So, it's fair to say that music wasn't my main priority in the mind to late eighties, so buying records definitely slowed down as we set up house and started the child raising years. Music on TV was a great saviour though because I could access music for free.

That's where Cold Shot comes in. From there I picked up the first two solo albums from Marbecks when we moved from New Plymouth back to Auckland at the end of 1985.

He certainly had a distinctive style and I'm picking those scenes in Cold Shot weren't too far from the truth - like Hendrix and others - always noodling on a guitar.

He could do it all too - slow blues, pop (with David Bowie), hard rock, guitar wig outs and so on. Tragic waste that he passed away in 1990, in that helicopter accident while getting to another gig.

Where do they all belong? Those are the only records I own by SRV - but more to come on CD. 

Death and the lady (Shirley Collins) (LP 604)

Shirley Collins Lodestar (Vinyl and CD, Domino, 2016) ***

Genre: Folk 

Places I remember: The Spellbound Wax Company (in Gisborne)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Pretty Polly

Gear costume: Old Johnny Buckle

Active compensatory factors: Contemporary reviews called this 'an austere, foreboding' record and they're not wrong. Not a lot of joy on offer here.

The 38 year gap in recording (check here for details) means this was a big deal in 2016 and it earned high praise.

I can see why - Shirley's voice is amazing and the sparse instrumentation creates that austere atmosphere.

My problem is that the songs are so dark and yes, foreboding that it becomes a really heavy set to get through.

Things perk up a bit for side two (where my selections come from) but death looms large over the record.

Where do they all belong? I'll go back to the seventies and the Albion Bands more often than Lodestar I sense.

Nuclear burn (Brand X) (LP 598 - 603)

Brand X Unorthodox Behaviour (Vinyl, Passport Records, 1976) ***

Brand X Moroccan Roll (Vinyl, Charisma, 1977) ***

Brand X Livestock (Vinyl, Passport Records, 1977) ****

Brand X Masques (Vinyl, Charisma, 1978) ***

Brand X Product (Vinyl, Passport Records, 1979) ***

Brand X Do They Hurt? (Vinyl, Passport Records, 1980) ***

Genre: Progressive rock (some may say jazz fusion has some claims as well but the Phil Collins presence lends me to prefer prog rock, as well as the Hignosis inspired covers) 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records/ Vinyl Countdown

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Running on Three (Unorthodox Behaviour)

Gear costume: Rhesus Perplexus (Product); Isis Mourning i), ii) (Livestock); Macrocosm (Moroccan Roll)

Active compensatory factors: Only Product features the distinctive vocals of Phil Collins, apart from that he's the (occasional) drummer in Brand X, and the songs are all largely instrumental prog work-outs with some brilliant musicians.

Given the high rotation through various members and supporting musicians, the quality remains surprising high throughout each of these albums (released on Charisma in the UK and Passport Records in the USA). 

Phil Collins pops up on most of these albums, apart from Masques but that's not very noticeable given Chuck Burgi's excellent drumming on that album.

Product is probably the one that deviates most from the Brand X brand, in that it contains a large number of actual songs with actual vocals by Phil Collins. That makes it the most commercial album amongst this lot. Given it's release date of 1980, it also makes it the one that leans most heavily on post punk sensibilities. 

That, plus the fact it features two bassists, makes it the most eclectic album here.

Do They Hurt? is made up of vocal-less outtakes from the Product sessions and is actually the more cohesive of the two albums.

Where do they all belong? That's my current Brand X collection in one swoop. There's one more Collins/Brand X album for me to find - Is There Anything About? - a further album of Product outtakes. And then there are two more without Collins: X-Communication and Manifest Destiny.

Exposure (Modern Jazz Quartet) (LP 596 - 597)

Modern Jazz Quartet Under The Jasmin Tree (Vinyl, Apple Records, 1968) ** 

Modern Jazz Quartet  Space (Vinyl, Apple Records, 1969) ** 

Genre: Apple Records 

Places I remember: I found Under The Jasmin Tree in an early version of Real Groovy Records; Space came from Noel Forth, also back in the seventies.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles/ Gear costume: Three Little Feelings (Part I) (Under The Jasmin Tree)

Active compensatory factors: I love a lot of jazz, but I don't love the Modern Jazz Quartet. The vibraphone is the principle reason - it's just not for me (unless it's played by Ruth Underwood in Frank Zappa's Mothers Of Invention).

So a lot of this music leaves me cold I'm afraid - hence the two stars. Why on Apple? Well it's a case of who you know it seems: band manager knows a big wig at Apple kind of thing.

The band liked these two albums but returned to Atlantic after Space, so...not that committed to the label were they.

Where do they all belong? I'm pretty sure this the third time I've played these albums (I have a policy of doing a fresh hearing before each of the posts on the relevant albums). I'll keep them in my Apple Records collection though - they are obscurely touched by Beatle dust.

I feel fine (The Beatles) (LP 591 - 595)

The Beatles Australia, Festival Hall, Melbourne, 17th June 1964 (Vinyl, AVA, 2018) *** 

The Beatles USA, Philadelpia Convention Hall, Melbourne, 2nd September 1964 (Vinyl, AVA, 2018) *** 

The Beatles France, Paris Palais Des Sports, 20th June 1965 (Vinyl, AVA, 2018) ** 

The Beatles Blackpool, ABC Theatre, 19th July and 1st August 1965 (Vinyl, AVA, 2018) ****

The Beatles Japan, Budokan Hall, Tokyo, 30th June 1966 (Vinyl, AVA, 2018) **** 

Genre: Beatles pop 

Places I remember: EMI (Vienna). Jacky and I were in Vienna to see the famous Spanish horses show and I had to stop off at the EMI shop while we were there (sadly we didn't get to eat chocolate cake in a bag), where I found this.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Boys (Philadelphia) - Ringo fair tears into this in proto-punk fashion.

Gear costume: If I Fell (just as if) (Blackpool); Yesterday (Blackpool); Paperback Writer (Japan). Who says the harmonies didn't work live? These are great versions - clearly they could hear themselves and George/John's banter around Paul's solo version of Yesterday in Blackpool is hilarious!

Active compensatory factors: This is a limited edition five album boxed set (titled Home and Away '64 - '66). My copy is number 324 of 1,000.

The French one suffers from a slightly inferior sound to the others and Paul's attempts at French are terrible!

The early ones in Australia and the USA have all the atmosphere but Blackpool and Japan sound mighty good. You get a great sense of what a dynamite live band they were but the sets are very short - blink and you miss them versions of songs became the standard operating procedure during Beatlemania.

Where do they all belong? A return to The Anthology videos where you can see and hear some of these performances. That's it now for Beatles LPs. 

Next up in the Beatles' pop genre - George solo albums.

The Tennessee toad (Leo Kottke) (LP 590)

Leo Kottke 6- and 12- String Guitar (CD, Takoma Records, 1974) ***** 

Genre: Folk 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Watermelon

Gear costume: The Driving Of The Year Nail

Active compensatory factors: I can listen to this album over and over again without ever getting bored with it, and I can always tune into little things that I've never heard before.

It's as pure as Leo Kottke got - his vocals on subsequent albums, which also added other instrumentation, presented a different Leo Kottke. Sure - he didn't want to repeat himself. So this album is like lightning in a bottle!

Here he's presented as a solo steel-string fingerpicking guitarist. Pure and simple.

Where do they all belong? Back to the vinyl next (can't wait!)