Low ridin' man (Geronimo Black) (LP 2613)

Geronimo Black  Geronimo Black (Vinyl, MCA Records, 1972) ****  

Genre: Rock 

Places I remember: Amoeba Records (Los Angeles)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Low Ridin' Man

Gear costume: A County Jail '59 C/S  

Active compensatory factors: Bunk Gardner, Jimmy Carl Black (the Indian of the group) and Denny Whalley make up over half of Geronimo Black (actually named after Jimmy's son - Geronimo Black). All were late of The Mothers Of Invention or The Magic Band (in Denny's case - and he would soon be a Mother as well).

This is the band's only album with this line-up in the seventies. Closest they come to being Zappa-esque is Quakers Earthquake (sic), otherwise it's a cool amalgamation of hard rock, prog experimentation, and jazzy stylings. Right up my alley!

It's also OTT and nuts at times (what would you expect with Bunk Gardner and Jimmy Carl Black?) Jimmy handles the vocals and drums with aplomb. 

Not available on Spotify but YouTube has some of the songs.

Where do they all belong? Another true one-off.

Summit soul (Jean-Luc Ponty) (LP 2319 - 2321)

Jean-Luc Ponty  Electric Connection (CD, Gott Records, 1969) ***  

Jean-Luc Ponty  King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa (CD, Gott Records, 1970) ****  

Jean-Luc Ponty  Mystical Adventures (CD, Atlantic Records, 1982) ****  

Genre: Pop rock; jazz fusion; jazz 

Places I remember: Fopp; Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: King Kong

Gear costume: Mystical Adventures Part 1

Active compensatory factors: Jean-Luc Ponty's music is hard to categorise as he has a foot in both the pop world and the jazz world via his work with George Duke, Frank Zappa and John McLaughlin.

Hence my claiming him in the pop rock, jazz and jazz-fusion genres.

Clearly, my interest in his solo career was sparked via his association with Zappa and the second album listed above: King Kong.

First of his American albums though, was 1969's Electric Connection. George Duke and a big crew of sessioners sit in with Jean-Luc on what is pretty much a straight jazz album.

King Kong is a brilliant set of Frank Zappa compositions - FZ even sits in on the sole Ponty written track. Assorted Mothers and soon to be Mothers (George Duke) also appear.

It helps that the music is brilliant, but the playing is outstanding as well. Although I find Music For Electric Violin and Low Budget Orchestra tough to listen to, I appreciate the experimental philosophy.

Still, it's the more tuneful songs that I appreciate the most on this album.

Mystical Adventures features a side long suite which is downright beautiful! Ponty embraced synths in the eighties and they merge wonderfully with his violin.

Where do they all belong? Want more Ponty? You have a ways to go before I get to Zappa in the Zeds. Unless I find a copy of his Individual Choice from 1983, in the meantime that is.

Funny funk (George Duke) (LP 1005)

George Duke  Feel (Vinyl, MPS Records, 1974) ***  

Genre: Jazz fusion 

Places I remember: Amoeba Records (Los Angeles)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Old Slippers

Gear costume: The Once Over 

Active compensatory factors: Truthfully, I wanted to find a copy of this because Zappa appears on two tracks (credited bizarrely as Obdewl'l X). I have kinda been underwhelmed by George's solo albums over the years. Given his brilliance on the Zappa albums this is always something of a mystery to me.

Feel has all the usual funny funk George Duke touches but is again not in the same league as his work with Frank. So - it's Zappa's leadership and direction and songs that are clearly the difference.

Old Slippers is a standout and not only because of Zappa's trademark smart as a whip guitar cameo. It's everything I love about the jazz fusion genre.  

I'm not much of a Flora Purim fan so her two Brazilian cool vocal tracks are not something I will be revisiting much.

Where do they all belong? And that will be it for George Duke solo albums.

Summer breezin' (George Duke) (LP 790)

George Duke  A Brazilian Love Affair (CD, Epic Records, 1980) *** 

Genre: Jazz fusion 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Brazilian Sugar

Gear costume: Up From The Sea It Arose And Ate Rio In One Swift Bite 

Active compensatory factors: I have a soft spot for George Duke as I'm sure I've mentioned before. His time with Zappa left a lasting impression on me.

His solo output is definitely different to his Zappa years and I guess I shouldn't expect Zappa's genius to extend to people who have been in his bands. I'm a slow learner sometimes.

This is by no means a bad album - those criss crossing Brazilian rhythms provide inside fun and the experiment is a qualified success.

Where do they all belong? I think I've stopped automatically collecting albums by George. I'll now stick to the wonderful things he contributed to the Zappa band.

Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus (Frank Zappa) (LP 626 - 627)

Frank Zappa  Waka-Jawaka Hot Rats (Vinyl/ CD, Reprise Records and Rykodisc, 1972) *****

The Mothers  The Grand Wazoo (Vinyl/ CD, Reprise Records and Rykodisc, 1972) ****

Genre: Alternative rock 

Places I remember: The Waka-Jawaka record came from the World Record Club I used to belong to and The Grand Wazoo album from Real Groovy Records. The CD triple pack (these two plus Hot Rats) was from HMV in Oxford St.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Big Swifty

Gear costume: Your Mouth/ It Just Might Be A One Shot Deal

Active compensatory factors: I always link these two in my imagination - released months apart in 1972 while Frank was convalescing following his assault (pushed off a stage in London).They both feature big band versions of The Mothers doing mostly instrumental songs.

Waka Jawaka is one of my all time favourite albums. It does it all without any smut and the enhanced musicians play their socks off. 

I'm not sure why it's linked to Hot Rats in the title as it has very little in common with that also classic Zappa album.

The Grand Wazoo doesn't hang together in the same way for me. Waka Jawaka has a personality and a cohesiveness that Grand Wazoo lacks (in my very subjective opinion).

Where do they all belong? In the conceptional continuity of Frank's albums. Much, much more, to come yet.

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

It must be a camel (Frank Zappa) (LP 525)

Frank Zappa Hot Rats (Cassette Tape, Vinyl and CD, Zappa Records and Ryko, 1968) ***** 

Genre: Alternative rock (but really Zappa is a genre unto himself) 

Places I remember: The cassette version came first, from my cousin Christine in the UK during the mid seventies, Vinyl reissue from JB Hi Fi in Palmerston North this year, CD from Real Groovy in between times.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Willie The Pimp (Beefheart lifts it to another level)

Gear costume: Son Of Mr. Green Genes

Active compensatory factors: Zappa called this a 'movie for the ears' on the sleeve and that's a good description of how this oral feast plays out.

I've written about it on Goo Goo previously and I won't add too much more here, aside from saying I still play this album regularly and I still hear new things every time.

If you haven't yet experienced Hot Rats, and you're maybe a little put off by Zappa's scatological approach at times, try it. You'll love it!

I especially recommend the reissue on pristine vinyl with all the original album art. It's beautiful!

Where do they all belong? Relax, there are many more Zappa albums to come in this countdown.

Put it on the line (Stanley Clarke) (LP 490 - 491)

Stanley Clarke/ George Duke  The Clarke/ Duke Project II (CD, Epic, 1983) ** 

Stanley Clarke  If This Bass Could Only Talk (CD, CBS, 1988) *** 

Genre: Jazz fusion 

Places I remember: Both from the Lindsay Hope collection

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles/ Gear Costume: Workin' Man (ITBCOT) 

Active compensatory factors: I love George Duke's work with Zappa and the first Project album from 1981 with Stanley Clarke was fun.

But this is dire in comparison. The date gives it away - by 1983 it was all terrible 80's production. But the songs aren't much either. 

Pains me to say, but it's ultimately a waste of their talents.

If This Bass Could Only Talk is much better, and features some jazz superstars like Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, and yes, George Duke on one track, but it's still not up to his seventies output.

The eighties decade was not a kind one to these guys! Actually, was it kind to anyone?

Where do they all belong? That's it for the Stanley Clarke corner of the Fusion Jazz CD section of the collection.

Tropical hot dog night (Captain Beefheart) (LP 483-484)

Captain Beefheart Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) (CD, Virgin, 1979) *****

Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band Ice Cream For Crow (CD, Virgin, 1982) ***

Genre: Alternative pop/rock 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records (Auckland)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Bat Chain Puller (I'm always a sucker for his spoken vocal style); When I See Mommy I Feel Like A Mummy - both on Shiny Beast. Ice Cream For Crow.

Gear costume:  You Know You're A Man (sounds clearly Zappa influenced to me); Owed T'Alex (featuring great Beefheart harmonica) - both on Shiny Beast

Active compensatory factors: There were lots of legal wrangles around this album and the original tapes for Bat Chain Puller. 

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the situation, this is quality Beefheart material after the previous lack lustre efforts for Mercury Records: Unconditionally Guaranteed and BlueJeans and Moonbeams.

Coming off the peak of the Bongo Fury tour, Shiny Beast has an amalgamated approach, in that it successfully combines different strands from his past and adds some obvious Zappa influences (and a couple of former Mothers - Bruce Fowler and Art Tripp). Check out my highlighted tracks for exhibit A, B, C and D. My favourite Beefheart album then.

Ice Cream For Crow is my second favourite album by Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band (I like that they are credited on this album). It's also his last before retiring to concentrate on his painting.

Where do they all belong? Captain Beefheart occupies a unique place in the Alternative musical universe. Sho nuff yes he do.

Are you hung up? (The Mothers Of Invention) (LP 443 - 444)

The Mothers Of Invention Absolutely Free (Vinyl, Verve, 1967) *****

The Mothers Of Invention We're Only In It For The Money (Vinyl, Verve, 1968) *****

Genre: Alternative rock 

Places I remember: Lewis Eady's Music (Queen St., Auckland) - now long gone.  

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Call Any Vegetable

Gear costume:  Brown Shoes Don't Make It  

Active compensatory factors: Absolutely Free (their second album) was the first Mothers/Zappa album I ever bought - even before Live At The Fillmore. I don't think Lewis Eady's Music knew what the album was as they were selling it extremely cheaply in their throw out bin.

One look at the cover was probably enough for them to think this wasn't something they wanted to have stick around.

I looked at it in the rack and thought - strange, weird, interesting, and when I saw the flipped cover had written on the bottom right hand corner: 'You must buy this album NOW top 40 radio will never ever play it', I knew I was gonna love it!

When I got it home and stuck it on I was in for a shock. This wasn't pop music like I knew it at all!! There was spoken word from what was clearly a cynical/ satirical higher being (Zappa), collage cut ups, fragments of great songs that would be cut off with discordant piss takes (it seemed) and it was all joined together so each side was like one long track.

What the...?

As I played it I absolutely fell in love with its invention (sorry) and singularity.  

I've been a Zappa fan ever since!

We're Only In It For The Money (their third album) came a bit later as I bought it on a record buying trip to Queen St., with Greg Knowles. It is almost part 2 of Absolutely Free with hippies and The Beatles, specifically Sgt Pepper's, being central targets for Zappa this time.

It is further evidence of his genius. Nuff said!

Where do they all belong? What a trip the Zappa collection is. There's nothing like it - hence it all exists in my Alternative rock section.

Laughing at me (Alice Cooper) (LP 204 - 207)

Alice Cooper Pretties For You (CD - Warner Bros, 1970) ***
Alice Cooper Easy Action (CD - Warner Bros, 1970) ** 
Alice Cooper Love It To Death (CD - Warner Bros, 1971) ***
Alice Cooper Killer (CD - Warner Bros, 1971) ***

Genre: American pop/rock

Places I remember: A Taupo record shop. 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: I'm Eighteen




Gear costume: Under My Wheels

Active compensatory factors: The first four Alice Cooper albums trace the arrival of the Coop (a.k.a. Vince Furnier) and his band from weirdo experimentalists beloved by Frank Zappa and signed to his label (Straight Records) to weirdo pop icons via I'm Eighteen (on Love It To Death). 

Debut album Pretties For You will appeal to Zappa/ Beefheart fans (like me). It's weird, eclectic, psychedelic music straight (ha ha) out of 1969.

Follow up, Easy Action, suffers a little from second album syndrome as the boys were a little short of material. David Briggs is well known for his association with Neil Young and no frills rock'n'roll so he's a bizarre (ha ha) choice!

Third and fourth albums are like Vol 1 and 2 of the new AC; they hit their mark with a harder rockier sound but still poppy in all the right places. I'm Eighteen is an obvious standout on Love It To Death and Under My Wheels is nicely macabre.

Still, they are all something of a preamble for School's Out - where I first started taking notice back in the day via the lead track as a single. 

That album is also collected in this five pack, original album series which I came across recently while cruising for burgers in Taupo [not sure what it is about Taupo and Alice - coincidentally, that's also where I first bought the School's Out album way back in time].

Where do they all belong? The classic School's Out (not included above because I've written about it already. You can check it out here). Next up is Billion Dollar Babies!

Sweet sweet bulbs (Captain Beefheart) (LP 12)

Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band Trout Mask Replica (CD - Reprise, 1969) ****

Genre: Alternative 

Places I remember: Another Marbeck's purchase (this has already become a common theme). 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: There are climactic points all over the shop - my favourite moment is Well.




Gear costume: ...closely followed by China Pig.




Active compensatory factors: Arrgghhhh where to start discussing this record. I could just say it's fast and bulbous and leave it at that.

Descriptions of this album cannot convey the bizarre inspired madness that assaults the senses. If you prize a melody above all else do not approach. If you don't like the blues, ditto. If your mind is closed, ditto.

But if you're up for it, dive in and go with it. It's hilarious! And deep! And challenging! And rewarding!

My favourite critical response is from Robert Christgau who commented that Trout Mask Replica was "... great played at high volume when you're feeling shitty, because you'll never feel as shitty as this record".

The Simpsons creator, Matt Groening, speaks for many of us when he tells of listening to Trout Mask Replica at the age of 15: "I thought it was the worst thing I'd ever heard. I said to myself, they're not even trying! It was just a sloppy cacophony. Then I listened to it a couple more times, because I couldn't believe Frank Zappa could do this to me – and because a double album cost a lot of money. About the third time, I realised they were doing it on purpose; they meant it to sound exactly this way. About the sixth or seventh time, it clicked in, and I thought it was the greatest album I'd ever heard".

BTW - one star deducted because, while it's important and great and all, truthfully, it's not an album I listen to a lot for enjoyment.

Where do they all belong? Zappa's Hot Rats and Bongo Fury albums feature Captain Beefheart heavily and any lover of fine beat combos should search those albums out. As for the Captain's own stuff - Lick My decals Off, Baby is next in line.

Wait a minute... I've got it... you're an Italian! (Frank Zappa) #444

Frank Zappa Dancin' Fool/ Baby Snakes (CBS, BA 222516, 1979)

Yes - your eyes are not deceiving you - don't call any vegetable, this is a Frank Zappa single!

Not a great one, but anything by Frank is better than 70% of everything else out there.

Dancin' Fool came off the Sheik Yerbouti album and obviously lampoons (skewers might be a better verb) the disco culture as only Frank could. 

It's catchy in its own rite - and was even a hit down at the disco. What a perverse world - Uncle Frank would have enjoyed that irony at the time, fer sure.

Hidden gem: Baby Snakes was also from the parent album. I have no idea what this song is about - something weird I feel and I'm also sure I don't actually wish to know.

I look at the world and I notice it's turning while my guitar gently weeps (The Beatles)

I recently blogged about the dire Eric Clapton autobiography on my Wozza's Place blog (http://www.wozzasplace.blogspot.com/) and mentioned that EC would probably make my top 20 guitarist list so I thought I'd put that to the test here.

So right off the bat I have to include on my rough list before getting down to 20:
George Harrison and John Lennon; Hendrix, of course; Jimmy Page; Leslie West; Alvin Lee; Chuck Berry; Keith Richards; Lenny Kaye; Muddy Waters; Neil Young and Stephen Stills; Pete Townshend; Roger McGuinn; David Gilmour; James Burton; Frank Zappa; Peter Green; Carlos Santana; Tony Iommi; Ritchie Blackmore; Joni Mitchell; Ry Cooder; Ernie Isley; Richard Lloyd; Joe Satriani; Eddie Van Halen; The Edge; Angus Young; Johnny Marr; John Squire; Dicky Betts and Duane Allman; Pat Travers; Rory Gallagher; Robby Krieger; Nick Drake; Jorma Kaukonen; Jerry Garcia; John Fogerty; Martin Barre; Ted Nugent; Chris Squire; Robin Trower; Dave Hill; Bill Frisell; George Benson; John Petrucci; Tom Morello; Andy Powell and Ted Turner; Billy Corgan; Adam Jones; Steven Wilson; Mikael Akerfeldt: Jesse Cook; John Mayer; Ron Wood; Stuart Adamson; Stone Gossard and Mike McCready; Lowell George; Billy Gibbons; Matthew Sweet.

That'll do. The most glaring omission is probably Jeff Beck but I only really like some stuff he did with The Yardbirds and I honestly can't add him to the list of my favourites based on a couple of songs.

So how many is that? 64 great guitarists, 65 when EC is included.

Hmm - how to judge them and leave out 45 of them?

Inventiveness, legacy, impact, originality, depth and breadth.

The Top Ten first of all (11 to 20 in the next post).

Obviously Jimi Hendrix is in a category all of his own and is the first name on the team sheet. A freak who like Miles Davis (Trumpet) and John Coltrane (Sax) single-handedly revolutionised his instrument. So many outstanding songs but I can't go past Voodoo Chile (both single and LP versions).

2 and 3 George Harrison and John Lennon. Yes I'm a Beatles/Lennon obsessive but they were also amazingly inventive guitarists. Best George moments come on Revolver and John's sublime visceral guitar on the Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band's Why has to be heard to be believed.

4 Rory Gallagher. I've raved about Rory from time to time in the blog. Best moments come on the Irish Tour '74 album and Cradle Rock in particular.

5 Tony Iommi defined a whole genre of metal guitar, sludge rock, stoner rock - whatever you want to call it. So many great riffs but War Pigs is my pick.

6 Ritchie Blackmore is so great he sustained a career beyond Deep Purple into Rainbow. Tie between Rainbow Rising and Machine Head as his best work. P.S. Rest in peace Jon Lord who died this week. His organ guitar duels with Ritchie are part of the signature Deep Purple sound we all love so much.

7 Carlos Santana makes the earth move. Somehow he tapped into chords and sustain that no one else has.

8 Ry Cooder - Jesus On The Mainline contains simply the best slide guitar playing...ever!

9 Neil Young has done it all and seems to be able to play any style he wants - rockabilly, punk, folk, country, blues, and inspired rock guitar are all within his grasp. It's hard to blow past Hurricane but for me the lather he whips up on Southern Man (Journey From The Past) is amazingly succinct - even when he stretches out!

10 Frank Zappa and his Hot Rats album was revolutionary - like a lot of his music, but he was no one trick rock fusion guitarist. No pigeon holes for Frank. Try Watermelon in Easter Hay from the Joe's Garage triple and be prepared to be impressed.

So far - no EC. Will he make the top 20?

Introducing A.R.T.

It's been a while since my last confession. The time has largely been spent readjusting to life in New Zealand and getting A.R.T. sorted.

A.R.T. stands for Abbey Road Two (I rejected Abbey Road South early on for obvious reasons). It's my music centre: a place to store all my records, C.D.s, videos, tapes, 45s, music books, D.V.D.s, posters and my guitar. It's somewhere I will be able to use as an office as well. And it's all mine!!!

When we bought the property in Otane there was a state of the art stable for horses, 12 acres of land, a lovely house and a three bay shed with work room attached. Most of that fulfilled Jacky's dreams, but there was no area for all my stuff.

There was however a huge double garage that was all lined and ready for a conversion programme. So that's what we've been doing.

A.R.T. is still a work in progress. The builder (Cliff) has removed the garage door, put in a sliding door and windows, removed some interior walls and put in other walls so that the laundry and toilet area is separate. He's gib stopped the walls and now I have to redecorate.

All my stuff has been unpacked and is sitting in a pile in the middle of the room so that I can paint.

It feels great to have my vinyl now in my purpose built space. It's always been in cupboard areas away from sight. First record played was Frank Zappa's 200 Motels which I brought home from the UK via the UAE.

The next few entries will focus on the A.R.T. progress and my rediscoveries in the collection.

Well it's a brimful of Asha on the 45 (Cornershop)

I'm a tad depressed. I'm in London, having just been in Edinburgh. These should be the music capitals of the world right? Music stores all over the place filled with lashings of CDs and DVDs. Right? Because they always have been.

Sadly - they are not!!!

The Virgin Mega Stores are long gone. HMVs are closing down as I write - there is only one left on Oxford St. these days. The large FOPP in Edinburgh has been closed and a small one in Rose St. is a pale shadow of what it should be - mainly because FOPP has been taken over by HMV and it shows. The six Avalanche stores in Edinburgh have now become one store.

The situation is dire and will only get worse for music lovers like me who love browsing the bins.

Here's how dire: for the last two weeks, I have been looking for a new CD by Josh T Pearson that Mojo has reviewed with album-of-the-year style notices. I have also been looking for Keith Jarrett's Koln concert CD. It's a jazz landmark and I need to replace my old recorded cassette version.

I have tried everywhere - all the big and small HMVs, all the big and small FOPPs. Nada, zip, zilch, nuttin. There is only one thing I can do - go online.

And there you have the demise of record shops. Most people, these days, if they are going to buy a CD at all are going to maybe (big maybe) go to an HMV. One. Not there? Okay - let's try online. Done deal. All over rover.

Okay - enuf misery.  There have been some successes and I will be returning to the desert with a lot of great finds.

And the good thing is that vinyl is still around. Imagine my delight and surprise when I entered the FOPP near Tottenham Court Rd to find a 45 by Beady Eye. Fab - I snapped that up. Okay - only 2 tracks and it cost £4 but it had to be done.

In Keswick I stumbled on a vinyl treasure trove at a collectables' shop. Not only that but there was a large number of Zappa titles - including a mint copy of 200 Motels. I don't have it, it's managed to be elusive, so it was a £30 pound bargain in my eyes. Trouble is I have to wait until I return to my belongings in NZ at some point in the future to actually play them. Before that we'll need to buy a house to unpack it in - details, details.

Tomorrow we are off to Paris. I don't hold out much hope of adding to the collection there but I am forever optimistic.

Burn me in hell but as long as it pays (10CC)

Okay - so the final post in my album cover series and it's the second, best of the rest and last one on the arty farty theme. Next post - the Big Man remembered.

Aren't these covers awesome??!!

Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

King Crimson - In The Court of the Crimson King

Frank Zappa - The Grand Wazoo



My series ends with the first cover that really zapped me between the eyeballs.

 Love and peace - Wozza