The Strangers - No More Heroes.

Their second album, and their second album released in 1977. I loved this when it came out and rinsed my sister's copy. I've kind of left it alone for a long time, though - largely because of some of the dodgy track titles, even though I understand some of the language was meant with humour and irony and for shock value.

In all honestly, though, it's a really great album, even though it's lyrically of its time.

#TheStranglers #NoMoreHeroes #Vinyl #Music #NowPlaying

Goldie - Timeless

At the age of sixteen, I left school and served a five year apprenticeship in dental technology. I only did it for a couple of years after passing my apprenticeship before giving it up to become a postman. I've never met another dental technician in the wild.

I share my former dental technician status with Goldie. (Although, you could argue that once you've served your time, you remain one for life, even if you're not working in the field. Like some mafioso).

I never know whether it's a massive mistake or a stroke of business genius to leave your big hits off the album, as is the case with this issue: later versions included the 'hits' Inner City Life and State of Mind - it's a fine piece of work.

I still miss the smell of a dental laboratory. Whenever I pass one, I toy with the idea of going in and asking them if I can have a sniff. Might do it one day.

#Vinyl #NowPlaying #Music #Jungle #Goldie #Timeless #DentalTechnician #dentaltechnology

Sully - Blue EP

Whenever I feel like an old cunt, I try to remember how lucky I have been to have lived through the time that saw the emergence of punk, techno, and jungle.

I used to love being in the jungle room at raves, especially before things got a bit crack-y. And when I finally get off my arse and invent a time machine that's on my list.

This is a minimalist jungle 4-sided EP. It makes me want to dance and cry tears of joy at the same time.

#NowPlaying #Vinyl #Jungle #Music #Sully #BlueEP

Bobby Womack, J. J. Johnson - Original Motion Picture Score - Across 110th Street

I have no recollection of how I acquired this album. I've owned it for yonks though - mid 80s, I reckon.

It's one of those albums that has become more well known as the years have passed. It's had bootleg and official re-releases. I don't know why this album, in particular, has been singled out for attention - it's decent, but it's no better than a hundred thousand albums of its time.

I used to have the film Across 110th Street on video. It's alright.

#NowPlaying #Vinyl #Soul #Jazz #BobbyWomack #JJJohnson #Across100thStreet #Soundtrack #Music

Stevie Wonder - Talking Book

I can't believe I haven't posted this album before.

It's a red hot 10.

Braille sleeve to boot.

#StevieWonder #TalkingBook #NowPlaying #Soul #Tamla #Music #Vinyl #braille

Earth, Wind & Fire - Spirit

Whenever people have asked me what band I would have most liked to have been in, I have always said Earth, Wind & Fire. I've always considered the reasons to be obvious.

If you'd have asked me before today where this album falls in the EWF chronology, I would have said second. It's actually their SEVENTH album. Blimey, what a div. I'm ashamed of my lack of EWF knowledge. They'll never let me in the band now. It already bears all the hallmarks of their later massive hits, with only maybe Saturday Nite being in their top ten big tunes.

During the recording of this album, Maurice White told co-producer Charles Stepney about his new song, Spirit. Stepney proceeded to drop dead of a heart attack later that day. The album is dedicated to Stepney.

The sticker on the front of the sleeve says I paid 99p for this from the Children's Hospice Shop in Kings Heath. Mid-90s probably.

#NowPlaying #Vinyl #Music #EWF #EarthWindAndFire #Spirit #CharlesStepney.

Miles Davis - Agartha

Davis and septet, recorded live in Osaka, in 1975. The same group who made Dark Magus.

Years ahead of it's time.

Breathtaking.

#Nowplaying #Music #Vinyl #Agartha #MilesDavis #Jazz #JazzFusion

Ripple Effect Band - Mayawa

An all woman band from Arnhem Land, the the NT, doing Indigenous rock/reggae.

It kind of ends up sounding a bit like The Bodysnatchers meets Dengue Fever. Nothing wrong with that.

It's an LP so niche that I had to add it to Discogs myself.

#NowPlaying #Music #Vinyl #RippleEffectBand #Mayawa #NorthernTerritory #AboriginalRock

Paulinho Da Costa - Sunrise

A distinctly average album by the eighties' favourite percussionist.

The cover of Jorge Ben's Taj Mahal just makes you realise how Reform Rod ruined that song.

I'm Going To Rio is the best track, and makes it to jazz night warm up DJ level vibes.

#paulinhodacosta #Sunrise #brazilianjazz #Vinyl #NowPlaying #Music

Jill Scott - To Whom This May Concern

I had this on pre-order and it never materialised, so I had to cancel my order. Managed to get a copy off Discogs this week.

Jill Scott is fucking great.

#JillScott #ToWhomThisMayConcern #NowPlaying #Soul #Vinyl #Music

Shakatak - Night Birds

Shakatak were well ahead of the game. This, their second album, came out in 1982, and is choc-full of every influence they could absorb from the burgeoning jazz-funk scene. So on the button were they that they had a handful of smash hit singles (three of them from this album) and so popular were they that everyone got sick of hearing them and moved on to other things and you'd never hear these tunes anywhere, apart from on the BBC radio station for old cunts, Radio 2.

The Japanese fucking loved them though, and they've made a decent living there ever since.

This album's really good. I particularly love Keith Winter's guitar sound.

I picked this up for something silly like 20c in the old Fishermans Warf Market in Port Adelaide - now the site of a brand new shiny and largely empty car park. UK pressing. Mint.

Also, the Wikipedia page has a photo of them live at the Capital Jazz Festival in 1982. I was there.

#Jazz-funk #Shakatak #NIghtBirds #Jazz #NowPlaying #Vinyl #Music #PortAdelaide

RAMP -Come Into Knowledge

This is a bootleg copy of this very rare LP by the Roy Ayers Music Project in 1977.

Big old rare groove classics abound albeit on a really shit pressing.

#funk #jazzfunk #nowplaying #ramp #Vinyl #Music #RoyAyers #Bootleg

Robert Johnson - King Of The Delta Blues Singers Vol. II

I dug this out to give it a spin because I've just started reading Brother Robert - Growing Up With Robert Johnson by Annye C. Anderson. Apparently this is the book which dispels all the (Eric) Claptrap which has been spoken about Johnson over the years.

This record has no sleeve. The paper inner sleeve in which it is stored has a 1 pound sticker from Low Price Records in Barking. This was a proper old shabby record shop round the back of the shopping centre, that used to have a big poster of Billy Bragg behind the counter, signed with 'If music be the food of love, eat at Low Price Records.' I bought a few blues LPs sans sleeves there.

#Music #NowPlaying #Blues #RobertJohnson #Vinyl

Blyth Power - The Guns Of Castle Carey

My favourite Blyth Power line-up. With some of the most enduring BP tunes.

#BlythPower #FolkPunk #TheGunsOfCastleCarey #NowPlaying #Music #Vinyl

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Countdown—Time in Outer Space

I didn't even realise I owned this record until today. The only inkling I have as to how I acquired it is that it came as part of a load of LPs from an auction a decade or so ago. I don't think I've ever played it.

It's proper end of the 50's jazz, from Brubeck's peak line-up. With polyrhythms galore and fancy time signatures that I have no hope of understanding, and a Franz Kline painting on the front cover - just listening to this makes you feel cleverer...like the dude on the front of the Mastermind game, or something.

#Music #NowPlaying #Vinyl #Jazz #TheDaveBrubeckQuartet #CountdonwTimeInOuterSpace #FranzKline

Rick James - Bustin' Out Of L7

Everything is big on this album.

The whopping High On Your Love/One Mo Hit (Of Your Love) is one of his career highlights.

#Music #NowPlaying #Vinyl #RickJames #BustinOutOfL7 #Funk

Anita Baker - Rapture

Recorded amid the legal wranglings between her record labels, this was Baker's second solo album, where she emerges from the primordial indie soul soup and drags herself up onto the beach of superstardom to bask in the bright, life-giving sunshine of major label production.

Listening back with a few years under my belt, this sounds like a Chapter 8 album which has been polished until you can see your pores in it. (Her old bandmate, MIchael J. Powell, twiddled the knobs on this.) The songs - and Baker's performances - are so good, though - Mystery is fucking breathtaking! I'd just love to hear this album if it had been made by Beverly Glen.

#NowPlaying #Vinyl #Music #anitabaker #Rapture #Soul #MichaelJPowell #Chapter8

Erykah Badu - Mama's Gun

The good news is, there's a new Erykah Badu album coming out in December. I pre-ordered it yesterday.

Thought I'd play this today to get me in the mood. This is such a strong album. That whole Soulquarian vibe is so strong. Don't know why I don't play this as much as some of her other work.

Roll on December.

#ErykahBadu @MamasGun #Vinyl #NowPlaying #Music #Soul #NeoSoul #Soulquarians #Motown #Questlove #jdilla

Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan - Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan

I think the reason I like Rufus so much is that they kept things pretty minimal - just the basic four players (with some overdubs), plus ol' superlungs herself. No long list of percussionists, strings, brass...a bit more of a rock band approach, really.

Turns out that this very morning the Guardian have done a ranking of Chaka's twenty finest tunes, and Sweet Thing off this album, comes in at number 4. Fair enough. I mean, it is pretty awesome.

#NowPlaying #[url=https://friendica.world/search?tag=Music]Music #RufusFeaturingChakaKhan #Vinyl #TheGuardian

Nubya Garcia - Source

I bought this as soon as it came out (6 years ago, already) having been caught in the British Jazz rip, which swept me along for a bit before washing me up on the shore, leaving me feeling it was all a bit of an anti-climax.

As a result, I haven't played this much. It's not bad. It's just...not bad.

#NubyaGarcia
#Source
#Vinyl
#NowPlaying
#Music
#jazz

Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan - Ask Rufus

This album took a long time to record. Part of the reason for this was fighting between the band members. Actual fighting. (Chaka Khan and drummer, Andre Fischer being particular sparring partners.)

Despite this, erm, creative tension, this is a really good album. Lead track At Midnight (My Love Will lift You Up) is one of their best tunes. Hollywood is another career highlight.

You can almost taste the post-nasal drip, so cocaine-infused is this music.

Love it.

#RufusFeaturingChakaKhan
#AskRufus
#Vinyl
#NowPlaying
#Music

Quincy Jones - Sounds...And Stuff Like That!!

Quincy Jones is one of those people whose reputation remains untarnished, despite spending his whole career neck deep in the entertainment cess pit, and, what's more, making his best-known work alongside a massive nonce. It looks like the only person who ever had a bad word to say about him was Tupac, who had a go about him only marrying white women. Fucking idiot.

Stuff Like That was the big hit off this album. It was such a big hit that it becomes diminished by its familiarity. It's only when you listen to it nearly 50 years later that you realise how good it is.

This album also contains modern-soul-dancer-deep-cut, Love, I Never Had It So Good, which is outstanding.

The list of players on this album is huge, but includes, Ashford & Simpson, Chaka Khan, Gwen Guthrie, Ralph MacDonald, Patti Austin, Michael Brecker, Hubert Laws, Herbie Hancock, Eric Gale, Tom Scott, Steve Gadd, Richard Tee, Melvin "Wah Wah" Watson, and a pre-fame Luther Vandross. Plus the whole cast of Ben Hur.

#quincyjones
#Sounds...andStuffLikeThat!!!
#NowPlaying
#Vinyl

Planxty - After The Break

Planxty's 1979 get-back-together album.

Full of confidence, competence and big ideas, not to mention impeccable production.

I've somehow got two of these.

#NowPlaying
#Vinyl
#IrishFolk
#Trad
#Planxty
#AfterTheBreak

McCoy Tyner - Focal Point

Tyner's 1976 album, where he applies his modal piano style to an album of tunes heavily influenced by Weather Report and Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Needless to say, it's fucking great.

I got this for 50c as part of my best ever op shop haul.

#Jazz
#NowPlaying
#Music
#McoyTyner
#FocalPoint
#Vinyl

Plastikman - Spastik 12"

....well apart from the name, obviously.

A classic slice of minimalist techno.

#RichieHawtin
#Plastikman
#Spastik
#Techo
#NowPlaying
#Vinyl

Art Ensemble of Chicago - People In Sorrow

I haven't played this much. However it was just what I fancied this morning and I really enjoyed it.

A Japanese pressing with a proper Tesco Value sleeve.

Bowie and Adler squeak and squawk over a very low-key background. However, out of that emerges some beautiful melody. Makes me promise myself to sit down and properly listen to this album and reveal its hidden depths. One day.

This album was recorded in Boulogne. This was where British schools used to go to for our French day trip. I remember discussing Holiday In Cambodia with my mate on the coach because John Peel had played it the night before. This means it was 1980 when I went. Like some Willie Russell play, we'd be let loose in the town to buy flick knives and bangers, fill up on Orangina (Mmmmm) and get in fights (boys) or cop off with (girls) the local youth whilst the teachers got half-cut. Happy days.

#jazz
#NowPlaying
#Vinyl
#Music
#artensembleofchicago
#LesterBowie
#AlbertAdler
#Peopleinsorrow
#Boulogne

Squarepusher - Kammerkonzert

When I was a little kid, we used to drive up the A12 to see my cousins in Chelmsford. I have three abiding memories of this. We used to drive past the big onion. Now this wasn't a Big Onion like you'd get in Australia, but part of - I think - a cigarette factory. We then went past the Marconi factory (the world's first radio factory, don't you know). My cousins had a big old mangle down the back of their garden, which I found fascinating.

Who could have known that such a dowdy place would spawn Squarepusher?

I've been in the musical doldrums again recently, but this LP has managed to penetrate enough for me to both buy it immediately and play it a fair bit.

It's so good - kind of jazzy, classical-y, sometimes beautifully melodic, but often sitting on the very edge of irritating, loads of frantic clavinet-sounds. All mangled in that classic Squarepusher way.

#Squarepusher
#TomJenkinson
#Kammerkonzert
#Chelmsford
#NowPlaying
#Music
#Vinyl
#Marconi

Christy Moore - Prosperous

I found a really decent - and reasonably priced - copy of this on Discogs. Irish pressing.

It's famously the first Planxty album in all but name. They were clearly trying a few things out here - some of it works and was taken forward onto the Planxty black album; some of it doesn't and was left to wither on the vine.

In my search for information on Prosperous House in County Kildare, where the cover was shot, I ended up falling down the rabbit hole of looking at houses for sale in the Curryhills area in general.

#NowPlaying
#Music
#Vinyl
#ChristyMoore
#prosperous
#Planxty
#CountyKildare

Neil Young - Tonight's The Night

Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been two months since my last confession.
The tl;dr of the whole thing is that I’ve been playing tunes that I’ve already written about and haven’t really felt like buying more. I’ve particularly been digging Mingus.

I’ve also been reading Shakey the Neil Young biography, which is pretty good.

This made me pick up a copy of Tonight’s The Night, which is the only pre-Trans Neil Young album I haven’t got.

It’s very good.

#Vinyl
#NowPlaying
#NeilYoung
#TonightsTheNight
#Rock

Mulatu Astatke – Mulatu Plays Mulatu

An album in which Mulatu, now in his eighties, re-records some of his earlier music.

If you like Ethiopian jazz, occasionally on the funky side of things, you’ll like this.

#MuatuAstatke
#MulatuPlaysMulatu
#Vinyl
#EthiopianJazz
#NowPlaying
#Music

clipping. - Dead Channel Sky

This arrived in the post whilst I was at work over the weekend.

I popped it on the turntable when I got up this morning and my wife says to me, “That was supposed to be your Christmas present, you [redacted slur].”

Oh well.

Incidentally, the Welsh have the best name for Father Christmas. I'm not Welsh. Would it be cultural appropriation to start using it as my default? Hmm.

#NowPlaying
#Vinyl
#clipping.
#HipHop
#DeadChannelSky
#Music

Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow

I recently watched clipping.’s Tiny Desk Concert. Excellent stuff.

Reminded me of this album.

Chemical Calisthenics really is something.

Across the whole album, though, it's not just the complexity of the delivery that stuns me, but the quality of the lyrics.

#NowPlaying
#CD
#Blackalicious
#BlazingArrow
#clipping.
#TinyDeskConcert
#Music