The Family - The Family Album

This album kicks off with its two bangers segued together. Now segueing tracks is not something I normally approve of, but it really works here, for some reason. Either of these two tunes transport me instantly back to The Royal Oak in Tooley St (RIP) in 1985. Without wishing to lapse into hyperbole, they are better than the entirety of Prince's 1980s output.

Also of note is the rather dreary Nothing Compares 2U, which developed a life of its own a few years later. Whodathunkit?

#Music #NowPlaying #Vinyl #TheFamily #TheFamilyAlbum #PaiseyPark #Prince #NothingCompares2U

Jerry Butler - You & Me

A bit of a lacklustre effort from Butler, here. Everything is just a little bit underwhelming; a little off.

Highlights are the two 'big' cover versions: George Harrison's Something and Terry Callier's Ordinary Joe, which just needed to be pitched up a bit to make it shine.

Also, the sleeve has a flap with the opening near the spine where the inner 'hinge' is. Designed for maximum difficulty to describe in words and maximum inconvenience when trying to get the record out,

#Music #Vinyl #JerryButler #YouandMe #Soul #GeorgeHarrison #TerryCallier #NowPlaying

Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson - Bridges

This album contains one of Scott-Heron/Jackson's finest tunes, We Almost Lost Detroit. Like most people who were involved in the rare groove scene of the late eighties, though, I bought this album for Racetrack In France a lyrically and musically odd tune which works wonders on a dancefloor.

#nowplaying #Music #Vinyl #GilScott-Heron #BrianJackson #Bridges

Steve Williamson - A Waltz For Grace

I managed to fire up my intermittently-functioning CD player this afternoon and stuck this on.

Amongst the, often rather lightweight, Acid Jazz (Flaccid Jazz?) acts of the late 80s-early 90s, Williamson stood out. I'd seen him play at Dingwalls in 1990 - skip to 23:47 on this clip to see some of that actual performance - and he blew my socks off.

I bought this, his debut - on Verve, no less - as soon as it came out, and was a bit disappointed. Apart from the title track and the Stevie Wonder cover, it didn't grab me in the way that he had live.

Listening to it today, it sounds fucking great. I wish I'd played this more.

Williamson seems destined to be underappreciated. He deserves better.

#NowPlaying #Music #CD #Jazz #Verve #SteveWilliamson #AWaltzForGrace #Dingwalls

Chick Corea - Tap Step

In this country, it's illegal to fix your own plumbing or electrics unless you're a sparky or plumber. Fuck right off. Back in the auld country, I rewired a three storey house using pictures from a children's book on electrics as a guide. It still hasn't burned down.

Just to show what a Dick Turpin motherfucker I am, I spent yesterday fixing electrics and plumbing at my daughter's house and fitted a mixer tap at mine. Saved myself about $1500, I reckon.

This morning, a bit sore with having spent yesterday contorting myself underneath sinks, I pull this off the shelf for a spin. It's TAP step. That's the universe for ya!

I picked this album up in Clarity a few years back and haven't played it much. I don't know why - it's really good. Chick and his usual chums doing latin-fusion. Often spikey and complex; sometimes light and melodic.

Samba L.A. is an old jazz room classic. Magic Carpet is a shape-shifting monster.

#NowPlaying #JazzFusion #LatinFusion #Music #Vinyl #ChickCorea #TapStep

Richard Thompson - Daring Adventures

The Americanised version of Thompson's schtick goes a bit Dire Straits-y with all that Stratocaster. Not a bad album, to be fair. I don't know how a person can come up with such a high volume of songs, to be honest. You can't help thinking that less glossy, more folkier versions would have sounded better though.

#NowPlaying #Music #Vinyl #RichardThompson #DaringAdventures #folkrock

Richard Thompson - Hand Of Kindness

Thompson employs quite a maximalist approach on this album, with a full band -mostly comprised of former Fairport colleagues: accordion, horns, you name it. It includes the zydeco-flavoured country hit Tear Stained Letter, which must've kept the wolf from the door for a while.

The cover photo shows old Thommo on the Embankment, holding his bespoke Danny Ferrington guitar (show off!), with Battersea Bridge and Lots Road Power Station in the background. Great photo.

#Vinyl #NowPlaying #Music #RichardThompson #TearStainedLetter #DannyFerrington #FolkRock #fairportconvention #RiverThames #Embankment

Richard Thompson - Across A Crowded Room

Never mind cocaine, if there's one thing that guitarists in the eighties couldn't get enough of it's the chorus pedal. From New Years Day 1990 to New Year Eve 1999, seemingly no-one ever said, "Is that too much chorus pedal, do you think?"

This album's smothered in it. Got to say, I'm starting to love it again.

#Music #Vinyl #NowPlaying #RichardThompson #FolkRock #AcrossACrowdedRoom

John Martyn - The Tumbler

A very young Martyn on just his second album. The guitar work on this album is something else.

#Music #NowPlaying #Vinyl #JohnMartyn #Folk #TheTumbler

Horslips - Dancehall Sweethearts

I finally managed to go to Lenny's Records in Adelaide today. I only bought records from the British Folk section. Including this...definitely not British...album.

I've been meaning to get some Horslips on my shelves for a while. This is their third album, from 1974. A mixture of Irish folk and proggy seventies rock. Cool.

The cover tells us, 'Believe it or not these tracks have traditional airs concealed about their persons.' Apparently, the album is based on the travels of an 18th Century blind harper. The record company made them come up with a more contemporary title and cover to hide this fact.

#Music #NowPlaying #Vinyl #Horslips #Irish #Folk #Rock

I-Roy - Crucial Cuts

Nothing dates this 1983 compilation as much as the word Crucial in the title. Its days as a hyperbolic adjective have long passed. You have to say it in Delbert Wilkins' voice. Crucial. Now you try it. Crucial.

A compilation of the mighty I-Roy's seventies work, pressed on possibly the shittiest vinyl in existence.

I picked this up in a little second hand record shop in Whitechapel Road in the late 80s.

I'm going to start bringing the word crucial back into use.

#Music #NowPlaying #Vinyl #IRoy #CrucialCuts #DelbertWilkins #Crucial #Toasting

Roni Size & Reprazent - New Forms

This came out just four months before our son was born. He had terrible cholic and screamed the house down for at least the first three months of his life. One of the only ways to get him to settle was to play him this. Loud.

As such, it’s an album that comes with such a high emotional load for me, it's now hard to be objective about it.

I haven’t actually sat and listened to it for decades until now. Man, it’s good. So good.
Easily in my top ten albums of all time.

The sticker on the front says it's a Mercury Music Prize nominee - it went on to win it. I can remember the Radio 4 morning news people trying to explain to listeners what Jungle was. One of them described it as the sound of cutlery in a tumble drier. I like that.

For me, this album also marks the transition from Jungle to DrumNBass.

#NowPlaying #Music #CD #RoniSize #Reprezent #NewForms #Jungle #DrumNBass

Rose Royce - Car Wash: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

I’ve never seen Car Wash. I’ve always wanted to. I remember my older sister going to see this at the pictures and buying the album, so I was quite familiar with it before I picked it up second hand years later.

This album has some whopping hits on it, ranging from big slabs of funky disco to soulful, lush ballads. Giving it a re-listen, I was struck by the nearly 11-minute hypno-funk of Sunrise. Years ahead of the game.

What really dates this album though is the pressing of sides 1 and 3 on one disc and 2 and 4 on the other. This, if you recall was because turntables used to have automatic record stackers, so you could play the album in sequence.

#Music #Funk #Disco # Soul #Vinyl #NowPlaying #AutomaticRecordStacker #RoseRoyce

Ojos de Brujo - Techarí

Probably my favourite band of the early 2000s. Loved 'em.

This was their (difficult) third album. It is a CD/CD-Rom digipack with pages and pages of art and lyrics. In hindsight, they were struggling to live up to the utter brilliance of Barí. There are, however, some really great moments to be had here.

#Music #NowPlaying #OjosdeBrujo #CD #Techarí

Chumbawamba - Anarchy

My favourite Chumbas album. It barely seems real to think that Enough Is Enough (a song about killing fash) used to get played on daytime Radio 1.

Oh, and fuck you, Ed Sheeran.

#NowPlaying #Chumbawamba #Anarchy #EnoughIsEnough #CD #AnarchoPunkPop #EdSheeran

Weather Report - I Sing The Body Electric

I opened up the lid of my CD player this week and gave the laser a little clean with some rubbing alcohol on a cotton bud. (You wouldn't believe the shite that gets inside a CD player over 30-odd years. It's pretty amazing.) It plays again now. So it's back to the CDs.

It was my birthday in 2009, if I remember correctly. We'd recently moved into this house, a short walk from Mr V's record shop (still mainly CDs in those days), and I thought I'd treat myself (22 fucking dollars!!). I vividly remember playing this in my car on the drive to work and thinking,"Ooh, this is going to take some getting into."

This is (largely) Zawinul and Shorter going boonta. If that's your thing, then this is for you.

My nearly 3 year old granddaughter said it was "Noise".

#Music #CD #NowPlaying #WeatherReport #Jazz #JazzFusion

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

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