The birth of a new thread dedicated to sharing our newly-acquired "old" LP's.
The Audiogon Forum thread of most interest and use to me is the one entitled "What’s on your turntable tonight?" It was started on 03-04-2004! Reading about the music the contributors to the thread are listening to is a real pleasure, and as I drove home from my visit today to a Vintage Collector’s "Mall" (just a storefront, but with individual spaces for independent sellers, some of whom in my past visits had a milk carton filled with mostly trash LP’s sitting next to a rack of old clothes), the idea to share today’s incredible haul with fellow Audiogon LP lovers came to me. And later in the evening, the idea that others might want to do the same seamed plausible. I don’t expect this thread to be as long-lived as the one referred to above, but that’s up to ya’ll.
I have been to this mall numerous times before, occasionally finding an LP of both interest and in as close to Mint condition as one could reasonably expect from such a source. But today---my first visit in over a year---was a very different story. There was a new vendor, one whose space was devoted 100% to items related to music: LP’s, 45’s, CD’s, magazines, posters, etc., etc. As I started flipping through the LP’s, I realized this was not just random records the vendor had acquired, but rather the collection of an owner with a particular taste in music. In addition to that, the number of promo copies and rare items suggested the owner may have been in the record business. The vendor’s inventory was better than most record collector stores I’ve ever been in! All the LP’s were in plastic outer sleeves, with a hand-written note describing the record: details about the band or artist, backing musicians, etc. The vendor is VERY knowledgeable about music and records.
But dig this: the LP’s were not only very desirable titles, but every single one was in Mint condition! And I mean New/Unplayed Mint, even the LP’s from the 50’s and 60’s! Some were still factory-sealed, others still in shrink wrap but slit open. And the prices! Most in the $5-$10 range, a few $12 or $14. So with that introduction complete, here’s what I brought home with me, in alpha order:
- The Alpha Band (T Bone Burnett, David Mansfield, Steven Soles): Spark In The Dark. $5
- Jim Capaldi (Traffic drummer/songwriter): Oh How We Danced, a title I have been looking for for quite some time. $10
- David Crosby: If I Could Only Remember My Name (original pressing), on Harry Pearson’s Super Disc list. $12
- The Dillards: Mountain Rock (incredible sounding Direct-To-Disc on Crystal Clear). $10
- Dion: Yo Frankie (produced by Dave Edmunds). $6
- Durocs (Ron Nagle and Scott Matthews): s/t. $5
- The Everly Brothers: A Date With (mono). $10
- Red Foley: Greatest Hits (Decca Records). $5
- Ellie Greenwich: Let It Be Written, Let It Be Sung...(legendary album by this incredible Brill Building songwriter). I have been looking for a clean copy for YEARS! $10
- Marti Jones: Used Guitars (guest artists Marshall Crenshaw and Janis Ian). If you don’t yet know about Marti and her husband/partner Don Dixon, get with it! $5 (sealed!)
- Marti Jones: Unsophisticated Time. As is the album above, produced by Don Dixon. $8
- Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind. $5. Background story: On my maiden visit to a newly-opened hi-fi store in Livermore, CA in 1972, the owner (Walter Davies, later of Last Record Preservative fame) was being visited by Bill Johnson of ARC. Bill was a pilot, and flew himself and a complete ARC/Magneplanar Tympani T-1 system to install in the fantastic listening room of his newest dealer. Keeping my mouth shut and my ears open, I got a real education that day (I had just discovered J. Gordon Holt/Stereophile, and the emerging high end scene). Walter used this LP as demo material, and upon hearing Gordon’s version of "Me And Bobby McGee" (bottleneck guitar by Ry Cooder) Bill said: "That IS a great sounding record." Walter gave it to him. I bought my first copy when I got back to San Jose, and still have it. This copy is just for back up ;-) .
- Gordon Lightfoot: Sundown. $5
- Gordon Lightfoot: Summer Side Of Life (German Reprise pressing). $5
- Lone Justice: Shelter (with singer Maria McKee---whose older brother was in the band Love. LJ’s original drummer was Don Heffington, heard on many Buddy and Julie Miller albums. Produced by Little Steven.) $6
- Manassas (Steven Stills, Chris Hillman, Al Perkins, Dallas Taylor, and Bobby Whitlock. Guest guitarist Joe Walsh.): Down The Road. $5
- Henry Mancini: Music From Mr. Lucky (RCA Living Stereo, black label). $6
- The Morells (legendary Springfield, Missouri band beloved by Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, and myself. I even saw them live ;-) : Shake And Push (backup copy): $8
- Buck Owens And His Buckaroos: Carnegie Hall Concert. $6
- Leslie Phillips: Beyond Saturday Night. You may know Leslie better as Sam Phillips, one-time wife and musical partner of T Bone Burnett. This album (on Myrrh Records) is from when she was a Contemporary Christian Artist. This is the only copy I’ve ever seen. $8
- Jimmie Rodgers: The Best Of The Legendary Jimmie Rodgers (RCA mono, black label with Promo stamp on cover). $8
- The Searchers: Meet The Searchers/Needles & Pins (stereo copy to join my mono on the shelf). $8
- Connie Smith (Marty Stuart’s wife): The Best Of Connie Smith (RCA stereo, black label). $5
- Bobby Whitlock (organist/harmony singer on Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, Clapton’s songwriting/singing/organist partner in Derek & The Dominos, an original member of Delaney & Bonnie And Friends): Rock Your Sox Off. $6
- V/A: White Mansions (A Tale From The American Civil War 1861-1865). With Waylon Jennings, Jessie Colter, Eric Clapton, Bernie Leadon. Produced and engineered by Glyn Johns. $12
- And finally, an LP I never expected to find, and I’ve been looking for about 45 years!: Dick Schory’s New Percussion Ensemble: Music For Bang, Baaroom, and Harp (RCA Living Stereo, black label). $5!
I left a few LP’s, needing to come home and see if my collection was missing them. I’m going back tomorrow to get the one I don’t have: The debut album by The Dave Clark Five in mono.
@slaw, you question has made me realize that I did not make my qualifier of "old" LP’s for the thread clear in not just definition, but also intent.
We all buy basically three "kinds" of LP’s:
1- New releases in still-sealed shrink wrap (or the thick plastic bags MoFi and other audiophile companies put their LP’s in), and LP’s though not new are still in print and available at close to list price in both brick & mortar stores and from online sellers.
2- Pre-owned LP’s (and therefore usually opened) that are still in print.
3- Out of print LP’s.
Finding out-of-print LP’s that for whatever reason are not yet in our personal libraries is one of the challenges of record collecting. There are some titles that aren’t that hard to obtain IF you are willing to pay what they are selling for.
Paying a hundred dollars for a rare record is not what I wanted this thread to focus on, but sharing a rare record find is fine with me. The fun for me is finding a desired LP for, say, ten bucks or less. Okay, maybe fifteen. Use your own scale for what you are willing to pay for a used LP---those not yet considered "collectible"---that you want.
Since we all come from various eras, locales, and backgrounds, reading about other peoples "old" LP finds is a great way to hear about music that we perhaps haven’t heard (or have forgotten about), and that we just may want to investigate. I’m thinking in terms of titles we somehow missed when they were released, or are of music we are just now becoming interested in, or were released before we were even born.
My thinking is that new releases and normal in print LP’s are already covered in the "What’s On Your Turntable Tonight" thread. Of course, an out of print LP can be included in the day’s play list, but the story about finding the LP will probably not be mentioned there. That’s what THIS thread is for. No reason it can't also be for findings of in print records that were acquired for far less than list price---a new LP for the price of an old (used) one!
Just picked up a beautiful early pressing of The Butterfield Blues Band 1968 album In My Own Dream on Elektra in the Unipak cover and for $12. And you know what? I didn’t have to use Calculus to determine if it qualified for the OP’s intention on this new thread. Why does it have to be so difficult?
Ha! I quite agree @tgilb. But I DID kinda misuse the term "old" in the original post. People took that as meaning old as in LP's originally released years ago, so the request for clarification as to what qualifies as old is justified. I actually meant any LP that is not a factory-new/sealed, full-priced, currently in print title.
Anything and everything else qualifies: a used copy of an LP currently in print, sealed or opened out-of-print LP's, hard-to-find collectibles, especially if they were found at a non-collectible price! And the back story on how and where the LP was found I find interesting.
It’s a great subject matter. I am relatively new to the Audiogon Forums and really enjoy the threads on music and what people have been listening to in all genres of music. I’ve gotten some great suggestions on albums I haven’t heard in years and on some great music that I would never have picked on my own. I made it out to one of our local Record shops a few weeks ago for the first time since the start of the pandemic and it was a great feeling to be thumbing through those albums!
Today’s catch, all from my two neighborhood shops:
- Ian & Sylvia: Greatest Hits (Vanguard, 2-LP set). $9. Includes the Ian Tyson song Neil Young talks about in Johnathan Demme’s documentary film about Neil, Heart Of Gold, entitled "Four Strong Winds".
Another is the Bob Dylan/Rick Danko song "This Wheels On Fire", first heard on the Basement Tapes, then on Music From Big Pink. On Ian & Sylvia’s version we hear Fred Carter Jr.---in the group of musicians The Hawks knew in Toronto, Canada, while they were backing Ronnie Hawkins---on guitar, and Kenny Buttrey---the superb drummer on Neil’s Harvest album.
- Mark O’Connor: National Junior Fiddle Champion (Rounder Records). $4.99. In the field of Bluegrass (no pun intended ;-), musicians earn their props by entering competitions. Just like a Battle Of The Bands, but on an individual basis. They are also referred to as "cutting sessions", each player attempting to outplay the other, the loser finally admitting defeat. Very humiliating.
Mark O’Conner has been a 1st-call Nashville session player for many years, but at the time this album was recorded (August 4th, 1974) he was 12 years old! On the front of the cover in hand-written ink this is written: "John F. Rone. May 8-76". John took real good care of this LP, the only copy I’ve ever seen.
- John Sebastian: John B. Sebastian (Reprise, 1st pressing, with textured cover). $3.99. I was a big fan of The Lovin’ Spoonful, so of course bought this album when it was originally released. Then I saw John in the Woodstock movie, and OMG, his hippie raps are SO corny! He’s wearing a tie-dye jean jacket on the back cover of the album, and the lyric sheet is on tie-dye paper. Oy!
So I got rid of my original copy in the early-70’s, wanting nothing to do with that kind of silliness. But today I saw this in the rack, and thought "What the heck, let’s give it a listen." I mean, it’s too bad he (and Eric Burton) got swept up in the "Woodstock Generation" movement (it was a "movement" all right ;-), but he WAS a good songwriter and singer. We shall see. Years later John was involved with a great band, NRBQ.
- Tom & Jerry: Guitar’s Greatest Hits (Mercury, mono). $2.99. I couldn’t believe it when I saw this LP in the bin! This album was one of my first LP purchases, a couple of years before The British Invasion reached America. In 1962-3 I was really into instrumental Surf Bands, but that doesn’t explain why I would buy this album, it’s cover adorned as it is with pics of three beautiful Gibson acoustic guitars.
I loved this album, but I ditched it and many others when I got mt first quality table (a Garrard) in ’68. My old albums had been chewed up by my "kiddie" record player, so I started my LP collection anew. I never again saw a copy of this LP until today.
While Tom & Jerry was also the name Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were going by a few years later, THIS Tom & Jerry was the team of Jerry Kennedy and Tommy Tomlinson. Jerry signed his first record deal at the age of 10 (!), and when on to become one of Nashville’s most in-demand session players. Tommy’s first pro gig was as lead guitarist in Johnny Horton’s band (my first LP was Johnny Horton’s Greatest Hits), playing on the well-known songs "North To Alaska", "Sink The Bismark", and "Battle Of New Orleans". This must sound like ancient history to you youngins!
Just picked up a new used copy of Stevie Ray Vaughan's Couldn't Stand The Weather. Appears to be a relatively early Epic Records pressing FE 39304 and in excellent condition. As an added bonus it's still in shrink with the hype sticker and all for $20. Spinning it right now.
Oh man! This SRV album sounds fantastic. I don't understand how to break down the sound of a system by all of the definitions like detail, depth, warmth, etc but I will say this album and especially the song Tin Pan Alley has an airiness to it that is just phenomenal. What is it about these three piece blues bands from Texas.
I don't know how a remastered $50 pressing could possibly sound better than the early pressing that I just picked up for $20.
Took another trip into the city to my favorite LRS The Vinyl Edge. They've been in the business for over 35 years now while a number of other shops haven't made it. Found a NM copy of Supertramp - Brother Where You Bound with the embossed cover and in shrink in the newly priced bin for $8.99. Also found a nice copy of Jefferson Airplane - Bless Its Pointed Little Head for $7.99. Early RCA pressing with the textured cover.
Once a year Music Millennium in Portland (featured in one of Michael Fremer’s Analog Planet YouTube videos) has a sidewalk sale: boxes and boxes of used LP’s, priced to sell. I guess it’s done partly to make some room in their LP racks (which fill half the ground floor of the store, and almost the entire mezzanine), which are really full. It’s a 4-day event, but of course I was there at 10:00 on the first day (this past Friday). Here’s what I nabbed:
- Stephane Grappelli/David Grisman: Live (Warner Brothers Records). With Mike Marshall, Mark O’Connor, Rob Wasserman, Tiny Moore. $3.00.
- Jerry Lee Lewis: s/t (Elektra Records). Produced by Bones Howe, with Hal Blaine and James Burton. $2.99.
- Jerry Lee Lewis: Southern Roots (Mercury Records). Produced by Huey Meaux, with Al Jackson, Duck Dunn, Steve Cropper, Augie Meyer, Carl Perkins, Tony Joe White. $3.99
- The Whites: Old familiar Feeling (Curb Records). Produced by Ricky Skaggs, husband of one of the White sisters. $2.00.
- Asylum Choir (Leon Russell and Marc Benno): II (Shelter Records). $2.00.
- Tracy Nelson: Homemade Songs (Flying Fish Records). $2.00.
- Art Garfunkel: Angel Clare (Columbia Records). With J.J. Cale, Fred Carter Jr., Tommy Tedesco, Jerry Garcia, Carl Radle. $1.00.
- Jesse Winchester: Let The Rough Ride Drag (Bearsville Records). $1.00.
- Henry Mancini: Mr. Lucky Goes Latin (RCA Living Stereo, black label). $1.00.
- Wanda Landowska: J.S. Bach The Well Tempered Clavier Book 1 (RCA Victor Red Seal Records, mono). $1.00.
- Nikolaus Harnoncourt w/Concentus Musicus Wien: Handel’s Water Music (Telefunken Records). $1.00.
MM also had cartons of over-stock new LP’s on the sidewalk, so I picked up Joachim Cooder (Ry’s son): Over That Road I’m Bound (Nonesuch Records). Marked down from $20.99 to $10.99; and Sturgill Simpson: Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 2 (Hightop Mountain Records/Thirty Tigers, Indie Retail exclusive on opaque blue and white swirl vinyl, glow-in-the-dark jacket). Marked down from $21.99 to $13.99.
I put all the LP’s in the car, and headed inside the store. There I found and bought:
- John Stewart: Willard (Capitol Records). With Carole King, Russ Kunkel, James Taylor, Doug Kershaw, Peter Asher, Fred Carter Jr., Norman Putman. $6.00.
- V/A: The Roots Of Rock ’n’ Roll (Savoy Records). With The Ravens, Little Esther, Johnny Otis, Big Maybelle, many others. $7.00.
- Pearl Harbour: Don’t Follow Me, I’m Lost Too (Warner Brothers Records). This album is from long before I joined her band, only copy I’ve ever seen. $5.00.
- The Dillards: Roots And Branches (Anthem Records). $4.00.
- Peter Rowan: The First Whippoorwill (Sugar Hill Records). With Sam Bush, Bill Keith, Richard Greene (like Rowan, a member of Seatrain), Buddy Spicher, Roy Huskey Jr. $3.00.
- Delaney & Bonnie: D & B Together (Columbia Records). With Bobby Womack, Jim Gordon, Billy Preston, Duane Allman. $5.00
- Delaney & Bonnie: Accept No Substitute (Elektra Records). With Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle, Jim Keltner, Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge. $5.00.
- Steve Earle And The Del McCoury Band: The Mountain (New West Records, 2-LP’s). $18.99.
Then I finally broke down and bought the 4-LP set that has been sitting in Music Millennium for quite a while now, calling my name every time I’m there: The Byrds: Sweetheart Of The Rodeo, RSD/50th Anniversary Legacy Edition (Columbia Records). $69.99 (ouch ;-) .
Heading back home to Vancouver, I stopped in my little LRS to have a look see. There I found an LP I have been looking for:
- J.J. Cale: Naturally (Shelter Records). The album which provided Eric Clapton his musical blueprint. Often copied (Mark Knopfler, anyone? ;-), never equaled! $25.00.
I also found a couple LP’s by a guy I am currently collecting:
- Tony Rice: Still Inside (Rounder Records). $20.00. - " " : s/t (Rounder Records). $15.00
Both feature the bass playing of a guy who was in the same San Jose cover band as I in ’71, he leaving as I was entering: Todd Phillips. Todd was heading up to Mill Valley to study mandolin with David Grisman, but David advised him to learn to play upright bass, as there were plenty of great mandolin players but a shortage of bassists. Todd wisely took Grisman’s advice, and carved-out a nice little career for himself.
Oooh, good one Steve! I used to have that Little Richard boxset, but for some reason got rid of it before I left L.A. The 50’s Rock ’n’ Rollers were singles artists, not album ones, and I have his Specialty Records hits on a great Ace Records (U.K. label) LP.
I also have a few Ace label LP’s of Everly Brothers recordings, and the sound quality of those recordings is simply amazing. I have the same albums on Rhino Records LP’s, and the Ace LP’s are better. To hear where John & Paul got their vocal harmonies, listen to the Brothers (and Buddy Holly).
I picked up only one new disc on Record Store Day: a 10" LP containing the eight songs The Flamin’ Groovies recorded in 1972 at Rockfield Studios with Dave Edmunds producing, demos made for United Artists. The title is: I’ll Have A...Bucket Of Brains. (?!)
Speaking of The Everly Brothers and Dave Edmunds: Dave is a huge fan of the Brothers, and he and Nick Lowe included a 7" disc of them performing Everly Brothers songs in the original pressing of their Rockpile album.
Bunch of long winded BS. So I bought for $3.00 Harry James still Harry after all these years. Sheffield Lab Recording. MINT For $4.87 Beethoven The Nine Symphonies London Festival Edition, Joseph Krips and the LSO Everest MINT!!!!!
Yeah, Classical CD's can be had for almost nothing, Classical LP's for not much more. The Classical-buying consumer is rapidly disappearing, a dying breed.
Jamming with words is about it these days. I’ve been hobbling around on my left leg for three weeks, my right foot in extreme pain. The x-ray revealed a small bone spur on the back of my right heel, the cause of the pain. Luckily I play bass drum with my left foot, my right needed only for light duty on the hi-hat pedal. But drumming is out for the near future, perhaps forever.
Picked up Jackson Browne's The Pretender from my LRS for $8. I had only had it on an old original AAD CD that I have always thought sounded excellent. The album is NM with near zero background noise and It is a 1984 Asylum reissue so I was concerned about the SQ but it sounds absolutely fantastic. Blows away the SQ on the CD. It's a great find.
- Ry Cooder: Paradise And Lunch (Reprise original). $7.00.
- Seatrain: The Marblehead Messenger (German pressing). The followup to their classic s/t album, with George Martin again producing. $7.00.
- Mary Chapin Carpenter: Hometown Girl (Columbia Records). John Jennings produced. $4.00.
- Tracy Nelson: s/t (Atlantic Records). Produced by early-Dylan producer Bob Johnson. $6.00.
- Tracy Nelson: Mother Earth Presents Tracy Nelson Country (Mercury Records). Produced by Pete Drake, engineered by Scotty Moore. If you don't know who those two guys are, do some readin' ;-). $4.00.
I am really amazed at the condition of the LP's I'm finding these days. Absolutely Mint/unplayed.
A friend of my father had a 64 Impala 409, and I still have the vague memory of riding in the back seat as child-no child seat or seat belt naturally. Weird how certain events stick in the mind.
Just part of my never ending quest for certain music in their best period press. Beach Boys in mono is one of them.
Yeah, @tablejockey, mono is the way to go on their albums up through and including Wild Honey, though the Surfer Girl album is a lone exception---the original stereo mix was real good.
The same is true of The Beatles up until the white album (though Sgt. Pepper received a good stereo mix), the Kinks and Stones throughout most of the 60's, and lots of other Rock albums of the time.
- The Dave Clark Five: Glad All Over (Epic Records, mono), $5.00. - The Dave Clark Five: Return! (Epic Records, mono), $5.00. - The Dave Clark Five: American Tour (Epic Records, mono), $5.00.
- Ivan Neville: If My Ancestors Could See Me Now (Polydor Records), $5.00. Produced by Danny Kortchmar (Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Carole King).
- John Hartford: Aereo Plain (Warner Brothers Records), $5.00. Produced by David Bromberg. Accompanying musicians include Vassar Clements, Norman Blake, and Randy Scruggs, names very well known in Bluegrass, Country, and Folk circles.
To illustrate the role luck, timing, and perseverance play in finding out-of-print LP’s you are looking for: I was in Millennium Music the middle of last week, spending about two hours looking for the titles in my little black book (6 mini-ring, 6" x 3-1/2" lined filler paper). I was back at MM today---picking up some titles I had seen on that visit but had to check on, and again looked for some of the same titles as on my last visit. THIS time---only four or five days later---there was the John Hartford record! A very hard to find LP.
- Rodney Crowell: Ain’t Living Long Like This (Warner Brothers Records), $6.00. An album from very early in Rodney’s career, produced by Emmylou’s Brian Ahern (Rodney served as Emmylou’s bandleader/rhythm guitarist/harmony singer for a while, a role now played by the great Buddy Miller). And listen to the list of Rodney’s accompanying musicians: Albert Lee (The Everly Brothers’ long-time guitarist, a solo artist, and much-revered Telecaster master), James Burton (Elvis, Ricky Nelson), Amos Garrett (he played the great guitar solo on Maria Muldaur’s "Midnight At The Oasis"), Ry Cooder (my favorite living guitarist. Mazzy’s too.), Ricky Skaggs, Hal Blaine (The Wrecking Crew, of course), John Ware (excellent drummer), Emmylou Harris (acoustic guitar, harmony vocals), Glen D. Hardin (a pianist’s pianist), Mac Rebennack (Dr. John!), Hank DeVito (a steel guitar player’s steel guitarist), Byron Berline (1st-call fiddle player), Mickey Raphael (long-time harp player in Willie Nelson’s band), Richard Greene (Seatrain fiddle player), Nicolette Larsen (vocals), Willie Nelson (vocals), and Emory Gordy, Jr. (Dylan’s mid-period bassist). WOW!
And finally, an out-of-print but still-sealed LP from Light In The Attic Records: Pot Luck by Spooner Oldham, $21.99. Spooner is the legendary Muscle Shoals songwriter/pianist, and a member of The Swampers (Fame Studios house band). He was also on Neil Young’s Harvest album, Dylan albums, hell a lot of albums (Etta James, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge, hundreds of others) . A fantastic, fantastic musician.
Pot Luck---Spooner’s lone solo album---was originally released in 1972, and died a quick death. I don’t even remember hearing about it at that time. Finding an original copy is about as close to impossible as an LP can be, so Light In The Attic---a very hip Seattle, Washington record company---reissued it in 2015. LITA is currently semi-dormant, and in a phone call told me the LP is out-of-stock, and they have no plans to do another press. So when I found it today---hidden in Music Millennium’s "Soul" section, I couldn’t believe it. The shop’s price sticker was dated 9-06-17, so the LP had been sitting in the rack for 3-3/4 years, just waiting for me to find it. Yeah, baby!
Robert Gordon: Are You Gonna Be The One (RCA Records). Though only a mediocre Rockabilly singer, Gordon always has great musicians on his albums---especially guitarists, this one being no exception. His band on this album is the incredible Danny Gatton on guitar, with Lance Quinn on 2nd guitar, Tony Garnier on bass, and Shannon Ford on drums.
Two by Mike Auldridge, both on Flying Fish Records: his s/t debut, and Old Dog. Primo Bluegrass.
And an original Capitol Records ("rainbow" label) pressing of on LP renown for it’s sonic and musical quality, so good Chad Kassem tracked down the original master tape and put it out on his Analogue Productions label: Country Hits...Feeling Blue by Tennessee Ernie Ford. Both cover and LP in Near Mint condition, priced at $2.99!
Used to hit used record stores very frequently years ago.
I stopped in one last week, for S&G’s. The same guy worked there from years ago, the skinny guy with a chip on his shoulder, an attitude that makes you dream about a front kick to the sternum, sending him back 15 feet on his head. he still wears those finger cutoff gloves, mesh ones, which makes him a bad as, and his control over prices, and just talking with him last week, his same short answers, arrogant attitude, and he made me really want to roundkick his smug smirky smile. Anyway, back on track, there were many albums I probably would buy, the prices were 29.99, 20, 15$ etc, the only ones that were cheap was the Poland polka orchestra, the ones that have been there for 5 years. These were used records, his smug reply, “hey bub, they hold their value” I didn’t say another word, but imagined a 1,2,5 combination on his head. Came home, immediately hit discogs, same records were 5, 8, 15 )sealed) prices. Bought them through discogs. Will not shop there again. The new LP prices make me vomit in my mouth as well, 30, 40$ for one new record??? Granted, only a few vinyl cutters, left, the prices are stupid. I’ll buy the CD used at discogs or shamazon for a 5-ver. I feel netter, thanks for reading my rant.
Yeah @articdeth, I've dealt with a few of your type clerks over the years; L.A. is full of them, especially in Tower Records. Wannabe Rock Stars, resentful that they haven't made it "yet". Some of them picked on Rivers Cuomo (Weezer) when he worked at the Hollywood store on Sunset Blvd. Across the street in the video store, Axel Rose was stocking the shelves.
Fortunately the shops in my current locale are staffed with very cool people. One is a small shop whose female owner (Mickey) works the counter, and is always playing cool music when I enter. She sells only Near Mint and VG+ used LP's (along with a coupla racks of new releases), cleans them before putting them out for sale, and prices them fairly.
Also in town is one of the country's oldest indi record stores (Millennium Music), staffed for many years by a lot of guys like myself---old hippies ;-) . The place still reeks of patchouli oil, a virtual trip back to the late-60's. Michael Fremer was blown away when he visited the shop a few years back, impressed by the many thousands of new and used LP's in stock. I was buying LP's and import 45's at MM when I lived in Portland in '77-8, and it's still owned by the same guy. Everything is sold at list price, kind of a drag.
This afternoon I dropped off a few bag of clothes at my local Goodwill, and decided to see what was in the store's coupla record racks. I had looked a few times before, and saw only the usual Mantovani, Jerry Vale, Jim Nabors, and other assorted schlock you expect to find. This time I found the following, priced as were all the store's LP's at $2.99 each:
- Doug Kershaw: Alive & Pickin' (Warner Brothers Records). The Ragin' Cajun himself, live on stage in Atlanta Georgia in 1974 or 5 (the album was released in '75). The band member's names are listed, but none of them are familiar. I trust they aren't the guys I saw backing Doug when I saw him live in San Francisco earlier in the decade, a "Power Trio" Hard Rock band who were absolutely dreadful. I'm talking Blue Cheer or Big Brother And The Holding Company bad. He himself was great that night, of course.
- Two albums by Delbert McClinton (The Jealous Kind and Plain' From The Heart) on Capitol Records, both produced by Barry Beckett and employing my favorite studio band of all time, The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, featuring the killer drums/bass duo of Roger Hawkins and David Hood. Lots of other great musicians and background singers, including Bonnie Bramlett on The Jealous Kind.
- Henry Mancini: The Best Of (RCA Victor black label, stereo). A great writer, arranger, and orchestrator. The titles include "Moon River" (what a song!), "Baby Elephant Walk", "Days Of Wine And Roses", "Peter Gunn", and "Mr. Lucky".
- Wanda Landowska: Treasury Of Harpsichord Music (RCA Victor Red Label, mono. Still in it's factory shrink wrap!). I love harpsichord, and Landowska is one of the greats at playing it. Compositions played include those written by J.S. Bach, Scarlatti, Rameau, Couperin, Purcell, Handel, and Mozart. Wow.
Though the albums are all to varying degrees somewhat dirty, they don't appear to be scratched or scuffed at all. There were a few other LP's I left in the racks, as they WERE scratched, to an unacceptable level.
Good one Steve. That LP is on my list to acquire. I had it long ago, don't remember why I got rid of it. Early Bee Gees and ABBA, two guilty pleasures ;-) .
My semi-weekly trip to my two neighborhood (withing a 10 minute drive) used record shops proved fruitful yesterday.
Found at store no.1 (where I’ve seen nothing worse than VG+ LP’s):
- Dean Martin: Dream With Dean (Reprise Records, stereo), $6. I knew him as an actor and comedian, but Dean first made his name as a singer. Unlike most of his other albums, this is serious music making, with accompaniment by Barney Kessel on guitar, Ken Lane on piano, Red Mitchell on upright bass, and the great Irv Cottler (Sinatra’s long-time drummer) on drums (Irv kept his sets in the same storage facility as I in Burbank, and offered to sell me the Slingerland kit Buddy Rich gave him. He wanted too much for it, so I passed).
Chad Kassem thought so highly of the music and sound of the Dream With Dean album that he put it out on his Analogue Productions label, but in mono I think.
- The Charles Lloyd Quartet: Love-In (Atlantic Records, stereo), $7. Corny album title, an attempt to sell to the young white kids (such as myself) who were just starting to get into Jazz in 1967 and 8. The album was recorded live on a Sunday afternoon in late-1967 at The Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, and look at this line-up: Lloyd on tenor sax and flute, Keith Jarrett on piano, Ron McClure on upright bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. What a band!
Charles became involved with The Beach Boys in the 70’s, and DeJohnette was playing in Miles Davis’ band when The Band had Miles open for them at The Hollywood Bowl. Jack and Band drummer/singer Levon Helm became close friends. DeJohnette included The Band’s "Up On Cripple Creek" in his own band’s set. Ironically, playing drums on The Band’s recording of that great song is Band pianist/singer Richard Manuel.
- Steve Forbert: Little Stevie Orbit (Nemperor Records), $5. The LP was mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound in NYC, so should sound great darn good.
I only recently got into Forbert, picking this one up simply because I saw Bobby Lloyd Hicks is the drummer on the album. Bobby was a member of the great Springfield, Missouri band The Skeletons, and later a member of Dave Alvin’s band The Guilty Men. Alvin also worked with an all female band he named---of course---The Guilty Women ;-) . The GW’s drummer came out of the band of a great songwriter based in Austin, Cornell Hurd. I knew Cornell from growing up in San Jose, where he played drums in his first musical combo---a garage band, of course. He ended up gravitating towards Country & Western and Western Swing, making music that is like Asleep At The Wheel, Commander Cody, and Dan Hicks rolled into one. Junior Brown has recorded a couple of his songs, as did The Skeletons.
- The Bernie Leadon/Michael Georgiades Band: Natural Progressions (Asylum Records), $5. Bernie left The Eagles when they moved too far away from Country for his liking ("Life In The Fast Lane"? Oy.), moving into pretty hard Bluegrass. I know nothing about Georgiades, but I guess I’m about to find out. Playing drums on the album is a very good one---David Kemper, who was also the drummer on T Bone Burnett’s great Truth Decay album.
- And lastly, three albums by a guy whom I know only from his 1968 hit single "Classical Gas": Mason Williams. But all three are on Warner Brothers Records (THE artist-orientated label in the late-60’s/early-70’s), have members of The Wrecking Crew playing instruments on them (including Jim Gordon---later of Derek & The Dominos, etc.)---as well as James Burton, and were priced right. They are:
- The Mason Williams Phonograph Record (which contains "CG"), $10. - The Mason Williams Ear Show (participants include Jennifer Warren and John Hartford), $7. - Handmade, $6.
That’s long enough for one post, I’ll do the other shop later.
Just back from dinner out with the sisters, where I had my first Old Fashioned, a drink I saw ordered in that recent TV show Michael Douglas has been in (I forget the name). My first OF, and my last. Too sweet!
Alrighty, here’s what I brought home yesterday from record shop no.2:
- Bob Dylan: Planet Waves (UK Island Records), $9.99. One of my fave Dylan LP’s, which I already own on an original US pressing, a modern Mobile Fidelity LP, and both Japanese Sony and Mobile Fidelity SACD’s. As I said, I like the album. A lot. Backing Bob are The fantabulous Band.
- The Rowans: self-titled (Asylum Records), $2.99 (the original store price sticker is from Rasputin’s, a Bay Area favorite. Dated 2013, priced $1.95). You may already know of Peter Rowan (Seatrain, solo), but here he teams up with his brothers Chris and Lorin. All three have movie star-good looks ;-). Drumming by Russ Kunkel, production by Richie Polodor, engineering by Bill Cooper, mastering by Doug Sax.
- Linda Ronstadt: Lush Life (Elektra Records, original "hatbox" cover), $2.99. I wasn’t interested in this album when released, but am now. Music of course by Nelson Riddle & His Orchestra. Recorded and mixed by George Massenburg.
- Art Garfunkel: Lefty (CBS Records), $3.99. I’m not overly interested in Garfunkel, but the credits list Steve Gadd on drums, Joe Osborne on bass, Nicky Hopkins on keyboards, Hugh McCracken on guitar, Eddie Gomez on acoustic bass, and Michael Brecker on sax. The best musicians money can buy. Mastered by Doug Sax.
- Leo Kottke: Greenhouse (Capitol Records), $4.99. I already own a Capitol Records reissue, but this is an original pressing. Produced by Denny Bruce, a favorite of mine. I was invited up to Denny’s house in the Hollywood Hills when I lived in L.A., and found him to be a real down to Earth guy, no Rock Star airs at all.
- Procol Harum: Grand Hotel (Chrysalis Records), $6.99. I wrote-off PH when Matthew Fisher left the group, whereupon guitarist Robin Trower moved from a supportive role to a lead one, turning them from a Classically-informed Baroque ensemble to just another white-boy English Blues band. Blech. Instead of using his guitar to play the song, he uses the song to play his guitar.
But in the coupla years before his death, Art Dudley was singing the praises of this album, so I’ve been looking for a good copy (and finding only trashed ones). This copy is not only clean, but also complete with the oft-missing full-size booklet. I was relieved to learn that by the time of this album Trower had left the group. Good riddance.
- Loudon Wainwright III: Album III (Columbia Records), $6.99. I have long been a fan of Loudon’s middle-period work on Rounder records, only recently looking for his earlier and more recent albums. The last one I bought as a new release was 2001’s Last Man On Earth (Red House Records, CD only as far as I know), which I love. I then for some reason lost track of him. He’s made a lot of albums since the late-60’s, released on a lot of different labels. A great songwriter and a very interesting guy, no one quite like him.
Some nice acquisitions from my two little local LP shops last week:
From shop no. 1:
- The s/t debut album by Manassas, the group formed by Stephen Stills and Chris Hillman (Atlantic Records). 2 LP’s, $8.
- Elvis Presley: Elvis’ Gold Records Volume 4 (RCA Records). $5.
- Reckless Sleepers: Big Boss Sounds (I.R.S. Records). $5. Group members are Jules Shear, Jimmy Vivino, Steve Holley, and Brian Stanley.
- Libby Titus: s/t album on Columbia Records. $5. Produced by Phil Ramone, with assistance from Paul Simon, Carly Simon, and Robbie Robertson. Libby was for a time married to Band drummer/singer Levon Helm, their marriage producing daughter Amy.
From shop no.2:
- Marc Benno: Minnows (A & M Records). $9.99. Kind of rare, hence the price despite the LP’s less-than-near mint condition. Marc was formerly in the duo Asylum Choir with Leon Russell. Highly recommended by Norman Maslov (The Vinyl Community’s Mazzy).
- The David Grisman Quintet: s/t album on Kaleidoscope Records. $6.99. Joining Grisman on this album are Tony Rice (Art Dudley’s favorite flat-top guitarist), Darol Anger on fiddle, Bill Amatneek on upright bass, and Todd Phillips on mandolin.
A mere six years before the recording of this album (1971 and 1977, respectively), Todd was just leaving the San Jose group I was joining, to pursue the study of mandolin with Grisman up in Marin County. Todd has for years been one of the top upright bass players in Bluegrass. Last I heard he was on the road with Joan Baez. All it takes is talent, dedication and focus, and ambition ;-) .
- Jesse Winchester: A Touch On The Rainy Side (Bearsville Records). $2.99. Included on this album is "A Showman’s Life", a great song more recently recorded by Buddy Miller. Musicians on this album include drummers Larry Londin (now deceased 1st-call Nashville studio musician.) and Kenny Buttrey (Dylan, Neil Young).
- An Audio Obstacle Course: Shure Trackability Test Record (TTR 101) For Stereo Cartridges. $3.99.
- Jackson Browne: Hold Out, and Lives In The Balance. Both on Asylum Records, and both less than five bucks (I already removed the price stickers. The rubber cement solvent named Bestine works great).
- The Dave Brubeck Quartet: Time Out (Columbia Records, "2 eye" label). Still in the factory shrink wrap! $11.99.
- Joe Cocker: Mad Dogs & Englishmen (A & M Records, 2 LPs). $7.99.
- Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen: Live From Deep In The Heart Of Texas (Paramount Records). $7.99. I saw Cody and his boys at The Fillmore (or was it Winterland?) around the time of the recording of this show, and they were fan-ahem-tastic!
- Bob Dylan: Planet Waves (Asylum Records, white label promo). $19.99. One of my fave Dylan albums, the only studio album of his recorded with The Band (The Basement Tapes wasn’t recorded as a "proper" album). I already have my original commercial copy, plus the MoFi version (as well as MoFi and Sony Japan SACD’s), but this is the only white label promo copy I’ve ever seen. As white label promos are often "white hot stamper" LP’s, I guess I just saved myself a coupla hundred bucks, ay? ;-)
- Phil Everly: Star Spangled Springer (RCA Records). $10.00. Produced by Duane Eddy, with Duane, Richard Bennett, James Burton, and Dean Parks on guitar, Earl Palmer on drums, Victor Feldman on percussion, Buddy Emmonds on steel guitar, Lyle Ritz (like Earl Palmer, a member of The Wrecking Crew) on bass, James Horn on sax, and Warren Zevon on piano (and arrangements). Geez, couldn’t Phil afford a good band? ;-)
- Roberta Flack: First Take, and Chapter Two (both on Atlantic Records). $4.99 and $2.99, respectively. Why didn’t I already have these albums? My God what a singer!
- Art Garfunkel: Watermark (Columbia Records). $5.00. All but two songs written by Jimmie Webb, who plays keyboards on the album. Also playing are the fabulous Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (aka The Swampers: Barry Beckett on keys, Jimmy Johnson on guitar, Roger Hawkins on drums, and David Hood on bass) and The Chieftains.
- Dan Hicks: Last Train To Hicksville---The Home Of Happy Feet, and It Happened One Bite (Blue Thumb Records and Warner Brothers Records respectively). Each $5.00.
- Chris Hillman: Clear Sailing (Asylum Records). $2.99.
- Leo Kottke: Dreams And All That Stuff (Capitol Records). $5.00. Produced by Denny Bruce.
- Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band (whose members included Geoff Muldaur and Maria D’Amato, soon to be married): See Reverse Side For Title (Vanguard Records). $5.00.
- Nicolette Larson: In The Nick Of Time, and Radioland (both on Warner Brothers Records). Each $4.00.
- Lonnie Mack: Strike Like Lightning (Alligator Records). $4.99. Produced by Stevie Ray Vaughan, who joins Lonnie on guitar.
- Mark O’Connor: On The Mark, and Stone From Which The Arch Was Made (both on Warner Brothers Records). $4.00 and $5.00 respectively. Master fiddler.
- The O’Kanes : s/t debut (Columbia Records). $4.00. I’ve been looking for a copy for years.
- Sam Phillips: Indescribable Wow (Virgin Records). $5.00. All songs written by Sam, production by T Bone Burnett (at that time Sam’s husband). The great Jerry Scheff on bass, Steve Jordan on drums. I already have a copy, but for five bucks I’ll have a second.
- Linda Ronstadt: Mad Love, and Prisoner In Disguise (both on Asylum Records). Each $3.99.
- Linda Ronstadt & The Nelson Riddle Orchestra: What’s New (Asylum Records). $7.00, still in shrink wrap.
- Neil Innes & Eric Idle: The Rutland Weekend Television Songbook (Passport Records). $4.99. The only copy I’ve ever seen.
- Tiny Tim: God Bless Tiny Tim (Reprise Records). $5.00, still in shrink.
- The Ventures: Walk Don’t Run (Dolton Records, mono). $3.99. Even the cover is in Mint condition!
- Jennifer Warnes: Best Of (Arista Records). $2.99.
I keep hearing people on YouTube talking about the price of even common LP’s---in years past easily found for five bucks---now being priced at twenty. Maybe in other parts of the U.S.A., but not around here.
Used LP’s brought home a coupla day ago, all found at a favorite shop, the name and location of which I am for the time being keeping to myself :-) :
- The dB’s: Like This (Bearsville Records). The dB’s were a 1980’s New York group whose member included drummer Will Rigby---later an off-and-on member of Steve Earle’s band, and songwriter/singer/guitarist/keyboardist Peter Holsapple---later a member of L.A. supergroup The Continental Drifters, whose other members included Susan Cowsill, Vicki Petersen of The Bangles, a real fine singer/songwriter named Gary Eaton---I don’t know what became of him, and a fantastic drummer/singer by the name of Carlo Nuccio, who may be heard on an early album of Tori Amos, some recordings of Emmylou Harris, Dr. John, and a bunch of others.
The Continental Drifters played around L.A. in the early-90’s, and were hands down one of the greatest musical ensembles I’v ever seen and heard live (and I saw The Beatles, The Stones, The Who---with Keith Moon, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, The Band, The Dead, and hundreds of others ;-). Near Mint condition, $7.99.
- Little Feat: Down On The Farm (Warner Brothers Records). NM, $6.99.
- Lloyd Green: Steel Rides (Monument Records). You may be forgiven for not recognizing Lloyd’s name, as he is a Nashville pedal steel guitarist. But Paul McCartney sure knew of him (Paul has very good taste in musicians), and engaged his services for the recording of Macca’s song "Sally G", which Lloyd himself recorded for this album. Lloyd is pictured on the cover with his very cool steel guitar and a smokin’ hot blonde. Who she is and why she’s on the cover I don’t know, but I ain’t complainin’ ;-) . NM, $2.99.
- The Whites: Greatest Hits (Curb Records). The White’s are a father/two daughter Bluegrass group (seen on stage near the end of the Coen Brothers’ movie O Brother Where Art Thou), one of the daughters being married to Ricky Skaggs, who produced some of the songs on this collection. NM, $4.99.
- Jesse Winchester: A Touch On The Rainy Side (Bearsville Records). I already have this LP, but the cover is beat-to-hell, so I bought this copy for it’s still-in-the-shrink cover. $2.99. FYI: Winchester is a great U.S.A. songwriter/singer who fled to Canada to avoid going to Viet Nam. Robbie Robertson of The Band produced his s/t debut album, and this album contains Jesse’s great song "A Showman’s Life", more recently recorded by the fantastic Buddy Miller (Emmylou Harris’ guitarist/harmony singer/band leader)..
- Like the above, I already have Linda Ronstadt’s Greatest Hits Volume Two in great condition, but the cover is a mess. Still-in-the-shrink cover and NM LP for $4.99. After seeing the recent documentary on Linda (fantastic!), I am buying every album of hers I see. What Elvis Costello said about her in the late-70’s is absolute bs. Maybe the greatest white female "Rock" (Pop, actually) singer of all time.
- J.J. Cale: Okie (Shelter Records). I am very late getting into J.J., completely missing him in the 1970’s. NM, $11.99.
- J.J. Cale: s/t debut (Shelter Records). I am already in possession on this album in a second pressing, but this is a first pressing (with the "Superman egg" Shelter logo) in NM condition, $29.99. Ooh, big money ;-) .
Yes, there are millions of LP’s out there, just waiting for you to bring home. But remember: a lot of great music from the 1990’s remains unavailable on LP, so when you are in record shops looking for records, don’t forget about CD’s. They are almost giving them away!
Bobbie Gentry, Ode to Billie Joe., just picked up a sealed original capital Stereo copy. Also grabbed a sealed Gordon Lightfoot Cold on the shoulder LP.
Listening to a new acquisition-promo DJ copy according to Discogs selling presently for $75.00. Scored for $15.00(caught the store owner in a good mood)
All star guest players including Leon Russell and Donald "Duck" Dunn along with drummer Jim Keltner, who is no stranger to bdp24.
The store had a fresh12 ft long row of boxes with more than a few winners. It's going to be difficult to stay away Saturday(It's just a 10 minute walk) and grab more albums.
I see my post wasn't complete not also mentioning some the songwriters of the songs.
Jesse is guitar player. While the actual songs are good, JED's delivery I hear as "like it on not" or an acquired listen.
Maybe not the last word in audiogeek SQ, but still a decent sounding album. This pressing is bass heavy. As the link mentions, maybe more a "collectors" piece than on regular rotation. Subjective, as any album.
@tablejockey: Nice! I’ve been looking for a copy of Jesse’s Keep Me Comin’ LP for quite some time. My mates and I were very into his playing back in the late-60’s (first heard on Taj Mahal’s debut) and early-70’s, but for some reason I never bought one of his own albums. I only recently learned he plays guitar on George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass.
I’m much more a music lover than an audiophile, and consider good sound a welcome bonus, not a requirement. J. Gordon Holt’s Law: Often times the better the music the worse the recording, and visa versa. Sad but true.
Shelter Records had studios in both Tulsa and Hollywood, the latter right on Sunset Blvd. The Dwight Twilley Band’s first two albums sound fine, but the third (released as a Dwight Twilley album; though DTB guitarist Bill Pitcock IV remained, drummer/singer Phil Seymour had left for a solo career) is a real mess. It was recorded in the Hollywood studio, which obviously had some phase problems (quite apparent in the sound). The album was recorded by two terrible engineers named "Noah and Max" (no last names used ?!?), who as far as I know worked nowhere else. No surprise there! Tom Petty’s first coupla albums don’t sound so good, but nowhere near as bad as the Twilley. Great music though.
I just received an album bought off Discogs, from Acoustic Sounds. Yep, AS sells used LP’s on Discogs. It’s Taxi To The Terminal Zone by Ducks Deluxe (RCA Records), produced by Dave Edmunds at Rockfield Studios in South Wales, the same studio in which he recorded Shake Some Action with The Flamin’ Groovies (an album being re-released later this month by Portland Oregon label Jackpot Records. Mastered by Kevin Gray, renown for his work with Analogue Productions.). NM condition (both record and cover), $15 plus $5 shipping.
Ducks Deluxe were part of the early-70’s UK Pub Rock scene, along with Brinsley Schwartz (whose bassist/songwriter/singer was of course Nick Lowe). Ducks Deluxe guitarist Martin Belmont went on to become a member of Graham Parker’s original band, and later worked with Nick Lowe. And of course Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds joined forces and formed the fantastic band Rockpile (the title of Edmunds’ 1971 debut solo album). England is a small country, with a tight musical community!
"I’m much more a music lover than an audiophile, and consider good sound a welcome bonus, not a requirement."
bdp24-we’re probably in the minority, based on some of the kooky threads started here! I only mention SQ since this is, an audiogeek forum.
I wonder if Jesse’s life wasn’t cut short, he could have developed a more "soulful"
voice?
I got hip to JED’s playing from my guitar teacher back in 76 or so? He would bring cassettes of various songs with different players for me to hear. One of them was Jackson Browne's "Doctor My Eyes" which JED does the guitar work.
"Bobbie Gentry, Ode to Billie Joe., just picked up a sealed original capital Stereo copy."
audioguy85- I bring my copy to audio shows to compare SQ to my rig.
OTBJ is a "movie for you mind" listen. I was in love with Bobbie Gentry as a child when the LP came out. It was played on a tubed Grundig Console that to me was big as a Buick.
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