What's everyone buying at present?
I love the Randomiser blog and judging by the number of hits so do most of the rest of 'my friends' on this site. As an extension I am really interested to hear what people are buying at present. What are the last 5 cd's you have bought (or downloaded)? Mine are:-
Sia - Some people have real problems
and winging their way from Amazon in the next day or so:-
Elbow - Seldom seen kid
Alabama 3 - Last train to Mashville
Peter Molinari - a Virtual landslide
Sons and Daughters - This gift
The employees of Word can join in but freebies dont count - they have to be items you have spent money on!!!
Incidentally the Amazon purchase cost £33.00 for 4 cd's incl postage -considerably less than what it would have cost 5 years ago. Its a good argument for me when my wife asks me why I am buying so many cd's.
- More from Steve Turner.
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The top 5 are...
(on the way from Amazon) Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup
Los Campesinos! - You! Me! Dancing! EP
Tindersticks - Tindersticks II
David Ford - Songs for the Road
Tindersticks - Curtains
That's if you don't count the freebies - being a (very) amateur hack has its benefits!
Oh, and those last 5 encompass a period of about six months. I'm an impoverished student y'see.
Spent the weekend downloading
some superb old stuff froma site I chanced upon.
Firstly and most importantly finally got The Distractions - Nobody's Perfect. An album never released on CD, but was one of my fave's from the early 80's.
Also lots of early Willie Nile and live recordings by Squeeze, Graham Parker and Nick Lowe.
Only new album I've got in the past month is the very wonderful "Vagabonds" by Gary Louris which is currently number 1 in the Album of the Year race.
Come on you old dog
spill the beans! What's the "site I chanced upon"? I think we should be told.
Sorry
I missed that vital bit of info out didn't I?
Try www.digivinyltal.blogspot.com if you like your pop of an 80's power variety. Though I should point out there is a treasure trove of stuff on there.
Cheers Salty
it certainly looks like an easy way to squander a lot of bandwidth!
Blimey
That's a virtual Record & Tape Exchange, Salty!
Where else would someone post that Gene Cotton album, making me play 'Me & The Elephant' for the first time in decades.
Great spot Salty
Just listening to the Ups and Downs of Stephen Tintin Duffy for the first time in 20 odd years! A fantastic album, with a great turn of phrase from one of pops most underrated worker bees. A right touch that. Cheers.
The Distractions
Any chance of sharing the site? I would love this album
Look...
A couple of posts above.
Criminal
This album is perhaps the most criminally ignored of all time. It was also one of the first that I converted from CD to vinyl over 10 years ago and it still seems to be unavailable commercially.
Sure I read an online interview
with one of the leading "Distractions" a year or so ago. Fairly certain that he said that the record label red tape is stopping any hope of a cd release. So download it from the site above, it still sounds as good as I remember.
5 + 1
Hercules & Love Affair: - Not quite disco - like punk never happened, but in a good way.
Nick Lowe: 'Jesus of Cool' - Excellent, but why did we ever think he was New Wave?
Jackson Browne: 'Solo Acoustic Vol.2' - liking it so far, though only Jackson Browne can "look" smug on a CD. But then if I were him I would be smug too.
Aretha Franklin: 'Live In Paris' - on its way from Amazon
Ike Turner: 'Risin' With The Blues' - on it's way for under a fiver.
Oh, and Van Morrison's 'Keep It Simple' - I don't know why either he or I still bother.
the ones i can remember
The Highwaymen - road goes on forever "it's the Traveling Wilburys, but Country" a mate of mine said, so picked that up
Purple Rain OST and Sign of the Times - Prince; he's playing in Dublin soon, and i'd like to know more songs than 'Kiss'
Oracular Spectacular - MGMT; i've not seen any mention of MGMT here on the site, and i'm surprised. Dave Friedmann is producing them and the tune 'Kids' (track 5) is one that you should all be listening to
Dusty in Memphis - another one of those 'it's meant to be good'. Still have no idea; the girlfriend has it and has not returned it yet.
Duffy - Rockferry. It was the Bernard Butler involvement that persuaded me in the end. Would have preferred another McAlmont and Butler album, mind...
MGMT
Good shout on that one, sir. I got it as my monthly dose from the Rough Trade Album Club and it's a pearl.
MGMT
Not so sure about MGMT. They sound like this year's CSS with one good song and a load of filler.
Over the past few weeks...
Steve Hillage- Fish Rising, Motivation Radio, Live Herald
Magazine- Real Life, Secondhand Daylight, The Correct Use Of Soap
Van Der Graaf Generator- Trisector
Ultravox- The Island Years
Roxy Music- Avalon
Neu- Neu 75
Man- Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day, Rhinos Winos and Lunatics (remasters)
King Crimson- In The Wake Of Poseidon, Lizard, Islands
A friend of mine pointed some MGMT track my way around November last year; not bad, kind of like Pink Floyd meets Flaming Lips. Not heard much else of theirs though.
Hopefully
you've also got "Larks Tongues"? It's staggeringly good.
I can also recommend the Man "Live At The Padget Rooms, Penarth" album, which is roughly contemporary with "Be Good To Yourself".
I do indeed...
I grew up hearing 'Larks Tongues...' actually; my dad used to play it on vinyl and the bit where it gets really loud in the first part used to absolutely terrify me!! I agree though, alongside the debut it's probably the best King Crimson album.
I have that expanded Padget Rooms set too.
When I was at University,
on the night before my first Finals exam the bloke next door, who had a stereo system the size of a small Hall Of Residence, bunged on "Larks Tongues" at full chat at around 3 a.m. in the morning.
At the time, my standard reaction to such an outrageous interruption to my sleep patterns would have involved an axe and his front door, but in the event, it being my second favourite Crimson album, I let it pass, and he lived.
Glad you like it too! Keep on crinting.
Yes but.......
does or can anyone REALLY enjoy side 2 of In the Court of the Crimson King, especially Moonchild? I have barely a scratch on that side, maybe a degree of troughing at the end of that track, as I seek to find the end of it, whereas side 1 is nearly bald.
I put Court Crimson King into the isp just now, and, below the standard wikipedia entry is a remarkable "essay":
www.andrewkeeling.ukf.net/Keeling-InTheCourtOfTheCrimsonKing.html
Blimey..........
'Moonchild'...
...yeah, it's my least favourite track on there. I quite like the beginning of it, actually (I think the band Doves actually covered that part of it a few years ago!), but not a lot happens after that. The rest of it is peerless, ehough.
Neu - King Crimson - Man
Oh my god! They bring a few memories back. I had the original Neu album - it was sort of a garish orangey pink with just Neu! on it. Brilliant album.
King Crimson - went to see them at Liverpool's Mountford Hall on my 16th birthday in 1972.
And the cover of Man's "Be Good To Yourself . . . ." was quite something to behold at the time. Think origami! It unfolded into a massive map of Wales (if I remember rightly).
All long gone now, courtesy of my robbing brother who sold them to the local Steptoe's together with the rest of my then massive record collection. Needless to say, I haven't spoken to him in donkeys years .......
Imminently arriving via my herniated postman:
Such and Such - Steve Tilston
Volume 1 - West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band
Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada - Godspeed You Black Emperor!
Great Speckled Bird - Great Speckled Bird
The Very Best Of Matt Monro - Matt Munro
Amazon - is that the best?
I only buy second-hand CDs from Amazon. CDWow, BangCD and HMV are all cheaper for new CDs. Aren't they?
Last 5 for March
The Return Of The Fabulous Hofner Blue Notes - Chris Rea
Bramble Rose - Tift Merritt
Twentythree - Tristian Prettyman
The Movie - Clare And The Reasons
In Flight Radio - In Flight Radio
Is it called Amazon cos....
Lady postmen have to cut a breast off to accomodate the bag?
As soon as I press "place to order":
1. The Essential Dougie Maclean.
2. Moondog, Vol 1 and 2.
3. Wheels within Wheels, Rory Gallagher. (triggered by blogs here, not that this particular one got mentioned. I just like the idea of it!)
4. Salvation Blues, Mark Olsen.
5. Roots, Everly Bros.
6. Cinncinnati Feedback, Roogalator. (entirely die to Vulpes squared)
These all seem to be items slowly accumulating as HMV at the Fort in B'ham haven't got or wouldn't have them.
Q. Great speckled Bird? An item related, I wonder, to extensive coverage in this months Unshod? Or to Ian Tyson obits? let me know if any good.
Talking of chanced upon sites, let me recommend "Cover Lay Down", an american blog with short term postings of covers of songs within a very broad based folk idiom, as in american folk.(Think Steve Earle, John Gorka, Robert Earl Keen, Nanci Griffith, Emmylou, americans who play at Cmbridge folk fest, that sort of stuff.) Apropos the strand running alongside this, where do the majority stand on such downloads, vis a vis acceptability/"legality"?
Morality of downloading
It's tricky one as let's be straight none of us would work for free so artists shouldn't have to. That being said I have bought an awful lot of cd's on the basis of songs I've downloaded from blogs etc, I've never used bittorrent or similar. So there is an argument for the fan advertsiing side of things.
This isns't always true as recently I saw "los campesinos!" live and liked them but via legal sources (their website, myspace page and the BBC) I downloaded 6 of their songs and am not that fussed about getting their cd now.
My rule on my own blog is to only post old vinyl things which are hard to find or for which there is unlikly to be an reissue. I normally just link to current artists as there's normally lots of tunes to download elsewhere.
Spot on Retro,
"25 Country Rock albums you ought to have" or similar was the name of the article in Uncult I think. I looked at their list, inevitably fairly predictable in the main, and was delighted to find one that I'd never heard of before; Great Speckled Bird.
It's been dispatched, so I ought to have had a chance to give it a listen or two by the end of the week; I'll let you know how it stacks up.
The Everly's album "Roots" is lovely, by the way, and that Rory comp is excellent, but if you can stretch to it, get his live one "Irish Tour 1974" as well, it'll blow your socks off. I just hope you like the Roogalator too!
Hope you get to read this Retro...
reporting back on the Great Speckled Bird - they were right, it IS a good album.
The first track sounds like a Jefferson Airplane out-take, then it gets more Burrito-ish as the album progresses. It's going in the car tomorrow, and I'm glad I took a chance on it.
Update
In an effort to see how other purchases have gone, let me invoke all the othe £50 men to feedback on their purchases.
1. The Essential Dougie Maclean: a chap I mainly know from others covering his songs, Caledonia (Dolores Keane, Frankie Miller, Paolo Nutini) and Solid Ground (again Dolores Keane) I had heard his version of Auld Lang Syne, which drew me to tears, so beautiful was it. Dble CD, single price, "best of". Well pleased with it, delightful accoustic songs, plus the odd muted backing and occasional fiddle. Strangely, his version of the 2 named above are amongst the weaker tracks, faring poorly by comparison with the covers. Auld Lang syne isn't on it, sadly. 8/10
Moondog. Another whim purchase, based upon a snippet overheard. Not quite what I expected, think, for Vol 1,Michael Nyman played by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and for Vol 2 (both on 1 cd) Terry Riley and Curved Air in C, but with the disturbing addition of the Swingle Singers. Delightful enough, but smallish doses. 6/10
Wheels within Wheels/Rory Gallagher.What can I say? Pick of the bunch. I have held a 35 year prejudice against the late Mr G, based, as far as I recall, being overplayed Bullfrog Blues (is that right?) by my wealthier study mate. I thought this was going to be folkier than it was, but, surprisingly, I was delighted by the accoustic bluesiness of it. And there are 3 tracks with Bela Fleck and my love of banjo is already known. Easy 9/10. I will buy more.
Salvation Blues/Mark Olsen. Loved it. Rekindled my Jayhawks obsession. Better than erstwhile compatriot Gary Louris' contemporaneous effort. 9/10
Roots/Everlys. Hasn't arrived.
Cincinnati Fatback/Roogalator. Hmmm. First impressions meant I took it off part way thru' the first and eponymous track, mainly annoyed by the weak vocals and the self-referential/reverential schtick of the lyrics, very Bo Diddlean in their commentary, mainly about he, his band, Cinncinnati and his lady exploits or plans. On 2nd time around I stuck with it and gradually became drawn in, and the guitar really is superb, with excellent staxy rhythm section, at least to my ears. The realisation that ex Chilli Willi Paul Riley was a bit part player helped, being swayed by such rather too easily. By the time Cinn. Fatback came around again I was loving it, even if he sings like Kevin Rowland without the arse scruntching affectations, even the awful "down by the Ohio" bit. A real grower. 8/10 and growing.
How did others fare?
Gloria
Gloria Estefan - Mi Tierra - fabulous. Thanks for the tip Retro.
And I must get the Great Speckled Bird....
....despite a dire Ian and Sylvia download from a blog, not actually confirming that it/was is the Tysons, but not great, so I hope it wasn't.
Legal
I have no problem with caning my BitTorrent client. I buy 5-10 CDs a week and download about the same. If I like the album enough, I'll buy it. It's not really that different from making cassette copies of records borrowed from friends and libraries.
Downloads are only a stopgap - I don't feel like I actually own the record unless it is in tangible form (which is why I just won't deal with iTunes). The 12,000 + tracks on my PC don't count as a record collection. Can I trade them in at Record & Tape Exchange? Thought not.
I simply wouldn't spend so much on music were I not able to check out albums for free! The CDs glued to magazine covers just don't work for me. I need to hear the album whole before I press the purchase button.
So; the last 5 albums bought and paid for: -
A Little Kiss in the Night - Ben Sidran
Free In America - Ben Sidran
Doctor Is in - Ben Sidran
(all recently reissued in Japan in replica LP sleeves. Mercy!)
More Than A New Discovery - Laura Nyro
Merge - Arthur Baker & The Backbeat Disciples
And the last 5 borrowed from the rightful copyright owners: -
Velkommen Inn - Anja Garbarek
Into White - Carly Simon
Worrisome Heart - Melody Gardot
Just A Little Lovin' - Shelby Lynne
At My Age - Nick Lowe
It is worth noting that IMHO the last three albums on this list, whilst being good records, certainly not worth the lavish praise that has been heaped upon them. There.
Thought of getting both of the Man remasters
also, what is the VDGG album like? - havent seen any reviews yet.
Don't know about the album
but I recently heard a gig of theirs from 2005 that's pretty good.
New(ish) VDGG
Friend of mine told me it was "so so".
From my you Tube Favourites
Wales' finest
Ooh-la-la
My latest puchases have been French - a compilation from Barbara (solo female, accompanied by piano, songs of lost love, tragedy and despair), an album by Pascal Parisot (think Serge Gainsbourg with cheesy, easy-listening style keyboards). Prior to that, Citadel/Room 315 by Mike Westbrook, the soundtrack album from The Wire, and a compilation of African rap music entitled, curiously enough, Africa Raps.
All purchased from Amazon resellers, and not a freebie in sight.
eMusic and eBay
...dominate my purchasing these days, for downloads and physical CDs respectively. The latter so much so that I feel aggrieved if I ever have to spend more than five or six quid on a CD. Anyway, to specifics:
Last 5 CDs purchased, all via eBay, with prices paid:
Pink Floyd - Ummagumma (£5.61)
Pat Metheny Group - Still Life Talking (£3.71)
Pat Metheny Group - We Live Here (£3.70)
Pat Metheny - Secret Story (£3.70)
The Knife - The Knife (£1.20)
I suddenly realised my great need for a copy of Ummagumma whilst watching Mrs.Pvincent's copy of the remastered (i.e. butchered) "Director's Cut" of Pink Floyd Live At Pompeii. It reminded me what an adventurous, and even slightly scary, band they once were. Three days later I had myself a bargain copy of the 1994 CD-reissue. The Pat Metheny triad are but the latest in a stream of the guitar wiz's back-catalogue finding its way onto my doormat. The Knife are yet another terrific electropop band I discovered thanks to that excellent MOJO coverdisc a couple of months back, whose repercussions are still being felt by my bank account, mitigated only by the fact that the pile of electro CDs currently awaiting my attention have all been bought on eBay.
As for downloads, my latest trawl from eMusic a few days ago added the following albums to my hard disc (yes, I know, but I really do only download complete albums, which is how I'm still programmed to consume music):
Elbow - Leaders Of The Free World
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Stereolab - Oscillons From The Anti-Sun
Stereolab - Peng!
Stereolab - The Groop Played Space Age Batchelor Pad Music
Stereolab - Switched On
McCoy Tyner - Echoes Of A Friend
The previous month I'd tried Stereolab's "Fab Four Suture", the 'lab being yet another one of those electropop outfits I'd heard of but never heard. You may gather from this month's splurge that I liked what I heard! Elbow are a band about whom those whose opinions I value have enthused muchly, so I thought it was time I had a listen for myself. Loving it so far, and eMusic have several of their albums, so there's a clue to next month's splurge! Vampire Weekend were much-lauded in a recent issue of Froots magazine, and I'd enjoyed their appearance on Later. Good album. McCoy Tyner is an old favourite, and I'm just filling in some back-catalogue gaps.
So there you go. Hopefully exploration has the edge over "tried and trusted" there. Quite pleased with those lists.
Last week
Genesis - 1975-04-19: The Lamb Live At Liverpool Empire. One of only five soundboard recordings that exist from this tour. Downloaded from a band-sanctioned BT tracker site that's provided by an uberfan named Simon (http://torrent.genesis-movement.org). If you join in, please donate. It's a labour of love and the man needs to cover his bandwidth. Yes, I say it again, band sanctioned BT tracker.
Elbow - Seldom Seen Kid.
Flower Travellin' Band - Satori. Fine Japrock.
The Sadies - New Seasons.
Portishead's new album. I hate it so much I'm not going to bother remembering it's name.
Last 5
Elbow - Seldom seen kid
Eileen Rose - At our tables
REM - Accelerate
Devon Sproule - Keep your silver shined
The Teardrop Explodes - Peel Sessions pluc
However if we consider the last 5 to come into the house, take the last 2 of my list and substitute Mrs P's purchases:
Van Morrison - Keep it simple
Billy Bragg - Mr Love & Justice
There are also the new Kathleen Edwards - Asking for flowers , on order but not delivered yet and having been given a Word subscription for my birthday I'm still waiting for the Nick Cave CD. (Nudge, guys).
Mr Modern here...
has bought...
African Scream Contest
Roberta Flack - Chapter Two
Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Live Rust
Squeeze Greatest Hits
An Audience With Betty Carter
Last Five
1. Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
2. Hot Chip - Made In The Dark
3. Juno Soundtrack
4. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
5. Belle & Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress
No complaints here....the Goldfrapp and Hot Chip albums in particular are wonderful
Mostly replacing vinyl...
Zuma - Neil Young
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere - Neil Young
Rust Never Sleeps - Neil Young
Freedom - Neil Young
Comes A Time - Neil Young
Detours - Cheryl Crow
Mr Love And Justice - Billy Bragg
Brainwashed - George Harrison
I bought all these in the last week to 10 days. Play.com are selling lots of old Neil Young for £3.99 delivered(the reason for my purchases). I'm not yet sure of the Cheryl Crow cd, some good bits and most I don't like though, I'll persevere.
Billy Braggs...
Mr Love and Mr Justice is really very very good. Barely an embarrassing agitprop aphorism in sight. And the boy can now sing. And there are 2 of the best love songs I have heard in a long long time, me being a big softy for such
Suggestions Welcome
Having just bought the new REM & Elbow long players, I wouldn't mind hearing which direction the good readership might like to push me in. I'm tempted by Goldfrapp but also by the New Young Pony Club which is on sale somewhere for less than a fiver.
As a guide, prior to that I bought Lucinda Williams' 'West', Nick Lowe's 'Jesus of Cool' & Sons & Daughters 'This Gift'.
never been a fan of Goldfrapp
but the lastest CD is really rather good. So much so, that I am sorely tempted to see her live.
Then it would have to be:
Salvation Blues and Vagabonds, the first by Mark Olsen, and which I am buying now, and the latter by Gary Louris, which I bought last month. Next best thing to them reforming the Jayhawks and working together again, planned, I gather, if not necessarily by that name fo later this year.
Not exactly cutting edge...
Anthology 1947-1972 - Muddy Waters
An impulse buy in Borders while the kids were occupied in the adjacent toy section.
Sounds Of Outr Time - Jim Ford
My current favourite album, a reissue of his Harlan County album with load of extra tracks. From HMV online, £5 cheaper than Amazon.
Anglicana - Eliza Carthy
The Folk Collection Vol 2 - Topic Records sampler
Jumpin' Jive - Various
The last 3 from charity shops.
Buying music is better than getting it free
because you actually listen to it instead of putting it on a big pile and then forgetting to get round to it. My most recent purchases:
1] DISKJOKKE Staying In - from eMusic
2] CARL CRAIG C2 Clear And Present compilation - from eMusic
3] UNDERWORLD Oblivion With Bells - because I got a ticket for free and enjoyed it so much I felt I owed them ten quid.
4] BRITISH SEA POWER Do You Like Rock Music? - yes I know - birthday present for mate and another "guilt purchase" cos I got mine for free and, again, felt I owed the band money.
5] Dub Like Dirt (1975-1977) comp of King Tubby - again, from eMusic, which has the entire Blood And Fire catalogue - this alone is worth signing up for.
andrew
to assuage your BSP guilt you could buy one of the cool looking Lucifer 10 inches I saw yesterday
Well..
The last stuff I actually paid for would be from emusic so that would be,
Akron Family - Love Is Simple - (a recomendation from a member of the Broken Family Band).
Beirut - The Flying Club Corp - (Even better than Gulag Orkestar, no-one but no-one else is making music like this).
Calypso Awakening from the Emory Cook Collection (if you think Calypso music is all about doing the limbo and grass skirts then think again).
Chatham County Line - IV - (Not as good as Old Crow Medicine Show but it'll do)
Five Blind Boys of Alabama - Oh Lord Stand By Me (this is shaking my faith in Richard Dawkins)
Quantic soul Orchestra - Tropidelico (great music for working to).
Oh yeah, and I bought Miles Davis - A Kind of Blue on vinyl from Oxfam but that one hasn't really sunk in just yet.
latest 5
30 Number Ones-Elvis Presley
Trespasser-Chris Wood
The Bairns-Rachel Unthank and Winterset
St Matthews Passion-Bach
Keynsham-Bonzos
I can't help thinking......
...that there is alot of cross pollenation going on here. Can the Bonzos and Rachel Unthank be unrelated to paragraphs here?
5
Asking For Flowers - Kathleen Edwards
Don't Cry Now - Linda Ronstadt
My Name Is Buddy - Ry Cooder
Five Live - Squeeze
Red Card/Vicious But Fair - Streetwalkers
That latest Goldfrapp album...
...yeah, I've never been grabbed by other stuff I've heard but a lot of reviews I've seen from people have suggested it has an acid-folk vibe about it which sounds like it's right up my street.
Good to see that various members have bought and hopefully enjoyed that new Elbow album too- it was in the top 5 last week. I think it's in a far higher orbit than Radiohead's much lauded 'In Rainbows' but perhaps that's just me!
The new VDGG album is pretty good, I think. Some average songs in the first half of the album but it steadily rises in tension throughout with the last few tracks being well up to their usual standard. David Jackson has left now, though, of course...
I'm actually glad to hear that Genesis seem supportive of the 'Genesis Movement' site. At the end of the day, these old live recordings are only likely to appeal to die-hard fans and it's good to see that at least one band recognises that.
Nice selection
I got a bonus so I went mental and bought:
Elbow - Seldom seen Kid
Neon Neon - Stainless Style
Guns and Roses - Live Era 87-93
Supergrass - Diamond Hoo Ha
Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
Half Man Half Biscuit - Trouble Over Bridgwater/ Voyage to the Bottom of the Road
Bob Dylan - Basement Tapes
Allman Brothers - Live at the Filmore
Jimmy Webb - Archive
Various - And Someone Left The Cake Out In The Rain
Epic45 - May Your Heart Be The Map
The Byrds - Sweet Heart of the Rodeo
I spent my pocket money
on Elbow and Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago, which is mightily melancholic and very lovely.
I found 20 Lamberts on the bus on the way home as well, which, even though I don't smoke was a bit of a result. Good albums and free tabs. That's a good day out in my book.
Last 5
Here we go:
"The Seldom Seen Kid"-Elbow-some good tracks, but a few dirges, prefer their last album at the moment.
"Chrome Dreams 11"- everything you would expect from a Neil Young album and more.
"Let It Die"-Feist, bought this yesterday and really enjoying it, fresh and different. A steal at £3
Apart from this, I have bought a few jazz albums on vinyl, including "All That's Good" bu Frederick Roach-A bargain for £1.
Just downloaded REM's new single and think I will buy the album at the weekend.
A mixed bag
Most recently, The Seldom Seen Kid. Prior to that: Elvis Presley - The Complete 50s Masters, for which I blame an unholy combination of www.wordmagazine.co.uk and a bottle of wine. That followed David Ford's Songs For The Road, Aidan Moffat's I Can Hear Your Heart, and Closer by Joy Division, which I didn't have before for some reason.
Here's mine...
Last few purchases:
Physical:
Sigur Ros - Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do (cheap in HMV sale)
Jesus & Mary Chain - Sound of Speed (£5 in the ever-wonderful Fopp!)
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Nick Cave - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Downloads:
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
Charlatans - You Cross My Path (free at XfM.com!)
Goldfrapp - The Seventh Tree
Not bought many lately...
Inspired to try harder....
Kim Richey - Chinese boxes
Elbow
Nick Lowe - Jesus of Cool
Beatles - Past Masters Vol. 2
Shelby - Dusty tribute (for Mrs. T - I remain unconvinced)
Nucleus - Elastic Rock/We'll talk about it later
Martin Simpson - Prodigal son
And just transferred from vinyl John Martyn Live at Leeds which is fantastic.
I like the idea of the Goldfrapp on from the reviews but the Black Cherry one went straight to Oxfam and I saw them playing bits of the new one live on C4 the other day and was undewhelmed - am I missing something here?
Martin Simpson
Enjoy Prodigal Son, it is surely the finest album released last year. One of those albums that is so good that each time you listen you it you change your mind about which your favourite song is.
Indeed
I've had it about a month - "Mother love" is current fave.
Rain
Oddly enough, I just put Past Masters 2 in the car at the weekend, and have been beetling up and down the M4 to it ever since.
What about "Rain" then? Phew.
Was there ever another single song responsible for almost every nuance of another band's sound? Even Liam's sneer is in there.
Indeed it is
I bought it after my "Market research" thread looking for song ideas for my duo - someone suggested Rain - and that version of on PM2 is the bol - esp since t'other half (in a musical sense) is a great bass player.
Hot Lunches Hit Parade
An excellent 18-legged post-rock outfit called The Jimmy Cake have me absolutely and utterly hooked at the moment with their just released third (and best) album called "Spectre and Crown".
Best way to describe it would be Mogwai circa "Happy Songs for Happy People" with an in-house brass section and a few members who once played piano on the moon with Godspeed You Black Emporer. It's a staggeringly beautiful and dramatic instrumental album that ebbs and flows like nothing I've heard all year. "The Day The Arms Came Out of The Wall" is probably the best-named song I've heard all year, and it has a nice two bass intro with added handclaps thrown in for good measure. "Hugs for Buddy" sounds like a track The Who would close an album with if they still made great concept albums (man). Brilliant stuff. http://www.myspace.com/thejimmycake
When The Jimmy Cake are not on the stereo it's been a severe case of Elbow's quite beautiful "Seldom Seen Kid" - all tracks with the exception of the plodding "Grounds for Divorce" and that "Crane Driver" dirge are sublime. Looking forward to catching them in the summer, and delighted to see so many people above buying it. They deserve a hit.
I picked up Killing Joke's "Democracy" album at the weekend not knowing what to expect, and it's not bad it has to be said. Certainly much better than I imagined an album under a fiver to be.
Also diving into lots of old Spiritualized b-sides (particularly a live BBC recording of "Do It All Over Again/Come Together") in advance of "Songs in A&E". I just hope it's not as shit as "Amazing Grace" was...
Enjoying Underworld's "Oblivion with Bells" too. A recent belated purchase, but a real return to form for them. Again, can't wait to see them in the summer, especially last thing on a Saturday night at some festival or other dancing like a loon with a bottle of Buckfast in one hand and my brains in the other.
Jimmy and his elusive cake
So where did you buy their albums? They sound great from the samples on MySpace, but I've drawn a blank on Amazon and eMusic, and the previously wondrous Freak Emporium is now sadly defunct.
The Cake of James
Maybe try http://www.roadrecs.com/
Top tip
thanks for that.
Our correspondent above must either have a hot promo copy, or works for the record label or band; the album's not officially released until the 11th of this month.
An occasional perk
I got a promo copy last week! I actually thought it had been released. Sorry about that.
I'll still be handing a few bob over a counter for it when I get into a record shop though.
I've taken a flyer and already paid my dosh
to a very nice man called Dylan in a record shop in Dublin:
Road Records
16B Fade Street,
Dublin 2,
Ireland.
Phone : 00 353 1 6717340
Fax : 00 353 1 6717342
Email: info@roadrecs.com
Webby thing: http://www.roadrecs.com/
and the other 2 albums at
www.cdworld.ie
No Brains
I couldn't find the band's first album, "Brains" on sale anywhere. I asked the band about this, at their MySpace account, and received this reply from Vinnie (no relation):
"We are hoping to reissue Brains & sell it on our website as soon as money allows. It's been unavailable for a couple of years now so we're pretty anxious to get it back out there."
My brain hurts
That's a shame about "Brains". It's a far superior work than "Dublin Gone, Everybody Dead" which sounds to me like the work of a massed group of sectiond schizophrenics on day release to a music shop. I could get you a copy if you want...
Serious Man Crush...
My last five music purchases are:
Love, Ire and Music - Frank Turner
Two tickets for Frank Turner at Fibber's, York tonight
Sleep is for the Week - Frank Turner
Campfire Punk - Frank Turner
The Real Damage - Frank Turner
I got into him about a year ago and always meant to buy his stuff, I even saw him live in Leeds and recommended him to friends so when the new album came out yesterday I decided to splurge about £50.
5
REM - Accelerate
Elbow - Seldom Seen Kid
Felice Bros - Felice Bros
The Charlatans - You Cross My Path
Cass McCombs - Dropping the Writ (very drab & disappointing).
All proper CDs through the post.
Buying as presents (for me)
My latest spins are "Songs For The Road' David Ford; "May Your Heart Be The Map' Epic45 (both introduced to me courtesy of Word freebies, incidentally); 'Just A Little Lovin' Shelby Lynne; 'Tim's House' Kate Walsh; 'These Friends Of Mine' Rosie Thomas. Bubbling under consideration are the upcoming new Kathleen Edwards and Justin's (the bloke from Del Amitri) recent release. Biggest recent disappointment? 'Man On The Roof' by Stephen Fretwell. What's happened Stephen?
Man on the Roof
Bought this album on the strength of a great live set by Stephen at the Brudnell just before it came out. Was really looking forward to it as the girlfriend and I had absolutely hammered 'Magpie' since it came out and the tracks off the album sounded really promising live, but on record I must admit to feeling much the same way as Andy. Have noticed recently that the fella from the Courtneers (god help us!) has been going around plugging Stephen, which is nice and all, but not really justified on record. Great live though.
The Whip
Anybody listened to the Whip's album? I downloaded the track that was free on iTunes last week - Sister Siam - and have played it a few times so must like it... The album's currently available for under £5 on iTunes but I'm strangely reluctant to buy it. Can anyone persuade that I should, or, indeed, shouldn't?
Final Five
Laura Marling - Alas I Cannot Swim
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah thingy
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Primal Scream - Screamadelica*
Vampire Weekend
*friends' car stereos, splits, carelessness have seen me lose three or four copies of this; it's always fun to buy again.
Anyway, a tremendous haul all round.
Oh, I forgot to mention...
...Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings by Counting Crows. I bought it purely on the strength of the cover design (no, honestly!). The jury's still out. Prefer their slower stuff, 'Round Here', 'A Long December' etc. P.S. Anybody want to buy a copy of 'Man On The Roof' cheap?
To Chimney Singing Crow...
..does your copy of 'May Your Heart Be The Map' sound iffy on a coule of tracks. I'm on my second, shrink-wrapped copy from Play.com and the problem still persists. Faulty pressing as they used to say in the days of vinyl, or what?
Erm
It's kind of hard to tell what sounds iffy to be honest! Maybe it's on purpose
In all honesty it sounds fine to me. I'd have a word with your supplier. Must be annoying for you if it took as long to get hold of as it took me!
Epics...
Try their label they've been very helpful with me.
www.makeminemailorder.com
On Rob F's recommendation if you like Epic45, July Skies are a sure thing.
www.Boomkat.com have FLAC and MP3 downlaods of both.
I went to the shops and I bought
Supergrass - Diamond Hoo Ha man (sounding promising after 1 play but Now Hear This track maybe best, we shall see)
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga (really like it a lot, especially Cherry Bomb - retro yet somehow quite now too)
Roisin Murphy - Overpowered (bit of a hottie for me I must admit, dance music you can listen to at home without needing to dance)
Maps - forget the title (like it but not played it a lot for some reason)
Neil Young - the live archives one which is with Crazy Horse
Roisin Murphy - Overpowered
Just a classic that seems to be disappearing from view, which would be a real shame because its a real UP record. I just love it. And you are right a total Hottie.
Up record
Yes it is great. It should have been a big hit. Something you can put on and just feel good.
Last five (plus two more...)
All bought from Amazon:
1. James McMurty - Best of Sugar Hill Years - this was from a Word CD and is really very splendid. I had never heard of him before. Highly recommended.
2. Kate Walsh - Tims House - I have to keep checking I'm talking about the right Kate here ie not Nash. Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie were singing her praises and rightly so. I saw her on tour recently and was impressed by her voice.
3. Steven Lindsay - Kite - another Word CD recommendation and I can't fault that! And someone else I had never heard of before.
4. KT Tunstall - Drastic Fantastic - awful album title but I am enjoying it.
5. Actually I got these three at the same time so you decide which it is. (5) Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan - I haven't really settled into this yet. I've only listened to it a couple of times on the run and am not sure. (6) Raising Sand - Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - I really wasn't sure about this when it came out and I didn't care much for the first single but actually I am impressed. (7) Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade - just excellent - I caught him on tour and was blown away. Superb.
Anyway looking back I detect a "Wordsome" bias.
Just got paid, so I splurged again on...
Henryk Górecki - Symphony No.3
Robert Wyatt - Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard
Hallelujah Chicken Run Band - Take One: 1974-1979
Heitor Villa-Lobos - Bachianas Brasileiras Nos.1, 2, 5 & 9
Paul Simon - Paul Simon (Japanese Replica Vinyl CD)
Górecki's Symphony No. 3
Wonderful choice. An amazingly melancholic piece of brilliance.
Aside from promos
and the usual German ambient and old Essex rave tunes (e.g. ) I buy off discogs.com in weak moments, this month I've mostly been buying soul.
1) 'Go For It' 12" by Billy Preston and Syreeta (the ex-Mrs Stevie Wonder), a fabulous disco record ruined by horrible "motivational seminar" lyrics but redeemed by a b-side instrumental.
2) 'Just Be good To Me' by The Fatback Band, just because I didn't have it already
3) 'Standing On Solid Ground' 7" by Sidney Barnes
4) 'Baby Boy' album by Fred Hughes, both these last two because my wife had a binge of looking up northern soul tracks on YouTube on Sunday and I kept impulse purchasing the really good ones.
5) 'Child Of The 70s' CD by Bettye LaVette, just because.
oops weird tag problem
oops weird tag problem there, sorry
Misplaced Childhood
Kept meaning to keep tabs on what I have brought and what freebies I get from the music mags I get this year. Damn it I forgot to list them recently.
Though sadly not the Marillon album of the same name (which I do possess on vinyl somewhere in my collection)
Today I brought:
"Ashes To Ashes" OST (question why the number plate on the Audi Quattro blacked out on the back cover?)
"Life On Mars" OST
"The Odd Couple" Gnarls Barkley
"The Edge Of The 80s" Various Artists (showing my age if I can remember every track!)
Today I played in the office Think Of One's "Marrakech Emaballages Ensemble 3" to silence a colleague who thought it was in his right to say to a colleague of mine "Could you turn the vol-ume down pl-ease some-one's try-ing to work! No because he was on the Internet and I gave him a cold stare. And yes he sounds like that and pronounces every last syll-a-ble too.
I'm 'avin' 'oops!
I wonder if they've sold off the Quattro with that number still on it. Have they finished filming the next season yet?
The Life On Mars OST is great, except for the bizarre inclusion of a lame Mott The Hoople track in the middle of it.
My last 5... Eels - Meet The
My last 5...
Eels - Meet The Eels
Vampire Weekend
Juno Soundtrack
LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver
Wilco - Summerteeth
My stash came
since I posted this blog. The Elbow cd is awesome - is the rest of their catalogue as good? I bought this after seeing and hearing one song on tv and I love it.
Will be sending my next order in today which will include Joe Henry and the new Was (not was) album. Oh what fun!!
Elbow
My opinions on their back catalogue:
Asleep in the Back - excellent, better than the new one. Two tracks are fantastic (Any Day Now and Powder Blue) and the rest are damn fine too.
Cast of Thousands - very good.
Leaders of the Free World - good, apart from the first and last tracks (Station Approach and Puncture Repair) which are outstanding.
Well, you asked...!
If I remember rightly they are;
R.E.M. - Accelerate
Mark Olson - Creekdippin' For The First Time
Nick Cave - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
They Might Be Giants - The Else
Kristin Hersh - Slippershell
Note to self...
... give Play.com some money!
This thread has just made me realise that I haven't actually bought any CDs this year! I've fueled my need for new music entirely with my 90 tracks a month from Emusic and the cover discs from Word, Uncut and Paste.
Thanks David
I asked because I wanted to know - first track on Seldom seen kid is just awesome. Now you've cost me some more dosh. Oh well.
So Steve
What do you reckon? Money well spent?
In the last month I've bought .....
1: The reissue of OMD's frankly bonkers "Dazzle Ships" : loads of extra tracks, and even a new Vorticist-inspired Peter Saville front cover. Listening to 'tracks' (if that even is the right description) such as "Radio Prague" and "Swiss Radio International" brought back memories as a nipper tuning my first radio and occasionally stumbling across some crackly station broadcasting from some eastern European oligarchy. Still, its not that outre - there's some great pop songs on it - "Telegraph", "Genetic Engineering" - as well as their finest song like evah, "Romance of the telescope". Anyone else buy it?
2: Goldfrapp's "Seventh Tree" : she's less Marlene Dietrich on this one, and more Noosha Fox meets Nick Drake. As the review in Word said last month, "Hello trees, hello flowers!" .... to which I'd add "We hope you like our new direction!". Me thinks that a lot of fans picked up over the last two albums will be left thinking : "?!". I haven't seen a musical volte face like this since Talk Talk's "Laughing Stock", but its still a quality listen.
3: Roisin Murphy's new one - not ripped and listened to it yet, only heard the excellent new single.
4: OMD's "Live Architecture & Morality & More" - shurely their fellow Wirralites Half Man Half Biscuit would have let them call it "Architecture & Morality & Ted & Alice"?!
Dazzle ships
I remember when this came out. Did anyone else get a fright listening to the title track? Submarines? White guys doing sampling? That`ll never catch on. I`m glad I did. If ever a band went on a tangent, this is it. I think this is a brilliant album. Yes, it has dated, but in a good way. This band are criminally underrated.
I Just Got.........
Teddy Thompson´s Upfront and Down Low , where the Richard´s boy takes on a dozen country standards and doesn´t he do well!
The Go_Betweens Before Hollywood, had it on Tape , finally on CD
Harry Nilsson sings Newman
Goldfrapp, James et Supergrass
After reading some of the above comments re: Goldfrapp I finally relented and bought "Seventh Tree" which I had picked up and put back on the shelf numerous times over the last month; and boy oh boy am I delighted I parted with the extra few bob to buy the nice box set version (I'm a sucker for these things). I loved their first album, "Felt Mountain" even though it scared a few friends, and "Black Cherry" too, as it was a real wtf departure, but I kinda got lost on the excesses of "Supernature" so I'm in heaven with this. It's a quite beautiful piece, nice and mellow and folky, and it's also lovely to hear the unmistakable drums of the great Damon Reece on a couple of tracks.
I also bought the new James LP "Hey Ma" yesterday, with a little trepidation I must add as I had gone along to one of their first shows at The Olympia in Dublin after they reformed with the "classic" line-up, and it was well dodgy. I thought they had made a brave decision leaving on a high with the excellent "Pleased To Meet You" LP, and Tim Booth's solo disc wasn't too bad. He was fantastic at Glastonbuty too, coming on after Mark Gardener if memory serves me right. Anyway, I was aprehensive, a feeling aided by the fact the artwork is rather shit (it reminds me of those bad metal bands from the 80's who suddenly decided to get serious) - but hey! don't judge a record by its cover right? Lo and behold though, the album has pleasantly surprised me so far. Opener "Bubbles" sets it up beautifully, but then a ham-fisted body bag title track about 9-11 lets it down. Thankfully that's as bad as it gets, and from the third track on the album gets better and better with two or three real standouts so far. It's still growing so I'll reserve full judgement just yet, but it's far better than I imagined it would be.
As I type, a freshly purchased Supergrass album awaits its maiden spin, but something tells me three good albums out of three just won't happen...
All sorts...
Since a mate got me into Band of Horses (surely THE best live act out there at the moment?) I've been having an Americana/Country renaissance
Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers - Archive No. 1 which is a couple of (extremely good) gigs supporting the Dead, including 2 sublime versions of Hot Burrito #1, in my opinion one of the greatest songs ever written.
Grand Archives - Grand Archives. Its a Band of Horses thing really (former member of BoH formed GA). But different and good. Love the first song, Torn Blue Foam Couch. Sublime.
American Music Club - San Francisco. For me a high point for the boy Eitzel. Superb, breathy American pop rock, anyone liking their rock with a bit of miserable bastard thrown in, SF has it.
Billy Bragg - Mr Love and Justice. Love the man. Always have, always will. I Keep Faith is up there with his very best. Have to be honest, I prefer the solo cd to the Blokes one.
Guillemots - Red. Through the Windowpane is one of my all time fav debuts, but I've only just got this and, like the first one, it needs a good coat of listening to.
Also, like above, stumbled on a great vinyl to mp3 site whilst looking for Dillard and Clark's (The Fantastic Expedition of...) album, and found Entre En Mi Mente (Among My Mind). Chock full of vinyl goodness from the late 60's & early 70's (and some later, to my mind slightly, erm dubious ones...) http://entreamimente.blogspot.com/
bragg solo
Yep have to agree the solo one is superb. I have always been like that with Loudon Wainwright. Alone with a guitar he is absolutely brilliant, and hilarious live. But how many of his recorded great songs have been ruined with unsuitable band arrangements??
I`ll post, then I`ll read
Made in the Dark - Hot Chip
Bryter Layter - Nick Drake
Seventh Tree - Goldfrapp
() - Sigur Ros
Do you like rock music - British Sea Power
Kathleen Edwards
Asking For Flowers finally arrived. It was worth the wait, even if my wife found the lyrics to Afraid At Night horrible.
Tift Merritt - Another country. Sheer delight.
Corinne West - Second sight. I bought it after going to see her live last week. I'm not sure if it's as good as she weas live, but it may well grow on me.
Bought and in some cases not even played...
new Raconteurs - bloody marvellous!
new REM - Cak! I know this has been fully covered elsewhere..
new Son & Daughters - bunged on the old ipod - not listened to fully
new Brian Jonestown Massacre - as above..
Blood Red Shoes - Box Of Secrets - oh yes!
Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster - hold on now, old git for trying desperatly to keep up with the kids. Shouldn't have bothered really..
I actually foound a rather large pile of recently (in the last couple of months) CDs gathering dust by my (increasingly under-used) hi-fi this morning. It's the curse of the ipod, I'm afraid. Everything gets put onto itunes almost immediately with the result that a good percentage of albums just get lost in the 16,000+ songs that populate it.
Anyone else have this problem?