Thanks for the incentive to while away my time on a warm night and revisit my vinyl collection.
I've 700+ long players and a hundred or so singles and eps, many since converted to MP3s, I'm looking at them now.
My son has said he wants them when I cark it and some of his mates reckon they're cool, which is a bit of a worry when I think about it. I'm deaf so all of this crap about the superiority and warmth of the LP vs the "it's just a bit of fuzz on an inferior format" is honestly beyond me. Nearly everything I have is now up on Youtube, even the obscure stuff and the ā ā ā ā ā ā bootlegs. The LP art is basically the only thing making them unique but honestly I didn't buy them for the visuals.
The best of them? Here's my top 10. (I've arbitrarily eliminated all greatest hits stuff and the obvious stuff that everyone has - of which I have my fair share.) Not in any order, except for Number 1.
1. Jarrett's 10 album SunBear Concerts- but I put my son off Jarrett by playing him too much so it will probably end up on Ebay where it will fetch a reasonable price and hopefully a owner with taste.
2. Loudon Wainwright 111, his first album and he might be a "motherfooking ahole" according to his daughter but Black Uncle Remus is one of the great pop folk tracks.
3. Steely Dan Countdown to Ecstasy - probably the best of a great bunch and Show Business Kids might yet be the new US National Anthem.
4. Skids Scared to Dance. Follows the Keith Richards LP formula of a single and 10 tracks of ā ā ā ā but when the single is as good as "Into the Valley" who cares (even if it became a sort of fascist anthem)
5. Springsteen's The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle- the kid before he become an insufferable Captain America - Sandy is his best ballad and New York City Serenade still moves me. The LP even has the references I think to Columbia excised because they arrived in Oz before they were supposed to, which makes it even more special in my eyes.
6. Sinatra at the Sands with the Count Basie Orchestra. I left the LP in the back of the car and the vinyl is warped a bit but it's still the best version of "I've got you under my skin" going round.
7. No Regrets Doug Parkinson - Includes Doug's meritorious version of Dear Prudence and the infectious and truly laughable "Love Gun" - the lyrics were too embarrassing to be a hit but a great hook.
8. Joni Mitchell Blue - Well this one is a staple but it's just so good. If any songsmith deserved the Nobel, it's Joni.
9. Al Di Meola Land of the Midnight Sun- with Chick Corea on the title track. One of those LPs that made me realise I was missing something.
10. Kate and Anna McGarrigle- self titled - Kate was married to Loudon for a while and this pop country album is just soooo pretty it aches.
11. Little Feat - Where do you start? With Sailin' Shoes I reckon and the wonderful Neon Parks' best cover illustration, IMO.
12. Obsecration, the great Lobby Loyde's concept album. Red cover with a great inner sleeve and, unlike a lot of my stuff, in near mint condition. Sans balls of any hue.
13. La Dusseldorf's Viva - Krautrock at its finest with another great inner sleeve.
14. Gary Glitter - self titled. Yep I have it and I still occasionally play it and yeah I know...but I like Caravaggio too.
15. Elvis Costello and the Attractions Get Happy - Before he got boring and mellow, like the rest of us?
16. Brian Cadd self titled- so talented and it's a shame he spent so much time sucking up to the Yanks, who never took to him anyway but this is one of the great unheralded Oz pop albums.
17. Gato Barbieri In Search of the Mystery- A great fiery saxophonist who you have heard if you've seen "Last Tango" but this was before that and before he played disco fillers, this was as pure an approach to free music as I've ever heard.
18. David Ackles American Gothic. Was going to be the next Dylan and never was but I bought his albums and this was his best. The song Montana is his epic and his classic. Actually produced by Elton John's musical partner, Bernie Taupin, but that's where the comparison ends.
19. Parliament Motor Bootie Affair - with Sir Nose devoid of funk on the picture disc - my son wants this so bad!
20. The Pointer Sisters Live At The Opera House- When there were 4 of them and they were quite simply the best live pop or rock act in the world. Believe it or not.
21. Betty Harris In the Saddle- OK I broke by best of rule but this is a great RnB collection and includes the unmissable "Ride Your Pony"
22. Tom Waits Nighthawks at the Diner - before he became everyone's favourite post bop beatnik
So thatās my top 10, never said I could count, and here they are all gathered together for a celebratory pic. And Iād probably change it tomorrow.
PS I have a turntable but Iām down to the last needle.
Howās that for self indulgence!
Wow some kind of eclectic! I like it.
My brother had Land of the midnight sun and Elegant gypsy. Both are great but Mediterranean Sundance off the latter is simply amazing. He and Jonny McLaughlin and Paco De Lucia did a version on their āPassion Grace and Fireā tour in the 80s. We went and saw them at Hamer Hallā¦
Keith Jarret - only ever had āthe Koln concertā - loved that and one track from it appears in an ethereal, floaty, riding-a-Vespa scene in the Italian film Caro Diaro.
Tom Waits. Had all of them up to Heartattack and Vine. Nighthawks is good but you could make a case for all the rest, too. Waits is great in the film ādown by Lawā too. Funny, just a few days ago I had āon the nickelā on in the car, and my son said āwell this is obviously a big fat bl$&&ck guyā, which is exactly what I (racistly) thought when I first heard Blue Valentine in the 70s - how wrong can you be!
Most of my vinyl went west somewhere between houses, I should find out what my bro still has.
Down By Law is how I found out who Waits was as a teen. I had the soundtrack on vinyl for a bit, but knew someone who desperately wanted it and passed it on cos I didnāt play it often. Love that film though, one of my faves.
Admittedly, itās his 80s output that I dig most. I have Rain Dogs and Iām trying to track down Swordfishtrombones on vinyl.
Iāve done karaoke sessions where Iāve drunkenly decided that every single song, no matter what it is, should be a Tom Waits impersonation, and consequently ripped my throat to shreds for days. Not recommended.
I recently took this photo to accompany an article I wrote for my friend's craft beer mag, on pairing albums with beer. It shows some of the prized vinyl in my collection. Props to those who can name all the albums from the obscured artwork!
Thanks for the incentive to while away my time on a warm night and revisit my vinyl collection.
I've 700+ long players and a hundred or so singles and eps, many since converted to MP3s, I'm looking at them now.
My son has said he wants them when I cark it and some of his mates reckon they're cool, which is a bit of a worry when I think about it. I'm deaf so all of this crap about the superiority and warmth of the LP vs the "it's just a bit of fuzz on an inferior format" is honestly beyond me. Nearly everything I have is now up on Youtube, even the obscure stuff and the ā ā ā ā ā ā bootlegs. The LP art is basically the only thing making them unique but honestly I didn't buy them for the visuals.
The best of them? Here's my top 10. (I've arbitrarily eliminated all greatest hits stuff and the obvious stuff that everyone has - of which I have my fair share.) Not in any order, except for Number 1.
1. Jarrett's 10 album SunBear Concerts- but I put my son off Jarrett by playing him too much so it will probably end up on Ebay where it will fetch a reasonable price and hopefully a owner with taste.
2. Loudon Wainwright 111, his first album and he might be a "motherfooking ahole" according to his daughter but Black Uncle Remus is one of the great pop folk tracks.
3. Steely Dan Countdown to Ecstasy - probably the best of a great bunch and Show Business Kids might yet be the new US National Anthem.
4. Skids Scared to Dance. Follows the Keith Richards LP formula of a single and 10 tracks of ā ā ā ā but when the single is as good as "Into the Valley" who cares (even if it became a sort of fascist anthem)
5. Springsteen's The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle- the kid before he become an insufferable Captain America - Sandy is his best ballad and New York City Serenade still moves me. The LP even has the references I think to Columbia excised because they arrived in Oz before they were supposed to, which makes it even more special in my eyes.
6. Sinatra at the Sands with the Count Basie Orchestra. I left the LP in the back of the car and the vinyl is warped a bit but it's still the best version of "I've got you under my skin" going round.
7. No Regrets Doug Parkinson - Includes Doug's meritorious version of Dear Prudence and the infectious and truly laughable "Love Gun" - the lyrics were too embarrassing to be a hit but a great hook.
8. Joni Mitchell Blue - Well this one is a staple but it's just so good. If any songsmith deserved the Nobel, it's Joni.
9. Al Di Meola Land of the Midnight Sun- with Chick Corea on the title track. One of those LPs that made me realise I was missing something.
10. Kate and Anna McGarrigle- self titled - Kate was married to Loudon for a while and this pop country album is just soooo pretty it aches.
11. Little Feat - Where do you start? With Sailin' Shoes I reckon and the wonderful Neon Parks' best cover illustration, IMO.
12. Obsecration, the great Lobby Loyde's concept album. Red cover with a great inner sleeve and, unlike a lot of my stuff, in near mint condition. Sans balls of any hue.
13. La Dusseldorf's Viva - Krautrock at its finest with another great inner sleeve.
14. Gary Glitter - self titled. Yep I have it and I still occasionally play it and yeah I know...but I like Caravaggio too.
15. Elvis Costello and the Attractions Get Happy - Before he got boring and mellow, like the rest of us?
16. Brian Cadd self titled- so talented and it's a shame he spent so much time sucking up to the Yanks, who never took to him anyway but this is one of the great unheralded Oz pop albums.
17. Gato Barbieri In Search of the Mystery- A great fiery saxophonist who you have heard if you've seen "Last Tango" but this was before that and before he played disco fillers, this was as pure an approach to free music as I've ever heard.
18. David Ackles American Gothic. Was going to be the next Dylan and never was but I bought his albums and this was his best. The song Montana is his epic and his classic. Actually produced by Elton John's musical partner, Bernie Taupin, but that's where the comparison ends.
19. Parliament Motor Bootie Affair - with Sir Nose devoid of funk on the picture disc - my son wants this so bad!
20. The Pointer Sisters Live At The Opera House- When there were 4 of them and they were quite simply the best live pop or rock act in the world. Believe it or not.
21. Betty Harris In the Saddle- OK I broke by best of rule but this is a great RnB collection and includes the unmissable "Ride Your Pony"
22. Tom Waits Nighthawks at the Diner - before he became everyone's favourite post bop beatnik
So thatās my top 10, never said I could count, and here they are all gathered together for a celebratory pic. And Iād probably change it tomorrow.
PS I have a turntable but Iām down to the last needle.
Howās that for self indulgence!
Wow some kind of eclectic! I like it.
My brother had Land of the midnight sun and Elegant gypsy. Both are great but Mediterranean Sundance off the latter is simply amazing. He and Jonny McLaughlin and Paco De Lucia did a version on their āPassion Grace and Fireā tour in the 80s. We went and saw them at Hamer Hallā¦
Keith Jarret - only ever had āthe Koln concertā - loved that and one track from it appears in an ethereal, floaty, riding-a-Vespa scene in the Italian film Caro Diaro.
Tom Waits. Had all of them up to Heartattack and Vine. Nighthawks is good but you could make a case for all the rest, too. Waits is great in the film ādown by Lawā too. Funny, just a few days ago I had āon the nickelā on in the car, and my son said āwell this is obviously a big fat bl$&&ck guyā, which is exactly what I (racistly) thought when I first heard Blue Valentine in the 70s - how wrong can you be!
Most of my vinyl went west somewhere between houses, I should find out what my bro still has.
Down By Law is how I found out who Waits was as a teen. I had the soundtrack on vinyl for a bit, but knew someone who desperately wanted it and passed it on cos I didnāt play it often. Love that film though, one of my faves.
Admittedly, itās his 80s output that I dig most. I have Rain Dogs and Iām trying to track down Swordfishtrombones on vinyl.
Iāve done karaoke sessions where Iāve drunkenly decided that every single song, no matter what it is, should be a Tom Waits impersonation, and consequently ripped my throat to shreds for days. Not recommended.
Easiest to sing along with Tom when you are still a bit croaky recovering from a cold. And yeah it makes your throat sore again! Romeo is bleeding is pretty bad for gravel-throat!
I have rain dogs and swordfishtrombones on CD.
Downtown train is good. And I love the Australian connection in Town With No Cheer.
But I would encourage a listen of all the earlier stuff too. Kentucky Avenue, heart of Saturday night, Ol 55. List of great songs goes on.
My dad and uncle who were both rabid collectors of music - since the 60ās. Their passion for records rubbed off on me at an early age and I ended up focusing more on the playing, rather then collecting side of things. Collecting records has never left us tho, know matter how digital things get. Still canāt beat a good pressing and a quality system for listening. Will be checking in here regularly to see what people are talking about and playing.
I now co-own a local record store called The Searchers on Smith St. We have a few good things going for usā¦mainly that everyone who works here are crazy one-eyed bomber members (which is pure luck). Our instagram page is the most accurate up to date online tool for anyone interested : www.instagram.com/thesearchers - if anyone is after anything let me know!
Maybe we should do a bomberblitz only discount card? =)
My dad and uncle who were both rabid collectors of music - since the 60's. Their passion for records rubbed off on me at an early age and I ended up focusing more on the playing, rather then collecting side of things. Collecting records has never left us tho, know matter how digital things get. Still can't beat a good pressing and a quality system for listening. Will be checking in here regularly to see what people are talking about and playing.
I now co-own a local record store called The Searchers on Smith St. We have a few good things going for usā¦mainly that everyone who works here are crazy one-eyed bomber members (which is pure luck). Our instagram page is the most accurate up to date online tool for anyone interested : www.instagram.com/thesearchers - if anyone is after anything let me know!
Maybe we should do a bomberblitz only discount card? =)
Love your store. I know the guy who owned it, formerly.*
My dad and uncle who were both rabid collectors of music - since the 60's. Their passion for records rubbed off on me at an early age and I ended up focusing more on the playing, rather then collecting side of things. Collecting records has never left us tho, know matter how digital things get. Still can't beat a good pressing and a quality system for listening. Will be checking in here regularly to see what people are talking about and playing.
I now co-own a local record store called The Searchers on Smith St. We have a few good things going for usā¦mainly that everyone who works here are crazy one-eyed bomber members (which is pure luck). Our instagram page is the most accurate up to date online tool for anyone interested : www.instagram.com/thesearchers - if anyone is after anything let me know!
Maybe we should do a bomberblitz only discount card? =)
Love your store. I know the guy who owned it formerly.
Jack White got me into vinyl records and I'm grateful he did.
He puts it so simple and accurately IMO: āItās like a bonfire.ā Itās a different experience. People talk about how it sounds better, but thatās all in their head. Play a CD on a good sound system and it canāt be beaten. The thing is, people donāt. Itās either streamed, ripped off the radio or played through ā ā ā ā ā ā laptop speakers or iPhone earbuds.
To play a record you have to respect it. No one plays their turntable through their laptop speakers. No one can be bothered putting a record on only to go and do something else these days. If youāre doing something else, use Spotify. I love putting a record on, sitting on my beanbag (I know, Iām such a student) and just looking at the artwork and listening to the lyrics properly. When you get half way through the record you have to flip it, itās engaging.
My collection is modest, Iāve had my turntable for about 18 mths
(How annoying - Google Photos backup doesnāt give a .jpeg link)
(Pardon Hilltop Hoods, I got those records on the cheap so they can be re-sold.)
Albums that I think go to another level played on vinyl and loud:
The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
DāAngelo - Black Messiah
Weezer - Blue Album
Weezer - Pinkerton
On the other hand TV On The Radio - Nine Types of Light was fkn disappointing for one of my favourite ever albums - ā ā ā ā pressing.
Also @wimmera1 my research has told me that despite being nice pieces of furniture those all in one units have terrible actual turntables in them with crappy heavy cartridges and poor tracking which will tear up your records really quickly. Your cheap turntable/stereo will be even worse. Anything off Gumtree is better than the new stuff unless you go super expensive (~ $100) from what I read (I bought new personally but it was expensive)
Those last two get a fair work out on my system, tooooons!
I recently took this photo to accompany an article I wrote for my friend's craft beer mag, on pairing albums with beer. It shows some of the prized vinyl in my collection. Props to those who can name all the albums from the obscured artwork!
what's that record at 12oclock?
Sorry, haven't been in here for a few days... that's Elvis Costello - This Year's Model. (Also I don't think anyone ever said Arcade Fire's Funeral at 6, and Pixies' Doolittle at 4. Edit, oh and The Queen Is Dead at 2.)
I recently re engaged my interest in vinyl. I bought myself some 70ās hifi gear. It all started after a friend showed me some big ā ā ā old hifi speakers he go t from an op shop for nearly nothing. Soon after he told me about some more he saw at the same op shop so I bought them . From there I picked up some old pioneer gear, amp and tuner, and an AWA turntable.
Now im hooked again. Missus has been picking up old records from the garage sales, and Im building a collection from discogs. purchased mainly older nostalgia and some new ones, Discogs is awesome, global resource for vinyl. some cheap, some really expensive, but you will pretty much find whatever you think of there.
Wife has some really mint old records at her dads place in melbourne. Some hers some her brothers. just need find the right opportunity to get a hold of them
I recently took this photo to accompany an article I wrote for my friend's craft beer mag, on pairing albums with beer. It shows some of the prized vinyl in my collection. Props to those who can name all the albums from the obscured artwork!
what's that record at 12oclock?
Iām seeing Arcade Fire at 6 oāclock with the cure under that and the one above weezer is the violent femmes.
I was just downtown here in Osaka waiting for the doctorās to open and thought Iād pop into the nearest record store to kill 15 minutes. I walk in and flip through the first crate and walk out with pristine Japanese presses of āRed Sails In The Sunsetā and āDiesel And Dustā under my arm for $30 total. Theyāve been on my wantlist for years and Iāve never come across them. Happy day!
Just bought ACDC high voltage, repress from 1985, originals are going for 300 i paid about 100 for the repress in VG to VG + condition. Even If I dont pay it, itās a must in the collection for me
Is it just me or have a lot of posts gone missing in this thread?
Anyway, one thing Iām looking forward to after I move this week is having the space to set up the turntables again - not enough space in current placeā¦ Have got an old Rambler, that needs a service and an not as old but still old, Bang and Olufsen.
Packing up our vinyl collections for the move has reminded me how much Iāve missed them.
Just a heads up for my fellow Vinyl loversā¦
JB HiFi is having 20% off Vinyl & CDās tomorrow (avail Instore and Onlineā¦shipping is reasonable).
Just on JB, I was at Southland last Friday and decided to poke my head in and have a look at their range.
Well, there was Vinyl everywhere.
The most I have ever seen in a JB Store.
Near the PCās and IPads, a number of plastic boxes filled.
Then over where the CDās are, about 8 boxes each split in categories (ie. Metal, Punk, Alternative, Pop etcā¦)
Then I walked down an aisle, and found a whole heap on display.
Walked around the other side of the aisle, and found another section up against the wall.
Heaps of great titlesā¦Pearl Jam, AC/DC, Metallicaā¦
Anyhow, itās the first time Iāve been in a Music store since the late 80ās and thoughtā¦
" this format is making a serious comeback " !
I want to write an extensive post on cleaning and caring for Vinyl, but will wait until I have trialled a few methods properly.
I bought a number of original titles 33ās & 45ās off EBay, and many of them are quite noisy.
My Wet Cleaning System arrived today, so Iām going to get busy, and will Record the results.
I also have this Melbourne made product call " Revirginizer ", which works kinda like a face mask.
Work it into the record, leave it overnight to dry, then it peels off taking all the grime and grit with it.
I will also trial the wood glue method (yes you read correctly, wood glue) on a particularly bad copy of āBig Log/Robert Plantā.
Supposedly, works the same way as the Revirginizer mentioned above, and many swear by it.
Got around 300 LPās on Vinyl and buying more and more as we have been playing them for years on a turntable I bought for Christmas years ago.
Best 10 not in any order
Morning of the Earth
J Geils Monkey Island
Roy Buchanan and The Snakestretchers
Ledd Zeppelin 1
Brian Cadd Parabrahm
Skyhooks Living in The 70ās
Bee Gees First (on spin 1st album I ever bought)
Black Sabbath Paranoid
Jon Martyn One World
Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons - Screaming Targets
Always looking to buy more and next time in Melbourne will be visiting The Searchers on Smith St
