30 March 2016, No. 140, Bangles, ‘Dub Like an Egyptian (Todd Terje Edit)’

Todd Terje is a monster, and so is this oh-so-spaced-out little whistler of a take on a Bangles classic. All the kids in the marketplace say "Dub Like an Egyptian (Todd Terje Edit)" is No. 140.

28 March 2016, No. 139, Ballin’ Jack, ‘Special Pride’

We’ll get to the Ballin’ Jack tune of which you might recognize a snippet at No. 694 (it’s the sample source for “Bust a Move” by Young MC). This song, “Special Pride,” comes in at No. 139 and has a distorted guitar tone that, when it plays in unison with the horns, presages Ernie Isley’s Big Muff/wah-wah work on “That Lady” a few years later. Sort of.

25 March 2016, No. 138, Aural Exciters, ‘Marathon Runner (Alkalino Mutant Disco Edit)’

All winter I’ve been copying (and writing about) records I intend to get rid of, but I’ve gotten down to the dregs of that pile, so we’re back to my favorite 1,000 disco jams as ordered by tempo. At No. 138 we’ve got “Marathon Runner (Alkalino Mutant Disco Edit)” from Aural Exciters. It’s a good edit, and it’s fun because I own an Aural Exciter from Aphex, which I bought because of the Aphex Twin connection and never used. It was cheap, like $50 on Craigslist. I don’t even know if Mr. D. James ever actually used one. Maybe when I get around to making a record, I’ll run the whole thing through the Aural Exciter in mastering. I seem to recall reading on a record sleeve somewhere that that’s what some group or other did with theirs.

23 March 2016

I'm on the fence about whether to keep this record or not, which means it will probably wind up staying for now. It's a good compilation with a lot of funky cuts, but at $4 and two discs, the value-to-weight ratio means I should cull it. Quincy Jones, I Heard That!! 2xLP, SP-3705 on A&M, VG/VG+, $4.

Quincy Jones, "I Heard That!!"

22 March 2016

I've never gotten into Elton John (and the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road double album is neither winning me over nor driving me away), but wow this is a big synth sound in "Funeral for a Friend." Video skips right to it. It could be the duophonic ARP Odyssey, but it sure sounds like it has more voices than that...Anyway, Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 2xLP, MCA2-10003, VG+/VG+, $6.



Edit: Never mind polyphony. Lots of overdubs. Big sound, though. Real speakers recommended.

21 March 2016

I'm not paying enough attention to this to tell you much about it or to get m/any laughs. I think there was a thing where Grandpa turns out to be a Nazi, which might be sort of relevant as we goose-step toward a Trump nomination. It caught my attention because it contains a string of about 20 racial slurs. Cute record sleeve, though.

The Firesign Theatre, How Can You Be in Two Places at Once When You're Not Anywhere at All LP

10 March 2016

Nine years is many. Let's do many more. L!

Ratt, "Round and Round"

9 March 2016

I should probably spend more of my time making music like the music of whomever it is behind Goudron. "Grand River Ver. 1" is not as good as "Grand River Ver. 3," but 3 doesn't seem to be up on YouTube, so 1 shall suffice. Also, unlike most/all of the stuff I've been posting lately, this is from a CD and is not for sale (though you can get your own copy of "Raw Voltage" for about $4).

4 March 2016

"Peanut Butter" from the Marathons is a standout track on this Rhino Frat Rock compilation I'm copying, and I just realized why: Mojo Nixon ripped it off for another song I quite like. Also, the idea of peanut butter being "hard to chew" is amusingly counterintuitive but totally true. Just ask Mr. Ed. Anyway, Frat Rock! Volume 2, RNLP 70183 on Rhino, VG/VG, $5.

1 March 2016

It looks like the real war today will be between the plow trucks and the new snow. Ah well. Inside all is warm and funky. War, "Deliver the Word" LP, United Artists UA-LA128-F, VG/G+, $4.