Month: February 2021

ALBUMS: Soft Machine II (1969); Robert Wyatt Old Rottenhat (1985)

MVC Ratings: Soft Machine II 4.0/$$$$; Wyatt 4.0/$$$$

While Pink Floyd began searching the universe in the late 1960s, The Soft Machine was already in another universe. I’m not saying the Soft Machine was better, but the band was certainly an exploratory pioneer with its use of different song structures (suites, e.g.) and odd time signatures. Their first album with it’s longer songs and more traditional presentations was widely praised by critics if not record buyers.

The avant-garde jazz-rock wasn’t for everybody. Just .glance at the cover photo (which is featured in a Ramsey Archibald photo collage on the homepage of my blog myvinylcountdown.com). That, and the names of the songs will tell you this isn’t a teeny-bop band.

Here’s the line-up of songs for the second album, which I have (a WUXTRY 1978 used record purchase):

1. Pataphysical Introduction, Pt. I 2. A Concise British Alphabet, Pt. 1 3. Hibou Anemone And Bear 4. A Concise British Alphabet, Pt. II 5. Hullo der 6. Dada Was Here 7. Thank You Pierrot Lunaire 8. Have You Ever Bean Grean? 9. Pataphysical Introduction, Pt. II 10. Out Of Tunes 11. As Long As He Lies Perfectly Still 12. Dedicated To You But You Weren’t Listening 13. Fire Engine Passing With Bells Clanging 14. Pig 15. Orange Skin Food 16. A Door Opens And Closes 17. 10: 30 Returns To The Bedroom

Wow. Just wow. (That ‘wow’ was me not another song title).

These song titles probably give you a hint on what kind of sonic vibrations this band produced.

Also in my possession is former Soft Machine drummer Robert Wyatt’s solo album which is easier to listen to in a concentrated listening session or pushed more toward the background. The Wyatt album is a stripped down sound that’s mostly all Wyatt on keyboard and studio wizardry. Wyatt lost use of his legs following a fall from a 4th-floor window of a friend’s house in 1973. That injury motivated him to become a player of multiple instruments.

ALBUMS: Argybargy ( 1980); East Side Story ( 1981); Squeeze Singles (1982).

MVC Rating: 4.0/$$$; East 4.0/$$$; Singles 4.0/$$$

I found Argybargy in the cut-out bin in Auburn in about 1980. I remember this for some reason because I was debating whether I should plunk down $2 for this band I only knew from a small write-up in Rolling Stone.

I was a struggling college student for goodness sake. I sold my blood plasma for record money ($15 but you could only do it twice a month, I believe.) So it stands to reason. I didn’t want to spend this blood money on just any record.

Turns out it was a good buy and led me later to buy two other Squeeze albums. The band filled a gap between punk music and softer indie/alternative that was coming out late 1970s and early 80s. Think Elvis Costello or the Housemartins. It was intelligent music with smart lyrics and Beatlesque harmonies.

In fact two members of the band who did most of the writing — Difford and Tillbrook — were likened to McCartney and Lennon, a comparison that was flattering but also a big balloon of expectations on the verge of over-inflation.

Of the three albums I have, I’d have to recommend as a first purchase, Argybargy, for sentimental reasons and it is good. They had several low level hits, ‘Tempted,’ ‘Pulling Mussels from a Shell,’ and If I Didn’t Love You.’

Lyric sample from ‘Mussels: ‘But behind the chalet, a holiday’s complete and I feel like William Tell … pulling mussels from a shell.’

I didn’t say I knew what the lyrics meant.

ALBUM: Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind (1985)

MVC Rating: 4.0/$$$$$

On such a wide-ranging project as this one, I had anticipated we would run into some obscure acts like this feller I pulled from my ‘S’ section. Well I could see from the beginning that this would be a country album on account of the fact he had a cowboy hat on.

George Strait. Good name for a cowboy singer. Let me look for some articles on him to let readers know I do my homework. Hmmmmm, here we go Wikipedia has a long write-up. Most No. 1 hits in country, In fact, he has the most No. 1 hits of any one in any genre.

George Strait is known as the “King of Country“and is considered one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time. (From Wikipedia).

Picture here my head exploding

I received this album free so maybe played it a couple times. I exaggerated my ignorance for effect but I really had no idea Strait was that big and influential. As I’ve said before this exercise of reviewing all of my records sometimes ‘learns’ me. I already have listened to it and have a new favorite song: ‘Any Old TIme.’ The going back to the roots thing really worked for Strait.

And that’s the strait, er, straight scoop.

ALBUM: The Eternal Return (1985)

MVC Rating; 3.0/$$$

This is a solo album from a guy who used to front a band called the Polar Bears. I see.

His claim to fame as far as I can tell is he wrote the song, ‘If She Knew what She Wants. ‘

The Bangles turned Shear’s bouncy synth laden

original into a jangly radio hit in the mid-1980s. Lyric sample: ‘If she knew what she wants, I’d be giving it to her.’

Shear also had a minor hit with ‘Here He Comes.’

‘Here he comes, he’s so square. I dig him anyway.’

This is one of those albums that the real jaunty gems are counter pointed by too much that is forgettable.

ALBUM: Diamond Life (1985)

MVC Rating: 4.0/$$$

Light as a feather this is. But it’s not fluffy (like a feather pillow).

It’s more a single feather floating to the ground:

Falling down.

Torch. Cool Jazz. Soft Pillow. Whatever you want to call it.

It is what it is. Lighter than air. Well played.

ALBUMS: Santana self- titled debut (1969); Abraxas (1979); Love Devotion Surrender w/John McLaughlin (1973); Greatest Hits (1976); Marathon {1979); Havana Moon (1986).

MVC Rating: Santana 4.5 /$$$$ ; Abraxas 4.5/$$$; Love Devotion Surrender 3.5/$$$; Greatest Hits 4.5/$$$$; Marathon 3,5/$$; Havana Moon 4.0/$$$.

Carlos Santana, the Mexican born singer and guitarist, made his bones at the Woodstock Festival in 1969. The young Santana wowed the crowd with his laser sharp guitar runs backed by an ocean of congas. On Soul Sacrifice, Santana had the hippies dancing much faster than they were used to.

He went on to fame and fortune as his debut album came out almost simultaneously with Woodstock. If there’s been a criticism of Santana, keeping him from the very elite of rock guitarists in some people’s minds, is that there’s a sameness in his playing. Listen to his 90’s hit ‘Supernatural’ and then play Black Magic Woman off of Abraxas and you will see what the critics may be talking about. But in my mind that argument has little merit. He’s got a style like other elite guitarists and some go-to moves, but you don’t think Eric Clapton falls in that construct as well? Or, how about Mark Knopfler? When Knopfler plays, no matter the song, you can instantly recognize it.

Santana’s style is fluid and the tone is silky smooth. He enhances the songs and doesn’t overrun them.

If you’re looking to get into Santana I’d recommend the debut album and/or Santana’s Greatest Hits, although you can’t go wrong with ‘Abraxas as well.’

I’d skip the John McLaughlin project with guru Sri Chimnoy — too many roads going nowhere. One of the better Santana albums (although deemed too commercial by the snobbish types) is 1979’s Moonflower with a straight rock cover of the Zombie’s psychedelic ‘She’s not There.’

I saw Santana way back in the 1970s in concert in Atlanta, but it was marred by poor acoustics at the Civic Center. I saw him many years later, not in concert, but drivjng by in his convertible luxury car (believe it was a Jaguar) in Marin County, Calif., where my family lived while my wife was going to seminary.

Santa’s brother plays guitar in a band called ‘Malo, which I wrote about here.

He plays very much like his younger ‘bro.’

I’m running behind. Still going to get soon the stories about my new medicine but it’ll be a few days. Should have my audit/song count up tomorrow.

While I have you now seems as good a time as any to warn of typos. Big fat ugly how-did-he-miss that typos. Sometimes I fix them sometimes I don’t see them until a year later. Technically this is a sympom of my disease. So I apologize for all present past and future typos.

Some stories I have more typos than I do clean sentences. So in that case I will change the clean grammar to a typo. Just kidding.

Do not adjust your bifocals.

Health care reform aimed at eventually providing universal care is back under President Biden with some rare and unexpected support: groups: Doctors, lawyers and insurers.

What you say?.

ICYMI, in the New York Times National Edition for Thursday — which my wife purchased at the Clairmont Piggly Wiggly — there’s this headline on page A 20:

Health Care Industry Groups Joining in Rare Coalition, Urge Obamacare Buildup.

The Times says the coalition is made up of eight groups, including the America’s Health Insurance Plans, the American Medical Association, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

These groups historically have been opposed to legislation that would expand health care. It’s the money, they have maintained. We can’t afford it. It is socialized medicine, they said. Never mind that we already have universal care but in a most inefficient way.

The global flu pandemic brings these points into high relief .re front. The pandemic has created billions of patients in need of health/medical care. The industry groups’ constituents were overrun in nearly every way. The so-called best health care in the world — that found in the United States — came up short. We have to do better.

Expanding Medicaid or however you want to create universal health care means more paying customers. So, I salute the industry groups for coming to their senses, whatever the motivation.

In a footnote, it was reported last week more than 30 Blue Cross/ Blue Shield affiliates settled for $2.7 billion in a lawsuit alleging monopolistic practices. I’m sure that settlement was just one more ingredient in the recipe for this new- found cooperative look at reforming health care.

BTW, this national class action suit started in Alabama. Some may remember when AL.com published the salaries and bonuses of the top 10 Alabama BC/BS executives — all were more than $1 million. That didn’t go over top well. with the nonprofit insurer as they slipped in legislation which allowed Blue Cross in Alabama to keep those salary numbers secret.

ALBUMS: Diana Ross Greatest Hits (1976); The Supremes ‘Where Did Our Love Go.’ (1964)

MVC RATING: Ross, 3.5/$$; Supremes ‘Where Did Our Love Go.’ 4.5/$$$$

Doggone it. And gone is it. I was going to try and finish a Diana Ross and Diana Ross and the Supremes review yesterday — a few days after Supreme Mary Wilson died on April 8.

But soon as I hit send to post it, it disappeared. And then later it did the same thing. Computer error, operator error, probably a combo. So I’m just going to tell you what I wrote so I won’t have to write it again.

I have an old Supremes album (actually think I inherited this with/from my wife.) And (also likely, I have a solo Diana Ross album inherited).

I basically said if you are just getting started collecting the Supremes you can find all sorts of compilations and anthologies. Heck, they had 12 No. 1 singles.

Number 1!

They are easily the most popular all-female band in history. You can see I only have two albums but I also have an anthology of Motown that includes some more Supremes. Many of the Supremes songs came from the Dozier Holland Dozier songwriting team, part of the Motown hit-making machine.

I was going to write that the Ross solo album wasn’t as great as the Supremes stuff. I like — ‘Touch Me in the Morning; I like, ‘Last Time I Saw Him,’ ‘Love Hangover’ is too disco for me and the theme from the movie Mahogany is just too much everything.

So I was going to say yesterday to get the anthologies and get familiar with all of the old stuff: ‘Where did Our Love Go,’ ‘I Hear a Symphony,’ and ‘Stop in the Name of Love’ to name just a few. There now you know a little bit about what I was going to post yesterday.

I have been busy not ill, thank God. So, I haven’t been making progress on my post count. Will be coming as well as the ‘big reveal’ — the medication that has worked over my roguish Lewy body proteins like the young Cassius Clay worked over Sonny Liston.