This all came about just a few hours before Love and his Beach Boys were to take the stage at the Alabama Theatre.
I’m going to the show, by the way. My brother bought me tickets for Christmas. Thanks David.
OK, here’s how I came about giving Love an album, or at least I hope he got it.
Earlier today I decided to take a stroll out of my office in downtown Birmingham to get a bite. Instead, I stopped at Reed Books, a favorite haunt which sells just about everything vintage, old and collectible.
All records are $2 and since I was skipping lunch I figured I’d use my lunch money for a record. The record was ‘Almost Summer,’ the 1978 soundtrack of a movie with the same name, which I found just rummaging around. Never heard of it but I looked at the songs and who wrote them.
A good portion of the tracks were written by Mike Love and Brian Wilson, I noticed. So there seemed to be good vibrations following me or leading me.
A record with obscure Beach Boys songs. One of them was apparently a hit.
I bought the record and wandered back to my office. The Alabama Theatre is on the way to my office, however. I stopped where a small group of people were standing near at least three large buses. They eyed me warily as I approached and began talking: Are you with the Beach Boys I asked? They really didn’t say anything. A security guard, clearly labeled so on his shirt, started to make his way closer to me. I reached into my satchel — slowly — and pulled out the album.
I told him I just wanted to give this to Mike Love or Bryan WIlson (not knowing if he’d be here or not).
“Oh,” the security guard said. “You just want me to give this to him?”
I said, yes. And I did, give it to him. Hope he likes it. Hope the security guard gave it to him. Then I started thinking, Love probably has this or maybe he doesn’t like it. I was arguing with myself.
Well, you never know. God only knows I felt good doing it, even if I won’t have it for My Vinyl Countdown.
ALBUMS: Two Wheels Good (1985); From Langley Park to Memphis (1988)
MVC Ratings: Two 4.0/$$$$; Langley, 4.0/$$$
This group on these two albums play great, melodic folk English Pop-Rock with very smart lyrics. It’s the kind of band I guarantee someone reading this review and listens to it will fall in love. Not for everybody, but those who fall, fall hard. Listen to first side of Wheels five times. ‘When love breaks down’ was a hit. I love ‘Bonny.’
Listen to ‘The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ and ‘Cars and Girls’ on Langley five times each.
Get back to me next week and tell me what you think.
If you like two or more of these following groups, you will certainly enjoy Prefab Sprout: Squeeze, Roxy Music, 10cc, the Housemartins, Thomas Dolby (who produced both of these albums.)The sound is very 80s but very good 80s.
One explanation for their name is that band members misheard the June Carter-Johnny Cash song ‘Jackson’ when Carter sings “We got married in a fever hotter than a pepper sprout’ — they had apparently been singing and hearing that as “prefab sprout.
Two Wheels Good was released with the name Steve McQueen (yes the American actor) in the UK. But the McQueen estate objected and that why mine says ‘Two Wheels Good’ at the top right corner of my album.
Here is one of the best guitarists you’ve never heard of deals. I think I’ve already said that about him. Aaaargh there are so many best guitarists out there — THAT YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF.
But this guy is the real deal.
Glenn Phillips is an Atlanta-based musician and was in the Hampton Grease Band in Atlanta, which some swear was better than the Allman Brothers. I was about a generation behind Phillips. Although I never saw him live I do have his album — listen to the one I put on video to the end, and you’ll see some blazing and tasteful guitar.
I do understand from others that Phillips taught and mentored some of the good ones around Atlanta including Bob Elsey of the Swimming Pool Q’s. I’ve said before (mostly) instrumental guitar music is good for certain situations. In other words I have to be in the mood. Joining Phillips on an instrumental guitar record, I’ve got Steve Howe, Chet Atkins, Mark Knopfler, John Fahey the Ventures, the Raybeats, and Paco DeLucia
WIkipedia says this Canadian group named themselves the Payolas after the big radio payola scandal in the 1960s. Alan Freed and all that. OK.
But then Wikipedia reports the band blamed their lack of success on the international level was due to US deejays not playing their records because of the name. Um, really. I find that a stretch. The scandal was two decades or more in the past before the Payolas were even a band. Their target audience wasn’t even born when that scandal popped.
They did sell quite a bit in Canada. Very 80s everpresent synth sound that doesn’t age well in my opinion. Lyrics are not happening. “Where is this love; that comes from above.”
Pretty good chops on their instruments. The great Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson joins them, although it was like a game tryin to find him in wash of synth-etic riffing. Hey maybe that was Ronson joining in a little guitar-synth. Some decent songs here but I can’t heartily recommend this one.
Note: This published Monday Jan. 6 on AL.com. Here’s the top of the story and a link to the full length version:
This is an opinion column by Mike Oliver who writes about living with Lewy body dementia.
Come on in.
Welcome.
Welcome to my brain.
The brain is the big boss. This is where it begins — and possibly ends.
I have a brain. (Thank God I was in the right line for that).
But I am not my brain.
Sure, my brain is the Bill Gates of my operation on Earth. But Gates has many thousands who make up Microsoft. Of course it’s all directed and put in play by Gates. When my stomach hurts my brain tells me. But my stomach almost simultaneously mobilizes the forces to find whatever distresses it and help with a fix. The brain keeps the light on while the body parts do their job.
The brain is me but not me only. It’s the conductor of a million symphonies as my body comes together in symbiotic synchronicity. Harmony.
But not always, and certainly not forever. My brain is broken now.
It’s leaking Lewy bodies.
And depending on the source, one lives an average of 4 to 9 years after diagnosis. I was diagnosed, first with Parkinson’s and later Lewy body dementia in 2016. In an internal battle, proteins are killing my brain cells by the 10′s of millions. Near the end, autonomic will not be automatic.
So, welcome to my brain. Let’s have a little fun. (That’s my new motto).
This one is interesting. But I pulled another Nostalgia buy and bought this for a few bucks after reading how there’s resurgent interest in old rock and roll teeny bop music.
Marie’s path has been country.
Music from groups such as the Partridge Family, the Cowsills, and the Osmonds and the Jackson 5 (a group I see in a whole other realm.)
On their television show, Donnie and Marie did a bit where she sang: I’m a little bit country.”
Donnie: ‘ I’m a little bit rock and roll.’
The qualifiers came off funny to me and I mean ha-ha funny. ‘Little bit is about right’.
On this here record, Marie sings pleasantly, better than I remember. But she’s no Lynne Anderson. I I just found out she just had her 60th birthday. As a recent 62-year-old, I say Happy Birthday, and, yes, there is some age defiance here as she looks much younger.
I have to admit I listened to Donny and bros and watched the show. Enjoyed One Bad Apple .
I used to know the song Paper Laces by heart — (not on this album).
I[
I watched brother Donny rock it up on Down By The Lazy River where Donny actually shows a little funkability. But in my childhood record collectiion, the Donny Osmond stack of 45s was way less than the Michael Jackson stack.
PS That’s a pretty catchy open on Lazy River. Just pointing it out.
ALBUMS: Damn the Torpedoes (1979); Let me Up I’ve Had Enough (1987);
MVC Ratings: Torpedoes, 4.5/$$$$; Let me up 4.0/$$$.
Of course like nearly every Florida southern boy (at least partly) I was a big fan of the Gainesville, FL, native. He became big when I was in late high school, early college age. ‘Let Me Up’ came out about the time CD’s were taking over and I’m kind of surprised i don’t have this in CD format.
The Let Me Up album was a surprise — I don’t think I listened to it much and it has some great playing and singing on it. Jammin’ Me is a good one although it exposed what may be the reason this album was on the verge of busting out but never had the song to push that on through. Jammin’ Me has a lot of cultural references that I think are cool and most people got. But when you are raising up issues in song about the news, sometimes the stories get old in a 24-hour news cycle.
I would also like to point out here that one of Petty’s best records, unbeknownst to much of the public, was the soundtrack to the movie “She’s the One.” His masterpiece, I believe was ‘Full Moon Fever,’ but that movie soundtrack had some of Petty’s best work such as Walls Pt. 1 and 2; Change the Lock; Asshole and California.
If memory serves me correctly.
I remember we had a road trip to see Petty the main act with the DelFuegos and the Georgia Satellites. Fun time had by all. If memory again serves me correctly. There was me, Bob Carlton, Rick Bragg and Dennis Love. But that may be wrong. I know I was there.
ALBUMS: Contender w/ the X-Rays (1981); Eye of the Storm (1983)
MVC Rating: Contender 4.0/$$$; Eye of the Storm 3.5/$$
Five-dollar cover was a lot back in the day. That was the cost of a brand new album.
But for that $5 bill you would get into the little roadhouse club called the Casino in Auburn Ala. with live music and 50-cent longneck Budweisers. One of the best bands through was David Olney and the X-Rays. (Not to be confused with David Lindley and EL Rayo X).
He had a whole array of upbeat love songs and gritty story-songs such as Wait Here for the Cops, Oh My Love, Contender and Love and Money.
I found his 1981 album in an Auburn record store and am glad to have it. Many years later after starting this blog I picked up another Olney record for $2 at Charlemagne. It’s called Eye of the Storm. Not as good for me as the Contender album probably due to my emotional/nostalgia hook. But pretty good music nonetheless in a more Americana style.
The a capella ‘Ain’t it That Way” and the title song really stand out
WIkipedia reports that over the last few decades songs have been covered by and co-written with Emmylou Harris, Stee Earle, Linda Rondstadt, Steve Young, Del McCoury and Laurie Lewis.
He was friends with Townes Van Zandt, reported the ‘Nashville Scene,’ who said of Olney:
Anytime anyone asks me who my favorite music writers are, I say Mozart, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Bob Dylan, and Dave Olney. Dave Olney is one of the best songwriters I’ve ever heard – and that’s true. I mean that from my heart.
I am indeed here. Took a few days off over the holidays. Went to see family in Georgia. Meant or intended to blog, ruminate. But I felt repelled from going into my blog and writing for some reason. I felt empty. Not so much empty like void of all thoughts. But empty like no gasoline to go. I felt tired of thinking about my brain. My brain felt tired of being used by me. It was so bad I went to WUXTRY — my old record store from High School and college days — and and couldn’t find anything I wanted. That’s a rarity of a different level of scarcity.
Now what.
I came home Monday and went to work Tuesday only to find that Charlemagne Records after 42 years of business at Five Points on Birmingham’s Southside is shutting down. Is this a signal of things to come? Has vinyl peaked?
I don’t think so from what I read. More later on that topic.
I’m behind on my reviews for the Countdown. of my 678 vinyl records. I ‘ve added to that number through some purchases and gifts at birthdays, Christmas, etc.. Plus I’m slowing down. Heck at this rate I’ll never die.
Inecentives on this blog deal are inverted.
Like our health care.
The high deductible model incentivises people not to go to the doctor because you have to pay bucks, sometimes big bucks. So you going put off going put off going. Then your leg needs amputating. How is that good health care?
Or your chest cold turns into pneumonia and you die.
It’s always back to dying with me, isn’t it. Well it’s a thing that happens to everyone who lives. Don’t want to die? Don’t live.
The album I picked up by mistake. I saw the name Hurley and thought it was this group I heard about called Michael Hurley and the Holy Modal Rounders.
This was more than 30 years ago in Birmingham, although I liked the record with its full-throated backing gospel choir. The music was soul-inflected gospel with a hint of country. For years I thought Hurley on my album “John Hurley Delivers One More Hallelujah’ to be a black man. Just based on his vocals, the hallelujah choir and there were no pictures on the album and no Internet to disprove my pre-judgement.
Like I said I enjoyed the album but I had hundreds of albums before boxing them up and embracing the digital age. So, to be honest about it, after three children three states and 100s of CD’s , I never heard about John Hurley again and forgot that album languishing in hap-hazard alphabetical order in about six boxes.
As those of you know who have followed my column , I am chronicling and reviewing my album collection on my site as I count down my 678 (and growing) number of albums.
This is to raise awareness for Lewy body dementia which is the second leading cause of progressive dementia after Alzheimer’s. Please check out the About Me button on my blog for more on Lewy.
Moving, raising a family and all that put some pressure on my records to be sold, but I held on Alabama, Georgia, Florida, California and now back to Alabama.
Meanwhile back at the vinyl countdown. I had stored away my records for decades, became an early adopter of an iPod and Apple streaming music. But I always vowed that even if I have to wait to retirement I’ll get those records out and have a listening room (AKA ‘Man Cave”). This was an idea long before I became ill. The Lewy diagnosis just gave me a deadline about three years ago I started this blog, to have fun mostly but also to raise awareness to this crummy disease.
So back to Hurley. He resurfaced in my consciousness when I got down to the ‘H’s ( I am now on the ‘N’s in my alphabetical countdown.) I listened to the album again and was really impressed. So I did more research and found out he grew up in a poor neighborhood in Pittsburgh. He worked and lived in Nashville for a while . He and his songwriting partner Ronnie Wilkins had a big moment in Muscle Shoals when Jerry Hall asked them to do a song for Aretha Franklin. They came back with “Son of a Preacher Man,” a worldwide hit for Dusty Springfield. Aretha covered it later to good success but not as big as Springfield’s hit.
I knew that song well, sang it on the way to church on Sundays when it came on in the car. My attention then focused on a song that I heard so many accolades but was relatively unfamiliar with it. It was called ‘Living on the Love of the Common People.”
I found his first album ‘John Hurley Sings to the People.” That had the Common People song. I was blown away again. ‘Sweet Pain’ is another great song off of that album.
The Common People song was a simple tune and simple words that came together with the ability to pull tears out of your eyes, especially if you watch the video of the song put together by Hurley’s son from family pictures. I was happy to have found these records and so now I’m looking for his third and last album. In the record store recently I found Hurley but it was the same album I had for so many years: John Hurley Delivers One More Hallelujah. Only this one had a birthday wish written in ink on the cover by presumably Hurley himself. See the picture.
Here’s the Happy Birthday message on an album I bought by John Hurt. Hurt, a singer-songwriter, grew up poor in Pittsburgh. He wrote several major hits but died relatively unknown at age 45.
I would love to find more information about this. Who’s Mom? Is this indeed from John Hurley?
I have tried to reach Hurley’s son, Ron, to no avail at this point.
John died in 1986 at age 45 of liver failure and brain failure, according to Wikipedia.
Meanwhile, another clue appeared on the same YouTube comment section suggesting Hurley at one point or several points in his life stayed or lived in Birmingham.
Here’s a post on the YouTube thread posted eight years ago.
@ronhurley1961 John Hurley was one of the, if not the most talented people that I have ever known. I met him when I was 17 years old in Birmingham Alabam at Bob Groves recording studio. He was there recording a friend of mine named Mike Gunnels. He drove a red sports car and always wore sunglasses. He stayed at my house and honored me with his friendship. That was over 40 years ago and I miss him to this day. He recorded the album “Street Gospel” shortly after and it is still my favorite.
NOTE TO READERS: The commenter’s user name was WiseGuyDogs1 and 8 years was how long ago this comment was published. Also ‘Street Gospel’ was the same record as ‘John Hurley Sings for the Common People.’ Lastly Mike Gunnels was the leader of a band called Hard Times, which later changed its name to Rites of Spring. They were considered by my own anecdotal research to be the best band in Birmingham for a few years there in the 1960s. Attempts to reach Gunnels were unsuccessful.
Among those dozen or so who have covered the song are Waylon Jennings, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Young, the Everly Brothers, and the Four Preps.
END NOTE: Those familiar with www.myvinylcountdown.com know that I have been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a fatal disease which will likely kill me. Meanwhile, I have been reviewing my collection — I’m at nearly 400 reviewed now at my website. on my way to 678. I am going in alphabetical order (more or less).
