Posted on

My Vinyl Countdown still on track but it is more difficult (blog version)



Sitting here hunting and pecking my keyboard this early morning until my meds kick in.

In the morning after 10 or more hours without the meds find me with my most outsized symptoms. Tremors and slow thinking to be specific.

But morning is my best writing time simply for its peace and quiet. Only distraction: Internet.

So, it’s like catching a wave. timing the meds. Which reminds me I’m going to see the Beach Boys in Birmingham next month. I could seriously use some ‘Good Vibrations.’

For right now, I’ll pull out some tasty record reviews from the archives after I tell you what I’ve done and what I will do over this long MLK weekend. Good weekend for having a dream.

Quicky recent ICYMIs: I almost ‘bought’ a record store.

I explored the subset of record collecting — 10″ 78s.

I gave readers a tour of my brain.

Coming up this weekend: A young man contacted me about his grandfather’s record collection and I enlisted my wife, Catherine, to drive a long way so I could help at this gentlemen’s request discern what he has. News reports of 78s worth thousands of dollars has, it is safe to say, people running to their attics or basements. The collection I looked at was spectacular, easily more than 2,000 mint condition 78s. But is there a holy grail in there? See what I find out in a column this weekend.

And lastly for another column coming this weekend: MVC as simple as 1,2,3.

My Vinyl Countdown by the numbers. I am getting closer to the 678 record reviews or record reminisces as I call them to bring awareness to my disease: Lewy body dementia. I’ll give you an update on my top wat my top 10 (or 15) musical countdown posts are and my top 10 or 15 non-countdown posts.

I’m in the ‘P’s in my alphabetic listing and the P’s are taking a lot of time, might turn out to be my biggest alphabet number so far, still to come Prince and Pink Foyd and a dozen or so lesser known, but good to great music. Music like John Prine, P.J. Proby, and Bud PowelI hope you will explore if you find what I write compelling you to give something new a whirl.

Now on with some reviews from the archives.

The Flamin’ Groovies

ALBUMS: Now (1978)

MVC Rating: 4.0/$$$

I was graduating from high school when this came out. Talk about retro.. This group was like something out of 1966. They cover ‘Paint it Black’ on this album like it was a new song.

‘There’s a Place’ cover sounds like the 1960’s prom band checking in on the Beatles.

All this came to me in the early 1980s.

I discovered this Flamin’ Groovies in a strange way. I was at the Birmingham public library doing some research and they had vinyl records that you could check out, like a book, and return later. This would have been mid-1980s.

I picked up a Flamin’ Groovies album called Groovies Greatest Grooves. It had the song ‘Shake Some Action,’which blew me away. It’s the sense of discovery that you live for as a record collector. Again I was looking for tunes not rare artifacts and that song was one good song. Cracker later recorded it and it was featured in a movie, all much later.

I made a cassette tape out of it that I have no idea whether I have or not.

The  thing that made the Groovies groove work was that they played essentially covers or originals that sounded so close to their heroes, early Beatles, Stones, and Who. — with no irony. That’s what makes it great. Just a few guys from San Francisco playing songs they love from another era.

So, it wasn’t surprising to see that this 1978 album, a comeback of sorts, was produced by retro-man Dave Edmunds. “Yeah My Baby” written by Edmunds, and band members Cyril Jordan and Chris Wilson sounds like a long lost classic. Or long lost classic B-side.

The sound seems  like it was coming through a B&W TV set.



Posted on

The Plimsouls –274

ALBUM: (Everywhere at Once), 1983

MVC Rating: 4.0/$$$ (an extra bump here for the two very strong songs. The rest of the album is 3.0 and 3.5 quality).

The Plimsouls first came to my attention through the movie ‘Valley Girls.’ I know that sounds like a bit of a sex romp but it wasn’t — really. I paid close attention.

Actually it was an early Nicolas Cage vehicle, who even at his young age was developing that amazing ability to act to be the same character in every movie.

That character, of course is Cage playing, of course, Cage.

Anyway the Plimsouls’ song Million Miles Away was featured in the movie, even a ‘live’ version of the song with the Plimsouls playing it in the club. It would fade in volume and camera attention to the band if the characters walked closer to the band. You know that effect: star talks to friend and band’s sound fades to background, then the friends turn their heads toward the band and and the volume increases dramatically.

Million Miles Away and That’s the Oldest Story are the two stellar songs — in fact two of my favorite rock songs of that era, especially the latter. The rest of the album couldn’t keep up though.

After the Plimsouls disbanded, Peter Case has put out quite a few albums as a solo act. See my post on him. And also, post Plimsouls, Paul Collins led a power pop band The Beat. Before all that, both played in an edgy new wave band called the Nerves. The third Nerve, Jack Lee, wrote Hanging on the Telephone, a hit for Blondie. The Nerves released it prior to Blondie.

This is I think a snippet of the movie only quick glance I didn’t see Cage.

Posted on

The Pentangle — 275

ALBUM: Solomon’s Seal (1972)

MVC Rating: 3.5/$$$

When it was suggested that the band was a folk-rock band, one of the band’s members said that is wrong. One of the worst things you can do is put a rock beat on a folk song, said John Renbourn. The band preferred a folk-jazz categorization.

I think that’s fair. I’ve often said that a portion of what is called progressive rock isn’t really rock. Emerson Lake and Palmer, for example have gone off on deep forays into what is closer to classical music — unless that term is reserved for time-tested centuries old compositions by Bach, Beethoven and Mozart.

Pentangle’s original line-up from the late 1960s through the 70s: Jacqui McShee (vocals); John Renbourn (vocals and guitar); Bert Jansch (vocals and guitar); Danny Thompson (double bass); and Terry Cox (drums).

This music is pretty and subtle. It has a sound that is both timeless and dated at the same time. Let me explain. I feel like I’m way back in time when I hear Pentangle but can’t pinpoint a date or era. That’s unlike, for example, the Stray Cats, whose style can be tied directly to 1950s music– at least in that bands original incarnation.

Pentangle could be turn of the century music or 14th century music. I don’t know — just go with me here. They look and sound like a band that would sound great Live at the Stonehenge.

Posted on

The Payolas –276

ALBUM: Hammer on a Drum (1983)

MVC Rating: 3.0/$$

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.

Posted on

Top 6 things I learned about 78 RPM records (Plus: Blog edition ‘Is 78 the new 33-1/3?

Top 6 Things I Learned about 78 RPM Records

  1. The records are 10 inches, as opposed to 12 inches, and most are made of shellac. Vinyl records are 12 inches. 45’s are 7 inches. (These are diameters)
  2. The 78s, put out from the turn of the last century (think 1900 until the 1950s, often came in ‘albums’ where four or five records slid into sheets in the book or album. So they were truly albums in that sense of the word. The word has been expanded, it seems, to include one record in a jacket or even CDs. Confusing.
  3. 78s can look beat up but still play very listenable music. I was surprised — I have both beat up discs and others that are in remarkable shape.
  4. There are tons of labels and some people shop labels. I have Columbia, Decca, Jubilee, Bop, Vocalion, Blue Note, Okeh, Dial, among others.
  5. Some 78s — while a niche’ market — are valuable, as in thousands of dollars valuable. These tend to be rare ones in the country blues, or plain blues vein and older jazz, also rockabilly.
  6. Robert Johnson who with ‘Crossroads’ as having sold his soul to the devil for his guitar abilities put out a few records which are highly sought after

So go now. Check grandma’s closets — could be a Hank Mobley in there.

Short version of ‘Is 78 the new 33 1/3?’ Expanded version here.

Life is a kick. We leave this world helpless, crying and unable to eat solid foods — just as we came in.

I don’t know when the regression of one’s life begins. For me it was about 50 or so. Just more aches and pains. My diagnosis at 57 with Lewy body dementia put the aging process in the fast lane.

I say all this to tell you about my new hobby, listening to 78 RPM records

You’ve seen them even if you haven’t ever used them. They are those 10-inch records usually hard and heavy. Now when we talk about collecting vinyl, we are usually talking about 12-inch records which bring forth the music at the slow moving 33-1/3 revolutions per minute. There are also collectors of the 7-inch, 45 rpm records commonly called 45’s or singles.

Collecting 78’s is the next step toward total regression in the popular human pursuit of listening to music. For me listening to music is therapeutic and can be transcendent, spiritual even.

FOR REST OF POST: Is 78 the new 33 1/3?

Posted on

Inside Mike’s brain. Take a tour. (Blog edition).

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).

Full story here.

Posted on

Charley Pride — 277

ALBUM: Make Mine Country (1968)

MVC Rating: 4.0/$$

I knew who Charlie Pride was from way back as a child. I knew he was the first African American country singer. My dad told me — I can’t even remember the context. Probably sitting around the television when Pride came on and I asked who he was.

Encouraged by Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball, Pride dodged his share of slings and arrows., but persevered. He played ball himself in the Negro Leagues before he began a singing career.

Although he wound up with four Grammys and numerous other awards, he only had one cross over Top 40 hit — ‘Kiss an Angel Good Morning’ — but it was a big one. Born in Mississippi, Pride played a little professional baseball before clearing several hurdles on the way to a significant country music career. He won the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year award in 1971.

My father was a big country fan in his younger days so I grew up hearing country music around the house. My current favorites include Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard and George Jones. Guess you would call it Classic Country, the flipside of Classic Rock.

Charley Pride would be in that group. I turned up the car radio when they played ‘Kiss an Angel Good Morning.’ Great catchy song.

This is a good album if you want to get a feel for his plain country style. early in his career.

Posted on

Primitons, Pylon –279, 278

ALBUMS: Primitons ‘Happy All the Time;’ (1987) Pylon, GYRATE (1980)

RVC Rating: Primitons 4.0/$$$; Gyrate, 4.0/$$$$

You know it occurred to me listening to these again that Pylon’s Vanessa Briscoe sounded/sounds a lot like Chrissie Hynde fronting a punk band — or Janis Joplin where Briscoe could have stood face-to-face in a cathartic screech contest.

I put these two together, not because any similarity in music, but because they both are wonderful artifacts of the Southern alternative rock blast that started about 1978 and continued through the 1980s.

So the Primitons were from Birmingham and I’ve been told I attended their send-off at a 1985 Chuck’s WUXTRY (on 4th Ave. North.) I was here then. And I know Chuck from whom I used to purchase used records at the downtown Athens, Ga. WUXTRY and the Birmingham WUXTRY. Chuck moved his downtown store to Cahaba Heights where he sold records for years.

I remember a keg party one night at WUXTRY but don’t remember the music. I do remember slinging LPs like Frisbee’s — every vinyl junky’s dream — and we laughed as they splattered against the brick wall. When one spun too close to Mr. Businessman’s head, I think we scattered like the other rats in that alley.

As Steve Martin says, Mmm, having some fun now.

The Primitons was as melodic as many of Michael Stipe’s sentimental song impressions. In fact these bands are nearly polar opposites yet share a time and a place and an energy from a alt-Southern rock scene that surprisingly wasn’t Atlanta but Athens, Ga. and the Primitons likely made many I-20 trips to play in Athens. Ga. ,

Pylon is perhaps better known (than Primitons that is, not REM). A group much respected in the after hours crowd of the late 70s and early 80s where people stayed downtown and danced until 4 a.m. Pylon was 3-chords and get-up-on-the dance floor. And to think I heard Vanessa say in an interview that she enjoyed the experience but really was glad when it ended. Yep, there’s a certain age and athletic category you need to take five hours of body slams, the very loud chords and pancakes and eggs at The Grill.

Sun’s coming up!

If you like punk, hard rock you owe it to your self to listen to Pylon’s ‘Stop It’. See below:

It certainly looks like the covers share a similar artistic vision. But I have no evidence looking at liner notes that they are somehow linked.

Posted on

Marie Osmond –282

ALBUM: I Only Wanted You (1986)

MVC Rating: 2.5

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.

Posted on

Best covers of ‘Knocking on Heaven’s Door’ (blog version)

My longtime position has been don’t do a cover song unless you can bring something to it. Another arrangement, strikingly different vocals, speeded or slowed down.

[See AL.com version of this story by clicking here. ]

An example of a bad cover is Michael Bolton’s cover of Otis Redding’s “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay.’

Redding’s was already one of rock and soul’s top songs ever. Bolton, he of big American Idol-like voice, did nothing but drain the soul out of the song. He sold millions naturally.

Brian Ferry’s cover of John Lennon’s ‘Jealous Guy’ is a way of correctly doing a cover. His lilting beautiful voice was a artful cocktail whereas Lennon’s was a shot of whiskey. Ferry’s version was the second stage of a relationship hurting as defined by Lennon’s version.

Perhaps my bar for a good cover is too high but there are some songs that do covers well. Or, make for more cover possibilities. Bob Dylan’s ‘Knocking on Heaven’s Door’ is one of those songs. Beautiful simple melody, simple sparse words about the universal experience of aging and dying. Dylan songs make good covers because they are good songs in search of a good singer. My Back Pages covered by the Byrds and Blowing in the Wind by Peter Paul and Mary are examples.

I made two Top 10 lists because I found myself listening to these in different ways.

My first list is my sentimental list – probably the list I would choose first. These covers can move me to tears or sadness or joy.

My second list is my cerebral list. These are how I would rank them if I were a rational human listening to the musicianship and songwriting craft and trying grade it with my head not my heart. Obviously there are overlaps.

Cerebral Top 10

Pete Carr – Carr is a session musician who has ties to the Muscle Shoals studios. I had never heard of the guy or his cover until someone at the record convention I attended earlier this year said I had to hear it. I had just finished talking about Danny and Dusty’s version. Carr is a sentimental choice (At No. 4) due to his Alabama connection but is my top cerebral pick (I’m sure surprising lot of folks). Just listen to that guitar! It made me shout Freebird by the end – but that was a psychotic break from reality. No, the extended guitar jam is as good as it gets. Carr has recorded extensively at FAME Recording Studio in Muscle Shoals and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, according to Wikipedia.

Guns and Roses. For sure power, this is the rock hardest or hardest rock cover. You have to be open to lead singer’s Axl Rose’s oddly unsettling multi-octave voice. I am a fan. When he sings: Hey hey hey hey uh hey, I’m there. (Or is it Aye Aye Aye Aye Ayeeeeei-i-i-i-i.)

Eric Clapton – Puts a little impeccable reggae into his version. This is what I mean about mixing it up to make your own.

Bob Dylan — Well the source is Dylan and he does a good job. You have to be open to his voice which is not ordinary sounding to say the least. However this is one of his best vocal performances.

Tracy Chapman Underrated artist does an understated version that touches the soul.

Roger Waters Pink Floyd singer surprises us with a very un-derstated version.

Bryan Ferry The Roxy Music frontman has a knack for great cover songs, the aforementioned ‘Jealous Guy,’ “Like a Hurricane,’ and ‘You Won’t  See Me’ to name just a few.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo – She belts it out, giving it a punch rivaling GN’R.

Warren Zevon – This is poignant in that it was recorded right before he died.

Danny and Dusty – Just loose, good fun, barroom singalong.

Sentimental Top 10

  1. Bob Dylan
  2. Warren Zevon — Open up! Open up!
  3. Tracy Chapman
  4. Pete Carr
  5. Guns and Roses
  6. Bryan Ferry
  7. Danny and Dusty
  8. Roger Waters
  9. Eric Clapton –
  10. Freddie Fender,

Other covers worth noting:Television, the Alarm, Avril Lavigne, John Cale.

See AL.com version of this story by clicking.