#646: C is for Claire, Kathryn

In this endeavor of listeningto every single album in my collectionin alphabetical order by artist’s name, this is my first encounter with a recordmade by someone I know. I would not have this record, and I would not have met Kathryn, had it not been for the musicianwho plays bass on this album, my friendContinue reading “#646: C is for Claire, Kathryn”

#645: C is for The Cars

I have fired my alphabetizer. Despite the fact that when these albums were brand new, I bought onlythe first two, both masterpieces in the blend between new wave and top 40 rock. Could therebe a more perfectdebut album, for example, a record where nearly everytrack became a single,or at least, got radio action?I’m hard pressedContinue reading “#645: C is for The Cars”

#644: C is for Chicano Batman and Childish Gambino

Preface: I thought I had posted this entry before the Cheap Trick entry. Apparently, I had not. So, even though the listening experience and the writing experience (for me) was out of alphabetical order, for you (dear reader) it appears to be accurate. My entry on The Cars, however, is still to come! C isContinue reading “#644: C is for Chicano Batman and Childish Gambino”

#643: C is for Cheap Trick

In yet another unfortunatecase of an alphabetizing mishap, Chicano and Childish inadvertently show up in the stacks before Cheapand before Cars. I may need to hire a new alphabetizer, as this one keepsmaking these unforgivable mistakes. I’ll cut my guy a little slack for neglecting The Cars altogether,filed as they are, in a box setonContinue reading “#643: C is for Cheap Trick”

#642: C is for Case, Neko

I heard Neko Casesing for the first timeon an early album from the Canadiansupergroup, the un-fortunately named New Pornographers. I had no idea at the time shehad her own solothing going as a country singer, a country singer,according to her memoir,whose musical instructionwas mostly punk rock. She evolved quickly into somethingentirely different, so when IContinue reading “#642: C is for Case, Neko”

#641: C is for Carmen, Eric

His first solo album afterThe Raspberries’ mega-success, Eric Carmen rocks this Beach Boys-esque, super-ballad, prog-pop, show tune-ladendebut record. His was my first rock concert, but when I got those tickets, I hardly knewwho he was. Sweet was on this bill, and I wasabsolutely gaga for Sweet, so by proxy, somehow I acquired this album rightalongContinue reading “#641: C is for Carmen, Eric”

#640: C is for Cake

Pressure Chief is the only CakeI have on vinyl, a recent purchase, one of only a couple of Cake titlesI don’t have on CD, one of only a couple of Cake titles I didn’t purchase close to their release. One of the greatest anti-90’s bandsof the 90’s, even though they straddled two decades or three,CakeContinue reading “#640: C is for Cake”

#639: C is for Cabot, Sebastian

How the helldid this recordget into my collection? I try to remember. Ah, yes, I remember. My friend Curtisis often wont to gift his friends very strange recordsfor birthdays or Christmas, and oneyear he gave this to me, the Britishactor Sebastian Cabotreading the “poetry” of Bob Dylanwith musical accompaniment.When I begin thislistening endeavorI am notContinue reading “#639: C is for Cabot, Sebastian”

#638: B is for Byrne, David

While I’m not even close to S or Tin the alphabet, I can mentionhow happy I am to get an early listen to two of my favorite musical artistsbefore I get to St. Vincent and before I get to Talking Heads.It’s hard to overstate how jazzedI was when I learned that myfavorite twenty-first century songwriterContinue reading “#638: B is for Byrne, David”

#637: B is for Bush, Kate

Memory is unreliable. I’m trying to remember the first time I heard The Dreaming by Kate Bush. It comes out in 1982. I’m eighteen. But I have a sense it was years laterwhen I was 21 or 22 years old, after years of only a vague notionabout who she was, a foggy understanding that sheContinue reading “#637: B is for Bush, Kate”