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”
Tag Archives: record collection
#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”
#636: B is for Brubeck, Dave
The first pure jazz album in my collection, the first completely instrumental album, the oldest recording so far in thislistening extravaganza, 1959, one of the most popular jazz albums ever, or at least, with “Take 5,” one of the most famous and recognizable,or at least, the first jazz album ever to sell one million copies.VinceContinue reading “#636: B is for Brubeck, Dave”
#635: B is for Bright Eyes
In the fine tradition of great bad singers, here is Conor Oberst, otherwise known as the band leader of Bright Eyes. His singing is imprecise, full of vibrato, a tentativetenor, except for when he’s screaming, which he does sometimes, even in quiet songs. He often soundslike he’s on the verge of crying or throwing aContinue reading “#635: B is for Bright Eyes”
#633: B is for Bowie’s “Blackstar”
After a string of fabulous studio albumsin the new centurywhich included a mightyten year gap between Reality and his penultimatestudio album, The Next Day, David Bowie announcesa new record called Blackstar.I bought that recordon release day, a Friday, listened to it straight through three or four times that weekend, and then Monday morning the newsofContinue reading “#633: B is for Bowie’s “Blackstar””
#630: B is for Bowie (“A New Career in a New Town,” The Box)
I “You’re such a wonderful person, but you got problems.”The second tune on Low, all one minute and 52 secondsof it, contains this gem of a lyric. It’s 1977 and records are beginning to sound reallygood, although people at thetime didn’t think so. Tony Visconti has a newtoy called a Harmonizer andit makes the drumsContinue reading “#630: B is for Bowie (“A New Career in a New Town,” The Box)”
#629: B is for Bowie (“Who Can I Be Now?” The Box)
I didn’t rememberliking Diamond Dogsall that much at the firstlisten, but today it’s freshand weird and good.I’d have to study the lyricspretty carefully to understand the Orwell references beyond the titles, “We Are The Dead,”“1984,” and “Big Brother,” but I’m not going to do that; I rather just letthe record wash behindme as I toolContinue reading “#629: B is for Bowie (“Who Can I Be Now?” The Box)”
#628: B is for Bowie (“Five Years,” The Box)
I “Ground Control to Major Tom,”are likely the first words any of usever heard from David Bowie. Maybe I was five, and for yearsI would hear that distinctive voiceon the radio and knew the hits, but my older siblings, the arbitersof new music into the householdnever brought home a Bowie album. I didn’t start buyingContinue reading “#628: B is for Bowie (“Five Years,” The Box)”
michael jarmer 