New Records - Canadian Content! - in the Listening Booth

So sorry I missed posting an entry to my blog last weekend, but my fair city was treated to a couple of tornadoes that knocked out power and internet, among other things. A crazy weekend, but I was among the fortunate (my heart goes out to those who lost their entire homes and possessions), and was back on track within a couple of days. 

But on to the matter at hand: music... and records. 

Over the past several weeks, I have found plenty of deals and cool stuff on vinyl. For instance, at the local charity shop, Value Village, I found a few used records in better than decent condition for just a couple of bucks apiece. 

At such low prices, I feel freer to try out music I wouldn't otherwise take the chance on, like John Denver's Greatest Hits... an enjoyable set of his best country-rock and folk-tinged songs. I had only ever really known a few of his big hits and it was a pleasant surprise to hear those and more on here. A worthwhile buy which I'm sure I'll revisit now and again. Take Me Home, Country Roads and Rocky Mountain High are highlights for me.

Next up, another one than would have been chancy had the price been much higher: the 1974 compilation, Country, by Anne Murray. The Canadian country superstar was knocking out her best tunes before '74 even rolled around, because the few songs I sort of knew are included on this album. Put Your Hand in the Hand and Cotton Jenny were only on my radar because I remember singing those in grade 2 music class. Well, I didn't actually sing... I just pretended. It just wasn't cool back then. I'd heard of the song Snowbird my whole life, but I don't think I ever even heard it until I spun this LP.

The Oscar Peterson Trio's seminal jazz album, Night Train, jumped right off that shelf to me. Back in the late 90's and early 2000's I was deep into jazz and though I didn't own any of Peterson's albums, I did hear some of his music, including this record's title track, on late night jazz programs on the radio. I might even have the song Night Train on a compilation CD somewhere around here. This legendary Canadian jazz performer is honoured here in Ottawa by a statue of the man at his piano just outside our National Arts Centre. Amazing music, perfect for a relaxing evening sipping a libation. 

This last week of September saw the release of the new Voivod album, The Wake. The Quebec, Canada "progressive thrash punk" band has been recording since the early 80's and though their experimental approach to metal has wandered in at least a few different directions over the decades, they have certainly hit yet another high point with The Wake. I hear both new ideas and vintage Voivod sounds in this dynamic set of songs. And the album on vinyl is a real treat: a two-record set in a colourful gatefold jacket, plus a poster reproduction of the album cover art (by drummer Away), lyric sheet, and the B-side of the second record is etched with the Voivod logo. Probably the coolest album in my vinyl collection.

The statuesque jazz legend Oscar Peterson.

Photo credit: Turtlehead, Ottawa

Just this morning, I picked up a handful of used records in very nice condition. First off, there are two double album compilations of music by The Who. I debated about buying - yet again - studio albums by these guys. I mean, I've been a Who fan since I got going in music as a hobby. I've owned, and still own, some of their best albums, like Who's Next, Who Are You, Quadrophenia, and By Numbers... plus various compilations over the years. I've been through cassette tapes and CDs of these things and just wanted to hear Who songs in a different context on record.

But now, for my first Who on vinyl, I chose two 2-LP comps that represent an accurate cross-section of the band's career. I got Hooligans, released in 1981, which not only features the requisite standards but also slips in some great deeper tracks like The Relay, Slip Kid, and Had Enough. 

The second Who album I grabbed was the The Kids Are Alright, another double-record set, and the soundtrack songs from the movie of the same name. Between these two Who albums, there are only a few tunes' worth of overlap. I was careful about that. This one hits all the high points of the band's illustrious career, touching on the milestones, but also boasting some slightly lesser known but still very cool ones like Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere; Tommy, Can You Hear Me; and Sparks. 

I also loaded up on the first three albums by Canada's own Burton Cummings, vocalist extraordinaire and ex-member of The Guess Who. Yeah, this guy is Canadian rock royalty. I was a fan back in the late 70's/early 80's when his music was all over the radio. I owned his Dream of a Child album on 8-track (well, I've still got it... check it out below), but never got around to buying anything else until CDs came along and I grabbed his "Best Of", a fine overview of the man's solo career. 

So the first Cummings album (1976) is self-titled and packs a helluva punch with radio hits Stand Tall and I'm Scared, not to mention equally solid Your Back Yard and Is It Really Right. This primo singer, pianist and songwriter makes everything classy and rockin' and soulful all at once. 

Then there's the record that'll sound most familiar to the average listener: My Own Way To Rock. The title track is of course perhaps Cummings' best-known song to the world at large. There are a few other slick tunes I know on there, but I've yet to put this one on the turntable so I can't comment much further. I'm really looking forward to it, though. 

The third Cummings album is the aforementioned Dream of a Child. So many memories associated with this one, since I owned it on 8-track (see below) as a teen and only had access to a player (it belonged to my parents) until about '83. Since then, the tape's been in storage and I've only been able to hear the songs in my head. A lot has stuck in there from back in the day... funny how later in life, music doesn't cling to the mind-grapes the same way. Well, now I have it in the lovely vinyl LP record format. 

Oh, and the guy I bought all these Who and Cummings records from threw in a freebie, Broken English by Marianne Faithfull. I can't say I ever knew a single thing about Faithfull, other than I heard that she was involved with Mick Jagger back in the 60's and 70's. This album is apparently considered her best by those in the know, so who knows - I may be in for a treat. Maybe I'll recognize something. Fingers crossed on this one. 

Quite the haul. Now I need to knuckle under and get in some quality listening time with these records. When I have more thoughts on some of these new discs, I'll post them here. 

Adios!

Fictional Bands in Cinema

I've been noticing that while it can be tough to find good music in today's scene, it is often the made-up bands in movies that steal the show. Movie-makers recruit top music talent to write and usually play in their stories. Today I'll take a look at a handful of what I think are the coolest fictional bands and singers on the silver screen. It's easy to note the bands that went on to "reality", actually recording and playing live shows, but at the time of filming, these were not actual musical artists - the movie was their very first appearance. I know I'm only skimming the surface, but I believe I've got most of the best of the bunch here. Enjoy!

Mark Wahlberg wails for Steel Dragon

in the much maligned movie Rockstar

Soronprfbs (the band), the movie Frank... a strange, funny flick about the lead singer of an experimental indie band who wears a huge paper mache head throughout almost the entire film. 

Modal Nodes (the Cantina Band), Star Wars: A New Hope... you all know them. Those alien weirdos who pump out mutated ragtime space jazz, playing gigs only at the scuzziest of intergalactic venues. 

Soggy Bottom Boys, O' Brother Where Art Thou... I loved the Americana roots music of this movie when I first heard it, and the Boys' bluegrass version of Man of Constant Sorrow still grabs me by the yarbles.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch, both the band and the movie title... more of a rock opera than anything else, this Tommy-like tale of an East German transgender woman is crazy funny, sad, and loaded with excellent "glam-punk" music. Tear Me Down is a great tune to start with... but see the movie... it's an experience.

The Blues Brothers, the band and the movie... a classic musical comedy studded with soul and R&B superstars. Jake and Elwood recruit a dream-team band for a benefit show... you know the rest... one of my favourite film comedies. Great music!

A Mighty Wind, the movie... the fake bands are many, but Mitch and Mickey, and The Folksmen are among the best here. This mockumentary follows a fictitious American folk scene where a trio of bands reunite for a memorial concert. Funny and musically entertaining.

Marvin Berry and the Starlighters, Back to the Future... we all know this scene from the classic 80's comedy: Marty McFly must step in for injured Marvin at the school dance - and spins a Chuck Berry tune into a Van Halenesque guitar solo. 

School of Rock, the band name and the movie... Jack Black leads his music students to a Battle of the Bands competition. Fun renditions of rock classics and not a bad comedy, if you can stomach Black for an hour and a half.

Muppets rawk!

Spinal Tap, This is Spinal Tap... still a great movie that holds up musically and comedically. The mockumentary sort of led the wave of this genre and even produced song parodies that rocked just as well as, if not better than, most of the real arena bands of the 70's and 80's. They go to 11.

Stillwater (the band), Almost Famous... based on a true story, but with a fictional band doing an exceptional job at their blues rock-style. Fever Dog is a heavy tune to whet your whistle; more than a little like Zeppelin, eh?

Crucial Taunt, Wayne's World... actress Tia Carrere heads the rock act in a rousing version of Ballroom Blitz in this 90's comedy gem.  The band also covers Touch Me, and I must admit, this stuff could probably compete with some of the "real" music of that era. 

Steel Dragon, the band, Rockstar, the movie... among my very favourite music movies, Rockstar is based on a real-life story, and boasts a killer soundtrack. The band is fashioned after rock/metal acts of the 80's/early 90's. Blood Pollution is one of the scorching tunes by Steel Dragon. Those vocals! Those riffs!

The Commitments, both the band and the movie... I saw this twice in the theatre when it first came out, and I lived and breathed the CD soundtrack for years after. The story of an Irish soul band is fun and inspiring, yet it's the music that really stands out. All of it.

Sing Street, the band and the movie... one of the few modern films on my list, this is an entertaining and well-crafted story of Irish teenagers assembling a pop band and channeling the spirit of the likes of Duran Duran and other 80's hit-makers.

Sonic Death Monkey, in High Fidelity... among my fave movies, the music soundtrack is all over the board, but it's the performance by this fake band in the final act that clinches it. Surprisingly good. 

Jim and Jean, Inside Llewyn Davis... another folk scene film, this one boasts several faux artists knocking out beautiful music. This duo's take on 500 Miles made a big impression on me. Please check out this movie!

Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, The Muppet Movie (the original from 1979!)... need I say more? This band of outrageous puppet characters has become a household name. Especially drummer Animal (obviously based on the late great Keith Moon of The Who).

And last but not least...

Desmond Howl, the musician, in the movie Whale Music. I saw this many years ago, in the 90's I believe, and though my memories of it are now hazy, I still recall the film title and the fact that I really enjoyed it. Howl is a musician touched by personal tragedy, living in seclusion. His story is based on that of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. This Canadian production features music by real band Rheostatics. I think it's time I revisited this piece of my homeland's cinematic history. 

Rock on and... fade to black. 

Musical Guilty Pleasures

Over the years of blogging from the Pop Culture Time Machine, I have occasionally revealed a guilty pleasure or two or three. You know, like songs that are overly corny, fluffy, sappy... or even just stuff that doesn't fit into the definition of who people think I am. "He's a metalhead, so that's all he listens to". Not so.

I'm not a kid any more, so I'm not ashamed or terribly embarrassed that the cat is out of the bag on a few things. I simply prefer not to overshare with just anybody. But today I'll happily, for your entertainment, talk a bit about my musical guilty pleasures: stuff that most of my friends, acquaintances, and even family would not think I would enjoy. But hey, we all have histories, and everybody becomes fond of something when they're young and carries that with them for ever and ever. And even as adults, we can secretly go gaga over something that's not considered very cool by our peers.

In fact, I can kick this off with one of my earliest musical discoveries, The Monkees. Even when I was a kid, most of my schoolyard friends scoffed at the sugary pop of the 60's made-for-TV band. But I held fast to my beloved Monkees, played my records in private, and to this day, I am still a fan. Still a bit protective of my love for their music, but I can now disclose the fact without blushing. I know for a fact that an awful lot of Monkees music (both the songs they did and didn't actually play instruments on) is top-notch pop. The songwriting was among the finest of its time (and a damn sight better than a lot of today's pop), often written by a team of the best in the business. 

The Monkees song Cuddly Toy is a prime example of a guilty pleasure. So cutesy and poppy that there 'ought to be a law! Yet I really get a kick out of it. The same with the supremely lovey-dovey Sometime In The Morning. Pretty keyboard and guitar parts, not to mention the now-famous harmonies. More on the Monkees here and here. 

Then there was The Partridge Family, yet another musical group concocted for television (very loosely based on a real-life family band, The Sills). Not quite as prolific as the Monkees, the Partridges (actually just David Cassidy and Shirley Jones of the TV show) did release a string of successful pop albums in the 70's. And among the many tunes I like, there are a few sappy love songs that I can't help but... um, love: I Think I Love You (which in 1970 outsold that little ditty by four Brit lads called Let It Be), I Woke Up In Love This Morning, and I Can Feel Your Heartbeat. All feel-good music that was crafted by a professional team of songwriters. So the hits were many!

Maybe a little after my Partridge phase, I noticed a TV show featuring a little band out of Scotland. The Bay City Rollers became a bit of a fixation for me, though I never went full-on fanboy. I guess since most humans in the know roll their eyes at mention of the Rollers, I could name any one of their songs and it'd be scorned... and would therefore be my guilty pleasure. I'd say the tune I enjoyed most was (and still is) Shang A Lang. 

As the 1970's wore on, I heard more "mature" pop on the AM radio dial. Some of it stuck with me, and I'm still impressed with certain songs by artists like ABBA (Knowing Me, Knowing You), Donna Summer (Love To Love You Baby), Captain and Tennille (Love Will Keep Us Together), Carpenters (Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft) and the Elton John/Kiki Dee duet (Don't Go Breaking My Heart). Yes, there was some disco in the mix, but I don't think it would be fair to lump the legendary BeeGees in with the others, since the trio was so highly regarded back in the day.

There were some one-hit wonders that got my attention, too, like You Make Me Feel Like Dancing by falsetto dude Leo Sayer (1976) and Kiss You All Over by Exile (1978). Still like 'em. Guilty as charged. 

Ah, and I mustn't forget the one-and-only Paul McCartney, who did his best work as a Beatle, but was sort of hit and miss with his band Wings and in his solo career. Macca scored the number one spot (and held it for several weeks) with Silly Love Songs in '76. It is indeed a silly love song, but for a reason: Paul wrote the tune in response to critics accusing him of writing mostly... well, silly love songs. Sappy, sentimental slush, to paraphrase one review. Yet I really like it. The critics might have been accurate, but McCartney certainly was a master of the pop song, sappy or not. There's even a slight disco thing going on there.

Styx produced a whole wack of music that, like it or not, became a bit of a soundtrack for my early high school years. I wasn't much of a fan back then, but I think I liked their ballad Babe a lot more than I was willing to admit at the time. Now it's among my favourites, alongside romantic rocker Lorelei. 

During the 80's, I was focused mostly on heavy metal, hard rock, and progressive rock. Yet I found some of the pop of that decade very likable. I didn't buy any recordings of the lighter stuff (only the metal, rock, and prog for my collection) but many years later, when I came to terms with my affection for these "oldies", I bought up some CD collections of the best of the era. 

Foreigner was one of those bands who flip-flopped, even within a single album, between hard rock and shmaltzy ballads. In fact, they mastered the art. The main offender: Waiting For a Girl Like You. But when you can sing like Lou Gramm, why not put it all out there? I don't care for all of Foreigner's ballads, but there's something classy and restrained about this one. Nice.

The in-joke of Canadian rock is Loverboy. But I think a lot of us secretly like their music while we deride them. I mean, who doesn't think of Working for the Weekend as they slave away, watching the clock, during their Friday afternoon? Same goes for Turn Me Loose and a handful of other cheesy yet lovable Loverboy classics. 

I almost hesitate to include Journey here because whatever they did, they did it with class. No sensational stories about a dark side to the band, and their songs were all... ALL... squeaky clean. You kind of hate to hate them, right? Well, whether you think Don't Stop Believin' is cheesy or not (or overplayed or not), it's still an amazing 80's (any decade, really) rock anthem. I happen to love it, every single time I hear it. If anything, Open Arms is the tougher one to stomach, but even then, it's performed flawlessly. What a voice.

Cheap Trick's notoriously sappy The Flame from 1987 was their first number one hit song. Serious rock fans turned up their noses at the tune, but I've always admired it... or at least its melodic and emotional guitar solo. An unabashedly romantic power pop ballad, The Flame brought the band back to form, reviving a floundering career. Though I stuck with Trick only until 1980 (up 'til then, they rocked with consistency), they had their moments over the years since, including this one. Read more here. 

Okay, that friggin' band Poison turned me off from day one. But something about that country-rock sound in Every Rose Has Its Thorn, especially the soulful guitar solo, kind of lingered in my head. Every time I heard it on the radio, I liked it a little bit more. So yeah, definitely a guilty pleasure. I get astonished looks from fellow metal friends when I tell them I like this song. The 80's power ballad personified. 

The 80's just wouldn't have been the 80's without girl groups The Bangles and GoGo's. In Your Room. Our Lips Are Sealed. And how about Cyndi Lauper? Time After Time. Strange how these songs make me feel nostalgic for the 80's when this wasn't really what I went for back then. But those tunes were everywhere at the time, so I couldn't avoid them. Or avoid liking them. 

Same with young Whitney Houston. Though I declared I hated her music back in '85 (the debut of her debut album), I was drawn to the colourful How Will I Know music video and kinda fell for her. That hair. I don't love the song, but there is a nostalgic thing going on there. That's the best I can explain that. So there. 

Major confession: the Spice Girls. Their first two albums reached my ears via my young daughter's boombox back in the mid-to-late 90's. I was a little more open to this music since I had a responsibility to monitor what the kid was listening to, and I liked what I heard. Both Spice and Spiceworld are loaded with hits. A fave? Maybe... Who Do You Think You Are. While I can clearly hear that not all of the girls had talent, the songs were well-crafted, insanely catchy pop. Which led to...

Madonna. Though I didn't care for her music in the 80's, by the late 90's, I was ready to give it a chance. And I discovered I liked a lot of it, most notably Cherish and Vogue. Other tracks were cool, too, like Into the Groove and Express Yourself. I wouldn't have been caught dead listening to these songs when they first went public, but I can easily appreciate them now.

Going into the 2000's I was a full-on dance-pop fan, with limits. I didn't like everything out there, and was pretty picky about who I did listen to. Brit girl group Girls Aloud were catchy and fun, and in my opinion, they outdid Spice Girls with even better vocals and song arrangements. Consistently brilliant tunes that dared to push boundaries in such a limited genre. Sophisticated, edgy, quirky... and it all stands the test of time. Hard to name just one or two best songs, but The Loving Kind and Rolling Back the Rivers In Time are among my faves. 

On the heels of the Spice Girls came the solo efforts of Sporty Spice turned Melanie C. I immediately felt a connection to her eclectic mix of pop, dance, and rock. Though I've enjoyed pretty much all of Mel's albums, I still feel her first one, Northern Star, is her best, and the title track is most likely my favourite of all her work. Also from that album, I Turn To You is a close second. Electronic pop with thoughtful lyrics and expert songwriting and musical input. 

Natasha Bedingfield... well, I'm sure she had aspirations, but I think she hit the ceiling with 2008's Pocketful of Sunshine. It's a song that holds up well today, fun and light dance-pop, a sort of unconventional song structure... the verse is the chorus, and the chorus is the verse... things are flipped, and that makes it even more interesting. But Bedingfield lacks star power and consistently strong songwriting. Still, a very bright and enjoyable tune.

Cheryl Cole is maybe a notch above Bedingfield, pushing out more impressive songs, but still a bit spotty with iffy filler on albums. Happy Tears (2010) is without a doubt the song I can listen to the most. It's a sob story, for sure, but it's artistically written and performed. Layer upon layer, it swells, ebbs, and flows. From 2009, there's 3 Words, a compelling and adventurous collaboration with will.i.am. Here, Cole and Will, through vocal interplay and spare accompaniment, create a tense pop gem. 

2006 brought to me Life In Mono, by Emma Bunton. Emma was that girlish Baby Spice in the Spice Girls, in case you didn't know. Life In Mono is the album, and it's also the title track. The entire recording is phenomenal, almost impossible to pick a favourite from, but I feel fine with choosing the title track as a "guilty pleasure". But do I feel guilty when it's THIS good? Bunton evidently learned to sing really well after the Spices split. Her angelic voice is perfectly complemented by lush instrumentation... with a sort of James Bond music feel to it. Extra marks for that.

Around this same time, I was introduced to the music of Sophie Ellis-Bextor, apparently a pop superstar in the UK. Not exactly a household name in North America, but man, what exquisite pop songs. Bextor has been extraordinarily consistent with her brand of forward-thinking dance-pop; everything sounds so fresh and unique, no two songs sound even remotely similar, and she achieves a new and exciting vibe on each album (though 2014's Wanderlust album fell flat for me; just too weird and un-fun). Again, it's really tough to nail down a fave track, but electronic tour-de-force Sparkle is worth mentioning. There's also Murder On the Dance Floor and Take Me Home, all excellent and elegant electro-pop. 

And all that brings me to my favourite guilty pleasure of all, Kylie Minogue. In fact, I don't think I even feel guilty about Kylie any more, since she's become my favourite music artist, period. Though I love a lot of different artists and types of music, if I were sent to a deserted island and could only bring the music of one artist, it would be Kylie. A fave album is easy to pick: Aphrodite from 2010. And a fave song, off Aphrodite in fact, is Everything Is Beautiful. My fave Kylie track, though, is not off a studio album... I Believe In You. 

What are your guilty pleasures? Any songs that you love but feel a bit self-conscious about? Please leave your thoughts in the Comments section. And keep on spinning those "guilties".

New Additions to the Record Shelf

A few weeks back, I found myself some really cool records, all used but for the most part, very clean and listenable. Some pristine!

First off, I got the Monkees' album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. Released in 1967, this was where the boys were really coming into their own as songwriters and instrumentalists. Sure, the Monkees started off simply singing songs written and played by other songwriters and musicians, but as they got their sea-legs, they wanted to do far more than just show up to the microphone for recordings. One highlight for me is Love Is Only Sleeping. Love Mike's guitar riffs there.

In keeping with the pop oldies, I also picked up two Partridge Family records, their first one and their third, entitled Sound Magazine, from 1970 and '71, respectively. I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I find that PF music is a guilty pleasure; I won't admit my love of this stuff to just anyone. But I watched the Partridges on TV as a kid, so I came by the tunes honestly. That show was even an early inspiration for me to play guitar! It wasn't until the early 2000's that I rediscovered this music... and now I'm kinda hooked again.

On another note, I chose a couple of progressive rock albums by British band Yes. I had a little trouble deciding what to get because Yes' most famous album Fragile was tough to find in VG+ (very good plus) condition and for a reasonable price. For most used vinyl records, but especially Yes, I draw the line at the VG+ grading. It only makes sense for such intricate music with so many quiet and subtle passages in their music. And since quality Fragile LPs were beyond my price range, I had to choose instead...

Going For The One, which is possibly my favourite Yes album anyway. Well, my opinion swings from this to Fragile from day to day. This album contains only five songs, long songs... and that is a good thing with Yes music. Their compositions are varied yet are all masterfully performed - such a perfect blend of rock, jazz, classical, country, whatever. It's sophisticated and enthralling. Turn of the Century is perhaps my favourite Yes song, and of course, Wonderous Stories is a classic... and then the epic hippie-spacey Awaken is among my faves, too.

Hesitant to re-buy more Yes studio albums (already got every Yes on CD - the 60's, 70's, and 80's stuff), I opted for Classic Yes, a tidy compilation LP that covers a bunch of the best of the band. Songs like Heart of the Sunrise, Yours is No Disgrace, Starship Trooper, and several more. And this particular record I bought was in near mint condition, so the sound is crystal clear, not a pop or crackle to be heard. In this case, better than a CD.

Along with this little bunch of albums, the seller (on Discogs) threw in a freebie, Greatest Hits by Linda Ronstadt. I'd been meaning to check out more of her country rock/pop stuff, but never got around to it. Now I'm in. From start to finish, this is a very cool selection of the best of Ronstadt. I never really knew much about her, other than that the early members of The Eagles were her backup band... and as we all know, those guys split off and became super famous on their own. I noticed in the album credits that Ronstadt had some of the biggest names in music playing on her stuff. Guys like Andrew Gold, Bernie Leadon, David Lindley... and she ably tackled songs written by guys like The Eagles' Frey and Henley, Neil Young, Buddy Holly, Mike Nesmith, and Paul Anka. A fine mixture of genres, all seamlessly strung together in a nice package.

--

I did a little cross-town tour on Saturday to pick up some "new" used records for my growing collection. Once again, I had ordered these through Discogs, and since the seller was a local fellow, I skipped the shipping option and did an in-person pick-up. A friendly transaction overall, and I'm pleased with my new acquisitions. All in fine condition and very reasonably priced.

As I assembled my order while browsing my local Discogs seller's online store, my first record of interest was a Doors compilation called "13". This album is notable because it was the only "best of" released while the Doors were still together. Before Jim Morrison's untimely death. In fact, it's not really fair to call this a "greatest hits" at all, because among the radio staples are a sampling of nice - though perhaps lesser-known - deep cuts. Songs like: Moonlight Drive, You're Lost Little Girl, Land Ho!, and Wild Child. 

Released in November of 1970, "13" obviously did not include any tracks from the forthcoming L.A. Woman, which wouldn't grace record store racks until April of '71. So this interesting compilation isn't exactly a complete overview of The Doors' career. Still, it's a cool set of what the Doors did best: introspective and often controversial psychedelic rock music. 

As I skimmed my CD shelves for ideas for new LPs, I came upon my super solid compilation of Journey's music called The Essential Journey, a 2-disc set packed with 32 songs. Though this represented all the biggies - and then some - from the 70's and 80's, I felt it was time to add a Journey studio album or two to my record shelf. And I didn't want to buy frikkin' Escape again, for the second or third time. Yeah, that's the album with Don't Stop Believin' and Stone in Love. Both songs I really like a lot, but I don't care for absolutely everything on that record... plus I already knew that album all too well. 

So.... I decided on the first Journey album to feature Steve Perry on vocals, Infinity. I'd never heard this one before... and wow, what an amazing record! There were a few tunes I knew, like Wheel in the Sky and Lights, but the rest of the tracks were all exceptional, too... including La Do Da (silly lyrics but a kickin' rock song), Can Do (sounds a bit like Queen), and Anytime (which I recognized, but not as Journey, since lead vocals were not Perry). 

Since prices were so affordable, I snagged a second Journey album, Frontiers, from 1983. Separate Ways was the big hit off this one, plus there are a handful of other strong tracks I knew from my CD comp. I haven't given Frontiers, the vinyl record, a spin yet, so I can't offer more feedback than that.

Then for something completely different, I picked up Dean Martin's Greatest Hits! Volume One. Ever since I was a kid watching Dean in the Lewis and Martin comedies, and then as he portrayed super spy Matt Helm in film, I have enjoyed his brand of old-time cocktail crooning. Though this collection doesn't include classics like That's Amore and Sway, it's got some familiar tunes, plus plenty more to try out for the first time. Maybe I'll recognize a few of those from decades past. Good times. 

A freebie thrown into my order by the generous Discogs seller was Crimes of Passion by Pat Benatar. I know the album fairly well, and welcome this rockin' disc to my record shelf. Though hard rock predominates on Crimes (Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Treat Me Right, Hell is for Children), Benatar and crew are adventurous in spots, like on the skip-tempo Little Paradise, sultry-riffy I'm Gonna Follow You, and the new-wavey Out-A-Touch. 

A nice little haul. I can't wait to spin all of these and enjoy the warm vinyl sounds of the past. Cheers!