This morning I hit the local flea market, which always has a handful of tables of used records. The guy with the small but well-kept selection of LPs had exactly what I hoped for... the same two Van Halen records I left behind last month... and moped over ever since. These were Van Halen II and Women and Children First. I am now just one album (Diver Down) shy of having all of the David Lee Roth-era records. And that's all I want - the DLR music. Nothing against Sammy (Hagar)... it's just that the music that came after Roth left just never cut it for me.
So anyway, those two Van Halens are now happily nestled on my "To Play" stand near the hi-fi. Heh, I said "hi-fi". Both in really nice condition in appearance and Side One of VH II (all I've checked so far) sounds pristine. From their screeching version of You're No Good to the chugging Outta Love Again, not a pop or crackle to be heard.
No more regrets.
Then I headed directly for the vendor with many crates full of vinyl goodies. Some was a bit pricey, or had a scratch that bothered me, so I skimmed his wares less thoroughly. I did notice some Steppenwolf oldies, though, and after a little discussion with the seller, I decided on the band's very first, self-titled album. I've never owned this before, but have for decades had a 16 Greatest Hits on tape and later on CD, so I recognized a handful of key Steppen-songs... Sookie Sookie, Born To Be Wild (duh), and The Pusher. Great classic biker rock anthems.
Among the tables and tables of vintage collectibles of all sorts, I eye-balled the odd stack of records. I wormed my way into tight spots to flip through them. Lots of crap, some funny stuff (a yoga instructional LP!), and the odd thing of interest. I noted two Kris Kristofferson albums in one bin, but didn't recognize any song titles on them. Since these were so cheap - only three bucks each - I figured I should get at least one of them. The one without scratches was Spooky Lady's Sideshow, released back in 1974. Both the record and its jacket look to be in nice shape. I know next to nothing about ol' Kris, other than his Bobby McGee song, so this'll be an adventure. After a quick internet search, I learned this is the album (his fifth) that signaled a decline in Kristofferson's career. Apparently he was celebrating the rock'n'roll lifestyle a bit too much at the time, and that affected his music. Anyway, when I give this a spin, I'll see what I think.
A very early - and stripey - The Who, a few years before the Tommy rock opera would appear
Oh, and not long ago, I got in the mail an album I ordered off the Discogs website - Tommy, by The Who. This is the 1969 (well, this is a 1980 reissue) studio album by the band, not the orchestral version from '72, and not the soundtrack from the 1975 movie adaptation, which is significantly different.
Full disclosure here... I'd never heard Tommy in its entirety until just months ago. I've long been a Who fan, owning a variety of greatest hits collections on tape and CD, plus some of their other biggest successes, like Who's Next, Who Are You, Quadrophenia, etc. So I knew only a few bits and pieces of Tommy, like See Me Feel Me, Tommy Can You Hear Me, I'm Free, and Pinball Wizard. When I finally gave the rock opera a full listen on Youtube several months ago, I couldn't believe I'd missed out on this for so bloody long. Anyway, better late than never. Of course, I really like the album and am happy I held out long enough to find a very good deal on it. The LP(s) are very gently used and look and sound almost like brand new.
So - lots of great "new" old music. Some I knew well already, some new to my ears. This weekend I'll put the turntable through its paces as I give my new albums some attention.
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