Vintage Vinyl & More Under the Christmas Tree

Merry Christmas (or your choice of denominational festivity) to my readers!

'Tis the season of giving, and the gifts of music were abundant. I gave some music and I received some music. And music-related books were also under the Christmas tree.

Yesterday morning, I cashed in an online record store gift card as I ordered Highway to Hell by AC/DC. A blast from the past that'll shake the foundations with its newly-remastered sound - on vinyl. Looking forward to that.

Some vintage records I grabbed on Discogs: Partridge Family, Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, and Monkees

A couple of cool biographies in book form found their way to me, too. Both are autobiographies; the first is Confess, by Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford, and the second is Monsters of River and Rock: My Life as Iron Maiden's Compulsive Angler, by guitarist Adrian Smith. Confess is a completely candid life story by the legendary metal vocalist. I immediately jumped into that book, and have made a healthy dent in it. Smith's book is an oddity, to be sure, but I'm game... it's his story of life as an avid sport fisherman... while conducting his career with heavy metal icons Iron Maiden. Should be entertaining.

With some early arrival gift cash, I ordered and received a handful of gently used vintage albums. Two of these I've ticked off my very short "record wish list". Here they all are:

Partridge Family, Up to Date, from 1971... I have a soft spot for this TV show-inspired pop band. I now have their first three - best-  albums. Loads of catchy, timeless bubblegum music.

Linda Ronstadt, Heart Like a Wheel, 1974... considered perhaps her best, sort of soft country-rock. She mostly covers others' songs, but her beautiful voice makes them all her own.

Monkees, The Birds, The Bees, and The Monkees, 1968... what can I say? My pop-rock music fixation all began with the Monkees. This album completes my early "classic" Monkees LP set.

Eagles, On the Border, 1974... the same year some Eagles backed up Ronstadt on her album, they cut their own seminal record, including hits like Already Gone and Best of My Love. Primo!

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I did mention this in a previous post, but an early Christmas gift to myself was the new Kylie Minogue album Disco. I pre-ordered this months ago, and my initial sceptical thoughts on the advance single were dashed when I finally heard the whole thing. On vinyl, Disco really soars... it's got that old-school 70's dance-floor-style sound and vibe, with a healthy dash of Kylie's own brand of modern "disco". All very fun and buoyant and expertly crafted. Can you tell I kinda like this album?

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Then there was that 12-record haul I scored when an acquaintance offered me a bunch of stuff he didn't want in his collection any more. You can see my comments on those here.

Oh, and last but not least... well, this had nothing to do with Christmas, but it arrived just in time: I won a cool music and record-related t-shirt in an online contest. It was a prize giveaway for  Channel33RPM on Youtube (a very cool music and vinyl channel - check it out!), and I was one of the two winners out of hundreds of entries. Yay! I got my pick of the channel's merchandise tees, so I chose one that reflected both my love of a certain music genre and my record collecting past-time. Here's a pic:

Happy holidays, music fans!

A Good Christmas Haul to All

 Well, we are now into the week of Christmas. The final countdown. All my shopping and mailing is done. Since any family I'd normally see is far away, and with the health restrictions all over the place, I won't get to see them. Not nice, but at least I have some new music to help me bide my time over the holidays.

A co-worker recently gave me a stack of records that he no longer wanted. Miraculously, there are actually several very cool ones in the bunch. Only one stinker, and maybe one or two others I'll give away. But a nice surprise getting all this vinyl when I finally have the time to try it all out. A few are reissues of oldies, while the rest are early (possibly first) issues.

The first album I checked out was March of the Saint, by Armoured Saint. This 80's traditional/power metal band sort of flew under my personal radar back in the day. I'd heard of them, but never got to know their music. Anyway, this debut album is pretty solid, if a bit "soft" and slick. There's no crunch or bite to the music, but there are some fun riffs and rhythms, and the guitar tone is pretty cool. Pretty safe as far as metal goes, but not bad by any stretch.

Next, I spun Pyramid, by Alan Parsons Project. I wasn't familiar with this album, though a few tunes were on a CD compilation I have (but rarely listened to). So nearly all new to my ears. Pretty good proggish pop/rock, with only one stinker in the bunch. I enjoyed the record for the most part, not loving it, but it could grow on me more. Not on the same level as Eye in the Sky or I Robot, but just fine.

Then last night I snuck in Side A of AC/DC's 1985 release, Fly On the Wall. On first glance, I thought this would be a giveaway, but after looking closer at the track listing, then actually listening to some of it, I've changed my mind. This is a solid rocker. And in my opinion, it's got a bit more meat on it than previous album, Flick of the Switch, which try as I might, I just can't get into. Stronger songs, I'd say.

There's another AC/DC record, Let There Be Rock, which I owned on cassette tape back in the 80's. While there are a few classic tracks, this album never grabbed me big-time. But I'll give it a chance... who knows, maybe hearing LTBR after all these years, I'll like it more.

Also in the new stack of oldies, there's Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden. This is a reissue, so fingers crossed it sounds all right. I recall a year or two ago, I checked out a reissue on Youtube and did NOT like the remix... elements of songs didn't sound quite right, not like the original recording I was familiar with. Anyway, when I get to it, I'll see how it rates. The album is certainly a favourite (possibly my very favourite) Maiden album.

Another 80's classic here is Eliminator, by ZZ Top. I loved this back in the day, owning it on tape and playing it to death during that MTV era. But as time wore on, and I discovered the magic of the bluesier, grittier 70's ZZ music, I took a stronger shining to that and let the slick 80's drum-and-synth-driven ZZ tunes fall by the wayside. But I'll still give it a spin and see how I feel about it nowadays. Though I've owned it on CD for decades, I may have only ever revisited it once or twice, and not in many, many years.

Getting away from rock'n'roll, there are three folk albums by my hometown boy, good ol' Gordon Lightfoot. There are his first two releases, Lightfoot! and The Way I Feel, from '66 and '67 respectively, both looking like original pressings by the jacket designs. There's a live album, Sunday Concert, from '69, also an original pressing. I haven't looked at their condition yet, so fingers crossed they are clean enough to enjoy. I do like Gord's music, as I've got his legendary Summertime Dream on vinyl, and a career overview on CD.

The few records I'm not sure about are: The Elvis Medley, a weird 1982 compilation with a six-song medley of hits (which we normally only get in concert and on concert recordings), followed by a respectable string of full tracks... all well-known songs by The King. It might be good, for all I know. The medley section was, apparently, previously unreleased. I already have two other Elvis comps on vinyl, and a few more on CD, so the bar is high already. But I'm a fan, so we'll see.

Then there's the Roy Orbison Collection. I've never been much of a fan of his stuff. I mean, I think I've only ever heard a few of his songs... you know, the ones that we all know, like Oh, Pretty Woman and Only the Lonely. But this isn't the sort of thing I'll play much, or at all. If I want Pretty Woman, I'll listen to my Van Halen cover.

The record I know I'll toss is Killer on the Rampage by Eddy Grant. Electric Avenue is the only Grant song I could name, and I sure don't care about that. Just not my thing at all. That may become a frisbee off my 10th floor balcony.

So, quite the variety of music there, eh? I get a steady fill of Christmas music (and not a very good playlist, by the way) at my workplace, so when I get home after my shift these days, the last thing I want is more holiday-oriented music. But... if the mood strikes me, like perhaps on Christmas day, I do have a handful of CDs of festive tunes. The Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack is my favourite, so that would be my go-to. Also on deck in that regard are my Kylie Minogue Christmas CD, and Liona Boyd's "A Guitar For Christmas" on vinyl, which contains elegant instrumental versions on classical guitar, all very nice. Between my new metal, rock, and folk - and a small smattering of festive stuff - I think I'm covered for the week of Christmas. 

Happy holidays, everyone!

My Favourite Songs - Part VI

 It's been a while, but I think it's time to revisit my favourite songs. Today I'll talk a bit about some tunes that span the decades, one each from the 1970's, the 80's, the 90's, and the 2010's. From lighter fare to heavy bangers.

First up is You Make Loving Fun, by Fleetwood Mac (more of my thoughts on them here). This is just one of the many timeless classics from the Rumours album way back in 1977. I might have been a year or two late to the game, but as a young teen just dipping his toe into the rock music waters, I did realize this album was pretty special even as I first played it. It's not a concept album by any stretch, and yet something seems amiss if one listens to just a bit of it... you really need to play all the tracks in their proper sequence to get the full picture. Even if you were unaware of the all the band drama going on during the recording of Rumours, the tension and emotion between the musicians came through in the music, heightening the experience. So to skip a song is to miss an important beat in the process of creating the album.

The song You Make Loving Fun, right from its opening bass and keyboard gurgles, sounds like pure 70's gold. Christine McVie's warm, smooth vocals set her songs apart from those featuring Stevie Nicks. McVie's approach is easier on my ears, more inviting and maybe even more wistful. The tasty guitar licks lay back early on, but once Lindsey Buckingham takes his first solo break, it's a treat. Tasteful, restrained and melodic, with the odd wailing note for emphasis. The overall vibe of the song is just a little sad, though the lyrics are indeed happy. Probably a by-product of the relationship woes reflected in the recording studio. It would be a mistake to call this "soft rock", though at a glance, it might seem to be. There is that tension, and then a sense of release in the choruses, and even more so in the final bars, when Buckingham's guitar sings a bit brighter, as do all the vocals. A highly satisfying song that truly takes me back in time.

Now... fast-forward ten years to 1987. American heavy metal band Savatage released their fourth album, Hall of the Mountain King, to much fanfare. These guys, through their boundary-breaking musical forays, were highly influential on several metal subgenres at the time. There were elements of power metal, thrash, speed metal, progressive, death metal and symphonic metal.

I first noticed Savatage in their Hall of the Mountain King music video, which I caught on Canada's MuchMusic TV station. All the medieval fantasy imagery grabbed me, but it was that powerful, heavy chugging riff that completely pulled me in. Between Criss Oliva's searing guitar leads and his brother Jon's soaring vocals (extending into Geddy Lee territory at times), this classic metal sound never goes out of style. The background chanting counters Jon Oliva's impressive vocal range... from raspy snarls to dramatic emoting to chilling shrieks. This guy is right up there with Judas Priest's Rob Halford, as far I'm concerned. He covers the gamut skillfuly and with the gusto of a Shakespearean actor.

Around the 2-minute mark, the song begins a breakdown that builds and builds in complexity. Layers of guitar parts fold themselves into the mix until the shattering solo break. Then that massive wall of rhythm falls back into place for the final verse, where Jon chews the scenery even more hungrily. Love it! How a little band from Florida so successfully nailed the Scandinavian fantasy metal image is beyond me... but they did it.

Then we'll skip over the Atlantic to actual Scandinavian shores... Sweden, specifically... for the next one: He Is, by the band Ghost. You can read more about them here. The song is from the 2015 album Meliora, which absolutely blew my socks off when I first heard it. And I never tired of it. You know how sometimes when you love a song or album right from the get-go, but then it doesn't really have staying power, and you lose interest after a while? Not the case here. The talent with these guys is undeniable, whether you like 'em or not.

Ghost can be tough to categorize since their sounds over the years have ranged from heavy metal, hard rock, and progressive rock to doom metal, pop and arena rock. Their influences can be heard indirectly through their songcraft if not their sound. They capture the essence of classic rockers like Blue Oyster Cult, Kiss, Sabbath, and Priest... with varying degrees of heaviness. Some tunes sound downright evil... scary, even. Then others are so uplifting - heavenly - that it's hard to believe this is the same band who cranks out slabs of metal on other songs.

He Is is Ghost's shining example of the latter. I will quote myself here (from the linked page above):

... my favourite song on the album, He Is, which is an ode to the Prince of Darkness. Its music is incredibly uplifting, like something you'd hear in a church... with the plucked acoustic guitar, the huge and soaring keyboard-organ backdrop, the choral quality of the lead and backing vocals. The lyrics never veer toward the cartoonish or gruesome like other black metal-type artists write. Instead, it's tasteful and intelligent, and you kinda want to jump on this bandwagon, as manufactured as it is. It's a beautiful piece of music, if you can put aside any reservations about the lyrical themes.

It's a pretty, expertly designed song that defies genre. Is it pop, rock, or something far more insidious? That guitar solo sings like something by Kiss back in their heyday. Then that outro solo... whoa! Short, punchy and melodic... it's almost maddening, it's all so perfectly orchestrated.

You've heard the legend about old-time blues guitarist Robert Johnson selling his soul to the Devil at the crossroads? Well, I kind of wonder about Ghost, too.

Moving on now to something far heavier, Them Bones, by 90's "grunge" gods Alice In Chains. I actually hate that this band was lumped in with the grunge movement. They are metal, no doubt about it. Not a hint of Nirvana or Mudhoney there. But they came onto the Seattle scene during that wave of new music, so they were accepted as part of that pack.

Them Bones is from the Dirt album which was released in 1992. I was deep into thrash at the time, buried in Metallica and Megadeth albums. Alice in Chains was sort of new to me. I'd probably seen music videos from their 1990 debut album on TV, and while cool, they didn't grab me immediately. But when I first heard songs from Dirt, though, I was suitably impressed. Massive, crushing riffs and chords. Layne Staley's pained vocal screams and cries. On every song.

Alice In Chains somehow brought amazing vocal harmonies to the metal onslaught. Let's thank guitarist Jerry Cantrell for his contribution to the singing end of things. Not just backup, Jerry actually pitched in more than most realize at the microphone. He and Staley complemented each other with their different-sounding voices, adding colour and layers to their brand of heavy metal.

And we hear all that on Them Bones. The heavy, straight-forward drum beat lays the solid foundation with the thudding bass reinforcing and propelling the song. Cantrell's guitar tone is one-of-a-kind, made more so by his unmistakable style of playing. His soloing sound and techique are his alone, more melodic and soulful than shredding. The doomy vibe that pervades all of Alice's music is driven by the guitar and Staley's almost droning incantation of the normally cheerless lyrics. While Them Bones may not be as textured or tonally varied as some other AIC songs, this is perhaps the supreme headbanger of their catalogue. For me, anway.

Dig in.

Bigger, Better Sound... For Free!

I have always been way behind the pack in terms of my household electronic technology. Like by ten or more years. Scoff if you will, but I stand by the idiom "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". Or upgrade it. My home audio system is a prime example. Here's a quick history of my set-up:

I currently have a Sony turntable, a Sony CD carousel player, a Technics receiver, and a pair of JBL bookshelf speakers. All from the 1990's. These components were built to last, and that's why I swear by them.

I came by the turntable just a few years ago, a freebie from a friend who didn't want his old one any more. The CD player and receiver were also second-hand, though in very nice condition. They came along at just the right time, maybe close to ten years ago, when both my 80's Realistic receiver and 90's Sony CD player were crapping out on me. I bought the speakers brand new on sale for little over a hundred bucks, and they are still in my set-up. Very nice sound and some power for when I want it, considering their modest size.

So my current line-up cost me almost nothing. 

Even though I've never been a gear-head, I at least used to keep somewhat abreast of the technology that was out there. I'm even less attentive to that stuff nowadays. As long as my equipment operates and continues to sound good, then I'm happy to run it 'til the day it dies.

Within the past year, I have decided that the sound coming out of my speakers could be better. But I didn't necessarily think I needed new speakers. I watched Youtuber Steve Guttenberg's Audiophiliac channel for tips on improving the sound of my system. Guttenberg has an extensive background in audio, having tested loads of gear, written reviews for numerous publications, and worked for a recording company. Steve not only made home audio less intimidating but downright friendly and possibly even easy, with the right approach. 

Since I have little to no money for experimenting within the audiophile realm, Guttenberg's suggestions on speaker placement intrigued me. In my search for optimal sound from my little JBLs, I moved my speakers around, pulled them away from the wall, closer to me, raised them up on "stands" (makeshift stands, that is - old, unused smaller speakers), and placed them further apart. As I toyed with placement, I began to appreciate how this science could save me money and keep me (more than) satisfied with my current system.

Given room limitations, there came a point where I knew this was about as far as I'd take the tooling around. I'm not in any position to revamp my listening space, a small rental apartment living room, in order to achieve top-of-the-line results. No, in fact, thanks to years of living with very modest music systems, I have become comfortable with less than top-of-the-line sound. But don't get me wrong, once I hit upon a nice sweet spot with my new speaker placement, it was like night and day. I actually now want to listen through my speakers again. I'd been clamping on my luxurious Sennheiser open-back headphones more often than not so I could enjoy my music far more than I was with the speakers.

Those Sennheisers do indeed sound beautiful in their "private listening experience" way, but it is also nice to let my system breathe in my living space now and then. Let that electrical signal, magnet, and coil do their magic so that the cone pumps sound waves into the air, filling my cozy room with my choice of music. I'm pretty jazzed about the new, improved quality of sound I'm getting out of my rather old-school gear.

Highs are higher, bass is fuller, the sound stage feels larger and more "present"... the musical instruments in the recording more solidly have their place in the stereo separation. The snare drum and other percussion feel more crisp and "in the room". Sounds that pan between channels are far more dramatic, and the sort of ghosted sounds that appear outside the range of the speakers are startlingly real and impressive. That's just a start... and I can barely find the correct words to describe what's going on in my listening room after the speaker re-placement.

I predict that maybe in a year, I will look at getting a new turntable, something that'll make my records really sing. For now, my old used number will continue to do the trick. It's perfectly fine for me now. I've been able to amass a reasonably-sized little collection of records over the past few years, and now that my wish list is rather tiny, maybe I can start thinking about investing in a new audio component. But no hurry. 

In fact, at this moment, I am considering getting rid of a piece of furniture that is rarely used and is sort of in the way. And that would open up my listening space further. Then I could perhaps move things around where I never thought they'd fit before, thereby opening up my living room and allowing my speakers to really shine like they were meant to. Some real speaker stands might figure into the picture at some point, too.

But for now, all I can say is that with a little patience and ingenuity, I have found a way to make my old records and CDs sound like they never have before. From Diana Krall to Megadeth, and from The Monkees to Kylie Minogue, everything is sounding better than ever. For now.