Saturday, July 31, 2021

New Additions to the Record Shelf

Things have been picking up a bit lately as far as musical acquisitions go. A little while back, I finally found Strange Little Birds on vinyl, by Garbage. Back in the early 2000s, I was heavily into their unique brand of often dark and moody electro-rock, sometimes bordering on pop. I sort of forgot about them for a while (mostly while they were inactive), but in recent years have given a tiny bit of attention to newer releases. When I finally gave this particular album a full listen, I couldn't believe the wonderfully downbeat vibe, Shirley's still vibrant and haunting vocals, and the whole band's ability to still rock. A really nice package, too, with a colourful double album presentation that includes an etching and a bonus track on Side D. Very happy with this.


Not long after that, I grabbed some CDs that were too cheap to pass up: another Garbage album, Not Your Kind of People from 2012 (more catchy tunes than you can shake a stick at), Emma Bunton's 2019 release My Happy Place (pure pop bliss), and a slab of prog-thrash heaven on Voivod's 1997 album Phobos.

Then last weekend, at a nearby flea market, I found two long-timers on my record wishlist. First, I grabbed Balls to the Wall, the '83 metal classic by German headbangers Accept. I am very gradually rounding out my collection of early Accept, and this - their best-known and best-loved album - is a welcome addition. Much crunching and shrieking. Oh joy.

Then as I stepped toward another vendor's table, one particular record practically leaped out into my hands... Heads or Tales, by Canadian 70's-80's prog-rockers Saga. I've long been a fan of the band, though I somehow never bought this album before (I think I had a tape-to-tape copy back in the 80's). The colourful cover image caught my eye immediately and I was in there for the kill. And only five bucks! Other shoppers got a good laff at my loud (happy) reaction to the price. Heh.

Both flea market records play and sound great, so I'm pleased with my purchases. I could have dug through the bins all day long, but my daughter's patience wouldn't have held out that long. Pretty good for a quick spin through the vendor stalls. Lots of fun and some great music to enjoy. Nice to get out of that pandemic rut.

No comments:

Post a Comment