Am I Playing a Record or Operating Heavy Machinery?

Below is an inner sleeve from Decca Records in the UK.

As you can see, playing a record is complicated and you must follow these instructions to a tee.  Granted, this is before balanced lightweight tone arms were the norm.   Records I bought new and took care of over the years have held up wonderfully.   As with most of the used 45's I have purchased, the owner didn't carefully read the instructions.

The Rolling Stones Recycle!

In 1966, The Rolling Stones release what is (IMHO) the best album of their early career.  It's the frist one to feature all original compositions.  It's running time is nearly an hour.   It's the first one to be recorded and released in a true stereo mix (that doesn't sound like the goofy money grab of 'fake stereo' or using the vocal take in one channel).   A pre psychedelia masterpiece.  It's.....

The Rolling Stones  - Aftermath (Decca 1966).

I could go on an on about this one.  The Beatles jokingly considered calling Revolver 'Before Geography' in response.  It's got a track that's longer than 10 minutes.   So on and so on.   I've got other fish to fry on this post.

As was popular in the day, the Americans released a shorter version of the album by yanking tracks and adding the latest hit single.   It also sported a different cover shot taken from the picture sleeve for Paint it Black. 

So why let a cover shot go to waste.....

The Rolling Stones - Flowers (London 1967)

Aside from the fact that Brian has no leaves..... the cover recycles the pictures off the UK Aftermath cover and puts stems on them.

This album is a somewhat pointless compilation of singles and tracks yanked off the American versions.   The one true gem is the heretofore unreleased Ride On Baby - one of my favorite young an snotty Stones tracks.

Other Records You WILL Enjoy #2 - Colgems

So we all know the Monkees were on Colgems - which was a joint venture between Columbia Pictures and Screen Gems - the studio behind the Monkees.

One side of the inner sleeve features all Monkees LP's released up to that point.

But they had other releases.  Mostly film soundtracks, but one rock group - The Lewis and Clarke Expidition.  I know nothing else about them other than that they were a real band.  We also get an LP by Sally Field.  A singer she's not.   She's gotten her Oscar and Tony, but I'm afraid she can't fly high enough for a Grammy.

Woo Hoo

Taxes are filed.  Sorry to those who now owe.  We saw this coming.  Especially singled out are the high taxed states that tend to go blue.

So anyway  - Woo Hoo, it's over.  I leave you with and LP by a one hit wonder band.

The Rock-A-Teens - Woo Hoo (Roulette 1957)

A catchy rockabilly instrumental used to great effect in Kill Bill.

King Kong - Jean-Luc Ponty Plays The Music of Frank Zappa

Jean-Luc Ponty - King Kong Jean Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa (World Pacific Jazz 1969)

Produced by Frank Zappa.   This record is sort of companion piece to Zappa's Hot Rats.  The lead character here being French jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty rather than electric guitarist Frank Zappa/

Mothers Art Tripp and Ian Underwood contribute.  Future Mother George Duke came along with Jean_luc Ponty.  Zappa has one guitar cameo on the record, but this is more about the arrangements that anything else.

Jean-Luc Ponty joined the Mothers for a brief spell around the  Overnite Sensation LP.  When Zappa was on SNL in a Coneheads skit, he made reference to once having a French person in the band, so he understood the Conehead's idiosyncrasies.  (Remember the Coneheads pretended to be from France. 

Released on the World Pacific Jazz label. 

RIP Series - Jimmy Wilsey

Gee I'm getting tired of this.  I may not have time to complete my New Year's Eve playlist on 12/31/2019.

Jimmy Wilsey is best known to me as the bass player for San Francisco punk band The Avengers.   He's best known to the rest of the world as the guitarist in Chris Isaac's band.  That lingering reverb lead that made Wicked Game a hit belonged to Jimmy.

The Avenger's recorded output consisted of a few singles and EP's.  They're all compiled on this record.

The Avengers - Avengers (CD 1983)

The recordings come from 1977-1979.  Around this time, West Coast Punk was at its peak.  This was before hard core came on the scene from The South Bay and Orange County and ruined the scene.   The Avengers came down often from San Francisco to play Los Angeles.  It was a golden age that only really lasted for two and a half years.

RIP Series - Ranking Roger

We lost Ranking Roger from the English Beat (or just plain The Beat if you were English).  

It's not very often I go to a show by one of my favorites and the opening band was awesome.  Happened to me with The English Beat.  Saw them open for Talking Heads at the Hollywood Palladium in 1980.   Not too long after that I saw them open for The Clash at the same venue.

There was a ska revival going on at the time, but this band was different.  The brought in elements of R&B and punk for a totally unique sound.

Ranking Roger was one of the two vocalists.

The Beat  - Can't Get Used to Losing You b/w Spar Wid Me (Go-Feet 1983)

During their lifetime they put out three albums and a bunch of singles.  This particular one is cover of a tune made popular by Andy Williams.   A cover of Smokey Robinson's Tears of Clown was also in their repertoire.

Roger is on the left in the photo below.

RIP Series - Scott Walker

The sun ain't gonna shine anymore for Scott Walker.

The Walker Brothers - The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore) b/w (Smash 1966)