For those readers new to this column, please read the introductory comments in Part One here.
As your record collection grows, organizing it in some way that makes sense to you and allows you to easily find the record you want becomes increasingly important. There is no single right way to organize a collection, no matter how insistent some collectors are about it. I’ve seen many different organizational tactics among the many audiophile and record collecting friends I’ve visited over the years. I certainly won’t tell anyone how to arrange their records on their shelves, other than to encourage them to organize their collection somehow, and to start before their collection gets too big and it becomes an overly difficult and time-consuming task.
When I started getting LPs instead of 45s at about age nine, I simply leaned them up against the wall in my bedroom as I didn’t really have a shelf in there that they would fit on. The most recent record in the front. Once I had about twenty records, I asked a record shop if I could have one of their empty boxes, which they were happy to hand over. Though I bought records all through high school, by the time I left for college I only had about fifty, still in that same record box, and still organized chronologically by purchase date. Since I have an odd memory of when I bought individual records (witnessed clearly in this series) this worked for me and it was always easy to find the LP I was looking for.
Once in college I switched from cardboard boxes to metal milk crates. These were nice and sturdy and easily accessible by sneaking them out from behind the local supermarket. By the time I graduated I had a couple hundred records, still organized by purchase date and stored in milk crates.
After graduation, moving Southern California and getting my own apartment, I built my first real record shelves out of cinder blocks and 1x12 boards. After settings the shelves up, I decided to finally reorganize the records alphabetically. Sounded easy until I had to figure out what would be the determining part to alphabetize on.
It started off simple. I would not separate by genre, style, or label. Purely alphabetical with these considerations:
- Band name or last name of solo artist (Rock, jazz, or whenever it made sense).
Then sorted chronologically by original release date.
b. Reissues or multiple copies sorted together by their release dates. - Compilations or collaborations, then by the name I mostly associate with the record.
Slash: The Early Years in under S
b. Attack of the Killer Bs in under A
c. The Baroque Cello is under V as Vivaldi is the composer I associate with the record. - Composer (for classical).
If multiple composers, the one I think of as the primary name.
b. Sub-sorted by overall type, i.e. concertos together, symphonies together, etc.
c. Box sets with their category within a composer’s section - Movie soundtracks, musicals and operas mostly by title, with some exceptions
One From The Heart is with the rest of Tom Waits’ records
b. Operas depend on whether I remember the composer more than the title. - Other stuff, wherever I think I’ll remember it.
This has worked out really well for me for the most part. I did think I lost a certain Mel Torme album for a few years, until by chance someone mentioned the album in an article that reminded me it was actually a George Shearing album and was stored under S, not T. I have since moved it to be with the other Mel Torme albums.
But again, everyone has to find whatever works for them when putting their record collection in an order that makes it easy to find the particular LP they are looking for.
King Sunny Adé And His African Beats, Juju Music
Label: Mango – MLPS 9712
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, PRC
Country: US
Released: 1982
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Afro-beat, Afro-Pop, Juju, Worldbeat, African Traditions, Nigerian, West African
I remember reading an article about this album when it came out in 1982, and realized I didn't really know anything about Nigerian popular music. However, the description of the album, and of "Juju Music" as a style, intrigued me enough to have me stop at Tower Records that week to buy the LP. The 20-piece band that backs up Adé includes four guitarists, steel guitar, eight percussionists (including three on Talking Drums) and six vocalists.
This is fun, feel-good music. Much mellower than I had expected. A great recording from Island's Mango Records division
Tracklist:
A1 - Ja Funmi 7:07
A2 - Eje Nlo Gba Ara Mi 7:17
A3 - Mo Beru Agba 3:27
A4 - Sunny Ti De Ariya 3:45
B1 - Ma Jaiye Oni 5:06
B2 - 365 Is My Number / The Message 8:17
B3 - Samba / E Falabe Lewe 8:05
https://open.qobuz.com/album/ph1ozsgwm49ua
Dire Straits, Dire Straits
Label: Warner Bros. Records – BSK 3266
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Jacksonville Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1978
Genre: Rock
Style: Blues Rock, Acoustic, Classic Rock
I have to thank my big brother for this. I was still in college, and he had been telling me about this great new band that had come out and how much he liked them. I was visiting for a weekend when every time we got in his car, he played this for me. Had to buy it as soon as I got back to Rochester. I still think this is their best album, though I like them all. This is the LP I bought back 1978 and it still sounds great.
Tracklist:
A1 - Down To The Waterline 3:55
A2 - Water Of Love 5:23
A3 - Setting Me Up 3:18
A4 - Six Blade Knife 4:10
A5 - Southbound Again 2:58
B1 - Sultans Of Swing 5:47
B2 - In The Gallery 6:16
B3 - Wild West End 4:42
B4 – Lions 5:05
https://open.qobuz.com/album/0093624776963
Marianne Faithfull, Broken English
Label: Island Records – ILPS 9570
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Repress, Los Angeles Press
Country: US
Released: 1981
Genre: Rock
Style: Art Rock, Pop Punk
I remember hearing the title track on the radio my last year in college and not knowing who it was. After it was done, the DJ went on about how excited he was that Marianne Faithfull had released this new album. For some reason I was sure I had bought this record later that same week, but clearly, I did not as this is a 1981 repress. Maybe it was my roommate’s copy we listened to back in 1979? Anyway, she sounds nothing like her earlier pop-star self on this LP, with her aged, lower, gravelly/scratchy voice. Maybe the best cover of “Working Class Hero” you'll ever hear. This is another great album start to finish. Excellent sound quality too.
Tracklist:
A1 - Broken English 4:35
A2 - Witches' Song 4:43
A3 - Brain Drain 4:13
A4 – Guilt 5:05
B1 - The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan 4:09
B2 - What's The Hurry 3:05
B3 - Working Class Hero 4:40
B4 - Why D'Ya Do It 6:45
https://open.qobuz.com/album/0004228423552
Pierre Moerlen's Gong, Downwind
Label: Arista – AB 4219
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Terre Haute
Country: US
Released: 1979
Genre: Jazz
Style: Fusion, Jazz-Rock
There are many incarnations of the Gong family, though I still have a hard time with any band not having Daevid Allen calling itself Gong. This album, led by drummer/percussionist Pierre Moerlen, is the least jazz oriented of the albums this bunch released, but it still has a lot of good music. Moerlen was a better percussionist than singer though, and later albums were more instrumental based. And any album that Didier Malherbe plays on is worth having, even if he only plays on one track here. Guest appearances by Mick Taylor, Mike Oldfield and Steve Winwood certainly don't hurt either. Not an essential album in the Gong discography, but a nice album to have.
Tracklist:
A1 - Aeroplane 2:38
A2 - Crosscurrents 6:09
A3 - Downwind 12:26
B1 - Jin-Go-Lo-Ba 3:23
B2 - What You Know 3:40
B3 - Emotions 4:43
B4 - Xtasea 6:38
https://open.qobuz.com/album/0886443260139
Steve Hackett, Voyage Of The Acolyte
Label: Chrysalis – CHR 1112
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Santa Maria Pressing, Gatefold
Country: US
Released: 1976
Genre: Rock
Style: Art Rock, Prog Rock
Released in 1975, Hackett's first solo album had, in many ways, a very Genesis-like sound, as would be expected having Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford participating. Several other well known (in prog circles) musicians participated made for an excellent solo debut. A must have for prog fans, Genesis fans, Hackett fans or anyone interested in a prime example of mid-70s prog rock. Very well recorded too.
Tracklist:
A1 - Ace Of Wands 5:24
A2 - Hands Of The Priestess Part I 3:32
A3 - A Tower Struck Down 4:27
A4 - Hands Of The Priestess Part II 3:14
A5 - The Hermit 5:24
B1 - Star Of Sirius 7:09
B2 - The Lovers 1:48
B3 - Shadow Of The Hierophant 11:34
https://open.qobuz.com/album/0094633724259
King Crimson, Beat
Label: Warner Bros. Records – 23692-1, Warner Bros. Records – 1-23692
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1982
Genre: Rock
Style: Prog Rock
The second of the three albums put out by the Fripp/Levin/Bruford/Belew edition of KC in the early 1980s. Same overall style as Discipline, same level of talent, maybe a little more accessible musically. Another great sounding album.
Tracklist:
A1 - Neal And Jack And Me 4:21
A2 - Heartbeat 3:54
A3 - Sartori In Tangier 3:35
A4 - Waiting Man 4:22
B1 - Neurotica 4:47
B2 - Two Hands 3:22
B3 - The Howler 4:10
B4 - Requiem 6:30
https://open.qobuz.com/album/nwknjuw4s8klc
Bob Marley & The Wailers, Natty Dread
Label: Island Records – ILPM 9281
Series: Island Life Collection
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue
Country: UK
Released: 1987
Genre: Reggae
Style: Roots Reggae
Don't need to comment on the music on this record. Everyone knows how great an album this is. Incredible production and sound on the release, too. This is a UK Island "Island Life Collection" 25th anniversary edition from 1987. That's 25 years for Island Records, not the LP. I’m sure an original UK, Jamaican or Japanese pressing would sound better, but this is just fine for now.
Tracklist:
A1 - Lively Up Yourself 5:29
A2 - No Woman, No Cry 4:06
A3 - Them Belly Full (But We Hungry) 3:10
A4 - Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock) 6:40
B1 - So Jah She 4:25
B2 - Natty Dread 3:33
B3 - Bend Down Low 3:10
B4 - Talkin' Blues 4:06
B5 - Revolution 4:20
https://open.qobuz.com/album/lx79tn8o3j5jb
Oingo Boingo, Only A Lad
Label: A&M Records – SP-3250
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue
Country: US
Released: n/a
Genre: Rock
Style: New Wave, Post-Punk
Originally from 1981. How do you describe this album? Over the top everything, but simply great at every level. No surprise that Danny Elfman would become a noted film music composer, teaming up with Oingo Boingo guitarist Steve Bartek as orchestrator and music arranger.
My original copy of the LP bought right after it came out, was a demonstration worthy record, with scary dynamics, powerful bass and some of the best overall sound I've heard on a rock recording. That LP is gone, and unfortunately neither the CD copy I bought in the early 1990s nor this used replacement LP (still on A&M, looked like an original issue) sound as good as I remember. Discogs show no other LP releases between 1982 and the first reissue in 2021. Maybe we can convince Steve Hoffman to work his magic on a reissue of this?
Tracklist:
A1 - Little Girls 3:44
A2 - Perfect System 3:46
A3 - On The Outside 3:39
A4 - Capitalism 3:40
A5 - You Really Got Me 4:40
B1 - Only A Lad 3:56
B2 - What You See 3:43
B3 - Controller 3:24
B4 - Imposter 2:59
B5 - Nasty Habits 4:06
https://open.qobuz.com/album/jbxnafvl1t69a
Prokofieff / Stravinsky, Chicago Symphony, Reiner, Lieutenant Kije / Song Of The Nightingale
Label: Alto (by Classic Records) – LSC-2150, RCA Victor – LSC-2150
Series: Living Stereo
Format: Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition, Remastered, 180g
Country: Germany
Released: 1995
Genre: Classical
Style: Modern
I was somewhat familiar with Lt Kije beforehand, but it was Woody Allen's Love and Death (1975) that got me to buy a copy of it. Not sure what happened to that record, but this Classic Records reissue is pretty spectacular.
Like a lot of people, my start with Stravinsky came from hearing (and falling in love with) the Firebird and Rite of Spring. I first heard Song of the Nightingale in a music class in college, which lead me to listen to the rest of his work too.
There are a lot of good records of Kije (Szell with the Cleveland Orchestra being a long time favorite), but this one has to be a top choice.
Tracklist:
A1 - The Birth Of Kije
A2 – Romance
A3 - The Wedding Of Kije
A4 – Troika
A5 - The Burial Of Kije
B - Song Of The Nightingale (Symphonic Poem)
https://open.qobuz.com/album/td12jypyopyqb
Starcastle, Starcastle
Label: Epic – PE 33914
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Santa Maria Pressing
Country: US
Released: Jan 1, 1976
Genre: Rock
Style: Prog Rock
Another early college days find (1976). They did their best to sound like Yes, and it's hard to take this album at face value without that thought in mind. Still, they were a very good band and this is a pretty good album. It’s certainly worth getting if you run across it while shopping for records.
Tracklist:
A1 - Lady Of The Lake 10:26
A2 - Elliptical Seasons 4:24
A3 - Forces 6:24
B1 - Stargate 2:50
B2 - Sunfield 7:40
B3 - To The Fire Wind 5:16
B4 - Nova 2:34
