For those readers new to this column, please read the introductory comments in Part one here.
I’ve known a lot of audiophiles and music lovers who are firmly into either analog or digital, and don’t fully embrace both. Obviously with this series, I’m putting myself in the “I love records” camp. That doesn’t mean I don’t also listen to and fully enjoy the digital side of things, but I often find the listening experience to be different. Not even necessarily related to sound quality, but to how I actually spend the time listening.
For example, when I listen to records, it is almost always to the entire album, start to finish, breaking only to get up and flip the record over. I am immersed in the music that is usually familiar to me, unless it is a first listen to a new LP. There are no interruptions, no distractions, and I’m likely not doing or thinking about much else. It is a 30-to-50-minute escape from everything else.
One thing, especially when listening to a record specifically to include in one of these articles, is that though I will listen to the whole thing, both sides, uninterrupted almost every time, there will be rare instances where I cut the listening short or abandon the record partway through. But when that happens, I will let you know why. When buying records just to see what they are, based on the cover art, the list of musicians, or some unknown quality that just says buy me, you do end up with some records that you soon realize you just do not want to hear, not then and maybe not ever. One such record is included in this installment. A record I’ve owned for many years but can admit I have never made it through the whole thing, not even one whole side. Someday I will write a separate article about “Five Records I Own But Literally Cannot Listen To” or something like that.
Sometimes I listen to digital in a similar fashion, pick an album, mostly streaming from Qobuz, though I do have a have hard drive with about a thousand complete albums on it, and listen to it start to finish. Usually, though, digital listening is more of a dive into discovery. Looking for new things I’m not familiar with already, or hunting down stuff from the past I haven’t heard in many years, and maybe never bought on vinyl in the first place, is a great way to spend a few hours. In those cases, I skip through tracks, jump from one album to another, and just look for interesting things and “favoriting” them for later. When people tell me there’s no good new music coming out, it just makes me wonder if they are actually even looking for it. Every session on Qobuz I find recently released music of all genres that is simply great music. Audiophiles need to broaden their view and listen to things outside their comfort zone.
One note of clarification since someone asked me about it. For each record listed, the “Release” date listed is for the particular record I have, not the release date of the original album. So, if an album you know came out in 1968 shows a “release” date of 1973, it just means my copy of it isn’t an original.
Loggins And Messina, On Stage
Label: Columbia – PG 32848
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Gatefold
Country: US
Released: 1974
Genre: Rock
Style: Country Rock
A 1974 original I bought my senior of high school. One of the best concert LPs of a rock band I’ve ever heard, even if it is a mix of three different concerts from 1972 and 1973. The opening six songs on side one are just Kenny Loggins singing and playing guitar, and it’s hard to beat how great an opening that is. The extended takes on “Angry Eyes” and “Vahevala” are among my favorites. Great music, great recordings, great production.
Tracklist:
A1 - House At Pooh Corner 2:31
A2 - Danny's Song 3:50
A3 - You Could Break My Heart 2:59
A4 - Lady Of My Heart 1:42
A5 - Long Tail Cat 3:11
A6 - Listen To A Country Song 2:17
A7 - Holiday Hotel 1:56
B1 - Just Before The News 1:03
B2 - Angry Eyes 10:00
B3 - Golden Ribbons 5:46
B4 - Another Road 2:21
C1 - Vahevala 20:36
D1 - Back To Georgia 3:00
D2 - Lovin' Me
D3 - To Make A Woman Feel Wanted
D4 - Peace Of Mind
D5 - Your Mama Don't Dance 2:34
D6 - Nobody But You 4:03
https://open.qobuz.com/album/0074646548820
Giles, Giles And Fripp – The Cheerful Insanity Of Giles, Giles And Fripp
Label: The Amazing Kornyfone Record Label – TAKRL 1948
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Unofficial Release
Country: US
Released: n/a
Genre: Rock
Style: Folk Rock, Psychedelic Rock
This is a bootleg of questionable origin. Compared to a real production copy my friend Russ Stratton brought over (Deram SML 1022) it is murky, compressed and pretty mediocre quality. The original LP sounded much better, as would be expected.
Musically, it is more like a cross between Barrett era Pink Floyd mixed in with early Moody Blues (less the Mellotron) than an actual King Crimson album. It's still a must have for any fans of Fripp or KC. Shows a sense of humor that rarely surfaced on any KC album.
Tracklist:
Side A The Saga Of Rodney Toady
A1 - North Meadow 2:59
A2 - Newly-Weds 2:33
A3 - One In A Million 2:43
A4 - Call Tomorrow 2:57
A5 - Digging My Lawn 2:05
A6 - Little Children 2:49
A7 - The Crukster 1:35
A8 - Thursday Morning 2:51
Side B Just George
B1 - How Do They Know 2:26
B2 - Elephant Song 3:25
B3 - The Sun Is Shining 3:19
B4 - Suite No. 1 5:46
B5 - Erudite Eyes 5:06
https://open.qobuz.com/album/va3ft5g34xbka
The Fibonaccis, Tumor
Label: Enigma (4) – ENIGMA 5
Format: Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Rock
Style: Art Rock, Experimental
This LA band from the early 80s should have had much more success than they achieved. This single and their album Civilizations and Their Discotheques, along with a few scattered compilation tracks and some songs from soundtracks were all they ever released. They also did a CD collection in the early 90s. This 45 RPM single is incredibly well recorded and produced with demonstration quality sound. It's gotten great reactions the times I've brought it to audio shows.
Tracklist
A - Tumor 3:25
B1 - Slow Beautiful Sex 2:38
B2 - Psycho (Written-By – Bernard Hermann) 3:15
(Qobuz doesn’t have the single edition, but here are the three tracks from the album Fi-Bo-Na-Cheez: The Early Releases)
https://open.qobuz.com/track/122120827
https://open.qobuz.com/track/122120828
https://open.qobuz.com/track/122120829
Fear, The Record
Label: Slash – 1-23933
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Allied Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Rock
Style: Punk
Yes, I saw the original SNL broadcast back in October of 1981 where they played while a busload of punks were stagediving and wrecking the place. I finally bought this record in 1983. It's loud, raucous and a classic of early 80s LA punk. Surprisingly good sound, with an energy level that really works for this music.
New York's Alright if You Like Saxophones, indeed!
Tracklist:
A1 - Let's Have A War 2:17
A2 - Beef Boloney 1:45
A3 - Camarillo 1:06
A4 - I Don't Care About You 1:48
A5 - New York's All Right If You Like Saxophones 2:07
A6 - Gimme Some Action 0:58
A7 - Foreign Policy 2:15
B1 - We Destroy The Family 1:53
B2 - I Love Livin' In The City 2:03
B3 - Disconnected 2:05
B4 - We Got To Get Out Of This Place 2:38
B5 - Fresh Flesh 1:42
B6 - Getting The Brush 2:30
B7 - No More Nothing 1:29
https://open.qobuz.com/album/ukqouzmtr85rw
Borbetomagus, Barbed Wire Maggots
Label: Agaric Records – Ag 1983
Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Jazz
Style: Free Jazz, Experimental
Truth be told, though I've owned this record since 1983, I've still never made it through the whole album. When I saw it at the record store I had to buy it, even if just for the name and cover art. With a trio of players listed, two of them playing “reeds” and one playing guitar, I hoped for something like the Third Ear Band. What it amounted to is just over twenty-one minutes per side of noise, kind of a mix of an old subway car's screeching breaks and some large pieces of Styrofoam being rubbed together. Some people will call it art, but it's one of the few albums I have that's just beyond my tolerance level. I made it through the first six minutes of each side tonight. Surprisingly, Discogs shows an excellent condition copy like mine to be worth about $100.
Tracklist:
A - Untitled 21:45
B - Untitled 21:55
(Qobuz does not have this available)
Jill Kroesen, Stop Vicious Cycles
Label: Lovely Music, Ltd. – VR 1501
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1982
Genre: Rock
Style: Avantgarde, No Wave
More of a theater/performance artist, I believe this is only record Kroesen released. I bought this after seeing who else played with her on it; Peter Gordon, Bill Laswell, Tony Machine, David Van Tieghem, Blue Gene Tyranny, among others. Hard to beat that lineup. I won't be bringing this to any audio club meets, but I do love this album. There is an official video, though pretty poor quality, of the track “Wayne Hayes Blues” if you search YouTube.
Tracklist:
A1 - Wayne Hayes Blues 2:54
A2 - I Am Not Seeing That You Are Here 3:00
A3 - Ride Your Pony 3:15
A4 - Honey, You're So Mean 3:50
A5 - I'm Sorry I'm Such A Weenie 2:45
A6 - I Am Not Seeing That You Are Here 2:02
B1 - Alexander The Great 2:37
B2 - Fay Shism Blues 9:20
B3 - I'm Just A Human Being 6:23
(Note - Qobuz has a compilation release from Sundazed. The first nine tracks are from this album)
https://open.qobuz.com/album/gqnd1wc86u39a
Bizet, Shchedrin, The Carmen Ballet
Label: Melodiya/Angel – SR-40067
Format: Vinyl, LP, Stereo
Country: US
Released: Oct. 1968
Genre: Classical
Style: Romantic, Ballet, Contemporary
The Carmen Ballet "freely rearranged" for strings and percussion by Rodion Shchedrin. This is a Russian Melodiya recording from 1968, released in the US on the Angel label, though the runout groove has etched “mastered by Capitol.” This record actually sounds pretty darn good. I guess ballet purists should stay away, as this is not your normal Carmen. Just a large string section and forty-seven percussionists. It is a whole lot of fun!
Tracklist:
A1 - Prelude / Dance / First Intermezzo/ Changing Of The Guard
A2 - Entrance Of Carmen And Habanera / Scene / Second Intermezzo
A3 - Bolero / Toreador
B1 - Toreador And Carmen / Adagio / Card Scene / Finale
(The first thirteen tracks from this are the same as from this LP)
https://open.qobuz.com/album/f0j1m14n9etvb
Johann Sebastian Bach, Toccaten, Toccatas (BWV 913 ∙ 911 ∙ 914 ∙ 915 ∙ 916)
Label: Archiv Produktion – 2533 403
Format: Vinyl, LP, Stereo
Country: Germany
Released: 1978
Genre: Classical
Style: Baroque, Harpsichord, Solo
This Archiv Produktion release from 1978 has Trevor Pinnock playing a 1972 built replica of a 1745 Dulcken instrument. Toccatas BWV 911, 913 through 916. BVW 912 is on another LP in the series. I've always enjoyed Pinnock's playing, and the sound is typical of Archiv Produktion - clear, if a little dry and fairly close up. A good record to have.
Tracklist:
A1 - Toccata D-Moll BWV 913 13:33
A2 - Toccata C-Moll BWV 911 9:43
B1 - Toccata E-Moll BWV 914 6:38
B2 - Toccata G-Moll BWV 915 8:30
B3 - Toccata G-Dur BWV 916 8:04
(All the tracks on this LP are included in this link. The LP that has the other tracks will be in a future installment)
https://open.qobuz.com/album/0002894791915
Genesis, ...And Then There Were Three…
Label: Atlantic – SD 19173
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, PR - Presswell Pressing, Gatefold
Country: US
Released: 1978
Genre: Rock
Style: Pop Rock, Prog Rock, Classic Rock
I stopped buying Genesis albums after Peter Gabriel left the band. Not so much that I didn't think they were a decent band still, just that I found their music less interesting. I don't really know how I came to have this album and do not remember buying it. There's certainly nothing wrong with it, and I really like all the band members. I just find it hard to pay attention to it. Nothing catches my attention.
Tracklist:
A1 - Down And Out 5:25
A2 - Undertow 4:47
A3 - Ballad Of Big 4:47
A4 - Snowbound 4:30
A5 - Burning Rope 7:07
B1 - Deep In The Motherlode 5:14
B2 - Many Too Many 3:30
B3 - Scenes From A Night's Dream 3:30
B4 - Say It's Alright Joe 4:18
B5 - The Lady Lies 6:05
B6 - Follow You Follow Me 3:59
https://open.qobuz.com/album/0603497996452
Supertramp, Crisis? What Crisis?
Label: A&M Records – SP-4560
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Monarch Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1975
Genre: Rock
Style: Prog Rock, Pop Rock
Very different from their previous album (Crime of the Century), less prog and more pop, but still an exceptional album from a very talented group. The first two tracks definitely show the direction the band would go in subsequent releases. This is an original 1975 release bought for 99-cents some years ago to replace my stolen original. It languished unplayed for several years due to the record store putting a price sticker on the runout groove of side two. I wasn't going to let my stylus get dragged through old sticker goo. Before finally playing it this time, I used a Q-Tip and some Goo Gone to clear that up before a final wash on the record cleaner. I had another copy of this LP, and it also cleaned up nicely before being moved to my son's record collection.
Tracklist:
A1 - Easy Does It 2:17
A2 - Sister Moonshine 5:15
A3 - Ain't Nobody But Me 5:19
A4 - A Soapbox Opera 4:53
A5 - Another Man's Woman 6:19
B1 - Lady 5:22
B2 - Poor Boy 5:08
B3 - Just A Normal Day 3:59
B4 - The Meaning 5:15
B5 - Two Of Us 3:27
(Qobuz has the 2025 remastered edition, it sounds great and is 24/192)
https://open.qobuz.com/album/nzj66745hv7r9
