Rap scholar, soul like a Dominican
But like I said before, I'm not American
It's who you are, not the way you went
We all originate from the same descent
This 12" contains five versions of Let Your Backbone Slide. They are The Power Mix (which is the album mix), Bonus Beat, Acapella Version, Club Mix, and Instrumental. We all know that drum track, borrowed from James Brown. He sampled the Mohawks as well, though I admit that I had to look that one up. I have the US pressing, though I cannot remember where I got it.
Wesley Williams, better known as Maestro Fresh-Wes, is a true Canadian icon. Wikipedia mentions that Exclaim! - a popular Canadian music newspaper - labeled him the "Godfather of Canadian hip hop." That sounds right. He later moved to New York City, which is where I would go if money and commitments were not an issue.
This record was notable because it is one of the best-selling Canadian hip hop albums of all time. And, the first single - Let Your Backbone Slide - appeared on Billboard's hot rap singles chart, which was a first for a Canadian. It also won a Juno for best rap recording, the first time that category was used.
I'm not a fan of the tune Private Symphony, however. I think he tried to channel LL Cool J and missed. The first two singles were very good, on the other hand.
Our House was overplayed so much, I cannot even listen to it, even after all of these years. This compilation puts that song on side 1, track 1. Ugh. Beyond that, the collection is plain weird, as it features the earlier (better) stuff, mixed in with the later more boring stuff.
Absolutely, the second record from Madness is very much like the first. Some people view that as a bad thing. I think it's OK. Why not? Yes, the first record is better, but so what? In any case, it seemed to me that they were migrating away from ska, even on the second record. The regressive left would now probably view that as a good thing. After all, a bunch of white English dudes playing ska is cultural appropriation, right?
I would never describe myself as a huge fan of ska music, but I like some of it very much, and I have a few ska records in my collection. As you may know, ska originated in Jamaica in the 1950s, and was reborn as part of a neo-ska revival in the late 1970s. Most people probably who were enamoured with the new ska were probably completely unaware that it was a revival. You can include me in that batch of people.
Madness was part of that scene. The new ska had a faster, harder edge. People will often refer to this era as the 2 Tone ska revival, after the 2 Tone record company founded by Jerry Dammers of The Specials. That's all I'll say about that.
The first ska song I ever remember hearing was the single One Step Beyond--a cover tune from the golden days of ska--on the radio. My sister bought a copy of this record, and I recall that my dad liked it too. It's a fun record, to be sure. Like many of the seminal records of the new-ska era, it has been repressed. I have a copy of the original Canadian pressing.
This was a blind buy. Well, in truth, I had my phone with me, so I looked up some information about the group. I fell confident enough to throw down my $10 and walk away with this one, still sealed. The LPs digital download included an bonus EP. A limited edition was released on white vinyl. I have the black vinyl edition.
Lust for Youth is an electronic, experimental Danish trio. They are described as indie, pop, electronic, new wave, and synth, etc. Who knows? I hear hints of the Cure or maybe The Pet Shop Boys and possible New Order at times.
I know almost nothing about this band. They were a British pop/rock/new wave outfit who wrote some good tunes. I think it's fair to say that they were underrated and show have been more popular.
This record really help to usher in new wave, a form of music that really appealed to me. Oddly, when I hear this record, I am reminded of Christmas. Maybe I got it around Christmas. It just makes me think of that tine of year. It's odd. So, about this record, Allmusic says:
One of Stiff Records' most stable staples, the truly alternative Lene Lovich
laid much of the groundwork for an entire generation of singers left to
pick up the pieces in the wasteland of the post-punk era. Her stunning
debut, 1979's Stateless,
was so unique, so vibrant, and her vocal stylings so unusual that the
LP not only put her right at the front of the pack of nascent new
wavers, it also sounded a commercial death knell of sorts, relegating
her to the realms of novelty acts -- at least as far as the mainstream
was concerned. ... While Stateless
is certainly very much of its era, and well-placed in its time,
inspired and adventurous songwriting coupled with a truly pioneering
intent ensure that this LP will always remain the lit roadside marker
that whispered "this way" to the hundreds of bands who followed. [source]
I think that is very well said. This is an easy record to find: I see it everywhere.
Allmusic -- despite having some good things to say bout this record - complains that there is some average material here, but I like it. It's not Rockpile, but it's good.
Anything that Nick releases is worth checking out. I've always loved is voice. This record, while perhaps not as good as the preceding records, is very good.
There are some songs that I have heard way too many times. Cruel to be Kind is one of them. I think I would have paid a substantial amount of cash to never hear it again, way back when. Now, after all of these years, I appreciate that it is a really fine song, and I can once again listen to it. But, it does beg the question of why certain radio stations ruin some songs by overplaying them. Another song I heard too many times was Another One Bites the Dust, by Queen. In that case, there can be no redemption, for that song truly sucks.
Labour of Lust is a really great record, packed with gems.
Lowe produced Elvis Costello's first five records, and I think we can argue that those are the best Elvis records.
Here we have three tunes: No Big Deal (Extended Club Version), No Big Deal (Single Version), and No Words No More. The Spanish and UK pressings had a picture sleeve, but we Canadians got a boring sleeve with a big sticker. My copy is sealed. I remember buying it after i got rid of my turntable, and I have yet to crack the seal. Maybe I should.
For the band's fourth record, they decided to give it the title Love and Rockets. I wonder why. I think we can state that So Alive was the band's biggest success. It's a good tune and this is a good record, but I prefer all of the prior albums to this one.
Oddly, they did not release another record until 1994, and that record was a total surprise because the band replaced its former gothic sound with an electronic sound.
This is a limited special edition of Earth Sun Moon that is bundled with a mini-album of five bonus tracks. The Obi strip says:
"Special limited edition double pack 2x LP. Includes "Earth • Sun • Moon" and free mini LP. Over 70 minutes of music for the price of a single LP. Mini LP also available independently on CD-EP."
The third album from Love and Rockets produced a genuine hit with No New Tale to Tell. It's a good song, but I wonder why there wasn't a hit from either of the first two records. Also, there are better songs on this record than the hit, but that is usually the case.
I'm not sure if this is an EP or a 12" single, for it contains six tracks. There are two version of the title track, Inside the Outside (once again), Angels and Devils, Holiday on the Moon, and a cover of Syd Barrett's Lucifer Sam. It's a cool record.
I have a bit of a Frankenstein copy of this record. The jacket on my copy is from a Canadian pressing, but the vinyl is the US pressing. As such, the pressing contains Ball of Confusion, a tune that is not on the Canadian pressing, and not listed on my jacket, probably because that track was included on the Canadian pressing of Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven. So the US pressing of the LP has nine tracks, while the Canadian has eight. I have no idea how or why the jacket or record was swapped with another. I guess these things happen. This LP also came with a two foot by three foot poster.
My favourite track from this record has always been Yin And Yang The Flower Pot Man. I've always loved that song. The LP version clocks in at over six minutes. The single version is two minutes shorter. I also love Kundalini Express, but all of the songs are great. Even Allmusic agrees.
The word that would best describe this feeling
Would be haunted
I touch the clothes you left behind
That still retain your shape and lines
Still haunted
I trace the outline of your eyes
We're in the mirror hypnotized
I'm haunted
I find a solitary hair
Gone and still I reminisce
I'm haunted
I have two pressings of this LP. The first is the original UK pressing, which lacks the first single, Ball of Confusion. That UK pressing contains only seven tracks. On the Canadian pressing, which I also have, Ball of Confusion was added as the first track on side two. This is a really great record. I especially like Haunted When the Minutes Drag. This track is also included on the soundtrack to She's Having a Baby. Oddly, that mediocre film has a pretty good soundtrack.
Oddly, there is a Canada Mix of this tune, but my Canadian 12" pressing contains the US Mix. Oh well. The video is the album version. The flipside, as it was with Ball of Confusion, is Inside the Outside, once again.
In May, 1985, the remnants of Bauhaus delivered a new record under the name Love and Rockets. Love and Rockets is really Bauhaus without Peter Murphy and without goth, or most of the goth. The band is comprised of Daniela Ash, Kevin Haskins, and David J. They explored more pop territory, but with an interesting approach. This single, which was released a few months before the band's first full-length LP, contains Ball of Confusion, a Motown classic, written by Norman Whitfield and Barret Strong. Old people might know the Temptations version or maybe even Tina Turner's version.
The flipside of this UK 12" single is Inside the Outside.
Ball of Confusion was not included in the original UK pressing of the band's first LP, but it appears on some regional pressings, including the Canadian release.
This is a tribute record to Kurt Weill, and it contains an interesting array of artists, like Sting, Tom Waits, Lou Reed, Stan Ridgway, Van Dyke Parks, Marianne Faithful, Chris Spedding, Richard Butler, John Zorn, Todd Rundgren, Aaron Neville, and a few others I know far less about. It's quite a cast. To me, the highlight has always been Lou Reed's version of September Song.
Loscil is really Vancouver's Scott Morgan's ambient/electronic project. This LP, spread over 2 LPs, was released on the Kranky label. As a note, I pretty much love anything released by Kranky, so I love this record very much. That's all I will say.
I just happened to note the current sale prices on Discogs. Recent copies have sold for between $23 and just under $50, but there are four currently for sale ranging from $31.90 to $77.55. I paid less than $10.
This is the fourth LP from the band. This band likes to change members. Try to understand this statement., from Wikipedia:
It is the band's first release to feature new drummer Jason (formerly of The Ghost Frequency) and the first full-length release to feature new members Rob and Kim, who had previously first appeared on the All's Well That Ends EP in 2010. The album is also the group's final release to feature violinist Harriet, who left before the album's release, and bassist Ellen who left the band in December 2012.
I've never studied Spanish, but even I know that Los Lobos means The Wolves. It' s too bad that the band's major breakthrough came well into the band's career with La Bamba. It's also too bad that the collaboration with Paul Simon on Graceland ended in a lawsuit that Los Lobos ultimately lost. It seems that they should have won.
The band initially did not consider We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed to be their second album, instead considering it a mini-album or an "EEP" (Extended EP).By 2017, the band's members had relented to calling it their second album. Frontman Gareth Campesinos explained to Noisey that "I myself get annoyed when long term fans say "Actually, it's an EP," because I want to be able to say that "my band has released six albums" not "my band has released five albums" because it makes us seem like we've been more important for longer." [source]
Whatever the case, I like it. I paid $7 for this record, which is an incredibly good price.
On the cover of the Canadian pressing, the band's name was shortened to The Lords; however, on the spine, it reads: Lords of the New Church. I guess they could not decide. I suppose you could call this band a goth supergroup. It features Stiv Bators (from The Dead Boys), Brian James (from The Damned), Dave Trgunna (from Sham 69), and Nick Turn (from The Barracudas).
This band was always good for a laugh. I think there were generally unknown, but respected: "Look People also attracted many notable musicians as guest players, including Dave Bidini, Ray Montford, Colin Linden, Richard Underhill, Bob Wiseman, Holly Cole and Nash the Slash." [source]
LNZNDRF, pronounced Lanzendorf is a sort of supergroup. Well, it is if you are fans of the people who formed it. It features two members -- the twins Scott and Bryan Devendorf -- of The National, one of my current favourite bands, plus, Ben Lanz, of Beruit. The first LP is self-titled. the most fascinating thing is that Lanz is, among other tings, a trombonist. Perhaps I gave up too soon. I love this LP. I love it even more because I paid less than $10 for it. Evidently, it's a limited edition on clear vinyl, but I have no idea how many copies there are.
I have a promotional copy of this double LP. It comes in a plain black sleeve. About G.O.A.T., Allmusic said:" It's like listening to the confessions of a horny 14-year-old teenage boy in the girl's locker room." I guess we all knew what we signed up for. I kinda of like parts of the video for Imagine That.
This record features what has been labelled the first commercial rap ballad. I object to the use of the word ballad to mean a slow song. That's not the original meaning of ballad. Also, I am not a fan of love ballads, and I Need Love is simply boring. But, whatever.
On the other hand, I was a big fan of the show S.W.A.T., so I'm Bad had some resonance.
I am sure I have mentioned previously that I am not a huge Hip Hop fan, but I do own (and enjoy) some records, like this one. Radio was Def jam's first full length release, when LL was still a teenager. I believe he was 17 when this came out. Think about that. I mean, do you know what I was doing at age 17? I won't tell you.
"Reflecting the new school and ghettoblaster subculture in the U.S. during the mid-1980s, Radio belongs to a pivotal moment in the history and culture of hip hop. Its success contributed to the displacement of the old school
with the new school form and to the genre's mainstream success during
the period. Its success also served as a career breakthrough for LL Cool
J and Rick Rubin. Radio has been recognized by music writers as one of the first cohesive and commercially successful hip hop albums." [source]
By the way, I have a Canadian pressing, in mint condition. That does not mean that this is an expensive record. I think you could find an original copy in the $25 range.I just realized that the photo it crooked. I might have to take another one.
For ages, I could never figure out why an American band would use the British spelling of colour, but I read somewhere that it might have been because of the American TV show - Living Color-- which used the American spelling. I guess that makes sense.
I've heard this band described as funk Metal, though a friend just calls them "The Black Chili Peppers." I found this LP in a thrift shop and paid about $1. It's a US pressing on yellow vinyl.
In addition to a lengthy discography of his own recordings, David Lindley has worked with a dizzying array of musicians. The list includes, Leonard Cohen, Graham Nash, Terry Reid, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Rod Stewart, Warren Zevon, Dolly Parton, Ry Cooder, Joe Walsh, Marshall Crenshaw, Rickie Lee Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Ben Harper, etc.
Win This Record! landed in my collection by unknown means. The cover is severely water-damaged, and I cannot remember the last time I heard it. I was never enthusiastic about this record, though I know that many people love it.
Update: I have removed this record from my collection.
I'd call Shadows a return to form. There were no radio hits, but this was s solid outing. I know nothing about Lightfoot's output after this record. I am aware of a false death reports on Facebook, and I caught part of an interview he did with Peter Mansbridge, but that's it. In truth, I rarely listen to Lightfoot these days. His music is really something that reminds me of my father.
The Who stole the title of this record! Well, it's likely that they were totally unaware of it. Anyway, the Allmusic critic hates this record:
"Endless Wire should have been called "Endless Touring Makes You Tired" for that is what these songs sound like. Lightfoot
began going through the motions here, and although there are some good
tunes here such as "Daylight Katy" and "Hangdog Hotel Room," others
appear to be weary without being arranges as such. He even re-records
"The Circle Is Small" without any better results than the original. The
downward slide had begun." [source]
I like this record very much. It's far better than the critic from Allmusic believes. Perhaps they should listen to it again.
Summertime Dream, Lightfoot's twelfth record, was clearly his peak, and that largely had to do with the mega hit The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. It's interesting to note that this tune hit number 1 in Canada and number 2 in the USA, despite it being 6:32 long, though the single version was edited down to 5:57. It defied the logic that singles must be three minutes. Lightfoot as never again so popular, though I think he held on to his loyal fans.
This is a good record filled with good tunes.
I can't mention The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald without also mentioning the Rheostatics, who recorded an impressive cover version of this song.
Gord's Gold is a compilation album released by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot in 1975. Originally a vinyl double album, it was reissued on CD in 1987 (with one track, "Affair on Eighth Avenue", omitted to allow the collection to fit onto a single disc).
It was the first Lightfoot compilation to feature music from his 1970s Reprise Records albums, and also includes re-recordings of his 1960s United Artists
hits (tracks 1-10). This served to update the earlier recordings to the
same style as his later work and gives the album a level of consistency
often lacking in similar compilations. Lightfoot's reasons for
re-recording the United Artists tracks were explained in the liner notes
as being because "he doesn't like listening to his early work".
Despite covering only the first decade of his career (and lacking one of his biggest hit singles, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", which was recorded the following year), Gord's Gold has remained the most commercially popular Lightfoot compilation. In 1988 Lightfoot released a second volume, Gord's Gold, Vol. 2, which also featured re-recordings of earlier hits. [source]
Rainy Day People is the big hit from this, Gordon's 11th record. It's a song that makes me think of my dad. I remember him playing this record from time to time. I have no idea what happened to his old records.
This is the LP on which Gordon added some country sound. I am not a fan of country music, with some exceptions. I think this is still really a solid record, and I like it. Lightfoot has an engaging voice, so I can usually listen to anything that he recorded. There are no huge hits on this record, but it did win a Juno in 1974, for some bizarre reason.
For me, the centerpiece of this record is the political song Black Day in July, a song about the Detroit riots in 1967. This song was banned in the USA. Go figure. Some of you might know that the Tragically Hip covered this tune on the album Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot. Lightfoot songs remind me of my father. He had a few Lightfoot records in his collection.
Gordon Lightfoot is one of the few artists whose records can sometimes be found at thrift stores. His records are worth picking up, unlike those of Anne Murray and James Last. I have to note that some thrift stores have increased prices to stupid amounts for giant piles of crap. I've seen moldy, scratched-up records that should have been melted down. I've also seen 7" 45 RPM records with price stickers applied directly onto the groves. There are other thrifts shops who have hired a record expert to examine everything (you know, remove the good stuff) before it hits the floor, thereby denying the thrill of finding something cool at a thrift shop. I also suspect that some employees might be holding things for themselves, but who knows if that is true? I rarely even bother to go in anymore.
But, back to Lightfoot, a true Canadian icon. He is probably best described as folk, but there are hints of country music, which interests me far less. Lightfoot is probably in the top five of best Canadian songwriters, after Leonard Cohen, Bruce Cockburn, and Neil Young, of course. Some might add Joni Mitchell. A long list of artists have covered his songs. One of the first covers I recall hearing was Olivia Newton John's rendition of If Your Could Read My Mind, a song I hated with a passion, until I heard Lightfoot's original. My brother had Olivia's record - If Not For You - on 8-track, and he played it over and over. I know she is dealing with cancer, and I hope she overcomes it. I was never a fan.
But, back to Lightfoot. His debut, recorded in 1964, was released in 1966. This record was released in mono and stereo versions. I have the stereo version. It contains two of his biggest hits, Early Mornin' Rain and Ribbon of Darkness. It's not a bad record for certain Sunday mornings.
I've head that Thom Yorke, of Radiohead, is a fan of this LP and maybe of the band. It's a distant memory. First things first: I got this on sale, for about $9. It's a double LP that also has a CD inside. This is not a valuable record, but that was still a good price. Is it electric dance punk?
Now, here is a situation where the record company effed with the contents of this record, and it may have paid off. The single, (You'll Always Find Me In The) Kitchen At Parties, was not included on the original UK pressing, but it was added to the Canadian pressing, released two years later, in 1980. There are some other changes to that record too. I guess it took that single to prompt the record company to release it in Canada (and the USA, for that matter).
I pick this up in a $1 bin or a thrift shop ages ago and never played it. I'm wasn't even sure I have ever heard any of the tracks on the record. But, then I looked for an accompanying video on youtube and realized that I had heard Heaven in My Hands. But, here's a different song.
