Platinum Blonde: Standing in the Dark (1983)

Is the new wave? Is this top 40? I've read that there were glam rock and maybe punk, but I find the latter difficult to accept. I know nothing of this band after the second record was released. I am not crazy about this band -- I probably liked better back in the day -- and I don't think it aged well. On the other hand, I think I paid $1 for this out of pure nostalgia one day ages ago. 

Plastic Bertrand: An 1 (1977)

Plastic Bertrand is the pseudonym of Roger François Joure, a Belgian musician best known for one track on this album. That song is Ça Plane Pour Moi, or Everything's Cool For Me. Elton Motello, as we already know, recorded English lyrics to this tune, under the title Jet Boy, Jet Girl. This is cool.

Plants and Animals: La La Land (2010)

This La La Land was released six years before the film of the same name. This is the second release from the band. I have the first one -- Parc Avenue -- on CD. Plants and Animals is an indie-rock band from Montreal. The album was longlisted for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize. It's pretty good. 

Robert Plant: Carry Fire (2017)

Hey, I got this for half price, marked down from $40. I haven't removed the shrink-wrap yet, but I guess I should since this is a gatefold. This record sounds good to my ears. I a really enjoying these later Plant recordings. As much as I would love to see a reunited Zeppelin on tour, new music from Plant is probably better. 

Robert Plant And The Sensational Space Shifters: More Roar (2015)

This is a 10" addendum to the Ceaseless Roar LP, I guess. It contains three live tracks, including the Whole Lotta Love (Medly). From Discogs:

140gr Audiophile Pressing
Record Store Day 2015 Exclusive Release, limited to 5000 copies.
Three tracks recorded live during Robert Plant & the Sensational Space Shifters World Tour 2014.

The following is from a different show, but it give you the idea. 

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters: Lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar (2014)

I have a number of other Robert Plant recordings on CD. These include Fate of Nations, the truly fantastic No Quarter (with Jimmy Page), Dreamland, Band of Joy, Raising Sand (with Alison Krauss). I might be forgetting something. This one was released under the heading Robert Plant And The Sensational Space Shifters. I have to say, yet again, that we need uniform entries in Discogs so that all Plant albums can be all unified under the heading Robert Plant.

As Discogs notes:

The front sleeve only lists "Robert Plant" as artist, however, the spine and labels show full artist name "Robert Plant And The Sensational Space Shifters"

You see the problem.

This is a double LP, though side four lacks music and, instead, has an etching. It also includes the full CD. This record is, quite seriously, truly phenomenal.

Robert Plant: Manic Nirvana (1990)

Truthfully, I haven't listened to this one very often, maybe once or twice? I was listening to so many other things, that I lost track of Plant. I'm not even sure I know how this record found its way into my collection. It seems to continue the sound of the previous record. I think I liked his earlier work better, as well as his later work.

I paid next to nothing for the LP, but I have seen it for crazy prices, I assume because it carries the date 1990, when vinyl was in its death throes.

Robert Plant: Now and Zen (1988)

Finally, a Robert Plant record that includes an appearance by Jimmy Page! Sadly, Page is limited to a couple of tracks, plus Plant uses some Zep samples. It seems that Plant was willing to remember Zeppelin, by borrowing some riffs. Could this be the best Plant solo record (up to this point)? Maybe it is.

Robert Plant: Shaken ’n’ Stirred (1985)

I suppose this record carries forward the direction of the first two records. I think I liked the first two better. For some reason, I have the US pressing rather than the Canadian. By this time, I was listening to less classic rock and more post-punk/new wave. Still, I checked this out and I do like some of the tracks. Some people believe this to be his best record, but I prefer his first two records.

Robert Plant: The Principle of Moments (1983)

Oddly, the two mellow songs on this record engaged me the most. This might seem odd for someone who could never get enough of Jimmy Page's electrifying guitar work. But, Plant's voice and the mood of these two tracks really connected with me. Yes, Other Arms, Messin' With the Mekon, and Wreckless Love are also great. But Big Log and In the Mood really said something different, and I liked that.

The other thing worth noting is that these two track received heavy rotation on the various after-school video shows, so I saw them a lot. Maybe I have nostalgia for those shows and the videos. 

Phil Collins contributes some excellent drumming here too. 

I miss the Swan Sing labels. Man, I loved those labels when I was a kid. Of course, I always associate the Swan Song label with Zeppelin, but there were certainly other acts on  this label. It was such a cool design, and probably the first label I recall looking at seriously. After Plant's first record, he started his own label and Swan Song had its swan song in 1983.

Robert Plant: Pictures at Eleven (1982)

I was, and continue to be, a big Led Zeppelin fan. I loved everything they recorded. Sadly, I never got to see the band live because the last tour was cancelled by the untimely death of John Bonham. I'm not sure that I could have made it anyway, as I was a young kid and miles away from Toronto. I also probably didn't have enough money to buy a ticket.

Three years after the release of the last true LZ record, Robert Plant released his first solo record. I think expectations were running high. How could a solo Plant record equal the greatness of Led Zeppelin? It seemed unlikely.

I remember listening intently, on my truly terrible single-speaker cassette player, when I heard Burning Down One Side on the radio. It wasn't Zeppelin, but I liked it. The voice, of course, reminded me of Zeppelin. I did not recognize the name Robbie Blunt, Plants's co-writer and guitarist on this record, but he had some moments.

All of the Phil Collins haters take note: Phil handles the drums on six of the eight tracks. If he's good enough for Plant, he should be good enough for you.

This is not as good as anything Zeppelin ever recorded, but I like it. 

Pixies: Indie Cindy (2014)

This record is pressed on double vinyl at 45RPM. Other versions have a bonus 7" single and/or CD. Alas, I have the standard 2xLP version. Honestly, despite owning this since it was released, I haven't listened to it that much. I suppose I should. My initial impressions were good. This record is easy to find at a fair price, by the way.

Pixies: Dig for Fire (1990)

Dig for Fire, from Bossanova, is a cool track. This 12" single has Dig for Fire, Velvety (Instrumental Version), Winterlong, and Santo. Bossanova is not as good as Doolittle, but it's cool. Velouria was the better single, if you ask me. 

Pixies: Monkey Gone to Heaven (1989)

There are four tracks on this 12" single:

Monkey Gone to Heaven
Manta Ray
Weird At My School
Dancing The Manta Ray

Monkey Gone to Heaven is an awesome track. 

Pixies: Doolittle (1989)

Early reviews and chart performance of this record were mediocre, thought there are obviously some rave reviews. College radio really help to propel this into the mainstream. I think this is a remarkable record. Every track is a killer. There are tons of top shelf tracks.

My copy is an original US present, complete with the custom liner sleeve wth lyrics. Sadly, my copy is a bit rough around the edges, having been very well led. Currently, copies for sale on Discogs start at about $135.00! I'd say that mine is worth less, owing to the condition. 

Check out the tracks on this record: Debaser, Wave of Mutilation, I Bleed, Here Comes Your Man, Monkey Gone to Heaven, Crackity Jones, La La Love You, There Goes My Gun, Gouge away, etc., etc., etc. It's an incredible list of tracks. 

Pixies: Come on Pilgrim (1987)

I do love this line from Wikipedia: "Francis is Pixies' primary songwriter; his often surreal lyrics cover offbeat subjects such as extraterrestrials, incest, and biblical violence." That is right on target. This statement is also true: "Their jarring pop sound influenced acts such as Nirvana, Radiohead, the Smashing Pumpkins and Weezer. Their popularity grew in the years after their break-up, leading to a 2004 reunion and sold-out world tours."

Come on Pilgrim was the first release from the Pixies, identified a an EP. It was later bundled with Surfer Rosa on CD. It's a very frightening cover image, to say the least. 

I have a copy of the first and only Canadian pressing. It's hard to find, but I don't think it's crazy expensive. My three favourite tracks are Caribou, Nimrod's Son, and The Holiday Song. To summarize, this is killer. It was like a breath of fresh air and one of the best releases from 1987. 

Pink Floyd: The Endless River (2014)

Well, I won't pretend to be a big fan of this LP. On the other hand, I paid $9.99 for a brand new sealed copy, which is a steal. It's really an ambient affair, and that's fine, as long as your are not expecting something else. It really does sound like Pink Floyd. On a sad note, this will obviously be the final cut from Point Floyd.