Bob Marley and the Wailers: Exodus (1977)

He said: I got through the part about the exodus.
Up to then I only knew it was a movement of the people.

- The Cattle and the Creeping Things, The Hold Steady

"Exodus
Movement of Jah people! Oh oh oh, yeah!"

This is a fabulous record containing a number of well-known Marley tracks, like Exodus, Jamming, Waiting in Vain, and Three Little Birds. It's truly amazing to me that anyone would have wanted to kill Marley, which is what someone tried to do in late 1976. Someone wasn't a fan of his anti-corruption, peace and love message, it seems.

I have an original Canadian pressing.

Bob Marley and The Wailers: Rastaman Vibration (1976)

Oddly, none of the tracks from this record showed up on Legend. So, most people would probably not recognize many of these songs

Wikipedia has details I never knew:

Although the album's liner notes list multiple songwriters, including family friends and band members, all songs were written by Marley. Marley was involved in a contractual dispute at the time with his former publishing company, Cayman music. Marley had not wanted his new songs to be associated with Cayman and it was speculated, including in his obituary in The Independent, that he had put them in the names of his friends and family members as a means of avoiding the contractual restrictions and to provide lasting help to family and close friends.

Vincent Ford, a childhood friend from Jamaica, is the songwriter for "No Woman, No Cry" on the 1974 album Natty Dread, as well as the songs "Crazy Baldheads" (with Marley's wife Rita), "Positive Vibration" and "Roots Rock Reggae" from Rastaman Vibration, along with "Inna De Red" and "Jah Bless" with Marley's son, Stephen.

Marley's widow and his former manager Danny Sims sued to obtain royalty and ownership rights to the songs, claiming that Marley had actually written the songs but had assigned the credit to Ford to avoid meeting commitments made in prior contracts. A 1987 court decision favored the Marley estate, which assumed full control of the songs. [source]

Bob Marley and The Wailers: Natty Dread (1974)

Natty Dread is the first Bob Marley and The Wailers record, and it comes after the departure of Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston. According to Allmusic, this is the best reggae album ever: "Natty Dread is Bob Marley's finest album, the ultimate reggae recording of all time." [source]  That's high praise, and I find it difficult to disagree. My copy is a Canadian repress, probably from the 1980s, the decade in which I bought most of my records. 

The Wailers: Burnin’ (1973)

Peter Tosh left after this record, and then the group formally took the name Bob Marley and the Wailers. When I was much younger, I though that the band was Bob Marley and the Whalers. I never questioned why a Jamaican band would take its name from the whaling industry. It made no sense, but it didn't really bother me.

It seems that everyone knows the song I Shot the Sheriff, but I think it's probably still true that most people know the Eric Clapton version, which is OK with me. Clapton really helped to spread the word about Marley. This LP also contains the great Marley classic, Get Up, Stand Up.

Bob Marley and the Wailers: Catch a Fire (1973)

Early pressings of this release were credited to The Wailers, but later pressings -- such as my Canadian pressing -- credit the LP to Bob Marley and the Wailers. The huge hit from this record was Stir it Up. There's some pretty significant sexual innuendo in that song:

I'll push the wood (stir it, stir it, stir it together),
then I blaze ya fire

and

Quench me when I'm thirsty;
Come on and cool me down, baby, when I'm hot. (ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
Your recipe is, - darlin' - is so tasty,
When you show and stir your pot. (ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)

That's rather overt. No one would doubt what "pot" means.

The other thing that changed with later releases was the cover. The original pressing's sleeve was cut in the shape of a hinged Zippo lighter. Later pressings just show Bob lighting a massive joint.

But, look at the price on the cover. Today, I'm guess my copy would fetch around $25. Needless to say that the early pressings sell for big money.

Everyone should have some Bob Marley in their collection, even if its a collection of his most well-known tracks. I find that kids love his music.

Phil Manzanera: Primitive Guitars (1982)

"On all these pulsing, groove-centered instrumental tracks, Manzanera is backed only by a drum machine and, on one tune, John Wetton on bass. Otherwise all the diverse sounds, noises, melodies, and rhythms have been created on guitar, linking Manzanera to another progressive virtuoso, Adrian Belew. In between tracks, Manzanera inserts snatches of dialogue recorded at various rehearsals, making this a successful, very personal album." [source]

Let me just say that I agree with that.Once again, I find it truly astonishing that there are two Canadian pressings. May records released in Canada had only one pressing. Maybe the first run was a low run. Anyway, It's good.

Phil Manzanera / 801: Listen Now (1977)

I should mention that Phil Manzanera, when he was not part of Roxy Music, lent his guitar skills to some really interesting records by the likes of John Cale, Brian Eno, and Nico. This is a fine LP, though perhaps not as good as the previous Live release.

A huge number of people appear on this record, including Eno, Godley and Creme, etc.

Phil Manzanera, [Brian] Eno, Bill MacCormick, Francis Monkman, Simon Phillips, Lloyd Watson, 801: 801 Live (1975)

There were two Canadian pressing so this LP, which I find curious. The first was on Editions EG and the second was on Polydor. I have the latter. The LP recorded in the Queen Elizabeth Hall on September 3rd, 1976. It's an odd collection of tunes, ranging from a few Brian Eno originals - Baby's on Fire, Sombre Reptiles, Third Uncle - mixed in with a Beatles cover, a Kinks tune, and some originals, etc. It's a very interesting record, to say the least. I give it five stars. Perhaps the only thing that could have made the record was better would have been Fripp.

Magic Bullets: Magic Bullets (2010)

This was a blind buy. I opted to get it because it was a brand new sealed copy for less than $10, and because Allmusic said this about the band:

"Magic Bullets draw from a shared love of post-punk/1980s alt-rock bands such as Orange Juice, the Sound, the Feelies, and Talking Heads. "[source]

That sold me. Although the album is good, I find that I rarely listen to it. I like the minimal album cover design.

MC5: Kick out the Jams (1969)

MC5 was an American rock band from Lincoln Park, Michigan, formed in 1964. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson. "Crystallizing the counterculture movement at its most volatile and threatening", according to AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine, the MC5's leftist political ties and anti-establishment lyrics and music positioned them as emerging innovators of the punk movement in the United States. Their loud, energetic style of back-to-basics rock and roll included elements of garage rock, hard rock, blues rock, and psychedelic rock.

MC5 had a promising beginning which earned them a January 1969 cover appearance in Rolling Stone and a story written by Eric Ehrmann before their debut album was released. They developed a reputation for energetic and polemical live performances, one of which was recorded as their 1969 debut album Kick Out the Jams. Their initial run was short-lived, though. In 1972, just three years after their debut record, the band came to an end. MC5 was often cited as one of the most important American hard rock groups of their era. Their three albums are regarded by many as classics, and their song "Kick Out the Jams" is widely covered. [source]

My pressing is probably from the 80s, and definitely not from 1969. This is a band I heard about for years, before I finally obtained a copy.The band is touring under the slogan of MC50, but this is a much different band from the original.

Magazine: Magic, Murder and the Weather (1981)

To me, this is Magazine's last record. I've never heard the new one from 2011. Perhaps I should seek it out because it got great reviews, unlike this record from 1981. Anyway, Allmusic hates this record:

"Magazine's final studio album, Magic, Murder and the Weather, finds Dave Formula's washes of cold, brittle keyboards dominating the bitter and cynical music. Occasionally, Howard Devoto's weary lyrics surface through the icy mix, but it's clear that Devoto and Magazine have both had better days. It's not a graceful way to bow out, but the album has enough strong moments to prevent it from being an embarrassment as well." [source]

I don't think it's as bad as that.

M: New York, London Paris, Munich (1979)

Egads! I skipped right over M! I hated Pop Muzik the fist 1000 times I heard it, but I think I have mellowed a bot and I can now appreciate the song, to a certain point anyway. I should have appreciated it more, as it was on the early vanguard of new wave.

Magazine: The Correct Use of Soap (1980)

"I am angry, I am ill and I'm as ugly as sin"

I'd forgive any one who thought that this opening line was written by Morrissey. In fact, Morrissey covered this song, so there you go.

Look at the price on this one! Canada got a different version of this LP, entitled An Alternate Use of Soap. So, I have the US pressing. This is great. I really like it.

Magazine: Play (1980)

This LP was "Recorded live at Melbourne Festival Hall, 6th September 1980." it's pretty good. I recall paying $5 for this LP, which was probably right for the time. I think a used copy today would go for $15 - $20.

Magazine: Secondhand Daylight (1979)

I played this record no too long ago, with my kids in the room. When Permafrost came on, I jumped from my chair and lifted the stylus when I remembered the lyrics that were coming:

As the day stops dead
At the place where we're lost
I will drug you and fuck you
On the permafrost

Those lyrics would be difficult to explain to little children, I think.

This is a fantastic record, but it's not for everyone. I'd rank it as one of the best post-punk records of all time.

I remember purchasing this LP. The clerk (he may have been the store owner) told me that it's difficult to sell Magazine records. I was astonished to hear him say that. On another occasion, a record store clerk told me that no one buys Shriekback records. What?

I like everything the Magazine did, and I like this one very much. I have the Canadian pressing.

Maestro Fresh-Wes: Drop the Needle (1990)

United States United Kingdom
The rhymes I bring them spread like syndromes
T.O. mixed it, New York pressed it
All these def hits you can't test this

Five versions of Drop the Needle on one record might be useful to a DJ, but it's hard to listen to all five versions in succession. Nevertheless, I am happy to have it. Here are the tracks:

The Stylus Side
Drop The Needle (The 45 King Remix)
Drop The Needle (The 45 King Dub)
Drop The Needle (LP Version) 5:44

The Cartridge Side
Drop The Needle (Radio Edit) 4:45
Drop The Needle (The Throwdown Club Mix)

I paid about a dollar for this piece of vinyl. My copy was pressed in Canada.

Maestro Fresh-Wes: Let Your Backbone Slide (1989)

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.

Maestro Fresh-Wes: Symphony in Effect (1989)

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.

Madness: Mad Not Mad (1985)

This is what it looks like when good bands go bad. There area a couple of OK tracks, but I am underwhelmed. What happened?

Madness: Madness (1983)

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.

Madness: Absolutely (1980)

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?

Madness: One Step Beyond (1979)

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.

Lust For Youth: International (2014)

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.

Lullabye Arkestra: Ampgrave (2006)

For some reason, I acquired this album on CD and LP.Anyway, it's more evidence that Constellation is one of the best records labels. Just listen:

The Lucy Show: Mania (1986)

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.

Lene Lovich: Stateless (1978)

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.

Nick Lowe: Pinker And Prouder Than Previous (1988)

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.

Nick Lowe: Nick The Knife (1982)

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.

Nick Lowe: Labour of Lust (1979)

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.

Love and Rockets: No Big Deal (1989)

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.

Love and Rockets: Motorcycle (1989)

Motorcycle is a tune from the fourth record. The 12" contains four tracks:

Motorcycle
I Feel Speed
Bike
Bikedance

For some reason, the CD single, which I also have, is worth more than the vinyl. I wonder why.

Love and Rockets: Love and Rockets (1989)

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.

Love and Rockets: No New Tale to Tell (1988)

The UK pressing of this 12" contains four tracks:

No New Tale to Tell
Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven (live)
Love Me (Live)
Earth Sun Moon

I suspect that I might have paid $1 for this.

Love and Rockets: Earth Sun Moon (1988)

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."

Awesome.

Love and Rockets: Earth Sun Moon (1987)

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.

Love and Rockets: Kundalini Express (1986)

This single seems not to have been released in Canada. This UK pressing contains the title track, plus Lucifer Sam (again), and Holiday on the Moon.

It looks as though the band loved the cover art for All in My Mind so much that they simply recycled it here.

Love and Rockets: All in My Mind (1986)

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.

Love and Rockets: Express (1986)

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.

Love and Rockets: Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven (1985)

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.

Love and Rockets: If There's a Heaven Above (1985)

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.

Love and Rockets: Ball of Confusion (1985)

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.

Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill (1985)

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: Sketches From New Brighton (2012)

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.

Los Campesinos!: Hello Sadness (2011)

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.

Got it? 

Los Lobos: By The Light Of The Moon (1987)

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.

Los Campesinos!: We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed (2008)

 

Is this the second album? Is this an EP?

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. 

The Lords [aka, Lords of the New Church]: The Method to our Madness (1984)

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).

The Look People: Small Fish, Big Pond (1990)

"I won't squelch on a loan shark."

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]

This is a fun record.

LNZNDRF: LNZNDRF (2016)

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.

LL Cool J: G.O.A.T. (Featuring James T. Smith) The Greatest Of All Time (2000)

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.