last post of the decade

So.

I have utterly neglected this blog, so here marks the point at which I turn it about. I initially intended this blog to be a periodical into record collecting and the lovely things that I encounter whist hunting for the elusive pressings.

This hasn't stopped, at all. I have an unhealthy obsession but one that I am more than comfortable with. During the summer months, an early copy of 'Ziggy stardust' was spied in a bookshop on the Jurassic coast and a quick look at it confirmed.... yes..... first press..... early stampers........ score! I duly bought it and skipped back the the (holiday) home. When putting said album onto the shelves it struck me immediately. I have 7 vinyl copies of this album. I don't want to sell any of them. Far from it, I enjoy each of them for the different quirks that they have, whether physical or mix based.

More recently a vinyl copy of 'This is my truth, tell me yours' was presented to me by the local record shops shelving..... 20th anniversary ltd edition it said upon the sticker......... as the marketing machine steam rollered over me I didn't even notice. Only my 2nd vinyl copy of this album and the two are distinctly different,I say, trying to (and failing to) justify the purchase to myself.

My hobby/obsession shows no signs of letting up but it gives me endless hours of pleasure and I do enjoy sharing my collection with others....

maybe I won't leave it as long before I blog again?

youtube - search for 'vinyl junkie' to hear me witter in
instagram - @_vinyl_junkie_ updated most days.....

Most exciting album release of 2015?

Evening all,

I bought two records this week and as you can guess - one of them I have been waiting for, for about 3 years now.

Its by a man named John Grant and its his third studio album as a solo artist entitled 'Grey Tickles and Black Pressure'.

It's rather delicious and I'm having great fun listening to it - I did do an unboxing video which I shall post you youtube in the near future but a review video will be forthcoming as well. Let me digest the album fully first. So what style is it - haunting baritone vocals over synth pop (in places) tracks. Plenty of anger and rage mixed with beautiful melodies and unexpected harmonies. Everyone should hear this man sing. I was lucky to see him just over a year ago in a relatively small venue and he was just mesmerising.




The only other album bought this week was a 1980 release by Gary Numan called 'Telekon' for £1. Only a quid for a lovely slab of 80's synth tastic hits!! I was equally as happy that the original poster and fan club leaflet were in the sleeve, not bad at all for the measly price that I paid. More to follow on this as it needs a good clean.

A (busy) week in the life....

Good evening.

A lot happening in the world of music for me this week so where to start...... ah yes VINYL!

I bought three disks this week, all completely different.

1. Manic Street Preachers, Cooking - cleaning - flower arranging. This is a white label promo released in 2010 and limited to 300 pressings - finding these is like finding hens teeth. I found mine from a work colleague who sold it to me for £20.... bargain. The LP itself is a double full of remixes from the Journal for plague lovers album - of which I'm quite fond. Only had the chance to listen to the first disk so far but I'm happy with my purchase. Oh and its signed by the band as well - bonus!
2. David Bowie, Space Oddity (40th anniversary picture disk reissue). A number of 40th anniversary disks have been issued to mark the releases of some of Bowies seminal singles - this being the most recent. Space Oddity itself was released in 1969 b
   ut re issued in 1975 where it became his first number 1, so this is an anniversary reissue of a reissue.... I have most of the disks previous to this so I had to also get this. It is a good looking disk to be honest (see picture). I will never play this disk as I have both tracks that are issued but instead I am collecting the disks (like 5000 others!) as they are lovely items. £9.99 from my local independent retailer - £1 more than amazon but I'd rather keep them in business.
3. Ennio Morricone, A fistful of dollars/for a few dollars more soundtrack. Not an original but a 1970 pressing with the highlights of each film on each side. I love Morricone's compositions and have played this through several times already letting the atmospheric scene setting take me in. The final scene of For a Few Dollars More is one of my favourite scenes of all time and the music is a huge part of that. If you've never seen the film, the last 10 minutes make the whole thing worth it. Amazing value for 99p!!!

Playing on the turntable this week has been lots of Manic Street Preachers, Genesis and a Shorty Rogers which I picked up a few weeks ago. I'm very excited to be going to see Snarky Puppy in concert in Bristol tomorrow - should be a great gig.

Stay classy....

Bowie depression...

It's official, I am depressed. The latest reissue from Bowie has finally landed and I can't really justify forking out £185 for it. I've had to content myself with listening to all of my Bowie albums on an almost constant cycle over the past 3 days.

I think therefor it's only right that I provide my top 5 Bowie albums...

5 - 'The Next Day'

When I first heard this a few years ago I wasn't convinced - now I am. There's a real energy and anger breaking through on some of these tracks. 'Where are we now' is a beautiful reflective song and the title track and vale times day are full of vitriol. I love it!

4 - 'Aladdin Sane'

Not one of Bowies easiest albums to listen to but I'm a fan none the less. The title tracks bizarre piano solo is tweaking at the insane but the album is a quality offering overall. The 4 singles from the album are great with my favourite being drive in Saturday.

3 - 'Hunky Dory'

A huge selection of great songs again with the obvious highlight being 'life on Mars' - probably by favourite Bowie song bar none. The album is less coherent than his next offering (which tops my list) and has a few low points. Lots of highs though - this one gets spun a lot...

2 - 'Lets Dance'

Again there are more than enough hit singles on this album - side A contains some crackers in the form of 'modern love, let's dance and china girl... Is there a better A side out there? The production is great and Nile Rogers brings a lot to the table with this album.

1 - 'The rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust and the spiders from Mars'

Is there a bad track on this whole album? I think not. From the first track to the last the quality is undeniable, I love every single minute of this album. Highlights for me include the emotion of 5 years, the proggy guitar solo in moonage daydream not forgetting the big hits on the album.

There an honourable mention here for '1966' a collection of Bowies pre RCA songs that was re-pressed for record store day last year. This list is by no means exhaustive and all of my Bowie LPs get regular spin time.

Almost 2 years since my last confession....

Good evening,

It is no coincidence that 2 years have passed since my last blog entry and my youngest daughter will be turning two years old in 3 days time. Those children do take up a lot of time and space don't they.

Rest assured my collection has grown constantly and I have added some absolute gems to my collection.

I have also started a youtube channel with the aim of uploading a brief (5-10 minutes) album review of some of my favourite albums as well as some that are a little harder to find. I have recorded three of these reviews and they can be found on my channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDGO7t_V5kuGnyQ7hmf_pJg

recent additions (this week) to my collections are:

1. Oscar Peterson - West Side Story. Lovely old verve pressing - a bit tatty but plays great. Classic Peterson trio playing very good arrangements of the Bernstein tunes.
2. Shorty Rogers - Plays Richard Rogers. East coast big band jazz, original 1957 pressing sounds great. Big sound and obvious harmonies but a great listen none the less - the cover is brilliant as well.
3. Frank Sinatra - Sings Cole Porter. Capitol pressing with flip back sleeves, not yet listened to but the track listing is great and the vinyl looks clean and tidy.
4. Stan Getz - Captain Marvel. This has been played - post drug addiction Getz with a tidy trio, crazy solos and interesting compositions. Really enjoyed this but will have to give it another listen carefully soon.
5. Ben Webster - Saturday Night at the Montmartre. The opposite of the Stan Getz, relaxed, mellow, lyrical phrasing (typical Webster) on a label called 'Black Lion' which I've never heard of. Excellent breakfast record.
6. Chet Baker - The touch of your lips. Later Chet Baker with a trio, as you'd expect a high quality delivery but Chet sounds tired in the vocal numbers
7. Ella Fitzgerald - Rogers and Hart songbook. Not yet played. This is a cheap 1 disk mfp pressing (not an original verve) but none the less contains tracks I'm yet to own.
8. Herb Albert - Under a Spanish moon. Unplayed, in mint condition with some interesting personnel - will spin soon and report back

In total I paid £15 for all of the above - very pleased with myself and enough listening to keep myself occupied for a good long while.

Other recent additions include a green copy of 'super ape' by Lee Scratch Perry which I'm rather fond of and will be getting a review video at some point.

Thanks for reading and I promise to blog a little more regularly from here on.....

Long time no speak

So........ its been a few months since my last post - apologies for this but babies need a lot of time and attention.

you'll be pleased to know that my vinyl purchasing has not ceased - far from it!!! I now have over 400 records and that number is ever increasing.

some additions over the summer include

T-Rex - electric warrior
Al Green - lots....
Beatles - retrospective blue and red albums
Bowie - loads (i seem to attract them)
Genesis - see above
Jimmy Cliff - self titled
John Holt - 1000 volts of Holt

A new release that i purchased was 'Colman Brothers' self titled debut LP which has just been issued on vinyl (by wahwah45s) and it is by far the best new album that i have bought in a long while!!!

Old school Latin jazz rhythms and sweet horn riffs/solos just sound awesome and not at all like they were recorded in 2012!!!

google them - you won't be disappointed for sure!!

baby is stirring - time to go :)

Metal anyone?

So this week has brought a few interesting purchases again.

Genesis - Foxtrot
The last album featuring Peter Gabriel on vocals (and other instruments) and arguably the best of their work. Drums are immense throughout and the album maintains direction and interest throughout. The only issue is that now I've listened to it, it'll be a while before I spin it again as it's not a 'can't stop listening to this' kind of album!

Shirley Bassey - Stops the shows
An absolute mint copy of this album with gorgeous G+L flip-back sleeve. Not really worth anything but I bought it because of the condition and also because its not another generic 'best of' that there seems to be so many of!

Guns N Roses - Use you illusion 2
Bought it this morning along with some other metal albums (for 50p each). not spun it yet but its in great condition and has some killer tracks on it.

I also bought a couple of Thunder singles. one is a picture disc for the single 'Back Street Symphoney', the other a blue 10" for 'She's So Fine'. The picture disc seems entirely pointless to me, the band are striking a pose with a plain red background.... there's no need for this picture disc surely? Is it a marketing ploy for die hard fans, a money maker for the record company - or just a fashionable thing to do at the time?

either way - I bought it so in a way....... its worked!

Final purchase is an excellent copy of R.E.Ms album 'Fables of the reconstruction of the fables.......'
I'll get back to you on this as I need to hear it first....

More Bowie!!!???

A very productive weekend indeed! After a snap decision to take in a car boot (it wasn't the original plan) I ended up buying an absolute stack of vinyl. I'm trying my best to work through and listen to it all but it's going to take me a while!!

Top of the list are the Bowie records!! Gatefold Aladdin Sane, the man who sold the world and a lovely copy of hunky dory. Add to that a reissue copy of space oddity and my Bowie haul is complete! A first pressing copy of Led Zeppelin II in terrible condition for £1 is a project for me to clean and tidy. The sleeve is a mess but the record itself isn't a lost cause, I can get it clean with the glue I think.

70's crazy funk is brought to you by Casiopea - a little cheesy but a good listen and plenty of technical ability on show. 2 Ella Fitzgerald albums on verve and a nice copy or 'Sinatra at the Sands' are also on the waiting list along with a great copy of Duke Ellington meets Louis Armstrong.

There are to many singles to name but there a a few gems in there. Sex pistols, Roxy music, Rolling Stones and the police are among the haul!!!

Very pleased with myself!

Beatles?

Some interesting finds this week, including my first Beatles records.

I know that the Beatles can fetch a tonne of money for the right record, but there's a reason...... Those records are rare. My Beatles additions are less rare. A 1976 compilation worth as much as I paid (£1) and a reissue of their first single 'please please me' which I have to investigate further - maybe £5-£10. The Beatles aren't a band that I go crazy for but every collection should have some in there,  I'll wait until I find a nice copy of 'rubber soul' or 'revolver' before I go all in!!

Also into to the collection are a David Bowie picture disk, ELO double album with rare cardboard spaceship thingy and a couple of EPs found for next to no money. I really have caught the vinyl bug!

Purchases the week
Beatles - Rock and Roll music Vol 1
Beatles - please please me (reissue)
David Bowie - life on mars 40th anniversary pic disk
The Riot Squad - Toy soldier EP
Undertones - Jimmy jimmy 7"
ELO - out of the blue (double album with spaceship model)

My first 'new' record

So I took the plunge..... I ordered my very first ever new vinyl from the local store and it arrived today. I usually pick up old records from garage sales, charity shops etc and never really pay more than 1 or 2 pounds for the disks.......

It didn't come cheap (£9.99) but I see it as

A) a record that I really want to listen to

B) it's a bit unusual

C) if life went bad, it may be a small investment!

It's the 7" pressing of the title track on David Bowies 'The Next Day' on white vinyl and ITS SQUARE SHAPED'!

There are a few other records that I've preordered and couldn't be happier with myself. As for other records, deodato has been played a lot this week and I'm digging the funky, disco, classical cheese that's provided!

Purchases this week:
Deodato - Prelude
Zappa - joes garage
Bowie - scary monsters and super creeps
U2 - Joshua tree
Bowie - the next day (square white vinyl)

A few interesting 7" singles

Not really a great amount of purchases this week but all three records were good finds.

Herbie Hancock - Rockit
I'm a massive fan of Herbie, right from his blue note jazz roots, his strange fusion (I blame his time with Miles Davis), his cheesy disco days, electronic experimentation and his more recent flirtation with his jazz roots.
This single for me epitomises his ability to push the boundaries and to not be afraid in the process. It's sound has dated somewhat but thats part of the charm I think!

The Special AKA - Nelson Mandela
The specials split up not long into their career as ska revival hotshots. Some of the members carried on together under the banner 'special AKA'. This single was very topical at the time as a protest song to aid the release of Nelson Mandela from prison in South Africa. A worthy addition to me expanding 2tone collection.

Muse - Dead star
Released in 2002, this single is not the most popular or recognisable of the Devin trios work. For this reason, 7" copies of the single are scarce to find. This only cost me 50p and considering I have the album which is it from - I have no moral dilemma selling this one!

I also have set up a twitter account to tweet my buys, plays and favs! My name is @_vinyl_junkie_ and I could sure do with a few followers.

Record of the week:
Eek a mouse - Wha Do Dem

Cleaning my disks

There are a number of ways to clean records varying from brushes, liquids and cloths to expensive cleaning machines. I have a very cheap and effective way of cleaning my records which yields excellent results every time.

You will need a few things:
A tub of PVA glue (some people use wood glue but I haven't tried it before)
A dust free surface with no static (I use a small hand towel on my kitchen table)
An old credit card or similar
A dirty record in need of a good clean!

To start with - lie your record down with the (I've chosen a Neil Diamond LP from 1967 which is rather dirty) and pour a small amount of PVA glue around the penultimate track of the side. Using your card, push the glue to within 3 or 4mm of the central label being very careful not to touch the label with any glue.

Once you have done this all the way around spread the glue out using the card to the outer edge of the record, I usually go to within a few mm of the edge of the record. If you need to add more glue then do so but add it a little at a time. You're aiming for the whole record to be covered with a hint of the black vinyl colour showing through. As long as its covered - the amount you use isn't important.

Leave the record overnight and when the glue starts to dry, peel a tiny flap back (choose an area where the glue is see through NOT WHITE!) and leave until all of the glue is set.

Use the tiny flap that you created to carefully peel the glue from the record and hey presto, your record will be nice and shiny.

Be sure to stash the record straight into a paper sleeve as static can be an issue immediately after peeling.

I cannot be held responsible if you try this method and it doesn't work for you, it works really well for me and I swear by it but if you're in doubt - try it on a record that's 'expendable' (is there such a thing?) before ruining your Beatles first pressing!

Purchases this week:
U2 - Rattle and hum gatefold
Gregory Isaacs - Crucial cuts

Record of the week:
Brass construction - self titled (awesome funky disco!)

2tone mania!!

I usually post every week on a Sunday but having found these beauties this morning in a charity shop (for 20p each) I had to share!

If you are unaware of 2tone records, they were releasing ska (2nd wave) in the late 70's and 80's in Britain and continued through to the 90's with CD re-releases.

Some of the notable artists include The Specials, The Selecter and Rico (Rodriguez), Elvis Costello and Madness (who only released 1 single on the label before moving on)

When buying any 2tone 7" releases, look out for the distinctive company sleeve. Most of these finds are in great condition with only minor wear and tear to the sleeves, the records themselves are great All I need now are a few of the very hard to find 2tone albums to add to my collection!

For more 2tone information I found that http://2-tone.info/ is a useful resource.




Records purchased:

Madness - The Prince
The Specials - Rat Race
The Specials - LIVE! ep. (1 with picture sleeve, 1 with 2tone sleeve)
The Specials - Do Nothing
The Selector - Missing Words (mis-spelt in the label as 'Nissing Words')
Desmond Dekker - Scoop 33 long play mini album

Wow - some great records!

I am absolutely astounded at some of the records on offer this week. Car boot sales are proving very fruitful for me so far this year.
The worth of records doesn't really get me going, if I like the music I hear - I'll keep the record, if not -I'll sell. My copy of the new daft punk album is already consigned to the 'sell on eBay' pile I'm afraid! My rapidly growing collection is all stuff that I love listening to - in not a fan of hoarding valuable records, what's the point - life's too short to sit on a gold mine, might as well cash in and enjoy it.

Following last weeks purchase of a 'moody blues' album, I found another 4 this week, all original releases and the sound quality (particulaly on the late 60's Deram recordings) is quite delicious!

Put that alongside my 1964 rolling stones first pressing and popping my Bob Dylan cherry, I've had a great week.

Record of the week:
The rolling stones - No2

Purchases this week:
The rolling stones - No2
Bob Dylan - highway 61 revisited (original release)
Moody blues - on the threashold of a dream (stereo)
Moody blues - in search of the list chord
Moody blues - to our children's childrens children
Moody blues - a question of balance
UB40 - signing on (with 12" EP£
Queen - sheer heart attack
Erroll Garner - concert by the sea

Another slow week

So another slow week on the purchasing front but what is lacked in volume is made up for in interest.

A work colleague of 4 years revealed to me last week that he "used to be in band" which I nodded and smiled and forgot all about until yesterday. He brought me a 7" of one of his bands singles from 1984 produced by Jonny Marr!!! Upon further listening I think I may have to track down their ,other hard to find RCA singles - there were no albums I'm afraid. The band are called 'impossible dreamers'   And I recommend that you listen to some of their stuff - make your own mind up.

I also found 2 AFX eps in charity shops near to home - being an avid Aphex Twin fan during the 90's I couldn't resist (being the same bloke and all that!!) and having listening to one of them I am pleased with the twisted acid breaks on offer!!

Purchases this week :
AFX - 2 remixes by AFX
AFX - smojphace ep
Moody Blues - days of future passed
Dizzy Gillespe - and his operatic strings orchestra


Record of the week:
Donald Fagen - The nightfly

Terrible week!!

Well, not a very good week for me in terms of vinyl hunting. A combination of busy work, social and family calendars have restricted my shopping habits. I did pick up a near mint copy of 'regatta de blanch' by The Police purely because it was a better copy than the one that I already have - £1 well spent!

I also have investigated 2 albums by a band named 'Aslan' entitled 'paws for thought' and 'second helpings' which I found at a charity shop in the midlands a few months ago - in mint condition. Having listened to them, they are really not to my taste so selling them on is the next stage. Further info to follow on this one.....

Record of the week:
The Clash - Combat Rock

Purchases this week:
The Police - Reggatta De Blanc 12"

Here we go!

So I have recently started buying lots of old records.... lots and lots! Having been bought a really cool all in one record player for Christmas I have become sort of obsessed! I will blog all of my purchases good and (extremely) bad included.

Being father to a young child (shortly to be two) I have to work on a budget, all of my records are bought at boot sales, charity shops or other cheap outlets.

Record of the week:
The Jam - in the city

Purchases this week:
David Bowie - John I'm only dancing 7"
Beach Boys - the Best of 12" 1969 pressing