The Jayhawks - Paging Mr. Proust (Vinyl) 2016

I have a rule that you should never doubt a release by The Jayhawks.  While my musical tastes have changed over time, there is always room for the sweet sounds of The Jayhawks and the voice of Gary Louris.  I lived in Minnesota for a few wonderful years and this band always makes me feel so Minnesota. Those from the upper Midwest of the US will understand the term, "Feeling Minnesota".  Trust me, it is a good thing.  The Jayhawks should be a bigger band and Gary Louris should be considered a national institution - yet another one from Minnesota (i.e., Prince).  Alas, we do not live in that kind of world.  However, you can always go and buy this album and state your vote for one of the best truly American bands over the last 25 years(?). By the way, on pretty much every Jayhawks album there is one drop-dead gorgeous song that should be a million copies seller. For this album, it is Lovers of the Sun. Check it out.  Majestic.

The Turtles - All the Singles (CD) 2016

I have always loved all the big radio hits of The Turtles.  You know which ones I am talking about.  Song like Happy Together, Elenore, and You Showed Me.  The latter song being a personal favorite. However, much like my surprise discovery of the back catalog of The Beach Boys, The Turtles also have a wealth of beautiful pop music in their back catalog (and that they released on 45!).  If you like melodic pop music with flirtations (later) with psychedelic music then do yourself a favor and get this compilations.  Two CDs worth of music that spans the years 1965 until 1970.  Yes, some of the B sides are a little odd but they are odd in a charming way.  Well, maybe not so much Umbassa the Dragon. 

Before I listened to this CD, The Turtles for me were a good band with a couple of great songs.  After listening to this CD, The Turtles were more than that and the recordings on this compilation are a great showcase.  Glad to add this to the collection.

Night Beats - Who Sold My Generation (Vinyl) 2016

I have been catching up on my records that have been sitting in my living room un-played for months.  The new Night Beats records was one of those albums.  I knew that I would like it once I actually played the record but for some reason something always came up or I felt at that precise moment that I needed to listen to something else. 

I first encountered the band Night Beats through my Dallas music guide, Jacob, from Good Records. As soon as I would walk into the store he would put three records in front of me and tell me, "You are going to like this". Sure enough, he was right about 99% of the time.

So, what can I say about Night Beats? They are a "psychedelic" band from Austin, Texas. I put psychedelic in quotes because I am not sure what that word really means today but let's just say that Night Beats have late 60s influences. So, how good is this record? It is really good. For a taste of what you get check out Right/Wrong  Enjoy that groove? If you do you will like the rest of the LP for sure. All hail Night Beats!

Various Artists - That'll Flat Git It! Vol. 20: Rockabilly From The Vaults of Event Records (CD) 2004

Man...this just flat out rocks!  This is pure unadulterated original rockabilly.  I love these types of compilations because they do a great job of giving you large amounts of great music (37 tracks) for a price cheaper than trying to find and buy the original 45s (assuming you can even find them).  This is Volume 20 (I also picked up Volume 24).  If you have the slightest interest in this genre (and you should), then go out and try some of these compilations out.  They are fun and since it is put out by Bear Family, the liner notes are top notch.  Here is a taste of Curtis Johnson - Lover Boy

By the way, this compilation concentrates on the output of the Event label out of Maine!

Cheatahs - Mythologies (Vinyl) 2015

Blown away by the first Cheatahs EP and the debut album was also good.  It was the intense, frenzied, melodic guitar lines that really captured me.  The sound reminded me of the first Teenage Fanclub album or early Swervedriver.  This is the second LP by Cheatahs and it is good.  The intense guitar playing is still there but those melodic, cutting guitar lines are less prominent. The music is still melodic but it lacks that bite that the first EP contained.  This album seems to be soaked in fuzz and reverb.  In fact, the first couple of times I played this record I checked my needle because it sounded muddy.  On inspection I realized that my needle was fine and it was just the way the record was supposed to sound! I still recommend this album and I have played a few times since I purchased the record. While not as amazing as that first EP, this is still a damn good record and a damn good band.  For a taste of what Cheatahs sounds like listen to Red Lakes, the opening song on the album.

I have high hopes for this band and they have not failed me yet.  One of my favorite new bands out there.

The Boots - Beat! The Complete Telefunken Years (CD) 2016

The German Boots! Well, I have read about this band for years and I finally found a compilation that caught my attention so I bought it.  What we have here is a 2 CD set with the first and only two albums of the band, Here Are The Boots (1965) and Beat With The Boots (1967) plus assorted bonus tracks all on the Telefunken label out of Germany.  The first CD contains the first album and it is a pretty straight, dirty RnB music.  Just like you know I like it. By the time the second album came out the band pretty much turned into a mod, soul band so don't be startled by the switch.  To give you a taste of the differences in sound, check out But You Never Do It, Babe  If you like that, then you will love the rest of the first album.  In the more soul vein, check out In the Midnight Hour.  

Personally, I prefer the beat, RnB sides more than the mod, soul sides but not by a lot. Either way, this is a great historical document and if you avoid this you will be sorry!

Dinosaur Jr - Give A Glimpse of What Yer Not (CD) 2016

One of my favorite bands. Full Stop. I picked this up on CD because I was about to drive 2 hours to San Diego and I wanted to hear the record while I drove (rather than buy the vinyl copy and then have to wait until I got back home from my trip to play it!).  Another great outing from J. Mascis and the band and the guitar work is as tasty ever.  Great riffs, great guitar solos and, as always, great intensity.  Dinosaur Jr rocks and if you are into heavy but melodic guitar playing, then this band just never disappoints.  I have already heard this CD twice and I was really taken by Be A Part  Enjoy.

Beach House - Thank Your Lucky Stars (CD) 2015

I got turned on to Beach House by a friend of mine that worked at Good Records in Dallas, Texas.  Hi Jacob!  For me Beach House is the type of band that plays what I call 'dream pop'.  Slow, moody, and melodic. I think the best way to listen to Beach House is turn out the lights and lay on your couch.  Close your eyes and let those haunting melodies just sweep over you.  Go ahead, fall into that trance!  I think this is my 4th album by them and all of them are quite good and sort of follow the same pattern - slow, pretty melodies and the female vocals of Victoria Legrand.  Yes, I have a thing for female vocals of this type.  For those that are more familiar with my taste in music you know that these types of bands are not common for me but Beach House is hard to resist.

For those that have never experienced anything by Beach House, please try this song, Majorette

Green on Red - Gravity Talks (1983) Vinyl

Another used record find.  Green on Red were an interesting band indie band.  They were not punk rock. They actually (based on my listen) had a little of a garage-type sound. I think it is the organ. Also, Dan Stuart's vocals were passionate.  This album is sounding much better than I remember back when I first heard it in the early 80s. Glad I picked this up.  Here is something to check out from this record Blue Parade

Marshall Crenshaw - What's In the Bag? (CD) 2003

Marshall Crenshaw in a somewhat somber outing. It is still a very good record with great melodies and great vocal hooks. It just appears that Marshall seems a bit mellow. We all get older, including myself. Maybe I just don't get as excited about Marshall Crenshaw albums anymore and I should be because he is a wonderful artist. I might be forcing this and over-thinking. Enjoy Marshall Crenshaw. I always do. Apparently the song A Few Thousand Days Ago was a played on the popular show ER. Enjoy.

Just a note- I have this sealed copy sitting around for a long time. I never bothered to listen to it for years. As I went to record it in Discogs I realized that I have another copy of the CD someplace in the stacks. Hmm...need to shore up my purchasing standards.

Various Artists - Coxsone' Music (The First Recordings of Sir Coxsone The Downbeat 1960-62) Record B (2015)

Soul Jazz has done it again. Here is Studio One recordings before there actually was ska, let alone reggae music. Lots of interesting jazz and classic R&B on this album. I will buy anything on the Studio One label or associated with Coxson Dodd. However, if you are new to reggae music wait for a while to buy this album. Note - two separate records were released. This is Record B.

Comes with great liner notes so you will get the full story and history of the songs and the label.

Bad Company - s/t (1974) Vinyl

I never thought I would actually buy a Bad Company album even though I actually like their music.  This debut has a number of songs that were played on FM radio back when I was in Jr High and High School.  There sound is a blues based hard rock that was the norm in the early 70s.  Listening to this album now is bringing back memories of me and my brother sharing a room and falling asleep to the hard rock station in San Diego. There were likely a few times that I fell asleep listening to Paul Rogers singing some of the songs on this album.  I know have an urge to go buy Robin Trower albums for some reason.

Chris Von Sneidern - Sight & Sound (1993) CD

Chris Von Sneidern (CVS) dropped his debut album on us back in the early 1990s. I bought this CD in the used bin at the recently opened Amoeba Records in Berkeley while I was a grad student at Cal. I bought it because I had started reading about him and about how great this CD was in the various power-pop magazines I read at the time. Given that CVS was from the SF Bay Area I even hoped that someday I would actually get to see him play live.

This is record is about as perfect a debut as one can find. If someone had said that this was CVS' greatest hits I would have believed him because every song seems like it could have stood on its own on the radio as a hit. It does have a 60s or early 70s pop vibe to it but this is not a retro record. No, this is just a collection of songs by someone that has a gift and a stunning sense of melody.

Just a note in terms of sequence of songs. Listening to this CD again after many years, I am floored by the sequence of three songs on this CD: On the Run, Walking Endlessly, and The Ballad. There may not be a better sequence of three songs in modern pop music.

I ended up seeing CVS play in Berkeley not too long after I bought this record. CVS played at Larry Blake's Blues Club in Berkeley. It was a great show and he pulled off the songs and harmonies just like I was hoping it would. I ended up meeting CVS a few times and he was always nice and friendly.

Here is a link to a great song:

The Ballad

Various Artists - Studio One Showcase (The Sound of Studio One in the 1970s) (2016) Vinyl

When it comes to reggae music, Studio One is the equivalent of Sun and Motown records - maybe combined. Yes, there were other labels and other producers that were very influential in reggae music (e.g., Duke Reid), however, it is hard to argue against Clement "Coxson" Dodd of Studio One as being the king. If you have never heard of Studio One, that is ok. Just know that the majority of the early reggae superstars got their start and recorded at Studio One.

Soul Jazz records have been releasing great compilations of Studio One music for a few years now. The latest compilation - Showcase (The Sound of Studio One in the 1970s) - is as good as the other compilations. As the title states, this collection focuses on the sounds that were coming out of Studio One during the 1970s and, while Studio One's golden time was during the 1960s, this collections makes it clear that the output of Studio One could match anything coming out of Channel One or even Lee Perry's Black Ark Studio in the 1970s. If you only buy one reggae record this year, this is not a bad one to get.

Here is a great track from the collection:

Dillinger - Chucky Skank

Dexys Midnight Runners - Searchin' For The Young Soul Rebels (1980) Vinyl

A game changer. I discovered this album in 1981 while working at the record store. I was a freshman in college and I had never quite a heard a band sounds like this before. I was mostly into reggae music by this time and I listened to rock and punk but this record was different. The passion, the horns, the background shouting vocals... this record was just pure soul... and it is not fake ..Kevin Rowland's voice ..his falsetto is heartfelt. I am not sure why this record hit me so emotionally. Maybe I felt it was a record that captured feelings that I was having or needed to express. In any event, this is one of those records that helped me..in some way that I can't articulate...but it certainly did. Maybe I just identified with the loneliness... the rebel..the person that does not fit into the categories that you are supposed to fall in when you are a freshman in college.... who knows.

To complete the story - I was working Ken one weekday night. Ken was older and had fairly sophisticated tastes. He rocked but he also played other music as well. Put differently, Ken was not associated with any genre of music as an identity. So, after I had played something on the turntable, it was Ken's turn. I think he was busy so he didn't really spend too much time thinking about it and he grabbed this record from our in-store play list. As soon as I heard the first track with the horns, I knew it was different and that I like it. As each song played and the passion increased, I knew I had to have it. I think I bought the record for myself that night. Of all my non-reggae albums that I own, this record is probably the one that I have played the most over my life.

Here is a link to the emotion I was talking about:

Keep It

The Chamber Strings - Mionth of Sundays (2001) CD

Kevin Junior, the mastermind of The Chamber Strings, recently passed away. This is a beautiful album- his second. If you like orchestral pop with pretty, and at times melancholy, melodies then you should buy this CD (if you can find it). I do remember finding this used a long time ago. I do not know how hard it will be to find this-hope not too hard.

This CD has been sitting in a crate at my Mom's house since it was stored there when I left the U.S. to go work in Argentina for a few years. I am listening to it for the first time in 6 -7 years.

While listening to this CD what I think about it is that some of these melodies or moods would fit comfortably on a Prentice Brothers or Scud Mountain Boys albums.  Maybe that will help place this music in some context for you.

Here are links to a taste of the album:

For the Happy Endings

It's No Wonder

Weezer - s/t (2016) vinyl

I lost faith in this band at one point but their last album was very good. This current album is also an excellent outing.  Weezer still manages to write perfect, melodic, power riffs that make you want to sing along while you rock out! This guys are so popular that I do not need to post any links to their records or songs.  Just know, Weezer is still relevant and excellent. Enjoy!

Wynn Stewart - Come On (Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight Series) CD

Sweet country music from the early to mid 60s..and from the late 50s for some reason just grabs me. There is something very pure about it. I have started researching a bit more about this form of country music, especially the type that is associated with the Bakersfield sound (e.g., Buck Owens, Tommy Collins, Merle Haggard). Wynn Stewart is one of my first forays into this music and I am really pleased with this collection. I am definitely going get more.

Finally, this is from Bear Family out of Germany so the quality is top-notch.

Here is a taste of that sound that is so pure

Three Cheers for the Loser

Playboy

Big Star - complete columbia: live at university of missouri 4/25/93 (vinyl)

Big Star. One of the greatest bands ever that were ignored when they first came out and then treated as royalty (deserved) years later after they were long gone.  I am sure I am going to write up about Big Star in the future on this blog so I will save something for those times. However, this is a historic recording since two members of the original band were paired up with two members of a band called The Posies (also faves of mine), who had recorded two Big Star songs on their own for a single.

When this took place I think everyone believed that this was going to be a one-off event. However, this band were eventually convinced to tour and I was lucky enough to catch them once at the Fillmore in San Francisco and then at the House of Blues in Los Angeles in the 94/95 time frame.

For fans of melodic guitar pop this is a must have. Note, a lot of this has been originally released but I believe that this is the first time that the entire performance has been available on vinyl. Released as part of Record Store Day 2016.

The Long Ryders - Native Songs (1984) Vinyl

Picked this up used, along with a bunch of other Long Ryder albums. I remember when this came out back in the early 80s. With its country and Byrds influences it certainly was different than much of the music coming out at the time. Listening to it now I can appreciate the songs better than when I was younger. In fact, I like this more now than when I first listened to it back in the early 80s. Interesting note, the main songwriter and lead vocalist, Sid Griffin, use to work at a one-stop record distribution company (I think) in Los Angeles and I remember meeting him a few times when he visited the store I worked at. Well, I am pretty sure it was him.

Listening to it now it really is not a big leap from the Long Ryder to Uncle Tupelo and The Old 97s.

The Byrd influence on this band is unquestionable on Ivory Tower  Note - according to the album Gene Clark (of the Byrd) sings on this song!

Elton John - Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975) CD

This album contains my favorite song - Someone Saved My Life Tonight. A beautiful, passionate song that really moves me. Worth the price of the album by itself. Loved when I heard it on the radio as a kid and still kills me when I listen to it in my 50s.

Elton John - Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (1973) CD

Here is a distinct memory I have from the early days. My family had just moved from Phoenix, AZ to a suburb of Washington, D.C. I was in the 4th grade and I was getting use to a new school, new kids, new everything. It was a rainy day and we couldn't go out for recess so we stayed inside and one of the young teachers decided to play the radio or records (45s) and Crocodile Rock by Elton John was played. I loved the song! I do remember that I was familiar with the song before that moment but this may have been the first time that the song really registered for me for some reason. Hell, if I was in the 4th grade it would have been around 1973-1974. Maybe my first real introduction to Elton John that I can remember.

The school was Adelphi Elementary School in Adelphi, Maryland and my home room teacher was Ms Friedman. Ms. Friedman was a beautiful woman, with straight long-hair and glasses. It was the first school I had ever been in that actually had carpet! Memories. This album also has Daniel - which is also top-notch. By the way, Ms. Friedman sort of had that Danielle Heim look, that I just adore.

Elton John - Honky Chateau (1972) CD

More Elton from the early 70s. This album has Honky Cat and Rocket Man. Classic songs from Elton and the non-hits are also interesting to listen to for the first time. I am enjoying my tour through Elton's catalog,

Elton John - Madman across the Water (1971) CD

Elton was a significant subject in my pop music education since he was such staple of 70s radio. Radio was king back in the 70s. People would fight over what station was cool to listen to or what station played the best bands. I was an FM listener but my younger sister was more of a AM listener. Either way, Elton John was always present. It didn't matter if you liked AM or FM, Elton John was always represented. This is was not true of all artists.

Up until this last week, however,  I had never owned any Elton John releases since I heard most of Elton's hits on the radio 5x a day (or it seemed). I thought, "why buy the records when the songs are played all the time?" Well, most of you know the answer to that question. By not buying the records I missed out on all the great songs that were not "hits". Trust me, I missed on a lot because this record is full of great tracks.

What is surprising about collecting the CDs now is discovering just how early in the decade some of these hits came. For instance, both Tiny Dancer and Levon are on this album from 1971. I was about 8 years old when these came out! Yet, for some reason I thought that all of Elton's songs came from the "mid 70s". 

I am not going to bother to post links to Elton John songs since you have probably heard these a million times. I am enjoying this record a lot. This stuff never gets old or outdated.

Still Cool - s/t (1978 reissue) vinyl

Deeper Knowledge Records (DKR) has been repressing rare reggae LPs and tons of 45s for a few years now. This is a gem of a release since it is a slice of reggae music circa late 70s, which is about the time I first started seriously listening and collecting reggae music. I have never seen this record before but I would have definitely added this to my collection if it had been available since it is exactly the sound that attracted me to the music in the first place. The backing band is top notch with most of the musicians associated with the 12 Tribes of Israel - a form of Rastafari (e.g. Pablove Black, Bagga Walker, etc).  All in all, a must have for any serious fan of reggae music.

Check out this 12" version of a song from the album Crab In A Burrell  - In addition, here is a rare video of Still Cool doing another song from the album To Be Poor Is A Crime

Crucial!

The Move - Move (3 CD reissue)

I am very late to The Move. I found this band through the ELO/Jeff Lynne connection. Jeff Lynne of ELO fame was in a later version of the band. I was always aware of this band but I never took the time to listen to them.  I am not sure why.  People I respect have always raved about them. In addition, I have always read about how great Roy Wood was and to some extent, what an eccentric guy he was. In any event, I have always been intrigued. Within the last couple of years I bought a box set of them that was sort of a career retrospective. Here, however, is a proper reissue of their first album with a bunch of extras. Actually, enough extras to fill up 3 CDs worth.

There are some really nice songs on this CD and some of the best moments are really the extras like the radio performances or the unreleased tracks. However, in terms of the actual first album it is pretty good. I am glad I finally took the time to get to know this band.

Here is a nice video montage of Flowers in the Raine/ Blackberry Way/ Fire Brigade if you have never heard the Move before.

Rikk Agnew - All By Myself (1982) vinyl

This is for you Fullerton" is how this LP opens and we begin to hear the sounds of Orange County rock'n'roll with Rikk Agnew.

I am still finding used copies or, as in this case, reissued albums of records that my record store colleagues at Off The Record in San Diego played in the store.  While this is not the music that I was listening to or buying for myself, it is a record and a style of music that I must have absorbed during those days.  I know that Rikk played in another band out of Orange County (Fullerton) called The Adolescents.  I may need to pick up that album because I remember thinking it was good at the time. The funny thing is that many of those old "punk" Orange County bands were just good rock'n'roll bands. Here I am thinking of bands like Social Distortion and Agent Orange.  I am sure there are a lot more as well but I was not really into those bands at the time. Rikk plays all the instruments on this record hence the title. What does it sound like? It certainly is fast and it does have some of that surf element that I remember from the OC bands. This is good. It is just rock'n'roll!

OC Life

10

Tages - Go! The Complete Singles CD

I have always heard about Tages. A Swedish band. This collection organizes all of their 45s both the A and B sides. The music on the first disc spans the years from 1964 to 1967 and the second disc spans 1967-1968. The music ranges from beat music in the early 60s to more psychedelic music in the late 60s. From the CD itself:

During the 1960s, Tages were Sweden's hippest band, initially inspired by beat music and always developing, they leaned towards mod and, by 1968, were one of the era's most compelling psychedelic outfits. For the first time ever Go! Assembles their complete singles. Direct from the master tapes, each A and B side appears in mono as it was heard at the time. The band signed to Parlophone in 1967, but their earlier label Plating continued issuing singles - all these are compiled too. Issued for the first time are two previously unreleased alternative takes including a shelved version of the psychedelic classic Fantasy Island. With its illustrated booklet and exclusive interview with the band's Goran Lagerberg, Go! is the ultimate Tages collection.

 The beat sides are impressive and does have a Beatles feel but the real surprising part of this collection are the later psychedelic sides which are very good. Very melodic and would please anyone that is into exploring more Swedish beat/psychedelic music.

Try these for tastes of late 60s Tages

She's Having a Baby Now

To Be Free

Big Country - The Crossing (1983) vinyl

Chainsaw guitars, big vocals, anthem-like songs, and a Steve Lillywhite production. Big Country sort of stormed on to the music scene from Scotland with a big guitar sound.  They obtained some success during the MTV era. Listening to this certainly brings back memories. I was in college when this came out. Nice trip down memory lane and a good used record find at Freakbeat Records. I really think they wanted their guitars to sound like bag pipes!

Listen to:

Lost Patrol

Various Artists - Reaching Out: Chess Records at FAME Studios CD

An overview of the 1967-69 southern soul sessions undertaken at Fame studios by Chess Records of Chicago.

I love these comps. I can't afford to chase down these individual 45s on Ebay or Discogs so these compilation CDs due the trick for me. These are great historical documents of a golden age and I treat them this way. For me, it is like a good history book or a collection of key documents from a by-gone era. This is put out by Kent so the quality is guaranteed. Below is a link to the best track but there are many great ones. Great liner notes included with a ton of information.

Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces - I Wanna Be Your Man

Best Coast - California Nights (2015) CD

I picked this up a while ago. I listened to it again on a whim. Today it still sounds as fresh and clean as it did when I first heard it. While I have enjoyed Best Coast for the most part, especially the first two albums, this record for me is their best. No shame in starting here if you have never picked up anything by them. The previous albums are not as tight as this but I still think you will find them enjoyable even if you start with this gem. This record makes me want to dance when I listen to it! Guitars, fuzz...Weezer-ish melodies... this is a fun a record with pretty melodies. If you like the song below, then you will love the whole thing.

Take a listen

In My Eyes

Jealousy

Various Artists - Dave Hamilton's Detroit Dancers vinyl

Glorious! Great pure, gritty soul from Detroit. This record will make you want to get up and dance and sing along. The horn charts on some of these songs are wonderful. I need to get all of these records or CDs. It is on Kent so you know the quality is top notch. If you like 60s soul, you will like this as well.

Here is a sample of what you will find on here:

Little Ann - What Should I Do

Haircut 100 - Pelican West (1982) vinyl

Ha..there was a time when I was into these white boy funk bands from the UK of the early 80s. Haircut 100 grabbed my attention because they wrote some nice pop songs. Nick Hayward (singer and guitar) went on to make some nice solo LPs after Haircut 100. They all dressed so nicely! I dug these guys but never was into the Duran Duran's or Spandau Ballet's of the world.  I picked this up in a recent used record haul from Freakbeat Records in the San Fernando Valley.

As I normally do, here is a link to their biggest hit and again, representative of their sound. Here is Love Plus One

Chris Isaak - Silvertone (1985) vinyl

I was excited about this record when it first came out because Chris Isaac had a cool, retro 50s and 60s vibe about him. Admit it, the cover makes you think a little about Elvis. In addition, this album sounded pretty different than most of what was coming out at the time (mid 80s). The record had a  little surf, a little country, and a some rockabilly.

There were a couple of things that grabbed me about this record when it first came out. First, Chris had a great voice. Second, the guitar sound of James Calvin Wilsey was outstanding. I do not remember if James continued to play with Chris after this record but I did manage to see Chris live a few times with this early line-up and they were killer.

Here is a video for the first track on the album and the song that made people notice him Dancin'  The video shows James Calvin Wilsey on guitar. I think this song captures the sound of the whole album well.

The Bags - Rock Starve (1987) vinyl

I use to work in a record store in San Diego, CA when I was in college. This would have been the early 80s. Like any good record store, the employees of the store had varied tastes. Some of the employees were into metal or punk, some into The Smiths, some into reggae, and some into other countless bands and types of music. When we worked, we all took turns playing records in the store. Funny thing, I do not remember a lot of conflict during this time. In any event, I would get exposed to a lot of records that I would normally not listen to or even know about. The Bags records was one of those records that our punk and metal guys use to play a lot. I do not remember if I ever bought this record back in the day but I distinctly remember listening to this record many times. I remembered thinking it was good.

Now, flash forward about 30 years (or so) and I am in Freakbeat records looking at their used bin and I stumble across this LP for 4.99! I had to buy it. I am playing it now and I am realizing just how great this album is. Memories.

For a taste of how good this is please listen to Love Sick Diane