August 8, 2019
NEW THIS WEEK AT THE SHOP:
Heading downstairs for this week's Used Vinyl Alert, we try to chase away those summer dog days with one of the more eye-popping collections we've seen since the temperatures began to rise. In addition to a big trove of classic rock, folk, pop and jazz, we have an especially breathtaking selection of rare soul and psych this week. Read on!
Very hip material this week, though the Rebel INS is sadly absent from the pack. Plenty of great Wu adjacent albums, though. Peep these Shaolin highlights: “Only Built for Cuban Linx,” “Liquid Swords,” “The Pretty Toney Album,” and “Enter the Wu-Tang.” We’re also showcasing a few installments from Madlib’s “Medicine Show” series along with his first encounter with Freddie Gibbs. AND get the legendary debuts from Nas and Biggie, as well killer prime Public Enemy. The goodies extend over to the edm side and spans pioneering work from Terry Riley and Silver Apples, up to African Head Charge, and ending with contemporary work from The Bug and Burial. Whew! There’s also adventurous work from Os Mutantes, Mr. Bungle, Ween and The Slits sprinkled in. There’s but a handful of jazz this week, but it’s top-notch: mellow madness from Lonnie Liston Smith, guitar cacophony from Sonny Sharrock and spiritually-inclined Afrocentrism from Gary Bartz. Nerding out level is at dangerous levels this week.
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Richard Thompson - “Across a Crowded Room Live at Barrymore’s 1985” No, this is not from the Barrymore Theater in Madison, but from a club in Ottawa, Canada. This was originally released as a Laser Disc (remember them?) and now makes its first release in any other format. As the title says, Mr. Thompson was touring off his then current “Across a Crowded Room,” and eight of the album’s twenty tracks come from that album. That 1985 studio release was only his third solo album since he stopped touring with his ex-wife, Linda Thompson following their divorce. And “Across a Crowded Room” was one of his seminal solo releases. Mr. Thompson still plays a number of songs live from that album thirty-five years later. “Across a Crowded Room Live at Barrymore’s 1985” is classic live Thompson. His guitar playing is simply astonishing, and he tackles the songs, both lyrically and musically, as if his life depended on getting these songs done right. There are also a number of Richard and Linda Thompson classics on the album that now get a singular Richard Thompson solo treatment. Richard Thompson has played in the Madison area so many times in the last thirty or so years. He never disappoints and he never gives less than 100%. “Across a Crowded Room Live at Barrymore’s 1985” is a statement of that simple premise. - Ted
Creedence Clearwater Revival - “Live at Woodstock” John Fogerty thought the sound quality of their set was subpar and did not allow any tracks to be used on those classic Woodstock albums. I don’t know why Mr. Fogerty thought that there was something lacking in their set. There are a few technical glitches on the first song, but those problems disappear for the rest of their almost hour long performance. CCR’s Woodstock set was the band in their prime - fiery and passionate. Quite simply, I really don’t think that there is another live album from CCR that equals “Live at Woodstock.” - Ted
Ron, Ryan, Angie, Marty, Evan, Matt, Ben, Will, Ed, Isaac, Larry, Andy, Mark, Jack, Sam, Eric & Mike
