Guided By Voices:

Isolation Drills:(2001)

Suitcase 2(Abridged-The Return of Milko Waif):(2005)

Class Clown Spots A UFO:(2012)

English Little League:(2013)

Cool Planet:(2014)

Like a lot of bands in the collection, the vinyl records I have only represent a fraction of their albums I have in various other media forms, and such is the case with Guided By Voices. I can thank my good friend Dave Roda for turning me onto GBV many years ago when we first started playing, and hanging together. Needless to say the influence of both Dave, and this band have been great on me. In my alternate universe GBV have Top 40 hits left and right, and drown out the clatter of contrived pop bands.  

Guess Who:

American Woman:(1970)

Guess Who Plays The Guess Who:(1971)

I've always been charmed by the Guess Who, ragged rock'n'roll in the best possible way. Of course, everyone knows American Woman, but what about Talisman or their ultra lounge cover of Wild One? I had the chance to see these guys, with most of the original lineup, at a festival once. They were awesome, even if they were wearing Bermuda shorts. 

Al Green:

Green Is Blues:(1969)

Explores Your Mind:(1974)

The Belle Album:(1977)

Al Green is one of the most incredible singers to ever grace the Earth with the gift of song, period, end of story. These three just happen to be the vinyl pieces I have, but there is so much more Al Green in my music collection. And let's not forget the superb arrangements and production that Willie Mitchell brought to some of these albums!!! So so good! In fact, I'm going to stop talking about Al Green, and just leave you with this from the album, Al Green Explores Your Mind...

Grateful Dead:

Workingman's Dead:(1970)

American Beauty:(1970)

Grateful Dead:(1971) "Skull and Roses"

From The Mars Hotel:(1974)

Old & In The Way:(1975)

Steal Your Face:(1976)

Shakedown Street:(1978)

Go To Heaven:(1980)

In The Dark:(1987)

Oh man... I can't stand the Grateful Dead. I mean, they really bug the shit out of me. I'm not worried about this upsetting friends of mine, who I know love them, they know how I feel. I've had heated discussions with some of them about the Dead. Hey, I have some music in my collection that they can't stand. So why do I have so many Dead records? Well, my godfather was/is a huge fan. He was also someone who took really good care of all his vinyl. When I started getting into records at 13, I noticed the cool records he had, Stevie Wonder etc... Anyway, when he gave me his records to me he made a special point of telling me about his Dead records, and said don't get rid of them. I have such respect for him, and the deal struck that day that I keep these in my collection, even though I don't listen to them. In fact now as I write this, I'm listening to some of them for the first time in a long time, and I'm remembering why I have the loathe in my heart for the Dead. Out of all these albums there's probably only four songs I can stand. So, there you go...my Grateful Dead records.

Benny Goodman:

The King of Swing Vol. 1: (1956)

This collection of live recording of Benny Goodman with his original orchestra line up containing the likes of Gene Krupa, Lionel Hampton, and Harry James is a killer collection of a master at work in his heyday. No doubt Benny Goodman was the Beatles of his time, and his impact has been just as lasting. 

Godspeed You! Black Emperor:

F♯ A♯ ∞:(1997)

I love this album. And I love that this piece of vinyl came with so many mysterious little inserts like a flattened penny, and hand drawn card etc., all of which go hand in hand with the cinematic spatial feel of the music. This is top of my list of great car trip albums, especially when driving west as the landscapes widen. 

 

Allen Ginsberg:

Howl:(1959)

There are few poetic spires as high and important as Ginsberg's Howl and Other Poems. It was my love of the work of Bob Dylan that lead me to Ginsberg. I was fourteen buying volumes of Ginsberg poetry... taking them home... reading them alone in my room... having my sheltered mind expanded and blown. The first time I read Howl I thought, "maybe I shouldn't be reading this." Because, for all the R rated movies with nudity, violence, and profanity that I had seen...this was truly adult with nothing hidden. It put a lot of things in perspective. It also opened me to a new way of writing, much to the consternation of my high school english teachers. 

Then I found this record at a rummage sale. Again blown away at hearing Ginsberg's voice for the first time. The cadence and rhythm of his voice. This was vocal a cappella rock'n'roll with as much venom and rebellion as any punk rock I'd ever heard, maybe more. It's worth noting that I think the ability to record sound (and video) of historical figures is a great accomplishment of the 20th century. 

America I've given you all and now I'm nothing.

America two dollars and twenty-seven cents January 17th, 1956.

I can't stand my own mind.

America when will we end the human war?

Go fuck yourself with your atom bomb

I don't feel good don't bother me.

   

Gerry and The Pacemakers:

The Best of:(1979)

Anybody need a piece of 1960's British bubblegum? Well here it is. But see, here's the thing... 60's British bubblegum was pretty tasty, even in saccharine dork forms like Gerry and The Pacemakers.  

Marvin Gaye:

M.P.G.(1969)

There's really two different incarnations of Marvin Gaye. There's the Motown king of the two minute hit soul record, and there's the Sex king groove master of the extended 70's jam. To me this album bridges the distance between the two, and finds Marvin in transition.

Here, My Dear:(1978)

The infamous divorce album. In 1976 Gaye found himself in quite a pickle. He was in a very unhappy marriage to Anna Gordy, who also happened to be the sister of Gaye's Motown label boss, Barry Gordy. Sticky situation indeed. After a long drawn out divorce proceeding it was finally decided that Gaye would give Anna half of the earnings from his next album. Gaye thought he'd make a quick, intensionally bad record and get her off his back. Instead the album evolved into a double album that finds Gaye exploring deep complicated feelings about his now ex-wife, and the awakening feeling for the new woman in his life. Long story short, this is a very serious adult record that's bitter, sweet, sad, joyful, and above all very Marvin. Initially this album was panned, and didn't sell that well, but with the advantage of time, and consideration it has become regarded as one of Gaye's best produced, and underrated.  

In Our Lifetime:(1981)

This record is a victim of many, "howevers". By the time of this record cocaine was Gaye's best friend. This album began life as Love Man, a desperate attempt by Gaye to have a hit, and regain his position at the top. However, drug addiction, IRS trouble, and multiple lawsuits from breeched contracts had piled up on Gaye making it impossible for him to focus on music making, let alone "happy" music making. Finally he pulled it together enough to rewrite the album with concepts about good and evil and the human condition, and pull it away from pure sex talk. A move in the right direction...However, Motown was angry at how long Gaye was taking to finish this album, and unhappy with slumping sales, and uncontrolled spending. So when the first mixes were submitted to the label, they doctored them up, and released the album...Meanwhile, Gaye was holed up in the studio editing, and trying to finish the album as he saw fit. Needless to say, he was not pleased with the label or the released album. In spite of the mild disco feel on this record, I don't mind it, and find a lot of it to be a desperate stab at a return to form for Gaye.

The Gardenheads:

Growing Season:(2013)

In 2014 we played a show in Kansas City with The Gardenheads... We played like shit that night, I've got secret video to prove it. Anyway, the Gardenheads were killer, and I picked up this album after the show. Since then it's become one of my favorite records to throw on. It's a wonderful ramshackle slice of rock'n'roll that reminds me a bit of The Replacements with a tunefulness that calls to mind a bit of the Gin Blossoms. The song that I heard that night at Vandals in Kansas City that pushed me to want to own the album was Adderall. Anyway, check out the album at: Gardenheads Growing Season

Peter Gabriel:

Peter Gabriel (Car):(1977)

Peter Gabriel (Scratch):(1978)

Peter Gabriel (Melt):(1980)

Peter Gabriel (Security):(1982)

So:(1986)

Yes, the first four solo albums by Peter Gabriel were titled simply, Peter Gabriel. It seems he chose to see each album as an exhibit and an extension of an artist's work, and as such they didn't need titles. But they did have great artwork, which made them instantly identifiable. For years I avoided Peter Gabriel's work simply because I associated it with a period of music I just didn't care for. Yes, it was silly, and unfair to generalize in that way. Then one day I caught the tail end of Solsbury Hill coming out of some TV or Radio or something, and wanted to hear more of it, and because we live in the age of instant gratification I pulled it up online. There in that 4 minute song I found an artist as inventive as he was sentimental and meaningful, and fell in love with the work of Peter Gabriel. This guy is an incredible songwriter, and seemingly very open to musical adventure with his arrangements and concepts. 

Jesse Fuller:

Jazz, Folk Songs, Spirituals & Blues:(1958)

The Lone Cat:(1961)

I first became aware of who Jesse Fuller was when Eric Clapton covered San Francisco Bay Blues on his Unplugged album. Now...Eric Clapton did not come close to doing the song justice. But, I only found that out once I had heard the original. Fuller was quite the one-man band employing a 12-string guitar, Harmonica, Kazoo, custom built hi-hat, and a Fotdella. What is a Fotdella? It's a six string acoustic bass instrument played with foot pedals. The instrument was invented and built by Fuller out of a necessity for bass accompaniment. A true original.

 

Aretha Franklin:

I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You:(1967)

Lady Soul:(1968)

These two albums contain my all time favorite Aretha tunes, Chain of Fools and I Never Loved A Man. Muscle Shoals served her well. That said, these records wouldn't sound the way they do without Aretha playing piano. In fact, I think Aretha is at her best when she's accompanying herself, that's where that deep soul resides.  I never bought into the whole "Queen of Soul" thing, in fact there are other female soul singers that I think are better, and prefer to listen to, but these two albums are killer.

Tennessee Ernie Ford:

Sixteen Tons:(1973)

Sixteen Tons originally came out for Tennessee Ernie in 1955. This Pickwick reissue came out in '73 as a compilation of singles. It's an interesting mix of 1950's pop in that it contains schmaltzy orchestration like First Born, and Latin flavored rhythms like The Watermelon Song. But, of course, the center piece is the dark tough sounding song Tennessee Ernie is known for, Sixteen Tons. I must admit I rarely make it passed Sixteen Tons, and I can't get enough of that one.

 

Steve Forbert:

Jackrabbit Slim:(1979)

A singer/songwriter from my home state of Mississippi. I first heard of Steve Forbert by way of a compilation CD that came with an issue of Oxford American Magazine in 1997. I dug the song he had on that sampler, Sure Was Better Back Then. Flash forward many years to a record sale in the back of a radio station in Colorado, and I found this copy of his second album, Jackrabbit Slim. This album is very much in the singer/songwriter vein of John Hiatt, Joe Ely records from this time. All in all a easy fun listen. 

John Fogerty:

Centerfield:(1985)

Oh yeah, the album that got John Fogerty sued for sounding too much like John Fogerty. Now regardless of how you feel about the song Centerfield, I dig this album. After the long span of time after Creedence broke up, this album delivered that familiar sound in spades. Because, let's face it, John Fogerty is Creedence. And on this album he's playing all the instruments. No, say what you will, I dig the hell out of this album.  

Floating Action:

Body Questions:(2014)

I first heard about Seth Kauffman in the pages of Tape Op magazine, and thought, "I gotta check this guy out." Turns out I dig the hell out of his stuff. This album, like the others I've heard, is a great blend of lo-fi indie rock with a dollop of 60's R&B pastiche that adds this endearing nostalgic feeling to brand new tunes. 

Fleetwood Mac:

Then Play On:(1969)

Fleetwood Mac In Chicago:(1969)

Fleetwood Mac:(1975)

Tusk:(1979)

Mirage:(1982)

Few bands survive the huge artistic/stylistic changes Fleetwood Mac went through, and The Mac did it and came out with their biggest hits. We all know the fabled story. But for my money, Then Play On is my favorite Fleetwood Mac studio album that features just the band. But, my all time favorite Fleetwood Mac album is Fleetwood Mac in Chicago. Did I mention this is back when they were a blues rock band? On this album they jam through four vinyl sides with the likes of Willie Dixon, Honeyboy Edwards, Otis Span and others in the legendary Chess Studio. This album is hell and gone from the pop music the future would bring to their table after Peter Green checked out. Key track for me is Black Jack Blues. 

Now that's not to discredit the Buckingham/Nicks era Fleetwood Mac, I still sing along in the car to those Classic Rock gems, but you really can't talk about the two major incarnations of this band in the same paragraph. So, onto the pop side... 1975's Fleetwood Mac yielded, what, three top twenty hits? And became a Classic. Tusk is an album I'm torn over. I dig the titled track, and a handful of other songs on this sprawling double album, but a lot of it feels like soft fluff. Like maybe there should have been less coke and more editing going on in the studio. Mirage is when things really start falling off for me as the band succumbs to some overly smooth late 70's early 80's production techniques that just grate on my nerves. In fact as I'm listening to this now, I'm not sure why I've kept this album. 

Go back to the Fleetwood Mac In Chicago album, quickly. 

Flaming Lips:

Oh My Gawd!!!...:(1987)

Telepathic Surgery:(1989)

In A Priest Driven Ambulance:(1990)

The Terror:(2013)

You have to appreciate a band that can keep evolving like the Lips, or at least I do. That said, maybe, just maybe, my favorite period of theirs is the early one with their second, third, and fourth albums above. I dig the punky edge. But then, I also really like the Terror with it's Eno-esque atmospherics. Above and beyond all else, I just dig the on going DIY esthetic that Flaming Lips have always championed. It's a bonus that the music has been so good for so long.

Range Rats:

Range Rats:(2010)

So, this one is completely out of alphabetical order, I know, but I had this dream last night... I was riding in the backseat of a car with no driver, just cruise control, with Fred and Toody Cole. We were late for a gig, and weren't sure where to go. We were also trying to find the house, in the country mind you, of a person who might know where we should go. Anyway, on this driverless journey where many things were discussed, talk shifted to them reviving the Range Rats. Now I'm sure this dream came about because of Andrew Loomis' recent passing, and Fred and Toody announcing that they will no longer tour as a rock band. In any case I had to spin this record this morning. Their lost country classic, recorded in the Eighties, and not released until 2010.