Felt today was a good day to take a much needed step back… way back, and enjoy some of the floral decencies of Mr. Ludwig Van. Though its release date is unknown, this mid-century (assumed) Concert Hall Society series is really rather upstanding, and delivers the Beethoven fix with minimum conflict.
Monthly Archives: January 2017
Leftovers
Aside from being an amazing, 31-track compilation, the double vinyl version of Lagwagon’s 2000 grab bag release Let’s Talk About Leftovers (a play on their 1998 album, Let’s Talk About Feelings) is a Germany-only release. Who knew Lagwagon was big in Germany? Anyway, if you can find this, nab it. It’s not cheap, but well worth the double spin.
Boingo
What I once thought was Oingo Boingo’s first release, 1980’s Oingo Boingo, is actually their third, following 1976’s 7″ You Got Your Baby Back and 1978’s extremely limited 10″ titled Demo EP (only 130 copies released). Regardless of its apparent lack of exclusivity, this 10″ predates their epic 1981 studio debut, Only a Lad, and is the perfect soundtrack for a lazy, salsa-making day.
Harry
Casual Saturday listening. FINALLY finished up the “need to listen to” pile, so we were able to enjoy a few rounds of listener’s choice. Nilsson’s debut followed by Lagwagon seemed necessary. Cheers.
Enjoy…
A friendly reminder that Columbia Records (now owned by Sony Music Entertainment) would like for you to enjoy the world’s greatest catalog of high-fidelity records… superbly performed and recorded on Columbia 33 1/3 LP Records. Your favorite artists… your favorite music reproduced with matchless clarity and realism.
Enjoy Columbia Records, and have a great Friday doing it.
Break the Blues, not the Bank
1966’s Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, aka The Beano Album, is John Mayall’s first studio album, and his second overall. Featuring a comic-reading, and marginally defiant Eric Clapton, Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton is widely considered John Mayall’s most popular, although not best, output, and is ranked by Rolling Stone magazine at number 195 of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Also, I found it at my local brick and mortar for only $1 (hence the title of this post).
8-Track Stack, Jack
The eventual overflow of media consumption often yields an entirely new media with which to consume. 8-tracks aren’t new around these parts, we’re just finally starting to get serious about them. With any collection, the bar is set, achieved, then moved. This endless cycle continues without rest or hesitation. The current bar is The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society, an 8-track only two people in the online community own. Both have refused my offers to purchase this holy grail of magnetic tape sound recording technology, so this dimly lit search trudges on.
Special thanks to my folks for nabbing up $0.25 8-tracks on their many thrift store adventures.
Happy 4th Birthday, Prudent Groove!
Well, four years ago today we dropped the needle on a cryptic and probing experiment called The Prudent Groove. This daily chore of unknown ends (and plagued beginnings) has forced us (me) to peer into the ceaseless collection with a slightly skewed and exotic perspective. (A perspective found primarily at the bottom of empty bourbon glasses and disorganized half-thoughts.) Evolution, in its lazy way, has certainly taken its form here at The Prudent Groove, but we are no closer to any conceivable goal than we were the day before we began, which, today, would be exactly four years and one day ago.
This process has been monumentally rewarding (on a personal level), and I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with patient, like-minded groove-hunters along the way (all who are much smarter, and more knowledgeable than me).
From the casual passersby to the daily squatters, thank you for allowing us to waste your time. Happy 4th birthday, Prudent Groove!
Special thanks to Old Man Hardwick for the photo art and early birthday wishes.
A Tremendous Emotional Experience
When someone, let’s say Timmy. When Timmy thinks of a tremendous emotional experience, Timmy often doesn’t think of achieving this tremendous emotional experience by listening to high quality records. Timmy is a fool. What Timmy isn’t realizing is that Timmy isn’t in tune with Audio Fidelity Records. If you own a bow tie, or know what one is, you can enjoy a smoke, a stiff buttoned-up shirt, and the high quality hi-fi listening pleasure of Audio Fidelity Records. Don’t be a Timmy. Treat yourself to a tremendous emotional experience. Go ahead. You’ve earned it.
Fun with Space Age Pop
While playing cards and giving the hi-fi a solid workout (Enoch Light, Klaus Ogerman, Pérez Prado), we paused for a snack, another round of cocktails, and a quick photo. Cheers.
For Those who Dare…
For those who dare… Series 2000. (More on Series 2000 as additional research comes in. Right now what we know is limited to 1) it started in 1959, and ended in 1966.) Side note, check out that Murder, Inc. cover! It just made my want list. The Groove’s most wanted!
How to Ignore the Incoming Storm…
For the saddest (and most abhorrent) day in this nation’s modern day history, let’s drown our sorrows in, and (attempt to) ignore the incoming storm of racist ignorance with Bikinis and Bongos. Because, let’s face it… heavy, heavy drugs won’t be near enough to get us through the next 1461 days.
A Match Made in Punk Rock Heaven
Days like today are exponentially made worse by the troubling fact that LA’s best punk rock bar no longer exists. Oh, what I wouldn’t give for a Liquid Kitty and some Lawndale right about now. RIP Liquid Kitty.
The Sound of the Seventies
The Timmy Vig Orchestra’s 1968 The Sound of the Seventies boasts a very presumptuous title… not to say it wasn’t completely spot on (redundant, I know… but I’m sticking with it). Anyway, I was going to dive into this elaborate concoction about how this is how the seventies SHOULD have sounded and blah, blah, blah, but then I ran into personal, and very time consuming issues. I’ll have to circle back on this one, because she’s an essential grab.
Havana, 3 A.M.
Havana, 3 A.M. is another fundamental and necessary Space Age Pop album from the late 1950s / early 1960s, or so spaceagepop.com would have you believe from their 10 Basic SAP Albums, my current checklist. This Afro-Cuban collection, a “New Orthophonic” High Fidelity Recording, spans 12 Mambo-tastic tracks and is sure to get you on (or off) your feet, regardless of the time of day. Havana, 3 A.M. was Perez Prado and His Orchestra’s fifth album, released in 1956 on RCA Victor (LPM-1257), and is a perfect place for any up-and-coming Space Age Pop-stronaut to start. Happy hunting, kids.
Turntable Accessories
I’m not in the habit of displaying someone else’s work, but this Amoeba flyer hit all the criteria. Does it showcase a turntable? Yup. Does it include a record? Yes. Ok, how about a cat? Yes, sir. Done and done.
Prowl
Finally got my red vinyl copy of On the Prowl by Rocket from the Crypt. I’d stupidly passed it up at Amoeba the last time I was there. $35 and something like 6 months ago. Lucky for me it was still there on Saturday, and the price had dropped to $30. Not bad considering roughly 100 – 200 were pressed. Pette has it valued between $75 – $100, so not a bad find.
The Dot Records Customer Service Plan
Presented below, in its entirety, is the Dot Records Customer Service Plan, as found on one of their (early 1960s?) inserts. Enjoy.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO OUR CUSTOMERS
Dear Customer:
Have you ever asked your record dealer for a Dot album and found that it is not in stock? If so, we’d like to tell you about the Dot Customer Service Plan and how it works.
If your dealer does not have the Dot album of your choice, ask him to use the Dot Customer Service Plan postage-paid post cards to order that album directly from Dot Records in Hollywood. Your order will be sent to him by return mail, and you will be notified of its arrival at your dealer’s by post card. Thus, your dealer gets credit for the sale even though he did not have the album in stock. Support your local dealer by availing yourself of this plan.
Sound Effects Volume 9
Some days, not all days, are good days for sound effects. Functioning more as a stock audio library than a casual dinner party favorite, and in this case, volume 9 of such, Authentic Sound Effects (created and produced by Jac Holzman) is your one-stop shop for the following (but not limited to) exciting, and necessary sounds: Sonar Pings, Helicopter Start Up and Take Off, Hospital Waiting Room, Turnstile, Jet Airliner (Jed & Lina) Interior, Geiger Counter, Sonar Pings, Avalanche, Whip Cracks, and of course, the Good Humor Truck. Tickle your imagination and check out Authentic Sound Effects Volume 9. You never know when that bellowing Building Demolition sound will come in handy.
Volume 2
Released in 1959 (a pattern… it’s beginning to develop!), Terry Snyder and the All Stars (with production and direction from label owner, Enoch Light) released volume 2 in a four volume series titled, Persuasive Percussion. Surprise, surprise, Space Age Pop a plenty on this series, and v2 was my first acquisition from the bunch. Had for a cool $0.92 (yes, that’s correct), Persuasive Percussion Volume 2 has gotten heavy play since the recent monetary transaction, and comes highly, no, intergalactic-ly recommended.
The Prudent Groove 