Music from Outer Space

I was a bit hesitant about this post as my overwhelming shame for not having owned Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock’s Music from Outer Space would be exposed. This kitchy novelty album from 1967 sits next in our office rotation, and is sure to please, if the cover is any indication. Tracks like A Visit to A Sad Planet, Beyond Antares, and of course Music to Watch Space Girls By should make for a rather interesting “easy listening” spin. My shame is now a distant shadow in a vibrant nebula of time and space.

RSD ’18 Part Two

Presented here is our loot from this year’s Record Store Day. The big three were acquired (listed in order of necessity).

  • Dr. Octagon – Moosebumpectomy: An Excision of Modern Day Instrumentalization
  • Tim Hardin – Lost in L.A.
  • The Kinks – Phobia
  • Van Morrison – The Alternative Moondance
  • Harry Nilsson – Pussy Cats
  • Arthur Lyman – Bahia
  • Leonard Nimoy – Mr. Spock’s Music from Out Space

Connect the Records

Dot Records_smallerPrimarily active from ’50 to ’77, Tennessee-based Dot Records showcased, alongside its colorful logo, the following spectrum of artists: Billy Vaughn, Mitch Ryder, Jimmy Dorsey, Jack Kerouac, Luis Armstrong, Lawrence Welk, Pat Boone, The Four Lads, Leonard Nimoy, Roy Clark, and Louis Prima… to name a short few.

Owned and operated by (not Sony, surprise-surprise) the monopolizing Universal Music Group, the light from this once beaming label is, and will forever be, eclipsed by the heavy-pocketed, greed-tailored conglomerates.

When connecting the dots always spells out Universal, you know it’s time to continue on down the line.

Golden Throat(s)

Golden ThroatsSo much can be said about this celebrity-singing-covers compilation. Essays that inspire men towards intergalactic travel, lifesaving breakthroughs in medicine, and profound human rights activism have been written, studied, and taught from this album (no evidence of this exists). Yes, many words have been spoken, but none pertaining to this album approach the colossal distinction of nobility, decorum, and heartfelt enthusiasm as the following two, majestic words: William Shatner.

William Shatner. The name alone is powerful enough to move mountains, but the man himself…  you see, is no mere “man” at all. Not in the common use of the word, anyway. He’s somewhat of a Superlative-man (please picture a striking red “S” on the broad chest of this transcendent man). He’s someone who can create galaxies with his thoughts, rectify world peace simply by offering a slight smirk, and, as evident from this album, is able to sends both The Beatles and Bob Dylan to shame-town by outperforming their classic hits, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and the timeless, Mr. Tambourine Man.

Aside from the obvious highlights already mentioned, this GOLDEN album features Leonard Nimoy singing a Creedence Clearwater Revival track, Mae West performing Twist and Shout, and Andy Griffith tackling House of the Rising Sun. The term eclectic was reinvented when this album was released.

William Shatner is a man transformed; a star that may die, but whose light will burn on for lifetimes to come. Golden Throats, although it only contains two of his brilliant works, is a beaming example of this. There may be 14 “songs” on this album, but for me, it’s a single with 12 bonus tracks. Golden Throats comes HIGHLY recommended.