The Now Spinning/Recent Purchases Thread

"Sunken Cathedral" (or perhaps "Engulfed Cathedral") is one of Debussy's works---I forget which "book" it was from. Back in the 90s I bought a set of four CDs that contain all of Debussy's solo piano works.

I get that Debussy admiration from the Tomita Snowflakes Are Dancing album that I had back in the 70s. I think the first track on Side Two was that same tune, actually.
 
Giving another spin today of the JACK DAUGHERTY AND THE CLASS OF NINETEEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-ONE album.

 
A new one spinning lately--another great James Hunter Six album.

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I preordered from Daptone and got the limited edition splatter vinyl pressing:

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Writing up a draft of an article today, and found myself listening to everything from Jools Holland, The Mavericks and Devo to Joe Jackson, the Cramps and Matt Bianco.
 
Love Matt Bianco! I believe I own their entire output on cd. Devo is great fun as well.
Glad they are still performing in concert. Big 80’s show in Los Angeles in early May if it doesn’t get cancelled. With Blondie, Morrissey, and a dozen other 80’s acts.
 
The Matt Bianco records are a lot of fun! It's a shame they never had chart success over here in the US.

Devo has always been interesting in a quirky sort of way. 😁

I'm following a theme based on these groups, which is why I lumped them all together for this article. All told, my list includes Naked Eyes, Isaac Hayes, Oingo Boingo, Matt Bianco, Jools Holland, Herb & The TJB, The Mavericks, BR5-49, Devo, Pseudo Echo and The Cramps. The best-known hits of two of the 80s bands might clue you into the theme of the article... 😉
 
Just ordered The Mavericks latest CD. Got a free download with it. Man, Raul sounds great! Can’t believe I wasn’t listening to them until here recently!
 
Just ordered The Mavericks latest CD. Got a free download with it. Man, Raul sounds great! Can’t believe I wasn’t listening to them until here recently!
I only just discovered them myself a couple of years ago. I'm sorry I missed out on so many of their great recordings. I wouldn't say they have a cult following, but aside from their early successes and breakthrough on the country charts, they've kind of steered away from massive popularity. I think part of it was due to the group's (and especially Raul's) inclusion of so many other outside influences, that country listeners had no idea what to make of the group. I bought their Christmas LP only because I needed something different...and look what it turned into. 😁
 
I’d love to see them live. If the stupid virus ever goes away.

I’m in one of those high risk categories, but today I threw caution to the wind and hit the Arby’s drive through for a fish sandwich.
 
I’d love to see them live. If the stupid virus ever goes away.
They have been rescheduling their tour dates, so it's possible something near you might come available later in the year. I've been wanting to see them also. Raul also goes out on solo tours, just him and his guitar, where he plays and sings, and tells stories in between. He was in the middle of a solo tour when the virus hit, and he's been home ever since. (He's keeping us entertained with "Quarantunes" where he plays along to some backing music and plays a Mellotron.)

There are a lot of concerts on YouTube in the meantime. And their setlist changes each day. One interesting set opener was the Frankie Yankovic polka "Roll Out The Barrel," done as an instrumental featuring Michael Guerra (accordion...tell me, what other band tours with an accordion player? :laugh: ), and the audience usually sings the chorus. The song segues into "Rolling Along" from their 2018 album Brand New Day. Some of the concerts are taken by the audience, where others are more official.

The accordion has an interesting history--European settlers from Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia brought them to Mexico and Texas, and those who were in Mexico fled to central and south Texas during the Mexican Revolution. The resulting mash-up of their European musical styles (including polkas and waltzes) and Mexican/Texan music is what created Tejano music, which is one of the prominent styles Raul and company identify with. Raul's parents emigrated from Cuba in the early 60s, so he brings that along as well. His mother was into operatic singing, so that is where he gets his vocal style from. (You really hear this on the slow tunes on Play The Hits.) He has said one of the defining songs in his life was "It's Now Or Never" by Elvis, as it incorporated his rock and roll interests with the operatic (the tune is based on "O Sole Mio").

This goes way back! (To the early 90s, and Nashville.)

 
Pete Pardo forgot about Chuck Mangione's "Land Of Make Believe", the Chet Atkins of jazz, Howard Roberts "Antelope Freeway" (Impulse!/ABC) (1971) including when he switches on the AM radio to hear what song is playing!! Also George Benson "Weekend In L.A." (1978) a great live album!!
 
Now spinning, for the purpose of clean-up, is Lani Hall's ALBANY PARK (SP-4898) from 1982. This was the last of her English-language albums for A&M. I had done a needledrop ages ago but there was some sloppy indexing due to the type of CD-recorder I was using then. This is one of those projects I've been meaning to finish for a long time, but now seem to have an abundance of time. My version of the CD includes her b-side, "Love Makes The World."

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Those leg warmers though... :biglaugh:

Been working 12+ hour days, and the only thing getting me through is a stack of classical tracks in the queue. Right now it's all four Rachmaninoff piano concertos, Vladimir Ashkenazy on piano, with Bernard Haitink conducting. I'll put on some Oregon next. Going to be another long couple of days!
 
Now spinning, for the purpose of clean-up, is Lani Hall's ALBANY PARK (SP-4898) from 1982. This was the last of her English-language albums for A&M. I had done a needledrop ages ago but there was some sloppy indexing due to the type of CD-recorder I was using then. This is one of those projects I've been meaning to finish for a long time, but now seem to have an abundance of time. My version of the CD includes her b-side, "Love Makes The World."

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Always did like that cover...
 
Now spinning, for the purpose of clean-up, is Lani Hall's ALBANY PARK (SP-4898) from 1982. This was the last of her English-language albums for A&M. I had done a needledrop ages ago but there was some sloppy indexing due to the type of CD-recorder I was using then. This is one of those projects I've been meaning to finish for a long time, but now seem to have an abundance of time. My version of the CD includes her b-side, "Love Makes The World."

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I still have my needle drop copy and it has withstood the test of time and I still love it
 
Just downloaded on itunes, Sanford/Townsend Band "Nail Me To The Wall" (their 3rd & final album from 1979) which sounds like The Doobie Brothers meets southern rockers Wet Willie!! I was about to download Cock Robin (of "When Your Heart Is Weak") debut from 1985 as well as "After Here Through Midland" (1987) & their 3rd one from 1990 BUT itunes do NOT have those except their last studio album from 2010. The original female singer is no longer with the group.
 
Got Blue Maqams by Anouar Brahem playing at the moment. Calming, as I try to work on a major upgrade project.

 
Here is something somewhat rare.



Sounds nothing like the Perez Prado you know from the days of mambo?

The Perez Prado that was a sensation in the US was Damaso Perez Prado. In South American families, the children took on the surnames of the mother and father. So this would be like "Thomas Smith Johnson" as a person's name, and touring under the name Smith Johnson.

Damaso had a brother, Pantaleone, who was also a musician. At one point (according to the liner notes in a compilation I have), Pantaleone was out touring when Damaso was popular, and causing confusion. Damaso sued his brother over using the name without informing audiences that this wasn't Damaso, but Pantaleone. Pantaleone settled in Italy and released a number of recordings released in Europe, still under the name Perez Prado, up until his death in the early 80s. This video above is one of them.
 
An interesting album this evening. Dis, by Jan Garbarek with Ralph Towner and a wind harp (recorded out on the sea cliffs). A very introspective album.

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I never know what in what direction my musical wanderings will take me. A subject of a McCartney record had me looking in the "M" section of my LPs, and I backed up slightly to Paul Mauriat. I have a few of his albums rescued from the radio station. One in particular was a bit if a favorite way back when because of a song called "Love In Every Room (Mème Si Tu Revenais)" that was played a good bit on my favorite MOR station back then. The album is called MAURIAT MAGIC and it has a gatefold cover rather like the current Alpert discs, with the LP pocket opening to the inside of the gatefold. Those were called "Unipaks". This one was odd in that there was no printing whatsoever on the front or back. Everything was inside the gatefold. I don't think too many men were upset at that at all...

Unfolded:
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It was some of the other tracks that intrigued me into spinning this one today - and wanting to scan the cover.

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Way back when, I never heard of "The World We Knew" which I know now from Sinatra, and "Ponteio", the Edu Lobo song was a surprise, not to mention "A Banda".

It's all soft, slushy orchestral stuff, but every now and again I like this kind of lush presentation, and Mauriat is great at it.
 
Just downloaded on itunes, Toto "Old Is New" (actually from 2018) & Canadian art rock group Saga "Behaviour" (1985) which has the ballad song "What Do I Know?" (female singer on backing vocals) which was their last big hit in the United States. Saga's last album was in September of 2014.
 
I never know what in what direction my musical wanderings will take me. A subject of a McCartney record had me looking in the "M" section of my LPs, and I backed up slightly to Paul Mauriat. I have a few of his albums rescued from the radio station. One in particular was a bit if a favorite way back when because of a song called "Love In Every Room (Mème Si Tu Revenais)" that was played a good bit on my favorite MOR station back then. The album is called MAURIAT MAGIC and it has a gatefold cover rather like the current Alpert discs, with the LP pocket opening to the inside of the gatefold. Those were called "Unipaks". This one was odd in that there was no printing whatsoever on the front or back. Everything was inside the gatefold. I don't think too many men were upset at that at all...

Unfolded:
IMG_3696b.jpg

It was some of the other tracks that intrigued me into spinning this one today - and wanting to scan the cover.

IMG_3699.JPG

Way back when, I never heard of "The World We Knew" which I know now from Sinatra, and "Ponteio", the Edu Lobo song was a surprise, not to mention "A Banda".

It's all soft, slushy orchestral stuff, but every now and again I like this kind of lush presentation, and Mauriat is great at it.
I love Paul mauriat's music this is one Lp I owned which I saved to tape and later digitized He also did a 1982 album titled Magic which has a killer arrangement of Air Supply's Even the Nights are better and Paul McCartney's Ebony and ivory just to name a couple I liked his 80s recordings best because he did a lot of covers that got tons of airplay on Easy Listening stations and although many of his albums are very hard to find I can say I was able to score quite a bit of his music and well worth the effort
 
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