The exclusive vinyl thread

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actually it was the original version of the song Berlin on Lou’s first solo album ( before Transformer)
that Bob Ezrin told Lou that he should expand on and follow a character through the whole album, and so with Bob Ezrin’s brilliant suggestion Berlin a concept album was born.




there is also the early demo a
song called ‘Oh Gin’ which became Oh Jim ....


What came to my mind were two things: I remember reading that Ezrin(?) commented on Lou's song writing saying his songs had very strong beginnings but also very weak endings. He wanted him to change that. Could imagine that this being a concept album gave rise to certain concerns if he would be able to close it meaningfully, and one solution would have been to put the cart before the horse and not the other way round. What I actually wanted to say, and felt like I wasnt heard, was that "Sad Song" is defo the most emotionally powerful and pathbreaking song on the album. This alone could have been a strong inspiration and power source for creating the rest of the album.
But, secondly, now that I am at it, Berlin having been such an unusual musical approach for Lou that it would certainly scare off not a small percentage of his fans, made them look for an official explanation of how the idea was conceived, and it had to be rooted in his older work, so that his longtime fans would still feel included in the departure for new musical expressions. Not saying your theory, which has become the standard explanation, I assume, is wrong, but I am a bit sceptical about it. I mean, these albums have to be marketed somehow.
 
Okay, even though I do not like to bother the young new year with irksome comparisons already, this one really thrusted itself upon me in the most striking way.
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This is a very beautifully transparent 12" Maxi Blue Single by the Smiths from 1986. There is Panic on the A-Side and Light and Queen on the B-Side. It's a German Teldec/Zensor printing, the one with light blue labels. There is another one with red labels. I got this one from a friend of mine, who had to change places and was happy that someone helped her driving some of her stuff from A to B, which was my pleasure.
A few hairlines but apart from that it is in sublime shape, but how surprised was I, when I played (after a thorough wash and scrub) this 35 year old record on my humble turntable at home.
My God, this sound was so fantastic! It's just like you want to have it, crystal clear and powerful at the same time. The walls were shaking in unison with the thunderbolting heartbeats released by this record. I felt like driving the best Mercedes back home to where it belongs. The top cheese cake. That's the quality every superb music deserves.

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See above: A work of art and love entwined.

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about the recent RSD 2020 limited repress in sky blue release of the Delines' otherwise supreme record "The Imperial". I listened to it straight after The Smiths, and the contrast in sound was so very striking, it brought tears to my eyes. I have to add that it was a sealed copy, and shortly after opening it (before it was washed), I noticed how dirty it was, and there were even visible hairlines on it. This was already a bad omen. Also the sky blue color in non-transparent "blue" looked like a sick cat shortly before vomiting.

While listening there were lots of pops and crackles throughout. I couldn't believe what I heared. With quiet music that wants you to listen more closely to beautiful lyrics and enjoy the nuances, this is deadly. I stopped listening altogether after the A-Side. That's the reason why it got only 3 stars from me. I am really sorry, I bought this shoddy RSD release. I am not getting into the question of guilt right now, as this new year is still very young and innocent.

My conclusion was, that I have to download the album in mp3 format. Here it is, hiding itself conscience-stricken on the disc rack behind the Jayhawks. Btw, I feel tempted to add a coppola new 12"es to my improvable 12" single collection in the near future, if god is willing.

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Ya got that vinyl shinin' like a sapphire.
 
What came to my mind were two things: I remember reading that Ezrin(?) commented on Lou's song writing saying his songs had very strong beginnings but also very weak endings. He wanted him to change that. Could imagine that this being a concept album gave rise to certain concerns if he would be able to close it meaningfully, and one solution would have been to put the cart before the horse and not the other way round. What I actually wanted to say, and felt like I wasnt heard, was that "Sad Song" is defo the most emotionally powerful and pathbreaking song on the album. This alone could have been a strong inspiration and power source for creating the rest of the album.
But, secondly, now that I am at it, Berlin having been such an unusual musical approach for Lou that it would certainly scare off not a small percentage of his fans, made them look for an official explanation of how the idea was conceived, and it had to be rooted in his older work, so that his longtime fans would still feel included in the departure for new musical expressions. Not saying your theory, which has become the standard explanation, I assume, is wrong, but I am a bit sceptical about it. I mean, these albums have to be marketed somehow.


:lbf:

It’s not anyone’s ‘theory’. Bob Ezrin clearly states that the album Berlin started with his suggestion to Lou to follow a character through an album, and Ezrin used the song Berlin to give an example of the possibilities of this.
 
:lbf:

It’s not anyone’s ‘theory’. Bob Ezrin clearly states that the album Berlin started with his suggestion to Lou to follow a character through an album, and Ezrin used the song Berlin to give an example of the possibilities of this.
s.a.
 
Gonna make it short today coz I have a long night of listening to records ahead of me.
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Gonna start with Johnny Cash and then move myself upwards the ascension ladder. I don't have to present myself tomorrow, so that's always a pleasant prospect. I couldn't wash the Rocky Horror Picture Show, coz I forgot that the Gong consists of 2 LPs, so it went back into the "to-be-washed"-box.
Most of these records were basement discoveries at my mum's, the two Lous and Moz and the Smiths I got from a garage sale outside town. Folks are selling stuff to make room for home offices, it seems, or they simply have to pay their bills. The Gong I bought at last year's first RSD day in August, but it wasn't RSD related. The left Phil C I got as a birthday present by a friend in the 80s. There is a card inside saying, "Hi old woman, Happy Birthday!" written in teenage balloon letters and not signed but I think I remember who that was.
The Morrissey 12" made me curious, it's really a minimalist luxury pressing, heavy weight and one can see all the space inbetween the grooves, that's how many ressources were made available for it. I wonder if it will have an effect on the sound quality, as this seems to be the secret behind the super sound of 12" singles. The 10" Smiths record in contrast and according to the theory should sound less powerful than the 12".

Meanwhile, I was listening to .....
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Berlin again. Yeah. I must say, I have grown very fond of this Lou album, especially the scratched b-side.
 
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That live Lou Reed record has my favorite version of Coney Island Baby.
Think I heard somewhere that Lou recorded that album with state-of-the-art
equipment so I'm kinda wonderin' if the sound quality is real good on vinyl.
 
That live Lou Reed record has my favorite version of Coney Island Baby.
Think I heard somewhere that Lou recorded that album with state-of-the-art
equipment so I'm kinda wonderin' if the sound quality is real good on vinyl.
Hey Turkey. I wanted to make sure that I can respond to ya inquiry properly, man, so I put on my headphones while listenin' to side C. And yeah, there is a difference to be noticed, not always though, mostly in the quiter parts, like at the beginning of songs, or when Lou is ramblin' on without much accompaniment on Wild Side. A spatial quality, not a far-reaching and soaring one, but a smaller and clear 3-dimensional room, that opens up around ya ears, and ya feel as if there is some space inbetween ya and the singer or musicians. So, the music is kinda taken out of ya ears and put around the head, if you know what I mean. This happens here and there, not always, and then it feels like a lil concert experience at home. It only works with them headphones on, not with them loudspeakers.

So, what'ya like in particular about that version of CIB?
My impression is that this is probably not his most inspired live performance, and maybe they had to add the binaural dummy head sound to counterbalance a rather, I think, unenergetic performance. Cursin' a lot doesn't help either. But I think Manfred Schunke (pron.: shoo'n'qué, not skunky) did a good job here, like on Street Hassle too.
 
The Johnny Cash record surprised me in a pleasant way.
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This is a budget pressing on the Contour label. It was purchased for 1.05 pounds somewhere in Ireland probably in the late 60s or early 70s. Keeping in mind that this record is most likely 50+ years old and shows signs of condensation and heat damage, the sound is still pretty good.
The compilation starts off with one of my fav Hank Williams songs, Cold Cold Heart, and it seems they wanted to draw a traditional line between the older generation of country stars and Johnny Cash. But I must say that I still prefer Lucinda Williams' cover of CCH, which can be found on a Hank Williams Tribute CD that I have here too, and Johnny Cash is featured on this tribute with "Last Night I dreamed about Mama" instead.

As to be expected, it is a manly compilation, a pithy succession of 2-minute songs, delivered one after the other in the snappy masculine Cash way.

 
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Hey Turkey. I wanted to make sure that I can respond to ya inquiry properly, man, so I put on my headphones while listenin' to side C. And yeah, there is a difference to be noticed, not always though, mostly in the quiter parts, like at the beginning of songs, or when Lou is ramblin' on without much accompaniment on Wild Side. A spatial quality, not a far-reaching and soaring one, but a smaller and clear 3-dimensional room, that opens up around ya ears, and ya feel as if there is some space inbetween ya and the singer or musicians. So, the music is kinda taken out of ya ears and put around the head, if you know what I mean. This happens here and there, not always, and then it feels like a lil concert experience at home. It only works with them headphones on, not with them loudspeakers.

So, what'ya like in particular about that version of CIB?
My impression is that this is probably not his most inspired live performance, and maybe they had to add the binaural dummy head sound to counterbalance a rather, I think, unenergetic performance. Cursin' a lot doesn't help either. But I think Manfred Schunke (pron.: shoo'n'qué, not skunky) did a good job here, like on Street Hassle too.

Likin' how Lou sings the whole first part of Coney Island Baby on the live record instead of
how he just talks it more on the studio version.
Some of them parts are great like "The strangest dude I ever knew..." "When ya all alone and
lonely..." "Hey Lou Reed, you'll never be a human bein'..." and then at the end when he says
"Sorry it took awhile." Haha.
The piano is great on this, especially when he starts poundin' the keys.
Some great background vocals on this thing too.
Guess it's one of my favorite Lou Reed songs.

Here's the part of the recording process I was thinkin' of:
"Live: Take No Prisoners was recorded during the series of albums where Reed employed the use of a
binaural recording setup, using a dummy head with microphones in each ear."
 
I have been listening to the A-Side of Lou Reed's "Sally Can't Dance" lately and also thoroughly.
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This is a 1974 UK stereo copy on the RCA Victor label. Not in best shape, the sound is pretty muffled, but actually, I find this quite conducive to my mind at the moment. Highly enjoyable A-side consisting of four songs.

Ride Sally Ride is a nice opener, bugle-intro and all, with poor Sally being gang-raped? The second song is Animal Language, my favorite on this side, as my cats and I can sing along in unison to this one. The third song, Baby Face, I find a bit boring musically. Too bluesy for my taste. New York Stars, number four, is a great song, and it kinda sounds different to the other three, clearer and more spacious. Not sure if this is material related or if they were experiencing with binaural sounds again.

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Here it is, all brushed and scrubbed. Will defo listen to it more often.
 
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A selected bunch of records-to-be-washed sooner or later, most likely today, or maybe not, we'll see.

I got hold of a Songs For Drella copy, which seems to have been a very long time ago. I had almost fogotten about it. But here it is.

Then I bought my first classical vinyl (I assume Tangerine Dream does not count as classical) of Mandolin music. It was really the cover art which had attracted my attention. There is a little duck in the lower left hand corner which cannot be seen in full at the moment, and yes, I think it was the duck. Plus, I didn't know that Beethoven wrote Mandolin music, not that I am an expert in mandolin music, but I have always imagined it to be a light instrument. There is also some music by Hummel on the record. Hummel means bumble bee, which I like quite a lot as a name for a musician. So, everything combined, the duck, the mandolin, Hummel, and the overall cover art, which hopefully is not computer-generated, made me acquire this beautiful second-hand item, a budget pressing after all, and a cut-out left-over, but we'll see what it's worth after it has been washed. Maybe it can lift up my spirits a bit. I have always assumed that this kind of help can only be found in trash, but I avoid to be hopeful in order not to be disappointed too much.

Three more items are from my mum's basement, the Dixieland record, the Travelling Wilburys and the Prince single.

Three 12-inches: Pregnant, The Pixies and You're a Star. Uh ah, we are very opportune here, as usual, all fingers on the pulse of time, as there can of course be found a "Cosmic Dancer" version on Pregnant. Now you all remember, I am sure.

7-inch-wise there is, as I have already said, Prince, plus, Boxers, Redondo Beach and In the Future When All's Well.
 
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The whole batch is drying now, and as everyone can see, it's all black, no fancy coloured vinyl.

The youngest record is by Morrissey, the 2006 7" of "In the Future when all's Hell"

2005: Morrissey, Redondo Beach / There is a Light 7"

1995: Morrissey, Boxers 7"

1991: Morrissey, Pregnant 12"

Then, surprisingly, there are three records from the year 1990:

The Pixies, Dig For fire 12"

Lou Reed / John Cale, Songs for Drella

Prince, The Future 7"
(There is a cold shivver running down my spine whenever I see this year. Can't say why).

The third oldest record is by the Traveling Wilburys, from 1988.

1978
: Aquarian Dream, You're A Star (I know, babe), the 12" disco single

And the oldest but not mouldiest is indeed the Beethoven/Hummel mandolin concertos recordos from 1969.

Not that this is of any interest, but maybe it explains why there is no coloured vinyl in this batch of second-hand records.
 
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I'm gonna start with the Beethoven / Hummel mandolin music record from 1969 on the Nonesuch Records label.

Nonesuch was created in 1963 as a budget label for classical releases.

Here is the aforementioned cover art as created by Abe Gurvin, the loveliest thing I've seen for a long time. It breathes the spirit of the 60s, which was probably a great time to be a visual artist.

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The jacket is made of very thick and hard cardboard. The record itself is still in pretty good shape. I paid 3 euros for it. No severe damage, only a few scratches and some mould or condensation spots, not sure what it is exactly...

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Anyways, doesn't affect the sound of the recording, but looks quite strange though, like a disease, and can't be removed.
After all, I am surprised how nice and clear the recording sounds. The mandolin resembles a zither, and there is also a harpsichord played throughout. Both can take up all the space available, they sound clear and sparkling, and are not dampened down by any low-quality pressing. Probably "budget releases" of the 60s resemble the high-end world champion releases of today.
 
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Not much is known about the Dixieland-Festival International record released on Coup Records, another unknown entity, which seems to have resided in Central Europe. Plus, there is no information about the musicians on the label. One William de Ruiter seems to have done the arrangement. All songs are traditional, no new material. One can only guess about its original intention.

Nevertheless, the record is quite enjoyable, especially on a Sunday morning. I'm gonna keep it. It's important to have one Dixieland record at home for special occasions. It's the sort of music which is played when people come together for brunch and are ready to savour the first alcohol of the day which helps to forget about the next looming work week. So everyone is in a super chatty mood, socializing with like-minded people who are in antiques and vintage cars, the women wearing fancy hats, the guys F. Scott Fitzgerald shoes, voices raised and almost hysterically trying to drown the noise around, the alcohol flowing, and the fast-paced and playful Dixieland music propelling the heart beats and blood streams, till everyone collapses in knackered exhaustion. Doesn't sound too bad.
 
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