The College Crowd Digs Me

"Nobody puts Baby in the corner with a lampshade on her head."  at  Open Culture . Echoes In The Wind  ...what was #100 on the Hot 100 in April 1976.  Missed it by this much! Hard to beat this "revenge best served cold" version of Dumas' "The Count Of Monte Cristo"    Pretty underrated.  "...the kind of movie that used to be right at home at the Saturday matinee, and it still is." - Roger Ebert (Free - YouTube) It's getting closer to summer all the time.  Can you spot the person drowning?   I couldn't spot shit! "Pissing In A River" - Patti Smith / "Radio Ethiopia" (1976) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK

"There were a lot of musicians that couldn't get off those dark roads." ~ Liberty DeVitto ~ One of the oxymorons of a great drummer is the ability to make a good song better without getting in the way.  For over three decades, drummer Liberty DeVitto  pounded the drum gates for Billy Joel .  And for 30+ years, these two shared a bit of the mind-meld synchronicity that allows singer and drummer to seamlessly connect.  The kind of mysterious hoodoo voodoo that only comes along with talent, tenacity, and a whole lot of time spent together.  From "Turnstiles" to the piano man's last studio album "River Of Dreams."   Nine multi-platinum studio albums during this stretch, not to mention the multi-platinum live albums that have been delivered.  Liberty DeVitto.   Go get you some. Liberty DeVitto Interview -- April 2021 Liberty DeVitto Casey Chambers:   In February of '78, you guys performed on "Saturday Night Live" for the very first tim...

Another great vinyl finds video to watch over at the  Burnout Shelter.   "The Wages Of Fear" (1953)  - "The film's extended suspense sequences deserve a place among the great stretches of cinema." - Roger Ebert   (free on YouTube) Over at My Top Ten is a list of favorite Jim Steinman songs. He left this world last week.  He was 73.  R.I.P.   So you were wondering what happens when  your harp breaks a string . "No Way To Cry" - Tommy Tutone / "Tommy Tutone 2" (1981) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK

"Underground" - Electric Prunes (1967) The Electric Prunes were the first artist represented on the iconic "Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era" ...with their psych-baked single "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night" from their debut album.   On their sophomore album, "Underground" the band totally commits to the psych-train with relish.  Almost every song is seasoned with various measures of psych trippyness.  Fuzzed-out guitars and studio effects trickery.  Garage dirtiness and shadowy atmospheres.  Only one song feels out of place...the silly country twanging "It's Not Fair."   The song is not exactly bad, but it does have a throw-away feel to it.  Still,  "Underground" is highly recommended for fans of that early psychedelia wave.   "Underground" (back) Favorites include  "The Great Banana Hoax."   The song jumps from garagey pop-psych to hot acid freak and other surprises...

The Hogs Ear Report shares his top vinyl finds stumbled on in the wild from last year.  Always fun and interesting. Many consider "Rain" to be The Beatles finest b-side moment at The Beatles Bible . Go back and watch this 80s classic spot-on punk film... "Suburbia" directed by Penelope Spheeris . Bookmark this and keep it handy.  A quick and easy way to contact Amazon for help. "Oh My" - UFO / "Phenomenon" (1974) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK

(a short jaunt) "Welcome To Goose Creek" - Goose Creek Symphony / "Welcome To Goose Creek" (1971) " It's just a way of life so easy to find. But it won't be on maps they make. And you can't buy it on time." Man, but this stuff is some summer lake cabin...front porch feel-good...thigh-slapping music.  Rootsy with a weed-induced (or not) country-rock authenticity.  The band sounds like they were located somewhere in the mountains of Appalachia, but nope, they were from Phoenix.  And the band owns a piece of real estate in the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall-of-Fame.   I imagine it's pretty hard to stay angry with Goose Creek Symphony around. (OWN) "Water Song" - Hot Tuna / "Burgers" (1972) Hot Tuna has always been a little bit hit-or-miss for me, but dang if they don't knock this song outta the park.  This song was culled from "Burgers" ...their debut studio album and is about as lost gem as one can ...

"The Howlin' Wolf Album" - Howlin' Wolf (1969) Howlin' Wolf might not have liked the time he spent making this record as the story goes, but that doesn't diminish in the least just how much I enjoyed it.  Even some of the most pissed-on albums have been fondly embraced.  This is not your traditional Howlin' Wolf blues, but it doesn't drift too terribly far from the roots.  This is blues with a psychedelic bend that avoids many of the familiar cliches.  Oh, and like it or not, it does kick some Howlin' Wolf ass. Members of Rotary Connection back up the legend and help fill the office with some good noise.  And guitarist Pete Cosey , who played with Miles Davis for a long run is especially fresh letting his guitar loose to trip and freak.  Cosey takes many of the songs for a little fuzz and wah-wah ride and is a big reason the album is so much fun. "The Howlin' Wolf Album" (back) Favorites include the psyched-out "Evil" ...

Here's a new video of John Lennon and his song "Look At Me" with previously unreleased footage of John and Yoko.  Somewhere in-between sweet and sad with his heart hanging on his sleeve. Rolling Stone made a list of their  "40 Of The Greatest One-And Done Albums" with a small comment about each choice.  A few surprises.  A lot of head-scratchers.  And a few wtfs!  But a whole lot of fun to check out. Man of 10,000 sound-effects Michael Winslow runs through some spot on Hendrix .  A cup of Zeppelin .  And... Tina Turner ?  I didn't see that one coming.  Excellent stuff So much fun watching   Mellow Yellow and The Psych Professor share their belated "Top 10 Vinyl Finds of 2019."   Good friends sharing good record scores.  Time well spent.  "Mambo Sun" - T. Rex  / "Electric Warrior" (1971) "On a mountain range, I'm Dr. Strange." Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK

(a short jaunt) "Lord Of The Thighs" - Aerosmith / "Get Your Wings" (1974) Not really a deep track as this one is usually one of the two or three songs radio plays from the album.  Still, I seldom hear it anymore.  The silly play on words of the "Lord Of The Flies" book from English class is exactly the kind of twist young boys would make during an afternoon assembly.  I'm not sure which I like best...the snarly vocals of Steven Tyler or the twin guitars with Brad Whitford taking the lead.  This jam was supposedly the last song written for this their second studio album. (OWN) "Waiter, There's A Yawn In My Ear" -  Manfred Mann's E. B. / "The Roaring Silence" (1976) Which came first: the song or the album cover?  The song is an excellent trippy-prog instrumental that crushes.  And with some tasty soloing in the middle.  Both synth and guitar.  The song may not have a distinct direction but it's some ear-pleasing headp...

"Strange Affair" - Help Yourself (1972) Help Yourself was an English rock band from London who had a bit of that trippy West Coast rock spirit.  Their 2nd album "Strange Affair" is warm, catchy, and psych dusted enough to give the listener a good feeling.  Plenty of good playing on all fronts.  Vocals are especially solid, at times recalling the timbre of America and CSN, and yet retaining their own flavor.     "Strange Affair" - Help Yourself   (back) Favorites include the outstanding 10-minute psych-biscuit "The All Electric Fur Trapper."   Floaty and fuzzy.  Trippy and groovy.  Just a great spin.  "Movie Star" sounds right out of a CSN cookbook left at Laurel Canyon.  "Brown Lady" is a groove with harmonies sounding very much like America.  “Many Ways of Meeting” closes us out with a satisfying gentle ballad that's not cheap, maintaining the good vibe of the album.   My copy came with a printe...

One of my favorite stops over at Bloggerrhythms is his "Almost Hits" series. I love the song he chose to throw at us and was surprised it never quite grabbed the bar.  It also reminded me of an episode of " Stranger Things." A beautiful and fascinating "before and after" photoshoot dramatically shows the power and attraction of an honest smile at deMilked . Twisted Sifter shows an amazing 4-minute compilation of famous silent film special effects cleverly accomplished before the go-to green screens became the thing.   Long-time Vinyl Community member Earhead Six suggests a starter package of psych records you can find on the cheap for anyone interested in dipping their toes into the proverbial lava lamp.  (On hiatus these days, but looking forward to his return.) "The Hero And The Madman" - Thin Lizzy / "Vagabond Of The Western World" (1973) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK