The College Crowd Digs Me

(4 For Friday) *   You just can't believe everything you see.  Mind blow. *   An interesting Top-10 list of the favorite vinyl finds in 2021 from  PsycheDerek .   *  Did you get a puppy for Christmas?  Or already have a dog?  Here are 30 dog psych facts that will have you viewing your four-legged friend differently.  *   Hidden hologram on the Star Wars vinyl .  Very cool spinning on the turntable.  "May the vinyl be with you." "Lost Forever, Left For Dreaming" - Rockets / "Rockets" (1979) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK

  The College Crowd Digs Me "...if you were prone to stage fright... then you were in the wrong occupation." Pete Agnew (Nazareth) "There's a lot of benefits. But there's also a lot of fallbacks, too." Michael Conner Humphreys  ("Forrest Gump") "There were a lot of musicians that couldn't get off those dark roads." Liberty DeVitto  (Billy Joel) "It was really interesting because audiences at first didn't understand what was going on." John Lodge (The Moody Blues) "It put me at just the right height allowing me to bolt myself onto the sign. Then they drove away." Kevin VanHentenryck ("Basket Case") "...on the basis of these two songs, they traded me to MCA. Like a sports team trading a baseball player." Tony Carey (Planet P,  Rainbow) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK

"(No Pussyfooting)" - Fripp & Eno (1973) More avant-garde, than ambient.  Brian Eno is not quite there...yet.  More flibbety-floos to tapdance in your brain on this debut album... "(No Pussyfooting)."   Still,  you can definitely see the direction this experimental bend is leading.  Using tape recorders like jacked-up sewing machines, they thread loops and layers and tape delays of synth and guitar to create wonderfully strange and heady trance-like music. Two songs, "The Heavenly Music Corporation" and "Swastika Girls" make up the album.  Both are unique and enjoyable. This is the early beginnings of Eno's fascination with tape-delay manipulation and Robert Fripp's guitar trickery soon to be known as "Frippertronics."  In equal measure, each take their ideas further into the unknown.  On this album, you can't have one without the other.  Knowing of Eno's extreme ambient period to come, I was afraid "(No P

"( R) Evolution" - Hedge & Donna (1971) This was a complete blind buy.  I grabbed it because the cover looked interesting and it had Joe Walsh playing guitar on the album.  Hedge & Donna were a mid-late 60s folk-rock duo out of California who had met in college, married, and were acclaimed enough to be asked to perform at the Atlanta International Pop Festival and The Smothers Brothers Show .  " R Evolution" was the duo's fifth album and finds them throwing down a groovier and more contemporary folk vibe.   I was expecting Joe Walsh's presence to be more obvious, but here he maintains a lower profile letting the two do their thing.  And it's pretty good for what it is.  Certainly enjoyable, but nothing really stood out for me either.  However, since spinning Hedge & Donna's " R Evolution" a few times, I've found the square to be a bit of a grower.  I just think my Walsh expectations threw me off.  "( R) Evolution

(4 For Friday) *  Here are 20 unwritten rules of life  most should already be hip to. *  This is so enjoyable.  A 1968 Elvis Presley and a present-day  Martina McBride  together on stage singing "Blue Christmas."    Really well done and amazing.  You're gonna want to see this. *  An incredible macro photograph of just one simple itty-bitty snowflake. *  We all caught  Billy Preston  working the keys in the "Let It Be" documentary.  Check  Billy Preston,   at the spry age of 10 . ..(really?)...kicking it with Nat King Cole.  "Merry Xmas Everybody" - Slade (1973) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK

 (a short jaunt) "Perfect Day" - Lou Reed / "Transformer" (1972) The last episode of "Breaking Bad."   The very last scene.  Badfinger's " Baby Blue" was such a great song to go out with.  Fitting for sure.  But I always thought the irony in Lou Reed's haunting "Perfect Day"  playing out while the flashing police lights in the night keep getting closer and closer to Walter would've been an acceptable choice, as well. (OWN) "Nasty Dogs And Funky Kings" - ZZ Top / "Fandango!" (1975) If you remember, "Fandango!" is a part live / part studio album.  Side one had pieces of a live set thrown together.  Not a thing wrong with it.  But it's side two (the studio side) that begs spinning.  It opens with  "Nasty..."  and is everything I love about "southern rock."  Have a friend who needs an introduction?  Put this one on.  In fact, the entire of side two is just a "keeping

"Emerge" / The Litter (1969 - Rei 2014) I've played this a bunch since cracking it open last week.  There are dustings of psych here and there, but this is one of the early golden nuggets that foreshadows the 70s hard rock poundage to come.  Proto-aggressive, and yet beautifully precise.  The guitars fuzz and burn in satisfying measure and sound fresh.  Even when the band chills down, like on "Breakfast At Gardenson's" or the jazz-bent "Silly People,"  the songs never drag or lose focus.  The lyrics are interesting and the frontman vocals are just fine.  Not great, but they do no harm.  From needle drop to matrix, "Emerge" ...is a tasty spin.  And when I need a bit of a hit, this is a nice one to light up. "Emerge" / The Litter (back) Of the 9 songs included on this reissue, two are covers.  Buffalo Springfield's... "For What It's Worth"  and Love's... "Little Red Book."   They didn't outdo

(4 For Friday) *   Finally, George Harrison's official video..."My Sweet Lord" ...with people you might (and might not recognize.)  I already feel better.  Grab yourself a soda and enjoy.   *   Let's go back in time and revisit Vinyl Richie #63 showing a few of his Vinyl Finds.  Ideas, man! *   You're gonna need this.  30 insanely Useful Websites That'll Come in Handy Someday .   *   He was just 19 years old when he knocked this shit outta the park.  Mike Oldfield and some of his friends perform "Tubular Bells" live on the BBC.   All good, but the 18-minute mark onward is just killer...and mesmerizing. (free Youtube) "Enemy" - Days Of The New / "Days Of The New - Green" (1999) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK

Abandon by Blake Crouch (2012) Softcover, 514 pages NO SPOILERS: Abandon was once a thriving mining town located in the high mountains of Colorado, but then all of a sudden...poof...ain't nobody around.  But oh, the power of what was left behind.  This is a wintertime horror adventure that travels over an undercurrent of depressing foreboding.  The story alternates between the 1860s and the present day.  The 'present' involves a journalist, a couple of ghost hunters, and a couple of guides.  And the 'past' is...well...just the past.  A parallel, if you will.  The story starts off kind of slow and the payoff isn't as big as I'd hoped, but there are still some really well-written scenes that caused me to pause.  The claustrophobic elements that sometimes rear their little head make for wonderfully uncomfortable times.  As does the urgency to get somewhere safe.  This isn't Blake Crouch's classic Dark Matter by any means, (a book you'll want to ge

  "Some Of Our Best Friends Are" - Warner Bros - Seven Arts Records Inc (1968) I don't grab compilations very often, but occasionally I'll find one that tweaks my interest.  This early 1968 comp from Warner Brothers includes a solid offering of artists with good songs to match.   Only a couple nolo contendere.  But what really makes this comp interesting is that WB listed  Jimi Hendrix's latest album as being called... "Electric Circus Lady" !?  Not much has been written about this little oddity, but in all likelihood, WB went to press believing this was Jimi's working title instead of what was to become "Electric Ladyland" (1968)  There is a nice showing of this album over at The Hogs Ear Report .  Be sure and check that out. "Some Of Our Best Friends Are" (back) Favorite offerings from the lesser-known artists are The Collectors , Kensington Market, and The Fugs.   Of course, finding power hitters like The Grateful Dead, 

  (4 For Friday) *   Check out this rollin' steam train all decked out in winter Christmas love.  Totally worth it! *  Not sure which album to pick up next?  Open Culture has collected all the links to Pink Floyd's entire discography now streaming on Youtube.  This might help make up your mind. *   You've seen'em all.  Here are a few Christmas Movie facts to take in. *   Some tasty film noir at its finest.  "D.O.A." (1949)   This is a top-ten must. (free YouTube) "Whadda You Want From Me" - Billy Squier / "Don't Say No" (1981) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK

"American Gothic" - David Ackles (1972) From the cover, you might think this is a rural folk-rock kind of album.  But the curtains just don't match the drapes.  On "American Gothic" ... David Ackles has almost a minstrel piano songster vibe going on and performs each of his 11 original songs with drama and theatrics.  The songwriting falls somewhere in-between the Randy Newman/Harry Chapin music box.  And  Ackles's voice has a warm Neil Diamond timbre that sells it all.  It's good for what it is.  I mean it's good, but the music is just not my Chock Full o' Nuts.  However, Elvis Costello and Elton John both trumpet the skill and talents of David Ackles.   Most critics loved this album, as well, with one going so far as calling it the... "Sgt Pepper of folk music."   That probably did Ackles no favors.  The album floated for a moment and then sank like a brick. Interestingly, this album was produced by Bernie Taupin .  And if you&#

(4 For Friday) *   It ain't winter yet!  A top-ten list of Autumn songs at My Top Ten . *   The technology of Artificial Intelligence compiled every serial killer into one creepy single person.  Anyone, you know? *   Let's revisit The Psychedelic Experience Record Run -- Vinyl Finds #31 .  Always fun and never gets old.  Good stuff. *   Wonderful actor Lance Kerwin stars in Michael Landon's  1976 autobiographical TV film  "The Loneliest Runner"  ...about bedwetting and having an unforgiving mother. (free YouTube) "Frivolous Tonight" - XTC / "Apple Venus Volume 1" (1999) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK

"Silver Apples" /  Silver Apples (1968 - Rei 2021) The Silver Apples'  debut self-titled album is an electronic psych-groove treat.  Seriously experimental for its time.  The music is a mix of occasional vocals surrounded by wonderful heady flutters, bloops, whooshes, drumbeats, and of course, oscillations.  Joined together, the songs throw off really nice trance-like vibes.  Each song maintains a similar level of aura, and yet I notice something interesting and different every time I spin it.  I just put the record on and my mind disengages...and away I go. Made up of two New Yorkers... Simeon,  tweedling and sliding knobs on his self-built one-of-a-kind oscillator gizmo and Danny Taylor providing the drum beats.  It's all a groovy, trippy experience and a must-own album for psychedelic fans who totally dig stretching the boundaries. "Silver Apples" / Silver Apples (back) Favorite songs include "Oscillations" ... "Lovefingers" ...and

(4 For Friday) *   Watching a few Buster Keaton stunts never gets old. *   "Sweet Sweet Connie" (Connie Hamzy)  was the real deal and she has left us at age 66. I did not know that! *   Here is  The Velvet Underground — Official Trailer. *   A real surprise how good this film is. "Call Of The Wild"   (1935) Worth the time! (free-YouTube) "Under The Boulevard Lights" - Chuck Francour / "Under The Boulevard Lights" (1980) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK

"Through high times and no times. Been around the block so many times... they should've named it after me." ~ Tony Carey ~ Some musical artists get pigeon-holed rather quickly.  Wined, dined, and quickly defined.  Not necessarily a bad thing.  But it can often stifle other directions they might want to travel.  Tony Carey has always been a blazer of his own trails.  He creates music his own way and on his own terms.  Satisfying the fans, while keeping true to his own space.  Whether laying down the crazy good keyboard rushes all over the heavy hard rock album "Rising" (1976) ...arguably Rainbow's best album.  Or the excellent pop-rock albums of his own...one which includes perhaps his most anthemic song... "A Fine, Fine Day."   Or maybe it's the spacey, atmospheric synth-driven direction Carey takes on his groovy  Planet P Project albums that have created their own groundswell of diehard fans.  Each phase of Tony Carey begs to be revisite