Archive for the 'Vinyl of the Week' Category

Nashville Skyline was the 9th album by the legendary Bob Dylan. It was a departure from the Woody Guthrie inspired style of folk music he had been known for. This time around, he tapped into good ol’ country.

The first track on the album, Girl From North Country originally appeared on Dylan’s second album, Free Wheelin’ Bob Dylan. For Nashville Skyline, Dylan recorded the song in a duet with Johnny Cash. A perfect intro track to let the listener know that this ain’t the same ol’ Dylan. He wasn’t afraid of experimentation and evolving as an artist.

The album was received with mixed reviews, with the major complaint being that it was different from his previous work. Ultimately, most fans accepted it, and Nashville Skyline is in the annals of innovative recordings.

This edition of Nashville Skyline is great. It’s a 180gram edition, so the sound quality is fantastic. Dylan fans who listen to vinyl most likely have this already, along with the import versions. This is a recommended for those who perhaps are not Dylan fans or those looking for something new to listen to. Nashville Skyline is a great place to start.

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When talking about the Godfather of Soul, I can’t help but smile. James Brown always puts me in a good mood. His music transcends generations. Many rap artists sampled tracks from James Brown, and his influence on dance, funk and r&b are undeniable.

In The Jungle Groove was one of my first cassette tapes. Yeah, I said cassette. The song “Funky Drummer” was already familiar to me since it was sampled by Public Enemy and many other musicians. The album is a compilation of songs he wrote between 1969 and 1971.

I won’t deny that nostalgia played a role in selecting this album, but it is a terrific album and a good starting point for people who don’t own any James Brown records. This vinyl copy is 180gram and will make a fine addition to any vinyl collection

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Quadrophenia is a critically acclaimed album by the legendary band The Who.

Quadrophenia is a rock opera. The main protagonist is a teenager named Jimmy Cooper. He is entrenched in the Mod lifestlye. Mod was a subculture in the U.K. that essentially rejected the stuffy and dull culture that they perceived was around them, in favor of African American music like blues and soul, and Jamaican ska. They also liked Italian motor scooters.

Jimmy is a schizophrenic with multiple personality syndrome, and each personality is said to represent the personality of the band.

The liner notes expand on the personality description and band member it relates to.

A tough guy, a helpless dancer - Roger Daltrey
A romantic, is it me for a moment? - John Entwistle
A bloody lunatic, I’ll even carry your bags. - Keith Moon
A beggar, a hypocrite, love reign o’er me. - Pete Townshend

This version of the album is sonically splendid. It’s a 180gram, 2LP edition. This is the best version on vinyl in existence. It’s a great album that would be welcome in any vinyl lover’s collection.

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With Brian Wilson’s recent in store appearance here at J&R, it was only fitting to look back at The Beach Boys and all their albums. To pick an album from their library of work as a definitive one is impossible, but nevertheless, I have to pick one. I chose Pet Sounds.

Pet Sounds is a unique album, in that incorporates unconventional instruments and sounds effects like dog whistles, bicycle bells, buzzing organs and harpsichords just to name a few. Critical reception for the album was phenomenal and continues to be. It influenced the works of artists like The Beatles and Eric Clapton.

The vinyl edition is something that any vinyl enthusiast should have in their collection.

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The body of work left by Led Zeppelin is nothing short of amazing. Sure, it may not be the most expansive, but the sheer quality is breathtaking. As a child of the 80’s and 90’s, I obviously was not around to experience Zeppelin firsthand, so I have a faux revisionist relationship with their music. I can appreciate the sound of their time, but like all good music, theirs is timeless and transcends generations.

My draw to Zeppelin comes from the fact that their inspiration for many of their songs is good ol’ American blues. The raw, dirty sound of the Delta. Make no bones about it, Zeppelin is a rock outfit, but many of their songs have been heavily influenced by blues.

In my opinion, anyone not familiar with Zeppelin’s body of work should start out with Mothership. Mothership is a compilation album of the premium cuts from their eight studio albums. The songs were chosen by Jimmy Page, John Paul Johns and Robert Plant themselves, so who are we to argue?

It truly is an amazing boxset. Even more amazing is the 4LP vinyl version. It’s an audiophile’s dream. All 4 Lps are 180gram, mastered at half speed by the legendary Stan Ricker. It comes in an archival 2-piece box, which includes 12-page oversized full-color booklet with photos and 4 individual jackets with unique artwork. The album cover was designed by notable Los Angeles artist, Shepard Fairey. It also features new liner notes.

This album is highly recommended.

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If you want to talk about influential American musicians, then without a shadow of a doubt, Jimi Hendrix should be on the list. Born Johnny Allen Hendrix in Seattle, Washington, Hendrix had gotten into trouble for joyriding in stolen cars. He was given the choice of going to prison for two years, or joining the Army. He chose to join the Army.

It was while he was in the Army he met fellow soldier and bassist Billy Cox. Hendrix and Cox teamed up with Buddy Miles after they left the military to record the legendary live album Band of Gypsys.

Band of Gypsys is unique because it is the only complete official live Jimi Hendrix album. The band rehearsed for only ten days and performed four concerts at the Filmore East in the span of two days. Two concerts were performed on New Years eve, and two on New Years day. Despite the haste at which the material was performed, the LP has gone down in history as one of the finest for good live rock music.

The latest Band of Gypsys LP surpasses every other version ever released. To begin with, it’s now a 180gram vinyl edition. In addition, it is also a special red color edition, so if you are a collector of rare vinyl, now is the time to get on board. Any fan of rock music should definitely check out this LP, it’s quality through and through.

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John Coltrane needs no introduction to any jazz fan. Arguably, the most gifted saxophonist that ever lived. His library of work is as extensive as the day is long. He’s worked with the likes of Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Cannonball Adderly, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly and Dizzy Gillespie just to name a few.

Even though passed away at the mere age of 40, the music he left behind was enough to last a lifetime. From sideman, to band leader he always exuded a quiet confidence that made him outshine most of his peers.

With an extensive body of work, narrowing it down to just one pick was a damn hard decision to make. Everything he has done, from his bepop and hard bop days, to his avant garde work, it all encompasses a genius at work at different stages of sheer brilliance in his illustrious career.

However, I did pick one album. I think this is one of his best. The album is A Love Supreme. The album is significant, because it represents the musical shift Coltrane was taking towards avant garde style musings. It’s flat out a must own album for any jazz fan, and honestly, telling jazz fans to pick up the album is like preaching to the choir. They probably already own it. This one goes out to those that don’t, get it! It’s a title that should be enjoyed by anyone who is a fan of music, jazz fan or not. I can only describe this album on vinyl as “heavenly”. A love supreme indeed.

I love Shelby Lynne. As an artist, her musical range in limitless. She’s well known for being a country singer, but her latest album titled Just A Little Lovin’ shows that she can sing soul with passion and conviction.

The album is a tribute to British soul singer, Dusty Springfield. From the outset, Shelby insisted on recording the album in analog. She’s a vocal supporter of vinyl, and she knows all about the rich, warm sound a quality recording from an analog master can produce. You can read her passionate thoughts on the matter here.

With regards to the album, it’s marvelous. Shelby calls upon the ghost of Dusty and delivers the material in stunning fashion. Her voice is silky smooth. Lost Highway delivered the LP on 180 gram vinyl, so it’s nothing but grade A quality stuff here folks. The album is a must for any vinyl enthusiast.

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Nine Inch Nails is a Grammy-winning rock act fronted by Trent Reznor. I use the term ‘act’ rather than band, because Reznor is the only official member of NIN. He has a group of backing musicians that perform with him live, but the line-up has changed consistently over the years. Reznor remains in sole control over the direction the music takes.

One of his most critically acclaimed albums is The Downward Spiral. The album was a huge success, spurring hit singles like Closer, March of the Pigs and Hurt. Trent Reznor is well respected in the audiophile community because he steadfastly insists on releasing his music in a myriad of high resolution playback formats. The latest formats he’s embraced are blu-ray audio and Apple lossless. The Downward Spiral is no exception high resolution releases. In addition to the standard CD, it was also released on DVD-A, SACD and 180gram vinyl.

The 180gram vinyl is simply phenomenal, and it is something that every vinyl enthusiast should experience. It’s well recorded and has a very warm, inviting sound. You may not this brand of rock music, but part of being a music lover is being open to different genres of music. I for one appreciate Trent for all he has done to promote high resolution music. The fact that NIN rocks is just icing on the cake. Mighty delicious cake might I add. So if you have a turntable, do yourself a favor and pick up The Downward Spiral on vinyl.

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Pink Floyd needs no introduction to any true music connoisseur. They were previously known as ‘The Tea Set’, but changed their name to Pink Floyd in 1965 when they found out that another band was also named The Tea Set. The frontman at the time, Syd Barrett, decided to go with the name ‘Pink Floyd’ instead. They were the first names of two American blues musicians he admired, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. From 1965 to 1994, they proceeded to make original, uncompromising, raw music.

With almost 30 years of original, psychedelic, progressive rock under their belts, it certainly was not easy to pick a definitive album from their impressive body of work. Everything they did rocked. However, if I had to pick one Pink Floyd album, it would be Dark Side of The Moon. This album is legendary. It is one of the best selling albums of all time. It spent 741 weeks on the Billboard charts. To fully grasp that number, that’s about 14 years. No other album in history has achieved this.

DSOTM is one of my favorite albums. I own just about every format that it ever came in. CD, cassette, Hybrid SACD, Vinyl (standard and 180gram) and even the ultra rare DVD-A version. Do yourself a favor if you don’t own this album, get it! The 180gram vinyl version is incredible, and is a must for anyone with a turntable.

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