The Vinyl Countdown

Purple Mountains, Purple Mountains (2019)
It feels a little odd to have this on vinyl – but it was a must. At one point this was very nearly my album of the year; certainly one of my most played in 2019. But then what happened happened. And that meant that I stopped playing it – and it would have felt like a bit of a cash-in or something to declare it the Album of the Year. Maybe I’m ready to start listening to this again (I did include it in my overall list of great album I reviewed last year). Purple Mountains was announced – as project – as album – as the return of David Berman (he of Silver Jews previously – as well as poetry and cartoons and other musical projects). And then the album came out and was brilliant. Instantly. I reviewed it for the radio and then wrote about it gushingly. And within a few weeks of the release and the hype David Berman took his own life. Which made those darkly humourous depression odes on the album just a little hard to take, or at least you didn’t want to seem like you were reveling in them. But I have the album now on vinyl and though I’ve only played it once it is a must-have. Something that has to be there in the collection. And something I’ll find my way back to with time. A brilliant album – from a tortured genius. A sad story. Such great (sad, bleak) songs…

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January 18, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 185

Los Lobos, Will The Wolf Survive? [Single] (1985)
I probably didn’t really need this – but when has need really ever been the case with records and collections and especially with record-collections?! I wanted it. I wanted to have this. So I got it. Because I love Los Lobos and I’m also a bit of a sucker for a novelty like a “ltd edition” version – so here is a 10” vinyl single of Wolf – but it’s a remix version with live recordings of a couple of classic tracks for a double b-side. That’s me! Had to have it. So I do. And it’s great. Because it’s Los Lobos. What a band!

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January 16, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 186

Art Blakey and The Jazzmessengers, Album of The Year (1981)
One of my first drum heroes was Art Blakey and his wonderful JazzMessengers – of which there were several incarnations. I’ve really only had stuff from the classic line-up but I knew that in the 1980s he brought in a few other new soon-to-be big names (Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard). So it was nice to find this recently and to hear the young Wynton and to hear an older Art still driving from the back. Some great jazz here. And whenever I buy some new (or old) jazz on vinyl it kicks off a big back-catalog dig, so I’m on the hunt for more Blakey now as well as putting all of my jazz records in one place so I can play classic albums back to back to back to back to back… Read More »

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January 14, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 187

Daniel Lanois, Flesh and Machine (2014)

This is the first Daniel Lanois solo album that I’ve owned on vinyl – but of course his name is all through my record collection. Peter Gabriel, U2, Eno, Emmylou Harris and many others – Bob Dylan, Neil Young, The Neville Brothers, Willie Nelson – the list could go on and on. And man I love Lanois’ solo albums – I should buy and collect up more of them/all of them! Maybe I will now I have runs on the board. I can’t at all remember when I started getting hooked on his solo material but once it happened it was done, I was hooked. Possibly it was the Sling Blade soundtrack actually – I love the space and atmosphere created around his guitar. And yes, of course, the noise he makes. A beautiful noise. There are better Lanois solo albums than this – but I still love this a lot and I’m glad to have started a Lanois wing of my record collection.

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January 13, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 188

Billie Holiday, Body & Soul (1957)
After getting Lady In Satin I’ve decided to start collecting up the Billie Holiday original albums – so this was the next one on the list. I just love her voice so much. And her sad story is wrapped up in the telling of so many of these songs. (You know I even wanted to name a girl Billie, if we were to have another child). I had some of the albums on tape, plenty of compilations on CD and now I’m collecting them all up – all that I can find, when I find them – on vinyl. I think she might be the great voice of the 20^th Century for me. Certainly one of my all-time favourites. Such heartbreak in that voice. It’s impossible not to hear it. Read More »

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January 10, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 189

Bob Dylan, Fallen Angels (2016)
Bob Dylan long ago earned the right to do whatever he likes and then in the last few years he tested the shit out of that by released three albums of covers in a row; the third a triple album. I was surprised a little at how much I love these albums – but particularly this one. Here’s my review from when it was released. I loved Shadows (the first album) and was fairly swift to buy both that and Triplicate on vinyl. But with Angels I actually used the Wellington Library’s vinyl-lending system to enjoy the record. It felt like a strange treat. Borrowing an LP – a brand new LP – and having it for a week. I played Fallen Angels so much and knew I’d one-day own it. I kept thumbing past it on the shelf over the last couple of years. Finally I bought it. It’s still my favourite. I still hope Dylan does anything else if he records again. But that said I’ll buy a fourth volume. Absolutely! Read More »

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January 7, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 190

Mike Oldfield, Exposed (1979)
I used to be so into Mike Oldfield – and now it’s a chore. At best. Be careful though, when you say something like that – especially when it comes to guilty-pleasures…I dug out this double-live album and played it right through, as if to prove to myself that I was over him completely and that he was utterly ludicrous and his music stupid-af. And what happened? I got hooked again. This double-live capturing of his 1979 tour has a couple of full studio albums performed live for the stage and a bonus ‘pop song’ encore. And it might be all the Oldfield I ever – ever – need (and more!)

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January 6, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 191

Randy Newman, Born Again (1979)
It’s a little over a month to go before Randy Newman’s first ever NZ shows – so all my Randy Newman albums (soundtracks, collabs, even records by other that feature Newman compositions – a heap!) are there by the stereo. I’ve worked through them all recently because I did a radio feature about him – and the one that always sticks out, a sort of sore thumb really, is this. The end of that golden run of great 1970s albums. But not quite up there with the truly amazing albums in Newman’s canon despite featuring some very strong songs. Something’s just a little ‘off’ about this album – a little too dark and mean, perhaps. I like it though. That’s for sure. The cover – a brilliant rip of Kiss. And then there’s a great musical rip of ELO which seems to be both a parody and a tribute all at once. One things for sure he didn’t like Bruce Springsteen at all and wanted people to know that. Some incredible songs here –my favourite being the super-dark Girls In My Life (Pt.1). And then there’s also one of his enduring ‘hits’.

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January 1, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 192

Lionel Richie, Stuck On You [Single] (1983)
You all know I’m a big Lionel Richie fan – big, big fan. Have been my whole life. Great musician. Superb pop songwriter. And so many great country songs too – starting, really, with this one. Always loved this song. And got to love it all over again on the wonderfully shite Tuskegee album. I’m not about to buy every single Lionel album on vinyl – though I have most of my favourites already. And the later singles don’t interest me but his early 80s songs are perfect I reckon. Read More »

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December 28, 2019 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 193

Margaret Urlich, Escaping [Single] (1989)
One day I’ll get around to getting the Safety In Numbers album. Until then, this is my vinyl memory of Margaret Urlich. The A Side is the album’s opener (and one of the big singles) the B Side is the album’s closing track; cover of the standard (composed by Billie Holiday). You’re never going to compete with Billie and Margaret doesn’t – but her version has its charm, for sure. Escaping though? That’s a wee banger of a ballad. Still. Saw her perform it 3-4 years ago and she was amazing. And the song was too. Class act. Good pop song from a great pop singer.

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December 25, 2019 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 194

The Big Dish, Prospect Street [Single] (1986)
I know nothing about The Big Dish – apart from what I’ve just googled – and this single and b-side, which I’ve just listened to for the first time. Scottish band. And I can hear that instantly and line them up somewhere between Simple Minds and The Blue Nile; elements of both eh, on a basic level. So what am I writing this now? Where did this single come from? I have a feeling it’s one of the small handful Oscar chose from the 50c chuck-out bin a few years ago. He had a record player in his room as a toddler and would get free and super-cheap records as he was building his “own collection”. Now all he cares about in terms of records is The Beatles and The Chipmunks (!) So I’m still finding things we gathered up back 4-5 years ago. Funny. Anyway, this really isn’t bad at all and I wouldn’t have known that at a guess without hearing it. Read More »

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December 19, 2019 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 195

Bill Haley & The Comets, Rock Around The Clock (1968)

Bill Haley – the name is linked forever to the TV show Happy Days for me, and a little later that Jive Bunny album which I loved for far too long really. Simple rock’n’roll music – amazing to think that it was lock-up-your-daughter stuff; doesn’t feel threatening at all eh, and never has in my lifetime. But back in the 1950s this stuff was a revolution in the mainstream. Go back and listen to some of the hypnotic, mind-blowing jazz and R’n’B from a decade before this. That still feels like a revelation if not a revolution. That’s the real mind-blower. But hey, there’s some fun to be had here. And I’m a sucker for a Music World compilation. Read More »