Tag Archives: news

May 12 to 18

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Nightmares On Wax Shape The Future

I’m unsure how I stumbled upon this album, but I’m glad I did. Shape The Future is electronic by genre, but world music outside of that label. It has samples of music and building blocks from all over the place. It flows with an easy continuity and becomes two cohesive slabs of vinyl. Highly listenable.

Larry Norman  Upon This Rock

Larry Norman was an American musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and producer. He is considered one of the pioneers of Christian rock music and has released more than 100 albums. I do not recommend buying or even listening to all 100. Upon This Rock, So Long Ago the Garden and Only Visiting This Planet are albums that I would highly recommend. These three became known as Larry Norman’s trilogy of albums and comprise his most widely recognized albums, as well as his best material.

Oxbow  Thin Black Duke

The Oxbow album, Thin Black Duke, is another mystery as to how I found it. Oxbow was an experimental rock band known for the vocal prowess of frontman Eugene Robinson. If you are listening to this for the first time, I recommend having Wikipedia and Genius open to track what you are listening to. Thin Black Duke is an interesting album with twists and turns that kept me busy listening intently.

Gary Numan  The Pleasure Principle

The Pleasure Principle is a blast from the past. I would be willing to place a bet if you asked a random sample of people who were 15 or older when this album was released if they knew it. Then ask them if they have ever intently listened to it. I was guilty of using this album as background noise rather than paying attention as I listened to it. This time, I sat down with a cup of coffee, my second addiction after listening to music, opened Wikipedia and Genius, and paid attention to the grooves in The Pleasure Principle. It had a depth that I hadn’t heard before, and I developed a deeper appreciation for what Gary Numan created on this album. 

The Oak Ridge Boys  The Oak Ridge Boys Have Arrived

The Oak Ridge Boys Have Arrived sounds like a wheelbarrow full of other southern USA Nashville Pop vocal groups. Generic and quickly forgotten after the needle is lifted from the runout groove.

The Oak Ridge Boys    Heartbeat

The same band delivers Heartbeat as The Oak Ridge Boys Have Arrived, but it does not sound the same as the Oak Ridge Boys I listened to previously. Heartbeat is more polished, and while still a Nashville pop-flavoured album, it is more listenable, for me at least. The vocals are tighter, and the bass vocal is moulded into the vocals instead of the occasional bass word or two featured on the Arrive album. The Oak Ridge Boys don’t write any songs on this recording, but they have chosen some tasteful songs to cover. They are a pure vocal band, not playing any instruments themselves, but they use top-notch session musicians. Adding up, we get this: great vocals, well-written songs that fit their vocal style, and delivery by the aforementioned top-notch musicians.

Phil Ochs  Pleasures of the Harbor

Pleasures of the Harbor isn’t an album on my deserted island list. But Phil Ochs is an important musician to hear and to read about. Pleasures of the Harbor was released in 1967, and the Vietnam conflict and the protest movement were in full flight. And, naturally, it wouldn’t be much of a protest movement if there weren’t protest songs.

Pleasures of the Harbour is Phil Ochs’ fourth album, and a significant departure from the previous three albums, which were definitely folk music. Pleasures of the Harbour features traces of classical, rock and roll, Dixieland jazz and experimental synthesized music, and of course, folk music.

The songs in Pleasures of the Harbor are less apolitical than his folk albums. Pleasures of the Harbor features songs that are more in the realm of social commentary. “The Party” savaged high-class snobs, and “Outside of a Small Circle of Friends” is a sarcastic jab at the apathetic nature of people in certain situations. Ochs also used the medium of music to tell stories. The title track, Pleasures of the Harbor, is a dirge to lonely sailors seeking human comfort and connection while in port.

Pleasures of the Harbor is not a go-to album for me, but an entertaining and illuminating album just the same.

Mike Oldfield  Tubular Bells

This album is the same as The Pleasure Principle. Well known but not well listened to. I listened intently and had the same result as on The Pleasure Principle. There is much more going on in this album than I had heard before I started listening to albums focused and alert to what was going on musically, what the lyrics said, and how the message was delivered.

Michael And Stormie Omartian

Omartian Odyssey

Michael Omartian has created a pleasant album, but I enjoy him more for his work with other artists. Brace yourself, the list is impressive to say the least.

Michael Omartian produced number-one records in three consecutive decades. He has earned 11 Grammy Award nominations and won three of those nominations. He spent five years on the A&R staff of ABC/Dunhill Records as a producer, artist, and arranger; then he was hired by Warner Bros. Records as an in-house producer and A&R staff member. Omartian moved from Los Angeles to Nashville in 1993, where he served on the Board of Governors of the Recording Academy, and has helped to shape the curriculum for the first master’s degree program in the field of Music Business at Belmont University.

Artists whom Michael Omartian has produced albums for include:

Clint Black, Michael Bolton, Debby Boone, Steve Camp, Peter Cetera, Christopher Cross, Joe “Bean” Esposito, Amy Grant, Benny Hester, Whitney Houston, the Imperials, The Jacksons, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, Cliff Richard, Steely Dan, Rod Stewart, Donna Summer, Wayne Watson, Billy Joel and Trisha Yearwood.

I told you it was impressive.

Roy Orbison  Roy Orbison’s Greatest Hits

Roy Orbison  In Dreams

Roy Orbison  The Very Best of Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison  The All-Time Greatest Hits of Roy Orbison

I was blessed to see the Big O live, and that show stood unchallenged for decades as the best concert I had ever attended. It has been nudged aside and shares that podium now, but I still deeply revere Roy Orbison and his music. I listened to all four of these albums, but you could get away with listening to In Dreams and the double album, The All-Time Greatest Hits of Roy Orbison. 

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Architecture and Morality

Architecture and Morality completes the trilogy of albums I had to appreciate and pay attention to, intentional listening. The Pleasure Principle and Tubular Bells are the other two. I have an earworm from Joan of Arc, the only song off the album that I carried forward from when I bought it. Architecture and Morality was a more challenging listen, but well worth the effort.

Gilbert O’Sullivan  Himself

Alone Again Naturally is the big hit for Gilbert O’Sullivan and the only reference I had for him and his music. He is a great storyteller and delivers the lyrics in a manner that is unique to him. It turns out he had a long and prosperous career, besides “Alone Again Naturally.” If you had asked me on Friday what I thought of Gilbert O’Sullivan, I would have labelled him a one-hit wonder. He isn’t. He had a long and productive career in music that spanned from his debut album, Himself, to his twentieth release, which was released last year, 2024. I may have to go bin diving to expand my discography of Gilbert O’Sullivan.

So, there we have it. Another week of great music checked off with Roy Orbison being the heavy hitter this week. I love my newest turntable, the Fluance 81+. It is paired with my Cambridge Azur 351A and image Concept 200 speakers. The sound is warm, and the separation is immaculate. I can hear sounds left, right and in between clearly. It is also capable of pushing the sound to a slightly higher volume when the music, or I, ask it to. I use it so much that the stereo in my office rarely gets used. It is a new Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB with Romanca R2 speakers, a decent stereo in its own right. It will get its turn to shine as time passes; meanwhile, onward and upward to another week of music.

The New Pornographers

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The New Pornographers Discography

Mass Romantic

  • Released: November 21, 2000

Electric Version

  • Released: May 6, 2003

Twin Cinema

  • Released: August 23, 2005

Challengers

  • Released: August 21, 2007

Together

  • Released: May 4, 2010

Brill Bruisers

  • Released: August 26, 2014

Whiteout Conditions

  • Released: April 7, 2017

In the Morse Code of Brake Lights

  • Released: September 27, 2019

Continue as a Guest

  • Released: March 31, 2023

I’m not sure if I was brave or foolish, but I listened to the entire discography of The New Pornographers in one week, actually in five days. I didn’t go insane and enjoyed revisiting some albums I hadn’t heard recently. I had this notion that I would write down thoughts, inclinations and assorted comments sifted from the internet and my noggin as I listened to each album. That didn’t happen, at least not in any meaningful or helpful way. I jotted down some notes as I listened to the first two albums and then quit. There were so many notes and comments that I would have written a short book rather than the short format I employ in my blogs. In a truncated style, here are some of my takeaways from this music marathon. A.C. Newman and Destroyer frontman Dan Bejar wrote all the songs on the album. Lead vocals were mainly by A.C. Newman and Neko Case. The New Pornographers’ membership has ebbed and flowed over the years and album to album, with Neko Case, A.C. Newman, Dan Bejar, and Kathryn Calder as more or less consistent members. The New Pornographers are often called a Canadian supergroup; as a Canadian, I am OK with that assessment; even if Neko Case isn’t a Canadian, she should be.

Mass Romantic

Wikipedia tells us that Mass Romantic was written over the three years prior to its release on November 21, 2000. Standout samples for me started with track one, appropriately, and blended into track two, then three and all the way to twelve.

“In the streetlight dawn

This beat turns on.”

In “Way Back Machine,” Sonny & Cher sang “The Beat Goes On.”

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” – Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, drummer of Le Figaro. 😉

The Beatles sang that they “read the news today” & “the news was rather sad.”

The New Pornographers “wrote the news today” and then “Make headlines.”

Living in the modern era of social media, we have come to accept that “fake news” is the new normal, especially when Trump is proclaiming it. The New Pornographers wrote a song that goes from “make headlines” to “fake headlines.” They recorded Mass Romantic well before the era of Trump’s fake news nonsense.

Several more comments in my jotted notes have penmanship that make them all but indecipherable. So I won’t mention The Who seeing for miles and miles while The New Pornographers “claim to see for miles, you don’t, but I believe you do.” I have no idea what is going on there.

And I won’t mention that The Mary Martin Show ignited some random synapses in my brain that brought to mind Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, a television parody show. Go figure, eh?

“Breakin’ the Law” closes the album Mass Romantic with a cornucopia of delightful music. 

Mass Romantic must be one of the greatest debut albums. I asked the internet, and it appeared on a few lists, including Paste magazine, which I consider a legit music source, and The Village Voice, which is equally legit.

The New Pornographers‘ first four albums placed in the top 40 on The Village Voice‘s Pazz & Jop year-end poll of hundreds of music reviewers. From 2000 to 2006, either a New Pornographers’ album or a solo album from one of the band’s members ranked in the top 40 on the list each year. In 2007, Blender magazine ranked the New Pornographers’ first album, Mass Romantic, the 24th best indie album ever. In 2009, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the band’s second studio album, Electric Version, No. 79 in the “100 Best Albums of the Decade”. Stereogum has retrospectively praised the band’s debut album, Mass Romantic, as “one of the greatest” power pop albums. I agree.

See what I meant by writing a short book instead of a short blog? What we have here is the edited short version of the notes.

Their sophomore album is Electric Version. I lay awake at night, wondering where the acoustic version is.

On Electric Version, we have From Blown Speakers. That is a great song title; I didn’t drive my speakers that high, but I once worked with a guy who turned the volume so high it vibrated the speaker cabinet off the shelf and crashed to the floor. I had made the shelf and put the speaker on it with no expectation that anyone would listen to music that loud. He did.

New Face of Zero and One was a standout track for me. It’s Only Divine Right is a driving rock number. July Jonesreminded me of Danielson Famile. Why? I don’t know. It just does.

As a whole, the Electric Version sounds like The New Pornographers but dressed up a bit more posh. They are learning as they go, and it sounds good. It’s a more mature sound, fuller somehow.

Track 7 on Brill Bruisers is Another Drug Deal of the Heart with the line “Don’t meet me here

Just meet me out on that corner stop.”

In my mind, it jumped to “Just Walk On By.”

“Just walk on by, wait on the corner

I love you, but we’re strangers when we meet.”

written by Kendall Hayes and performed by American country music artist Leroy Van Dyke. Everyone and their children have subsequently recorded covers of it.

Here are some condensed takeaway thoughts from listening to the discography of The New Pornographs from Mass Romantic to Continue as a Guest. They retained their overall sound but matured and polished their skills as they moved from album to album. 

Mass Romantic, their debut album, stuck with me, which is incredible considering the fact that I listened to all eight of their records after Mass Romantic in chronological order. It isn’t amazing when I reconsider the album; it has always been a highlight favourite of mine. Their sophomore release, Electric Version, is a solid album that proves that Mass Romantic wasn’t a one-off. Twin Cinema, their third release, didn’t stick like glue; it was more like bubble gum. The song “Sing Me Spanish Techno” is a good un. I’ll always hold the album Together in a special place because that was the first time I saw them live. I scored a t-shirt, a poster and a CD from the show.

The Together record is a solid listen, with a couple of tracks that stood out to me, such as Crash Years and Silver Jenny Dollar. Brill Bruisers was gifted to me, which means it will stick with me forever. It is also a good listen for a bonus, and I love the cover art. Whiteout Conditions features Katherine Calder on vocals and harmony. Their last two albums, In The Morse Code of Brake Lights and Continue as a Guest, are good, but one of us is missing something. I will have to listen to them again. The fact that I had listened to all of their albums released up to these two in five days may have coloured my vision. Final comment? It was a good five days of good music; I wonder what will be next in my odyssey through my album library from Eh to Zed.

It was purely coincidental that I listened to this band in the week after their drummer, Joe Seiders, was arrested for possession of child pornography. The band cut all ties to him, and I imagine fans like myself will also distance themselves from him.

The name of the band, New Pornographers, has nothing to do with pornography. The New Pornographers‘ name was chosen by Carl Newman, who said that he came up with it because he was a fan of a Japanese film called The Pornographers. It was also an homage to The New Seekers and “The Pornographers,” a track on bandmate Dan Bejar‘s first Destroyer album, We’ll Build Them a Golden Bridge. My son, Joel Weatherly, and I have seen the New Pornographs live several times and Destroyer once, and it was intense.

March 2

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Another fine week of fine music gracing my ears. Some familiar faces that you may recognize and no fresh music this week.

Kate & Anna McGarrigle Pronto Monto

Kate & Anna McGarrigle love over and over

Sweet harmonizing with thoughtful lyrics. The McGarrigle sisters are a win-win. I need to get more of their music. No, I don’t; I need to listen again to the ones I already have.

McGuinn, Clark & Hillman McGuinn, Clark & Hillman

These are three talented men, but this album is barely palatable pop pulp. Next album, please.

Jethro Tull Aqualung

Aqualung is not pop music; it is hit-you-in-the-face rock and roll with a flute. Aqualung is very easy to consume. AllMusic gave it four and a half stars, and most of the initial reviews were positive. The album is generally lauded and viewed as a classic in retrospective reviews.

Aqualung is a classic in my music realm. I remember buying this album in 1973 and listening to it on my parents’ record player in the living room. Their reviews were harsh. Dad didn’t like any music that wasn’t country and western. ‘Nuff said. My mom is a protestant and protested vigorously about the religious imagery on the album. I bought headphones, and they didn’t critique my music again. Aqualung still gets played frequently. I plugged this one into the car and rock and rolled around the city for a week or two. Good music never gets old.

Bob & Doug McKenzie Great White North

Great White North was worth a chuckle or two. Some comedy doesn’t age very well. This album rides the middle of the road. You will probably find this amusing if you are already familiar with Bob & Doug McKenzie. Let me know how it fared with you if you had never heard of them before today.

Rod McKuen Greatest Hits Greatest

Rod McKuen delivers classic 1960s folk music. It’s not my jam; this should have stayed in the ’60s.

Murray McLauchlan Whispering Rain

Murray McLauchlan Only the Silence Remains

Forget Rod McKuen, Murray McLauchlan is a real folk singer. Maybe a bit more popish than folkish, but still a great entertainer who I would gladly buy a coffee to nurse while I listened to him sing. Perhaps best known for his hit single The Farmer’s Song, he also struck gold with Whispering Rain. Only the Silence Remains is a live album showcasing Murray McLauchlan’s talent as an entertainer. The instrumentation is scaled down to Murray on guitar and vocals and accompanied by Dennis Pendrith on bass guitar. I was fortunate to have heard Murry live, and it was a pleasant evening.

Men At Work Business As Usual

1982 is when this came out. I am sitting here listening to it with my foot tapping and loving it. Listening to this has been a pleasant walk down memory lane. Sure, it’s pop music, but it is well-made pop music. I liked it in 1982, and I like it today. “Who Can It Be Now?” is the opening salvo, and it hit me solidly. “Down Under” is probably a bar anthem in Australia; it is instantly recognizable here in their cousin country, Canada. Unfortunately, I don’t find side two as captivating as side one. Next album, please. Two days later, I am still listening to an earworm of “Who Can It Be Now?“

Bette Midler The Divine Miss M

Bette Midler Thighs and Whispers

I love her singing on these two albums, the only two I have featuring The Divine Miss M. Is it ironic that these are the only two?

Wikipedia: “The Divine Miss M reached the Top Ten on Billboard’s album chart and was later awarded a Platinum Disc by the RIAA. It featured three hit singles—”Do You Wanna Dance?”, “Friends”, and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”—the third of which became Midler’s first No. 1 Adult Contemporary hit. In 1973, the album won Midler a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. “Do You Want to Dance?”, “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and “Friends” were all Top 40 hit singles from the album, with “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” climbing to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching #1 on Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary chart.”

Thighs and Whisper received mixed reviews from music critics, but most were lukewarm and garnered only two stars on AllMusic. But I liked it. I like both of these records, one that got rave reviews and another that barely caused a ripple, and I like both of them. Go figure, eh?

Mike + The Mechanics Mike + The Mechanics

Top ten music that never really revved up; it may be time to see a mechanic.

So, there you have my music for the last week. I will continue my trip through the alphabet this week and try to squeeze in some new tunes.

February 15, 2025

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I had a good listening week. One new artist, new to me anyhow, and some Bob Marley and the Wailers.

Jumping right in, I have been listening to a group that goes by the name Bloke. I wonder what kind of a bloke they are. I get the feeling that they would be a couple of nice blokes. I have to give their new album Living Without Expectations more time to marinate in my brain. First and second impressions are good so I look forward to a more focused listen. Stay tuned.

The Mamas & The Papas 20 Greatest Hits

I nominate this album for the Golden Earworm of the Year Award. This collection of sing-a-long classics has 20 great songs. I sang along to most of them. And I got earworms from most of them, which made for interesting times as they jousted for playing time. Appropriate for Valentine’s Day, “Dedicated To The One I Love” has been the earworm of the day. Just look at these songs. If you are of a certain age, these were the songs we heard on the radio and most likely bought at the record store. Interestingly, The Hudson’s Bay store in Grande Cache is where I purchased my first Mama’s and Papa’s record, if memory serves me well (Bob Dylan & The Band, This Wheels on Fire from The Basement Tapes). What my memory does serve me well is that these songs have been a staple of my listening pleasure for a long time. Just look at the line-up of songs on this album. I can’t help but sing along as I peruse this list of songs.

A1 California Dreamin’ 2:39

A2 Dedicated To The One I Love 2:05

A3 I Call Your Name 2:18

A4 12:30 (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon) 2:47

A5 Creeque Alley 2:48

A6 Dancing In The Street 3:47

A7 For The Love Of Ivy 3:49

A8 Go Where You Wanna Go 2:26

A9 My Girl 3:35

A10 Look Through My Window 3:05

B1 Monday Monday 3:12

B2 Words Of Love 2:13

B3 Twist & Shout 2:45

B4 I Saw Her Again Last Night 2:50

B5 Dream A Little Dream Of Me 3:24

B6 People Like Us 3:23

B7 You Baby 2:15

B8 Got A Feeling 4:01

B9 Trip, Stumble & Fall 2:35

B10 Straight Shooter 3:10

Manhattan Transfer Extensions

Vocal jazz, pop fusion, and even a touch of disco are featured in this album. This album’s most widely known song, “Birdland” by Weather Report, won the Best Jazz Fusion Performance Grammy Award in 1981.  Jon Hendricks wrote lyrics for the vocalese version on the album, and Janis Siegel received a Grammy for her vocal arrangement of “Birdland.”

Extensions as an album is an extension of Manhattan Transfer as they entered a new era for the group. Extensions was the first album with Cheryl Bentyne, who replaced Laurel Massé in early 1979. It was also their first album with Jay Graydon in the producer’s chair and their first to contain songs that were hits in both the jazz and pop categories. The song “Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone” reached No. 4 on the Billboard Disco chart and No. 30 on the Hot 100. “Trickle, Trickle” reached No. 73 on the Hot 100. The album reached No. 55 on the Billboard Top LPs chart. This album is also a good place to start if you are new to Manhatan Transfer.

Darrel Mansfield The Vision

Darrell Mansfield is an American vocalist, harmonica player, songwriter, recording artist, and performer of various genres, including gospel, contemporary Christian music, blues, blues rock, rock, country rock, and soul/R&B. He is considered a pioneer of the Jesus Music movement of the 1970s and has influenced countless contemporary Christian music and mainstream artists.Darrell Mansfield is good at what he does on this album, which is pretty much straight-up gospel music. Both Christians and the rest of humanity can enjoy a decent album.

Crank up the volume and get ready for some rocking and rolling. Bloke showed up in my inbox labelled as a psych/rock band. I can’t argue with that assessment.

Henry Mancini The Pink Panther

This is classic Mancini, which is another way to say that this album is good to listen to from start to finish. And it’s always fun to hear the instantly recognizable Pink Panther theme song.

Herbie Mann The Best of Herbie Mann

I was busy and distracted while I played this album. That did not stop me from enjoying the album, I had to stop several times just to let the music unfold in my brain. This is an excellent overview of Herbie’s recordings and an excellent introduction if you are new to his music.

Machiavel Urban Games & Breakout

I drew a blank when I pulled the Urban Games album from the library. I did not remember owning this album, let alone listening to it. I pulled it up on Discogs and discovered that I not only had this album, which was released in 1979, but I also had another, Break Out, from 1981. Urban Games didn’t do much for me musically, even though Wikipedia tells me that Urban Games was probably the band’s most successful album. It attempted to move away from the Eurock style and proposed songs leaning on disco (“Dancing Heroes”), hard rock (“The Dictators”), reggae (“Over the Hill”), and Eurock still (“City Flowers”). The album Break Out, produced by Derek Laurence in 1981, did not succeed like Urban Games. I like the Break Out album more than Urban Games. Break Out is more cohesive and consistent, with the band taking a harder rocking approach on the album, moving away from their early sound, which was more synth/psych. The vocals have the swagger and edgy growl that seals the harder, rockier sound they play on Breakout, compared to Urban Games. All in all, these two albums gave me a pleasant listening experience.

The remainder of my week was spent with Bob Marley and the Wailers.

Gold 

Burnin’

Exodus

Legend

Each of these four albums could be called a greatest hits record; two are a collection of hits, Gold and Legend, and the other two, while original, are loaded with songs that should be on greatest hits lists. I listened to these albums in the above order and felt sad when the last song on Legend finished. I have to return to Jamaica and score some of his early stuff. I got my groove on listening to these four albums. I can’t pick the best album from these contenders. I can’t pick one song that moved me (physically or emotionally) more than any other song. Bob Marley and the Wailers have a unique spot in music history. They had a massive role in what was to become a new genre of music, reggae. There were hints of what would become reggae in the island’s skiffle music, rocksteady, and ska by bands such as Toots and the Maytals. Still, Bob Marley and the Wailers put Jamaican music, reggae, on the music map in the same way that The Beatles popularized what was to become rock and roll. It is rare for one person or one group to have such an influence on the future of music.

Bob Marley and the Wailers did that, and their influence can be heard in the reggae music of today’s top artists. It’s hard to imagine rap or hip hop without the influence of Bob Marley and the Wailers. Countless bands and solo artists have recorded their take on the music of Bob Marley and the Wailers. Eric Clapton did his take on I Shot The Sheriff. It peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Claptons only number one in the US. In 2003, Clapton’s version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The influence of reggae can be heard in the music of bands such as The Clash and UB40, as well as in popular culture in movies and novels.

Pardon my rabbit trail. I get on with something I like as much as the Marley music I just listened to and can write page after page. I will no longer detain you on Bob Marley and the Wailers; go out, buy their records, and enjoy their music.

Feb 10/2025

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What follows is Norman’s musical musings for the week of February 4 to 10. Happy listening to all and a good listen to all.

The Norman Luboff Choir – Songs of the British Isles

Songs of the British Isles is the first disc for this week’s listening enjoyment. It is a mellow chill album that Discogs calls folk world and country. It is folk for sure; no brainer on that genre, folks. The world is less certain, but The British Isles are part of this world, so that works. Country? Britain is a country, but this is not the country music I listen to, i.e. Corb Lund. It is about a country, Britain. It is a surprisingly enjoyable album I had forgotten about, but I am glad to rediscover it.

Keith Lyn – Keith Lyn Sings Love Ballads

Keith Lyn Sings Love Ballads is an interesting album from my father-in-law, who brought it here from Jamaica. This album is listed as folk and world music in Discogs; I would label it lounge music. Other than Keith Lyn’s obsession with time, there isn’t much to say about this record. I will cherish it because I had a good relationship with Pops.

The Luminaires – Cleopatra

I very clearly remember buying this album. A fellow vinyl lover tipped me off that a local clothing clearance store had boxes of records for sale dirt cheap. My brother was visiting from Vancouver, so the two of us jumped in my car, and off we went. They did have records for sale; the problem was the lack of titles that I would buy. I did find this Luminaires album with a 4.99 price tag; it came home with me. There is something about the plaintive voice of Wesley Schultz and the intimacy of the songs that pull me into the music of the Luminaires.

I have only listened to two Luminaires albums, Cleopatra and III, but my oh my, what a pair they make. Cleopatra is not a story album. However, the band took five songs from this album and created a video. The Ballad of Cleopatra is a compilation of the story in the music videos for Ophelia, Cleopatra, Sleep on the Floor, Angela and My Eyes, all songs from the album Cleopatra.

The music in this album is subtle; it doesn’t slap you in the face, but if you listen to it, there is a strength therein that augments the lyrics. I can not casually listen to these two albums. They demand that I pay attention. I listen to the music; what is it saying? What instruments are playing? How does the music work with the lyrics? Etc. I can not casually listen to Luminaire’s albums. They are top-notch listening experiences for me. They have good lyrics that move beyond the tragic love trilogy, love found, love lives, and love lost. There are stories in these songs. Some of the stories are self-contained. Some of the stories spill out and mingle with other songs. i.e. The Ballad of Cleopatra. Other songs support the cohesion of the album. I like this album, but not as much as I like their next release, III.

The third album from the Luminaire’s is the tale of three members of a dysfunctional family struggling with addiction. I struggled with addiction for many years of my life. My Dad and extended family on both sides lived in addictive lives. I was clean and sober for 15 years, and then, for my 16th birthday, I got blind drunk and maintained that pace for 20 years. And then, on May 11th, 1989, a date seared into the fabric of my soul, I quit drinking and drugging. That went amazingly smoothly; however, it was a brutal fight to quit smoking, but that eventually happened and stuck. I still drink coffee. I say all that to show how this album speaks to me on multiple levels.

The songs are often difficult pills to swallow as they tell the stories of this family and the addition that flows generational. The album was supported by a 44-minute visual accompaniment written by Schultz with director Kevin Phillips. The film follows three generations of the working-class Sparks family as they struggle with addiction and dysfunction in the Northeastern United States. The third album from the Luminaire’s III, is a powerful album; I recommend it with five out of five stars. It is well-scripted, well-played and well-told. I add a special invite to this album for anyone struggling with addiction, be it a family member or yourself, clean or sober. While I doubt it will trigger a relapse, it undoubtedly carries a strong message about addiction and how it flows from one generation to the next. My favourite line from this album comes in the first song, Donna: “Your mother never was one.”

That brings us to the end of the letter L in our journey through the vinyl world of Norman. Next up is, it goes without saying, is the letter M. If it goes without saying why did I say it? I look forward to some exciting music in the M catalogue.

But first, we have some new music that I just scored.

Gram Parsons GP/Grievous Angel

I heard this playing in Record Collectors Paradise and liked it so much I bought it. I played it through when I got home, but it will need another listen to soak in some of the nuances because a lot is happening between the grooves.

Humble Pie – Rockin’ The Fillmore

I must have bought this album in the late 1970s, and one song off the album seared a memory node in my skull. That song is Walk On Gilded Splinters.

“I Walk on Gilded Splinters,” originally written and recorded by Dr. John, is often interpreted as walking on something seemingly beautiful or valuable on the surface but is actually painful and dangerous, like walking on sharp pieces of gold; it’s a metaphor for navigating a treacherous situation that appears glamorous or alluring on the outside, with the “gilded splinters” representing hidden dangers or pitfalls. Walking on gilded splinters can be seen as navigating a life where external appearances can be deceiving, and one must be careful not to be fooled by superficial beauty. 

I don’t know why I remembered this song from a two-disc set. I just now listened to the whole album; it is decent music. But, it is not an album I will be pulling out to listen to frequently, but occasionally, when the gilded splinters poke me as I walk over them.

Mad At The World – Mad at the World

Mad at the World is Christian synth-pop from 1987, it should have stayed there. I liked the cover art more than the music.

Taj Mahal – The Real Thing

I can remember the first time I listened to this album. Clear as a bell, I will share the back story if you don’t mind. It was about 1980, and I had just arrived in Edmonton to start a new job. I got the job, but I needed a place to crash until I had enough money to rent my own place. I stayed (overstaying?) with my cousin and his wife. I had left most of my belongings at my parent’s in Red Deer, including my albums and stereo. So I bought a cheap portable record player, a small suitcase type, and a set of cheap headphones. I cut the speaker wires in the player, cut the plug end off of the headphones and spliced the wires together so I could listen to music without bothering anyone else. Or so I thought. It was Friday, and I had retired to my bedroom with a dozen beer and a couple of new records. 

I was into the box several beers and listening to one of the new albums, The Real Thing by Taj Mahal, when I heard some shouting. It came from my cousin’s wife. She was ranting about how the scratching noise from my record player was driving her crazy, and she wanted me to move out ASAP! I then heard her bedroom door close with a mighty slam. I was shocked by how good her hearing must be to hear the noise that a record needle makes without any amplification. I lifted said needle out of the groove and pondered the situation. While I was pondering, I had to take a whiz, I never did have a good bladder. As I walked back to my bedroom, my cousin’s wife’s best friend, who had been visiting, asked me if she could talk to me. She was attractive, and I had enough beer in me to lower my inhibitions, so I complied. She then told me that I had to move out because my cousin and his wife wanted the room I was in for the baby that they were expecting. I told her this was news to me, but I was ok with that and told her I would move out by the end of the month when I got paid. And that is how I came to have Taj Mahal’s album, The Real Thing, seared into my memory.

I listened to some other Taj Mahal albums this week. My favourite is Recycling the Blues & Other Related Stuff, but they were all a good listen.

I was shocked to realize how long it had been since his albums had graced my turntable. I really must try to visit some of these albums more frequently.

I know what the problem is. When I had 50, or even a hundred albums, I would flip through them trying to find something to listen to, and my fingers would alight upon Recycling the Blues & Other Related Stuff, and I would listen to it. I now have about 1500 vinyl albums and don’t flip through them, so I embarked on my quest to listen to every album, starting with ABBA. I am just getting into M this week, so it was a pleasure to listen to my humble collection of Taj Mahal records.

I also realized that all of my Taj Mahal records are from the first 6 years of his recording career, from 1968 to 1974, and I do not have any of his CDs. Weird!

Taj Mahal The Real Thing

Taj Mahal Giant Step/De Old Folks At Home

Taj Mahal The Natch’l Blues

Taj Mahal Oooh, So Good’ N Blues

Taj Mahal Recycling the Blues & Other Related Stuff

Taj Mahal Mo’ Roots