Author Archives: Vinyl Connection
THE PRINCE’S DIARIES
Day 1 Having suggested featuring a Prince album at the Discrepancy Records blog, I realised as I unwrapped the album that my knowledge of the small purple one’s music was rather limited. In fact the only Prince items in the VC collection are a double CD of his hits and the one where he’s being […]
BREAK DOWN THE WALL
When Mr Discrepancy Records mentioned a piece on The Wall, I confess my heart sank just a little. Although Pink Floyd are a lifetime favourite artist and my collection comprises well over fifty albums, Roger Waters’ 1979 psycho-drama is one I rarely reach for. This will stretch me, I thought. But the boss had not […]
1972 COUNTDOWN… #55 — #51
#55 ALICE COOPER — SCHOOL’S OUT Alice Cooper’s fifth studio album built on the success of the two 1971 LPs that preceded it. In fact, on the back of the title-track-single, the album made it to #2 on the US Billboard chart (and #5 in Australia). The stable lineup of Alice (Vincent Furnier to his […]
1972 COUNTDOWN… #60—#56
MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND — GLORIFIED MAGNIFIED The 1972 debut album by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band was a kind of rock ’n’ roll stew, with a range of styles. Country rock, blues rock, a ballad or two, AOR… it’s fine, but lacked focus. So it’s great to report that the follow up found the quartet […]
1972 COUNTDOWN… #65 — #61
65 BRIAN CADD — BRIAN CADD There may well be a sidebar post on 1972 Australian albums at some point, but this first album by all-rounder Brian Cadd deserves a special mention. He appeared here recently as a contributor to the fabulous soundtrack Morning Of The Earth (there may be a special ’72 soundtrack post […]
COVER ART | ON THE CHAIR III
Some recent spins. As usual, a mixed bag of styles and eras, and some striking cover art. * Over the years, several people whose tastes I respect have expressed a deep love of this album. Although it wasn’t part of my past and is thus free of nostalgic ballast, it is a fine example of […]
1972 COUNTDOWN… #69 — #66
69 NINA SIMONE — EMERGENCY WARD Part sermon, part social commentary, part lament on love, this odd semi-live LP is held in high regard. Certainly the first side, an extended melding of George Harrison’s “My sweet lord” with a poem by David Nelson, is an engrossing journey through soul funk to gospel refrain. The other […]
12 ALBUMS FROM 1972 YOU MAY WELL BE ABLE TO LIVE WITHOUT
Everyone is not a winner, nor did every 1972 album made the cut for 72 From ’72. Here is a selection from the early scratchings. * If you plan to review any of these classics, do let us know. In the meantime, which would you snap up at your local charity shop?
1972 COUNTDOWN… #72 — #70
A new year, another trawl through some favourite fifty-year old albums, records that still have some pep in their step and are worth a listen for more than nostalgic reasons. Not to denigrate nostalgia, of course. Perfectly valid reason to look up an old friend. The VC holding from 1972 is edging towards the three […]
GREEN AND SUBMARINE
The first inkling that scuba diving was perhaps not going to be my new favourite thing came when I experienced an anxiety attack in the training pool. Spending the rest of the lesson sitting in the shallow end staring through a thin layer of chlorinated water above my head and trying to breath slowly and […]
COVER ART | ON THE CHAIR II
Sharing some of the spins that have been enjoyed at Vinyl Connection HQ over the past little while. Any favourites amongst these? The third LP in the ‘trilogy’ of this particular period of King Crimson. While not as startling as Discipline, it remains an under-rated album from Robert Fripp’s Jedi knights. Rick Wakeman’s solo debut […]
1971 COUNTDOWN: #2—#1
2 MARVIN GAYE — What’s Going On Soul gets serious with Marvin Gaye’s ground breaking album. In a year full of turbulence and change, the golden voiced hit-parader found a new groove, eschewing fantasy to write about what was really going on. The result was one of the great albums of its era, one that—amazingly, […]
