Category ACROSS THE DECADES
TEN FROM 77 – 2 / ELECTRONIC – 1
It seemed a fine idea to whip up a list of favourite 1977 releases; a straightforward, accessible and hopefully entertaining article. Things started well enough, with the first post of rock-pop albums eliciting plenty of commentary as people compared their own choices to the Vinyl Connection offering. But there was such variety in the VC […]
TEN FROM 77
1977. Forty years ago. Punk sprouted, prog continued, pop morphed; great albums littered the highways of contemporary music… This is the first post of a possible series, presenting albums worthy of acclaim four decades after release. I’ve excluded albums previously covered at Vinyl Connection. So to read about the following gold-plated favourites, just click on […]
DARKNESS DOWNUNDER
Isn’t it great when, by some devious strategy of the universe, something new and unexpected finds its way into your music collection? Recently I discovered that a chap who sells me records on a regular basis has another life as an active and productive Goth musician. In fact his band, Subterfuge, recently released an album. […]
WE LOVE BEACHES
Australia. More stunning coastline than any country in the world, most of it uninhabited. Two thirds of the population live within striking distance of an ocean or bay. The result? Most people can swim, a summer holiday simply must involve sun, sand, and fish and chips, plus we have the highest rate of skin cancer […]
I LOVE MILES
(BUT NOT ALL HIS BOOTS) I love Miles Davis. Whether as a contributing midwife to the Birth of the Cool, the ultra-hip trumpeter of the late 50s, the restless innovator of the 60s, or inspiring bandleader and outta-space musician of the 70s, his is an endlessly varied—and indeed endless—catalogue. If you are browsing a shop […]
THE RINGWRAITHS RIDE IN BLACK
Peter Jackson’s famous films were not the first cinematic journeys into Middle Earth. American animator Ralph Bakshi visited back in 1978 with rather mixed results. Clearly holding the J.R.R. Tolkien books in high esteem, Bakshi adopted such a respectful approach to the epic fantasy that the result is, despite the adventurous content, quite slow-moving and […]
CRUNCHIE HITS
I always swear I will never buy another compilation album. I will ignore Various Artists, shun themed collections, eschew curated histories. I have enough. More than enough. So how come this section of the Vinyl Connection Collection still manages to grow? Today’s Curiosity Corner will give you an idea. There I was, getting to the […]
CIMMERIAN CLASSIC
Prior to an overseas trip in the early nineties, I hosted a Book Party. The goals were threefold: to reduce the amount of stuff I needed to put into storage, see people for a farewell drink and chat, and perhaps raise a few shekels for the travel fund. So I put the word out, mentioning […]
I GOT THE NEWS
[Recording: Bright daytime voice over fade of smoky alto sax solo] This is independent station WJAZ, all night jazz and conversation. Now back to your host, Lester The Nightfly LESTER Hello Baton Rouge. It’s coming up to 2:15 on a drizzly Saturday night… or Sunday morning if you’re that way inclined. Continuing our tribute to […]
TIMELESS
I remember where but not which. The shop was in Princes Gate Arcade, down the end in a kind of cul-de-sac where only record hunters and lost commuters ended up. I remember a big window, counter, racks—sparsely distributed around a loungeroom-sized space—and bean bags where you could audition an LP of your choice under headphones […]
DOWN IN MONTEREY
Considered to be the Big Bang of the Summer of Love, Monterey International Pop Music Festival (to present its full and rather ambitious name) was conceived and planned by a small group led by John Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas. Their hope was to give pop music the status awarded to jazz and […]
THE SACRED GARAGE
Where do you file your ‘Various Artists’ albums? By title in the A-Z? In their own section? Luckily that’s not what we are here to discuss and anyway it was extensively canvassed not long ago. Today we’re here to pay respect to one of the best compilations of all time, Nuggets. Curated by guitarist Lenny […]
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