Tag Archives: Grateful Dead

ALBUM COVERS | IN THESE SHOES?

One of the prompts during a recent Instagram vinyl ‘challenge’ was In these shoes?, the title of an excellent Kirsty MacColl song. It was a difficult choice for Vinyl Connection, selecting just one cover. So I thought, why not share the other contenders? Please, walk 1.6km in my shoes. * And finally, three that have […]

1974 COUNTDOWN | #54 — #50

#54 GRATEFUL DEAD — FROM THE MARS HOTEL Given their penchant for live albums, it was a forgivable error to assume From The Mars Hotel was another; perhaps a one night stand at a seedy spaced-themed Las Vegas bar? But no, this is a studio album. Although the single “U.S. Blues” failed to chart, From […]

ALBUM COVERS | BUILDING BRIDGES

7 ALBUM COVERS FEATURING BRIDGES It’s quite an invention, the bridge. A method of getting from A to B without wetting your feet. Here are some album covers featuring clever bits of civil engineering. * PAUL MCCARTNEY AND WINGS — “London Town”  [1978] * THE NICE — “Five Bridges”  [1970] * WOODEN SHJIPS — “West”  […]

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 […]

1971 COUNTDOWN: #65 — #61

65 LEAF HOUND — Growers Of Mushroom Inside half a minute you know exactly where you stand with Leaf Hound’s only LP, Growers Of Mushroom. “Freelance Fiend” opens with a guitar squall, powerful vocals and a blues-rock fusillade that would have made Hendrix grin. If the sound evokes Atomic Rooster, that’s not surprising as Peter […]

VERTICAL RETURN

We’re back with the vertical gatefold sleeves for a couple more instalments. This should not be construed as an attempt to show every specimen, but simply present further examples that have caught this record collector’s eye. First off we have a very recent addition to the genus. Bob Masse is a legendary Canadian-born artist and […]

REARVIEW MIRROR #3 (AUTUMN)

Being an multi-part wander through the Vinyl Connection year in music MARCH Taking a stall at a record fair is good for the soul. A chance to reduce the holding a little, clear some shelf space, clean the springs. Bullshit. Though it wasn’t when I started doing fairs in the mid-90s. Then I was flogging […]

DEAD FIRST

Here’s a poser for you. Link Nirvana with The Grateful Dead in three steps. Time’s up. 1. Kurt Cobain’s partner was Courtney Love. (Some implicate her in his death) 2. Courtney Love is the daughter of Hank Harrison. (Estranged daughter. Dad is one of those who blamed her for Cobain’s suicide) 3. Harrison has written […]

STRANGE THINGS

This week I noticed that Vinyl Connection was about to turn four. There have been a few stutters, but we are still spitting out regular posts on everything from 60s folk to twenty-first century electronica, from funked up Miles Davis to European Prog. Along with periodic celebrations of album cover art, of course. Vinyl Connection has […]

A KIND OF 2015 LIST

Biggest crush What does it mean when you go, in a mere few months, from never having heard of an artist to buying four albums new? Probably that you have too much time on your hands and money in your pocket. Nevertheless, I became very taken with the lively retro-electronica of Zombi. They combine elements […]