Tag Archives: Record Collecting
SONGS OF INNOCENCE AND EXPERIENCE
To understand Spirit of Eden, you need to understand what Talk Talk walked away from. By 1986 they were a commercially successful synth-pop act, lazily bracketed with Duran Duran and the New Romantic crowd. Then came The Colour of Spring, a transitional record that replaced most of the synths with organic instrumentation. It generated a […]
WHITE BLACK & RED
One of the great things about rock is the way certain styles reinvent themselves, inspiring new generations. The White Stripes, for example, were leaders in a garage rock revival in the late 1990s. If you’re not sure what that might mean, have a listen to “Strychnine” by The Sonics (1965) or “Complication” by Monks (1966). […]
ALBUM COVER SPECIAL | P.I.L. 1986
So, the new album… Yeah? It’s called..? Album. Yes, the album. What’s it called? Album. You have a new record out, right? Yeah. Does it have a title? Yeah. And that is? Album. That’s what is printed on the record’s spine. Yeah. There’s a single lifted off the LP. ‘Course. What is it? Single. Yes, […]
BEWITCHING ELLA
A consummate singer, Ella Fitzgerald became known as the “First Lady of Song”. This lofty appellation was not simply dropped in her lap; the singer began competing on the US Talent Show circuit as a teenager and recorded and performed for almost half a century. She did not sing the blues, but most definitely paid […]
Justice?
One of the most popular and successful metal bands of all time, Metallica had a decidedly mixed year in 1986. On the plus side, their third album—Master Of Puppets—was a huge commercial success, spending over seventy weeks on the US charts despite limited radio airplay. The subsequent tour was received extremely well, but led to […]
CHILLIN’ WITH J.J.
What is Americana? According to the Americana Music Association, it is “contemporary music that incorporates elements of various American roots music styles—including country, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass, R&B and blues—resulting in a distinctive roots-oriented sound that lives in a world apart from the pure forms of the genres upon which it may draw.” All clear? Good. […]
2025 ACQUISITIONS: A SELECTION
The 75 FROM ’75 Countdown obviously dominated the second half of 2025, yet this did not prevent a steady influx of new records into the Vinyl Connection den of vinyl iniquity. Here are a few highlights. * JANUARY One of the first features for Discrepancy Records was the latest solo album from Pink Floyd guitarist […]
1975 COUNTDOWN | THE LIST
Here is the obligatory index of the albums covered in 2025’s 1975 COUNTDOWN. Over 100 albums have featured. * #1 — #5 1 PINK FLOYD — WISH YOU WERE HERE 2 NEU! — NEU 75 3 BRIAN ENO — ANOTHER GREEN WORLD 4 BOB DYLAN — BLOOD ON THE TRACKS 5 LED ZEPPELIN — PHYSICAL […]
1975 JAZZ | #10 — #1
#10 GEORGE DUKE — THE AURA WILL PREVAIL [MPS] This enthralling album has so many styles you run out of fingers. Jazz, of course; it’s George Duke. There is also funk and soul, some progressive rock colours (especially the synth work), a touch of latin… and every permutation implied by the preceding list. It’s a […]
1975 JAZZ | #20 — #11
It is not entirely clear whether 1975 was an exceptional year for jazz or whether Vinyl Connection was simply more into the form at this time. Either way, it was quite a struggle to reduce the contenders to twenty. Those who are unmoved by America’s gift to music may still find things to enjoy in […]
1975 COUNTDOWN | #50 — #41
#50 AC/DC — T.N.T. The Aussie rockers crank it up a notch for their second album of 1975. “It’s a long way to the top” fully deserves its iconic status, while “High voltage” offers exactly that: raw, electrifying rock. Add in a title track that boasts one of Malcolm Young’s best riffs and you have […]
1975 COUNTDOWN | #60 — #51
DONNA SUMMER — LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY This is the album that launched both Summer and producer Giorgio Moroder into the disco pantheon. The 17-minute title track remains audacious: a slow-burning, hypnotic groove built around Summer’s breathy, erotic vocals and Moroder’s pulsing synthesizers. Its frank sexuality redefined how intimacy could sound in pop music […]
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