Tag Archives: Record Collecting
10 CURIOUS CARTOGRAPHIC COVERS
Jane Siberry — No Borders Here [Open Air Records, 1984] A Canadian singer-songwriter of great imagination and enormous range, Jane Siberry emerged from Toronto’s indie scene. Influenced by—but never beholden to—Laurie Anderson, her music (and unique voice) span art pop, folk, rock and subtly experimental sound worlds. No Borders Here is an early statement of […]
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 […]
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