Joe Satriani – Surfing With the Alien

• Artist: Joe Satriani
• Title: Surfing With the Alien
• Year: 1987
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1987 – Bought when I worked at Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA
• Keeper: Yes

This record is awesome! Sure, it’s mostly for guitar geeks or wannabes, the songs are sorta stiff, and much of the drums are programmed. But who cares!? That stuff is not what Joe Satriani and Surfing With the Alien are all about. Besides, his playing is so exciting and the solos so completely excellent that they are the hooks, and what make the tunes memorable. I can’t pretend to play this stuff on guitar but I tell you I can hum along with every note, and of course air guitar the entire record. It sticks with you.

Be-cause
he’s just
that good.

Bonus on this post is that I remembered to take a pic of the liner with Joe rocking in the Reebok hightops. Bonus number two is that I found my ticket stub from seeing him live in 1988. Mary and I went to see him with my friends Bennie Ingram and Jeff Slay. Of course Joe tore the Boathouse roof off.

Check out Joe’s site.

Pere Ubu — The Tenement Year

• Artist: Pere Ubu
• Title: The Tenement Year
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1988 – At our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA

I respect this record, and this band, more than I enjoy the music. I’ve already told my story about seeing them live in London, and it was a great experience. That said, though Pere Ubu has created a lot of interesting music over the years, I guess it’s just not my thing. The Tenement Year has some great songs, but it also has some challenging sounds and noises layered in that I often find distracting, off-putting even.

The Ordinaires — One

• Artist: The Ordinaires
• Title: One
• Year: 1989
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1989 – Bought it at our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA

Shingles = PAIN!
Tracy + Shingles = Lazy, Whiny, Crybaby

Trust me, this sucks, big time. Having shingles that is, not this record. It’s also my excuse for not posting for so long. At least I got through the weekend and got to see my friends at Chris Hunter’s wedding. Throw in some time with my extended family and a gang trip to Busch Gardens and the long trip was well worth it.

What to say about The Ordinaires? This record, One, is pretty interesting. Since I’m feeling lazy (see above) I’ll just say that if you like Kronos Quartet, Zappa, or any other quirky instrumental music this is the record for you. The front cover is a “computer generated composite photograph” of the nine band members on the back. Read more at Trouser Press.

Feels like burning… shingles, that is.

New Order — Ceremony (Later pressing)

• Artist: New Order
• Title: Ceremony (Later pressing)
• Year: 1981
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: ?

I’m posting from the east coast of Virginia tonight. We rolled in after midnight last night, and we’re here to see my friend Chris Hunter get married tomorrow!

You know, we have another pressing of this New Order 12 inch Ceremony and according to this article at Wikipedia it is supposed to be a different recording. I played them back to back and I can’t tell any difference. The cover is completely different, there is nothing etched in the run off margins on this one, and the songs are credited to the band members instead of Joy Division like the earlier pressing. Musically they seem identical, but for some reason I liked it a little better this time.

The Magnolias — For Rent

• Artist: The Magnolias
• Title: For Rent
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1988 – Promo at RIP Records in Norfolk, VA

There’s nothing really wrong with For Rent by The Magnolias. It’s energetic and at times verges on punk, a good thing. I could listen to it all day and it wouldn’t bother me, but it doesn’t do anything for me either. So, this one has gotta go. The process of weeding out continues…

I opine, you decide.

The Leroi Brothers — Forget About The Danger…Think Of The Fun

• Artist: The LeRoi Brothers
• Title: Forget About The Danger…Think Of The Fun
• Year: 1984
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1984 – Not sure where…

I don’t know enough about The LeRoi Brothers, because this six song EP is great! I’ve always liked it and do pull it out for an occassional spin. I can’t get over how good it sounds. It’s perfect, everything just punches right through the mix, super snapping snare. I was only 17 or 18 when this came out and you can bet there was lot of air guitar sessions with Forget About The Danger…Think Of The Fun blaring. They list it as an LP on their site, but it seems too short for that. I wish I had more of their stuff, and I’m gonna start looking for it.

This can only be called Rock and Roll.

King — Love and Pride (Body and Sould Mix)

• Artist: King
• Title: Love and Pride (Body and Sould Mix)
• Year: 1984
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1984? – Tower Records in DC
• Keeper: Maybe

I’ve said this before, I think it was the last King record, guess when this was made. I like pop as much as the next guy, well not really but I’m incredibly tolerant of most forms of music, including pop. The main song, “Love and Pride (Body and Sould Mix)” is solid, listenable pop, but the flip side has two really lame filler pieces. If it were up to me this one would be a goner, fo’ sho.

The Jam — Setting Sons

• Artist: The Jam
• Title: Setting Sons
• Year: 1979
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1986? Used at Plan 9?

I don’t care what the critics say, this is not my favorite record by The Jam. Setting Sons has some excellent songs, but overall it just seems a little flat. I’m hoping we have things out of order in the collection because the three albums before this are fantastic. They must be in there somewhere. After doing some reading I was surprised to see they charted in the US with this one, for the first time.

My favorite song is the last one, “Wasteland.” I’m a sucker for the recorder or flute in rock, think The Troggs not Jethro Tull. Wikipedia lists the side two songs first, but don’t believe them, believe me! I’m looking at it right now and “Wasteland” is last.

Read more about The Jam, and Setting Sons.

Head of David — ‘LP’

• Artist: Head of David
• Title: ‘LP’
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1988 – Vinyl Solution in London

I was already a fan of Head of David (Trouser Press) when I found this in a small record store called Vinyl Solution in London. This record is titled simply ‘LP’ with single quotes as I’ve typed it here. I didn’t even know it existed so I snapped it up.

If you agree with the expression “if it’s too loud, you’re too old” then be prepared to age significantly before getting through both sides of ‘LP’. No matter how young you are now, with the passing of each grinding, noisy, layered, psychedelimetallic dirge you will feel life leaking away. They are more metal than metal. If you want to hear it again then you are more metal than metal. I’m not sure how metal I am, but I guess I’ll keep it. The later stuff is better.

Etched in the run-off margins:
A — Kill ugly ron. A porky prime cut.
B — Clean up the filth.

Gang of Four — Hard

• Artist: Gang of Four
• Title: Hard
• Year: 1983
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 9
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1983, not sure where…

Server migration, DNS propagation lag, Charter Communications… All of you, can kiss my ass. Now where were we?

Right! Gang of Four’s late period album, Hard. My collection is missing the previous album Songs of the Free and that gap makes this record sound like a rather abrupt change to a more pop sound. Even though Hard is full of classic pop sounds, things like soulful backing vocals and staccato strings, the music is just as strange and interesting as their earlier work. Of course, the lyrics are fantastic too. I played the crap out this record way back, and you can tell from the grime on the cover. My favorite song is “A Man With a Good Car.”

Who is that?
Just what is your business?
Fate is in your hands
And your decisions

A man with a good car needs no justification
Fate is in my hands and in the transmission