Zodiac Mindwarp and The Love Reaction — Wild Child

Zodiac Mindwarp and The Love Reaction -- Wild Child

• Artist: Zodiac Mindwarp and The Love Reaction
• Title: Wild Child
• Year: 1987 ? No year listed anywhere.
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1987 – Bought it when I worked at Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA.
• Keeper: Maybe

House hunting across the USA is not always fun. I got home at 2 AM after 8 hours of driving with my brother and his wife. We were checking out Asheville, NC, and it was definitely cool. After talking over some options with Mary I called my realtor to get an offer going on a house we really liked. He called me back with the bad news that someone had made an offer a couple hours before and the buyers had accepted it. What the hell?

Anyhow… this is a 12 inch single. I’m not really a completist, but I do have tons of Zodiac records. The only reason I may keep this mediocre disk is just because it’s part of the collection. Maybe I’m being hard on this record because of my mood, but I listened to it before I left so I don’t think so. It’s dance hall mixes of sleaze rock and there are some fun moments but overall it’s just dull. And Mark Manning/Zodiac Mindwarp’s picture on the cover is a bit much don’t you think? Still a fan, but damn.

The Yardbirds — Roger The Engineer

The Yardbirds -- Roger The Engineer

• Artist: The Yardbirds
• Title: Roger The Engineer
• Year: 1966/1982 This one is a reissue.
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 9
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1983 ? – Unicorn Records in Portsmouth, VA, I think.
• Keeper: Yes

Tonight I’m writing from Asheville, NC. Another house hunting mission, this time with my brother Grayson and his wife Kellie. We just left a pizza place called The Mellow Mushroom. Excellent pizza, but unfortunately we got in late and the poor staff had to eventually turn on the bright lights to drive us out.

The Yardbirds: Any band that has had Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page as members (in succession) demands that you own at least one of their records. Jeff Beck plays on “Roger The Engineer.” I think this album had a few songs that were hits at the time. I’m guessing the one song people may recognize now is “Over, Under, Sideways, Down.” Last year I even heard it in an automaker’s ad for some new car, can’t remember which. Subaru maybe?

This record is psychedelic, bluesy, and rocked-out. Everything you really need to get through life.

X — Under The Big Black Sun

X -- Under The Big Black Sun

• Artist: X
• Title: Under The Big Black Sun
• Year: 1982
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 9
• Owner: Mary / Tracy – We both had copies.
• Acquired: 1982 ? – Unknown origin.
• Keeper: Yes

The only thing better than X is more X. For some reason their second record “Wild Gift” is mysteriously missing from our collection, but we do have the CD. So, here’s their third release, “Under The Big Black Sun.”

I remember they had a pretty funny video for the lead track “Hungry Wolf” with fake bats zooming aound, conspicuously hung on strings. I suppose that one would be considered the “hit” for this record, but I like everything here. My favorites are the tear-jerker “Come Back To Me” (about Exene’s sister that died) and the album closer “The Have Nots.” “Dawn comes soon enough for the working class…”

Ideal — Der Ernst Des Lebens

• Artist: Ideal
• Title: Der Ernst Des Lebens
• Year: 1981
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1981 – Mary bought it in Germany when she was an exchange student.
• Keeper: Yes

I’m writing this one from Virginia Beach, we’re house hunting, but I did actually play the next week’s worth of records, just all yesterday before we hit the road. Also, this really isn’t an “I” day, but I misplaced this one earlier in this pass through the alphabet. Back on track with my favorite letter, “X”, tomorrow.

You may think this band’s name is pronounced I-DEEL, but it’s really i-dee-ALL. They are German, very German. All of the lyrics are in German, and I’m not sure if that makes me like it more or less than I would if knew what they were saying.

Stylistically Ideal are all over the place. One song may sound like Missing Persons, another will have steel drums(?) with more of a pop/ska feel. Some of this apparent eclecticism may come from the alternating of vocalists. Sometimes the one woman in the group is the lead singer and other times it’s a man. One of the more manly songs is “Sex in der Wüste”, or “Sex in the Desert.” Remember what I said about not understanding the lyrics? I’m guessing on this one it’s better that way. This song is so arty, so early ’80s that it you can imagine it being the inspiration for any number of skits on Saturday Night Live. And now… we dance.

(You probably won’t get good search results unless you add some other words like the song title above.)

Tom Waits — Franks Wild Years

Tom Waits -- Franks Wild Years

• Artist: Tom Waits
• Title: Franks Wild Years
• Year: 1987
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1987 – Bought when I worked at Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

You would think there would be an apostrophe before the “s” in Franks, but no.

Mary’s favorite music artist is Nick Cave. As we listened to this I was teasing her that Tom Waits is what Nick will sound like when he’s 20 years older. Except this record was made almost 20 years ago, and Tom is only 8 years older than Nick, I checked. And I’m old, but both of these guys are ooooold.

I don’t know why I bought this record. I think at the time I thought he was someone I should know more about, but I still don’t know much about the man or his music. “Franks Wild Years” is the only Tom Waits album I own. Sometimes for fringe music you need a mentor to lead you into it and get you really engaged. I don’t think I’ve ever met that person for Tom Waits.

I do like soundtracks, and this record pretty much is one even if there isn’t a movie to go with it. Of course, he is an important artist, right? So, I guess I should keep the one record I have.

The Vandals — Peace Through Vandalism

The Vandals -- Peace Through Vandalism

• Artist: The Vandals
• Title: Peace Through Vandalism
• Year: 1981
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1981 – Olsson’s in Georgetown, DC.
• Keeper: Yes

And the alphabetizing never ends. This should have been after Van Halen, but it’s the record du jour because I already took the pic. It’s only an EP, but there’s more Vandals where this came from. Or, more accurately, behind the Van Halen records.

This is classic, but lyrically pointless party punk. Nothing groundbreaking but it is fun. I felt like stage diving off the dining table, but no one would catch me. Chicken fight! Due to the random, and frequent expletives Mary and I ended up doing a lot of spontaneous coughing or singing since the kids were listening too.

Turn the front side of the album cover upside down and you get the anarchy “A.” They’re soooo punk! And they even went to play for the troops in Iraq. I’m opposed to the war, but playing for the troops is cool.

Etched in the vinyl margins:

• “GAY RODEO”
• “NORDIC CONQUEST”

No idea. “I want to be a cowboy…”

U2 — Boy

U2 -- Boy

• Artist: U2
• Title: Boy
• Year: 1980
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1980 – Unknown origin.
• Keeper: Yes

1980?!? That’s a long time ago. I remember immediately liking “I Will Follow” when I first heard Bono singing “If you walk away, walk away…” But if you had told me then that U2 would still be making music worth listening to decades later I doubt I would have believed you.

For some reason I never bought the record. I’m glad Mary owns almost everything they’ve ever done. I’m pretty sure my friend Jeff Arthur introduced me to them.

Of course “Boy” is a great record and it still sounds modern. It’s hard to believe that U2 is now “classic rock.”

Sad Lovers and Giants – Seven Kinds Of Sins

• Artist: Sad Lovers and Giants
• Title: Seven Kinds Of Sins
• Year: 1987
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1987 – Probably Plan 9 in Richmond, VA.
• Keeper: Maybe

This is a 12 inch single. I don’t anything about this band. They sound a little like The Chameleons, but with more keyboards. If you don’t know who The Chameleons are keep moving.

R.E.M. — Murmur

• Artist: R.E.M.
• Title: Murmur
• Year: 1983
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1983 – Guessing here… Tracks in Norfolk, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

Dullsville baby, dullsville! Maybe I made a mistake by playing Judas Priest’s “Point Of Entry” album (Lemme see those horns people!) for a little afternoon pick-me-up. Then, I played R.E.M.’s “Murmur” immediately afterward. I was anticipating an all-out boredom assualt and thought a little heavy metal buffer just made sense. Instead, I think it made R.E.M. sound even more boring. You can’t follow Priest with the jingle jangle, man!

It’s hard for me now to think of myself as getting excited about R.E.M. But there was a time when that was true. I remember seeing them live early on with Dream Syndicate and maybe even when “Chronic what? Town” came out. They sounded new and different, and maybe I was more open-minded as a youngster.

Of course, this is good music. I just don’t want to hear it anymore. So, what’s my problem?

Painted Willie — Live From Van Nuys

• Artist: Painted Willie
• Title: Live From Van Nuys
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1986 – Bought it when I was working at Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA.
• Keeper: Maybe

“Live From Van Nuys With A Kiss And A Grapefruit” is etched into the vinyl margin on the side first. I have no idea what that means, but on most indie labels it’s worth taking a second to peak. Often there are little notes there, sometimes they’re funny.

Again, this was in the era when I would buy anything SST put out. I probably bought this because look like a heavy rock/metal band and I needed something with crunch. For the most part they deliver, but it’s little more punk than I expected, not a bad thing. I like the first song “Crossed Fingers” a lot. Doubt it’s a keeper though.