Can — Sacrilege

• Artist: Can
• Title: Sacrilege
• Year: 1997
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 2002 ? – My brother Grayson bequeathed this to me with a bunch of other vinyl.
• Keeper: Maybe

This one poses an alphabetizing challenge. The band is Can, but these are other artists doing remixes. Should it be under “various artists”? Nah.

I don’t know much about Can, but from a little reading I’ve done I wish I did. Very much ahead of their time and timeless at the same… time. Someone described them as a prototypical Radiohead. These remixes, all three records worth, I’m sure sound very little like the originals. On the whole it’s very electronic. If you’re into that you’ll like it. There are a few stunning tracks.

B-52s — Mesopotamia

• Artist: B-52s
• Title: Mesopotamia
• Year: 1981
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1981 – Mary got it at a “cheesy chain record store” in Annandale, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

This one’s for Lee, a.k.a. Danny Ocean.

This is a six song EP and it was produced by David Byrne. Some of it sounds similar to “Remain In Light” era Talking Heads. I think this release was near hitless, though “Nip It In the Bud” may have gotten some play. It’s definitely my favorite track on an otherwise bland release.

Zodiac Mindwarp And The Love Reaction — High Priest Of Love

Zodiac Mindwarp And The Love Reaction -- High Priest Of Love

• Artist: Zodiac Mindwarp And The Love Reaction
• Title: High Priest Of Love
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 9
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1986 – Bought it when I was working at Mother’s Record & Tapes in Hampton, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

This EP came out at just the right time for me. There was a dearth of heavy guitar rock, at least any that I could stand to listen to. I’m not saying these guys are smart, but they are smart-assed. And that makes the otherwise completely sleazy lyrics funny. Get a load of these song titles: High Priest of Love, Hymn of The Speed Kings, High Heel Heaven, Kick Start Me For Love, etc.

There are only six songs in all and it sounds like they could barely pull those off, not that they can’t play. It’s just that this kind of rock and roll chaos clearly could be sustained much longer. This is not the most important music ever made, but it sure was fun.

Glenn Yarbrough — Time To Move On

Glenn Yarbrough -- Time To Move On

• Artist: Glenn Yarbrough
• Title: Time To Move On
• Year: 1964
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1995 ? – Yard sale I think.
• Keeper: Yes

Uh… no one has ever mistaken me for a big folk music fan, but I try to have an open mind. Mary has a fondness for Mr. Yarbrough’s earlier group The Limeliters because her dad had those records when she was growing up. I’ve bought some of those CDs for her over the years and to tell the truth I really like some of it. On this solo record though, everything is a little too slick. Too much orchestration, too much back-up singing. And although some of the lyrics are really good, when I hear him sing “The Honey Wind Blows” I feel the spirit of John “Bluto” Blutarsky rising. Remember that scene in “Animal House” when he smashes that folk singer’s guitar at the toga party?

X — Los Angeles

X -- Los Angeles

• Artist: X
• Title: Los Angeles
• Year: 1980
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 10
• Owner: Tracy / Mary – We both had copies.
• Acquired: 1980 – ? We were barely in high school. Who knows where we got them?
• Keeper: Yes

“X” – Possibly, nay, probably the coolest band name ever. And the title of the first track on the album is also excellent — “You’re Phone’s Off The Hook, But You’re Not.”

I’ll keep it short and just say that this album is as good as it can be. It was only the beginning for a group that was/is as important as any band ever was.

Do yourself a favor and get all of their records. Also check out these movies:

• The Decline of Western Civilization
• X – The Unheard Music

The Wagoneers — Stout And High

The Wagoneers -- Stout And High

• Artist: Wagoneers
• Title: Stout And High
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1988 – ?
• Keeper: Yes

These guys play both types of music – country and western. This is a solid, very listenable roots-country/western album. They pushed the cowboy image way over the top, but it was the ’80s. Rockabilly bands, Hair Metal, New Wave – you know what I’m saying. I think these guys got a fair amount of press and critical acclaim at the time. Who knows where they are now? Did they release anything else?

Steve Vai — Passion And Warfare

Steve Vai -- Passion And Warfare

• Artist: Steve Vai
• Title: Passion And Warfare
• Year: 1990
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1990 – Bought it for myself at our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

This isn’t the only Steve Vai record I own, but for some reason it’s the only one I can find. Hmm.

I love being witness greatness, and Vai is certainly a tremendous guitarist. Like most guitar hero albums this isn’t the kind of record you want to play often. The songs serve as vehicles for the guitar showmanship. Unless you’re a guitar hero or wannabe yourself, music is more enjoyable when the solos serve the songs.

That said, Steve Vai’s work is much more about the music than just the intense solos than, say, Joe Satriani. It’s also a lot weirder.

U-Men — Step On A Bug

U-Men -- Step On A Bug

• Artist: U-Men
• Title: Step On A Bug
• Year: 1989
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1989 – Bought it for myself at our store RIP Records.
• Keeper: Yes

Fans of Birthday Party will love this, though the band was part of the Seattle scene through most of the 1980s. I first heard them on the “famous” C/Z record label compilation which also included tracks from Soundgarden and others.

Birthday Party may be a lazy comparison, but I think it’s accurate. There are, of course, differences, but it’s hard not to think of Nick Cave when you hear the frenetic, strained vocals on this record. I believe this was their only proper, full length album.

T. Rex — Electric Warrior

T. Rex -- Electric Warrior

• Artist: T. Rex
• Title: Electric Warrior
• Year: 1971
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1986 ? – I think I got this when I was working at Mother’s Records & Tapes.
• Keeper: Yes

You gotta have “Bang A Gong (Get It On)” in your record collection. I also love “Mambo Sun” and “Jeepster”, but for me the rest can get a bit too hippy dippy trippy. Everyone seems to think it’s a masterpiece. Maybe they’re right, but I usually feel the need to play some AC/DC or Motorhead afterward.

SGM – Aggression

• Artist: SGM
• Title: Aggression
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 1
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1988 – We got this as a promo at our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA.
• Keeper: No

Updated November 14, 2006

SGM, not to be confused with the prog-metal band Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. The latter makes some pretty interesting and sophisticated music. This album is so bad I considered not even documenting it. The only thing that changed my mind is that the cover art is a painting by Robert Williams. This is a lame metal/punk “crossover” album with moronic lyrics.

For another opinion on SGM’s Aggression see this interview at the metal site RockEzine.net. An excerpt is below:

What is the most embarrassing album in your own private album collection. (How/why did you get it?)
It is an LP of SGM called aggression. I think I heard it just once! I bought it by mailorder because of the description of the music style. So, this is a good example for listen to the music before buying it. I never had disappointment like that again.