CDs acquired in 2004
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For a list of the CDs I acquired in 2003, see here
(The format here is suggested by the lovely
logbooks, hand sewn and as hefty as a wizard’s spell book, found at the Peter
Pan coffee shop in
×××××The Beatles, Abbey Road (1987, EMI ). Originally released on vinyl in 1969. A Christmas present that helps me in my long-range project to rebuild my Beatles’ collection (an obsession I pursued back in the vinyl era on my junior high school days) in digital format. What a lovely album this is—I’m listening to it for the first time in perhaps twenty years even as I type these words. (12/25/04).
×××××Vodka Collins, Tokyo New York (1998, Man’s Ruin Records). Originally released on vinyl in 1973, the debut album by the legendary Japanese glam rock band Vodka Collins, made up of American Alan Merrrill, Ôguchi Hiroshi (late of the Tempters) on drums, Yoguchi Take on Bass, and Kamayatsu Hiroshi (late of the Spiders) on back-up vocals—Kamayatsu (“Monsieur K”) would subsequently become a full-fledged member of the band. (12/20/04).
×××½Various
artists, GS Wild Card (2002, Tokuma). Compilation of various
obscure 1960s Group Sounds, with a special focus on groups from
××××Hattori Ryôichi, Boku no ongaku jinsei (1989, Columbia Music Entertainment). 3-CD set of the best prewar and postwar recordings by the amazing songwriter and arranger Hattori Ryôichi (12/14/04).
×××××Happy End, Happy End Box (2003, Avex Io). 8-CD boxed set including all albums ever released by the legendary Japanese folk-rock band Happy End, plus lots of bonus material—alternate takes, live recordings, and a whole disk of songs by other artists who used Happy End as their backing group. (12/14/04)
×××Terauchi Takeshi & The Bunnies, Singles 2 (2001, Vine Records). See below. “Summer Boogaloo” here is an ‘homage’ to the Kinks “You Really Got Me.” (11/9/04).
×××Terauchi Takeshi & The Bunnies, Singles 1 (2001, Vine Records). Terauchi was the primary guitar hero of mid-1960s Japanese rock ‘n’ roll. He played in a series of bands throughout the decade (and later). The singles collected here are typical of his sound—you hear reworked traces of Dick Dale, the Ventures, and British Invasion. (11/9/04).
××××Charles Ives & Samuel Barber, American Originals: String Quartets, Emerson String Quartet (Deutsche Gramophone, 1992). Found a cheap used copy of this while in NYC, and couldn’t resist. My first impression on two listens is quite good. (11/11/04).
The Replacements, Pleased to Meet Me (1987, Sire). (10/28/04)
×××½Björk, Medulla (2004, Atlantic). Her experiment in using only (or almost only) the human voice. The idea is quite attractive, and there are a couple of wonderful quirky songs here, but after a week or two of fairly intense listening I haven’t really connected with the thing. (10/21/04)
×××××Brian Wilson, Brian Wilson Presents Smile (2004, Nonesuch). My first impressions of this are very, very good. The new material seems to fit right in with the classic songs. One of the great bonuses here is to have the lyric insert, with Van Dyke Park’s great imagistic language. (10/21/04)
×××Visqueen,
King Me (2002, Blue Disguise
Records). A
×××The Ike Reilly Assassination, Sparkle in the Finish (2004, Rock Ridge Music). I’m a huge fan of Ike Reilly’s debut CD, Salemen and Racists. This isn’t quite as good—but it’s still a great deal of fun. (10/21/04)
×××××The Kinks, The Village Green Preservation Society Special Deluxe Edition (2004, Sanctuary). An expanded 3-CD celebration of The Kinks’ greatest album, first released on vinyl in 1968.
×××××Dimitri Shostakovich, The String Quartets, Fitzwilliam String Quartet (1998, Decca). String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, op. 73, is my favorite piece of classical music of all time. This 6-CD set collects that and all fifteen of the composer’s quartets. I like the version of No. 3 here, although the tempo seems a bit rushed. I’m just starting to delve in the others in the set—much pleasure lies ahead, I’m sure. (9/23/04)
××××The
Jacks, Karrapo no sekai: Takuto Days (2000, Nippon Columbia).
Originally released on vinyl in 1968. A reissue of the early brooding singles
by The Jacks, legendary figures in the underground folk-rock scenes (think The Fugs or The Mothers of Invention) of Japan in the late
1960s, when they were still on the “Million” record label owned by Takuto. The
versions of the songs here are a bit softer and less harsh than the versions
they later rerecorded for their albums on the Toshiba Express label—except for
“Marianne,” which even in this earlier version is just a marvel of caterwauling
and fragmentation. (9/22/04)
×××½Nellie
McKay, Get Away From Me (
×××George Harrison, George Harrison (Capitol, 2004). Originally released on vinyl in 1978. This is admittedly minor George Harrison, but I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for this album, especially the hit song “Blow Away.” It came out my senior year in high school, and I listened to it constantly then. It’s nice to reconnect with an old friend….. (8/30/04)
The Who, Quadrophenia: Songs from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Polydor, 1993). Originally released on vinyl in 1992.
×××××Stevie
Wonder, Talking Book (Motown, ?). Originally released on
vinyl in 1972. Found this
new for $4.99 at a music factory outlet store outside of
The Smiths, Best…I (Sire/Reprise, 1992). I basically dropped out of listening to new music during the late 1980s and early 1990s, the years I was in graduate school, and this is one of the bands that I missed as a result. So I’m trying to catch up now. (8/26/04)
Lightnin’ Hopkins, Blues Masters: The Very Best of Lightnin’ Hopkins (Rhino, 2000).
××××The Ramones, Loud, Fast Ramones: Their Toughest Hits (Sire/Rhino, 2002). A well-chosen best-of CD from the Ramones—which, as one of the great singles bands of all time, makes a lot of sense. (8/26/04)
*****************
The CD Haul from my July
’04 Trip to
The Tempters, 5-1=0 (Teichiku, 2003). Originally released on vinyl in 1969. The second studio album by The Tempters.
××××The
Tempters, The Tempters in Memphis (Teichiku,
1998). Originally
released on vinyl in 1969.
The Tempters travel to
The Tempters, Encore (Teichiku, 1998). Originally released on vinyl in 1971. The Tempter’s final album, a collection of their late singles, unreleased tracks, etc.
×××PYG, Golden Best (Universal, 2004). A “best of” compilation by PYG, the super group formed in 1970 by former members of the leading Group Sounds bands: the Tigers, the Tempters, and the Spiders. Many strong tunes, but already anachronistic when released: a brave but failed attempt to carry Group Sounds into the brave new world of the 1970s.
The Tigers, Human Renascence (Polydor, 2002). Originally released on vinyl in 1968. Widely regarded as the Tigers’ masterpiece, their first attempt to produce a “serious” album organized around a concept. Most of the songs are recorded with orchestral accompaniment—a sure sign of seriousness, ala The Moody Blues.
××××The Mops, The Psychedelic Years (Victor, 2002). A nice “Best of” compilation by the Mops, one of the best psychedelic-sound Group Sounds rock bands from the 1960s.
The Mops, Rock ‘n’ Roll ’70 (Toshiba EMI, 2004), originally released on vinyl in 1970. More heavy psychedelic sound from
The Mops, Iijanaika (Toshiba EMI, 2003). Originally released on vinyl in 1971.
The Mops, Exit (Toshiba EMI, 2003). Originally released on vinyl in 1974, the last Mops album—a live recording of their farewell concert.
Ox, Vintage Collection (Victor, 1989). A “best of”
compilation by Ox, who along with the Mops were one of the best of the
third-generation Group Sounds bands that emerged circa 1968 with a heavier,
psychedelic sound. Ox
originated from
The Golden Cups, The Golden Cups Album (Capitol, 2004). Originally released on vinyl in 1968, the debut album by one of the most talented Group Sounds bands—one that has been enjoying something of a revival in recent years.
The Golden Cups, The Golden Cups Album Vol. 2 (Capitol, 2003). Originally released on vinyl in 1968; yes, it’s the second album by the band. A heavy, psychedelic sound, with many covers of Western rock standards (“Shotgun,” “Strange Brew,” “In the Midnight Hour,” etc.), and a couple of striking originals—especially “Gozen 3-ji no hapuningu” (3:00 a.m. happening).
The Wild Ones, The Wild Ones Album (Capitol, 2003). Originally released on vinyl in 1967, the debut album by one of the best respected of the first-generation Group Sounds bands.
×××Blue
Comets, Original Hit Dai-1-shû +
Dai-2-shû (Nippon Columbia, 1996).
Reissue containing the first two albums by Jacky Yoshikawa and his Blue
Comets, the first Group Sounds band to hit it really big in
×××Kamayatsu Hiroshi, Teichiku Years 1960-1961 (Teichiku, 2004). Compilation of the singles Kamayatsu released in his first incarnation, as a rockabilly and country-western idol who starred at the Nichigeki Western Carnivals in the early 1960s. Some of this is really terrific.
×××××Kamayatsu
Hiroshi, Monsieur: Kamayatsu Hiroshi no sekai (Teichiku,
2000). Originally
released on vinyl in 1970. Kamayatsu’s
first solo album after leaving the Spiders. He plays all the instruments and handles
most of the vocals, ala the first Paul McCartney solo album. Several solo remakes of songs he had
earlier recorded with the Spiders, generally in much more subdued and appealing
versions here. One song features a
duet with his father Tave Kamayatsu,
a well-known jazz singer; another features a charming duet with his infant son Tarô. This is a
legendary album in
×××Kamayatsu Hiroshi, Aa, Waga yoki tomo yo (Toshiba, 2003). Originally released on vinyl in 1975. Another Kamayatsu solo album, this featuring him working with many friends: Ôtaki Eiichi, Hosono Haruomi, Inoue Yôsui, Minami Kosetsu—and a few tracks recorded with the American band Tower of Power.
××××The Dylan II, Kinô no omoide ni wakare wo tsugerunda mono (Prime Direction, 2002). Originally released on vinyl on the legendary URC label in 1972, the debut album by one of the most popular bands to come out of the underground Kansai folk music scene.
×××The Folk Crusaders, Folk
Crusaders in Concert (Toshiba EMI, 2003). Originally released on
vinyl in 1968, live recording by one of the most important groups from the late
1960s/early 1970s’ folk scene in
×××Hayakawa Yoshio, Kakko ii koto wa nante kakko warui darô (Prime Direction, 2002). Originally released on vinyl in 1969 on the URL label, the first solo album by the former leader of The Jacks, the underground rock band that achieved respect (but few record sales) in the late 1960s. Very dark and dirge-like in tone, many of the songs reduced to simply piano-and-voice arrangements.
×××Ozawa
Kenji, The Dogs Bark, But the Caravan
moves On (Toshiba EMI,
1993). I’ve been meaning to check
out Ozawa for years now—this is my first exposure to his work, which was
immensely popular in the late 1990s in
××××Yamashita
Tatsurô, Treasures (Moon, 1995). A “best of” compilation from the man
often called the “Brian Wilson of
×××××Inoue Yôsui, Kôri no sekai (Polydor,
1996). Originally
released on vinyl in 1973. A legendary album, one of the first blasts in the singer-songwriter
driven “New Music” of the 1970s, whereby the divide between rock and folk in
Japanese popular music was overcome. Some of it is terrific—the opening
number “Akazu no fumikiri”
(The rail crossing gate that never opens), and it really conveys the feeling of
××½The
Mods, The Mods Best (Tokuma
××××Pizzicato Five, This Year’s Girl (Nippon Columbia, 1991).
Number Girl, Shibuya ROCKTRANSFORMED jôtai (Parlophone, 1999).
Cornelius, Holidays in the sun e.p. (Polystar, 1993).
Cornelius, Fantasma (Polystar, 1997).
Fujiyama
Ichirô, Fujiyama Ichirô zenkyokushû (
××××½Hattori
Ryôichi, Tôkyô no yane no shita: Boku no ongaku jinsei 1948-1951 (Victor, 2003). A two-CD compilation of many early
postwar songs by Hattori—the most important jazz composer and arranger in
mid-century
*****************
××From Bubblegum to Sky, Me and Amy and the Two French Boys (Eenie Meenie, 1999). I heard some of this on the “Morning Becomes Eclectic” show on KCRW here and was intrigued. Looked them up on the web and found myself even more intrigued. (6/25/04).
××××Ozomatli, Street Signs (
××Brian Wilson, Getting’ In Over My Head (Brimel, 2004). (6/24/04)
×××Wilco, A Ghost is Born (Nonesuch, 2004). (6/24/04)
Belle & Sebastian, The Boy with the Arab Strap (Matador, 1998). You’d think an Anglophile like me would already own Belle & Sebastian’s full discography, but this is my first acquisition. (6/21/04)
××××David
Bowie, Lodger (Virgin, 1999). Originally released on vinyl in 1979. Just about my favorite
×××David Bowie, “Heroes” (Virign, 1999). Originally released on vinyl in 1977. (6/21/04)
××××The Animals, The Animals/Animal Tracks (some Russian record label whose name I can’t read, 2000). Originally issued on vinyl in 1964 and 1965, respectively. I used to have the latter on vinyl. The Animals are a seriously underrated band from the 1960s; both their studio and live recordings crackle with energy and intelligence. (6/21/04)
××Los
Lobos, The Ride (
The Tigers, Rare & More Collection 3: Novelty Records (Universal Polydor, 2002). Fan club recordings, commercial jingles, etc., etc. (most definitely etc.) by the Tigers. (6/2/04)
×××The Tigers, Rare & More Collection 1: The Live History (Universal Polidor, 2001). Live recordings from various sources by the Tigers, another great 1960s’ “group sounds” band. The quality of recording and performance varies wildly, but some of this is quite good. Includes a cover of “The Monkee’s Theme,” “Hey Hey We’re the Tigers; People say we’re Tigering around….”: The Tigers imitate the Monkees imitiating the Beatles. Somebody should do a cover version of this soon. (6/2/04)
The Spiders, Rock ‘n Roll Renaissance (Teichiku, 1998). Originally released on vinyl in 1970. The last Spiders’ album, in which they anticipate the early 1970s’ boom in ‘50s rock ‘n roll, doing cover versions of songs like “Rock Around the Clock,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” Carol,” etc. (5/20/04)
The Spiders, Album No. 4 + Daishingeki Soundtrack (Teichiku, 1998). Both albums originally released on vinyl in 1967. (5/20/04)
The Spiders, Album No. 3 (Teichiku, 1998). Originally released on vinyl in 1967. Half originals, half covers. (5/20/04)
××××The Spiders, Album No. 1+ Album No. 2 (Techiku, 1998). Both albums originally released on vinyl in 1966. Probably the best known of the “group sounds” bands from Swingin’ Tokyo in the 1960s, the first album is made up of all original songs, some of remarkably high quality. “Furi Furi ‘66” is a wild rave up reminiscent of the early Kinks. The second album, on the other hand, is all cover versions of songs that had been hits for American and British bands, especially the Beatles. Again, the quality is quite good. (5/20/04)
×××½The
Tempters, First Album (Teichiku, 1998), originally released on vinyl in 1968. A “group sounds” guitar
combo from 1960s’
×××××Dmitry Shostakovich, Symphonies, 11 CD set, Rudolph Barshai, conducting; WDR Sinfonieorchester (Brilliant Classics, 1998). A boxed set I’ve had my eyes on for some time: all fifteen symphonies by my favorite composer. This will keep me busy for many months to come…. (5/21/04)
Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Unclassified (Warner Brothers, 2003). Introduced to me by a student, a hybrid of gospel, funk, and East Coast barroom rock. (5/8/04)
×××××James Brown, Live at the Apollo (1962) Expanded Edition (Polydor, 2004). A work I’ve owned on vinyl for many years that I’d been meaning to replace for some time now – and finally they come out with an “expanded edition” (which means they’ve tacked on the 45 rpm single versions of a few of the tracks, nothing more). But it sounds great, and what can you say about this recording? Simply awesome. (5/6/04)
×××Johnny Cash, Orange Blossom Special (Sony, 2002). Originally released in 1965. (5/6/04)
Robert Schumann, Cello Concerto, Yo-Yo Ma, cello; Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Sir Colin Davis conducting (1992, Sony Classical). (5/1/04)
Robert Schumann, The Symphonies, Vienna Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein conducting (Deutsche Gramophone, 1985/6), two CD set. (5/1/04)
Three Dog Night, The Best of Three Dog Night (MCA, 1982). Couldn’t resist this one, either. My very first rock concert, way back in about 1974 when I was thirteen years old, was headlined by these guys. “The Show Must Go On” (included here) was their current hit then, and I remember the use of much dry ice during their performance of “Eli’s Coming” (also included here), which led into a wild organ solo, at the climax of which came this big flashpot explosion, whereupon the keyboardist—dressed like Merlin the Wizard—had disappeared into thin air. I mean, talk about cool. I was hooked. (4/20/04)
××Prince, Musicology (NPG Records, 2004). The artist formerly known as….oh, never mind. I had it in my portable CD player for several weeks, and none of the tracks really sunk into my bones. Not nearly as good as, for example, Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic, his release of several years back, which was uneven but still had a number of standout songs on it. (4/20/04)
×××Various artists, Mayor of the Sunset Strip Original Soundtrack (2004, Shout Factory). Soundtrack to the new documentary about Rodney Bingenheimer, the great LA deejay who has introduced several generations of Californians to what’s new in pop/punk/rock. It includes the paean Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys composed for Rodney’s show, which still airs every Sunday night at midnight here on KROQ. (4/20/04)
×××Gorillaz, Gorillaz (2001, Virgin). A Blur, a Cibo Matto, and a Dan the Automator. Together again at last.
×××Ringo Starr, Goodnight Vienna (1992, Capitol). Originally released in vinyl in 1974. I found it used for eight bucks. Who could resist?
××××Flamin’ Ohs, The First 2 Albums (2004, Not Lame). The first two studio albums, originally released on vinyl in 1980 and 1981, finally reissued on CD. Oh, mama, do I get my nostalgia fix…..
××Robert
Wilkinson, Days Like Glass (2004, Sursumcoda). The former leader of the Flamin’s Ohs, one of the great
×××½Shiina Ringo, Shôso sutorippu (2000, Virgin). I was so impressed with her most recent CD, Karuki zamen kurinohana, that I’ve decided to start collecting her older works as well. (1/5/04)
For a list of the CDs I acquired in 2003,
see here