Thursday, January 08, 2009

Tally Ho!

Let the Obsessive/CD counting begin!

Today I took a few bags of cast-off items to my local thrift store and, of course, spent time looking through the shelves of CDs, being sold for just $1.50 each! I talked myself out of some that were in less than ideal condition, plus a few that I may well already have at home (such doubts are an occupational hazard of the obsessive collector). Still, I got a dozen:

PRACTICALLY EINSTEIN - I Want To (Oddman Records)
This local NoVA band’s name pops up occasionally when I’m searching venues for shows to cover for the Post. Might as well have a copy of the disc on hand so I can consider them. Uh-oh. Just noticed - this is a 1998 recording!? I wonder if the band sounds anything at all like this anymore. It would probably be a bad sign if they did.

POISON - Poisons Greatest Hits 1986-1996 (Capitol)
Insert joke here about how this full-length should be an EP. My first thought was simply to get it as a joke for Birthday-Coming Girl (Jan. 24), with whom I wasted many hours watching the deliciously wretched “Rock Love” in a perversion of mother/daughter bonding. But then I saw the title “Unskinny Bop” and realized I actually want one of these songs! Also contains two previously unreleased tracks for which I hold out little hope.

U2 - War (Island)
No, it’s not one of the new deluxe reissues, but jeez, it was only a buck and a half! I wonder what my vinyl copy might fetch on amazon...?

CAN YOU SAY HOBOKEN? 6 - Various Artists (Brave Entertainment Group)
I wouldn’t have bothered with another compilation of obscure artists from the hipster enclave, but then I saw the name of an old pal, Chris Butler (late of the Waitresses) doing a song called “Keith Moon!” (love the exclamation point), so I had to check it out.

SWING AROUND THE WORLD - Various Artists (Putumayo World Music)
“A global swing dance party that’s fun for the entire family!” I recognize the Squirrel Nut Zippers and Oscar Peterson, but that’s not the point here. I want to be taken away to exotic lands where I don’t know the language but can still feel the beat. Anybody else remember when Putumayo had a store in Soho with funky, fun fashion?

IMMORTAL BELOVED - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (SONY Classical)
I almost passed up this CD when I noticed that the contents read “excerpts from...” a list of Ludwig’s best-known numbers. Then I realized I need Beethoven for Dummies.

MADELEINE PEYROUX - Careless Love (Rounder)
I know I have a Peyroux CD somewhere in the house. And I know I like her voice. But is this the title I already have? Oh, heck, it’s still sealed, so I can probably get my money back at the trade-in store if it’s a dupe.

The BLACK CROWES - Greatest Hits 1990-1999 (American)
Back in the summer, I interviewed Grace Potter, who was opening a show for the Crowes at Wolf Trap, for the Post. I really wanted to go to the show, and bought this CD at Best Buy to psyche myself up for the show. But I never broke the shrink-wrap and didn’t get to the show and wound up returning the CD for credit. So now we come full circle.

JOHN MAYER - Room for Squares (Aware/Columbia)
I have a copy of the album with a different cover and, I believe, a few different tracks. That one is, I believe, an earlier (collectible?) release and this is the one that made him a huge star. Want to make a comparison.

BARENAKED LADIES - Everything to Everyone (Reprise)
Slowly but surely (and relatively cheaply), I am working towards the full catalog of this fine, funny band, whose charms I discovered rather late in their career (‘round “Stunt”).

OUTKAST - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (Arista)
Remember how huge this album was? “Hey-Ya”? “The Way You Move”? “Roses”? At the time, a teenage neighbor burned me a copy, but I like to have the real deal, especially for an album with such a lasting pedigree. Funny/sad note re this once invincible act - even the used CD store wasn’t interested in a copy of “Idlewild” last time I was there. And BTW, while the Korean cashier in the back of the thrift store examines every CD to count the discs, the younger woman at the front cashier doesn’t, so buy your 2-CD sets from her!

American Eagle: AN ESSENTIAL MIX - Various Artists (Warner Bros.)
Except for PM Dawn, Olive and Muse, I don’t recognize the artists on this 10-track compilation, but the latter is a favorite of College Girl’s ex, a nice guy who she’ll hopefully stay friends with, and I’ll pass this one to him. Of the eight tracks I’ve heard so far, only one’s a keeper - “Sunbeam” (as in “Jesus wants me for a...”) by Submarine. I haven’t gotten to the Muse track yet, but I’m not sure ex is gonna want it. Everything here is totally jacked up with hyper dance beats, to numbing effect.

And so, the first O/CD Tally of the New Year: 12

Tonight: Camper Van Beethoven at the State Theatre.
Tomorrow: photos of same (I hope)

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