“Special thanks to all my friends and family without whom I would have been snooker loopy by now.”
Kathryn Williams, in liner notes for “Dog Leap Stairs,” 1999.
Those are words I can relate to and as good a way as any, I would say, to dive back into the ongoing bit of snooker loopydom that I call the O/CD Tally. The last time I bothered to add to the count of new albums - physical or digital - coming into the Close Personal Friend music library was March (!?) of this year, and the batch of used CDs I purchased then brought my calculated (not actual) tally to 61. Add in the 5 albums I mentioned in the (now abandoned) effort to move the Tally to another section of the blog (it’s up top, a page called “Hey, What Happened to the O/CD Tally?” that’s not gonna work for me) and we’re at 66. That doesn’t begin to tell the tale of all the music that’s come my way - and gone away.
I’ve started lists repeatedly throughout the year to keep the tally tallying, but my sad mantra in that effort appears to be “often begun, never done.” Well, I’m trying to kick start my way back into regular blogging. One way to clear the decks and text is to pull up one of those lists and Post It the *&^% Up Already...
Here’s from a document I call TITTS (the unfortunate anagram for “Taking It to The Stores”), a list of albums that were acquired but then “recycled” back to the CD trade-in store for the various reasons you’ll see here.
Sometimes I get perfectly good CDs, full of great music, that I nonetheless trade away. Case in point:
1. DIRE STRAITS - Making Movies (Warner Bros.)
I interviewed Mark Knopfler in the studio when he and the band were working on this and heard one track (“Romeo and Juliet,” I believe) while they were mixing. Knopfler was so gracious, especially when my tape recorded malfunctioned and we had to redo most of the conversation, that I developed a bit of a crush on him. (Not so producer Jimmy Iovine, who was kind of a dick about the whole thing.) Anyway, I love the music on this album but, after getting a CD copy to replace my vinyl version, through the Swaptree site, I realized I didn’t need the physical disc. After putting the songs on my “Enchilada” hard drive, I am sending this one back into the marketplace.
I’m also getting a little fussy about CD packaging, If there’s nothing special about the case, I might as well digitize the sounds and save space, as I did with these:
2. LUKA BLOOM - Dreams in America (BigSky Records)
3. BOB SCHNEIDER - Lovely Creatures (Kirtland)
4. JODY PORTER - Close to the Sun (EngineRoom Recordings)
Porter’s in one of my favorites bands, Fountains of Wayne, but he’s not one of the songwriting team that give the band its bite. His solo album, as to be expected, has the power pop snap of FoW, but not quite the same lyric heights.
5. JUSTIN CURRIE - The Great War (Rykodisc)
The main man behind the once glorious Del Amitri released another solo album earlier this year with a dark and somewhat cranky sound.
6. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS - Original Television Soundtrack, Vol. 2 (Arrival/Scion Music Group)
A nice collection of tracks like “Percussion Gun” (one of last year’s greatest tracks, a song from one of my favorite (new to me) bands, the Avett Brothers, and other miscellaneous people I like - John Doe, AM, Sufjan Stevens.
7. 90210 - Various Artists (CBS Records)
Here’s where the packaging makes the difference. I ripped all the songs into iTunes for future exploration and there’s a bunch I’m sure I’ll want to keep -- but the artwork - silly little photos from a TV series I never intend to watch - isn’t worth the paper and plastic casing it came in.
8. The DANCE PARTY - Touch (Hell Ya! Records)
There’s catchy disco/pop happening here but the cover is so skanky, with grab-ass shots of various types - girls touching themselves, hands down pants, lacy pantied butts and more - I just want to get rid of the thing before my kids see it - and they’re not even impressionable children anymore! The band no doubt think they’re being cute and coy and clever, but it’s cheap and classless and will bother me even as I bop my head to the sounds. Promo FAIL.
9. EILEN JEWELL - Presents Butcher Holler: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn (Signature Sounds) A few years ago, I hosted a casual BBQ for Eilen (rhymes with “feelin’”) Jewell and her band when they were playing a gig at the upstate NY lake resort town where my mom has a summer home. She’s a sweetheart and a fine performer, just so you know.
10. MARK CHESTNUT - Outlaw (Saguaro)
Another covers album, this one of classic country tunes, produced by the esteemed Pete Anderson. I’ll grab a few tracks, but country’s generally not my bag.
Speaking of not my bag, here’s the rap cast-offs:
11. VADO - Slime Flu (Entertainment One)
Here’s a guy dropping the n-word and “bitches” and all the rest and I feel bad for the publicist listed on the press release ‘cause I remember how she used to work indie rock bands with genuine enthusiasm and now has to promote this (self-dubbed) slime.
12. DWELE - W.ants W.orld W.omen (E1 Music/RTMG)
I thought maybe I’d give this one a listen since the cover showed a guy busting stereotypes in a tryptic view, including one dapper suit shot. Then I opened it up and saw a photo of him lounging in bed with two women and a video camera. And I said, nah.
13. FAT JOE - The Darkside, Vol. 1 (E1 Music)
This one’s got a track called “Money Over Bitches.” Next!
14. SLUM VILLAGE - Villa Manifesto (E1 Music/Ne’astra)
15. 8 BALL & MJG - Ten Toes Down (Push/E1 Music)
16. DEVIN the DUDE - Suite #420 (E1 Music)
Hey, I’m a middle-aged white woman who loves in the suburbs. I can’t pretend it’s talking to me!
Stuff I’m Just Not Gonna Listen to Again:
17. JOHN JORGENSON and ORCHESTRA NASHVILLE - Istiqbal Gathering (J2 Records)
Two tracks feature the Turtle Island Quartet, whom I have liked on other recordings, but this is just too MOR for me.
18. STICK MEN - Soup (self-released?)
Tony Levin was in King Crimson, so I won’t argue his pedigree or chops. I just don’t like this ersatz jazz noodling thing.
19. BETH NIELSON CHAPMAN - Back to Love (BNC)
“How We Love” is a good song for my funeral mix (yeah, I’ve started a list of songs I want played at my funeral. You mean you haven’t?) Other than that, as much as I feel bad for her going through some bad health issues, her backstory doesn’t endear this very sentimental material to me.
20. GRANT DERMODY - Lay Down my Burden (self-released)
I’m not much for hard-core folk, either.
21. THUNDER BUFFALO - S/T (Sarathan/Fontana)
Slow, loud sludge. Probably fine for people who like that kind of thing.
22. KELLER WILLIAMS - Thief (SCI Fidelity)
After an explanation of how the money will be shared with the songwriters, thereby not making him the titular villain, Williams warns that it would be a “DOUBLE hit to your karma” if you “achieve this record for free, or simply burn it for a friend.” Not leaving well enough alone, he includes a boxed “KARMA WARNING” that threatens, “If you thief this record in any way, your body will be used as a butt plug for an elephant” and goes on to explain it in more detail including the website www.iamanelephantbuttplug.com where there’s a Art Crumb style illustration of same. TMI, Keller and the attitude is enough to make me feel better about passing the CD off to my retail contact. That, and the unattractive mug shot-style photos, and music that’s more novelty than novel. Less bluegrass than hackey-sack doodling on covers like “Rehab,” “Se and Candy” and “Teen Angst.”
23. HOPE SANDOVAL & The WARM INVENTIONS - Through the Devil Softly (Nettwerk)
I kinda liked Sandoval’s other band,, Mazzy Star (again, in short bursts) but a whole album of this melancholic, drowsy music makes me...melancholic and drowsy.
24. The LOST FINGERS - Lost in the 80s (Tandem)
This band plays classic, and not-so, pop potboilers in the style of Le Jazz Hot. It’s a better-than-average gimmick which makes for fun in a track here and there, but a whole album of such novelty numbers wears thin quickly. I wonder if the band also get tired of using its considerable skills performing what is essentially the same trick over and over.
25. THRICE - Beggars (Vagrant)
I can sense that this band has grand ambition, and may well be able to bring it to fruition, but it’s a more aggressive style than I care for.
26. FALLING STILL - May All Magic Guide and Change You (Peace, Man)
Ditto.
27. MIDLAKE - The Courage of Others (Bella Union)
Great press for this, but I find it a little bland.
28. TRANSIENT SONGS - Cave Syndrome (Indian Casino)
One of those albums I would like better if I didn’t speak English. There’s a laid-back psychedelia to the music, like Pink Floyd or Flaming Lips, but the lyrics are pretty lame.
29. HOT CLUB of COWTOWN - Wishful Thinking (Proper)
I saw this band perform a few years back at the Barns of Wolf Trap, after writing them up for the Post, and I had a fine time, especially watching the older audience members who knew how to dance genuine two-step to the country swing. This album, however, didn’t have any spark.
Sometimes, I’m just dumping garbage, pure and simple:
30. 20 BEST ROCKIN’ 60’S - VARIOUS ARTISTS (Madacy Entertainment)
I hate when this happens. I buy a CD of oldies and, as I’m listening, I’m thinking, “did it really go like that?” Then I check the fine print: “New stereo recordings by the original artists.” Bah! I’m sorry if people like Tommy Roe, Lou Christie, Gary Lewis and “Paul Revere” got ripped off in their original deals, but that’s really no excuse for ripping off the fans years later. Into the reject pile!
And so, we have a new
O/CD Year to Date Tally: 96
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