August 2021 Vinyl Spin Challenge Thread: Summer Loving

[TenderLovingKiller®]

Day 12: World Elephant Day!
Today is all about raising awareness about the need of preserving and protecting elephants. Play an album that features animals (imaginary bonus point for Elephants)

The Microphones - The Glow, Pt. 2

I didn’t have too many elephant related records and this is, to the best of my knowledge; the only one to feature an elephant on the cover.

According to the credits The picture of the elephant in the front was taken from the cover of what appears to be an antique Dutch cookbook titled "Calvé-Delft's Winterboekje". On the inside of the cover it seems to credit "Leo Visser" as the artist. Phil Elverum found it on the floor of a bookstore he worked at as a teenager, just the cover torn off, and kept it around.

 

[jamieanderson1968]

12th August - World Elephant Day!

Today is all about raising awareness about the need of preserving and protecting elephants. Play an album that features animals (imaginary bonus point for Elephants)

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Carnage (track - White Elephant, in my opinion the best track on the album.

probably the only good thing to come out of COVID is that it gave the world 2 new Nick Cave albums, this and Idiots Prayer

 

[gafacaode]

12th August - World Elephant Day!

Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Armed Forces

 

[jfitzy]

12th August - World Elephant Day!

The Band - Music from Big Pink

Cover art by Bob Dylan. Featuring an elephant!

 

[D Jilla]

Day 11 - Put Your Phones Away!

Now my second favorite Portishead after Bobby’s (likely a very esoteric dad joke ).

 

[Turbo]

7th August - International Hangover Day!
After yesterday perhaps it's best for a quiet night in. Play an acoustic album that's nice and relaxed.

*12th August, catch-up
Ted Hawkins "The Next Hundred Years" (1994 Geffen; 2019 Analogue Productions KPG remaster)
Maybe not a party, but I can use some quiet and relaxation after the 6 hour drive home today. Drive was super smooth with barely any slowdown through Toronto. So it went well other than we seemed to have forgotten to properly close the garage fridge before leaving. Luckily, it was pretty well empty beyond beer/drink cans. A bit of lost produce (that was old anyway) but mostly a pain in the ass. Ted Hawkins is an excellent first spin for my return to the turntable. Pressing is fantastic.

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

Now my second favorite Portishead after Bobby’s (likely a very esoteric dad joke ).

Former Bull, Bobby Portis(head).

 

[Wes C. Attle]

Day 11 - Put Your Phones Away!

The Kinks - Live At Kelvin Hall



This was included in the mono box set I bought years ago and I’ll be honest… I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this. On track one and they really mic’d the crowd. It’s as if the incessantly screaming audience was just another instrument here.

Edit: on track two and the crowd is still going nuts.

Edit #2: (from Wikipedia: ) “Close listening seems to reveal that the audience hysteria is an extended, repeating tape loop. It is also notable that an entire fourth of the 4-track mix was devoted to the crowd's screams and yells.”

 

[Turbo]

8th August - Now THAT'S a cool story!
Play an album that has a great story linked to it.

August 12th, catch-up.

The Chromatics "Closer To Grey" (2020 Italians Do It Better)
With the Chromatics announcing their end this week, it reminded all fans of the infamous "Dear Tommy". As indicated from the numeral "VII" on the cover of "Closer To Grey", it is intended to be their 7th record, although they only released six at the time. Album #6 was "Dear Tommy". Originally announced for release in 2015, "Dear Tommy" never materialized. In 2017, it was reported that Johnny Jewel destroyed all of the recordings following a near death experience and continued dissatisfaction with the material for the album. Several of the previously released "Dear Tommy" singles, like the fantastic "I Can Never Be Myself When You're Around" were even deleted from streaming platforms (those tracks have now returned). "Dear Tommy" was eventually re-announced with a new track listing. It has supposedly been re-recorded. But instead, the band released "Closer To Grey" in late 2019. With the Chromatics now disbanding, the fate of "Dear Tommy" remains a mystery. The tracks should be out there. Will we ever hear it? Maybe it will finally see the light of day in the future, when we least expect it, much like Neil Young's legendary "Homegrown", which was finally released in 2020.

 

[D Jilla]

Day 12 - World Elephant Day!

Ganesh, I suppose only part elephant

 

[LeeVing]

12th August - World Elephant Day!
Today is all about raising awareness about the need of preserving and protecting elephants. Play an album that features animals (imaginary bonus point for Elephants)

I always try to go for the imaginary bonus points when I can.

I played this one earlier this year, so I'm being lazy again and using old images.

Clutch ‎– The Elephant Riders
Let Them Eat Vinyl ‎– LETV462LP, 1998/2016

2x45RPM
RSD16 - limited to 2000

Pressed at GZ

 

[cul8er]

13th August - Unlucky.
Play an album that took you ages to find, or that slipped through your fingers before you eventually found a copy.

Not necessarily "ages to find," but I missed out on every first pressing of this album due to them selling out so quickly. The band thankfully realized more people wanted the album, so they got a second pressing. I do feel a bit vindicated since this second pressing looks the best!

King Buffalo - The Burden Of Restlessness

 

[LeeVing]

13th August - Unlucky.
Play an album that took you ages to find, or that slipped through your fingers before you eventually found a copy.

This 2015 album had reissues in 2016, 2017, and 2018...but ordering them from Australia seemed difficult without paying up the ass to the flippers. I finally got a copy when it was reissued again in 2019. It was still expensive after shipping from Australia, but I felt better ordering from the band/label than a flipper.

Gang of Youths – The Positions
Mosy Recordings/Sony Music – 19075909841, 2015/2019

Pressed at GZ

 

[Turbo]

9th August - International Day Of The Worlds Indigenous People!
Play an album that highlights those people that are often overshadowed and bring them to the attention of more people. Doesn’t necessarily need to be a particular group of people, but perhaps an overlooked group/genre/person of cultural significance or interest.

13th August, catching-up

Robert Charlebois "Les Grands Succès De Robert Charlebois" (1972 Gamma)
I was racking my brain to figure out what to play for this challenge and decided to play a record of massive significance to my own culture. French Canadians were thought of as second-rate citizens throughout much of the 20th century. A lot of that was due to our reticence to assert ourselves and our culture, in part because of the iron fist with which the Catholic church controlled everything. The late-60's saw the "Tranquil Revolution" with it's massive rejection of the church. French Canadians went from one of the most devout populations in the world to a population that now celebrates secularism. This cultural awakening also paved the way for artistic exploration.

In 1968, Robert Charlebois released the track "Lindberg", which ushered a seismic shift in the Quebec culture. Overnight, the musical landscape evolved from the dominant classical French signing styles to more experimental forms. More importantly, "Lindberg" showed that it was ok to sing using our own accent and figures of speech and to perform tunes about us that sound like us. "Lindberg" opens the hits compilation I chose to spin today.

"Lindberg" is a wonderful piece of psychedelic pop that gets overlooked everywhere but here. The songs itself is a surrealistic piece with irreverent lyrics that evoke dreams of getting lost in travel following your girl (the "Sophie" in the song). The chorus famously recites a series of airline companies (all of which have now folded). I added a link to the song if you're interested in hearing it.

 

[avecigrec]

13th August - Unlucky.

Sun Ra - Calling Planet Earth


It may not have been the longest time looking, but just shy of two years anyway. I've managed to snag the original coloured vinyl RSD releases of nearly all the ORG Sun Ra releases along the way, so I decided I would try an maintain the course and find the most reasonably priced copies I could of the last couple I needed. I was delighted a few weeks ago to find the pink swirl RSD version of this album listed for both a reasonable price and a reasonable rate of shipping... fast forward to two days ago when it arrived and the advertised pink swirl RSD version happened to be the black reissue. Disappointing and unlucky.

On a good note, though, the seller did apologize profusely and refund me 50% and I now have the record, which sounds great regardless of what colour pressing I have!

 

[LeeVing]

fast forward to two days ago when it arrived and the advertised pink swirl RSD version happened to be the black reissue. Disappointing and unlucky.

I suspect there are a lot of releases being sold in the wrong sub on Discogs, especially for RSD releases.

There is one that I know has a lot of problems. The S/T for People Under The Stairs had a in-store variant that didn't have a specific submission made for it. The one that was there was the club variant limited to 300.

There are 33 currently being sold - and I know that most are just the retail RSD version.

 

[Selaws]

I suspect there are a lot of releases being sold in the wrong sub on Discogs, especially for RSD releases.

There is one that I know has a lot of problems. The S/T for People Under The Stairs had a in-store variant that didn't have a specific submission made for it. The one that was there was the club variant limited to 300.

There are 33 currently being sold - and I know that most are just the retail RSD version.

There's a London jazz group called Ill Considered and they released their 'IC 8' album as 2 colour variations, Green and Orange. I ended up getting both as I had pre-ordered one and was gifted the second (luckily it was the other colour to the one I ordered). At the time there must have only been 1 listing for it on Discogs as 'Green or yellow' so I added it twice. I then popped on Discogs to read up on it yesterday and saw that there is now a second listing to split the colours.

Like you said, easy to list the wrong one so I fully imagine people sell them as the incorrect versions all the time.

 

[jfitzy]

13th August - Unlucky.
Play an album that took you ages to find, or that slipped through your fingers before you eventually found a copy.

I’ve only been collecting since 2019 so there’s nothing really I’ve been hunting for for very long yet. So I’ll go in a slightly different direction.

The Who is my favorite rock band of all time. I have almost their entire discography on CD, including compilations and live albums. I was absolutely obsessed with them in my late teens and early twenties, and their music still means a great deal to me.

But for some reason I’ve never picked up anything of theirs on wax until just a few months ago.

The Who - Quadrophenia
Their best studio album in my opinion

 

[Selaws]

13th August - Unlucky

Wayne Shorter - Schizophrenia (Blue Note, 1969 First Pressing)

When I chose this challenge for today there was no way I wasn't going to pick this album by Wayne Shorter. It was on my wantlist for years and its one of my favourites by the saxophonist. At a time where original Blue Notes are selling on Ebay for eye-watering amounts I was able to get this at a reasonable price.

Several years ago I bid on a copy on Ebay that I thought I won, I actually watched the clock tick to Zero with no change in my winning bid. I popped over to the purchases page to pay and couldnt find it, only to then get an email pop up saying I had missed out. I have no idea what happened but someone must have outbid at the last second without time to alert me. Fine.

Later, whilst on my way to work I saw a copy for sale being posted on Instagram by a record shop in central London. In my lunch break I popped over only to find that it had been sold 10mins before I got there. Fine.

A couple of years ago Superfly Records listed a copy on their website. I quickly logged in, filled out my details and......it sold as I was pressing the final purchase button.

Still, it was worth the wait as this copy I have is spectacular and sounds incredible!

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

Day 13: Unlucky
Play an album that took you ages to find, or that slipped through your fingers before you eventually found a copy

Waylon Jennings - Dreaming My Dreams

Willie’s Shotgun Willie, Waylon’s Dreaming My Dreams, and Honky Tonk Heroes were some of my most coveted LPs for quite a while. I was able to come about a nice copy of Shotgun Willie for a fair price (a few years prior to VMP reissuing it) and finally found a copy of this for around $20 by doing some internet sleuthing. Still looking for a nice copy of Honky Tonk Heroes for a good price, the search continues.