Jake

Burt Reynolds: Ask Me What I Am (Mercury SRM-1-693, 1973) Shit like this is why I shouldn’t be allowed in record stores. It’s terrible. And now I have to listen to it. Burt was cool af but he couldn’t sing. He half-talks through these sappy-ass ditties, two of which were written by a woman with the funniest dead name you can imagine. Look it up. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #BurtReynolds

Purple Mountains (Drag City DC680, 2019) “Friends are warmer than gold when you’re old and keeping them is harder than you might suppose.” It’s hard to remember the time between the release of the lead-off single and Berman’s suicide, but we were giddy about the return of one of the greatest lyricists in rock and roll after a ten-year hiatus. And then we weren’t. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #PurpleMountains #DavidBerman

The Regrettes: Feel Your Feelings, Fool (Warner Bros 557260-1, 2017) Bonkers that Lydia Night wrote these songs when she was 14 or 15 and recorded an album this great when she was 16. This lineup was all School of Rock pals and they were my favorite band. Eventually, Night got sick of making punk rock for dads like me and went pop. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #regrettes #LydiaNight

Public Enemy: Fight Power (Motown MOT-4647, 1989) It would be impossible to overstate the impact PE had on my 19-year-old suburban consciousness. My post-adolescent radicalization is a little cringe in retrospect, but in my heart I am still down with the revolution. Chuck and Flav, man: I think they might’ve been our only decent teachers. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #vinylrecords #PublicEnemy

Prince: Purple Rain (Warner Bros 1-25110, 1984) Picked this up for $6.99 the week before Prince died. What a deal. Still has the poster. Sounds perfect. When I was 12 I had a taped copy that I had to hide from my mom because it was too dirty. Prince taught me what it’s all about: Be direct and be respectful. Be confident in your own funky self. And live now before the grim reaper come knocking on your door. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #vinylrecords #prince

Elvis Presley: Having Fun with Elvis on Stage (RCA CPM1-0818, 1974) This is a shameful release and proves that Colonel Tom Parker was an unscrupulous huckster and that by 1974 Elvis had totally given up on trying to be a serious artist. It’s “a talking album only” containing live between-song banter. I buy every cheap copy I see. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #ElvisPresley

Parliament: Funkentelechy (Casablanca NBLP-7084, 1977) My favorite Parliament album and the clearest articulation of the P-Funk political message, i.e., shoot the unfunky with the bop gun and shine the flashlight on them to make them dance. It’s not subtle. It’s revolutionary. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #parliament #GeorgeClinton #pfunk

Prince: Sign O the Times (Paisley Park 22577-1, 1987) Picked this up after Prince died. These last 10 years have been a motherfucker, haven’t they? I wonder what Prince would be doing today. Probably making badass funky jams like this. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #vinylrecords #Prince

Prince: 1999 (Warner Bros R1 23720, 2011) A nice pressing of a great album. The deep cuts are as good as the hits. Prince is one of the artists I most regret never seeing live. I had several opportunities and I blew them all. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #vinylrecords #prince

Mike Oldfield: Tubular Bells (Virgin VR13-105, 1973) I bought this because I’m an idiot and was thinking it was the main sample on the Orb’s “Fluffy Little Clouds.” Not even close. (That’s Steve Reich/Pat Metheny.) This is the Exorcist soundtrack and I hate it. Not my deal. At all. (It’s probably alright if you’re *super* high.) @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #MikeOldfield

Elvis Presley: 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong (RCA LPM-2075, 1959) Vol. 2 doesn’t have hits as big as Vol. 1 and it contains a bunch of the stuff he rush-recorded before he went into the army, but it’s still good. “A Big Hunk of Love” is a highlight but once you’ve heard the original outtake version of “One Night of Sin,” the official version seems tame. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #ElvisPresley #vinyl

New York Dolls (Mercury SRM-675. 1973) Bought this at Hi-Fi Records on Clark for $11.99 which was a lot of money for me to spend on a used record back in the day. It survived the purge because this belongs on #vinyl, duh. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #newyorkdolls

The Rentals: Lost in Alphaville (Polyvinyl PRC-278, 2014) Return of the Rentals is one of my favorite albums of the 90s but that was never released on vinyl. This album tries to recapture some of that magic 20 years later and mostly fails. But hey, I’m still down with P. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #TheRentals #MattSharp

Elvis Presley: Elvis’ Golden Records (RCA LPM-1707 RE2, 1962) Can’t remember how I ended up with this record (or the next one), but I’m not complaining. Even the scratchy old vinyl sounds great in glorious mono. And there’s a reason these songs are classics. Elvis could sing his ass off. And the garage punk guitar solo on “Too Much” is the best. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #ElvisPresley

Sinead O’Connor: The Lion and the Cobra (Chrysalis BFV41612, 1987) Thought this was priced at $3.99 but it was $9.99 but it’s worth it. “Mandinka” is the best but there’s lots of other stuff to love on here. Her voice is just incredible, especially considering she was a pregnant teenager when she recorded it. Badass. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #sineadoconnor

Phosphorescent: Muchacho (Dead Oceans DOC050, 2013) Boy, you wouldn’t know what a bummer (in the best way) this album is by looking at the delightful album cover featuring ladies in various states of undress sprawled across the bed. The sleeve is the bender; the music is the self-loathing that follows. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #Phosphorescent

Harry Nilsson: A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night (RCA Victor AYL1-3761, 1981) Another one of my parents’ albums and along with Stardust, my introduction to the standards. This is a budget reissue of the 1973 classic. Arrangements by the great Gordon Jenkins. Nilsson’s voice is absolutely angelic. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #harrynilsson

Neutral Milk Hotel: In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (Merge MRG136, 1998) I love this album. I hear new things every time I listen to it. Kevin Barnes is one of my all-time favorite drummers but I love the acoustic songs too. I’m sad Mangum hasn’t released anything since but I’m grateful I got to see a few of the reunion shows. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #NeutralMilkHotel

Michael Nesmith & the First National Band: Loose Salute (RCA LSP-4415, 1970) I used to have a lot more Nez on #vinyl and it’s one of my bigger regrets from the purge. Oh well. Pedal steel player Red Rhodes steals the show here, as on all of Nesmith’s best stuff. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #MichaelNesmith #nez

Parliament: Mothership Connection (Casablanca NBLP-7022, 1975) I will buy just about any P-Funk #vinyl I see regardless of condition but this one plays pretty nice despite looking gnarly. Music-wise, it does not get any better than mid-70s P-Funk and it’s preposterous how prolific this crew was throughout this decade. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #Pfunk #parliament #GeorgeClinton

Yoko Ono: Feeling the Space (Apple SW-3412, 1973) If you only know Yoko from her screamy avant garde stuff, you might be surprised by her mid-70s yacht-adjacent rock. Groovy, laid-back music with feminist lyrics. Sneaky Pete even shows up with pedal steel on a few songs. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #YokoOno

Elvis Presley: Elvis In Concert (RCA APL2-2587, 1977) Recorded for a tv special two months before he died, people were shocked how bloated and unhealthy he looked when it aired. But he doesn’t sound as bad as it seems like he should. He gets out of breath sometimes and he goofs with some lyrics. He didn’t take himself too seriously…except when he did, e.g., “My Way.” @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #elvispresley

New Riders of the Purple Sage (Columbia C030888, 1971) I love Jerry Garcia’s pedal steel and this album has a bunch of it. The songs are fun, scootin’ country rock and it suggests an alternate universe where the Grateful Dead stuck to the Workingman’s Dead/American Beauty world instead of getting all jazzy and weird. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #NRPS #JerryGarcia #PedalSteel

Phosphorescent: C’est La Vie (Dead Oceans DOC113, 2018) Now this time the album cover looks sad but the music is much happier…well, relatively. The title track is one of my favorite songs about losing your faith, a subject I love, second only to Sufjan’s “Casimir Pulaski Day.” Is old Phossie a trust-fund kid or something? How else can he afford to release an album every five years and not tour? @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #Phosphorescent

Eddie Murphy: Comedian (Columbia FC39005, 1983) I was 12 when tapes of this were passed around my friend group like contraband. Burned into my adolescent brain. The AIDS jokes (and audience reactions) are awful and I get why you might not make it past the first two minutes but the bits about singers, the ice cream man and the barbecue are still the funniest shit I’ve ever heard. Goonie goo goo. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #EddieMurphy

Idris Muhammad: Power of Soul (Kudu, KU17, 1974) I don’t listen to a lot of jazz but most of the stuff I like was sampled by hip hop producers. This, of course, is no exception. “Loran’s Dance,” featuring Bob James’ keys, was chosen by the great Matt Dike to open Paul’s Boutique. To all the Swiss girls… @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #jazz #IdrisMuhammad #beastieboys

Rick Nelson: Rudy the Fifth (Decca DL75297, 1971) If you find Stone Canyon Band-era stuff in the dollar bin, it’s worth every penny. This album features my favorite cover of Dylan’s “Just Like a Woman” (and possibly my second fave Dylan cover of all time—after Elvis’ “Tomorrow Is a Long Time.”) Failed to crack Billboard’s Top LPs chart, bubbling under at 204. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #RickNelson #americana

@donutage@mastodon.social I mean…right?!?

Liz Phair: Soberish (Chrysalis BRCV15, 2021) I need to get Exile and the underrated Whip-Smart but this is my only Liz on vinyl, purchased from her website and apparently limited to 500 signed copies. Produced by Brad Wood like the old days but sounds all grown up. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #LizPhair @LizPhair@mstdn.social

@icastico@c.im You can’t go wrong. This one is a classic. I think I love Funkentechy best though.

N.W.A.: Panic Zone (Ruthless MRC-1034, 1987) Had to get NWA’s first 12” just to have the radio edits of “Dopeman” and “8-Ball.” Pretty much entirely unique lyrics with overzealous self-censorship (e.g., replacing “gonorrhea” with “diseases”). The original explicit mixes are great too. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #NWA #hiphop

The Mountain Goats: Jenny from Thebes (Merge MRG841, 2023) My last tMG record. And their last on Merge. A sequel (of sorts) to All Hail West Texas, it focuses on the Jenny character and fleshes her out (a little) but more than anything it fleshes out JD’s desire to write musical theater, and his next album was even more so which is why it made sense for Lin-Manuel Miranda to sing on it. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #MountainGoats

Mickey Newbury: Frisco Mabel Joy (Elektra EKS-74107, 1971) A songwriter’s songwriter, he’s namechecked in “Luckenbach, Texas” and his stuff was reissued by Drag City in 2011. The highlight here is “The Future’s Not What It Used To Be” which clearly influenced early Tom Waits. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #MickeyNewbury

Michael Nesmith: And the Hits Just Keep On Comin’ (RCA LSP-4695, 1972) Just Nez (guitars) and Red Rhodes (pedal steel) and it’s perfect. Contains a belated studio recording of “Different Drum” eight years after he wrote it and five years after the Stone Poneys had a big hit with it. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #MichaelNesmith

Willie Nelson: Stardust (Columbia JC35305, 1978) My high school girlfriend made fun of me after we watched Steve Martin/Lily Tomlin’s “All of Me” because I thought it was a Willie Nelson song. Turns out it’s a standard, but I only knew it from Stardust. I’ve since delved deeply into the Great American Songbook but these are still my favorite versions. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #WillieNelson

Rick Nelson: In Concert (Decca DL75162, 1970) Recorded at the Troubadour in 1969, this was the debut of the Stone Canyon Band, so oops I’m going to have to file it before the previous record. My copy has so much surface noise it’s almost unlistenable but the performance is great. Might have to upgrade if I ever see a better (cheap) copy in the wild. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #RickNelson #americana

@tym@tilde.zone And this! https://soundcloud.com/christopher-armes/45-minutes-of-paul-stanley

Mustard Plug: Can’t Contain It (self-released, 2014) These guys are my homies so I can’t be objective. We were at each other’s weddings, etc. They still put on a super fun live show and even though we’re all old now, whenever I listen to them I feel a lot younger. Plus, ska crowds are the best: I get older, they stay the same age. Yes they do. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #MustardPlug #ska

Kacey Musgraves: Same Trailer Different Park (Mercury B0018029, 2013) So many great songs on this. Conversational lyrics, deadpan humor, rebellious attitude, pretty melodies, traditional arrangements, it’s everything I like about country music. The vinyl sounds just ok. But it’s nice to have. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #KaceyMusgraves

The Mountain Goats: Bleed Out (Merge MRG799, 2022) I like my vinyl like my coffee (black) but this “high-velocity spatter” looks pretty cool. Got it for $10 from Merge’s “dings & dents” sale. Produced by Alicia Bognanno from Bully. Lots of guitar, not too much sax, all bangers. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #MountainGoats

The Mountain Goats: Songs for Pierre Chuvin (Merge MRG744, 2021) Remember April 2020? It was bad. This album helped. A lot. Ten songs from the pov of the pagans as their culture was being eradicated, recorded at home and released on cassette in the middle of a goddamn pandemic when there was literally no hope in sight. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #MountainGoats

@oldguycrusty@mastodon.world I put the moves on a girl who is now my wife at a Halloween party where we were all watching The Exorcist. I was like, this is too scary, let’s get out of here. By far the smoothest move I’ve ever made in my life and 30+ years later we’re still married so I guess it worked!

Parliament: Gloryhallastoopid (Casablanca NBLP-7195, 1979) Sadly, my copy is so warped I can only play the innermost grooves. (See previous comments regarding p-funk condition.) Anybody had any luck with those flattener contraptions? Still worth having for the fabulous sleeve but kind of a bummer. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #parliament #pfunk #GeorgeClinton

Neutral Milk Hotel: On Avery Island (Merge MRG-103, 1996) Got this as part of the NMH vinyl box in 2011 but the two LPs are filed with the rest of my records. Was introduced to this band by a guy named Merlin, which sounds like a bit but it’s the truth. He’d just seen them at Lounge Ax and told me I should check them out. Merlin said the second album was better but this one was good too. He was right. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #NeutralMilkHotel

@donutage@mastodon.social Yeah there’s a lot of bad cheapo misleading cash-in Elvis records but this is definitely the worst of them…especially since it was released when he was alive.

The Replacements: For Sale - Live at Maxwell’s 1986 (Sire/Rhino R1 562078, 2017) This is such a lovingly produced package with liner notes by Bob Mehr and photos by Caryn Rose. Plus they play all my favorite songs (except “I Hate Music” and “Customer” and “Beer for Breakfast”), and they all sound perfect: gloriously ragged and beautiful. So good. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #replacements

Quasar Wut-Wut: Digesting Mirror (self-released, 2019) The band that inspired us to start a record label in 2004. Took them 10 years to record a follow-up and another five to put it out on vinyl. By then, our label was long gone. Worth the wait though! Cinematic and surreal, pretty and creepy. Great guys, great band. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #quasarwutwut

Yoko Ono: It’s Alright (Polydor PD1-6364, 1982) I love and respect Yoko but this is a terrible album. Weirdly upbeat and synthy pop, it’s still abrasive but in a brand new way…which seems like you’d have to appreciate it but I don’t know. Maybe the artificial sounds are supposed to reflect something about her stage of grief or whatever? It’s more goofy than arty. @vinylrecords@fedigroups.social #vinyl #YokoOno

@Devils_Rancher@beige.party oh wow will you share some after you scan em?

As someone once said, “Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!”