- Artist: Money Mark
- Title: Mark’s Keyboard Repair
- Year: 1995
- Format: CD
- Rating (1-10): 10
- Owner: Tracy
- Acquired: 1995 – Dunno where
- Keeper: Yes
Money Mark is the greatest. He’s played with everyone from Beck to the Beastie Boys, but the truth is, even though I love those artists, I play his music much more often. Mark’s Keyboard Repair has 30 tracks. You’re probably thinking “that’s too much” but I assure after one listen you’ll start thinking “I want more.” Some folks describe this recording as demo quality, but I disagree. It’s free and loose but the sound is perfect. Many of the songs are only about a minute long. In some ways it feels less like a typical album and more like the cue track to your favorite unmade movie. Give it a spin and pretend you’re the star.
Gimme more Money Mark…
MoneyMark.com
Money Mark at Wikipedia
- Artist: Jeffrey Lee Pierce
- Title: Flamingo
- Year: 1985
- Format: Vinyl 12 in.
- Rating (1-10): 4
- Owner: Tracy
- Acquired: No idea
Arty doesn’t always equate to interesting and noise is no substitute for real intensity. I was big fan of Gun Club, but this solo EP from Jeffrey Lee Pierce just doesn’t cut it. By the third track Mary mentioned “he’s doing a little bit of everything.” I wish he had focused on music like “Love & Desparation” from the second side instead. That’s a great song, but most of this is annoying noodling around that shouldn’t even qualify as B-side filler.
- Artist: The Leaving Trains
- Title: Fuck
- Year: 1987
- Format: Vinyl 12 in.
- Rating (1-10): 6
- Owner: Tracy
- Acquired: 1987 – Promo at Mother’s Records
- Keeper: Maybe
I apologize. And with that out the way let’s talk about the only record I have by The Leaving Trains that I didn’t buy. This one must have been a promo we got when I worked at a chain record store in a shopping mall. You can see from the last pic that the label, SST, ran a display contest. “Win a Plane Trip to a Trains Show.” I guess back in 1987 that would have motivated some folks, but there is no way a chain store in the mall was going cover a wall with record cover reprints, or “flats” as they were called, of an album titled Fuck that just happened to have “FUCK” printed big and bold on the front.
A couple decades later a title like that seems more like a cheap attention-getting gimmick than it did to me at the time. It might work now, but I’m pretty certain this did nothing to help them sell records then. It’s not my favorite of the three LT records I have, but there are some great garage-punk-rock, body-moving songs on this album.
Are The Leaving Trains still making music? I can’t tell.
- Artist: Elastica
- Title: Connection
- Year: 1995
- Format: CD
- Rating (1-10): 9
- Owner: Tracy
- Acquired: 1995? – Promo from…
- Keeper: Yes
I think I got this from Bob Schick when I was visiting Richmond. He was (is?) a buyer at Plan 9 Records (now “Music”) and always had more promo stuff than you can imagine. Anyhow, this is a fantastic single. When it was new I was turned off by the retro vibe, but I’m over that now. Bring the retro back! Make it double retro… or something like that. This is the only Elastica music I own, and it’s only two minutes long.
Tip: Elastica makes a great starting point for your next Jango station.
- Artist: Jane’s Addiction
- Title: The Shocking E.P.
- Year: 1989
- Format: Vinyl 12 in.
- Rating (1-10): 6
- Owner: Tracy
- Acquired: 1989 – At a record I owned with my brother
- Keeper: No
Here’s another record that’s really “for fans only.” I only have it because I was running a record store with my brother when it came out. I’m a big fan of Jane’s Addiction and even I don’t want to keep The Shocking E.P. As you can see from the cover it’s a “limited edition” and I’ll tell you why. The only thing “shocking” is Perry Farrell’s larger than life face on the cover. There’s another pic on the back of the whole band, you know, for fans. The only non-album cut is “Had a Dad – Live!” and it’s pretty forgettable. “Mountain Song” and certainly “Jane Says” are rock classics, but all of us fans already have those tracks. This is an import from Englandia.
