This is another record I inherited from my friend Bob Bob(ala). I’ve posted so many of his old records already that I think he needs his own tag. I confess that when I first looked at Ray Charles Live (1973, recorded in ’58 and ’59) I thought it was a decent addition to the collection, but didn’t expect it to rock my world. I was wrong. I’ve played this entire double album many times since I got it a few years back.
Ray Charles can tear the roof off any place and in a variety of styles. There is everything here from some swinging hard bop jazz instrumentals to classic blues soul numbers like “The Right Time.” In fact, there are two recordings of that song on here and it’s still not enough for me. When the Raylette Marjorie Hendricks starts screaming “BAAAY-BAAAYeee” repeatedly I get the goosebumps. The excellent notes inside the gatefold cover describe her singing as “powerful soulfulness-bordering-on-hysteria.” It doesn’t get any better than that for me.
On St. Elsewhere, Gnarls Barkley did a great cover of the Violent Femmes’ tune “Gone Daddy Gone.” The Femmes are repaying the cover love, with their take on the Gnarls Barkley hit, “Crazy.” It’s crazy smooth is what it is, with sounds of surf rock guitar, mandolin, flute, and of course the Femmes’ trademark bass. They even rock the theremin on the chorus.
Nine singles, 18 songs on 18 sides, did I play them all? Damn straight. See the complete track listings below.
I won’t comment on Michael Jackson himself other to say that the song titles visible in this picture pretty much sum up his life. Everyone has their own definition of “enough.”
This package came out in 1983. I was working at a small chain record store a few years later when I saw a couple copies collecting dust in our seven inch singles bin and decided I must have it. How could I resist such a fantastic package, of songs that I like, printed on glorious red vinyl, with an employee discount? Well, I couldn’t.
Each sleeve and record was produced just for this set, “MJ1,” and they are numbered and labeled accordingly. Most songs are from the mega hit albums “Off the Wall” and “Thriller.”
MJ1-1:
1. Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough
2. I Can’t Help It
MJ1-2:
1. Off The Wall
2. Working Day And Night
MJ1-3:
1. Rock With You
2. Get On The Floor
MJ1-4:
1. She’s Out Of My Life
2. Push Me Away
MJ1-5:
1. The Girl Is Mine
2. Can’t Get Outta The Rain
MJ1-6:
1. Billie Jean
2. It’s The Falling In Love
MJ1-7:
1. Beat It
2. Burn This Disco Out
MJ1-8:
1. Wanna Be Startin’ Something’
2. The Jacksons – Rock With You – Live
MJ1-9:
1. Thriller
2. The Jacksons – Things I Do For You – Live
Title: Won’t You Hold My Hand Now (Heavy Times Mix)
Year: 1984
Format: Vinyl 12 in.
Rating (1-10): 5
Owner: Mary
Acquired: ?
Keeper: No
The endless line of King 12 inch singles continues. This one is another version of “Won’t You Hold My Hand Now”, the “Heavy Times Mix.” I’m going to admit that this time I found it less annoying, maybe slightly entertaining. The songs on side two, “Endlessly” and “Never Ending” are probably better. I usually play the record I’m writing about when I post, but right now I’m still spinning the last one, The Gift by The Jam.
I’m so tired of these King 12 inches. “Won’t You Hold My Hand Now” was not motivating me to update this site, but I’m getting it over with now. This single is extra boring. I’m not all-out hatin’ on King, it’s just that this is really blah. Buh-bye.
I’m all out of official Fleshtones records, but Peter Zaremba’s Love Delegation is pretty similar in sound, and personnel. I’m not sure if I should file this under Z for Zaremba or L for Love Delegation. In the real world I just file right after the other records by The Fleshtones. Fleshtones guitarist Keith Streng is a part of the core band, and drummer Bill Milhizer also contributed some. There are a lot other folks too, but the most well-known would be Dave Faulkner, front man of the Hoodoo Gurus.
I got to see the Hoodoo Gurus a few times and they put a on great show with a heavy crunch rock sound that doesn’t come across on their albums. Once I saw Mr. Faulkner at a Fleshtones show. They were playing at a small bar in Norfolk, VA called the King’s Head Inn. Faulkner was carrying their gear onto the stage! Apparently he was just hanging out with them for a while. This was when the Hoodoo Gurus were at their most popular in the States, and in Australia they were playing arenas. I even got to talk to him a bit. Later in the Fleshtones set Dave came on stage to play guitar with the band. Peter Zaremba announced they were “combining the rock and roll forces of two continents!”
Back to Spread the Word. This is a great record. About half of the songs are covers. It’s similar to The Fleshtones sound but overall it’s more pop and soul.
I love the Stax stuff. When I was teenager I couldn’t get enough early soul music, and spent as much time listening to that as I did punk rock, arty stuff, and metal. Despite that, there are some big holes in my collection. Mary helped correct that by getting this Sam and Dave collection for me. “The Very Best Of” is, of course, excellent. Who in his right mind doesn’t like “Hold On! I’m A Comin'”? Other well-known classics include “Soul Man”, “Wrap It Up”, and my favorite “I Thank You.” ZZ Top also had a hit with “I Thank You.” It’s even one of my favorite ZZ Top songs, but they had to sleaze it up bit by replacing “me” in the lyrics a few times with “it.” For example:
I played this before we hit the road for Christmas. I remember liking “Your Love Is King”, but I have to admit that right now I can’t remember anything else about it. On the back is “Love Affair with Life” and I don’t even remember if I like that one. It’s Sade; it probably sounds like all the rest of her songs, which isn’t a bad thing.
And for something totally different check out Fuel.TV. They call themselves “action sports television” but believe me, Fuel is the best music network on the air. Last night they were running a marathon of the excellent show Check 1,2 and I stayed up way too late soaking it in.
I grew up with the Jackson 5 on the radio, and of course TV too. I was just old enough to remember the hits from the album “ABC.” Overall, it’s a pretty energetic and joyous production, but listening to it is a little bittersweet. It’s hard to believe that Michael would end up so, in a word, strange.
For me, this record is almost a 10, but some of the second side drags it down. That said, my favorite is on that side, “I’ll Bet Ya.” That one was originally by Funkadelic, on their first album I believe, and let me tell you it too is damn good, even though it’s sung an octave lower. Considering who wrote most of the songs on “ABC”, George Clinton, Stevie Wonder, Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, et al and it’s no wonder it’s so good.
Acquired: No idea when, bought it used and it’s near mint
Butter Your Soul With the Movement
Which is to be Continued by Black Moses.
Whatever you say Mr. Hayes. That psychedelic sentence is big and bold on the inside of this gatefold double album, but it’s just a promotion line using the titles from the four earlier albums pictured right below it. Anyhow, I would guess that very few people familiar with the hit “Shaft” have ever heard the whole double album. That’s too bad. The first disk is heavier with a few very rocked out jams, and the second is so chill I could feel my blood pressure dropping as I played it. I don’t have a lot of records by Isaac Hayes, but I’m glad I have this one.
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