Skot's Vinyl Tip Of The Week

down home, breezy, funky, fun, great playing, just a good time all around:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_oGg-5rClQbo/SN3uU9i6X7I/AAAAAAAAKRw/aT_Z3y_JbmY/s400/jerry+hahn+brotherhood+front.jpg

Post what you think various ILMers look like

am i on that thread? but there are plenty of pictures of me on ilx!

i was looking for some thread i started a long time ago on ilx and there were all these references to SCOTT SEWARD IMAGE BOMBS and stuff and i had totally forgotten about all that! I didn't remember that i was famous for being picture thread ruiner. once upon a time. no way i could do that stuff now. no fun mods would ban me in a heartbeat. probably for the better.

pappawheelie you are my only myspace friend! i never went on myspace. i was ahead of my time.

i very much look forward to the tips! Don't know the Hahn -- i mean, recognize his *name*, don't know the music.

I still need some sort of oasis where I can sit back and listen to my newly acquired Sand 2lp. Very busy week in progress.

I was actually thinking about starting an ILV thred for the hedz, to just generally ask opinions about random lps we see while digging .. is there one on ILV?? seems sort of obvious but I couldn't recall one.

So like Skot -- or anyone else! anyone know anything about the 'Lightning' LP on Casablanca?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3034/2566546319_b40f9e515c.jpg

passed up a copy for three bucks , did i fuck up?

anyway, Skot I guess I should say that I have become a massive fan of Future's 'Down That Country Road', thanks to your discernment. Very satisfying LP

and thx for the 'Geeta' and 'Sand' LP recommendations, which I just recently tracked down (tho I've long been a Charles Lloyd fan, never ventured into the 70s...)

I am psyched, keep them coming ... and thanks for that Compost rec, it's on my list!

i haven't heard the Lightning record, but I'm sure I would buy it if i saw it for three bucks somewhere. looks like my kinda thing.

that sand album sells pretty cheap and it is way better than a lot of things that sell for twice or three times as much. so dreamy. and such great playing and production. and great songs too! it has it all. hope you like it as much as i do.

WOO HOO! ALBUM OF THE MONTH!

GARY & RANDY SCRUGGS - ALL THE WAY HOME (VANGUARD - 1970)

http://www.richardandmimi.com/allthewayhome.jpg

oh man, i'm in love. acid rock! fuzz! banjoes! sweet bluegrass harmonies! i had no idea. this is hall of fame material for the country psych thread and the west coast thread. killer covers! dylan's "i'll be your baby tonight". "woodstock", "sweet sir galahad", "who'll stop the rain", etc. expert blend of country/bluegrass/acid rock. fat bass bottomed bluegrass instrumentals with acid leads! woo hoo, indeed! i've never even read about it. were you guys holding out on me? didn't check ilm to see if someone else raves about it there. very little on the web via google. gary's vocals are great. charlie daniels produces. and randy scruggs can do just about anything he wants on 5 or 6 strings.

the version of if i were a carpenter on this record...oh man, perfection.

yikes. looks like the kinda record i'd listen to, too!

woah .. it's now on the list

you should never assume cuzza the whole ass thing, but i'm always surprised that more people don't know and love rare earth's ecology album. it's just so wonderful. it's funky and heavy and has kick ass percussion and fuzz guitar all over it. one of my fave records of the era, for real. and i love Ma so much too. Ma just goes totally off the deep end into deep dub heaviness. norman whitfield + rare earth equals stoner bliss. the production! the SOUNDS coming out of your speakers! heavenly. i figure if some people haven't heard Ecology then its a good bet they don't own Ma. and they are both essential in my book. but, please, i beg of you, despite the fact that copies are fairly cheap and easy to find with a little effort, if you don't own one or both of these albums buy a nice clean copy. don't be stingy. it's so worth it. rare earth (the label) vinyl can sound REALLY good - even the flimsy dynaflex-esque pressings - and these albums need to be heard in all their natural glory. beat up thrift store copies just won't do.

http://www.rodrichards.com/albums/rare-earth-ecology.jpg

http://manderson.us/IMGS/RareEarth_ma.png

BONUS ALTERNATE COVER!

http://www.raw-tcsd.com/RareEarth.SP.20829.jpg

okay. i'll go for it.

of course you don't HAVE to smoke pot to enjoy those records. but it doesn't hurt.

Ecology was one of my recent dollar finds.

did you like it? and was it a decent copy?

I've bought well over $200 worth of records in the last week and a half, so I haven't gotten around to it. I'll put it on tonight.

I've gotten more laissez faire about condition as I've gotten older.

skot how do i get all this static off my records? i use a brush but it all is just so staticky. i might go back to CDs :(

like seriously whats the goddamn point if i just have to listen to all these records through a chorus of pops

i'm totally convinced this is the definitive argument against the "vinyl sounds better" argument

wet cleaning helps a lot but takes some dedication

Vinyl will have surface noise, especially in low volume passages. It's a trade-off for several things, but I think the quality of looking for vinyl is different from looking for CDs or mp3s, and that's what attracts a lot of people to the hobby.

if u look at the record b4 buying, sometimes you can spot physical imperfections that often are the cause of pops, etc.

also, w/r/t new releases, pressing quality is (ime) much more hit-or-miss.
also, it could be your stylus

by "new releases", i mean stuff pressed in the last 10 years. maybe i'm totally wrong on this, i dunno.

i dunno, i don't have a problem with most new vinyl. i wish people would just press normal vinyl records though. 180 gram sickness just jacks up the prices.

whiney if you want to be cheap just buy those wipes/cloths that they sell in supermarkets and put a little water on them and wipe off your records. should do the trick. that's the easiest possible way to get rid of static/dust. (not the wipes for babies or anti-bacterial ones, duh. just plain thin ones that people use for drying dishes.)

and just in case people think i'm some kind of rare earth FREAK or something, i wouldn't wholeheartedly recommend *willie remembers*. despite the fact that it has a great cover and some great jams. i like it. but its not something that everyone needs.

Scott, I love MA! Though, I usually just get into one new track from side two per week. I'm up to Come With Me now... I accidentally played it at 45 and it was pretty jammin'... you won't be able to hear the orgasmic moan as nicely at that speed though.

i wish people would just press normal vinyl records though. 180 gram sickness just jacks up the prices.

yeah, do they reissue old stuff on regular vinyl at all these days?

i guess some of those (pretty inexpensive) big star repressings are normal vinyl... but the rest...

i never used to clean my records then had some cool but gnarly dollar record one day and cleaned it with a t-shirt rag and water/isopropyl alcohol mix. it took off so much gunk that the shirt was brown, record sounded 200% better. little pieces of dirt that cause skips, pops, white noise, everything sounded so much clearer. Wipe with the grooves to prevent scratches. Don't know if this would be wise on rare records, but def will work for Rare Earth.

was so stoked when i cleaned a dirt-caked $1 copy of TWO SEVENS CLASH into a totally listenable VG++ copy

im turning this into ask skot:

a scrabble friend of mine mentioned SEA TRAIN last night -- are they good? he also talked about ultimate spinach and incredible string band, so i figured maybe they were good.

???

i always confuse them w/Sea Level, who are kinda cool. funky, jazzy, rootsy rock

sea train are okay if ya find their recs for a dollar imo. kinda middle of the road 'rural' pop. i am not an ultimate spinach fan.

scott, do you like don cooper? i forget.

i am a fan of the first two ultimate spinach albums. over the top psych with big efx-laden production. some people write them off as exploito-psych, but i think they are fun and suitably trippy. the third album with the doobie brothers guy stinks though. i like sea train! yeah, definitely worth a buck or two. i like sea level okay too. was listening to them today. problem with sea level is they usually had one good funky intrumental per album and a lot of filler.

i forget if i like don cooper too!

this might actually be a top 100 record for me. or it is when i play it anyway. love it so much. if you see one make sure its CLEAN. don't buy a crappy copy. it deserves to be heard in all its glory. i was lucky enough to find a sealed copy at a thrift store for a buck. hell, buy it on cd if you see it. is it on cd? haven't checked ebay for vinyl. it probably pops up. not terribly hard to find i wouldn't think. as david yow used to say: this is bliss.

http://img11.nnm.ru/9/8/4/3/2/98432b0450840f645c86e242ca6d687a.jpg

im always lookin for this since you hyped it last year!

I need that one! I have and love their 'Samba Blim', which might be my favorite of the CTI/A&M releases I have (though Walter Wanderly's 'Moondreams' is up there too). I always pick those up whenever I find them.

love that record

yo my tip to you is to have a fuckin rad birthday, mang

holy fuck the Hahn Brotherhood LP is smokin'

HUM ALONG AND DANCE off that Rare Earth "Ma" album is so awesome

I have the naked Ma on the rocking horse cover

FUNKROCK!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZlq1bCmaXE

i actually did buy a copy of 'MA' (naked Ma cover) .. for 2 bucks! .. about a month back. haven't checked it out yet, tho -- the 'to listen to' pile is getting out of control

"Hum Along and Dance" always been one of my fave tracks off 'Psychedelic Shack' tho

i can't emphasize how great this Jerry Hahn Brotherhood thing is tho .. (caveat: if you dig the Dead)

love this album. so pretty. i want to find a mint japanese pressing with obi.

http://www.roxcalibur.com/pix/e9573.jpg

want this copy of this album too. i deserve the very best.

http://img.f.hatena.ne.jp/images/fotolife/e/estacio_records/20100309/20100309152357.jpg

^ that one's great

yeah it is!

but that one is harder to find. chilliwack should be easy to find for a buck or two. the whole album is great. i always think that "roll on" is my jam on side two but uh oh here comes - the aptly titled - "something better"! "fly at night (in the morning we land)" is my definite side one jam though.

i've only got one chilliwack album. big fan of the song 'seventeen summer'

it's them doing fake native american chant and drumming

i think both you and ian would dig dreams dreams dreams.

dear skot

could a future vinyl tip of the week be some guidelines on how to find gold in dollar/cheap bins, something you have proven yourself to be so very great at doing. i'm learning to dig but it's off to a rough start

thanks

if you see a christian folk record and there is no mention of an electric guitar on the back cover, you might not need it. check length of hair. check track-listing for the words "cosmic", "bummer", "drag", etc. determine the ratio of covers/traditional to original compositions. do not be overly enthused by colorful and somewhat psychedelic cover art. it could be a trap! they were, after all, trying to grab the hearts, souls, and minds of children by any means necessary. one morose christian girl on cover, chances dim. three vaguely cheerful christian girls on the cover, even dimmer. two somewhat ennui-infected christian girls on the cover, you might have something there. probably not though. keep looking though! and reach for the stars. the only way to do is to do.

since this is the de facto 'ask Scott' thread -- Scott, did u ever hear that Gary Usher-produced 'The Ship' thing? local shop has a copy for like 5 bucks. i'm curious

buy it for five bucks. that's a good price. its a cool record. i don't own a copy. i would buy it for five.

sounds good. i might head back over there this evening

its not really "psych" or anything. more breezy folk rock. but i dig gary usher and i like the whole vibe. and that is the right price. might not tell you to get it for ten or up. but its a pleasant record. smoke 'em if you got 'em.

http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/R/rare_earth_getF.jpg

found this today for five bux! it's so good! best drum fills & drum sound

my copy of that is beat to hell, I need a better one

Magic Key is a fuckin jam

this album is way cool. 1970 jesus rock on epic. fat beats. sometimes sounds like crosby, stills, & nash with santana's rhythm section. cool organ. great production. and it doesn't sell for much. just checked and one went unsold for 10 bucks recently on ebay. groovy west coast vibe. if you see it somewhere cheap and its in nice shape give it a whirl.

http://www.redtelephone66.com/albumart/overland.jpg

ha! coke escovedo plays percussion on it. explains everything...

(my copy has a promo stamp on the back so i can't see who did what.)

oh and its 1972 not 1970. according to the red telephone blog coke was in a studio down the hall and decided to sit in with overland stage. a happy accident!

hey i didn't know that red telephone used something i wrote for their charley d & milo entry! happy to be of service.

jeezus so many records i need to hear. i gotta get off that blog. sometimes i think i should just buy nothing but 60's and 70's stuff just to narrow my searches and make things easier for myself. why do i have to be a new wave and latin freestyle and electro fan!!??

and punk and power pop!

*pwr pp* that should be my new chillwave skinny tie band.

red telephones, along with time has told me, is one of my fave blogs. great stuff on there.

got a nice visit from my fave w. virginia powerseller today. great guy. so weird too that i always marveled at the amount of stuff he put on ebay and the kind of stuff he sold before i ever met him. he is all about 60's and 70's psych and rural rock and all that. he was making me drool telling me about his haul this trip. travels for weeks with his wife to shows and stores. my dream life. when the kids can fend for themselves and i can hire someone to watch the store i'm doing the same damn thing.

fuck that balearic beach bum thread on ilm. i don't even really know what that stuff is about. i'll hang here. jaxon, you need this if you don't have it. you can get a sealed copy on ebay for 3 bucks. you won't regret it.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_U1menI3veIs/TTwsILKEXBI/AAAAAAAAC-c/uaNaF_jtQbw/s1600/iguana+-+the+winds+of+alamar+1977+front.jpg

listened to clips on amazon. sounds nice. kinda more what i had in mind for the west coast thread. like a groovy America or something. have you heard that Batteaux record? reminds me of this.

i don't have the batteaux album. i need that one. love the harmonies on the overland album.

kinda thinking we each should have our 'vinyl tip of the week' threads. i value each and every one of your opinions

dude this board is your oyster

i mean its everyone's oyster

anyone here can do whatever they want

its not like a mob or anything

want a jaxon thread and a pete thread and an ian thread and a herb thread and a poo thread, etc.

found & bought a copy of the jerry hahn brotherhood album today & it is really incredible thank u scott

randy sparks - hazy sunshine (mgm - 1971)

pretty sure you can get this album for nothing cuz nobody knows how cool it is. amazing production courtesy of michael viner. fattest bass and drums on a country/folk pop record i've heard in many a moon! breezy, spacy, expansive. randy does the solo thing well. his voice is great and i promise it won't remind you of the new christy minstrels or the back porch majority. not that there is anything wrong with randy's former groups. the guitars also sound wonderful on here. just the sound in general is all ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh. niceness.

http://www.musikzimmer.ch/pics/covers/albums/16960.jpg

and just to be perfectly clear, this is NOT a rock album or some mindfuck psychfolk album. it's a country pop record. and the two side closers do have back porch style vocal choruses. with phat drumming.

Big thanks on the reco for this one, Scott. Really is some stellar production

skot where can i get those nice thick poly bags that fit double LPs

http://www.bagsunlimited.com/c-90-poly-sleeves.aspx

thanks!!

this album is SO good and nobody cares. great 60's popsike with some westcoast vibes. don't get why it isn't reissued and sold to byrds and zombies fans. there is no bottom to the 60's and 70's barrel.

http://www.redtelephone66.com/albumart/mobius.jpg

plus, the production is so cool. its a great sounding record. get a clean copy if you see one. a mint minus (supposedly) copy just sold on ebay for ten bucks. ten bucks! thus, not really in demand. and its not like its a record you see every day. but for some reason it doesn't have a bigger reputation.

More tips pls!