The band that Daniel Lanois put together with Trixie Whitley showcases her voice and multi-instrumental talent. It may now be out of print on vinyl as a U.S. pressing but sealed copies are still floating around online. Well worth the price of admission. Who said there is no good ‘new’ music? Three sides of vinyl bliss- “I Believe in You,” “Last Time” and “Silverado” are all catchy, kick-ass tunes that combine Trixie’s marvelous voice with a driving rhythm section- the ever versatile Brian Blade on drums, solid production values... Read More
From the Editor:
This site started as a small, non-commercial site, with no advertising and no mission other than to provide readers with insightful articles, reviews of older records, the “back-story” behind some of the great recordings, including interviews with producers and people behind the scenes. We also provide those just entering the world of vinyl records, as well as more seasoned collectors, with practical advice on such things as record cleaning, buying and the like. The site is now gaining momentum and we thought it would be appropriate to spell out our policies on matters of privacy and... Read More
Buying Used Records-A Primer
My interview with Robert Croydon of EIL-Esprit, a well-known UK record dealer inspired me to create a set of tips for buying used records. Some of this is common sense, basic knowledge to anybody who collects, so please accept this as nothing more than “blithering insights into the obvious” if you are already an experienced buyer of used vinyl. Consider The Source: Are you buying from a dealer or an individual? The level of knowledge among record sellers varies widely, regardless of whether they are established dealers, individuals trying to unload vinyl that they accumulated or... Read More
Some Additional Vertigo Swirl Reviews Just Posted; Buying Used Records- A Primer (Soon)
Lest you think this site is all Vertigo, all the time, well, it’s not. But given the significance of the label, I added a few more reviews- records that are in my estimation, some of the best of the catalog. These reviews are intended to be read together with the interview of Olav Wyper, the man Philips sought out to get them into the rock/psych/folk genre, posted here earlier this month. In addition, I am close to publishing a piece called “Buying Used Records-A Primer” which attempts to capture in one place, the basics: the significance of different pressings, deadwax... Read More
Patto- “Hold Your Fire” Vertigo Swirl
I promised a review of this album even though I’m tempting you with an expensive record that has no easy, cheap substitute, like the band’s first, self-titled album on Vertigo. Unlike their first album, the U.S. Vertigo pressing of “Hold Your Fire” doesn’t come close to the sound of the UK pressing, which is unfortunate, as is the fact that there do not appear to be as many contemporaneous ex-UK pressings, which are often a cheaper alternative in Vertigo-land. Given the substantial difference in price, the U.S. pressing may be acceptable even though the U.S.... Read More
Gracious! -self titled Vertigo Swirl
If you haven’t heard of this band, or this record, don’t feel bad. The best way I could describe it is early ELP meets King Crimson on the way to new age: tuneful pop, heavy on the keyboards and extremely high production values. This is apparently one of those records that was done with little overdubbing, and does have all the earmarks of what we now think of as “progressive” rock- elaborate, big, complex, Mellotron-infused, classical music styled-soundscapes that morph into pop riffs, and merge back into larger motifs. It’s also not one of the cheaper... Read More
Affinity- self titled Vertigo Swirl
I knew that this album, and Linda Hoyle’s later solo album on Vertigo, “Pieces of Me” were highly regarded. I did not know that the self-titled Affinity album would be so eclectic- ranging from a jazzy, almost Brazilian-influenced “lounge” act, to atonal vocal parts back by “prog” rock, to ballsy rock reminiscent of Grace Slick, with horns and a big Hammond B-3 organ sound. Hoyle has a great voice- and the diversity of styles of music allows her to shine. The album is a little uneven but overall, it’s compelling enough to make me go back to... Read More
The True Adventures of Stanley Booth: Dancing with the Devil
Rock music has always been dangerous; its precursors, from secular black music and the blues in the decades before WWII, to rockabilly and rock and roll of the 1950’s- music that spoke to the travails of the world, of carnality, crime and pain, and all those indecent thoughts and pleasures of life- posed an obvious threat to social conventions. It wasn’t just a battle between the sacred and profane; it was the fear that the sex, drugs, politics and other uncomfortable subjects would influence and seduce the young. That fear is certainly nothing new- it can be traced to the dawn... Read More
From the Vault-a Chat with EIL, a Top Rare Record Dealer in the UK
I recently got the chance to talk with Robert Croydon, one of the founders of EIL-Esprit, a well known UK-based purveyor of rare records, memorabilia and older vinyl pressings that, while not necessarily “rare,” are often hard to come by in pristine condition. I thought readers might appreciate the insights of a long-established dealer: Q: You’ve been in business since 1987- that seems to coincide with the death of vinyl as a mainstream audio medium. Can you tell us a little about how the business started? And what was the core inventory at the outset? I... Read More
Cleaning Vinyl Records- My Personal Odyssey
My current approach to record cleaning grew from the casual use of a basic vacuum record cleaning machine (a VPI) to more studied efforts to improve the sound quality of older vinyl records that suffered from various forms of contamination. See Record Cleaning- An Introduction. I was cognizant of basic “good practices,” including those described by the U.S. Library of Congress website, which is a reasonable starting place, see Cleaning and Archival Standards of Care. But, in many ways, my more recent experience went beyond these basic practices. An Oversimplified History of... Read More