Readers new to vinyl LP cleaning might benefit from this quick photo essay. Having just posted a capsule review of The Doobie Brothers- Toulouse Street on the site, I happened to notice another early copy in my “to be cleaned” pile. It was a cheap bin find from some record store in Texas that was shipped back to NY with several hundred other records of mine: It looks like I paid $4.99 for this one and it is a pretty early pressing from the Columbia Santa Maria plant. Under “normal” light, and in the kinds of photos you’ll often see on the web,... Read More
Joni, Neil and Tull, plus more….
Joni, Neil and Tull, plus more; continuing to explore the golden era of the Warner catalog The exploration of Warner during the early 70’s continues- we are going to look at Joni Mitchell (briefly) during this era, with one under-rated “pick” from me. We are also going to pay some attention to a few of the early Neil Young recordings that are hardly obscure, but are great musically, along with a few notes on pressings. Finally, and as part of a more elaborate write-up, we will be doing a “shoot-out” among the various pressings of Tull’s Aqualung in my possession. (I... Read More
Further Reading and Reference Materials: Island Pink Label (and early pink rim) Era
The story of Island Records extends far back, and well beyond, the “pink label” era addressed here. Even within the “pink label” era there were soul, blues, and Caribbean records that I have not mentioned. I have not attempted to cover the breadth of the Island catalog within even this limited time period (roughly 1967- 1970). Instead, the focus is on Island’s tectonic shift to the “new” music emerging out of the UK: psych/folk rock/blues rock/progressive and other genres in which Island Records was at the vanguard. I have thus used the “pink label era” as synonymous... Read More
Vertigo Swirl-Summary of Articles on TheVinylPress.com
As more material is published to this site,[1] I thought it would help readers to have ready access-with links- to those pieces that are part of the series of related articles on Vertigo Swirl. Thus:
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
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
Sir Doug and the Genuine Texas Cosmic Groove
Doug Sahm is one of those unheralded musicians whose public recognition is generally based on a few old pop hits, but whose range of talent mixed Beatle-esque tunefulness with Tex-Mex sensibility. He was a child when he played with Hank Williams, Sr. and did the rhythm and blues circuit in the 1950’s. As the Sir Douglas Quintet, he joined the British Invasion to chart with “She’s About a Mover,” with a band that was more south of the border than Liverpool and later, struck again with the hit “Mendocino.” You’ve probably heard these songs at some point in your life, but Sahm... Read More
Exploring Island Records (Pink Label and Pink Rim)
Island Records in the late 60’s had an incredibly rich catalog, musically, along with amazing sonics. We will be getting some in-depth insights into the early days of the label and exploring some of the many wonderful records that appeared during the the golden (pink label) era. Stay tuned! ... Read More
Hellfire: The Jerry Lee Lewis Story, (Tosches, Nick)
There is a great endorsement that appears on the back cover of one of Ben McIntyre’s books about WWII; it reads, simply, “The best book ever written.” This book, by Nick Tosches, may actually come close. Written in a schizophrenic style which alternates between a straight narrative and the hellfire and brimstone voice of religious guilt and condemnation, Jerry Lee Lewis is reconstructed in this book as one of the first great rock and roll stars- screaming drunk, waving a handgun, at the front gates of Graceland, yelling for Elvis to come out; one-upping Chuck Berry, who... Read More
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- Next Page »