Right There With Ya, Charlie
After 36 Years…
…still one damn awesome recording!
I Don't Think Everyone Will Get This..
Right There With Ya, Charlie!
How Many Will Get This?
And While We're On The Subject of Music
I saw this advertised in Stereo Review back in '87. I wasn't familiar with Mr. Erskine, nor was I particularly into jazz at the time, so when I sought it out and bought it, it was for obvious reasons. What? You've never bought an album for the cover art?
Well, I got it home and popped it in the CD player and—as I said before, not yet being into jazz—I was aghast that I spent $17 on this disk. Even my boyfriend at the time hated it, so I couldn't trade it in at Streetlight Records* fast enough.
I don't remember what prompted this memory, but now that I'm fully into jazz—and especially Japanese jazz—I thought I'd look him up on Spotify and give it a second chance. And you know what? With the exception of only one track that's still a little too out there for my taste, I absolutely adored it and decided to add it back to my collection.
Have any of you revisited an album you absolutely loathed in your youth and discovered that with age and wisdom you love it now? And along those same lines, any albums you loved when you were younger and absolutely can't stand now?
*Sadly, another San Francisco institution from my time there that no longer exists in The City.
Afternoon Tunes
SMDH…
It's easier if I present this in reverse order…
Having bought and sold enough CDs online, I know that occastionally the shipping company/USPS handles them a bit roughly and they arrive with the splines in the jewel cases broken off. That certainly did not happen in this case, but still…
P.S. You couldn't have bent this thing if you tried!
Considering the amount of waste this one CD generated, I can't help but wonder if the seller works at Amazon.
And in case you're curious…
Morning Soundtrack
Amazingly Good
As I round out my Madonna collection, today's addition. When I first saw it I thought "another greatest hits compilation?" but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it was mostly remixes, none of which I've previously heard. Highly recommended if you're a fan of Madge…
I'd Forgotten…
…what a fantastically recorded album this was. The sonics are just *chef's kiss*.
I Know No One Cares…
…but I've settled on my favorite combination for deskside CD playback.
I never really intended to jump back into the portable CD lifestyle after abandoning it with the advent of iPods and later iPhones, but yet here I am. I'm currently listening to the complete Koyaanisqatsi score at angelic volume and truth be told, I'm loving it.
Released 41 Years Ago Today
Madonna: Madonna (1983)
When this album came out I was still living in Tucson. Reuniting after a six-month separation my first partner, Dennis, had moved back from Austin a month earlier. We wasted no time in planning out our renewed life together, deciding to move to Phoenix so he could attend ASU. On a recent up there for a job interview, I met Steve (no not that Steve), a man whose townhouse (and bed) we'd both eventually end up sharing. Advice to my younger self: don't do it. Anyhow…
Some visuals to go with the musical soundtrack…
I drove past this house for years on my way to work. I learned that it was originally built by the Ronstadt family (as in Linda). It sat unoccupied, in ever-increasing decay for years until that spring, when repairs began. Being a big fan of Frank Lloyd Wright, I always loved the design. It wasn't one of Frank Lloyd Wright's works, but it definitely reflected his influence.
Just the summer monsoons. I miss that about Tucson. Phoenix doesn't get anywhere near as much rain in the summer.
So yeah, I'll just throw this out there. I'm tempted to say I didn't know what I had when I had it, but that would be a lie. I knew exactly what I had and I used it to my advantage whenever I could. Those blue nylon shorts (with the liner strategically cut out) got me into trouble more times than I care to divulge.
Funny thing is that now, some four decades later, I cannot imagine actually sitting out in the sun for hours on end for no reason other than to get a tan damage your skin. Especially in Arizona!
This was a little photoshoot Dennis and I decided to do downtown a few weeks after his return. It was in a mixed use shopping/office complex called La Placita Village. After years of neglect and disuse, the place was torn down in 2018.
Pictures from the barrio, taken the same day as our photoshoot.
I've Been Busy This Year
Nowhere near close to replacing everything from my previous life (I'll probably need another shelf if I ever get to that point), but still respectable. There aren't enough hours in the day to listen to what I do have, so there's also that…
Some Thoughts On Headphones
While they aren't my preferred method of listening to music, headphones have always played a big part in my musical enjoyment. I would not describe myself as a headphone geek in any sense of the word, but I do admit I have a great affinity for the buggers. Always have.
My love of headphones unsurprisingly began in the 70s, concurrent with my first tentative steps into HiFi with the Pioneer SE-205, a Christmas gift from my parents that had been on my holiday wish list. I don't remember much about these cans except they were big, heavy, and tended to put me to sleep when using them. But they afforded me the luxury of listening to my music loud long after my folks had gone to bed. (My bedroom was directly beneath theirs.) I do have two musical memories that stand out with these Pioneers, however: Elton John's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy and Chicago's Chicago IX Greatest Hits. For some reason those two records are indelibly imprinted as being heard through these Pioneers—initially at least.
As my hi-fi journey continued, at one point not too many years later I encountered a pair of Stax electrostatic headphones at the local LaBelle's showroom. I was smitten. But at $450 ($1950 in 2024 dollars) they were way out of reach of my meager income. Stax did, however, offer a much cheaper, electret design at $150 ($650 in 2024 dollars) that sounded nearly as good and was actually something I could afford. Their only drawback was their need to be connected to my amp via an adapter box that attached to the speaker outputs on the amp. But the sound…oh my…these stayed with me for more than a decade. The weak point in their design however was the junction of the headphone cord with the earspeakers where the strain relief failed and the wiring broke. I can't tell you how many times over the years I had to disassemble them, trim off a bit of the cord past the break, and resolder the wires in place. I finally got tired of doing this and tossed them in the trunk of my car where they were eventually stolen. I purchased a "new" set a couple years ago after using many other brands and types since I originally owned them, and was frankly kind of disappointed. I still own them, but they're on a shelf and not even attached to my amp any more.
During the 1990s and early 2000s my hi-fi headphone listening via my main stereo amplifier took a break as I was distracted by my increasing use of portable music players of one kind or another and their supplied headphones/earbuds.
After I'd completed my radiation treatments in 2003, I decided I wanted to treat myself to something nice in celebration and I picked up a pair of Sony V-500s from Fry's Electronics. Damn, I loved those things. They weren't the most comfortable things in the world, but they sounded good and I kept them until the pads disintegrated and I threw them out prior to our move to Denver (I didn't know I could get replacement pads at the time, otherwise I'd probably still have them.)
With the acquisition of my first iPod and later iPhones of various iterations, all my headphone listening was on-the go, and I went through dozens of earbuds, (mostly Skullcandy), but my favorites were Apple's "Professional" earbuds—at least until they got rid of the headphone jack…
My first foray into Bluetooth headphones was prompted by Ben's purchase of a pair of Jaybird's Freedom earbuds. I tried them on, listened, and was immediately blown away by how much better they sounded than even Apple's Pro wired variety. I bought a pair. A year later, I upgraded them to Jaybird's Bluebuds X.
The Bluebuds X stayed with me until the first generation AirPods came on the scene. I remember scoffing at how earbuds without a cord were ripe targets for ending up in the washing machine, but looking back now I realize how ridiculous that was. By this time the batteries were precariously close to being shot on the Bluebuds, and while the batteries might've been able to be replaced, the lure of the new and shiny outweighed any thought of doing that.
I was surprised at the freedom the AirPods afforded, and while there was nothing wrong with them, when the AirPods Pro were released, it was a no-brainer to upgrade. For everything iPhone and Mac related my AirPods Pro remain my go-to listening device.
Last fall, I did want a more user-friendly listening experience for my main stereo system than the Stax electrets. I just wanted to be able to plug something into the headphone jack on the amp and listen away.
Based on recommendations from Dank Pods, I picked up a pair of Grado SR-60X from Amazon without even listening to them first, knowing full well if I hated them I could return them no questions asked.
Well, I didn't return them. Even though the SR-60X is considered the "entry level" of this line, these are seriously good-sounding cans. Grado is known for having a very distinctive sound, and that sound is very much to my liking. The SR-60X (and in fact, the entire Grado line) is also very customizable with different earpads, headbands, and even (if you're handy with a soldering iron) cables. My biggest complaints over the past few months have been one, the cable, and two, the earpads. The cable is braided. It's very heavy and not very pliant. It also tends to twist between the earspeakers and the Y-split. Untangling it is a pain. I've tried the three different varieties of OEM earpads that are available. The ones that initially came with the headset are fine for brief listening sessions, but they press too hard against my ears. While sounding better than the original pads, the over-the-ear design pads are ridiculously large and uncomfortable. The third variety that match the size of the original pads, but are of a donut design, sound great. What I found, however, is that the relatively rough foam they're made out of became so uncomfortable that I couldn't even stand to put them on any more. The open-back design also doesn't exactly lend itself to loud listening when you're in a room with someone else.
So this leads us to my latest set of headphones: the Sony MDR-7506. These have supposedly been made continuously since the 80s; they're Sony's professional workhorses. Again, I bought them from Amazon, thinking that if I didn't like them I could return them. At the time I couldn't remember the model number of my previous Sony headphones, so this was kind of a crap shoot to be honest.
At first I didn't like them. In fact, I went ahead and initiated a return. But as I wore them more and more they really came to grow on me. They fit snugly on my head without crushing my ears. The soft, coiled cord is a joy compared to the has-a-mind-of-its-own cord on the Grados. Unlike the Grados, these are closed-back cans, and they do a very good job of isolating your listening experience from the outside world. The sound is different from the Grados, but I like it just as much—if not, perhaps more. Upon recommendation I went ahead and ordered the optional YAXI L-R color-coded ear pads, and I have to say they are beyond comfortable.* I can easily see myself wearing these for an entire workday without any fatigue whatsoever. And I like the punch of color too.
So that's where I am at the moment. This post went on way longer than I originally envisioned, but if I'm passionate about something I do tend to ramble on.
*But they do—somehow—affect the sound (which has been documented) in a way I don't like, so for now I've gone back to the OEM pads.
Released 47 Years Ago Today
Alan Parsons Project: I Robot (1977)
Released 43 Years Ago Today
Go-Gos: Beauty and the Beat (1981)
Feel old?
Released 38 Years Ago Today
Madonna: True Blue (1986)
From Behind the Grooves:
"True Blue", the third album by Madonna is released. Produced by Madonna, Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray, it is recorded at Channel Recording in Los Angeles, CA from December 1985 – April 1986. After the massive whirlwind success of the "Like A Virgin" album and "The Virgin Tour", the pop superstar does not rest on her laurels, beginning work on the crucial follow up at the end of 1985. Working with long time collaborator Stephen Bray and new producer Patrick Leonard (Michael Jackson, Jody Watley), the album is praised upon its release as her strongest effort to date, and is widely regarded today as one of the best albums of her career. It spins off five top five hits including "Live To Tell" (#1 Pop), "Papa Don't Preach" (#1 Pop), "Open Your Heart" (#1 Pop) and the title track (#3 Pop). "True Blue" also marks the beginning Madonna's long association with famed fashion photographer Herb Ritts who shoots the LP's iconic cover photo. The original LP package also includes a poster of the album cover shot. As a promotion for the album, MTV sponsors the "Make My Video" contest, inviting viewers to submit their own visual interpretations of the title track. The winning entry comes from Angel Gracia and Cliff Guest, whose black & white clip is rotated heavily on the video channel. The pair are awarded a check for $25,000 by the pop superstar herself at MTV's New York studios. The alternate video directed by James Foley, featuring Madonna with close friends actress Debi Mazur and fashion designer Erika Belle is shown largely outside the US. Madonna also supports the album with the worldwide "Who's That Girl Tour" beginning in June of 1987. It is remastered and reissued on CD in 2001, with the extended 12" mixes of "La Isla Bonita" and the title track included as bonus tracks. The vinyl LP is reissued in Europe in 2012, including the original inner sleeve lyric sheet and poster featured in the original release. In October of 2016, a limited edition release of the LP pressed on blue vinyl, is issued as exclusive through the European supermarket chain Sainsbury's. "True Blue" spends five weeks at number one on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified 7x Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
My unbridled love for this album and the accompanying quest to acquire it on "true blue" vinyl has been well documented on this blog, so I won't add anything more today and instead will sign off and go listen to it.
Released 38 Years Ago Today
Eurythmics: Revenge (1986)
So True!
Released 35 Years Ago Today
B-52s: Cosmic Thing (1989)
An Evening With Nina
I have never understood, however, why—when this album was released as a special edition 2-disk colored vinyl promo pressing—it was done in bright hot pink Dolly Parton Baby I'm Burnin' vinyl and not a much more (in my opinion at least) appropriate Breakfast at Tiffany light aqua color used on the CD case… or even the pale pink color used on the label of the Bedtime Story CD single.
When I first heard there was a pink vinyl version available, I assumed it was that pale pink shade—because, naturally—and I was righteously devastated when I looked it up on Discogs and saw that was selling anywhere between $800 and $1200 US. Not only no, but hell no! But then I clicked on the image and saw it was that hot pink color and was immediately turned off.
Afternoon Soundtrack
Push Push In The Bush
It was the best of times…
Sobering to think that most of these folks are probably in their 70s now.
Released 46 Years Ago Today
Giorgio & Chris: Love's in You, Love's in Me (1978)
Never one of my favorites, but looked back upon fondly, especially Burning the Midnight Oil.
I get the totally unsubstantiated feeling that Giorgio was fucking Chris at the time and was hoping to make her the next Donna Summer. Unfortunately, Chris didn't possess the vocal talent of Summer and this is why I think this was a one-off album…
It Was That Kind Of Evening Last Night
Kicking back with Miles…
A Big Part Of The Soundtrack Of My Life In San Francisco
After lunching with some friends who live on the far west side of the valley (i.e. Sun City) yesterday, on our way home we decided to check out a couple Goodwill stores since I'd heard they're good places to pick up CDs for cheap. Because you know, "dead people shit" and Sun City is commonly referred to as "God's Waiting Room." Twenty years ago I wouldn't have expected to find anything that interested me, but now that I'm squarely in Sun City's targeted demographic I figured I might find something of interest. No harm in looking…
I was surprised to see that all CDs were marked at 99 cents—regardless if it was a single disc or a box set. To be honest, the pickings were kind of slim (a lot of religious and country stuff) but there were a few hidden gems, among them these KKSF Samplers for AIDS Relief.
KKSF adopted the "New Age" format 1986 quite unexpectedly, shortly after we (we being my ex and I) arrived in San Francisco. Prior to that I remember it being a generic rock/pop station and the go-to source of music for the architectural office I was working in at the time. One morning we turned it on and heard the likes of Suzanni Chiani and Andreas Vollenweider playing. My coworkers' reaction was "WTF is this shit?" Having gotten into "this shit" a few years prior, I just quietly smiled and enjoyed it while it lasted before they changed it to some other innocuous Top 40 station. Meanwhile I went home that day set my tuner to 103.7 and kept it there until I left SF for the last time in 2002.
Over the years it became more smooth jazz and less new age, but I didn't mind. When I had the radio on (and even currently when I'm streaming Spotify in the other room) it's just background music anyway unless something catches my attention and I investigate further.
KKSF was immensely involved in the community and in 1989 they released The KKSF Sampler for AIDS Relief, with 100% of the proceeds going to the SF AIDS Foundation.
I'd owned that initial disc since 1989 (I actually won it one evening by calling into the station – remember doing that?), but like so many others, it too was lost after the fire. I found a copy online a few months ago for a few bucks and added it back to my collection. To be honest, the first time I put it on after all these yeaers I was immediately transported back to my little apartment on 14th Street.
What I did not realize, however, is that KKSF released a total of 17 Samplers, the last one coming out in 2006, four years after I'd left The City.
I spotted Two, Seven, and Nine at Goodwill yesterday, and considering they were only 99 cents apiece, it was a no-brainer to bring them home. Listening to them makes me realize how much that music (very little of which I actually purchased) and had not heard in years wormed its way into my subconscious. I hear these tunes now and I immediately think San Francisco in the 90s.
Nostalgia, it's a hell of a drug.
Released 26 Years Ago Today
Grace Jones: The Compass Point Sessions (1998)
I remember my mom got me this as a gift on my 41st birthday. Sadly, it was one of the "pry it from my cold dead hands" discs that I kept through multiple purges, but was ultimately lost along with all the rest of them after the fire. I haven't replaced it yet, but it's on my list.