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Another Big Grab

I like to check the New Arrivals bins in the used vinyl section at Josey Records once a week or so, And this is why. Little Richard’s Greatest Hits, Keith Richards and George Harrison. I’ve been wanting this Harrison record for quite some time. And the killer is that I saw it in the NA bin once before, but for some reason didn’t grab it. It was there again today, so I did. Woot. Of course, I got the John Mayer from the New Vinyl and the Lindas from the used section. I spent a good amount of time today checking the bins for stuff like this. I also bought a handful of Norah Jones, Seal and Sheryl Crow CDs. And, my buddy Dwayne met me there today. Well, I met him there, ostensibly to show him around since it was his first time. And I just can’t leave without keep reading

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First Meetup: Trial Run

Next Saturday, March 19th is our trial run. It looks like it’s going to happen. We have enough interest. I don’t mind paying for the Meetup page if it gathers some interest and gets some new people involved. But if it goes a few months without anyone joining, I don’t think it’s worth it. I can just get everyone’s numbers and communicate the old-fashioned way, like we used to in the 70s: by text. Check out the Meetup page to sign up, join the group and RSVP to the first event, to be hosted at my place. No kids at this event. We won’t have babysitting or entertainment for them. Also, be sure to check in with the etiquette so we’re all on the same page.

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Black Box for March 2022

I don’t know how these guys consistently get it so right, but they always do. I’m not just talking right, either. I’m talking righter than that. I might never think to pick up these two records, were I even to see them sitting in front of me. But now that I have them, I’m happy I do, and I will not let them go. They’re mine. It’s exciting every month to get my Black Box shipment. And I usually wait until evening time (listening time) to open the box and see what I got. I don’t usually listen to records during the day. Because I don’t drink whiskey during the day. They go together like beans and mayonnaise. Anyway, here is this month’s shipment. Ministry is a personal favorite of mine. I saw them live once at the Sportatorium in Dallas, which was actually built for wrestling matches. It’s a keep reading

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System Upgrade

I’ve been doing my listening through a Sony STRDH190 integrated amp for a year or so, and it’s not been a bad experience. Not at all. The phono preamp is pretty good. But the amp itself hums, and sends a pretty good hum through the loudspeakers as well. Now I know, it’s only a $200 amp, so it’s not really Hi-Fi, but I’m at an age (and a state) where my hearing is pretty impaired. I have tinnitus and hearing loss, so I’m not going to spend 5K on a Hi-Fi system component. I’ll spend that on several components, sure. But not one one piece. I do, however, want good shit. Just not necessarily the best, like I might once have wanted. Anyway, I’ve digressed. The Sony I bought because I guess I trust the name. It’s also a helluva good-looking amp. It’s solid black with two knobs on it. keep reading

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How Do You Consume Music?

These days, music is consumed a lot differently than when we were kids. My dad’s CB handle was ‘8-tracker’. He sold so many 8-track cassettes that our ozone is going bad from all the plastic in the landfills. He also brought home boxes and boxes of LPs and 45s. He would make me mix tapes from the 45s. He was an awesome father, in other words. I listened to records, tapes and radio. Then came the Compact Disc. I had one of the first hundred-or-so copies of the first CD printed in the United States. Do you know what it was? *trivia question* Comment below with the correct answer for a free CD. The Compact Disc brought us perfect, lossless instances of our favorite songs. I, being the genius I am, saw the CD as the New World Order. We no longer need this terrible scratchable, warpable medium called vinyl. keep reading

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Black Box for February 2022

You know how hard it is to find Muddy Waters records? There are a lot of repressings, I’m sure, but I can’t find one to save my ass. Well, Black Box took care of me this month. This is a sitting-in-the-studio album. It’s like you’re there with him. Someone said, “Hey, Muddy, I’m gonna hit record. You just play whatever comes to mind.” And he proceeds to do just that. One after the other, he just plays songs. You can hear people laughing and talking in the background. It’s very informal. Fun. I love it. The other was Lucinda Williams. I have to admit, she’s somewhat of a guilty pleasure of mine. I think she’s hot, for one. In a dirty, taboo way, sort of. And I like her vocal inflection in Righteously. Like, a lot. When I was talking to my wife about her, she asked how far my keep reading

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Why I Hate the Radio

Radio is a scam. So far as I can tell, the DJs aren’t allowed to just play what they want. Not at all. And don’t even get me started on the “You pick the next song!” bullshit. We listeners call in and choose which of the three Steve Miller Band songs we want to listen to, and then, presumably, they play the one with the most votes. Sure they count the votes. I don’t even know why they still have DJs except to tell us what they’re about to play. Or rather, what is about to be played by the computer program that runs the station. Seriously. When was the last time you heard anything from Peter Gabriel’s “So” album besides In Your Eyes? Did you know that there were other songs on that record that are as good, or even better than that one? Don’t get me wrong, I keep reading

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Thrift Store & Discogs Haul!

My wife and I did our little bi-monthly weekend getaway. This time we went to Granbury, so not too far. Just a Friday evening through Sunday afternoon gig. Well, Granbury is full of little thrift shops and antique stores. Those places give me tired-head, big time. It’s sensory overload. There’s so much to look at and process, my eyes and head just start swimming. Of course, I always look through the record bins when I find them. And usually they’re all so picked through that you won’t find anything worth a shit. Mostly stuff from the early 40s or 50s or stuff that you’ve never heard of. Torn jackets, vinyl scratched to hell… Well, we went into this one place – I think it was the last place we checked out – and I just barely caught a glimpse of something roughly 12 x 12 out of the corner of keep reading

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Black Box for January 2022

With this being my first month to be a member of the Club, I was excited just to get anything. I had no idea what they would send, of course. But I think these guys are a little bit magic. I love Bob Dylan. Who doesn’t? I’m not big on live albums, but since I didn’t get to choose, I’m okay with whatever they send. Not sure why that makes sense, but it kind of does. Like for instance, the first record my wife bought me was an Alice in Chains live album. I love it. I just don’t normally seek out live shit. Anyway, this is a great record, and I can’t fault them for not knowing that. Moving on, I also got Brittany Howard’s Live at Sound Emporium, which is also a kick-ass record. The quality of the recording here is remarkable. It’s almost like a studio album. keep reading