New archival Can Live series (so far)

 

Some Recent Vinyl Purchases

 Some recent vinyl purchases,

A couple from ‘out in the wild’ and a little over-priced, some Record Fair purchases.

And a couple of new vinyl reissues. 

The recent record fair acquisitions.

 

Didn't know we had these in the shop

NWOBHM - revisited, I never had a mullet!

Some record fair pickups today, an amazing collection in a community hall, a deceased estate 1000 or so LPs mainly 70s/80s original issues, 2000 12" singles, 3000 CDs countless 45s and a heap of VHS tapes, mainly concert videos. Although it covered a wide variety of rock and pop, it's fair to say the dude was into Metal in many of it's forms. 

As a very young emerging headbanger, when I discovered Iron Maiden in late 1981, I become very interested in the scene that helped propel them, the NWOBHM. Often in my neck of the woods it was difficult to get hold of some of it or even find out much about it. Later of course I caught up to a certain degree, but there were some gaps in my particular areas of interest. 

This fair gave me some opportunities to fill some of those gaps. And although there were some exorbitant prices on some of the rarer items, the prices were generally pretty reasonable.

The record on the left is the 1980 sequel to the infamous 'Metal For Muthas' which attempted give an overview of the NWOBHM scene by compiling some key bands from the scene. It didn't quite work, but it was a valiant effort. I haven't listened yet, but I suspect this will be much the same, but with even more obscure bands. Of the 9 bands on here, I was only really aware of 3 of them, those being Trespass, Dark Star and White Spirit which included future Iron Maiden guitars Janick Gers. 

The record on the right, I did actually have as an early teen. It came out in 1983 although it kind of looks like a punk/hardcore kind of release, it contains some of the latter day NWOBHM bands, the scene had all but dissipated by then. At some point in the early 90s I must have gotten rid of it in a fit of pique. It's probably not that good, I don't quite remember, but nostalgia compelled me. 

Witchfynde never got past the minor cult status and they are not an exemplary band by any means, but something about them I always liked. My late mum bought me Pet Hate's 'Bad Publicity' and Witchfynde's 'Lords Of Sin', for my (I think) 13th birthday. That was Witchfynde's 4th and final (until a 2001 reformation) album. I liked it enough to backtrack for earlier ones. As I say it wasn't always easy, but I tracked down the previous album 'Cloak and Dagger' from 1983. This one 'Stagefright' is album number 2, right in the midst of NWOBHM in 1980 and with original vocalist. 

I first heard of Holocaust via Metallica's cover of their 'The Small Hours' which was only available on the live album. These dudes are from Edinburgh, Scotland and are pretty rough and ready, but have a good feel. 

The Maiden single on the left is the only latter reissue that I got. I actually had this in from 1990 until about 1993 which was part of that 'First 10 Years' series they released. But again I swapped at the complete series in the boxset I had for a Beach Boys CD boxset at a store in Hobart. I don't regret it for a minute, but it's nice to have this again. 

On the right is Samson's second album and the first with Bruce Dickinson (Bruce Bruce) and also containing a pre-'Killers' version of 'The Ides Of March'  (Samson's Thunderstick was previously an early Maiden drummer), made this quite a Maiden related day. Not to mention the following two:

On the left is a German 12" of 'Twilight Zone'/'Wrathchild'. As a youngster I always wanted this as it was rightly not included on 'Killers' (although in Australia, 'Women In Uniform' was)…I believe it was part of the US release of 'Killers'. I never heard the song until the aforementioned 'First 10 years' reissue series from 1990. It's a good song. And on the cusp of NWOBHM's tail end was 'Run To The Hills' from 1982, another German edition. Similarly I wanted the single back in the day for the non-album track 'Total Eclipse', hearing it for the first time (albeit a live version) on the 12 Wasted Years VHS from 1987 and then the studio version again on the reissue mentioned above.

Nice to have all these. My musical taste has certainly evolved and expanded since then,  but a good nostalgic day!

More Random Vinyl

In Sydney on a working holiday, managed to snaffle a Record Store Day copy of the mono 'Saucerful Of Secrets' that I missed out on in my local shop. Thanks Hum in Newtown, Sydney.

Random Vinyl post # 2, Kraut, Eno and related and more.

I've collected a whole bunch of vinyl over the past few weeks, mainly 2nd hand and all pretty good stuff.

One afternoon week before last, after a particularly tiring teaching day and needing to kill a bit of time before I picked up my son up from school, I ventured into a neighbourhood antique and collectables store that has a large selection of old vinyl. I'd been through the racks maybe 3 or 4 months ago and didn't find a whole lot. Couldn't believe my luck this time. I walked out with 12 albums and paid probably way too much, but it was one of those days…I don't drink or do drugs…so…

Firstly here are the Krautrock band/solo and related records I managed to find:

Klaus Schulze (Germ pressing), Kraftwerk (Aus pressing), Tangerine Dream's Edgar Froese (Aus pressing), Cluster (Germ pressing), Robert Schröder (Germ pressing on Klaus Schulze's label) and Neu's Michael Rother (Germ pressing)

Next up we have Rick Wright's first solo album 'Wet Dream'. It's an Aus pressing, but as can be seen it is a gold stamped promo copy. Long time Floyd fan, but hadn't managed to ever hear Rick's first album, it was out of print for a long time. It's pretty literally "yacht rock" for much of it, kind of the more mellow end of mid 70s Floyd, with more saxophone. It's not without it's charm, but a tad too easy-listening. I do love Rick's soothing voice. 

Some Eno and related up next.

Eno's 'Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)' which is a really nice mid 70s German pressing. Eno's 'Another Green World' (Aus pressing). Then we have a couple of Eno produced gems from the 70s; Harold Budd's 'The Pavilion Of Dreams' (Jap pressing) and Laraaji's 'Day of Radiance' which is the 3rd in Eno's Ambient series.

Finally, the loser of the bunch, SPK's 'Gold and Poison'. SPK were an Australian/UK outfit from the late 70s/early 80s, creating influential post-punk industrial and electronics. Their first 3 or so albums are essential records in that area of music, but this one from 1988 seems like a blatant attempt at commercial dance-infused pop. It's rather horrible, but I must admit to not listening to side 2. Founder member Graham Revelle was soon to move to the US and is now a successful score composer in Hollywood. Oh well, 11 out of 12 is not bad and they were all in fantastic shape.

This last Friday, again after teaching I went into the record store that I work in sometimes to check out what new pressings and second hand stuff the boss had got in. First thing I saw in 2nd hand rack was Nina Hagen's 3rd album which has been a long time favourite via friends records and cassette dubs, but I've never actually had my own copy. Now I do.

Nerdy I know, but this KISS album is my favourite from them (sue me). Now, I still have an original pressing that I bought back in the mid 90s with the mini poster, to replace my original copy I got upon release in 1981, but parted with with most of my KISS collection for some dough when I was a struggling student. However I wanted to get a complete copy with all the inserts which includes a KISS Army application form. This one had that form and I didn't notice until I got it home, but it had 2 mini posters in it. It's a sale bin copy as it's been hole punched (both posters have a hole), but everything is intact and in not bad shape. 

I bought some new vinyl too, the Broadcast/The Focus Group collaboration on Warp records. Beautiful stuff, RIP Trish Keenan.

Finally yesterday, the family went on an outing to a little town about 1/2 hour drive away that has a great bunch of 2nd hand shops and a weekly street market.

I couldn't believe my luck with getting the original 1973 Ohr Records, quadraphonic copy of Tangerine Dream's 'Atem'. It was in a rack without a price on it, I took it up to the counter and asked, the guy umm and ahh-d about it, because going by some of the other overpriced records, I figured the guy did his 'research'. I was expecting a big price, but he gave it to me for $15. Was well chuffed.

 Another Antique/collectable shop on the other side of town has had this one for a while, overpriced, but I wanted it. Interestingly I think the reason it was not sold is that it was placed in the W section for 'Why' rather than D for 'Discharge'. Original print/pressing. Amazing punk record.

Phew.