The P and I were out at the flea market last Sunday, and while it wasn’t my most successful vinyl shopping day on record, I did find a few things that put a smile on my face. In addition to the Gabor Szabo and ZZ Top that have already been noted, here are 10 more albums I pulled from the proverbial scrap heap:
Joao Gilberto * The Boss Of The Bossa Nova The album title was appropriated for a 1996 Walter Wanderly compliation, but Gilberto is the real boss. The man who more or less invented the genre gives a master class on the Bossa. Gilberto’s hushed but luscious songs are a must for any serious collection.
Bar-Kays * Light Of Life This is where the Bar-Kays started tipping into disco. The sound bears more than a little resemblence to P-Funk (and the album cover depicts a spaceship touching down in a meadow) but the Kays wear it well, and this is a totally enjoyable funk/disco hybrid that deserves some spins.
James Brown * The Payback There’s just one little problem with the copy of JB’s classic 70’s blaxploitation joint that I bought – it’s a double album set and mine came with only one record. It’s probably worth the $2 I spent regardless, but – d’oh! – it’s a good reminder that I need to check for more than scratches when I’m looking these records over.
B.B. King * Singin’ The Blues I’m not sure if this is the album that will turn around my lukewarm feelings about B.B. – but at least I’m trying.
Xavier Cugat * Viva Cugat! Xavier Cugat and his latin orchestra are totally over the top, but as the P will attest, ‘over the top’ has never been a problem for me. It might mean less frequent doses of Mr. Cugat, but his frenetic orchestral stylings will always have a place in my life.
Nina Simone * Black Gold Nina Simone is what I think of as a ‘phone book’ singer – that is, she could sing the phone book and it would still amount to enjoyable music. In that regard she’s an artist who’s hard to go wrong with, and Black Gold is no exception. Great album art too.
Various Artists * Phil Spector’s Christmas Album Once upon a time Furr played me a cassette copy of some outtakes from Phil Spector’s Christmas Album that were prank phone calls – complete with profanity – that anticipated both the Jerky Boys and Bart Simpson prank calling Mo’s. So I bought this album for two bucks, hoping against hope that some of those shenanigans would be found here, on the run-out groove or something, but no dice. But it is a pretty fine collection of Motown-style Christmas tunes.
And if I’m not mistaken, I’ve seen photos recently of Mr. Spector wearing that fake beard on top of his head…
Johnny “Guitar” Watson * Ain’t That A Bitch The album cover features Watson on a 70’s style leather couch with his (let’s assume) female dog, while two ladies writhe on the floor at their feet – classy! Perhaps unsurprisingly, this album has been both praised and pilloried. It’s definitely Watson’s disco album, and it’s pretty good music, but that cover just hurts. On a dumb side-note, the vinyl I purchased is flecked with gold spray-paint (once again, d’oh!), but check it out: it plays PERFECTLY! Who knew? Besides Johnny Watson’s dog, that is…
Karlheinz Stockhausen * Momente I haven’t even listened to this one yet and my ears already hurt. Sometimes I wonder why I do this to myself – perhaps to spawn an “Albums That Will Finish Your Party II” post? We’ll see…
Sugarhill Gang * Sugarhill Gang The Sugarhill Gang have seen their street cred seriously questioned over the years, but there is little dispute that this is the first true hip-hop LP to ever see release. So even though it’s not the greatest album of all-time, I thought it was a pretty sweet bargain for a buck.
Tags: B.B. King, Bar-Kays, flea market, James Brown, Joao Gilberto, Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Nina Simone, Phil Spector, Sugarhill Gang, vinyl bargains, Xavier Cugat
