That time yet again! The twice a year record show!
First off, it was a pretty good 6 or so months. I started making AI generated music and posting it and I'm soon to be monetized after 4 months. Took a while, but maybe I'll get a couple dollars a month from it? LOL There is absolutely no telling beforehand what I'd actually make, but my real goal was to make at least a dollar to prove I could be a content provider. Estimates say I could make $250 a month but I'm doubting I'd be that lucky. Maybe $40 a month, or about a dollar a day? I've about 150 or so videos up ranging from all styles of music. Mostly self indulgent stuff not too unlike the stuff I listen to.
The other interesting thing that happened is a beloved cousin of mine died about a month or so ago. I was basically helping her out way too much for the last, I dunno, 5 or 6 years? Maybe more. Doing shopping, maintenance, cleaning, meals, etc. It was a second job even though I wasn't at all getting paid. No one else was helping her out. It's basically how I was able to make music videos and post them as it freed up a ton of time and mental stress. She's been in a nursing home since February and basically her health got too bad. Sadly, I wasn't even aware she was ill enough and dying. Family kept me out of the loop and I am unsure if she knew, or she just didn't want me to be bothered by it. Sadly, I was left out of the obituary. Everyone under the sun got mentioned, but not the fool that done the most for her recently. But I had expected that. They treated her like shit or just simply ignored her. Everyone knew I had helped her WAY more than I should have and no one cared. Whatever. It's basically the story of my life. I do way too much for people and I get crapped on. Whenever I self indulge myself like everyone else, I get punished mightily for it. It's basically why I'm asocial. I have such terrible socialization skills and I just cannot be deceptive and uncaring like other people.
Oh, that reminds me what had happened last weekend while going to the thrift store. I was walking from my car, and some woman was screaming her head off from her stopped car in the middle of the road and crying for 911. I thought she was being assaulted or something. Long story short, her passenger was having some type of drug induced episode. I think fentanyl as the stories I read only mimicked what she was doing. And I heard first responders mention Narcan. Anyway, I had helped get help, divert traffic away from the scene as it was still in the middle of the road in front of the store and people were trying to drive though. Got pillows for her as she was out on the pavement for a while and was thrashing. Basically helping while others just walked on by.
That reminds me. I dunno if I had mentioned it in the last post, but on Superbowl Sunday I went out for some snacks, and I nearly saw a woman get hit by a car. Like a couple seconds off. I was leaving the store and I heard a strange thump and saw a truck slow up. I saw what I thought was some trash laying in the middle of the road and thought that some junk fell off of his truck and only the road. Turned out the guy hit a woman who lives in the halfway mental house across the street. She was walking back from the store in the middle of the dark. Speaking from experience as I nearly hit people on several occasions, she was almost certainly in his blind spot in a very poorly lit area and not in a crosswalk, but I know that doesn't mean anything.
So I guess SOME interesting things had happened to me this year outside of getting more junk and selling it. But really my life is a lot more dull without someone to talk to IRL, like I did with my cousin. And I do like the feel of helping people out. Makes me feel needed. Back in school, about 3rd or 4th grade, I was deemed Anti-Social. For whatever reason, they gave me an IQ test, as they thought I was "slow". Turned out I had a near genius IQ, which was amazing for an 8 or so year old. The thing is, that I'm really asocial with a mix of socially awkward. Basically as soon as I met other people and kids around 4 years old, I saw what unreasonable assholes everyone was and I learned to keep myself quiet rather than associate with anyone. Ended up I was deemed unable to express myself. That's not entirely true either. I can quite well do so on paper or at the computer, as you can obviously tell. Just not so much IRL. I need to go very slow and compose my thoughts, or else what I speak will come out a word soup that doesn't make sense. It's a sign of a person who suffers from being asocial and shy. Sadly in this world, you really cannot take it slow and compose your thoughts before speaking. Others have moved onto 2 other subjects while I'm still working on what to say. Anyway, I was deemed anti-Social, which I'm still to this day quite pissed off about that some teacher would call me that, as it means something vastly different than asocial. Anti-social tends to be mean people who are sociopaths and don't care about other's feelings. I'm the opposite where I care greatly about others feelings and what they think about me, so much so that I put others above myself. So that's a trait I've been trying hard to not do, but I don't really succeed well at it. I'm always willing to help other people out at harm to myself. My relationships were like that. It's basically why I'm a loner as it's WAY easier for me to cope than to manage with ADHD people and batty people with strange unrealistic beliefs.
Enough of that! Time for the music!
I spent about $150 or so today. LOL 35 records from the Last Vestige guy from Albany at $2 a pop. Apparently he's getting rather old and is clearing out dead stock. The stickers on the LPs date back to the 80s. When you've been doing this forever and don't do something with overpriced stock, then it builds up. I guess he's finally parting with it. So I ended up with some really nice obscure LPs which I wanted that probably no one would really care about.
I bought a bunch of CDs from the buddy of mine from Albany. This time he was charging $2 a pop instead of the normal $1 a pop, but I noticed the select was a lot better. I bought a few from him.
And then I splurged just a little on 5 CDs. Paying about $5 under ebay prices, but on stuff I really wanted that I never see on CD. I'll be mentioning those of course later on!
I then got tired out as I had spent about 2 hours looking. There was a bit to look at, but I tend to stick to the cheap booths, so I guess I saw all that I could see while avoiding the dealers who I typically never buy from ever in the last 20 or so years of doing this.
Where to begin. I guess the LPs!
OH! I bought a few to resell. Two Michelle Shocked on vinyl which is a good flip and actually rather rare. Her stuff is merely "OK". I don't mind owning it, but it's highly unlikely I'd ever listen to it when there is so much better stuff I could be listening to. And a sealed TMNT Turtle power single. I saw one sold for $25, but I'm pretty sure it's worth more being sealed and new shape. Basically with these three LPS I plan to get my $70 back and break "even". That's basically how I do all my collecting, as it's rare for me to treat myself at expensive stuff, unless it's something I really am fond off.
City Boy – Dinner At The Ritz ~ Prog rock, but doesn't get much love from the prog fans as it's outside of the golden era and before the neo-prog era. I do like them though and I'm pretty sure I never owned this LP.
Matthew Wilder – Bouncin' Off The Walls ~ Sort of hard to find. I've never seen it before, but then again, his prior one was rather hard for me to find too. Best known for "Break My Stride" and his LPs are a little uneven, but still worth having.
Widow – Gone Too Far ~ I never heard of them, but tried a track online and it was good. Female lead metal but with lots of synths too and some proggy bits. I guess AOR, but not really. Sounds like a few bands rolled into one which I really dig. I need to give this a really good listen to as I'm loving the couple tracks of it on YouTube.
Pete Wylie – Sinful ~ I bought this mostly because it's one of the very first albums that got me into music collecting back I think in 1993 or so. Probably one of my first 10 or so CDs. I found a copy of it on CD in a $1 bin and the Sinful song I REALLY loved. The rest of the album was meh, but I just couldn't get enough of the first song on it. I remember wanting more of this guy but never finding any "Wah" or anything else by the guy. Reading up on him, WAH featured Ian McCulloch [Echo + the Bunnymen] and Julian Cope [Teardrop Explodes]. That's probably why this LP had a ton of promotion and copies made. But ultimately it flopped hard and I've seen countless copies of his stuff in the budget bins. This LP isn't ANYTHING like their stuff, so I can understand why. It's actually more like "One 2 Many" with that sophisticated power pop that was trendy for about two years in 1987-1988 which flopped hard in the US as we didn't care for that sound at all. I have the remixes of Sinful too.
Bruce Woolley And The Camera Club – English Garden ~ I may or may not have this. It says promo on the back, so I think it's the first pressing as I see that they released a difference album cover of it as well. I think if I do already own this, it was a beat up copy and I needed a good one of it I don't seem to recall it being a good LP other than Video Killed the Radio Star which is of course a Buggles cover, but I rather like this version of the song a lot better.
Max Werner – Seasons ~ Of course this would be a sealed new LP. I hate opening sealed new LPs. LOL! One I've been wanting for ages. I rather it was Rainbows End that was sealed new as my copy of that is shot, and it's a far better album. Max Werner is the lead guy of Kayak, but his solo stuff isn't on CD and isn't well known. Rainbow's End is basically a very good Kayak LP. Seasons is all over the place but not proggy at all. It's more like him being a bad Phil Collins impersonator doing bad Jamaican style music in a Beach Boys style in a New Wave style of music. A cringe mix that doesn't work. I think Rain in May was a small hit though. I don't really care for it, but it's an amazingly hard LP to find to find in the wild. Seems there are a million of these on ebay though. Yet Rainbow's End is rather rather. LOL! Yeah, this LP is as bad as I remember it. OH DAMN! He passed away this year! I really hope someone has the masters of Rainbow's End and will give it a good remastering and special box rerelease. It's not on CD anywhere. https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29887 I made this post almost 20 years ago. Shows how much love it goes as no one seemed to care.
Ronan Girre / Arielle Dombasle & Jean-Louis Valero – Le Beau Mariage / Chasse-Croisé (Bande Originale Du Film) ~ WOW! Amazing stuff ala JM Jarre. It's French electronic, so it was sort of expected when I saw it as there was a lot of this out back then in France. Well...I could only find one track of it online, but I have hopes the rest if just as good! I'll be OK if just the one track too as it's that good. Seems to be a rare LP too, but then again, most France LPs are rare to find in the US.
Squeeze – Sweets From A Stranger ~ I don't think I've ever seen this in the wild before, let alone on LP. Squeeze is hit or miss, but I like them enough to want them in my collection, but they are not a band where I like all their stuff. Nearly a greatest hits band, but not really as people like their awful stuff too.
Ian Dury & The Blockheads – Laughter ~ He's really strange. Sorta like Madness's stuff. Hard to find on LP too. It's part of that really strange British period where punk could be anything "art rock" done in short song form.
Rupert Hine – The Wildest Wish To Fly ~ I think I may have this but under a different album cover. I forgot where I know this guy from, but I know he's on my want list. Basically more strange Brit New Wave stuff. Seems he's dead too. Gosh!
Graham Parker And The Rumour – Heat Treatment ~ More British rock! It's glam era stuff, which I like. Like Elvis Costello.
Graham Parker – Another Grey Area ~ See above, but more like Armed Forces.
Grace Slick – Welcome To The Wrecking Ball! ~ I'm pretty sure I need this LP even though I don't recall liking it. I think it's because it's not like Jefferson Starship from that period nor like her excellent Dreams LP which before after it. It's harder rock but not really good. I've been mostly amused by the cover art than the music on this one. Still better than Miley Cyrus riding a Wrecking Ball!
Mike Oldfield - Airborn ~ I'm pretty sure I have it but this is the double LP release which I wasn't sure if I have or not as the is the single and double of this. It's basically Platinum without Woodhenge and with Guilty on it. The double I think has tracks which are on my Elements boxset. Either way, worth $2 if it's a double. There is a price sticker dated 89 on this. Yikes they had this forever!
Jan Akkerman – Tabernakel ~ Took a chance on this solo album from the Focus member. His stuff is REALLY hit or miss but it's certainly prog!
Hugh Cornwell – Wolf ~ See Pete Wylie. Basically the same thing. Massively hyped, failed big time. From The Stranglers. Wanted this LP for a while, but it's the first time I've actually seen it in the wild. I think it's impossible on CD or probably just in the US that's the case.
DNA – Party Tested ~ Another really early on LP that I got so it has specialness to it. I love two tracks on this, the two very obvious Doctor Who related ones...even though no one ever mentions them in fandom. I think my copy is scratched up and full of pops, so I got another. Even though I think the promo 12" is literally these two songs as well. LOL! Carmine Appice and Rick Derringer. Not sure who the N is, probably stands for "And". Never was a fan of Appice, but I love Derringer stuff (sometimes)! He does the Wrestling Album, which I paid $10 for a month ago, but I so wanted that on vinyl that I gave up and bought it. It's worth a little more than that but still. 🤣
The Graeme Edge Band Featuring Adrian Gurvitz – Kick Off Your Muddy Boots ~ I think I have this but this is a glossy gatefold promo version which I don't ever remember seeing. I'd love this on CD but I've never seen it in the wild. I like Baker Gurvitz Army and Moody Blues.
Ian Lloyd – Goose Bumps ~ I couldn't remember if I had this or not. The lead singer of the band Stories which I cannot recall which ones I own of that. Basically 70s rock but a little unusual from what else was out at the time. Sometimes sounding like they want to prog out but won't. Kinds reminds me of Head East which does indeed go proggy at times.
Max Webster – A Million Vacations ~ Like Jethro Tull, it's not the name of a guy. LOL! Better known as Kim Mitchell and other people in the band that no one cares about. LOL! It's Canadian, so it's that typical late 70s sound which I like that differs from late 70s US rock. They indeed can get proggy. I like their stuff.
Bill Nelson – Vistamix & The Love That Whirls (Diary Of A Thinking Heart) ~ Bill Nelson is ALL over the place. You never know what the heck you're going to get with him. And he makes LPs like a rabbit makes bunnies. Bill is from Be-Bop Deluxe but you'd never guess it. I did pick up most of Be-Bop Deluxe's albums at a church rummage sale a couple months ago! Vistamix has Flaming Desire which I think most New Wave fans would know. WOW he's actually on Progarchives. He's not prog, but more art rock. Rather happy to get these LPs as they are not exactly easy ones to find cheap.
Nena – It's All In The Game ~ Amazingly happy to get this one. I have never ever seen a copy of it in the wild and I've been after a copy for probably 25 years. I should get the CD of it with the German tracks. It's All In The Game is one of my fav songs from her. I read this LP was a huge flop, so they didn't bother to release any other English language albums after this, keeping it all German! I've such terrible luck with Nena releases that isn't 99 Luffballons or 99 Red Balloons. I got a copy of something of hers and the CD was shot and wouldn't play. She's an amazing artist, probably on the level of same years Kim Wilde.
Holly Stanton – Temptation ~ No clue who she is. More female fronted rock. Imitating similar women from the early 80s. Blonde, Pat Benetar, etc. I liked what I heard on YouTube, so I bought it. I cannot find any details about her.
Genya Ravan – Genya Ravan & Urban Desire ~ Now this is interesting. LOL! I tried Urban Desire because the cover was sorta sexy. I loved the song "Jerry's Pigeons" which sounds like a rocking Christmas song but it's not. LOL It seems the albums are two entirely different LPs. Urban Desire is a rocker, and Self Titled is more Funk / Soul. Both good, but in different ways. I'm unsure how popular she was. Not too big, but she does have fans. Urban Desire got to 86 in Australia. Seems to have been a 1960s girl group singer that branched out into other styles. She can certainly sing too! Don't think I'll be disappointed with these two gambles.
Tribe – Abort EP ~ Took a chance on this. Female fronted late 80s New Wave. More like alternative but not really. I'd like to get the full LP of this. It's odd and interesting. Sorta like Jangle pop, a style which was sorta common in the late 80s and early 90s for "alternative" but never really caught on. Seems it's a little rare on CD in the US though.
Bruford – Gradually Going Tornado ~ Bill Bruford's stuff is hit or miss. I don't know this LP. Trying it now and it sounds like typical 80s jazz which I'm not fond off. I see the last track is a Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin, whom I do like. It does sounds like her going AHH AHHH AHH to the song. I'll have to give this a better listen, but it has the Jazzy sound which I don't care for.
Frank Marino – Juggernaut ~ The guy from Mahogany Rush. Another Canada group that I like. Grouped with Max Webster but they rock a bit harder than them. Pretty good stuff, has moments of prog, but more heavy metal like.
Black Oak Arkansas – Raunch 'N' Roll Live ~ I like BOA. It's Southern Rock but it's like they are making fun of it and go heavy metal or do songs which are obviously parodies of southern culture. So cheesy that I like it! Well I hope no one takes them seriously. LOL!
Georg Danzer – Ruhe Vor Dem Sturm ~ Another oddball that I couldn't tell what I was getting. I tried it online and the ONLY song from it was rather good. It's basically a German crooner who is very well known and has a lot of albums. He has a very overpowering voice, but the song I heard was actually amazing. Trying out his other LPs, I think he's basically the German version of Leonard Cohen. An artist that frogs out rather than sing to music. I've seen this style called folk music, but it's certainly not. I'll probably like some of his stuff, but not all of it.
Wrabit – Tracks ~ Tried and it sounds interested. Almost prog rock. AOR-heavy. Worth $2! Seems to be Canadian, and Shooting Star like. I can see that! Seems the first LP is the one people like this and this is considered to be the disappointment follow up.
Bucks Fizz – Bucks Fizz ~ I may or may not have this. It's hard to tell. It's the US version of the UK release with two different songs (the hits) pulled from the first LP. I love Dollar and this band is related to them. I think David Van Day played in the group for a couple years. They have some good songs, but I like Dollar more. They were basically Abba V2 and get a tonne of hate as none of the cool kids liked them at all! One of those cool to hate groups which were actually better than people say.
And that's it for LPs! Now to CDs!
The Mothers Of Invention – We're Only In It For The Money ~ A harder to get on the cheap Frank Zappa LP. It's missing the back sleeve but I don't care. It's NOTHING like the Beatles LP though, just making fun of the whole scene. Wanted this one for ages.
Johnny Winter – The Woodstock Experience ~ Can be hit or miss. I think this could be a blues album. If so I'll sell it.
Depeche Mode – Songs Of Faith And Devotion ~ The 2 disc set. I don't know if I like this album or not. DM is hit or miss and I find them to be too pretentious and way overhyped. I like their dance stuff way better than them trying to be so self important.
The Beatles – Strawberry Fields Forever [CONDOR 1988] ~ A rare Beatles bootleg with outakes and etc. For $2 why not but I have amazingly low hopes for it to be any good.
Various – Digital Empire II : The Aftermath ~ Basically 2 discs of techno music. That reminds me like a month ago someone donated a huge CD collection full of similar things to this. I ended up with 70 or so DJ remix cds from the early to mid 90s. Rare stuff!
Talk Talk – It's My Life ~ I was told that they had other Talk Talk that some dealer bought. Of course I need them. LOL Oh well, lucky to get this one as I don't think I have it on any format. The rest would be upgrades from old versions. Talk Talk is amazingly hard to get. The albums are wildly inconsistent too. The guy wants to be a prog rock guy, but was forced to do New Wave. So some albums has a mix of material that goes between the two. Laughing Stock is amazingly awful but it's considered a masterpiece.
Jethro Tull – This Was ~ 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition. This Was was a very hard CD to get at one time. And for good reason, it's very awful. It's worth $2 as a bonus set, but just barely.
Roger Daltrey – McVicar ~ Another awful album, but I'm after all the Who albums, even the solo stuff.
Graham Parker – Extended Versions: The Encore Collection ~ I was shocked that they would do this for Graham as I didn't know he was on anybodies radar to collect other than myself. The Extended Version is totally a lie. They are almost always live versions no matter which band they release this for.
Beastie Boys – Intergalactic ~ Beastie Boys really suck other than their hits. Very much art rock, but not very good. But I do like Intergalactic sometimes and the mixes are far more interesting than the album version.
Procol Harum – A Salty Dog ~ I love Procol Harum. This is an upgrade as it's the Cherry Red import. Paid $10. It's not my fav PH but it's not the worse either. I need to check if they have a Grade Hotel version of this. I think they do, but stripped of orchestral instruments, which wouldn't be something I'd like.
Front 242 – No Comment ~ Very very rare to find any Front 242. Paid $8 and I know I'll never find more. Industrial dance music. Art of Noise-like but better.
The Vapors – Vaporized ~ WOW! I paid $15 for this as it's something I've wanted for ages. I don't think I have them on vinyl even. Maybe the eyeball one, dunno. For an A Level 80s song on every hit compilation, the albums are amazing hard to get.
Helloween – Keeper Of The Seven Keys - Part I & I Want Out Live ~ $10 each! Helloween is a deceptively good band. They are almost prog and I like them. I had or still have Keeper, but I seem to recall it being trashed and skips. I'll probaby break down and get others on CD off ebay, as I've been after this one for like 15 years.
Michael Jackson – Off The Wall Special Edition (with the shoes on the front) ~ I couldn't remember if I had this. For $2 I took the chance.
Rory Gallagher – Rory Gallagher ~ Special Edition. I don't really know it, but for $2 I took a chance. I'll flip it if it's not good.
Quicksilver Messenger Service – The Best Of Quicksilver Messenger Service ~ Curious as to which ones were hits for them. I have most of their stuff on vinyl. Rare on CD but I have a couple on that too. The are hit or miss group.
Pete Tong Essential selection ~ Basically 2 disc sets of techno and dance from the late 90s. worth $2 each.
Rush – Roll The Bones ~ Been getting into Rush these last few months and getting their CDs. Oddly, they are sort of hard to find, but I've been getting lucky lately. I need to make a list as I'm unsure which I need.
Jethro Tull – Living In The Past ~ Unsure if there is any new content on this. I've never seen it on CD before and it appears to be a UK import. Bought it just in case. Seems to be missing two tracks which are found on other albums, so not a huge loss.
And that's it! WOW I'm exhausted. So I'll let it go at that. All were $2 each other than the 5 which I paid more for. I have about 5 for reselling that I didn't mention which should recoup 75% to most of what I had spent. I think it's a good haul overall.
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