fullplatter

[fullplatter]

These are some of the records I picked up in January of 2013, from a local store and a local flea market, two of the various haunts in my metro area. Part of the great thing of being in a large metropolis area is the wide selection of record stores, and being that most have survived the absolute dregs of the economy and the record industry-circa 2000s, each store has its own specialties and drawbacks, all of which make hitting each specific store and market a blast, because each one is different from the last. I apologize for the bad quality photo, I'll be sure to update this with a better pic from my Digital Camera, but for now, deal with this crappy iPod photo. Top row, left to right: Tears for Fears - Songs From The Big Chair (1985, Mercury Records) : This album pretty much speaks for itself, an 80s new wave classic. Unfortunately, beyond the great tracks, namely "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (a sprawling 80s classic single in and of itself), "Shout" and "Head over Heels", this album falls sadly short of the high marks of its singles. The A-Side brings the fire, but the B-Side sadly douses it with a steady helping of water. I can't not recommend this album on singles alone, but you'd almost be better off buying the actual 7-inches.  Talking Heads - Remain in Light (1980, Sire) The third album of Brian Eno's collaborations with David Byrne and the Heads, RiL manages to not only be the funkiest of the three records Eno would produce, it also managed to be the most commercial, surprisingly enough. Containing "Once in a Lifetime", one of the Heads' most enduring singles, Light also has some absolute gems in "The Great Curve" and "Crosseyed and Painless". I'd recommend this for a first purchase if you're new to the Talking Heads, as front-to-back, this is an absolute classic. Depeche Mode - Violator (1990, Sire) Easily DM's most commercial statement in the USA, but also one of its more cohesive records. Violator is well known for "Policy of Truth", "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence", but the album cuts are not to be ignored, despite the monstrous strength of the singles, "Blue Dress" might as well have been a single. Not the easiest to find on vinyl in my area, and its 1990-era press is as flimsy as ever, but this is a record not to be slept on, VERY recommended even if you are just a casual fan of D-Mode.  Middle row, left to right: Dinosaur Jr. - Chocomel Daze (Live Bootleg, 1987/2012, Merge) This record is RAW, no bones about it. Recorded from a small club show in 1987, during the tour of You're Living All Over Me, Chocomel Daze sees the power trio of J. Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph raging through Dinosaur and Living tracks. And I'm not exaggerating 'raging', J shrieks and screams through songs like "Raisins" and "Repulsion", where on the studio tracks he took a more hazy approach. I believe it's a great record, but I'm a hardcore Dino Jr. fan, and would only recommend it to the hardcore or completists. Merge pressed a small amount in late 2012, and it's OOP at their site, though it still can be found at local record stores if you dig a little. T.Rex - Light of Love (1975, Casablanca) For those unaware of this record but familiar with the work of Marc Bolan and T.Rex, Light of Love was the creation of Bolan's wish to make a more commercial attempt in the US following the dismal sales of Tanx, which led to him losing his record deal with Reprise in the states. At the time T.Rex had released a record in the UK entitled Zinc Alloy and the Riders of Tomorrow, though he felt he could trim the release down to a single-loaded LP, which he did, to sadly diminishing returns. Enough of the history lesson though, this record is prime T.Rex, with classics such as "Venus Loon", "Light of Love" and "Teenage Dream". Highly recommended although it's not the easiest to find...Fat Possum records pressed Zinc Alloy for the first time in the US recently, and it would be much easier to find that. But don't pass it up if you see it and enjoy T.Rex! Shuggie Otis - Here Comes Shuggie Otis (Epic, 1970) First solo release from enigmatic soul/blues guitarist Shuggie Otis, Here Comes Shuggie Otis is a much more bluesier affair as opposed to Freedom Flight and Inspiration Information, but there are plenty of great tunes to be had, from the opener "Oxford Gray" to blues jam "Baby, I Needed You". Like all Shuggie Otis releases, finding them in their original pressings isn't the easiest, but all three of his solo releases have been repressed on 180-gram vinyl in the last few years. If you're interested in Otis, definitely pick up Freedom Flight or Inspiration first, Here Comes Shuggie Otis is simply a preview of what's to come in his career, but it's a good preview for what it's worth. Bottom row. left-to-right: The Beach Boys - Carl & The Passions - "So Tough"/Pet Sounds(1972, Brother/Reprise) In 1972, with a new, revitalized lineup, The Beach Boys sought to release an interesting new record, but their label intervened, in order to boost sales by adding Pet Sounds to the release. As for "So Tough", it's a more rockin' affair for the Beach Boys but there's a few great Brian Wilson-penned tracks, the singles "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone" and "Marcella" which are great, along with standout album cuts "He Come Down" and "All This is That". A little unorthodox for a Beach Boys release, but if you don't own Pet Sounds, this combo record is well worth the price of entry, which is actually a lot cheaper than purchasing a standalone copy of Pet Sounds, so you get one curiosity along with arguably the best Beach Boys release, for one great combo. Highly recommended! Depeche Mode - People are People(different mix) (1984, Sire) This is a single of remixes for People are People, the aforementioned "Different Mix" and "Silk Mix", both of which have nothing on the original commercial edit of People are People. Not recommended unless you're a completist.  And that's all for now! I have plenty of capsule reviews and record photos to come, so stay tuned for more!

[fullplatter]

Full Platter - 1st post

Hey all, finally posting on this blog I created quite some time ago, with an explanation of the title. This is Full Platter, a blog dedicated to my record collection, hence the name, which refers to the platter on a regular turntable, where you place the record onto.  I'm going to try and make things more interesting than your average instagrammed blog with pictures of records. YES - there will be pictures of records, no doubt about that, it's a vinyl blog after all :P However, along with the pics, I have insights and stories related to this collecting hobby thing I've been doing for over 6 years and counting. No time better than the present, so follow along and if you dig it/have any questions or constructive criticism, feel free to drop me a message. This is all to aid in bettering my writing game, after all, and to make a better note of my collection as it stands. Enjoy!