Tag: vinyl
Steely Dan, Gaucho, 1980 on MCA
This was the seventh Steely Dan full length and their only one on MCA records, following six on ABC. It would also be their last studio album for ~20 years. Though Keith Jarrett would later sue and be awarded writing credit on the title track here it is still credited just to Becker and Fagan....
Regina Spektor; Home, Before and After; 2022 on Sire
I was a bit obsessed with Soviet Kitsch, Spektor's major label debut, when it came out in 2004 via Sire (she'd previously self-released it), as well as Begin to Hope which included the song "Samson". This is Spektor's eighth full-length album and her sixth for Sire. It was produced by John Congleton (along with Spektor...
Coldplay, Parachutes, 2000 on Parlophone
Stunning debut album from Coldplay, out in 2000 on Parlophone in the UK. I know some folks have turned on Coldplay as uncool (I blame The 40 Year Old Virgin) but this is truly a wonderful album from beginning to end. It also sold like wild and won Best Alternative Music Album at the 2002...
R.E.M., The Best of R.E.M. at the B.B.C., 2018 on Craft Recordings
Craft Recordings put out an 8 CD / 104 file digital download R.E.M. at the B.B.C. in 2018 - this was the condensed "best of" version, narrowing down to 20 tracks across 2 LPs. The first disc is all BBC sessions (Nicky Campbell, John Peel, Mark and Lard, Drivetime, Radio 1 Lounge) and the second...
Devotchka, This Night Falls Forever, 2018 on Concord Records
DeVotchKa (their capitalization) are an American band formed in Denver, despite the Russian name and the global folk sound. This is actually their most recent full length LP, though they also did the soundtrack for The Neverending Story in 2020. Like many people I found DeVotchKa through the soundtrack to Little Miss Sunshine but since...
Eli “Paperboy” Reed, 99 Cent Dreams, 2019 on Yep Roc Records
Boston's own (Brookline via Somerville) Eli "Paperboy" Reed's sixth full length and his second on Yep Roc, 99 Cent Dreams was recorded in Memphis at Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis with Matt Ross-Spang producing and engineering. My copy—via Residency Records in Salem MA—is an RTI pressing and sounds great.
The Cover-Up
How screen protectors became a part of our lives, and the weird reason some early cathode ray tubes needed them.
Over the Vinyl Moon
Vinyl records are in the middle of a renaissance—and a popular vinyl subscription service highlights many of the reasons why that is.
Virtual Crate Digging
Being a collector of physical media (mostly vinyl) in the digital age changes the experience to some degree. Much of it comes down to the all-knowing algorithm.
Rental Self-Own
How the music industry let the perfect solution to file-sharing fall through its fingers in the ’80s—or how record rentals bolstered Japan’s music industry.
Books on Vinyl
Audiobooks are common these days, but advocates for those with vision disabilities saw their value early—as well as the value of the vinyl record.
Genuine Imitation Leather
It looks like the real thing, but pleather is fake and plastic. Whether or not that bothers you is based on your opinion of leather, probably.
Tape Deck Heart
Vinyl records are getting all the buzz these days, but what about magnetic tapes? They're just as quirky—whether we're talking VCR or reel-to-reel.
Walk on the Vinyl Side
Before Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Lou Reed became an rock icon, he cut his teeth on producing soundalike recordings. People are still making 'em today.