Adventures in Record Collecting

I'm back on my merde, as I discuss the first LP from French rock star and actor Jacques Dutronc. I cover the perils of analogy, Dylan impressions, garage rock and more. In addition to many men named Jacques, I also mention Spielberg, Truffaut, and of course, since it wouldn't be an episode of French pop music otherwise, Johnny Hallyday.

A brief detour back into the English language, and Paul's first post-breakup #1. I talk about satisfying chord progressions, funny voices, and singalongs. I also touch on diss tracks.

Salut, les copains! I tackle the birth of yéyé pop, a distinctly French phenomenon of the 60s. I talk about cultural chauvinism, disparate influences, and the dominance of female singers in the French music scene, and how that might have been a double-edged sword. I also, despite having decent French language skills, struggle with switching back and forth between English and French within a single sentence. Ah well, c'est la guerre!

As I mentioned on the previous episode, Red Rose Speedway was originally conceived of as a double album. When EMI said "nope", Paul shuffled some stuff around and compressed it into a single. In 2018, Paul reconstructed the original vision for the album. So I bought it. I talk about sequencing, vibes, and counterfactuals.

We're still in the throes of a Maccathon. While I wait for The Boys of Dungeon Lane, we might as well talk about Wings' second album, and its long and winding road (hah!). I talk banning, touring, and harmonies. This week, I cover the single LP version as it was released in 1973.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the breakup of the Beatles was a fraught hot mess. It was also a slo-mo train wreck, and in alternate timelines, it is possible that the end could have been delayed, if not completely avoided. However, the release of Instant Karma, and its chart success, was probably the point of no return. I discuss the song, as well as the paradox that is John Lennon, offer my Yoko Ono hot take, and shout out the work of a couple other podcasts. An eventful ten minutes.

After covering covering four studio albums from Wings (plus one modern repress auxiliary copy and a belated post hoc release), we return to the beginning. I cover the origins of Wings, how the band got its name, and why Paul may have rushed into the studio after a few weeks of jamming in Scotland.

Eliot Robert's deep dive into Paul's discography: https://youtu.be/WIOMiAMyKJ0?si=hz9eScgZonl7Ym3K

We return to Weird Paul and his bleep bloops! I talk about my second copy of McCartney II, why the Archive Collection version is on my Discogs wantlist, and go on a discursive journey about how streaming has allowed many people to too aggressively curate their music listening habits, which might stunt their musical taste. And if that weren't enough, I cover side two!

RIP John Lennon; you would have loved the Archive Collection version of McCartney II.

Is this Paul McCartney's most divisive album? Probably. While other albums might be less loved, few are more hated. I dig its weirdness. I talk about ambivalence, experimentation, and the inadvisability of bringing a big ol' bag o' weed into Japan. I also present my lukewarmest of lukewarm Beatles takes.

It's Ringo! This time, Ringo, after hanging out with Marc Bolan, goes a little glam with Back off Boogaloo. Is it a diss track? If it is, while Ringo wouldn't have been alone in being baffled by Ram, saying so in the press (and that it didn't have any good songs on it) was perhaps a little rich. The B-side was Ringo's stab at writing a theme song for a spaghetti western that he was in. Ringo's 70s were action packed, and we're not even touching on the Hollywood Vampires!

Grab your tickets, folks! It's a live album! Duran Duran came to my city in 1984, and I was champing at the bit to go. Alas, I did not receive parental permission (being only 13 and those being different times). I work through my disappointment, discuss the importance of MTV in breaking Duran Duran in the US, and more!

When are The Beatles not The Beatles? The answer this week is when they're Badfinger. Before they were a rock and roll cautionary tale about scummy managers, they were a band from Wales with a Liverpool connection when they were brought into the Beatles' orbit. This single, at least the A-side is pretty Beatlesque, which is not surprising, as it was written and produced by Paul McCartney.

Back in 1982, I wanted my MTV, and certainly one reason was this episode's artist, Adam Ant. I dive into his solo debut, Friend or Foe, talk about art school and New Wave, Punk Rock icon Jordan, and muse on the shelf life of songs in the internet era.

Before I finish off One Hand Clapping, I take a brief interlude to discuss a couple of singles from Wings: Hi Hi Hi/C Moon and Helen Wheels/Country Dreamer. Because all four songs are also handled elsewhere, I skim the surface and compare and contrast versions. Then it's onto side four and the bonus EP. There's a mini rant about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a request for a couple of bags of cement, and a little light armchair psychology.

It's double album time! I tackle the first three sides of this 2024 release of the 1974 One Hand Clapping Sessions. I give a recap of As the Band Turns and share some hot (or maybe lukewarm) takes involving hits and Bond themes.

Ringo! As the four Beatles started to figure out who they were without the other three, Ringo went to Nashville and recorded his first country album. And we have the single--the title track, backed with a non-album B-side.

It is possible to recognize an album as being the best, but having another as your favorite. I tease apart why I consider Band on the Run to be the best Wings album, but Back to the Egg is my favorite. I talk about the lore surrounding the album, tease out some biographical breadcrumbs nestled within the lyrics, and talk about how, even now, fans go wild when Paul plays one of these songs live.

We've got another extended dance mix for all you fans of 80s synth pop! The single Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go, backed with Memorabilia and Tainted Dub. I talk covers, instrumentation and used record seredipity!

It's highbrow time at Record Collecting HQ! I discuss the life and times of one Ludwig van Beethoven (the famous grandson, not the grandfather), talk about the shift from the eighteenth century, full of Reason and the Classical Era, and the nineteenth century, which ushered in the dawn of Romanticism. I talk tinnitus and fear of heights, as well as getting back on my soapbox to bitch about the vagaries of classification.

Let's dance this mess around! I tackle our first 12" single here at Record Collecting HQ, with four versions of the Girl from Ipanema Goes to Greenland. While the song is fun, the story behind the scenes is much less so. I pop off about Reagan, particularly re: the AIDS crisis.

A bit tardy to the party, as I get back into the rhythm of regular recording again. We have a great slice of early 80s new wave, ABC's Lexicon of Love. I talk about hooks, lyrics, early music videos, Bravo reality stars, and much more!

Note: I apologize in advance--I was too lazy to drag out my pop filter, and my plosives and aspirations are out of control.

The bitch is back! My turntable has a brand spanking-new cartridge, and I'm ready to play records and tell you what I think!

The single under discussion: Another Day and Oh Woman, Oh Why by Paul McCartney. I touch on credits, publishing, the interminable Apple lawsuits, the patriarchy, and Weird Paul for a little less than eight minutes.

Nope, no Nirvana (yet); just a brief announcement/explanation why there haven't been the anticipated posts. I'll be running two weeks behind for the duration of this batch, but I will be getting to everything I planned.

Remember kids: lock your tone arm before you put the turntable cover on. Your stylus will thank you.

Drugs! Dysfunction! Harmonies!

As the folk-rock-pop band turns, I recount the twists, turns, acid, and petty fraud that brought John, Michelle, Denny, and Cass together, as well as tearing them apart.

Working on this episode has also spurred a side project: a list of Rock's Biggest Sh!theads.

* Note: if knowing what you know about John Phillips would make listening to me mention his name psychological unsafe for you, I totally understand if you want to give this a pass. I stick to the formation of the Mamas and the Papas through 1966, so...

The inaugural mini-episode focusing on singles! As one might expect from a Beatles superfan, the first single under discussion comes to us from The Fab Four. I talk about a bit about how singles were listened to, John's ego death crisis, the mutual admiration society between the Beatles and Fats Domino, George's Indian-inspired output, and my all-Beatles running playlist. All in under 10 minutes!

Imagine my delight when I came across this record in the bins! In the early '80s, I definitely wanted my MTV, and Tracey Ullman brought her sketch comedy bonafides to the music video. Her short-lived career as a pop singer was a bit of a lark, but we have this, a loving tribute to '60s pop. I talk about Doris Day, Kirsty MacColl, and Debbie Harry in addition to Tracey Ullman, so we've really got a celebration of awesome women in entertainment here.

*Note: due to an unfortunately timed software update, my audio clips from...

Greetings commies, pinkos, and fellow travelers! We have our first live album (second if we count comedy), Joan Baez in Concert Vol. 2. I discuss the economics of record collecting, the link between folk music and progressive causes, and the variations and alternate versions of many folk songs, particularly We Shall Overcome. Bob Dylan's name is mentioned more than I anticipated.

Also, I didn't mention it in the episode, but I have a new turntable, so the quality of the audio files ripped from the album has improved!

What with seeing Paul McCartney in concert on Tuesday, followed by Thanksgiving on Thursday, I found myself on the back foot. I'm a dollar short and a day late (well, a few hours late), and I'm all out of audio clips, but I find the wherewithal to discuss budget labels, the Wrecking Crew, Las Vegas, and my difficulty remembering names.

Another vintage record sale find! I launch straight into my rants, as Discogs says this is a soul record, while Apple Music calls it jazz. Does it matter? Probably not. The songs come from everywhere--Lennon & McCartney, Edith Piaf, Joao Gilberto, Broadway, and more. I talk translations, sad stories but great music, and some guy they called The Neem.

The Music of Lennon & McCartney: https://youtu.be/wTnDbaNPySc?si=gu91KrD8Ue6l_iz-

https://blues.org/blues_hof_inductee/esther-phillips/

https://www.ctproduced.com/remembering-esther-phillips/

Let's get jazzy (again)! I discuss the giant that is Duke Ellington and two of his trusted collaborators: his protege, co-composer, and arranger Billy Strayhorn; and his longtime alto saxophone player, Johnny Hodges. I pick apart how swing encompasses more than music to jitterbug to, how subgenres are defined post hoc, and more. I also shout out fictional jazz enthusiast, sometime bass player, and Director of Football Operations Leslie Higgins.

Who else can put out a record considered "mid" that still has two certified bangers, plus a couple more solid contenders? Our man McCartney (and crew). I try to give a state of the band recap that doesn't repeat previous lore (always a challenge when going by order of purchase), talk about the Fender Rhodes, accuse some people of hating joy, and engage in an impassioned defense of Linda. And what's wrong with that?

The bitch is back! I kick off season two with what is considered by many to be the best Monkees album. I talk 1967, dickish music executives, and early adopters. Cameos by Robert Moog, John Lithgow, and Kevin Bacon. Plus a return of the hat I knitted for last season's Monkees' Greatest Hits episode.

We'll be sliding down the razor blade of life as I pay tribute to Tom Lehrer, who died recently at the age of 97 (so close). In addition to poisoning some pigeons in the park and dancing the masochism tango, I'll muse on the limitations of satire, go off on a couple of short, mildly lefty rants, and talk about the weird kid to eccentric adult pipeline.

I'll be back in October with more records! Until then, watch this space, as I have more content a-brewing.

It's British Invasion time! Sure, I talk about Peter and Gordon's American debut, with its title track, written by Peter Asher's housemate. That doesn't stop me from taking some detours to discuss semantics, how pop music is often described by what it's not, and why skiffle was so important to the development of British rock and roll. Plus, I call back to a number of episodes, including: Portrait of Patsy Cline, Sentimentally Yours, Motown #1s (parts one and two), The Monkees, and Peter, Paul and Mary.

Let's get jazzy! Once again, I claim no special knowledge about jazz, yet talk about vibraphones, bebop, cool jazz, and modes. I vary my bullshit to include subgenres. I talk a lot about Toots Thielmans (which is a great name) and guitars and harmonicas. Other topics include: standards, jazz compositions, and George Shearing's love of the dad joke.

If the 21st century is too much for you, let's travel back in time and hit the Greenwich Village folk scene in the early 60s. We'll talk pinkos, reds, and fellow travelers, as well as music education, the fearful 50s, and the vagaries of copyrighting traditional material. Plus cameos from A Mighty Wind and the PBS Pledge Drive.

We vault into the 2020s with Green Day's 2024 album, Saviors. I talk about the space between knowing a band and fandom, politics and punk rock, my general beef with genres, and middle age. Let's all bang our heads like it's 1981!

We've come to the last album in the Macca Attack, 1982's Tug of War. I talk about tragedy, lyrics, and more. I even talk about the old days when we used to watch music videos on MTV (while wearing an onion on our belts).

While Back to the Egg was savaged by the critics in 1979, it absolutely has its partisans, who are disappointed that it has yet to receive the McCartney Archive treatment. I am one of those partisans. I put forth my argument why Back to the Egg is great, actually, revisit my lukewarm take that Paul is the funkiest Beatle, and fly the Egg flag.

We're deep into the Macca Attack: I cover why I bought this year's 50th anniversary half speed master pressing of Venus and Mars, noodle on what one of the great songwriters of the last 60 years has in common with student writers I have tutored, and the wonder of it all, baby.