July 2012
8 posts
The Band: The Band
Just as I was about to proudly leave Tunes with my new (used) copy of Big Pink, I look down and see this record—its five grizzly faces staring back at me, beckoning me, rewarding me with their gazes. I have been looking for this record for some time now…and it is finally mine.
Check out the quote on the back of the jacket:
“I’ll be down to get you in a taxi honey/ Better be...
The Band: Music From Big Pink
Well now ain’t that just a sumbitch! Not two days after I concluded with (what I thought would be) my final entry in the The Band category, Cydnee and I wander into Tunes in Voorhees before catching a flick at The Ritz and what to my wandering eyes should appear…but Music From Big Pink, The Band’s seminal and most celebrated studio effort (and long-looked-for addition to the...
The Band: Stage Fright
This is the final installment in The Band realm. Don’t have much energy for a lengthy post this morning, so here’s a little nip from Wikipedia:
Stage Fright is the third studio album by Canadian-American group The Band released in 1970. Much more of a rock album than its predecessors, it was a departure from their previous two efforts in that its tone was darker and featured less of...
The Band: Northern Lights-Southern Cross
Good afternoon Band fans! Here’s another installment from Levon-Garth-Robbie-Rick-Richard Central…and it’s a good one.
Last summer I was on a mission to find as much Band material as possible. Typically, I’d come across some worn-out version of Northern Light-Southern Cross (the group’s sixth studio effort) and it was always greatly overpriced. Then, while thumbing...
The Band: The Last Waltz
When I first saw The Last Waltz—a documentary by Martin Scorsese that chronicles The Band’s final live performance on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976—it was at the behest of a feature in The Believer magazine, which positioned the performance (as well as its documentary film) at the apex of all rock and roll ever hoped to be…and would never be again. Seemed like a lofty claim....
Woody Allen: Hannah And Her Sisters Soundtrack
This is my favorite Woody Allen film—and this is its vinyl soundtrack, a compilation of jazz, American standards, and Bach fit for any Sunday morning this side of tomorrow. I can’t remember where I found this but I know it was sometime in the last year.
The Allman Brothers: Brothers and Sisters
I’ve mentioned it once before, but on the director’s cut version of Almost Famous, writer/director Cameron Crowe devotes an entire special feature to his Top 10 Albums of 1973 (the year the film takes place). Finding Brothers and Sisters at the Princeton Record Exchange last summer brought my total to nine (if only there was a copy of Houses of the Holly out there somewhere that...
The Allman Brothers Band (Self Titled)
Don’t have too much to say about this one. Found it in Philly (can’t recall the exact location) for a buck. I gave it a spin the other day and enjoyed it well enough. It’s the band’s debut record and this particular pressing is in really excellent shape, especially considering semi-ragged condition of its jacket.
As for the cover shots, this from Wikipedia:
“In...
June 2012
9 posts
The Allman Brothers: Eat A Peach
One of the greatest benefits of this record project I’ve undertaken is that it’s forcing me to listen to every single album in my collection (a feat I most certainly have never completed before). And just the other night, as Red Dog and I sat down for a sit down on the DiUlio porch, I started spinning this copy of The Allman Brothers’ legendary Eat A Peach. For the next hour,...
Ryan Adams: Ashes & Fire
Time to round out my Ryan Adams collection (until, of course, I find my next acquisition…which I’m hoping will either be both Love Is Hell EPs or Heartbreaker) with this sweet pressing of Adams’ most recent studio effort, Ashes & Fire. I had a harder time getting this than I thought I would.
As voracious a fan as I am, I set my calendar months ahead of time to remind me...
Ryan Adams and The Cardinals: Cold Roses
Every collector of records (or, really, anything I suppose) has a Holy Grail list, a running tab of future, as-yet-unfound acquisitions that inspire the type of fervency and devotion toward discovery typically reserved for spiritual artifacts. For instance, right now mine includes the ever-elusive Nilsson Sings Newman and The Flying Burrito Brothers’ The Gilded Palace of Sin. And until a...
Ryan Adams: Demolition
It may be one of my lesser-loved Adams efforts, but when I came upon this brand new, shrink-wrapped edition of Demolition while strolling through Portsmouth, NH this spring, I certainly couldn’t say no. I found it for $15 at a record shop called Bull Moose, which contained one of the largest collections of new and used vinyl I’ve ever seen. Not only was the selection far more vast...
Ryan Adams: Gold
Now, I could certainly take a great deal of time to write all about the joys of the music on this record (one of my favorites of all time…Adams’ best-selling effort to date…and yes, one of this young millenium’s finest sonic moments) but that would be a somewhat redundant and long-winded exercise. Instead, let us bask for a moment in the beauty of the jacket (Ryan all...
Aerosmith: Draw The Line
I own two Aerosmith records, and I’ve already written glowing about Toys In The Attic. I don’t have much to say about this copy of 1977’s Draw The Line, other than it was purchased after my Toys experience finally gave me reason to reconsider a long held conviction that this band didn’t have much to offer me. Similar to my thoughts about the comparison between...
AC/DC: For Those About To Rock We Salute You
Here’s the second and final installment (for now) of my AC/DC collection. Having had such a blissful experience with Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, I suddenly found myself on the prowl for more forays into the wild and wooly world of this band. And while For Those About To Rock certainly scratches the rock and roll itch (the opening track is fairly bad ass), I don’t really enjoy it...
They Got Big Balls: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
As part of my ever-expanding mission to embrace metal throughout the past year, the addition of AC/DC to my vinyl library seemed to be of the utmost importance (if only for historical context of the genre). But what started as a (cheap) anthropological acquisition has morphed into a genuine love affair with this record.
To be sure, I was familiar with the band’s more popular radio...
You Can Dance, You Can Jive: The Magic of ABBA
So mates, it’s been a while—and what better way to get back into The Spin than with a little ABBA on this cool, sunny June afternoon?
As you know, I’m usually a bit loath to purchase greatest hits compilations, but when I saw this all-in-one ABBAxtravaganza at my local record shop for fifty cents, how could I say no? It’s got all your favorites in one place (Dancing Queen,...
June 2011
1 post
Jackson Browne: Running On Empty
And so continues a rather lengthy series of Jackson Browne LPs. I can’t recall when or where I picked up this copy of Running On Empty, but it’s one of those records that’s so good and so ubiquitously found in every dollar or fifty-cent bin of vinyl that I often find myself coming upon it and regretting that I already have it; so righteous was the feeling of discovering it for...
May 2011
7 posts
Jackson Browne: Late For The Sky
For about 22 years of my life, I didn’t give Jackson Browne a second thought. Who was it that made me finally give this songwriter his due? Why Cameron Crowe of course.
One night while scanning through the treasure trove of extra features on the double-disc director’s cut of Almost Famous (which, tragically, I haven’t been able to find for five years now…but that’s...
Spin Me When I'm Dead: Turning Your Remains Into A... →
So, apparently some outfit in the UK has a way (for about 3,000 pounds) to turn your remains into a vinyl record after you have shuffled off this mortal coil.
Who The Hell Is Jacques Brel?
Some French dude in my record collection, that’s who. Apparently, if the jacket text is to be trusted, he is also alive and singing in Paris (even though he died of lung cancer in 1978 at the age of 49). Until starting this blog I had not given this rather random record a spin. I don’t recall the precise details of its purchase, but I vaguely recall picking this up at a record shop...
David Bowie: Tonight
What do you get when David Bowie goes a little bit reggae, a little bit Beach Boys, and a little bit, well, Bowie? This 1984 obscure record called Tonight. I picked this up for a buck at Tunes about six months ago, making it the first and only Bowie LP in my collection.
As a followup to his 1983 smash hit Let’s Dance, Tonight didn’t really fare so well on the charts or with...
But Where Is The Cowbell: BOC, Fire of Unknown...
Blue Oyster Cult, that is. This record—the band’s ninth and final studio effort with its original lineup—has yet to get a spin. Sort of in the same way I view avocado—I don’t particularly have anything against Blue Oyster Cult, I just never fully understood their appeal (although, I present the challenge for any latent BOC diehards out there to send me a message explaining your...
April 2011
13 posts
Tony Bennett: I Left My Heart In San Francisco
Another entry from “Nick DiUlio’s Record Collection: The Early Years,” this was one of those LPs obtained before I even had a turntable. As a tireless sucker for American standards, Tony Bennett’s misplaced heart has provided me with myriad nights of wine talks and solitary cigarette introspections.
A Bevy of Belafonte
So, why own three separate Harry Belafonte albums? Consider the following passage from Bob Dylan’s memoir, Chronicles Vol. 1:
“Harry Belafonte was also there. Harry was the best balladeer in the land and everybody knew it. He was a fantastic artist, sang about lovers and slaves —chain gang workers, saints and sinners and children. His repertoire was full of old folks songs like...
The Drag of Dorian: A Meditation On Thirty In One... →
And now I present to you a first in the history of Twenty Pounds of Headlines: a work of fiction. But first, some back story.
When I was a senior at Temple University in 2003, I…
The Drag of Dorian: A Meditation On Thirty In One... →
Joan Armatrading: Sleight of Hand (and) Self...
Not sure how I missed this while going through the A’s, but alas…I did. This is the first of two Joan Armatrading records in my collection, and they present something of a conflict.
I remember buying Sleight of Hand about five or six years ago after hearing a (new for that year) song of her’s continually getting play on 88.5 WXPN. I can’t recall anymore what that song...
The Beatles: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band...
Amidst a box of semi-gag records (e.g. an EP of Salt N Pepa’s “Push It” and a full studio recitation of “Charlie Brown’s Great Pumpkin”) Red Dog included this gem as a 29th birthday gift last year. That makes the only two Beatles LPs in my collection gifts, not purchases. The vinyl plays surprisingly well considering its myriad signs of wear and tear.
Love...
You’ve Got A Soul, Use It: A Review of “The... →
Something big and heavy has been happening to Conor Oberst lately. I’m not sure what that something (or somethings) may be, but the transformation is written all over his latest record,…
The Beatles: Meet The Beatles!
Here’s my beef with collecting The Beatles on vinyl: Most of the time, it seems like these records are overpriced. Is an old, beat up, slightly water-damaged copy of The White Album (such as the one I saw in New Hope last month) really worth $25? Is every last press of Sgt. Pepper’s really worth its typical $30 price tag? I think not.
Look, I understand the basic laws of supply and...
A New Way To Taste The Music
In rounding out my post-birthday posts, I give you this: my newest receiver and speakers. For many years I harbored the embarrassing secret of having a (very) mediocre sound system, which comprised a hand-me-down, finicky receiver flanked by many rotating sets of cheap Walmart speakers (you know, the kind that come with those all-in-one setups). Well, no longer my friends. No longer.
The...
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals: III/IV
Did someone say they needed a good face melting? Try the new Ryan Adams!
A new Ryan Adams record is an event in and of itself, and examining the guts of this long-anticipated double LP is like stepping into a party already in full swing. In addition to pages and pages of liner notes, a full-sized poster, and great candid photos of Mr. Adams and his backup birds, the records themselves are the...
Harry Nilsson: Sandman
I know I’m breaking the rule of alphabetical organization here (N is for Nilsson!), but every now and then an occasion arrises that forces a man to bust through the chains of convention and throw caution to the wind. Receiving the gift of a Harry Nilsson record for one’s 30th birthday is most definitely just such an occasion.
Last week—at an exceedingly righteous surprise party...
Beach House: Teen Dream
It’s hard to believe that another year has passed, but this record serves to remind me that yes indeed, it’s true—I am one year older. Teen Dream was a 29th birthday gift last year from two of the coolest people I know. While taking an afternoon post-lunch-pre-party stroll through West Chester, we stopped into Hideaway Music on Germantown Ave. I wasn’t able to find any albums I...
March 2011
11 posts
The Band: Rock of Ages
Last summer, I worked at Princeton University’s Office of Communications, and while the experience was fantastic on many levels, perhaps the greatest fringe benefit of the gig were the mere two blocks that separated me from the Princeton Record Exchange. If you haven’t had the pleasure of visiting this vinyl mecca, do yourself a favor and set aside about five hours to check it out. I...
The Band: The Best Of
Now, as anyone who knows me will tell you, I loath “best of” compilations. I simply don’t understand the point. If I enjoy an artist enough to purchase one of his or her records, why would I sell myself short by making that purchase a “greatest hits” or “essential rocking hits” or “the very best essential rockingest hits”? Greatest hits are...
Burt Bacharach: Make It Easy On Yourself
I never gave much thought to the catalogue of Mr. Bacharach—that is until my good friend Joe Master and his wife Kate chose “This Guy’s In Love With You” as their wedding song in 2009. Granted, it was a live cover of the song performed by Noel Gallagher, but seeing as how the good Doctor Master is one of my most trusted music consilieri, I thought it pertinent to delve a little...
Joan Baez: In Concert (Parts 1 and 2)
Another early addition to the DiUlio vinyl assemblage, this live Joan Baez record racked up some serious spin mileage back when my only turntable was a WalMart one-unit number (you know—two tape decks, CD changer, two cheap speakers…the works). I’ve not been so keen on Baez lately. For some reason she feels a little too earnest, a little too precious in her sentiments, a little too...
America: A Horse With No Name
This is one of my earlier acquisitions, back when I was gobbling up every possible record I found for a dollar. The album is a good listen if you’re in the mood for some laid back Americana rock. A few interesting tidbits about the album’s title track:
-“A Horse with No Name” was originally called “Desert Song” and was written while the band was staying at...
Woody Allen: The Nightclub Years 1964-1968
What can I say about my love for Woody Allen that hasn’t already been said? Not much, I’m afraid. If you want some more detail on my affinity for the Woodman (as both filmmaker and philosopher-poet), you can read about some of it here.
This record was a genuine surprise. Just three days ago, I found myself shopping for vinyl in New Hope, PA—only to realize (quite sadly) that every...
The Allman Brothers Band: Live At Fillmore East
It’s only when I see this record being sold at shops and flee markets for $20 or $30 that I’m reminded how awesome it is that I found this double live record for two bucks at my local record store. The sleeve is in bad shape, but the record itself plays with but a few charming crackles. Just look at the face of these dudes. They know they’re about to break out…in a big...
Air: Moon Safari
Not exactly sure what it would be like to actually go on a “moon safari,” but this record gives me a pretty good idea. This Air album was a gift from about five years ago, and while it’s gotten limited play (for whatever reason I rarely find myself in an Air mood), I’m happy it’s there for whenever I’m feeling like an atmospheric, sexy boy.
This was...
Aerosmith: Toys In The Attic
Franky, I’ve never really understood the hugeness of Aerosmith (much to the shame of my older brother Kenny, who loves them with an unrivaled paternal passion). To me, they’ve always seemed kind of like the poor man’s Led Zeppelin, or the rich man’s Hoobastank. However, I picked up this (rather weathered) copy of Toys in the Attic last month for a buck…and loved it....
Brian Adams: Cuts Like A Knife
When my good friend Brian told me he had several boxes of records in his car that a friend of his was getting rid of, I was out the door faster than you can say Summer of 69. In the mix was this piece of work…and at my girlfriend’s urging I took it with me (along with about 30 others). It’s really not very good, but hey, that’s a sweet leather jacket on Mr. Adams, right?
...
