The Weekend Spin: #2 - Joshua Trees and Holligans

May 19th, 2017

So the weekend of May 12th ended up being a complete bust even for listening to records. That Saturday had a lot going on, and the Sunday was Mother's Day which meant the day was anything but mine to listen to records. It was all a bit of a let down considering I got to take a trip to Reckless Records in Chicago’s Loop on that Friday, which was a personal victory for me as record collector since I’ve been trying to get there since November of last year. Reckless Records although a kind of chain record store, was anything but what I expected, having the look and feel of the mom & pop type record store I’ve become accustom too.

This Weeks Bin Find:

U2 - Joshua Tree

I’ve been looking to get a few U2 albums for a while. Among my top picks was Joshua Tree which is probably one of U2’s most,  if not THE most iconic albums, and one that cemented them into late 80’s and early 90’s pop culture. My copy is an original from 1987, but a 20th anniversary edition was released with bonus tracks on CD and DVD in 2007, and a 30th anniversary edition is expected to be released this year on 180g vinyl.

This Weekends Spins:

Starship - We Built This City/Private Room 45’ A/B sides

The beautiful part about a 45’ over a 33’ is that at least one side is a popular song thats gotten good airplay and been heard before. So a 45’ is almost just the one song, and no doubt many in my reading audience know if it's good or not. For this one the A-side (traditionally where the hit song is located) is the 80’s anthem We Built This City. For me this song is forever connected with being played on a jukebox while eating pizza on Saturday nights following mass, so it has a lot of nostalgia connected to it, even is the song maybe a bit mediocre. Personally, I think it's another one of those songs that is iconically 80’s and would never have worked or sounded as good in any other era.

I can say the same for the B-side Private Room. This, despite being an instrumental song, has a complete 80’s vibe and it's easy to imagine hearing it in the expositional scenes of a John Hughes movie.

Bruno Mars - Doo Wops & Hooligans

Well unless you've been living in a cave for the past 8 years you've probably heard songs from this album. Grenade, Just the Way You Are, and The Lazy Song are just a few of the great hits Mars had on this album. To be brutally honest it's heard not to associate the songs of this album with Mars more than any of his other songs. Of course there’s a reason for that since 6 of the 10 tracks on the album would achieve various levels of success as singles. The aforementioned Just the Way You Are, Grenade, and The Lazy Song would be the top three in that particular order with Talking to the Moon, Marry You,  and Count on Me filling out the remaining 3 and all having airtime and familiarity. Scoring 6 hits on 10 songs is pretty impressive especially when you consider the whole album is only a little over 35 minutes long.

I've been hunting this album for a long time, ever since the Amy Winehouse article I published a few year back about her effect, and inspiration on modern music. Mars sounds although perhaps not directly inspired by Winehouse, can contribute some of its success to Winehouse reintroducing traditional R&B sounds, and even some Doo-Wop elements into modern music. Of course there is some sentimentality in looking to get this album too since, Just the Way You Are, has long been a song I have associated with my wife who (and perhaps this is a husband's love speaking) the song almost describes to a tee.

Overall, the album features a nice collection of modernized Doo-Wop, and light pop that we really don’t get a lot of from Mars later work. With that said we get a lot of range from Mars in this album too, everything from purely pop beats, to poignant love songs. For me after Just the Way You Are, which has obvious wifely connections for me, my next favorite song has to be Talking to the Moon, a song about a young man looking to the moon to connect him with a lover he has yet to meet and somewhat reminiscent of Rodgers & Harts Blue Moon. If you are, or aren't a fan of Mars more recent work I would still suggest you check out this particular album since it has a nice mix of musical offerings.

We’ll see how next weekend works out, Memorial Day weekend, but I hope some listening time is part of that.

Discovering the Audio-Technica LP-60

About a year ago or so ago my old Sony turntable started to act a bit funny, and records started to play a little slowly. To be honest at that point it was near fifteen years old and even though it hadn't seen an excessive amount of use, it did get knocked around in various moves, so its development of problems seemed natural.

I don't really know how it happened but as a family we almost felt naked without a record player. It was a feeling I never thought we would experience. So my next logical step was to grab the Pyle record player, I had gotten for Christmas a few years back, from my basement rec room and drop it in the place of the old Sony. The Pyle is an OK record player, but I've found that the needle and arm are a bit too light and records can skip or sound a bit off especially the 78's even though this is my only record player that can play them. In addition to this the Pyle's on-board speakers aren't bypassed when you use its r/w RCA jacks, meaning the small speakers are still working while you have it connected to your receiver, which can produce a slight amount of unpleasant listening. But this whole challenge would be short lived.

With a new house purchased we would begin moving in June of 2015, and be moved fully into the new house by July. But with a new house also came new sound based challenges, one of which being that my old sound system didn't really work with my new living room space, meaning it was time to really upgrade. I have to admit my old Panasonic-Technics receiver and self power sub-woofer have been with me forever and still can rock the house, and do now in my basement, but putting them out to the rec-room pasture was never something I thought I would have to do. With that said it was hard to put them into retirement, especially when I knew so little about their modern sound-bar replacements. Having come of age in the era of Dolby 5.1 surround sound, it was hard to put my faith in a single center speaker. So o work myself into the new world of sound wonders, I opted to go with a sound bar with blue tooth rear speakers and sub-woofer and together they do the job, when I can turn it up that is.

Of course with a soundbar came a few other issues, for instance most modern soundbars aren't equipped with the counter-polar phonograph RCA inputs. In looking at them this is something that amazed me since sound bars have more or less been ushered in along side the resurgence of vinyl of the past few years. This meant if we purchased a new soundbar the Pyle record player wouldn't be able to be connected directly to it. So I set out to look for a newer soundbar friendly record player, well testing a new Blue-tooth adapter on the Pyle that could connect it wirelessly to the sound bar. The good news on that was that the Blue-tooth connection worked, the bad news is that I was still dealing with the Pyle's on-board speakers, and its tendency to skip. So it was definitely time for a new record player.

In my research one name in particular kept coming up, Audio-Technica and their LP-120 record player. The nice thing about the LP-120 was that not only was it well reviewed on multiple sites, but it had a USB version that could be connected directly to a computer (in case I ever decided to become a DJ on a whim) or more importantly to the USB port on my soundbar. The only issue was that the LP-120 goes for anywhere between $250-$300. In the world of audiophiles a price like this is considered to be a bargain, but to me $250-$300 was a pretty hefty investment since our record player was more for just enjoying the music as a family, and not listening for the nuances in the music many audiophiles claim they can detect better with $2000+ record players. It's at that point another Audio-Technica record player in red caught my eye. This was the LP-60, and although it didn't have some of the LP-120's bells and whistles, it like its big brother came very highly reviewed, as a best value, and and for performing better than record players going for 5 times as much. Going back to the same sites I reviewed the LP-120 on, I found it was the same story for the LP-60. Of course let me tell you one more thing about the LP-60, it has its own built in pre-amp, and can also plug into any audio jack, no need for the reverse poles of its predecessors. So with an Amazon gift card I got for Christmas, and some extra cash I bought the lovely LP-60 in red and received it a few days later.

Anxious to listen to records we got for Christmas, as well as revisit a few others, we went through the process of plugging the new system in. Of course we tried it wirelessly with the Blue-tooth adapter but had no luck, and then finally with some RCA cable extensions we got it hooked up to the soundbar. After a little frustration getting the pre-amp set, the first record, Adele's 25 went on. It was at that point my wife, an avid Adele fan, heard that things sounded a bit off and it was playing a little fast. This began the frustrating process of flipping the record player over and adjusting the speed controls built inconspicuously in the bottom of the player. It took several attempts, and about a good half-hour but finally we got Adele, Amy Winehouse, and everyone else to follow, to a pitch perfect.

My Likes About This System:

-Choice of Color
-Built in Pre-Amp
-No Need for Special Phonograph Input
-Great Sound
-High Quality, Low Price

My Dislikes
-Speed Didn't Come Calibrated
-Speed and Pre-Amp Controls a bit Hidden  




Despite it's price this is a very high quality unit, and shouldn't be classified in the same ranks as other record players in the same price point. Many of which like Pyle, Crosley and others, are selling based on appearance and superficial retro looks, but not are not up to the task of being used for serious listening. I would suggest this record player for anyone looking to get into or back into vinyl record collecting, who wants a system that can connect with and existing stereo setup, but doesn't want to break the bank doing so.  

Back To Black- The Amy Winehouse Effect

So far one of the biggest pop hits of 2015 is Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson. Of course considering the song hit the charts so early in the year, time will tell if it actually makes it to becoming a summer anthem or not. If you know the song though you have to admit it's extremely catchy, easy to dance to, and is just a fantastic feel good song that could easily be a summer hit.

So one day while messing around on YouTube, I came cross the video for Uptown Funk and decided to go ahead and watch it. To say the least  I wasn't disappointed, the video turned out to be as fun as the song itself was. Of course YouTube being YouTube you find yourself quickly lead to other videos based on what you just watched and I was given the option of watching some additional Bruno Mars videos or some of Mark Ronson's additional work. I will openly admit that of course I had to watch Bruno Mars video for The Lazy Song, but after that I decided to check out some of Mark Ronson's work. I very quickly came across the video for Valarie, a song Ronson had collaborated with Amy Winehouse on back in 2007. The video is unique though in that it was produced posthumously after Winehouse's death and although it features her vocals the video does not feature her but rather a group of young women "The Wine-ettes" lip syncing the song while on stage. Although I really liked the video itself particularly the very attractive "Wine-ettes", what I liked more about it was the song itself one I had come to love hearing over the past year.

The song Valarie, as well as most of Amy Winehouse's Back To Black album have become a soundtrack to many a Friday or Saturday night spent relaxing over a few beers or glasses of wine at my house. The ruckus nature of Monday through Thursday night's might demand the more upbeat sound pop music can bring us, but Fridays demand a smoother and slightly more somber sound that relaxes the muscles and adds a capstone to the stress bought on by the weekdays. So its not uncommon for us to set Pandora to the Adele station while we eat dinner and indulge in a few hours of conversation afterword. Of course there where many a night I found myself rushing to look at Pandora to see who was singing, and long behold it was usually Winehouse, and usually something off Back To Black.

I have to admit that this was something that caught me off guard since I was never really into Winehouse's music when she was alive. I know that sounds weird but lets be honest back in 2007 Winehouse's Rehab, was one of those songs that was so overplayed you found your hand heading for the radio dial to turn it off within the first few beats. Of course for me the aversion to her and her music was only magnified by her personal life being in the news all the time as Winehouse and her husband found themselves in one drug related scrap after another until her death in 2011. Once the sensationalism of Winehouses death had passed though, the media quickly forgot about her and just added her to the "Left us too Young" roster they so often do. With that said though her music has become an acquired taste for me, and even something I can identify with despite my past misgivings. 

This newly found enjoyment of her music made me want to explore everything Back To Black had to offer, and what I found surprised me. Back To Black not only cradled Rehab, but also Valarie (B-sides) and the albums haunting title song Back To Black. However, the albums deep tracks are also highly stunning and offer us a chance to hear the fusion of modern pop sounds blended with classic R&B, that form the basis of Winehouse's signature sound. The album is soulful, moody, and even a bit dark at times but all that is set against the juxtaposition of a sound reminiscent of 1950s and 60s R&B and Motown melodies and beats. 

The end product of Back To Black is a type of music that I would not only call unique but also highly influential. Back To Black particularly on vinyl would not only change listeners taste and reception to this type of music, but would also have an influence on artist that would follow Winehouse into the movement towards a classic R&B revival. In 2008 only a year after Back To Black's release we would see Duffy release her Rockferry, and Adele release her 19. Both albums and artist are heavily classic R&B influenced and take a serious cue from Winehouse, with Duffy giving us a sound more faithful to 1960's R&B and Motown, and Adele giving us a mix of classic R&B and Pop. Adele's follow up album 21 released in 2011, and recording of Skyfall in 2013 for the James Bond film of the same name would further hone her sound, and expand upon Winehouse's and Back to Black's early influence.  

Although, Winehouse's influence initially impacted her fellow U.K. artist, her sound did catch on in the United States. Artist such as the previously mentioned Bruno Mars, and my personal favorites Nick Waterhouse and Meghan Trainor all have sounds that are in part influenced by Winehouse's work, but have also seen success based on grounds paved by Winehouse. Listeners appetites for Waterhouse's late 50's and early 60's American R&B sounds, and Mars, Trainor, and even Olly Murs (U.K) 1950's rock and Doo-Woop influences, where developed by what listeners where given in 2007 by Winehouse and Back To Black. 

Although its influence on artist has become more and more prominent over the last few years, the direct impact Back To Black would have on listener's was slightly more subtle. Winehouse's and Back To Black's sound arrived at the right time, it was a more traditional pop sound that had come a long during a time when mainstream pop music was begining to feel a little too canned. The mixture of auto-tune, singing teen TV stars, and mid-song rap intrusions had made modern pop music laughable and sent most of us longing for something with substance running to satellite radio, and our iPods. When Rehab arrived on top 40 stations it gave us a reminder as to how music use to sound, and made most of us recall the music our parents listened to and harkened us back to the days of Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, Burt Bacharach, and vinyl records. Sadly, though as previously mentioned Rehab was played ad nauseam till some of its charm was lost, but the sound remained and obviously wasn't forgotten. It only seems fitting that as vinyl would come back so would a form of music that had dominated the medium two generations before, and Back To Black would a quintessential album to do that with. 

I'm not going to end this posting by claiming that Back To Black is one of the most influential albums of the 21st century so far.  I am however, going to end by saying that time will tell especially considering the albums reach into current music. Back To Black and Amy Winehouse are obviously as of now, somewhat of a footnote in music history even though Back To Black is a popular title amongst vinyl collectors of current generation music. So the question is as the album continues to sell and catch on in the vinyl medium despite its creator having passed on, what further impact will it have as its discovered by new listeners?     



 

 

Nick Waterhouse - Vinyls Best New Artist

New R&B Artist Reveals Keys to Vinyls Comeback

His name is Nick Waterhouse and odds are you may not have heard of him, but you may have heard his music. His song I Wanna Know was heard in an Acura commercial two years ago, and his song Some Place is currently being heard on a commercial for the FIFA 2014 video game.

If you can recall those commercials then you, like me probably thought that music was from the late 50's or early 60's and not made as recently as 2012, or by a 26 year old in Los Angeles. But all that music is Nick Waterhouse's, the sound, the recording method, and even the songs themselves are all his. 

What is the most compelling about Waterhouse though is his perception of how the music should sound. You see while other artist are running to recording studios to lay down tracks electronically or on CD, Waterhouse made his first singles on 45'. Waterhouse knew vinyl would give his music the sound he wanted. But to help finish the effect Waterhouse decided to record at LA's Distillery Studios one a very few analog recording studios left, and becuase it was someplace Waterhouse grew up around. In producing his sound Waterhouse has also modified his electric guitar a Gibson SG, to give it a more authentic 50's sounds, and complete the feel of his music. 

In an interview with Seattles KEPX Waterhouse was qouted as saying "I come from a lineage of record people", and also "There is nothing like holding a record in your hands". I think these qoutes sum up Waterhouse's love for the vinyl movement, and for the sound it can produce. This love has transferred into a passion for getting the sound just right, something he has managed to do well. For Waterhouse vinyl is about the experience that having a vinyl record can produce. 

I need to add one more thing though. Listening to the sounds of Duffy, Adele, the late Amy Winehouse, or even some Cello Green it would be easy to throw Waterhouse into the retro-R&B movement. But Waterhouse does see himself as part of this movement, but more of a direct R&B artist. 

If you want to check out Waterhouse's sound it is available on iTunes, but you can also get it on

vinyl via Amazon, or eBay if you want to hear it as it should sound. His album is called Times All Gone on 33', CD, or electronic formats. As for his singles on 45' they are out there but they are considered collectors items and get pretty pricy but it's a true piece of the modern vinyl era.  

Also you may want to check out his KEPX interview: http://feeds.kexp.org/kexp/liveperformances