Bradley's Buzz

7 Random CDs

A vacation isn't complete unless it involves at least 3 stops to Ameoba Music and so was the vacation my gal Lisa and I had last week; for some reason I've been on a strange kick reflecting old music so this week's list of 7 CDs (one for every day of the week you see) includes a few I used to own on tape and have only recently bought on CD and some old gems I just add an itch to get on CD -

Carly Simon - Playing Possum (1975)
I just love the cover of this little album; for some reason I've been on a Carly Simon kick. I found I had a bunch of her songs on my computer and started making a compilation when I decided to research a little into the world of the girl and found there were some albums I wanted to have including this one. Now as a kid I knew her singles and though I had a few albums handed down from aunts, I never got into her; but now that I'm older and understand her whole lyrical sexual and sophisticated world I'm all in a tither. This album includes the hit "Attitude Dancing" and "More and More" but also some interesting ditties like "Look Me In The Eyes" (when you're above me loving me do me a favor and look me in the eyes), and a whole song about watching some sexual antics out of her dirty hotel bathroom window ("Love Out In The Street") and with guest stars like Carole King and then husband James Taylor, its a true 1975 gem and I was completely surprised at how experimental she is with the music chosen. I know it sounds strange but this girl was not the typical folksy singer I thought she was. Now I can't wait to hear the other album I had to have 1979's Spy which is a whole concept album based around the erotic novel A Spy In The House Of Love.

REO Speedwagon - Hi Infidelity (1980)
I love this album. My cousin Paula had the vinyl, my aunt Sarah had the album I bought the tape and everyone around the municipal swimming pool in 1981 was singing the praises of this album - Its rare that a whole album would be great but such is the case. There isn't a song on here I don't love and immediately start singing along with. "Keep On Loving You", "Tough Guys" which starts out with a Little Rascals sample and has the line "she thinks they've got brains down where they sit/ they think they're full of fire/ she thinks they're full of shit" plus "In Your Letter," "Take It On The Run", "Don't Let Him Go" and the album cuts are just as good as the singles. "Follow Your Heart" to mention but one. I decided if I ever found it on CD I would grab it and thanx to those Amoeba gods, it was only $5. Now if only I could find the CD version of ex-Eagles Randy Meisner's 1980 album that is the perfect company with this I'd be in Heaven.


Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
Everyone I knew had this album when I was a teenage stoner and it's not only because it's what all the other stoners expected you to have - it's just a damn good album and thanks to all those Zep heads out there, it's now been remastered with a little help by some of the members. So I get "Rock & Roll", "Stairway To Heaven" and all the others in full glory. Makes me wanna smoke up, but maybe I'll just pour myself some wine and go back to the Carly Simon album - age sucks.

Samantha Fox - Touch Me (1986)
Now before judging me, you have to know I didn't like this album because I wanted to stick my face in between those enormous Fox knitters - all my friends did but they were, oh what's that word, freaky people - oh yeah heterosexual; anyhoos, what I found then and what I still find is this is a really fun pop album. It's not quite as 80s dated sounding as her later albums or as dancy, (I Wanna Have Some Fun) this is more 80s pop rock but still has enough of that late 80s schtick to be sweet and a lot of fun. The songs are all enormously catchy and as I used to do with the tape I skip right over the hit song and go to the bones of those boobs - there are some damn fine ditties on here "Do Ya Do Ya (Wanna Please Me)" with it's little break down in the middle, metal guitars and bouncy sex is fun to sing along with and my ultimate favorite "I Want You To Want Me", the sexy and fun "Suzie Don't Leave Me With Your Boyfriend" where Miss Fox begs her pal Susie not to leave her alone with Susie's boyfriend since he was last seen hitting on Samantha, well by the end of the song Suzie's pissed, Samantha's shagging the boyfriend and we're all left with a dance ditty. Personally I never felt sorry for Susie, I mean in Samantha's defense she did warn her pal; on top of pop/rock, there's also a little rockabilly number called "Hold On Tight" which I find myself turning up everytime it comes on. I love this album and so will you if you find it cause like a tramp in the night I'm begging you to buy a copy (and I've seen it for a mere $3) It will take you back and realize not all porn sluts (Paris Hilton) are only talented on their knees.


Lyle Lovett - The Road To Ensanada (1996)
When I lived in Couer d'Alene, my uncle and I would play this album all the time. In fact he had almost all of Lyle's music and I instantly became a fan and once again Amoeba came through as I bought two of his CDs for a total of $10 but it's this album with its cool sarcastic wit and little guitar twang that gets me. I put it on for Lisa and she thought I had lost my mind but by the end she was loving it - a duet with Randy Newman on "Long Tall Texan" ("ooh lordy is you the law?") and the hilarious yet serious "Don't Touch My Hat" ("you can have my girl but don't touch my hat); this album proves why he has had a revered career beyond just the average country performer.


Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True (1977)
The debut album of my so nerdy he's cool man. Not surprisingly, this is the place to start with when going back to the early genius that was Mr. Costello. "Allison", "Watching The Detectives", "Red Shoes", "Welcome To The Work Week" - all the cool tunes are here in their two minute punky new wave glory. Plus it's the remastered version complete with a ton of liner notes and a whole separate disc of rarities. Now I've got to my hands on a copy of all his other CDs as I am in Elvis Heaven these days.


Boston - Boston (1976)
Another great rock album from the 70s that has just received the remastered treatment - but being the cheap ass I am I bought a used copy of the original issue but in my defense I couldn't find a copy of the new remastered version under $10 so there you go. Meanwhile, I have ventured back down the road of teenage boozing and smoking with these songs "More Than A Feeling", "Piece Of Mind", "Long Time" - I love them all and now thanks to CD I have finally listened to all the songs that were on side 2 of my cassette - it was too much hassle to get off my stoned ass to turn the tape around after listening to Zeppelin.

with these little trips back to my younger days (why were we still listening to these albums in high school? they were already decades old) it's no wonder the new music I'm doing has all these reflective lyrics including a new one called "Johnny Misunderstood" about all those pot boys I was in love with.

posted by swivek @ 3:35 PM