Missing in Action

It's great fun going through all my old albums. Even though I haven't looked at them in many a year, they are so familiar, like old friends. I am transported straight back to the 70's and 80's when I first bought them. I have actually now wired up our old ion deck which we bought a few years ago to transfer my wife's old records on to CD. But now it is connected to the stereo. I actually forgot we had that deck as it was boxed away with so much other stuff. So now I can give all my disks a spin.

One drawback in all this vinyl nostalgia is I have realised they are lots of records missing! I haven't got a clue where they are or how they are not around. There may be boxes somewhere, but for the life of me I cannot remember any going missing in my various moves. Some of the records missing I am sad to lose if they are gone. Like Before and After Science by Brian Eno. That had the original prints by Peter Schmidt and a press pack too. As did Exposure by Robert Fripp, with photos and bio. There are lots more and I need to list them to see what the damage is. But I suppose it's all part of life's changes. Anyway, I can at least enjoy what I have got and there are some crackers!

 

 

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National Health - Of Queues and Cures (1978, Charly CRL 5010)

Another favourite album from bygone days. This is from the last days of the golden period of progressive rock and is a belter! The second album from National Health, but this saw a much more streamlined band with Dave Stewart, Phil Miller, John Greaves and Pip Pyle playing as tight as anything. Certainly a key part of the Canterbury Sound, but this is less noodling and more in yer face.

I remember purchasing this album back in 1978 when it was released from Listen Records in Paisley. Listen had a Branch in the High Street, off Storie Street which was just a few minutes walk from Paisley College of Technology. Handy for us students with our student grants to spend! It was a different time then. No loans!

Listen Records in the 70's was the in place to buy records. You were cool at school if walked around with records in a white Listen Records plastic bag under your arm. However, the shop in Glasgow, just outside Glasgow Central Station up Renfield Street, if memory serves me right was a mecca for all aspiring record collectors. It was an intimidating establishments for a naive 15 year old, not used to the big city. The staff were surly and intimidating. The shop was like a dark dungeon. They had a basement, where you entered at your peril never to return. Long gone now of course and I think Listen suffered when the megastores took over in the early 80's. There is a story to be told about these old record haunts!

 

 

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Last Exit - Last Exit (1986, Enemy EMY 101)

It's not all prog rock here. Last Exit were a sort of avant jazz/noise super group, with Sonny Sharrock, Peter Brotzmann, Bill Laswell and Ronald Shannon Jackson. They all had credentials of producing genre busting avant jazz based music and here they teamed up for the first time to produce this live document from 1986. During the 80's Laswell was a bit of a polymath, playing bass, producing, composing across a broad range of projects including Brian Eno, Material, Massacre, John Zorn and various stuff for his Axiom label.

He is an excellent bass player, mixing dub, jazz, funk and rock. Here he lets the other whoop up a noise of a storm, especially from Brotzmann and the late, great Sharrock. It was all improvised and they produced other albums, again mostly live apart from Iron Path, which was recorded for the Virgin Venture label and was quite restrained compared to their live albums. They were of their time and now that both Sharrock and Shannon Jackson are gone, never to be repeated.

 

 

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Premiata Forneria Marconi - Per Un Amico (1972, Numero Uno, DZSLN 55155)

This record brings back lots of memories. PFM were one of the best Italian progressive rock bands of the 70's and helped define a genre, Rock Progressivo Italiano (RPI) that is still producing significant new bands today. For me Per Un Amico is their best, mixing all the best elements of symphonic prog from that time and something particularly Italian. I actually bought this album in Italy itself, while on holiday in Pesaro with my parents. I think that was in 1975 as I also purchased the Chocolate Kings single which was then just released. So it's pleasing that I have this classic album, which was actually obtained from its country of origin.

 

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Tangerine Dream - Ricochet (1975, Virgin V2044)

Another prime release from Virgin Records and in memory of the late Edgar Froese who died recently. Yes, it's been that kind of month! I bought Ricochet when it was released in December 1975. That would have been bought from Walkers Newsagents in Irvine. That's right a newsagents. But they had a good sized area at the back of the shop which sold records. They had a reasonably eclectic selection and what they didn't stock could be ordered and obtained within a week.

1975 was a great year for Tangerine Dream. March saw them release Rubycon and Ricochet was based around live recordings from their Autumn tour and was released in early December. Amazing how quick things were done in those days. It is not only my favourite TD album, but probably in my top 10 albums of all time. I just love the artwork. From the cool typo used for the title and text, through to Monique Froese's striking photograph on the front cover. Even the protective bag was bespoke and had the familiar Virgin logo printed at the bottom. So, a really classy package for a classic record.

What I forgot to mention in the last post was that the cover was printed by Garrod and Lofthouse, while Ricochet was printed by Robor Ltd. Both were big names in the vinyl LP market. I assume both long gone, but they should be remembered for being such an important part of the vinyl LP scene in the 70's.

 

 

 

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Gong - You (1974, Virgin V2019)

With the sad news that Daevid Allen has only a few months to live, I decided to have a look at my favourite Gong album from this period. Released in 1974, this was to be Allens last with the band at this point as his contribution was become lessened. But for me this is their most musical, with Steve Hillage and Tim Blake especially prominent. I think I bought the album around 1977 at Listen Records in Glasgow. I am pleased I still have the inner lyric sheet and of course the Virgin logo is all so familiar on the vinyl. One of the labels best I think.

 

 

 

 

 

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Statement of Intent

This blog is slightly odd. Odd in the fact it is a blog about vinyl records by someone who doesn't have a record player. Well, I did many years ago and may do again soon. However I have kept my record collection, ever since I started buying vinyl back in 1975. My collection has moved around with me from Irvine, Paisley, Glasgow and then to Luton. It has survived all that and now languishes in various boxes throughout the house. With all the current interest in vinyl I thought about going through them and writing some posts about my thoughts and experiences of them. Some day I will play them again, but for now I want to revisit these old friends and reminisce about what they mean to me. Vinyl does that!

 

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