HCL - High Cost of Livin'. 198? P.I.N. With the two below (Nov). Yet another 80's private pressing, this time from Salisbury, Maryland. Interesting mix of styles here, though there's no question of its 80s provenance (they do have a CD from 1991, suggesting this could have been from 1990). The strangest aspect of the album is its blues rock leaning, with some strong electric guitar. Its impact is diminished by the production, but it provides a unique juxtaposition.
The Jacks - In Danger. 1985 Quest (LP). With the Morningstar (Nov). Music moves towards an AOR / New Wave / Hard Rock sound. Very 80s, and also had potential to make it for the era. The album is a six song EP with two "single" versions appended on to make it an LP. The Jacks were from Omaha, Nebraska and quietly disappeared.
Morningstar - Venus. 1979 Columbia (LP - white label promo). From a Denver area record store (Nov). Morningstar were a band from Kansas City going back to the late 60s. By the time they got around to releasing their two albums in the late 70s, FM album oriented rock was all the rage. Venus was their second and last album. Somehow I got it in my head I liked this band and paid real money for it ($4 lol). Eh... no. It's the pandering side of AOR. You can tell they're in it for the money, which probably lead to their ultimate obscurity. One very good track with 'Never Meant to Be' (hmmm...they got that right) and 'Hard Bargain Driver' is pretty good. The rest can be avoided.
Toto - Toto IV. 1982 Columbia (LP). Thrift shop find (Nov). Everything that was bad about commercial rock radio when I was in high school - can be found on this album. Not for me....
Humble Pie - Smokin'. 1972 A&M (LP). Thrift shop find (Nov). Never been much on Humble Pie, but I don't know them that well either. Smokin' is mostly blues to blues rock and the vocals are suitably raspy, if not annoying. There's a couple of Led Zep styled rockers here that I quite like. Overall it's good, but not good enough for my tastes to keep.
Electric Light Orchestra - Discovery. 1979 Jet (LP). Thrift shop find (Nov). Another one of those groups that was omnipresent in my youth. I'm sure I heard a couple of their albums back in the day, but God knows I don't remember any of them. So let's give it a whirl. Meh. I don't have too much issue with the disco elements, it's more the lack of great songs. 'Don't Bring Me Down' is the hit from this, and man is that an annoying song. I'll be sure to pick up any of their albums as I see them. They have some songs from the early to mid 70s that I do like.
Fleetwood Mac - Mystery to Me. 1973 Reprise (LP). Thrift shop find in Pueblo (Nov). What's a mystery to me is why Fleetwood Mac are so popular - at least after they dumped the blues. More adult contemporary music for those who are more mature than me (I sense a theme here...). I do admit to really enjoying 'Hypnotized', perhaps a luck-out track on their part. Opener 'Emerald Eyes' is good too. The rest you can have. I keep finding this title at thrifts, and not near as marketable as the Stevie Nicks era. Perhaps I should layoff next time.
The following all came from the same thrift shop find (Oct)
Cheap Trick - Heaven Tonight. 1978 Epic (LP). This is Cheap Trick's 3rd album. In the last five years I've also heard their first two. I'm 0 for 3 on Cheap Trick. I don't get the allure. It's not my kind of rock n roll I guess. Clearly I'm in the minority - or at least back then I would have been.
T Rex - Electric Warrior. 198? Reprise (1971) (LP). Here is the blockbuster T Rex album. The one with 'Bang a Gong (Get it On)'. I never liked that song, and the album is only worse. Every day that goes by, I'm reminded how much I don't like classic rock. At least I'll get a good profit from it.
Rolling Stones - It's Only Rock N' Roll. 1974 Rolling Stones (LP). Well I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I have very little use for the Stones. I do need to spend a bit more time with their 60s work, but to date, I can't really stomach any of their 70s/80s albums. And this is no exception. However.... there is one great track that I couldn't believe was the Rolling Stones. A jazz rock number called 'Time Waits For No One'. A great six and a half minutes buried in the middle of this teenage wasteland. All these years, and I never once heard this on the radio.
Rolling Stones - Tattoo You. 1981 Rolling Stones (LP). This is the second copy in two years I've found. I can barely get through it. Not sure I did....
Asia - Alpha. 1983 Geffen (LP). Somewhere in this blog I went on a nostalgia rant about the debut. I never bothered to hear anything else by the band back in the day, as I was done with that sound. Without any past association, Alpha is going to have to make it on its own songwriting merits. Pffft. Jeez, what a pile of manure this is. Whatever was great about their first album, was tossed completely for a more commercial sound. How could it be more commercial? Listen to this and find out. See ya.
---end of sale
*Keef Hartley Band - The Battle of North West Six. 1969 Deram (LP). Thrift shop find in the Denver area (Oct). I know very little about Keef Hartley, though his early titles were recommended to me not that long ago. Though apparently this album is considered the weak link between his debut and 3rd album. If that's the case, then I'm certain to love the other two, because I found much of this to be quite good. A solid mix of hard rock and horn rock, with solid songwriting. Very good on the whole and cannot see a reason not to keep it.
Boaz - Three of a Kind. 1978 Blue Moon (LP). In the world of thrifting, this is what one would call a "great score" (Oct). And no, Boaz is not really a commodity, though the music kind of is. Having said that, side 1 had me thinking this was a keeper, with some strong hard rock songs and excellent lead guitar. Side 2 devolves into boogie/country rock, and quickly lost its luster. Pretty good on the whole I'd submit. Boaz were from Madison, Wisconsin - clearly from a different era of the city.
Dynamics - Another Day. 1976 Aspen (LP). Thrift shop find in Fort Morgan (Oct). OK this isn't really a commodity, but I'm always on the lookout for local grooves. This is a small press classic rock album from the Denver area (despite label name). Pretty typical of a 70s bar band, and nothing at all to get excited about.
*Boston. 1976 Epic (LP). Thrift shop find (Sep). After ALL these years, I'm kind of warming up to Boston. They were omnipresent in my youth, to great annoyance. I was told - in no uncertain terms - that yes, it is a fact, that Boston is one of the greatest albums of all time. No it isn't. Used to piss me off. Well, it still kind of does. Making matters worse, it was sort of known, even back then, that these guys were Massachusetts Institute of Technology wise-asses looking to formulate a hit record. Well they certainly succeeded! They do have some well written songs here, and that guitar distortion wasn't unwelcome at all back in the day. OK, OK, I'll keep it now. First time ownership. No promises on long term commitments. (2024 note - still have it!)
* - Keeping for the collection
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