Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
The Jam - All Mod Cons (1978)
What are you listening to? December 2025
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Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
The Jam - Sound Affects (1980)
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Kungens män - För samtida djur 2 (2024)
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Civic - Chrome Dipped (2025)
Ojai Sam
Staff member
Connie Smith - Clinging To A Saving Hand (1995)
It's been four months since my last Connie Smith post here. Where on earth has she been?
The issue was technical, not artistic. I was able to locate this album only on cassette. My old low tech USB cassette dubber decided to stop working so I went to something completely new, the KLIM K7 cassette player and mp3 converter.
I can't recommend this gizmo highly enough. It unites the old and the new in a truly innovative way. Drop in a cassette and the machine will copy it in real time as an mp3 file onto the included 16 GB SD card. Stick the card into a USB card reader (also included) and you can copy the mp3 files to your computer. Sound level and fidelity are pretty damn good considering the inherent infirmities of the cassette format, especially one that celebrated its 30th birthday this year.
As for the album itself, Clinging To A Saving Hand, was her second self-released project in 1995. Like the first one, By Request, it was recorded in Nashville with uncredited A-Team session players. No one can sing country gospel better than Connie, and she unleashes her mighty voice on ten classics from "One Day At A Time" to "Peace In The Valley", ending with a triumphant "How Great Thou Art" just as she closed many an Opry show. Connie broke no new ground here, but was still in fine voice. This album gave her a memorable keepsake to share with the fans at her many personal appearances, as you can see from the inside label of my autographed copy.
It's been four months since my last Connie Smith post here. Where on earth has she been?
The issue was technical, not artistic. I was able to locate this album only on cassette. My old low tech USB cassette dubber decided to stop working so I went to something completely new, the KLIM K7 cassette player and mp3 converter.
I can't recommend this gizmo highly enough. It unites the old and the new in a truly innovative way. Drop in a cassette and the machine will copy it in real time as an mp3 file onto the included 16 GB SD card. Stick the card into a USB card reader (also included) and you can copy the mp3 files to your computer. Sound level and fidelity are pretty damn good considering the inherent infirmities of the cassette format, especially one that celebrated its 30th birthday this year.
As for the album itself, Clinging To A Saving Hand, was her second self-released project in 1995. Like the first one, By Request, it was recorded in Nashville with uncredited A-Team session players. No one can sing country gospel better than Connie, and she unleashes her mighty voice on ten classics from "One Day At A Time" to "Peace In The Valley", ending with a triumphant "How Great Thou Art" just as she closed many an Opry show. Connie broke no new ground here, but was still in fine voice. This album gave her a memorable keepsake to share with the fans at her many personal appearances, as you can see from the inside label of my autographed copy.
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Psychedelic Source Records - This Is (2024)
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
Just:
The Police - Regatta De Blanc (1979)
Now:
The Police - Zenyatta Mondatta (1980)
The Police - Regatta De Blanc (1979)
Now:
The Police - Zenyatta Mondatta (1980)
Ojai Sam
Staff member
Charlie Parker - Charlie Parker With Strings (rec. 1949-52, Verve Deluxe Edition [Japan] 2015)
Although this album is a classic by any reckoning, it took seven decades for all of this essential material to see the light of day in a Japanese release.
I acquired this 2-CD set, part of the "Bird 100 Collection”, quite by accident while searching for something else.
Here's what is included:
78 RPM Album #1 (1950)
78 RPM album #2 (1951)
Two non-LP singles (1952)
One track from The Jazz Scene collection (1949)
Five tracks from Norman Granz' Jazz Concert #2 (rel. 1957)
And that's just CD1! The second CD consists of 19 recently discovered alternate takes, all but three of which were previously unreleased. If that's not enough, we also get a chubby booklet with liner notes by Phil Schaap and David Sanborn that includes an exhaustive discography. I've seen a lot of comprehensive reissues, including Verve's Big Beautiful Bird Box from 1988, but this intensive collection tops it for completeness.
on the Sam-O-Meter.
Although this album is a classic by any reckoning, it took seven decades for all of this essential material to see the light of day in a Japanese release.
I acquired this 2-CD set, part of the "Bird 100 Collection”, quite by accident while searching for something else.
Here's what is included:
78 RPM Album #1 (1950)
78 RPM album #2 (1951)
Two non-LP singles (1952)
One track from The Jazz Scene collection (1949)
Five tracks from Norman Granz' Jazz Concert #2 (rel. 1957)
And that's just CD1! The second CD consists of 19 recently discovered alternate takes, all but three of which were previously unreleased. If that's not enough, we also get a chubby booklet with liner notes by Phil Schaap and David Sanborn that includes an exhaustive discography. I've seen a lot of comprehensive reissues, including Verve's Big Beautiful Bird Box from 1988, but this intensive collection tops it for completeness.
on the Sam-O-Meter.
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Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Blondie - Home Tapes (2022)
Vinyl Spin of the Day.
I love Debbie Harry but her housekeeping skills leave something to be desired.
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
The Police - Ghost in the Machine (1981)
Still my favorite Police album (of course there is some nostalgia as one of my first albums ever purchased (in 8th grade)
I went ahead and finished my Police journey with Synchronicity right after
Still my favorite Police album (of course there is some nostalgia as one of my first albums ever purchased (in 8th grade)
I went ahead and finished my Police journey with Synchronicity right after
Ojai Sam
Staff member
Roy Buchanan - Sweet Dreams: The Anthology (rec. 1969-1978, Polydor Chronicles comp. 1992)
This wisely curated double disc collection does an excellent job making sense out of the haphazard recording career of a staggeringly proficient guitarist who should have enjoyed much greater success. Unfortunately, substance abuse led him to commit suicide a month before his 50th birthday by hanging himself in a jail cell.
This wisely curated double disc collection does an excellent job making sense out of the haphazard recording career of a staggeringly proficient guitarist who should have enjoyed much greater success. Unfortunately, substance abuse led him to commit suicide a month before his 50th birthday by hanging himself in a jail cell.
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
Thursday Playlist time - the music of 1960
From Coltrane's "Giant Steps" to Jerry Butler's "He Will Break Your Heart".
Sam Cooke, Elvis, The Miracles, Brenda Lee, Howlin' Wolf, the Everly Brothers.
Even the Theme From The Magnificent Seven and Brian Hyland's "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini"
From Coltrane's "Giant Steps" to Jerry Butler's "He Will Break Your Heart".
Sam Cooke, Elvis, The Miracles, Brenda Lee, Howlin' Wolf, the Everly Brothers.
Even the Theme From The Magnificent Seven and Brian Hyland's "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini"
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
Do you play all of these aloud while at work?
Ojai Sam
Staff member
Hank Thompson - Treasures: Unreleased 1950's Recordings (2008)
After Hank's death in 2007, his family found a cache of home recordings he had made with professional equipment. Their purpose was to serve as rehearsals and demos for his frequent Capitol Records sessions. Heart of Texas Records found twenty of these songs that had never been recorded by Capitol. It is not clear why this happened, since the quality of the songs and performances by Hank and the full Brazos Valley Boys band here equals that of his released material. As an added bonus, Hank performs his own electric guitar solos on these home recordings while his friend Merle Travis was employed for the studio sessions. The sleeper here has to be "You Can't Put That Monkey On My Back", a brassy uptempo rocker in the same vein as "Rockin' In The Congo" which is much beloved by rockabilly fans.
I would rate this highly enjoyable release as essential if Hank hadn't made so many other outstanding recordings over the years.
on the Sam-O-Meter.
After Hank's death in 2007, his family found a cache of home recordings he had made with professional equipment. Their purpose was to serve as rehearsals and demos for his frequent Capitol Records sessions. Heart of Texas Records found twenty of these songs that had never been recorded by Capitol. It is not clear why this happened, since the quality of the songs and performances by Hank and the full Brazos Valley Boys band here equals that of his released material. As an added bonus, Hank performs his own electric guitar solos on these home recordings while his friend Merle Travis was employed for the studio sessions. The sleeper here has to be "You Can't Put That Monkey On My Back", a brassy uptempo rocker in the same vein as "Rockin' In The Congo" which is much beloved by rockabilly fans.
I would rate this highly enjoyable release as essential if Hank hadn't made so many other outstanding recordings over the years.
on the Sam-O-Meter.
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
Well, yes but it's in my office not exam rooms
Not sure anyone outside my office can hear much....or cares much
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Destroy All Monsters - Backyard Monster Tube And Pig (1998)
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
Destroy All Monsters - Backyard Monster Tube And Pig (1998)
Interesting cover. I admit I have loved Sharpie-drawn album covers ever since Fleetwood Mac's Kiln House.
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
The music's not that special. I have heard at least a dozen bands that were inspired by this and had the same kind of sound.
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