I got to Nashville on Thursday afternoon, but was occupied with work stuff until Saturday evening, when I was able to make my way over to Grimey's, a place that a few people had told me to check out while I was there. It was packed with records, but most of them were new, and that's stuff I can get at home.
Private-press LP out of Danville, PA from a rock group that has that prog-ish Yes vibe to them. Their song "Magdelene" was covered by Boston. That's nothing to be ashamed of.
German import version! I bought this for a dollar and it's got the BPM listed on the front so you know this one'll be bumpin' in the club.
New York City's female answer to the Fat Boys, who they call out, and wow, this is a wild one. A lot of talk about how much they like to eat, which I guess make sense.
Party-record Richard Pryor on the Laff label. Not sure I want to find out what's going on with that horse.
And another one. I got these for 2 bucks each. I enjoy these hastily made old-timey comedy records.
I quickly realized I wouldn't be purchasing anything from the main racks because when I see a copy of Brothers in Arms priced at $20, I know not to bother with the rest of the shit. So I checked the bins by the walls, expecting to encounter some $12 Jermaine Jackson records, but instead I found a treasure trove of fairly priced obscure-ish LPs from which I kept pulling gem after gem, knowing that they were all basically half price, and I figured I'd add it up at the end and put some stuff back if I had to. I did not have to. I bought a ridiculous stack of records from this place. Here we go:
I'll be honest: I don't listen to a lot of the religious LPs I collect, because the music is usually shitty and often creepy. But I always listen to one kind of religious record if I pick one up: the Old Dude Gives A Straight Talk To Teens spoken-word record. (Also Christian stand-up records, which are terrific.) If you've never listened to Don Lonie Talks to Teenagers, you're really missing out. He weaves his way into the Jesus stuff masterfully after earning a teen-filled auditorium's trust with some wry high-school humor. So, yes, I'm looking forward to this one. This old codger was in six different prisons and addicted to drugs for 30 years and he's here to tell you about why that's a bad idea. Pretty sure the J-Man is involved. He usually shows up towards the end.
These guys were out of Portland in the late 70s through the 80s and I believe this was their sole major-label release, on A&M. I have a few of their other records – the one before this one and the one after. Bridging the ol' gap, here. Feels good to do that.
Private-press vocal trio cover-song situation out of Knoxville. Sit back and let them take you on a trip through the 30s, 40s, and beyond!
I have a few of the other records from this teach-your-bird-to-talk-and/or-whistle-showtunes series, and you'd think they'd be kind of rare but they're not. But they are cool to have, and, in a pinch, a great conversation piece!
Speaking of great. I'm not sure I'd ever come across a Tammy Faye record before, but if I did it wasn't this one. What a cover. The back is also really getting the job done. Even has the original PTL Club inner sleeve! Boy, she had fun for a while there before it all went to shit, didn't she? So powerful.
Ed's got directions, and he's taking his guitar with him. Back of this is completely blank.
First Goldust, and now Mike McGuirk? And when I was in Arizona earlier this month I found that Dusty Rhodes record...! The weird wrestling connections continue with this private-press country crooner out of New York. Title is very Kirk Van Houten.
LP out of Australia from a guy with a cool name holding a kitten and smoking a cig on the front of his debut album. So this is kind of crazy - just noticed that the inside of the gatefold is inscribed. Here's what it says, line by line: "To Mr. Dobbie Grey / One Hell of a guy / Cash Backman / (support act, Melb. July 7, 1976) / Thanks again!" Do I own the copy of the LP that Cash Backman signed for Dobie Gray - whose name he didn't know how to spell - when he opened for him in Melbourne, Australia in the summer of 1976? I think I just might.
Sealed, private-press LP out of Texas that I can't find any evidence of existing on the internet. Back cover features complimentary quotes from bar and restaurant owners who would not hesitate to hire Gino again. Got this for four bucks, but really two.
This one was also sealed, also four bucks. Early stuff from a Grand Ole Opry dude, from what I can tell. We'll see if I keep this one.
Man, I forgot I snagged this. I was really just grabbing stuff, so part of the fun is getting these records home and remembering why I got 'em. The cover on this one is just so great. I love Christian rock bands trying to be cool. Here you can see them sneaking into church in disguise. Is that what it's come to? I'm also now realizing I have their other LP and that they were out of Spokane and possibly Bellingham.
This was, admittedly, a "hey I 'member this guy!" type purchase, but it's got a gatefold cover and is just lousy with bizarre puppets, so I'm good with it. And seriously: remember this dude?
Private-press country LP out of Tennessee with a cosign from Boots Randolph on the back. Track on here called "God Never Made a Horse Happy Couldn't Ride" that I'm tempted to fire up over here. And I just did. Dear lord. It's about a rodeo rider who was a champion and then starts losing, goes hard into boozing out of control, and then kills himself by OD'ing on heroin. And also the guy singing the song is his little brother. Yikes. That was not what I was expecting there.
This must be Jimmy's follow-up, and sadly, he does not perform "Happy." This one's out of Hendersonville, Tennessee.
Private-press country-rock LP out of Nashville in probably the late 70's, because that's when Mel Street killed himself. This is another one that I can't find any info on. Feel like I should do the right thing and put some of these on Discogs, but I probably won't.
Jangly indie rock out of California that's on a small label that looks like it put out some other similar stuff. Brendan O'Brien is listed as the drummer on this but I'm not sure if that's the record producer dude.
Ohhhh this is a good one. Private-press sensitive-dude rock out of Philadelphia that is a one-man operation, with 19-year-old Nigel here playing every instrument on the album. My copy's got two different lyric inserts, a typed letter to a guy at a magazine named Greg who he's trying to get to review it, and a photocopied, handwritten 4-page bio. What a find.
It was really weird finding this record because I've met this dude. At a few different music conferences. He played keys for Bill Haley & His Comets for like 3 years in the early 60's and he will tell you that within 20 seconds of meeting him. The back cover of this is just photos of him sidled up to famous musicians (Haley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino ) with their names underneath their picture just to let you know he's the real deal. Such a strange find.
So the front cover of this corresponds with the first side of the record, titled "This Is Your Funeral If You Are a Christian." The back cover is a black, closed casket in a dark room and it is titled "This Is Your Funeral If You Die Unsaved." Easy, Billington, you're scaring the shit out of me here.
Private-press pop/rock out of Jackson, Mississippi that is actually really sharp for what it is. You know these dudes had some good times.
Sealed, private-press gospel LP with a photo of a much younger, hollow-eyed Gertrude on the back. Borderline terrifying!
From the back: "People who like to dance will want to kick up their heels when they listen to this instrumental Album by Al Dean & The All Stars." Sounds good.
Religious LP out of Fort Worth, Texas that features a picture of this guy's wife on the back with her ventriloquist dummy, Danny Jose, who is in a mariachi outfit and has a ridiculous mustache. She's white with blonde hair, of course.
Frank Black always talked about how he was a big fan of Larry Norman, and the guy seems genuinely interesting, especially for a Christian rocker. This is one of over 100 albums he put out.
Wickline is the name of about a third of the people in this band that is out of Fox Island, WA. Think it might be spiritual. I dig that cover.
Hey, I guess I grabbed another Larry Norman record.
Backwoods standup comedy from a hick in overalls. I'm really shocked by the full color on the cover. Splurged on that one.
Private-press country LP out of Kentucky. From the Blue Kentucky Boy.
Private-press Hare Krishna folk LP recorded in Nashville. Sealed! But I should probably crack it open and hear what these crazy kooks have to say. It could change my life.
And, mercifully, that's the end of what I picked up. Poor kid behind the counter had a hell of a time figuring out the discounts for me, but after he did, I owed less than 90 bucks for all of this. Not bad at all. And I wasn't done with Nashville yet!
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