Weekend Music Roundup

 

It's that time, and though I've missed a weekend here and there during the sweltering heat of the summer and my desperate attempts to escape to the pool, my music listening hasn't stopped. Yesterday was also the second day of Record Store Day of the year, and I was able to pick up the two releases that I was really looking for. In that spirit, I've included some reviews of items I picked up on the first RSD. Enjoy.

The Sword - Age of Winters: The 2006 debut from the Austin stoner metal band was re-issued on purple wax this year for Record Store Day. This was the one Sword album missing from my collection and was glad the local shop had it on RSD. As with most debut albums, there a rawness to this one that becomes more polished on subsequent albums. That's not a criticism, as I do enjoy a polished sound, but with stoner metal, there's something special about the heathenism and energy that comes through with a raw sound. \nn/

Paice Ashton Lord - Malice in Wonderland: Released in 1977, this is the only album from the UK group consisting of members of other bands, most notably Ian Paice the founding drummer of Deep Purple and early drummer for Whitesnake. I picked this up for a few bucks, mostly because I'll pick up anything Wonderland related, but on top of that, this is a great dirty hard rock album from the age of disco when rock was sleazy and amphetamine groovy. It opens with the fantastic "Ghost Story" and then just gets more drug soaked and interesting. "Arabella," "Sneaky Private Eye," "I'm Gonna Stop Drinking," and the title track are standouts on this solid hard rock album.

 

The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin Companion: Released in '99, The Soft Bulletin was the breakout album for the Oklahoma neo-psych band. This album of outtakes and alternate mixes was originally a burned CD that their manager gave out to friends and fans at the time because they felt there was just so much great unused music. The album was officially released on vinyl for Record Store Day and is definitely worthy of the mythical hype. This is the period where the band perfected their signature sound and these are definitely quality tracks and I'm really glad they finally are available to a wider (albeit not so wide) audience.

 

Otis Redding - The Soul Album: The soul legend's fourth album was his fourth in two years. He was on top of his game. He was the heart and soul of Stax Records. This album was in a FREE crate because the cover was less than perfect, but the wax was fine. There's some pops and cracks, but in all the right places for this kind of record. Songs that make you feel. He would die less than two years later at the age of 26.

 

Supertramp - Breakfast in America: The London prog rock band's sixth album was released 1979, and in edition to being their most popular album, it also has one of the most iconic album covers of all time. By this time, the band had sort of abandoned their prog roots in favor of pop rock, which is probably why this album was so successful. And to be fair, there are a lot of pop rock classics on here, including "Take the Long Way Home," "Logical Song," and the title track. A great example of late 70s rock that holds up and is still an enjoyable listen. 

Rod Steward - An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down: Rod's debut solo album came out in 1970, one month before his first album as a member of Faces. For the longest time, I was big naysayer on Rod the Mod, but over the past few years have really grown to appreciate his talent. He makes music that completely captures the bar room vibe, a blues inspire rock that goes down easily and makes you smile. There are blistering tracks on here, including "Blind Prayer," "Handbags and Gladrags," and "Cindy's Lament."