Marc Bolan - "Pictures of Purple People" Vinyl, LP, Album, Remastered, 2019 (Easy Action)

A fascinating album of demos by a young Marc Bolan that shows him off as being very influenced by Bob Dylan, and then quickly he turns his obsessions to American cars and girls.  A road map that leads to T Rex.  The great majority of the songs here are just Marc with acoustic guitar, and it is also interesting to see how he used his voice in the early stages of his career.  For the T Rex obsessive, and those who want to study how Dylan influenced many artists. 

The Beatles "Rubber Soul" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissued, Remastered, Mono, 2014/1965

As a gentleman (if I may call myself that) born in 1954, The Beatles were truly a band that I grew up with, as the albums were released.   It's so odd for me to hear such a sophisticated album "Rubber Soul" when I was 11 years old.  How could I possibly understood "Norwegian Wood" at that age, yet, on its original release I played that song over and over again.  Even as a young child I like songs that sounded sad, that somehow I felt was a reflection of my being at the time.   Of all the Beatle albums, "Rubber Soul" is an album that I can listen to in my head by just reading the songs off the back cover.  They're etched not in color, but in black and white, just like the photos on the back cover of the album.  A very contrast black & white, compared to high definition images replaced by "Revolver" their next album. After that, it was all bright technicolor photos of The Beatles from "Sgt. Pepper" to "Abbey Road."

The sound I hear on "Rubber Soul" is four men, who seemed to be older (of course) and perhaps wiser, yet, in reality, it's a record of reflection of men still young.  Almost like a soldier who came from the front lines of a war, young, but bitter from the experience.   In reality, there is not one bad song on this album, yet, it's not my favorite Beatles album anymore.  I recently purchased the album in mono (all the Beatle records I own are in mono, except "Abbey Road") and as I played it, I didn't feel any emotional attachment to "Rubber Soul" whatsoever.  Yet, as a child, it had a huge impact on me by how it brought a sense of sophistication into my world.  If you think of the pop music (almost all great) being made in 1965, especially by the British Invasion bands of the time, "Rubber Soul" in comparison is a rainy day with thick clouds in the sky type of record.  "Michelle" is probably the first time I heard a song that is sung in partly French.   How could I possibly relate to that, except I loved how the language was sung by Paul in that song.  Not exotica in the sense of an American tourist in a foreign part of France, but conveyed a sense of bitter romanticism just by Paul's voice and instrumentation.  

"Rubber Soul" is an important album, and when you think of it as being released in 1965, the Fab Four were somewhat distanced from all the others in the music market at the time.  It reminds me image-wise of Fellini's early film "I, Vitelloni" (1953) when one of the characters at the end of the film moves on from his childhood/teenage friends to a new world, but traveling alone.  In a sense, The Beatles were waving goodbye to their contemporary fellow musicians and some fans, that they are moving on, to territory that is not yet formed or idealized at the time. 

The Beatles "Revolver" Vinyl, LP, Album, The Beatles in Mono Series, Reissue, Remastered (Parlophone)

I already have the original American Mono edition of this album, which has fewer songs than the British version.  I bought the new remastered / reissue mono "Revolver" mostly out of boredom while waiting for a bus in Pasadena, and I was nearby the great Canterbury Records store on Colorado Boulevard.   For new year's day, and in a quiet series of moments during the early evening, i put this album on the turntable with my headphones on my ears.  It wasn't like visiting an old friend, in fact, I haven't listened to this album for some years. More of a meditation on what seems so perfect, and marveling what must have been so new in 1966.

"Revolver" always struck me as a violent title for an album.  Especially considering how John Lennon died years later, yet for some reason, I now see the title in a new light or awareness.   I think of it more as "revolve" as in moving in a circle on a central axis.   As one grows older they change, in other words, they revolve as in a verb.  Yet, it's a clever title, because most of us will think of the title as a revolver gun.  I have to imagine it was John Lennon who thought up of the title as a pun of sorts. Then again it could have been Ringo!  Nevertheless, this is an album in motion.  Their next album "Sgt. Peppe"r strikes me as a beginning, middle, and end.  Revolver just keeps turning round and round, with no start or no stop.  

"Revolver" may be the first proper 'modern'  power-pop format album. The guitars, the aggressive but melodic bass playing (by Paul) is upfront and always driving the song.  Also, incredible piano playing throughout the entire album as well.  Not sure if it's Paul or George Martin handling the keyboards, but it's an essential part of the overall sound, and especially when you included Indian instrumentation here and there.  Their previous album "Rubber Soul" is the first Beatle album to sound grown-up, and "Revolver" is made by wise men who tasted life in their own time-frame.  It exposes the inner world of 1966 than say the news of the day or time.  "Taxman" by Harrison is a bitter song about of course, the rich man's number one hatred 'paying taxes.'   Harrison's songs are always odd because at one point it can deal with spirituality and then make a sharp turn about the bitterness of romance or being pissed off about taxes.  I suspect the average Beatle fan in 1966 could care less about the tax issues among the wealthy.  Still, Harrison was an amazing songwriter when he was good.  "Taxman" is a funk machine of sorts that is mechanical in format, but driven by it's seductive (not necessarily sexual) rhythm.  

The only song that makes me frown is "Yellow Submarine" not due that it's a bad song, because it's not horrible, but just tattoed on my brain from so many years ago.  I never need to hear that song again.  On the other hand "Here, There, and Everywhere" is like butter melting on a hot biscuit, it's a perfect melody word combination that is classic Lennon/McCartney.   "Tomorrow Never Knows" is the perfect ending or beginning of "Revolver."  As mentioned, the circle is completed but I feel it can go on until one has enough of the album.   I reviewed the American edition, writing that it's an old friend that one doesn't need to really revisit anymore.  Hearing the full British version (and in mono) the album is not new, but I realize the delights that come up on "Revolver" is consistently fresh (except for "Yellow Submarine") and one just marvels at the tightness of the playing and the brilliance of George Martin's production.  

Egisto Macchi - "Bioritmi" Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue (The Omni Recording Corporation)

I know little to nothing about Egisto Macchi, except that he's an Italian composer who worked on music for film and Television, and is a close associate of Ennio Morricone and is a member of Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza.  I have two albums by him, including "Bioritmi," and he's exceptional.  

Originally released in 1971, and reissued/remastered by the great label The Omni Recording Corporation, "Bioritmi" is a record of great feeling and beauty.  It's noted in its informative sleeve notes that there are traces or a hint of Moondog's music within its grooves.   The music here is very much a quartet of strings and distant percussion and it does move in a circular fashion just like Moondog. It's very machine-like but done by humans.  The music builds and then slowly releases its intensity.   Listening to this I think of insects working in a hive.  It's almost a musical portrait of a society working, but not necessarily a human's approach to society unless they're watching insects building a nest and obtaining food.   A quiet album or work, but with great feeling and the clockwork of giving and releasing makes "Bioritmi" a give and take the pull as one listens.  An amazing album and the composer is a genius.  

Television - "Marquee Moon" CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered, 1977 (Elektra/Rhino)

The stark image by Robert Mapplethorpe of Fred Smith, Tom Verlaine, Richard Lloyd, and Billy Ficca A.KA. Television sets the tone what is inside the package.  Before the Internet, and yes, there's radio, but it was pretty useless for those who live in Los Angeles and therefore didn't have access to the tidal wave of new bands in New York at the time.  I've read about Television, and even more intrigued by their photographs of the time.  They never smiled, nor do they look like they enjoy each other's company.  The only goofy/fun one was Richard Hell, but he left the band by the time of this album's release.  

I think I first heard of the band in 1975, so through publications like The Village Voice, I kept track of this band and was very curious what their sound was like.   The critical response from their shows seemed chaotic from boredom to spiritual enlightenment.  Alas, I purchased the 45 rpm single of "Johnny Little Jewel" (Part 1 and 2, like a James Brown single from the late 1960s), and was transformed by the words, Verlaine's voice, and of course, those two magical guitars working at and against the slippery bass and drums.  When they reissued this remastered CD, the folks on the label were smart to add this song to the package.  

"Marquee Moon" is without a doubt, a classic recording.  The albums' mixture of intensity, beauty, drama, and you know these guys probably didn't move much on the stage.  Verlaine's lyrics/poetry would read like Raymond Chandler if he were a beat poet.  Romantic, yet tough, but with strong visual poetics that gives a picture while listening to the music.  Their stance of attachment or coolness mixed in with a focus on a classic rock two guitars, bass, drums sound is essentially fantastic. In my mind, since Elektra originally signed the band, I think of them as younger brothers to the other Elektra acts Love and The Stooges.  Of all the labels in the world, Television is an Elektra band.  With respect to the band's devotion to the music, and doing things their way.   The way Verlaine and Lloyd would work their guitars separate from each other, and in a sense giving little stabs, stings, and a sense of play, and then on the chorus, they join sensually and sexually manner.  There are a lot of great guitar bands, and one can argue who is better than the other.  The truth is Television is unique, and I think it's not only due to the talents of Verlaine's writing (although I suspect the others had their two or three cents in) the whole chemistry of the band, working together.  Indeed a gang, a group at work.  Perfection practiced by professionals.