LEWIS FUREY - "Lewis Furey" (A&M Records) Vinyl, 1975

I picked up on this album when shopping at Moby Disc on Ventura Blvd, and it stood out in the cut-out bin.  I was kind of surprised to see something worthwhile in that section of the store - although, now we have sort of the romantic memory of finding gems for 99 cents to $3 in this section, mostly it was a horrible drudge.  Nevertheless, Lewis Furey's eyes spoke to me.  When I flipped over to see the back cover, I was impressed that there was a song on it called "Hustler's Tango."

I sense a glam Velvet Underground vibe, so what the hell, worth the $1.99 or so.  When I got home and played the album, that very instant, it became one of my all-time favorite albums.  The cover and the song title didn't lie.   Here was a guy who has the John Cale genius for arrangements, and seemed to have one foot in the music of the theater world, and the other is .... kind of gay-oriented pop, but with dark overtures to the night world.  There's accordion, piano, banjo - which gives it Brecht/Weil orientation, yet very American sounding.  Which is strange from a musician/songwriter from Quebec Canada, and now lives in France.

The album is co-produced and arranged by John Lissauer who also served the same duties on Leonard Cohen's "New Skin for the Old Ceremony" and "Various Positions" as well as the classic Cohen song "Hallelujah."   There is a strong connection between Furey and Cohen -not only sound wise, but both write songs that are very poetic, yet direct.   For those who love albums or artists who are beautifully orchestrated and arranged, will love this album.  Why, Lewis Furey fell between the cracks here in the U.S. (he's known in France, but also in Japan) is beyond me.  This album needs to be re-released.  Beautiful melodies, stark lyrics, street wise, and witty.

Many years later, after losing most of my vinyl collection due to past economic situations, I was deeply surprised to see his first two albums on CD, displayed in a music store in Tokyo.  Truly one of my happiest moments when I discovered the album again, and just waiting for my hands.   You must Locate, and buy it!

MICHEL LEGRAND - "Michel Legrand (WEA) Vinyl 1981

I found this album yesterday, at Amoeba on Sunset.  I'm a fan of Michel Legrand.  I try to avoid the 80s material. Because I always felt that was a bad era for everyone - and this album was recorded and produced in 1981.  What caught my interest, is that he wrote both music (of course) and lyrics.  So this is truly a hardcore Legrand solo project.   If not the greatest Legrand, it is still pretty good.  Side one is the most interesting, due that it has a full orchestration on that side.  Legrand doesn't only do lush, but he's intense as well.  There are only a handful of recordings or albums where he sings, and this may have been the last Legrand singing album - but I'm not sure about that.   Nevertheless, he sings great.  Side two is basically different from the first side, due that it is very much guitars, bass, keyboards and drums setting. Not exactly rocking, but some tunes do have a 'funk' feel to them.  I can imagine a Steely Dan fan be into side two, while us Jacques Demy lunatics will be into side one.  As far as I know, this album never appeared on a CD, but one can find used vinyl here and there. I would pick it up - especially if you're into the Legrand/Demy world (side one). 

The Dave Clark Five ‎– "Glad All Over / Bits And Pieces" (Hollywood Records) 45 rpm Single

I found a used copy of the 45 rpm single of The Dave Clark Five's "Glad All Over" and the back side "Bits and Pieces."  This is argumentative, but I feel that these two songs pretty much represent the Five sound at its best.  I have read that Joe Meek was convinced that Dave Clark was stealing his trademark sound, in fact, he suspected that his home studio was bugged.   This may or may not be true, but nevertheless this 45 rpm is magnificent.  It's the rhythm more than anything else.  The powerhouse drumming, the sax guitar bass - just basically the same noise.  And then Michael Smith's vocals which are John Lennon like in its intensity.   Strangely enough, the mighty five are not on Spotify or Apple Music, in fact, it's hard to find their work online.  Dave Clark owns the masters to his recordings, and for reasons unknown, he maintains the records wrapped up in his safe.   On the other hand, pretty much any decent music vinyl store will have used copies of The Dave Clark Five albums in stock.  Mono recordings of course are the best sound format for the Dave Clark Five sound. It's a sonic wave coming towards you, and once you're in the wave, there is no way of getting out.   Overall I'm not a fan of their albums - they tend to be one dimension.   But this single, oh my, fantastic. 

THE ROLLING STONES -"Necrophilia" Bootleg

The Rolling Stones

"Necrophilia" 

For me, due to the inner-world I live in, this is the Stones album for me.  And oddly enough, it's a bootleg.   "Necrophilia" is sort of the bastard version of their collection "Metamorphosis" but of course, much better.  I don't really know the history of this particular bootleg, except I think at one time this was going to be released as a rarity album of goodies - why it didn't happen, I don't know.  Still, it's my favorite Stones album.   

Some of the material on this album sounds more like the Andrew Loog Oldham Orchestra with Jagger on vocals - or perhaps session musicians (Big John Sullivan & Jimmy Page?) but clearly some of the recordings here were meant to sell the songwriting of Jagger and Richards to other artists.  "Neocrophilia" captures the band between being a R&B band and popster songwriting duo.   Even the 'hits' that we know are different on this album.  "Have You Seen Your Mother Baby" is either an early mix, or more stripped-down version. It has always been one of my favorite Stones cut.   It is like hearing a blending machine mixing your favorite ingredients for a drink.   Pure cocktail of sound.  Trumpet? Blaring in the background, echoy vocals fighting out with the background vocals, and it is simply wonderful.  

This album is sort of the negative version of "Aftermath," in that I'm sure it was recorded around the same time, or in a sense the "Aftermath" notebook.  Notes for an unfinished album.  The nature of recordings that are bootlegs is to see the wizard behind the thick velvet curtain at work.   It is like we are in the studio but invisible. "Hear It," is the mystery cut.  The beauty of this particular song is that it sounds like a soundtrack to a film, but discarded.  Lot of guitar pickings, and then this beautiful string section takes over, but it goes back and forth with the guitars.  Somehow I don't feel this is a Keith Richards guitar.  Brian Jones related production?   Or maybe Jimmy Page?  A beautifully arranged piece. 

"Some Things Just Stick In Your Head" is a throw-away song, but that is also its charm.  It is a country arrangement with the full pop Jack Nietzsche arrangement.   The song is not that hot, but the production and arrangement are amazing.  "Aftermath" is a jam session, and I'm sure I can hear Phil Spector's voice in the background.  So this maybe the Spector/Gene Pitney gets together with the Stones

"I'd Much Rather Be With The Boys" is the classic Mick and Keith song.  This is where they show their true worth and sensibility.  I often felt that the best love songs by Mick and Keith were really about them.  The sexual energy in that band is not going outward, but very much inward.  It is more of a yearning to be within one's gang then out with another 'girl.  "Andrew's Blues" song is about sucking. And I believe this is also Phil/Gene and I want to point out the Motown influence in the early Stones - especially during this period.

An early period of "Street Fighting Man" but here with different lyrics and called "Pay Your Dues."   The height of the Brian Jones sitar, strong bass playing by Wyman, and the great Nicky Hopkins.  It's magic really.   Now comes my favorite of the favorites, "Each & Every Day of the Year."  The slow built-up is almost Roy Orbison intensity, with his sort of lyrical world and melody.  It's a beautiful song. Majestic.  It is so good, I suspect that it isn't the Stones, but Mick with session players. "The Sleepy City" is another fave of mine.  It appeals to the Situationist instinct in me.  To walk in an urban area in the early morning - perhaps after a long night out, or just waking up to this beauty of a landscape.  I often walk around the town here, with this melody in my head. 

The version I have is a vinyl picture disc.   I wish that there was more concrete information about these recordings, like who plays what and so forth.  On the other hand, the mystery is extremely appealing.  Sometimes the information that is in my head is totally wrong, but yet, enjoyable.  Nevertheless a superb collection of songs that are lost in the Stones world. 

Maurice Ravel - Charles Munch, Boston Symphony Orchestra ‎– Daphnis And Chloe (RCA Victor Red Seal, Vinyl, Mono)

Maurice Ravel's "Daphnis and Chloe" gets the perfect packaging from the year 1955.  Although I have a very odd wrap on the vinyl, which gives the sound an extra dimension of weirdness, this is a superb piece of music by Ravel.   Charles Munch, and The Boston Symphony Orchestra does a brilliant job of stating the Ravel vision.   I found this album at The Last Bookstore in Downtown Los Angeles.  Lately I have been slightly obsessed with Ravel's "Bolero" due to my wife, Lun*na Menoh's recent performance of that piece.  So I had that in mind, but when I looked at the booklet that comes with this specific album, I was totally thrilled that the illustrations are done by a young Andy Warhol.  I, for one, really love Warhol's commercial work from the 1950's - and here you can see the influence of Jean Cocteau (with respect to his drawings) but it still has a strong Warhol feeling as well.  Delicate, and then you have the strong album cover image that was so typical of that era. Without a doubt worth the $14.99 price tag!

John Cage ‎– "Sonatas And Interludes / A Book Of Music" (Tomato Records)

I used to own this album in 1977 (the year it was released) but had to sell it to Moby Disc for money for some reason I totally forgot.  Nevertheless, it has been in the back of my mind for 35 years of so. As I was taking one of my strolls down Glendale Blvd, I found a copy at Mono Records.  A great record store.  The best thing about a record store is when you go in to look for a specific album, and you find something else instead.  And usually something much better than the other record you're looking for.  The above John Cage album fits that category.  Prepared Piano pieces on a double album, and on the great Tomato Records label.   Beautifully mediative as well as intense.  How does two work together is sort of like enjoying a Tom & Jerry cartoon. You need the violence, as well as the pairing of the duo. 

James Brown and the Famous Flames - "I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)" / "There Was A Time" 45 rpm Single

The first time I heard this song, wasn't the original, but The Contortions "No New York" version.  I couldn't believe the minimal aspect of the song - and the tight groove that if unwounded would clearly be an act of murder.  I then heard the original when I purchased the 45 rpm of this song, backed by "here Was A Time."   I have heard the I-Tunes version but I strongly suggest the vinyl version, because you can feel the song being contained in the physical grooves.  The song to me is about being contained is some space.  And believe me, it's not a healthy landscape.  I never heard a song that is so alienating and so strongly, one gets the feeling that your back is towards the wall.  "You can't stand your love."  

"There Was a Time," is the ultimate dance song.  The band is hot. James is hot.  I'm not sure, but I suspect that this recording is live - due to either audience yelling out encouragement, or the band itself.  Nevertheless, the beauty of James Brown is that there is a sense of time being destroyed - or at the very least, you're placed in Planet James Brown - which is a world that has its own logic.  And it's not exactly a planet of joy.  It has its darkness and therefore "I Can't Stand Myself," which to me, pretty much describes the human condition in the 21st century.