Jeannie C Riley- Yearbooks and Yesterdays

DSCN2485I am not sure why I bought this album some time ago the first half of the year.  Other than her big hit, I was greatly unaware of the rest of her work. I think the song titles sounded good enough.  This was a dollar.girl-hair-jeannie-riley-01

Jeannie C Riley was born in Stamford, Texas in 1945.  She moved up to Nashville and got her big break with her hit single “Harper Valley PTA”, written by Tom T Hall.  This single was a bonafide country smash hit in 1968 spawning many tv specials and a made for TV movie with Barbara Eden.  Riley would receive modest hits outside of her big one but popularity would eventually ween or wane, whatever is proper english.  She would convert to Christianity in the 70’s and move into gospel music.  However, despite giving up her trademark short skirts and kinky boots, she still performed her big hit when performing live.

Sun Records Bio for Jeannie

This was Riley’s follow up album to “Harper Valley PTA”.  It was released in 1969 and went to #9 on the country charts.  I can picture the A&R guy for this, pushing for more story songs after the success of “Harper Valley PTA”.  As a result, this album is heavy with the story song.  These make up the majority of the album.  Songs such as “What Was Her Name”, “Edna Burgoo”, “What Ever Happened to Charlie Brown” and the title track showcase this.  I am not a big fan of the story song to begin with but this album is overkill.  Again, this is probably a greater function of the A&R folks trying to duplicate previous hits.  As any investment broker can tell you, past performance is not indicator of future success.DSCN2486

For a sample, I was originally going to go with “The Part of Honey” mainly because it has the electric sitar, played by Jerry Kennedy as so advised on the back cover.  However, I decided to instead go with “The Girl Most Likely” which was released as a single that would go to #6 on the country charts.  It tells the story of a girl on the wrong side of the tracks and a teacher’s pet with a silver spoon in her mouth.  Despite everyone in the town’s opinion, it is the teacher’s pet that gets in trouble and from what I assume, gets knocked up.jeannie-c.-riley-now_thumb1

That is not to say that the rest of the songs aren’t okay but I have to give this a Meh based on personal tastes.  The abundance of story songs kind of feels forced and is not really my cup of tea.  That is not to take away from Riley’s talent.

 

Joe Jackson- Body and Soul

DSCN2477This was $2.40 rounding up. I seem to recall quite a few copies at various Half Priced Books s I guess it sold well.  I did not know this until after I posted this but today is the 201st birthday of Adolphe Sax who, you guessed it , invented the saxophone. In turn, he is responsible for both some of the best and worst music known to man kind. Before I knew this fact, I got this to pander but mainly for the cover. I felt it was clever. The cover BTW is an homage to Sonny Rollins, Vol 2.MI0000213180

Joe Jackson was recently in Houston sometime around the last month or so. He is still pretty active, wrapping up a US tour and touring into 2016, mostly in Europe. He also released his first studio album in seven years, Fast Forward.

Joe-Jacksonfi

Jackson’s Web Page

 

As the cover would then suggest, this is a jazz influenced pop album. Released in 1984 after setting up his home base in New York City, it would be his seventh studio album. It is heavy on Jackson’s horns. In all, it is a prime example of the sophisti-pop or adult contemporary-new wave of the 80’s that I hate. That is just me. The album sold well and was successful. It went to # 20 in the US and # 14 in the UK. I believe the only single for the record was “You Can’t Get What You Want (Til You Know What You Want)”. That charted in the US at #15. You know what, I stand corrected “Happy Ending” and “Be My Number Two” were also released as singles. Jackson would also take a lengthy break after touring behind this album, calling it “the hardest (tour) I ever did”.DSCN2478

After listening to this album, I kind of settled on “Loisaida”, a series of instrumental vignettes featuring piano and horns prominently. I realize you probably want to hear vocals, but tough. If you want to hear them, buy the album off of his webpage. The guy has to eat, too so get over it. Still not happy?  Ok, I will cave and throw you a bone with “Go For It”.JOE-JACKSON2

Meh. I get what he was trying to do, and in all truth, this was probably ahead of the curve in the mid-eighties, but it is not the type of music I like. I prefer Jackson’s 70’s work.

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Dino, Desi, and Billy- Souvenir

DSCN2475This was one dollar.  Not sure why I bought it other than it was cheap.  It had a few covers worth giving the benefit of the doubt. On a side note, I had a fun day of working late and hanging out in parking lots so this should be quick.

11696409_1Dino, Desi, and Billy was a 60’s band consisting of three friends: Dino Martin (son of Dean), Desi Arnaz Jr (son of Senior) and some guy named Billy Hinsche.  They had a few early hits followed by a few releases.  Obviously, family connections helped.  As a result, critics were harsh on the band, accusing them of taking resources away from more talented bands. But they did have some success.  The band would break up in 1969 due to the activities of the members.  Dino would pass away in 1987 but was replaced on oldies reunions by his brother Ricci. Below is a lip from Dean Martin’s TV show , with Dean humorously introducing the band.

Webpage of Billy Hinsche.

This was there fourth album and their third released in 1966.  It is mostly of pop covers.  Such covers include “Black is Black”, the Kink’s “Sunny Afternoon” and the Beatles “Got to Get You Into my Life”.  These songs are okay.  Nothing really radical.DSCN2476

For a sample, I went with “Turn Down Day”, a hit for the US band, The Cyrkle.

Meh.  Just another 60’s pop band to me.  Sorry. To their credit, they were young when they did this.

 

Boots Randolph- Sax Sational

DSCN2385I think I got this before the labor day sale so it would have been a dollar.  It had a bunch of great instrumental tunes on it.  This is the second sax record I posted this month.  What am I thinking?1961_march_25_hawaii_uss_arizona_benefit_concert_boots_randolphThis is also the second album I posted from Nashville Session SaxMaster, Boots Randolph.  Like I said, above, tunes like “Desafinado”, Tuff”, “You Can’t Sit Down”, and “Tequila” made it worth checking out.  Also, who does not like yet another version of “Danny Boy”.  “Night Train” is also on this but after you hear/ see James Brown’s version, it kind of ruins all others.

This record, released in 1967, may have been his tenth.  It is ok.  Kind of standard interpretations of the songs.  Quite honestly, in the back of my mind, I did not expect anything different.  There is nothing really bad on this album but there is nothing that really jumps up and grabs you either.DSCN2386

For a sample, I went with the before mentioned “Night Train”. Kind of pales in comparison to the video, huh? That is a bit unfair, I know.

**FILE** Boots Randolph performs at The Nashville Tennessean Centennial Park concert, Aug. 2, 1964, in Nashville, Tenn. Randolph, whose spirited saxophone playing on songs like "Yakety Sax" made him one of Nashville's top musicians, died Tuesday, July 3, 2007. He was 80. Randolph suffered a cerebral hemorrhage June 25 and had been hospitalized in a coma. (AP Photo/The Tennessean, Frank Empson, File) **MANDATORY CREDIT**

Meh. I mean he is a talented sax man, but  this does not really do it for me.

 

The Blow Monkeys- Animal Magic

DSCN2453This was $3.97.  I really liked the lead song when this came out.  Ok, really might be a stretch.  Let’s say I kind of liked it.  Ok, that might be a stretch as well.  I will leave it at, the song came in my head when I saw this album and that is enough for me.

On a side note, I recently started a new job this week.  This blog was born out of many things, one of which being the need to keep busy while unemployed.  However, I still enjoy doing it somewhat, and I still have way too many records to stop.  So I am going to keep at it as much as I can.  I would expect the posts to be shorter and more concise.  I have made this point before, but really, who reads music blogs anyway?  Just listen to the song and move on.2013-10-09-diariovasco.com600

The Blow Monkeys were a British new wave-adult contemporary or sophisti-pop band from the 80’s.  They had four albums and eleven singles in the UK charts from 1986 to 1990.  Subsequently, they got back together in 2007 and released five albums including a 2015 release, If Not Now, When? .

The Blowmonkey’s Web Page

This was their second album and contained their big hit, “Digging Your Scene”.  This song got stuck in my head when I saw this album so I bought it.  Otherwise, it is pure British Sophisti-pop.  I realize that was popular at the time, but it is not my cup of tea.  I can not really say anything else about this album.  After listening to it twice over a month ago, I am really not into another listening.DSCN2376

Here is that single, “Digging Your Scene” which went to # 12 in the UK and #14 in the US single charts. the-blow-monkeys_4

Meh.  Again, I realize this was popular but I don’t think it really moved out of the time period of the 80’s.

 

Lynn Anderson-Uptown Country Girl


 

DSCN2369This was $3.20.  I got this during the Labor Day Sales but did not find out until shortly thereafter that Lynn Anderson passed away this summer.  To think, I used to be so good at keeping on top of celebrity obituaries.  Somehow, this summer, I am slipping.lynn-anderson-01-800

Anderson, born in Grand Forks, North Dakota in 1947, was a multi-award winning country star with hits in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s.  Busting on the scene when she was in her teens, her biggest hit was the 1970 song “(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden”.  She would remain popular and was still performing up until her death this summer of a heart attack.  She was 67.  Oddly enough, Amy Poehler did a pretty decent impression of her on Saturday Night Live some years ago.

Lynn’s Web Page

AmPo-Lynn Anderson

Link to SNL skit with Amy Poehler as Lynn.

This album was Lynn’s seventh.  Released in 1970, it was the first of four studio albums she put out that year. The previous owner marked two songs on the album with the notation “Gold Circled” : the standard “I’ve Been Everywhere” with “modern-fast” and “He’d Still Love Me” with “modern-slow”. Both songs were released as singles. The album contains two German songs, which have been scratched out on the cover.  Also scratched out is Merle Haggard’s “Okie from Muskogee”.  Overall, the album is ok.  DSCN2370

For a sample, I went with “Partly Bill”, who is partly to blame for the end of their relationship.920x920

Meh.  Lynn has better albums out there.  She has a great voice but the songs could have been better on the album.  It should be noted that this was right before her big smash hit and it would appear that producers were really pushing material out of her.  As I stated above, this was the first of four albums released that year. Regardless, she is a talent and a true legend of country music and will be missed.

Lloyd Mumm and his Starlight Roof Orchestra- Pink Champagne for Dancing Vol 1

DSCN2363This was a dollar.  The cover was pretty kitschy.  Probably would have made more sense to play this last month and am not sure why I did not.

I could not find out much about Omega Records or Lloyd Mumm.  I am assuming that it is a made up name for a staff orchestra. This was a common practice for budget labels.  I am guessing this came out in either 1962 or 1963.  I have also heard there is a volume 2.

This album is a rather light and bubbly collection of continental tunes for couples dancing.  It has its moments at times.  “Tonight We Love” is a rendition of Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto.  Likewise, “Til the End of Time” borrows heavily from Chopin’s Polonaise Op 53 in A flat Major.  The rest of the songs are standards of sorts.  Again, it is a light and fluffy album.DSCN2364

For a sample, I went Chopin and “Til the End of Time”.

Meh.  After last month, I am kind of done on the continental records.

 

Merv Griffin & Arthur Treacher- ‘Alf & ‘Alf- Songs of the British Music Hall

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This was $2.40.  It was something different from other things I posted and  figured I could get a good story out of it at the least.  Victorian music hall

British Music Hall music, the UK equivalent of American vaudeville, was born the 1830’s.  It rose to popularity in the 1850’s and unofficially died in 1963 with the death of Max Miller. Although it would assume no fixed form, its popularity spawned some of the best songwriters and songs of the 19th and early 20th century.  It would spawn a major labor unrest in 1907 when the artists went on strike against the theater managers.  This resulted in copyright law being applied to music.  In WWI, at the height of its popularity, it was used as a recruiting tool.  After the war, its popularity waned with the rise of swing, jazz, trad, and eventually rock and roll.  However, perhaps the most enduring tribute to the Music Hall tradition was the first series of The Muppet Show.

Link to Music Hall Recordings

Arthur Treacher was a British actor (1894-1975) who made numerous movie, stage, and television appearances.  Merv Griffin (1925-2007) was a media mogul, working on stage and television, hosting his own show, and creating some of the most enduring game shows including Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune.  What I did not know is that Treacher, who was Griffin’s mentor served as Griffin’s announcer and sidekick on the Merv Griffin Show from 1965 to 1970.  When network brass wanted to dump Treacher due to age, Griffin successfully protested.merv and artThis album is from what I can tell, a decent collection of British Music Hall tunes.  It includes songs originally sung by Billy Williams, Jack Worworth, Basil Hallam, Jack Pleasants, and Harry Champion.  The music is bouncy  with snappy back and forth dialogue.   Songs such as “I’ve Got a Loverly Bunch of Cocoanuts” highlight that British double entre style which suggests something is dirty when it really isn’t.  That is really prevalent on several of the tracks.  Overall, after a few songs, the gag wears thin.  The songs all sound similar after a while and the visual aspect of what Music Hall was trying to accomplish is completely lost with this.

DSCN2303For a sample, I submit “Whose Got the Suitcase”  which is the most upbeat number on the album.  It  showcases the fast paced back and worth between the two entertainers that really defined Music Hall.  Also included in “I’m Henry the Eighth, I Am”, a tune performed by Harry Champion and remade in a rock and roll style by Herman’s Hermits in the 1960’s.  This version seems to pay tribute to both styles.

Meh.  After a while, this album wears thin.  If all the songs were like the samples, I would bump this up a rating, but alas this is not the case.

 

VA-Original Golden Town and Country Hits-Vol 1

DSCN2294This was a dollar.  It had an okay selection of songs, but I got it for one song in particular that caught my eye,  Rex Allen’s “Don’t Go Near the Indians”.  I thought it would be a quasi-racist song that would offend.  SPOILER ALERT:  If you want to listen to the song without being aware of the subject matter, jump down to the MP3 now or after the next paragraph.rex

Rex Allen, the Arizona Cowboy, was born close to Wilcox, AZ in 1920.  Starting out in vaudeville, he rose to fame with the popularity of the singing cowboy as such stars as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers.  He stared in movies and on television as well as recording various albums.  He would die in 1999 just before his 79th birthday after both suffering a massive coronary and getting ran over in his driveway by his caretaker.  This song, “Don’t Go Near the Indians”  was his biggest hit, reaching #5 on the country chart.

So going back to the song, when I bought this, I thought this song would be about casual racism.  It is not.  It is about casual incest which is worse.  Yes, the singer of this song falls in love with an Indian girl only to find out that he was abducted from his tribe as a pup and he is really the brother of the girl he loves.  I thought this was awful and am kind of surprised this content would be allowed at the time.

As far as the album goes, it has good enough songs on it.  Faron Young and Patsy Cline were the big names I recognize.  Versions of “Wildwood Flower” and “From a Jack to a King” were good as was Leroy Van Dyke’s “Walk on By” (not the same as Burt Bacarach’s).  But overall, this album is really lacking the big star power (other than Patsy) that other compilations have.

 

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Here is “Don’t Go Near the Indians”, submitted for your approval.

Meh.  I have about 15 other country compilations that way exceed this one.

 

The Zillertal Band- German Beer Drinking Songs

 

DSCN2292Here is another German album for Oktoberfest.  This was 80 cents.  I got this back in May in order to diversify the posts.  Kind of came in handy this month.Oktoberfest_Beer Tent_04

Oktoberfest proper, in Munich, is already underway.  I kind of burned thru my trove of useless information on the last German post, but here is an attempt.  Apparently, the festival has been cancelled 24 times due to disease, war, and hyper-inflation.  Twice during these cancellations, the festival was replaced by a weaker festival with 2% ABV beer as opposed to the normal 6%.  ALso, I was surprised to learn that there is no loud music (85 db or higher) until after 6PM.  I guess the Germans want to nurse those hangovers as much as possible.

If you are looking for something to do to celebrate the festival, may I suggest eating at Rudi Lechners by Westhimer and Gesner, where it is Oktoberfest every day.  There is live music Wednesday thru Saturday.  There is also an Oktoberfest buffet on Wednesday night which appears on their webpage. If you go, order Rudi’s Gute Nacht Kaffee as a night cap.  It is a strong beverage but Rudi mixes it at the table. Below is a picture of him making one for me back in 2010.26493_109497519063129_6973787_n

Rudi Lechner’s Webpage

In terms of this album, I am not sure who the Zillertal Band are, but since this is an Alshire/Somerset album, I assume they are the cheapest band in Hamburg the label could find.  I saw on the internet that they were conducted by Harry Wehner and guess that this is some kind of joke.  The album follows the format of the last German album I posted.  The first side is a collection of individual folk songs while the second side is a bunch of beer tunes thrown together. Musically, I would say this album sounds what I imagine farts would sound like if they made music.

DSCN2293For samples, I went with two folk songs and a collection of beer songs.  For the folk songs, I went with “O Du Lieber Augustin” which you may recognize as “Hail to the Bus Driver” and “Du, Du Liegst Mir Im Herzen”.  For the beer songs, I went with “Ein Prosit” (a toast), “Es War Einmal Ein Treuer Husar” ( a song about a soldier who misses home) and “Wir Sind die Sanger von Finesterwalde”  (translated : we are the singers from Finesterwalde).

Meh.  This is a bit worse than Tuesday’s album.  However, download for your Oktoberfest party and you should be good to go.