It’s day 30 of the #cinemaspinschallenge by @talesofvinyl: I’m Thinking Of Ending Things - A Last Album Or An Album Released Before A Hiatus. Simple Minds - Once Upon A Time (A&M, 1985) For their seventh album, the Scottish art-rockers embraced an arena-friendly, anthemic sound reminiscent of American superstars like Bruce Springsteen. They were rewarded with their most successful album yet, going top 10 on this side of the pond. While I liked it a lot, I felt something had been lost in the pursuit of relentless, anthemic uplift. I saw them at Radio City Music Hall and it was a good show, which included a lot of their old material. While I listened to the album a lot in 1985, I almost never return to it, preferring the sleek sounds of albums like Sister Feelings Call or Sons & Fascination. It was four years before they released another album and by then they had lost me completely. My mom was a big fan of Alive And Kicking, though! #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylgram #junevinylchallenge #vinylgeek #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #records #vinylchallenge #vinylcommunity #vinyljunkie https://www.instagram.com/p/Cfct49zAK8j/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s day 29 of the #cinemaspinschallenge by @talesofvinyl: Bucket List - Revisit An Album You Haven’t Listened To In A While Or Never Connected With. Tomografia Assiale Computerizzata - Ouvrez Vos Auditifs Canaux (Azteco, 1985) I picked this up on a trip to Italy, attracted by the cover and curious about a band that would name themselves after the CAT scan. I figured it would be arty, but wasn’t quite prepared for just how arty! It has a lot in common with sound-art, somewhat reminiscent of tracks like Pere Ubu’s Sentimental Journey or Crush This Horn. Electronics, trumpet, violin, keyboards, processed voices, and field recordings (maybe) combine into abstract sounds maps that don’t easily give up their secrets and maintain a durable randomness. This means that it’s also somewhat timeless - there’s nothing about it that screams “1985” and it could be from 1995, 2005, or even 1975. Quite an accomplishment, if you think about it! #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylgram #junevinylchallenge #vinylgeek #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #records #vinylchallenge #vinylcommunity #vinyljunkie https://www.instagram.com/p/CfaCYwkg2Mt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s day 28 of the #cinemaspinschallenge by @talesofvinyl: The King Of Comedy - A Comedy Album Woody Allen - The Nightclub Years 1964-1968 (United Artists, 1972) My parents had a tape of this and we would listen in the car. It was a great distraction during long trips and kept us all in stitches. For years, we would just look at someone else in the family and say: “The moose mingled. Scored.” And we would laugh and remember the good times. And if you don’t know what the moose was up to, I suggest you give this a listen! #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylgram #junevinylchallenge #vinylgeek #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #records #vinylchallenge #vinylcommunity #vinyljunkie #comedyrecords https://www.instagram.com/p/CfXsXURgJ7b/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s day 26 of the #cinemaspinschallenge by @talesofvinyl: High Fidelity - A Soundtrack. Bernard Herrmann - Outer Space Suite (Cerebrus, 1983) While mostly known for his astonishing collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock, Herrmann wrote a lot of music for TV, including the library music of the Outer Space Suite, which could be easily used in a number of ways on science fiction shows. Even though written without his usual deep understanding of the screenplay, there’s plenty of emotional acuity to be found in these scores! #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylgram #junevinylchallenge #vinylgeek #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #records #vinylchallenge #vinylcommunity #vinyljunkie https://www.instagram.com/p/CfSz39uAohP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s day 25 of the #cinemaspinschallenge by @talesofvinyl: Fever Pitch - An Album Or Song Referring To Sports. Soccer Mommy - Color Theory (Loma Vista, 2020) In celebration of the release of Sometimes, Forever, the latest album from Sophie Allison, here’s the previous record, in a gorgeous two-color pressing. While her music doesn’t reference sports, the name under which she has chosen to perform might be seen as a reclamation of the dismissive term used for women who are seen as just chauffeurs for their children, including taking them to soccer games and practices. Or, it could just be a catchy name. From a 2018 interview: ““I used it as something to list my songs under for Bandcamp. It’s really not a big deal but some people can’t help but make a big deal about it.” I make a big deal about her music though, which has grown by leaps and bounds from the somewhat modest early albums to this and the latest, both of which are rich in personal and poetic detail and full of music that is powerful and nuanced. She really is one of the best in the indie-rock sphere right now so get to her music soon if you’re not already familiar! #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylgram #junevinylchallenge #vinylgeek #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #records #vinylchallenge #vinylcommunity #vinyljunkie #bestof2020 @soccermommyband https://www.instagram.com/p/CfQOAFXAemT/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s day 24 of the #cinemaspinschallenge by @talesofvinyl: Bad Taste - Something Stupid, Raunchy, Or Immature. The Birthday Party - Prayers On Fire (Missing Link/Thermidor, 1981) Stupid, raunchy, or immature? How about all three! And only in the best way! From the outrageous vocals, transgressive lyrics, grinding bass lines (Tracy Pew - RIP), spidery guitars (Rowland S. Howard - RIP), Phil Calvert’s ritualistic percussion, Mick Harvey’s hypnotic organ, and those blaring horns, there was no rule this album didn’t break. Still the best thing Nick Cave ever did - fight me! #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylgram #junevinylchallenge #vinylgeek #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #records #vinylchallenge #vinylcommunity #vinyljunkie #80smusic #postpunk https://www.instagram.com/p/CfMqmivgRQJ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s day 23 of the #cinemaspinschallenge by @talesofvinyl: Sucker Punch - An Album Or Song Representing Style Over Substance. Wide Boy Awake - s/t (RCA, 1983) Yes, but what style! And Slang Teacher is still an all-time great song, somehow managing to avoid the tinniness of some productions of the era while still taking advantage of all the new technology. If those outfits compel you to sweep them into the dustbin of nostalgic history, check out the song before you do so! #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylgram #junevinylchallenge #vinylgeek #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #records #vinylchallenge #vinylcommunity #vinyljunkie #80smusic https://www.instagram.com/p/CfKy1kVAgQh/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s day 22 of the #cinemaspinschallenge by @talesofvinyl: Sunshine - Share Some Yellow Vinyl. Yaeji - What We Drew (XL, 2020) I’ve been meaning to revisit this album - one of my Top 25 from 2020 - since I recently heard one of the songs on a playlist my daughter made. Still fabulous, with soft electronic textures, tightly programmed rhythms, and sweet melodies. There’s also a nice hip hop influence and some guest rappers. Just a transporting listen throughout - and a beautiful pressing and package! #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylgram #junevinylchallenge #vinylgeek #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #records #vinylchallenge #vinylcommunity #vinyljunkie @kraejiyaeji #bestof2020 @xlrecordings https://www.instagram.com/p/CfH4R7vgfcc/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s day 21 of the #cinemaspinschallenge by @talesofvinyl: 2001: A Space Odyssey - An Album Or Pressing From 2001. It was still peak CD in my world in 2001, although I might have been doing some downloading from eMusic and iTunes as well. But I have zero vinyl from that year, so here’s all the CDs I could find from then! Afroman - Good Times Aphex Twin - Drukqs Björk - Vespertine Leonard Cohen - Ten New Songs The Coup - Party Music Bob Dylan - “Love And Theft” Faith Evans - Faithfully Mobb Deep - Infamy Radiohead - Amnesiac Bubba Sparxxx - Dark Days, Bright Nights Spoon - Girls Can Tell Stereolab - Sound-Dust The Strokes - Is This It (x2) Tool - Lateralus Lucinda Williams - Essence #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylgram #junevinylchallenge #vinylgeek #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #records #vinylchallenge #vinylcommunity #vinyljunkie #cdcollector #cdcollection #cdcommunity https://www.instagram.com/p/CfE9NGjg1i5/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s day 20 of the #cinemaspinschallenge by @talesofvinyl: X - Shortest Album Title In Your Collection. Michael Chapman - 50 (Paradise Of Bachelors, 2017) At first I thought of Wire’s 154, but this one is even shorter. The penultimate album by the late, great master of folk and folk-rock, the title represented his five decades as a touring artist and featured old songs and new performed with a full band. There’s a delicacy to the backing that belies the hypnotic strength of the song structures, however, making for a unique addition to his canon. The version of Memphis Winter here is definitive and fit the dark days of 2017 like a glove: “They say that Jesus saves, ha, well, I've seen none of that down here. I just see people with the hunger, I see people with the fear. And I can see the jungle growing, hobos huddled in the steam. Are they just some hungry mouths to feed or the bitter end of dream?” If Chapman is still unfamiliar to you, there’s no time like the present to dive into his fascinating discography! #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylgram #junevinylchallenge #vinylgeek #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #records #vinylchallenge #vinylcommunity #vinyljunkie @paradiseofbachelors https://www.instagram.com/p/CfB_bSjA1zX/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s day 18 of the #cinemaspinschallenge by @talesofvinyl: In Bruges - He Swears A Lot, Doesn’t He? Lou Reed - Live: Take No Prisoners (Arista, 1978) Tough to beat Lou for this category! Even before the first song starts, he’s yelling at an audience member: “Can’t you fuckin’ hear?” And it goes on from there as he goes through either rocked up or heartfelt versions of some of his greatest songs, lacing them throughout with comedy and put-downs, such as the memento when he complains about his treatment from Robert Christgau: “What is he, a toe-fucker?” He also drops the n-word, checking in with his Black backing singers to make sure it’s OK. “I am not tasteful,” he declares at one point. But Lou doesn’t need any cursing to be devastatingly effective, as proven by the line he tosses at a heckler: “If you write as good as you talk, nobody reads ya.” I’m still waiting for the right moment to use that one! #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylgram #junevinylchallenge #vinylgeek #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #records #vinylchallenge #vinylcommunity #vinyljunkie @loureedofficial #livealbums #70smusic https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce9mIfDgCVQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s day 17 of the #cinemaspinschallenge by @talesofvinyl: Avatar - An Album Bought Mainly For The Hype. Basement 5 - 1965-1980 (Island, 1980) As as avid reader of the British press, I often got clued into things that were under the radar in NYC. This was one that seemed like a can’t miss proposition. For one thing, it was on Island, often a sign of quality. For another, it was produced by Marin Hannett, the genius behind the board for Joy Division’s albums. Plus, members included Dennis Morris, a great photographer, and the drums were handled by Richard Dudanski, who had played with favorites like The Raincoats and PiL. It also had a cool cover, designed by Morris, and a poster. Finally, based on the hype, I just had to know so I pulled the trigger and bought it. I brought it to my friend’s house for the first play, dropped the needle and…DUMFOUNDING. The guitars were abrasive, the bass deep like reggae, the drums were huge, which all sounded cool if a bit confusing. Then there were the vocals, which came off like an angry old man who had never sung before. I thing we listened to the whole thing, but I’m not sure. We were stunned into silence either way, and I brought it home and slipped it quietly into my collection. It seemed to a complete disaster and I vowed to be more careful about falling for the hype in the future. But…every few years I would pull it out and listen. And one day, about 25 years after I bought it, I put it on and it just CLICKED. Now I think it’s fantastic, one of the best post-punk albums and a prized part of my collection. Even at that time, however, not everyone was feeling it. I babbled about to everyone I could, including a friend who owned a record store. “You like that stuff?” he asked incredulously. Then he gave me a copy of Basement 5 In Dub, which had been mouldering in his store for years! #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylgram #junevinylchallenge #vinylgeek #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #records #vinylchallenge #vinylcommunity #vinyljunkie https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce6wRPbAzqq/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s day 16 of the #cinemaspinschallenge by @talesofvinyl: Vampire’s Kiss - A Crazy Lyric That You Love. MC5 - Kick Out The Jams (Elektra, 1969) While it’s the guitars that hit you first - and those pummeling rhythms - there are some great and crazy lyrics on this explosive debut album from Motor City’s finest. And I’m not even talking about the infamous (censored on my copy) “Kick out the jams, motherfuckers!” Check out these phantasmagoric lines from Starship, the last song on the album. Do you think they ran into Major Tom before their eyes melted? “There is a land whose beauty is almost Unimaginable to the human mind In a daze we stand there and look further Than the ordinary eye can see Children, far above the roof of this world We can encompass vistas of the worlds There is a land where the sun shines eternally Eternally, eternally Out in outer space A living, blazing fire, so vital and alive That it burns our eyes to witness it's splendor.” #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylgram #junevinylchallenge #vinylgeek #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #records #vinylchallenge #vinylcommunity #vinyljunkie https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce4Hi7igTY9/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s day 15 of the #cinemaspinschallenge by @talesofvinyl: Color Out Of Spaces - Magenta, Pink, Or Red Vinyl. The Boston Pops Orchestra with Arthur Fiedler - The Toy Trumpet b/w Pavane (RCA, 1940/4?) A pretty little record that was gifted to me, along with many other such curios, by an old family friend. This plays pretty nicely and is a charming tune. Fun fact: we started vacationing in the Berkshires in the mid-60s and my parents quickly befriended many Boston Symphony Orchestra players, lovely, cultured people from all over the world (Brazil, Vienna, Etc.), and they all hated having to play in the Pops orchestra! The final irony? Our house is on Arthur Fiedler Lane 😂. #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylgram #junevinylchallenge #vinylgeek #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #records #vinylchallenge #vinylcommunity #vinyljunkie https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce2G-viAp99/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s day 14 of the #cinemaspinschallenge by @talesofvinyl: The Collector - An Album You Have In Multiple Formats. The Beatles - Abbey Road (Apple, 1969/Unknown/1987/2009) It goes without saying that this is one of the greatest albums ever made. While my parents had an original copy (as they did of most Beatles albums), they never gave me my own copy, unlike several other albums which made for easy birthday/holiday gifts. But I found my own $1 original some time in the early 80s - and it still plays well, if you don’t mind a little crackle! You might see a CD-R peeking out in the middle - I don’t remember making it, but I must have been somehow resistant to shelling out for a CD and borrowed it from someone to burn. Then, it seems I found a used 1987 CD and picked that up, before ultimately getting the big box set for my birthday in 2009. The real question is why did I keep the older CD (and the CD-R!) when I got the remastered version? Because it’s The Beatles, that’s why! P.S. When the 50th anniversary remaster came out a few years ago, I compared all the versions and ended up thinking nothing beats the original - even with the crackles! The separation of instruments is superb, the bass is perfectly weighted, and everything holds together beautifully. #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylgram #junevinylchallenge #vinylgeek #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #records #vinylchallenge #vinylcommunity #vinyljunkie @thebeatles #60smusic https://www.instagram.com/p/Cey4la9gNB3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s day 13 of the #cinemaspinschallenge by @talesofvinyl: Tangled - An Unpopular Opinion Otis Redding - Love Man (Atco, 1969) My unpopular opinion is that this is Otis Redding’s best studio album. The blend between his explosive vocal style and the tight Stax players was never better and the songs are gritty and heartfelt. While there might not be a monster song like Dock Of The Bay, Respect or Try A Little Tenderness here, neither is there any filler. It’s just a solid slab of southern soul goodness. Pity he died two years before it was released…and for further proof of what we lost in those icy waters, it should be noted that Redding wrote or co-wrote 9 or 12 songs here! #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylgram #junevinylchallenge #vinylgeek #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #records #vinylchallenge #vinylcommunity #vinyljunkie https://www.instagram.com/p/CewbzS7uT1z/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=