All posts by Andrew

Father. Partner. Folk singer. Guitar picker. Vinyl record collector. Comic book reader.
Random Record Recap

New Record Of The Week: August 4 Review

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I picked up three new vinyl albums this weekend. Usually I go for used albums (because they’re cheaper), but I just couldn’t pass these up. I was thumbing through the gospel section in Reckless Records on Saturday afternoon with a belly full of breakfast burrito from Flying Saucer. It was more a way to stand in one place and digest than to scour the stacks of records for a golden find. So, I wasn’t really looking for anything, but when I saw these three albums (and I saw about 3 or 4 more that I also wanted) I just had to get them. Here goes:

The Devil Is Busy In KnoxvilleThe Devil Is Busy In Knoxville

Here’s a collection of old tunes that Mississippi Records threw together. The cover drew me in at first (yeah, I’m one of those type of people), but mainly because I have several other albums that Mississippi has put out, so I knew what I was getting into. This one has some good cuts on it, but, for the most part, it’s a bunch of songs that I have recordings of already. There are a few new ones that are really great that I haven’t heard, but it was kind of disappointing to know most of the songs. I guess that’s on me for not looking at the list of songs on the back of the cover. I just COULD NOT BE BOTHERED to turn it over. But who would, when the front cover is so great, right? Anyway, it’s a solid album, even if I’ve heard most of it before. I have lots of plans for this one and the other two I bought. Mainly to steal the songs, rewrite parts of them, and then call them my own. It’s what I do.

He Will Fix It, Raw African-American Gospel on 45rpm, 1959-1974He Will Fix It, Raw African-American Gospel on 45rpm, 1959-1974

Now, if that first album I bought was a little frustrating to listen to because it wasn’t so surprising, this one made up for it. I mean, wow. Again, the cover pretty much made me buy this. It’s a plain white record sleeve with a single photo on the front and nothing on the back. That’s right up my alley, I’d say. There’s nothing on the back of the cover. There’s only a plain white label on the record. At first I though, “Um, okay….How am I supposed to know which is side A and which is side B and what are the song titles?” Luckily a laser-printed 8.5″x11″ piece of paper is included with all that info and a little about the record. They SPARED NO EXPENSE. So, I love the packaging. The music is even better. It’s just raw, real, authentic gospel music as sung in any random church you could find. I can’t even really explain it other than to say it made me think, “Oh, yeah, I see…yeah, this is how to do it…okay, yeah, um…oh…so that’s how it’s done (etc, etc, etc).” It’s a good album to own. There are (supposedly) only 500 printed. I have one. Do you?

Time Will Make A ChangeTime Will Make A Change

Here’s another Mississippi Records (they’re up in Portland, Oregon) compilation. It came with a bonus 7-inch 45rpm, which was nice. Mississippi Records has my number. I’ll end up buying everything they put out. My wife will say, “Um, we don’t have any more space for those gospel records. I love them too, but the kids need to be able to sit somewhere to eat.” It’ll grow into something bordering on obsession. I’ll start to write only gospel music. (Haven’t I already?) I’ll join a church. I’ll get all righteous. (Aren’t I already?) Then I’ll drop it all and find something different that’s somewhat closely related. Anyway, that has little to do with this record. It’s really similar to “He Will Fix It,” in that it’s a collection of recordings I hadn’t really heard before. It’s a bunch of nobodies singing songs. They sing because they love to. Because they must. Because there’s joy in it. I want to someday have that feeling. Keep it all the time. I hope to get there. Maybe in time I’ll make it.

Vinyl Records

Random Record Pick: He Will Fix It, Raw African-American Gospel on 45rpm, 1959-1974

Vinyl record of He Will Fix It, Raw African-American Gospel on 45rpm, 1959-1974.For more photos, connect to @afrancisb on Instagram.

Random Record Pick is a way to organize and archive an always-growing collection of vinyl records. Each record is randomly picked from a shelf or crate or dusty corner of my house, a photo is taken of the cover, and then the entire record is played all the way through, even if it’s terrible. 

Random Record Recap

Random Record Night: July 28 Recap

These records, from Random Record Night, made me feel this way:

Wanda Jackson, Sings Country SongsWanda Jackson, Sings Country Songs

Another Wanda Jackson album. This one of really nice and sweet and sorrowful country tunes. It’ll make you break your heart and it’ll give you strength to stand. It’s melodramatic and it’s so great. I was cooking a vegetarian korma when I was listening, which means, when my gal asked me, “Do you like this record?” I respond in some way like this: “Oh, geez, I have no idea…yes? Yes. Well, I’m not really listening. I hear it. I hear all the sounds, and I know what it’s about, but I don’t know any of the words.” That kind of sums up how I listen to any song of music. Or any sound. Or any person talking. I don’t really know how to pay attention, I guess. Anyway, check out Wanda’s hair. And check out those geese she’s sitting near. I wonder, if at any point during the photo shoot, those geese just chased Wanda all over the place. I wonder what she sounds like running from geese. Does she have a playful smile? What does she do with her hands? I wonder if her hair stays in place.

Johnny Cash, Ride This TrainJohnny Cash, Ride This Train

This is a really great album. I love it. Everyone should listen to it because it’s really a great and true Johnny Cash album. The End.

Biff Rose, Children of LightBiff Rose, Children of Light

I started this record off and I thought to myself, “Hey, Self, you like this Biff Rose record, don’t you?” And then all the songs started to sound exactly the same. And even though it wasn’t supposed to be a big joke of an album, (you know who Biff Rose is, right?) it kind of has that feel of someone making a big joke, but attempting to make it also be serious while sounding funny and serious at the same time. So, this one turned into a big drag for me. I just let it slip right through my mind.

James Baldwin, Black Man in America, Credo 1James Baldwin, Black Man in America, Credo 1

And then there’s this. It’s a radio interview that Studs Terkel did with James Baldwin. I’ve listened to it several times before. There’s so many secrets in it. So many. It just spins and spins and spins. Goes around and around in your head until you think to yourself, “Hey, now what? What are these two fellas talking about? Hmm, I…well, okay…I think I understand it.” Then you go to bed and don’t sleep AT ALL. It confuses me and that’s why I keep listening to it. It’s why I read the same books over and over. It’s why I get stuck on listening to one song from beginning to end, beginning to end, again and again and again. It never gets old to me cause there’s always something I just don’t know. Something I couldn’t pay attention to the first time. Something I know I’m missing. Something I’ll never understand.