Good vintage reads from the hay days of Melody Maker…….. $25-75.
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Tag Archives: Dallas record shops
Crimson Testure Symposium
A Young Person’s Guide to King Crimson is a compilation, 2LP set, released in 1976. The songs were selected by and quoted as “personal favorites” of Robert Fripp. The cover is in good shape and both LP’s are in excellent condition.
Notable Tracks:
- “Epitaph”
- “I talk to the Wind”
- “Moonchild”
- “The Court of the Crimson King”
Released in 1988 on the full length album, VIVIsectVI, “Testure” received a 12″ single release on red vinyl shortly after its controversial music video release. The name is said to be a combination of “testing” and “torture” as its lyrics demonize government animal testing, with graphic images shown in the music video. Side B includes the tracks “The Second Opinion” and “Serpents”. Cover and vinyl are both in great condition.
In spite of the title, this album does NOT contain any poetry. Melvin Stewart does provide narration in “Scenes from the city”, however there is no other spoken word on the album. Those who enjoy Mingus’ Mingus Ah Um album will recognize “Slippers” as it forms the basis of “Open Letter to Duke”. This copy is sealed.
Personnel:
- Jimmy Knepper – Trombone
- Shafi Hadi – Tenor and Alto Sax
- Bill Hardman – Trumpet
- Clarence Shaw – Trumpet
- Dannie Richmond – Drums
- Horace Parlan – Piano
- Bob Hammer – Piano
Butthole Hooker Motels
Recorded live at the Meridean in San Antonio, TX in 1984. Includes “Wichita Cathedral” and “Cowboy Bob”. Released on Alternative Tentacle Records with a special thanks noted to River City Music of San Antonio.
“All Rights Up Your Butt”
A great compilation of works by the late, great, John Lee Hooker. Side A consists of recordings from Detroit via 1949-1950, side B via 1954 (5 songs per side). “Let Your Daddy Ride” and “Good Rockin’ Mama” make this European import a must have. Printed in 2010 on Doxy.
The inner sleeve says it best….
“…..Some of this music is in the movie. Some of this music is not in the movie…Some of the music that’s in the movie is not in the album. Some of the music that was written for the movie is not in the movie or the album. ….Some of the situations described in the song texts are real. Some of them are not so real….”
Composed and orchestrated by Frank Zappa. Performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Random Cloud 8 Gems
Slim Pogues
Released in 1973 on Acrobat Records, Soul Blues is a late release for Memphis Slim (aka John Len Chatman) who began slamming keys and singing the blues in honky-tonks and dance halls in Memphis in the 1930’s. While his art certainly grew over his 50+ years of playing, he stayed true to jump-blues on this later release, pounding away on the keys in his notorious style. Tracks of note include “Cold Blooded Woman” and “Big Bertha”. This is an original pressing and the vinyl is in great shape with slight wear on the cover.
Known for their Irish folk/Punk Rock hybrid stylings, The Pogues introduced Spanish and Middle Eastern Folk along with Jazz influences on their 1988 release, If I Should Fall From Grace With God. The utilization of a full drum kit for the first time, as well as the addition of multi-instrumentalist Terry Woods and bassist Darryl Hunt to the group, make this a landmark album for The Pogues. Staying true to their political activism, heard in the lyrics of many of their songs, this release is loaded with legendary ballads like, “Thousands Are Sailing” and “Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six”. This is an original pressing with both the vinyl and cover in great condition.
Midnight Meat Puppets Stage
Stage, released in 1978 on RCA, was Bowie’s second live album. A culmination of live performances recorded in Philadelphia, Boston, and Providence, it mostly includes material from his three previous albums: Station to Station, Low, and Heroes (and for nostalgia’s sake, five select songs from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars). Direct instrument and microphone feeds made for a high fidelity recording and an almost perfect emulation of studio quality, with crowd noise at a minimum. This import European pressing is rare in Blue Vinyl as most were translucent yellow.
A departure from their self-titled debut album, consisting mostly of grunge and harsh vocals, Meat Puppets II is an eclectic collection of songs covering many genres from country, rock, slow acoustic, hard rock, and the occasional psychedelic guitar effect. Released in 1984 on SST Records, this is an epic record with legendary songs like “Lake of Fire”, “Oh, me”, and “New Gods”. In April 1984, Rolling Stone’s Kurt Loder gave the release a raving review, saying it was “one of the funniest and most enjoyable albums of the year……this band has developed beyond thrash music to become a kind of cultural trash compacter”. This original pressing is in great condition.
One of the greatest jazz albums of all time, ‘Round About Midnight is a landmark album in “hard bop.” Released in 1955, it was Davis’ debut album with Columbia Records. Taking its name from the Thelonius Monk song, “Round Midnight,” (Track 1, Side A) this album marks Miles Davis’ come back after a long struggle with heroin addiction. This sealed, deluxe import repress from 2009 is mint and priced to sell.
Talking Dark Pearl
Remain in Light, released on Sire Records in 1980, was an attempt by Talking Heads to dispell notions of frontman and lead vocalist David Byrne, ‘leading a back up band”. One of the first new wave albums to utilize series of samples and loops, it merges many genres and was acclaimed for its sonic experimentation. Talking Heads’ “magnum opus”.
After a long battle with former management, resulting in years of legal troubles, in 1978 Springsteen released a somewhat less commercial album than his four prior (most previous, Born to Run) titled, Darkness on the Edge of Town. Van Zandt is given formal credit for his contribution to production assistance on this appropriately named, dark, and often lyrically morose album. This vinyl is in mint condition, in it’s original shrink.
Certified quadruple platinum, released in 1971, Pearl was the final album with Joplin’s direct participation, and the only one recorded with the her final touring unit, The Full Tilt Boogie Band. With hits like “Me and Bobby McGee”, “Get it While you Can”, and “Mercedes Benz”, this promo copy vinyl is a must have for any Joplin fan.
Funk, Funk, Funk
Some fun, “Fonky” eight tracks in the Cloud 8 archives.
“Live at the Garden”, this 12 track vinyl is a great dance compilation featuring James Brown & The Famous Flames,with hits like “Night Train” and “Hold It”. Other noteables include The Wobblers, Herb Hardesty, Henry Moore, Clifford Scott, and Hank Marr.
Released in 1978 on Warner Bros., Funkadelic’s, “One Nation Under A Groove”. The inside sleeve artwork is as entertaining as the record itself, including comedic rants like, The Funkadelic DooDoo Awards: “George Puke, Rolling Drones, Donna Bummer, Backstab Dismanagement, Ted Nuisance, Pee Gees, Poot & Fire and those responsible for “Thank Dogs, Its Friday”.
Its Ken Nordine! Instead of giving my two cents…I’ll just quote Ken on himself. “Imagine the imagination as a jazz instrument wailing words, verbal riffs that swing from images to ideas to images……It’s also out loud daydreaming that may be of interest to psychiatrists, amateur, or otherwise…..”
Muddy Evening Heads from Cloud 8
DJ copy, postwar blues vinyl by Chess records with Elmore James and John Brim. Deep, emotional lyrics from Elmore with relaxed rhythms from Brim. Chess records insert included with vinyl. 
If you love King Crimson, you need this 5 track vinyl with Robert Fripp on guitar and Brian Eno on synth. Released in 1975, the cover is a reproduction of a painting by Peter Schmidt titled, (no surprise here) Evening Star.
David Byrne direced and wrote the movie, True Stories. While this is not the actual soundtrack to the movie, (in which most of the songs are sung by the actors), this album contains Talking Heads’ versions of the songs from the film. Released in 1986. 
Wedding With Willie!!
New in Cloud 8 Records! A framed wedding invitiation for one of Willie’s roadies, at which he played one of his infamous private concerts (noted on the invite). Included are six, unpeeled, backstage passes ranging from the 70’s to the 2000’s, one of which is autographed!
