Musicwhore.org Music and memory

Last year, I may have complained about getting too many albums from Lifelong Thrift Shop, where I had started volunteering. SARS-CoV2 pretty much ended my volunteer work for this year, but I intend to resume once the pandemic subsides. I still make weekly visits, this time as a customer.

At least it’s afforded me to take a deeper dive into albums I do get.

Catalog

• Ned Doheny, Hard Candy: Does anyone else get a super homoerotic vibe from the cover?
• Charlie Puth, Voicenotes: I just found him totally adorable in the Subway ads.
• Robyn, Body Talk: I’m a latecomer to Robyn, but I see why she is popular with the gays.
• Anton Reicha, Reicha Rediscovered, Vol. 1 (Ivan Ilić): Two volumes of an expected five have been released, so where are the other three?
• Nakamori Akina, AKINA BOX, 1982-1989: This purchase pretty much seals my place in the Nakamori vs. Matsuda rivalry.
• Various Artists, Studio One Rockers: Dawn Penn’s “No No No” is one of those tracks I loved but never knew who sang till recently.
• The Damned, Machine Gun Etiquette: I love those thrift shop purchases that turn out to be keepers.
• Gary Numan, The Pleasure Principle: I have “Cars” on a 7-inch single, and it only took me another 40 years before listening to the entire album.
• SUPERCAR, OOKeah!!: I thought I had caught up on owning SUPERCAR’s studio albums, but this album along with OOYeah!! slipped through the cracks. Of the simultaneously-released pair from 1999, OOKeah!! is noisier with stronger writing.
• The Dismemberment Plan, Change: I’m waiting for Emergency & I to show up at the thrift shop.

Reissues

I actually bought more vinyl reissues this year than remasters or deluxe editions.

• Wire Train, In a Chamber / Between Two Words / Ten Women: This 2-CD reissue of Wire Train’s Columbia albums might mark the first time Ten Women has been released on CD.
• Tears for Fears, The Seeds of Love (Deluxe Edition): Wow, this album is longer than I remember.
• U2, All That You Can’t Leave Behind (Deluxe Edition): I didn’t spring for the multi-disc edition with B-sides, but the inclusion of a live show did remind me of the only time I saw the band live, which was during the Elevation Tour.
• Roberta Flack, First Take (50th Anniversary Edition): The bonus material on this expanded edition is illuminating, but it’s clear why they weren’t pursued for the album.
• Neneh Cherry, Raw Like Sushi: This album so needed a remastering.

Tags: anton reicha, charlie puth, favorite edition, gary numan, nakamori akina, ned doheny, neneh cherry, roberta flack, robyn, supercar, tears for fears, the damned, u2, various artists, wire train