REM: Accelerate (2008)

 After the slippery slope of soft rock sent REM to their nadir, on 2004’s Around The Sun, they made the wise decision to refer to Jacknife Lee who helped the band get back to the essence of who they once were, and the result was this fiery, loud, propulsive set that flies by in about half an hour and is easily one of the best redemption tales any band ever delivered. So many people had written the band off by this point and this album has not gotten as much attention as it’s deserved. Those who paid attention were treated to one of the most inspired REM albums in well over a decade. 

While Bill Berry is missed, the late, great Bill Rieflin does a hell of a job, propelling these songs. And every song is fantastic. Highlights include “Living Well Is The Best Revenge”, the slow burn of “Houston”, Mike Mills’ bass work on “Man Sized Wreath”, the quirky psych-pop of “Mr. Richards”, and the bangin’ single, “Supernatural Superserious”. But really the entire album is killer and is worth listening to closely. This is the REM that I so dearly miss.

Spock's Beard: X (2010)

 Getting psyched for the vinyl release of Feel Euphoria and taking X for a spin. The former was the first of four with drummer Nick D’Virgilio in the lead vocal role, while the latter was his last. And what a banger he went out on. Every moment of this album is vital, from beginning to end. Particular highlights are the opening “Edge Of The In-Between”, and the killer single, “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. We get a couple of epics with the phenomenal suite, “From The Darkness”, and the album-closing “Jaws Of Heaven”, and we get a maniacal instrumental in the form of “Kamikaze”. The 9-minute “The Quiet House” feels like two different songs, seamlessly intertwined, both of which will be stuck in my head for days. 

Following this album, Nick D’Virgilio left the band and was replaced by touring drummer Jimmy Keegan and Enchant vocalist Ted Leonard for three further albums (NdV returned on drums for the latest, Noise Floor, but in a session role only). While each era of Spock’s has their high points, this album will always be my favorite.

REM: Reveal (2001)

 The second trio-era REM album mostly drifted past me when it came out. I never disliked it but never quite connected with it. I always felt that the album was just too twee, or something like that. So it sat on the shelf for decades and was never given a proper reassessment until this new vinyl release. 

Upon relisten, the jury is still out. The songs are all great, and the band tries a lot of new things (texturally), but it’s all pretty mellow, all mid tempo. There’s no big fire moment, nothing that would make a crowd jump up and down. This is theatre music, for seated patrons and polite applause. Nothing wrong with that but variety can be a nice thing. It’s just clear that the band is still trying to find its footing without Bill. 

That said, there is much to love about this album. “The Lifting”, “She Just Wants To Be”, “Disappear”, “Beachball”, even the cutesy “Imitation Of Life” has a lot to offer. 

This definitely would be a better album had they not cut “Fascinating” at the last minute (killer track worth seeking out) but that’s how it goes. 

Unfortunately REM would follow this soft-rock path all the way to their nadir, before rising up to cap off their career with a bang.

Fanny: Charity Ball (1971)

 This second Fanny album, originally released in 1971, just might be their best. This is a band that deserved so much more than what they got and I’m so glad they are finally getting their due respect.

The Alarm: Forwards (2023)

 The fact that Mike Peters is still alive and making music in 2023 is a beautiful feat, and perfectly indicative of the fighting spirit that has been the hallmark of The Alarm since the beginning. The lineup may be different but the fire is there and, once again, Mike Peters delivers a solid set of earnest anthems and inquisitive rockers. 

This one just might make the list.

REM: New Adventures In Hi-Fi (1996)

 REM capped off their first 15 years, and Bill Berry’s tenure in the band, with this long, road-recorded album that touches upon pretty much every vibe the band ever attempted, and they completely nail it on every track. This album always got swept away in the wave of Monster indifference but just one detailed spin will reveal this to be perhaps the purest example of REM that you could ever find. Every song is perfect and some of them (“New Test Leper”, “Low Desert”, “Leave”, “Electrolyte”, and the monumental “So Fast So Numb”) stand among the band’s finest work. 

Following this album, drummer Bill traded in his sticks for a tractor and the band continued as a trio for another 15 years. They would go on to create some exquisite works (and some abysmal ones too) but they never did quite capture the spirit of the band in its original form. They were a force and New Adventures In Hi-Fi is, fortunately, one hell of a way to go out.

REM: Pretty Pictures (rec. 1981-1983)

 Another vintage boot that I picked up at Record Mart, back in 1990 or so. This set collects studio sessions from the pre-Murmur era and features several songs that never saw an official release, as well as early versions of songs that later appeared on Chronic Town, Murmur, Reckoning, and Lifes Rich Pageant. 

Side three is a particular revelation as it reveals that Chronic Town could easily have been a full-length but was very wisely cut down to an EP (Murmur could have been so different). 

Side four collects recordings of all those songs from their early live sets while the first two sides offer up “That Beat” and “Skank”, neither of which ever got an official release. 

This copy has been well worn for three decades, and is a bit scratchy, from the thousand spins this got back in the day, but it is still one hell of a spin. I love this set.

REM: Georgia Peaches...Ripe! (rec. 1981)

 REM had only been a band for about eight months when this set was recorded, live before a small but enthusiastic hometown crowd. Even at this early stage the band had several albums worth of material and there are songs on this set that would  appear on Chronic Town, Murmur, Reckoning, Lifes Rich Pageant, and Dead Letter Office, plus there are fourteen songs that never made it to the recording stage. As a bonus, this set kicks off with a fun cover of Buddy Holly’s “Rave On”, which is exactly what this young band did for the next hour or so. 

This album is one of many REM boots that I bought at the late, great Record Mart (in ALX Va), back in 1990 or so. When I was in middle and high school, pretty much every penny I earned was spent there. I still have dreams about that place.

Crack The Sky: Raw (1986)

 Found in the wild yesterday, at Ka-Chunk Records, in Annapolis MD (a very cool spot). At this point CTS was reduced to a duo, with John Palumbo handing most of the instrumentation. A lot of this album really does reflect the sound of the 1986 this was recorded in, while other bits have an almost timeless quality. As with every one of their albums, most of the songs are serious and sometimes a bit heavy in the lyrical department, but there is always one song that’s really fucking dumb (but still kickass). This time we get “Elvis Was My Daddy!” which is really loud and ridiculous but also features some serious shredding by lead guitarist Jamie LaRitz. 

While this album may come nowhere close to what came before or after, it is still an intriguing & entertaining set and a most worthy part of this band’s legacy (as well as my collection).

Guided By Voices: Self Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia (1988)

 This third GbV album, from 1988, is where things began to get a bit weird, in all good ways. The debut EP and first two albums had already established that Bob could write great songs. Now it was time to turn it on its side. Things got a bit more lo-fi, songs were included that did not have hooks, and so many were disjointed and totally out there. As usual, however, there are earworms everywhere. “Liar’s Tale” is one of the greatest songs Bob ever wrote, as is the absolutely ferocious “Chief Barrel Belly”. Steve Wilbur’s guitar work on “An Earful O’ Wax” is one of the most kickass things to appear on a GbV record. “The Great Blake Street Canoe Race” is about as perfect an example of the early GbV sound as can be found, as is “Short On Posters”.

Most bands use their third album to expand upon what they’ve learned from the first two, and to really establish an identity as a band. Sometimes it’s met with great success (U2, The Police, Yes, Metallica) and sometimes not so (Rush, REM, Led Zeppelin, Pavement). This album is a little bit of both, which works to its advantage. Some songs hit you right where you need it, some leave ya scratchin’ yer head. 

Self-Inflicted Aeriel Nostalgia is the album where GbV truly became GbV. They would only get weirder and more lo-fi from here, but would also deliver their most classic and revered works. This album joins Mag Earwig, Universal Truths And Cycles, and Please Be Honest as crucial pivot points in this band’s vast discography. 

Kudos to Scat for these reissues. They look and sound fantastic and are so great to have in my collection (without the exorbitant price tag). Devil Between My Toes and Sandbox have already come out and are great and I look very forward to Same Place The Fly Got Smashed and (🤞) Forever Since Breakfast. Until then, I will spin the hell out of this.

The Mothers Of Invention: Just Another Band From LA (1972)

 I know I just spun this the other day but now that we are going through the discog, it gets other go. Such brilliance. “Billy The Mountain” is the pinnacle of the Flo & Eddie lineup and it never gets old.

Frank Zappa: Chunga's Revenge (1970)

 Another from yesterday’s haul. I’ve owned this on CD for ages but maybe only listened to it once or twice. This is a cool album that clearly points the way towards Zappa’s ‘70s output. This is also the first to feature Flo & Eddie, whose vocal interplay defined the second Mothers lineup, as well as the first appearance of “Sharleena”.

The Mothers Of Invention: Fillmore East June 1971 (1971)

 

This was one of the first Zappa records I bought, back in ‘93 or so (which I actually picked up so I could hear “Peaches en Regalia”, after seeing Phish cover it). The kid who bought this record could never have been prepared for the monster that purchase would create. Thirty years later I am still digesting this catalogue. 

While I can’t be certain if this was my first Zappa encounter, it was definitely my introduction to the Flo & Eddie incarnation of the Mothers, of which this is a pristine example. “Billy The Mountain” may be this lineup’s pinnacle but the whole “Mud Shark” narrative is where this lineup found its purpose

Frank Zappa: Hot Rats (1969)

 

Since I’m spinning Zappa, I can’t skip this old friend. Frank’s guitar on “Son Of Mr. Green Jeans” is one of the greatest things ever..

The Mothers Of Invention: Burnt Weeny Sandwich (1970)

 

The fifth Mothers album is this cobbled-together collection of outtakes and stitched-up scraps, issued after the original band split, organized into a super solid set that is both totally original and yet unmistakably The Mothers. “Little House I Used To Live In” is epic, and “Holiday In Berlin” is a classic as well. As with so many Zappa albums, you can savor the tracks on their own but this is definitely best taken as a whole. 

I’ve owned this on CD for decades but I’m not sure I ever dug too deeply into it. This is the third of seven Zappa titles that I snagged from Dig! yesterday, in Leesburg VA, and I am very glad to add this one and better connect with it.

The Mothers Of Invention: Cruising With Ruben & The Jets (1968)

 What do you do after you kick off your career with a trilogy of some of the most unique, groundbreaking slices of social commentary the world had yet to witness, all of which can easily be included in any list of “greatest albums ever”…? 

Why, you issue an album of original doo-wop numbers, under a pseudonym. Duh….

The Mothers Of Invention: We're Only In It For The Money (1968)

Has there ever been a better third LP?

This is one I have had for ages and one that is in sad need of an upgrade (thanks to a nasty scratch on side one). I actually grew up with the ‘80s remix and it took a while to digest the original but it’s total genius (and a thousand times better). The satire is utterly brutal, especially since it’s pretty relevant even today, and the band’s execution is spot-on. This album is right up there with Apostrophe, Hot Rats, and Waka/Jawaka as my favorite Zappa record.

The Mothers Of Invention: Absolutely Free (1967)

One of the seven Zappa records I picked up at Dig! this afternoon. Very glad to finally have this on vinyl. This is the album where the Mothers sound was truly established (most notably on “The Duke Of Prunes”) and it is just absolute, joyous lunacy.

The Mothers Of Invention: Freak Out! (1966)

 Traveled a bit to the wonderful Dig!, in Leesburg VA, and relieved them of seven Zappa records. This is not one of them, but I figured I might as well start from the top. This album is almost 60 years old and it is still the ballsiest debut ever. I love every note of this.

The Rolling Stones: Goats Head Soup (1973)

 Fifty years and this murky album still sounds fresh. I don’t get the hate that Goats Head Soup receives. Its only crime, as far as I’m concerned, is that it came at the tail end of one of the greatest album runs in history. Overshadowed, so very, but that doesn’t stop this from being a great album. Maybe even a perfect one. There is not a single bad song here, and a few of them are classics. The band might sound tired at times but they’re also quite inspired. This has a very different sound from Exile On Main Street. That album is raw and joyous while this has a greasy, dirty, basement vibe. Very late-night. Maybe that put people off but I consider that to be this record’s greatest strength. This came soon after the band’s infamous 1972 tour and is a direct result of it: it’s five-thirty in the morning, the party’s over, and this is the soundtrack.

moe. - What Happened To The La Las (2014)

 After the relatively subdued Sticks & Stones, moe. bounced back with this killer 2012 release, which also boasts perhaps my favorite of their album covers. 

Rob Derhak gets off a few great ones like “Bones Of Lazarus” and the wicked “Paper Dragon”, as well as singing lead on (the traditionally Al Schnier-sung) “Haze” which he pulls off spectacularly. Rob’s “One Way Traffic”, tucked away deep on side two, is a cute little single but is definitely an outlier and it has not achieved the same kind of status as the other songs on this album. 

Speaking of Al, he offers up the majority of songs, also contributing “Downward Facing Dog”, “Rainshine”, the future jam vehicle, “Puebla”, and the amazing side two opener, “Smoke”, which is one of his best offerings. 

Jim Laughlin’s marimba leads the way on his insane instrumental, “Chromatic Nightmare”, while we are treated to one of Chuck Garvey’s most fun tunes, “Suck A Lemon”. Both of these songs have their origins in the “Electric Lemoe.nade Acid Test”, a one-time stage show that featured new songs from all five members (I’m still waiting for a “No Refrain” bustout). 

My only gripe is that Chuck never has enough songs. His are some of the best. This one especially. That dude is a treasure and I am so glad to see him recovering from his stroke and back on the road. I look forward to more cool Chuck tunes. 

This album was actually recorded twice, with a fully produced acoustic version appearing as a bonus disc on some CD editions. It is a killer alternate perspective and I really hope that it one day gets a vinyl pressing. Until then, this will do just fine.