First posted on Mark Is Cranky:

Two sunny and warm Saturday's, two armloads 'o vinyl. Wow, two weeks in a row. This past Saturday was particularly nice with temps way up into the 50's. It put me in the vinyl scroungin' mood. Apparently, I was not alone in this as the used record shop had lots of people in it.

Overall, another very successful (if not particularly essoteric) haul:

Queen - Queen. I've never own this record in any form. I do love "Keep Yourself Alive", though. Man, that Freddy Mercury sure could sing.

Mink De Ville - Coup De Grace. Mink De Ville represents another hole in my collection. I remember reading about these records back when they came out but somehow never picked one up.

Mink De Ville - Return To Magenta. I couldn't decide which one, so I got 'em both. Hey, at four bucks a pop why not? Viva le vinyl!.

Steve Miller - Number 5. The Steve Miller Band was huge when I was a kid. Everybody owned Book of Dreams and Fly Like An Eagle. That's all I ever owned. Kinda fun to dig into a famous artist's back catalog. This is a spacey and somewhat bluesy record that's definitely a reflection of its time (released in 1970). Check out the liner dedication:

This album is dedicated to the people in our stuggle to bring sanity to the world now!; To NASA for getting the people to the moon, thus giving the world a new chance to expand together universally in peace; to Johnny Cash & Paul McCartney for their integrity in times of darkness; and to President Nixon: "We love you cuz you need it." Peace, brothers & sisters, music proves that there can be peace of mind even in these trying times. It is the gentlest form of communication, so we hope that you will enjoy these songs and that you'll pass this copy on to a friend when you've "Gotten the Message".

Mike Bloomfield - Junko Partner. Never been a big fan of the whole "white boy blues" thing, but there's no denying that Bloomfield can play his ass off.

Frank Marino & Mahogony Rush - World Anthem. People used to speak of Frank Marino either with reverence ("...a guitar god...") or disdain ("...Hendrix ripoff"). I never found out. Now I will.

Chick Corea & Gary Burton - In Concert (Zurich, October 28, 1979). This is one of my very favorite live jazz recordings. The tones of Gary Burton's vibes alongside Corea's crystaline piano just can't be beat. I've been scouring the bins for a clean version of this for years. I think I've found it.