First posted on Mark Is Cranky:
Yesterday, during the morning and very early afternoon, it rained cats, dogs & sea turtles around here. Now, you might think that this kind of slop might put the breaks on vacation activity. Nah. Remember, book and music people look at the days in terms of opportunities. I'm reading that new Barry Miles/Frank Zappa bio...when can I fit in the next chapter..etc.
Well, yesterday was trip-to-LL Bean day. You will not be surprised to find out that I happen to know of a very fine record store not too far from Freeport, Maine. Bull Moose Music up in Brunswick has been there a long time and used to be one of my favorites back when a close friend lived up there. After the Bean experience we slogged up Route 1. One of the goals of this music trip was to plug some holes in my collection. That is, pick up some records that I've always wanted but somehow manage to have avoided through the years. Note that not all of the purchases fit this category. Here are the results:
Seasons in the Abyss - Slayer
My recent listening experience (and review) of DJ Spooky's Drums of Death piqued my interest in drummer Dave Lombardo of Slayer. Blogcritic Tom Johnson recommended this particular record. Thanks Tom, it's one giant pile of bone-crunching, noisy fun. It's got that Rick Rubin/American Recordings 'smack' going on. I listened to it very early this morning (2AM) while getting in a chapter of that Zappa bio.
Sympathique - Pink Martini
Yes, very different from Slayer and the object of my aural affections this morning. Pink Martini is a very erudite and loungy group. I became addicted to them during my great lounge phase (hello Esquivel!) of a coupla years ago. Their dreamy version of "Que Sera Sera" is really going well with the morning coffee.
Shaft - Isaac Hayes
What I really wanted here was Hot Buttered Soul, which they didn't have in stock. Since I had no Isaac Hayes at all...well, why not?!! Many, many years before "Chocolate Salty Balls", Hayes was putting out some fine music.
Battlefield of Armagideon - Lee Scratch Perry
Again, no Perry in the collection. Every time I read an article about the guy, I think I've made a grave error.
Article comments
1 - BRICKLAYER
Mark, that Slayer record is one of my 3 perfect 30 minute or so slabs of heavy perfection, along with Hatebreed's "Satisfaction is the Death of Desire" and Helmet's "Meantime"-All Killer, and No Filler!
2 - Tom Johnson
Mark, I'm actually astonished you didn't already own Are You Experienced! You should check out the big 4-disc Experience boxset, I think it's actually more fun hearing these songs in the much more raw, sometimes flawed, format the box presents. That, Blues and the two Band of Gypsies discs are actually the most listened to stuff of his I own, but my favorite Hendrix tune is, and likely always will be, "Spanish Castle Magic." It was the Live at Winterland version that won me over . . . and speaking of that one, when will that be reissued and, hopefully, expanded?!
3 - Tom Johnson
Oh, and I'm glad you liked Slayer. It's a charmer of an album - the tuneless yelling and unrepentent pummelling aggression make for a beautiful, cathartic experience.
4 - Mark Saleski
yep, it was pretty funny...i had just finished writing up a review of the new Springsteen, put down my pad and picked up the Zappa bio....while listening to slayer at around 1:30 in the morning.
very...uh....relaxing.