All about guitars and vinyl – Joe Hoyle
I collect vinyl. By default that means I spend too much time trawling through websites, charity shops and record stores to satisfy my habit. The task is always lonely and the outcome mostly disappointing. But persistence yields rewards. Every now and then I come across something special. A curiosity by an artist I’ve never heard of which shouts, “Buy me!” And so it came to pass that I discovered Filet of Soul, by Luis Rivera.
(Read more…)
A very beautiful album from Damien Jurado: Visions of Us on the Land. This is the limited box set triple disc version with demos and extra tracks on white vinyl. A fabulous West Coast sound that fuses rock, folk and psychedelia.
Located in the Latin Quarter of Paris, tucked away on a quiet street just behind the Pantheon, is a small but perfectly formed record shop, Crocojazz, specialising in jazz, blues, gospel, country and crooners. It is managed by a man with an encyclopaedic knowledge of music, Gilles Coquempot.
(Read more…)
After spending many months searching for a first pressing of an album called The Phantom by jazz musician and composer Duke Pearson, released on the legendary Blue Note label in 1968, I finally acquired a copy from a dealer in the US. During my search I came across one or two copies for sale on the web, but they were either re-issues or first pressings in poor condition. I was holding out for a nice clean first pressing. I was on the verge of giving up hope and settling for a re-issue when a first pressing came up for sale on eBay…still sealed in the original shrink wrap. Hallelujah! There was no way I was going to be outbid.
(Read more…)
I recently discovered the work of Ed Lincoln while trawling through websites dedicated to rare exotica and lounge music vinyl from the 1950s and 1960s. When I came across an image of the cover for Ed Lincoln’s album Seu Piano E Seu Orgão Espetacular, I was so taken with it, I got straight onto YouTube to see if I could find any music clips. I had to know if the album sounded as spectacular as the cover promised. I found a few clips and, bingo, the music was utterly joyous. For the next couple of weeks I spent an hour or two every night after work searching online in the hope of finding a copy for sale somewhere. Eventually, I acquired an original (1963) vinyl pressing in great condition from a dealer in Brazil. Happy days.
(Read more…)
Dust & Grooves: Adventures in Record Collecting, by Eilon Paz, is a lavishly illustrated, 436-page coffee-table book that explores and celebrates the fascinating and varied vinyl record collections of over 130 collectors. Published in 2014, the first edition sold out pretty quickly. I got the updated and extended second edition as a Christmas present. I haven’t been able to put it down.
(Read more…)
Over the years I’ve tried all sorts of methods for cleaning vinyl records. Some more effective than others. Yesterday I tried a product called RECORD REViRGiNiZER, with excellent results.
RECORD REViRGiNiZER is a liquid polymer for pouring onto the surface of a record and massaging into the grooves. After leaving to dry for a few hours it can be peeled away, like a facemask, taking with it ground-in debris, mould, dust, dirt and other contaminants.
(Read more…)
Yesterday I spent the afternoon at a vinyl emporium which specialises in the rare and collectable. After flipping through records for a couple of hours I came across something special. Something I’d been after for years:
(Read more…)
On 13 May 1983, The Smiths released Hand In Glove on 7″ vinyl – the band’s first record. Only 6000 copies were pressed initially, and they sold out pretty quickly as The Smiths grew in popularity. The purpose of this post is to provide details of the first pressing, known as the Manchester version – because a Manchester contact address was printed on the back of the cover. Later versions published a London contact address, or no contact details at all.
(Read more…)
It’s at this time of year, with Record Store Day only a week away, that my interest in vinyl ramps up a notch or two. In preparation for the big day, I’ve been watching favourites from my collection of music documentaries, including Sound It Out, a film directed by Jeanie Finlay about the last remaining independent record store in Stockton-On-Tees in the North-East of England.
(Read more…)
Fat Sound 