2021 Purchases

A nice, slow month of scant music coming in. There was a new Peter Godwin performance that came to my attention, and another in Duran Duran’s seemingly endless series of Bad David Bowie Covers®. I finally got the DL of the 2010 mix of “R.E.R.B.,” before it was too late! And finally, I got the CD of a local artist I liked that was sold exclusively in a…local supermarket chain??

February 2021

1. Rupert Hine: Waving, Not Drowning DLX RM – Voiceprint ‎– MPVP004CD – UK – CD – Gift
2. Rupert Hine: The Wildest Wish To Fly DLX RM –  Voiceprint ‎– MPVP007CD – UK – CD – Gift
3. Quantum Jump: Quantum Jump DLX RM – Voiceprint ‎– MPVP012CD – UK – CD – Gift
4. Quantum Jump: Barracuda DLX RM – Voiceprint ‎– MPVP013CD – UK – CD – Gift
5. Various: Songs For Tibet: The Art Of Peace [Wisdom. Action. Freedom.] – The Art Of Peace Foundation ‎– AOP10009 – US – 2xCD – Gift
6. Khruangbin: Mordechai –  Dead Oceans ‎– DOC193 – US – CD – Harvest Records/$12.98
7. Strange Cruise: Strange Cruise DLX RM – Cherry Pop ‎– CRPOP 144 – UK – CD – Gift
8. Sparks: Gratuitous Sax + Senseless Violins DLX RM – BMG ‎– BMGCAT410TCD – EURO – 3xCD – Discogs/$14.99
9. LaBelle: Lady Marmalade – Sony Music Entertainment – US – DL – iTunes/$1.29
10. John Otway + Wild Willy Barrett: DK50/80 – U-Vibe Records – US – DL- iTunes/$0.99
11. Anum Preto: Outros Planos –  Miado Rouco Records ‎– MRS001 – BRAZIL – DL – Bandcamp/$0.73
12. Anum Preto: Escala Do Tempo –  Miado Rouco Records ‎– MRS002 – BRAZIL – DL – Bandcamp/$0.73
13. Anum Preto: Perdendo Os Meus Nervos –  Miado Rouco Records ‎– MRS003 – BRAZIL – DL – Bandcamp/$0.73
14. Anum Preto: 2027 –  Miado Rouco Records ‎– MRS004 – BRAZIL – DL – Bandcamp/$0.73
15. Anum Preto: Retrado –  Miado Rouco Records ‎– MRS005 – BRAZIL – DL – Bandcamp/$0.73
16. Anum Preto: Anum Preto –  Miado Rouco Records ‎- BRAZIL – DL – Bandcamp/$0.73
17. Anum Preto: Consequências –  Miado Rouco Records  – BRAZIL – DL – Bandcamp/$0.73
18. Anum Preto: Ponto de Mutação –  Miado Rouco Records – BRAZIL – DL – Bandcamp/$0.73
19. Anum Preto: Além Do Bem E Do Mal –  Miado Rouco Records – BRAZIL – DL – Bandcamp/$0.73
20. Tot Taylor: I’ll Go My Own Way – The Campus ‎– Campus 7 – UK – 7″ – gift
21. Tot Taylor: This New ABBA Record – The Campus – Campus12 – UK – 7″ – gift

Subtotal: $36.75

A lot of gifts this month for the influx. Large chunks of the Rupert Hine catalog heretofore out of my reach are now in it, thanks to a generous reader. And one of the commenters here, Michael Schwenko, noting that I still had not heard the “Strange Cruise” album yet in a recent discussion [I did own both singles] discovered that he had unknowingly bought two copies, and then sent his extra to me!  Astounding. And then another reader, had frieds who had been served promos of recent Tot Taylor 45s. Not their cup of tea. Would I like them? Of course!

I did pay out for a few things. My spouse dropped the heavy hint that she wanted to hear some Khruangbin and I responded. I woke up with Labelle in my head and discovered that the mind-stunning John Otway/Wild Willy Barrett song DK50/80, which had haunted me for 41 years and was scarce in The States was in fact in the iTunes store… for the discount rate! So booyah! Sometimes we buy songs in iTunes when there’s no easy forward and we have the itch. Of course, I still have the 45 on my want list!

Finally, I responded to the emails from Anum Preto that I’d been getting for over a year after buying/reviewing their debut album and was confronted with the ability to buy their entire discography on Bandcamp for one low price, so I didn’t even think about it. I just hit “buy” since I really enjoyed their exploration of the Post-Punk mood and sound courtesy of one-man-band Aerson Moeira.

I can’t help but notice already that 14/25 titles this year have been, gulp, DLs! Could this have anything to do with the fact that we have finally gotten a [old/used/cheap] flat screen HDTV set in our formerly analog CRT home??! Is This Monk finally embracing the early noughts??!! Stay tuned for more paradigm shifts as they occur.

March 2021

1. Rusty Egan Presents: Blitzed OST EP – Future Music – US – DL – iTunes/$4.99
2. Divinyls: What A Life! DLX RM – Rubellan Remasters – RUBY19CD – US – CD – Rubellan Remasters/$14.99
3. The Metamorph: The Man On The 99th Floor – UK – DL – Bandcamp/£4.00 [$5.55]
4. Fashiøn: Fabrique De -Luxe SDLX RM – Gonzo Multimedia – MMXX – UK – 4xCD box – MusicGlue/$112.00
5. Lee Fields: Faithful Man – Truth & Soul ‎– TS018-CD – US – CD – Daptone webstore/$15.00
6. Lee Fields: Let’s Talk It Over DLX RM – Truth & Soul ‎– TS012-CD  – US – CD – Daptone Webstore/gift
7. Lee Fields: Emma Jean – Truth & Soul ‎- Truth & Soul ‎– TS026-CD – US – CD – Daptone webstore/$15.00
8. Lee Fields: Special Night – Big Crown Records ‎– BC021-CD – CD – US – CD – Daptone webstore/$15.00
9. Lee Fields: Big Crown Vaults Vol. 1 – Big Crown Records ‎– BC104-CD – US – CD – Daptone webstore/$15.00
10. Visage: Your Skin Is My Sin [Antidote Extended Version] – Steve Strange Collective – SSC003 – US – DL – iTunes/$0.99
11. Jan Linton + Matthew Seligman: King Hong EP – HK – DL – Bandcamp/$10.00
12. Steven Jones + Logan Sky: European Lovers – Etrangers Musique – EM025 – UK – DL – Promo

Subtotal: $198.52

Wow. That’s a lot of dinero but that was down to buying the Fashiøn “Fabrique De-Luxe” ultrabox. Also, my wife wanted to scratch an itch that the soul/funk singer Lee Fields was presenting her with. And I’m very down with that too. I got the latest Rubellan Remasters CD of the ultra-version of the great 2nd Divinyls album. With all of the US/OZ tracks and then some! Finally, there was some New-Ro action with a Rusty Egan EP from the “Blitzed” documentary and a Visage remix that was only on the LP edition of “Wild Life” extended remixes having now made the leap to DL. Finally, I bought the new Jan Linton + Matthew Seligman EP. The title track is stunning vocal work of a caliber with later period JAPAN. And the new Steven Jones + Logan Sky album was another paradigm shift from this band! With Jan Linton on board, they can effortlessly transition from Synthpop to Art Rock!

April 2021

1. Todd Rundgren + Sparks: Your Fandango – Cleopatra Records – US – DL – iTunes/$0.99
2. The Wayfarers: World’s Fare – Lolita – 5050 – FR – LP – gift
3. The Wayfarers: Esperanto – Lolita – 10009 – FR – blue vinyl 7″ – gift

A slow month with an unexpected Todd Rundgren/Sparks teamup of great joy. And I was fortunate enough to have gotten copies of both Wayfarers records after Cary Berger, who I’d met in 2018 at the Ron Kane Tribute concert in Los Angeles, emailed me and helpfully offered copies for my edification. The LP was on my want list ever since the L.A. trip three years ago, but the 7″ single goes for crazy money [probably thanks to it being compiled on the piratical “Hyped to Death” power pop series…] and was out of my budget. Now all I need is the Disques Du Crépuscule “Quick Neat Job” compilation with a final Wayfarers track on it to make the ultimate Wayfarers CD as a REVO disc!

Subtotal: $0.99

May 2021

1. Nik Bärtsch – Entendre – ECM Records – ECM 2703 – EURO – CD – Harvest records/$17.99
2. Gary Daly: Luna Landings – UK – CD – Discogs/£19.95/$28.22
3. Kraftwerk: Heimcomputer 2021 – US – DL – iTunes/$1.99

Another slow month of just three titles… but I spent almost 50x times the previous month’s budget! We were thrilled beyond compare by Nik Bärtsch and his band Ronin at the last Big Ears festival, so his solo album of piano adaptations of Ronin works was a must have. We special ordered it from our local emporium and they let us know when the CD was in for us. I noticed that – ulp! – The new Gary Daly CD of China Crisis instrumental demos from the 80s was now already sold out on his Music Glue website, so I ran to Discogs and bought the first copy I saw! It was every bit as wonderful as I would have expected as the China Crisis B-sides featured many such instrumentals. And finally, Kraftwerk remixed “Homecomputer” for its 40th anniversary for a 7″ bundled with a German music mag, but the DL was easily available, so I went for that.

Subtotal: $48.20

June 2021

1. The Waitresses: King Biscuit Flower Hour Live – King Biscuit Flower Hour Records ‎– 70710-88024-2 – US – CD – gift
2. The Go-Betweens: 1978-1990 – Vertigo ‎– 842 644-2 – CAN – CD – gift
3. The Blow Monkeys: Feels Like A New Morning/Acoustic Blow Monkeys – Cherry Red ‎– CDBRED557  – UK – 2xCD – gift
4. Rational Youth: Cold War Nightlife DLX RM –  Musicvaultz.com ‎– 5388280 – CAN – CD – gift
5. Head Noise: Consequential Quasars – Dirty Carrot Records – UK – DL – Bandcamp/£5/$7.22

A quiet month, which was nice. Mostly the incoming music was gifted by KeithC, a reader who thought Ii needed a copy of “Cold War Nightlife.” He was right! He had some other extra CDs cluttering up his house that were also very welcome. One of the two Blow Monkeys albums I still needed and a live Waitresses CD. The latter being a band I was deeply smitten with in 1982 only to ignore for almost 40 years afterward. And a Go-Betweens “best of” compilation proved to be far more interesting than I had assumed with plenty of non-LP tracks to compete with the LP cuts on a 50/50 basis! And finally, the new EP from Welsh synth punks was what I actually dropped coin on this month.

Subtotal: $7.22

Half Year Subtotals: 47 releases | $305.24 | average cost – $6.49/title

Wow! My half year subtotals are eerily similar to those from last year! to wit:

2020 – Half Year Subtotals: 43 releases | $303.89 | average cost – $7.11/title

I like not buying too much, so this shows that my restraint is very similar this year.

July 2021

1. Harold Budd: I Know This Much Is True OST – All Saints – WAST062LP – UK – 2xLP clear – Harvest Records/$28.99
2. Robert Palmer: Early In The Morning #2 – EMI-Manhattan Records – V-56113 – US – 12″ – Discogs/$1.00
3. Billie Ray Martin: Systems Of Silence – Sonnenstahl Records – SREC002 – GER – Promo 12″ – Discogs/$1.00
4. Grace Jones: Inside Story – Manhattan Records – CDP 7 46340 2 – US – CD – Discogs/$4.00
5. Grace Jones: Bulletproof Heart – Capitol Records – CDP 7 91737 2 – US – CD – Discogs/$5.00
6. Ultravox: Vienna [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix/Instrumental] – Chrysalis Catalogue – CHRC1296 – UK – 2xCD – Discogs/$15.00
7. Gary Kemp + Steven Wilson + Mike Garson: Waiting For The Band [Steven Wilson Remix] – Columbia – US – DL – iTunes/$1.29

I was glad to see that the Harold Budd soundtrack to “I Know This Much Is True” was getting a physical release, even if on clear LP. Seeing as how it was possibly his last release. At least the LP came with a DL. I finally investigated the “wilderness period” of Grace Jones that led to her sitting out the music industry for a quarter century. “Inside Story” was better than I expected, but “Bulletproof Heart” fully met my expectations. I got the US RSD CD [!] of Ultravox’s seminal “Vienna’ in its Steven Wilson 2.0 remix [which I already had in the “Vienna” ultrabox] but the instrumental 2.0 disc was new. Fun to sing along with, except for “All Stood Still” which just isn’t happening. Then the peripatetic Wilson also remixed a track from Gary Kemp’s solo album #2. Curious, I bit. The end result was a little better then the MOR that Kemp has made his bread and butter over the last 35 years.

Subtotal: $56.28

August 2021

1. Yukihiro Takahashi: Wild + Moody – Spalax Music – SPALAXCD14503 – FR – CD – Discogs/$7.12
2. Figures On A Beach: Standing On Ceremony DLX RM – Wounded Bird Records – WOU 5596 – US – CD – Discogs/$3.06
3. Gleaming Spires: Songs of The Spires DLX RM – Omnivore Recordings – OVCD 444 – USP – DL – Promo
4. Gleaming Spires: Walk On Well Lighted Streets DLX RM – Omnivore Recordings – OVCD 445 – DL – Promo
5. Gleaming Spires: Welcoming A New Ice Age DLX RM – Omnivore Recordings – OVCD 446 – DL – Promo

I finally sourced an affordable French [?] CD [from an American dealer!] of the 1984 Yukihiro Takahashi mini-album, “Wild + Moody” I have wanted since day one. It more than lived up to my anticipation. And while ordering CDs for a birthday gift for a friend, I came across a nearly free [yet new] copy of the first Figures On A Beach CD, that I had been wanting to hear for some years now, so I was right on top of that. Any discs on the Wounded Bird label seem to go OOP and head for the stratosphere if you don’t pay attention.

About a week and a half after writing about buying all of the Gleaming Spires records and making CDs of them, i got an interesting message in my inbox. A PR person had informed me that this was happening in a month and would I like to review them and interview David Kendrick? Can we say “hell yeah?” Offers of actual CDs were made which I rebuffed; preferring to support such a program with my scant cash. We took a deep dive for a Gleaming Spires week about a month later to a flurry of words that took a lot more time than my lunch hours; but it was worth it. These were sterling reissues and it was engaging to speak with Mr. Kendrick who in addition to these fine albums, has a storied career path with both Sparks and DEVO!

Subtotal: $10.18

September 2021

1. Various: Moving Soundtracks – Les Disques du Crépuscule – LTMCD 2514 – BEN – CD – Discogs/$14.13
2. The Empire Of Fun: Primarily Boxed Set – Despot Records – US – 3xCD + clear 7″ numbered – gift
3. David Kendrick: “I’m Sorry Mr. Kendrick – There’s A Skull Inside Your Head” – Despot Records – 1006 – US – 2xCD – gift
4. Scritti Politti: Cupid + Psyche ’85 – Rough Trade – RTRADLP695 – UK – LP – gift
5. A Certain Ratio: Sextet – Mute – wStumm408 – UK – white LP/monochrome cover – gift

Another modest month of music trickling in and I’m still alive and breathing! Proof that high input levels into the Record Cell are unnecessary! I bought a single CD to get the one remaining track by The Wayfarers that I needed for my REVO edition of their complete output! The bonus is that it’s a LTM CD of a Disques Du Crépuscule compilation packed full of pure, Eurocentric goodness and features plenty of soundtrack cover material by artists I cherish and collect.

Then David Kendrick, whom we interviewed last month sent, along a collection of his post-Gleaming Spires releases under the aegis of “The Empire Of Fun” as well as a spoken word + music project of his that we’ve been trying to get a listen to in this tumultuous period we find ourselves in.:And finally, I invited our neighbors over for a birthday dinner and they got me two highly desirable LP pressings; The new Rough Trade “Cupid + Psyche ’85” LP pressing complete with embossed gold foil stamping, and the album I most wanted by A Certain Ratio: “Sextet!”

Subtotal: $14.13

October 2021

1. The Antipodeans: VS. ICEHOUSE: Hey Little Girl – OZ – DL – Promo
2. The Cosmpolitans: Wild Moose Party – Dionysius/Bacchus Archives – BA11106 – US – enhanced CD – gift
3. Logic System: Logic – Express – EGDS-27 – JPN – CD – gift
4. The Blow Monkeys: Journey To You – Monk – MONK12 – UK – CD – Blow Monkeys webstore/£15.00/$20.50
5. The Metamorph: Return To Splendour – Werra Foxma – fox040 – UK – 10″ – Bandcamp/£13.99/$18.93

Another really quiet month with little being purchased, but that didn’t stop a generous commenter from sending me some insanely obscure and highly desirable CD multiples he had in his own Record Cell! Amazing! I can hardly wait to write about these but right now I’m in a rental car with no CD player and it’s giving me hives! And I’m still in the middle of a house painting project [it’s why the blog has dried up for over a week…]  that’s seen our home entertainment center dismantled with its contents stacked together in the Record Cell like cordwood until we are ready to rebuild it [an activity I dread like few others].

We only just found out about the Cosmopolitans when Echorich mentioned them in the comments for the Bush Tetras box and the zany band seen to have lots of high quality aid from Mitch Easter and the DBs which pushes my interest needle into the red. I’ve really enjoyed the one track [“Talkback”] from Logic System’s “Logic” opus that I have on the “Terpsichore [Silly Not To]” compilation I made early this year, so hearing more was a no-brainer for me.

The promo of The Antipodeans VS ICEHOUSE showed that you can have your cake and eat it too. The OZ DJs Mark Dynamix and Xan Müller really knew which buttons to press to update the Icehouse classic without losing the plot. The results were so fine that I wanted to interview these guys to see where they were going with this homage to Oz synth-rock project.

Regular commenter Gavin Brick is not merely an amazing bon vivant and incredibly witty [and well-connected] music fan. He’s also an electronic musician who make music in his analog, computer-free Neon Nebula studios in Wales. His recent work as The Metamorph has resulted in his signing by Werra Foxma who made his “Return To Splendour” EP their first vinyl release on 10″ single! So that was a must buy as all of my earlier purchases were DL only.

The one thing I paid for this month was paid for almost a year ago, when I pledged to The Blow Monkeys for their latest opus, “Journey To You.”  And having been primed by reliable excellence in years prior [“The Wild River” was a high water mark] , they have really delivered a fantastic 40th anniversary opus. With their Bandcamp presence, I was also able to finally buy “If Not Now, When?” The album I missed in 2014 when the Pledge Music period coincided with a time of strict savings for our big West Coast trip. It proved subsequently to be very scarce on the ground, and now the band are selling it in their store, thankfully.

When it gets here I can finally dig into the Blow Monkeys Rock G.P.A. that I have been yearning for from day one on PPM. Once I get time to blog reliably. The personal life has been careening out of its rails; leaving little or no time for blogging efforts. Dammit.

Subtotal: $39.43

November 2021

1. Jack Hues: Primitif – Dawn Chorus Recording Company – DCRC016 – UK – 2xCD – gift
2. Jack Hues: Electro Acoustic Works – Dawn Chorus Recording Company – DCRC025 – UK – CD – gift
3. Jack Hues: Canterbury Live EP – Dawn Chorus Recording Company – UK – DL – gift
4. The Blow Monkeys: One More Time “The Pump” Remix – UK – DL – £3.00/$4.00
5. Icehouse: No Promises – Chrysalis Records – 4V9 43009 – US – 12″ – gift
6. Icehouse: Big Fun – Regular Records – X14868 – OZ – 12″ – gift
7. Icehouse: Nothing Too Serious – X 14595 – OZ – 12″ – gift
8. Icehouse: Live At Melbourne Music Show EP – Regular Records – OZ – 12″ – gift
9. Icehouse – Mr. Big – Regular Records – X 14294 – NZ – 12″ – gift
10. Icehouse : Hey, Little Girl ’97 – Control – edel 0042400CON – GER – 12″ – gift
11. Icehouse : Hey, Little Girl – Chrysalis Records – CHS 12 2670 – UK – 12″ – gift
12. Icehouse: Hey, Little Girl – Regular Records – RRT 605 – OZ – 12″ – gift
13. Icehouse/The Call – Westwood One Concert – Westwood One – USP – 2xLP – gift
14. The Blow Monkeys: If Not Now, When? – Blow Monkey Music – MONK12 – UK – CD – £11.99/$16.00
15. John Foxx: The Garden – Metamatic – META70LP – UK – green LP – gift
16. John Foxx: Church – Metamatic – META71LP – UK – violet LP – gift

Most of the music this month was courtesy of my good friend Mr. Ware! For my birthday [in September] he ordered me all of Jack Hues recent solo albums. That they did not ship on time for the September event was down to the now to be expected “vinyl bubble” driving release dates further and further out. They didn’t want to ship the CDs until the vinyl was in hand, so here we are.

The exact same story was also down to my wife’s birthday gifts for me as well! The John Foxx albums [The Garden – green vinyl, Church – violet vinyl] that should have shipped early in September were finally in hand at the end of November. But they are delicious Jonathan Barnbrook designs with the most astonishing inner sleeves I’ve ever seen on an LP. The design? Sure, sure. It’s Barnbrook, we expect beauty, but what really floored me was the paper stock he speced for the inner sleeves! It’s stunning paper, not like anything I’ve ever seen before. And I’m an old graphic designer. It may be synthetic paper [what could be more appropriate?]  but if so it has properties that are new and unique.

And then a visit with Mr. Ware in his personal Record Cell coincided with an urge to thin out his [theoretically] redundant Icehouse vinyl. I tried to only take the discs that offered material that I didn’t already have in-house for that long mooted Icebox, but in the end I caved in and accepted/took those UK/OZ “Hey Little Girl” 12″ers…just because! That I left the two 10″ singles [among others] on the table showed that I still had a modicum of self-restraint!

Finally, the two titles this month that I actually bought were Blow Monkeys music. The real find was the previously difficult to source 2015 Blow Monkeys album, “If Not Now, When?” The album was a self-released Pledge Music campaign at a time when I was saving all money [for the better part of a year] for a once-in-a-lifetime California trip to all three Amoeba Music stores. There wasn’t any larger distribution of the album through conventional channels so it was very thin on the ground.

Until The Blow Monkeys opened up their Bandcamp store, and there it was! After their fantastic new album dropped last month, I was hot to get the one studio album still evading my grasp and get that Blow Monkeys Rock G.P.A. I’ve been waiting to do since the blog began!

Meanwhile, the band also released a new remixed single from “Journey To You” for the track “One More Time.” It’s technically a freebie, but we pay for these things!

Subtotal: $20.00

December 2021

1. Shriekback: 1000 Books – Shriekback – UK – CD-R – Shriekback webstore/£20/$27.15

The only musical action this month was the late in the year [as promised!] arrival of the 16th Shriekback album, “1000 books.” The band crowdsourced this themselves and deliver the CD exactly in the window they had announced. Try that with an LP! It’s a rich stew of curiously 60s influences this time out with rock solid songwriting from the pens of Messrs. Andrews and Marsh. And for the first time since his welcome return, Carl Marsh wrote the lion’s share [5/9] of the material. Interesting.

Subtotal: $27.15

Half Year Subtotals: 38 releases | $148.14 | average cost – $3.90/title

Wow! That’s not like I’m even a record collector! That’s about what I imagine “normal people” might spend on music in a half year! The year end totals may be the smallest they have possibly ever have been.

 Year End Totals: 85 releases | $472.41 | average cost – $5.34/title

…No more to come