2023 Purchases

Here are the music purchases of 2023 quantified in some detail. Check the 2023 cover grid dropdown to just see a grid of the cover images.

January 2023

1. Jan Linton: Joy 2023 – HK – DL – Bandcamp/$2.00
2. Jan Linton: Always The Last To Dream Instrumental – HK – DL – Bandcamp/$1.50
3. Jan Linton: Always The Last To Dream – HK – DL – Bandcamp/$2.50
4. Yello: Solid Pleasure + I.T. Splash – Universal Music Group – 7640262961119 – EU – LP + 12″ [yellow] – gift
5. Shriekback: Bowlahoola – Shriekprods – UK – CD – gift
6. PiL: Hawaii – US – DL – iTunes/$1.29
7. Restaurant For Dogs: Restaurant For Dogs – UK – DL – Promo
8. Guadalcanal Diary: Flip Flop – Elektra – E2-60848 – US – CD – Mr. K’s AVL/$4.95
9. Enzso: Enzso – Epic – EK 67877 – US – CD – Mr. K’s AVL/$4.95
10. John Cale: Dream Interpretation: Inside The Dream Syndicate Volume II – Table Of The Elements – Au 79 – US – CD – Mr. K’s AVL/$4.95
11. Fluid Japan: All Of His Reactions – US – DL – Bandcamp/$3.00
12. The Lilac Time: No Sad Songs – Tapete Records – TR 310 – GER promo – CD – gift
13. Ultravox: Rage In Eden [Steven Wilson Remix] – Chrysalis Catalogue – CDLC 1338 – US – 2xCD – Electric Fetus/$13.99

Subtotal: $39.13

Jan Linton released a trio of DLs at the end of the year so we got them as soon as we could. His friends Fluid Japan released a DL as well, though without Linton involvement this time. A friend sent me the 2022 LP of Yello’s crucial debut album, “Solid Pleasure” and it came with a bonus yellow vinyl 12″ of their first single?! YES! More, please. The new Shriekback CD arrived to keep us current on their “shining path.” And PiL released an unexpectedly tender song as part of their bid for…Eurovision representation of Ireland??!

My wife found a trio of used CDs that caught her eye…not an easy thing to do in this town! Most impressed with that early John Cale title! A commenter had a Lilac Time CD cluttering up his home and wondered if I wanted it so how could I say no? I’m a little behind on The Lilac Time. The last album I saw in a store was “Runout Groove.” I bought it, of course, but that puts me in an infinitesimally small subset of music buyers!

And finally, I bought the CD of the Wilson 2.0 remix/instrumental version of “Rage In Eden.” I was getting tense as it had been released in late November of last year and Discogs dealers [in the USA] were getting very scarce. I could find one for $30 + shipping, so I did some searching outside of the lines. Salvation came from Electric Fetus; Prince’s fave “wrecka stow” in Minneapolis. I hit that button for $13.99 and had the discs in hand in about 60 hours. WORLD RECORD. If you need something musical, think of Electric Fetus near the top of your mental queue.

February 2023

1. Mari Wilson: Just What I Always Wanted – London Records – 810 122-7 – US – 7″ – Records In The RAD/$5.00
2. Ultravox!: Ultravox! Mini LP – Island Records – L 20003 – NZ – 12″ – Discogs/$33.00
3. Bob Gaulke: The Humanities – Part 1 – BobGaulke Productions – US – CD-R – gift
4. Bob Gaulke: The Humanities – Part 2 – BobGaulke Productions – US – CD-R – gift
5. Rough Trade: For Those Who Think Young – The Boardwalk Entertainment Co – NB 33261-1 – US – LP – The Bomb Shelter/$1.00
6. Hazel O’Connor: D-Days – Albion Records – 12 ION 1009 – UK – 12″ – The Bomb Shelter/$1.00
7. Jody Watley: Still A Thrill – MCA Records – MCA-23747 – US – 12″ – The Bomb Shelter/$1.00
8. Jody: Girls Night Out – Mercury – Merx 196 – UK – 12″ – The Bomb Shelter/$1.00
9. Jody Watley: Don’t You Want Me – MCA Records – MCA-23785 – US – 12″ – The Bomb Shelter/$1.00
10. Mandré: M3000 –  Motown – M7-917R1 – US – LP – The Bomb Shelter/$1.00
11. Les Rita Mitsouko: Andy – Virgin – DMD 1134 – USP – 12″ – The Bomb Shelter/$1.00
12. Freur: Runaway – CBS – TA 3693 – UK – 12″ – The Bomb Shelter/$1.00
13. Sweet Pea Atkinson: Don’t Walk Away –  Island Records – 90007-1 – US – LP – The Bomb Shelter/$1.00
14. Nona Hendryx: Baby Go-Go – EMI America – K 060 20 1981 6 – US – 12″ – The Bomb Shelter/$1.00
15. Kid Creole + The Coconuts: Stool Pigeon – Sire – PRO-A-1064 – USP – 12″ – The Bomb Shelter/$1.00
16. Ryuichi Sakamoto + Jill Jones: You Do Me – Virgin – 0-96495 – US – 12″ – The Bomb Shelter/$1.00
17. Nyam Nyam: The Architect – Situation Two – SIT 37T – UK – EP – The Bomb Shelter/$1.00
18. John Foxx: Stars On Fire – Virgin – VS 771/12 – UK – 12″ – The Bomb Shelter/$1.00
19. Floy Joy: Friday Night In This Cold City – Virgin – VS 848-12 – UK – 12″ – The Bomb Shelter/$1.00
20. Cameo: Candy – Atlanta Artists – 888 193-1 – US – 12″ – The Bomb Shelter/$1.00
21. Amii Stewart: Knock On Wood – Ariola Records America – SW 50054 – US – LP – The Bomb Shelter/$1.00
22. Neneh Cherry: Buffalo Stance – Virgin – 0-96573 – US – 12″ – The Bomb Shelter/$1.00
23. Mark Knopfler: Sailing to Philadelphia – Warner Bros. Records – 9 47753-2 – US – CD – Time traveler/$4.99
24. Dire Straits: Dire Straits – Vertigo – 800 051-2 – EURO – CD – Time Traveler/$12.99
25. Rush: Rush – Mercury – P2 22541 – US – CD – Time Traveler/$4.99
26. The Blue Nile: A Walk Across The Rooftops DLX RM – Confetti Records (2) – BLUECD1 – UK – 2xCD – Time Traveler/$17.99
27. Echo + The Bunnymen: Ocean Rain DLX RM [25th] – Warner Strategic Marketing – 2564-61165-2 – EURO – CD – Time Traveler/$13.99
28. Kinks: The Ultimate Collection –  Sanctuary – SANDD 109 – UK – 2xCD – Time Traveler/$17.99
29. Sparks: The Seduction Of Ingmar Bergman – BMG – BMGCAT572CD – World – CD – Time Traveler/$15.99

Subtotal: $144.93

¡Mamacita! I’ve actually topped a release per day for the month of February, 2023! I was not trying to. Honest. I’ve enjoyed barely buying any music for the last two years, but when in Rome… I first found a Mari Wilson US single I had no idea existed at a great local record store. Then I had to re-purchase an Ultravox! NZ EP I saw fall from my racks and shatter on our new [hard] flooring. Then my friend Bob Gaulke released the last two of his 13 albums of 2022 and sent them to me. Take that, Bill Nelson…you slacker! That alone would have been a nice February, but we took a trip to Akron, Ohio to visit family.

Our brother-in-law described a groovy antique mall called The Bomb Shelter that my wife saw fit to visit and boy howdy; they had an interior record store area that I actually got a huge buzz from shopping in. And all I looked at were the cheapie $1.00 records! Heck, that they had $1.00 records was astonishing in these, the end times. Much less $1.00 records salted with numerous want list items of mine! There’s too much to discuss here, but suffice to say I am thrilled to finally have the first Sweet Pea Atkinson album!!!!

Then I met us with a friend for lunch one afternoon and afterward, we went to the always relevant Time Traveler Records and as usual, there was something there to get worked up about. This time, the new CDs were packed with enough want list goods to have spent three times what I actually did. I have to say that locally, there are almost NO CDs for sale, much less dozens of discs that I actually want!!! As usual, Time Traveler further cement their status as a Great Record Store®. And the hours spent gabbing with owner Scott and his customers was…bliss.

March 2023

1. Peter Gabriel: Secret World Live – Geffen Records – ID 3051GF – US – LD – gift
2. David Bowie: Look At The Moon! [Live Phoenix Festival ’97] – Parlophone – DBBLACD 95994 – World – 2xCD – Bowie webstore/$24.99
3. David Bowie: Ouvrez Le Chien [Live Dallas ’95] – Parlophone – DBBLACD 95991 – World – CD – Bowie webstore/$16.99
4. Cristina: Sleep It Off DLX RM – Rubellan Remasters – RUBY46CD – US – CD – Rubellan Remasters/$15.99
5. Blow Monkeys: Animal Magic DLX RM – BMG – BMGCAT589CD – UK – 4xCD – Blow Monkeys webstore/$19.00
6. The Higsons: Run Me Down The Complete 2-Tone Recordings – Sartorial Records – UK – DL – Promo

Subtotal: $76.97

Almost two years ago I had ignored the Bowie 90s live album series “Brilliant Live Adventures…” to my detriment! When the sales event with those limited edition albums crashed and burnt, it left the Bowie estate stung enough by the bad feelings to reissue the discs in larger numbers. I took the chance to register interest for two of the volumes, and boy howdy, they sure are great representations of the 90s Bowie concerts that I was fortunate enough to have attended. The “Outside” tour volume, “Ouvrez Le Chien,” sold out the second time very rapidly, but the [just as good] “Earthling” set across two CDs is still available. you’d be crazy to miss if you’re a fan.

Meanwhile, the long-awaited Rubellan Remasters edition of the holy second Cristina album was all of that and more! The first CD of it ever as mastered lovingly from a tape! Now I have no excuse for listening only to this CD the rest of my life! And I’d be very happy to do that, with songs and performances of this caliber.

Finally, I was embittered by my inability in 2016 to buy the Cherry 2xCD DLX RM of The Blow Monkeys Animal Magic” album. It’s not as though I didn’t try, but *m*z*n screwed up the order big time. Which made my decision to eschew *m*z*n all the easier going forward. Apparently good things come to those who wait, I guess, with the band and BMG issuing an ultra-comprehensive 4xCD box at under $20 from the artists’ web store this year! That’s how you do it.

April 2023

1. Otto Kentrol Feat. Faceless: No Mistakes – Modern Harmonic – MH-8254 – US – 2xLP – Promo
2. Tomek: Fairlight + Funk – Modern Harmonic – MH-8274C – US – LP [green vinyl]  – Promo
3. The Satyrs –
4. Jerry Harrison: The Red + The Black DLX RM – Sire/Rhino – RCV1 706344 – US – 2xLP [red + black vinyl] – Voltage Records/$35.98

…more to come