Beyond One Love: Buyer’s Guide to Bob Marley

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One of the biggest film success stories of 2024 has been the biopic Bob Marley: One Love, an engaging look at the global superstar who did more than any other musician to bring reggae to the masses. Unsurprisingly, the best part of the movie is its music, from depictions of studio recordings to live performances. Marley’s songs run the gamut from passionate political anthems to gentle love songs. Even at their most intense, the rhythms are irresistible. I was lucky enough to see him twice, in Philadelphia in 1977 and at DU in 1979. In-person Marley was highly charismatic and his shows were powerful and unforgettable.

For the uninitiated, a quick recap of the man and The Wailers, his backing band: Marley’s parents were a 64-year-old British Army Private and an 18-year-old Jamaican native. His father was largely absentee and died when his son was only 10. Marley met Neville Livingstone, later known as Bunny Wailer, in middle school; the pair became stepbrothers when Marley’s mother and Livingstone’s father had a daughter together. Soon after they recruited Peter Tosh and began the Impressions-influenced vocal group The Teenagers that morphed into The Wailing Rudeboys and then The Wailing Wailers, the moniker used on their first album, a compilation of singles. It wasn’t until later in the sixties that the trio learned musical instruments. As documented in The Islander: My Life in Music and Beyond, Chris Blackwell’s excellent autobiography, the earliest ska, reggae and rock steady singles were sold from car trunks. The founder of Island Records, Blackwell got his start scouring Jamaica for 45s which he would sell to DJs to use at parties. Blackwell and his competitors famously scratched the names of the artists off each single in an effort to maintain proprietorship over the music they were peddling. 

If you enjoyed the movie and are ready to broaden your exposure to the reggae legend, here is a guide to how to pick and choose from his discography, in order:

Legend (1984)

It pains me to put a greatest hits collection at the top of the list, but Legend is one of the best-selling albums of all-time and has been in the Top 200 charts for decades. It is a great introduction to his music, although the track selection is deliberately softened up for mass consumption. It overly relies on Exodus (five of its twelve tracks come from that one LP) and crucially skips all of his pre-1973 non-Island Records material, but it cherry-picks effectively from his last albums. If you’re going buy one Bob Marley album–and he deserves much more of your musical attention–there’s a reason Legend has sold 23 million copies in the 40 years since its release.

 

Exodus (1977)

Marley’s ninth studio effort is his most popular and biggest seller outside of Legend, and deservedly so. It perfectly builds a bridge from his earlier political material to a more commercial focus. Where the former is concerned, “Natural Mystic” opens with a slow build to a lament that “many more will have to suffer,” while the title track embraces Rastafarian deity Haile Selassie’s belief that people of African ancestry should return to their home continent, a belief he shared with Malcolm X. At the other extreme are the perfect pop confections “Three Little Birds” and the radio-friendly “Jamming.” It’s no surprise that in 1999 Time Magazine crowned Exodus the best album of the 20th century; it is an essential part of any collection and the best way to start a serious Marley library.

 

Catch a Fire (1973)

The Wailers’ first real attempt to find fans in the UK and USA had an interesting birth: Chris Blackwell was intrigued enough to bankroll its recording, but he found the result too edgy for rock-oriented seventies audiences. Enter guitarist Wayne Perkins from The Swampers, the legendary backing band from Muscle Shoals, who had literally no experience with reggae. Perkins dubbed in the guitar parts that jump out on album opener “Concrete Jungle,” the oft-covered classic “Stir It Up” and “(Baby Baby) We’ve Got a Date.” The resulting mix put Marley and the Wailers on the map and paved the way for greater success. Later expanded editions of Catch a Fire include both the original Jamaican version and the Perkins-enhanced edition that most fans are familiar with.

 

Live! (1976)

Recorded at the Lyceum in London in July of 1975, Live! was another big step toward finding a larger audience; “No Woman, No Cry” is still Marley’s biggest hit all these years later. The album finds Marley aggressively stepping into a leadership role after the departure of Tosh and Livingstone. The material from Natty Dread, Burnin’ and Catch a Fire packs a stronger punch in a live setting. “Trenchtown Rock” opens the record with an upbeat welcome (with the classic first line “One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain”) before “Burnin’ and Lootin’” and “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)” pull the listener into the frustration and anger of the Rasta struggle. Much live Marley material was released in the following decades, but this is still the best representation of his in-concert magnetism.

 

The Capitol Session ‘73 (2021)

This gem was discovered in the vaults nearly a decade after Marley’s death but still not released until three years ago. Recorded the same October 1973 week as Talkin’ Blues at a studio session at Capitol Records in Los Angeles, the real find here is a DVD of the performance only available with the CD edition. The compelling footage finds a loose Wailers rehearsing and casually working up material and includes Tosh taking lead on his excellent compositions “You Can’t Blame the Youth” and “Stop That Train.”

 

 

Burnin’ (1973)

The follow-up to his Island Records debut was the last album Marley made with Peter Tosh and Neville Livingstone; both musicians left to pursue solo careers as the spotlight increased on their bandmate. Burnin’ featured several tracks that became Wailers staples: album opener “Get Up, Stand Up,” which Marley and Tosh cowrote, is one of their most widely known protest songs, and “I Shot The Sheriff” spurred the Eric Clapton cover that became the guitarist’s biggest hit after his work with Cream. The LP also included inspired reworkings of older Wailers classics “Small Axe,” “Duppy Conqueror” and “Put It On.” The last song on the last album from the original band was the traditional Rastafarian hymnal “Rasta Man Chant.”

 

Songs of Freedom (1992)

One of the first large box sets released as CDs supplanted vinyl in the early nineties was this stellar career-spanning 4-CD collection. Over thirty years later, it still stands as one of the best career retrospectives of any musician ever. Re-released as the 6LP set Songs of Freedom–The Island Years in 2021, that reissue sadly omits what made the original box so special: an entire disc of his pre-Island recordings dating back to his first work in the early sixties, along with a stunning acoustic medley from 1971 that finds Marley in rare form, strumming through compositions including “Stir It Up” and “I’m Hurting Inside.” Used copies of the CD box are widely available and well worth chasing down.

 

 

Rastaman Vibration (1976)

Rastaman Vibration was the Marley release that removed all the rough edges of his sound. Backup singers The I-Threes (Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths) have a much higher profile, while “Roots, Rock, Reggae” and the title track celebrate the genre with no mention of its political underpinnings. But Marley didn’t completely abandon his themes of oppression: “Crazy Baldheads” is a searing indictment of white imperialism, “Who The Cap Fit” calls out hypocrisy inside and outside the Rasta community, and “War” takes its lyrics from a Haile Selassie speech to the UN General Assembly in 1963. The album’s highlight is Marley’s cover of his wife Rita’s “Johnny Was,” a powerful, moving story of a mother discovering her dead son in the street, the victim of a stray bullet.

 

Babylon by Bus (1978)

Marley’s second live album followed the one-two commercial punch of Exodus and Kaya and is his best latter-day Wailers live collection. The most popular tracks from those two studio efforts are included, along with energetic versions of earlier Wailers classics “Stir It Up,” “Kinky Reggae” and “Concrete Jungle.” The album’s real treasure is “Punky Reggae Party,” the B-side of the “Jamming” single in which Marley acknowledges the British punk scene in a song written after first hearing The Clash cover Junior Murvin’s “Police and Thieves.” The lyrics mention The Clash, The Jam, The Damned and Dr. Feelgood along with The Wailers and The Maytals.

 

Natty Dread (1974)

Marley’s first studio effort without longtime bandmates Tosh and Livingstone is a transitional effort; The I-Three’s are still finding their way into the mix, and Natty Dread sounds more like the albums that precede it than the ones that follow. The album contains two of Marley’s most beloved songs, “Lively Up Yourself” and “No Woman, No Cry,” but both tracks receive more spirited renderings on Live!, and those are the renditions most are familiar with. The album still has bite thanks to the threat of “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry),” the anger of “Rebel Music (3 O’Clock Roadblock)” and the slinky reworking of sixties Wailers classic “Bend Down Low.”

 

Kaya (1978)

The success of Exodus was hard to follow; Marley opted to kick back with a less aggressive sound. Kaya is still enjoyable and goes well with a sunny day, but there’s nothing threatening or angry about it. It’s the first album where his reggae rhythms have been buffed to an polished sheen in order to appease anyone who found Exodus too political. It’s as if Marley tried to make an entire album that sounded like “Three Little Birds.” “Is This Love?” is certainly one of his most beautiful love songs, and “Easy Skanking,” “Kaya” and “Satisfy My Soul” go down easy, but the complete lack of sharp edges is disappointing. Kaya contains a fraction of the spirit Marley had when he was partnering with Tosh and Livingstone. 

 

Talkin’ Blues (1991)

In October of 1973 the Wailers were booked as openers on a Sly and the Family Stone tour. The group was fired after four dates, reportedly for blowing the headliner off the stage. Whatever the reason, the band found themselves stranded on the West Coast with time to kill. As a result they played a previously-unscheduled session at the famed Record Plant in Sausalito. Talkin’ Blues includes tracks from that day alongside a couple of alternate cuts and excerpts from a Marley interview. It’s a great, rare opportunity to hear the group at the peak of their power when Marley still shared the spotlight with Tosh and Livingstone; the only reason it’s below The Capitol Session ‘73 (recorded the same week) is its lack of accompanying video footage.

 

WANT A DEEPER DIVE?

The island rhythms of the early and mid-sixties were deeply influenced by The Impressions, a late fifties American R&B act led by Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield, later of solo and Superfly fame. The unique vocal harmonies of the band made a huge impression on Jamaica musicians and inform the earliest ska, rock steady and reggae. Bob Marley’s first recordings start from that evolutionary point and gradually move toward the reggae beat. In addition to the aforementioned first disc on the Songs of Freedom box, there are three earlier records that find Marley developing his sound. 

1965’s The Wailing Wailers is a collection of his earliest Studio One singles produced by Clement Dodd; the depiction of the “Simmer Down” Studio One session is one of the highlights of One Love. Soul Rebels from 1970 was the first Wailers album to be released outside Jamaica and features the group under the stewardship of famed producer Lee “Scratch” Perry. 1971’s Soul Revolution Part II, which was re-released and expanded under the title African Herbsman in 1973, also features Perry at the controls, and is Marley’s last LP before he connected with Chris Blackwell at Island Records. All three LPs are essential for more passionate fans of the genre and feature many classics that Marley reworked on later efforts.

Record Store Day is Saturday April 20

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Are you ready for Record Store Day 2024? This year RSD is on Saturday, April 20, and the list of exclusive releases is one of the longest yet, nearly 400 separate titles. We’ll be open at 7 am in Boulder and at 6 am (the earliest allowable time) in Petaluma. Please note that Record Store Day coincides with Butter & Eggs Day in Petaluma, so pay attention to parking restrictions when you come down to the store. As always we’ll have coffee and pastries for those intrepid shoppers who show up early to make sure they get what they want; this year we expect the two Noah Kahan releases to be the fastest movers.

You can check the full list of releases here. Please remember that we cannot guarantee or hold anything. Feel free to check with the store in the week leading up to Record Store Day to make sure we’ll have what you’re looking for, but on that day everything will be available on a first come first serve basis.

This year features a slew of jazz and picture disc releases. Here are a bunch of the rock selections I’m most excited about. See you at the store!

The Beatles

Sixty years after they changed the musical landscape through their appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show, the Fab Four have a plethora of offerings for Record Store Day. Devotees can purchase a special turntable that plays three-inch singles to go along with three-inch editions of early hits “She Loves You,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “I Saw Her Standing There.” Three of the four members also have exclusives: for John fans there are color and black editions of a Mind Games EP (teasers for the box coming later this year), George Harrison lovers will savor new picture disc editions of his Electronic Music and Wonderwall Music efforts, and Ringo Starr is releasing Crooked Boy, an EP produced in collaboration with Linda Perry.

David Bowie — Waiting in the Sky (Before The Starman Came To Earth)

There may be some dispute over which Bowie effort is best, but The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is the one that made him a global superstar while transforming the seventies. This release is a brand-new, earlier version of the album that omits several tracks while adding four songs that didn’t make the final cut, including a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Around and Around.”

John Craigie — Let It Be Lonely

Portland folk artist John Craigie is famed for his songwriting prowess and sense of humor. This 2LP set is from his series of live shows where he pays tribute to the Fab Four by playing an entire album in sequence while sharing his own experiences and what each song means to him. Craigie delighted the crowd at the Folks Festival in Lyons in 2022, and his fanbase expands with every performance.

Death Cab For Cutie — Live at the Showbox

Death Cab For Cutie played three sold-out shows for hometown fans in Seattle shortly before the pandemic shut down concert activity for the rest of 2020. This 2LP set on pink marble vinyl is the first physical release from the run, previously only available on Bandcamp for 24 hours. This is the group’s first live record in a twenty-five year run as indie darlings, and features their most popular songs including “Soul Meets Body” and “I Will Follow You Into the Dark.”

The English Beat — Wha’ppen (Expanded Edition)

Hot on the heels of the 2023 Black Friday re-release of the ska band’s debut comes an expanded 2LP edition of the their sophomore effort. Wha’ppen may not have the frenetic energy of I Just Can’t Stop It, but it is in many ways a richer, deeper effort. Relying less on ska rhythms and more on traditional reggae beats, the album is more political and less dance crazy. “Drowning” captures the ennui of being lost in the workaday world while “I’m Your Flag” parodies jingoism and could’ve been written yesterday. The second disk includes dub and remixed versions. Wha’ppen may be less commercial and inviting than their debut, but it’s far more likely to make you think.

Fleet Foxes — Live on Boston Harbor

The first Fleet Foxes live album after five studio records over fifteen years is a 3LP set from the 2020 Shore Tour. Featuring the majority of tracks from that excellent LP along with a career-spanning set list, the album comes with an orange bottom obi strip. Perhaps no other band this century has done as good a job at updating the lush harmonies of the Laurel Canyon sound with a modern folk-rock sensibility.

Fleetwood Mac — Rumours (Picture Disc)

Fleetwood Mac’s biggest seller–which somehow ranked as the fifth-highest selling vinyl record of 2023, nearly fifty years after its release–gets its first pressing as a picture disc. Shocking that it took this long to be put out in this format, this just might be the final edition of the classic (but don’t bet on it).

Lowell George — Thanks, I’ll Eat It Here (Deluxe Edition)

Lowell George was the founder of Little Feat and his contributions were always the highlights of the band’s records. George sadly passed away shortly after releasing his first solo effort in 1979. This new reissue includes an entire album of never-before heard outtakes and alternate versions. Highlights include a cover of Jackson Browne’s “Doctor My Eyes” and a different rendition of the Feat classic “Roll ‘Em Easy.”

Grateful Dead — Nightfall of Diamonds

The Dead never disappoint on Record Store Day, and this year is no exception. 1989 was a strong year for the band–highlighted by a run in Hampton, Virginia as The Warlocks–their original moniker–that saw the return of classics “Dark Star” and “Attics of My Life.” The same tour took them to Brendan Byrne Arena in New Jersey, where they delighted Deadheads with a circular set that saw them weave in and out of “Dark Star” and  “Playing in the Band.” This 4-LP set, new to vinyl, features the entire second set along with first-set highlights. Deadheads will also be all over Electric on the Eel, an also-new-to-vinyl 4LP set from the Jerry Garcia Band recorded four months before the Nightfall of Diamonds show.

Noah Kahan — I Was/I Am

In the absence of material this RSD from Ms. Swift (aka Travis Kelce’s psyop girlfriend), this year’s biggest draws will be two releases from roots-rock phenom Noah Kahan. I Was/I Am, his second album, will be available while supplies last in blue vinyl. Kahan and Olivia Rodrigo are also teaming up for a single; one side features Kahan covering Rodrigo’s “Lacy” while Rodrigo covers Kahan’s hit “Stick Season” on the flip side.

Mark Knopfler– The Boy

Dire Straits founder and guitar wizard Mark Knopfler is the opposite of prolific. His solo albums and tours are few and far between, and he was last heard from on 2018’s Down The Road Wherever. For RSD Knopfler is releasing this 12-inch EP with four brand-new tracks all focused around the theme of fairground boxing booths, where amateurs could challenge professional fighters and get paid if they survived three rounds in the ring. The EP comes on the heels of One Deep River, his new album out the week before Record Store Day.

Lost in Translation Original Soundtrack — Deluxe Edition

The first repress of the soundtrack from arguably Sofia Coppola’s best film was a fast seller in 2019. Since repressed and widely available, this new deluxe 2LP edition includes all the music that never made the original release. Most importantly, it finally brings to vinyl Bill Murray’s incredible karaoke rendition of Roxy Music’s “More Than This,” the highlight of the movie. That alone makes this one worth the price of admission.

Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman and Marty Stuart — Sweetheart of the Rodeo 50th Anniversary Live

The Byrds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo is widely regarded as the Rosetta Stone of country-rock. The only record by the band to feature Gram Parsons, it took the group in a decidedly Americana direction and inspired The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt and countless others. In 2019 original members McGuinn and Hillman were joined by Marty Stuart for a tribute tour. This 2LP live set is taken from that tour, and includes the entire album plus Byrds classics including “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn Turn Turn.” This one is a must for all fans of the genre.

Paramore — Re: This is Why

This year’s Record Store Day Ambassadors are Paramore, whose sixth album, 2023’s This is Why, was one of the best of the year.  They are offering fans two selections: the first is a red vinyl edition of Re: This is Why, the 2023 digital release that included covers of the album’s material from artists including Panda Bear, Romy, The Linda Linda’s, Wet Leg, Bartees Strange and others; the second is a double album that includes the same vinyl edition of Re: This is Why along with a pink vinyl version of This is Why. Both editions include a new, Jack Antonoff-produced rendition of “Sanity,” a track that dates back to 2017’s After Laughter. But that’s not all; Paramore have also announced a combined 12-inch EP in partnership with David Byrne. The Talking Heads leader will cover Paramore’s “Hard Times” on one side while the Tennessee group returns the favor with their new rendition of “Burning Down The House” on the flip.

Pearl Jam — Dark Matter

Grunge Gods Pearl Jam are releasing Dark Matter, their 12th studio album, the day before Record Store Day. No Denver show on the supporting tour has been announced yet, but hopefully it’s just a matter of time. Fans willing to wait a day can get the new album, their first since 2020’s excellent Gigaton, in a special yellow and black ghostly edition.

Joe Pesci — Little Joe Sure Can Sing

No, that is not a misprint. In 1968, eight years before he launched his film career, Joe Pesci released an album of covers that featured three Beatles songs, The Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody” and six other tracks. The album is being repressed in an orange swirl edition by Real Gone Music, a label that specializes in finding and re-releasing lost gems. Can Pesci sing as well as he can act? Buy the record and find out for yourself, just don’t tell him he’s funny.

The Ramones — The 1975 Sire Demos

The Ramones changed the world. Their aggressive, highly original proto-punk combined a simple but infectious sound with lyrics that were often hilarious. This album features their earliest studio recordings, a handful of which made it onto their 1976 debut. Some may argue that The Stooges or MC5 deserve more credit for birthing punk, but it was The Ramones who sent sonic shock waves through the scene, killed Prog and motivated a thousand bands to start a new movement on their early tours. This record finds them at their earliest and rawest; studio efforts would gradually polish off their rougher edges.

The Rolling Stones — The Rolling Stones (UK)/Live at Racket, NYC

The Beatles versus Stones debate rages on for Record Store Day. Not to be outdone by the aforementioned Fab Four releases, the Rolling Stones have two albums out this year: The Rolling Stones (UK) is a 60th anniversary edition of their debut effort pressed on blue/black swirled vinyl. Live at Racket, NYC features seven songs from the 10/19/23 launch party for Hackney Diamonds last fall. Notable inclusions are “Shattered,” one of the greatest songs ever written about New York with the classic line “Go ahead, bite the big Apple, don’t mind the maggots” and “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” with help from Lady Gaga on vocals.

Linda Ronstadt — The Asylum Years

Linda Ronstadt was without question one of the most important female vocalists of the seventies. The Eagles started out as her backing band and she helped bring attention to many important songwriters, including Warren Zevon, Karla Bonoff and Elvis Costello. She’s received a lot of attention lately thanks to her excellent memoir and two documentaries. This 4LP box collects her mid-seventies output when she was at the peak of her pop-rock powers. With the notable exception of Heart Like a Wheel, Linda never sounded better than on these albums: Don’t Cry Now, Prisoner in Disguise, Hasten Down the Wind and Simple Dreams.

South Park: The 25th Anniversary Concert

Matt Stone and Trey Parker are two of CU’s most notable alumni. South Park, the TV show the pair created, is one of the longest-running animated comedy series. In 2022 they celebrated its 25th anniversary with two sold-out shows at Red Rocks. The concerts were filmed and are now available on vinyl–in Toweli-Blue color of course–and the 3LP set features classics from throughout the show’s run, with musical assistance from Primus, Ween and members of Rush. This one is sure to move fast.

Talking Heads — Live at WCOZ 77

The Talking Heads are experiencing a renaissance right now thanks to the re-release of their classic concert film Stop Making Sense. The group reportedly turned down $80 million to headline the festival circuit in 2024. This show from after their highly influential debut was excerpted for their first live album, The Name of This Band is Talking Heads. Recorded at a November 1977 and cut at 45prm over 2 LPs, it features seven songs never-before-released by the group. Fans of Tom Tom Club, the side project featuring drummer Chris Frantz and bassist Tina Weymouth, will also want Genius Of Love 2001 Remixes, the first-time-on-vinyl compilation of remixes of what is probably the most sampled track in history, first available on a 2001 CD. See the Paramore section above for details on David Byrne’s 12-inch combination release with the RSD Ambassadors.

U2 — Atomic City

U2’s just completed a 40-show residency at the new state-of-the-art Las Vegas Sphere that was mind-blowing both in its staggering visual and audio presentation and in its reminder that Achtung Baby (which they played in full) was a daring and impressive step forward for Ireland’s most popular musical export. This 10-inch features their latest single recorded at the venue along with a remix and a poster.

Wilco — The Whole Love (Expanded Edition)

Wilco fans eagerly awaiting a box for arguably their best record, A Ghost is Born–next up in their reissue series–will be pleasantly surprised by this compilation of material from 2011’s The Whole Love. The 3LP set includes the full album along with EPs, demos and alternate takes from the era, including songs on the rare Speak Like a Nose 10-inch EP. They’ve added some previously in-studio recordings broadcast on WXRT to round it out. Wilco never sounded more like Radiohead than on album opener “Art of Almost” and never more like Nick Drake than on the penultimate track “One Sunday Morning.”

Neil Young with Crazy Horse — Fu##in’ Up

Last November Neil Young played a tiny club in Toronto as a birthday gift to a (wealthy) friend of his. The group played their 1990 classic album Ragged Glory–which both presaged and influenced the Grunge movement–in its entirety. The show is being released on April 26, but impatient fans can get a clear vinyl pressing of the 2LP set a week early on Record Store Day.

 

 

Insider’s Guide to Vinyl Shopping–Part One

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Welcome to the latest Paradise Found Records blog. One of my favorite rock films is Almost Famous, the 2000 movie from director Cameron Crowe that recounts his days as a teenager writing for Rolling Stone in the seventies. There are no shortage of great lines, but my favorite is when Penny Lane, the “band-aid” played by Kate Hudson, tells William Miller, the Crowe stand-in played by Patrick Fugit: “If you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends.” I have spent a lifetime visiting my friends at the record store. Not only is it a great way to discover new music and revisit beloved classics, it’s always a fun experience. I never leave unsatisfied, even on those rare occasions when I walk out empty-handed. Our owner Will Paradise has also spent decades visiting record shops around the world. It’s no accident that Paradise Found offers a varied, extensive inventory for shoppers ranging from newbies fresh off the acquisition of their first turntable to collectors in search of rare, pricey vinyl.

With that in mind, here is part one of my list of hacks for more effective record-shopping. A good record store can be overwhelming in its selection; while I regularly spend hours scouring bins with my want list in hand, you may have less time to browse and it can’t hurt to know how a hardcore collector shops.

Perhaps the best proof of my passion (my wife might call it an obsession or, less kindly, a disease) is this: although I could splurge and buy everything on my want list on the music database/marketplace Discogs or eBay tomorrow, what would be the fun in that? I prefer the thrill of the hunt, for example checking bins for Lulu’s New Routes, the hard-to-find 1970 LP recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio with Duane Allman on guitar, in order to achieve the excitement of having my eyes go wide when I finally discover it “in the wild.” Some records take years to find; Rumours and Abbey Road are always going to be in stock. 

Since there are many facets to record shopping, I’ve divided them into sections. Obviously, your results may vary and you’ll shop in whatever way provides the greatest pleasure. If in the end you feel like you’ve visited your friends–and I like to think that includes the knowledgeable, passionate and helpful music lovers that work at both Paradise Found locations–then you can say “Mission accomplished.”

JUST ARRIVED USED LPs

Whenever I walk into Paradise Found or any other record shop, I always make a beeline for the “Just Arrived Used LPs” section. At our Boulder store it’s near the back, where Jon Martinez, our seasoned record buyer and man with the most vinyl knowledge in Colorado, works. We buy a lot of vinyl, and everything but the pricier collectible and bargain bin material passes through the Just Arrived Used LP bins. Experienced shoppers know the best stuff often never makes it out of these racks before being grabbed. We pride ourselves on having new, sealed copies of the latest releases, but buying out of the just arrived bins is a great way to discover new (and old) music, pounce on rare stuff, and sometimes save a little on more recent releases. We also segment these bins by genre so that you don’t have to search through Folk if you’re strictly looking for Jazz. Albums that haven’t sold out of these bins ultimately get moved to the specific artist’s section in the alphabetical bins. If it takes more than thirty seconds for me to get from the front door to the just arrived bins, I’ve probably slipped and fallen on the way in my urgency to get there before someone else does.

THE WALL

No, I’m not referring to the Pink Floyd album (although any fan of that band will tell you it’s essential), I’m talking about the wall to the left of the cash register in our Boulder store where we put the very rare, expensive items. We display some of our pricier vinyl along our east side, but those tend to be sealed box sets and recent UHQR releases (e.g. the recently reissued Steely Dan series of multi-album, 45 rpm pressings that sell new for $175 to hardcore audiophiles). While you may find audiophile material on the wall, you’re more likely to see extremely hard-to-find releases that make collectors salivate.

Wall records can cost hundreds of dollars, and often have some lore surrounding them. For instance, while there have been (per Discogs) 478 versions of The Doors’ excellent 1967 debut, the conventional wisdom is that the 1992 DCC Compact Classics pressing has the best sound. A clean copy of that album will run at least $250. Other rarities include vinyl editions from the CD heyday of the nineties and aughts, when vinyl pressings practically disappeared. For example, The Beatles’ Let It Be…Naked, an edition of the classic with an different mix and varied song selection that’s devoid of the Phil Spector touches that Paul McCartney hated, will run around $200 since it came out in 2003 when next to no one was buying records.

Nineties hip-hop and indie records similarly sell for big bucks; they are highly coveted by many collectors since it is not unusual for them to not have been repressed in the intervening years, although that is changing as record plants ramp up production in response to increasing vinyl demand. Once rare Fiona Apple and Grateful Dead LPs are now readily available at lower prices in newer editions, although the original pressings are still desirable to collectors. The Wall is always my second stop after perusing the Just Arrived Used LPs section. Of course, it’s also the budget-busting section of the store: finding a grail combines the excitement of landing the big fish with the recognition that I’ve spent (or overspent) my budget for that day’s excursion. But such is the life of the intrepid record shopper.

VINYL WEIGHT

One aspect common to the vinyl resurgence of the past decade has been the proliferation of 180 and 200 gram pressings. But what does that actually mean? Back in the days before CDs, albums rarely mentioned their weight; indeed, most albums were 140 grams or less. That said, there are some specific advantages to heavier vinyl.

Generally speaking, the weight of an LP has no impact on the sound quality unless you have a high-end audio system. Both the width of the grooves and the RPM speed are more impactful. However, 180 gram and heavier vinyl is sturdier and will provide a longer shelf life and also be far less likely to break. Heavier vinyl is also less likely to warp, which impacts both the sound quality and the potential to damage your cartridge. Finally, heavier vinyl provides a better platform for your stylus and turntable suspension, and as a result will minimize or eliminate vibration that a higher end stereo system may pick up, albeit often at barely detectable levels. That said, the source recording and the quality of the pressing ultimately have more to do with what you hear. Many manufacturers use the 180 gram description to attract consumers, but unless you consider yourself an audiophile you shouldn’t (pardon the pun) attach too much weight to the promotional stickers that record companies slap on records to make them appear more valuable. Remember, most LPs released before CDs were either 120 grams or 140 grams, and few people complained or attached much significance to the weight a record tipped the scales at.

Part Two of this series will discuss Mobile Fidelity Sound Recordings, Japanese pressings, Discogs and ways to take care of your collection. But first I’ll be back next month with the highlights from the list of just-announced exclusive Record Store Day releases out Saturday, April 20.

 

Top 20 Records of 2023

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2023 was another great year for music and for Paradise Found Records and Tapes. In April we celebrated our second anniversary at our Pearl Street location and in September we opened a new store in Petaluma, less than an hour north of San Francisco. A huge thanks to all of our customers in Colorado, California or wherever you are (that’s right, we ship to other states) for shopping with us and for coming in for listening parties, concerts and other in-store events. We couldn’t do it without you! We appreciate your business and we love your smiling faces! Just a reminder that both stores will have expanded hours to help you find that perfect gift or just to buy yourself some much-deserved music. We’re also having a listening party to share our favorite music of the year on Friday, December 15th at 7:15 pm. Reserve your spot now in store or by phone (303/444-1760) for $10 (which counts towards any purchase).

Here are my favorite records of the year including archival releases, along with a mention of an amazing live event. I’ve listed the new releases in alpha order, but this is the third year in a row that the first-record-by-alpha is also my best album of the year (following 2022’s Big Thief and 2021’s Courtney Barnett LPs):

Boygenius – The Record

Supergroups are typically more an excuse for famous musicians to play together than an opportunity to break new ground. The debut full-length release from boygenius, the trio first formed in 2018 by Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, is that rare instance where the sum exceeds its parts. Following up their initial EP, The Record is a sad girl supernova in which the trio largely alternate songwriting credits. But even as they take turns in the spotlight, the material brings out the best of each member and the choruses are divine. It might resonate most with twenty-somethings, but its indie-rock and folk grooves are multigenerational. The group also released a second EP, The Rest, in October. (Favorite track: “True Blue”)

 

Feist – Multitudes

Canada’s Leslie Feist, who goes by her last name, is nearly twenty years past the breakout fame that followed Apple’s use of The Reminder‘s “1234” in an early iPod commercial. Multitudes is just the third record she’s made in the intervening years, but it’s her best album to date, slightly ahead of 2011’s superb Metals. Written in the wake of her simultaneously becoming a parent and losing a parent, the fragile folk songs mirror the delicacy of life. The compositions are tender, sparsely illuminated songs that dissolve into nothingness or explode into lush, harmony-filled choruses like flowers bursting into bloom. (Favorite track: “Hiding Out in the Open”)

 

Foo Fighters – But Here We Are

The eleventh studio effort from Dave Grohl’s band carried an emotional weight not heard since the group’s debut following Kurt Cobain’s suicide. Both Grohl’s mother and best friend/bandmate Taylor Hawkins died in 2022, and here he begins to come to terms with his grief-filled year, dealing with loss while looking for strength and insight to create new art. Daughter Violet lends her chops to “Show Me How,” and Grohl resumes drum duty throughout for the first time in decades. The album’s next-to-last track, the epic “The Teacher,” is ostensibly about Grohl’s public school teacher mother, but it certainly also applies to Hawkins. It’s impossible not to be moved hearing Grohl try to blot out his dark reality by screaming “Wake up” before mournfully singing “Goodbye” over and over again at the song’s coda. Sad, stunning and powerful. (Favorite track: “The Teacher”)

 

PJ Harvey – I Inside The Old Year Dying

PJ Harvey’s tenth studio effort fits with the rest of her discography in her devout focus on following her muse regardless of sales potential. I Inside The Old Year Dying‘s British folk seems steeped in centuries-old lore from some dark foreboding countryside. Inspired by an epic poem she wrote entitled “Orlam,” many of the songs feature their own language while also referencing the Bible, Shakespeare and Elvis Presley. The end result is intoxicating and mysterious, a ticket into an intense, sometimes scary but ultimately rewarding journey. (Favorite track: “Lwonesome Tonight”)

 

Mitski – The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We

Last year’s Laurel Hell, featured Mitski channeling Abba and Motown to create her most accessible music.  Not surprisingly, it helped cement her indie diva status and led to ever-increasing crowds. Her follow-up comes after an unusually short interval and is a stark about-face that steers clear of pure pop. This is the first Mitski album to feature pedal steel since she relocated to Nashville in 2020, but that doesn’t mean it’s remotely country. She’s still struggling with how to avoid dark mental corners and find a degree of contentment, and here Mitski discovers a quieter, more reflective orchestral pop that is no less evocative even if it’s a little less welcoming. (Favorite track: “Heaven”)

 

Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want To Turn Into You

Former Buff and Chairlift member Polachek unleashes a torrent of electro-pop heaven on her fourth solo album. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You isn’t afraid to source the classics: “Welcome To My Island” steals the “hey hey hey hey’s” from “Don’t You Forget About Me,” while “Pretty In Possible” borrows liberally from “Tom’s Diner.” With veins of rock, trip-hop and electronic music pulsing throughout, Polachek’s sound is simultaneously familiar and new. Famous fans like Taylor Swift and the Haim sisters are already on board. Can the American public be far behind? (Favorite track: “Welcome to My Island”)

 

Margo Price– Strays

Like Caroline Polachek, Margo Price is a musician who’s been bubbling under the surface for years and is due for more widespread recognition. Price has been navigating the country and Americana worlds since 2016; her excellent 2022 memoir, Maybe We’ll Make It, told of her struggle to find her audience. Strays, her fourth studio album, is her most mature to date. It may have been conceived under the influence of psychedelics, but it showcases the most wide-ranging songwriting skill of her career. With the help of friends including Sharon Van Etten and Mike Campbell of Heartbreakers fame, the record rocks hard at times (“Been to the Mountain”) but also includes radio-friendly grooves (“Radio”), longer story-songs (“County Road”) and deeply personal, solo folk (“Lydia”). Price released Strays II, a follow-up of additional tracks from the sessions, last month. (Favorite track: “Radio”)

 

Vampire Weekend – Frog On The Bass Drum Vol. 01

If you weren’t lucky enough to see and jump on the email announcement, you missed out on Vampire Weekend’s first live album, available only through their fan site and gone inside an hour. But what a gift for those lucky enough to get a copy: the record included the rare B-side “Ladies of Cambridge,” an extended take on “M79” from their debut, a rendition of “Pizza Party” from Ezra Koenig’s first band L’Homme Run, and best of all, ten glorious minutes of the group covering Bob Dylan’s “Jokerman,” from his oft-overlooked eighties gem Infidels. (Favorite track: “Jokerman”)

 

Wilco – Cousin

Wilco’s response to the pandemic was to hunker down in their Chicago loft and create Cruel Country, a double album call back to their earlier alt-country days. Their follow-up is more of the alt-rock territory they’ve been travelling since Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Produced by Cate Le Bon and recorded both pre- and post-pandemic, Jeff Tweedy re-embraces dissonance and noise on Cousin, and in the process continues the band’s resurgence nearly three decades after their debut. (Favorite track: “Meant To Be”)

 

 

Lucinda Williams – Stories From a Rock’n’Roll Heart

How strong is Lucinda Williams’ artistic will? In the wake of a 2020 stroke, she put a series of tribute albums to the Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, and Bob Dylan among others, followed by Don’t Tell Anybody The Secrets I Told You, her revealing memoir released in April. For the first LP of new material since her recovery, she recruited Bruce Springsteen, Angel Olsen and Margo Price. The end result doesn’t reach for the emotional depths of her finest work, but that doesn’t make its hard-rocking selection of tracks any less vital. A worthwhile addition to a substantive discography. (Favorite track: “New York Comeback”)

The next six: Margo Cilker – Valley of Heart’s Delight; Peter Gabriel — I/O; Rhiannon Giddens – You’re the One; Jenny Lewis – Joy’All; Paramore — This is Why; Chris Stapleton – Higher

 

Top Four Archival Releases of the year: 

Grateful Dead – RFK Stadium, Washington, DC 6/10/73

Does any other band mine its archives as frequently as the Grateful Dead? There was no shortage of material to pick from in 2023, but the highlight was this 8LP box of one of the group’s most famous shows, a coheadlining turn with the Allman Brothers from 1973. Through four and a half hours (!), the Dead offer classics, new material and songs in early forms: “Wave That Flag” became “US Blues” and “They Love Each Other” evolved into a shuffle on Jerry Garcia’s Reflections. The highlight–not including the nearly-thirty-minute “Dark Star”–is the lengthy jam at the end that finds the Dead and Allmans combining for strong covers of Bob Dylan, Buddy Holly, Arthur Crudup and Chuck Berry classics. The joyful sound of Jerry Garcia and Dickey Betts sparring on lead guitar should be required listening for jam band aficionados. (Favorite track: “It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry”)

 

Joni Mitchell – Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years 1972-1975

Blue might be Joni Mitchell’s most famous album, but her growth in the years that followed was no less impressive as she moved in a jazz-focused direction without sacrificing her ear for melody or confessional songwriting. The latest edition of her Archives series digs deep into her richest period, when she created Court and Spark, her biggest selling album, and The Hissing of Summer Lawns, its follow-up. There is so much to love about the unreleased tracks from this period: revised takes of “Raised on Robbery” with, alternately, Graham Nash and Neil Young, a long piano medley of Court and Spark tracks, and revealing mid-seventies concerts including a solo Joni from Carnegie Hall and one with the L.A. Express supporting her in Los Angeles. Nirvana for Joni Mitchell lovers. (Favorite track: “Help Me”)

 

My Morning Jacket – Live Vol. 3: Bonnaroo 2004

Nearly twenty-five years after their debut, My Morning Jacket have cemented their status among the jam band crowd and southern rock fans; they mix up their setlists as well as anyone and can turn any song into a long, inspired exploration. This release is of one of the band’s most famous shows, which took place in the pouring rain and burnished their reputation as a live act. The group plays most of It Still Moves, the third and still best album in a career of exceptional work. Previously only available digitally, this 2LP set is a great introduction to the band and includes powerful versions of MMJ gems “Phone Went West” and “Steam Engine.” (Favorite track: “Steam Engine”)

 

The Who – Who’s Next/Life House

The Who are one of the defining acts of classic rock, and perhaps no Who album is more beloved than Who’s Next, the masterpiece bookended by “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Two years past its fiftieth anniversary, Pete Townsend finally got around to releasing the treasure trove of demos and outtakes that started as a rock opera called Life House before ultimately becoming the less thematically ambitious Who’s Next. Through 155 tracks–89 never released before–this box chronicles an artist struggling to convert his vision into reality while following-up another landmark, Tommy. For background, the box contains a 172-page graphic novel of the story Townsend was trying to tell, a prescient narrative which foretold the Internet and the hive mind. (Favorite track: “Teenage Wasteland”)

 

Best Live Show of the year: U2:UV at The Sphere, Las Vegas

It’s so rare when something so overhyped exceeds expectations, but U2’s ongoing residency at the new, orb-shaped venue in Las Vegas scores on all levels. Presenting the group’s innovative 1991 Achtung Baby album, which somehow managed to top the 1987 Joshua Tree LP that made them global superstars, the band makes the most of the venue’s incredible technology. I’ve never heard a better sounding concert, and yet there wasn’t a single speaker in sight. Roughly speaking, the show was 33% bare bones musical presentation, 33% music with images of the band performing in startling depth and clarity at massive projection sizes, and 33% jaw-dropping, overwhelming and unforgettable visual effects. Tickets may be pricey and hard to get, but U2:UV is well worth it both for fans of the band and lovers of the live music experience. See it if you have the chance before the residency wraps up in early March.

Black Friday Means Exclusive Record Store Day Releases!

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Welcome to the November Paradise Found Records blog. Have you started building your holiday shopping list yet? Once again there are a bevy of excellent, exclusive Record Store Day releases for Black Friday, November 24. You can check out the full list of more than 170 titles here; you can also browse a copy at the front of both of our stores. As in the past, please note that there are no holds, and everything will be sold on a first come, first served status as we can’t guarantee stock. Here are the 20 Black Friday releases I’m most excited about, in alpha order.

Asteroid City Original Soundtrack

This 2LP orange pressing features selections from Wes Anderson’s 2023 film, including a new track from Jarvis Cocker and a jukebox of fifties and earlier classics by Bob Wills, Slim Whitman, Bill Monroe, Tex Ritter and others. 

The Doors – Live in Bakersfield

This new-to-vinyl live double album from August of 1970, less than a year before the release of L.A. Woman, their final effort, finds the trio in a bluesy, exploratory mode. The show features a thirteen-minute “When The Music’s Over,” a fifteen-minute “The End” and a fifteen-minute jam through “Mystery Train” and ”Crossroads.”

The English Beat – I Just Can’t Stop It

The energetic, politically-charged ska of early eighties British label 2 Tone Records never found massive success outside the UK, but this record came close. The “English” Beat–they had to add the modifier due to a US group with the same name–crafted a debut that encapsulated the movement’s ethos: hopped-up dance music that combined punk energy with Jamaican rhythms performed by BIPOC and white musicians focused on a message of unity. This 2LP release includes a first-ever bonus LP of B-sides, rarities and extended versions.

 

Faces – Had Me a Real Good Time…with Faces! In Session & Live at the BBC 1971-1973 

Before Rod Stewart went on to solo glory, Ronnie Wood replaced Mick Taylor in The Rolling Stones and Kenney Jones replaced Keith Moon in The Who, The Faces made raw, raunchy rock. They might have sounded at times like they were about to careen off the rails, but they launched a thousand bar and hair bands. These previously unreleased gems come from three separate radio shows, including a 1971 John Peel BBC Concert. 

The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots – Live at the Paradise Lounge, Boston, Oct. 27, 2002

While some prefer The Soft Bulletin, my favorite Flaming Lips record is Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, the 2002 epic that included “Do You Realize?”, their second biggest hit after “She Don’t Use Jelly.” This pink pressing is a new-to-vinyl selection of songs from a Yoshimi-era show first heard on 2022’s 20th anniversary expanded CD box. 

Grateful Dead – Fillmore West, San Francisco, 3/2/69

Deadheads are always well served on Black Friday. This year’s offerings include the first-time-on-vinyl 5LP box featuring the fourth and final night of the legendary 1969 Fillmore West run, originally released on a now-highly-sought-after 10CD box in 2005. Jerry Garcia lovers can also pick from two new-to-vinyl double albums of solo projects spotlighting the guitarist in duo mode. So What is a collection of outtakes from his collaboration with David Grisman, while Pure Jerry: Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium, San Rafael, CA – February 28, 1986 finds Garcia with longtime sideman John Kahn.  

Noah Kahan – Cape Elizabeth EP

One of 2023’s biggest breakouts is New England roots-rocker Noah Kahan. This is a marble repressing of his 2020 five song EP recorded at the start of the lockdown and dropped with little notice. It’s sure to move, as the first edition has become increasingly hard to find as his fan base has grown exponentially.

Little Feat – Live at Manchester Free Trade Hall 1977

Little Feat’s classic 1978 live album, Waiting for Columbus, is widely recognized as one of the all-time greats of the genre. This new-to-vinyl 3LP set is the best of the three shows from Rhino’s excellent 5CD expanded Waiting for Columbus box released earlier this year. 

Los Lobos – Kiko

Los Lobos have released many great records in a forty-plus year run. This 30th anniversary 3LP deluxe edition of their sixth, best-selling effort includes a 3rd record of previously unreleased demos plus the original album expanded to two discs for increased fidelity.

Aimee Mann – Dead Eyes

Actor/comedian Connor Ratliff turned a career-threatening rejection from Tom Hanks into a popular personal investigational podcast with the help of many famous actors including, eventually, Hanks’ own son Colin. This single features the podcast’s theme by Aimee Mann, our favorite highly-literate sometimes-depressing singer-songwriter, along with her demo of the theme on the flip side.

My Morning Jacket – Happy Holiday!

My Morning Jacket are re-releasing this 2011 digital holiday collection on vinyl with three new tracks, the group’s first new material since their eponymous 2022 effort. Look for the “Snowy Version” of Waterfall II’s warm-fireside-evoking “Welcome Home” and the “Snow Version” of the band’s beloved ballad “Wonderful (The Way I Feel).”

Joni Mitchell – Court and Spark Demos

The latest edition of the Joni Mitchell archives came out last month, a 5CD treasure trove from her early to mid seventies commercial peak. This album features the holy grail from the box, a set of demos from Court and Spark that includes a jaw-dropping twelve-minute-plus piano medley of three tracks from the popular 1974 release and an early demo of “Help Me” that casts the hit in a far more intimate light than the better-known version.

Willie Nelson – Shotgun Willie

Willie Nelson’s sixteenth studio release was a landmark in his career; it included his cover of “Whiskey River,” which would become a staple of his live shows from that point forward, and a stirring cover of Leon Russell’s “A Song For You.” For its 50th anniversary Rhino is releasing it in a 2LP format with the second disc of new-to-vinyl outtakes and alternate versions.

Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels – The Last Roundup: Live from the Bijou Cafe in Philadelphia March 16 1973

This one is a real discovery and a must for Americana fans: a newly unearthed soundboard recording of the next to last live show by country-rock icon Gram Parsons, from the Bijou Cafe in Philly, with backing from Emmylou Harris and the Fallen Angels. The double album features highlights from his solo career and stint with the Flying Burrito Brothers, and had spent the last fifty years in the vaults before famed record store Amoeba decided to launch a Kickstarter campaign to fund its production.

Rilo Kiley – Under the Blacklight

Between her stints as a child actor and rock star in The Postal Service, Jenny Lewis piloted this excellent Los Angeles indie-rock quartet. This first repress of the group’s fourth and final effort from 2007 comes on purple vinyl and leads off with “Silver Lining,” still a highlight of her live sets.

Olivia Rodrigo – GUTS: the secret tracks

The hottest item this Black Friday will be surely this EP from Olivia Rodrigo, who’s 2023 sophomore effort GUTS rocked surprisingly hard. The EP compiles the four “hidden” tracks from the different editions of the album on “deep purple” vinyl with a butterfly etching on the flip.

Billy Strings – California Sober

Billy Strings has taken the bluegrass world by storm over the past few years; no other bluegrass act sells as many tickets or can fill hockey arenas. This 12” single on green vinyl (of course) features Strings duetting with Willie Nelson on his song “California Sober” on the A side and his cover of “Whiskey River” from Willie’s 90th birthday celebration at the Hollywood Bowl this past April on the B side.

U2 – Under a Blood Red Sky

Forty years ago this past June, U2 played to a half-filled Red Rocks in the middle of an intense summer thunderstorm. The highlights from that show and two others were combined to create this live album, which played a big part in building their legacy as a powerful live act. For its 40th anniversary the group is releasing the record on red vinyl.

War – The World is a Ghetto

War’s fifth album came out in late 1972 and went on to be the biggest selling record in the US the following year. A classic hybrid of soul, funk and jazz, it included “The Cisco Kid,” the band’s biggest hit other than “Low Rider,” along with the thirteen-minute instrumental jam ”City, Country, City” and the ahead-of-its-time title track. For Black Friday, Rhino is releasing a 5LP box that includes a double album of the original release with outtakes on gold vinyl plus a 3LP “making of” collection.

X – Ain’t Life Grand

Southern California’s best punk rockers are still going strong all these years later. This Black Friday the group is repressing its fifth record for the first time since 1985 and adding a 7-inch cover of “Wild Thing.” Ain’t Love Grand might not have the intense energy of the best X LPs, but it’s still stellar and kicks off with the 1-2 punch of “Burning House of Love” and “Love Shack” (not the B-52s’ “Love Shack,” to be clear). 

Steely Dan’s Ten Best Songs

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At this point in the evolution of popular music, most seventies rock bands have been relegated to the dustbin of history. There may be no shortage of acts selling concert tickets to boomers, and most people over sixty-five can engage in a healthy “Beatles or Stones” debate, but few artists from the decade still resonate with younger audiences. The biggest exception might be Steely Dan, who have been sampled endlessly and who pioneered a detached, hipper-than-thou attitude found in so much modern culture. Cofounders Walter Becker and Donald Fagen married that sensibility to a sound that incorporated their love of jazz into classic rock.

Who would have thought such “funked-up Muzak” would be finding new fans this far along? Steely Dan’s smooth if occasionally soulless studio polish spawned a larger yacht rock movement that’s turned lesser seventies acolytes like Toto and Christopher Cross into icons. They attract both rock and jazz fans; who else used Wayne Shorter of Miles Davis/Weather Report fame and Timothy Schmit from the Eagles on the same album? And their high-end production quality sounds better as audio technology evolves. Lyrically, Donald Fagen said it best: “If we were ahead of our time, it was simply because we grew up with a certain natural ironic stance which later became the norm.” Steely Dan was smarter than you before the Internet made it so easy for people to tell you how much smarter they are than you.

The funniest encapsulation of Steely Dan comes from Charles Shaar Murray: “The end result is like something Stevie Wonder might have concocted if he were white, Jewish, sighted and in the throes of an acute attack of nostalgia for the Kennedy years.” Granted, Murray was actually reviewing The Nightfly, Fagen’s first solo effort, but that record was hardly a huge departure. Shortly after their third album, 1974’s Pretzel Logic, Steely Dan abandoned the notion of being a touring act altogether, a daring anti-commercial stance. Subsequently, their records featured session ringers brought in by co-writers Fagen and Becker for each song and put through exhaustive sessions in search of a perfect solo. Surprisingly, Becker opted to not even play on two of the seven tracks on Aja, the group’s pinnacle.

Steely Dan albums fall into one of three tiers. Their best work–Aja, The Royal Scam, Countdown to Ecstasy and Katy Lied–maintain a sonic theme from the first song to the last. Each album might be slightly different from the others, but its parts fit together like puzzle pieces to form a unified whole. Can’t Buy a Thrill and Pretzel Logic are excellent but more random collections, unsurprising considering the former was the band’s debut with a different lead singer and the latter was the last time they toured. Gaucho gets its own tier: it may be thematically consistent, but it’s more focused on sound quality than song quality, and its creation was followed by the dissolution of the partnership for more than a decade.

Inspired by the recent, long-overdue vinyl reissues of the group’s catalog, including new, more expensive 45 rpm pressings from Analogue Productions’ UHQR (Ultra High Quality Record) series, here in reverse order are the ten best Steely Dan songs. Every track embodies the band’s legacy while avoiding their more cloying inclinations.

#10–”Doctor Wu” (Katy Lied)

Katy Lied is an outlier in the Steely Dan catalog. Perhaps their most subtle work, the 1975 release failed to capitalize on the huge success of its predecessor, Pretzel Logic.  The excessively dark lyrics didn’t help.  “Black Friday” equated the 1929 stock market crash with a larger societal reckoning, “Everyone’s Gone to the Movies” romanticized showing pornography to children, and “Chain Lightning” found two former Nazis reminiscing about the connection they felt at a Hitler rally. But the first record that found the group operating as more of a collective hinted at the polish later explored with such effectiveness on Aja. “Doctor Wu” speaks of longing for and scoring drugs, as its soft, meditative verses resolve into a lush chorus and an evocative Phil Woods sax solo.

#9–”Time Out Of Mind” (Gaucho)

Steely Dan’s final effort before their extended hiatus included this love letter to heroin. After its release, Walter Becker fell into an extended depression spurred by addiction that culminated in a relocation to Hawaii to reboot his lifestyle. “Time Out Of Mind” is a beautiful, horn-driven song that tries to capture the allure of smack: the anticipation, the act of consumption, and the warm, enveloping buzz. Nothing cryptic about the lyrics here: the song specifically refers to chasing the dragon (e.g. smoking heroin), the silver foil that changes color during the process, and the city in Tibet where the opium originates. Lou Reed’s description in his famous Velvet Underground song is a slow build where the heartbeat quickens as the user reaches their goal; for Steely Dan, the high is defined more by “perfection and grace.”

#8–”The Boston Rag” (Countdown to Ecstasy)

A loping tempo set to a descending guitar line, “The Boston Rag” combines classic Steely Dan elements: cryptic words with references only the songwriters truly get, a killer chorus, and a brief piano interlude leading to a scorching guitar solo by Jeff “Skunk” Baxter. Naturally, “The Boston Rag” is actually set in New York, with references to “Lady Bayside” and Seventh Avenue. When they were still a touring band, Steely Dan had three amazing guitarists: Becker, the more jazz-influenced Denny Dias, and Jeff “Skunk’ Baxter, who like Yacht Rock deity Michael McDonald later joined The Doobie Brothers, and who leans into a distortion level here soon to vanish from the band’s records.

#7–”Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” (Pretzel Logic)

Steely Dan may be the most sampled rock act in history: Beyonce, Ice Cube and De La Soul are among the more than 150 artists that have sampled them. But long before hip hop, they themselves sampled jazz: “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” the first single and track off their third album, starts with a short marimba solo (of course) that dissolves into a piano motif copped from Horace Silver’s “Song For My Father.” The song was the group’s most sophisticated effort up to that point in their search for the ideal jazz-rock hybrid. Contrary to rumors, it’s about a failed romance, not a marijuana cigarette. 

#6–”Home At Last” (Aja)

Here’s a track that shows just how much Steely Dan could accomplish with a horn section. With a major assist from Timothy Schmit on background vocals, “Home At Last” is a lyrical recasting of a passage from Homer’s “Odyssey,” but is also easily interpreted as being about two East Coast natives, Becker and Fagen, longing to leave the Los Angeles sun for the home they know better. “Home At Last” is also notable for Walter Becker’s beautiful guitar solo; no matter how much he relied on studio musicians to get the sound he was hearing in his head, sometimes he still had to do it himself.

#5–”Razor Boy” (Countdown to Ecstasy)

After the fiery intro of “Bodhisattva,” 1973’s Countdown to Ecstasy settled into more subtle, nuanced fare with this gem. Featuring Victor Feldman’s marimba and an unforgettable chorus, “Razor Boy” is the earliest composition to point towards the grail of Aja. Despite its sad message–whether it’s about the perils of addiction or the dying embers of a relationship is for you to deduce–the harmonies and the melody overpower the melancholy to leave the listener smiling.

#4–”Deacon Blues” (Aja)

The closest Steely Dan ever got to autobiography was this classic track from their most beloved album. Fagen’s vocals inhabit the role of a grizzled veteran coming to grips with his approaching mortality and plotting a path towards contentment. “I cried when I wrote this song, sue me if I play too long” are the most personal lines the pair wrote. The story of an over-the-hill jazz aficionado climaxes with a beautiful sax solo by Pete Christlieb, who recorded it after finishing his day job in The Tonight Show Band. “Deacon Blues” is one of the group’s most beloved tunes and arguably the best way to introduce someone to Steely Dan.

#3–”Show Biz Kids” (Countdown to Ecstasy)

The first single off of Steely Dan’s second album is unlike anything that came before or after. Featuring a Rick Derringer slide guitar solo recorded at Caribou Ranch in Nederland, “Show Biz Kids” is the same loop repeated for four minutes without a chorus, released years before the Talking Heads popularized the concept on Remain in Light. Doomed to fail as a hit because it was so uncommercial, the song was decades ahead of its time, highlighting the crass consumerism of Las Vegas, poking fun at hipster culture and the group’s own fans, and using a rap-style vocal delivery. Long before the phrase “Nepo Baby” entered the lexicon, Steely Dan gave us this earworm.

#2–”The Caves Of Altamira” (The Royal Scam)

Chicago (the group, not the city) and Blood, Sweat and Tears might have blazed trails combining rock with large horn sections, but no one made a big band sound better than Steely Dan. “My Old School” and “Night by Night” are the earliest examples of Dan compositions with horns, but “The Caves Of Altamira” is the best, an irresistible chorus alongside lyrics that imagine a child adventuring into Spain’s famous cave and marveling at 36,000 year-old prehistoric art. 

#1–”Aja” (Aja)

Aja–both the album and the song–are peak Steely Dan. By this point the studio was practically a third member of the group. Through its nearly eight-minutes, “Aja” reaches heights Steely Dan hadn’t even attempted before. Its Far Eastern-flavored verses lead into lengthy solos from jazz masters Wayne Shorter (on sax) and Steve Gadd (on drums). No Steely Dan song sounded better or more deftly melded jazz and rock.

Interested in a deeper dive? Donald Fagen’s often hilarious 2013 memoir Eminent Hipsters features a tour diary that finds him in full curmudgeon mode, and 2018’s Major Dudes–A Steely Dan Companion compiles reviews and interviews with Becker and Fagen from the past fifty years. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, “Kid Charlemagne” from The Royal Scam came in at #11.

 

Fleetwood Mac: Beyond Rumours

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Ever wonder which albums sell the most at Paradise Found Records? If you’re looking for what’s popular right now, the Boulder Weekly regularly publishes that week’s biggest sellers. Looking back a few months, special events like Record Store Day skew the numbers toward rare releases from Taylor Swift and the Grateful Dead. But some albums sell steadily regardless of trends and seasons. The #1 seller at Paradise Found for many years has been Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, the pinnacle of seventies Southern California pop-rock that chronicled the simultaneous disintegration of two intra-band marriages. Rumours is tied for eighth on the list of best-selling albums of all-time at forty million copies, and our customers have definitely made a small contribution to that total. Whether you’re starting a new vinyl collection or rebuilding an old one, it’s an essential part of any music library.

Anyone that’s ever listened to radio, watched TV or been on TikTok is familiar with “Dreams,” “Go Your Own Way” and “Don’t Stop.” Some might be curious after Daisy Jones & The Six, the best-selling book inspired by the Fleetwood Mac story that spurred an Amazon Prime series that debuted earlier this year. What’s less common knowledge is that the group included eighteen different musicians over a fifty-five-year run that began in 1967 and resulted in seventeen studio albums. The iteration of Fleetwood Mac that created Rumours was its fifth separate lineup, and that doesn’t even include a fake edition that toured in 1974 after a falling out with a manager who claimed he owned the band name and sent out an entirely different batch of musicians under that moniker to prove it. It took a lawsuit to stop that tour, but the silver lining was that the hiatus resulted in the rhythm section of drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie–the group’s two constants–moving to Los Angeles, where Fleetwood “discovered” Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Key contributor/pianist Christine McVie didn’t become a full-fledged member until 1971’s Future Games. Also worth noting: the original lineup’s second single way back in 1968 was Peter Green’s “Black Magic Woman,” Santana’s biggest hit until “Smooth.” 

Take the time to explore beyond Fleetwood Mac and Rumours, the first two albums to feature Buckingham and Nicks, and there’s an incredibly deep catalog of high-quality classic rock. It might be hard to imagine, but for anyone old enough to remember the band from its inception, Fleetwood Mac was first and foremost a British blues band cut from the Cream cloth, contemporaries of the Jeff Beck Group that launched Rod Stewart before Led Zeppelin conquered the earth. Here, in reverse chronological order, are five gems to help with a deeper dive.

Tusk (1979)

How do you follow-up one of the greatest albums of all-time? Any artist would be challenged to replicate that level of success; Lindsey Buckingham opted to scare off as many casual fans as possible. Coming two years on the heels of Rumours, Tusk just might be the most daring LP ever by such a beloved rock act. A disciple of Brian Wilson, Buckingham went into the studio determined to follow his muse regardless of commercial appeal. In some instances that meant heavily percussive material without a bridge or chorus (the title track), in others fuzzed-out vocals and guitars (“Not That Funny”). Spread over two albums, Tusk dared the listener to step outside the box of sunny Southern California rock. The record has sold less than a tenth as much as its predecessor, but don’t be fooled. The Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie contributions (including “Sara” and “Think About Me”) are as good as anything they produced, and Tusk has built a reputation as an underrated, critically adored treasure over the decades since its release.

Buckingham Nicks (1973)

Buckingham Nicks isn’t a Fleetwood Mac record per se, but it’s definitely Mac-adjacent. The duo released only one record before Mick Fleetwood heard them on a visit to the famed Sound City Studios in Los Angeles. Fleetwood asked Buckingham to join, but Buckingham said he’d only do it if Nicks was included, a move that worked out well for all involved. Buckingham Nicks includes one track that was re-recorded by the group, “Crystal,” alongside the same proto-SoCal sound that sold gazillions, albeit in a more stripped down, lo-fi setting. There’s still plenty here for fans to love. It also has collector appeal–never repressed after 1977, a used vinyl copy costs between $45 and $75 depending on condition (watch out for counterfeits). Sadly, Buckingham and Nicks have never been able to agree on a re-release, one that would surely sell well since it’s not available on streaming services.

Bare Trees (1972)

Fleetwood Mac started as a showcase for Peter Green’s blues guitar. Like Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and others, there was no shortage of British musicians in the mid-to-late sixties focused on updating and adapting American blues for a more contemporary, rock-hungry audience. The group’s original second guitarist, Jeremy Spencer, famously left the group mid-tour in 1972 after a bad mescaline trip led him into the arms of a Christian cult. By then Fleetwood Mac had already added a third guitarist, Danny Kirwan. Once Spencer left the flock a couple of years after Green’s departure, he was replaced by Bob Welch. Bare Trees is a transitional effort, the last with Kirwan and the first with Welch, but that doesn’t make it any less rewarding. Christine McVie, who married bassist John McVie in 1968, had recently advanced from session player to full member status, and her soulful organ and vocals offer a glimpse of the great success to come. The album includes some of Kirwan’s best songs (“Child of Mine,” “Dust” and the title track), a Bob Welch song (“Sentimental Lady”) that he later reworked into a top ten hit as a solo act, and vintage McVie (“Spare Me a Little”). Bare Trees might be less polished, but it’s almost as infectious as the first two records with Buckingham and Nicks.

Kiln House (1970)

Fleetwood Mac’s fourth effort was their first without Peter Green, and contained material mostly composed by Danny Kirwan and the soon-to-depart Jeremy Spencer. Christine McVie added vocals and keys and also designed the cover, which referenced the oast (aka hop) house where the band had been living during the recording. Kiln House offers a variety of genres; the highlight is certainly the bluesy “Station Man,” one of the group’s all-time best tracks, which they continued to perform live for decades regardless of membership. It also contains fifties-style rave-ups (“This is The Rock,” “Hi Ho Silver”), classic rock (“Jewel-Eyed Judy”) and even a catchy-but-bizarre country and western composition by Spencer (“Blood on the Floor”). At this point the band was searching for a new sound without its longtime leader, but Kiln House is still a surprisingly strong effort that has aged well.

Then Play On (1969)

The group’s third album was the last with founder Peter Green and the first to feature Danny Kirwan. One of Fleetwood Mac’s most-covered songs, “Oh Well,” sprung from the sessions for the LP (although it was omitted from the first pressing). The song has reached a near “Stairway to Heaven” level of ubiquity; it’s been covered by artists as diverse as Tom Petty, Haim and Ratt, although few have bothered with the lengthy, instrumental “Part Two,” which includes Green on cello and sounds like a spaghetti western soundtrack. Then Play On is blues-oriented but still the most commercial record Green made with the group. It showcases a band branching out into more psychedelic-style jamming and starting to show a softer side, even if it’s a far cry from the sound that struck gold six years later.