Adventures in Record Collecting

The last of the Wings-related content for a long time, I talk about Bond, myths and legends, grammar, and what makes a good Bond theme. *I also left out a qualifier--the bulk of the budget for the music for the movie went to Paul, but it would be easy to parse what I said as being the bulk of the film's budget, which is not accurate.

I'm back on my merde , as I discuss the first LP from French rock star and actor Jacques Dutronc. I cover the perils of analogy, Dylan impressions, garage rock and more. In addition to many men named Jacques, I also mention Spielberg, Truffaut, and of course, since it wouldn't be an episode of French pop music otherwise, Johnny Hallyday.

A brief detour back into the English language, and Paul's first post-breakup #1. I talk about satisfying chord progressions, funny voices, and singalongs. I also touch on diss tracks.

Salut, les copains! I tackle the birth of yéyé pop, a distinctly French phenomenon of the 60s. I talk about cultural chauvinism, disparate influences, and the dominance of female singers in the French music scene, and how that might have been a double-edged sword. I also, despite having decent French language skills, struggle with switching back and forth between English and French within a single...

As I mentioned on the previous episode, Red Rose Speedway was originally conceived of as a double album. When EMI said "nope", Paul shuffled some stuff around and compressed it into a single. In 2018, Paul reconstructed the original vision for the album. So I bought it. I talk about sequencing, vibes, and counterfactuals.

We're still in the throes of a Maccathon. While I wait for The Boys of Dungeon Lane, we might as well talk about Wings' second album, and its long and winding road (hah!). I talk banning, touring, and harmonies. This week, I cover the single LP version as it was released in 1973.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the breakup of the Beatles was a fraught hot mess. It was also a slo-mo train wreck, and in alternate timelines, it is possible that the end could have been delayed, if not completely avoided. However, the release of Instant Karma, and its chart success, was probably the point of no return. I discuss the song, as well as the paradox that is John Lennon,...

After covering covering four studio albums from Wings (plus one modern repress auxiliary copy and a belated post hoc release), we return to the beginning. I cover the origins of Wings, how the band got its name, and why Paul may have rushed into the studio after a few weeks of jamming in Scotland. Eliot Robert's deep dive into Paul's discography: https://youtu.be/WIOMiAMyKJ0?si=hz9eScgZonl...

We return to Weird Paul and his bleep bloops! I talk about my second copy of McCartney II, why the Archive Collection version is on my Discogs wantlist, and go on a discursive journey about how streaming has allowed many people to too aggressively curate their music listening habits, which might stunt their musical taste. And if that weren't enough, I cover side two! RIP John Lennon; you would...

Is this Paul McCartney's most divisive album? Probably. While other albums might be less loved, few are more hated. I dig its weirdness. I talk about ambivalence, experimentation, and the inadvisability of bringing a big ol' bag o' weed into Japan. I also present my lukewarmest of lukewarm Beatles takes.

It's Ringo! This time, Ringo, after hanging out with Marc Bolan, goes a little glam with Back off Boogaloo. Is it a diss track? If it is, while Ringo wouldn't have been alone in being baffled by Ram, saying so in the press (and that it didn't have any good songs on it) was perhaps a little rich. The B-side was Ringo's stab at writing a theme song for a spaghetti western that he was...

Grab your tickets, folks! It's a live album! Duran Duran came to my city in 1984, and I was champing at the bit to go. Alas, I did not receive parental permission (being only 13 and those being different times). I work through my disappointment, discuss the importance of MTV in breaking Duran Duran in the US, and more!

When are The Beatles not The Beatles? The answer this week is when they're Badfinger. Before they were a rock and roll cautionary tale about scummy managers, they were a band from Wales with a Liverpool connection when they were brought into the Beatles' orbit. This single, at least the A-side is pretty Beatlesque, which is not surprising, as it was written and produced by Paul McCartney.

Back in 1982, I wanted my MTV, and certainly one reason was this episode's artist, Adam Ant. I dive into his solo debut, Friend or Foe, talk about art school and New Wave, Punk Rock icon Jordan, and muse on the shelf life of songs in the internet era.

Before I finish off One Hand Clapping, I take a brief interlude to discuss a couple of singles from Wings: Hi Hi Hi/C Moon and Helen Wheels/Country Dreamer. Because all four songs are also handled elsewhere, I skim the surface and compare and contrast versions. Then it's onto side four and the bonus EP. There's a mini rant about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a request for a couple of bag...

It's double album time! I tackle the first three sides of this 2024 release of the 1974 One Hand Clapping Sessions. I give a recap of As the Band Turns and share some hot (or maybe lukewarm) takes involving hits and Bond themes.

Ringo! As the four Beatles started to figure out who they were without the other three, Ringo went to Nashville and recorded his first country album. And we have the single--the title track, backed with a non-album B-side.

It is possible to recognize an album as being the best, but having another as your favorite. I tease apart why I consider Band on the Run to be the best Wings album, but Back to the Egg is my favorite. I talk about the lore surrounding the album, tease out some biographical breadcrumbs nestled within the lyrics, and talk about how, even now, fans go wild when Paul plays one of these songs live.

We've got another extended dance mix for all you fans of 80s synth pop! The single Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go, backed with Memorabilia and Tainted Dub. I talk covers, instrumentation and used record seredipity!

It's highbrow time at Record Collecting HQ! I discuss the life and times of one Ludwig van Beethoven (the famous grandson, not the grandfather), talk about the shift from the eighteenth century, full of Reason and the Classical Era, and the nineteenth century, which ushered in the dawn of Romanticism. I talk tinnitus and fear of heights, as well as getting back on my soapbox to bitch about the...

Let's dance this mess around! I tackle our first 12" single here at Record Collecting HQ, with four versions of the Girl from Ipanema Goes to Greenland. While the song is fun, the story behind the scenes is much less so. I pop off about Reagan, particularly re: the AIDS crisis.

A bit tardy to the party, as I get back into the rhythm of regular recording again. We have a great slice of early 80s new wave, ABC's Lexicon of Love. I talk about hooks, lyrics, early music videos, Bravo reality stars, and much more! Note: I apologize in advance--I was too lazy to drag out my pop filter, and my plosives and aspirations are out of control.

The bitch is back! My turntable has a brand spanking-new cartridge, and I'm ready to play records and tell you what I think! The single under discussion: Another Day and Oh Woman, Oh Why by Paul McCartney. I touch on credits, publishing, the interminable Apple lawsuits, the patriarchy, and Weird Paul for a little less than eight minutes.

Nope, no Nirvana (yet); just a brief announcement/explanation why there haven't been the anticipated posts. I'll be running two weeks behind for the duration of this batch, but I will be getting to everything I planned. Remember kids: lock your tone arm before you put the turntable cover on. Your stylus will thank you.

Drugs! Dysfunction! Harmonies! As the folk-rock-pop band turns, I recount the twists, turns, acid, and petty fraud that brought John, Michelle, Denny, and Cass together, as well as tearing them apart. Working on this episode has also spurred a side project: a list of Rock's Biggest Sh!theads. * Note: if knowing what you know about John Phillips would make listening to me mention his name psych...