Good job I kept my turntable...: March 2009

First, I want to apologise for the lack of updates recently. I haven't gone away, and I'm still paying the subs to keep the rapidshare account open so all the old links stay live. Fact is, I like having this blog and I like sharing this music (great and not so great) and I like the feedback I get.

But with two kids, a full-time job and all the other things I have to I don't have as much time as I'd like for things like blog maintenance - so don't be surprised if there's another huge gap before the next post.

The other thing is that I'm running out of vinyl to rip. Most of the rest of my albums are now available on CD (and so I won't post them) - but every so often I discover that an album that *was* available isn't any more. So I pounce. Oh, you may be able to buy it from ebay, or from Amazon in the 'used and new' section, but the *artist* doesn't get anything from that so I have no problems with giving it away instead. I'm not going to support second-hand dealers!

On a related note I recently found myself outsite an AFP (that's Amanda *Fucking* Palmer to you) gig in Camden with a spare ticket. Touts were walking up and down the queue buying and selling tickets, but I held on to mine and then, when I got to the front of the queue, I just *gave* it to a girl hoping for a return or affordable ticket. You should have seen the look I got from the touts! Made me feel good (even though the girl snatched the freebie and ran off without even thanking me... That's yoof for ya...)

And now, back to the records.

Here's an all time classic that has recently become unavailable to buy.

John Stewart, sadly, died last year and even though I hadn't bought a new album of his in thirty years I was saddened to hear about it. Back in the early seventies he was a great personal favourite of mine (along with other ZigZag & Dark Star US singer/songwriter greats like Papa Nes, Guy Clark, Gene Clark). This isn't his best album - the incomporable California Bloodlines romps away with that (hmm - must check whether Old No 1 and Wolfking of LA are available - there's a classic triad for you) - but it's a damn fine record of a great talent.

BTW I do have the original vinyl (double) album but this rip is from my CD copy. The last two tracks aren't on the vinyl.

Enjoy - and I'll be back before long.

L7ers