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Vinyl

Vinyl love: Stars “The five ghosts”

(Vinyl Love is a series of posts that quite simply lists, describes, and displays the pieces in my growing vinyl collection. You can bet that each record was given a spin during the drafting of each corresponding post.)

Artist: Stars
Album Title: The five ghosts
Year released: 2010
Details: 6 x 7″ box set, coloured vinyl (pink, yellow, white, pink marbled, clear milky, light blue), wood box, 13 postcard photos (one of them signed)

The skinny: If “Set yourself on fire” was their best album, Stars’ fifth album “The five ghosts” is most definitely a close second, in my mind anyway. Two of its songs appeared in my Best tunes of 2010 list (at #20 and #7) and in one of those posts, I told the story about how I sent out a search party the night it was released to find a copy on CD. And as soon as I started collecting on vinyl, I knew I needed a copy on this format but they weren’t easy to come by. On a whim one day, I checked out the band’s website store and found they were clearing these 7” singles box set copies of the album. I jumped on it and though I don’t spin it very often, given the extra attention required for the listening of it, I’m very glad it’s part of my collection.

Standout track: “Wasted daylight”

Categories
Vinyl

Vinyl love: Ocean Colour Scene “Marchin’ already”

(Vinyl Love is a series of posts that quite simply lists, describes, and displays the pieces in my growing vinyl collection. You can bet that each record was given a spin during the drafting of each corresponding post.)

Artist: Ocean Colour Scene
Album Title: Marchin’ already
Year released: 1997
Year reissued: 2018
Details: Double LP, Translucent green, Remastered, RSD 2018 exclusive

The skinny: This sweet looking and sweet sounding piece of wax was a surprise pick up on Record Store Day back in April. “Marchin’ already” had just landed at the number six spot in a seriously loaded list when I counted down my top ten favourite albums of 1997 around that same time. Some of you might remember the track below as backing the opening credits of “Lock stock and two smoking barrels” but it had already climbed the UK charts the previous year. This and the rest of the album take traditional blue rock and soul and give it a modern bent. Brings back so many memories.

Standout track: “Hundred mile high city”

Categories
Vinyl

Vinyl love: The National “Sleep well beast”

(Vinyl Love is a series of posts that quite simply lists, describes, and displays the pieces in my growing vinyl collection. You can bet that each record was given a spin during the drafting of each corresponding post.)

Artist: The National
Album Title: Sleep well beast
Year released: 2017
Details: Limited edition, Double LP, translucent blue vinyl, 24″x24″ poster

The skinny: The National’s seventh record landed on a number of ‘end of the year’ lists last year, notably (for me anyway) finding itself at the number three spot on my own best of 2017 list. They pushed the envelope and experimented with their sound, while keeping the general ethos of their music intact. It is atmospheric and lush and dark. It looks and sounds great on vinyl and I am about hear what it sounds like live and in person later today.

Standout track: “The system only dreams in total darkness”