Event Attendance: Portland's BIG Music Collector's Show & Sale - September 26, 2010

This picture makes the show look more sparsely attended than it actually was, but the reality of the situation wasn't far from what's represented here.

I don't know if they just did a bad job of advertising this thing, or if everyone's holding out for the always-reliable Night Owl show later this month or what, but this event wasn't the rager that I thought it might be. Of course, now I'm wondering if the Night Owl show just seems nutso-busy every time because the room they hold it in is so damn tiny. All the same dealers that are at that show were at this one, but the room was like eight times as big. Honestly, that was probably it. Because there were people at this show. Just not a ton.

It was the first time I'd ever seen dealers packing their shit up four hours before the show was supposed to close. Like they had anywhere else to be at 2PM on a Sunday... (I kid, vinyl vendors, I kid.) Anyway, that's all a bummer for the organizers and the dealers, but for me, it meant less wedging in between fat dudes, and more time to browse LPs without feeling like someone was looking over my shoulder, waiting for me to move along. I stayed for about three and a half hours (I really had nowhere else to be), and by the end of the day, I had a solid haul in my record-carrying satchel.

Want to know what I got? Of course you might. So here's the breakdown:

Beck - "Cellphone's Dead" b/w "O Menina": The only 7" I picked up at the show, and it's a good one. The cover is basically a replica of the one from The Information, with a full sheet of stickers tucked inside, along with an inner sleeve that matches the outside one. Extravagant for a 7". And only five bucks.

Bongwater - Double Bummer: Aptly-named double LP from a band that I like most of the time. This is their first full-length, and it is over-the-top wacky. There is a time and a place for Bongwater, and it used to be when I was really, really high. Not sure when it will be now.

Heatmiser - Cop and Speeder: I had been meaning to buy this for about ten years, so I was happy to find it used, and on blue vinyl no less. It is not rare by any means, but I knew it existed on colored vinyl and just wanted to make sure I scored that version. I did. So that's something.

Pavement - Brighten the Corners: Finding original issues of Pavement LPs anywhere other than eBay (in Portland, especially) is damn-near impossible, so spotting this one in the wild was a rare treat for me. Lyric sheet intact, cover and LP in great shape - boom. Still need to decide if I want to buy the deluxe edition on vinyl. I bet I will at some point.

Pavement - Quarantine the Past (Record Store Day Version): This one includes a great story about record-collectin' nerds looking out for each other.

The last time I saw my pal Robi was on Record Store Day back in April. It happened to fall on the same day as the last Night Owl record show, which is where I saw him. We ended up leaving at the same time, and while we were heading to our cars, I was bitching about how I slept in, thus missing my chance to pick up the limited-edition version of Pavement's newest greatest hits comp, which featured not only different artwork, but a completely different (and better, if you ask me) tracklisting. It was completely my fault: I slept way late, hit the stores anyway, but knew I'd come up short. And I did. After checking the eBay prices over the next week or two, I was really pissed at myself.

I ran into Robi at this show, and he told me that he found a copy not long after I saw him last - in a store and for retail price, mind you - and that he had it in his car. Did I still want it? Yes I did. And never have I been so glad that I put off buying something on eBay. It even still had the download card in it. Boom. Robi, you understand how this vinyl-collecting game works. And I respect the shit out of you for that. Thanks again.

Unwound - The Light at the End of the Tunnel is a Train 12": Late-ish EP-type thing from a band that I should have loved a lot more a long time ago. It's never too late. My Unwound collection grows more decent by the year.

Method Man & Redman - Blackout!: Been meaning to buy this one on wax for a while now, but kept waiting to just find it used when I least expected it. It finally happened.

Method Man - Tical 2000: Judgement Day: Same deal with this one. Can you believe this is the only Method Man solo joint that I have on vinyl? Shame on me for not having a copy of Tical on my shelf. (Though I do have it on both CD and cassette.)

Nirvana - "Lithium" 12": German 12" single from 1992, in such beautiful shape that I want to cry. I am really excited about this one. NOT the picture disc version. Just the straight-up maxi-single with the picture sleeve.

Del tha Funkee Homosapien - I Wish My Brother George Was Here: Thought this was an original issue, but closer inspection revealed it to be a mid-2000's reissue. For the price I paid, I'm fine with that. And it came with a poster. I used to have this cassette, but lost it a long time ago. Happy to have it again.

L7 - Smell the Magic: Sub Pop, mid-90's, cheap price: I'm in.

Steel Pole Bath Tub - Tulip: Original insert intact. This is one of the SPBT albums that I've spent very little time with, and I'm looking forward to changing that. Let's get noisy.

Cat Power - Jukebox: I don't know if it's because of the fancy-ass packaging or what (gatefold, really thick vinyl, silver sheen), but this record retails for around 30 bucks, and I just never wanted to pay that much for an album of covers. Finally found it used and in decent shape. Holding out for a few years can eventually pay off. Every once in a while.

Sunz of Man - The Last Shall Be First: Not sure how rare this one is, but I've definitely never seen it before. It was filed in with a couple of Killarmy records that I know almost regret not buying, but I've always been more of a fan of this group. Original insert, and the whole thing is in great shape.

Wu-Tang Killa Bees - The Swarm: Another great random Wu find. Either this one is missing the insert or it's just a victim of really shoddy packaging, because there is no info about who performs on what song - not on the back, and not even on the LPs. Thankfully, it's already in my iTunes.

Not a bad group, eh? As usual, there were a bunch of Melvins records that I had to pass up because of their $50-$75 price tags, but I'm used to that at this point. Looking forward to seeing all the same dealers in a few weeks at the Night Owl show. Better start saving.

I Went to a Show: Pavement at Edgefield (September 3, 2010)

I felt like I bought the tickets for this show ages ago, and waiting for it was becoming excruciating. But, I knew the payoff would be worth it, and damn: it was.

Not seeing Pavement in their heyday was always a huge regret of mine, and though I wasn't positive they wouldn't get back together, I wasn't holding my breath. So when they announced their reunion, I was excited. Then began the wait for an Oregon show. It took a while, but they got here. I was expecting more of a Crystal Ballroom-type affair, but the Edgefield it was. Your parents probably saw David Gray there a few nights ago. Anyway. I'll take Pavement wherever I can get 'em.

Turns out Edgefield wasn't a bad place to see a show (I had never been there for live music before). The 6:30 start time was a little confusing - I'm used to shows starting at 9:30, not ending - but once I got past that, I was good to go. I took a good friend and we got there around 6, found some sweet parking, and ponied up near the front of the stage before the show even got going. Boom.

Quasi opened, and when it comes to bands that I have unintentionally seen repeatedly, they are at the top of the list. Pretty sure this was the fifth time I've seen them, and yet I've never gone to a Quasi show to see Quasi. Whatever. They've got Joanna Bolme on bass now, and though it hasn't added some crazy new dynamic to the band, they do sound fuller, especially on the guitar songs. They played a nice short set (finishing up with the crowd-pleasing "You Fucked Yourself"), and made way for the dudes from Pavement. I was giddy.

Just a few days earlier, Pitchfork had named "Gold Soundz" the best track of the 90's, and whether that had anything to do with them opening it with it, I don't know. And I don't care. It ruled, and it kicked off a two-hour show that featured them playing songs from all over their catalog (check the setlist here), though they mostly favored earlier stuff. As a sad fanboy who loves all their records almost equally, there was no way they were going to leave me feeling gipped, so I just rolled with it. And it was sweet.

They even played "And Then," the early version of the "The Hexx," during their encore. If you know what that means than you know why that is awesome. I love the shit out of that song.

I could gush forever. But I won't. I'll just say that this show ruled. Because it did.

I Went to a Show: Busdriver and 6Blocc at Whiskey Bar (August 13, 2010)

What an odd night.

Though it had all the usual features of a typical hip hop show (endless opening groups, a "host," sporadic DJ sets), this turned out to be anything but. Yes, the posters advertised the show as "Busdriver & 6Blocc," but I just assumed that meant they were co-headliners. And when it said the show was going until 4AM, I just figured that meant the bar would be open that late (this is the former Ohm, after all). It was Friday the 13th, for what it's worth. So maybe that had something to do with it.

There were at least four opening acts, including Unified Theory, Elevated Entities (who announced that they are now just calling themselves "Elevated" - bold move), Midas Dutch, and Marv Ellis. They all had their own things going on, and I don't really feel like explaining any of it. Though two of the acts put thump beats over well-known 80's pop songs, which surpassed irony and went straight to laziness. So that was something, I guess.

Anyway, Busdriver finally came out around midnight, with 6Blocc in tow. 6Blocc, it turns out, is a DJ (like the kind who plays in "dance" clubs), though he looks more like a high school math teacher. Not that I give a shit about that - in fact it made me like him more - but it caught me off guard at first. They got things going quickly and forcefully, busting into a electro-bumpy beat that rumbled the whole place. People in front of me and my accompanying friend began dancing like I had never seen people dance before. (In person, at least.) Flailing arms, sweat flying - doing things that made me think they were trying to "feel" the music. I felt like I was in an episode of Law & Order, at a place where people do "designer drugs."

Anyway, the beat was kicking, I didn't recognize it, and Busdriver was jittering around and freestyling over it. Cool. Until a half-hour later, when I realized that was all that was going to happen. The DJ played his beats (which, though I'm not a fan of that kind of music, were quite good), and Busdriver improvised. The kids who were in their own little dance worlds loved it. Me? I wanted to hear dude play some of his songs, or at least kick some lyrics that weren't made up on the spot. Two hours later, I realized it really wasn't going to happen.

I never thought I'd leave a Busdriver show before it was over, but we did just that. It was 2AM, there seemed to be no end in sight, and we walked. I didn't have a bad time, but it wasn't what I had hoped for. And that's my fault: I should have done my research. And who are we kidding? I would have gone anyway. But the $15 ticket price left a sour taste in my mouth. Still, it was an experience. And I like those.

I Went to a Show: Best Kissers in the World at Dante's (July 31, 2010)

It's been a few months since I saw the Best Kissers play their warm-up show at Slabtown, and I was definitely looking forward to seeing them again. This gig was - from my understanding - to be their official "First Big Portland Reunion Show," and they were fresh from playing their "First Big Seattle Reunion Show" the night before.

The band was loose (read: a little tipsy), but it didn't prevent them from putting on a fine show for the devoted fans in attendance. (I was happy to see that this show was more well-attended than their previous one.) Gerald was in high spirits, clearly still amped up from playing the night before at the hallowed Tractor Tavern. He was definitely chatty, I'll say that. But when it came time to run through the tunes, he was all business. His voice was a little worse for wear, but he's still probably transitioning it into rock mode. He'll get there.

The setlist was different from the show at Slabtown, with the band both mixing up the order the songs were played and adding some new ones. (They were pressed for time at their last show, so I assume a few tunes may have been sacrificed at that gig.) They even added and actual brand-spanking-new song to close out the set. Because I am a nerd, I once again jotted the setlist down into my phone. Here's how it went:

"Melanie"
"Countin' Out Dexadrine"
"Worried About It"
"Hit Parader"
"Slightly Used"
"Roadside Attraction"
"Broke My Knee"
"?" (Still don't know what this one is - somebody help me out.)
"Royal Pain in the Ass"
"Lonely Enough to Lie"
"Smoke Rings"
"Bleeder"
"Miss Teen U.S.A"
"They Give Each Other Diseases"
"Pickin' Flowers For"
"Vicodine"
"Are You Happy Now?"

They continue to play a really cool mix of songs from all of their records, and I think it's great that they're playing a bunch of stuff from the legendarily-shelved Yellow Brick Roadkill. I was really excited to hear "They Give Each Other Diseases," because it's one of my favorite Kissers songs. And "Bleeder," too. That one didn't make it into the set last time.

Ah, but the most exciting thing about this show was the release of a new CD from the band. No new music, mind you, but a new compilation of most of their early stuff, titled Skinned My Heart, Broke My Knee.
The CD gathers together the "Take Me Home" 7", their five-song Sub Pop EP, the "Broke My Knee" 7", and one half of the "Ohio" 7" ("Sweet Pea" isn't on here for whatever reason - maybe because it's a cover?).

I was excited to finally have CD-quality versions of the songs that had only been previously released on vinyl, so I was a little disappointed to find that they were just rips of the records. (Took care of that myself a long time ago.) But for anybody who doesn't want to hunt this stuff down one-by-one, this is a great comp of the band's early work. I was most excited about the extensive liner notes on the inside written by Mr. Collier, which both give a little bit of history about the band, and individual breakdowns of the tracks on the Sub Pop EP. Not going to go into detail about that, because you should just buy this thing and read 'em for yourself. Though I'm not sure where you can do that yet...

Now the band needs to find a way to release Yellow Brick Roadkill. The world deserves to hear it. Though I do secretly enjoy being one of the few who owns a copy of the CD. And, you can find it if you poke around a bit on the internet. Which I normally don't condone, but you literally can't buy it, so I say check it out.

By the way, the band's new official site is here.

Prince - The Black Album (CD, 1987/1994)

The story behind one of the most famously recalled/bootlegged/fabled albums in history is still a little hazy. This much is true: Prince put together an album - this album - that was to be his follow-up to Sign “☮” the Times. And a quick follow-up, at that: the record was supposed to be released a scant nine months later, in December of 1987. At the last minute, after initial copies had been pressed and promos had already been sent out, Prince called it off. He wanted it back.

Stories about why Prince decided not to release it vary, but it usually comes back to him deciding that it was evil, or too dark, or he took ecstasy and had some premonition or something. Whatever the reason, it immediately made the album mysterious and sought-after (the name certainly helped, I'm sure), and through a promo or two that got away, the thing got the shit bootlegged out of it.

I'm still unclear on how many actual copies of the 1987 pressing exist that aren't promos. This one showed up on eBay last week, and as you can tell, somebody really wanted it. (If the link is dead, the auction was for a sealed, longbox copy of the CD, and it went for $3,150.) They're claiming one like that hadn't been sold in fifteen years, but who knows if that's true. Even if it's not, you get the idea: it's probably the rarest and most sought-after compact disc in existence. (Please leave a comment if you know of another one in contention.) You can read a bit more about it on this site, though it hasn't been updated in forever.

I first heard The Black Album (not the official title, btw - it actually has no title) in 1994, when Warner Bros. did an official - though limited - release of it. I picked up a promo copy on cassette from my local record store, which was odd considering that I was way out of Prince mode at that point in my life, but I had heard so many rumors about this record that I just had to hear it.

Of course, like any album that you've built up in your mind as something that is so crazy that it had to be kept from the world, it did not live up to my expectations. I'm still not sure what I expected, but this funk frenzy was not it. I used to listen to the tape here and there, and after a while, I began to accept The Black Album for what it is: a totally decent Prince record.

The good stuff ("Le Grind," "Cindy C.," "Rockhard in a Funky Place") follows up on the party-time funk that Prince had mastered on his previous record. The hip hop shit ("Dead On It," "Bob George") feels forced, and strangely defensive. It's developed more of a context as the years have passed, but they still don't quite work. And the leftovers (The bizarre, mostly-instrumental "2 Nigs United 4 West Compton;" the slick synth-funk of "Superfunkycalifragisexy") feel like B-sides. (Oh, and "When 2 R in Love" is on here, too, but we already knew about that one.)

I still dig this record, and really, it's about as good as Lovesexy. So I guess that makes sense. In fact, if you put the two together, you've got yourself some nice '87/'88-era Prince. And there's nothing wrong with that. Even Prince's weaker stuff from that era is always worth listening to. Dig it.

"Le Grind"

Prince - Batman (LP, 1989)

Prince doing the Batman soundtrack seemed to make perfect sense and no sense at all. I don't consciously remember thinking it was odd, but I must have. They would have been short-lived: as soon as we all heard "Batdance" and saw the video for it, we realized that the dude got it.

In the summer of 1989, Batman was the coolest thing going, so Prince, by osmosis (or whatever) was cool as shit as well. It didn't hurt that "Batdance" was the dopest almost-non-vocal dance track since "Pump Up the Volume," and it certainly didn't hurt that the video looked as high-budget as the film. People were walking around saying "Vicki Vale" all the time, aping the way it's said in the song. I annoyed myself by doing it. I couldn't hear that name without instantly going to that. "I like... BATMAN!" It was nuts.

Whatever it was, it got Prince to churn out a cool little record. "The Future" and "Electric Chair" are both stomping dance tracks, and it's cuts like those that work the best on this record. "The Arms of Orion," a duet with Sheena Easton, is a little too "Somewhere Out There" for me, and "Scandalous" is a decent slow jam, but it lags a little around the fifth minute.

But whatever. Tracks like "Partyman," "Trust," and "Lemon Crush" bump nice and hard, and if Prince was trying to make some sweet dance jams, he pulled it off. Having "Batdance" close the record is a bold move, but of course, it makes sense. That song sounds fairly dated now, but it's still impressive. Prince really could do it all.

It's funny to hear some of the vocal samples on this record. Not on "Batdance" so much, but on some of the other cuts. They don't quite match the ones in the movie. It's hard to explain, but you can notice it if you listen close. Apparently Prince worked with a rough cut or something. This record still feels like a bit of novelty, but it's really not. There are some solid tunes here.

This would pretty much be the end of Prince for me, though that wasn't a conscious decision at the time. 1990 was around when I started getting into other kinds of music, and not relying on the radio so much, I guess. But, you know, "Thieves in the Temple" and that New Power Generation shit just didn't really do it for me. And if you've ever seen Graffiti Bridge (the "sequel" to Purple Rain, then you probably understand what I'm talking about. It's just a terrible, terrible movie. And this was when Prince started hyping Tevin Campbell - it was just no good.

But the 80's were good for Prince. Damn good.

"Partyman"

Prince - Lovesexy (LP, 1988)

Yes, the cover is ridiculous. And whether that alone was the determinant in making this one of Prince's least commercially successful releases up to this point is unclear, but it certainly couldn't have helped. It could also be the fact that next to Sign "☮" the Times, this record just doesn't hold up that well. It's still a great record, but it's just not one of Prince's greatest.

Lovesexy holds the slot in Prince's discography where the fabled Black Album was supposed to go, before it was hastily recalled at the last minute. Prince was obviously having some internal battle between good and evil, hence the release of this upbeat record, and hence its underlying themes involving God, Satan, all that mess. Those lyrics don't really interest me too terribly much, but I can tell you that there are some great songs on this record, regardless of goofy content.

The LP starts strong, with the one-two combo of the mighty fun "Eye No," and the rap-dance anthem that is "Alphabet St." "Alphabet St." remains a great song, and at five and half minutes, the album version cleans the clock of the radio/video edit. (When this came out, I had the cassette single for "Alphabet St.," which had the radio edit on the first side, and the remaining part of the song on the second side. Pretty cool.) Such a catchy tune, and Prince really knows how to get the most out of the hook.

It's followed by "Glam Slam," which I've never been a fan of. Prince went so far as to make it a single, which really makes me wonder if I'm missing something with this one. In fact, in my opinion, it's one of the weakest tracks he released up to this point in his career. Maybe this is where Prince started losing me. Either way, a very generic song from the little guy.

"Anna Stesia," the next track, isn't too great either, which may be evident from its cornball title. (Not that that's ever stopped Prince songs from being good.) This is where he starts spouting his "God is love" stuff, and it drags. Thankfully, "Dance On" (One of the stronger songs on the LP) and the title track follow it up, and they get shit back on track a little bit.

"When 2 R in Love" is the only track that is on both Lovesexy and The Black Album, which makes me think Prince felt strongly about it. He should have; it's a solid slow jam with a nice refrain. It's followed by "I Wish U Heaven," which is an okay three-minute pop tune, and was the third single from this record. Makes sense. The album closes with "Positivity," which is seven minutes long and a bit draining.

This is the first record - I'm fairly certain - where Prince mentions the New Power Generation. They weren't officially his band at this point, but he was working towards it. This directly coincides with where Prince starts losing me. That and the 90's, I guess. Either way, he seems to get more and more jumbled after this point, and for the first time, I found it hard to go down the weird-ass roads with him.

Well, actually, we took one more ride. Wait - maybe two.

"I Wish U Heaven"