I think Geddys vocals from 80s onwards are great and way lower that the 70s screaming that Even I struggle with.

Good to see the Spirit collection coming along! I happened to pick up a John Renbourn cd in a charity shop on the Isle of Mull (!!) which glories in the name ‘Sir John Alot of Merrie Englandes Musyk Thyng and ye Grene Knyghte’. Really interesting if not one I’ll listen to often. Cheers James😊

Hi James,Great find with that Lee Hazlewood Well done,Ian

Great presentation! For a real glimpse into the life & times & adventures of Neil Peart, take a look at his Books that he wrote: The Masked Rider, Ghost Rider, Traveling Music, Roadshow, Far and Away, Far and Near, and Far and Wide. All of them are really excellent reading material! 😎

I tried to get into Hot Rats. Some of it I like but on a whole it’s not my thing

James, I still struggle with Rush. My friend who I do my podcast with is a huge Rush fan. He keeps working on me. Agree with Hazelwood, never see his records much either. I need to sample him some. His music with Nancy reminds me of albums by Isobell Campbell and Mark Lanegan.

Nice one james love Mingus don’t gadge that tho. Dr John always a favourite seen him live a pleasure. John renbourn what a guitarist have a couple of his brilliant with the pentangle.

Your Oxfam must be more interesting than the charity shops here. Last I checked it was the usual rubbish in the bins, just priced even higher now. In the past I did find a couple of John Renbourns that way but never seen that one. Never got on with Rush though I did enjoy an early one by them, Caress Of Steel which was more straight ahead 70's rock as I recall. Self indulgent is a good description for much of Zappa's oeuvre. He's a tough nut to crack, there's brilliance there but he almost seems to deliberately go in the opposite direction at times. Hot Rats being one of his more accessible efforts. Cheers!

Totally agree with you on Rush. I love the first album, like the next four or five (except the awful Caress of Steel) and then I'm quite ambivalent. I have been given three or four of the later albums, so I will be dutifully listening to them in the near future. Fingers crossed. You are right about Marshall Crenshaw. He deserved better. Talented guy. But like Amy Correia, Jill Sobule, David Mead, Willie Nile... the list of stunning singer songwriters who fail to catch on is truly heartbreaking.

Hi James, Great video as always. Glenn Tilbrook always used to play "Tears of a clown" in his solo shows. I used to love the Glenn / audience call and response on "I need you". The Eels are a fantastic band. I love "Novocaine for the soul", but it's a 50/50 with "Flyswatter" for their best song.

Amazing that you posted this just 2 weeks ago and now the reissue campaign has been announced.

Future Days is great. I think that's the last album they did with vocalist Damo Suzuki in the band

Hemispheres is part two of Cygnus X1 from Farewell to Kings.

I'm with you on the prog rock thing. Doesn't sit well with me although I'm a bit hypocritical as I have Porcupine Tree and Mars Volta CDs. Not that I listen much. Prog itself is everywhere however.

S Club 7 covered one of Crenshaws songs. A bit unexpected😀

Good video again James! How much was both the Zappa Hot Rats and the Can album, And what issue is the Can one?? I had to get both of them on recent reissue, As originals on Reprise and United Artists are flippin hard to come by!!!!

Good finds again James - nice to have the option of a Cd or Vinyl copy at all times ! Love that John Renbourn sleeve - I too was a Kerrang reader up until all 86/87 then I jumped to tbe NME- big Rush fan here - especially the 79-85 period with those synths coming in

Rick was never in that original photo he was photoshopped in later when the shine on box set was released

Hot Rats for 10 pounds was a deal James. It is a listenable album in Zappa terms. Next to Apostrophe and Overnight Sensation. Hot Rats is one of his easier albums to listen to. The Can and Crenshaw where nice finds too. I would say that you did really well. A nice assortment of music to pull out and spin. Thanks for sharing them. Enjoy them all~ Rob/Boston

I love that Transatlantic label too..thats' the later early 70s label, the 60s OG being monochrome. Lovely John Renbourn, don't think you can go wrong there with any of his albums.. reccomend Sir John A Lot if you don't already have it. I really struggle with Rush, it's definitely the vocals, as they're clearly stellar musicians, and some of the music is interesting. I still occasionally listen to 2112, as it's nostalgic because I used to get stoned and listen to it with a mate of mine many moons ago. Those first 3 Spirit albums are fantastic..and I picked up the family That Stays Together back end last year, probably my favourite after ' Sardonicus'. Nice Lee Hazelwood, you're right his records rarely show up in the wild. I've still not taken the plunge with Zappa..I really don't know what i make of his stuff..I would imagine there's some great material within his vast catalogue but I don't think it's a rabbit hole I'll be jumping down into anytime soon. Future Days is a Can album I don't have..their music always Delights, so clever. Some great finds James.

Nice Mingus find, always important to have him around. Quick nod about the cover, given his name is Charles, they used the nickname "Charlie," on that album which he famously hated, both on the original release, and on the release you have got. His sound is even more incredible on vinyl.

I have the same problem of trying to cut down buying albums that I already have on CD. I have the first two albums by Rush but for some reason I never bought their most popular albums and didn't keep up with them. I'm a big fan of Professor Longhair but I think that I only have a couple of albums by Dr. John. I think that I have about all of Marshall Crenshaw's albums and actually have two albums of Downtown as there were two different covers and I wasn't paying attention. I don't have a lot of Frank Zappa but I quite like Hot Rats. Cheers.

I came to Jon Renbourn from Pentangle, who really pioneered melding Btitish folk-rock with jazz.

Hey James just to let you know it’s pronounced “ti-u-wah-na”.

I remember hearing that Charles Mingus' widow went on a mission to make sure he wasn't called Charlie. I bought the Zappa comp Strictly Commercial back in the 90s, and I loved nearly all of the tracks. Peaches En Regalia is great, but I don't have much time for extended guitar wankery. I'm clearly not a Zappa album kinda guy.

What does zebe mean James..?

Hot Rats is a classic from FZ. Check out Waka Jawaka. Fun fact on that Spirit family that plays - the drummer is the guitarist father in law.

Hi James I’ve been listening to a lot of rush over the last few years.. you can class me as a new fan .. .. hindsight records sell in todmordon on Sundays and occasionally I go and have a look and they always knock a few pounds off .. cheers James

Rush were my 6th form band. Saw them 5/6 times. Amazing musicians. Lifeson one of the best. La villa strangiato is truly brilliant. I have loads of spirit albums. Still not sure 😂

I came to Rush in 1980 when I was 16 and Permanent Waves from that year was the album that made me a fan. I do think Geddy's vocals became more restrained from Permanent Waves on and that's why I'm a 80s Rush fan foremost. I have gotten used to his more shrill delivery from the 70s and do like quite a bit of it, but 1980 to 1996 Rush is what I listen to the most.

Yeah, a cracking Mingus one there James..nice to see you highlight it. Future Days too. Would love to have been at that Wardrobe gig - know that basement venue well

The Charles Mingus album title is pronounced: 'tea-ah-wana'. It's a famous Mexican resort town that us Yanks flee to for escape ... as Charles clearly did!

Uh oh, Rush may well be a slippery slope! Certainly by the end of the 80s, Geddy was singing in a lower register. I never gave his voice a second thought, but he even mentions in his autobiography that many people couldn't get past it. Moving Pictures is probably most people's favourite Rush album. I rarely see OG Can albums. On the other hand, I have a lot of their albums on CD! Nice additions!

I need that Spirit album.

I more than slightly struggle with Rush vocals.

Well, this is the sistematic comparison of this album with the previous one and how it's never better. I would have treated the album on it's own merit, and there's lot's of it. Wings were never as good again. Neither Paul. After this he began to use use more and more sugar in his music. This is his last bonafide rock album. Personally, it's my fav Winds album.

Not Original with the Barcodes

My parents had that Del Shannon album! I know it’s a budget one but a good one nonetheless! They also had a k-tel comp called Disco Rocket, of which the Manfred Mann’s Earth Band’s version of Blinded By The Light was the closing track on side two (unedited believe it or not!) I noticed as a kid in the 80’s that it had B Springsteen as the songwriting credit, but I didn’t hear his original till many years later in the 90’s! Call this sacrilege but I prefer the Manfred’s version more! Great video again, always enjoy these!!!!

Hi James , I’ve loved Curtis for years I even named my cat after him 🐈. Smokey had a purple patch but I can’t think of anything by him since 1981 .. those Motown compilation are a treat .. thanks for sharing 👍

Growing up in the 80's I became a huge Beatles and McCartney fan.. this is probably the last album from him that I really got into.. kind of lost track after this..

Bob Dylan - Empire Burlesque

Borderline - it is a good track. Memphis, Tennessee or Havana Moon are my Chuck Berry songs.

WahWah is THE song I would point to of an overproduced sound. Wizzard Brew - spot on; I can't actually listen to it because it is a wash of sound/reverb and you just can't make things out of it. Boulders gets it right. For me, Hysteria and A Wizard wouldn't be better if they were underproduced so I think they are produced well since that sound I guess is the point of those albums. A different way of saying it: usually production serves the songs, but I think on those two albums, the songs are meant to serve the production.

Motown Chartbusters Volume 3: Iconic! Madonna: Can't beat Get Into The Groove for me. Interesting picks: I'll have to check out some of your choices.

For me the Eels track would be 'Mr E's Beautiful Blues'. One of my all-time favourite Smokey Robinson albums is 'Floy Joy' by the Supremes. I love that post Diana Supremes album, and Smokey's DNA is all over it.

Doing my favorite 100 albums was daunting, doing singles, this seems like an impossible task. I just ordered that Eels album as I loved that when it came out. Thanks for helping me spend more money

I agree with you regarding 'Spike' - it doesn't quite know what it wants to be (maybe thats the point?) But its an album i also like but its not a top tier Costello album - i"ve never quite fully been on board with it - yes, i think the production plays a part in that. Good video as always James, keep up the good work.

Rene Magritte was a Belgian (not a French) painter.

Yeah I still have a soft spot for those very early Madonna songs, Borderline, Lucky Star, Holiday etc. Even watched Desperately Seeking Susan again a while back, think I saw it in the theatre when new. Certainly was something compelling about her! There was a girl in my school who copied her whole look with the stockings and bracelets and so on. I've been listening to a reggae cover of Fire And Rain lately, the album which is titled after it will likely make an appearance in a future video. Got Superfly and Curtis' debut but never come across Roots. Cheers!

I really like that Chuck Berry song as well. I just found that Blood, Sweat & Tears album at a charity shop and I never find anything in charity shops. My favorite Blood, Sweat & Tears album is their first when they were led by Al Kooper. I still need to check out Laura Cantrell. Late For The Sky is my favorite Jackson Browne album and "Fountain Of Sorrow" is a great tune. "Tracks Of My Tears" is great. Wonderful picks.