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I've just had the first play-through of the Oscar Peterson live recording from Montreux (red vinyl from the USA "Pablo Live" label)
Now enjoying Bobby Vee's Greatest Hits.


Both picked up yesterday in the Charity shop where I sort the vinyl as part of my volunteer activities. This pair were part of a larger haul, and between them cost me an eye-watering £2.60 . . .

Gordon Lightfoot - If you could read my mind

ZZ Top - Eliminator. Great fun.

AC/DC - The razors edge

There is a Spring Sale on at Burning Shed and this gave me the chance to acquire the remasters of Mansun 'Attack of the Grey Lantern' and 'Six'. I have never really given ' Attack ....' much attention before, but the cleaned-up version turns a ho-hum disc into a subtle and powerful ride which can now be fully enjoyed. Leading me into a fresh look at what Paul Draper has been doing more recently.

At the same time I picked up a couple of other CDs, including a compilation 'Lightning Strikes the Library' by North Atlantic Oscillation, a strange outfit from Scotland whom I have heard something from - but it was a long time ago.



Describing themselves as 'Post-Prog Electronica' this trio sounds like Radiohead and Porcupine Tree playing songs in the style of Gentle Giant. Difficult to categorise and they really have a unique approach which, if you are in the right frame of mind, is quite addictive. Anyhow much of their back catalogue is available cheap at Burning Shed or their brand-new album 'United Wire' can be heard via Bandcamp:

https://northatlanticos.bandcamp.com/album/united-wire

Main-man Mark Healy also has 2 solo albums in the same style that he has issued under the name ' Sand'. Also worth checking out.

Rush - Hemispheres

Japan 'Live from the Budokan 1982' (2020)



Japan had already announced that they were splitting before their final series of concerts in the Land of the Rising Sun. This concert, the fifth before last, was taped for Ryuichi Sakamoto's radio show and he and the other members of YMO make an appearance here.

The quirky, synthesized sound of the band works stunningly well here with all members firing up for excellent performances. Recording quality is also very good, making this a great listen.

Magnum - Lost on the road to eternity

Not exactly my 'last listen', but just arrived home and about to spin it.

Althea & Donna "Uptown Top Ranking" - 1978 : 2023 RSD remaster.
For "one hit wonders" the line-up on this is impressive.
We have Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare providing drums and bass.
Tommy McCook on tenor sax, Vin Gordon (trombone), Herman Marquis (alto sax).
Earl "China" smith on guitar, Bernard "Touter" Harvey supplies the keyboards and Noel "Scully" Simms does percussion.

Japan 'Quiet Life' (1979)
Japan 'Gentlemen Take Polaroids' (1980)





The recently-acquired Budokan concert CD has me going back to Japan's studio albums with renewed interest. They were a band I never 'got' back then, their pretty-boy, Glam Rock image did not appeal to me and the music never got my interest. Finally 'Tin Drum' started to get me curious and I did become a big admirer of David Sylvian after he released 'Gone to Earth'.

'Quiet Life' marked a tectonic shift in style and the Glam guitars were replaced by shifting electronics, with subtlety and mystery becoming the order of the day. Moving labels to Virgin gave them more creative freedom to follow this path and 'Gentlemen Take Polaroids' is a masterpiece that has weathered the decades well.

Still unique, wonderful music.