Another live vinyl bootleg from The Cure (said to be an FM radio broadcast), this one from November 1st, 1987 at Forest National in Brussels Belgium. Many tracks from the then-new Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me album. This has also been bootlegged as Belgian Kisses on Casino Records.

You can find audio from the same show in the Internet Archive: The Cure Live – 1987-11-01 Vorst Nationaal, Brussels, Belgium with more tracks and tickets/images at the Cure Concerts Guide. Once again no info on where it actually was broadcast or by whom.

I love the “If Only Tonight We Could Sleep” here as well as “The Walk.”

My copy via The Record Exchange in Salem MA.

Great collection of Reggae / Ska / Rocksteady singles from the early days of Island Records, said to be hand-picked by label founder Chris Blackwell. There’s already been a Volume Two and Volume Three (going into the 70s) – not sure if there will be more or not.

Somewhat idiosyncratically includes The Spencer Davis Group alongside Toots & The Maytals, Desmond Dekker & The Aces, and The Soul Sisters – but it makes sense in the context of the original releases which also stood side by side at Island.

Track Listing

• Long Shot Kick de Bucket – The Pioneers
• Six and Seven Books – Toots & the Maytals
• Rivers of Babylon – The Melodians
• Forward March – Derrick Morgan
• Liquidator [Instrumental] – Harry J. All Stars
• Israelites – Desmond Dekker & the Aces
• 007 (Shanty Town) – Desmond Dekker & the Aces
• My Boy Lollipop – Millie Small
• 54-46 (Was My Number) – Toots & the Maytals
• Keep on Running – The Spencer Davis Group
• Gimme Some Lovin’ [Remastered] – The Spencer Davis Group
• Mockingbird – Charlie & Inez Foxx
• Harlem Shuffle – Bob & Earl
• I Can’t Stand It – The Soul Sisters

My copy via the Record Exchange in Salem MA – pressed at Pallas. (I believe there’s only been one pressing of each volume in this series).

Howe Gelb and company (on this record that’s Scott Garber, Winston Watson, Gabriel Sullivan, and Annie Dolan plus guests) return to (and re-record) the material from their debut Valley of Rain (1985).

Great alt-country / Americana / punk from Tuscon AZ. Worth picking up whether you had (and loved) the original or are new to Giant Sand.

My copy—via Bull Moose Records in Plaistow NH—is the limited edition blue vinyl version pressed at Optimal GmbH.

Wonderful collection of disco/soul/funk from the mid-seventies, including their biggest hits “Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel” and “It Only Takes a Minute.” They ended up on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, doing “More Than A Woman.” But even if you don’t like disco, they are well worth checking out.

They were from New Bedford MA / Providence Rhode Island, and Bernie Worrell briefly joined Tavares in 1968 while he was at the New England Conservatory of Music.

My copy—via Bull Moose Records in Plaistow NH—was part of a $2 grab bag of ten random LPs! What a great find (it does have a cutout corner as you can see in the pictures, but sounds great).

Another bootleg claiming to be from an FM broadcast, this one features The Cure at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle Washington, from October 21, 1984. (It’s actually from October 23rd, 1984 as the night of the 21st was cancelled).

As is common with these, it has been widely released and said to be an FM broadcast, but I can’t determine where it actually was broadcast, if ever. Great versions of “Charlotte Sometime,” “10:15 Saturday Night,” and “Let’s Go To Bed.”

My copy—via The Record Exchange in Salem MA—is the Mind Control release from 2023.

Allison’s 10th record on Atlantic and 20th overall. Of course the rest of the title couplet is “but your mouth is working overtime.” Great record, executive produced by Nesuhi Ertegun, with Jack Hannah (bass), Gerry Granelli (drums, Al Cohn & Joe Farrell (tenor sax), David Sanborn (alto sax), and Al Porcino (trumpet) – players vary by track.

My copy—via Big Fun Records in Beverly MA—is a Presswell pressing with a promotional sticker on Atlantic labels.

3rd studio album from Sarah Assbring’s musical project from Sweden. (Yes, the name literally translates as “The Dog of the Sea,” and yes, her name is Assbring). Lots of reviewers called this a breakup record, which I guess it is – but it’s also a wonderful album reflecting the evolution of her/their sound. Co-produced and performed with Rasmus Hägg (who has also worked with Jens Lekman and is also part of the duo Studio).

My copy—via Bull Moose Records in Plaistow NH—is a 180g vinyl issue with 2 bonus tracks on The Control Group label.

Fantastic early Lou Rawls live album, with a nearly six minute “Tobacco Road” and a couple of monologues. If you don’t know mid-sixties Lou Rawls you are missing out.

My copy—via Big Fun Records in Beverly MA—is a later reissue pressed by Capitol Los Angeles (with * in the runouts).

Live bootleg from late 1979, right before recording Seventeen Seconds. De Melkweg – you can find some of the same show on the Internet Archive: The Cure Live – 1979-12-12 Melkweg, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Melkweg is a music venue in Amsterdam on the site of a former dairy (Melkweg means “Milky Way” in Dutch). Not sure (like many Dear Boss recordings) if this ever actually was an FM broadcast or just claims to be to avoid copyright issues.

My copy—via The Record Exchange in Salem MA—is on dark green vinyl, a single LP version put out by Dear Boss in Europe.

Mose Allison’s debut album, recorded at Van Gelder’s studio in Hackensack in March 1957, with Taylor La Fargue (bass) and Frank Isola (drums). Largely instrumental. The song titled here just “Blues” was later recorded on Live at Leeds by the Who as “Young Man Blues”:

Well a young man ain’t got nothing in the world these days

My copy—via Beverly Coin & Jewelry—is the 1983 reissue in the Original Jazz Classics series. The OJC series is a great way to find these Prestige records in good condition without breaking the bank.

Elvis Costello’s 31st studio LP out in 2020 on Concord. There are a couple of different recording sessions here with different bands, but Steve Nieve, Bill Frisell, and Nels Cline all make appearances here.

“Hatty O’Hara Confidential” was a highlight when I saw Costello and Nieve at the Cabot last year.

My copy—via Bull Moose Records in Plaistow NH—is the standard 2xLP on black vinyl with a gatefold.

Green joined here by Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Claude Bartee (tenor sax), Emmanuel Riggens (organ), Jimmy Lewis (bass), and Idris Muhammad (drums) plus Richard Lendrum (bongos) and Candido Camero (congas). Recorded in 1970 by Rudy Van Gelder in Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

My copy—via Salem Flea Marketplace—is the 2023 Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series reissue, mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed at Optimal, which sounds (and looks) great.

Nicolet is the project of Etienne Hamel, a Quebecois multi-instrumentalist – Hochelaga is the debut full length under that moniker.

The name refers to a neighborhood in Montreal, on the St. Lawrence river near Mount Royal. Great francophone indie rock.

Unfortunately it’s also the name of a stoner metal album by Dopethrone.

I ended up with this copy as part of a grab-bag from Bull Moose Records in Plaistow NH. $2 for a bag with 10 LPs, but no returns/exchanges and you have no idea what will be in it.

Costello’s third LP and second with The Attractions (but the first to credit them on the cover). My favorites here are “Oliver’s Army” and of course “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” (forgiving the lack of an Oxford comma). Produced by Nick Lowe, who famously wrote the latter.

My copy—via Vinyl Vault in Littleton MA—is a Pitman pressing from 1979 with (as expected) the US cover. In the UK, the initial release (on Radar Records) has the painting of the elephants on the front cover instead of the Jackson Pollock style drip painting. (Great article on the cover).

This was the third studio LP from Boston band The Cars, situated between Candy-O and Shake It Up. Includes “Touch and Go.” An underappreciated album in The Cars’ discography: seen by critics as a let down and not as commercial successful as the one before or after.

I like it though – more experimental, more ambitious – trying on different sounds. Sort of an alternate universe in which they went more alternative. Not the first Cars LP you should buy, but worth being in your collection if you love this late-70s/early-80s transition era.

My copy—via Salem Flea Marketplace—is a Specialty Pressing from 1980 on blue Elektra labels.

Price’s third studio album, produced by Sturgill Simpson (with Price and David Ferguson) and released in July of 2010 during the pandemic.

I’ve been a fan since her debut – smart songwriting in a traditional storytelling country way but with a modern take. Now going back and learning the back-catalog via Buffalo Clover.

My copy—via Salem Flea Marketplace—is the Barnes & Noble Exclusive pressing, including the “Margozine” booklet with twelve pages of photos from the sessions and some handwritten lyrics.

Kottke’s second album, following 12-String Blues, and what would become reportedly the best-selling LP on John Fahey’s Takoma Records.

Writing his own liner notes, Kottke writes “All that is left to be said is that Kottke’s voice does not appear on this album. His guitar does.”

My copy—via Salem Flea Marketplace—has the gold and tan “two dragons” Takoma labels, and is likely a repress circa 1972.

Another fan club release, for subscribers to U2.com, this was pressed in 2017, and features four of the singles from The Joshua Tree, each with one remastered studio trac and one live track recorded on tour in 2017:

• With or Without You (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough MA, June 25th)
• I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (Fedex Field, Washington DC, June 20th)
• Where The Streets Have No Name (Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium, Louisville KY, June 16th)
• In God’s Country (The Hard Rock Stadium, Miami FL, June 11th)

It’s four 10″ records (45rpm) with an obi wrap to hold them together. The photos are by Anton Corbijn (from the 80s) and Ross Stewart (2017 shots).

I found my copy at the Record Exchange in Salem MA. A must have for me as Joshua Tree is my favorite U2 album,

Pepper joined here by Paul Chambers (bass), Jimmy Cobb (drums), Wynton Kelly (piano) and Conte Candoli (trumpet, on three tracks). That makes this another LP with Miles Davis’ rhythm section, as the earlier Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section was.

Rounding out for now my recent Art Pepper pickups (say Art Pepper Pickups five times fast), my copy—direct from Craft Recordings—is the 2024 Acoustic Sounds Series reissue mastered by Bernie Grundman and pressed at QRP.

I’m a big fan of Jens Lekman – this was his debut album, though some of the tracks had been released independently. Can you imagine in 2003 seeing Jens Lekman and José González together at Goteborg Concert Hall? Banner year for Swedish indie music.

My copy—via Bull Moose Records in Plaistow NH—is the Secretly Canadian 25th Anniversary exclusive reissue on green vinyl. (That’s 25 years of Secretly Canadian, not 25 years of the album).