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).

Recorded in 1960 but released in 1963, this has Pepper joined by Dolo Coker (piano), Jimmy Bond (bass), and Frank Butler (drums). A critical part of any west coast jazz library.

That cover photo makes me think of the moment in Lost in Translation where the translator turns a series of long directions in Japanese from the director to Bill Murray as an actor into just this: “more intensity.”

Part of a series of recent pickups from Pepper on reissues, my copy—direct from Craft Recordings—is the 2024 Acoustic Sounds Series reissue, mastered by Bernie Grundman and pressed at QRP.

2×10″ album originally produced exclusively for u2.com subscribers – fantastic find if you can get it for a reasonable price. I’m not as much of a fan of side 4, a spoken word interview – but the live set is cracker.

They played the Marquee Club seven times in 1980 (per u2tours.com) – this set was recorded on Sept 29th, recorded by Tim Painter and mastered by Scott Sedillo (at Bernie Grundman Mastering Studios).

My copy via the Record Exchange in Salem MA.

Sixth studio album from Norah Jones, and the only one so far I’ve managed to locate on vinyl (I’ve been looking). Produced by Eli Wolf and Jones, and recorded in Brooklyn, this LP has Jones going back to the piano driven vocal-centric approach of Come Away With Me. Wayne Shorter shows up on four songs playing soprano sax.

Includes a great cover of Neil Young’s “Don’t Be Denied” as well as Horace Silver’s “Peace” and Duke Ellington’s “Fleurette Africaine.”

My copy—via the Record Exchange in Salem MA—is a Pallas pressing with lacquer cut by Bernie Grundman – sounds great.

Its popularity has recently resurged, due in no small part to Luke Combs’ cover version and their duet at the Grammy’s but this record never went out of rotation for me.

Technically I know it’s not true, but I like to imagine Tracy Chapman’s voice was still echoing around Boston from her busking days when I arrived for college in the fall of 1988. Reality is she was already out promoting her debut album.

My copy—which replaced the aging CD I used to listen to it on—is the 35th Anniversary edition Rhino put out in 2025 on 180g vinyl, which sounds great. I know there are folks who will say “the first pressing is better” and I will keep my eyes out for one but haven’t ever seen it in the wild.

Classic west coast jazz from Contemporary Records – sometimes just gets call Art Pepper + Eleven, sometimes Modern Jazz Classics. Not sure if 12 people counts as a big band – Wikipedia says “a small big band.” Marty Paich did the arranging.

Songs composed by Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver, Charlie Parker, Gerry Mulligan, and Sonny Rollins among others. A must have for people (like me) who are fans of the west coast “cool jazz” and the late big band era.

My copy—via private sale—is the Acoustic Sounds Series reissue from 2022 mastered by Bernie Grundman and pressed at QRP. This is a great reissue series, and they reproduce the original labels (albeit with a new catalog number).

This has long been one of my favorite U2 songs whether in this “Club Version” or the Francois Kevorkian remix or the original. I love the photo here of the lads out in a wheat field.

My copy—via Music DNA in Methuen MA—is a UK pressing 12″ 45 rpm on the vibrant Island labels.

This was the first Rollins album with Ray Brown and Shelly Manne, and the first time he recorded with only bass and drums. I love this cover photo emphasizing the New York native was out west.

My copy—direct from Craft Recordings—is the 2009 Original Jazz Classics reissue which was remastered back in 1988 and repressed in 2009. It reproduces the yellow Contemporary labels but with a catalog number OJC-337.

3xLP box set featuring Lightnin’ Hopkins, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, and Jimmy Witherspoon. On a couple of sides Hopkins plays with Terry & McGhee.

The recordings were all made in Los Angeles – the first two LPs are taken from the Ash Grove on July 6th and 7th, 1960, and the third LP says it was recorded in LA in September 1959.

My copy via Flip Over Records in Acton MA. I love finding old box sets for a reasonable price.