Claim OwnershipAdventures in Record Collecting
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© Sunny Schomaker
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It turns out that while streaming music is incredibly convenient, it’s not as fun as sorting through bins at a thrift store. Join me as I wander through thrift stores, record stores, garage sales, and yes, even the internet. Recreating a record collection one surprise at a time.
Email: record.collecting.pod@gmail.com
Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/user/sgschomaker
Email: record.collecting.pod@gmail.com
Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/user/sgschomaker
47 Episodes
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Back in 1982, I wanted my MTV, and certainly one reason was this episode's artist, Adam Ant. I dive into his solo debut, Friend or Foe, talk about art school and New Wave, Punk Rock icon Jordan, and muse on the shelf life of songs in the internet era.
Before I finish off One Hand Clapping, I take a brief interlude to discuss a couple of singles from Wings: Hi Hi Hi/C Moon and Helen Wheels/Country Dreamer. Because all four songs are also handled elsewhere, I skim the surface and compare and contrast versions. Then it's onto side four and the bonus EP. There's a mini rant about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a request for a couple of bags of cement, and a little light armchair psychology.
It's double album time! I tackle the first three sides of this 2024 release of the 1974 One Hand Clapping Sessions. I give a recap of As the Band Turns and share some hot (or maybe lukewarm) takes involving hits and Bond themes.
It is possible to recognize an album as being the best, but having another as your favorite. I tease apart why I consider Band on the Run to be the best Wings album, but Back to the Egg is my favorite. I talk about the lore surrounding the album, tease out some biographical breadcrumbs nestled within the lyrics, and talk about how, even now, fans go wild when Paul plays one of these songs live.
It's highbrow time at Record Collecting HQ! I discuss the life and times of one Ludwig van Beethoven (the famous grandson, not the grandfather), talk about the shift from the eighteenth century, full of Reason and the Classical Era, and the nineteenth century, which ushered in the dawn of Romanticism. I talk tinnitus and fear of heights, as well as getting back on my soapbox to bitch about the vagaries of classification.
A bit tardy to the party, as I get back into the rhythm of regular recording again. We have a great slice of early 80s new wave, ABC's Lexicon of Love. I talk about hooks, lyrics, early music videos, Bravo reality stars, and much more!Note: I apologize in advance--I was too lazy to drag out my pop filter, and my plosives and aspirations are out of control.
Drugs! Dysfunction! Harmonies!As the folk-rock-pop band turns, I recount the twists, turns, acid, and petty fraud that brought John, Michelle, Denny, and Cass together, as well as tearing them apart. Working on this episode has also spurred a side project: a list of Rock's Biggest Sh!theads. * Note: if knowing what you know about John Phillips would make listening to me mention his name psychological unsafe for you, I totally understand if you want to give this a pass. I stick to the formation of the Mamas and the Papas through 1966, so the other stuff isn't mentioned, but still.
Imagine my delight when I came across this record in the bins! In the early '80s, I definitely wanted my MTV, and Tracey Ullman brought her sketch comedy bonafides to the music video. Her short-lived career as a pop singer was a bit of a lark, but we have this, a loving tribute to '60s pop. I talk about Doris Day, Kirsty MacColl, and Debbie Harry in addition to Tracey Ullman, so we've really got a celebration of awesome women in entertainment here.*Note: due to an unfortunately timed software update, my audio clips from the album were unusable. However, I've added links to the songs in the show notes.
Greetings commies, pinkos, and fellow travelers! We have our first live album (second if we count comedy), Joan Baez in Concert Vol. 2. I discuss the economics of record collecting, the link between folk music and progressive causes, and the variations and alternate versions of many folk songs, particularly We Shall Overcome. Bob Dylan's name is mentioned more than I anticipated.Also, I didn't mention it in the episode, but I have a new turntable, so the quality of the audio files ripped from the album has improved!
What with seeing Paul McCartney in concert on Tuesday, followed by Thanksgiving on Thursday, I found myself on the back foot. I'm a dollar short and a day late (well, a few hours late), and I'm all out of audio clips, but I find the wherewithal to discuss budget labels, the Wrecking Crew, Las Vegas, and my difficulty remembering names.
Another vintage record sale find! I launch straight into my rants, as Discogs says this is a soul record, while Apple Music calls it jazz. Does it matter? Probably not. The songs come from everywhere--Lennon & McCartney, Edith Piaf, Joao Gilberto, Broadway, and more. I talk translations, sad stories but great music, and some guy they called The Neem.The Music of Lennon & McCartney: https://youtu.be/wTnDbaNPySc?si=gu91KrD8Ue6l_iz-https://blues.org/blues_hof_inductee/esther-phillips/https://www.ctproduced.com/remembering-esther-phillips/
Let's get jazzy (again)! I discuss the giant that is Duke Ellington and two of his trusted collaborators: his protege, co-composer, and arranger Billy Strayhorn; and his longtime alto saxophone player, Johnny Hodges. I pick apart how swing encompasses more than music to jitterbug to, how subgenres are defined post hoc, and more. I also shout out fictional jazz enthusiast, sometime bass player, and Director of Football Operations Leslie Higgins.
Who else can put out a record considered "mid" that still has two certified bangers, plus a couple more solid contenders? Our man McCartney (and crew). I try to give a state of the band recap that doesn't repeat previous lore (always a challenge when going by order of purchase), talk about the Fender Rhodes, accuse some people of hating joy, and engage in an impassioned defense of Linda. And what's wrong with that?
The bitch is back! I kick off season two with what is considered by many to be the best Monkees album. I talk 1967, dickish music executives, and early adopters. Cameos by Robert Moog, John Lithgow, and Kevin Bacon. Plus a return of the hat I knitted for last season's Monkees' Greatest Hits episode.
We'll be sliding down the razor blade of life as I pay tribute to Tom Lehrer, who died recently at the age of 97 (so close). In addition to poisoning some pigeons in the park and dancing the masochism tango, I'll muse on the limitations of satire, go off on a couple of short, mildly lefty rants, and talk about the weird kid to eccentric adult pipeline.I'll be back in October with more records! Until then, watch this space, as I have more content a-brewing.
It's British Invasion time! Sure, I talk about Peter and Gordon's American debut, with its title track, written by Peter Asher's housemate. That doesn't stop me from taking some detours to discuss semantics, how pop music is often described by what it's not, and why skiffle was so important to the development of British rock and roll. Plus, I call back to a number of episodes, including: Portrait of Patsy Cline, Sentimentally Yours, Motown #1s (parts one and two), The Monkees, and Peter, Paul and Mary.
Let's get jazzy! Once again, I claim no special knowledge about jazz, yet talk about vibraphones, bebop, cool jazz, and modes. I vary my bullshit to include subgenres. I talk a lot about Toots Thielmans (which is a great name) and guitars and harmonicas. Other topics include: standards, jazz compositions, and George Shearing's love of the dad joke.
If the 21st century is too much for you, let's travel back in time and hit the Greenwich Village folk scene in the early 60s. We'll talk pinkos, reds, and fellow travelers, as well as music education, the fearful 50s, and the vagaries of copyrighting traditional material. Plus cameos from A Mighty Wind and the PBS Pledge Drive.
We vault into the 2020s with Green Day's 2024 album, Saviors. I talk about the space between knowing a band and fandom, politics and punk rock, my general beef with genres, and middle age. Let's all bang our heads like it's 1981!
We've come to the last album in the Macca Attack, 1982's Tug of War. I talk about tragedy, lyrics, and more. I even talk about the old days when we used to watch music videos on MTV (while wearing an onion on our belts).
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