Album Reviews

It’s not often that a rock band remains together for more than 20 years and releases consistently swell records along the way, but Yo La Tengo has managed to do that, in part because Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley have beat the odds twice: managing to stay together throughout both as bandmates and husband and wife.

As a talent scout, bluesman John Mayall has no equal. Everyone knows he 'discovered' Eric Clapton and that the Blues Breakers album (Decca SKL 4804) became a best seller and a classic, but the list of Mayall discoveries and/or early accomplices is astonishing: John McVie (Fleetwood Mac), Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac), Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones), David O' List (The Nice), Andy Fraser (Free) and more recently (though still 25+ years ago!) Coco Montoya and Walter Trout.

This slab of red vinyl got plopped on the turntable and listened to before the unnoticed press blurb stuffed into the gatefold jacket made returning it from where it came impossible.

I’m not comfortable writing about classical music. I’m not an expert, and I can’t tell you how this performance of Schumann’s music compares to others. According to the liner notes Mr. Lill is a world-class concert performer who has toured with the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic, the City of Birmingham Symphony and many others, and performed with the New York Philharmonic and more than a dozen others. He was the joint winner of the prestigious Moscow International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1970.

If it’s the holidays and we’re talking holiday-centric vinyl, then we should also be talking about Vince Guaraldi and his indelible work for the Peanuts animation franchise. To kick off the holiday season right, LMFP is serving up the first ever vinyl edition of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving in celebration of the TV special’s 50th anniversary. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see if the new 180g 1LP edition of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving should be cued up alongside your turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and/or whatever else is on your festive table. . .

How rare and collectible is this record? A mint original sold for $678.00 back in 2004. I doubt it sounds as good as this double 45rpm reissue but I can’t be sure since I don’t have one.