Almanac Music: ’33 1/3 Reasons Why’ – This Is Why
In case there was any doubt, my ‘33 1/3 Reasons Why’ series is a play on words relating to the Thirteen Reasons Why novel. This time, rather than focusing on a particular album or artist, I am going to look at the rationale behind this series.
I have been collecting vinyl records going on three years now, and it’s fair to say that I have amassed a pretty decent collection in that time.
But importantly, my collection is something that I can go to whenever “my mind’s gone loose inside its shell” in the words of The National in ‘Abel’.
Forget the streaming services and the devices that link them to the nonsense of the outside world. Put some heavy psych rock, or krautrock, or maybe even some jazz fusion on the turntable and forget about all the bullshit.
Given half a chance I would happily disappear into the wilderness somewhere with just my records and books and leave the rest of the world to itself.
(We happened to be holidaying in Hobart when the results of the recent US election were coming through. The wilderness of Tasmania looked mighty tempting.)
But rather than focus on the reasons that could contribute to one’s demise (as per the novel), I have tried to flip the narrative and focus on the reasons to keep pushing on, with music being an important driver.
Below I have compiled a list of 33 1/3 albums that are as good a reason as any to keep fronting up.
It is not a list of my favourite albums from my collection.
Instead, it is a list of albums that I probably would not have examined had I not started on my record collecting journey.
In some cases, I was aware of the artist but had not investigated their work or certain sections of their back catalogue (e.g. David Crosby’s solo work or Lou Reed beyond the ‘hits’).
There is also some new(ish) stuff in there.
-
- Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works 85-92
- Billy Cobham – Spectrum
- The Black Angels – Passover
- Can – Live in Stuttgart 1975
- Coloured Balls – Ball Power
- David Crosby – If I Could Only Remember My Name
- Dead Meadow – Levitation Sessions: Live From The Pillars Of God
- Earthless – Rhythms From A Cosmic Sky
- The Electric Guitars – Blacklight Brains From Cymatic Skies
- Frankie And The Witch Fingers – Live At Levitation
- Fuzz – Fuzz
- Hank Mobley – No Room For Squares
- Harmonia – Deluxe
- Herbie Hancock – Secrets
- Jimmy Smith – The Sermon!
- Kraftwerk – Trans Europe Express
- Lou Reed – Street Hassle
- The Mahavishnu Orchestra – The Inner Mounting Flame
- Miles Davis – A Tribute To Jack Johnson
- Moon Duo – Live At Levitation
- Muddy Waters – Live At Newport 1960
- Neu! – Neu! ‘75
- Radio Birdman – Radios Appear
- Robot God – Portal Within
- Rory Gallagher – Deuce
- Seedy Jeezus – Guitar Overdrive
- Slift – Ummon
- Ten Years After – Goin’ Home!
- Townes Van Zandt – The Best Of Townes Van Zandt
- Various – Café Exil (New Adventures In European Music 1972-1980)
- Various – Electri_city 2 (Elektronische_Musik_Aus_Dusseldorf)
- Weather Report – Heavy Weather
- Wooden Ships – West
Boards Of Canada and their ‘Trans Canada Highway’ EP accounts for the remaining 1/3.
For me there is still so much music out there to be discovered, and so much good music good music to be revisited and enjoyed.
(Plus at any given time it is likely my most recent purchases are still in the mail.)
So, with that in mind, feel free to play something from my list, or play something else that you like.
Dylan, the Oils, Swiftie, Slayer, it doesn’t matter, it’s all good.
In closing I’ll share this quote from Henry Rollins that I came across recently:
“Every once in a while, an old person can do what a young person does and not look ridiculous. Listening to music is one of those things. I think music is one of the better deals we humans ever got. In fact, maybe it’s the best. Maybe we should invest as much of our time in health, music, art, and culture as we can and leave the mediocre content to the squares. Just an idea.”
(Radio Broadcast #815 11-16-24)
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Thanks Greg, great series, and I’ll have a listen to your playlist while I’m out walking.
Cheers Colin.
Good luck with the playlist! I put together the list then playlist in alpha order but probably could have curated the playlist to improve the ‘flow’.
That is some list, Greg.
One or two with whom I am unfamiliar, but overall a very eclectic bunch.
Cheers Smokie.
There are two or three that I obtained direct from the bands via their Bandcamp sites after going down various (online) rabbit holes and coming across them along the way.
One band only has 19 monthly listeners on Spotify, which is probably only me and their extended family.
Thanks for this, Greg – you’ve provided much for us to listen to and ponder. One small example: I was thinking about Miles Davis (for some unknown reason) recently, and telling myself I should get into his well-known ‘Sketches of Spain’ album – now you’ve prompted me to unearth ‘A Tribute To Jack Johnson’.
Cheers Kevin.
I was into Miles’ but came to his fusion work ‘backwards’ after reading an article on the guitarist John McLaughlin.
Hey, I’ve got Heavy Weather
Cheers Les. Cool album from some top notch players.
I couldn’t imagine a better, or more inspiring, hobby – well done Greg!
Cheers Karl. Much appreciated. Plus it keeps me off the streets (unless they have a record store).
Ball Power, hey !? I owned a copy of the LP for many decades prior to selling all my vinyl a few years back.
However, I still have a Ball Power CD.
Lobby Loyde rocks !!!!
Glen!
One of my treasured travel memories was walking down a non-descript alley just off Carlisle Cathedral and stumbling upon the VINYL CAFE. I walked in and felt like I was home. Written along the wall in large wooden block letters between the stacks of vinyl was ‘Its A Journey’. As I was leaving the cafe, the counter guy put on Neil Young’s ‘Old Man’ & it hit me that when I first heard that song in 1972 (aged 16) I was the ‘young kid’ and now hearing it in Carlisle in 2023 (aged 67) I had become the ‘old man’. At that moment, the saying ‘It’s A Journey’ hit home hard.
Cheers Glen!
I always knew the name Lobby Lloyd but hadn’t checked out his music.
Seedy Jeezus at #26 with their version of GOD turned me on to him.
He rocks!
Thanks for sharing Karl. Lovely tale.
I am a big fan of Neil Young.
I received the Harvest vinyl for my 50th burthday, (it being one of the best albums from the year of my birth along with the Stones’ exile and Bowie’s Ziggy).
Thanks for your list, Greg.
Much holiday listening there. Miles Davis is always worthy. He’s often confronting (On the Corner) and also revolutionary (Bitches Brew). As a tribute to a boxer, Jack Johnson’s a curious idea but not among my favourites. In A Silent Way another of his fusion albums on which he did some fascinating stuff.
Might pop on Robot God!
Cheers Mickey.
Funny thing about ‘Bitches Brew’, I like a lot of the players (and have plenty of their other stuff) but I just can’t make any inroads on that album. Will keep persevering.
Robot God! Straight outta Kogorah!
Heavy psych to clear the mind.