Dancin' in the Sea

Aside from Richard Thompson and of course Sandy Denny, Ian Matthews is one of my favorite singers to have come out of the Fairport Convention conglomeration.  Present on some of Fairport's best albums (in my estimation), Matthews went on to have a modicum of success as a solo artist. 

"Some Days You Eat The Bear....And Some Days The Bear Eats You" is a nice mix of covers and originals, the latter represented beautifully in the song "Keep on Sailing."  He has no fear of cover songs, which thrive when passed under the rainbow of his golden voice, and run the gamut from Tom Waits ("Ol' 55") to Jesse Winchester ("Biloxi") to The Dan ("Dirty Work").  With the exception of "The Fault," which sounds exactly like "Welcome to the Machine" (Pink Floyd, of course), the production takes on a smooth country-rock feel, influenced, no doubt, but the whole early 70's Jackson Browne/Troubadour/Eagles/Linda Ronstadt California-country era.  The only gaffe is the rhyme of "wife" with "life" in one of his songs.  But hey - it was the 70's - that was still allowed back then. 

The studio lineup on this album is not too shabby: Jeff "Skunk" Baxter on guitars,  David Lindley on lap steel, B.J. Cole on pedal steel, and even Billy Graham on bass and fiddle.  (No, it's not that Billy Graham.  C'mon people.) 

Thee Perfessor and I have discovered several of his albums in the Dollar Bin, and we haven't been sorry; this album is getting heavy airplay in my house and I highly recommend it. 

Condition:  Vinyl = excellent; Cover = fair (lots of edge fraying, nicks, and radio ID scrawl)

Wine Pairing: Beer, roasted almonds, and candlelight

Score: Worth full price paid ($1.99)

Perfect

Before Christine McVie joined Fleetwood Mac, she was a recording artist in her own right.  Initially recorded in 1969 and released under her maiden name, Christine Perfect, this 1976 album reissued as "The Legendary Christine Perfect Album - Christine McVie" showcases her smooth alto and excellent blues piano style.  Having played with Spencer Davis and her own blues band, Chicken Shack, Christine McVie's style on this album is much closer to that of the mid-sixties-era, blues incarnation of early Fleetwood Mac than it is to the multi-platinum selling Mac of the 70's, when Buckingham-Nicks joined the band.  Credit should be given where it is due to Christine McVie for penning many of the Fleetwood Mac hits throughout her tenure in the band, and this album presages that success. 

Why I plucked this album from the bin: First and foremost, of course, is simply that it's a Christine McVie solo album, and one I hadn't seen before.  I knew that they were out there, but not easy to find.  Also, who could resist that album cover?  A tough looking chick in a rattan papasan chair - gotta have it. 

Album personnel of note: Danny Kirwan on guitar, who went on to play in an incarnation of the Mac; and of course John McVie on bass. 

Condition: Vinyl=perfect; Cover=Pretty good (some edge fraying, a little fading of artwork)

Wine Pairing: A chilled rose, goat cheese on toast, and a bump.

Score: Worth full price paid ($1.98)

No Sleep Til....

"It's about time to let the music-man rip"....

Welcome to my music blog, in which I hold forth about the latest discoveries from the dollar vinyl bins.  With my trusty partner-in-crime Thee Perfesser,  we hunt down and capture anything interesting, seemingly musical, hip, unhip, beautiful, and ugly, and I'll report back our ancient findings via this modern wonder.  

Come along now as we venture into.....

The Dollar Bin!