Monday, January 29, 2018

THE DUKES OF THE STRATOSPHEAR - "25 O'CLOCK"
















Album: The Dukes of the Straosphear
Title: 25 O'Clock
Label: Virgin
Catalog: WOW 1
Year: 1985
Genre: psych
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Sleeve design: Andy Partridge i(aka Sr John Johns)
Concept: Andy Partridge (aka Sr John Johns)
Cover photo: no applicable
Grade: **** stars

Andy Patridge and the rest of XTC are responsible for recording the best '60s album ever recorded in the '80s.  Add to that, the psychedelic cover art on this six track, mini-LP was equally stunning.

Saturday, January 27, 2018

HOLLY AND THE ITALIANS - "THE RIGHT TO BE ITALIAN"














Album: Holly and the Italians
Title: The Right To Be Italian
Label: Epic / Virgin
Catalog: BFE 37539
Year: 1981
Genre: pop
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Sleeve design: not listed
Concept: not listed
Cover photo: Lynn Goldsmith
Grade: **** stars

I'm hard pressed to explain my affection for this one - maybe something to do with the album's strange mix of '60s girl group, power-pop and new wave/punk influences?  Maybe something do do with the Holly Beth Vincent in a pink prom dress cover ...

Sunday, January 7, 2018

THE AMERICAN BREED - "THE AMERICAN BREED"















Album: The American Breed
Title: The American Breed
Label: Acta
Catalog: A 38002
Year: 1967
Genre: pop
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Sleeve design: not listed
Concept: not listed
Cover photo: not listed
Grade: * star

Fifty years after this album was released and you can see how much social outlooks have changed.  In this case surrounding a band with fake Indians, seemingly dyed in red, was probably a bad idea in 1967,   It's certainly not something you would dare do today,