Album Review: 12 Surviving The Streets With Lynyrd Skynyrd

 Album Review: 12

Surviving The Streets With Lynyrd Skynrd

This review was originally posted on rateyourmusic. on their community forums. This version of the review has had some editing and corrections.

Lynyrd Skynyrd Street Survivors

1977 MCA MCAD 1687

****

"Well, the police said we can't drink in the bar

What a shame

Won't you come upstairs girl

And have a drink of champagne"

It's been a while since I've listened to this Classic Skynyrd album. Released in 1977 just three days before the tragic airplane crash that took the lives of several band members. After the crash MCA changed the original "Fire" or "Flames" Album cover (which shows the band members standing with flames of fire all around them) to the plain cover of this issue. For several years the original cover was very hard to find and expensive on vinyl and the CD issue only had this alternate cover. A remastered version with bonus tracks was issued in 2001 with the original cover (remind me to get that sometime). When this album was first released, I heard my brother's copy of it and especially liked "What's Your Name", "That Smell", "I Know A Little" and "You Got That Right". I think he still has it, with the original flames cover. Those songs are still my favorite ones from this album. Some of the others it's been so long since I've heard them that I'm not sure what they sound like or if I really like them. I will need to listen to this album again soon.

This album is definitely one of the ones to suggest to people who want to know which Lynyrd Skynyrd albums, besides greatest hits compilations, to purchase to start getting into the band. I believe it is the quintessential Lynyrd Skynyrd album.

Album Review: 11 Walking With Desire And Heart

 Album Review: 11

Walking With Desire and Heart

This review was originally posted on rateyourmusic. on their community forums. This version of the review has had some editing and corrections.

Heart Desire Walks On

1993 Capitol Records CDP 599627

***.5

"The night just walked in

In walks the night

In walks my fantasy

Darkness all around me

And I'm dying for the light"

This Heart album is just an average Heart album in my book. I don't remember any mega hits coming from it, maybe track 6 In Walks the Night was released as the first single? or was it track 9 Will You Be There (In the Morning)? The chorus harmonies from that song sound sort of like an Abba song. Track 4 The Woman in Me it took me a few listens to understand the chorus at times it sounds like Ann is saying "The woman and man" or "woman in man" either of which don't make sense. Track 5 Rage sounds like they are trying to get into some, kind of soft-metal sound. When listening to this album several times in a row, the song Ring Them Bells gets a little dull. I would not recommend this album as a starter Heart album, for that I would suggest one of their earlier albums and their self-titled album before getting into this album.

*Nancy recently released her first solo album You and Me on 07 May 2021.

Album Review: 10 Self Titled Heart

 Album Review: 10

Self Titled Heart

This review was originally posted on rateyourmusic. on their community forums. This version of the review has had some editing and corrections.

Heart Heart

1985 Capitol Records CDP 7 46157 2

****

"Darkness on the edge

Shadows where I stand

I search for the time

On a watch with no hands

I want to see you clearly

Come closer than this

But all I remember

Are the dreams in the mist"

It seems to me that most of these songs eventually became hits, or at least it seems like it. I often wonder why this album was self-titled. Usually a self-titled album is the band’s first album, but this was Heart’s 9th album (8th if you don't count The Greatest Hits album, which did have some original material). Anyway, the Wilson sisters kick some royal rock-n-roll arse on this album. The album starts heavy rockin' with If Looks Could Kill and continues, on from there. Perhaps the highlight of the album is These Dreams which is the first Heart song where Nancy* sings lead vocals instead of Ann. In the mid 1980s when this album came out Rock-n-Roll was all about Hair Bands and Nancy certainly let hers fly all over the place. I first got this album on vinyl, I think I still have it on that format, as part of my first dozen albums or so when I signed up to the then Columbia Record and Tape Club, eventually the mail-order service changed its name to the Columbia CD Club when they stopped dealing in vinyl in the early 1990s. All in all, this is probably my favorite Heart Album, I'd be hard pressed to pick a second favorite, I like them all.

*Nancy recently released her first solo album You and Me on 07 May 2021.

Album Review: 09 On Cloud Nine With George Harrison

 Album Review: 09

On Cloud Nine With George Harrison

This review was originally posted on rateyourmusic. on their community forums. This version of the review has had some editing and corrections.

George Harrison Cloud Nine

1987 Dark Horse Records 9 25643-2

****.5

“But it's gonna take money

A whole lot of spending money

It's gonna take plenty of money

To do it right, child.”

In my opinion Cloud Nine is one of if not the best of the later years George Harrison albums. It was produced by George and Jeff Lynne (ELO) which adds some orchestration to some of the songs making them sound bigger.

Like many of my reviews I don't know how I'm going to write them until I start on them, even then sometimes I change in mid-stride my approach. This album is mostly light and airy maybe that is what the title Cloud Nine means. I wasn't sure exactly how to write the review for this album so I will do the track by track thing:

Cloud Nine: The first track is also the title track. It makes some sense like the tradition of naming song titles with the first line of lyrics. Sometimes there is no title track. Anyway, this song I guess could be described as a sort of rock love ballad with a little bit of pep.

That's What it Takes: This song is one of the better mixes of the Harrison solos with Lynne's ELO sounds. The use of the harmonies gives it a soft heavenly sort of sound. It acts as a kind of preview of The Traveling Wilburys Sound.

Fish on the Sand: This one reminds me some of Harrison's Tribute to John Lennon All Those Years Ago sound wise. The title and some of the lyrics sort of suggest an awkward relationship.

Just For Today: A soft and slow tune that just sort of floats around giving a light peaceful air. The piano reminds me of Lennon's Imagine then with George's solo about mid-way I picture it as a slow-dance prom song with a little bit of that pseudo 1950s rockabilly.

This is Love: Another of the high ELO influenced songs. Part of it I almost expect to hear Roy Orbison joining in on it.

When We Was Fab: George’s tribute song to his Beatles years. It has that signature George Harrison weirdness to it. It mixes the eeriness of the cello sounds from Eleanor Rigby mixed with the I Am The Walrus Oooohh Chorus with kettle drums just to add some bounce. It finishes with some of George’s sitar sounds.

Devil's Radio: I think this song is making a statement about subliminal advertising and televangelist type preaching. Hidden agendas and how that evil influence. Then again maybe that is reading too much into it.

Someplace Else: Another slow prom dance song. I almost feel it is a second John Lennon tribute song that or pinning for a lost love.

Wreck of the Hesperus: Another one I’m not sure what to say. It is a good song I just don’t know how to explain it. It has a story song feel to it.

Breath Away From Heaven: Part of it has that Old Japanese kabuki tip-toeing type sound that one would expect from a John Lennon song not a George Harrison song.

Got My Mind Set On You: This is the second of the first two singles released from this album When We Was Fab was the first one. It is a fun but simple song. It is also a cover song originally recorded by James Ray in 1962 as “I’ve Got My Mind Set on You”. “Weird Al” Yankovic recorded the parody (This Song’s Just) Six Words Long on his Even Worse album.

In conclusion this is an overall excellent album. I would recommend it as an introduction to George Harrison’s albums especially his later ones.

Ebay Reselling Update: April 2021

EBAY Reselling Update:
April 2021 Sales

My last Sales update Feb 2021 I had 2 sales and 41 listings in the store. I had no sales in March.

So What Sold in Apr 2021?

1. Number 10 Envelopes Red 25 count pack $4.99 Free Shipping

Total: $4.99

Item number 1 was the last package of colored envelopes.

In March I took down a listing for some basketball cards to make a trade I did over at the trading card data base (tcdb.com). The cards not in the trade I will need to relist sometime. For me unfortunately it looks like the 5 cards I was supposed to receive were either lost in the mail (if sent) or were stolen by porch pirates if it was a large package left at my door.

I now have 39 store listings at a count of 49 units.

Some related links:
My Ebay Store: CaptKirk42s Federation Trading Post
My YouTube channel: klandersen42
Up On Ebay Videos: Episode 01 | Episode 02
Ecrater Store: CaptKirk42 (AKA: Kirk's Knook)

Album Review: 08 Aerosmith Will PUMP You UP

 Album Review: 08

Aerosmith Will PUMP You UP!

This review was originally posted on rateyourmusic. It was one of the reviews I was assigned in the "Go Review That Album" game on their community forums. This version of the review has had some editing and corrections.

Aerosmith Pump

1989 Geffen Records 9 24254-2

****

"Janie´s got a gun

Janie´s got a gun

Her dog day´s just begun

Now everybody is on the run

Tell me now it´s untrue.

What did her daddy do"

This is one of the best later Aerosmith albums. In a few years it can be called a classic, if it's not already. With hits like Love in An Elevator, Janie's Got A Gun and The Other Side how can it not be a classic? I think the tracks What It Takes, My Girl and Young Lust have had some major airplay as well. This is Aerosmith at their best. The only thing that stumps me is the Celtic style Dulcimer Stomp and the extra "hidden" country jig track at the end of What It Takes, they are good they just don't seem to fit with the rest of the regular stuff. Maybe it's a concept for the album that I just am not getting. OH and also on track number four Monkey On My Back the A-Boys use their Giving Dog A Bone base riff. This album is a good starting off point for new Aerosmith fans.