leon russell - master of space and time

When it comes to music, I am Pavlov’s dog. I recently listened to the audio book biography of Leon Russell then ran out and bought records. I even bought some I already own that are buried in my storage locker. I didn’t own this one until now. It isn’t that valuable but sure was hard to find. Dug it out of a bargain bin in a used record store. The first record I bought as a kid with my own money was Joe Cocker Mad Dogs and Englishmen. Russell was the tour’s music director and was accused of hijacking the tour to launch his own career. The book says he didn’t, but he pretty much did. Russell became a star, and he put out some great records. And later, not so great. Russell spent money as fast as he made it. Also, sex and food were big issues and drugs. Quite surprised he made it to 74. This copy of Russell’s debut album is in rough shape. It’s a place holder until I can get a better copy.

rosco gordon - no dark in america

I bought this vinyl yesterday - No Dark In America. When it comes to graphic art, it's one of the best covers I've seen in a long time. Freakin' beautiful, suitable for framing, but I won't. I am all for vinyl, CDs, downloads and streaming to get all the music all the time, but vinyl still wins for cover art. Also, I only just learned about the late Rosco Gordon, a Memphis blues singer who died almost 20 years ago. Time to dig into his discography. Back to the format. Not only did this come as two discs -- the songs are spread over four sides to maximize audio quality -- it also came with a download card to rip onto my phone. Kudos to Dualtone Records for doing it right.