What kept me coming back to this record was the best version I have ever heard of “In The Hall of The Mountain King.” (I’ll try to put up an Mp3 to hear later, but I wanted to get this post up today since it is indeed Wednesday). His “console guitar” has such an interesting tone throughout the recordings. At times you think he’s improvising a really odd riff or passage on his standard electric or his console slide guitar, but the horns mimic him verbatim which reveals that it was all brilliantly preconceived. This is highly impressive to me because these call and responses are displayed so naturally that they feel improvised. His orchestra is so tight and well-rehearsed, and another talent to be noted is the piano player who sprinkles the most dexterous little ear candy through the entire album in the most tastefully skilled manner.

I learned about Alvino Rey through hearing a record I obtained a few years ago called “Other Worlds Other Sounds” by Esquivel. I did research to find out who the steel guitar player was, and since I latched onto his name, I have been finding Alvino Rey records all across the country as I travel and play shows and visit record shops in between. I only paid 3 bucks for “A Drowsy Riff” of a gem! I hope you find yourself a copy to enjoy over the weekend! 

Tell me what you have been into this week! Leave a comment! (it’s free and environmentally friendly- or just mentally friendly!)

  -Zack-

This week’s most played record is a tough one. I listened to about 30 sides of albums just the other day as I was doing a fictional writing exercise. Just blank paper, a stack of records, and a pen. I let the music dictate the different moods and twists in the story. As you could imagine over the course of 30 different records, the gears shift quite frequently, thus rendering the story a confused pile of words and thoughts, but it was a fun endeavor nonetheless. I recommend giving it a try. Maybe you’ll have better luck. I didn’t really repeat one side in that writing session, but for the past few weeks, Traffic’s Mr. Fantasy Side 2 has been getting a lot of spins at my place.

I found out that the producer Jimmy Miller and engineer Eddie Kramer, who did this record, also worked with The Rolling Stones and Beatles and Led Zeppelin among many other greats. So, the production value is definitely high quality. I think the three main things compelling me to keep playing this side are Steve Winwood’s soulful vocals, the song “Berkshire Poppies,” and the overall wide range of great grooves with catchy melodies and instrumentation. Maybe that’s slightly more than three reasons, but you get the point. Side one is also highly listenable, but I’m partial to side two! Good luck finding yourself a copy!