I love Tom Waits. I really do. Unfortunately, not many pp around me appreciate his stuff. Is it bc of his gravelly voice? His insightful lyrics? The adventurous nature of his music? I dunno. To me, he's in the same league as Dylan. This LP is a great starting point for neophytes.

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Friday frivolity. What's your fav movie soundtrack? For me, of course, there's stuff like Purple Rain, A Clockwork Orange (by Wendy Carlos). But my fav one is probably the one Miles Davis made for Louis Malle's 1958 film, Ascenseur pour l'échafaud.

I was studying graphic design, in 1998, when Up came out. I remember that a girl bought it on its release day and was excited, to say the least. "A masterpiece!" In hindsight, it's far from a masterpiece. It has its moments, for sure, but it's not Murmur, Reckoning or Automatic.

Gotta be honest, for a long time I dismissed Chris Cross' music as cheesy soft-rock. But the truth of the matter is his debut is rock solid. No filler. And the guy's a great, underrated musician. Just listen (if you can) to that solo on Ride Like the Wind buried deep in the mix.

What can I say? It's Dan. It's Aja. It's a perfect album. Still dazzled by the meticulous production. And over the yrs, I've come to realize the influence of Dan (and this LP) on many artists: from the Doobies and Mac to Toto and China Crisis, Christopher Cross. The list goes on.

I dunno… Just had to listen to Monster today. Not one of my favs from the band but it evokes vivid memories from the mid-90s : Xmas '94 (one of my gifts), cinema classes where the teacher showed us vids from this LP. For me, Tongue + King of Comedy are worth the price of the LP.

So, what do you think of this LP?

Love Dan Johnston. Genuinely miss him. I own many box sets but one of my favs is Story of an Artist: 6 CDs (or LPs) of the man's early recordings. Sure, it's super lo-fi (some would say unlistenable), not for everyone. To me, it's just beautiful, naive, pure music. Gorgeous item.

Friday frivolity. What's your all-time fav love song? Gotta be honest, I'm not big on love songs but I like a few and this LP features two of 'em : Dance Me to the End of Love and Coming Back to You.

Box sets are a lot cheaper now than they were 20-30 yrs ago. And when you find Hard Luck Stories 1972-1982 by Richard & Linda Thompson for 10 bucks, you grab it. All six studio albums. 8 CDs, 113 songs (30 unreleased), beautiful hard cover book, rare photographs. Brilliant stuff.

When A Divine Symmetry came out at the end of 2022, of course, I had to get it. Hunky Dory demos, live performances, alternative and early mixes, rarities. A fascinating listen for hardcore fans. Casual ones should stick to (or, at least, begin with) the classic, original '71 LP.

Really saddened by the passing of David Johansen. The New York Dolls were (and still are) incredibly influential. In my youth, I knew him as Buster Poindexter, a pompadour-styled lounge lizard but had no idea he was also the Dolls' front man. Their 1st two LPs are classics. RIP.

Since you seem to like Pink Floyd LPs, what do you think of this one (Obscured by Clouds)?

People rarely talk about Ladies of the Canyon and, boy oh boy, is it such a treat. Wonderful record. Sure, it's not flawless, breathtaking like Blue or Court and Spark (Joni was only 26 and still growing as an artist) but it's charming, wistful and filled with lovely moments.

So, what do you think of this LP?

Friday frivolity. What d'ya think of this band (and LP)? Never been a huge fan (a bit too slick & "corporate" for my taste) but all members are top-notch session musicians, esp. Lukather. I remember that my taxidermist cousin was a huge fan in '82 at the peak of their popularity.

A few weeks ago, I talked about Parsons' brilliant debut. Grievous Angel was released a few months after his death and remains an essential document. Compared to GP, songwriting is a little uneven. Still, many gems. And you can't find a better closer than In My Hour of Darkness.

IMO, Boz Scaggs reached his peak with his now-classic 1976 LP, Silk Degrees. Recently rediscovered it and it stood the test of time rather well. Top-notch studio musicians (starting w/ the late great Jeff Porcaro). Smooth, soulful, filled w/ humor. Blue-eyed soul at its finest.

Writing a book is a challenge. A maddening adventure. Started one nearly ten yrs ago, then stopped for a few yrs. Came back to it last yr and I believe I will finally finish it in a few months. Thx to some of my writing companions: Satie, Debussy, Miles, Mingus, Eno. And Metheny.

The movie Under the Cherry Moon may not be a cinematic masterpiece but its soundtrack (Parade) is quite impressive. In less than 41 mins, it covers a lot of ground (from psych to jazzy inclinations to funk to cabaret stuff). And yes, it's the one that features the classic Kiss.