[Vinyl Vednesday is a weekly feature about three favorite vinyl finds. It’s not meant to be a dick measuring contest, but it usually turns out that way. E-mail pelonej1@gmail.com with your own big finds!]
Records: Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Creedence Clearwater Revival (1968) on black, George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass (1970) on black, and Refused’s The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Combination in 12 Bursts (1998) on CAN I SCREAM?! WOOOOOO.
Place of Purchase: CCR came from Siren Records in Doylestown. The Quiet One was purchased at Hideaway Music in Chestnut Hill. Refused burst through my face via Repo Records in Philadelphia.
Thoughts: The first Creedence Clearwater Revival album has “I Put a Spell On You” and the full 8.5-minute version of “Suzie Q.” It’s pretty a pretty got-damn good collection of American rock and/or roll. I hate sounding like an old fart, but CCR makes almost every rock group currently in the mainstream sound dumb as butts. Guitarists John and Tom Fogerty have such a raw sound, yet the tunes still have such a great groove to them. This record sounds good at any volume.
Up next on your classic rock block is George Harrison’s first proper solo album (excluding the experimental records Wonderwall Music and Electronic Sound) All Things Must Pass. It’s the arguably the best of the Fab Four’s post-Beatles work, although John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band is close. Still, I can’t argue with what might be the only good triple-album besides The Clash’s Sandinista!. All Things Must Pass is full of big Phil Spector Wall of Sound touches and Beatle melodies. It gets heavy at times (“Let It Down,” the instrumental third LP), but its best moments are its most contemplative, whether it be the religious peace of “My Sweet Lord” or the calm acceptance that nothing lasts forever on the title track. This one’s just a great, lush-sounding record, perfect for the warm weather.
In complete contrast to all those good vibes mentioned above is Refused’s best album, The Shape of Punk to Come. Essentially taking Nation of Ulysses’ style to a bigger, louder level, this is still, 13 years later, one of the best hardcore records ever. It’s heavier than your mother but with a groove. It’s punk with soul rhythms. I had an important meeting at work a couple of weeks ago scheduled for 6 a.m. I was supposed to give a couple of presentations, so to get myself amped up at such a godless hour, I put “New Noise” on repeat. I blew my voice out before I even got to work, but I put on a heck of a show.
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