Freddy Fender: Rock 'n' Country (1976)

ABC Records DOSD-2050

According to wikipedia, "Rock 'n' Country" reached #3 on the US Country chart, with three hit singles: "You'll Lose a Good Thing," "Vaya con Dios," and "The Rains Came," all of which appear on the CD The Millennium Collection: Best Of Freddy Fender. The rest of this LP, however, is not on CD. Eugene Chadbourne, at allmusic.com, wrote of this LP, "It all works, as do the many touches courtesy of legendary producer Huey P. Meaux."

This was a thrift shop find (99¢), in good shape, though it's a "loud" record, and the vocals are high in the mix and sound distorted on a few songs, presumably due to a mistracking cartridge from a previous owner.

Take Her a Message! I'm Lonely

Just Out of Reach

My Happiness

Brailowsky: Chopin: The 24 Preludes

Columbia ML 5444
This was the first classical LP I ever owned. I found it in the trunk of a Volvo I was repairing for a friend. I played it so much that I eventually had to buy another copy, which I sold in my record purge of 2005. This copy was a thrift shop find (99¢), in good condition.

Alexander Brailowsky seems to have fallen out of favor, judging by what recordings are being released on CD. His recording of Chopin's Polonaises is still very well regarded and available on CD. Some of his Chopin recordings appear on various Chopin "greatest hits" CDs. An early recording he made of the Preludes is available as an mp3 download. This recording is not on CD.

I'm not qualified to judge the merits of his playing, and critical opinions vary. Billboard wrote of this album in 1960 "Brailowsky's striking technique and particular flair for Chopin's works are brilliantly highlighted on the 24 Preludes." Others were not as kind.

No. 4 in E minor

No. 7 in A major

No. 11 in B major

No. 20 in C minor

No. 24 in D minor

The Pennywhistlers: Folksongs of Eastern Europe (1967)

Nonesuch H-2007

The Pennywhistlers were an American singing group. They specialized in Eastern European choral music, sung primarily a cappella.

This was from a record store in Davis, California, very reasonably priced at $1.99. It is in fair condition, with scratches affecting some of the tracks. It is not on CD.

From the LP: "To hear Bulgarian, Serbian, or Russian music performed so well that one forgets that one is listening to a group of American girls is ample proof of their work's high value... - Theodore Bikel"

More Pennywhistlers here.

Zaspala e Fida (Bulgarian)

Shto Mi e Milo (Macedonian)

Pastevecké "Helokanie" (Czechoslovakian)

Tudora (Bulgarian)

Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone?