Bob Franke: For Real (1986)

Flying Fish FF 368

I'll pick up anything on the Flying Fish label, as they have released many of my favorite records. This record was a thrift shop find, in great shape, although with some water damage to the back cover. Bob Franke's singing style isn't to my taste, but he writes some nice melodies.

Associated equipment: Technics SL-7/Audio Technica AT-122EP

For Real

Light of the Heart

Fred Waring and The Pennsylvanians: Christmas Time (1955)

MCA-15011 (mono)

The internet reveals that this album was recorded in 1955. Fred Waring had a big hit in 1957 with Now is the Caroling Season, so perhaps someone dug up this older, not-so-great-sounding recording to capitalize on his popularity.

Waring recorded some of these titles again for later albums; these versions are not on CD. This was a thrift shop find, new and sealed.

Associated equipment: Technics SL-7/Audio Technica AT-122EP

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Joy to the World

Coventry Carol
 
O Christmas Tree (excerpt from "A Musical Christmas Card")

Chet Atkins: Country - After All These Years

RCA AHL1 - 4044

I've always liked Chet Atkins' guitar playing, though his records are sometimes a bit overproduced. This LP was a thrift shop find, in great shape, though it is a cut-out. Atkins covers Blondie, Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson and others. As usual, his guitar arrangements are tasteful. According to wikipedia, this album "won the 1982 Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance."

Starting with this post, all LPs on Not On CD will be cleaned with a VPI 16.5 record cleaning machine. I'll still use the Spin-Clean Record Washer to pre-clean most records, since many of the LPs I buy come from the thrift store and are quite dirty. The VPI seems to get the records a bit cleaner than the Spin-Clean, which is still the best budget choice. In addition, the next few records will be digitized using an Audio Technica AT-122EP cartridge while the Ortofon X1-MCP is in the shop.

Let 'Em In

On the Road Again

Heart of Glass

Alberta Hunter: Look for the Silver Lining (1983)

Columbia FC 38970

This is Alberta Hunter's last studio LP. I've been lucky to find all four of her latter-day LPs at the thrift shop.

This LP is in good shape inside and out. It is not on CD.

Look for the Silver Lining

On the Sunny Side of the Street

The Glory of Alberta Hunter (1982)

Columbia PC 37691

My latest trip to the thrift shop yielded two Alberta Hunter LPs, both of which are not on CD. This one was new and sealed (!).

From the LP:
"...Alberta Hunter embarks on the fifth year of her extraordinary "comeback"...

Some of These Days

I Cried for You

Willie Nelson & Roger Miller: Old Friends (1982)

Columbia PC 38013

This album was available on the CD "Old Friends/Funny How Time Slips Away," but it is now out of print. The song "Old Friends" appears on the Willie Nelson compilation "One Hell of a Ride." This was a thrift shop find, in good shape.

Husbands and Wives

When Two Worlds Collide

Los Saxofones Magicos de Wiso Pagan: Merengues Dominicanos

Hopes LP-875

I could find very little information about this LP online. The album notes, which are in Spanish, indicate that the group was popular in New York, Chicago, Puerto Rico, and Latin America. Judging by information in the cover photo, the album appears to be from 1967, as Dr. Dolittle played at Loew's State Theater that year.

This was a thrift shop find. It is not on CD.

El Revoltoso

Te Vi

Monte Adentro

Everybody Sing! Volume 2 (1960)

Riverside Wonderland Series RLP 1419

This was a thrift shop find (99¢). The cover is in excellent in shape, but the LP has quite a few pops. It didn't have a sleeve, but I bought it anyway, because it is out of print. A few of the tracks from this LP appear on the CD Riverside Folklore Series, Vol. 3: Singing the New Traditions. The rest are not on CD.

From Midwest folklore: Volumes 10-11 (1960): "Everybody Sing...series for children. Actually they are just some of the sides from a number of Riverside's old folksong series, many of which are not especially oriented toward children. The records represent a good sampling of their fine folksong series."

The track list on this album is incorrect. I've corrected the mistake in my titling.

Paul Clayton: The Lumberman's Alphabet

Ray Boguslav: The Buffalo Skinners

Peggy Seeger: Frog Went A'Courtin'

Masekela: Melody Maker (1976)

Casablanca NBLP-7036

This is the third Masekela album I've found at the thrift shop. I had never heard of him before picking up Introducing Hedzoleh S0undz last year. Shopping at the thrift shop leads me to discover music I wouldn't search out otherwise.

This is a good sounding record, though with quite a bit of crackle. "Toejam" appears on the compilation CD Early Hugh Masekela. The rest of this album is not on CD.

Best of My Love

Melodi

Betty Wright: Wright Back At You (1983)

Epic FE 38558

This was a thrift shop find (99¢), part of a group of four Betty Wright LPs I picked up that included a beautiful copy of 1972's I Love The Way You Love, which is available on CD. It's in good shape inside and out. It is not on CD.

Allmusic gave this LP four out of five stars, which would be impressive if they hadn't also given four stars to multiple albums by The Bay City Rollers. Wright released an album in 2011 with The Roots called Betty Wright: The Movie.

She's Older Now

Gimme Just Another Try

Norman Blake: Full Moon on the Farm (1981)

I sold all my Norman Blake LPs in my record purge of 2005, but not before digitizing all my favorite tracks. This track is from the CD I made.

A number of tracks from Full Moon on the Farm appear on the reissue CD "Natasha's Waltz," but "Gilderoy" is not on CD.

Gilderoy

Dr. Lalmani Misra: Nectar Of The Moon (1981)

Nonesuch H-72086

This album was released as part of the Nonesuch Explorer Series, which was a series of recordings of traditional music from around the world. Some albums from the series are on CD, but this one is not.

This LP was a thrift shop find (99¢). It had no inner sleeve. I generally do not buy LPs that have no sleeve, unless they are hard to find or they appear to be in good condition. Often, they sound worse than they look. This one looks and sounds fine.

From the LP: "Dhun In Raga Ananda Bhairavi: A beautiful melody composed by Dr. Misri...The artist returns to the main theme over and over and improvises freely"

Dhun In Raga Ananda Bhairavi

Pomponio Nenna: Madrigals & Motets, Instrumental Pieces by Gesualdo & Nenna

Nonesuch H-71277

This was a thrift shop find (99¢), in okay shape (it's pretty crackly). I had recently read a New Yorker essay about Gesualdo when I saw this LP, and it inspired me to pick it up. It is not on CD.

As far as I can tell, this LP contains just one instrumental work by Gesualdo. The rest of the pieces are by Nenna. Both were known for the unusual chromaticism of their work.

Carlo Gesualdo: Gagliarda a 4

Pomponio Nenna: Ricercare a 2

Madrigals, by request:
Pomponio Nenna: S'io taccio (Book I)

Pomponio Nenna: Ecco, O mia dolce pena (Book IV)
 
Pomponio Nenna: L'amoroso veleno (Book VII)
 
There's a lovely version of Gesualdo's Gagliarda on youtube: http://youtu.be/txBWSnmSs8w

Cisco Houston: Passing Through (1965)

 Verve Folkways FV9002

This is a posthumous collection of previously unreleased tracks (Houston died in 1961). It was a thrift shop find (99¢), in good shape inside and out. Two or three tracks appear on the CD "Cisco Houston: The Folkways Years, 1944-1961." The rest are not on CD.

The version of "Stewball" on this record is very similar to (but not the same as) the one that appears on the CDs Cowboy Ballads and 900 Miles and other R.R. Songs.

East Virginia #2

Stewball

It Takes a Worried Man

The Robert Shaw Chorale: Deep River (1958)

RCA Victor LM-2247

I came to The Robert Shaw Chorale through their Christmas recordings. When I saw this record at the thrift shop, in good condition inside and out, I picked it up. It is not on CD.

According to wikipedia, Shaw "founded the Collegiate Chorale, a group notable in its day for its racial integration."

From the LP notes:
"Why it is that 'man's inhumanity to man' should often produce great art is one of the mysteries of the human spirit."
  
Deep River

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

My Lord, What A Morning

An Evening at the English Music Hall (1984)

Front Hall FHR-030

I'm a fan of The Copper Family, and John Roberts and Tony Barrand helped expose people to their repertoire of traditional songs. I recently found a nice thrift shop copy of Roberts & Barrand's 1971 album Spencer the Rover is Alive and Well, which is available on CD. I think I found this LP at the same time. Roberts or Barrand perform three of the tracks. 

The LP is a bit crackly. It was recorded live in 1974.

David Jones: Sam Hall

Tony Barrand: I'm Shy, Mary Ellen, I'm Shy

Tom T. Hall: I Wrote A Song About It (1975)

Mercury SRM-1-1033 

This LP was a thrift shop find, in excellent condition. The original recording, however, is just okay. "Deal" and "I Like Beer" appear on various Tom T. Hall greatest hits CDs, but the rest of this album is not on CD.

From the LP: "All selections written by Tom. T. Hall."
 
The Singer's Song

Step Stately: Two and Three Couple Dances from 17th and 18th Century England (1980)

Country Dance Society CDS-8

This record was a thrift shop find (99¢), part of a batch of three English country dance LPs. It is not on CD, though it is available as a cassette from the Country Dance and Song Society.

From the LP jacket:
"Marshall Barron - violin
Eric Leber - recorders, tambourine, large and small drums
Charles Ward - harpsichord, glockenspiel, triangles"

Green Sleeves and Yellow Lace

Step Stately

The Beggar Boy

The Boatman

Guiomar Novaes: Chopin Waltzes (Complete)

Vox STPL 58.170

My knowledge of classical music is limited, but I enjoy listening to different interpretations of Chopin's piano works. Guiomar Novaes is a well-regarded pianist, but her recording of Chopin's waltzes is not on CD. I don't know who makes these decisions or how they are decided, but it seems anyone with an interest in classical music would have to have a turntable to hear the majority of classical recordings.

This record was a thrift shop find (99¢), a bit worn but still in listenable condition. Sources indicate that the recording was made "around 1954." I was too lazy to photograph the cover this time, which looks just like in the photo above.

From Music magazine: "Novaes plays her 15 waltzes with steely brilliance, non-dogmatic control and a healthy dash of playfulness and thus provides an excellent alternate view of these works."

Op. 34 No. 2 in A Minor

Op. 64 No. 1 in D-flat Major (Minute Waltz)

Op. 64 No. 2 in C-sharp Minor

Op. 69 No. 1 in A-flat Major

Op. 69 No. 2 in B Minor

The Waverly Consort: Spanish Music In The Age of Exploration (1981)

CBS 37208

I found this LP new and sealed at the thrift shop. I find that unopened older LPs can sometimes be quite noisy (crackly). Presumably some process takes place in the years since it was pressed that is detrimental to the record surface. This LP sounds better than most, but not perfect. The cover photo had to be taken at an angle to avoid the glare from the shrink wrap.

This record is not on CD, though it is available on cassette from the Waverly Consort website. Associated equipment: Technics SL-7/Ortofon X1-MCP. 

Una matica de ruda (Sephardic song)

Nicholas Gombert: Dezilde al cavallero

Paul Parrish: Songs (1971)

Warner Brothers 1930

I had never heard of Paul Parrish when I picked this LP up at the thrift shop for 99 cents. One reason I shop for records at the thrift shop is they are inexpensive enough that I can buy them just to see if I like them or not. If not, I donate them back to the store. Another reason is I'm cheap.

This record is a little bit too sunshiny for me at times, but there are some nice songs on here, and the production is good. The record is a good condition. It is not on CD. Associated equipment: Technics SL-7/Ortofon X1-MCP.

I Once Had a Dog

Jaynie

Pink Limousine

Mark O'Connor: Pickin' in the Wind (1976)

Rounder 0068

I picked this LP up at a thrift shop ($1) because John Hartford plays and/or sings on five tracks. This was Mark O'Connor's second album, recorded when he was fourteen years old. It is not on CD.

The record is in good shape, the cover only fair. Update: I cleaned this LP with the VPI record cleaner, and it sounds excellent now. I re-digitized Faded Love and Lonesome Fiddle Blues and updated their links below.

Associated equipment: Technics SL-7/Ortofon X1-MCP.

Faded Love (John Hartford, lead vocal)

Lonesome Fiddle Blues

Midnight on the Water

Dixie Hoedown

Mark's Waltz

Vozes De Raparigas: Portuguese Girls Sing

Request RLP 8087

This was a thrift shop find (99¢), in good shape, still in the shrink wrap. The original recording, however, is only of fair quality. The title is probably a mistranslation, as the group sounds like a women's choir.

The song samples were made using the Technics SL-7/Ortofon X1-MCP combo described in the previous post.

From the LP:
"Coro Feminino Da Emissora Nacional De Radiodifusão
Conductor: Fernando de Carvalho"


Esquiva (Sullen Girl)

Era Ainda Pequenina (I Was Still a Child)

Alcachofra (The Thistle)

O Mar Alto (The Deep Sea)