The Animals - Greatest Hits Live! (1984)

The Animals - Greatest Hits Live!

Recorded at Wembley Arena in London on December 31st 1983 during The Animals' second reunion tour (the original band had previously reformed for a brief time in the late 1970's as well), Greatest Hits Live! is exactly that.  Although much of the set for The Animals' reunion tour in 1983 was made up of songs from their 1983 album, Ark, this recording features many of the band's classic hits, including House Of The Rising Sun and Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood.

The whole performance is imbued with a raw energy not usually heard in the band's original performances from the '60s, giving well known songs a fresh vitality that belies the age of both the songs and the band themselves.

The haunting piano intro leading into Eric Burdon's growling vocal performance on Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood is a particular highlight of the album, as is their raucous cover version of John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom.

Tracklisting

Side one

• It's Too Late
• House Of The Rising Sun
• It's My Life
• Don't Bring Me Down
• Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

Side two

• I'm Crying
• Bring It On Home To Me
• O Lucky Man!
• Boom Boom
• We Gotta Get Out Of This Place

Blind Faith - Blind Faith 1969

Formed by Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker from the band Cream, along with Steve Windwood of the Spencer Davis Group and Ric Grech from Family, Blind Faith is another addition to the trend in the late sixties and early seventies for rock supergroups.

There was a huge amount of controversy surrounding Blind Faith's original album artwork (below right), which featured a photograph of a naked girl stroking a distinctly phallic model of an aeroplane.

While Eric Clapton did his best to defend the band's choice of album artwork their record company released the album with an alternative cover in the US and Canada (pictured left) which featured a much more traditional photograph of the band and included a label detailing the members of the supergroup.

Tracklisting

Side one

• Had to Cry Today
• Can't Find My Way Home
• Well All Right
• Presence of the Lord

Side two

• Sea of Joy
• Do What You Like

Arlo Guthrie - Arlo 1968

Arlo by Arlo Guthrie (1968)

Released in October 1968 Arlo is a live album compiling several of Arlo Guthrie's most popular songs, although Alice's Restaurant which is arguably his most well know work is not featured on the album.

One notable highlight, and a definite personal favourite, is the nearly eight minute long version of Arlo's ramble tale of misadventures with the law and an unwanted pickle, The Motorcycle Song.

Arlo Guthrie is still actively touring today and details of upcoming appearances can be found on his official website at Arlo.net.  He also writes semi-regular blog posts there, updating his fans on his travels and appearances, or whatever else is on his mind.

Tracklisting

Side one

• The Motorcycle Song
• Wouldn't You Believe It
• Try Me One More Time
• John Looked Down

Side two

• Meditation (Wave upon Wave)
• Standing at the Threshold
• The Pause of Mr. Claus

Appaloosa - Appaloosa 1969

Appaloosa - Appaloosa

Formed in Cambridge Massachusetts by teenagers John Parker Compton and Robin Batteau (vocals/acoustic guitar and cello respectively) and accompanied by Harvard Alums David Reiser on bass and cellist Gene Rosov, Appaloosa's self-titled debut album from 1969 is regarded as an obscure gem among fans of that era's so-called "folk-baroque" scene.

Produced by Al Kooper (who also played keyboards and some of the guitar parts on the album) and aided by Kooper's fellow Blood, Sweat & Tears members Bob Columby on drums and Fred Lipsius on sax, Appaloosa's delicate sound and teenage angst-ridden lyrics (all eleven songs were written by Compton during the previous two years while attending a "progressive" New York boarding school) destined the album to art rock obscurity.

Compton and Batteau went on to record another album as a duo, entitled Compton and Batteau in California, then in 1971 Compton released his first solo album, To Luna, which would not be followed until 1995 when Compton released Mother of Mercy.

In 2005 Compton, Batteau and Reiser reformed Appaloosa for a concert at Harvard University's Sanders Theatre and were said to be heading into the studio to work on new material.

Track Listing

Side one

• Tulu Rogers
• Thoughts of Polly
• Feathers
• Bi-Weekly
• Glossolalia
• Rivers Run To the Sea

Side two

• Pascals Paradox
• Yesterday's Roads
• Now That I Want You
• Georgia Street
• Rosalie

Bloomfield, Kooper & Stills - Super Session 1968

Bloomfield, Kooper & Stills - Super Session

Prior to the release of his debut solo album, I Stand Alone, Al Kooper got together with Mike Bloomfield (The Electric Flag) and Stephen Stills (The Butterfield Blues Band) to record the Super Session album, one of the earliest "supergroup" collaborations, paving the way for albums from other so-called supergroups like Blind Faith and Crosby, Stills Nash & Young.

The story behind the recording of Super Session is that Al Kooper, having recently departed from Blood, Sweat & Tears after the release of their debut album, arranged a two day session in a recording studio with Mike Bloomfield, who had himself recently left his band, The Electric Flag.
Bloomfield however, failed to turn up for the second day of recording and so Kooper called upon Stephen Stills to step in rather than waste a day's worth of studio time.

The resulting record features the tracks from the first day's session with Mike Bloomfield on side one, while side two has the tracks recorded with Stephen Stills.

Following the album's release and subsequent chart success (peaking at #12 on the Billboard charts in the US) Kooper and Bloomfield patched up their differences and made a number of concert appearances together.  Many of these performances were recorded and were used to create the album The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper.

Tracklisting

Side one

• Albert's Shuffle
• Stop
• Man's Temptation
• His Holy Modal Majesty
• Really

Side two

• It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry
• Season of the Witch
• You Don't Love Me
• Harvey's Tune

Al Kooper - I Stand Alone - 1968

Al Kooper - I Stand Alone

I Stand Alone, released in 1968, is Al Kooper's first solo album. Kooper had previously been a part of Blood, Sweat & Tears as well as a regular collaborator with Bob Dylan, Mike Bloomfield and New York underground favourites, The Blues Project.


Like the "Super Session" album, which featured Al Kooper along with Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills, I Stand Alone includes a disparate range of cover versions of songs from original artists ranging from Harry Nilsson and Traffic all the way through to Isaac Hayes.

Tracklisting

*All tracks were written by Al Kooper except where noted otherwise.

Overture

I Stand Alone

Camille (Kooper, Tony Powers)

One (Harry Nilsson)

Coloured Rain (Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood)

Soft Landing on the Moon

I Can Love A Woman

Blue Moon of Kentucky (Bill Monroe)

Toe Hold (Isaac Hayes, David Porter)

Right Now For You

Hey, Western Union Man (Jerry Butler, Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff)

Song and Dance for the Unborn, Frightened Child

Cataloging A Collection Of Classic Vinyl LPs

This blog is intended to become a growing catalogue of classic vinyl LPs, beginning with the few hundred albums that I own, though I may expand to catalogue other albums once I've finished adding all of my own.
With each album listing I will include a photo of the album cover and try to include as much additional information about the album as I can, tracklistings, release year, anecdotal information about the artist or the recording and where available an approximate value for the record based on sales of similar condition copies on ebay or specialist record collector's websites.
The information may be a little sparse on some of the albums, especially during the early stages as I build out the listings, but I'll do my best to go back and update each album as and when any new info becomes available.  If anyone out there reading this has any other useful or interesting information to add about any of the records listed here please feel free to add a comment or link to us from your own blog posts about the records.