(TV) Semi-OT: Thanks, MM list

["Philip P. Obbard" <pobbard@yahoo.com>]

Hi all,

I want to thank the list for introducting me to the two CDs that
have dominated my CD player this past week.

The first is Gene Clark's NO OTHER, which I bought earlier this
week when I stumbled across it in a local store and remembered
reading about it on this list a few months ago. Now, while I own
a few Byrds albums, and even have Clark's solo debut as part of
a CD called ECHOES, I've never been much of a Byrds fan beyond
the well-known singles. Clark's debut is good, but not great
(although I now wonder if the stereo remix heard on ECHOES could
be the problem - it's very washed-out). As far as the Byrds go,
I could easily just live with a GREATEST HITS compilation. But
NO OTHER is something else - excellent songwriting, complex
arrangements, interesting lyrics, and seductive production. Not
very Byrds-y at all, although Clark's songwriting style from his
earlier days is still recognizable. I'm really hooked. And I'm
saying that *despite* the presence of several members of a very
well-known 70s California "rock" group as backing musicians... a
band I've been known to disparage... 'nuff said.

The second is Fairport Convention's UNHALFBRICKING. Now, I know
many many many people on this list love Richard Thompson. I've
got a Richard Thompson solo CD, and 8-10 years ago I had a copy
of LIEGE & LIEF, both courtesy of a fellow list member. I liked
both, but didn't love them (and the L&L tape has long
disappeared) and never really pursued it. So, why did I finally
buy a Fairport record? Because "A Sailor's Life" is namechecked
in the liner notes of the MARQUEE MOON reissue! Yeah, I'm
predictable. Anyhow, the observation Alan Licht makes - that the
second half of "Marquee Moon" really resembles "A Sailor's Life"
- is dead-on. From just before the 7-minute mark through the
10-minute mark, this could easily be Television. That aside, the
rest of the record is catching on with me too, enough so that
I'm wondering which FC record to pick up next (even if my wife
still calls them "Farmers Almanac").

Anyhow, this isn't the first time the list has made good
recommendations, and I hope it isn't the last!

--Phil

Bonus geek points: For both NO OTHER and UNHALFBRICKING, I
bought the import versions that were just over 100% more
expensive than the available domestic versions, since both had
bonus material. I figured, on the off-chance I liked the
album(s), I'd wind-up wishing I'd spent the money anyway...


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