Call Me The Breeze

JJ Cale 'Call Me The Breeze'

Skynrd did this song justice but nothing beats the original.

From his classic debut album 'Naturally' this 1971 gem is a pretty standard 12 bar blues shuffle with an almost demo sound to it. Cale plays a lazy guitar riff over a primitive drum track from an early drum machine. Layered on top of that is a couple more guitar tracks, a chugging rhythm guitar and a lead playing little riffs all over the place. Tempo wise it definitely has a slower pace than Skynrd's cover but you can't help bopping along to it nonetheless. The rest of the album is filled with songs you can put on as the background soundtrack to a lazy day.

Oh and did I mention that the album also features the song 'After Midnight'. You know the one, the one Clapton liked so much he covered it.....twice. Turned it into a beer commercial, you know that one. It's crazy too because at the time when JJ heard Clapton's version, he was dirt poor. It was actually the success of the Clapton cover that got JJ into the studio to record his debut.

And in case you were wondering, Clapton later covered another of Cale's songs, a little ditty called 'Cocaine'.

Pretty sure you've heard of that one.

Apollo Music

15,000 records $1ea.

That's what craigslist said, so ya gotta go check it out.

An add like this could go two ways. The vinyl mention wasn't even in the title, it was sorta placed in the add almost like an afterthought or an aside. That means whoever placed it either knew what they had and it was epic, or it was going to be a tremendous bust.

EPIC.

Me and a few of the V.A.G. group saddled up the cars and headed out after work to this industrial address in the middle of PoCo to go see what we could see. Once we found the place (wrong turn, backtrack needed, check the map etc.) we kinda stood outside this unassuming industrial complex wondering what we had gotten ourselves into. Who in their right mind would cram a record shop in the middle of all this.

Well Mike and Jamie of Apollo Music would.

From what I could gather from talking to them was they are in the business of buying bulk vinyl. They then sort it, put the cherries in the shop upstairs, and leave the rest in storage. So what we had stumbled upon was their version of a garage sale, two long tables down the middle of the main floor, garage door open, buck a record. Stay downstairs and you can flip through the bins and find the gems. Buck apiece. 15,000 unsorted records laying on and under the tables waiting for the taking. And I took, oh yes I did.

I was pulling vinyl with wild abandon. If I thought I might even kinda want it I grabbed it. I was grabbing modern rock, 70's southern rock, big band, calypso, 80's rock, stuff I already had but found one in better shape, everything. Got some Black Oak Arkansas. Found the first four Average White Band records. The first Marshall Tucker album...check. Managed to get a couple BOC records. Even pulled 'Hey Jude' for a dollar. Soon one of the boys brought over a box so I could put it all somewhere. The place was full of people all talking vinyl. A couple guys next to me were looking for Blondie, another guy was searching for 60's stuff. Couple people were Jazz guys. If someone found something cool and they already had it they would hold it up for others to see, in case someone wanted it.

The music was social, everyone was having a blast. We were talking, laughing, enjoying the day. Mike and Jamie were coming by and asking if you needed anything, how you found the place, was it your first time there. They were awesome.

Social. That's the key. I have never had a bunch of friends over to my place for an iTunes buying party. No one opens up their hard drive and has a mp3 sale. I was there for 3 hours digging through the bins and it felt like 30 minutes. I ended up with 78 records and they charged me $75 bucks. I could have used that money on iTunes and bought 75 songs, instead I got whole albums. Some of it I would never be able to find online. But the big thing was I was out in the world enjoying the act of buying music. With like minded people, in a fun setting. Like I said EPIC.

Big thanks to Mike and Jamie, the day was great. As much as I want to keep it to myself, a place like this has to be talked about. Here are the stats:

Mike Rintoul / Jamie Anstey

Apollo Music Inc

8-2260 Tyner St

Port Coquitlam BC V3C 2Z1

Phone = 778-285-9544

Check 'em out if you can, but save a few gems for me.

KC

ps - I went upstairs to check it out. What I saw made my wallet scream. When the funds allow I'll explore the shop fully. I'll let you know what I find.

Flex-Able

In 1983, Steve Vai, with help from Frank Zappa, built and outfitted a small studio in his garden shed. Named Stucco Blue, Steve would use this home studio to record his first solo album - Flex-Able. The album is heavily influenced by Frank Zappa who Steve had worked with in the previous years. It also doesn't contain the 'shredding' that Steve would become known for. It does contain some of my favourite Vai tunes though.

I can't remember exactly what year I got this album, probably around 1987. I have the original cover above and I consider it one of the prized albums in my collection. The album contains the classic track "The Attitude Song" but for the purpose of this I have chosen a different track from the record, song 1, side 1....

Little Green Men

Hang Up Your Hang Up's

I can't get this song out of my head. It took a bit of searching around in order to find the album.'Man-Child' (1975) is one of Herbie's more funk influenced works. Wah Wah Watson plays a dominant role on the album, helping to write 4 of the 6 songs and his mastery of the wah wah pedal is one of the things that drew me to this album.

The hunt took place over a few weeks when I could find the time. I had searched the flea market bins to no avail although I was a little sloppy and might of missed it. I thought I had a lead at Zoo Zhop, but no good. He said he had it but couldn't be bothered to find it. Audiopile had a bunch of stuff that I ended up buying, always the case when you go out looking. Finally the album was found at Zulu. I checked the Hancock bins but it wasn't there. Luckily at the last moment I looked in the new arrivals bin and, voila, there it was. The feeling of finding something you are looking for is a big buzz for me. What usually follows is a strong desire to play the album right away so....

Without further adieu.... Hang Up Your Hang Ups

Welcome

Well here we go! Ranting and raving about all things vinyl.

First lets discuss mp3's.As cool as mp3's are, as amazing as the iTunes store is, they isolate. You can sit at home and download your music, place it on your iPod, and listen to it all by yourself.

But vinyl, vinyl makes you get up and go out in the world! You have to leave the comfort of the cave and venture out. Search for the music in the record stores. Dig through the bins. Maybe even.... speak to someone. And when you do find that record you were searching for, well you just might have to play it for someone. Maybe a group of people.

By making music social again maybe, just maybe, the once forgotten record will cease being a dinosaur and take it's place again as the music delivery vessel of choice.