This is a follow-up to this post last spring, where I note what I covet musically, all put out by people who are over 50, some of them dead. I should note that everything on that list, save for the Beatles box, I now have, and enjoy, including the Johnny Cash album.
But before that, I’ve been thinking about musical storage, as a result of a question from GayProf. Back when I had a few dozen LPs, they were on a shelf in my room on the floor. In college, I used milk cartons, orange crates, and the traditional cinder blocks and planks.
Then I got hold of used metal racks from somewhere. They had a slight lean to them, so they could only be used in certain parts of the room. I remember once (or more) when a girlfriend thought it would look better somewhere not in a corner, and over my objections, I moved off all my LPs, moved the racks, then loaded the LPs. They stood for about 10 minutes, then collapsed, LPs and all. (“See, I TOLD you it wouldn’t work!”)
Finally, I bought a nice bookcase where my LPs would reside until I got married, when my wife “appropriated” it for the kitchen. My LPs are now in the entertainment center in the first floor, and in an old bookcase of hers on the third. Since the stereo is on the first, this is not what one would call…convenient.
Meanwhile, my CDs were in bookcases as well. When we first moved into this house, I put my CDs in one large bookcase, put some CDs in, then watched helplessly as it fell on top of me, because of the slope of the house. The bookcase was then braced to the wall, and that worked fine until some small person started removing the CDs.
So now my CDs are in four pieces of furniture especially designed for CDs, VCR tapes and the like. They were so hard to put together – they had arms that swing open – that I spent something like six hours putting together the first one, with help from my father-in-law, no less. So for my birthday last year, Carol hired someone to put the other three together. Item 1 contains the CDs A-Harris, item 2 Harrison-Sh, item 3 Si-Z, plus the TV, movie, and Broadway discs, then the compilation disc A-H, and item 4, compilation I-Z, plus the tribute albums, and the Christmas music.
And now, let the coveting/Christmas wish list begin. These are in order by release date:
The River in Reverse- Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint
Released: June 6, 2006
My first album by this artist: Get Happy!, 1980 (Costello). Oh, yeah, he’s only 49.
While I have songs on compilations, and certainly songs that he wrote for other artists, I have no Allen Toussaint albums.
Highway Companion-Tom Petty
Released: July 25, 2006
My first album by this artist: Damn the Torpedoes, 1979
Modern Times-Bob Dylan
Released: August 29, 2006
My first album by this artist: Blonde on Blonde, 1966
Covet. Covet.
Overnight Sensational-Sam Moore
Released: August 29, 2006
My first album by this artist: Best of Sam and Dave, 1969, though my sister had some earlier albums.
Duets: An-American-Classic-Tony-Bennett and a whole bunch of folks
Released: September 26, 2006
My first album by this artist: Basie Swings, Bennett Sings, originally released 1958
Ray Sings, Basie Swings- Ray Charles and Count Basie
Released: October 3, 2006
My first album by this artist: Early Ray Charles, don’t know the date, but it was an LP of his 1940s music, when he was still trying to sound like Nat “King” Cole. (Basie previously cited.)
Songs from the Labyrinth-Sting
Released: October 10, 2006
My first album by this artist: Outlandos d’Amour-the Police, 1979
Also, a good friend of mine recommended that I should get some Howard Tate, and I’m going to add Rediscovered to my list.
Finally, there is the Cirque du Soleil mashup of Beatles tunes for ‘LOVE’, which is supposed to be out next month, and which I will HAVE to get.
The priority list is probably, excluding ‘LOVE’: Dylan, Petty, Costello/Toussaint, Sting, Moore, Bennett, Tate, and Charles/Basie.
And if I don’t get them for Christmas, there’s always my birthday 2 1/2 months later, though it’s unlikely I’d wait any longer for the Dylan and Beatles.
