It was love at first sight when I saw a Jamo Reference R 909 loudspeaker in sparkling red lacquer on the floor of the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show. It made no sound, but it was beautiful, and I wanted it. It summoned up all my latent predilections for snazzy colors, striking shapes, and dipole speakers. But, as with many passing encounters in life, nothing came of it.
Though earlier in the day I had entertained ideas of soaring through the cold night, piercing hearts from here to Williamsburg and back, when it came time to make my move, I could only sit there, alone, still and quiet and entirely comfortable on my warm, orange couch.
I started with Loudon Wainwright's <i>Unrequited</i>. Though the front cover shows Wainwright looking positively pained, a tear streaming down his forlorn face, the back cover is a completely different story: all shits and giggles, which perfectly complements the live nature of the album's second side. Who knows what Loudon was crying about? Maybe he simply preferred live performances over studio work. I share the feeling.
Willie Nelson's <i>Phases and Stages</i> was released one year prior to Wainwright's <i>Unrequited</i> and takes a somewhat similar artistic approach. It is clearly a concept album with two distinct, but closely related, sides.
I also picked this one up at Boomerangs. At the time, I knew nothing about Melanie Safka. Looking at the front cover, I must have immediately thought, <i>hmm… psychedelic hippie music</i>, or something like that. I also noticed that it was released by Buddah Records who I <i>was</i> familiar with for their work with Captain Beefheart and Rodriguez. Turning to the back, I was intrigued by Melanie's liner notes, which pretty much told me that this chick is crazy.
There's a strange similarity between La Lupe and Melanie. They are both clearly passionate, to say the least. I've read that La Lupe's live shows had that certain danger to them that only the greatest rock performances can manage. On stage, her hands went wild like pigeons exploding into the summer sky: Lupe would poke at her face, tug at her clothes, and throw her shoes into the crowd.
I purchased this album, simply titled <i>Elvis</i>, at the ARChive of Contemporary Music's winter record fair. This album immediately followed his RCA Victor debut, <i>Elvis Presley</i>. Both were released in 1957 and both went gold. By the end of the year, I suppose he was so successful that a single name was enough. My copy is a 50th anniversary reissue special.
It's a very tough call, but <i>Darkness</i> may be my favorite Springsteen album. See him there, looking so damn ready to prove it all night.
This album was obviously named after me.
The March 2009 issue of <i>Stereophile</i> is now on newsstands. I know this because people are <a href="http://forum.stereophile.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=60827&an=0… complaining</a> about the $107,000/pair loudspeaker we put on the cover.