Derek's Dime Museum

I'm listening to the records recently added to my collection...

Here are some quick reviews:

The Stranglers: Who Wants the World 45 EP 1980 Japan

I saw them live on this tour, which I wear as a badge of honor and an admission of advancing age...

I wish the production was better on this…you'd expect more outstanding sound on a Japanese 45 EP.    Still, it  features a great version of  Bear Cage, which I always thought at the time was titled birdcage, which has a whole different meaning…  The standout track for me is an instrumental version of  The Meninblack, which led to the next and last concept LP from The Stranglers.

Rock-a-Teens Woo Hoo LP 1959

1959 was the year that rockabilly gave it's last gasp and clashed with the status quo and the up-coming teen idols, there was a lot of wierd and great stuff recorded this year, as bands tried to transform or retrofit into the new sound.  There is nothing quite like rockabilly recorded in 1959,  it know's it is dying sound, but it's not going out without a fight...

The lead track, Woo Hoo is creepy and beautiful and an all time fave.   The Rock-a-teens still retain a snarling rockabilly flavor throughout, and some tracks are very Gene Vincent...  Janis Will Rock is a lovesong to Janis Martin, the female Elvis.  There's not a single mention about this on Google, so it's a scoop for this page... :-)

On My Nerves is a great 1959 instro.

Creed Taylor Orchestra: Panic Son of Shock

This is an upscale version of Frankie Stien and the Ghouls done by a full orchestra on an audiophile label.  Tracks sound like a person in an iron lung, a lion tamer killing someone in the audience, a laughing record track, car crashes, mountain climbing accidents and a cautionary tale about smoking around toxic waste.   A real treat!