Remember when records had two sides? Remember how you had to pick them up and turn them over or wait for the next record to drop? Deep into this digital age, I still catch myself waiting for the A-side to end.
Leaving aside favorite albums for the moment, what were the favorite sides of your youth? Here are just a few of many sides that did it for me then — each one has a specific association to scenes in San Diego (some of which I may be prepared to share here).
- Lou Reed, “Coney Island Baby”: Side One
- The Rolling Stones, “Sticky Fingers”: Side Two
- Dead Kennedys, “Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables”: Side Two
- The Beatles, “The Beatles”: sides one and three
- X, “Los Angeles”: Side One
- Bob Dylan, “Highway 61 Revisited”: Side One
Time to choose sides!
Germs, “GI”, side one
Love, “Da Capo”, side one (not a fair fight- side one has the awesome “Stephanie Knows Who” and “Seven and Seven Is”, and side two is perhaps the biggest squander of vinyl I know, they just rolled tape during a rather lame jam and called it “Revelation”)
I’ve referred before to the formative role of the San Dieguito High School theater department, which featured some famously debauched cast parties. When I first joined the group as a freshman during the 1978-’79 school year, the record on infinite repeat at these parties was Side One of Steely Dan’s Aja (“Big Black Cow,” “Peg.”)
The next year, the younger generation took over … Again, one record went on the turntable for the evening, party after party: Side One of the B-52’s first album. Dance this mess around! I have those first four B-52’s songs permanently ingrained in my skull, and I don’t know if I’d even recognize the tunes on Side 2. (What’s “6060-842”?)
the Stooges Funhouse side one,and after that side two,i can still listen to that over and over,or the outtakes with 3 different versions of funhouse the song and one of the other songs having ray manzarek style organ,i think its tv eye
I have a different set of memories connected with cassette tapes, especially after my parents got a pickup truck with an infinite-loop feature.
Bobby, coincidentally, “Funhouse” was one of my short list of monster marathon roadtrip cassettes, along with “The Slider” by T. Rex and “Swordfishtrombones” by Tom Waits.
Paul K totally nailed it on the side vs side issue…De Capo was the first LP that came to my mind too when I first visited this thread, the most lopsided record ever. They could have just left side 2 blank…test tones..hi-pitched dog noises..anything.
The two side album concept gave artists the option to have an entire side be a freestanding magnum opus, with pop tunes on the flip (or not). Intermissions are wonderful things. Overtures, undertures…snack bars…potty breaks…
Innagadda-david-a…..hmmm…innagadda-de-capo? I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Iron Butterfly side B(Z)…that one spun around a lot.
Can. Monster Movie. Side two….YOO DOO RIGHT.
Can again. Future Days. Side two….BEL AIR.
Those are total one-song-opus fave sides.
>>Matthew says: I have a different set of memories connected with cassette tapes…
Yes! and you could fix them yourself. I remember many a late night doing “surgery” on a cassette with a small phillips and some scotch tape.
I once had this tape of a Pink Floyd bootleg called “Dark Side of the Moo” with early stuff that I can’t find now anywhere like “Scream thy last Scream” and “Point me at the Sky”. This tape has finally died. Guess it’s time to look on Ebay.
Hi Bobby. Funhouse for sure-side one. I taped it so it included 1970. “LA Blues” is a bit much.
We left the Germs GI, Misfits Walk Among Us, Hell Comes To Your House 1, Let them Eat Jellybeans, American Youth Report, Crass Feeding of the 500 and Social Distortion Mommy’s little Monster on the turntable on repeat for sadistic lengths of time. I don’t recall which sides.
I could leave Tom Waits the Early Years Part two on the turntable indefinitely.
Another subset of this thread: Jukeboxes of San Diego!
City Deli had a reasonably eclectic one for the era — some Lou Reed, some Bowie — and I remember picking some fairly odd B-sides and stuff. I recall Dave Fleminger once got in a “Hey Jude” mood and programmed it about eight times. Much “Hey Jude” was had by all.
Ack! I sold most of my albums a few years back because I got tired of carting them around…and then last year my eleven year old buys a turntable and gets fixated on old albums. He’s pissed at me for selling so much and is now working his way into his own collection.
For me it was Love, Forever Changes, side 1 because that was the best side to listen to over and over when you got dumped, Jefferson Airplane Surrealistic Pillow Side 1 had Today and Somebody to Love and The Kinks Something Else Side 2 because it has Waterloo Sunset which I looooved.
Patti Smith, “Horses”: Side One. Nothing against Side Two — it might be the greatest music ever written! — but I loved Side One so damn much, I don’t even remember ever flipping the record over!
Patti Smith, “Radio Ethiopia”: Side One.
I think my choice of sides was also influenced here by the fact that Noise 292’s Kristin Martin did an incredible job covering songs from both of these A-sides: “Gloria” and “Ain’t It Strange.” But I also just love “Redondo Beach,” “Birdland,” “Pissing in a River,” “Free Money” … Cripes! I’ve gotta go find all those Side Two tracks now. 🙂
forgot one: Pretty Things, “Parachute”, side one
Velvet Underground “Loaded” side one.
13th Floor Elevators “Easter Everywhere” side one with Slip Inside this House --
Black Sabbath’s 1st album, another side one -- if I have to pick. This is just an amazing album all around.
There weren’t many albums where I liked one side more than the other. With all my favorite albums, I ususally liked both sides, and would listen to the entire album all the way through. Flipping the record over was like the intermission.
The whole concept of the “album” just evolved from the technology available (you could only fit so much music on each side), but it turned out to be just the right amount, as far as I’m concerned.
The worst thing about cds (to me) is the presentation of the music… For the most part, I dont really want bonus cuts and outtakes. I want for the album to take me away on a little musical journey…with a beginning, middle and end, like watching a movie. I want the album to stop at the end. That way, you feel satisfied… like you’ve had a complete experience, and now its over. I love albums like Fun House that only have five or six songs…when the album is over, there’s nothing left…you KNOW it’s supposed to be over.
I just looked through my albums and cant find a single one where I’d prefer one side over the other. Sometimes I’ll just listen to a single side because the music is very intense and I feel satisfied after just that one side… or maybe I just have attention deficit disorder…haha. I never liked watching a band play for more than 45 minutes either.
Dave, I totally agree. I hate CDs with outtakes. Who wants that? There’s a reason artist selcted certain cuts to be on an album. And I get really frustrated looking through Amazon and not being able to find a CD without a bunch of extra garbage no it. I re-bought Germfree Adolescents by X Ray Spex the other day, and I haven’t even bothered to listen to the bonus tracks. Today in fact I just tried to buy a copies of Tal Farlow’s “Wild Guitar” CD and the first RCA Elvis Presley album, and guess what? You can’t even buy these classics without the extras! I guess the good thing about IPods is that you can choose not to add all that extra stuff.
Paul, as a case in point (as you mention), the re-issue of Blank Generation is almost ruined by the version of “Down at the Rock and Roll Club” that was for some unexplicable reason substituted in. Defintely inferior. The same goes for the first Generation X album.
I also agree with Dave that I can’t really name any album of which I like one side much better than the other. In my opinion, most Miles Davis and Ornette Coleman albums actually work better as CDs, so you can just hear them from begining to end. So do Desmond Decker albums.
Does anybody want to venture their opinion on Scotty Moore’s The Guitar that Changed the World?
jerry butler “ice on ice” side 2
OK I gotta chime in on this one…
Don’t forget about singles. Vinyl singles.
Ray Charles “What’d I Say” pt. 2
Little Stevie Wonder “Fingertips” pt. 2
and for the record (pun intended) when I was diggin’ through the HUGE bins of 45s at Goodwill etc (remember those days?) I had a great and infallible rule:
If the record has one song that is pt. 1 and pt. 2 buy it. No exceptions. Essentially if it’s too damned funky/soulful/whatever to be contained on one side of the record…and they had to go to the “B” side…then it’s GOT to be good.
ON the LPs…Side one of Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain” and side one of the self-titled first album by Rasputin’s Stash are still very very popular in my house. Side two of “Link Wray’s Greatest Hits is most popular with my kids. Side two of “Make it Funky” and side one of “Mother Popcorn” by James are my all time faves to jam with. Still.
Pat
I have different sides for my different sides. Kraftwerk “Computer World” side one, and “Autobahn” side one. Jimmie Rodgers “The Legendary” on RCA, Blind Willie Mctell “Blues in the Dark”, Woody Guthrie’s Library of Congress record. New Order’s Factus 12 side one. The Cure “The Walk” EP. We’ve had these forever and I never seem to tire of them. The Pretty Things, The Outsiders, The Kinks, the Everly Brothers…..”Can” has some songs I need to hear frequently…Sam Cooke’s Greatest (the yellow one). Ray Charles…So many sides…Thelonius Monk’s Blue Note sides with Milt jackson (I’ve been listening to it for 25 years now and it still gets me). Forever Changes…..
Right on with your Right ON, Pat. You nailed it about 45’s. If there’s prt 1 and part 2 it’s in my bag at the rekkid show/thriftstore/swapmeet/estate sale. I don’t even bring lp’s home much anymore. I’d rather have the 45. The mixes are louder, and 45’s aren’t picky about tracking once you clean them with a little soap and water, and a toothbrush in the direction of the grooves (hint hint, this will clean up your Styrene Atlantic releases right up) and play wet.
Funky nassau. i love part 2 by The Beginning of the End (on Alston). The guitar solo is amazing and the mix goes awry. I love it.
Kudos to my man Paul for the missive above. Follow the leader is way the f*ck out front of almost anything in my book…and A Nation of Millions…well.
I used to have a Vinyl 12″ 45 of Terrordome. Long mix. Got ripped off.
BTW if you look deep in the liner notes to a PE album called RevolverLution you’ll see a shout out to Pat in the Hat….guess who?
For all the uninitiated….you can READ this at it’ll make you take a bathroom break…knocks the shit right out of me anyway. Go buy (or download?) it if you don’t own it.
No hos, no bling, just MC hyperbole…the best:
Follow me into a solo, get in the flow,
And you could picture, like a photo,
Music makes mellow, maintains to make,
Melodies for MCs, motivates the breaks.
I’m everlasting; I can go on for days and days,
With rhyme displays that engrave deep as x-rays.
I can take a phrase that’s rarely heard,
Flip it… now it’s a daily word.
I can get illin’ at normal killin’,
Bambino along, Rakim’ll remain calm.
Self esteem make me super superb and supreme.
Before a microphone, still, I fiend.
This was a take, I wasn’t supposed to break,
I was supposed to wait, but let’s motivate.
I wanna see ’em keep followin’ and swallowin’,
Takin’ the makin’, bitin’ and borrowin’.
Brothers try and others die to get the formula,
But I’m a let ‘cha sweat. You still ain’t warm,
You a step away from frozen, stiff as if you’re posin’,
Dig into my brain as the rhyme gets chosen.
So follow me, and while you’re thinking you were first,
Let’s travel adventitious at speeds around the universe.
What could you say as the earth gets further and further away,
Planets as small as balls of clay?
Astray into the Milky Way, world’s out of sight,
As far as the eye can see, not even a satellite.
Now stop and turn around and look.
As you stare into the darkness, your knowledge: took!
So keep starin’, soon you suddenly see a star.
You better follow it ’cause it’s the “R.”
This is a lesson. If you’re guessin’ and if you’re borrowin’,
Hurry hurry step right up and keep followin’,
The Leader.
Follow the leader.
Rakim’ll say, “Follow the leader!”
Rakim’ll say, “Follow the leader!”
Rakim’ll say, “Follow the leader!”
Keep Followin’.
Rakim’ll say, “Follow the leader!”
Rakim’ll say, “Follow the leader!”
Rakim’ll say, “Follow the leader!”
Rakim’ll say, “Follow the leader!”
This is a lifetime mission.
Vision a prison. All right, listen.
In this journey, you’re the journal, I’m the journalist.
Am I eternal or an eternalist?
I’m about to flow long as I can possibly go.
Keep you movin’ ’cause the crowd said so.
Dance! Cuts rip your pants.
Eric B. on the blades, bleedin’ death. Call an ambulance!
Pull out my weapon and start to squeeze,
A magnum as a microphone, murderin’ MCs.
Let’s quote a rhyme from a record I wrote:
“Follow the Leader!” …Yeah, dope!
‘Cause every time I stop, you see, just duck.
As soon as you try to step off you self-destruct.
I came to overcome before I’m gone,
By showin’ and provin’ and lettin’ knowledge be born.
Then after that I’ll live forever. You disagree?
You say, “Never?” Then follow me,
From century to century, you’ll remember me,
In history, not a mystery or a memory.
Called by nature, mind raised in Asia,
Since you was tricked, I had to raise ya,
From the cradle to the grave.
But remember, you’re not a slave.
‘Cause we were put here to be much more than that,
But we couldn’t see because our mind was trapped.
But I’m here to break away the chains, take away the pains,
Remake the brains, rebuild my name.
Again, somebody told you, a little knowledge is dangerous.
It can’t be mixed, diluted, it can’t be changed with a,
Switch. Here’s a lesson if you’re guessin’, if you’re borrowin’,
Hurry hurry step right up and keep followin’,
The Leader.
Follow the leader.
Rakim’ll say, “Follow the leader!”
Rakim’ll say, “Follow the leader!”
Rakim’ll say, “Follow the leader!”
Rakim’ll say, “Follow the leader!”
Rakim’ll say, “Follow the leader!”
Rakim’ll say, “Follow the leader!”
Rakim’ll say, “Follow the leader!”
A fear if I freestyle lyrics-a-fury,
My third eye make me shine like jury.
You’re just a rented rapper, you’re rhymes are minute-maid,
I’ll be here when they fade, I’ll watch you flip like a renegade.
I can’t wait to break and eliminate,
On every trade of my snake so stay awake.
And follow and follow ’cause the tempo’s a trail,
The stage is a cage, the mic is a third rail.
I’m Rakim, the fiend of a microphone.
I’m not him, so leave my mic alone.
Soon as the beat is felt, I’m ready to go,
So fasten your seatbelt ’cause I’m about to flow.
No need to speed, slow down and let the leader lead.
Word to Daddy… Indeed!
The “R’s” a rollin’ stone, so I’m rollin’,
Directs the tone then rhymes are stolen.
Stop buggin’! A brother said, “Dig him?” I never dug him.
He couldn’t follow the leader long enough so I drug him.
It’s a danger zone, he should arrange his own,
Face it, to space it, grace it, change the tone.
There’s one “R” in the alphabet.
It’s a one letter word and it’s about to get,
More complex from one rhyme to the next.
Eric B., be easy on the flex.
I’ve been from state to state. Follow us. Tailgate.
Keep comin’, but you came too late, but I’ll wait.
So back up your group, get a grip, come equipped.
You’re the next contestant. Clap your hands. You won a trip.
The price is right. Don’t make a deal too soon.
How many notes? Could you name this tune?
“Follow the Leader” is a title they task.
Now you know; you don’t have to ask.
Rappers’ rhythm and poetry, cuts create sound effects.
You might get junked if you follow the records he wrecks.
Until then, keep eatin’ and swallowin’.
You better take a deep breath and keep followin’
The Leader.
over and out
patndhat
GAwd…you got me thinkin’ about hiphop now…what about Side 1 of NWA’s Straight Outta Compton?
Debut album by Paris…I got that one the FIRST day it was out.
I could go on. Gotta go back to work…
Pat
No way Pat. Now I’m gonna have to check it out. You gotta tell Paul H.
I’m not huge into rap/hiphop but I LUV Chuck D. and PE -- esp. Nation of Millions -- side 2 -- BASE FOR YO FACE tho’ Bum Rush the Show was the first one I ever got and has the great Slayer guitar riff on Sophisticated Beeeotch…… Saw PE with Anthrax and Primus in 1990 and the experience cannot be duplicated.
I also gotta mention side one of The Kinks Village Green Preservation Society which is my son and my dance around the house music. That and Pet Sounds.
Yeah Pat, Straight Outta Compton, side one.Most people pick “Paid In Full” as the classic Eric B and Rakim album. It is a classic. A lot of people say it changed the game, I agree…and then right after that they went and changed the game AGAIN with “Follow The Leader”.All four of their albums are classics in my book. I saw them play at the San Diego sports Arena right when “Follow The Leader came out. One of the peak experiences of my concert going career(and I’ve seen some good uns). I had to compliment this man for his shirt at Smog Sessions in LA in May.
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=98029369&albumID=1967690&imageID=26641925
Pat, my recommendation for digitizing tunes would be a technics 1200 or 1210 series and a separate recorder.The 1200’s and 1210’s are the DJ standard and a damn fine Hi-Fi turntable as well.And one of these http://www.ikey-audio.com/ikeyplus.htm or these http://www.tascam.com/products/dr-1.html .I’m not at all sold on the all in one units, I don’t see how the they can be other than crap if it’s a bunch cheaper than 1200’s AND has the digital converters.If you get a 1200 or 1210 you’ve got almost half of a professional DJ setup.If you already have a decent turntable, you can just get one of the little recorders, the I-Key one is cheaper it doesn’t have the built in stereo mic or memory, but it does have a phono preamp, (and a stereo mic input) pretty cool. The I-Key is advertised to be I-Pod compatible, meaning you record the files on to the I-Pod as a drive or can just use a usb drive.You shouldn’t have vista issues going this route because it’s just gonna see a usb drive or smart card and the recording end is not OS based at all.Make sense? I’m strongly contemplating getting one of the I-Key ones.
OK guys…this one’s for the record books…
Nero fiddled while Rome burned.
I was at Public Enemy while Oakland burned.
Concert hall right next to Lake Merrit about a mile from my pad on 13th Ave. (I can’t remember what the hall was called) and in the middle of the show they call out the fire and the whole damned place goes out to watch. Big picture windows.
It was eerie. And funky.
Kinda like life.
Pat
Shout out to Kristen…remember “Do the Right Thing”?
Radio Rahim is the best character in a movie FULL of characters…as per usual by Mr. Lee.
“Can’t you play somethin’ else on that thing?”
“I only like Public Enemy!”
hehehehehehehehe
Pat
I know that label Nike as I’ve seen the song “Boogaloo tramp” by AC reed. More bubbling Soul funk by a blues guy.
“Hole in my Soul” by AC Jones On Imperial. Part 2 is the instro without the vocals. Hep to it.
I got 9 hours of my 45’s recorded using Paul H’s method. Anyone want a an mp3 disk full of 45’s, lemme know. Trade basis. What you got?
when I get my digital rig going I’ll swap ya
mostly soul/r&b that you probably got already…but you never know.
I got a lotta james.
pat
And don’t forget Clif Gorman rappin along to COLDLAMPIN WITH FLAVOR in Ghost Dog.
“I kick da flyest dope maneuver technicality”
Y E A H. I love that line!!!! It’s a Jet Li thing. Or when I kick upside down in yoga. I could write a dope self-help spiritual guide how to put “flava” in your life.
Of the king called Flavor, da king of all flavors
Rolls an rolls an rolls of life savers….
side 2 of Sold Out andre crouch and the disciples live at carnegie hall…so good.
How about the Who Sellout, side one, the Flying Burrito Brothers´Gilden Palace of Sin, side one and Dylan´s Blonde on Blonde, any side.
I agree with everyone about CDs. An LP was like a drama in two acts. You had, as DE pointed out, a beginning, middle and end of act one, and then a beginning, middle and end of act two. Putting together an album as a musician was a lot of fun. With CDs, the pacing has to be a little bit more like a setlist. You´ve got to start out with your strongest songs, or no one will give the rest a chance.
Audrey Moorehead went to UK in 83, came back with an original single by Cream for me. Really thoughtful gift!
It’s on Stigwood’s Reaction label -- same as The Who -- and has Strange Brew, backed by Tales of Brave Ulysses.
I have very little vinyl that I ever owned. This is still in its little paper sleeve.