When CD:s got out of fashion = great cheap finds

When CD got out of fashion many great albums became available almost for free. I am a vinyl fan, but I also like digital, and mp3 files are ok. However, what online usually misses is the album concept, the whole package, cover, liner notes, a well-planned album song order, even more pronounced on LP and MC, where the artist at best deeply taught through the running order as a process. What will start the album and side A, what ends A, what starts B, what ends B, and thus the album. What other cuts are to be placed where, in-between. The artist’s, and unfortunately often record company’s, vision of the album.

The physical album often includes a whole creative and artistic concept of the album, at best also interesting and useful information in liner notes, lyrics, pics, as well as a very thoughtfully planned and artistically impressive cover picture. And so on. An album can, and could, be a candy box for music lovers. 

In our current times, mainstream is totally based on songs, and too frequently songs without a context, except perhaps obtaining a place in a themed playlist. I love playlists too, and constantly enjoy making themed playlists, many of them for this blog. Albums, however, is another story. It is really the advanced course now - with hits and deep cuts mixed and a specific context for each cut instead of a continuous flow of separate fast food dishes for brains. I like songs both in a context and independently mixed in playlists. But I do not like AI-selected playlists and AI-recommended playlists, that’s muzak for the masses. Too much fast food music that follow ”safe hit-making” concepts.

There was a moment in time when LP:s were slumped out almost for free, in great stock-clearance sales, when they went out of fashion. Well, actually, even then many people liked and loved vinyls, and wanted different formats simultaneously, but the record industry didn’t. The industry margins and profits for CD:s were just so extremely much higher. They were so cheap to produce compared to vinyls. So, the industry tried to kill the vinyl (market) for the benefit of cheap CD:s, and stopped releasing new vinyl albums. The smart consumers bought great albums, singles and (currently insanely high-priced) rarities for ridiculously low prices then. CD:s in turn have been slumped out since online became The Format, and simultaneously made industry production costs even lower. And now we have AI-made muzak for the mass-consuming herds, sorry, out there. Bringing production costs to an all-time-low for these. AI could become the industry that Tin Pan Alley once was, but without any human excellence, without any heart or brain or feeling. It is perhaps the ultimate braindead muzak, repackaging the same same muzak fodder for the masses. But, fair enough, if you like it, you like it. We all listen too what we want, and like what we like.

Luckily, great and creative music is still produced, and vinyl is back, slightly, a little more and more each year. Even MC:s have sort of a small renaissance now, as more people currently want and seek alternatives to shallow and AI-made products online. Still, the analogists (new word?) are a clear minority, but an informed and mindful subcultural minority.

While analogue is increasingly in again, CD:s are still not desired on second hand markets, except as fine and cheaper alternatives for lovingly curated box sets, that you would not want to by as online files, and often can’t afford to buy on vinyl. Some rarer first generation or limited CD releases can also be pricey. But except on this small corner of the CD-market, it’s a finders market out there. More often than not, second-hand CD:s cost almost nothing, or did, even though there is also a small motion towards higher pricetags here too. So, this may be the time to buy a few of those albums on CD that you couldn’t afford before, when they were new, or to take some chances and explore unknown musical territory, as it currently might only set you back an euro or two. Even in bad times like these, that can be affordable.

To inspire that search, here area few second-hand one euro CD finds I made:

Bettina Schelker: Durst. Sometimes you just get lucky. Paid one (1) euro in a Helsinki recordstore for the Durst album on CD by Bettina Schelker. The cover was worn, but the disc is almost mint. Tender and chilly guitar-based pop in German. Great start with first songs Durst and Lugner, setting a vibe that just continues until the sweet and ending Kuss mich. A mellow and relaxed Sunday morning album. Durst was the debut-album (from 1999) by Swiss singer-songwriter Schelker, from Basel. It is a nicely mellow and poppy debut, great at times even. My copy was also signed on the cover sheet by the whole band, with a greeting from Bettina. Always a nice bonus too. I will listen to this album more than once. Quite a few times, probably. A surprising  and rewarding find in a crate for cheap CD:s.

MNW Music Network - Year 2002 Presentation (Various Artists). A promotion sampler CD of record label MNW:s artist-rooster in 2002. MNW is Swedish label Musiknätet Waxholm, which started as a progressive label, and still has many interesting artists on contract. A few years ago MNW released a wonderful box set of its first 50 years. 20+ CD:s of great and often, at least at the time, alternative music. Respect. This sampler in a cardboard record company sleeve was a very fine buy for 1€ from the same cheap CD’s crate where I found the Schelker CD. A year 2002 sampler from MNW with 20 cuts, 77 mins, for one euro? That’s a no-brainer. Didn’t take many minutes of listening to feel on the winning side. Already to know there is a cut by Masayah and one by K-Pist makes it worth one euro, and first song My Home Town (Radio Edit) by The Perishers settled it. 

The Housemartins: Now That’s What I Call Quite Good. The title says it all, really. Housemartins are good, excellent even, and this compilation includes their proudest single moments, as well as some great deeper cuts. Happy Hour, Build, Caravan Of Love, Think For A Minute, Five Get Over Excited and much more. Well-curated album with interesting, short comments about individual songs. Superb value for the price (1€), found in a fleamarket in Vaasa. I have had this album on vinyl since it was released, and it is nice to have it on CD too.

Tekla: Tekla. Svensk indiepop som jag främst kopplar samman med den utmärkta låten En Liten Svensk Stad, som också ingår här. Teklas bästa spår, tycker jag. En bitter, försmådd och svartsjuk upplevelse i och av småstaden. För mig är En Liten Svensk Stad också ett skri av längtan bort från småstaden. Och den kan jag bra förstå. Resten av albumet är också intressant och melankolin sitter i hela vägen. Mycket kvalitet för en euro. Tekla is value for money (1€ in a flea-market). En Liten Svensk Stad (A Small Swedish Town) is my favorite song with Tekla, and it is included here. A melancolic song, on a very melancolic album.

N.W.A. : Alwayz Into Somethin’ (CD-single). CD-singlar är ännu billigare än CD-album, och de kan vara intressanta, med bonusspår. Sällan hittar man N.W.A. i fyndkorgen för en euro. Har bara hänt mig med den här CD-singeln. Alwayz Into Somethin’ är välformulerad och dansant hiphop och singeln har dessutom två sköna och utmärkta bonusspår, Express Yourself och Something 2 Dance 2. Snyggt svart konvolut, dessutom. You seldom, if ever, find N.W.A. in a crate for bargain 1€ CD:s. This one I did find, surprisingly. A groovy ass-shaking single with two superb bonuses. Great find.

För Amnesty (Various Artists). Utgiven av Sveriges skivbolag med en artist-rooster som inte går av för hackor; Scocco, Plura, Lisa Nilsson, Dilba, LeMarc, Lundell, Kent, Robyn, Uno med flera. Och ett mycket angeläget stödprojekt, förstås, Amnesty International. Också inköpt för bara en euro på loppis, men Amnesty kan, ska, man gärna stöda på andra sätt. Hade nog köpt den om jag sett den som ny i skivbutik. Men nu, flera år efter utgivning, kom den emot för 1€ på loppis. Bra skiva som helhet. Själva stödspåret Tusen röster, med allstar-uppsättning, är angeläget och behjärtansvärt, men lyfter inte som låt så högt som man gärna skulle ha önskat. Bra, men inte outstanding. Albumet som helhet är intressant och bra, och extra plus att sångtexterna ingår.

For Amnesty, with much of the (then and partly now) Swedish rock and pop elite participating. It is an interesting and well-done album, that also includes song lyrics. Amnesty International is of course a great benefit cause, at least equally important today as when this was released. I could happily have bought this one new in a record shop and be satisfied. Years after being released it was now a very nice 1 € find in a bargain CD crate. The all-star theme song Tusen Röster (A Thousand Voices) is good, but perhaps not the super track one would have hoped for.

Broder Daniel: Broder Daniel. Först ut är underbara Underground, senare temasång för den superba generationsfilmen Fucking Åmål, om tristessen i att växa upp i en småstad långt från alla händelsers centrum. Redan här är albumet ett briljant fynd för 1 € på loppis. Sen kommer Work, också briljant, och så vidare. Legendariska Broder Daniel, där Håkan Hellström började sin karriär före solo-starten, men där Henrik Berggren alltid var fixstjärnan, har sitt egna, starka och unika, sound. Berggren skriver och sjunger rakt ut sitt hjärtas ångest och längtan i BD. ”Oh, We spend our time./Watching Days go by/We just watch them pass”, sjunger han i Life Is A Bubble. En stark låter heter Sorrow, en annan Confusion. Ja, det är mycket Weltschmerz och tonårs-angst här. Många kände igen sig i det. The Young and The Old är en fin och försonande akustisk avslutande ballad.

Håkan är inte med här, men det spelar ingen roll. Svensk pop och rock vann mest på att få både Håkan och Broder Daniel som artister, samtidigt. Båda är fantastiska, på olika sätt. Här är BD ännu, som de sjunger, underground, men det kom snart att förändras, inte minst via Fucking Åmål och med det legendariska live-framförandet av Shoreline i Sen Kväll med Luuk. Men det är senare. Det här självtitulerade albumet står på egna ben. Ett superbt fynd för 1€.

First cut is the superb Underground, a song that later was the famous theme song of celebrated growing-up movie Fucking Åmål, about the tristesse and boredom of growing up in a small town. Already this magic song makes the album a stunning bargain for 1 € in a flea market. But there are many other highlights here, on a wonderful melancolic Swedish pop album, that has Henrik Berggren’s teen-angst filled songs and sound center-stage. Here BD are still somewhat underground, but that soon changed.

So there you have it, 6 fine CD:s for 6 euro. Bought together on a flee market I most certainly would have got them all for a fiver. And that’s a lot of music, good music, for a very decent price.

All second-hand. And that’s sustainable too.

RSD 2026

Saturday was international Record Store Day. Always a great day.

Cynically, though, Record Store Day 2026 is again an opportunity to buy mainly over-priced, unique and limited versions of albums that soon will be out again in other formats and forms, but then perhaps to lower prices and as part of new packaging. Some new RSD albums are repackaged in new forms or formats after the actual content has already been released earlier, sometimes more than once, but not before  on colour vinyls, in special packaging, with bonuses, or are now first time on vinyl and so on. And there are also albums, singles and maxis that are really new, cool and fun. Or back after having been out of print for years.

This may sound a tad grumpy, but, actually, I like RSD, and I was yesterday at Black & White in Helsinki at 08.30 am, and later visited X, in Turku.

Record Store Day started as a wonderful, fantastic idea to help independent record stores worldwide to survive when sales slumped overall. It was a helping hand from bands, artists and music community with special and limited editions released on a specific day, and only that day. When the records were sold they were sold out. For good. It was a beautiful idea. It worked perfectly. And what works very well will sooner or later be hi-jacked by more scrupulous commercial interests. Cynical selling strategies now replace part of what was a true music community ideal at the beginning. RSD is not that same community thing with great price-worthy products for fans and buyers in order to support alt independent recordshops. It is now much more profit-making involved, prices have increased, record industry uses the day for triggering sales and maximizing profits, and some buyers are not music fans or listeners at all, but immediately sell limited RSD albums further to collectors and fans online. But at least it is still a very good day selling music for independent record shops, a day of interesting products for true music and record store lovers and for artists a day to release some fun and valuable additions to their discography, and for the record-loving community a day to remember that the independent record shops surely need and deserve this boost too. 

So despite all increased commercialism during later years I do like RSD, and take part when I can. Simultaneously I also support independent record shops this way.

Record Store Day is a great day!

This year was no exception. And it was an expensive day again. This year was no exception. One of the fun, and risky, things is that you never know which records are in which store of all that are released worldwide. Somewhat stressful, somewhat fun. Which shop to choose if there are more than one? The most attractive releases will sell out immediately. So choose wisely where to go. I actually found all that interested me this year, adding another problem, what to choose?

Had to think hard and put a few records back. It’s easy to go bananas and buy too much. Much more than your personal economy can stand that day.

So, what’s in the bag on RSD 2026?

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live From Asbury Park 2024 (5 LP)

A-Ha: Analogue (2 LP)

Air: Moon Safari - The Athens Concert (LP)

Furniture: Brilliant Mind (12”)

Hadn’t expected to get the Bruce livebox (first time on vinyl), or planned for it, as I arrived half an hour after B&W opened, but there were two sets left, so I grabbed one. Two minutes later I guided another happy customer to the last box set left and a minute after that I had to tell an unfortunate customer that the last was gone and sold. He explained  in detail what he had heard and read about the box set concert. I wished him best luck to find a set in another record shop. Record store customers are part of a great global community. You can feel it on days like these. But I always love to visit record stores, where ever I go, live or visit. A city without a record store is no city. Period. 

About 20 Bruce box sets had arrived to B&W and obviously, doing the math, about 18 were sold in the first half hour, all in about 45 mins. Quite good sales for the independent recordshop. There are not that many thousand sets worldwide (6050) and Bruce is The Boss. A true American Hero in times when heroes are badly needed here, there and everywhere. Is this live box set any good? Review will follow later. But what I’ve heard already is very promising.

First on my to buy-list this year was actually Air’s live album from Athens, great debut album Moon Safari Live (4500 ex released worldwide). I instantly loved the mother album and have heard that Air are ace live, so this was a must. I have heard it once, and I am definitely not disappointed.

Under-rated at the time, Norwegian pop wonders A-Ha has transformed into one of the major synthpop bands, well actually one of the really important and great pop bands. For this year’s RSD the 20-year Anniversary of Analogue is for the first time released on vinyl (2500 ex worldwide). As they put it on the hype sticker, ”Analogue Is On Analog!”. Wonderful album, nice to have on vinyl too.

Furniture’s Brilliant Mind was a great pop single released on alternative Stiff Records. Now the 12” is out (500 ex worldwide) in a fine-looking colored maxi (red/white) for RSD. And music-wisely it’s a stunner. I had forgot that one but suddenly remembered it when I was already out the door, returned and checked the crates, and there was one single ex of it. Enough for me.

Due to buying the more expensive (but not over-priced) Boss boxset I had to leave some fine albums in the store, I had my RSD budget. Did not buy The Jesus & Mary Chain, Ghost Funk Orchestra, Annie Lennox, Motörhead and Frankie Goes To Hollywood, for example. Quite a lot if interesting titles released on RSD 2026. Again.

Until next time.

Post script: I bought the Frankie Goes To Hollywood collection of BBC Radio One performances 1982-1983 the following day. And, wow, it is marvelous. The old myth that they were the product of Trevor Horn’s production can forever be scrapped. They were a fully competent, hugely entertaining and highly talented and funky unique pop band, before they even met him. These wonderful early live cuts certainly proves these cats could play, provoke and perform.

iPod Shuttle Playlist 16.4.26

Time for another, third, iPod shuttle list. I decided to test properly and made three shuttle lists, 76 songs in total. What’s on today? I know when I hear it and you when you read it. But it’s music good enough to be on a 30 Gb iPod. So not anything out there, but something good out there. And one conclusion thus far is that the shuttle function seems to favor Lars Winnerbäck. Among my personal favorite artists, of course, but surprisingly often a random choice here.

Tid för ännu en, tredje, iPod shuttle lista. Jag beslöt att testa ordentligt och köra tre shuttle listor, 76 sånger totalt. Vad hör vi där? Jag vet först när jag hör det och ni när ni läser det. Vet bara att det är musik som är tillräckligt bra för att finnas på en 30 Gb iPod. Så, det är inte vadsomhelst därute, utan någonting bra därute. En slutsats hittills är att shuttle-funktionen verkar favorisera Lars Winnerbäck. En av mina favoritartister, förstås, men överraskande ofta det slumpmässiga valet här.

iPOD SHUTTLE PLAYLIST 16.4.2026

Motherless Child/ Martin Gore

Hertz 4/Jan Delay

Se Dig Om/Lars Winnerbäck

Sonate In F-Doll/Deichkind

Streichholzmann/Die Toten Hosen

Poor Abbey Walsh/Marvin Gaye

Pollenchock Och Stjärnfall (Live/Bonus)/Lars Winnerbäck 

Doof (Live) (7”B)/Die Ärzte

Sie Kann Nicht Tanzen/Jan Delay

Wunder Gescheh’n/Nena

Tag Am Meer (Jaeger & Sampler Rmx)/Die Fantastischen Vier

I Stockholm/Lars Winnerbäck

Instinction/Spandau Ballet

Socker/Kent

Mein Ding (Unplugged Live)/Udo Lindenberg

Tuulentyttö/J. Karjalainen

Out Of Body (Edit)/Innersphere

Empty (Burning Island Edit)/Narcissist?

Skisser För Sommaren/Kent

Wayne Intro 1/The Flaming Lips

Raveheart/Jan Delay

Who Killed Bambi/Ten Pole Tudor

Cry Wolf (Live)/A-Ha

Waldspaziergang Mit Folgen/Die Ärzte

Generation Ex/Kent

Thus far, and by far, the best random playlist that shuttle function chose. Building on from a slow start via vibrant party tunes, back to a short break of reflective mood and, yes, silence,  and then on again. Three songs by greats Kent and Jan Delay shows again that shuttle like to cluster a few songs with the same artist. As long as they are as good as Kent or Jan Delay, or Lars W, that’s fine.

Random Mix 3: Surprising and fun choices, like it should be.

Hittills överlägset bästa slumpvisa urvalet med shuttle-funktion. En mix som bygger upp från en varligt långsam start via drivande partyspår, tillbaka till en kort reflektiv paus och, ja, tystnad, för att sedan dra igång partyt igen. Tre spår vardera med de utmärkta Kent och Jan Delay visar igen att shuttles slumpval gärna klumpar ihop några spår med samma artist. Så länge som de artisterna är lika bra som Kent, Jan Delay, eller Lasse W, är det helt ok.

Slumpartad Mix 3: Överraskande och kul låtval, precis som det ska vara.

iPod Shuttle Playlist 15.4.26

Here’s another shuttle playlist, randomly chosen from 3167 songs by using the shuttle function on my iPod. Ännu en playlist, slumpvis utvald från de 3167 sångerna på min iPod. Jag använder shuttle-funktionen, som slumpvis blandar sånger. First test resulted in a very interesting playlist, by chance, so let’s test again. Första testomgången resulterade i en intressant spellista med slumpens hjälp, så jag försöker gärna igen. Let’s Roll!

IPOD SHUTTLE PLAYLIST 15.4.26

 Coldplay & Nazis/Waving The Guns

Win Win Win (Live):Die Fantastischen Vier

Graffwriters/Narcissists

Anarchy In The UK/Sex Pistols

Lähtisitkö/VilleGalle feat. SANNI

Ethiopie (12”)/Chanteurs Sand Frontieres

Riisinjyvä/J. Karjalainen

Cap In Hand/The Proclaimers

Lång Väg Hem/Lars Winnerbäck & Hovet

Paikka Auringossa  (7”)/Lapset

Hoffnung/Jan Delay

Do You Realize??/The Flaming Lips

Picknicker (Live)/Die Fantastischen Vier  

Du Gamla, Fria Nord/Lars Winnerbäck

Too Busy Thinking About My Baby/Marvin Gaye

Suburbia (7”)/Pet Shop Boys

November/Pernilla Andersson

Bonnie & Clyde/Die Toten Hosen

Go West (Live)/Pet Shop Boys

Rannte Der Sonne Hinterher/Antilopen Gang

Rakkauden Työkalu/Leevi & The Leavings

Dein Herz Schlägt Schneller/Funf Sterne Deluxe

Yksi Kerrallaan/J. Karjalainen

Jung Wie Du/Nena

Gestern War Nicht Besser/Antilopen Gang

Blue Christmas (BBC Radio Session)/The Proclaimers

Cosmo’s Factory

One of the three very first albums I ever heard. The other two were less significant (The Osmonds and Little Jimmy Osmond). I heard them on my cousin’s transportable Philips (I think) recordplayer. But Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Cosmo’s Factory has stayed with me throughout my whole life. What an eternal classic. 

I have this album on LP and CD and in box form. One LP cover is signed by Cosmo Clifford and Stu Cook and of course framed. And I have it on LP as expensive Original Master Recording. That’s the one I listen to now. But is the sound really that much better on an original master recording? It is great, of course, but this is grassroot rock and no studio wizardry work. It’s just plain, honest, and  superb rock’n’roll, and all the better for it, and it is a landmark rock album. But how much better technically can it actually sound? Slightly clearer and more distinct instrumentations, sure, especially for drums and cymbals, and clearer vocals. It is all nice, but, really, the difference is not that overwhelming. Still, slightly better and purer clarity is always better than not. So I prefer this version, of course. 

However, the song content is the real deal here and, gee, Cosmo’s Factory is just marvelous throughout. About half a century later it still sounds superb, and as an album you won’t get tired of. Ever. Some of my favorite CCR tracks are here too, like Travelin’ Band, Lookin’ Out My Back Door, Who’ll Stop The Rain and Long As I Can See The Light. I still remember when I first heard the last song live with Fogerty for the first time, in 1997. Cold chills and goosebumps all over. Breathtaking. Up Around The Bend is fine here too, but has later developed into a live favorite with Fogerty, as he has breathed new life into this rock stockpile. And of course here are also the long and wonderful guitar exercises backed by a solid and tight rhythm section, Ramble Tamble and especially I Heard It Through The Grapevine. Run Through The Jungle in turn became a valuable Vietnam war protestsong. There is not any bad songs here, all are truly ace. 

Impressive stuff, and even more so when remembering that CCR at this time made five great albums in less than three years. Mindblowing. Genius.

iPod Shuffle Playlist 14.4.26

Yes, I have (for now at least) a working 30 Gb iPod, filled with music. Put it in shuffle mode for the first time, that means songs are played in random order. I usually play playlists. Currently there’s 3167 songs on the iPod. What will we hear? Here is my first playlist based on my collection on iPod, but put together totally in random order, by chance. These are the first 25 cuts in random order. För närvarande har jag en fungerande 30 Gb iPod, fylld med musik, 3167 sånger för att vara exakt. Så vad hör vi? Här är min första spellista som satts ihop helt slumpvis, med shuttle funktionen, en automatisk blandning av låtar. Här är en spellista för 14.4 med 25 slumpvis utvalda låtar. Let’s Go!

IPOD SHUFFLE PLAYLIST 14.4.26

Lucille(Live)/Hurriganes

Die Hard/Die Ärzte

Escuta Aqui/Biquini Cavadao

Auf Einmal Warst Du Da/Nena

Man Tut Was Man Kann/Waving The Guns Feat. Fatoni & DJ Joaf

Suddenly Everything Has Changed (Live)/The Flaming Lips

Antinazibund/Sportfreunde Stiller

Victor Jara (Live)/Mikael Wiehe

Där Elden Falnar (Men Fortfarande Glöder)/Lars Winnerbäck

Cowboys/Kent

Knallbonbon/Deichkind

Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (Live on KEXP 2002)/The Flaming Lips

A New England ( John Peel Session1984)/Billy Bragg

Der Picknicker/Die Fantastischen Vier

Vårdag I November/Lars Winnerbäck

Monsterteorin/Lars Winnerbäck

Hard Times/John Legend

Populär (Live)/Die Fantastischen Vier

Nowhere Fast/The Smiths

Die Stadt Die Es Nicht Gibt (Live)/Die Fantastischen Vier

The Prisoner/Paul Oxley’s Unit

Keine Antwort/Nena

Manhattan Skyline (Live)/A-Ha

Jag Är Hos Dig Igen/Lars Winnerbäck

My Song 9/Nova Heart

Det våras för C-kasetten? del 2

I mitt förra MC-inlägg nämnde jag både vintage- och nyproducerade C-kasetter, så här blir det lite prov på både och. Here are some fine examples and reviews of both vintage- and newly produced tapes:

Hurriganes: 16 Golden Greats. Exempel på riskerna med beg kasetter. Ställvis burkigt sound på grund av avmagnetisering. Spelar hyfsat bra, men början på Say Mama och sista sekunderna av Do You Wanna Dance och Get On från mitten ungefär är lo-fi och blir ännu mera burkigt sound innan det igen är ok just innan slutet. I An Awful Crime är soundet så svagt ställvis att det knappt hörs.  Ok, ni fattar. Betalade 9 euro för originalkasetten från Love records. 16 Golden Greats är en samling av i huvudsak singelspår som inte gavs ut på albumen. Några av Hurriganes bästa låtar, dessutom, så ett måste i samlingen. Just den här kasetten är speciell såtillvida att informationslapparna på själva kasetten är förväxlade så att låtlistan för sida A finns på sida B, och vice versa. Ljudkvaliteten är lite bättre på B-sidan men på min favoritversion  av Blue Suede Shoes sjunker soundet ställvis till lo-fi. Singelspåren Blue Suede Shoes, I Saw Her Standing There, Do You Wanna Dance och Good Morning Little Schoolgirl är bland det bästa Hurriganes gjorde. Magnifika, fräscha och unika versioner av gamla klassiker. Det frenetiskt pumpande drivet i originalet Oh Baby Doll behöver också nämnas. Suveränt. Tungt svängande Keep On Movin’ avslutar albumet. Det finns en senare CD-version som lägger till nio spår (25 Golden Greats), men förlorar samtidigt en hel del av originalets dynamik och balans, som känns mycket väl genomtänkt. Men på just den här kasetten sviktar tyvärr soundet lite på ett par ställen. Det här kasett-exemplaret är lyssningsbart, med vissa lo-fi brister. Kanske var det lite beaktat i priset, men det är ett album jag gärna har i olika format. Nu också på C-kassett. Ett mint exemplar skulle sannolikt ingå i de (sex) album som skulle tas med till en öde ö (se del 1).

Rugged Mind: Session Vol. 1 - No TV Raps.

Great beats, recorded on four turntables in Hamburg 2022. Mixed live in a hiphop underground radioshow. Some great stuff on this MC. Only 100 produced and of course sold out. Relentless drive, no wonder the price for this MC mix is already around 20-30 euro. My copy is number 83/100. This mixed party tape starts with Maintain’s Steady Schemin’ and without losing any momentum on side A include, among others, fine cuts from AMP Boogie (Bluntly Speaking) and Maja Guard (Guard U Now). Side B begins equally relentlessly with Rollin’ Over You (RM Edit) by Street Connect. It’s another side of tight and strictly underground hiphop grooves and beats. Another fine mix on the fly for the radio show by Rugged Mind, combining interesting cuts. MC package includes both digital download link and a sticker. Legacy raps fat rhymes on That’s How I Live and Camouflage Large Click is well represented by a groovin’ Heavy Hitters. Yes, I really wanna hear these dudes mixing on the air. This Session really show their skills for finding and mixing great underground hiphop, hardcore, gangsta and more. There’s constantly more highlights, like Shazam X’s Respect Costs More Than Money (RM Edit). Good point. And Lin Que brings some badly needed female hiphop into the mix with Let It Fall (RM Edit). Hood Thang by Thachamba is more fine hardcore reality messages from the underground. The mixtape ends on a high note with cuts by Sounds Of Rage (Superfly), Rubbabandz (Purple Rain) and, lastly, a faded down Hate Runs Deep by Saukrates. Yes, these are raps we most likely won’t hear on TV. Excellent stuff. Excellent and exceptional tape. 

The Originals 1 (Various Artists). Inköpt ny för tio euro i en cool skivbutik i en perifer Stuttgart-förort. Gavs också ut på LP 2021, men jag valde MC med digital download. Lite best of both worlds, alltså, analog-digital. Det här är nusoul, inga gamla inspelningar, utan högaktuella soul- och funkband. Gizelle Smith inleder snyggt med ett tungt soulgroove i Jonny och sedan rullar det bara på. Spänn fast säkerhetsbältet, här gungar det vilt. Instrumentala Asphalt Homeland med Ghost Funk Orchestra bjuder på en helt oemotståndlig basgång, följd av Hot Border Specials dansanta svettiga discosoul i Fresher Under Pressure. Supertungt drivande funkrytmer på Rocket Ship av Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra före The Supertights avslutar med smooth soul i Sweet Extasy. Utmärkt.

Leevi And The Leavings: Turkmenilainen Tyttöystävä. Leevi & Co:s sista studioalbum. Stark start med titelspåret följt av Toteemipaalu. Leavings höll fast vid sitt vinnande koncept, sympatiskt svepande melankoliska melodier och stämningsfull sång och körer. Inte deras bästa album, men ändå en utmärkt svanesång för ett djupt älskat band som superbt förstod sig på och tolkade den finska folksjälen i ord och toner. Vackra Yön Tuoksut skulle bara kunna skrivas av Gösta Sundqvist. Leavings-magia.

Ett vemodigt och stämningsfullt instrumentalparti (Muurahaisen Munat) ingår på B-sidan, före den maskulint rytmiska groove som utmärker Miesten Kesken. I serien finländskt folksjäls-mörkt och moll-fyllt vemod passar titeln Kuudentoista Vuoden Yhtäjaksoinen Sade väl, på en finstämd ballad, före den vackra hiten Kyyhkynen Ja Kyykäärme, vars vackra och lugnt vaggande melodi avslappnar och avväpnar lyssnaren till ro, förstärkt av en sångtext som vädrar vardagsrealism. Utmärkt avslut på ett utmärkt album.

Albert Järvinen: Ride On. Gitarrvirtuosen Albert Järvinens första soloalbum, 1974, efter att han första gången lämnat Hurriganes. Många framstående gästmusiker på ett rockigt album med stort utrymme för Abes gitarrspel. Flera instrumentala spår och gästsångare på de övriga. Abe river av rock’n’roll, blues, boogie. A-sidan avslutas lite överraskande med en förtjusande Don’t Be Cruel, i långsam och lätt boogietakt. Goin’ To Louisiana är istället en tung bluesboogie, där Abes gitarrspel flyter flinkt och sångmicken sköts förträffligt av Isokynä Lindholm. Järvinen-originalet Patchy Moss är en annan höjdpunkt, som dessutom har namngett en fin senare samling Abe-inspelningar. Här visar Järvinen igen prov på sin enorma spelskicklighet. Ändå tycker jag att Abes solon kom allra bäst till sin rätt i de mera tidsbegränsade och sylvassa soloinsatserna med Hurriganes. Species Quattour erbjuder en svängig och, förstås, gitarrintensiv avslutning på albumet. Utmärkt.

Albert Järvinen: Ride On. First solo album by Finnish guitarist legend Albert Järvinen. Many great guest musicians and wide playroom for Abe’s exceptional licks and solos. 

Leevi And The Leavings: Turkmenialainen Tyttöystävä. Last studio album for this legendary Finnish poprock group, with a strong signature melancolic and nostalgic Finnish soundscape. Another fine (and final) album.

The Originals 1 (Various Artists). Great compilation of new soul and funk. Great cuts of heavy deep funk and sweaty discosoul, flavored with some smooth soul and dancefloor-grooves. Excellent.

Rugged Mind: Session Vol. 1 - No TV Raps. Blandband som mixats live på fyra skivspelare i Hamburg under en radioshow underground hiphop. Superbt urval artister och spår, en mix som både är samhällskommentarer från underground-scenen och ett riktigt bra party-blandband med attityd. Superbt.

Hurriganes: 16 Golden Greats. Wonderful collection of single-cuts and a few remarkable album cuts from Hurriganes’ early Love Record-period. A later version included nine more cuts, 25 Golden Greats, but lost the great dynamic and balance of the original album. Marvellous.