KamerTunesBlog Year In Review 2016
The end of another year approaches and with it comes the annual summary of the previous 12 months. Unlike 2015, which I described in that Year In Review post as “tumultuous,” things have been a bit more settled this year, although various 
responsibilities have limited my blogging time. I’m pleased to report that, 13 months after relocating 500+ miles from my hometown of New York, my wife & I finally moved into our new house in October. We have a 6-month renovation project starting in early 2017, after which I will have a music room for the first time in two years. I’m sure my fellow music lovers can appreciate (and commiserate) the fact that my audio/video collection has been consigned to boxes for that long, and how excited I am to be reunited with it. In addition to the aforementioned house purchase & move, we also added a new member to our household: Coriander (aka “Cori”) the kitten. This little guy, our first pet, was the only surviving kitten from the litter of an outdoor cat (one of 7 we were feeding & caring for at our townhouse). We tried to get him adopted but it didn’t take him long to adopt us. As you’ll see in the photo, Cori & his “papa” are happy to be in each other’s lives.
Okay, this is a music blog, so let’s get back to the reason we’re here. I actually managed to write 48 posts in my Thirty Year Thursday series, which highlighted 57 noteworthy albums from 1986, so I was able to stay connected with my readers throughout 2016. My plans for KamerTunesBlog next year are still vague but they’ll come together soon. This was the year I stopped fighting it and joined the Spotify generation. I continued to purchase CDs & LPs by many of my favorite artists but, with no place to store new physical releases, I had to be pickier about what I added to the collection. I still listen to music as frequently and passionately as ever, and that’s what really matters. Box sets were a major part of my acquisitions, with at least a dozen of them delighting my eyes & ears. Mega sets from Elvis Presley and Pink Floyd were my favorite purchases.
Just like last year, below you’ll find two lists. The first one highlights the albums that were released in 2016 which made the biggest impression on me, while the second list covers the reissues, live albums, compilations, box sets & other older releases that I spent the most time with. Thank you to everyone who stopped by in 2016. I appreciate your continued support and wish you & your loved ones a wonderful holiday season.
Albums Released In 2016 (in alphabetical order)
Anderson/Stolt – Invention Of Knowledge
Big Big Train – Folklore
Andrew Bird – Are You Serious
David Bowie – Blackstar
The Dear Hunter – Act V: Hymns With The Devil In Confessional
The Jayhawks – Paging Mr. Proust
Eric Johnson – ej
Marillion – F.E.A.R.
The Neal Morse Band – The Similitude Of A Dream
Opeth – Sorceress
Santana – Santana IV and Live At The House Of Blues, Las Vegas
Shearwater – Jet Plane And Oxbow
Paul Simon – Stranger To Stranger
Tedeschi Trucks Band – Let Me Get By
The Tragically Hip – Man Machine Poem
Ray Wilson – Song For A Friend and Makes Me Think Of Home
Steven Wilson – 4 1/2
Newly Acquired Reissues, Live Albums, Compilations & Box Sets (And Artists I Finally Checked Out) In 2016 (in alphabetical order)
Neko Case – Truckdriver, Gladiator, Mule (8 LPs)
Billy Cobham – The Atlantic Years 1973-1978 (8 CDs)
Betty Davis – The Columbia Years 1968-1969
The Doobie Brothers – The Warner Bros. Years 1971-1983 (10 CDs)
Bob Dylan – The Cutting Edge 1965-1966 (6 CDs)
Fleetwood Mac – Rumours – Super Deluxe Edition (4 CDs + DVD) and Tusk – Super Deluxe Edition (5 CDs + DVD)
Aretha Franklin – The Atlantic Albums Collection (19 CDs)
Herbie Hancock – The Complete Columbia Album Collection (34 CDs)
The Highwaymen – Live – American Outlaws (3 CDs + DVD)
King Crimson – Radical Action To Unseat The Hold Of Monkey Mind – Live (3 CDs + Blu-ray)
Manic Street Preachers – Forever Delayed – Greatest Hits
Van Morrison – It’s Too Late To Stop Now – Vols. II, III & IV (3 CDs + DVD)
Bill Nelson – The Practice Of Everyday Life (8 CDs)
Pink Floyd – The Early Years 1965-1972 (11 CDs + 9 DVDs + 8 Blu-rays + 5 vinyl singles)
Elvis Presley – The Album Collection (60 CDs)
Terry Reid – The Other Side Of The River
Skids – The Virgin Years (6 CDs)
Bruce Springsteen – The Ties That Bind: The River Collection (4 CDs + 2 Blu-rays)
Weather Report – The Legendary Live Tapes: 1978-1981 (4 CDs)
KamerTunesBlog 
Cheers to You and the Family Rich! Really great to see the Hip on your list! Lot’s of music on your list as well and even though you have been a busy man you still knocked out a bunch of post’s! AWESOME!
Enjoy the holidays my friend!
Look forward to whatever path you choose in regards to writing next year!
All The Best!
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Thanks, Derek. I appreciate your support & friendship, and wish the best to you & your loved ones. How could I not include the new Hip album on my year-end list. The title “Tired As F*ck” summed up a good portion of my year, and it happens to be a kick-ass tune (on a kick-ass album).
Cheers!
Rich
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WOW. Just WOW.
The boxsets you bought this year make me extremely jealous.
I’ll say again. WOW.
I might need to get into your line of work.
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I managed to find all of those box sets at reasonable prices. None were cheap but they were all worth the money…even the Pink Floyd set, which is the most I’ve ever spent on one musical item (other than my drumset).
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When that Floyd set came out, I thought “Who would pay that huge amount?”
However, I read somewhere it is right up there with the sales leaders. I’m not sure where I read that, but obviously a ton of people can afford it.
Good on the boys. I’m sure they all need another private island.
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I was not thrilled about the price either, but thanks to Brexit the exchange rate between the US and UK was very low and I got this set for significantly less than the US price. There is a lot of great content and the packaging is impressive so I feel like I sort of got my money’s worth. They’re my all-time second favorite artist (behind Zeppelin) so I couldn’t resist. Not sure I would have splurged on nearly any other artist.
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Every so often Amazon has sales on. I got the Led Zep Celebration Day 3 LP vinyl boxset for $30 Can ($22.50 US) with free shipping.
It wouldn’t hurt to check Amazon Canada as well. I know we sometimes get stuff cheaper. I bought the new Metallica Deluxe vinyl edition for about $20 or so less than the US or UK version.
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I’m always on the hunt for bargains and I’ve ordered from several countries (including Canada) to get the best deals. Sounds like you did well on at least a handful of purchases this year. I’ve bought so many LPs in the 16 months since I packed up my collection, many of them from thrift stores. Whenever I have my music room set up, I will have a lot of catching up to do. I might never emerge from that room.
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Congratulations on another excellent blog year! That picture made me smile and that kitty cat doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere. Two years is a long wait but it will be that much more awesome to have your music room finally set up. Spotify is convenient sometimes…you’ve managed some great acquisitions for a guy with no place to put them. 🙂 I’m looking forward to whatever you decide to do for 2017!
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Thanks, Danica. I’m glad the photo of me & Cori made you smile. He’s been making me smile a lot since he joined our household in July. I’m not sure if I’ll let him into the new music room when it’s ready. He’ll have to earn that right. I certainly don’t need him scratching up my record collection.
Spotify has been a great convenience for me, as well as a money saver at a time when I need that. As you can see from my list, it hasn’t stopped me from opening up my wallet for music. I’m just being a little more selective.
Thanks, as always, for your support, and I’m glad you’ve returned to blogging on a regular basis. The internet wasn’t the same without you.
Lots of good wishes to you & your loved ones. Enjoy whichever holiday(s) you celebrate.
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When our puppy was new earlier this year, he chewed up 2 cd cases. Mick jagger and a compilation cd. Not a huge loss, but just like Stevie, I quickly moved them all to higher ground.
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Congratulations on your new puppy. I’m glad you were able to minimize the damage. I love the Stevie Wonder reference. Well-played. Our cat has enjoyed sitting on the stacks of boxes which hold my music collection, but I won’t know until mid-2017 how he reacts to the albums & CDs on the shelves.
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Yes, scratched records are not to be encouraged. Another thing to consider is cat hair. It gets everywhere,
Music adds so much to life that it’s almost up there with food and shelter. Being selective and planning purchases can make them all the better when you finally receive them.
Thanks so much, Rich. You’ve made me smile again! I missed you all as well as the writing itself. I’m very happy to back blogging on a regular basis.
Wonderful wishes to you and yours as well!
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We’ve been fortunate that Cori is a short-hair cat and doesn’t shed a lot. He tends to leave hair just on the spots where he likes to perch throughout the house. As long as I can keep him away from my shelves of LPs & CDs, the collection should be safe. Time will tell.
I agree with your sentiment about music, food & shelter. I’ve been patient (although some days have been easier than others), and I will make the most of the music room whenever it’s completed. I have a lot of time to make up for.
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Apparently lemon scented sprays keep cats off things. So perhaps some dusting of the shelves is in order.
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Good to know. Thanks for the info.
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A lot of good music there, some of which I am sure Santa is going to bring my way. I already know about a couple of Analogue Productions LP’s, as Annie had to ask if I wanted the mono or stereo versions. Mono of course. The Pink Floyd set looks top notch, I should have my hands on that on Christmas Day. Thanks for all the posts Rich, as you know I have had a busy year but it did not stop me checking out your writing. I hope you are all settling into your new home and welcome to the world of making your music collection pet proof, something I know a lot about. Best wishes for the season and a great 2017 to you all.
Cheers.
Lewis.
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Thanks, Lewis. I’m excited for you to have some of these items awaiting you on Christmas Day, along with those mono LPs. Santa knows you’ve earned a lot of musical toys this year.
My initial plan to pet-proof the collection is simply to keep Cori out of the music room, but I plan to spend a lot of time there and I don’t want to be away from him. I’ll have to watch him closely as he explores the room, and he won’t be allowed in there alone.
Happy & healthy 2017 to you, Annie & the girls.
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OMG, Rich, all the goodness you got! That is a mighty impressive list indeed! Kinda jealous of the Neko box, gotta admit… 😉
Congrats on the move, I’ve made major moves too, and I know what a pain in the a** it can be. I love the odea of your having a music room. Loooooove.
Also, welcome to the kitteh! They do tend to take over your life (in a good way) don’t they! We’ve always had a cat, they do make a home.
I don’t often comment here (I should, mental note) but I follow along and I think I can speak for everyone when I say we love your blog, and we look forward to whatever you post up next!
Happy holidays to you and yours, Rich, and all the best for a rockin’ 2017!
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Hi Aaron. I was fortunate to get several of these sets for discounted prices thanks to industry connections (including the Neko Case vinyl box), which is how I was able to afford that many of them. They’re still not cheap but I went from “ouch, I can’t afford that” to “hmm, I probably shouldn’t spend that money but I can’t resist.” Also, Amazon UK had amazing deals on the Fleetwood Mac, Elvis Presley and Herbie Hancock sets that I just couldn’t pass up.
Thanks for the congratulations on the house. We made offers on four other houses, three of which had someone outbid us, and were starting to wonder if we would ever find a house here. Thanks to our awesome realtor we ended up with a great one and can’t wait to get the renovations done. I had a nice man cave in my old house in New York and I’m excited to have an even better space here. I may not leave that room for a year. Haha.
Didn’t realize you had a cat. Is it just one or is it like the Broadway show at your house? I’m still adjusting to the responsibility but I’m so glad he’s a part of our lives.
As always, thanks for your support. No worries about your level of commenting. I don’t keep track of that and I’m just happy to be part of this amazing blogging community. I think we all understand the amount of time we each put into our blogs, and yet we still find time to follow everyone else.
Happy & healthy to you & your loved ones. Looking forward to more chats, music & otherwise, in 2017 & beyond.
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Oh my! Those box sets look do incredible.
Hope you have a safe and good Chistmas Rich!
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I’ve been in box set heaven this year, Mike. You wouldn’t believe the size of that Pink Floyd set. It’s only slightly smaller than one of those file storage boxes you see in offices. I know those boxes well, since my music collection has taken up close to 100 of them for more than a year.
Wishing you, Jen & your families a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
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That certainly is an impressive collection of collections. The two that most lit my green-eyed devil were the Herbie Hancock set (what a monster!) and the live Weather Report.
Congrats on another successful KamerTunes year – it’s not easy being in for the long haul! And good luck for the renos too. We’re considering a major rebuild too. Yikes.
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Hi Bruce. I was very pleased with my “collection of collections” this year. The Hancock set showed up on Amazon UK at a price I couldn’t pass up (something like $2.50 per disc). I’ve played all the discs twice so far. There are a few clunkers but mostly the music is majestic.
Thanks for the kind words & support. I don’t always have time to comment on your posts but I never miss one and always enjoy them…even if I don’t always know the music you’re writing about. That’s a sign of a great writer, and you certainly are one.
Good luck with your rebuild whenever you decide to tackle that project. 2017 will be a busy year in KamerLand but it should all be worth it.
Merry & Happy to you & your loved ones.
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So did I hear that you’re tackling the Dylan catalog in 2017…?
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I appreciate the suggestion but I don’t think I’ll have the time to tackle any complete catalogs in 2017. Would love to cover Dylan one of these days even though that would be a daunting task. Stay tuned.
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Hi Rich, to listen to that Pink Floyd box set would be amazing. I’d love to hear more of Syd Barrett. I bought a box set in the late eighties that contained 9 CDs of all the albums from The Piper at the Gates of Dawn to The Dark Side of the Moon. It was $178 back then and it was worth every cent.
Cheers Mark
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Hi Mark. I’m really impressed with the Pink Floyd box set, and I’ve only been able to play the audio discs so far. There’s still hours of material on the blu-rays/DVDs that I’m saving until my music room is completed next year and I can listen/watch in surround sound. Note that there’s more post-Syd music on this set since it goes through 1972, so your enjoyment will vary depending on your love of their “transitional” albums. Some of those, like Obscured By Clouds and More have been favorites of mine since college.
I wonder which box set you’re referring to. I have the Shine On set, which is a beautiful thing. I’m not sure why that one only included certain albums and not all of them.
Thanks for stopping by.
Best wishes,
Rich
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Hi Rich, it has a picture of the Dark Side of the Moon cover on one side and a list of the albums and their songs on the other. It was released by EMI Music Group Australasia. I doubt it would have made it outside Australia. I found a link below.
http://pinkfloydarchives.com/DAuLPbs.htm#Box3
I watched the movie “More” where Pink Floyd supplied the soundtrack which is in the set. One of my favourite films with Pink Floyd’s early music is Michelangelo Antonioni’s Zabriskie Point using “Careful With That Axe Eugene” as a finale.
Cheers Mark
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I don’t remember seeing that PF set but, like you said, it may not have appeared outside of Australia. Looks like a nice purchase.
I haven’t seen any of the movies that PF provided the music for (other than The Wall, of course), but the Early Years box set has most of them. I’m waiting until I have a proper stereo with surround sound next year before checking them out.
Best…
Rich
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What did you think of the new Jayhawks? I was a little disappointed with the last one and haven’t gotten around to the new one yet. Gary Louris is one of my all-time favorite vocalists. He reminds me of a male Carly Simon!
Also, how is the new Shearwater cd? I have a passing interest in them. “You As You Were” is one of my favorite songs of the past decade or so.
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I loved the new Jayhawks, more so than the previous album and the Olson/Louris collaboration (both of which I enjoyed but didn’t quite recapture their greatness). Choosing Peter Buck as co-producer was a wise move. Apparently The Jayhawks are backing up John Wesley Harding on his new album that’s coming out this February. Should be a good one.
I’m not enough of a Carly Simon fan to comment on your comparison, but I’ll keep that in mind if/when I check out more of her music.
I really like the new Shearwater album. I like how each release from them offers something different than the last one. Had a chance to see them at a local club last week but couldn’t find anyone to join me and didn’t feel like going alone. A friend saw them in NY on Sunday and said they were fantastic. That’s not surprising. I was introduced to them via Jonathan Meiburg’s cover of a Randy Newman song on the A.V. Club website a few years ago. Loved his voice and immediately checked out the band’s music.
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Great line about listening to music frequently + passionately Rich.
I enjoyed the Thursday series, looking forward to whatever 2017 has in store (including a music room, nice!)
Enjoy the holidays, Hi Cori!
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Hi Geoff. I’m glad you liked that line. I know your music listening is just as frequent and passionate. Thank for following the Thirty Year Thursday series. I’m trying to get a head start on a similar series for 2017, along with some other shorter series. Hopefully I can find the time…and motivation.
Cori is asleep on the chair next to me, beside a roaring fireplace. I’ll pass along your greetings when he wakes up. 😀 Merry, Happy & Healthy to you and your loved ones.
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Some great stuff there, Rich. Glad to hear that the year settled down somewhat and you got some frequent and passionate listening time (as well as blogging time).
As always, it’s been great discovering new tunes here and being reminded of some that I’ve overlooked for one reason or another.
Best wishes to you and the family for the festive period. Here’s hoping 2017 is a great one for you all.
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Thanks, J. I hope it’s been a great year for you, personally & musically, and that 2017 is even better. I also hope you’ve forgiven your fellow bloggers for the inspiration to check out new music, which put you a little closer to the poor house. 😀
All the best to you & your loved ones.
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Brilliant stuff here, as always. Wish I had infinite resources to buy all the box sets going. The Floyd one is a monster!
I did get The Skids one though. That was a very good value set. Very pleased with that. And I thought the Marillion was great too! I am very intrigued by the Billy Cobham box, what’s on that? I only have Spectrum.
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Hi Scott. I also wish I had infinite resources. As much as it might appear that I do, I found bargains on most of the sets indicated in this post (the Floyd set being the one exception, but even that one was significantly less expensive from the UK). The Elvis set wasn’t cheap but at around $3 per CD I couldn’t pass it up.
Glad we had a couple of favorites in common. I already owned everything on that Skids set but I’m such a huge Stuart Adamson fan that I had to own it…and they did a nice job with the packaging & mastering.
The Billy Cobham set includes the eight albums he recorded for Atlantic Records in the ’70s. I have most of them on vinyl but only had one on CD, so I had to add it to the collection. If you like Spectrum I think you’ll find at least 2-3 other albums to love here. Some of it veers into funk territory, which I love, but your enjoyment may vary.
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The Cobham set sounds very intriguing, I’ll look into that. Glad The Skids set compares favourably to other editions you have. I didn’t have any of those albums so it was a no-brainer. Came out while I was reading a Stuart Adamson bio too so it was serendipitous!
The Elvis set looks great. I’ve just got the four sets of his, the “Complete Masters” sets. You know the ones?
Well if I finally achieve infinite resources in 2017 I’ll be sure to sling a bunch of box sets your way!
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I’m a sucker for these “complete albums” box sets, especially when they’re done well with nice packaging. The music is the most important thing, of course, but it’s even better when it’s thoughtfully packaged. I recently bought a 29CD/1DVD Fela Kuti box set for a very fair price. The box itself is a little flimsy, as are the replica album sleeves, but I’m still happy to have 50+ Fela albums in one place (many of the discs are 2fers).
I also have those earlier Elvis box sets, and they’re all that most people would need, but I had to go a few steps further (crazier?). I’m especially a fan of his later work, from the ’68 comeback special through his death in ’77, and it’s nice to have all of those individual albums for the first time.
Good luck achieving infinite resources in 2017.
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I think further down the line I will want more Elvis but those older boxes are enough for me at the moment. Would like the Comeback Special though. Got the DVD box but not the audio one. Ooh you’ve put me in a right Elvis mood now!
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You’re welcome. 😀
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Hi Rich,
I can co-sign on Blackstar and Santana IV. Those were my big favorite new releases of 2016. I want to get into the Tedeschi Trucks Band…maybe 2017 will be the year.
You got an impressive list of box sets! Good for you! Last Christmas, my big present was the David Bowie: Five Years box set in vinyl. That set is unbelievable. If you’re a Bowie fan I highly recommend it. I want to get the Who Can I Be Now follow up set that came out this year, but I already own over half the albums in the set and I’m having a harder time justifying it…we’ll see.
I got a few (very) old box sets this year that almost would qualify for the 30 year Thursday blog, Bob Dylan’s Biograph and Eric Clapton’s Crossroads sets. I got both on vinyl as well and while I liked all the great music, the advantage of having it on vinyl is that every album side had kind of a theme to it (especially Dylan’s) or grouped a particular era together (like Clapton’s) and that’s something that might be missed on cd versions.
But the majority of music I got this year were old vinyl albums. I’m starting to become pickier with what I buy because space, while not an issue yet right now, could be an issue by this time next year if I don’t cool it.
Take care, brother. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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Hi Jeff. I’m glad we have a few key albums in common with Bowie and Santana…and I’m sure you’ll really enjoy the Tedeschi Trucks album whenever you get it. They’ve been consistently great…although I occasionally miss The Derek Trucks Band.
Not sure if you saw the Bowie series I did a few years ago, where I revisited his entire discography over the course of a few months. Of every artist I’ve written about here, Bowie was probably my most enjoyable re-discovery. I went from someone who loved a lot of his music (and owned just about everything) to being a true fan. I’ve passed on the recent box sets because I already own those albums and I need to be selective about what I re-purchase.
I’ve had Dylan’s Biograph and Clapton’s Crossroads since the late 80s. I haven’t played them in years but they were very important to me when I got them. They must be nice to have on vinyl.
Once my music room is completed sometime next year, I have dozens of LPs…possibly as many as 100… (which I’ve acquired since I moved 15 months ago and packed up my stereo) that I need to catch up on. Since most of them I’ve only looked at briefly before placing them in boxes, it will be like the best record-shopping spree of all time. I might lock myself in that room for a year just to make up for lost time.
Merry Christmas to you & your loved ones. Wishing you lots of good things in 2017…including plenty of great new music purchases.
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Hope you and your wife enjoy the new house AND new music room – you lucky person. I found your blog earlier on this year and am conscious of the fact I haven’t had time to have a proper look at your archives as a lot there of interest to me – Will do better in 2017.
I tend to write about older music/memories but your list above definitely overlaps with the lists that a lot of the UK music bloggers I follow posted – Quality will out and a lot of quality there. We’re all just hoping that 2017 won’t be so brutal in the number of tributes/obits we’re going to have to write but not holding my breath.
Happy New Year.
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Thanks for the good wishes, Alyson. I’m so excited about having a music room again after nearly 2 years without one. It’s like my Fortress Of Solitude.
No need to apologize for not having time to check out by archives. Otherwise, I would need to apologize for the same with your wonderful blog. I do stop by on a regular basis but I often don’t have the time to comment. I’ve barely had time to write my own posts, but that’s how life gets sometimes.
As for the rock/pop tributes needed in 2016, unfortunately I think we have to get used to that for the foreseeable future. When you consider that most of the greats from the ’60s & ’70s are now in their 60s & 70s, and they didn’t always treat their bodies well, it’s amazing that many of them have stayed around so long. I hope I’m wrong but I think that’s just reality. All those losses last year should remind us that we need to see our favorite artists for as long as they continue to perform, and embrace & spotlight their music whenever we can.
Happy New Year to you as well. I hope 2017 is a good one for you & your loved ones.
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