It's time for Record Store Day 2014 - a Preview:

Tomorrow another Record Store Day hits, with the inevitable lineups, Ebay poachers and scalpers, a frezy for what could be high value collectables - and a ton of titles, in my opinion, most of rather limited merit. Some have complained that RSD is a cash grab, which it certainly is, but a cash grab with a noble purpose - to get the beautiful sound of 'ca-ching!' ringing through the independent record store industry, struggling to survive, and that is the most worthwhile cash grab I can think of.

Yet this year, I find less of interest than ever before. But there are gems, and here are the ones I have picked up:

1. Grateful Dead - Live At Hampton Colisseum 1974:

A Record Store Day tradition - an unreleased Dead live recording, mid-period Dead and still vital, and although this year it was not mastered by Chris Bellman at Grundman's, no matter - it sounds excellent, and the artwork, particularly the inner gatefold, is superb. A great show from a period that is not always front & center, sounds great, a great release.

2. Mastodon - Live At Brixton:

A live set from Mastodon, a very good one, pretty heavy, a decent if not exceptional live recording covering their 'big' tracks, includes a DVD which is why this is the most expensive record I picked up. Worth having, if not entirely essential. Any Mastodon is a good thing.

3. Bruce Springsteen - American Beauty:

4 tracks, leftovers mostly from his High Hopes LP, sonically similar - brickwalled, but as they had the good sense to go to Grundman for mastering, not as bad as it could have been. Regardless, there are ok songs here but nothing that comes near essential or even illuminating.

4. Frightened Rabbit Live At Criminal Records:

I loved Frightened Rabbit's last LP, but this left me pretty cold. It is the most brickwalled RSD release I have this year, and sounds very hard and digital, quite in opposition to what were warm, woody semi-acoustic performances. A let down, and could have been better had more attention been paid to the sound quality.

5. Tame Impalas - Live Versions:

Fantastic. Quite different from the LP studio versions, much more of a Hendrix/Cream psychedelic and hypnotic groove, a record that grabs you from the A-side lead in groove and doesn't let go until the B-side run-out. Sounds really super for a live recording. Thrilled to have picked this one up.

Pretty decent colored vinyl, too. I would suggest you grab this one.

6. Steve Earle - Townes (The Basics):

Unadorned, basic versions of Steve Earles's covers of Townes Van Zant, which is the way it should be - the dialog between Steve and Townes, the conversation with these great songs, demands minimal intrusion and that's what this is. Superbly mastered for vinyl. Decent pressing. Well worth checking out, one that will get repeated spins over a long period.

7. Flaming Lips: 7 Skies H3:

A distillation of the gimmicky 24 hour song of a few years ago. I approached with caution. I like the cover. The swirl vinyl looks pretty cool. So I'm in, but not expecting much when the needle hits the grooves.

But - WOW! This is the best RSD release Flaming Lips have ever put out there. The music is almost a (mostly) instrumental soundscape for a landing in  another galaxy - exploring sounds, textures, melodic fragments, and even noise - but all the way through it is highly cohesive, moody and melodic, exploratory and gripping. I love it. Get one.

8. Sun Ra - Outer Spaceways Incorporated:

From ORG, a Black Lion title from 1968. Interesting.

I am no Sun Ra scholar or follower, his recordings are so disparate and spotty to find that this catalog never could form anything approaching a cohesive entity, and getting into Sun Ra is very difficult due to the many low quality self recorded albums he did and the great distance between a good Sun Ra night and a not so good one.

This is a fantastic, vital Sun Ra record that should open a lot of ears to what Ra was about. These are long live tracks, wholly representative of Sun Ra;s cosmic free jazz vision rooted in 1950's be-bop and the big bands of Fletcher Henderson in particular. It opens with a free jazz big band ensemble statement, with (guessing) Ra on piano, very much out of Powell/Nichols/Monk, and a very extended drum solo that is amazing, a primal, thunderous walk across those outer spaceways. Mesmerizing. Elsewhere, there is more free jazz head blowing, interspersed with very straight up hard bop piano soloing, and the occasional horn solo coming out of the young tenor lions of the era.

A fabulous recording and the highlight of RSD for me.

9. Charles Lloyd - Live At Slugs:

Two tracks on a 10" at 33, an undocumented early Lloyd quartet with Gabor Szabo, Ron Carter and Pete LaRoca. Interesting, as this is not yet fully formed Lloyd as evident on the pre-Atlantic era recording of Dream Weaver. The sound is limited - it was recorded in a club in the early 60's on a portable table top Nagra, so take that for what it is. Carter suffers worst, and sounds like he is not that familiar with the music, droning and vamping. Szabo is outstanding, and comes trough very cleanly. Lloyd comes through ok, a little rough at times, and LaRoca is a bit muffled. Interesting, limited in value by the sonics, not great Lloyd, and inessential - but worth a listen, although I doubt I will listen to it again in this lifetime.

10. Jerry Garcia - Garcia:

Rounder Records reissue of a largely forgotten early Garcia solo effort that really does deserve re-evaluation, as it is a truly wonderful, enjoyable record that has great songs, some experimentalism, and great playing. Very well mastered as well, and the dreaded white vinyl isn't too bad. Well worth checking out.

11. Norman Greenbaum - Spirit In The Sky:

I had finally got the title track out of my head, where it has bounced around inescapably for 30 years after I first heard it while participating in a bit too much weed.

Whether you have heard the title track enough for this and the next two afterlives, it's actually a pretty good record that has the vibe of the late 60's, a certain hippiness and a certain happy, free and optimistic vibe, and it grooves, and Greenbaum is a good singer, and this is a great artifact of the era.

Had never owned this album, glad I do know. Maybe Spirit In The Sky, a monster hit back in the day, has enough distance now that we can look at this record fresh, again. It is a good one, and sounds great on this well done RSD reissue.

12. Joan Baez - Blessed Are, Big Mama Thornton - Sassy Mama:

Two Vanguard reissues I was looking forward to:

Joan Baez - Blessed Are, a double album, consisting of relevant covers and strong originals, is among the finest Baez records of the era. Vanguard have remastered it well, it sounds alive and vibrant.

Big Mama Thorton's Sassy Mama is even better, from the other end of the spectrum. It positively rocks, slides and shimmys and is another truthful, vibrant remaster. Hugely rocks, and is a must-have.

13. Otis Redding - Pain In My Heart (mono):

Bringing up the end is a vinyl reissue of Otis Redding's Pain In My Heart, mono version. While I have never bought into the fetishism of mono aficionados - 'more punchy' and all that - this is a very good reissue and the mono mix is much less dark than the stereo, almost as if a light has been shone on it, or scrubbed up a typically muddy early Volt recording. There is a sense of hearing these anew, or renewed, and a freshness that brings classic recordings and a long gone ear back to life. So this is highly recommended and worth picking up.

See you on RSD Black Friday (or a few days before).