bowling trophy

The Culling is proceeding swiftly. Every waking moment I’m home is spent listening to records - the only exception being when I’m watching TV or DVDs. I’m well into the orchestral section of the collection: big string orchestras (101 Strings, The Hollyridge Strings…), everyone & His Orchestra (Xavier Cugat, Ray Conniff, Esquivel, Percy Faith…) and really whacked-out “percussion” records from the early years of stereo recording with instruments bouncing around the stereo spectrum ping-pong style.

Now playing:

Jackie Gleason didn’t write, read or arrange music but he still managed to released more than 20 best selling records of mood music for Capitol Records. The LP covers are fabulous - populated by high octane cocktails, smoldering cigarettes and glam babes - but the music is so sl-o-o-o-o-w. Anything Gleason recorded was bound to be the most languid version of that song ever heard.

Movie Themes and Music to Remember Her - gone. Music For Lovers Only survives by virture of its cover as does Music, Martinis, and Memories (also because it has “martinis” in the title).

“Oooo!” is also glacially slow but features an ethereal choir singing wordless vocals (”ooo”s and “aaah”s) which makes it interesting enough to keep.

Velvet Brass is arranged for brass orchestra (no strings) and is lively enough to listen to as foreground music without falling into a stupor.

The score:
Listened: 629
Loved: 453
Loathed: 176

The Score
Listened: 510
Keeping: 359
Tossing: 151

It’s been about a month now since I’ve started the big record listening/purge project. I’m coming to a milestone - I’ve almost finished the top row. I’m in the “international” section. It was rough going at first - no one should have to listen to so many German cowboy songs, yodeling records or filthy English rugby songs in one sitting.

label from Sempre Roma by Udo Jürgens and the German national football team (for the 1990 World Cup in Italy)

Paradoxically, I cheered up when I got to eastern Europe. East German new wave, a Hungarian rock opera, late Soviet-era rock music, even Zamfir’s early folkloric panflute music have put me in a much better mood. Africa is next followed by Asia and the South Seas.

Box Score - Keepers: 283 Discards: 128

the rejects

I’m about three weeks into my epic project to listen to all my records and cull the dross. Now Playing: The Troggs. Next up: Vanilla Fudge, The Vogues, The Walker Brothers. All very different and I’m looking forward to hearing them all. Yes, I’m nearing the end of the alphabet but my work has barely begun; this is just the end of the first category. I’m barely past halfway on the top row of records. Here’s a map of my record library so you can follow along:

1. pop/rock groups
2. “world”
3. instrumental, large groups (Mancini, Montenegro, Enoch Light, 101 Strings, Boston Pops, etc)
4. instrumental, small groups (Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman, Tijuana Brass, etc)
5. instrumental, by instrument (accordion to zither)
6. female vocal
7. male vocal
8. duets (i.e. two artists with solo careers such as Harry Belafonte and Nana Mouskouri, not duos like Sandler and Young), choral groups (Anita Kerr Singers, The Swingle Singers, etc), barbershop, whistling
9. soundtracks (movie, stage, tv)
10. spoken word (documentary, history, interview, literature, instruction), sound effects and ambience, children’s, comedy
11. this’n'that
12. 10 inch LPs, 78s
13. 45s
14. electronic, experimental
15. Christmas
16. folk, country, trucker
17. jazz
18. classical

I’m really enjoying hearing all my records again and I’m often moved to read up on artists as I’m listening to them. Here’s an interesting factoid I came across: did you know Spike Lee’s father, Bill, was a bass player who played on records by Ian & Sylvia and Bob Dylan among others?

Box score - Kept: 184. Discarded: 69.

reject pile

Stompin’ Tom Connors: Stompin’ Tom and The Hockey Song

The best game you can name is played, apparently, by teams and players you can’t name.

Boot Records logo

The Culling: The Next Day

The 10 records-a-day pace has slowed a bit while I’ve been busy with other stuff (like work). I’m in The Osmonds (2 double LPs in a row) with The Partridge Family coming up next. I just may slit my wrists.

It sounds like a horror movie - and sometimes it is (listening to 4 Dino, Desi and Billy records in a row). I’m listening to every LP in my collection and culling the ones that are expendable. I’ve been at it about a week and a half now and I’ve made considerable progress, keeping well ahead of my goal of listening to 10 records a day. The first thing I had to do was replace my turntable. It’s been acting wonky for a while - speeding up and slowing down - but now it only plays at 45 rpm no matter what speed it’s set at. It would speed my task considerably just to leave it but I don’t want everything sounding like The Chipmunks.

This is my discard pile - 38 records so far (that’s Kristy & Jimmy McNichol on top). The British Invasion hasn’t fared well: Herman’s Hermits, Dave Clark 5, Jonathan and David - all gone (though The Beatles remain unscathed). Surprisingly most of ABBA is on its way out too. This may not be a shock to some, but I found their albums mechanical, lifeless things. I kept a couple of greatest hits compilations for sentimental reasons, as well their Spanish album which is the one I enjoyed the most.

Here’s what I’m keeping:

I’ve done the first two “cells.” They used to be full, like the ones below them (each cell holds about 75 records when full). At this rate I shouldn’t have any problem finding space for all the records on the floor. I’m a bit surprised I’ve culled so many records so far. I think maybe the first section (vocal groups) is the most expendable and I won’t be discarding so many when I get to other sections, like male and female vocals or soundtracks. We’ll see.

I’ve also been documenting all my records. At the end of this I’ll have a nice, searchable database of my collection. Yay me!

No records this week.

In related news: I’ve decided to cull the herd.

I’m going to go through all the records on the shelves and try to “edit” my collection a little - enough to get all those records off the floor, I hope.

I’ve also decided to listen to all my records. I figure if I listen to 10 a day it shouldn’t take me more than a year and a half. After two days I’ve already fallen behind - I’ve only listened to 5 sides (out of 6) of Concert For Bangladesh.

Many garage sales have music - a radio or boombox playing - but I don’t think I’ve been to a g’sale that had a dj before. Alex was spinning vinyl on a pair of Stanton turntables (covered in attractive woodgrain mactac) on a system he bought complete at a pawn shop. He’s not a professional dj but he does the occasional gig around town (he’s going to be at the Sugarbowl). Apparently he has a small but eclectic record collection. The music was mighty fine, as was the coffee from that big chrome perk. Sadly, no records for sale.

The next sale I went to - an estate sale in an old two story house - had plenty of records. Unfortunately they were of the Mrs. Mills singalong variety. Altogether I went to about half a dozen garage sales on Saturday. I didn’t buy anything but all were entertaining in their way. I also hit a few thrift stores at the end of the day. Since I know Value Village executives regularly scour my blog for marketing advice, I’ll offer this:

DON’T STACK YOUR RECORDS. It’s not good for them and it makes them very difficult to look through.

Meow Records of Prince George B.C. is the best record store in Canada according to a vote conducted by CBC Radio 3. Two Edmonton record stores placed in the top 10: Sound Connection and Listen Records.

In honor of International Record Store Day, here are the record stores of Edmonton:

None of these is my favourite record store, though. I’d have to say these are:

Gary alerted me to this auction on ebay. The Record-Rama Sound Archives - 3,000,000 records, 300,000 CDs, and “many eight tracks.” There’s no reserve, but bidding opens at $3,000,000 (so far there are no bids). Hurry, the auction ends Thursday. If it’s just the price that’s stopping you, maybe this will help:

Website.