#record diary

[vinyl-problemchen]

Record #012: Voice of the Xtabay - Yma Sumac

(04/11/2020)

Technically, these are two albums - “Voice of the Xtabay” which was released 1950 and 1953′s “Inca Taqui”, both from the days of 10″ discs.

The first side then is Voice of the Xtabay, which Sumac recorded with Leslie Baxter and his band, the second Incq Taqui, which she recorded with her husband (and often writer of her material) Moises Vivanco. He also shared on the original release’s cover (so it’s Yma Sumac and Moises Vivanco, emphasising his importance to the recording, I’d say) but didn’t make it onto this re-release/compilation.That’s show biz.

Since it’s two very distinct albums, two favourite tracks:

Xtabay - “Tumpa (Earthquake)” - a classic, that never fails to impress, and I do love her low notes even more than her high notes, and the throatiness she has esp in the opening of this is just the kind of thing I live for.

Inca -  “ K'arawi (Planting Song)” - I love the mood of this, and that she doesn’t just sing alone but has the occasional back up singers, and also duets with herself I think. Nice. Sexy. 

[vinyl-problemchen]

Single #005: “Ich wär so gern so blöd wie du” - Tic Tac Toe

(04/07/2020)

Another Tic Tac Toe maxi with a terrible club mix on the A side, a kinda fun 80s mix on the B but most importantly, the reason why I bought it, the radio mix.

Fun song, nothing more, nothing less.

[vinyl-problemchen]

Record #031:  Pacific Overtures - 1976 Broadway Cast Recording

(07/12/2020)

To clean my palate from the disappointment of the 1974 Candide recording I went to one of my all time faves again. And yeah, it still is and always will be one of the best cast recordings out there. The songs, the orchestrations, the cast... everything about this is so good. Really wish the cast had done more musicals (or rather appeared on more cast recordings, as I don’t know the individual biographies of the performers, so for all I don’t know they might have starred in a hundred shows, just not ones that had recordings made), most of all Mako, so intense even on the record, and Alvin Ing whose voice I just really love for some reason. But they’re all great, really. And the same goes for the songs (except for “Pretty Lady” which I never cared much about) so this is one of those “just listen to the entire thing” records for me.

Favourite Track: ugh as mentioned I love them all but I’m gonna be basic: B1, “Someone in a Tree”. This is just the *ultimate* listening experience to me, I am always swept away by the orchestrations near the end and cry a bit. It’s just... a magnificent song. 

[vinyl-problemchen]

Record #029:  ただいま。[Tadaima.] - Akiko Yano (1981)

(07/08/2020)

Once again, Akiko Yano goes into a completely new direction, stylistically, with her (then) new album. After the psychadelic-jazz-funk of Japanese Girl to the fusion-avantgarde stuff on Irohanikonpeitō to her collab with the YMO on the preceding album, this is pure synthpop, still with her own personal spin (and lots of piano/synth playing), and that heta-uma cover by Teruhiko Yumura.

Another new pressing/re-release by Wewantsounds I am eternally grateful for and easily one of Yano’s best (although on a personal taste scale probably “only” Number 5 on my list of Top 5 Akiko Yano albums) this comes with a bunch of absolute bangers and classics with “春咲小紅“, “Ashkenazy Who”, “Rose Garden” and, my own Favourite Track, the title song and album opener, “ただいま。“ (Tadaima, which apparently means I’m home which would also explain the cover! See, I learned sth today) which has everything I want from a great Akiko Yano song - a great opening riff, weird sounds, and a telephone

[vinyl-problemchen]

Record #015: That Was The Year That Was - Tom Lehrer

(04/14/2020)

I love Tom Lehrer, and this is my favourite of his records just by the numbers that make this set up. There isn’t a bad one on this (as on the other two discs/set) and the ones that are good are GREAT. This was Lehrer’s last record, and it’s nice he went out on a bang not a whimper. It’s difficult to chose a favourite track because I love the entire thing (”Who needs a hobby like tennis or philately, I got a hobby - rereading Lady Chatterly”) so much, but... I guess...

Favourite Track: B1 “So Long Mom”

[vinyl-problemchen]

Record #010:  Japanese Girl - Akiko Yano

(04/10/2020)

Hey another all-time favourite... I am always blown away how incredibly strong this, her debut album is, in the consistency of the songs (all brilliant) and how *there* her style already is, compared to other artists’ first albums, yknow?

This then, is the original Japanese pressing, for those who care about such things - I can’t say I do, but when I bought it, there were only the two Japanese vinyl releases, the intial one and the reissue a year later. By now the French label wewantsounds started reissuing Yano’s albums (often first time on vinyl outside Japan) and bc I am dumb I bought one of those pressings too, just to have a backup, as I play this album a LOT.

Love the cover art, also love the insert that comes with this. Yeah. It’s just a great album, artistically and also uh... materially? It’s a great album to hold in your hands, yknow!

Also, something that is perhaps lost in the age of streaming or even the age of CDs, but Side A is called the “American Side” (in Latin letters) and Side B “日本面“ (which translates to “Japanese Side”) Now you know.

Favourite track: Hard to choose, so either A1  気球にのって (Kikyu Ni Notte) with it’s iconique opening riff or B4 丘を越えて (Oka Wo Koete) which has backup vocals from Morio Agata

[vinyl-problemchen]

Record #009:  “That Bad Eartha” - Eartha Kitt

(04/10/2020)

This basically was Eartha Kitt’s debut album - originally on 10′’ with only 8 songs, which was very successful, and when the 12′’ discs replaced the smaller ones, RCA reissued it under this name with four more songs from the same set of recording sessions. 

It’s fascinating that this already has three of her ~signature songs. The song choices are very well and versatile, showing of Kitt’s different sides. The arrangements are good, too, which never hurts a record in my book.

Also I just love a title that comes in quotes (no, really, I do)

Favourite Track: A1 “I Want To Be Evil”, bc yes, I do

[vinyl-problemchen]

Single #004: “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)” - En Vogue

(04/05/2020)

There is not much to say about this except that the song is still a fuckin’ bop 28 years later and that “And now it’s time for a breakdown” feels very apropos in these tryin’ times.

B side is just an “Ext Edit”