Bread - The Best of Bread Volume II (1974, cassette)
Brian Setzer - The Knife Feels Like Justice (1986, LP)
Bryan Ferry/Roxy Music - Street Life: 20 Great Hits (1986, CD)
Buggles - The Age of Plastic (1980, cassette)
Camper Van Beethoven - Key Lime Pie (1989, CD)
Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica (1969, CD)
Carl Doy - The Best of Piano by Candlelight (1995, CD)
Carly Simon - The Best of (1975, CD)
The Carpenters - Singles 1969-1981 (2000, CD)
Charles Walker & The New York City Blues Band - Blues From the Apple (1974, mp3 download)
When I was in sixth grade I auditioned for and made the Wilson County Junior Honor Band, and that was the first year of its existence (I was also in it the two years following; after that I was in high school and was therefore too old to be eligible). Our band director was taking me and two others who had made the honor band to rehearsal and he put a Bread 8-track on in his car. I really liked it, so later on I got this tape to remember him by. I also have their "best of volume I" on LP but I haven't ripped it yet.
The Knife Feels Like Justice is one of my all-time favorite albums, which I have mentioned before. I also posted on that Buggles album before, click to read if you want.
I bought the Bryan Ferry CD because I wanted to hear a better sampling of his stuff besides what's on Roxy Music's Avalon album. This CD has stuff that is both from Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry solo.
I don't remember why I bought the Camper Van Beethoven CD, because I'm pretty sure I never heard any of their stuff on the radio. It's kind of odd, and the lead singer has a kind of annoying timbre in his voice until you get used to it. The lyrics tend toward dark humor. I guess my favorite track from it is "Jack Ruby," which is of course about that man. There's also a cover of that old 60s song "Pictures of Matchstick Men." Two other good tracks are "I Was Born in a Laudromat" and "When I Win the Lottery."
Back in the 80s when I used to shop at Sundance Records in San Marcos a lot, they had a promotion where they gave you this little ticket and punched it every time you bought a CD. After 10 purchases, you got a free CD. I decided to get something that I would probably never pay for otherwise, and got the Captain Beefheart CD. It's pretty strange, wandering far into the avant-garde side of folk/rock/psychedelia. Don Van Vliet, a.k.a. Captain Beefheart, sang--or should I say "sang"--and played harmonica and sax, and probably some other instruments. I think I read somewhere that he sometimes played two saxophones at once. Not impossible, but extremely difficult, I'd think, and of course his range would be limited on each because he had only one hand for each. Anyway, this is the only "rock" band I've ever heard of who used a bass clarinet. I also have a tape of their Doc at the Radar Station but I haven't ripped it yet.
The Carl Doy CD is romantic piano music. My wife bought it, and it is suitable on certain occasions. Of course I had to have Carley Simon's "best of" collection to fill in the blanks, and I wouldn't consider the collection at all respectable without that compilation of The Carpenters. One thing about them that has always impressed me is how they spanned genres. For example, my dad, who is an inveterate listener of classic country and cowboy music, likes some songs by The Carpenters. Also Karen Carpenter had a wonderful voice. My only complaint is that in my opinion that is a terrible cover photo.
Blues from the Apple is a blues album that I downloaded from Fred Seibert's Kathleen Loves Music. This is real, authentic, gritty blues, the like of which you will never hear on a commercial radio station.
Album count: 110.
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