Thrift Store Gambling: And Sometimes You Don't Lose As Much!

Here's my problem with the thrift store thing: it always boils down to "Well, I wouldn't pay full price for this, but at two bucks, what a bargain!" Sorry, but crap is still crap, no matter how little you paid for it. And then you're saddled with more stuff that you can't quite bring yourself to get rid of...
I think of the line in a recent article in "The New Yorker" about the still-touring remnants of  the TV cable show "Mystery Science Theatre 3000". One of the participants said ruefully "I realized I'd seen 'Santa Claus Conquers the Martians' more times than 'Citizen Kane'." (They broke up soon after.) Time spent listening to stuff that's 'not so bad' equals time NOT listening to stuff that's really, really good.

So, Sopwith Camel -- worth the $1.99 ?  I figure 7 of the 10 tracks are pretty good, tho the last is only a minute or so long. Brief history: Sopwith Camel was one of the very first San Francisco hippie bands to release a single ("Hello Hello") that charted, they released an album, they broke up. 4 or 5 years later, they reform (mostly), record and release "The Miraculous Hump Returns From the Moon". Reviews are harsh.

 

So here's the deal: I have this weird idea that there's some song or album I heard as a developing teen that I've forgotten.  That, when rediscovered, will open, Alladin-like,  portals of memory that will allow me to tap into my teen brain. What were you thinking, Teen David? I wrote notes, kept lists -- what I wouldn't give for my list of the bands I saw in concert -- but boxes disappear when you move a lot. Had lunch with a high school bud a few days ago -- most of our stories didn't match at all. Is memory real, or just a story we tell ourselves?

 

I remember hearing "Coke, Suede and Waterbeds", the single from the album, on FM radio, and thinking "Wonder what that album sounds like?" And yes, when I saw it at Value Village, I thought "Ah, the portal.."

(Jeez, bud, this can't be the portal -- were you even paying attention? If you haven't even heard it before, IT CAN'T BE THE PORTAL!) 

 

Guess what? It's not bad. 'Side One' (guessing) is pretty good, and 'Side Two' has one good song (and a cool outro). I did enjoy the good stuff, though . It's no portal, but, well your portal is up to you. I'll bet this review doesn't have you smoking the online used CD sites, desperate to find  a copy, but maybe you'll hear a song sometime soon and wonder, where could this lead?

 

Thrift Store Gambling (Macklemore Free) -- Sometimes You Lose...

   

Thrift shop purchases aren't always bargains, but that's the gamble and the fun, I guess. I sometimes wonder how many Goodwill/Value Village employees just put up with the job to get first crack at skimming the collectible stuff, making their real money on eBay, etc. So when I see a CD by Captain Beyond in the rack, I'm thinking "How did this get past the stockers-- don't they realize what this is??"  Err, maybe they did...

Captain Beyond (if you believe the online comments) was a super-group that stretched the boundaries of hard rock by mixing in acoustic CSN&Y bits with Santana-esque percussion. Oh, and space-cosmic song titles and graphics.  (Can it really be a "super-group" if it involves Deep Purple's early vocalist and someone who played in a later version of Iron Butterfly ?) Listening now, maybe not so effective with the first-time listener, but apparently if this 'blew your mind' when you were a teenager, it still works its magic.

I first heard a CB track on a Warner Brothers sampler (remember, dear reader?) and was well yes, blown away by "Thousand Days of Yesterday" from the first album -- furious acoustic strumming, rapid time-signature changes -- it was as if Deep Purple stole a time machine to borrow the sound of "Songs from the Wood"-era Jethro Tull, amped it up a bit, and added some Space Oddity-cosmic lyrics. Turns out that track was totally different from the rest of the frenetic heavy-osity on the album.

By album 2, they've cut back on the bellowing "I Used To Be In Deep Purple" vocals, added the congas ala Santana, and unfortunately lost the superior drumming of Bobby Caldwell (definitely not the "What You Won't Do For Love" guy.) The opening title track plays the same game that "Thousand Days of Yesterday" did -- radio-friendly, more of an early "Toulouse Street" acoustic Doobie Brothers sound, sitting on the stoop watching the freaky world go by and not indicative of the rest of the album at all. Bummer. Songs include "Starglow Energy", "Evil Men" and "Everything's a Circle". Sigh. $1.99 for 5:15 decent minutes, but still, a pretty good 5+ minutes!

Next: Sopwith Camel -- maybe 10 good minutes??

Thrift Store Bonus!

Picked this up a week or two ago at Value Village, and it's one of the best things I've heard in a long time. Shelby Lynne's albums are kind of spotty for me. She's a wonderful talent, but the album production isn't always sympathetic. I think she sounds best with a small band and limited production glitz; her Christmas album from a few years ago is a great example. This one's her tribute to Dusty Springfield (from 2008), and it's everything truly fine about Shelby. Her voice takes center stage, and the production by Phil Ramone is subtle, simple and just what the music needs.  And I got it for just a few bucks!

Friday, I popped in again, and snagged the first Captain Beyond album, and the reunion album by Sopwith Camel! You never see those anywhere, and after a first listen, I think I know why...  Oh, well. Thrill of the hunt and all that. Maybe they'll grow on me.