It’s Sturgill Simpson New Vinyl Thursday at The Vinyl Underground at 7th Heaven. Check out this week’s list of new vinyl arrivals:
A Tribe Called Quest – Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest – Midnight Marauders
Weekly Review:
Midnight Marauders concludes the landmark trilogy of releases by A Tribe Called Quest. After
announcing their presence in 1990 and fusing jazz with hip hop on The Low End Theory, the conscious
rappers proved their sound – and message – could find commercial success.
The 1993 album takes the sound of The Low End Theory and adds bigger hooks, resulting in mixtape go-
to’s such as “Award Tour,” “Oh My God” and “Lyrics to Go.” The chemistry between MCs Q-Tipe and
Phife Dawg is at its zenith here, too. Check out the way Q-Tip passes the rhymes over to Phife Dog on
the first verse of “Electric Relaxation” – and then how Phife passes it right back to Tip.
A track like “Steve Biko (Stir It Up)” scores a hat trick, combining catchy production, tight interplay with
Tip and Phife and the politically conscious lyrics the for which the group had become known. “Sucka N–”
discusses the various uses and connotations of the n-word and aims for desensitization by repeating the
word frequently throughout.
Though Midnight Marauders sounds dated in the current landscape of trap and mumble rap, it remains
an engaging and influential snapshot of the golden age of hip hop. -Joel Francis
Alice in Chains – Facelift [150 gram vinyl]
The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You
Weekly Review:
When the Avalanches’ debut album, “Since I Left You,” was released in 2000, it was a commercial and critical success. Composed of more than 3,000 vinyl samples, the sound was brand new: a vast quilting of audio fragments, some decades old, which took the ’90s trend of sampling somewhere completely new.
It was 16 years before the Australian electronic group’s second album, the critically acclaimed “Wildflower,” was released, so it was something of a shock when just four years after that, they announced “We Will Always Love You,”
They’ve taken what’s been clear about the Avalanches for years – their ability to manipulate and formulate a vast array of sounds into a coherent, interesting and experiential track – and put it in a different context, in many ways dropping the party vibe and replacing it with something more mature.
As a whole, the album is a piece of contemporary art you’d almost expect to find hanging in an hall of contemporary art, and you might never know it because the Avalanches have made it so accessible and loveable even if you don’t think too hard about where all these sounds are coming from.
This album is the cure to the December quarantine blues. And should be picked up today at the Vinyl Underground. – Albert Schmurr
The Beatles – Let It Be [180 gram Vinyl]
The Beatles – White Album [180 gram Vinyl]
The Beatles – Abbey Road Anniversary
Beyonce – Lemonade [180 gram Vinyl]
Bill Withers – Live at Carnegie Hall [180 gram Vinyl]
Black Pumas – Black Pumas
Black Sabbath – Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Blue Oyster Cult – The Symbol Remains
Bon Jovi – Cross Road
Bruce Springsteen – Greatest Hits [150 gram Vinyl]
Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill
Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique
Weekly Review:
After a No. 1 album and Top 10 hit from their debut release, the Beastie Boys turned their back on much
of what made the popular when it came time for the follow-up. Produced by the Dust Brothers and
composed almost entirely by samples, Paul’s Boutique is a landmark release, not only for helping
illustrate sampling as a legitimate art form, but for how the Beasties were able to reinvent themselves
through it.
More than 30 years later it’s impossible to hear a song like “Egg Man” – which samples the music from
Psycho’s famous shower scene, the theme from Jaws along with Kool and the Gang, the Commodores
and Sly and the Family Stone – without considering how it paved the way for other sample-heavy artists
like DJ Shadow and Avalanches.
Plus, Paul’s Boutique is fun. The more sophisticated soundscapes may have chased away some of the
frat rock crowd that gathered around License to Ill, but the Boys are still “dating women on TV with the
help of Chuck Woolery” and “like Sam the butcher bringing Alice the meat.”
Like it’s conceptual cousin, De La Soul’s Three Feet High and Rising, also released in 1989, Paul’s
Boutique is go-to album for anyone in search of a smile or wants to have their mind blown by how pre-
existing music can be rearranged and presented in a fresh context.-Joel Francis
Beastie Boys – Music
The Budos Band – Long in the Tooth
Weekly Review:
The latest album from the Budos Band, Long in the Tooth, is like an instrumental fever dream mixed with equal parts spaghetti western and James Bond-style spy film soundtrack. It’s perfectly blended, fusing elements of funk, psych, and Latin into a kaleidoscope of sounds.
Intro song and title track Long in the Tooth sets the tone for the 11 track album. It builds slowly, with first the organ sounding an alarm which gives way to the drums… building until the horns blow the roof off, accentuated with a deep baritone sax to bring in the bottom end. It’s all very cinematic and exciting, which would be expected for songs named Sixth Hammer, Snake Hawk, Silver Stallion, and Budonian Knight.
If the term “long in the tooth” implies getting old, there is nothing old about this album. It’s fresh, fun, funky, and frisky. The horn hooks are bright and the rhythm section tight. It’s a beautiful blend of montage music perfect for cocktail parties or hitting the highway. There is a lot of life left in this group and I can’t wait to see how it plays out. – Brad Simmons
Charley Crockett – Welcome To Hard Times
Childish Gambino – Awaken My Love
The Cure – The Greatest Hits
Def Leppard – Hysteria [180 gram Vinyl]
Deftones – Ohms
Durand Jones – American Love Call
Erykah Badu – Mama’s Gun
Fela Kuti – Yellow Fever
Fela Kuti – Zombie [180 gram Vinyl]
The Flaming Lips – American Head
Guru – Jazzmatazz Vol 1
Glass Animals – Dreamland
Gil Scott-Heron – Pieces of a Man
Guided by Voices – Mirrored Aztecs
Harry Styles – Harry Styles [180 gram Vinyl]
Johnny Burnette – Rock ‘N Roll Trio
Joseph – Stoned Age Man
John Lennon – Gimme Some Truth
Weekly Review:
In the 2020 world of isolation, division and political lunacy across the globe, Lennon’s lifelong message of peace and love is essential today. What better way to keep his message and legacy alive than Gimme Some Truth, an expansive 36-track compilation album consisting of John’s finest works spanning his entire solo career, from his raw 1970 solo debut ‘Plastic Ono Band’ to his 1980 comeback album Double Fantasy and even his posthumous 1984 release Milk and Honey. Released on what would have been John’s 80th birthday, Gimme Some Truth celebrates his career with all 36 tracks on the album being completely remastered in stereo from scratch, using state of the art technology.
Produced by Lennon’s polarizing widow Yoko Ono and his son Sean, the remastered tracks give listeners the opportunity to hear classic hits in a way they’ve never heard before. The contemporary remaster technology separates each song’s individual master tapes in order for them to be polished and sewn back together to create awe-inspiring new versions.
Particular stand-out remasters include the tracks ‘God’, with John’s bellowing vocals and the pounding piano sounding crisper than ever, ‘Gimme Some Truth’ with an incredibly crunchier guitar sound, ‘Woman’ and ‘Nobody Told Me’ both have cleaner and softer sounding guitars and ultimately, the track ‘Mind Games’ – including a much more omnipresent instrumental that brings the track into a brand new life.
The album as a whole is a symbol of John Lennon’s iconic legacy. The remastered tracks are the perfect way to introduce Lennon’s legacy to a brand new generation, the generation that will need to carry Lennon’s timely message into the future and hopefully make the world a better place. You can step up to the deluxe version for an even saucier experience. Get ’em while they last… from the hard working gang at the Underground. – Albert Schmurr
Kamasi Washington – Epic [180 gram Vinyl]
Kamasi Washington – Harmony Of Difference
Kendrick Lamar – Untitled Unmastered
Kendrick Lamar – Damn
Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, M.A.A.D City
King Gizzard & Lizard Wizard – Flying Mircotonal Banana
The Killers – Sam’s Town [180 gram vinyl]
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Live in San Francisco ‘16
Lee Fields – Big Crown Vaults Vol. 1
Lauryn Hill – Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Leon Bridges – Coming Home [180 gram Vinyl]
Mac Miller – Go:Od Am
Mac Miller – Swimming
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue [180 gram Vinyl]
Miles Davis – On the Corner (180 Gram Vinyl)
Weekly Review:
Miles Davis reinvented himself – and jazz – so often during his career it can be hard to keep up. Released
in 1972, On the Corner is Davis’ response to Sly and the Family Stone’s There’s a Riot Going On,
Funkadelic, James Brown and Isaac Hayes’ extended forays into soul soundscapes, like in the song “Do
Your Thing.”
The music is already underway when the needle drops on side one, creating the impression the listener
has stumbled into an underground scene in progress. Tablas, electric guitars, multiple, overlapping drum
kits and an electric bass, which often serves as the anchor, create a sound that is funkier, more rock-
based and compact than Davis’ earlier double-album fusion touchstone, Bitches Brew. As on Bitches
Brew, Davis often plays his trumpet through a wah pedal.
Although critically divisive and a commercial failure, On the Corner’s impact could be felt immediately in
projects like Herbie Hancock’s massively successful Head Hunters. It can be heard in today Erykah Badu’s
New Amerykah albums, Common’s Electric Circus album, and the work of Shabazz Palaces and Flying
Lotus.
On the Corner is funky, brash, cocky and aggressive, just like its mastermind. It is not an album for every
collection, but adventurous listeners will continually be surprised and enthralled. -Joel Francis
Michael Jackson – Bad
Michael Jackson – Thriller
Mötley Crüe – Shout at the Devil [180 gram Vinyl]
Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On
Weekly Review:
As the legions of (failed) imitators have shown since the release of Marvin Gaye’s 1973 slow jam
masterpiece Let’s Get It On, anyone can sing a carnal song. What puts Let’s Get It On over the top is the
romance Gaye adds to the longing. He desperately wants to get with you, but he also wants to get to
know you.
Gaye’s singing also captures that age-old struggle between Saturday sin and Sunday salvation. His flesh
is definitely willing, but Gaye is equally concerned what spiritual price he will pay for his weakness. You
can hear how this weighs on Gaye’s mind when he sings lines like “if the spirit moves you” and “heaven
knows that I long for you.”
While the title song was a No. 1 smash that remains the gold standard for sensual R&B tracks nearly two
generations later, the seven songs behind it ensure that the album doesn’t peak too early. As the man
himself says, come get to this. -Joel Francis
Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Return of the 36 Chambers
OS Mutantes – Everything Is Possible: World Psychedelic Classics 1
Ozzy – Diary of a Madman
Panic at the Disco – Pray For The Wicked
Primus – Pork Soup
Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Prince – Purple Rain [180 gram Vinyl]
Queen – A Night At The Opera [180 gram Vinyl]
Queen – Greatest Hits 1
Queen of the Stone Age – Rated R [180 gram Vinyl]
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
Run The Jewels – RTJ4
Sturgill Simpson – Cuttin’ Grass
Sturgill Simpson – Metamodern Sounds in Country Music
Sade – The Best of Sade [180 gram Vinyl]
Sarah McLachlan – Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
The Stark Reality – Discovers Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop
Tame Impala – Innerspeaker
Traveling Wilburys – The Traveling Wilburys Vol 3
Tool – Undertow
Tyler Childers – Country Squires [150 gram Vinyl]
Tyler The Creator – Igor [150 gram Vinyl]
Various Artists – Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix
Various Artists – Singles Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Weekly Review:
Cameron Crow’s romantic comedy Singles managed to capture the Seattle music scene during the
summer of 1992 just as the grunge movement was starting to blow up. The film’s soundtrack is a near-
perfect time capsule of this era, gathering then-new tracks from Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains,
Soundgarden, Screaming Trees and Mudhoney. The soundtrack also includes archival contributions from
Jimi Hendrix and Mother Love Bone for good measure (plus Led Zeppelin cover from Crow’s then-wife
and her sister, a.k.a. the guitarist and singer from Heart).
Only three songs stray from beyond Seattle’s city limit. Paul Westerberg’s post-Replacements tracks are
disarmingly poppy in the context of so many moody guitar pieces, but the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Drown”
numbers among the band’s best songs.
Many of these songs have since become big hits or fan favorites, such as Pearl Jam’s “State of Love and
Trust,” “Nearly Lost You” by the Screaming Trees and Alice in Chains’ “Would?” The song “Seasons” has
taken on deeper resonance more recently as the Chris Cornell’s solo debut.
As with the film, it’s hard to listen to Singles nearly three decades on without the strong pull of
nostalgia, but the soundtrack does a great job of capturing the zeitgeist both for those who were there
at the time or others who want to experience it now for the first time. -Joel Francis
Warren Zevon – Life’ll Kill Ya
Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud
Wayne Shorter – Second Genesis [180 gram Vinyl]
Wayne Shorter – Wayning Moments [180 gram Vinyl]
FLASH SALE!
50% OFF – Any 1 RSD Title – Thursday, December 31th ONLY!
Turntables! We got ’em. From starter tables to audiophile, and everything in between, we have you covered. We are honored to once again be carrying a full line up of the award winning, top of their class, made in America, U-turn Orbits! We have all the colors- including the high performance walnut and maple. Get here fast for best selection. Get yours today!
We have official Vinyl Underground at 7th Heaven shirts in all sizes again- small to 3XL! Come in today and pick one up.
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Here’s where we talk about the virus. We are all freaked out. We are all nervous and anxious. We are OPEN. If you want to come shop in person put on your mask and we will say hello, give you a virtual high five- a virtual hug if we know you that well- and we will keep our distance. We love all of our customers and are glad to keep this little bit of normalcy in these crazy times. With that being said, we will also offer various other ways to get your vinyl fix. We have always shipped music and we will continue to do so. We also offer curbside pick up. Call us, pay, call us when you are outside and we will deliver your freshly sanitized purchase to your car.
Thanks for reading this week’s Sturgill Simpson New Vinyl Thursday post! Mention that you did before you check out and we will take 20% off of ANY one item in the store! Offer good through 1/7/21.
Enjoy the music and we will see you soon. Your loving Vinyl Underground at 7th Heaven staff:
Sherman, Gordon, Cat, Matt, Dylan, Doyle, Heather, Dave and Max
#TheVinylUndergroundKC #WeAreLocal #YourNeighborhoodMusicStore #NewVinylThursday
