I have a very small record collection sitting in front of my big bookcase. My parents own tons of albums, including some nice editions of early Beatles, Dylan, and Stones stuff, all of which sit in the garage. We haven't had a working turntable since I was a baby, so having crates of records sitting around is a bit silly. Nonetheless, some of my precious floor space in my tiny bedroom by the following albums, 27 in total.
1) Piece of Mind, Iron Maiden, 1983
My dad picked this up for my at Goodwill a month or so ago, and it's in really great shape. The sleeve insert picture is pretty amazing, all the guys sitting at a table staring at a brain on a platter. This album was Nicko McBrain's first with Maiden, I believe, and it has some excellent stuff on it including The Trooper, Where Eagles Dare, and Die with Your Boots On.
Brains are serious business.
2) Wind in the Wires, Patrick Wolf, 2005
3) Somewhere In Time, Iron Maiden, 1986
Also, from McKay, in wonderful shape. I have yet to find out what the cars are that the guys are standing on in the insert photo. This cover is so much Blade Runner-y fun. Get your hands on a copy and study it sometime. Also, give it a listen.
I really want to know about these car hovercraft things. I'd also like to know why Bruce thought that shirt was a good idea.
4) Star Wars: OST, John Williams, 1977
5) The Story of Star Wars, Original Cast, John William, Roscoe Lee Browne, 1977
This record is in dubious shape, though I did keep the better of two copies. Booklet is all taped together, but seems like it's all there. Probably from a garage sale or thrift store. It looks like a lot of fun, though. I'll have to pick up a working copy at some point.
6) Nebraska, Bruce Springsteen, 1982
Got this at the Beloit Public Library book sale maybe two years ago, looks pretty clean. Atlantic City is definitely in my top 5 Springsteen tracks. The song Nebraska is about the serial killer Charles Starkweather with whom my dad went to high school (fun fact).
7) Dance to Jan Savitt and Clyde McCoy, Jan Savitt and Clyde McCoy and their Orchestras, 1977
Free, still sealed, at the UW-Madison book sale, I couldn't say no. Unfortunately I have never listened to it and really have no idea what it is, beyond some fun big band swing.
8) A Day at the Races, Queen, 1976
Man, most of this stuff looks shiny and new, and this is no exception. Freddie is wearing a particularly wonderful white leotard in the picture on the sleeves fold out. Somebody to Love, probably the most well-know bong on this album. Ilu, Queen.
Hells yeah.
9) A Hard Day's Night OST, The Beatles, 1964
No idea where this album came from, but it's a little beat up. The some of the snapshots on the back of the sleeve I believe are the same ones used for the Hard Day's Night album, but not all of them. I've always been an early Beatles fan, which I've come to find is a bit rare among people my age. Is it because they grew up listening to everything from Revolver on? Do they relate to the psychedelic stuff more? I'd like to know why.
She's a drag. A well known drag. We turn the sound down on her and say rude things.
10) Rocket to Russia, Ramones, 1977
Tiny Castro!
11) A Night at the Opera, Queen, 1975
I should find a cleaner copy of this and get it framed with A Day at the Races and have them as the only wall decorations in a very mod room. I don't really have much else to say about this one, just beyond brilliant stuff.
This picture needs improvement. The photoshop is a little wonky. Also, I would never own Potatohead Prime.
12) Rock the Casbah, The Clash, 1982
This is a single with Mustapha Dance on the B-side. The cover is pretty silly. I don't really have a good bit about this album.
Sharif don't like it. Rock the catbox, rock the catbox.
13) Songs of Revolution, Soviet Army Chorus and Band, 1977
14) UHF OST, Weird Al Yankovic, 1989
I love this movie so much, it figured prominently in my childhood. Most of the songs on here are a bit strange, honestly, being more original comedy than parody. Fun fact about UHF, it opened during one of the biggest blockbuster weekends EVER, and thus was completely overshadowed and generally dismissed. Other movies opening that weekend included: Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Lethal Weapon 2, Batman, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Ouch.
15) The Empire Strikes Back OST, John Williams, 1980
In really bad condition, but still, it's the Empire OST. One day I'll find a better copy. Also, one day I'll own a van and on the side of that van will be the artwork from the back of this record.
I tried to photoshop it onto a van, but it would probably be less time consuming to buy a van, paint it on, and take a picture.
16) The Story of Return of the Jedi, Original Cast and John Williams, 1983
17) Revolver, The Beatles, 1966
This is where the started to lose me a little. Some of it seems to be building on everything before, and other tracks are just bizarre. Still, brilliant stuff. The record's in this creepy plastic Warner Bros. wrapping.
18) Hey Jude, The Beatles, 1970
Sleeve is in decent condition, but the record its self is long gone. Shame, really. Decent collection of songs: Hey Jude, Revolution, Paperback Writer, I Should Have Known Better, Lady Madonna, Can't Buy Me Love, Don't Let Me Down, Ballad of John and Yoko, Rain, and Old Brown Shoe.
19) Let's Dance, David Bowie, 1983
Modern Love, China Girl, Let's Dance, and Cat People (I just watched Inglorious Basterds for the first time on Wednesday). Anyway, good stuff, good album. I didn't realize I have so much good stuff all in nice, playable condition. This is making me a little sad that I can't listen to it.
20) Scary Monsters, David Bowie, 1980
Ashes to Ashes might be my third favorite Bowie song. I'll have to think about that. At any rate, some good things, some not so good things. All this Bowie stuff is from some girl's garage sale, I believe. I also got some posters out of that deal, I should put them up.
I actually put up this one.
21) Stage, David Bowie, 1978
22) Greatest Hits, Queen, 1981
Every song on this album is beautiful and amazing. It wasn't until I got to college that I realized how much I loved Freddie Mercury and Queen, how influential it all is. I'm going to have to listen to some Queen in a minute.
23) Station to Station, David Bowie, 1976
One day I will watch all of The Man Who Fell to Earth and be just as confused as everyone I know who has seen it. Still, TVC15, Station to Station, etc. Good good.
24) Changes One, David Bowie, 1976
Amazing collection of Bowie stuff. I listened to this album so much in high school. This copy is a bit beat up, should keep my eyes peeled for a cleaner copy.
25) Star Trek: The Motion Picture OST, Jerry Goldsmith, 1979
I watched this movie when I was quite small and remember it being entertaining at the time. In recent years I find myself wondering what I was thinking and why I own a pristine copy of the OST. The uniforms are so bad. The sleeve insert does have a handy color picture guide to different alien species from the movie.
Could not find a picture on the google, so I took one myself.
26) Young Americans, David Bowie, 1975
27)Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg, Iron Maiden, 2006
10" that I purchased at Great Escape when they first put out this man's extensive music collection. He loved Maiden and had nearly everything they had released. This single is made of clear wax and comes with a giant Matter of Life and Death era sticker. I wanted very much to buy the picture disc Brave New World album, but it was expensive and someone else eventually bought it. I did get Best of the Beast, Best of Bruce Dickinson, and Therion's Live in Midgard album from the same sale...but that's unrelated to this list.
Fancy, no?
And that's all I have in the way of vinyl in my room. I think I need to go find some pictures to spice this thing up. Too much text all over the place. Uhg. I'll think of something more interesting for the next foray into long diatribes.
