THE SPIRIT OF VINYL #1
Introduction
I have been collecting vinyl records since I was a kid (and that was a while ago…). When CD’s took over in the 90’s I sold the larger part of my collection but later on when I realised my mistake, I had to buy them back again. Since then I have been a devoted collector of the black gold. Call me an old fart, but there is nothing like listening to a vinyl record. The warmth of the sound and the product’s physical aspect makes me listen and devour the music with all my senses.
A couple of years ago I realised that I didn’t take the time to enjoy my vinyl records as much as I wanted. To kickstart myself I decided to start a project on Facebook. My aim was to sit down and listen to at least one of my records once a week, with the cover and lyric sheet in hand and no other distractions around. To put a bit of pressure on myself I published my thoughts upon the album on Facebook every Friday. The project is still alive after 120 consecutive weeks and I have no intention to give it up any time soon.
When Stargazed Magazines editor Johan approached me if I would be interested in writing these pieces for SM as well, I said why not? The arrangement is simple and is not intended to be a massive review. Just the following:
– A photo of the vinyl
– The three best tracks
– My thoughts in short
– Lyric quote
– My rating
So here we go, The spirit of vinyl #1:
Y&T – Mean Streak (1983)
TOP-3
1. Mean Streak
2. Midnight In Tokyo
3. Lonely Side Of Town
MY THOUGHTS
With 40 years in the music business Y&T are still alive and kicking and I am curious what singer/vocalist Dave Meniketti is made of really. The band is extremely reliable, and you must be of an extremely critical sort to find big dips in their discography. On top of that they are a magnificent live act. Some ten years ago I had the pleasure to witness an intimate and sweaty show in Sala, Sweden. That was surely a night to remember! It’s hard to pick my favourite album but with a gun to my head I would probably choose “Mean Streak”. Especially looking at side A which is nothing but constant display of classic anthems.
QUOTE
”I see the people laugh and share
But for me there’s no one there
This empty life just isn’t fair
And the world don’t see me here”
– Lonely Side Of Town –
RATING
9/10
