This week I stopped at Music City in Binghamton to get something familiar and something very unfamiliar to me.
Trust - Elvis Costello
I’ve been lucky enough to see Elvis Costello in concert twice this year, including once at the State Theatre in Ithaca. Costello’s most recent tour is called “Radio Soul! The Early Songs of Elvis Costello.” Included were a couple of songs from the 1981 album, Trust. So when I saw a well-loved copy of this disc, I decided to get it for my friend who came to the concert with me. Turns out that Trust wasn’t very popular when it was first released and there was no identified single on the disc. When I first heard this album back in 1981, I was immediately drawn to the Side 1 songs. The percussive beat at the start of “Lovers Walk” is an immediate ear-grabber and the pop refrain of “Clubland” stays with you. Elvis’ whisper-like singing in “Watch Your Step” gives me chills. Am I biased? Absolutely! I love Elvis Costello - this guy has been putting out records since the late 70’s. His musical style includes New Wave, Country, Classical and Jazz. He even took the music master recordings of his 1978 album This Year’s Model and produced a Spanish-language version with various performers in the 2021’s Spanish Model. (A very fun, energetic listen.) I’ll always give one of his recordings a listen, and in the case of Trust, I’ve liked it for 44 years. It will always have a place in my record collection, and I’m happy to pick up a used copy of this disc to share with friends who may not be that familiar with it.\
Together - Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard
I have to say, I was intrigued when I saw this album, so I had to pick it up. This is a 1973 re-issue of an album originally titled, Friends from the Beginning: Jimi Hendrix and Little Richard.
I was so stoked about this disc that I brought it to a staff meeting. I mean, why would Jimi Hendrix and Little Richard put out an album together? My colleague Bob filled me in on some info that I never knew - Hendrix played with Little Richard in the 60’s. Really. From 1964 to 65, Jimi was part of Little Richard’s touring band. As I dug deeper, I discovered that Hendrix recorded a few singles with Little Richard, but none of these are included on this album. So, big disappointment - turns out that this record is not true to its cover and is considered a fraud… no Hendrix on any songs, and in some cases, Little Richard isn’t even on the tracks. Lesson learned – don’t judge an album by its cover.