#577: Taking some time off....

In the middle of a 10-day vacation from Work.
Bn looking 4 some cheap new music 2 get in2 the house & get me outta my rut, & have found a few good things -- Yes's RELAYER, Pink Floyd's 1st 2 albums & the live 1/2 of UMMAGUMMA (cheap!), Gentle Giant's GIANT FOR A DAY (haven't heard it since '78, 1nce thot it was the worst album ever....), Focus's MOVING WAVES, Icicle Works' 1st, ARETHA'S GOLD, Beatles' ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC, Cat Stevens' TEASER AND THE FIRECAT, Dexy's Midnight Runners' TOO-RYE-AY....

Also found a coupla books: Hartwell & Cramer's YEAR'S BEST SF 16, & Rolling Stone's updated ALBUM GUIDE -- it's always great 2 learn that the music I love the most is really crap....

How bout them Olympics opening ceremonies, eh? Sir Paul may not have bn in perfect voice all the time, but you sure could tell when he was having a great time. & probly the best-ever use 4 "Hey Jude"....

Coming Soon: Reviews of most or all of the above; I Know What I Like; Caffeine Poisoning; Air Force experiences; Newspaper experiences; lotsa nostalgia; + the early-'80s ROCK YEARBOOK series (a real snark-a-thon). Also am compiling info 4 a "100 Best Strange Music Albums I've actually listened-2 all the way thru...." That should B amusing whenever I get it finished. Have come up with 68 albums 4 the list so far....

Driving-around playlist: Here's what I've bn listening 2 while traveling around over the past wk....
Camel -- Breathless, Echoes, Sasquatch, West Berlin, Mother Road.
Nick Drake -- Cello Song, Things Behind the Sun, From the Morning, Hazey Jane 1, Hazey Jane 2, Northern Sky, Pink Moon, One of These Things First.
Gryphon -- Pastime with Good Company, Kemp's Jig, The Astrologer, Unquiet Grave, Juniper Suite, Estampie, Lament, Midnight Mushrumps, The Ploughboy's Dream, Ethelion, (Ein Klein) Heldenleben, Don't Say Go, Ormolu.
Al Stewart -- Roads to Moscow, Carol, Apple Cider Reconstitution, Flying Sorcery, On the Border, Lord Grenville, Year of the Cat.
Caravan -- Memory Lain/Hugh/Headloss, A Hunting We Shall Go...., For Richard (live).
Todd Rundgren -- Real Man, A Dream Goes on Forever, Just One Victory, Couldn't I Just Tell You?, The Very Last Time, Bang the Drum All Day.
Beach Boys -- Wouldn't it be Nice, Sloop John B, God Only Knows, Trombone Dixie.
Billie Myers -- Kiss the Rain.
Weather Report -- Badia/Boogie Woogie Waltz (live).
Kansas -- What's On My Mind, Miracles Out of Nowhere, Questions of My Childhood....

Thanx 2 all of you who R still reading here, even tho I've bn a little quiet this summer. I've got enuf back pages 2 keep you busy 4 awhile. Thanx 4 checkin in anyway.
More soon....