Wreckless Eric - The World According To Wreckless Eric

Wreckless Eric
The World According To Wreckless Eric
Stiff SEEZ 9
Green vinyl
£1.79 + £3.00 p&p
Filed between Velvet Underground 'Loaded' and Young Fresh Fellows 'This One's For The Ladies'.

I was a very late convertor to Wreckless Eric, effectively only ‘discovering’ him at what could best be described as a Cultural Exchange when he toured with the Rutles (I went along for Innes & co, my wife for Mr Goulden). I’ve seen him again once since, in a pub venue in Cambridge playing to about 30 people on a tour with his new wife, Amy Rigby, that doubled-up as their honeymoon. And given the lovey-dovey nature of some of their joint material there were times where it seemed we, the audience, were imposing somewhat.

The Dogs D'Amour - In The Dynamite Jet Saloon

The Dogs D'Amour
In The Dynamite Jet Saloon
China 837 368-1
99p + £3.00 p&p
Filed between The Dogs D'Amour 'The (Un)Authorised Bootleg Album' and The Dogs D'Amour 'A Graveyard Of Empty Bottles'

Recently re-recorded by Tyla in the form of the MMX release, with a re-jigged the track listing omitting the likes of 'Medicine Man' and 'Debauchery' in favour of other songs from the era such as 'Heroine' (at least the fourth time he's recorded that) and 'Swingin' The Bottle'. A seemingly popular pastime these days (L.A. Guns were the first band I recall doing this with 'Re-Cocked And Loaded'; and it's gone beyond glam rock, as the Wonderstuff have also re-recorded 20th 'anniversary' editions of their first two albums).

To say the new version is a travesty would be a huge understatement. But given the scarcity of the original,  supply and demand has spoken. Avoid it though and seek out the 1989 version ... the production is a little weedy in places and also makes the album sound very much of its time but for me that's no problem at all as they were happy times indeed!

The Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request

The Rolling Stones
Their Satanic Majesties Request
London/Abkco records 844 470-1
1986 re-issue with gatefold sleeve

£3.65 (+£1.50 p&p)
Filed between: Redd Kross 'Teen Babes From Monsanto’ and The Rolling Stones ‘Tattoo You’.


I’ve always had a soft spot for this (seriously flawed) album. According to biographies the band themselves don’t rate it, and it’s largely regarded as a poor attempt to ape ‘Sgt Pepper’. But in ‘Citadel’, ‘2,000 Light Years From Home’ and especially ‘She’s A Rainbow’, 'Their Satanic Majesties Request' is more than just a curio pre-dating the classic Stones period that kicked off with ‘Beggars Banquet’.

Incidentally I’m not a huge fan of ‘Sgt Pepper’ – too many of McCartney’s irritating music hall numbers for my liking ...

The Dogs D’Amour - The (Un)Authorised Bootleg Album

The Dogs D’Amour
The (Un)Authorised Bootleg Album

China WOL7
99p (+£3.50 p&p)
Filed between The Damned 'The Light At The End Of The Tunnel' and The Dogs D'Amour 'In The Dynamite Jet Saloon'

I’m fairly certain this is a bootleg copy as the artwork is slightly off-centre (which I had spotted before bidding but thought ‘pah ...’.) These were awash at record fairs around 1990 when ‘Satellite Kid’ broke through, and there was clearly some level of agreement amongst stall holders as they all had it at £12 a pop.

I definitely harbour regrets at selling my (genuine) original copy of this, as it was fully signed by the band including a doodle of me by Tyla. A daft decision. At that signing session someone offered me £100 for the then pre-signed album. I had only taken the sleeve with me so was able to turn down the offer. I can’t recall what I finally sold the album for but it was far less than £100 – probably closer to £20.

Original Soundtrack - Quadrophenia

Original Soundtrack
Quadrophenia
Polydor 2625 037
£1.99 (+£3.00 p&p)
Filed between Primal Scream 'Loaded' and The Real Kids (eponymous).


Having lent out my original copy never to be seen again, this was one of the first LPs I hunted down. I wasn't too fussed about the Who's contributions, and mainly wanted it again for side four: James Brown 'Night Train', Booker T & The MGs 'Green Onions', Kingsmen 'Louie Louie' and more. Makes me miss Alfredos though.

The Birds - No Good Without You Baby

The Birds
No Good Without You Baby
Decca F.12257
30p
Filed between The Beatles 'All You Need Is Love' and The Blow Monkeys 'Digging Your Scene'.

Now this is definitely not something I expected to find languishing in a charity shop ... The Birds featured one Mr Ronnie Wood and their brief career in the mid-60s was over-shadowed by the battle for the band name with the rather-better known Byrds. This was one of a handful of singles the band released and is very much of its time - quite resemblant of the Small Faces, which is no bad thing.

Dexys Midnight Runners - This Is What She's Like

Dexys Midnight Runners
This Is What She's Like
Mercury DEXYS1312
£1.00
Filed between The Damned 'The Light At The End Of The Tunnel' and The Dogs D'Amour 'The (Un)Authorised Bootleg Album'.

Bearwood. The Little Nibble. 'You weren't talking about me were you?'

From the album that killed off their career (the Stone Roses should have taken heed when they similarly disappeared into the wilderness) but is now lauded as a classic, 'This Is What She's Like' is, well, what can I say? The Italians have a word for it ...

I had the album (Don't Stand Me Down) back in 1985 and it pretty much went straight over my head. It was a long way removed from its predecessors, which was no big surprise as Kevin Rowland had a tendency to re-invent himself. It wasn't an album aimed at 14 year olds (such as I was at the time) but even so I knew there was something in there. 'Listen To This' had the most in common with the Dexys I knew and although at the time I didn't appreciate aspects of 'This Is What She's Like' I immediately liked the latter parts of it.

It was an album I would go back to over the years. And as I got older more and more of it made sense. By the time the band (or a new incarnation of it) surfaced in 2003 it was a staple part of my collection and something that I would merrily force people to listen to.

The Dogs D’Amour - A Graveyard of Empty Bottles

The Dogs D’Amour
A Graveyard of Empty Bottles
China 839 074-0
1989 limited edition 10" (#6577)

99p (+£2.50 p&p)
Filed between The Damned 'The Light At The End Of The Tunnel' and The Fabulous Poodles (eponymous).

Criminally all the ‘classic’ era Dogs D’Amour albums remain out of print (be careful with 'In The Dynamite Jet Saloon' as that's been re-recorded - more on that another time), and their CD versions can command silly money. Vinyl editions though, with a little patience and a degree of luck, can still be picked up at decent prices. Although not quite the ‘acoustic’ album it claims to be, it includes the definitive version of ‘Errol Flynn’ (ignore its later appearance as a title track) and was arguably their last essential release.

Back To Vinyl

Late last year I acquired a turntable. Only a cheap one (and from a charity shop at that). My previous one breathed its last around five years ago and I had sold off large parts of my record collection from 2003 onwards. I still had 100+ LPs and various singles but I am now starting to properly trawl charity shops, eBay etc to either replace records foolishly sold or pick up ones I didn't have originally.

Charity shops present their own challenge, as you have to search through a lot of copies of 'Manuel And The Music Of The Mountains' in the hope of stumbling across a recently donated audiophile's collection.

Online it's a different matter; pretty much everything you could wish for is there - at a price. And in many cases the price of vinyl seems excessively high, suggesting its in the midst of a renaissance. But with a degree of luck and patience I've managed to add a few records to the growing-again collection at bargain-basement prices. I just need to control the urge and not get carried away (or go online when drunk ...).