Mark Smotroff

Mark Smotroff

@marksmotroff.bsky.social

Mostly music including my reviews on Analog Planet and eCoustics. Music is love...

1,477 Followers 67 Following 4,788 Posts Joined Oct 2023
1 hour ago

Absolutely... I feel the same way about the first West Bruce & Laing album (Why Dontcha) which along with some of Mountain's albums (Nantucket Sleighride) and such helped defined the sound of 70s hard guitar rock (well, as did Zeppelin, Sabbath and The Who).

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1 hour ago

If you have just one hit, "All Right Now" is quite a legacy. Scored this at a mini record swap on Saturday for 1$.

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1 hour ago
My evening needs more cowbell, so it was a good time to play this original UK copy of Free's 3rd LP, the one with their instant-classic hit "All Right Now."  I never got into Bad Company but always had a soft spot in my heart for Free even if I didn't connect with all their albums. If you have just one big hit, "All Right Now" is not a bad legacy.  Scored this at a mini record swap on Saturday for 1$.

My evening needs more #cowbell, so it was time to play this original UK copy of Free's 3rd LP with the classic hit "All Right Now." I never got into Bad Company but always had a soft spot for Free even if I didn't connect with all their music. 1of2 #musicsky #music

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5 hours ago

What she said and also the whole thread.

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12 hours ago
Tuesday morning energy: Wreckless Eric.  This 1979 LP compiles singles, B-sides and LP tracks for the US market.  Didn''t quite need this (included in the Big Smash 2LP set which I own) but for 2 bargyn bin bux I couldn't resist. Groovy cover pic.

Tuesday morning energy: Wreckless Eric. This 1979 LP compiles singles, B-sides and LP tracks for the US market. Didn''t quite need this (included in the Big Smash 2LP set which I own) but for 2 bargyn bin bux I couldn't resist. Groovy cover pic. #musicsky #music #stiffrecords #newwave

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1 day ago

A surprisingly solid pop rarity found in the EZ Listening bargyn bin. Pre-Wrecking Crew trivia: players on Rockin' Robin included Earl Palmer, Plas Johnson and Barney Kessell.

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1 day ago
For Da Byrds - Bobby Day (aka Robert Byrd) had the original hit of "Rockin' Robin" but also wrote "Little Bitty Pretty One." This is a 1960 Rendezvous Records reissue of the 1959 Class Records LP. The singles were big sellers; the LPs likely much less.
A surprisingly solid pop rarity found in the EZ Listening bargyn bin.  Pre-Wrecking Crew trivia:  players on Rockin' Robin included Earl Palmer, Plas Johnson and Barney Kessell.

For Da Byrds - Bobby Day (aka Robert Byrd) had the original hit of "Rockin' Robin" but also wrote "Little Bitty Pretty One." This is a 1960 Rendezvous Records reissue of the 1959 Class Records LP. The singles were big sellers; the LPs likely much less. 1of2. #musicsky #music #vinyl

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1 day ago
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Post your favorite Lord of the Rings character. Wrong answers only.

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1 day ago
ManicMonday: Blood tests, Pneumonia Vax, Apple Store to replace phone, then backupz, transferz, loginz, logoutz, this's 'n thatz's, backs 'n forths... and I'm back! (whew).

ManicMonday: Blood tests, Pneumonia Vax, Apple Store to replace phone, then backupz, transferz, loginz, logoutz, this's 'n thatz's, backs 'n forths... and I'm back! (whew).

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1 day ago
My review of the new One-Step, RTI-pressed, 180-gram Definitive Sound Series vinyl edition of Beck's triple-Grammy winning Morning Phase is on Analog Planet (dot com).  Sounds so very very sweet!   #musicsky #music #beck #vinyl

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/beck%E2%80%99s-beautiful-triple-grammy-winning-2014-morning-phase-album-achieves-near-perfection-new

My review of the new One-Step, RTI-pressed, 180-gram Definitive Sound Series vinyl edition of Beck's triple-Grammy winning Morning Phase is on Analog Planet (dot com). Sounds so very very sweet! #musicsky #music #beck #vinyl

www.analogplanet.com/content/beck...

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1 day ago
Easing into Monday with the new One-Step RTI pressed Definitive Sound Series reissue of Beck's triple Grammy winning Morning Phase album. Sounds so very very sweet.  My listening report is on Analog Planet (dot com).

Easing into Monday with the new One-Step RTI pressed Definitive Sound Series reissue of Beck's triple Grammy winning Morning Phase album. Sounds so very very sweet. My listening report is on Analog Planet (dot com). #musicsky #music

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1 day ago

So far the war on Iran has cost $9.4 billion.

That's $1 billion per day.

$41,666,667 per hour.

$11,574 per second.

Thousands of lives lost.

People don't want this. They want a living wage. They want healthcare. They want to be able to afford a home. They want their basic needs met.

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2 days ago

Thus, I wouldn’t be surprised if some were “saved” and re-entered into the market under the table somehow…]

Anyhow, Beatle-collector blather aside, right now I'm very content and happy having found this today.

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2 days ago

[And please no need to badger me on this as I understand common Beatle collector knowledge insists no paste overs came from that plant and that “all” copies were destroyed. However, knowing the value of Beatle product at that time, I have a hard time believing that.

Cont'd

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2 days ago

And I still have a strange (Jacksonville) pressing to figure out. This one has what looks like a tell-tale odd paste over, and butcher-like texure/feel, as if it might have something going on underneath it... But Ringo’s “V” neck is not readily visibily… So, we're not positive.

Cont'd

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2 days ago

For me, this is effectively a stepping-stone "grail." Some day, I still hope to find that pristine "unicorn" copy, maybe even a rare first state edition in Stereo...

Cont'd

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2 days ago

Also, you can see in the upper right image when I place this a-top a standard copy of the album, the Butcher copy has been shaved down. Recalled covers were cut down a bit due to image alignment issues.

Cont'd

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2 days ago

Sure I could've gone to a store or online & spent hundreds or thousands on a nicer copy. But for me as a collector, what fun would that be??

This afternoon I visited a friend who has a pristine 3rd state copy (signed by Macca!) & we compared them. This is very close.

Cont'd

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2 days ago

None of that matters to me anyway because I'm not planning on selling this. It's really about the joy of discovery, especially for a Beatle grail that has eluded me all these years while many around me (including some who couldn’t care about the Beatles music) have found them ad nauseam.

Cont'd

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2 days ago

And it was only 10 bux at a local flea market. Frankly, it's not worth much more -- I saw one like this several years ago in Santa Cruz going for around 50 in a shop.

Cont'd

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2 days ago
Steppin' Grail - After nearly 50 years of crate digging 'n searching 'n wishin' 'n hopin' I finally found -- organically, in the wilds -- a Beatles "butcher" cover! It's very beat up, water damaged & poorly "peeled" (ie. "3rd state"). But it appears to be real! 

And it was only 10 bux at a local flea market. Frankly, it's not worth much more -- I saw one like this several years ago in Santa Cruz going for around 50 in a shop. 

None of that matters to me anyway because I'm not planning on selling this. It's really about the joy of discovery, especially for a Beatle grail that has eluded me all these years while many around me (including some who couldn’t care about the Beatles music) have found them ad nauseam.

Sure I could've gone to a store or online & spent hundreds or thousands on a nicer copy.  But for me as a collector, what fun would that be??

This afternoon I visited a friend who has a pristine 3rd state copy (signed by Macca!) & we compared them. This is very close. 

Also, you can see in the upper right image when I place this a-top a standard copy of the album, the Butcher copy has been shaved down.  Recalled covers were cut down a bit due to image alignment issues.    

For me, this is effectively a stepping-stone "grail."  Some day, I still hope to find that pristine "unicorn" copy, maybe even a rare first state edition in Stereo...

And I still have a strange (Jacksonville) pressing to figure out. This one has what looks like a tell-tale odd paste over, and butcher-like texure/feel, as if it might have something going on underneath it... But Ringo’s “V” neck is not readily visibily… So, we're not positive. 

[And please no need to badger me on this as I understand common Beatle collector knowledge insists no paste overs came from that plant and that “all” copies were destroyed. However, knowing the value of Beatle product  at that time, I have a hard time believing that. Thus, I wouldn’t be surprised if some were “saved” and re-entered into the mark…

Steppin' Grail - After nearly 50 years of crate digging 'n searching 'n wishin' 'n hopin' I finally found -- organically, in the wilds -- a #Beatles "butcher" cover! It's very beat up, water damaged & poorly "peeled" (ie. "3rd state"). But it appears to be real!
Cont'd (long post) #musicsky #music

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3 days ago
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While participating in a record swap today in the East Bay I inevitably came home with some new bargain buys such as this #DavidStoneMartin cover for a 1954 Charlie Barnet EP. Seems this was repurposed on a 12" LP in 1955, which I've never seen anywhere either. #musicsky #jazzsky #music

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3 days ago
YouTube
JAMAALADEEN TACUMA - MAX ROACH - CARLOS SANTANA YouTube video by Jamaaladeen Tacuma

And then I discovered a performance with Santana, Max Roach, bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma and, seemingly, Todd Rundgren's Utopia. Not 100% sure who the other guitarist might be..
youtu.be/oWIe6Benbu0?...

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5 days ago

Latin pianist/bandleader, reportedly a stepping stone for the likes of Machito, Tito Rodriguez, Tito Puente and even Doc Severinsen. Good stuff...

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5 days ago
Thrifty Synergy - Athrift shop worker recommended this Noro Morales 78 he was putting out. Never heard of him before. Later that day I found this 10-inch LP at a different thrift. Funny how that happens.  Latin pianist/bandleader, apparently a stepping stone for the likes of Machito, Tito Rodriguez, Tito Puente and even Doc Severinsen. Good stuff...

Thrifty Synergy - A thrift shop worker recommended this Noro Morales 78 he was putting out. Never heard of him before. Later that day I found this 10-inch LP at a different thrift. Funny how that happens. Cont'd #musicsky #music #jazzsky #jazz #vinyl

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5 days ago
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Lady Blackbird w/ Chris Seefried opens her show at Cafe Du Nord last night with an unexpected, timely, poignant and jaw-dropping interpretation of Pink Floyd's "Mother" (from The Wall). Look for more pix from the show in an adjacent post.

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5 days ago

It was great seeing DJ Rotten Robbie again who opened the show with a fun set of vintage booty shakin' sides.

After the show I bumped into other fans who remembered me from past shows (including one in San Jose in a park jazz festival). A Lady Blackbird fan community is genuinely building!

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5 days ago

But it was show opener that was the particular stunner: a timely cover of Pink Floyd's "Mother" from The Wall. I did not see that coming and I only wish it went on longer. What a way to start a show! Look for my adjacent posts of that and other clips from the performance. More...

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5 days ago

Cafe DuNord was nearly sold out last night and the audience was definitely growing/changing from past shows, skewing a bit younger and more diverse which is great to see! Her set list was fun too, presenting new songs in progress, a fun Bowie cover ("Space Oddity") & deep album/EP cuts. More...

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5 days ago

Here in the US she's been getting a slow-building rollout while in Europe she is playing larger venues/festival stages backed by a full band (look for her on BBC's Graham Norton a couple years back on YT for an idea of the level of reception received there alongside Bono & Taylor Swift!). More...

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