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Gypsy Cowboy by New Riders of the Purple Sage (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Gypsy Cowboy
  • Group name: New Riders of the Purple Sage
  • Year: 1972
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Columbia Records
  • Collection: Brenner / Gessner
  • Who owned it: my father
  • Buy it on Amazon: $25.00

Gypsy Cowboy by New Riders of the Purple Sage

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I listened to Home, Home on the Road and Powerglide last month and loved them both, but I’ve never heard this record.

What I expected

More psychedelic country.

What it was actually like

“Gypsy Cowboy” was definitely less psychedelic country than “Home, Home on the Road” and “Powerglide,” and more country, and I guess I didn’t like it quite as much as those, but I did still like it.

Groupie, Superman and Long Black Veil were all pretty standard country songs, and they were fine, but not what I’d get excited to hear.

On the other hand, Sutter’s Mill and Death and Destruction were far more representative of the psychedelic country style that I expected from other NRPS records.

I liked Whiskey, which was pretty catchy, and did I hear some yodeling in Linda?

Grade

4/5: would listen again

These Things Too by Pearls Before Swine (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: These Things Too
  • Group name: Pearls Before Swine
  • Year: 1969
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Reprise Records
  • Collection: Brenner / Gessner
  • Who owned it: my father
  • Buy it on Amazon: $18.00

These Things Too by Pearls Before Swine

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I listened to The Use of Ashes by Pearls Before Swine last week and enjoyed its psychedelic folk rock, but that’s the only time I’ve heard any of their music.

What I expected

I assume it will be more of what I liked last week.

What it was actually like

Here’s an interesting coincidence: yesterday I described Joan Baez’s cover of Bob Dylan’s I Shall Be Released, on Any Day Now as “very good,” and Pearls Before Swine also covered I Shall Be Released on “These Things Too,” but it was not good. Not terrible, though – but not good.

Much of “These Things Too” could be described the same way, and it certainly didn’t evoke anything like when I listened to “The Use of Ashes” and found myself surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Basically all of the songs on this record were wistful, listless, moody and mopey, and it was difficult to find anything that I really enjoyed.

Frog In The Window was like a child’s version of Oompa Loompa music, really quite terrible, and I was totally baffled by the 22-second long, nonsensical Green and Blue.

Grade

2/5: weak, but I was able to listen to the whole thing

The Use of Ashes by Pearls Before Swine (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: The Use of Ashes
  • Group name: Pearls Before Swine
  • Year: 1970
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Reprise Records
  • Collection: Brenner / Gessner
  • Buy it on Amazon: $22.98

The Use of Ashes by Pearls Before Swine

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I know that there are a bunch of Pearls Before Swine records in my father’s collection, but I’ve never listened to any of them before and don’t remember him listening to them when I was young.

What I expected

Folk rock.

What it was actually like

This was definitely more psychedelic than folky, but still folky – kind of a psychedelic folk.

I liked it a lot! The first side seemed far stronger to me than the second side. Tell Me Why was a little too self consciously weird for my taste, but I enjoyed The Jeweler.

Also it may be worth noting that the back of the album looks like it was thrown together by Tom Rapp, who was apparently the only real/consistent member of the group, on his typewriter, and that it contains the following:

this album is dedicated to the netherlands where most of the songs were written

And:

elisabeth helped

Grade

4/5: would listen again

Led Zeppelin II (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Led Zeppelin II
  • Group name: Led Zeppelin
  • Year: 1969
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Atlantic Records
  • Collection: Brenner / Gessner
  • Distinguishing characteristics: “G” written on top left of album, indicating that my father owned this record
  • Buy it on Amazon: $23.93

Led Zeppelin II

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I reviewed Led Zeppelin’s first record a few days ago and mentioned then that I thought I might have listened to it around 500 times. Same with this one, but I like it even more.

What I expected

Rock, blues rock, hard rock.

What it was actually like

If this isn’t the perfect hard rock record, it can only be because “perfection” is elusive and a bit nonsensical – but there’s nothing about it that I would change! It’s a great record to put on when reading, working, cooking, or watching rugby! My favorite song on it today was Heartbreaker, followed by Bring It On Home, but I love every song on it.

Grade

5/5: love it

Led Zeppelin (I) by Led Zeppelin (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Led Zeppelin (I)
  • Group name: Led Zeppelin
  • Year: 1969
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Atlantic Records
  • Collection: Brenner / Gessner
  • Distinguishing characteristics: “G” written on left of album, indicating that my father owned this record
  • Buy it on Amazon: $24.14

Led Zeppelin (I)

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

This is one of the few records from my parents’ collection that I used to play in the basement of their house when I was in high school, on the same Yamaha turntable and with the same Advent loudspeakers that I’m using to listen to it right now. Then in college, I bought this Led Zeppelin box set and I’ve been a fan ever since. I’ve probably listened to this record around 500 times.

What I expected

Rock, blues rock, hard rock.

What it was actually like

From the opening bars of Good Times Bad Times, I was reminded of an amazing discovery that I made as a teenager, which is that any part of Led Zeppelin’s first three records lines up perfectly with any rugby game (given that the rugby’s sound is turned off). Though I had only primitive tools available in the 1990s – the “international channel” on cable occasionally showed some extremely grainy rugby – you can validate this concept for yourself today using youtube.

At any rate, I consider this to be one of the greatest hard rock records ever recorded, one of the greatest blues rock records, one of the greatest 1960s records, and one of the greatest debut records by a rock band. Every part of it is wonderful and it’s amazing that Robert Plant was so young and his voice already so distinctive. If I had to pick a favorite song from it, I think I’d go with Dazed and Confused or Babe I’m Gonna Leave You. I wouldn’t be able to pick a least favorite, though.

Grade

5/5: love it