Old records that surprise (the Todd boxes)

[billfort]

I’ve been going through old boxes of vinyl, the stuff I dragged across country much to the dismay of my family, the musty old junk I know I should be purging before I drop and my kids have to deal with it.

But I have to be careful, there are some real gems in here, at least to me, and I’m just not ready to let all of this go yet. The real good ratty stuff is mostly in the Todd boxes, something I talked about in this old thread.

Pretty sad to be quoting myself I know, but I described the Todd box back then as;

“That box was one I had stuck away in storage, one I had forgotten about, one I now feel a little guilty about. A box of records given to me by a dear friend I grew up with during one of his frequent, hasty moves out of a living space. We were very tight friends from 5yrs old on up, through the punk era into recent times, and although we’d drift apart for a time, we always reconnected. I went one way and he went down the dark path – music, bands, the rough crowd, world experience and problems with substance abuse – right up to the end where Todd’s huge heart rebelled like he rebelled.”

And today’s shocker from the box; Dance Craze – The Best of British SKA...Live!, with Bad Manners, The English Beat, The Bodysnatchers, Madness, The Selecter and The Specials.



This album was beat, it took some effort to get decent with the record cleaning stuff, and I can only imagine the life this piece of vinyl lived all those years ago with Todd in the wild days. But wow, what a time-machine ride!

An iffy live recording of these bands which I believe was the soundtrack to a movie about the 2tone era of early British SKA. A beat-up record, noisy at times, 1 track damaged enough to be unplayable, but I just loved this – spooky presence that took me back to a time (bars, house parties, shows, friends long gone) that had faded from memory. I don’t dance, a rule, but this record had me tapping my foot and in a groove I hadn’t been in, well, in about 45yrs.

Miss you Todd.

 

[Punker X]

I’ve been going through old boxes of vinyl, the stuff I dragged across country much to the dismay of my family, the musty old junk I know I should be purging before I drop and my kids have to deal with it.

But I have to be careful, there are some real gems in here, at least to me, and I’m just not ready to let all of this go yet. The real good ratty stuff is mostly in the Todd boxes, something I talked about in this old thread.

Pretty sad to be quoting myself I know, but I described the Todd box back then as;


View attachment 90662

And today’s shocker from the box; Dance Craze – The Best of British SKA...Live!, with Bad Manners, The English Beat, The Bodysnatchers, Madness, The Selecter and The Specials.

View attachment 90663

This album was beat, it took some effort to get decent with the record cleaning stuff, and I can only imagine the life this piece of vinyl lived all those years ago with Todd in the wild days. But wow, what a time-machine ride!

An iffy live recording of these bands which I believe was the soundtrack to a movie about the 2tone era of early British SKA. A beat-up record, noisy at times, 1 track damaged enough to be unplayable, but I just loved this – spooky presence that took me back to a time (bars, house parties, shows, friends long gone) that had faded from memory. I don’t dance, a rule, but this record had me tapping my foot and in a groove I hadn’t been in, well, in about 45yrs.

Miss you Todd.

Got this also. Decent shape. Fun Songs. While listening figured out it was a soundtrack to a movie. Stopped listening to it when I found it on YouTube. Enjoyed the movie a whole lot more.

 

[Andyman]

That LP was played a lot at my house in grad school too. We were big fans of Chicago's Heavy Manners ska band that got a lot of airplay on 93 WXRT.

 

[asilker]

Some folks need to wrestle with the world around them. As a friend, that can feel tremendously difficult, but it can also be beautiful and luminous to watch somebody move through such human moments.

Nice that you're keeping a candle kit, bill

 

[kirk57]

I have the Dance Craze album also. I used to love dancing to Ska at the clubs in Chicago in the early-mid 80s. Rockabilly was also a big thing in the circles I hung out at that time.

Loved the Undertones too. Those guys made joyful music from the ashes of The Troubles in Derry, Northern Ireland.
(same town the show Derry Girls is set in, very funny if you get a chance to watch it)

I've had the good fortune to see the Buzzcocks, the Specials, and the English Beat in the past ten years before key members of all those bands died.

I think I would have liked Todd.

 

[rogerfederer]

what a great story; glad you could reconnect with that part of your past

 

[billfort]

Tonight's trip from the box; Scientist, Heavyweight dub Champion.



After a a major scrubbing and listening through a little noise at times, Wow! 1980 dub reggae out of Kingston Jamaica by a 20 year old magician ( I guess that's a valid description). Lots of sound effects and 80's dub noises but always a solid reggae bass groove - big spacious sound and big, ok huge, dynamic bass that rocks the house.

Loved this. Thanks for the ride back Todd.