Tales From The Amoeba Dollar Bins, 1/26/08

Dissecting Four Vinyl Gems Unearthed Last Saturday

1. R.E.M., Superman 12″ promo single (IRS; 1986)
   Condition: CASE: NM VINYL: M
   These are the kinds of oddities I live for. Goofy baby sketch by Kaleb. Photo in triplicate by Sandra-Lee Phipps. You know the song. Here it is on vinyl. DJs, use either side: the song remains the same. Why spend £15 plus shipping and handling ($29.23 + shipping if you prefer) on this rarity when Amoeba serves it up for one (Peter) Buck? Buy it from me today; yours for only $125.89 (tax not included) (autographed by losanjealous ryan, $20 extra)
2. R.E.M., Fall On Me 12″ promo single (IRS; 1986)
   Condition: CASE: NM VINYL: M
   Admittedly this has always been one of my favorite songs by the boys from Athens. DJs, use either side: the song remains the same. Buy the sky and sell the sky and lift your arms up to the sky And ask the sky and ask the sky: Why the fuck spend £15 plus shipping and handling ($29.23 + shipping if you prefer) on this rarity when Amoeba serves it up for one (Peter) Buck? Buy it from me today; yours for only $118.18 (tax not included)
3. Stevie Wonder, Looking Back (Motown; 1977)
   Condition: CASE: VG+ VINYL: NM
   A completist purchase; admittedly not the largest fan of the earlier Motown material, but longtime readers may recall I’ve mentioned the goodness that is mid-70s Stevie Wonder once or twice before on these pages. Generally speaking anytime you see Stevie on vinyl for pennies you’d be a fool to let it sit there. (I once did this at Rockaway Records – went back to the store later, and it was gone – kicked myself for weeks.) This 3-record collection is no exception, as it takes care of basically everything prior to 1970 in one fell swoop. Finally, I have access to Stevie’s incredibly unremarkable cover of Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” on vinyl. Currently out of stock at Dusty Groove! Available for $49.69 + shipping elsewhere; buy it from me today for only $47.18 (tax not included)
4. Dave Brubeck Quartet, The Riddle (Columbia; 1959)
   Condition: CASE: VG VINYL: NM
   Now before you purists go lambasting me for championing Brubeck’s breed of suburb-tamed jazz consider the following: (A) the album does not contain Paul Desmond , arguably Brubeck’s signature sound and his clearcut breadwinner (B) though billed as the quartet, the album guests clarinetist Bill Smith and is comprised entirely of songs written by Smith (C) the fucker has yet to be re-released on any sort of digital format (D) the album cover is purely spacetastic! Look at that shit, man. Something tells me The Riddle is something Dave and Bill cooked up during an ACID FREAKOUT. That cover does not say Dave Brubeck so much as it says Sun Ra. Buy it from me direct; yours for only $5,718.18 (tax not included) (autographed by losanjealous ryan upon request)

That wraps up last weekend’s $1 gems. Coming soon: albums released within the last two decades, albums released within the last two years and albums that have yet to be released.