Vinyl Me Please (store, exclusives, swaps, etc)

MadLucas said:
***SIGH***

As a Scofield and MMW fan, I get it.

But as a Scofield and MMW fan, I also have an intense dislike for this album. Heavily groove oriented yes, but it sounds like they're either holding back on purpose or these are the first times they had ever played these songs.

Also, in this area, jamband music reigns as a king. This album was the genesis for many, many bands to be born who only had a basic knowledge of the pentatonic scale and wanted to play on one chord for 20 minutes.

I'm glad people are inspired by this album, but most of what it has inspired has been mediocre at best.

I can't be the only one who feels this way.
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I understand what you're saying, but I disagree.

Just because A Go Go inspired bands like The Slip and Disco Biscuits (and countless other local photocopy acts that noodle around for hours), doesn't make it a bad album. By that logic, we should dislike Smells Like Teen Spirit because it helped spawn bands like Bush or Candlebox. And even Scofield continued to chase the groove sound on subsequent albums like Bump and Uberjam.

First, I like the album on its own merit. I find it fun and kind of tropical, and while I agree it seems like they are holding back at times, but I think that helps build tension in many of the jams and I appreciate the interplay between the musicians.

Second, I really like the album because of how it helped open me up to other music. I came to A Go Go, knowing MMW, but only knowing Scofield tangentially through his work with Miles Davis in the 80s. Based on my enjoyment of it, I went deep on Scofield and then discovered other (at the time) contemporary jazz guitarists like Bill Frisell and Marc Ribot.

I'd be interested though, what Scofield albums you prefer to A Go Go. Hand Jive? Time on My Hands? Or...?
 
goodoohuru said:
Picked up both MMW releases after a couple of listens. It felt like an aural spring cleaning of my head that was filled with so much clutter, good, but middle of the road music of late.
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I am confused! I interpret ‘middle of the road music’ as music that is considered average! You picked up both Medeski, Martin & Wood VMP exclusives so you obviously really enjoyed the two albums you previewed! But…..’middle of the road music’!?!? Like…..what does that term mean exactly? 🤔
 
NathanRicaud said:
I am confused! I interpret ‘middle of the road music’ as music that is considered average! You picked up both Medeski, Martin & Wood VMP exclusives so you obviously really enjoyed the two albums you previewed! But…..’middle of the road music’!?!? Like…..what does that term mean exactly? 🤔
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Not to step on their reply, but are you thinking that they mean MMW is "m-o-t-r"? I think they mean - and please correct me if I'm wrong - that it was a breath of fresh air relative to what else they'd been listening to lately....nothing necessarily bad (i.e. m-o-t-r) but nothing that jumped out (unlike MMW)
 
NathanRicaud said:
I am confused! I interpret ‘middle of the road music’ as music that is considered average! You picked up both Medeski, Martin & Wood VMP exclusives so you obviously really enjoyed the two albums you previewed! But…..’middle of the road music’!?!? Like…..what does that term mean exactly? 🤔
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My interpretation in this instance of 'middle of the road' is music that doesn't push boundaries, i.e. doesn't push the genres it sits in. It's still good music, great music in fact, but MMW pushes the boundaries and I found that refreshing. See @PadishahEmperorDiaperBaby's comment :)
 
PadishahEmperorDiaperBaby said:
Not to step on their reply, but are you thinking that they mean MMW is "m-o-t-r"? I think they mean - and please correct me if I'm wrong - that it was a breath of fresh air relative to what else they'd been listening to lately....nothing necessarily bad (i.e. m-o-t-r) but nothing that jumped out (unlike MMW)
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goodoohuru said:
My interpretation in this instance of 'middle of the road' is music that doesn't push boundaries, i.e. doesn't push the genres it sits in. It's still good music, great music in fact, but MMW pushes the boundaries and I found that refreshing. See @PadishahEmperorDiaperBaby's comment :)
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Ahhhh gotcha! That term definitely makes sense to me now! I am super excited for the ‘Uninvisible’ Medeski, Martin & Wood exclusive! I’m really keen to hear how great the pressing will sound and to kickback and just enjoy the energy/vibes!
 
NathanRicaud said:
Ahhhh gotcha! That term definitely makes sense to me now! I am super excited for the ‘Uninvisible’ Medeski, Martin & Wood exclusive! I’m really keen to hear how great the pressing will sound and to kickback and just enjoy the energy/vibes!
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Yeah, I didn't know a lot about them, but as I'm sure most do, did some research and liked what I found and heard. Spotify took me on quite a journey of similar sounds, where I stumbled onto Omnisphere which I really enjoyed also.
 
TCell said:
I understand what you're saying, but I disagree.

Just because A Go Go inspired bands like The Slip and Disco Biscuits (and countless other local photocopy acts that noodle around for hours), doesn't make it a bad album. By that logic, we should dislike Smells Like Teen Spirit because it helped spawn bands like Bush or Candlebox. And even Scofield continued to chase the groove sound on subsequent albums like Bump and Uberjam.

First, I like the album on its own merit. I find it fun and kind of tropical, and while I agree it seems like they are holding back at times, but I think that helps build tension in many of the jams and I appreciate the interplay between the musicians.

Second, I really like the album because of how it helped open me up to other music. I came to A Go Go, knowing MMW, but only knowing Scofield tangentially through his work with Miles Davis in the 80s. Based on my enjoyment of it, I went deep on Scofield and then discovered other (at the time) contemporary jazz guitarists like Bill Frisell and Marc Ribot.

I'd be interested though, what Scofield albums you prefer to A Go Go. Hand Jive? Time on My Hands? Or...?
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I mostly agree with you here.

You hit the nail on the head with the whole noodling around for hours problem, which is what this album itself spawned. On its own merit, I will give that A Go Go is not the worst album I have ever heard, but when I discovered it I was coming back to it from being a fan of other stuff these artists had put out and I found it comparatively boring.
And my complaint against this album, beyond not being what I think it could have been, is once again local. These tunes were the basis for more than half of the bands I encountered around here for a long time, and it was painful to listen to, as it was obvious that the extent of their "research" was this album. No harmonic or rhythmic exploration beyond this, completely ignoring the history of what jazz, funk, or whatever you would call this was built on. Just background noise for people who wanted to "support live music," but more realistically wanted to be stoned off their balls and silence was not an option. It was safe, unintrusive music played by people who believed that this was as far as music should go because they were too lazy to practice anything beyond a simple chord/rhythmic motif.
While I don't believe that A Go Go was designed with that purpose, wayyyyyyyyy too many people have seen it as an end and not a beginning, and that's my overall issue: too many times I have seen the lowest common denominators of this album championed as the pinnacle of where music can go, and I couldn't disagree more.

As far as Scofield doing this "jamming" sound, I would much prefer Uberjam as a start. The songs are more realized and fleshed-out, and his playing is... well, it sounds like HIM. There's still the one-chord exploration, but it breaks beyond simply a groove and plays heavily with rhythmic comping across the instruments, especially live.
[For the record, no pun intended, I would rather listen to Rough House, Bar Talk, Flat Out, or I Can See Your House From Here.]
 
MadLucas said:
I mostly agree with you here.

You hit the nail on the head with the whole noodling around for hours problem, which is what this album itself spawned. On its own merit, I will give that A Go Go is not the worst album I have ever heard, but when I discovered it I was coming back to it from being a fan of other stuff these artists had put out and I found it comparatively boring.
And my complaint against this album, beyond not being what I think it could have been, is once again local. These tunes were the basis for more than half of the bands I encountered around here for a long time, and it was painful to listen to, as it was obvious that the extent of their "research" was this album. No harmonic or rhythmic exploration beyond this, completely ignoring the history of what jazz, funk, or whatever you would call this was built on. Just background noise for people who wanted to "support live music," but more realistically wanted to be stoned off their balls and silence was not an option. It was safe, unintrusive music played by people who believed that this was as far as music should go because they were too lazy to practice anything beyond a simple chord/rhythmic motif.
While I don't believe that A Go Go was designed with that purpose, wayyyyyyyyy too many people have seen it as an end and not a beginning, and that's my overall issue: too many times I have seen the lowest common denominators of this album championed as the pinnacle of where music can go, and I couldn't disagree more.

As far as Scofield doing this "jamming" sound, I would much prefer Uberjam as a start. The songs are more realized and fleshed-out, and his playing is... well, it sounds like HIM. There's still the one-chord exploration, but it breaks beyond simply a groove and plays heavily with rhythmic comping across the instruments, especially live.
[For the record, no pun intended, I would rather listen to Rough House, Bar Talk, Flat Out, or I Can See Your House From Here.]
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Coming from the same area as you....the jam scene became nauseating. And I say this as having graduated THS in 2001 and seeing the rise of Gathering of the Vibes and the myriad of jam and jam-adjacent groups.

But I think this is symptomatic of the distillation of any influences into the worst a genre can possibly offer. So...if you look at MMW/Scofield - individually and as a collective - they are approaching their music with an array of influences. Some of those influences would be obvious in their sound and some wouldn't be (often influences aren't in the sound but maybe in an approach to lyrics, songwriting, production, attitude, etc.). But they create something uniquely voiced (i.e. in their own voices) from the whispers of their past. The problem, as I see it, is when groups begin distilling their sound from a smaller and smaller pool of influence and not looking into predecessors.

I'm not big into MMW or Scofield (although Scofield's Ibanez semi-hollows are a hot guitar), but I see it in any genre. Take metal for example....I've seen interviews with Iommi and Ozzy where they talk about their influences and they're massive....crooners to R&B to early RnR....just taking in everything. And then they made this just massive sound out of their own creative landscape. But the worst metal I've heard sounds like someone trying to just do what influenced (prob Sabbath) them but louder or faster or more MORE.

Or lets talk Grateful Dead (those guys had a huge array of influences they brought into the group), but some of the most bland jam bands are those you can clearly tell took a page from GD but never turned it.

Across genres it's like that. The artists I've found have the best, well, artistry are those whose influences are unbound.
 
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TCell said:
First, I like the album on its own merit. I find it fun and kind of tropical, and while I agree it seems like they are holding back at times, but I think that helps build tension in many of the jams and I appreciate the interplay between the musicians.
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I think people need to keep in mind that A Go Go is a studio album, and the exploratory, jammy, improv is subdued for that very reason. I'm not really sure how you can flaw an album for that. It's the equivalent of getting upset that the Grateful Dead didn't include a 24-minute rendition of Truckin' on American Beauty, just because you know they can and will jam it out in a live setting.

If you want to hear Sco and MMW jam it out, listen to a live show. Here's one:







p.s. Chris Wood is an ABSOLUTE beast on that Fender bass.
 
jfitzy said:
Curious about that Blakey record as well. I keep telling myself I have enough Art Blakey in my collection, but it calls to me nonetheless.
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There’s a wider release (that’s actually more limited out of 500 so maybe not more limited?) available from LITA and some stores likes Acoustic Sounds. It’s much cheaper too.
 
NewsFedora said:
I guess The Wailers is shipping a month early. Mine wasn't included with my ATLiens and Dolly that went out today, though.

Edit: Hey @NathanRicaud since you have the magic touch when it comes to stock checks, can you tell me how Blakey is looking?
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There are 584 copies left of Art Blakey’s Chippin’ In

The stock count on other VMP store exclusives that I think are worthy noting down are:

Madlib - Sound Ancestors (19 copies left)

Medeski, Martin & Wood - Uninvisible (294 copies left)

Dadawah - Peace and Love (58 copies left)

Yasmin Williams - Urban Driftwood (60 copies left)
 
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