This bad album cover is brain-meltingly perverse in all the right ways. There’s no real commentary on this one, simply because…well, just LOOK at this! It’s a masterpiece of surrealism, OR it’s the dumbest piece of art designed to sell products ever.
The longer I stare at this, the funnier and more incomprehensible it gets. This is the El Topo of album covers. … Continue Reading
Lost Highway is one of the best soundtracks in the David Lynch film catalog. Some Lynch fans will scream “blasphemy!” as Julee Cruise is forever the favorite among the Twin Peaks set, but Lost Highway is something else altogether. From the Angelo Badalamenti tracks to Lou Reed’s version of “This Magic Moment”, Lost Highway does not let up–it’s great from start to finish.
Standout tracks on this include Dub Driving, the fun Mister Eddy Theme, and the Smashing Pumpkins electronica track, Eye
Even the Rammstein tracks fit the bill, and Lynch got some great material out of Marilyn Manson. “Apple of Sodom” is as far away from the scream-and-scrape metallic thud of AntiChrist Superstar-era Manson as it gets.
There’s also some excellent atmosphere provided by Trent Reznor–one track where Lynch said to Reznor, “I want it to sound like snakes coming out of the speakers” is fantastic…in spite of the fact that Reznor’s reply to Lynch was basically, “Leave me alone, I don’t work that way.” I think Lynch got what he wanted, regardless.
The Lost Highway CD is a new, sealed compact disc. Buy it now from Turntabling while supplies last for $15 plus shipping. Overseas shipping on this item is $10.
Bad album covers rule. Especially THIS one. We already know what’s going on here, but it’s the MESSAGE here that is the real head-scratcher. The artist seems to be saying, “Why yes, I AM a wanker. I’ve proved it with this here album cover.”
Now here’s the real mystery. Guess how much this album is selling for on Amazon. Just you TRY to guess. I don’t care if the guy DID do the vocals on Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar”, there’s no reason for the compact disc of this album to sell for $50. Is there? This album is standard folkie finger twiddling and caterwauling. It’s not Johnny Rotten’s secret outtakes from an unreleased collaboration with Joe Strummer we never knew about or anything.
And to hear this music while staring at this album cover makes the entire affair seem kinda sad. “Here’s me with no clothes on. And my music sounds about the same. Please like this record!”
Ahh well.
–Joe Wallace
A full hour of John Carpenter music! Now on sale for a very limited time at Turntabling– the In The Mouth of Madness soundtrack CD, written and performed by John Carpenter and Jim Lang. Some people are surprised to hear passages on this disc–they swear they aren’t in the film, but the music is there, it’s just set lower in the background.
Favorites on this one include the opening track, plus The Book Comes Back, and Just a Bedtime Story. This is a good one to put on for creepy ambiance at your next Halloween party or visit to the haunted house.
This is a new, sealed compact disc available in limited quantity. Buy the In The Mouth Of Madness soundtrack now from Turntabling for $16 plus shipping. Overseas shipping on this item is $10.
Now selling at Turntabling for a limited time, The Bride of Frankenstein soundtrack CD. This isn’t your typical horror movie soundtrack, Franz Waxman pulled out all the stops for the movie many believe is greater than the original Karloff classic. If you can’t get enough of those 30s soundtrack sounds, this one is definitely for you. The CD includes a bonus track–soundtrack music for another Karloff vehicle, The Invisible Ray. The “Invisible Ray Suite” is a nice bonus on this disc.
The Bride of Frankenstein soundtrack CD is a new, sealed compact disc. Buy it now from Turntabling for $16.00 plus shipping. Overseas shipping on this disc is $10.
United Record Pressing has an interesting section on mastering for vinyl. There is plenty of advice there about the physical limitations of vinyl as a medium and what bands can do to make sure they get good fidelity from the finished product.
My only question about this section–having been written in 1997, is what has changed and updated since that time? Surely not the laws of physics with regard to how hot your master tracks can be before they overload and distort, or when too much treble becomes, er, troublesome. (Treblesome is not a word. But I almost used it here. Heh.)
Fortunately there are more recent discussions on the mastering to vinyl issue. Gearslutz.com has a thread from 2008 and another one here. CustomRecords.com throws its two cents worth in here, so you’ll have plenty to chew on. … Continue Reading
Ron Grainer’s oddball surf guitar sounds defined an entire television show with his opening and closing theme to the original version of The Prisoner. Thanks to this most excellent collection you get Grainer’s genius plus music from three of the greatest episodes; Arrival, Chimes of Big Ben, and the most excellent A, B and C. This is the music you want to hear as you drive to work to give your two weeks’ notice, load up the car after breaking off a particularly nasty relationship, or just relive one of the greatest television paranoia-fests in history.
DJs will be pleased that there are sample-a-rific dialogue snippets and there are even some unused tracks on this compilation. From the lounge jazz to some of stock library cues, this has a great cross sections of moods and atmospheres. Put on your black jacket, a defiant look, and fight the power! Who is Number One? Why, YOU are, of course.
Turntabling is very pleased to offer this CD, The Prisoner File #1 while supplies last. This is a new, sealed compact disc. Buy it now for $16.00 plus shipping. Overseas shipping for this item is $10.00.
How cool was the original Godzilla? Suffice it to say, if you haven’t seen the Raymond Burr-free edition the way it was meant to be seen, you simply haven not seen this movie. Sure, we all loved the Americanized version when we saw it growing up–we didn’t know any better! But take the far more grim director’s cut, and you’ll get the real picture.
The music by Akirea Ikufube is stunning. It’s given all the attention and care that would go into a soundtrack for a Kurosawa epic. Never mind that the main attraction is a man in a rubber monster suit, the composer sure didn’t give that a second thought. The music for Godzilla is a prime example of the classic Japanese work ethic–if a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.
Did we mention the opening and closing tracks have sound effects? And yes,the Oxygen Destroyer theme is here, too–a favorite round here when it comes to Big G moments.
And how! We have two copies of this awesome soundtrack, digitally remastered from the best sources available from the Toho vault. Three cheers to La-La-Land Records for putting this out. It’s a classic.
The Godzilla Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 50th Anniversary Edition CD is a new, sealed compact disc. Buy it now for $16 plus shipping. Overseas shipping on this item is $10.
Ennio Morricone has scored some of the best loved films in history, and some directors are smart enough to get him back more than once. Argento was one of those directors; here’s a collection of three great soundtracks Dario Argento brought the maestro on board to do.
An Ennio Morricone-Dario Argento Trilogy features Morricone’s work on The Bird With The Crystal Plumage, The Cat O’ Nine Tails, and Four Flies on Grey Velvet. He’s in full-on experimental mode in some places on this disc, in others he’s got the classic melodic-yet-doomy sound Morricone’s famous for. Newcomers to Morricone will revel in this, the rest of us love this because it’s an amazing listening experience.
Of the three films, The Bird With The Crystal Plumage is probably the best, but Four Flies on Grey Velvet is pretty good in its remastered form. Some disagree, but it’s a favorite here partially because of, (rather than in spite of) its shortcomings.
Turntabling has a little stock of this great addition to the DRG Classic Italian Soundtracks series. An Ennio Morricone-Dario Argento Trilogy is a new, sealed compact disc. Buy it now while supplies last for $14 plus shipping. Overseas shipping is $10.
If you’re an indie musician looking to release that first-ever title on vinyl, there’s a whole new world of learning you’ll need to explore before you can get your masterpiece on that lovely spinning platter.
Turntabling Records has been plotting its own vinyl album–my previous releases were all on CD–and I can tell you there is much to take in. How do you get an album mastered for vinyl as opposed to compact disc? What are the audio tolerances? How long should each side be for good, middle of the road audio fidelity?
If you’re a newcomer to this (like me) you should definitely have a look at this primer on vinyl record manufacturing. If you don’t know what plating is, or how much lead time to give your record at the pressing plant, consider this a Vinyl 101 lesson that can help you start your journey.
Oh, and once you get your album pressed, be sure to get in touch with me here at Turntabling–I’d love to hear it.
–Joe Wallace
