Category Archives: Media

That Pizza Does NOT Look Appetizing

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snack-bar-pizza

Back in the days when vinyl records and turntables were in widespread, everyday use, people didn’t have the Internet, cell phones or TiVo. People used to get into their cars and drive to outdoor theaters, make out, smoke a spliff and watch a double feature. Drive-in culture was fun, and some drive-ins survive to this day–including the 66 Drive-In located in Springfield, Illinois, another near Dayton Ohio, and yet another–the Mission Drive-In just on the outskirts of San Antonio, Texas. I’m sure there are more, but those are three that I’ve actually been to.

In case you haven’t guessed by now, I’m a fan of a lot of retro culture, not just LPs and turntable-related stuff. One of the things I love about the cult of both modern and retro turntables is the preponderance of the “What were they THINKING?” factor. (And the legitimately cool stuff is nice, too.)

When it comes to retro drive-in culture, I can think of no better example of that than this clip:


Space 1999 Soundtrack Vinyl

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space-1999-soundtrack-vinyl

Paul Durango’s fun blog features this vinyl soundtrack from Space 1999, the least scientifically accurate of all the science fictions television to come out of the cheesy 70s.  Durango found the album, and offers a zipped digital version for your listening pleasure. The soundtrack is full of cornball 70s wah-wah guitar playing, moody atmospherics and the requisite sighing string section and echoey xylophones. You could download a whole mess of Barry Gray’s Space 1999 soundtrack music from Amazon, but do yourself a favor and check out Paul Durango’s post first.

On a side note, some of the reviews for the CD/download version of the soundtrack are almost as funny as the series itself. One breathless reviewer gushes, “Our composer Barry Gray writes powerful cues that will make any youngster and adults alike leap for joy.”

Leap for joy? What the hell is THIS guy taking? I want some.

Behold the pure 70s style queso of the original intro. Revel in THIS cornball nonsense–still great for laughs after all these years. You really need a six pack or some kind of plantlife to properly enjoy this, but this is the epitome of 1970s boob tube-dom in all its’ hilariously wretched excess. I mean, really–the main conceit of this show is that the moon has been knocked out of its orbit and is sailing through space with 300 people living on it!


Ryan Moore’s Twilight Circus Sound System

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ryan-moore-twilight-sound-system

I was introduced to Ryan Moore and Twilight Circus Dub Sound System by way of the Legendary Pink Dots. Ryan Moore toured with LPD as a bassist and opening act back in the mid 90s. He would open LPD shows as Twilight Circus, playing a heavy dub act for about half an hour, 45 minutes before the Dots took the stage. With all due respect to the Dots, I thought Moore should have had his own headliner act with a more fleshed out band, but he did very well with the backing tapes, creating a great dub atmosphere with little or no help.

Moore’s site Twilight Sound System lives on today with too many dub releases to name. Check out the free MP3 downloads page and marvel at the excellent heavy grooves on offer. Moore is a dub powerhouse and a genuinely nice guy…I’d drop my plans to see any show of his. Been digging on dub for many years now and it has to be said, Moore not only carries the tradition, he’s brought elements of the old and new together with great skill. Have a listen, dubheads…if you don’t know Twilight Sound System, you’re in for a treat.

The Cynic, The Rat, And The Fist

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the-cynic-the-rat-and-the-fist-umberto-lenzi

The best thing about Italian crime movie trailers from the 60s and 70s is that you don’t have to speak Italian. The trailers kick ass all by themselves. And the music for these! I love these 60s and 70s sounds. There’s something about the gritty feel in these Italian flicks from that era that isn’t really duplicated elsewhere. How does all this tie into vinyl? For starters, the soundtrack releases for these and other foreign genre movies are more widespread than ever. You can find plenty of great old stuff by Morricone, Bruno Nicolai, Roy Budd, the list is endless. Some of my favorite vinyl finds are by Goblin and other genre groups doing those way-out 60s/70s noises. If you’re familiar with some of the Turntabling Records releases, you know that Morricone in particular is a huge influence…

Here’s some delicious drive-in cheese–the trailer for Umberto Lenzi’s The Cynic, The Rat and The Fist. What great titles these movies had!