The Heads of the Family

Some classic Alshire exploito for all you "heads" out there. More trash and/or treasure to come in the new year. Best to you all!

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Summerville

Let's hang out in hotels
And sneak into their swimming pools
If they ever catch us
We'll say we don't play by their stinkin' rules
We'll go down to the Esplanade
On the Fourth of July
Stay up late for the fireworks
Plastered all over the Summerville sky
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Goodbye Tomorrow

And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree
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The Bumpers

Here's a record I found under the Christmas tree yesterday. Freshly ripped (scratches and all) for you!

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Head for the Hills

The cool wind of hope blows eternal
As if to keep us on our toes
Maybe there'll be a brighter day tomorrow
So pack up all of your woes
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A Long Day's Journey

You may think it's all a game
But you're wrong, you're wrong
We're all connected just the same
One big ol' throng
You may think you'll get away
With telling all your lies
Well you are in, I bet
For one big surprise
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23 Skidoo

When I ride on the subway
Well I feel so alone
No one looks me in the eye
No one tosses me a bone
All the pretty girls are texting
And twirling their hair
And I feel just like a no one
Who is not really there
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Sing Cuckoo!

Every addict is formed
In the crucible
Of the memory
Of that first hit
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Rodney Allen Rippy

By request, here's a re-up of a record that is guaranteed to clear out your Xmas party guests.

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Secrets and Lies

You tell me your stories
And I want to believe
You tell me your stories
And you deceive me
They sound realistic
They sound true
But there’s something about them
That’s not quite you

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Jackie and Roy

By request, here are the smooth sounds of Jackie and Roy.

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Bossa Rio

Produced by Sergio Mendes for A&M, Bossa Rio had the same feel as Brasil 66, with harmony vocals and Bossa grooves - but without all the ballads and slower stuff.

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We Got a Groovy Thing Going

There's a dream that I have
And I'm with you again
There's a dream that I have
And we're laughing
And in this dream that I have
You are writing your name in the sky
In this dream that I have
You are dancing
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Songs of Love and Regret

What if I had read the signs
And acted a little more quick
When I think of what I might have done
It just makes my heart feel sick
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Nicholas Lampe

Don't know about you, but I really flip for this sort of '70s Southern singer/songwriter record. This one features string arrangements by Arif Mardin; production by Ahmet Ertegun; and performances by Muscle Shoals stalwarts Roger Hawkins, David Hood, and Barry Beckett. Good shit.

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Fountain of Youth

Obscure Colgems band.
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The Top-40 Song Book

Another obscuro, this one featuring intros of "tunes made famous by the Beatles" et al., set to some stellar David Axelrod arrangements. Sorry about the snaps, crackles and pops (the vinyl had someone's greasy fingerprints all over it), although I think it adds a certain period charm.

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I Will Never Forgive You

You stand before me 

Your arms outstretched 

With your eyes staring up at the sky 

Your hand is waving 

And your black hair is blowing 

Could be hello, could be goodbye 

I will be waiting until you decide 

I will be waiting 

I'm along for the ride

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Kith

It wearies me; you say it wearies you

But how I caught it, found it, or came by it

What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born

I am to learn

And such a want-wit sadness makes of me

That I have much ado to know myself

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This Lonesome Road

Sometimes you're lucky
Through all your hard work
Sometimes you're not
And you go berserk
You hope for the best
But the weary don't rest

NB: All the older albums of mine that I've been posting here recently have been newly remastered.

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Meet Eliot Wilder

We sail in the twilight of eternal now
When suddenly someone takes a long step off the bow
We search for him for an eternity
One, two, three
One, two, three
I'm in you
You in me
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The Ghana Soul Explosion!

Freshly ripped for you, here's a funky Pickwick knock-off featuring soul hits of the day and a few odd jams.

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Duncan Pain

It was a real, uh, pain to track this one down. Enjoy.

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Merry Christmas Darling

My contribution to the Christmas-album pile, a rare A&M Records compilation. Happy holidays!

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The Great Escape

There will be good times
When we reach our destination
It will be like a life on permanent vacation
There is no freakin' bureaucracy
There is no red tape
So come on, come on, come on
Come on, come on, come on
It's the great escape

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Travelogue

My car is a clunker
Not like the fancy ones for which I valet
And when it breaks down
I ditch it hoping someone will just tow it away
I own one nice shirt
And one nice pair of pants
I go to work and take my place
With all the other worker ants

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John Ussery

Some funky '70s rock, produced by Delaney Bramblett.

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101

Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position
But certainty is an absurd one
Why not celebrate the vastness of our ignorance
And be a possibilian
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Promise

You talk like a politician
Or a guy who sells used cars
Or a guy who says he doesn't want your money
Or a guy who tells stories in bars
You sound oh so confident
Like you really believe what you say
Where's the truth
Where's the lie
What does it matter anyway
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The Main Attraction

And now ... something light to help you digest after your Thanksgiving meal.

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Something Festive

Since we're getting into the season (something my daughter constantly reminds me of), I thought I'd post one of my fav holiday records.

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Michael Seven

Here's an extremely rare instro record that features sessioners Mike Melvoin, Louie Shelton and Hal Blaine.

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Lost Time

We write novels that tell our stories
But they don't get it right
We build great statues to our heroes
But they cast a strange light
We get ourselves ready for takeoff
But we never take flight
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Thought Palaces

You boyfriend was a jerk
And he beat you to a pulp
One time I kicked his ass
You jumped back with a gulp
Then you disappeared
Moved out to LA
Starred on "Melrose Place"
Life is one big soiree
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The Essential Invisible

I heard a song in the middle of a dream
And it woke me from my slumber
It spurred me on, it rocked my world
You could say it had my number
I got my sack and I got good shoes
And I got a certain esprit
And I know when I get to the top of the mountain
I will be set free
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All Hail Anhedonia!

Thirteen songs about the beginning, the middle and the end.

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Arthur Miller and All the Little Millers

Kinda folky, kinda bluesy, kinda jazzy, kinda who-knows-what. A thoroughly enjoyable record in any event.

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Scoundrels

Most of the characters in these songs are people I know, have once known or, perhaps, imagined I knew. They are all rather slippery people, the kind you are not quite sure of, the kind that leave you guessing. When they tell you something personal, as they often do, you wonder how much of it is true and how much fabrication. The thing is, they don't know themselves - so how can you? And yet, because they are often good at sounding like they know what they are saying, and because they look and act completely convincing, you want to buy in.

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Personality Crisis

For people who live unexamined lives, the world just happens, happening as it does beyond their will or ability to act upon it. Because, to them, there are always external forces - perhaps God, perhaps chance, perhaps circumstance - that they believe are outside their ability to understand and control. In most cases, they get away with so much because they think so little. But if they began a process of self-evaluation and -examination, they may come to discover that there is much they can do. Or, at the very least, they can stop deflecting blame for the pain they inflict. Coming to this place of discovery requires much work - more work than most people want to invest in. But the ultimate reward can be great, not only for the people who awaken to their lives, but also to the people in their orbit. They just need to start. But the question remains: How to begin?

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P.F. Sloan

Remembering P.F. Sloan. Rest in peace.

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The Spinners

Not those Spinners, unless those Spinners were, in a previous incarnation, a slightly wobbly barroom country band.

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The Care Package

Sending you a special care package.
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Jonah

I picked up this one for two reasons: the mustaches and Ron "Sugar Sugar" Dante's production. Turns out, it's really a sweet little record. Give it a spin.

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Skymonters

By request, here's the Skymonters record, which features singer and sometime actor Hamilton Camp.

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Social Studies

Nowadays everyone's got a window
A clear and unobstructed view
You'd think with all that information
That we would know
We would know what to do
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Hamilton Affair

Would anyone out there in Mondoland have this record to share? I tried to snag it on Soulseek, but the ungenerous uploader disallowed me from downloading it. You know, I've posted hundreds of albums over years and have answered as many of your requests as best I can. Now's your chance to return the favor.

Soul Concern

It's likely your soul was their sole concern. Either that, or your money.

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End of the Road

There comes a time when a certain relationship reaches an end, but one of the parties seems to be unaware that this has happened. Or maybe that person lives in a state of denial. Or is oblivious. Or just wants to pretend that what's has gone on for the last decade or two or three is hunky dory, even though no effort or energy whatsoever has been put into keeping the relationship alive. It's just this thing, this entity - but it is not true; it does not breathe, it does not move, it is not about anything at all. And what do you say to this person? How do you tell him or her that you are at the end of the road?

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Speak, Memory

This album, originally recorded in 2010, has several of my favorite tracks on it, including "Crossing the Line," "Midnight Town" and "The Devil Ain't Got No Music," which was inspired by a line that Mavis Staples uttered on "The Colbert Report" when asked how she felt about singing the devil's music. (Subsequently, in the past year, the blues singer Lurrie Bell has recorded a tune using the same title, but I got there first!). At any rate, after listening to this record recently, I thought it could be better - not only the mix, but the vocals as well. So I've given it a fresh coat of paint.

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The Young Generation

Leave it to the Young Generation to tell us where it's at.

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