Author Archives: Vinyl Revival

“Summer of Soul” Hits all the Right Notes

I’ve wanted to see “Summer of Soul (Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” ever since I heard about its premiere at Sundance earlier this year. So when I saw that it was playing in the area, I decided to make my first movie theater visit in over a year. I am so happy that I did!

For those unfamiliar with the film, “Summer of Soul” is a feature documentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African American music and culture, and promoted Black pride and unity.

The directorial debut of Questlove from The Roots, the never-before-seen performance footage was fantastic and I loved how it was weaved into the overall historical and cultural context along with present-day interviews with attendees and performers.

The series of shows, directed and emceed by singer and DJ Tony Lawrence, took place over six weeks in the summer of 1969 at Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park) in Harlem and attracted a combined audience of over 300,000. The shows were filmed. TV wasn’t interested. The footage sat for 50 years…until now.

The archived footage was restored and it looks and sounds amazing! Some of the footage featured in the film includes performances by: Stevie Wonder who even played the drums at one point, B.B. King, Sly and the Family Stone, David Ruffin, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Nina Simone, The Staple Singers, Mahalia Jackson, The 5th Dimension, Hugh Masekela, Herbie Mann, Mongo Santamaria, and more!

There was a variety of musical styles and artists but the two performances that stood out for me were The 5^th Dimension singing “Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In” and Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples sharing singing duties on one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s favorite songs – “Take My Hand, Precious Lord.”

An interview with Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. about their performance was particularly touching. McCoo spoke about how some people thought that The 5th Dimension was not Black enough. She said that playing to the predominantly Black crowd who embraced them made her happy.

And the vocals in the performance of “Precious Lord” will give you goosebumps. In an interview for the film, Mavis spoke of her great love for Mahalia and that sharing the mic with her that day in Harlem was one of the best moments of her life.

I find it so disappointing that I never heard about this incredible festival before but I am so glad that Questlove and the documentary team decided to share the music, history, joy, pride, and culture of the Harlem community with us now!

I can’t say enough good things about this film. I loved it and if you love music, you will too!

Foo Fighters Open MSG with Epic Show

Besides not seeing my family during COVID-19, the one other thing that I missed TERRIBLY was going to concerts. You see, I am somewhat of a concert addict. There’s just a rush that I get when I’m singing along live with one of my favorite bands. So when I heard that Foo Fighters were going to reopen Madison Square Garden on June 20^th – the first full capacity show since the world shut down in March 2020 – I just HAD to go.

Getting tickets was no small feat and I was unsuccessful on the day of the sale. I checked Ticketmaster over, and over, and over again, up until a couple days before the show with no luck. Reluctantly, I caved and bought tickets off StubHub. There was no way I was gonna miss this show!

As I rode up to New York, my anxiety was setting in…what if the vaccine wasn’t as effective as they said, what if I got sick from being near so many people…I was trying hard not to panic.

Once I got through security and into MSG, my anxiety turned to excitement. I was actually at a concert again! Everyone around me loved Foo Fighters too! I felt a comradery that I hadn’t felt in over a year and it felt wonderful!

The energy in the room was palpable and the band couldn’t have opened the show with a better song than “Times Like These.” Everyone was rocking out and singing along and as I sang, “it’s times like these you learn to live again,” I almost had a tear in my eye. I truly felt like I was living again.

The band had as much fun as the fans as they ran through lots of hits but also a few deep cuts and new material off of Medicine at Midnight. Some show highlights included a surprise appearance by Dave Chappelle who sang Radiohead’s “Creep,” a rendition of the Bee Gees’ “You Should Be Dancing” which will appear on their recently announced July Record Store Day Drops release, and a turn on drums by Dave while Taylor sang Queen’s “Somebody to Love.” The three hour show ended with “Everlong.”

They certainly brought rock and roll back to the Garden!

2020 Year-End Review

Every year around this time, I put together a recap of in-store events; music, movies, and more. This year, I can’t say that I have much to write.

Other than the February Rolling Stones and March British Blues Fan Nights that squeaked in just before the non-essential business shutdown, we, unfortunately, have not been able to host up-and-coming bands, indie filmmakers, and artists in 2020.

However, outside of store events, I DID recently have the opportunity to be involved in a couple of very cool music-related experiences.

In November, I had the exciting opportunity to interview Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor on itsashort.com as part of the FirstGlance Film Festival. Corey starred in Bad Candy, a fun gory horror film that screened at FirstGlance. I was a little nervous (really, A LOT nervous), but he was easy to talk to, and I even got a chance to ask him about his debut solo album, CMFT*. I love when my film and music worlds collide! You can check out the interview here.

Then in early December, I volunteered for the Share Food Program along with a group of Low Cut Connie fans that have bonded through the Tough Cookies Facebook page. Little did we know that lead singer Adam Weiner would surprise us; I’ve met him before, after shows, but he helped box canned goods and performed a socially distanced acoustic set that included songs from LCC’s new album Private Lives* for all of the volunteers. It was such a special up close and personal experience; I will never forget it. Check out the band’s December 2^nd Facebook post to see some photos from the event.

2020 has had its share of challenges, but we are hanging in there! We hope that all of you are too! We’re so grateful for your support, and we look forward to seeing everyone at in-store events in 2021. Thank you for allowing us to bring you the healing power of music. We especially need it this year.

*CMFT and Private Lives are available at Vinyl Revival.

August Celebration Days

There are so many national day celebrations! When I began researching some of the holidays in August, I was surprised to find that there were several events that we could celebrate at Vinyl Revival. There’s National Coloring Book Day on August 2^nd, National Vinyl Record Day (not to be confused with Record Store Day) on August 12^th, National Radio Day on August 20^th, and National Poet’s Day on August 21^st.

I wanted to highlight a couple of books by local authors that we’re proud to carry which can be celebrated this month and all year long.

The Colors of Life and Love books are adult coloring books featuring real people in real places. They were created by local resident T.L. Wahid in support of mental well-being. You can celebrate national Coloring Book Day every day and enjoy some relaxing down time when you add your colorful interpretations to the pages.

We also carry Another Day on Planet Earth, a book of poetry by local author Frank Rosci. The book is a compilation of poems written over forty years and the subject matter is wide ranging-from nature, religion, and relationships to travel and history, as well as to topics more whimsical and fanciful. Perfect for the beach or your backyard hammock.

Enjoy the rest of the month celebrating all the national days of August!

Songs for Independence

This 4^th of July, we are not able to enjoy parades and fireworks, the Welcome America Festival concert and events, or large backyard barbecues with family and friends. So if you’ll be celebrating at home, I thought I’d put together a few songs that you can include on your Independence Day playlist.

Elton John – “Philadelphia Freedom,” (1975) – Elton John’s Greatest Hits Volume II– Though not written as a song about independence, the song’s 1975 release aligned with the U.S. bicentennial celebration and became somewhat of an anthem. The single was actually written for tennis star Billie Jean King and was dedicated in part to the Philadelphia sound.

Richie Havens – “Freedom” – Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More (1970) – At Woodstock, Havens needed to play longer than planned because some artists were running late. He improvised the old spiritual “Motherless Child” and gave us “Freedom.”

Grand Funk – “We’re An American Band” – We’re An American Band (1973) – The band’s seventh studio album was their first collaboration with producer/engineer Todd Rundgren. The single, which chronicles time on the road, was originally released on translucent yellow vinyl.

Record Store Day Drop Dates

Just got word that there will not be a big Record Store Day event on June 20th. Instead, RSD is now scheduled to be celebrated with special, properly distanced release dates on Saturdays in August, September and October. You can read more here.

March into Laurel Canyon

Laurel Canyon Music Scene

Laurel Canyon is a mountainous neighborhood/canyon located in the Hollywood Hills region of the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Hollywood Hills West district of Los Angeles. In the mid-sixties and early seventies, the vibe of this neighborhood was inspiration for many artists. It was a chill environment where musicians hung out together at each other’s houses and collaborated, jamming on their acoustic guitars. The music created during this time was melodic and featured some of the best harmonies ever recorded.

Here are a couple of great albums that convey the spirit of those times.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Déjà vu (1970) – Déjà vu was the second album by CSN and their first as a quartet with Neil Young. It features the song “Our House” which was written by Graham Nash while he was living with Joni Mitchell in Laurel Canyon. It’s an account of their day – simple and beautiful.

John Mayall – Blues from Laurel Canyon (1968) – Mayall lived in the Laurel Canyon area from 1969-1979. This album forms a record of his visit there and it was innovative for its time, especially by the standards of blues recordings. Fun fact – there were no visible track divisions on the vinyl album.

The Mamas and the Papas – The Mamas and the Papas (1966) – There was some drama in the group during the release of their second record. Michelle Phillips was kicked out of the group, was replaced and then rejoined. In the meantime, the album cover art which featured Michelle was re-shot with a new lineup and a new title, Crashon Screamon All Fall Down. Some advance pressings with the new cover and title were released but once Michelle returned to the group, the original cover and title were reinstated. Copies of Crashon are now very collectible.

Funky February Featured Titles

Growing up, we always listened to records in my house (no big surprise there). My Mom wasn’t into the crooners or soft rock/singer-songwriters. She loved something funky so I always had a steady stream of music that made you want to get up offa that thing. So for February, in honor of her, here are some funky featured titles you might like to add to your collection:

Parliament – The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein (1976) – The album is notable for featuring horn arrangements by ex-James Brown band member, Fred Wesley.

Prince – Around the World in a Day (1985) – Prince’s seventh studio album features his backing band The Revolution. Psychedelically funky, it features the hit, “Raspberry Beret.”

War – The World is a Ghetto (1972) – War’s fifth album was number one on Billboard and was Billboard magazine’s Album of the Year as the best-selling album of 1973.

A Look Back at 2019

It’s hard to believe that it’s been over 6 years since we opened! We’re so grateful for the support of our customers and because of you, we had a great 2019. We thank you for allowing us to bring music into your homes and hearts!

As 2019 comes to a close, we look back at some of the in-store events we planned for YOU this past year. As we continue to cultivate a community of music and movie lovers, we look forward to hosting up-and-coming bands, indie filmmakers and artists in 2020 too!

Music