End Of The Year Retrospectives, 2025

It's always been a favorite December ritual of mine to browse the end-of-the-year lists of music magazines, see which albums made the best-of lists, which had escaped my attention, and plan future additions to my record collection. Nowadays I only buy two magazines, Mojo and Uncut, but I keep including Classic Rock in my end of the year retrospective because it offers a very different viewpoint to the other two. Those always have a lot in common, including -this year- their no.1: Pulp's return to discography after 20+ years is entitled more, and it's a great reminder of what we had been missing all this time; I especially liked the track included in the MOJO sampler, the Gainsbourg-esque "My Sex". Tellingly, this is one of only 4 entries that all 3 magazines have in common. The second one is another 90s favorite, Suede (#2 for MOJO, #3 Uncut, #37 CR). This is their 5th since their reunion (in 2013, after a 10+ year hiatus); I regret to say I haven't followed them at all post-reunion, even though I liked their initial 5-album run a lot. They keep getting great reviews, and "June Rain" (included in the Uncut sampler) proves they're as adept as ever in Bowie-like melodrama. The third one I expected: a collaboration of Robert Plant with Suzi Dian, reminiscent of the former Zeppelin's great collaborative albums with Alison Krauss, only this time there's a bit more psychedelia mixed in with the folk and blues influences. The fourth one I never saw coming: the newest Neil Young LP, entitled Talkin to the Trees. I hadn't even registered it when it came out, because let's face it, the guy releases one or two LPs every year for at least the last four decades. You just know they're going to be good, and you also know they'll be more of the same.Van Morrison is another ultra-prolific veteran whose newest album is supposedly a return to form. CMAT is the newest Irish sensation from a country with a very active scene during the last years, while also of interest is an LP by proggers Cardiacs making the list (#51 Uncut, #29 CR) even though their leader Tim Smith has been dead for 5 years. If I'm not mistaken, the only CD I own which is also on this list is Wet Leg's Moisturizer; I enjoyed it as much as I did their debut, even though it didn't go as high in the end-of-the-year ratings. Two other albums on these lists, I've only ever heard played live: John Fogerty's update of his Creedence catalogue, and The Waterboys' concept album based on the life of actor Dennis Hopper: The last time I saw the band a couple of months ago, they played the whole thing live, and I thought it sounded very interesting. Classic Rock, as always, live in a world of their own; one where the return of the original Alice Cooper band (The Revenge Of Alice Cooper, on #2), is a significant event, and where a title like All Washed Up (Cheap Trick, #4) doesn't carry an uncomfortable whiff of truth about it. Their top choice though (Steven Wilson's The Overview) did get uniformly good reviews.

UNCUT MAGAZINE 1. More (Pulp), 2. Instant Holograms on Metal Film (Stereolab), 3. Antidepressants (Suede), 4. Bleeds (Wednesday), 5. End of the Middle (Richard Dawson), 6. New Threats from the Soul (Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band), 7. Interior Live Oak (Cass McCombs), 8. Twilight Override (Jeff Tweedy), 9. Sable, Fable (Bon Iver), 10. Saving Grace (Robert Plant with Suzi Dian), 11. Lotus (Little Simz), 12. Planting by the Signs (S.G. Goodman), 13. Time Indefinite (William Tyler), 14. Caroline 2 (caroline), 15. The Heat Warps (Modern Nature), 16. Alan Sparhawk with Trampled by Turtles (Alan Sparhawk and Trampled by Turtles), 17. Double Infinity (Big Thief), 18. Strawberries (Robert Forster), 19. Allbarone (Baxter Dury), 20. Foxes in the Snow (Jason Isbell), 21. Glory (Perfume Genius), 22. Touch (Tortoise), 23. The Universe Will Take Care of You (Holden & Zimpel), 24. Weirdo (Emma-Jean Thackray), 25. Phonetics On and On (Horsegirl), 26. The Land We Knew the Best (Chris Eckman), 27. Find El Dorado (Paul Weller), 28. International (Saint Etienne), 29. Getting Killed (Geese), 30. Inland See (Bitchin Bajas), 31. Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams (Patterson Hood), 32. Humanhood (The Weather Station), 33. That’s the Price of Loving Me (Dean Wareham), 34. Remembering Now (Van Morrison), 35. Get Sunk (Matt Berninger), 36. Crooked Wing (These New Puritans), 37. Antigone (Eiko Ishibashi), 38. Mr. Luck And Ms. Doom (The Delines), 39. What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow (Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson), 40. Cotton Crown (The Tubs), 41. Real Warmth (Joan Shelley), 42. The Purple Bird (Bonnie “Prince” Billy), 43. Hard Headed Woman (Margo Price), 44. Can't Lose My (Soul) (Annie and the Caldwells), 45. Life, Death and Dennis Hopper (The Waterboys), 46. Michelangelo Dying (Cate Le Bon), 47. Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation (Edwyn Collins), 48. From Newman Street (Kassi Valazza), 49. Essex Honey (Blood Orange), 50. Moisturizer (Wet Leg), 51. LSD (Cardiacs), 52. Euro-Country (CMAT), 53. In Limerence (Jacob Alon), 54. It’s a Beautiful Place (Water From Your Eyes), 55. Headlights (Alex G), 56. A Sober Conversation (BC Camplight), 57. Pentimento (Carson McHone), 58. Sad and Beautiful World (Mavis Staples), 59. Blurrr (Joanne Robertson), 60. Desert Window (Lucy Gooch), 61. Who Is the Sky? (David Byrne), 62. Héritage (Songhoy Blues), 63. Luminal (Beatie Wolfe and Brian Eno), 64. Figure In Blue (Charles Lloyd), 65. Utopia (Gwenno), 66. Pinball Wanderer (Andy Bell), 67. Tall Tales (Mark Pritchard and Thom Yorke), 68. Mulatu Plays Mulatu (Mulatu Astatke), 69. Sinister Grift (Panda Bear), 70. Daylight Daylight (Steve Gunn), 71. Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory (Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory), 72. Talkin to the Trees (Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts), 73. Tether (Annahstasia), 74. Forever Howlong (Black Country, New Road), 75. Wolf of St Elmo (Slow Motion Cowboys), 76. Begging The Night To Take Hold (Emma Pollock), 77. Is (My Morning Jacket), 78. Never Enough (Turnstile), 79. Pequena Vertigem de Amor (Sessa), 80. Transform Me Then Into a Fish (Martin Carthy)

MOJO MAGAZINE 1. More (Pulp), 2. Antidepressants (Suede), 3. Euro-Country (CMAT), 4. Double Infinity (Big Thief), 5. Can't Lose My (Soul) (Annie and the Caldwells), 6. Instant Holograms on Metal Film (Stereolab), 7. Strawberries (Robert Forster), 8. Cotton Crown (The Tubs), 9. The Collapse of Everything (Adrian Sherwood), 10. Moisturizer (Wet Leg), 11. Find El Dorado (Paul Weller), 12. Alan Sparhawk with Trampled by Turtles (Alan Sparhawk and Trampled by Turtles), 13. Lotus (Little Simz), 14. End of the Middle (Richard Dawson), 15. Sad and Beautiful World (Mavis Staples), 16. Saving Grace (Robert Plant with Suzi Dian), 17. Twilight Override (Jeff Tweedy), 18. Weirdo (Emma-Jean Thackray), 19. Tall Tales (Mark Pritchard and Thom Yorke), 20. Interior Live Oak (Cass McCombs), 21. Allbarone (Baxter Dury), 22. Lay Low (Eddie Chacon), 23. A Bridge To Far (Midlake), 24. The Bad Fire (Mogwai), 25. Remembering Now (Van Morrison), 26. Phonetics On and On (Horsegirl), 27. Who Is the Sky? (David Byrne), 28. Michelangelo Dying (Cate Le Bon), 29. In Limerence (Jacob Alon), 30. International (Saint Etienne), 31. Critical Thinking (Manic Street Preachers), 32. Getting Killed (Geese), 33. Foxes in the Snow (Jason Isbell), 34. Sable, Fable (Bon Iver), 35. The Purple Bird (Bonnie “Prince” Billy), 36. Begging The Night To Take Hold (Emma Pollock), 37. Totality (Natural Information Society and Bitchin Bajas), 38. Love Made Trees (Loaded Honey), 39. Only Frozen Sky Anyway (Jonathan Richman), 40. Sinister Grift (Panda Bear), 41. Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory (Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory), 42. The Overview (Steven Wilson), 43. A Sober Conversation (BC Camplight), 44. Daybreak (Sven Wunder), 45. Metalhorse (Billy Nomates), 46. Heavy Metal (Cameron Winter), 47. Tell Dem It's Sunny (Greentea Peng), 48. Love Chant (The Lemonheads), 49. So Kono (Salif Keita), 50. Hard Headed Woman (Margo Price), 51. Phantom Island (King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard), 52. Liminal (Beatie Wolfe and Brian Eno), 53. Possession (Ty Segall), 54. Humanhood (The Weather Station), 55. Desire On Ice (Tav Falco), 56. I Quit (Haim), 57. The Universe Will Take Care of You (Holden & Zimpel), 58. Earthstar Mountain (Hannah Cohen), 59. Talkin to the Trees (Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts), 60. Touch (Tortoise), 61. Forever Howlong (Black Country, New Road), 62. Till the Morning (Brian D'Addario), 63. Tether (Annahstasia), 64. Renascence (Cymande), 65. Dim Probs (Gruff Rhys), 66. Time Indefinite (William Tyler), 67. Altogether Stranger (Lael Neale), 68. Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years (John Fogerty), 69. Flying with Angels (Suzanne Vega), 70. Glutton for Punishment (Heartworms), 71. Ride into the Sun (Brad Mehldau), 72. Golliwog (Billy Woods), 73. Radio DDR (Sharp Pins), 74. Die to Wake Up from a Dream (MF Tomlinson), 75. Abstraction Is Deliverance (James Brandon Lewis Quartet)

CLASSIC ROCK MAGAZINE 1. The Overview (Steven Wilson), 2. The Revenge Of Alice Cooper (Alice Cooper), 3. The End (Mammoth), 4. All Washed Up (Cheap Trick), 5. Dreams On Toast (The Darkness), 6. The Hives Forever Forever The Hives (The Hives), 7. Black & Gold (Joanne Shaw Taylor), 8. Breakthrough (Joe Bonamassa), 9. Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death (Creeper), 10. No Rain, No Flowers (The Black Keys), 11. Curious Ruminant (Jethro Tull), 12. Saving Grace (Robert Plant with Suzi Dian), 13. June (De’Wayne), 14. Critical Thinking (Manic Street Preachers), 15. God Shaped Hole (Those Damn Crows), 16. Mirador (Mirador), 17. Satanic Rites Of The Wildhearts (The Wildhearts), 18. Bloom (Larkin Poe), 19. Bored Animal (His Lordship), 20. Welcome To The Future (H.E.A.T), 21. Everest (Halestorm), 22. The Painful Truth (Skunk Anansie), 23. V: Lamentations (Wytch Hazel), 24. Brotherhood (FM), 25. The Archer (Masters Of Reality), 26. Whomp Whack Thunder (Whiskey Myers), 27. Chosen (Glenn Hughes), 28. The Bestiary (Castle Rat), 29. LSD (Cardiacs), 30. Skeleta (Ghost), 31. Less Is More (Inspector Cluzo), 32. Futique (Biffy Clyro), 33. Everything (Eureka Machines), 34. Mad! (Sparks), 35. Leo Rising (Danko Jones), 36. Midnight At The Valencia (Cardinal Black), 37. Antidepressants (Suede), 38. Is (My Morning Jacket), 39. Something To Consume (Die Spitz), 40. Ad Astra (Ash), 41. Walking On Water (Luke Morley), 42. More (Pulp), 43. Giants & Monsters (Helloween), 44. I Beat Loneliness (Bush), 45. Gargantuan (Amplifier), 46. Here We Go Crazy (Bob Mould), 47. Circling From Above (Styx), 48. Roar Like Thunder (Buckcherry), 49. Duets Special (Chrissie Hynde And Pals), 50. Talkin To The Trees (Neil Young)

The Album Of The Year website publishes most of the end-of-the-year lists as well as an aggregate list derived (this year) from as many as 106 different publications. This is always different, much more pop-oriented than the magazines I read. According to this list, this year's top album was Rosalía's LUX. now, this is an artist I always dismissed, without really listening, as the latest Latina pop star, sort of a younger Shakira or J-Lo. Well, I certainly was wrong! From what I've listened on youtube, Lux seems to be a very complex and well-realized album blending wildly different genres, high-profile guests, and a heavy concept: each song is inspired by the life of a "saintly" figure from the past. The fact that it doesn't collapse under the weight of all this ambition, is a miracle. And yes, this girl sure can sing! Other than that, the list proves the unanimous acceptance of 90's stalwarts Pulp and Suede - the only two artists that can be found on all 4 lists presented here. Stereolab is another 90's indie band whose return is greeted with widespread enthousiasm while newer bands we've encounterd in previous lists include, among others, CMAT, Wet Girl, Big Thief, and Horsegirl.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR AGGREGATE 1. LUX (Rosalía) 389 Points, 2. Getting Killed (Geese) 384 Points, 3. Bleeds (Wednesday) 194 Points, 4. DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (Bad Bunny) 180 Points, 5. EUSEXUA (FKA twigs) 177 Points, 6. EURO-COUNTRY (CMAT) 171 Points, 7. Let God Sort Em Out (Clipse) 167 Points, 8. choke enough (Oklou) 158 Points, 9. West End Girl (Lily Allen) 155 Points, 10. NEVER ENOUGH (Turnstile) 153 Points, 11. Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party (Hayley Williams) 152 Points, 12. Baby (Dijon) 146 Points, 13. Addison (Addison Rae) 145 Points, 14. GOLLIWOG (billy woods) 128 Points, 15. Essex Honey (Blood Orange) 125 Points, 16. More (Pulp) 121 Points, 17. Fancy That (PinkPantheress) 118 Points, 18. Moisturizer (Wet Leg) 114 Points, 19. The Passionate Ones (Nourished By Time) 98 Points, 20. Lotus (Little Simz) 96 Points, 21. black british music (2025) (Jim Legxacy) 95 Points, 22. private music (Deftones) 85 Points, 23. MAYHEM (Lady Gaga) 85 Points, 24. Lonely People With Power (Deafheaven) 82 Points, 25. The Art of Loving (Olivia Dean) 73 Points, 26. It's A Beautiful Place (Water From Your Eyes) 71 Points, 27. THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY! (JADE) 70 Points, 28. Double Infinity (Big Thief) 70 Points, 29. Phonetics On and On (Horsegirl) 69 Points, 30. Instant Holograms On Metal Film (Stereolab) 65 Points, 31. viagr aboys (Viagra Boys) 63 Points, 32. The Clearing (Wolf Alice) 61 Points, 33. THE BPM (Sudan Archives) 61 Points, 34. Everybody Scream (Florence + the Machine) 60 Points, 35. New Threats From the Soul (Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band) 60 Points, 36. ICONOCLASTS (Anna von Hausswolff) 58 Points, 37. Virgin (Lorde) 58 Points, 38. SABLE, fABLE (Bon Iver) 56 Points, 39. Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You (Ethel Cain) 55 Points, 40. caroline 2 (caroline) 54 Points, 41. Headlights (Alex G) 52 Points, 42. Antidepressants (Suede) 50 Points, 43. Sinister Grift (Panda Bear) 49 Points, 44. hexed! (aya) 47 Points, 45. Big city life (Smerz) 44 Points, 46. Glory (Perfume Genius) 44 Points, 47. Who Let the Dogs Out (Lambrini Girls) 44 Points, 48. I Love My Computer (Ninajirachi) 43 Points, 49. People Watching (Sam Fender) 42 Points, 50. Pirouette (Model/Actriz) 42 Points.

These Trails "These Trails" 1973*****

This is another album I hadn't heard in many years. When I took this out for a spin, I thought "I remember this, it's a good one - native American acid folk". Close enough: it's really Hawaiian, but there really is a crucial native element here, as the music and lyrics are steeped in that island country's tradition and inspired by its tropical landscape. Maybe the font used on the cover played tricks with my memory, as it reminded me of old Western movies. The songs are mainly the work of a local couple: singer/guitarist Patrick Cockett was a native Hawaiian and student of traditional music, while singer-songwriter Margaret Morgan was a Hawaiian-born white girl from an old and distinguished family of sugar plantation owners. She was away studying in California, but they met at Hanalei beach in Kauai island during her college break, bonding over music, and ended up living together in a rural Hawaiian setting for a while. Her vocals are one of the most defining elements of the album: fragile and dramatic, reminiscent on occasion of Kate Bush or maybe Joni Mitchell, but with a pronounced vibrato often compared to Donovan. The songs initially only featured Margaret on lead vocals and dulcimer, with Patrick on vocals and acoustic guitar, using both traditional Western strumming and the Hawaiian slack key style. They must have already sounded quite nice in a folky kind of way, but it's when they took the songs to the "big city" (in this case, Honolulu) that magic happened: At Sinergia studios they were introduced to Dave Choy, sound engineer and ARP synthesizer pioneer, whose experiments with electronic music turned out to blend unexpectedly well with the couple's acoustic pastoral sounds. Another important element was Uruguayan composer/guitarist Carlos Pardeiro who joined the band in the studio, as did their friends Eric Kingsbury on guitar and Ron Rosha on the ipu, a percussion instrument made from gourds, commonly used to provide the beat for hula dancing. Last (and, from a musical point of view, probably least) of the contributors mentioned in the liner notes is Boogie Kalama, a surfer friend of the couple. He's credited with "feet" - no he doesn't stomp his feet or anything like that on record, it's just his feet that we see on the front cover photo. Opener "These Trails" is a short acid folk tune strongly reminiscent of Incredible String Band. "Our House In Hanalei" celebrates rural island living, and has a more definite Hawaiian feel, with soft percussion and beautiful harmonies. The use of the melodious pidgin dialect makes it even more charming. "Of Broken Links" is an atmospheric piece with multi-tracked harmonies while "El Rey Pescador" is a Spanish language track written by and sung with Carlos Pardeiro, who also adds some nice sitar textures. South American, Pacific, and Indian influences blend remarkably well here. "Psyche I" is an acoustic guitar instrumental that segues into "Share Your Water". The combination of ethereal female vocals and electronic effects reminds me of a 60s psychedelic band called The United States Of America. If you're not familiar with their work, you should check them out. It's followed by "Hello Lou", a delicate folk duet with string and synth orchestration reminiscent of Robert Kirby's work for Nick Drake. "Rusty’s House" is an unadorned folk tune segueing into the more cosmic and richly orchestrated "Lost in Space" with ARP simulating the sound of ocean waves. "Psyche II" continues from where "Psyche I" left off, adding more synthesizer sounds. "Sowed a Seed" is another experimental track with weird synth sounds and dulcimer, followed by the more conventional folk of "Rapt Attention". "Waipoo", named after the waterfall in Waimea Canyon, is full of naturalistic imagery and lush strings, and closer "Garden Botanum" is a quietly exuberant celebration of flowers and nature, full of arpeggios and synth washes. All in all, this timeless album resembles nothing else I've ever heard: yes, the words and vocals have this twee 60's hippy flower power element, but then the traditional Hawaiian instruments give it an ancient earthy feel, while the experimentation with early electronic music has a retro-futuristic effect akin to witnessing 2001:A Space Odyssey. These Trails is a singular album. Eccentric as hell, yet approachable and utterly enchanting. It's really a time capsule—an intimate snapshot of two musicians (and their circle of friends) channeling their surroundings into music. The record is credited to These Trails, but there was never a band as such; it was a title chosen by Choy because the record had to have a name. There were never any public performances of the music, and no follow-ups. Under pressure from her family, Margaret returned to college never to record music again; she didn't even stay long enough to listen to the final form given to her songs. Patrick has sometimes appeared playing alongside folkies Taj Mahal and Buffy St. Marie. The limited pressing of this LP sold out pretty quickly, for it to gradually became one of those rarely heard legendary collectors' items. Of course original copies are beyond the reach of most of us, but even reissues aren't easy to come by, so if you come across a copy, don't hesitate to grab it.

***** for Of Broken Links, El Rey Pescador, Share Your Water, Hello Lou, Lost in Space, Our House in Hanalei, Waipoo 

**** for These Trails, Sowed a Seed, Rapt Attention, Garden Botanum

 *** for Psyche I, Rusty’s House, Psyche II

The Brian Setzer Orchestra 'Boogie Woogie Christmas" 2003🎅🏼🎅🏼🎅🏼

From Jethro Tull to Twisted Sister, Bob Dylan to Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Beach Boys to Eric Clapton, every rocker seems to think they owe their fans a Christmas album. Even Bad Religion (religion bad, Christmas good? How does that figure?) Brian Setzer, though, has taken it to another level. Since he left The Stray Cats behind, he's been on a mission to resurrect the golden age of big bands, swing, and rockabilly. Who better, then, than him to play those old chestnuts familiar from Elvis and the Rat Pack? He channels the spirit of the King with aplomb on “Blue Christmas” and “Santa Claus Is Back in Town”, embellishing them with his own trademark reverb-drenched guitar solos, while Elvis' erstwhile costar Ann-Margret adds authenticity by providing playful guest vocals on "Baby, It's Cold Outside". Previously, side one has opened with probably the most cliché Christmas tune, "Jingle Bells". Setzer manages to make it sound interesting by giving it a rockabilly twist ("Oh what fun it is to ride in a '57 Chevrolet"), while "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" is pure R&B, Winter Wonderland" is jazzy and "The Nutcracker Suite" is an ambitious swing/classical crossover - he'd return to this idea on 2007's Wolfgang's Big Night Out. Side two keeps up with impeccably played and tightly arranged big band versions of yuletide classics "(Everybody's Waitin' for) The Man with the Bag" and "Sleigh Ride", a Stray Cats-style rocking "Run Rudolph Run", country-ish "Cactus Christmas" (is it an original? I wasn't previously familiar with it), and ballad "So They Say It's Christmas". The album closes with two earnestly spiritual songs "O Holy Night" and "The Amens", utilizing a very churchy choir. All in all, Setzer manages to retain everything we all love about those old seasonal favorites, while making subtle changes that breath new life to them. His ebullience is infectious, and the album makes for a delightfully fun listening experience that is sure to put you in celebratory mood for the holidays. The album was originally released on CD only, but for the vinyl lovers there's a beautiful reissue from 2019 in Christmas tree-green-colored vinyl and gatefold cover. Of course I bought it, and every December it makes repeated trips to my turntable. Three more Christmas-themed albums followed: Dig That Crazy Christmas (2005), Rockin' Rudolph (2015), and the live Christmas Comes Alive (2010), plus a compilation and a couple of live DVDs: Brian Setzer Orchestra Live: Christmas Extravaganza (2005) and Christmas Rocks! (2018). I haven't heard/seen them all, but everything I've heard seems to be in the same spirit. All guaranteed fun, but there's no beating the original, so this is the one to start your Brian Setzer Christmas collection with!

**** for Jingle Bells, Boogie Woogie Santa Claus, Santa Claus Is Back in Town, Run Rudolph Run

*** for Winter Wonderland, Blue Christmas, Baby, It's Cold Outside, The Nutcracker Suite, (Everybody's Waitin' for) The Man with the Bag, Sleigh Ride, Cactus Christmas, So They Say It's Christmas

** for O Holy Night, The Amens

The Siegel-Schwall Band "Three Pieces For Blues Band And Orchestra/ Street Music (Russo)" 1972-1977(Rec) 1977 (comp)***

OK, I found this LP at the bargain bin of my neighborhood record store and it caught my attention; I don't believe I had ever heard of a blues/classical fusion work before. Rock yes, but blues not. And Siegel-Schwall sounded like a random choice for such a work - not highbrow enough, somehow. I got it, then tried to find out more about how it came to be. Apparently, Japanese orchestra maestro Seiji Ozawa actually got the idea of a blues/classical fusion work after seeing Siegel–Schwall Band perform live at a Chicago blues club - so, the band choice was anything but random. He pitched the idea to composer William Russo, who wrote the symphonic parts to Three Pieces for Blues Band and Symphony Orchestra as well as broad outlines for the blues parts, to be filled by the band themselves. The work debuted in 1968; at the time, it was an unprecedented combination - the only similarly bold experiment in roughly the same period that I can think of was The Moody Blues' Days Of Future Past (1967). By the advent of prog rock in the early 70's, the combination sounded interesting rather than outlandish, so Siegel-Schwall went into studio to record the piece with the San Francisco Symphony, conducted by Ozawa himself. Side two featured a different work, Leonard Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. The album opens with a minute-long atmospheric intro followed by a blues boogie with beautiful electric guitar; here the orchestra nicely compliments the blues band, which seems to have the upper hand. On "2nd Part", it's the orchestra that dominates. Guitar and piano enter after 3 minutes, and harmonica after 6:30. The playing of the blues band on "3rd Part" is excellent, but for me the piece is somewhat marred by the orchestra occasionally being too loud. While this is quite normal in a symphonic setting, it sounded too bombastic and out of place to my ears compared to the gentleness of the blues band. It makes for an interesting comparison with another, more successful fusion work: more than 20 years later, the same San Francisco Symphony, conducted by Michael Kamen this time, would play a concert with Metallica immortalized in the Metallica S&M DVD and CD. Here the orchestra would never overpower the band, sparring with the powerful metal rockers during the louder parts, and adding drama and nuance to the (relatively) quieter ones. The original LP issue was released by classical music label Deutsche Grammophon, and sold quite well, reaching number 21 on the Billboard Jazz Chart and number 105 on the Billboard Top 200. My 1977 reissue on Polydor is quite different, as side 2 features another Russo composition called Street Music: A Blues Concerto. Taken from a different Deutsche Grammophon LP, this piece was also recorded by the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Since Siegel-Schwall had disbanded, it only features Corky Siegel on harmonica and piano. It consists of 4 movements: the first one opens with a mourning harmonica whose sound blends well with the strings; after 3 minutes the symphonic parts takes completely over. To me it sounded like the music of a movie or ballet, going through various moods that seemed to comment on something invisible happening onstage. The "2nd Movement" consists of alternating passages of boogie woogie piano and classical, never really integrating. The combination works better on "3rd Movement", while "4th Movement" starts with an upbeat harmonica intro, followed by classical segment, then a segment with nice harmonica/orchestra interplay, and ends with a bombastic symphonic coda. As a whole, I find "Street Music" rather less engaging, as I missed the blues guitar, but Corky Siegel's performance on harmonica is insanely good. He convinced me for the first time that this "humble" yet versatile and very expressive instrument actually has a place in classical music, which I never would have thought before. To summarize, I thought the blues playing by the band is particularly strong, while the symphonic part sounds great when it blends well with the blues. When it takes over, it sounds just like a random classical piece - or, to be more accurate, like soundtrack music. In any case, an interesting experiment which may sound pompous as an idea but it certainly has its moments.

Three Pieces For Blues Band And Orchestra: 1st Part****,  2nd Part***, 3rd Part*** 

Street Music: A Blues Concerto 1st Movement***, 2nd Movement**,  3rd Movement***, 4th Movement***

The liner notes, translated from German

Mops "Rock 'N' Roll '70" 1970 ***

For the first time, I'm presenting a record that's not part of my record collection. Not on purpose; I bought GS Original Stock 5 by The Mops during my recent visit to Japan, mistaking it for their sophomore effort, Rock'n'Roll 70. I then downloaded the album I thought I had bought on MP3 and listened to it while driving to work, proceeding to write my review based on what I heard. Then, when I played the actual vinyl at home, I realized my mistake: even though both albums use the same cover photo, one of them is really a compilation. The Japanese song titles on the back cover were no help to me; do you think I can tell whether this "朝まで待てない" or this "朝日のあたる家" means "House Of The Rising Sun"? Anyway, since I took the time to write the review already, I thought I'd post it here anyway. And, for your information, I'm not the only one who made this mistake; rateyourmusic also lists GS Original Stock 5 as a  different issue of the original Rock'n'Roll 70 LP rather than as a completely other album. 

On the left, a photo of the LP I bought in Japan. On the right, the one this review is about:

The Mops are considered to be Japan's first psychedelic rock band; their debut Psychedelic Sounds in Japan (1968) featured fuzz-laden covers of Jefferson Airplane, Doors, and Animals songs. It was pretty good, but seemed to be a bit too eager to jump on the flower-power bandwagon. Their third one Iijanaika (1971), which I've already reviewed here, presented a heavier, less commercial, aspect of the band. Rock 'N' Roll '70, recorded between those two, is mostly ignored; like their debut it features mostly covers, but unlike it, it fails to capture the zeitgeist. If anything, it's divided between nostalgia for the classic blues and rock'n'roll of the 50's and early 60's and their future progressive heavy sound. "Rock'n'Roll" (which singer Hiromitsu Suzuki pronounces "Lock en Lol😂") is a wild rockabilly incorporating Little Richards' "Good Golly Miss Molly" and sounds like a precursor to the same-named Led Zeppelin track. "Jenny Jenny '70" is a more straight Little Richard cover. "Ain't That Just Like Me" is a fun little rock'n'roll ditty (previously covered by The Coasters, Searchers, Hollies etc) and "I'm A Man" is a Spencer Davis Group song; both are tough, well-played, versions but too short and missing any distinctive characteristics. I find myself wishing they had elongated them or added some nice solos, 1970 wasn't the 3-minute radio era when these songs first appeared. Hiromitsu was a big Eric Burdon fan, so he covers two Animals songs here: wild R&B "Club A Go Go" and their classic "House of The 'Lising' Sun". The latter features an interesting bridge utilizing a string section (or, more likely, mellotron) and a (possibly traditional Japanese) reed instrument. The other ballad here is a rather lackluster version of The Beatles' "Elenore Rigby". "My Babe" sounds like a blues cover, but I'm not sure (it's not the familiar Little Walter tune of the same name). The rest sound like band originals, and are of arguably more interest. The album opens with Hendrix-like psychedelia of "Participation" - one of the record's highlights, along with "Kyoko", a Groundhogs-like prog-blues hard rocker. "Get Got Gotten" treads similar ground while "Body And Soul" is a hard rock-garage-soul hybrid similar to modern groups like The Gories and Bellrays. In the end, despite the fact that they choose to sing in English and that this LP is obviously intended as a tribute to their early British/American R&B/Rock&Roll influences, there's something very Japanese about it; I don't just mean the singer's accent, but also the fact that all these influences seem to be processed with an alien sensibility - of someone who was steeped in Western culture but not necessarily of it. As it turns out, the album is quite rare, especially on vinyl. So, if you can find a copy (even CDs are rare) I say get it, it's worth adding to your collection. Just make sure it's the one on the right.

**** for Participation, Rock 'N' Roll, House Of The Rising Sun, Kyoko, Body And Soul

*** for My Babe, I'm A Man, Jenny Jenny '70, Eleanor Rigby, Get Got Gotten, Ain't That Just Like Me, Club-A-Go-Go

Dublin Record Stores

It always sounds strange to hear that all of Ireland -including the northern part- only has a population of 7 million. Because Irish influence in popular culture, music, literature, mythology etc. has always been disproportionally big. I can name many gifts that Ireland has given to the world, but this one suffices: the water of life, which in Irish Gaelic is called uisce beatha, and commonly known to the rest of the world as whiskey. Guinness beer isn't too bad either, and has more uses than I previously knew about: one can drink it, use it to bake bread, or make a delicious (beef or lamb) stew with it, make caramel fudge, and who knows what else. And did I mention that it tastes much better in Ireland than anywhere else? Not just my idea, a well-known fact. Now I know people take rightly offence with the drunken Irishman stereotype, but on this case I'm talking about my own experience in Ireland. No, I didn't exactly get drunk on my first trip to Dublin, but I do believe I drank way more beer than water - and how else, when you're out walking all day, and there's a nice pub in every corner inviting you to stop and have a drink. Often with musicians playing live Irish music. Which, apparently, encompasses just about all of folk, pop, and rock. I mean, I was under the impression that Oasis were a British band from Manchester. Nope! The Gallagher brothers? Irish. The Sex Pistols' Johnny Lydon? Irish. Bruce Springsteen? Kurt Cobain? Rihanna (yes, that Rihanna)? All Irish! The diaspora has spread so wide that there's probably at least a drop of Irish blood in every person you meet. So, suppose you want to buy a record by a famous Irish person. Like Van Morrison, Rory Gallagher, or Bono. Or David Bowie. Or The Beatles - I kid you not! John, Paul, and George, all had Irish roots. Anyway, say you want to buy some records. Where do you start?

I guess the Temple Bar is as good a place as any. Like many tourists, I also wondered whether that area on the south bank of the River Liffey took its name from the same-named pub or vice versa (it is vice versa). Locals all tell you to avoid both the pub and the area "It's a tourist trap" they say. "Pints cost €10". "The music is too loud". I took their advice and didn't go inside any of the pubs there. I did walk through the area often enough, and I have to say it is a nice, lively, district full of narrow, cobbled streets and nice pubs, restaurants, and shops. If you're looking to party, it's probably the place to go. If you're looking for vinyl... well why not start with Mojos Records? It's a tiny place at Merchant's Arch, pretty close to the Temple Bar Pub, actually - and, unlike it, not overpriced. (Used) LPs cost €15-30, CDs €5. 

Despite its small size, there's a pretty good selection in various genres. Still in the area, there's The R.A.G.E. (Record, Art and Game Emporium) a cave-like basement offering retro video games and used vinyl. A mix used and new records (€5-30) including punk, classic rock, Irish music, and electronica. Further south (on 15A Wicklow St, near the Molly Malone statue) you can find Firebird Records. One of the oldest independent record stores in the area (est.1978) it also styles itself as "The Secret Book and Record Store" because it's a bit hidden behind a long corridor - although the huge signs at the entrance give the "secret" away. A big variety of vinyl (new €25-40, used €10-30) and CDs (new €10-20, used €4-5). Very good for rock, punk, and indie music as well as Irish bands, both modern and traditional. A great selection of books, too. In the direction towards Trinity College (47 Nassau St), there's another "hidden" record shop called Sound Cellar - a basement dedicated to heavy metal.

A huge variety of records in this specific genre (including hard rock, prog, and black metal) both CD (€15) and vinyl (€30-40). Just around the corner (7 Dawson St) you can find a big Tower Records shop: on the ground floor there are (new) LPs (€25-40) and CDs (€15+ but also many offers 3-for-€10). Irish music (indie and trad), lots of DVDs as well as T-shirts and memorabilia. The upper floor is dedicated to vinyl only: rock, pop, hip hop, dance, jazz etc. Further south, inside the Stephen Green shopping centre, there's a shop of the Golden Disc chain: a big space, also selling a lot of T shirts and  memorabilia. LPs cost €30-50, although there are also many on offer (3-for-€70). CDs €10-20. On your return to Temple Bar, you may want to hit another couple of shops: Spindizzy Records is a big-ish shop with a big variety in CDs (new €10-20 used €5-6) and LPs (New €25-40, used lp €5-25). Punk, alternative, pop, rock, and folk. Spin Dizzy is inside George’s Street Market Arcade which houses a bunch of other shops worth browsing. Including a small shop called Elevation. This one just has some posters etc, but there's another Elevation shop (3 Johnson Pl) which really is worth its full name Elevation Music Movies Comics. It may be small, but you'll find records of most of the major artists. LPs €25-40, CDs new €10-15 used €4-5. There's also a place called Claddagh records, which is specialized to Irish/Celtic music. It does have a physical address but seems to sell only online. Lastly, despite what I said earlier, I did step into a pub at the temple bar area: its called Foggy Dew, and -on that day- it hosted a record fair. Apparently it also often houses rock concerts. Whether record fairs are also a common occurrence there, I wouldn't really know. 

On the other side of the river Liffey, there are relatively few record stores: A decent-sized Golden Discs in the Jervis shopping centre, and a Tower records situated on the 2nd floor of a big Euston shop (on 40 Lower O'Connell Street); It's 50/50 split between films and music; good for country, Irish music, and pop/rock. LPs € 25-40, CDs €10-17. There's also a big 3-story HMV shop (18 Henry St) selling all kinds of stuff: DVDs, games, T-shirts and of course LPs (new €25-40) and CDs (€8-15). The best thing about it, though, is the "Who's Playing in Dublin" board on the 1st floor; there are announcements and flyers for all the live events going on around the city. The last shop I visited on the north side was Bookmart Game Exchange - as you may have guessed it mainly sells used books and videogames, but it also has a few cheap used CDs. I unfortunately didn't have time to visit In Dub Reggae Store, and there seems to be some confusion about the address (seems to have moved recently?), but according to googlereviews it is a very good specialty shop and must be worth visiting for fans of that genre. 

On Friday 31/10, we left Dublin early for a day-trip to a nearby town called Kilkenny; I first heard about it on a Pogues album which had a song called "Wild Cats of Kilkenny"- apparently, once two Kilkenny cats fought each other so ferociously that only their tails remained at the end of the battle. What, you don't believe it? Why? the tales Irish people say are always so well-grounded. It is in any case a beautiful town, and also features a nice medieval castle. It served for 600 years as the seat of the Butler dynasty - literally, the dynasty's founder was a Norman lord who came to Ireland as butler (a.k.a. cup-bearer) of the infamous King John of England. A visit is recommended, but don't expect too many gothic vibes: the castle has been refurbished into a comfortable manor house some centuries ago. Being there on Halloween, we couldn't resist a visit to Kytelers Inn, previously owned by Dame Alice Kyteler, the first recorded person condemned for witchcraft in Ireland (1324 AD). She fled before the executioner got his hands on her, but her handmaid Petronella De Meath was burned at the stake as an accomplice. There's a plaque commemorating her on Butter Slip alley, a small Harry Potter-like passageway starting off at St. Kieran's street. About 100m further up St. Kieran's St, there's Rollercoaster Records, a rather stylish medium-sized shop. You'll find some interesting records there, but rather random ones - don't expect them to carry all the classic LPs by major artists. Only new vinyl (€20-30) and CD's (€15). 

The city also hosts a Golden Discs record store located in the Market Cross Shopping Centre. Similar stuff with the Dublin shops of the same chain. The next day it was back to Dublin - to see the phantasmagoric Mácnas parade, and to visit the Guinness Storehouse, Irish whiskey museum, the national museum of archaeology that houses those eerie bog bodies as well as Celtic artifacts, W.B. Yeats exposition in the National Library, the Chester Beatty museum... there wasn't enough time to see everything we wanted, what with the regular pub stops and everything, but there's always next time!

Athenians Of Toronto "Σαν Σκοτεινιάζει/San Skotiniazi" 1971***

This reissue appeared out of nowhere a couple of years ago; it took everyone by surprise, since it was widely believed that all Greek rock/pop singles of the 60's and early 70's were already known to collectors, most of them having been re-released and anthologized. As for whole LP's there's never been more than a handful of those. But, of course, it's no surprise that nobody in Greece had ever heard of this Greek-language band seeing as they lived half a world away in Toronto Canada. At the heart of the band there were the Filippeos brothers Costas (keyboards) and Nikos (drums), and singer Vangelis Bethanis. The three Greek-Canadians were joined by guitarist Denny Fernando and bassist Paul Imo. The band first formed in 1966 when all the members were aged between 11 and 17. They had a repertory of Greek and Italian songs they would play at parties and weddings of the respective immigrant communities, mixing them up with contemporary rock and pop hits, also backing visiting Greek traditional music singers. By 1971, they were ready to record their own album; they had few original numbers as well as a rich repertory of covers to which they added Greek lyrics. This decision is both a strength and a weakness: on one hand, it's what makes the covers rarer and more interesting, on the other -and that goes for those who understand Greek- the lyrics are embarrassingly sappy. The singer adopts the old-fashioned croon of lounge singers on the ballads, while he lacks the soul feeling necessary to match the soulful arrangements of the faster numbers. The instrumental part is much better: rich organ grooves, searing guitar solos, and a bold brass section featuring top Toronto jazz players like Pete Schofield, John Satcho, and Heather Banks. Despite the fact that the album was a true DIY production recorded in just six hours at RCA Studios in Toronto, with no budget for overdubs or post-production, it sounds quite professional for a small private press pressing. What amazes me most about this album is that the most striking element of this is album is the horn arrangements, even though the horns were never an integral part of the band. The obvious main influences are Chicago and Blood Sweat & Tears; this is in itself a rarity for Greek pop bands who were mainly influenced by the Beatles, Animals, and French and Italian yé-yé singers. We get no less than 4 workmanlike Chicago covers: "O Epivatis" (26 Or 6 To 4, great guitar here), "Μes Sti Nihta Girno" (Make Me Smile), "Me Ti Matia Sou Tha Zo" (Colour My World), "Psahno Na Vro" (Now More Than Ever). We also get decent Greek language versions of "Proud Mary" ("Mary Se Latrevo") and Santana's "Everybody's Everything" ("Ston Planiti Pou Girname"). All the songs feature great horn arrangements and confident playing, especially on guitar, organ, and drums. Two covers stand out: "To Gramma Tis Poulias" (a cover of fellow Canadians' "One Fine Morning") and "Ela Agapi Mou Konta" ("Light My Fire"). The latter incorporates elements from both top-10 versions, namely the acoustic guitar into from Feliciano's cover and the organ from the original. It's also the only bilingual Greek/English pop song of the period that I'm aware of, as well as the only Greek-language Doors cover. I believe the only song here that had been previously covered in Greek was "Proud Mary"; but since The AoT were almost certainly unaware of the other version, they had to devise another set of Greek lyrics and their own, wholly different, arrangement. Lastly, the LP contains three original songs by Costas Filippeos: two schmaltzy ballads ("San Skoteiniazei", "Agapoula Mou Chrissi") and upbeat instrumental "Athenian Rock'n'Roll". The liner notes mention that about 100 (private label) copies were pressed; in one interview, Costas Filippeos claimed there were a thousand of them, but that sounds way exaggerated. Anyway the band gave some records to friends and sold some hand-to-hand during gigs; very few are known to have survived. Also, according again to Filippeos, there were some 8 track tapes and cassettes made in the 80's, of which none have surfaced until now. The album wasn't even known to collectors, until a young indie label from Patras Greece called Veego Records received an mp3 folder that contained ‘Gramma tis Poulias’. It immediately hit the spot, because it was completely different to any other Greek band in its incorporation of jazz grooves and funky horns. The closest I can think of is The Sounds; I used to have reissues of their 1970-1971 LPs but they won't be presented here since I sold them during the Great Vinyl Purge. You see, they weren't garagey enough for my taste (I only kept the 60's "shake" stuff, which were more my thing at the time) but they did contain many Greek language covers of contemporary hits - including some by Santana and Creedence, bands also covered by AoT. San Skotiniazi is probably the only Greek language soul/funk LP from the 60's or early 70's, which gives it an immense novelty value. The musicians' playing should endear them to fans of classic soul and funk, but the lyrics and vocals may sound too kitschy and (not in a good way) old fashioned to Greek speakers. It is in any case a unique record that should pique any collector's interest.

**** for Ο Επιβάτης (26 Or 6 To 4), Έλα Αγάπη Μου Κοντά (Light My Fire), Το Γράμμα Της Πούλιας (One Fine Morning)

*** for Στο Πλανήτη Που Γυρνάμε (Everybody's Everything), Μαίρη Σε Λατρεύω (Proud Mary), Αγαπούλα Μου Χρυσή (Agapoula Mou Chrissi), Athenian Rock'n'Roll

** for Σαν Σκοτεινιάζει (San Skotiniazi), Μες Τη Νύχτα Γυρνώ (Make Me Smile), Με Τη Ματιά Σου Θα Ζω (Colour My World), Ψάχνω Να Βρω (Now More Than Ever)

Scarlet Rivera "Scarlet Rivera" 1977****

One of my favorite Dylan albums is Desire; basically, it's my favorite Dylan album post- Blonde On Blonde, which covers what? the last 59 years? And a very big reason why I love this album is the violin playing of a young lady called Scarlet Rivera. The story of how she came to play in this album, and join Dylan's famous Rolling Thunder Revue tour has been told before, but I'll repeat it here: apparently Dylan was being driven around Greenwich Village, when he spotted Rivera walking with her violin case in hand. He stopped the car, rolled down the window and shouted to her "Hey, can you play that thing?". She obviously recognized him, and agreed to follow him to the studio where he asked her to play along to some songs. Having passed this test, he asked her if she wanted to accompany him to a club to listen to a friend of his. She did, and that friend proved to be Muddy Waters. After a while, Dylan joined Muddy on stage for a song, and then he went to the mic and announced, “Now I want to bring up my violinist." Scarlet passed that test too; by playing with two legends in one night while being totally unprepared, she had earned her place on the historic tour. After the tour and the recording of the Desire LP, she fell out of view - fot most people, that is. I certainly knew nothing of her subsequent career, which probably is also true for most people who know of her only through the Dylan connection. Martin Scorsese's documentary about the Rolling Thunder Revue confused things even further: the director mischievously inserted a number of fake stories in his narration; seeing as Scarlet is the least well-known of the participants, having come out of nowhere and receded back to the shadows as far as Dylan fans are concerned, she was a prime target for those: she supposedly painted mystical symbols on her face (true) she carried a sword with her everywhere (not really true) people avoided her because they took her for a witch (false), she was dating Gene Simmons from KISS at the time - absolutely nonsense, but Dylan uses this to spin a yarn about her taking him to see "her boyfriend" play live, and of the concert inspiring Dylan to paint his face white onstage. In reality, the tour was designed to imitate a travelling circus; everybody was encouraged to look and act eccentrically. When Dylan appeared with a painted face, he was probably thinking of mimes rather than Gene Simmons. Why exactly he and Scarlet parted ways after Desire I don't know; Maybe he wasn't interested in repeating that album's sonic experiment, or maybe Scarlet took advantage of her sudden rise to fame to start her own band; she certainly leads a very talented band of musicians here, especially Dominic Cardinale who played keyboards and co-wrote most of the material. The music isn't what I expected - though, to be honest, I didn't really know what to expect; I just bought it out of curiosity and because I like violins in rock. Not that this is a rock album; it's mostly an electric jazz rock one, not unlike the Jean Luc Ponty LP I reviewed some time ago. "Leftback" and "Earth Queen" feature great synth-and-violin interplay as well as some dazzling violin solos, while "Wicked Witch Of The East" and "Cloak And Dagger" veer into symphonic prog with many classical influences. "Gypsy Caravan" is less free-form, structured more like a folk song - it even has vocals, even though the focus is still on the gypsy-style violin playing. The human voice features minimally; a witchy laugh on the "Wicked Witch Of The East", a bit of singing in "Gypsy Caravan", and a narration about fairies and some wordless vocalizing on the closer "Ring Around The Moon", a song steeped in Celtic music and mythology. The latter shows the direction she would turn to in the future; with the exception of her second LP for Warner (Scarlet Fever, 1978) which was in the same style and with many of the same collaborators as this one, her long discography lies purely on the intersection of new age and traditional Irish music. Not surprising then, that mainstream rock fans lost sight of her; for most of us new age belongs to the world of yoga studios and aromatherapy (whatever that is). But maybe that's just a sign of our prejudice; based on this evidence, Rivera was a really talented musician; I'd be interested in hearing more of her stuff, even if the CD cover art features megalithic monuments and kitschy Celtic design motifs. In any case, the Scarlet Rivera LP makes for a great introduction, and original vinyl copies are cheap and easy to find second hand. Highly recommended for fans of jazz rock and violin music; not so much for Dylan fans.

**** for Leftback, Wicked Witch Of The East, Gypsy Caravan, Ring Around The Moon

*** for Earth Queen, Cloak And Dagger

Record Stores Of Shibuya, Tokyo

It's been half a year since my Japanese trip. It was really a great one: we visited Tokyo, Nikko, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, and Yokohama; we saw beautiful nature, impressive monuments, and futuristic cityscapes, we met nice people and tasted delicious, and often strange, food. Of course I went record hunting, too, and let me tell you this country is a goldmine for record hunters: quality Japanese pressings, some peculiar Japan-only editions, decades-old used vinyl looking as good as new because it's been handled with care and respect, huge record stores full of rare albums, and all for great prices - often half of what you'd pay in Europe or the U.S. I've written previously about my record store mapping session in Kyoto; I got to see a fair amount of that city's record shops, but Tokyo... Tokyo is a lost cause, unless one can spend weeks there, and dedicate a big chunk of their time to record hunting. I mean Tokyo City alone has 14 million inhabitants - and the Tokyo metropolitan area has 37 million! Anyway, I could never surpass this guy's work, which you can download here - what I can do is present the shops I visited at the Shibuya area, where we stayed. It's one of the most famous neighborhoods, a real hub where all the transportation lines meet: apparently, Shibuya Station is visited by 3 million people daily; the second-busiest train station in the world after Shinjuku Station which is right around the corner (around 4km away). It's also famous for the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world; 3000 pedestrians pass the crossing per green light, adding up to almost half a million people daily. So as you can imagine all of Tokyo plus legions of tourists end up here, which makes for an extremely lively area housing lots and lots of bars, restaurants, and shops. Before I start, some general rules about Japan record stores: firstly, many of them aren't front store businesses. You may find them inside shopping malls, or in residential buildings; some, like Disk Union, may even be scattered in different floors of different buildings a couple of blocks apart.

Secondly, buildings in Japan don't have a ground floor - or rather, the 1st floor is the ground floor. So when one tells you this record store is on the 2nd floor that means you go up one flight of stairs. Thirdly, unlike in the US, all prices are tax-inclusive BUT there's a neat little trick you may want to take advantage of: overseas travelers may have the tax deducted from their purchases provided they don't make use of them while they're on Japanese soil. This service will not be available in all shops, but some record stores provide it. Finally, the price of some records will be in the thousands, but don't let that scare you: as of 2025, ¥1000 is only worth roughly €6 or $7. Shibuya's Tower Records is the largest record store in the Asian continent - probably in the world, too. I mean there seem to be four contenders for this title, and one of them is Amoeba Records in L.A. which I've already visited; I can verify that it's freaking huge, but Tower Records Shibuya is even bigger (if not necessarily better). First of all, the building is literally tower-like in height. It's 8 floors high and 1 deep (so, 9 floors in total). Each one is dedicated to something else e.g. 3rd floor is Japanese music, 4th is anime and game soundtracks, 5th is K-pop, 6th is reserved exclusively for vinyl singles and LPs (jazz rock pop soul etc). New records cost around ¥5000, used ones ¥500-3000. Address is 1-22-14 Jinnan, a three-minute walk from Shibuya Station (Hachiko Exit). You know the story of Hachiko dog, right? Exactly opposite the train station, also accessible via the underground passage, you'll find the Magnet Department store (1-23-10 Jinnan). The rooftop lounge of the 8th floor offers one of the best views of Tokyo, including the Shibuya Scramble Crossing. One has to buy a ticket to get there, but the 7th floor is free, and one can get a good view of the crossing from there, too. 

Recofan, which is one of Tokyo's biggest, and more historic, record stores takes up most of the 6th floor.  Here, new LPs cost ¥4000+, used ones on average ¥2000, and used CDs ¥280-1000. Something I found very helpful was that records were arranged alphabetically; in Japanese of course, but next to the Japanese characters (each one is a syllable) there are the corresponding letters in the Latin alphabet. Still close to the station, on the 5th and 6th floor of the Shibuya Modi department store (1-21-3 Jinnan) one can visit HMV Music & Books. To be honest it didn't meet my expectations, as it seemed to focus on K- and J- Pop idols and boy/girl bands, and fan merchandise. There does seem to be an awful big market for those, judging from all the advertisements; these are all around Shibuya giving it that Blade Runner vibe. Huge screens with moving, and often talking, ads, not only on or above the towering buildings but also on street level as well as moving in the streets. I can't tell you how often I was surprised when I heard a voice seemingly addressed to me, and looked right to see the moving image of an androgynous Asian teen idol on a screen bolted on a moving vehicle's trailer. Thankfully, there's another HMV record store nearby (36-2 Udagawacho Noah Shibuya) this one focuses on international music (rock, indie, prog) as well as some J-rock. New LPs around ¥4000-5000, used ones mostly ¥3000 although there are also some for ¥1000. All the above shops (Tower, Recofan and both HMVs) allow for tax-free purchases, which isn't the case with the rest of the shops I visited. Still in the neighborhood, there's Manhattan Records which specializes in Hip Hop, R & B and classic soul. On the 1st Floor (ground floor to us Westerners) there are records in these genres as well as street fashion items, while the 2nd floor mostly has used records and CDs (mostly ¥770-2000) as well as some singles and cassettes. Another shop in similar music style is 2 Tight Music (35-4 Udagawacho, Oak Village Building). It's on the 5th floor, apartment 503. Small but packed with lots of hip hop CDs, as well as some singles and cassettes. On the 3rd floor (apt.305) there's another specialty record store: RnR Music Garden is dedicated to rockabilly. 

Which brings us to a back alley behind a very central street, while there are also a few night clubs in the area. Here there are two record stores opposite each other, Face Records (soul, jazz, funk - according to Google this is now "temporarily closed") and Next Records (2F Ryuko Building, 11-11 Udagawacho) (hip hop, R&B, disco etc). One floor above you'll find another record store called Mother's Record (jazz, rock, bootlegs). You can see it from the street but the entrance is somewhat hidden. I could hear some great rock music coming from a bar here (I think it was this one) - it sounded like The Clash with Japanese lyrics. Me and my girlfriend thought about going in for a drink but there were some very drunk customers at the staircase, singing the chorus of the song at the top of their lungs. They didn't look dangerous or something, they were just loudly enjoying themselves, but we weren't in a similar mood so we left. At the corner there was another bar; a young girl with a short skirt -as is the fashion there- at the door was inviting people to come in, but that's something you get used to in Tokyo, restaurants and retail shops have them too. What did catch my attention was a sign at the front with prices per 45 or 60 minutes. My first thought was they were renting karaoke booths or something similar, the second one was something less innocent. It turns out that this was a 'girls' bar', a popular kind of diversion for middle-aged Japanese men. Contrary to what happens in the West, this is about company, not sex: there's no touching, the girls don't dance for the men or take their clothes off, they're only there for conversation - on any subject except sex. Anyway, let's get back to the record stores, because I've kept the best for last, and that's Disk Union, the motherlode of all record stores anywhere in the world! The various departments of this shop are a bit scattered, yet close to each other. If they were gathered in one place, they'd probably surpass Tower Records. The extremely detailed guide I recommended earlier mentions that Disk Union takes up 5 floors of the Antena 21 building (30-7 Udagawachō), but that wasn't the case when I visited last April: only two floors were occupied by Disk Union at that time: 4F (Club Music) featuring techno, dance, hip hop as well as DJ equipment and 5F (Jazz & Rare Groove) that had jazz, reggae, and world music (prices starting at ¥380, mostly over ¥2000). 

Another shop is at the basement of the Parco department store (15-1 Udagawachō): a lot of jazz, indie, rock, metal, and J-rock. Good variety and prices, even though I couldn't understand the idea behind the pricing: I found two seemingly identical used copies of The Beatles' Blue album, in the exact same condition: one had a yellow label and cost  ¥4650, the other one had a blue label and cost ¥480 - less than €3 for a Beatles' double LP in VG+ condition - only in Japan, man! I could have filled suitcases full of vinyl - hell, I almost did when I visited Disk Union on the first day of the trip, buying all kinds of good-ish records that I nevertheless didn't need, just because they cost less than one third of their usual price. Then I imagined myself dragging those suitcases with me for the rest of the journey, on the shinkansen and in those subterranean cities that pass for metro stations in Japan. From then on, I only bought records from Japanese bands that I knew I wouldn't be able to find anywhere else. By far the most purchases were made at Disk Union Rock (at the basement of 32-7 Udagawa-cho). Huge huge variety in all rock subgenres (classic rock, J-rock, punk, metal etc.) both in vinyl and CD. There were some new LPs (around ¥5000) but crucially lots and lots of used LPs starting from ¥380, and mostly under ¥2000. Here too they have the system with different color labels corresponding to different price ranges. During my visit I also happened to catch an in-store gig, which I loved. I wouldn't know if it happens frequently, though. There are many more Disk Union branches in Tokyo, most notably in Shinjuku, where the various by-genre shops are also scattered among different apartment buildings in the same area. I'll stop at saying that these are also must-visit for collectors, and limit this post to the Shibuya region, with which I'm relatively more familiar; after all there's a lot of information online about record shopping in Tokyo, I'm only scratching the surface here.