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I can’t read two sentences of a blog, news article, or think piece on the internet before my ticking attention span expires. Technology does not encourage or reward patience.

If you are now reading this sentence, you are going great. This ‘blog’ has not been updated since blogs where a thing – a thing where people thought their thoughts mattered greatly and writing styles were brilliant. The internet has allowed everyone a place to be heard and seen. That’s both a good and bad thing. We all make sooo much pointless noise. No one shuts up. Yadda yadda yadda… and the blog continues…

So many records sold and purchased since the last update. More on that another day.

Record fair and book fair on the same day!? Yuss! The two things a person who moves house on average every year and a half should not be encouraged to attend. In fact, i was to be moving house the very next day.

Record fair
Smelt like farts, crowded as, a lot of overpriced same ol same ol records. Too overwhelming. Some conflicting emotions - why why why why do I keep buying records? They all end up in storage and I’m fine with just streaming music. But I could not leave without buying some cheap (regrettable) records.

Felt – A Tribute to Christina Ricci
Yeah I feel this line-up, Murs, Slug, The Grouch and Mr Dibbs! Or at least I felt them (heh, great writing guy). Nah It’s alright. In fact for $2.00, it’s pretty good. Their usual smarty pants one-liners and turn of phrases to impress the girls. If girls actually listened to this. Love the Hot Bars track. The sample flip aye cuz.

Tableturns 2004 (The New York Rhymes. J Live, Slug, some guy named Invisible)I was just curious, and hoping to find a cool cut I hadn’t heard before. The New York Rhymes headlines on the album cover are a show of the times:

“Three musicians on the run from the Wealthy Arrogant Committee AKA WAC. The charges filed against the alleged criminals include non-ignorant behaviour, conspiracy to speak with intelligence as well as charges on conspiracy to drop a bomb on the masses”. 

That’s the flavour of the “news stories” on the cover. A lot of us got caught up in this underground vs mainstream, conscious vs ignorant rap business at the time. In retrospect it’s pretty embarrassing, and as it turns out completely ignorant. I’m not saying the values were off. But the misunderstandings about the so called “Wealthy Arrogant Committee” was wayyyy off. Invisible has the cool cut on this one.

Various Artists - Street Beat (K-Tel)
I’ve being buying cheap records longer enough to know K-Tel. Don’t front. As far as budget electro-hip-hop/dance compilations go this shit is rocking the house. Jonzun Crew, Midnight Star, Whiz Kid etc.. The dance instructions weren’t in the sleeve, but you KNOW I don’t need them to get my laser-bop-rock-breaking going in overdrive.

Muhammad Ali – The Greatest Original Soundtrack.
“Ali bombaye! Ali bombaye! Ali bombaye!”. The only reason I blew $2.00 on this was for the fantastic Zaire chant and corny disco music they mixed it with, and George Benson had his name listed as a performer. But the title track ‘The Greatest Love off All’ and the many variations on that theme, ewwww gross.

Original Trinidad Tropicana Steel Band
I got a soft spot for the steel drum. An ingenious sweet sounding instrument, derived of a rough set of circumstances.

The Book Fair
By the time I got to the book fair most of the books had been pretty thoroughly picked over. Surprisingly they had a few creates of records left at the end of the day, with some gems in good condition. Weirdly, the area near the records here also smelt like farts... Nahh it wasn’t me!

The Native Steel Drum Band – Steel Drums
This is a great live recording, with vocal additions and plenty of rhythm. Score!

Various Artists - Strictly For Lovers
Pina Coladas are okay, getting caught in the rain depends what mood you’re in. Reggae love songs? Come now selector. I do like! Much much! Baby baby we got a date.

Barrington Levy – Love The Life You Live
This era of reggae incorporated the new musical technologies on the scene, and some say moved things away from the “rootsy” feel. Interesting things happened as a result of this, good and bad. But that’s all another story. I was all about the dub as a yout thanks to my uncle, then later the roots rock reggaeee. I often dismissed the 80s reggae sound, but eventually doubled back and have got plenty of enjoyment from on it since.

Listen to She’s Mine. Chur cuz for putting me onto this one. Wah-ohhhOhoh.

Shabba Ranks – Best Baby Father
Did I get any books at the book fair? Nope. Is Shabba Ranks the Best Baby Father? No idea, I can’t understand half the words he’s signing. Is this record the funky shit? Who am I asking these questions to, its Shabba Ranks fool! Wise up! Party at my house.

The Michael – Schenker Group The Michael Schenker Group – Self Titled.
No this band is not called ‘The Michael’ and the album is not called ‘Schenker Group’. It’s the Michael Schenker Group dummy. That’s what happens when the area by the records smells like farts. You make hasty $2.00 purchases. Pretty fast rockin, some shredding guitar solos, falsetto voice, one of those electric guitars that looks like some kind of a flying V. Yip.



Roadshow: A new approach to safety on the road.
I wish I didn’t leave this one till last to write about because this was easily the find of the day, and I can no longer be bothered writing. Fortunately I have recorded and uploaded excerpts for you to enjoy. This is why I keep buying records. So much enjoyment for two dollars. I don’t know where to start with this one.

Roadshow was a touring musical production aimed at the “worst social problem” of the 80s in New Zealand, death and injury on the roads. Chances are if you were living in Kawerau March 30 1983 you might have gone and seen this show. I was being born that very evening so I couldn’t make it. But thanks to this record I can get a re-cap.

The booklet that comes with the record has a wealth of info for those diggers like myself who want to know the origin of record, the context of the time, and in this case the cast of Roadshow (some familiar names).

There are some perfect musical moments on this which blew my brains. John Densem is the man. From the intro my mouth dropped. Funky ass basslines, master of the synth. ‘Why’ is a dance jam,
Wrecker Man is rocking and the album is all interwoven with dark airy synth interludes and hilarious New Zealand accents saying serious things, "lol".

That track, ‘One in Five’ - Oh Ship! When this sailed into my harbour I wanted to call my cuz to roll it into a joint and get some MCs burning it up like “one in five MCs be sounding like doo doo/ one in five MCs can’t  do it like we do” but much better x 100.

Good times New Zealand.