This is obviously going to be a long process. Life tends to get in the way of finding the time to share these memories with you all. It is kind of fun though, remembering what particular albums and songs mean to me. For example at the moment I'm listening to Left To My Own Devices by the Pet Shop Boys from the album Introspective - an album I bought on limited edition 3x 12" vinyl from Abergele Woolworths (where I also bought my first PSB record - a limited double 7" pack of Suburbia) and then later got on CD - I think from the second-hand rack at Phase One Records in Rhyl.
Remember I mentioned last time that I was a multi-format sucker? I bought the single of Left To My Own Devices on 7", 12", cassette & CD single (all in yellow outer sleeves) as well as owning it on the album. Twice. And then bought the B-sides again on the Alternative compilation. And now I'm listening to it on Spotify punctuated by adverts about energy drinks and commercial radio stations.
I just remembered - I also have a promotional Introspective carrier bag from Kavern Records in Rhyl.
Hopefully more such exciting revelations to follow...
43. Carter USM - 101 Damnations
My friend James introduced me to Carter - they'd played some early shows in Leicester where he was at university and he had seen them for the musical/lyrical geniuses that they were. Now generally I have a lot of faith in James' taste, but then he also tried to convince me about the Manic Street Preachers so I always have to be slightly wary.
Of course, it goes without saying that this time he was right. I remember seeing the LP in Swordfish Records in Birmingham but I don't think I actually bought the CD until maybe a decade or more later. Of course 30 Something, 1992: The Love Album and subsequent singles were bought on release, and seeing them supported by The Family Cat at Leicester Granby Halls (Songkick tells me 11/12/92) remains one of my favourite gigs to this day.
42. Pavement - Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
I bought Slanted & Enchanted from a hi-fi shop in Braunschweig, Germany which had a very impressive indie section (stand-out memories are of buying Trompe Le Monde & PJ Harvey's Dry from there)
I tried to like it, I really did. It has been one of those albums that has eluded me for many years. Every so often I'll give it another try but it still won't click for me.
So what possessed me to buy Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain? I can only assume that I was sufficiently persuaded by lead-off single Cut Your Hair. This is another though that I didn't buy on release, but got second-hand. My memory is that Eifion rang me from a second-hand book shop in Colwyn Bay and asked me if I wanted this for a fiver. Now he has no recollection of this, or of said book shop ever selling CDs. I have 6 months on him so I'm going to put it down to old age affecting his memory.
I certainly have other singles from this album - Gold Soundz, Range Life - so I don't think it would have taken much to persuade to go for the album.
As a matter of fact I only think they bettered it once.
Oops, sorry - SPOILER ALERT!
41. Pulp - His N Hers
The tale of how I fell in love with Pulp is one of my favourite stories to tell, and no doubt some of you will have heard it more than once already, so feel free to skip to number 40.
James & I were off to see Saint Etienne at De Montfort Hall not long after they had released So Tough. I had bought the album on CD from Spinadisc in Coventry on release day but not knowing there was an in-store planned at Andy's Records I'd left it at home. Therefore I had to buy it again to have a good reason to meet Pete, Bob and (who am I kidding - I really only cared about meeting...) Sarah. I'm pretty sure that this was the first band I ever met.
When we got to De Montfort Hall that night we had no idea who were supporting St Et, but onto the stage walks a lanky charmer by the name of Jarvis with his band. They were (obviously) amazing. They were on the cusp of great things as we now know, but they stormed that stage. Jarvis was brilliant and witty as we know. Sharing a box of Milk Tray with the audience before launching into Razzmatazz is still the best thing I've ever seen anyone do between songs. The fact that Babies and Lipgloss are on this album just about edges it over Different Class and Intro as my favourite Pulp album.
For once my memory fails me about where I bought this, but my money is on Rhyl Our Price. What I do know is that I had to make sure I handed over the right copy of So Tough when I went back to Spinadisc and said "Look - I've got two".
40. The Bluetones - Expecting To Fly
There isn't a great deal to say about this one really, except that it remains my favourite album to come out of what was known as Brit-Pop. Just some cracking songs, especially on the second half (after the needle run-off and click in the middle of the CD) and it still gets played on a regular basis when I'm in the mood for great tunes.
39. Madder Rose - Bring It Down
I guess Swim got some airplay on The Evening Session or something. I can't think how else I would have heard of Madder Rose. I went into Penny Lane Records in Chester looking for the single and came out with the album. Scuzzy guitars, cool female vocals - what's not to love. Right up my street.
Second album Panic On was pretty close, but this remains my favourite of theirs.
38. Airhead - Boing!
Airhead didn't need to release anything other than this album, although the stand-alone single Counting Sheep was ace and subsequently added to the album. Another album I got second hand in Rhyl's Phase One, but I'd had a tape copy of it for ages from someone.
Cracking singles like Right Now, Congratulations (got this on ltd 12" in a poster sleeve under their origianl moniker Jefferson Airhead), and the story-of-my-young-life Funny How are interspersed with equally great album tracks.
Back then I thought "It's funny how the girls you fall in love with never fancy you / Funny how the ones you don't do" was up there with anything Morrissey had ever penned.
37. Cake - Fashion Nugget
Cake are great. The Distance was the big radio & chart hit but all their albums have great songs with, often very funny lyrics. Their sweary cover of I Will Survive featured here along with tracks like Frank Sinatra and Italian Leather Sofa showed off their talent to the extent that I ended up paying £15.99 for the next album Prolonging The Magic from Kavern Records.
That's seven more for you. Let's see when life gives me time to do some more.
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