BY MATT KIVEL
Daily Arts Writer
Published May 13, 2007
Forget musicology courses at the University. If you want a real education in all things vinyl, stop by PJ's Records at 617 Packard and talk to the owners. They are audiophiles of the highest order and will gleefully inundate you with a lifetime's worth of musical minutia and illuminating anecdotes. Their shelves are packed with off-beat gems and classic records, so there is no need to endlessly sift through Leif Garrett and Osmond Family compilations - as is the norm at most vinyl shops. Listed below are five wonderful albums that are now in stock at PJ's, as recommended by wiseman/musical oracle/PJ's owner, Marc Taras.
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1. Carla Bley
Escalator over the Hill
Early magnum opus with lyrics by beat-poet, Paul Haines. The triple LP boasts an amazing range of personnel: Gato Barbieri, Charlie Haden, John McLaughlin, Linda Ronstadt, Jack Bruce, Don Cherry, etc. A wild-ride riot!
2. Earl Van Dyke
The Earl of Funk
Soul piano grooves from The Funk Brothers legendary keyboardist.
3. Less McCann and Eddie Harris
Swiss Movement
A soul/jazz classic, recorded live at Montreaux in 1969.
4. John Mayall
Back to the Roots
A reunion of sorts with the Bluesbreakers All Stars, featuring guitarists Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor and Harvey Mandel. Don "Sugarcane" Harris guests on violin.
5. Alice Cooper
Love it to Death
The title says it all. An early Cooper classic featuring "I'm Eighteen."
