It was an ‘I have to get out of the house’ day and it was nice out there, Olivia was already out and walking down the Porto streets, it was a perfect temperature and although tourists were everywhere, it wasn’t the insanity of June, July, August. Kids are back at school and now it’s just moderate chaos instead of full-on madness. I dropped off the recycling, I’m not sure if anyone else feels like this, but it gives me a great sense of satisfaction to be dropping things in the appropriate bins. It’s the pleasure of sorting things out, nothing makes me happier than putting records in alphabetical order.

I was on my way for some vinyl therapy. I had to pick up the reissue of Robin Trower’s Twice Removed From Yesterday (1973). It’s been re-released as a double album with a whole lot of BBC sessions, unreleased album track versions and the B-side of his Man Of The World single Take A Fast Train. It was his first album release since leaving Procol Harum in 1971. Originally hooking up with Frankie Miller, ex-Tull drummer Clive Bunker, and ex-Stone the Crows bassist James Dewar to form Jude, they did gigs, but it seems they never recorded anything. Dewar stayed with Trower and enlisted Reg Isidore on drums for this debut album. I saw him live in the mid-seventies at the Liverpool Stadium, it might have been for the For Earth Below (1975) tour. I remember it was sold out. Indie guitar players might not dig the style because it’s bluesy, but I have always loved the tone. I saw him once at the San Diego – House Of Blues, I was at the back, all I could see was a room full of men with grey hair, they had no toner (sorry) but Trower’s tone was outstanding.

Whilst I was there, I noticed they had a copy of the last Blackfield album For The Music (2020) on the wall. I asked Jorge and Jose about it. One of the kids came in, picked it up and put a large crease in the cover, so you have it for a 20% discount. Great (it was even pink), so I got that too. This post will be all about the records I got today. From the vinyl I went to the brand new €5 CDs and here’s the list of what I picked up:

Editors – In Dream (2015)
Carla Bruni – s/t (2020)
Eels – The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett (2014)
Andy Davis – Clevedon Pier (1989/2005)
Deerhunter – Monomania (2013)
Camera Obscura – Desire Lines (2013)
The Knife – Shaking the Habitual (2013)
St. Vincent – Daddy’s Home (2021)

Music today was Steven Wilson’s The Raven That Refused To Sing (2013). It seems I missed The Harmony Codex – limited 3 CD box set – sold out. I was too busy to remember to wait at my computer to press the order button the minute it became available, now it’s hundreds of quids to buy it, or just stream it, The Archive was so sad.

Music Of The Daze