BARGAIN MUSIC
Bartlett
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- Deal of the Month
Hampton Grease Band
- Under $7, Rock
Kansas, Carl Perkins, Roger McGuinn, John Hiatt
- Under $7, R&B
Hadda Brooks and Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
- Under $7, Alternative
Dinosaur
Jr., the Silos, Mudhoney, Sugar, the Fall
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our Bargain Music store, there are hundreds of titles in other categories as well. From
Soundtracks to Classical to Broadway and Blues, we've got high-quality bargains galore
for discerning music fans.
DEAL OF THE MONTH
"Music to Eat"
Hampton Grease Band
A customer says it best: "This double CD of Beefheartian ranting, experimental guitar
work and oddball lyrics may be your 'cup of meat.' The original home of Colonel Bruce
Hampton and madman/genius guitar hero Glenn Phillips, this was a peculiar signing for a
major label. It was even more odd that they chose to reissue it as a CD because it ranks
amongst the worst selling records of all time. All the more reason to pick it up now at this
price as it is unlikely to resurface again."
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UNDER $7, ROCK
"Best of Kansas"
Kansas
Another Amazon.com customer chimes in with this nod to "Best of Kansas": "I played
'Song for America' so many times, my mother would beg me to let the needle keep
sliding on to the next track, while I sang along with Steve Walsh, pictured how Phil
Erhart's drum licks worked, and air-guitared Kerry Livgren's killer riffs." Now it's your
turn to dig in.
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"Restless"
Carl Perkins
The fate of Carl Perkins, one of rock's prime movers, after "Blue Suede Shoes" is a sad
tale. But "Restless," a collection of the guitarist and singer's Columbia recordings,
demonstrates that even years after his big hit, Perkins still had rock's edgy fire burning
bright. This set begins in 1958 and spans the '60s, with newbies NRBQ stopping by for
"All Mama's Children" to end the decade.
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"Cardiff Rose"
Roger McGuinn
When the Byrds flew the coop, Roger McGuinn released a string of solo albums, with
"Cardiff Rose" easily ranking as the best of the lot. It recalls some of the Byrds' best
moments, Bob Dylan's electric burners, and more. McGuinn's never sounded better
outside his famed former band.
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"Hanging Around the Observatory"
John Hiatt
John Hiatt's celebrated debut proves he's beyond category. There are traces of country,
singer-songwriter fare, and rock, and even a hint of spiritual tunesmithing. Through it all,
Hiatt's mark is unmistakable. He seems relaxed as he plays himself (unjustly) away from
stardom.
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UNDER $7, R&B
"Jump Back Honey: The Complete Okeh Sessions"
Hadda Brooks
The great, long-underaccorded Hadda Brooks has seen her star rising beginning in the
1990s, and this fantastic 16-song collection shows why. It's got jump blues to drive the
hips, and torch songs to melt the heart. It's part jazz, part soul, and all wonderful. Few can
match this one.
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"Spanish Fly"
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
The 1990s were all about remembering the 1980s, and Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam were the
quintessence of '80s R&B-pop hybrids. "Spanish Fly" has a pair of their chart-toppers,
"Head to Toe" and "Lost in Emotion." It's got the beats, the sweets, and a band with
stellar haircuts.
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UNDER $7, ALTERNATIVE
"Without a Sound"
Dinosaur Jr.
Maybe "Without a Sound" was a simple plan to get Dinosaur Jr. into the pop limelight. It
didn't. But it does have a bevy of fine pop hooks, pulled a tad away from J Mascis's usual
maelstrom of guitars. It's still loud and powerful, with a lot more attention to emotive
buildup and singsong melody.
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"Hasta La Victoria"
The Silos
Alternative country wasn't a well-enough accepted term to bring the Silos the attention
they deserved. "Hasta La Victoria" finds the band exploring twangy, bucolic songs about
distance, intimacy, and American life.
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"Five Dollar Bob's Mock Cooter Stew"
Mudhoney
For a band prone to soupy, crunching guitars, Mudhoney sounds at home with a variety
of big sounds on "Five Dollar Bob's Mock Cooter Stew." "No Song III" has a big, punky
chorus, and "Between Me and You, Kid" has a country ditty feel about it. Give it up for
one of post-punk's longest-running institutions.
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"File Under: Easy Listening"
Sugar
Another Amazon.com customer recalls Sugar's "File Under: Easy Listening" fondly:
"Back in my days as music director at my college radio station, this album was a shining
example of amazing art that never saw the commercial success it deserved. Today, it
brings back fond memories and happy ears."
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"Oswald Defence Lawyer"
The Fall
There's very little in the world of punk (and its aftermath) as unforgettable as Mark E.
Smith's pinched, snarling voice and the Fall's jagged instrumental accompaniment. Here
you'll find the band romping, going thinly vampish, and covering the Kinks ("Victoria")
very memorably.
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"Sinister Waltz"
The Fall
When Receiver Records decided to release some Fall albums, "Sinister Waltz" was the
first. It's your standard Fall fare--which is to say that it's unflaggingly intense and
emotionally draining. Expect Mark E. Smith's voice to win you over and the band's
instrumental accompaniment to startle you.
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UNDER $7, REGGAE
"The Early Years"
Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Isaacs became reggae's "Cool Ruler" decades ago, and "The Early Years"
catches his coolness learning to fly. His was a talent fully formed by the time "Rock
Away" mixed his languid, soul-graced voice and the rootsy rhythmic production from
Winston "Niney" Holness. Ditto for the dancehall touches of other tunes on this great
snapshot of Isaacs expanding his creative stock.
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"Tribute to Bob Marley"
Various Artists
The great Bob Marley has inspired tributes from the pop, punk, and rock world. Here is
perhaps one of the best straight-up reggae nods to the master, with Inner Circle, Dennis
Brown, Big Youth, Augustus Pablo, and many others taking on a range of Marley's tunes,
from "I Shot the Sheriff" to "Get Up Stand Up."
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"Words of My Mouth"
Various Artists
Lee "Scratch" Perry's name triggers two associations: warpy reggae performances and
incredible, visionary studio production. Here are 22 occasions to dig Perry as both
producer and performer, from the 1973 title track and "Kentucky Skank" to the chart-topping (in the U.K., anyway) "Curley Locks" from 1975.
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UNDER $7, JAZZ
"Hodge Podge"
Johnny Hodges
As one of Duke Ellington's stars since the 1930s, Johnny Hodges was a swing stalwart,
evoking the most passionate embrace with his liquid alto sax style. Here's Hodges leading
his own incomparable band in late 1938 and early 1939. That's Ellington himself on
piano, Cootie Williams on trumpet, Lawrence Brown on trombone, and Harry Carney on
baritone. Oh, and when Ellington's not on piano, Billy Strayhorn is. A gem, through and
through.
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"Slipped Disc, 1945-46"
Benny Goodman
If you buy this collection of Benny Goodman Sextet performances, do so for the 14
tracks recorded in 1945. They boast pianists Teddy Wilson and Mel Powell, vibraphonist
Red Norvo, and bassist Slam Stewart, all swinging feverishly as swing waned and bebop
waxed. Goodman's in top form, and the tunes are smartly chosen and infectious.
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"Sketches of Dreams"
David Sanchez
Saxophonist David Sanchez shows creativity beyond his years on this 1995 debut
(recorded when the leader was barely in his mid-20s). He leads both a percussive Latin
jazz outfit and a straight-ahead neobop band, showing off his mix of gentle warmth on
tenor and a more urgent cut on soprano sax.
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AMAZON.COM zSHOPS
Want more bargain music? Try Amazon.com zShops, starting with rock CDs arranged by
price--from cheap to pricey.
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You'll find more music bargains, from children's tunes to
opera, in Amazon.com's Bargain Music section.