The Recoup

SINCE 2013: Books and books and books and books and occasionally other things

1987

  • 3AM Eternal: Roy Orbison “In Dreams” (1987)

    You should question the quality of any “classic love song” playlist compiler if they don’t include something by the late, great Roy Orbison. The man’s catalog of great love songs and tales of woe and regret rival only The Smiths in terms of tragedy and pathos. I considered many, many songs for this list, but I thought Read more

  • Richard Barone: Cool Blue Halo (Richard Barone Music)

    Former Bongos frontman Richard Barone wasted no time in going solo after the sudden demise of his band. While Phantom Train found Barone and company honing its college-rock chops, Cool Blue Halo was a completely different kind of record. Stripped down to a four-piece, with no fancy production tricks, one might be tempted to call Read more

  • Soundgarden: Screaming Life/FOPP (Sub Pop)

    It’s easy to forget just how powerful a role Soundgarden played within the Seattle scene;  with Badmotorfinger, they would eclipse their hometown and become a heavy, hard rock band that transcended the grunge tag. It also isn’t surprising that success would come, thanks in part to the powerhouse singing of Chris Cornell. This collection–released in Read more

  • The Bongos: Phantom Train (Jem Recordings)

    In the annals of rock history, the “unreleased final album” syndrome is a rather common malady. Such was the case for 1980s college rockers The Bongos. Signed to a major label, there were hopes of banking on the burgeoning college-rock/alternative rock scene. It’s not hard to understand why a label would want to take a Read more

  • Bl’ast!: Blood! (Southern Lord)

      A caveat: this is not, as reported, a long-lost Bl’ast! album; it is merely a remastered and remixed version of the Santa Cruz-based band’s second album (and debut for legendary punk label SST), It’s In My Blood!, released in 1987. Though slightly disappointing it is to not have new, lost vintage recordings from these Read more

  • Paul McCartney “Once Upon a Long Ago” c/w “Back On My Feet”

    “Once Upon a Long Ago,” a dreamy, wintery song, was released towards the end of 1987. The song was the new song from his greatest hits album, entitled All The Best!  In terms of his career, it was his fortieth single, and reached number ten in the UK music charts. The song was an outtake Read more