SKOT'S HIT PARADE FOR THE WEEK

What I have been playing the most this week. In other words, all this stuff has been getting multiple spins. So, it must all be good, right? Maybe. Or maybe it is intriguing bad stuff. Or a little of both. Nah, its mostly really good.

The De-Lite Superstars - Starship (De-Lite - 1977) (Amazing DeLite 2xLP comp. I love all this stuff. This was the peak year for the label too, probably. As great as the tracks by the Kay-Gees and Street People are - could do without Frankie Avalon's disco stab and maybe without Genya Ravan too and who even remembers Benny Troy? - the comp is really a duel to the funky death between Kool & The Gang and my beloved Crown Heights Affair. "Jungle Jazz" versus "Na Na Hey Hey"! I refuse to choose.)

Michael Quatro - Dancers, Romancers, Dreamers & Schemers (Prodigal/Motown - 1976) (Let's here it for the Quatro family! Patti, Mike, Suzi, Nancy, Arlene! Yay! Detroit royalty, if you ask me. Everyone needs this album just for the song "Ancient Ones". So crazy. Epic dub prog! The whole first side is hot too. Especially the slinky riff-rockin' "Stripper". Mike was a one man band on this album. He did it all. Phazer! Minikorg! Tavras! You name it, he could play it.)

The Hollies - A Crazy Steal (Columbia - 1977) (The harmonies are still there! Always kinda surprised by how much I enjoy latter-day Hollies records. I could say the same about Badfinger. I kinda like it all.)

Redbone - S/T (Epic) (Double LP from Redbone and its my fave by them. Forget the week, I've been playing this for months. Amazing jam after amazing jam. Every side ends with an extended barn burner. If you only own one Redbone album, make it this one. But what the hell, buy them all. Probably would set you back ten bucks or so.)

La Clave - S/T (Verve - 1973) (I was going to sell this - it sells for $$$ - until I played it and fell in love. There are a couple of Latin funk jams on here that would totally appeal to opium eaters. Sloooooooow jams. So cool! Lalo Schifrin was even a fan! That's how cool La Clave were.)

The Osmonds - Love Me For A Reason (MGM - 1974) ("Sun, Sun, Sun" is just so sick sick sick. LOVE. And that break beat on "I Can't Get Next To You" is to die for. Great album!)

Hubert Laws - Afro-Classic (CTI - 1971) (Mostly for the epic cosmic cover of "Fire and Rain", but the whole album is a spacey mellow dream.)

CDs! - Yes, I DO listen to CDs. And, to be honest, when I'm working in the record store, it's sometimes easiest to put one in and keep playing it so that i don't have to worry about which records to play while I'm working. Sometimes that whole 70 minute length thing can be a virtue. Lately: Cambodian Rocks - Volume IV (Khmer Rocks), Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Weld (Reprise), Anita O'Day - This is Anita (Verve), Anita O'Day - Swings Cole Porter (Verve), Helen Merrill - Dream Of You (Emarcy), Pivixki - Gravissima (Lexicon Devil), Aural Pit - Mubomuso (Utech), Solid Soul Original Hits - V/A (Birchmount), Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky (Young God), Just Walk In My Shoes:The Songs Of The Motor City - V/A (Sequel/Castle), Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal - V/A (Numero Group), Anita O'Day - Pick Yourself Up (Verve), Carol Sloane - Out Of The Blue...(CBS), Anita O'Day - Sings The Winners (Verve)