Vinyl Freak: Love Letters to a Dying Medium

For fans of vinyl and/or sometimes hard to find albums, this is a rather nifty book full of good information on 200 + rare/o.o.p. (mostly) jazz LPs--included is Lee Perry's "Double 7" release and a Kenyan Highlife (sic) band. Corbett, (author of another good book, "Microgroove", and a DownBeat columnist, also has released some fine jazz on his Corbett vs. Dempsey label) digs into these albums that few people will readily know. Partially taken from his column on albums that (at that point at least) weren't available on CD, along with his own criticism and a bit of memoir, Corbett weaves the search for vinyl and includes not only short yet informative essays on each album but also the album cover art. Also included in the first printing is an unreleased Sun Ra recording on a orange flexi-disc--"It's A Good Day"--featuring Ra on piano and vocals. This book, if you're looking to broaden your knowledge on rare LPs, is worth five "stars". I assume if you're reading this review the subject of rare jazz LPs quickens your pulse a bit. If you're satisfied with the artist/album knowledge you already have (not a bad thing) the book may not appeal to you.As I said, anyone who's really into jazz artists and/or rare jazz albums will like this book. The text is laid out straightforwardly and is written in an easy style that's very readable. The combination of album facts mixed with his own personal views keeps the book from becoming dry and academic. You'll recognize a number of the artists and maybe some of the albums, but the majority of LPs are off the beaten path for most people, and that's what I like. I first browsed through the book, stopping to read about particular albums I recognized or an album that looked interesting, but soon decided to simply sit down and digest this book from front to back over a few days. I'm always on the lookout for books on this subject and Corbett has done a nice job with his chosen albums.And if you're a jazz fan check out his label's releases like Joe McPhee's "Nation Time", a 4 CD box set, or the 2 CD live set from Vassar, both worth hearing.

Insightful and entertaining ruminations of living with vinyl, collecting records, seeking out rarities, discovering hidden gems, listening, and curating music. Corbett's authoritative voice shines through these essays. I learned a lot about music.

Excellent.

Mit dem tiefsinnig humorvollen Buchcover hatte Corbett eigentlich schon gewonnen... Eine erfrischende Auswahl an Schallplatten (hauptsächlich Jazz, darunter auch Aufnahmen europäische Musiker) sehr sympathisch und bodenstänig geschrieben. Zum Finden und Wiederfinden; eine sehr willkommene Kolumnen- und Reviewsammlung für Musikliebhaber.

Full of excellent writing and provocations. A slight lean to free-er jazz, if that tickles your pickle.

not an easy read