what I bought today at Rocking Horse

Iñigo at Spain's awesome Munster Records indicated the other day that he thought it was unusual for music critics to actually purchase CDs. So I thought I'd share my buying habits with you once more.

Incidentally, the reason I'm in communication with Iñigo is that he's asked me to write sleeve notes for a forthcoming six-CD compilation of some of Daniel Johnston's earliest recordings. I am very happy to do so. Even more happy because Iñigo has started sending me some of Munster's catalogue and - Bangs alive, but it's great. (I'd already bought the Angel Corpus Christi, the Wayne County, the Monks demos and the Detroit Cobras comp for myself.) I'll write about some of that stuff shortly.

That's not what I'm talking about here. What I'm talking about here is what I purchased today to celebrate last night's storming Deadnotes album launch and the fact that being on stage for 25 minutes has made me feel more hungover than a bottle of whiskey. And what I purchased today was the following...

Songs - self-titled EP
I already have this, but I was really concerned that I didn't. I didn't need the nerves. I needed the music. So I bought it, whatever. I can always give it to some other needy and deserving soul.

? And The Mysterians - Cameo Parkway (The Best Of...)
Bangs wept, but how the fuck have I survived till today without an ample sample of ? And The Mysterians' sweet garage groove. It is so damn good. It is so damn fine. It makes me want to dance and dance and smile and dance and smile and hug.

The Flamin' Groovies (2 CD set)
Well yeah. 'Shake Some Action' was round about the first song I ever attempted with my short-lived college combo. (I was only at college for 18 months: we held about four rehearsals in our hall of residence and had girls - literally - crawling all over us.) I know we tried a Ramones one, as well - probably 'Rockaway Beach'. And I'd like to say Eddie And The Hot Rods... who knows? I don't think there are any tapes, and I quickly returned to wilful experimentation (some called it outright bloody irritating noise).

I've always had a soft spot for The Barracudas as well. First time I was ever on stage in London was when Jeremy Gluck pulled me up from the crowd late 1979 to sing along on 'I Want My Woody Back'.

Chic - The Definitive Groove Collection
Damn, but I've been aching for 'Dance, Dance, Dance' and 'Everybody Dance' and 'Good Times' and (especially) 'Le Freak' to be incorporated within my iTunes collection for years now. (I, of course, purchased them all on second-hand vinyl decades ago.) The solid-gone groove, so solid-gone and danceable and everything, Isaac immediately started grooving on down at the table when I put 'Dance, Dance, Dance' on...I'd like to say that I totally appreciated its fluidity and all when I started going to discos age 17 (when Chic were completely the rage), but I can't say for sure. The lines were pretty fiercely drawn back then. But maybe I did, cos I fucking loved to dance, and Chic never had those annoying frills.