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Goatless

Goatless

@johneckman.com

Music, Veganism, Travel

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Julian Lennon, Valotte, 1984 on Atlantic

This was Julian Lennon’s debut album, produced by Phil Ramone and released late in 1984. Valotte takes it’s name from a French chateau – Le Manoir de la Valotte – where Lennon stayed and wrote some of the songs. I love “It’s Much Too Late For Goodbyes” and the title track, both of which reflect...

Justin Townes Earle, Yuma, 2007 on Bloodshot Records

Technically this release—Justin Townes Earle’s debut EP—came out on vinyl first in 2013, having been self-released on CD in 2007 and then issued by Bloodshot Records. It’s an amazing record to come back to nearly 20 years later: raw, powerful, his songwriting already very successful. My copy—via Vinyl Index in Somerville MA—is the Record Store...

Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys, Self-Titled, 1990 on RCA / MMC

While best known as the other half of Eurythmics, Dave Stewart has also been an award winning producer and had many side projects, including the Spiritual Cowboys, work with Terry Hall, and more recently being part of SuperHeavy with Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, and Damien Marley. This album came out in 1990 when Eurythmics first...

Deee-Lite, The Very Best of Deee-Lite, 2001 on Rhino / Elektra

If you only know Deee-Lite (yes, that’s four e’s total) from “Groove Is In The Heart” you should check out this collection. It includes 20 songs across all three of their studio albums in a 2xLP gatefold. It came out on CD in 2001, but the vinyl was a 2025 Record Store Day exclusive. My...

David Gray, Mutineers, 2014 on IHT Records

Not sure when I first discovered David Gray—it sort of feels like he’s always been there, but I know there must have been a moment I first heard him. Might have been “Babylon” of off 1998’s “White Ladder.” This was his tenth full-length album, produced by Andy Barlow who also handled programming. Wonderful collection representing...

Aretha Franklin, Who’s Zoomin’ Who?, 1985 on Arista

From the 90s (Mazzy Star) back to the 80s: Aretha Franklin’s very eighties Who’s Zoomin’ Who?. She actually put out a number of albums in the 80s, but this is the only one I remember. Look at the glorious 80s neon fashion on that cover. The man on the inner sleeve is Franklin’s father, The...

Mazzy Star, Among My Swan, 1996 on Capitol

This was Mazzy Star's third album out in 1996 on Capitol. (I posted their sophomore album in the last few weeks: So Tonight That I Might See). It would be their last album until a re-formed Mazzy Star put out 2013's Seasons of Your Day on their own label. It was produced by Hope Sandoval...

U2, Songs of Surrender, 2023 on Island

This album features re-recordings of U2's own songs, re-interpreted from their 2023 vantage point. It was something of an accompanying record to Bono's memoir (Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story) and the AppleTV documentary Bono: Stories of Surrender. The vinyl editions (2 x LP) only have 16 songs, where some of the other editions had more...

The Decemberists, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, 2015 on Capitol

Seventh studio album from Portland Oregon's The Decemberists. The album was a bit of a return to the band following a hiatus of a couple of years after The King is Dead. So many great songs here, many of which get stuck in your head for weeks. My favorite is maybe a toss-up between "Carolina...

Lake Street Dive, Obviously, 2021 on Nonesuch

This was the seventh album from Boston's own Lake Street Dive (formed at the New England Conservatory) and the third on Nonesuch. It was originally due to come out earlier but got delayed by Covid and such. Rachael Price is such a powerhouse vocalist it can almost be overwhelming at times, but I like their...

BostonJoe Nino-Hernes

U2, How to Re-assemble an Atomic Bomb, 2024 on Island

Let’s see if the title gets flagged by the bots. This was the “shadow album” released alongside the 20th anniversary edition of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb and features songs from the sessions for that album. Basically any U2 vinyl I don’t already have (or don’t need an upgrade copy) is on my wantlist,...

Mazzy Star, She Hangs Brightly, 1990 on Capitol

Debut album from Mazzy Star, fronted by Hope Sandoval and founded by David Roback (originally as Opal before changing singers). If you only know them from "Fade Into You" (which is a fantastic song, of course) it is worth going back to this debut album (as well as their third LP Among My Swan). This...