The False Ducks Blahg

   I said last month that sometimes I really struggle to write this blahg.  That still holds true.  It’s June 25th and I’ve been trying to think about something to write about.  Politics? No!  Sports? No!  Books, movies, or music?  Well yes, those are good topics.  Those topics have been discussed more than once in this blahg but you have to know by now that sometimes it’s all about the music…or maybe about the album jacket.  Read on. 

   My friend Bryan is always talking about things that make for good artwork.  I happen to agree and I’ll go further to say that some record album jackets make for good artwork.  I happen to have a few framed ones at home.  Both of them are Sinatra.  One is a bit of a rarity and features Sinatra on the cover dressed as a bartender: 

None of the songs on the above album are rare.  I have them all on other albums so it was a no-brainer to decide to hang it in an LP frame with glass.  The other album is Sinatra’s Greatest Volume 2.  It’s a German issue on the Capitol label.  I like it because it features Sinatra with a camera.  It’s not a staged effort and certainly something you don’t associate with Sinatra.

I also have a Laurel & Hardy LP that I have framed on my wall but I’m leading up to explaining what it is I’m replacing it with.  Probably not the best grammar in that last sentence but it’ll do.  Here’s the Laurel & Hardy LP:

While trying to find an image link to the above cover, I came across another Laurel & Hardy LP I’d love to have: 

Isn’t that cool?  Stan and Ollie on a rocket!  This is a UK record that I think I should track down.  See, album artwork is awesome! 

   So what about the album that I’m hanging next on my wall?  Well, this is a thrift store find from the past weekend.  It cost me $2 and was well worth it.  Just look at the subject matter: 

Phil Silvers as Sgt. Ernie Bilko.  Imagine that staring back at you everyday from a wall in your house.  Well, it is in mine.  There is a variant to this album issued as two 7 inch records: 

You don’t see these things every day.  I had to buy it and for now it’s replacing Laurel and Hardy…maybe until I get that rocket LP but then I might just hang both at that point.  Artwork indeed! 

   When I was at the same thrift store, I picked up another album that has significance to me and a little bit of a story.  Here it is: 

Years ago I bought this album for $1 at a flea market.  I really enjoyed it but for some reason I sold it.  Big mistake.  I remembered how much I loved it and I had to buy it back.  I can’t remember where I bought my replacement but at the thrift store on the weekend was another copy of this fantastic album for $2 and the jacket was in excellent condition.  Score!  Check out the information on the back cover.  You can click on it for a larger image: 

Unfortunately there’s no information on the orchestra backing Yvonne De Carlo but it’s a lush sound.  Give a listen to Blue Moon:

Or check out “But Not For Me”: 

How about that old chestnut, “One For My Baby.”  It’s funny but it’s probably the fastest song on the album. 

I like it because it sounds a lot like Linda Keene’s version that I discovered a few years ago.  You can read about that in my blahg TRACING LINDA KEENE, PART 3: ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD, and you can listen to that track below:

  

   There are probably some other albums in my record library that have unique covers.  I know I’ve bought albums based on covers before to find that the album didn’t live up to the cover or found great albums that didn’t have decent album covers.  I can’t think of any offhand but I know I’ve always admired some of the covers to Bob Scobey albums.  That was a blahg as well, WHAT ON EARTH IS SCOBEYFAN?  Look at these covers and tell me what they conjure up for you. 

For me, those albums suggest that there’s good jazz to be heard.  Frisco Jazz to be precise.  What a good place to end off.  Sometimes it’s about the album cover and sometimes it’s about the music.  Bob Scobey and Clancy Hayes from the same titled album above, “Something’s Always Happening On The River”: 

That sound is definitely artwork to me!