Amazon exiles discussion

Fishy_Jim did this last year so I wondered if any of us were still acquiring albums this year. I'll have to have a search of my purchases but I hope I got out of single figures. Back later.

A rather paltry haul I'm afraid to say:

Relatively recent:

Tommy McLain - I Ran Down Every Dream
Allison Russell - Outside Child
Coterie - S/T
Wicker Suite - This Is Wicker Suite
Perry Keyes - Black & White Town
Michael Menager - Hold The Line
Mick Thomas' Roving Commission - Where Only Memory Can Find You
Dexys - The Feminine Divine

Older:

Donovan Woods - Both Ways
Songs of Scotland
The Highwaymen (3 CDs + DVD)
Fresh Hits 98
Savage Garden - Affirmation
100% Soul (5 x CD set)
Sweet Emma Barrett & Her Bell Boys - Mardi Gras 1960 Live
Motown - The Early Years 1959-1962

You did better than I did, Val. Just three 2023 releases have (so far) made it onto my shelves, namely...

Compositions - Deathprod
Stratigraphy - Llyn Y Cwn
Hackney Diamonds - Rolling Stones

There are also the usual additions of oldies, but I really can't be bothered at this point to dig out the details. Maybe later if I find time.

My interest is more in buying films on disc now, to be honest, and in that field collectors gained a new boutique label, Radiance Films (which IMHO has not put a foot wrong in the 36 titles it put out during 2023). Sadly the year also saw the sudden demise of the Network label in June. The imprint had a large range of mostly British films in its catalogue, but perhaps the biggest loss is in the impressive range of television productions (mostly from ITV) which have now gone. I can only hope someone will eventually restore these to the catalogue in the near future.

A few highlights from the year might include the welcome release of silent classic 'Pandora's Box' (starring Louise Brooks) which. gained a long overdue blu-ray issue. Some fine releases of Polish cinema were welcome; alongside a new 4K restoration of Krzysztof Kieślowsi's celebrated 'Three Colours Trilogy' came sets by Andrzej Źuławski (The Third Part Of The Night/The Devil/On The Silver Globe) and Piotr Szulkin (War Of The Worlds: next century/O-bi, O-ba. The End Of Civilization/Ga, Ga. Glory To The Heroes).

The latter came from the aforementioned Radiance, which also put out forgotten minor horror classic 'Messiah Of Evil' amongst its programme. That one proved so popular that the initial 3,000 copies limited edition sold out before the release date!

None from me this year I think. Struggling to find songs for the Cream of 2023 to be honest, it wasn't a vintage year imo.

Argh! I can't remember stuff like this. I have no idea what I have acquired this year without doing some research/homework and I really can't be bothered. Sorry! Anyway, I don't think it was much. I haven't found this year to be particularly inspiring, musicwise.

Saw Rod Picott in nearby Listowel, and really enjoyed it.
Bought his 'Starlight Tour' CD at the Gig, and then since have also bought 'Paper Hearts and Broken Arrows'.

He's a new one on me, and I really like his stuff that's just him and his guitar.

Another new one is Thom Chacon, who I think I discovered through Spotify. As well as making music he's also a Fly Fishing Guide. My kind of person.
Got his 'Marigolds & Ghosts' album, and am really enjoying that.

Americana seems to be becoming a theme.

Only other CD is Pete Doherty's 'The Fantasy Life Of Poetry and Crime', a great album imo.

My newest purchase would be Dermot Kennedy's "Sonder" from 2022.

Other albums bought last year... 9 Heart albums "Desire Walks On", "Jupiter's Darling", "Red Velvet Car", "Fanatic" plus a 5 album box set (Little Queen/Dog & Butterfly/Bebe Le Strange/Private Audition/Passionworks).

3 Michael Bolton albums "Timeless: The Classics Vol. 2", "One World One Love" and "Only A Woman Like You".

3 Warrant Albums "Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich", "Cherry Pie" and "Dog Eat Dog".

3 Nelson albums "Life", "Lightning Strikes Twice" and "The Silence Is Broken"

2 Pretty Boy Floyd albums "Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz" and "Stray Bullet"

and finally...L.A. Guns "Vicious Circle", Little Angels "Jam" and Ugly Kid Joe "Menace To Sobriety".

The most recent album I bought (expanded version of St Etienne's 'Tiger Bay' to get the very wonderful extra 'I Was Born On Christmas Day') finally made it to the house today, having been delivered (or should that be dumped) a week ago, when the driver parked outside the house but left the packet on a piece of farm machinery in a barn about 40 yards distant, then claimed to have posted it through the letterbox! Amazingly it had suffered no ill effects from being out in the elements for seven days.

This is not the worst delivery 'service' we've had from Amazon; that was twelve years ago when a copy of the Whitesnake box set 'Box 'O Snakes' was left, not here, but at one of the farm cottages half a mile away in a greenhouse (during winter, so imagine the conditions). The occupant was away at the time and didn't go into the garden for a couple of days after returning, so the package was wrecked by the time it was found.