Friday, February 10, 2017

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter D, Part 19)

No draining the swamp here. From N'awlins, the land of red beans, slot machines and voodoo queens, the doctor is in. I just featured the double album a couple of years ago, but this is where I find myself in the series, and I can't bring myself to skip it. The title on the front cover reveals everything you need to know about this relic. It's an in-studio FM radio broadcast for WLIR in Hempstead, NY, circa 1973, starring Dr. John and the Rampart Street Symphony Orchestra (as named by Professor Longhair). Funky, tight and out of sight. I can't recommend this one highly enough.

"Stag-O-Lee"
"Mess Around"
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6 comments:

JTFL said...

Man, you keep jumping around my territory! Hempstead is about 15 minutes from my home town of Roslyn, Long Island, NY. "WLIR" stood for Long Island Radio before the station changed its call letters to WDRE, which was meant to represent "DARE" - the motto of the station became "Dare to be different" when the format changed to alternative (then "college") radio.

I don't have this album but I like Dr. John quite a bit -- plays the sort of music that both categorizable but accessible to anyone. Thanks for these!

February 11, 2017 at 12:38 PM
kevinpat said...

Wow. Don't know this one. Thanks. I'll look for it.

Dr. John is an American treasure. :))

February 11, 2017 at 12:53 PM
kevinpat said...

And JTFL - I grew up in Copiague, where my bro & sis still live. WLIR had great live broadcasts. Of course BIG Billy Joel station. Surely you've been to My Father's Place!!

February 11, 2017 at 12:56 PM
The Swede said...

Love this period of the Night Tripper, but this release flew under my radar too - thanks for bringing it to my attention Brian.

February 11, 2017 at 4:01 PM
JTFL said...

Saw the Stranglers, Buzzcocks and XTC at My Father's Place, among many others. Are you old enough to remember our local John Peel equivalent, Dennis McNamara? He had a great show called 'Things From England'. That's where I first heard the Banshees, Only Ones, and the rest of the first UK punk wave. McNamara was nice to everyone, even us snotty kids, and gave out the phone number to WLIR's booth -- not the station, mind you, but the DJ booth. You could call him up when a song was playing and he'd talk to you and play a request. Big Billy Joel station, naturally, but also the home of our own Good Rats...

February 11, 2017 at 8:32 PM
Brian said...

This is cool. A nice walk down memory lane for you lads. Sounds like I need to fire up my trusty time machine. C'mon, Swede. You're invited too.

February 11, 2017 at 9:07 PM

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