Part 2 - Inner Sherlock

Lenny Kravitz, Circus. Original UK & Europe pressing, 1995.

I quickly realized that I needed to narrow down my collecting. It was pointless to buy vinyl copies of the cd’s I had already bought in the 90’s and later (except few fave artists). Smart decision, as I noticed that vinyl pressings from cd era were quite small, and therefore considerably more expensive. Once again I saved a few bucks. I decided to start to check out ”the golden ground” which I hadn’t really looked into besides the radio hits. That meaning rock music from the 60’s and 70’s. Along the way I have come a cross surprisingly small amount of releases from that era that haven't hit the mark. Lots of positive surprises though! A whole new stomping ground.

After few purchases I soon found out that the pressing also matters. There’s re-releases, pressings from different countries and the most sought-after first pressings! Usually the original pressings from artist’s home country are the most wanted ones. Little bit confusing all in all, but in a good way. I also learnt that in addition to checking out the label number on the cover, you also have to check out the vinyl label and matrix codes etched on the inside ring of the vinyl. With those codes you can find the right pressings. My inner Sherlock Holmes rose up immediately!

Fortunately I discovered discogs.com page that made it easier to find the right pressings. Discogs also have an application which helps to keep up with your own collection and to track the albums you’re looking for (wantlist). Good stuff! But it’s not always that easy to find something you’re looking for. Sometimes you need to dig deeper into the internet, ask tips from fellow vinyl enthusiasts or guidance from the local vinyl dealer. I myself really like to have a chat with a friendly shop owner. Shooting the breeze with him also gives collecting a social aspect and you get lot’s of cool information about artists and records.

When I was looking at my first discogs entries I noticed that I had started collecting with a bit more valuable 90’s releases. Fortunately I bought them at that time as their value has risen notably in just a couple of years. One of my favorite artists from the 90’s is Lenny Kravitz. For me Mr. Kravitz is a trendsetter and a link to the great old music from where he picks his influences. Leonard’s production tastes like a good vintage wine, and is a strong combination of rock, soul and funk. A fresh sounding mixture of tight groove and melodic hooks. A real ear candy for yours truly.

A good example about this is Lenny’s fourth studio album Circus, which at first seems a little dark. It might have something to do with the cover art and the title of the opening track ”Rock And Roll Is Dead”. When you keep spinning it more and more you can hear that it really is a diverse collection of songs, where sounds and production is Lenny’s own sandbox. It’s not his best work but still excellent anyway. The album is one of those rare vinyl pressings as it was released right in the middle of the 90’s. Actually it’s this talented multi-instrumentalist’s fault that I also love funk and soul. I take a deep bow and send a thank you to all the way to USA.

PS. Lenny is awesome bass player!