Thanks for the info. I bought my copy shortly after In Through the Out Door came out so it definitely wasn't second hand. As for the sound issues, I probably wouldn't have even noticed as I'm not exactly an audiophile. Still cool to know though.

Nice. I still need to do some catching up on the Cure. All I have is Wish and the Sideshow EP.

Thanks, this is what is said about the "Strawberry" inscription at the same link (which someone else just sent to me as well):

I'm not sure but I long ago checked my copy of Led Zeppelin III to see if it was a first pressing. Lo and behold, it is. That's really strange because I'm sure I didn't purchase it when that album was new.

For hardcore collectors I'm sure this is nothing new but today when I was perusing old vinyl at a local antiques shop I noticed a copy of In Through the Out Door for sale that made note on the cover of the word "Strawberry" being etched into the run off groove. Just from my little bit of research I've discovered that means it's a first pressing. They were only asking $10 for it so it's not like it's a rarity or anything but when I got home I had to check my copy as well and it also has "Strawberry" etched into the dead wax. Again, not a huge surprise but still cool to know. Believe it or not, when In Through the Out Door first came out I bought it on cassette first. Since I have a first pressing I'm guessing it wasn't all that much longer that I got around to purchasing it on vinyl.

A definite "yes" to the latter. Just look at Robert DeNiro in those Fockers movies. Then there's instances like Kevin Costner and Dances With Wolves where it was obvious that it was a project he was very passionate about having made.

I think too much hype can ruin a movie (or a record or book). A friend lent me a copy of The Big Lebowski but I wasn't in any hurry to watch it. When I finally did, I failed to see what all of the fuss was about as well. Perhaps I just didn't give it a fair chance because there was no way it was going to live up to all of the praise nearly everyone I knew had heaped upon it.

Is that fellow Roger Waters? I guess it could be someone from ELO but it sure seems to favor Waters.

From Imgur.

http://youtu.be/Pei6VrZvl3Q I first heard about this movie years ago but never got around to watching it until recently when a friend tipped me off that it was playing on Hulu (which it still is). It was filmed in 1996 and came out in 1997 and is set in and around Raleigh, NC. As rock n' roll movies go, most seem to get more wrong than they do right. Bandwagon is a very notable exception to that. It's definitely low budget but it still gets it's point across. As a resident of Raleigh and a local music fan, I've always wanted to see this. Jac Cain (soundman at the Pour House) makes a cameo as a doorman at the Brewery (which was torn down last year). Back when this movie was filmed, Jac was the soundman there. Also of note is Doug MacMillian of the Connells in a starring role as a zen-like tour manager. You don't have to be a fan of Triangle area music scene to enjoy this movie but if you are, it's fun to try to spot the various locales. Otherwise, as rock n' roll movies go, the filmmakers did a pretty damn good job of capturing the trials and tribulations of a struggling, new band that's hoping to get signed to a label. There's also this review from The New York Times in case you're interested in learning more about the film.

Say again?

Todd Snider w/ Rosi Galon at the Clayton Center in Clayton, NC this past Saturday night. There were many highlights during the show, many of which have since made their way onto YouTube, including this one. If you've never heard this song before I strongly suggest giving it a listen, especially if you love rock n' roll.

A dollar short and a day late but I figured some folks might be interested in reading this entry on the Firm's debut album from the All Things Music Plus page on Facebook. All Things Music Plus ON THIS DATE (27 YEARS AGO) February 11, 1985 – The Firm:The Firm is released. # ALL THINGS MUSIC PLUS+ 4.5/5 # Allmusic 4/5 The Firm is the eponymous debut studio album by British rock band The Firm, released by Atlantic Records on 11 February 1985. Tracks ranged from the epic "Midnight Moonlight" based on a previously unreleased song by Led Zeppelin called "Swan Song", first tinkered with during the Physical Graffiti sessions, to the commercially successful "Radioactive". "Closer" employs a horn section to subtle effect. The Firm peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 chart, and reached #15 on the UK Album Chart. The song "Radioactive" topped Billboard's Top Rock Tracks chart for one week. REVIEW by Brian Downing, allmusic Anticipation was quite high when it was announced in 1984 that Paul Rodgers, the past voice of Bad Company, and Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin's former guitarist, were creating a "supergroup" called the Firm. Page and Rodgers had first tinkered with the idea of an album after their successful collaboration on the ARMS benefit tour for Ronnie Lane in 1983. Based upon the fact that it had been over five years since Page's last band effort, and two years since Rodger's lackluster finale with the original Bad Company, pundits were more than eager to hear what new material the duo would unleash. However, when the band's self-titled debut was actually released in 1985, it received a critical drubbing and was all but ignored by the record-buying public. That's too bad, for the album is quite good and does nothing to taint the sterling reputations of either of its key players. Page and Rodgers were joined on The Firm by veteran drummer Chris Slade and Roy Harper-alum Tony Franklin. Slade's Bonham-esque sledgehammer attack on the skins, coupled with Franklin's fretless basslines, added dimension to Rodgers' smooth vocals and Page's layered guitar textures. Page's tone throughout is very reminiscent of the sound of his overdubs on Coda, as well as the sound he would subsequently employ on 1988's Outrider. Opening track "Closer" cleverly uses a subtle horn section to good effect, while "Someone to Love" represents all the good elements of the band in one number. Rodgers' "Radioactive" was actually a minor hit for the band, its quirkiness overcoming the goofiness of the lyrics. The album's best cut is "Satisfaction Guaranteed," a mid-tempo gem with a snaky and exotic Page riff and a heartfelt vocal performance by Rodgers. The only weak track on the record is the unnecessary cover of the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Loving Feeling," which feels totally out of place. The album-closing "Midnight Moonlight" could have been the Firm's best song, but the underwhelming arrangement and superfluous backing vocals partially destroyed it. The fact that "Midnight Moonlight" was actually an unfinished Led Zeppelin cut entitled "Swansong," left over from the Physical Graffiti sessions, led some to believe that Page had run out of new ideas for the project. While it is true that this album isn't as uniformly excellent as Led Zeppelin's work, it is the best from this short-lived band and turned out to be Page's most consistent effort from the entire decade of the '80s. TRACKS Side One 1. Closer (Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers) 2:52 2. Make or Break (Rodgers) 4:21 3. Someone to Love (Page, Rodgers) 4:55 4. Together (Page, Rodgers) 3:54 5. Radioactive (Rodgers) 2:49 Side Two 1. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling (Barry Mann, Phil Spector, Cynthia Weil) 4:33 2. Money Can't Buy (Rodgers) 3:35 3. Satisfaction Guaranteed (Page, Rodgers) 4:07 4. Midnight Moonlight (Page, Rodgers) 9:13

According to Google Maps it's in the Inyo National Forest in Mono, California. The description (which you may have missed, is just above the photograph) says that it's an effect caused by the sun reflecting off of the water that only happens for a few days in February every year.

This clip isn't on YouTube (at least that I'm aware of) but it is Jeff Tweedy (of Wilco) playing "Kashmir".

Horsetail Fall in California flows only in winter and spring. Most days of its “life” this fall has a regular color. But every February, just for a couple of days, this fall turns into the fire. Lit by the sun, Horsetail Fall reflects orange and red rays. From Imgur.com.

I'm not so sure that I would call this "good" but I do have to give the dude an A for effort. J. Mascis (of Dinosaur, Jr.) covering Skynyrd's "Every Mother's Son".

From the All Things Music Plus blog: ON THIS DATE (48 YEARS AGO) February 9, 1964 – The Beatles made their live U.S. television debut in their first appearance on CBS-TV's The Ed Sullivan Show. An estimated 73.7 million Americans watched as John, Paul, George and Ringo performed "All My Loving," "Till There Was You," "She Loves You," "I Saw Her Standing There," and "I Want to Hold Your Hand." To read more, click here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JILsCPSyI0