The Great Ipod Shuffle That Ate Cleveland

More treasures from the thrift stores.  Caveat Emptor about buying CDs in a thrift store or flea market:  Check to make sure the disc is not only in the case, but also is not horribly scratched up.  Can’t recall how many times I’ve come across a CD I’ve been looking for, my heart skips a beat (yes, I get that excited) and I find the CD is either missing or badly scratched.

Ray Charles Greatest Hits Volume Two – Couldn’t believe my eyes, when I found this one.  Frank Sinatra called Charles the only true genius in popular music.  He had the ability to effortlessly go from music style to music style enriching each genre he touched with his brilliance.  The CD covers most of his sixties output and has a few of my favorites, notably Busted and Hit the Road Jack.  It also includes a few cuts from Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, an album, along with Greatest Hits Volume One, I am anxious to get my hands on.

Elvis Costello/My Aim is True – Elvis’s first album, when he had this manic energy and was lumped into the punk category because he was so, so angry.  Well, as everyone is aware, Mr. Costello was not a punk, but a nuanced songwriter who has had an amazing career.  This is the Rhino re-issue, which is a two-disc set.  The great thing is that in addition to the original album, Rhino also includes an extra CD which includes, live performances, alternate takes and studio outtakes.  If you like Costello, it’s an interesting listen.  My Aim is True includes the classics, Alison, Less Than Zero, Mystery Dance and (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes.  The latter song doesn’t end up on many compilations.

The Who/Who’s Better, Who’s Best – It’s rare to find a CD in the thrift store from a major musical player like the Beatles, The Who, Elvis Presley or the Rolling Stones (I saw Steel Wheels, but I gladly passed on that).  I found this disc and because my CD collection of the Who was sorely lacking (I only had the crappy Millennium Collection), I picked it up.  Way back in the day when I had a record collection, I had every Who album (including bootlegs) I could get my hands on.  Today, well, not so much.  Combining this CD and the Millennium Collection, I was able to put together a decent overview of the group (still nothing from Quadophenia on either CD).  The Who has a lot of compilations, seeing that their music is so ubiquitous, but it is hard to find a decent one.  Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy is probably the best because it includes most of their great singles from the sixties.  Checkout Happy Jack (included on these and most collections) for why Keith Moon was special as a drummer.