News:: A step in the right direction

Say what you want about major labels – we prefer to usually not even bother – but the good people at Sony actually are on the right path when it comes to picking the locks on the wallets of music lovers. We know no one pays for records anymore (and blog friendly people are the worst culprits), but Sony is taking a chance and re-releasing some classic albums on high quality vinyl.

Now, this isn't another blogger pontificating about supporting music and the artists that write songs. The people on this list don't need any more cash. This is simply about about is the music itself. Without getting too Almost Famous on you, seeing classic records the way they were meant to be seen is something special. I'm not going to light a candle and through on Tommy, but knowing that I can get some of these records in my collection to replace the scratched CDs or dollar store LPs is pretty cool.

I'm not talking about that "retro" cool you stumble on when you loot through your parents stacks and through on an old Al Green record (although that was a terrific find for me) or hunting down vinyl to add a sample to your mashup sets. No, I'm simply talking about owning the music that changed music. This gives you a chance to hear songs that you've heard covered by your favorites, sung at parties and songs that will stand the test of time the way they were meant to be heard. You have to be the biggest hater in the world to not enjoy seeing high quality, non-scratched thrift store versions of some of these classics:

• MINGUS AH UM by CHARLES MINGUS


• BRITISH STEEL by JUDAS PRIEST


• BERLIN by LOU REED


• ONE NIGHT STAND / SAM COOKE LIVE AT THE HARLEM SQUARE CLUB


• RED HEADED STRANGER by WILLIE


• TRIO OF DOOM by JOHN McLAUGHLIN, JACO PASTORIUS, and TONY WILLIAMS


• RIDDLE BOX by INSANE CLOWN POSSE - seriously.. who would EVER want this?


• ELVIS PRESLEY by ELVIS PRESLEY


• LEGALIZE IT by PETER TOSH


• LIVE AT BUDOKAN by CHEAP TRICK


• HEADHUNTERS by HERBIE HANCOCK

Now, of course major labels still don't understand the benefit of giving away any free MP3s, so instead of a post laced with classic tracks from these records that might open your wallet like Lemon Gin opens the pants of youngens, well, you get a couple of poor audio quality covers by some terrific artists.