Slipped Disc is the creation of Ben Farrell and Izzi Bavis. Originally set out to create a biweekly podcast, the duo decided that since the escalation of the coronavirus and lack of equipment they would put their music commentary into a blog post that is published every Friday.
Izzi: I left Madison thinking I would be back within a week, that was two weeks ago. Unfortunately I left all of my records and CDs in my apartment in Wisconsin, so to cheer me up my dad took me record shopping (before everything closed) at our favorite spot in Evanson, IL: Squeezebox. After inspecting the recently stocked world and jazz sections, I walked away with two new records for my collection. But I do not want to discuss those picks right now, I want to talk about a new album I am on the hunt for.
If you listened to our first episode of Slipped Disc, Ben and I talked about our “grail” records, or dream records to find while digging. I'm pleased to inform everyone that I have a new grail record that I will be looking for once this quarantine has passed. I was recommended by a friend to watch Cowboy Bebop and instantly fell in love with the show and the soundtrack. The soundtrack is amazing.
I've been watching the show for a week and each song is captivating. My new grail record is “Cowboy Bebop O.S.T. 1” by the Seatbelts and this one is going to be tricky to find. First of all it's not being sold on Discogs which I think is odd, but truth be told I'm not that knowledgeable about records and Discogs so I'm not sure if that is actually odd. Second of all the album isn't on streaming platforms. Weird right? Or at least I think that's weird.
As I continue to watch Cowboy Bebop and admire the soundtrack I am greatly looking forward to the day this coronavirus quarantine business is called off, as I'm sure most people are feeling after practicing social distancing for two weeks. I can't wait to get back to digging and having more to say about records <3. Live, love, physical music.
Ben: As you all can imagine, the past couple of weeks have been, among other things, quite lonely. My affinity for large social gatherings and hatred of online coursework have driven me deep into the murky depths of quarantine-induced video game addiction.
As a result of my moody disposition, I've settled on one piece of vinyl for heavy listening: Isaac Hayes' Hot Buttered Soul. I picked it up at Video Game X-Change, a Mad-Town record-digging hidden gem. I was stoked to find this classic in, if I do say so myself, Minty (capital M) condition, not only because of its legendary status, but due to my infatuation with its final track.
In the couple of months leading up to my purchase, I had been on a massive Glen Campbell kick. (if you're not familiar with the all-time-great crooner, check out this Johnny Carson sitdown) In perusing Campbell's extensive discography, “By The Time I Get To Phoenix,” the title track of his 1967 album jumped to the auditory foreground.
The song's sugary strings and lovesick melody, written by Jimmy Webb, transport the listener into the mindset of a cinematic western drifter. The lyrics tell the story of a man who left a lover in her sleep. He imagines her slow realization of his absence over the coming day, as they drift further and further away from one another.
Roughly a month later, I googled the track to show it to a friend. Rather than the blonde and boyish Glen Campbell, I saw Isaac Hayes, iced out as per usual. As a casual Hayes fan, I was shocked to see that he too had a recording of this song I didn't know about which was, once again to my surprise, 19 minutes long.
The first six minutes of Hayes' rendition are devoted to a monologue. In his trademark baritone, the former Stax Records studio musician tells the story of being cheated on not three, not four, but eight separate times by his wife.
In the end, when he decides to leave her, the song begins. Rather than give a long drawn out description of the track, I'll link it here. Sorry! I promise all nineteen minutes are worth it.
The rest of the record is great too, but I thought for this week's installment, I'd tell the story of one song in particular. Happy listening, and remember, stay the fuck inside.
