Product Plugs

I consider my blog to be a creative endeavor first and foremost. But since I'm a human in need of money just like everyone else in the capitalist world, I don't mind promoting particular products that I consider to be worthy of purchase by like-minded music fans and collectors. So please bear with me as I do a little bit of a sales pitch for the following items.

Endless Trip edited by Richard Morton Jack


Computers are great, although I still prefer books and magazines when it comes time for serious reading. As far as I'm concerned, there is still something superior about an information medium that does not require a power source to make its contents accessible. For those of you who feel the same way (or find book-reading to be in an interesting novelty) and enjoy hunting and gathering LPs from the 1960s and 1970s as much as I do, then you might find the massive tome Endless Trip (companion work to the equally superb Galactic Ramble) to be of great interest. As provided by the publisher, Foxcote Books, here are the pertinent details:

• The fullest study of the 60s and 70s US and Canadian music scene ever published, covering pop, rock, psych, prog, folk, blues and beyond!
• 800+ packed pages, with many rare illustrations
• Thousands of expert record reviews
• Precise release dates / catalogue numbers for each entry
• Excerpts from many contemporary music journals
• Details of inserts and other relevant information
• Three sections of color plates
• Top 10 lists / recommendations
• Introduction by Lenny Kaye

It's a pleasure to announce that I am one of the 14 contributors (writing under my literary name, of course) whose album reviews appear in this thoroughly comprehensive book. Moreover, it's quite a privilege to appear in a list that includes luminaries such as Simon Crisp, Tim Forster, Aaron Milenski, Nick Warburton, and the esteemed Mr. Morton Jack. Of the 50 or so album writeups that I supplied, several originally appeared on this blog, but there are also several more that I wrote especially for Endless Trip. Lavishly illustrated and elegantly assembled, it's the kind of book that won't be easy for record collectors to put down. If you liked Fuzz Acid and Flowers, you'll love Endless Trip.

While I'll concede that it has a fairly hefty price tag, this book is an excellent reference investment that will repay you time and time again by providing you with hours of reading enjoyment. For those of you in the United States, get your copy here on Amazon. People in the UK, Europe, and elsewhere can purchase it directly from the publisher's website.

Ugly Things #31


Ugly Things and 78 Quarterly are my two favorite music magazines hands down. For anyone with an interest in 1960s rock and all of its related offshoots, I shouldn't have to give you too many reasons to read the former because you probably already know how great this Mike Stax-helmed publication is. Well, just in case you need an additional rationalization to buy the latest issue, #31 includes my definitive biographical piece (also written under my nom de plume) on oud master John Berberian, not to mention all the features listed on the cover above and a whole lot more.

Get your copy directly from the Ugly Things store.

Back in Business at Amazon


Thanks to a loophole that I was able to exploit, I am once again registered as an Amazon Associate. However, my contempt for Pat Quinn, the pathetic governor of Illinois, and the annoying Jeff Bezos remains. Unlike some music blogs, I do not make money from downloads, nor will I ask my readers for financial donations. Nevertheless, I will try to persuade you to buy the albums reviewed in my posts as well as other related items by placing Amazon hyperlinks in the text. If I can help produce sales in this manner, I receive a percentage as a commission. Any such money I receive goes into my music collection, which also benefits you readers. If you're not interested in buying what I promote but plan on making a purchase on Amazon anyway, at least consider using the links in posts from April 17, 2011 or later as the means by which you access the site. As long as you enter it in this fashion, I will earn a percentage on whatever items you order. To reiterate, I'm not asking you to buy things you didn't already plan on purchasing, but any transactions that I help initiate will provide me with some monetary benefit. Alternatively, you can use this link (save it in your browser's bookmarks) or click the corporate logo above as a portal to Amazon, and then shop until you drop while helping me get a little payola in the process. It's a win-win scenario.

Thank you all for your consideration.