Vinyl Selection Of The Quarter (Q1/19)

Being more and more active in collecting vinyl recently and buying new vinyl releases that are worth it from my point of view because of their songwriting and production qualities led me to the idea of a new blog article series. From now on, I want to present you four records per quarter that are more or less randomly selected from my record collection. My intention behind this new article series is to introduce my followers to a broader spectrum of music from different centuries, especially because many of my younger readers might not have listened to that music and centuries before. I am still young with 24 years, but you will see that I am quite "matured" regarding my music knowledge and taste, thanks to my parents. In each article of the series old records (from between the 70s to 90s) and at least one "new" vinyl (from 00s to date) will be presented as part of the quarter collection. Enjoy the journey through different genres and centuries ;)

Stevie Wonder - Hotter Than July (1980)

In 1980, Stevie Wonder released his 19th album (yes, you heard correctly!) on Motown Records, Universal Music Group. The track "Master Blaster (Jammin')" was the first song of the album and lets us hear Wonder's inspiration from his meeting with Bob Marley and his reggae music in 1979. I guess almost everybody knows the song "Happy Birthday" (Track 10) even if you are generally unaware of Stevie Wonder. The song was written to honour Martin Luther King and to be used to campaign for King's birthday that later became an official holiday in the United States of America. My personal favourite of the album is its first song "Did I Hear You Say You Love Me". "Hotter Than July" was seen by fans as Stevie Wonder's commercial comeback after the commercial disappointment of his previous album "Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants" (1979).

Luther Vandross - Never Too Much (1981)

Luther Vandross' debut album "Never Too Much" was released in 1981 on Epic Records, Sony Music Entertainment. 1982, Vandross earned two Grammy Award nominations with his album in the categories "Best New Artist" and "Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male". From my point of view, this record is special not only because of Luther Vandross' great, souly vocals but also because of the involvement of my favourite and outstanding bass player Marcus Miller in all seven tracks. Just have a listen to the tracks "Never Too Much" (Track 1) and "She's a Super Lady" (Track 5), and you will understand why this record is that important to bass enthusiasts. Oh yes, those bass lines are simply stunning!

Don Broco - Technology (2018)

Indeed, switching from R&B music of the 80s to 2018s English hard rock is quite drastic. "Technology", the third studio album by four-piece rock band Don Broco was released by American independent label SharpTone Records and is the only "recent" album of the quarter's vinyl collection. The band performed a single sold-out show at Alexandra Palace (London) on 11th November 2017 before the album release that also was the band's biggest show to date. That date makes the record special to me because I was part of the audience during the amazing Don Broco's live performance and the energised crowd that sang every single word of the album in a tremendous volume. I am sure that I will not forget this concert and the associated mind-blowing experience.

Kool & The Gang - Forever (1986)

"Forever" is the 17th studio album by the funk band Kool & The Gang and was released in 1986 on Mercury Records, Universal Music Group. The songs "Victory" (Track 1) and "Stone Love" (Track 3) became major hits on the Billboard Hot 100. During the band's history, Kool & The Gang explored various musical styles from R&B (like the album "Forever"), soul, funk, disco to jazz. If you already heard about the band, you may know their hit singles "Ladies Night" (from the album "Ladies' Night", 1979), "Celebration" (from the album "Celebrate!", 1980), "Get Down on It" (from the album "Something Special", 1981) rather than the "Forever" album.

Did you like the new article series? Leave a comment to tell us your opinion and let us see which vinyls are picked for the next vinyl selection of the quarter!