The four building blocks of the universe are fire, water, gravel and vinyl (Dave Berry)

Vinyl is in mt DNA

Wie geht's?

Just lately I've been buying care packages of records every couple of weeks from my regular haunts. The latest this week came from Marbeck's Records.

I mentioned this in the staff room when someone asked what I was looking forward to most this week. "Records from Marbecks", was my instant reply.

"Oh Marbecks", they said. "Why is that a highlight?"

So, I said, "Do you really want to know?"

And they said, "Yeah, it's a slow morning".

So I embarked on an explanation that took in my mother working at Auckland's Lewis Eady's in the record department and having to walk down to the Queen's Arcade where Marbeck's has always been, to see Mr. Marbeck about record orders; my own time working for the Marbecks family with Roger Marbeck in the jazz and pop side, during my university days; my taking my pay in records; our two growing families being close while our kids came along and grew up, and our taking holidays together; to today where I am still happily buying online from the greatest NZ record store. Not much has changed.

For the record (ha ha) the package included some Van Dyke Parks and War albums (a couple from when they'd finished their association with Eric Burdon).

Long live Marbecks Records!

Love and peace - Wozza

I need a job, I'm willing to work, but I need a job (Chickenfoot)

Wie geht's?

One of my amigos - LooLoo, sent me this picture with the message, "Found the perfect job for you back in good old Auckland!"

Seems Roger is hiring!!

Let's see...

• Comprehensive musical knowledge? Tick.
• Current and historic popular music? Second bit = big tick. Current stuff - if it's in Mojo magazine I'm all over it so - yes - Tick.
• Classical and jazz? Second bit = yeah man I dig. First bit I'm okay on all the biggies - so half a tick.
• Tidy and friendly? Tick Tick.
• Computer literacy? Tick.

So that's 7 and a half ticks out of 8 Roger! I'm your man!

Love and peace - Wozza

I am the blank page before you, I am the fine idea you crave (London Grammar)

Book 39

The latest Mojo Magazine tells me that Steve Winwood got his first guitar in 1957 and Jamaica's first vinyl pressing plant was established in Kingston in that year as well.

They say it's your birthday, well it's my birthday too yeah!

Yes, something huge happened 59+1 years ago in Auckland Nu Zild. Dulcie Mary Purdy went into labour and produced her first son. I emerged right on tea time on October 1.

Ta daar!!

But enough of that, here's another episode in the Wozza Culture Breakdown y'all. Starting with a gift from my staff at school - the Dr Seuss book was great!!

It's been a while since the last catch up. So, grab a coffee and settle in.

Books: Amazingly, it's week 35 and here are books 35 through 39.

35 - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood being Eric Burden's autobiography (J Marshall Craig helped him with the words). 

What a (loveable) dick he is! Ripped off and forever chasing non-binding relationships, Eric comes across as a rambling man who never feels like he belongs anywhere for long. Sad in a way.

There's nothing much about his talent on offer in the narrative (whaaat??). Basically, he's a Geordie who can't hold down a steady crew. The only constant being his glorious voice but he's very silent about the effect his voice has on the various bands he's fronted. Curious.

He loves Hendrix, hates Alan Price, loves Chas Chandler, hates Mike Jeffery and every other manager he's (willingly) signed his soul to. Oh, and he loves a long line of bad girls!

I got the book from the Piggery. At the same time, picked up one of Frank Richards' Billy Bunter adventure, Billy Bunter and the Crooked Captain (book 36).

I used to read these voraciously when I was younger. Reading it again is still a treat!

Richards is a master plotter if you know what I mean.

Book 37 This Is Where I Leave You (Jonathan Tropper).

It's been made into a movie and I'll catch it on Netflix at some stage. It reads a little like the Steve Carell movie Dan In Real Life in parts. 
The main character, Judd, is like Michael from Thirtysomething.  

Which means I liked it!

Seth Godin is the man! I get his daily blog (which feels like chips off a bigger block). Some of those blocks of wisdom are compiled into Tribes (book 38).

Netfix series: we are currently battling Grounders, Mountainmen and Reapers on Season 2 of The 100. It's pretty graphic - flesh eating zombies, everything is a threat, violence is a way of life - that sort of thing.

Sport: I've watched a few NFL and Arsenal games. However, in the lead up to the end of the term, that has been a sporadic endeavour. 

I'm part of the Gooner tribe so it's been a roller coaster ride this season thus far. I am also of the Steeler tribe - have yet to watch one of their games though.

Music: With my birthday came a mammoth visit to Real Groovy in Auckland, Being in Queen Street it has also taken in JB HiFi (poor selection there now) and Marbecks Records in the Queen's Arcade.

One of my many purchases was a new copy of West Bruce and Laing's second studio album from 1973 - Whatever Turns You On. My original copy was pressed really badly in NZ and was almost unlistenable.

The latest copy from RG is an American version with a better cover and pristine sound. It's like listening to a new record. Jack Bruce and Leslie West and Corky Laing emerge clear as a bell from the murk of my memory. 

It has only taken me 44 years to find a better version and it only cost me $4.95.

Best birthday present ever!!

Love and peace - Wozza

A child is coming (Paul Kantner/ Grace Slick)

Music is love (You may say I'm a dreamer - Chapter 7: The Eighties)

The expanding Jefferson Hot Airplane Tuna family in the eighties

AJ is the third part of my musical journey/ memory/ celebration (for now). The AJ (After Jacky) period takes in 1983-1990 and takes in the New Plymouth, Auckland and Nelson locations.

When I met and married Jacky, and we started a family, many things changed, including the big three mentioned in my earlier post. 

The big three? To summarise: I now lived in New Plymouth, so no Marbecks; discretionary money had disappeared, I had others to think of and provide for; the self indulgent years were history!

Yes, sobering up via a mortgage and fatherhood will do that to you! 

I still bought records whenever the budget allowed but nothing like I had before. So, my big record cupboard that I'd brought down to New Plymouth stayed pretty much as it was for a while. I even sorted out some non essentials to sell off from time to time. I know, I know.

Jacky and I did manage to go to a few concerts during these years and in the nineties - big deal things like Dire Straits at Western Springs, Michael Jackson at Mt Smart and...erm, The Little River Band (with Johnny Farnham) at the Bowl of Brooklyn - mostly concerts I would not have bothered with previously. Apart from Pink Floyd that is. The Momentary Lapse Of Reason tour was a must see, as was The Rolling Stones during the Voodoo Lounge tour - I went with Roger and Deirdre.

At the time, Jacky's tastes were of the Human League/Duran Duran/Yazoo/New Order sort - again - things I would not have listened to previously. True love is never a snap.

She is not a great lover of music and so our collections stayed separate. Mine became known as 'hillbilly music' - hers as 'fashion parade music'. Eventually they kind of combined as we learnt to live together.

I love my MTV...um...metal. Jacky hates all of them.

Returning to Auckland to teach at Macleans College from 1986 to 1990 meant a reconnection with Marbecks records - I again worked some of the holidays, and this again meant beefing up my collection.

During this time while living in Windmill Road, Keegan decided, one day, to use a few of my records as skateboards. Jacky broke it to me gently when I got home from work. Aside from that and drawing large black crayon circles on his Dornwell Road bedroom wall, he was a perfect child!

In 1990 we were a family of five and on the move down to Nelson and a new life.

And, so - to the eighties Top 20: 

1 The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses (1989)

I first heard this at Roger and Deirdre's place in Birkenhead. They had a great old funky place - worst house in a great street idea and I loved it! Before dinner one night Roger had this playing - I Am The Resurrection actually, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

2 Reckoning – R.E.M. (1984)
The Pink House in New Plymouth  heard this album throughout 1984/85 as we settled down with a baby Keegan (after cleaning the cat pee and dealing to the roaches). 

3 Tunnel of Love – Bruce Springsteen (1987)
Bruce's disintegrating marriage was a sobering experience. I was three years into a happy marriage with two young children and this record gave me some mature thoughts about what marriage is all about and what being a man is all about. Yes, with a beat!

4 The Lonesome Jubilee – John Cougar Mellancamp (1987)

5 Spoiled girl – Carly Simon (1985)

A tape that Roger gave me introduced me to this amazing album. I didn't know who it was at the time. I normally wouldn't have bought Carly Simon's stuff. This was a good lesson - don't be a musical snob Wozza!

6 Purple Rain – Prince and the Revolution (1984) 

I bought this after working again at Marbecks. It was huge at the time and I had passed first time around. Then I heard it a lot in the store. Then I got it!

7 East – Cold Chisel (1980)

8 Swingshift – Cold Chisel (1981)

Roger and I played this a lot as we dug out his basement! Loud. And I mean LOUD!

9 Surfing with the alien – Joe Satriani (1987)

10 Eliminator – ZZ Top (1983)

Lorna Street in New Plymouth bopped to this!

11 Fables of the Reconstruction – R.E.M. (1985)

12 Remain in Light – Talking Heads (1980)

13 The Joshua Tree – U2 (1987)

14 Life’s Rich Pageant – R.E.M. (1986)

15 War – U2 (1983)

For a while in 1983 it looked like Jacky was going to end our relationship and go overseas and I was gloomy thinking of that possibility. I had a Sony Walkman and listened to this a lot on morose walks down to the seafront in wet and windy New Plymouth. It was a good soundtrack to my mood. Luckily for me, she decided to stay!

16 Nebraska – Bruce Springsteen (1982)

17 Closer – Joy Division (1980)

New Order isn't really my cup of tea. Give me Joy Division any day!

18 Making Movies – Dire Straits (1981)
Greg loved this record and I really didn't for a long time. I eventually saw the error of my ways.

19 Born in the USA – Bruce Springsteen (1984)

20 What up, dog? – Was (Not Was) (1988)

Love and peace - Wozza

Oh, look around you, all around you, riding on a copper wave (Patti Smith)

Music is love (You may say I'm a dreamer - Chapter 7: The Seventies Part 2)

Roger in his new pop/rock Marbecks Records

Welcome to the second part of my seventies celebration - the AM (After Marbecks) period - 1976-1982.

Three important life changing events happened in this period. One and two, as I indicated in the previous post, involved meeting Greg Knowles and starting to write to Noel Forth in Adelaide. And the third? I met Roger Marbeck and started working for and with him.

During AM, Greg and I established a weekly pattern of record buying that fed both our habits. 

It went a little something like this: after school on a Friday we would catch a bus into K Rd.

We'd start with George Courts and Rendells in K Rd, then cross the road to The Record Exchange in St Kevin's Arcade, take a wander through Myers Park to Queen Street and work our way down to the end of the road, taking in some of the record shops we came across until we got to Marbecks Records in the Queen's Arcade and the EMI shop in the new Downtown Mall. 

Along that route during these years were a exceptionally large number of record stores: 246's record bar on the second floor, Direction Records, the Record Warehouse, Lewis Eady, Arthur Eady, Taste Records in Lorne Street, down the stairs to Music City in Vulcan Lane, Peaches, Rock'n'Roll Records, and a few more on the side streets whose names I've forgotten.

Watching Split Enz with the Knowleses

This would take hours! We'd walk, chat, spitball, browse, buy - but mainly browse, laugh, joke, people watch, grab a coke (me) or a milkshake (Greg), walk, laugh...

Then we'd get the bus home. I had my drivers' licence by this time so I'd sometimes drive to Greg's and I'd often bus from there. 

Enz at the old His Majesty's 

Greg and I have different tastes so we were never really competing for the same records. It was always supportive. We'd even try to find things we knew the other would like. We'd often trade/swap records - notably I got a lot of Apple singles from Greg. It has been a great relationship and a lasting friendship that I REALLY value.

According to Neil Young, there ain't nothing like a friend who can tell you you're just pissing in the wind.

Often with his big brother, Mike, we also went to gigs together. We saw loads of NZ bands in these years - Split Enz, Golden Harvest, Waves, Streettalk, Hello Sailor, Citizen Band and so on.

During AM, in 1977, we both started student life at Auckland University. While our old school day era routine obviously changed, our frequent trips to Real Groovy (now on Queen's Street after a short stint at the top of Mt Eden Road) and Marbecks, didn't. We also inducted other like minded music lovers, like Kevin Simms, into our arcane routines.

Haydn and Murray as I knew them. Great guys!

Marbecks Records was a special place. It was thanks to Noel that I discovered Marbecks. He alerted me to the delights on offer in that funny little shop in the Queen's Arcade. 

They had a box of Apple singles that I would often ask to see and buy from for Noel and for me. In the shop were two old guys in their white business shirts and ties: Avuncular Murray Marbeck was clearly the boss; Haydn Marbeck was the mischievious, sarcastic, younger brother. A very cheeky female shop assistant was also there to serve us. They were never condescending, always very knowledgeable and obliging. I must have asked for that box of Apple singles dozens of times!

Then one day there was a young guy behind the counter as well (it was getting pretty cramped back there) -  a guy about our age. Another Marbeck had joined the family firm. We would chat with Roger who immediately impressed us with his musical knowledge and his easy going manner. We were speaking the same language! 

Apart from Apple singles, Marbecks also had a range of Apple albums and weird stuff that was unmatched by the other stores. AM was timed around the punk outbreak remember and a lot of those other stores were practising a sad devotion to that ancient religion. Marbecks Records suited me. Clearly, with shirts and ties, it wasn't a slave to punk fashion.

Around this time, end of school, start of University, I had a summer job working as a chain man/gofer for a surveying company. The engineers and surveyors were cool to work for during my holiday breaks. I had a lot of fun there, but I'd had had enough of painting boundary pegs.

Roger Marbeck loves music.

The Rock and Roll lure was strong! When I asked Roger if he needed a hand during the peak holiday periods to help him and shop assistant Vanessa in the new pop/rock shop opposite the classical one in the arcade, he said, "Yeah! Okay."

Brilliant! Not only could I sift through the bins for free, I could take my pay in records (some weeks I actually paid Roger to work in the store).

And that's what happened in my long summer holidays from 1978 until 1982 (and again later - whenever we found ourselves living in Auckland). It was glorious fun! Ness, Roger and I got on really well. The arrangement suited us all. I would have a weekly pile of records put aside and collect them on pay day! Ness had a co-worker and Roger had someone else to share the load and order about! It was perfect.

Murray and Haydn were also great guys. Haydn gave me heaps! Murray was always a real gentleman. Mum remembered having dealings with young Murray when she worked at Lewis Eady and she always regarded him highly. She always referred to him as Mr Marbeck.

Friday nights were my favourite time in the store. Not only were there slower hours and that meant I got to choose what we listened to, but it also meant food. Haydn would order Chinese takeaways and we'd take it in turns to eat across the arcade, upstairs in the classical shop.

Somehow, I would often (I hesitate to say, always, but it felt like that) get to share my meal time with Haydn and he was hilarious! And rude! His jokes were always accompanied by twinkly eyes and a dirty laugh. Great times!

I especially loved working with Roger. He's like Greg - a funny, fun, genuine guy who is into music. Our friendship developed naturally. I met his girlfriend, Deirdre Dunn, and we'd all spend time together. I would even stay over at their place in Canongate Street from time to time. I helped out with digging out their basement and Roger gave me a boxed set of Cream albums as a bonus. I enjoyed his company and we listened to a lot of great music.  

I went to his wedding to Deirdre with my date, Lynley Wood, and, in 1984, the Marbecks came to mine, all the way down in New Plymouth. Then we started having our children around the same time: Jessica was matched by Keegan and Adam; Logan/Samantha; Briar/Jade - we were ahead 4 to 3 when we each decided that was enough. Through those young years we shared holidays and family time (more to come in the Family Man chapter). 

Over the years, Roger became a big brother figure and like a big brother whose record collection is really cool, he hugely influenced my listening!

The collection in the AM era

One upshot of this friendship was that my collection expanded and expanded. Both in quality and quantity. For three reasons: one, working at Marbecks meant access not only to its resources but also to Roger's musical brain and superb taste; two, my teaching studentship - I now had discretionary income; and three, I had no dependents - there was just me. 

My university years were great self indulgent times. No one to think about, other than me, and what records I was going to buy. Oh and my studies. I did study hard, too.

Nice one Rory!

Two concerts from the AM era need a mention: Rory Gallagher's 1980 visit to Auckland's Town Hall and George Thorogood at the same venue. For both, somehow, I went on my own. Along with the Nambassa festival, they were amazing experiences and the Rory one tops my gig going list!

The AM era contained the golden years! From 1983 onwards record buying would take a back seat and dry up, as you'll read about in part 3 - AJ (After Jacky).

But before then, let's luxuriate in my second seventies list - my top 20 picks of AM!

20 Easter - Patti Smith (1978)

In a lecture room in the Old Arts Building at Auckland University, Roger and Wystan played Babelogue/ Rock and Roll Nigger to us during their 20th century American poetry paper. I was transformed by the experience!

19 The Clash - London Calling (1979)
Cousin Christine sent me a punk special cassette with White Riot on it among other delights. Life in cosy sleepy NZ was light years away from what The Clash and others were railing against. It would take me some time to get into bands like The Clash. London Calling was much more accessible.

18 Jackson Browne – Jackson Browne (1978)
This is a prime example of someone I wouldn't have discovered without Roger and Marbeck's influence.

17 Rastaman Vibration – Bob Marley and the Wailers (1976)

16 Exodus – Bob Marley and the Wailers (1977)

15 American Stars and Bars - Neil Young (1977)

Watching him do Like A Hurricane on TV (Barry Jenkin's Grunt Machine I think or early Radio With Pictures) with the wind machines howling along with the guitar was similar to my Ed Sullivan/ Beatles moment.

14 Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols – Sex Pistols (1977)

13 Live – Status Quo (1977)
I taped this off the radio - I did that a lot back then because I didn't have unlimited financial resources. Then at Marbecks I'd play this in the shop during quiet moments (in between the best sellers that Roger needed to promote with high rotation).

12 Parallel Lines - Blondie (1978)

11 Terrapin Station – the Grateful Dead (1977)

Roger was a fan of the band - Mars Hotel era especially. I hadn't seen the appeal until then, but I somehow got hooked and this album in particular went on high rotate.

10 Bat Out of Hell – Meatloaf (1977)

I'm instantly transported to the games room at Ramelton Road when I hear this album. I was normally suspicious of mega sellers and avoided them but this was too much fun!

9 Moonflower – Santana (1977)

8 Aja – Steely Dan (1977)

7 Marquee Moon – Television (1977)

Dad, now Managing Director of Wellcome NZ, went on business trips to Sydney from time to time during the AM period. I would put in orders of records and he was a trooper - always came back with a few from my list.

6 Horses – Patti Smith (1976)

Lynley Wood was a fan. She told me about this record as we were standing around outside the University library in 1977. She was so enthusiastic, she talked me into it and she was right!

5 Hard Rain – Bob Dylan (1976)

4 Tejas – ZZ Top (1976)

3 If You Want Blood You’ve Got It – AC/DC (1978)

2 Showtime – Ry Cooder (1977)  

I read an amazing review of this record in Sounds by Barbara Charone (she always wrote well and I kept a clipping of the review). Coincidentally, I heard Jesus On The Mainline on the radio around the same time. Combined, these events convinced me to take a punt.

1 Hejira – Joni Mitchell (1976)  

Of all these albums and of all of Joni's albums - this is the one I play most often. Every time, I convince myself that I'll get it this time (what she's talking/singing about) and every time she leaves me daydreaming about an image and my thoughts wander. I love that.

Love and peace - Wozza