The latest used CD finds from the road.

I hit the road occasionally for my job, which requires some good music for the CD player. I also try to find small music stores to check over the used CD selections. I have found some real gems along the way. Here are the latest finds.

Supergrass – Supergrass is 10! (w/bonus live disc)
The Jam – Live
Jimmy Smith – the Sermon
Trio – Da Da Da
Elvis Costello & the Attractions – Very Best of (Rykodisc 1994)
- all used for $26

Jimmy Smith – a Blue Note compilation (used $6)
Bodeans – Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams (new for $9.99)

I visited two CD stores in Bowling Green, Ohio. One was quite large and kinda corporate, but had good prices. That’s where I picked up the Bodeans and the Jimmy Smith comp. I had been keeping an eye out for a used copy of the Bodeans first LP for a few years and had not seen one. Since this new copy was under $10, I thought what the hell. This is an extraordinary debut that nearly marks the beginning of the Americana band era in rock. Besides, my old cassette tape is nearly worn out from the road trips and the new cars do not have tape players, Dammit! I’ve also been looking for some Jimmy Smith (a fab bebop jazz organist), so the used Blue Note comp was a good find.

The second store was a smaller, punk-rawk kinda place with a small used section and lotsa indie stuff. They were having a ‘blow-out’ sale on used – five titles for $20 and double discs count as two. I didn’t think I’d find five keepers, but I did. Since I found one Jimmy Smith, I thought adding another at that price would be great. Guess what? There are no duplicate cuts between the two! And both are really good.

I’ve been tempted by the Trio album before, but not at a price under $5. I actually bought it for a couple of other tunes that are not titled “Da Da Da”.

The Elvis comp was tasty and is great in the car. I have several of his albums, but this brings together a few other cuts I liked on LP’s I just didn’t want to spend the money for.

Supergrass is a delight. I have their first and had heard a few cuts since then, but they are much more solid than I had thought. The live bonus CD is also worthy.

Interestingly, the Jam Live CD is the one I’ve listened to the most, and I picked it up on a whim. I bought their earlier live LP “Dig the New Breed” when it came out in 1982 and was always disappointed in it for a number of reasons. I didn’t like the live sound mix; the energy didn’t seem to come through; I really wanted new stuff by them when I originally purchased the record in 1982; and the real reason....I was disappointed that they had just broken up, Dammit! This was the last CD I checked out on the way home and it is still playing in the car. There are several Jam classics that were missing from “Dig the New Breed”. Overall, I get it better now and really appreciate these live versions of songs that are a big part of my past. The Jam are another of those bands that I miss today.