Percy Faith and his Orchestra - Passport to Romance (1956)

Percy Faith was one of the premier "Mood Music" composers of the 1950's and 60's, and along with his pal Mitch Miller, remains one of the premier artists in dollar bins and thrift store record boxes around the country to this day (second only perhaps to Barbara Streisand herself). This lingering influence only goes to show just how popular Percy Faith's sound was at the time, and for good reason: the music is dynamic, with personality to spare.

This album explores matters of the heart by way of various European compositions - everything from Waltzes to Tangos, and from French carousels to enchanting Elvish forests. Sometimes the music is romantic in a grand tragic sense, and sometimes in a cheeky 60's Hollywood sense. 

You can do many things while listening to this album. You can wear a leotard and pretend to be a cat, you can kick your legs in the air like a Russian dancing man, you can pretend to have a forbidden love with a member of the French underground, or you can frolic around with a deranged look on your face like Ren & Stimpy on one of their good days. Truly "mood music" for every romantic expression.

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Buddy Miles - A Message To The People (1971)

Buddy Miles (1947 - 2008) was one of the greatest Rock musicians to ever live. Not only did he famously play drums in Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys in the final years of Jimi's life, but he played just about everything else on his own solo albums - on this particular one, he is responsible for: lead vocals, drums, lead guitar, organ, and background vocals. A true visionary. With his combed-out Afro and his skills on the drums (not to mention every other aspect of music), Buddy Miles was kind of the original ?uestlove.

Oh! And he did the lead vocals for the California Raisins!

Also, look at that damn album artwork!! Abdul Mati painted it, along with many of the greatest album covers of all time - such as Miles Davis' Bitches Brew  for instance. 

Anyway, the most important thing of course is the music, and it is worthy of every ounce of curiosity that artwork inspires. Simultaneously funky, powerful, soulful, and totally rocking, this is music of a certain quality that just isn't heard anymore. Here is my favorite song on the record (and one which balances all these elements in a way that gives me chills every time), "The Segment":

If that doesn't do it for you, I don't know what to say. Maybe one more taste of this album art will help.

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Goldie - Crack Kid/Get Funky 12" (1986)

There's not much to be said about Goldie (because there really isn't much information), but all I can tell you is that she was an Electro-era rapper who liked to wear fly sparkly outfits, and who was signed to a Bronx label called Real Def records.

Side A features several mixes of a single she had called Crack Kid, which warns listeners about the dangers of smoking crack (it will turn you gay, or into a prostitute, and you will die on the street!). There is a club mix, a shorter radio edit, and an instrumental (which is quite funky). I've included all three in the link at the bottom, but only because there were some audible flaws on the club mix version.

Side B features a vocal mix and an instrumental version of another song called Get Funky. This one is a more straightforward party record, and it does not disappoint. Goldie's lyrics are endearingly simple, and the beat is so good, she actually takes the time to apologize for it, as if it was distracting. Both versions are included in the link below as well.

Both songs are produced by Robert James, and both feature the self-declared "Human Beat Box King" Lamont "Kendu" James. I can't really find much info on these people either, which is a shame, because they are all really talented. Not sure what happened to Goldie, but she sure was fly.

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