By Cousin Justin

I was thinking about how record collecting is not always about finding the rare things no one else has.  Some of my favorite records are common ones often overlooked. I decided to spend a few minutes looking through the Dollar Store and highlight a few you may or may not have overlooked.  So here they are in no particular order, after the jump due to the size.

Despite terrible album covers that have the young rascals looking like a bubblegum band, they are one of my all time favorites.  This is the greatest hits of the early albums.  If you have any interest in Blue Eyed Soul, Garage, Or Early Rock and Roll you have to check this album out.  If you think “I have heard Good Lovin’ & Groovin too many times and I don’t want that album” you are missing out.   The Track “I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore” is an all out 10 star classic.

There Are few female singers I really enjoy, but Millie Jackson is one of them.  Some of her later stuff is gimmicky but it always has the great backing of The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.  It is one of my rules that if I see something recorded with them I pick it up.  Millie’s Profanity can be off-putting to some, but i love it.  This is her first album to use her trademark “rapping” style and is a true headphone masterpiece.

As I have written before I love Tolkien.  These guys obviously did too.  The music isn’t all that great but it is a great cover and worth having in any collection.

This isn’t exactly an overlooked album, but I think some people may not have given it a try.  I remember the first time I heard it I was at Max’s house playing cards and we listened to it a few times that night.  I immediately had to have it and it has been in constant rotation at my house for the last 10 years.

Not all records are about what I like.  This is one of my wife’s favorite albums for the song “Loving You”.  It was featured in a Burger King commercial and is a king among love songs.  Everyone enjoys when this song is played and they WILL sing along.  So pick this up for your girl!

This is one of the first albums I ever bought.  I got it at a garage sale before I even collected records.  At the time I was not really into Dance music, now I love it.  Like the title says there will be no parking on the dance floor while this album is spinning.

I love comps.  A comp is a great way to DJ a party without having to change records.   They are also a great way to get rarer tracks without paying top dollar to get them.  Another bonus is you might discover a new band to look for.  This particular comp is filled with great  party rock songs, including one of my favorites Dirty Water.

It does not matter what condition a Blue Note record is in, I am buying it for a dollar.  Granted a real Jazzbo will tell you fidelity is really important, but a little background noise is not always a bad thing.  The thing with Blue Note is that they put out some of the best music and best covers in the history of music.  For a dollar I will buy it and put it in a frame if it is too rough for enjoyable listening.

Dionne Warwick + Burt Bacharach equals a very smooth sound that some like and some don’t.  The reason I post this album is not for that sound, but for the one hidden dope ass Funk instrumental track that is on this.  It proves the point that sometimes the sound you are looking for is hidden where you least expect it.

I have a few artists that I collect , Jimmy Smith is one of them.  Jazz fans poo poo Jimmy for the fact he plays the organ and he was so popular.  People who do not like instrumentals won’t give it a try.  Fear not, Jimmy actually sings Blues standards on this album.  He also wails away on that organ like it owes him money.

Well there you have it, a few albums I feel you need to at least give a listen.  Let me know if you do and you like them or hate them.  Keep diggin!