The ramblings of Gardner Barnes...

AAA…DSD…ESP.. IDGAF, just as long as it sounds good, and this new CSN One Step from @mobilefidelityofficial certainly does the trick. Spread across 2 discs at 45 RPM, and this album that I’ve been listening to for over 30 years sounds the best I’ve ever heard it. In my absolutely subjective opinion. Perfect soundtrack on this rainy day. Fun fact: the album art was photographed not too far from where I live. #rainyday #rainydayspins #nowspinning #vinylcollection #vinylcommunity #recordcollection #recordcollector #records #instavinyl #rock #pop #indie #jazz #rap #hiphop #RnB #soundtracks #holiday #funk #soul #recordnuggets #music (at Marin) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmxZsBJPyRB/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#12grimmdaysofchristmasvinyl hosted by @emmas_jammin and @grimm_vinyl. Day 12: "Home Alone” - A Christmas Movie Soundtrack “Looking good, Billy Ray!” Feeling good, Louis!” Nothing screams “Christmas movie” more than a drunk guy in a dirty Santa suit with a dog peeing on him. #tradingplaces #nowspinning #vinylcollection #vinylcommunity #recordcollection #recordcollector #records #instavinyl #rock #pop #indie #jazz #rap #hiphop #RnB #soundtracks #holiday #funk #soul #recordnuggets #music https://www.instagram.com/p/CmGOkSIODtY/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Tattoo You 2021 box set. #nowspinning #vinylcollection #vinylcommunity #recordcollection #recordcollector #records #instavinyl #rock #pop #indie #jazz #rap #hiphop #RnB #soundtracks #holiday #funk #soul #recordnuggets #music (at San Francisco Bay Area) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmDvK9mO36H/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#12grimmdaysofchristmasvinyl vinyl challenge courtesy of @emmas_jammin and @grimm_vinyl. Day 10: *Baby, It’s Cold Outside - A Record To Curl Up With By The Fire” Hi kids, I’m back! Missed a couple of days of the challenge…sometimes life gets in the way of things. Anyway, I’m back for the stretch drive. Dream With Dean. Dino’s jazz album. I know everybody’s fave is Sinatra, and rightfully so. But for me, it’s always been Dean Martin. Memories of my grandmother’s record collection when I was a kid where she had all of the great crooners of her day. Dino was well represented. His voice reminds me of warm buttered rum. If you don’t have a fireplace in your home, just lean this album cover against the wall, rub your hands together, and you’ll get warm real quick. Dino’s even sitting by the fire on the cover 😉 #nowspinning #vinylcollection #vinylcommunity #recordcollection #recordcollector #records #instavinyl #rock #pop #indie #jazz #rap #hiphop #RnB #soundtracks #holiday #funk #soul #recordnuggets #music (at San Francisco Bay Area) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmBJySguCuq/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#12grimmdaysofchristmasvinyl challenge courtesy of @emmas_jammin and @grimm_vinyl. Day 6 - Wrapped In Red - A red vinyl pressing I think everybody loves a little Carly, no? I have for as long as I can remember. This red pressing from @friday_music is a beauty, too. #nowspinning #vinylcollection #vinylcommunity #recordcollection #recordcollector #records #instavinyl #rock #pop #indie #jazz #rap #hiphop #RnB #soundtracks #holiday #funk #soul #recordnuggets #music (at San Francisco Bay Area) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl2oAJIui6R/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#12grimmdaysofchristmasvinyl challenge courtesy of @emmas_jammin @grimm_vinyl Dey 4; "Winter Wanderland”• A White Pressing I have a handful of white vinyl, but since it’s December 4th and all, it was a no brainer choosing this one for the vinyl challenge. 2017. The last time the GOAT gave us a full length LP. I think he’s due. @beyonce, tell him happy birthday for us. #happybirthdayJayZ #happybirthdayjay #nowspinning #vinylcollection #vinylcommunity #recordcollection #recordcollector #records #instavinyl #rock #pop #indie #jazz #rap #hiphop #RnB #soundtracks #holiday #funk #soul #recordnuggets #music (at San Francisco Bay Area) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClxM_3KpYZ6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Just under the wire… Day 3 of the #12grimmdaysofchristmasvinyl challenge courtesy of @emmas_jammin @grimm_vinyl Day 3: Joy To The World - Your Happy Album Every vinyl album I own is my happy album. They all make me extremely happy. But I will say the album that makes me happiest is whatever one I most recently received in the mail. So today, my happy album is the MoFi press of Stevie’s Fulfillingness’ First Finale, newly arrived today. Out of stock, out of print, and in my collection. #nowspinning #vinylcollection #vinylcommunity #recordcollection #recordcollector #records #instavinyl #rock #pop #indie #jazz #rap #hiphop #RnB #soundtracks #holiday #funk #soul #recordnuggets #music (at San Francisco Bay Area) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClvQjFEOr02/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

@emmas_jammin @grimm_vinyl #12grimmdaysofchristmasvinyl challenge Day 2. Under The Mistletoe - A Record That Reminds You Of Falling in Love Falling in love is easy, but sometimes you have to work at it to make it last. I chose Rumours because it for sure reminds me of falling in love, but just as importantly it reminds me that sometimes things don’t work out, so if you want it bad enough, you gotta meet halfway. Also, airing your dirty laundry for the world to see can make you the biggest rock stars on the planet. Rest in Peace, Christine. #nowspinning #vinylcollection #vinylcommunity #recordcollection #recordcollector #records #instavinyl #rock #pop #indie #jazz #rap #hiphop #RnB #soundtracks #holiday #funk #soul #recordnuggets #music (at San Francisco Bay Area) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClsfNEouY-F/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Day 1: It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas- A Holiday Record Today’s theme: Your favorite holiday record Christmas season is a joyous time of year. Christmas season is a melancholy time of year. Two things can be true at once. I myself skirt both sides of that notion this time of year, embrace the joy and the sad. Which is why I chose this album, @lowtheband’s Christmas. It’s not technically my “favorite Christmas album”, but it’s one I enjoy a lot. It’s the newest holiday record to my collection as I finally bought the vinyl this season. It embraces the sadness in the joy. Or does it embrace the joy in the sadness? Either way, it’s beautiful, and with the sad passing of Mimi Parker some weeks ago, I just thought it was right to make it my first entry in the #12grimmdaysofchristmasvinyl challenge. Listening to it for the first time after she’s no longer here adds another layer of melancholy to the beauty of this record. #nowspinning #vinylcollection #vinylcommunity #recordcollection #recordcollector #records #instavinyl #rock #pop #indie #jazz #rap #hiphop #RnB #soundtracks #funk #soul #holiday #recordnuggets #music (at San Francisco Bay Area) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClqDxfTupQw/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

New additions from the last several weeks of collecting…can’t wait to clean and listen. Thanks to some great shops and labels. @wattsmusicnovato @turntablelab @elusivediscinc @theingroove @comeback_vinyl @rustic.records @mondonews @lalalandrecords @samrecordsfr @impexrecords @mobilefidelityofficial #nowspinning #vinylcollection #vinylcommunity #recordcollection #recordcollector #records #instavinyl #rock #pop #indie #jazz #rap #hiphop #RnB #soundtracks #funk #soul #music (at San Rafael, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CT5C7r4PXAE/?utm_medium=tumblr

Amy Winehouse Back To Black (2006) 10 years today. Her voice is so missed. Listening to this album right now and I’ve teared up more than once. It just hit different today. The loss of the voice is sad, but the tragedy of it all is so much worse. Continue to rest well, Amy. 🙏🏽 #nowspinning #vinylcollection #vinylcommunity #recordcollection #recordcollector #records #instavinyl #rock #pop #indie #jazz #hiphop #music (at Lucas Valley, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRsTVYZsIuf/?utm_medium=tumblr

Foo Fighters, There Is Nothing Left To Lose (1999) Today’s #sundayspin. Hands down my favorite @foofighters album. Too many listens to count, it was my SF soundtrack throughout the ‘00s. Was an immediate grab when I saw the vinyl at @wattsmusicnovato on Friday. #nowspinning “Generator”, an alltimer for me. @davestruestories “I'm the Generator, firing whenever you quit/Yeah whatever it is, you go out and it's on/Yeah can't you hear my motored heart/You're the one that started it…” #vinylcollection #vinylcommunity #recordcollection #recordcollector #records #instavinyl #rock #pop #music #sundayspins (at San Rafael, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ7HvLYMb4H/?utm_medium=tumblr

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Born In The U.S.A. (June 4, 1984) Happy 37th birthday to this absolutely legendary masterpiece. My gateway to all things Bruce, my obsession with The Boss started here, at 13 years old; this album became my bible. It is a part of me like my arms and legs are. The film Blinded By The Light could easily be a documentary about my life with this album. Was fun giving it a spin today, this is the 2014 remaster from the original analog tapes and it sounded incredible. Do yourself the favor. #vinylcollection #vinylcommunity #recordcollection #recordcollector #records #instavinyl #rock #pop #music #nowspinning (at San Rafael, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPt834tM8Ik/?utm_medium=tumblr

Freda Payne, Band Of Gold (1970). #nowspinning “Band of Gold”. My grandmother had this album, and I remember her playing it ALL the time. So I wanted to have it. I love the title song so much. I’m a huge fan of ‘70s soul/RnB, I think it’s the best decade of the genre ever. You can hear in the voices of Black artists a freedom that they literally didn’t have in decades prior. Was the country still racist AF? Of course it was. But Black artists could finally sing about it, and it came through in the art of so many icons. Not to mention, the iconic Funk Brothers (the house band for Motown Records from 1959-72) played on the song and much of the album. Worth the price of administration alone. @iamfredapayne #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylcommunity #vinylrecords #vinylcollector #records #music #soul #instavinyl (at Lucas Valley, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CObw1d7hGbI/?igshid=b5xidf5fk5aq

Bob Dylan, Desire (1/5/76). #nowspinning “Hurricane”. More mid-‘70s Dylan. Desire was one of his biggest ever selling records, certified double-platinum. Pretty much my first foray into this album’s deeper cuts, and I dig it. The first track “Hurricane” is my favorite Dylan song, and proves that nobody writes a better “story-song” and a better protest song than the man himself. What an epic. The live version from Rolling Thunder Revue is SO good. #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylcommunity #vinylrecords #vinylcollector #vinyljunkie #records #rock #folk (at San Rafael, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/COYA-buhrNK/?igshid=sjvybtemcik0

Bob Dylan, Blood On The Tracks (1/20/75). #nowspinning “Tangled Up In Blue”. Of all the Dylan eras, mid-‘70s Dylan is my favorite. I love all the live Rolling Thunder Revue stuff, the images of Dylan performing in that weird white face paint and the wide brim hat; MTV used to play the concert video for “Tangled Up in Blue” a bunch and it was just a close up of his face while he sang, my first true intro to Bob Dylan. #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylcommunity #vinylcollector #instavinyl #recordcollection #records (at San Rafael, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/COX-nm9Bu11/?igshid=1nsz8c6k7579i

Tattoo You, released August 24, 1981. You couldn’t go anywhere that summer of ‘81 without hearing “Start Me Up” blaring out of car radios. It was THE song of the summer. I love this album. Perfect to me, every song. By ‘81 the Stones were a little weary, a little weathered, but still kicking ass and taking names. Had perfected their version of rock/rhythm/blues by now, and showed it gloriously here. Side B is one of my favorite side B’s in all of music, and kicks off with this masterpiece here. #nowspinning “Worried About You”. #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylcommunity #vinylrecords #rollingstones #records #rock #music (at San Rafael, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/COButIWhUWE/?igshid=1efbbo0f21w0h