In honor of the first WXNA Record Fair on Sunday, March 23 at Eastside Bowl, March 17-23, 2025 is Crate Digger’s Week on WXNA! Today we have a double-sided serving of Crate Digger’s stories, and you don’t even have to get up to turn the record over!
Fleetwood Mac – Live at the Boston Tea Party
Jaimie Hart – Web of Sound
My dad, the infamous Rick Hart, was in the audience for these legendary shows during the weekend of his 22nd birthday — February 5-7, 1970. I love listening to these records, not just for the music but because I can imagine him having the time of his life. I like to think that some of the applause captured in the recordings includes his own cheers and claps.
I’m also a big Peter Green fan, thanks in part to my dad’s impeccable taste in music, which he passed down to me. It’s wild to hear live versions of some favorite songs bursting with even more energy than their studio counterparts. The band sounds completely unhinged at times — especially during a 24-minute version of “Rattlesnake Shake.” Other highlights include the punch of “Oh Well,” a ridiculously punk take on “Tutti Frutti,” and the mesmerizing call-and-response between Peter Green and Danny Kirwan on “Like It This Way.” No one held back that weekend, and it’s easy to lose yourself in these recordings… almost as if you’re right there with Rick.
I also love how the three releases form a cohesive design. When they came out, I’d buy one, listen to it, and then get excited to pick up the next — stretching out the joy a little longer. If you want to feel like you’ve traveled back in time (or just need a good way to disassociate), I highly recommend giving these a listen. If you haven’t yet experienced the raw power of OG Fleetwood Mac, you’re welcome.
Happy listening—and don’t forget to wish Rick a happy birthday!
Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed
Gwil Owen – Salty Candy
When I was nine years old I was obsessed with the Rolling Stones. I had one album; the greatest hits record with the octagonal cover. I’d asked for it for my birthday and I played that thing over and over and over.
One day my dad offered me a penny for every dandelion I dug out of the yard. He went off to work and I worked all day too: I dug up 500 dandelions. That evening we sat in the grass and counted them, then he handed me a five-dollar bill.
So, next morning I walked downtown to a little store called Huzza Huzza. It was the local head shop. It was dark and mysterious in there, and the air was full of incense. They sold paraphernalia, blacklight posters… and records. The records were in the back room; I pushed through a bead curtain, found the Rolling Stones section and started flipping through the albums. But they all seemed very dated: the covers were black and white and the band had short-ish hair and some of the guys were even wearing suits.
The girl behind the counter said “Are you looking for the new Stones album?”
I didn’t even know they had a new album, but yeah, I guess that was what I was looking for. She pulled out a copy and handed it to me: Let it Bleed. It definitely did NOT look dated; the cover was just… weird, like nothing I had ever seen before. I forked over the five dollars and walked out of there with my new prize: the first album I had ever bought.
And it did not disappoint; I still have it, and it’s still one of the most mind-blowing things I’ve ever heard in my life.
Watch this space for more Crate Digger’s stories all week long!
