I made a nice score at my favorite Vintage Stock used record store:

• the first Paul Simon solo album—I hadn’t heard it in ages, and what an amazing album! “Mother and Child Reunion” was probably the first time I ever heard reggae, and “Duncan” did much to define my sophomore year in college. I always liked “Everything Put Together Falls Apart” and “Run That Body Down,” but now I better understand the jazzy complexity that underlies them both. The real revelations were “Armistice Day” and “Peace Like a River,” which didn’t do much for me back then but absolutely floor me now. On the other hand, the production is pretty average compared to the incredible stuff Roy Halee did on the Simon and Garfunkel albums.
• Kasey Chambers Barricades and Brickwalls—speaking of production, some of the songs on this album are going to be reference standards for me. Big without being overbearing, clean but just enough grit, it feels like there’s no studio in the way, just you and the band. The title track sounds like a live four-piece band with no overdubs—which it almost certainly is not. I don’t know much, but I know it takes considerable effort and skill to make something that sounds this effortless. And then there’s Chambers’ compelling voice and some very good songs. Cool!
• the best grab, though, was Something’s Going On by Frida, a 1982 solo album by one of the women in ABBA. Produced by Phil Collins, who also plays drums and sings harmonies, you have to say, “Oh yeah, that’s why Phil Collins was a big deal!” before we all got sick to death of him. The drumming is excellent, and the sound of the album is amazingly clean and big. Of course, Polar Studios in Stockholm pretty much defined the state of the recording arts at the time (supposedly ABBA was the second largest corporation in Sweden, after Saab). Yeah, it’s a lightweight pop album, but it still sounds energetic and surprisingly fresh. The CD I found is actually an import on the Polar label. Score!