This time around we feature the collection of Andrew Field, the man behind UK label APF Records.
The first record I ever bought with my own money was…
I’m not ashamed to say it was pure pop – Junior’s Mama Used To Say. It was 1981 and I was 10 years old. I would get 10p a week pocket money in those days. I remember saving for a couple of months then that feeling of wonder and elation when I stood there in the record shop with a lovely piece of vinyl in my hands. I played it death for weeks. I still have that single today and give it a spin every now and then for old time’s sake.
The record that made me want to make music was…
Exit… Stage Left by Rush. I remember the first time I heard Rush so clearly – sat in a friend’s bedroom in London as he played me 2112. It was “YYZ” on Exit… Stage Left which blew my mind though, and made me want to become a drummer. I was never that great behind a kit, but my air drumming ability was second to none! I saw Rush 33 times in the UK, Canada and America before they called it a day on live performances last year. These days I release records rather than make them haha.
The record I’ve played more than any other is…
When it comes to vinyl, that would be Rush again – specifically the A Show Of Hands live album. It’s my prized possession as it’s signed by Geddy, Alex and Neil. But my most played record if you include the times I’ve played it on CD and online is Slo Burn’s Amusing The Amazing. It was out of print on vinyl for so long. John Garcia is responsible for so much of my music taste.
The record that always make me feel good is…
Van Halen’s debut album. It’s in my top 10 albums of all time. Party tunes, stunning guitar work, mind-blowing drumming and Dave Lee Roth showing why he was one of the greatest front men ever. That album is perfect, start to finish, and always leaves me with a huge smile on my face.
The record I turn to when I’m feeling down is…
Elephant Tree’s eponymous 2016 album. In my view Elephant Tree aren’t just the finest band treading the boards today, but a secret that everyone is going to know about very soon. This album is a little slice of heaven, and the most uplifting LP I’ve heard in many a year. Word is spreading. I reckon they’re gonna be massive.
The record with my favorite cover art is…
Out Of The Blue by ELO. I remember my dad bringing this record home with him in 1978. I was only 7. That huge and beautiful gatefold cover with the space ship blew my tiny mind. I listened to nothing else that summer. And spent hours staring at that album sleeve and dreaming.
The strangest LP I own is…
I have an album of steam train noises. It would take me ages to explain why, so I’ll leave it to your imagination.
The rarest LP I own is…
At the moment, that would be the test pressing for the BongCauldron album my record label (APF Records) is releasing at the end of November. There are only 3 of them.
Narcissism aside, there is an original gatefold first pressing of Black Sabbath Vol. 4 under my roof at the moment. It’s my girlfriend’s, but as what’s hers is mine….. haha…..
The last LP I bought was…
Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard’s Y Profwydd Dwyll. One of my favourite bands. It’s an album that has to be heard on vinyl. CD just doesn’t suit it.
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https://www.facebook.com/apfrecords
https://apfrecords.bandcamp.com/
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