A.J. & Kenny - Different Stages

Filled with odes to life in the rural USA of the 1970s, I stumbled across this album in a third level record shop in Tokyo of all places.

Delighted to find a record store with a dedicated AOR section, I dived in, and found Different Stages with only one tune online and at a far more affordable price than recent Discogs sales. 

Different Stages is a mysterious private press release from Modern Music Workshop, a studio in Gainesville, Florida in the 80s, mostly notable for enigmatic funk mystery Jeff Floyd's early releases, some of which have recently been repressed.

This album is a joint work by (maybe related) A.J. and Kenny Minotti, with the two of them sharing writing credits across different tunes. There's also the inclusion of a third (and also possibly related) Minotti, Steve, on a few of the tunes with choir backing vocals.

There's elements of jazz and country woven throughout the album, a love letter the Different Stages of life in middle smalltown America.

There's songs like Hit and Run Woman, about a heartbreaking woman who "knows the game" meeting a "smooth talker [who] drives a Mercedes" or Daddy's Little Girl who "always got away with everything she did" and is now "putting out for the neighbourhood kids." 

Also particularly notable are Baby Don't Get Cosmic With Me, about the perils of dating those enamored with astrology, and Holding Out For You, recounting a night of stealing your old man's whisky for the high school dance and almost bungling your chance with your high school sweetheart. 

I've uploaded three tunes to the channel. The first, Lie Away, wears energetic jazz influences high on it's sleeve for a short ode to holding unfaithful lovers accountable.

(Feels So Good) To Love You is a twilight Yacht Rock gem, even though I wonder if there have been that many yachts in Gainesville. 

Finally Little Marie, another starry-eyed adult-oriented fusion piece, particularly notable for the mandolin solo from Captain Ray Valla. What he's Captain of I'm not sure. 

I'm so grateful to be able to upload a few of these tunes, and have in my collection unique snapshot of some rare and under-appreciated music from a time I can only imagine. 

Check out the record on Discogs here.

Here are some more photos: