Whenever I, D.J. David B., explore that wonderful nexus of comics and records, as I do every Tuesday, I never know what kind of musical treat I’ll turn up. Sometimes it’s a real gem. Other times it’s forgettable garbage. This week is no exception.

Just check out the record I’m presenting.

The year was 1960. It was written by John Stone and Joe Johansen. The band is called “The Adventurers.” All I know is that they hailed from the Pacific Northwest. The song is “Excelsior.”

This record might not even be remembered today except for the fact that it takes its title from Smilin’ Stan Lee’s famous expression, “excelsior!” which means either “still higher” (the motto of New York) or “the trade name, taken from the Latin, for fine curled wood shavings used for packing fragile items.”

Which definition did Stan the Man have in mind? I’d like to think he meant both, in the sense that he was striving ever higher for excellence in Marvel’s comics, and that, at the end of the day, they were nothing more than disposible pulp that could be used as packing material. It’s horrifying today to think of a copy of Spider-Man or Fantastic Four being used as birdcage liner, but back in the day (as the cool kids say) comics were just fish wrappers with color covers. Makes you think, doesn’t it?

Buy the album here. And click the link below to listen.

Excelsior - Adventurers