Bought Some Music Friday


I made my semi-annual visit to Princeton Record Exchange on Friday and picked up some new vinyl. On a whim I grabbed the new Boxstar Records "Julie London" LP. Two 45RPM LP's beautifully pressed. If you like femaile vocals it doesn't get much better than this. While the recording sounds vintage 1950s (the bass, and to a lesser degree the guitar, are not as well captured as on most modern recordings) her voice is as present and real as any recording I've EVER heard. Wow. The whim continued as I grabbed the new MFSL Sinatra "For the Lonely" (or something like that--I'm at work!) Again, Nelson Riddle's Orchestra sounds much better on the more modern Linda Ronstadt LP's from the 1980's but Frank's voice is remarkably clear, nuaunced and real. So, if you like vocal recordings I would strongly recommend these to you. I also got two Neil Young LP's--the new releases from the NY Archives project--Harvest and After the Gold Rush. I've only gotten around to playing ATGR and it was not terribly impressive. I've got a nice German pressing of this LP that easily competes with this remaster "from the original analogue tapes". Not that it sounds bad, but simply not a mind blowing improvement over the copy I already own. I still have a few more to hear from the pile (Elvis Costello "My Aim Is True" and "The Cars" on MFSL so next weekend should be fun. Enjoy!
128x128dodgealum
Mark,

The MOFI Elvis Costello is excellent. The Cars is pretty decent also. Make sure you pick up new MOFI Rickie Lee Jones "Pirates". It's one of the best MOFI's so far...
I grew up watching Emergency with Julie London playing Nurse McCall. (I think that was her name on the show.) I've always wanted to hear her music, but the prices for her albums have been a little too high. It's good to hear that you like what you heard.

Michael
Curious, how much did you spend? When I go to Princton I can't get out the door for less then $500.
Not too bad this trip since I spent too much time at the Triumph brewery and only had about 30 minutes in PREX!
Still working through the pile...The Neil Young Archives remastered LP's are totally forgetable. I've now listened to both AGR and Harvest and my German pressings are at least as good. Also, the Archives versions come with crappy paper sleeves to boot. I don't know who is running this project but things have gone off the rails since Massey Hall was released. On a positive note, I picked up a couple of the new Joni Mitchell reissues on Rhinovinyl. WOW! I've only heard "Ladies of the Canyon" but this LP is mindblowingly good. Absolutely a must have if you are a fan. Just an incredibly revealing recording that blows away any other issue I've heard of this LP. Extraordinary across the board. I can't wait to hear "Court and Spark"--it may top the Nautilus version I sold a while back.
I wish they would reissue Joni Mitchell's "Song to a Seagull".
This is her first release.It was produced by David Crosby,and the only person on the album besides Joni is Stephen Stills playing bass.
This is IMHO her best record. If you can find a good one, it has moments of sonic greatness.The whole album is a work of art,including Joni's art work on the cover.

Dodgealum: My "ladies of the Canyon" is prime and sounds great. I bought it when it came out.

I know,I know, I am old.

e
I just listened to the Jule London Boxstar Records 45RPM vinyl the other day. I found the sound incredibly unnatural. They boosted up the EQ curve so that London's voice sound like she's singing into the top of a Coca-Cola bottle. It's highly resonant and fatiguing to listen to. Also, two of the tracks had surface noise to the point of getting in the way of enjoying the music. Not pleased. And, I still have a sealed boxset of Three Blind Mice, 45RPM, from Boxstar. Before I open it, I will start another thread to hear of others' experience with that set.