Hi,
Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Most recordings you own by a single artist, group, or composer
I went and purchased two more John Coltrane CD’s, "Blue Train" and "Traneing In", in spite of, relative to other artists, having way too many of his albums already. I do love his music and just now counted having forty-eight of his albums, not even including the ones he recorded with Miles Davis.
Is there anyone else out there at least equally nutty, or has more recordings by any single artist, band or composer? If so, who do you like, and how many of their albums have you collected and play? Miles Davis at thirty-three records and CD’s, comes in a not too distant second in my collection.
Hopefully this topic hasn’t been broached before here.
Mike
Is there anyone else out there at least equally nutty, or has more recordings by any single artist, band or composer? If so, who do you like, and how many of their albums have you collected and play? Miles Davis at thirty-three records and CD’s, comes in a not too distant second in my collection.
Hopefully this topic hasn’t been broached before here.
Mike
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Mitch4, good luck with that. I guessing Lee Morgan was a sideman frequently. I know he appeared on some of the Wayne Shorter sides in a box set of his Blue Note output recently purchased, and elsewhere in my jazz collection. 2channel8, Neil Young has certainly been prolific in his career. I've seventeen of his myself. I'd no idea Linda Rondstadt had that many releases. I've only a few of her earlier ones. Mike |
Middlemass, you're closing in on Coltranes complete major label repertoire ac,cording to my checklist. I think I've seventy-four albums of his on that list although a few like the Wilbur Hardens might have been originally listed under other's names as the bandleader. It's especially impressive you've all vinyl copies. I've twenty of my forty-eight Coltrane's on CD's now. Most of the rest were bought before the advent of CD's, but either too hard to find in good condition or way too expensive in vinyl nowadays. Mike |
64 Coltrane albums. REAL albums, vinyl only. Loved the late 80's early 90's...everyone told me I was crazy and a dinosaur for preferring vinyl because CD's were the "perfect sound forever." Meanwhile, I spent every Saturday buying up vinyl on the cheap. And my prized possession from those trips is an absolutely mint condition original orange label Impulse pressing of "A Love Supreme." Paid a whopping 6 bucks for that one and will never sell it. (although I might consider trading it straight up for a mint condition Conrad Johnson PV-5 :) |
The biggest collections I missed (and couldn’t have stored anyway) were Tom Chandler with 1.5 million, Music Man Murray with 1 million (both collections purchased by the Brasillian collector Zero Freitas ( https://thevinylfactory.com/features/inside-the-worlds-biggest-record-collection-an-interview-with-zero-freitas/) and Michael Lane with 250,000 mint condition classical 78s. I live in the Los Angeles area and have had access to garage sales and collections over the years. I stopped looking for at least a decade and built up my CD collection because they now sound like great analog (especially the Living Presence, Living Stereo and Jazz CDs I’ve purchased). I don’t read books as much as periodicals such as Films of the Golden Age, Chocolatier in Desserts, Moment, Fortune, Westways, Smithsonian, Absolute Sound and Stereophile as well as two daily and one weekly paper. I also still work about 25-30 hours weekly, do the shopping, financials, etc. The LPs worth $50+ in the Tom Null collection were pre-purchased by a local rare record dealer in a package deal although I still found some which he didn’t know about among the 200,000 remaining. I read that Freitas now has at least 8.5 million records. |
Fleschler, I’m with you on buying those jazz complete sets on CD. They are a great bargain if you can find those that are well done like on the labels you mentioned. Thanks for mentioning which lablels are good in that regard. That’’s a valuable piece of information. It must have been fun picking through the Tom Null collection of 20,000 albums. You must have found some real gems there. That’s an impressive number of books too, another interest we share. You must have a large library room. I’m a bit older than you at 68, and have fortunately reached a point in my life where I have most everything I want and need paid for. So after a couple more purchases of tractor implements, I plan to focus my disposable income on acquiring CD’s, books, and maybe a little more artwork. I’ve about 1200 books, so am much closer to catching up with you in that category. Some traveling and maybe learning to play a tenor sax purchased forty years ago also come to mind. Might as well enjoy retirement. Thanks for sharing how you do your purchasing. I’ve go to find out how to locate sales like the Tom Null one you mentioned. I tried purchasing a large classical collection found at an antique mall locally once. After seeing it, I went back the next day to make an offer at a price my late wife and I discussed and thought was reasonable. The whole collection was gone. Day late and a dollar short I guess. Mike |
P.S. I am 64 and have many years of collecting. I also have a normal life, career and family. I have other interests as well. I moved last year to a large home which enabled me to house my collection as well as 3500+ books. If I were starting out collecting today, I would concentrate on CDs and select LPs, particularly those unavailable on CD. Unless you want to make a commitment to 78s, I wouldn't start. It is a heavy and delicate collection. I have many 1000 LPs and 78s which will never be made into CDs or streamed. As to buying entire output of performers, there are some great sources for 78s, including Marston records for classical vocal and piano, Romophone (defunct) for classical vocal, Biddulph (almost gone) for classical strings, etc. As to bargain basement Jazz collections, RealGone Jazz is a hit and miss proposition as they don't use masters but often dub from LPs. AVID collections are much more consistent. I'm buying more Jazz on CD than any other category. Great sounding complete sets are being issued by Sony (RCA, Columbia, Philips classical), many good sets on Warner (EMI, Parlaphone & Erato). Some DGG sets and Decca sets sound good but I find that Decca opera CDs are inferior to the LPs. |
My parents started buying records for me at 2 before I spoke. By 5, I had 300 records (classical, childrens and 50s R&R). Through the years, I purchased from stores and collections. One ethnic collection of unused 78s was purchased from a store going out of business for 50¢ each, about 400. The last collection I picked through I purchased about 800 LPs from the late Tom Null collection (200,000+) last year. He was the owner/producer of Varese Sarabande and Newport Classics. I could have purchased the entire collection very very cheaply, but I did not want or could store that many LPs (and tapes). I only occasionally purchase more LPs now and 78s are only from local garage sales. I have 2000 unplayed classical 78s from the 30's & 40's for sale for 20 years at $1000 but no one is interested. Tough sell except on ebay for much higher prices but I have no time for ebay sales of 78s. I purchase CDs on line all the time (7,000+). I rarely buy a dud. My friends are remastering engineers and give me hints on great jazz recordings. My classical and pop recordings are chosen based on reviews or my knowledge of the recording, mastering engineer or producer. E.G. I know that any Bones Howe early stereo recording is going to be great sounding. I only keep recordings if I would want to hear them three times annually; otherwise, I sell it (or attempt to). I've sold 18,000 78s and LPs in the past 20 years. It's my own rule. I listen to music at least 1.5 to 2 hours at night, more on weekends. All through school, I would study with instrumental music in the background (vocal would interrupt my concentration). My audio systems are so involving, that I eagerly anticipate hearing music daily. I also perform and record high quality local musicians (occasionally at the Gindi, Disney, Royce, Ford halls and chamber music). |
Fleschler, that is interesting you’ve that many albums, virtually a library of music. Are the many you mentioned, those for whom you have the complete output? How do you go about acquiring so many? Do you buy up others collections for example, or go to record conventions? Or simply buy online and haunt used record stores? And have you had the opportunity to listen to most of your albums at least once? Just impressed and curious. You rarely see 78’s anymore at least in my neck of the woods, western Virginia. There was one record shop in Manhattan I visited on a trip back home many years ago that had a lot of old jazz recordings on 78’s, but I’ve seen few since. Geoffkaitt, I’d appreciate if you'd recommend a couple or so of your all time favorite Wagner recordings from your collection? Thanks, Mike |
I have a ton of the older Wagner stuff on CD, radio broadcasts, Bayreuth, Knappertsbusch, Von Karajan, you name it, box sets up the yin yang. Yes, I mean a ton, literally. OK, so I bit off more than I can chew. Haven’t even opened most of it. Latest acquisition and fresh out the freezer: remastered CRO2 cassettes, Solti Vienna Gotterdammerung and Die Walkure. Unfreaking believable! So analog, so dynamic! |
Claudia Muzio, Ponselle, Caruso, Gigli, Battistini, etc. opera singers Rachmaninoff, Hofmann, Pennario, Lewenthal etc. for pianists Heifetz, Milstein, Rabin, Hassid, etc. for violinists Segovia for guitar, Zabaleta, Laskine, etc. for harp Bing Crosby pre-1935 (all on 12 LPs in chronological order), Ruth Etting, Bessie Smith, etc. for pop vocalists Rosenblatt, Oysher, Peerce, Tucker, etc. for cantors Django Reinhart, Bob Wilber, Barney Kessel, Shelley Manne, etc. jazz I have many collections of entire recorded output of many musicians in my 42,000 LP/78/CD collection. I’m pretty sure my list is unlike most collectors/listeners on this forum. |
I collect mostly live recordings. Jazz and Funk the studio recordings. Phish - 390 all FLAC. Steve Kimock - 78 Widespread Panic - 188 String Cheese Incident - 79 Miles Davis - 15 Stevie Wonder - everything pre 1977 Roy Ayers - everything Grant Green - everything (favorite is live at the lighthouse) Moe.- 40 Railroad Earth - 80 Among others... |
llg98ljk4 posts05-02-2020 9:29pm"Three pages of comments and not one fan of Alison Krauss and Union Station?" She/they are fabulous, but I think of her as Music Video, as their concerts are sooo well filmed/recorded, https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0000A02WW/ref=tmm_dvd_used_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=used&qid=1588518461&sr=1-1 I put the DVD on before going to my CD's. When I stopped buying CD's, I started buying Music DVDs #1 favorite is Sophie Milman, Montreal, holy smoke is it good!!! https://www.amazon.com/Sophie-Milman-Live-Montreal/dp/B001EGG5RG I do very well buying used DVD's, LP's, R2R tapes, Books on Amazon, other places. I put them in a nice binder with the paper label/info, throw the hard case away. |
Wfw, you’re right about there "never being enough Duke" Just played his first LP, "Masterpieces" from maybe 1950 or so, this evening. Wish I had your collection of fifty. rather than only three. Gyelsten, that is an amazing number of Sun Ra albums. I’ve been trying to expand the range of jazz artists I’ve recordings from and Sun Ra is on the list. Could you recommend a couple of your favorites to try. Thanks. Syntax, you’ve thoroughly disgraced yourself with your lack of obsessiveness, except if you only own four albums. To be fair I’ve only one Elvis myself, the Sun Sessions. Jkf011, I’ve some XTC and multitudes of Pink Floyd, but never heard of the Proclaimers. Have to look them up tomorrow as you obviously have good taste. Mike |
I like Alison Krauss, but don't have any of her records. My country and bluegrass music collection is woeful at best, except for EmmyLou Harris. I've ten of hers, including the exquisite Wrecking Ball. By the way how'd Ms Krauss win twenty-seven grammys with only fourteen albums. Fripp is great too. I've plenty of his King Crimson and post-Crimson stuff including the Eno and Bowie collaborations.. Mike |
Three pages of comments and not one fan of Alison Krauss and Union Station? I understand that with only 14 studio albums plus numerous joint ventures they don't fit the O.P,'s criteria of 43+ but still. 12 million albums sold and 27 grammy awards you would think she would have a few fans. FWIW, she has assembled one of the tightest and most talented group of musicians I've ever seen and heard. One of the few bands that sound exactly the same on stage as on recordings. |
Elliotbenewcombjr, I’m with you Elliot, I buy to listen to artists. When I find an artist I really like though, I keep going until I find everything of his or her’s you could hope was good. That takes a bit of time with artists who were more prolific. With finite resources like most of us, sometimes I feel when buying CD’s I might be overdoing it on the collecting side, and missing out on buying new or different genres, or artists material. I suppose I should just win the lottery, then spend indiscriminately on CD’s. Mike |
I don't collect, I buy (bought) to listen and pass on to my sons, so what's exiting the brain .... nearly all albums of Dylan, Stones, Beatles, Ani DiFranco, Oscar Peterson, Terrance Blanchard, Cassandra Wilson, Van Morrison, Billy Joel, Kate Wolf, Eva Cassady, James Taylor, Patty Griffin, Nora Jones, Nancy Wilson, omg, Well, then I got into Reel to Reel, (acquired content limited by the end of production 1980's), stopped buying CD's, then back to/upgraded Turntable, buying some new but mostly cleaning my existing LP stock, so I don't own or even know about the current output of favorite artists. Minor streaming, but to find new artists primarily using Pandora 'stations' feature. |
Mitchagain, thanks for the additional Richard Thompson recommendations. And thanks to you all you who along with identifying them, have listed approximately how many albums you have of your favorite artists. I’m sure many of us had no idea there were so many releases by some artists, including bootlegs. And you’ve got to appreciate how assiduously some of you must have sought them out to acquire such terrific collections. It’s interesting too the variety of musical tastes reflected by the serious collectors among you. Mike |
love it
stttt....listening to Cold on the Shoulder now... VAN MORRISON |
Is there ever such a thing as TOO many albums to own?... Hunting vinyl has been a passion since I was 13 and had to fight my mother for ownership. (Not as bad as it sounds, but it was still an event.) I don't have actual counts, but Miles Davis >30 Bill Evans >40 Duke Ellington around 50± There's no such thing as too much Duke! |
Zappa for me as well. Tostadounitos and Richmos, I do love that particular Zappa band, but I love them all (like my kids I guess?). The relative sloppiness of Bongo Fury (with Frank flubbing the beginning of "The Muffin Man" and Captain Beefheart, ... just being Captain Beefheart, has never kept me from enjoying the album, especially the closing line. And picking a favorite band means I'd have to skip some singularly great players (Vai, Bozzio, Chester, etc.). One of the things I love about Frank is how much the personalities/talents of the band infected the music, despite Frank's singular vision and reportedly iron grip. I'm thinking not only of Bongo Fury, but also Live at the Filmore/Just Another Band with Flo and Eddie, Live in NY with Don Pardo and Bozzio's flourishes, and anything with the Ikettes singing back up. I do so miss him -- now, especially. |
The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (a sound that is slowly disappearing from the world), and the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra (a sound that has long since disappeared from the world). We won't hear their like again. Ditto for the old Soviet-era Russian orchestras. These groups typified a more colorful, organic style of playing that modern internationalized and standardized conservatory training has just about eradicated. I sorely miss those sounds, and try to collect every decent example of them ever recorded....which has been a huge but enjoyable pastime of mine for decades. |
