Natalie Merchant's Tigerlily on LP...any good?

I have it and like it very much. Can't say I've done a direct comparison with the Redbook CD, which I own--just haven't had the inclination. Such a great record--just seems right to have it on vinyl.

I have heard both, from mofi and if you like her, it is well worth getting. I am in Calgary so if you want hear the mofi cd drop me a note. The lp belonged to a friend.

It's one of my favorite cd's, and I'd love to have it on vinyl, but I think I'll wait for a 33 1/3 version. I'll be honest, I've bought a few of those classic 45 series, they cost a pretty penny, and the sound is really good. However, IMHO, the step from digital to vinyl is much larger than the sonic step from 33 1/3 to 45.......and I'm lazy I guess. I get tired cleaning more records, de-magnitizing more records, 10 minute play times.
It's fine if your showing off the rig, or want to totally focus on playing with your toys. However, as one who cleans the stylus, dry cleans the record, and demagnetizes the record after every side, doing this every 20-25 minutes is often enough for me. :)
I find I don't listen to those 45's very often.....and then I think about how much I paid for them. :(

I'm hoping they will release this on 180g or 200g 33 1/3 in the future.

Cheers,
John

I have both the LP and the CD too. The CD is kinda crappy sounding to me.... Real up front in the upper mids, and very compressed sounding. The LP is a lot better IMHO. Definitely smoother, more laid back sounding. More dynamic too.... Pretty much the "why I like analog compared to CD" argument from me..... In the end, I still don't think it's a super great sounding LP, but pretty good with some really great music.

Hope this helps,

Chris

If you love Natalie Merchant, and you also enjoy Cowboy Junkies, run, don't walk, to the Junk Store and pick up a copy of "Trinity Revisited". She is one of several guest performers invited by the Junkies to go back to Trinity Church in Toronto to pay homage to the 20th anniversary of their second, and classic album, The Trinity Session. Though her contributions are not dominant, they are nonetheless very memorable: Natalie does a great duet with Margo Timmons on Misguided Angel, and a wonderful solo of To Love is to Bury. You can wait til Febuary for the CD to be released publicly, or buy it now at their website. This special edition comes with a beautifully photographed and produced video of the performance which makes it well worth the price of admission. Production values on both video and CD are outstanding. Acoustics remain, as in the original, astoundingly good, but distinct in some ways from the original (which was recorded with a single microphone). Unfortunately it is not available as an LP afaik. Great CD if you're a Cowboy Junkies fan, and especially if you liked the original - this version stands on its own merit.

Marco

Marco:

Thanks for the tip--I just bought the Junkies CD. Looks GREAT! BTW, I like the way the track sequence laid out on the Tigerlilly 45RPM set. It just seems to work and makes flipping the sides less bothersome. Having now compared the two (CD and LP) I agree with Chris. The CD has a rising upper mid that gives a slight edge to Natalie's voice when played at volume. The LP is smoother through this range. Overall, the LP is much more realistic and engaging.

Thanks for your feedback guys....It looks like I may have to order the LP version of Tigerlily. Gary, when I meet you at one of your meetings, I'll certainly take you up on your offer!

calgarian

Jax,

Maybe my memory is failing on the CJ trinity recording, but didn't the recording actually take pace in the hotel lobby they were staying at...the hum in the background was a window air conditioner.

Still sounds near-perfect though.

Fishboat - I think you've gone a killed a few too many brain cells, my friend. Here's the scoopon the original trinity session which was recorded in Toronto's Holy Church of the Trinity with a single microphone. The new version is also recorded in the same church which has amazing acoustic properties (the producer mentions it approaches the golden proportion at one point in the interview on the Revisited version). They use more than one mic in the new version. As I said, it stands on its own merits. Yes, the original is near-perfect, as you say.

Marco

My mind isn't what it used to be...in fact I'm not really sure it ever was what it used to be.

I'll have to look for the new version. If it's close to the first version then it'll go to my short-play list.

If NM & CJ works for you...have you had a listen to Bethany & Rufus 900 Miles? VERY nice.

If NM & CJ works for you...have you had a listen to Bethany & Rufus 900 Miles? VERY nice.

There aren't any motel rooms or air conditioners involved in that recording, are there? I try to skip the recordings with "HVAC Technician" credited in the liner notes.

Marco

PS Seriously, thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out.

Marco,

Nothing in the background on 900 Miles other than silence. Great recording. Based on your other comments on music (I've picked up a few based on them) I'm guessing B&R maybe be a hit for you.

...and to get back on topic I need to check out Natalie.