The Jayhawks - "Hollywood Town Hall" - Americana at its best.......
What's in your CDP tonight? the minority report
I enjoy vinyl and digital (lately, with recent changes, vinyl actually sounds better than digital to me), BUT given what seems an overall preference for analog/vinyl on A'gon, I'm curious what the non-vinyl "1/2" is listening to. I tried to see if this was a previously posted question. Did not seem so.
This evening for me, it's Genesis (definitive edition remaster) "A Trick of the Tail".
This evening for me, it's Genesis (definitive edition remaster) "A Trick of the Tail".
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@loomisjohnson Funny - as in fortuitous timing - for you to post. Was just thinking about your somewhat recent input here re Ron Wood’s "solo" effort, I’ve Got My Own Album To Do. Went and gave it a listen immediately after reading your comments. Though I usually appreciate your insights and critiques, fair to say, I didn’t hear what you heard on that one. Pretty weak songs, I thought...but I quickly add, NO OFFENSE intended! Curious what your further comments (rebuttal!) might be. On the other hand, have to agree with your appreciation of the FWM that put out Future Games. One of my favs by them. Not sure thas the best iteration but a really strong group of musicians, in any case. Prefer what they did to later Mac w/Nicks & Buckingham. I like Kirwan’s guitar playing and song-writing on it. He is easily overlooked being in the shadow of Peter Green (earlier LPs) and Bob Welch. Thinking I will give Future Games a listen later today. Getting back to Ron Wood... Had been feeling pretty bored with a lot of the music I’m hearing lately. Last night, stumbled onto the Faces, Long Player. Gosh. What a nice reacquaintance. Still seems fresh after 45+ years. Economic, tasteful guitar work by Ron. Also struck by Ian McLagan’s great keyboards. Good "ensemble" playing overall. Definitely think Ron was/is better in a group context than working solo. |
ghost, i'm never offended by (and always welcome) reasoned dissent--it keeps me from getting too full of myself... fully agree with you on danny kirwan, who dropped off the map precipitously (booze/lsd, i think)-- for me the albums he played on were far and away mac's best and his songs were the best thing on them, green's "o well" and "closing my eyes" (incredible tune) excepted. i did own a couple of his solo records, which were terrible and were eventually used to kill zombies. as for ron wood, i can see why "own album" didn't connect--he's a non-singer, tho unlike other non-singers (david lee roth, joe jackson, etc.) he doesn't deign to sing, which makes him a good non-singer. also, there's a deliberately tossed-off quality to the record--he's going for a barroom groove, not trying to make a major statement, which is the same reason i like the faces' records more than most of rod stewart's or the post-who's next who. yet however uncompelling you find the performances, i still think the songs are there--take another listen to "feel the fire" and "sure the one," only this time crank it up and have a couple whiskeys first; also listen to son volt's cover of "mystifies me." |
Hey, Loomis - okay, you're on...though I gotta pass on the whiskey. I hear you 'bout "Got My Own...". Your overall comments have my mind going in at least 3 different directions. Won't address all except to say it does seem groups/artists get it "figured out" and then something dies. Talking The Who, I draw the line at Who's Next. Some great songs in it but for me not up there with the earlier stuff like on Who Sell Out or Live At Leeds. Keith's death augured something more than the passing of a drummer. I'm sure that's not original to me. Never got too immersed in SonVolt. Have Wide Swing Tremolo only. I'll look for the Ron Wood cover you mention. Later. |
agreed on straightaways, even moreso on their debut, "trace"--for some reason "ten second news" always makes me cry. i've always thought farrar was some sort of a genius, though his range is fairly narrow and his records do get somewhat monochromatic. i did read that wilco (who had just released their ok-but-unspectacular debut) was so blown away by hearing "trace" for the first time that they became obsessed with upping their game in order to match it. |
@reubent Thanks for the recommendation. I do tend to notice your input here and over on Nutty’s thread. I will check out Straightaways. I like (some) Americana though I probably have a limited range of appreciation...The Band and Levon Helm mostly. Not entirely sure they’re Americana (as opposed to Goth-Country!) but if you don’t know him/them, you might want to check out the Dave Rawlings Machine (a totally misleading name) and also his partner and significant other Gillian Welch. Again, not sure if these are Americana but you be the judge. For Loomis’ benefit, Son Volt’s cover of Ron Wood’s Mystify was more appealing to me than the original. More carefully rendered which I get wasn’t necessarily RW’s intent. |
Dang, this is where the cool kids hang out. I’ve always liked Son Volt more than Wilco, both in songwriting and singing. But they’re both worth listening to of course. If you haven’t heard them yet guys, give The Continental Drifters a listen. It’s Peter Holsapple from the great dB’s, Carlo Nuccio, an incredible drummer and singer, Mark Walton from Green On Red (a jerk---I knew him in L.A. But hey, he's only the bass player ;-), Vicki Petersen from The Bangles, Susan Cowsill, and some guitarists. They had a residency in the basement of an old hotel on Hollywood Blvd. in the early 90’s, putting on legendarily great shows. Get the "Drifted: In the Beginning and Beyond" double album. |
I go through phases where I desire to listen to as much by Golden Earring as possible. They have so much music and talent, IMHO. Today as I was milling around the house, I played The Continuing Story Of Radar Love- twice. And I played the song "Going To The Run"- twice also. It never gets old for me. Highly recommended band with a history longer than the Rolling Stones. https://youtu.be/DbVseptvnz8 N |
Speaking of Danny Kirwin.....I love, love, love Fleetwood Mac’s Kiln House album. It came out around the same time as Moby Grape’s 20 Granite Creek, which I love in the same way. The both have a relaxed, easy-going (not "trying too hard") roots Rock ’n’ Roll 50’s feel and sound, a favorite period of mine. Where hillbilly and citybilly meet. Not many Brits pull it off well, but that FM line-up got it just right. |
Loomis I too like Trace better than any other Son Volt effort. I've seen them plenty of times and the shows are fun. But I do also feel they are "monochromatic" and so though I have most all of their titles, I rarely listen to any of them anymore. And I was a die hard fan of the Alt Country movement; Uncle Tupelo another great band I loved at one time. I also think that Trace is much better than Wilco's first effort. But Wilco did indeed branch out and I do enjoy looking back at a number of their records. I'm with Ghosthouse. I'm bored with a great deal of music I hear as of late. I did find one record I like a lot and it was in part due to Mr. GH. He recommended an internet radio station, which I listed to maybe a half dozen songs on and found Andrew Bird, Are You Serious in those few tracks. Was immediately taken by the title track. I really like the later half of the record from "Serious" on to the end. The record has "something new and something old" and it catches my fancy. Funny, GH isn't really into it. |
pokey, i think tweedy's a smart guy and a good writer, but i tend to respect wilco's craftsmanship rather than genuinely embrace its soul--there's an overly-clinical and cerebral quality to it, whereas farrar, albeit less musically ambitious, is all heart. likewise richard buckner. with respect to new music, it's inevitable that most stuff starts to sound like a retread/rehash of influences. to which end i was disappointed in the latest from aimee mann and rela estate (two artists i much admire), although the latest by robyn hitchcock (s/t) and wire were surprisingly good. |
Arbouretum - from Coming Out of the Fog, Track 6 World Split Open... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTouXuVkYhk&ab_channel=DomagojValjak and Track 7 Easter Island https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOR6WJIt0FY&ab_channel=Arbouretum-Topic From the Jan 2013 Premier Guitar review by Andy Ellis - "...an improbable collision of Fairport Convention, the Velvet Underground, and early Jefferson Airplane [ ]...party music it ain't." |
Loomis, I think that J Farrar is all heart too. That maybe in part is what drove the duo apart. I sure wish I could have seen Uncle Tupelo. I too like Richard Buckner. I have a few of his records and really like "Since"; still sounds pretty amazing after all these years. "Devotion & Doubt" is also pretty good as well. Just got done listening to Andrew Birds "Are You Serious", the last five tracks. I'm doing it again now. This one is anything but boring to me. |
That’s one problem with getting old(er) loomis---more and more new stuff sounds a little too much like something you already heard years ago. A genuinely really significant new artist doesn’t come around all that often; there are only so many Hank Williams’, Howlin’ Wolf’s, Bob Dylan’s, Brian Wilson’s, Leonard Cohen’s, Richard Thompson’s, John Hiatt’s, Iris Dement’s, etc. alive and working at any one given time. To enjoy some new stuff one must be willing and able to lower his expectations a little! |
Amen Schubert! I was introduced to J.S. by the best songwriter I ever worked with. He didn't like much Pop, only Brian Wilson and Bob Dylan really. He spent his final years recording Bach keyboard works at home on his piano. I have to play Bach last at night, as there is no one who can follow him! Mozart, then Beethoven, Bach last. |
bdp24, Best of the best on Piano French Suites BWV 812-17 Angela Hewitt , Hyperion CDA67121/2 Keyboard Partitas no2,3,4 Murray Perahia Sony 88697 22695-2 (his French Suites are also great) Along with Richard Goode, the best Bach keyboard players alive. Goode made fantastic recordings on Nonesuch but hard to find . Buy any Goode you do find . |
Last week I potsted this on my thread. If you have never hear it or its been a while, it’s worth spinning. I have The Classic Years remastered in on CD. Elton John, Tumbleweed Connection. It is in my opinion some of his best. And the recording is amazing. Stereo separation is fantastic, instruments appear in spaces you can reach out and grab. The background is dead quiet. It also contains the original version of "Madman Across The Water". Highly recommended. N |
N - Haven't heard the remastered version you refer to but music-wise, his self-titled along with Tumbleweed & Madman are favorites of mine. Some of his best work (not to mention Bernie Taupin's). Played Tumbleweed quite a few times back in the day. Didn't follow him much after Madman and hardly at all after Yellowbrick Road. I remember thinking Capatain Fantastic seemed like a rehash/imitation of his earlier stuff. I'll have to give Tumbleweed a listen this evening. It's been a while. Interesting to read that Mick Ronson played guitar on the original version of Madman that was to be part of Tumbleweed (now included on that remastered version you have). |
Hello again N. Found a remastered version of Tumbleweed on Tidal. Last track was Madman Across the Water. Not entirely sure it's the same version as you have but was impressed with the sonics from the get go AND that version of Madman is very very good. It's a little edgier and has more of live jam feel than the one that ended up on the LP of that name. Mick Ronson's guitar adds a lot. Good tip from you. Thanks. Reubent - even though you are talking vinyl on this digital thread, I'll be interested in what you think about what you got. Since these recordings are pushing 50 years old, figuring you must already know them. Were the buys today first time ever or just first time on vinyl?? Hope you like the music. |
@ghosthouse - I owned some of the EJ albums on 8-Track (sorry, analog again!) back in the day and they were hugely popular, so I'm familiar with all of them. Haven't heard any of them in a while. Just saw Nutty's post about Tumbleweed Connection and picked them up during my weekly record store jaunt. Getting ready to put them on now for a first listen in this century. |
@reubent Hello there. Wow...8 Track tape. Sounds like we might be contemporaries, or at least near-contemporaries, age-wise. I certainly hope you enjoy those Elton John LPs you picked up. Can’t speak to Captain Fantastic. Never owned or listened to that one extensively (after my early dismissal) but I think the other two are great and have held up well. His self-titled LP (color photo of him in profile against black background) and Honky Chateau are very good too. Some striking arrangements played by the accompanying chamber ensemble on the S/T. They too might be worth hunting for in your record store jaunts. I’m thinking I might have to get the re-masters that Nutty is talking about if what I heard of T’weed via Tidal is representative. |
FWIW on this Elton John topic. Here's a great review posted on Amazon July 15 2013 by one, "Jacktavish" for the Honky Chateau remaster. "Forget Elton John's Greatest Hits part one. Just buy Madman Across the Water, Tumbleweed Connection, & Honky Chateau to understand why Elton John is a legend. He cranked these three albums out in 2 years!! It's a blast to hear EJ at the peak of his phenomenal singing: soulful, poppy, but with a rock edge. During this stage, he & Taupin were in love with The Band & Leon Russell, so there is a funkiness, a backbeat, a gospel soul that totally disappears when he becomes a jet-set popstar. For people who hate all the excess & drama that EJ has come to represent, it's a joy to hear him when it was all about the music." Great comments. Explains for me why I like these and not so much of his later output. I'd include that self-titled, so a "quad" of albums worth having. WHEN IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC - words to live by. |
ghosthouse... Spot-on appraisal of Elton John's earlier and by any measure best output. Only album left out could be "11/17/70", an excellent live in studio recording that I had written a review for my 8th grade English class. (Great record, and one gawd-awful attempt at a record review.) Personally, I stopped at Madman. After that...well, I lost interest altogether as his stardom exploded. |
Thanks everyone for their interest and comments regarding Tumbleweed Connection and other Elton John music and bio. arcam88 recommended this dics while I visited his home a few weeks ago. I've actually been spinning his copy - but was fortunate to pickup my own yesterday at my local shop, Phil's Records. He had the remastered disc in stock. I like all forms of music media, however the best thing about owning CD's (or LP's) is the cover art and the liner notes. Tumbleweed Connection comes with a 12 page sepia colour book chock full of lyrics, liner notes. In fact, some songs from this albumn have been covered by some well known artist. James Taylor's sister Kate, Rod Stweart, Phil Collins and Sting. This compilation was released in 1995. "...Gus Dudgeon: All of the tapes used to create these new masters are the original mixes. However, due to the fact that many of the tapes are at least 25 years old, they have "softened up" to varying degrees. So, the sound has been passed the most up to date digital processing equipment, at 20 bit Resolution: namely The Sadie Digital System and Prism Super Noise Shaper. The effects purely to "enhance" rather than "colour" the sound. As the original producer, I would have used this equipment at the time, had it been available for mastering. The very nature of analogue recordings being transfered to vinyl demanded major compromises. With the benefits of digital sound these constraints are removed, and the recordings can be heard much closer to the reproduction we had originally intended..." Elton has said of 'Tumbleweed Connection' : "Lyrically and melodically, that's one of our most perfect albumns". (ghosthouse, sorry if I hijacked your thread) N |
Nutty - Apology completely unnecessary. You are very welcome here and I've appreciated your posts and input. People talking about what digitally formatted music they are listening to and WHY they like it is what I hoped would happen with this thread. BTW I'm planning to get the remastered Honky Chateau and Tumbleweed Connection from The Classic Years series. oblgny - Madman Across the Water as an 8th grade record review! Well done. Must say, you are dating ME! 8th grade woulda had to have been been The Beatles or maybe Simon & Garfunkel "Bookends". Why the latter comes to mind is I remember our 8th grade Spanish teacher (younger guy) coming in one day with a copy of Bookends and playing the whole thing for us. Had NOTHING to do with learning Spanish. Based on personal experience years later, am guessing he might have been at a party the night before and had a revelation revolving around that album. It would be a hoot to read your record review now. Post it here! |
he's decades past relevance, and was never hip in the first place, but tumbleweed connection is unarguably a great record--just pulled it out to listen to with my jaded ex-skatepunk bride, who wholly agrees with the foregoing. also in queue is steven wilson--hand,cannot, erase--highly recommended prog rock for people like myself that don't especially like prog rock |
I got to see EJ with his original band around the time of Tumbleweed Connection (70-71), and they pleased me greatly. My interest in him soon thereafter evaporated, he appearing to me to be more of an entertainer than an artist, if you know what I mean. Nothing wrong with mere entertainment---I love ABBA! |
ghosthouse... Actually my review, or at least my attempt at a review, was for 11/17/70 not Madman Across The Water. Fortunately I have long since lost that first attempt at becoming a writer, let alone a critic. I remember vaguely re-reading it during my high school years and feeling my skin crawl in repulsion. It was THAT awful. I just turned 60 late last year. Older and wiser now than ever before, I am thankful that I at least had the sense to pursue other endeavors in which I was better equipped to succeed at. (None of which were obvious at the time.) Another Ralph J. Gleason I would not become! |
Staying on point... I listen more often digitally than I do analogue simply because digital, server/player/streaming, offers an ease of use that vinyl does not. While the tangible appreciation of vinyl playback still owns a place in my heart, either format serves me well enough to a point wherein disparaging one in favor of the other is without merit. I began with vinyl and it never left my setup. Even as I gravitated toward the compact disc, essentially mirroring my vinyl catalogue in a hasty embrace of the "new" format, I never had the mind, nor the ears, to find either so utterly superior to the other that one would suffer divorce from my life. The quality of playback through either source is woefully dependent on the quality of one's equipment - with vinyl being particularly precious regarding the chain. It was said here earlier that it should be "all about the music", so I recently moved from a fairly admirable separates setup to one with an integrated amp, turntable, and player/server. Voila! Easy peasey, and I've since stopped wringing my hands over the loss or gain of a few hertz here or there - if I ever could discern it audibly. At my gf's house we listen through a Pioneer SX-850 receiver, Pro-Ject cheap-seats turntable, and/or a Marantz CD player through Meadowlark Kestrel speakers. We've weaved our way through her truly awful collection of disco compilation lp's keeping only original artist recordings. Fortunately we're down to about fifteen such examples. We have done the same to her equally awful, yet far more extensive CD library of disco compilations as well. As a means of rewarding her painful decisions resulting in a diminished library, I've been purchasing heavy-gram vinyl copies of her other favorites, Fleetwood Mac, Boston, Earth Wind And Fire. She's also left my house with more than a few Lyle Lovetts, Lucinda Williams, Genesis, and Dave Grusin lp's. Spinning now on my cdp? "Don't Tell A Soul" - The Replacements. I'm awaiting the arrival of Son Volt's new release for the turntable. |
Enjoyed your last two posts, oblgny. Just for context, I do have 5 more years than you...but who's counting. You had previously mentioned the EJ 11/17/70 live recording. Remember listening to that back in the early '70s. A good one as I recall, though we'll leave your review out of the discussion. "...feeling my skin crawl in repulsion." - self-editing is commendable. More of it would be a good thing in various A'gon threads. I could certainly relate to your comments about media preferences or, more correctly, your lack of strong media preference. I'm in the same place. Have LPs I've been lugging around for 40+ years now. Have equipment that's more than adequate for playing those. I enjoy them but not interested in pursuing the zenith of vinyl playback. For the same $ spent, it does seem easier to get great sound from digital. Mostly I buy and listen to digital...whether CDs, ripped files, Spotify, Tidal or internet radio. When the spirit moves to get something on vinyl I'll buy old (first issue if I can afford it) original LPs. There is something about holding a 40 or 50 year old "artifact" that can still generate great sound. Looked at your system. Seems that many would be happy to own such as their best! let alone as the product of simplification. No slight to your Thiels but I'd love to be able to hear the Kestrels some day. Okay...blathered on enough. Hope you enjoy more good music with great sound today. |
Lee Michaels, "Who Could Want More" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NI0QEs0o9Q&ab_channel=KlassikRokk |
@reubent Glad someone else remembers. Lee is kinda overlooked nowadays. Personally, probably able to appreciate him more now than back when. Started looking tonight at his material on Tidal because of an obit someone posted a link to on Audio Asylum. Turns out Barry "Frosty" Smith, the drummer Lee worked with on several albums, died mid April. More sad news. https://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/vt.mpl?f=general&m=725738&VT=C |
In my CD Player tonight - The still incredible "Frampton Comes Alive" 1998 Doug Sax Digital Remaster. I know this record was mega-popular and was overplayed back in the day, and still to this day. But it was, and is, an influential recording that deserves the acclaim it received. For me, the slow tracks on the record are the stars - "All I Wanna Be (Is by Your Side)", "Winds of Change" and "Lines on my Face" are the big winners for me. |
@reubent I share your appreciation for Comes Alive. Listened to it a ton back when first released. I no longer have it. I do remember enjoying the songs, the playing and the excitement from the crowd noise. Maybe I need to reacquire it. Many strong, well written songs...Lines On My Face being one of my favorites too. Also, Baby, I Love Your Way, especially the lines: Clouds are stalking islands in the sun I wish I could buy one Out of season You like the sonics on that Doug Sax remaster? Nothing better since 1998??? Talking Frampton: I do have the 1975 studio album (Frampton in large block, mostly white letters w/some rainbow colors) in vinyl. Many of the Comes Alive songs are from this. My vinyl is not an original release, unfortunately. The sonics on it are really excellent though for a nothing special 2nd or 3rd pressing...or whatever. (I'll Give You) Money is a great closing track...crank it UP. |