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".
Excellent recording (music and SQ) led by the O-riginal Return to Forever guitarist. Outstanding performances throughout by pianist Bill O'Connell are especially noteworthy.
nutty - going by memory (increasingly risky) of impressions from a couple days ago...I think that S/T release had a more "open" sound...breathed a little more. Also, I think there was more variety in the sound track to track. I don’t mean variable sound quality as in some good & some bad - more that the engineering (and instrument arrangements) seemed to deliver a broader range of sonics (think of a painter that uses a different color palette painting to painting). Tracks on What Happens Next seem to vary less sonically. I did note reference to the same producer as worked on AC/DC recordings...maybe that explains things. There are certainly exceptions - Cherry Blossoms differing a whole lot from, say, Catbot. The S/T seemed a little more "experimental" whereas most tracks on WHN seems to be cut from the same cloth. That’s not necessarily intended as a criticism. I think I read the schedule for recording WHN was pretty tight being sandwiched between other commitments. So those are my thoughts. Thanks for getting me to finally listen to Satriani...sometimes it’s like I been living under a rock. I’ve been on a E.S.T. & Yellowjackets jag last few weeks. The Satriani is a good break from that and given the depth of his output, plenty more to explore (I did spend time with Crystal Planet too). Thanks again.
Was way wrong about Satriani. Enjoyed the heck out of What Happens Next, now listening to his 1995 S/T release as per another Nutty suggestion. Great stuff.
@nutty Thanks for the suggestion. New music ideas always appreciated. I admire Satriani’s technical skill but like Malmsteen there’s no emotional connection (at least for me). But I’m curious how an instrumental project w/Glenn will sound. Thanks again for the tip. It’s on Tidal so I will check it out
hey ghosthouse, Not sure how much of a fan you are of Satriani. His newest, What Happens Next, featuring Glenn Hughes and Chad Smith is pretty decent. They sound very relaxed together. However it’s instrumental- Glenn Doesn’t sing, unfortunately. They really gel. Tracks 7, "Headrush", Joe is on fire but Glenn Hughes has some serious bass licks throughout. https://youtu.be/IlhEEHhZr2c
And the TItle track, "What Happens Next" is notable as well. https://youtu.be/wwcxPMLqRPg I think its a solid effort.
Ian Moore, Modernday Folklore, just one cut from this one today- "Muddy Jesus" its fantastic! https://youtu.be/KcVvjRNuTR4
Ian Moore, And all the Colors Solid thru-n-thru, "room 229", "Float Away", "Johnny Cash and his Electric Bible and more. Another great Texas gunslinger.
The Flamin' Groovies: Shake Some Action (produced by Dave Edmunds); Dave Edmunds: Get It; Marshall Crenshaw: #447; The Everly Brothers: 24 Original Classics; Nick Lowe: The Convincer; v/a: True Faith (Mojo Magazine bonus CD included with the December 2017 issue, with covers of Dylan "Christian" songs).
hey ghosthouse, Regarding your post on "Polycarbonate Disc Bliss: The CD is alive and well" I really enjoyed the Andy Summer selection. Trying to locate a copy.
Yup. Found a review of Moontan (posted it) and noted the track you mention. Based on your earlier comment about how big an influence, figured the Merle in the title might be Travis.
First takes are fine, but it's nice to have played the song at least once before you're in the studio, or at least heard it! Dylan has written songs while the recording band sits around playing cards, but he has a big recording budget. On the Moontan album, the bass player and second guitarist didn't have a chance to learn the songs before recording began, so Evan and I played them alone---to get the basic rhythm tracks, and all other parts (and vocals) were overdubbed. Evan plugged his Telecaster into a Fender blackface Super Reverb, not his normal amp (a Deluxe Reverb, many player's favorite). The engineer put the amp in an isolation closet, and Evan turned it up to 10. If you've heard a Super (Stevie Ray Vaughan's choice of amp), you know how loud that is!
Speaking of Merle Travis, one song on Moontan is entitled "Shootin' The Merle", an instrumental tribute to the man. The album is half instrumental, half vocal, all Evan.
Thanks for the further insights, bdp. If you’ve ever read "Shakey" a Neil Young bio, David Briggs favored a "first take" approach; overwork it and lose "the spook". I’m pretty sure I’ve come across the Merle Travis name before but don’t know his playing...certainly didn’t realize what an influence he was. Ciao.
Damn gh, you nailed Evan's sound! His Surf element is what got us the gig for the album. By the way, the original drummer in The Hillbilly Soul Surfers was Pete Curry, now bassist in Los Straightjackets. Pete's an old friend of mine from San Jose (since '62!), and he switched from drums to bass in The HSS so we could play together. He got the offer from The 'Jackets before we recorded with Evan, and now gets to tour with Nick Lowe. Rat bastard!
You're right, Danny was a very technical player, Evan a more instinctual one. The guitarist many great players (including Danny and Evan) revere is not very well known to non-musicians: Merle Travis. Merle was the model for ALL the Country and Rockabilly (and many Rock 'n' Roll) guitarists who followed him, including Scotty Moore (early Elvis), Dave Edmunds, George Harrison, and Jeff Beck (who idolizes Merle). Danny was also a very Jazz-influenced player, Evan not so much. But Danny wasn't a songwriter, or a singer. When Danny and Evan were together, Danny "just" played guitar, Evan wrote and sang the songs. Never got to see them together, damnit.
I too love that first Mason Ruffner album, it's a beaut! I have it on LP, and his Evolution album on CD. Wonder what became of him?
@bdp24 - You are like some walking encyclopedia of popular music! After reading your first mention of him here , I did some quick searching this AM and listened to a few songs with the H Bombs (Madhouse & Saving Grace) on You Tube.
I can hear the rock-a-billy thing (never was a big fan) but to my ear, at least, what jumped out is a surf guitar/Dick Dale kind of sound. Regardless, I immediately liked those couple of EJ songs...more so than the stuff I heard of Gatton’s on a lengthy compilation (can’t recall title). My impression is Gatton might be the superior technical player but Johns’ got more "soul" or something (exhibit A: Love is Murder). On the other hand, I might be talking out my...but that’s the initial impression.
In the bit of reading I did, came across this: Evan’s Story
You know anything about Mason Ruffner? He was supposed to be the next big thing a while back. Jimmy Page produced his first LP (Gypsy Blood, I think). Could look him up I suppose but interested in your O-pinion. There’s something of the rock-a-billy/Link Wray in him as in the above.
Got "The Jungle Record" playing now. Couldn’t quite recall who EJ’s vocals reminded me of. On Day Go By it clicked. There’s something of Eric Burdon happening there. That’s okay with me.
gh, Evan made three albums for Rykodisc in the 90’s, with a backing band named The H-Bombs. In 2001 he did an album (entitled Moontan) for Big Cypress Records in Florida, with The Hillbilly Soul Surfers backing him. We recorded it over a week in Atlanta, GA---first takes only (in fact, the takes were the first and only time we played the songs. Oy!). Evan absolutely refused to do more than one take of any song. He played us his boombox demoes of the album songs once, the night before we started recording.
After two days in his hotel room, there were two 18-packs of empty Budweiser cans in the hallway outside his door. We were scheduled to hit the road to promote the album, but as the album was being mastered he fell into a coma, the doc saying his liver was failing. Evan proved him wrong, but only temporarily. He died last year in Austin, his liver finally giving out.
@bdp24 - thanks for the suggestions. I'd previously done a bit of listening to Gatton based on earlier comments you made about him. Evan Johns is a new name to me, so will check him out.
For Roy Buchanan lovers who haven' yet discovered him, be sure and give Danny Gatton a listen (start with the WB 2-disc CD collection). He was a good friend of Roy's, both having come up through the Washington D.C. Blues/Rockabilly/Hillbilly scene. Vince Gill nicknamed Danny "The Humbler" ;-).
Roy and Danny had another peer in D.C., the Telecaster maniac known as Evan Johns. Not as precise as his two pals, but a great guitarist, songwriter, and singer. Danny and Evan were in a couple of D.C. bands together before they hit the big-time individually.
Over several evenings now, various early Michael Brecker recordings:
S/T (1st as group leader; track 1 is "Sea Glass") Don't Try This At Home Now You See It...Now You Don't Tales From The Hudson
Also, Yellowjackets: Like a River Timeline
Some of their recordings get awfully close to sounding like "smooth jazz" (e.g., several tracks from Like A River) but for the most part, on these two albums, a nice balance of non-banal accessibility and attention-holding complexity with great musicianship throughout. Timeline, especially, is the more consistent recording in this regard.
the 1st big wave of digital (CD) remasters started in 1994- 1996. The 2nd wave started around 2000 due to a newer format SACD coming into the general buying public. While it is true that the first batch of SACD discs arrived onto the scene in 1997, many of those titles, were hit-and-miss sound quality wise.
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