What's the Best LP You Bought in 2008
City Of God, Great movie, good sound track. My favorite purchase this year was the Analogue Production Blue Note 45 rpm re-issue of Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers- Moanin. I have a well played Blue Note original I bought in the late 1970s. I knew nothing of Art Blakey at that time while milling about in the Jazz section of a record store, I simply bought the Lp because of the looks of the front cover. These 45 rpm Blue Note re-issues from Music Matters and Analogue Productions IMHO are "The" titles to collect and enjoy. |
Jloveys, thanks! Your system is pretty special. You took some really great pics, especially the angled shot on your TNT TT set up. Nice job! Here's a unique soundtrack LP I considered to make it my top pick, but didn't: CITY OF GOD, Original Music by Antonio and Ed Cortez www.millanrecords.com The music is street 1970's Brazilian with Brazilian takes on American hits. Most songs have driving beats, horns, drums with great rhythm. It's not Bosa Nova at all. The score fits the movie moods perfectly, but its great music on its own. Enjoy. If you didn't see movie you don't have to enjoy this soundtrack. BTW: The Movie is a killer movie - rent it |
Tigerwoodskhorns (interesting) Jack Johnson, all four of his albums after hearing him on Pandora radio. One of the albums is noisey though, kind of disappointing I am also a fan of JJ and find his albums sound exceptional. Which album were you displeased with? I felt that "Sleep through the static" was pretty good but the 4 sides of the albums were only half filled resulting in flipping sides every 12 mins instead of 20. They do sound great though. Excuse the hijack.. |
Best music will depend on the mood, so I chose on the basis of most amazing sonics: James Leary, "James" (Fonè 006, 4x 45rpm one-sided 180gr), producer/engineer David Manley music from Gershwin to Shorter, performed with virtuosity on ... 5 double basses (+ piano + drums) http://www.fone.it/shop/shop.php?action=mostraScheda&cID=1&pID=13 |
Based on the recommendation here and the Hoffman forum I bought the drive by truckers "brighter than creation's dark" and agree that the sonics are great. Record is not my thing though but can see the craftmanship The hendrix axis bold as love mono 200 grams I found was my pic For the year By the way, anyone want mint double lp drive by truckers for $20 with $3 shipping lemme know |
Dear Spencer: I don't thing make any harm to put some other LPs: Esther Ofarim, Chie Ayado-Love ( that piano on the tittle track: lovely! ), Radka Toneff- Fairitales, Jheena Lodwick-All my loving and this one that I don't know the artristy name because everything come in Chinese the only reference is the label: Better Music, BM-208003, yes is a chinese female singer. Regards and enjoy the music. Raul. |
I have picked up many LP's this year as well. Most, if not all, not new releases. I was lucky to get a NM+ promotional copy of Robbie Robertson's first solo. Sound is fantastic. Also got a few Micheal Hedges that are also NM. Too many to list what's the best...... Kinda like asking who's your favorite artist, or your favorite (insert instrument here) player |
My favorite LP for 2008? I have two. One recorded 20 years ago and re-issued just a few months ago. The other, a used original pressing, was recorded in 1989 and given to me by Bruce of Stereo Unlimited. The first is the 20th Anniversary 45 RPM re-issue of Famous Blue Raincoat. Simply stunning from performance to pressing quality to sonics. The other is an equally impressive Harmonia Mundi pressing of solo Lute Music by Giovanni Kapsberger, an unknown composer to me, recorded in Michigan of all places. Fabulous performance and recording! |
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Many good LPs arrived here this year. To choose just one: Fone 016, Rossini Overtures, Myung-Whun Chung and the Orchestra dell'Accademica Nazionale di Santa Cecilia A 45 rpm disc with just 16 minutes of music, but what delightful music making it contains. For those who know the performances by Reiner (RCA) and Gamba (Decca), these are lower key less driving performances, instead more focused on delineating the nuance and whimsy of this wonderful music. Simply miked direct to two channel analogue and pressed using a one-step pressing process, the sound is very transperent and well refined. . |
new album releases from these bands in no particular order; drive by truckers, wilco, lucinda williams, the pretenders, the virgins, spoon, loose fur, the new pornographers, vampire weekend, tv on the radio, the hold steady, the black crows, ryan adams, beck, alejandro escovedo, little joy, flaming lips, parts & labor, jolie holland, springsteen(magic), john fogerty, conor oberst, weezer, white stripes, neil young, amy winehouse, radioheads, kings of leon, the ting ting, etc. these are many of my favorite new releases and not used originals i purchased and not the re-releases that i liked. like traviling wilburys, nick lowe among others. the list of used original another time. |
"The Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus", Spirit. The sonics on this LP blew away the SACD version. This band was way ahead of the curve for that era (late 60's, early 70's). You should hear what these guys did with old fashioned analogue recording and overdubbing. The seperation and the dynamics on this LP simply blew me away. Sounded a lot better than on my old pioneer/KLH set up of yesteryear. |
11-21-08: TvadI have a couple of those. One I rescued in n/m condition from a dollar bin. It's hard to beat the '70s ECM LPs for artistic, musical, and sound quality. I have ECMs of Metheny, Gary Burton, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Ralph Towner, Eberhard Weber, and John Abercrombie. The Concord jazz albums of the '70s and '80s are stunning in every way too--The LA Four, Great Guitars, Laurinda Almeida & Charlie Byrd, Ross Tomkins, Cal Collins, Woody Herman. Besides that Diana Krall Christmas album, my other favorite find in 2008 was Count Basie and the Kansas City Six on Pablo, with Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and Louie Bellson on drums, plus Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Joe Pass, and Willie Cook. Great music, great sonics, and kick-ass acoustic bass. |
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My pride of 2008 (and it's perfect for holiday giving) is the 150g red vinyl version of the Diana Krall "Christmas Songs" album. I prefer the quietness and dynamics of this 150g red one over the 200g Classic Records pressing I have of "From This Moment On." The 150g red vinyl Classic Records also costs about $11 less than the black 200g ones. And they look so festive for Christmas. |
LP vs CD of Sky Blue Sky (2007) depends entirely on your set-up. Both are great, with LP sounding more expansive & richer & bit less aggressive on my system. The big score LP of '08 is probably the $100 Dylan Tell Tale Signs box, though I have so far only heard the excellent sounding 2-CD set. Ditto above praise for Ray Davies Workingman's Cafe. Other fine '08 releases include John Hiatt Same Old Man, Lou Reed Berlin Live at St. Ann's Warehouse, Steven Malkmus Real Emotional Trash, Shearwater Rook, Mercury Rev Snowflake Midnight, Calexico Carried to Dust. |
Radioheadokplayer(Awesome moniker btw!), Tough question about the SkyBlueSky. My turntable is so much better than my cdp that I can't really judge the cd. The vinyl is quiet with great separation, deep and wide soundstage and plenty of instrumental body. It reminds me in spots of a good Steely Dan LP, if you know what I mean. Cheers, Spencer |
Is the lp version of Wilco's sky blue really much better sonics than the cd version? If so, why? If you automatically dislike anything digital please confess this before educating me? Same question about the cat power you are free which is a great album and sounds great on cd. Its a slow album and what does the vinyl version do that the cd does not? can you hear a lot of surface noise? |
Dear Spencer: I agree with Shelby and I add two others: Hugh Masekela " Hope " and Gotan Project " Lunatico ". Both are a little unusual ( at least for me ) but very nice recordings. I know that you ask for one but that is almost impossible to choose, I like too: Dido. Regards and enjoy the music. Raul. |
