RFS: That sounds like a playlist I'd make, except I'm missing a couple of those titles (but not artists). What do you think of the new Lips? I once authored an archived thread devoted to them, but I'm mostly underwhelmed by AWWTM although I do like much of it pretty well. Still, IMO not in the same catagory for me as their best recent work, including their last two albums.
Showing 50 responses by zaikesman
RFS, obviously you 'get it' about the Lips, and might enjoy checking out the thread I mentioned, and I'd be glad if you felt moved to contribute, it's been dormant for a while now. I've been waiting for AWWTM to sink in for a while longer before I commented there -- slowly I've been easing up some in my opinion of it lately. Not that I thought it was terrible or anything, or very surprising either -- no one can be expected to climb forever at the heights these guys had been scaling recently. |
A bit more research has revealed that The Swimmer soundtrack composed by Marvin Hamlisch (see my above list of found records) has actually been recently reissued on CD, here's a review. Also, the early John Lee Hooker tracks issued on King label 78's under the pseudonym Texas Slim (ditto) have been reissued together for the first time sans later dubbed-over drums or echo, on CD by Varese Sarabande. |
A 2-CDR comp I made of my favorite Walker Brothers featuring Scott Walker. Kinda like Spector/Righteous Brothers but sans most of the 'blue-eyed soul' pretentions, transplanted to England and injected with pretentions of pathos and Brel instead. The latest ('03) CD by The Romantics (yes, that Romantics, they never went away). Bought the disk, entitled "61/49" (supposedly a reference to the route numbers of the Mississippi Delta crossroads of blues lore), at their great show here a couple weeks ago. There's some really outstanding stuff on here, showcasing their prime 60's influences but minus the 'new-wavey' inflections of their '79-'84 heyday, resulting in a heavier Detroit meets British Invasion power-pop rock'n'roll. Guests include drummers Johnny "Bee" Badanjek of Mitch Ryder's Detroit Wheels and Clem Burke of Blondie fame. |
Arrggh...just was crankin' Syl Johnson's "Is It Because I'm Black?" '69-'71 compilation CD (Twinight) of down'n'dirty Memphis funk'n'soul, havin' a total ball y'all, when the concluding "bonus cut" of more recent vintage came on with some overheated infrasonic synth-bass that slammed a woofer into its stop with several sickening click-farts before I could jump on the mute button, and now I fear it don't sound right...*Sigh* -- guess I'll go back to watching football for now and check it out again later... :-( |
Been breaking in a new pair of small monitors by playing CD's almost continuously the past few days. The growing stack includes: The Flaming Lips -- At War With The Mystics Hovhaness/Magic Mountain -- Reiner/Chicago Wondermints -- Bali Sloan -- Navy Blues Roland Kirk -- We Free Kings Fairport Convention -- Unhalfbricking V/A -- The New Untouchables Presents Le Beat Bespoke Brian Wilson -- Imagination The Byrds -- Turn! Turn! Turn! The 5 Royales -- Sing For You Howlin' Wolf -- Change My Way The Gestures -- S/T Milt Jackson -- Statements Shoes -- Stolen Wishes Syl Johnson -- Back For A Taste Of Your Love/Diamond In The Rough Carmen McRea -- Carmen Sings Monk V/A -- Shrine: The Rarest Soul Label Charlie Mingus -- A Modern Jazz Symposium Of Music And Poetry With The Jazz Crusaders -- Chile Con Soul The Kinks -- Something Else Veracini/Overtures & Concertos -- Martini/Accademia I Filarmonici V/A -- Off The Wall: Essential Argo/Cadet Grooves Free Design -- Sing For Very Important People Bob Dylan -- Live 1966 V/A -- Pebbles/Surfbeat Behind The Iron Curtain Flamin' Groovies -- Supersnazz |
Albert, I actually prefer Carmen's deeper, burrier voice at these more advanced years than when she was younger, and think she'd matured into a better artist as well. One of the live cuts, track 12 "Suddenly" (AKA "In Walked Bud") has become one I turn to when evaluating system changes, just out of familiarity from repetition. BTW, being the big Al Green fan I know you are, have you heard the Syl Johnson albums on Hi/London, produced by Willie Mitchell and featuring the Hodges/Grimes band? |
The two-fer package listed above collects albums recorded and released in the early 70's. His next two albums are also available on another double, which I need to get, based on this one. Johnson's 60's work on Twinight and other small labels is much more in the vein of guys like James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Joe Tex, hard funk and soul with overtones of humor and social commentary. I still think that ulitmately it's his best stuff and collecting some of those singles is how I knew him. The first time I heard the Hi disk I was taken aback, I thought it was too similar to Al Green and Willie Mitchell was imposing his style on Johnson at the expense of his own established one. Which is true, but actually Mitchell did the same with Green more than people realize and that worked out pretty well to say the least. Johnson, a Memphis artist to begin with, did contribute his own writing skills. Once I got over the superficial Green influence with repeated listening, the quality of the songs and performances came to the fore and won me over. I'll send you a CD-R of this collection, see what you think. (I have not tried to locate vintage vinyl to compare.) |
Nice to see this thread pop up again... The TT is undergoing some work, so these are all on CD: Piero Umiliani -- Svezia, Inferno E Paradiso/Expanded Orig. Sndtrk. ['68] Translated as "Sweden, Heaven and Hell". (I don't why the latter two terms are transposed as compared with the Italian title, but then again I haven't seen the movie anyway.) Here's a synopsis from the liners: "The doucmentary tries to compare the two most evident aspects of current Swedish society: prosperity and the inner anxiety which ensues from it. Some of the areas touched on: sex education in schools, a funeral without signs of grief, a look around the lesbian club scene, a sex and drugs boat trip for the young, porn shops, nuclear bunkers, drunk driving, marriage among brother and sister, hardened drinkers, an old people's home, the suicide of a desperate young woman." What, nothing about Volvo vs. Saab? The music is catchy and ginchy, somewhat psychedelic loungy pop-jazz with a Brazilian/discotheque feel and prominent nonsense vocalese, featuring strong orchestra and band arrangements, and hot playing by Italian studio cats (including contributions from saxist Gato Barbieri). The best-known tune here is "Mah Na, Mah Na", which achieved TV immortality to my generation via its appropriation on Sesame Street. Roland Kirk -- I Talk With The Spirits [Limelight/Verve, '64/'98] His all-flutes album: no sax, manzello or stritch, so no playing three instuments at once, although he does get off nice music-box and cuckoo-clock additions. With Horace Parlan piano, Bobby Moses vibes and Walter Perkins drums. Ed Townsend -- Now! [Curtom/Sequel, '75/'00] Producer/songwriter best known for collaborating with Marvin Gaye on "Let's Get It On" and his 60's affiliation with Dee Dee Warwick (Dionne's vastly underappreciated earthier sister). Here he is out front on Curtis Mayfield's imprint, a little late in the game (and, alas, for his singing voice) but like Curtis still not succumbing to the disco siren song. Gets off to a fairly generic start on the first couple of numbers, including the sole item not self-penned, but by the midway point really kicks it into gear with some nice topical/introspective tunes featuring a solid-smooth funky soul sound not unlike period Gaye and Mayfield. |
Oregon: Coincidentally enough (once again), my own girlfriend, before we began going out, happened to be a guest (of the opening band, Cracker) at the only Dead concert she's been to, at the University in Eugene, about '94 I think. Not sure I could actually fall asleep at a concert myself, but if I could I feel sure that the Dead could inspire it, with opera running not far behind. Haven't been a big Lobos fan for many years now, mostly because of that creeping jam-band influence which I have no use for, but I rocked my ass off to them at club shows many times back in the early- to mid-80's when they were sharp as a tack. Spun today: Small Faces - S/T [Decca/Deram, '66/'96] Expanded re-ish of the British debut long-player. Most American 'classic rock' radio listeners have only ever heard the later hit "Itchykoo Park" (which made famous the 'flanging' effect), but if you've heard Robert Plant singing Zep's "Whole Lotta Love", you've heard more of this record than you know. The Clash - Crucial Music: 1977 Revisited [CBS/Relativity, '90] Listening to this collection of B-sides -- a couple of which weren't included on the "Black Market Clash" EP or appended to reissues of their debut LP "The Clash" -- basically just pisses me off to think that Joe Strummer is dead, and there aren't any rock bands in the world today fit to lick the soles of his boots. I guess Nirvana were supposed to have been it once upon a time, but right about now we could use another Clash to lead the way and tear everything up again. But I don't think that's ever gonna happen anymore. Guided By Voices - Under The Bushes Under The Stars [Matador, '96] One thing's sure, none of *my* high school English teachers ever delivered a jump-kick to the heart like this no-fi primer. |
Kehut: I was just spinning Oscar Plays Cole this very morning, but on a German CD reissue. It really sounds extremely good -- not at all "digital" -- but I haven't done a direct comparison with the vinyl. (I have quite a few Peterson Verve LPs but don't recall offhand if this is one of them.) Also today: The Monochrome Set - Black & White Minstrels '75-'79 [Cherry Red] Them Featuring Van Morrison [Decca] William Boyce/The Eight Symphonies - Bournemouth Sinfonietta [CRD] |
What the hey, can't sleep tonight and I haven't posted in forever...and judging by the LP stack here, I guess I *have* been tearing up the turntable a bit the past couple of days. In no particular order (and somewhat selective, that is to say, if I wasn't totally diggin' it, or just a cut or two, I ain't listing it!): King Pleasure - "Mr. Jazz" (UA) Barney Kessel/Harold Land - "El Tigre" (Charlie Parker) Marvin Hamlisch - "The Swimmer" Soundtrack (Columbia) Phil Woods - "Greek Cooking" (Impulse!) Nelson Riddle - "Arranges & Conducts The 101 Strings" (Alshire) The Impressions - "The Never Ending Impressions" (ABC Paramount) The Bar-Kays - "Soul Finger" (Volt) The Yardbirds - "Little Games" (Epic) Betty Everett - "It's In His Kiss" (Vee Jay) Peter & Gordon - "Sing And Play The Hits Of Nashville Tennessee" (Capitol) Paul Odette/Hopkinson Smith - "Italian Lute Duets" (Seraphim) Lex Eisenhardt - Fernando Sor Guitar Music (Etcetera) Raymond Lefevre & Orchestra - "Soul Coaxing" (Kapp 4 Corners) James Brown & The Famous Flames - "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" (King) The Staccatos - "A Wild Pair" (Nimbus 9) Clark Terry/Bob Brookmeyer - "Tonight" (Mainstream) Ray Bryant - "Ray Bryant Trio" (New Jazz) Fred Neil - "Fred Neil" (Capitol) The Soulful Strings - "String Fever" (Cadet) Duke Ellington - "New Orleans Suite" (Atlantic) Jimmy Castor - "Hey Leroy" (Smash) The Barracudas - "Drop Out With The Barracudas" (Voxx) Joe Wilder Quartet - "Jazz From Peter Gunn" (Columbia) Shuggie Otis - "Inspiration Information" (Luaka Bop) William Bell - "Do Right Man" (Charly) Sinatra/Hefti - "And Swingin' Brass" (Reprise) Dizzy Gillespie - "Manteca" (Quintessence/Camden) |
Hey Rushton, I have that Rites Of Spring. No doubt primarily *because* of the cover! You don't want to know (and I lost count long ago) how many goofy- or sexy-cover LP's I've accumulated down the years. None of them displayed, mind you, just sitting taking up space. But I've mostly reformed myself these days, leave 'em for the next guy. Well, maybe now I'll actually listen to that one sometime... PS - I have a collecting buddy who's specifically amassed probably around a dozen vintage albums with a pre-stardom Mary Tyler Moore as the cover model (however no bare breasts in that group, unfortunately). A while ago I found a Tina Louise cover in a similar vein and naturally couldn't resist (not to mention she's seductively smoking a cig!), but did the brave thing and surrendered it over to him... |
Freddie Hubbard - "Backlash" (Atlantic Jazzlore) Barney Kessel & Friends - "Barney Plays Kessel" (Concord Jazz) Jimmy Giuffre 3 - "Trav'lin' Light" (Atlantic) The Pentagon (Clifford Jordan, Cedar Walton, Sam Jones, Billy Higgins, Ray Mantilla) - S/T (East Wind) Randy Weston - "Little Niles" (Blue Note) Earl Hooker - "Sweet Black Angel" (Blue Thumb) Prince Far I & The Arabs - "Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Ch.IV" (Trojan) Al Green - "Explores Your Mind" (Hi) Al Kooper - "You Never Know Who Your Friends Are" (Columbia) Dave Brubeck/Gerry Mulligan - "Compadres" (Columbia) Michel Legrand - "The Young Girls Of Rochefort" Soundtrack (Philips) Dionne Warwick - "The Original Soul Of" (Charly) Brian Hyland - S/T (Uni) The Move - "Split Ends" (UA) Art Blakey - "3 Blind Mice" (Solid State) Terry Black - "The Black Plague" (Arc) The Jacksons - "Destiny" (Epic) The Dramatics - "Watcha See Is Watcha Get" (Volt) Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - "Hop On The Skyliner!!" (Decca) |
Love: Love Da Capo Forever Changes (all Elektra) Last night saw Johnny Echols, original Love lead guitarist, with Baby Lemonade touring as Love in memorium to late leader/singer/chief songwriter the legendary Arthur Lee. This tour has had epic bad luck; originally begun as a package scheduled for larger clubs also featuring The Electric Prunes and Sky Saxon of The Seeds, it had to be cancelled mid-tour when Saxon suddenly followed Lee to that Sunset Strip in the sky. Then it was rebooked for smaller venues without the Prunes (who I've seen a couple of times in the past few years and are worth catching) but with Jerry Miller of Moby Grape added. But he apparently didn't work out so well and wound up splitting after a couple weeks. However in the end that's OK with me; I got Love and just Love, what I really wanted to see again one last time (after catching Arthur Lee on two ocassions with Baby Lemonade, once including Echols), in a more intimate (and cheaper) setting. The singer for the versatile band mostly handles Lee's and Bryan McLean's lead vocal parts, but Echols contributed a fantastic vocal turn on a hushed "Signed DC" and was also gratifyingly more assertive on guitar than last time around. I understand that some of the crowds have been small and the promoter (who happens to be local and was only doing this for love of the music in the first place) is losing money, but I thought turnout here was good for no longer having Lee, and would recommend all Love fans see this show if it's coming your way 'cuz it most likely ain't never gonna happen again... "What is happening and how have you been? Gotta go but I'll see you again And oh the music is so loud And then I fade into the... Crowds of people standing everywhere 'Cross the street I'm at this laugh affair And here they always play my songs And me I wonder if it's... Wrong or right they come here just the same Telling everyone about their games And if you think it obsolete Then you go back across the street Yeah, street When I leave now don't you weep for me I'll be back, just save a seat for me But if you just can't make the room Look up and see me on the... Moon's a common scene around my town Here where everyone is painted brown And if we feel that's not the way Let's go paint everybody gray Yeah, gray" --Arthur Lee, "Maybe The People Would Be The Times Or Between Clark And Hilldale" |
Bob Brookmeyer/Jim Hall/Jimmy Raney - "The Street Swingers" [World Pacific] Two-guitar lineup features Brookmeyer switching off between piano and the valve trombone he made his name on. (He also penned the conspicuously wordy liners.) With Bill Crow bass and Osie Johnson drums. Anthony & The Imperials - "Reflections" [Veep] No more 'Little', but just as much Randazzo. Yusef Lateef - "Jazz 'Round The World" [Impulse!] Love - "Four Sail" [Elektra] The last good one. The Impressions - "The Young Mods' Forgotten Story" [Curtom] Gordon Lightfoot - "Lightfoot!" [UA] Gordon Lightfoot - "The Way I Feel" [UA] Gordon Lightfoot - "Did She Mention My Name?" [UA] Chet Atkins - "Caribbean Guitar" [RCA] Chet Atkins - "A Session With Chet Atkins" [RCA] Big Bill Broonzy & Washboard Sam - (same) [Chess] Max Roach - "Award Winning Drummer" [Time] With an unusual lineup of Booker Little trumpet, George Coleman tenor sax, Ray Draper tuba, and Art Davis bass (no piano), I'm guessing from about 1960. Contrary to the title this is in no way a drumcentric record. The Jazz Crusaders - "Give Peace A Chance" [Pacific Jazz/Liberty] Side two is worthwhile originals. Ramsey Lewis Trio - "Stretching Out" [Argo] Woody Herman & The Thundering Herd - "Concerto For Herd" [Verve] At the Monterrey Jazz Festival. Oscar Peterson - "Soul Espanol" [Limelight] Art Farmer Quartet - "Perception" [Argo] Quincy Jones & His Orchestra - "The Quintessence" [Impulse!] Ralph Marterie & His Marlboro Men - "Music For A Private Eye" [Mercury Wing] Superlative big band arrangements of cloak'n'dagger TV themes of the day, again circa 1960. If the Jones record channels the Duke (without actually containing any of his compositions), then this powerhouse calls to mind the Count. Milt Jackson - "Olinga" [CTI] Could this 1974 session be the worst sounding record RVG ever made? I don't know when he switched his studio over to solid-state (before this, I would think, so presumably he should've already been practiced in it), however this suffocating report from the inside of a non-kingsize pillow sounds like a collateral casualty. With Cedar Walton, Ron Carter, Micky Roker and Jimmy Heath, so the band's not the problem. The liners quote Milt in a not so veiled brushoff of ex-MJQ leader/bandmate John Lewis: "...[I'm playing] my own kind of music - plain, straight, swingin' jazz or bebop or whatever you want to call it. No more hangups with conductors and symphony orchestras. That was never my thing, just a gig." Then Creed Taylor goes and overdubs Bob James 12-piece string arrangements on two of the cuts. |
Okay, so maybe Milt Jackson's "Olinga" ('74), awful as it sounds, wasn't an exceptionally bad-sounding RVG record of the period after all...I pulled out two other CTI RVGs for comparison: Soprano saxophonist Joe Farrell's "Moon Germs" ('72), with Herbie Hancock electric piano, Stanley Clarke bass and Jack DeJohnette drums, sounds if anything even worse, truly cramped and zero extension in either direction; and the Soul Flutes "Trust In Me" ('68), not really a jazz record but mood music featuring Hancock, Eric Gale, Bucky Pizzarelli, Ron Carter, Grady Tate and Ray Barretto among others, however significantly bigger- and better-sounding (must be tubes), if still fairly turgid overall...I guess demonstrating that the sainted Mr. van G is best appreciated earlier, and on other labels. |
Further researching my little CTI RVG jag here, I dug out Thomas Conrad's overview in Stereophile of five Epic/Legacy-CTI remastered CD reissues from the July '02 issue, all recorded by Van Gelder in the early to mid 70's (but not remastered by him). His average rating for sonics was a measely 2 1/2 stars, with the exception of the above mentioned "Moon Germs", to which he gave 3 (and at that rate I sure hope it sounds one helluva lot better than my original LP). Farrell's was also one of only two out of the five albums Conrad actually gave high marks to the music on, about which I am mostly in agreement regarding CTI generally (not that I share that critic's tastes when it comes to such things as his fixation with all things white, European and non-swinging, along with their ECM-infested sonics). However the article did remind me of two other RVG CTIs, Kenny Burrell's excellent "God Bless The Child" which I have on original vinyl (and which was the other disk of the bunch that Conrad rated highly for music), and Stanley Turrentine's "Sugar", which I don't have on vinyl but is the only Epic/Legacy-CTI reissue on CD that I own (Conrad didn't review this one). These both being from '71, and each sounding considerably better and fuller than the '72 and onward RVG CTIs I played on vinyl the other day, if still somewhat constrained, stuffy and studio-artificial in absolute terms. So this mini-survey, while hardly comprehensive, would lead me to believe that something bad happened in the RVG/CTI chain around '72, and if "Moon Germs" really does sound acceptably decent on remastered CD, then whatever that bad thing was (new solid-state gear?) may well have afflicted both the recording and mastering processes, the latter of which I assume RVG probably had no hand in at the time (CTI LPs, as with essentially any vintage LPs, not listing who mastered them). And now I've had way more than enough electric piano for one week... |
Catching up the vinyl stack while I can still lift it... James Moody - "Moody's Workshop" [Prestige] Eddie Harris - "Instant Death" [Atlantic] Ray Bryant Trio - "Gotta Travel On" [Cadet] Thelonius Monk Quintet - "5 By Monk By 5" [Riverside] The Byrds - "The Notorius Byrd Brothers" [Columbia] The Kinks - "Kinda Kinks" [Rhino reissue] Chad Mitchell - "Love, A Feeling Of" [WB] Sly & The Family Stone - "Dance To The Music" [Epic] John Barry - "The Whisperers" Soundtrack [UA] Neal Hefti & Orchestra - "The Leisurely Loveliness Of" [Movietone] Constant: 14 Stations/Stockhausen: Zyklus - Sylvio Gualda, percussion [Erato] Villa-Lobos: Little Train Of The Caipira - Goossens/LSO [Everest] 999 - "Concrete" [Albion] Robyn Hitchcock - "Groovy Decay" [Albion] The Chameleons - "What Does Anything Mean? Basically" [Statik] The Fleshtones - "Blast Off With The Fleshtones" [Get Hip reissue] Billy May - "Billy May's Big Fat Brass" [Capitol] Bill Evans Trio - "Live" [Verve] Donald Byrd - "Street Lady" [Blue Note] The O'Jays - "Comin' Through" [Imperial] Johnny Hodges - "Used To Be Duke" [Verve] Johnny Hodges - "Perdido" [Verve] Parliament - "Up For The Down Stroke" [Casablanca] Ohio Players - "Mr. Mean" [Mercury] The Main Ingredient - "Bitter Sweet" [RCA] Les McCann LTD. - "But Not Really" [Limelight] Emmy Lou Harris (sic) - "Gliding Bird" [Jubilee] Miles Davis Quintet - "Workin'" [OJC/Prestige reissue] Wizzard - "See My Baby Jive (Masters Of Rock Vol.11)" [Harvest] Procul Harum - "A Salty Dog" [A&M] Roy Harper - "One Of Those Days In England" [Chrysalis] Ennio Morricone - "Les Meilleures Musiques de Films" [Sunset] Ennio Morricone - "Once Upon A Time In The West" Soundtrack [RCA] Prince - "Sign Of The Times" [Paisley Park] Booker Ervin - "That's It!" [Barnaby reissue] Red Garland - "Red Garland's Piano" [Prestige] Ahmad Jamal - "Poinciana" [Argo] Ray Charles - "Genius + Soul = Jazz" [Impulse!] Gabor Szabo - "Spellbinder" [Impulse!] Fleetwood Mac - "English Rose" [Epic] That last one I was inspired to pull because it dawned on me, when listening to the Szabo LP, that Carlos Santana lifted his famous coda solo on their cover of Peter Green's "Black Magic Woman" nearly wholesale from Szabo's original composition "Gypsy Queen", something I'd never twigged before (Green however lifts Otis Rush instead in his own version). |
Love "Undercurrent" Rushton, undeservedly overlooked minor gem, I think I listed it in this space when I discovered it a couple years back (older CD issue though, could've stood remastering)...since then I've gotten a couple other more recent Drew releases on vinyl from his expat years, but that's special. |
Kaleidoscope - "Tangerine Dream" (Fontana UK '67/ Repertoire UK '05) Kaleidoscope - "Faintly Blowing" (Fontana UK '69/Repertoire UK '05) Fairfield Parlour - "From Home To Home" (Vertigo UK '70/Repertoire UK '04) Kaleidoscope - "The Sidekicks Sessions 1964-1967" (Alchemy '03) ...All the same British band, evolving from garagey Beat/R&B as The Sidekicks and Moddish foppery as The Key (both represented on poor-sounding rediscovered demo acetates only), to electric + folky-baroque lite psych as Kaleidoscope, to mildly proggy classic AOR as Fairfield Parlour, with consice melodic pop and fanciful poetic/introspective lyrical sensibilities at their core. |
Hi Emorrisiv. I'm fortunate (or cursed, depending on your viewpoint!) in that my preamp affords remote control of absolute phase, AKA polarity, from the listening position. I try to determine the best polarity setting for any recording before listening (other than sometimes casual or background listening), and have amassed experience in doing this with thousands of recordings over several years. The truth I've found is that many, if not most recordings are either only mildly sensitive to polarity at best; or apparently insensitive enough that I can never be sure which the preferred or "correct" setting actually is; or display one preferred setting for one solo instrument or voice but the other setting for another soloist; or confusingly display opposite preferences for soloists vs. backgrounds; and/or vary in these regards and thus the preferred setting from cut to cut on an album. And I often find that it's quite possible to convince myself that one or the other setting is "correct", only to change my mind upon subsequent relistening (additionally, this can change as I vary my listening distance within the room, or even the volume setting). On the other hand, many other recordings do seem to show a polarity preference that's constant and not difficult to determine. In the final tally, I'd guesstimate that I do determine a setting which I prefer on balance for around 85% of recordings (the other 15% being pick'em). The funny thing is, try as I have, I can't really say that these recordings possess any likely characteristics in common, such as being "minimally miked" or "naturally recorded". Sometimes "purist" or live recordings you'd think would be a slam dunk in theory are impossible to determine the "correct" polarity with, while some heavily multitracked studio creations are quick and easy to determine. However -- as you'd expect given the disregard to polarity throughout the miking, recording, mastering, and production processes for most recordings, and the fact that most playback loudspeakers aren't so-called "minimum phase" designs but instead use high-order crossovers that rotate phase and multiple drivers often wired in opposing polarities -- in the end, the breakdown between "straight" and "inverse" settings in my experience approaches a 50/50 split with those recordings for which a preference can be determined, with maybe just a 10%-15% tilt toward the nominally "correct" setting when using 1st-order or single-driver, minimum-phase loudspeakers. The upshot of which is, I'd be leery of declaring one or the other polarity setting best for any arbitrary group of recordings based on some incidental characteristic such as country of origin. Especially if you're having to reverse polarity by reversing speaker leads, since that doesn't allow for rapid, multiple A/B comparisons from the listening position -- it's just too easy to confuse or convince onesself that way. But having said all that, I do commend you on bothering to experiment with polarity, and can only say "go for it and enjoy it!" if you've found any rules you can live happily by. |
Thanks Emorrisiv. I have no doubt you can hear which polarity is correct with these LPs. My point was just that, given a fairly random distribution of labels, studios or locations, recording engineers, mastering labs, pressing plants etc., together with general indifference to maintainance of input-to-output polarity by these various entities, then "correct" choice of playback polarity should be expected to show a fairly random distribution as well. The only reason I bring these things up, I suppose, is that I've ocassionally seen stuff over the years where some audiophiles promote running in "reverse phase" at all times, or with recordings of certain origin, as being some kind of panacea, which to me betrays a basic lack of understanding of the issue. (I recall an amplifier review in Stereophile once where the manufacturer advised the reviewer to reverse his speaker leads as a matter of course to get 'better' sound. The reviewer did, and agreed with the manufacturer. But this is an impossible outcome unless all recordings are made with the same polarity, which clearly they aren't. The reason for this, I suspect, is that sometimes we tend to hear any differences that result from our own hopeful actions as being improvements, when in reality what may be an improvement in some instances in others may be just a difference.) It's cool you've also discovered MC loading too. We all know how this affects HF response (some like the extra 'air' of running unloaded, but personally I can't abide the accompanying mid-treble peakiness that damages natural timbre). However what I've also found, that you don't usually see so much about, is how loading affects image density and focus. Listen for this when you determine optimal loading, and then if you go back and compare the sound to running less loaded or unloaded, you might notice that your corporeal and located images have now become diffuse and lacking in substance and energy. Anyway, getting back to the thread at hand, as the snow continues to come down: Stackridge - "Pinafore Days" (Sire '74) Pretty Things - "Parachute" (Rare Earth/Motown '70) Puff - S/T (MGM '69) Collins/Shepley Galaxy - "Time, Space And The Blues" (MTA Records, sometime shortly after the lunar landing to judge by the concept, jacket pix and song titles. Oliver Nelson-ish large band led by Duke Pearson sidemen Burt Collins and Joe Shepley both on trumpets and flugelhorns, with Bob Cranshaw and Mickey Roker rhythm section. Nice plush sound in a large acoustic courtesy Columbia's 30th street studio.) |
1's and 0's... Jim Hall - "Hallmarks: The Best Of" [Concord/Telarc 2CD '06] Collection from Milestone and Concord Jazz albums circa '71-'01 Joe Henderson - "Page One" [Blue Note RVG ed. '63/'99] Wonderfully enjoyable set featuring Kenny Dorham and McCoy Tyner The Kelly Brothers - "Sactified Southern Soul" [Excello/AVI '96] Fantastic collection of Sims and Excello label singles from lesser-known 60's three-piece vocal group The Mad Lads - "In Action" [Collectibles/Rhino '66/'99] Volt album reissue + 4 bonus tracks sweet Memphis group soul, sheer perfection and original demented cartoon cover art Bach: Cello Suites - Ralph Kirshbaum cello [Virgin Classics 2CD '94/'99] |
Sonny Rollins - "The Bridge" [RCA/Bluebird '62/'03] With Jim Hall guitar Oscar Peterson Trio - "A Jazz Portrait Of Frank Sinatra" [Verve '59/'04] Longtime Peterson Trio drummer Ed Thigpen died last week The Ovations - "Goldwax Recordings" [Kent/Ace '05] 60's Memphis soul singles collection featuring lead vocalist Louis Williams, known for sounding uncannily like Sam Cooke (yes, even more than Rod Stewart!) Scimone/I Solisti Veneti (Orlandi, Frati, Bianchi) - The Magic Of The Mandoline [Erato Disques '71/'84/'86] Collection of Italian mandolin concertos by Vivaldi, Paisiello, Caudioso |
Mitty Collier - "Shades Of...: The Chess Singles 1961-68" [Kent/Ace '08] Deep-voiced Chicago soul "cult heroine" (as the liners put it) never had a big chart hit, cut only one album at Chess, and retired for good from secular music by '72, but the singles are as fine as, if distinct from, those by better-known labelmates like Etta James, and the powerhouse Ter-Mar Studios sound, with production and arrangements by some of the label's top pop talent, is on display at its hugest in this well-mastered CD. Nina Simone - "...And Piano!" [RCA/BMG '69/'01] Her first entirely solo studio album (plus four bonus tracks from the same sessions) came perhaps surprisingly late and didn't sell very well, but not at all surprisingly is a rich gem of the High Priestess' subtle and varied artistry (though her voice was unfortunately recorded with a touch of unatural edge, which is not shared by her piano even though with the exception of a few accent overdubs, both parts presumably would have been recorded together live, as she frequently was in concert, given how characteristically personalized the performances are) |
Nina Simone - "Four Women: The Philips Recordings" [Verve/UMG '03] 4CD annnotated box set containing the entirety of her 7 albums recorded for the label between '64-'66 Miles Davis All Stars - "Walkin'" [Prestige/CMG RVG edition '54/'06] Extended-form modified blues just don't get any better than the title cut and "Blue 'n' Boogie" with the Sextet of J.J. Johnson, Lucky Thompson, Horace Silver, Percy Heath and Kenny Clarke, and the mono sound is downright yummy even on CD Britten: Symphony For Cello & Orchestra/Suite from "Death In Venice" - Raphael Wallfisch, cello/English Chamber Orchestra, cond. Steuart Bedford [Chandos '85] Honestly guys, I'd been working on this one a few days prior to seeing your most recent posts!... |
Oh yeah Rush 'n' E, every once in a blue -- uh, better make that purple -- moon, I'm you're classical man! (Well, if not exactly classical then early or modern at least. But I do promise, in that setting anyway, not to pretend to know what the hell I'm talking about, as I am on occasion otherwise wont to do. Jes' the facts ma'am...) |
The Chameleons - "Why Call It Anything?" [Cleopatra '02] The Church - "Priest = Aura" [Arista '92] Shonen Knife - "Genki Shock!" [Glue Factory '06] "Anarchy From The U.K. Vol. 1" - V.A. [Dojo '96] N.E.R.D. - "In Search Of..." [Virgin '01] Buffalo Springfield - "Again" [Atlantic '67] Duke Ellington - "Blues In Orbit" [Columbia/Legacy '60/'04] Thelonius Monk Quartet - "Monk's Dream" [Columbia/Legacy '63/'02] Pat Martino - "El Hombre" [Prestige RVG ed. '67/'07] Hilton Ruiz - "Enchantment" [Arabesque Jazz '03] Quartet plus Chico Freeman |
Big Brother & The Holding Company (w/Janis Joplin) - "The Lost Tapes" [2CD, Airline '08] The Yardbirds (whom I dig) had their "blueswailing". I guess you could call this stuff "bluesshrieking". Suffice to say that, a handful of later studio cuts excepted, I'm not a J.J. fan. I picked this set up for a friend who is, but it turned out he already had a copy. Into the trade pile it goes. Os Mutantes - "Haih...or Amortecedor" [Anti/Epitaph '09] We went to see the legendary 60's Brazilian psych band on their latest "reunion" tour a few months back and I bought their new CD as a memento. I say "reunion" in quotes because only guitarist-singer Sergio Diaz remains from the original trio, abetted by a several-piece group including fellow Tropicalia-movement veteran drummer Dinho Leme. The show was fun but the CD, which has little in common with the sheer inventiveness of their freewheeling vintage stuff despite the best of intentions, is often tedious and only infrequently convincing, the best tune being the only cover on the album, written by Jorge Ben. Brian Wilson - "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" [MCA '95] |
Rush, there's hope for our musical compatability yet, we both dig Buddy Holly! MDT, Holly (along with the Everly Brothers) is often credited with instigating the combination of the dual-guitar based group (sans sax and/or piano) playing pop-derived, melodic rock & roll (as opposed to the more overtly rhythm & blues forms exemplified by Chuck Berry, the New Orleans school and the early Sun artists) that went on to inspire the melodicism of the Beatles and give rise to the whole pop wing of the British Invasion (indeed, the Hollies were named in honor of Buddy). Further listening: Once you've gorged on Holly, check out his great mid-60's inheritor of the West Texas flame, whose life eerily echoed Buddy's in being tragically cut too short, Bobby Fuller. Bobby once said of The Beatles, essentially, they're fantastic, but around these parts we were doing the kind of stuff that's made them world-famous years before they hit US shores. And if you consider that John Lennon credited inspiration for his early harmonica work on tunes like "Love Me Do" and "Please Please Me" to Bruce Channel's ("Hey! Baby") harp-player Delbert McClinton, Fuller might just have been right. |
...My little screed about Buddy Holly supposedly being the originator of what became, with the British Invasion, the prototypical 2-guitar/bass/drums rock group lineup, looks a mite incomplete without acknowledging that as is well known, the Beatles took the inspiration for their name from The Crickets... |
Hmm, I just came into someone's childhood collection of about 200 old 45's packed in cookie tins for free, some of the keepers incl: The Beatles - "Four By The Beatles" 7" EP [Capitol EAP 1-2121 '64, dark green label w/dome logo on left side] Track listing 1. "Roll Over Beethoven" 2. "All My Loving" 3. "This Boy" 4. "Please Mister Postman" Nice to have these on hot 45rpm mono in clean condition, unfortunately the more valuable cardboard pic sleeve not present Tom & Jerry - "Hey, Schoolgirl"/"Dancin' Wild" [Big '57] AKA Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel pre-folk, this was their very first record (okay formula teenybop, not as good as another pre-S&G Paul Simon 45 I have, Tico & The Triumphs "Motorcycle" on Amy '61) Bruce Johnston - "Do The Surfer Stomp, Pts. 1 & 2" [Donna wht. lbl. promo '62] Early one from future Beach Boy Jiv-A-Tones - "Flirty Gertie"/"Fire Engine Baby" [Felsted '58] The Legends - "Bop-A-Lena"/"I Wish I Knew" [Ermine '62] In color pic sleeve w/group holding guitars! |
The Dictators - "Every Day Is Saturday" [Norton '07] Odds'n'sods collection of 70's demos, which compare favorably with or beat the Columbia and Elektra/Asylum album versions, plus a few later outtakes and single/comp-only releases. Proof positive that the real hard rock & roll spirit ain't quite dead yet in a post-Ramones/-Thunders/-Bators age, it's just in semi-permanent hibernation in between Dics reunions. Flail yer head against the world and love it! Cult Cargo: Belize City Boil Up - V/A [Numero '05] Funky Kingston, moved due west Ella Mae Morse - "Barrelhouse, Boogie & The Blues Vol.3" [Bear Family '97] Early 50's Capitol sides Dave Godin's Deep Soul Treasures from the Vaults Vol.2 - V/A [Kent/Ace '99] |
Jerico: The grooviest! Dale Hawkins - "Rock'n'Roll Tonado" [Ace '98, rec. '56-'61] Shreveport Stomp/Ram Records vol.1 - V/A [Ace '94, rec. '57-'62] Mad Mike/Pittsburgh's Favorites for Lovers vol.5 - V/A [Itzy 2CD] Dave Godin's Deep Soul Treasures vol.1 - V/A [Kent/Ace '97, rec. '61-'74] Flamin' Groovies - "Grease: The Skydog Singles" [Jungle '98, rec. '73-'81] The Grip Weeds - "Infinite Soul: Best Of" [Wicked Cool '08] Sloan - "4 Nights At The Palais Royale" [Murderecords '99] Rambling Shadows - "The Tools and The Stuff" [Night World '08] Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers - "A Night In Tunisia" [Vik '57/RCA Bluebird '02] Not the later Blue Note album by the same name Nat Adderly - "Work Song" [Riverside '60/'08] Thelonius Monk Quartet - "Monk's Dream" [Columbia/Legacy '63/'02] Chucho Valdes - "Briyumba Palo Congo" [Blue Note '99] Ray Brown/Monty Alexander/Russell Malone -S/T [Telarc '02] |