Hey Albert:
Have Lloyd and Felicia hit your place yet? |
Albert,
I did get the joke. He says the same thing about mine whenever he is at my house ;) That's a great variety of music - you guys must have put some serious hours in. I hope you took some time out to eat. Did he happen to show you something "new"? (nudge, nudge - wink, wink) |
Today (so far)
David Gilmour "On An Island" EMI import LP. This is an LP that grows on you with repeated listenings. Very well recorded, excellent packaging, quiet surface, and great sonics. Kind of like an introspective Pink Floyd work.
Pink Floyd "Wish You Were Here" CBS Half Speed Master. This release has a rounder, less tizzy top end than either my Japanese or standard domestic pressings.
Falla "Nights In The Gardens Of Spain" Rafael de Burgos/Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conseratoire, Gonsalvo Soriano (piano) From the Time/Life 10 volume box set: "The Story Of Great Music" Good sonics typical of many of the Time/Life issues. These box sets represent an excellent way to develop a collection of the basic repertoire in classical music. |
After a spur-of-the-moment Saturday evening run to Princeton Record Exchange with fellow Agoner Sbank, we made off with some goodies. The "new arrivals" bins were full of good stuff, and we also picked up some nice recordings from the $1.00/record classical bins on the floor. Here is a sample of what I played this evening from last nights haul:
Handel "Water Music" Van Beinum/Concertgebouw Orchestra (Philips 6570 171)
Mussorgsky "Pictures At An Exhibition" (original score for piano) Michel Beroff (Angel S-37223)
Barber "Adagio for Strings" Marriner/Academy Of St. Martins-In-The-Fields (Argo ZRG 845)
Joni Mitchell "Miles Of Aisles" (Asylum AB 202)
Rickie Lee Jones "Rickie Lee Jones" (Warner Bros. BSK 3295) |
An early morning breakfast/listening session with friends (the best way to share music). some of what was listend to:
k.d. laing and The Reclines "Absolute Torch And Twang" (Sire 9 25877-1)
Louis Armstrong "Satchmo Plays King Oliver - St. James Infirmary" (Classic Records 200g 45 rpm version)
Dead Can Dance "Into The Labyrinth" (4AD DAD 3013)
Philip Glass "Soundtrack From Koyaanisqatsi" (Antilles/New Directions 7 90626-1)
Dire Straits "Brothers In Arms" (Warner 25264-1)
Clemencic Consort "Danses Anciennes De Hongrie" (Harmonia Mundi HM-1003)
Mahler "Symphony No. 3" Hornstein/LSO (Nonesuch HB-73023)
Hui Fen MIN/Wei LI "River Of Sorrow" (First Impression Music FIM LP-002) 45 rpm version
Duke Ellington/Ray Brown "This One's For Blanton" (Pablo 2310-721, Analogue Productions 45 rpm reissue)
There were several other LPs we listened to that others may post to this thread as well. it was a nice session with good friends, and everyone had things to share with the group. |
Oregon-
Cool story. Thanks for posting it. |
Back from RMAF, thought I should start posting to this thread again. Getting used to having Kharma loudspeakers in my listening room after living with Magnepans for so many years.
Donald Fagan "Morph The Cat" (Reprise 49975-1)
"Soundtrack From The Emerald Forest" (Varese Sarabande STV 81244)
Mark Knopfler "Soundtrack From Local Hero" (Warner 23827-1) |
Rush-
I had the Khatchaturian on my shopping list for RMAF, but Acoustic Sounds did not have it. I'm planning on bringing the "Emerald Forest" soundtrack with me along with a slideshow of photos from Denver. Provided I get them edited down to a reasonable number by then. |
Respighi "Church Windows" Keith Clark/Pacific Symphony (Reference Recordings RR-15 45 rpm)
Gary Karr/Harmon Lewis "Adagio d' Albinoni" (Firebird KIJC 9125)
Bill Evans Trio "Everybody Digs Bill Evans" (Riverside 1129)
Holst "The Planets" Mehta/Los Angeles Philharmonic (Decca SXL 6529) |
Nothing yet, but last night I did the "monthly ear recalibration" by attending a performance by the Haddonfield Symphony Orchestra. The program was Shoshtakovich "Symphony No.11 (the year 1905)". Sixty-five minutes spead across 4 movements. It never ceases to amaze me how the evocative power of music can paint a picture every bit as clear as a portrait.
Symphony No.11 tells the story of the 1905 revolution, which set the stage for the 1917 revolution that brought down the Czar. What started out as a peaceful protest by peasants in front of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, ended that cold January day with the deaths, at the hands of the Czar's troops, of 1200 mostly women and children. Their deaths only took a matter of an hour or so, at which time a soft heavy snow began to fall, eventually covering over all the bodies, erasing the grisley scene in the square. Very moving. |
Vince Guaraldi Trio "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (Fantasy 8431/APO 45 rpm reissue)Great sounding memory jog from childhood.
Miles Davis "Kind Of Blue" (Columbia CS 8163/Classic Records 45 rpm reissue)
Yes "Fragile" (Atlantic AAPP 7211/APO reissue) Nice quiet surfaces, but sonics really not much, if any, better than my well cared for UK original (well- maybe a little warmer, deeper bass) |
Pink Floyd "Ummagumma" (Harvest STBB-388)
"Apocalypse Now" Soundtrack (Elektra ELK 62 025)
Some pretty eerie music on these two LP's..... |
Rushton - good to see you back and listening again. It's been some time since I posted here as well. Spending some time at home recuperating from illness, feeling good enough to listen to some music - finally.
So far:
Schuller "Seven Studies on Themes of Paul Klee" Dorati/Minneapolis SO (Mercury SR90282) Speaker's Corner reissue.
Stravinsky "Firebird Suite (1910)" Leinsdorf/Los Angeles SO (Sheffield Lab LAB 24)
Falla "Nights in the Gardens of Spain" Jorda/San Francisco Symphony (RCA LSC 2430) Classic Records reisuue |
Montepilot-
You won't regret either of your two purchases. With respect to "Il Cornetto", the sonics and performance are wonderful. keep in mind that the music is very delicate, but very revealing of inner detail - a great test for your systems abilities to resolve all that is there. A great listen for fans of early music performed on original instruments.
"Home Again" is another performance and sonics blockbuster, showcasing Doc Watson's mix of folk and front porch bluegrass style. His picking on "Matty Groves" is beautiful. His sense of humor is really evident in his take on "Froggy Went A-Courtin'"
It's great to hear "Il Cornetto" is still available. I recommend it to anyone reading this thread who enjoys early music, without reservation. |
Berlioz "Symphonie Fantastique Op, 14" Argenta/Paris Conservatoire (London CS 6025) A "blueback" pressing. Some surface noise to listen through, but a wonderful reading of this piece. With a pretty cheesy cover to boot.
Beethoven "Symphony No. 8 in F Op.93" Ansermet/L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande (London CS 6388) |
Ry Cooder & V.M. Bhatt "A Meeting by the River" Water Lily Acoustics/Analogue Productions APW 29 45 rpm reissue
Chet Baker "Chet" Riverside/Analogue Productions APJ 016 reissue
Holst "The Planets" Mehta/Los Angeles Philharmonic Decca SXL 6529
"IL Cornetto" works of Italian and English composers of the 16th and 17th century for cornet, viola da gamba, harpsichord/chamber organ and lute/baroque guitar. Klimo Edition Open Window OW004 |
Rachmaninoff "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43" CSO/Reiner/Rubinstein
Falla "Nights in the Gardens of Spain" San Francisco SO/Jorda/Rubinstein
Both on RCA LSC-2430 (Classic Records reissue) |
Mahler "Sinfonie Nr. 9" Haitink/Concertgebouw Orchestra (Philips 6700 021)
Emerson Lake & Palmer "Trilogy" (Atlantic P-10113A)
Aztec Two-Step "Aztec Two-Step" (Electra EKS-75031)
Yes "Fragile" (Atlantic/Analogue Productions AAPP 7211) |
Today (so far)
Emerson Lake & Palmer "Brain Salad Surgery" (Manticore MC66669)
Emerson Lake & Palmer "Pictures at an Exhibition" (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab MFSL 1-031)
Stravinsky "Firebird" Dorati/LSO (Mercury SR90226) 33 rpm 200 gram reissue.
As my previous post and today's posts indicate, I have been on an ELP tear the last few days. Running through different pressings of their recordings. I have never been impressed with the sonics on most of their recordings. That said, the MOFI "Pictures" is pretty good, as is the Manticore pressing of "Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Ends" live set. Most disappointing in my collection has been every pressing I own of "Brain Salad Surgery". If someone can recommend a good pressing, please advise. |
Thanks for that Rush! I am anxiously awaiting the arrivals of my tapes and modded machine from The Tape Project. Given what you have just described above, it should be worth the wait. This may be the only thing out there that will give my vinyl reproduction a run for it's money. In addition to the "Arnold Overture" the coming release of "Waltz For Debbie" and "Saxophone Colossus" should be a real treat.
My playback will be via a Technics 1500 with the heads reworked and the output section rewired to be fed to a Bottlehead Seduction that has been built to be a tape head preamp. |
Sigur Ros "( )" (Fat Cat Records fatlp22)
Cowboy Junkies "The Trinity Session" (RCA/BMG Canada 8568-1-R)
Patricia Barber "Modern Cool" (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab MFSL 3-45005) 45 rpm
Beethoven "Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral"" Ormady/Philadelphia Orchestra (Columbia D7S 745) From the box set "Beethoven: The Nine Symphonies" |
Today, so far:
Faure "Requiem Op. 48" Chorus and Orchestra of the Church of St - Eustache, Paris/Emile Martin (Nonesuch H-7158)
Emerson Lake & Palmer "Emerson Lake & Palmer" (Cotillion SD 9040)
Bill Evans Trio "Waltz For Debbie" (Riverside 9399)
Pink Floyd "Wish You Were Here" (Columbia Half - Speed Mastered Promo copy) |
Finishing off with
Rimsky-Korsakov "Scheherazade" Dorati/Minneapolis; "Russian Easter Overture" Dorati/LSO (Mercury SR90332) "Great Music by Russian Composers" release.
I really like the performance of both of these pieces on this LP. The Scheherazade is a little tipped up, and doesn't quite get the visceral impact that the Reiner/Chicago does on RCA. The sound of the Russian Easter Overture is a little more balanced. Two different orchestra and halls. |
Montepilot,
I have not had the opportunity. My copy is the original Decca/London, from which the Speaker's Corner reissue was made. I can only imagine immersing myself in that piece on quiet, heavy vinyl. The Argenta is my personal favorite reading of "Symphonie Fantastique". I have many of the Speaker's Corner reissues and have never been disappointed in their quality.
Tonight we are listening to:
Yehudi Menuhin/Ravi Shankar "West Meets East" (Angel 36418)
Albeniz "Iberia" Turina "Danzes Fantasticas" Ansermet/L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande (Decca/London CS 6194)
Manuel de Falla/Alicia de Larrocha "Dances from "La Vida Brave", "Three Cornered Hat", "El Amor Brujo", "Four Spanish Pieces", "Fantasia Betica"" (Vox Turnabout TV 34742) |
The menu tonight:
Brahms "Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90" Walter/NY Philharmonic (Columbia Masterworks "six eye" ML 5126)
Beethoven "Symphony No.1 in C, Op. 21" Ansermet/L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande (Decca/London CS 6388)
Miles Davis "Sketches of Spain" (Columbia PC 8271) Reissue
Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington "Recording Together For The First Time" (Roulette SR52074) Classic Records 200g reissue
Bill Evans Trio "Sunday At The Village Vanguard" (Riverside 9376) OJC 180g reissue
All accompanied by a very nice 2005 Bordeaux |
Rush-
I had that same Vaughan Williams in my hands earlier this evening, but slid it back in the rack in favor of "Golden Dance Hits of 1600" (Archiv 2533 184)
Others this evening:
Haydn "Symphony No. 99 in E Flat" Woldike/Vienna State Opera Orchestra (Vanguard SRV-129)
Beethoven "Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 61" Bernstein/New York Philharmonic/Isaac Stern (Columbia MG 31418)
Rick Wakeman "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" (A&M SP 4361)
Benjamin Britten "Peter Grimes Highlights" Britten/Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (Decca/London OS 26004)
Ry Cooder/V.M. Bhatt "A Meeting by the River" (Water Lily Acoustics/APO APW 29) 45 rpm reissue. |
Ravel "Bolero" Munch/Boston SO (RCA LSC-1984)
Beethoven "String Quintets, Opp. 4 & 104" Suk Quartet and Karel Spelina (viola) (Supraphon 1 11 2128)
Shostakovich "Symphony No. 12 "1917" Mravinsky/Leningrad Philharmonic (Melodiya SR 40128) |
Looking at Storm Thorgerson's book "Mind Over Matter 4 : the Images of Pink Floyd" (Omnibus Press, ISBN 978-1-84609-763-8) and listening to
David Gilmour "On an Island" (EMI 0946 3 55695 1 3)
Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon" (30th Anniversary reissue)
Pink Floyd "Delicate Sound of Thunder" (Columbia PC2 44484) |
It's nice to see that after 4 years and over 1200 posts, this thread still has life!
Thank you to everyone who has contributed your listening choices. I know that my eyes have been opened to investigating music I might not otherwise have tried; thanks to what I have learned here.
Keep those posts coming!! |
Hit the area yard sales yesterday. Spent part of today cleaning and listening.
Mussorgsky - Ravel "Pictures at an Exhibition" Wallenstein/Virtuoso Symphony of London (Audio Fidelity FCS 50,004)
Corigliano "Concerto For Piano and Orchestra" Hilde Somer (Piano)/San Antonio Symphony/Alessandro (Mercury SR 90517) This one is a Marc Aubort engineering effort. Enormous dynamic range, looked like it was in pretty good shape. Ran it through the Loricraft and played it. Tons of noise throughout. Sounds almost like breakup or distortion, possibly due to some gunk deep down in the grooves. I am going to work on this one as the recording itself is superb, and the performance interesting. |
Spinning Tape Project tapes at the moment. 10.5 in reels at 15 ips,,,
Jacqui Naylor "The Number White" (TP-001, s/n 061)
Dave Alvin "Blackjack David" (TP-002, s/n 061)
Earlier this morning:
Schuller "Seven Studies on Themes of Paul Klee" Dorati/Minneapolis SO (Mercury SR90282)
Liszt "Sonata: Piano Works" Robert Silverman (Stereophile STPH008-1) |
Rush-
Welcome back! I hope you had a good time!
Tonight so far:
Stravinsky "Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments" Ansermet/Magaloff/L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande (London STS 15048)
Chet Baker "Chet" (Analogue Productions APJ016) 180g reissue of the Riverside
Analog Tape:
Hindemith "Violin Concerto" Oistrakh/Hoernstein/London Symphony (TP-006) 15ips Tape Project tape from the Decca SXL 6035 masters. One of those gems from London's Kingsway Hall, recorded by Kenneth Wilkinson |
Herrmann "The Mysterious Film World of Bernard Herrmann" Herrmann/National Philharmonic Orchestra (London SPC21137) "Phase 4 Stereo"
Rachmaninoff "Concerto No.3" Van Cliburn/Kondrashin/Symphony of the Air (RCA LSC 2355)
Tchaikovsky "Concerto No.1, in B-Flat Minor, Op. 23" Van Cliburn/Kondrashin
(RCA LM-2252) |
I spent all day Sunday "spinning" (at 15 ips) 8 of the 10 Tape Project tapes. That's 16 reels of analog fun... TP009 Mose Allison "Creek Bank" was delivered by UPS today. Looking forward to spending time with it. |
A year and a half, and this thread is still going strong! Some tremendous music has been shared among the various posters. Thank you all.
Today, so far:
Neil Young "Greatest Hits" (Reprise 48935-1) 200 gram
Grateful Dead "Live Dead" (Warner 2WS-1830) both Rhino 200 gram reissue and original pressings
Mark Knopfler/Dire Straits "The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler - "Private Investigations"" (Mercury 987576-7)
Pink Floyd "Wish You Were Here" (Columbia HBL 43453) Half Speed Mastered
Emerson, Lake & Palmer "Brain Salad Surgery" (Atlantic SD 19124) Manticore pressing is better, not quite as tipped up in the HF as this.
After the Rock and Roll:
Mendelssohn "Midsummer Night's Dream" Schubert "Rosamunde" Ansermet/L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (London CS 6186)
More classical music later.... |
In memory of the passing of Pink Floyd's Richard Wright:
Pink Floyd
"Piper at the Gates of Dawn"
"Meddle"
"Animals"
David Gilmour
"On an Island" |
Let's see if we can kick this thread back to life...
Nat "King" Cole "Penthouse Serenade" (Pure Pleasure Analogue PPAN T332)
Nat Cole playing the piano with a trio. Only a couple of vocal cuts on the entire LP. Chad Kassem insisted that I include this with my purchases at RMAF last year, and I am grateful that I listened to him. A beautiful album.
Duke Ellington and Ray Brown "This One's for Blanton" (Pablo 2310-721) Analogue Productions "top 25 jazz" 45 rpm reissue. |
so far-
Pink Floyd "DSOTM" (Harvest SMAS-11163) Purchased in March 1973. A little noisy after all these years, but still my preferred pressing.
Stravinsky "Firebird complete Ballet" Dorati/LSO (Mercury SR90226) 200g 33 1/3 rpm reissue
Next up:
Hugh Masekela "Hope" (Analogue Productions APJ 82020) 45 rpm |
Rushton-
I am listening to side 4 as I write this. It's a live recording and it includes an instrumental version of Masekala's best known tune: "Grazin' in the Grass". The quality overall of the recording is very good, perhaps a bit tipped up in the upper frequencies. It is very percussion oriented and the drums are very well reproduced, a good work out for your bass drivers. It's very natural sounding, with good sense of venue (a live recording after all). Each side is about 12 min. long, with an average of two songs per side. Highly recommended for fans. Prior to the purchase of this (based on Chad's insistence at RMAF last October), I was not familiar with Masekala's work beyond "Grazin'". I think will explore more of his music though. |
I have been "spinning" a recently acquired collection of RCA and Mercury 2-track 7.5 ips tapes on my R2R deck. The RCAs are Chicago/Reiner classics as well as a large group of Dorati/LSO, Dorati/Minneapolis Mercurys, all in their original boxes.
The acetate is in pretty good shape considering a lot of these tapes are 50 years or so old. |
Listening to a bunch of different pressings of Emerson, Lake and Palmer: "Brain Salad Surgery" and "Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends"
BSS pressings include Manticore, US Atlantic, UK Atlantic. Best bass response has been best on the Manticore, but some of the high end seems to be a bit hot, even with fine tuning the VTA |
Playing all kinds of material last night
Patricia Barber "Companion" (Mobile Fidelity 45 rpm)
Stravinsky "Firebird" Leinsdorf/Los Angeles (Sheffield LAB-24)
Respighi "Ancient Airs and Dances" Dorati/Philhamonia Hungarica (Mercury reissue)
Ella Fitzgerald "Fine and Mellow" (Pablo/APO 45 rpm reissue)
Tom Waits "Swordfishtrombones" (love "Frank's Wild Years")
"Exotic Dances From the Opera" Oue/Minnesota (Reference Recordings/ Tape Project TP-007) 15 ips analog tape. An absolutely stunning recording.
Arnold "Arnold Overtures" Arnold/London Philharmonic (Reference Recordings/Tape Project) 15 ips analog tape. |
Bill Evans Trio "Bill Evans at Town Hall" (Verve UMV 2053) Japanese pressing
Grofe "Grand Canyon Suite" Ormandy/Philadelphia (Columbia MS 6003) six eye
Wei Li/Fei Song "Autumn Yearning Fantasia" (First Impression Music FIM LP 003)
Dvorak "Cello concerto in B Minor, Opus 104" Dorati/LSO/Starker (Mercury SR90303) |
Albeniz "Suite Espanola, Op.47" Fruhbeck De Burgos/New Philharmonia (Super Analogue Disc KIJC 9144) Japanese pressing of the original Decca. Another wonderful recording by Kenneth Wilkinson
David Gilmour "Live in Gdansk" Sides 2-5, (Columbia 88697344701 DC1)
Nat "King" Cole "Penthouse Serenade" (Pure Pleasure Analogue PPAN T332) |
Mickey Hart, Airto, Flora Purim "Dafos" (Reference Recordings RR-12) 45 rpm
Rhythm Devils "Rhythm Devils Play River Music" (Passport Records PB 9844)
Chick Corea, Gary Burton "Lyric Suite For Sextet" (ECM 1260) |
Ben Webster "Ben Webster - Live at the Renaissance" (contemporary C-7646)
Sonny Rollins "Way Out West" (Contemporary S7530)
Ben Webster/Joe Zawinul "Soulmates" (Riverside RLP 9476) |
Russ and Rush-
I hope the two of you are happy. All this talk of "Mendelssohn in Scotland" Speaker's Corner reissue caused me to come home from work and spin it.
I had originally planned to put on a guilty pleasure and give Michael Jackson's "Thriller" a listen..... |
My 12 year old wanted to hear it. Even though "Thriller" was released 15 years before she was born, it still has an impact. Kids of her generation like the title track. My soul remains intact and dedicated to the classical genre.... ;)
The biggest selling LP of all time at 50 million copies, and after yesterday, likely to sell many, many more. |
Ghosthouse-
Thanks. It's been fun watching and posting. I agree. I have gotten some really great new music from all the wonderful contributions here.
today:
Crosby, Stills & Nash "Crosby Stills & Nash" (Atlantic SD-8228)
Sibelius "Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63" von Karajan/Berliner (DG 138 974) |
Last night, a shoot out between the 45, 33 rpm issues of Sonny Rollins' "Saxophone Colossus" with the 15 ips Tape Project version.
The tape is a mono transfer from the original analog masters and the piano is really recessed. It is almost as if the piano was not mic'd, but is picking up spill from other mics. Quite a different presentation from both LP pressings.
On first two listens, I think I prefer the LP versions better. |
