Whats on your turntable tonight?

Morton Gould conducts Shostakovich - Symphonies No. 2 & 3. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus. RCA Red Seal 1968

Sunday evening I found myself playing, but not really listening. Decided to take a night off last. Tonight I’m listening. Much better.

Václav Neumann conducts Martinů - Symphonies 3, 4, & 5. Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Supraphon 2LP gatefold 1982. Czechoslovakia

Zubin Mehta conducts Bruckner -  Symphony No 9. The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. London 1965

@slaw 

Where's Brian?

I’m here Steve, just been very busy. Late days/evenings/nights of work recently.

Sir John Barbirolli conducts Vaughan Williams - Symphony No 5. Philharmonia Orchestra. Anghel 1962

Edit: For a 1962 recording/release/pressing, this LP is really pretty incredible. Very enjoyable.

Jean Martinon conducts harp concertos

• Saint-Saëns - Morceau De Concert Pour Harpe Avec Accompagnement D’Orchestre, Op. 154
  
• Tailleferre - Concertino Pour Harpe Et Orchestre
  
• Ginastera - Concierto Para Arpa Y Orquesta (Revidierte Fassung Von 1968 • Revised Version From 1968
  
  

Orchestre National De La R.T.F. Deutsche Grammophon 1970

nice Saturday morning music

Britten conducts Britten - Symphony For Cello And Orchestra, Op.68 & Haydn - Concerto In C For Cello And Orchestra. English Chamber Orchestra w/Mstislav Rostropovich, cello. London 1964

I have the original pressing of Workingmans Dead, and think it is one of the best sounding recordings I have from that era.

Was actually thinking of spinning it earlier, but, remembered there was a live Berlin Philharmonic performance streaming today….so….that took precedent.

@tgilb

👍🏼 For Blues For Allah

My Dead Head buddies really didn’t like that album when it was released. Perhaps the bit of ‘disco’ groove on a couple songs. Conversely, I liked it, and it is still one of my all-time favorite Dead albums.

Over the years, they warmed to it a bit more too.

Eno - Another Green World. Island 1975

Juilliard String Quartet - Ives String Quartets 1 & 2. Columbia Masterworks 1985

Amadeus-Quartett - Schubert String Quartet In G Major. Deutsche Grammophon 1974 reissue Australian release. Originally 1965

Miklós Erdélyi conducts Bartók - Suite No 2, Op. 4 / Hungarian Sketches / Transylvanian Dances / Rumanian Folk Dances . Budapest Symphony Orchestra. Hungaroton / Bartók Béla Complete Edition 1976 Hungarian release 

@tgilb 

James Gang - Thirds

 👍🏼 One of my favorite albums as a younger teen.  Wonder where my old James Gang LP’s ever went?

Members of the Vienna Octet : Britten - Sinfonetta, Op. 1 & Hindemith - Octet. London Treasury Series 1976

István Kertész conducts Dvořák - Symphony No. 5 In F, Op. 24 & Overture "My Home" From Op. 62. The London Symphony Orchestra. London 1967
 

With all the recent accolades on its 50th anniversary….

Joni Mitchell - Blue. Reprise reissue 

thanks @slaw 

My weekend is finally here…

‘Music Memorials’ : Glazunov - Solemn Contata In Commemoration Of The Centemary Of A. S. Pushkin For Soloists, Choir, And Orchestra Op. 65 & Two Preludes For The Large Orchestra Op. 85 / Taneyev - Cantata On The Inauguration Of The Memorial To A. S. Pushkin / Balakirev - Cantata On The Inauguration Of The Memorial To M.I. Glinka. Moscow Radio & Television Symphonic Orchestra and Choir (I believe). Мелодия 1974 USSR release.

In my mind, will dedicate these cantana’s the the people of Ukraine 🇺🇦 . So sad

Not yet Steve. I was thinking of calling them and getting an updated ETA, or, just reach out to the guy who will probably build it. Who stated they (Soundsmith) were way behind.

For the price agreed to, I’m being patient.

The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Columbia reissue 1972, originally 1968

Grateful Dead - Workingman’s Dead. WB 1970

Hot Tuna - First Pull Up, Then Pull Down. RCA Victor 1971

Copland conducts Copland

• Appalachian Spring (Ballet For Martha)
• The Tender Land (Orchestral Suite From The Opera)

Boston Symphony Orchestra
RCA Victor Red Seal ‘Living Stereo’ reissue 1976, originally 1960

Richard & Linda Thompson - Hokey Pokey. Island reissue 2020, originally 1975

Jerry Garcia - Reflections. Round Records 1976

Leo Kottke - My Feet Are Smiling. Columbia 1973

Recorded live at the Tyrone Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis

 

OK, for you tube guys, and to a tube ‘newby’. For the last few days, it has seemed to me that when spinning viny there was a lean towards my left channel. The soundstage seemed unbalanced. This has been driving me a bit crazy. It wasn’t extreme, but enough that I could hear it, especially with classical recordings and instrument placement within the stage. So last night tried some digital test tracks for R&L Channel, measured, and everything seemed fine, as did any digital music I played. So, figured it isn’t the amp, isn’t the preamp, so perhaps the vinyl front end. Last night took stylast cleaner to my stylus (which I rarely ever use), thinking there may be some ‘gunk’ on it. No real change. So tonight I focused on the Hagerman. Flipped the center two (of the four) 12ax7’s, mmmm…maybe a small difference? Then, just flipped the two 12au7’s, and presto!, everything filled in and a full balanced soundstage returned. And it isn’t like the right channel is now more prominent, it just sounds as it should.

 

Why in the heck would this happen? Very curious and confused. Maybe I’m just crazy 😜

@boxer12 

Yep, was going to replace it this year, but it was there in the basement as winter came on, and used it again anyway.

And yea, I know what you mean, I’m trying to take care of my body a little better as I get older, but yea, probably worry more about my equipment 😁 

Think I’ll reset my other two 12ax7’s. I’m really thinking the humidifier may have been the culprit.

If that thing had any effect on my Belles 400A failing….well….that is even more disturbing in hindsight.

@mammothguy54 

Yep Joel, what I was thinking too, but, the two NOS Brimar 12au7’s were matched from Upscale. So I have a good feeling they were sold as a good matched pair.

As I understand, a preamp typically isn’t as sensitive to matching or bias as an amp would be. Thus, unless there is a catastrophic failure, or an extreme mismatch, as far as I know, there should not be a significant difference.  

Curious.

Richard Thompson - 13 Rivers. New West Records 2018 2LP gatefold 

@boxer12 

Will do, thanks. 
Need to get Ubu on vinyl. Pisses me off that all my old Ubu on vinyl ‘just disappeared’. Not sure how that happened.

@slaw 

Steve, get 13 Rivers. The more I listen to this double LP, the more I like it. I think It’s turning into my favorite Richard release. Very nicely recorded and engineered too.

@spiritofradio

Planned obsolescence…? Spontaneous combustion…? Your mom threw them out when you were away at summer camp…?

Naw….I think it happened after a live-in break-up. Lost my Television, Marquis Moon LP at the same time too I think. But, I also ended up with a few of hers, which I still have.

Oh well. Just need to seek out some good copies, or get the box set of all the earlier stuff.

@boxer12 

Tim, I have no equipment to measure tubes. Thought about azimuth, but again, after swapping the two 12au7’s, everything seems to back to ‘normal’. Haven’t checked in a while though, so could not hurt regardless.

I wonder if the Hagerman has some type of self-biasing circuitry and just flipping them allowed to be ‘readjusted’. I dunno.

Ya know, I’m starting to wonder if it’s my ultrasonic humidifier. That damn thing puts a hazy film over everything when in use during the winter. The ‘residue’ is easy to clean/wipe off, but am starting to think it could do either damage or at the very least can create problems with electronics.

I have a hard time believing if could actually find a way into used tube sockets, but am thinking it could indeed be an issue. And just removing and resetting the tubes took care of it.

Think I’ll get a non-ultrasonic unit for next winter.

The Aulos Ensemble : Telemann - Essercizii Musici. MusicMasters mid-80’s release I believe.
 

@boxer12 

Yep Tim, I have a couple sets of extra 12au7’s. And yea, did think about installing them as a check. But again, everything seems to sound back to normal with the Brimar’s, so….

Back to classical….

Szell conducts Dvořák - ‘The Three Great Symphonies’ 3 LP box set; Symphonies 7,8, & 9. The Cleveland Orchestra. Columbia Masterworks 1970