Tonight: polyurethane (fifth coat)--I've been finishing my newly-purchased Teres 160 over the last week. I think five coats is about all I can take before assembling the table tomorrow so I can play some records! I haven't even used my Thorens 125/II in the last couple of days, though will have to give it a goodbye spin or two tomorrow. Joshua |
Bdgregory, That first America album is nice indeed. I have a white label promo copy of it, yet I find the stock first press copy to be outstanding. When that record came out in 1972 it influenced many great musicians such as Crosby, Stills, & Nash and the Eagles amongst others. The strange chord progressions, texture, and detail that were captured in America's music made it one of the most innovative and nicest sounding records of the time. A great pick! Happy Listening! |
Hmmm, I haven't listened to my copy of America in years. Thanks for the suggestion to pull it out again to listen! Tonight... Bill Evans Trio: "Portrait in Jazz" Riverside 1162 (Analogue Productions 45 rpm reissue) (simply superb!) Doors: "Morrison Hotel" Elektra (German reissue) (the sound quality of this recent reissue is very good, matches that of the similarly reissued LA Woman) Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, Solti/CSO, Decca 6BB 121/2 (one of my favorite performances of this work in great sound: recorded by the master, Kenneth Wilkinson) . |
America - their first, self-titled album. I had this album when it was first released in the early 70's. I sold it while in college because I had worn it out. I recently purchased a copy at my local used record store. This is such a good album, and I can't believe the fidelity on my newly set up vinyl rig. I can't understand why there isn't more discussion about this album on A'gon. The music, the performance, and the fidelity are reference quality IMHO. |
Smw30yahoocom (Sandra), Congratulations! I'm happy to have you with us in the world of vinyl-lovers. Cleaning your records will absolutely give you better sounding results and will protect them from unnecessary wear. My recommendation for superb cleaning results is to purchase the Disc Doctor "Miracle Record Cleaner" (scroll down a page) solution and brushes and then follow Disc Doctor's recommended manual cleaning procedure. I prefer the original "Miracle" formula that requires a distilled water rinse to the new no-rinse "Quickwash" formula. You can buy directly from Disc Doctor or from various mail order companies, such as Acoustic Sounds. Disc Doctor works very well in a purely manual cleaning regimen, and you can add a RCM later for convenience if your chose. The RCM adds convenenience, but it won't improve the cleaning result you can get from the manual Disc Doctor procedure. . |
I have 2 systems, one "reasonably priced" Pioneer SX580 receiver, Sony MB100H speakers, and my new Sony PS LX250 turntable. I wanted to try it with my small system and if I liked playing records, I will eventually get a real nice turntable to use on my other, more expensive system. I just absolutely love it. I had been buying records mostly at the Goodwill stores for 3-4 years so I have quite a few. I'm listening to Marty Balin "Hearts" album right this minute. I can't believe how much I like it. I'm wondering what is the cheapest, best solution for cleaning the records as I can't afford a record cleaning machine for awhile. Thanks, Sandra |
Smw30yahoocom, congratulations on getting your turntable! If this is your first venture into vinyl welcome, hope you will continue to share your music explorations with us. Tonight thus far... The Julian Bream Consort: "Elizabethan Music", RCA LSC 3195 Ensemble Musica Antiqua de Vienne: "Concerts et Danses de la Renaissance", Harmonia Mundi HMU 938 Clemencic Consort: "Feast of the Ass" Harmonia Mundi HM 1036 . |
Rush, You're right, it's NOT a good thing. The "Soular Energy" LP after it was more like it should be. Maybe my ears were still in work mode for the Bach. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper with a 10 foot high cello resonating around the listening room. The arm continues to change with each LP, so I think we have a way to go yet. I noticed an even leaner bass presentation today with the Mendelssohn (only about 7 hours on the SST), but the Ray Brown had the depth and snap you would expect. The VTA is nowhere near dialed in yet. Next up, the ultimate Slipknot1 test of soundstage: Holst's "Savitri" |
OK boys and girls, here's tonights line up: Mendelssohn "Mendelssohn In Scotland "Fingal's Cave"" Maag/LSO (Decca SXL 2246) Speaker's Corner 45 rpm reissue Bach "Suites For Unaccompanied Cello Complete" Starker (Mercury SR3-9016) Speaker's Corner 200g reissue Ray Brown Trio "Soular Energy" (Pure Audiophile PA-002) 200g blue vinyl Arm is starting to dial in. VTA will be needing some attention. However, in a d'oh! moment, I have managed to lose the set screw for the counterweight. I have been crawling around the floor with a Maglite trying to find the little bugger to no avail. I have both a large and small counterweight for the arm but the screws are not interchangable (that would make too much sense) One thing is for sure: the JMW Signature arm sounds NOTHING like the stock arm. As good as the soundstage was, it is much wider now. The Bach Cello Suites almost sound movie monster size huge. |
Tonight... "Louis Armstrong meets Oscar Peterson," Verve VS 6062 (Speakers Corner reissue) "Coleman Hawkins and his Confreres," Verve MG VS-6110 (Speakers Corner reissue) "Going Back to Acoustic," Buddy Guy & Junior Wells, Pure Pleasure PPAN001 (excellent acoustic blues by two masters, reissue) Up next... Purcell: "King Arthur" Deller/DellerConsort, Harmonia Mundi HM 252/53 . |
Today, so far. The new arm is going through it's run-in. After about 10 hours or so, the highs are still forward and the bass is a tad lean, owing mostly to the burn in needed on the Nordost Valhalla wire and the 20 or more hours needed to cure the Walker Extreme SST on the cartridge pins. running things right now with the mechanical anti-skate in use, no damping fluid in the well and the VTF on the Shelter set at just a nick under 2g. Will leave the VTA as is till things have about 50 hours on them. Enescu "Sonata No. 3 Op.25 in Rumanian Folkstyle (Wilson Audiophile W 8315) Stravinsky "Rite of Spring" Maazel/Cleveland Orchestra (Telarc DG 10054) Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" (Columbia CS 8163) Classic Records 45 RPM reissue |
The only thing on my platter tonight are lttle beads of sweat from installing the new JMW 9 Signature tone arm. Requires a complete dismantling of the stock arm down to the plinth, retaining parts, and screws from it and a complete reinstall of the new arm. One LP so far: Ray Brown and Laurindo Almeida "Moonlight Seranade" (Jeton 33 004) Tons of bass and good string tone. Large soundstage, more forward than the stock arm. still a little raw sounding. My guess is a need to play with the VTA a bit, as well as the need for the Walker Extreme SST treatment on the cart pins to cure and the Nordost Valhalla wire in the arm needs to burn in a bit. |
Tonight thus far... Sir Arnold Bax: Symphonic Poems: "Tintagel", "The Garden of Fand", "Northern Ballad No. 1", Boult/LPO, Lyrita SRCS62 (Tintagel is one of my favorite works by Bax, just a delightful work, and this performance by Boult is top drawer. Of course, having Kenneth Wilkinson as the recording engineer certainly helps the sonics!) Sir Arnold Bax: Symphony No. 2, Fredman/LPO, Lyrita SRCS54 (a wonderful piece of music! Excellent engineering again by Wilkie.) Mozart: Overture to Lucio Silla; Interludes from "Thamos, Konig in Agypten", Maag/LSO, Decca SXL 2196 (SpeakersCorner reissue) . |
Boa2, hang in there with us! As I'm sure you've noted, many of the recordings discussed are available in a digital media format. So I hope you'll enjoy the focus on the music in this thread. And, while I'm a committed vinylholic, I'd never want to encourage someone who doesn't already have a vinyl collection to dive into these waters without a lot of reflection on the cost, hassle and expense of playing vinyl in any high quality way. I read others encouraging that move, but I think moving to vinyl (from no vinyl) is a significant move that should not be undertaken lightly. . |
Last night: "A Baroque Trumpet Recital" (music by Cazzati, Fontana, Marini, Telemann), Gerard Schwarz, trumpet, Albert Fuller, Harpsichord, and Leonard Sharrow, bassoon, Nonesuch H71274 (lovely recording produced by Teresa Sterne, who always delivered excellent recordings) William Alwyn, Fantasy-Waltzes for Piano (1956), and Twelve Preludes for Piano (1959), John Ogdon -pf, Chandos ABRD 1125 (John Ogdon is one of my favorite pianists: love tohear him play! This is a digital recording but with excellent sound; I'd never noticed before but some of the best Chandos recordings in my collection have been mastered by Willem Makkee who is doing such fantastic work with the Speakers Corner Mercury reissue series.) "Proensa" (songs of the troubadours), Paul Hilliard, tenor, with Andrew Lawrence-King, harp/psaltry, ECM 1368 (another Willem Makkee mastering with great sonics) . |
Tonight began with some recordings by the outstanding recording engineer Bob Auger: Brahms, Sextet, Alberni Qt, CRD 1034 CPE Bach, Concertos, Pinnock/EngConcert, CRD 1011 Bach, Flute Sonatas, Preston -fl, Savall -vadg, Pinnock -hpd, CRD 1014/5 And is finishing with Janos Starker performing Brahms' Sonatas 1 & 2 for Cello and Piano, Mercury SR 90392 . |
Thelonius Monk, Monk's Music, Riverside 12-242 (45 rpm Analogue Productions reissue) Handel, Coronation Anthems, Willcocks/ECO/ChoirKingsCollege, Argo ZRG 5369 Handel, Concerti Grossi, op3,1-6, Pinnock/EnglishConcert, Archiv 413 727 Handel, Chandos Anthems, Willcocks/ChoirKingsCollege/ASMF, Argo ZRG 5490 . |
Big Brother and the Holding Company w/ Janis Joplin -Cheap Thrills on Columbia 360 Sound Eric Burden -Declares "War" on MGM ...Spill the Wine! Emmylou Harris -Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town on WB Beth Orton -Central Reservation on Heavenly Kings of Convenience -Riot on an Empty Street on Source Sandy Denny -Sandy on Island UK Pink Rim Santana -Caravanserai on CBS UK |
Wow Rushton, L.A.Woman?! thatÂs a departure from your usual excellent classic repertoire. I was starting to wonder if you had any pop rock titles :^) Just having fun with you! I like the Doors and was lucky enough to pick a copy up of L.A.Woman on the now, long gone DCC label. The Ben Webster, Soulville album is very nice. Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson on the same label is also quite good as you may well know. Cheers! |
Tonight... Doors, LA Woman, Elektra (German reissue) Creedence Clearwater Revival - more from the 45 rpm box set from Analogue Productions. Ben Webster, Soulville, Verve 8274 (SpeakersCorner reissue) Britten: Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Britten/RoyalOpHouse, Decca, SXL 2189 (Speakers Corner) Mozart: Serenata Notturna, Maag/LSO, Decca, SXL 2196 (SpeakersCorner) . |
Sessions' The Black Maskers, Hanson/EastmanRochesterO, Mercury SR 90103 (Speakers Corner reissue - Outstanding!) In Dulci Jubilo, Christmas Music of the 15-18th Centuries, Jurgens/MonteverdiChHamburg, Telefunken SAWT 9419 Louis Armstrong meets Oscar Peterson, Verve VS 6062 (Speakers Corner reissue) Joan Baez, "Farewell, Angelina" Vanguard VSD 79200 (Cisco reissue - excellent!) . |
Last night, after the Pixies (and after the dog went to sleep): Orange Juice, "You Can't Hide Your Love Forever" (UK Polydor); The Verlaines, "Juvenilia" (Homestead); Velvet Underground, "Loaded" (Cotillion); a couple from Human Sexual Response, "In a Roman Mood" (Passport). Right now: The New Pornographers, "Mass Romantic" (remastered version on Matador). Later: David Bowie, "Low" (RCA); Boyracer, "Yorkshire Soul" 7" (Yellow Mica)--which just came in the mail today. Plus whatever else looks interesting. Joshua |
Ah--Velvet Crush on Creation Records and Yo La Tengo on Bar/None. I'll jump into this thread with Pixies, "Doolittle," on 4AD--same general era and ethos. I just got to hear the very end of "Debaser" twice while my 11 month old pit bull bounded joyously across my sprung wood floor with a bone in her mouth and the stylus jumped the groove. The Teres 160 I just ordered can't arrive soon enough... Joshua |
Van Morrison -Too Long in Exile on UK Polydor Yo La Tengo -Fakebook on Bar NONE records (again!) Van Morrison -Astral Weeks on Warner Bros. CA. w7 David Grisman -Dawg Jazz on Warner Bros. brown label Velvet Crush -Teenage Symphonies to God on Crelp Records Bud Powell -The Amazing... on Blue Note Japan Stan Getz/Charlie Byrd -Jazz Samba on Verve (Speakers Corner?) Antonio Carlos Jobin -Wave on A&M Speakers Corner Mozart -Clarinet Concerto K622 on Musical Fidelity/ Stereophile |
Rushton, agreed and I am not trashing the MoFi in any way. In fact it is one of the better MoFi releases IMO. As r f sayles so accurately points out original releases seem to display more forward and punchy characteristics. However, this is not always the case. For example, I've purchased all of the Led Zeppelin immediately on release. The only one which has decent dynamics is Houses of the Holy, which ironically is the worst of the first 5 albums. The later releases on Swan Song are fair to good but certainly not nearly as excellent as other releases from other artists of that period. I've not heard the remastered Zeppelin releases so perhaps somebody else can jump in with a comparison. |
