Time for a kickstart...
The Dave Myers Effect - Greatest Racing Themes [Carole/GNP Crescendo stereo LP, mid-60's] Organ and fuzz guitar-driven hot rod instro's replete with overdubbed squealing tires and revving engines, as was the brief trend at the time. Several killer tunes, including an unlikely cover of jazz pianist Ray Bryant's "Shake-A-Lady".
The Rock-A-Teens - Woo-Hoo [Roulette mono LP, 1960] There's been a TV commercial running recently that uses The 5,6,7,8's cover version of the title tune (a wordless falsetto 'woo-hoo, woo-hoo-hoo' repeated over boppin'th'blues changes), and it does have a crazy way of sticking in your head (not that I can recall who it's advertising). This Virginia group seems something of an oddity, in that: they debuted playing what is for the most part quite countrified rockabilly music at the time when that genre's historic practitioners were moving on stylistically; rockabilly wasn't generally a music that had been associated with groups per se (unlike, say, doowop); they actually got to record a nationally-distributed album as minor one-hit-wonders who were of course promptly never heard from again. It's a good'un though, and I believe Norton reissued it.
John Lewis Presents Contemporary Music - Jazz Abstractions: Compositions By Gunther Schuller & Jim Hall [Atlantic mono LP, about 1960] With Ornette Coleman, Scott LaFaro, Eric Dolphy, Eddie Costa, Bill Evans, George Duvivier, Jim Hall and others including The Contemporary String Quartet. The highlight is Schuller's side-long "Variants On A Theme Of Thelonius Monk (Criss-Cross)". The album bears a dedication to LaFaro, who was killed shortly before its release. This type of 'third stream' modern jazz/modern classical fusion music hasn't always aged so well, and some of what's here is pretty pretentious, but in limited doses I like this stuff when it works.
Daughters Of Albion - (self-titled) [Fontana LP, about 1968] Leon Russell-produced, guy-svengali/girl-singer duo consisting of songwriter/guitarist Greg Dempsey with Kathy Yesse. The jacket (a dreaded UniPak gatefold) makes you think you're in for some lame hippy-dippy self-indulgence, replete as it is with a set of 3 colorful 'big-eye' cartoon mini-posters depicting the happy, hairy couple demurely naked while engaging in such Aquarian Age psychedelic pastimes as holding flowers and flying upon a cloud-dragon (that is, once you get past the strange, out-of-focus black and white cover shot). But surprise surprise, the album is actually a succinct, highly enjoyable and accomplished pop-rock delight, featuring Russell's typically astute baroque orchestrations, concise tune running-lengths, fine singing, snappy guitar work, smart lyrics, and musical hooks galore. Recommend fans of West Coast 60's pop snatch this obscurity up if you ever stumble across it (to the best of my knowledge it's never been reissued but ought to be, though the curious can probably download it). Yesse went on to record under the name Kathy Dalton in the 70's.
The Five Americans - Progressions [Abnak LP, 1967] The "Western Union" guys return, good as ever. Very talented group that straddled the line between garage-rock and bubble-gum pop, in the vein of Paul Revere & The Raiders, Every Mother's Son, and The Ohio Express (musically that is, not in sales).
The Monkees - Head [Canadian RCA/Colgems LP, 1968] Not the more common "Headquarters" LP, but the soundtrack to the band's ill-fated trip-flick collaboration with Jack Nicholson. The music's not gonna make anybody forget their earlier mega-records with Don Kirshner in charge, but neither is it anywhere near as questionable as the movie was - in fact, it's mostly not bad at all.
The Clovers - Five Cool Cats [Edsel, British compilation LP, 1984] Collects much of the cream from this seminal rhythm & blues vocal group's 50's Atlantic sides, including "One Mint Julep" and "Your Cash Ain't Nothing But Trash" (before they switched to United Artists under the auspices of Lieber and Stoller and hit big with the original "Love Potion No.9").
Miles Davis - E.S.P. [Columbia LP, 70's reissue, orig. 1965] Picking up the "Sorcerer" expanded reissue CD I listed above has sent me back to some of the other Shorter/Carter/Hancock/Williams group recordings - the last period of Miles' evolution I'm into.
The Stillroven - Cast Thy Burden Upon... [Sundazed compilation LP, 1996, orig. rec. 1966-68] Good Minneapolis-based garage punk/psych group that never broke out of the Midwest with their handful of small-label singles.
A quick visit to the discard pile...
The Young Fresh Fellows - Totally Lost [Frontier LP, 1988]
Faces - First Step [Warner LP, 1969]
Chuck Berry - The London Sessions [Chess reissue LP, orig. 1972]
Jefferson Airplane - Takes Off [RCA reissue LP, orig. 1966]
My 'discard pile' is historically actually a place where records go to be ignored for years and then exhumed to see if my mind's changed again.
But despite the Faces LP being an original gatefold issue (temporarily still bearing the by-then-obsolete group name "Small Faces"), I don't think anything could alter my dim view of this supremely boring bump in the road. It's just hard to fathom how the same core group of musicians who were concurrently busy making Rod Stewart's landmark early solo records, and who would soon make some very good ones under their group moniker, could put out such an energy-deficient dud as this 'debut'. The closest thing to a decent song here is Stewart's "Three Button Hand Me Down", which is merely a highly inferior retread of his own contemporaneous "An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down". The cover photo is great, the music and performances a tedious waste of time.
The Young Fresh Fellows record I want to like more than I do, and suspect it will always remain thus.
With Jefferson Airplane, I've decided that all I really require (though maybe that's too strong a way to put it) are "Surrealistic Pillow" and "Crown Of Creation", complemented by the "2400 Fulton Street" early anthology (I have a very low tolerance for the San Francisco sound and most hippy music in general). I happened to catch the Airplane/Starship performing for free on the beach in Santa Cruz in front of a hometown crowd the summer before last, and must say that unquestioned geezerdom doesn't excuse them from being as predictably yawn-inducing as they were IMO.
Supposedly "The London Sessions" is Chuck's best-selling LP ever. Well, I guess that certainly isn't his fault. I love the guy to death, but I don't need to keep cobbled-together toss-offs made even by the likes of him. I got this rereleased version to see if the remastering job could raise my interest since I never listen to my original copy, but now it's time to quit while I'm behind. The lesser-name Brit backing units are criminally unswinging (sorry to pick on Mr. Kenny Jones twice in one post), and Chuck didn't exactly write any new standards for the occasion. Long live rock and roll, of which "My Ding-A-Ling" ain't never gonna be a great example. If you want a Chess "London Sessions", stick with the quite good Howlin' Wolf or Muddy Waters, though none are necessaries next to the peerless originals. |
Well no turntable but I have spent some time listening to music this rainy day in Arizona.
Quicksilver Messenger Service - Happy Trails
Dianna Krall - Girl In The Other Room (SACD)
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (Dual Disc)
Solomon Burke - Don't Give Up On Me
Kelly Joe Phelps
Bill Frisell |
I agree about Dire Straits. I don't own their records or listen to them now, but at the time, when I was in junior high school, the guitar work was a real ear-opener. I still know the solo to "Sultans Of Swing" in my sleep, the learning of which was a big step forward in my playing. |
'Dire Straits'. I like to describe it as "guitarchitecture". Knopfler and crew were absolute mavericks putting out an album like this considering some of the crap that was out at that time. I just could not get over the range in Knopflers guitar work from start to finish on this album. Besides the usual suspects, I really enjoy the slide work on 'Water of Love'. The 'Communique' album is no slouch either, could never get into 'Lady Writer' though. The early Straits will always be my favorite Sraits. |
Dire Straits...SRM1-1197 1978 Murcury. Played it twice! |
Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus
Ormandy/Philly Orch - "Virtuosi" An ole 6-eye LP that gives a few soloists a chance to showoff. Fun record. Milhaud's Concerto for Percusion & Small Orch" is really cool.
Glenn Gould, Bernstein / Columbia Sym Orch Concerto No.2 in B Flat, Bach:Concerto No.1 in Dminor
David Bowie - Pinups (Simply Vinyl)
Bach - Klemperer/Pro Musica Chamber Orch Brandenburg Concertos Complete
Daniel Lanois - Shine
Lyle Lovett - Pontiac (yikes, a digital LP!)
Bill Evans - Quintessance
Bill Evans - Sunday@Village Vanguard (RTI remaster)
Handel - Concertos Pour Orgue et Orch Vol.2
No Undertones Lps here, but the Feargal Sharkey CD is heading to the car next...Cheers,
Spencer |
I have been listening to SO MANY different LP's in the last week, I haven't had the gumption to post them here.
I am in the middle of an audition of a pair of Wolcott P220 tube amps I am contemplating adding to my system.
Last night:
Chopin "Les Sylphides" von Karajan/Berliner (Deutsche Grammophon 136 257)
Holst "Savitri - A Chamber Opera in One Act" Imogen Holst/English Chamber Orchestra/Purcell Singers (Argo ZNF 6)
Eva Cassidy "Songbird" (S&P-501 180g)
Pink Floyd "DSOTM" (Harvest SHVL 804 30th Anniversary reissue)
CD:
Pink Floyd "Division Bell"
Jerry Douglas "Look Out For Hope"
Sanjay Mishra/Jerry Garcia "Blue Incantation" |
Tonight, Jimmy Smith of course (hi Spencer). The very cleanest deep-groove Lex. Ave. Blue Note in my small collection, LP #1525 "The Incredible Jimmy Smith At The Organ Vol. 3". (With Donald Bailey, d. and Thornel Schwartz, g., plus graphically arresting Reid Miles cover of smiling Jimmy in a Francis Wolff profile shot with his index finger exuberently pointed straight into the camera, rendered in luscious glossy sepiatone with "JIMMY SMITH" across the top in orange-red letters 2 1/2 inches tall.) I have many later JS disks, mostly on Verve, but while the organ-trio format he pioneered got somewhat diluted, hackneyed and stale by the mid-60's, his 1956 debut trifecta still sounds fresh and exciting today. RIP |
Herbie Hancock - Speak Like A Child [Blue Note reissue CD, 1987, orig. 1968] This could sound better, it's murky and mechanical. Maybe there's a more recent issue I should check out. The music deserves it.
The Artwoods - Art Gallery [Repertoire expanded reissue CD, 1995, orig. 1964-'67] Very fine Brit R&B group, more on the mod/soul side than the blues side, with touches of psych, will appeal to fans of keyboard-driven bands like The Spencer Davis Group, The Small Faces, The Brian Auger Trinity, etc. With eponymous leader/singer Art Wood, whose younger brother Ronnie you may have heard somewhere, and Jon Lord of Deep Purple fame on organ and Keef Hartley on drums. None of their tunes were originals, but their covers were varied, well-chosen, and not at all the usual fare (except for a few of the bonus tracks), with imaginative arrangements and excellent musicianship. But despite or because of those things, they were only a minor ripple in England and never had any US releases so far as I know. Remastered sound is quite clear and powerful on the original album tracks if a little exagerated in the treble.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Safe As Milk [Buddha expanded reissue CD, 1999, orig. 1967] As with Zappa, I prefer the earliest stuff, when it was still rockin'.
The Rolling Stones - Aftermath [Abkco CD, 1986, orig. 1966] Listening to this today it struck me, as it does from time to time, that Jagger earned his keep as a lyricist back in the day, before the rockstar rot jet-set in. This sounds fine to me, maybe a bit forward in the low treble, but does the SACD reissue CD layer really sound that much better? My vinyls are in storage...
Nina Simone - The Best Of... [Philips stereo LP, 1969] Before I really got hip to Nina I was once in a used book store that sold records (always one of the best kinds of places to shop for records), where apparently a huge fan had unloaded (or had died and their family had unloaded) an impressive multitude of vintage Simone albums in nice clean condition. I perused them all but not knowing where to begin stupidly bought none, and by the time I realized my mistake they were all gone, so I'm forced to make do until I get lucky again (this disk is shiny as a new penny, but alas most of what I've unearthed of hers since that day has been good only for frisbee practice).
Lorrie & Larry Collins - Another Man Done Gone b/w The Lonesome Road [Columbia white-label promo 45, prob. late 50's] I don't think either of these tunes are included on my Collins Kids compilation LP (they were a teenage brother/sister Rockabilly novelty duo, for those unfamiliar), but again that record's in storage and I'm not positive. Scored this single in beautiful shape at an estate sale the other week and it's wild. The A-side is written by Johnny Cash and features Lorrie without Larry growling her way through a heavily produced, down-tempo minor-key weird-out with whip-cracking sound effects and wordless female chorus over a menacing bass line that's creepy as hell - Wanda Jackson's "Funnel Of Love" played at half-speed is all I can bring to mind to compare it to. At least as odd as the Captain above, and a whole lot sexier. |
Sunnyland Slim, The Legacy of the Blues Vol. 11, GNP Crescendo GNPS-10021 and Curtis Jones, "Trouble Blues", Prestige 1022 Bluesville, bought new locally last Friday. Both good, with a slight preference for the Slim one because of his great voice. |
The Madmilkman: You go guy! :-)
Siliab: "Incredibly dated, both musically and sonically" is a pretty fair description of my usual listening preferences... :-)
The Contours - Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance) [Motown reissue CD, 1988, orig. 1962] This OOP disk was the only straight re-ish of their lone original album (faithful running order, reproduced front cover art), but should be avoided for the ghastly hip-hop remix treatment given the classic title tune, which the outer sleeve totally fails to warn of. (The balance of the program, including the essential Smokey Robinson composition "First I Look At The Purse", later covered by the J. Geils Band, is presented intact.) Who could ever have thought such an idiotic desecration was an improvement that would get people to buy? To this day I believe this great early Motown male group, largely written for by Berry Gordy himself, has not been comprehensively collected, which seems a shame not just because the music is so fine, but because they only ever issued about 25 tracks during their brief history, so it ought to be an easy project to do right. Are you listening Motown?!
The Hollies - Dear Eloise/King Midas In Reverse [Sundazed expanded reissue CD, 1997, orig. 1967] This is how you do a reissue correctly: collect all the tracks from the US Epic LP along with the rest from the British version (entitled "Butterfly"} plus the associated single B-sides, include the original cover art and liner notes, plus add contemporary commentary and an interview with group leader Allan Clarke to go along with the reverentially remastered sound.
Ellery Eskelin - The Sun Died [Soul Note CD, 1996] NYC-based tenor man teams with Marc Ribot on guitar and Kenny Wolleson on drums to present a surprising re-take on the music of a seemingly unlikely inspiration, Gene Ammons.
The Undertones - Get What You Need [Sanctuary CD, 2003] The return of one the best punk-pop groups of the late 70's and early 80's (and the best out of Ireland; their 'hit' was the pubescent lust anthem "Teenage Kicks"), minus distinctive original lead singer Feargal Sharkey, but with original songwriters/guitarists/singers the brothers John and Damian O'Neill and songwriter/bassist/singer Michael Bradley. The album is a little uneven and not up to the level of inspiration embodied by the original band, but is nevertheless a hearteningly sturdy reunion effort. The material harkens back to the first two Undertones records, rather than the artier evolutions they pursued to great effect on "Positive Touch" and swansong "The Sin Of Pride". They played only a literal handful of US reunion tour dates to promote this last year - I was fortunate enough to catch the show and they were sublimely good, playing material from across their entire songbook as if the last 25 years had never passed. Contemporary disciples like the above-mentioned Green Day bow down to these guys every morning, noon and night. |
Peter, Paul and Mary - Album 1700: My daughter loves their harmonies and has a real jones for Jet Plane Siliab, that alone is reason enough to listen. Sharing music with your kids is the next best thing to love. |
•Chico Freeman - Kings of Mali: A late 70s India Navigation offering with Chico on reeds, Jay Hoggard on vibes, Cecil Mcbee on Bass, Famodou Don Moye on drums. Mostly free outing but less densely arranged so instrumental textures play a big role in moving the music. Moye is just too cool. His martial cadences pop up in surprising places and rock the joint.
•Green Day - American Idiot: LP kills the CD which is flat and lifeless in comparison. Negativity with a sense of humor and not too self righteous to be fun. These guys play fast, loud and well.
•Peter, Paul and Mary - Album 1700: My daughter loves their harmonies and has a real jones for Jet Plane. Recording is incredibly dated, both musically and sonically. However, Mary Travers voice was recorded with little reverb so she sounds absolutely present. Big, fat acoustic bass is very well presented too. |
Tonight -- everything I have. I just got my second table after selling my first last year. |
Yea, Tibbetts is great. I have all his LP's, including three copies of "Yr.'
Yr, was released on the ECM Records label, catalog number 1355 (1988), and is probably the recording you are enjoying.
However, this was originally released on Frammis Records (in 1980), some of which was recorded at Atma-Sphere. I have the original LP and my cover is the "night sky" art work. I believe it was also released with "day sky" artwork.
The day and night sky art work images are drawings by Steve Tibbetts himself. On the rear of the dust jacket is a photograph of Steve standing in his front yard. Looks to be about 8 years old at the time.
The ECM is edited from this original LP. If you really love this music, try to find the original. Not only is the ECM NOT FROM the master tape (but a copy of) one of the tracks has instruments missing.
I heard rumor that ECM could not get rights to that particular musician, so they edited him out. |
Steve Tibbetts - Buy yourself a copy of "Yr" before a replacement 'Big Map Idea". Listen to Track 2 - Sphexes. It's cost me thousands in audio gear. |
Dude, that's awesome. It'd be nice to hear that again. |
I just ordered this Ralph. If you have a copy, I will keep the new one as back up.
Too difficult to locate on LP to pass it up, of all my sources I found only one LP of this title.
Let me know. |
That's terrible Ralph. I just located a copy of BIg Map Idea in Europe (original German ECM).
If you have not replaced it I will buy it for you. I cannot let mine go, you are aware I already loved Tibbetts music before we met. |
Hi Albert,
My copy of Big Map Idea was one that disappeared at CES two years ago when my LPs were stolen.
Tonights selection:
John Renborn Group- The Enchanted Garden
Growing- The Soul of the Rainbow and the Harmony of Light
Doves- The Last Braodcast
Broadcast- The Sounds People Make |
A new copy of Dusty Springfield's Dusty in Memphis. I listened to it the last two days. The sound is surprisingly good. A lot of the older music just doesn't seem to have been recorded that well, this is not one of those LPs.
It sure makes the latest crop of female pop/jazz stars sound durivative.
Four Men With Beards did the reissue on 180g vinyl. It was done very well. |
What?? No Steve Tibbetts? I understand one of his albums drew an audiophile in from the hallway at CES MANY years ago to meet Ralph Karsten. |
Porcupine Tree- Coma Divine
ELP (Pink Island)
and two local LPs, both recent:
Salamander (S/T)
Paul Metzger
-and-
Television- Marque Moon. So what if there's no bass! |
Pursuant to Rushton's and my exchange re. harpsichord music above, these titles were enjoyed over the last couple of weeks:
E. Power Biggs - Bach On The Pedal Harpsichord [Columbia 360-stereo LP, probably mid-60's] In which we learn that 18-century organ composers like Bach often wrote and practiced organ pieces at home on a clavichord or harpsichord with organ-like pedals (the church organ and a man to work the bellows being only an occasional luxury), but that none of these instruments survive today in playable condition. The cover photo depicts the gorgeous modern instrument constructed by John Challis in what appears to be 100% Brazilian rosewood, unadorned, that looks like a harpsichord whose legs perch atop what, at first glance, you might mistake (as I did) for a reflection of the harpsichord's underside in a shiny black floor, until you notice the pedals in place of keyboard manuals.
Igor Kipnis - Bach: Complete Variations For Harpischord/"Goldberg"/In The Italian Style [Angel 2LP, 1973] Got this at an estate sale several years back, bearing a signed personal dedication from Kipnis on the rear cover dated June 14, 1977.
Rafael Puyana - The Golden Age Of Harpischord Music [Mercury Living Presence stereo LP, early 60's]
Rafael Puyana - Bach For Harpsichord [Mercury Living Presence stereo LP, early 60's] I can thank my late father's collection for these last two titles, in pristine condition. "The Golden Age" features many relatively obscure composers and pieces that stray far from a Bach-ian baroque mold.
Continuing on other fronts...
The Osborne Brothers - Modern Sounds Of Bluegrass Music [Decca stereo LP, 1967] The high lonesome sound meets Nashville, with banjo and mandolin backed by a rhythm section including not just acoustic guitar and bass fiddle, but also drums, electric guitar and pedal steel plus piano. The liner notes helpfully offer that this contemporary mix makes "the 'old' sound of bluegrass seem empty and unattractive". Thank goodness they cleared that up.
Jerry Reed - The Unbelievable Guitar & Voice Of... [RCA Victor Dynagroove mono LP, 1967] You might only remember him as Burt Reynolds' truck-drivin' stringbean of a sidekick from the 'Smokey & The Bandit' movies, but if so, you would only know half the story of this consumate entertainer, guitar-wrangler and songwriter, whose gifts are reminiscent of Chet Atkins and Glen Campbell crossed with latter-day Elvis and Jerry Lee. His Atkins-produced debut is a spritely genre-blender that might best be described as soulful country pop, delivered with casual charisma to burn.
James Brown - Nothing But Soul [King stereo LP, 1968] Soul Brother Number One's instrumental albums on Smash, predating this set (whilst his vocal hits were all recorded for King), generally only show his limitations as a wannabe organist and feature forgetable covers of rock and soul tunes not always associated with The Godfather. This less-common set is a whole different story. I don't know if JB truly is the organ player here, but the liner notes do make deliberate mention of his increasing skills on the instrument. Whatever the case, this burner, recorded with his regular horns/guitars/drums band, is head and shoulders above his other instro records and an excellent album in its own right, being both funkier than your typical jazz organ trio and jazzier than most funk instrumentals, with really great original tunes throughout.
Howlin' Wolf - Ain't Gonna Be Your Dog [Chess 2CD compilation, 1994] Collection of 42 rare and previously unreleased vintage tracks spanning from 1951-'69, by the all-time big daddy of the blues. |
"Lightnin' Hopkins and Otis Spann" from the Mosaic box set.
Bjork, "Post."
Rickie Lee Jones, "Traffic From Paradise."
Willie Dixon and Koko Taylor. "Insane Asylum" from the Chess set
Daniel Lanois, "Shine."
Jimmy Giuffre, "The Train and the River." |
Bach "Suites For Unaccompanied Cello" Janos Starker/Speaker's Corner Mercury reissue
Patricia Barber "Cafe Blue" MoFi 45rpm reissue
Rachmaninoff "Piano Concerto No.3" Dorati/LSO/Byron Janis Speaker's Corner Merc reissue
Mendelssohn "Fingal's Cave" Maag/LSO Speaker's Corner Decca reissue
One CD:
Dead Can Dance "Into The Labyrinth" |
BB King - Back in the Alley - Bluesway
Doors - Waiting For The Sun - Elektra gold label
Thin Lizzy - Nightlife - Vertigo
Bowie - Station to Station - RCA tan label
Radiohead - The Bends - import
Pavement - Brighten the Corners - Matador |
The Velvet Underground & Nico (Produced by Andy Warhol) - [Verve stereo LP, 1967] How lucky am I to have a girlfriend who owns a NM gatefold original pressing of this revolutionary classic (even if this one lacks the extra-valuable peelable banana sticker)? Even luckier that she still wears her blond hair the way late VU chanteuse Nico does in the jacket photos, long with bangs.
The Byrds - The Notorious Bryd Brothers [Columbia 360-stereo LP, 1968] And then there were three...
The Chantays - Two Sides Of... [Dot stereo LP, 1966] The "Pipeline" guys return, unfortunately for the last time, as instro surf (or in this case, space) music was really already dead by this time. But wait - they also turn in a side's worth of very solid tough rockers in a contemporary Bobby Fuller-ish vein as well! The reverbelicious guit-workouts still rule though, with great evocative titles like "Beyond", "Greenz", "Retaliation", "Space Probe", and "Intercontinental Missle", featuring huge, lively sound that instantly transports your living room to a dance party at the rec center, and performances that, if they don't put sand between your toes and salt in your hair, then put the launch button beneath your finger and the thrust of the rockets at your back.
Billy Strayhorn - Live!!! [Roulette Birdland mono LP, probably about 1965] The Duke's man, with the Duke's men and his own timeless tunes.
The Nightcrawlers - The Little Black Egg [compilation CD, Big Beat British import, 2000] History of the folk-rocky Florida garage band, known for their minor national hit in 1965 of the title tune on Kapp records, and album by the same name which trickled out two years later.
The Astronauts - Rarities [compilation CD, Bear Family German import, 1991] Collected outtakes, singles and ephemera from the vaults not found on their RCA long players (which I'm happy to say I own the cream of), by the best surf band ever to come out of Boulder, CO (not to mention the only one; their big hit was the classic "Baja" in 1963).
Gram Parsons - GP/Grevious Angel [Reprise 2fer single CD, 1990, orig. 1973 and '74] |
Keith Jarrett - Solo Concerts (Bremen Lausanne)
Paul Simon - Graceland
The Band - Rock of Ages
Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
Rickie Lee Jones - The Magazine
Cannonball Adderley w/Bill Evans - Know What I Mean?
La Tarentule - Atrium Musicae de Madrid
Holly Cole - Don't Smoke in Bed
Cheers, Spencer |
Just picked up two new LPs at my favorite record shop, Best of Sam Cooke and Hendrix Electric Lady Land...sealed...for $5 eaach. |
Nothing! My LP-12 is in the shop getting a new arm. So I am spinning CDs that I have not in at least a decade. That is my rule. And I am throwing away more than a third of them. And I am making a smaller pile of those I can get on LP now, or even SACD and DVD. And the smallest pile is what has not been reissued, and is my used LP hunt list. Most of the rest is stuff never issued on LP. |
I need a jumpstart - tonight it's going to be UZEB "Live At Bracknell", probably followed by either Manteca "No Heros" or Chick Corea "Light Years". Then we'll see how long I can go without nodding off. Sadly, 10 years ago, before I could afford any of this, I would have been able to listen all night. Nowadays, after about 10:30pm, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.... |
Allman Brothers Band "Fillmore East" (Capricorn SD2 802) Classic Records 200g reissue
Count Basie/Orchestra "88 Basie Street" (Pablo 2310-901) Analogue Productions 45 rpm reissue
Roger Waters "The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking" (Columbia 39290)
Mozart "Symphony No. 38 In D Major "Prague"" Maag/LSO (London Stereo Treasury Series STS 15087) |
That would go fine with the Brittany Spaniel in my listening chair... |
If you do that you might wind up with a Rottweiler on your turntable... |
If its the friggin cat again again,I'm feeding him to the neighbors rottweiler. |
Zaikes,
You are probably right. The reissue was pressed in 1995 and produced by Cuscuna, and doesn't have the bonus track. Nonetheless, it sounds pretty good, and I'd not have pegged it as digital source from the sound of it. Cheers,
Spencer |
BTW, does the LP have the CD bonus track "Freedom"? If not, this cut (with vocal) is justification enough for picking up the CD as well to make a comparison. |
Cuscuna 'produced' the CD reissue #IMPD-170 (the actual remastering was done by one Eric Labson at MCA) - that import vinyl could simply be a transfer from this digital remaster, and barring some assurance to the contrary, my gut is that it probably is. |
Zaikes,
No, I haven't compared the two reissues. I ran into one used for $14, at Red Trumpet. It says Limited Edition, remastered by Michael Cuscuna on the label. Impulse IMP-170, 180g. It's no Fantasy 45rpm, but pretty nice.
Rick was been kind enough to "open the warehouse" for a little Sunday afternoon party for our local audio group. The used rack is always my favorite.
Nothing like a convoy of audiophools driving through rural PA at 80mph to confuse the state troopers! Cheers,
Spencer |
Yes Spence, I believe you listed that selection above. Great record, among many of his of course. I think the CD sounds quite good, and to tell the truth about me, I basically never buy audiophile vinyl unless I happen to stumble across something used, that I want strictly for the music and don't already own. Have you compared the two reissue formats and found there to be a large difference? |
Zaikes, If you can find the Mingus, Mingus,... on imported vinyl, it's a winner!
For me, now it's Yes - The Yes Album (rhino reissue)
Jayhawks - Rainy Day Music
Grateful Dead - Skeletons From the Closet
Peter Gabriel - So
Keith Jarrett - Survivors' Suite
Starker - Bach Unaccompanied Cello; I keep putting it on! Wow. Cheers,
Spencer |
Hey, that's easy. Try sitting through one side of "Greendale" while resisting the urge to pull out "Zuma" or "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" instead :-) |
Neil Young "Decade" I'm going to go through all six sides, finally! |
Patricia Barber "Cafe Blue" 45 rpm 3 disc box set reissued and mastered by Paul Stubblebine on MFSL. five sides of lush 'n lovely vinyl to put the very good SACD version of the album in the dust. Stunning sound. |
Bill Evans Peace Piece Another stunner from Bill Evans where he makes a piano sound like a whole orchestra. |
Charles Mingus - Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (Impulse! CD reissue 1995, orig. 1963) As the snow falls down and my better half is still stuck at work, I'm happily ensconsed cranking up the soundstage to somewhat lifelike proportions and gittin' hit in my soul. |
Gaspar Cassado performing the Bach Cello suites. And Beethoven's music for Cello and Piano with Joseph Schuster on cello and Friedrich Wuehrer on piano.
Warm music for the bitter winter weather we are experiencing in Ottawa right now. |
I've also got another one of Karr's solo recordings: "Basso Cantabile - Operatic Operas" King SuperAnalogue 9113.
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Rushton,
Don't put that Gary Karr LP too far away ;) |
