Whats on your turntable tonight?


For me its the first or very early LP's of:
Allman Brothers - "Allman Joys" "Idyllwild South"
Santana - "Santana" 200 g reissue
Emerson Lake and Palmer - "Emerson Lake and Palmer"
and,
Beethoven - "Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major" Rudolph Serkin/Ozawa/BSO
slipknot1
Nice "introduction"! BTW, thank you again Rushton for your comprehensive list of recommended organ recordings on LP. I've managed to track down a half dozen or so, and they are all very fine indeed.

-Richard
Out of town for the weekend needed a morning session!! In playing order.

Rosemary Clooney Sings The Music Of Cole Porter

Victor Feldman---In My Pocket

Scott Hamilton And Warren Vache----With Scott's Band In New York City

Paul Desmond / Gerry Mulligan-----Two Of A Mind

J.J. Johnson-----Concepts In Blue

the real Donovan

JoanBiez----Gulf Winds
Richard, glad to hear of your success with the organ LPs and that they're meeting your expectations!
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James Newton Howard and Friends (Sheffiled Labs)
Sea Level "Cats on the Coast"
Mike Greene Band "Mirage"
Gino Vanelli "Powerful People"
Michael Franks "The Art of Tea"
Mott the Hoople - Mott
Van Morrison - Into the Music, His Band & Street Choir
Lou Reed - Transformer
Brian Eno - Music For Airports
Herbie Hancock - Empyrean Isles
Grateful Dead - Wake of the Flood
Led Zeppelin - In Through the Out Door
Rolling Stones - December's Children
The Police - Outlandas D'Amour (200 g Japanese pressing)

Nirvana - Unplugged in NY (180g red vinyl)

The Yes Album (180g pressing)

AC/DC - Back in Black (180 g)

The Black Keys - Brothers

Frank Sinatra Live in Paris (MFSL 180g)
Macdadtexas,

Which pressing of the Yes Album is that, and is it any good? The AP reissue of "Fragile" is absolutely awful - certainly audiophile-y, but they sterilized (?digitized?) it to such an extent that the record sounds dead and lifeless and is easily surpassed by ANY 70's-era cheap Atlantic reissue. Alas, this is more the rule than the exception these days, so I ask questions before buying...

-Richard
Richard, it's a Rhino reissue. It sounds great, I'm 99% sure it is not a digitized remaster. It does not sound that way, nor does is say that anywhere. It is a huge imporvement over the nasty, surface noise vinyl from my 80's copy of this album.
Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks, "Where's the Money?". Pink Floyd, "Wish You Were Here".
Fairport Convention - Unhalfbricking
Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
White Stripes - Elephant
Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen
A Borders in our area is closing shop with everything discounted, it was pretty cleaned-out but I managed to pick up several CD expanded remasters and box sets on the cheap, about half of it stuff I already had in one form or another (but not all the booklets and bonus tracks):

Charles Mingus - "Mingus Ah Um" [Columbia Legacy '59/'98] The Legacy Mingus reissue I'd held off on the longest, since unlike this one I didn't already own the others on vinyl
Oscar Peterson Trio - "...+ One Clark Terry" [Mercury '64/'07] A lot of the Verve Petersons sound better on remastered CD than they did on original vinyl for whatever reason (probably the mastering jobs), but good as this CD reish sounds, I wonder if the Mercury vinyl might give it a better run
Big Mama Thornton - "With the Muddy Waters Blues Band 1966" [Arhoolie '66/'04] San Francisco studio recordings, the title pretty much says it all
Yardbirds - "Roger The Engineer" [Great American Music Co./Airline '66/'0?] Mono + stereo mixes + the two Keith Relf singles
The Who - "Sell Out" Deluxe Edition [Polydor 2CD '67/'09] Mono + Stereo mixes + related bonus tracks and outtakes
Albert King - "Born Under A Bad Sign" [Stax '67/'02]
Love - "Forever Changes" [Rhino/Elektra '67/'01] + bonus tracks, alternate takes/mixes
Simon & Garfunkel - "Live 1969" [Columbia Legacy '08] Great followup to 2002's "Live In New York City 1967", if not quite as special as that concert, this one compiled from dates throughout their final tour peceding the release of the "Bridge Over Troubled Water" album and the duo's breakup
Jimi Hendrix - "First Rays Of The New Rising Sun" [Experience Hendrix/Sony Legacy '10] The included documentary on DVD isn't all it could and should have been
Iggy And The Stooges - "Raw Power" [Columbia Legacy 2CD '73/'10] With concert recording from the tour
Big Star - "Keep An Eye On The Sky" [Rhino 4CD '09] A nice package for the completist, which I'm not really sure I am one -- demos, rehearsals, alternate mixes, original mixes, alternate demos, alternate lyrics, early versions, single versions, alternate single mixes -- whew! -- most previously unreleased + live in Memphis + fat booklet
Ramones - S/T [Warner Archives/Rhino '76/'01] + bonus demos
Rolling Stones - Goats Head Soup

And on a Sundazed kick:

Incredible String Band - Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
Jeff Beck - Ola
Screaming Lord Sutch - And His Heavy Friends
Pretenders =Learning tio Crawl
BTO-Robin Trower
Tubes-Completion Backwards Principle
Cat Stevens-Izitso
Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Broadcasting from Home
Harold Budd - The Pavilion of Dreams
Mozart Violin Concertos, K.207 & K.218.
LSO conducted by Colin Davis. Arthur Grumiaux violin.
Last night's listening...

Beethoven Symphony No 2
..Karajan/BerPO, DGG
..Norrington/LCP, EMI
.....always interested to hear two so VERY different performances of the same piece back-to-back.

Ravel, Piano Concerto in g
d'Indy, Symphony on a French Mountain Air
..Munch/BSO, Henriot-Schwirzer -pf, LSC 2271-45 (Classic Records 45rpm reissue)(Delightfully different, excellent sound quality)

Country Dances: J.Playford's English Dancing Master
..Barlow/Broadside Band, Harmonia Mundi HM 1109
....A delightful collection of 17th Century English dance music, with sonics to delight one's ear! Recording engineer: the inimitable Jean-Francois Pontefract, who created so many of the Harmonia Mundi sonic marvels.

Bill Evans, Portrait in Jazz, Riverside 1162 -45 Analogue Productions 45rpm reissue. Oh yes! Excellent in this incarnation.
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Hi Rushton, I don't know that I'm familiar with the particular Ravel piece you list (recalling the names of classical pieces or placing them with those I've heard not being one of my strengths!), but I don't think I've ever listened to any Ravel that I *didn't* like. Today my radio alarm clock woke me to the finale of his Daphnis And Chloe Suite #2 (Rotterdam/EMI) and I was reminded of this fact again. Do you have any top recommendations for recordings of his work to be on the lookout for?
Hi Zaikesman,

The recordings made by Vox with Skrowaczewski conducting the Minnesota Orchestra in 1974 are some of my favorite recordings of Ravel's orchestral music. Vox engaged the marvelous Nickrenz/Aubort recording team and Marc Aubort's capture of the orchestra is marvelous. And the performances verge on legendary.

The complete box set is on VOX QSVBX 5133.

This series was partially reissued by Reference Recordings in their regrettably short-lived "Reference Mastercuts" reissue series. The results of the much better mastering and pressing allows the wonderful sonics on the master tape to shine. If you ever come across Reference Recordings RM 1001 and RM 1004, grab them at virtually any price. (Other reissues in this Reference Mastercuts series feature music of Copland and Gershwin performed by Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Orchestra, also recorded by Marc Aubort, and are equally scrumptious.)

Analogue Productions made yet another reissue of some of these recordings on APC 007. Both this AP reissue and the earlier Reference Mastercuts reissues were mastered by Sax and pressed at RTI. The earlier Reference Mastercuts sound better for some reason. (The LPs have different music on them, so they are not cut from the same metal work.)

Paray's and Ansermet's recordings are also excellent on Mercury and Decca respectively.

If you enjoy piano, I suggest very highly the Reference Recordings LP of Ravel's piano music performed by Minoru Nojima, "Nojima play Ravel," RR 35. Sublime playing and an exceptional recording.
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Thanks Rushton, I have to admit I've never stumbled across any RR vinyl, probably 'cuz I don't shop in the right kind of used record stores (and wouldn't know what I was doing to order something like that new), but I do see and have occasionally bought various Vox and Ansermet vinyl for cheap (thrifts etc. -- better suits my level of classical interest and knowledge), so I'll be on the lookout...
I have a good audiophile friend over for some single malts,cigars, and of course vinyl.
Tonight's listening as they occur:
Christy Moore "Voyage"
Lyle Lovett "Pontiac"
Frank Zappa "Joe's Garage"
Chris Issak "Heart Shaped World"
John Williams "Star Wars" incidental music (Zubin Mehta,LA)
Jimmy Smith The Cat

earlier today it was...
Well Tempered Klavier played by Friedrich Gulda
Pierre Akendengue's 'Nandipo'
Oscar Peterson's Cole Porter Songbook

and I have a few more before I go to sleep...
think it will be some classical...
Little Feat - The Last Record Album (RIP Richie Hayward)
Nina Nastasia - Outlaster (very fine sound here)
Don Cherry - Complete Communion
Bryan Adams - Cuts Like a Knife (so sue me, I'm 44)

Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffti

Nirvana - Nevermind

The Black Keys - Brothers

White Stripes - Elephant
Srwooten: I like it too. About as close to country/western as I can get. Had to listen to it again tonight.
as well as:
Brubeck: "Time Out" (mint copy I just picked up for $3.00!)
Joni Mitchell "Song to a Seagull"
Trinity Church Tenbury "Sing Joyfully" Argo a choir that doesn't exist today (sad)nice recording, 32ft. pedal that will part your hair!
Holst "Savitri", "Songs from the Rig Veda", one of Rushton's favorites,mine too.
whiskeytown--strangers almanac (quite great, actually)
sonny rollins--road shows (eh...)
the cure--seventeen seconds (underrecognized gem)
sonic youth--eternal (very sonic youth-y)
V/A - "Where The Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets 1965-1968" [Rhino 4CD Boxset '09] Sprawling and yet unavoidably arbitrary but undeniably admirable comp representing one of the white-hottest concentrated pop-music scenes ever, packaged in a swell annotated-picturebook format (and like all these latter-day Nuggets sets on Rhino, having little in common with the original "Nuggets" concept as compiled by Lenny Kaye on Elektra in '72 other than the general period orientation)
The Detroit Emeralds - "Feel The Need" [Westbound '77] These guys debuted in the late 60's and persevered writing and singing great genuine group soul into the disco era, similar to an O'Jays or Spinners vein (but without the big hits or The Sound Of Philadelphia, and not so well remembered today)
Batusis - S/T [Smog Veil EP '10] Dead Boy Cheetah Chrome and New York Doll Sylvain Sylvain...a seriously nonessential souvenir from a very fun show
The Monkees - "Instant Replay" [Colgems/Rhino '69/'85] And then there were three...
David Gilmour "Live in Gdansk" LP No. 3

J.S. Bach "Orchestral Suites" Linde-Consort (EMI/Angel SB-3943) a digital LP, kind of lacking in overall weight, but a good performance

John Coltrane "Soultrane" (Prestige P-7142) w/ Red Garland and Paul Chambers, Arthur Taylor on drums
Ray Charles - "What'd I Say" [Atlantic LP '59]
Magic Sam - "Easy Baby" [Charly LP '85, rec. '57-'66] Early singles from the Cobra, Chief and Crash labels
Perez Prado - "Exotic Suite Of The Americas" [RCA LP '62] A Living Stereo engineered by one Ed Begley -- any relation to the actors Sr. and Jr.?
Elvin Jones - "Poly-Currents" [Blue Note LP '69] With George Coleman and Joe Farrell tenor, Pepper Adams baritone, Wilbur Little bass, Candido conga
The Delfonics - S/T [Philly Groove LP '70]
Jim Hall Trio - "Circles" [Concord Jazz LP '81]
Lazy Saturday morning w/ coffee and records - good times:

Jimmy Hendrix - Are You Experienced?
Fairport Convention - Unhalfbricking
Duke Ellington & John Coltrane - Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
Just picked up a few LPs at Everybody's Records.

First up Bill Evans "New Jazz Conceptions" mint condition $5.99 on Riverside.Mono
I recently was turned on to Bill Evans by my good friend and audiophile Tom Collins. I was immediately hooked.His style seems to be somewhere between Brubeck and T.Monk. amazing!

Next: Brubeck "Right Now!" VG+ $7.99 A compilation of Brubeck favs on Columbia Record Club label.
Hey Jerico, re "Unhalfbricking": In my queue recently have been Sandy Denny "Sandy" [A&M LP '72] and "The Best Of Richard & Linda Thompson: The Island Years" [Island/Def Jam CD '00]...(Sorry Richard & Linda, both of whom appear on "Sandy", but I remain partial to Ms. Denny)...

Al Green - "Al Green Is Love" [Hi LP '75]
The Detroit Emeralds - "I'm In Love With You" [Westbound LP '73]
The Staple Singers - "BeAltitude: Respect Yourself" [Stax LP '72]
Townsend, Townsend, Townsend & Rogers - S/T [Chocolate City '79] Ed Townsend, singer of "For Your Love" fame (Capitol '58) and producer/songwriter/arranger (Marvin Gaye, Dee Dee Warwick), together with his sons in an innocuous Johnson Brothers-ish groove
Deon Jackson - "His Greatest Recordings" [Solid Smoke LP '84, rec. '64 - '69]
The Temptations - "Meet The Temptations" [Gordy LP '64]
Charlie Byrd - "Bamba-Samba Bossa Nova" [Everest LP '63] Featuring the Woody Herman Big Band (not billed here as The Thundering Herd), offhand I can't think of another record combining large swing-band jazz fronted by acoustic Spanish guitar. The liners also mention an earlier Everest collaboration entitled "Herman's Heat And Puente's Beat", I'd like to find that one!
Henry Mancini - "Experiment In Terror" M.P. Sndtrk. [RCA LSP LP '62]
Blossom Dearie - "Blossom Dearie, Soubrette: Sings Broadway Hit Songs" [Verve LP '60]
Frank Sinatra - "September Of My Years" [Reprise LP '65]
Nina Simone - "Emergency Ward!" [RCA LP '72]
Liszt: Hungarian Rhapdodies/Enesco: Roumanian Rhapsodies - Dorati/LSO [Mercury LPS LP '60]
"Children's Songs Of Shakespeare's Time" - New York Pro Musica Antiqua [Counterpoint/Esoteric-Everest LP '6?]
Nice ones, Zaikesman! I'll take a look for "Sandy." I also just ordered a copy of "Pour Down Like Silver" (my personal favorite Richard/Linda album - actually my personal favorite Thompson recording, period).

Can any of the classical fans out there recommend one or two LP's to get me started? I have a beginners interest, and have a snumber of high-res digital recordings (Mozart, Haydn, Mahler, Beethoven) but zero vinyl, and don't know where to start.

On rotation this morning:

Tom Waits - Mule Variations
Hank Mobley - Soul Station
Hi Jerico, my own personal Thompson faves are the first three Fairport Convention albums (they lose me at "Liege & Lief" onward, when things got less freewheeling and eclectic, not to mention rockin' -- they also missed Denny's songwriting after that one). I would like to hear Sandy's first solo effort entitled "The Northstar Grassman And The Ravens" ('71) but haven't come across it to date...
Quincy Jones And His Band - "I Dig Dancers" [Mercury LP '60]
Wes Montgomery - "Down Here On The Ground" [A&M LP '68]
Tax Free - S/T [Polydor LP '70] Wally Tax of the (Dutch) Outsiders fame, here not sounding like that earlier group's Pretty Things-ish fuzzed-out freakbeat whomp, but being mostly unplugged meditative lite-psych, featuring Tax on acoustic guitar and flute, the ubiquitous Richard Davis (Van Morrison) on string bass and with a guest appearance from the Velvets' John Cale on viola (come to think of it, the Pretties' Phil May also eventually revealed his inner hippie-folkie too...)
The Beach Boys - "Sunflower" [Brother/Reprise LP '70] Another often-overlooked gem from their 'later' catalog and their first on Reprise, recorded at the band's Brother Records studios. Dig this item from the audiophilic Technical Notes: "The songs on this record were recorded in true stereophonic sound; they are not 16 monophonic signals placed somewhere between right and left speakers blended together with echo, but rather total stereo capturing the ambiance of the room and the sound in perspective as heard naturally by the ear. Although more difficult to perfect, this type of recording is far more satisfying to hear, as will be demonstrated upon playing this album."
Taking a break from classical and Jazz. Just finished Harmonia Mundi's Sacred Music. Now revisiting my youth and listening to:

The XX - The XX

Micachu & The Shapes - Jewellery

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Mica Levy and her band mates transport me back to days in Amsterdam listening to Gong. If I listen while thumbing through my old Fabulous Fury Freak Brothers comics I'm almost there.
Make that Levi, not Levy. Duh. Even spelled like the famous SF denim and I botched it (and I've even been to Levi central (near Fog City Diner).
Hey Airegin: I admit I'm not much on current 'indie' rock (mostly quit that back before the Seattle thing exploded and 'indie' eventually came to stand for "industry") and have never heard the artists you mention -- and that I myself do mainly listen to stuff recorded before I was born or while I was still in knee-pants (or would have been, were I quite old enough to have been around when kids still wore knee-pants). But given that Wikipedia tells me Ms. Levi was born in '87, had it not been for your comment about Gong and Freak Brothers comix, I would've chuckled to think that your "youth" as you put it must've been about last Thursday! ;^)
I admit I'm not much on current 'indie' rock (mostly quit that back before the Seattle thing exploded and 'indie' eventually came to stand for "industry")

INDIE still stands for INDEPENDENT - and is *not* mainstream which you were probably - incorrectly - alluding to when referring to it as "industry." Get a clue... the "Seattle thing" was tagged as alternative. Now synonymous with mainstream....

Word.
Hi Notec, glad you were inspired to respond, and hope next time you will post what you've been listening to. Sorry if my wisecrack rubbed wrong...without arguing what I regard to be near-meaningless terminology at this point, I actually did say what I meant, but of course many will disagree. Maybe this will help clarify however: I didn't say THE industry -- I was refering to AN industry. (Word.)

Charles Mingus - "At Town Hall (featuring Eric Dolphy)" [Jazz Workshop/Fantasy LP '7?, rec. '64]
Duke Ellington - "The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse: A Suite In Eight Parts" [Fantasy LP '75]
Curtis Mayfield - "Got To Find A Way" [Curtom/Buddah LP '74]
Zaikesman, I picked up "Sandy" and listening now - a gorgeous album (and a great recording to boot). Nice call!

Earlier,

Richard & Linda Thompson - Pour Down Like Silver (arrived from eBay this afternoon)
Wow Jerico, you're a fast worker dude! Agreed and agreed.

King Crimson - "In The Wake Of Poseidon" [Atlantic LP '70]
Sparks - "Kimono My House" [Island LP '74]
Nilsson - "Pandemonium Shadow Show" [RCA LP '67]
Sagittarius - "Present Tense" [Columbia repro LP orig. '68]
LOL! I try my best!

Tonight, some Wilco (and lotsa wine with my wife):

A Ghost Is Born
Sky Blue Sky

(and some sake for good measure!)
Ossipov Russian Folk Orchestra [Melodiya LP '69] Pieces by Rachmaninov, Schumann, Debussy, Stravinsky, Sibelius and Lyadov arranged for Russian folk instrumentation
Del Shannon - "Runaway Hits" [Bug comp. LP '83]
Sun Ra - "Strange Celestial Road" [Rounder LP '80]
Johnny Richards & His Orchestra - "Experiments In Sound" [Capitol LP '58]