What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (VOL V)

On CD:-



Now where's my Parka and desert boots?
It's the first time I've heard some of these songs since the '60s, boy didn't we miss a lot way back when?

quote:

Originally posted by BigH47:

Now where's my Parka and desert boots?

Dunno, have you asked this fella?



I didn't say it in the thread I took it from, but I love that picture.

ATB,
CC

So how's this new Brett, Chief ?

Thankyou,
I notice I wasn't wearing my Parka or desert boots in either picture.

Symphony no. 9

quote:

Originally posted by m0omo0:

Hello Adrian,

How's your vinyl reboot going ?

Maurice, it's going well (snap, crackle and pop ). Enjoying it, some music I like a lot on vinyl, a lot of other stuff less so. Does frustrate me, the quality of some pressings, new ones, where even on first play they have a fair amount of non musical noise.

After a few nights of vinyl, tonight is a CD night and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Cheers

quote:

Originally posted by m0omo0:
So how's this new Brett, Chief ?

I've only heard it a couple of times (my gf got hold of a copy of a promo through work) and it's great. Really intense-sounding, beautiful songs.

Here's a good post from the man himself about his new album: http://www.brettanderson.co.uk...um/read.php?2,147977

He's not wrong about the inspiration of Mark Hollis and the last couple of Talk Talk albums - the start of the first track, Hymn, sounds like it's lifted from Spirit of Eden.

I've pre-ordered a real copy from his website that has an extra lyric sheet or something, as I'm a sucker for stuff like that just now...



Should get it early next week.

Thanks for the link Chief. It looks very promising. It is announced for the 30th here and I'm looking forward to it. Hope it is as good as Wilderness which I really love. And I like the Talk Talk way too, so I'm sure it will be great.

Cheers
Maurice

quote:

Originally posted by munch:
Ask Doug where he got the heads up?

That is not fair, munch!

What, are you listening too, Adrian?

I'll have to join you on the new KoC. I should be on commission for those guys!



(It sounds so good, it even lights the hdcd display on my cd5x.)

quote:

Originally posted by Chief Chirpa:
What, are you listening too, Adrian?

I'll have to join you on the new KoC. I should be on commission for those guys!



(It sounds so good, it even lights the hdcd display on my cd5x.)

Chief,

Yep, got the good old Kings on nice and loud here. I had decided I was not going to get this one, but glad I did. Superb sound quality and very pleasant music. The HDCD is lit up here as well

You certainly did kick off this one on the forum.

I'm a fan of Kings of Convenience and I've been listening to their latest - Declaration of Dependence.

Verdict so far: some excellent stuff on there (24-25 etc)...but not sure it's as good as the earlier two disks. Still the lovely songcraft in evidence though, great guitar work and lovely singing.

As the problem of over compressed masters has been brought up again in the Hi-Fi corner, this is one of my favourite ear-bleeding example.

Agreed, this is teen pop, and I cannot say I really care about the lyrics, but the tunes are wonderfully crafted, the melodies are beautiful and the orchestration is brilliant. I like it very much.

But the mastering ruined it all.

The forte are unlistenable, the cymbals are compressed to a point where their sound becomes unrealistic, and everything is loud. If listened at anything but low volume, you have to turn it down before long because your ears can't bear it. Even worse, the songs are designed in such a way that they cry for better dynamics. One can only dream of the intensity of the drama they could have oozed if only some passages had been softer.

It's a shame, really. A total waste. Maybe on vinyl ?

Amy MacDonald, This Is The Life



(Surprisingly, as my system gets better, this album sounds somewhat less horrible. Maybe less distortion added to the party ?)

Working my way through holiday purchases from FNAC in Valencia. Really enjoying this:



Which I bought after remembering seeing it recommended on this thread, by Stefan,I think.

quote:

Originally posted by Lontano:

Very excited to hear this, and looking forward to seeing it done live in Manchester next month. What are your first impressions Adrian?

quote:

Originally posted by droodzilla:
Working my way through holiday purchases from FNAC in Valencia. Really enjoying this:



Which I bought after remembering seeing it recommended on this thread, by Stefan,I think.

and me! yes, one hell of a good album which I have not played in a while, so will have to get it out. There is a DVD of them in concert that is rather wonderful to watch as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...2TLo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...cN4o&feature=related

Seeing as I'm on a roll this evening, once again...



I've mentioned this album about four times in this thread and no one's said a word! Lovingly reissued by Light in the Attic Records a few months ago, and complete with a 48-page booklet all about it, I've played it to death ever since I got it, and it's probably my favourite buy this year.

This album is where all the loping bass lines and lush orchestration from Beck's Sea Change come from (Paper Tiger is Melody Nelson) and where Air got their entire career from; while Jarvis Cocker, Neil Hannon, Stereolab, Tricky, and Portishead are among many others artists who also cite this 1971 concept album as an influence.

It's even on Spotify (I think), it's only 28 minutes long, and I'm not going to tell you what it's about, as it's well dodgy. Forgot the Serge who famously said something to Whitney Houston in his later years, here's the dumbo-eared chain-smoking fool/genius on the rebound from Brigitte Bardot, singing with his latest squeeze, Jane Birkin. (No, it's not Je T'Aime.)

Still sounding fresh today, Melody Nelson is in a league of its very own. Essential.

quote:

Originally posted by droodzilla:

quote:

Originally posted by Lontano:

Very excited to hear this, and looking forward to seeing it done live in Manchester next month. What are your first impressions Adrian?

Excellent. Have been playing it a lot for the last two weeks off Spotify and the disc landed on the doormat this morning. So good, that I have decided that I have to go and see them on this tour so will be doing the journey up to Warwick to see them two weeks tonight. Looking forward to it.

My last Stanko concert was in a big church in Sydney on a balmy hot night and it was the wrong place for the band - no intimacy, too big and too hot. So I hope Warwick Arts Centre is a little better.

Cheers