What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol. X)

   Wasn't convinced on first listen, but I am now completely hooked. My next vinyl buy for sure!

Kelly Joe Phelps     "Shine Eyed Mister Zen"

(Spotify Premium US)

just finished this one ...

now listening to this...

Rediscovering my records 

On Spotify:-

Ian Anderson - Homo Erraticus, Jethro Tull continued. Nothing wrong with that IMO.

Fleetwood Mac     "The Dance"   (Spotify Premium US)

BigH, My vinyl arrived yesterday so i will be listening tonight. A bit concerned to see that the cd was £7.99 in my local supermarket! I am quite sure that it was much more than that at Burning Shed!

G

Wonderful

First press cd ripped as WAV.

G

   A pleasant lunch-time accompaniment.

G

John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers     "Bare Wires"

(Spotify Premium US)

Songs without Words:  Murray Perahia (Piano)

I chose this disc first thing this morning really for one particular Schubert / Liszt lieder since I have found myself in a period of longing to spend a lot of time listening and thinking about Schubert lieder.  In the last 24 hours it has been In der Ferne from Schwanengesang that I cannot stop thinking about.  When it keeps you up at night I guess it is time to find the score and scratch the itch.  The Perahia is probably the best recording I have of this or at least it is the first one I always go to and I have been alternating with the Dieskau original.  As is typical, I think the Liszt transcription is bang on in representing what the text is about.

I personally am always astounded at how Franz Liszt could match the intent / feeling of a piece of music and transform it into a dream or a vision of the same thing.  He has brought such pleasure in to the homes of pianists (my opinion only) and music lovers everywhere and lived through one of the greatest musical periods of western music (with he himself as one of the greatest figures).  It is sad though that after his death and maybe 50 to 75 years maximum and it all virtually ended.  Doubtful another period of time as rich as between 1500 through 1950 could ever happen again musically.

IN DER FERNE (Ludwig Rellstab 1799-1860)

Wehe dem Fliehenden,
Welt hinaus ziehenden! -
Fremde durchmessenden,
Heimat vergessenden,
Mutterhaus hassenden,
Freunde verlassenden
Folget kein Segen, ach!
Auf ihren Wegen nach!

Herze, das sehnende,
Auge, das tränende,
Sehnsucht, nie endende,
Heimwärts sich wendende!
Busen, der wallende,
Klage, verhallende,
Abendstern, blinkender,
Hoffnungslos sinkender!

Lüfte, ihr säuselnden,
Wellen sanft kräuselnden,
Sonnenstrahl, eilender,
Nirgend verweilender:
Die mir mit Schmerze, ach!
Dies treue Herze brach -
Grüßt von dem Fliehenden,
Welt hinaus ziehenden!

FROM AFAR

Woe to the fugitive
who leaves for the world!- 
Those who traverse foreign lands,
Forgetting homeland,
Hating the family home,
And abandoning friends,
Have no blessing following
their paths!

The longing heart,
The weeping eye,
And a neverending yearning
Turning towards home!
A heaving bosom,
A moan reverberating,
The flickering evening star,
Sinking hopelessly!

You, sighing breezes,
softly rippling the waves,
rushing sun beam,
never tarrying:
Send to her who, alas, has
Painfully broken this true heart of mine -
Greetings from the fugitive
Torn away from home!

Original with Dieskau:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?f...ge&v=iEsdUjh0378

Liszt Transcription with Lisitsa:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?f...ge&v=CYnj1j5eJIE

Richard

Adele     "19"     (iTunes download)

Elliott Smith     "Roman Candle"     (iTunes download)

   Serene.

Frank Zappa  - YOU CAN'T DO THAT ON STAGE ANYMORE Vol.3.

Matthew Perryman Jones   "Throwing Punches In The Dark"

(iTunes download)

On CD