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

Julia Fischer's first recording with DECCA.

Continue the journey..., listening from my balcony

First listen to this on FLAC rip. Enjoying an acoustic Sunday.

Rod Stewart

"Tonight I'm Years"   (1981)   MP3

Originally Posted by Sorren:

Just arrived so currently listening to ...

Steven WIlson - HAND. CANNOT. ERASE. (according to the metadata ...) on standard res FLAC as I haven't had a chance to put the bluray on yet. Sounds good so far.

You don't find the lyrics too depressing then (as some do)? I myself have hesitated a bit to purchase because of that.

An interesting point. I was discussing the concept/story behind this album with a friend who has recently bought the album, and he said "I wish you hadn't told me".

Music to be miserable by eh? I enjoy the emotional impact of it, but it's uneasy listening for sure.

John.

Natalie Merchant

"Ophelia"   (1998)   SP

This fits the bill perfectly after an excellent three course Sunday lunch.

From the Music Matters 33 series 

Jellyfish - Spilt Milk (Deluxe Edition)

Anyone from the old days will know my regard (OK, OK worship) for this album. It is, in my opinion, a masterpiece. Nominally a power-pop album, this far too simplistic a description for something that runs like an old Beatles album style-wise, while taking in Queen and The Beach Boys.

I still find it somewhat heartbreaking that they did this and promptly broke up, and though it's inspired many an excellent album by former members or people just plain inspired by it this remains the ne plus ultra, a veritable Smile for the 90s.

The remaster is crisp and has greater depth than the already excellent original, and opens up a lot more detail into the already complex arrangements, in a very good way, as it retains the musicality.

On top of that you get a bunch of very good demos (including their version of the song they wrote for Ringo on Time Takes Time), live stuff (they were amazing live) and more importantly to me takes me one step closer to rectifying the awful error I made back then of picking the Fan Club box!

Bellybutton Deluxe next...

Vinyl

Franck's Prelude, Choral & Fugue M.21. Thanks, Doug.

Sergei Rachmaninov:  Zlata Chochieva (piano)

Variations on a Theme of Chopin Op. 22

Piano Sonata No. 1 in D minor Op. 28

The tiny gem, Chopin's Prelude from Op. 28 no. 20 in c minor, is paid tribute here by Rachmaninov and his theme and 22 variations on it.   

First thing you notice is that Rachmaninov drops the bars 9 - 12 from the Chopin original.  Next is that for about the first half of the variations, he remains relatively true to c minor.  After this point things open up quite a bit and the work actually ends in C major.  This is an early work of Rachmaninov and was conceived roughly at the same time as his own Preludes Op. 23.  So it is really on the cusp of the point where his maturity as a composer was growing rapidly.

Some wonderful and imaginative composing here.  There are many gems within here and too many to name or point out.  I have worked on the first four variations today after the theme.  There is something very special with only these a start and variation 4 being one of the many highlights for me.  

Streaming | CD FLAC rip

Goldfrapp ~ Felt Mountain (2000)

Hard to believe that this, her first album, was released almost 15 years ago. Probably still my favourite 'Frapp but Tales of Us comes very, very close.

Stuck my toe in the water and ordered a used copy from a certain reseller.

Fingers crossed then. Denis will back me up

Streaming | 24/96 download

Goldfrapp ~ Tales of Us (2013)

I'll match your Tales of Us with Seventh Tree on vinyl Stevee:

The first time listening to The Art of Fugue with a single piano.

Original 1981 UK vinyl... Sounds fabulous

Hi Gary,

I didn't know about the Jellyfish Deluxe editions, but did buy the vinyl releases 3 years ago

-> https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...ly=13252151295556719 

The original "If you like Jellyfish..." thread was a Powerpop voyage of discovery and I haven't looked back since.

Powerpop Blog  - http://absolutepowerpop.blogspot.co.uk/ 

I've been following :-

Bleu - http://www.bleutopia.com/home.html

Jason Falkner - http://www.jasonfalkner.net/

The Grays - http://indyrocklive.com/featur...he-grays-ro-sham-bo/

The Feeling (Twelve Stops From Home) etc. ever since

Hope this helps Steve.

Denis

Thanks Denis great info', I look forward to having a listen.

Hah! That thread led me to the Riders visiting Seagull's system (where I played the Jellyfish that Kuma commented on). That was great fun, though we did kill his 250 . Sadly my photos didn't survive the transition to the new forum software - there are some much missed old chums there (seagull, AlexG, AlexS, Mr Hobbs-Mallyon, who did the 250 killing, Malcolm Davey, plus one or two who still lurk here).