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

I wish there was more of this type of music around.

Scott 2 from this 2013  Vinyl box set...

1. Jackie
2. Best Of Both Worlds
3. Black Sheep Boy
4. The Amorous Humphrey Plugg
5. Next
6. The Girls From The Streets
7. Plastic Palace People
8. Wait Until Dark
9. The Girls And The Dogs
10. Windows Of The World
11. The Bridge
12. Come Next Spring

Streaming | CD FLAC rip

Buena Vista Social Club ~ Buena Vista Social Club (1997)

Some lovely cuban sounds to go with this beautiful afternoon's weather.

Apparently there is a 24/96 remaster of this around, I would like to hear that.

This has been a favourite for thirty years or so.

And in a similar vein...

Streaming | CD FLAC rip

Mamond ~ Paradise (2004)

No kidding. Great indeed. One of my all-time faves. At this point in time, Morello was the most interesting and innovative guitar player in the game.

Muskrat Love...what were they on?

Gg

Parsifal, Wagner's final opera and his most symbolic (but not religious, although it does use religion as background), takes place at Easter. Levine draws out the work to breaking point, but I've always found it an awesome experience.

EJ

Liquid Acrobat As Regards The Air - The Incredible String Band.

Taking me back to an era long gone.

richard

Listening to the "The Proclaimers The Best Of.." - because it was a band I really liked while growing up in the eighties.

Just today explored this artist - great music, a lot of treasures in the Nordic region....

French for Rabbits - Spirits

Streaming | 16/44.1 FLAC Download

Asura ~ Radio Universe (2014)

Another excellent Bandcamp download, nice ambient, downbeat, electronica to finish off this evening.

A nice quiet end of the evening

Revisiting Klemperer/New Philharmonia's controversial Bruckner 8th.

As much as I love this work and the conductor, I've always thought this performance is a mess. In his quest for profundity, make sense of the complex relative tempi and/or coping with failing resources,  Klemperer served a thick Bruckner soup.

EJ

For sure critics agree with you.

I sort of understand the root of gripes but I also respect Klemp's decision. I would have loved to hear his earlier work which said to be more vital but I doubt there are any commercial recording of it. 

Now here's another controversial conductor. 

Celibidache's 8th with SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony recorded live in 1976.

Contrast to Klemperer it’s light touch but plenty of expressiveness and dynamics. Adagio however is slow moving with deep breaghing tempo. It’s more organic developmental style than deliberately makes thing happen. Flip side is it feels overdrawn  but there is a certain dignity and sense of calmness about it. ( very zen like ) You have to be in an meditative mode to be in the same space as Celi. When it clicks, however, it is heart wrenchingly beautiful and awe-inspiring.

vinyl

Toscanini/NBC Wagner Parsifal 1940 live broadcast.

I love listening to Toscanini's Wagner. Here, there are no singers involved and these are just excerpts ( there are no recording of Toscanini's entire opera performance ), but the music is full of emotion and all those instruments amazingly draw a rich story.

Hard to believe this 75 year old mono recording can still has a power to move. I suppose this is a true 'Testament' to the music of Wagner.