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

Streaming | CD FLAC rip

James McMurtry ~ Complicated  Game (2 March 2015)

On CD:-

Good SQ from this CD rip.

A blind purchase, but I lucked out: Vaughan Williams' oboe concerto is irresistible. I don't know this composer at all, and will look further into his works.

EJ

Cd rip. Inspired to play by the current thread. Boring.

Now moved on to this;

Really good German prog rock from 1970

On vinyl.

Maurice Ravel:  Alice Ader (piano)

Complete Piano Works 

During my workout. I have seen a couple of people on the forum being quite positive about this one. I don't get that I miss variation and excitement in the album, only the last song is somehow better. Perhaps I am also to negative just because I like the singer, who knows. But not on my top list for the year.

i am more a fan of the Rush albums of the first period and the transition album moving pictures which is the best to me, the more synthesizer heavy albums are not the finest in my taste...

As always special....

Horowitz's L'Isle Joyeuse is  Clear and  "non-dreamy". Bold strokes of colours splashed all over not an ounce of romance in it but highly charged and expressive live performance. 

Certainly this is very original and one of a kind rendition, but I prefer his quieter Debussy better.

Streaming | Spotify 

This really is a fabulous record and hearing it through the Sonos Connect/W4S Remedy/Hugo is a true revelation. Wonderful timbres, punchy transients and an expansive soundscape. 

Streamed FLAC from NAS.

G

On Bandcamp, interesting - but not enough for me to buy it...

Streaming | CD FLAC rip

Robert Plant | Alison Krauss ~ Raising Sand (2007)

I can't remember why I didn't buy this when it was released but I am enjoying it now.

Ineresting, might buy this - through bandcamp

Streaming | 16/44.1 [Bandcamp] Download

Hungry Lucy ~ Pulse of the Earth (2010)

I have not listened to this or any of their albums in a long while. 

"On "Pulse of the Earth" Christa and Warren cast aside all expectations and spent time isolated in the mountains of Tennessee and away from the World. With no outside disturbances the duo were able to ignore trends and dive headlong into the art of storytelling. From these stories were born 10 songs of mystery, other-worldly beings and the spirit of the earth. As always, Hungry Lucy crosses genres at a moments notice, while somehow maintaining a cohesive vision. Christa Belle's haunting voice digs deep and soars high above a bed of gypsy melodies, ominous drones and tribal rhythms..."

On CD:-

On CD:-

ODE TO BOBBY GENTRY

This great song from 1967 is even more more touching in this 1968 BBC version:

The original Tallahatchie bridge which collapsed in 1972, is seen in this clip. At 2:57 we see a missing handrail (suggesting that Billie Joe jumped off at that point) and at 4:00 we see beautiful Bobby strolling over the bridge. At the end we see white flowers floating on the muddy river (which she picked from Choctaw Ridge a year after the supposed event).

Very moving, especially in her local Southern accent. A landmark song!

Another brilliant version from 1971 (listen at 3:30 - Mama said to me "Child? What happened to your appetite") :

Amazing song, thrilling story....

And listen to the song Morning Glory, starting at 4:00 in this clip.... What an incredible singer!

As encore we see a young Donovan in another moving song, finishing off in a very cheerful duet