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

Radiohead, The bends. Another CD that has not been out of the rack for sometime, glad I put it on.

Suzanne Vega, Suzanne Vega.  Still my favourite album by her, and an album I bought when it very first came out, although Solitude Standing takes it close.  Great songs, beautifully played and a great recording.  Flac via Audirvana/Hugo

Genesis, Selling England By the Pound.  Saw an excellent list of the top 50 prog rock albums today on Rolling Stone's Facebook page which reminded me of this album, and several others.  I'm going to work through ten or fifteen or so of them over the next week or so and just remind myself how good they were.  This is excellent and sounds great too.  Audirvana/Hugo flac  

I guess now I have two people to blame - Haim and Adrian.

I am also slightly ashamed to admit the following.  From the first moment I heard Cologne Blues here it was instant the connection and somewhat automagical.  I knew I must get this album (but with only the intention of ever listening to this one track).

I now have the album since about two weeks now and I have no idea what any of the other tracks sound like on this album (nor any other Mathias Eick album for that matter).  I bought this solely for the Cologne Blues and the Cologne Blues alone due to my curiosity here and unexplained connection to it.  I probably have listened to this track repeatedly 50 or 60 times already.  

I usually always check out the links and often like what I hear and am interested but this was different.  Somewhat in a trance I could think of nothing else until I could hear this on my main stereo (rather than youtube) and at a decent volume.  I think the skill of Eick in building a nice arch (a long crescendo building up and then a quick decrescendo disappearing into nothing is what draws me in as well as the mood of the piece - very deep, very emotional, very melancholy, very poignant.

The bottom line is I like this type of music - no matter the genre.  I do not like "happy," upbeat music.  It turns me off.  If there is not a tinge of sadness in it, I generally have no interest.  After all, this element is what makes the music (the story) interesting.  

I suppose it will be many months before I get the nerve to listen to the rest of the album.  Part of me has already predicted that I will be disappointed anyway?  No matter, the joy I received from this one track alone is worth more to me than anything else.

I would be grateful if anyone can recommend a similar style of depth and emotion in other ECM recordings or artists?

On LP. Been quite some time. Still enjoy it greatly.

The Band. On Capitol green label vinyl from 1969. My other music from The Band is all on CD, so it was nice to find and finally hear their music in its original format. Great album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h59zMRFU0UI

Robbie Robertson. Eponymous debut on vinyl from 1987. A DMM pressing, the sound quality is very good if not a bit like hearing a CD played on an RP6. My first listen, I'm somewhat surprised at the lavish production style and extensive use of synthesizers. Largely rock and guitar driven music, it definitely has a late-80's pop sound signature.

Bernstein/NYP: Beethoven Symphony No. 4 & 8 1968 recording

Exciting reading but a typical mid century Columbia studio thin dry sound.

The Rolling Stones. Some Girls. Original vinyl with the 'all faces' cover from 1978. My favorite Stones album

Dion. Ruby Baby. On the original Columbia mono vinyl from 1963. I've always thought Dion was a great vocalist and could "rock" with the best on his upbeat songs, like the title track here. This is a well done, polished album with nice sonics. The three or four songs that rock are very engaging, the intermediate-paced songs are okay, but the bubble gum pop love songs sound terribly whiney. Back in the day I'd imagine Dion would have been a great entertainer to take a date to see in a smoky supper-club, coat and tie mandatory of course.

Blind Boys of Alabama. Was never that keen on this album but repeated listens last night changed that impression.

Steve Miller Band. The Joker (1973). On XRCD from 2008. My lone XRCD and based on this I'm not a fan of the format for rock listening. Sonically, it has great clarity and seems very accurate, but comes off as dry and lacking engagement. Maybe like listening to a pair of overly analytical speakers.

The Wooden Sky

Yep you hit the nail right on it's head. The original EMI Fame disc sounds as good if not better. 

On CD:-

Streaming | Deezer Elite

Vinyl

Streaming | Deezer Elite

This solo theorbo piece with Hopkinson Smith at the helm is sounding wonderful.

Marillion, Clutching at straws on CD. bought on the day the albums was released. May now have to get a remastered version!!

24/96KHz.... Nice bit of 60's Psychedelic Pop c. 2015. Undertones of early Floyd.