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

Pink Floyd. Atom Heart Mother (1970). On CD from 1989. Interesting this was a number 1 in the UK. Best track to me is "Summer '68", and "Alan's Psychelic Breakfast" provides a glimpse of sounds and recording techniques to come, but mostly this album plays like a band searching for its musical identity.

Rich piano sound...

Pink Floyd. Meddle (1971). On CD from 1992. As a follow up to my post above, this album seems to sound more like a band that's going places . Great listening for a Friday night into early Saturday morning.

First spin of a new recording of the Bach keyboard concertos, on harpsichord. First thoughts are that the performance is styled as the Freiburgers' other Bach recordings: smooth and warm, with a full sound that is unlike any other period instrument band, and a wide range of tempi. Staier's harpsichord is integrated in the picture rather than spotlighted. Where he wants to be heard, Staier applies all the tricks in the book, including playing behind the beat, but he does ocassionally sound a bit labored compared to some of his peers like Hakkinen (don't miss his recordings on Aeolus) and Esfahani. 

EJ

Streaming FLAC 

(1975)

""Ricochet" was Tangerine Dream's first live album (even though "Electronic Meditation" represents a single jamming session, it hardly counts as a live album), recorded during the group's tour of the UK and France in 1975. At this time, Tangerine Dream were setting new standards for live popular music-making. Firstly, they were played in unusual venues (mostly cathedrals) before an audience who sat and listened. And secondly, TD's music was more concerned with larger-scale structures and long-term development than most other pop or rock music, even back then at the height of rock's 'concept album' era. This latter characteristic was never more noticeable than in the group's live concerts. Froese, Franke and Baumann would habitually perform long sets, with all musical material being improvised from the start of the concert to the finish. (They would often not even decide until they came on stage what key the music would start in!)" 

Streaming | FLAC Download from Bandcamp

(2011)

The first of this Berlin School band's Ouddorp trilogy, it's very well executed, moody and atmospheric from the moment it starts. 

On CD:-

WAV via NDX/Hugo from original Chrysalis CD release.

G

I like this album most of the late Led albums. Played it during my workout....

I am not coming to terms with this album. The sound quality / balance in instruments is in my ears not top notch. On my Muso during the workout it sounded more or less ok, on my main system I don't like it...

Now listening to this a strange album with a lot of energy...

Streaming | FLAC Download from Bandcamp

(2014)

Enjoyable stuff when you are in the mood.

"While the first half of this work gradually wakes us with ambient soundscapes mixing high-pitched wall of sounds and rumbling bass lines, the second half, firmly downtempo, floods us in mystical and uplifting musical pieces, even inviting a voice on Farscape 7.

We eventually embrace rapture in the last well-named track, leaving the Earth in the middle of old-school synths sounds..." - Bandcamp Comment

The perfect blend of modernism and romanticism in Szymanowski's violin concerto, here given a passionate reading by Rosanne Philippens. On CD made from high res download.

Cheers

EJ

7 gnossiennes; the angora ox; l’enfance de ko-quo; la belle excentrique; 5 grim 3 gymnopédies; jack in the box; le ‘piccadilly’; verset laïque et somptueux

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwgvEOY0vaA

Franz Liszt:  Ulf Wallin (violin), Roland Pöntinen (piano)

Grand Duo Concertant; Die Zelle in Nonnenwerth; Epithalam; Rapsodie Hongroise; Elegie Nr. 2; Romance Oubeliee; La Lugubre Gondola

G

Picking some of the less often played from the collection. Last heard this on my CDS2 I think!

G

Music for all times.

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

Streaming | FLAC

Bellybutton by Jellyfish (1990)

While getting the album art to post here I noticed that a Deluxe 2 CD expanded version of the album (it's 25th anniversary) was released in January this year it includes live tracks and a second CD of demo tracks and a full colour booklet.  The booklet shows rare photos and memorabilia features an essay from noted music writer Ken Sharp (author of books on KISS, Eric Carmen and John Lennon & Yoko Ono, among others), utilizing recent interviews with the band’s Andy Sturmer, Roger Joseph Manning Jr., and the album’s producers. Sturmer and Manning also chime in with track by track commentary on the original album tracks

Streaming | FLAC 

(1964)

This Deluxe, expanded, remastered 2011 release contains both mono and stereo versions of most of the tracks on this their debut album. I always kick myself for overlooking  just how good their music was at that time and how influential they were in the sixties. This album featuring their music from over fifty years ago speaks volumes.

Of all my Tori Amos albums this is probably the one I play the most.  

When I need a *Sinatra fix* this is the album I reach for. 1956 release. 

Geseking: Complete Mozart Piano Solo  1953 recording

Gems I found in this album are two G Minor short pieces: Allegro Sonata K312 and Fugue K401.

They encapsulate Mozart’s enormous composition skill and colourful palette better than two featured Sonatas packing many human emotions so clearly in the simplest manner.