What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol. XI)
Posted by: Richard Dane on 31 December 2014
On the cusp of 2015, we start a new thread...
Anyway, links:
Volume X: https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...-be-interested-vol-x
Volume IX: https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...16#22826037054683416
Volume VIII: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...nt/12970396056050819
Volume VII: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...6878604287751/page/1
Volume VI: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878604097229
Volume V: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878605140495
Volume IV: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878605795042
Volume III: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878607309474
Volume II: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878606245043
Volume I: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878607464290
Pink Floyd, Animals on a 1986 CD (AAD). For me a truly Great Album. It always draws me in, have never heard it sound so good as it does now with Naim.
Prompted by my 'listening chain challenge' error!
G
Airbag, All Rights Removed on CD. Feeling in a Floyd sort of mood and these Guys do it Brilliantly.
On UK Capitol vinyl. Because it's a stone-cold masterpiece:
Airbag, All Rights Removed on CD. Feeling in a Floyd sort of mood and these Guys do it Brilliantly.
Good band, good album and good music Simon, I might join in for some Airbag later on.
Original Vinyl
Streaming | FLAC
Identity | Airbag (2009)
Another superb band from Norway who along with Gazpacho are really flying the flag for good innovative progressive rock coming out of that area of Northern Europe, is it something in the water?
Airbag, All Rights Removed on CD. Feeling in a Floyd sort of mood and these Guys do it Brilliantly.
Good band, good album and good music Simon, I might join in for some Airbag later on.
Hi Stevee, which one? Identity is up next for me.
Same for me I'm starting with their first album Identity after I have finished listening to a few more tracks of Django Django.
And you slag me off for listening to Tears for Fears Tony.
Another random pick:
Their first album, on a mid-1970s pressing on UA:
All Rights Removed | Airbag | [2011]
I just had to listen to some more from Airbag after that first album and so have put on this their second of three albums to date. Thanks for giving me the musical nudge Simon.
Cheers, Steve
Marillion, B'Sides Themselves on a 1988 CD. The first track Grendel is an epic. There are some really interesting lyrics on this album. May have to turn this up!
Great live recording
And you slag me off for listening to Tears for Fears Tony.
Seriously, Ewe? You can do better than that me old boy! That's timeless music. If TFF were around in those days they would have been sent to the gallows pole and guess who would be the hangman. 
From three virtuoso musicians, a virtuoso piece of jazz-rock-fusion. Every track a pearl. Can´t stop tapping my feet. If there was ever a reference work to define PRAT on your system, this would be a good candidate!
I was attracted by the reference to jazz-rock fusion. I have not heard of Greg Howe before, but thought I'd better check him out on YouTube. He reminds me somewhat of Guthrie Govan. Someone I will have to investigate further. Which albums would you recommend? Is 'Extraction' your top recommendation?
Hi Clive,
Greg Howe has got to be one of the most seriously underrated guitarists of recent times. Outrageously gifted and a marvellous composer of great melodies and grooves. Paired with Chambers and Wooten, it's a phenomenal trio sound. Greg's solo work is top class. He's been favourably compared to Alan Holdsworth but I think such comparisons, while sometimes helpful, usually hide more than they reveal. Like all great musicians, his style is a unique, eclectic, creative blend of many influences, past and present. I have all his solo albums. At the moment I'm listening a lot to Introspection, Five and Sound Proof. He's new band, Maragold, have their first eponymous album out, that goes more in the rock direction. I think the comparison with Guthrie Govan is valid in one thing: the sheer effortlessness in their styles of playing, regardless of whether blisteringly fast or languidly slow. Enjoy!
regards
Andrew
Thanks, Andrew. I will definitely follow up. I have to say that comparison with Alan Holdsworth doesn't really impress me muc; from what I heard this afternoon on YouTube, I'd say he's a much more interesting player than Holdsworth.
I think in this instance Andrew's pretty well spot on with the Holdsworth comparison. This is a great album but you've got to be in the mood, as it's almost overly technically adept; they're all fabulous musicians and they absolutely let you know it. He (Howe) is not always quite so Holdsworthy as he's a more rhythmic player, but they're not far off. He has produced some terrific solo albums, all of them demonstrating a technical ability that you'll either love or hate - I'd perhaps go with Hyperacuity or Introspection as a good starting point. Theres some epic playing on each.
Airbag, TGSOE on CD, Just had to finish the Airbag trilogy.
Another random pick:
Their first album, on a mid-1970s pressing on UA:
Remember hearing this for the first time and thinking what crap is this. Soon changed my mind. Great band live with the spinning Vertigo back drop and Stacia.
Now with my proper system - had some trouble with Qobuz streaming today, a real musical feast...
First spin. Melnikov is back at his Bösendorfer which gives a much leaner sound to these works than we usually hear. Faust grasps at the opportunity, and present an immediate and urgent Brahms - here are two musicians who cry and breathe together. Sound is exemplary.
EJ