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

Horowitz Plays Chopin: Polonaise Fantasy recorded at Carnegie 1966 The rest of the program is a studio recording in 1971.

Timing has been dropped slightly from his ‘52 live recording and the intro is measured and contemplative rather than hurried and exciting.

Horowitz never plays the same tune the same way.

Stronger sense of resignation and regret rather than angry and anxious. But with sufficient embellishment and his usual creative expressions filled with wit and elegance keeping the audience entertained. 

Personally, I prefer his early mono live performance.

Streaming 24/96 FLAC | Download | HDTracks

(2015)

Just my second listen to this and I agree with much of the previous comment. It's probably damning with feint praise to say that its an OK album, with a couple of good tracks on it but beyond that nothing much to grab the senses. I am one of those that likes his guitar work so, this helps place it on the right side of the good line but its not one that I will be playing too often in the way I do his debut album or "On an Island". The  big disappointment for me is the reproduction quality on my (24/96) download there is a slight background hiss and occasional pops and cracks, this is unacceptable and surely should have been sorted out before the album was released and issued.

An early Skriabin before hitting the road.

Thanks Joe, What label is your CD on? I've  just had a look online here and there are a few versions of the album you mention with the same cover picture/album art, the cheapest an Elektra label (2002) import at £2.48 S/H but this does not call itself "The next Voice etc." just "The best of JB.". Other labels issuing this between 1997 and 2015 are Musicstore, Rhino, Warner and Warner Japan for upwards of £24 all using the same cover but not all using "The Next Voice etc.." in the name, slightly confusing.

Streaming | 24/96 FLAC | Download | Qobuz

(1994)

Ignoring "The Endless River" this has been their only studio album of note in the past twenty odd years. Most of the post Waters albums divide opinion. Given that it's of a very different less "experimental, trippy  etc."  style from their earlier albums, this one has to be taken on its own merits and I like it for that with a number of great and memorable tracks such as Marooned featuring DGs' guitar. 

EJ, yes, sure you are right. This was quite strange to have but overall, I found the playing (and the piano sound) to be refreshing enough to ignore it.  Maybe on subsequent listens their will come a point where the love in on my part wears thin.

Doug

Yes, I wonder about this relationship.  Does Yamaha allow Bösendorfer to continue managing it as it should, independent of Yamaha or will Yamaha eventually introduce its Asian influence and diminish the legacy?  It would be a sad day to see Bösendorfers coming off the same assembly lines.

Bösendorfer started in 1828 and is one of the oldest, if not the oldest still in existence.  I can imagine that Yamaha sells millions of those 'player pianos' to people who want the status of having a piece of furniture that looks like a piano but nobody bothers to sit down anymore to learn to play it like it once was the normal thing to do.

Personally, I don't understand this world as it is today but given no choice, I think 200 quality instruments is still preferable than millions of pieces of &$*^.

You will note that Bechstein had to let go many times due to financial issues but somehow it managed to raise enough capital to get out of its relationship with Samick.

A similar comparison can be made of the atrocious 'partnership' between Chrysler and Mercedes Benz.  Can people not understand the differences in culture between Americans, Asians, and Europeans (Germans)?  Unfortunately, the tensions between these groups ultimately destroy quality products when the goal is to make money by selling *$#@ in a Walmart world for profits.

On CD:-

Streaming | FLAC

(1979)

I haven't listened to this in many years its sounding very good here in the 1994 remaster ripped from Capitol label CD. 

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/view/4269

Enjoying the soundstage .

G

I'm really enjoying the musicality.

Streaming | FLAC

(1984)

Continuing to follow Waters down his own personal rabbit hole with this solo album.

"Well, the idea for the album came concurrently with the idea for The Wall – the basis of the idea. I wrote both pieces at roughly the same time. And in fact, I made demo tapes of them both, and in fact presented both demo tapes to the rest of the Floyd, and said "Look, I'm going to do one of these as a solo project and we'll do one as a band album, and you can choose." So, this was the one that was left over. Um...I mean, it's developed an awful lot since then, I think." - Roger Waters

Caress of Steel followed by Counterparts - RUSH.

Then, Texas Flood -  Stevie Ray Vaughn

All CD rips, AIFF.

Having said that, my brother, a pianist bought a piano this year after months of looking at Steinway New York, Vienna and London, Bosendorfer in London and Vienna and many others. He ended up with a Yamaha C6 and it is very good. Personally, I like the 2m Bosendorfer at Yamaha showroom in London but at £80k it was well out of my reach. Of course the set up is essential. I hope Bosendorfer are allowed to continue as before and that Yamaha are happy to benefit from having the association. The list of 'Clients' on the Bosendorfer website is amusing, Mr J Brahms etc etc.

Thanks Florestan!

Thought I go for something very, very familiar to me this evening. Still Mary's best album for me, and I love most of them. 

Don't know this Kate Bush album, dayjay, but I have the same feeling for some other albums that I feel I ought to like but try as I might they never hit the spot e.g. Santana's Caravanserai, Bowie's The Next Day.   Maybe that ought to be a topic for separate thread, though it probably wouldn't attract many 'likes'. 

Mike 

Excellent choices, in fact I think I will put Caress on myself!

It's irritating Mike, because I really wanted to like her album but can't despite my best efforts.  I think sometimes those albums that you want to like or should like are all th emore disappointing as a result when they don't reach your expectations.  Like you I can think of a few, including the last Rush album, which everyone else loves and that I can't abide.  Could be an interesting topic

Alanis Morrisette, Jagged little Pill on CD.

I have listened to this album so many times, but have Never heard it like it sounds now.

Some may remember I asked the forum for some speaker advice for a Nap200. At the time the system was still quite new, and I honestly did not realise how long it would take whole system to come to life. As I kept trawling this forum and the web for which speakers to start trying, I kept feeling oh, I have not heard that before or Wow that was better than the last time I played it.

So now I have the best sounding stereo I have ever heard, and I am only at the start of the Naim ladder. The thing is I have Alanis in my room and I am really enjoying it!

The speaker itch has been scratched for now.

Played this several times over last two days on the loose connection that the Go-Between book was dramatised on BBC last sunday.  Not played it for nearly 20 years amazed how good it still sounds.

Blondie, Greatest Hits, the sound, and sight, of my youth and still sounding great today. Seem to be on an 80s spell at the moment.  flac via audirvana/hugo