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

BigH47 posted:

Jimmy Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland

Nice to see the original cover, too.  I got a very tame  one with my CD purchase.

ken c posted:

MDS posted:

I've got a few Tull albums and like most of them but this and Benefit are my top two with Aqualung coming third.

is this digitally remastered better than original, that i have? seems we share more or less the same short list of fav Tull albums.

enjoy

ken

Haven't heard the original CD Ken, so can't really say.  This recording is pretty good but I'd be happy to buy a S. Wilson remaster if he were to do one as I think he did a great job on Benefit where his remaster betters the equivalent digital remaster version like this Stand Up CD.  As it happens I was listening to an original vinyl Stand Up on a friend's LP12 a few days ago and we were both a bit disappointed in the reproduction quality, though his vinyl would probably benefit (no pun intended) from a machine clean.      

Mike

The three-dimensional soundstage on this is sounding particularly awesome this evening.  The 300DR seems to have extended the soundstage a lot!

M 

Bit of Led Zep's Rock and Roll to liven up the evening 

Bernstein/Symphonie-Orchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks: Mozart Requiem 1988 Live recording

Post NY Phil, Lenny has worked with several European bands and left numerous excellent legacy ( much better than most NY Phil both performance and sonics ) and this is one of them.

This is a much slower reading than many with one of the saddest Lacrimosa. 

Lenny takes time to elaborate injecting his own drama and building up. The final chords of the last movement linger around much longer than many leaving a stronger lasting impression when the voices and instruments naturally dies down.

Fiona Apple "Extraordinary Machine"

Happy New Year, everyone! Haven't quite hit the witching hour here in NYC, but early birds are firing off some low-altitude fireworks across the river in Brooklyn. Naturally, we're spending the evening at home.

Picked up an original vinyl copy of Sandinista! at Armadillo Records in Davis, California a week ago -- and am thoroughly enjoying it, uneven though it may be. Hearing "the Magnificent Seven" on vinyl is a revelation compared to the shitty late 80s Clash CD compilation I bought back then (and still have, somewhere). Like, there are castanets on this record! Wild!

Mozart Piano Quartet No.1 & 2 done by Rubinstein/Guarneri & Beaux Arts

Rubinstein set certainly has more character than Beaux Arts mainly due to  he gets out of *chamber*  mode to more like Sonata playing mode. There is an ebb and flow with enough drama. Guarneri fiddle players also are more expressive and less reserved than Beaux Arts guys.

In contrast, Beaux Arts Trio is an epitome of sweetness and light. Highly polished, lively and sparkly reminds me of sunny bright Spring air.  Presler is a good piano player but he does not come anywhere near Rubinstein’s lyricism. This is a cocktail party background music.

CSN&Y. Déjà vu. On original vinyl from 1970. Great go-to album for the music, the SQ, and the vibe of the time.

Jim Croce. You Don't Mess Around With Jim. On original vinyl from 1972. Solid front to back with toe tappin' American folk rock. Croce had a strong timbral voice that was so well suited to his acoustic accompaniments.

John Denver's Greatest Hits. On original vinyl from 1973. One of my early LP purchases. Still sounds rather sweet, some songs even profound. Nice mix of country, folk, and pop. I remember Denver being very popular back in the day, at least here in the US. 

Tokyo String Quartet: Schubert String Quintet D956 : 2010 Recording

Mellifluous and natural sounding better note shaping than Hagen SQ. Delicate in higher regsiter but well balanced with the rest of the frequencies. Livelier and animated but broader tempo than most. Complex harmonic textures are showing through in Adagio. They’ve got that  breathing quality I look for making the tune more expressive without going overboard. The tunes sound ever more poignant given composer's tragic circumstance. Excellent sonics give this set an inner working of  intricate textures and harmonics and lightening quick dynamics to gives the tunes necessarily tension and drama. Tone of cello is warm and rich just as the composer intended giving a touch of ominous under current. Scherzo finale gets a bit soft lacking the urgency a little due to round sound, however.

This is a pretty impressive hybrid SACD which normally is sort of bleh played on a Redbook CD player.

For some reason John Denver always brings this one to my mind

On 80's re-issue vinyl. 

Paul Simon. Eponymous solo debut (1972). On remastered vinyl from 2013. Continuing my New Year's Eve journey of American folk rock.

Streaming | WAV

Another morning and another year start. Kicking off with the other half (the first half) of TDs January '81 concert in Berlin.

CD

SHM-CD

joerand posted:

John Denver's Greatest Hits. On original vinyl from 1973. One of my early LP purchases. Still sounds rather sweet, some songs even profound. Nice mix of country, folk, and pop. I remember Denver being very popular back in the day, at least here in the US. 

My Dad let me join The Britania Record Club, and this was one of my four 25p opening offer selections back in 1974. Still enjoy it now - nice feel-good music!

Bob Dylan. House Of The Risin' Sun (1962). DMM pressing from 2013. More American folk music for me tonight and my first listen to this early Dylan album. I like it. Raw and gritty performances with a very direct, live sound.

Nick Lowe - The Old Magic before my shift.

Chris

First one for the 1st time in the year..