What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol. XII)
Posted by: Richard Dane on 01 January 2016
2016 has arrived today, so time to start this thread afresh.
Last year's thread (and links to previous years) can be found here;
On CD:-
A+ | Transcoded
(2014)
A+ | Transcoded DSD
(1979)
That difficult second album.
One of Seattle's finest outputs - Dark and heavy.
Pearl Jam / Stone Temple Pilots to follow on my playlist.
A+ | Tidal
(1975)
A Brian Eno classic that's hitting the spot this afternoon.
Another £1.00 bargain............................1973, original and best.
Not the usual country or bluegrass from Alison, just a great collection of heartfelt songs.
As above, another one for £1.00 and a few pence............bargain!
Third one from today's bargain box delivery.
And, ripping at the mo', the last of today's bargains, though this one took me through the £2.00 limit!
BigH47 posted:The Stranglers - Rattus Norvegicus, not generally a fan of punk but this band had something about them. Talent I think it's called.
A girlfriend at the time and I saw them in Battersea Park, summer of '89 if memory serves.
Saw them in the early 80's.
Bridlington Spa Hall had just been re-discovered as a music venue, and one of the first concerts, Dire Straits, was well received.
The Stranglers and their fans, (myself included), proved to be a step too far for the locals. 
Was prompted to listen to this after watching Dominic Sandbrook's rather flippant TV series on the 1980s on iPlayer. It struck me that the 1980s were a bit of a desert culturally - in particular musically (some indie/avant-garde/electro music and stuff like New Order, Cocteaus, Smiths, Loop etc excepted).
Look at how many 1960s and 70s giants - Bowie and Dylan most obviously - fell from grace spectacularly in the 1980s. Here's another one of the greats of the 1970s on the ropes. The material is desperately poor, the guitar playing muted, the singing weak, the lyrics terrible, the production tropes horribly dated... even the cover sucks. "Cruise", a weedy reggae-tinged grumble about Mrs Thatch's favourite missile, is simply embarrassing, and"Murder", about Lennon's death, is just trite.
This 1984 solo outing is a grim portent of the horror of A Momentary Lapse of Reason three years later. Listening to this UK first pressing, I realised why I haven't listened to this LP in three decades. Along with the aforementioned AMLOR, this is DG's weakest effort, in or outside the Floyd.
I rememember buying this from the local Woolies when it first came out in September 1981. It's a UK first press.
Like the Gilmour, this is very much a product of its time (production, political concerns, even the cover picture, etc) but it has aged very well I think. This is mostly due to the banging tunes and the vigorous performances, but also I think because of its deliberate, even unapologetic, syntheticness (synth horns and squelches, John Wilson's extraordinary bass, electronic drums, etc). Great stuff - along with New Order's PC&L, the Bunnymen's Porcupine and YMO's Technodelic, this always brings back very happy memories of my first year (1982-83) at Uni.
This a beautiful album, just released. The Trio Mediaeval add their wonderful singing to the folk/jazz hybrid. The sound, as ever with ECM, is stunning. The cheapest place I found it was £14 on High Res Audio.
Kevin-W posted:I rememember buying this from the local Woolies when it first came out in september 1981. It's a UK first press.
Like the Gilmour, this is very much a product of its time (production, political concerns, even the cover picture, etc) but it has aged very well I think. This is mostly due to the banging tunes and the vigorous performances, but also I think because of its deliberate, even unapologetic, syntheticness (synth horns and squelches, John Wilson's extraordinary bass, electronic drums, etc). Great stuff - along with New Order's PC&L, the Bunnymen's Porcupine and YMO's Technodelic, this always brings back very happy memories of my first year at Uni.
'We don't need this fascist groove thang' was a sure fire hit at the SU disco (it was my second year I think) 'Reagan's president elect; fascist God in motion'. They don't make 'em like that any more, more's the pity. It certainly rings true today.
Lambchop - "Is A Woman" (2002)
Hungryhalibut posted:'We don't need this fascist groove thang' was a sure fire hit at the SU disco (it was my second year I think) 'Reagan's president elect; fascist God in motion'. They don't make 'em like that any more, more's the pity. It certainly rings true today.
It was at my Uni disco too - always guaranteed to get everyone on the floor, with all the blokes manically attempting to play air slap bass during John Wilson's solo. 
Jeff Anderson posted:
Lambchop - "Is A Woman" (2002)
A beauty. Saw them live when this was released - best concert I've been to.
G
A+ | Transcoded DSD
(2004)
Just in the mood for some symphonic metal and I really enjoy the delightful Sharon den Adel's voice which is perfect for this genre.
I gave his "Full House" album a shout the other night, so here's another from Frankie Miller.
Vastly underrated singer, he's up there with the usual suspects such as Van the Man, Terry Reid, etc...........IMHO.
The King of Weegie Rock............along with Alex Harvey.
Further exploration of Jackson Browne's back catalogue. First play of this one - good impression so far. Tidal.
After Heaven 17, the other Marsh/Ware outfit, British Electric Foundation. This is their first album, Music For Stowaways, released on cassette only (the Stowaway was Sony's original name for the Walkman) in March 1981...
Haim Ronen posted:
Exquisite interaction playing relaxed bop standards. Recorded in 1997.
And earlier - Haim's recommendation via Tidal - nice recommendation Haim.
Natalia Zukerman - "Gas Station Roses" (2011) daughter of classical violinist Pinchas Zukerman, Natalia is a singer/songwriter and fine guitarist. Story goes that her dad went to see her live in a bar and his first comment after the set was "you talk like a trucker". A clash of generations.
A+ | Tidal | Transcoded DSD
(2005)
(1994)
Great Band, intimate venue, a perfect recipe for this live album.