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

David Gilmour. About Face. On vinyl from 1984. More happy listening.

Via Todal, first album of the day...

Now two songs into this one on Tidal, I like a lot what I hear so far...

The Durutti Column's Circuses and bread whose title seems to chime in with the daily news agenda at this time of day.

C.

On CD:-

Steven Wilson - 4  1/2

Streaming | WAV | Download from Bandcamp

(2013 - 2015)

Plini to date only makes EP length fifteen minute albums so I ran this Trilogy on the playlist. He's a very popular artist on Bandcamp composing and playing instrumental rock, djent, jazz, fusion style guitar.

https://plini.bandcamp.com/alb...he-end-of-everything

Vinyl. One of their best albums:

streaming a CD rip from NAS

Original 1983 vinyl:

From 1975, the title track is orgasmic trance-disco that one wishes went on forever, and not just just 17 minutes. On vinyl:

Saw Clare and her 3 piece band on Thursday night. Great live jazz, fab voice.

S-400 excel with the range of Joni's voice I am discovering. Very nice.

G

Images:  Sabine Weyer (piano)

Claude Debussy:  Images I & II

Jean-Philippe Rameau:  Suite in A minor

Next to the Preludes, Debussy's Images rank right up there alongside them as some of my favourite music.  A nice debut recital by Sabine Weyer but what one comment I have is that unfortunately what suffers here for me is the recording quality.  I'm sure it is still above average by quite a bit.  But yes, I'm super fussy about these things as it makes a difference to the outcome.  Maybe it is my system at the moment (as Naim seems to be all over the map from day to day) but this morning I found this recording to be slightly leaning to a closed in, muffled sound.  Again, my system sometimes does this and maybe on another day it will be completely different outcome.  Again, maybe I am overly sensitive to sound quality.  I'm sure most wouldn't even notice or be bothered by this.  The music though is second to none.

Tony2011 posted:

Tidal HF...

I deliberately waited for the hysteria to die down before listening to this album. Lazarus is  a great track though extremely depressing, just like the rest of the album,  reminding us, I'm sure he knew, of the imminence of his death. It is a very good album but not great. Nowhere near his best years IMHO. I'm sure others will disagree. 

Second listen... As cheerful as the weather outside! Growing  on me...

Tony2011 posted:

Tony2011 posted:

Tidal HF...

I deliberately waited for the hysteria to die down before listening to this album. Lazarus is  a great track though extremely depressing, just like the rest of the album,  reminding us, I'm sure he knew, of the imminence of his death. It is a very good album but not great. Nowhere near his best years IMHO. I'm sure others will disagree. 

Second listen... As cheerful as the weather outside! Growing  on me...

Tony, I've listened to this album about 30 times since it came out and I am convinced that it is not only good, but truly great. It's difficult to separate the music rom the circumstances of its making, and yes, it's perhaps too early to judge, but I'm not only convinced this is Bowie's best since Scary Monsters 36 years ago but also up there with his very best. In the top Five, I'd go so far as to say.

If there's a better album released this year, well, it'd have to be very special to top Blackstar.

Stick with it, it will win you over I am sure.

gorgeous ecm  album ; Faithful; Marcin Wasilewski   

  http://player.ecmrecords.com/wasilewski

Peet posted:

gorgeous ecm  album ; Faithful; Marcin Wasilewski   

  http://player.ecmrecords.com/wasilewski

I find all is albums great, also the simple acoustic trio albums...

Sergei Rachmaninov:  Zlata Chochieva (piano)

Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 33 and Op. 39

What drives me nuts with some other recordings of these Etudes or any music is a masculine, heavy, percussive interpretation.  Well, it is either an individuals interpretation or limitations technically.  It is difficult (very difficult) to play extremely technically hard music and tame it enough that a listener does not realize how difficult it really is.  

Zlata Chochieva is superb here in this music.  Her playing is marked with a softness where she allows things to breath (rubato) so you have pushing and pulling of time and interjected in to this is a crisp, sharp syncopation or markedness of notes.  Not sure how to explain actually.  I guess what I'm trying to say is that she plays this remarkable music...musically.  Seems odd but typically with this music you hear players aiming for loud bombastic outcomes which doesn't suit me well.  Yes, an Etude is a study on some technical issue really but just as is the case with Chopin, for example, the serious music lover just sees this as a minor detail.  A frustrating detail at that as it means very few can actually play this stuff but for those that understand, ultimately, it is just a means to an end.  What lies below is wonderful expanses of musical beauty and riches.

A wonderful recording for me that will hold a special place in this repertoire.  Not everything works but if I have time I will point out some of the highlights.  But the danger is is that I cannot stop thinking or writing about such wonderful music.  Where do you end?  And of course, Rachmaninov had such a beautiful soul.  Here, of 17 works I would add that it isn't lost on any lover of music that 14 of the 17 works are in a minor key.  This is certainly a clue to why Rachmaninov was such a great composer leaving all these gifts to us who follow.  

If you want to hear Rachmaninov played a little on the softer side but with great distinction, then this is a fabulous recording for those who are attracted to this kind of music. 

On vinyl, for the umpteenth time. There's not a duff moment on this remarkable record.

Listening in to the new parts of my collection, a lot of energy in Chopin...

Streaming | WAV

(2004)

Just fancied a quick blast through some of the Brothers finest.

Kevin-W posted:

On vinyl, for the umpteenth time. There's not a duff moment on this remarkable record.

At 7 tracks it feels like only half an album compared to what was his usual 12-14 tracks an album.

Taj Mahal [Happy Just to Be Like I Am]... Original 1971 Vinyl