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;
This excellent 2016 album from Mr Paul Simon and a sort of tribute to the late Carrie Fisher..
Vinyl
Currently rediscovering Steve Hillage. Can't decide if he's progressive, psychedelia, Canterbury scene or acid. Whichever category, I'm enjoying this immensely.
Lovely mono vinyl:
Still enjoying this one too.
Christmas present from a friend.
On CD. Because it's bloody freezing!
The Stones' first album, on mono vinyl (and from the mono reissue box I treated myself to just before Xmas):
Kevin-W posted:The Stones' first album, on mono vinyl (and from the mono reissue box I treated myself to just before Xmas):
I treated myself to this too, amongst spending a fortune on everyone else pre Christmas.
Brilliant, innit?
Mandolin Orange - Blindfaller.
This and Kandace Springs are my discoveries of the year on here. Thanks to Tony for Kandace Springs and thanks to whoever it was who first posted Mandolin Orange on here.
Chris Jones & Steve Baker - Smoke & Noise.
Because it is brilliant.
Santa bought me this on CD. Britfunk in excelsis.
A+ | Transcoded DSD
(1970)
Because I fancied a bit of TYA and this was an old favourite.
The Rolling Stones - Grrr!
Just arrived home post Chrimbo, so some familiar stuff to get the system warmed up once again.
I've fallen in love with the Stones' mono boxset, but still ...................
first one out of my new Tom Petty Complete Studio Albums volume 1 box set. A great debut album
2nd in volume 1 of the studio albums box. Well presented box and the vinyl in some reasonable inner sleeves. Sounds good so far.
I can remember when it was cool to like this. I still like it today and right now it's sounding better than ever. Camel - 'Mirage'.
(1985)
From my recently acquired box set of the Ozric's early material named Vitamin Enhanced, Erpsongs their fabulous debut album.
This may be the oldest vinyl LP in my collection - the actual object dates from 1956 and is a collection of Miller 78 sessions released to cash in on the success of the Jimmy Stewart film The Glenn Miller Story. It's in mono and the SQ is pretty remarkable given that it was mostly recorded in the early 1940s. The record, which I bought second-hand 25 or so years ago, is in decent nick too, and came up very nicely after a spin in the RCM. Not bad at all for a 60-yar-old record.
There's a big message on the rear of the sleeve, just below the sleeve notes, which reads: "Beware the blunted needle!"
The John Mayer album I've been missing. Has a vicious warp, the arm is working overtime, so probably going back to be changed.
Florestan posted:J.S. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier I & II - Dina Ugorskaja (piano)
Moving from the New Testament (Beethoven Piano Sonatas) to the Old Testament (Bach WTC) this will be my pathway into Cantatas and more serious Christmas music finally later tonight and tomorrow.
Not trying to be provocative but with each new WTC recording I get I am more and more convinced that the piano is the ideal instrument in which to convey this music today (both as a player and as a listener). Where else can you get such an infinite number of possibilities for the voicing from a keyboard instrument?
What is notable with Ugorskaja is her sense of polyphony. She stresses in here notes how she believes in melodiousness and how the voices should be sung independently. Together it becomes like a motet with each unique voice. It is quite lovely to just listen to this music with the focus on the bare essentials. If I were to compare this with Hewitt I somehow think I prefer this playing. It seems much more centered and pure. I haven't listened to Hewitt for a while but if memory serves me well you get more of a sense of her arrogance coming through?
The one hiccup for me is in the most well know Prelude (in C major - BWV 846). For reasons explained, Ugorskaja plays it at a real clip stating that she sees it as waves and also she wants to avoid sentimentality. Other than this view (which sticks out a little) the rest of the WTC returns to a much more intellectual and thoughful view. I quite like this actually.
Thanks for this post. Both Albums apear to be on Tidle with different cover art.
Original vinyl
Why? Saw the 'Alf' album as I perusing the LP boxes and that triggered the idea. 1980s electro, why not?
steve