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

Richard Dane posted:

Eoink posted:

Phil, I’d always be happy to recommend that era of Genesis, Foxtrot which I played earlier is a masterpiece of prog, Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is an excellent album (especially the first disc, the second is mixed), Selling England by the Pound is another amazing album, Nursery Cryme is close to being as good as those three. Trespass is more problematic, I really enjoy it, quite a few fans think it’s a bit dull, the Knife is the standout track. 

Well, I would counter that Trespass is every bit as good as Nursery Cryme and Foxtrot.  Highlights are What Mountain and The Knife, but the whole album stands up very well and was the blueprint for the next few albums to come. If we ignore the somewhat unfortunate From Genesis to Revelation, The first four proper Genesis albums on Charisma are essential listening  and the essence of what made Genesis so special.

Richard (@Richard Dane), Knowing you love vinyl, would you recommend same say from Discogs which seem reasonably priced. Have RCM and RP10/Aphelion. Incidentally, today I reverted to the base and cover as recently discussed by you, which seems to isolate the tonearm better from the nearby speaker. 

Phil

With apologies - I see that auto-correct on my Mac has corrected White Mountain to "What Mountain"...

Phil,

I have a German pressing that I bought new in the early '80s and that is not bad.  Certainly it is better than my Sister's old mid '70s copy, but that may be because it's mint as opposed to worn and wrecked (my Sister's old copy).  I would love to hear an original early pressing of this.  I have to admit I listen most to this album in the car - Definitive Remaster CD ripped to iTunes in ALAC and replayed on my iPod Video 5G 80GB.  I usually play the first four Charisma albums together - one after the other. 

Yep, I still like it.  There's a sense of fun about it that remains enjoyable for me after all these years.  It sounds increasingly thin with each system upgrade I've made, and to date nothing delivers it like my old Cyrus 8 based system, but still I enjoyed giving it a blast tonight.

Afternoon's vanilla flavor before the weather turns sour on us (rain and then snow). Hard to believe I was ever listening to these complex performances:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaobKdbOarM

Girlschool, Hit and Run, vinyl.

Another album I haven’t listened to this century I think, a band I saw supporting Motörhead about the time this album came out in 1981. The Motörhead influence is clear, they’re a flat-out hard rocking band, that Punk influenced hard rock style, the female vocals distinguishing them from most contemporary metal bands. It’s pretty good if you like heavy metal, Kelly Johnson’s lead guitar playing is impressively heavy and musical, the vocalists are good. It won’t become a regular on the Roksan, but I’ve enjoyed this thrash.

Now Playing......

Mat Richter - The Blue Notebooks

Streaming on TIDAL........  Picking out a random album from those listed on TIDAL. I enjoyed Mat's "Three Worlds: Music From Woolf Works quite a bit and wanted to hear more. Description from the review found here: "...German-born composer mixes contemporary classical compositions with electronic elements in a dreamscapy journalogue featuring excerpts from Kafka's The Blue Octavo Notebooks as narrated by Tilda Swinton..."    Sounding mighty fine mellow and soothing for this Monday afternoon...

seakayaker posted:

Now Playing......

Mat Richter - The Blue Notebooks

Streaming on TIDAL........  Picking out a random album from those listed on TIDAL. I enjoyed Mat's "Three Worlds: Music From Woolf Works quite a bit and wanted to hear more. Description from the review found here: "...German-born composer mixes contemporary classical compositions with electronic elements in a dreamscapy journalogue featuring excerpts from Kafka's The Blue Octavo Notebooks as narrated by Tilda Swinton..."    Sounding mighty fine mellow and soothing for this Monday afternoon...

Also really enjoy his reworking of Vivaldi's Four Seasons

I have a number of Four Seasons, the usual 'popular' modern versions,  but this English Concert Standage/Pinnock recording is the one I cannot be without,  I first had a vinyl, then CD (ripped),  now I've  just bought this DG 16/44 download from Qobuz with additional Concerto For Oboe, Violin, Strings,  RV 548 & Concerto For 2 Violins, Strings, RV 516.

But getting back to The Four Seasons;  everything about this 1983 recording is better to every other version I own or have heard.   Recording to my ears is done with meticulous care & the orchestral balance is just perfect.   I could go on about the ambience of the period instruments,  the lyricism, passion, moods & variations carried so superbly in each of the seasons movements, the virtuosity of Standage violin;   if there is a better more all involving recording,  please let me know.

Haim Ronen posted:

Afternoon's vanilla flavor before the weather turns sour on us (rain and then snow). Hard to believe I was ever listening to these complex performances:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaobKdbOarM

Hi Haim

Were you a big fan?I am aware of Ray Conniff through my father and have lately come to appreciate the effort and skill that went into producing this material as in my younger days as saw this as easy listening for "squares".But my Dad is still spinning vinyl at age 90 and I aquired him so more Conniff for Christmas.I remember in the 70s he would  buy the latest albums from Conniff,Andy Williams and Jonny Mathis on CBS as they would all come out the same month covering practically the same songs which I thought humourous.However still avoid James Last like the plague.Apologies for the ramble.

Alan 

Tonights selection so far, Cream and Royal Albert Hall May 2005

Gary Moore   - Blues For Greeny

and presently spinning Mark Knopfler  - Get Lucky

Alan

Mike-B posted:

I have a number of Four Seasons, the usual 'popular' modern versions,  but this English Concert Standage/Pinnock recording is the one I cannot be without,  I first had a vinyl, then CD (ripped),  now I've  just bought this DG 16/44 download from Qobuz with additional Concerto For Oboe, Violin, Strings,  RV 548 & Concerto For 2 Violins, Strings, RV 516.

But getting back to The Four Seasons;  everything about this 1983 recording is better to every other version I own or have heard.   Recording to my ears is done with meticulous care & the orchestral balance is just perfect.   I could go on about the ambience of the period instruments,  the lyricism, passion, moods & variations carried so superbly in each of the seasons movements, the virtuosity of Standage violin;   if there is a better more all involving recording,  please let me know.

This one of the first CDs I ever heard in the early 80's and thoroughly enjoyed it - my then girlfriend's father had bought a CD player and he kindly allowed me access to his 'music system' and extensive classical library.  Purchased it many years later and I think again after it was stolen.

I did find it rather 'digital' sounding however but see reviews of the CD remaster suggest it's been improved.

I've also listened to or purchased several other versions inrecent years but recently got this version which I like very much:

Rocking Canadian Blues

Now Playing.......

Michelle Malone - Slings & Arrows

Streaming on TIDAL........   A repeat from yesterday, new release, Michelle has a great voice, singer, songwriter and a quote from Guitar World describes Michelle as “Equal parts bad-ass guitar slinger and sweet songstress, with masterful lyrical introspection - sublime to raucous. ” worth a listen.........

A few trax off the above album not due out till May

Janelle Monae   Archandroid.   From 2010

Was given this by a friend who used to be a big fan and player of those Northen Soul nights back in the day at Wigan and the Twisted Wheel.

Here's an article on Afrofuturism, a term coined to describe those who have an interesting view of the future https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/0ebecc1d-d08b-465f-924e-ee037e9231abhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/0ebecc1d-d08b-465f-924e-ee037e9231ab

Jimi Hendrix-People, Hell & Angels

ALANP posted:

Haim Ronen posted:

Afternoon's vanilla flavor before the weather turns sour on us (rain and then snow). Hard to believe I was ever listening to these complex performances:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaobKdbOarM

Hi Haim

Were you a big fan?I am aware of Ray Conniff through my father and have lately come to appreciate the effort and skill that went into producing this material as in my younger days as saw this as easy listening for "squares".But my Dad is still spinning vinyl at age 90 and I aquired him so more Conniff for Christmas.I remember in the 70s he would  buy the latest albums from Conniff,Andy Williams and Jonny Mathis on CBS as they would all come out the same month covering practically the same songs which I thought humourous.However still avoid James Last like the plague.Apologies for the ramble.

Alan 

Alan,

I was a fan in the late sixties during my high school days in Jerusalem till my girlfriend dragged me into the world of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. I owned five or six Ray Conniff albums which I kept playing when she was not around. My parents seemed to enjoy them as well.

Haim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O216RSd8vC0

Now Playing

Recomposed by Max Richter - Vivaldi, The Four Seasons

Streaming on TIDAL.......   A mention from R.K a few hours ago had me place these in the queue for an early evening listen. Enjoying Max Richter compositions quite a bit!   Review can be found here.  The short review is worth the time to read and the album is certainly worth a listen.

Now Playing.......

Chico Freeman - The Arrival

Chico Freeman (tenor saxophone) and Heiri Kanzig (double bass)

Streaming on TIDAL.........    Enjoyed taking out Chico's 'Spirit Sensitive' album the other day and wanted to sample more of his catalogue. 

John Mayer-Room For Squares

Slowdive

Slowdive have always had it bad.  When they first came out in the very early 90s there was so much other great British alternative music coming out that they got lampooned as an also ran. With some legendary scathing reviews from the hot press that ultimately split them up.

 Shoegazing was an art form that only a few really knew how to tie together the strings of influences.

Now they have got together again and done this.

my shoes will never look the same.

Now Playing.......

Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels an a Gravel Road

Streaming on NAS.........  I have had this CD since it was released and a mention EWEMON of Lucinda prompted me to take it out for a spin. I love Lucinda vocals, songwriting, guitar playing and music. Never released a bad album and her re-recording "Sweet Old World" and releasing it this past September as "This Sweet Old World" was one of my favorite albums released in 2017. There is always a good reason why to play a Lucinda Williams album.....