What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol. XIV)
Posted by: Richard Dane on 31 December 2017
On the eve of a new year, it's time for a new thread.
Last year's thread can be found here:
Richard Thompson, Acoustic Classics 2, Original vinyl
And last album of the evening, moving to acoustic and RT’s Lowden. A solo acoustic album,showcasing some of the finest songs this master songwriter has written. He’s one of the finest guitarists on the planet, and plays with his usual mastery here, but that’s not what I hear unless I choose to listen for it, the songs drag me in and I’m transfixed by the music. On the BBC OGWT tribute show a couple of weeks ago, he played Genesis Hall, one of my favourite of his songs, and the version here is wonderful. Great album of great songs.
On a personal note, I ordered the double CD and triple vinyl versions from PledgeMusic before launch, the CD signed, signed vinyl had sold out. When I opened the parcel, as well as the vinyl and VD sets there was a second empty vinyl gatefold sleeve, with a slightly battered corner, signed. I guess Thompson signed it, it got damaged, and they threw it in as a freebie for someone who’d bought both formats, nice gesture.
There is a small buzz about this artist in the US. An artist to watch.
A+ 24/96 Telemann - Quatuors Parisiens - Nevermind
Now Playing........
Robert Cray Band - Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Robert Cray (guitar, vocals), Peter Boe (keyboards), Richard Cousins (bass), Andrew Love (tenor sax), Wayne Jackson (trombone, trumpet), David Sandborn (alto sax - T6) and Dave Olson (drums)
Streaming on NAS.......... One sweet album, the opening track 'Don't be afraid of the dark' is worth the price of admission! A 1988 release with Robert playing the blues.....
John Cougar. Nothin' Matters And What If It Did. On vinyl from 1980. Mellencamp's fourth album, interesting to hear his progression as a singer songwriter. I like the album. Mellencamp hated it and said he felt like he was making a Neil Diamond album to please the record label.
Neil Yong. Comes A time. On early vinyl from 1978. One of Neil's more melodic albums. Nicollette Larson's harmonies are superb.
PJ Harvey. Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea. On CD from 2000. An involving listen. The dark and direct signature is there, but more melodious than her previous albums. Perhaps tuned to the mainstream while still faithful to PJ's artistry.
Some postrock during workout...
I was sceptical - but as far as I listened quite interesting...
Blues Rock.
Peter Gabriel - HIT (and Miss) (2003) - Double CD enhanced for PC and Mac using Noodle Interactive
No Genesis this week, but recognised the photo and snapped it up for £3.99. Kate Bush does some backing vocals. Grows on you.
Phil
Stephen Stills in very fine form from 1975 - Jet Set is brilliant - Playing on Vinyl on Atlantic Records
Tears for fears - the seads of love
I am rediscovering Tears for Fears. When their music was in the charts I liked it. But never enough to buy their albums. Now I like their music very much and are buying their albums.
Beck - Guero
Finally caught up with this excellent record, really enjoying the range of sounds / tunes.
Beck kept fans and critics guessing about how he’d follow up Sea Change and in 2005 released the genre-mashing Guero which shot to #2 on the Billboard Top 200--his highest charting album to date. Beck’s eighth album saw him reuniting with the Dust Brothers with an assist from producer Tony Hoffer (Midnite Vultures), for a tour de force of Latin rhythms, rhymes, guitars, beats, samples, 8-bit electronics, turntables and vocoder for a fun and freewheeling ride through rock, hip-hop, boss nova, country-blues and soul.
This isn’t going to win any bleeding-edge jazz award, but it’s a very fine straight jazz quartet album, beautifully played and recorded.
Now Playing.......
Sabina - Toujours
Streaming on NAS........... Random pick from the Naim Selected Black Box #1, ..... and Sabina is sounding mighty seductive this Friday morning and looking forward to the weekend once I get through this Friday!
Haven't played this for a good many years. "Why on earth not?" I ask myself!
Now Playing.......
Bruce Hornsby - Spirt Trail
Streaming on NAS....... Picking up the beat with Bruce this Friday morning and he is sounding mighty fine! Bring on this weekend!
I have to admit that this album didn't grab me when I first played it and got filed under the 'one to listen to later' part of my library 
Whilst perusing the 'show us your LP12' thread in the blue place a while back, I saw this album sleeve and it reminded me to give this a proper listen.
Slowly but surely it's been getting under my skin and I'm finding it has become a firm favourite.
A fine album both musically and sonically.
Elbow - Little Fictions
Filipe posted:
Peter Gabriel - HIT (and Miss) (2003) - Double CD
Just started listening to Miss - it is a return to his Genesis days, at least as far as I have got.