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:
Further listening experiences of this afternoon..., not so my thing too free
Also not my music, so didn’t listen to the end...
(2017)
The Black Angels - Death Song
Their latest album, not quite up to their usual very high standards but it's still a great listen when you're in the mood for some psychedelic rock.
Will listen another time, but a bit too much focessed on tones and not so much on music..
Nice album...
Ok, but not special enough to buy..
A nice solo guitar album, different kind of styles....
the B-A-C-H project: Bach | Shostakovich | Chopin - Dora Deliyska (piano)
I have never been a fan of compilation albums but this mostly boils down to my need for order and ability to find things. It is much easier to file a disc of Bach WTC in my Bach WTC section and so on. For this disc, I will make an exception. Maybe I’ll buy three copies so I can file one under Bach, one under Shostakovich and the last under Chopin. This way it will be easy to find when I need it which is currently daily!
The importance of musical key was not really apparent to me fully when I was a child initially. When one is young you tend to focus more on superficial things like speed and loudness. For the past two or three decades though it has slowly become increasingly important to me and my musical understanding. Not only key but also the connection of one note to the next (the intervals). Maybe this isn’t so apparent or obvious to a listener only but it becomes very real once one connects with an instrument and works through the puzzles and meaning. A little known secret is that most keyboard players may be relentless hum(mers). At least this is the case for myself. I somehow could never sing in public but at the keyboard one uses that deep connection within your soul and depth within your lungs to often ’sing’ along.
I feel a deep connection with Dora Deliyska for this reason. I know that an ‘inner’ singing voice is crucial to her playing as I can hear this clearly in everything she plays and how she approaches music. And now her B-A-C-H takes this to another special level.
For those not familiar with the B-A-C-H concept it is merely a representation of notes (or keys) based on his name. In German nomenclature, the B is actually B-flat and the H is actually B-natural. So you can see many composers who would use a B-A-C-H motif (B-Flat, A, C, B-natural) throughout a piece. Here the concept is to connect pieces by the keys - B-flat major/minor - A major/minor - C major/minor - B major/minor. Dora concludes this grouping also represents the four main components of music which are melody, rhythm, harmony and emotions.
So in case you missed the emphasis on musical key and intervals these are emphasized specifically through melody, rhythm, harmony and emotions. What you will find (at least it was apparent to me) is that when you focus on these things tempos chosen play less of a roll. Stated another way, if "speed" is your only criteria then all these other musical components have less impact on musical meaning and this is what I have concluded long ago.
I am very enamoured by this album. Especially for the Bach and Chopin, it has drawn me to some of my dearest long lost musical friends of the past whom I wish to spend more time with again.
PS: A lesson in focusing on the harmony. The way to learn this piece is to play it slowly only in solid chords (to really hear the harmonies). Then you open it up slowly like this...
Masterful.
1968 - Vinyl - UK first pressing...
Blues Helping - Love Scupture
Whitney Houston
Whitney - 24/96
Edward
The Nightfly (1982)
24-48 flac on a USB stick. Great sounding, smooth album.
ted_p posted:Whitney Houston
Whitney - 24/96
Edward
The Voice!
The Durutti Column Circuses and Bread, the first CD I ever owned back in about late 86 or early 87 when they were new fangled! Used to listen to this on a Technics ‘Walkman’ CD player I blagged from a sound engineer mate and plugged it in to my old hifi, I remember been blown away by the clarity at the time! I had only 2 cd’s initially which he gave me - this and Talk Talk It’s My Life. Anyway it’s still an interesting if slightly oddball album which I enjoy and worth a spin. Streaming on Tidal.
The Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show 1969- 1971, bought this initially to have Derek & The Dominos playing "Its Too Late" but its wall to wall with some of the biggest stars of the period performing their better known material.
Groovin R&B soul from Earth, Wind & Fire - Spirit (1976). Spirit and All 'n All are EW&F at the top of their game.
CD rip on USB stick.
Enjoyed listening to this while waiting for Argentina v Nigeria game to begin.
Streaming via Tidal
Playing the above new Charles Lloyd album prompted me to play this one which I absolutely love.
(1990)
Dusty Springfield - Reputation
Dusty's so called 'come back album' aided and abetted by the Pet Shop Boys, a nice album with a couple of songs that did very nicely in the old hit parade.
Stuart McCallum
CITY - Tidal HiFi
Edward