What are you listening to? (Vol VII)

only photo i could find, and on not so silent 200 gram vinyl!

atb

kk

Joanne Brackeen "Aft"

This was recommended to me and I have to admit I initially dismissed it on first listen. Then i got into it, so much so that I'm on my fourth play today!!! It has really grown on me. At first I thought it was a bit poppy/commercial, but on repeated listenings there is a real depth to it. Shades of Ray Lamontagne perhaps?

Mark

OMG what good taste - Northern Soul! Get in there! 

Any good?

Jono

Guess Who? Sounds a bit dated in places, but very good in others. 

fantastic album.  buy it!

i think it is superb.  For me they get better with every album.  I recommend it.  Some of the lyrics are great!

atb

kk

You can't beat some NS on a sunday afternoon.  i have a few NS comps but i really like this one.  Sound and song choice is top

atb

kk

Ta, I will add it to my Christmas list.

Can I recommend Fatou by Fatoumata Diawara as token of thanks? If you like the music of West Africa this will hit the spot.

Jono

Elizabeth & the Catapult "Taller Children"

... what happened to my pic?

love this

i will check it out, thanks]]

Beethoven Complete Piano Sonatas played by Peter Takacs.

Here is an example of what I believe the standard should be for every CD or LP set that is released.   Unfortunately, gone are the days where this level of detail and attention to detail was once much more common.

I really appreciate the effort that Peter Takacs obviously devoted to this project.  Here, in his 144 page booklet notes (along with a huge Beethoven Timeline summary), he lays all of his cards on the table and outlines his philosophy and his approach to playing Beethoven.  Almost perfect only that I wish he could have included a 2000 page booklet with lots of details and insights.  Of course, that is just me.  It is understandable that with the amount of music in 32 sonatas plus the youthful miscellaneous works most often never included one should be glad to get one or two specific comments per movement, in general.  To go along with the comments is an abundance of the actual musical score that he is referring to.

Isn't this just fantastic?

I'm not normally a fan of 'reworkings' (vis Kate Bush's The Directors Cut) somehow they smack of a lack of imagination and rarely exceed the originals, although that may be familiarity and a sense of time at work. But this album is just staggeringly good, if you like the songs. Every new version brings something else to the song that doesn't devalue the original or make any points, they just sound great. Why, he's even managed to bring something to 'Mercy Street'. Lovely. Wish I'd seen the tour now.

Jo Hamilton "Gown"