B&W Society of Sound
Posted by: Mr Underhill on 10 May 2010
I joined, £35 to get access to a reasonable number of recordings, including an increasing number of LSO live recordings.
The downloads themselves are of a good recording quality, but are they any good musically?
Thought I'd make a few notes so that if anyone else is thinking of signing up they can get some idea of what is available.
Are you already signed up? Disagree? Want to add more?
NB:
24 bit = 24bit 48Khz
16 bit = 16bit 44.1Khz
M
Charlie Wilson - Passport
24 Bit
Mixture of styles - Jazz/Rock
Driving bass lines and up-tempo beats.
Clear recording.
Added distortion to some vocals, which I find distracting.
3.5/5
Mahler 8th - LSO
24 bit
Good acoustic
Good balance between Choir & Orchestra
Soloists slightly recessed - but feel more a part of the whole.
4/5
Daby Tour In Session
24 bit
Jazz Fusion
Driving bass
Non English / English vocals
Really like this one.
5/5
Dengue Fever - In the Ley Lines
24 bit
Westernised Indian music?
Non English / English vocals
2/5
Gwenyth Herbert - Ten Lives
24 bit
Female soloist
Could be a grower - nice use of double-bass underpinning Herbert's vocals.
French / English vocals
3.5/5
Little Axe - Take a Stroll
24 bit
Bluesy Rock
2.5/5
LSO Live Compilation
24 bit
Well chosen selection, excellent dynamics.
4/5
Syriana - Ten Days in Bilad Al Sham
24 bit
Jazzish - Middle Eastern influences
Great opening!
Great dynamics.
Not convinced about the music!
2.5/5
Portico Quartet - Black & White Sessions
24 bit
Modern Jazz
Only four tracks.
Depends whether this stuff does it for you - well recorded and executed.
3/5
Tom Kerstens and the G Plus Ensemble - Utopia
24 bit
Guitar - Jazz
Could be a grower.
3/5
Peter Gabriel - Scratch My Back
24 bit
Pop / Rock
Well, I have found this has been a grower. Gabriel has selected a number of well known hits to give his own patina.
When I first listened to it I was underwhelmed. The selected songs are given a fairly uniform downbeat treatment.
.....But, what I like about the approach is that it really makes you concentrate on the quality of the lyrics.
The more I listen to this album the more I like it, a nice counterpoint to the originals
4/5
David Rhodes - Bittersweet
24 bit
Pop/Rock
Some good tracks that I really enjoyed, and some padding.
3.5/5
Benjamin Grosvenor - This and That
16 bit
Classical Piano
Another good recording. Talented pianist.
Whether you enjoy this will be entirely dependent on whether you like the selected program.
3.5/5
Brett Anderson - Wilderness
16 bit
Male soloist with a nasal vocal style.
The first track uses a haunting cello as a backdrop for Anderson's vocals, additional musical colour is added by piano and guitar.
Enjoyed this one, but a bit one-note.
3.5/5
Julianna Raye - Dominos
16 bit
Female Jazz Soloist.
Think minor key and flats. Breathily delivered vocals.
Lounge lizard mode!
Some good stuff.
3/5
Speed Caravan - The Kiss of Electric Sand
16 bit
Pop/Rock
Non English / English vocals
Electric musical instruments go to the Bazaar!
Good stuff. Get the feeling these guys were enjoying themselves.
4/5
Spiro - Live in Box
16 bit
Folk derived musical numbers using piano accordian, mandolin, acoustic guitar, and other strings.
Thoroughly listenable, good musicianship. Didn't grab me.
2.5/5
Toumast - Amachal
16 bit
Non English / English vocals
Electrified Indian style music vearing towards westernised rock?
Didn't grab me.
2/5
Trio Goya - Haydn - the Heart of Invention
16 bit
4 trios.
Whether you enjoy this will be entirely dependent on whether you like the selected program.
4/5
Grindhouse - In The City
16 bit
Pop/Rock
Opening track had me wondering, but I think this might grow on me.
3/5
Ennio Morricone - The Best of 50 Years of Music
16 bit
Soundtrack
Well I've always loved soundtracks, and Morricone has written some great music ...not sure this would have been my selection, but it was the Man himself; a live recording with him conducting.
Opens with 'Ecstacy of Gold' from 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly', great opener very well delivered.
From then on in you have a somewhat eclectic selection.
Well recorded.
3.5/5
The downloads themselves are of a good recording quality, but are they any good musically?
Thought I'd make a few notes so that if anyone else is thinking of signing up they can get some idea of what is available.
Are you already signed up? Disagree? Want to add more?
NB:
24 bit = 24bit 48Khz
16 bit = 16bit 44.1Khz
M
Charlie Wilson - Passport
24 Bit
Mixture of styles - Jazz/Rock
Driving bass lines and up-tempo beats.
Clear recording.
Added distortion to some vocals, which I find distracting.
3.5/5
Mahler 8th - LSO
24 bit
Good acoustic
Good balance between Choir & Orchestra
Soloists slightly recessed - but feel more a part of the whole.
4/5
Daby Tour In Session
24 bit
Jazz Fusion
Driving bass
Non English / English vocals
Really like this one.
5/5
Dengue Fever - In the Ley Lines
24 bit
Westernised Indian music?
Non English / English vocals
2/5
Gwenyth Herbert - Ten Lives
24 bit
Female soloist
Could be a grower - nice use of double-bass underpinning Herbert's vocals.
French / English vocals
3.5/5
Little Axe - Take a Stroll
24 bit
Bluesy Rock
2.5/5
LSO Live Compilation
24 bit
Well chosen selection, excellent dynamics.
4/5
Syriana - Ten Days in Bilad Al Sham
24 bit
Jazzish - Middle Eastern influences
Great opening!
Great dynamics.
Not convinced about the music!
2.5/5
Portico Quartet - Black & White Sessions
24 bit
Modern Jazz
Only four tracks.
Depends whether this stuff does it for you - well recorded and executed.
3/5
Tom Kerstens and the G Plus Ensemble - Utopia
24 bit
Guitar - Jazz
Could be a grower.
3/5
Peter Gabriel - Scratch My Back
24 bit
Pop / Rock
Well, I have found this has been a grower. Gabriel has selected a number of well known hits to give his own patina.
When I first listened to it I was underwhelmed. The selected songs are given a fairly uniform downbeat treatment.
.....But, what I like about the approach is that it really makes you concentrate on the quality of the lyrics.
The more I listen to this album the more I like it, a nice counterpoint to the originals
4/5
David Rhodes - Bittersweet
24 bit
Pop/Rock
Some good tracks that I really enjoyed, and some padding.
3.5/5
Benjamin Grosvenor - This and That
16 bit
Classical Piano
Another good recording. Talented pianist.
Whether you enjoy this will be entirely dependent on whether you like the selected program.
3.5/5
Brett Anderson - Wilderness
16 bit
Male soloist with a nasal vocal style.
The first track uses a haunting cello as a backdrop for Anderson's vocals, additional musical colour is added by piano and guitar.
Enjoyed this one, but a bit one-note.
3.5/5
Julianna Raye - Dominos
16 bit
Female Jazz Soloist.
Think minor key and flats. Breathily delivered vocals.
Lounge lizard mode!
Some good stuff.
3/5
Speed Caravan - The Kiss of Electric Sand
16 bit
Pop/Rock
Non English / English vocals
Electric musical instruments go to the Bazaar!
Good stuff. Get the feeling these guys were enjoying themselves.
4/5
Spiro - Live in Box
16 bit
Folk derived musical numbers using piano accordian, mandolin, acoustic guitar, and other strings.
Thoroughly listenable, good musicianship. Didn't grab me.
2.5/5
Toumast - Amachal
16 bit
Non English / English vocals
Electrified Indian style music vearing towards westernised rock?
Didn't grab me.
2/5
Trio Goya - Haydn - the Heart of Invention
16 bit
4 trios.
Whether you enjoy this will be entirely dependent on whether you like the selected program.
4/5
Grindhouse - In The City
16 bit
Pop/Rock
Opening track had me wondering, but I think this might grow on me.
3/5
Ennio Morricone - The Best of 50 Years of Music
16 bit
Soundtrack
Well I've always loved soundtracks, and Morricone has written some great music ...not sure this would have been my selection, but it was the Man himself; a live recording with him conducting.
Opens with 'Ecstacy of Gold' from 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly', great opener very well delivered.
From then on in you have a somewhat eclectic selection.
Well recorded.
3.5/5