What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol. XIII)
Posted by: Richard Dane on 01 January 2017
2017 has arrived today, so time to start this thread afresh.
Last year's thread can be found here;
UK first press from 1978. A magnificent debut album, one of the best of the '70s. John McGeoch, one of the era's best guitar players and bassist Barry Adamson are on superb form. Great production by John Leckie too. Playing it because I bought their new live album today but wanted to hear their debut, for old time's sake.
james n posted:I blame Dave Marshall ...
Billy Ocean - Ultimate Collection
Just got home, discovered mine had dropped through the letterbox today ................. brilliant! 
A + 3 | Tidal
(5th May 2017)
Trying the remastered (CD 1) of this newly released double album and leaving the remix (CD 2) for another time.
Great voice
Blondie - Pollinator.
A great return to form ........... Debbie and the boys are back .............. nostalgia rules! 
Yello - Toy
On CD
UK first press from 1980. What a wonderful record. Bazza's bass! Dave's keyboards! John's guitar! Hannett's production! Devoto's lyrics! The tunes!
ken c posted:Haim Ronen posted:i am trying to get this but its going silly money on the big river -- i dont want any "remaster". any ideas?
enjoy
ken
If downloads are your thing, this is available for download on Qobuz at £11:76. Also its follow-up "Further Conversations With Myself" at £7:49. Both at CD quality.
Regards
Vlad
dave marshall posted:
William Bell - This Is Where I Live. (William wrote the well known "Born Under A Bad Sign").
Do you ever buy a new album, only to find that you simply can't stop playing it?
So, no apologies for posting this one again ................. simply stunning!
He also wrote two soul classics: "You Don't Miss Your Water" and "Private Number" which he had a hit jointly with Judy Clay.
Sean Rowe - Madman
I know SR's New Lore album has had a few showings on here and it is superb. But the more I listen to Madman the more I like it. This gentleman is one talented artist.
working my way through the entire cycle, in no particular order. Very well recorded. Wonderful playing/singing/conducting.
Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams are made of this
On CD
Juana Molina - Halo.
Impossible to categorise, this album of ambient / trance music is certainly different, but hugely captivating.
A + 3 | Tidal
(5th May 2017)
Starting my first run through of the space rock pioneers latest album and its not disappointing so far. 
This is great - flamenco guitar and singing, a master kora player and a bass legend. There was a preceding album too, which is also excellent. And even better with the smell of a Tortilla Espagnola wafting around the house.
Steven Wilson - Hand Cannot Erase
On CD
Inspired by Raider's choice of "Sweet Dreams"
I enjoy both versions of this album. Giving the 192khz version an outing tonight.
Antonio Forcione & Sabina Sciubba - Meet Me In London
1973 - U.K. Pressing...
Filipe posted:
Mozart Horn Concerti played by Dennis Brain on vinyl
[@mention:1566878603872123] You have prompted me to listen to this recording for the first time. It been sitting there to be cleaned for a while. I cleaned it with the Loricraft PRC4 just a few days ago and then realised it was mono and put it aside for when I get a mono cartridge for the Thoren TD124 MK 2 that is being restored and replinthed by Loricraft.
Lurking in my memory was the fact that it was better, but hearing it it's actually hard to realise that this is the same music as the Tuckwell recording. The musicality he brings to the instrument is in another league. Perhaps being a member of a dynasty of Horn players makes a difference. He was a child prodigy. I found this insightful review by Christopher Howell.
Perhaps there is little to say here. Dennis Brain is one of those artists, like Lipatti, Ferrier and Kapell, whose tragically brief lives have raised them to myth status. Not all myths stand up to investigation but this one does. You won’t hear these concertos played with a more nobly projected tone, more innately musical phrasing or more sheer sense of what they are about. Listen to the dynamic shading around the development section of the opening movement of no. 3. In some hands these works can seem a bit of a muchness, but Brain finds a different character for each one; joyful in no. 1, Magic Flute-ish in no. 2, more intimate in no. 3 and grander in no. 4. It may be noticed that in this last work, while not sacrificing the mellow purity of tone displayed elsewhere, he adds just the tiniest trace of vibrato to give greater body to the sound. He is well assisted in all this by Karajan who shows his customary care for detail without the over-preening which sometimes damaged his later Mozart readings. Add to this a recording which still sounds extraordinarily well – at times I seemed to be hearing stereo definition, an illusion which a few of the very best mono discs were able to create – and you have a winner.
This is unquestionably one of the "Great Recordings of the Century". At the risk of muddying the waters though, I have to point out that post-war Britain was extraordinarily well-endowed with horn players and that the recordings by Civil/Klemperer and Tuckwell/Maag are also in that category. Nor do I wish to suggest that players from other countries, and some more recent performers, have not produced fine recordings too. There are also earlier recordings by Brain of some of the concertos and a notable one of no. 3 by his father Aubrey.
I did not at any time feel that the mono recording lost anything playing it with my stereo cartridge.
my CD version arrived today Filipe -- so i shall listen with interest. I might still look out for the vinyl -- and appreciate its different interpretation to my old Tuckwell. I am a total novice as far as this genre is concerned -- but my daughter has been helping me build quite a substantial collections now.
in fact, today i received more than 20 CDs -- a lot of them suggestions picked up in this great thread -- they are all ripped now ready for streaming.
enjoy...
ken
ps: i also have the same Loricraft!!
Inna de Yard - The Soul Of Jamaica.
Beautifully done acoustic Roots Reggae compilation ............. highly recommended .................. and, ............. it's there on Tidal.
On vinyl...
On vinyl...