What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol. XIII)

John Mayer  -  "The Search For Everything"  (2017)

Little sequence of nostalgic acoustic based tracks fired initially by:

Saint Agnes and the Burning Train from The Soul Cages

Then, Bron-Yr-Aur from Physical Graffiti 

Then, The Clap from The Yes Album

Then Michael Hedges - you know the (title) track...

Then ending with some vocals whilst staying with acoustic dominance and inspired by earlier Zep ....  Babe I'm gonna leave you.

kuma posted:

EJS posted:

the piano sounds a bit brittle but apparently that's how he likes it and that's how I heard him in Amsterdam on several occasions, too.

Having to hear him live several times at the same venue ( from a different seating ) I am 99% sure that's how his Hamburg Steinway-Fabbrini concert grand sounds like!

It isn't my favourite cuz upper register tends to *klang* but it seems to give him a nice clean bass line which exposes structure of the music.

Kuma, yes! For a Steinway, the bass is light and a bit muddy and as you say, the upper register clangy. It fits his style well, though. I remember Alfred Brendel similarly having his own 'sound', although apparently what he did was rub the felt on the hammers - apparently to the dismay of the pianist who played the same piano on the following night! 

Zimerman also flies around his own piano, but I can't recall any idiosyncrasies. But the craziest I ever heard must have been Yefim Bronfman on the Concertgebouw's own grand. He played Mussorgsky's pictures the one time I heard him live. A deafening experience, he clearly tried to pound the 'D' into the ground. The groaning Steinway soon gave a sound unlike I'd heard before or since.

Cheers

EJ

RIP Geri...

EJS posted:

Zimerman also flies around his own piano, but I can't recall any idiosyncrasies. But the craziest I ever heard must have been Yefim Bronfman on the Concertgebouw's own grand. He played Mussorgsky's pictures the one time I heard him live. A deafening experience, he clearly tried to pound the 'D' into the ground. The groaning Steinway soon gave a sound unlike I'd heard before or since.

EJ,

I read somewhere that Zimerman will never tour US again after US custom destroyed his beloved Steinway piano!

Horowitz used to get a criticism for his selection of Steinway, but I'd rather like the sound of it.

P.S. Bronfman at least did not sit on the piano which for sure the instrument to the ground. ( literally )

Calamus: The Splendour of Al-Andalus

Arab-Andalusian Music of the 12th to the 15th centuries. Splendid indeed !!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7Rd__gppjM

Metallica-Kill 'Em All

EJS posted:

Kuma, yes! For a Steinway, the bass is light and a bit muddy and as you say, the upper register clangy. It fits his style well, though. I remember Alfred Brendel similarly having his own 'sound', although apparently what he did was rub the felt on the hammers - apparently to the dismay of the pianist who played the same piano on the following night! 

Zimerman also flies around his own piano, but I can't recall any idiosyncrasies. But the craziest I ever heard must have been Yefim Bronfman on the Concertgebouw's own grand. He played Mussorgsky's pictures the one time I heard him live. A deafening experience, he clearly tried to pound the 'D' into the ground. The groaning Steinway soon gave a sound unlike I'd heard before or since.

Horowitz's piano:

It's interesting that even tho Maestro not playing, his piano gives the voice of the Horowitz.

Beethoven Symphony NO.3: Bernstein/Vienna Phil

I think Lenny did the best work with Vienna Phil away from NYP. I am liking this measured ( for Lenny anyways ) Eroica. As always, full of row human emotions but less corn balls and the Vienna Phil brings aristocratic elegance.

A + 3 | WAV

(1983 | Re-released June 2017)

Steve Roache's latest offering (it was only his second album back in the day) of punchy, ambient electronic music.

Beethoven Symphony No.3: Günter Wand/NDR-Sinfonieorchester

Excellent digital remaster. Spacious and great frequency extension from a redbook. Seamless top to bottom with greater than usual dynamics and capturing good amount of low level details. This whole set is a great example of CD reproduction done right. I'd reckon this CD will sound even better streamed via a decent DAC.

Beautiful layers of tonal shading yet remains transluscent. Agreat agility with many twists and turns to keep the momentum going.

A + 3 | WAV

(June 2017)

CORE is dynamic convergence of Steve's most essential organic, electronic, rhythmic and atmospheric elements. "With this release, Roach revives the stylish opulence, nostalgic grandeur, and poetic refinement of his sequencer-based electronic music of the seventies and eighties." - Review excerpt from Ben Kettlewell - Alternate Music Press

1st run..

Bert Schurink posted:

1st run..

 

A kind of raw album. Sometimes starting in normal jazz but then almost moving to rough rock with a distorted guitar, to again go back to silent. Will require some more runs to get the needed insight.

Claire teal and sid Lawrence band direct recording dynamical very good versions of ellas songs

Richard Wagner - Tristan und Isolde - Karl Bohm Bayreuth Festspiele 1966

I'm 5 days into a demo of 5m Superlumina speaker cable (replacing 6.5m Chord Odessey 2). Right from the start it sounded as good as the Chord. This was one the LPs in my collection that did not wow, but now it does. Wagner' music is naturally very rousing, rich and full. With other music in my collection, stuff that sounded really good is just that bit better. Certainly the soundstage is much improved and and more instruments easy to place.

As I have said before, all recorded music should sound really good played on a really good system. When this does not happen it is worth experimenting not so much with boxes but with the other bits. I found the PL Lites greatly improved the 282's SuperCap DR an more so the NAPSC. One of the most cost effective upgrades at £95 list price. I still use Rega Couple 2 (£120) to connect my Aria to the 282. Far better than £800 alternatives. 

Phil

Bert Schurink posted:

All his albums have so far been a delight to listen. The right balance of drive a lyrical elements...

I'd forgotten what a great album this is - Trevor Horn at his best. On DSD.

A much played LP in my teens and still (IMHO) preferable to Tubular Bells. 

Mike Oldfield - Discovery

This is a kind of three in one. Great music an intelligent cover and a link to mythology.....

Continuing with another album of the guys..

Clive B posted:

Wugged Woy posted:

Stevee_S posted:

A + 3 | WAV

(1976 | 1994)

One thing leads to another and in this case its another excellent Definitive Edition remaster of this Genesis album which holds great memories for me. 

Steve, please try and grab an original Virgin/Chrysalis CD (or download of)  of A Trick of the Tail. I believe it was mastered by Barry Diament.  It is simply one of the best sounding discs that I own. Superb. Trust me, I'm a doctor....... 

I have both and I very much prefer the Definitive Edition Remaster from 1994.

Better than either of these, however, is the original pink hatter vinyl.

Clive, you know. there really isn't a bad CD version of TOTT is there  However, I feel the very good DE version loses out to the original in sounding a bit harsh at times. Listen to the symbols on Mad Man Moon for example - much nicer to my cloth ears on the original. Of course, it is all system and room dependent and how old your ears are  (and mine are looking forward to retirement).

Regards WW.