Stereophile R2D2

[Audio Girl]

I usually enjoy reading Stereophile's annual recommended recordings, having been a catalyst in a few great finds in prior years. Good news: in the 2006 edition, several recommendations included performances that didn't necessarily have the best sonics but the reviewer recommended the music/video content anyway. Here are 17 that are of interest and I was curious if you have any comments or opinion:

1. Cream: Royal Albert Hall, London May 2-3-5-6 2005, 2 DVD-Vs (J. Atkinson/J. Iverson)

2. Eric Clapton & Various: Crossroads Guitar Festival, 2 DVD-Vs (J. Atkinson)

3. Kruder & Dorfmeister: K&D Sessions, 2 CDs (P. Bolin)

4. Bob Florence: Friends, Treasures, Heroes, CD (T. Conrad)

5. AC/DC: Back in Black Remastered 25th Anniversary Edition, DualDisc (B. Damkroger)

6. Mott the Hoople: Brain Capers, LP/CD (A. Dudley)

7. Soundgarden: Superunknown, 1994 CD (B. Finane)

8. The Band: S/T, 1969 LP (M. Fremer)

9. The National: Alligator, CD, 2005 (M. Fritch)

10. Deadicated: Various Artists, 2004 CD (L. Greenhill)

11. The Bee Gees: Odessa, CD (B. Gulla)

12. XTC: Skylarking, CD, 1986 (B. Gulla) -- I owned this a long time ago (MFSL)

13. Keb' Mo': Peace...Back By Popular Demand, CD (K. Kessler)

14. The Crickets: Bubblegum, Bop, Ballads & Boogie, UK LP 1973 (K. Kessler)

15. David Johansen and the Harry Smiths: Shaker, CD (D. Lander)

16. The Complete Norman Granz Jam Sessions: V/A, 5 mono CDs (J. Marks)

17. Patti Smith: Gone Again, CD (F. Mills)

Thanks,
Ag

[Stone]

{another deleted post}

http://www.obner.org/bb/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif

[Audio Girl]

http://www.obner.org/bb/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif


Another deleted Davey post? Are you serious? Davey, have you been diagnosed as borderline? hehehe.

[nobody]

I'll comment on three of them...

Kruder & Dorfmeister: K&D Sessions is fantastic, downtempo remixes by an Austrian production team, heavy on the trippy electronics and incredible sound with amazing bass...I can see why a stereo mag would dig it for the sound alone, but the music's great too.

Soundgarden: Superunknown to me was a bit of a dissapointment after Badmotorfinger. Maybe the soudn quality is why its on there, but personally, anytime I wanna play Soundgarden, I grab Badmotorfinger, which admittedly is pretty average sound quality wise.

David Johansen & The Harry Smiths: Shaker is great both sound and performance. Its new versions of old folk blues tunes. The band is great, Johansen pulls it off fantastically with his vocals and the sound is one of the best acoustic CDs I've got. Shouldn't forget the first one, simply called David Johansen & The Harry Smiths. Its every bit as good if not even better.

[Davey]

{another deleted post}
http://www.obner.org/bb/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif
Sometimes I come back and look later and don't like what I wrote. So I delete it. Because I can. Not really any big deal, it was up most of the day anyway. But I'll stick it back in here ...


I was curious if you have any comments or opinion:

3. Kruder & Dorfmeister: K&D Sessions, 2 CDs (P. Bolin)
I have the 4-LP set and it's great. Most people into that trip hoppy chillout kind of music are well familiar with K&D since it's a classic in the genre. Nice sounding too. I haven't read Stereophile for a few years but I remember J. Scull being a big fan too.

6. Mott the Hoople: Brain Capers, LP/CD (A. Dudley)
Man. I love these guys. I wore out the trilogy of All the Young Dudes, Mott and The Hoople as a young man. Mott is the real prize i that bunch although they all are chock full of glammy rock gems. Never heard much of Brain Capers, although I've heard it's kind of wild and wacky like the first Split Enz album before they got to be so well known.

8. The Band: S/T, 1969 LP (M. Fremer)
One of my all time favorites. I've always had it on vinyl since I was a kid but in the early 90s I combed through a few used vinyl stores pursuing a "real" copy from the original press. Found a couple. One of the most important albums in my life and one of the best from 1969, which of course was one of the strongest years in rock music.

9. The National: Alligator, CD, 2005 (M. Fritch)
One of my favorites from last year. Might not be everybody's idea of the sound of music, but it is mine. Kind of like a spiritual connection. No wrong can happen while the National is playing. Almost like the Tindersticks mixed up with some Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen and a hint of Springsteen. But with an extra dimension in that it also hints at the atmosphere of Joy Division.

12. XTC: Skylarking, CD, 1986 (B. Gulla) -- I owned this a long time ago (MFSL)
Always loved this one. I have the vinyl and borrowed the MFSL version from the library a couple years ago and it does sound very nice.

13. Keb' Mo': Peace...Back By Popular Demand, CD (K. Kessler)
Loved his debut. Great sound and nice simple acoustic blues. Very nice voice. After that, meh. Smooth blues and ballads. But great sound. But I don't know this one. Kessler has always been a huge fan of his and might have even been largely responsible for getting that debut released on audiophile vinyl at one point.

17. Patti Smith: Gone Again, CD (F. Mills)
Five stars. First album after losing her husband. Just beautiful, heartfelt music. Patti is a treasure. Loved her since I was a kid with Easter blaring out of my parents stereo. This is probably her only modern album that I would rate nearly so high. I'd start at the beginning or with the recent compilation if you don't know her, but if you're a fan and don't have this, well then, you're not really a fan. Big influence on many of the fem rockers that followed.


By the way, since he's listed for the Patti Smith pick, I should say that I've always loved Fred Mills as a music critic. What else did he pick? Didn't know he was writing for Stereophile now too, but used to read him a lot in Magnet, and he had some great things to say about that Wayne Robbins record I like so much from 2004. Reading his list in the latest Pazz & Jop poll is what led me to just order the new Steve Wynn CD that I posted about over at the obner since he had it #1 for the year and I didn't even know it was out here yet, and checking I found out it wasn't until last week. But it was released in Europe a few months ago. I've not much use for Christgau and Village Voice in general, but Mills was the first list I checked. He also did a nice little review of the Steve Wynn rec in Harp Magazine. His #2, My Morning Jacket, was one of my top picks too.

http://www.villagevoice.com/pazzandjop05/ballots.php?cid=332

BTW, if you check that Fred Mills list above in the link you'll see that he also picked the new remaster of Patti Smith's Horses as one of the best of the year. It's called Horses/Horses because it also includes the concert from last year with most of the original band (Lenny Kaye, Jay Dee Daugherty and Tom Verlaine) performing the entire album. Probably only for big fans and I haven't heard it myself, but the original Horses is certainly an essential rock and roll record.

[Audio Girl]

I'll comment on three of them...

Kruder & Dorfmeister: K&D Sessions is fantastic, downtempo remixes by an Austrian production team, heavy on the trippy electronics and incredible sound with amazing bass...I can see why a stereo mag would dig it for the sound alone, but the music's great too.

Soundgarden: Superunknown to me was a bit of a dissapointment after Badmotorfinger. Maybe the soudn quality is why its on there, but personally, anytime I wanna play Soundgarden, I grab Badmotorfinger, which admittedly is pretty average sound quality wise.

David Johansen & The Harry Smiths: Shaker is great both sound and performance. Its new versions of old folk blues tunes. The band is great, Johansen pulls it off fantastically with his vocals and the sound is one of the best acoustic CDs I've got. Shouldn't forget the first one, simply called David Johansen & The Harry Smiths. Its every bit as good if not even better.


Thanks for the feedback...K&D was actually one of my favorites from the free, quick listening sessions that iTunes allows. It seems Ben Finane of Stereophile shares your feelings on the mastering of the "SuperUnknown" original release, it..."unfortunately, still cries out to be remastered." My hope was that out of these 17 releases, there might be some familiarity on RR. You came through and I appreciate your feedback! Have a great weekend.

[Dave_G]

I can't believe 'ol Stereophile recommends a dual disc, (ac/dc)

Dualdisc sucks hippo balls.

Dave

[BradH]

Clapton's DVD of the Crossroads festival is not a music video.

It's an out-of-body experience.

[Davey]

Clapton's DVD of the Crossroads festival is not a music video.

It's an out-of-body experience.
Yeah, they've shown both that and the Cream concert on PBS a bunch of times. Lots of good moments on the guitar fest but I thought the Cream concert was kind of a snoozer. At least I never stayed very long on it before surfing, usually when Clapton started in on the obligatory solo in every song. Probably woulda been fun to be there, though.

[Stone]

8. The Band: S/T, 1969 LP (M. Fremer)


I can't imagine you not liking this one.





12. XTC: Skylarking, CD, 1986 (B. Gulla) -- I owned this a long time ago (MFSL)


And now I own it.

[BradH]

Lots of good moments on the guitar fest but I thought the Cream concert was kind of a snoozer.

Haven't seen the Cream reunion. Sure don't want to pay for it. Maybe I'll catch it on PBS when they're doing those godawful pledge drives.

The Crossroads DVD is killer, especially if you like guitars. Hands down, the best music performance film of any kind I've ever seen. Every performance is top notch like they all came hot to play. Hell, Joe Walsh with Booker T & The MG's doing "Funk 49" is almost worth the price of the thing. I don't know what happened to Jeff Beck or Metheny, maybe there'll be a volume two or something.

[3-LockBox]

Do you mean R2D4, records to die for? and not, records to die to :p

I haven't been to Stereophile's website in years. I used to go there all the time (back when I was an audiophool). I used to read the DIY section and the tweaks section. I even contributed to the weekly rant section a few times (I wonder how far back their archives go?)

But, go figure, their picks are based on sound quality and not so much content.

Maybe I'll stroll back over there and take a look-see.

[Swish]

I usually enjoy reading Stereophile's annual recommended recordings, having been a catalyst in a few great finds in prior years. Good news: in the 2006 edition, several recommendations included performances that didn't necessarily have the best sonics but the reviewer recommended the music/video content anyway. Here are 17 that are of interest and I was curious if you have any comments or opinion:

1. Cream: Royal Albert Hall, London May 2-3-5-6 2005, 2 DVD-Vs (J. Atkinson/J. Iverson)

2. Eric Clapton & Various: Crossroads Guitar Festival, 2 DVD-Vs (J. Atkinson)

3. Kruder & Dorfmeister: K&D Sessions, 2 CDs (P. Bolin)

4. Bob Florence: Friends, Treasures, Heroes, CD (T. Conrad)

5. AC/DC: Back in Black Remastered 25th Anniversary Edition, DualDisc (B. Damkroger)

6. Mott the Hoople: Brain Capers, LP/CD (A. Dudley)

7. Soundgarden: Superunknown, 1994 CD (B. Finane)

8. The Band: S/T, 1969 LP (M. Fremer)

9. The National: Alligator, CD, 2005 (M. Fritch)

10. Deadicated: Various Artists, 2004 CD (L. Greenhill)

11. The Bee Gees: Odessa, CD (B. Gulla)

12. XTC: Skylarking, CD, 1986 (B. Gulla) -- I owned this a long time ago (MFSL)

13. Keb' Mo': Peace...Back By Popular Demand, CD (K. Kessler)

14. The Crickets: Bubblegum, Bop, Ballads & Boogie, UK LP 1973 (K. Kessler)

15. David Johansen and the Harry Smiths: Shaker, CD (D. Lander)

16. The Complete Norman Granz Jam Sessions: V/A, 5 mono CDs (J. Marks)

17. Patti Smith: Gone Again, CD (F. Mills)

Thanks,
Ag

and figured you meant R2D4. Anyway, you gotta get The National record, if only because it was one of my favorites from last year. And Skylarking is one of my favorites of all freakin' time, so you gotta have that. Can't go wrong with Mott the Hoople or Patti Smith either, but I could give a rat's rump about Cream, except the original stuff.

Swish

[Davey]

DBut, go figure, their picks are based on sound quality and not so much content.
Not sure that's true, at least not for many of the people involved. Lots of classic rock from the Stones and Marley and Dylan and AC/DC and the Who and Clash and tons of others. And lots of semi-obscure artists that don't normally get much mention. Also lots of classic jazz, most of which sounds great because that was how it was recorded back then, but still classic music nonetheless. And lots of more recent stuff I wouldn't consider that good sounding either. But yeah, you'll see many of the audiophile standards in there too, although some of them have become standards because they sound great and also are great music. Not all of them, for sure ;)

[3-LockBox]

But yeah, you'll see many of the audiophile standards in there too, although some of them have become standards because they sound great and also are great music. Not all of them, for sure ;)


Not a slam against most of their picks. My remark was a recollection from the past when I'd go to some audiophile's house and he'd play certain albums to show off his system. I'd do the same in my car as well. Looking back, I don't think audiophiles ever played more than 1 minute of any track. We audiophiles listened to gear, not music.

But my brethren here at RR changed me. And now I blow all my money on new CDs instead iso-mats and cables (insert winky here)

[Dusty Chalk]

Mebbe she meant Records To Die To.

[Audio Girl]

Thanks to all who contributed. I purchased the Keb Mo today, and it is a winner. Didn't have much luck finding the others on my immediate R2D4 CD purchase list (The Band, K&D, "Deadicated", The National).

Picked up Marty Stuart's & His Fabulous Superlatives "Soul's Chapel" because of a rec here...plus Rosanne Cash's "Black Cadillac". Have only had a chance to hear a couple of cuts off of MS's CD because most of my time has been focused on the Cash and Keb Mo CDs. I have a feeling that RC's effort will make many "Best of 2006" lists, including mine. Stellar lyrics, melodies, and excellent mastering. Highly recommended. The song, "I Was Watching You" about her father is worth the price of admission. Also picked up a remastered copy of "Never a Dull Moment" in the cheapie closeout bin. Haven't had a chance to listen to it yet but looking forward to hearing soon.

Thanks again...Davey, I don't know why you deleted your response. It was an excellent snapshot of many of the selections and will definitely have a positive impact on which ones will be purchased.