So, are we not doing the Tuesday thingy? [Archive]

nobody

04-06-2004, 10:51 AM

I'm always up for a Tuesday thread. Been listening to a bunch of different stuff lately…

Some oldies…

Chet Akins: A Session with Chet Atkins, and Guitar Genius
Excellent guitar work on both of these, first one is all instrumentals, mostly classics. The second features his brother James on vocals on half the tracks and features more then current tunes like an instrumental cover of Heartbreak Hotel. The less familiar tunes are stronger to my ears. Good stuff on both of ‘em.

Les Paul and Mary Ford: Warm & Wonderful
More classic guitar work. Pop songs across the board, nothing groundbreaking. But, the guitar work is again spectacular. There’s a reason everyone knows the name Les Paul, even if they haven’t actually heard the guy. His wife’s vocals compliment things nicely. If you like to hear Brian Setzer play Sleepwalk, this kind of thing would likely be right up your alley.

Some 80s stuff…

Love and Rockets: Express and Earth, Sun, Moon
These records seem to hold up well to me. Express is more upbeat than Earth, Sun, Moon. Both of them have swirling atmospheric guitars. For me, these are by far the best two Love and Rockets releases, although I do have songs that I like from most of their records.

New Order: Substance
Simply a wonderful compilation of their biggest hits up ‘til its 1987 release. I’ve got the vinyl version, which is the same as disc 1 of the 2 CD version. I still think of anything put out after this as “new” New Order. Along with Power, Corruption and Lies, this is my favorite New Order.

Prince: 1999
Still dragging out all my Prince stuff. This one is simply fantastic. Came out right before Purple Rain went through the roof. Starts out with the three hits all together on side one, the title track, Little Red Corvette, and delirious. The rest of the collection is a bit less focused but always funky set on tunes. Great stuff.

Jazz…

The Greatest Jazz Concert of All Time
2 LP set with a rather optimistic title to say the least. Still, they may just be right. This is the same stuff from the Jazz at Massey Hall recordings, featuring an all star band with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Bud Powell, and Max Roach. With a lineup like that, it’s hard to imagine anything bad coming out of this event. Nice playing and they sound good together.

And some newer stuff…

Iron & Wine
Was recently hooked up with their whole catalog, and have been listening to it a lot. Country/folk tinged acoustic stuff. It’s been drawing me in over and over. I;ve seen quite a few people mention them and I can see why.

Bonnie “Prince” Billy: sings Greatest Palace Songs
I’ve seen reviewers having a cow over this thing. I guess these songs are sacred to some of these folks and were recorded like crap in a bathroom or something. Anyway, everything I’ve seen about this starts out with the whole mess of how could he record with good musicians in a good studio in Nashville and other such meandering. Bottom line, these are good songs, well done. OK, he sounds like he might crack a smile once in a while. If that’s a problem, stay away. Otherwise, this is a great LP. And for you vinyl fans, side 4 rocks.

Still listening to Savath & Savalas, Handsome Family and others. Put on Marvin Gaye: Superhits the other day. Actually really enjoyed listening to Elvis’s gospel record the name of which I forget. Others as well, but that’s plenty for now.

mad rhetorik

04-06-2004, 11:00 AM

DarrenH

04-06-2004, 11:00 AM

Miles Davis - Pangaea
Zappa - Weasels Ripped My Flesh
Cryptic Vision - Moments of Clarity
Super Furry Animals - Rings Around The World (2CD version)
Radiohead - OK Computer
Tull - A Passion Play
Tull - Minstrel In The Gallery
Tull - Warchild
Tull - A. This is the remaster from Japan. Watched the Slipstream vid also.
Tull - Stormwatch. Again, the remaster from Japan.

Very cool Camel DVD titled Coming Of Age. I'm on the hunt for some more Camel CD's now.

Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around
Waylon Jennings - Ultimate Waylon Jennings

Darren

Dave_G

04-06-2004, 11:02 AM

I love that Pallas cd.

Actually I listened to the Yes TFTO Rhino remaster, some Sparks, some UFO, and the Neil Young comp, and Strawbs and Tr3nity.

Dave

Ex Lion Tamer

04-06-2004, 11:17 AM

And various tracks by Krokus, Triumph, The Make-Up, Wire, Bonnie "Prince" Billy.

Triumph? I'm starting to think you might just be a closet Canadian.

Go Habs Go!

-Jar-

04-06-2004, 11:36 AM

Listened to lots of dark, depressing stuff over the weekend:

Joy Division: Closer, Unknown Pleasures, and Substance
The Cure: Pornography
Pink Floyd: The Wall
Neil Young: Tonight's The Night
Nirvana: In Utero and Unplugged
Alice In Chains: Jar Of Flies
Opeth: Damnation
Slint: Spiderland
Massive Attack: Mezzanine

My mood has improved since, so I popped in some sunnier music:

The Stone Roses: self-titled
Weezer: Blue
Jon Spencer Blues Xplosion: Orange
Smashing Pumpkins: Siamese Dream

this could easily be my list on some other week... (back before I was a daddy and had the time to listen to this much music in a week..) basically you just listed several of my all-time favorites.. you didn't listen to LOVELESS and NEW DAY RISING too did you??

:D

dude, I swear, I bet our collections overlap by at least 50%.. probably even more..

There was one other guy I met who's collection matched mine really closely.. he was over visiting and was looking at my cds.. and said.. dude! did you steal my collection??

-jar

Troy

04-06-2004, 11:38 AM

Pink Floyd- Animals. Toldja I'd listen to it. It's really good, eh?

A Clockwork Orange Soundtrack. Love that old Moog junk. About as close to classical as I get.

XTC- Nonsuch. Books ARE burning.

Blur- Modern Life is Rubbish. Their best album.

Peter Gabriel 1. The Burgermeister IS moribund. Undervalued album.

Flower Kings- Stardust disc 2. Yep. I like it, but I'm a candy ass.

Eric Matthews- It's Heavy in Here. Beatles based pop.

William Orbit- Strange Cargo- Sooooooooo 80s!

Elton John- Honkey Chateau. Love it.

Adventures of Jet- Muscle. Bought on FP's suggestion for a couple bucks. Sounds like The Cars and all the songs are about street racing and muscle cars. Silly.

Laika and the Cosmonauts- Local Warming. A new one from them. Their best album! The writing is much improved and that Ventures sound, more refined.

Robyn Hitchcock- Queen Elvis. Yes, he really sings "If I was man enough, I'd come on your stump". Very strange jangle pop.

Making more Garageband musics. It brings extreme pleasure into my day.

-Jar-

04-06-2004, 11:41 AM

Triumph? I'm starting to think you might just be a closet Canadian.

Go Habs Go!

I still slap on THUNDER SEVEN every once in a while...

mad rhetorik

04-06-2004, 11:48 AM

this could easily be my list on some other week... (back before I was a daddy and had the time to listen to this much music in a week..) basically you just listed several of my all-time favorites.. you didn't listen to LOVELESS and NEW DAY RISING too did you??

:D

dude, I swear, I bet our collections overlap by at least 50%.. probably even more..

There was one other guy I met who's collection matched mine really closely.. he was over visiting and was looking at my cds.. and said.. dude! did you steal my collection??

-jar

I do own Loveless and New Day Rising. I'll listen to them later.

I may have indeed stolen your collection. Check it again. ; p

tentoze

04-06-2004, 12:14 PM

Not me, no-sir-ree.

DaveArright, I'm playing briefly:

Espers- read a review of this on pitchfork a couple of months ago that piqued my interest, and Big B's had a copy last wk-end, so it am mine now. Not being a labeloligist, I guess this is psych-folk stuff. A trio playing 6 & 12-strings, dulcimers, chimes, and stuff- the front guy singing dark tunes with additional vocal interest added by a female with an angel's voice. And then when you think it's a nice folky thang going on, a storm of acid-tinged electric guitar builds slowly from the distance until it's all up in yr grill. This is very interesting stuff. What little I could find on the Web shows them playing gigs with Damon & Naomi at times- and I can see that being a good fit. Recommended.

Iron & Wine's latest release- more polished than the 1st, excellent throughout. Sam Beam makes gentle masterpieces.

A bunch of other stuff, but thosee are the new ones, and dang good they are.

:D

Stone

04-06-2004, 12:19 PM

Triumph? I'm starting to think you might just be a closet Canadian.

I've been accused of having a Canadian accent, whateverthehell that means. I also got slapped a couple weeks ago by a Canadian woman,* so if that's what being a Canadian is all about, no thanks. I'm proud to be a kind, gentle, humble AMERICAN. :)

Oh yeah, Triumph. Rae was at my place and I was displaying my best music by playing some Krokus on vinyl ("Midnite Maniac" to be specific). He mentioned how he saw this Triumph DVD with cheesy videos, and on cue I pulled out my Allied Forces CD. I played "Fool For Your Love" and "Magic Power." I admit to really liking the former quite a bit, and have since the album came out.

Speaking of Canadian artists, have your heard of Controller.Controller?

EDIT: Also, speaking of "Lock up your hats!" I listened to part of A Bell Is a Cup ..., including "Boiling Boy" yesterday.

*Disclaimer: This is a woman I know and work with and we were both hammered. I (apparently - I don't remember) made a crude comment to someone else and got smacked.

JDaniel

04-06-2004, 05:37 PM

Not me, no-sir-ree.

Dave
Hey, sorry we couldn't hook up whilst I was in Atlanta last week. Had a blast there though.

My playlist for the week:

Jimmie Dale Gilmore - Spinning Around The Sun

Robben Ford - Keep On Running

SRV & Double Trouble - Texas Flood Remaster

The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 1

The Best Of John Prine

Jeffrey Foucault - Miles From The Lightning

Junior Wells - Everybody's Gettin Some

The Band of Blacky Ranchette - Still Looking Good To Me

Damien Rice - O

and my own Lyle Lovett comp I just cooked up - Gotta Lovett, with songs spanning 6 or 7 albums.

Been spinning lots of vinyl too - Linda Ronstadt, Elton John, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Rolling Stones.

Oh, and working on CRSv9, which is done except for 3 slackers (you know who you are).

JD

Dusty Chalk

04-06-2004, 08:17 PM

I been listening to a "Mr. Sunshine" and quite enjoying it. Nice unorthodox song structures and melodies, and the production is surprisingly good for a "bedroom boffin".

Amongst other things, of course. Lots of depressing stuff -- Diary of Dreams, The Devics, and that classical disc I mentioned the other day.
Love and Rockets: Express and Earth, Sun, Moon
These records seem to hold up well to me. Express is more upbeat than Earth, Sun, Moon. Both of them have swirling atmospheric guitars. For me, these are by far the best two Love and Rockets releases, although I do have songs that I like from most of their records.Have you heard Lift -- released later than their "golden era", but still quite good. Actually fits in more well with post-rock/neo-psychedelic path that recent The Church recordings have trodden. Quite good -- I revisited it again, recently, and was surprised how much I enjoyed it.

Stone

04-07-2004, 03:56 AM

Oh, and working on CRSv9, which is done except for 3 slackers (you know who you are).

JD

Mine's on its way (sent yesterday).

Ex Lion Tamer

04-07-2004, 07:08 AM

I've been accused of having a Canadian accent, whateverthehell that means.

That means that you say "eh" at the end of every sentence.

Funny, I've been accused of having an American accent, specifically, New York/Brooklyn, people have said the same thing about my daughters.

Oh yeah, Triumph. Rae was at my place and I was displaying my best music by playing some Krokus on vinyl ("Midnite Maniac" to be specific). He mentioned how he saw this Triumph DVD with cheesy videos, and on cue I pulled out my Allied Forces CD. I played "Fool For Your Love" and "Magic Power." I admit to really liking the former quite a bit, and have since the album came out.

Triumph falls into the same category for me as bands like Max Webster, April Wine, Helix, Honeymoon Suite, Aldo Nova, Glass Tiger...bands that were thrust on the Canadian public despite their lack of any meaningful songwriting talent, because of the CRTC (equivalent of the FCC), rules for Canadian content - sort of a musical affirmative action. These "rules" have created for me, a (perhaps false) perception, that most Canadian bands who get airplay in Canada, and not in the U.S. are utter crap, popular here only because of content rules. Given your and Jar's endorsement of Triumph, maybe I'm wrong, obn them anyway. Any other cheesy Canadian 80's bands that you think are wothwhile?

Speaking of Canadian artists, have your heard of Controller.Controller?

Nope, I'll check them out, but only if you think I should.

EDIT: Also, speaking of "Lock up your hats!" I listened to part of A Bell Is a Cup ..., including "Boiling Boy" yesterday.

A fine album, highly underrated (at least by me, up to now.)

Stone

04-07-2004, 08:11 AM

Triumph falls into the same category for me as bands like Max Webster, April Wine, Helix, Honeymoon Suite, Aldo Nova, Glass Tiger...bands that were thrust on the Canadian public despite their lack of any meaningful songwriting talent, because of the CRTC (equivalent of the FCC), rules for Canadian content - sort of a musical affirmative action. These "rules" have created for me, a (perhaps false) perception, that most Canadian bands who get airplay in Canada, and not in the U.S. are utter crap, popular here only because of content rules. Given your and Jar's endorsement of Triumph, maybe I'm wrong, obn them anyway. Any other cheesy Canadian 80's bands that you think are wothwhile?

Not sure of any other "cheesy" Canadian 80s bands I think are worthwhile, but I think you should add Platinum Blonde to your list. Man, they were in constant rotation on MuchMusic in the mid-80s. Triumph did make a small splash in the states, as did April Wine, Aldo Nova and Glass Tiger. None of them were ever huge here, though. I do have a Honeymoon Suite album, but I don't think I've ever listened to it, and it's not at the top of my priority list.

Nope, I'll check them out, but only if you think I should.

I've never heard them, just read a few things about them (and that they're supposed to be the next hot thing outta Canada), so don't purchase it based on anything I say.

A fine album, highly underrated (at least by me, up to now.)

I like it a lot too. Do you have Manscape or any of the Wir stuff? If so, is it worth checking out?

Stone

P.S. How could you possibly call a song with lyrics like these "cheesy":

Just between you and me
Baby I know our love will be,
Just between you and me
Always I know our love will be,
Just between you and me

Lovers often seem to say
Hearts can be blind to love gone astray,
Always it's the same old song,
Someone's been hurt by love that's gone wrong.

ForeverAutumn

04-07-2004, 08:37 AM

Triumph falls into the same category for me as bands like Max Webster, April Wine, Helix, Honeymoon Suite, Aldo Nova, Glass Tiger...bands that were thrust on the Canadian public despite their lack of any meaningful songwriting talent, because of the CRTC (equivalent of the FCC), rules for Canadian content - sort of a musical affirmative action. These "rules" have created for me, a (perhaps false) perception, that most Canadian bands who get airplay in Canada, and not in the U.S. are utter crap, popular here only because of content rules. Given your and Jar's endorsement of Triumph, maybe I'm wrong, obn them anyway. Any other cheesy Canadian 80's bands that you think are wothwhile?

Hey Mark, I really have to disagree with you on the Triumph front. I grew up listening to most of the bands that you mentioned above and would agree with you about the CRTC rules on some accounts, but I don't think that Triumph would be in that category. In fact, Triumph was successful in the US, not just in Canada.

I think that Triumph rocked in their day. They were good, clean, rock and roll fun. Their songs always had a positive note. Sure, that might have made some of the lyrics cheesy, but so what. I've heard a lot worse as far as lyrics go. And, while the talent levels of Levine and Moore were nothing to write home about, Rik Emmett was highly under-rated as a guitarist.

While you rate Triumph with the likes of Helix and Honeymoon Suite, I would put them up there with Rush and Saga.

Triumph may not have been your cup of tea, but you should give some of Rik Emmett's solo stuff a listen. I think that you'll be surprised at how good he is.

Davey

04-07-2004, 09:20 AM

Electrelane - The Power Out
Hey Stoney, whadya think about that Electrelane? That one has my curiosity peaked. Heard some very nice things about it. Seems like something JC might be all over, but one I might really like too. I know that Albini took them into his studio for this one and that they're on Too Pure now, past and present home of some of my other faves like Laika, Stereolab, PJ Harvey, etc. Anyway, if you feel like it I'd love to hear your first impressions. I can order it for under $10 so it's not a big risk, but might as well take advantage of your good taste when available :) BTW, nice review by Heather Phares at AMG- she's my favorite of their long time reviewers and we have pretty similar taste.

NP: Modest Mouse - the fun new one

Ex Lion Tamer

04-07-2004, 09:33 AM

Hey Mark, I really have to disagree with you on the Triumph front. I grew up listening to most of the bands that you mentioned above and would agree with you about the CRTC rules on some accounts, but I don't think that Triumph would be in that category. In fact, Triumph was successful in the US, not just in Canada.

I know that I am being unfair to not only Triumph, but all the bands I listed, as whatever I heard on the radio was all I knew of them, so there may well have been quality music coming from any of them. My rant was more against the CRTC and the perception that it fostered in me that I was being force-fed "Canadian" music. Compound this with the fact that the 1980s saw a general malaise, (again my perception) in radio programming, so I started looking elsewhere...college radio, underground and british music press, word of mouth, for new and interesting music to me. There could have been all kinds of worthy Canadian bands, but if there was no underground buzz about them, I ignored them.

As far as Triumph is concerned, I have heard a lot of good things about Rik Emmett, so I'm sure lumping them in with Honeymoon Suite is probably wrong. But they were part of the late 70's early 80s hard rock scene that included bands like Rush, Styx, Heart, Toto, Journey, Asia, Boston that, though they made up a staple of my listening diet in high school, by the time London Calling came out, in 1980, I simply had no interest anymore.

Triumph may not have been your cup of tea, but you should give some of Rik Emmett's solo stuff a listen. I think that you'll be surprised at how good he is.

Thanks Autumn, I just may do that.

And a quick word about the playoffs, which start tonite, for me anyway. Doesn't this just feel like a great year. The East is so wide open, I wouldn't be surprised if any one of 7 teams make it to the finals. The only one that would surprise me is the Islanders, and yet, I'm picking them to upset Tampa Bay in round 1. Good luck to the Leafs. But please don't mistake the polite well-wishing as rooting for them in any way. Not gonna happen. I just like way too much the fact that since the leafs last cup win, the Habs have won...

10! :D

Stone

04-07-2004, 12:28 PM

Hey Stoney, whadya think about that Electrelane? That one has my curiosity peaked. Heard some very nice things about it. Seems like something JC might be all over, but one I might really like too.

I like it quite a bit. I haven't spent a ton of time with it, but I've spun it a few times and like it more with each listen. Stylistically it varies quite a bit throughout the album (sometimes sounding like 80s synth pop, sometimes straightforward indie rock, sometimes delving into a moody spacy feel, etc.), but it's all good, including a great number sung by a choir. Interesting stuff. I'm sure JC would like it and I bet you would too.

Electrelane track coming soon to a CRS comp near you.

-Jar-

04-07-2004, 01:21 PM

Helix!

Gimme an R! (R!!)
O! (O!!)
C! (C!!)
K! (K!!)
Whatcha Got? (ROCK!!)
Wan Whatcha Gonna Do?? (ROCK YOU!!)

hehe.. I even had the album before that (NO REST FOR THE WICKED, 1983) with "Heavy Metal Love" and "Check out the Love" - very catchy for a pop metal band.. yea, back in 83/84, if it was metal, I bought it. Remember Kick Axe?? Heavy Metal Shuffle! God that sounds so lame today... but I could listen and rock out to that album, simply for nostalgia's sake.. (VICES, 1984)

-jar

Slosh

04-07-2004, 02:08 PM

NP: Modest Mouse - the fun new one

Me too. Hey, what are the chances of that?

Davey

04-07-2004, 02:54 PM

Me too. Hey, what are the chances of that?
You're kidding! Why, the odds must be astronomical! Just got your This Tainted Life crapilation and starting to give it a spin. Hey, this is kind of a cool sloshmix, my friend. Thanks. Not much new this time, but always an interesting mix of tunes and a nice listen. Did you make it for anyone in particular? Is that a new font you're using? Looks like it might be kinda like a recent spins type of thing. That BHP song that closes it is a good one...Three has a real nice sound. Nice touch with the Wilco track from that PBS concert. I was gonna see them down in Tucson at the end of the month, but guess that will probably be postponed now that Tweedy is in painkiller rehab. Hope they reschedule but I haven't heard anything yet about refunds or whatnot.

Slosh

04-07-2004, 03:11 PM

Did you make it for anyone in particular?

Yes! Me! :D

Yeah, not much there you don't have but I think it's a pretty good listen so I figured why not? Just needed something different for my drive to work plus it gives you (and a few others) a chance to hear a bit of The Cansecos. Even cddb never heard of them ;)

ForeverAutumn

04-08-2004, 04:59 AM

Helix!

Gimme an R! (R!!)
O! (O!!)
C! (C!!)
K! (K!!)
Whatcha Got? (ROCK!!)
Wan Whatcha Gonna Do?? (ROCK YOU!!)

-jar

Toronto's National League Lacrosse team is called the Toronto Rock. This song is played after almost every Rock goal and lacrosse games usually end with scores in the teens. So, as you can imagine, this Helix song gets played A LOT at Rock games. (I hope they're getting royalties).

Well, a couple of games ago, there was a guy sitting a couple of rows behind us who was really into the game....yelling and cheering and yahooing, and just having a great time. As the game went on, he got more vocal (probably the beer kicking in). After a Rock goal, they played the Helix song. This guy was yelling "Gimme an R", "Gimme an O", at the top of his lungs. Then he got to "watcha got", but instead he yelled....

"What does that spell?"

We cracked up and it kept up going for the rest of the night. After that, every goal had us yelling "what does that spell?".

Yeah, like I said....you had to be there. :D

nobody

04-08-2004, 09:11 AM

Have you heard Lift -- released later than their "golden era", but still quite good. Actually fits in more well with post-rock/neo-psychedelic path that recent The Church recordings have trodden. Quite good -- I revisited it again, recently, and was surprised how much I enjoyed it.

Don't know if I've heard that one or not. I'll keeo an eye out and give it a listen if I get a chance. Thanks for the head's up.

bobsticks

06-15-2010, 12:50 PM

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4115zXmEarL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

I think this one would go over well with alot of the hipsters here...good sq with some solid backwoods, bluesy, bluegrass, punky-at-times pop...

Product Description:

Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs, the London-based duo now relocated to the backwoods of Georgia, will release their new album Medicine County (Transdreamer Records) on March 30, 2010.

Regarding the move to Georgia, Holly says, 'It resembles Texas enough to keep Dave's gun collection. Future plans for the farm include moonshining, recording studio, miniature animal ranching, illegal architecture, and founding the one true church.'

Their music is a lo-fi stew of blues, country and rockabilly, at once avant-garde and old-timey. Playboy.com says, 'Golightly s songs are so fresh and timeless they could have been recorded yesterday or 40 years ago.' Entertainment Weekly called her 'a truly appealing tunesmith.'

Holly Golightly kicked off her musical career in Thee Headcoatees, the legendary all-girl garage band, closely affiliated with U.K. cult legend Billy Childish. She spent eight years as a Headcoatee, and during those years released her first solo record, The Good Things, in 1995. She has appeared on multiple collaborative albums, including the title track for the Jim Jarmusch movie Broken Flowers with The Greenhornes. Together with Billy Childish, where the two celebrate One Chord, One Sound, One Song on the album In Blood. Holly also guested on The White Stripes (Well It's True That) We Love One Another from their platinum selling Elephant. Holly Golightly's discography is a cacophony of albums (studio and live), EPs, singles and 10-inch LPs and iTunes-only releases, and of course, the critically-acclaimed album Dirt Don't Hurt.

3LB

06-15-2010, 01:16 PM

I been hittin the fusion pretty hard lately myself. One album of note is a rather recent effort by an indie band, The Power Triplets, (I believe their debut) Ta-Da!. Great rock instrumental with jazz leanings, this isn't a Zappa wannabe, nor is it shred in disguise. No big names involved or psuedo-guests, so no one player takes center stage for too long.

Pat D

06-17-2010, 06:52 AM

That's what I always feel like here because my interests in music seem rather different from most here, although I know that Dusty Chalk and some others listen to some classical music, too.

In church, I perform all sorts of more recent compositions or supposedly folky things, with a few 'traditional' hymns. Very little of it offers me any vocal challenge, though there are interpretive challenges. But my listening is mostly classical--that is Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern. My wife's son has been ill and staying with us, so my listening is somewhat limited as they have different preferences. Some of the things I have played recently are:

Mozart, String Quintets, with the Quatuor Talich plus Karel Rehak, viola and Bohuslav Zahradnik, clarinet (in the Clarinet Quintet). Calliope CAL 3231.3, 3 CD set. These are very gracious and musical performances.

Franck, The Great Organ Works Vol. 1. Eric Lebrun, organ. Naxos 8.554697. Franck was one of the more original composers for organ, possibly second only to J. S. Bach. These are excellent performances, very well recorded.

Mussorgsky-Ravel, Pictures at an Exhibition; Prokofiev, Lt. Kije and Classical Symphony (his no. 1). Ernest Ansermet, Suisse Romande Orchestra. London Weekend Classics 421 019-2. This is my favorite Pictures, quite well recorded, and the other two are excellent performances as well.

Debussy, La mer, Nocturnes, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. Ansermet, SRO. These are very good, and I like a lot of what Ansermet did. Somone brought up Ansermet on another forum so I got out some of his recordings and listened to them again before replying. This is not my favorite recording of La Mer (which is Reiner's), but it is very good; the strings are a bit bright on climaxes. Some think the Prelude is done too fast.

De Falla, The Three-cornered Hat*, interludio y danza from La Vida Breve, and El Amor Brujo**. Teresa Berganza, sop.* and Marina de Gabarain mezzo-sop.** Ansermet, SRO. London 289 466 991-2. These classic recordings were pretty good anyway, but this is the sonically refurbished Legends issue. Very atmospheric.

Stone

06-17-2010, 07:34 AM

*Disclaimer: This is a woman I know and work with and we were both hammered. I (apparently - I don't remember) made a crude comment to someone else and got smacked.

Wow, this thread is a blast from the past.

I really wish I could remember the episode that is the subject of the disclaimer I posted back in 2004.

And hey Pat, how have you been?

bobsticks

06-17-2010, 01:13 PM

That's what I always feel like here because my interests in music seem rather different from most here, although I know that Dusty Chalk and some others listen to some classical music, too.
Franck was one of the more original composers for organ, possibly second only to J. S. Bach. These are excellent performances, very well recorded.

Debussy, La mer, Nocturnes, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. Ansermet, SRO. These are very good, and I like a lot of what Ansermet did. Somone brought up Ansermet on another forum so I got out some of his recordings and listened to them again before replying. This is not my favorite recording of La Mer (which is Reiner's), but it is very good; the strings are a bit bright on climaxes. Some think the Prelude is done too fast.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51EK4C1JFVL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

I have a Deutsche Grammophon disc with De l'aube a midi sur la mer, Jeux de vagues and Dialogue du vent et de la mer. It's Boulez in Cleveland, circa '95 or '96 I believe, and to these ears it sounded mighty good...

Pat D

06-17-2010, 07:08 PM

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51EK4C1JFVL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

I have a Deutsche Grammophon disc with De l'aube a midi sur la mer, Jeux de vagues and Dialogue du vent et de la mer. It's Boulez in Cleveland, circa '95 or '96 I believe, and to these ears it sounded mighty good...

I'm sure it is. After all, Boulez is a major conductor and the Cleveland Orchestra is world class. The reviews at Amazon.com are mostly stellar. Actually, if that recording is imprinted on your mind, it is quite likely to keep on sounding mighty good, and others may not sound quite right.

There are far more recordings that I have never heard than those I have heard, and this is one of them. I've been building my collection for many years and so many of my recordings are quite old. If I have recordings of a work that I really like, I don't usually look hard for others; instead, I tend to look for recordings of works I don't have.

bobsticks

06-18-2010, 05:50 PM

I'm sure it is. After all, Boulez is a major conductor and the Cleveland Orchestra is world class. The reviews at Amazon.com are mostly stellar. Actually, if that recording is imprinted on your mind, it is quite likely to keep on sounding mighty good, and others may not sound quite right.

There are far more recordings that I have never heard than those I have heard, and this is one of them. I've been building my collection for many years and so many of my recordings are quite old. If I have recordings of a work that I really like, I don't usually look hard for others; instead, I tend to look for recordings of works I don't have.

That approach makes a lot of sense and is one I've been drifting toward. As a classical neophyte, I spent the first few years in this hobby comparing different versions of specific pieces. While fun in a clinical and comparative sense it becomes old after a while and I no longer feel the need to hear what the "well-heeled experts" discern.

Pat D

06-19-2010, 02:24 PM

That approach makes a lot of sense and is one I've been drifting toward. As a classical neophyte, I spent the first few years in this hobby comparing different versions of specific pieces. While fun in a clinical and comparative sense it becomes old after a while and I no longer feel the need to hear what the "well-heeled experts" discern.

Ah yes! The "well-heeled experts," who probably get recordings sent to them in hopes of a review anyway . . . Never could quite afford that, myself, though I do have multiple recordings of some pieces, notably the Beethoven symphonies (sets by Ansermet, Karajan 1962, Leibowitz, and Suitner). In classical, there tends to be a lot of emphasis on the composer, though star performers like Paganini, Horowitz, Caruso, Nilsson, and Bernstein have long had a prominent place place, too.

Actually, my wife and I have been listening to a lot of radio drama on BBC7 lately. There are also a lot of old-time radio dramas available on the net, such as the Lux Radio Theatre hosted by Cecil B. DeMildew, as I believe a Bugs Bunny character called him. Here's a link to the BBC7 home page:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio7/

We rather like the dramatisations of detective stories about Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, and Dorothy Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio7/programmes/genres/drama/current

Feanor

06-19-2010, 04:27 PM

That approach makes a lot of sense and is one I've been drifting toward. As a classical neophyte, I spent the first few years in this hobby comparing different versions of specific pieces. While fun in a clinical and comparative sense it becomes old after a while and I no longer feel the need to hear what the "well-heeled experts" discern.
Hi, there, 'Sticks, Pat,

In the last day-and-half I listened through a bunch of "Violin Concert No.1"s ...

= Beethoven: D major, Op.61 ~ Perlman; Barenboim /Berlin Phil

= Brahms: in D, Op.77 ~ Mutter; Karajan /Berlin Phil

= Mendelssohn: E minor, Op.64 ~ Heifetz; Munch /Boston Sym

= Tchaikovsky: in D, Op.35 ~ Mullova; Ozawa /Boston Sym

= Bartok: No.1, Sz. 36, BB 48a ~ Sitkovetsky; Pesek /Philharmonia

= Prokofiev: No.1, D major, Op.19 ~ Josefowicz; Dutoit /O.S. de Montreal

= Shostakovich: No.1, A minor, Op.99 ~ Mordkovitch; N.Jarvi /Scottish National

= Moeran: Violin Concerto ~ Mordkovitch; Handley /Ulster

= Walton: Violin Concerto ~ Dong-Suk Kang; Daniel /English Northern Phil

= Barber: Op.14 ~ Takezawa; Slatkin /Saint Louis Sym

I enjoyed them all. But maybe the least the Moeran and Brahms -- as ever with Brahms, great engineering and polite but ultimately cloying sentimentality. Best probably the Shostakovitch -- none more sensitive and evocative than his No.1; the violin part in the third movement is exceedingly beautiful.

bobsticks

06-20-2010, 04:24 PM

Ah yes! The "well-heeled experts," who probably get recordings sent to them in hopes of a review anyway . . . Never could quite afford that, myself, though I do have multiple recordings of some pieces, notably the Beethoven symphonies (sets by Ansermet, Karajan 1962, Leibowitz, and Suitner). In classical, there tends to be a lot of emphasis on the composer, though star performers like Paganini, Horowitz, Caruso, Nilsson, and Bernstein have long had a prominent place place, too.

Actually, my wife and I have been listening to a lot of radio drama on BBC7 lately. There are also a lot of old-time radio dramas available on the net, such as the Lux Radio Theatre hosted by Cecil B. DeMildew, as I believe a Bugs Bunny character called him. Here's a link to the BBC7 home page:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio7/

We rather like the dramatisations of detective stories about Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, and Dorothy Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio7/programmes/genres/drama/current

It's funny (interesting not "ha-ha") that you would mention that. My first LP's were in fact not music but old time radio shows that my Grandfather bought me. I remember the old Shelock Holmes very well indeed...and a few others. Peter Lorre did something called "The Crimson Mask" that scared the beejeebas out of me when I was six.

And speaking of big name performers, Feanor, your list has quite a few. Names like Ozawa, Heifitz, Munch and certainly Mutter are almost autopicks. Jarvi used to be until that horrible Cinci disc that I have gratefully forgotten...

Edit: can't forget Dutoit in Montreal either...good stuff all around