What is spinning?

How's this for a triumvirate?

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Good stuff all. Earlier in the day I checked out Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea by the Silver Jews. Nice enough for a sit on the porch listen but hardly earth-shattering.

Strange vibes creepin' around here...

Been getting into the stuff heavy: "Atem"; "Alpha Centauri"; "Electronic Meditation"; "Zeit"...

Played yesterday:- "The Bones Of All Men", Phillip Pickett, featuring the Fairport Rhythm Section

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Listened to this two years ago and two years before that and again on this mean-spirited night, kicking about, just thinking about the state of things.

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Most of the big shore places were closed now and there were hardly any lights except the shadowy, moving glow of a ferryboat across the Sound. And as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors’ eyes—a fresh, green breast of the new world. Its vanished trees, the trees that had made way for Gatsby’s house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams; for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder.

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We seem an awful distance from that "fresh, green breast of the new world"...So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

First spin with the new TV On The Radio

New Decemberists EP (meh, but I'm sure some of it will grow on me)

Been having a good time listening to this old favorite: "Cloud About Mercury" by David Torn, Mark Isham, Tony Levin and Bill Bruford. Produced in 1987 by ECM, this recoding is a wonderful display of these musicians' prodigious talent and innovation.

Cloud About Mercury is a very organic feeling album that features very heavy improvisational material reminiscent of Brand-X's "Moroccan Roll" and similar albums that are best listened to late at night. Levin's throbbing Chapman Stick crawls around the floor of compositions lilke "Previous Man" providing a continuo to Isham's razor sharp trumpet and Bruford's frenzied drumming. In the middle of these rather scary number is, of course, Torn, whose searing fingerwork on accoustic and electric guitars is presented much in the vein of Adrian Belew or Robert Fripp, whose sounds are simultaneously foreign and familiar.

Cloud About Mercury is a challenging composition that takes "a little" work to get through. But like much great music, with enough application and listening to what is and not what ought to be the dividends of listening far exceeds the initial investment

Easing into the night with a brilliant 2003 re-issue...

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This is no doubt a stirring recording....Rollins, like Torn, is a very iconoclastic performer, who holds no punches and plays in a very intuitive, dare I say "organic" way that some might regard as challenging. Nevertheless, this is what separates the men from the boys in the performance world, in a sense: the ability to transcend mood and form ascend into something altogether different. When describing these states, I use the word "sublime" alot (duh!), for lack of a vocabulary that can adequately explain this ascent. Mebbe those years on the Williamsburg spoke to Rollins in this way--who can say--but whatever they did, they certainly impacted upon his life and consequently his music that is, in every sense of the word "timeless".

Thanks for the reccomendation, 'Sticks!

Have been listening to a couple of peices by Pergolesi and Scarlatti, lately. In particular, my attention has been turned to their Stabat Mater. The review below describes, pricipally, Pergolesi's work in contrast to Scarlatti's. It is of a London/Decca CD 443 868-2. Other works by Lotti, Bononcini and Caldara are included on this 2-CD set, but the focus here is on the Pergolesi and Scarlatti, with emphasis on the former.

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736) was a Florentine composer who is considered an early contributer to the opera buffa, or comic opera, style who spurred the quarrel between French adherents like Rameau and Lully and their Italien counterparts. Commissioned by the monks of the brotherhood of San Luigi di Palazzo, the Sabat Mater was used as a replacement for Scarlatti’s work that was considered “old fashioned”.

Pergolesi was a preternaturally gifted child, who at sixteen studied music under Durante and Feo in Naples, where he was noted for his virtupsity on the violin.

The Stabat Mater is a rather austere piece describing the grief of Mary at the crucifixion of Jesus. The poem that is its basis is said to antedate the Pergolesi to the thirtenth century and is ascribed to the Franciscan lay brother, Jacopone de Todi. Although the poem did not immeditely attract the attention of composers of the period, the eighteenth century showed a renewed attention, and Scarlatti, Vivaldi, Haydn and Pergolesi, among others, took on the project with fervor.

In contrast to the rather dry and stately Scarlatti, the Pergolosi Stabat Mater is a comparatively ornamental and embellished composition. In presenting the two pieces, The Choir of St. John’s College, with Felicity Palmer, soprano and Alfreda Hodgson, contralto and David Hill at the organ, George Guest convened in 1977 and 1966 for London Records’ recording of these important works.

The quality of this recording is quite good, with a very wide field that gives the listener a keen appreciation of not only the placement of the chorale, but of its depth, which is accentualte by the great,spacious hall in which it was recorded. There is some echo present, and it has a beautiful wooden character that is reminsiscent of myrrh and other scents and sounds that are familiar to the scared music listener. The chorus is well balanced and poised and play with a restrained and friendly sensibility that is neither bombastic nor timid. Likewise, the pricniple voices sing with assurance and steadfast adherence to the form. The Scarlatti is presented in its austere appreciation while the Pergolesi is embellished with a graceful ease that is easy on the ear and not at all distracting. Both of these pieces are easily turned to, and their clean and uncluttered sound speaks to the conviction that, while the digital era may have produced wonderful, quiet recordings of technical and artistic quality, the recordings of the bygone era were, at least, equally magnificent and certainly up to the challenge.

The First of a Million Kisses. Also one the groups-with-female-singers thread.

Nothing new. Just simply classic.

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Have a great week to all

Mang, Uncle Tony can play some stick, eh Auri? In these parts there's tunage aplenty...from near and far...

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Wattup Jay? You may be unaware but Sir Isaac had a few hits in this century as well, naturally under a more culinary nom de guerre...some may consider this to have "adult content" though it could be fairly argued just the opposite:
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First spin. There's a weird cover of AC/DC's "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" here.

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Thank God for The Cramps. I almost forgot not to eat stuff off the sidewalk...

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Originally Posted by Slosh

First spin. There's a weird cover of AC/DC's "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" here.

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"It's a Long Way to the Shop (If You Want a Sausage Roll)"

A new to me spin. I just love this sound...but how to describe? Leonard Cohen on a happy acid trip? Avant-garde blues? Beck 78's played at 33 1/3? Minimalist groove of the absurd? I've been wanting to pick this up for a while. and finally did. It makes me smile (as it should). You can read Marvin's bio here.

Sample MP3

Marvin Pontiac: The Legendary Marvin Pontiac.
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And then a new spin... I like. First half better than the second.

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I had to squeeze in a little tone before going to bed tonight.

Nina Hagen: Nunsexmonkrock.

I'm sure I'll be tossing and turning.

JRA

Rub a Dub Style, bay-bay...

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It's taking forever to reach 2000 mark.... Where is that dude who started this thread?

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In a tribute to the "Father of Bluegrass Music", Sugar HIll Records, Inc. feted Bill Monroe in "True Life Blues", recording a huge cast of singers and pickers in an engaging and easy-on-the-ears disc that is truly one for the archives. Sam Bush, Vassar Clements, Mike Compton, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Pat Enright and many more contribute in this recording that was released to in 1996 to high acclaim from critics and fellow artists.

The sound is earthy and soulful, quite unlike much of country music's recent foray into a genre that some have called parodic. There are no flashing displays of virtuosity among the voices or instruments. Instead, they are played simply and deftly, with throats and fingers that know their skill and exercise it without all the fuss. Bluegrass Music, like Appalachian Folk and the like is a deceptively simple form of music that belies a subtle sophistication that is often ignored by many of the musically adept whose flair for ornament and ostentation belies the form.

The recording of the album is as straight-forward as the performances. Many studios and engineers contributed to the project which is nearly eerie in its synergy and fidelity. The notes and commentary within the pages of the sleeve are copious and well written.

Best of all is, of course, the music and voices which if for one moment transported me to the mountains of Appalchia, of which I am a proud citizen. Even if it was my imagination, I swear for a moment, I smelled the cool rocks and streams as I grasped the slender body of a nearby poplar....This is music, pure and simple. It just doesn't get better than this!

ELO No Answer Album

KIX self-titled debut album

Little Feat

GQ Disco Nights

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Spyro Gyra Deep End

I have a couple Spyro Gyro LP's and the sound quality has like a muffled or dull feel, anyone else get this? I wouldn't think a problem with the vinyl since I have two different titles, don't ask me which they are now.

I went through a couple LP's today to see if they are keepers:
Carole King, I couldn't find the title on the jacket, I know it's not Tapestry, the song Hard Rock Cafe is on it. I didn't recognize any songs but I liked the album enough to keep it.
Creedence Clearwater Revival, 1968-69, interesting to hear some CCR songs I haven't heard before. This is a double LP with a few hits, like the full length version of Suzie Q which I don't remember hearing before.
Lighthouse, Best Of, this album's sound quality was so bad I put it in the reject pile. There were a couple classics on there worth making it adding to the collection but the quality being what it was I knew I wouldn't listen to it.
My vinyl finale was breaking the seal on Roger Dautry's, Under A Raging Moon. I was so looking forward to cranking up the title track and digging the drums on this song, it does rock but the production is like an 80's pop album, so bit of a let down.

I've been getting into Van Morrison lately. I don't know if it's a phase for me or if he is really that good but I am enjoying it. Oddly enough this is my first albums I've owned by him. I recently picked up on CD, Still On Top. A Greatest Hits thing. The album would have been perfect if it included Into The Mystic and Tupelo Honey. So then I bought Moondance for Into the Mystic. Next I'll have to pick up Tupelo Honey for the title track. Moondance is actually a good album so no regrets there. Can you believe this guy has three "best of" type albums out and none are complete. I don't know if it's a label thing or maybe he's one of those artists whose best known tracks didn't actually chart.

I also picked up my first Little Feat for the collection. I've known about them for years, not sure why the gaping hole. I want to get Waiting On Columbus some day but I ended up getting a Greatest Hits that was an import because it was really complete having their best known songs. Odd an import is better done than the American Best Of.

I've also added Rascal Flatts Greatest Hits. Not normally my thing but they have a couple songs I really like and this was a good way to get them.

I also bought the new Santana where he put kind of a Jazz spin on some of his older songs and a second disc of vocal stuff that I haven't listened to closely but from the scan seems to suck.

Hey Mr. P.,

Van Morrison is, with occasional exception, that good. His recent work, "Keep It Simple" is serviceable enough though I much prefer the currently spinning:

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No sheep. Tir Na Nog was a wedding song....

Hey, is that "Keep it Simple" the Keb Mo number?

Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris
Real live roadrunning

As of late Marillion Happiness is the road vol 1and 2
Jimmy B

Tommy Shaw What If

Herb Alpert S.R.O

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Good choice, no doubt, 'Sticks. I have a few of her albums and find her strength and maturity as a performer almost preternatural. Her phrasing is articulate and clean, and she seems to have a very keen grasp on theme. This last quality is something that I have only recently learned to appreciate by way of The Lindsays, whose performance of Death and the Maiden keep me rooted to my post for the length of the piece. Let me know if you are looking for more of this....

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Originally Posted by bobsticks

Hey Mr. P.,

Van Morrison is, with occasional exception, that good. His recent work, "Keep It Simple" is serviceable enough though I much prefer the currently spinning:

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I went through a bit of a Van Morrison phase a few years back. A lot of his stuff is pretty good, but boy, he really churns them out.

A couple that I really like are "No Guru, No Method, No Teacher" from the 80s, and "Too Long in Exile" from the 90s. I love the last track on "Too Long in Exile". If you haven't heard it, its a long rambling bluesy piece, and includes some fine saxophone playing by Van. I'm a great fan of Van's saxophone playing, it has an Irish lilt to it that I really like. Its just a pity that he doesn't play it more often. This album benefits greatly from the contribution of Georgie Fame, in my opinion.

Steve Potter Grotto Says

Waking up slow on a Saturday afternoon, brew up a pot of coffee, pop some aspirin and put on a record. Right now:

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Bill Withers: Just As I Am

Debut album featuring the big hit, Ain't No Sunshine. But, don't think that's all there is. Sure, that's an absolute highlight, but the whole thing's nothing but top notch, earthy acoustic soul music that showcases a fine voice.

Gonna cue up some Bunny Wailer next, Blackheart Man on deck. Coffee and vinyl, my favorite way to ring in a new day with time to kill.

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