WHY and What are you Listening to?

[Guy 13]

Hi all.
Today I've listen to a CD of '' Animusic '' the track is called : Pipe dream.
What I like about that kind of electronic - computer generated music
is what I call '' High resolution '' even instruments and sound is so clear.
Bass is deep and sound real.
All the instruments can be clearly heard, well seperated.
It's like you want, while listening to the music, to discover (New) sounds,
each sound of instrument is a joy for the ears.
Of course, you have to like that kind of music to appreciate it,
if you are looking for sound of real instruments, then don't loose you time there.
One other thing that you might like is the power of the music,
like it can fill a opera house.
Have a listen and share what you think.
(Sorry no picture, I put the CD in blank sleeve.
I have three or four of their music CD.

Guy 13

You really need to see the DVD or videos to fully appreciate it. 

Here:

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

Resonant Chamber is one of my favorites:

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

Enjoy!

Hi.
I have two CD and two DVD of Animusic.
Must be listened with good system or headphones to really appreciate it.

Guy 13

[malloy]

What: A Decade of Steely Dan



A great intro to their singles. Granted, it does not contain all their best songs, but it serves as a great introduction to their music.

Why:  The outstanding musicianship on the album.  The liner notes is like a who's who of musicians: Porcaro, Purdie, Wayne Shorter, Tom Scott, Carlton, Patti Austin..!!

Of course I also listen just for the sheer irreverence of everything they do!

Paul

Absolutely a great album. I have the MCA Masterdisc Gold version. Unfortunately it has developed a severe case of laser rot and will no long play all the way through even though there is not a single scratch on the disc.

The gold copies are not easy yo come by, especially at a reasonable price, so I will just have to be patient and my eyes open for one.

Laser rot! That is unfortunate. And I thought making the disc gold was supposed to prevent disc rot. Haven't heard the gold version. Is the sound a step up from the regular one? I used to have most of the original individual albums. But I can't remember how they sounded.

There's a gold version on Amazon for $6 right now.  Weren't the gold versions quite pricey when first released?

[S Clark]

I was at the record store going through some stuff the owner had just bought and ran across "True Blue" by Hank Crawford. 
Neither of us had heard of him, but reading that he was Ray Charles' primary sax guy, I decided to take a chance.
This guy is soul/jazz/blues from 1964.. definitely a Ray Charles style but with a septet instead of vocals.  He aims to seduce, not to stimulate.  Smooth, rather than edgy. 
It's a nice change from my usual Dexter Gordon/Horace Silver/ Miles/Brubeck selections.
Atlantic  1423

[tmazz]

What: A Decade of Steely Dan



A great intro to their singles. Granted, it does not contain all their best songs, but it serves as a great introduction to their music.

Why:  The outstanding musicianship on the album.  The liner notes is like a who's who of musicians: Porcaro, Purdie, Wayne Shorter, Tom Scott, Carlton, Patti Austin..!!

Of course I also listen just for the sheer irreverence of everything they do!

Paul

Absolutely a great album. I have the MCA Masterdisc Gold version. Unfortunately it has developed a severe case of laser rot and will no long play all the way through even though there is not a single scratch on the disc.

The gold copies are not easy yo come by, especially at a reasonable price, so I will just have to be patient and my eyes open for one.

Laser rot! That is unfortunate. And I thought making the disc gold was supposed to prevent disc rot. Haven't heard the gold version. Is the sound a step up from the regular one? I used to have most of the original individual albums. But I can't remember how they sounded.

There's a gold version on Amazon for $6 right now.  Weren't the gold versions quite pricey when first released?

I thought gold CDs were not susceptible to Laser Rot as well, but there is not a single scratch on the CD and all of a sudden it started skipping and hanging up in the middle of the disc,  I cannot imagine what else it could be other than a breakdown of the internal substrate. And yes, I did feel the gold version sounded better than the standard CD.

I saw the listings you are talking about and I have gotten burnt several times with listings of audiophile pressings that were price well below the going price and ended up being standard pressings. In each case it was a situation where the seller just clicked on a pre-made listing for the album based on the cover picture and did not realize that they picked the description for a premium pressing. In each case I got a refund and several of the sellers told ne tp just keep the disc, but to me it is just not worth the hassle. I would not choose any of the listings shown on Amazon that did not specially say gold CD or MasterDisc in the little description box on the page of sellers for the item. And by the time you went down the list and found one that had that information you were up in the $20 price range. I would be very leery of all of the sellers that were asking $6 (and there were a bunch of them.) I have a very strong suspicion that you would end up getting shipped a regular aluminum CD.

I will just keep my eyes peeled and one of these days I will come across a good deal on one. Since I already have the original jewel case with all of the inserts it would be no issue for me to buy just the CD alone, in a paper sleeve, which shows up every once in a while at a significantly lower price than they get for a full in tact package.

[tmazz]

OK, all of this talk about Steely Dan made me go down and pull out my MoFi LP of Aja.



When Aja was released I was working as an broadcast engineer at WTHE radio we were a low power AM station that had to sign off the air at sundown because we did not have clear channel rights to the frequency. One night right after signoff the program director came into the studio with a package from ABC records which contained a pre-preview copy of Aja. We put it on the turntable and I can remember like it was yesterday, the two of us sitting there with our jaws hanging open, saying "This is going to be big."

And the quality of the performances was no accident Becker and Fagan reached into the jazz world and recruited some top shelf musicians for these sessions. People such as Joe Sample, Victor Feldman, Larry Carlton, Tom Scott, Steve Gadd, Wayne Shorter and Lee Ritenour. And vocal harmonies by Michael McDonald and Timothy B. Schmidt. It is no wonder that after 42 years this album still holds up like it does.

Below is a link to a short video about the making of "Peg":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waIBA6_0GQc

[S Clark]

Thanks for the link about "Peg". 
Which is related to the why of this post.  I saw the biopic "Rocket Man" about the life of Sir Elton John.  Not quite on the level of "Bohemian Rhapsody", but interesting and entertaining with a very talented lead actor/singer.
So I pulled out my old copy of his breakout lp.  Some is very good, some hints at what is to come.

[S Clark]

I was at the record store and ran across a NM J.S. Bach "Preludien/Fugue/Pastorale" on the Archiv Produktion label.  I knew it was part of Deutche Grammophone, but not much else.  These are period instrument recordings, and higher quality than the later DG's.  This 1974 recording of the church organ in Strassburg, in a big room and system, does a fine job or recreating the power and finesse of the grand pipe organ.

[S Clark]

Herbie Hancock  BST 84195  French repressing from 1984
I like the Direct Metal Masters that collectors turn their collective noses up at.  I've got a first pressing to compare to, and the DMM is cleaner.
Herbie was a child prodigy, playing a Mozart Concerto with the Chicago Sym at age 11.  He left Grinnell College to learn jazz at the feet of Coleman Hawkins and Donald Byrd (later to return to get his twin degrees in EE and music).
This album is his fifth as leader, and after much time spent with Miles in his second great quintet. 
W/ Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter, George Coleman, and Anthony Williams. 

[S Clark]

Grieg "Lyric Pieces" played by Walter Gieseking on late 50's Angel/EMI vinyl.
Several of these short pieces are familiar, but most by far are essentially unheard.  They aren't commonly recorded, so I had to hunt for good performances, and these old Angel records, Vol 1 and 2,  from 1957 and 59 are just what I wanted. 
These are like little poems about Grieg's Norwegian countryside... some simple nordic tuneful statements, others bits of beauty. 

[S Clark]

After opening a nice Spanish wine and doing a bit of cooking, I told Alexa to play Sketches of Spain by Miles. After dinner, I came in and put my mono copy on to compare.  I've been a fan of that lp since 1969, but listening to compare made me realize just how complex it is.  So many studio guys did really nice work... the tuba guy, the extra trumpets.  Pull out your copy to really listen to whats happening in the background.  Such a wonderful album. 

[Nick B]

After opening a nice Spanish wine and doing a bit of cooking, I told Alexa to play Sketches of Spain by Miles. After dinner, I came in and put my mono copy on to compare.  I've been a fan of that lp since 1969, but listening to compare made me realize just how complex it is.  So many studio guys did really nice work... the tuba guy, the extra trumpets.  Pull out your copy to really listen to whats happening in the background.  Such a wonderful album. 

When I saw your post, I opened up Tidal and found the album 👍 Will listen to it later on the “big rig”

[tmazz]

After opening a nice Spanish wine and doing a bit of cooking, I told Alexa to play Sketches of Spain by Miles. After dinner, I came in and put my mono copy on to compare.  I've been a fan of that lp since 1969, but listening to compare made me realize just how complex it is.  So many studio guys did really nice work... the tuba guy, the extra trumpets.  Pull out your copy to really listen to whats happening in the background.  Such a wonderful album. 

When I saw your post, I opened up Tidal and found the album 👍 Will listen to it later on the “big rig”

You will not be disappointed. 

[tmazz]

The LA 4: Going Home



EastWind Direct to Disc LP

Back in the late 70s and early 80s  a large percentage of the albums made specifically for the audiophile market had good sound, but featured second rate musicians playing mediocre music. This is definitely not one of those albums. it has not only excellent direct to disc sonics , but also top shelf music and musicianship. And for what it's worth I have never heard an EastWind D2D LP that didn't. I picked them up whenever I see one that is not already in my collection.

[Guy 13]

Hi all.
I hope this is not off topic,
since my source is Internet Radio.
Relaxing music with instruments sound - timbre that I like.

By : Rene Aubry
Title : Noël aux balkans
and
Salento.

Guy 13

You probably can hear it on you Tube ?

[Nick B]

Hi all.
I hope this is not off topic,
since my source is Internet Radio.
Relaxing music with instruments sound - timbre that I like.

By : Rene Aubry
Title : Noël aux balkans
and
Salento.

Guy 13

You probably can hear it on you Tube ?

Thanks, Guy. Found it on Tidal as well.
Nick