What Are You Listening To? April 2024

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Sergei Rachmaninoff, Philadelphia Orchestra (Stokowski/Ormandy) - Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3 (1929, 1939, RCA comp. 1987)

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Another genius of the piano, albeit of a very different sort.
 
Lawrence Welk - At Madison Square Garden (1956)

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Vinyl Spin of the Day.

Two decades before the Grateful Dead, Lawrence Welk and his orchestra stormed the Garden and left a live album which the liner notes call "a record (in both senses) of a spectacular affair." Apparently there were numerous guest stars (not captured here) and a lavish stage show paid for by Dodge. Welk shows off his deep talent roster with solo turns by Myron Floren, Rocky Rockwell and Alice Lon. The big surprises to me were covers of Bill Haley ("See You Later, Alligator") and "Little" Jimmy Dickens ("It May Be Silly But Ain't It Fun").

Rock on, Larry! :banana:
 
Melanie - Melanie At Carnegie Hall (1973)

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Vinyl Spin of the Day.

I bought this gatefold double LP a little while ago when Melanie passed away. It proved to be a real eye opener for me. She cruised to the top of the hippie chick singer sweepstakes riding the double success of "Candles In The Rain" and her appearance at Woodstock. Her later novelty hit
"Brand New Key" kept her in the charts but further reinforced her lightweight image.

Unfortunately her success obscured her genuine talent as a serious folk singer in the vein of Joan Baez (who inspired her career choice) and Joni Mitchell. This live album, culled from her shows of February 2 and 3, 1973, shows Melanie to have a much stronger stage presence than her breathless Woodstock appearance would suggest. Most of the songs were her own compositions and they aren't out of place beside Pete Seeger ("My Rainbow Race") and Woody Guthrie ("Pretty Boy Floyd"). To emphasize her seriousness, the show was introduced by Alison "Nightbird" Steele and Scott Muni, two of the premier underground-style FM radio personalities in New York. It is telling that "Candles In The Rain" wasn't even included in the set list.

:5.0: on the Sam-O-Meter.

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Note to Collectors: This was actually Melanie's second Carnegie Hall album in three years, a feat that (as far as I know) only Harry Belafonte managed among non-classical artists.
 
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