What are you listening to? June 2023

[axolotl]

This, here (2022)



Subtitled: Journeying Over Land and Through Space

Alan Hovhaness: Piano works Vol.2 - Alessandra Pompili

hovhaness.com

 

[Nickyboy]

Here it is spelled more legibly.

View attachment 9749
I wonder whether he was adding his middle initial "P" for "Peter" in the more flamboyant versions.

Or, maybe it was simply too much carousing with Viennese prostitutes, as he apparently died at age 31 from syphilis.

ETA: That reminds me, Nick, how's that pasta puttanesca coming along?

1. Puttanesca tonight.
2. Ah, yes. The key of H moll (minor), one of my favorites. Or as we call it in English, B minor.

 

[Unsomnambulist]

R.E.M. - Reckoning (1984)

 

[Unsomnambulist]

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Live At Levitation (2023)

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Linda Ronstadt - Heart Like a Wheel (1974)

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Very Best of Spinners

 

[axolotl]

Very Best of Spinners

You are quite the rubber band man this morning.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck - Psalms from Geneva

 

[Ojai Sam]

Berlin Philharmonic (Wilhelm Furtwangler, cond.) - Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 "Pathetique" (1939)

 

[Ojai Sam]

Linda Oh - Initial Here (2011)

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

The Essential Sly & The Family Stone

 

[Ojai Sam]

^
Interesting choice for that artist.

John Barry - You Only Live Twice (soundtrack 1967)

Vinyl Spin Of The Day.

Back in the day, I collected all of the early James Bond soundtracks as they came out through "You Only Live Twice". For some reason, I disposed of this one long ago so I decided to replace it as part of my new vinyl revitalization program. As luck would have it, I found a Monarch pressing in new condition for a fair price.

What's So Special About Monarch Pressings?

I did a search and couldn't really find anything specific. Why do people hold these in high esteem? Are they that much better than records pressed at...

forums.stevehoffman.tv

After spinning this one, I have to say that the hype about Monarchs is richly deserved. All of the early United Artists 007 soundtracks sounded great but this one is outstanding: full dynamic range, lots of presence, no noise between tracks. The exotic instrumentation featuring koto leaps out of my speakers. John Barry continued to develop his signature style for the fifth Bond film and it never sounded better.

 

[Ojai Sam]

Skeeter Davis - I'll Sing You a Song and Harmonize Too (1960)

The album title refers to the fact that Skeeter was continuing in the vocal style of The Davis Sisters. This pairing had launched Skeeter's career but was tragically cut short by a car crash that killed Betty Jack Davis, who wasn't related to Skeeter (nee Mary Frances Penick).

 

[Nickyboy]

^
Interesting choice for that artist.

John Barry - You Only Live Twice (soundtrack 1967)

Vinyl Spin Of The Day.

Back in the day, I collected all of the early James Bond soundtracks as they came out through "You Only Live Twice". For some reason, I disposed of this one long ago so I decided to replace it as part of my new vinyl revitalization program. As luck would have it, I found a Monarch pressing in new condition for a fair price.

What's So Special About Monarch Pressings?

I did a search and couldn't really find anything specific. Why do people hold these in high esteem? Are they that much better than records pressed at...

forums.stevehoffman.tv

After spinning this one, I have to say that the hype about Monarchs is richly deserved. All of the early United Artists 007 soundtracks sounded great but this one is outstanding: full dynamic range, lots of presence, no noise between tracks. The exotic instrumentation featuring koto leaps out of my speakers. John Barry continued to develop his signature style for the fifth Bond film and it never sounded better.

Little Nellie was the highlight of that movie. Nancy Sinatra's title track comes in a very close second.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

^
Interesting choice for that artist.

Nice comp that includes almost the entire Stand and There's A Riot.. but also multiple tracks from albums before and after those classics that I don't break out as consistently.

 

[Ojai Sam]

Bessie Smith - Giants of Jazz (1982)

Vinyl Spin of the Day.

Shortly before the CD arrived to spoil the party, record companies and publishers like Time-Life put a lot of energy into the historical reissue market. Time-Life launched its "Giants Of Jazz" series in 1979 with Louis Armstrong and ended it 28 volumes later with this one dedicated to Bessie Smith.

Every volume included three LP's, a 54 page embossed booklet with comprehensive notes and a portrait suitable for framing in a deluxe silver and black box. CBS produced the music, often working with newly discovered masters. They used top people like producer Michael Brooks and audio engineer Frank Abbey to locate and squeeze the best possible sound out of source material that even then was nearly 60 years old.

After several decades of enjoying the benefits of encyclopedic collections in pristine digital sound, I can still appreciate the virtues of a lovingly curated quality vinyl showcase like this.

on the Sam-O-Meter.

 

[Nickyboy]

I love her.
Cheese is fab.

 

[JazzyRandy]

Ohio Players - Pleasure (1972)
Ohio Players - Fire (1974)

 

[JazzyRandy]

El Michels Affair & Black Thought - Glorious Game (2023)

The rapper from The Roots partners with a Daptone Records band and creates one of the best albums of 2023 so far.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

John Dowland - Lachrimae, or Seaven Teares (Hathor Consort/Romina Lischka)

After a day of show tunes, something completely different