Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Hindu Love Gods - s/t (1990)
What are you listening to? June 2025
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Ojai Sam
Staff member
Various Artists - V-E Day 50th Anniversary: The Musical Memories (rec. 1939-44, ASV Living Era comp. 1995)
Last month was the 80th anniversary of V-E Day, making this a timely spin. British WWII music collections are a tuppence a dozen but this one stands out. In addition to the usual suspects like Vera Lynn, we get local specialties like Noel Coward's "London Pride" and Billy Thorburn's "When They Sound The Last 'All Clear'", along with my personal favorite, Carroll Gibbons' "I'm Going To Get Lit Up (When The Lights Go On In London").
Adding to the ambience are recorded speeches by Neville Chamberlain
, Winston Churchill 
and even Ike. To set the reflective mood, the album is bookended with an intro and an outro by The English Chamber Orchestra. At a time when war in Europe no longer seems impossible, these forgotten songs and speeches from long ago have a special resonance.
Last month was the 80th anniversary of V-E Day, making this a timely spin. British WWII music collections are a tuppence a dozen but this one stands out. In addition to the usual suspects like Vera Lynn, we get local specialties like Noel Coward's "London Pride" and Billy Thorburn's "When They Sound The Last 'All Clear'", along with my personal favorite, Carroll Gibbons' "I'm Going To Get Lit Up (When The Lights Go On In London").
Adding to the ambience are recorded speeches by Neville Chamberlain
, Winston Churchill and even Ike. To set the reflective mood, the album is bookended with an intro and an outro by The English Chamber Orchestra. At a time when war in Europe no longer seems impossible, these forgotten songs and speeches from long ago have a special resonance.
Ojai Sam
Staff member
Leda Annest - Portrait Of Leda (1958)
Vinyl Spin of the Day.
Leda Annest is a real mystery. The only information I can dig up comes, appropriately enough, from Findagrave:
"Singer. Known for her eerie, haunting, wordless vocals. Perhaps best known for her 1958 album, "Portrait of Leda," which she recorded with Phil Moore."
That site tells us a lot more about her husband:
"Martin Pollard, president of the Los Angeles Airport Commission, who played a leading role in public service under three mayors and three governors, died Monday in Valley Presbyterian Hospital, Van Nuys. He was 73. Pollard was a pioneer San Fernando Valley automobile dealer, establishing the first agency there in 1922 and going on to acquire extensive financial holdings throughout the valley."
The liner notes aren't informative at all, apart from telling us that her name is pronounced "Layda". We also learn that
"when this girl sings, she takes off into an area where most singers are lost, that area bounded by Libido to the east, the stream of consciousness to the west, the rivers of Lethe to the south, and to the north by the Great Unknowable. And so it is well to listen to Leda alone. Or listen to Leda with one other person. But be careful who it is.”
Not to break the spell, but her songs without words remind me of Yma Sumac with a lot less vocal range and Phil Moore's slightly space-agey jazz orchestra in place of Les Baxter's Peruvian exotica. Still, it's a fine listen, sure to surprise and delight your guests on a Sunday afternoon as long as you remember to be very careful who they are. :nunja:
Vinyl Spin of the Day.
Leda Annest is a real mystery. The only information I can dig up comes, appropriately enough, from Findagrave:
"Singer. Known for her eerie, haunting, wordless vocals. Perhaps best known for her 1958 album, "Portrait of Leda," which she recorded with Phil Moore."
That site tells us a lot more about her husband:
"Martin Pollard, president of the Los Angeles Airport Commission, who played a leading role in public service under three mayors and three governors, died Monday in Valley Presbyterian Hospital, Van Nuys. He was 73. Pollard was a pioneer San Fernando Valley automobile dealer, establishing the first agency there in 1922 and going on to acquire extensive financial holdings throughout the valley."
The liner notes aren't informative at all, apart from telling us that her name is pronounced "Layda". We also learn that
"when this girl sings, she takes off into an area where most singers are lost, that area bounded by Libido to the east, the stream of consciousness to the west, the rivers of Lethe to the south, and to the north by the Great Unknowable. And so it is well to listen to Leda alone. Or listen to Leda with one other person. But be careful who it is.”
Not to break the spell, but her songs without words remind me of Yma Sumac with a lot less vocal range and Phil Moore's slightly space-agey jazz orchestra in place of Les Baxter's Peruvian exotica. Still, it's a fine listen, sure to surprise and delight your guests on a Sunday afternoon as long as you remember to be very careful who they are. :nunja:
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Swans - Birthing (2025)
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Notice that the upraised hands distinctly do not look like Nazi salutes. Not that hard, is it?Various Artists - V-E Day 50th Anniversary: The Musical Memories (rec. 1939-44, ASV Living Era comp. 1995)
View attachment 13536
Last month was the 80th anniversary of V-E Day, making this a timely spin. British WWII music collections are a tuppence a dozen but this one stands out. In addition to the usual suspects like Vera Lynn, we get local specialties like Noel Coward's "London Pride" and Billy Thorburn's "When They Sound The Last 'All Clear'", along with my personal favorite, Carroll Gibbons' "I'm Going To Get Lit Up (When The Lights Go On In London").
Adding to the ambience are recorded speeches by Neville Chamberlain
View attachment 13538
View attachment 13537
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
Do you have any information on her passing? I am not doubting you. I just cannot seem to confirm it.
Nickyboy
Staff member
Huh. You seem to be right. I had read a while back somewhere that she had passed. I guess that (gladly) wasn't true. Sorry to hear about her Parkinson's diagnosis, though.
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
It seems that her partner Bert Ruiter died in 2022. The source I cited said that she never married, while other sources said she was. It could just be by application of common law.
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Poor you, hot am I?
Ojai Sam
Staff member
John Barry - Goldfinger: 60th Anniversary Edition (soundtrack 1964, 2024)
This album is a desert island disc for reasons both personal and musical. I braved the long lines at the Fox Westwood to see the movie when it first came out. Sadly, this beautiful venue is closed for now.
The soundtrack so impressed me that I went right out bought the United Artists album and then all of John Barry's 007 projects. At age 31, the composer was just coming into his own when Goldfinger launched him into cinematic superstardom.
As usual, La-La Land Records did it right to celebrate the big anniversary. The original UK and US versions of the LP had slightly different tracks. This new release combines all of them in the correct running order for the first time ever. Plus we get the mono single version of Shirley Bassey's iconic title track and a jazzy demo take on the same song by its composer Anthony Newley which oozes depravity. A beautiful booklet chock full of photos and fascinating tidbits fills out the package.
on the Sam-O-Meter.
This album is a desert island disc for reasons both personal and musical. I braved the long lines at the Fox Westwood to see the movie when it first came out. Sadly, this beautiful venue is closed for now.
The soundtrack so impressed me that I went right out bought the United Artists album and then all of John Barry's 007 projects. At age 31, the composer was just coming into his own when Goldfinger launched him into cinematic superstardom.
As usual, La-La Land Records did it right to celebrate the big anniversary. The original UK and US versions of the LP had slightly different tracks. This new release combines all of them in the correct running order for the first time ever. Plus we get the mono single version of Shirley Bassey's iconic title track and a jazzy demo take on the same song by its composer Anthony Newley which oozes depravity. A beautiful booklet chock full of photos and fascinating tidbits fills out the package.
on the Sam-O-Meter.
Ojai Sam
Staff member
Van Morrison - It's Too Late To Stop Now (1974)
Van brought the first phase of his solo career to a resounding close with this essential live collection. He would follow his eccentric muse ever deeper into the mystic but never topped the magnetic energy of his Band and Street Choir which pull out all the stops here. The Japanese paper sleeve SHMCD adds a bonus track ("Brown Eyed Girl") to superb sound quality.
Van brought the first phase of his solo career to a resounding close with this essential live collection. He would follow his eccentric muse ever deeper into the mystic but never topped the magnetic energy of his Band and Street Choir which pull out all the stops here. The Japanese paper sleeve SHMCD adds a bonus track ("Brown Eyed Girl") to superb sound quality.
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
Plus, you get a nice paper sleeve obi.Van Morrison - It's Too Late To Stop Now (1974)
Van brought the first phase of his solo career to a resounding close with this essential live collection. He would follow his eccentric muse ever deeper into the mystic but never topped the magnetic energy of his Band and Street Choir which pull out all the stops here. The Japanese paper sleeve SHMCD adds a bonus track ("Brown Eyed Girl") to superb sound quality.
Ojai Sam
Staff member
Lionel Hampton - Vol. 1: 1941-1942 (MCA Coral [Germany] comp. 1974)
Vinyl Spin of the Day.
Back in the days of vinyl, the European subsidiaries of major record labels did a far better job than their domestic counterparts when it came to keeping vintage music in print. MCA produced this ambitious series to present the complete Decca recordings of Lionel Hampton in ten volumes. Hamp moved to Decca in 1941 after his initial successes both with and without Benny Goodman on RCA Victor. He must have been happy with his new home since he stayed there for ten years, releasing dozens of sides. Unfortunately, none of these LP's made it onto compact disc, but they still make for fine listening today.
Vinyl Spin of the Day.
Back in the days of vinyl, the European subsidiaries of major record labels did a far better job than their domestic counterparts when it came to keeping vintage music in print. MCA produced this ambitious series to present the complete Decca recordings of Lionel Hampton in ten volumes. Hamp moved to Decca in 1941 after his initial successes both with and without Benny Goodman on RCA Victor. He must have been happy with his new home since he stayed there for ten years, releasing dozens of sides. Unfortunately, none of these LP's made it onto compact disc, but they still make for fine listening today.
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
Paul Weller - Wild Wood (1993)
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
Procol Harum - A Salty Dog (1969)
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
This is one of my top five albums of all time.Procol Harum - A Salty Dog (1969)
I can just glance at the cover, and a song will riffle through my demented cranium.
"Pilgrim's Progress" is the first song that I thought of when I saw this post.
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
Frank Zappa - Over-Nite Sensation (1973)
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