Yes we have no Famous Blue Raincoats today (nor will we ever ;^)
Buffalo Springfield - "Last Time Around" [Atco '68] Not a real big BS fan, or Steven Stills generally -- just Neil Young, but there's hardly any of him on this one
Antonio Carlos Jobim - "A Certain Mr. Jobim" [WB '67]
Frank Sinatra - "Sinatra & Strings" [Reprise '62]
Kenny Burrell - "Bluesin' Around" [Columbia '83, rec. '61-'62] Previously unreleased, but these John Hammond-produced sides are so smokin' there's no understanding why -- apparently the only thing released at the time from the guitarist's brief stint on the label was a vocal album (!) which unsurprisingly didn't sell squat (not that I've ever heard him sing)
Bernard Herrmann - Conducts Jane Eyre & Other Film Scores [London Phase Four, '77] |
E: Dunno about "Expecting..." as fave NY period for me, but with BS, maybe so -- certainly the most distinctive (ignoring the production on "Broken Arrow"). "I Am A Child" on that last LP ain't too shabby either however... |
Gladys Knight & The Pips - "Tastiest Hits" [Bell '68]
Donald Byrd - "Black Byrd" [UA '73]
Mojo - "Mojo Magic" [GRT '69] AKA The Mojo Men
Baby Cortez - "The Isley Brothers Way" [T-Neck '70]
Spencer Davis Group/Traffic - "Here We Go 'Round The Mulberry Bush" sndtrk [UA '68]
"Steel Guitar Favorites" - anonymous/unknown [Somerset '6?]
Mose Allison - "Takes To The Hills" [Epic '6?]
Kenny Drew Trio - "Ruby My Dear" [SteepleChase '80, rec. '77] |
"Diggin' Up Down Under!" - V/A [Dig The Fuzz '9?] Way strong Aussie 60's freakbeat comp
Peter & Gordon - "In London For Tea" [Capitol '66]
Gram Parsons/Flying Burrito Bros. - "Sleepless Nights" [A&M '76, rec. '70 and '73]
The Persuaders - S/T [Atco '73]
Bill Evans - "Quintessence" [Fantasy '77] With Kenny Burrell, Philly Joe Jones, Ray Brown and Harold Land...gotta spin this masterpiece of intense quietude and compellingly intimate recorded sound at least one day each year
Then in memory of Robert Culp finally watched supposed cultural touchstone and multi-Oscar winner "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice" [Columbia '69, dir. Paul Mazursky] which I'd had for years without giving it a play (mostly pedestrian soundtrack by the ubiquitous Quincy Jones). Dated? Of course, in the extreme, but that's half the point with a piece like this, that could and would never be made in later days, and it does feel like it captures one facet of a unique moment in time (and place -- this could only have been set in California). Though one might wish for a slightly more jaundiced view -- and despite some less than completely believable or fully developed pretenses (not to mention a notable lack'o what and who else was going on in the world at the time, only implied by the degree to which it's ignored in the film's insularly depticted, bourgeois faux-hip sunnySoCal backdrop) -- this still manages to hold up as not only funny but challenging, one assumes not least of all for the actors involved. So here's to ya Bob (and Natalie, who could not have been any foxier) |
Frank Sinatra - "Sinatra's Swingin' Session" [Capitol FDS '61]
Tony Bennett - "At Carnegie Hall vol.1" [Columbia 360S '62]
Jacques Loussier Trio w/RPO - "Plays Bach's Brandenburg Concerto no.5" [London Phase 4 '69]
Holst/The Planets - Bernard Herrmann/LPO [London Phase 4 '69]
Julian Bream - "Plays Villa-Lobos" [RCA RS '71]
Gordon Lightfoot - "Sundown" [Reprise '73] |
Welcome back Slipknot1 (to your listening room as well as to the thread!), sorry to learn of your illness but glad you're recovering now.
Jaybo: I highly recommend treating yerself to the Norton comp, the Bloodbrothers demos are killer (as is everything before them as well), not much different but gratifyingly rawer, and the liner notes alone are worth it. |
JB: Good -- and I even forgot to pimp the hilarious radio promo spots!... |
SRW: For how good their classic early albums were, you'd never have known it was coming from listening to Nielsen and Petersson's pre-Cheap Trick album by their band called Fuse (S/T, also on Epic, 1970, only one "s" in Peterson here) -- indulgently proggish heavy rock, generic and unaffecting, hardly saved by a coupla half-decent riffs amidst the mire and general overblown stupidity. A long-haired Rick isn't even the lead guitarist, credited first with organ playing (!), although he did write or co-write more than half the songs. Turgid, compressed production didn't help, but a cripplingly severe lack'o' melodic hooks, coupled with vapid lyrics sung in a chest-thumping bellow are bigger problems -- a far cry (literally) from Zander. Naturally the record, the group's first and last, didn't sell squat, so it was several years before those two got their chance to redeem themselves. But check out this highly intriguing, if oddly put, tidbit from the liner notes: "The sound is heavily influenced by the English hard-rock sound, probably due to the fact that Rick was first 'messed up' (to use his own words) with soul music after a sub with the now defunct Yardbirds (which has also been one of Tom's favorite groups) a couple of years ago." Say what!?!? And Rick was just 21 at the time of this LP... |
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Trying to (re)break-in a new/used cart here, so far the best I've had yet in every respect save for the all-important tonal balance, we'll see...
The Stranglers - "Black And White" [A&M '78]
Savoy Brown Blues Band - S/T [Japanese London '69]
Jerry Reed & Chet Atkins - "Me And Chet" [RCA '72]
The Free Design - "You Could Be Born Again" [Project 3 '68]
Dusty Springfield - "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" [Philips '66]
The Standells - "The Live Ones" [Sundazed EP '01, rec. '66]
The Damnation Of Adam Blessing - "The Second Damnation" [UA '70]
The Savage Seven - Mot. Pic. Sndtrk. [Atco '68]
Ravi Shankar - "Improvisations" [World Pacific '62]
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - "The Tears Of A Clown" [Tamla '70]
Chuy Reyes - "Arthur Murray Favorites/Rhumbas" [Capitol mono reissue '?]
Enric Madriguera - "Arthur Murray Favorites/Sambas" [Capitol mono reissue '?] |
NRBQ - "All Hopped Up" [Red Rooster '77]
Hal Blaine - "Drums! Drums! A Go Go" [Dunhill '65]
The Shadows - "Surfing With The Shadows" [Atlantic '63]
The Astronauts - "Go..Go..Go!" [RCA '65]
Dexter Gordon - "One Flight Up" [Blue Note reissue, '65]
Eddie Harris - "Instant Death" [Atlantic '72]
Hugh Masekela - "Introducing Hedzoleh Soundz" [Blue Thumb '72] |
Orpheus10: Sounds cool, I'll bite, what makes it the most unusual Grant Green music? |
Ike & Tina Turner - "River Deep, Mountain High" [A&M '69, rec. '66]
The Everly Brothers - S/T [Rhino reissue '85, orig. '58]
Gene Clark - "Gene Clark With The Gosdin Brothers" [Sundazed reissue '00, orig. '67] The debut from the ex-lead singer/songwriter of the original Byrds is one the 60's greatest 'forgotten' albums IMHO, a must for any fan of the group and period folk-rock in general. This reissue of the rare LP improves on the original (as well as a prior inferior-sounding Columbia CD reissue) by adding a couple of previously-unreleased gems recorded a half year after the late-'66 album sessions plus a solo acoustic demo.
Peter & Gordon - "Hot Cold & Custard" [Capitol '68]
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - "Live Peace In Toronto 1969" [Apple '70]
The Hollies - "Moving Finger" [Epic '70]
Neil Young - "Time Fades Away" [Reprise '73]
Jacque Brel - S/T [Reprise '62]
Albert Collins - "Trash Talkin'" [Imperial '69]
Roy Meriwether Trio - "Soup & Onions" [Columbia '66]
Charlie Byrd - "Once More! Bossa Nova" [Riverside '63]
Duke Ellington's Spacemen - "The Cosmic Scene" [Columbia '59]
Ahmad Jamal - "Macanudo" [Argo '66, rec. '62] An atypical Jamal album in that his trio and usual pianistic introspection upon standards make way for exotique tunes and large-band Latin-orchestral arrangements by composer/conductor/bassist Richard Evans. The tiki cover is as groovy as the music (not to mention the sound).
John Eaton - "Electro Vibrations" [Decca '69?] |
Sit: A friend went to see the current Yardbirds with McCarty and Dreja in concert yesterday and gave a very good report -- and he's not even a particularly big fan who owns the old records like I do (I'd planned to attend with him, but unfortunately wound up unable to make it). |
Buzzcocks - "Another Music In A Different Kitchen" [UA UK '78]
Buzzcocks - "Love Bites" [UA UK '78]
Buzzcocks - "Singles Going Steady" [Liberty UK '79]
Buzzcocks - "A Different Kind Of Tension" [IRS '80]
Buzzcocks - "Parts One, Two, Three" [IRS '80]
Morning after listening, saw 'em again last night in Baltimore, this tour highlighting only the vintage stuff including the first two albums in their entirety (some of the deep cuts on which I've never heard them play live before), tour dates at buzzcocks.com
Feeling 16 again! |
Donald Byrd - "Royal Flush" [Blue Note '61/'06]
Sonny Rollins - "The Sound Of Sonny" [Riverside '57/'07]
Paul Desmond featuring Jim Hall -"Bossa Antigua" [RCA '64/'99]
Buddie Emmons - "Steel Guitar Jazz" [Mercury '63/'05]
Mosaic Select: McCoy Tyner [Mosaic 3CD '07, orig. issued on Blue Note albums "Expansions", "Cosmos", "Extensions" and "Asante" rec. '68-'70]
Wayne Shorter Quartet - "Beyond The Sound Barrier" [Verve '05]
Andy & The Bey Sisters - "'Round Midnight" [Prestige '65/'07]
Abbey Lincoln - "Devil's Got Your Tongue" [Gitanes/Verve '92]
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - "Naturally" [Daptone '05] |
Dig the "Cosmic Wheels" Jaybo, "7-Tease" was another underrated hip later Donovan (though "Essence To Essence" in between was kind of a dog IMO...)
Earl Van Dyke & The Soul Brothers - "That Motown Sound" [Motown '65]
The Zombies - S/T [Parrot '65]
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - S/T [Elektra '65]
101 Strings - "Play Million Seller Hits Written By The Beatles" [Alshire '67?]
John Barry - "Petulia" O.M.P. Sndtrk. [W7 '68]
Gordon Lightfoot - "Back Here On Earth" [UA '68]
The Clique - S/T [White Whale '69]
Cat Stevens - "Very Young And Early Songs" [Deram/London '72, comp. rec. mid-60's]
The Fleshtones - "Speed Connection II/Live In Paris '85" [I.R.S. '85]
The Original Sins - "Self Destruct" [Psonik/Skyclad '90] |
Oliver Nelson - "A Dream Deferred" [Flying Dutchman 2LP comp. '76]
Modern Jazz Quartet - "Blues On Bach" [Atlantic '74]
Bill Evans - "The Interplay Sessions" [Milestone 2LP '82, rec. '62]
George Harrison - "Wonderwall Music" [Apple '68] |
some vacation driving CDs...
Nico - "Chelsea Girl" [Verve '67]
Richard Hell & The Voidoids - "Blank Generation" [Sire '77]
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich - "The Singles" [BR comp. '99, rec. '65-'72]
The Five Royales - "Sing For You" [King '59]
The Rockin' Vickers - "The Complete: It's Alright!" [Purple Pyramid comp. '00, rec. '64-'66]
VA - "Psychedelic Unknowns Vol. 4" [Scrap]
VA - "Nobody To Love" [Teenage Shutdown]
Tom & Jerry-o - "Boo-ga-loo" [Boo-Ga-Loo comp.] |
Illinois Jacquet - "The Cool Rage" [Verve 2LP '82, rec. '51-'58]
Kenny Dorham - "Jazz Contrasts" [Riverside/OJC reish, orig. '57]
Big Maybelle - "The Complete Okeh Sessions 1952-55" [Epic/Legacy '94]
Jimmy Page - "Session Man" [Sony Special Products '92 comp., rec. '64-'65]
(Ambrose) Slade - "Beginnings/Play It Loud" [Salvo '06, orig. '69/'70]
Jimmy Cliff - "Struggling Man" [Mango/Island '74]
Doc Watson - "Riding The Midnight Train" [Sugar Hill '86] |
P.F. Sloan - "Here's Where I Belong/The Best Of The Dunhill Years 1965-1967" [Big Beat '08]
Roland Kirk with Jack McDuff - "Kirk's Work" [Prestige '61/'07] |
A Borders in our area is closing shop with everything discounted, it was pretty cleaned-out but I managed to pick up several CD expanded remasters and box sets on the cheap, about half of it stuff I already had in one form or another (but not all the booklets and bonus tracks):
Charles Mingus - "Mingus Ah Um" [Columbia Legacy '59/'98] The Legacy Mingus reissue I'd held off on the longest, since unlike this one I didn't already own the others on vinyl
Oscar Peterson Trio - "...+ One Clark Terry" [Mercury '64/'07] A lot of the Verve Petersons sound better on remastered CD than they did on original vinyl for whatever reason (probably the mastering jobs), but good as this CD reish sounds, I wonder if the Mercury vinyl might give it a better run
Big Mama Thornton - "With the Muddy Waters Blues Band 1966" [Arhoolie '66/'04] San Francisco studio recordings, the title pretty much says it all
Yardbirds - "Roger The Engineer" [Great American Music Co./Airline '66/'0?] Mono + stereo mixes + the two Keith Relf singles
The Who - "Sell Out" Deluxe Edition [Polydor 2CD '67/'09] Mono + Stereo mixes + related bonus tracks and outtakes
Albert King - "Born Under A Bad Sign" [Stax '67/'02]
Love - "Forever Changes" [Rhino/Elektra '67/'01] + bonus tracks, alternate takes/mixes
Simon & Garfunkel - "Live 1969" [Columbia Legacy '08] Great followup to 2002's "Live In New York City 1967", if not quite as special as that concert, this one compiled from dates throughout their final tour peceding the release of the "Bridge Over Troubled Water" album and the duo's breakup
Jimi Hendrix - "First Rays Of The New Rising Sun" [Experience Hendrix/Sony Legacy '10] The included documentary on DVD isn't all it could and should have been
Iggy And The Stooges - "Raw Power" [Columbia Legacy 2CD '73/'10] With concert recording from the tour
Big Star - "Keep An Eye On The Sky" [Rhino 4CD '09] A nice package for the completist, which I'm not really sure I am one -- demos, rehearsals, alternate mixes, original mixes, alternate demos, alternate lyrics, early versions, single versions, alternate single mixes -- whew! -- most previously unreleased + live in Memphis + fat booklet
Ramones - S/T [Warner Archives/Rhino '76/'01] + bonus demos |
Hi Rushton, I don't know that I'm familiar with the particular Ravel piece you list (recalling the names of classical pieces or placing them with those I've heard not being one of my strengths!), but I don't think I've ever listened to any Ravel that I *didn't* like. Today my radio alarm clock woke me to the finale of his Daphnis And Chloe Suite #2 (Rotterdam/EMI) and I was reminded of this fact again. Do you have any top recommendations for recordings of his work to be on the lookout for? |
Thanks Rushton, I have to admit I've never stumbled across any RR vinyl, probably 'cuz I don't shop in the right kind of used record stores (and wouldn't know what I was doing to order something like that new), but I do see and have occasionally bought various Vox and Ansermet vinyl for cheap (thrifts etc. -- better suits my level of classical interest and knowledge), so I'll be on the lookout... |
V/A - "Where The Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets 1965-1968" [Rhino 4CD Boxset '09] Sprawling and yet unavoidably arbitrary but undeniably admirable comp representing one of the white-hottest concentrated pop-music scenes ever, packaged in a swell annotated-picturebook format (and like all these latter-day Nuggets sets on Rhino, having little in common with the original "Nuggets" concept as compiled by Lenny Kaye on Elektra in '72 other than the general period orientation)
The Detroit Emeralds - "Feel The Need" [Westbound '77] These guys debuted in the late 60's and persevered writing and singing great genuine group soul into the disco era, similar to an O'Jays or Spinners vein (but without the big hits or The Sound Of Philadelphia, and not so well remembered today)
Batusis - S/T [Smog Veil EP '10] Dead Boy Cheetah Chrome and New York Doll Sylvain Sylvain...a seriously nonessential souvenir from a very fun show
The Monkees - "Instant Replay" [Colgems/Rhino '69/'85] And then there were three... |
Ray Charles - "What'd I Say" [Atlantic LP '59]
Magic Sam - "Easy Baby" [Charly LP '85, rec. '57-'66] Early singles from the Cobra, Chief and Crash labels
Perez Prado - "Exotic Suite Of The Americas" [RCA LP '62] A Living Stereo engineered by one Ed Begley -- any relation to the actors Sr. and Jr.?
Elvin Jones - "Poly-Currents" [Blue Note LP '69] With George Coleman and Joe Farrell tenor, Pepper Adams baritone, Wilbur Little bass, Candido conga
The Delfonics - S/T [Philly Groove LP '70]
Jim Hall Trio - "Circles" [Concord Jazz LP '81] |
Hi Notec, glad you were inspired to respond, and hope next time you will post what you've been listening to. Sorry if my wisecrack rubbed wrong...without arguing what I regard to be near-meaningless terminology at this point, I actually did say what I meant, but of course many will disagree. Maybe this will help clarify however: I didn't say THE industry -- I was refering to AN industry. (Word.)
Charles Mingus - "At Town Hall (featuring Eric Dolphy)" [Jazz Workshop/Fantasy LP '7?, rec. '64]
Duke Ellington - "The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse: A Suite In Eight Parts" [Fantasy LP '75]
Curtis Mayfield - "Got To Find A Way" [Curtom/Buddah LP '74] |
Hey Jerico, re "Unhalfbricking": In my queue recently have been Sandy Denny "Sandy" [A&M LP '72] and "The Best Of Richard & Linda Thompson: The Island Years" [Island/Def Jam CD '00]...(Sorry Richard & Linda, both of whom appear on "Sandy", but I remain partial to Ms. Denny)...
Al Green - "Al Green Is Love" [Hi LP '75]
The Detroit Emeralds - "I'm In Love With You" [Westbound LP '73]
The Staple Singers - "BeAltitude: Respect Yourself" [Stax LP '72]
Townsend, Townsend, Townsend & Rogers - S/T [Chocolate City '79] Ed Townsend, singer of "For Your Love" fame (Capitol '58) and producer/songwriter/arranger (Marvin Gaye, Dee Dee Warwick), together with his sons in an innocuous Johnson Brothers-ish groove
Deon Jackson - "His Greatest Recordings" [Solid Smoke LP '84, rec. '64 - '69]
The Temptations - "Meet The Temptations" [Gordy LP '64]
Charlie Byrd - "Bamba-Samba Bossa Nova" [Everest LP '63] Featuring the Woody Herman Big Band (not billed here as The Thundering Herd), offhand I can't think of another record combining large swing-band jazz fronted by acoustic Spanish guitar. The liners also mention an earlier Everest collaboration entitled "Herman's Heat And Puente's Beat", I'd like to find that one!
Henry Mancini - "Experiment In Terror" M.P. Sndtrk. [RCA LSP LP '62]
Blossom Dearie - "Blossom Dearie, Soubrette: Sings Broadway Hit Songs" [Verve LP '60]
Frank Sinatra - "September Of My Years" [Reprise LP '65]
Nina Simone - "Emergency Ward!" [RCA LP '72]
Liszt: Hungarian Rhapdodies/Enesco: Roumanian Rhapsodies - Dorati/LSO [Mercury LPS LP '60]
"Children's Songs Of Shakespeare's Time" - New York Pro Musica Antiqua [Counterpoint/Esoteric-Everest LP '6?] |
Hi Jerico, my own personal Thompson faves are the first three Fairport Convention albums (they lose me at "Liege & Lief" onward, when things got less freewheeling and eclectic, not to mention rockin' -- they also missed Denny's songwriting after that one). I would like to hear Sandy's first solo effort entitled "The Northstar Grassman And The Ravens" ('71) but haven't come across it to date... |
Quincy Jones And His Band - "I Dig Dancers" [Mercury LP '60]
Wes Montgomery - "Down Here On The Ground" [A&M LP '68]
Tax Free - S/T [Polydor LP '70] Wally Tax of the (Dutch) Outsiders fame, here not sounding like that earlier group's Pretty Things-ish fuzzed-out freakbeat whomp, but being mostly unplugged meditative lite-psych, featuring Tax on acoustic guitar and flute, the ubiquitous Richard Davis (Van Morrison) on string bass and with a guest appearance from the Velvets' John Cale on viola (come to think of it, the Pretties' Phil May also eventually revealed his inner hippie-folkie too...)
The Beach Boys - "Sunflower" [Brother/Reprise LP '70] Another often-overlooked gem from their 'later' catalog and their first on Reprise, recorded at the band's Brother Records studios. Dig this item from the audiophilic Technical Notes: "The songs on this record were recorded in true stereophonic sound; they are not 16 monophonic signals placed somewhere between right and left speakers blended together with echo, but rather total stereo capturing the ambiance of the room and the sound in perspective as heard naturally by the ear. Although more difficult to perfect, this type of recording is far more satisfying to hear, as will be demonstrated upon playing this album." |
Hey Airegin: I admit I'm not much on current 'indie' rock (mostly quit that back before the Seattle thing exploded and 'indie' eventually came to stand for "industry") and have never heard the artists you mention -- and that I myself do mainly listen to stuff recorded before I was born or while I was still in knee-pants (or would have been, were I quite old enough to have been around when kids still wore knee-pants). But given that Wikipedia tells me Ms. Levi was born in '87, had it not been for your comment about Gong and Freak Brothers comix, I would've chuckled to think that your "youth" as you put it must've been about last Thursday! ;^) |
Wow Jerico, you're a fast worker dude! Agreed and agreed.
King Crimson - "In The Wake Of Poseidon" [Atlantic LP '70]
Sparks - "Kimono My House" [Island LP '74]
Nilsson - "Pandemonium Shadow Show" [RCA LP '67]
Sagittarius - "Present Tense" [Columbia repro LP orig. '68] |
Ossipov Russian Folk Orchestra [Melodiya LP '69] Pieces by Rachmaninov, Schumann, Debussy, Stravinsky, Sibelius and Lyadov arranged for Russian folk instrumentation
Del Shannon - "Runaway Hits" [Bug comp. LP '83]
Sun Ra - "Strange Celestial Road" [Rounder LP '80]
Johnny Richards & His Orchestra - "Experiments In Sound" [Capitol LP '58] |
The Larry Page Orchestra Arranged By Ray Davies - "Kinky Music" [Rhino repro LP '83, orig. '65] Never released in US at the time, strictly for dancing fun but audaciously early in the band's career for an affair of this kind, the newest tune on the disk being the contemporaneous hit single "Tired Of Waiting For You" (and even stretching back to their earliest non-album single for "I Took My Baby Home")
The Sentinals - "Surfer Girl" [Del Fi repro LP '96, orig. '63]
Willie Mitchell - "The Hit Sound Of Willie Mitchell" [Hi LP '67]
Ray Bryant - "Lonesome Traveler" [Cadet LP '66] The followup to the classic "Gotta Travel On" album, reprising the same winning formula (right down to the title allusion) with the dual flugelhorns of Clark Terry and Snookie Young once again fronting the trio
Pete Rugolo - "Percussion At Work" [Mercury LP '57] Early stereo sound spectacular in a non-classical vein, featuring Andre Previn and Shelly Manne, the SR # is but a mere 80003 |
Bobby Bland - "Ain't Nothing You Can Do" [MCA reissue LP '84, orig. Duke '64]
Nina Simone - "The High Priestess Of Soul" [Philips LP '67]
The Ramsey Lewis Trio - "Upendo Ni Pamoja" [Columbia LP '72]
Sun Ra - "The Magic City" [ABC/Impulse LP '73, rec. '60]
Skeeter Davis & NRBQ - "She Sings, They Play" [Rounder LP '85]
George Abdo & His Flames Of Araby Orchestra - "The Art Of Belly Dancing" [Monitor LP '73] Belly dancing instructions enclosed!
Sabicas - "Volume III" [Elektra LP '6?]
Vijay Raghav Rao - "Flute" [Tower LP '69]
The Gil Evans Orchestra - "Plays The Music Of Jimi Hendrix" [Bluebird CD '02, orig. RCA '74] |
McCoy Tyner - Mosaic Select Boxset [Mosaic 3CD '07, orig. 4 Blue Note albums rec. '68 - '70] Went to see the McCoy Tyner Quartet w/Gary Bartz sax in concert the other night, both still gettin' it done (also we were quite blown away by Eric Gravatt on drums, ex-Weather Report)
Ed Thigpen - "Out Of The Storm" [Verve LP '66] Oscar Peterson's longtime drummer, with Kenny Burrell guitar, Clark Terry trumpet, Herbie Hancock piano, Ron Carter bass
Harold Land - "West Coast Blues!" [Jazzland LP '60] Wes Montgomery guitar, Barry Harris piano, Sam Jones bass, Joe Gordon trumpet, Louis Hayes drums
Lightnin' Hopkins - "The Herald Recordings" [Collectables LP, rec. '54]
Roy Clark - "Stringin' Along With The Blues" [Capitol LP '66] All-instrumental set has Howard Roberts and Barney Kessel on backing guitars with Earl Palmer drums and Red Callender bass
Neal Hefti - "How To Murder Your Wife" O.M.P. Sndtrk. [U.A. LP '65]
Luciano Sgrizzi - "18th Century Italian Harpsichord Music" [Nonesuch LP '6?] Solo Baroque works by Scarlatti and several of his 'workmen' (as the liners put it) contemporaries whose names are unfamiliar |
Tim Hardin - "The Best Of..." [Verve/Forecast LP '70, rec. '67] Writer of much-covered tunes such as "Reason To Believe", "If I Were A Carpenter", "Misty Roses" etc.
Roy Head & The Traits - "Treat Me Right" [Scepter LP '65]
Sweet - "Sweet Fanny Adams" [RCA UK LP '74]
Wes Montgomery - "The Incredible Jazz Guitar Of..." [Riverside/OJC CD '87, orig. '60] With Tommy Flanagan and the Heath brothers
Stanley Turrentine - "Joyride" [Blue Note CD '06, orig. '65] With big-band 'orchestra' arranged/conducted by Oliver Nelson |
I regularly spin older 45s but hardly ever list any, so here's some random titles culled from recent stacks, just as a reality check (and of course your reading pleasure)! These are mostly from the 60's with a few earlier and later exceptions here and there, in absolutely no order whatsoever...Let's hit the mono button and put the needle to the groove, at least until I get tired of typing :-)
The Wanted - "Big Town Girl" [A&M]
Alice Wonderland - "He's Mine" [Bardell]
Beau Brummels - "One Too Many Mornings" [Warner Brothers]
Wild Cherries - "Whistle Stop Revue" [Kapp]
The Jordan Brothers - "Gimme Some Lovin'" [Philips]
Hugo Montenegro & Orchestra - "Good Vibrations" [RCA]
David Rockingham Trio - "Dawn" [Josie]
The Shags - "Wait And See"/"It Hurts Me Bad" [Nuttr]
Johnny & The Expressions - "Where Is The Party" [Josie]
Buddy Lee & The Satellites - "Countdown"/"Way Out" [Columbia]
The Significant Other All-Girl Band - "What Is The Reason"/"Ode To Carrabassett 'Fats'" [Critique]
The Buchanan Brothers - "The Last Time" [Event]
The Tidal Wave - "Searching For Love"/"Sinbad The Sailor" [Buddah]
The Kitchen Cinq - "Ride The Wind" [LHI]
Bonnie & The Butterflies - "I Saw Him Standing There"/"Dust Storm" [Smash]
The Rollers - "Bonneville"/"I've Got My Eye On You" [Liberty]
Tony Kaye & The Heartbeats - "Hey Hey Little Orphan Annie" [GMC]
Willie Hobbs & The Dirte Four - "Gloria" [Mercury]
John Leyton - "Make Love To Me" [Atlantic]
The Nova Local - "If You Only Had The Time" [Decca]
Randy's World - "Over Again" [SSS International]
Brother Jack McDuff - "Theme From Electric Surfboard" [Blue Note]
The Vogues - "Humpty Dumpty" [TL]
Don & The Goodtimes - "Turn On"/"Make It" [Wand]
The Others - "Morning"/"My Friend The Wizard" [Jubilee]
The Arkades - "The P.A.L." [Julia]
Freddy Cannon - "Buzz Buzz A-Diddle-It" [Swan]
Chuck Jackson - "Where Did She Stay" [Wand]
Jack Scott - "Goodbye Baby"/"Save My Soul" [Carlton]
Jerry Reed & The Hully Girlies - "I'm Movin' On"/"Goodnight Irene" [Columbia]
The Pastels - "Been So Long" [Argo]
Chuck Berry - "Oh Baby Doll" [Chess]
Ruth Brown - "I Want To Do More" [Atlantic]
Flamin' Groovies - "Shake Some Action"/"When I Heard Your Name" [Line]
Louis Armstrong & His Allstars - "The Beat Generation" [MGM]
Cilla Black - "I've Been Wrong Before" [Parlophone]
Sam & Dave - "I Got A Thing Going On"/"I Found Out" [Roulette]
Warren Smith - "Ubangi Stomp" [Sun]
Them - "Mystic Eyes" [Parrot]
The New Breed - "I'm In Love"/"Green Eye'd Woman" [Diplomacy]
The Caper Brothers - "I Ain't Gonna Write You" [Roulette]
The Van Dykes - "Stupidity" [Atlantic]
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - "Come Spy With Me" [Tamla]
Peter & Gordon - "To Know You Is To Love You" [Capitol]
The Newbeats - "Better Watch Your Step" [Hickory]
The Rolling Stones - "Dandelion"/"We Love You" [London]
Kane & Abel - "The Twist Is Back" [Red Bird]
The Dreams - "(They Call Me) Jesse James"/"Charge" [D.C. Sound Ltd.]
Elvis Presley - "Mystery Train" [RCA Victor]
The Bryds - "It Won't Be Wrong"/"Set You Free This Time" [Columbia]
Terry Black - "Say It Again"/"Everyone Can Tell" [Tollie]
The Yardbirds - "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor"/"Ha Ha Said The Clown" [Epic]
Yvonne Fair - "Just As Sure (As You Play, You Must Pay)"/"Baby, Baby, Baby" [Smash]
The Mad Lads - "Come Closer To Me"/"Sugar, Sugar" [Volt]
The Ambassadors - "A.W.O.L." [Arctic]
The Accents - "Tell Me" [Challenge]
Jerry Cole & His Spacemen - "One Color Blues" [Capitol]
Kenni Woods - "Can't He Take A Hint?"/"That Guy Is Mine" [Philips]
The Cookies - "Only To Other People" [Dimension]
The Entertainers - "Too Much" [Chess]
Kai Winding - "The Ice Cream Man" [Verve]
The Young Ones - "East Coast USA"/"Windy And Warm" [England]
The Ikettes - "Peaches 'n' Cream"/"The Biggest Players" [Modern]
The Fraggies - "I Wanna Love You"/"Stick With You" [Cameo]
The Sundowners - "Ring Out Wild Bells" [Filmways]
The New Order - "You've Got Me High"/"Meet Your Match" [Warner Brothers]
Mickey Dolenz - "Don't Do It" [Challenge]
The Transatlantics - "Run For Your Life" [Jubilee]
The Spotlights - "Dayflower" [Smash]
The Four Tempos - "Showdown (At The Union Hall)" [Rampart]
Darrow Fletcher - "The Pain Goes A Little Deeper"/"My Judgement Day" [Groovy]
The Distant Cousins - "Let It Ring" [DynoVox]
The Kinks - "Where Have All The Good Times Gone"/"Till The End Of The Day" [Reprise]
The Beach Boys - "Please Let Me Wonder" [Capitol]
Chad & Jeremy - "Teenage Failure" [Columbia]
The New Colony Six - "I Confess"/"Dawn Is Breaking" [Centaur]
Little Sonny - "Let's Have A Good Time"/"Orange Pineapple Cherry Blossom Pink" [Wheelsville]
The Beach Boys - "The Little Girl I Once Knew" [Capitol]
The Reflections - "You're My Baby (And Don't You Forget It)" [Golden World]
The Byrds - "Lady Friend" [Columbia]
The Contours - "That Day When She Needed Me"/"Can You Jerk Like Me" [Gordy]
Jim Doval & The Gauchos - "Mama Keep Yo Big Mouth Shut" [Diplomacy]
The Beatles - "Penny Lane"/"Strawberry Fields Forever" [Capitol]
Love - "Seven And Seven Is" [Elektra]
Richard Terry - "Instrumental #1" [Nickel]
Syl Johnson - "The Love You Left Behind"/"Anyone But You" [Hi]
Bobby Patterson - "Right On Jody"/"If You Took A Survey" [Paula]
The Four Jewels - "Dapper Dan" [Checker]
James Brown - "Have Mercy Baby"/"Just Won't Do Right (I Stay In The Chapel Every Night)" [King]
Sir Walter Raleigh - "Tell Her Tonight"/"If You Need Me" [Tower]
Castle Farm - "Hot Rod Queen" [Farm]
The Poets - "Out To Lunch"/"She Blew A Good Thing" [Symbol]
The Staccatos - "Let's Run Away"/"Face To Face (With Love)" [Capitol]
The Balloon Farm - "A Question Of Temperature" [Laurie]
The Move - "Fire Brigade"/"Walk Upon The Water" [A&M]
Huey Smith & The Clowns - "Free Single And Disengaged" [Ace]
Slim Harpo - "Tip On In" [Excello]
Del Shannon - "Break Up" [Amy]
Tim Tam & The Turn-Ons - "Opelia" [Palmer]
Kenny & The Kasuals - "Journey To Tyme"/"I'm Gonna Make It" [United Artists] |
The Stranglers - "La Folie" [EMI UK LP '81]
Hoodoo Gurus - "Stoneage Romeos" [Demon UK LP '84]
The Monochrome Set - "Fin" [el/Cherry Red UK LP '86]
The Real Kids - "Outta Place" [Star Rhythm LP '82]
Redd Kross - "Neurotica" [Big Time LP '87] |
Hi LJ, I remember you from the Alex Chilton thead. I try to keep my end up here, but this thread tends to die when we don't get enough interaction, such as Rushton and Emorisev have had. We just need more members posting here to reach a critical mass. I presume that all audiophiles do get around to actually listening to some (real world) music from time to time, so why not chat about it? You'd think a running list of what folks are playing at the moment should be a great jumping off point for discussion and further recommendations, but there's always been less back and forth here than I'd like or expected. To me this oughta be, day in day out, the most heavily posted-to thread on Audiogon. That it's not I can't help but find a bit telling. |
Hey E, sorry I misspelled your moniker above -- it was late and I was stupid ;^)
System apart on occasion of my better half rearranging the furniture (um, thanks honey, or something), so no listening to report :-(
On a brighter note however, I restrung one of my guitars that I've been neglecting for a couple of years ever since I got my last one and have been playing up a storm (that doesn't mean well, just a lot!) |
Hey E, I'm shortly expecting my new -- and first ever -- SUT, which will have 9X and 16X ratios. I've got a 2 week audition period, and it will be interesting to compare it against resistive loading. I do know that my phonostage sounds best at its low (MM) gain setting, so we'll see... |
Hey E, loading is the main reason I'm trying an SUT. My phonostage offers plenty of MC gain on its own, however my current cart doesn't seem to get along well with the resistive loading it provides in terms of tonal balance, at any of the available values (including the one recommended by the cart manufacturer). The SUT seems to be an improvement in this regard, even when the nominal impedance product is essentially the same, however there may be losses in other areas. It's been a while since I had any tubes in my amplification chain. (Several years ago there was nothing but, however the phono was the first to go -- too susceptible to annoying and frustrating tube noise issues, no matter what varieties or how many different examples I tried. Maybe an SUT would have helped then.) As far as break-in goes, this manufacturer feels a mere few hours is sufficient for these particular trannies, but I'll give it more than that, as much as I can in the audition period I have.
Ahmad Jamal - "Chamber Music Of The New Jazz" [Argo LP '56]
Illinois Jacquet - "Swing's The Thing" [Verve LP '57]
Johnny Hodges - "The Blues" [Verve LP '57]
Dizzy Gillespie - "Have Trumpet Will Excite" [Verve LP '59]
Junior Mance - "Straight Ahead!" [Capitol LP '64]
The Four Freshman - "...And Five Guitars" [Capitol LP '59]
The Fireballs - "Gunshot!" [Sundazed comp. LP '96]
The Pretty Things - "Singles '64-'68" [Sundazed comp. 2LP '08] |
A day's worth of playing later and the new SUT shows virtually no losses now, which is impressive since there's another set of interconnects involved. I'm not sure yet if it sounds like an unequivocal, significant improvement on running straight into the phonostage, but it does sound perhaps a touch more relaxed and inviting in its presentation, but still well-defined, open and extended.
My assumption is that, as much as anything having to do with the SUT itself, this is probably a function of setting the phonostage to its MM defaults for lowest gain and highest impedance, the benefits of which (including, presumably, a somewhat better S/N ratio) apparently pretty evenly offset any losses from the added stuff in the signal path. Any other slight differences, especially in terms of tonality, can probably be mostly attributed to the fact that the available loading choices don't correspond exactly, although they're in the same zip code. I'm enjoying it; as far as I can tell based on this one sampling, an SUT isn't some sort of panacea, as certain proponents have seemed to claim, but it's definitely not an albatross either, as some SUT detractors have implied. But whether it's actually worth the expenditure for me is a question I'll have to answer within the week...
J.J. Johnson Quintet - "Dial JJ5" [Columbia LP '57] Dig the plain old 'modern' white desk telephone pictured life-size on the cover -- J.J.'s mustachioed mug smiling out from the center of the dial, cigarette elegantly in hand -- I guess then all the latest rage in fashionably chic telephony, what with its clean lines and newfangled coiled cord. Well it still stands up as an icon of the period, just like this swell, empathetic session, in warm 6-eye mono, featuring Tommy Flanagan piano, Elvin Jones drums, Wilbur Little bass, and the lesser-known Bobby Jaspar on tenor, flute and also clarinet. Great tunes and arrangements too -- I could listen to this one all day and practically have been, trying to break-in this transformer
Richard 'Groove' Holmes - "Les McCann Presents The Dynamic Jazz Organ Of..." [Pacific Jazz LP '61] With Ben Webster sax and McCann piano (love the combo of piano and Hammond organ together -- later one of the secret weapons of The Band in another context, if you ask me), supported by Ron Jefferson drums and a swinging guitarist with great tone named George Freeman
Carmen McRae - "Blue Moon" [Decca LP '57] Did you know that like Nat Cole, she actually started out as a pianist rather than a singer? Orchestra directed by Tadd Dameron on several cuts
Mary Lou Williams/Ralph Burns - "Composer-Pianists" [Jazztone LP '57] With Jimmy Raney guitar and Osie Johnson drums
Gerry Mulligan - "Presenting The Gerry Mulligan Sextet" [Emarcy LP '56] With Zoot Sims tenor, Bob Brookmeyer trombone, Dave Bailey drums
Count Basie & His Orchestra - "Li'l Ol' Groovemaker...Basie!" [Verve LP '63] Composed and arranged by Quincy Jones
The Fireballs - "Torquay" [Dot LP '63] Forget cornball singer Jimmy Gilmer ("Sugar Shack"), whom the group sometimes backed, the Ventures-meet-Chet Atkins lead guitar stylings of George Tomsco are the attraction of their instro incarnation
The Everly Brothers - "Gone Gone Gone" [Warner Brothers LP '65] I'm a big fan of Don & Phil on WB throughout the 60's -- their torrent of chart toppers may have dried up for the most part by the time the British Invaders whose sound they helped inspire washed ashore (think of The Beatles and Hollies harmonies), but the brothers never stopped, and the self-penned title tune is one of their best
"Friday At The Hideout: Boss Detroit Garage 1964-67" [Norton comp. LP '01] Wanna know where Bob Seger and Glenn Frey got their starts as teenagers? Actually neither would I, but along with Suzi Quatro this contains the answer, and if you prefer hormonal rock and roll over Rock, it's cooler than a whole lot of what they did afterward |
Well, I had to return the SUT, after it became apparent (and carefully controlled tests proved) that the transformer in each channel did not sound the same as the other (I liked one, the other not as much). I'm currently plotting to try another...
Chucho Valdes - "Bele Bele En La Habana" [Blue Note CD '98] The energetically rhythmic Cuban piano virtuoso's Blue Note albums, featuring support by acoustic bass and hyper-kinetic drums + percussion, are poppin' sonic funrides when cranked up through a good system (if more CinemaScope-spread than audiophile-pure from a spatial perspective). Guaranteed to knock yer socks off and set yer booty bobbin', although IMO many of his keyboard excursions are more ascending/descending flash than substance
The Sundowners - "Captain Nemo" [Rev-Ola CD reissue '07, orig. '68] This largely forgotten, New York by way of the Sunset Strip, no-hit psychedelic-pop group nonetheless managed some TV series and movie appearances where they still might be caught in reruns, and snagged an opening slot on the legendarily misbegotten Hendrix-Monkees tour. Their lone album (released on Decca and rare), while somewhat uneven -- perhaps due to its wildly ambitious degree of stylistic diversity -- contains several solid and a few solidly-great tracks, featuring great group harmonies and complex orchestrations in addition to fine fuzz'n'folk guitar work of above-average intelligence |
Hey E, the other week Janis Ian's self-titled '67 debut LP on Verve/Forecast was in heavy rotation here. I don't really dig most of her stuff I've heard after that one, but I didn't realize that the title you mention, which was released in the mid-70's, contains early vintage material. Are they demos, do they feature a band? (BTW, I tried to email you thru the Agon system several days ago about SUT's but didn't receive a reply?)
Dan & Dale - "Batman And Robin" [Tifton LP '66]
Jan & Dean - "Save For A Rainy Day" [Sundazed CD reissue '96, orig. '66]
Bob James Trio - "Bold Conceptions" [Mercury LP '62]
Shelly Manne/Bill Evans w/Monty Budwig - "Empathy" [Verve LP '62]
Gil Evans Orchestra - "Great Jazz Standards" [World Pacific LP '59]
Ella Fitzgerald - "Sings The George And Ira Gershwin Songbook Vol.1" [Verve LP '59]
Red Garland Trio - "Groovy" [Prestige LP '57] |
Sorry E, I obviously misunderstood your post of 11/08 -- didn't notice that you had written "Janis Ian" in quotes as a separate title, thought you were talking about the '70's Columbia album instead. (Which, if I was a fan of her 70's work, I would have known didn't contain old stuff, since as I have since realized it contains her biggest 70's hit, "At Seventeen".) Yes, that first album is an amazingly precocious debut for a young teenager, and what helps put it over the top for me is the production of Shadow Morton (of Shangri-Las fame). |
Peggy Lee - "Black Coffee With..." [Decca LP '56]
Anita O'Day - "Swings Cole Porter With Billy May" [Verve LP '58]
Anita O'Day/Gary McFarland Orchestra - "All The Sad Young Men" [Verve LP '62]
Horace Silver Quintet - "6 Pieces Of Silver" [Blue Note LP '57]
Bill Evans Trio - "Portrait In Jazz" [Riverside LP '60]
The Modern Jazz Quartet - "Pyramid" [Atlantic LP '60]
Ravi Shankar - "The Sounds Of India" [Columbia Adventures In Sound LP '58] I believe this was his US album debut, replete with spoken introductions and demonstrations explaining the instruments, scales, modes and rhythms, and liners by the classical composer Alan Hovhaness
"The Adventurers" MP Sndtrk. - Comp. Antonio Carlos Jobim, arr. & cond. Eumir Deodato [Paramount LP '69] |
Frank Sinatra & Count Basie - "Sinatra-Basie" [Reprise LP '63]
Frank Sinatra - "Sinatra & Swingin' Brass" [Reprise LP '62] Arr. Neal Hefti
Don Elliott - "A Musical Offering By..." [ABC-Paramount '56] Arr. Quincy Jones
J.J. Johnson & Kai Winding Trombone Octet - "J.J. & Kai + 6" [Columbia Jazz Odyssey reissue LP '81, orig. '56]
Jefferson Airplane - "Surrealistic Pillow" [RCA Victor LP '67] |
Bert Jansch & John Renbourn - "Stepping Stones" [Vanguard LP '68]
The Bryds - "Live in Stockholm 1967" [Swingin' Pig LP '89] Six songs plus studio chatter from radio recordings by the post-Gene Clark four-piece lineup, not great but fun
The Kinks - "...Are The Village Green Preservation Society" [Reprise LP '69]
The Kinks - "Arthur (Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire)" [Reprise LP '69] Amazing to think that most successful bands can spend an entire career coughing up an obligatory album every few years and never produce even one cut (much less a whole LP's worth of 'em) that's the equal of any of the best on these two from the same damn year
Donovan - "Barabajagal" [Epic LP '68] Superlungs indeed
Herman's Hermits - "Blaze" [MGM LP '67] The one to play when they all snicker at your HH collection
The Troggs - "Love Is All Around" [Fontana LP '68]
Lothar And The Hand People - "Presenting..." [Capitol LP '68] Presumably the only group in history named after its Theremin...the opening cut "Machines" effectively presages Devo, and was written by legendary hitmaker Mort Shuman of all people! Too bad none of the band-penned tunes are quite as interesting
Jefferson Airplane - "Crown Of Creation" [RCA LP '68] I have to admit, now that I've relegated this one to the discard pile as well in spite of "Lather" and the title track, I'm down to but a single original JA record that I really have any use for (the sainted second)
The Beach Boys - "Surf's Up" [Brother/Reprise LP '71]
Junkers - 4 song EP [GenPop 7" '10] Baltimore's newest 'Paisley Underground'-revival style sensations, now known as Fossil Eyes
"White Bicycles: Making Music In The 1960's/The Joe Boyd Story" [Fledg'ling CD compilation '06] A souvenier from producer Joe's recent, and possibly still ongoing, memoir-reading tour (which was musically annotated by Robyn Hitchcock doing solo acoustic covers of the likes of Fairport Convention, The Incredible String Band, The Pink Floyd -- as they were known in the beginning -- Nick Drake, The Move, Tommorow, etc.) |
