Sunday Morning Music

[slowGEEZR]

First up was, "Temptation", by the Holly Cole Trio. Thanks Tim! Listening to this album has me seriously thinking of replacing my digital front end, as the vinyl simply blows away the CD as played on my system. I've thought I needed to change out the CD player before, but this really brought the point home. The one area the digital version exceeds the vinyl is in quiet background. For some reason, this Classic Records 200 gram QUIEX SV-P HAND MADE Super Vinyl does not have the low noise floor I've come to expect from them. Luckily, the music masks the noise, but it is everpresent, just below the surface of the music. Regardless, the quality of the overall sound is excellent, with a "she's in the room" presence and a "realness" to her voice that I don't get from my digital source.

Next up was Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, "Recording Together For the First Time". Wow. The soundstage from this record literally goes from wall to wall, with the two lead men strongly in center stage. If ever there was a record to show off the qualities of ML's this is it. Also, unlike my copy of Holly Cole from above, this Classic Records vinyl has a silent noise floor. Incredible dynamics, excellent music - very highly recommended!

 

[amey01]

How about a brief review of these two, please.

I'm not very good at reviewing!! My best suggestion would be to hop on to iTunes (or whatever - I didn't say BitTorrent) and have a listen to the samples.

That said, I'll give it a try.....

Grace Knight - Willow - Not sure what you know about her, but she was a pop singer in the '80s with the Eurogliders. She went out on her own in the early '90s and produced some very good jazz, starting with the Come In Spinner soundtrack done with legendary Australian jazz vocalist, Vince Jones. This album is simpler in a way, more "poppy" than the older work, but still mainly comprising of standards. Certainly not an every day listener, but interesting for occasional listening. The sound quality is typical of today's more mainstream releases - compressed and lacking in fine detail. The soundstage is also compressed with a "wall of sound" effect. Sound quality - (F).

India Arie - I don't know a lot about her, this being my only album, and one I purchased without much knowledge. It is strongly R&B based, which I don't normally like at all, but in this case, it all seems to work. Even the sometimes annoying sound effects to some tracks. Again, sound quality is not it's strong point, but it does have a little more presence -( D-).

 

[JonFo]

Listening / watching a concert DVD: IQ Subterranea

A master piece of progressive music. Well recorded (for a concert) with strong bass and well balanced sound in general.

Recommended for any prog fan.

 

[twich54]

Christmas music...Lee Greenwood, Alabama and Nat King Cole

NOBODY sings "Chestnuts roasting" like Nat !!

 

[MiTT]

First up was, "Temptation", by the Holly Cole Trio. Thanks Tim! Listening to this album has me seriously thinking of replacing my digital front end, as the vinyl simply blows away the CD as played on my system.

Steve, I got your message on Friday night and had the check in hand on Saturday. I'm glad I was able to hook you up. Sorry to hear that your surfaces weren't optimal. From the way you describe it mine are a bit quieter, although I'll agree, not the absolute quietest I've heard lately - that would be the province of the amazing 45 RPM disc's that Acoustic Sounds has been producing lately.

No time for pictures yesterday for me I'm afraid, I had to get outside and shovel snow (in minus 17 degree weather I might add!). I did get a chance to listen to music before freezing my a$$ off, just no time for pictures.

I continued my facination with Tchaikovsky of late with a full listening to the complete "Nutcracker Suite", it is the Holiday season after all. I followed that up with my old Proprius pressing of "Cantante Domino", and then, just for something different as I was doing some work in the office, spun a CD of Dusty Springfield's "Dusty in Memphis".

 

[slowGEEZR]

Steve, I got your message on Friday night and had the check in hand on Saturday. I'm glad I was able to hook you up. Sorry to hear that your surfaces weren't optimal. From the way you describe it mine are a bit quieter, although I'll agree, not the absolute quietest I've heard lately - that would be the province of the amazing 45 RPM disc's that Acoustic Sounds has been producing lately.

No time for pictures yesterday for me I'm afraid, I had to get outside and shovel snow (in minus 17 degree weather I might add!). I did get a chance to listen to music before freezing my a$$ off, just no time for pictures.

I continued my facination with Tchaikovsky of late with a full listening to the complete "Nutcracker Suite", it is the Holiday season after all. I followed that up with my old Proprius pressing of "Cantante Domino", and then, just for something different as I was doing some work in the office, spun a CD of Dusty Springfield's "Dusty in Memphis".

-17*? Whew, it reached 78* here yesterday, but expecting only 48* today. Funny, I've been listening to classical music lately, myself. I recently received about 200 lbs. of classical vinyl ( a lot of it never played from the looks of it) from my Dad's collection and have been going through a box set of "Beethoven-9 Symphonies", By the Berlin Philharmonic, with Herbert von Karajan conducting on Deutsche Grammophon. What a great sound and powerful music. When the brass kicked in on Symphonie #5, I just about jumped out of my chair!

 

[amey01]

-17*? Whew, it reached 78* here yesterday, but expecting only 48* today.

It's been over 35C (nigh on 100F I think) here every day and 90% humidity! I love Christmas time.......

 

[Bernard]

have been going through a box set of "Beethoven-9 Symphonies", By the Berlin Philharmonic, with Herbert von Karajan conducting on Deutsche Grammophon.

Do yourself a favour and get a copy of Karl Boehm conducting the Vienna Philharmonic in Beethoven's 6th (also on DG). In that Symphony HvK sounds like he's in a rush to get to his next engagement! I do, however, like what he does with the 8th and the odd-numbered symphonies. BTW these are the 1962 recordings I am referring to; I think HvK recorded 3 cycles.

 

[amey01]

Adrian Cunningham - In Motion
Mazzy Star - Among my Swan.

 

[churchill]

I've got all the Mazzy Star discs, Hope Sandoval has a great voice!

 

[C.A.P]

Christmas music...Lee Greenwood, Alabama and Nat King Cole

NOBODY sings "Chestnuts roasting" like Nat !!

This is true. Funny thing is that Mel Torme wrote that song in about 45 min. In an interview He declared he really didn't care for it.

 

[DrJRapp]

I have a HDCD disc that came with my Shanling CDT100 spinning. It's classical/new wave.

 

[TrumpetDoug]

Hdcd

I have a HDCD disc that came with my Shanling CDT100 spinning. It's classical/new wave.

Does the Shanling decode HDCD? My Ultech does and I really love the sound you can achieve with HDCD.:music: The real fun is finding out you have a HDCD. They are a hybrid in all cases and will play on a regular red book player, then if you have a HDCD chip.............. whalla.:rocker:

Doug - out

 

[MiTT]

It's been an all Organ music morning for me. I didn't have my CLS's last year, so spinning my copy of "Cantante Domino" has been a revelatory experience. It's truely like hearing it for the first time. I listened to it last weekend and again this morning - what a great Christmas record (well...all except that funky version of "White Christmas" that closes the disc - I just can't get into that one after all of the wonderful liturgical music on this LP).

After that I spun perhaps my favorite piece of classical music; Saint-Saens 3rd Symphony "The Organ", this one with Munch conducting the Boston Symphony on a 4 disc Classic reissue at 45RPM. I know it's kind of a tired old warhorse, but I don't care. The opening string sections are ripe with rosin and bow, and the closing 4th movement is spectacular, creshendo after creshendo, trowser flapping full tilt orchestral music with a huge organ just for good measure. It never fails to get my heart pumping.

After that I put on a wonderful disc I discoverd a few months ago of Handels "Organ Concertos, Op. 4" with Egarr conducting the Academy of Ancient Music on a Harmonia Mundi SACD. Pick this one up if you can find it, it's quite beautiful.

I didn't get it in the picture, but right now I've got one of my favorite releases from 2008 spinning - Radiohead's "In Rainbows".

 

[Bernard]

It's been an all Organ music morning for me. I didn't have my CLS's last year, so spinning my copy of "Cantante Domino" has been a revelatory experience.

Tim, you should also get a copy of Reference Recordings' "Star of Wonder".

 

[theWB]

Worked all Morning
Got in an extended Sunday Afternoon/Evening Listening Session

K.D. Lang ~ Hymns of the 49th Parallel
Ryan Adams ~ Easy Tiger
Alejandro Escovedo ~ Real Animal
Dr John and the Lower 911 ~ City That Care Forgot
Mel Torme ~ The London Sessions
Guo Ya-zhi ~ Sorrow of the River

 

[Tube60]

Posh! The lot o' ye!
Try and top this! Early 60s. Excellent recording. Recorded live direct to disc.

 

[MiTT]

Fordham Fest

Last night we watched a concert DVD of Julia Fordham, so it put me in a mood to review her entire catalog this morning (well, at least the disc's that I have anyway). Hard to believe she's been around for more than 20 years!

I went chronologically, and I didn't listen to every cut, but I did listen to a lot of music from "Porcelain" (1989), "Swept" (1991), "Falling Forward" (1994), "East West" (1997), and finally "Concrete Love" (2002) - this last one on a very well done SACD.

According to her website she has a new CD available, but I haven't seen it in any stores, so I may be buying it online.

 

[JonFo]

Genesis in SACD - part 3

Finally, I received my UK issue SACD box set of the 1970 - 1974 series of the Genesis 5.1 remasters.

They sound fabulous on the highly tuned system. Prior complaints of overly bright mixing are still there, but less so now that the Audyssey pro calibration curve features appropriate roll-off in the highs.

The 5.1 mix though is brilliant (to use an appropriately Brit saying) and it really works out the surrounds.

Low-end is a little light (as it is in most early-70’s discs), but a touch of subharmonic synthesis from the Driverack 4800, and that’s corrected


Hearing these favorites in 5.1 and in such pristine high-resolution media on my current rig are just amazing. I never dreamed I'd ever hear these classics with this level of detail. :music:

 

[jtwrace]

Finally, I received my UK issue SACD box set of the 1970 - 1974 series of the Genesis 5.1 remasters.

They sound fabulous on the highly tuned system. Prior complaints of overly bright mixing are still there, but less so now that the Audyssey pro calibration curve features appropriate roll-off in the highs.

The 5.1 mix though is brilliant (to use an appropriately Brit saying) and it really works out the surrounds.

Low-end is a little light (as it is in most early-70’s discs), but a touch of subharmonic synthesis from the Driverack 4800, and that’s corrected


Hearing these favorites in 5.1 and in such pristine high-resolution media on my current rig are just amazing. I never dreamed I'd ever hear these classics with this level of detail. :music:

Sounds like you've impressed yourself.