Latest Music Archive: 12/22/02 - 12/28/02

bob82274 · « **on:** 26 Dec 2002, 05:07 am »

I got a chance to listen to The Beatles: Live at the BBC today. I had mixed impressions on it. First the sound quality was not good at all, however I would not look at it this way. If you are a Beatles fan then this is worth listening too. You get to hear some interviews by them and you also get to hear some covers. Johnny B. Goode comes to mind.

Conclusion: There are far better live Beatles albums out there for the average fan. But if you would like to see a little more into their early years then this is a good thing to have in your collection.

JohnR · « **Reply #1 on:** 26 Dec 2002, 12:05 pm »

Man, I've been too busy to think about new music! But I have a few new CDs on the way from the HD swap meet... so hopefully I'll be able to post on those next week

Hantra · « **Reply #2 on:** 26 Dec 2002, 01:30 pm »

Well, I have spent a ton of money on discs this past week.

I bought Johnny Cash's latest. It's called The Man Comes Around, and it is an exceptional disc! I didn't have any Johnny Cash until a few weeks ago when I picked up the third disc in the American series, and that is fantastic as well! The sonics are much better on this new one, but songs are equally as good on both.

Also picked up the 10/31/96 Phish Live discs. This is one of my all time favorite Phish shows, and now that I have such a great recording of it, I won't be listening to my original audience recording. This is the Halloween show at the Omni where the musical costume was Remain In Light by Talking Heads. They do a killer job on this, and it is their best Halloween show next to the '94 White Album show.

Got Jimmy McGriff's Greatest Hits which is pretty cool jazzy funky Hammond B-3 action with a trio most of the time.

The most new music I got over the holidays was XM Satellite Radio! My fiancee bought this for me, and I am way impressed! It doesn't sound as good as CD's of course. I'd say it is equivalent to a high bit rate MP3. Maybe 320kbps, or so. But the sheer amount of music, and the variety of channels, are astounding!

The other night, there was an entire Phish show live, and no commercials. The Grateful Dead Hour is 2X a week, and there is one station that is nothing but live shows 24 hours. I listened to a Dire Straits show, The Cure, Hendrix, SRV, Frank Black. . . You name it. . . Most of the live stuff comes from BBC so it is good sound quality or live shows.

Their classical stations are really good too. They have one called Vox! which is just chamber music, and vocals all the time.

The real reason I wanted it is because they cover so many live shows. They have Merlefest coverage, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and pretty much most of the festivals around the country. . .All types of music.

Sometimes I just sit and stare at all my CD's. I just look at them, and I like them all, and wouldn't get rid of any of them, but I can't find anything I want to listen to. Now I just flip on the XM, and kick back.

It's sweet!

B

booda · « **Reply #3 on:** 26 Dec 2002, 03:28 pm »

My wife asked for the new JLO and Shaggy CD's, so I bought them

"Jenny on tha' block."

cjr888 · « **Reply #4 on:** 26 Dec 2002, 05:53 pm »

Relaxed on the CD purchases lately due to excessive holiday shopping, but...

Biggest continued disappointment was Phish's Round Room. Have been a huge Phish fan since the first time I saw them live somewhere around 1992, seen tons of shows, and used to be a big tape trader with hundreds and hundreds of hours of shows on analog and DAT. Each continued studio release disappoints me more, with Round Room being no exception..

Luckily though, a few days after getting the album, I was able to attend the Saturday Night Live showing in NYC where Phish played. Sure I only got to hear a few songs, but it brought me back to the band I knew, and allowed me to eliminate the bad taste in my mouth from the current studio production..

Live they are a completely different animal -- always tight, always full of energy, always able to capture a crowd.. Last time I saw them was probably 1997 or so, and there's a chance in hell that I'm paying the > $1K that two tickets are going for, for the NYE shows. At least they came down -- when they first were releases, $1K a ticket was the minimum you saw, with $4K for two tickets being the going rate for great seats.

-----------

Picked up The Best of Rita Marley, which I enjoy, and there's a lot of Rita's stuff I enjoy moreso than the rest of the family.

Picked up the latest release from Godspeed You Black Emperor, who I always enjoy. I don't like as much as Hold Your Skinny Fists...., but I'll buy anything they put out..

I am a huge fan of The Eels, so had to go to cdbaby.com and grab the Electro-Shock Blues Show the second that I realized it was released. They're great to see live, and I wasn't able to catch them live during the time of the Electro-Shock album, but another band for which I enjoy anything that they release. Sound certainly isn't the best it could be, but I'd never complain.

While at cdbaby.com, I of course had to browse everything else, and ended up ordering a few other albums. A few which I can't remember offhand, but did purchase Music from the Original Motion Picture Score for Donnie Darko. I'm also a sucker for moody film soundtracks.

Also there I grabbed Mark Kozellek's release What's Next to the Moon. This is the lead singer for the Red House Painters. Has a wonderful haunting voice, and very detailed mellow guitar playing.. Also recommended.

Grabbed Jeff Buckley's The Grace EPs.. Already had The Grace EP and one of the other EPs included, but when someone extroidinary as Buckley only released a small catalog of material, you grab at anything that's put out after the fact. Includes the EPs "Peyote Radio Theatre", "So Real", "Live from the Bataclan", "The Grace EP", and "Last Goodbye". Couldn't pass it up, and haven't had a chance to listen to all of them yet...

Grabbed Sinear O'Connor's release of Sean-Nos Nua which I was really, really impressed with. It's terrific. Liner notes open up with "I've been dying to make this record all my life as I've always loved these songs, many of which I learned as a child growing up in Ireland ... many of the songs on this record are stories of enduring and unconditional love, love that can't be quenched by fires or floods. They are the beautiful borne pain of real people, who really existed. They teach that pain can be made into something positive and beautiful when one sings it, and so pain can be healed by singing, since songs are magic. I consider all of these songs magical prayers and therefore not sad songs at all ... songs are healing and singing is healing ... one does not have to be a 'singer' to sing, but the voice is very powerful. So put a sound to your soul and sing it if you can't find the words. That is Sean-nos. That is true soul music."

Also a big fan of Grant-lee Phillips, and of Grant Lee Buffalo, and what they had put out. So when browsing through SACDs locally and found a Hybrid SACD copy of Mobilize I grabbed it. If you're new to Grant, do yourself a favor, and pick up Ladies Love Oracle instead of Mobilize. You'll get a better feel for grant and hear a beautiful haunting voice with a relaxed guitar rather than what happens when you take a small time musician, that's amazing live, by himself with a guitar, or with a full band playing loud.....and have Sony sign them and make everything pop like.

Also grabbed Charlie Parker, The Complete Live Performances on Savoy...

Those are the recordings I've grabbed in the last week or two that I can remember offhand...
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Pez · « **Reply #5 on:** 26 Dec 2002, 10:07 pm »

The Nirvana CD is great especially if you are a fan like me and are used to really poor recording from them.

For me this week I got David Bowie's Hethen on SACD with 4 bonus tracks. Very different, very ecclectic, very good. Good recording and transfer to SACD. This one is done in surround sound and in stereo. That's it

Rocket · « **Reply #6 on:** 26 Dec 2002, 10:19 pm »

hello,

just bought a david bowie cd "greatest hits" i always liked his songs. haven't tried it on my system yet just played it in my car cdp, it'll probably sound terrible.

regards

rod

hairofthedawg · « **Reply #7 on:** 27 Dec 2002, 04:59 pm »

I've spent most of the afternoon watching VH1(British)'s top 100 album list and while I don't agree with a lot of the rankings I have been reminded of and introduced to some pretty good music. A few that have stood out are Marvin Gaye, The Verve, Bob Marley, Dire Straits, like I needed a reminder, I can't wait to get my turntable working...

Stevie Wonder should sound pretty good too, which reminds me that I should dig out my Tangerine dream CD...

cheers,

Dick

bob82274 · « **Reply #8 on:** 27 Dec 2002, 06:05 pm »

Just got around to listening to some david bowie and I should have started listening a long time ago. Don't know why I didn't... oh well. What I need is a job so I can get some more music. My collection is so small right now.

MaxCast · « **Reply #9 on:** 28 Dec 2002, 05:27 am »

Over the last week or so

Krall-Live in Paris
Krall-When I look in your eyes
Paul McCartney=back in the us
Sinatra, Martin, Davis,Jr.-Live at the sands
Midnight Blue-Inner city Blues
harp steel and guts
Joe Stanley-King of honky-tonk sax
Alan Gampel-Sonatas
The Smithsonianl Collection of classic Jazz cd set.

This should keep me busy for awhile

Woodsea · « **Reply #10 on:** 28 Dec 2002, 02:32 pm »

Picked up Nirvana from the library, sounded pretty good...now on the box

John Bauder · « **Reply #11 on:** 28 Dec 2002, 05:44 pm »

Just picked up Magic Slim - Gravel Road. This is an excellent example of Chicago style blues. Slim moved to Lincoln NE [probably owes money to everyone in Chicago] so I can catch him live at the Zoo Bar several times a year. He signed my CD cover. BTW he can't spell Magic! LOL

nature boy · « **Reply #12 on:** 28 Dec 2002, 06:32 pm »

Been listening to a mint MFSL Little Feat "Waiting for Columbus" and Mel Torme and Friends "Live at Marty's" on Finesse Records. Two very exceptional live recordings which really sound great on the new Nottingham Interspace turntable.

NB