[mfsoa]

I see Kodo has a 25th anniv disc out but Amazon wants $30+ for a single disc.

Can someone offer suggestions on a good Kodo CD (not SACD/DVD-A) that has, I hate to say it, all the audiophile goodies without sacrificing the interesting music?

(my representation of Kodo):     

Thanks
-Mike

[Scott F.]

Hey Mike,

Tataku and Mondo Head are both really good releases. Tataku on a few songs you can hear some strange processing artifacts (from a compressor I think) but to me, it has the more traditional Japanese Kodo drum sound.

Mondo Head was produced by Micky Hart from the Dead and while is is a good release, it strays from the traditional sound a bit too much IMO.

Oh, if you ever get a chance to see these guys live, they are phenomenal. And a little piece of Kodo trivia for you before I stop typing, the only non-Japanese national player in the Kodo Drummers just happens to be a hometown kid, (St Louisian) Kaoru Watanabe. His dad is (or used to be) second chair violin with the St Louis Symphony. 

[Mag]

You have to be careful when you play a Kodo cd. I have 'Live at the Acropolis' which is recorded at a low gain. I made the mistake of turning it up so that I could hear it. Well when it got going the dynamics of the drums was so intense that I feared it would blow the speakers.
  I consider Kodo interesting but not musically engaging, and therefore only played this disc once.

[Hogg]

I have this album, and it's quite well recorded.


http://www.amazon.com/Heartbeat-Drummers-Japan-Kodo/dp/B0000009FE

[audioferret]

I got my copy of the 25th anniversary disk at Barnes and Noble for $15.00, I think.  Look around...the 25th anniversary disk is worth it.  I just played it the other day. 

Note: My wife loves Taiko Drums - it earned much praise