What CD are you listening to right now in 2025?

[theSven]

As the old thread for What CD are you listening to right now? has been used for years, I want to try something new and start this thread each year. That way we can see what we listened to that year and not have to scroll through a bunch of pages. Therefore without further ado, lets kick of 2025 with What CD are you listening to right now!

[theSven]

Yesterday I had a forum member over JimS to listen to the SMJ Ardent D's. Jim introduced me to a new band that had me with a WOW expression after listening to some songs. Unfortunately I didn't get the album till after Jim left, but I listened it to later that evening.



The group is called Too Many Zoos, and the album is Subway Gawdz. What I liked is all the drum bass sounds with the brass instruments. It really brought the bass out of my Ardents! I made it through the first 5 tracks on the album before calling it for the night and going to bed. I will have to get through the rest, but I was hooked.

One of my goals for 2025 is to get a playlist together of material to use for demoing my speakers and being able to listen to when I visit other members. Perhaps I shall start another thread on what is you listening list for 2025...

[JimS]

Thanks theSven for hospitality and a nice listening session!! Jon and Steve respectively do amazing work and some very nice finish work from you. The forum photos really don’t do justice to seeing your ardent d’s or calliope’s in person 🤩.

On topic, three for today….

1) agree with Jon on this one, Holly Cole is truly a cheat code for demoing good sound 😀.



2) Steve Bernstein’s slide trumpet on Din of Inequity is a unique listening experience.



3) and to add some local flavor from DC, an amazing collaboration with Eva Cassidy and Chuck Brown.

[technodanvan]

I've been listening to a lot of Paramore recently. I recall really not liking them at all back in 2006/2007 but these days I think all of their albums are solid fun. This is their most recent (Grammy-winning) effort.

Edit: I should point out that I haven't really been able to sit down and enjoy music during our remodel. Most music is being played through wolf_teeth's Zingers and a small SMSL Bluetooth amplifier in my garage as I work. The speakers are stacked one on top of the other to save space as my garage is incredibly unorganized and packed with tools, old unfinished projects, new projects, speaker parts, and sheets upon sheets of plywood.

[JonMarsh]

Interesting... I'll check them out.

[JonMarsh]

Listened to a couple of cuts on Apple Music (I have a paid account) and ordered this specific CD from Amazon, so I can rip to my music collection server.

[JonMarsh]

Documentary evidence of possession:




Film at 11.

[technodanvan]

Hayley Williams of Paramore also has a pair of albums of her own that are markedly different. I think it's the second one that I like the most, though both are good.

[JonMarsh]

OK, something near and dear to my heart, it's not exactly a resurrection, but it's similar, in a sense... I have been following the various iterations of a YouTube focused group in the past called the Band Geeks, many flows in the membership, all talented musicians. Some of what they did in the past were Yes tunes. And Jon Anderson got wind of that, got introduced to them, and as is sometimes said, the rest is history.

And in the present, I'd say they're making some fairly remarkable history.

I can hardly begin to describe how watching these videos has made me feel, because of the way it connects me in a loop to what you might call a key phase of origins, in playing music, relationships, learning so many new things, and finding new paths forward.

And a great thing, too, is the release of their new album on CD and vinyl, though sales have been so brisk it's not at all easy to snag copies- but I do have the 2 CD+DVD Combo.





So, yes, life and music are Perpetual Change, yet sometimes some of the best of past times can be revisited and recreated in a sense... and it makes me very happy to look forward to getting many of the current projects wrapped up and getting out my organ and my Rickenbacker bass and privately experiencing some of those tunes and experiences again, if only by myself. Sadly, everyone else I know of in the last two bands I played in, besides being at substantial geographic remove, are no longer on this earthly plane.

[JonMarsh]

While I sit here getting ready to post on the current project build underway, listening to "And You and I", my perverse sense of humor has only one question to ask...




"When will the Steve Wilson Re-mix be available?"

[theSven]

While I sit here getting ready to post on the current project build underway, listening to "And You and I", my perverse sense of humor has only one question to ask...




"When will the Steve Wilson Re-mix be available?"

I just bought a Steve Winwoods latest album from the SDE Shop. I haven't had a chance to listen it to it yet.

[JonMarsh]

Just to clarify, in case there is any head scratching going on here, what are the Steve Wilson remixes? His main focus was The Yes, but he's done it for other bands, selected albums by Gentle Giant and Jethro Tull, for example. I have pretty much all of them- he worked from the original tracks, but took a different style as regards instrumental focus and presentation.

The remixes were originally released one-by-one from 2013 through 2016: Close to the Edge was the first to receive a remix, followed by The Yes Album in 2014, Fragile in 2015 and Tales from Topographic Oceans and Relayer in 2016. Roger Dean, a longtime associate of the band, created alternate covers for Close to the Edge and Tales from Topographic Oceans; the other albums' covers received minor alterations. Mike Mettler of Sound and Vision also rated the set 4.5 out of 5 stars and praised the sound quality of the set, although he lamented the lack of liner notes detailing the remix process.

[JonMarsh]

OK, this next one is probably off the beaten track for a lot of folks, musically, but I just found out recently that it was released, because I'd never seen it listed anywhere before!

Now, I first became aware of and in love with Nickel Creek back in 2000, when their first album was released on the first batch of SONY SACD disks (have that disk still, as well as my original Sony SACD player and a nice Marantz one that's quite a bit newer, but not any heavier)- it was produced by Alison Kraus, which should ring a bell (hopefully) for most of you.

Well, surprise surprise!





In 2006 a "Very Best of" album was released- and it includes a couple of live takes PLUS a DVD with 7 music video versions of some of their best tunes.

WARNING:

Nickel Creek is a hard to define amalgamation of folk, bluegrass, and at times rock- not the sort of stuff that would appeal to the amphitheater rock folks, like my wife's older son-in-law!

But I love 'em. And the DVD stuff really struck an emotional chord for me, for some reason seeing a more personal example of how these three musicians work together (Sara Watkins, Mark Schatz, and Chris Thile in the original line up).

Obviously, YMMV... but as both an instrumental team, and a vocal team, they soar, with an original flavor of acoustic music that I have become very fond of.




They have had some personnel tweaks come and go, and after a farewell tour 2006-2007, have made additional recordings and touring performances.


Here's a reasonable example which is also on the DVD part of this release:

[theSven]

For those that keep on the plethora of series from all the popular networks, the White Lotus season 3 just ended. At the end of one of the episodes, possibly the last one there was a song that I thought was very well done. I couldn't resist and ordered the CD.



The song is track 7, Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming. The full list of tracks can be reviewed easily on Apple Music, but I wanted my own copy to rip and add it to Roon. I thought the arrangement of this track was very well done and it sounds phenomenal on the Ardent D's.

[Johnloudb]

My dad has been raving about this performance and recording for the past three months. Praises the Minnesota Orchestra and Reference Recordings … listens to it on his HiFi Man headphones and Headroom Blockhead headphone amp. I still haven’t listened to it - I’m bad - but I don’t doubt his recommendation. I’ll listen soon … I love these pieces by Stravinsky.

[theSven]

I've added it to my list to checkout. Thanks!

[JonMarsh]

I'm on the Reference Recordings mailing list and have a lot of their recordings. Will look into this one closer, once I catch up with stuff!

[JonMarsh]

Sometimes an accidental encounter on the radio, driving home from Eagle Idaho yesterday evening, brings back all kind of emotions and memories. In this case, it was the local Lite FM station playing a tune I've never heard on their before, but that I've got some history with and of course is in my digital music collections, both Doppler and Audirvanna and Roon.


The specific cut on the radio was "And we danced" by the Hooters, from the Nervous Nights album (one I'm pretty sure none of my friends have!);



What they did reminds me a lot of one of the bands I used to play in working through college, called "The Mad", which focused on British power pop. Not this song, but the style and energy...



here's the VEVO video version:

So enticing to me that I even learned basic guitar parts at one time and the lyrics for vocals...


But possibly my all time favorite from them on this album is another cut, "All you Zombies", and due to it's dynamics, it's always on my demo/eval list for new builds and audio show auditions:

[JonMarsh]

Note, the dynamics and audio quality of these videos just hints at the CD version. Especially "All you Zombies"- cymbals are OK, rest of drums and bass problematical.

[technodanvan]

Added the CD to my cart, thanks Jon! Not on HDTracks unfortunately, which is becoming my 2nd most preferred way of purchasing behind Bandcamp.

[JonMarsh]

I agree about HD Tracks completely- tons of stuff from them!

But note, after doing a listening check again (indulging myself, you know) the mix of "All you Zombies" on this video is quite different from the album version, only 2/3 the length, and the clarity and interaction of the instrumental parts (keyboard and guitar) is not nearly as good- it some ways, it's like comparing a Steve Wilson re-mix of some Yes albums to the original. The Steve Wilson remix being very special.

Just rocking out again on "All you Zombies", and that just on the DAC built into my docking station from M4 Mac mini Pro and using the Doppler App and my Doppler library with baby iLoud speakers for playback- very good small desktop speakers (got Steve hooked on them) but certainly not master class... Lots of good cuts on the album, a distinctly 80's feel, but not Arena rock, more a high energy pop rock style.

[JonMarsh]

while I'm enjoying some Sunday downtime, the energy from the Hooters reminded me of one of my favorite and atypical cuts from the Nickel Creek "Why should the fire die?" Album....




As bluegrass goes, I'd liken it to a sub genre that I name something like "Heavy Metal Bluegrass" because of the drumming and bass in the last 1/3 of the cut... there are several live versions running around that are more "normal", especially the LiveCreek live performance, but I'm hooked on the original studio version...

[Evil Twin]

Jonmarsh: The last time I dropped by from the outer galactic arm I noticed that a number of your neighbors have a habit of "serenading" the neighborhood with speakers from their Garage playing a genre of music, which I believe from my limited exposure, is known as "Country and Western". And this means the more modern version that "borrows" many elements of classic rock in chording patterns and guitar tone, and the underlying rhyme mode. Not to be confused with what might be termed "country and Western" 50 years ago.

When you are ready for full scale tests of the SMJ-40-Saint-Saëns, I would recommend using the Nervous Nights album as break in material, with the system at elevated volumes... in the garage, with the 3rd bay door open.

This should leave few questions in their mind about your relative cultural origins and preferences...

[JonMarsh]

Memorial Day... A time for remembrance, and maybe quite soulful music... a favorite repeat from me here- sorry, but I just couldn't resist...

"Others have excuses... I have my reasons why..."


Where am I today? I wish that I knew
Cause lookin' around there's no sign of you
I don't remember one jump or one leap
Just quiet steps away from your lead

I'm holding my heart out but clutching it too
Feeling this short of a love that we once knew
Calling this a home when it's not even close
I'm playing the role with nerves left exposed

Standing on a darkened stage
Stumbling through the lines
Others have excuses
I have my reasons why

We get distracted by the dreams of our own
But nobody's happy while feeling alone
And knowing how hard it hurts when we fall
We lean another ladder against the wrong wall

And climb high to the highest rung
To shake fists at the sky
Others have excuses
I have my reasons why
With so much deception
It's hard not to wander away
It's hard not to wander away, it's hard not to wander away

[theSven]

Another album I'm going to have to get... Great share and a good one to sample with now when listening!

[theSven]

My son got me hooked on the the song Do you wanna taste it used in the opening of the Peacemaker series on HBO. I've not really made it past the third track because I keep looping on the first 😂. Wig Wam is a Norwegian Glam Band, and they have me hooked on that song from the album Non-Stop Rock'N'Roll!

[JonMarsh]

Yeah, looping on a track is definitely diagnostic...

[technodanvan]

Wig Wam is great! I think I found them back in the day when I'd download music in random playlists, then buy the CD for music I liked.

[theSven]

I did that too! I would go to FYE which bought out Disc Jockey where I lived and get albums all the time.

[Scareurpasenger]

Listening to a playlist that combines all 12 of the 99x live X cds. A collection I built over the last year. Yearly the local radio station would release cds of various artists that they recorded in the station's studio. 99x was responsible to launching many well known artists into popularity in the 90s.

there really is something about listing to these live recordings. They feel far more intimate and immersive.

[theSven]

Listening to a playlist that combines all 12 of the 99x live X cds. A collection I built over the last year. Yearly the local radio station would release cds of various artists that they recorded in the station's studio. 99x was responsible to launching many well known artists into popularity in the 90s.

there really is something about listing to these live recordings. They feel far more intimate and immersive.

Can you share the track list?

[Scareurpasenger]

Can you share the track list?

I can’t share the playlist from Roon and these are not available streaming. Discogs does have the collection to explore though. https://www.discogs.com/label/922022...k5O253HTukk16b

I did buy a few extra of some from bundles if someone is interested.

[JonMarsh]

A very atypical cut from Eric Johnson, but one of my favorites…

• NOT played through his normal rig of modified Princeton Reverb for clean tone and Dumble for the big sound, with an old school fuzz face…
• Instead, a 100W Marshall DSL100HR dual channel head…
• NOT played on his special Stratocaster, but on a Les Paul
• Vocals NOT by Eric Johnson, but an excellent “flashback performance” by Steve Miller
• Not an Eric Johnson composition, but a “traditional” blues number, by Buddy Miles and Mike Bloomfield
• Includes guest guitarists…

Ready?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI5VlV79ryQ&list=RDNI5VlV79ryQ&start_radio =1

[JonMarsh]

Well, JimS is to blame for this- this weekend he reminded me about Spyro Gyra, due to events he was at, and I recalled when they used to be in Boulder, and doing rehearsals and compositional work at a studio I designed the monitoring system for. Good memories.

But of course, one thing leads to another, starting with digging out one of my favorite CD's of theirs from the late 90s...




And, naturally enough, that led me to look and see what is on Amazon, and I found this 24 bit remastered CD, greatest hits, only available from Amazon in Japan, of course I hit the order key....

So, is it reasonable that the day after Labor Day I'm listening to "Rites of Summer", and will be waiting for weeks for what should be both a sonic and musical treat?

It's all thanks to Jim....

[JonMarsh]

well, this would have been just the thing to play about three months ago...

Just got the CD today

[JonMarsh]

Stil immersed in advocacy for friends and working on re-organizing some working areas... stuff like this kind of music helps keep me going, though!

[JonMarsh]

More Nickel Creek, of course! "The Side"
Have to have my daily dose of Acid Bluegrass!

[bspeedy]

Aha, A what are you listening to thread, I enjoy these.
Soooo, Pardon me while I grab a CD.....hehe.
Oh my! A yet to be heard CD! I recall why! shortly after finding this for a buck or two, I blew up my Denon X3800H!! I Under warranty! but two months at repair, they sent me a new one!!
So Yeah! today is new music day.
PS I play music pretty darn loud. Currently a pair less speakers. Helps the Amp, and probably what I hear haha.

[technodanvan]

We might be well on into 2026 now, but we're still listening to some tunes when we get the chance. My wife is taking a class right now so while I'm dialed up on the computer doing some CAD junk I've got this digitally 'spinning'. It's new to me, but was recommended by a gaming buddy so I'm giving it a try. I'm liking it so far.

[JonMarsh]

well, I'm thinking about tunes to play when I get a test build ready to evaluate for the Saint-Saëns planar V3... figure I should cover a wide range of energy levels. And my notion of high energy is probably a bit quirky- rooted in progressive rock of the ages, and especially fond of short term configurations of Yes... this one with two Trevors, (Trevor Horn and Trevor Rabin) and other long time personnel missing except for drummer and bassist, and of course Jon Anderson.





And the epitome of this album is the track used for a single that went bigger than any other Yes ever did, reaching number 1: "Owner of a Lonely Heart".

Sigh.... those were the days...

Warning: This video gives me a vibe a LOT like the old Fox sci-fi TV series "Fringe", which I've been watching again, just one episode per day...