What Are You Listening To?

[David Meek]

Here's what I'm listening to these days:

Home: CD changer:
Stevie Ray Vaughn - In Step - gods, could this man play a guitar!
Stevie Ray Vaughn - The Real Deal: Greatest Hits 2
Mike Oldfield - Songs Of Distant Earth
Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair
Planet P Project - Pink World

Home: Turntable:
Kenny Loggins - Nightwatch - Half-speed Master

Truck:
Staind - 14 Shades Of Gray

Office:
Aldo Nova - A Portrait Of Aldo Nova

How about you? What's on your mind and in your ears these days?




David - HTGuide flunky
Our "Theater"
Our DVDs on DVD Tracker

[Burke Strickland]

At Home -- four new Hybrid SACDs from Telarc:

-- Got Swing! (Erik Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops plus a bunch of guest stars) -- Although "Got Swing!" is by the Cincinnati Pops, most of it is played by actual jazz musicians and the recording engineers didn't "soup up" the sound like they do on so many of Kunzel's "spectacular" recordings... it sounds pretty authentically like jazz (not "smooth jazz"). This is one album that is easy to listen to all the way through in one sitting (which is what I did the first time I heard it while demoing equipment at a local hifi shop a few weeks ago -- so I HAD to get a a copy to enjoy at home.) :>)

-- Handel's Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks (Martin Pearlman /Boston Baroque) - I already had about a half dozen other performances of this music before latching on to this one (played rather aggressively on "period" instruments), but in SACD, this disc makes for a great demo, so I'm "ready" for when I add SACD playback to my system, and am still able to enjoy its Redbook CD layer in the meantime.

--Sibelius Symphony #2 / Tubin Symphony # 5 (Paavo Jarvi/ Cincinnati Symphony) -- I had heard the Sibelius on a local classical radio station and thought it was really well played and the sound is magnificent, and since I didn't have any other version, I bought it to enjoy again and again. While this symphony is unmistakably by Sibelius, it is NOT just another rehash of "Finlandia". (I had never heard of Tubin before, but his symphony is an interesting work as well.)

-- Rossini Overtures (Sir Neville Marriner / Academy of St Martin in the Fields) -- this is from a 1970s Quad recording but it sounds like it was recorded yesterday... a rousing rendition of familiar pieces -- a lot of fun to listen to.

In the car:

Weather report -- not the group -- with heavy traffic I have to keep my focus on driving conditions and we are having some "unpredictable" weather these days. (So why am I listening to a forecast if it is "unpredictable"?) :>)

Burke

PS -- looks like I'm going to have to special order Holly Cole's "Shade". (Being a fan of this artist, I do at least know the name of her "latest".) :>) No one in town is stocking it, but then again, her previous two albums were only in stores in Canada and Japan for at least a year after their initial release.

[Danbry39]

Well, when I haven't been occupied reading you know what by you know who the last few days , I've listened to

DVD-A's
Nitty Gritty
Stravinsky & Ravel - Firebird Suite/Bolero
Emilou Harris - Producer's Cut
Mahler - Symphony No. 2

CD's
Charles Lloyd - Forest Flower
John Coltrane - Ascension
The Clash - From Here to Eternity, Live
Iggy and the Stooges - Welcome to the Funhouse
The Beatles - Revolver
Eva Cassidy - Live at Blues Alley




Keith

[George Bellefontaine]

Keith, what are some of the cuts on the Emmy Lou Harris DVD-A ?




My Homepage!

[Danbry39]

Here you go George:

1. If I Could Only Win Your Love (Louvin/Louvin)
2. Boulder to Birmingham (Danoff/Harris)
3. One of These Days (Montgomery)
4. Too Far Gone (Sherrill)
5. Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight (Cowart/Crowell)
6. Together Again (Owens)
7. Tulsa Queen (Crowell/Harris)
8. Pancho and Lefty (Van Zandt)
9. Spanish Johnny performed by Harris / Waylon Jennings
10. Beneath Still Waters (Frazier)
11. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues performed by Harris / Dolly Parton / Linda Ronstadt
12. The Last Cheater's Waltz (Throckmorton)
13. Sorrow in the Wind performed by Harris / Sharon White / Cheryl White
14. Old Rugged Cross [#] performed by Harris / Johnny Cash




Keith

[George Bellefontaine]

Thanks, Keith. Some nice cuts there. I like Emmy Lou's high thin voice.




My Homepage!

[SiliGoose]

The new Radiohead, 'Hail To The Thief'




-Sili

[Danbry39]

Mr. SiliGoose,

How is the new Radiohead? I heard it was a good one.

Anyway, got three more DVD-A's today and will spend the next few days listening to them.

They are:

Deep Purple - Machine Head
Dvorak - Symphony No. 9
Chopin - Four Ballades




Keith

[SiliGoose]

Mr. SiliGoose,
How is the new Radiohead? I heard it was a good one.

Please, no "Mr." required...I'm not deserving of such formal recognition Just "goose" or "sili" will be fine.

It depends upon your perspective of Radiohead. Some love everything up to OK Computer (with particular emphesis on the first two albums) and hate the experimental sounds of Kid A and Amnesiac. Others see the experimental stuff as really pushing the envelope and downright amazing and the olderstuff was just what they had to do to get noticed.

I'm in the middle. I love the experimental stuff and the older, more alt-rock based first two albums. OK Computer is my favorite though as it combines a bit of both. The new one certainly leans toward the experimental side but has element of their alt-rock stuff as well. Not as well balanced as OK Computer but still very, very good.




-Sili

[Danbry39]

Thanks Goose,

Hey, I like saying that.

Anyway, OK Computer is my favorite Radiohead CD. The only other one I have is The Bends, which I also like but not as much. What you said falls perfectly in line with what I've heard about Hail to the Thief.

Thanks,




Keith

[Burke Strickland]

Keith –

If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, could you let us know who performed the following classical works on your DVD-As?

Stravinsky & Ravel - Firebird Suite/Bolero
Mahler - Symphony No. 2
Dvorak - Symphony No. 9
Chopin - Four Ballades

Also, in addition to the DVD-A track, do all of these have alternate tracks (DTS or DD) that would make them playable on a DVD-Video player ? And the "biggie" -- how did you like the performances and the sound of the discs?

Thanks –

Burke

[Danbry39]

Here you go Burke,

Stravinsky & Ravel - Firebird Suite/Bolero AIX
Cristian Mandeal conducting the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra
Sonics are very nice on this: dynamic, detailed, with good ambiance in the rear channels. Performance: I really like the Firebird Suite. The Bolero is ho-hum to me.

Mahler - Symphony No. 2 Teldec
Zubin Mehta conducting the Israel Philharmonic with the Progue Philharmonic Choir
Review - sonics good, not great. Performance good, but I like my redbook Otto Klemperer better.

Dvorak - Symphony No. 9 Teldec Classics
Nikolaus Harnoncourt leading the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Review - Sonics: Good, but not as good as AIX. Performance: Very good.

Chopin - Four Ballades AIX
Anita Chang (piano)
Review - Sonics: Excellent - tonally warm, great clarity, very nicely revealed nuances from delicate to bold strokes of the key. I really like this recording.

Each says it is compatible with regular DVD video players. The two AIX state they'll do DD and DTS. The Teldecs don't specify. I haven't tried any of the non - DVD-A tracks on any of them, but have on other AIX recordings. On ones like the Latin Jazz Trio and Nitty Gritty, they include a video of the performers when watching the DTS track.

Hopefully, this helps. Please remember that these are my impressions though. Your ears might vary.




Keith

[David Meek]

Your ears might vary

His do. One is much larger than the other and is on top of his head. :B

Okay, not enough coffee yet. I admit it.




David - HTGuide flunky
Our "Theater"
Our DVDs on DVD Tracker

[Danbry39]

First of all, sorry Burke's ears aren't timbre matched. Thanks for passing this information on David.

Did a little exploring on the DVD-A's this morning. Of course, some DVD-A menus are notoriously a mystery with regard to their navigation, so you never really know, but...the two Teldecs only seem to play on regular old 44.1 redbook if you're not set up for DVD-A. Neither has an actual video, but only slide shows of the artist. Frankly, unless you're set up for DVD-A, I'd just buy one of the better redbook CD's of these pieces.

The Chopin AIX has a video of the artist performing the piece. In very brief listening, it sounded pretty good. The Stravinsky has only a slide show, but like Chopin can be set to play either DD or DTS. It also sounded very good in DTS.




Keith

[Burke Strickland]

Keith -

Thanks for the detailed info. (I appreciate you taking the time to gather that data, including the alternate track information.) When it comes to classical music, I'm "all ears". :>) Sounds like I should keep an eye open (OK maybe both eyes) :>) for at least a couple of those.

Even though I already have several performances of Dvorak's 9th, I've been impressed by a number of Harnoncourt's fresh interpretations of other familiar works ranging from Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, Brahms' Symphonies and Handel's Water Music to Dvorak's Slavonic Dances, so I'd be willing to give his 9th a go.

Sounds like the Chopin is a winner, as well. I enjoy well recorded piano, especially Chopin. Might also have to check out the Stravinsky/ Firebird ... especially when I upgrade to DVD-A to get the surround ambience sonics. (No biggie on the Bolero -- I've lost count of how many versions of that are tucked in with other recordings.) :>)

Good to know that Mehta's Mahler 2nd Symphony DVD-A is only "good" -- I already have a couple of dynamite versions of it on LP & Redbook CD (Leonard Bernstein/NY Philharmonic -- knockout performance; Joel Levi /Atlanta Symphony -- stellar sonics) so it sounds like a pass on the Mehta version.

Thanks again for the info -

Burke

[Danbry39]

Burke,

Now to pick your brain. You are WAAAAAAAYYYYYYY ahead of me in your knowledge of classical music. Since you love Chopin, have you heard Martha Argerich's "The Legendary 1965 Recording" of works by Chopin? If so, what did you think?




Keith

[Burke Strickland]

have you heard Martha Argerich's "The Legendary 1965 Recording" of works by Chopin?

Keith --

I haven't had an opportunity to listen to that recording yet, but the reviews have been very positive. You've probably read the background of how her recordings were held in a vault for decades (thank goodness they weren't destroyed) due to "exclusive" contract clauses and only in the past few years has her legacy been fulfilled with their release. I'd certainly like to hear her Chopin interpretations one of these days.

A Chopin disc which I have heard more than once :>) that you might enjoy is "Malcolm Frager Plays Chopic" on Telarc. Like Argerich, he recorded some of the most demanding works note-perfect in one take. His interpretations are not for the faint of heart -- he really pounds the keys of a Bosendorfer Grand with muscular dynamism -- but I enjoy hearing some "old favorites" with a bit more verve and panache than may be traditional. It's a fun one to listen to, and the sonics are outstanding.

Burke

PS -- your discussion of Emmylou Harris has me listening to "Wrecking Ball", "Spyboy" and "Red Dirt Girl" again. She's classy, and a classic in her own right. Thanks for the reminder!

[Danbry39]

Thanks Burke,

I've loved Emmylou since I first heard her with Graham Parsons. It's not only her voice, but the way she carries herself. By the way, she was on Letterman about a week ago.

I have a friend who gave me a copy of the Argerich Chopin, which I really like, which is why I wanted your opinion. He also put on a CD that day that he said was the best Chopin recording he has, which says a lot, because, like you, he's an afficianado of classical music, with a special love of opera. I'll bet it was Malcolm Frager.

So, now I have two sources of information on what I might buy next.




Keith