Pink Floyd- Pigs On The Wing (Part 1 and 2)
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Michael Fremer Album Review
I am very proud to continue our new feature (look for this every Friday), music reviews that are written by the senior contributing editor of Stereophile magazine- Michael Fremer. It has been a pleasure to speak with Michael and learn more about audio sound and equipment. In fact, his new DVD, "It's A Vinyl World, After All" has hit the shelves and is selling out very quickly. This is a must have for anybody who loves vinyl, it is a true masterpiece.
Additionally, make sure to stop by his site, www.musicangle.com and bookmark it for further exploration. I certainly want to thank Michael for the exclusive rights to reprint his fantastic material.
ALBUM REVIEW:
Frank Sinatra (reissue)
Nice 'n' Easy
Capitol/Mobile Fidelity MFSL 1-317 180g LP
Produced by: Dave Cavanaugh
Engineered by: N/A
Mixed by: N/A
Mastered by: Shawn R. Britton at Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs
Review by: Michael Fremer
2009-05-01
I recently drove to Boston to visit three old friends I’d not seen for 30 years. I met them when I was in my mid-twenties and they were even younger. While most of my other friends and I sought shallow “hipness” through aggressively consuming what was new and avidly rejecting what was old, these guys didn’t filter their likes through time. They seemed to be as enthusiastic about Cab Calloway in 1972 as his fans must have been back in 1931 when he sold a million copies of “Minnie the Moocher.”
Had it not been for these guys, I wouldn’t have gotten to see Cab live when he was in his 60s and still great, though of course past his entertaining and popularity prime. We were part of a special club of appreciators at his small nightclub appearances. I even played one of Cab’s great old songs “Everybody Eats When They Come to My House” on my radio show and everyone dug it.
Listening to this new Mobile Fidelity reissue of Sinatra’s 1960 classic had me thinking of how a younger generation might react to hearing it in 2009. There’s nothing like this now and don’t tell me it’s Michael Feinstein or Harry Connick, Jr. or Michael Buble, because it ain’t.
Sinatra voice is bigger, bolder and stops time in ways the others can only wish they could. The arrangements by Nelson Riddle and the musicianship of the studio cats all playing live are also difficult to duplicate today as is the intimate, warm sound—as warm and intimate as the live-in-the-studio performances. These were events captured live to tape, not studio creations that live only on tape.
Other than the title tune, Sinatra covers a collection of standards associated with him when he was a teen heart throb: familiar songs like “That Old Feeling,” “ Fools Rush In,” and “Try A Little Tenderness,” better know to a boomer audience as an intense, over the top, passionate Otis Redding cover and perhaps unknown to a younger generation. Sinatra does “I’ve Got A Crush On You,” which many will know from the slightly salacious version found on his later Reprise double LP Sinatra Live at The Sands.”
Nelson Riddle’s spare, yet simultaneously opulent arrangements feature cascading string stings, warm brass and caressing woodwinds surrounding Sinatra’s closely miked voice. As with label mates Nat Cole and Peggy Lee, few singers can survive this kind of dry, close miking. Sinatra’s phrasing and breath control are astonishing—that is if you even take note of it, so well covered are the technique artifacts.
This was two years into the stereo LP era and the orchestral mixes were fairly hard left/right with plenty of room in the middle provided for the vocals. The recording and mixing produced warm, soft, buttery images with the original pressing having an added, unnecessary reverberation, particularly on Sinatra’s voice, that’s wisely been reduced on the reissue. Clearly, the reverb is a mastering artifact and not mixed into the master tape, though I’m open to being proven wrong on this.
I compared a few original pressings with Mobile Fidelity’s ‘80s reissue and this new one. First of all, if you have the early Mo-Fi, you have something that’s bright, hard and jacked up on top and not representative of the classic Capitol sound. Listen to the superb original and you’ll know that all the quiet Japanese “Super Vinyl” in the world can’t make up for wrong-headed equalization.
Tonally, the new Mobile Fidelity mastering is more in the spirit of the original: it’s slightly soft and forgiving, with silky strings and buttery brass. With less reverb applied, Sinatra’s voice is warm and three dimensional, though on my system at least, it’s been made a bit too warm in the lower octaves, which cuts back ever so slightly the clarity, presence and immediacy of the original. There’s a bit of cloudiness heard on this reissue when Frank descends to the lower registers not heard on the original.
There’s no denying one fact though: the reissue features dead-quiet backgrounds no original I’ve gotten a hold of can match. I could make a case for finding a clean original at a garage sale but I can more easily make the case for this superb sounding reissue.
So I’m thinking of a 20 something reading this and all I can write is, “Yes, this is old, dated music that when auditioned in the context of today’s noisy, angular and loud music sounds cobwebbed from another era.
Hopefully sufficient numbers of young analog lovers today are capable of reaching back and appreciating the greatness of a bygone era now as I managed with Cab Calloway all those years ago.
Hopefully they (you) will pick up this superb sounding vinyl reissue and imagine listening in wondrous rapture to “The Voice” back in 1960 when this album was released. It’s a time long gone, but it was magical nonetheless and certainly worth revisiting on vinyl.
Does it matter that a superfluous gatefold that adds coffee shop “retro” graphics along with recording dates, publishing and composing credits and more detailed notes but doesn’t find room for the original’s striking black and white shot of Frank going over some sheet music in a darkened studio replaces the original jacket’s simpler presentation?
Does it matter that a black label sporting a pair of logos: one an understated edition of the famed Capitol dome, and the other a new one for Sinatra featuring a fedora topped microphone, replaces the iconic “rainbow rim” Capitol original?
Not really. It’s more about the music and the mastering. The music needs to introduction and the mastering more than meets expectations and that’s an understatement.
Usually there are reasons for graphic changes on reissues. Sometimes it’s the estate of the late entertainer. In the case of Sinatra that’s easy to imagine. Sometimes it’s the label and sometimes it’s both.
On the other hand, the reissue includes the original’s short annotation to which are added more extensive ones, both of which are credited to the late Pete Welding. Did he write both? Could be but I doubt it.
A superb crowd-pleasing reissue from Mobile Fidelity.
SOURCE: http://www.musicangle.com Reprinted By Permission
Pick up Michael's DVD's Here:
Additionally, make sure to stop by his site, www.musicangle.com and bookmark it for further exploration. I certainly want to thank Michael for the exclusive rights to reprint his fantastic material.
ALBUM REVIEW:
Frank Sinatra (reissue)
Nice 'n' Easy
Capitol/Mobile Fidelity MFSL 1-317 180g LP
Produced by: Dave Cavanaugh
Engineered by: N/A
Mixed by: N/A
Mastered by: Shawn R. Britton at Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs
Review by: Michael Fremer
2009-05-01
I recently drove to Boston to visit three old friends I’d not seen for 30 years. I met them when I was in my mid-twenties and they were even younger. While most of my other friends and I sought shallow “hipness” through aggressively consuming what was new and avidly rejecting what was old, these guys didn’t filter their likes through time. They seemed to be as enthusiastic about Cab Calloway in 1972 as his fans must have been back in 1931 when he sold a million copies of “Minnie the Moocher.”
Had it not been for these guys, I wouldn’t have gotten to see Cab live when he was in his 60s and still great, though of course past his entertaining and popularity prime. We were part of a special club of appreciators at his small nightclub appearances. I even played one of Cab’s great old songs “Everybody Eats When They Come to My House” on my radio show and everyone dug it.
Listening to this new Mobile Fidelity reissue of Sinatra’s 1960 classic had me thinking of how a younger generation might react to hearing it in 2009. There’s nothing like this now and don’t tell me it’s Michael Feinstein or Harry Connick, Jr. or Michael Buble, because it ain’t.
Sinatra voice is bigger, bolder and stops time in ways the others can only wish they could. The arrangements by Nelson Riddle and the musicianship of the studio cats all playing live are also difficult to duplicate today as is the intimate, warm sound—as warm and intimate as the live-in-the-studio performances. These were events captured live to tape, not studio creations that live only on tape.
Other than the title tune, Sinatra covers a collection of standards associated with him when he was a teen heart throb: familiar songs like “That Old Feeling,” “ Fools Rush In,” and “Try A Little Tenderness,” better know to a boomer audience as an intense, over the top, passionate Otis Redding cover and perhaps unknown to a younger generation. Sinatra does “I’ve Got A Crush On You,” which many will know from the slightly salacious version found on his later Reprise double LP Sinatra Live at The Sands.”
Nelson Riddle’s spare, yet simultaneously opulent arrangements feature cascading string stings, warm brass and caressing woodwinds surrounding Sinatra’s closely miked voice. As with label mates Nat Cole and Peggy Lee, few singers can survive this kind of dry, close miking. Sinatra’s phrasing and breath control are astonishing—that is if you even take note of it, so well covered are the technique artifacts.
This was two years into the stereo LP era and the orchestral mixes were fairly hard left/right with plenty of room in the middle provided for the vocals. The recording and mixing produced warm, soft, buttery images with the original pressing having an added, unnecessary reverberation, particularly on Sinatra’s voice, that’s wisely been reduced on the reissue. Clearly, the reverb is a mastering artifact and not mixed into the master tape, though I’m open to being proven wrong on this.
I compared a few original pressings with Mobile Fidelity’s ‘80s reissue and this new one. First of all, if you have the early Mo-Fi, you have something that’s bright, hard and jacked up on top and not representative of the classic Capitol sound. Listen to the superb original and you’ll know that all the quiet Japanese “Super Vinyl” in the world can’t make up for wrong-headed equalization.
Tonally, the new Mobile Fidelity mastering is more in the spirit of the original: it’s slightly soft and forgiving, with silky strings and buttery brass. With less reverb applied, Sinatra’s voice is warm and three dimensional, though on my system at least, it’s been made a bit too warm in the lower octaves, which cuts back ever so slightly the clarity, presence and immediacy of the original. There’s a bit of cloudiness heard on this reissue when Frank descends to the lower registers not heard on the original.
There’s no denying one fact though: the reissue features dead-quiet backgrounds no original I’ve gotten a hold of can match. I could make a case for finding a clean original at a garage sale but I can more easily make the case for this superb sounding reissue.
So I’m thinking of a 20 something reading this and all I can write is, “Yes, this is old, dated music that when auditioned in the context of today’s noisy, angular and loud music sounds cobwebbed from another era.
Hopefully sufficient numbers of young analog lovers today are capable of reaching back and appreciating the greatness of a bygone era now as I managed with Cab Calloway all those years ago.
Hopefully they (you) will pick up this superb sounding vinyl reissue and imagine listening in wondrous rapture to “The Voice” back in 1960 when this album was released. It’s a time long gone, but it was magical nonetheless and certainly worth revisiting on vinyl.
Does it matter that a superfluous gatefold that adds coffee shop “retro” graphics along with recording dates, publishing and composing credits and more detailed notes but doesn’t find room for the original’s striking black and white shot of Frank going over some sheet music in a darkened studio replaces the original jacket’s simpler presentation?
Does it matter that a black label sporting a pair of logos: one an understated edition of the famed Capitol dome, and the other a new one for Sinatra featuring a fedora topped microphone, replaces the iconic “rainbow rim” Capitol original?
Not really. It’s more about the music and the mastering. The music needs to introduction and the mastering more than meets expectations and that’s an understatement.
Usually there are reasons for graphic changes on reissues. Sometimes it’s the estate of the late entertainer. In the case of Sinatra that’s easy to imagine. Sometimes it’s the label and sometimes it’s both.
On the other hand, the reissue includes the original’s short annotation to which are added more extensive ones, both of which are credited to the late Pete Welding. Did he write both? Could be but I doubt it.
A superb crowd-pleasing reissue from Mobile Fidelity.
SOURCE: http://www.musicangle.com Reprinted By Permission
Pick up Michael's DVD's Here:
Music News & Notes
Cat Having Visa Problems- Again
It's reported that Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) is having trouble getting into the United States again. He was supposed to play small shows in New York and Los Angeles in support the release of his new album, "Roadsinger," but he will not be able to gain access to the country in time due to "paperwork" issues.
This isn't the first time Islam has had problems getting into the United States. He went through an extended fight a few years ago around the time of the release of his first comeback album. Hey, here's an idea- go back to being Cat Stevens!
=========================
Matador Remasters OK
I had reported that there was a problem with the company losing the masters, but this note from Matador explains everything:
Matador Vinyl Masters Actually Just Fine
"Matador's former vinyl pressing plant, 33 1/3 (originally the vinyl arm of WEA Manufacturing) went bankrupt in June 2006. Many labels, including Matador, lost vinyl LPs, jackets and masters in this bankruptcy.
This was 3 years ago and we have long since made new masters, re-pressed records at other plants and in general moved on, but a recent Comcast story about the bankruptcy ran without a date and was picked up by Pitchfork who added the adjective "recently" in reporting it. Although Pitchfork ran a correction and Comcast added in the historical context, it was too late and the story had run wild as an internet meme.
The crucial point to take home is: the bankruptcy and the loss of our masters took place 3 years ago, and is now ancient history! We have always released, and continue to release, just about every record on vinyl, and our sales in the format are quite healthy at the moment, thank you very much."
=========================
Pete Seeger Celebration
This Sunday, May 3 in Madison Square Garden, an amazing group of musicians will get together to wish veteran folkster Seeger a happy 90th with "The Clearwater Concert: Creating the Next Generation of Environmental Leaders."
Slated To Peform:
Bruce Springsteen
John Mellencamp
Dave Matthews
Eddie Vedder
Richie Havens
Taj Mahal
Steve Early
Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine)
Warren Haynes
Arlo Guthrie
Ani DiFranco
Bella Fleck
Kate & Anna McGarrigle
Ben Harper
Billy Bragg
Bruce Cockburn
Emmylou Harris
Joan Baez
Kris Kristofferson
Tom Chapin
Preservation Hall Jazz Band with Del McCourey
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Tom Paxton
Tommy Sands
...and many more
All proceeds form the show will go to the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. American Express cardholders can get advanced tickets starting March 23. Public sale of tickets starts March 30.
It's reported that Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) is having trouble getting into the United States again. He was supposed to play small shows in New York and Los Angeles in support the release of his new album, "Roadsinger," but he will not be able to gain access to the country in time due to "paperwork" issues.
This isn't the first time Islam has had problems getting into the United States. He went through an extended fight a few years ago around the time of the release of his first comeback album. Hey, here's an idea- go back to being Cat Stevens!
=========================
Matador Remasters OK
I had reported that there was a problem with the company losing the masters, but this note from Matador explains everything:
Matador Vinyl Masters Actually Just Fine
"Matador's former vinyl pressing plant, 33 1/3 (originally the vinyl arm of WEA Manufacturing) went bankrupt in June 2006. Many labels, including Matador, lost vinyl LPs, jackets and masters in this bankruptcy.
This was 3 years ago and we have long since made new masters, re-pressed records at other plants and in general moved on, but a recent Comcast story about the bankruptcy ran without a date and was picked up by Pitchfork who added the adjective "recently" in reporting it. Although Pitchfork ran a correction and Comcast added in the historical context, it was too late and the story had run wild as an internet meme.
The crucial point to take home is: the bankruptcy and the loss of our masters took place 3 years ago, and is now ancient history! We have always released, and continue to release, just about every record on vinyl, and our sales in the format are quite healthy at the moment, thank you very much."
=========================
Pete Seeger Celebration
This Sunday, May 3 in Madison Square Garden, an amazing group of musicians will get together to wish veteran folkster Seeger a happy 90th with "The Clearwater Concert: Creating the Next Generation of Environmental Leaders."Slated To Peform:
Bruce Springsteen
John Mellencamp
Dave Matthews
Eddie Vedder
Richie Havens
Taj Mahal
Steve Early
Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine)
Warren Haynes
Arlo Guthrie
Ani DiFranco
Bella Fleck
Kate & Anna McGarrigle
Ben Harper
Billy Bragg
Bruce Cockburn
Emmylou Harris
Joan Baez
Kris Kristofferson
Tom Chapin
Preservation Hall Jazz Band with Del McCourey
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Tom Paxton
Tommy Sands
...and many more
All proceeds form the show will go to the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. American Express cardholders can get advanced tickets starting March 23. Public sale of tickets starts March 30.
Seattle Electronic Jazz Label Cheshire Records Formed
Seattle, WA, United States, 05/02/2009 - The creation of record label Cheshire Records has been announced. The label, formed by electronic music producer and jazz pianist Jonah Dempcy, will specialize in electronic and improvised music.
Cheshire Records is a record label formed in April 2009 by Seattle-based electronic musician and jazz pianist Jonah Dempcy.
The label has already announced a number of upcoming releases from artists such as house duo UltraCat and hiphop project The Insider.
Talking about the label, Jonah said, "I decided it was time to branch out. After running Revolution Void records for nearly 10 years, I felt like I had released enough of my own music and it was time to collaborate. My intention is to release music from the various music projects I'm involved in as well as music from artists I respect, whether it be electronic music, jazz, avant-garde or whatever. If the music is good, I'll release it."
The label will initially release a series of web exclusive tracks under Creative Commons licenses. But, physical releases are planned, particularly 12" vinyls.
"What I'd really like to do," Jonah says, "is release limited edition short runs, really unique printings with great cover art, great quality. I want to print them on 280 gram vinyl and maybe even have each one signed. Then, rather than managing distribution of a large quantity of records, it becomes more of a specialty item for DJs who want a collector's item. Everyone else can download the MP3 but collectors will want it on vinyl."
A website at cheshiremusic.net is planned to host the site where fans can listen to free audio tracks and eventually purchase physical merchandise. The website is intended to launch in the summer of 2009. Until then, news of the label can be found on Jonah's primary music website, www.revolutionvoid.com.
Cheshire Records is a record label formed in April 2009 by Seattle-based electronic musician and jazz pianist Jonah Dempcy.
The label has already announced a number of upcoming releases from artists such as house duo UltraCat and hiphop project The Insider.
Talking about the label, Jonah said, "I decided it was time to branch out. After running Revolution Void records for nearly 10 years, I felt like I had released enough of my own music and it was time to collaborate. My intention is to release music from the various music projects I'm involved in as well as music from artists I respect, whether it be electronic music, jazz, avant-garde or whatever. If the music is good, I'll release it."
The label will initially release a series of web exclusive tracks under Creative Commons licenses. But, physical releases are planned, particularly 12" vinyls.
"What I'd really like to do," Jonah says, "is release limited edition short runs, really unique printings with great cover art, great quality. I want to print them on 280 gram vinyl and maybe even have each one signed. Then, rather than managing distribution of a large quantity of records, it becomes more of a specialty item for DJs who want a collector's item. Everyone else can download the MP3 but collectors will want it on vinyl."
A website at cheshiremusic.net is planned to host the site where fans can listen to free audio tracks and eventually purchase physical merchandise. The website is intended to launch in the summer of 2009. Until then, news of the label can be found on Jonah's primary music website, www.revolutionvoid.com.
Strong Will Music Teams Up With 101 Distribution to Release 'The Dusty Project'
Swedish producer/engineer Jolle has released a new remix disc titled "The Dusty Project" on Strong Will Music with music from some of Hip-Hop's trendsetters including Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Dead Prez, Talib Kweli, Snoop Dogg, Pharoahe Monch, Evidence (Dilated Peoples) and Planet Asia.
Phoenix, AZ (Vocus/PRWEB ) May 1, 2009 -- Swedish producer/engineer Jolle has released a new remix disc titled "The Dusty Project" on Strong Will Music with music from some of Hip-Hop's trendsetters including Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Dead Prez, Talib Kweli, Snoop Dogg, Pharoahe Monch, Evidence (Dilated Peoples) and Planet Asia. The project, which includes all new original beats, produced by Strong Will Music's in-house production team, has been distributed by 101 Distribution and is now available for retail on various Internet websites.
Strong Will's Jolle says, "I made all the remixes, from my library of vinyl. I wanted to reissue all that old stuff, with my music. With remixed songs from underground 12-inches, I wanted that grimy sound so I used the accapellas direct from the vinyl."
"The Dusty Project" is the latest release from the Strong Will Music camp. Last year the Swedish beat squad delivered ''Strong Will & Mind, Vol. 1,'' and they are scheduled to drop another as-yet-untitled remix collection with 101 Distribution later this year.
For information or to purchase "The Dusty Project," go to www.101D.com.
Phoenix, AZ (Vocus/PRWEB ) May 1, 2009 -- Swedish producer/engineer Jolle has released a new remix disc titled "The Dusty Project" on Strong Will Music with music from some of Hip-Hop's trendsetters including Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Dead Prez, Talib Kweli, Snoop Dogg, Pharoahe Monch, Evidence (Dilated Peoples) and Planet Asia. The project, which includes all new original beats, produced by Strong Will Music's in-house production team, has been distributed by 101 Distribution and is now available for retail on various Internet websites.
Strong Will's Jolle says, "I made all the remixes, from my library of vinyl. I wanted to reissue all that old stuff, with my music. With remixed songs from underground 12-inches, I wanted that grimy sound so I used the accapellas direct from the vinyl."
"The Dusty Project" is the latest release from the Strong Will Music camp. Last year the Swedish beat squad delivered ''Strong Will & Mind, Vol. 1,'' and they are scheduled to drop another as-yet-untitled remix collection with 101 Distribution later this year.
For information or to purchase "The Dusty Project," go to www.101D.com.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Vidoes
Pink Floyd - One Of These Days
Different Grades for Condition of Vinyl Records -- powered by ExpertVillage.com
Different Grades for Condition of Vinyl Records -- powered by ExpertVillage.com
Audiophile Audition Review
I want to thank John over at http://www.audaud.com/index.php for the exclusive rights to reprint this great review!
AUDIOPHILE AUDITION focuses on recordings of interest to audiophiles and collectors, with an accent on surround sound for music, and on all hi-res disc formats. Over 100SACD, DVD Video/Audio and standard CD reviews are published during each month, and our archives go back to January 2001.
Muddy Waters – I’m Ready – CBS/ Pure Pleasure Records PPAN JZ34928 – 1978 ****1/2:
Artists: Muddy Waters, guitar and vocals; Johnny Winter: guitar; Big Walter Horton, harmonica; Jerry Portnoy, harmonica; Pine Top Perkins, piano; Jimmy Rogers, guitar; Bob Margolin, bass; Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, drums
At the end of his storied career, the great Chicago blues man, Muddy Waters, had one last period of resurgence. He made a trilogy of albums produced by Johnny Winter-Hard Again, I’m Ready, and King Bee. Winters’ formula was fairly straight forward-surround Muddy with his touring band and add some special guests to light his fire-while recording a mixture of hit singles with new material. Then let Muddy cut loose and burn down some electric Chicago blues. It was a winning combination and you can sense the joy that Muddy felt in his bantering between songs. His last hurrah was a barnburner.
Pure Pleasure has picked the middle session of the trilogy-I’m Ready- as ripe for audiophile remastering in 180 gram vinyl. Ray Staff has done a brilliant job remastering this album as the electric guitars bent notes sizzle and Muddy’s strutting vocals growl with passion. Guests Big Walter Horton and Jimmy Rogers spur Waters to new heights. Pianist Pine Top Perkins, still going strong today in his 90s, was cooking 30 years ago, and Johnny Winter must have had a blast playing slide guitar on Who Do You Trust. Screamin’ and Cryin’ and I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man were vintage Waters and still cooked even at the end of the fabled Mr. Waters’ career.
Newer material such as Who Do You Trust and 33 Years clearly inspired Muddy and make a nice segue from classics like Rock Me, and Good Morning Little School Girl. Muddy Waters passed away five years after I’m Ready and just two years post King Bee. Born in 1915, the inimitable Muddy Waters was a monster blues man till the end. Thanks to Pure Pleasure Records, are YOU ready for I’m Ready?
TrackList: Side 1: I’m Ready, 33 years, Who Do You Trust, Copper Brown
Side 2: I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man, Mamie, Rock Me, Screamin’ and Cryin’, Good Morning Little School Girl
Nat King Cole – Penthouse Serenade – Capitol / Pure Pleasure Audiophile Mono LP – PPAN T332 – 1952 & 1955 ****1/2:
(Nat King Cole, piano and vocals on Side 2, Tracks 5-10; John Collins, guitar; Charlie Harris, bass; Bunny Shawker and Lee Young, drums; Jack Costanzo, bongos and conga)
Nat King Cole, after abandoning his piano trio to concentrate on his burgeoning vocal career returned to the studio a year later in 1952 for Capitol Records to record an eight song 10 inch LP with a quartet, adding guitarist John Collins to his new group. The result was Penthouse Serenade, and it was a lovely mix of standards taken at light leisurely stroll with Cole’s light sparkling touch. When the 12 inch LP came on the scene in the mid 50s Cole went back to the studio to add four more tracks (this time with Lee Young on the drum stand taking over for Bunny Shawker). The now full-length LP was to be Cole’s first full-length LP.
Fast-forward to 1998 and the established CD format with room for still more tracks to flesh out (and sell to a new market), and Capitol’s marketing department had the acumen to add still more tracks to Cole’s penthouse experience. An alternate take of I Surrender Dear was found from 1955 and six more songs were found from 1952, which included the great bongo player Jack Costanzo. Four of these tracks had previously been unreleased. The only aberration to the mood that Capitol set was that the six new additions to Penthouse Serenade were vocals. As we all know, Cole was a master singer and to most of his fans it’s the vocals with his inimitable voice that bring him his present day fame. The two sets of additions to Penthouse Serenade add twenty-eight minutes and bring the total to fifty-one minutes, now a proper CD length.
One can’t fault Pure Pleasure, the English audiophile LP experts, from issuing the complete group of sessions, as Capitol had done in the late 90s. Their remastering is pristine due to the expertise of Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray. For audiophiles it’s a nice bonus to have the alternate take of I Surrender Dear and the vocal tracks to be issued for the first time on vinyl. Nat’s voice has never sounded so sweet and distinctive as on audiophile 180-gram vinyl. Cole’s voice on a quality turntable in audiophile sound is a real treat!
TrackList:
Side 1:
Penthouse Serenade (When We’re Alone)
Somebody Loves Me
Laura
Once in a Blue Mood
Don’t Blame Me
Little Girl
Polka Dots and Moonbeams
Down By the Old Mill Stream
If I Should Love You
Side 2:
Rose Room
I Surrender Dear (take 2)
It Could Happen to You
I Surrender Dear (take 1)
(Vocals):
Too Marvelous for Words
Unforgettable
Walkin’ My Baby Back Home
Too Young
That’s My Girl
It’s Only a Paper Moon
It’s Only a Paper Moon
Sarah Vaughan – Sarah Sings Soulfully- Roulette / Pure Pleasure Analogue LP - PPAN SR-52116 – (1963) ****:
(Sarah Vaughan, vocals; Gerald Wilson, arranger and conductor; Sextet members including Ernie Freeman, organ; Carmell Jones, trumpet; Teddy Edwards, tenor sax)
Backed by a West Coast all-star sextet with arrangements by the brilliant (now in his 90s!) bandleader and arranger, Gerald Wilson, Sarah Vaughan recorded her last Roulette record for the inimitable Teddy Reig in 1963. She then went back to Mercury Records.
Sarah Sings Soulfully consists primarily of pop songs of the day - A Taste of Honey, What Kind of Fool Am I, The Good Life, Gravy Waltz. Vaughan stretches out the lyrics and Wilson provides easygoing backing-whether it be organ and tambourine for Sermonette, or the impeccable front line of Carmell Jones and Teddy Edwards.
Sassy caresses the lyrics as though she is singing late night for friends in a cabaret setting. Only Shirley Horn compares in languid interpretation of ballads. Pure Pleasure has done their usual commendable job in audiophile remastering. Pure warm stereophonic sonics make Blakey’s Moanin’ snap to attention while Monk’s Round Midnight has a late night moodiness.
This early 60s time period was Sarah Vaughan in her prime and Sarah Sings Soulfully would be a welcome addition to vinyl lovers of jazz vocals. You won’t find Sassy in any better sounding splendor.
TrackList:
Side A:
A Taste of Honey
What Kind of Fool Am I?
I Guess I’ll Hang Out My Tears to Dry
Sermonette
In Love In Vain
Gravy Waltz
Side B:
The Good Life
Moanin’
‘Round Midnight
Easy Street
Baby, Won’t You Please Come Home
Midnight Sun
All above reviews -- Jeff Krow
AUDIOPHILE AUDITION focuses on recordings of interest to audiophiles and collectors, with an accent on surround sound for music, and on all hi-res disc formats. Over 100SACD, DVD Video/Audio and standard CD reviews are published during each month, and our archives go back to January 2001.
Muddy Waters – I’m Ready – CBS/ Pure Pleasure Records PPAN JZ34928 – 1978 ****1/2:
Artists: Muddy Waters, guitar and vocals; Johnny Winter: guitar; Big Walter Horton, harmonica; Jerry Portnoy, harmonica; Pine Top Perkins, piano; Jimmy Rogers, guitar; Bob Margolin, bass; Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, drums
At the end of his storied career, the great Chicago blues man, Muddy Waters, had one last period of resurgence. He made a trilogy of albums produced by Johnny Winter-Hard Again, I’m Ready, and King Bee. Winters’ formula was fairly straight forward-surround Muddy with his touring band and add some special guests to light his fire-while recording a mixture of hit singles with new material. Then let Muddy cut loose and burn down some electric Chicago blues. It was a winning combination and you can sense the joy that Muddy felt in his bantering between songs. His last hurrah was a barnburner.
Pure Pleasure has picked the middle session of the trilogy-I’m Ready- as ripe for audiophile remastering in 180 gram vinyl. Ray Staff has done a brilliant job remastering this album as the electric guitars bent notes sizzle and Muddy’s strutting vocals growl with passion. Guests Big Walter Horton and Jimmy Rogers spur Waters to new heights. Pianist Pine Top Perkins, still going strong today in his 90s, was cooking 30 years ago, and Johnny Winter must have had a blast playing slide guitar on Who Do You Trust. Screamin’ and Cryin’ and I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man were vintage Waters and still cooked even at the end of the fabled Mr. Waters’ career.
Newer material such as Who Do You Trust and 33 Years clearly inspired Muddy and make a nice segue from classics like Rock Me, and Good Morning Little School Girl. Muddy Waters passed away five years after I’m Ready and just two years post King Bee. Born in 1915, the inimitable Muddy Waters was a monster blues man till the end. Thanks to Pure Pleasure Records, are YOU ready for I’m Ready?
TrackList: Side 1: I’m Ready, 33 years, Who Do You Trust, Copper Brown
Side 2: I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man, Mamie, Rock Me, Screamin’ and Cryin’, Good Morning Little School Girl
Nat King Cole – Penthouse Serenade – Capitol / Pure Pleasure Audiophile Mono LP – PPAN T332 – 1952 & 1955 ****1/2:
(Nat King Cole, piano and vocals on Side 2, Tracks 5-10; John Collins, guitar; Charlie Harris, bass; Bunny Shawker and Lee Young, drums; Jack Costanzo, bongos and conga)
Nat King Cole, after abandoning his piano trio to concentrate on his burgeoning vocal career returned to the studio a year later in 1952 for Capitol Records to record an eight song 10 inch LP with a quartet, adding guitarist John Collins to his new group. The result was Penthouse Serenade, and it was a lovely mix of standards taken at light leisurely stroll with Cole’s light sparkling touch. When the 12 inch LP came on the scene in the mid 50s Cole went back to the studio to add four more tracks (this time with Lee Young on the drum stand taking over for Bunny Shawker). The now full-length LP was to be Cole’s first full-length LP.
Fast-forward to 1998 and the established CD format with room for still more tracks to flesh out (and sell to a new market), and Capitol’s marketing department had the acumen to add still more tracks to Cole’s penthouse experience. An alternate take of I Surrender Dear was found from 1955 and six more songs were found from 1952, which included the great bongo player Jack Costanzo. Four of these tracks had previously been unreleased. The only aberration to the mood that Capitol set was that the six new additions to Penthouse Serenade were vocals. As we all know, Cole was a master singer and to most of his fans it’s the vocals with his inimitable voice that bring him his present day fame. The two sets of additions to Penthouse Serenade add twenty-eight minutes and bring the total to fifty-one minutes, now a proper CD length.
One can’t fault Pure Pleasure, the English audiophile LP experts, from issuing the complete group of sessions, as Capitol had done in the late 90s. Their remastering is pristine due to the expertise of Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray. For audiophiles it’s a nice bonus to have the alternate take of I Surrender Dear and the vocal tracks to be issued for the first time on vinyl. Nat’s voice has never sounded so sweet and distinctive as on audiophile 180-gram vinyl. Cole’s voice on a quality turntable in audiophile sound is a real treat!
TrackList:
Side 1:
Penthouse Serenade (When We’re Alone)
Somebody Loves Me
Laura
Once in a Blue Mood
Don’t Blame Me
Little Girl
Polka Dots and Moonbeams
Down By the Old Mill Stream
If I Should Love You
Side 2:
Rose Room
I Surrender Dear (take 2)
It Could Happen to You
I Surrender Dear (take 1)
(Vocals):
Too Marvelous for Words
Unforgettable
Walkin’ My Baby Back Home
Too Young
That’s My Girl
It’s Only a Paper Moon
It’s Only a Paper Moon
Sarah Vaughan – Sarah Sings Soulfully- Roulette / Pure Pleasure Analogue LP - PPAN SR-52116 – (1963) ****:
(Sarah Vaughan, vocals; Gerald Wilson, arranger and conductor; Sextet members including Ernie Freeman, organ; Carmell Jones, trumpet; Teddy Edwards, tenor sax)
Backed by a West Coast all-star sextet with arrangements by the brilliant (now in his 90s!) bandleader and arranger, Gerald Wilson, Sarah Vaughan recorded her last Roulette record for the inimitable Teddy Reig in 1963. She then went back to Mercury Records.
Sarah Sings Soulfully consists primarily of pop songs of the day - A Taste of Honey, What Kind of Fool Am I, The Good Life, Gravy Waltz. Vaughan stretches out the lyrics and Wilson provides easygoing backing-whether it be organ and tambourine for Sermonette, or the impeccable front line of Carmell Jones and Teddy Edwards.
Sassy caresses the lyrics as though she is singing late night for friends in a cabaret setting. Only Shirley Horn compares in languid interpretation of ballads. Pure Pleasure has done their usual commendable job in audiophile remastering. Pure warm stereophonic sonics make Blakey’s Moanin’ snap to attention while Monk’s Round Midnight has a late night moodiness.
This early 60s time period was Sarah Vaughan in her prime and Sarah Sings Soulfully would be a welcome addition to vinyl lovers of jazz vocals. You won’t find Sassy in any better sounding splendor.
TrackList:
Side A:
A Taste of Honey
What Kind of Fool Am I?
I Guess I’ll Hang Out My Tears to Dry
Sermonette
In Love In Vain
Gravy Waltz
Side B:
The Good Life
Moanin’
‘Round Midnight
Easy Street
Baby, Won’t You Please Come Home
Midnight Sun
All above reviews -- Jeff Krow
New Album Cover Art
Official Cover Art of Black Eyed Peas' New Album 'The E.N.D.'
Black Eyed Peas' upcoming fifth studio album "The E.N.D." has finally got an official cover art. Posted by will.i.am on his Dipdive blog, the artwork arrives as a headshot of a person with the name of the Hip-Hop group and the title of their new effort attached on his forehead.
================================
Few Against Many Cover Art
The latest Swedish all-star collaboration THE FEW AGAINST MANY, featuring ex-Scar Symmetry singer Christian Älvestam, Pär Johansson of Satariel and Demiurg fame, Patrik Gardberg (Torchbearer), Jani Stefanovic (Miseration, Solution .45, etc) and Anders Edlund (Incapacity, Angel Blake, etc) have revealed the album cover artwork and tracklisting for the debut album “SOT."
================================
Budos Band to Release The Budos Band EP on June 23 (digital and vinyl only)
From the vaults of Daptone Records comes a collection of unreleased tracks from the infamous Budos Band. Recorded after The Budos Band I sessions, but before those for the second full-length, this EP is a fascinating glimpse into the group's evolution as musicians and recording artists.
================================
And this from the creative loafing blog:
CL and Criminal Records team up for vinyl release
by Chad Radford image creatcrc
It’s time once again for the highly coveted annual Creative Loafing music issue. This year we’re offering up an honest-to-goodness old fashioned 12-inch vinyl LP compilation that features cuts from several of our favorite local artists.
Dubbed The Mixt A Vol. 1, the record includes 10 songs from the likes of Predator, Grip Playaz, the Balkans, the N.E.C., A. Leon Craft, Anna Kramer & the Lost Cause, Mums F.P., Stanza, Carnivores and Zoroaster featuring Brent Hinds from Mastodon.
The record is strictly limited to 500 copies that will be available at not one, but two record release shows. The first show happens at Eyedrum on Thurs., May 7. The $10 cover gets you into the show as well as a copy of the record. The N.E.C., Grip Playaz, the Balkans and A.Leon Craft are all scheduled to perform. Doors open at 7 p.m. Music starts at 8 p.m.
The second record release party goes down at Criminal Records on the afternoon of Sun., May 10. The Carnivores, Stanza, Mums F.P. and Predator are on the bill. There is no cover charge to attend the show. LPs will be on sale at the store for $10 and the music starts at 3:30 p.m.
In addition to the 10 songs on the LP, dozens of bonus tracks will be included in a free online download that includes songs by Abby Go Go, All Night Drug Prowling Wolves, Batata Doce, the 4th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra, the Coathangers, Danny!, Pill and many more.
Go to clatl.com/music for more info.
SOURCE: http://blogs.creativeloafing.com
================================
Streetlight Manifesto, Darkest Hour albums to see vinyl release
Victory Records has announced plans to issue two fan favorite albums on vinyl. The first is Darkest Hour’s critically acclaimed 2003 album, Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation and the second is Streetlight Manifesto’s Everything Goes Numb also released in 2003.
According to a Vinyl Collective report, the Darkest Hour LP will be pressed on a limited 300 copies of “dark putty” vinyl while Streetlight’s record will be pressed 500 copies on white vinyl. Normal colours will have wider printing and available at Hot Topic and other retailers.
Black Eyed Peas' upcoming fifth studio album "The E.N.D." has finally got an official cover art. Posted by will.i.am on his Dipdive blog, the artwork arrives as a headshot of a person with the name of the Hip-Hop group and the title of their new effort attached on his forehead. ================================
Few Against Many Cover Art
The latest Swedish all-star collaboration THE FEW AGAINST MANY, featuring ex-Scar Symmetry singer Christian Älvestam, Pär Johansson of Satariel and Demiurg fame, Patrik Gardberg (Torchbearer), Jani Stefanovic (Miseration, Solution .45, etc) and Anders Edlund (Incapacity, Angel Blake, etc) have revealed the album cover artwork and tracklisting for the debut album “SOT."
================================
Budos Band to Release The Budos Band EP on June 23 (digital and vinyl only)
From the vaults of Daptone Records comes a collection of unreleased tracks from the infamous Budos Band. Recorded after The Budos Band I sessions, but before those for the second full-length, this EP is a fascinating glimpse into the group's evolution as musicians and recording artists.================================
And this from the creative loafing blog:
CL and Criminal Records team up for vinyl release
by Chad Radford image creatcrc
It’s time once again for the highly coveted annual Creative Loafing music issue. This year we’re offering up an honest-to-goodness old fashioned 12-inch vinyl LP compilation that features cuts from several of our favorite local artists.
Dubbed The Mixt A Vol. 1, the record includes 10 songs from the likes of Predator, Grip Playaz, the Balkans, the N.E.C., A. Leon Craft, Anna Kramer & the Lost Cause, Mums F.P., Stanza, Carnivores and Zoroaster featuring Brent Hinds from Mastodon.
The record is strictly limited to 500 copies that will be available at not one, but two record release shows. The first show happens at Eyedrum on Thurs., May 7. The $10 cover gets you into the show as well as a copy of the record. The N.E.C., Grip Playaz, the Balkans and A.Leon Craft are all scheduled to perform. Doors open at 7 p.m. Music starts at 8 p.m.
The second record release party goes down at Criminal Records on the afternoon of Sun., May 10. The Carnivores, Stanza, Mums F.P. and Predator are on the bill. There is no cover charge to attend the show. LPs will be on sale at the store for $10 and the music starts at 3:30 p.m.
In addition to the 10 songs on the LP, dozens of bonus tracks will be included in a free online download that includes songs by Abby Go Go, All Night Drug Prowling Wolves, Batata Doce, the 4th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra, the Coathangers, Danny!, Pill and many more.
Go to clatl.com/music for more info.
SOURCE: http://blogs.creativeloafing.com
================================
Streetlight Manifesto, Darkest Hour albums to see vinyl release
Victory Records has announced plans to issue two fan favorite albums on vinyl. The first is Darkest Hour’s critically acclaimed 2003 album, Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation and the second is Streetlight Manifesto’s Everything Goes Numb also released in 2003.
According to a Vinyl Collective report, the Darkest Hour LP will be pressed on a limited 300 copies of “dark putty” vinyl while Streetlight’s record will be pressed 500 copies on white vinyl. Normal colours will have wider printing and available at Hot Topic and other retailers.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Expensive Turntables II
Yesterday we looked at 6-10 of the top ten most expensive turntables according to www.bornrich.com, today let's look at 1-5:
5. Continuum Caliburn
Price: $90,000 to $112,000
Vinyl isn’t dead, and the Continuum Caliburn turntable is the thing to prove that. The pricing for the turntable starts at $90,000 and goes up to $112,000, depending on finishes and includes some remarkable technology. The tonearm alone sells for $12,000. The turntable employs a magnetically levitated magnesium platter, which is suspended in a vacuum to guarantee there are no vibrations.
4. Clearaudio Statement
Price: US $125,000
The pertinently named Statement is a $125,000 assembly of wood, aluminum, and other sundry bits that has only one endeavor, to play records, and play them outstandingly well. Weighing 770 pounds, the Statement derives its rotational motivation from the same type of electric motor used to propel the Mars Rover. It touts a patented magnetic driven sub platter, dynamic balanced platters, Kardan turntable chassis suspension, real time speed control and active blue LCD display.
3. Transrotor Artus
Price: US $150,000
The Artus turntable comes straight from the house of German company Transrotor. It weighs 220 kg and the record is being held by the 350 kg Clearaudio STATEMENT. The Artus has a contact-less magnetic field drive, a balanced arm and new electronics. The reason for the high price is being a 4-in-1 product as it includes a LP player, phonograph, gramophone, and a turntable.
2. Basis Audio’s ‘Work of Art’ turntable
Price: US $150,000
Basis Audio is one of the leading turntable manufacturers of the world, which guarantees high quality systems to the music-lovers. Audiophiles fancy the quality of vinyl as a musical source, and the very best turntables are built on a philosophy of weight and stability. Basis Audio’s ‘Work of Art‘ turntable turntable makes use of a self-contained Resonance Annihilator, which plays the role of isolating it from vibration. The vibrational energy is neutralized by being transformed into heat energy, which is then efficiently dissipated. At $150,000, the Work of Art is definitely one of the most expensive consumer audio devices out there. It boasts features such as Resonance Annihilation, which attempts to remove all vibrations from the record, thereby creating a more pure sound.
1. Goldmund’s Reference II
Price: US $300,000
This turntable is without doubt every music enthusiasts’ dream gadget but only the uber-rich will be able to buy it as the price tag reads a cool $300,000. There are only 25 on the planet. The Reference II turntable features a degree of refinement and a number of never-seen-before features. The turntable features a 20kg platter machined to a hundreth of a millimeter, a motor vibration-shielded by 15kg of brass, and teflon-insulated signal-carring electronics. Other specs include cog-free motor with lowest electrical and mechanical noise, liquid-nitrogen-rectified belt, touch controls integrated in the tabletop specially designed new Goldmund T8 straight-line tone arm with total weight of 7 kg. Limited editions of 25 units are sold on subscription with a maximum production of 5 units per year.
5. Continuum Caliburn
Price: $90,000 to $112,000
Vinyl isn’t dead, and the Continuum Caliburn turntable is the thing to prove that. The pricing for the turntable starts at $90,000 and goes up to $112,000, depending on finishes and includes some remarkable technology. The tonearm alone sells for $12,000. The turntable employs a magnetically levitated magnesium platter, which is suspended in a vacuum to guarantee there are no vibrations.
4. Clearaudio Statement
Price: US $125,000
The pertinently named Statement is a $125,000 assembly of wood, aluminum, and other sundry bits that has only one endeavor, to play records, and play them outstandingly well. Weighing 770 pounds, the Statement derives its rotational motivation from the same type of electric motor used to propel the Mars Rover. It touts a patented magnetic driven sub platter, dynamic balanced platters, Kardan turntable chassis suspension, real time speed control and active blue LCD display.
3. Transrotor Artus
Price: US $150,000
The Artus turntable comes straight from the house of German company Transrotor. It weighs 220 kg and the record is being held by the 350 kg Clearaudio STATEMENT. The Artus has a contact-less magnetic field drive, a balanced arm and new electronics. The reason for the high price is being a 4-in-1 product as it includes a LP player, phonograph, gramophone, and a turntable.
2. Basis Audio’s ‘Work of Art’ turntable
Price: US $150,000
Basis Audio is one of the leading turntable manufacturers of the world, which guarantees high quality systems to the music-lovers. Audiophiles fancy the quality of vinyl as a musical source, and the very best turntables are built on a philosophy of weight and stability. Basis Audio’s ‘Work of Art‘ turntable turntable makes use of a self-contained Resonance Annihilator, which plays the role of isolating it from vibration. The vibrational energy is neutralized by being transformed into heat energy, which is then efficiently dissipated. At $150,000, the Work of Art is definitely one of the most expensive consumer audio devices out there. It boasts features such as Resonance Annihilation, which attempts to remove all vibrations from the record, thereby creating a more pure sound.
1. Goldmund’s Reference II
Price: US $300,000
This turntable is without doubt every music enthusiasts’ dream gadget but only the uber-rich will be able to buy it as the price tag reads a cool $300,000. There are only 25 on the planet. The Reference II turntable features a degree of refinement and a number of never-seen-before features. The turntable features a 20kg platter machined to a hundreth of a millimeter, a motor vibration-shielded by 15kg of brass, and teflon-insulated signal-carring electronics. Other specs include cog-free motor with lowest electrical and mechanical noise, liquid-nitrogen-rectified belt, touch controls integrated in the tabletop specially designed new Goldmund T8 straight-line tone arm with total weight of 7 kg. Limited editions of 25 units are sold on subscription with a maximum production of 5 units per year.
Classic New Releases
Joan Jett Vinyl Release
Joan Jett and Blackheart Records are releasing her classic record, "I Love Rock N' Roll," on vinyl, in May. If you can't wait for the release, you can find a great copy here:
------------------------------
New George Harrison Release
Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison is the upcoming third compilation of George Harrison's music, and the first to span his entire career. The collection was announced on April 14, 2009, the same day Harrison received a star on the Hollywood walk of fame, and will be released June 16, 2009 on both compact disc and in digital format.
The album will feature songs originally released on EMI and Harrison's Dark Horse Records label. All included tracks are presented in digitally remastered from and the collection will include an extensive booklet featuring previously unseen and rare photos. Track lists have been released, but there is debate as to which sonsg are on the release. At any rate, pick up a copy here:
Joan Jett and Blackheart Records are releasing her classic record, "I Love Rock N' Roll," on vinyl, in May. If you can't wait for the release, you can find a great copy here:
------------------------------
New George Harrison Release
Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison is the upcoming third compilation of George Harrison's music, and the first to span his entire career. The collection was announced on April 14, 2009, the same day Harrison received a star on the Hollywood walk of fame, and will be released June 16, 2009 on both compact disc and in digital format.
The album will feature songs originally released on EMI and Harrison's Dark Horse Records label. All included tracks are presented in digitally remastered from and the collection will include an extensive booklet featuring previously unseen and rare photos. Track lists have been released, but there is debate as to which sonsg are on the release. At any rate, pick up a copy here:
Under the "You've Got To Be Kidding" heading:
Vinyl record iPod touch app gives you the spins
Vinyl has been on the verge of a big-time comeback for ages now (and for some of us, it never ceased to be the format of choice anyway), so we're pretty happy to see that even the land of zany iPhone / iPod touch apps is no longer immune to its charms. The spinning vinyl app by Theodore Watson makes use of the iPod's accelerometer to control the speed that the "record" is played at. The video (which is after the break) might make you a little sick when you watch it, but it sounds great. Analog rules, doesn't it?
Spinning vinyl ipod app from Theodore Watson on Vimeo.
Vinyl has been on the verge of a big-time comeback for ages now (and for some of us, it never ceased to be the format of choice anyway), so we're pretty happy to see that even the land of zany iPhone / iPod touch apps is no longer immune to its charms. The spinning vinyl app by Theodore Watson makes use of the iPod's accelerometer to control the speed that the "record" is played at. The video (which is after the break) might make you a little sick when you watch it, but it sounds great. Analog rules, doesn't it?
Spinning vinyl ipod app from Theodore Watson on Vimeo.
Turntables are back in favour
This news from down under:
The turntable has returned to favour with a resurgence of vinyl music, writes Rod Easdown.
THERE are all sorts of theories explaining the return of the turntable: baby boomers with big record collections; young people getting into dance music on vinyl; DJs; DrHouse using one in the television series. And there are the legions of folk who say records sound better than CDs.
Greg Borrowman, the editor of Australian Hi-Fi magazine, has another one. He thinks we're yearning for what was lost when analog music yielded to digital.
"CDs have no personality; they're set and forget," he says. "With vinyl, it's ritual. You slide the LP out of its sleeve, then deftly remove it from the inner dust jacket, making sure not to touch the playing surface. You place it on the platter with both hands, like an offering. You clean the record's surface and perhaps the stylus. Only then do you lower the tonearm to be rewarded with the music."
This covers the full gamut of anticipation, the careful, practised flourish of implementation and the ultimate reward, no different from pulling the cork out of a 10-year-old Hill of Grace.
Whatever the reason, turntables are back in favour.
Michael Thornton-Smith at importer International Dynamics says for every CD player he wholesales, five turntables go out the door. They are "the most consistent, most reliable product we have - month in, month out".
"And it's not like we don't sell CD players. Given the resurgence in two-channel stereo music, CD players sell steadily.
"We've noticed this resurgence over the past couple of years and not just with turntables. Two-channel amplifiers also sell strongly. People with home cinemas and iPods aren't happy with how they handle music and want to get back to hearing it reproduced faithfully."
Craig McNeil, general manager at retailer Tivoli Hi-Fi, politely scoffs at talk of a two-channel resurgence. "Really, stereo never went away. It's the best way to get the most out of your music," he says.
Mr Borrowman believes turntables have become objetsd'art. "Gone are the old, square, teak boxes with perspex covers," he says. "Turntables are now beautiful and they're beautiful to watch. They've become a feature in living rooms."
An Austrian turntable maker called Pro-Ject has been extraordinarily successful in Australia, and the biggest seller in its range is the cheapest model, the Debut, starting at $549. Unlike many more expensive ones, it's ready to go straight out of the box, supplied with both tone arm and cartridge. Premium turntables frequently have neither, leaving buyers free to customise with offerings from manufacturers specialising in them.
"Pro-Ject turntables up to $850 come with cartridges and tone arms. After that, buyers want to make their own choices," MrThornton-Smith says.
Mr McNeil says most turntable sales at Tivoli are between $600 and $2000. "But the sky is the limit ... there's a Goldman from America supplied in a 100-kilogram isolation rack that needs part of its componentry placed in another room. It's around $215,000 and we've never sold one, but we sell turntables up to $15,000."
An important factor is the availability of spare parts, like cartridges and styli, and MrThornton-Smith says ancillaries are big sellers. "Phono preamps are big movers, both with and without USB outputs, and we also sell speed regulators, wall-mount brackets, cleaning equipment, anti-static mats and strobe discs."
Phono preamps? All amplifiers used to have an input marked "phono" where the turntable plugged in. Unlike other inputs, it was specially amplified because signals from turntables are weak. But with the rise of CD, and especially home theatre, many amplifier makers have dropped them. Plugging the turntable into an amplifier's auxiliary input doesn't work unless you have either a phono preamplifier or a turntable with one built in. These boost the signal into something the amplifier can use, and they start at about $200, going up to $5000. If your amplifier has a phono input, you won't need one.
What about USB outputs? These allow you to plug the turntable directly into your computer so music can be transferred onto the hard drive, a CD, DVD or iPod.
MrBorrowman believes the popularity of iPods and whole-of-home music servers is yet another driver of turntable sales, with people wanting to access their vinyl music through them.
Transferring records to digital media involves software, some of which can be bewilderingly complex. He suggests Xitel's INport Deluxe, selling for about $150 through xitel.com.
If you're hankering for vinyl music you haven't heard for years, some notes of caution. Today's music production is far more sophisticated than it was 25 years ago and nothing brings this home faster than listening to old records. Many sound flat, boring and almost crude. Also,there's surface noise, the clicks and pops always present with records that disappear withCDs.
But, as Mr Thornton-Smith observes, the warmth and dynamic range of a vinyl recording is still compelling.
Deconstructing a turntable
The disc on which the record is placed. It is usually driven by a belt, sometimes directly by an electric motor. At its middle is the spindle, the spike that centres the record.
Mat
It sits on the platter and cushions the record. Some are treated to reduce static electricity; others, called slip mats, are low friction, allowing the record to be stopped or reversed while the platter keeps spinning. Don't try this with a normal turntable; you'll need a DJ model.
Tone-arm
The arm housing the cartridge and stylus that moves across the record as the stylus follows the groove.
Cartridge
It contains the delicate electronics that convert the stylus' movement into electrical impulses.
Stylus
Sometimes called the needle. It's the tiny assembly for the diamond point that tracks minute undulations in the walls of the record's groove and translates them into music.
Counterweight
An adjustable weight at the back of the tone-arm regulating downward pressure of the stylus on the record's surface.
Anti-skating device
Often a counterweight on a string, sometimes a spring-loaded device near the tone-arm's pivot point, this counteracts the propensity of the stylus to move towards the outer side of the groove wall due to centrifugal force.
Strobe
Usually a series of radial lines on the edge of the mat or platter spaced so that when the platter is spinning at the correct speed they appear to be stationary. If they seem to be moving, the speed can be fine-tuned with a pitch control, if fitted.
Cue
The lever assembly that lowers the tone-arm and stylus onto the record's surface. These are often hydraulically damped.
Damping device
Found only on expensive tone-arms, it usually consists of a paddle sitting in a trough of oil and prevents the tone-arm skating across the record when knocked. It helps with warped records or when the stylus encounters dust build-up or an imperfection in the record's groove.
Head shell
On some tone-arms the cartridge fits into a removable head shell rather than directly to the arm. Particularly handy when using multiple cartridges.
Speed selector
Very old records play at 78 revolutions per minute (use a special 78rpm stylus for them) and some very rare records were recorded at 16rpm, but the two main speeds are
33rpm for LPs and 45rpm for singles and EPs. Most turntables handle 33 and 45, sometimes with a switch, sometimes by moving the drive belt on the spindle (use cotton gloves). Some new USB turntables claim to play 78rpm but don't - they provide computer software that fakes the correct speed after you've recorded the track at 33rpm.
SOURCE: http://www.theage.com.au/
The turntable has returned to favour with a resurgence of vinyl music, writes Rod Easdown.
THERE are all sorts of theories explaining the return of the turntable: baby boomers with big record collections; young people getting into dance music on vinyl; DJs; DrHouse using one in the television series. And there are the legions of folk who say records sound better than CDs.
Greg Borrowman, the editor of Australian Hi-Fi magazine, has another one. He thinks we're yearning for what was lost when analog music yielded to digital.
"CDs have no personality; they're set and forget," he says. "With vinyl, it's ritual. You slide the LP out of its sleeve, then deftly remove it from the inner dust jacket, making sure not to touch the playing surface. You place it on the platter with both hands, like an offering. You clean the record's surface and perhaps the stylus. Only then do you lower the tonearm to be rewarded with the music."
This covers the full gamut of anticipation, the careful, practised flourish of implementation and the ultimate reward, no different from pulling the cork out of a 10-year-old Hill of Grace.
Whatever the reason, turntables are back in favour.
Michael Thornton-Smith at importer International Dynamics says for every CD player he wholesales, five turntables go out the door. They are "the most consistent, most reliable product we have - month in, month out".
"And it's not like we don't sell CD players. Given the resurgence in two-channel stereo music, CD players sell steadily.
"We've noticed this resurgence over the past couple of years and not just with turntables. Two-channel amplifiers also sell strongly. People with home cinemas and iPods aren't happy with how they handle music and want to get back to hearing it reproduced faithfully."
Craig McNeil, general manager at retailer Tivoli Hi-Fi, politely scoffs at talk of a two-channel resurgence. "Really, stereo never went away. It's the best way to get the most out of your music," he says.
Mr Borrowman believes turntables have become objetsd'art. "Gone are the old, square, teak boxes with perspex covers," he says. "Turntables are now beautiful and they're beautiful to watch. They've become a feature in living rooms."
An Austrian turntable maker called Pro-Ject has been extraordinarily successful in Australia, and the biggest seller in its range is the cheapest model, the Debut, starting at $549. Unlike many more expensive ones, it's ready to go straight out of the box, supplied with both tone arm and cartridge. Premium turntables frequently have neither, leaving buyers free to customise with offerings from manufacturers specialising in them.
"Pro-Ject turntables up to $850 come with cartridges and tone arms. After that, buyers want to make their own choices," MrThornton-Smith says.
Mr McNeil says most turntable sales at Tivoli are between $600 and $2000. "But the sky is the limit ... there's a Goldman from America supplied in a 100-kilogram isolation rack that needs part of its componentry placed in another room. It's around $215,000 and we've never sold one, but we sell turntables up to $15,000."
An important factor is the availability of spare parts, like cartridges and styli, and MrThornton-Smith says ancillaries are big sellers. "Phono preamps are big movers, both with and without USB outputs, and we also sell speed regulators, wall-mount brackets, cleaning equipment, anti-static mats and strobe discs."
Phono preamps? All amplifiers used to have an input marked "phono" where the turntable plugged in. Unlike other inputs, it was specially amplified because signals from turntables are weak. But with the rise of CD, and especially home theatre, many amplifier makers have dropped them. Plugging the turntable into an amplifier's auxiliary input doesn't work unless you have either a phono preamplifier or a turntable with one built in. These boost the signal into something the amplifier can use, and they start at about $200, going up to $5000. If your amplifier has a phono input, you won't need one.
What about USB outputs? These allow you to plug the turntable directly into your computer so music can be transferred onto the hard drive, a CD, DVD or iPod.
MrBorrowman believes the popularity of iPods and whole-of-home music servers is yet another driver of turntable sales, with people wanting to access their vinyl music through them.
Transferring records to digital media involves software, some of which can be bewilderingly complex. He suggests Xitel's INport Deluxe, selling for about $150 through xitel.com.
If you're hankering for vinyl music you haven't heard for years, some notes of caution. Today's music production is far more sophisticated than it was 25 years ago and nothing brings this home faster than listening to old records. Many sound flat, boring and almost crude. Also,there's surface noise, the clicks and pops always present with records that disappear withCDs.
But, as Mr Thornton-Smith observes, the warmth and dynamic range of a vinyl recording is still compelling.
Deconstructing a turntable
The disc on which the record is placed. It is usually driven by a belt, sometimes directly by an electric motor. At its middle is the spindle, the spike that centres the record.
Mat
It sits on the platter and cushions the record. Some are treated to reduce static electricity; others, called slip mats, are low friction, allowing the record to be stopped or reversed while the platter keeps spinning. Don't try this with a normal turntable; you'll need a DJ model.
Tone-arm
The arm housing the cartridge and stylus that moves across the record as the stylus follows the groove.
Cartridge
It contains the delicate electronics that convert the stylus' movement into electrical impulses.
Stylus
Sometimes called the needle. It's the tiny assembly for the diamond point that tracks minute undulations in the walls of the record's groove and translates them into music.
Counterweight
An adjustable weight at the back of the tone-arm regulating downward pressure of the stylus on the record's surface.
Anti-skating device
Often a counterweight on a string, sometimes a spring-loaded device near the tone-arm's pivot point, this counteracts the propensity of the stylus to move towards the outer side of the groove wall due to centrifugal force.
Strobe
Usually a series of radial lines on the edge of the mat or platter spaced so that when the platter is spinning at the correct speed they appear to be stationary. If they seem to be moving, the speed can be fine-tuned with a pitch control, if fitted.
Cue
The lever assembly that lowers the tone-arm and stylus onto the record's surface. These are often hydraulically damped.
Damping device
Found only on expensive tone-arms, it usually consists of a paddle sitting in a trough of oil and prevents the tone-arm skating across the record when knocked. It helps with warped records or when the stylus encounters dust build-up or an imperfection in the record's groove.
Head shell
On some tone-arms the cartridge fits into a removable head shell rather than directly to the arm. Particularly handy when using multiple cartridges.
Speed selector
Very old records play at 78 revolutions per minute (use a special 78rpm stylus for them) and some very rare records were recorded at 16rpm, but the two main speeds are
33rpm for LPs and 45rpm for singles and EPs. Most turntables handle 33 and 45, sometimes with a switch, sometimes by moving the drive belt on the spindle (use cotton gloves). Some new USB turntables claim to play 78rpm but don't - they provide computer software that fakes the correct speed after you've recorded the track at 33rpm.
SOURCE: http://www.theage.com.au/
I'd Help If I Were Closer!
Roger Butler walks down the stairs of his home Wednesday, April 29, 2009. He is being evicted from his South Hill home and is wondering how he will store his massive record collection estimated at more than 100,000 albums.
No spin here: Massive record collection needs a home
Doug Clark
The Spokesman-Review
Roger Butler has lost his modest home on Spokane’s South Hill. He is days away from having to get out.
But I won’t go into all the bad luck and bad decisions that brought the 69-year-old musician to this point. That ship, as they say, has sailed. And sunk.
What I do want to tell you about is Butler’s most pressing problem.
He needs to find a good-hearted soul who will give him a place where he can temporarily store his collection of vintage vinyl records.
That may not sound like such a big deal. Not until you see what a guy can amass in 60 years of record collecting.
Butler often tells people that he has 100,000 records. “But that was the point where I stopped counting,” he explained while leading me on a tour through his cluttered abode.
Holy Victrola!
Butler has records galore in practically every format: 45s, 10- and 12-inch LPs and even those old 78s my parents once danced to.
Many of Butler’s records have already been boxed up. One basement room has boxes stacked floor to ceiling, five rows deep. The main floor is a tangle of record stacks and more boxes. A similar landscape awaits anyone who ventures upstairs.
“I do like most everything,” Butler said. “I’m so eclectic.”
No kidding. Butler’s albums run from The Monkees to Thelonious Monk. He’s got Frank Sinatra and Frank Zappa.
What a scene. Marlon Brando’s brooding face stares out from the cover of “Jazz themes from The Wild One.”
There’s Coleman Hawkins and Carl Perkins. There’s an album of Miles Davis playing Porgy and Bess.
There’s simply too much to absorb in one visit.
Ray Charles. Jerry Lee Lewis. Dave Brubeck. Elvis Presley. Roy Orbison. Benny Goodman. Peter Frampton. Bing Crosby. Chet Baker. T-Bone Walker…
Butler laughed.
“If something is good,” he said, “it can only be better by having more.”
Butler is a soft-spoken man. He has deliberately held onto his sense of humor, he said, so as not to succumb to his bleak situation.
Butler’s hair is a bit long and mostly gray. He wore a loose plaid shirt, black pants and sandals. His big toe poked out of a hole in his white sock, the left one.
Butler is a walking encyclopedia of music, especially when it comes to his favorite idioms: rock and roll and jazz.
Near the front door, he stopped and picked up an album by an artist named Richard “Popcorn” Wylie. “This is a rare one,” he said, offering a brief history. Wylie “was a football player. He didn’t care about royalties…”
Butler’s music liner notes would start at age 9. That’s when the Spokane kid fell in love with music and began his lifelong hobby of collecting records. The group that first won his heart was The Four Aces, a vocal quartet with a signature shuffle beat.
The year was 1951. Popular music was still civilized and sedate. In a few years, however, an explosion would take place in a Memphis recording studio and the world would never quite be the same.
Butler was a student at Lewis and Clark High School when that Elvis bomb went off.
He decided to take up the piano. To his delight, he found that all the hours he had spent listening to records had given him a fine musical ear.
He joined a band that, after a name change, became The Frogs.
“We were actually the first animal group,” he said with a laugh. “We were going to have lily pads and wear green tuxedos.”
Butler said he would love to see his collection become a reference library for musicians.
Better yet, Butler could sell it all. That could take away some of the sting out of losing a house. It would give a single man something to live on in his old age.
Butler has no idea what kind of nest egg his collection would provide. But he does know what it represents.
“That’s the history of rock and roll,” said Butler, waving a hand at a random stack of boxes. “And the history of jazz, too.”
Doug Clark is a columnist with The Spokesman-Review. He can be reached at (509) 459-5432 or by e-mail at dougc@spokesman.com.
SOURCE: www.spokesman.com
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The Witch Doctor
April of 2009 is the 51st anniversary of a popular song by the Chipmunks, a fictitious singing group who were created for music listeners to laugh while they enjoyed the music. Let’s learn more about this novelty song, "The Witch Doctor," that hit #1 on the charts in April of 1958.
Inspiration comes from a variety of sources; some people are inspired by passionate pleas, political speeches or historic events. But how can a chipmunk help a person develop a worldwide music dynasty?
Just ask David Seville (Ross Bagdasarian), the brainchild behind the singing novelty group of chipmunks- Alvin, Simon and Theodore. While driving through Yosemite, California, Seville slowed down to allow a chipmunk that was in the road, to carry on his merry little way. But as the chipmunk took his time, ideas flooded Seville’s head, and the fictitious singing group the Chipmunks was born.
In early 1957, Seville cut a novelty ditty called “Witch Doctor,” a song about being unlucky at love. The witch doctor would explain to him specifically what to do to gain the attention of a girl. The silly refrain of “Oo-Ee, Oo-Ah-Ah, Ting-Tang, Walla-Walla, Bing Bang” was launched into the unsuspecting music world and a pop culture phenomenon was born (The "Walla Walla" part of the song was just thrown in as a reference to Ross Bagdasarian's uncle who lived in Walla Walla, Washington). This entire song was performed by Seville in his normal voice and then sped up for the infectious effect.
This fictional group consisted of three singing chipmunks, Alvin, a mischievous, troublemaker and the star of the group (named after Liberty Records president Alvin Bennett), Simon, a tall-intellectual fellow (who was named after Simon Waronker -founder and owner of Liberty Records) and Theodore, the chubby sweetheart of the trio (who was named after chief engineer Theodore Keep).
Recording techniques used to create their unique voices was not a new event. In fact, some of the high and low pitched characters in the legendary movie, “The Wizard of Oz,” were achieved the same way- by speeding up the vocal recordings. Seville actually recorded the vocals and music at different speeds, combining the two perfectly to obtain his trademark sound.
The process was simple- the Chipmunk ‘voices’ were recorded onto an audiotape by voice talent or Seville talking or singing at half the normal speed. This purposely done slowing down could then be played back at double speed making them sound a full octave higher in pitch at normal tempo. A new term also found its way into the American vernacular- the term ‘chipmunked-voiced,’ which means any artificially high-pitched voice. And, as silly as this sounds, the Chipmunks (Seville) actually earned two Grammy Awards for engineering.
These fictional stars soon scored another #1 hit with 1958’s “The Chipmunk Song” and went on to release a long line of children’s albums and singles. Even after Seville’s passing in 1972, his son, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. has kept the empire alive, entertaining new generations of children all over the world. Not a bad result considering that the music was actually inspired by one of our fury friends!
Fun Chipmunk Facts:
The "singing rodent" concept has been successfully imitated elsewhere, notably by the Finnish "singing squirrel" Pikku Orava.
The Chipmunks make a guest appearance on the Canned Heat song "The Chipmunk Song" (which is not the same song as the 1958 hit) that appeared on their Christmas single.
Prince has used the technique on several of his songs, as well as Frank Zappa on “We're Only In It For The Money” and on the instrumental album Hot Rats, among others.
In the early 90's rave scene, many breakbeat hardcore productions would utilize the same studio tricks, often taking a cappellas from old soul and house records and speeding them up to fit the faster tempo. Vocals in songs that used this method would typically be referred to as "chipmunk vocals".
Some people may think that Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers are a "cheap imitation" of the Chipmunks. But, this is incorrect, as Chip and Dale first appeared in the Disney cartoon "Private Pluto" in 1943, more than a decade before the creation of the Chipmunks—however, the cartoon series Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, the first appearance of them with different personalities and first appearance of them wearing clothes was created in 1989, well after the debut of Alvin and the Chipmunks in the fifties. Other than anthropomorphic chipmunks as main characters, the two franchises have little in common, other than the fact that Chip and Dale have squeaky voices created by the speeding up of records to 45.
In the 1980s there was a "group" called The Happy Hamsters, which was an obvious attempt to cash in on the Chipmunks' popularity; it has since lapsed into obscurity.
Still going strong, the Chipmunks' newest album, Undeniable, was released in November 2008.
The Chipmunk's legacy was not without serious issues, in fact, the group's name changed from "The Chipmunks" to "Alvin & The Chipmunks" just like "Diana Ross & The Supremes". Alvin, just like Diana Ross, was the lead singer. The Chipmunks name change sparked rumors of a possible solo career for Alvin. And by 1961, Alvin had his own show called appropriately called "The Alvin Show" and released his first solo album which was also the soundtrack album to the show called "The Alvin Show (album)".
Interestingly, the Chipmunks spoofed John Lennon's 1966 infamous comment that the Beatles had become "more popular than Jesus", by recalling how the Chipmunks had fallen in popularity after Alvin boasted they were "bigger than Mickey Mouse!"
There is also a price difference regarding whether the Chipmunks on the cover of an album are drawn as animals or as the fictional characters.
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