What Are You Listening To?

[PaulyT]

Put this on for the first time in a while today, forgot just how good this is. And 25+ years later, there's still been nothing quite like it, that I know of. Mercury with Caballe - a very well known operatic soprano. It's a melding of rock/opera/symphony styles - though heavy on the rock - and some really good music. If you've not heard this, I highly recommend it.

Damn, a surround sound mix of this would kick some serious ass. It has the sense of scale for it... would be awesome.

 

[Dennie]

Flying Cowboys -- 24 Gold CD #2416

Rickie Lee Jones

1989/2010 Audio Fidelity

Rickie Lee Jones Flying Cowboys on Numbered Limited Edition Gold CD from Audio Fidelity

Mastered by Legendary Engineer Steve Hoffman

Mystical, Bohemian: Rickie Lee Jones Pairs With Steely Dan's Walter Becker on Scintillating 1989 Set

A supremely talented songwriter with a creative knack for telling musical tales using vivid characters and lush musical arrangements, Rickie Lee Jones ups the ante on Flying Cowboys, which shares much of the playful, childlike charm of her eponymous debut via a wealth of themes and musical styles.

Originally released in 1989, the album, Jones' first in five years, maintains her reputation for singer-songwriter excellence. The set is distinguished by the fine production of Steely Dan's Walter Becker, and features backing from Scottish trio the Blue Nite, as well as some of the best studio musicians in the world. The album includes a stirring cover of Gerry and the Pacemakers' "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" and the indelible hit "Satellites." The sheer musicality of the vocals and harmonies couples with the poetic, deep lyrics and yields a truly incredible work of art.

Audio Fidelity's 24K + Gold compact discs reproduce the ultimate sound of a classic recorded performances without the irregular plated surfaces of standard aluminum discs. Their 24K + Gold series brings you classic music in deluxe packaging with see-through slip cases. They only use the original vintage mixes played back on a specially constructed playback deck.

Here's where the Plus comes in: engineers Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray use their 30 years of expertise to create the best sounding versions of the music ever released. When they are satisfied with the end result, the final digital master is shipped directly to the manufacturing plant for etching in "real time" onto the glass surface by laser.

The end result of this unique mastering process is a compact disc with the warm sound of the original analog master tape combined with a genuine 24 karat gold surface free of any type of physical defect making their 24K Gold CD series truly one of a kind!

Rickie Lee Jones Flying Cowboys Track Listing:

1. The Horses
2. Just My Baby
3. Getto Of My Mind
4. Rodeo Girl
5. Satellites
6. Ghost Train
7. Flying Cowboys
8. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying
9. Love Is Gonna Bring Us Back Alive
10. Away From The Sky
11. Atlas' Marker

 

[Dennie]

Put this on for the first time in a while today, forgot just how good this is. And 25+ years later, there's still been nothing quite like it, that I know of. Mercury with Caballe - a very well known operatic soprano. It's a melding of rock/opera/symphony styles - though heavy on the rock - and some really good music. If you've not heard this, I highly recommend it.

Damn, a surround sound mix of this would kick some serious ass. It has the sense of scale for it... would be awesome.

Ordered! :text-thankyoublue:

I was wondering if I would like the music, but from the reviews on amazon, it seems most people are pretty moved by it. I love Freddie and I think this is going to be really good.

Thanks for posting it Pauly.



Dennie :music-listening:

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

New Moon Daughter -- CD

Cassandra Wilson

1996 Blue Note Records

Amazon.com essential recording

Her luscious alto has the depth and texture of a great tenor saxophonist, but Cassandra Wilson's defining asset is a postmodern song sense that enables her to surf through Son House, Neil Young, Johnny Mercer, Billie Holiday, and (gasp!) the Monkees in pursuit of strong songs that can provide that instrument with a canvas. Her second Blue Note album extends Wilson's seductive pilgrimage beyond the conventions of jazz repertoire and accompaniment, yet it's her instincts as a jazz singer that inform these brilliant readings. The settings again step away from traditional small group jazz (for starters, there's no piano) to evoke the emotional core of these songs. Anyone who can turn the Monkees' "Last Train to Clarksville" into a slow-burning erotic vignette deserves your attention. --Sam Sutherland

"Strange Fruit" (Lewis Allan) — 5:33
"Love Is Blindness" (Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge, Larry Mullen, Jr.) — 4:53
"Solomon Sang" (Cassandra Wilson) — 5:56
"Death Letter" (Son House) — 4:12
"Skylark" (Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer) — 4:08
"Find Him" (Wilson) — 4:37
"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" (Hank Williams) — 4:50
"Last Train to Clarksville" (Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart) — 5:15
"Until" (Wilson) — 6:29
"A Little Warm Death" (Wilson) — 5:43
"Memphis" (Wilson) — 5:04
"Harvest Moon" (Neil Young) — 5:01

 

[heeman]

Lovin' this one.........

 

[Dennie]

In Person! -- 24K Gold SBM CD

Tony Bennett - Count Basie and his Orchestra

1994 Columbia Legacy

In Person!, part of a series of 1958 collaborations between Tony Bennett and Count Basie, has an unusually convoluted history. Bennett and Basie appeared together at the Latin Casino in Philadelphia in late November of 1958 in a performance that was recorded for commercial release -- but when that tape proved unusable for technical reasons, producer Mitch Miller decided to bring the singer and the band back together in the studio in a pair of sessions a month later to re-create the concert program. For the original LP release, the producers also dubbed on applause, seeking to fake the ambience of an actual live performance, hence the title of the album. But the fake was obvious to all concerned, and when the album was re-released in 1994 as part of Sony Music's Mastersound series of audiophile CDs, the makers went back to the original session tapes and left off the applause. The result is a state-of-the-art reissue of what was also, as near as one can tell, the first of Bennett's albums to get a stereo release. As this was also the first reissue the album had apparently ever received, the tapes were in impeccable condition -- the result is an extraordinary listening experience, even 40-plus years later. The original album, even with the tampering at the time, had a healthy swing to it, courtesy of the Basie band, and with the richness of tone and the close sound available to the makers of the CD, the album works even better. Bennett's sensitively nuanced intonation in the opening of "Pennies from Heaven" is now up close and personal, while the band's beat in the second half of the song is now crisper and more solid than ever. Ralph Sharon, Bennett's usual accompanist, is handling the piano chores (while Basie himself is credited as leader), and his finely articulated playing is also brought out crisply on "Lost in the Stars" and other tracks. It's all worth hearing, and more often than just once -- it was records like this, as reconstituted properly for CD, that constituted the absolute golden end of the pop legacy of the late '50s. Review by Bruce Eder

Track Listing
1. Just in Time
2. When I Fall in Love
3. Taking a Chance on Love
4. Without a Song
5. Fascinatin' Rhythm
6. Solitude
7. Pennies From Heaven
8. Lost in the Stars
9. Firefly
10. There Will Never Be Another You
11. Lullaby of Broadway
12. Ol' Man River

Count Basie & His Orchestra.Personnel: Tony Bennett (vocals); Count Basie (conductor); Frank Wess (flute, saxophone); Charlie Fowlkes, Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell, Marshall Royal (saxophone); Wendell Culley, Joe Newman, Thad Jones, Snooky Young (trumpet); Al Grey, Henry Coker, Benny Powell (trombone); Ralph Sharon (piano); Fred Green (guitar); Eddie Jones (bass); Sonny Payne (drums); Candido Camero (bongos).Recorded at CBS 30th Street Studios, New York, New York on December 22 & 30, 1958. Originally released on CBS (8104). Includes liner notes by Didier C. Deutsch.

 

[Dennie]

Off The Top -- Remastered CD

Jimmy Smith

1992/2000 Elektra Jazz Masters (Import Germany)

The meaning of this album's title is two-fold. As Smith explains in the liner notes, the title refers both to the improvisatory nature of the music and to the fact that the outstanding instrumentalists were hand-picked "off the top of the pile." With a stellar line-up that includes George Benson on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, Grady Tate on drums and Stanley Turrentine on sax, the musicianship is top-notch, beautifully augmenting and supporting Smith's skillful keyboard manipulations.While covers of Lionel Richie's "Endless Love" and the theme from M*A*S*H may be a bit too Muzak-y for die-hard Smith fans, the free-flowing soul of the title track and "I'll Drink To That," and the gentle tropical sway of Benson's "Mimosa" deliver in the old style. The record closes with an uptempo treatment of "Ain't Misbehavin'" and a short speech by Smith telling us how much the players enjoyed making the album and how jazz is the only music that's going to last. Given the eminently enjoyable artistry displayed here, that may well be the case.

1. Off the Top
2. Endless Love
3. Mimosa
4. I'll Drink to That
5. Suicide Is Painless [Theme from M*A*S*H]
6. Ain't Misbehavin'
7. Jimmy Smith Rap
8. Keep On Comin' (live)*
9. Be Yourself (live)*
10. No Problem (Live)*
11. Callitwhatchawanna (Live) *

*Live Bonus Tracks From the Album "Keep On Comin'" featuring Kenny Burrell, Johnny Griffin & Mike Baker.

Personnel: Jimmy Smith (organ, ARP synthesizer); Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone); George Benson (guitar); Ron Carter (bass); Grady Tate (drums); Errol "Crusher" Bennett (percussion).Recorded at Generation Sound Studios, New York, New York on June 7, 1982. Includes liner notes by Jimmy Smith.

 

[PaulyT]

Rodrigo y Gabriela's latest... :banana-dance:

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

Rickie Lee Jones -- CD

Rickie Lee Jones

1979/1990 Warner Bros. Records

Amazon.com

The breezy melodies and jazz stylings of Rickie Lee Jones's debut album are usually found in the works of more mature pop artists. It's only the exuberance of Jones's often cackling voice that reminds you that a 23-year-old is at the controls. And Jones's "little girl lost" perspective, while hanging out in mid-1970s Los Angeles with neo-Beat songwriters-barroom troubadours Tom Waits and Chuck E. Weiss, makes for colorful storytelling. In fact, her tale about Weiss, "Chuck E.'s in Love," hit the Top 10. But there's a lot more elegant stuff here: "Last Chance Texaco" is a soaring ballad about automobiles and broken hearts, and the Sinatra-esque "After Hours" features a lonely Jones singing to a lamppost. --Bill Crandall

Songs written by Rickie Lee Jones, except where noted.

"Chuck E.'s In Love" 3:28
"On Saturday Afternoons In 1963" – 2:31
"Night Train" – 3:14
"Young Blood" – 4:04
"Easy Money" – 3:16
"The Last Chance Texaco" – 4:05
"Danny's All-Star Joint" – 4:01
"Coolsville" – 3:49
"Weasel And The White Boys Cool" (Rickie Lee Jones, Alfred Johnson) – 6:00
"Company" (Rickie Lee Jones, Alfred Johnson) – 4:40
"After Hours (Twelve Bars Past Midnight)" – 2:13

 

[Flint]

Favorite Beethoven Piano Sonatas
Vladimir Ashkenazy

Wow.

 

[Babs]

I think Curtis has always been underrated. I hear a lot of sax in his music, which I enjoy. His smooth & at times throaty sound is very pleasing to my ear. :music-listening:

 

[Rope]

Saxaphone = Instant Panty Remover.

Rope

 

[Dennie]

Level 42 -- CD

Level 42

1981 Polydor Records (Import Germany)

Level 42 Is A Debut To Remember March 18, 2007
By Andre S. Grindle TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD

Whether your a newcomer or only own their greatest hits album 'Level 42' is an album you will want to have.Having already recorded before Level 42 proved to be the Brit Funk movenemnts answer to the American trend of "sophisti-funk" acts such as Heatwave,The Whispers,The Brothers Johnson and Con Funk Shun.The one difference is that like their US contempories Steely Dan and The Dooibie Brothers,rather then relying on more blues based horn funk for inspiration Level 42 take more cues from jazz.'Level 42' emphasized heavy leflon slickness and polyphonic synthesizer arrangements.Every song is extremely strong and features very lean,economical production values."Turn It On",the first song on the album and the closing "Starchild" really typifies the sound;a lot of space,keyboard and bass solos and an overwelming dreaminess.Even taken at ballad pace "Why Are You Leaving" and the instrumental "Heathrow" emphasize these qualities even better,with the latter actually gaining a hardcore groove around the middle."Almost There",the hit "Love Games" and another insturmental "42" all focus on mean,chunky grooves.That leaves "Dune Tune",the third instrumental here that really showcases the bands jazzy,musicianly side.Another important aspect of Level 42 that this debuts showcases in abundance is that that Mark King,the bands inventive,percussive slap bassist and keyboard player Mike Lindup are both superb songwritings-capable of penning music that is funky,jazz and passionate while always demonstrating carefully crafted tunesmithship.Between the bands own keyboardist Mike Lindup and "longterm guest" Wally Badarou 'Level 42' is so dominated by synthetic keyboard polyphony that many have accused the bands type of jazz-funk as being somehwhat cold and sterile.And even if you find that to be so you just aren't going to be able to fault the passion,longing and humanity found in Mark King's emotional voice and lyrics:"It's time for honesty,I can see there's someone else" he sings at one point.If there is one thing that is often said about the early 80's R&B in general is that it lacked heart and innovation;again even for them all you really have to do is step into the songs and grooves of 'Level 42' for a STRONG refreshment!

1. Turn It On
2. 43
3. Why Are You Leaving?
4. Almost There
5. Heathrow
6. Love Games
7. Dune Tune
8. Starchild

 

[Botch]

Hope you liked it, Dennie. I kind've left you hanging, if you enjoyed that you'll love World Machine.

 

[Dennie]

Hope you liked it, Dennie. I kind've left you hanging, if you enjoyed that you'll love World Machine.

I did enjoy it Botch. I went by the reviews on amazon and price, which can get a little.... pricy. LOL

Thanks for the heads up on "World Machine", I will keep my eye out for it.



Dennie

 

[Dennie]

This is really, really good.... :text-bravo:

Johnny Hodges, Soloist -- Remastered 24bit CD

Billy Strayhorn and THE Orchestra

1962/1999 Verve Master Edition

A rare look at Hodges and Strayhorn without Ellington April 27, 1999
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD

This disc which is the result of a session in 1961 that features Johhny Hodges on alto sax with Billy Strayhorn as the band leader. Detail of the session is related in Lush Life the biographpy of Billy Strayhorn (pg 217). Briefly, Strayhorn was given free rein in providing new arrangments of songs by Ellington, Hodges and himself. In the 30 plus years they worked together Strayhorn used the Ellington orchestra to feature Hodges. However, this disc really puts Hodges in the forefront of the orchestra and the results are tremendous. Hodges, under Strayhorns direction gives top notch redendtions of 2 of the greatest songs they did together, Day Dream and I Got It Bad. I haven't stopped playing this disc, comparing the arrangements by Strayhorn and playing by Hodges against other Ellington discs. Another one you may want to try is "And His Mother Called Him Bill" which I think is Hodges greatest performance. Oh by the way, Happy 100th Birthday Duke (April 29th) We love you madly!

Track Listing
1. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
2. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
3. The Gal from Joe's
4. Your Love Has Faded
5. I'm Just a Lucky So and So
6. Jeep's Blues
7. Day Dream
8. Juice A-Plenty
9. Azure
10. Tailor Made
11. Stardust

Personnel: Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Billy Strayhorn (conductor); Russell Procope (alto saxophone, clarinet); Jimmy Hamilton (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxophone); Harry Carney (baritone saxophone, bass clarinet); Cat Anderson, Shorty Baker, Bill Berry, Ed Mullens, Howard McGhee (trumpet); Lawrence Brown, Quentin Jackson (trombone); Chuck Connors (bass trombone); Jimmy Jones (piano); Aaron Bell (bass); Sam Woodyard (drums).Producer: Creed Taylor.Reissue producer: Ben Young.Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey in December 1961. Originally issued on Verve (8452). Includes liner notes by Loren Schoenberg and Stanley Dance.Digitally remastered using 24-bit technology by Kevin Reeves (Polygram Studios).This is part of the Verve Records Master Edition series
__________________

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

Prairie Wind -- CD

Neil Young

2005 Reprise Records

Amazon.com

An artist for all musical seasons, Neil Young returns to autumnal harvest mode on Prairie Wind, with homespun material and sing-song melodies that renew the spirit of some of his most popular releases. Yet the mood here is darker in its maturity than on Harvest and Harvest Moon--the previous releases in what now sounds like a trilogy--and the arrangements have greater range and aural depth, with Wayne Jackson of the soulful Memphis Horns, the Fisk University Jubilee Singers gospel choir, and a string section employed to striking effect. This is a song cycle of dreams, memories, family ties, and the passage of time--what is lost and what endures. The elliptical, epic "No Wonder," with its evocation of 9/11, ranks with the most ambitious songs of Young's career, while "Falling Off the Face of the Earth," "It's a Dream," and the bluesy title cut combine childlike innocence with unsettling experience. Spooner Oldham's church keyboards and coproducer Ben Keith's steel guitar reinforce the sound's sturdy simplicity. Young has released a lot of albums in different musical styles, but Prairie Wind feels like a homecoming, and ranks with his very best. --Don McLeese

All songs written by Neil Young, and ©2005 Silver Fiddle Music (ASCAP)

"The Painter" – 4:36
"No Wonder" – 5:45
"Falling Off the Face of the Earth" – 3:35
"Far From Home" – 3:47
"It's a Dream" – 6:31
"Prairie Wind" – 7:34
"Here for You" – 4:32
"This Old Guitar" – 5:32
"He Was the King" – 6:08
"When God Made Me" – 4:05

 

[Dennie]

Eric Clapton -- CD

Eric Clapton

1970/1990 Polydor Records

A Different Flavor, January 7, 2001
By G. J Wiener (Westchester, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Eric Clapton (Audio CD)

This debut Eric Clapton has some blues rock but deviates into other styles. Easy Now is one pretty acoustic ballad and Eric gives one of his best vocal performances. The lyrics are pretty hip with the time it was recorded too. The female background vocalists add a special touch on several tracks most notably Lonesome andBottle Of Red Wine. However the real meat and potatoes songs are Blues Power, Bad Boy, After Midnight, and Let It Rain. They really rock with a passion as Eric's vocals really touch the soul. Do not overlook this recording.

All selections written by Delaney Bramlett, Bonnie Bramlett and Eric Clapton, except as indicated.

Side one

"Slunky" – 3:34
"Bad Boy" – 3:34
"Lonesome and a Long Way from Home" (Delaney Bramlett, Bonnie Bramlett, Leon Russell) – 3:29
"After Midnight" (J. J. Cale) – 2:51
"Easy Now" (Clapton) – 2:57
"Blues Power" (Clapton, Russell) – 3:09

Side two

"Bottle of Red Wine" – 3:06
"Lovin' You Lovin' Me" – 3:19
"Told You For the Last Time" (Delaney Bramlett, Bonnie Bramlett, Steve Cropper) – 2:30
"Don't Know Why" – 3:10[4]
"Let It Rain" – 5:02

 

[Dennie]

The Wall -- Experience Edition - Remastered 3 CD Set

Pink Floyd

1979/2011 Pink Floyd/EMI-Capitol Records

Pink Floyd The Wall: Experience Version on 3CD

Experience Editions are expanded versions of classic albums in a Digipak bonus disc format. Included are the original remastered album, a disc of additional material and an expanded CD booklet.

This new Experience version of The Wall presents the original studio album (2CDs), digitally remastered by James Guthrie with a bonus CD featuring a selection of original album demo recordings from different stages of the album. Also featuring a newly designed Digipak and a new 32 page booklet designed by Storm Thorgerson.

One of the most acclaimed concept albums of all time, The Wall from 1979 is renowned as Roger Waters’ Rock Opera dealing with abandonment and personal isolation. Adapted for cinema by Alan Parker featuring Bob Geldof in the lead role, and featuring the unique artwork of Gerald Scarfe, the album also yielded the hit single "Another Brick In The Wall Pt2."

Pink Floyd The Wall: Experience Version Track Listing:

CD1: The Wall (Digitally Remastered by James Guthrie)
1. In The Flesh?
2. The Thin Ice
3. Another Brick In The Wall Part 1
4. The Happiest Days of Our Lives
5. Another Brick In The Wall Part 2
6. Mother
7. Goodbye Blue Sky
8. Empty Spaces
9. Young Lust
10. One of My Turns
11. Don’t Leave Me Now
12. Another Brick In The Wall Part 3
13. Goodbye Cruel World

CD2: The Wall (Digitally Remastered by James Guthrie)
1. Hey You
2. Is There Anybody Out There
3. Nobody Home
4. Vera
5. Bring The Boys Back Home
6. Comfortable Numb
7. The Show Must Go On
8. In The Flesh
9. Run Like Hell
10. Waiting For The Worms
11. Stop
12. The Trial
13. Outside The Wall

CD3: The Wall Selected Album Demos (previously unreleased)
PROGRAMME 1 (BAND DEMOS):

PRELUDE (VERA LYNN) - ROGER WATERS ORIGINAL DEMO
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL (PART 1)
THE THIN ICE
GOODBYE BLUE SKY
TEACHER, TEACHER
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL, PART 2
EMPTY SPACES
YOUNG LUST
MOTHER
DON T LEAVE ME NOW
SEXUAL REVOLUTION
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL, PART 3
GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD
PROGRAMME 2 (BAND DEMOS)
IN THE FLESH
THE THIN ICE
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL, PART 1
THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF OUR LIVES
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL, PART 2
MOTHER
PROGRAMME 3 (BAND DEMOS)
ONE OF MY TURNS
DON T LEAVE ME NOW
EMPTY SPACES
BACKS TO THE WALL
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL, PART 3
GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD
THE DOCTOR (COMFORTABLY NUMB)

 

[Kazaam]

Empire
Of
The
Sun.