So Dennie, what do you think of the Darbee circuit? It's been sitting in my Amazon "basket" for months now... (I would have sprung for it built into the new Oppo without thinking had it not come out just a couple months after I bought my -103).
What Are You Listening To?
- Thread starter Rope
- Start date
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Botch said:
Hey Botch, I'm sorry to say, I haven't played with it yet. Blu-Rays and DVD's look fantastic without it and I've been so busy at work, I just haven't had time to play with it yet.
I bought the Spears & Munsil calibration disc and have not had the time to run that yet. But, I don't feel I'm missing anything yet, as 1080p looks so good.
When I do get around to playing with the Darbee feature, I'll let you know.
Dennie
Dennie
Well-Known Member
For The Soul -- CD
Carmen Intorre Jr.
2012 Ramdom Act Records
From a purely musical standpoint this release is money with everyone spot on and the all the stars were in perfect alignment as Intorre runs through a set that includes Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan and Chick Corea. The most impressive and infectious part of this release is the attitude of Intorre. While reviewing the press release Intorre states, "Music is an opportunity for me to give up my soul, while in the process of connecting with the audience to feel uplifted after a performance, to feel great about themselves through the experience that they encountered. That is what For The Soul is all about.
Carmen Intorre Jr. gets it as jazz played in this most natural and organic of states is the original soul food!
There are all most too many high points to list but allow me to try to get you started. "Too High" is a high octane smoker. Take a back beat and add the funk infused back beat of organ phenom Pat Bianchi along with tast comp work from Hart and this is a groove taken to the next level. Saxophonist Jon Irabagon clearly shows why he took home the prestigious Thelonious Monk Competition in 2008. One of the most intriguing tunes captured on For The Soul is Gene Perla's "Tergiversation" which is a rarely performed gem featuring Bianchi and Joey DeFrancesco on an organ summit meeting where no quarter is given by either as they trade fours with Intorre's finesse acting as the sonic glue to bind this harmonic exploratory together. Another delight yet oddly different tune is the Steely Dan cover of "Josie." While there is a slight re-harmonization of the melody the end result is a sonic adventure of the road less traveled. Intorre places his own indelible stamp on this rock classic with the help of Hart and does not push the envelope of creativity here - it goes out certified mail! To do a re-harmonization on a tune like "Josie" is a huge roll of the musical dice and to work the tune without a harmonic net is the sign of a true artist. A more accessible avant garde spin on a timeless classic. A personal favorite of mine closes the disc, Joe Zawinul's "Black Market" is a deceptively subtle funk infused flavor that again showcases Intorre's ability to transform the accepted norm to something that exceeds the mundane. Every one expects a critic to always have something negative to say, much like the term smooth jazz there is an overuse and unfair negative connotation that comes along with the word critic as used in this context. As a jazz advocate, I can say with a high degree of certainty that less than half a dozen artists working today could pull off a release this well and then only half of those artists could do it with the real understanding of the audience connectivity as was so eloquently stated by Intorre.
Easily on my year end best of list. Possibly my favorite release of the year thus far!
5 Huge Stars!
1. Too High
2. Tergeversation
3. Carmen's Caddie
4. Cannonball
5. Steps
6. Only One
7. Good For The Soul
8. Gibraltar
9. Josie
10. Black Market
Personnel: Carmen Intorre Jr.: drums, percussion; John Hart: guitar; Jon Irabagon: tenor & alto saxophone; Pat Bianchi: organ & keyboards; Joey DeFrancesco: Numa Organ.
Dennie said:
:angry-tappingfoot: Don't make me come over there!Oh, uh, yeah, I've had mine for 4 years or so now, haven't used it either...
:eusa-whistle: :shifty: That's right, Oppo doesn't include that disk with their players anymore; I got a free copy with my BDP-83, but the -103 didn't include one. :|
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Today's work truck music....
Deguello -- CD
ZZ Top
1979 Warner Bros. Records
Amazon.com
First released in 1979, Deguello was three years in the making. Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard had disappeared into the sagebrush to recharge their batteries following their grueling World Texas Tour. They returned with a new antic sense of themselves that first appeared in songs like "Cheap Sunglasses," "She Loves My Automobile," and "Esther Be the One" and came to fruition almost four years later with Eliminator. Deguello forges the last link to the band's early blues-rock years, before they became the sleeker, less threatening entity that graced MTV during the '80s. Tunes like their rendering of David Porter and Isaac Hayes's steamy "I Thank You," the salacious "Hi Fi Mama," and the boastful "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide" careen on the edges of good taste, but these guys didn't give a *** who they offended as long as they entertained. And, of course, they did entertain legions of fans with their ribald lyrics, off-kilter timing, and Gibbons's daredevil guitar wizardry. But ZZ Top isn't all hard edges and pinup fantasies; the heartbreakingly beautiful intro to their eccentric love song, "Fool for Her Stockings" rivals the lyricism of Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary." --Jaan Uhelszki
All songs by Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, except where noted.
Side A
"I Thank You" (Isaac Hayes, David Porter) – 3:23
"She Loves My Automobile" – 2:24
"I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide" – 4:46
"A Fool for Your Stockings" – 4:15
"Manic Mechanic" – 2:37
Side B
"Dust My Broom" (Robert Johnson) – 3:06
"Lowdown in the Street" – 2:49
"Hi Fi Mama" – 2:23
"Cheap Sunglasses" – 4:48
"Esther Be the One" – 3:31
Deguello -- CD
ZZ Top
1979 Warner Bros. Records
Amazon.com
First released in 1979, Deguello was three years in the making. Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard had disappeared into the sagebrush to recharge their batteries following their grueling World Texas Tour. They returned with a new antic sense of themselves that first appeared in songs like "Cheap Sunglasses," "She Loves My Automobile," and "Esther Be the One" and came to fruition almost four years later with Eliminator. Deguello forges the last link to the band's early blues-rock years, before they became the sleeker, less threatening entity that graced MTV during the '80s. Tunes like their rendering of David Porter and Isaac Hayes's steamy "I Thank You," the salacious "Hi Fi Mama," and the boastful "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide" careen on the edges of good taste, but these guys didn't give a *** who they offended as long as they entertained. And, of course, they did entertain legions of fans with their ribald lyrics, off-kilter timing, and Gibbons's daredevil guitar wizardry. But ZZ Top isn't all hard edges and pinup fantasies; the heartbreakingly beautiful intro to their eccentric love song, "Fool for Her Stockings" rivals the lyricism of Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary." --Jaan Uhelszki
All songs by Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, except where noted.
Side A
"I Thank You" (Isaac Hayes, David Porter) – 3:23
"She Loves My Automobile" – 2:24
"I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide" – 4:46
"A Fool for Your Stockings" – 4:15
"Manic Mechanic" – 2:37
Side B
"Dust My Broom" (Robert Johnson) – 3:06
"Lowdown in the Street" – 2:49
"Hi Fi Mama" – 2:23
"Cheap Sunglasses" – 4:48
"Esther Be the One" – 3:31
Dennie said:Today's work truck music....
Deguello -- CD
ZZ Top
1979 Warner Bros. Records
Amazon.com
First released in 1979, Deguello was three years in the making. Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard had disappeared into the sagebrush to recharge their batteries following their grueling World Texas Tour. They returned with a new antic sense of themselves that first appeared in songs like "Cheap Sunglasses," "She Loves My Automobile," and "Esther Be the One" and came to fruition almost four years later with Eliminator. Deguello forges the last link to the band's early blues-rock years, before they became the sleeker, less threatening entity that graced MTV during the '80s. Tunes like their rendering of David Porter and Isaac Hayes's steamy "I Thank You," the salacious "Hi Fi Mama," and the boastful "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide" careen on the edges of good taste, but these guys didn't give a *** who they offended as long as they entertained. And, of course, they did entertain legions of fans with their ribald lyrics, off-kilter timing, and Gibbons's daredevil guitar wizardry. But ZZ Top isn't all hard edges and pinup fantasies; the heartbreakingly beautiful intro to their eccentric love song, "Fool for Her Stockings" rivals the lyricism of Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary." --Jaan Uhelszki
All songs by Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, except where noted.
Side A
"I Thank You" (Isaac Hayes, David Porter) – 3:23
"She Loves My Automobile" – 2:24
"I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide" – 4:46
"A Fool for Your Stockings" – 4:15
"Manic Mechanic" – 2:37
Side B
"Dust My Broom" (Robert Johnson) – 3:06
"Lowdown in the Street" – 2:49
"Hi Fi Mama" – 2:23
"Cheap Sunglasses" – 4:48
"Esther Be the One" – 3:31
My favorite ZZ Top Album...............ever!!
:music-rockout: :happy-smileygiantred: :music-rockout:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYQFsxgTouI[/youtube]
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Today's work truck music....
Madman Across The Water -- CD
Elton John
1971 Polydor Records
The first of the best, April 27, 2011
By L. Lawhead "LSquared" (SW Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Madman Across the Water (Audio CD)
This was the first Elton John album I owned (on vinyl), and there was no doubt about upgrading to CD/digital. A very solid offering from what I consider his peak period. From Madman, to Honky Chateau, into Don't Shoot Me, culminating with Goodbye Yellow Brick. All excellent, all worth having. Looking back over 35+ years, I'd rate this as the least excellent of that quartet, but all are worthy. But Madman (which peaked at only #8) laid the groundwork for the subsequent string of #1 albums.
Levon was the hit, peaking at #24, and Tiny Dancer just missed the Top 40 (peaked at #41). Both were mainstays of AOR radio, as was the title track. All are classic songs.
The rest of the album is not quite as as memorable. Holiday Inn & Rotten Peaches are certainly solid. But Indian Sunset always seemed a little overblown, and I never quite got the whole think about an Englishman singing (fisrt person) about the plight of the Native Americans... All The Nasties and Goodbbye are pretty much forgettable. Not bad, but certainly not essential.
1. "Tiny Dancer" 6:15
2. "Levon" 5:22
3. "Razor Face" 4:44
4. "Madman Across the Water" 5:56
5. "Indian Sunset" 6:45
6. "Holiday Inn" 4:17
7. "Rotten Peaches" 4:56
8. "All the Nasties" 5:08
9. "Goodbye" 1:48
When this album was issued on cassette MCA swapped the places of "Razor Face" and "Rotten Peaches" on side one and two of the tape. The SACD version of the album contained a longer version of "Razor Face" which extended the song-ending jam to 6:42 instead of the early fade on the original album.
The song "Holiday Inn" was written for Adam Diaz. An additional verse in the recorded version that was originally part of the song was either omitted during recording or edited out of the final album version. It can, however, be heard on "unofficial" live recordings of the song from some of his concerts during this period, which have circulated among collectors.
Madman Across The Water -- CD
Elton John
1971 Polydor Records
The first of the best, April 27, 2011
By L. Lawhead "LSquared" (SW Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Madman Across the Water (Audio CD)
This was the first Elton John album I owned (on vinyl), and there was no doubt about upgrading to CD/digital. A very solid offering from what I consider his peak period. From Madman, to Honky Chateau, into Don't Shoot Me, culminating with Goodbye Yellow Brick. All excellent, all worth having. Looking back over 35+ years, I'd rate this as the least excellent of that quartet, but all are worthy. But Madman (which peaked at only #8) laid the groundwork for the subsequent string of #1 albums.
Levon was the hit, peaking at #24, and Tiny Dancer just missed the Top 40 (peaked at #41). Both were mainstays of AOR radio, as was the title track. All are classic songs.
The rest of the album is not quite as as memorable. Holiday Inn & Rotten Peaches are certainly solid. But Indian Sunset always seemed a little overblown, and I never quite got the whole think about an Englishman singing (fisrt person) about the plight of the Native Americans... All The Nasties and Goodbbye are pretty much forgettable. Not bad, but certainly not essential.
1. "Tiny Dancer" 6:15
2. "Levon" 5:22
3. "Razor Face" 4:44
4. "Madman Across the Water" 5:56
5. "Indian Sunset" 6:45
6. "Holiday Inn" 4:17
7. "Rotten Peaches" 4:56
8. "All the Nasties" 5:08
9. "Goodbye" 1:48
When this album was issued on cassette MCA swapped the places of "Razor Face" and "Rotten Peaches" on side one and two of the tape. The SACD version of the album contained a longer version of "Razor Face" which extended the song-ending jam to 6:42 instead of the early fade on the original album.
The song "Holiday Inn" was written for Adam Diaz. An additional verse in the recorded version that was originally part of the song was either omitted during recording or edited out of the final album version. It can, however, be heard on "unofficial" live recordings of the song from some of his concerts during this period, which have circulated among collectors.
Babs
Queen "B"
Yes! This is MY husband, THE ROCK STAR!!!!!
We are approaching the release date. How awesome is that???
I am giddy & I cannot help it!!!
:bow-blue: :handgestures-thumbup: :happy-cheerleaderkid: :happy-cheerleadersmileygirl: :happy-cheerleadersmileyguy:
Let's hear it for Roman!!!
We are approaching the release date. How awesome is that???
I am giddy & I cannot help it!!!
:bow-blue: :handgestures-thumbup:
:happy-cheerleaderkid: :happy-cheerleadersmileygirl: :happy-cheerleadersmileyguy: Let's hear it for Roman!!!