The Now Spinning/Recent Purchases Thread

[Rudy]

If you'd like an expanded version, the Essential Boz Scaggs 2-CD set on Columbia is a good one to own. Other than that, there is a 3-CD box set (My Time) that covers most of the same ground, plus some later tracks. The US Hits!, though, is so perfectly sequenced that it's a good 10-song presentation.

My Japan version of Hit! has a different track lineup:



This is the US version:



This is both discs of Essential:

 

[Harry]

Whenever I hear Boz Scaggs, it takes me back to a comment by one of my former Program Directors. It was just an off-hand remark but it's stuck with me all of these years. The station had tested and added "We're All Alone" by Mr. Scaggs, and this PD wasn't a big fan, but for the sake of the research where it tested well, it was added to the rotation. The song came on, we were both in the hallway with the overhead speaker playing the station, and this PD said - "Sounds like Kermit T. Frog singing the song..."

It surely did - and to this day, I can't listen to Boz Scaggs without that amusing vision in my head.

My apologies to any Boz Scaggs fans out there.

 

[Rudy]

Videos this evening (on the monitor while doing some work):

The Dukes of September (Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs). Excellent!

Alive in Berlin (Depeche Mode). Same as above.

 

[Rudy]

This one sounds nice (courtesy HDTracks):

 

[Rudy]

And these have been getting some play this week (Mobile Fidelity SACDs, ripped to the server). They sound fairly good, considering the age.

 

[Rudy]

DSD night at Casa Rudy. Herbie Hancock--Maiden Voyage, Head Hunters, Thrust.

 

[Bobberman]

DSD night at Casa Rudy. Herbie Hancock--Maiden Voyage, Head Hunters, Thrust.

Great Choices there Today on my music system i got to listen to a Rare CD i scored recently "A Very excellent like new Cd of the A&M version of "South of the Border"( CD 3263) since that particular mix differs from my shout factory cd and sounds more like my first vinyl copy (SP 4108)i got as a gift in 1980 . And oooh my It sounds Excellent. I might get the HAP version to compare and complete the SOTB circle .

 

[Rudy]

OK...

I can easily say I'm not too fond of this one. It's jazz violin...on drugs. I like fusion, but this one just has enough weirdness that I doubt I'll be listening to it again.

So I'm playing this one to cleanse the ears:

(Aside from the vocals, I like Apocalypse...)

 

[DeeInKY]

The Very Best of Cream - that was kind of a rush. Hadn't listened to that one for a long time. I had forgotten that the very timely Politician was on there.

 

[Rudy]

The self-titled Eye To Eye album, and its follow-up Shakespeare Stole My Baby, are streaming in TIDAL lossless at the moment...

Deborah Berg has a voice so clean that you feel as if you have taken a long bath after listening to this album. Berg, along with her Eye To Eye partner, keyboardist Julian Marshall, are impressive songwriting and performing talents. In fact, "Nice Girls," which was a Top 40 hit, is a pop music masterpiece. A who's who of studio musicians are all over this album, including Chuck Rainey, Elliot Randall, Jim Keltner, Abraham Laboriel, and Dean Parks, in addition to Rick Derringer,Timothy B. Schmit, and the late, great Jeff Porcaro. Produced by Gary Katz of Steely Dan production fame (Donald Fagen also makes a guest appearance), Eye To Eye's debut release is almost as stunning as any of the Dan's albums. Unfortunately, the pinheads at Warner Brothers have never released this album on compact disc in the United States (though it may be available in Japan). ~ Tim Griggs

 

[Bobberman]

The self-titled Eye To Eye album, and its follow-up Shakespeare Stole My Baby, are streaming in TIDAL lossless at the moment...

I love "EYE 2 EYE'S nice girls i remember first hearing it on the radio when it first came out in 1982 and i never could get the music out of my head its one of those oh so memorable songs you just want to hear again and again and i play it in regular rotation on my radio show the station has the original vinyl LP And it still is in very good playable shape after 30+ years i agree its a true masterpiece

 

[AM Matt]

Eye To Eye made a comeback with their third release "Clean Slate" in 2006. Can't believe Wounded Bird Records website deleted their 2 LP's On 1 CD when it was reissued in 2002. Matt Clark Sanford, MI

 

[Rudy]

Part of my "work" playlist today...

Beats the watered-down CTi albums. More energetic, more vocals, more of what the group was about. Kind of interesting that despite their popularity and influence in Brazil, they barely made an impression here.

Don't care what the CTi "experts" say elsewhere (or the liner notes), the three main tracks on We and the Sea were not recorded at Van Gelders (except for the overdubbed guitar). They aren't buried in the sonic "mud" those recordings are known for...except for that overdubbed guitar. They were recorded elsewhere, and in mono...you'll notice "O Morro," "Canto de Ossanha" and "Consolacao" all sound remarkably different. (And they are arguably the best three tracks on the album.) There are live versions of those exact same arrangements (except, again, that overdubbed guitar) from recordings out of Brazil from a year or two earlier. Very unlikely that out of all the CTi albums, these three tracks would sound so different from all of them and still be recorded at Van Gelder's...in mono.

 

[AM Matt]

I got Curtis Stigers (self -titled) (1991), "Time Was" (1995) which I liked the songs "This Time", "Keep Me From The Cold" & the title track (duet with Shawn Colvin) which is a great CD & "Brighter Days" (1999). I don't have his croonin' CD's yet but I am planning on picking them up by January because Curtis has 8 CD's (out of 11 CD's) so far. I would like to get Barry Gibb "In The Now" (in stores now) & Sting "57th & 9th" (out Friday, November 11). Matt Clark Sanford, MI

 

[DeeInKY]

Rubber Soul

 

[Mr Bill]

Lately I've been listening to the Herb's In The Mood. I still need to pick up Human Nature but am waiting for my local Barnes & Noble to get it in. They have many of the re-issues (CD and Vinyl) but I've been holding off getting them, mainly because I already have them in other versions and would rather get the ones that are now on CD for the first time instead of the ones I already have as A&M and Shout!Factory versions. Besides, $ are tight as we budget our home renovation to sell it and move to Texas... But it IS cool to see the Christmas Album in 12" vinyl; again!

I'm also listening to original artist versions of the songs our Praise Band performs on Sundays. Right now it's Third Days' Lead Us Back featuring "Soul On Fire."

--Mr Bill

 

[Rudy]

My buddy in Santa Fe sent me a copy of the newer Lyle Mays live recording The Ludwigsburg Concert (with Marc Johnson, Bob Sheppard, Mark Walker), so I've been spinning that plus his other albums lately (his self-titled debut, Street Dreams, Fictionary and Solo: Improvisations for Expanded Piano). I really wish he'd record more, as his last studio album was recorded in 2000.

I have also been listening to a handful of high-res recordings on the Reference Recordings label, primarily the performances of the Minnesota Symphony Orch. with Eiji Oue conducting. I am up to five of his recordings now. One is Reveries (Satie, Grieg, Ravel, Sibelius, Debussy, etc.). Another features some works by Respighi (Belkis, Queen of Sheba Suite; Dance of the Gnome; The Pines of Rome). One features Stravinsky (Song of the Nightingale, The Rite of Spring, Firebird Suite). Another features Rachmaninoff (Symphonic Dances, Etudes-Tableaux, Vocalise). And, Exotic Dances from the Opera (with half a dozen composers).

And, I'm listening to the DSD (ripped from SACD) version of the Mercury Living Presence reissue of Byron Janis's performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concertos #2 and #3, and two Preludes (C# minor, Eb major)...London Symphony Orch., Antal Dorati, cond.. Compared to Van Cliburn's versions of both concertos, parts of Janis's renditions seem a bit rushed and/or forced. Van Cliburn's Rach PC3 is not quite note-perfect, but it is a live recording. The sound on the Mercury is very good for an older recording, although I tend to prefer the slightly brighter style of the RCA Living Stereos I've heard.

 

[Bobberman]

Ive been Listening to some of my Martin Denny releases such as The famous Quiet Village and the 1963 release Latin village both excellent albums as Denny began moving away from his polynesian exotica sound and more into MOR/Easy listening( which i always enjoy) and into eventually experimenting with the moog synthesizer. And i also been listening to the first two Tim weisberg albums on A&M his 1971 self titled debut and his 1972 follow up" Hurtwood edge" Jazz/Rock at its best and still a favorite of mine

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Interesting Santana choices, Rood... I remember our discussion about his reunion album earlier this year (which I found disappointing even though it scored some good reviews). I listened to three of those four (all but the debut album) right after that. Santana seems like perfect summer music to me, especially Abraxas and III. I have to be in a certain kind of mood to play Caravanserai all the way through, but the first 3 cuts on side one are always favorites, as is "Stone Flower."

I'm in a Bacharach mode right now thanks to the "obscure Bacharach favorites" thread going on. Spun Living Together last night and I have the self-titled album up next, along with a couple of compilations I put together.

 

[Rudy]

Interesting Santana choices, Rood... I remember our discussion about his reunion album earlier this year (which I found disappointing even though it scored some good reviews).

That Santana IV album is growing on me, the more I hear it. I can't say every single track is a favorite, but I find I skip fewer of them each time I play it.

Of the early ones, for some reason I have really been drawn to their debut, Santana. It seems like they showed up at the studio, dumped their gear in the middle of the room, and just started jamming--I can tell a lot, if not all, of the parts were played with entire group live in the same room, not split off or overdubbed later on. Has a good feel to it.

 

[Silentseason]

Just listened to the Blues Project Live at the Matrix. This was the band at its best as they were fresh from cutting Projections. Despite the raucous nature they really were able to show off their versatility, particularly with Andy Kulberg. A shame that Al Kooper couldn't stay because of the musical direction issues with Danny Kalb.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I just noticed the Eye to Eye references a few posts back. That debut album was really good. I was attracted to it by "Produced by Gary Katz," since he had been doing such a great job with Steely Dan.

 

[Rudy]

I've felt Katz was always underrated as a producer. I sort of wish he had produced the latest albums from Steely Dan or even Donald Fagen, as I was disappointed by both. (Sunken Condos I can't even listen to--I think it's awful.)

 

[DeeInKY]

The Dave Brubeck Quartet Jazz Goes to College. This CD was part of the Columbia Jazz Masterpieces series. They put the original liner notes into a booklet which includes the dates and locations of the original recordings but they don't give the dates of the remastering or give the year that the CD version was created. Not a big deal - just curious.

 

[Bobberman]

The Dave Brubeck Quartet Jazz Goes to College. This CD was part of the Columbia Jazz Masterpieces series. They put the original liner notes into a booklet which includes the dates and locations of the original recordings but they don't give the dates of the remastering or give the year that the CD version was created. Not a big deal - just curious.

Many of those Jazz masterpieces never went into to the info concerning the creation of the cd but i have several Dave Brubeck Cds one in particular that didnt get a domestic cd release was the 1963 title "Bossa Nova U.S.A my copy is a japanese import but it sounds excellent it replaced a very worn vinyl record although i paid a very big price for it over 10 years ago it was well worth it but its one example of the many recordings that should have had a domestic release but wound up as imports.