The Now Spinning/Recent Purchases Thread

It's been a few years since I've played this one. The Michael Franks tune is one of my favorites ("Leading Me Back To You"), as is the Take 6 track "U Turn."

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The Spellbound album is one of my Favorite Joe Sample releases the aforementioned UTurn with Take 6 on vocals and Somehow our Love Survives with the Late Great Al Jarreau are my favorites too and it also has one of my favorite standout instrumental "All God's Children" This is one of his very best in my opinion
 
Just download on iTunes the late lead singer of Little Feat, Lowell George 1979 album "Thanks, I'll Eat It Here"!! Great version of the Ann Peebles 1973 R&B soul song "I Can't Stand The Rain".
 
For something completely different...I was looking up some information regarding synthesizers in the early 70s (and about Kraftwerk in particular), and I discovered this:



Check out 30:30 for "Mrs. Robinson" followed by "El Condor Pasa." :D

This was the first album Isao Tomita recorded, released in 1972, two years prior to releasing the breakthrough Snowflakes Are Dancing which featured Debussy's compositions set to the Moog synthesizers, setting the pace for his numerous classical-themed releases in the future. Not surprisingly, you will hear many of the same Moog tones on this earlier album, which was billed as Electric Samurai, under the title Switched On Rock. It has only been released on vinyl in Japan and the UK. It features tunes by The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel and Elvis, with a couple others thrown in.

I guess like the two Switched-On Bacharach records I used to have (they're buried somewhere in storage), it may not have dated all that well. :laugh:

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Well, I guess no will ever be able to accuse Isao-san of not having a sense of humor...seriously, there are flashes of brilliance here and there, but you're likely to be so startled by the sudden sonic variations that they're almost hidden.

If Vangelis did acid, this is what he'd probably sound like...
 
Tomita's Holst; The Planets, is one of my favorite electronica albums. I had Tomita, Kraftwerk and YMO (Yellow Magic Orchestra) in heavy rotation often in my twenties.

-Mr Bill
 
Bought the Kraftwerk box set last year. Fun electronic music. Tomita was big on the record stores playlist back in the 70’s and 80’s. Especially Snowflakes Are Dancing and The Planets. Switched on Bach, and Clockwork Orange Soundtrack played often. Wendy/Walter Carlos a pioneer of the genre. Anything Vangelis or Giorgio Moroder too. Customers loved it, and would buy after hearing it. We played the Mannheim Steamroller Fresh Aire albums years before their Christmas records were released. Film and the BB’s too....I highly recommend listening to Lunch Hour Wedding March, on your sound system, not iPhone. It will give it a workout. Great tune!
 
I guess like the two Switched-On Bacharach records I used to have (they're buried somewhere in storage), it may not have dated all that well. :laugh:

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I love Those Switches on Bacharach albums by Christopher Scott I have the first one from Download but the second one hasnt been reissued which has my favorite version of "Paper mache" which I only have on a Mixed compilation cd taken from vinyl I heard these moog synthesizer interpretations of Bacharach tunes played on the radio and used on TV a lot during the 70s
 
Tomita's Holst; The Planets, is one of my favorite electronica albums. I had Tomita, Kraftwerk and YMO (Yellow Magic Orchestra) in heavy rotation often in my twenties.

A fellow editor of mine had just published an article on Kraftwerk today (due to the recent death of Florian Schneider) and he felt that despite how good Autobahn is, that Computer World is their best album in his opinion. I have to agree since I never really quite warmed to their earlier albums (although I admit I haven't really had time to fully explore them either), but when local radio started playing "Pocket Calculator" and "Numbers" from Computer World when it was just released, it was instantly appealing and it didn't take me long to pick up the record. I still have that one, in fact--one of the better sounding records in the collection. (I also have it digital as well.)
 
I bought a new 4K ray yesterday after much research for best players that were under $300.My old Samsung died a few weeks ago. The result is the Sony UBP-X800M2
After reading the reviews, it made up my mind. No player is perfect too btw. After setting it up I played some Carpenters higher end CDs. First was The Singles 1969-1973 SHM DSD from Japan. Very good sound, better than regular version for sure. Then the USA version of Singles DSD SACD 1969-1981. The sound was about the same as the Japanese 1969-1973 version. I have a 6 Channel Samsung player that I use for SACD playback though. Just checking out the other layers. Then what I already though would be. The Japan only Carpenters Gold Greatest Hits K2 HD Mastering 24-bit kHz versión 2010. It has a black cover with gold writing on it. It totally blows the other 2 out of the water. It’s only second to the SACD version on the Singles 1969-1973. Better than any SHM I’ve heard as well. It’s a 20 track disc. Well worth having in your collection if you don’t already.
The sound reproduction of the Sony is money well spent. If you love DTS discs then this is for you too. My favorite is by Toy Matinee. Kevin Gilbert/Patrick Leonard. I put the amp in DTS ES Discreet mode and something different comes out of each speaker. The separation is amazing. Those DTS CDs are getting pricey since they no longer make them. I wish Singles 1969-1973 had been mixed that way instead. It’s a better format than SACD, and easier for most users to play back. Only 1 port connection instead of 6. Still anything by Carpenters in surround sound is welcome, no matter what format. Too bad it’s only movies now. I use
the Neo DTS 6 setting on my Yamaha amp for audio playback for best sound.
 
Here's something interesting:

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This is an all-acoustic date, with Mino Cinelu (percussion), Kevin Eubanks (acoustic guitar) and Dave Holland (upright bass). Whenever Eubanks does a gig with Holland, he is often pushed into challenging territory, and this is no exception--there are some trademark Eubanks licks on this album, but otherwise he does some nice ensemble and backing playing with the others. Holland came into prominence during his work with Miles Davis on the albums In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew, and has led free-jazz, big band, straightahead quartet, Euro-influenced jazz (think ECM records), and others that have slid between styles.

Here is the opening track--it picks up a minute or so into the track:

 
I Love
TIm Weisberg's Discography I believe much of his A&M and MCA masters were stored in that I'll fated vault which caught fire and he was one of the many artists listed who had masters stored so far his "Smile the best of" compilation was the only A&M album of his available Digitally along with his 90s releases and beyond in some cases which is sad but thankfully I have most of his A&M And MCA and his 80s and 90s independent label releases one of my favorites is his 1989 CD " Outrageous temptations which featured David Benoit and Also a guest appearance by Rippingtons front man Russ Freeman I nicknamed it Weisberg meets the Rippingtons as Benoit played keyboards on the First 2 Rippingtons albums Moonlighting from 1986 and Kilimanjaro from 1987 I listen to those classic aforementioned artists more now as that was their best period for what used to be Smooth jazz in its prime
I never delved into Tim Weisberg's albums for A&M at all. But I love his collaboration with Dan Fogelberg on TWIN SONS OF DIFFERENT MOTHERS. I made a nice needledrop of the album from a piece of clean vinyl.

As I write this, I'm in the throes of discovery of a Tim Weisberg A&M track that I DO own - and had forgotten how much I used to love it. It's called "Street Party" and I have the full track on A&M FOREPLAY #18. I just dubbed the track to digital and am about to do whatever little leanup is necessary. Apparently this A&M FOREPLAY was promoting the track from Tim's BEST OF album called SMILE! which is available digitally.

I love re-discovering stuff like this!
 
As I write this, I'm in the throes of discovery of a Tim Weisberg A&M track that I DO own - and had forgotten how much I used to love it. It's called "Street Party" and I have the full track on A&M FOREPLAY #18. I just dubbed the track to digital and am about to do whatever little leanup is necessary. Apparently this A&M FOREPLAY was promoting the track from Tim's BEST OF album called SMILE! which is available digitally.

I love re-discovering stuff like this!
Excellent Harry I'm Glad you discovered it Theres a lot of Weisberg music to enjoy beyond His Smile Best of as I mentioned his first two A&M lps his self titled debut from 1971 and his 1972 follow up "Hurtwood edge" are two of my favorites I highly recommend them and his 1981 MCA release "Travelin' Light " is also one of my favorites
 
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I've had this for a while but finally got around to listening to it. This live date follows Hancock's three Headhunters albums (Headhunters, Thrust, Man-Child), and was released only on LP in Japan. I like the opener, "Maiden Voyage," which is mainly a Hancock solo performance, joined by the band only at the end where it soon segues into "Actual Proof" from Thrust.
 
Excellent Harry I'm Glad you discovered it Theres a lot of Weisberg music to enjoy beyond His Smile Best of as I mentioned his first two A&M lps his self titled debut from 1971 and his 1972 follow up "Hurtwood edge" are two of my favorites I highly recommend them and his 1981 MCA release "Travelin' Light " is also one of my favorites

A nice part about the track on FOREPLAY #18 is that those LPs were both well mastered and had room for wider grooves and separation. This one sounds really good.

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And on that particular release I see a couple other favorite A&M alumni such as Chuck Mangione's Brother Gap and Burt Bacharach
 
Unfortunately the Foreplay promos took many forms. Sometimes they'd have an "announcer" introducing the songs, and sometimes the songs would only be short sections rather than full songs. This one was one of the good ones that was just the songs and nothing but the songs. I probably picked this one up for the Lani Hall track on side one (Nobody Gets This Close To Me) (a song for our current times!).
 
Perfect late-night listening, and arguably Belafonte's best album, his first in stereo, backed by a stellar cast of west coast jazz musicians. Listening to the ORG 45 RPM 2-LP pressing.

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I have almost all the ForePlays... As Harry said, on many of the early ones (#1 thru 4 IIRC) the songs were edited or (in some cases) crossfaded to the next song or had announcers giving details about the artist or the album. They were intended for in-store play and I've ben lucky to have acquired several of mine with the A&M store catalog and order forms intact. Many of the early ones had their own unique cover art, but starting in 1978 they pretty much went with a 12" sleeve with a die cut label hole, the sleeve being a different color with each month's release. I believe they stopped putting out ForePlays in the early or mid-80s. I believe the last one was #48. The first four also were numbered A&M FPS1, 2, 3 or 4. After that they were incorporated into A&M's SP-17000 promotional series.

--Mr Bill
 
Unfortunately the Foreplay promos took many forms. Sometimes they'd have an "announcer" introducing the songs, and sometimes the songs would only be short sections rather than full songs. This one was one of the good ones that was just the songs and nothing but the songs. I probably picked this one up for the Lani Hall track on side one (Nobody Gets This Close To Me) (a song for our current times!).
I saw several of these in a used record bin of a Record store I used to shop at when I lived in Lewiston Idaho although it was tempting to buy them however something inside me said Hold off because they might not be what I was expecting or hoping for and Harry you confirmed what I suspected all along but I do always have mixed feelings about not getting them nowadays they would have been "Interesting collectibles "
 
Looking through Discogs, not only was "Street Party" on #18, it was also on #17.
 
nowadays they would have been "Interesting collectibles "
A local record store used to have some of the A&M promos (such as 4-track album samplers), and I bet they would have had something like this for only a couple of dollars each, back in the day. They've been gone for decades--the owner sucked the profits out to start a music club/theater that has since changed hands every few years.
 
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