Printable Version of Topic
-Antievolution.org Discussion Board
+--Forum: After the Bar Closes...
+---Topic: Now Spinning.. started by Lou FCD
Posted by: Lou FCD on Nov. 12 2007,10:35
Rich is having a bit of account trouble so I'm copy/pasting for him.
---------------------QUOTE------------------- It's an oldie I re-discovered. Decent break over sweet dreams. They change the hook in places and use lennox's voice as in instrument proper, so I think they do enough. I rate this
< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l1ywpX-g34 >
Sexi_Hawt Zachriel the Angel of Memory from Jupiter <<< Tarden Chatterbox FtK AFDave
This is teh muzik ratings system.
It's @ 136 BPM. How fast was the origional? ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
< Per the conversation on this page > of the Board Mechanics thread.
Posted by: Reciprocating Bill on Nov. 12 2007,11:16
I'm not spinning anything at this moment (because ostensibly busy putting food on my family), but yesterday had a delightful moment. Sifting through some LPs abandoned years ago by my sister-in-law I discovered a pristine copy of the Beach Boys' "Shut Down Volume II" recorded in 1964.
"Fun Fun Fun" ('till your Daddy took the T-bird away") opens the LP. In addition to this being a GREAT tune, I am absolutely astonished at the quality of the studio engineering on this cut: the use of stereo to augment the complex harmonies is VERY impressive and, of course, the LP presents their voices with a silky accuracy and resolution you've NEVER heard on a CD (sorry guys, its true: the Redbook CD format is mid-fi at best).
What a great tune.
Posted by: Richardthughes on Nov. 12 2007,11:32
Do you remember the big fuss over DDD CDs? I wasn't that impressed. I'm similarly unimpressed with the gain in HDTV.
Music wise, get yourself some 1210's and take good care of your vinyl. Its worth remembering that a lot of early music was mixed for the medium, so it will sound better (warmer) on vinyl. Of course the sound is only as good as the weakest link in your setup...
Posted by: Reciprocating Bill on Nov. 12 2007,11:56
Quote (Richardthughes @ Nov. 12 2007,12:32) | Music wise, get yourself some 1210's and take good care of your vinyl... ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
By which you mean Technics 1210 turntables?
I use much older gear: an Empire 398 turntable manufactured in 1962 (with a six pound aluminum platter that could easily be used as a murder weapon) on which I've mounted a SME 3009 II improved arm (circa 1973, made in Britain). That carries an AT 440MLa phono cartridge, which is fantastic tracker and an amazing buy. Played through two tube-fired H-K monaural receivers (circa 1956, used for their amplifier sections only) into home built enclosures containing University Sound drivers from the early '50s and '60s (of which my avatar is one example).
The SACD format sounds much closer to vinyl - but really isn't quite there.
Posted by: Reciprocating Bill on Nov. 12 2007,12:13
Not easy to see, but attached to the sill directly behind the turntable is a Hagerman Bugle phono preamp and power supply (which I built from a half-kit), also a fantastic buy.
Posted by: Annyday on Nov. 12 2007,12:16
I'm young and naive and have been listening to Sneaker Pimps albums for about three days now. I've got a terrible migraine and my ears hurt.
Posted by: Richardthughes on Nov. 12 2007,12:17
Quote (Annyday @ Nov. 12 2007,12:16) | I'm young and naive and have been listening to Sneaker Pimps albums for about three days now. I've got a terrible migraine and my ears hurt. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
I have a banging remix of 6 underground.
Posted by: Richardthughes on Nov. 12 2007,12:17
Quote (Reciprocating Bill @ Nov. 12 2007,12:13) |
Not easy to see, but attached to the sill directly behind the turntable is a Hagerman Bugle phono preamp and power supply (which I built from a half-kit), also a fantastic buy. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Richie's Fracterial Blagella spins a little faster..
Posted by: Annyday on Nov. 12 2007,12:18
Remixed by who, and where can I find it?
Posted by: Richardthughes on Nov. 12 2007,12:22
Quote (Annyday @ Nov. 12 2007,12:18) | Remixed by who, and where can I find it? ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
< http://www.artistdirect.com/nad....=search >
I like the Perfecto one best ( puts on white gloves and blows whistle), the other one is nice and trippy...
Posted by: Annyday on Nov. 12 2007,12:25
Danke.
From left field, has anyone heard Wumpscut?
Posted by: Reciprocating Bill on Nov. 12 2007,12:34
Another analog source, plus a a shot of homebrew enclosure with University reciprocating flare horns (for reference, woofer is 15"). That's the way we used to do it.
Posted by: Richardthughes on Nov. 12 2007,13:13
Are you a Muso, Bill?
Posted by: Erasmus, FCD on Nov. 12 2007,13:20
Now spinning the Hammons Family
my musicians can whup your musicians
Posted by: Reciprocating Bill on Nov. 12 2007,13:57
Quote (Richardthughes @ Nov. 12 2007,14:13) | Are you a Muso, Bill? ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Strictly amateur, piano, some composition. Lately I've enjoyed a resurgence as I've been fiddling with midi captures of my piano improvisations.
Posted by: mitschlag on Nov. 12 2007,14:51
Quote (Richardthughes @ Nov. 12 2007,11:32) | Music wise, get yourself some 1210's and take good care of your vinyl. Its worth remembering that a lot of early music was mixed for the medium, so it will sound better (warmer) on vinyl. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Gimme that old time harmonic distortion:
---------------------QUOTE------------------- Programmable analog distortion/warmth: Helpful in the pristine but unforgiving digital world. Three audio modes provide user programmable, warm harmonic distortion. Emphasized tube-like 2nd harmonic in clean and Distort 2 mode. In Distort 3 mode the distortion becomes dominated by 3rd harmonic (similar to tape). ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
From < this lair of Satan >.
Posted by: Richardthughes on Nov. 12 2007,15:36
Quote (Reciprocating Bill @ Nov. 12 2007,13:57) | Quote (Richardthughes @ Nov. 12 2007,14:13) | Are you a Muso, Bill? ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Strictly amateur, piano, some composition. Lately I've enjoyed a resurgence as I've been fiddling with midi captures of my piano improvisations. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
May I point you here:
< http://www.antievolution.org/cgi-bin....hl=muso >
Bill.
Posted by: Erasmus, FCD on Nov. 12 2007,19:18
Wow I had no idea so many of you were guitar pickers.
Now, what's up with all this electric business? When S.H.F., you ain't going to be able to do nothin with those fiddles but chop em up for fire wood.
My Landola Jumbo however will be going just fine when the power is dead. As long as I can find a warehouse to break into and steal some strings.
Are they a fiddler round hyar? Any banjo pickers?
Posted by: stevestory on Nov. 12 2007,20:00
I'm presuming this to be a general music thread.
My setup is pretty ordinary. Decent Soundblaster card going through a y-cable to a Sony STR-K9900P reciever and then to some JBL bookshelf speakers. I've got a little bit of hearing damage and I probably couldn't tell my setup from an extravagant one anyway. And given how allergic audiophiles are to double-blind tests, some of them probably couldn't either.
The content--the important part--is the following:
Morcheeba - Parts of the Process (whole disc) Tonya Donnelly - Pretty Deep Tool - Sober Jane's Addiction - Jane Says Fountains of Wayne - Stacey's Mom Aimee Mann - Red Vines Christina Aguilera - Dirty
Posted by: stevestory on Nov. 12 2007,20:04
Also, Bruce Springsteen - John Henry Smashing Pumpkins - Zero
Posted by: stevestory on Nov. 12 2007,20:10
By the way, the video of Dirrty is exactly that. Even Aguilera was a little embarrassed by it later.
I highly recommend it.
Posted by: stevestory on Nov. 12 2007,20:18
Also:
Andrea True Connection - More More More Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me This Way
Posted by: Dr.GH on Nov. 12 2007,21:15
Mandolin, dulcimer, oud, guitar
Not in any order
Posted by: keiths on Nov. 12 2007,21:49
Quote (stevestory @ Nov. 12 2007,20:00) | I've got a little bit of hearing damage and I probably couldn't tell my setup from an extravagant one anyway. And given how allergic audiophiles are to double-blind tests, some of them probably couldn't either. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Have you been following < this amusing battle > between James Randi and fans of the $7250 Pear Anjou stereo cables?
Posted by: clamboy on Nov. 12 2007,22:10
Quote (keiths @ Nov. 12 2007,21:49) | Quote (stevestory @ Nov. 12 2007,20:00) | I've got a little bit of hearing damage and I probably couldn't tell my setup from an extravagant one anyway. And given how allergic audiophiles are to double-blind tests, some of them probably couldn't either. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Have you been following [URL=http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/calling-bullshit/updated-journalist-accepts-1-million-challenge-do-7250-cables-sound-better-or-not-311034.p
hp?retitled]this amusing battle[/URL] between James Randi and fans of the $7250 Pear Anjou stereo cables? ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Oh my, yes! Honestly, Randi be danged, I have found the Pears to be *the* cables through which to play the split LP "Earslaughter" by Extreme Noise Terror and Chaos U.K. They bring out the warmth in E.N.T.'s "Bullshit Propaganda", as well as enhancing the tastes of oak and cherry found amid the high ranges of the entire 12".
And, of course, those 1210s are de rigeurwhen listening to Sore Throat's "Unhindered by Talent," as well as their magnum opus "Disgrace to the Corpse of Sid".
Posted by: Reciprocating Bill on Nov. 12 2007,22:15
Quote (keiths @ Nov. 12 2007,22:49) | Quote (stevestory @ Nov. 12 2007,20:00) | I've got a little bit of hearing damage and I probably couldn't tell my setup from an extravagant one anyway. And given how allergic audiophiles are to double-blind tests, some of them probably couldn't either. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Have you been following < this amusing battle > between James Randi and fans of the $7250 Pear Anjou stereo cables ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
A spoof audio product (audiophile air) I imagined over at the Vintage Asylum:
---------------------QUOTE------------------- I sell AudioAir, which uses polished nitrogen atoms and balanced O2 for perfect impedance matching between driver diaphragm and AudioAir, as well as AudioAir and human tympani. Each bottle of compressed AudioAir is play tested and broken in for 100 hours with a variety of program materials. The infusion of AudioAir in to your listening atmosphere yields a a more coherent soundstage, higher resolution, superior speed, and prompt activation of the recently discovered musimami receptor. Our promise: No concentrators, humidification, or pulse regulators stand between you and the music, as is the case with with lessor "audiophile" airs. $2395/10 liters. Optional tiptoes for your bottle of AudioAir $195. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Posted by: Wesley R. Elsberry on Nov. 12 2007,22:17
< Check your high-end cable savvy >.
Don't look at the comments until you make your choice.
Posted by: Reciprocating Bill on Nov. 12 2007,22:24
Quote (Wesley R. Elsberry @ Nov. 12 2007,23:17) | < Check your high-end cable savvy >.
Don't look at the comments until you make your choice. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
I got as far as figuring that it had to do with a problematic push-pull (class B) amplifier topology.
Posted by: Reciprocating Bill on Nov. 12 2007,22:35
Over at the < AudioAsylum > discussion of double blind and ABX testing is strictly forbidden in certain fora, particularly the forum dealing with cables.
"Why are DBT discussions not allowed?
Quite simply, the reason is that these topics rarely spark a productive exchange. While a vast majority of Asylum inmates are firmly in the middle ground, the topics of DBT and ABX tend to force polarization and quickly degrade into death spiraling flame wars."
Posted by: Wesley R. Elsberry on Nov. 12 2007,22:38
It reminded me of the joke about Radio Shack computer salesmen:
---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Q. What's the difference between a used-car salesman and a Radio Shack computer salesman?
A. The used-car salesman knows when he is lying to you.
---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Posted by: stevestory on Nov. 12 2007,22:49
Quote (keiths @ Nov. 12 2007,22:49) | Quote (stevestory @ Nov. 12 2007,20:00) | I've got a little bit of hearing damage and I probably couldn't tell my setup from an extravagant one anyway. And given how allergic audiophiles are to double-blind tests, some of them probably couldn't either. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Have you been following [URL=http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/calling-bullshit/updated-journalist-accepts-1-million-challenge-do-7250-cables-sound-better-or-not-311034.p
hp?retitled]this amusing battle[/URL] between James Randi and fans of the $7250 Pear Anjou stereo cables? ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Yes I have, actually. A friend remarked, "I'm going to claim my cables are saturated in helium and retire after selling a few $50,000 pairs to these idiots."
Posted by: stevestory on Nov. 12 2007,22:55
Quote (clamboy @ Nov. 12 2007,23:10) | Quote (keiths @ Nov. 12 2007,21:49) | Quote (stevestory @ Nov. 12 2007,20:00) | I've got a little bit of hearing damage and I probably couldn't tell my setup from an extravagant one anyway. And given how allergic audiophiles are to double-blind tests, some of them probably couldn't either. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Have you been following [URL=http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/calling-bullshit/updated-journalist-accepts-1-million-challenge-do-7250-cables-sound-better-or-not-311034.p
hp?retitled]this amusing battle[/URL] between James Randi and fans of the $7250 Pear Anjou stereo cables? ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Oh my, yes! Honestly, Randi be danged, I have found the Pears to be *the* cables through which to play the split LP "Earslaughter" by Extreme Noise Terror and Chaos U.K. They bring out the warmth in E.N.T.'s "Bullshit Propaganda", as well as enhancing the tastes of oak and cherry found amid the high ranges of the entire 12".
And, of course, those 1210s are de rigeurwhen listening to Sore Throat's "Unhindered by Talent," as well as their magnum opus "Disgrace to the Corpse of Sid". ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
I hope this post is a joke, because it's f'n funny.
Posted by: stevestory on Nov. 12 2007,22:59
I remember the last pair of Oakley sunglasses I bought. $120. They came with a spectrograph of wavelengths they block. Nice little graph. At the time I was doing some biophysics research that utilized an IR spectrometer. I positioned the setup to evaluate some cheap Target sunglasses I'd bought, and, confirming the well-known-fact that basically all plastics block nearly all UV light, promptly dispensed with buying expensive sunglasses.
Posted by: Wesley R. Elsberry on Nov. 12 2007,23:00
Up until 1998, I could detect a 20 kHz tone. I was disappointed the following year to discover that 14 kHz was my new top-end.
I haven't pulled out the tone generator recently to test. I think I'm afraid of what I would learn. But I find my music-listening needs are pretty much fulfilled by convenient MP3 player technology and good headphones or amplified speakers. This past January, I dug out my turntable, got a replacement belt, and digitized the LPs that I either wanted to hear shortly or figured that I was never going to see in CD format anyway. (I don't suppose the Temple City Kazoo Orchestra is simply biding their time on a release.) The turntable and my few remaining pieces of component stereo stuff (minus a cassette deck that I kept) went to a friend and the LPs went to Half-Price Books.
I do get a kick out of wandering around the high-end audiophile areas at CES, though. It's a place where one can find BS stacked up almost as high as in antievolution sources, but they certainly have antievolution beat on the pricing. $800 for a six-foot "power interconnect", anyone? That's a "power cord" to the rest of us, and in the unlikely event that I get a bunch of component audiophile gear at home sometime, I will happily use the $5 sort of "power interconnect" to plug it into the wall, which after all is wired with the cheapest Romex the contractor at the time could manage to locate, and delivers power engineered by people working hourly for my local municipality.
One thing that has been amusing for some time is that high-end equipment manufacturers like to use bleeding-edge light sources for "power-on" indicators, even though this has absolutely no relation to the sound quality of the system, and a simple, cheap red LED would continue to do as fine a job today as they did back in the 1970s. I think it was around 2000 that blue LEDs had finally become available in consumer applications, and suddenly every system's power-on indicator light simply had to be a blue LED.
I wonder if they will halt there, or if they will continue on to using UV-emitting LEDs, possibly with a fluorescent surround to show it off.
Posted by: stevestory on Nov. 12 2007,23:08
My hearing damage is much more acute. All those good times as a young redneck blasting shotguns, and being right handed, resulted in a number of comments that the left hand speaker must be especially weak. It wasn't til I was at MEPS in Jacksonville, Fla, and they remarked, "-20 dB in left ear" that I realized it wasn't the speakers that were malfunctional....
Posted by: stevestory on Nov. 12 2007,23:17
Quote (Wesley R. Elsberry @ Nov. 13 2007,00:00) | $800 for a six-foot "power interconnect", anyone? That's a "power cord" to the rest of us, and in the unlikely event that I get a bunch of component audiophile gear at home sometime, I will happily use the $5 sort of "power interconnect" to plug it into the wall, which after all is wired with the cheapest Romex the contractor at the time could manage to locate, and delivers power engineered by people working hourly for my local municipality. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Apologies to the kiddies for the profanity, but here's an actual quote from a (real) audiophile friend last week: "Yeah, power cables. Jesus. Some idiot was telling me about how much bass his power cable had. 'Oh, feel the bass in this cable.' I didn't have the heart to tell him his special bassy power cable was on one side of the wall jack, and on the other was the cheapest aluminum shit the electrician could buy. This is like those African wood cable stands. Fucking idiots have too much money."
Posted by: Reciprocating Bill on Nov. 12 2007,23:19
Quote (Wesley R. Elsberry @ Nov. 13 2007,00:00) | Up until 1998, I could detect a 20 kHz tone. I was disappointed the following year to discover that 14 kHz was my new top-end.
I haven't pulled out the tone generator recently to test. I think I'm afraid of what I would learn. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
I'm 55 and my hearing tops out at about 14 kHz. My right ear does very slightly better than my left, apparently (14 kHz versus 13.5).
But if IIRC the decision was made to filter FM stereo above 15kHz (to allow headroom for the mulitplex carrier) following extensive blind studies that showed that most listeners could not distinguish between music reproduced with content above 15 kHz and that which did not.
At any rate, there's a lot of sweetness to enjoy below 14 kHz.
My most recent source of sweetness: approximately 400 recently acquired LPs, all classical and most in excellent condition.
Posted by: stevestory on Nov. 12 2007,23:23
I've heard that tubes and vinyl have pleasant even harmonics, while solid state stuff have unpleasant odd harmonics. Anyone know if this is true?
Posted by: carlsonjok on Nov. 12 2007,23:42
Quote (Wesley R. Elsberry @ Nov. 12 2007,23:00) | This past January, I dug out my turntable, got a replacement belt, and digitized the LPs that I either wanted to hear shortly or figured that I was never going to see in CD format anyway. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
I am not quite the audiophile that y'all are, but I do have a number of LPs that I would like to digitize due to lack of availability in mp3 format. Given that I have a working turntable, is it possible to get set up to digitize with minimal cost?
It may end up being cost effective just to use a service, but there is a certain appeal to DIY.
---------------------QUOTE------------------- (I don't suppose the Temple City Kazoo Orchestra is simply biding their time on a release.) ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Ya think?
Posted by: Reciprocating Bill on Nov. 12 2007,23:58
Quote (stevestory @ Nov. 13 2007,00:23) | I've heard that tubes and vinyl have pleasant even harmonics, while solid state stuff have unpleasant odd harmonics. Anyone know if this is true? ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
That's the theory vis tubes, although not vinyl. Some argue that well designed solid state and tube amplifiers sound equivalent until overdriven. The harmonic distortion generated by tubes near clipping is 2nd order versus 3rd and higher for SS, and is therefore less noticeable and less objectionable.
There are other differences that relate to the interaction between amplifiers and speakers of varying designs; speakers often present very complex loads, with impedance that varies wildly with frequency, so there are significant speaker - amplifier interactions. Additionally, SS equipment typically presents a damping factor to a speaker an order of magnitude higher than does tube equipment, which gives it much more control over bass performance - good for some speaker designs (e.g. acoustic suspension), bad for others (horns, bass reflex, ported designs).
The bottom line is that matching speaker to amplifier is often more important than the characteristics of individual components. All my stuff is quite vintage, and matches well.
The advantage of vinyl is resolution. The "redbook" CD data format reflects some very serious and audible compromises that limit the resolution of the sound, particularly at high frequencies. It is not that digital is inherently inferior - but rather the sampling and data formats selected in the early '80s for CDs, which was adapted to the realities of the computer power that could be mass produced for a consumer device at that time, introduced limitations.
Practically speaking, I find that well engineered vinyl recordings retain a "silkiness" in massed strings, a high frequency "sheen" with brushed cymbals, and a purity with voices and woodwinds that I've never heard in from a CD, at least not with my equipment. "Sound stage" (the sense of a space spreading between the speakers) is also subtly superior. When I first resuscitated my turntable and returned to vinyl I experienced a shock of recognition: Oh, THAT!!! I hadn't heard THAT in 20 years, a set of qualities I had associated with high fidelity, but had forgotten. When CDs were first introduced we were all wowed by the low noise floor, convenience, and lack of wear with repeated playing and didn't notice what we had lost. Mp3s are even worse, introducing an audible "edge" that I liken to a metallic taste in food. SACD and DVD digital audio are of far higher resolution and are very close to analog.
The irony of the design selected for CDs is that a vastly superior system (although probably not practical to implement as a mass market device) existed at that time: Telarc's "Soundstream" digital recording system. Superior in every respect, those recordings are breathtaking in their quality, but there are just two ways to hear them the way they were intended: via the original LPs (recorded as soundstream digital masters and directly transfered to the vinyl cutting heads) or the re-releases now available as SACDs. They don't convert well to CDs because of artifacts introduced in mathematically converting data generated by the 50 kHz sampling rate of the soundstream system to the 44 kHz sampling rate of the Redbook format.
< Here > is a great little "tiny history" of High Fidelity that speaks to many of these issues.
Posted by: clamboy on Nov. 13 2007,00:34
Quote (stevestory @ Nov. 12 2007,22:55) | Quote (clamboy @ Nov. 12 2007,23:10) | Quote (keiths @ Nov. 12 2007,21:49) | Quote (stevestory @ Nov. 12 2007,20:00) | I've got a little bit of hearing damage and I probably couldn't tell my setup from an extravagant one anyway. And given how allergic audiophiles are to double-blind tests, some of them probably couldn't either. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Have you been following [URL=http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/calling-bullshit/updated-journalist-accepts-1-million-challenge-do-7250-cables-sound-better-or-not-311034.p
hp?retitled]this amusing battle[/URL] between James Randi and fans of the $7250 Pear Anjou stereo cables? ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Oh my, yes! Honestly, Randi be danged, I have found the Pears to be *the* cables through which to play the split LP "Earslaughter" by Extreme Noise Terror and Chaos U.K. They bring out the warmth in E.N.T.'s "Bullshit Propaganda", as well as enhancing the tastes of oak and cherry found amid the high ranges of the entire 12".
And, of course, those 1210s are de rigeurwhen listening to Sore Throat's "Unhindered by Talent," as well as their magnum opus "Disgrace to the Corpse of Sid". ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
I hope this post is a joke, because it's f'n funny. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
The truly funny part is that I actually own those albums, and take great joy in their playing. What is it that makes a human being revel in horrendous ear-splattering tonesofdestruction whirlwind tornado ultrahurricane pure brutality noise? Or does that question contain its own answer?
Posted by: Louis on Nov. 13 2007,02:54
{raises hand tentatively}
Ummm I am listening to the new Ween album on my PC with some £8.99 headphones whilst sat at my desk.*
{slinks away}
Louis
*Obviously at home I have the £4000 Krypton infused iridium/silver alloy cables By IntelligentDesignUberMusic. Those IDUM cables really make a big difference, they're so good I don't actually need a stereo I just sit my CD next to them and the warm musical tones flood out. As the slogan says: Everbody Knows IDUM.
Posted by: Nomad on Nov. 13 2007,04:37
I'm very much a member of the CD generation. I'm highly skeptical of the claims of vinyl superiority. I'm willing and indeed interested in carrying out a test sometime to see if I can hear the difference, but I've made my decision to stick with the digital world for practical matters. I need a sound system that can fit in my pocket and plug into earphones, and also a medium that can fit into the sound system (factory spec, nothing fancy about it) in my car. Perhaps if I had an audiophile buddy I might find myself spending all my time basking in the high end sound and I might ultimately make the transition myself.. but for now I get my music the new fangled digital way.
This thread has gotten me to look back through my collection of CDs that I've converted to mp3 (or AAC, or OGG) format for my mp3 player. I'm currently listening to the soundtrack to the movie Heavy Metal. Specifically, at the moment I've got Grand Funk Railroad on, playing Queen Bee.
But lately I haven't really been listening to much. I'm kind of on a musical low point. I'm both SEVERELY annoyed at the behavior of the RIAA and the labels supporting it, and also frustrated by a lack of quality music coming out from them. I've enacted a most likely futile personal boycott of everything produced by any company that contributes to the RIAA. It's not really that big a deal since I'm hard pressed to find anything new that I'm into anyway. I've got hundreds of CDs from an earlier, voracious musical consumption period, but I'm hungry for something new.
BT (the artist) could probably break my will and get me to abandon my boycott by just coming out with a new album that includes a song he's performed live that I've heard through youtube. It's terribly distorted, but it leaves me positively drooling for a chance to hear a proper version of it. The song is Mad World, originally by Tears for Fears but more recently redone in a minimalist style for the movie Donnie Darko and then popularized in a commercial for a video game. Instead he comes out with a minimalist CD/DVD thing.. why does he taunt me so?
If I may explain, I write fiction (mostly science fiction) as a hobby. I do it in a stupid, withdrawn sort of way in that I've never shown anyone 99% of what I've written. Like I said, it's a hobby, I do it for my own amusement. But I need music for it, everything I write is fueled by the music I'm listening to at the time. I have one story that I desperately want to make a movie out of, if nothing else just so I can use another BT song as the song that starts playing just at the end of the movie. I hear the song and I can visualize exactly how the ending visuals would occur, to me the song has the visual cues embedded within it.
With my current musical low point my writing has also ground to a stop. It's a REALLY annoying feeling.. like creative constipation. Hmm.. and music is my laxative.. yeah.. that's.. unpleasant.. I think of it more like a performance enhancing drug. Exciting new songs open up new ideas to me.
Anyway, if we're going to be mentioning favored artists all I can really say is that I have a weak spot for almost anything from the 80s. Especially the pop and techno-pop of the era. Level 42, Toto, Bruce Hornsby, Howard Jones, Glass Tiger, Wang Chung, Journey, New Order, Boston..
And then I'm also a big electronic music devotee, so I should also add The Prodigy, Orbital, Apollo 440, Daft Punk (almost exclusively Discovery, I don't really care for their other albums), and I guess I'll wrap that category up with William Orbit.
Posted by: Reciprocating Bill on Nov. 13 2007,07:07
Quote (Nomad @ Nov. 13 2007,05:37) | I'm very much a member of the CD generation. I'm highly skeptical of the claims of vinyl superiority. I'm willing and indeed interested in carrying out a test sometime to see if I can hear the difference, but I've made my decision to stick with the digital world for practical matters. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Of course, CDs offer significant advantages over vinyl, including some sonic advantages (noise floor and dynamic range). I haven't played any LPs in my car lately, nor burned any. They're heavy, not very portable, and are easily damaged. Random access is arduous. And good equipment is required for good reproduction. There are many excellent CDs, and some LPs are poorly engineered and present mediocre sound. SACD is even better, and I own an SACD player.
That said, the advantages of vinyl I describe are very real, and in some respects not all that subtle, and it adds up to an emotional connection to some performances that is bleached out of many CD recordings. Whether those advantages are worth the trouble is another question.
Indeed, convenience is clearly winning the day: although high density and truly high fidelity digital formats (SACD, DVD audio) have been available for a few years, they haven't been successful, as the world goes for the convenience of MP3s - which are significantly sonically inferior even to CDs.
Posted by: IanBrown_101 on Nov. 13 2007,07:10
Wow, what's with all this heavy technical stuff? I have no idea, nor do I really care about that, if it sounds good on whatever I play it on, then whatever I play it on is alright by me.
Personally I have a huge love of the old Madchester scene (no, that's not a typo despite what spell checker says), Stone Roses, Charlatans, Happy Mondays and all their ilk. (for those who have no idea who I'm on about: < The Stone Roses > although I urge caution for some of you, the lyrics can be somewhat....blasphemous, particularly in that song < The Charlatans > < Happy Mondays > I also adore Inspiral Carpets < Link. > Finally, Ian Brown, from the Stone Roses (hence the name, which I used first a few years ago to hide my real name somewhere and subsequently use everywhere, because it's easy) has a rather good solo career. Here's one of his, < F.E.A.R. >
Plus I love a lot of older music, big fan of the Beatles, Beach Boys, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, James Brown.... Quite a lot of different genres really, and loads of artists. Add a smattering of Classical in there too.
However, I almost entirely (almost) dislike Hip Hop and "new" R n B (although the actual RnB is awesome) and I can't stand most (but not all) Dance music.
Posted by: Erasmus, FCD on Nov. 13 2007,07:35
just listen to the sustain...
Posted by: Richardthughes on Nov. 13 2007,08:59
Nomad sez:
---------------------QUOTE------------------- BT (the artist) could probably break my will and get me to abandon my boycott by just coming out with a new album that includes a song he's performed live that I've heard through youtube. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
I like BT, I misremember him doing this remix:
< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsVlA_x6Ylk >
Turns out it wasn't him. Still, very good tune. I Like the ride out out the end, it's the sound of nihilism to me. dial up to 5.19 - it's like a radioactive wind that blows through you. Now that's the sound of pointless atheism!
---------------------QUOTE------------------- And then I'm also a big electronic music devotee, so I should also add The Prodigy, Orbital, Apollo 440, Daft Punk (almost exclusively Discovery, I don't really care for their other albums), and I guess I'll wrap that category up with William Orbit. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Do you has liquid cool?
< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kCJ3k3zzGQ >
its in ur ears makin u hapie.
William orbit is a genius, which is not a term to be thrown around lightly. I like all his stuff ('cept "Loadsamoney" for Harry enfield, which is utter gash) "Seagreen" and "Water from a vine leaf" are probably the most spiritual to me but Fascinating Rhythm is my fave. The sample from "Foxy lady" cracks me up.
Posted by: carlsonjok on Nov. 13 2007,13:09
Right now, I am listening to < Duke Jupiter > - The Band Played On. This was a local (Rochester, NY) band that was getting national airplay and opening for some rock heavyweights in the late 70's and early 80's, but never quite broke through on their own. It is pretty much straight ahead, no frills and no deep thinking rock and roll that was typical the time. Some of it is forgettable, and some is still fun to listen to, like "I'll Drink to You."
Also, in the last day I've listened to Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways (his last album) and The Waterboys - Fisherman's Blues.
Posted by: JohnW on Nov. 13 2007,13:25
Quote (IanBrown_101 @ Nov. 13 2007,05:10) | Wow, what's with all this heavy technical stuff? I have no idea, nor do I really care about that, if it sounds good on whatever I play it on, then whatever I play it on is alright by me. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Indeed. I used to know someone who demonstrated that vinyl sounds better than CD - I heard two versions of the same recording on his system, and the vinyl version was definitely superior. His system cost more than most cars. I have a decent but not spectacular set of gear (NAD CD player & amp, Snell speakers, Sennheiser headphones, iPod+Ultimate Ears on the road), giving me more money to spend on actual music. I'm considering moving the shower and toilet onto the back steps to make more room for CDs.
Last five purchases: John Surman: The Spaces In Between; Fred Hersch: Night and the Music; Death Ambient (now there's a good band name): Synaesthesia; Groundtruther; Altitude; Paul Bley: Solo in Mondsee.
About two-thirds of what I own is jazz, more or less. Lately I've been listening to a lot of jazz/electronic hybrid stuff - the Thirsty Ear and Tzadik labels have been putting out a lot of very interesting music lately. The rest is all over the place - a fair amount of classical, reggae, blues, R&B. Plus a lot of the stuff I grew up with: the likes of Joy Division, the Clash, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, XTC...
For what it's worth (this obviously reflects the artists' productivity as much as my tastes), the longest stretches of shelf space are devoted to Sun Ra, Miles Davis and Frank Zappa.
Posted by: Louis on Nov. 14 2007,03:11
Call me a facist but I think anyone who doesn't like Zappa should be killed. Painfully.
When the revolution comes there will be three questions:
1) Do you like the music of Frank Zappa? (with the obvious follow up questions to detect frauds)
2) Do you understand what Pink Floyd are talking about on the Dark Side of the Moon album? (with the obivous discussion)
3) Is S-Club-7's output "music"?
Killin people who get those answers wrong could solve a lot of humanity's problems.*
Louis
*It's possible, although by no means certain, that I am not serious.
Posted by: Mister DNA on Nov. 14 2007,03:36
Quote (Louis @ Nov. 14 2007,03:11) | Call me a facist but I think anyone who doesn't like Zappa should be killed. Painfully.
When the revolution comes there will be three questions:
1) Do you like the music of Frank Zappa? (with the obvious follow up questions to detect frauds) ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
One of those follow up questions would be: Which is your favorite Zappa lineup?
I'm partial to the Roxy & Elsewhere and One Size Fits All period, followed by the Flo & Eddie era, with the original Mothers of Invention lineup coming in third.
Oh yeah... count me among those whose hearing is too fucked to worry about high-end audio applications. I used to be in a surf instrumental band - the lack of a vocalist allowed us to play at Motorhead-levels of volume. It was fun at the time, but my right eardrum hates me today.
Posted by: Louis on Nov. 14 2007,03:59
Quote (Mister DNA @ Nov. 14 2007,09:36) | Quote (Louis @ Nov. 14 2007,03:11) | Call me a facist but I think anyone who doesn't like Zappa should be killed. Painfully.
When the revolution comes there will be three questions:
1) Do you like the music of Frank Zappa? (with the obvious follow up questions to detect frauds) ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
One of those follow up questions would be: Which is your favorite Zappa lineup?
I'm partial to the Roxy & Elsewhere and One Size Fits All period, followed by the Flo & Eddie era, with the original Mothers of Invention lineup coming in third.
{snip} ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Good question, it shall be added to the Glorious Follow Up Questions of the People's Righteous Revolution.
Terry Bosio, Patrick O'Hearn, Johnny Marr.....
Oh dear, I appear to have had an accident. Very sorry.
Louis
P.S. I'm not sure of the spellings of the names, I'm am removed from my collection at the moment. I also confess a not insignificant liking for the combination of Steve Vai and Frank Zappa, although I realise this is controversial and may cause a schism.
Posted by: IanBrown_101 on Nov. 14 2007,07:10
---------------------QUOTE------------------- Do you understand what Pink Floyd are talking about on the Dark Side of the Moon album? (with the obivous discussion)
---------------------QUOTE-------------------
S'life isn't it?
Posted by: Reciprocating Bill on Nov. 14 2007,07:14
Quote (Mister DNA @ Nov. 14 2007,04:36) | Quote (Louis @ Nov. 14 2007,03:11) | Call me a facist but I think anyone who doesn't like Zappa should be killed. Painfully.
When the revolution comes there will be three questions:
1) Do you like the music of Frank Zappa? (with the obvious follow up questions to detect frauds) ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
One of those follow up questions would be: Which is your favorite Zappa lineup?
I'm partial to the Roxy & Elsewhere and One Size Fits All period, followed by the Flo & Eddie era, with the original Mothers of Invention lineup coming in third.
Oh yeah... count me among those whose hearing is too fucked to worry about high-end audio applications. I used to be in a surf instrumental band - the lack of a vocalist allowed us to play at Motorhead-levels of volume. It was fun at the time, but my right eardrum hates me today. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
My favorite Zappa lineup was the middle and late iterations of the original Mothers of Invention (Ray Collins on vocals, Jimmy Carl Black, Motorhead Sherwood, Ian Underwood, Roy Estrada, Bunk Gardner, Don Preston, Arthur Tripp) found on WOIFTM, Uncle Meat, Burnt Weeny Sandwich, Weasels Ripped My Flesh, Cruising with Rueben and the Jets, etc. They didn't have quite the superhuman performance skills of some of the later bands, but the music of that era is particularly original and inspired, and there was a sort of looney, Doo-Wop, faux hispanic, multi-track goofiness to that ensemble that was never (IMHO) quite recaptured. Yet even then the tightness and complexity of Frank's music had no parallel elsewhere in rock. I somewhat lost interest only because I discovered orchestral music - classical era right through the 20th century - which had many of the qualities I loved in Zappa done even more skillfully.
It was during the late 60s and early 70's that I first got into Frank Zappa, and I have particular fondness for that era (so my nurses tell me). However, during the recent Zappa plays Zappa tour I heard a lot of middle and later Zappa that I had never heard before and REALLY LIKED, so this is a provisional top preference.
Posted by: George on Nov. 14 2007,07:33
I wonder what's the correlation between Zappa appreciation and Church Burnin'. Seems pretty high. Likewise, how many hands would be required to count the number of creationist Zappa fans?
Me, my favourite lineup varies by week. Lately I find I prefer the high Statistical Density Zappa.
But for something completely different, I'm now listening to < Hampton Colisseum, 9 Oct '89 >. The band? Man, if you have to ask, you just ain't hip.
Posted by: JohnW on Nov. 14 2007,11:07
Quote (Mister DNA @ Nov. 14 2007,01:36) | I'm partial to the Roxy & Elsewhere and One Size Fits All period, ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Yes. If I could only take one Zappa album to the desert island, it would probably be One Size Fits All, or possibly You Can't Do That On Stage Any More vol. 2.
Quote (Mister DNA @ Nov. 14 2007,01:36) | followed by the Flo & Eddie era, ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Not his best period, in my opinion. I love 200 Motels, but I find most of the rest too concerned with "ooh, aren't we rude?" at the expense of the music.
Quote (Mister DNA @ Nov. 14 2007,01:36) | ...the original Mothers of Invention lineup ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Yes again. Is Freak Out the best debut album ever?
Also, don't forget the phenomenal 1988 big band. Make A Jazz Noise Here is another desert-island possibility, and The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life is not far behind.
Posted by: Reciprocating Bill on Nov. 15 2007,21:21
Quote (JohnW @ Nov. 14 2007,12:07) | Quote (Mister DNA @ Nov. 14 2007,01:36) | I'm partial to the Roxy & Elsewhere and One Size Fits All period, ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Yes. If I could only take one Zappa album to the desert island, it would probably be One Size Fits All, or possibly You Can't Do That On Stage Any More vol. 2. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
You should'a heard the Zappa Plays Zappa* live rendition of Andy. Absafuckinglutely awesome.
*Dweezil's band, currently touring and playing his father's music.
Posted by: Arden Chatfield on Nov. 15 2007,21:38
Quote (Reciprocating Bill @ Nov. 12 2007,23:58) | Quote (stevestory @ Nov. 13 2007,00:23) | I've heard that tubes and vinyl have pleasant even harmonics, while solid state stuff have unpleasant odd harmonics. Anyone know if this is true? ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
That's the theory vis tubes, although not vinyl. Some argue that well designed solid state and tube amplifiers sound equivalent until overdriven. The harmonic distortion generated by tubes near clipping is 2nd order versus 3rd and higher for SS, and is therefore less noticeable and less objectionable. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
I once had a record dealer friend who swore that the best sound quality he'd ever heard came from vinyl 78's, which had a short-lived existence for a few years in the 1950's.
Posted by: Arden Chatfield on Nov. 15 2007,21:40
Quote (Louis @ Nov. 14 2007,03:59) | Quote (Mister DNA @ Nov. 14 2007,09:36) | Quote (Louis @ Nov. 14 2007,03:11) | Call me a facist but I think anyone who doesn't like Zappa should be killed. Painfully.
When the revolution comes there will be three questions:
1) Do you like the music of Frank Zappa? (with the obvious follow up questions to detect frauds) ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
One of those follow up questions would be: Which is your favorite Zappa lineup?
I'm partial to the Roxy & Elsewhere and One Size Fits All period, followed by the Flo & Eddie era, with the original Mothers of Invention lineup coming in third.
{snip} ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Good question, it shall be added to the Glorious Follow Up Questions of the People's Righteous Revolution.
Terry Bosio, Patrick O'Hearn, Johnny Marr.....
Oh dear, I appear to have had an accident. Very sorry.
Louis
P.S. I'm not sure of the spellings of the names, I'm am removed from my collection at the moment. I also confess a not insignificant liking for the combination of Steve Vai and Frank Zappa, although I realise this is controversial and may cause a schism. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
My favorite Zappa albums are We're Only In It For the Money (complete genius) and Freak Out. Two of the funniest records EVER made.
Zappa was an amazingly smart guy, but I, uh, find his later records really boring.
[runs as Louis reaches for his shotgun]
Posted by: Arden Chatfield on Nov. 15 2007,21:54
THIS record, however, is an unqualified masterpiece:
I've owned this record in one form or another since 1982 and I still can't believe everything Iggy and the boys managed to do with it. It was originally recorded in 1970 and it *still* frightens people. When I saw them in concert last Spring they played *every* track off it, even 'L.A. Blues'.
Posted by: Reciprocating Bill on Nov. 15 2007,21:59
Quote (Arden Chatfield @ Nov. 15 2007,22:38) | Quote (Reciprocating Bill @ Nov. 12 2007,23:58) | Quote (stevestory @ Nov. 13 2007,00:23) | I've heard that tubes and vinyl have pleasant even harmonics, while solid state stuff have unpleasant odd harmonics. Anyone know if this is true? ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
That's the theory vis tubes, although not vinyl. Some argue that well designed solid state and tube amplifiers sound equivalent until overdriven. The harmonic distortion generated by tubes near clipping is 2nd order versus 3rd and higher for SS, and is therefore less noticeable and less objectionable. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
I once had a record dealer friend who swore that the best sound quality he'd ever heard came from vinyl 78's, which had a short-lived existence for a few years in the 1950's. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
If you REALLY want to feel the music go for an Edison cylinder. Accept no substitutes.
Posted by: Arden Chatfield on Nov. 15 2007,22:40
Quote (Reciprocating Bill @ Nov. 15 2007,21:59) | Quote (Arden Chatfield @ Nov. 15 2007,22:38) | Quote (Reciprocating Bill @ Nov. 12 2007,23:58) | Quote (stevestory @ Nov. 13 2007,00:23) | I've heard that tubes and vinyl have pleasant even harmonics, while solid state stuff have unpleasant odd harmonics. Anyone know if this is true? ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
That's the theory vis tubes, although not vinyl. Some argue that well designed solid state and tube amplifiers sound equivalent until overdriven. The harmonic distortion generated by tubes near clipping is 2nd order versus 3rd and higher for SS, and is therefore less noticeable and less objectionable. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
I once had a record dealer friend who swore that the best sound quality he'd ever heard came from vinyl 78's, which had a short-lived existence for a few years in the 1950's. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
If you REALLY want to feel the music go for an Edison cylinder. Accept no substitutes. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
I agree completely. The Blue Amberol series they released in 1912 has never been surpassed. This one's been on my machine a lot lately:
Posted by: Seizure Salad on Nov. 16 2007,01:05
I recently opted for this sucker: < http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/products/pek/index.php > instead of a fancy-pants stereo setup.
Right now I'm spinning JS Bach's The Art of Fugue BWV 1080, switching between the Keller Quartet's interpretation, and Glenn Gould's. (For those of you who want astounding complexity not only in your natural world, but in your music as well, this is the music to get into).
Also, the new Radiohead album, which is every bit as awesome as it should be.
Posted by: Mister DNA on Nov. 16 2007,03:58
Here's a treat for all you Zappa fans, especially fans of the really old stuff: two tracks from Larry "Wild Man" Fischer's 1968 debut album, An Evening with Wild Man Fischer (produced by FZ).
< Larry & His Guitar > and < Circle >
In order to get the full effect, download both mp3s and play them starting with "Larry & His Guitar" and let it segue into "Circle".
However, if you're familiar with Wild Man Fischer's other work and find it hard to consume, just download "Circle"; you won't be disappointed.
Posted by: Nomad on Nov. 16 2007,04:17
Quote (Seizure Salad @ Nov. 16 2007,01:05) | I recently opted for this sucker: < http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/products/pek/index.php > instead of a fancy-pants stereo setup. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Woah.. now that's a keyboard.
I'm listening to the samples on the page, and... I'm struck by how much this sounds like the soundtrack to the original Doctor Who series (unlike the fairly generic, obviously synthesized orchestral soundtrack of the new one). Not just the music, but the trippy analog synth sound effects too.
I'd like to learn to play keyboards. But I need to learn a lot about basic music theory, I'm completely ignorant in that area.
Posted by: JohnW on Nov. 16 2007,11:31
Quote (Reciprocating Bill @ Nov. 15 2007,19:21) | Quote (JohnW @ Nov. 14 2007,12:07) | Quote (Mister DNA @ Nov. 14 2007,01:36) | I'm partial to the Roxy & Elsewhere and One Size Fits All period, ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Yes. If I could only take one Zappa album to the desert island, it would probably be One Size Fits All, or possibly You Can't Do That On Stage Any More vol. 2. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
You should'a heard the Zappa Plays Zappa* live rendition of Andy. Absafuckinglutely awesome.
*Dweezil's band, currently touring and playing his father's music. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
I hope to. Monday night, Paramount, Seattle.
Posted by: Seizure Salad on Nov. 16 2007,20:52
Quote (Nomad @ Nov. 16 2007,04:17) | Quote (Seizure Salad @ Nov. 16 2007,01:05) | I recently opted for this sucker: < http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/products/pek/index.php > instead of a fancy-pants stereo setup. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Woah.. now that's a keyboard.
I'm listening to the samples on the page, and... I'm struck by how much this sounds like the soundtrack to the original Doctor Who series (unlike the fairly generic, obviously synthesized orchestral soundtrack of the new one). Not just the music, but the trippy analog synth sound effects too.
I'd like to learn to play keyboards. But I need to learn a lot about basic music theory, I'm completely ignorant in that area. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
It's probably the most technologically advanced real analogue synthesizer on the market. There's also the Voyager by Moog < http://www.moogmusic.com/detail.php?main_product_id=163 > but it's overpriced and only has one voice, and the Andromeda by Alesis < http://www.alesis.com/product.php?id=10 > which has 16 voices, but is colder sounding and complex to program, and the new Prophet 8 by Dave Smith as well http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/products/p8/index.php which has eight voices but lacks the insane sound-sculpting capabilities of the PolyEvolver.
The PolyEvolver rocks because it's an analogue/digital hybrid, with two digital oscillators complimenting the two real analogue oscillators. Plus it has Curtis Filters and a bunch of other crazy features, like Output Hack and Tuned Feedback and so forth.
The only thing more awesome than these kinds of boutique synthesizers are customized modular systems like the kind you can get from Synthesizers.com, or Buchla. But they're ridiculously expensive.
If you're getting into synthesizers, you don't need to have mad technical skills on the keyboard. You should know your scales and chord groups, and stuff, but it's really important to learn about synthesis and how to program the things, because that's where the real awesomeness lies. The absolute best newbie synth, no question, is the Alesis Ion < http://www.alesis.com/product.php?id=9 > It's not real analogue, but it sounds damn close, and its quality/features-to-price ratio is unheard of in the synth industry.
Posted by: Reciprocating Bill on Nov. 16 2007,20:57
Quote (JohnW @ Nov. 16 2007,12:31) | Quote (Reciprocating Bill @ Nov. 15 2007,19:21) | Quote (JohnW @ Nov. 14 2007,12:07) | Quote (Mister DNA @ Nov. 14 2007,01:36) | I'm partial to the Roxy & Elsewhere and One Size Fits All period, ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Yes. If I could only take one Zappa album to the desert island, it would probably be One Size Fits All, or possibly You Can't Do That On Stage Any More vol. 2. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
You should'a heard the Zappa Plays Zappa* live rendition of Andy. Absafuckinglutely awesome.
*Dweezil's band, currently touring and playing his father's music. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
I hope to. Monday night, Paramount, Seattle. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Don't miss it man. Don't miss it.
Posted by: Jim_Wynne on Nov. 17 2007,10:04
Quote (Reciprocating Bill @ Nov. 12 2007,12:34) | Another analog source, plus a a shot of homebrew enclosure with University reciprocating flare horns (for reference, woofer is 15"). That's the way we used to do it.
---------------------QUOTE-------------------
The saddest person I ever encountered was a guy in my favorite audio store in the early 70s who had scrimped and saved for a long time to buy the JBL Paragon and then found that he couldn't get up the stairs to his apartment. Of course, Providence may have been on his side, as having one of those in an apartment might not have been thought a good idea by his neighbors.
Posted by: Mister DNA on Dec. 04 2007,22:14
Stevestory's mention of "Bjork's a dork" got me thinking... my brother has a theory (and it's only a theory) that everyone likes at least one band/artist that they're ashamed to admit to liking. His example was Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons. When I told him I like Sweet (you know, of "Ballroom Blitz" fame), he said, "Yeah, I'd be ashamed, too."
Everyone laughs when I say I like ABBA, too. No Americans laugh when I say I like Boney M, though. They just say, "Boney who?".
I'm curious what other shameful musical secrets lurk in the hearts and eardrums of AtBC readers?
Posted by: Richardthughes on Dec. 04 2007,22:55
Quote (Mister DNA @ Dec. 04 2007,22:14) | Stevestory's mention of "Bjork's a dork" got me thinking... my brother has a theory (and it's only a theory) that everyone likes at least one band/artist that they're ashamed to admit to liking. His example was Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons. When I told him I like Sweet (you know, of "Ballroom Blitz" fame), he said, "Yeah, I'd be ashamed, too."
Everyone laughs when I say I like ABBA, too. No Americans laugh when I say I like Boney M, though. They just say, "Boney who?".
I'm curious what other shameful musical secrets lurk in the hearts and eardrums of AtBC readers? ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Abba appeals to my disco sensibilities, and the song writing was genius with respect to "the hook".
December '63 is a great feel-good tune and has a wah-wah driven middle eight. Good enough for me.
Ballroom blitz has a certain kitsch charm, but I can take or leave it.
Bjork scares the shit out of me, much like the < Moomins. > She may even be one. That said, just listen to the start of Play dead. David Arnold has written a song that is the perfect vehicle for her scando-warbling. Bizarrely beautiful.
Rah-rah-rasputin, Russia's greatest love machine!
Posted by: Lou FCD on Dec. 04 2007,23:11
I'll fess up.
I'm an 80s fan.
Depeche Mode, Tears for Fears, Annie Lennox, Dead or Alive, Madonna, Falco, Billy Idol, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Wham!, Simple Minds, 'Til Tuesday, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, The Hooters, Howard Jones...
You get the point, I suppose.
I suspect it may be the attachments to particular immediately-post-fundy-holy-crap-i-got-laid-and-i-liked-it memories. Well, that and the whole holy-crap-god-didn't-strike-me-dead thing, which was a plus.
Posted by: Richardthughes on Dec. 04 2007,23:14
HAR HAR THIS IS YOU LOU.
Posted by: Lou FCD on Dec. 04 2007,23:31
More my style at the time, I must admit.
ETA: My little brother still rubs that in, but in all honesty I'd wear that if my wife didn't have enough sense to stop me.
Posted by: Richardthughes on Dec. 04 2007,23:37
We should have a virtual Kitzmass fancy dress party.
Posted by: Mister DNA on Dec. 04 2007,23:37
Quote (Richardthughes @ Dec. 04 2007,22:55) | Ballroom blitz has a certain kitsch charm, but I can take or leave it. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Almost all of Sweet's big hits were 100% kitsch, but they were good at what they do. What got me hooked on them was "The Man with the Golden Arm", their glam cover of Elmer Bernstein's score of the movie. Mick Tucker was a phenomenal drummer, and they picked a great song to showcase his talents.
I don't understand why so many bands try to cover "Ballroom Blitz", though.
Posted by: Richardthughes on Dec. 04 2007,23:58
Quote (Mister DNA @ Dec. 04 2007,23:37) | I don't understand why so many bands try to cover "Ballroom Blitz", though. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Because it's easy to play?
Posted by: Mister DNA on Dec. 05 2007,00:14
Quote (Richardthughes @ Dec. 04 2007,23:58) | Quote (Mister DNA @ Dec. 04 2007,23:37) | I don't understand why so many bands try to cover "Ballroom Blitz", though. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Because it's easy to play? ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
"Louie Louie" is a song that's easy to play and the worse a band plays it, it can still manage to capture the essence of the Kingsmen's version.
The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" is also easy to play, if it's played badly, it really shows.
I've heard covers of "Ballroom Blitz" ranging from metal to rockabilly, and they all sounded dull compared to the original. The only competent cover of it I've ever heard is Nina Hagen's version.
Posted by: Richardthughes on Dec. 05 2007,00:26
Songs that are fun to cover, and a good reaction.
My Sharona Hungry like the Wolf YMCA (surprisingly well structured) Stayin' Alive Alright (Jamiroquai) Ruby
Posted by: Mister DNA on Dec. 05 2007,00:47
Quote (Richardthughes @ Dec. 05 2007,00:26) | Songs that are fun to cover, and a good reaction.
My Sharona Hungry like the Wolf YMCA (surprisingly well structured) Stayin' Alive Alright (Jamiroquai) Ruby ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
I absolutely hate listening to "My Sharona", but I like playing it - I guess it's because of the reaction it gets. I like the Knack's "Good Girls Don't", though.
"Midnight Hour" is fun to play, too, but it can be hell for a bass player. I played bass in a band and whenever we did "Midnight Hour", it would fill the dance floor, so they'd stretch it out into some ten-minute monstrosity. The next song would have to be a ballad...
Another fun one is Bo Diddley's "You Can't Judge a Book By its Cover" - lots of stops and starts to play around with...
I've never been in a band that played 80s music, but if I was, I'd want to do Wall of Voodoo's "Mexican Radio". It's a fun song, and not hard to play at all.
Posted by: improvius on Dec. 05 2007,09:04
Quote (Mister DNA @ Dec. 04 2007,23:14) | Stevestory's mention of "Bjork's a dork" got me thinking... my brother has a theory (and it's only a theory) that everyone likes at least one band/artist that they're ashamed to admit to liking. His example was Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons. When I told him I like Sweet (you know, of "Ballroom Blitz" fame), he said, "Yeah, I'd be ashamed, too."
Everyone laughs when I say I like ABBA, too. No Americans laugh when I say I like Boney M, though. They just say, "Boney who?".
I'm curious what other shameful musical secrets lurk in the hearts and eardrums of AtBC readers? ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
My 2 guiltiest pleasures: Madonna: Ray of Light and Nelly Furtado: Whoa, Nelly!
And no, I'm not gay.
Typically I'm listening to 80's alternative or more modern drum/bass type electronic stuff. Mainly I like smooth stuff, with a preference leaning to female vocalists:
Kosheen Imogen Heap Olive Bittersweet Massive Attack A Guy Called Gerald Hooverphonic
Currently playing in my car is a mix of songs from Katamri Damacy.
Posted by: Arden Chatfield on Dec. 05 2007,09:09
Quote (Richardthughes @ Dec. 05 2007,00:26) | YMCA (surprisingly well structured) ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Hmmm.
Naaaaaah. Too easy.
Posted by: carlsonjok on Dec. 05 2007,09:26
Quote (Arden Chatfield @ Dec. 05 2007,09:09) | Quote (Richardthughes @ Dec. 05 2007,00:26) | YMCA (surprisingly well structured) ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Hmmm.
Naaaaaah. Too easy. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
You have higher standards than I do.
Posted by: Arden Chatfield on Dec. 05 2007,09:26
My main completely indefensible guilty musical pleasure:
Yes, the Guess Who. Those pasty, not-very-attractive Canadian guys. Randy Bachman who couldn't decide whether he was Jim Morrison or Mel Torme. Nothing conjures up early 70's AM radio in a boring California suburb better.
I chose this album (a) because it shows what a bunch of pasty, beer-fed midwesterners they were, and (b) it was photographed under < Pacific Ocean Pier, >, a now-defunct and completely erased massive recreational pier in Santa Monica, CA.
Posted by: nuytsia on Dec. 06 2007,05:32
Quote (Lou FCD @ Dec. 04 2007,15:11) | I'll fess up.
I'm an 80s fan.
Depeche Mode, Tears for Fears, Annie Lennox, Dead or Alive, Madonna, Falco, Billy Idol, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Wham!, Simple Minds, 'Til Tuesday, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, The Hooters, Howard Jones... ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Ouch! Since when is liking Depeche Mode embarrassing?
The only disk in my collection I'm even slightly embarrassed about is the Communards. I did own an Oasis CD but I gave it away... 10 years later though i still feel dirty. I went through my music buying peak late 80's to mid 90's starting from gothdom, sauntering through shoegazing indie and then slowly broadened my tastes after being lent a Tom Waits tape!
My CD consumption has really slumped in the last few years and I have a suspicion that I might be getting old as most new bands I hear sound bloody awful and/or all the same. Still don't let me stop you youngsters enjoying yourselves
Posted by: Lou FCD on Dec. 06 2007,05:55
Quote (nuytsia @ Dec. 06 2007,06:32) | Ouch! :angry: Since when is liking Depeche Mode embarrassing? ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
I asked this very question of my daughter, to which she replied, "since about the end of the eighties, Dad."*
Ouch.
Fortunately, my Milli Vanilli CD went missing years ago. I don't even want to know what she'd say about that.
*Truth be told however, my love for all things 80s has rubbed off on her quite a bit, and she listens to a substantial amount of music I listened to post-BJU.**
**She does not however share my enthusiasm for women with big 80s hair clipped short on the side a la Lisa Lisa.
Posted by: Arden Chatfield on Dec. 06 2007,09:19
Quote (Lou FCD @ Dec. 06 2007,05:55) | Quote (nuytsia @ Dec. 06 2007,06:32) | Ouch! Since when is liking Depeche Mode embarrassing? ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
I asked this very question of my daughter, to which she replied, "since about the end of the eighties, Dad."* ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
You should listen to her more closely, Lou.
Posted by: Erasmus, FCD on Dec. 06 2007,09:32
Ain't NOTHIN to be ashamed of here.
Posted by: IanBrown_101 on Dec. 06 2007,09:36
Quote (nuytsia @ Dec. 06 2007,11:32) | Quote (Lou FCD @ Dec. 04 2007,15:11) | I'll fess up.
I'm an 80s fan.
Depeche Mode, Tears for Fears, Annie Lennox, Dead or Alive, Madonna, Falco, Billy Idol, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Wham!, Simple Minds, 'Til Tuesday, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, The Hooters, Howard Jones... ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Ouch! :angry: Since when is liking Depeche Mode embarrassing?
The only disk in my collection I'm even slightly embarrassed about is the Communards. I did own an Oasis CD but I gave it away... 10 years later though i still feel dirty. I went through my music buying peak late 80's to mid 90's starting from gothdom, sauntering through shoegazing indie and then slowly broadened my tastes after being lent a Tom Waits tape!
My CD consumption has really slumped in the last few years and I have a suspicion that I might be getting old as most new bands I hear sound bloody awful and/or all the same. Still don't let me stop you youngsters enjoying yourselves :p ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Oh boy, I think an argument might be a' brewin'. What, exactly is wrong with Oasis?
Come on, spill the beans.
Oh, but I do like Depeche Mode. I'm also a big 80's man.
Oh, and my guilty pleasures? I have a few, actually. Depending upon who I talk to:
Elton John Pet Shop Boys (no, I'm not gay either) Lionel Ritchie/The Commodores Jan Hammer (apparently now) Oasis. David Hasslehoff (more for comedy value than anything else, although he's not THAT bad a singer) The Moody Blues (been to see them live once, was good) Fleetwood Mac (almost entirely the later stuff( The Mavericks
Posted by: Lou FCD on Dec. 06 2007,09:46
Quote (Erasmus, FCD @ Dec. 06 2007,10:32) | Ain't NOTHIN to be ashamed of here.
---------------------QUOTE-------------------
---------------------QUOTE------------------- Sorry, this GeoCities site is currently unavailable.
The GeoCities web site you were trying to view has temporarily exceeded its data transfer limit. Please try again later. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Well, that's a bit embarrassing, doncha think?
Posted by: Arden Chatfield on Dec. 06 2007,10:10
Well, I think that if you're going to listen to music that hasn't been fashionable for ages, don't do it in a halfassed way:
PS: Listening to the Pet Shop Boys makes you gay, even if you weren't before. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Posted by: Arden Chatfield on Dec. 06 2007,10:32
Quote (Erasmus @ FCD,Dec. 06 2007,09:32) | Ain't NOTHIN to be ashamed of here.
---------------------QUOTE-------------------
Posted by: JohnW on Dec. 06 2007,11:11
Quote (Arden Chatfield @ Dec. 06 2007,08:10) | Well, I think that if you're going to listen to music that hasn't been fashionable for ages, don't do it in a halfassed way:
PS: Listening to the Pet Shop Boys makes you gay, even if you weren't before. Not that there's anything wrong with that. ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
But that's not exactly what we're talking about here, is it. Anyone who's embarrassed about liking the Hot Five/Seven should seek psychiatric help, pronto.
When I'm in charge, anyone who doesn't have < this > is going to be denied tenure.
Posted by: Lou FCD on Dec. 06 2007,11:57
Apparently, < Timmi Toler hit the 80s vinyl jackpot >.
(Scroll down through the pics to see what gems she found.)
Posted by: IanBrown_101 on Dec. 06 2007,23:42
Since it's almost that time of year, I reckon we should all talk about our favourite Christmas songs (oh yes FtK, I may be an atheist librul, but I can't help liking this time of year. Fortunately, the holiday has been taken over, like most holidays, by crass commercialism, and while I'm anti-capitalist as well, I can't suppress all my greed).
My two favourite Christmas classics are: < Jona Lewie. Stop the Cavalry > (not exactly an X-mas song, but it's pretty much one now)
< Fairytale of New York, The Pouges ft. Kirsty MacColl. >
Posted by: Mister DNA on Dec. 07 2007,00:58
Quote (IanBrown_101 @ Dec. 06 2007,23:42) | Since it's almost that time of year, I reckon we should all talk about our favourite Christmas songs (oh yes FtK, I may be an atheist librul, but I can't help liking this time of year. Fortunately, the holiday has been taken over, like most holidays, by crass commercialism, and while I'm anti-capitalist as well, I can't suppress all my greed).
My two favourite Christmas classics are: < Jona Lewie. Stop the Cavalry > (not exactly an X-mas song, but it's pretty much one now)
< Fairytale of New York, The Pouges ft. Kirsty MacColl. > ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
My absolute favorite Christmas music is The Phil Spector Christmas Album, but it just isn't Christmas until I've heard Bing Crosby sing < Mele Kalikimaka >.
Here's some other favorites:
The Kinks - < Father Christmas >
Run DMC - < Christmas in Hollis >
Chuck Berry - < Run Rudolph Run >
Ramones - < Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight) >
Monty Python - < Christmas in Heaven >
Slade - < Merry Christmas Everybody >
Even kiddie diddlers can make a good Christmas song - < Another Rock & Roll Christmas >
And of course, no Christmas is complete without this timeless Holiday classic from < Fear >
Edited to add: I heart Kirsty MacColl - her version of < Days > is wonderful.
Posted by: carlsonjok on Dec. 07 2007,03:57
Quote (IanBrown_101 @ Dec. 06 2007,23:42) | Since it's almost that time of year, I reckon we should all talk about our favourite Christmas songs ---------------------QUOTE-------------------
The best Christmas song evah is < I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas >!!!1!!!111!!
On Christmas Day, though, we generally play < Johnny Mathis > and < Bing Crosby >. And starting last year, < Chris Isaak. >
Posted by: nuytsia on Dec. 07 2007,04:35
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|