mikeymad

Mozart: Violin Concertos, Vol. 2 by Francesca Dego (2022) https://album.link/i/1635576309 Example: Chandos kind of day... I have never been one to really go in for Mozart's super early Concertos, but here, contrasting the 1st and 2nd with the 5th really shows the growth factor, and I feel that the 5th shows him coming on-line as a composer. This version of the Allegro aperto I really liked. Sir Roger and the Scottish I feel give a great platform for Francesca to shine. A touch slow? yeah, but lovely expression.

Finally... Closer To Grey by Chromatics (2019) https://album.link/i/1481815287 Example: Just what I wanted from this.

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13 - Part: De profundis by Estonian National Male Choir (2024) https://album.link/i/1733353649 https://open.qobuz.com/album/q8ujtzimaqpca -- I probably won't keep up this double posting, if it is me it is on Qobuz.. Example: Good Chandos recording and performance. It only really suffers from the fact that I don't really treat this as a 'symphony', it is much more of a choral work for me. When I want Shostakovich symphony I turn to the 8th or the 5th. This one I have to be in the mood for the choir. I know that there is controversy around this work, and I don't know if this is the censored or uncensored version, I don't speak the language. But it is an epic piece.

RIP Mr Jones - Truly a legion in the world of racing. So much so that you are known just by your first name. Godspeed indeed.

Argus by Wishbone Ash (1972) https://album.link/i/1440504883 https://open.qobuz.com/album/0000881128162 -- I guess that I have to give these separately since they seem to be lacking on the link page. Example: Great jams, overall a great feel with some departures from the central sound that they seemed to have. I remember this album cover more than I remember the band. One of my siblings must have had this album, and my home growing up had a conquistador motif to it as well. Not a look I think really holds up to the test of time. Anyway - really enjoyed the album. I found this comment informative. -- "If Wishbone Ash can be considered a group who dabbled in the main strains of early-'70s British rock without ever settling on one (were they a prog rock outfit like Yes, a space rock unit like Pink Floyd, a heavy metal ensemble like Led Zeppelin, or just a boogie band like Ten Years After?), the confusion compounded by their relative facelessness and the generic nature of their compositions, Argus, their third album, was the one on which they looked like they finally were going to forge their own unique amalgamation of all those styles into a sound of their own." -- agreed.

... just because they are very very good.... They get overlooked by bands such as BABYMETAL, but I like Band-Maid better myself. Their playing and writing is top tier. I really wished they could work out the deals with the streaming services. There is only one Album on Qobuz and it is from 2019. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that it is out there at all, but they have more to offer. And when you add in singer - Saiki Atsumi - even better..

Grace by Jeff Buckley (1994) https://album.link/i/1046187510 Example: A bit of 1994 tunes for a Tuesday afternoon. I knew the title track and of course his version of Hallelujah, but I didn't know this as a full album. Very good. Lots of different tones and styles and plays with dynamics nicely. And I have to say, just sounds like good music, it does not seem grounded or stuck in the 90s. At least to my ears.

Elegant Gypsy by Al Di Meola (1977) https://album.link/i/185858933 Example: Another master class from Al.

Good thing I use almost no Microsoft products on my Windows 11 machine. (save Defender)

Old Main Chapel by Ron Miles, Bill Frisell, Brian Blade (2024) https://album.link/i/1735388614 Example: I have been trying to get to this one since its release a couple of weeks ago. I was surprised by a new Miles release, having passed in 2022 - RIP. But this was a Blue Note recording from a 2011 gathering. Great sound and some really good parts. But I have to say that there were a couple times it was marginal for me. I know, no wrong notes in jazz, but some are more pleasing than others. But a worthy listen for me.

Ha - I do follow BlackTail and Foureyes for big wood entertainment, but I am open to others. Most of my recommendations look like this for some reason.

Okay I know I said I liked long format content. So after finishing the Start Wars hotel flop marathon video, I went ahead and checked out the epic fail of Evermore theme park. Another almost four hour video, wow. It seems crazy, but I was engaged. With over 10 million views, I guess others were as well. Dang, she has over 40,000 patreons paying at least $2 a month.... I had heard about Jenny from another YouTuber that I follow, Angela Collier, but I had never seen her posts before. I may check out a few more things.

Based on this fun performance I went back to an old classic for me - and also still remembering David - 😔 Double Vision by Bob James & David Sanborn (1986) https://album.link/i/1472334799 Example: And produced this classic example with brother Al Jarreau. I actually forgot this was on this album. I shall not forget..

Hmmm - That has been in my recommended section all week. I wasn't thinking of checking it out. I guess I might now. Edit: Okay, I didn't see Grahame's post. And I was an hour and 31 minutes into this thing, before I realized that it was Four Hours and Five Minutes long... Oh well... in for a penny..

Cheers Sir Brent.. - Happy Birthday May your biscuits be fully baked May the wheels on your bike stay on the ground May your whisky bottle never run dry Long live our MENSA Mexican...

Composite Truth by Mandrill (1972) https://album.link/i/1435359131 Example: Dats right. Mandrill y'all. A lot more diverse than I was expecting going into this, their third album.

As a long term Yes follower I tend to gravitate to other albums for some reason. But then I have to just remember 'Heart of the Sunrise' and I am back to listening to this album. As I just did. A Roger Dean visual version:

Cheers Rob - Happy Birthday - don't do any listening that I wouldn't do...

I always like the way that blown motors have cyclical surging.

This - and agreed. And I would not have been sad if he had just released them all on a double album. I find it all works well together for me. But that would be a lot of notes...

Oh yeah the analog section. I am a Linn-head so it is hard not to go with the 40th anniversary (yeah it was 10 years ago), Linn Sondek LP12. But it came with an Highland Park 40yo - and the Plinth was made from HP cask staves Fully loaded with the upgrade bits and the Ekos Arm and Ekstatik cart: That would give me the Linn sound that I like, but to dig a bit deeper I would like to try the - Wilson-Benesch GMT One Turntable: Built around this piece of engineering art: I agree with you Steve on the LYRA Atlas SL Lambda - I heard the younger sibling of this, in a whisky friend's rig, and I was sold on the sound. And the mono version for mono reason (same pic.. ) For more swapping I have always liked the Grado sound as well -- so Grado Epoch3 And Mono of course - picture not included (yeah it looks the same). I would have to do a lot more research into the phono pre. But I would probably start out with something like the MANLEY STEELHEAD RC: Multi inputs - multi gain - multi load - tubes.. neet! ... and I agree with people that this is a bit of a farce. I am not going to own anything here. But I have also spent time with super high end systems and they are a wonderful experience. This is a hobby for me, listening that is, and with any hobby, you spend time, effort and money on them. A lot of chasing high end would be lost on me at this point in my life, unfortunately. My tinnitus has gotten really bad in the last year and a half. I have had a mild version of it since I was a late teen and I damaged my hearing making homemade horn loaded speakers that I put in my car! I still have really good listening skills and can pick out the minutest of details, I just have to turn things up a bit louder to get over my internal noise floor. Oh, and an Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman: For one - thank you very much - there is only one listening position. - Ever.

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT by Billie Eilish (2024) https://album.link/i/1739659134 Example: Just one listen so far. It is on the lighter side of her work. More like the Barbie track than Bad Guy stuff. I will have to listen again and see what is in the lyrics. Production is top notch, which I expect these days.

Mo AI

Cheers Chris - Wishing you a great day - Happy Birthday -

Not your kids EDM concert - Jean-Michel kicking it hard at 75.... 1. The Opening 2. Epica Oxygene 3. Suite for Flute / Oxygene Pt.2 4. Web Spinner 5. Equinoxe Pt.4 6. Equinoxe Pt.7 7. Falling Down 8. Industrial Revolution Pt.2 9. The Architect 10. Zero Gravity 11. Rendez Vous Pt.2 feat. Brian May 12. New World Symphony Bratislava 2024 13. Last Horizon / Brighton Rock 14. Azimuth 15. Exit feat. Edward Snowden 16. Herbalizer 17. Oxygene Pt.19 (Notre-Dame Rework) 18. Glory 19. Rendez Vous Pt.4 20. Stardust 21. Bratislava Time feat. Brian May