mikeymad

^^ thanks, It is an interesting thought. For me streaming has changed things fundamentally, but in the end it is an extension of things that I have always done. I never really read music journalism, of course that would involve reading (not my thang). I had some influencers, family friends, radio, but for the most part, I bought music. How did I know what to buy? I didn't it was on sale at Columbia House, so I bought it. Getting hundreds and up to thousands of records, and tapes as well. I really was the only person that I knew that was into Classical, Country, Jazz, Prog, Rock and of course Donna Summer. Listening to Kraftwerk and SRV on the same day. Now that may not be so unusual in this specific crowd, but it was in my teens in central California. All that to say. It took a lot for me to jump on the streaming idea, but I found how I can use it. I listen to a lot of new music. How do I know what to listen to? I don't. Yeah I get little bits from reading Stereophile equipment reviews (test songs), and Speaker Demo videos on YT (yeah, I know it is stupid to listen to someone recording speakers and playing them back on YT (let me have that one)). But the main thing that I do is I look at the recent releases and I start clicking. Yeah I could read a lovely in-depth article on a new band, or a new release (again, reading?!? yeesh, am I right?) Or I can spend that thirty minutes clicking through a small pile of new albums and see what clicks for me, and add it to my queue. And then I come back and listen to the album, I listen to a lot more than I ever post, mostly because a lot of things are not worthy. I always consider, if I am posting, it is something that I want to share. I think that before times it was more important (not that it isn't important) to have people with connections and knowledge to let you know what was out there so that you knew what to spend your hard earned $$$ on. But now, I can look at the releases and click click, I am listening to that new album. Now streaming has triggered something old in me, I want to listen to everything, and with 100 million tracks at my fingertips, that is an issue. Tis the reason that I end up with over 600 albums in my queue. Also because I still want to go back and listen to Rush Hemispheres several times a year. anyway... what were we talking about? ...

I have done a lot of listening in the last week, but here is what I am listening to - now Band On The Run by Paul McCartney (1973 (2024)) https://album.link/i/1717135189 Example: Underdubbed? - Yep. This is pretty much the original version and mix of the album - without the overdubbing and orchestration and extras added. -- Much more of a rock album. I really have to try to listen to it with new ears. Forget what I know and hear what is there, not what isn't. The example is such a Jam.. I know this album so well, I am not sure I would have liked this album better than the original on release (first listen of both), but I know I sure like it now.

um yeah - this is what you want to see from the guy sitting across from you on the subway..

Just wrapping up day 15 of the Winter Basho from Japan... I only watched the highlights of the last 14 days (7 hours) and then the live stream... 🤓

Okay one more live - since she is not traveling to the US anytime soon. Pretty much the same set as the launch performance above. But without orchestra players, so a lot more free and flowing. Beautiful stuff.

Thanks youtube... {Edit: and once again thanks to the record company}

Based on the NPR post above, I thought that I had listened to Hania's recent album. Turns out that I listened to - On Giacometti, not the newer Ghosts. Stupid TIDAL did not let me know that there was another new album in the same year (TIDAL is Dead to Me).... Anyway. Ghosts by Hania Rani (2023) https://album.link/i/1691156889 (Is Album link dead now? - it only shows Apple - I will stop using it if is just a waste) Example: So thanks to the Record Company - Here is the entire Album: Nothing really to say - Just a happy day of Hania.. {oh, and Fuck TIDAL for not telling me back in October}

Waking up to Hania on Tiny - It is going to be a good Monday.

Polaroid Lovers by Sarah Jarosz (2024) https://album.link/i/1702798530 Example: I have been waiting for this release for a while. I listened to it yesterday (release date), and giving it a deeper dive today. I really like the different feel and colors that Sarah expresses in this work.

That looks like a glory of hole you got there....

Wet Leg by Wet Leg (2022) https://album.link/i/1594742869 Example: Scratches an itch..

^^ well, yes.. but no.... Also I had to see what Kai had to say.. Mostly mucking about.

nice - lots of bakelite ...

Cheers sir Mike - I hope you have a great birthday --

Brittany Haas and Lena Jonsson Great variety in these fiddle tunes. Haas has been one of my favorite players for a while now. I used to watch her all the time on Live From Here, when that was still a thing.

Cheers Adam - Happy Birthday...

^^ I listened to that the other day and had a very similar thought. Didn't post because of it, glad you did. Now: I wasn't sure from the beginning of the opening number. But very good. Added albums to my queue. (hmmm no wonder my listening queue never goes down)

Nat King Cole At The Sands by Nat King Cole - 1966 https://album.link/i/1442983402 Example: Always a treat to hear Nat sing and play. Even when it is this very very sad song about Otis.

So, I have been doing some testing for a little bit. I signed up for the 30 day trial with the annual plan for Qobuz. And I have to say at this point I will not be renewing TIDAL in Feb. Almost everything that I am experiencing - I am liking. Down to little things like being able to choose the Audio output mode. With the Wasapi (Exclusive) mode to bypass the windows processing. And actually showing the bitrates - confirmed by the iFi bit rate colors. I transfered my collections over from TIDAL -- probably shouldn't have - my queue is over 600 albums to listen to. And it lost the order in which they were added in TIDAL. The interface on the phone, tablet and windows app are all good. With some additional features to sort and subselect my album lists will help me out. I already discovered a few things in my album list that I forgot about in the TIDAL list. But the biggest feature being the music buffering. I maxed it out at 30 seconds and it also seems to do some additional imports of upcoming tracks to keep the music playing. And the payer shows how much it has buffered against the current playback position. I know that it seems like a little thing, but when you didn't have it before, it is nice to see. Now with the Elon internets there still can be dropouts that are longer than its buffering, but it only happened once when there was a pause in the Qobuz playback. I was doing a lot of back to back listening comparisons with TIDAL and it dropped out 4 times in the same time frame. So I am at least 3x less frustrated. If I do find it to be an ongoing issue with Qobuz, I do have the option to download the tracks on all my devices. The only downside that I have seen so far is that not all that I want to listen to is in the Qobuz catalog. I know that both services have similar title counts, but they are different catalogs for sure. Out of my 600 or so albums in my queue there were more than a dozen that Qobuz didn't have. Now I am sure there are titles that are on Qobuz and not in the other, but it was noticeable. Not the biggest deal, but when Mikey wants to listen to something - he wants to listen to it!!!

After posting in the other thread, I just had to listen to the whole thing. P.D.Q. Bach: Music for an Awful Lot of Winds & Percussion by Peter Schickele (1992) https://album.link/i/1615812383 (it is on more services - needs to be updated) Example: I remember when I got these records back in the day and impressed that they were from Telarc. Good recordings. RIP P.D.Q.

aw.. RIP indeed Peter... (PDQ) Still music that makes me laugh out loud.

Watching these guys do this thing...

No Ric - you are not allowed to go to Finland...

Happy Birthday G.. May you eat all the bacon curry usual ice cream that you can find.. Cheers...