Recent CD Purchases

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 3:36 pm

Yeah, they've had some really bad ones. She's definitely a bit more into the moody Euro and goth stuff than I am. There is a box in the attic full of old cassettes by the likes of The Cure, Depeche Mode, Bauhaus, Peter Murphy, Siouxsie & the Banshees - that sort of thing.

When I met my wife 18 years ago (!) she was a little scary - wore nothing but black and could drink me under the table. I've always been more a fan of poppier stuff like the Beatles, Squeeze, XTC, EC.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 7:02 pm

When I stayed in Poland on holiday I met a 20 year old who was a Depeche obsessive. He would go every week to a fans' meeting in Gdansk. I was amazed that they were so huge there that they could warrant such fan activity. he described how they all had Depeche-related names, like many of us do, but theirs tended to just be song names. They stick resolutely to these throughout the meeting. I forget what his assumed name was, but he would describe exchanges such as 'So, World In My Eyes, how are you doing?' 'I'm fine, Personal Jesus.' And so forth. he asked me if I wanted to come. I wish I had, it would have been memorable. I wasn't free that evening. I could have got them creaming themselves with my story of standing in the row in front of Martin Gore at St Helier's Parish Church the morning after they played a Jersey gig in '81 or '82, and how utterly gorgeous his French girlfriend was. there was a rumour that one of my (male) peers slept with Dave Gahan, but I guess it was just a rumour. I quite liked Violator 8/9 years later, I must say.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 3:38 pm

By the way, those Nice people at Domino records replaced my dodgy, iTunes-shy ordinary copy of FF's You Could ... with an iTunes-lovin' special ed with DVD (making the LP, etc., as yet unwatched) and the single CD of Michael b/w Love and Destroy, plus lots of promo bumph inluding an FF ciggie lighter. Good on them.

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 7:47 pm

Wow! Swag heaven! Dang.

I have an FF sew-on patch that I got when I saw them the second time, and I can't figure out what to do with it. There is a tragic dearth of legitimate things to put patches on when one is a 43-year-old divorced Mom, apparently!

Bad Ambassador · Post by **Bad Ambassador** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 1:36 pm

Who Shot Sam? wrote:
Bad Ambassador wrote:
after recently becoming SACD /DVD-A compatible. Hence the sudden interest in the old thread.
Nice. I'd be interested to know what you think about the JWH re-issue. I really love that album and want the SACD version, but if it's a sonic disaster...

Well, I have to be honest, it doesn't seem that bad to me. It's not an album that's been ingrained in my musical conscience in the past and prior to this I had the normal CD remaster from a year or two back which I thought did the job just fine. The harmonica is a little sreechy as some sites suggest, but, to these ears, not to the detriment of the album's sound as a whole. All of the SACD mixes are beautifully clear and have an endearing sense of depth so often absent on modern cds that are processed beyond belief.
I saw some bloke's blog commenting on the compression on the, admittedly god-awful, new KT Tunstall record in which he'd captured a waveform of the audio. It was just one big block of colour, no dips or troughs, virtually identical level throughout. Scary.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 1:52 pm

Bad Ambassador wrote:Well, I have to be honest, it doesn't seem that bad to me. It's not an album that's been ingrained in my musical conscience in the past and prior to this I had the normal CD remaster from a year or two back which I thought did the job just fine. The harmonica is a little sreechy as some sites suggest, but, to these ears, not to the detriment of the album's sound as a whole. All of the SACD mixes are beautifully clear and have an endearing sense of depth so often absent on modern cds that are processed beyond belief.
I saw some bloke's blog commenting on the compression on the, admittedly god-awful, new KT Tunstall record in which he'd captured a waveform of the audio. It was just one big block of colour, no dips or troughs, virtually identical level throughout. Scary.

Thanks. I suspected it wasn't as much of an issue as some of the Dylan-obsessives had made it out to be. Might be worth seeing if I can pick it up on the cheap through eBay.

ice nine · Post by **ice nine** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 12:26 am

Ain't Ever Satisfied: The Steve Earle Collection

My foray into Earledom. Excellent live version of Springsteen's 'State Troper'

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 9:51 am

Well I dutifully bought Elbow's Leaders of the Free World... on a first listen, it's lovely, much quieter and more subtle than I'd expected. The similarity to Gabriel goes past the vocal, I'd say-- Great Expectations has quite a bit of circa-1971 Genesis (i.e., Nursery Cryme) about its melody and sound. But that's just a first listen...

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 5:09 pm

Well bought! In many ways it's less subtle in approach than the first two, which is also to say it's more fully realised and with stronger tunes. Here's hoping for more sales in the US...

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 11:16 pm

Who Shot Sam? wrote:Picked up the new Depeche Mode album, Playing The Angel. Not for me - Sarge is a fan.

Listened to this on the way to my father's place today. Really very good, dark synth pop. Like an explosion in a box of microchips. One stupid tune - track #10 - but the rest is very enjoyable.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 8:21 pm

Am not meant to be shopping att the mo', but found mysellf in Fopp with a copy of Dylan's Hard Rain in my hands (they still have pretty well all the Dylan classics and others besides at £5 a pop), but then found they were selling Durutti Column's 'LC' + 5 bonus tracks for a fiver too, so had to get that, and leave Dylan for another day, even though they were playing Highway 61, which sounded fabulous nice and loud on their system. It was Vini's second LP, and where he started singing. Tony Wilson said he had the best guitarist in England on Factory in the form of Vini Reilly, but he wanted to sing, and the best vocalist in A Certain Ratio's Simon Topping (who was a bit of a Curtis copier, really), and he wanted to play the trumpet! Actually, Vini's frail, somewhat tuneless voice is used to devastating effect, enhancing the incredible emotional impaact of the music. His pieces (mostly musical, with elements of jazz and classical music in them, despite the rockier rhythms and floaty pop sensibilities of the heavily treated guitar sounds) sound like emotions defined by music. You almost feel you're in a certain situation listening to his songs. I used to listen to Sketch for Dawn (pt. 1) over and over as an 18 year old ('dreams burned away by the first cigratte of the day'), not to mention the achingly haunting Never Known, and I realise playing it again, as with Orange Juice, that I really had great taste back then. Well done, young Otis. More than happy to contribute some royalties to Vini even though I have this on vinyl. The 5 extra tracks are great too, a couple of which I have on the excellent double CD Best Of. I didn't get beyond the second LP as a teen, but am keen to buy some of the later ones in due course. Another example of the stunning musical legacy of Manchester. So much to answer fer.

They have a terrifying number of brilliant CDs for only a fiver in Fopp all the time, and as we were disussing Nick Cave last night (Me: 'Never really got it', Mate: 'He's a genius'), and I agreed to have a ticket ordered for me for his January Cambridge gig, with a three-piece line-up, I was told, and so thought a Best of would be a good idea, so there went another fiver. Some of it is OK, he does romantic nicely (Into My Hands), but The Carny still sounds to me like a pale attempt to be as darkly vaudevillian and weird as Tom Waits, and failing on both counts. Compared to Tom, NC seems pretty feeble to me. A poor man's TW, if you like. I won't deny he occupies his own place on the map though, even if it often seems contrived and unconvincing to me. I guess I'm jealous of the so many people I know who adore him. Well let's see if this + the gig can get me into him. I might even be moved to play Lyre of Orpheus/Abattoir Blues a second time.

Question: what is the song he plays in Der Himmel Uber Berlin (aka Wings of Desire, as in Mug's avatar)? I remember enjoying that a lot on the 5+ occasions I saw the film. He also did a mean cover of Neil Young's classic Helpless. Anyone heard that? Friend put it on a tape for me.

King Hoarse · Post by **King Hoarse** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 10:02 pm

If I remember correctly, that's From Her To Eternity in Der Himmel über Berlin. And that's on the Greatest Hits, no? Tupelo is still my fave by old Nick, btw.

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 2:04 am

Wedding Anniversary present from my Wife:

"I Believe to My Soul" purchased at Starbucks and compiled by Rhino, it is a compilation with an Elvis Quote on the cover sticker reading "Five Lifetimes worth of Soul in the present moment" - Elvis Costello.
Produced by Joe Henry. Featuring Ann Peebles, Billy Preston, Mavis Staples, Irma Thomas, Allen Toussaint.

$10 US from the purchase of this CD donated to the Red Cross Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. Bonus.

Just spinning it up now.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:03 pm

King Hoarse wrote:If I remember correctly, that's From Her To Eternity in Der Himmel über Berlin. And that's on the Greatest Hits, no? Tupelo is still my fave by old Nick, btw.

Yes, it is, as is Tupelo. That's what I was thinking it was, but haven't got that far in my listening.

mood swung · Post by **mood swung** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:28 am

thought this might interest some of you.

http://www.yeproc.com/news.php?articleId=2537

On February 21, 2006, Yep Roc Records will re-issue Bragg's first four releases singly and as a 7-CD box set that will also include 2 bonus DVDs with previously unavailable live footage. This will coincide with Bragg's appearance at Austin's South by Southwest music conference in March 2006, followed by a two-week U.S. tour.

First up is 1983's Life's a Riot with Spy vs.. Spy, an EP done on the cheap which went on to sell over 100K copies in the UK alone with no advertising, no video, no rock-star poses. Next up are 1984's Brewing Up With Billy Bragg, Talking to the Taxman About Poetry (1986), and a release that combines the Live & Dubious and Internationale EPs (1988 and 1990, respectively). Each release will feature the re-mastered original and a second disc of bonus material, much of it previously unavailable and handpicked by Billy and longtime Bragg cohorts Grant Showbiz and Wiggy - a labor of love indeed.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:37 am

Hmm - reminds me of another artist whose work I know and love...

Wasn't this scheduled for earlier this year but was put back because Billy couldn't be ars...I mean Billy couldn't devote the proper time to it?

I look forward to these. Do I buy them singly or do I get the box set? Or more importantly can I blag a favour from my friend who works for his UK distributors? Given that she recently boasted that Billy gave her his personal mobile number I'm gonna go with the latter.

Thanks MDM.

mood swung · Post by **mood swung** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:43 am

you're welcome!

and there's this too - http://www.yeproc.com/news.php?articleId=2547
Win a Trip to See Paul Weller in London
October 28, 2005, 5:06 pm

You know, two tickets to see Paul Weller just about anywhere would be a great prize. But since it's you, we're going all out. Two backstage passes to the Dec. 5 show at the Alexandra Palace, three nights hotel accomodation, and as if that weren't enough, roundtrip airfare to London on Icelandair. (Yes, Icelandair. They fly to less-icy places, too.)

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:59 am

MDM - I thought you were speaking to me personally

until I clicked and realised that's what it said on the link

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 11:39 am

Being rather slavishly devoted to the recommendations of Mssr.s Westinghouse and Shot-Sam, I went out yesterday and dutifully bought records by Martha Wainwright and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. Very happy with both so far. Thanks guys. You WILL be paying for my son's education when I'm in debtors' prison, right?

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 11:43 am

selfmademug wrote:Being rather slavishly devoted to the recommendations of Mssr.s Westinghouse and Shot Sam, I went out yesterday and dutifully bought records by Martha Wainwright and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. Very happy with both so far. Thanks guys. You WILL be paying for my son's education when I'm in debtors' prison, right?

Glad you like the Sharon Jones disc, but you have BlueChair to thank for spotting that one. I listened to it with my daughter when we were driving around yesterday. I haven't yet seen her Top 10 of 2005 list yet, but I imagine it will be on there somewhere, alongside Nouvelle Vague and Franz Ferdinand.

I'm dreading the day that she starts getting into teeny-bopper music, but I know it's coming eventually.

Post by **BlueChair** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 11:49 am

Glad to hear Sharon Jones finally getting the EC forum exposure she deserves

I'm going to see her live at a tiny venue next Friday night, so I'll be sure to report next weekend!

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 4:51 pm

Got a copy of the new Great Lake Swimmers CD, Bodies And Minds in the local college radio fund drive. Blue, you know anything about these guys (I think they're from the Toronto area)? A wonderful surprise, because I wasn't even sure what they were going to send me.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 9:02 pm

Well done, SMM. So the bonus version is out in the US? Glad you like it - am jealous!

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 10:02 pm

Otis Westinghouse wrote:So the bonus version is out in the US? Glad you like it - am jealous!

What're you drinkin' Westinghouse? Bonus version?

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 9:53 am

Don't know why assumed you were getting that, but just imagined that having read here that a special, extended version (with three bonus tracks, so 'bonus version' is a sober enough naming, no?) was out in the UK on Nov 14 that you had found it was already around in the US, and in fact the fact that it was on sale at the gig this week made me assume they had brought US copies to the gigs for sale, rather stupidly (I was drinking Cointreau, actually, needed the most voscous thing I could find for my yet-again scratchy throat).

Looking at Amazon US, it would seem the special ed is UK only, as it ain't listed there, only on Amazon UK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 30-4783059

We'll have to find a way for you to hear the bonus tracks, Ms Mug! Baby was very good, nearly as good as the Lloyd Cole song of the same name, and I think Dis Quand Reveindras Tu was the stunning French song she ended with, sung in impeccablee French (Verena to report back on that assessment!).