What are you listening to right now?

[Otis Westinghouse]

Elbow's Seldom Seen Kid is now fully sunken into my consciousness. I'm not sure it's quite up there with Leaders of the Free World, or at least it doesn't have anything that matches the unmatchably perfect Great Expectations, but it contains much beauty, wit and charm. I'm finding Friend of Ours very touching. A farewell to a lost friend, it's incredibly spare with a lovely melodic motif that is just wedged in my head.

Never much good at goodbyes
So (gentle shoulder charge)
Love yer mate

This record will no doubt top my end of year list.

And to try, and fail, to keep up with WSS, a bit of Murray Perahia of my own:

So many great tunes on this CD. I wonder if the separate 1, 2 and 4 disc is as good. Annoying that the order is broken up, presumably for length reasons.

[invisible Pole]

Guillemots - Kriss Kross

What a f...ing great opening song on this album !!

[BlueChair]

For a moment, I was convinced you were listening to Kriss Kross, the teen hip-hop duo from the early 1990s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris_Kross



I'm onto this one, finally. Lynne doesn't have the range that Dusty had, nor does she manage to sound like her heart is breaking into two on "I Dont' Want To Hear It Anymore" like Dusty did, but this is still one of the best covers albums in recent years. The perfect Sunday morning record.

[mood swung]

Only, ya know, it's Monday.


Or else I am back at work too soon!!!!

J of Cool - Nicholas Drain Lowe.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Guillemots - Kriss Kross

What a f...ing great opening song on this album !!

Reviews seem to have been lukewarm. Along the lines of 'The first LP had everything including the kitchen sink thrown at it, but this one has had the entire bathroom suite and the garden shed included too'. I confess to hardly playing the first one, it didn't do much for me. How's this as a whole?

[Otis Westinghouse]

Incredible bargain - can be had for under $20. Fantastic performances, beautiful sound. Wow.

Mine finally arrived today. Only got as far as no. 1 so far, but very glad I followed this tip. Yes, the sound and perky pace are wonderful. Many pleasurable hours ahead, for sure.

[invisible Pole]

Guillemots - Kriss Kross

What a f...ing great opening song on this album !!

Reviews seem to have been lukewarm. Along the lines of 'The first LP had everything including the kitchen sink thrown at it, but this one has had the entire bathroom suite and the garden shed included too'. I confess to hardly playing the first one, it didn't do much for me. How's this as a whole?

Otis, I admit the singer’s voice may be an acquired taste, and that at times, for some people, Guillemots could be too grandiose , or generally dangerously close to the “too much of everything” territory, but for me they always (well, almost always) manage to stay on the “safe” side – powerful, lushly-arranged pop music.

Not sure if I’ll feel the same way in half a year, but at the moment in my humble opinion Kriss Kross is one of the best songs of the year so far.
Give it a try.

[strangerinthehouse]

I had to get some John Prine after going to a concert featuring Paul Baribeau, he was opening for Kimya Dawson during a two night stint at the local planetarium.

Paul did his version of Angel from Montgomery after singing Never Get to Know, a song about the people in his life affected by drugs and alcoholism.

Here's a link to the song: http://www.mediafire.com/?btugy3zgye0

this was the first time I recorded a concert so excuse the sound quality.

[Otis Westinghouse]

IP: had a leaf through Q in the newsagent's today (Michael Stipe with absurd full face gold make-up on front) and Red got a big 4-star review from there. Kriss Kross is on Hype Machine. James Bond meets Manic Street Preachers! Good fun, yes. But... it's a good two minutes too long, isn't it?

[mood swung]

That is some prime Prine, stranger.

[mood swung]

this is not too shabby.

[Who Shot Sam?]

The third movement Adagietto one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written, and this is my favorite recording of it, along with Barbirolli's 5th on EMI.

[BlueChair]

I'm currently obsessing over Randy Newman's "I Don't Want To Hear It Anymore," jumping back and forth between the Dusty In Memphis version and Shelby Lynne's. A work of genius, like poetry set to Burt Bacharach.

In my neighbourhood
We don't live so good
The rooms are small
And the buildings made of wood
I hear the neighbours talking bout you and me
I guess I heard it all
cause the talk is loud
And the walls are much too thin

"He don't really love her,"
Thats what I heard them say
"He sure wasn't thinking of her today"

"I saw them in the front yard."
Said the boy in room 149
He was talking to a girl Iv'e never seen before
And standing there together, oh they looked so good

I don't want to hear it anymore
I don't want to hear it anymore
cause the talk just never ends
And the heartache soon begins
The talk is so loud
And the walls are much too thin

"Ain't it sad," said the woman down the hall
"That when a nice girl falls in love
Aint it just too bad that she had to fall
For a boy who doesnt care for her at all?"

I don't want to hear it anymore
I just can't stand to hear it anymore
cause the talk just never ends
And the heartache soon begins
The talk is so loud
And the walls are much too thin

[Otis Westinghouse]

The third movement Adagietto one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written, and this is my favorite recording of it, along with Barbirolli's 5th on EMI.

Heard Simon Rattle? For reasons I can't explain, I have both Karajan and Rattle. My classical CD stash is nothing like as big as I'd like (I have a lot on tape and vinyl that never gets played now), but for some reason I have both. I think I must have seen it on a good price somewhere. I haven't done the Radio 3 'Building a Library' thing and compared different sections of the two, but must - it will be interesting. Rattle is famed for his Mahler's, and as I recall it was an excellent recording, with, of course, the Berlin Phil, and also on EMI. Whoever makes me swoon most in the Adagietto, Death in Venice style, will get my vote!

My first comparison is the timings. Karajan goes for that slightly slower, ponderous approach, clocking in at 73'45, whereas Rattle clocks in at 69'07. The differences are not proportionate, and the 5 movements match up like this:

1. VK = 13'05; SR = 13'04
2. VK = 15'12; SR = 14'24
3. VK = 18'10; SR = 16'56
4. VK = 11'53; SR = 9'33
5. VK = 15'25; SR = 15'02

So the Adagietto's pace is the most significant difference. Further notes to follow!

I only know the 5th well, though have some others on vinyl. Massive, sumptuous stuff. Any recos, WSS?

[Who Shot Sam?]

The third movement Adagietto one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written, and this is my favorite recording of it, along with Barbirolli's 5th on EMI.

Heard Simon Rattle? For reasons I can't explain, I have both Karajan and Rattle. My classical CD stash is nothing like as big as I'd like (I have a lot on tape and vinyl that never gets played now), but for some reason I have both. I think I must have seen it on a good price somewhere. I haven't done the Radio 3 'Building a Library' thing and compared different sections of the two, but must - it will be interesting. Rattle is famed for his Mahler's, and as I recall it was an excellent recording, also on EMI. Whoever makes me swoon most in the Adagietto, Death in Venice style, will get my vote!

I will have to check that out. I love Rattle's 2nd with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Just threw that on the CD player. That fortissimo in the first movement is spine-tingling. My favorite Karajan is the 9th, with the Berlin SO. Best 9th ever I think.

It's so interesting to compare these different interpretations of Mahler. There are so many different ways to approach his work.

Here are my favorites of each symphony:

1. Bernstein, VPO - Deutsche Grammophon
2. Rattle, CBSO - EMI
3. Tilson-Thomas, LSO - Sony
4. Maazel, VPO - Sony
5. Barbirolli, Philharmonia - EMI
6. Bernstein, VPO - DG
7. Abbado, VPO - DG
8. Tennstedt, LPO - EMI
9. Karajan, BPO - DG

Others I like - Kubelik #1 (Bavarian RSO - DG); Solti's #2 and #8 on Phillips (LSO and Chicago SO, respectively); Haitink #3 (Concertgebouw - Phillips); Reiner #4 (Chicago SO - RCA) ; the Bernstein DG Mahler 5 I mentioned earlier; Boulez #6 (VPO - DG); Gielen #7 (SWR SO, Hänssler); Barbirolli #9 (BPO - EMI).

Also Klemperer's #2 with the Philharmonia and a couple that are out of print at the moment - Walter's #1 (Columbia SO - Sony), Horenstein's #3 (LSO - Unicorn) and Szell's #4 (Cleveland SO - Sony). A lot of people think that the Szell #4 is the best ever. Can't understand why it's not in print - maybe a reissue is on the horizon.

Then there is the Lied von der Erde and the unfinished Symphony #10, which I've only heard once or twice. So many great things to explore - there's a whole world in there.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Do you refer to any guides? There are several of renown. I always check out my dad's Penguin when visiting. Useful for recos such as the above, though right now I don't need a guide, I can just follow your choices, as with Zinman! Shame we don't appear to have any other Costello classical nuts here too, eh?

[Who Shot Sam?]

Do you refer to any guides?

When I first started collecting the Penguin Guide was very useful. I find that they are very UK-centric, but generally reliable.

[Otis Westinghouse]

How many classical CDs do you have? 100s? 1,000s?

Do you have any particular slightly more esoteric tastes? I'm very into choral music, though don't have or know nearly enough. Stuff like Pallestrina or Tallis. Also Guillaume de Machaut. And of course Allegri's Miserere is one of the most sublime things ever. I also love Spanish classical guitar music, Albeniz, Granados et al. I have almost none of these on CD, so need to get investigating. I do have a very beautiful 5 or so CD set of the master, Andrés Segovia, with some of these pieces on, but also some wonderful guitar settings of Bach et al.

[BlueChair]

I also love classical but find it extremely daunting. From now I'm just going to ask Who Shot Sam for his recommendations. In fact, I'll start now. New thread alert!

[Who Shot Sam?]

How many classical CDs do you have? 100s? 1,000s?

Do you have any particular slightly more esoteric tastes? I'm very into choral music, though don't have or know nearly enough. Stuff like Pallestrina or Tallis. Also Guillaume de Machaut. And of course Allegri's Miserere is one of the most sublime things ever. I also love Spanish classical guitar music, Albeniz, Granados et al. I have almost none of these on CD, so need to get investigating. I do have a very beautiful 5 or so CD set of the master, Andrés Segovia, with some of these pieces on, but also some wonderful guitar settings of Bach et al.

Not thousands. Hundreds, yes. I have a Mahler fetish, so I have multiple recordings of a lot of the symphonies.

Esoteric? Let's see. I like a lot of late romantic piano music by composers like Alkan and Busoni. They're fairly obscure I guess. The Polish composer Szymanowski is a new discovery for me. I got a recording of his Piano Sonata #3 played by the incredible young Polish pianist Piotr Anderszewski and it blew my socks off. Hair-raising doesn't begin to describe it. Anderszewski is playing Carnegie Hall next year and I may need to make plans to go. I would really like to check out some of Szymanowski's other music on the strength of that recording. Rattle is a champion of his and has recorded several orchestral pieces, so I may look into those.

[Otis Westinghouse]

It's a relief to see you have a Mahler fetish! That list above would be pretty terrifying if you had similar collections and knowledge of other composers. After the 5th, which, say, three would you direct me to next?

I have Das Lied Von Der Erde, DG, Pierre Boulez. Is that the one to have? To be honest, I didn't play it much. I have issues with classical and opera voices in general. I'd much rather listen to Bob Dylan's singing. I can admire it technically, but I can't get the beauty of it, which for me is so much a part of classical music, if not all music. The one big exception for me is the wonderful Fischer-Diskau Winterreise, a Costello fave, I recall, which I could listen to all day, especially the opening song (whose name I forget).

Alkan I know nothing of. Recommendation? Busoni I know a bit entirely due to my love of Horovitz (did I mention that I saw him in Berlin in one of his last ever concerts?).

I have Rattle's recording of Szymanowski's Stabat Mater/Litany to the Virgin Mary/Symphony no. 3. Impressive, but I haven't played that one nearly enough.

I tend to go through bursts of playing lots of classical, and can go months without. Right now, like you, I'm really in one and loving it. I haven't loaded any onto the iPod, but I can tell it's going to transform my appreciation as I'm finding the random exploration of things you'd half forgotten about to be fantastic. It's also easily accessible that it makes you feel a bit like a non-discriminating consumer, but my experience thus far is the opposite, it makes you more actively curious. First up, those 9 Beethoven symphonies!

[Who Shot Sam?]

After the 5th, which, say, three would you direct me to next?

#1, #2, #9 and #4, probably in that order. The eighth is a beast, as is the third. The sixth and seventh are a little hard to get your head around.

[pophead2k]

this is not too shabby.

Loved this on first listen. Surprised me as well, as all the hype had set me up for inevitable let down. Not a chance. Some are comparing it to 'Monster' because of the loud guitars. Screw that. This is back to the faster moments on 'Life's Rich Pageant'. Just got tix to see them in June as well.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Beirut - Postcards From Italy, from the fabulous Word 50th edition 'greatest edition' comp. I really like the sound of this - original with a large range of styles tied up in it. Any fans here?

[strangerinthehouse]

I've just gotten into them recently, thanks to this



I have yet to hear their first one, Gulag Orkestar, and Postcards from Italy but it sounds promising.