Records and Recordings

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Records and Recordings

Postby jadis » Sat Jul 10, 2004 1:28 pm

I'd like to start sharing the records that have impressed me,
maybe write a line of two about each album. And I have no
bias as to whether it's an audiophile LP or an ordinary pressing, so
long as it's satisfying. If one were to look at HPs Super Disc, we see
that the majority are commercial labels, and he distinguishes them
from the audiophile labels like D2D or from master tape. I really
liked that kind of presentation, because obviously, both pressings,
can be just as good as the other.

I'll just think of a few that comes to my head and here they are:


Image

1. Sara K. ---Waterfalls ( Stockfisch Records)
This is a Direct Metal Master cut from the German Mr Gunther
Pauler. Inside the gatefold one will see the incredibly expensive
direct master cutting lathe with him proudly beside it. I admire
such dedication from people who obviously are not it in for mass
production profits. In all the years of collecting LPs, I have
developed such a soft spot in my heart for German record
engineering, like ATR Mastercut, lots of the Sheffield D2Ds
were pressed in W. Germany, and now this.
In one word, this album is awesome. Listening to the first
side of LP1 (there are 2 LPs ), like cuts 2 and 3, left me breathless
and speechless for a few minutes. My feeling was, such awesome
dynamics and clarity. And we are not even talking of a complete
band with vocalist. Featured is guitarist Chris Jones and the
songs are (for me) so much better than the ones she did for
Chesky. I don't know how to describe her music but it reminds
me of the Clapton Uplugged album and Sara K sings like
a torch singer. I never imagined I would enjoy this album so
much because I was not much of a fan of Sara at Chesky,
but truly, I loved this LP. The best of both worlds, great songs
and great recording.


http://sonatas.cc/lp/sarak.html


2. Clair Marlo ( CISCO Records)

Thank goodness for this reissue on 180g. I did not like the
Sheffield transfer from tape to LP, eventually sold it, and
now, a better transfer. For those who like her music and
voice, not much to elaborate. And I like this one better.

3. Chie Ayado-- Life ( RTI pressing)

When a Hongkong LP dealer was forcing me to get this LP,
I asked, Chie WHO???? But he was like saying, you do not
know this singer???!!!! And looking at her face on the cover
did not help me nor convince me to buy it. But the guy was
adamant, TRUST ME LAH...Well, that put me on the spot that
I got two of her albums, the other called GRACE (which I
played for a friend and he BOUGHT it from me after 2 cuts).
Ayado is a woman. Looks like close to 50s, white hair, and
if one would want to play stereotypes, 'what good can come
out from this girl?' That was on my mind when I paid for her
albums, and it's not that cheap.
How does the LPs sound? For those who love later Ella F.
music, this is something like Ella, belting out songs like
New York State of Mind, Amazing Grace, Blackbird, For Once
in my Life, etc. This singer can sing. I must admit it took me
a few days to get used to her voice, but once it grew on me,
I realized why this girl is an singing icon in Japan (acc to the
HK LP dealer), and now I take it to any place where there is
a turntable. And my friends have all been surprised at this
LP. Excellent piano rendition too, and she plays it too. (kinda
like a female Elton John)

....to be continued..[/img]
Last edited by jadis on Sat Jun 11, 2005 2:02 pm, edited 7 times in total.
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Postby jadis » Sat Jul 10, 2004 3:27 pm

Before I continue, I figure I would want to mention a few of my most favorite LPs, what Stereophile calls Records to Die For. ( Or some
would say Records to KILL For; I have heard some stories about
friends who actually fought for records)

Vocals:
Jennifer Warnes - Famous Blue Raincoat
Mary Black - No Frontiers, Babes in the Woods
Enya - Watermark
Carol Kidd - All my Tomorrows
Amanda McBroom - Growing Up in Hollywood Town ( I heard some
snippets that she may be considered washed out, but my
audiophile life would not have been the same without her)
Ester Ofarim - Ester (ATR Mastercut)
Barbra Streisand - Memories (CBS Half Speed Master)
Broadway Album
Radka Toneff - Fairytales
Chie Ayado - Life
Beverley Craven - Beverley Craven (what a cool voice)
Kate Wolf - Poet's Heart
Claire Marlo - Let It Go (CISCO)
Vanessa Williams - Save the Best for Last (45 rpm single)
Sara K - Water Falls
Luther Vandross - Songs
Belafonte at Carnegie Hall (RCA)
Lionel Ritchie - Can't Slow Down
James Ingram - Warm your Heart

Musicals:
Cats
Les Miserables
Jekyll and Hyde

Rock/ Disco:
James Newton Howard and Friends
Sheffield Track Record
Irene Cara - What a Feeling
Madonna - Immaculate Collection, You Can Dance
Eagles - Hell Freezes Over

Jazz:
LA 4 - Just Friends (Concorde D2D)
John Klemmer - Straight From the Heart (Nautilus D2D)
Oscar Peterson - We Get Requests
Bill Berry - For Duke (M&K D2D)
Fatha Hines - Fatha! (M&K D2D)
Dave Grusin - Discovered Again (Sheffield D2D)
Jaime Torres - Charango (Messidor Label )
Kenny G Live (amazingly good)
David Benoit - This Side Up


Choral: (Proprius)
Kornet Har Sin Vila
Kor
Cantate Domino
Gloria Patri
Oratorio Noel

Folk:
Brothers Four - Beatles Songbook
The Strayaway Child (Instrumental banjo etc. HP List)

Test LP:
Professor Johnson's Sound Show (RR)
Ortofon Test Record

Classical:
Vivaldi - Lute Concertos ( DG, Hungaraton, 2 versions)
Holst Handel Bach ( Telarc)
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2 (Chesky)
Tafelmusik (RR)
Beethoven - Appasionata (RCA D2D)
Skater's Waltz - Gamely (Decca)
Music for Double Bass (EMI)
Massenet: Le Cid Ballet Music (Klavier)
Last edited by jadis on Thu Jul 22, 2004 3:31 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Postby jadis » Sun Jul 11, 2004 8:02 pm

...continued

4. Brothers Four Sings Lennon McCarthy (Beatles Songbook) CBS



5. Holst Handel Bach--Cleveland Symphonic Winds conducted by
Frederick Fennel

If your system can handle it, mine can't now. This is a hair-
raiser....The cresendos at the end of each cut made me hold my
breath. The only Telarc LP I have...(thanks to Mang Dima for
introducing, and selling it to me ) I play it at lower levels in
my system, just to satisfy my nostalgia.

6. Radka Toneff--Fairy Tales

Lots of audiophiles know this already, and for who don't,
I recommend getting one...Although the first 4 cuts on side A
are 'digital' recordings...they sound ok. Piano on cut 2 is
as crisp as it can get...my fave song is, Lost in the Stars....

7. Kenny G - Live

Yeah, Kenny G. Very Liquid LP. Very very musical indeed,
and good band back-up.

8. This Side Up - David Benoit

The only Benoit I have. And I think Dianne Reeves got
her start here. This LP has a tribute cut to Ninoy, even.

9. Kornet Har Sin Vila - Proprius

Liked this so much I bought so many 1981 pressings of this LP
mainly because the vinyl is so bad but the music is so good. Even a
brand new pressing of this can develop loud pops and clicks in a few
playings. I figure I probably will not be on earth to consume 8 copies
so I sold 5 already.

10. Ester -ATR

My reference for female vocals. Not sung in English, but I had
always loved the German language. Superb recording, for the first
time in listening to LPs, I notice the 'diction' in music.
Last edited by jadis on Thu Aug 19, 2004 7:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby timn8ter » Mon Jul 12, 2004 11:43 pm

I recently acquired a 180 gram pressing of Eleanor McEvoy titled Yola. Excellent production. Eleanor's voice is similar to other British songstresses such as Sarah McLaughlin or Beth Orton but with a bit more edge. Highly recommended by Acoustic Sounds, and me. :)
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Postby jadis » Tue Jul 13, 2004 7:31 am

timn8ter wrote:I recently acquired a 180 gram pressing of Eleanor McEvoy titled Yola. Excellent production. Eleanor's voice is similar to other British songstresses such as Sarah McLaughlin or Beth Orton but with a bit more edge. Highly recommended by Acoustic Sounds, and me. :)



Thanks for the tip, tim. I liked here on CD and I am looking forward
to getting this one.
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Postby jadis » Tue Jul 13, 2004 5:21 pm

Image

11. Friends of Carlotta - Live in Studio. (produced by CLEARAUDIO)
Mastered by Gunther Pauler, pressed in Germany,180g

Another German pressing, another beauty...Songs like
How deep is your love, Hello, In the Air tonight, Time after time,
recorded in excellent fashion, I was smiling while listening....
Got it from YK in HK. You wonder why it's not in RP?????? (ahem)
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Postby Racio » Tue Jul 13, 2004 6:37 pm

(OT) Sir ihatejazz, pabili po sana nito :wink: :

jadis wrote:Image

11. Friends of Carlotta - Live in Studio. (produced by CLEARAUDIO)
Mastered by Gunther Pauler, pressed in Germany,180g

Another German pressing, another beauty...Songs like
How deep is your love, Hello, In the Air tonight, Time after time,
recorded in excellent fashion, I was smiling while listening....
Got it from YK in HK. You wonder why it's not in RP?????? (ahem)
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Postby jadis » Tue Jul 13, 2004 7:44 pm

Sir ihatejazz, pabili po sana nito :



Ayan ahhhhhh, i hatejazz...bring in 50 copies, baka kulang pa. medyo
mahal rin 'to sa HK.....(commission ko.... :) :) :)
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Postby ihatejazz » Tue Jul 13, 2004 8:23 pm

jadis wrote:Sir ihatejazz, pabili po sana nito :



Ayan ahhhhhh, i hatejazz...bring in 50 copies, baka kulang pa. medyo
mahal rin 'to sa HK.....(commission ko.... :) :) :)


Do you want to be my "software" distributor for Clearaudio LPs? They have about 50 titles. They are printing Opus3 now among other audiophile LPs. I have some samples for demo. I am looking for a distributor, seriously. :)
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Postby jadis » Tue Jul 13, 2004 8:31 pm

ihatejazz,
Do you want to be my "software" distributor for Clearaudio LPs? They have about 50 titles. They are printing Opus3 now among other audiophile LPs. I have some samples for demo. I am looking for a distributor, seriously.

will ponder on it.....
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Postby jadis » Wed Jul 14, 2004 1:35 pm

ihatejazz,

It will be harder for me to distribute them as I do not have a vast network, I figure
guys like DX would be more suitable for this task. Thnx.
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Postby jadis » Wed Jul 21, 2004 9:14 pm

Here's some CD of special merit in my rack.

1. Carol Kidd - Auld Lang Syne
Super smoooooth CD....new songs too.

2. Dolores Keane- Greatest Hits
Irish folk singer, husky voice

3. John Bower Presents- B&W Recording (Classical, my reference
for many years specially in the 800 days.

4. Ranveig Eckhoff- Mens Manen Stigen
In my books the most awesome female voice I've ever heard.
Solo voice on Once Upon A Time in the West is worth the
price of the entire CD.

5.Taboo-The Exotic Sounds of Arthur Lyman
Like what it says, truly exotic. (Dahil Sa Iyo is a good cut here)

6.Hymms Triumphant- Sparrow Label
Huge soundstage with choir and the London Philharmonic

7. Andetag- Proprius Choir

8.Sissel - Gift of Love
Lovely young singer.

9. Laura Fygi - SongBook

10.Sissel- Deep Within My Soul
Second CD, deeper songs.
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Postby detubo » Wed Jul 21, 2004 9:47 pm

5.Taboo-The Exotic Sounds of Arthur Lyman
Like what it says, truly exotic. (Dahil Sa Iyo is a good cut here)

i didn't know they came out with a cd. i have the record which reminds me that marcos baby ako. its even better than my dahil sa iyo by the lettermens
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Postby jadis » Thu Jul 22, 2004 4:59 am

detubo,

yeah. but this is one hard to find cd. matagal na. been looking for one for my friend.
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Postby jadis » Thu Jul 22, 2004 8:26 am

ihatejazz,

thnx for the tip.


And to go on with some more CDs that I like,

11. Leslie Garrett - Diva! Soprano at the Movies
British soprano sings very popular opera hits

12. Sarah Brightman - Surrender
Classics

13. Cyndee Peters - Music from the Heart
She is the girl who sang The House of the Rising Sun from the Ortofon/Opus
Test Record. Music here is soul-ful.

14. Maureen McGovern - The Music Never Ends.

15.Mambo Kings Sountrack - This is the first CD I played when my Maggies arrived.
Listened to it for a week, and I was all smiles. For some reason the Maggies
rendered this kind of music so well.
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Postby Jon Agner » Thu Jul 22, 2004 11:25 am

jadis wrote: 5.Taboo-The Exotic Sounds of Arthur Lyman
Like what it says, truly exotic. (Dahil Sa Iyo is a good cut here)


Jadis,

I did not even know Arthur Lyman then when bought this CD 2 years ago out of curiosity and because this was a Ryko label... and you're right! :D even the cracking sound of the hall can be heard on some of the cuts.
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Postby jadis » Thu Jul 22, 2004 3:16 pm

Jon Agner,

thanks for sharing...glad to have someone relate. :)
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Postby jadis » Thu Jul 22, 2004 3:28 pm

Additions to my fave LP List:

* Music for Bang Baroom and Harp-RCA Living Stereo.
Very entertaining music, maybe I listen to this once or twice a year but very good
music. There was one guy with the Jadis800 six piece amp who played this on
his B&W800 with a Forsell table and Grasshopper cartridge and it blew me away.
The ears suddenly felt like it was cleaned, so did my eyes.....

*An American Tail - Soundtrack
Surprisingly good recording. I remembered listening to this
LP(Somewhere out there with Linda and James) in my friend's house through his Tannoy Westminster and Koetsu Rosewood back in the late 80s, I heard a comment from one of our listeners: " Mapapaluhod ka
sa ganda!) Rich and full bodied voices...

*The Cascades - Rythym of the Rain
My local copy is beautiful. A little crackle between cuts and
that's it. Such smooth and rich, warm sound from my boyhood
group. Amazingly good.

*Three Way Mirror, Tropic Affair, Dafos (RR)
The first two are airy jazz-percussion music, recorded nicely
by the famed Dr Keith. I have to mention Dafos bec despite its
notoriety for some satanic pictures in the cover and other criticisms
that it has no musical content, I would beg to disagree. This is the
reference (pun intented) our group used in the mid 80s to 'test'
woofers and subwoofers. The dealers themselves use this to 'blow'
listeners away. Aside from the monster cut 'The Beast' wherein
Mickey Hart THROWS off a drum from like a few feet high,the
rest of the cuts are listenable, I remember liking the last 2 cuts of
each side bec they feature various percussion instruments from
exotic places. In those days, a friend broke his Spica subwoofers
with The Beast. Good thing they were under warranty. :lol:
I got a quote from a LA pinoy for a sealed copy, $120 plus shipping.
Mint at $80. A cult classic.
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Postby rs241 » Wed Jul 28, 2004 6:22 pm

Jadis, Just listened to Sara K's Water Falls last night. It truly was an awesome recording as you have described it to be! I felt like I was listening to a Telarc CD - but perhaps smoother and with a lot more details. The dynamics was just incredible! considering my very modest analog setup (Technics 1210 w/ Denon 103 cartridge). I really like the Water Falls and that one song about her mother (can't recall). I really appreciate you sharing this with us. I always look forwared to reading your music writeups...keep it coming. Many thanks, rs241.
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Postby arnoldc » Wed Jul 28, 2004 6:37 pm

jadis wrote:14. Maureen McGovern - The Music Never Ends.

maureen mcgovern - there's got to be a morning after... theme from the poseidon adventure, a favorite soundtrack and favorite classic movie for me ;)

got the vinyl :D
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