Praise & shame - rate your new vinyl here

Its all Claire’s fault, came home from work, waiting for me, a 1992 compilation; 'No Regrets, the best off Scott Walker and the Walker Brothers'. I researched on Spotify first, this was a good representation of what I remember of 1965-1976 period, then a bit of digging on t'internet, came up with the vinyl, listed as Ex con+ sleeve and disc. Looking I can’t see a mark on the disc and the sleeve is excellent! Cost me a whole load of cash . . . . £3 + £3pp. I'm in big trouble spending that much . . .

Could not resist a listen . . . as a used 1992 record I have no complaint, the sleeve notes indicate a disillusioned (spelling changed courtesy of Nick!) Scott? . . . making solo recordings when he feels the need, and what recordings, the ones on this compilation, so deep? The Walker Brother tracks are good but Scott’s solo tracks need a lot more listening to to appreciate them fully. I will be looking at some more of his solo work.

Bit of a feast tonight, a second go at Scott Walker, I also had another album delivered, Leonard Cohen's 'Old Ideas' . . . thats Horlicks time taken care of . . .

CJSF

CJSF ,

   Please don't think I am having a go at your grammar and choice of words , but you made me smile at the thought of Scott Walker being "dissolutioned " , like wot Henry VIII did to the monasteries all those years ago . I suspect you meant to say " disillusioned" . But then again , maybe you didn't .

  Hope you enjoy the record ,

   Nick

You see Nick . . . I'm a thick-ead!. . . I cant put two sentences together, so they tell me, but I have a lot to say . . . plus I'm old, wave my walking stick at you, that lets me off a lot? I can push to the front of queues waving said stick menacingly and mumbling old man things . . .

It may of course be that my 'Dyslexia' may have something to do with the fact that I'm thick???

I won’t go any further, we have been there on the site before with a few 'holier than though types in the spelling police'. I try my best, even use a spell checker, sorry if my disability upsets your sensitivity . . . and yes you are right Nick, I did mean 'disillusioned' . . .

CJSF

 CJ ,

  It takes alot more than a miss spelt word to upset my sensitivity , I was trying not to upset your sensitivity by attempting to make  my post gently humourous .

   And there is nothing thick-eaded about you , it is just sometimes you have problems with your worms !

   Nick

Yes Nick, its the worms crawling about in my head . . . Sorry, I was a bit sharp, but after the last fracas over my spelling, I have a tender spot . . . that I must learn to control, again my apologies.

CJSF

. . . so onto 'Old Ideas' . . . I kept it for my regular late night Horlicks session. I knew what to expect as I had sampled it on Spotify, typical modern Leonard Cohen, laid back, deep, thought provoking . . . True, it was all of this, I could best describe the performance as 'poetry to music' . . . Leonard was sitting in the chair opposite, backing behind, he was 'talking' to me, so personal, it was uncanny.

. . . 180gs vinyl, comes with the CD, £18 pounds-worth of personal, one to one performance . . .

What more can one say other than you have to appreciate the Cohen delivery and style, its not a dance record, it quietly searches the soul.

I tell you what, it searches the system too, I think it would sound really off on some of the kit I have seen described?

So simple? . . . yet there is a complexity in there one needs to search out, more listening required . . . I'm not objecting:)

. . . '5 star+' . . .

CJSF

Glad you like the Cohen cjsf !

Without a turntable at the moment (hoping for the Inspire Quest to arrive by end of week), my pile of unopened vinyl has been growing. I currently have the following waiting to be opened, played and reviewed for this post:

- First Aid Kit "Lion's Roar"

- Sinead O'Connor "How about I be me (and you be you)?"

- Lynryd Skynyrd "Street Survivors" (new Mobile Fidelity Silver label version)

- Carole King "Music" (new Mobile Fidelity mastering/pressing) 

Anyone heard these vinyl yet?

Now I've got my fab Inspire Quest Rega, I've started going through the unopened new vinyl.

First up is First Aid Kit "The Lion's Roar" from Wichita Recordings.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lions-Roar-VINYL-First-Aid/dp/B0062Y9DF6/ref=mb_...

Very good quality, great sounds if you like strong female vocals, and comes with a 320kbps MP3 download voucher. Good value too at £14.99

Far better in my opinion than new kid on the block Lana Del Rey ( and her debut vinyl costs £27 !!! No thanks.)

The new Shins LP, Port Of Morrow sounds great. Heavy vinyl, five tracks per side, plus download card. 

Oh, and in James Mercer, the greatest writer of quirky pop melodies since those cheeky scouse chaps Mac and Lenin, or whatever they were called. 

I can recommend the new Black Country Communion album 'Live Over Europe". Nice flat, quiet pressing. Volume needs whacking up a bit on the amp though, as it is not a 'loud' pressing. Also it's a double live, in a gatefold sleeve, just like they used to make in the good old days.

Beach Boys 'Smile'. A lovely pressing, likewise The Civil Wars 'Barton Hollow'. I have the CDs of both these albums, and the LP is superior.

Pink Floyd 'Wish You Were Here'. I returned one copy, as it was warped, and off centre. The replacement is flat, and only slightly off centre. I'm waiting for a third time lucky to come in!

Went on a vinyl binge including some Light In The Attic re-issues

I'd recommend checking out this label

Michael Chapman's "Fully Qualified Survivor" is a great album the job they've done is terrific

Looks wonderful and sounds great - a lot of time and effort gone into this

The kind of thing that makes you realise Spotify will never be enough

Civil Wars is very good - but a few crackles - and no mp3 download or CD (17.99 from amazon - that deserves a download voucher, no?)

But, a real bargain...Laura Marling's "A Creature I Don't Know"...for some reason Amazon have only charged me £7.37 for the vinyl version...ok, no download included, but this is cheaper than the CD (and the download?) Very good record - and I thought her previous stuff was rather forgettable. 

Here's a new one that you might not have come across...

Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts  

http://milesnielsen.com/

I got a copy of the vinyl from the states and it is fabulous americana.  A kind of Tom Petty, Drive-By Truckers, Jayhawksy type of thang. PLus mp3 download.

A very pleasant vinyl listen and excellent production, with lots of instrumentation to test your system. Valvey guitars, twangy acoustics  and clarinets even.

I saw them through an advert in Vintage Guitar magazine, because they are on the Hofner supported artist list.

Looking through my record collection this afternoon, I came up with a gem . . . in fact a few gems but one in particular . . . the original 10 track recording of Nat King Cole's 'Love is the Thing', I’ve been hankering after the new audiophile version, but £50 and 45rpm put me off a bit.

This original is in perfect condition, I dont remember buying it . . . ? but there it was and it plays like a dream, not a pop or click . . .

I also came across an equally mint version of a 1962 recording, a Nat King Cole/George Shearing collaboration, 'Let There Be Love', now playing as I type. Some lovely tunes that one does not usually associate with Nat King Cole, Shearing and Cole at their best . . . my type of music.

Plus a few others of various artists I have not played for many years, I'm looking forward to the next few sessions.

CJSF

The new pressing of Talk Talk's Spirit of Eden is pretty good. My original is a little crackly during the many quieter sections, so I bought this. Also comes with a 24bit DVD audio-only disc too, which sounds excellent. Includes the fabled B-side John Cope too. 

Less impressive, to my ears at least, is the "newly remastered" Viva Hate by Morrissey. One of my all time most played albums, so I'm very familiar with the original vinyl. The new take is okay sound wise, but Morrissey has messed about with the tracks, replacing one (The Ordinary Boys) with a previously released, highly average demo (Treat Me Like A Human Being), and having the audacity to trim Vini Reilly's playing on Late Night Maudlin Street. Yes, it's Morrissey's album to do with as he pleases, but he hasn't enhanced it in any way, quite the opposite. 

Still, as a record it's a startling Betjamin-esque (Everyday Is Like Sunday) by way of Larkin (Bengali In Platforms) lyrical masterpiece. The greatest pop lyricist bar none.