Whats on your turntable tonight?

Beethoven "Symphony No. 9 "Choral"" Solti/Chicago SO (Mobile Fidelity MFSL 2-516) As a rule, I have always found the MoFi pressings a little disappointing. Not so the case with this one. Quiet surface, good sonics, excellent performance of this warhorse by the Chicago Symphony and Chorus. Recorded in 1972 and originally released by London. The third movement has always been my favorite, and this recording delivers a very nicely paced, emotional 3rd.
Beach Boys "Holland" (Reprise MS 2118) Recorded in the Netherlands in 1972. Many pressings of this abound, as does the quality. Unfortunately, this is not a great one. The Beach Boys were experimenting with quadraphonic sound during this period and this was recorded on a 30 input quad console. Some interesting tunes, very much away from surfer tunes. This has a very country feel to it.

Vivaldi, Viola D'Amore Concertos, Rolla/LisztFerencChO, Barsony -va, Hungaraton SLPX 12162 (Hungaraton made some beautiful recordings during the analog days, this is certainly one of them)

Holst, Hymn of Jesus/The Perfect Fool/Egdon Heath, Boult/LPO, London CS 6324 (The Hymn of Jesus is a wonderfully powerful work for 2 choruses and full orchestra; Egdon Heath is arguably one of Holst best works for orchestra, but hushed and delicate.)

Bartok, Divertimento for String Orchestra, Barshai/MoscowCO, London reissue by Super Analogue 9108 (another superb Kenneth Wilkinson recording!)

Slipknot - and speaking of Kenneth Wilkinson, the Solti Beethoven 9th is a good example of his work, albeit with a few more mikes than his best. But, a GREAT performance, imo, served very well by the recording engineer.

For anyone looking for this Solti recording of the 9th, it is now available in the marvelous Speakers Corner series of reissues of the Decca classical catalog.
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My cat, but if you read the thread under amps, you know it won't be there for long!!

Turntable:

Rodrigo - Conciertos: Andaluz, de Aranjuez/The Romeros/Alessandro & San Antonio SO (Mercury Golden Imports) The composer himself adds a liner note affirming that The Romeros' "...color, authentic musicianship, and virtuosity on guitar...permits them to present truly extraordinary interpretations." (The Concierto Andaluz was commisioned by Celedonio Romero and dedicated to his guitar-playing sons.) All fans of Miles Davis'/Gil Evans' "Sketches Of Spain" need a good version of the Concierto de Aranjuez around, and this one is.

Manfred Mann - Mann Made (Ascot, 1966) The Mann and his band (as opposed to the Earth Band), post-Do Wah Diddy Diddy and pre-Quinn The Eskimo. The best original tune here is titled "L.S.D.", and its lyrics make (what appears to be) no further references whatsoever to what those letters normally stand for (but a band I used to play in did cover it). Also includes a cover of hometown DC blues guitar hero Bobby Parker's seminal "Watch Your Step".

Chad & Jeremy - Of Cabbages & Kings (Columbia, 1967) One of those quintessential '67 albums, with everything including the kitchen sink thrown in, along with a credit line informing us that the whole affair was "Arranged and scored by Chad Stewart" (Jeremy Clyde wrote the songs). If their psychedelic cover pic raiment and love beads don't let you know what you're in for, then how about the song titles that comprise Side Two?: "The Progress Suite, Movements 1 thru 5 - 1)Prologue 2)Decline 3)Editorial 4)Fall 5)Epilogue". Great production by Gary Usher.

Ravi Shankar - Charly (Soundtrack, World Pacific 1968) I really need to see the movie (a Sterling Silliphant adaptation of the Daniel Keyes novel "Flowers For Algernon", which I haven't read either). For one thing, it's got Claire Bloom in it. For another, the Main Title theme, written (but not on paper scores) like all of it by Ravi himself, rips off Erik Satie. Jazzy West Coast session cats galore, like Bud Shank, Tom Scott, Ray Brown, Laurindo Almeida, Bob Bain, Bill Plummer, Milt Holland, and more, all mixed up with sitar and tabla, mmmmm....

Diskolater:

John Coltrane - Coltrane (Impulse!, rec. 1962, Deluxe 2-disk 2002 reissue) Almost literally "Out Of This World". Makes your system sound ten feet tall - which is not incidentally also about how tall this music will make *you* feel (or at least me). With McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones.

The Fleshtones - More Than Skin Deep (Ichiban, '98) Only if you can proudly claim "I'm Not A Sissy" anymore! Or don't be and go see 'em live, to get real rock'n'roll again.

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Traffic - John Barleycorn Must Die
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Rubinstein / Beethoven Piano CTO # 5 / Leinsdorg - RCA German pressing - SOA 25038-R/1-4 , 26.35033 (4 lp)

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