I have been listening to iPlayer recently, Radio 4 Extra . . . looking back again, we like the old comedy programs. We also like a good play, the idea, we can listen at our convenience. We listen to a couple of Father Ted stories the other day, first time I’ve used the system as it is now with the new computer. I was very impressed with the natural sound but thought little more about it. Sitting and listening to Lenard Cohen last light, pulled me up a bit, as I have mentioned, the delivery is poetry with music . . . ???? As near a spoken delivery as you can get, as I say ‘I pulled up’. It was late last night but I stored the thoughts and ideas in my mind and mulled it over today, quiet day at work, so plenty of time. What struck me was how natural and easy the spoken voice sounded, both from the vinyl and on BBC radio a few days before? . . . I have worked on the system over the past 9 months, adjusting and of late tweaking those tiny bits here and there, always acing my efforts with music . . . ????? . . . Why not have the spoken human voice as part of a hifi test. We so often hear the debate of what a particular instrument or performance should sound like? . . . we don’t know what was in the engineers mind when it was mixed, therefor we don’t know how our system is sounding? We hear the spoken voice all the time in all sorts of environments . . . This was my first thought when I listen to Leonard Cohen, natural, open, airy, it sent goose bumps up my arms, track 3, side one, 'Show me the Place', in particular stands in my mind. A good or bad idea, I'm looking forward to a bit more Radio 4 and Needle time with 'Old Ideas'. Something to enjoy . . . Food for thought? . . . CJSF
Spoken Human Voice, goose bumps?
- Thread starter CJSF
- Start date
chebby
Well-known member
CJSF said:
I have always included 'spoken word' in any hifi demo and consider it more important than anything else.
Anything from the BBC Radio 4 'George Smiley' dramatisations would be perfect. (I bought them all on CD, as soon as each became available, a few years back.)
[Edit] It might be an idea if you ask for this to be moved from "Turntables and LPs" because it is primarily about the reproduction of the the [spoken] human voice rather than turntables/LPs (and you discuss listening to BBC iPlayer and Radio).
chebby said:
Mods . . . as sugested [Edit] above, it may be better that this be moved to 'HiFi' . . . ?
CJSF
Apart from music/sport channels I'm not much of a radio person but I couldn't agree more about the power of the human voice.In 53-years the one which always leaves me spellbound is Richard Burton's.
Apart from music/sport channels I'm not much of a radio person but I couldn't agree more about the influenece of the human voice.
In my 53-years the one which always leaves me tingling is Richard Burton.
Apart from music/sport channels I'm not much of a radio person but I couldn't agree more about the influenece of the human voice.
In my 53-years the one which always leaves me tingling is Richard Burton.
SteveR750
Well-known member
I have to admit the one thing that I always noticed with my S6es was just how clean they sounded with spoken voice.
Sizzers said:
Yes . . . I will have to dig out my copy of 'the War of the Worlds' . . . about time the vinyl had an airing.
I had an hour last night with Cohen and 'Old Ideas', It was interesting to listen to the vinyl and the CD that comes free. Modern CD's are so good . . . Hazel and I both preferred the vinyl . . . but it was hard to split them, my feeling was the organic of vinyl won out, describe organic????? The vinyl has a smoother presentation, CD has an 'edge' which some will prefer . . . but whichever you listen to, the Cohen magic is there by the bucket load.
CJSF
chebby
Well-known member
CJSF said:
If you like Richard Burton's voice, try this classic...
Under Milk Wood
(Recorded in 1963 but excellent quality nonetheless.)
It's highly likely - given it's age - that there were a few valves (and analogue tape) involved in the recording process
If anything was tailor made for your 'Horlicks hour', this is it.
chebby said:CJSF said:
If you like Richard Burton's voice, try this classic...
Under Milk Wood
(Recorded in 1963 but excellent quality nonetheless.)
It's highly likely - given it's age - that there were a few valves (and analogue tape) involved in the recording process
If anything was tailor made for your 'Horlicks hour', this is it.
Thanks for that Chebby . . . on order!
Dug out 'War of the Worlds' . . . had a listen to sides 1 and 2, have a go at 2 and 3 later. Superb, A1 condition, cover and disc + the picture book original . . . circa 1978 and not a pop, click or hiss to be heard, they knew how to press vinyl in those days.
CJSF
SteveR750
Well-known member
Brian Eno's 'The Drums Between the Bells' are all spoken word. Rick Holland poems to short pieces of Eno's music. All sound crystal clear through the ATC's. Some really nice bass and atmosphere but to be honest despite the clarity and real natural sound the 40's reproduce id rather the voices shut up and stop competing with the music.
Track seven 'The Airman' is a definite exception with the voice working really well.
Track seven 'The Airman' is a definite exception with the voice working really well.
CJ I liked this...quaint and amusing. Even went to a live recital of him reading Dylan Thomas, and have his autograph somewhere:
http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=521099
There is also Rick Wakeman's "Journey to the centre of the earth"....great stuff!
http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=521099
There is also Rick Wakeman's "Journey to the centre of the earth"....great stuff!
Charlie Jefferson
Well-known member
chebby said:CJSF said:
If you like Richard Burton's voice, try this classic...
Under Milk Wood
(Recorded in 1963 but excellent quality nonetheless.)
It's highly likely - given it's age - that there were a few valves (and analogue tape) involved in the recording process
If anything was tailor made for your 'Horlicks hour', this is it.
+1
Under Milk Wood is a wondrous thing. I've got a vinyl copy and it's a testament to that medium's strengths and of course Burton et al.
Charlie Jefferson said:chebby said:CJSF said:
If you like Richard Burton's voice, try this classic...
Under Milk Wood
(Recorded in 1963 but excellent quality nonetheless.)
It's highly likely - given it's age - that there were a few valves (and analogue tape) involved in the recording process
If anything was tailor made for your 'Horlicks hour', this is it.
+1
Under Milk Wood is a wondrous thing. I've got a vinyl copy and it's a testament to that medium's strengths and of course Burton et al.
A plan . . . Hazel is going into hospital at the end of the month . . . long recovery period of 12 months!!!! I retire at the end of June . . . will probably stop work when Hazel comes home in April, I have to put the piny on:?
So the idea, build a library of talking books so we can enjoy together, 'Under Milk Wood' seems like a good starting point?
CJSF
My favourite test for that is Orson Welles' radio spot on Tales Of Mystery And Imagination. Other than that, I use stage performances which have the added bonus that they contain rounds of applause which I think is also an underused test sound.
Some of my test songs already have spoken sections, or musical sections that are very close to it (no I don't mean Mark Knopfler). I've listed some of them in another thread recently (here).
Some of my test songs already have spoken sections, or musical sections that are very close to it (no I don't mean Mark Knopfler). I've listed some of them in another thread recently (here).
SteveR750
Well-known member
On the topic of Voices and Under Milkwood, what about male voice choirs?
Search spotify for Eli Jenkins Prayer and you'll see what I mean. OK I am biased of course but makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and my eyes glisten over.
Search spotify for Eli Jenkins Prayer and you'll see what I mean. OK I am biased of course but makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and my eyes glisten over.
SteveR750 said:
A good suggestion SteveR750, I have a few, notably the Proprius recording Cantate Domino and the Tallis Scholars Allegre Miserere, not pure male voices but have the element within the recording. I used them extensively in my system assessments in the past.
Looked at Eli Jenkins Prayer, it is part of 'Under Milk Wood', some good Welsh Choir recording to follow up as well.
CJSF
chebby said:If you like Richard Burton's voice, try this classic...
Under Milk Wood
(Recorded in 1963 but excellent quality nonetheless.)
It's highly likely - given it's age - that there were a few valves (and analogue tape) involved in the recording process
If anything was tailor made for your 'Horlicks hour', this is it.
Hmmm. I do appreciate the suggestion and I have listened to part of it somewhere in the past on the radio (or could have been TV), but poetry leaves me dead I'm afraid.
Wish I had been old enough, though, to appreciate the triumvriate of Burton, Harris, and O'Toole. O'Toole in particular would wake up in another country not knowing where he was!
Sorry to crash this high quality thread but it just occurred to me to ask CJSF if it's not spoken human voice what else could it be?
No-one would have believed, in the last years of the 19th century........etc
He certainly would have goose bumps.
Sorry
No-one would have believed, in the last years of the 19th century........etc
He certainly would have goose bumps.
Sorry
Nooooooooaaaaaahhhhh! It's one of them, a demon, just waiting for a sign from him, and now they're destroying our world!!!!!
I have just put a search into Spotify 'Under Milk Wood' . . . wow, it came up with the Burton version of 'Under Milk Wood', plus a whole load of other stuff:
David Copperfield, cast: Boris Karloff, Flora Robson and Richard Burton.
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, cast: John Neville, David More, Richard Burton, Ralph Richardson
The names of Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Peggy Ashcroft to name a few appear on various titles. Not every ones cup of tea, but a bit of culture on occasions does not go amiss.
I'm going to have a go at the Ancient Mariner to night.
CJSF
David Copperfield, cast: Boris Karloff, Flora Robson and Richard Burton.
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, cast: John Neville, David More, Richard Burton, Ralph Richardson
The names of Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Peggy Ashcroft to name a few appear on various titles. Not every ones cup of tea, but a bit of culture on occasions does not go amiss.
I'm going to have a go at the Ancient Mariner to night.
CJSF
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