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Hi Jim,Jim-W said:'Countdown To Ecstasy' is full of great songs.'Razor Boy' is lovely, but my favourite is 'Pearl Of The Quarter.' It's the ambiguity: is he a dumb schmuck or tender and understanding? Or, maybe like most of us, both. either way, it's hard to beat a song about falling for a hooker with a steel guitar accompaniment.
Hi Charlie. I'm not really sure what you want me to help you with! If I don't answer your question, let me know. I'll just ramble on. Well, Coltrane originals are expensive and the prices are rising. The 60's stuff on Impulse! commands big money but the 50's Atlantics do too. However, they've been repressed so often that just getting a Coltrane LP shouldn't pose much of a problem. I would imagine the best-known titles, 'A love Supreme', 'My Favourite Things', 'Coltrane Live At The Village Vanguard, 'Giant Steps' etc are all available on new pressings but I haven't checked recently. The sound quality of reissues is fine if some of mine are anything to go by.Charlie Jefferson said:Hi Jim,Jim-W said:'Countdown To Ecstasy' is full of great songs.'Razor Boy' is lovely, but my favourite is 'Pearl Of The Quarter.' It's the ambiguity: is he a dumb schmuck or tender and understanding? Or, maybe like most of us, both. either way, it's hard to beat a song about falling for a hooker with a steel guitar accompaniment.
I need to tap into your jazz knowledge, well specifically your Coltrane brain. Over the weekend my father in law and I listened to many great tracks/albums from our joint collections on CD (predominantly his, a few mine) and Spotify, namely: Giant Steps, Love Supreme, Africa/Brass and a stack of live recordings some boots, some legit releases, plus well-lnown Mingus and Coleman albums. I'd love some of these on vinyl.
The question is do I apply the same logic to buying such albums as I would to buying say, Dylan and Zappa? As in, with these guys I know what an original or fairly contemporaneous issue looks like and can then compare in price (and SQ) to the more recent re-issues. My main priority with Coltrane and co would be, sound quality. Unlike Zappa and Bob I don't think I'm going to fixate on original pressings.
Hope that makes sense.
(All my father-in-laws vast vinyl collection is pianists, no one else gets a look in!)
That honour goes to Add N to X for me, everyone was putting in ear plugs before they came on, young people, and then I realised why. I had to leave after 2 songs, it was physically painful, and nauseating.DIB said:![]()
... possibly the loudest band I've ever seen live BITD.
Brilliant pop album, not a bad track on it, imo. Brings back lots of memories...ifor said:Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John (hoping this one isn't faulty like the first; so far so good)
Well, 'Trane said his tenure with Ellington taught him a lot but it is, In comparison with his later stuff, fairly straightforward. I find reeecommending jazz very difficult because you seem to know what somebody likes when it comes to pop music but jazz is, I dunno,more personal somehow.Charlie Jefferson said:Hi Jim,
You have answered my question most interestingly and thoroughly. I love a bit of insider label info and will seek out those UK issues, but more than likely plump for re-issues in the main.
Other than the releases you mention, most of which I own or can access via my f-i-l, which albums would you recommend of JC and maybe others.
Broadly speaking I prefer the harder edge of Giant Steps and Coleman's Something Else (?) to the Ellington/Coltrane LP (can't remember the title) that my father in law played me yesterday. The latter was, to my ears. more comventional sounding, whereas I like the "fireworks going off in all directions" sounds. (Don't think I will quiite cut it as a jazz critic but hopefully you can get a sense of what I mean).
Liked your Steely Dan paean. I feel another thread coming on.
No, Freddy, please stay. I want you to stay. You're a source of endless amusement.Freddy58 said:I'm not too keen on Jazz, sorry. I just don't 'get' the 'sheets of sound' thing. Just sounds like a mass of notes to me. Should I get my coat?![]()
Charlie is your man, Marvin. There's loads on youtube, thogh. I enjoyed flicking through their stuff, but each album is very different. Quality records.Marvindodgers said:There seems to be a lot of support for My Morning Jacket on this forum. They are not a band I know at all. I was wondering if there are any suggestions for a start point to give them a listen?
Well, at least that makes me usefulJim-W said:No, Freddy, please stay. I want you to stay. You're a source of endless amusement.Freddy58 said:I'm not too keen on Jazz, sorry. I just don't 'get' the 'sheets of sound' thing. Just sounds like a mass of notes to me. Should I get my coat?![]()
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It's not about being clever. It's about educating yourself by listening to new things. Jazz is often very soulful and beautiful, Freddy. It's not all honking and bleating.Freddy58 said:Well, at least that makes me usefulJim-W said:No, Freddy, please stay. I want you to stay. You're a source of endless amusement.Freddy58 said:I'm not too keen on Jazz, sorry. I just don't 'get' the 'sheets of sound' thing. Just sounds like a mass of notes to me. Should I get my coat?![]()
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I guess I'm just not clever enough to appreciate it, my bad.
Oh, you have 'Blues And The Abstract Truth; Brilliant. Yes, it's a great record.Charlie Jefferson said:Hi Jim,
Thanks for your guide to buying Coltrane and others. I've created a list from your recommendations, nearly all bar a few will be new listens for me. Exciting stuff. I'll do the Spotify thing first with most and then take a chance on the re-issued vinyl, where available.
Other than my father-in-law my only other non-internet jazz contact is a friend I only see once a year who lives in Berlin. He's got stacks and stacks of jazz and other totally out there music. About ten years ago he copied a big pile of Coltrane, Sun Ra, Monk, Art Ensemble Of Chicago LPs for me but I mislaid them en route back to England. (Never had the heart to tell him). I recognise some/most of the titles in your post from his collection too.
Thanks for the list of other artists, I only have the Oliver Nelson album on CD (a gift from my father-in-law), and I love it, the rest are also new to me.
I have phases of craving non-vocal music, and your list will give me plenty to go at in that sense. My Dad has just given me an immense CD box of Shostakovich's string quartets, so I'm looking forward to the upcoming fortnight's holiday to dive into both genres.
Hiya Jim. Thing is, I'm a big fan of melody, and with Jazz, with my limited musical vocabluary, I just don't hear any (melody).Jim-W said:It's not about being clever. It's about educating yourself by listening to new things. Jazz is often very soulful and beautiful, Freddy. It's not all honking and bleating.Freddy58 said:Well, at least that makes me usefulJim-W said:No, Freddy, please stay. I want you to stay. You're a source of endless amusement.Freddy58 said:I'm not too keen on Jazz, sorry. I just don't 'get' the 'sheets of sound' thing. Just sounds like a mass of notes to me. Should I get my coat?![]()
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I guess I'm just not clever enough to appreciate it, my bad.
Marvindodgers said:There seems to be a lot of support for My Morning Jacket on this forum. They are not a band I know at all. I was wondering if there are any suggestions for a start point to give them a listen?
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Hi Marvin,
My Morning Jacket are a wonderful, wonderful band. I'll do my best to précis their manifold charms and triumphs over each album, to date. Here goes:
1) The Tennessee Fire - their debut. Reminds me a little of The Baptist Generals, if you know their stuff. As a debut it gives few clues of what will come next but does include several country-styled lo-fi, scratchy tunes. Beautiful and unrefined. Perhaps more emphasis on the latter word. Plus, their drummer at the time couldn't really drum. And it all sounds like it's recorded in a well-mic-ed shoe box.
2) At Dawn - their first masterpiece. Not a bit like the first album really. Expansive, rolling soundscapes all drenched in a silo-recorded reverb. Which might not make for an audiophile listen but makes for a heartbreaking set of songs. The first true manifestation of Jim James' voice, guitar-playing and songwriting. Key songs: The Way That He Sings & Stangulation. It's a long album. Loads of detours, not much concision.
3) It Still Moves - more polished but they lose nothing of their allure. Big, occasional Grateful Dead-esque guitar pieces nestle alongside folksy, homespun acoustic numbers. And once again the reverb-drenched voice works wonders.
4) Z - another masterpiece. But this time over 45 minutes, their shortest and most accessible album. Soulful vocals (he dropped the reverb), dextrous drumming and twin guitar attack on many songs. Includes the transcendent studio take of Dondante. Lay Low, Anytime and Off The Record are songs I can't live without. It rocks. In a blues-jam yet controlled manner.
5) Evil Urges - back to a longer running time. More experimental, in places. Funky, drum-machines, yet almost proggy in places. Still loads of gentle acoustic, poppy numbers alongside the sprawling mass of sounds. Also includes some of their rawest garage rock. It's all over the place, in a good way.
6) Circuital - not quite as good as Z, but in similar vein. Shorter running time, one or two immortal and quieter moments. Lacks the elongated Neil Young guitar meditations I love but does include Holding On To Black Metal and Victory Dance, two very different takes on rock-atmospherics.
New studio LP is due this year.
They have one highly recommended live LP, Okonokos which goes upto and includes songs from Fire to Z. It's a fantastically recorded live LP and does Justice to their live act. It captures their many aspects and manages to add something to the already great studio versions. There are many, many live downaloads of whole shows on their official site. For me, they are all worth having but I'm probably just a bit much of an obsessive to say otherwise.
Hope that gives some idea of where to start.