J.A.W.

The fact that some titles were remastered for SHM release doesn't mean that SHM (not SMH) is a mastering tool; it isn't, as I said it's a manufacturing process.

I'm not saying that this is the case here, but some people seem to think that SHM does have something to do with mastering. It doesn't; SHM, like XRCD, is a manufacturing process, nothing else. I had quite a few 24-bit UCCI CDs and hated them; to my ears they sounded pumped-up and harsh, with boosted highs/lows. Got rid of the ones I could get other versions of.

I take it MDT, Crochet and Presto are classical music download sites. Do they all provide sleeve notes? Could you post links, please, as I've never heard of these firms? MG MDT, Crotchet and Presto Classical are CD stores that can easily be found on the internet: http://www.mdt.co.uk/ http://www.crotchet.co.uk/ http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/ Europadisc and Classics Direct are also recommended; their prices are often a bit lower: http://europadisc.co.uk/ http://www.classicsdirect.co.uk/ In many cases Amazon U.K. or third-party sellers on Amazon are cheaper than all of those: http://www.amazon.co.uk/ Thank you, but which ones can I rely on to include sleeve notes like Hyperion do? MG What do you mean? As I said they sell CDs, including sleeve notes on the inserts where available. Sorry, I'm not buying much in the way of CDs now, because I'm almost out of space; just downloads. I thought I asked which firms did downloads and which of those gave you sleeve notes. I may have phrased it badly, though. MG Can't help you there, I don't "do" downloads.

They adhere to the order of the 12 inch LPs (plus liner notes, artwork), I believe. The bonus cuts make this the complete sessions. So apart from any bonus tracks they're the same mishmash as the original 12" LPs. If I remember correctly (sold them a long time ago) even the RVGs had the tracks in recorded order. I prefer it that way.

I take it MDT, Crochet and Presto are classical music download sites. Do they all provide sleeve notes? Could you post links, please, as I've never heard of these firms? MG MDT, Crotchet and Presto Classical are CD stores that can easily be found on the internet: http://www.mdt.co.uk/ http://www.crotchet.co.uk/ http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/ Europadisc and Classics Direct are also recommended; their prices are often a bit lower: http://europadisc.co.uk/ http://www.classicsdirect.co.uk/ In many cases Amazon U.K. or third-party sellers on Amazon are cheaper than all of those: http://www.amazon.co.uk/ Thank you, but which ones can I rely on to include sleeve notes like Hyperion do? MG What do you mean? As I said they sell CDs, including sleeve notes on the inserts where available.

I don't know if this has been discussed before, but unlike the original albums the early McMaster versions of the Thelonious Monk/Milt Jackson Blue Notes had the tracks in recorded order. Same goes for the J.J. Johnson McMasters and Hank Mobley's early Straight No Filter, No Room for Squares (Hoffman's AP remaster followed the album sequence) and The Turnaround McMasters. How are these TYCJ reissues in that respect (as far as they've been released, of course)?

I was asking a simple question about the current "no politics" criteria on this board, in a thread I posted. If you see it as "unyieldingly riding a principle", fine; I couldn't care less about that and neither about your implicit and rather insulting suggestion about my apparent lack of common sense. I'll ignore your future posts.

Given who Seeger was, that seems close to unavoidable. I understand that, of course, but I was given the impression that political discussions are no longer allowed here since the removal of the dedicated forum. I know, but let's try to be commonsensical in this case -- both those who are praising Seeger here and those who have doubts are for the most part acknowledging that the man's music and its impact were significantly political (as you say). I'd say pull the shades down when the discussion is no longer directly linked to what Seeger himself did or didn't do. What if people are getting into a political fight about what he himself did or didn't say/do? I don't see the difference.

I didn't know political discussions are allowed as long as they are about historical events/actions/statements of a political nature. Interesting. And where does one draw the time line? Seriously, I think distinctions like those are highly arbitrary and difficult if not impossible to maintain.

Given who Seeger was, that seems close to unavoidable. I understand that, of course, but I was given the impression that political discussions are no longer allowed here since the removal of the dedicated forum.

This seems to be turning into a political topic...

I hope not; just checked my "saved for later" lists on the various Amazon sites and they contain hundreds of items... Time for some sorting and deleting, I guess

I take it MDT, Crochet and Presto are classical music download sites. Do they all provide sleeve notes? Could you post links, please, as I've never heard of these firms? MG MDT, Crotchet and Presto Classical are CD stores that can easily be found on the internet: http://www.mdt.co.uk/ http://www.crotchet.co.uk/ http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/ Europadisc and Classics Direct are also recommended; their prices are often a bit lower: http://europadisc.co.uk/ http://www.classicsdirect.co.uk/ In many cases Amazon U.K. or third-party sellers on Amazon are cheaper than all of those: http://www.amazon.co.uk/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/pete-seeger-legendary-folk-singer-dies-at-94/2014/01/28/36faeec0-c5dc-11df-94e1-c5afa35a9e59_story.html http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/arts/music/pete-seeger-songwriter-and-champion-of-folk-music-dies-at-94.html?emc=edit_na_20140128&_r=0

I paid about 2.80 euros per CD all-in, which is not that expensive.

Just opened the Szell box and it looks very nice. It seems all recordings were remastered, using the DSD process. An 87-page CD-sized booklet with a discography in English and a text in both Korean and English is included. The 49 CDs are housed in rice paper sleeves in mini-LP jackets. Haven't listened to anything yet.

I've seen that listing on Amazon Italy, it's indeed the lowest price I could find, but still pretty steep. The Fleisher Mozart Concerto No.25 is included, but as far as I could see not his Beethoven and Brahms concerti. Tracklisting: http://www.goodwinshighend.com/music/classical/Szell/George%20Szell%2049%20CD%20Box%20Set.htm I ordered the Szell box from ImportCDs (http://www.importcds.com/music/2611222/george-szell-edition) and got it for a total of 137 euros including shipping, tax (VAT) and customs handling charge. Still a lot of money, but I couldn't resist.

For what it's worth, I did a comparison between the Japanese CD reissue from 1999 (TOCJ-62026) of Dexter Gordon's Daddy Plays the Horn and the recent American reissue. The latter won on all counts; the Japanese CD has pumped-up highs and lows and is louder than the American CD, which sounds more natural to me and is much easier on the (my) ears. I haven't heard the recent Japanese reissue.

I'm old enough to have experienced the Beatles (and the Rolling Stones, for that matter) when their first Parlophone 45 ("Love Me Do") hit the charts in the U.K. in 1962. I didn't really warm to them in the beginning (the Stones were my favourites, as a 1940s/1950s R&B fan I thought they were more "authentic") but gradually I began to appreciate their output, from Beatles for Sale onwards. I got the mono set when it came out in 2009 and like most of it, although the first two albums (U.K. versions, of course), Please, Please Me and With the Beatles, still don't quite do it for me - neither do The Beatles (AKA The White Album), Let It Be and Abbey Road, by the way; to my ears those are albums of a group in decline.

1,800 yen per title? that's all relative, isn't it? I was just kidding, hence the smiley...

Individually for 11,340 yen (about $110)? That's a bit steep, isn't it

You mean this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-1955-1957-Jackie-McLean/dp/B000O59YU8/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1390491960&sr=1-2&keywords=jackie+mclean? You're aware that this is a European public-domain release and that the label did not have access to the original masters? They most likely sourced the material from existing CDs.

No. As I said I was just speculating. At the moment there's no reason whatsoever to assume there will be a CD release.

That is only really two CDs worth, so I wonder if that amounts to a set, or whether there is other material that might make up further discs. I didn't check how much material there is, it was just a thought. Maybe they'll do a 2CD-set, maybe they'll do nothing.

Café Zimmermann are indeed excellent. Their (J.S.) Bach set is great.