David Ayers

Peter Stubley lists quite a few obscure items... I'd be interested to know how many/which ones of these you have and what they are like.

Um, my usual question I suppose.... can anyone post a list of these DMMs?

Those French issues have DMM=Direct Metal Mastering. See Wikipedia (!). So digital doesn't come into it! Most folks here dislike these, not me though. I remember when they first appeared and restored some pretty wonderful titles. Folks don't like the sound and they are now a bit sniffed at, but they were vivid enough for me at the time, I guess not 'authentic'. I'd say they are still a good source for certain titles that are scarce on CD and maybe only exist in older masterings.

Many many congratulations!

My first amp was a NAD that had a loudness button. I'm not sure whether it compressed or just boosted bass frequencies. Otherwise I am not aware of it though I have a now classic QUAD preamp with some functions that I've never been able to understand. Your point is a good one especially for those who have neighbors. So much modern orchestral music is mainly quiet but occasionally deafening. Depending on choices made by the engineers, authenticity in the reproduction can be pretty antisocial when cranked out through a 100W amp.

It isn't even necessary to like Shostakovich... but I find I am quite engaged by his oeuvre despite Boulezian reservations, and maybe because of an engagement with Soviet history. In thinking about Shostakovich you have to truly get past the forged Testimony (still uncritically quoted and relied on by music hacks) and really engage the music. I started the thread because I am currently listening to No. 7 rather a lot. I used to have this down as a cinematic score but now find a great deal in it, despite the supposed simplicity which caused a backlash against it in the postwar period. I guess I used to favor 4 (more adventurous, I thought) and 8 (more chillingly 'real', I thought) and I guess 13, 14 and recently 15 (most meaningful and autobiographical, I tended to think) but perhaps surprisingly I am finding the Leningrad is settling down at the center for me. One thing is I am quite interested in the question of public music, and as 'engaged' music which still seems to speak on its own terms no. 7 seems to me about as far as you can go in this regard (by nature of its occasion as well as its realization). I'd be interested to hear from others on your navigation of this symphony cycle. (oh and to repeat the point I'd like us if possible to stay away from discussion of particular performances or recordings, both because I am interested in hearing about the actual works, and because I regard actual performances as subordinate to the works)

You win...

Turning back to the 'bad news', I am glad to learn that some of the 'backordered' sets are soon to reappear. It was a shame that the Young/Basie was unavailable for so long, it seems pretty key and a surefire seller. I'll be picking up one or three of these sets the moment they are back.

MO-NO BOX! MO-NO BOX! MO-NO BOX! Er, sorry what was the question again? *Sigh* I have a four week wait for the MO-NO BOX! 'Money don't get everything, it's true What it don't get I can't use....' Swee-eet!! "Now gimme M-O-O-O-NO. That's what I want (That's what I want.) That's what I waaa-aaa-nt, oh yeah. That's what I want!" swee-eet!

MO-NO BOX! MO-NO BOX! MO-NO BOX! Er, sorry what was the question again? *Sigh* I have a four week wait for the MO-NO BOX! 'Money don't get everything, it's true What it don't get I can't use....' Swee-eet!!

MO-NO BOX! MO-NO BOX! MO-NO BOX! Er, sorry what was the question again?

"It won't be long (yeah yeah yeah yeah) it won't be lo-o-ong (yeah etc)" It's a sweet thing and worth the wait!

Good point. As an LP that one is a dud.

I was something of a Fall fan in the late 80s/early 90s. I too sold all my records. Now, if I hear any Fall on the radio, I can't decide whether Mark E Smith was really shit, or the kind of genius/madman NME would have one believe. I still think he's pretty good, though whether I need to be hearing the albums is another matter. I was consideing revisiting it all via the Peel box which is very cheap on UK amazon...

I think/thought that the Birdland 62 material was the basis of a Le Jazz CD. The new release seems to be claiming to be more complete (8 tracks as opposed to 4 or 6). I didn't check this out thoroughly but I think basically that some but not all of this material was on the Le Jazz CD. The Milan stuff I don't know about.

Thanks, Big Al! Not that I even like these RVGs, but, uh, a man's gotta have a list, right...?

I wonder how many CDs this will be? I own it (or in the case of the columbias, sold it) all except the unreleased stuff so will pass. Probably the Braxton has been successful (perhaps surprisingly), warranting this release. If this leads to more 'avant-garde' issues, perhaps of less common material, then I'm all for it.

My collection of Fall LPs and 12" would probably not have many takers on the board. They don't count though as I sold them... (by the way, *never* sell, give away, trash or otherwise dispose of a 12" - they are very hard to replace!)

Because there are now so many deletions, we really do need a full text list, so let's hope somebody has got one...

You fixed your internet just to tell us this? Welcome back!!

Just returning to the topic of bad news for Mosaic (uh, rather than bad news for us ), I was looking at the Mosaic website and just realized how much of their product range has suffered because of this. Once the running low/last chance Selects have gone there will be 20 of the original 35 available. It's a big dent, they must be gutted (as we say).

Just mono it out with a Y cord. Wait 'til I tell you about the set-up I've created to rechannel my monos as fake stereo. With added reverb!

I'll be pleasantly surprised if mine ever arrives... Oh, finally it's here! Got a bit of catching up to do ...

I'll be pleasantly surprised if mine ever arrives...