Big Al

Surprised no one's jumped on that Rollins box. That's a helluva price.

So many one-liners, so little time.....

I've missed them both times they were in Dallas for the last two albums, and have been kicking myself every time. I just need to get over this notion that someone has to go with me to see them and just go see them myself.

Bringing this back up because this is easily my favorite album of 2006, new album or reissue, bar none, not even knowing what else is coming out this year. This is the first album since DAYDREAM NATION that I can listen to all the way through without skipping over any tracks, and that is for one clear reason: Kim Gordon actually SINGS on this album, and DAMN what a sultry voice she has! She put it to good use on NURSE’s “Dude Ranch Nurse” and “I Love You Golden Blue,” but even that record had her screeching that I always skip over. Not here. Every one of her songs is sung in a breathless sexiness that belies her age (can you believe she’s in her 50’s? I don’t believe it either!). I know a lot of SY purists are bitching about this album that it doesn’t have a lot of feedback, no extended jams, no Kim screaming, yak yak yak. This is a band that is aging more than gracefully, try majestically; why should they do the same thing they did 20 years ago? Sure there’s no 20-minute drone like “Diamond Sea” (fine by me, btw), but “Pink Steam” goes for about five minutes before the words come in. “Or” is cryptically hypnotic in a Velvet Underground way, as is “Do You Believe in Rapture.” “Sleepin’ Around” is just VICIOUS. Would that all bands that have been around this long still had this kind of intensity and integrity.

Also Sonic Youth RATHER RIPPED which, IMHO, is their best album since DAYDREAM NATION. There've been lots of great albums since then, but not a one of them was as strong start-to-finish like RR.

Numnutz..... Haven't heard that in a LONG time! However, speaking of numnutzes.....

I've got this session on the Mosaic, and I agree with everything you said. "Jorgie's" was the soundclip on the Mosaic site that sold me on this set.

Big deal!

They sure have been having a lot of server problems lately.

No Blakey version?????? My favorite, Blakey or otherwise, is the Blakey version on the RCA album of the same name, with Jackie Mclean setting the world on fire with his alto.

I sent an e-mail to the local Jock Talk show (Galloway & Co., ESPN 103.3) stating the above and they actually read it and said I made a good point.

Where would you like them to go? North Dakota works for me. I hear Fargo needs a minor league team. That's mean. No kidding! North Dakota deserves better than that!

Where would you like them to go?

1 down, 15 to go. Parcells doesn't even give a damn anymore, sticking with an injured Bledsoe to throw him right out of the game. Hell, at this point, I wouldn't be surprised to find that Parcells is sabotaging (sp?) the team as one last act of defiance against Satan Jones before going out in a blaze of glory at the end of the season. Aggie, I used to root for the Cowboys, but bringing TO into the mix was the last straw. That and watching as the Cowboy "organization" (as well as my city) kick people outta houses they've lived in for 50+ years so that Jones could build his monument to self-glorififcation and idolatry. Every time I drive by that area (which is by where I work), my blookd boils. THAT is why I hope the Cows crash and burn this year, and why I believe that when Jones eventually dies, Satan will finally be out of a job.

Man, the mail sure is fast in these parts! I only sent it out on Friday!

yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyup!!!

There's a used copy of this set sitting at the Half-Price Books on S. Cooper St. in Arlington. Been there for a while. I'm surprised no one's picked it up.

Oh, believe me: I'm no expert. Just reporting what I heard is all! Also, I should clarify that what I did was make a combination needle-drop/CD-burn, consisting of tracks from the Freberg LP and the Freberg CD. Played back-to-back on the same disc, the needle-dropped tracks sound better than the tracks burned from the CD.

Well, let's see: Turntable: Technics SL-220. No idea about the cartridge; perhaps Greg can chime in with what kind it is. Speakers: Philips. They came with the stereo in the living room which the Bose speakers are hooked up to. Amp: Technics SA-110. Bought it at a pawn shop for $18. The CD player I was listening to was the one in the car, which is a JVC running through some Pioneer speakers.

So I recently acquired a record player from slide advantage redoux (aka Greg), haven't had a record player for about five years now, and I am like a little kid all over again. Sitting there watching the record spin around was a favorite pastime when I was a kid, and the magic is still there after all these years! And the sound! Greg, I don't know what kind of cartridge you put on this thing, but it's making my old scratchy LPs sound good as new. Almost, anyway, but still grand! Now I'm making needle-drops like crazy, and I never realized the difference between LPs and CDs until I made a CDR of a Stan Freberg LP and combined those tracks with tracks from a Stan Freberg CD. My goodness, the LP blows the CD outta the water! The LP tracks are fuller, rounder, more dynamic; the CD tracks are tinny, hyper-compressed, and seriously lacking in dynamic range. Also made a needle-drop of a Fats Waller record that I never saw on CD. Transferring it to CD and tweaking the audio here&there has caused this album to sound brand new all over again. In fact, IMHO, if you listen carefully, you can barely tell it's a needle-drop! Now I know what all the fuss is about! And yes, I'm having a wonderful time! Oh yes, HUGE HUGE props to Chuck Nessa & Uncle Skid for hipping me to INPort. THAT was well worth the money spent!

Can we start calling you that around here?

Well, he'd better change his mind, or else... or else I'll end up buying Natural Essence without those bonus tracks! That'll teach him! I got Natural Essence recently and can't see what the fuss is about, not bad but not great .... Agree completely.

Side topic: if it was you, which professional celebrity/whatever would you have tell your story? I'd wish for Jackie McLean to tell my story thru the magic of his alto sax.

Haven't seen the Charo one. Gotta agree that the gecko is starting to wear very thin. My favorite is the one with professional movie announcer. THAT one cracks me up!

I own this wonderful set, and this oughta be a great show!