crisp

I'm not into soundtracks either (they can be awfully repetitive), but I make certain exceptions and this would be one. Would it help your decision to know that (a) these are studio album sessions based on the score and not actual soundtracks and (b) these are all of Mancini's Sony-owned soundtrack albums?

The show has declined very badly. Like the BBC, sadly.

Nor me. But it wasn't just the unfunniness. There was something about his whole manner that made my hackles rise. Smug, pompous, "wise"; he's a "community leader" type. Never thought he'd be anything worse than that, though.

Henry Mancini: The Classic Soundtrack Collection £23.99 (9 discs) at Amazon UK. Johnny Mathis: The Complete Global Albums Collection £31.99 (13 discs) at Amazon UK.

I liked London Fields quite a bit. Hope to reread it someday. I also thought Amis' Money was good. I wasn't as crazy about Other People. I thought it was borrowing too obviously from A Clockwork Orange. I'm reading his latest, The Zone of Interest, right now. So far it's quite brilliant -- and very brave. I didn't like his earlier Holocaust novel, Time's Arrow. This is spot on, although it's naturally upsetting at times (justifiably so). I think Amis is on a roll at the moment. His last two novels, Lionel Asbo and The Pregnant Widow, were both very good. I've read most of his work and would say my favourites are (in this order) Yellow Dog, Money and Dead Babies. The others I've read (most of them, including London Fields) I haven't much liked.

Heads up: Decca Sound The Mono Years box, 53 CDs.

Good stuff. I agree with you on sound. I tend to go with the consensus.

Oddly disc 6 of the Farlow is the only disc of any Mosaic that wouldn't rip for me. I tried two MacBooks and two disc drives and ended up ripping the Elite instead. I've never noticed the distortion.

Thanks all. And please don't read anything significant into "significant". I just meant is this a solidly curated set rather than a random selection from the top of the pile.

Thanks both of you. I'm clueless about blues TBH. Would I be right in thinking the music itself is significant?

The Roots N Blues set is now £30.73 at Amazon. I'm still on the fence. Anyone care to push me off?

Sorry, yes, I meant it includes composer and publisher credits, but neither dates of recording, nor personnel. F I suppose that's something. Still pretty sloppy though.

Not even composer credits?

Yes, there were the highly regarded JRT Davies & Ted Kendall years then it all went pear-shaped. I was never impressed with the haphazard annotation even in the so-called golden days, though. But then I am unusually fussy.

Discussed in 2004 and see Scott Wenzel's Amazon review here.

JSP was one of the well-thought-of PD labels until a certain legal issue with Mosaic.

A "new" release: Roots and Blues 20 CD boxed set is £42.01 at Amazon UK. I recall this series when it was originally released but wasn't ready to explore blues at the time. Did anyone here collect the original releases? Would you recommend this box? is the sound Cedared to death? The artists certainly sound good and it is a legit release. Thanks in advance!

Yes, but will that include the kind of music we like or just X Factor and rock/pop reissues? Or a poorly presented mishmash like Spotify? If it went beyond even what companies like Mosaic could offer I'd be enthusiastic, but until then I'll stick with my existing collection.

I would too. *IF* the "legitimate" sources would get up off their lazy asses and release them. I will only wait so long. The PD releases arguably discourage legit releases. I sense that people like us who care about sources and mastering are in a minority. I agree that the waiting game is painful.

No relation to Real Gone Music.

James Gavin's new bio might shed some light on this: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Is-That-All-There-Is/James-Gavin/9781451641684

He re-recorded it for his last studio project Duets II, with Neil Diamond subsequently spliced in.

Much good music but also considerable chaff amongst the wheat. This set is a warts and more warts approach to Bud. It needed braver editorial decisions. Sometimes less really is more. Just got round to listening to this. I know that by chaff Clunky meant substandard music but for me this is one time when a set has been completely ruined by studio babble at the start or end of almost every track. It's impossible to get involved in the playing when you know "take one, speed" or similar will be droned afterwards. So glad I didn't pay big money for this back when it was originally released.

I think Courtney Pine rejected one or both but the web page doesn't say http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/desert-island-discs/castaway/b895ca65 I remembered that Anna Ford refused a religious text and from that found that the site has "religious text: none taken" on her page. So googling that brings me Ford plus Phil Redmond, Ken Russell and Dustin Hoffman. Not infallible, of course, so a listen to Pine's episode might be the only way to confirm.

Or BBC values c1942... In fact you can reject either and some have done so. Plus an alternative religious text is available to people of non-Christian faiths.