crisp

Good lord, don't say that! I've ripped more than 22,000 files! I'm using XLD on a Macbook with an external disc drive. Widely recommended. Should be OK. It might just be my ears. The sound initially wasn't worse, it was just different. I'm happier with it now that JRiver has replaced Replay Gain with their own system. In fact I can't tell the difference.

OK, bad example

Cheers. It hasn't occurred to me that a DAC upgrade could also improve the sound, but I'll investigate it. There are so many little influences that I get overwhelmed -- I got into ripping, streaming and separates all in one go only this year. Initially I found lossless sounded fine on my system but a bit inferior to CD. I use JRiver and since it was upgraded from MC18 to 19 its much better, but of course it could have been the DAC that was lacking (I use an Arcam rlink). But we're getting way off topic -- this is the vinyl forum I'm crashing!

That's interesting Scott, thanks. I admit my only experience of MP3s was playing them through iTunes or on an iPod classic or shuffle up until about two years ago and even then only occasionally as they both sounded poor to me and were fatiguing. It wouldn't surprise me if they had improved, but I'm all CD and Flac now.

Don't tell that to our 78 listening crew. I'm sure they have some comments to make about that statement. Some of our members think 78s sound better than CDs? Oh well, I actually respect that if it's what they truly feel. FWIW I appreciate the allure vinyl has for some – the ritual, the paraphanalia, the nostalgia, the ambience, all make sense to me even though I don't partake. It's just that in this article I don't believe it – he's trying to show off his superiority as a connoisseur and parent but only displaying his ignorance. I mean – "£100 on an amp and speakers and a free turntable advertised by a friend on Facebook" and he's comparing it to an iPod? Clueless.

Yes I agree. It's odd that a singer with such a reputation for understanding the deeper meaning of lyrics should so dreadfully misunderstand this one. I wonder if Sinatra was letting his desire to come across as "naughty" (misogynous) and call women tramps and broads overcame his better instincts here.

My order's in.. Ha! A man after my own heart

Once again the comparison is between vinyl and MP3s. Of course vinyl sounds better! MP3s sound dreadful. If he compared a CD to a 78 he'd prefer the CD. I'm afraid it's just the usual middle-class posturing/youth ingratiating from The Guardian.

Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson. One of the first jazz CDs I bought, aged 19, as a blind buy because it had Bye Bye Blackbird on it and I already had (and liked) Peterson's second Cole Porter songbook. I remember being pleased that I recognised This Can't Be Love (probably from Round the Horne!). The Touch of Your Lips is probably my favourite track and the version of Wee Small Hours is just perfect. I've bought many many more albums with these artists since but this is the one that always heals and comforts – it's so warm.

Yes, and it's also a defiant song. The singer is saying "that's why everyone in the smart set thinks I'm a tramp", ie, because I haven't much money and prefer everyday simple activities to fashionable, sophisticated ones. "No got. So what?" Although the versions by Sinatra, Buddy Greco and other male singers swing superbly, the song doesn't suit a man at all. It comes across as, at best, nonsense, at worst misogynous. The scene when Sinatra sings it in Paul Joey to provoke a woman is especially embarrassing. And the attempts to update the lyrics are uniformly dreadful. I'm not surprised the OP was nonplussed by the versions he's heard.

Allow me: This exciting Vocalion release brings together the original soundtracks from three classic 1970s British soft-core sex films, each of which starred 1970s glamour-puss Fiona Richmond, the then girlfriend of self-proclaimed King of Soho, Paul Raymond. This X-rated trilogy was directed by library music legend James Clarke, the man responsible for some of the finest – and funkiest – compositions in the catalogues of publishers such as KPM, Amphonic Music and Bruton Music. The disc kicks off with James’s beautiful, colourful score for 1977’s ‘Hardcore’, which purported to tell the lascivious life story of Fiona Richmond. The music ranges from the most exquisite romantic orchestral material (Tale of Two Girls, Tricky Hand) to Fender Rhodes-laden jazzy funk (Heavy Keyboard, Fruity and On Stage), all performed by a star-studded line-up of British session musicians including Barry Morgan (drums), Herbie Flowers (bass guitar), Steve Gray (keyboards) and Tristan Fry (percussion). The disc is completed by various cues from Steve Gray’s hauntingly beautiful score for 1975’s ‘Exposé’, which also starred Udo Kier and Linda Hayden, and a suite of music drawn from James Clarke’s lush, orchestral score for 1977’s ‘Let’s Get Laid!’, which paired Fiona Richmond with sex comedy star Robin Askwith. This is the first time that any of this music has been commercially released, and all of it has been expertly remastered from the original analogue stereo tapes, for that trademark Vocalion crystal-clear sound. The accompanying booklet contains fascinating liner notes by James Clarke, as well as rare unseen photographs and original promotional material connected with the films. This came out when Vocalion was releasing lots of library music of the Seventies, a field in which James Clarke was a prolific composer. Although even I was surprised at this coming out. I can never quite get my head round Clarke, a composer of quite sensitive, romantic music, also directing these softcore sex and horror films. He seemed such a mild-mannered, rather posh old chap at the KPM Allstars event in Islington a couple of years ago. Expose was even among the list of films known as "video nasties" in Britain in the 1980s.

Winter sale at Vocalion's website.

One more for Christmas Eve: Away in a Manger, an instrumental on Top Drawer by Mel Torme and George Shearing.

Yes, please do count compilations. For me the purpose of this thread is to uncover rogue Xmas songs that might be hidden in one's collection.

Yes, it's sad that there seem to be so few newcomers to early 20th century jazz. The Chu Berry is a fantastic set.

The Edgar Wallace Anthology (20 discs) £41.34 at Amazon UK.

The Brownie I passed on for lack of funds as well. I was happy to get it via the Italians all these years later. Even earlier there was a complete Dinah Washington on Mercury, spread over several boxes and very expensive by late-Eighties, early Nineties standards. That would be good to see reissued. Then there was the Ella songbooks, which I did get, certainly for more than £100. Something else Universal Italy could do is a budget combo of Consecration and The Last Waltz as a Bill Evans final concerts box -- about 16 discs I think. I'd jump at that.

I remember it as one of the earliest big boxes, like the Charlie Parker on Verve, so for me it was too expensive at the time (early Nineties when I was a student). I passed on the Parker for the same reason. The first big box I got was probably Billie Holiday on Verve. It felt like a big outlay -- but it was worth it.

From Mosaic my wishes are the usual: Complete Sonny Stitt on Verve Complete Illinois Jacquet on Verve/Argo Complete Shorty Rogers on RCA Complete Fats Waller From Sony I'd like original album boxes of Andre Previn's jazz albums, live Dave Brubeck, the later Ellington Columbia albums and a budget reissue of the complete Ellington RCA box. Now that Capitol is owned by Universal I'd like sensibly organised complete and remastered sets of Frank Sinatra on Capitol and all of Peggy Lee. And if Universal Italy would do budget reissues of Roland Kirk on Mercury, complete Ella and Duke at the Cote d'Azure and Bud Powell on Verve I'd be very happy.

Christmas songs from two Spikes: Spike Milligan does I'm Walking Backwards For Christmas, Good King Eccleslas and Silent Night on Spike. Spike Jones does Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth and I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus on Greatest Hits.

Tony Bennett sings White Christmas on Bennett/Berlin.

The Eddie Cantor set The Columbia Years 1922-1940 (this one) has a lovely obscurity, The Only Thing I Want For Christmas (Is Just To Keep The Things That I've Got). Don't be put off by the title! Bing Crosby does When A Child Is Born on Beautiful Memories and Sleigh Ride on Seasons, both latterday albums in his career.

Sonny Rollins does Winter Wonderland on The Standard Sonny Rollins. It's on the complete RCA box of course. Nat King Cole did a remake of The Christmas Song on The Nat King Cole Story and Sammy Davis Jr did a version for his Torme tribute California Suite (reused on his Cole tribute The Nat King Cole Songbook). BTW did Torme make a fortune from The Christmas Song? It seems to be the most recorded modern seasonal song after White Christmas.

Also on Mosaic sets there is Gin for Christmas on the Lionel Hampton set, Everyday is Christmas by Joe Bushkin on Piano Moods and Santa Claus Blues on the Bob Brookmeyer select. Unfortunately none of them sounds at all Christmassy!

Just going through my collection looking for Christmas music on non-seasonal CDs and I've found The Christmas Song on both That's All by Mel Torme and Lover Man by Carmen McRae. The Torme also includes a Christmas song called One Little Snowflake. PS There are Christmas songs on some Mosaic sets. Condon Mob has Dixieland Band From Santa Claus Land and Prima/Manone has What will Santa Claus Say When he Finds Everybody Swinging. Of course there's the whole album Merry Old Soul on the Duke Pearson select.