Norm

For those more familiar with The Clash's catalog, I'm wondering if you would say that the band underwent a significant transition during a relatively short period. You see, I'm only familiar with them through two "greatest hits" double-albums -- The Story of the Clash (1990) and The Essential Clash (2003) -- plus the regular release, London Calling. The sound on my just-acquired copy of The Essential Clash is fantastic, and I'm noticing all kinds of cools stuff that did not register after years of listening to The Story of the Clash (I mean there's so much more there it gives me the impression of being remixed, not just remastered). But Essential also gives a much broader representation of their work than Story. So, here's my question. The very earliest songs on Essential seem to have a real punk punch to them, but by the time you get to disc 2 with songs like "The Magnificent Seven" and "This is Radio Clash" things really schwing; I mean it just seems like such a break from the stuff which couldn't have been more than 3 years earlier. So, I'm wondering if what I've heard is an anomaly or if they really underwent a major transition over a relatively abbreviated stretch of time.

Not that it matters, but just wondering if "personal matters" is code for "drug problems" in this case. Only asking because several people have brought it up tangentially.

be aware that walkin' does not belong into this series, it has a rhythm section of horace silver, pery heath and kenny clarke and different horn sections including the great lucky thompson and dave schildkraut... if you don't have it, miles' round midnight on columbia, also with the first quintet, is one to get... and there is of course an endless list of worthy dates featuring philly joe jones... e.g. the early coltrane albums with garland/chambers/jones... Thanks, Niko. I had just assumed Walkin' used the same personnel because of the one-word album title and use of an the apostraphe for "g" on the end. Thanks for the heads up. Yes, I picked up the Sony Legacy 2-disc edition of Round Midnight (2005) a little while back and love it. I guess I've probably heard a decent amount of stuff with Philly Joe Jones, but had never paid attention before. You mentioned those dates with Trane, Garland and Chambers...I'm assuming that most if not all are captured on the recently-released Side Steps compilation. I'm going to have to pay more attention to rhythm section as I listen to the relevant selections. That drumming on "Salt Peanuts" is just out of sight.

I just put The Miles Davis Quintet's Steamin' in after a long hiatus. When I hit track 2, "Salt Peanuts," I was totally blown away by the drum solo. Having heard Blakey's version of "Night in Tunisia" and "Drum Thunder" I thought for sure it must be him, only to look it up and discover this is Philly Joe Jones. Not only powerful and loud but extremely intricate and innovative. Holy Mackeral, that sounds good! Also, nice piano work on this album by Red Garland. It appears that I totally underestimated this album before. I've picked up Cookin', Steamin' and Relaxin' so I guess I should just go ahead and get Walkin' and Workin' ...doesn't seem like you can do wrong with these early Miles dates.

Regarding Dylan's more contemporary recordings, I like Modern Times... a lot. In fact, I think it was one of the better CDs to come out in 2006. However, I'm not as big a fan of Time Out Of Mind, even though that album seem to have won a fair amount of critical acclaim when it was released in 1997. Just seems a little too dark for me, or maybe I need more listening time with it. Anyway, I've not heard Love & Theft. Does the Love & Theft seem closer in style and sound to Modern Times or Time of out Mind, or neither?

Well, its four years later and rumors about the release of Wish You Were Here in SACD format have been swirling ever since, but I've just read something that seems to suggest with some degree of credibility that it will indeed be re-issued in this format soon: http://puresuperaudio.blogspot.com/2009/11...nniversary.html Hopefully they'll do as good a job with this as they did with the DSOTM SACD.

Awesome. Just ordered Bringing it All Back Home from Amazon. Before hitting submit, I looked over the track listing and noticed that "Maggie's Farm" and "Mr. Tambourine Man" are both on there. Oh, this bodes well. Those were probably my two favorite clips from "No Direction Home." As you know, today was one of those magical fall days in SoCal....perfect temp and a stillness about the city that one rarely finds. I listened to Blood on the Tapes as I biked to Santa Monica Library in the middle of the afternoon and was totally in the zone, Honestly, I don't think anything could have sounded better. I was indeed tangled up the blue skies and all kinds of thoughts thanks to Bob. What a fine blend of music and lyric. I feel like I'm on the precipice to a major musical journey here...thanks again for the suggestions. I'm sure I'll follow the order you laid out..

This may generate some repeat suggestions, but assuming that Blood on the Tracks is my favorite of what I've heard so far (which doesn't extend much beyond Highway 61 Revisited!, Blonde on Blonde, and a live 1964 double-disc) , is there anything I should look into? Farther up thread, a number of people chimed in to suggest the "Blood on the Tapes" alternate sessions which I did find on the internet and have been enjoying. I keep seeing The Basement Tapes...is this title synonymous with "Blood on the Tapes" (NY recordings) or is the former a larger project that includes the latter? Anyway, if Dylan produced any similar material before moving on to the next phase (was it gospel?) please let me know. As an aside, ever since joining this forum, I have found it pretty cool that it is not uncommon for Thelonious Monk fanatics to be Bob Dylan fanatics as well. I would never have made the connection previously, but it makes quite a bit of sense. And, yes, Amoeba rocks!

Yes, pretty much in 65, when he played an electric set at the Newport Folk Festival a few weeks before the release of Highway 61 Revisited. But he could be heard dabbling in electric in '64 on Bringing It All Back Home and period outtakes. The UK shows with the Hawks, where Dylan was booed and called, "Judas," were in Spring of '66. There was no "folk-rock" until Dylan plugged in. Period. Yes, it took the Folk world by storm in that Dylan's main fan base wanted to claim Bob completely for their own. He was their figurehead artist—and the first one to elevate "folk" music to a level of artistry previously unreached. To his existing fan base at the time, Dylan playing rock-and-roll was akin to being a traitor and seen as an abandonment of the audience that "made" him. Furthermore, many were of the opinion that he was catering to a sophomoric pop audience and hence, selling out. Of course, history and hindsight has shown that Dylan changed Rock as much as he did Folk music previously. This theme would continue to be reprized in Dylan's career; first with his dip into Country music in the late-60's; again, inventing a whole sub genre, "Country Rock" single-handedly and practically overnight. He would "abandon" his audience again in the late 70's, when he became Born Again and again changed Gospel music forever, before once again, moving on. Blood on the Tracks was received as a huge comeback album when it was released in 1974, and his strongest released material since the his infamous motorcycle crash mid-60s, that is, the period culminating with Blonde On Blonde. Very few knew at the time, that the period immediately after the motorcycle crash, while Dylan was in recluse, he was actually going through the most prolific period of songwriting he would ever enjoy, jamming with the Band in the basement of a "Big Pink" house in West Saugerties, Upstate New York in 1967. Although this material circulates quite freely among collectors, the majority of it still remains to be officially released. However, "The Basement Tapes" are still considered to be some of the most important and influential music in the history of Rock music. Thanks for the info and explanations. Very fascinating stuff. Nice first post

Coming to this thread late...I see that the OP has originally decided on an amp and made a purchase. Had that not been the case, I was just going to say that I've heard very good things about Pass Labs Amps (designed by Nelson Pass). I'm satisfied with my Parasound Halo for the time being, but if/when I decide to upgrade I'll probably go with a Pass Labs, maybe the X-150 or X-150.5

Just watched "No Direction Home" for the first time this weekend. As a total Dylan neophyte, I found it extremely informative and well done. I mean, I feel I got a fairly good introduction to the early stage of his career and to the man himself. Just a little question on chronology. As far as Dylan "going electric" (that's almost become a social meme), can someone clear up when this happened. Was this in '65, when or shortly after he released Highway 61 Revisited? Did it really take the folk-rock world by storm back then? Not familiar with his catalogue, I always thought of Blood on the Tracks as this major turn in his career but in the past it appears that I conflated that with "Dylan going electric" I guess these were two separate processes. In the film, it seems there's quite a bit of resentment at least in England and I guess among folk artists here about his new approach and performance style. Actually, I found that resentment in the UK a little refreshing. You see, I've always been a little embrassed about how Americans went mad as in crazy over the Beatles and then, after Lenon's J.C. remark, went nuts in a different way, having record burnings and issuing death threats. Seeing that Dylan also received a death threat for incorporating electic musicians into his repertroire in England made me feel that we (as Americans) are not the only insane ones who have to tear down our idols.

This is a great observation. Before getting the box, I thought of Rubber Soul as the transitional album. But these listenings have convinced me Help! prefigures important changes to come. Here, they seem to have one foot in their musical past and one foot in the future (not aware of what that future is of course). Its already been mentioned in this thread what a revelation "Ticket to Ride" is. But also on the title song, "Help!", there's an authenticity and heft to the music and lyric that distinguishes it from much of their earlier material. One other track produced during this time but not included on Help!, "Yes it is" (it was a single, included on the first Mono Masters disc with an alternative version on Anthology 2) deserves attention as well. Its not a typical love song a la 1962-63 Beatles. There's an urgency, something burning not only in Lenon's lyric but in the way he sings the song that seems to set it apart from earlier ballads. I've long been fascinated by this transition. MacDonald does an excellent job of putting these developments in the context of competition with other groups in the fast-changing musical world of 1965: groups like The Who, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones (and even the Beach Boys) were coming up with heavier stuff and thus reproducing the old pop sound ad nauseum seemed increasingly less desirable. And of course there was the relationship with Bob Dylan borne of their meeting in August 1964, which no doubt served as an inspiration in songwriting (at least for John). As trite as it may sound, I think we can't discount early experiences with drugs as a contributing factor (one of many) in bringing them out of the mold of Beatlemania Beatles. Of course we've all heard the story of Bob Dylan introducing them to pot in a NY hotel room in August 1964 and John's and George's experiences after having their coffee spiked with LSD in Jan/Feb 1965, the latter coinciding roughly with the early recording stages of Help!. MacDonald also recounts an interesting meeting in which John, George and Ringo took LSD with two members of The Byrds at a residence the Beatles were renting in Bel Air, Los Angeles during their summer tour of the U.S. in August 1965, and how they were transfixed by David Crosby's playing of the sitar. We don't want to overemphasize the role of drugs, of course, but these experiences do seem to have served as a catalyst for loosening adherence to convention and transitioning to an introspective stance, a heavier sound, and a greater proportion of songs / lyrics rooted in personal expression rather than audience expectations.

Just watched the DVD "The Miles Davis Story" and there was one section in there about the time he was married to Frances (was it '59 to 65 or so?). Anyway, she was interviewed and recalled that Miles liked to strut around town in tailored Italian suits and how the two of them were quite a spectacle to be seen on the streets. I thought that was pretty cool. Of course that was back in the day. Not too long later (during the beginning of the electric period) he and his bandmates were working some crazy ensembles. And thats cool too.

Different strokes...but even if I didn't like John Bonham's style, I'd still use a phrase different from "perfectly competent" to describe him. He seemed to be much more than perfectly competent: John Bonham - Moby Dick (Royal Albert Hall, 1970)

Here's the best review I've read thus far comparing mono and stereo versions and what you might consider essential from each. It's an Amazon customer review by James Perlman posted on 9/10/09. Maybe this is more than you wanted, but I thought it was extremely informative. If you don't have time to read the whole thing, go directly to the bottom. ----- Introduction: The following is pretty much a full review of both the mono and stereo reissues largely written in real time as a series of e-mails to an old friend who once owned a legendary record store here in Chicago. The story of the reissues really comes down to the technical limitations of two-track, four-track, eight-track, etc. recordings and the relative complexity of the music of the Beatles. Listening occurred on what would be considered an audiophile system with Quad 988's as the speakers. If following reading this review, you wish to read an expanded essay by me on the box sets, please visit The Beatles Wiki site by Hyperarts. Please Please Me: The sound on the mono is just amazing. You can hear the echo in the room as John sings Anna. The vocals just soar. Ringo was just so good, even at this early stage and so was Paul. They supported and framed the songs so perfectly. And just think, in twenty-one minutes, or so, Twist And Shout! Stereo can't hold a candle to this, if for no other reason than the left/right "stereo" found later in With The Beatles, Rubber Soul and Revolver. With The Beatles: As with Please Please Me, the mono sounds so, so, nice. As the stereo has that annoying left/right "stereo," no contest: mono hands down. A Hard Day's Night: Seems better and more enjoyable in stereo. I think the reason is that they now had four tracks so George Martin could do proper stereo mixes and still have a mostly fresh first generationish sound. Remember, there were only two track available for Please Please Me. However, when they got to Rubber Soul and Revolver, four tracks weren't enough, which required, in some instances, numerous dubs of the four tracks to another four track tape, merging the four tracks to one track, thereby opening up three new tracks. While this degraded the sound somewhat it also made it difficult to back-track and do the after-thought stereo mixes, which is why we have the atrocious "stereo" of Rubber Soul and Revolver. Consequently, the reason the monos of these albums rule has mostly to do with technical limitations. While the mixes on A Hard Day's Night are true stereo mixes, they carry George Martin's idiosyncratic, but really right, decision to put the vocals in the center, the rhythm section to the left and the other instruments to the right. I always have loved how Martin took care to isolate the brilliant work of Ringo and Paul so many times instead of just following the convention of placing the drums in the center. This is why one of Martin's memoirs is entitled: "All You Need Is Ears." The Beatles For Sale: Comments, preference and reasons for preference similar to A Hard Day's Night. Help: Well, thank God we have three different versions to compare to make life ever so easy. First, mono is the definitive mix, that's a plus. As a minus, while it sounds richer, it is also a bit muddy compared to the stereo mixes. As for the stereo mixes, the remaster of George Martin's '87 remix does show some limiting in this new incarnation. A bit a hard to dial in the right volume. Sounds fuller, but that's the limiting. Not sure I care for this version too much. As for the `65 stereo version, that comes on the same disc as the mono version, as this album is somewhat acoustic, the absence of the limiting that was done to the new stereo remix/remaster is a plus. The delicacy is there in I Need You. Overall, the "old" stereo is prettier than the "new" stereo. One can argue over whether the "new" stereo or the ""old" stereo is better, I come down on the side of the "old" stereo, I like pretty. But as you get both the mono and the "old" stereo on the single mono disc, the cheapskate in me screams if you had a pistol to your head and only had to purchase one version of Help, it would be the "mono" disc. Rubber Soul: Mono over stereo, if for no other reason than the left/rt channel mix that plagued Please, Please Me, With The Beatles and Revlover. Revolver: There is a section of I Want To Tell You where Ringo is just so muscular and explosive in the mono that is missing in stereo and this is before we get to the issue of the left/right "stereo" of the stereo mix. Plus, there is just this overall richness of sound to the mono that is missing in the stereo. That said, it is a bit cooler to hear Tomorrow Never Knows in stereo. But, overall, mono. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: The things you have heard are correct about the mono mix, the clarity and control over the notes, instruments and vocals is all there. Overall, it just sounds better, fuller and richer than the stereo, plus it is what the boys intended. Oddly, the thing that was most breathtaking was She's Leaving Home; just a full, gorgeous, sound. In stereo, it just sounds relatively wrong; thin compared to the mono. That said, because Day In The Life is such a mind-f the stereo is the definitive version of this song. Magical Mystery Tour: While Pepper's sounded better in Mono, MMT sounds better in stereo. The Beatles (The White Album): Both versions have their merits, you need both. If you can only go for one, it's the stereo. Abbey Road: The defining moment of these reissues, and why it took four years, may be found on AR's I Want You (She's So Heavy). Because they couldn't take the tape hiss out without compromising the sound, they didn't. But when it came to John's final "yeah" which was over saturated and clipped previously, they were able to take the clipping out, and for the first time, you can hear all of John's vocal. Second side now, Here Comes the Sun and now Because. Wonderful sound throughout. Can't wait for Ringo at the end. Let It Be: Now that I have had the time to compare three versions of LIB, an original 1970 EMI vinyl, this remastered CD and LIB Naked, it turns out that LIB is one of the more interesting remaster releases. First, LIB Naked has it all. It is true to the original vision of the Beatles for this music. It has clarity, correct dynamics and musicality. One of the places you can hear this best is in the title track and the differences between the Martin and Spector mixes. Martin got the church-like nature of the song. Consequently, you get more organ and the choir-boy harmonies of John and George, which Spector dubbed over with horns, strings and over the top solos by George. And I'm with Sir Paul concerning the damage done by Phil to The Long And Winding Road. As for the 1970 LIB vinyl, it has its problems from a sonic standpoint, particularly as it is a Phil Spector production. This brings us to this remastered CD. It trumps the 1970 standard vinyl in clarity but not LIB Naked. The real surprise is that the compression added to this remaster actually makes this a more Phil Spectoresque production than the original. And surprisingly, I like it, at least compared with the 1970 vinyl. Still, Naked is what you want. Mono Past Masters: Right now, listening to the The Inner Light, which I hate, but it sounds so, so, so good in mono that I may actually like it. And, look out, Paul's bass piano notes in Hey Jude are right there as is Ringo's tambourine. Can't wait for Revolution plus the mono songs from Yellow Submarine. The mono Past Masters would have been perfection if they had added a stereo Let It Be and The Ballad Of John and Yoko. After all, the "stereo" Past Masters is actually a mixture of stereo and mono. So kids, here's where we end. Your core, oddly enough, should be the mono box set. Augment this with the stereo Hard Day's Night, The Beatles For Sale, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour, The Beatles, Abbey Road, Let It Be and stereo Past Masters.

I just received the mono set a few days ago; I thought I'd post a few shots of it for those who haven't seen it, but are thinking about picking up a copy. I think they've done a fantastic job making the cover, sleeve, liner, outside plastic wrap and CD all look like just like a miniature LP and its accoutrements to scale. I believe these were hand-assembled in Japan...

PM sent

felser, I was in J&R in NYC today and they are selling the stereo cds for $10.99 each, except for the double cds. regards, Amazon currently has new stereo copies of The Beatles (the "White Album") and the Past Masters two-disc set on sale for 12.99 each. I doubt you'll ever find new copies cheaper than this for the double-CDs. Order both and qualify for free shipping. If I didn't already have both I'd hop on this in a second.

Hank Mobley - Quintet I picked this up "blind" a few weeks ago as part of a larger order from Tower, but with the Coltrane boxes arriving literally the same day, it is only tonight that I've removed the shrinkwrap and put it in the player (Beatles mono set to arrive tomorrow so I've got to get it in now). Wow! What a great Mobley date. For those who don't have this one, his partners are Art Farmer, Horace Silver, Doug Watkins and Art Blakey. Recorded in March 1957 but remastered by RVG last year. Great playing all around by each and every member of the quintet. This was something like 6.99 at Tower -- one heckuva deal. I don't hear about this one as much as some other Mobley dates, but its a real treat.

http://www.youtube.com/u2?feature=ticker

Great song. Thanks for sharing. Why wasn't this included on Anthology 3? Yes, its a bit rough around the edges, but I still find it to be a very exciting recording / session, confirming that my favorite Beatles period is still 1968-69. Obviously, I'm in the minority here as many have cited above the 66-67 period as the peak of their creative energies. I won't argue against there being some really innovative production back in the earlier period, and while I love Revolver and Peppers as much (or almost as much) as the next guy, I kind of prefer it when they got back to just going at it -- "playing" instead of "producing" --, the way they did in the White Album sessions. Sure once in a while they miss it during these latter years, but more often than not they hit it, and often times its out of the park.

Same here. *crossing fingers* Did you guys happen to order them from Newbury Comics? I happened to order a copy from Newbury today through the Amazon marketplace (before reading your posts here).

I've been hearing gradually more and more about high-quality digital servers over the past 18 months, and even more in recent weeks. I've seen that there is some past discussion here and there of the Squeezebox on the forum, but I'm wondering if any owners of this device could comment a bit more on their use of it. Has it along with DAC completely replaced your stand alone high-end CD player or do you use it in a different room / office , as a complementary unit rather than the main source for your music listening? And in a related vein, aside from the obvious convenience factor, do you find the the sound quality to genuinely rival the CDP / Turntable you were using before (or still continue to use in a different audio rig)? Finally, do you still purchase CDs or have you switched primarily to downloading?

I was just reading the liner notes for the Wynton Kelly Trio / Wes Montgomery CD, Smokin' at the Half Note , and came across a passage that mentioned several legendary jazz clubs that operated in Manhatten back in the day: The Half Note the Village Vanguard the Village Gate the Five Spot Slugs I'm wondering if any veterans who witnessed live jazz at one of these venues back in the day have any stories to share with us newcomers. Who'd you see play? Any memorable experiences? Which was your favorite of these clubs and why? ...Or just take it where ever you like

Over the last month or so I've been on a kick with jazz pianists...first Kelly, then Garland, and Monk. Just tonight, Bob Parloucha played a song on his late night show that caught my attention. It was a cover of "Night and Day" and can be found, so I learned, on Stan Getz's album, People Time. But what struck me, in my current piano-loving mode, was not Getz but rather the piano playing...I later learned that it was Kenny Barron. Never heard of this cat before, but he had a pretty sweet groove going. I'm going to have to keep my ears peeled for other stuff he's done.