David Williams

Bottlehead

I'm not a collector either, but if I was I'd collect Japanese mini-LPs: they're fupping gorgeous. Weizen, I hope you've got those JRVGs on display.

A handful - 7 or 8 - similar number of Japanese mini-LPs from other labels. I'm naughty: no special care taken, no plastic sleeves, just mixed in with all the other CDs, left all over the place - kitchen, car, taken on holiday. And.... I bin the OBIs.

Here's a short but beautiful piece from the Guardian: Alone With Johnny Cash

Q: Why are pirates so mean? A: They just arrrr.

Does anyone one use one of those vacuum brewers, like Cona? Raymond Chandler spends half a page or so describing Philip Marlowe making coffee with one in one story.

And poets.... Rave On John Donne!

Actually, I think he does go a little Cockney at one point - perhaps you have to be British to hear it. Not exactly Dick Van Dyke though, thenk Gawd.

That made me laugh out loud after a bad day!

Best of luck, old chap.

I had exactly the same thought while I was listening on my walk to work last week: it's sonically gorgeous, but compelling for more reasons than that. And I'm assuming the production is part of the concept. I didn't realise this is his first electric venture. The only other thing I have him on is Joe Maneri's 'Get Ready To Receive Yourself'. Holiday destination: Minorca, Mediterranean - first proper beach-style holiday-in-the-sun since '91 - the children will think they've gone to heaven - I'm looking forward to it big-time too.

Yep, a Garrard 401 CD player: they stopped making them in the early 70's. It's cast aluminium and goes 'CLANK!' when I switch it on. Only kidding though: $33 is getting a bit steep for my wallet.

That looks like a penis enlargement operation gone wrong.

I've a feeling there may not be too many responses to this one, so why don't you hit us with both barrels to help things along Joe? I'm on holiday for two weeks from Wednesday, so give me some food for thought and I'll take the CD with me. I love the concept of this album, with the alternating group and solo programming. The more I hear it, the more it sounds like a mournful masterpiece. There is an obvious mid 70's Miles feeling to it (even without either trumpet or guitar), some absolutely beautiful electric, and even wah-wah, viola (even Hendrix-like maybe?), and the title track is a tou-de-force - when Parker goes all subterranean near the end of that track.... oh my word! I have to get some more Maneri.

Can't remember if Tom Evered ever confirmed it, but I imagine that reproducing the covers from used, abused, but loved LP sleeves was a deliberate decision for the 'RVG' series concept. I like the effect on titles like Moanin' and Unity where you can see the wear and tear - a nice idea. Haven't seen Natural Soul, though: the TOCJ will do for me. Off to listen to Face To Face now, though, after Soul Stream brought it up.

And I hear what you're saying. I think I'll continue to experiment with the programming: I've never been one for bothering with that before. I'll spend some more time with it in the Minorcan sun. Glad you brought this one up, Al.

Classic Records have just released a 'vinyl layer' - one in their mono series, and a stereo one. Haven't got it myself, though.

OK, I will. It's growing on me, playing it several times over the last few days, so maybe concentrating on Williams will remove the feeling that the track should have been edited to end around the 5 minute mark. (I'm such a philistine.)

Enjoyed it this morning in the following order: Hand Jive; Madness; Fall; Riot; Nefertiti; Pinocchio Works better as an album for me that way round - in fact, think I'll take it on holiday with me next week.

Well, this thread caused me to pull this off the shelf again. ESP, Smiles and, to a lesser extent, Sorcerer, I love: Nef, Sky and Filles haven't engaged me in the same way. Playing this two or three times over the last couple of days, I still have to say I dislike the title track - I recognise what's going on behind, but the trumpet/sax theme I just find tedious, especially when they start staggering it. From Hand Jive on, I like it though - I much prefer the 'hot' tracks on this disc, especially where there's just Miles playing with bass and drums (Madness?). Maybe I'll try programming the tracks in a different order.

Don't want to be seen lurking on the Mnytime thread perhaps. I'm on my way over there now, to catch the latest.

As Joe probably doesn't like to blow his own trumpet (or bow his own viola), here's a link to the interview with Mat Maneri on his www.bagatellen.com site: interview.

That reminds me, I haven't given proper time to this.

I decided about 3 or 4 years ago that it would be a neat little compilation I found of 1920's-42 Ellington. C'mon, everyone's got something they've got more of a soft spot for than anything else - even you blokes with 1,000's of albums. KOB would be a close runner-up, though - why not?

Haven't you blokes seen High Fidelity? The only way to sort your LPs/CDs is autobiographically.