Cahoots! is Don't Do It one of the greatest rock songs of all time? Can you listen for 5 seconds without shaking your ass?
If ever there was an album you need to be in the mood for to listen to this is it. A masterpiece IMHO.
Listening to some live Lenny Breau streamimg. I'm pretty sure the CD I have of this is a vinyl needledrop crackles and all but it features some great playing...
Pretty cool when you happen upon a show you were at on YouTube by accident. This was R.E.M. at the height of their powers in June of '84, and Roger McGuinn and Jonathan Richman even joined them for encores. Pretty amazing night.
Black Market. Weather Report, 1976. In my last Weather Report-related post I praised Ndugu's drumming. By the time the band entered the studio to record their next album, he had left. Bassist Alphonso Jones recommeded Chester Thompson, fresh out of The Mothers of Invention, no less. The album starts with the title track, written by Zawinul. As usual in this period of the band, if you like the sound of analog synthesizers, then you're in for a real treat. Layers of keyboards blend exquisitely with Wayne's soprano sax. Chester's drumming is, as those who are familiar with his playing expect, exceptional. Chester has said that there's an edit in the track and from then on, the drummer is Narada Michael Walden (I guess the edit is at 2:17, but I'm not sure), who also does a remarkable job. Alejandro Acuña, the Peruvian percussionist who replaced Alyrio Lima, plays timbales providing the piece a latin flavour. Excellent opener. The second track is a Zawinul tribute to his former employer and jazz legend Cannonball Adderley, who had died recently. "Cannon Ball" has the historic particularity of being the first Weather Report track featuring Jaco Pastorious. The recording of the piece actually worked almost as his audition for the band. A very pleasant tune. Water sounds and a ship horn introduces another tune by Zawinul: "Gibraltar". An excellent complex piece with many turns, stops and starts. The best track on side 1. Side 2 opens with "Elegant People", a Shorter tune. The piece makes justice to its title, as Zawinul's piano playing proves. Wayne takes his tenor sax at the time of his solo, which is almost a rare treat, since his main instrument during this period was the soprano (being one of my all-time favorite tenor sax players, it feels almost like a sin for me!). Once again, the timbales provide a latin atmosphere. The rhythm section is obviously impeccable. The following track is a short piece called "Three Clowns", which findes Wayne (autor of the piece) testing the timbral possiblities of a Lyricon, which is a wind synthesizer. Not only a curiosity, but a nice tune too. "Barbary Coast" is the first Pastorius composition to be recorded by the band. Jaco is obviously the bassist in this very groovy piece that works almost as an short interlude as well as a hint of things to come in the future of the band. The closing track is "Herandnu", written by Alphonso Jones. A terrific tune with a simple yet addictive melody in 11/4 and room for everyone to shine (Wayne on tenor again). A very good album. It didn't blow my mind, but only the first two albums by the band did, so it's not a big deal. In hindsight, we can say it's a transitional recording. Alphonso Jones left the band shortly after the sessions to join the group that Billy Cobham and George Duke were putting together (I can't recommend their live album enough). Chester Thompson would start his tenure as Genesis' live drummer. Musicians continued to come and go in the band, except for two of them, of course. But, as you all know, a third vital ingredient in this sonic stew would join to stay, starting a new phase in the history of the band.
You may have mentioned how long you'd had the Wharfedales awhile back, but do you have any idea how many times the elements have been re-coned or replaced? I've got some old speakers dating back to 1976 and re-coned a few times, same for a pair from '86. Two pairs of mains '92 and 2006 are holding up very well, as all of the shelve, fill and center speakers have. NP... I'm still getting used to Sunken Condos, but it's not as bad as you get used to it. I think Morph the Cat is very good.
Got these at an estate sale last summer for $40. I was told they hadn't been touched on many, many years and are all original. I haven't done a thing to them and they sound incredibly good, just so natural and warm. Not messing with well enough.
