Listening to.......

[Jules Gray]

Of course there is only one Bob. Apart from being the best ever songwriter he is also an acclaimed artist, whiskey distiller, ornamental gate maker, author, radio host etc . Have I missed any?

Lingerie promoter.

Jules

[Will S]

Currently listening to The Best of Altan. I think it was the first CD I ever bought (in 1996 - I was a bit late to that party!).  Still excellent.

[Pastieboy (Trev)]

Gong . Live at Longlaville

[bassline (Mike)]

Forced to choose 5, for me it would be Gene, Neil, Sandy, Bob, Richard & Linda.

Ah, but which Bob?

Jules

There's only one "Bob"    Waves...

Of course there is only one Bob. Apart from being the best ever songwriter he is also an acclaimed artist, whiskey distiller, ornamental gate maker, author, radio host etc . Have I missed any?

He is, apparently, your uncle.

[mickf]

 

[Nick]

Listening to random Rush albums.

So far, Grace Under Pressure, Hold Your Fire, Permanent Waves and now Test For Echo.

I will always be impressed with how a three-piece could create so much complex noise without overdubs.

Cheers

Nick

[GubGub (Al)]

So how is everyone getting on with the big Horslips box?

I have now worked my way through almost all of it (apart from the DVDs). I just have one disc of Live at the O2 (which I already owned) and Tracks From The Vaults 2 remaining.

Like all of these mega box sets, with so much music in the world and in my own personal collection, there is more here than I can ever listen to more than once. I started with all of the previously unreleased or unheard stuff and those discs contain most of what I am unlikely to go back to very often. The 1977, 1979 and 1980 live recordings are excellent. The earlier live stuff was less essential for me. The rehearsals disc is a once only listen for me (and my copy actually has a manufacturing fault on the first two tracks which is disappointing but better this disc than any of the others). The RTE sesssions discs were an interesting listen but once again probably not the ones I will return to repeatedly.

Of the post Horslips material, the Host album is entertaining but has a very dated production sound. I like the Fean & Carr disc a great deal and also the Charles O'Connor album. I didn't get on with the Barry Devlin album at all and Jim Lockhart's incidental music is pleasant but inessential.

That leaves all of the previously released material which is all, of course, splendid. I didn't have every album so am pleased to put that right and to have found some new favourite songs. Highlights? The Book of Invasions sounds fabulous and the new mastering of The Belfast Gigs is a treat.

Roll on the BBC box. Hopefully that will include the Live With The Ulster Orchestra disc which is the only thing missing from this set.

Not a lot to disagree with there, Al.  I've not found any faults, but I've been listening to my rips on the I pod.   I also didn't understand why the Ulster Orchestra disc wasn't included and a bit disappointed there was no zen alligators stuff.  I haven't heard anything about a BBC box, is it a thing?

Yes, 4 disc box due out later this year according to Colin Harper.

[bassline (Mike)]

Listening to random Rush albums.

So far, Grace Under Pressure, Hold Your Fire, Permanent Waves and now Test For Echo.

I will always be impressed with how a three-piece could create so much complex noise without overdubs.

Cheers

Nick

Although I saw them on the Hold Your Fire tour, (and subsequently ended up on the Show Of Hands live album. Yay me !), I didn't like Power Windows, didn't buy it or any studio release after. Until just before Christmas when I bought a box set of all the albums from Hold Your Fire to Snakes And Arrows, and I also bought Clockwork Angels, which is, so far the only one I've listened to. I must get on to the box. (Still haven't got Power Windows.)(Except on the car.)

[Nick]

Listening to random Rush albums

Although I saw them on the Hold Your Fire tour, (and subsequently ended up on the Show Of Hands live album. Yay me !), I didn't like Power Windows, didn't buy it or any studio release after. Until just before Christmas when I bought a box set of all the albums from Hold Your Fire to Snakes And Arrows, and I also bought Clockwork Angels, which is, so far the only one I've listened to. I must get on to the box. (Still haven't got Power Windows.)(Except on the car.)

I saw that A Show Of Hands gig too! Birmingham NEC 1988. Also, many years earlier, Rush were players of the first proper rock gig I went to as a pre-teen. I went in my school uniform - didn't even know I was going until my dad came and got me from school and told me my brother's friend was ill and I was to have his ticket.

As for the box, it's a good collection and a good potted history. It tracks how they turned back from the wall of synths and rediscovered stringed instruments again, then rediscovered themselves after Neil Peart's tragedies. Roll The Bones and Snakes And Arrows are my favourites from that set.

I finished the day with Vapour Trails. Will grab some earlier stuff next time.

Cheers

Nick

[Alan2]

Shirley Collins  :   Heart's Ease  (Ltd edition coloured vinyl LP,  2020).

[Shane (Skirky)]

Music from Big Pink, soup to nuts for the first time ever.

[Jim]

So how is everyone getting on with the big Horslips box?

I have now worked my way through almost all of it (apart from the DVDs). I just have one disc of Live at the O2 (which I already owned) and Tracks From The Vaults 2 remaining.

Like all of these mega box sets, with so much music in the world and in my own personal collection, there is more here than I can ever listen to more than once. I started with all of the previously unreleased or unheard stuff and those discs contain most of what I am unlikely to go back to very often. The 1977, 1979 and 1980 live recordings are excellent. The earlier live stuff was less essential for me. The rehearsals disc is a once only listen for me (and my copy actually has a manufacturing fault on the first two tracks which is disappointing but better this disc than any of the others). The RTE sesssions discs were an interesting listen but once again probably not the ones I will return to repeatedly.

Of the post Horslips material, the Host album is entertaining but has a very dated production sound. I like the Fean & Carr disc a great deal and also the Charles O'Connor album. I didn't get on with the Barry Devlin album at all and Jim Lockhart's incidental music is pleasant but inessential.

That leaves all of the previously released material which is all, of course, splendid. I didn't have every album so am pleased to put that right and to have found some new favourite songs. Highlights? The Book of Invasions sounds fabulous and the new mastering of The Belfast Gigs is a treat.

Roll on the BBC box. Hopefully that will include the Live With The Ulster Orchestra disc which is the only thing missing from this set.

Not a lot to disagree with there, Al.  I've not found any faults, but I've been listening to my rips on the I pod.   I also didn't understand why the Ulster Orchestra disc wasn't included and a bit disappointed there was no zen alligators stuff.  I haven't heard anything about a BBC box, is it a thing?

Yes, 4 disc box due out later this year according to Colin Harper.

Further joy, unbounded😎👍

[GubGub (Al)]

Music from Big Pink, soup to nuts for the first time ever.

What do you think? I've never quite understood the adoration. I like it well enough but the following album is head and shoulders above it.

[Will S]

Listening to random Rush albums

Although I saw them on the Hold Your Fire tour, (and subsequently ended up on the Show Of Hands live album. Yay me !), I didn't like Power Windows, didn't buy it or any studio release after. Until just before Christmas when I bought a box set of all the albums from Hold Your Fire to Snakes And Arrows, and I also bought Clockwork Angels, which is, so far the only one I've listened to. I must get on to the box. (Still haven't got Power Windows.)(Except on the car.)

I saw that A Show Of Hands gig too! Birmingham NEC 1988. Also, many years earlier, Rush were players of the first proper rock gig I went to as a pre-teen. I went in my school uniform - didn't even know I was going until my dad came and got me from school and told me my brother's friend was ill and I was to have his ticket.

As for the box, it's a good collection and a good potted history. It tracks how they turned back from the wall of synths and rediscovered stringed instruments again, then rediscovered themselves after Neil Peart's tragedies. Roll The Bones and Snakes And Arrows are my favourites from that set.

I finished the day with Vapour Trails. Will grab some earlier stuff next time.

Cheers

Nick

Sounds like it was a Talkawhile reunion, before Talkawhile!  I was at the NEC concert as well. Also ended up there kind of by surprise, when a friend's mate couldn't go at the last minute. We drove down from Sheffield and back again the same night.  The only time I ever saw Rush, though they have been in my top five - possibly top three - bands since I was about 15 or 16.

[Will S]

Oh, and I wouldn't write off Power Windows. Worst thing about it is the cover!

[PaulT]

DSOTM (SACD, 5.1) - half a century!!!!

And "Dream", U Srinivas & Michael Brook CD

[Big Ade]

Just received the new Tide Lines album, An Ocean Full Of Islands. Excellent stuff!   https://www.tidelinesband.com/?fbclid=IwAR0L6rPae-7ijhziQbJzAKkUfjSUMOj79UVyC8DdWPXCys6radPh3wvz4KE

[davidmjs]

Basically all I'm listening to at the moment is Datblygu...and especially the new compilation Terfysgiaith 1982-2022 (2 CD comp + 1 CD rarities) https://louderthanwar.com/ankst-musik-announce-new-datblygu-triple-cd-compilation/

But I've made a brief break to listen to Blue Monday very loudly as it is apparently 4 decades today since it was released.

[GubGub (Al)]

After the interesting documentary on BBC2 a couple of weeks ago I am giving Linda Ronstadt another try via a cheap Original Albums box.

I still can't really fathom her vast record sales in the 70s as the singles in particular are little more than high class karaoke, being almost entirely covers of older classic songs. However it is easy on the ear and it is growing on me. I enjoyed the Hasten Down The Wind album as it is mostly less familiar material and she certainly makes a better job of Rivers of Babylon than Boney M did!

[Will S]

About 10 years ago, I got 4 of her early albums from Amazon for about £6 out of curiosity.  I listen to them occasionally, but not that often, to be honest.